#unusual person strength wise

[torgawl]

when will genshin give us any sort of information on the underground intelligence network? we don't even have a name for it... GIVE US A CRUMB. A SINGLE ONE, I BEG.

[belit0]

Hello!♡

Thank you so much for doing my last request! I absolutely loved it and You're such a great writer aaa!<33

But anyhow, I've come with a new request and it was mainly inspired by the way you characterise Izuna (I absolutely love it btw). Sooo, essentially Izuna and Madara sharing a wife. Like, Izuna got her first, but decided to share with Madara, because he is his dear big brother after all!

You can gladly make it mostly nsfw with a generous amount of the infamous Uchiha breeding kink on top, because I need that in my life rn lmao.

Thank you for all you do and have a great day/Night!<33

-bunni anon♡

Months later, here is what you asked for. It has a good combination of nsfw and sfw material, as I found fascinating to explore the dynamics of these two Uchiha in such a situation. I had fun, to say the least.

Marriage dynamics

In the Uchiha clan, shared marriages are not unusual, as their culture values family, strength and unity. This complex but harmonious relationship began as one of Izuna's many defiant attitudes, trying to go against the council, prove to them that he would not marry who they thought was wise.

(Y/N) became the perfect proof of defiance, a middle finger raised to the elders who kept pressuring the young Uchiha with marital concerns (they decided to leave Madara alone in those matters, of course). One thing led to another, and what started as a fresh fling translated into genuine feelings, accompanied by a long and tumultuous emotional journey that Izuna was not ready to take on.

Luckily, Aniki is always ready to lend a hand to this little jerk, and it was in the sentimental navigation that Izuna undertook with (y/n), assisted by Madara's advice, where the girl developed a strong attraction for the clan leader, setting a new path and direction.

After much internal debate and various agreements, both brothers came to the conclusion that the situation was simply perfect, as the girl not interceding in their bond, but rather contributing to it, was a great match for them.

Madara, being the eldest, has a more protective and authoritative attitude. He is concerned about the welfare of the family and tends to assume the role of leader in personal decisions. Being a man of wise words, he is the one who is in charge of mitigating any tension that may appear in the dynamics. His word is rule, and Izuna knows that contradicting Aniki is pointless (unless it is intentional).

(y/n), however, enjoys ruffling his feathers. Sometimes it's so simple, and punishments in bed have an intense flavor. Madara asks Izuna to assist with punishment and discipline whenever the girl pisses him off, and the younger Uchiha never misses an opportunity to explore sadism between the sheets.

Izuna, on the other hand, is spicier in his manner, playful and carefree. He has more of a physical relationship with her, which balances Madara's seriousness. Both siblings deeply respect each other, so there are no major conflicts for (y/n)'s attention, although sometimes small friendly competitions arise.

Where Izuna tends to lean toward physicality and sex, Madara usually opts for affection. Great balance.

Division of time

Madara, with his leadership role in the clan, spends more time in meetings, while Izuna takes care of the day-to-day affairs of the clan. This allows their wife to spend more frequent and relaxed moments with Izuna, fronting as the first lady of the family.

In the evenings, the three of them get together to share quiet dinners. Madara, who values unity, insists that these dinners be family moments, without political or strategic discussions, purely leisurely and trivial. Both Izuna and (y/n) help him to put his feet on the ground after long days of work, regulating him.

3. Hobbies and shared activities

They enjoy training. When (y/n) is in the mood to participate, they usually arrange all-against-all battles, with the winner being the one who endures to the end. If the girl prefers to rest, she usually settles under the shade of a tree until they wear each other out, waiting for them with snacks ready.

Mutual challenge and support is a big part of their dynamic.

When Madara manages to dodge his responsibilities, the day begins and ends with sex. He doesn't have much free time, and he knows that Izuna and (y/n) never waste time alone. On the one hand, he finds it imperative to catch up, not to be left behind, and on the other, the need builds up in him like hot lava, clamoring to be released. If there is an opportunity, (y/n) does not leave the house all day long.

In quieter moments, they enjoy strolls through the Uchiha compound, where Izuna and (y/n) are corralled by the clan's children while Madara interacts cordially with nearby adults. Sometimes they are satisfied by simply inhabiting the same space, each immersed in their thoughts but sharing the calm.

Preparing dinner

As for household chores, although they have servants who can help, their wife often prefers to prepare meals, enjoying the process as a way of caring for her family. However, Izuna sometimes offers to assist. Madara, too busy to participate in cooking time, rarely gets involved, but always appreciates the food.

Usually, these are moments where Izuna takes the opportunity to enjoy (y/n) without Madara's presence. The servants know when to leave the home, give them privacy, and the Uchiha normally ends up fucking her on the table. If pre-dinner sex happens, she must sit down and eat in front of Madara with the remains of Izuna's seed dripping down her legs, leaving no greater satisfaction for the younger Uchiha than when his Aniki realizes what they were doing in his absence.

Conflict and resolution

Although there are moments of tension, like any relationship, they don't usually fight over their wife's attention. Their mutual respect as siblings prompts them to handle any conflict as they know best: with punches. In a controlled and competitive way, both Uchiha always solved their problems with their fists, knowing when to stop, regulating emotions in a physical way. Their wife, intelligent and patient, plays an important role in mediating when disagreements arise, ensuring that both feel valued, and giving them space when they need to release tensions.

If the problem runs too deep, for whatever reason, the girl has special weapons to disarm the brothers. It is as simple as taking them by the hand and directing them to any available surface, undressing in front of them and allowing whatever they wish to do with her body. No Uchiha will ever resist their woman surrendered in front of them, too much fire in their blood for that.

The only dispute that sometimes appears is fraternal jealousy. While they may compete on some things, like who surprises her with a gift or kind gesture, these moments strengthen their relationship, making the marriage more solid. (y/n) enjoys the attention, and will never admit to dying of tenderness when they simultaneously struggle to give her the best detail or present.

- On intense nights, Madara insists on sleeping inside (y/n), possessively filling her pussy, while Izuna opts for her rear end, joining in the fun until his legs go numb.

- Madara adores watching Izuna take care of (y/n), waiting for the moment when his need is too high and he feels himself exploding. The image of his wife being torn apart by his brother sets him on fire.

- Izuna always tries to find ways to compete. No matter how much he knows (y/n)'s buttons, how to make her scream and when to leave her shaking, he inevitably tries to come up with new ways that will put Madara on the spot.

- Izuna proposed a challenge that ended up becoming a habit: he insisted on (y/n) going through an entire council meeting swallowing Madara's cock under the table, unbeknownst to anyone, leaving him as the only one aware. If Aniki cums before the meeting, he is punished with the impossibility of touching (y/n) during the entire sexual encounter that follows, forced to watch helplessly.

- Madara prefers (y/n)'s cunt, obsessed with burying himself deep between those soft lips and filling her with high-quality seed. Izuna, indifferent as to which hole to occupy, usually takes over the girl's mouth until his brother is satisfied.

- Most often, (y/n) ends up with a mixture of cum dripping from the inside, fluid that doesn't stop pouring until hours after the encounter is over.

[anonymouscheeses]

The Morningstar family :)

First off, king of hell himself, Lucifer! I incorporated all of the animals he transformed into in the battle with Adam scene(goat, horse, snake, and duck but i wont include duck since hes obsessed already) Because I kept looking up what animals lucifer has been depicted as and was like, yeah nvm let's jst use this one scene and call it a day. His wings are black instead of white with black tips to further imply lil bro is a fallen angel. Made him doll-like to be similar to his daughter a bit but also they aren't freaking carbon copies of eachother, she is unique I swear guys. He's also not an all powerful being, he has limits, he gets tired quickly and his physical strength is LOW ASF he cannot throw a punch for the life of him. Personality wise, he is judgemental, prideful, and neglectful. But it's okay cuz he's silly 😐 /j he is super different, and it takes years for Charlie and him to be on speaking terms. He's trying, but is that enough?

Lillith!!! The first succubi, from what I know. I didnt include succubi features because I'm an idiot and forgot that was a concept. Sure it may not be canon anymore, or at all maybe, but I would've liked to make it true ☹️ there's not alot known about her in the show and we don't know why she is in heaven (if that's even her tbh). So once we know I'll either rewrite that or keep it as it is, not sure. But this Lillith does own Alastor's soul, she knows that he is one of the most unusual and powerful sinner in hell, so once she flees to heaven she gains his soul to keep an eye on Charlie, in return she gives him influence over hell(being that she influences hell with her voice) The radio station and all, since that's pretty much all he wants. He gives her info on the hotel's progress and how Charlie is doing, she just wants to be there. Personality is uh, calm, ambitious, and generous, yet negatively she is strict and wants things her way. She is the one closest to Charlie and very dear to her, which is why Charlie always tries to call her instead of Eve or Lucifer. Even though Charlie knows now she won't pick up the phone anymore, maybe ever again. It still comforts her to call anyways.

Lastllyy, Eveeee!! She's a pretty silly lil gal. She ate the apple of knowledge, so she was cursed to forever be reminded of it when she sees her tail. Oh yeah, they are also all married! Lillith's ring is under her glove. Anyway, she is pretty powerful despite her having no demon form. She already looks demon enough to fit in. So she does, she goes into pentagram city often and creates bonds with the people. Some know she is Eve and some just see her as a friendly yet powerful individual. Her magic is similar to Charlie's, she got the fireworks coming out of her finger from Eve, and they both can heal their body parts. Charlie doesn't know it because she hasn't needed to yet. Eve uses her charm to be friends with the people of hell, Lillith uses it to gain an army for the fight against heaven, Lucifer couldn't care less and coops himself up in his castle. Personality wise, she is very golden retriever, peaceful, and honest, yet also neglectful being that she spends time with demons rather than her own daughter. (She's barely there with Charlie even before she disappeared along with Lillith. But when they moved to the hotel she tried to make up for it.)

She regretted the marriage. For years.

The potential of Lillith angst is immeasurable, it's painful. Imagine being the first woman, forced into a marriage with a controlling man, falling in love with an angel, the other angels forbidding that, you both try to get Eve to join your relationship, she takes the apple but evil and such take over the world, and then because of your lover's dreams you are all sent to hell. Freaking horrible.

Demon forms!! Charlie gained Lillith's demon form, but I may give her dragon wings to make up for it. Messy doodle I knowww *sob*. Eve doesn't have one because the elder angels stripped that away form her because they were terrified of all of them having stronger forms. They are also ALL cursed with different features. Soo uh, Lucifer has one red eye to remind him of his evil side, he also has all sort of animal details and doll features because he's a mess and a control freak! :3 Lillith has horns, hooves, and a tail because she joined the devil. Eve is blind, the angels ripped her eyes out because she dares to willingly see the devil and his bride, she has wings on each side of her head because she was also a fallen angel(it was hell, because she was unhappy in being Adam's wife, it was temporary as she made herself go to hell instead of being kicked out.) She has a snout and ears too, cuz goat, and a tail with a shape of an apple at the end. Eve was done the worse oh lawwdd 😭😭

BABY CHARLIE!! She at one point HAD to have worn overalls. Right? PLEASE?? I don't know how to draw toddlers bear with me here.

Emo Charlie! Yayy.... she got her period so now she's an adult. 💀 little does she know it's actually a trauma response to being neglected so she tries to get attention by being weird!! 😃👍 (I ruined emo Charlie now)

(I have no idea how to do aesthetics... I'm in pain.)

When I said Lucifer is judgemental, prideful, and neglectful, I meant it. He's a horrible person. But he's trying to be better. That doesn't make him good nor excuse his behavior, he deserves the consequences. Which is why I don't like Lucifer in the show. He is NOT a good person but in one episode he is deprived from the karma of YEARS of neglect and shame. He just says "oh ill support you now" despite two episodes later the message is that actions speak louder than words which only applies to Vaggie for some reason. Why is Lucifer all of a sudden the exception? Oh right cuz he's a silly dad with depression so it's fine(Sorry but this genuinely pisses me off). And people in the fandom have demonized Charlie for being "mean" to him, when she is honestly so valid for reacting like that. The thing is, I don't hate Lucifer. Which is why I hate him if that makes sense. I hate that I like a character that shouldn't be liked yet. This should have been an arc for season 2. This scene should have been the start of the journey. The scene I drew out above is in ep 5 and it's the only interaction they get (it replaces the more than anything scene)

Charlie has no idea how humans/sinners work. She likes to observe them but never quite gets the purpose of their actions. She's emotionally unintelligent like in the show. Which lemme just say, is a FLAW. Characters have FLAWS PEOPLE. If I see another person shaming her for indirectly hurting Angel in episode 4 I'm going to lose it 🥰 she doesn't get emotions, she doesn't understand how people work, because she's been in isolation her entire 200+ years of living maybe less. But still this is all new to her and she is not at fault at all for that (im projecting probably) 🙄 (this is before Vaggie is revealed to be a fallen angel ofc). She's so in awe at her people, it's like a new world and she just wants to understand. It's kinda creepy but y'know it's a Charlie thing. Vaggie also is emotionally unintelligent but that's because she never used to focus on relationships or bonding. Which causes bad communication and problems between the two, YAY DEVELOPMENT!!

Idk bro I just wanted to draw her full demon form again. Uhh from the last time I drew I gave her... a new outfit, darker fur to match her skin, uhh, and dragon wings. Ya thas all but I like this one so much more already lmao. I got the fire hair idea because when she gets angry in the show(+pilot) her hair would defy gravity and it would remind me of yknow.. fire.

They're first meeting went swell! Unlike Lucifer and Vaggie's... but that's for later. Emily grew up afraid of hell but especially Lucifef and turning out the way he did. She still is but she's getting used to having the monster of her bed time stories be a short gummy bear. (Takes place when Charlie and Lucifer are in... better terms I guess) Also, Vaggie and Lucifer's first meet? Not great. Let's just say... Vaggie replaced Alastor and it become "Hell's Greatest Pal" or somthn like that. But yeah, Lucifer didn't really like Vaggie, not because she's a woman n homophobia hellll no his wives are wives, but because he didn't think she was good enough for her. Being a sinner n all. He's a hypocrite like that 😭 plus, he knew Vaggie was a fallen angel but he's not a monster so he didn't say anything. Just passively jabbing at the fact she is in the song to make her scared.

And one last doodle before I sign off!

These six bro... my absolute favorites <3 if you want please send in a request of them and their relationships I'm so desperate I love them sm (especially chaggily butttt lucifers stolen wives(that's the ship name I made 😭) too)

I hope you liked my rambel... my rewrite.... my redesigns.... and my stupidness... have a great day lmao

[ch3rriiii-bunn]

Hello! I’m new to the demon slayer fandom and I’m in love with the upper moons (specifically Douma and Akaza) haha.

I was wondering if I could have some headcanons for each of the upper moons + Muzan and what their s/o would be like? Like personality wise, what would their s/o act like, or what would make them fall for their s/o? If that makes sense?

Thank you very much! If you don’t feel comfortable writing that, that’s totally fine! I really enjoy your writing!!

Their type♡

AS YOU SHOULD!! I've been in the Fandom for so long I'm glad more ppl are loving the upper moons omg. Also thank you so much!! Hope u like this one♡♡♡

Warnings: mention of manga spoilers, gender natural reader, mention of killing

Akaza

Akaza type of s/o is someone who's kind and gentle. Having a person or even a demon show akaza genuine kindness wasn't always on his side even as a human, so he seeks out someone who can give him genuine kindness and have a gentle approach and not a hostile one.

Akaza's love language is acts of service. He wants to take care of his s/o, protect them, and be there for them mentally and physically. A love language he'd want in his s/o are words of affirmation

Akaza loves to be told he's appreciated for the things he does, praised and even admired for what he does.

Akaza falls for his s/o because he admires their strength. Man or woman doesn't matter, He hates weak humans and finds them better off dead and would gladly do it himself but when meeting his s/o for the first time in a fight they never gave up and saying powerful words like "my weakness of being human is what makes you strong"

Akaza can't help but love a strong human, and finding an s/o is strong is definitely the way to make him catch his heart

Douma

Douma hasn't really given it much thought on what he likes in his s/o personality, but one thing douma happens to get in everyone around him is someone who's more straightforward and direct.

Douma maybe all jokes and giggles and not seem to have a care in the world but he likes to have a person in his life who can clarify mistakes and even call out his own even if it makes him upset.

Doumas love language is gift giving. He'll listen to the things his s/o likes and will buy or even try to craft the things his s/o likes and give gifts at random. A love language he'd like in his s/o is someone who can communicate which can fall under quality time

Douma deep down needs a person to sit down and understand him even if his words and mindset can be unusual but even so he wants to know there's someone out there who can love douma for his flaws of having a lack of understanding feelings

Douma falls for his s/o because of how understanding they can be and can solve out a problem logically without bashing him or judging him.

Kokushibo

Kokushibo's type of s/o is someone like him, but also have a humorish side to them. Someone who is mature and relaxed but also doesn't mind when his s/o wants to tease or bother him

Kokushibo's love language is quality time. A love language he'd want in his s/o would be physical touch

Kokushibo is a quiet man. He only speaks unless spoken to, most of kokushibo and his s/o times together, whether they're both on night walks or even sitting in the same room, no talking always needs to be involved, just kokushibo having his s/o by his side holding his hand or hugging him is enough

Kokushibo falls for his s/o because they genuinely enjoy his company. Despite him being the strongest upper moon even he needs someone to stay by his side and not find him boring or toss him aside for someone eles

Muzan

Muzan's type of s/o is someone who is submissive. Someone who follows what he says down to the letter and not question any of his decisions. Muzan's tone of voice wouldn't change with his s/o and speak to them like how speaks to others but would sometimes have a more gentle approach, depending on the situation

Muzan would want an s/o whose love language is expression of affection and love. He expects to be loved and admired from his s/o and have his s/o show how their love for him also comes with loyalty. Muzan loves when his s/o kisses his hand when he's achieved something, hugs when you complement how healthy and strong he looks every day

Muzan's love language is physical touch. As scary and dominant as he can be, when it's time for him to lay down or even sleep, he wants to have his s/o in his arms. If he's having a meeting with his upper ranks, he won't allow his s/o leave but instead sit his s/o on his lap with his hand on his s/o waist while having the meeting.

Muzan fell his s/o because of their understanding of his fear of death. He knew he was a coward and how brutal he could be to save his own skin, but someone who could somehow understand his twisted ways made him his heart skip a beat

Nakime

Nakime's type of s/o is someone who is artistic and passionate about it. Nakime isn't picking with arts, but her s/o just has to be into some kinda arts like herself to bond over it

Nakime's love language is quality time, and she'd want an s/o whose love language also loves quality time. She would want someone to listen to her biwa playing and acknowledge her for her musical skills rather than her blood demon art for just being useful to muzan.

Nakime would like if her s/o is talkative. Someone who keeps the conversation going when she wants to talk about her interests and even listen to her s/o interests.

Nakime fell for her s/o because they wanted to hear her music. It is Canon that Nakime used to make music in her past life as a human, so when you listened to her music and praised her talents it made her it made her fall in love instantly

[space-mermaid-writing]

Consort and King [IronStrange]

Summary: Anthony Stark, King of Midgard, needs a spouse. Whether he wants one or not. So he accepts an arranged marriage with the Prince of Kamar-Taj – a man he has never met in his life to the day they are standing in front of each other at the altar, speaking their vows. Is it possible that the feeling of duty grows into something more? Will their future be happy?

Relationship: Tony Stark / Stephen Strange

Tags: arranged marriage au, royal au, strangers to husbands, enemies to lovers, slow burn, idiots in love, fluff, hurt/comfort, miscommunication, all the good stuff

Author's note: I'm finally back with a multi-chapter fic project! I started writing and plotting this last year. Then I got distracted by vampire Stephen and werewolf Tony. But I finally circled back to this and finished it on paper. Now I'm so happy to finally share this with you. New chapters will be posted regularly. Special thanks to my beta @kvjjjjjj who did a fantastic job and invested a lot of time and effort in this fic ♥

Ko-fi | Read it on AO3 | Series Masterlist | Word count: 3k | Next

Chapter 1: The wedding

The day of the wedding began early. There were still dozens of little things left to do, only a small part of which concerned Tony. He got breakfast in bed, but didn't have much of an appetite and settled for a single bagel.

"It's going to be a long day," Jarvis remarked, Tony’s mood not escaping him. "You need to eat."

"There will be plenty of opportunity to eat at the feast," Tony reassured his manservant slash personal guard slash personal advisor; and his own stomach.

It was unusual for him to let his feelings affect his hunger. But it was an unusual day and he suppressed that certain anxiety that probably overtook all grooms.

He took a long bath and tried to think of anything else but the wedding – without success. His fiancé had already arrived the night before, along with a small delegation from Kamar-Taj. The realm was far away and the journey must have been exhausting.

Tony wouldn’t see his soon to be husband until the actual ceremony. Not until it was too late to call the wedding off.

The day was a blur of people coming and going. Tony just nodded along whenever Pepper made him do any last minute decisions or May wanted an opinion on the decoration or the seating situation. As if Tony would care at this point.

This whole day has been planned for weeks and he knew that Pepper wouldn’t allow it to be less than perfect.

In the late afternoon Tony changed into his ceremonial wedding garment. The tailors had worked on it for weeks, painstakingly decorating it with beads and brocade. It must have taken hundreds of hours. All done for this one, special day.

Strapping his belt around him, heavy with an ornate dagger, his eyes drifted over his room. It had just been him living within those four walls for so long he couldn’t imagine how it would be to share them with another person.

He'd grown accustomed to his own company. But he was wise enough to understand that a marriage of alliance was something the kingdom needed for its own protection and strength. It had been something he'd resisted, whenever his father approached the topic. It hasn’t been necessary for when his father and king had still been alive. But now there was no further delay.

The events of the past year had made him realize how defenseless his kingdom was without a king or queen at his side. The kidnapping, his almost death, the betrayal of his uncle. Of all these events, the latter had hit him the hardest.

He needed a spouse, preferably kids to secure the future. Although that was a topic he had yet to discuss with his soon-to-be husband. Wasn't it strange to think about these things when he hadn't even seen his fiancé yet?

Tony stepped to the window, peering down below as the crowds gathered, already celebrating. He loved his people and desired to protect them, had vowed with his life to serve them.

As a prince he had garnered the trust of his people, stood his ground in his father’s court and showed them he was his own leader, and not just another carbon copy of the Stark rulers.

As their King, he was to fulfill that promise and duty to them by taking a spouse.

As a man, he was nervous. He didn't like the unexpected, and the marriage agreements had been carefully and meticulously planned out with Kamar-Taj’s representative by his most trusted advisor, Pepper. All he knew about his husband-to-be was, written on paper, his name - Stephen Strange, Prince of Kamar-Taj.

The foreign realm was known for its sorcerers and even if it was rare for a royal member to become well trained in the magical field, Strange had joined them as a well trained and skilled sorcerer.

Jarvis re-entered his chambers. "It is time," he announced what Tony already knew.

_____________

The pomp and ceremony was second nature to Tony. His father had drilled him on it early on. He was dressed in his finest garments, primped and preened within an inch of his life, and led ceremoniously along to the grand hall that was filled to the brim.

But he had a nervous knot in his stomach as he wondered about the man he was marrying, if they would get along and grow to love one another.

He kept his head up, eyes forward and inched his way along the aisle. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Pepper, standing and watching him proudly, a small smile on her face. Sir Rhodey looked grim, eyes full of knowing how difficult this was on a personal level for him. Tony was glad of their silent support and understanding as he came to a halt at the altar and waited.

A procession of trumpets began, before the anthem of Kamar-Taj filled the hall, played by his personally chosen musicians. He turned sideways to watch the next procession and stood straighter as the second half of the wedding party headed slowly towards him.

One by one they paused, bowed or curtsied before moving aside. He wished they'd hurry up and get on with it, his collar was beginning to itch. It was going to be a long day. The other attendees stood in their positions and then – for the first time – he got a glimpse of his new husband.

He was tall, dressed in exotic blue robes, marching to the beat with a set jaw, eyes front and center. Dark hair, blue eyes. Curious, Tony tried to read them, but they betrayed no emotion. Tony wasn’t intimidated by this and smiled warmly at him, still getting no reaction.

Stephen Strange was handsome, Tony couldn't deny that. He came to stand before him and bowed low, Tony gave a small bow in return before turning to the officiator who would carry out the marriage service. This was more the formal showing of them joining their royal courts; the marriage agreements that were the important part of the alliance, to be signed after the ceremony finished.

Strange would remain a prince for now, consort to the king. His coronation was planned after the duration of a year. That gave him enough time to become familiar with the realm he would rule by Tony’s side.

Tony was familiar with the ceremony, having been coached and taken through it over and over, because it would have been seen as a weakness and failing on his part to get the words wrong or miss his cue. He replied perfectly on cue, clear enough for his voice to echo throughout the grand hall, adding to the already delirious atmosphere of the crowd. The vows were pre-written and generic. They didn't know each other well enough to make it more personal.

Stephen was just as efficient as him. His voice not quite as loud but had an edge to it and Tony briefly wondered if he was displeased or just nervous. Tony watched him intently as he promised his vows, wondering how their lives would be from now on.

When it came to exchanging the rings, Stephen's hand seemed shaky and Tony gave him a squeeze of reassurance. The king got his ring first, a simple golden band with both their names engraved on the inside.

Stephen took off his glove to receive his own ring and Tony was surprised to see scars all over his skin. His eyes darted briefly up to Stephen, who had his gaze fixed stubbornly on their hands. His jaw was set, as if he expected a negative reaction. Well, Tony certainly wasn't going to give him one while all eyes were on them both. Besides, he didn't want to drag out the ceremony unnecessarily. He slid the ring on Stephen's finger, trying not to be too rough, and then looked to the officiant to finalize the marriage.

Stephen removed his hand from Tony’s and Tony noticed out of the corner of his eye that he was putting his glove back on. He didn't have time to comment, because the last words of the officiator were traditionally followed by a brief kiss.

It was mostly symbolic and felt a bit awkward. But it meant the ceremony was nearly over and they'd be able to escape for a moment before the short procession around the courtyards surrounding the castle started so his people could cheer them on their way back for the evening banquet.

Tony led the way to the small adjoining room where the papers would be signed, Stephen following, along with Pepper and Stephen's advisor, a man that Tony didn’t know the name of. He wore the typical robes of Kamar-Taj and had a stoic face. Tony didn’t pay him much attention.

There was little to do but sign their names, having already poured over the words and promises, fully aware what this meant for their kingdoms. Tony still felt a sting as he scrawled his name and took his signet ring from Pepper to stamp his seal by it. The alliance had proved to be a strong one, but he'd had to make some compromises he wasn't happy about. He stepped aside to allow Stephen to sign his own name on the documents.

There were several duplicates: two public, for Midgard and Kamar-Taj, to be displayed in the royal museums. Two private for their personal records to be stored in the royal historical records and one for them to personally keep.

Stephen set down the quill and the papers were checked over by an officiator under the watchful eyes of Pepper and Stoic Face.

Tony looked at his husband, who looked a little out of his depth, unable to meet his eye and practically ignoring him. Tony thought this should be an opportunity to get to know one another but found he was at a loss to attempt any small talk.

"Your Majesty," Pepper said, getting his attention, for once using his formal title. "Everything is in order. If you're ready we can begin the procession."

Tony nodded quickly, anything to get it over with. He walked to the door, Stephen falling to step beside him and they made their way out, side by side, Tony taking Stephen's hand as they faced the crowd. The court was on its feet and Tony paused, smiling over at the flower girls and giving a small toss of his head. They skipped forward just ahead of them, throwing rose petals and laughing delightedly as the people all bowed and curtsied their respect as they passed by. Tony kept a tight hold of Stephen's hand though it felt stiff in his own until they reached the outer doors that led to the courtyard beyond.

They were greeted with a cheering roar that caused his ears to ring. A sea of people came to celebrate the royal wedding.

The festivities took place in the ballroom. It was beautifully decorated with ribbons and lanterns and long tables that served food and drinks. As it was tradition, the celebration would last for a day and at night the king would whisk his husband away to his chambers.

Tony and Stephen sat at the head of one of the long tables and accepted congratulations and good wishes from all sides during the meal.

By now it was early evening and after the sparse breakfast in the morning and some of the excitement dying down, Tony's hunger was starting to kick in. Jarvis made sure that his plate was never empty.

Musicians played and various forms of entertainment were provided. Tony looked at his new husband from the side. Despite them sitting next to one another, they barely spoke a word to each other; instead they were caught up in conversations with the people beside them. With all the attention from the guests, Tony found it difficult to find the right words. Maybe for the first time in his life. What did you say to someone you just met, but with whom you would spend the rest of your life? And all this while being under constant observation from other people.

So he stuck to thanking the guests for their blessings.

And so it went on until night fell and more lanterns were lit. The hall was bathed in a warm light that gave everything a somewhat unreal and magical touch.

"I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to leave," Tony said at some point, not wishing to begin making any demands on him after only a few hours.

Stephen gave a curt nod and pushed his seat back as Tony did his. Tony said a few goodnights, well aware all eyes were on them as they left. He already knew what was on the court's mind as he led his new husband back to his quarters.

"These are our private chambers. I'll show you around tomorrow."

Opening the door Tony ushered Stephen inside, closing the door firmly behind them. Stephen took a few steps into the room and paused, turning to him and waiting. Tony could understand, this was their room now but nothing of it consisted of Stephen's possessions. They would all be unpacked in the next few days for him to arrange as he liked.

"There's been space made for your things in the wardrobe," Tony said, waving towards the large ornate cabinet. "Bathroom is through there."

"Don't I get my own chambers?" Stephen asked him and Tony turned with a look of surprise.

Stephen stared back at him, jaw set and waiting for an answer.

"I was just assuming," Tony began, suddenly unsure of himself. "I mean, we can arrange some rooms for you of course if you prefer. But these are private enough, no one but my personal servants and guards are allowed here."

"I'd prefer my own space," Stephen told him matter of factly with a small shake of his head. "Lets not pretend this marriage means more than it does. You wanted an alliance and you got it when I signed my name on those papers, and my parents had me taken off their hands."

Tony stared at him open mouthed, surprised and taken aback by the statement. "This marriage means more to me than a mere alliance, Stephen," he replied slowly and firmly.

Stephen rolled his eyes at him. "And what is it you're exactly expecting from me, Anthony?"

It was Tony's turn to roll his eyes, not expecting any of this conversation. He didn't feel ready for it, his head was swimming from the wine he'd drank and the long day he'd had. "It's Tony," he retorted. "And I was expecting a husband."

"You got one," Stephen told him. "At least on paper. I'm happy to do the public service with you to show the people unity but come on, let's not kid ourselves. You didn't want me and I certainly didn't want you."

"Have someone else in mind?" Tony replied dryly.

"No," Stephen shook his head. "But I'd have preferred to make my own decision on who I'm supposed to live the rest of my life with."

Tony snorted at the idea, it was preposterous and Stephen, as a prince, understood that well enough. Royalty didn't choose who they could marry.

"Welcome to the real world," Tony replied with a laugh. "Maybe you spent too much time with your magic and not enough figuring out just what life has set out for us. You know what this alliance will do for both our kingdoms, or do you consider yourself more important than your own people?"

Stephen glared at him and Tony knew the 'magic' remark had hit a nerve.

"Look, we're both tired, it's been a long day," Tony continued. He wasn't getting into this argument now, his brain was too addled. "We can arrange for new chambers tomorrow but right now, I'm going to bed. Feel free to join me or not, I'm not forcing you into anything here. All I suggest is that you stay in here tonight to at least put their minds at rest that we've 'consummated' this marriage."

Stephen seemed to agree, beginning to undress as Tony disappeared into the bathroom. He wasn't in there long, emerging to strip down himself and finding Stephen lingering, walking past him abruptly to use the bathroom himself. Tony undressed, happy to be rid of the uncomfortable layers, stiff collars and cuffs. He crawled into bed, unused to having to take a side but settling on the left. He turned on his side, back to the bathroom and turned out his light. Outside, in the courtyards below, celebrations were still underway for the marriage and he found that oddly ironic. There in the 'marriage suite' no such celebrations were occurring and instead he was finding out his husbands’ true thoughts on the matter.

Tony had been hoping for something more out of it, not just an alliance. Companionship. And more importantly someone he could lean on for support and help under the general strain and pressure he often felt as the ruler of his people. Instead he found Stephen saw this marriage as nothing but the alliance of their two nations. Of course Tony knew it had been wishful thinking.

He listened to the movement as Stephen emerged from the bathroom and he wondered if he was going to join him as the man seemed to pause in the room. Tony felt a moment of curiosity, wondered if he was naked, what he looked like under all those layers of clothing. The robes were beautiful, ornamented with golden brocade and jewelry. But they also hid the real him, though Tony wasn't sure he wanted to learn about the real man underneath when he'd shown such derision for their marriage.

Eventually the bed dipped beside him and a few moments later the light switched off.

Beside him his husband lay stiff and silent when instead he should have been writhing in pleasure over him. Or under him – he wasn’t picky. Tony hadn't even seen him naked, but if his body was as beautiful and handsome as his face, Tony knew he'd have little trouble becoming passionate with him.

It was just a shame about the emerging personality.

___________

Taglist: @goopierthenyou (text me if you want to be added/removed)

[nevarroes]

i know u don’t want them to be immortal but i can’t stop thinking about gortcas being bound together by a warlock pact. they are already so far gone for each other, but gortash giving up everything, that not even his soul is his because he’d give that to cas too, like im 🤒 not to mention the continuous feedback loop of power between them both, bc gortash’s dedication and reverence of cas only makes them stronger, and that strength funnels back into gortash through the warlock powers. also cas can basically have it in the fine print that gortash is his and only his and has to gain more/eat more for his powers or something. at the very least has a clause about never losing weight lol

idk there’s just something about gortash reading the whole contract or whatever, and understanding he’s giving his whole self to cas, there will not be a shred of him untouched, nothing left that he has not given to cas, and he signs it willingly. i know this is already the deal with gaining, his body belongs to cas. but it’s like okay what if everything gortash ever is or was belonged to cas too. what if you don’t just get his body and heart, but you have his soul, too, and you have proof that he gave it to you. willingly. there’s just something undeniable in that idk i hope u see and/or enjoy my rambling vision

this genuinely made me sit nd ponder this for a GOOD while I hope u know that…. rotating it on my mind🙏 I suppose I never quite considered it much because it went back to the immortality aspect for me however the more I thought abt it the more I was like…. it’s not really a definitive way out is it. like if Cas dies the contract is dissolved as well, but the thought nd the concept behind it.... yeag ur right🤒

ok here’s what im thinking right. Pretty early after taking over the city together Cas probably offered him a contract, he never was much a devil in a position to make contracts or pacts and he didn’t expect Gortash to accept this anyways, but he did write it nevertheless. A contract that swore that Cas would protect him with all his powers in return for Gortash’s soul. It was all that was in the contract at that point, some fine print but nothing unusual. Gortash rejected it obviously at the time, even if he trusted him he didn’t exactly want to repeat his childhood in the hells any time soon and he was cocky enough to think that he can protect himself just fine if Cas ever left his side. Still… Cas kept the contract around, moreso for fun than expecting Gortash to ever sign it. Sometimes he’d go back to it and add some things, treat it a bit like his personal fantasy journal. so he definitely added the things you mentioned😖

the years pass and they grow closer until, I assume around now timeline-wise, Gortash finds the contract again by accident, reading it nd seeing all the things Cas added for seemingly no reason. But this time he’s willing to sign it. Cas clearly made the deal even fucking worse but Gortash did all of those things already anyways, just as Cas was already protecting him every single day. And now with the way they are it’s not just trust that Gortash has in Cas but it’s pure devotion... like it doesn’t matter if Cas will fuck him up in the end, abuse his soul or whatever may happen, Gortash wants him to have it. So he just signs it and leaves it there until Cas returns and finds it💜 I don’t think they’d really bring it up either, maybe they stand on the balcony at night and Cas asks him why he did it to which Gortash would only say that he wants Cas to not doubt him ever again. That he’s serious about it. whatever "it" may be here... the contract or well.... them🤒

[notmoreflippingelves]

Personally I feel Kristoph just regrets having killed Zak so suddenly on an impulse. Reminder that the locks appeared when asked why he killed Zak specifically. He hated him for turning him down and probably never saw himself capable of murder. Once he killed him he probably felt glad he got revenge and didn't get exposed, but then had that sudden clarity of "oh shit, I actually killed someone", which combined with his paranoia, stressed him out immensely. He tragically traumatized himself.

Zak's murder has always screamed unplanned, desperate "crime of passion" to me, given how dramatically different to the other murder we know Kristoph committed (and set in motion 7 years earlier). Criminology-wise, it's already very unusual for a criminal to change their modus operandi so dramatically without a good reason. And it becomes immediately more striking when we look at the weapons: blunt object in Zak's case vs. poison for the Mishams'.

Poison has long held the stereotype of being a "woman's weapon" rather than a man's. Which yeah, it is a pretty unnecessarily gendered and heteronormative way to look at it. But like what the stereotype is actually saying by this is that poison--regardless of the gender(s) of the person using it--is almost always the method preferred by people who would prefer not to use psychical forms of violence even once they have determined that they "need" to enact violent ends.

These sorts of killers may lack the physical strength or athletic skill to wield a gun/sword/bat/spear,/blunt instrument, they may not be able to summon the adequate aggression to do so, they may want to avoid a bigger "mess" w/ more pieces of evidence, or they may just lack the "sadistic urge" to directly use their hands to enact another's pain. All of the above seem that they could apply to Kristoph given what we know of him.

Even though he has determined that he's going to go through with the murder plot, Kristoph vastly prefers a more detached, less messy, and (in his mind) quicker and less cruel method. Because his heart may not really be in it in the long run. Like do you really think he'd want to get actual blood on his pretty little nails if he didn't have to? He's not killing for the fun of it like some of the other AA killers; he's killing because he's convinced himself he has to.

(Unlike a lot of other fans, I tend to hc that Zak and Drew were actually the *only* deaths that Kristoph was responsible for. Because I maintain that that there was something much more specific and important about the Gramarye case to Kris than simply "wah, I was fired from my first big case and now I'm gonna be petty af about it." No like, this case in particular--besides just "an important case that could make my career"-- was personal to Kris for reasons we may never know).

Even though he knew that this could very well come back to bite him in the derriere, Kristoph was probably secretly relieved that the poison didn't work right away for the Mishams--or that if it had worked, he wouldn't have to find out about it. Out of sight, out of mind and he wouldn't have to face his conscience. And in the worst case scenario, the murder plan was still in place should Kristoph need to enact it later. (Which he did by writing to Drew *during* (and not before) Kristoph's incarceration following Zak's murder.)

So with all that in mind, Kristoph's murder of Zak just seems more and more of a desperate, impulsive act. It's not his style at all, and yet he did it. He saw Zak, realized he was at risk, and panicked.

And yeah, I would imagine that even if we assume he had no regrets/second thoughts about Drew Misham's murder, Zak's murder would psychologically feel really really different to Kris. And I imagine that it could potentially prove even more psychologically damaging to him.

Because braining "Shadi Smith" with a grape juice bottle is an act that is sudden, violent, impulsive and totally out-of-character for Kristoph Gavin--coolest defense in the West ,whose intellect is his weapon of choice and who prefers to keep his pretty nails (if not his soul) clean.

[lagacomicofficial]

Name: Noemie Briatore

Personality: Intelligence, curiosity, and technical aptitude, along with creative and imaginative mind. She's highly analytical and enjoy problem-solving, but they would also possess a playful and humorous side, and would enjoy making jokes and engaging in witty banter.

In addition, she initial distrust of people and a desire for social interaction. They may struggle to connect with others at first, but as they begin to open up and form relationships, they would become fiercely loyal and protective of their friends.

They have eccentric and unconventional personality, with a unique sense of style and a love for all things strange and unusual. Though is extremely dependent on people and is willing to manipulate and screw over others to keep that depend. And is low empathy.

Overall, she would be a fun-loving and curious individual, with a mix of a unempathetic and analytical mind and a creative spirit. She would be quirky, unconventional, and highly dependent, with a unique sense of humor and a strong desire for social interaction and friendship. With a quirky and eccentric personality that sets them apart from others. Having a love for technology and are often seen tinkering with gadgets and machines. Her analytical nature and a surreal and imaginative personality make for an interesting combination. They are both fiercely independent at times and can come off as aloof at times. Heavily valuing logical thinking complements her creative problem-solving skills. Having both a fascination with space and the unknown, often delving into theoretical and philosophical discussions. Despite their lying tendencies, she values honesty and loyalty in their relationships. Her blunt and straightforward communication style balances out her tendency to be cryptic and mysterious. She has a tendency to overthink situations and can become anxious or stressed easily. Her serious demeanor but lighthearted humor create a unique dynamic between them. Ultimately, she has love for discovery and experimentation makes her unstoppable.

Shadow: Her overcomptiness, her admiration of her father, her not understanding her or other people’s emotions, jealousy, her need to prove herself to others, knowing she looks at people too cold. 

Important relationships:

Rossa- She’s her best friend for stragetic reasons. She admires what she sees as her strength, her outspokeness and aggression plus social grace. Also that she’s a part of the most powerful family in magic and thus wants to increase her status. For her own gain and so she can feel better about herself. She is also jealous of her which she represses as admiration which means it comes out in the worst ways, straining their relationship. But does treat with kindness out of respect. 

Charlotte- She despises her with a passion for many reasons. She’s jealous of her status and social grace but also of her “redemption.” Because she was afforded the same chance her father wasn’t even though they both lied to people. She also finishes ahead but close to her in exams so thus she’s a “realstic” rival she can have. 

Scura- Another realistic rival she usually beats but they’re close enough to make it a proper challenge to overcome. That and she knows she’s very sensitive and so uses to her advantage  bullying her, until Stier comes around and stands up to her. And she’s very resentful of Stier as well. She is also worried about her catching her since she’s closest so she does this to keep her where it’s most convenient. 

Clover- While she looks at her as far above her Clover looks at her as a rival which to her is laughable. Status wise she’s a scholarship student so she’s far above her and her grades are nowhere close to her’s and she’ll soon leave her behind in her better than her dust. Also the fact she fakes her accent is fucking funny. 

Character arc: Learning how to admit to herself that she’s jealous, letting go of her complete god like admiration of her father and seeing him as human as he is. And learning the practical reason to be kind to people. 

art by @lorddialtones

[that-ari-blogger]

The Body Swap Episode

So, Once Upon A Swap has what might be called a "reputation" amongst the fandom. When the episode came out, the reception was average, with the immediate recognition that it was a filler episode. However, as time as gone on, more and more think pieces have sprung up discussing this as "the worst episode" or "the weakest episode".

What is my opinion? Well, this isn't my favourite episode, but it isn't my least favourite either.

I am also a contrarian by nature, so I'm going to attempt to argue that this episode has strengths and try to explain what those are and the effect they have on the series as a whole. Specifically, this episode shows character flaws and strengths under pressure.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD

First up, art is subjective, there is no such thing as a "bad piece of television". Yes, expertise of craft is a thing, but that isn't synonymous with the creation itself being "good", because again, art is subjective. The best series or episode is the series or episode that you, personally, liked the most.

Anyway...

This episode is centred around the gimmick of the body swap. TV Tropes calls this a "Freaky Friday Flip", and it is a fairly stock episode of a series. Certain series take it further (There's a character in One Piece for whom this is almost their entire shtick), but that isn't the point. The point is that this is an episode used to highlight character.

As in, this is giving at least one character an insight into the life of another, and showing that insight to the audience as they follow along. It also shows the character who's mind we are following as they react to unusual situations and usually to a loss of abilities that they would usually rely on.

(Also as a note, i will be referring to the characters by their mind, not their body, if that makes sense. This episode is confusing to write about)

For example, Eda's adventure shows the perils of being King, and shows how Eda responds to not being able to cast magic (I wonder if that will ever come up again). While the perils of this episode are mostly a bit shallow in my opinion, the problem solving isn't.

We see Eda's flaws, and how like King she really is. Eda has an ego just as big as her son, and despite acknowledging the obvious warning bells of her plot, she is tricked by a simple compliment. We see that, although she is unconditionally one of the series' mentour characters, she is anything but wise.

Meanwhile King wears his flaws on his sleeves. You could say that Luz and Eda do too, but King does it the most obviously. He is ambitious, and, to put it bluntly, delusional. He seeks fame and adoration, so naturally he finds it in this episode, but is completely unprepared for it to go sour as being special as a teenager ain't all it's cracked up to be. However, we also see the sheer force of personality King is throwing around. Eloquence and charisma aren't the same thing. Bellos is eloquent, King is charismatic.

Case and point: Even when everything is going badly for him, King always has something to say to shrug it off and get under Bosha's skin.

Finally, there is Luz, and Eda's problems. First up, this is the first of only a few times we get to see Luz cast "real magic". As in, not from a glyph. And although she isn't as proficient as Eda, most likely due to a lack of experience, she revels in the power. You could even say that she relies on it above all else. Luz is a character chasing fantasies, and this is one that has almost literally fallen from the sky in front of her.

But Eda's life does have drawbacks. Eda is on the run, and we see how Luz handles that. Badly. The reason the emperor's coven is such a threat to Eda is because it's not a problem she can throw magic at until it goes away. Luz doesn't quite get that, she instead runs on TTRPG-character-after-a-power-up energy and tries to use it at every situation.

But Luz isn't without her own strengths. I've said elsewhere that Luz isn't especially powerful, and I stand by that. What she has instead is a tactical mind, and that mind carries over to this situation. Here, instead of a strategising, we see that mind learn incredibly quickly. Yes, she gets lucky, but she also picks up on some things, notably a little bit of the background between Eda, Lilith, and the Emperor's Coven itself.

Essentially, this comes back to what I have said in earlier posts. The Owl House uses archetypal storytelling masterfully. It shows characters as tropes first, then shows the nuances of their characterisation as you get closer to them and understand more. In this episode, Luz, King, and Eda can only see the tropes that their companions fit into, and only after living their lives for a while can they comprehend the complexity.

Previous - Next

[valacirya]

f you're still taking asks for the unusual headcanons ask game, would you do 🐅 and 🗡️ for Finarfin, please?

Sorry for the late reply!

🐅 - Characterization

He's as stubborn and proud and ambitious as the rest of his family, just in a very different way. His pride is not in his personality/skills/achievements but in his strength of character and in being part of a whole (i.e. the Amanyar). His ambition is not personal, but to make the Noldor and Valinor better than before. And he had to be pretty stubborn to resolutely stay out of his family's drama, not get caught up in Feanor's rabble-rousing, and turn back into darkness and uncertainty because it was the right thing to do.

🗡️ - Fighting style/combat

It's highly unlikely canon-wise, but I love the idea that he wielded Ringil, Fingolfin's sword (maybe Thorondor managed to bring it to Gondolin, and it passed down to Earendil who then gave it to Finarfin). I don't know much about fighting styles but I imagine he was very utilitarian and stony (not inclined to rage). He had centuries to sharpen his anger into steel.

[deadlittledogs]

Yeah bear, what’s your type physical, personality, and vibe wise

(´・ω・｀)…. I dunno….. eh……

I like when others have natural freckles, nice smiles, straight hair, muscular arms.

I enjoy dominant personalities, people who are funny and communicate well. I like people who are hard to offend so we can discuss taboo subjects without upsetting each other. Someone who is nerdy and likes living in the fantasy with me. People who have the ‘eye’ for things that are unusual or very specific.

It’s hard to describe, but my therapist used to say I was someone who “has a basement” and I’m very drawn to other people who have a basement. It’s an extremely specific kind of person and I don’t bump into it often. But when I meet them I can see it pretty quickly… and I like that sort of person, it’s just rare (●´ω｀●)

Vibe wise I like alternative type people. Tomboys. Hipsters. Grunge. Autist. Scene/Emo. Fujos. That sort of thing. My darkest shame is occasionally my interest gets peaked with the 4channer type girls but I don’t have the mental strength to deal with the racism lololol ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´ω`ﾟ)ﾟ｡

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

If at all possible I was wondering if I could get a matchup for both genders for my tav, Cobalt. Monogamous not poly if that’s alright.

Some details about her:

She’s a tiefling druid, specifically a circle of the land druid, focused on arctic spells, so mostly ice. While her focus is on spells she does still sometimes wildshift, and her preferred form is that of a dire wolf.

Backstory wise her druidic circle was killed when she was young and she was taken as an oddity due to her ability to shapeshift. She ended up in Baldur’s Gate after being sold to a noble with a penchant for collecting people she viewed as unique. While there, she was pretty much treated as a circus animal/guard dog, and it’s one of the main reasons she chooses to focus on spells as opposed to wildshaping. She managed to escape after the noble was killed in a family coup, and before her abduction by mindflayers she’d been selling herbs and tonics from an apothecary she opened at the edge of the city.

Personality: Since she really didn’t get a normal childhood and wasn’t really allowed to have friends she’s used to taking care of herself out of habit. She never goes out of her way to prioritize herself but it just happens, it has to be pointed out that she’s doing it. On the other hand she does have a temper, but instead of choosing to lash out if angered or annoyed, she really just tries to make that person as uncomfortable as possible.(Unnerving smiles, macabre comments/facts, etc.) She’s extremely truthful, not out of a lack of social understanding, she just really doesn’t care how the truth might effect someone and can’t be bothered to tiptoe around other people’s feelings. She’s extremely loyal, and once you’ve gained her trust she’ll go to the ends of the earth for you. She loves sharing knowledge with others, even if they aren’t close, especially because she likes to feel like she’s listened to. She has a deep need for connection but has a hard time actually connecting with people for fear of them being taken away from her.

Hobbies: She loves alchemy and brewing potions, as it makes her feel much closer to her druidic background, even if she was separated from it at a young age. She also has a creative streak, and uses it to sketch and take notes on the various plants and animals she encounters on her journeys. To add to this, she also enjoys writing, and unusually enough if it’s not notes on nature it’s usually romantic dramas. They don’t always end happily, but sometimes they do.

Best Attribute: Her best attribute is easily her sheer strength of mind. Yes, she’s jaded and not as friendly as other people, but it takes a lot for her to give up. Not in the stubborn way, she realizes when things need to change, but if so she’ll just find a different way to keep going.

Worst Attribute: Overly blunt. She never minces her words and it can make her seem cold or callous. She’s really just too tired to work on her flowery language outside of writing.

Sorry if I wrote a lot I wanted to cover all my bases 😅

A/N: Not a lot at all! And even if it was, it’s perfectly fine! The more details the more I can get a feel for the character. I have to admit, I did need to google ‘circle of the land druid’, because I hadn’t heard of them before, but I think I got the gist of it below. And oh my goodness! Poor Cobalt! She’s been through so much. Hopefully, some romance will help her heart heal. 

For you, @cobaltspace , I think Cobalt’s best matches are Halsin (Male) and Shadowheart (Female)!

Halsin is a wonderful match for Cobalt! He’s kind, patient, and a wild-shifting druid as well, so they have a fair share of things in common. It’s unclear how old Halsin was at the time, but he lost his lineage a long time ago and has since endured his share of trauma. He was enslaved in the Underdark for years and lost many friends and much of his home to the shadow curse. He’s no stranger to loss and the grief it produces. However, he’s also two-hundred-plus years old, so he’s had a good amount of time to process and compartmentalize everything. He’s able to distance himself from his past hurts, and thanks to this and an overall calm demeanor, he’s quite a soothing presence to have nearby. That vibe would suit Cobalt well- Halsin makes her feel safe and understood, whereas other people may make her feel like she needs to keep her guard up and to keep wearing masks to stay safe. 

They’d also be able to bond over Cobalt’s knowledge and usage of nature and herbs. Halsin appreciates all things of Mother Earth, and he especially admires the people who show respect to her by exercising the appropriate wisdom and knowledge when dealing with her. I think she’d fit in quite well with Halsin’s new community post-game, outside of the city. She could still work as an apothecary, but this way, she wouldn't be so alone. 

I also think Halsin would be very eager to help her regain confidence in her ability to wild-shape. He’d understand why she would rather focus on spells because shifting is associated with a time in her life when she had no other choice. But Halsin would want her to know that now, she does have a choice, and he’d be honored to help her work through her pain, should Cobalt let him. 

He may be a bit put off by her usage of ice spells and deadpan expressions. Ice, while a formidable form of nature, can be quite detrimental to other living things- plant life, people, etc- if used in a large area. Of course with how long Cobalt’s been a druid, and due to whatever level she’s at, probably has good control over her ice spells, so that’s not too much of a concern on Halsin’s part. Her being extremely truthful is something he greatly admires, as he himself does not shy away from the truth. However, he does occasionally wish she had more social tact as he’s a natural empath and the feelings of others matter greatly to him. 

Of course, he understands why she is the way she is, and he doesn’t hold her abrasiveness against her. It’s just every so often he might shoot her a look, or give her a little nudge, politely requesting she rephrase a sentence or two. 

He loves how much Cobalt lights up whenever she shares all she knows about the fauna and flora of an area. And he especially loves reading through her notes and sketches. It touches his heart to see someone look at nature with such care and detail in mind. He feels so much closer to her when they talk about plants or druidic spells. 

(And he secretly loves reading her romantic dramas! Just don’t tell anyone. He has a reputation to uphold lol.)

Halsin thinks Cobalt’s wonderful. He admires her tenacity and strong mind, and he’s very grateful that she’s in his life. If she wanted the same, he would enjoy spending his future with her in it. 

Shadowheart shares a history similar to Cobalt. She herself was taken as a child, thinking her family was dead, and was forced to serve Shar for years. Shadowheart was targeted because she was a child of Selune, and she showed a fair amount of promise. Because of this, her abilities were exploited, and much of her childhood was robbed of her. Cobalt knows what it feels like to have to live with the fact that your gifts, your abilities, make you a target to those who seek to exploit power over others. She’s been used before and vows to never be used again. Cobalt’s ability to escape that life of servitude and begin a new chapter for herself at the edge of Baldur’s Gate makes Shadowheart hopeful that she too, will one day be able to put the whole Shar thing behind her. 

She’s secretly fond of the fact that Cobalt is a tiefling, mainly because it reminds Shadowheart of her long-lost friend. It’s a familiar element that Shadowheart appreciates. That being said, Shadowheart recognizes Cobalt is her person, with her own identity, and respects that fact. 

Shadowheart works well with Cobalt when it comes to healing: they’re both healers in their own right- Shadowheart being a cleric, and Cobalt being a druid and an apothecary. 

Both Cobalt and Shadowheart are neutrally aligned. They don’t go out of their way to help others, but they also don’t hurt them either. This means they agree on a plan of action more often than not. That said, Shadowheart can be a bit of a hypocrite, calling out Cobalt when she thinks she’s been selfish, not realizing she’d probably do the same herself. This is actually a good thing for Cobalt though, as it makes her look beyond the intention of her actions. Plus it gives her reason to call out Shadowheart for doing the same. 

Cobalt and Shadowheart excel at making others feel uncomfortable. Cobalt with her morbid facts and unnerving smile, and Shadowheart with her unreadable, stoic expression. And they both prefer to tell the truth as opposed to a comfortable lie. Loyalty is important to Shadowheart, (whether she stays loyal to Shar or if she becomes loyal to Selune), and Cobalt is no different. However, as opposed to a singular deity, Cobalt is loyal to herself and to those of her, whom she holds dear. Shadowheart, of course, is among those people. 

They’re both incredibly strong mentally, which makes it easier for them to take turns being strong when the other one is feeling down. 

They both desperately crave connection while simultaneously fearing abandonment. Together, the two of them can lean on each other when those fears arise, and remind the other that they’re not going anywhere- they’re in this for the long haul.

...

Please Like & Reblog!!!

[055u4ry]

Submitting a couple of characters bc I’m curious, and bored. Gonna go for the obvious: Himura Kenshin. And Saito Hajime from the same anime. And (rolls dice) Eve Polastri from Killing Eve.

(also, if you’re up for it, could I get an assessment of my dude Book/Granada Holmes? Dunno how familiar you are with him though, lol)

First of all thanks for actually playing, no one ever sends me anything so this is fun.

Kenshin was my husbando for many years. It was love at first sight, the first time I saw the Toonami commercial for Rurouni Kenshin I knew I would love it. Thematically it hits all my favorite tropes. Kenshin as a character is unusual because he genuinely cares about others to the point of self-sacrifice, and he has to constantly tame that tendency. He’s not educated but he’s incredibly self-aware and is constantly trying to be a better person than he was the day before. He’s very humble despite having what is often described as “god-like” strength, though when he loses his cool you really see that rage come through, the rage of a man who lost both parents to disease and was sold into slavery before being essentially forced into the mold of a martial artist. The rage of a man who’s seen war and who’s killed. He’s able to mostly keep that rage at bay by living in the moment and surrounding himself with found family, but it’s the one vice he has trouble with. Poor baby needed therapy lol. But aside from that undealt-with rage he’s everything a real modern man is not and that’s why I was/am so enamored with him. He’s kind, intelligent, humble, wise, empathetic… he’s how many men see themselves but actually aren’t in reality. So definitely Smash lol.

Saito is interesting because he did nothing for me as a teenager but the older I get the more I like him. He always had a cool, aloof appeal but nowadays it’s sexier, and his whole aku zoku zan philosophy becomes more understandable the older one becomes as well. The main thing I like about Saito is how shrewd/smart he is- he doesn’t let anyone play him. He has trouble showing emotions but again these guys were soldiers and warriors so it’s understandable and even a little endearing. I can sympathize with life making you an aloof asshole lol. Of course deep down he’s not really an asshole, he just cares a lot about justice, which by extension means he cares about people, whether he’d admit it or not. I’d give him a Smash rating as well.

Eve is difficult because I (regrettably) haven’t seen much of Killing Eve. It’s one of those shows that has been on “my list” for a long time. I do think Sandra Oh is attractive as fuck though. She has a soft aura but seems like an emotionally strong person. Based on the actress alone she gets a Smash, and I have a feeling I’d still say that if I knew the character more.

I’m not very familiar with Holmes (though I have always wanted to read the original books). The only version of him I am familiar with is Data’s portrayal of him in Star Trek: The Next Generation (and Data always gets a Smash rating from me, not that he’d know what “smashing” was lol). Based on that portrayal and my penchant for stoic, logical men I’d probably say Smash though.

@gryphius-ginzberg you seem to get my taste in characters pretty well!

[pinchraccoon]

Pinch Reviews: Spark The Electric Jester (1,2 and 3)

In an unusual fashion for me, I'm choosing to review the entire Spark series in one fell swoop. Somewhat recently I decided to play the entire series with my friend and cohost Space Buffoon. They proposed playing the series with me on stream as we're both fans of the Sonic The Hedgehog series, and Spark has very clear shared inspiration and DNA.

Over the course of three weeks, Buffy and I played the three titles in the Spark series, opting to play them in order. I'm choosing to cover the three of them today because I feel that comparing and contrasting the games to one another can shed some light on their strengths and weaknesses.

Spoilers, of course, for the entire Spark series!

Spark the Electric Jester, the first one, is a 2D platformer focused on speed and using powerups to creatively remove enemies from the optimal path. Notably, Spark differs immediately from Sonic while maintaining the core gameplay loop in that, far different to 2D Sonic's shield powerups, the powerups in Spark act much more like they might in a game like Mario, or like the different weapons in Mega Man.

The multiple different powerups in this game serve to further diversify an already diverse gameplay loop, finding alternate paths, by granting the player significantly different abilities and movement tech with which to maneuver through levels and carve out the path the player would most like to take. Whether it's removing specific enemies from blocking a path, or something as simple as an extended jump, the powerups allow players to express themselves really effectively. The powerups are also complimented by the stage design itself, which gives all the powerups that they contain a time to shine within them, and occasionally rewarding creative exploration with different, rarer powerups as well.

Every level in Spark is really satisfying to complete, and despite being longer than the typical level within the genre, it's rare to become bored with the levels as their visual themes as well as the gameplay gimmicks and powerup swaps keep them interesting. The levels are also a phenomenal example of this game's lovely visual style. It's this charming pixel art that really grants a lot of character to the world, it's locales and it's people.

The story in Spark the Electric Jester is a fun, simple romp that calls upon a cute cast of side characters and recurring villains, although I would have liked if the Shadow the Hedgehog-esque "Fark" or "Fake Spark" were better executed in the main game. Otherwise though, Spark has some really clever and somewhat self-aware writing that knows what this game is and what it's trying to be. Spark wisely doesn't seek to do more than it's earned in this game, and I applaud it for knowing its limits. Also, I really like Spark as a character, particularly his grounded nature and apathy toward the situation at hand. He's a good person, but at the end of the day the guy really just want to pay rent more than anything else. His presence in the story makes for a really fun juxtaposition to some of the more serious elements that it tries to pull, and grounds the story through him.

Really the issues I had with the game were incredibly small, primarily that the final boss felt extremely underwhelming due to the unique "Super Spark" powerup that the player is given feels supremely underwhelming, and being able to die far easier in that fight kinda kills the tension of what could otherwise be a really cool moment. I wish to stress, though, that my issues with this game are minute, almost inconsequential, even, and I only feel a need to bring up my issues with what is otherwise an extremely solid and consistent title because I had a great time with the game and just wish it was *that* much more improved. It is very close to being a game I could call a modern classic, but something like the final boss and other, very minor quirks do stick out to me because I *want* this game to be excellent. As it stands though, it's a really great experience that I would absolutely recommend.

Spark The Electric Jester 2 brings the series in a bold, new direction compared to its predecessor, which is to say, Spark is fully Not in the game. Also it's in 3D now.

Spark The Electric Jester 2, or as I'm choosing to call it because I'm spiteful, Fark2, is a 3D platformer with some of the same combat elements as the first game, but with the notable change, of course, of being a 3D game.

I won't beat around the bush here, I don't think this game is very good whatsoever. There is genuinely nothing notable that I liked about my time with this game. Because I will surely go off on tangents about every minute instance of failure on which this game underperforms, I have opted to segment this part of the review, so as to maintain concision, and make my point as clearly as possible. I am going to discuss Fark2's gameplay, story, and presentation separately from one another.

Gameplay

Fark2 controls about how you would expect it to, you have a fast character who has a homing attack now, attacks that can help deal with enemies that cannot be dealt with by the homing attack, as well as a parry. Similarly to the previous game, Fark also has access to his own powerups, but not even close to the same amount as Spark had. Additionally, Fark has access to a few "special" moves that can be performed by holding a button and then pressing an alternate input.

With this core kit in mind, the tools given to the player would imply that the usage of all of the items within Fark's arsenal would be used, much like how Spark 1 heavily encouraged and featured the varied use of abilities and powerups to reach the end of a varied and interesting level. This implication, however, is wrong. In reality, very little of the kit given to you actually does end up being used, as the most effective tactics available could not possibly be simpler. I mean it without a shred of irony that every challenge that this game poses to you, outside of a boss fight, can be trivialized by simply running and jumping. This is because Fark is genuinely too fast for the levels, and the amount of space that he covers means that enemies, many jumps, and in some cases major portions of levels can just be ignored. By just running and jumping with the occasional homing attack, players can ignore 90% of Fark's auxiliary kit, including the special moves, the parry, and perhaps most damning, the powerups.

Levels in this game are often very open, and enemies do not populate enough of the space within the levels to actually be able to pose a threat to a player who is, literally, just running and jumping. Normally, I don't have an issue with level design that allows and encourages the player to speed through the level and even in some cases ignore mechanics for the sake of that speed, but I want to emphasize that this is The Entire Game that is like this. It almost feels as though, combined with the extremely generous health system, Fark2 makes genuinely no effort to actually try to kill the player, or worse, makes no effort to make the player adapt. The player creativity that was present in the first game is completely gone in this game, thanks in large part to the fact that the most effective tactic available is also the easiest tactic available.

A quote from Soren Johnson and Sid Meier, creators of the Civilization series, comes to mind, and I feel that this quote and the information that it presents can aptly highlight the issues present within this game's gameplay loop.

"Given the opportunity, players will optimize the fun out of a game; One of the responsibilities of designers is to protect the player from themselves."

I find this quote to be particularly important in discussion of this because, well, the devs are blatantly not attempting to challenge the player enough to encourage them to engage with anything other than what works immediately, and the result it an uninteresting slog through a collection of straightaways with nothing of interest to break them up.

This game is not entirely a platformer, however. This game has a combat system and it would just *love it* if you were to engage with it, so it does throw you into several combat scenarios with bosses so as to not waste the effort made to animate punches and kicks. Unfortunately, while it is an instance in which the player has to do *something* other than run and jump, every boss encounter can also be trivialized, this time by spamming the attack button mercilessly until the opponent falls to the ground in about 45 seconds. Now, I played the game on normal difficulty, and I don't always think that games should be super super hard all the time, but I do think that a boss encounter of a kind shouldn't go down in 45 seconds in a third person action game-style combat system on the baseline difficulty of the game. Because of how absolutely spineless the bosses themselves are, they feel pointless and kinda pathetic, really.

To conclude the section on gameplay; Fark2 does not make enough of an effort to actually make the player use any of their advanced tools, regardless of how success within the game is defined. Because of this lack of interest in making a player engage with the game, the game is boring and feels meaningless to play.

2. Story

Fark2's story fails to captivate, or even begin to intrigue me for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which being that I find Fark, the middling "edgy version of the MC" from the last game not particularly interesting or compelling. Fark2 doesn't actually do much with any of its story beats, and creates countless plot hooks that are never resolved, such is the case with the majority of the game's bosses, Float, Flint and Double, all of whom the player learns next to nothing about except that they're working with a somehow edgier clone of Fark named E.J. and that makes them bad, because of course it does.

The story culminates in a predictable and uninteresting "I was created by the enemy" notion, the likes of which we've seen countless times, notably, in the series' influence. I am not kidding when I say it, Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) does Fark2's core story better than Fark2 does.

Of course, a lot of games have predictable, or otherwise simple larger plots that are saved by good or writing that has a lot of character, so does Fark2 have that?

Absolutely not, not even a little. Get a look at this line, to see what I'm talking about.

The overly edgy, completely ironic way that this game plays itself is not only annoying to try to make sense of, but also refuses to go all the way with it. Every character comes off as edgy, but not edgy enough to where I can even begin to see the cheesiness that they're going for. After a certain point you begin to just tune out as secondhand embarrassment begins to set in.

The writing style that was so endearing about the few instances in the first game where dialogue would happen, particularly the tongue-in-cheek tone, is completely missing from this game, and comparing the two's writing styles to one another feels like night and day. It's dissonant to play these games one after the other, as they feel completely unrecognizable from one another.

It's so obvious that the writers want you to like Fark really badly, but they don't give him anything to latch on to as a character to actually make him likable. Comparisons between Spark and Fark as protagonists are unavoidable, but the most notable point in which the two diverge where Spark succeeds and Fark doesn't is that Fark fails to provide almost any input into the story itself, getting pointed in countless different directions for one reason or another, or for no reason at all. Fark feels like an engine to move through a story that he both is and isn't the center of, whereas Spark feels intentionally disconnected to events at hand because he doesn't particularly care about them.

Speaking of Spark, where is he? They mention him once as "being off enjoying a blank check" but that begs the question, why didn't they name the game "Fark the Electric Jester?" It's just supremely weird to me that in a game named after a specific character, that character has actually NO on screen presence. In some way, it feels like false advertising. And, considering that the devs are billing it as the *same series* the writing inconsistencies seem even more dissonant. If this were a spin off I would get it but it's not! Why is it named after a character who isn't in the game? This is like if the next Shantae game was called Shantae: The Curse of Driftwood, and then the game has no appearance of Shantae herself, and you're locked into playing as Rottytops.

The story of Fark2 fails on so many fundamental levels that I can't say that it's worth it to watch any of the cutscenes. It suffers issues on several fronts, from unsatisfying conclusions, plot contrivances, pointless characters, an attempt at intrigue that fails spectacularly, and a protagonist who is extremely easy to dislike.

There's one thing I didn't hate about this game's story, and that's that it does do the super form better than the first game did, but only because it wore a sickening amount of Dragon Ball on its sleeves.

3. Presentation

First, to get this out of the way, this game has some fun butt rock songs to play in boss fights, despite how lame those fights themselves are. I appreciate the attempt there, but music choice in this game is really quite odd.

There's no way I can put it politely, this game is not satisfying to look at. The textures are passable at best, the area design is really quite same-y and the model work for many characters is butt ugly. The two former problems I can pass, they're still problems, but I feel that the issue of the models cannot be as easily forgotten.

The way that these characters are executed in 3D is, disappointing to say the least, exacerbated by the fact that are that you see *in game* has every one of these characters looking far better than they do here! I'm consistently left confused about what happened here to make all of these characters look like they have all of their features stickered onto their face, which is genuinely just a sphere.

I genuinely like all of these character designs! I think that everyone here looks cute or cool in some degree, but to have such an uncanny representation of them in-game does a legitimate disservice to these characters. I know 3D modelling is hard, I get it, but there should be a point, I feel, where a product isn't ready to be implemented into a build of the game, and none of the models of these characters were ready yet.

In Conclusion about Fark2:

Fark2 fails at just about everything it sets out to do, it's largely uncool, uninteresting, boring, and I don't feel that it is worth your time, and especially not your money. It's gameplay, story and presentation aren't anything special, and it isn't even "so bad it's good." This game is painfully mediocre, and I would believe it if this game were something of a demo for the following entry in the series. Clearly, someone felt that this game is as pointless as I feel it is, because every one of its levels were used as late game extra content in Spark the Electric Jester 3.

Spark The Electric Jester 3 is another 3D platformer, but makes significant improvements to everything that Fark2 tries to accomplish.

First and foremost, Spark the Electric Jester 3 manages to provide fast-paced, fun core gameplay that actually necessitates challenge to the player in both combat and platforming sections. Spark, as the rightful playable character in this game, has access to a large arsenal of combat and movement abilities, which are unlocked from an ingame shop, which serves to naturally encourage the player to learn each move as they can afford it. Spark can also double jump, as well as charge a dash forward that can be used in midair. Despite there not being much more than there was in Fark2 from a platforming perspective, the platforming of this game is far more satisfying as the levels themselves are actually made with Spark's movement and abilities in mind. Levels will frequently push back against you, and require that you at least manage a degree of skill to succeed.

On the combat of things, everything has been revamped to allow combat encounters to feel like anything more than a spam fest. In Spark3, players are encouraged to earn stunlocks against opponents in order to maximize the amount of damage that they can pull off off of one option. Additionally, use of the parry is more difficult, but no less required, making each combat encounter with lots of enemies into a test to see if the player can manage their combo strings while avoiding or parrying enemy attacks simultaneously. Again, compared to some of the action games that this gameplay loop is commonly accredited to, it's a bit more barebones still, however as it isn't the whole focus of the title, and the sections where the pure combat sections are used are somewhat far between, the combat doesn't get old and remains a welcome refresher when platforming could risk getting monotonous.

Spark3 sees the return of powerups, again, however the player doesn't actually get many of them at all in a normal intended playthrough, really only getting maybe one of them for certain. I got to play with the Reaper powerup during my playthrough as I managed to defeat a certain boss who was supposed to beat me on my first attempt on him, and I think that this is a really interesting way to handle the powerups. Each powerup has much of the same fundamental kit, so players are never left wondering how to input something compared to Spark's normal moveset. I found this powerup implementation to be rewarding, but I felt myself wanting more upgrades to unlock in more apparent ways throughout one playthrough.

Level design in Spark 3 is extremely varied, and consistently visually and mechanically engaging the whole way through! This game works on the basis of certain "worlds" that unlock as the player progresses, sorta like how more rooms of Peach's castle will open at certain amounts of stars in Super Mario 64. Each level within these "worlds" are themed around a specific concept, like a city in a state of riot, an airport/rocket launch facility, or a militarized jungle. The theming of these areas doesn't just account for visuals, however, as each of the areas themselves are also considered for what could be interesting gameplay-wise. For example, one level in the airport level sees a plane crashing and Spark having to escape, in a rare timed level with strong wind mechanics attempting to throw the player off. Or, in the rioting city level, players can jump off of crowds of protestors for a boost, and use a helicopter in brief, but consistently solid vehicle sections. Speaking of, I adore the car sections. Spark3 starts in a car section and I adored every second of it. It's a thunderous, no-nonsense beginning to the game that served to really effectively set a tone that had me down for anything as soon as it started.

Despite being "down for anything" Spark 3 does lose me in one area. I don't think that it's story is very good, really. My primary issues with the story are that, despite far better writing, this game fails to actually deliver on any of the hooks that it puts out, and seems far more interested, for some fuckin reason, on fleshing out characters from Fark2, specifically the main bosses from Fark2, at least two of which are presumed dead at the end of that game. While there is *a degree* of plot relevance that there could be, in that Float, one of the presumed dead bosses from the previous game, appears to have returned, and seems sad about having dead friends. I take issue with the notion of how this is done however, because Float doesn't actually tell Spark anything, and instead this information is exhibited through stylized 16 bit cutscenes, which while looking cool, take up significantly more runtime in the story than is necessary, especially considering how this story ends.

My BIGGEST issue with Spark3's story is its *egregious* ending, which I will warn prospective players about spoilers for if they're averse to that sort of thing, BUT the rest of this paragraph will concern these spoilers. Spark3 ends in a way that couldn't have been seen from three feet ahead of you. Spark3's ending is, no joke, comparable to NieR Automata and Neon Genesis Evangelion. There's nothing wrong with an ending like that art has, I quite like endings like that, but mostly because art like NieR or NGE EARN their endings, by laying consistent plot threads the whole runtime about something mysterious. Spark3 does *not* do this, and instead pulls it out as shockingly as possible. The entire game is predicated on "Spark has to go and remove Fark, who has become something of a dictator, from power, as he's militarized most of the world using the Fark Force." Now, this is a novel concept, cute even! I really hate Fark, so I'm down to bring him down a peg! But upon reaching the end of the game Spark reaches Fark, who doesn't want to fight him, and instead explains to Spark that both of them have been in a simulation for 3000 years, and Float, a character who's past we learned a lot about in this game, was actually a fake created by the simulation arbitrator, Clarity, in order to lure Spark toward it's own goals. Notably, there have been ABSOLUTELY NO notable clues that the world was a simulation. Additionally, in a near final boss moment, they make you play as Fark, which pissed me off personally, but that's not empirical it's just something I didn't like. The issue with Spark3's story is that it spends five hours of runtime satisfied in the status quo of it's normality, while it attempts to end with something that would have been far more effective, and far less jarring if there were ANY foreshadowing AT ALL. Because Spark3 doesn't have an interest in actually encouraging the player to think about how the game outside of the typical "big simple punch off" fare, it doesn't work to implement something as left field as the ending that is in the game. Additionally, the game ends on a discussion between Fark and Spark, who are dead, and have been dead, about the importance of keeping moving forward, really played pretty straight, no jokes, no irony, then immediately after the credits roll is a Friday Night Funkin reference. Tonal inconsistency is *so* rampant throughout this ending.

The ending, regardless of if you did or did not read the previous paragraph, left me so dissatisfied with the game that my opinion on this game soured significantly, to the point where on stream I actively did not recommend the game to viewers because of the ending.

To conclude, Spark3 is a game with a really excellent gameplay loop that doesn't leave a lot to be desired, and consistently seeks to challenge the player while also giving them opportunities to experiment with new and fun toys that consistently spice up the gameplay loop whenever present. Despite the quality of the gameplay, this game's story is not only unfulfilling, but also useless within the context of the game itself. There are two cutscenes that matter, and they're the ones before and after the final bosses. I would recommend Spark3 to someone looking for an exemplary gameplay experience, however I wouldn't begin to recommend the game to someone who wants a deep or interesting story.

Now that I've discussed each game at length, I'd like to conclude with a short review of the series as a whole. S

park, when the direction accounts for potential shortcomings, is extremely fun, however the series' writing is consistently passable at best, with some egregious exceptions that make it hard to not skip every cutscene after a while.

Spark 1 is a really fun and interesting romp through a variety of interesting levels in 2d, with an overall fun atmosphere that doesn't seek to take itself too seriously, much to it's benefit. Complete with a multitude of gameplay styles and extreme encouragement of player creativity, it's an excellent way to satisfy a 2D speed platformer itch.

Fark 2 is awful.

Spark 3 takes consistent points from Spark 1 regarding player creativity, visual diversity, wealth of content, and attention to fun and engaging experiences that makes it easy to recommend for it's gameplay and visuals. However, the game's story takes itself far more seriously than it earns, much like Fark2 did to no avail, and the story becomes worse because of it.

If you'd like to watch these playthroughs for yourself, they're all up on my YouTube channel linked below! Thanks so much for reading!

[kitsunesakii]

For Secret Santa, I am writing for: @nightfrostshadow

Their prompt request is: Villain exhausted mind body everything rip poor dude and then uh hero can catch him easily.. Either hero takes him to uh prison? Or then helps him lol up to the person whether it's angst or fluff

OMG!!!! I had SOOOO much fun writing this!!! Sorry that it's so long 😅 I just couldn't stop!! I hope this is all you wanted!! Merry Christmas!!!!! ❤❤❤

TW: MENTION OF BLOOD, SLIGHT DETAIL OF FLESH WOUNDS, MENTION OF THE WORD DEATH (I think?)

Fluff and stuff

Ignorant to love

*you are ridiculously heavy*

That didn't even rank in the top ten blaring thoughts of the evening. It was the most relevant though. 

     I hefted his body up the last couple steps of my apartment building. 

     I tried to ignore the growing pain in my own ribs and I quickly unlocked the door and half laid half dropped him on the couch. And like the blarringly loud alarms going off in my head, I couldn't ignore it much longer. 

     I took in slow, long breaths, slowly and agonizingly bringing my heartbeat to a normal rhythm. 

     What an eventful morning. I entered the kitchen and immediately grabbed the first aid kit stashed wisely under the sink, went back to the comatose figure on my couch and lifted his shirt. 

     Let me backup a few hours. Today I was on shift for the back allies that ran straight into the sewer system. I was supposed to report any activity and keep any of the homeless from killing each other. 

     I WASN'T supposed to run into Jake, the local, mildly harmless, villain that worked these areas. I say mildly because of the ache in my ribs. 

     He wasn't expecting to see me, and his usual flirty facade was put on hold while a grumpy, I-obviously-haven't-slept-in-at-least-three-days composure took over. That alone was worrying, he was annoyingly good at keeping composure and shooting face burning remarks easily. 

     I had clearly interrupted him leaving a fight. His lip was bleeding and the way he held himself suggested at least 1 broken bone. His hair was unusually ragged and his clothes hadn't been ironed, which he usually prided himself on. 

     It honestly hurt to see him like that. He was never one to ask for help, and the amount of times he ignores his personal health is exhausting to say the least. He had just enough energy to throw a rather crippling punch to my abdomen before he passed out in front of me. 

     Protocol stated that I had the authority and the Duty to arrest. 

     That would bring me to now, and the other blaring thought in my head. Because instead of arresting him and calling a medic I've taken him to my house. 

     *NEGLIGENT OF DUTIES*

     *ACCESSORY TO A VILLAIN*

     *TRAITOR TO THE HERO COMMITTEE*

     I rubbed my eyes, hoping that maybe that will force out the thoughts to make room for something useful.

     I pulled off his shirt and examined everything. The minute I saw the damage, the theory that I scared away his attacker seemed more relevant. I couldn't see how he was even standing when I found him. He had bruises in streaks over his chest and around his neck. Small cuts littered his collarbone and one large old gash had reopened and almost split his shoulder. 

     I planted my hand on his chest tenderly and closed my eyes. 

     I was considered a healer, but it wasn't that simple. I couldn't force healing on anyone, if they are awake and unwilling then I don't have enough strength to fight them. As well as that, I can only heal internal bleeding and recreate certain bone structure. I can't fix flesh wounds or give people strength, like some of the other healers in my sector. 

     That didn't take away from my relevance to this situation though. 

     With my eyes still closed I felt around, mentally healing some internal bleeding while fixing 3 ribs and repairing 1 completely. I felt out this old gash, by the way the stitching was done and the fact that it was healing incorrectly I'd say he was supposed to rest but didn't. I healed most of the internal  damage, returning to my med kit and applying bandages over anything that bled. He would hurt like hell when he woke up but he'd be alive. 

     With the dangerous bit out of the way, I poured a glass of water, crushing up ibuprofen before stirring it in. 

     Next I finally sat down and attended to my own wound. I don't think he realized but he hit where an old cut was healing, it had ripped, which accounted for most of the pain. I bandaged it up quickly. Looking out across my apartment from the kitchen. Tattered, torn, and bloodied fabric laid in a pile, clothes didn't even describe them anymore. It looked like a crime scene. 

     *It will be when they arrest me.* 

     The thought was met with a small grunt. I stood up, grabbing a wet rag and kneeled by the couch. 

     His features were pale, but still just as nice to look at as before. 

    "Ick" he flinched, moving his hand to his ribs, I grabbed him before he could ruin his bandages. 

     "Hay, hay, your alright, don't move, it's me, JJ,"

     "JJ? W-what? W-what hap- ppened?" 

     "Drink this," and before he had enough time to resist I forced the medicine infused water into his mouth. He didn't even open his eyes, just fell back asleep. 

     I held my breath an extra second before standing up and gathering up the remains of bandages and shredded clothing, laying a blanket over him before entering my bedroom. 

 *quit pacing* 

     It had been two hours since I'd broken my vows to the Committee. Since then I called and said that I needed someone to cover the rest of my shift for the week, explaining that I was sick and needed rest. They apologized and even asked if they could send someone over to see if they could help. 

     Just what I needed, another hero entering my home only to find a badly beaten villain asleep on my couch. 

     I respectfully declined their offer. 

     I lapped around the room again. Biting gently on my lower lip. I didn't regret saving him. That wasn't my issue, my issue was the hole I was digging with lying about it. But if I turned him in, yes he would get medical attention, but he would be put in an isolation cell. 

     The Isolation program was still very politically affected. And many people couldn't decide if it was humane or not. It basically was a 3 course injection that rid you of your power. 

     I don't think I could bear to see that happen to him. Being broken that badly didn't seem moral to me. 

     "Hello? Anyone home?" 

     I ran into the room, visibly relaxing when I saw that he looked just a bit more alive. His pale skin was starting to absorb color, and his eyes were no longer glazed over, he was awake. 

     "Hey, how do you feel? Do you have a headache?"

     "Hmmm, my head feels fine, body feels fine, the only thing I need now is a shirt. Although I'm willing to be swayed on that front." 

     I laughed, some of my anxiousness fading. His stupid sense of humor was back.  "Here,"  I handed him the glass of water, he hadn't finished it earlier.

     He looked at the glass with a raised brow. 

     "Is it poisoned?" 

     "Yes. I saved you only to kill you."

     His eyes lit up, another good sign, and he took a long swig. "Hmmm, I didn't take you for enjoying that sort of thing, hope it's slow." He winked, followed by a wince and another grab at his ribs. 

     "Don't touch, don't move, don't speak" I half grumbled that last part, moving into the kitchen, "Are you hungry? I have... " I looked at the empty basket and instead opened the cupboard, also empty.... "I can order something? " 

     Knock, knock, knock 

     I nearly jumped into the cupboard door. Running quickly into the living room with a finger to my mouth. 

     "One second!" I hollered haphazardly at the door. I helped Jake into my bedroom, setting him on the bed before shutting the door, only to answer another. 

     "Hey, what are you doing here?" I tried to keep my voice light, it came out breathy and raspy instead. 

     "Hay," the girl at my door was my supervisor, a sweet woman that really needed a haircut. "I heard what happened, are you ok? Do you need anything? Can... I come in?" 

     I blinked at her, realizing that I was fully blocking the doorway, I eased up. 

     "Actually I should really get back in bed, I appreciate you coming over to check on me, but I'll be ok, healing just takes time."

     "Ok..." Her gaze flicked past me into my apartment, "I won't keep you long I just wanted to let you know that a local assassin came into the E. R. In really bad shape, claiming that he stabbed a villain and that he was stranded by the gutter," She paused, giving me slightly apologetic eyes, "he said that he would have finished him off, but he was cut short when a local hero interrupted him... The description he gave matched yours, and you were shifted in that area... I was just wondering if you saw anything?"

     I'm a bad liar, it's why I choose not to most of the time. Hesitating wasn't my best option, but I froze. 

     *LIAR*

     *TRAITOR*

     *ACCESSORY TO A VILLAIN*

     "No, he might have seen me leave though, I wasn't able to go my full rounds."

     She stared at me a moment longer, "Ok, if you see anything in the future feel free to call me." 

     She left, and I shut the door, entering my apartment. My stomach knotted hard. 

     I shook it off, entering the bedroom to find that he had settled sitting up on the edge, a tight but tired look in his eye. 

     "Sooo, are they gonna take me away now?" 

     "What?" 

     He stared at me blankly, a small nervous smile peaking on his face. 

     "I assume they came to pick me up? Orrrrrr....."

     "No, She was just checking up on me, but it's not safe for you here, we need to leave."

     "Pretty sure that was my stand from the start" He said his words unsurely, a frown expanding in understanding of my words. 

     I didn't give further explanation, just grabbed my biggest hoodie and threw it in his direction. Packing a small bag and snatching my keys. 

     I went downstairs first, checking the perimeter to make sure no one was waiting for me. Then I helped him down and into my car. He was unusually quiet, and the moment we were on the road and my senses were more relaxed, I looked over at him. 

     "Tell me how to get to your place,"

     "Keep going straight," was his flat answer. 

     We drove in silence for a while. 

     "You winced when helping me to the car." 

     "I did?" I glanced back at him, he was staring at me. Oh, oh, "yeah, I have an injury on my stomach, I'll be fine."

     "I... I remember.... He stabbed me... Then, you were there, I.. I swung at you. Did, did I hurt you?"

     The worry in his voice struck hard, "You happened to open a wound that I had previously, it caused more damage than would have if you had struck somewhere else, I'm fine." 

     "Turn here." 

     He was quiet for a long while after that, simply giving short instructions until we were at an old, abandoned warehouse at the edge of the city. Trees and foliage covered half if not more of the sides, and broken windows seemed to let in light at all angles. 

     I parked the car, and for a moment, we sat in simple silence. The only sound was the gentle hum of my car's motor. 

     "Why are you helping me?" 

     Great question. I didn't quite know the answer. Yet.

     We had always kinda got along. It always seemed as if he knew my schedule, because he would, without fail, make an appearance on my shift. Throwing witty banter and flirty comments at every point. He never really fought either. His power was the ability to control gravity. Which made fighting him extremely hard because he would simply make it so I would float. I secretly loved it, and while I think he had caught on to that, I would never voice it. 

     Everyone at the hero committee seemed fake. He never did, when he laughed it was genuine, and while I didn't agree with all his morals, he always was set in them. At the Institute it seemed opinions changed based on political structure, a new mayor changed small things. Nothing was ever set in stone. He was real, it was refreshing. 

    "I couldn't just leave you there."

     It surprised me the finality in my own voice. But was that all?

     "Yeah... But you could have sent for the others, send me away, I still would have gotten medic."

     I didn't answer him. Maybe it was that I didn't want to admit it myself. How terribly scared I had been that he might die. That I might lose something I never had. Maybe that's why I saved him, why I didn't turn him in. Why I lied to my commander. But I wasn't ready to admit that. Small feelings that probably amounted to nothing. That was  nothing. 

     I simply shrugged, helping him out and into the abandoned warehouse. 

     The inside didn't look any better than outside. The room we entered had no ceiling, the walls were cracked and bruised. The memory of pale blue paint clung weakly to walls and foliage ran wild. 

     "This definitely isn't a sanitary place for you to heal." 

    The corners of his mouth quirked into an amused smirk. "Oh come on, how long have you known me?" 

     He pointed to a door, like the rest of the place looked as if it had seen better days, and together we pushed towards it. 

     He pushed around some vines, revealing an old button. After a push and a seemingly jumbled sound of clicks the door slid to the side revealing an elevator. 

     "Just great," I muttered, heaving him into the elevator. 

     Very quickly I could see that this wasn't an abandoned warehouse. Underneath was a busy and bustling unit. We pushed past groups of people, some busy writing in notebooks or analyzing data on screens while others gave curious glances in our direction. 

     We nearly ran into a bumbling scientist. She seemed more outraged by his condition than I was. Quickly using some sort of telepathy ro place him on a gurney. 

     "6 lacerations, at least 3 broken bones! I don't know how you don't have massive blood loss? And I told you to rest! By the looks of this you also ripped your stitches from last time!!" 

     I walked beside them quietly, too out of my element to try to leave. Combat was never my specialty and some of the people we passed made my stomach knot up. 

     "You have her to thank for the lack of blood loss." He answered, his voice more bored than worried. 

     She eyed me, suspicion spiking in her features like an ugly scowl. "And who is she? If she's a heal type why isn't she in proper attire? You know how dangerous bringing people here is??"

     "Calm yourself my dead" he huffed, dragging a hand over his bruised face. "She's with me, and she needs medical attention."

     I went to protest but was immediately cut off. 

     "You are definitely top priority-"

     "First of all," he sat up, "no, I'm not top priority, while you were all selling information to the bloody informant that tried to kill me, I was being stitched up by this girl, who was probably risking a lot more than I was. Secondly," he turned to me, a slight red formed on the tips of his ears. "She has a badly ripped wound on her side, and she needs anti-inflammatories and some pain medi." He turned back to her, she seemed to shrink at the eye contact. "As for you. You will tag someone in from the institution, since they are the only people I can apparently trust. They  will attend to her wounds while we have a talk in my office." 

     There was an infinite silence, the once loud, obnoxious science girl was mute. Hands balled up and stiff at her side. Features emotionless. Her eyes were the loudest part about her. Without another word she typed in something on her tablet and another science lead took me away for tests. 

     I looked at my clock. A full 8 hours had gone by since I seemingly ruined my career by helping Jake. At the moment I was in some sort of Infirmary. People were busying themselves everywhere. I needed to get home. 

     That was my second problem. The door was locked. 

     When I tried it the first time I just thought I needed someone to open it for me. So I hadn't started panicking, simply asked the nearest person if they could let me out. 

     It was the fourth time that I realized that I was fully being ignored. 

     My head was starting to really hurt. Based on the jarble that the doctor relayed back to me, I did in fact lose an unhealthy amount of blood, I would have noticed earlier if my 'fight or flight systems weren't engaged'. I didn't quite understand, but I knew enough to know that resting was smart. 

     So I watched people exit and enter, huddled up and whispering. Some would look over in my direction with honest curiosity while others couldn't have cared less if I was a unicorn. 

     After a while the door opened and it was Jake. He looked a lot better, and despite everything, I visibly relaxed at the sight of him. 

     "Have you even tried to rest?" He stated, noting the monitor at my side, "the whole reason for locking you in here was so that you could rest!!?" 

     I laughed at that, "how are you feeling? You look much better, looks like someone treated your flesh wounds?"

     For a moment he just stared at me. Big, golden, disbelieving eyes. Brown hair pushed back with some sort of hair gel, and dressed in something much more flattering, at least without the bloodstains. 

     "Don't worry about me, I'm fine, I'm more worried about you, the doctor said you lost a lot of blood? Are you ok to walk? Your welcome to stay here but if your people weren't suspicious you disappearing definitely will be."

     "You're the one that should be resting, I can take the bus." 

     "And risk some stranger realizing how perfectly wonderful you are and taking you for themselves? I could never, let me drive you." 

     My brain just kinda stopped. I was used to flirty, small compliments and mild suggestions from him. Even small things like brushing my hair out of my face. It was the perfect thing to get me distracted and red. 

     This hit differently. It felt real, not some silly comment. I felt something... Different. 

It brought back his question, 'why are you helping me?' 

     Maybe.... 

     "Hey? You ok? " 

     His words reeled me back to the present, I just blinked at him. 

     "Yeah, yeah, lead the way." I responded dully. 

     Maybe.... 

     We got to the car, it wasn't mine, but I was sure that mine was probably already back at my place. The silence was thick. A weird haze of emotions that both of us didn't speak of, I wondered what his were?

     "Thank you again." He blurted.

     "You're welcome." 

     "I was thinking..." He paused, his eyes glued to the road ahead of him. His knuckles were white. "I was wondering.." He reiterated quietly. "I've known you for a few months now, seen how you react to things, watched you help others... Watched how you avoid war like the plague. Hell," he coughed, his face getting slightly red. "We've even gone to the movies together. Which is great! And I quite enjoy the company! Im just saying.... Well..." 

     I stared, baffled. 

     Maybe.... 

     He fell silent, letting his words trail off. We arrived at my apartment complex shortly after. 

     "Thanks for dropping me off." We both got out, just staring. 

     Maybe... 

     "Do you?....." He bit his lip, he was standing almost flush against me. 

     'Why did you help me?'

     Maybe.... 

     His hand brushed my cheek. He dragged in a long breath, a smile burned on his face.   

     "Do you know why I was at the sewers entrance?"

     "Why?" 

     "Because I wanted to see you." He whispered, his eyes flicking down to my lips, I found myself doing the same. 

     Maybe... 

     He leaned in. His lips pressed gently against mine. His hands held my face. He was so stupidly tall. I kissed right back. 

     Maybe I helped him because... Because I loved him.

[splendentmoon]

So this is an idea for expanding the ShadowJadePeach family from four kids to six using two monkey characters you haven’t used yet, Brother and Sister from the Wukong origin sets, with variants for their designs and powers depending on if their four older siblings were hatched from stone or born naturally.

(I know these two are meant to represent the little monkeys in the set, but they still feel distinct enough to be their own characters)

Brother’s name would be Luzhen, personality wise he’s a near carbon copy of Wukong, though unlike Wukong he’s much more level headed and is a skilled strategist and schemer (much to Wukong’s chagrin, Macaque’s pride, and Nüwa’s amusement), he’s extremely protective of his family and will often take great pleasure in taking revenge on anyone who hurts and/or insults them, despite this he’s a great admirer of Guanyin and tries to follow her teachings especially in regards to showing mercy, his closest sibling bonds are with Sister, Rumble and MK, his stone fruit of choice is blackberries.

Sister’s name would be Yuebei Xing, personality wise she’s the meekest of her siblings, often keeping to herself to the point where strangers assume she’s mute, she’s the least likely to start a fight and will always try to find a peaceful solution (so much so that Wukong often jokes that she was a Buddhist Nun in her past life), despite this she’s the quickest to anger when her family is in trouble or being disrespected, and after one particular incident when she was a little cub the three realms gave her the epithet “God killer” which she’s very embarrassed about, her closest sibling bonds are with Luzhen, Savage and Bai He, her stone fruit of choice is raspberries.

In AUs where the monkey siblings were born naturally Macaque would have given birth to Bai He, Rumble and Savage, while Nüwa would have given birth to MK, Luzhen and Yuebei Xing.

(It’s the same in canon compliment AUs where Nüwa creates MK and Macaque adopts Bai He)

And in AUs where the elder four were hatched from stone Macaque would have given birth to Luzhen and Nüwa would have given birth to Yuebei Xing.

Design and Powers:

In natural birth AUs both siblings would have Wukong’s copper fur and cream skin, gold colored face masks with Luzhen’s being in the shape of a round winged butterfly and Yuebei Xing’s being two large circles over her eyes (for reference see Rinrin from Saiyūki 1960), Jade eyes with mint green pupils, retractable fangs, and a green snake tail in place of their monkey tail (Yuebei Xing is self conscious about her tail feeling it makes her look unusual, while Luzhen is prideful of his tail due to it being ten times stronger than a normal monkey tail).

In terms of powers the siblings have Wukong’s lazer eyes, invincibility, super strength and speed, cloud surfing, 72 transformations, magic, healing, venomous bite, and Nüwa’s creation abilities.

In stone birth AU’s Yuebei Xing would have the same design and powers as in natural birth AUs.

While Luzhen would have Wukong’s copper fur, Macaque’s tan skin, a red face mask in the shape of a spike winged butterfly, Amethyst eyes with lavender pupils, and Macaque’s six ears (he’s envious of Yuebei Xing’s snake tail and will sometimes shape shift a purple snake tail in place of his normal one).

In terms of powers Luzhen would have Macaque’s mystic hearing, Wukong’ lazer eyes, invincibility, super strength and speed, 72 transformations, cloud surfing, magic, and Macaque’s shadow powers (portals, weapons, clones, and phasing (the ability to hide in someone’s shadow and go through walls using shadows)).

If you wanted to use these characters in Shadowpeach AUs:

Both siblings would have copper fur and light tan skin, Luzhen would have Amethyst eyes with lavender pupils, a red face mask in the shape of a round winged butterfly, and six ears, while Yuebei Xing would have gold eyes with yellow pupils, a peach pink face mask in the shape of two large circles over her eyes, and only two ears.

And their powers would be a mix and match of Wukong and Macaque’s abilities.

I'll be honest with you.

I didn't understand.

I only understood about making the two sets of brother and sister be children of the monkeys and nuwa.

After that, I was lost.

Although if I did make them I think they would both be more like Nuwa(Since in their other children there are more traits of the fathers than the mother).

But I don't think I would make them.

One, I didn't understand your idea well (first separate your ideas well because I give up on understanding).

Two, in which story would you put them? And I made an au with Savage and Rumble and my brain is going to shit.

Three, I doubt very much that shadowjadepeach wants two more kids, they already have enough to do.

Fourth, I'm too lazy to think about more characters, I already have problems writing the stories and thinking about what to put in to have to think about two other characters that I didn't even know existed!

So no, I'm sorry but no, at least wait for me to organize myself before giving me ideas.

I feel like my brain is exploding.

It's a no for maintaining my mental health.