#the mine cart chase

[justaboot]

Temple of Doom -> The First Adventure

#ducktales #ducktales 2017 #scrooge mcduck #della duck #donald duck #the way I SHOT up watching Indiana Jones last night #and NOT to be forgotten #the mine cart chase

[mariamlovesyou]

tuned into Plestia's live with Rahma Zein's second account (she got shadowbanned). key moments:

plestia talked about her adjustment to living in australia. "it's 1:30am now and it's normal for me and many palestinians who live abroad to be awake hours into the morning. i am scared of sleeping. because of the time difference, i'm scared if i sleep i will wake up to bad news. in gaza i was scared of the sound of the bombs, here i am scared of the quiet."

contacting family and friends in gaza is near impossible. "sometimes i feel like a crazy person, calling 20 times in a row hoping that on the 21st time the call might go through."

on the destruction of entire communities and neighbourhoods: "i'm scared when i go back to gaza i won't recognise it anymore. someone sent me a picture of my neighbourhood, and i couldn't tell it was mine at first. all my favourite places, cafes where the aunties used to give me extra food and ask about my day, have been destroyed. i dread looking at my gallery or seeing snapchat memories because most of these people in the pictures are no longer alive."

rahma asked plestia to talk about one story that stuck with her. plestia said "i remember walking one time on the 'safe corridor', that's what they called it anyway, and i saw an older woman clutching onto a donkey cart where her son's body was, refusing to let go of it. i asked my colleague what the smell was, he said it's dead bodies under the rubble. it was the first time i familiarised myself with the smell. the son's body was decaying and the woman told me about cats and animals eating away at it. i've had children talk to me about birds eating away at their parents' decomposing bodies and not being able to chase them away."

"it seems so silly to go to hospitals for minor sicknesses now. i can't even think about how many palestinian children are going to be terrified of hospitals now. there was a girl who was taken to the hospital to get treatment for injuries by one of the bombs, and while she was in the bathroom another bomb landed nearby. the impact from that sent the ceiling crashing down on her.. she got another injury while getting treated for her first one."

"i hate how people talk about our resilience - as if it's okay that this is happening to us. we are only surviving because we have to, because we have no other choice."

rahma brought up the way family homes are set up in palestine and asked plestia to elaborate. "basically, there are floors. someone will live on the ground floor, and then their married son lives with his children on the floor above them, and then their successors above them and so on. so when family homes are targeted, they wipe out entire families. many families officially no longer exist."

"i used to wear my journalist helmet and vest all the time, felt naked without it, even slept with the vest on sometimes until i realised it only made me more of a target. they didn't give me any protection, only headaches and back pain."

"i am an optimistic person, i loved covering sweet sentimental things, like at my graduation asking parents of top graduates how they feel about their children graduating. that's what i love reporting on. i wanted to cover things like that when i came back to gaza, show the beautiful side of gaza that the media didn't really show, but i didn't have the chance." "do you think they'll give you right of return?" "i can only hope."

plestia mentioned how hard it was being a journalist with limited access to the internet, charging facilities, no mics, lack of equipment and how difficult it was uploading things. rahma asked her what's one story that wasn't really recorded or posted due to these constraints; plestia said "the evacuations. sometimes they informed us about them, sometimes they didn't. you have no idea how hard it was, everyone looking for their family members, making sure every one was there, taking to the streets in 5 minutes and not knowing which way to go. i remember i went to my friend's house for shelter for 30 minutes before the first evacuation was announced and we ran to another family's house, stayed there for 2 days before another evacuation was announced. me, my friend, and that family all evacuated together to another family's house. there were already so many people there seeking shelter, it wasn't just one family staying there. none of us knew how long we had in any place."

before october 7th, palestinians were used to limitations on electricity. plestia used to plan her day's tasks around when the electricity was working. "for example when the electricity was on from 12 to 4, i would say i will do my laundry and charge the phones during this time. life wasn't exactly 'normal', but all of us pray to have those days back in comparison to what we are experiencing now." plestia also said that cars are running on cooking oil now because there is no fuel.

on hygiene: "many pregnant women have to give birth without any pain medication or medical attention. once we ran out of medicine, that was it. women who had to get C-sections couldn't stay to recover or get followup treatments because someone else needed the bed. we have no water, no tissues, no pads, barely any bathrooms. in the shelter schools you have to wait an hour before even getting to use the bathroom because of how many people are there."

"something you don't hear about is how many people die because of sadness. there's so many ways to die in gaza, because of the bombardment, because of starvation, the lack of resources, but i also know many elderly people who died because their hearts couldn't take it anymore. i have been in gaza before and lived through 4 aggressions, but nothing compared to this one."

a recurring sentiment that was echoed in the video: "sometimes i thought to myself: who am i recording this for? because we've already shown everything, we've already talked about everything. everything has already been said, the proof is everywhere, nothing i talked about today is new." rahma said the first video posted about what's happening in palestine should've been enough.

she is 22 today. plestia's closing words: don't stop talking about us, don't stop boycotting, don't stop protesting, please don't get bored of fighting for palestine.

#this is all off the top of my head if i remember other key points i will add them

[princessbrunette]

THE RAFE DRABBLE?? LIKE THE ONE WHERE HE MOCKS READERS MOANS?? IM LOSING MY MIND.Imagine it with like crybaby!reader 😭 ofc anyone would be upset but imagine crybaby read just pouting the rest of the time out golfing but the second her and rafe alone she just starts crying cuz everyone was laughin at her :(( Ofc rafe can't have his princess sad so he makes it up to her by fucking her all gentle :((

୨୧‿‿‿୨ﾠ୧‿‿‿୨୧

he keeps an eye on you for the rest of the time at the golf course, glancing at you between swings and swigs of his beer as you sit in the golf cart facing the other way, sulking. he doesn’t bother pandering to you then and there because he knows there’s lots of variables to your mood which can’t be fixed around his friends. you’re hot, probably thirsty, bored, upset, needing his undivided attention.

back at the house he’s got you on his lap after practically bottle feeding you a whole bottle of water and letting you cry into his shirt clad chest, now rocking you on his thigh. you’re all sniffly from crying and hot in the face, body still warm from being in the sun all day and he’s shushing you, controlling your movements.

“that was mean, huh gorgeous?” he whispers, chasing your wet mouth with his own. you reply a shaky “mhm” as you grind your bare cunt into his leg, wet patch staining the grey of his pants.

“had everyone laughin’ at me.” you whine, burying your face into his neck in embarrassment and he smiles a little, sick and twisted.

“they weren’t laughing at you, baby. they were laughing at me. they think you’re adorable— shit, they wish they could have you moanin’ like that, i’d put money on it. yeah.”

you shudder, a crease in his pants catching over your clit making you mewl. “really?”

“really. but don’t go gettin’ any ideas, a’ight?” his hand sneaks down beneath you so that the next time you roll your hips, you grind your cunt right into his palm, fingers sliding through your glossy folds. he brings his mouth to hover over yours before speaking again in a whisper. “this is all mine. yeah?”

୨୧‿‿‿୨ﾠ୧‿‿‿୨୧

#anon #rafe cameron prompt

[babydollmarauders]

TINSEL TIES — NICO HISCHIER

nico hischier x fem!reader

12 DAYS OF KINKMAS

summary: in which Nico finds a fun way to wait for the fire to die down

warnings: NSFW CONTENT, edging, light bondage, dominant Nico, praise, degradation, thigh riding, oral (f receiving), nipple play, fingering, p in v (unprotected). (3.9k words)

notes: welcome to day 1 of the 12 days of kinkmas! where i wrote most of these smuts in...not at all at christmas time! i’m so excited to share these holiday themed smuts with you all and i hope you enjoy!

an orange glow flickers over the living room, the soft tune of christmas music floating throughout the open space of the apartment.

my boyfriend and i stand in front of the christmas tree, meticulously draping ornaments from the prickly branches.

although it’s much too laborious to get a real tree amongst Nico’s schedule, he did agree to buy a fake one for the holidays. a beautiful faux tree that’s been sitting bare and untouched in our living room for far too long. but amidst his chaotic schedule, Nico and i have finally made the time to decorate it together on his night off.

“Neeks,” i speak gently, afraid to break the peaceful ambiance we’ve created in our home. “do you think the guys would come to a holiday party?”

the question is just the result of a fleeting thought; asked as i hang a silver bauble upon the tree, but a serene smile spreads across my boyfriend’s full lips, a glance of adoration shot my way.

“if they didn’t, i’d have them bag skating until they physically can’t get off the ice.” his response causes a soft huff of laughter to fall from my lips, shaking my head in amusement. “why? are you thinking of having a party?”

“no,” i drag out, joking sarcasm dripping from my words, “i was just curious.”

Nico levels me with a single raised brow, an unamused expression painting his face.

“yes, Neeks, i’m thinking of hosting a christmas party.” i tell him, gently hanging the next ornament as i speak, “i just feel like i don’t do enough. i mean, i’m the captain’s girlfriend; isn’t it kinda my job to host and fundraise and stuff?

“like, should i be making the team snacks or something? i don’t know how this works. is it like a soccer mom situation? should i be making protein shakes and sending apple slices with you to practices?”

my anxious ramble fades off as Nico’s hands come to rest upon my hips, pulling me towards him with an entertained smile.

“you don’t have to do any of that, süsse.” his forehead dips down, forehead pressing against mine, “although i wouldn’t mind some apple slices for myself.

“but if you would like to throw a christmas party, then we can do that.”

my arms wrap around, locking over the back of his neck and pulling him down until his lips meet mine. the kiss is sweet; soft and loving, as well as tasting faintly of store bought lofthouse cookies. when i pull back, his lips chase mine, eagerly trying not to let the moment fizzle, but i turn my eyes towards the tree, letting him lips land upon my cheek instead.

“i think it’s done.” i whisper, ignoring his aggravated groan at my rejection.

“we still have two more bags of ‘necessary’ decorations.” he reminds me, pointing over towards the armchair where a couple reusable grocery bags sit filled with various items that i had assured him we needed.

“okay, so i may have overbought.” my shoulders shrug lazily, my eyes rolling.

“you?” Nico questions sarcastically, gazing back down at me with an appalled look. “i bought them all. you just threw them in the cart.”

“and i obviously took my job very seriously, now we have extras for next year, if we decide to switch it up.”

my boyfriend untangles from my grasp, ducking under my arms to walk over to the bags of decor. he sticks his hand in, fishing out an unopened string of tinsel garland.

“what would we even use this for?” he huffs, glaring down at the sparkly red material in his hands.

“to put on the tree, obviously!”

Nico looks at me with a blank expression, his shoulders slumping as his eyes flicker from me to the tree and back.

“obviously.” his accent is thick and monotonous, obviously not charmed by my response. “but we didn’t use it at all.”

“well no, but we could find other uses for it!” i cheer, stalking over to try and pluck the tinsel from his grasp, but his grip on the package tightens. “like, maybe we could tie it somewhere in the apartment.”

his head snaps up from looking at the sparkly garland, eyes lighting up as he stares at me. “i think i have an idea.”

“yeah? what is it?” he throws the package on the coffee table, assuring me that we’ll use it later, before his eyes flit to the fireplace.

our fire is no longer what it once was when we started it around two hours ago. not yet dwindling but no longer blazing high and providing copious amount of heat.

“how long until the fire dies out?” i ask him, a small yawn pushing out of me. “maybe starting it so late wasn’t a good idea, i’m getting a bit tired; but we can’t leave it unattended.”

“if you’re that tired, i could watch it while you go to sleep.”

while i appreciate his kind sentiment, i shake my head, rather taking a seat on the couch instead.

“i don’t wanna sleep without you. besides, i can stay up. i’m not too tired.”

Nico sits beside me, pulling my thighs over his lap in one swift movement. one of his arms wraps around my waist, the other resting over my legs, his hand grasping at half my ass.

i lean forward, my chest pressing against his, and my neck cranes up, eyes gazing into his.

“kiss me.” i whisper, his head dipping down and his lips brushing lightly across mine.

“did you just tell me to kiss you?” he chuckles, pulling me forward to sit entirely in his lap.

“i did.” i confirm.

Nico leans forward, an arm wrapped around my waist to hold me to him as he grabs the package of tinsel from the coffee table.

as he leans back, he spins me around on his lap, my back towards his chest. i can hear the crinkle of plastic, furrowing my brows in confusion.

“what are you doing?” i laugh, attempting to peek over my shoulder.

“i told you i had an idea.”

“mhm,” i hum, “and what is it?”

“safe word?” my brows pull together again at his dismissal of my question.

“stoppen.” i recite the safe word, a german translation of ‘stop’ that he had taught me early in our relationship.

“good girl.”

his words spark a heat within me, blood rushing to my cheeks at his praise.

my arms are pulled behind my back, wrists held together with one of his own, before i feel the scratchy sensation of the tinsel being wrapped around them.

“Neeks,” my breathing picks up, chest rising and falling in quick succession as i feel him tie a knot in the garland.

i wiggle my hands, making sure the restraint isn’t too tight, and when i don’t complain, Nico pushes me up to stand on my feet. his hands spin my hips, my feet shuffling as i turn to face him.

“so pretty, süsse.” i can feel my face redden under his gaze, his gentle compliment causing fire to spread under my skin.

“thank you, Neeks.” my words are murmured softly, spoken as his hands drag along my sides.

his touch slips below my tank top, calloused fingertips smoothing along my heated skin and drawing goosebumps to the top of my flesh. a shaky breath passes my lips, his fingers dragging down until he reaches the waistband of my corduroy skirt.

“we don’t need this.” he tsk’s, popping the plastic button through the hole and letting the skirt pool to the floor around my feet.

cold air hits my now bare skin, my panties dampening as Nico’s hands rub along the sides of my thighs. he pulls me forward until i’m straddling a single leg, my panty covered core sitting on his muscular, jean clad thigh.

my lips part, eyes falling hooded as his hands grip my hips, guiding them back and forth on top of him.

“Nico,” i shudder, letting out a yelp as he smacks a hand against my ass.

“is that what you call me?” he gruffs, dark, lust filled eyes boring into mine.

his hands move my hips faster, his thigh tensing underneath me.

“Captain.” i whimper, my head tipping back as he bounces his leg lightly. a wet patch grows on the fabric of his jeans making him chuckle as i get wetter, my clit grinding down against him.

“soaking my leg like a whore.” he shakes his head as though he disapproves, clicking his tongue against his teeth. “what am i gonna do with you?”

blood rushes through my ears, drowning out the christmas music as i stare at my lover. his eyes are dark, pupils blown and his gaze stern; his thick, prominent eyebrows are furrowed in concentration, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he watches me grind along his leg.

the well groomed stubble that accentuates his face scruffs against my cheek as he leans forward, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss.

i moan into his lips, his tongue slipping through and pushing against mine as his hands hasten the pace of my hips.

my strangled gasp breaks our kiss, the fabric of my panties rubbing against my clit making climax approach faster.

“Cap, i’m gonna-” a knot tangles in my stomach, pressure building as my legs begin to shake and my eyes roll back into my head.

my hips are forcibly stopped, my fast approaching orgasm quickly diminishing as Nico holds my hips still. a whine falls from my lips, my eyes flying open to gauge him as pleads are babbled off my tongue.

“please, no, why?” i cry, the corner of my boyfriend’s lips quirking up in a smirk.

“let’s test your memory,” he starts, eyes glaring into mine, “last week, do you remember what you did?”

i rack my brain, filing through everything i did last week before i finally settle on what he’s referencing. sunday, right before his game against the Oilers, i sent him a video i had taken that morning; my fingers buried deep in my pussy, my breath heavy and whimpering as i moaned his name.

we’ve yet to have the chance for an intimate moment since he got back on monday, between his practices, my work schedule, and his game last night, but i had hoped he had forgotten about his promise to punish me for my actions.

“no, Nico, please.” i whine, my hands pulling at the restraints. his hands slip up, sliding over my breasts and letting his thumbs circle my stiffened nipples.

“beg all you want, süsse, i stand by my promises.” his voice is stern and unwavering, his fingers hooking over the top of my tank top.

he yanks the fabric down, my breasts spilling over until the shirt is so far down that it’s held underneath completely underneath them.

“you don’t get to cum until that fire dies down.” my head snaps over to survey the fire, its flame slowly fizzling out. i’d estimate at least another forty-five minutes or so until it’s done for good.

my breath catches in my throat as he takes me by surprise, his lips attaching to my right nipple as his left hand rolls the other between his fingers.

a high pitched moan mingles with the sound of ‘White Christmas’, my arms struggling against the tinsel ties, yearning to bury my fingers into his hair. my spine arches, pushing my breasts further into his face.

i can feel his growing smirk against my skin, his fingers pinching and rolling the left bud as his tongue swirls around the right before sucking it into his mouth.

he hums, the vibrations traveling through my body, and i make a hollow attempt at grinding my hips against his leg, only succeeding in reminding him to wrap his free hand around me, holding my hips still.

“Captain, please.” i plead, my tone high and nasal as i beg, but he just hums again, this time in disagreement.

his lips release my nipple, kissing his way over to the left before repeating the process, now pinching and prodding at the right in a torturous game of teasing.

he slowly begins to rock my hips back and forth, dragging my pulsing clit along his strained thigh as an extra stimulation.

my body shakes, overwhelmed with pleasure as my head falls back, vision going fuzzy as broken sounds fall from my lips.

i can barely form coherent thoughts, let alone sentences, but my brain is urging for me to beg to cum, hoping he’ll show mercy on me. my requests come out babbled and stuttered, not nearly what i had hoped, and Nico chuckles against my skin.

my toes curl as the familiar tightening pressure builds backs up within my stomach, my abdomen clenching as my legs begin to shake. and when Nico doesn’t pull away, i begin to believe that he’s giving me compassion, but as quick as the thought enters my mind, its expelled out.

just as i reach the precipice of my release, my walls tightening around nothing, his lips are pulled away, his hand dropping from my nipple and his arms wrapping tightly around to halt my grinding movements.

frustrated tears pool in my eyes, a silent sob wracking my chest and expelling past my lips in puffs of air. looking back into my boyfriends eyes, his expression is cocky and unforgiving, a smirk resting on his lips.

“awww,” he coos, swiftly turning and dropping me on the couch cushions beside him. “you’re being a good girl now, aren’t you? desperate to cum.”

i nod my head eagerly, shifting around underneath his gaze as i lay uncomfortably atop of my tied back arms.

“wanna cum so bad!” i whimper, my eyes fleeting over to asses the once great fire. it’s next to nothing now, and when i look back at Nico, i can tell he’s displeased by the sight.

“alright, i’ll let you cum.” a weight is lifted off my chest, a sigh of relief huffing past my smiling lips.

i eye my boyfriend eagerly as his fingers tug at the waistband of my panties, pulling them down and dropping them to the floor. he sheds himself of his t-shirt, his tight upper body on full display for me to enjoy as he hooks one of my weakened legs over the back of the couch.

bowing down between my legs, i can feel his hot breath fan over my dripping core, squirming in need as he gets closer and closer to where i so desperately crave his touch. his eyes meet mine, holding contact as he blows cool air directly onto my puffy clit, and chuckling as my hips jerk up towards him.

his arms wrap around my upper thighs, hands sprawling across my lower hips to hold me down as he licks one long stripe through my core.

“captain!”

my head falls back into the cushions as i cry out his name, wishing i could thread my fingers in his hair and push him deeper to where i want him.

he dips down again, tongue circling my clit before sliding back down towards my pussy. his tongue prods into me, flicking once before he really dives in. my back arches from the cushions, breathy moans coaxed out as he begins eating me like a man starved.

his nose nudges against my clit, his fingers sliding up to hold my thighs in a bruising grip as he slurps at my wetness, spreading it around as lubrication.

“cap!” i scream as his lips enclose around my swollen clit, rolling it through his lips a few times before flicking his tongue against it. one leg hooks over his shoulder, pushing him forward as i’m finally able to grind my hips against his face.

relinquishing his duty of holding me still, he plunges two fingers inside of me, curling them up to hit the velvety spot that makes me scream out in pleasure. pumping them in and out, he scissors the appendages, stretching my entrance in a pleasurably painful sensation.

with his fingers keeping me full, his mouth focuses on my clit, repetitively sucking and licking. my eyes roll back in my head, my vision dancing with stars as i feel my orgasm build up for what i believe is the last time.

a third finger pushes its way inside of me, the burning sensation of fullness making my legs shake around him as my breath catches in my throat. my pussy tightens around his fingers, effectively making him aware that i’m close whilst i can no longer speak.

but just when i’m about to cum, my orgasm is cruelly ripped away once more, his fingers pulling out and leaving empty as his mouth is detached from my clit, nothing but cold air hitting against it now.

“no!” i yell, voice gravely and sore as tears flood from my eyes. i open them again to find Nico sitting up on his knees, staring down at me with a dangerous an mocking smirk.

“you didn’t really think i was gonna let you cum, did you, süsse?” he teases, his lips frowning in a faux pout. “oh, you did. the fire wasn’t done yet, sweets.”

my head snaps over towards the fire for the last time, and through the blurry vision of my tears, i can see the final dying embers of the fire, nothing but a faintly orange glow of the logs now.

my chest heaves as i look back at my boyfriend, my face dropped in a pout as salty tears trail down into my hair.

“that was mean, Nico!” i sob, looking anywhere but his eyes.

his cocky expression drops, a look of genuine concern etching across his face as he comes to hover above me.

“oh, baby,” he coos, littering short kisses on both of my cheeks before pressing a long one to my lips. “it’s okay, you can cum now.”

i sniffle, peering up at him through wet lashes, “really this time?”

“yeah, really. but, you know, if it ever becomes too much, you can use your safe word.” i nod along to his words.

“i know, but it wasn’t anything that was too much.” i confess, “it was just mean. you told me i could! and then you didn’t let me!”

“are your arms okay?” he wonders, and i crinkle my nose.

“they’re fine, but this position is uncomfortable.” he nods, backing away and helping me sit up before i whine, “can you just fuck me now?”

a hearty laugh leaves his lips at my switch up, leaning forward to pull me in for a kiss.

“you wanna cum on my cock like a good girl, süsse?” he mutters, pulling back to watch me hastily nod.

his hands grip my hips, flipping me over to lay on my stomach before pulling my hips up so my ass is up in the air.

i wait impatiently, eyes set on the last of the dying embers of the fire as i listen to him unbuckle his belt, pulling his pants down and letting them drop to the floor with a thud.

the couch cushions dip down as he kneels on them behind me, one hand gripping my hip as he uses the other to give a few tugs to his cock.

my hips jerk as he slides his cock through my folds, lubricating himself in my wetness. tapping the tip of his cock against my clit, i let out a breathy whine, pushing my pussy back towards him.

“greedy little slut.” he tsk’s, prodding my entrance with his tip and watching as my walls attempt to suck him in whilst i moan.

he repeats the movement a few more times, teasing me one last time before he finally pushes into me in one swift movement. a squeak passing my parted lips as his cock bottoms out inside of me, filling me up so well.

“oh, Nico!” i breathe out, my body lighting up as his hand smooths over my spine, before gripping my waist.

Nico groans, pulling out and then thrusting back in at a slow speed before gradually picking up the pace. my hands form fists, my nails digging into my palms as he controls my hips, slamming into me and pushing my hips forward before pulling them back against him.

the sound of our skin slapping together and his hard cock sliding in and out of my wet cunt mixes with breathy moans and deep grunts, as well as the christmas music that still floats through the apartment.

the tip of his cock hits the soft, spongey spot inside of me with each stroke, my eyes fluttering shut as i curse, screaming his name without any care of our neighbors hearing.

“this pretty pussy was made for me.” he gruffs, hands tightening around my hips as my walls clench around him, my breathing picking up as i wiggle my hips.

one of his hands slides around my front, his fingertip pressing against my clit and making me whimper as he fucks into me, rubbing the bundle of nerves in figure eights.

“Nico, please!” i beg, the all too familiar feeling of my impending orgasm looming over me as my stomach ties itself in knots.

my legs begin to shake, weakening, and i’m sure if Nico wasn’t holding me up, they would’ve given out.

“let go for me, sweets.” my walls clench at his words, attempting to keep him in the same position as my body seizes up, tensing as i finally reach my long awaited orgasm.

he continues to fuck me through my release, thrusts turning sloppy and hastened as he chases his own, until he finally shudders, his hips stilling as he cums, filling me up with his release.

Nico lets out a shaky sigh, giving us both a moment to let oxygen return to our brains before reaching up and untying the knot of tinsel garland around my wrists. pulling out of me with a hiss, he drops himself to the couch, watching as i sit up and shake out my half-asleep arms.

i slump against his side, pulling my tank top back up to cover my chest as i snuggle closer into his sweaty body.

“i think we’re going to have to clean the couch if you still wanna host a party.” he finally speaks, coaxing a bubble of laughter up from my throat.

“yeah, but i think a shower sounds nice first.” i sigh, pushing myself off the couch to stand up, but my legs feel like jelly underneath me, wobbling until Nico stands, grasping my hand in his.

“you’re right, let’s go.” he hums, helping me towards our bedroom and to our en-suite bathroom.

“who said you were joining me?” i tease, raising an eyebrow; but when he turns to look at me, a lust-driven and domineering look on his face, i shrug, “on second thought, a shower together would be nice.”

“mhm.” he simpers, turning around to turn the shower water on, and i stick my tongue out behind his back; accidentally leaving it out for too long.

he looks at me with eyebrows raised as i hurriedly pull my tongue back into my mouth, my body not nearly ready for another ‘punishment’ before he laughs.

“let’s get you cleaned up, süsse, you must be tired.”

#faithlynn’s 12 days of kinkmas #nico hischier #nico hischier x reader #nico hischier imagine #nico hischier fic #nico hischier smut #nico hischier blurb #nj devils #nhl fic #nhl imagine #nhl smut #faithlynn’s writings <3

[eggluverz]

STARS FADING BUT I LINGER ON, DEAR

PAIRING. dan heng x gn!reader; dan feng x gn!reader

CONTENT WARNINGS. torture and imprisonment but nothing graphic or in detail!! 

WORD COUNT. 5,332

SUMMARY. dan heng has been having dreams about you. they started off good—like a fairytale even. but soon he’s been getting the feeling something is wrong. you’re trapped and alone and can’t escape. dan heng wonders if his dreams are telling him something. and if they are…what is there for him to do?

SOF’S NOTE. *shoves this fic in everyone’s face* LOOK AT THIS! LOOK AT MY BABY!! PLS LOVE IT AND TREASURE IT!!! CRADLE IT GENTLE IN UR HANDS!!!! okay on a more serious note ahdjkdkd thank u anon for this amazing request i absolutely adored writing this 🥺🫶 idk where all the flower symbolism and dreams came from bc ik its not the in req but yk what it spoke to me for this story so i rolled w it HDJSKD i hope y’all enjoy!! :> 

“What are all those flowers for?” you giggled, watching as Dan Feng entered the room with a cart full of peonies in tow. 

It looked a little ridiculous; the elegant and renowned Imbibitor Lunae wheeling around an absurd amount of white, pink, and red flowers. But Dan Feng never cared about pretenses when he was with you. He always felt comfortable enough to be himself, no matter how ridiculous it appeared. 

As he approached, he held a small, blooming red peony out between his fingertips. “They’re for you, naturally.”

He brushed your hair aside and gently tucked the stem of the flower behind your ear, admiring how the deep red of the flower complimented your complexion. 

“Beautiful.”

You looked down at your feet with a small chuckle before meeting his gaze again. “Thank you. You’re beautiful as well.”

“Thank you, my love,” said Dan Feng, his hand resting on your waist as he planted a kiss on your forehead. “Do you like the flowers?”

You nodded, feeling the soft petals of the flower in your hair between your fingers as you stared at the bundles of peonies in the cart he brought in. Dan Feng walked over when he saw you staring and led you to each section of colors. 

“These are pink—to show my affection for you.” He picked a flower and kissed the petals before bringing it to your mouth to reciprocate. You obliged with a giggle and he smiled and hid the scandalous flower in his sleeves. “These are white peonies, to let you know I’m always thinking of you.”

You placed your hand on his chest, feeling the careful embroidery on the silken fabrics. “You’re always on my mind, too.”

“Good,” he jested. “As I should be.”

Without warning, he brought your body flush against his chest and captured your mouth with his own, softly tugging at your lower lip. You chased after his touch to give him a kiss of your own, but he soon pulled away with a teasing grin on his face. 

You pouted. “Hey!”

“Patience, beloved,” said Dan Feng. “I still haven’t gotten to the last color.”

“Oh, my sincere apologies,” you said sarcastically, knowing he was the very reason he hadn’t finished his own speech. “Please, carry on.”

“Since you asked nicely.” He cupped your face and stroked the petals on the flower behind your ear. The sensation of his light fingers brushing against the soft flower petals tickled the skin around your ear and you felt your breath catch in your throat. “This flower is a red peony, to symbolize just how passionate I am for you.” Dan Heng stared into your eyes before he spoke. “I hope you know how much I love you, truly.”

“I know,” you said, gaze not once meeting his. Your stomach tightened and your heart started beating faster as you placed his warm hand on your chest. “I love you, Dan Feng. Every part of my being is yours.” 

“And mine, yours.”

Dan Feng took your hand in his, leading you into your bed chambers. You had never felt more loved and wanted than in this moment. But when you entered the room and looked up, the hand you were holding was no longer Dan Feng’s. 

Instead, your hand was clutching an iron bar instead of your lover’s hand, shackled in chains on your wrists and ankles. Dan Feng was gone and you were stuck in here for eternity. 

You cried out, body racking with helpless sobs. Every fiber of your being—mind, body, spirit—missed him so much. The worst part wasn’t the torture, the solitary confinement, the lack of access to basic human needs. 

No, that was nothing. 

Nothing compared to knowing you would never see Dan Feng again. 

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

Dan Heng woke with a start, hair plastered to us forehead with sweat. His pillow and blanket were both strewn across the floor of the Archives and he found himself on his bed alone, a heavy pounding coming from the place where his heart should be. His heart hurt so much he wondered if it was even his. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to take a deep breath to calm himself down.

That was the third time this week Dan Heng had a dream like that. 

Before, it wasn’t terribly uncommon for him to dream about your experiences with his past reincarnation. Dan Heng thought it was strange at first— Why is he dreaming of your memories rather than Dan Feng’s? But the Archives had no answer, so he was forced to accept the fact with mild curiosity as he grew accustomed to the untraditional visions that manifested as dreams that he has been having. 

Still, the strange part wasn’t that he had dreams of you, the strange part was that recently, since the Astral Express left Luofu, Dan Heng has been getting bad dreams of you. Or, to be precise, he’s been experiencing bad memories you have gone through. 

Dan Heng thought the torture was the worst of it. As cold blades cut against your warm skin, Dan Heng felt each push. Each puncture. Each drop of blood they drew from your veins. He woke up constantly in pain, checking his own body to be sure it wasn’t happening to him. 

But he learned a new form of torture that came from the heart. The solitude and loneliness. The knowledge that the one you loved most has perished— Was forced to reincarnate and never see you again. 

The pain on his body was temporary. But Dan Heng felt the ache in your soul every minute of every day. 

He just doubted there was anything he could do to stop it. 

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

“Y/N,” came a quiet voice from outside the cell. “I came to check on you again.”

You looked up from your thin futon to meet Jing Yuan’s remorseful eyes. Your living conditions have been upgraded from those you’ve experienced for decades now. No longer were you in chains— You had access to a bath, and they even offered you books and enough food to sustain you. All while confined in a cell, of course. 

Perhaps they no longer viewed you as a threat. Not that they should have ever viewed you as such in the first place. You didn’t understand why you were punished solely for being Dan Feng’s lover. You weren’t a warrior. You didn’t hold any position of power. You were a scholar and lover of books and plants. But you’re an accomplice, the Preceptors said as they mercilessly chained you up. 

If you weren’t knocked into unconsciousness moments after, you would’ve spit at their faces as they took you away. 

“Y/N…” 

You snapped out of your thoughts, dragging your gaze to the man in front of your cell. Placing your book to the side, you smiled up at Jing Yuan. “Sorry about that. I was a little out of it there.”

Jing Yuan frowned and your heart moved, feeling the depth of his sadness. “No need to apologize. Tell me, how have you been?” 

“Good, I have to say,” you said, sitting up straight on your bed. “I’m almost finished with the book you gave me last time.” 

He smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m glad.”

“Is something the matter?” you asked as you stood and walked over to him, offering a hand of comfort through the iron bars. 

Jing Yuan took it, giving you a gentle squeeze before dropped your hand. The rush of human contact, despite how brief it was, coursed through you. It’s been so long since you felt the touch of another person.

“Dan Heng and his friends left the Xianzhou Luofu,” he said solemnly. 

Your eyes shut as you let your forehead press against the cool metal of your cell. A tear fell down your cheek but a smile remained on your face. “That’s… That is good. He should be free from this place. Dan Heng is happiest that way, correct?”

“That is how it seems,” Jing Yuan sighed. He held back his words for a moment, hesitant. But as he looked at you, he could not longer keep it in. “Do you still think it was the right decision to not inform Dan Heng that you are here?” 

You let out a quiet laugh, taking a seat on the floor and Jing Yuan soon followed suit. “What would he do with that information? What if he felt guilty—? That could hold him back.”

“Are you certain that is a choice for you to make?”

Sighing, you shook your head. It wasn’t your choice to make; it was Dan Heng’s. You knew that deep down inside. But what could you do when you were aware of Dan Heng’s aversion to his past—to any potential connection to Dan Feng? And thus, any connection to you? 

You felt it, you dreamed about it. Dan Heng’s hatred for his past reincarnation. You mourned for them. Both Dan Feng and Dan Heng. For the former, you knew it must be hard having no connection to your reincarnation. Was his soul no longer tethered to this world? Perhaps he felt lost, even in the afterlife. For the latter, you did not blame any resentment that came from him. You knew all too well that being judged and punished based off the actions of another person was unjust. You wouldn’t wish it upon anybody. 

And so, it made sense to you that Dan Heng wanted to accept his past for what it was, and then be free from it. You did not want to interfere with that. Especially not when he was so close to healing and making a good, happy life for himself. 

And now, after Jing Yuan told you Dan Heng and his friends finished their adventures in the Xianzhou Luofu, excited to take on the rest of the galaxies, you thought that maybe you made the right choice. You would be happy enough here, alone in this prison, if you knew your beloved was free. 

It was a decision you made yourself, for Dan Heng. 

And it was one you hoped you wouldn’t regret. 

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

“Foolish! No!” Dan Heng thrashed in his sleep, wanting to reach out and shake you to your senses. He’s had terrible dream after terrible dream, but this was one he couldn’t simply let go of. 

This one seemed more recent than any of the others. That was not a dream of a distant memory from long ago— No, the Astral Express that Jing Yuan spoke of in Dan Heng’s dream had only departed Xianzhou Luofu a few days ago now. That meant you were there, locked up right under his nose, for the entirety of his stay at the Luofu. And no one told him a thing.

Dan Heng had to control his fury. He felt hurt and betrayed, despite not having a true, personal connection with you himself. He wasn’t Dan Feng and, deep down, he recognized he didn’t have a claim to your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. But the pain he felt from knowing you were there, and that maybe, just maybe, he could’ve done something to help you sooner, was something Dan Heng couldn’t shake.

He knew what he had to do.

Perhaps it was bold, impulsive, and maybe dismissive of their current plans, but he had to do it. Dan Heng took a deep breath, not waiting for the night to turn into day. He was going to ask Pom-Pom to please turn this damn train around.

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

“Where are they?” 

Much to no one’s surprise, Jing Yuan seemed to know exactly what Dan Heng was talking about. What else could be important enough for Dan Heng to barge into the Seat of Divine Foresight without a word of warning? 

Jing Yuan quickly excused the meeting he was holding, biding a quick apology and saying they would reconvene shortly. Despite the newfound privacy, he still didn’t reveal anything to Dan Heng.

“Well, good afternoon to you as well, Dan Heng—”

“Stop. There’s no time for formalities right now.” Dan Heng folded his arms, hands clutched into tight fists by his sides. “Where are the Preceptors keeping them? And why the hell haven’t you done anything to help Y/N?”

With a heavy sigh, Jing Yuan took a seat in his chair, gesturing Dan Heng to sit across from him. A gesture Dan Heng pointedly ignored. He wasn’t here to sit down and take his time. He wanted to know where you were now so he could get you out of there. The torture, the poor treatment, the punishment for something you didn’t do... It wasn’t fair. He could hardly put up with it in his dreams. He wondered how it was possible for you to even be surviving all this time. 

“It may surprise to you here,” Jing Yuan stated, voice low, “but as much influence I have over Xianzhou, the Preceptors unfortunately remain untouched by that.”

Dan Heng’s grip loosened, momentarily feeling guilty for assuming Jing Yuan did not try to help you in any way. From what his dreams could see, Jing Yuan was one of the only people who frequently visited you— Which was already more than he could say for himself. 

His face hardened but he relented. “I’m sorry for suggesting such a thing.”

Jing Yuan gave him a half-smile through hooded eyes. “If you hold any recollection of Dan Feng’s time with them, I don’t blame you for having such a severe reaction. Y/N was—is…remarkable.” 

“I shouldn’t know that myself,” said Dan Heng quietly. “Yet somehow, I know you’re right.” 

He looked at the ground solemnly, suddenly frightened that he wouldn’t be able to do anything to help you after all. If the Cloud Knight General Jing Yuan couldn’t influence the Preceptors, what could he do? 

He shook the negative thoughts out of his head. Sure, Dan Heng wasn’t Jing Yuan, but he was the reincarnation of Dan Feng, the previous High Elder and Imbibitor Lunae. Dan Heng was the friend and ally of current High Elder Bailu. Dan Heng had the General backing him with a token of alliance. And Dan Heng would stop at nothing to free you from your shackles. 

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

The process was more painstaking than Dan Heng had originally thought. After informing Jing Yuan of his plan to speak to Bailu, Dan Heng soon realized that conversing with her would be the easiest part.

The Dragon Lady was kind and had a good heart. She cared for other people and didn’t want to see anyone in pain. The difficult part came from feeling the lack of respect the Preceptors had for her. They treated her as more of a child than a High Elder, even withholding her title of Imbibitor Lunae until they deemed she was “of age.” But Dan Heng thought she had more sense and knowledge than all of the Preceptors combined. 

It took negotiations, possible acts of coercion that broke many Vidyadhara laws, and even the threat of Dan Heng to follow in his past life’s footsteps and destroy the seal at Scalegorge Waterscape and many more places… But Dan Heng, along with the assistance and backing of Bailu and Jing Yuan, finally got the Preceptors to agree to release you without forcing a reincarnation. 

You had suffered decades for a crime you had no hand in committing. The Preceptors were simply scared your love for Dan Feng would influence you to be a main headpiece in carrying out the rebellion against the Xianzhou Luofu—hence why those in charge had originally agreed to keep you here. But Jing Yuan was the residing general now, and with his army at his side, he was able to voice that he no longer viewed imprisonment on this land to be befitting of you as a solid conclusion. Bailu stated, as a complete bluff that anyone could have seen right through, that if you were not released immediately and given the opportunity to be reconnected with Dan Heng, she would no longer be as willing to repair any seals, should they be harmed in the future. 

Somehow, instead of all three of them getting locked up for treason or whatever Vidyadhara laws they horribly crossed, they managed to succeed in their goal of winning your freedom. The Preceptors wrote in their official records the release date of prisoner Y/N and agreed to escort one of them to your cell.

Jing Yuan and Bailu, of course, both opted for Dan Heng to be the person who sees you first. But only after making him promise they would get to see you once you settled into your new life. 

Dan Heng smiled, thanking them for their part in this operation. And when night came, he spoke his vow to you under the endless stars.

He would see you soon. And this time, he would never let anything bad happen to you again. 

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

“More peonies?” you asked with a laugh, staring in awe at the field of flowers that were newly planted on the grounds of your estate. The bright colors of the petals flushed against the dark green of the leaves lined the gardens of your grand quarters. 

Dan Feng nodded, the trimmings on his sleeves detailed with the faint embroidery of petals dancing around the wind. Your heart warmed when you saw it. It was fitting for him, such a beautiful and caring soul. 

“I had them planted for you,” he said, gesturing at the arrangement around you. He smiled, his eyes glinting. “Because one cartful just wasn’t enough.” 

You shook your head as you went around the rows of peonies, touching the petals in awe of the spring bloom in the air. The smell was sweet and the wind was cool, providing the right amount of breeze to offset the heat of the sun. First, you went to the patch of white peonies, then pink, then red. Then, you noticed a shade Dan Feng hadn’t given to you before.

“Yellow peonies?” you said curiously, Dan Feng following along as you explored the gardens fit for royalty. Because, he had said before, to him, you were.

“Indeed.” He plucked one from the bush, careful not to ruin the stem of the plant itself. Slowly, he brought it up against the light in the sky. “Yellow. As radiant as the sun.” 

You stared up, shading your eyes as to not get blinded by the brightness. “It shines almost as brightly as you.” 

Dan Feng made a noise of amusement at your words. “I should be the one saying that to you.” 

“Perhaps you should speak faster,” you teased. 

You walked over to him, placing your hand in his and leading him to a field of grass. When you got to an area you liked, you sat down on the floor, gesturing for him to follow suit. Dan Feng brushed at the fabric of his clothes once before happily obliging. As you sat there, you looked over at Dan Feng and studied the look of serenity on his face. His expression was calm, his eyes were soft and the corners of his mouth tilted ever so slightly into a smile. In the hand that was not holding yours, he held the yellow peony still in hand.

“Does it symbolize anything? Like the others?” 

He nodded. “Yellow peonies are rare to come by. Only the most renowned of breeders can craft one to the perfect shade.”

At his words, you looked back at the abundant row of yellow peonies dressing your land. You wondered how much effort he went through in searching for the perfect shade to gift you.

“They’re to symbolize my wishes for you,” stated Dan Feng, toying with the edge of a petal with his thumb. “I wish to bestow upon you luck and prosperity, for the rest of your life.” 

“I think I’ve used all the luck I possibly could, finding someone like you,” you giggled, bumping your shoulder against his before leaning your head on it. Dan Feng breathed deeply, resting his head on top of yours. “And the only prosperity I wish for is to be prosperous in love. With you.” 

He laughed, a deep rumble vibrating against your body. “So, all your wishes of luck and prosperity have already come true? What need was there for me to gift you these flowers, then?”

You held your palm out, waiting for Dan Feng to place the yellow peony at its center. He gently laid it there, letting his fingers linger against your skin. 

“I’m glad you gifted me these,” you reassured him. “Now, when I walk by, they will always serve as a reminder of the radiant peony right in front of me.”

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

The next morning, Dan Heng entered the dark corridor with a flower tucked into a hidden pocket of his outer garments. 

While he was nervous about how you might react to him going against your wishes that you expressed to Jing Yuan, his determination to assure your freedom was more than enough to counteract that. If Dan Heng truly wanted to be freed of his past and atone for the wrongdoings of Dan Feng, he would need to make sure no one else was being punished for his actions. 

He had helped repair the Ambrosial Arbor’s seal at Scalegeorge Waterscape, to atone for Dan Feng’s acts against the current High Elder and all of the Luofu Vidyadhara. Now, he would release you from decades of unjust punishment you suffered simply for being associated with him. 

“Y/N, you have a visitor,” one of the Preceptors said dryly, unlocking a cell. The hooded man could hardly hide the look of distaste on his face a before he rolled his eyes and walked away. “I’m sure you two must have plenty to catch up on. Leave here quickly before we change our minds.”

Dan Heng peered into the entrance, his gaze meeting your confused and alarmed face in an instant. 

You looked between Dan Heng and the open cell, not a Preceptor in sight. “Is this a test?”

He shook his head, showing you the official pardon signed by Bailu, Jing Yuan, and a representative of the Preceptors. You held the document in your hands, reading its contents and feeling the seal to believe it’s legitimacy, before giving it back to him. He felt your hands tremble as you made brief contact with his and he was overcome with the urge to comfort you. 

“This isn’t a test,” he promised, looking into your eyes in hopes you would see the truth in them. “You really are free from here.”

You let out an amused noise of disbelief, shaking your head. “Oh, Dan Heng… What did you do?”

He startled at the sound of his name coming from your lips. He was so accustomed to you only repeating Dan Feng over and over in his dreams that this felt almost refreshing. 

“Rather, what did Jing Yuan do?” you corrected, laughing quietly as you stood up from your seated position. Your robes, once beautifully crafted, were worn and tattered. But the light in your eyes never waned. “I told him not to tell you.”

“He didn’t,” said Dan Heng. He considered his statement before adding, “I suppose eventually he did confirm it, but I was the one who confronted him about it.”

You raised a curious brow. “And how, pray tell, did you know about this…situation?”

“From my dreams.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. For once, you were speechless. 

“I know it’s more normal to have dreams about your past reincarnation,” he stated, neatly folding the document in his hands before sliding it away into his pocket. “But, while I occasionally had dreams of Dan Feng’s life—bad ones normally, might I add—it’s been more common to have dreams of you.”

With a slow and shaky breath, you shut your eyes to think. “You’d had dreams of Dan Feng’s memories of me, do you mean?”

He shook his head. “No. They’re dreams of your memories. Some included your moments with Dan Feng from long ago, yes. Others were you in this prison. A recent one was of Jing Yuan visiting you and in it you said not to tell me about this.”

You chuckled helplessly. “What good did that do, after all?”

“Why didn’t you want me to know? Why didn’t you want me to help you?”

“It wasn’t that!” you protested, your eyes telling stories your words could not keep up with. You sighed. “Okay, it was.”

Dan Heng let out a sharp breath.

“However, it’s not for the reasons you might be thinking,” you corrected, arms folded over your chest. “I’ve come to accept my life being imprisoned here. It’s given me a lot of time to think and reflect. And, similar to you, I’ve occasionally had dreams of you, Dan Heng.”

He tilted his head to the side. 

“They weren’t long nor were they frequent. But what I have gathered from them, scarce as they were, is you resent Dan Feng. You don’t want any ties to your past. And you’ve accomplished so much growth and closure, finally freeing yourself from all that burdened you. What good would it be to drag you back here and make you relive this?” 

“You sound ridiculous.” 

His words were harsh and it stopped you right in your tracks. You stared at him, eyes wide as they peered into his, but he couldn’t let that stop the words of logic from coming out of his mouth. 

“You’re not a saint nor are you a martyr. You don’t have to try to be one. You’re a person, and for that you should be free in your own right. You’re a Vidyadhara, trapped and punished for actions that were not your own. I understand what you’ve been through— I’ve been there, too.” Dan Heng held his hand out to you from outside your prison cell, waiting for you to walk out and accept it. “Furthermore, you are a kind and loving soul, and you don’t deserve to spend a single moment in this place. Please, accept my help.”

Your cheeks were wet as you nodded your head. Slowly, you placed your cold, shaky hand in his. He felt your cool skin against his warm one and he enveloped your hands gently, brushing your knuckles with his thumb to share the heat in his body. 

“I’ve wanted to get out of here so badly,” you admitted through silent tears. “I hated being confined and alone. I felt helpless. Pathetic.” He watched with a heavy heart as you wiped your own tears away. Could he reach out and do it for you instead? He chastised himself. As much as he wanted to, he had no right. “But you suffered so much in your past life—in this life even. I didn’t want to cause you any more pain.”

Dan Heng shook his head. “What brings me the most pain is knowing you were suffering for so long, and I didn’t help you.”

“How could you help when you didn’t know?” you reasoned with a sad smile. “I’m sorry for making Jing Yuan promise to never let you know.”

His eyes squeezed shut as a sharp pang ran through his heart. “Please. Please promise me you won’t do something like that again. If you need me, I want to be there for you. Always.”

You gaze widened at his words before you recollected yourself. 

Dan Heng winced as he understood what he said. His mind and soul were confused. He knew he wasn’t Dan Feng, that this was the first moment he has ever had with you. But why does he feel like he’s known you forever? 

After a few moments of silence, as if you were giving him time to amend what he said, you finally spoke. “Okay. I promise.” 

He felt every muscle in his body relax at those words. He knew the promise you spoke was true to your heart. Dan Heng believed it with all his being and he let that console him. 

“Thank you,” he breathed. 

With one of your hands still in his, he slowly led you out of the corridor and up the stairs, away from your cold and dark prison. 

“What are you going to do now that you’re free?” Dan Heng asked, hating himself for hoping your future plans would somehow include keeping in touch with him. “Will you…stay on the Luofu?”

Your body tensed as a shiver went down your spine. You shook your head fervently as your expression twisted into one of grief. Dan Heng’s heart stirred at the sight. He knew that feeling all too well, and it pained him knowing you had similar conflicts to go through. “No, that’s the last thing I want to do. I won’t stay here. At least not now.”

“I understand.” 

You gave him a weak, but hopeful smile as he squeezed your hand softly. 

“And you?” you wondered, looking at him with thoughtful and eyes as you awaited his response. 

“I’m going to the Astral Express to continue on with our adventures,” he said with his lips upturned. “It’s a great place to call home, especially when you’ve lost the only place you had once called home.” He stared at you for a moment. “If you would like to join us—join me—I think you would very much enjoy it.” 

You teared up at his offer. “Can you really just invite people like that?”

Dan Heng briefly thought of the girl they picked us as an icicle and the boy who they found with no knowledge of the past. He considered your situation. “Yes, we really can.” 

The sunlight from outside finally started shining through the walkway, signaling that you were almost out as a freed person. 

“Also,” he said, before he could forget, “I, myself, would want you to come join our crew, even if it’s only for a little while. You can stay for as long as you want, and leave whenever you want as well.”

Your ears perked up at that. “I like the sound of that. If the Astral Express will have me, then I would love to join.” 

Dan Heng smiled as he patted the top of your head. Your body relaxed at his touch as you leaned into him, and he continued to hold onto you as you approached the exit. “No one will threaten your freedom ever again. That is my oath to you.”

You started at him, brows furrowed in determination. “And I vow the same to you. These new beginnings will bring only freedom and prosperity.”

At that word, Dan Heng suddenly remembered the small gift he brought for you. He blushed as he felt the soft petals of the peony in his large pocket. 

“I have something for you,” he said, slowly stopping in his tracks. He turned towards you and you followed suit, tilting your head to the side in question. “It’s nothing big. But it’s a token. A reminder.” 

He held out the peony in one hand, watching as your eyes lit up at the sight of it. Your mouth widened as you let out a noise of laughter, accepting his gift and holding it close to your chest. 

“Thank you, Dan Heng,” you said, tears of happiness filling your eyes. “I love it.”

It wasn’t yellow— He wasn’t the bright and radiant Dan Feng you knew and loved. It wasn’t red or pink, even. While he felt traces of love and attraction for you from his past memories, he knew in his heart that wasn’t really him developing those feelings for you. 

Instead, it was a white peony. 

You were always in his thoughts. It was both a blank slate, and a gentle reminder. He would never forget you, and as he got to experience life with you, who knew what dashes of color would be mixed in next with this pearly white. 

#honkai star rail x reader #dan heng x reader #dan feng x reader #hsr x reader #hsr #honkai star rail #dan heng #dan feng #hsr fanfiction #hsr imagines #dan heng imagines #dan heng x you #dan heng x y/n #hsr x y/n #hsr x you

[undertale-yellow]

Experimental Patch 1.1.0

First, we would like to thank everyone for the incredible reception we've got for UTY 💛 it's been surreal in the best way

We do hear your feedback though, and have worked to address what we can in a new patch for Undertale Yellow. Please be warned, we haven't been able to test everything with this patch, but we're confident it should work in a normal playthrough

Thank you once again for playing and giving feedback! We realize these are not all the issues that have been brought up, but we will continue to work toward improving the game!

You can download Undertale Yellow version 1.1.0 on Gamejolt!

**This new build will recognize any ongoing save, so just make a new folder for the zip contents or replace the old ones and you're good to go

Changelog under the cut ↓

Major Changes

Added two new accessibility options: - Easy mode: When enabled, the Hats now provide DEF values for an easier experience (can be changed mid playthrough) - Auto Rhythm: When enabled, automatically hits the notes in the rhythm fight without having to press a button, if you are in the correct lane

Reworked the final pacifist boss fight attacks to be less chaotic and unpredictable

During a chase sequence, a character was supposed to slow down every time they catch you in the chase, it now works as intended

Added an Act heal to the final No Mercy route boss (Also fixed a crash caused by this Act option being partially implemented but not working)

Crashes and Softlocks

Fixed a crash caused by using the “shoo” command twice during the dunebud duo fight

Fixed a crash caused by interacting with an object while completing the minecart puzzle

Fixed being able to backtrack on the second steam puzzle, which could lead to a crash and your save being ruined

Fixed a crash caused by pressing Z on frame 1 of the attack targetting cursor

Fixed a crash caused by a demo saved game being present on your system

Fixed a softlock caused by blocking Mo’s path as he’s leaving

Fixed a softlock caused by interacting with the crystal tree in Snowdin from the left

Fixed a softlock in the final pacifist boss fight where the selection soul would disappear from the menu

Fixed a softlock caused by sending one of the mine carts off track

Fixed an issue that caused one of Cactony’s attacks to never end

Fixed a softlock caused by mashing through the text fast in the raft room in Snowdin

Fixed a softlock caused by turning around immediately upon entering one of the rooms in the lategame

Fixed a very specific bug that caused you to get stuck on a bridge upon retrying a fight under it

Fixed a crash during the Guardener fight that could happen on her last line of dialogue

Fixed an unrelated softlock in the Guardener fight

Fixed a crash on the final No Mercy boss caused by getting hit on the same frame as you defeat the boss

Other

Fixed the tutorial buttons being swapped in the arcade minigame, also added additional information to the tutorial screen

Changed the Delta Rune Patch gold requirement from 150 to 100

Increased the item stock in the final shop of the No Mercy route (Applies on save reset)

Fixed mistakes in the credits

Fixed several line breaks, typos and mistakes in the text

Altered one of Sir Slither’s act dialogues to make the sparing condition more apparent

Added an autosave post the final pacifist boss as a temporary help with reported performance issues in this cutscene

Added the Auto-Fire toggles to the death screen of relevant fights so you don’t need to restart the game and fights in order to change it

Fixed a mood ruining issue in the final act caused by an unintended random event

Other minor fixes

#undertale yellow #uty #uty.update #uty.posting

[stardust948]

Urzai adopts the gaang au

Ozai, mumbling: Where is that idiot?

Katara: Zuko's upstairs.

Aang: I think Sokka went shopping.

Toph: Aang is right here.

Aang: Hey-

Ozai: I meant the spider-fly that I was chasing but thanks for the information, I guess.

~

Ozai, for months: *Debates whether or not he should leave Zuko*

Zuko: Maybe we should split up-

Ozai: ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! How dare you suggest such a thing! *proceeds to go on a 20 minute rant about the importance of staying together*

~

[After the Gaang destroy another cabbage cart]

Cabbage Merchant: You again! You and your brats took everything from me!

Ozai: I don't even know who you are.

~

Lu Ten, out of curiosity: How did all six of you even convince Uncle to team up with you?

Aang: I accidentally blackmailed him after escaping jail.

Sokka and Katara: We showed up at his house in the middle of the night drugged.

Toph: I stalked him so his long-lost wife would quit nagging me.

Zuko and Azula: We're his only biological children and there's no refund button.

~

Ozai: *says something sarcastic*

Sokka: *responds in sarcasm*

Ozai and Sokka: 👀

Katara: Oh no.

~

Ursa: I left instructions for everyone while I'm gone.

Toph, after Azula read it out loud: Mine just says "Toph no."

Ursa: I want you to apply it to every possible situation.

~

Sokka and Azula: [develops a plan]

Ursa: ...That sounds like a war crime.

Toph: It’s never a war crime the first time.

Ozai: We'll change the laws later. Continue.

~

Ursa: You are our emotional support children.

Zuko: Running across rooftops at top speed and breaking and entering is the first and only option.

Sokka: My favorite weapon is a curved piece of steel that can knock my head off if I don't catch it in time.

Azula: Who needs therapy when you have blue fire, lightning bending, and a bone to pick with the Firelord?

Katara: Nothing you can do will stop me from starting riots and committing ecoterrorism.

Toph: I run con schemes for fun.

Aang: I love announcing to enemies I'm the one they're looking for.

Ozai, sighing: …and you are also the reason we need emotional support children in the first place.

#spoiling my fic through memes again #atla #atla au #urzai adopts the gaang au #rivers in the desert #urzai #gaang #royal fire family #ozai #ursa #lu ten #zuko #azula #toph #aang #sokka #katara #incorrect quotes #atla incorrect quotes

[sapphire-writes]

Mine to Lose

pairing: Daemon Targaryen x Targaryen!Reader

warnings: language, sensual themes, I imagine the reader as a sibling to Rhaenys (so cousins with Daemon).

summary: Your return to the capital reignites the flame between you and Daemon.

note: a little Daemon drabble I’ve been playing around with!

word count: 1.2k

masterlist

It had been several years since you had been in the capital. But after much consideration, your husband had allowed you to stay with him at court. 

Venturing down the halls you stopped outside the doors to the throne room. You could hear the soft sounds of High Valyrian being spoken inside. The doors were slightly ajar, and you peered through the opening. 

Daemon and Rhaenyra were lost in conversation; Daemon observed his niece with a hungry expression on his face. You felt your breath catch in your throat. You had not seen Daemon in years as well. 

“Cousin,” you call as you enter the throne room, throwing open the doors, and causing the pair to leap away from each other. You force a smile on your face. 

“Rhaenyra,” you say, sweetly, as Rhaenyra scurries over to you. Her face is flushed, cheeks rosy. A necklace adorns her neck, Valyrian steel catching the light.

“Sodjisto,” she croons, as her small frame reaches you. You engulf her in a hug, stroking her silver hair, your eyes locked on Daemon. You’ve always been more of an aunt to Rhaenyra than a cousin. 

He is standing tall, hands crossed in front of him, a smirk playing on his lips. 

“Dakogon, byka zaldrīzes. īlon ūndegon bē tolī,” you tell Rhaenyra, stroking her cheek. 

Run, little dragon. We catch up later.

Rhaenyra gives her uncle one last longing look, before squeezing your hand and leaving the throne room. 

The silence she leaves in her wake is palpable between you and the Rogue Prince. 

“It has been too long,” Daemon says, breaking the silence. His smile is predatory as he crosses his hands behind his back, his broad chest on display. 

“Rhaenyra is just a child,” you scold, cutting to the chase. You saw the way he looked at her. 

Daemon moves towards you, his strides are long, his face the picture of ease. He is circling you, as a dragon in the skies would its prey. 

“I have missed you.”

The words are salt in an open wound that never healed, despite your time apart. 

“You have a funny way of showing it,” you tell him. 

“I am surprised he does not keep you locked up at Casterly Rock.”

You understand which he Daemon refers to. The man you had been married off to at first chance; your father’s hope that the match would keep you far away from Daemon.

In truth, you had been a prisoner at Casterly Rock for the beginning of your marriage. You found the stony fortress depressing, with little to occupy yourself. 

It appeared that both of you had been carted away to opposite sides of the realm. 

“My lord husband is a member of the small council, his place is at court, as is mine. Aemma enjoys my company.”

“Does your husband?” he asks, a smirk ever present on his face. 

You clasp your hands in front of you, lacing your fingers together, fiddling with the rings that adorn your fingers. 

“My husband prefers the company of common whores to that of a princess. It seems I have a taste for men of that nature,” you tell him, bitterness evident in your tone. Though you did not care for your husband, there was a shame that came with knowing you did not fulfill your duties as a wife. 

Daemon cocks his head to the side, taking in your words, realizing the implication.  

“I never put any whore above you.”

You meet his gaze. Daemon’s lower lip protrudes in a pout, his brow furrowed. As he looks upon you he cannot imagine the stupidity of your Lannister husband. You are an exquisite creature in Daemon’s eyes. 

“You may choose to believe what you wish,” you quip.

Daemon clicks his tongue before it finds purchase between his teeth. 

“Let us retire to your chambers, my head between your legs will quickly silence that sharp tongue of yours.”

You stare each other down for a moment, the side of your mouth tugging upwards slightly.

“How is your wife? I hear you have not been to the Eyrie in many moons,” you throw the accusation like a knife. 

If Daemon is right about one thing, it is your sharp tongue, your wit. 

“I came to court to have the marriage annulled,” Daemon tells you, causing you to scoff. 

“I suppose Viserys told you off.”

A beat. 

“He did.”

You lace your fingers behind your back and begin walking away from him. You look at the Iron Throne and feel Daemon’s gaze burning a hole in the back of your skull. 

“Marriage is simply a political agreement. Why not put a child in her and be done with it?”

“I do not see you with a child, married nearly a year. What do the maesters say to that?”

Though you still face away from him, a smile curls on your lips.

“That fire licks the walls of my womb. Inhabitable for a lion cub.”

You can feel his presence behind you, his breath on the back of your neck. Daemon has always had the ability to slowly creep up on you. A terrifying thought to some, but not you. 

“But not a dragon.”

You turn to face him. Daemon’s eyes search your face, as though memorizing every feature.

“Stop that.”

“Do not deny it.”

“Viserys is already distraught at your return to court, and now you seek to provoke him further?” you question, raising a brow at the Targaryen prince, “What is your business with Rhaenyra?”

“I only wish to adore my dear niece.”

This earns a scoffing noise from you, along with a glare.

“You said similar things to me once.”

Daemon’s smile widens. 

“And I adored you, didn’t I?”

You can feel the blush creeping up your cheeks but you refuse to give him the satisfaction of looking away. 

“She is just a child.”

“Rhaenyra will not be a child forever.”

“And then? You are a married man Daemon.”

Daemon sighs deeply.

“Did anyone question the Conqueror when he took two wives?” Daemon asks, bringing a hand to stroke your cheek. His fingers leave a trail of fire atop your skin in their wake.

“Did they question Maegor with his?” he continues, eyes dropping to your lips as they wet them.

“No, they nearly tore the realm apart instead,” you told him, “you never listened during our lessons, did you?”

Daemon drops his hand from your face, the loss of contact chilling. 

“Hard to hear the maester with your thighs around my head,” he remarked.

You stick your chin up at him, cheeks hot.

“That never happened,” you tell him, as he chuckles. 

“Perhaps I am misremembering,” he concludes. 

The tension between you is thick, it clings to the walls of the throne room like fog. 

“It is my understanding you shall be participating in today’s tourney?” you ask to clear the air. You are both in the capital now, plenty of time to continue arguing. 

“Does that worry you?” Daemon asks. You shake your head. 

“You are a skilled fighter,” you compliment. Daemon looks you over. 

“Shall I have your favor?” he murmurs, taking a step closer. You tilt your chin to look up at him. 

“Should you ask,” you answer, a soft smile on your face before he covers your mouth with his, fingers fisting in your hair, pulling your body flush against him.

taglist: @tempt-ress

note: if you would like to be added to my taglist, just let me know!

#daemon targaryen #daemon x reader #daemon x you #daemon x y/n #daemon targaryen x reader #daemon targaryen x you #daemon targaryen x y/n #hotd daemon #hotd imagine #daemon oneshot #daemon targaryen oneshot #daemon targaryen imagine #hotd x reader #hotd fic #house of the dragon #fanfic writer

[missclementinex]

Be Mine

Established relationship, fluff, fem!reader.

123 words. Micro. Five paragraphs. ♥️

“I want to buy this for you.” You said, holding up a large teddy bear, your face bright and hopeful.

Billy’s mouth went dry, as he gripped the handle of the cart in a white knuckled grip, “Why?” He husked, voice low and warm.

“It’s Valentine's Day, silly.” You said sweetly, smiling, and shoving the over large bear in the cart.

His fingers grabbed the back of your neck, kissing you hard on the mouth, tasting the iced coffee you’d had earlier, his blood rushing in his ears, as his tongue chased yours. He hated public displays of affection, but you’d caught him off guard.

A week later you’d find him asleep on your shared bed, his face pressed into the bear’s tummy.

x

@e-dubbc11 @kayhi808 @aoi-targaryen

#billy russo #billy russo x reader

[melded-galaxy]

Ultimis Richtofen: Throughout the years

For this, i wanted to analyse the characterisation and traits of ultimis richtofen throughout the different games and maps using in game quotes/ radios, especially how he as a character has transformed through the years. Part 1 of 3?? I think.

Early years: Not too much is known about Ultimis Richtofen's past, however some quotes over the years hint at details, although it is unlikely whether all are fully accurate due to Richtofen suffering from memory loss due to both the apothicons influence/overexposure to element 115. In Ascension, he mentions having a sister, whose dolls he crushed to make her cry. 

Not much is known about Ultimis Richtofen's parents. I doubt he was an orphan from the get-go like Primis Richtofen, as he does mention his mother in multiple quotes. He also stated when around the campfire in Tag der toten, that he always saw Maxis as a bitter rival, when Primis Richtofen opened up about viewing Maxis as a father figure growing up. 

In Shangri-la when getting the spectre from the box, he implies he was close to a former college roommate, 'who had a little gun, but a large barrel'. In Shangri-la, he also claims 'he was conceived in a mine cart... or was it in a lab?' However, he's likely to be bullshitting.

Ultimis Richtofen before touching the MPD: Ultimis Richtofen before his descent into insanity acts much like his Primis self did in Origins - sane, incredibly intelligent and still with a sense of morality and good intentions. He disagrees with Maxis' decision to secretly make weapons for the nazis, making the very reasonable argument that scientists from all over the world work at group 935. He also seemingly cares about the well-being of colleagues such as Dr Groph and Schuster, treating them with respect and conspiring with them against Maxis. 

At the same time, Edward had still joined the Illuminati, an organization seeking power and control over the world, with the intent to spy on and leak information from Group 935, showing that even before losing his mind, Ultimis Richtofen was still likely a power-hungry and morally dubious individual with an obvious agenda. The Apothicans' influence may have just fueled this darker side of the man. I also believe Ultimis Richtofen probably suffered from mental health issues long before he teleported to the moon, something that may have made it easier for the Apothicans to influence his mental state.

Ultimis Richtofen after touching the MPD: On January 4th 1940, despite Dr. Schuster's warnings, Richtofen boldly opted to use himself as a test subject in his attempts to master teleportation, the result eventually leading to the destruction of countless lives, Edward's sanity and the world itself. 

Immediately after his fateful encounter with the MPD, Richtofen began hearing whispers, who he originally mistook for Schuster. He didn't have much time to ponder on it, as he was swiftly teleported from the moon to a jungle in Shangri-la. There, he was presumably captured after being chased by the locals and was deemed a 'god' by them. Much of Richtofen's time ruling the jungle is a mystery; its stated he lived among them for three weeks studying vril devices and the element 115 that was found there. He also encountered the focusing stone for the first time, something he needed later for his plans to retake the MPD from Samantha and find Agartha. The natives' worship of him may have also played a hand in Richtofen developing a god complex. 

It's evident that Richtofen's mental state also deteriorates rapidly as after a mere three weeks when rejoining Schuster, he's acting noticeably manic and obsessive in his goal to reach Agartha, and is already talking aloud about the voices. He is also incredibly secretive, not answering any of Schuster's questions, and only barking orders at the man.

Following his return, Richtofen then begins plans to make a base on the moon where the MPD is located using the teleporters named Griffin Station. He employs Groph, Schuster and many other dissatisfied workers of Group 935 in a coup against Maxis.

Around this time, Edward curiously leaves the Illuminati's service. When asked why, he states only that 'teddy is a liar'.

In a personal log in 1942, Maxis expressed concern for Richtofen's mental state and no longer trusted the man, showing in turn that by this point in his corruption by the apothicans, Richtofen was most likely struggling to hide his sadistic desires and mental health issues. 

Stupidly, Maxis continued to have Richtofen babysit Samantha while he was away on other business. Richtofen most likely resented having to look after his nemesis' daughter and grew to hate Samantha almost as much as Ludwig Maxis. It's been stated multiple times that while in Edward's care, Richtofen ran multiple experiments on the child, including injecting her with doses of element 115. I'm not sure how long exactly, but Samantha most likely spent years primarily in the care of Richtofen. This, along with the experiments performed on her, most likely twisted the young girl's mind long before she took control of the MPD and witnessed her father's death. 

It's clear by at least 1942, Edward Richtofen has no moral compass left whatsoever, and he is willing to harm any living being if it means achieving his own goals.

In 1942, Schuster and Groph also learn that MPD is powered on the souls of the living when they shoot a rat near the chamber. After learning of this, Edward orders the tanks to be filled, which they do by executing prisoners by gunshot near the MPD. 

On July 15th 1945, Richtofen, with Samantha still in his care, is sent to a Siberian facility to conduct experiments on three test subjects for the super soldier program the Nazis sought - Nikolai Belinski, Pablo Marinus and Takeo Masaki. 

However, by early September, Pablo Marinus died at the hands of Richtofen when his spleen was removed. Shortly before this, Tank Dempsey was captured in Verruckt attempting to rescue Peter Mccain and was brought to Siberia to replace Pablo. 

Richtofen's mannerisms and personality in the Call of the Dead diary entries seem extremely similar to how he acts in Kino onwards. He displays an irrational hatred of monkeys and Americans. He uses drugs as well as both physical and psychological torture to control and manipulate the test subjects and shows no remorse for any of his actions. He views the test subjects similarly to toys, lamenting 'breaking' the Mexican.

Richtofen is also increasingly paranoid about spies infiltrating their ranks, correctly guessing that both Harvey Yena and Peter Mccain are spies acting in America's interest. 

Richtofen's hatred of Dempsey starts here, as unlike the other two test subjects, Tank keeps breaking through the restraints and insulting Richtofen. Nikolai's alcoholism may begin here as well, as the doctor injects the Russian with Element 115 mixed with Vodka to get him to accept the stimuli. 

While at the Agarthan facility, Edward also manages to create another part of the Agarthan Device - the Elemental Shard, by binding his and the three test subject's souls to a piece of Element 115.

However, before Richtofen could complete the Agarthan Device, Harvey Yena reported to Maxis that Richtofen had been suffering from 115-induced delusions, and had been using 935 resources for personal projects. It was there that Yena revealed Maxis had ordered all development of the DG2 to be halted and that Maxis wished to speak to Richtofen at Der Riese.

He is obviously fully insane by this point and by the last diary entry, he knows Maxis won't follow through on his promise to mass produce the Wunderwaffe DG2, and plans to callously kill both him and Samantha. 

Richtofen then returns to Der Riese with Dempsey, Nikolai, Takeo, and Samantha in tow. He places the test subjects into sleep, ready to be awakened whenever. While in Der Riese, he and Maxis argue about Richtofen's loyalty to Group 935 and the matter of the mass production of the Wunderwaffe DG2 being cancelled. The two scientists then prepared to work on the teleportation tests together, with Richtofen secretly revelling in his plan to kill Maxis and Samantha, and finally taking control of the MPD. 

On October 13th, 1945, Maxis and Richtofen performed teleportation test trials on Test Subjects Number 3, 4, and 5. All tests failed, including Test 5, where Maxis uses Fluffy, Samantha's dog. All the while, Richtofen is putting on a convincing act of pretending to still be the sane, dutiful assistant he had been in the past to Maxis. Samantha runs into the room, spots Fluffy, now a hellhound, and rushes into the chamber. Maxis tries to stop her and almost gets her out of the test chamber, but before he can, Richtofen shuts the door, trapping Maxis and his daughter inside with the zombified dog. He then activates the teleporter, teleporting all three away. 

Samantha was teleported to Griffin station while Groph and Schuster were working on the MPD. Running into the MPD, the girl was drawn inside of it, where she became corrupted by the Dark Aether. Maxis was teleported to the Crazy place from Origins and developed the power to merge with electricity (??). 

Richtofen then shortly returned to the moon, where he quickly learned that Samantha was trapped in the MPD. He then ordered Groph to teleport Maxis there to coax her out of the device. In an effort to free Samantha, Maxis, at gunpoint, approaches the MPD in an attempt to persuade her to come out. Once she did, Maxis gave her an instruction, to "Kill them...all." Maxis then kills himself and merged with the technology of Griffin Station, while Samantha unleashes the undead upon the base. 

With Samantha now in control of the MPD, and subsequently, the zombies, Richtofen then returned to Der Riese and, after fighting through the undead horde, awakened Dempsey, Takeo, and Nikolai. With no recollection of who they were or who Richtofen was, they agreed to help him. 

The four of them then travelled to the Rising Sun facility, in search of Richtofen's missing diary.

Shi No Numa: I see Shi No Numa as an almost prototype Richtofen, this first incarnation of the character especially leans into the mad nazi doctor stereotype as well as him being a military figure, with his quotes about having a Hitler youth knife and his military-like shouts to his teammates 'show no fear!' 'Stick together!'. His voice is also noticeably deeper in both shi no numa and der riese. 

Strangely enough, Richtofen thinks he is still a member of the Illuminati in both Shi No Numa and Der Riese despite leaving the group in 1940: 'Illumaniti, I WORK FOR THEE!' 'The Illuminati would be pleased with you, Nikolai!' Out of universe, I think this is because the storyline is still very new and has since undergone many retcons and changes. In Universe, I think a possible explanation for this is that Richtofen suffers from memory issues relating to both his exposure to element 115 and the effects of the MPD. He most likely gets confused fairly often and forgets past events.

Interestingly enough, the doctor dislikes killing the hellhounds, a trait carried over to future maps. 

His favourite weapons are the MP40, STG 44 and of course the Wunderwaffe DG2.

At this point, Ultimis Richtofen still treats the rest of the crew like comrades, calling them 'brothers' in multiple quotes, likely to attempt to gain their trust and eventually establish himself as the leader of the group. Shi No Numa Richtofen also doesn't seem to know that the demonic announcer is Samantha, believing that the power-ups he and the rest of ultimis pick up are sent from 'the dark one/his masters/the voices'. Richtofen is also less afraid of the voices in Shi No Numa than he is in future maps, readily obeying them instead of attempting to shut them out.

Overall, I'd say Richtofen is more sane in both Shi No Numa and Der Riese than he is from Kino Der Toten onwards, though he also acts much more under the direct control of the Apothicans/voices than he does in later instalments, which I find interesting.

Despite small changes, Richtofen's madness, bizarre mannerisms and overall sadism are still very prominent and an integral part of his character. 

Der Riese: Much like how he was in Shi No Numa, Der Riese Richtofen is slightly saner compared to later maps. His status as a scientist and doctor seems more emphasised than before. His annoyance/dislike of Dempsey and approval of Nikolai are also made more clear in this map: 'Dempsey do you mind keeping the noise down? Some of us ARE TRYING TO WORK!!' 'You are head and shoulders above them Nikolai!' At this point, it's made explicit that Richtofen is keeping secrets from the rest of the team, pretending not to know how the teleporters work and about Group 935 in general. 

Funnily enough, Richtofen admits to not being very skilful with most weaponry: 'To kill quickly ja. With skill, no.' Quotes from Dempsey, admittedly probably biased, also imply that out of the four, Richtofen is the worst shot and least active: 'Hey Richtofen, I'm glad you fired your weapon, but you missed!' 'The doctor is... a really bad shot!' 'Richtofen fired his weapon again... hell must be freezing over.'

Kino Der Toten: Richtofen in this map and onwards is much more stereotypically flamboyant - his voice is pitched higher and he has a slight lisp at times. He's even more emotionally unstable than he was in the previous two maps, having very childish outbursts at times: crying when he's out of ammo, crying about what was done to the hellhounds, shouting 'FLASHY LIGHTS!' at times when there's a fire sale etc.

Edward is also fond of referring to himself in the third person: 'the doctor is on his way!' 'no touchy the doctor... unless he asks.'

He distrusts his former test subjects, as seen in the opening line in Kino Der Toten: 'I still do not trust my unconventional allies, but they are of great use to me. BUT! I digress.'

He also appears surprised that the MPD is capable of time travel, something that happened unplanned as a result of Dempsey firing a wonder weapon while in the middle of teleporting back in Der Riese (Spoiler alert, Dempsey yet again does this in Shangri La. Goddammit Dempsey.)

Richtofen previously acting as a parental figure towards Samantha is also implied in some of the following quotes in this map: 'Samantha, didn't I teach you a lesson about this?' 'Samantha! Samantha where have you run off to!' 

Overall, I'd say Richtofen's comical traits start to become a bit flanderized from this map onwards, for better or worse. Though in universe, I'd say this is most likely due to Richtofen's mind actively deteriorating from stress, past untreated mental illness, the Apothicans/voices and element 115.

Ascension: While Edwards acts much like he did in Kino, albeit sounding slightly more tired and deadpan, there are some interesting quotes in this map that reveal details about his past. For one, it's revealed that Richtofen may have had a sister. He states he used to crush her dolls as a child to make her cry. If this is true, which is dubious, this shows Ultimis Richtofen may have always had a sadistic streak, even as a child.

Richtofen is also wearing a spacesuit for some reason. Perhaps he was separated from the rest of Ultimis for a while, probably attempting to go to the moon and take control of the MPD earlier, before realising he needs more components first.

In the Black ops 3 remaster, you can see the shadow man's silhouette watching Richtofen and the rest of the group from a window in this map, clearly paying close attention to what his pawn is doing.

#analysis #character analysis #edward richtofen #ultimis richtofen #nazi zombies #cod zombies #call of duty #call of duty zombies #long post #lore #shi no numa #der riese #kino der toten #ascension

[whumpily-ever-after]

Sand Sea (Tomb of the Sea) Whump List

Summary: When high school student Li Cu is attacked, a map is carved into his back and he is then kidnapped by a man named Wu Xie. Li Cu is forced to go on a journey to a forbidden tomb and thrust into a long-running conflict where he has to play a vital role if he wants to come out alive.

Genre: Action, adventure, mystery, supernatural

Country: China

Year: 2018

Watch it on: Viki, YouTube

Spoilers ahead...

Whumpee: Li Cu played by Wu Lei (Leo Wu)

Episode 1: Disoriented, struggling to stand, chased, yelling in frustration and fear, says he was kidnapped, (flashback to before the kidnapping) manhandled, locked in a closet, scared, slides down the wall, crying, begging to be let out, released when he gives in to his father’s demands; a mysterious black form enters his forehead, knocked out of his seat, holding his head in pain; attacked on the street, a hand placed over his mouth, pushed against a wall, calling for help, strangled, holding his throat, coughing, knocked out, falls to the ground, has something carved into his back, rushed to the hospital; in a hospital bed, wakes up in pain, struggles to walk, horrified at the sight of his back, crying, kidnapped from the hospital

Episode 2: Manhandled, yelling in pain, wounds on his back reopened, passed out; told he has to go to the desert with the people who kidnapped him, wincing in pain

Episode 3: Forced to go down into tunnels even though he is claustrophobic

Episode 4: Scared; dragged over a cliff, saved

Episode 5: Knife held to the back of his neck

Episode 6: Scared; panics; struggling to breathe, holding his neck, falls to the ground, passes out

Episode 7: Falls down a cliff, unconscious; told he is hallucinating due to claustrophobia; hanging over a cavern with one person holding on to him

Episode 9: Stranded in the desert with no food or water

Episode 10: Caught in a sandstorm; weak from dehydration, stumbling, collapses, passes out

Episode 11: Flashback to when he was attacked; nightmare

Episode 12: Arm cut with a cleaver (x3), wincing in pain

Episode 13: Punched in the face, bloody nose

Episode 14: Punched in the face, falls to the ground, eyes go black, in a fight, at knifepoint, manhandled (being held back), chased, drowning

Episode 15: Knocked to the ground by a giant root; scared, chased (by a root monster thing); groaning in pain, says it’s his back

Episode 16: Forced to sleep; tied with rope, hanging from a crane, dropped to the ground, grunting in pain, grabbed around the ankle by a root, dragged, grabbed around the waist, pulled back, saved

Episode 17: Gun pointed to the side of his head; complaining about his back hurting; groaning in pain (from his back)

Episode 18: Pulled down by his ankle, choked, rescued, bitten by a snake, has a vision of the past; made to stand in various poses that make his back hurt; falls from scaffolding, nearly falls into a mine shaft

Episode 19: Pain in his hand, passes out, has a vision, wakes with a gasp

Episode 20: Wakes up in a hospital bed, flashback to him unconscious on a gurney, grabs his head, says he doesn’t remember what happened to him; hit in the back, falls to the ground, kicked repeatedly

Episode 21: Gets his hand stuck in a dummy, in pain

Episode 22: Nearly abducted, saved

Episode 31: Flashback to some of the traumatic things he encountered

Episode 32: Hallucinating; bit by things in a lake, yelling in pain

Episode 33: Drugged, knocked into a lake

Episode 34: Grabbed by the ankle, dragged off by the snake tree; helped to stand

Episode 36: Thrown across the room, groaning in pain, caught in an explosion, knocked unconscious, blood on his head; coughing up blood

Episode 37: Groaning in pain, has an injured leg, covered in blood, captured, bitten by a snake, has a vision, held in down, grabbed by his shirt collar

Episode 38: Forced to go with his enemies, carried on someone’s back; at knifepoint, kicked in the chest (while sitting), falls into a mine cart, groaning in pain, manhandled, captor steps on his bad leg, breathing heavily, grabbed by the hair, captor threatens to break his back, grabbed by the back of his shirt; forced to walk on his bad leg, manhandled

Episode 39:  Helped to walk (but not in a friendly way), in pain; limping, falls unconscious after making eye contact with a snake; limping, knocked onto his back by a dog

Episode 40: Helped to walk, pushed to the ground, grabbing his leg in pain, punched in the face; pushed to the ground, straddled, crossbow pointed at his face, crossbow pushed into his injured leg, grunting in pain

Episode 41: Caught in an explosion, passes out; wakes up back with his captors, half dragged, half carried

Episode 42: Weak, carried on someone’s back, helped to stand, drugged

Episode 43: Wakes up in a strange place, IV in his arm, cast on his leg, collapses, passes out

Episode 44: Held down, drugged

Episode 46: Gun pointed to the back of his head, forced to read a bunch of snake pheromones, grunting in pain, shaking

Episode 48: In a fight, knocked to the floor bleeding from the mouth; forced to read more pheromones, sick, slides down a wall

Episode 50: Shot with a dart, passes out; used as a human shield, gun pointed to his neck

Episode 51: Shot at, chased, hiding; crying, sees his friend die in front of him; chased, shot at

Episode 52: Shot at, in a fight; kicked through a wall (kind of), nearly stabbed, thrown out a window; carried on Wu Xie’s back, blood on his head; wakes up alone on a train, bandage on his head, arm in a cast; reunited with his friends, crying

Whumpee: Wu Xie played by Qin Hao

Episode 2: (In a story) blood on his face, in a fight

Episode 6: Threatened with a knife

Episode 7:  Falls down a cliff; hanging over a cavern with two people holding on to him, falls, trapped

Episode 8: Threatened

Episode 9:  Stranded in the desert with no food or water

Episode 10: Caught in a sandstorm; held at knife-point; weak from dehydration, stumbling, collapses

Episode 12: Infected by a worm, tied up (for his protection); has the worm cut out of him, passes out; holding his side

Episode 14: Gun pointed to the side of his head, at knifepoint, manhandled (being held back), chased

Episode 15: Root grabs him by the ankle, dragged through sand

Episode 18: Bit by a snake; in a trance

Episode 19: In a trance, asked to be tied up

Episode 36: (Flashback) bitten by a snake

Episode 39: Drives his car off a mountain

Episode 40: Attacked, in a fight, falls off a cliff

Episode 42: Caught in a blizzard

Episode 45: Passed out, carried on someone’s back

Episode 50: Poisoned, falls to his back, left for dead

Episode 51: Unconscious, woken up, helped to sit; shot at

Episode 52: In a fight, kicked in the chest; crying

Whumpee: Su Wan played by Wang Hao Xuan

Episode 3: Kicked into a room with no floor, hanging from (bamboo?) scaffolding; locked in a room

Episode 7: Believes Li Cu is dead, crying

Episode 8: Kind of kidnapped

Episode 9:  Being watched, chased, saved

Episode 26: Lightly manhandled; tied to a chair, gagged (with a hand then packing tape), gets free, chased, punched in the face, bloody nose, caught, held in place, strangled (with a rope), rescued; bitten by a snake, falls unconscious, carried on a friend’s back, bleeding from the nose

Episode 27: In a hospital bed

Episode 28: In a hospital bed, bandage on his neck

Episode 33: Drugged, knocked into a lake

Episode 34: Bit by something, yelling in pain, given a shot; helped to walk; complaining that he doesn’t feel good, knocked across the room by a giant snake, passes out

Episode 36: Unconscious, carried on someone’s back, blood on his face

Episode 38: Chased

Episode 39:  Unconscious after jumping off a cliff, weak, helped to sit

Episode 40: Trapped in a pit

Episode 41: Trapped in a pit, weak

Episode 42: Stuck in a collapsing cave

Episode 52: Crying

Whumpee: Yang Hao played by Zhu Jian

Episode 3: Kicked into a room with no floor, hanging from (bamboo?) scaffolding; locked in a room

Episode 9: Being watched, chased, saved

Episode 27: Hits himself on the head with a brick, blood running down the side of his head

Episode 33: Drugged, knocked into a lake

Episode 40: Manipulated into believing his friend betrayed him; knocked over, told he is worth nothing, bullied

Episode 41: On the ground, forced onto his back, punched in the face; caught in an explosion; falls underground, blood on his face

Episode 42: Face covered in blood, worried about Li Cu

Episode 43: Discovers his grandmother passed away while he was gone, crying

Episode 44: Emotional pain

#sand sea #tomb of the sea #cdrama #whump list #whumplist #dmbj #li cu #wu xie #su wan #yang hao

[gothic-thoughts]

Not Listening

Toge Inumaki x Black Fem Reader Short Angst

CollegeAU(meaning AGEDup), YandereAU, Drabble

TW: Kidnapping, chasing, uses his curse technique to manipulate you

I don't even know how I let her talk me into letting her clever ass outside. She tried to convince me to go to an open park, I feigned agreement and brought her to the mall. "You said we were going to the park." She growled. I quickly type something on my phone and reveal the screen to her which read, "I'm not stupid so I brought you somewhere where you're less likely to escape immediately."

"In a mall?"

"Yeah. If you make a scene I know how to make you look crazy."

We walk around the mall and every second she gets she tries to pry her hand from mine so I garb her wrist and when that doesn't work, I grab her arm. She only continues to struggle in my grasp so I pull her to the side near a wall, squeezing her arm tightly. "Bonito flakes." I groan, before taking out my phone, "You're gonna force me to do something I don't want to do." She squinted at me, grabbing my hand tightly in an attempt to hurt me but I regardless, I smile at her cooperation. "Salmon."

"What happened to you, Inumaki?"

I give her a confused look when she calls me by my last name. "You heard me. You lost your first name priveleges when you told Megumi never look at me again." She snarls, ripping her hand from me again. I aggressively grab her wrist try to keep walking without drawing attention to our argument.

"You were such a good guy." She snaps.

"Salmon."

"No, you were."

"I still am. I'm just a good guy in love, baby. You're what happened to me."

"Don't 'baby' me. I am not your baby and I never will be."

"Salmon! Tuna." I stop in my tracks and flash her my phone screen, "I saved you plenty of times just to see that look you always gave me when you appreciated it. But then I caught you giving the same look to Itadori when he helped you." She pulled away from my hand with a scowl on her face. "Who knew you were such a fucking psychopath?" I scoff at her before grabbing her hand and pulling her to follow me across the open area to an ice cream cart parked by the escalator. I squeeze her hand one last time as a reminder not to do anything she might regret.

"Hi!" The vendor smiled, "What can I get for you?"

I hold up my index finger "Mango mochi. Strawberry mochi for her."

"1000 yen, please."

I reluctantly release her hand and take out my wallet, taking out the cash and looking up to see she had disappeared from my side. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I knew she'd do it. Just didn't think she'd disappear into the crowd so fast! I growl lowly and absent-mindedly slam down the money in anger, trying to hold it together in front of the confused vendor. "What happened?" The vendor asked while preparing the food so I turn back to her and whisper, "Forget us." before running into the crowd with a frantic mind. I just need to get close enough to curse her only.

After zigzagging through the crowd some more, I finally see her blue jacket swaying and ducking into the crowd while trying to get people's attention. looking around for me to solidify that she was escaping. I stop running, opting to speed walk to get close enough to her without being detected while the crowd bumped and rushed past her paranoid state. I even bump into her myself and she doesn't notice from how many people was in the area.

"Sleep."

She turns around in the crowd looking at where I was before moving away. I watched as her body started to sway with grogginess before I ran over to her and caught her falling body which led a few people to stop and stare in confusion and concern.

"Y-you...you mother...fu--"

She passed out in my arms so I picked her up bridally and waved the girl goodbye and headed to the mall exit just 50 feet away.

A/n: another shortie, yeah ik. Might post a Gojo smut for the simps Wednesday.

#jujutsu kaisen #black reader #black writers #x black reader #jujutsu kaisen x black reader #toge inumaki #inumaki toge x reader #jjk inumaki #inumaki toge #inumaki x reader #jujutsu kaisen inumaki #toge x reader #inumaki smut

[sorrowfulrosebud]

Pumpkin Patch with the Pups

Characters: Werewolf! Bakugou x reader and their litter of puppies

Content: in which Katsuki and his wife take their litter of puppies to the pumpkin patch for their first Halloween

Genre: pure fluff, PAPA KATSUKI WITH HIS LITTER OF PUPPIES IM GONNA COMBUST (for some reason I conjured this up whilst I was watching the movie Madeline)

“Alright you bunch of brats, let’s pick the best damn pumpkin there is!” Katsuki grinned at his litter of 4 small puppies. Two of the littlest runts were held closely in his arm, carefully positioned to avoid hurting their little tails. He could feel each tail wagging furiously against his toned tummy.

The older two puppies were holding your hand, tails wagging in unison. The labyrinth of smells was overwhelming with them; the silky flesh of the pumpkins, the dampened mud under their feet and small rodents in the area.

Your pups had just celebrated their first birthday, and Katsuki was desperate for them to celebrate their first Halloween as a pack (although he’d never admit it to your face), instead sighing and rolling his eyes when you told him of the human tradition of making a jack-o-lantern. You thought he’d forgotten, but when he told you to make sure to bring a massive mining cart filled with straw and blankets that he stole from the local village you couldn’t stop smiling. Now, each small puppy was fumbling about the pumpkin patch, yipping and tripping over themselves.

You stood back as you watched the puppies play together, jumping out from the largest pumpkins and pouncing on their siblings with joyful vigour. It was such a beautiful sight to see, the grin on your face never leaving.

“What’s gotten you smiling like a dope?” Katsuki crept behind you and rested his arm around your waist, kissing your temple as you pressed yourself into him comfortably. You hummed in response as you started swaying together with him.

“I’m so happy that you decided to do this. I mean, just look at our puppies having so much fun! They’re loving every minute of this thanks to their papa,” you smiled as you nuzzled into his neck. Katsuki stared at you for a minute before he tried fighting his own smile from entering his face. Squeals of “papa! Mama! Look at THIS one!” sounded like music to his pointy ears as your children fought over whose pumpkin was the best.

“Yeah well, I know how much you loved this dumb holiday when you lived with the people from your village, and I know that we would all probably be hunted down if we tried to move back there. I know that you would never tell me to my face how much you miss that stupid village, but I’m not a dumbass. So, here’s some semblance to your old life I suppose,” Katsuki looked away with a tinge of pink on his porcelain face.

Your heart fluttered at his declaration. It was true, after you were found taking care of Katsuki when he was nearly killed by hunters they assumed the worst (which was your best) and chased you out of the village. Two years of courting and another year for your marriage, you finally gave birth to your babies. It was by no means an easy pregnancy, the babies kicking you with all of their might and the fact you had to push out FOUR BABIES had you screaming at Katsuki when it came time to give birth.

(He was so proud of you for carrying his puppies, he thought you handled the pregnancy beautifully, so he didn’t mind you squeezing the shit out of his hand as you curse him for the worst pain of your entire life, simply wiping your forehead with a damp cloth with the dopiest look on his face.)

“I love you so much, thank you my love,” you murmured into his fluffy ears. Katsuki let out a pleased chuff as he nosed your hair and kissed your cheek. All four of your babies tumbled forwards towards you and each took a hand, squealing cacophonies of “mama, papa! Help us pick” as you were dragged further into the pumpkin patch.

You and Katsuki couldn’t help the laughs that left you. They definitely got their strength from their papa wolf.

“Alright, alright! What’s the damn matter you little brats?,” Katsuki growled harmlessly at his babies. None of the puppies cared; they knew their daddy was whipped for each of them. They pulled both of you down, choking out an ‘oof’ from the both of you and left you to get settled on the large roots of the pumpkins.

“Daddy! Help, help!” Your eldest of the pups continued pulling Katsuki forward to the biggest pumpkin there was, easily the height and a half of one of your pups.

Katsuki’s eyes widened at the size of the pumpkin before a proud grin took over his features.

“Damn right you’d find the best pumpkin! My pups are the best, just like their alpha wolf!” Katsuki felt giddy with pride looking at his children.

You smiled watching the scene unfold; Katsuki struggling to lift the pumpkin as your babies raced between his legs, play fighting with each other and tugging playfully on each other’s ears in their excitement.

Katsuki finally managed to lift the gargantuan pumpkin into the cart as the puppies each began yawning and rubbing their eyes sleepily. Your husband picked each puppy up one by one and rubbed his head against theirs before passing them to you to give them their goodnight kisses.

Your eldest puppy whined when Katsuki picked him up, insisting with little growls that he wasn’t sleepy.

“Mama, I’m not sleepy yet! I’m a big wolf, I wanna see the full moon!” Your baby whined as you settled him against your chest.

“I know puppy, but you had a very busy day today! Don’t forget you went hunting with your daddy and protected your brother and sisters from that very mean butterfly that wouldn’t leave them alone,” you cooed as you bounced him gently on your hip. Your puppy’s whining continued as you stroked the soft down of his floppy ear.

“I’ll tell you what my brave little wolf. If you can sleep in the cart with your siblings and protect the pumpkin, I’ll wake you up when your daddy and I are ready to see the full moon,” you made an ultimatum with your eldest. He contemplated it for a bit before snuggling into you with a happy chuff.

“Okay mama”.

Katsuki took him from you as he nestled him with his siblings in the cart. Claws that were designed to kill gently pushed away the hair from his children’s faces. He would never in a million years think he would ever get this opportunity after his own pack abandoned him, and now he has the most perfect pack in the world.

You sidestepped into Katsuki’s arms and stroked the fluffy hair between his ears as he wrapped his arms around you. His tail was going a million miles an hour at your touch, occasionally thumping against your butt.

“Y’know Katsuki, I think we might have to get a few more pumpkins next year,” you grinned in his ear.

“Oh yeah? And why’s that?” He looked at you suspiciously.

“Well, seeing as how our litter is going to expand by next year, I’d imagine it would be better to have enough pumpkins for all of our children to carve,” you took Katsuki’s hand in yours and placed it on your slightly swollen tummy.

Katsuki sunk to his knees shakily at your proclamation, no words coming out of his open lips.

“You - you’re pregnant again?” He whispered against your tummy, gently thumbing the protruding part as you nodded vigorously, happy tears plopping on his face.

God, did Katsuki love his mate.

#bnha x reader #bakugou x reader #bakugou fluff #hybrid bnha #hybrid bnha x reader #bakugou x reader fluff #bakugou katsuki #bakugou #just. him with puppies. best thought ever #Katsuki x reader fluff #domestic bakugou #hint of angst #fem reader

[rising-volteccers]

Honestly after talking with some friends, this is the impression I get from them so have this silly meme. Oh and the what-if scene for HZ023, if you care.

All jokes aside, I genuinely had fun writing this! This is how I personally would love to see happen. I hope it'll be an enjoyable read haha!

Series: Pokemon Horizons

Characters: Friede, Amethio

Mild warning for description of character injury. And HZ022-HZ023 spoilers.

--

The loud screech that emanated deep within the mines stole his attention and halted the battle between them. Friede did say Amethio wouldn’t catch him looking away but his eyes automatically flickered to the source. What he saw emerging from the tunnel made his blood run cold.

Liko and Roy. Cap, badly wounded in Liko’s arms. Something big and angry chasing after them. 

“Charizard, Flamethrower!” Friede ordered almost immediately.

His trusted partner swiftly fired off a stream of fire from its mouth, hitting the Pokemon that looked like Moltres dead center. 

“Friede!” He heard Liko yell as the mine cart rapidly brought the kids and Cap away–hopefully towards safety. 

“Keep going! Take care of Cap!” 

Liko’s desperate scream of his name made his heart ache with guilt but Friede couldn’t afford to spare them any more attention, not when the flaming Pokemon turned its fury filled sights upon him. 

To his brief surprise, he zeroed in on the Ancient Pokeball grasped between its talons. So, this was one of Lucius’s Pokemon too? Like Rayquaza and Arboliva?

The Moltres lookalike once again screeched in fury, and Friede swore he saw fire-like aura emitting from it. All of them had to dodge the bevy of Air Slash crescents fired off from its wings, where some veered towards the tunnel where Liko and Roy escaped earlier. It swiftly caused that mineshaft to collapse. 

Ah, so more like Rayquaza than the gentle Arboliva then. Got it.

“Guess I made it mad,” he uttered, smirking nervously. While Friede enjoyed battling against strong opponents, even he knew better than to contend with multiple enemies at once. At least between the two in front of him, one could be reasoned with. Hopefully.

“Hey! Temporary truce?” Friede spoke to the still frozen Amethio. That snapped the teen out of whatever trance he’d been in.

“What? Why–”

“Look out! Flamethrower!” Friede ordered, to which his Charizard readily fired off another stream of flames towards the wave of dark purple energy targeting Amethio and Ceruledge. Chillingly, the Flamethrower passed through it so nothing stopped the attack from hitting Trainer and Pokemon head on. 

“Amethio! Charizard, go up close and use Dragon Claw!”

With a mighty flap of his wings, Charizard surged upwards with gleaming orange claws, rearing them back before striking at the furious Pokemon.

In the meantime, Friede rushed towards Amethio and Ceruledge. Both of them were flat on the ground, looking like they were struggling to get up. He didn’t spot any immediate visible wounds but their actions indicated that something was wrong still. 

“What’s wrong? Where are you hurt?” 

“Ngh… it’s like all my energy’s been sapped,” Amethio replied through gritted teeth. He had pushed himself onto his elbows, looking past Friede to stare at the Moltres currently engaged in an aerial battle with Charizard. 

An attack that sapped away at one’s stamina? If Friede looked closely, both Amethio and Ceruledge breathed out what appeared to be black wisps. Through his extensive knowledge of Pokemon and their moves, he was genuinely at a lost. He’d never seen an attack–outside of Ghost-type moves–that didn’t directly harm the user but drained their energy before. 

Charizard’s roar drew Friede’s attention to his flier. He saw Charizard swooped out of the way from that odd attack again but within the enclosed area, his room to fly around was pretty limited. The moment that Moltres get a good solid hit in, it was over. 

Friede swiftly checked his surroundings. Aside from the mineshaft that the kids emerged from and the one that collapsed behind him, there was one more that he vaguely recall Amethio coming out from. While he wasn’t keen on entering deeper into the mines, their priority right now was to get away. 

A small part of him bemoaned the loss of fighting against such a strong opponent but he couldn’t be selfish here. Not when he needed to get Amethio towards safety. He might be someone who stood against him but he too was painfully mortal, just like Friede was. It didn’t matter that they were enemies once that Moltres got its fury filled talons on their squishy bodies. 

“Right, we’re gonna head there. Return your Ceruledge and see if you can hold on,” Friede instructed, already in the process of looping one of Amethio’s arms across his shoulders.

“What are you–let go of me!” Right, why would this guy make things easy for him?

“Now’s not the time! Unless you want to take your chances with that thing, we’re getting out of here!” Friede hissed back, losing all traces of his playfully serious mood. From the corner of his eye, he saw how Charizard collided with the stone wall from one of its Air Slashes. His partner wouldn’t last that much longer.

Thankfully, Amethio finally took the hint. After returning Ceruledge, he quieted down even if Friede sensed the disgruntled air coming from him once he pulled the skinny teen to his feet, one of his arms looped around the other’s waist. Amethio did not walk unsteadily but it still took effort for Friede to support him without them swerving from the straight path towards the open mineshaft. 

Just as they reached it, a loud screech halted them. Friede risked a look behind, feeling his heart drop to his stomach upon seeing his downed Charizard. Now the Moltres had its furious sights on them again.

It curled its wings in, gaining an ominous sheen to it before the Moltres released another wave of Air Slashes towards them. Friede didn’t think much when he shoved Amethio inside the mineshaft while he rolled to the side. His ankle screamed at him when he scrambled to his feet, nearly buckling underneath his weight. The slashes barely missed him, though the ones that did connect started to cause the entrance to crumble. 

If he was to get stuck in here and get ripped to shreds, Friede wanted to at least return his Charizard to spare it that gruesome fate. 

Just as he raised his Pokeball to return Charizard, a purplish figure dashed out of the slowly collapsing entrance. Friede heard a call for “Phantom Force!” over the Moltres’s screech and the sound of his partner now safe in its Pokeball. 

Friede spotted Ceruledge emerging from its portal to slash at Moltres from above, effectively drawing its attention that he could stumble his way to the mineshaft, pushing through the fire that surged from his ankle. He just about avoid a fallen support beam, then fell past Amethio who quickly returned his Ceruledge. 

Another loud screech, then the entrance really started collapsing in earnest. Friede instinctively curled into a ball, arms going up to protect his head as earth and stone fell around him. After what felt like forever, it finally stopped.

It was quiet, the only sounds were his labored breaths, and the occasional creak of the settling wreckage. Friede tried to breathe slowly, to calm the rising panic within his chest but all he got was a mouthful of dust. He coughed and wished he had something to wash out the film lining his teeth.

Once his lungs settled down, Friede remembered that he wasn’t alone.

“You alive?”

“Unfortunately,” Amethio grumbled his response, coming somewhere from his left with a pain laced voice. Friede pushed himself up onto his elbows and tried to squint at the other through his still adjusting vision. He couldn’t see any visible wounds aside from the gash that sluggishly bled from Amethio’s forehead. At the very least it looked like he could move normally again.

Pushing through the sharp spike that came from his left leg, Friede army crawled a few feet away from the pile of rubble that temporarily separated them from that dangerous Pokemon still screeching in anger. Once he neared a tarp covered box, he used it as leverage to pull himself up into a sitting position, gasping from both exertion and pain.

With his legs spread out in front of him, Friede knew his left ankle was at least twisted, at worst outright broken. He supposed no good deed goes unpunished. 

“Why did you do that?” As if sensing his thoughts, Amethio hissed out. In the dim lighting, Friede just about made out his angry, somewhat confused scowl. “We would’ve made it. You foolishly got yourself hurt because you tried to play the hero.”

“A thank you would’ve been nice,” Friede replied, sporting a wry grin. He released a slow breath afterwards. “But to answer your question, don’t know. Body just reacted.”

He truly didn’t have an answer for it. Friede saw danger and his first reaction was to keep Amethio out of harm’s way. He’d likely do that for anyone, really. That was just his nature; to fiercely guard and protect those around him, which apparently included Amethio at that moment.

For a bit, no words passed between them. His silence was based on breathing through the pain while Amethio’s appeared cold, maybe contemplative even. The screeching had stopped for the time being so that Moltres probably gave up. Hopefully. Friede wondered if its rage would prompt it to cause the entire mine to collapse.

“...where are you hurt?” Amethio’s question caught him by surprise. Friede fought to mask it, instead raising an eyebrow at the cool gaze settling upon him.

“Left ankle. Probably twisted it,” he replied. Friede instinctively tensed up at Amethio’s approach, hand twitching to the Pokeball that held his injured Charizard. To his continued surprise, the teen crouched in front of his stretched out legs. 

“Hey, watch it!” Friede yelped at the initial touch on his boot, the slight jostle causing a flare up of pain. Amethio briefly paused, then continued to ease his boot out in a gentler manner. He didn’t think the other had it in him to be mindful honestly. 

Friede gritted his teeth through the careful probing. Even he could tell it felt swollen and tender, nevermind the pain that sparked up from the affected area. 

“This needs a splint,” Amethio spoke up after several minutes of silence. He stood up from his crouched position, making a brief sweep of his surroundings. “Those broken beams over there should suffice for now. The only thing left is some kind of cloth to wrap them around your leg and keep them in place.”

Friede considered Amethio’s words. He didn’t expect this level of cooperation but he supposed desperate times called for desperate measures. He shouldn’t look a gift Rapidash in the mouth so he dipped a hand into his pocket, pulling out a small pocket knife.

“Here. Should be able to use this to cut strips from the tarp covering this box. You’d have an easier time doing it than me right now,” he explained, handing the item to Amethio.

Amethio didn’t reach out to grab it, not at first. Friede found himself at the other end of a slightly incredulous gaze.

“What? My arm’s getting sore.”

“You’d hand me a blade that I can point at you?”

Well, considering their usual dynamics, Friede supposed he understood his confusion. He wasn’t too keen about it himself but he banked on what he knew of Amethio’s character from the various times they clashed. 

“I mean, I don’t think you’re the sort who’d stab a guy when he’s down. Too easy of a win for you, no?”

For a moment, Friede wondered if he messed up at the sudden shift in Amethio’s expression. He looked downright annoyed now, his right eye twitching ever so slightly. Did he incite the teen to actually stab him?

Before Friede could store away the knife, Amethio swiped it from his grasp. He sidestepped him to yank at the tarp, pulling it off the box. 

“Hold onto this corner and keep it taut,” Amethio all but ordered. Deciding to not push his luck, Friede did as he was told. Soon, they had various haphazard strips that should fit their purposes. 

Amethio dropped the knife by Friede’s side instead of nicely handing it back to him. A tad rude but hey, definitely better than fending himself off from angry stabs. Amethio soon returned to his side with a couple of broken support beams, roughly in the size they needed to make a temporary splint. 

Friede remained still while Amethio set about in placing the planks on both sides of his left leg. He sort of tuned out the entire process, mostly thinking about where Amethio got this knowledge from. Did he get injured often? As strong as Amethio was in battles, Friede was aware that he didn’t look that much older than Liko and Roy. 

Why was someone as young as him a part of the Explorers? He’d entertain that thought from time to time, admittedly. Whose orders did he follow that he’d chase them from Kanto? Friede was certain that he faced off a different Explorer back in Paldea. It just wasn’t Amethio’s style to resort to trickery and subterfuge. He could have easily went after Liko and Roy when they were separated from him instead of opting to battle.

“...there. How does that feel?” Amethio’s question drew him back to the present. Friede blinked, eyes glancing down at the makeshift splint. 

“Doesn’t feel too tight. Thanks,” he replied after carefully moving his leg. That should help keep his leg stabilized until he gets his ankle properly treated. 

Friede leaned back against the box, took a few deep breaths before looking up at Amethio's quiet gaze. He extended a hand towards the other. "Help me up? Don't know about you but I'd like to find a way out of here."

Amethio eyed his hand like it was something foul but he did grasp it. After a bit of awkward maneuvering, Friede got to his feet, putting minimal pressure on his bad ankle by leaning his weight against Amethio. Instead of shoving him off, the teen simply mimicked his earlier position by wrapping an arm around his waist while one of Friede's arms was draped across Amethio's shoulders.

"Guess our only choice is to go down there and hope it'll lead to an exit," Friede stated, vaguely gesturing to the path that wasn't blocked off by debris and rubble. 

"It'll lead to an open chamber with multiple paths. One of them is an exit," Amethio replied, already making the first move to get him walking.

"Huh." Friede would've asked where his confidence came from but then he recalled Amethio coming out from this tunnel earlier. He couldn't help but wonder for just how long the Explorers kept an eye on them. The very moment they landed in Galar? Friede wanted to keep a low profile by traveling on foot but that seemed to be a bust since Amethio found him all the way here. 

Initially, it took them a few tries to find a way where the height difference and Friede's awkward gait didn't impede their pace. Once they found a rhythm, thus began a slow yet steady walk down the mostly dim tunnel. His eyes had since adjusted, and after a few minutes, he spotted a pinprick of light in the distance.

"Oh good, looks like we're close. Usually people say 'don't go into the light!' but in our case, it's a blessing, yeah?" Friede chattered on, having done so for the past minute since he didn't like how the silence settled on his skin. 

"A head injury would be preferable if it gets you to shut up." Amethio didn't give him a response before but it seemed that he was really getting on his nerves now.

"Oof, a lil' harsh." There might be a hint of a pout to his voice but Friede got the message. He didn't know whether Amethio was above just dropping him like a sack of potatoes so he kept his mouth shut until their claustrophobic surroundings opened up to a larger chamber.

It looked similar to the one they were fighting in before with the same tunnels that led to who knows where. Amethio led them down to the leftmost one, presumably the mineshaft he came in from before. 

Friede couldn't tell how much time had passed. His entire body slowly became one giant ache as he hobbled along, hating the stiffness from the makeshift splint. The edges rubbed against his leg in a way that was noticeable even through the fabric of his trousers. He kept reminding himself that this was necessary even if he wanted nothing more than to get it off. 

Had he been a lesser person, seeing the light at the end of this tunnel would've reduced him to tears. At last, fresh air once they properly exited the mines. Friede wasn't the claustrophobic sort usually but seeing greenery and open space around him, not to mention breathing in dust free air nearly made him crash in relief.

Amethio led him to a nearby tree. Once Friede had a hand on the trunk, the teen swiftly released him like he couldn't stand being pressed close for even a second longer. He watched Amethio dust himself off, futile as it was. Both of them looked like they just crawled out of the ground.

"Don't forget to get that treated," Friede found himself speaking up, tipping his head at the now dried blood that caked Amethio's upper brow. 

He received a blank stare for that. "Duly noted. Take your own unwanted advice."

Well, he supposed that since they were free, all false niceties were off the table. Not that Amethio put much effort in keeping his disdain hidden. They had to work together under unexpected circumstances. Now that the threat no longer loomed over their heads, they returned to their previous dynamic of being enemies.

"I'd love to continue our previous battle but–take a rain check for it, yeah? Promise I'll give it everything I got next time."

There will be a next time. So long as Amethio chased after the pendant, they will inevitably clash. Such was the nature for them who stood on opposite ends. 

(Sometimes Friede did wonder how it'd be like if Amethio had been an ally instead. Perhaps they'd get along better, or maybe even be friends).

Amethio didn't respond. Instead, he turned around and released his Corviknight. 

"Huh, forgot you had that mon," Friede mused. Seeing their fiery opponent (both figuratively and literally), he supposed Amethio didn't want to pit his Steel-type against it earlier.

Friede watched as the teen swiftly got onto his Corviknight. Before his flier took off, Amethio briefly glanced back at him.

"Prepare yourself," was all he said prior to the Corviknight becoming airborne. Friede stared at the pair until they flew out of sight. 

With a deep sigh, he allowed his shoulders to slump. Exhaustion and pain weighed him down in different measures. He made a quick swipe at his face, took in a measuring breath before releasing his Charizard.

His partner was quick to growl its worry. The time spent in its Pokeball allowed the Fire-type a bit of recovery room but they wouldn't be winning any battles until Charizard got properly treated. 

"Hey, sorry for worrying you. I'm fine–well, I will be," Friede quickly amended at Charizard's pointed look to his makeshift splint. He gave his starter a few good scratches underneath his chin.

"Do you think you can give me a lift back to Motostoke? I think the kids would bring Cap there. Just take it nice and easy."

Charizard easily accepted his request. It turned around and lowered itself to the ground, much more than usual to compensate for Friede's current state. He winced from all the jostling but soon, he sat as comfortably as he could on Charizard's back.

Slowly, as if testing his wings, Charizard gave a few flaps. It became stronger, and then they were airborne. 

As Friede settled down during their slow flight back to Motostoke, his mind went back to the Moltres back in the mines. Seeing that it was likely connected to the Lucius, they very well couldn't leave it alone. Liko and Roy wouldn't want to leave a mystery like this unsolved, nor did he. 

Well Friede didn't plan on facing it unprepared. He might come back on crutches but he was determined to have the upper hand next time. He fished out his Rotom Phone, dialing a number until it connected. 

"Friede? What is it?"

"Hey Dot. So, long story short, I need your help in looking into something for me…"

#Pokemon Horizons #Pokeani #Anipoke #Professor Friede #Amethio (Pokemon) #Hana writes stuff #I think they should be frenemies at some point

[sassytheturtle]

Thinking about how we’ve never once seen Hunter fighting at full strength and power in toh.

You need to remember this dude has been trained his entire life to serve as an elite soldier under the emperor. Belos wouldn’t have made him his right hand man and eventual coven head after Lilith left if he wasn’t capable of handling himself, anyone who might seek to harm the emperor or anyone else of importance, dangerous monsters and demons, and capturing powerful wild witches.

I mean, think about all the specifics of his job and training that he’s mentioned. He had to have been really freaking tough and talented to have been able to make it through all that.

And we never once get to see what he’s truly capable of.

In Seperate Tides, Hunter doesn’t see Luz or Eda as any sort of threat. He knows they’re both powerless. He’s clearly relaxed and toying with them. He’s confident that he has the upper hand and isn’t worrying about having to handle a couple of troublesome criminals.

Hunting Palismen takes place late at night. He was expecting this to be a quick and easy in and out mission. It’s understandable that he would be tired this late. And again, you have to remember that he still doesn’t view Luz as any sort of threat. He’s annoyed by her and gets caught off guard because he wasn’t expecting her to be any sort of challenge to handle.

Plus he was just in a crash and doesn’t even have his staff the majority of the episode, but is still able to easily keep up with Luz. And he willingly goes along with her afterwards so that he can get the palismen quicker and then dispose of Luz.

By the time he fights Kiki, he’s been running around all night and clearly just wants this mission to be over with. Kiki has been shown to be a pretty powerful person fighting wise, and even though she’s barely conscious, Hunter bests her fairly quickly. It wasn’t something that was really that hard for him.

Then comes to Eclipse Lake. By the time he and Amity fight, he’s exhausted, just had a mental breakdown, and fighting on an unfamiliar staff. Mental breakdowns like this leave people feeling super drained and burnt out, but he still gives Amity a pretty good run for her money.

I believe he would have easily won if not for the events in the episode leading up to the fight. I mean, he was literally just involved in a mine cart chase before he got to the lake.

In Any Sport in a Storm, other characters clearly point out the fact that he’s very talented at what he does. But he doesn’t exert full effort. He’s trying to recruit teens and play a sport.

In Labyrinth Runners, he’s dealing with the impacts and trauma from Hollow Mind. This dude has just learned that everything he thought he ever knew was a complete lie. He knows the man he once saw as his uncle wants him dead. He’s terrified. All he ever had to do before was follow orders, but now it’s up to him to make decisions and he has no idea what to do, where to go, or who to turn to. All he knows is that he has to stay as far away from Belos as possible.

All of this is clearly mentally and physically draining him. But even at this weak point, he’s able to push through and get to Gus when several other scouts and a literal coven head could not.

Again in Clouds On the Horizon, he’s still terrified and dealing with everything that happened. He’s still not in a good head space.

In King’s Tide, he’s been in yet another crash and is being effected by the draining spell. But he’s still able to push through and fight Belos, holding up fairly well, when everyone else with a sigil can barely even move.

It wasn’t even him fighting in Thanks to Them. That was just Belos using his body. But still, an argument can be made. He’s able to push through Belos’s possession after being rusty on fighting and all of his training for literal months. Belos was clearly trying to hurt Hunter when possessing him and didn’t care whether he lived or died. Hunter pushes through in minutes.

When Belos possessed Raine, he didn’t want to hurt them. He needed a body and to sustain Raine as long as he could. Raine has been trapped as a puppet, but they haven’t been conscious for months. If they were freed from puppet form, then they’d still be as used to fighting as before they were enslaved into a dreamless sleep.

Belos even comments on how powerful Raine is, but it still takes them a lot longer to push through his control than Hunter did. They did also have to push through Collector’s, but there’s still a point to be made.

In For the Future, again Hunter is still rusty, in painful grief, having to deal with all of his worst traumas coming back, and now has no magic at all. He figures out he’s able to use it later on, but it’s only ever that one spell.

This brings me back to my main point. In all of these instances, Hunter has either been tired, burnt out, in mental distress, just previously dealing with another physically taxing event, not really trying or having to use effort, rusty from lack of practice, using unfamiliar magic, or a combination of those. I believe that if we ever got to see him fight in his prime—with a staff and magic that he was used to, in a mostly stable emotional state, physically rested or not just previously having to deal with another taxing event, and with all of his training in tact and not out of practice—then we would see just how powerful and terrifying of a foe he could have really been.

#finally caved and got this hellscape of an app #time to flood it with my bs ramblings #toh #owl house #the owl house #golden guard #the golden guard #hunter #toh hunter #owl house hunter #hunter toh #hunter owl house #hunter noceda #hunter deamonne

[gunterfan1992]

Episode Review: "Fionna Campbell"/"Simon Petrikov" (Fionna & Cake, Eps. 1-2)

If you had told me on the day that Adventure Time was canceled that almost a decade into the future, I would still be writing reviews about new episodes, I would have never believed you. And yet, today saw the release of not one, but two new episodes. (It seems that the fun really will never end!) What a world we live in!

----

When I first heard that Fionna and Cake would be the focus of the newest Adam Muto-produced Adventure Time spin-off, I was a touch apprehensive. It is not that I disliked the characters... I just worried that they might not be able to anchor ten 22-minute episodes. After all, the two were always something of a funny gimmick. Other than explaining if they were real, what more was there to say about them?

My tentative apprehension started to dissipate when I learned that the one, the only Simon Petrikov would play a major part in the miniseries. Simon was always a strong character, and there was much to his story that still needed to be teased out. His presence in the miniseries signaled one thing: Fionna and Cake would not just be a fluffy romp, but rather one of mythological significance! Needless to say, my interest was fully piqued, and I began to count down the days when the miniseries would debut.

And now that the first two episodes are out, I am happy to say that my tentative fears were likely misplaced. Indeed, if "Fionna Campbell" and "Simon Petrikov" are indicative of the overall quality of this miniseries, we're in for a good time!

So let's dig in!

Airdate: August 31, 2023

Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang

Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Haewon Lee, Jacob Winkler

Directed by: Ryann Shannon (supervising), Hans Tseng (art)

The miniseries kicks off with "Fionna Campbell," which follows the story of Fionna the human... No, not that Fionna the Human. This Fionna does not live in a magic land, and it is only in her dreams that she's a swashbuckling hero. Instead, the Fionna we meet lives in a mundane world very much like our own. This Fionna seems to feel as if she fundamentally lacks any sense of purpose. Accompanying her throughout her non-adventures in this alternate reality is Fionna's (non-magical) cat, Cake. The main plot of the episode begins after Cat and Fionna have a strange dream, whereupon Cake begins to act erratically; it is almost like she desperately needs to be in contact with ice of all things. After a series of humorous set pieces in which Fionna repeatedly discusses the dullness of her reality with a variety of uncannily familiar characters, Cake goes bananas and makes a mad dash for an ice cream cart. As Fionna gives chase, Cake dives into the cart, which turns into a magic portal and teleports Cake to a different world...

Of the two episodes discussed in this review, "Fionna Campbell" was the least impactful. Do not misunderstand me: It was still a fun, charming episode, but it did little more than introduce us to our heroines and set up the plot of the miniseries. The issue with this is that it makes much of the episode, on a strictly narrative level, superfluous (for instance, were you to have Cake dart over to Fionna's ice dispenser and have it—rather than an ice cream cart—the overall story would still work just fine). But while much of this episode is technically "unnecessary," it nevertheless mines a lot of goodwill and humor by introducing us to gender-bent "real world" versions of beloved Adventure Time characters (e.g., "Queen" [Queen of Ooo], "Ellis P." [Lumpy Space Prince], "Gary Prince" [Prince Gumball]). Perhaps I am biased as a Marceline fan, but hands-down the best of the gender-bent bunch is Marshall Lee, played once again by the uber-talented and oh-so-witty Donald Glover. (That said, Pen Ward's oddball hobo-vet character, "Ellis P.," is a close second.)

Regardless of any narrative weirdness, I applaud Muto et al. for approaching this Fionna and Cake storyline from a different angle. It would have been very, very easy to simply drop us back into the genderbent world that we have already visited in the main series. This, honestly, is what I was expecting the series to do. Instead, the writers decided to introduce versions of Fionna and Cake that feel more like they are from our world. This makes them solid audience surrogates. Over the course of the episode, I came to see Fionna as a character in and of herself, not just as a female version of Finn. Likewise, Cake felt less like "feline Jake," and more like a goofy house cat (albeit one that has a case of the Zoomies from Hell). "Fionna Campbell," in a word, gives Fionna and Cake a chance to become their own people before throwing them into the wider world of Ooo.

Airdate: August 31, 2023

Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang

Storyboarded by: Iggy Craig, Graham Falk, Jim Campbell, Lucyola Langi

Directed by: Steve Wolfhard (supervising), Hans Tseng (art)

After the purposefully abrupt ending to "Fionna Campbell," we are suddenly thrown head first back into the familiar Land of Ooo with "Simon Petrikov."

This episode picks up several years after the main series. Simon is now living a, shall we say, "unorthodox life in a museum-like facility, where he is treated as a relic of the past. He has lost his sense of purpose and direction, and he struggles with loneliness and boredom. Simon, in a word, is depressed. It does not help matters that people keep asking him about "his" Fionna and Cake novels--novels that he repeatedly emphasizes Ice King wrote. Alas, it is no use, and so Simon goes to the tavern owned by Dirt Beer Guy (A+ cameo) to drink his sorrows away. It is here that he runs into a 20-something Finn in all his himbo glory. Finn sees that Simon isn't doing well and insists that he must go on an adventure to reclaim his joie de vivre. Simon reluctantly follows Finn into the most primordial corner of Ooo, where the two are nearly killed multiple times.

At the end of the episode, Simon returns to his museum-home feeling just as bad as he did before. After sneaking off into his closet, we learn that his depression has driven him to create a shrine to GOLB; using the demoniac power of Evil Choose Goose, he subsequently attempts to summon the deity, presumably to reconnect with Betty. But, just like the best laid plans of mice and men, Simon's scheme fails to summon any eldritch abominations, but it does open up the portal we saw at the end of "Fionna Campbell." And out from this portal pops Cake the Cat!

The episode immediately shifts to Prismo's time room, where we see an alarm on the wish-master's remote begin to blink ominously…

Wow, what an episode!

I appreciate the focus "Simon Petrikov" places on depression and the struggle against nihilism. Simon, after all, is a man thrust into a new world. Everything he used to strive for is gone. Even the madness that took his old world away from him is gone. This might sound like a good thing, but interestingly, it seems to have had a deleterious effect on Simon’s psyche: Previously, when Simon was metaphorically locked within the recesses of Ice King's mind, he had something to strive for: He could overcome the crown’s curse and regain his sanity. And then he did! Thus, Ice King ended and Simon was back. But alas, his arrival occurred at the literal end of the story. The big bad was gone. The goal had been reached. All that was left was the ride into the sunset. But Simon could not do that, because even though he regained his sanity, it ultimately cost him his love, Betty.

I won't lie: I found Simon's story to be deeply relatable. For those who don't know, I recently earned my PhD. It was a long, uphill battle, and after I earned that degree… I didn't know what to do. In truth, I still don't know what to do. I have been a student almost my entire life, and now the rest of that life lays out in front of me. I achieved what I originally wanted; it is time to figure out what I currently want. Honestly, it has been an occasionally gloomy time, and I won't lie, I have struggled quite a bit with depression these last few months just trying to figure everything out. In doing so, I have realized just how much of my life I have sunk into my degree. It has been a bit disheartening to realize that while I have a doctorate, but it cost me the entirety of my 20s to get it. So yes, while I did not lose the love of my life to an eldritch demon-god, I still empathize with Simon's listlessness and his existential angst. (As an aside, post-PhD depression is very a real thing, y'all!)

When you have gained what you thought you wanted and lost that which was really important, what do you do? Of course, it is easy to simply collapse in despair. This is capitulation to vulgar nihilism, and it is something that I have struggled with ("Why even bother doing anything..."). At the start of "Simon Petrikov," the titular character is very close to this collapse, too. Indeed, Simon starts off in a dark place, but paradoxically, this darkness holds the seeds that can grow into a life-changing journey. After all, when we are at our lowest, the only (productive) way to go is up. Put most simply, Finn was actually right: Simon needs an adventure to reignite within him that sense of drive and purpose. But the catch here is that that adventure needs to be meaningful to Simon. It needs to spark something unique within his soul. The bizarro arrival of Cake may thus be exactly what he needs. Cake is not just a mystery—she's a mystery that perhaps only Simon can solve, since it was Simon (or, at least a version of him) who dreamed her up in the first place!

Simon now has a purpose.

Purpose.

Once again, Adventure Time is reminding us of the importance of "purpose." Purpose, the show seems to be saying, is what gives meaning to our lives, what motivates us to overcome challenges, and what inspires us to contribute to society. Without purpose, we may feel lost, empty, or hopeless. What, then, is the show suggesting we do to gain this sense of purpose? It is hard to say, given that the miniseries isn't over, but my guess is that the show is emphasizing that while meaning can emerge from even the most chance of occurrences, it is not enough to just recognize these coincidences. Instead, we have to seize them, embrace them, and make them our own. We have to act on our purpose, and not let it slip away. At the end of "Simon Petrikov," Simon is put in this exact spot, and while he might show some reluctance to seize the moment, something tells me that he'll eventually act in a major way.

Am I on the right track? I guess we'll have to wait a few weeks to find out!

----

When news about the series first started to leak, I remember there was a lot of hubbub about its more "adult" tone. I was a bit apprehensive when I heard this; part of what I love about Adventure Time is that it is capable of being scary and profound without having to stoop to the shock value of cheap swears and bloody violence. After seeing these episodes, my worries have mostly been put to rest. After all, most of the "swearing" is pretty mild, and it seems to be used rather judiciously. (That said, I did a double take when Cake told Fionna to "Puke [the bad guy] up"—I thought she said another "-uck" word!) On top of all that, it was often just funny! Queenie shrieking "Jesus!" when Fionna ripped her pants off was comedy gold, as was Finn's line about "bust[ing Simon's] balls" back in the day. I'm a bit more ambivalent when it comes to the gorier elements (e.g., Finn killing that mudskipper in a bloody splatter), but that's largely because it feels a bit incongruous with the lighthearted Land of Ooo that we know. Adventure Time was often violent, this is true, but it was rarely gory. That said, the violence in these episodes is not over the top—this isn't Superjail! or anything—and I hope the show continues to maintain that nice balance. Right now, everything mostly feels "right."

All in all, these were solid episodes. In addition to all the positives that I outlined above, there were a variety of other things that made me smile. I'm quite happy that the show is returning to the multiverse lore, as I always felt that was a story thread that the show never explored to the fullest. The various cameos were also delightful (I had a lot of fun guessing who all the gender-bent normies were supposed to be representative of), and I loved the little post-Mushroom War Simon & Marcy moment. And of course, hearing Marceline say that someone is "pissed" is something that I didn't know I needed to hear!

I cannot wait to see what the series has in store for Simon, Fionna, and Cake.

Final "Fionna Campbell" Grade: B

Final "Simon Petrikov" Grade: A

#adventure time #atimers #fionna and cake #fionna campbell #simon petrikov #marceline the vampire queen #princess bubblegum #finn the human #cake the cat #fionna the human #review #miniseries