#and its the most popular fic in the fandom... for why? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

barblaz-arts · 6 months ago

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I know you've been making a lot of art of it lately, but out of curiosity, what's your opinion on Hazbin Hotel in general? I'm referring to both the show and the fandom here. Just curious.

God. What a loaded question. Are you ready? Bcuz I'm fresh from Vaggie discourse on twitter and I have a lot to say.

I think that Hazbin Hotel seems worse than it is for people who know the fandom but haven't actually watched the show. Honestly, I think it's a fine show. It isnt super incredible and I'm not gonna sing praises about how deep and thought provoking it is or whether it's an artistic masterpiece. It never tried to be that and was never advertised as such(to my knowledge) anyway. I just had a lot of fun. Like, yeh sure the cussing in the dialogue can be a bit much, especially in ep 1, but there are different writers in other episodes, so it gets better. It can be super crude yeh, but I grew up watching things like the Scary Movie franchise and other dumb american movies (yes, i was too young for them. yes, i still watched them), so it's pretty tolerable for me. It also helps that Charlie is the main character. That's one of the main reasons why I watch HH but dont watch HB. It's probably a fun show, but without a sweetheart like Charlie to balance things out, I'd just get tired of the sex jokes and mean jokes.

Compared to my last hyperfixation, I think I have more things to love about Hazbin Hotel, believe it or not. With Netflix's Wednesday, I had already been an Addams Family fan for a while and hung on because I loved the family and eventually Enid and wenclair. The show itself was honestly meh... so far! I'll give season 2 another shot.

But with Hazbin Hotel, it catered to a lot of things I've always loved. Found family with a bunch of misfits? We didnt get to see it much bcuz of the fuckass 8-ep per season format we have nowadays, but its fine its there! The juxtaposition of a kind hearted woman in a harsh world? Love love Charlie for that, I watched the show in the first place because of her. A canon lesbian lover with a "fuck the world cuz my world is you" type of love for the protag? Fuck yes. How very Pearl-from-Steven-Universe of Vaggie. And the music? The music is soooo good. I didn't know the songwriter prior to watching, so I was nervous about the songs, but I knew most of the theater actors they cast(still cant believe Jeremy fucking Jordan is Lucifer) so I figured even if the songs are mid, at least the performances would be topnotch. And they were! But the songs were a pleasant surprise. Sam Haft did real damn well. I still listen to the soundtrack to this day.

The fandom, however, is probably the worst one I've been in. And I've been in a lot in my big age... Just... lacking media literacy, and based on the replies I get when I say something on twitter, it seems a lot of them lack reading comprehension and just plain emotional intelligence too.

There's a lot of criticisms about this show that I honestly think is fair. Pacing, character design, overuse of the F word, whatever. But in my opinion, claiming that Hazbin is a male-centered show is an unfair misconception that is mostly the fault of the fandom.

Bcuz, sure, the male characters are uber popular. Alastor, Vox, Lucifer, Angel Dust and the many web of ships they're involved in went trending every few business days. But come on now. How often does a fandom even have their main protag as the most talked about character? This has been going on for ages. Just because the boys have the most merch and fics and fanarts and thirsty fans doesn't mean that they had the spotlight for most of the show itself. It only meant that they were the ones the viewers paid attention to, in a fandom filled with people drooling over the next tumblr sexyman and toxic yaoi ship of the month.

But if you actually look back at what the show gave us so far, the boys didnt outshine the women. I actually think the women got to do more and be more as characters than the men did. Let's take a look at the male characters.

Alastor was not in all the episodes. In fact, he was MIA in two out of the eight episodes. In all the episodes he was in, he was a mere side character. His purpose in season one was to stir the pot and be the intriguing mystery that occasionally quips. But he was not the one whose deeper thoughts were explored and whose character and goals was challenged THROUGHOUT the show, merely alluded to at the VERY END of the season, which is hardly him taking the spotlight away from Charlie. If you merely looked at the fan content of him, you'd think he were a father figure to Charlie(or a love interest. whatever) and that he has developed a soft spot for the Hazbins deep down in that cannibal heart of his. But if you pay attention to the show, he never had even a meaningful one on one conversation with the Hazbins. The only time that happened is when (a)he threatened Husk's life (b)when he constantly mocked Charlie while she was down in the dumps and used this as an opportunity to manipulate her and (b)when he told Niffty watching the crew sure can "make one sentimental", even tho he had taken no prior opportunity to bond with them! There's no foundation for all the fandom's claims that he could be redeemed bcuz of a budding fondness for the group, but that's all you see of his fan content(aside from the horniness). I dont have any problem with his lack of an actual relationship with the Hazbins bcuz I believe redemption for him is not what the show is going for, but it's frustrating to see people interpreting it that way BUT not seeing how horridly developed it would be if that is the case, meanwhile they turn around and say that Vaggie and Chaggie as a ship "had terrible development".

Then we have the male Vees. Vox was only ever in episode two, and was essentially a youtube reactor in episode 8. He was in ep 4 but had no speaking lines. We only know of his obsession with Alastor and the toxic relationship he has with Val. Val, meanwhile, is merely shown as the sex obsessed fiend behind Hell's sex industry and Angel's abuse. They did what they needed to do with minimal screentime. It was fine, but that's IT. Despite what little CANON gave so far, you have hundreds of people writing essays and fics and fanarts about them being complicated characters. But to reiterate, this does not mean that they are bad characters or that they don't deserve the fame. But to say that these men are better written within canon than the women is such a bold statement when most of the depth they knew of these characters were lore drops given before the show and their own speculations as they dug into the shallow soil of what the show has so far.

I'm not gonna speak about Angel and Lucifer. Because I think they were characters who were legitimately well-explored so far.

Now onto the women. So many of them were given the opportunity to have their characters challenged or given the agency to push characters and the plot forward or give you intrigue about implications of what's to come for the characters and the plot. I've talked a lot about Charlie and Vaggie. So let me talk about the other, terribly underrated women of Hazbin.

Velvette and Carmilla were the ones who advanced the subplot in the war against Heaven. Because of Carmilla's love for her family despite being a demon, an angel was killed. It gave Heaven the excuse to escalate things, but it also gave Charlie hope later on in the season that they're not powerless. Carmilla was also the first demon shown to make selfless actions that is contrary to what is expected of demons, making it proof that Charlie's belief that demons deserve a second chance isn't unwarranted. She's an interesting character, as an overlord who hangs on to power but clearly has morals. But how often do you see people writing essays about her? Eating up the fact that she's a powerful overlord but would sacrifice anything for her daughters? If Carmilla were a man, hundreds of girlies would be drooling over the crime boss who has a soft spot for his daughters.

Meanwhile, Velvette got to demonstrate why exactly she's an Overlord despite being the youngest demon in there. She's calculating and observant. She gives off a haughty vibe and constantly boasts about how she's young and fresh, but she isn't naive. During that meeting, she paid attention to Carmilla and Zestial's relationship. In order to find out who killed the angel, she riled everyone up, and when she got the feeling it was Carmilla, she mocked Zestial so that Carmilla could slip up. By playing these Overlords who are older and more experienced than her, Velvette showed what exactly her asset was to the Vees and why she's a threat, something that Vox and Val have yet to be given the opportunity to do when they were busy eye-fucking Alastor and literally fucking Angel. But in fan content about the Vees, Velvette is almost treated as an after thought to the boys...

Then we have the Seraphs. Not only were their designs gorgeous, their dynamic and presence as characters had impact to the plot and main characters.

Emily is a much needed character to show that this story isn't meant to tell you that Heaven = bad; Hell = good. There is good and bad in both, and it is so important for the protags to know that they have an ally in Emily who represents the true virtues that heaven is supposed to uphold. And I love the confrontation she had with Sera when her own view of what's right and good was challenged. We got to see the strength of her character and started the seeds of what could be heaven's acceptance of Charlie's goals.

Sera is such an interesting character to me. She was also important to show that not all angels were sadistic like Adam and Lute, but not in the same way Emily was. I have no idea so far which direction this show would go with her. But I'm intrigued by the fact that she seems to be driven by fear, unlike Adam and Lute's cruelty. She knew Lucifer and was there when he was cast out for his disobedience. Whether everything she's doing is to prevent that from happening again remains to be seen, and I'm looking forward to this kind of subplot for her.

And then Rosie! I really really look forward to seeing more from her. Spoilers aside, something I barely see people talk about is how interesting it is that Rosie is every bit the leader that Charlie hopes to be. Rosie is able to be a respected overlord in her own faction without needing to sacrifice her love for showmanship and music and her positive disposition. When we were officially introduced to her, they show how she seems to care about actually taking care of her people, not JUST ordering them around, by talking to them personally and giving advice. That's exactly what Charlie wanted to do for her people, isn't it? The hotel to Charlie was what the emporium was to Rosie. They have a lot of similarities that could set up for Rosie to be the one to teach Charlie in becoming a leader. Now whether that's a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen, but it is rather compelling.

So yeah! With all that said, I really dont think this show ignores its women at all. Just because a bigger part of the fandom gravitated towards the men doesn't necessarily mean its a misogynistic show so far. But if certain people are claiming that the women are badly written, then I hope they also own up to the fact that their blorbos are just as shallowly presented within the show, maybe even more so. Which wouldn't even be a bad thing! Since when did a show or character have to be amazingly written for a person to like them? That's just no fun at all. All I'm saying is... Fuck this fandom's double standards, hiding behind claims that it's the writing's fault when the problem is they couldn't be bothered to think about the women.

#asks #long post

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hbiscuit · 19 days ago

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Trying to Understand Why LU Warriors Is the Fandom’s Least Favorite Link

A Passerby Reader’s Observation on Linked Universe: Trying to Understand Why LU Warriors Is the Fandom’s Least Favorite Link

I like him. And it baffles me that in several polls, he ranked as the least liked Link? Genuinely, I thought he would rank higher - definitely not last. I’m not upset or disappointed, just so befuddled that I dug up my old Tumblr from its grave and wrote this observation note instead of working. I need to comprehend this curious phenomenon.

I fell into the Linked Universe rabbit hole in 2024, originally looking for LoZ fics that focus on friendship. I was very happy with what I found in the fandom. But then I was alarmed that I couldn’t find LU fans on the platforms I usually haunt. My options were Tumblr and Discord, which basically feel like entering an agora and trying to follow people’s conversations mid-dialogue. (I miss the golden era of webboards so badly.) Nevertheless, I joined those platforms and binge-read a lot of content.

This is my observation, based on my 21-ish years of being in fandoms. No philosophical articulation, no theories or statistics to support the claim. Just hunches and non-educated guesses.

Warriors is the most bishōnen Link. That’s why my first thought, upon being introduced to him through fanfics and Lu comics, was that he must be well-liked. I’ve seen some fans analyze that his unpopularity might stem from his fanon characterization: vain, a womanizer, mean, or a comedic relief side character who only rarely gets a moment to shine.

To me, the closest trope for fanon Warriors is the ‘magnificent bastard’ archetype - someone who seems shallow on the surface but occasionally reveals a sharp mind or surprising badassery. They have layers, but hide behind a pretty face or vain personality. The satisfaction of liking these characters often comes from the delayed gratification of watching them subvert expectations.

I honestly thought that kind of fanon characterization would make him more popular. Seriously.

What a culture shock.

Of course, those archetypes tend to be polarizing. But I assumed he would also be well-loved as well-hated, like other bishōnen forefathers before him like Oikawa, Sanji, or Reigen ,etc.

I suspect age, and perhaps the geopolitical makeup of the fandom, might play a role here? I’m not sure how many Thai fans are in this fandom, but I think if they found LU Warriors, they’d love the life out of him, fanon or canon.

Comic-canon Warriors is neither a womanizer, mean, nor vain. But based on those polls, the fandom at large still seems warming up to his character.

It made me scratch my head with my feet.

Maybe this has nothing to do with fanon or canon characterization? Maybe Warriors simply embodies certain traits or virtues that don’t resonate with most of the fandom, especially compared to the other Links. I suspect this has something to do with a young adult audience's aversion to (perceived) authority figures.

Let’s talk about LU Legend. His popularity makes sense to me. He’s passionately loved and hated. I think a character like Legend resonates with younger audiences, people who feel oppressed by the system, because he’s often portrayed as young but already jaded, snarky, and burdened with trauma. Hurt but defiant; competent and kind but still not give in or become part of the (problematic) system which might make his fans feel both vindicated and empowered. Legend isn’t seen as an authority figure, despite being overqualified for the role (and is seen stepping up in the comic). I think that makes fans feel safer liking him.

Wild, Wind, and Four also don’t come across as authority figures. Wild is especially popular, fitting the hurt-young-protagonist trope/ headcanons well. Unlike Legend, he’s not portrayed as tsundere, so he generates less contradiction and feels more vulnerable (also botw/totk are very popular games).

LU Time and LU Twilight (and even fanon LU Sky, the ‘mother cucco’) look and act like adults but get different treatment than Warriors. Time fits the role of the wise, jaded, disillusioned old man. Fans agree he’s been through a lot. His choice to live a quiet farming life makes him seem like someone who wouldn’t impose order on the younger cast. Fans see him as a source of wisdom the young protagonist can turn to. Meanwhile, Twilight and Sky are often cast as supportive adult allies. They don’t represent authority in a threatening way (maybe a little overbearing.)

LU Warriors, though, does represent authority the most. That’s likely why there are so many headcanons portraying him as authoritative, distrustful, and bossy, making him a convenient antagonist. He looks like an adult. He acts like an adult. Whether or not he’s a victim of the system (knighthood), he chose to stay. And that’s why I think some of his fans empathize with him, myself included.

I believe his character might resonate more with those who have to manage people, give orders, and make decisions their younger selves would have hated them for. Because maturity comes at the price of doing inescapable duties and being disliked. The nuances of life *sigh*

In conclusion, Warriors seems to be an acquired taste. And I can confidently declare I’ve acquired him since the moment I laid eyes on the strings of fanon words that turned him into a vain, pretty boy.

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu warriors #lu analysis

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lonelyroommp3 · 3 months ago

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like sorry to be A Cunt but you can almost always tell when a singular f/f fic, or even more egregiously a popular f/f ship within a given fandom, exists primarily or even solely because of dutyfic/eat your vegetables reasons. it will be extremely obvious because of one or more of the following issues

often, it will be (subtype 1) two girls/women who scarcely or never interact, and have just been thrown together because they are The Two Most Prominent Women in a given work

sometimes it will be (subtype 2) two women who interact and may even have a compelling dynamic in canon. if you are unfamiliar with the source material you will be completely unable to tell whether a given f/f ship is subtype 1 or subtype 2 because either way they will almost invariably be written with absolutely no in universe justification for why they are together besides the looming doylist shadow of "well, they're lesbians!"

their personalities will be sanded down to the point of unrecognisability beyond vague archetypes such as "girlboss" or "soft girl" or "girl who is mean because she is in love"; any conflict faced within the story will be no more significant or high stakes than what you might find in a middling hallmark christmas movie

they usually exist as B ships in an m/m fic, with the primary purpose of acting as cute perfectly functional foils to the men who are allowed to have real conflict and problems. they will frequently be called upon in this capacity to give the men advice

when an f/f ship does get to be the primary dynamic, or even satisfy the otp: true filter on ao3, you are struck with the unshakeable impression that they would much rather be in the background of an m/m fic helping two guys get their shit together, sort of like watching a semiaquatic mammal try to gracelessly make its way across dry land

Q: but shouldn't we show this kind of bad writing more grace? after all, somebody might start out writing terrible bland eat your vegetables f/f but come to actually care about women in the process and end up writing better and less covertly misogynistic fanfiction. this is such a nice and charitable thought but i fear that this quite simply does not happen anywhere near as much as we might hope because the dutyfic f/f ship process inspires absolutely zero introspection on the part of its authors and readers

Q: most m/m fic is also based on bland archetypes that show no resemblance to canon, why aren't you complaining about that? first of all i love complaining about bad flanderised m/m fic too. secondly, people do not typically view writing or engaging with bad m/m fic as proof of your inherent moral virtue, unless it is being set up in a ship war against what many regard as fandom's ultimate evil, the het ship. but that is a conundrum for another post

Q: what happened to the "do it bad" philosophy? why can't we just let people write terrible fanfictions? well once again my issue is not people writing terrible fanfictions, it is that writing this specific type of terrible fanfiction is viewed as a moral duty, and any suggestion that you don't particularly care for a badly done f/f ship even for perfectly valid reasons is deemed tantamount to proclaiming that you are a raging misogynist, which leaves fandom trapped in a vicious cycle where we will never move past bland poorly written f/f ships because just writing an f/f ship, however terribly, however much actual misogyny and inability to view women as three dimensional beings capable of conflict and nastiness and horniness and whatever else may be baked into the fanon for a given ship, is viewed as the most progressive thing you can do in fandom

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rewritingcanon · 3 months ago

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what are some popular hp nextgen headcanons you dislike

idk if this fandom is big enough but i’ll take my stab at some stuff, although i do think i’m more open to fanon when it comes to nextgen so this is more stuff that i disagree with rather than dislike (so pleaseeee no one take offence)

any fic that portrays victoire as a bitch. i dont know nothing about her but ik she wouldnt act like that

scorpius and albus being in any other house besides slytherin. its just odd to me

albus with glasses

similarly, lily without glasses

redhead james sirius. just seems wrong idk.

when james sirius acts like SATAN to albus without any redemption arc. he’s got two loving parents btw 😭 i can believe him being hella mean but ive read fics where this loved child has committed crimes against albus for the sake of…. irdk actually

a BIG one i have is any other wotter besides albus being sorted into slytherin. most of them gotta be in gryffindor for me to believe it, maybe sprinkle a token ravenclaw or hufflepuff in but albus is THE slytherin. no one can take that away from him 😡😡 grr

i’ve mentioned it before but portrayals of scorpius and albus having large or even medium-sized friendgroups. i can see them having casual friends (like work friends) but not close friends outside of each other mainly. its not that i dont like when they do i just dont believe it lol.

any portrayal of james sirius potter as bitchless. again, dont know much about him but i do know he’d be getting huzz

one i actually do actively dislike because its rampant in fics but i dislike when harry is portrayed as an the Devil and draco in turn is the best father albus never had. bro wasn’t even that nice to scorpius, what makes people think albus is gonna jump at the opportunity to replace harry with him 😭 ? i get the vision but it seems disingenuous to the characters

any fic where scorpius is mean to rose. or women in general but especially rose. its irrespective if the woman in question actually deserves it, i dont think scorpius would ever raise his voice at a girl lol

ok the “albus is bisexual” headcanon is NOT something i disagree with but i do disagree with a popular reason why people headcanon it and thats that he had a crush on delphi so he must be bi. like bro was fourteen and GROOMED chat.

this one less so because i go back and forth with it, but albus as a potioneer. irdk, im on the fence but theres a very strong breeze yk

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olderthannetfic · 1 month ago

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New canon material made popular ship between two pathetic fascist bad guys with complex characterization and a fuckton of psychosexual issues canon. People who weren't originally interested in these specific characters now have Opinions.

Just saw a long meta post that felt the need to preface their analysis of the couple's fucked up sexual life with like two paragraphs of how they weren't originally interested in the ship because they don't approve of the fandom culture of uwuifying characters that are meant to represent the banality of evil (which no one is doing for these specific characters), but NOW with the new canon material they've become a fascinating case study for OP. And, once they were done with this smug little bit of virtue signaling, they added more ass covering about how OF COURSE what you ship doesn't reflect your IRL morality (they themselves ship [insert ur-example of toxic ship between irredeemable people, which tends to be romanticized way more than the couple I'm talking about here]), they just find it distasteful is all and they feel sure their reasons are justified. But now that it's all in the name of analyzing the characters' psyches it's okay!! As someone who's been vaguely involved with the ship for a while, my reaction was mostly "??????". I follow and interact with most of the people who are active in the ship, and I read fic about it, and for most if not all of the people involved it's ALWAYS been about exploring how fucked up it is? In canon, the characters are presented in such a way that it'd be really hard to romanticize them or uwuify them in any way, or even get the idea to do that in the first place, so nobody was doing it to begin with. Any "OMG COUPLE GOALS!!1!" was completely tongue-in-cheek (the ship's fandom loves its ironic, mocking posts about the characters because they're so lame and memeable). Rarely enough for fandom spaces, most AUs for the couple explicitly maintained their bad guy status by putting them in situations and professions that are widely considered evil and awful (my fave is a Spanish Inquisition AU). Like, WE KNOW. WE KNOW they're awful people and we're not justifying or romanticizing them. OP mentioned having seen some actor interviews that made them see the light, but the actors are saying what the fans of the ship have been saying all along as well. That's how that relationship has always been set up!

This person just waltzed into a subcommunity they knew nothing about because they had been smugly and performatively refusing to engage with it up until now, and then made sweeping assumptions about everyone else in it, as an introduction to a longform meta post explaining why everyone else's headcanons are wrong and theirs are right.

I know it's a bit of a "fork found in kitchen" situation when it comes to fandom spaces in general but good god it made me so annoyed.

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dreamsofbroflovski · 5 months ago

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CRAIG CRAIG CRAIG CRAIG W FEM BODIED READER I BEG PLEASE GO WILD

I do believe I did, in fact, go wild.

Seemingly contrary to popular demand, the (first) Craig fic is here! Have one more already in drafts.

I'm still writing slow apparently

Pastor!Craig Tucker x Succubus!Reader - match made in hell

Also available on ao3!

Summary: What was supposed to be a normal night of feeding for one powerful succubus turns into much more when she runs into Craig Tucker, a simple pastor from a small town - allegedly.

Warnings: Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content (everyone involved is above the age of consent), Smut, Oral Sex, Deepthroating/Facefucking, Penis In Vagina Sex, Cowgirl Position, Slapping, Mentions of Alcohol, Religious Imagery and Symbolism (Portrayed NEGATIVELY - Reader is a sex demon)

A/N: Warning: If you have a particularly close and positive relationship with religion and/or get offended easily, I suggest you avoid this work. The Reader character is a sex demon, and as such, some descriptions of religion and comments on it are less than respectful. If you wanna read Craig but aren't keen on this one, I have something else prepared for him in a more light-hearted and cutesy tone coming soon (possibly next month because I do also have a request for Kyle, and Craig needs a break)

My first one of 2025. Here's to many more! I hope the person who created the concepts for Pastor Craig and Imp Tweek in the Phone Destroyer headquarters got paid HANDSOMELY. These two characters are endless mines of content for the fandom, and all the fanart people have created with them is fucking FIRE

Toc toc toc, my shoes clacked as I walked down the street in an unknown town, the repetitive sound only being broken when stepping over the still fresh tiny clumps of snow all over the ground. The cold didn’t graze my body, which was always warm and comfortable no matter the weather or outfit, and the area was empty enough at night, so I also didn’t have to deal with the usual looks of confusion people had on their faces when they saw me walking down the street in nothing but six inch heels and a strapless tube minidress.

I walked without really knowing or caring about my destination or surroundings - the workings of human geography are irrelevant to an entity of superior ranking such as myself. Being a succubus means being able to find sustenance absolutely anywhere, with my powers being able to do the whole work of charming a target that I could then fuck, their semen containing precious life energy that I fed on. Not that I needed that energy right now; it hadn’t been long since I last manifested into the Earth looking for food, which meant I was… still full, so to speak.

My presence in the human realm at all was considered abnormal. Most of my sex demon peers were mostly used to visiting humans in the form of wet dreams and taking their energy off of that. They didn’t also feed often, only doing so when they really needed to, to save themselves the trip and the hassle. As such, most of them turned their noses when seeing me making moves on the land of the living rather frequently, enjoying the thrill of the chase and taking my victims in person - usually with them ending up dead as a result; most human men couldn’t survive an actual physical encounter with a succubus, hence my colleagues’ preference for dreamwalking.

Which is probably why all of those other demons were fucking weaklings and I was the most powerful by a huge margin, but that’s a story for another time.

Soon I found myself at the entrance of an unknown tavern. It had all the airs of a place that’s trying too hard, like it was trying to cater to an audience that wasn’t its usual and was probably failing miserably on that. I already knew I had to brace myself for what I would find inside. The men that usually frequented these places usually reflected the ambience - acting all high and mighty, pretending to know more than they actually did, and like you should be grateful they’re even bothering to lend you a moment of their oh-so-important night. And I’d have to humor these types of cretins, laugh at their jokes and pretend to be smitten by their flirting, give them the satisfaction of sleeping with them. Those men were no different than the types you’d find at the run-down bars in the shittiest parts of the human world, their minds worked in the exact same way and I always found more delight in seeing their dead bodies under me than I had when actively having sex.

The thought of that delight was what gave me the patience to push through the heavy doors into the pretentious pub. Jazz music played softly on unseen speakers, but with almost no ears to appreciate it; the place was mostly empty. Just one guy sitting alone at a table in the corner looking over the window, a couple on a table closer to the entrance - the annoyed look on their faces told me I wouldn’t have the slightest hint of a problem making a move on the husband if I wanted him, and he probably wouldn’t be missed after death either - and a loner on the stools by the counter.

Immediately after I entered, the most delicious scent invaded my nostrils, overpowering all my other senses and clouding my awareness of the environment like a purple-ish haze. My kind is able to feel the sexual energy flowing through human beings, much like a predator can smell its prey. It is usually different from person to person, sometimes mouth-watering, sometimes repulsive, but it always has the same effect of drawing us in and making us aware of possible targets. Some humans have more energy than others, more impacting and flavorful scents - those are what their kind would usually see as sexually superior, the ones with lots of stamina and a sensual aura that cannot be ignored, an information that is not necessarily attached to their physical appearance. Never quite to the level of us succubi, but those individuals usually did make for tasty meals.

Whoever was exuding this smell, however, was on another echelon entirely. I didn’t think I had ever felt that much sexual aura emanating from one single person, and I had come across many powerful examples. Being with someone like this would no doubt be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, both in the matter of power intake from the feeding and sexual gratification of the act itself. It was like a complete banquet had been placed right under my face, and all it would take for me to feast was seducing one insignificant human male, a task I knew I had in the bag.

My head turned in the direction the smell was coming from, an almost automatic movement, instincts taking over to more easily get to my prey. Immediately my brain identified the target, the guy at the counter, nursing a glass of something all by himself. It was a young man, possibly in what would be the early to mid twenties in a human lifespan. The most ridiculous blue chullo hat covered his hair, and honestly it had me confused for a second on how a guy wearing something like that could have such a powerful aura. The rest of his outfit was mostly normal - run-of-the-mill dark blue jeans, a black blazer fully open at the front, well-shined dress shoes on his feet. Overall very unassuming. Had it not been for the full black collar shirt with the white detail on the front of the neck, I might’ve not even realized that the man was a pastor.

Not that it was a problem. I had been with religious leaders many times, and this one definitely wouldn’t be the last. For all their hatred for demons and their efforts to steer the ‘sheep’, as they called it, away from temptation, they were always particularly easy to seduce - a whole life built on self-imposed abstinence often made for extremely frustrated men who could never put up a fight against my sensual charms, their pent-up sexual energy bursting to the forefront at the first opportunity. Admittedly, it was actually kind of fun; seeing the desperation behind their eyes as they struggled to keep their cool and remind themselves of their vows to whatever deity they worshiped, the hypocrisy they exhibited when finally running their disgusting hands all over my skin, and their completely drained bodies when it was all over. Every single one of them had died under me.

Licking my lips over the perspective of an easy full meal, I made my way to the counter across the door, taking the free seat to the right of the pastor, balancing myself on the flimsy bar stool and checking him out through the corner of my eye. From most men, I got feedback right upon arrival, and it could come either in the form of a quick glance or a full-blown stare, depending on how smitten and desperate the guy was. The one on my left, however, barely flinched, not even the usual reaction associated with having someone sit right beside you when everywhere else is empty. He just took another sip off his glass, his eyes fixed on the shelves of beverages in front of us, physically seeing them but clearly not committing anything to memory.

Weird behaviour, but fine by me. Even if he might act a little odd, the only thing I wanted from this man was his energy, and that he clearly had to spare. So it was worth taking the lead and forcing him to pay attention to me. I leaned towards him, expecting that to create some sort of movement from him, but he did absolutely nothing. So I touched his shoulder lightly, forcing his brain to acknowledge my presence, even if his body wouldn’t show it.

Putting on my most demure and soft voice, I spoke to him in a low volume. “Excuse me, sir, can you call the bartender for me? I don’t think he’s seen me here yet.” Total bullshit. The place was almost empty and everyone who was present saw me enter, the only reason I hadn’t been served so far was because I literally didn’t give anyone any time to.

The pastor simply lifted his hand in silence, still not looking at me, and the aforementioned bartender came rather quickly, introducing himself and the place, clearly already entranced by my presence and affected by my love charm. Unfortunately - or fortunately? - for him, he wasn’t my target. I ordered a B-52; just a simple shot, so I could maybe strike a conversation over it with the guy sitting beside me, or at least buy myself some time to come up with another excuse.

“Hey, you’re a pastor, right?” I pointed to the collar of his shirt, feigning ignorance, “Why are you at a bar?”

The guy took another sip of his drink - now that I was up close, I could see it was a glass of plain whiskey. When he opened his mouth to speak, I felt his energy all over again - his voice was deep and devoid of all emotion, but extremely hot to the ears. “If you had to constantly deal with the people of this town, you’d drink too.”

I forced my mind to stop thinking about how sexy he sounded and focus on his actual words. Jaded, like everything else about his demeanor. “Sure, but I didn’t know y’all could drink,” I retorted, chuckling a bit to emphasize the unseriousness of my comment, “Isn’t that forbidden or something?”

“Jesus turned water to wine,” the pastor shrugged.

The finger that had drawn attention to his collar now pointed to his glass. “Wine, not whisky.”

“It’s all alcohol anyway.”

And that’s what truly mattered to him, apparently.

My shot glass arrived and I downed it quickly, suppressing a smirk as I heard the guy speak again, of his own accord this time. “I have never seen you before,” his comment felt slightly funny, considering he hadn’t looked at me at all yet, “And I’m the pastor. I know everyone.”

“Oh, I’m just… visiting,” my usual hand-crafted excuse for why I was somewhere slipped without even having to think about it, “Not really from around the area.”

“I can see that,” he said from behind his glass, his voice echoing slightly inside of it and making the liquid vibrate.

“You haven’t even seen me yet…” I let that sentence draw out flirtingly, my hand moving to the pastor’s chin and tilting his face to the side so it would be towards me - knowing that he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it even though I hadn’t asked permission. Guys like him cared heavily about their personal space, while I didn’t, so my demonic powers always won out.

I expected him to try and turn away right off the bat, get full blown red in the face in a way that I’d be able to practically see the lascivious thoughts running inside of his head and hear his inner voice trying to reel them back. Instead, he just eyed me up and down, his expression unreadable. Wasn’t even subtle about the fact he was doing it, either. When he was done analyzing me, he turned towards the bar again.

“So…” I murmured again, not letting him have his silence, “What do you think?”

“That’s a stupid question to ask the local pastor,” his answer came as dry as ever.

“Well… Can I at least get a name for the local pastor then?” finally finding a chance to ask, I gave him my best soft smile, making my question seem innocent enough, “Just in case I wanna attend mass while I’m here?”

“You’d get one if you actually went to the thing,” he retorted, ”But I guess it’s fair. I’m Craig Tucker. You?”

I gave him a fake one, like always, one off the little list of feminine-sounding names I had memorized for those exact occasions. Craig repeated it after me in a murmur, seemingly testing how it rolled off his tongue, but it didn’t matter to me. The way he’d moan it when deep inside was the only one that counted.

“Craig Tucker.” My way of saying his name was less about memorizing it and more about making a declaration to myself; setting my prey’s name to my brain, like throwing a dart at a picture of him on the wall. “I still want your answer…”

He drank the final bit of the whiskey he had and set the glass aside. “Like you need salvation, lady.”

The fit of laughter that came from me was completely genuine. Surely it wasn’t intended as a compliment - or maybe it was; hard to tell with Craig - but I took it as one anyway, committing it to memory for later bragging to my fellow succubi. “Is that so?” I said once the hilarity of it all started to die down, “Hm… You know all about salvation, don’t you? Maybe you can help a girl out… I wanna go to heaven, after all.”

Words that quite literally hurt my tongue to say, like thousands of hot needles pricking on it, but I managed to push through the discomfort - you don’t become one of the best by following every single rule Hell forces upon you. The pastor waited a moment, then lifted his hand in the air, calling for the bartender, who came rather quickly. They exchanged some words I didn’t care to hear; all that mattered was Craig signaling in my direction, both of them looking at me for a moment, then the other man nodding quickly and stepping right away to prepare a drink.

That’s when I knew it was all working. This is how it always started. Men would get entranced by my charm and try to woo me with drinks and erotic words, which was just entertainment in itself from how hilarious they were most of the time. It was always worth it coming up to this realm for that alone. Then they’d start making passes on me, trying to get a move on, and when I accepted eagerly, they’d leave with me thinking that they were getting the upper hand on the whole thing by taking a hot babe home with barely any effort. Even if some of them started out slightly put off by a woman showing so much initiative, the end result was inevitable; a husk of a man left completely drained in his bed, if he managed to make it out alive, and me off on the road to my next endeavor.

It didn’t take long for me to hear the glass sliding across the bar counter, but when I caught it with my hand, what I saw gave me pause. I was used to the fancy tall glasses with colorful drinks, all fruit and sugar and barely any alcohol at all, that men would buy me in clubs when trying to impress. Instead, what stopped in front of me was a small glass of Old Fashioned, an orange slice resting lazily inside of the amber liquid, alongside a single dark red cherry that had sunk to the bottom with its stem still poking out of the cup. I had had a couple of these before, but had to charm bartenders into giving them to me every single time - they were much more up my alley than the borderline diabetes-inducing drinks I was normally forced to enjoy, but men wouldn’t ever let me have those because they didn’t think a pretty woman like me could handle the real deal.

I blinked twice, looking at my drink, before lifting my eyes to Craig again. A new, full glass of whiskey had appeared in his hand, probably while I was too busy in my slight shock. “Don’t you think that’s… a bit too much for a woman?” I chuckled, lifting up the glass and shaking it lightly, letting the ice clink around. Though my comment was playing into the usual human gender norms, the real objective was to gauge his intentions and thoughts; the pastor had already proven to be more than meets the eye, and I was just dying to find out more about what happened inside that ridiculous hat he wore.

“It’s nothing. I think you can handle it,” he responded with a snort - probably the most emotion he had shown yet, even if it was a bit of disdain, “If you’re too weak, then give it here.”

Immediately I took the drink out of his reach and brought it to my mouth. The liquid burned as it went down my throat, leaving behind a lingering stinging sensation, obviously too strong for my human disguise but absolutely delicious for me. This time, Craig spun his whole body on the bar stool to face me, watching my reaction with great interest - evidently expecting me to gag or cough or maybe even start crying. I didn’t give him the satisfaction, taking great joy in the strong flavor of a proper beverage for a change.

The whole glass was gone in a couple of gulps, and I let it rest on the counter. The small orange slice was left alone in the glass when I picked the alcohol-soaked cherry and placed it between my teeth, my eyes shining with mischief as I teasingly closed my lips around the fruit and broke the stem away, chewing slowly without ever losing the pastor’s gaze.

“Well would you look at that.” There was the faintest hint of amusement in his voice, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it, which I was.

After swallowing the chewed cherry - much less sweet from its time submerged in the drink -, I let my lips curve into a smirk. “You’re right. I can handle it.”

“Clearly.” The pastor raised his own glass towards me, as if going for a toast, despite the fact that I didn’t have anything to toast with anymore. He didn’t wait for any reaction of mine, just bringing the drink to his lips right after the silent movement. A nonverbal acknowledgement of my skill, not necessarily praise since his face was still cold as ever, but close.

I lifted my glass a few inches from the table as well, reciprocating the imaginary toast. “Cheers to the fact that I can handle my alcohol?”

Just like me, he was done with his glass of whiskey after a few gulps, drinking rapidly without a break. The noise the glass made when he placed it on the bar was maybe a bit too loud, even though Craig’s movements were as calculated as they had been the whole time. “You can handle more than that,” he responded, “Or at least it’s what you’re trying to tell me.”

I put my hand over my mouth, hiding a giggle. “Excuse me?”

The pastor leaned towards me, lacing his fingers and propping his elbows on his thighs. “You come to a bar with barely anyone in it, wearing next to nothing, sit right next to a dude you’ve never seen and start a conversation with him. You’re not fooling anyone.”

Yeah, of course. He was spot on. Not that I was trying to be secretive about my intentions, but usually the religious fellows don’t speak on them with their full chest like this guy did. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” I murmured, looking elsewhere and twirling a strand of hair on my index finger in the most obvious flirty move ever, a behavior that annoyed even myself with how stupid it was.

“Don’t play with me, lady,” his tone was firmer this time and I knew I didn’t have much more time with my coy act before he’d lose his patience, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t prolong it as much as I could. “I’m a pastor, not a fucking dumbass.”

The sudden cursing should’ve felt absurd, but somehow I knew Craig was not above it. “Language!” I nudged his leg with my foot playfully.

“You can fuck right off.” Swiftly, he stood up, his bar stool making a noise on the floor with the quick movement. ”Now, let’s go.”

It wasn’t a suggestion or a question. It was an order.

“Where?” I tilted my face a bit.

The eye roll he gave me could’ve made a person dizzy. “My place.”

“Oh, but…” I pouted slightly while looking up at him, “I thought guys from the church had to wait until marriage?”

“We do. And we also don’t drink or curse.” He pulled a wallet from the pocket of his blazer and slammed a bill on the counter, visibly not intent on waiting for change. His point needed no further explanation. “Now you can leave with me or you can leave alone, it’s your call.”

Craig’s poker face made it really hard to decipher which parts of his attraction to me were doings of my passive demonic charm and how much of it was actually just him being interested without me having to do anything. His actions seemed completely original, he wasn’t much trying to impress me or jumping at the slightest hint of my affections like guys usually did when I used my abilities on them. Maybe he just… Wanted me of his own accord.

Fine by me. Giving up on any further teasing, at least for the time being, I got up as well and followed him out into the cold night like a guided missile - not without looking back one last time and noticing the disgruntled expression on the bartender’s face as he saw me leaving with the pastor.

༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚𓆩♡𓆪༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚༝༚

My high heels had barely touched the carpet in Craig’s apartment before the door slammed and his hands were on me. The whole drive there we hadn’t spoken a word to each other, his eagerness only still noticeable by the firm grip on the steering wheel and the several red lights he ran through. He had managed to restrain all his desire for a moment where we’d be fully comfortable and alone to act on it.

The pastor didn’t try to butter me up by showing me around his house or using flattering words on me some more like anyone else would - no, he went straight for the kill. Clearly Craig gave no fucks for anything that didn’t explicitly pique his interest, and right now his interest was in my body, so that’s what he was going to focus on and all the other social norms were out the window. He knew I wanted him too, so in his vision, there was no point in waiting. This straightforward attitude of his drove him further and further into my trap and he didn’t even know it.

He spun me around after closing the door and took my lips on his, wasting no time before sliding his tongue past my teeth and letting it find mine in a passionate dance. That blue hat had somehow vanished in the couple of seconds I wasn’t looking at him, Craig’s full head of short black hair slightly mussed from being under its confines too long, a problem that I solved quickly by running my fingers all over it as I grabbed his head to pull it impossibly closer.

Although the fire with which he kissed me was welcome, it also seemed unbecoming. The celibates I charmed in the past usually had an awkwardness attached to the way that they touched me, because they literally didn’t know how - their teeth would clash onto mine when they tried to come for a kiss, and they’d try to grope and massage the weirdest parts of my body, clamoring to feel any part of a woman’s soft skin. Craig had none of that. His hands immediately went for my ass, hiking up my form-fitting dress and letting the fabric bunch on my hips, taking the soft yet firm flesh on his palms as he squeezed it possessively.��

He tried forcing me to walk backwards in the direction he wanted to go, his legs taking him automatically despite his closed eyes, since he already knew the way around all the obstacles. Unfortunately for him, I didn’t have that same awareness. When the back of my leg hit what seemed to be an armchair and we lost our walking pace, Craig grunted in major annoyance before breaking our kiss and narrowing his eyes at me like I had just committed the eighth deadly sin. Immediately, he used all the strength in his arms to pull me up, my legs wrapping tight around his waist and my arms around his neck instinctively as I lost my footing. Apparently, he figured it was better that he take me himself, since I was being ‘inefficient’ to him. I didn’t mind that at all.

“Wow, you’re strong,” my whispering made his arms tighten around me even more, “You gotta tell me your workout routine later…”

“Someone like you wouldn’t keep up with it,” the way he said it wasn’t exactly sexy; more matter-of-fact, as if it was actually part of a conversation - one he wouldn’t continue, having clashed his lips on mine right after to stop me from questioning.

It didn’t take many steps for him to kick a door open in some direction I didn’t care for and bring me into his bedroom, throwing me onto the mattress without much care, my body bouncing on impact. His bed was queen size - kind of unnecessary for a guy who couldn’t actually lay beside somebody else before marriage, but very convenient for my purposes - and extremely comfortable, with cushy pillows and a decent comforter that smelled like him. A huge focus on personal satisfaction that probably cost a lot and thus went against the humility he was supposed to preach.

Faking a contented hum, I made quick work of my tiny dress, the only thing covering my otherwise very naked form, and stretched myself lazily, turning around like a pleased cat and touching the comforter all over with my body; not quite masking his scent with my own, but rather creating an enticing cocktail better than anything he could buy at the flimsy bar I met him at. It’d undoubtedly stick for many days even after I left, to keep Craig - or whoever discovered his dead body - completely aware of what had transpired in this mattress.

Stopping after a few moments, I laid on my side, facing a very stiff Craig who gazed down at me with his arms crossed. My eyes managed to catch on to the slightest twitch of his nose, which had me grinning straight away - I was getting to him, even if it was almost impossible to tell. My sexy little show did not go unnoticed.

“You’re just gonna stand there?” I bit on one of my fingernails , pointing at him with the other hand. “Or are you gonna strip for me?”

I made sure to not use any of my seduction magic at that moment, wanting to play with his response, expecting him to fight me for it. Instead, he just let out an annoyed grunt, his hands moving to his belt - unlike what I’m usually accustomed to, the pants came off before anything else; he pulled him down along with his boxers in a very quick motion, kicking them off of his feet with his shoes and leaving them on the ground somewhere unseen.

My attention was immediately drawn to his rock hard cock. There were no roundabouts for it: he was damn massive. Likely one of the biggest I’d seen on a mortal in centuries, in both length and girth. Had a patch of black hair at the base, extremely nicely trimmed, as if it had been done just that same day - first time I actually saw a religious guy care about his pubic hair. The veins that ran under the sensitive skin of his cock were visible even under just the dim moonlight that came from his blinds, and so were the beads of precum already leaking from the huge tip, glistening like they were made of thousands of tiny diamonds. His balls hung low, seeming heavy and full, ready to keep me fed and strengthen my demonic power for possibly weeks on end. Maybe it was a blessing to human women that his calling had been voluntary celibacy, otherwise his sexual partners would be in severe danger.

“Yeah, it’s fucking big,” Craig groaned, my unabashed inspection clearly not getting past him. Understatement of the century, but was this guy reading my mind? “And you’re gonna fucking take it.”

The words were meant to threaten me, but they had the opposite effect. My body was built for exactly that. “Well, if god made it, it must fit, right?” I decided to taunt him back, reminding him of his position despite the filth that came out of his mouth.

He scoffed. “God didn’t make it.”

I was left to try and understand just what the fuck he was talking about while he continued to undress, taking off his blazer and undoing his collar and the buttons of his shirt with practiced ease, letting both pieces of fabric fall to the floor next to his pants and allowing me to see what his build looked like. The source of his earlier strength was then clear to me. For a pastor, he was pretty toned - the shirt and blazer did a fantastic job of hiding his defined arms and abs, maintaining that completely boring façade he had while the real gem was hidden from view. In each movement, Craig Tucker laid in front of me more of his secrets and surprises, sating my mental curiosity before he even had a chance to do the same to my physical vessel.

With his upper body now bare, I took in another detail that had been hidden under his shirt. A silver cross rested on his chest, dangling from a simple chain, barely any details on it - ingenuous, just like the rest of him.

I let my nails scratch his whole torso lightly, moving up from his abdomen all the way to the chain, twisting it in my index finger while I looked at Craig with a sultry grin. Contrary to popular human belief, the little pendant had no effect on me - their religious symbols were nothing more than decorative pieces of wood or metal to us, powerless against the forces of Hell. “What about this?”

“It stays on,” he immediately said, grabbing my wrist and yanking it away from his necklace. This pastor was fully naked for me, yet some part of him still clung to his deity. It was hilarious.

“Suit yourself.” I giggled.

Craig nodded, as if to silently tell me ‘I will’, before grabbing my arm and dragging me on the bed until I was laid across it on my stomach. I propped myself up on my elbows, but before I could even try and look at him, the pastor did all the work for me by grabbing a fistful of my hair and pulling it back so I was forced to do just that while he positioned himself in front of my face.

Despite me already knowing where this was headed, I still tilted my head a bit to the side in a silent inquiry of his actions, which he was quick to answer. “I need to figure out if this mouth is good for anything,” he took his cock in his free hand and gave a few lazy taps with it on my bottom lip, “Besides drinking booze and flirting with men of the church.”

“Oh, so you do admit it’s good for all that?” I whispered before closing my lips around his tip, watching the annoyed eye roll he was preparing disappear as his eyelids fluttered closed and his mouth hung open just the tiniest bit when I started sliding my tongue along the slit before swirling it all over, the wetness of his pre being replaced with that of my saliva.

I hummed smugly while starting to slowly take more of that cock inside my mouth, letting the vibrations course through him. I lived for this. Even the most unresponsive of motherfuckers couldn’t control himself with me, and I was counting on just a few more seconds before Craig Tucker became complete putty in my hands. The idea of ending this with only a blowjob, not even getting to fuck him and know what it was like to have such a huge guy inside of me, was a little bit upsetting, but this was a decision he made. Oh well, I thought, until…

With a sharp snap of his hips, he buried all of that inside of my throat.

The coughing and sputtering I emitted when that happened weren’t physical responses. Succubi don’t exactly have useful gag reflexes or the need to breathe, because we’re not mortal; even if our disguises look the part, every single bit of them exists only to elicit arousal or assist in feeding or reproduction, with all the other stupid human necessities made irrelevant. So all of that reaction was purely shock - complete astonishment at the fact that he was able to do something like that with so little care and effort, and no warning whatsoever. Something that could’ve possibly killed a normal human woman, which was, at least to him, what he was dealing with.

He was already waiting to meet my gaze when I looked up to him with wide eyes, moving his free hand to give the side of my face a few light slaps. ”I told you you were gonna take it,” the pastor said, the tiniest of smirks curving his lips for a brief second before he shifted into his stone-faced self again and started slowly pulling himself out of my mouth, “Now hopefully this shuts your damn trap.”

The pace he set while fucking my face wasn’t as brutal as his initial thrust, but I had a vague idea that it wasn’t exactly for my own comfort - he was just trying to draw out the sensation for the longest time possible. My hands grabbed his hips, trying to bring back some semblance of control over the circumstances, which only had him tugging harder at my hair and made me choke in another surprised response. Tears started prickling at the sides of my eyes and streaming down my cheeks, yet I still noticed how Craig’s own gaze laser focused on that; he was finding my whole struggle hot.

So I really played up the act. My grip became more intense and my nails dug down slightly on his skin, as if I was struggling and trying to make him get away, and I shut my eyes tight while gasping and choking all around his cock, my tongue swirling around it and getting it even more smeared in my building saliva. I didn’t need the gift of vision to take in his reaction - his low grunts reached my ears like they had been broadcasted to the whole world.

Then his hand came in contact with my face again, this time in a very fierce smack that made me yelp and cough immediately. “Shut up,” the pastor hissed, “I didn’t ask for your whining…”

Even so, considering how he sped up his thrusts considerably after this, it was clear said whining was very much welcome. So I kept on doing it, taking in stride every single following slap and thrust of his inside of my mouth, faking pain and discomfort but never completely surrendering.

He was getting close, I could sense it as he went to the initial brutish behaviour of shoving himself all the way quickly like it was just another hole instead of someone’s throat. I used my hands to try and pull him towards me this time, trying to catch any sliver of confusion on his part with this, but getting nothing. Craig just continued using my mouth for his own pleasure, and I braced myself for the surge of power I was about to receive once he came, having literally sucked the life out of him.

Until he gave my hair a yank and pulled himself back abruptly, swiftly taking himself on his free hand and letting a sequence of warm white jets land straight onto my face.

I almost screamed with anger. It was almost impossible for a human man to have enough self-control to pull out of a succubus, no matter which hole he was using. It felt like a personal defeat, to let prey use me like that and not even get to feed. But not everything was over - the pastor was still standing, his eyes closed and head thrown back, but very much alive. He had survived the ordeal, and, for the way he still had my hair on a grip, there was energy for yet another round, one I would not dare to lose.

“Craaaaaig…” I tapped my fingers on his body after a bit, trying to get him to look down at me, to see my face plastered with both his release and the mess of spit all around my mouth from his reckless fucking.

In a small victory of mine, he did. Letting go of his cock and taking my chin in his hand, the pastor tilted my face slowly to one side and then to the other, his eyes narrow as he analyzed his own work. While he did that, my eyes drifted down to his dick - confirming with delight that he was still rock hard as ever, even after coming so hard on my face. That man was one of a kind indeed.

Giving out a type of snort that I couldn’t differentiate between amused and disdainful, Craig released me fully. He silently made his way to the other side of the bed and climbed onto it, sighing as he laid on the mattress, getting cozy against his soft pillows.

No way I’d allow him relaxation now. I was not leaving that place without what I came to get in there. This guy would not be my first defeat. “Tired already?” I whined, turning around and propping myself up on one elbow as the other hand sneaked towards his chest. “I wanna play more…”

Craig turned his face to me with a stern look. “Do I seem tired to you?” Always. “And shut up.” He then patted his thigh with his hand, keeping his gaze on me. Guess my moment of just opening wide and looking pretty was done.

Slowly, teasingly, I straddled his body, his eyes following my every movement like a critic’s. I rolled my hips a few times over his cock, letting my arousal coat it - although it would take much more of it to cover his full length. Though his eyebrows curved into a frown, clearly displeased by the fact that I was waiting so long to just put him in, he couldn’t help but watch the full display with focused eyes, taking every single movement in with an interest that he didn’t show but I knew was there.

“Just get on with it already,” the complaint finally came after a few moments, his hands moving up my thighs.

“In a rush? We have the whole night,” I purred, taking one of my hands to his face and dragging my index finger along his cheek, settling it on his lower lip.

Craig tilted his face up a bit to move my touch away from his mouth before speaking again. “The earlier we start, the more we do. So stop wasting time.” Hands finding my hips, he took a firm hold on them and lifted them up himself, staring at his own slick-covered cock for a few seconds before looking up at me again, “Unless it’s too much for you.”

Fuck you, I thought to myself, before realizing I was about to do just that. It was clear he knew the effect he had, how sexy he really was, even if he didn’t conceive the true nature of that power. To say something like that to a sex demon! The disrespect! Made me even want to show my real form to him for a brief moment, so that measly pastor could really know what he was dealing with before I drained the life out of him. But I held it back, deciding to make him swallow his words through actions.

Which is why right after getting into position, I sank onto him entirely in one quick movement, meeting the base of his huge length with a brutal downward thrust. My walls stretched themselves to accommodate him in a snug fit, swiftly and painlessly, the perks of a body that is literally made for that. He groaned deeply with this, pressing his lips together to not let the sound be any louder, but the damage had been done.

I leaned towards him a bit to whisper in his ear, “It’s just enough.”

He had unknowingly put me in every succubus’ favourite position. Being on top meant I got complete control over the situation, free rein to do as I pleased while Craig would be left to squirm and take what I gave him. As I straightened my posture and started to ride him expertly, he also began lifting his hips up to meet mine, trying to establish some sort of dominance over my movements, his hands roaming everywhere on my body like they were trying to leave an invisible trail of his touch.

Knowing I had him under relative control, I allowed myself to relax and enjoy the moment. And oh how easy it was to do so. He was so big I could feel him everywhere, hitting the deepest parts of me every time I moved, and the pleasure was indescribable. Legitimately, I had never felt better - my whole body was covered in a delightful warmth with the desire he created, even hotter wherever he handled me. Admission had to be made: Craig was a remarkable lover, and in other circumstances, I’d dream of finding out what else he could do with that cock as well as other parts of him. Maybe if he lived, I’d visit him in his dreams again, both to torment his soul and keep using his body for my leisure without actually allowing him the respite of death.

Actually, that even might not be much of a respite. He’d certainly be in my grounds by then. A church man who willingly gives in to a cardinal sin? Those are rarely allowed in that paradise they talk about so much.

“You were right, Craig…” I murmured between breathy whimpers, “I think I am good for more than what you said…”

His face was contorted with the effort he was making, but he still managed to keep his eyes open, meeting my gaze fiercely. “You… You really don’t shut up, do you?” He huffed as he spoke, the pleasure and the strain of repeatedly fucking into me clearly getting to him. I merely chuckled and started moving even faster - my dirty talking became uninteresting to me over the sound of our skin slapping and the mattress’ bounce.

Bringing my face down close to him again, I licked a long stripe on his cheek. Surprisingly, despite the physical exertion, he wasn’t sweating. Still, human skin was extremely tempting to any demon, and Craig’s especially so. I couldn’t help but sigh with desire, the light breath hitting right on the wet line on his face, and I fixed my position just in time to see him shudder and groan at that feeling - like the logical part of him wanted to complain and be disgusted but his body was too far gone to actually know what about.

The smell of his essence was getting stronger by the second and it took a lot from me to not both pull all my stops to make him cum and also to not finish myself from the overwhelming ecstasy. Through that haze of lust, there was still a certain competitive aspect for me - knowing that I’d come out the other side from an encounter with such a formidable opponent on the human race, someone whose essence any sex demon would kill to have, to have their abilities obscenely heightened by such great power. Knowing that, from the moment he came, he’d be mine.

“Say my name,” I honestly didn’t even remember which was the one I had told him; all that mattered was his calling out to me, acknowledging who had prevailed.

It took him a few gasps of air before an answer came. “(Y/N),” he finally husked.

Shock came through me in two different ways. First was the physical: The sound of my name on Craig’s voice made tension I didn’t even know I had over my whole body snap like an elastic that was let go after being stretched to its limits. A scream of pleasure broke free from deep inside my very being as I came around his cock, with an intensity that bordered on violent, jolts upon jolts of lightning starting from my cunt and running through every single part of me. In that moment, my nails clawed his chest viciously, actively etching marks on his skin - the force of my orgasm had me losing control of my human disguise for a brief moment, and my demonic form shone through right in front of the pastor’s eyes.

Yet he didn’t flinch from the pain or shout at the new sight. Gritting his teeth and emitting a shuddering grunt from behind them, he bucked upwards a few more erratic times before spilling fully inside of me, streams upon streams of his seed filling me up completely, seeming endless. I didn’t even have time to enjoy the brutal surge of energy that washed over me from taking in his life energy; my whole body was already too busy spasming from pleasure, and my mind couldn’t be informed of anything else, having short-circuited completely.

When I eventually came down from the orgasm that ravaged my entire system, I was finally left to deal with the second shock: The psychological. And that’s when the world stopped spinning. The part of Hell inside of me froze.

There was absolutely no way.

I hadn’t told the pastor my real name, and it was a deliberate decision, but it meant more than just any chick on a one-night stand who doesn’t want to see the guy again. For demons, our name is legitimate business. Knowing a demon’s real name means having power over them, and we don’t, under any circumstances, want another being to have that kind of hold on us; it usually means complete destruction. Most humans don't know about this, but we still avoid telling them the real thing, because they can use that power even without knowing of it.

And yet here Craig was, knowing that information and using it like it was nothing. Looking at him again, my eyes went wide as I took in his features - his lips were twisted in a wide, sadistic smirk, the most expression I had seen him sport all night. That smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, which probably made the whole thing even scarier.

Every single bit of that fucking smile was legitimate. He knew.

“How do you…” There was no recognizing my voice with how weak it was as the words left my mouth. A sense of urgency made my heart race, my wide eyes denouncing the terror that shook my body. More than anything, I had to interrogate Craig: Force the information I needed out of him, then end his life in a torturous manner for even daring to say my name with that filthy human mouth of his.

Yet I found myself unable to even move, let alone speak. The questions I needed to ask never made their way to my vocal chords. I couldn’t ever have imagined that a simple church guy from a small town would manage what literally no other man had ever gotten even close to doing - he left me speechless.

“I have my means, (Y/N),” the way he kept that deadpan tone of his while my name rolled off of his lips once more made me shudder completely, “I don’t usually see your kind around here, though.”

“Wha-what are you talking about, priest?” I finally found it in me to roar, my face contorting in fury - though my speech still stuttered at the beginning, a tiny faltering that basically made the whole thing pointless.

“Pastor.”

His dry and almost ironic correction only fueled my anger. “Like I fucking care! Who do you think you are, you idiotic male?”

My nails shifted into my demonic form’s claws and I tried to swipe at his face with them, but he immediately grabbed my wrist, stopping it in midair like nothing had happened. “I told you already. I’m Craig Tucker. But I guess low-levels like you need help understanding.”

The next second was a blur. With incredible speed and strength, Craig pushed me onto my back, freeing himself from under me and shoving my legs wide open as he settled between them, placing his hands over my chest and pinning me down with such inhuman strength I was sure he could crack my ribcage right open if he really wanted to. But, judging from how he stared down at me, his intentions were different - and honestly, considering what he had become, I might’ve been in less danger if he just ripped my skin open.

The man - or rather, the entity - above me wasn’t the pastor anymore. His pupils had shifted into mere slits and his once hazel eyes now blazed a vibrant red; looking straight into them, I swore I could see all the nine circles of my birthplace in their entirety, the screams of the tortured souls echoing in my brain just like they would if I was physically all the way down there. Wide coriaceous wings spread from his back, the thick and rough onyx-colored skin that covered them sporting a slight bluish hue, barely noticeable. Of similar color were the goat-type horns that now protruded from his forehead, their bases slightly covered by his shaggy bangs. A long, pointy tail swished dangerously behind him, before twisting itself around my ankles, trapping them together.

He wasn’t an incubus. Wouldn’t have been able to overpower me so easily if he was - strength through us sex demons is measured by the power we steal from a human’s life energy rather than the biological sex our vessels embody. And he could do all that after being stripped of his energy while I was supposed to be at my prime from the best feeding of my life.

No. ‘Craig Tucker’ was something much above me, more ancient even, a being who manifested Sin itself in a way I never could. And that same being knew my true name. He had the ability to do whatever the fuck he wanted to me.

Hovering over me now was the silver cross chain, like a hypnotizing pendulum, about to bring me into something I could never snap away from.

“You got what you came for, demoness. Now, it’s my turn.”

Dividers by @cafekitsune

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muffinlance · 1 year ago

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Wait, what’s going on with Embers???? That fic has been on my read later list since 2021, what’s happened with it???

Brief overview, then I'm likely never touching this topic again, because this is not a Drama Blog:

Context: Embers is a super old AtLA fic that was written during the early fandom days, read widely at the time, and was the origin of the widely-used fanon name of "Wani" for Zuko's ship (kind of by default that it was one of the first popular fics to give his ship a name, I think?), even though most fic writers don't seem to realize it's from there anymore.

"What's Going On": I used to include a link in all my stories to it, because I believe in crediting other writers for borrowed elements, and I was using "Wani" in all my fics. But BOY did I not want to be sending readers that way anymore, so I've adopted a new name for Zuko's ship, and removed all Embers links.

None of the criticisms about Embers itself are new; I'm assuming they date back to when the fic was being written, because this isn't an "it aged badly" thing, this is an "actually yeah this gets worse the longer you think about it and I shouldn't have ignored my bad feelings just because some of the worldbuilding was interesting" thing.

An Incomplete List of Why I Made the Change:

I don't actually like the story that much anymore, and don't want to rec it

I tried to re-read it recently to see if some things were as bad as I remembered and it turns out they were So Much Worse Oh Yikes. More specifically, the treatment of Katara and Aang and their respective cultures has... rather a lot going on. One example: The Fire Nation and Air Nomads are both given multiple backstory elements in an attempt to make the average Fire Nation soldier's participation in the genocide/war in large part the fault of the Avatar and the Air Nomads themselves, and also fully justified from the Fire Nation perspective. And I do mean fully. One of its core tenants is "People from the Fire Nation (and only people from the Fire Nation) who don't follow orders Literally Die, therefore murdering pacifists and babies and continuing the war (and their regularly scheduled war crimes) is the only thing it is physically possible for them to do". I cannot emphasize enough how literal that is.

Also the name "Wani" means "Alligator" and is... objectively a pretty lame name for Zuko's ship? Where's the personality, where's the deeper meaning, where's the resonance with Zuko's themes? @tuktukpodfics initially thought I was calling the ship "Wanyi", and that's what I've switched to, because it is Objectively So Much Better. In their words: “Wànyī (萬一): Literally ‘one in ten thousand,’ ‘perchance.’ Used grammatically in Chinese to mean ‘what if’ or ‘just in case.’ I think a ship called ‘The Perchance’ is perfect for a boy clinging to false hope.”

TL:DR; I don't rec Embers anymore, because I don't actually like the story anymore, and there are things about it that get worse the more I think on them. I've removed links to it and renamed Zuko's ship to "Wanyi" ("The Perchance") because our boy deserves a ship name that reflects his character arc.

#for the record if you ever find something kind of rancid in my fics #do please let me know #EX: I've rewritten scenes to be better Actual Blind Rep for Toph based on blind reader feedback #and I'm debating how hard it would be to ignore/re-write the canon issues of Water Tribe sexism (for the Southern Tribe at the least)#because that is a common complaint I see from the people who's RL cultures the Water Tribes was based on #probably I can do more interesting things with that going forward #in other words justice for Hama and Hahn #at least the show itself made Hama excellently complex #anyways back to doing actual writing #please no follow up questions #though I will say anyone who wants to update their own fics to use Wanyi (or any other name): go for it!#all you need to do is plop your chapters in a word editor and find/replace the ship name! it took about 40 minutes to do literally #all of my fics and I had some other editing to do besides! it'll be even quicker for you!#let's sink the Wani #avatar the last airbender #atla #Zuko

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prettyboykatsuki-moved · 4 months ago

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gen question tho do you wonder why the culture of fanfic has shifted to where smut is by far the most common and most popular type of fic? i stumbled upon a writer a few months ago who openly admitted to only writing what she did because it got her followers and notes on her posts and she apologized for mischaracterizing some characters in her smut pieces. it was the first time ive ever seen that as just something ppl talked about and felt comfortable to say

i have a metapost about this somewhere floating around this blog but the long and short of it is that fandom is reflecting our current cultural values around commodity and instant gratification.

it's hard to describe but the commodification of fandom has generally made some parts of it performative. people dont see reading fanfiction as just... engaging with someones work but as a kind of consumption. authors are not people but "content" creators. artists must advertise themselves to recieve any noteworthy response.

so its less community oriented and more commodified.

im a smut blog primarily so i have to clarify - there's nothing wrong with people choosing to write smut or preferring to read it. im not critiquing smut itself or its presence in fandom culture. and i never would. i literally write porn and smut itself has plenty of merit and value. and its especially important to be writing really dirty erotica in a culture that is sex obsessed yet so puritanical

the issue itself lies with how that process has ultimately dismantled the community aspect of fandom. if you've been present in fanculture prior to 2020 - you will know it was not like this. proship discourse, engagement discourse, etc - all of this happens because fandom culture itself has become a commodity

i think smut as a genre provides ease of tension and the most instant gratification in terms of writing. things like long ongoing fic that may or may not finished, or angst, or fluff - these things can, and do get popular from time to time. but people have a much shorter attention span, and getting that same type of release will take longer.

specifically it will require a reader to engage in the story more actively to see it through. that used to be the norm. but fandom itself has been commodified - so people view all of this as a passive and endless stream of content they can observe instead of a community of people in which their presence as lurkers and readers are needed. this also why i think a lot of engagement discourse can feel very misdirected

there is no longer and ecosystem in which to preserve the things that made fandom good. its reflective of the culture. the same reason smut blows up and and why netflix release 8 episode action packed series instead of 25 with better pacing is the same - the causation for these things are the same. its commodity, need for gratification, and trying to get ahold and maintain peoples attention.

its not the fault of author nor readers that this happens. theres always merit in writing your own original work. there's merit in all writing.

the increased popularity of smut is just a byproduct of the culture we're in right now. it doesn't make all smut low effort or automatically less worthy of peoples time (which is why i feel deeply irritated when i see posts talking about how the tags are only smut) . its just the genre with the quickest release of tension, and that's why people are seeking out in their media all the time right now.

fandom reflects culture, not the other way around. and right now culture demands engagement be solely to be gratified, as consumed - instead of experienced and enjoyed.

#return to sender #x reader meta #this got long rip

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weirdmageddon · 1 year ago

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why i think aradia and john work so well

(with some stuff i’ve been wanting to yap about for ages)

have you guys ever given arajohn / johnradia (idk if its popular enough to even have a standardized ship name) any thought …? i know it seems kind of out of left field. i’ve considered it and i think its. really really good. i have a bunch of thoughts to unpack. come join me. and maybe grab a snack or something because i didn’t realize how much i'd actually have to say about this

(fantastic art by skeletood)

the other day i made a tweet that did rather well where i said, “john and aradia shouldve talked more. its so simple but i like how she actually earnestly answers his questions. so many characters in this comic are so mean to john for just wanting to know more give him a break”

putting it out there now im not big about shipping for the sake of shipping. there needs to be real chemistry. i need to sense that as a reason why two characters would potentially be a good influence on each other. i never knew why i was always so obstinate about this because it’s fictional and not materially hurting anyone, but i think it might be because i’m not sure how to justify it or explain it if not.

i strongly believe john and aradia would have had it made out for them if circumstances allowed it. (what i mean by “ship” or “johnradia” extends to any kind of interpersonal dynamic, even if just a good friendship. it doesnt even have to be romantic, just some sort of dynamic with them.)

unfortunately aradia originally committed herself to staying out of trolling the kids over their timelines, so john and aradia never talked until year 3 on the ship in the dream bubbles but they never had a truly proper one-on-one without outside meddling. i think if john knew aradia better and her story beforehand, she had more time to explain herself and her history, he wouldnt have been unsettled. and also of course if his experience with the trolls didn’t suck so bad because he already had expectations for how antagonizing most of them were.

i found people’s sentiments about johnradia elsewhere too. i remembered that they were both on the song art for ascend, and searched ao3 to see how many fics have been written to gauge how substaintial it’s been in the homestuck fandom. only 17 of them turned up. but the people who do talk about it are either curious about it or really do like it, and that interested me.

clearly it’s pretty niche character relationship to be depicted in any fanwork and i can understand why. despite being so small, from what ive seen it seems universally agreed upon to be nice. i haven’t seen a single person object to it. what ive seen falls into two categories: “wow i didnt think about this before but i actually dig it” or “(starving) finally some good fucking food”

the pattern im seeing is that people think it’s “random”, but i disagree. there is something there substantiating it even if they’re unable to articulate it.

the fanfic these comments are from is chronology of wind. that fic is really, really good, and sadly unfinished. i have more abstract reasons to believe why aradia and john would be good in theory, so actually seeing someone else actually make something with them helped me read it in action, to get a more tangible feel of the dynamic beyond what we have in canon.

i wouldn’t normally make claims about a relationship with regard to homestuck canon by looking at their relationship in a fanfic, because i think you all know by now i am very nitpicky about accurate characterization, and it does not go unnoticed by me when people get it right because for some reason it feels like a one in a million thing (even though it really shouldn’t be?). so this was a special case. the tone was completely consistent with canon. this fic is so in-character i’d basically consider it an extension of canon. to me it’s like they took the same characters and plopped them into this scenario to see how they’d interact. guys… i love that stuff so much. i love fanfiction or fanworks that depict realistic extensions of canon and stays true to the energy and tone of the source, but deepens it. there isn’t enough of it imo. i want to see more of it.

anyway, what i read of their conversations in that fic basically aligned with what i was thinking in my head about what i’d expect it to be like. i was able to compare how aradia and john talked to how aradia and the other characters interacted, their comparative attitudes towards each other—how they’re treated by others compared to how they treat each other.

have you noticed john and aradia’s communication values are both based on sincerity, being in the proper know, treating people fairly, and thanklessly taking on the necessary work that “must be done” in order to have what they really want — a good time that feels meaningful? and they accomplish this without any adjustment in how they talk to each other.

john is always subtly (or not-so-subtly) asking the people around him to answer him soberly and to the point so he knows whats going on and what that means for what his options are. he needs to know to what end he will be applying his absurd energetic drive into making shit happen. aradia honors his time before john can even become uncomfortable with the amount of time being eaten up by conversation. contrast this with rose, who seems to go on for a while with prose-like conversational adornments. in dire situations that need rapid explanation and definitive answers so he knows what to do, this is really the last thing he needs. aradia doesnt waste john’s time. she answers all his questions, and does it politely to boot. his time talking to her doesn't feel wasted.

john's impatience with this sort of nonsense is also why i can’t see something like dirkjohn working out, for example. to me it feels like @entropicbias also deeply understands this on some level because i literally couldn’t have demonstrated what i mean by it any better myself than that. i'm gonna have to to hit him up about how much i genuinely respect that like tbh hes one of the few i absolutely trust to handle writing and depicting these characters in situations and their interpersonal dynamics. and also care about doing their characterization justice as much as me.

of course people are still entitled to like whatever they like, ship whatever they want to. i dont care. but i just don’t think it would work from the perspective of the minds of the canon characters, how they generally think and approach situations. and i can already tell people might ask me how do i know this? what makes me an expert? i’m not more than anyone else is (although i have been called a "characterization expert" from my friends), but i do know that i can pick up on the energetic chemistry between people, including characters, honestly precognitively, without even thinking? like if it’s stiff or tense or awkward, if people aren’t free to express themselves uninhibitedly, if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. i can sense this almost instantly. it’s something that’s a visceral feeling in my body i cant express and i have to rationalize it after the fact. like i’m doing now in fact writing this big analysis.

> listen to me talk about my special interest boy

for the next section to make sense, you probably want to read this post. i initially started writing it within this post to explain but there was so much brewing i had to explain the context that it turned into something i wanted to post on its own terms.

> okaaaaaayyyyy i read all that

thank you, really. my main point is using the conceptual tools provided by this system to expIain why aradia and john feel nice together and why i’ve seen people positively perceive the idea of a relationship between them even if it seems “random”.

framing them in this system, it wouldn’t be random! there’s a good reason they seem to fit nicely. this is because john and aradia have complementary forms of information metabolism. information metabolism is talked about in this section.

Jung’s psychic types are the types of cognition, or intelligence. But it would probably be easiest to call them types of IM [information metabolism], since the main difference between the types of people lies in their exchange of information with the external world.

Aushra Augusta, Commentary on Jung’s Typology and Introduction to Information Metabolism

aradia megido’s type of information metabolism (otherwise known as a TIM) is LII. john egbert’s TIM is ESE.

aradia and john’s types are duals. you can read more about what that entails here. in theory, their interactions would reflect the duality dynamic. reading chronology of wind, that one really in-character fic that explored their dynamic made me excited because they do!

michael pierce gave an overview of his impression of the characteristics of this intertype dynamic. despite only rough knowledge in socionics while he wrote this, his understanding of duality was spot on to me from my experience and others and i wanted to share it here. (fittingly, i believe he is also LII.)

Now we have the famous duality relationship: in a nutshell, this role is characterized by two traits: 1) a very close psychological distance or intimacy, and 2) a great ease of interacting with each other. It is sometimes described how meeting one's dual can be the event of a lifetime, because it inspires aspects in each party's character that they had never expressed before: the pair may even drop out of society for a time in order to focus on just each other, and to explore themselves through interaction with each other. The curious thing in this relationship is that these parties are rather different in outlook, and when they are not actually interacting as potential friends it's probably more likely for them to dislike or mistrust each other because of how different they are. […] However, when they are able to interact normally, it is a strange and wonderful discovery to realize that the interaction is unexpectedly smooth and invigorating. It's hard for people to describe, but as I understand it: while both parties recognize their differences on the surface, these differences are created by a root structure that coincides perfectly with each other, so that the differences on the surface are entirely complementary and cause no friction at all.

it’s also meaningful to consider that the structure of my own psyche is LII as well. so i’ve got a bit of a bias towards aradia and john.. not in the sense that what i actually say about them is personally biased, but that the bias is moreso my personal attention to people and characters of these two types in particular to see how my own experiences are reflected in them. i really do feel of a reflection of my own thought and work process in aradia and in the more abstract sense she is like an extension of myself. when people say they like aradia as a character i get secondhand joy from that because shares certain specific traits with me. of course i am still my own person though.

these are some of the most apt profiles i've found for these types at a glance. again, think about these characters as you read these descriptions. [from here (ESE / LII)]

ESE (Ethical-sensory extrovert) - john

The trademark quality of this type is a focus on socializing and guiding social situations and interactions so that the people involved can have fun and enjoy themselves. ESEs are typically in the middle of what is happening socially and know about the latest events and what people think and feel about them. They are skilled at bringing people together in fun and interesting ways and making everyone feel actively involved. Their friends know them as people who love life and feel most at home in social situations surrounded by other fun people. In their pursuit of fun-oriented and stimulating social interactions, ESEs typically neglect to structure their own thought processes and views in a way that would help them know exactly what they think and why. They are receptive to others’ attempts to help them introduce more structure and logical consistency in their life and thinking processes. They gravitate most to people who open up to fun and emotional interaction easily, yet are also skilled at systematizing thoughts and views and explaining ideological matters.

LII (Logical-intuitive introvert) - aradia

The trademark quality of this type is a focus on logical, structured thought and generating true assertions and views. LIIs are typically strict thinkers who are concerned that everything fits together in a logical way. They are skilled at understanding, generating, and criticizing logical arguments and instilling their views in the people around them. Their friends know them as people with well-organized thoughts and opinions who know what they think and can elucidate their ideas to others. In their pursuit of logical understanding, LIIs typically neglect their external social interactions and activities that would help them lighten up and experience a connection with other people. They are receptive to others’ attempts to create these fun and lighthearted situations for them. They gravitate most to people who are interested in their opinions and understanding of things, but are also skilled at organizing social interactions and creating a sense of emotional unity.

ive recently consciously experienced the feeling of duality for the first time since i've been communicating with my mom's high school classmate, and it is definitely a real thing. i even remember mom pointing out she noticed when we were all talking on the phone over a year ago that i perked up whenever he said stuff. here is how i explained it:

its bonkers how only once i experience something for myself i’m able to explain in detail what makes it so great based on what my impressions about it were because i tend to have a peculiar way of describing the qualities of an experience. my specialty is deep precision in my analogies for what it’s like. so now i can tell you how conversations with your dual feel… heres the status report. it’s weightless. its so strange. like the topic conversation stretches into infinity that you can pick right back up at any time. it’s hazy and unfocused but still pleasant (unless you’re particularly self-conscious and need to unlearn hiding your true self). but the best parts of it come when you have a specific issue or insecurity that comes with being your most natural self that the world seems to misunderstand about you, or just not give you what you don't even know you’ve been looking for. i think you might mutually intimidate each other at first because you're lowkey both expecting to be made fun of for your inadequacy with certain types of information that the other is nuanced with (and you’re not), but it never comes. you don't feel like what your dual wants in life is wrong. your dual seems so talented in all the ways you hope to shine but you’re always unsure of. for the introvert (me) wishing they felt their own active presence as an object (Se, Ne, Te, Fe) like the extravert does. for the extravert, wishing they felt their own relationships with other objects (Si, Ni, Ti, Fi) like the introvert does. any other intertype relationship (ITR) vs. duality is like the difference between 99% and 100% totality of a solar eclipse, except it’s the level of understanding with another person, like the eclipsing of your own information metabolism with theirs. of course there are other things that influence how well your relationship with this person goes, but i am talking strictly about when it comes to basic communication, the level of understanding you share. sometimes it might feel like you dont have much to talk about or the topic is unfocused, because you two ARE opposites in many ways after all, especially at a glance (domain of interests usually come with specific macroelements. theories about thought structures—like socionics, for instance—are in the domain of intuition, while physical interests and experiences are in the domain of sensorics.) i’m LII in the NT club (researchers) and my dual ESE in the SF club (social-communicative). so they’re constantly providing you with information from their own niche in life that you may be entirely unfamiliar with, but for some reason still interests and relaxes you to hear. you might not feel like you have a lot to say about the topic since but you are fully amazed by this person’s activity. it also makes you feel more sure of yourself and more confident that people truly appreciate and need your natural abilities.

> let’s break it down

here’s some lightly modified descriptions of the information blocks in LII and ESE's information metabolism models from pyatnitsky so you can get an overarching impression of how their type contributes to the informational sphere. i added some of my own adjustments and borrowed some sentences from stratiyevskaya's descriptions. additionally, you can click on the name of the block for an explanation of the role it plays.

i put about a week’s work into these collages but my goal with them was to actually show where i think these information blocks are most pertinent in these characters specifically and where they apply so it’s not just some abstract thing, just as supplementary examples as needed. (for the meaning of these information elements individually you can refer to cysia’s document.)

LII (Logical-intuitive introvert)

EGO (-Ti? -> -Ne!). Analytical thinking. They are well aware of the interrelationships of some objects or phenomena with others, and what laws are in effect or not in effect. On the basis of a comprehensive analysis, they put forward insights about the global essence of specific objects and phenomena, their possibilities. They acutely charge the situation with potential energy. For every situation, there is an archetype.

Super-EGO (-Fi? -> -Se!). Normative ideas about relationships between people and ways to get out of unpleasant ethical situations. Understands ethics as founded on the principles of fairness; to do to one side of the equation that you do to the other. Volitional manifestations in order to protect their living space are carried out only on the basis of personal experience. Because of the limited opportunities to fight back, they react painfully to attempts of any interference in his life. Does not respond to any arbitrary crudeness or volitional pressuring. Does not compromise goals, stubbornly clings to them. Avoids direct confrontation if possible, would rather talk civilly and earnestly. Uses their naturally strong sense of the conditioning of objects over time to avoid collisions with their material interests. Due to this, they may appear as someone with very little weaknesses.

Super-ID (+Fe -> +Si?) Attracts information about a good mood, a specific positive state, or a feeling. They would like to think that they can eliminate serious inconveniences, make the environment around them more comfortable. This skill needs to be evaluated. They are unconsciously activated when there is a need to make the environment more comfortable, which should lead to a better state, raise the mood at least in the immediate environment. In friendly, comfortable, and informal company, their cool exterior thaws and they start lighting up with joviality.

ID (+Te! → +Ni?). Has developed guidelines and methods that relate to specific practical activities, technological effectiveness, and resource use. Spontaneously feels the correct allocation of resources over time, which allows them to effectively solve tasks at an unhurried pace. This pace is deeply rational in nature.

ESE (Ethical-sensory extrovert)

EGO (+Fe! -> +Si?). Perception of the world is fundamentally emotional. Feels the emotional atmosphere well in any situation, knows the relevance of the way of expression, the place and weight (importance) of the internal state in each situation. Flexible approach to solving problems of managing and expressing emotions. They show bright emotionality both negative and positive. Creatively produces around themself comfort, coziness, conveniently arranges space, surrounds others with beautiful things, changing thereby the general condition and mood. Usually opinionated about their tastes.

(wow i really went all out on that this one that tumblr wont even display it in full resolution, so here. john just has so many more lines to choose from, sorry!)

Super-EGO (+Te! -> +Ni?). Practical and technological thinking is tightly based on acquired knowledge and patterns of solving similar problems. Methods of business activity in both general and specific areas are selected based on the opinion of reputable sources, or adjusted to one of the mastered templates. Predicting specific changes in the sphere of their interests is carried out only on the basis of personal experience. He is not able to compare his own method of forecasting with others, so he is sensitive to criticism of poor timing or deadlines, does not like situations that feel like a waste of his time; he is lost in connection with negative events. Guided by purely personal experience, he chooses specific times and deadlines for various tasks with a normative understanding of business activity in general.

Super-ID (-Ti? -> -Ne!). Attracts information about the order, specific logical relationships in the field of activity or interests. Needs someone to suggest specific ways to make connections between phenomena, patterns, and rules. Tries to be reasonable himself, even though he knows that this is not characteristic of him. Sometimes he openly talks of his actions that were poorly reasoned through, as if inviting other people to laugh at his thoughtlessness. The ordering and systematization of thought opens up a new way of understanding of events that are happening around him, as well as new prospects, potential, and capabilities. He likes to think that he understands the essence of a situation and lights up with new ideas. This skill needs to be evaluated. It is unconsciously activated when it is necessary to create order, clear consistency and clarity on a particular issue, especially if their abilities are recognized.

ID (-Fi? -> -Se!). Involuntarily keeps track of communications in their social circle. Without hesitation, they use a variety of ways to establish and maintain relationships that have been developed in his personal practice. Good relationships are important for personal inner confidence in a situation. To prevent unfavorable relationships, they are inclined, often without even realizing it, to act with pressure, forcing a showdown, forcing the partner to change the relationship for the better. Frequently demonstrates his resoluteness, persistence, and purposefulness, as if proposing his behavior as a model for imitation. Usually tells in much detail what obstacles were created before him, and how he overcame them, what he was told in response, and what he replied with, and so on and in the like.

(full res)

you might be able to see already how they would complement each other's thought process nicely. here are some descriptions of what the communication between these types is like:

+Fe! : program function of ESE and dual-seeking function of LII

The ESE periodically tells emotionally charged "program" function stories, telling of how somebody has acted and what they have done. The main orientation of ESE's leading ethical program is: "No one should be offended." The LII carefully listens to these statements, and, demonstrating a full understanding of these issues, develops logical basis for them, e.g. in calm persuasive voice he explains how the ESE has acted justly and fairly. The effusion of turbulent emotions coming from the ESE is counterbalanced by their absorption by the LII, who breaks them down into fragments by asking clarifying questions of the ESE.

-Ti? : dual-seeking function of ESE and program function of LII

The ESE is tuned to accepting information when it's relayed in clear logical form. He issues requests for logical explanations delivered from a point of view of generalized rules underpinning specific life events, which he receives from the LII, who delivers clear unambiguous interpretations, places the dots over all "i's", and demonstrates good understanding of problems that are of concern to the ESE. Not receiving information of this kind, the ESE begins making demands of those around him to be "intelligent" and understand the reasons of his actions.

-Ne! : activating function of ESE and creative function of LII

The ESE feels uncomfortable if he doesn't extend his help to people who are in need of it. His subconscious orientation is: "care and guard the talented", be kind and attentive towards other people. The LII usually meets such criteria by proving in action his aptitude at uncovering hidden capabilities, winning trust, passing on the knowledge. The ESE creates supportive conditions for people who are capable but lacking in assertive "push-through" qualities, among whom the LII finds himself, and a special work regime that protects such individuals from overloads on sensing functions. Newly discovered possibilities inspire and promote the pragmatic and business-oriented activities of the ESE. He can support a new undertaking or initiative with an enormous amount of energy and enthusiasm, light up by new ideas. Only the LII is able to, even having a vague general notion about the subject, construct a developed theory or idea of any issue. This theory shows to be promising in the process of its concrete application within its field.

+Si? : creative function of ESE and activating function of LII

LII tries to take care of their well-being, but may gravitate towards demonstrative asceticism, exhaust himself with work, studies, or exercise. The ESE periodically takes care of creating an environment that "charges" the LII with pleasant sensations: a reception of guests, a good meal, a visit to a theater or a concert, an interesting trip, and so on. At the same time the ESE takes pleasure in this himself.

+Te! : role function of ESE and observing function of LII

The role function of the ESE manifests as business-oriented activity and initiative, supplying interesting information, provision with material assistance to those who are in need, general restlessness and fussy busyness. This function is normative, i.e. the ESE seeks to comply with the norms and accepted ways of doing things. The nuancing of the understanding of these norms, i.e. introduction of activities that go beyond them, is possible only by considering LII's advice and recommendations. The LII serves as a director of this function, adjusting its workings by advocating the necessity of practical application of some beneficial ideas, rejection of useless though spectacular ideas, and the need to ensure standards of life not below average by rejection of equalization.

+Ni? : vulnerable function of ESE and demonstrative function of LII

The ESE poorly feels the flow of time, both physical, which manifests as running late and poor distribution of his strengths over time, and historical, which manifests as poor ability to anticipate consequences of actions and tendency for traditional ways of solving problems. The ESE finds it difficult to make radical choices. The LII fully takes this aspect onto his shoulders. He has an unconscious ability to distribute activities in time, thereby avoiding work stress and overloads, and is capable of making a radical choice. The LII is able to calmly wait and in the necessary moment get to work when the wasteful fussiness of the ESE reaches its critical point.

-Fi? : ignoring function of ESE and role function of LII

On this function the ESE gives advice and makes demands concerning the creation of appropriate psychological distances in form of proper behavior, courtesy and politeness, denouncing rudeness and boorishness. In this manner, the ESE adjusts LII's role function, which in itself contains a set of large psychological distances: a sullen stubborn look, unsociability, etc. With such fine-tuning it becomes easier for the LII to come into contact with people, whereby he becomes more animated, resolves many of his ethical problems that previously frightened him, gains greater insight into human relationships and a more accurate understanding as to whose side to take in situations of conflict.

-Se! : demonstrative function of ESE and vulnerable function of LII

The LII finds it very difficult to exert pressure on other people from his own will and initiative, especially in cases when he needs to attain something for himself. He finds this difficult to do - to press ahead in certain situations, to gather all the required paperwork, to stand in lines and queues, to petition for his own interests, even the ones that are of vital importance to him. He finds it difficult to push a person away, to sharply refuse someone, to quarrel loudly and defend his rights, to put an end to relations that have exhausted themselves. The ESE doesn't directly affect this function, i.e. he doesn't verbally criticize and teach the LII on this aspect, but takes over its functioning completely. The ESE exerts a constant, sometimes intrusive and imposing pressure on other people if there is a need to achieve something, to defend justice and demand fair treatment, to protect interests of those who are close and dear to him. The ESE goes to the right jurisdictions, inspires people around him and directs them towards work and purposeful activity, keeps up a high pace of life himself, and breaks off relations with those who don't deserve trust.

and some miscellaneous excerpts from literature i liked a lot. (i can't remember the sources i used since i've been working on this on and off, for the past week and i was just spilling things onto the post. i think stratiyevskaya?):

Mood - that’s what matters in this dyad - emotions and feelings. Anything that suppresses and overshadows good mood is considered unethical in this dyad and is strongly condemned.

The ESE does not allow the LII to limit him in the possibilities of consuming the amount of pleasures and joys, which he considers to be necessary and sufficient. Fortunately, both partners in the dyad - LII and ESE - are obstinate and unyielding. Both are demanding, unwilling (and not allowing anyone else) to lower the bar of their requirements, unable to give in and make concessions (especially in anything that is of principle for themselves). Both know how to make their partner reckon with their interests and insist on the fulfillment of their demands.

LII is impressed by the emotional generosity of ESE and his spiritual responsiveness. All this finds the deepest understanding in LII, since he is tuned to the same priorities and values. For his part, ESE admires the ability of LII to speak clearly and definitely on every issue. ESE is struck by the harmony of the reasoning of LII, the amazing clarity, accuracy and laconicism of his statements. To ESE it seems that for LII, there is nothing incomprehensible in this world; he can give a comprehensive explanation on every issue. And everything that ESE thought about before is gradually being built into a definite and clear system of views, which he can now very freely and naturally present. Confusion and chaos in his worldview gradually gives way to a stable logical order, as if someone patient and careful was sorting all his thoughts into shelves. Such clarity inspires and activates ESE; he begins to see some prospects for himself, new opportunities. His energy and activity, in addition to emotional and ethical expression, also receives sensory realization: ESE begins to take care of LII and carefully looks after him. If LII is a colleague with whom ESE is especially pleasant to communicate with, he begins to treat him with something tasty, homemade; will make some small, but beautiful and necessary gift (for example: new cologne or a warm scarf).

> okay that's great and all but when are we talking about john and aradia specifically?

yes, that was the point of this post. i just had to build all that up first so i could walk you through my thoughts in a fully substantiated way.

considering chronology of wind again, john doesnt realize it but he needs aradias frankness and insight. even if she’s unable to explicate on vague things, she states the reason why instead of making him feel stupid (it would create a doomed timeline) but thats all john needs to hear. she is self-effacing and only tells him the truth, and we know other people can take advantage of john’s suggestibility in this way. aradia tells john who is or isnt trustworthy, what actions would be useful/necessary and which ones wont, without any selfish personal motive a la vriska or terezi.

^ (juuuust the record my nitpicky ass doesn’t agree with the truth of the classpect interpretation on behalf of the author in the last bit BUT that is beside the point here. the point is that she is answering john’s question in a way that is meaningful for him)

aradia doesnt realize it but she needs john’s friendy goofiness to brighten her up because she is surrounded by people who antagonize her when she’s literally not even trying to get under anyones skin. everybody gets frustrated at her “spooky nonsense” because theyre afraid of their own mortality, basically telling her to put a lid on it because thinking about hard truths makes THEM personally uncomfortable. but to her it’s always just been a fact of life. plugging your ears to reality is ignorance, but at the same time that doesn’t mean there’s no meaning in anything. she wants to help people see this and she dedicates herself to becoming a psychopomp for the deceased and earnestly trying to make people feel emotionally and physically comfortable in their situation through exploring their memories.

john isn’t hostile towards her. by being herself she is immediately able to earn john’s trust when they initially talk. this is also true in canon; the one time they talked when john initially comes up to her, saying “can i ask you something? seem reasonable, and pretty nice.” unfortunately he asked her the one question she didn’t have much to say about, and i can’t blame him for expecting all the troll girls to be basically insane at that point. but i don’t think aradia is insane. yes she is odd, but i think it’s evident that she has a good head on her shoulders with knowledge of the way the universe around her works, and in the end wants to simply bask in watching it play out. i think she deserves to get childishly excited about it, especially considering she was dead for most of her developmental years.

aside from getting his answers answered, john shows curiosity about her and her species and even care about her well-being and state. this naturally comes from their conversation’s ebb and flow. aradia tells this straightforwardly, without bells and whistles and without trying to trick him, unlike the other trolls who seem keen on well..trolling him.. and providing him with unclear answers to those sorts things. maybe aside from vriska, but she did have a little bit of an attitude about it wherein her and john’s dynamic felt uneven or off-rhythm, with a large psychological distance. it’s a different feeling with aradia, however. they exchange information on the same rhythm and so are able to achieve a closer psychological distance in communication.

there are no judgments coming from aradia about john being “stupid”. she doesn’t underestimate him. it’s not just that john wants to understand (although he does), but he needs to understand what he is doing. aradia compliments john about the traits he possesses that allow him to be effective. i guess in a way i’m doing the same thing with john right now.

john is so mobile and strung along by being the action hero going from place to place as a can-do deliveryboy that he never has time to reflect on his losses, think through them, and accept them.

literally who else is more qualified in all of homestuck than aradia for talking to john about these things?

on top of all of this, they have objectively significant connections beyond just mutual self-realization in a way i think could've been fleshed out. there is potential here.

for a story, i can think of a way that a conversation between them could plausibly happen using the systems established in homestuck's mythology. in canon, we see that john never met aradia until year 3 on the golden battleship in the dream bubbles when he goes to sleep.

but john still dreamt out in the furthest ring. that means during those 3 years it was possible for john to have had a dream with her in it, or at least aradiabot. i know john didn't know aradia's name beforehand but let's just explore the possibility that they could have had met before that. remember that all these aradiabots were once this person.

aradia had obtained john's crosbytop, his dads hat, and his wallet quite a while before their sgrub session. theres your entry

imagine john seeing that

memories of dear old dad get stirred up through the link of seeing those items

the dream bubble transforms

john is forced to stand in his memories and explore grief and the meaning of life with aradia

physically being in the space around him would definitely help john reflect easier i think because it will force him to actually exist within the space and talk to someone, taking some time out for this. he wanted to know if anything could've been done or if he was just too late to save them. i know aradia would be able help him slow down and introspect. don't forget the opportunities created by the properties of these spaces that are glubbed out in the furthest ring by the horrorterrors that meld the labyrinthine time and space of their surroundings to the memories of the people and finding others through common points in memory. i would imagine that objects known by multiple people would provide a common point in memory to bring them together.

The bubbles allow the players of Sburb/Sgrub who have lost a life to continue dreaming. The reality constructed in the bubbles is a combination of the memories of everyone inside the bubble accessible to any who has learned the bubble's nature. According to Aradia, it would be quite difficult to exit a bubble to get into a new one, however someone inside a bubble can travel to another one through common points in memory, taking their own memories with them to be integrated into the new bubble. These memories mix and combine, but in general, no new memories are created. Additionally, the bubbles store the consciousness of a player who has lost their dream selves and their original selves, making them double as a form of afterlife; the player is then capable of accessing the memory of anyone else who has gained access to the bubbles. Living players, who have lost or become their dream selves, appear in the dream bubbles when they are asleep. It is in this fashion that the bubbles can be used as meeting places between the dead and the living; even those from alternate universes and doomed timelines can be found in a bubble. Furthermore, in addition to memories, the bubbles can to some extent reflect the thoughts of a player. Beyond that, the bubbles can also behave similarly to Skaia's clouds, showing things that are in some way relevant to the player - such as when coin-flip Dave saw alpha Dave grieving over Bro's corpse - something he was not aware of before being shown it by a bubble.

physically reflect the thoughts of the player…… rubs hands

john and aradia share points in memory related to those objects, and to top it all of they are directly related to john's dad on the same day he died, while aradia grew up with them as bizarre alien artifacts from an archeological dig. the memories are more emotionally charged for john, and i think that distinction would probably be relevant to them both.

to be honest i think after speaking with him for a bit she would readily tell john that she regrets not talking to the kids from the universe her team created sooner before she died, but is glad that she can in the afterlife. in canon, alpha aradia told a doomed dave, "i think its absurd i never introduced myself to you in all that time i spent moping around the lab. guess i wasnt in a very good mood".

now not all the aradiabots would know who john is, because the trolls only found out about the humans once they created the genesis frog and hid out in the lab in the veil from jack who infiltrated their session. the aradiabot in the lab was the last one that survived. so if any one of them would know who john is, it would be the aradiabot that exploded. aradia's dream self ascended to god tier in jack noir's rampage on trolls' derse and took those memories with her which we can assume is what made the last aradiabot explode. its known that any original copy that dies when another rises up becomes a ghost and lives on in the dream bubbles, which would include her. a doomed aradiabot we see in the comic, which was the one that originally landed to alternia in the past, becomes more lighthearted after she dies, a bit more like her alive counterpart.

oh yeah, and the more obvious surface-level connections to top it off? ghostbusters? john ain't afraid of no ghost girl. john would be genuinely interested in what aradia living as a ghost irl on her planet and not as a gaming abstraction in the furthest ring would be like. i imagine she would be able to explain the subjective experience and that she had to prototype herself into the kernelsprite order for her server player to see her. there's also no way john hasn't seen a movie as classic as indiana jones and judging from her poster i can imagine he probably thinks it's sweet that aradia's strife specibus whipkind is a reflection of her own personal tastes, interests and hobbies.

so yeah i've just been chewing on all of this and thinking about it but i know i needed to just get this out there somehow. obviously since i spent two weeks putting this post together i'd be happy to hear your thoughts

#homestuck #aradia megido #john egbert #johnradia #arajohn #homestuck analysis #socionics #mine

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