#when I know full well that my plan is to charge my vibe

[sehtoast]

Hii! Id like a request!

Could you perhaps do a scenario where the reader gets stranded at an airport (Perhaps with panic attack)?

I'm experiencing this currently and thinking about Homelander is helping, Somehow

i'm so sorry you had to go through that anon ❤️ homie has an odd way of making life's woes suck a little less. apologies that this took as long as it did (and also i've never been in an airport before so idk if this is even the right vibe adfkljdfk), but i hope it's still enjoyable and i hope your airport adventure ended happily.

Oh, if you thought it couldn’t get worse, you were so wrong. 

Cancellations across the board, a raging snow storm outside, disgruntled people everywhere, and far too much noise for your overloaded senses.  This is what you get for flying out to go see a friend in the dead of winter.

It wasn’t like you could call an uber to the nearest hotel, either.  Pretty much nobody was going anywhere in this storm, and you’ve been here for hours now. God, you should’ve picked a morning flight, but you just haaaad to sleep in.

Eventually it started getting to you.

You’re alone, surrounded by angry people, in the middle of fuck knows where, with no guarantee of getting home or if your ticket is still going to be honored and–

You don’t even notice your breathing growing frantic until it’s overpowering and all you can do is hug your knees and try to stay calm–

You reach for your phone and send off a text to the one person who would maybe be awake at this hour.

God I’m fucking stuck here and I miss you and I don’t know what to do.

Your chest feels tight and your mouth is dry.  You hold your phone tight, cringing at the battery level.

7%.

You’d love to charge it, but the iPad parents are currently occupying every outlet in the area and if you hear one more child scream because they couldn’t watch their damn skibidi toilet videos–

It buzzes and you unlock it like a madman.

Told ya you should’ve flown air-Homelander.

You smile, warmth trickling in to fill your otherwise endless pit of anxiety.

It would’ve been too cold on my face :(  and you’d be carrying all my luggage.  Besides, I couldn't ask you to fly all this way.

The next response comes almost instantly.  Well, as instantly as it can with how slow he types.

Picky picky.  Where are you?

In the lounge-ish area.  On the floor, because I guess I picked the busiest airport in the world…

2%.  You’re almost ready to snag one of those outlets and suffer the blubbering.

Shucks, that’s a bummer.  

It’s not so–

You wince as your screen flickers, waves of sadness overtaking you in conjunction with that dreaded anxiety.  Gone is your only lifeline, and it hits you that you’ll have technically left him on read too.  You should’ve told him about your battery– fuck, fuck, fuck.

You hug your knees again and shove your useless earbuds in, hoping to dampen some of the noise.  It doesn’t work, and you can distinctly make out the sound of a man loudly demanding a full refund.

You try to imagine Homelander.  What tales would he have for you once you returned home?  How much trouble did he stir up while you were away?  Probably the usual, but… you were supposed to see him tomorrow morning when you got home.

God, that thought makes you ache for home even more.

You shut your eyes and attempt a nap.

You try and try to sleep to no avail.  Just when you think you might get a wink of rest, you hear audible gasps and shouting.  Your eyes shoot open, expecting the absolute worst, but all you see are two imposing sets of red boots.

“You forgot to text me back,” he says nonchalantly.  

Tears of joy bite at your eyes as you look up, and you all but launch yourself off the ground and into his arms.

“M’sorry,” you mumble against him.  “Battery died.”

“Mm, if you say so. I feel like this was all part of your elaborate plan to get me here.”  Homelander pulls away just slightly to look down at you, a twinkle of sympathy in his eyes- a very rare sight.  “Well, I know I can’t fly you home, because you’ll turn into a big popsicle, but… there is a hotel nearby and you do deserve a nice place to lay your head.”

Your heart feels so warm it could melt the blizzard outside.

“You just gotta tolerate a little cold.” He grins, winking at you.  “And air-Homelander doesn’t have delays.  No luggage fees either.”

You throw yourself back into the hug, squeezing him with all you’ve got.  

“You’re the best,” you whisper in his ear.

“Yeah, I know.”  He replies, uncaring of the spectacle you two must be.  “Now let’s get you cozy.”

[windvexer]

if i want to give an offering thats a physical item, like lets say a necklace, how exactly would that work? would i declare its an offering and just leave it there for them forever? would there be a time when i should/could reclaim it? do i have to charge it from that point forward? would i have to toss it eventually? organic offerings like food can be buried, or like smoke will dissipate. im not sure how to handle more solid things, and it feels especially difficult as a closeted witch. what if my roommate picks it up and moves or uses it? sorry i have a lot of questions lol, thanks for reading all this! i love ur blog, youre very smart!

Good morning! Lots of variables to this one.

Giving of, storing, and reclaiming nondegradable offerings is a thing that has Rules in many traditions and cultures, and it's wise to examine any within which you're operating. I'm recalling that there are serious taboos against taking back gifts from the Dead, or wearing jewelry owned by the Dead, in Hellenism (?).

I'm hesitant to say that this one should be totally based on the vibes so definitely try to do some research.

If you haven't got any rules, as it were, here are some options:

You don't have to charge nondegradable offerings forever, or even once, unless the charge is a part of the offering/offering ritual.

You can dedicate an object to an entity while keeping it in your possession and continuing to use it. This can be a great way to form a bond with that entity. Knowing that the necklace belongs to, say, Aphrodite, and that it's her possession, but that you still wear it, can be a powerful way to connect to her. This arrangement should be established at the time of dedication (it doesn't do well to give a gift and then appear to take-backsies).

Intuition or lore may advise that certain entities aren't going to agree to this arrangement, but as long as you don't feel a very strong "no! wrong" feeling, you should be good to go.

Another complication is dedicating objects to entities that have an aura you really don't want to carry around with you. Radium is a powerful entity with a powerful aura but you shouldn't carry him around with you, you know?

You can also leave objects on an altar or shrine and periodically clean them all out, perhaps when the altar gets full or at an established time (like, on holidays). Intuition may advise if the entity would like to hold on to some special gifts, but that others can be safely removed.

I might donate things to charities, or frankly if something has little value and the entity doesn't want it any more, throw it away.

If an object is gifted to an entity with no established arrangement that you or anyone else can use it, it's your responsibility to put the item in a protected space where it won't be used. Some entities might not care, but the risk of offense is always possible, and it'll be on you to soothe those waters.

Offered objects don't have to be on display or in full view. You can store them in closed boxes or bags. You can also put those containers under the bed or in a closet.

Overall though it pays to be selective in what objects you gift to an entity precisely because figuring out what to do with it can be a bit of a hassle. I tend to gift nondegradable objects very selectively and use them as an object of connection and honor. So it wouldn't be typical for me to gift an object with an assumption that I'll want to reclaim it in a few months or needing a backup plan for how to get rid of it.

[house-of-slayterr]

Comfort Character Heaccanons:

An: because these are the easiest thing for me to write right now, I’m trying to ease out of my writers block

The Lost Boys

David is very dad coded, I think he sees himself as the oldest needing to take care of his “brothers” but wanting to turn Star and Micheal, that’s because David wants away from Max. He’s technically the true leader of their little coven but he wants to takes Max’s place. Being a maker in important to him and as grumpy and stoic as he usually in, he loves and would do any thing for him coven. He’s attached to the boys because he’s known them so long, but the way he feels about his own progeny is much stronger of a bond. Laddie even is special to him because he’s the baby of the family and must be protected at all times.

Dwayne gives me serious caregiver vibes. The way David entrust him with the safety of Laddie because he sees how close the boys are. He loves taking care of Paul and Marko too. He smiles the most when his little ones are around. He gives the best cuddles and even loves to hunt when the others are too small to hunt for themselves. Being there to calm the boys and star is.

Marko is the most chaotic of the boys, he likes to push the boundaries to see what he can get away with. Despite being less flirty than Paul Marko almost always seduces his prey first, enjoying talking to them and watching him trust them before he devours them. Marko is also an age regressor, I believe he longs for a time when he was still human deep down. When things were more simple and easy for him. I think he regresses quite young, almost around laddies age which is why they get along so well. Dwayne and Paul are little Markos favourites

Paul is also an age regressor, he didn’t even realise for years he was doing it until Dwayne pointed it out to David. He regresses a little younger than Marko meaning he needs more help. Even laddie loves to help take care of little Paul. Paul loves being a vampire when he’s little however, he insists Dwayne and Star take him hunting so he can watch. Dwayne hated it at first not wanting his little eyes to see the violence but when he hears Paul giggle watching them his heart feels much lighter. Paul is a very needed little one, but he was already a needy and clingy adult so no one in the coven is surprised when he won’t let them go. Poor boy is so touch starved.

Now if the boys take on less of a family role in their coven and see each other more as best friends, I believe this is how I would pair them off. Star becomes a full vampire not just a fledgling and ends up with Dwayne. They have their own micro-family with Laddie. David finally gets Micheal and I think they’re super cute together. The relationship gets healthier the longer the boys are together. They’re in charge of the coven together, Dwayne stepping down for Micheal so he can focus on Star and Laddie. And last Marko and Paul cannot be separated at any cost, big or little they can and will bite and claw their ways back to each other. Paul is Marko’s rock.

Slashers:

Herbert West is Aro/ace I believe. He doesn’t show much interest in that side of his life, despite most of his colleague dating or being married. Even his own best friend has heart eyes for a girl right now and he hates it. I do think he could handle a queer platonic relationship, something a little deeper than just friendship. But anything past that is foreign retorts the scientist does not want to investigate in the slightest. He wants to be closer with Dan but worries their relationship dynamic might ruin Dan’s romantic relationship. But in the end Herbert gets what he wants and Dan is already wrapped around his finger.

Micheal is strange, he grew up in a way that didn’t fully allow him to grow up. Sure his body is an adult but his mind wanders to some of his first kills when he was a boy or teen often. It’s not quite a full regression state, more he’s stuck in the past and has zero plans for his future. Micheal knows one thing and that’s killing, he hides his complexities even from himself, dumbing himself down to just being the town slasher and pretending he doesn’t exist the other half of the time.

Lester Sinclair doesn’t give me Cis energy for some reason. He’s gives off character who’s non binary but just says their birth gender to make things “easier”. Plus growing up where he did, I doubt he ran into many trans or queer people. I see him as a Demi-boy and could totally see them rocking more femme outfits if it were for Bo. Femme boy Lester keeps me going.

Jason Voorhees is an age regressor I don’t care what anyone says. I believe his brain stayed the age it was when he drowned. All he wants is to feel safe and have a good time at summer camp and to be close to his mama. Jason throws tantrums after she’s gone, if he can’t hallucinate her or talk to her shine he looses his mind, breaking down and breaking everything in his path. He’s a mama’s boy til the day he dies and he needs her. I think he stays at camp because now he gets to experiences all the fun parts without the bullying, he just gets to be kid Jason chilling in a cabin. That’s also why he kills anyone who enter for disturbing his peace and comfort.

Billy & Stu are gay for each other, that much is cannon. But I think they work well because of their dynamic. Billy gives me caregiver energy and Stu gives me flip energy. The reason Stu started to grow disinterested in Tatum is because he was stuck being both dom and caregiver for far too long. With Billy he’s allowed to regress or not be in charge and just let his Brian heal from whatever was bothering him that day. He trust Billy with his life and would do anything for him. Billy loves taking care of Stu whether it’s as his boyfriend or as his caregiver. He’s surprisingly better at the caregiver side than he is the boyfriend side. But then again he hasn’t had a lot of practice on the boyfriend department yet. He thinks little Stu is the cutest thing to walk this earth. But equally enjoys when his boyfriend is big and decides he wants to be the more dominant one that day, he’ll step aside to let Stu have his moment

Billy Lenz is a depraved perverted boy, we all know that. But I can’t even begin to describe how many kinks this man would have. For starters he has a blood kink that much is obviously, he loves playing in it, tasting it, the colour, everything. He gets hard when he tortures his victims thinking about the delicious things he could do to them. I don’t think he understands the concept of right and wrong and would go far enough as to play with a victim after they passed for his own gratification. Billy also would have a mommy kink, his mommy issues run deep and if he felt like they were giving him any sort of affection like that he would cling to them and keep them alive longer. His Brian will view the interaction sometimes and just gentle motherly comfort, that he desperately needs, or because it’s Billy his mind always wonders to sexual desires. I don’t think there would be any ways to calm this man libido he’s just a horny freak even in his sleep.

Misc:

Spencer Reid has autism, even if the show was too cowardly to fully commit to it. Along with his photographic memory it surpassingly makes the boy good at a lot more than you’d think. A lot of people think Spencer is very innocent, the type to be bashful when holding hands with a girl, but no, his hands are very skilled and he loves to use them. I headcannon he likes to finger his partner under his desk or at the couch when he’s reading or studying paperwork for his job. He finds it fun to split his focus and mess with them. He’s also really good with his mouth when he needs to be kept quiet. The boy genius is as much of a genius in the bedroom as he is at school and work.

Abby Sciuto is an age regressor for sure. Her comfort item when she’s big or little is her stuffed hippo. Her caregivers are Gibbs and McGee, but mostly Gibbs, she feel safest with him and he loves taking care of her. Gibbs doesn’t let her have Caff pow when she’s clearly regressing after a long day, the last thing he needs is a hyper toddler Abby running around the precinct. Ducky comes up to babysit sometimes when Gibbs and McGee are out on case because he knows she’s scared of the autopsy room.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs may have more than one ex wife, but he does know how to keep a woman satisfied, in the bedroom at least. He’s not great at communication and feelings and being open, that’s why his relationships crumble and fall apart. But he’s been on this earth a long time now, he’s ripe bee keeping age. He doesn’t mind if his partner is a big younger than him, but he prefers women his age. He likes to take his time in the bedroom just like he takes his time with his boat

Barry Allen is another you would expect to be innocent. But this man has a dirty mind he keeps well hidden. He’s all smiles and giggles and himbo with his friends at work, but when it’s just him and his partner behind closed doors it’s different. Barry is a switch, sometimes he has a need for control, galaxy after difficult missions, but he doesn’t mind giving up control either. He enjoys the dynamic of playing both sides. I also fully believe this man is bisexual, he simple just doesn’t have a lot of experience with men yet.

An: I wrote this twice because my phone deleted the better first draft for no reason 😭 sorry if my headcanons were all over place I had to rewrite them from memory.

Tag: @mothmans-kingdom @kados-of-chaos @oceansrose2002 @myers-meadow

[symphonic-scream]

Did I ever post about my JJK Persona au? A JJK as Persona AU?

If I didn't, well, here it is

JJK Persona AU

It's not fully based on one game more than the other, but the Dungeon mechanic is based on P4, with a more modern and Tokyo based overworld like P5, but. Timeline and boss escalation are kinda P3?

That's. I can discuss that if anyone is actually interested let's just get into the gang, with their arcana and shit

So our Fool, it's Yuuji Itadori. After the death of his grandfather, he's moved into a "temporary" foster with a salary man named Nanami Kento, starts at this small school halfway up the mountain, and he's warned, hella warned to come right home after school

He. Forgets. And maybe swallows a tarot card.

That's how his wildcard aspect works. He finds more tarot as he and his party delve deeper into the "memory zone" beneath their school, only accessible through a twisted mirror. However, on full moons, when stronger shadows crawl up to the highest floors and risk escape, he can't summon his persona

Instead, when he tries, he gets a special status. And instead of his persona, he summons the Big Bad, Sukuna, who controls his actions and sometimes attacks his teammates

Anyways. Let's talk about the others

To enter the mirror world, they have to accept their "memoric self", which is. My fancy way of saying their most hidden innermost self, like their false mask dissolves. Typically this isn't a smooth thing

In the case of the first party member, Nobara Kugisaki, she heard music drawing her closer. She convinces Yuuji and Megumi Fushiguro to come with her, back to school, at night and check it out. And she lifts the sheet off the mirror and freezes

What she sees isn't her perfectly crafted image. It's not even her "minor" rage issues. It's herself, arms and legs strapped down to a chair or something. Restrained. Uh and after that uh. Heavy "repressed lesbian" vibes. Inner Nobara is a bit of a perv??

It's about even how she's free from the country, she's still letting that ideology hold her back. Like she's not *ashamed* of being gay but,, she remembers the comments when she considers hitting on someone. Or tried to reciprocate the flirting of that hot ass second year

And she has to face that part of her and gets her persona and has to recover, and ahem maybe kisses a girl-

But her arcana is the Empress!

She lives in school accommodations. Tiny dorm apartment. The faculty in charge is Akari Nitta

I don't have those mirror plans for the others but I have their like, situations!

Megumi is living with his adopted dad and teacher, Gojo Satoru. Gojo finds the trio the morning after their first full moon and tells them the deals. Cause he and his friends dealt with it before and "held off" Sukuna, losing his old love in the process

Megumi is the Moon Arcana, and Gojo is a social link, the Tower

Joining the team next is Megumi's cousin and Nobara's girlfriend, Maki [Redacted]. Last name change is pending. She and her sister have been in foster care for years, but were never totally healthy. Long story short, Mai needs a new kidney at some point and Maki gives her one. Mai is still sickly and a little immuno-compromised, and Maki- she ends up type 1 diabetic and

Two sick kids in foster care? That's a doomed situation. They know it. Mai's been mad about Maki giving her that kidney since. Okay anyways Megumi asks Gojo to adopt his cousins and Gojo has a Better Idea

Anyways. Maki and Mai's moms are Shoko Ieiri and Utahime Iori. Maki plans to take Shoko's surname and Mai is taking Utahime's

Okay sorry sorry Maki is Strength and Mai is a social link, the Devil. Utahime isn't a social link as of now, but Shoko is Death

Next teammate is Toge Inumaki, Hanged Man. Then it's a second year nicknamed "Panda", he's the Chariot

Their final teammate is Yuuta Okkotsu. The Lovers.

Some others I have are Miwa, Sun, and Momo, Star. Aoi Todo is the Magician, and I'll think of more for later?

Incase I didn't say it Nanami is the Hierophant.

But Tokyo and Kyoto students are at the same school but different classes (1A vs 1B)

--

ANYWAYS YEAH IF YOU HAVE IDEAS AND SHIT HIT ME UP I WANNA MAKE THIS A BETTER THING, MORE FILLED OUT

I only have some more minor bits, like with Maki and Mai, and the GFs.

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay Visuals - Be Prepared

Voiceplay's full-length cover of Be Prepared was released on the 28th of September (or the 27th depending on your timezone, same deal as always), and in fact it's still the 28th for me as I type this! Yes, I'm getting this ready at least a couple of days in advance of when I plan to post it, 1 because I've waited long enough already, and 2 because VoicePlay's next release (their Halloween video) is meant to drop on Patreon before the end of September and I wanna get this done before it happens!

Anyway, this features Mykal Kilgore, who's an OG member, not technically of VoicePlay, but of "4 The Love", which consisted of Mykal, Geoff, Layne, and Earl, back when they were about 17 I believe? Then at some point they added Scott Porter as a beatbooxer and became 4:2:Five. Mykal appeared a little bit in Just Sing, but otherwise this is the first time he's properly reunited with Geoff and Layne and gotten to meet Eli and Cesar! He was definitely a great contribution to this video.

There's a lot to unpack visually in this video, and again, I've been dying to make this post, so let's! get! into this!!!

Honestly I can't even think of much to say about the overall set design right now other than yoooooo look how cool this is!!

They absolutely nailed the vibe/aesthetic of the original scene, while still keeping the set "simple" enough for plenty of movement and use of space!

Layne was in charge of the arrangement, creative direction, and video editing for this video, shocker to no one (a Disney song cover that places Geoff front and centre? Gotta be Layne's doing 😂 (and we love him for it!))

Oh yeah also I'm pretty sure the aspect ratio is a bit "narrower" than it often is for most VP videos? (Like the screen is more noticeably wider than it is tall.)

There he is!!! (It was at this point on my first watch-through that I had to take a moment to steel myself because I was like "nope nope nope hang on wait I don't think I'm actually prepared for this" 😅

As to be expected, Eli is credited with lighting, but he also helped out with the fog machine things shown here in this image (the one on the left is more visible here). VoicePlay hadn't worked with these things before, but they worked amazingly, and it's another thing to give the video similarities to the original movie scene. However, these things were actually Quite Loud

Not the clearest image but look at Layne and Cesar being all sneaky/creepy here! (Layne does a little skip-step thing in this shot here that's brief but kinda reminds me just a touch of his little run in This Is Halloween)

Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Rick Underwood the man that you are, please, let me shake your hand, I love you (whether I'll still love him after the Halloween video remains to be determined, but anyway)

I mean honestly this is a Whole Look and I adore every part of it. The "facial scruff", the eyeliner, the freaking awesome jacket, the hair... I'm gonna stop myself from rambling too much too early ^^;

"I know that your powers of retention... are as wet as a warthog's backside."

A couple of things here:

1, You would probably expect Layne to just be another hyena (after all, there's many more than just Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed in the original scene), but it's possible that he might have intended to be a warthog, given this moment here (and also at the end of the BTS there's a clip of Layne messing around with one of the smoke/fog machines in a very Pumbaa-esque manner, lol).

And 2, credit to @ambular-d who first noticed this and pointed it out in the Discord server: Layne dips his shoulder here, "like Geoff's casual disdainful little swipe has some strength behind it." (directly quoting them here)

Okay now let's pay attention (ayyy) to our "main hyena trio" for a moment

There is no real style coordination here and yet somehow it works (well they're all in black/dark grey so they've got that in common). But like Cesar's got a grey leopard-print jumper/sweater (kinda cute ngl), Mykal's got a black fluffy (fringed?) shirt/sweater thing, and Eli's got a black leather jacket on (he looks very cool in it though - definitely suits him)

Mykal's the only one of the total five who isn't wearing some sort of necklace, but I guess he makes up for it with the bones hanging from the top of his head (and for all I know that actually might be a necklace that he just wrapped around the base of his hairbun)

ALSO I just went to go check my post for Friends On The Other Side because I was wondering if Cesar's necklace here was one of the ones worn by Geoff or Layne in that video, and I don't think it is (too short), but I'm 90% certain that Eli's necklace here is one of the same ones that Geoff was wearing!

Dramatic lighting flash! Low-key similar to Hoist The Colours (another video featuring scruff, guyliner, and heavily colour-tinted lighting), and also Geoff's recent Song Of Durin video!

(Also man I'm gonna hit image limit aren't I, lol rip)

"It's clear from your vacant expressions, the lights are not all on upstairs"

It's a blurry image, but I couldn't help but be tempted to do a Screenshot Comparison for this moment (plus another one a bit later in the song) because Layne absolutely understood the assignment and I was quite pleased that this bit got recreated!

(Also yes, Cesar is Ed, lol)

This moment in the video with Geoff and Cesar (including the second half of the line) got turned into a meme gif on the Patrons Discord server to represent VoicePlay and the audio distributors that they've been having issues with 😂

"And where do we feature?" "Just listen to teacher"

I don't remember it looking like that in the original scene! 😝 (but seriously, I love how Geoff and Cesar can't help but be cute together here - you should see their dynamic in some of the BTS videos, it's the best)

Pfft, this moment also got memed in the Discord server XD ("ask me to sing a G-1 one more time!" (credit again to @ambular-d) or alternatively "I said there are ants in the coffee again!" (that one's a reference to one of the BTS videos))

I'm honestly a little jealous of how cool Geoff looks while doing the sort of lifting motion he does in this moment here

Oh yeah that's definitely one of the Friends On The Other Side necklaces that Eli's got on

Also it took me an embarassingly-large amount of watches to realize that Cesar had painted nails for this one (in my defence, I was very distracted 😂)

Sure go ahead Eli, have your moment, stare into my soul, go on (affectionate)

"Of course quid pro quo you're expected, to take Certain Duties on board"

Again, not a great screenshot, but again, another moment recreated (at least in a general sense) from the original scene!

This is also a good place to point out how the lighting has changed from green to yellow, just as it does in the original scene, and it changed at the same spot as well (right on or just before the "it's great that we'll soon be connected..." line)

Oh rip it is tough to get good screencaps for this one (probably at least partially due to all the fog)

Anyway I wanted to point out that Layne's a little over an inch taller than Geoff (possibly two inches if you count the hair, lol), but in this one he mostly stays at least a little hunched, at least when Geoff's next to him, making Geoff look equal height if not taller (and from a storytelling perspective, it's great!)

"YOU WON'T GET A SNIFF WITHOUT ME!"

A quick shift to red colouring, again just as the movie scene (and also now the video looks crystal clear as well!)

(Also goddamn Geoff is really working the crazy evil villain look... like man 👀)

Mykal and Eli vibing, I love it

Cesar, Mykal, and Eli's reaction to the growl/roar 😂

Cesar is shook! Literally! XD

Nothing much to say here, just that Geoff looks amazing and is amazing

(Also shoutout to his white-grey hair, which was looking wonderfully-prominent in this video and I adore it)

(woof) HELLO THERE GOOD SIR 😳👉👈

This is a rare case of me not having a "he's so pretty" moment with Geoff in a video, but that's because for this one, it's more a case of "he's so hot" 👀

*insert evil laughter here*

And that's Be Prepared! Man, what a video!

Next on the list is of course VoicePlay's Halloween release for 2024, whatever that turns out to be. I'm both excited and nervous (or scared, even), but hey, I have no doubt it will give me plenty to talk about! Until next time!

[blackknightax]

I wanted to add a Metroid character forever ago. I love the universe of Metroid and need to play more Metroid games, I’ve only played Prime 3, Prime hunters and Other M. I know, fake fan. I just never have money when new Metroid games come out. So bleh. Anyhow. Let’s get down to business!

Metroid doesn’t have a lot of characters in general, it’s a not story based series and a large part of the vibe of Metroid is being alone in space. That’s such an important part of the Metroid vibe and aesthetic and such, so characters aren’t plentiful. That being said, I somehow have only played the games that have more characters than just Samus. Shrug. That being said, Metroid probably has one character request as of recently and that is Ravenbeak from Metroid Dread. I’ll admit I don’t know about that at all outside what was shown in trailers, I wanna play it, i just don’t own it. But he isn’t my choice. I’ve chosen one of the hunters from Metroid Prime hunters! So when i first conceived this idea I had chosen Weavil. Simply because, i wanted a space pirate, but they added Ridley so i don’t need a space pirate representative anymore. For that reason, I decided i wanted one of the cooler hunters. My personal favorite was Trace but he’s a sniper with stealth abilities, I don’t think he fits into smash as well as other characters. I also almost chose Kanden because he’s a cool looking character with an interesting story. BUT instead I’ve chosen

SPIRE! Seriously, look at this guy! He’s SICK! (Note OP likes rocky stuff). Spire is a being from the species known as the Diamont. It’s a shame he was made for a DS FPS game. Seriously who thought a Metroid Prime game on the DS was a good idea? Metroid Prime hunters you’d think wouldn’t lend itself to creative move sets since all the characters were designed to be played in multiplayer but the characters were also designed to feel different in multiplayer so that gives me plenty of room for that purpose. I think he’d be a weight much heavier than Samus, maybe close to K Rool. I think he should feel like a bruiser, like a living armored tank. So let’s discuss move set! By the way, I plan to redo the first two posts to add move sets to those characters and not be so wishy washy on the DK section. That being said.

For his Neutral B he will use his signature weapon the Magmaul. In the game it’s a bit of a chargeable grenade launcher and when Spire himself uses it adds a damage over time effect and it splits into more projectiles when it hits. Obviously we’ll used both of those properties BUT, i won’t be using the charge property. Instead he’ll fire it slowly and be at the fully charged state by default. This way holding the B button allows you to change the angle at which you fire it.

For his Up B he briefly makes a platform of magma to jump off of, dropping a magma spike below him when used in the air like elwind or Sonic’s spring, and leaving a magma spike on the ground when used on the ground. This move does not induce special fall.

For his Side B his uses the Dialanch, his version of the morph ball in multiplayer. He unleashes spikes on his body and rolls in the direction you used the move in. Unlike similar moves like rollout it’s not a chargeable move and is not stopped when he makes contact, instead it does a bunch of hits, and keeps going until you reach full distance or press B again. If you hit a wall Spire will climb it, in this state he will automatically stop using the move when he gets to the top of the platform. When used in the air assuming you don’t hit a wall it does induce special fall. I see this mixing up his ledge options.

For his Down B he covers his body in magma and it hardens instantly. Now he moves even slower but every move now has 2 or 3 hits of super armor and he cannot be launched in this state, but he will fall significantly faster. But in this state even him falling does damage to opponents. Or maybe it should work like Monado Shield but i liked my idea so bleh!

I know this one is late and to make up for it I will be doing another character today so it still looks like daily posting. That being said i hope you all like this idea for a move set. I had a lot of fun coming up with this one. “Tomorrow” I’ll be doing a post that requires a small amount of research. I will probably start ending weeks with posts that require research until I have no other choice either way.

[skeletonpunching]

Buddy Daddies scriptwriter interview

Interview with Shimokura Vio (Nitroplus; original story idea, series composition, scriptwriter) and Kakihara Yuko (series composition, scriptwriter)

Interviewer: Shimokura-san, you handled the original story idea for "Buddy Daddies"; how did you establish the premise for the story and characters in the initial stage?

Shimokura: I came up with the preliminary outline. "If the setup is 'two contrasting male characters get stuck raising a child on the spur of the moment', the story will probably play out this way…" I wrote a provisional outline with that general vibe. Later on, Director Asai joined the production, and he had a very clear image of the characters right from the start, so the premise was solidified from there. The overall storyline is similar enough, I think. I first laid out a fairly orthodox flow of events, and then the director, Kakihara-san, and the producers gave their opinions, and we put it all together.

Interviewer: When the two of you were in charge of the series composition, what sort of discussions did you have in advance?

Shimokura: I don't think we had that many detailed discussions, did we?

Kakihara: There was something of a tacit agreement that Shimokura-san would do the work-related (assassination) episodes, and I would do the parenting-related episodes. After all, I do really have a child, so it's easier for me to come up with stories about children, while Shimokura-san is better at hard-boiled assassin stories - so I relied on Shimokura-san to deal with that, and when it came to the parenting stories, I boldly thought, "Now it's my time to shine!" (laughs) I guess Shimokura-san may have felt the same way.

Shimokura: That's right. Before I came on board this project, Producer Toba once asked me for advice, along the lines of, "I don't have kids myself, so I don't really know how to approach parenting." Back then, when I was still an outsider, I casually told him, "The crux of this project is people who don't understand parenting being confronted with it, so your perspective is vital as well, Toba-san!" But when I got involved myself, I realised what an outrageous thing I'd said. (laughs) Since it dealt so heavily with parenting, there were parts that I felt like I didn't truly understand. But Kakihara-san and Producer Tsuji have children of their own, and have many thoughts and practical experiences related to parenting; I counted on them to share the responsibilities as well.

Interviewer: And so you were able to enhance the realism of the parenting scenes.

Kakihara: I thought it would be fun to show cool men who usually have nothing to do with children being confronted with parenting, and finding themselves in dire straits, and all the challenges they go through. So when it came to those scenes, I deliberately made them as uncool as possible - there's nothing pretty about that portrayal. I hoped that this would make for an interesting "relatable parenting" story.

Interviewer: Amidst all of this work, was there anything each of you personally got hung up on? 

Shimokura: Essentially, I was always concerned with the classic theme of "Can assassins burdened with sins find happiness?" and that was on my mind when developing the overall storyline. And something I personally enjoyed was the fact that a 4-year-old child's thought processes are totally incomprehensible. When setting characters in motion, there's usually some chain of cause and effect tying things together - "this character thinks this way, and so they act like this", and the question is how we direct that flow to develop plot points. But you really have no clue what a 4-year-old child will come up with. And on the contrary, that made things incredibly interesting. I also enjoyed hearing all the anecdotes about parenting 4-year-olds that came up during the planning sessions; everyone seemed to be in full doting-parent mode. (laughs)

Kakihara: As for me, thanks to the original outline that Shimokura-san created, my work went extremely smoothly. I was wondering, well then, what can I bring to the table? And then during a script reading, some members of the production staff very kindly said, "Now I've understood how hard it is to be a parent." When they've just brought Miri home, there's a big scene of chasing her all over the place, but that was actually written based on my own stressful experiences… (laughs) And how even her going to the toilet takes a whole lot of effort. The fact that people commented, "This must be so tough," and found it a little amusing - that brought me a new sense of joy. So, rather than approaching the parenting scenes with thoughts of "it would be cuter this way", I decided to deliberately run counter to that. I emphasised making things realistic, and that made it more fun for me as well.

Interviewer: When it comes to our duo of assassin protagonists, what do you find appealing and interesting about each of them?

Shimokura: (Suwa) Rei might seem like a certain archetype of a cool-headed character, but when you delve into him, he's full of the kind of passion Director Asai has. As scriptwriter, I was thinking in terms of "what would be more natural", but the director reflected his own thoughts and views on family, and that leaves an incredibly vivid impression. In that sense, he seems cool-headed, but has a surprisingly raw side to him, and that really fleshes him out and makes him a compelling character.

Kakihara: It took me some time to get a grasp on the relationship between the two protagonists, but the director had quite a solid image of it, and nailed down the details; thanks to that, I was able to bring things together. Rei is the kind of so-called minimalist character where you have no idea what he's thinking, but there's also a surprising level of variation between his seemingly similar expressions and lines of dialogue. Like the distinction between "blue" and "bluish purple" - that's the sort of subtle gradations he has as a character. And as a result, the impression each viewer has of him is going to differ slightly, depending on their perception; I think that's his charm.

Interviewer: Then what about (Kurusu) Kazuki?

Kakihara: The director made some significant revisions to the way Kazuki ends his lines - he ended up speaking more "coarsely" than I was thinking. I guess that's the mental image the director had. (laughs) When the director was revising the scripts, he changed all the hiragana "n" characters to katakana "n" instead. (laughs)

And with such a clearly defined image, Kazuki's character really came alive. I felt like I was chasing after Kazuki, searching for my own image of him, but I think he ended up being a brighter and more fun character than my initial notion. I also rather like the good-for-nothing Kazuki we see when he goes out drinking; when he got lured in by those girls and frittered away all his money, I remember thinking "this is an interesting guy".

Shimokura: And when that scene was actually performed by the actors during the recording sessions, it became all the more interesting. I think as a result of Toyonaga (Toshiyuki)-san's incredible performance, Kazuki also became a more theatrical character. When we recorded the bonus drama CD for the blu-ray and DVD, during the break, Toyonaga-san and Uchiyama (Koki)-san were in the booth going over the script, and we could hear them faintly over the microphones. And the director and I reflexively exchanged a glance, and said, "This is just perfectly Kazuki and Rei, huh..." In this series, the characters' charm is often enhanced by the way the actors make them their own, but I think Kazuki was a real standout in this regard.

Interviewer: Are there any other characters you are fond of?

Shimokura: I'd say (Hanyu) Anna-sensei from the daycare. In a story about parenting, it's also nice to have a presence who brings a sense of security or, how should I put it, "mama mood" - but in between, she also provides a lot of comic relief, and it lightens things up. I think that's great. She's a broad-minded character, and that type of character hasn't shown up much in the scripts I've written; she brings me a real sense of security too.

Kakihara: I like Kyu-chan (Kugi Kyutaro). Like what I said earlier about Rei's subtle gradations - I think Kyu-chan is also a character who leaves the audience with room for individual interpretations. It's very easy to run wild with fantasies of "my imagined Kyu-chan", so in the staff meetings, everyone came up with their own ideas; it was a lot of fun having everyone put things out there.

Shimokura: At first, we couldn't quite settle on an image of Kyu-chan's character; he was a vague "cafe owner" presence. Depending how things played out, he could possibly have ended up being a brawny man with a shaven head, like Umibozu in "City Hunter". (laughs)

Interviewer: But in fact, he became a mysterious and cool character.

Kakihara: He became a character who it's worth watching interact with Miri.

Shimokura: I feel like we have to thank (character designer) Enami Katsumi-san for that. (laughs)

Interviewer: As for the episodes that have already aired, what did you find memorable during the production process?

Shimokura: When coming up the idea for episode 1, I remembered us discussing "should the finale be a Christmas episode?" during a planning session. And after all, the first episode is an episode where something special happens; when I was wondering how to properly bring out this feeling of specialness, it occurred to me that it should be set during Christmas - that alone would be enough to cast a sort of magic over the script. And it would strengthen the sense that something special was really happening here. I thought that would be great.

Kakihara: At first, we had lots of trouble developing episode 1, but as everyone threw in their ideas - "Christmas might be fun", "that means there'd be a cake…" and so on - we got very excited about it. And as we considered how (Unasaka) Miri would act amidst all that, we went from "I want her to act like this" to "since she's a kid, she'd end up doing this". Everything really came together - it was like watching a chemical reaction take place. It was a lot of fun. Making it a Christmas scenario added just the right touch of playfulness, and I really enjoyed building out the story from there.

Interviewer: Now, please tell us what you think are the selling points of this series "Buddy Daddies".

Shimokura: Single men with no children, and how they lead a haphazard life from day to day - personally, I wanted to write about that aspect. Rei and Kazuki are grown men sharing an apartment; they probably don't think about the future at all. They have a sense that their current daily life as assassins will go on forever. And then the two of them find themselves confronted with the child Miri, and they start to think about their future. That's a fascinating series of events, and I put a lot of care into portraying the details. For the first time, they're seriously facing one of the possibilities for their future. I think that's what this story is about. So I hope that people will pay attention to this aspect.

Kakihara: Looking back on the series as a whole, I hope that people will enjoy watching the drama of Kazuki, Rei, and Miri… I'd say. The story has quite a solidly crafted progression, and each of them shoulders their own painful burden, but ultimately, I think it's a lot of fun watching Kazuki and Rei's relationship, and the slapstick comedy introduced by Miri's addition to the mix. The characters are each cool in their own ways. I think the most important thing is to just have a fun, relaxing time watching.

Interviewer: Finally, please give a message to everyone who is anticipating this series.

Shimokura: From here on, the full-fledged parenting episodes will start coming out. Even if you have some awareness of the struggles of parenting, you can't understand those struggles unless you have actual experience raising children. And I'm guessing you haven't really imagined what it would be like to actually share space with a 4-year-old. By having this scenario suddenly flung at you in the form of an anime, you can be exposed to a world which is unknown to you, through this fictional story - I think that will be a good experience. At least, it was an excellent experience for me. I would be very happy if everyone has a similar experience through "Buddy Daddies".

Kakihara: If I may be so bold, I'll go with the exact opposite of what Shimokura-san said. It's a story about parenting, but there are some surprisingly hard-boiled developments waiting for you in the second half of the series. Even in the planning sessions, you could feel a difference in the level of tension - the previous week we were talking about parenting, and now this week we'd be discussing people’s attitudes towards life. But it also wouldn't be right to handle those serious elements so roughly - and how should we find the right balance in our portrayal of an assassin's job? We grappled seriously with these questions, and talked through all of them. So it's a fun story of parenting, but of course, some complications crop up in the second half of the series. I hope you will accompany us through the second half of the series, including all of that.

[theghostbunnie]

Since you already talked about your Harrison and Nerris hcs (which I love wholeheartedly <3), I wanted to ask if you have any specific Preston hcs?

AAAA SO SORRY I'VE LET MY ASKS IN MY INBOX COLLECT SO MUCH DUST/GEN

Also tysm I'm so happy you enjoyed them 💓

CW: death mentions, mentions of loss.

I was having a conversation with @redheadedratt when I absorbed some of their's and thought of some of these !!

They told me they HC both of Preston's parents are dead, his father before he was old enough to remember him well and his mother years after fell ill but they were deeply in love and she spoke very fondly of him.

I can't explain it but him being raised by his mother and grandma in his formative years makes alot of sense to me he has those vibes.

I was being withheld information/jjj thought this was funny asked 2 share, anyways

When his mother passes death is still an odd thing he's too young to fully grasp so he became infatuated with depictions of not only loss, but romance, reuniting ect based around his grief and love for hisown parents being gone and their love story. It was his way of coping with it all while being too young to understand. Like he had a big love for theater before this but this had an effect on his art.

He has an infatuation with death in what I perceive as almost a strictly artistic way all throughout the show, obviously with his play "Romeo and Juliet 2: Love resurrected" but also in the commercial he makes in the fundraiser episode his immediate go-to for grabbing viewer's attention is to talk about the potential death of children. Yes I know the whole point to begin with was they were trying to guilt trip an audience but he wrote and directed this project himself surrounding death as his personal go-to.

• Not much of a HC as it is an observation but I love how fluid his exspression is, he's had the most drastic and plentiful outfit changes throughout the series from the football gear, to the leather jacket and backwards cap, to the historical looking full makeup and gown.

Which kinda slips me into this next HC • I think he loves history but has no care for historical accuracy like whatsoever as that "stunts his creative flow" but simultaneously would absolutely pick and choose when to call out historical inaccuracies in other people's work. (proofreads Neil's fanfictions without permission probs lol)

I think Max, Neil, Nerris and Preston all have varying control issues but in very different ways and Preston's is more he'll accidentally overstep a boundary without realizing and try advising people, but mostly keeps his perfectism and temper around things not going as he planned to hisown plans. Like, he only has controlling issues with things agreed he had the biggest say in. It ties into his want to be a director and writer and often stuck with peers who are terrible with following said direction and being a child himself he's not gonna handle it with maturity, he's gonna throw a fit.

Again this is really only strictly tied to things he think he should be in charge of and doesn't just extend to his everyday interactions with people too much.

• Can't tell if this is more observation or HC but he'd pick being a screenwriter or director over being an actor and if he ever got an acting role in someone else's play he'd be trying left and right to make suggestions to it and his character and really overstep without realizing it.

• I don't think he can read a room or have a filter on for the life of him not only would he openly talk about any dark or uncomfortable topics it'd be in the form of out of pocket as hell comments in a really dramatic voice too

[aerkame]

I’d like to toss my hat into the ring since that anon brought up AUS. I don’t have any favorites or enjoyment of a lot of them, So here’s a sort list I can think off;

1. A/B/O: It’s just very, very, uncomfortable.

2. Crossovers: 80 or 90% of the time when there’s crossovers, it’s just crossing over for the sake of having your fav characters meet and get up to crazy adventures. There’s no actual reason as to why there crossing over apart from that.

3. mafia: Not a fan as there’s nothing different, but there’s a Mob AU by Clownn (correct me if I spell it wrong,), they put a unique twist by having it be physiological and giving it certain traits to make their AU stand out from the usual Mafia AUs.

4: anesthesia: It’s a pretty cheap way to get characters to fall in love and kinda creepy when you think deeper about how easily bad things can go.

5. Soulmates or Marks: I don’t like the idea of a mark or something telling you who your partner is or who to be with. What if you don’t want a partner tho or not interested in falling in love? Are you allowed to be just friends instead?

I prefer if authors/creators add more unique twist or additional spin on AUs. The down side is, I have seen some pretty unique AUs but they’re not as talked about or popular since it’s not the go to ones that fanbases love.

Ah yeah, A/B/O AUs tend to romanticize toxic relationships a lot from what I usually see. Not liking it is understandable. Ironically though, the whole Alpha, Beta, and Omega stuff that was made by a researcher later discarded his own theory after further study of wolves. (In short, wolves are just large families with mom and dad in charge, the whole A/B/O stuff makes no sense.) So the whole thing is really just made up of disproved theories and is purely fiction.

The others are also understandable. Some of the AUs tend to have repeating themes or they end up being complete copies of each other. The Whole amnesia one is creepy, yeah. I have only ever read 3 fanfictions in my life that did this trope properly and it only really works if the characters knew each other beforehand or they were already in a relationship before it happened.

The soulmate one is kind of okay depending on who is writing it and how it is written. I've seen a handful of very well written soulmate AUs that actually got creative with it, but a lot of the fanfictions for AUs like that just repeat and copy each other a little too much.

To be perfectly honest, I agree that unique AUs are way better because it leaves room for even more AUs to branch off of those one and it also helps other writers get a good idea on how to handle the idea behind it.

My other favorite AU type is one I don't see often but I wish I did, and it's the self-aware ones or the ones where the reader/character ends up in the fictional world of the fandom they're in. My reason for liking those ones is because they can turn into good horror fics or have creepy vibes IF done right. It's like the 4th wall breaking rule in some video games or horror movies. Twilight Zone vibes y'know?

For my own personal Finfolk AU, I did want to add yandere vibes, but not like Wattpad anime fanfiction kind of yandere. I think yandere fics should be taken seriously and treated seriously because of the topics they deal with. I have read so many fanfictions that do it just right where it genuinely scares me and it makes for interesting dynamics between the characters. I haven't gone into full horror with the AU though simply because I'm afraid of people romanticizing what is supposed to be dangerous behavior or dark topics. The finfolk folklore itself is dark when you look into the stories/mythology. I just don't like seeing how often AUs and fanfictions with serious topics get put on a pedestal in a wrong lighting. But, I do plan on eventually trying to go full horror with it at some point. When? I'm not sure yet. Maybe when I have more experience in writing. All I know is that making the characters attractive (that is what finmen/women do regardless in folklore) but obsessive without making it romanticized is going to be difficult.

[safetycar-restart]

The marc reply is still making me so happy, it was fabulous!!!!!!

So trying to recreate my Fabio ask.

That bike sucked. That season was no fun.

So in a ds au Fabio would probably have needed to chill a bit (I mean hes already started training for next season full on), but that man who runs a lot and very fast probably needs to be very very exhausted to chill.

So how would his dom exhaust him? Not sure your limit but think Fabio would probably enjoy some pain. Not bondage when hes this jittery, that comes later.

But like edging, perhaps remote controlled vibe, perhaps sensation play? Spanking or flogging? And then all the orgams until Fabio is dried out and relaxed, perhaps a bubble bath and can then be bundled into his favorite hoddie and be all cuddly with his dom.

Also ds au with Marc and Fabio together or with a dom were you interested in that? Cannot remember or find.

Hope all is well on your end <3

Cheers 🏍 anon

oh my god yes. Firstly, I'm so glad you liked my sub!Marc!! I absolutely adore writing for motogp (lads if you like motogp... send me some thoughts and I will answer them embarrassingly quickly I am so gone for the two wheeled vroom vroom). And I love these thoughts so much!!

So firstly, yeah poor fabio is so pent up after the season!! My immediate thought was maybe that after the season ends, you planned to spend a few weeks away from each other just enjoying some downtime. Because you're still just his team dom by this point, so all your time with him is technically working, and you deserve some time off from managing fabio.

Except.. except fabio only manages three days before he's calling you in tears because he can't relax!! He thought being at home with his close friends and getting to have some fun and sleep in and just enjoy himself would work but it didnt. He's still just as tired and stressed and worked up as he was when the season ended AND now on top of that he also misses his dom!!

Just poor fabio crying on the phone with you because it turns out that no, he can't go a few weeks without you. He knows you deserve time off, but your relationship hasn't been strictly professional for months now, so you can't expect him to suddenly stop viewing you as more than just a team dom.

Needless to say, you leave your holidays to go to him, promising your friends and family that you'll be back soon (and realistically that you'll be back with fabio because you're almost certain he won't be leaving your side again).

So you get to Andorra and it becomes very clear that he just desperately needs you to completely drain him, making sure he's absolutely exhausted and then he'll be able to curl up with you and actually relax.

I think the best way to start this is actually tasks? Fabio is, of course, a very very good boy and also a very horny boy, but he's also often almost skittish? If you go straight into a sexual scene there's a high chance he'll feel exposed and scared, especially with him so wound up. You have to ease him into it.

So, after you've been attack hugged at the airport and clung to on the drive back (fabio brings tom with him just so that tom can drive and he can attempt to melt into your chest in the backseat), you start him off with simple, easy to accomplish tasks. First, you have him unpack your suitcase for you, and then you praise him when he's done, kissing his cheek and calling him the best boy. He starts to get all giggly and soft, beginning to fall back into that soft, subby headspace where you can properly wreck him.

Then, you have him a run bath for you and while you bath, he's in charge of making lunch (something very simple that he couldnt possibly mess up, to ensure you'll be able to praise him after). And then, of course, you hand feed him lunch while he kneels for you.

By the time lunch is finished, you've got him right where you want him, all soft and subby and half hard because he hasn't been taken care of in a while.

It's so so easy to let him curl up in your arms and push his sweats down enough free his cock. That's how he gets his first orgasm, spilling over your hand and whining against your neck, shaking in your arms because it's so overwhelmingly good and he hasn't felt so safe and so good since the season ended.

You take him back to the bedroom after that, and that's where the real fun begins. He needed to cum at least once first or else he wouldn't even be able to calm down enough for you to wreck him.

He's so smiley when you get him on the bed, immediately getting on his hands and knees so you can stretch him out properly. You decide to tease another orgasm out of him then, listening to how he whines and cries and how his cum drips down onto the bedsheets. His arms shake but he manages to stay on his hands and knees, because he's a very good boy and he listens very closely to all his instructions.

That's when you start spanking him, giving him a pillow to hold onto and then making sure his ass is nice and red. You spank him until he's sobbing in the pillow, his body shaking as he cries into the pillow because it hurts so much but feels so good and he's so deep in subspace and this is exactly what he's been needing.

You push him as far as you can, until he's about to collapse and then stop spanking him. The moment you tell him the spanking is over, he falls face down into the bed, completely spent.

Then, you settle down against the headboard and gather him into your arms, ignoring how he hisses in pain when his ass brushes against the bed until he's once again sideways on your lap. Then he gets one more soft hand job, this time you praise him the entire time, encouraging him to cry as much as he needs to. He sobs into your neck, feeling so good and so safe and also so overwhelmed. All his pent up anger and frustration dissipates entirely.

He's in subspace for two days after that, just a happy subby thing curled up with you and finally getting the rest he needs.

(Sidenote: I would love to do poly!Marc/fabio in the d/s au and I have a couple thoughts, especially around the idea that fabio introduces Marc to his dom because he can see how much Marc needs a kind caring dom to lean on)

[inu-jiru]

HB Episode Thoughts...

Since I’ve made a few posts about Helluva Boss now, I figure I’d get my thoughts out now that I’ve seen the episode. Sorry if I echo points others have made, I’ve skimmed through the critical blogs after watching the episode to see if they caught things my goofy ass might’ve missed lol

When I initially watched the episode, I was kinda impressed because it wasn’t a pile of shit like Seeing Stars or The Circus, at least at first. I admit, I’m biased because I like Moxxie as a character, so I might be softer on this episode than I should, but make no mistake, this episode is goofy with a capital G.

First of all, and I know this is my fault for speculating because I give Vivzie way too much credit when it comes to episode plots, but I really thought there was going to be some kind of solo adventure with Moxxie and Chaz and it would be a more high stakes thing than “Hey Moxxie we’re gonna force you to marry someone even though ur married so you can inherit his money that we didn’t check to see if he actually had” (real trusting mafia btw smh). But again, that’s my fault, fool me once shame on you and all that shit.

Second, I’ve read Adam’s little Tweet about Moxxie’s MOM being from Wrath instead of Moxxie himself which is like, sure, whatever, but I just love how this has become a trend for the crew to have to write cliffnotes to make up for their fuck ups lol, like before the reveal of Crim’s mansion I was thinking, “Oh so maybe they just have a business in Greed right” but again that’s my fault for thinking too hard (and I didn’t watch the con videos entirely cuz I wanted to be surprised)

Third, one thing that I found odd was Blitzo’s casual nature about everything, like I know he’s just forgotten everything from the previous episodes but surely if he cares about Moxxie like he claims to, he’d be on the immediate offense like Millie, he’s got no qualms about taking people out so the episode could’ve been over just like that. AND SPEAKING OF-

Four, Millie being OP like that ruined any tension for me smh my head like girlpower gaslight gatekeep whatever but they could’ve killed the whole mob and left honestly, and yeah, it’s goofy that Millie can do all that but get taken down by a glass bottle. I bet some goofy bitch on Twitter is gonna say “Oh well time passed so she had more time to train” shut the fuck up and get out of my face with that shit

Fifth, this is probably goofy of me because I know animation takes a while and Vivzie kept replacing/overworking animators but part of me gets a vibe that Chaz was made purely to spite anyone who thinks Angel Dust and Stolas are too sexual. Then again, that would imply Vivzie doesn’t find that shit the funniest shit since sliced bread so probably not. He was so fucking annoying too, and his plot made no fucking sense because all someone needed to do was look in his fucking trunk and they’d see he was full of shit. Goofy.

Sixth, Crim, what the fuck was that plan? So like, is he low on money? Is that why ne needs Chaz to be married in? You know you could just make him an associate right? And on the topic of mob shit, why is Crim a mob leader and not, idk, in charge of a crew that answers to higher powers? I mean MAYBE that’s the case because of Mammon, but again, I shouldn’t really try to speculate because some completely out of left field shit might happen again. Is Crim Moxxie’s only blood family as well, like where the fuck are the other imps? Why is it only a dad and his kid (and MAYBE a mom) for all these families? I know it’s not important to the episode but there’s a reason why people say the show feels empty because there’s no one but the main cast and the antagonists.

Seventh, uh, idk, the animation was decent. I’ve seen talk about directing and camera work and Idk shit about that but I do know that episode 2 looked wonky as hell and this episode is an improvement, nothing too special except for that camera angle with Moxxie

Eight omg why couldn’t this episode’s ending be swapped with HMF? Why could Millie not take out the threat at her home and Moxxie not take out the threat at his??? Idk

Okay, I think that’s about it because I’ll be here all night, I’m done bi bi

[ornstein]

For the character ask game Ryuzo (who else lol): 3, 4, 8

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

I'll be honest, I may not be completely happy with the answer because I feel like could be explaining more. I feel like there's definitely an underuse of him in the game, which, as a whole fails to create more depth. This is not only a problem I feel happens with Ryuzo, but with many of the side characters too. Missing scenes that make it seem like his decision to join the Khan was easily made after his men were captured and fed, or wondering what kind of vibe there was within the Straw Hats before the invasion. Weren't it for the Open The Gate moment, I think he wouldn't have had half the appreciation he's gotten (tho he's definitely not the most popular character other than Jin, not even in the jp fandom. Actually, in a poll Norio was the winner in that one), and since that is a crucial scene, making players become attached to him and to sympathize with him. I was pretty surprised when I learnt that this scene wasn't even part of SP's initial script. I don't know if SP had planned more content for him and Jin and it was scrapped completely because the final product was nearing the limits of their budget, or if they didn't have anything extra planned. Surprisingly though, his betrayal in Kaneda castle was pretty different in the original storyboard, and I'm glad they changed that one.😂 I know you're aware Life After Phasma released cut content of the game, which included some background info about Ryuzo, but I wonder if SP discarded that because they didn't like it, or thought it was just not important. I don't know what I would have done if I had full control of the game. Probably developing an entire game about him and making the studio go bankrupt because it would not generate enough funds because Jin is not the main attraction this time and/or the story would suck. Wish I could be wrong, though.

Something I feel a little meeeeh about is how Jin in one of his hallucinations in Ikishima is showing bitter resentment about having trusted Ryuzo, and then it ends like that. This I would appreciate more if it was delved into, like how his trauma with Kazumasa is explored and explained throughout the dlc, until he kinda gets to "heal" from it. In the post-credits, Ryuzo's betrayal and loss feels like unfinished business for Jin, a trauma not yet healed. And I hope this gets to be explored and established in the next game. I'll be disappointed if Ryuzo isn't ever mentioned once in the sequel, to be honest.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

Definitely Lies of P, which I have an AU for.

Ghost of Tsushima as a soulslike would be pretty awesome, too.

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Despise is a very negative word. I'll tone it down as just being something I don't quite enjoy, personally. One thing: when people make him too likeable and extroverted for my taste. He is probably not that likeable, deep down, let's face it. (Tho I'm guilty as charged for making him a questionably amazing hugger).

Also, there seems to be a general establishment that he's a top in his sexual dynamic with Jin. Well, I think he is a just pillow princess with an inferiority complex.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 1/24/2023

new england winter: very cute and picturesque until you actually have to live here

listening

psycada by abstract, the opening track off the album hiking lung. a brief instrumental that sounds like a hazy-cicada-shimmer summer. it is a blisteringly hot day where you don't really have to do anything but even though you're out on the porch swing under the deck with a freezy pop it's not doing much. the vocals remind me very much of The Dandy Warhols once the rest of the album slides into more of a garage/psych rock vibe. a sort of understated fuzzy im-lying-down-right-now quality. i think these vocals would be background instead of lead in a more energetic track.

the album has several good tracks for the "datacore" playlist, which is full of mellow medium-paced instrumentals bc if i am alone with my thoughts while i clean addresses i will die

-

reading

i have Bullet Train on hold at the library but tbqh this section is probably going to be me gloating over various crypto crashes for the forseeable future. Molly White of web3isgoinggreat.com reports on the Three Arrows Capital guys setting up a new venture to (checks notes):

Not only that [both partners currently on the run from their creditors], but the exchange plans to focus on claims trading — that is, the trading of claims held by creditors against debtors who are undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, like FTX, Celsius, BlockFi, or Mt. Gox (throwback!). The fact that 3AC was a major catalyst in kicking off the string of bankruptcies we saw throughout 2022 was not lost on observers, with Nic Carter of the Castle Island venture capital firm commenting that the endeavor "is akin to arsonists returning to the scene of the crime and offering to charge their victims for buckets of water".

mwah. very much glass houses since castle island is also on the verge of going under due to its almost total focus on blockchain infrastructure but GOD. what a sentence.

unpaywalled bloomberg article on the wayback machine here.

this is some of the dumbest fucking bullshit ive ever read and im so fucking happy i no longer have to care about this at a professional level.

-

watching

Bullet Train (2022, dir. Leitch) asks "what if you put a whole bunch of assassins all on the same high-speed train?"

this is the glass onion of action movies. now i do like a perfect little puzzlebox of a movie made by people who really love movies, but this flavor of film is so fuckin smug about itself. this movie wants you to know it took AP Lit. this movie is a long variation of the whedon effect/"well THAT happened!” effect, where characters react to payoffs with the barest and briefest of setups an hour before in the movie. 

the thing that made me have a good time is this movie was directed by the guy who directed Atomic Blonde, one of my top ten movies and one of the best action movies of the last decade. LOVE an ensemble of goons all introduced with their own setup/backstory scenes. this film is seventy percent tightly choreographed fights with improvised weapons in tight spaces.

i am a simple woman. i like a bloody, disheveled man.

-

playing

alternating very fun and very unpleasant times with my big strong boy in wolfenstein: the new order. now, i am a little bit like "wow, you find the nazi prison camp level unpleasant? how shocking!" at myself. i was not really paying attention to the global rise of fascism in 2014 when this game came out bc i was busy dropping out of college and having a mental breakdown, but the nazis in shooters i have played or watched since 2014, especially call of duty: wwii, seem defanged compared to wolfenstein.

i will probably have more and more coherent things to say once i play more of this game, bc i am just about to bust out of prison at about ~9.5 hours of playtime. apparently this is the halfway point? after the first enigma code i looked up what the other ones do, decided i don't care about other game modes, and have not been trying especially hard to be a completionist about each level/unlock all the perks by doing different kills. i am talking to everyone and looking at everything and reading all the posters, and it is interesting how such a fast-paced shooter is adapting so well to me walking around and taking my sweet fucking time at whatever difficulty level is one below the recommended difficulty level.

a note on the plot-bearing moldy concrete. like yeah mold will grow on most things, including concrete, and yeah i guess the moldy concrete will kill you slower than the nazis will, but even though i love how lived in and cozy the kreisau circle hideout feels, it gives me the heebie jeebies. mold is quite bad for you. please prioritize another railing over another couch. also what the fuck math is tekla doing here??? i could not get a clearer shot even on max settings sorry

GOD i loved the london nautilus moon exhibit. yes i WOULD like to dual wield shotguns shooting nazis while running up and around a giant moon model. level perfectly tailored for me. HOWEVER! i would rather be shot in the head quickly and cleanly instead of trying to maneuver an EXPERIMENTAL HELICOPTER through a bunch of tunnels in creepy and wet conditions. being shot in the head would, again, be a much much cleaner and quicker death than any potential helicopter crash over the water. i hate planes to begin with but holy fuck helicopters no FUCKING thanks (ign screenshot)

for such a power fantasy of a game there sure are a hell of a lot of stealth sections. no stealth game is ever going to hold up to dishonored but boy did i really want these sections to feel more like dishonored.

-

making

fussing around with a f/allout: new vegas courier six/veronica/christine riff on classic noir film The Big Sleep for femslash feb. it's fun to write six even bitchier than usual

“Did you want to be the detective or the lady?” Six asked.

“Both of them were pretty cold fish.” It was very stupid to wait when she could have this immediately. Veronica flipped the covers back on her way over. 

“Harsh words to throw at a woman, especially when she’s already in your bedroom.” Christine clutched at Six’s silk pajama lapels as she was tipped back up. Six’s other hand dropped to play with her dressing gown tie. 

“Now, baby, a fish is–” They were never ever going to let Six live that one down. 

“You know,” Six said with as much dignity as anyone groping her wife’s ass could have, “being shot in the head — twice! took all the memories of fish from my previous aquatic life as a Shi Town mermaid.”

[calmthefuckdownalright]

heyoo!!! I’m in love with your writing and thought ab requesting something!

Ok, what if reader is engaged with lamanbur, but Eret is in love with reader? But like, reader doesn’t love them, and Eret is like, madly in love with Wilbur’s SO? How would Wilbur deal with that, and reader? And the story is set in the final control room part?

(I’m really bad at describing things so sorry ab that!)

Thanks!! <33

I'm getting Shawn Mendes Treat You Better vibes 👌🏻

Title: Treat You Better

Warnings: One-Sided Love, Violence

Pairing: Reader x L'manbur

A/N: So instead of everyone being in the control room when Eret betrays them, it's just Wilbur and Y/N. The rest of them are outside.

><><><><><><><><><><><>

For a little backstory, you and Eret had been friends for decades. Well..a decade. They had helped you through countless heartbreaks and reserved the spot as your #1 Ride or Die best friend.

"Y/N, I love you."

So when they said this?

"Aww, Eret I love you too."

It didn't seem as much of a shock. Eret didn't seem hurt. He didn't seem distraught over such reaction.

Eret didn't seem upset.

That was until you fell in love. Real love with none other than the Commader himself.

"Darling, why are you sitting out here? It's freezing, come inside." Wilbur was sweet and passionate. Wilbur was your world and L'manberg was his so you fought for it. Eret was still your friend and each passing day he seemed more and more spiteful to the man in charge.

"Are you okay, Eret?" The two of you sat on a hillside and watched the clouds.

"Why do you hang around with him so much?" Eret blurted out almost instantly.

"Who?"

"Wilbur! He's so occupied with L'manberg he doesn't notice the literal personification of perfect flirting with him." Eret growled.

"Eret you know how I feel about being compared to perfect. Everyone's flawed and I know Wil's life is L'manberg and hey when we win I'll get to stay in it forever with Wilbur." You chided.

"That doesn't matter, Y/N! It's that he's playing with your heart but his is elsewhere!" Eret sat up and their voice stretched across the meadow.

"Eret, calm down, Wilbur knows he can't give me his full attention right now and we've discussed that! He's not going to hurt me."

"It's not about if he hurts you or not it's that he doesn't deserve you! He doesn't know your favorite constellations to find or flowers or even music disc. He doesn't know anything about you and isn't caring enough to even try to find out!"

"Eret I'm done with this conversation. You can chill the fuck out or leave me alone until you do. Wilbur means we'll and I understand him chasing his dream. He'd do the same for me." You leave the hill side and as you cross the river back to L'manberg you see birds flutter up from the trees and an echo of something booming across the air.

~~

"How was Eret?" Wilbur asks as you step into his van. Wilbur knows you and Eret have been friends for forever. He knows Eret views him as neglectful of your relationship.

"Uptight. He thinks you're underappreciating me." You sigh and lean into Wilbur as he hugs you, pressing a kiss or two or three into your head.

"Well I am. L'manberg is taking up so much of my time I haven't even taken you on a truly proper date." Wilbur smiled and caressed your face. His uniform was soft under your cheek and the hat he usually wore was crooked on his curly brown hair.

"I enjoy our little night strolls quite a lot really. L'manberg is your dream. Please don't take any energy from chasing it to please me."

"You deserve better, Darling, I'm so lucky." Wilbur kissed you and wrapped his arms around your waist keeping you close. The two of you stayed in that van cooking potions and preparing for whatever onslaught Dream had planned for you next.

~~

Eret's blood boiled. She hated Wilbur Soot but not what he stood for. She hated that he had you in his arms as he fought for a nation doomed to fall.

Eret threw rock after rock across the pond and cried out to the dimming sky of his troubles. The sun fell and the sunglasses slipped from their nose. White eyes stared at the water and furious tears slipped into the stream.

"It's a shame." A voice startled the revolution fighter and glasses were fitted back into place. "Y/N really does deserve someone who will treat them like the royalty they are." Dream fingered a blade of grass between sleek black gloves.

"Dream. What do you want?" Eret stood straight and bit down the remainder of their stinging breakdown.

"I want Y/N to be with someone who won't hurt them. Wilbur's radioactive and Y/N doesn't know what they're doing. They don't see the danger he poses to them." Dream reasons and the pieces echo with Eret's own thoughts.

"I know this, what are you going to do about it?" Eret spits out and watches as the masked man stepped forward with a button laid out in his palm.

"I want you to make sure they're safe. I'm going to destroy L'manberg in the end and I'd hate for anymore blood to be shed than necessary." Dream offers and Eret stares at the wooden contraption. So simple with potential to destroy hundreds.

"Why do you care about Y/N?" Eret asks slowly before even reaching for the button.

"Because Eret, they're a good person wrapped up in a not so good situation. I enjoy them truly, and I don't want this SMP to be without them for a very long time." Dream said slowly and placed the item in Eret's hand, closing her knuckles over it.

"The choice is yours. Let Y/N get hurt or save them and give them the life they deserve. Do so and you'll be rewarded like a King." Dream’s smile seemed to broaden in the darkness and when Eret looked down at the button and back up he was gone.

"I'll treat you better Y/N. I'll treat you as you should be." Eret vowed.

~~~~

Wilbur slid the silver ring onto your finger and kissed your hand.

"Now, once this is all over there'll be nothing stopping me from marrying you." He smiles and you kiss him. The sun sets behind you both and the wind breezes by like a fairytale.

"I love you Wilbur Soot." You smile and wrap your arms around his neck. His forehead pressing to yours.

"And I love you Y/N. For forever." Wilbur smiles widely. "Now let's go tell the others some good news before Eret beats us to it."

Wilbur hoists you up into his arms without a hesitant breath and your laughter rings out as the sky begins to dim.

~~

This. Wasn't. Happening.

You weren't engaged to that fool. You weren't glued to his side with a smile so bright only he'd been able to enact for the longest time.

Eret's blood boiled and his fingers itches to destroy. To wilt the nearest flower in his hands and crush its remains into a fire.

Wilbur would never be able to love you like they did. Wilbur would never compare if you would just give him a chance.

"Congrats General." Eret bit through a smile and avoided your eyes. Sunglasses stayed focused on Wilbur as jokes and teases were exchanged between him and the General.

"Can't wait to see what you've got for us tomorrow." Wilbur winks and walks off with you on his arm. Eret spots the ring and nearly laughs loudly.

Its poorly made and the rock in the middle could hardly pass for just that. A rock. In his coat that laid with Dream there was a ring twice as grand and beautiful. He'd spent weeks down in caves surrounded by stone and dirt looking for diamonds to accent the gold and silver jewelry.

~~

The next day comes bright and early and you wake up with Wilbur below you. His jacket is discarded and his shirt ruffled where you'd been asleep on it.

The ring on your finger catches the dawn and you sit up with a stretch. Wilbur stirs below you and he too yawns and awakens to the morning light.

"Well hello fiancé." He smiles and it makes a grin split your face.

"Good morning fiancé." You say in return. You lean down and kiss him. The light streaks over L'manberg's walls and through the windows of the van.

"Did you sleep okay? I tried to put as much padding as I could." Wilbur's voice is laced with worry and he sits up on his elbows before coming up completely with a hand brushing down your cheek. Instinctively you lean into his hand, the palm opening to you welcomingly.

"I slept fine Wil, now c'mon. Lets get the morning routine in before Eret's surprise." You kiss his lips quick and hop up with a long stretch.

~~

Eret secures the last of his trap and exits the hole just as dawn begins to break.

"Busy?" Dream stops him dead and Eret's hands find a sword handle with ease.

"Just making sure it all goes right." Eret bites out. "What're you doing here now?"

"I came to give you this." Dream reveals a crown of gold. Gems of sapphire and topaz and emerald gleam in its golden divets.

"What-" Eret stutters out but Dream cuts them off.

"After this is done you'll be King of the SMP. I'll still be supreme but you'll have all the power you'll need to take what is yours." Dream's voice reveals a smile behind the haunting mask and Eret nearly chokes.

"How do you know I won't back out?" Eret is hesitant but their eyes remain on the crown. Power pulsing in the air around it and they so desperately want to reach out and snatch it away. Something in their chest calling in like to the adorned headpiece.

"You're doing this for power. For love as well." Dream states dully. "I know how aggressive one of those motivations can be." He adds on and Eret's head snaps up to the masked man.

"Promise Y/N will be safe after this." Eret asks, no, demands.

"As long as you keep them out of the crossfire." Dream assures and Eret is convinced that's the best he can get.

"Thank you, Dream." Eret takes the crown with steady hands and examines the craftsmanship.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Dream sinks low in dramatics and Eret's soul shines with approval. A King given his rightful throne.

~~~~

Eret was cheerful to say the least as he led you and Wilbur into the hidden room. Everyone else awaited outside and the newly engaged followed alone.

"I thought about it a bit and decided, what the heck, you make Y/N happy so you might as well be alright. So, I got you guys an early wedding gift!" Eret beamed and flipped a lever to reveal the obsidian clad room with a large chest at the end.

"Eret you really didn't have to do that." You smiled and hugged your best friend. Something tensed and they clung on tightly before you pulled away and back to Wilbur's side.

"Really though, thanks man." Wilbur smiled and patted Eret on the shoulder.

"My pleasure." Eret gritted out and stepped back to a small corner with a wooden button mounted into the floor. He watched as you opened the chest up and picked up the piece of paper resting inside.

"Eret?" Wilbur turned to him with a confused and frightened expression.

"Let's be honest here, you never would've been able to provide for Y/N Wilbur. You're too focused on L'manberg." Eret smiled and you clutched the paper in your hands. Hands that held him in times of need.

"What're you on about?" Wilbur stepped in front of you and took control of Eret's gaze.

"This is the end of the revolution, Wilbur. This is my turn in the spotlight and I'm taking Y/N with me as it is supposed to be." Eret raised his hand up to press the button.

"You were never meant to be." He growled and pressed the wooden contraption as soon as Wilbur darted forward.

Dream stepped out and raised a sword to Wilbur's chin.

"Wilbur!" You shouted out and something clasped over your mouth and held your arms behind you. Eret smiled as Wilbur was forced to back up.

"Way to time it Dream." Eret said and summoned the crown from his inventory before fitting it onto their head.

"Well can't have my King dying on his first day." Dream said smugly and Eret saw a glimmer of rage turn Wilbur's eyes a fiery red

"You traitor! You just can't accept Y/N's happy." Wilbur snarled and Eret narrowed his eyes behind the shades.

"Y/N will never be happy by your side. You will constantly have another goal overshadowing them. They deserve someone who will put them before everything." Eret shot back.

"Someone like you? Who decides against what they believe in for someone who doesn't even want them?!" Wilbur bellowed and the sword tip pressed to his throat.

"Someone like me who's willing to sacrifice what they believe in for them." Eret corrected and waltzed over to you. Sapnap held you captive and with a nod of Eret's head he let go. Ropes bound your wrists and your mouth remained free.

"Get the fuck away from them!" Wilbur took a purposeful step forward and Dream quickly intercepted with Sapnap close by.

"Eret why-" You stuttered out to your best friend. Someone who knew your secrets inside and out.

"Because I love you Y/N and I can't stand to see you beside him anymore. He doesn't love you like I do and he never will. L'manberg is his love and once it's gone he'll have nothing. You deserve everything." Eret's gloved hand trailed down your face and whimper escaped you.

Adrenaline shot into your veins and with a swift kick to the stomach Eret stumbled back. Dream was caught off guard and Wilbur clashed a sword against his own with a shield coming up. You ran behind your fiance and out the open door.

"C'mon Wil!" You shouted back and heard a crash of glass and shouts of rage. Daylight split through your vision only to be met with a battle raging before you. Dream's army was against yours and with every clash of weaponry the lead changed.

Potions flooded the air and with the single shout from Wilbur, the L'manberg Revolution retreated.

~~~~

"It's okay love, we're all safe now." Wilbur held you as you cried.

"Everything is going to be fine." He promised with a kiss to your hair.

~~~~

Eret clawed down tapestries and shouted out his grievances to the sky.

"I'll have you Y/N, and you'll see how much greener the grass is here." He vowed.

><><><><><><><><><><>

Fun right? It's a bit rough and took a while but I thought I did good 😁.

Happy holidays everyone!

[delusionalgirlwritingfanfic]

Pirates of the Caribbean shaped me as a child and still has a choke hold on me to this day. When I saw someone suggest this I had to have it immediately so thank you for letting me write it. I’m so sorry it’s not longer. I really wanted it to be, but it was just sitting because I could not think up more of a plot. I've also been listening to the warrior of the Mind a lot, so I sprinkled that vibe in here to, it gave me big Nikolai vibes I couldn't resist.

“ Captain of Medusa, serpent siren, daughter of the sea. Poseidon fury.” 

She looked at him with raised eyebrows waiting for his list to be finished folding her arms across her chest.  “ Flattery doesn’t work on me.” Flattery did work on her. 

Sturmhond strutted across the doorway to her desk. “ Your reputation precedes you. How would you feel about a proposition?” 

A leg kicked up as she propped her foot one leaning on the desk. “ It depends on the terms of your agreement. What do you have in mind?”

Sturmhond hands glided over the paper he laid out. “A design for a ship, I liked your input, I need a crew and you would be the perfect first mate. I saw your skills.You look at things from all angles, completely neutral, a problem solver and quick at thinking ahead. You ask all the right questions and know where to look.” 

“ I could use someone like you. Your perspective, your opinion. What do you say? We would make a spectacular team with my charm and your intellect.”

“ Well see where it ends.” 

“ Is that a yes?” He looked like a puppy tilting his head towards her in excitement. 

A grin spread across her face with a mischievous twinkle. " You had me at the word improbable. I do like to prove people wrong, it's a hobby of mine."

He clapped his hands together as if sealing the deal.  “Perfect, let’s get started.” 

Present   

Dark clouds shielded any light. The tension was as thick as the humid weather brewing above along the crew who scampered preparing for a fight. The yelling of barked orders was over lost to the ears against the harsh wind. The ship rocked dangerously back and forth even with the squallers keeping them on course. Another ship had been closing in on them. Merging the two, aligning the boats to infiltrate them. 

Alina held a wild look about her as she stared in disbelief. “ You're both insane!” 

“ But it could work.” Mal asked in hesitation. He would take any option that didn't require the sun summoner to be in possession of the Black Heretic. Even if it was suicidal. 

“ You mean it’s Improbable." The captain let his smirk slip across spreading wide, he had faith in the plan of which they didn’t know the full details, cunning fox indeed. 

Sturmhond second looked at the couple. “ It’s our last shot. Do you want to defeat the darling or not?" She had spoken the blunt truth, though the group waited with bated breaths considering the circumstances, holding each other's gaze with a fierce ambition. 

Sturmhond nodded. It was his ship, his call. They would follow his command. The circle dispersed, running off in haste. 

The two crews had merged together fighting tirelessly. She ran about in the chaos of the middle of the battle continually looking over her shoulder to help where she could. But at this moment in the thickest part where grisha had their power she used all the strength she could muster. In full force she charged forward in the swarm of bodies clustered at arms.  

The clouds swirl above in a funnel, a dark mass bursting ripping the sky open. Suddenly she couldn’t see in front of her from the sheets of rain that splattered smacking the deck of the ship.  

“Marry me!” Sturmhond blurted, as his hand gripped the rope netting watching her from where he slashed with his sword. The privater kept track of where she was and the two worked better in tandem fighting side by side. It was a perfected rhythm over the years with one another. 

She ducked as a gunshot whizzed by. “I don’t think now is the best time!” 

He shouted from the ledge,“ We do this together. Forever, me and you!” Then he jumped down to be near. His coat swishing as his feet hit the deck. 

 Wet hair clung to her face, darkening its natural color. Water dripped into her vision, blurring as her eyes sought him. Squinting into the rain she glanced up to see where his most loyal crew held the high ground attending to their aponanite. Against the sound of battle below, she yelled at the heartender who was watching his sister's back in battle carried his blade above them on the bow. 

 “Toyla! Marry us!”  

Normally you could ask the captain of the ship but for obvious reasons they had to improvise. The man who loved romantic gestures of course had his license to be ordained, It was only appropriate. 

“I’m a little busy at the moment!” He grunted from the top of the bow. “ Can’t this wait? On any other occasion this would be very romantic.” 

“ Now!” The couple spun around to face each other once again.

“ Fine, alright.”  Toyla sent a kick to the chest, sending a man flying across the boards. He stood standing over the railing. “ By the power invested in me man and wife will be joined in union until they share wrinkles into the next life.” 

 “Just kiss!” In exasperation he yelled back over his shoulder. Someone had jumped on him from behind, annoyed he easily tossed them behind fast forwarding their proposal to the end.

Through the blurred rain that pealted the deck of the ship she looked at him. His white shirt fused to his skin, the light weight flock see through. The coat whipping in the wind. 

Sturmhond reached for her, drawing her in with a deep kiss. Their lips clashed hungerly. A hand cradled his head as her arm swept scrunched his hair grounding her to him. The other hand had her fingers gripping his jacket collar. Catching air her lips brushed up from his the pair caught their breath, never losing contact, their heads resting to each other chests panting. 

He stroked a piece of her hair away, “When we get back to Ravak we’ll have a proper wedding.”

Breathless she gasped filling her lungs. “ One on the ship is just fine.” 

“ My mother won’t allow that. Nor will Toyla let us continue to breathe without proper vows if he doesn't ordain us.” 

“ Come find me when this is done.” Sturmhond gazed into her eyes as she nodded to him, in one last passionate kiss they stood in the center of the deck. The captain encompassing the women, her back arched dipping, against him, their hands slide brushing the tips of their fingers before parting back into battle.  

[cindylouwho-2]

Etsy First Quarter 2023 Earnings Report - More on Plans to Make Etsy an Everyday Shopping Destination

(Above - slide 5 from Etsy’s Q1 2023 Earning Presentation, © Etsy)

Etsy’s first quarter 2023 numbers were pretty good considering the current economic climate, and beat most analyst expectations. Unfortunately, their outlook for the second quarter did not anticipate improvement, and the earnings presentation did not unveil any truly new plans for achieving improvement. 

First, here are the reference materials covered below:

the press release

transcript of the conference call

slides from the conference call

video of the call (click on “Webcast” under Q1 Earnings)

my summaries of the first quarter 2022, and the fourth quarter 2022 for comparison

The basic numbers (covering January to March 2023, compared to the same period in 2022):

Sales on Etsy were $2.7 billion, down 4.7%  [nearly half of this drop was due to currency fluctuations]

Total sales for all 4 marketplaces (Etsy, Reverb, Depop, Elo7) were $3.1 billion, down 4.6% 

Etsy’s revenue (including all 4 sites) was $640.9 million, up 10.6%

Seller service revenue was up 14.4% to $173.4 million, while marketplace revenue was up 9.3% to $467.5 million. Remember that the fee increase from April 11, 2022 is part of that marketplace bump; this was the last full quarter for that increase

Net Income was $74.5 million, down 13.4%

Active sellers on Etsy alone are 5.9 million, a large jump compared to the past 5 quarters when the total hovered around 5.4-5.5 million. [Note that “active” means one charge or transaction in the past 12 months; many “active” shops currently have nothing for sale. I don’t see an obvious reason for this sudden increase]

Active buyers on Etsy alone stand at 89.9 million, up from 89.1 million a year ago

Below are several points of interest for sellers, but I strongly suggest reading the whole transcript or listening to the call to get all of the details. 

As always, my side comments are in square brackets, and most everything not in square brackets is just a report on what was said. 

Etsy Search

Slide 7 of the presentation again stated that Etsy’s search is now driven by “multiple search engines”, and that more are in development. CEO Josh Silverman explains the problem that they are working to solve:

“You don't walk into a store and yell, "Blue, shirt, cotton," the way you search on Etsy today. In a store, you walk in, explain to a salesperson that you're going to a cocktail party at a chic place in Brooklyn and are looking for a shirt to fit the vibe, what do you recommend? And you certainly don't expect the salesperson to show you 90,000 options. They'll show you the best handful of items that match the vibe.”

The plan is to move away from keywords “to show the buyer a curated set of results”. This is not just about personalization, but about understanding the connections between style and trends and what the buyer said they wanted, and helping the buyer refine results to get something closer to what they envisioned. While these plans are still not well developed, features such as search by image are on the path to the final goal.  

One big change on the horizon will be incorporating decisions from Etsy’s merchandising team into algorithms. Human curations are going to be combined with machine learning to produce search results and ranking “over time”. [One problem I see here is the quality of the human curation. Silverman says “Etsy’s Picks” are actually human-curated, which surprises me, as my only listing to ever get this designation is a commercial pendant probably available in hundreds of Etsy shops. (Since I placed it on a chain, it qualifies as handmade on Etsy, and unlike most others selling this item, my chain is actually handmade by me - but that isn’t required.) Hilariously, he claims that “... our merch team knows how to select the very best inventory, items with true craftsmanship...” which apparently includes my “charm on a chain” that wouldn’t even qualify for Amazon Handmade. Embarrassing.]

Later in regards to shipping expectations, he mentions these could be better, including “prioritizing items and search results located closer to the buyer for time-sensitive purchases.” [I know that some sellers think this already happens, but testing from multiple locations doesn’t really show that, yet, but this means it could be coming. That, of course, would be a disaster for many business owners who use Etsy to reach a worldwide market, not their next-door neighbours.]

As shown in the slide at the top of this post, Etsy believes shoppers are put off by too many options, so expect this work on search to help start decreasing the options soon. 

Marketplace Violations, Including Mass Produced Items

All of the media coverage of resellers has apparently had an impact, as Silverman felt the need to address “mass-produced items” diluting trust in the site. He cited the 2022 Transparency Report as proof Etsy was dealing with the issue. [As I have detailed in my coverage of that report, it only demonstrates how poorly Etsy is doing in the area, by applying a huge batch of pesticide to kill the odd mosquito while also destroying tons of valuable bees in the process. If only 5% of the flags the AI generates are for actual contraband/counterfeit/manufactured goods, then they will have to flag most of the site’s listings to get rid of the reseller issue. The collateral damage of innocent sellers is too great for Etsy to keep claiming they want to “Keep Commerce Human”.] 

It’s also notable that this was only one prong of the trust issue Silverman highlighted. Etsy also intends to more actively promote the Purchase Protection Program, and do a lot more with shipping. [You can read how the Purchase Protection Program is playing out for sellers here on my blog. Changes in shipping were expected after Etsy posted a bunch of fulfillment jobs last year, and there is already some movement in the area of shipping labels, with Etsy forcing sellers in India to use Etsy Labels for domestic orders. As a Canadian who can’t even use Etsy Labels due to my commercial account with Canada Post, I can see this being the action that finally forces me off of Etsy completely. Time will tell!]

Upcoming Promotional Plans & Focus

As the slide below shows, Etsy has good brand awareness in many places, especially the United States, but few people think of the site as a top place for things such as gifts or home furnishings. They will soon be focussing on funnelling more shoppers to “new pathways” for gifts, home and living items, and general style ideas. 

(Above - slide 11 from Etsy’s Q1 2023 Earning Presentation, © Etsy)

In short, Etsy should be thought of as “every day” shopping instead of occasional. Silverman elaborated on this in the Q&A portion of the call:

“That campaign, Etsy has it, is so important. The fact that Etsy sellers sell billions of dollars of home furnishings, it's our largest category. And when you ask people name 3 places to shop for home furnishings, only 3% of people unprompted will name Etsy. There is a massive opportunity.“

As mentioned above, purchase protection will continue to be a focus, to reassure buyers that Etsy is safe. “...we found that prepurchase messaging about Purchase Protection improved conversion rate and our post-purchase e-mails spurred buyer frequency over a 90-day period.” Also, shipping [sigh].

To sum up plans for sellers:

“So this year, we've got a jam-packed to-do list, which includes investing in our seller growth suite, education, tools and the personalized insights they need to market their shops, improve their listings and grow sales on Etsy. We'll make it easier than ever to list items and will provide best practices on pricing strategies and discounting.” 

Depop, Elo7 & Reverb

Etsy’s other 3 companies have also been busy. [As on Etsy], management at Reverb have been focussing on highlighting discounted items and stressing that musicians can “find good deals” on the site, “so we'll be studying some of these for relevance to the Etsy marketplace.” 

Elo7 has been working on improving search. 

Depop isn’t looking as bad as it did last year. The conversion rate is better, and there is more personalization. “We also launched an exciting new feature called Repop, which enables users to seamlessly relist a Depop purchased item, a good thing for GMS and the planet.” [I looked that up, and yes, the buyer gets to use the original seller’s description and other listing work to relist the item, but the photos aren’t included. Really hoping they don’t bring that copyright infringement and forced unpaid labour to Etsy...]

Miscellaneous

Performance marketing (Offsite Ads) increased 11% in the quarter. “Offsite Ads revenue...offsets approximately 1/3 of our performance marketing spend.” [That is down from previous reports, when they said that Offsite Ads fees covered about 40% off the total cost of the ads. Remember that larger numbers of sellers began to opt out of Offsite Ads in mid-March due to EU law, and Etsy still pays for ads for some shops that have opted out.] CFO Rachel Glaser stated that the ROI for Offsite Ads has improved by 40% since 2019. 80% of the ad spend is currently in the US and the UK (Etsy’s top 2 countries).

Seller service revenue is still well behind marketplace revenue, but the seller service side is growing faster. Both Etsy Ads and Etsy Payments (in particular the higher Payments fees non-US sellers usually pay) showed increased growth in the quarter. [So growing in non-US markets will drive revenue for Etsy.]

Etsy is still hiring, although the rate has dropped. 

Sales were down in the first quarter due to 1) consumers buying more services than goods, 2) declines in large categories such as Home & Living and Craft Supplies, and 3) less discretionary income, especially for lower income buyers. Compared to Consumer Edge's U.S. e-commerce retailer data, Etsy is managing to keep up with the pack, especially in Home & Living and apparel. 

The new “Make an Offer” option for US vintage sellers has thousands of users and over 1 million listings available. 

Outlook for the Second Quarter

The predictions for April to June 2023 are for the 4 sites to be down around 1.8%, getting between $2.85 billion to $3.1 billion in sales. At the time of the call, Silverman said the second quarter was looking good so far, with a good few weeks leading up to Mother’s Day. However, they issued a cautious outlook, given that May 2022 slowed down a bit. 

So, expect more of the same - a soft economy, Etsy telling you how to run your business and pretending that is helping you, and more bot removals and forced refunds.