#experimenting with shapes YAY!!

[tenowls]

hq life draw from zeet studio sketch... all the poses were so good i wanted to draw them properly

[allgremlinyaps]

I love The Legend Of Korra so much (you all know this) but it really cannot be overstated how much I appreciate that they went with worldbuilding that had strong internal logic over worldbuilding that would make the audience feel better.... if that makes sense

[blorboindulgence]

What if Shuichi was a cowboy and he went "Yeehawwww! 🤠🤠🤠🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅"

YEEHAWWWWWW

[jungkoode]

FIVE SECONDS TO FREEDOM | PROLOGUE

"debts unpaid"

"In Tokyo's underground, there are only two currencies that matter—respect and reputation. When someone threatens to take both, you don't just race them. You destroy them."

next | index | wc: 3.5k

↦author's note : Soooo here we fucking go. I've been obsessing over this story for months—I think we all know that lmaooo I think I posted the teaser like a couple months ago and I was devastated because it barely got 50 notes. But you know what, this was still in my head so I did write some drabbles—and I kind of shaped the prologue, which is what you're gonna read below hahaha. "But Kiki we just sent you 45 asks telling you to rest" AND I SAID SIKE??? No actually, I'm okay I promise! Usually writing different stories is what prevents me from burning out, because I get frustrated with the same storyline so it's like… I write something else and my brain goes 'yay thanks'. You know, ADHD—shiny new toy, mind dances to the music. Anyways, so. I love this. I love this because as always I get to experiment with different personalities and psychological backgrounds and what I fucking love about these two is the masks they wear and how opposite they are. He's cocky and arrogant, but in a different way FMU!jungkook is. She's determined and ambitious, always pushing for more, but still very distinct from all my other Y/N's because she's handling different situations (you'll see in later chapters). And Hachiroku and Jaque aren't just racing personas—they're escapes. And what makes this delicious is that they're running from opposite lives. One from privilege, one from struggle. Both finding freedom in the same five seconds at the starting line. And yes, the cars matter. They're not just vehicles; they're extensions of identity. The AE86 is legendary for a reason—not the most powerful, but perfectly balanced in the hands of someone who knows exactly what they're doing (sound familiar?). Meanwhile, the R34 Skyline is raw, unapologetic power held in check by someone who understands precisely when to unleash it. AS ALWAYS—READ THE AUTHOR INTRO AND TW listed in the index post. This is a must before reading this story. Fair warning: this isn't going to be a clean race. These characters are messy. They make decisions that will make you want to scream at them. They'll crash into each other's lives and leave debris everywhere, and the kind of attraction that feels like a guardrail giving way on a mountain pass. But that's the point, isn't it? The most interesting stories happen in the dangerous curves. So buckle up. We've got a long road ahead. Ready? Light's about to turn green.

Edit: prologue takes place 6 months before the main storyline!

Respect isn't given in Tokyo's underground—it's paid in cash or blood.

You roll the cherry lollipop against your teeth, counting seconds in your head like engine timing.

Two weeks. Fourteen days. Three hundred and thirty-six hours since you left Kalo and his overpriced Supra in your rearview on the Hakone downhill, his taillights disappearing around the corner while you took the perfect line through the hairpin that everyone else brakes too hard for.

It's nighttime at Daikoku.

You cross one leg over the other, letting your heeled boot dangle casually off the edge of your AE86's hood. The mini skirt wasn't a random choice. Neither was showing up without your racing gear.

Because tonight isn't about driving—it's about collecting.

"Kalo's nowhere to be seen," Maya says, leaning against your car's hood, arms crossed. "Dipped hard."

You don't bother looking at her, just shift the lollipop to the other side of your mouth with your tongue. The neon from nearby signs reflects off the polished black and white paint of your 86.

"What?" Maya catches your expression. "I'm just saying. Word is he's been avoiding this spot since you embarrassed him."

"While still flashing cash at that club in Roppongi," you add, voice flat. "Buying drinks for anyone who'll listen to his bullshit version of what happened on the mountain."

You tug at one of the layered chains around your neck, watching the crowd that's gathered tonight.

The usual suspects are here—wannabes with more money than skill taking photos of each other's cars, veterans huddled around hoods talking suspension setups, scouts looking for the next race.

Everyone except the one person who should be here with your money.

"So what's the plan?" Maya nudges your shoulder. "Just gonna sit here looking pretty until he magically appears?"

You roll your eyes. "Since when do I just sit and wait for anything?"

"Fair point." She grins that wolfish grin of hers. "So?"

"So I track his ass down." You twist the lollipop stick between your fingers. "He owes me fifty thousand yen. But more than that, he owes me the respect of paying up and admitting I smoked him fair and square."

Maya snorts, exactly as you expected. "Called it. Knew you wouldn't let this slide."

"It's not about the money." You straighten up, adjusting your cropped leather jacket. "It's about the principle. You lose a race, you pay your debts. That's how this works. You don't just disappear like some amateur who can't handle defeat."

"Especially not when he talked all that shit beforehand," Maya adds, picking at her black nail polish. "What was it he said again? Something about how no girl could ever handle his—"

"'No girl could handle my power on the downhill,'" you quote dryly. "Right before I passed him on the outside of that corner everyone brakes for."

The memory brings a slight smile to your face.

The shock in his eyes when you appeared in his side mirror where no car should have been able to fit.

The desperate overcorrection that sent him nearly scraping the guardrail while you smoothly accelerated away.

"Exactly." Maya pushes off your hood. "So what's the first move? Hit his usual spots?"

You pull the lollipop from your mouth with a pop. "Already did. Club Seventh in Roppongi. The garage where his uncle works in Setagaya. That ramen shop he's always at in Shibuya."

"Stalker much?" Maya raises an eyebrow.

"Thorough," you correct her. "There's a difference."

A brief silence falls between you as you both watch a metallic blue GT-R roll into the lot, bass thumping hard enough to vibrate the pavement.

Not Kalo's crowd—these guys run with the Yokohama crew.

"Kenji might know," you say finally, referring to your mutual friend who somehow knows everyone's business in Tokyo's racing scene. "He mentioned Kalo's been hanging around some new spot in Meguro the past week."

Maya pulls out her phone. "Want me to text him now?"

"Already did." You tap your boot against the bumper of your car. "He's supposed to meet us here in—" you check the time on your wrist "—fifteen minutes ago."

"Typical." Maya rolls her eyes. "That guy couldn't be on time if his life depended on it."

You're about to respond when you spot a familiar face weaving through the crowd. Kenji, with his signature sunglasses despite it being well past midnight, making his way toward you.

You straighten up slightly, not wanting to appear too eager for information.

"Ladies," he greets with that irritating smirk of his, adjusting his sunglasses even though there's absolutely no need. "Looking dangerous tonight, Y/N. Someone's not here to race."

"Just tell me what you know about Kalo," you say, cutting through his bullshit.

Kenji leans against your car without asking—a liberty you allow only because he's useful.

"Direct as always. That's what I like about you."

"Kenji," you warn, patience already wearing thin.

"Fine, fine." He holds up his hands in surrender. "Your boy's been hanging at this new garage in Meguro. Place called Midnight Rush. Trying to get in with that crew that runs the Wangan on weekends."

You raise an eyebrow. "The twins' territory? That's desperate even for him."

"After what you did to his reputation?" Kenji shrugs. "Man's gotta find somewhere to start over."

Maya laughs. "Not how this works. You don't just reset when you lose."

"Exactly." You shift your weight, boot heels clicking against the pavement. "So he's there tonight?"

"Should be. They're prepping for some big run tomorrow. Word is there's serious money changing hands. He's trying to buy his way in."

The conversation halts as the distinctive growl of an approaching engine cuts through the night.

Not just any engine—something with a tune you've never heard before.

Sharp. Aggressive. Perfectly balanced.

Heads turn as a midnight purple Skyline R34 GT-R glides into the parking area, before coming to a stop under the harsh parking lot lights.

"Who the hell is that?" Maya straightens up, suddenly alert.

Kenji's expression shifts from boredom to interest in an instant—a rare change for him. "New player. Goes by Jaque."

You study the car, assessing rather than admiring.

Aftermarket body kit, but tasteful. Custom wheels. The stance is aggressive but functional.

Whoever built this wasn't just throwing money at it—they knew exactly what they were doing.

"Jaque?" you repeat, keeping your voice neutral despite your curiosity. "What kind of name is that?"

"Latino guy. Showed up about a month ago." Kenji lowers his voice, shifting into the gossip mode he lives for. "Been cleaning up. Undefeated so far."

Your eyebrow rises slightly at that.

Undefeated is a bold claim in this scene.

"Never heard of him," Maya says, voicing what you're thinking.

"That's because he's been running mostly on the Wangan line. Outrunning cops, taking stupid risks. The kind of shit that gets you noticed fast." Kenji's eyes remain fixed on the car. "Word is he beat Hayato's record on the C1 loop last week."

That gets your attention, though you're careful not to show it.

Hayato's record has stood for three years.

This guy has broken it in a month.

Who the fuck is this?

Your question is answered when the driver's door opens, and the crowd's murmur intensifies. A figure emerges, oozing the confidence of someone who knows they belong anywhere they choose to be.

Not tall, but with a presence that fills the space around him. Dark hair, sharp jawline, and a smirk that suggests he's already three steps ahead of everyone else.

"He drives like he's got nothing to lose," Kenji adds, a note of genuine respect in his voice that you rarely hear. "Like he doesn't care if he crashes or dies. It's... I don’t know man. Something else."

You watch as the driver—Jaque, apparently—leans back against his Skyline, surveying the crowd like he's taking inventory.

His gaze sweeps across the parking lot, until it lands on your group.

Or more specifically, on you.

He gives you a small nod, as if acknowledging territory.

"Looks like you've got an admirer," Maya mutters, nudging your ribs.

You shrug, unimpressed. "Looks like another ego with a nice car."

But you don't look away, and neither does he. It's a standoff of sorts, neither willing to be the first to break eye contact.

You've played this game before with countless racers who thought they were hot shit.

You've never been the first to look away.

"Don't dismiss him so quickly," Kenji warns, surprising you. "I've seen him drive. I’m dead serious, it’s not normal."

"Nobody's unbeatable," you say, finally breaking the staring contest to look back at Kenji.

Just because you had to look back at Kenji.

"Maybe." Kenji shifts uncomfortably. "But this guy... he doesn't race like a normal person. It's like he's got some kind of death wish, but with the skill to back it up."

You scoff, though something about Kenji's tone—the genuine concern beneath his usual bullshit—gives you pause.

"Death wish or not, a car's a car, and physics is physics. There are rules to this game that nobody breaks."

Maya's watching you with that knowing look she gets when she can tell someone's gotten under your skin, even just a little.

"You want to find out, don't you?"

"I want to find Kalo and get my money," you correct her, though your eyes drift back to the Skyline against your will. "That's why we're here."

You scoff at Maya's knowing smirk, about to tell her to shut it when fragments of conversation float over from where the newcomer stands. One word cuts through the ambient noise of engines and chatter.

Kalo.

Your head snaps toward the source.

The Skyline guy—Jaque—leans against his car, talking to a small circle of racers. His hands move expressively as he speaks, gold bracelet catching the neon light.

"Kenji." You cut him off mid-sentence. "Who exactly is this guy talking to?"

Kenji follows your gaze. "Nobody important. Some Yokohama kids trying to get noticed." He adjusts those stupid sunglasses. "Why?"

"He just mentioned Kalo."

Maya straightens beside you. "You sure?"

No mistaking it. Not when you've been hunting that name for two weeks.

"Excuse me," you say, already moving.

Maya sighs behind you. "Here she goes again."

You don't look back. Your boots click purposefully across the pavement, moving slowly. Not rushing—you never rush. But determined.

Three guys surrounding Jaque glance up as you approach, their expressions shifting from interest to wariness. They know who you are.

He doesn't turn immediately. Keeps talking, voice carrying a rhythm unlike anything you've heard in Tokyo. An accent that doesn't belong here.

Only when you're close enough to count the stitches on his leather jacket does he acknowledge your presence.

And even then, it's just a partial turn. Forty-five degrees. Neck cradling slightly to look at you sideways.

Performative, if anything. Like he knew you were coming before you did.

You cross your arms, weight shifting to one hip. His mouth twitches upward at the corner, eyes traveling from your face down to your boots and back up again.

Not subtle about it at all.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this sight?" Velvet slides from his lips.

One eyebrow quirks upward, the slightest movement. His Japanese is fluent but different—consonants softened, vowels stretched in places they shouldn't be.

You narrow your eyes. "You mentioned Kalo. What do you know about him? What's your relationship?"

He studies you for two full seconds. Not answering. Just looking. Like he's trying to read something written in small print.

Then he chuckles, using two fingers to move a thin strand of dark hair that's fallen across his view. The movement is unnecessary. Theatrical. Done for effect.

"Why so serious, princesa?"

It’s Spanish, the last word. You know that much, know from the way the word rolls off his tongue, deliberate, inserted where it doesn't belong. Like he’s testing boundaries, hoping for a reaction.

"I asked you a question." You keep your voice unimpressed.

"And I asked you one too."

He turns to face you fully now, leaning back against his car with the casualness of someone who's never been afraid of anything.

"But since you came all this way... Kalo. The Supra guy, right? The one who races like he learned driving from a video game?"

The description is so accurate you almost smile.

Almost.

"I hear he owes someone money," he continues, watching your reaction carefully. "Someone who smoked him on the mountain course two weeks back. Embarrassed him so badly he's been hiding like a scared rabbit."

His three companions take subtle steps backward, no longer interested in being part of this conversation.

Smart.

Maya appears beside you, silent backup. Though her presence changes nothing in his demeanor.

"And how would you know about that?" you ask.

He shrugs one shoulder.

"People talk. I listen." His accent thickens when he adds, "Es lo que hago." (It’s what I do)

"Is that right?" You don't react to the Spanish. "Interesting that someone who just showed up knows so much about other people's business."

"I'm observant."

His eyes lock with yours.

"For example, I observe that you're not here to race tonight. That outfit? Those heels?" He clicks his tongue. "You're here to collect. To make a point."

Something cold slides down your spine. Not fear—you don't do fear. Something else.

Being read so easily isn't a sensation you're familiar with.

"What's your name again?" You ask it like you've already forgotten, though you haven't.

"Jaque." He says it with a slight emphasis on the second syllable. "And you're Y/N. The 86 driver who hasn't lost a mountain race in what, two years?"

"Nineteen months," Maya corrects automatically.

You shoot her a look.

Jaque's smile widens. "Nineteen months. Impressive."

"If you're done wasting my time," you say, turning slightly, "I have a debt to collect."

"From a guy who isn't here."

He pushes off his car, closing the distance between you by half a step. Not enough to be threatening. Just enough to make his presence unavoidable.

"And won't be. Not tonight," he adds.

"And you know that how?"

"Because I passed him on the expressway heading in the opposite direction. About twenty minutes ago." He taps his wrist where a watch would be. "Running scared, looked like."

You clench your jaw. If he's telling the truth, you've wasted your night. Another dead end in your hunt for the coward who owes you.

"So you just happened to recognize a stranger's car?" Maya asks, skepticism heavy in her voice.

"A white Supra with that terrible aftermarket body kit and the Rising Sun decal on the hood?" He makes a dismissive gesture. "Hard to miss. Hard to forget, unfortunately."

That description matches Kalo's car exactly; and the sick feeling in your stomach tells you he's not lying, as much as you'd like him to be.

"Well," you say, voice cooling by several degrees, "thanks for the information."

You turn to leave, disgusted at having your time wasted. First by Kalo's absence, now by this newcomer who clearly just wanted to get your attention. Another night, another waste.

"I'll pay you double what he owes you."

The words stop you mid-step.

You turn back slowly, measuring every movement.

"Excuse me?"

Jaque's expression hasn't changed, but something in his eyes has.

They’re gleaning.

"Fifty thousand yen, right? I'll make it a hundred." He says casually, like offering to buy a coffee. "If you beat me."

Maya makes a small sound beside you, something between a scoff and a laugh.

"And why would I race someone I don't know for money I don't need?"

You almost laugh. As if this is about the money. You were born into more yen than he’s ever seen—this is about respect. About principle. About owning your loss when someone beats you clean. No excuses. No saving face. Just bow your head and pay what you owe.

But he’s not done.

"Because you're curious." He says it like it's obvious. "Because you've been the best for nineteen months and you're bored. Because you want to know if I'm as good as they say."

"As good as who says?" You roll your eyes. "I've never heard of you before tonight."

"Then I must be doing something right." His smile shifts, becomes syrupy. "But if money doesn't motivate you, how about this—I win, I get to run with your crew. Race in your territory."

You can't help it—you laugh. Short and dismissive.

"That's not how this works. You don't just buy your way in." Your eyes flick to his car. "No matter how pretty your GT-R is."

"I'm not buying," he corrects, that accent slipping into his Japanese again. "I'm earning. Difference."

You narrow your eyes.

Maya leans close to your ear. "You're not seriously considering this?"

You should walk away. This guy is nobody. A newcomer with a nice car and too much confidence. The racing scene sees them every month. They come, they crash, they disappear.

But.

Something about the way he stands there, utterly certain of himself, gets under your skin.

Like he already knows your answer before you do.

And maybe it's the wasted night. Maybe it's two weeks of hunting Kalo with nothing to show for it. Maybe it's just the need to put someone in their place.

"One race," you hear yourself say.

Maya's head whips toward you in surprise.

"One race," you continue, "and when I win, you pay double what Kalo owes me, and you don't bother me again."

"And when I win," he counters, not missing a beat, "I race with your crew. Simple."

"If," you correct.

"When." He doesn't back down.

One calculated step closer brings his scent into focus. Leather, naturally, but beneath it something that doesn't compute. A scent that belongs to ryokan inns and meditation halls, not this arrogant foreigner.

Hinoki.

"You're awfully confident for someone who knows nothing about me or how I drive."

"And you're awfully defensive for someone who's supposedly unbeatable." His voice drops lower, meant for your ears only. "What are you afraid of, princesa?"

The Spanish word again. A barb. Challenging.

"Afraid?" You match his tone. "I'm trying to save you the embarrassment. And the money."

He laughs, so genuine that it catches you off guard. "So it's settled then. You and me. Tonight."

From the corner of your eye, you see Kenji approaching, drawn by the developing scene. Others are watching too.

Word travels fast in this world.

"Fine." You extend your hand, a formality in this world of verbal contracts. "My terms. My course."

He takes your hand. His grip is firm but not aggressive. Just right. His palm warm against yours.

"Your course," he agrees. "But I pick when."

You raise an eyebrow. "When, then?"

His smile widens, showing teeth. "Now."

Death has a rhythm.

Tonight, it sounds like Daddy Yankee.

The mountain is yours—every curve, every shadow, every inch of guardrail. You've memorized each crack in the asphalt like the lines on your palm.

Yet as you sit at the starting line, engine purring, the midnight purple Skyline beside you blasts "Gasolina" loud enough to vibrate your windows.

He's not even looking at the road.

Jaque's got hand on the wheel, the other tapping the window frame in rhythm.

Kenji stands between the cars, arms raised.

You grip your steering wheel tighter.

Focus. Calculate. This is your mountain. Your rules.

"Ready!" Kenji shouts.

You check your gauges, settle into position, drop your breath rate. Your 86 is an extension of your body.

"Set!"

Jaque turns to you—actually turns his head away from the road—and winks.

Winks.

What the fuck is his problem?

Your jaw clenches so hard you hear teeth grinding.

"GO!"

You snap into the first gear immediately, launching forward as your tires bite into asphalt. Perfect traction. Perfect release. Your 86 shoots ahead exactly as calculated, exactly as it always does.

The Skyline stays even.

First corner approaches—tight right-hander with a nasty camber that catches amateurs by surprise. You brake at the perfect moment, downshift, feel the weight transfer as you clip the apex.

Textbook. Flawless. The corner you've taken hundreds of times.

The Skyline mirrors you exactly, staying in your blind spot. The bass from his music is still thumping through the night air.

Second corner. Third. Fourth. Each attack perfect, each line immaculate. And still, he's there. Not gaining, not falling behind. Just... present. Like a shadow you can't shake.

"What the hell is this guy playing at?" You mutter, taking the next hairpin with a controlled aggression that should give you an advantage.

Should.

Doesn't.

The Skyline follows, its midnight paint swallowing the moonlight instead of reflecting it. Through the next three corners, it continues—you lead, he follows, neither gaining ground.

Until the straightaway.

The road opens up, and you floor it. The 86 responds instantly, pushing you back into your seat. This is where your lighter weight should shine.

But the Skyline surges forward, twin-turbo engine unleashing a growl that slices the night.

He passes you.

Not aggressively. Not dangerously.

Just... efficiently.

Like it's the most natural thing in the world.

For the first time in nineteen months, you're staring at someone else's taillights.

"No fucking way."

You push harder, finding speed you rarely tap into. The gap closes slightly on the approach to the next corner—a sharp left with a cliff drop on the outside.

No guardrail. No room for error.

Normal people brake early here.

Jaque, as it turns out, is not normal people.

You don't brake until the last possible microsecond, throwing the 86 into the corner. The tires scream, traction at its absolute limit. You can feel them searching for grip, dancing on the edge of adhesion.

You exit the corner a car length behind him.

"Come on!" You slam the gearshift, pushing for more.

The next section is technical—five corners in quick succession. Your territory.

It's where precision matters more than power.

You close the gap. Corner by corner, inch by inch. Three more and you're on his bumper. Close enough to see his fingers still tapping against the frame slightly to the rhythm.

The next hairpin is your chance. The inside line is risky—there's barely enough room—but it's your mountain.

You know exactly how much space you need.

You dive for the gap.

For one beautiful moment, you're alongside him. Equal. Your front bumper inches past his door.

Then he does something impossible.

Instead of defending the line—instead of doing what any rational driver would do—Jaque throws his car into a drift so aggressive it sends the back end swinging wide, nearly touching the guardrail.

The move creates an arc that cuts you off, forces you to brake or crash.

You brake.

The maneuver costs him speed, should give you another chance to pass on exit.

But before you can capitalize, he's already accelerating out of the drift, the Skyline's all-wheel drive finding traction where none should exist.

"What the actual—"

The move was insane. Suicidal. The kind of thing that ends with twisted metal and sirens.

And he pulled it off like he was parallel parking.

For the final stretch—three corners and the last straightaway—you throw caution aside. Push beyond limits you usually respect. The 86 responds, giving everything it has.

It's not enough.

The Skyline crosses the finish line two car lengths ahead. You slam your palm against the steering wheel.

The taste of defeat is metallic in your mouth, foreign and despised.

You bring the 86 to a hard stop, tires protesting at the sudden deceleration.

The music still pounds from his car. That same goddamn song.

You throw open your door, adrenaline and anger propelling you forward. The cool mountain air hits your flushed face as you storm toward his car.

Because that last move? It wasn't just reckless—it was deadly. The kind of stunt that gets people killed on these mountains.

Words build in your throat. Sharp words. Words about respect for the mountain and death wishes and arrogance.

His door swings open as you approach. The music blasts louder without the barrier of glass and metal. He slides out with that same casual grace you saw when he called you princesa, when he winked before accelerating.

And something stops the words in your throat.

He shakes his head slightly, dark hair falling across his eyes before he pushes it back with one smooth motion. His other hand remains on the Skyline's roof, some golden ring catching the moonlight.

When he turns to face you, there's no triumph in his expression. No arrogance.

Just... satisfaction.

Like he's found something he's been looking for.

His eyes meet yours across the short distance. That smile appears again—not the cocky smirk from earlier, but something more genuine. Lips curved just slightly at the corners.

"Thanks for the adrenaline rush, mami," he says, voice carrying over the pounding beat of Daddy Yankee.

You've never hated Spanish music more in your life.

next | index

taglist: @cannotalwaysbenight @taevescence @itstoastsworld @somehowukook @stutixmaru @chloepiccoliniii @kimnamjoonmiddletoe @annyeongbitch7 @mar-lo-pap @mikrokookiex @minniejim @curse-of-art @cristy-101 @mellyyyyyyx @rpwprpwprpwprw @jkrailme @graydolan12

© jungkoode 2025 | banner/div credit: @dailynnt no reposts, translations, or adaptations

[deerspherestudios]

Hii

Cheea!!I just wanna say I LOVE your games sm and I can tell you put so much effort into them 😭💖 also I hope ur doing well!!But uhh I got a lil question about Mychael—How would he react if the MC had a bunny?? 👀🐇I saw someone made him into a bunny (ngl it looked cute lol) and now I can't stop thinking like… what if MC had a bunny fr? What would he do or how would he react?

Hm! I assume you're asking if MC had a pet rabbit to show Mychael, and not just a replacement for the cat in-game. Just to make the answer more interesting, I can list a couple of animals he'd react to!

Feel free to add more in the replies and I can edit them into the list!

Rabbit 🐇

He'd enjoy meeting a pet rabbit, especially if it's friendly! He'd find it jarring to see an animal he occasionally hunts for meat outside of its natural habitat being pampered and protected in your house, but he'd probably fall in love with your rabbit like you did with his chickens easily. Though he'd probably judge you a little for choosing such a weak prey animal as a pet.

Cat 🐈

Mychael has a soft spot for cats! He loves how they're all the same shape (consistent) but with different fur patterns (variety!) plus he'd purr right back if he's near one doing the same thing. He'd love to just sit and pet a cat in his lap for hours and hours, and even if they're the distant type, he'd enjoy watching them go about their business. Don't be surprised if you find him falling asleep in the same room as your cat just because he's been watching them for that long.

Dog 🐕

Hm,,, he's a bit wary of dogs but it entirely depends on how you introduce him to yours. If the dog is openly friendly he'd significantly relax as well! He definitely prefers smaller breeds compared to big ones, with the chihuahua being his favorite. What do you mean this is about as big as they get!? You can place them in a purse!? Crazy work.

Bird 🐦

Now THIS would delight him. I personally don't have a lot of experience with birds as pets, but I think he'd enjoy watching them hop about or having them repeat his phrases and noises back to him. He's not much of an avian enthusiast but he'd marvel at your little pretty bird for as long as the bird can tolerate it haha.

Reptile aka Snakes, Lizards, Geckos 🐍

Another pet species that would delight him! He doesn't really pay attention to reptiles in the wild other than the threatening ones like snakes, so seeing one domesticated with a name and an adorable terrarium (assuming you're a good owner) would amuse him to no end. He'd be more inquisitive about it, asking questions on how you feed them, bathe them, pet/play with them etc. Regardless of their size I think he'd love to try holding them too! Whether it's a big pet boa around his shoulders or a little gecko in his palms.

Small Mammals aka Mouse/Hamster/Hedgehog 🐁

Similar to the rabbit, he'd wonder why you'd want to keep such a small defenseless animal as a pet, but after seeing them run around or being cuddly he'd instantly be the first to spoil your small friend with treats (with your permission of course)! He'd be extra extra extra careful with them, probably sitting on the floor somewhere surrounded by cushions to avoid injuring them when he's playing with them in his hands. But his favorite would be to just watch them play in their enclosure, messing around with whatever toys you gave them.

Fish(es) 🐠

For pet fish he might not be that easily impressed, unless you have a crazy good setup with colorful fish and abundant flora in your tank. He's not big into fake plastic decor, but would adore 'natural' decorations with real aquarium plants and some coral with good hiding spots for the fish. In a way, the less he sees of the fish(es) the better, because then he'd have to focus and look for them rather than have them float around aimlessly back and forth. Enrichment for both him and the fish! Yay!

More to come if people would like to share! I had a few more in mind but I'll write them up when I have more spoons ❤️ Enjoy this for now!

[eunnieboo]

IYHM ask replies! (2/3)

🌸 @csevet asked:

hi my copy of iyhm just came in and my fiancee and i snuggled up and read the whole thing cover to cover and CRIED!!! i love when lesbians 💕💞💝💗💝💗💘💞💖💗💝

AHHHHH thank you SO much!!! OMGGGGG 🥺 live laugh lesbian..... 💞💗💖💕💖💞💕💖💗

🌸 @chrysalis-the-butterfly asked:

I read If You'll Have Me a few months ago and I loved it! Your art is so pretty and Momo and PG are such cool characters! 🥰 If you're okay with sharing, I'd be interested to hear what inspired you during the creative process? Were there any pieces of media or any other characters which influenced the formation of Momo and PG? Or did you do your own thing?

oh my gosh! thank you!! i really love character interactions and relationship dynamics, so i wanted to depict two girls who seemed like opposites - one cool and laid-back, the other soft and sweet. after a while they started to take on a life of their own, and i thought it'd be wonderful if their story could evoke the feeling of a shoujo romance!

i had a lot of things on my mind when i wrote the script... friendship, intimacy, communication... communication can be so hard! sometimes it's harder with someone you're close to because their opinion is so important to you. and what happens when you've got a character who's non-confrontational and has low self-esteem + someone who prefers actions over words, and would rather burn bridges than admit to feeling vulnerable? how would they get past that? i wanted to write their flaws as believable, and how their life experiences have shaped the way they think about themselves / the way they respond to personal conflict... but also how they learn from each other and grow ❤️ tysm for the question!!

@bisexualgoof asked:

Hi Eunnie! I just finished reading “If You’ll Have Me” and let me tell you, it was spectacular! I saw it in a local bookstore the other day and it was a no brainer to grab. The characters are so fun, the story is beautiful and heartfelt, and honestly every character is attractive… I especially fell in love with the pages of the books without words, especially 312-313, it made me cry. Such beautiful art! I related to PG’s annoyance with her long hair, I felt very seen with her comments. I’ve definitely said “I’d like to forget” so many times myself, right to my butch heart haha. Thank you for sharing this story with the world, and thank you in particularly for your acknowledgment at the end of the book, it made me feel seen. What an amazing love story, hope to see more of this adorable couple in the future!

oh my goodness!! this is so lovely and wonderful and ahhh T_T thank you so very much. it's such a dream, having these girls be out in the world with their personalities and backstories revealed at last! and i'm so happy to hear about the cast and side characters, i love designing people hehe ♥ i'll definitely keep drawing this couple, alongside more sapphic couples that are to come 😍 thank you!!

🌸 @skittles-rainbow-cat asked:

HI HI HI!!! you’ve been one of my fave artists forever and i just got done with iyhm and it’s sooooo amazing im in love with it. also i think strawberry blonde by chloe moriondo fits mono and pg very well :] i hope you’re having a good day and thank you for all your art it heals me in many ways <3333

HIIII omg!!! thank you so much! this song is so cuteeee oh my gosh this line:

Takes my hand in hers when the lights aren’t on Smaller than mine and oh god I am gone

it's so sweet ;_; thank you forever, i hope you're having a wonderful day!! <3 <3 <3

🌸 @lord-of-the-froggies asked:

Howdy Eunnie! I know you're probably swamped with work right now, but I just wanna let you know that I got my copy of your book today!! I'm gonna start reading it right away, it looks and feels amazing. From a fellow Washington artist to another--congratulations on such a huge achievement!

yay hello fellow washingtonian! and fellow artist!! thank you so much for your kind words 🥺 and i'm so glad the book got to you safely! wishing you a happy read~

🌸 Anonymous asked:

I just found your art today and after scrolling through your stuff I went and pre-ordered your book. I'm so excited!!

omggg thank you that means so much!!! ;_; <3

🌸 @ddooyoung asked:

I got my (signed!) copy of the book, and I love it SO MUCH. It's everything I was hoping and more. I love finally getting to know them, especially Momo. Since the first time I saw them, I thought Momo was a lot like me and now I have confirmation 😆 Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful story!!! I'm excited for everything you do 💗

WAHH thank you so much!! yesss i'm so overjoyed to finally share their story after so long! i hope the signature turned out okay, i was very nervous signing books for the first time (shaky hand and everything) 😱 i think next time it would be fun to make a custom stamp and stamp a doodle next to my signature hehe. thank you again!!! 💕

🌸 Anonymous asked:

I somehow missed the news about your having created a whole damn book?? was just flipping through yu & me books's holiday gift guide and did a double take when I saw priscilla and momo!! zoomed in and sure enough, there was your name at the bottom! congrats on ihym and congrats on being featured on rec lists from shops as cool as yu & me 🎉😍

omggg thank you thank you!! 🥰 AHHH yu & me books looks so amazing! i've been to new york just once but if i ever get to go back i have to visit them... i'm always looking for indie bookstores to throw my money at 😤

🌸 Anonymous asked:

1. Will there be an “if you’ll have me” sequel? 2. Is Momo her full name or a Nick name? If it’s a Nick name what is her full name? Thank you i love your work! ❤️😊

ahh there's no sequel planned as of right now! but i'd love to make one if i get the chance... i have some ideas that i think would be fun <3 and momo gardner is her full name! i liked gardner because it made me think of flowers ☺️❤️ thank you so much!!

🌸 @upsidedown-shadow-dreamer asked:

Hello, long time fan here. If You'll Have Me was delivered an hour ago and I've already finished my first read. OMG it's AMAZING. I love the story, the beautiful art, the inner thoughts, the pacing, the page color changes for back story… Just major WOW. I hope you are so proud of this work. I'm already looking forward to reading it again. Thank you!!!

this is sooooo AHHHHH T_T i'm in tears. i can't tell you how happy and thrilled i am to hear this!!! it's so encouraging and uplifting and ahh!! i want to make more stories... and just knowing that this book will be read by the same person more than once, omg! it's truly the highest of praise. thank you from the bottom of my heart <333

🌸 Anonymous asked:

Hello!! I just remembered I could borrow graphic novels as e-books from my local library, found IYHM, devoured the entire thing in one sitting, then went through your tags so I could look at all your other IYHM art, and I was wondering if you'll make more stories about Momo and PG because I can't get enough of them! Absolutely obsessed with these two and I love seeing them so happy together 💖💖💖💖

hello!! oh i'm absolutely over the moon about this! i can definitely see myself making a follow-up book if i'm so lucky 🙏 but i'll keep on drawing more minicomics and illustrations no matter what!! thank you so much for this wonderful message 💕💕💕💕

🌸 Anonymous asked:

hi!! love love love your art!!! do you think we can expect to see another graphic novel about momo and priscilla in the future?

🌸 Anonymous asked:

I’ve read IYHM so many times already and I absolutely loved it!!!! Are you planning on writing another book with Momo and PG? Is is there a way we can buy more of your stories?

thank you both so much!!!! <3 a sequel is actually one of the ideas i pitched for my second book! my editor cautioned against it in case IYHM didn't perform well, so i ended up going in a different direction - but my fingers are crossed for future opportunities 😤 realistically, it will probably depend on sales... but for the record, i'd want to do one regardless of the numbers...

i have one more book coming out, which i'm working on right now! the timeline is a bit up in the air atm but i'll try to keep everyone posted. making a book is so slow but i'm so grateful to you all for waiting 🥺💛

🌸 @randomqueernoun asked:

Do you make webcomics for other apps/websites? If yes where can I find them and what do I search in them to find your comics?

ahh not at the moment! but thank you SO much for the interest! one of my biggest goals right now is to set up a website where i have all my work in one place, and that would definitely be the place where i post future webcomics 👀

also, just as an aside... i want to make webcomics so bad. i think after my next book, i might take a break from traditional publishing to do that. sometimes i can't believe i'm drawing hundreds of pages i can't post... i'm like, how are people supposed to read this if i can't show them? how will they know?! ahh it kills me... but yes... someday!!!

part 3 to come~

[4barbatos]

✦ sfw alphabet with venti .ᐟ

a/n: another venti fic today yay !!! ventination how are we feeling ;3 AAAAAAARGHHH I LOVE THIS LITTLE BARD SO MUCH WHY ISN’T HE REAL. i’m gonna sob. genre’s fluff + mild crack btw!! bc when am i ever normal about him. never.

also this one’s with a gn!reader (FINALLY), and it’s extra self-indulgent bc it’s venti day and i can do whatever i want <3 pls enjoy !! let me know if you screamed cried threw up

a — affection

clingy clingy clingy. he attaches himself to you. sometimes literally. he’s in your lap. on your back. wrapped around your leg. you cannot cook, clean, walk, or breathe without him whispering “don’t gooo :(” into your ear like a very needy wind spirit. he also kisses you for fun. not even for love. just because he can.

“i’m kissing you because i love you. and also because your face is cute. and also because i’m bored. and also because—”

b — bonding

his idea of quality time is literally doing nothing but existing beside you. staying in bed all day, tangled in blankets, talking about nonsense or just listening to the wind outside. you’re warm, you’re soft, you let him stick his cold feet on you — you’re his home.

sometimes you’ll be reading and he’s just… lying on your stomach, playing with your fingers and humming to himself.

“isn’t this the dream, love?”

yes venti. yes it is.

c — cuddles

velcro boyfriend. no like actually you cannot get him off. you tried once and he made the saddest noise in history and you immediately apologized and cuddled him for the next two hours.

he likes to be the little spoon. he likes to be the big spoon. he likes to be the entire utensil drawer.

clingy in sleep too. once you woke up and he was hugging your leg like a koala. didn’t even remember how he got there.

“the wind carried me 🥺”

venti. get off my ankle.

d — domestic

he does not know how to live like a normal human being. this is a man who thinks eating apples for every meal is normal behavior. but when he’s home, he tries to help… and fails gloriously. he washed your clothes once and turned all your whites green. tried to cook and almost summoned a hurricane in the kitchen.

“it was a culinary experiment!”

“venti. it was toast.”

you still love him though. it’s the effort (and his cute little apron) that counts <3

e — ending ( no angst !!!!!! not on his bday 😡)

you said “we’re over” as a joke because he ate your dessert and he. took it. seriously.

his pupils dilated. his smile dropped.

“y/n… please. no. i’ll never eat your sweets again. i’ll write you an apology song. seven verses long. i’ll drown myself in cider—”

you never pranked him again. okay maybe once more. but then he cried and you folded. he’s so dramatic 😭

f — fiancé

he’s proposed to you 47 times. and counting.

one time he gave you a ring made of dandelion stems. another time he kneeled on one knee with a piece of shiny rock he found while drunk.

you’re not legally married. but emotionally? spiritually? cosmically?

absolutely soul-woven together.

g — gifts

venti gives gifts like it’s breathing. a flower tucked behind your ear. a leaf shaped like a heart. a napkin with a poem scribbled in cider-stained ink. once he brought you a glowing crystal and said “i stole the moonlight for you.”

you keep them all in a box. it’s overflowing. he calls it his love archive. you’re keeping it forever.

h — hugs

clingy. obsessively clingy. will hug you out of nowhere. from behind. from the side. from under a table. if you say you’re cold? hug. if you say you’re sad? hug. if you say nothing at all? still hug. he once said your arms are his “emotional support enclosure.”

i — i love you

says it twenty times a day. sometimes directly, sometimes in completely insane poetic metaphors.

“if i were the wind, i would always carry you home. that’s how much i love you.”

“i’d trade a thousand songs for one second in your arms.”

bro just say ily.

you think he’s so poetic it hurts. you’re so in love you’d probably cry over a leaf if he said it was shaped like his feelings.

j — jealousy

he’s not possessive, but oh he gets pouty.

you laugh a little too hard at another bard’s joke and suddenly venti’s in your lap going “do you still love me? 🥺”

you say yes. he goes “okay, just checking.”

he’s fine after you reassure him. just a soft boy who wants to be your favorite always.

k — kisses

EVERYWHERE. forehead, cheek, neck, knuckles, shoulder, ELBOW??

you asked him what the elbow kiss meant and he went,

“it symbolizes the bend in the journey of our love.”

bro WHAT.

he kisses your temple and whispers songs. kisses your hands when you’re tired. kisses your lips when you least expect it.

you are the most kissable person alive and he is on a lifelong quest to prove it.

l — little ones

he doesn’t see himself as a dad figure, which is hilarious given the “protector of mondstadt” title. but he loves kids. he lets them braid his hair, teaches them silly songs, floats them around with gentle breezes. he always makes them laugh. he says he likes hearing joy.

“they laugh just like the wind. freely.”

you once caught him having a tea party with toddlers outside the cathedral and using a falsetto voice for every stuffed toy.

he’d be a great fairy godfather though.

m — mornings

chaotic but soft. you’re the early riser. he is not.

“noooo y/n don’t leave the bed, i haven’t absorbed your warmth yet :(”

“venti i need to shower—”

“bring the bed with you :((”

you always kiss his forehead before leaving and that gets him to stop whining. he says it’s “morning fuel.”

eventually you drag him out of bed by the ankles.

n — nights

he thrives at night. writes songs, sings under the moon, sometimes disappears to chase shooting stars and comes back with flowers. when you’re together, he hums lullabies while playing with your hair. performs a new poem every other night.

“this one’s titled ‘ode to the soul who makes my heart waltz like the wind.’”

venti. pls.

o — open

venti hides a lot from the world. but not from you. he lets you see the quiet parts of him — the sadness, the ache, the parts that remember what he’s lost. he lets you hold him during the silence. you’re the one person he feels completely safe with. his heart is all yours.

p — pet names

oh boy. he doesn’t even use your name anymore.

“windblume.”

“darling.”

“my muse.”

“ethereal sparkle of my soul.”

“sugarplum rainwhistle of the northern breeze.”

he makes up nonsense just to see you roll your eyes. but his favorite is whispered softly at night, when he thinks you’re asleep —

“mine.”

q — quirk

when he’s deep in thought, he starts playing invisible harp strings. like literally air-harping. sometimes he unconsciously hums your name into the wind. one time you heard it echo off the mountains.

also: sings when he’s nervous. badly.

“🎶 i accidentally knocked over your vase but it’s okay because i’m still cute 🎶”

you forgave him. immediately.

bonus: somehow always smells like apples, no matter where he’s been — also makes random wind currents when he sneezes 😭

r — romance

he is so romantic it’s ridiculous. candlelit serenades. letters tied to birds. composing songs just for your laugh. he once made a whole musical just to say he missed you. this man breathes love. flirts like a second language. you’re dating a walking sonnet.

s — support

always in your corner. he hypes you up like you’re his favorite idol. he says things like “you’re the only melody i’ll ever follow.”

will write a diss track against anyone who upsets you.

t — thrill

he loves surprising you. wind-rides, unexpected songs, pulling you into a waltz mid-walk. he keeps life interesting. sometimes too interesting. like that time he tried to turn your room into a “floating love nest.” it floated. for ten seconds. then collapsed.

8/10 execution though.

u — understanding

venti’s the type to read your mood like music notes. he knows when you’re sad even if you don’t say a word. sits beside you quietly, offering his presence like a warm breeze. he never pushes, just waits. waits until you’re ready. he’s patient. he’s yours.

v — vows

you’re not married, but he’s written so many vows. every poem is a promise. every kiss is a contract. he once made a pinky promise under a tree and said,

“this is stronger than any ring. the wind will remember.”

you believe him.

w — wild card

once tried to ride a wind current into your bedroom window while drunk.

got stuck halfway and just. hung there.

you had to yank him inside by the cape.

he said, “the wind failed me… but you never do.”

you threw a pillow at his face.

x — xoxo

you receive approximately 102 hugs and kisses per day. minimum. he keeps count. proudly.

“gotta meet the daily love quota!”

he’s annoying. you’re obsessed.

y — yearning

he’s the type to ache when you’re apart.

writes you full ballads. sends them via wind.

once got sick because he missed you so hard he forgot to eat.

don’t leave him alone for too long or he’ll spiral into a dramatic monologue about your absence.

z — zzz

sleeps with his eyes slightly open. snores quietly. not loud. but he mumbles.

you’ve woken up to him sleep-singing.

once he tried to sleep-float and hit the ceiling.

now you make him wear a heavy blanket.

[piratesexmachine420]

Thoughts on Linux (the OS)

Misconception!

I don't want to be obnoxiously pedantic, but Linux is not an OS. It is a kernel, which is just part of an OS. (Like how Windows contains a lot more than just KERNEL32.DLL). A very, very important piece, which directly shapes the ways that all the other programs will talk to each other. Think of it like a LEGO baseplate.

Everything else is built on top of the kernel. But, a baseplate does not a city make. We need buildings! A full operating system is a combination of a kernel and kernel-level (get to talk to hardware directly) utilities for talking to hardware (drivers), and userspace (get to talk to hardware ONLY through the kernel) utilities ranging in abstraction level from stuff like window management and sound servers and system bootstrapping to app launchers and file explorers and office suites. Every "Linux OS" is a combination of that LEGO baseplate with some permutation of low and high-level userspace utilities.

Now, a lot of Linux-based OSes do end up feeling (and being) very similar to each other. Sometimes because they're directly copying each other's homework (AKA forking, it's okay in the open source world as long as you follow the terms of the licenses!) but more generally it's because there just aren't very many options for a lot of those utilities.

Want your OS to be more than just a text prompt? Your pick is between X.org (old and busted but...well, not reliable, but a very well-known devil) and Wayland (new hotness, trying its damn hardest to subsume X and not completely succeeding). Want a graphics toolkit? GTK or Qt. Want to be able to start the OS? systemd or runit. (Or maybe SysVinit if you're a real caveman true believer.) Want sound? ALSA is a given, but on top of that your options are PulseAudio, PipeWire, and JACK. Want an office suite? Libreoffice is really the only name in the game at present. Want terminal utilities? Well, they're all gonna have to conform to the POSIX spec in some capacity. GNU coreutils, busybox, toybox, all more or less the same programs from a user perspective.

Only a few ever get away from the homogeneity, like Android. But I know that you're not asking about Android. When people say "Linux OS" they're talking about the homogeneity. The OSes that use terminals. The ones that range in looks from MacOS knockoff to Windows knockoff to 'impractical spaceship console'. What do I think about them?

I like them! I have my strongly-felt political and personal opinions about which building blocks are better than others (generally I fall into the 'functionality over ideology' camp; Nvidia proprietary over Nouveau, X11 over Wayland, Systemd over runit, etc.) but I like the experience most Linux OSes will give me.

I like my system to be a little bit of a hobby, so when I finally ditched Windows for the last time I picked Arch Linux. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to treat their OS as a hobby, though. There are better and easier options for 'normal users'.

I like the terminal very much. I understand it's intimidating for new users, but it really is an incredible tool for doing stuff once you're in the mindset. GUIs are great when you're inexperienced, but sometimes you just wanna tell the computer what you want with your words, right? So many Linux programs will let you talk to them in the terminal, or are terminal-only. It's very flexible.

I also really, really love the near-universal concept of a 'package manager' -- a program which automatically installs other programs for you. Coming from Windows it can feel kinda restrictive that you have to go through this singular port of entry to install anything, instead of just looking up the program and running an .msi file, but I promise that if you get used to it it's very hard to go back. Want to install discord? yay -S discord. Want to install firefox? yay -S firefox. Minecraft? yay -S minecraft-launcher. etc. etc. No more fucking around in the Add/Remove Programs menu, it's all in one place! Only very rarely will you want to install something that isn't in the package manager's repositories, and when you do you're probably already doing something that requires technical know-how.

Not a big fan of the filesystem structure. It's got a lot of history. 1970s mainframe computer operation procedure history. Not relevant to desktop users, or even modern mainframe users. The folks over at freedesktop.org have tried their best to get at least the user's home directory cleaned up but...well, there's a lot of historical inertia at play. It's not a popular movement right now but I've been very interested in watching some people try to crack that nut.

Aaaaaand I think those are all the opinions I can share without losing everyone in the weeds. Hope it was worth reading!

[thefritzfandomhour]

praying for josh washington headcanons 🙏

joshua washington sfw & 18+ headcanons || until dawn

hi there!!! ^o^ thank you so much for your request. im gonna be honest i had no idea if you wanted general headcanons or the 18+ ones ive been whipping up, so i threw in both! holy hell i actually wrote something that isn't porn for once? yay me. lol, but anyways, josh rocks. please get this man some help.

ill post the NSFW material under the cut, but for now, enjoy these SFW headcanons:D

★ he likes having you under wraps, as his paranoia really gets to him pretty easily. josh would mention having you download a location tracker app (e.g., life360). if you did, he'd have a massive weight lifted off his shoulders. it comforts him a ton and he'd check it pretty often when you aren't around

★ on the outside, he's a pretty cheerful guy who just wants the others around him to have fun. josh clearly struggles with mental health issues, he's unstable and easy to upset if you keep prodding him. but he doesn't want a therapist when it comes to you, he just wants a friend.

★ its pretty rare he drops his act in front of you, but when he does, he starts to sob. just let him stutter out his words as you rub his back and listen to him, he'll eventually start to pass out in your arms. he knows he can trust you. you try and tell him that everyone around him loves and trusts him, but josh just shake his head and mutter something along the lines of "...only you."

★ josh has a really rough time sleeping. he'll wake up around every two hours, stare at the ceiling for about 30 minutes, and then fall back asleep. repeat that a few times until dawn morning hits and you have his average sleep experience. he likes watching you when you sleep, though. you're peaceful, quiet. he can't help but brush his fingers against your cheek and kiss your forehead.

★ physical touch helps him sleep easier. he fell asleep with you in his arms one night and only woke up once. after that, he pretty much insisted you sleep in his bed anytime you and him hung out, it was a borderline miracle cure to his sleep issues.

★ reassurance is big for him too, wanting you to praise him / vocally prove your love for him. he'll usually be the one who prompts it though, complimenting himself in hopes you build onto it and his ego.

"aww, now am i just the best boyfriend, or what?”

this writing is intended for ADULT CONSUMPTION and contains NSFW material

author is male but writes the reader as ambiguous as possible

a/n; cw for somnophilia and light dubcon

★ im pretty sure everyone in his close friend group knows his cock size. josh probably ended up telling them during a party after getting really fucking drunk. most of the boys, particularly mike, kept calling him small and he wanted to prove them wrong. queue josh dragging them to a side room, popping it out, and proving them all wrong. he's not the biggest in the group but he definitely isn't small

★ josh can get up to a fine 5 ½ inches (uncut). where he gets prideful is with his girth, he has a really fat cock. he has these really cute freckles littering his dick that would make him melt if you kissed them. he doesn't make much effort to shave but he is a clean man! josh sports an intense happy trail, it's hard not to stare (he loves knowing he has that effect on you)

★ he's a bit eccentric when you two start getting into things. he acts almost like a starving animal, touching and tasting every part of your body in an attempt to keep your shapes burnt into his brain. he'll never forget the taste of you, being in between your legs. he'll always offer to clean you up with his tongue, licking your inner thighs or stomach, sucking your cum from your fingers. he's borderline obsessed with the taste

★ ok josh is kind of fucking weird. he'll take you off guard by running his tongue up your neck or coming up behind you and groping you infront of his friends. you're his and they all know that. he might struggle a bit with consent at first, feeling you without asking and even looking through your stuff, particularly your clothing and phone

★ speaking of which, he's kind of a somnophiliac. josh wouldn't go as far as undressing you and taking advantage of the situation (unless you consented beforehand), but he would probably jack off right next to you, holding your hand as he finished. if he gets away with it enough, he'd probably end up giving you a facial/straight up cumming on any accessible skin as you slept. of course he'd clean you up afterwards, wondering if you'd be weirded out or turned on by the idea of him being so attracted to you while you were unconscious 

★ definitely a switch, he has no personal preference in what position he's taking up. if you feel comfortable enough to pin him down and feel him up, josh would honestly find it both hot and reassuring. letting himself go and allowing you to take the lead is therapeutic, everything you do to him is because you wanted it. you actually wanted him, and he's oh so grateful. 

so i hope you guys enjoyed:D writing for josh is fun because he's the one i relate to the most, so getting his personality and preferences down was a lot easier than i thought it would be. once again, tysm for the request <3 it's an honor to serve

[dark themed borders were designed by savant-vooz0 on deviantart]

[mists-reading-nook]

Creator!Reader with religious trauma [REWRITE]

Decided to do a rewrite of this because I reread it and it was rough. So enjoy 2700 words of reader suffering! Yay!

Warning: this is based on my own experiences with religion, specifically of the ahabramic kind. I mean no disrespect to anyone’s personal faith or beliefs. 

TWS: manipulation, slavery, some light ish gore, religious trauma, sacrifice, death, mention of starving, self isolation, victim blaming from the victim,and  weird pov switching. Also completely in beta read and unedited. 

also written on laptop, so some parts may be wonky.

From the sky came words crashing onto the ears of man. Man spoke those same words, and they became speeches that became chants that were fed into your ears. 

You,the pillar of innocence. Wide eyes that took in all they could see. Tiny hands clenching onto anything they could grasp. 

The word of God became the word of man. It twisted into the cage that held you hostage. 

Your parents had told you the rules, made sure you knew not to question. They shot down your ‘why’s’ with more words. They taped your lips and gaped your ears and told you to be still. To be seen in His eyes, and never heard. They told you to shrink, to be silent, to not exist. 

They locked you in His cage and told you to thank Him for it. 

Though as all things are, your cage was not perfect. It had a hole. A way for you to escape, even if you had to return after a while. Games. Board games, when you were young, and video games once you were a little older. Games worked away at your mind and chipped away at that hold until it was big enough for you to escape through forever. 

You were long gone when Genshin Impact came into your life. In adulthood you kept far away from Man and their Word, but in the game, you could enjoy the land of Celestial powers and Gods among men in safety behind your screen. You fell in love with each and every character, running your wallet dry with every new release. There were nights where you fell asleep with the screen before your eyes, Genshin Impact still open and running.

One of those nights became the catalyst for your future in this land. 

Your dream began with stone. It lay crumbling beneath your feet, it reached to the heavens in towering pillars. It was all around you. The dark gray against the bright blue sky. The stone beneath you stretched far before you and far behind you. Alone in this familiar purgatory you waited for something. For some grand event that would justify your presence here. 

Soon, you began to regret that wish. There was no sun, yet the sky darkend anyway, as if it had no reason to obry the laws of life. This place began to take shape in your memory, and your brain brought your beloved video game to theb forefrongt of your thoughts. You were sure now that this was some nightmarish verionm of the tetris effect, that somehow Genshin had infiltrated your dreams. It wasnt real though. Soon youn would wake up, and soon you would forget the crumbling stone and the cold winter air.

But even if it was not real, like you begged your mind to remember, your body trembled from staying still. So you forced yoiur numb legs to move, one step after the other. It felt like hours had gone by as you walked, one foot after the other. Surely you could stop now, right? 

As if to sense your thoughts, the crumbling began. You didnt dare look behind you, because the sound was enough. Forcing your legs to move faster and faster, your clumsy stumble becoming a run. 

The sound seemed to move in tandem with your feet. You searched for an exit, any way to escape this terrible fate, but your eyes only met the dark pillars and the endless open sky. All you could look at was the ever stretching road ahead, and all you could focus on was making sure you kept running. 

You found it eventually. Whether you had been running for minutes or days, you didn't know. All you knew was the burn in your legs and the fire in your lungs. But you found it. The door, made of the same ever crumbling stone. An escape from your flight. 

Looking back, you wished you had let yourself into the unknown. But wishes arent reality. And you knew if you had to do it again forever, yuoud dom the same thing every time. Youd hurl yourself at that door over and over, because lettingh yourself fall wouldve been a scarier fate.

Even now you remembered how cold the stone was. How hard you had to push until it gave, even though it looked like it could turn to dust any second. The way the stone finally disappeared under your feet just as the white embraced you.

                                   ﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

You expect to wake in your bed, finally free from that awful nightmare. But instead, you awake to a gentle breeze on your face. Your eyes flew open to take in the bright world around you. It was all familiar, and maybe youd forgotten it. But the unusually bright colors,  the gigantic tree that cast its shadow over you, the tiny glowing blue flies that landed on your shoulders. You couldnt have forgotten a place like this, no. 

But maybe…

You stood on shaky lrgs that still seemed to burn, even though you had only ran in that dream. Walking around to the front of the statue, you clutched a hand to your mouth. A familliar stone face peered down at you. 

No, you hadnt forgot. You were still dreaming after all, because it simply wasn’t possible to be transported into a game in your sleep. But something about the hard ground and the pristine, cold stone of the statue told you this wasn't a dream. This was the windrise tree.

You had truly been transported into Genshin impact.

                          ﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

The moments after that had been all but erased from your mind until you came into contact with Lisa. being heralded as a god, being cut down so they could see the golden blood bubble up from your flesh. You let it all happen, because the thought of disappointing the characters who had gotten you through such pain made you feel sick. They had gotten you through so much, so this was the least you cou;ldf do in return. And even if the thought of being a god like *it made bile rise in your throat, it couldn't possibly be that bad. It would probably all blow over anyway.

What a fool you had been. Only a fool would think it would be over after that. That you'd be ab;le to live peacefully and as you pleased. You were more suited to be a jester than a king.

People soon came streaming in from all over Teyvat to see you. To be blessed by even a glimpse of your hair or skin. They came to give you offerings, they came to beg for your forgiveness. They came to get married under you. They hauled in dead loved ones for you to bless, or worse, revive. 

The knights had claimed you, and so you couldn't leave the church without an entire entourage by your side. Worst still, the archons came one by one out of the woodwork. Zhongli ( Morax, as he told you) left retirement to stay by your side eternally, as he claimed he once had. Even Venti revealed himself to the world, just to get a chance to approach you. 

You were trapped in the walls of worship yet again. This time, though, you were on the other side. Your hair began to turn white from the stress.

The people said it was a miracle. You thought it was a curse. You could tell people to jump, they'd do it until exhaustion killed them. You tell them to stop, and they would crawl. The words you meant with innocence were twisted by ears and further twisted by mouth. 

People died because of you. People with your eyes, your hair, your face. They all died cursing your name. Some died prasing it, hoping that maybe, you who had forsaken them would take pity on their soul. Children weren’t spared from this fate. Nobody was.

Yet still, people worshipped you. Still, people who bore your features risked their lives to see you, only to fall to their knees and beg for forgiveness, simply for the crime of looking like you.

Of course, you tried desperately to save them all. Tried to say that looking like you was a blessing, not a curse. You twisted your own thoughts into words, in a way you had seen others do as a young child. 

All your efforts got you sacrifice. Children were lauded as saints and sent to you in droves. The sacrifice of a human life. A future of cold walls and eternal servitude. That was the result of your words. It took too long for it to stop. You saved some by sending them far from your church, to other nations. So they could be free from prying eyes and chiding words. But others were forever shackled to you. You had no real power, not enough to stop your aclotyes, and not enough to convince the children to turn away. Not enough to convince them that they were more than an extension of your light. 

Eventually, you had to lock yourself in your room to send the message. It managed to work, because now the people needed you. It didn't matter that they had survived just fine without you before. They had you now, and that was enough to get them addicted. When you returned to the, after the children had stopped coming, they celebrated. It didn't matter that you had bags beneath your eyes and your gaze had gone distant. They had your light again, and that was all that mattered to them. They wanted you to attend sermons. They wanted you to hear them twist the ancient stories of your once favorite game world. 

You went, because the thought of the sick smell of blood and rotting fruit haunted your memory.

Standing below a church built in your honor, with its shadow casting over you. All of a sudden you were a child again, trapped in a cage. This time though, the hole was patched. This time, you were never alone. Even in your private room, someone stood waiting outside the door. The only safe place was your mind, and even there, godhood waited there. Taunting you. 

Sitting in a seat high above the crowd, you listened to all the drivel of the man below. Hearing them twist your words…

The room suddenly felt very small. The world narrowed down just to this man's droning voice, and the air around you turned stale, and you felt like you were being squeezed so hard you could pop. sweat formed on your brow and, more air, you needed more air. You could hear someone calling your name, no not your name, that stupid title again. They said it again and again as you tried to force your ears to fucking work.

“...Your Grace?’ there you go, you can hear. Trying to control your breathing, you look up at the person who called. You couldn't actually see who it was, your vision was too blurry. You forced your head up and down in a janky mimicry of a nod. “I was just asking if you are alright, but you seem ill..” you tried to force out words, but your traitorous mind only allowed you to shakily nod again.

A sudden hand on your shoulder makes you jump, and your vision clears just enough so you can see Zhongli standing behind you. Words claw out y=our through, and you manage to say something. “I wish to go home now”, and there's a croak in your mouth when you say it, but you don't care. The word ‘home’ feels foreign on your tongue. You haven't had a home in such a long time. But you say it anyway, because that's what they all want to hear. You ignore the murmurs and gasps as you leave. The speaker will be dead by tomorrow, and you think it serves him right for twisting your words like that. In the back of your mind, you shudder at how cruel you've become. 

                          ﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

There's questions as they take you home, but you can't hear them, because you're far too busy trying to get your breathing under control and trying to quill your body to stop trembling. It's the sound of that stupid title that causes you to break.

A sob works its way out your lips, as if you'd tried to trap it in your chest. You just couldn't do it any longer, whether you were here or back home. Religion trapped you in any way it could. Now it must be vengeful, because it seemed to stop at nothing to remind you that you were just like Them. You stood by, seemingly powerless to stop the people who supposedly ‘followed’ you.every day, you watched them use your name to kill and maim. Every day, you had to look in the mirror and see Them in your reflection. You were no better than them. You just watched it all happen. You let your aclotyes worship the literal ground you walked on. The birds, the trees, the grass, they all sung your praises day in and day out.

All while you covered your ears and pretended not to hear.

Your pain turns itself into words and comes rushing out of your mouth. You n o longer cared what your ridiculous aclotyes thought. Let them gawk and stare, the only thing you care about is getting the pain  out of your chest.

You babbled and cried until you fell asleep.

                         ﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

You locked yourself in your chambers after that. It was easier than facing your followers, or having the sickly sweet smell of rotting fruit and blood bombard your senses. You couldn’t eat or sleep, you just sat next to the barred window and stared out of the world you ‘created’. How could a creation of yours be so cruel? How could it treat you like this? Why? What had you ever done wrong? All you did was try to be kind. All you did was try to be good. Yet you were alone. And forsaken by those who claimed to follow you.

There was a knock on the door. You didn’t say anything from your bed. You didn’t even get up. You didn’t need to. They would come in anyway, no matter what the issue was. Sometimes they would just barge into stare at you. Sometimes they would kneel your feet. Like you guessed, Zhongli opened your door and walked in. You had to keep a scowl off your face. Zhongli was incessant, claiming himself to be your favorite just because you remembered your past incarnation from his youth.

You hated him a healthy amount.

He kneeled at the side of your bed, his eyes to the floor, and you waved your hand. Anything he said, you’d listen. Not as if you had a choice. 

“Your Grace-“ Zhongli began, “on behalf of me and all your loyal acolytes, I would like to apologize for our actions.”

At that you perked up. Perhaps they might actually listen to you this time. Maybe you would be granted freedom, away from this stuffy grand cathedral. You stared at Zhongli, waiting for his next words. Hoping desperately that freedom would come.

“We… We did not give you the fullest extent of our praise and worship. It seems that it made you feel adequate as our God and that is completely unacceptable.” 

The world seemed to slow down around you. 

What a fool you were. What a fool to think that man could understand. The shaking set in again, and you could barely hear Zhonglis speech over the ringing in your ears. 

“Do not worry your grace. You will get the appreciation you deserve.” 

The smell of rotting fruit and blood came from right outside your door. What a terrible fool you were.

                         ﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

END

maybe I'll do some more rewrites, cus honestly this is leagues better than the original. if i do do more rewrites, tell me what you think of this one and which one i should do next!

*this will be posted under my A03 'Miss-Molly-Mayhem', under the name "Greater than man"*

[astra-ravana]

Sound In Magick

Sound has been used in magick and ritual practices across nearly every spiritual and mystical tradition, because it is one of the most primordial forces—vibrating through all levels of existence. In magick, sound is more than just a sensory experience; it is a tool of transformation, manifestation, and alignment.

The Foundational Principle: Vibration

In Hermeticism (especially the Kybalion), one of the fundamental laws is:

“All is vibration.”

Sound is vibratory energy, and when directed with intention, it can shift consciousness, environments, and outcomes.

Types Of Sound In Magick

Voice (Chanting, Speaking, Whispering):

• Chanting (mantras, divine names, affirmations)- Repetition of sacred phrases raises energy and focuses intent. Often used in Wicca, ceremonial magick, and Eastern traditions. Examples include “So mote it be,” “Om,” “Eh-heh-yay,” etc.

• Spoken Words / Enchantments- Words of power are believed to shape reality. The act of naming or commanding (e.g., “I banish thee…”) holds deep magical authority. In chaos magick, sigils are activated with spoken intent.

• Whispers or Breath Magick- Used in folk magick for secrecy or stealth (e.g., whispering into herbs or charms). Breath combined with spoken words transfers life force (prana, chi) into the object.

Musical Instruments (Drums, Bells, Bowls, Rattles):

• Drums- Used in shamanic and tribal traditions to induce trance states or call spirits. Beat mimics the heartbeat of the Earth—steady rhythm grounds and aligns.

• Bells- Clear stagnant energy and banish negativity. Used in ritual openings or closings. In some traditions, they “wake up” spirits or deities.

• Singing Bowls / Gongs- Create harmonic frequencies that balance chakras or sacred spaces. Used for healing, meditation, and raising vibrational resonance.

• Rattles- Shake up and move energy, break energetic blocks. Often used in indigenous or animistic practices.

Tones and Frequencies:

• Solfeggio Frequencies- Specific tones thought to heal, cleanse, and activate different aspects of being. Examples: 396 Hz (liberation from fear), 528 Hz (DNA repair, love).

• Binaural Beats- Used in modern magick to alter consciousness—help induce theta (trance) or gamma (mystic unity) brain states. Often paired with visualization or journeying practices.

• Harmonics and Drones- Used in eastern tantra and western esotericism to induce deep trance or inner stillness. Drones dissolve linear time, anchoring the mind in timeless space.

Music:

• Ritual Music- Custom compositions or ambient tracks are used to build atmosphere, open portals, and align energy with specific deities, elements, or spirits. Often employed in Wicca, ceremonial magick, and Thelemic rites.

• Personal Power Songs- In shamanic traditions, practitioners discover or craft a song that embodies their spirit or their intent. These are used in healing, travel, or battle.

Elemental Correspondences:

• Air- Whistling, flute

• Fire- Drums, crackling sounds

• Water- Singing, flowing melodies

• Earth- Deep tones, stomps, didgeridoo

Sound As A Magickal Tool

• Raising Power- Chanting or drumming raises a group’s energy (in coven or circle work) before directing it toward a spell’s goal.

• Trance and Meditation- Monotone chanting or rhythmic music slows the brainwaves and opens the door to altered states—critical for astral projection, pathworking, or deep magick.

• Clearing and Consecration- A bell, tone, or clap of sound can banish negative entities or cleanse tools, rooms, or auras.

• Invocation and Evocation- Sound acts as a call or signal—vocal invocation draws spirits, gods, or forces; sound shapes the subtle energy that forms the bridge between realms.

• Creation of Sigils and Talismans- Whispering intent or chanting during the crafting of a sigil or talisman imbues it with life—turning symbol into spell.

Cultural Examples

• Vedic Hinduism: The universe is created through sound (Shabda)—Om being the primal sound.

• Kabbalah: Hebrew letters are said to carry vibrational power. Vocalizing them in rituals opens specific spiritual pathways.

• Druidry: Bardic traditions hold that song and poetry are magickal acts that can influence minds, nature, and spirit.

• Voodoo / Afro-Caribbean Traditions: Drumming and song are essential to call the Loa or Orishas.

Sound Magick In Practice (Examples)

• Chakra Alignment with Vocal Toning- Toning “LAM,” “VAM,” “RAM,” etc., to align each chakra during ritual.

• Bell & Candle Banishing- Ring a bell three times around a space while intoning a banishing phrase.

• Trance Drumming- 4–7 beats per second drum rhythm to induce a shamanic state and journey to the Lower or Upper World.

• Mantra Spellwork- Repeating a deity’s name or power word (e.g., “Brigid,” “Awen,” “Lux”) while visualizing your intent.

Sound in magick is not just decoration—it is a primary force of will and manifestation. It bridges the seen and unseen, the body and spirit, intention and outcome. Whether through ancient chants, primal drumbeats, sacred names, or crafted harmonics, sound moves energy, and with it, the world.

[cogneartive]

my baskerville docs ^_^ ive seen alot of other people make their own lady baskerville and i wanted to try and have my own take on her yay. somehow i have settled on calling her liz, but i change my mind quite often so we'll see

more notes and further rambles below (LONG)

unfortunately i seem to be under a curse where i may only give out information through vague references and riddles + also thoughts jumping from one to another. have fun 👍take out a notebook it gets quite long. ive put down some section titles

naming ideas

for her name: i like how its has some phonetic similarities to iris. and i dont believe at all that yujin didnt know her; in japanese, 'l' and 'r' sounds are not distinguished in the same was as english thus: "liz, risu, airisu, iris... (ayame... ayame.) airisu... risu. liz."

but also her fanon - as in the common elements people have in their designs of lady b - designs look just like alot of the fanon designs for minecraft youtuber ldshadowlady. im having a lot of fun thinking about putting them in the life series.... boogieman curse.... the dogs.

this influences me quite a bit i think. primarily, how i characterise klint and liz is influenced by alot of gothic texts (and castlevania...........) as well as other people's interpretations of her. however they are are also lizzie and joel. and you are required to know this

talking about shapes (character design stuffs)

im kinda also working out klint and barok in context of my headcanons/takes. i think, with the design philosophy im carrying rn, i would draw them a little differently to emphasise the certain themes in my head lol. i gotta figure out some kinda shape motif for lady b tbh i dont really have too clear of an idea yet. at first, i thought a heart would be nice (connection with iris - i think a few other people have done so as well) but then The Spiral

ive been thinking of labyrinths quite often lately (house of leaves.) i like the symbolism of her spiraling down into some kind of madness / depravity as is the van zieks way. klint's sword points down to show the same thing. kid barok's hair goes upward. he look up to them. cute. this whole family is literally cursed

writing and truth

ive said this in some earlier posts somewheres but basically my main ideas for her are that

she and klint are trying not to become the sins of their parents. they succeed. but also fail.

barok is motivated by his sense of justice in the pursuit of truth. klint is the sense of justice. thus liz is the pursuit of truth

and ive landed on her being quite into writing. nothing ever published i think, but many volumes of poetry, short fiction and maybe even novels, with her favourite red ink pen. the same color ink that she used to write love letters with.

these works were probably things that she only shows to people close to her. and id think the subject matter would be something close to jane austen's work (critical of the landed gentry; she also published anonymously under the name 'a lady' -> i thought there was something in there about how lady b remains nameless and only a lady)

i think her writing would be a way to channel her frustration, anger, misery, and other such unladylike thoughts. perhaps, in childhood, she would have liked being a newswriter - until she finds out how sensationalized they are (and how would she feel when the news would start calling barok the reaper?)

i havent found a good way to incorporate this into her design yet. i was thinking something about the cape - hiding secret pockets and a notebook and pen? something about gender roles can play in there as well - but it looked too much like stronghart's silhouette imo. replacing barok's father figure while dressing like his mother would be crazy... and there is the swirls. im not too completely against that idea yet. think i gotta keep experimenting

resemblances

but anyways, i really do like the idea that she and klint look like they could be barok's parents. i think its fucked up (good). the gothic is all about how ur repressing somethings and it keeps coming out, and i kind of like themes of finding out the parent that you idolised isnt actually as good as you once thought they were.

you know about klint. and liz hates lying. but she is also just as great as a liar. she despises the social structures of upper class england, but she is just as wiling to maintain a facade, and has so much hatred that she hides. despite hating to hear it, she's really nosey - does she LIKE hearing about all those reprehensible things she claims to abhor? why else would they all appear in those stories she writes? and why else are all her protagonists such unreliable liars?

i think barok would grow up trying to model all the good that liz and klint try to project. hed probably thinks they would hate him after all that. maybe its comforting to know they also fell too. perhaps they would forgive him too.

i think thats all that i wanted to say. you will be hearing from me again, however. yay

[phoenixyfriend]

How to Call Your Reps About Gaza

I make a lot of posts telling you to call your reps! Anyway, here's the overall shape of how to argue to them.

Disclaimer: I am not in politics. I do not have experience as a staffer. I am just someone who cares a lot about where things are going, and wants to help. Also, this is specific to the US, because that's where I'm based. Hopefully, people with expertise can add more suggestions on.

Find your elected officials.

My Ko-fi: this took me two days to write up, so uh. If you've got a few dollars, send them my way so I can keep doing this sort of thing, and maybe move out of my parents' house sooner.

General tips:

Be polite, or at least civil. Do not swear or shout at whoever answers the phone. This will quite possibly get your number blocked. Fifty civil calls over the course of several months will do more than one where you shout. You can be frosty, you can say you are disappointed, you can say you find the actions of your reps to be reprehensible or morally bankrupt, sure. But keep calm and aim criticism at the rep, not the staffer.

Keep it short. The staffers who answer call centers are busy. They usually start trying to hurry me off after about two minutes. I've yet to manage a call longer than four or five minutes. Pick one or two topics for the day, and focus on those. Cycle through them every time you call. Stick to just one from day to day if it's a large, ongoing issue like Gaza.

Plan for voicemail. I get voicemail more often than not. My House rep usually has a staffer free, but the Senators are almost always voicemail. This will give you a minute and a half max. Be ready to get your point squeezed into that.

Only call your representatives. The important, powerful word here is "constituent." You will be ignored or even counted against if you are from a different district or state. The first thing you start with is your name and address. A staffer will ask for the information they need. On voicemail, leave your full name, your city and state, and zip code before you go into your message. Do not lie, either. They look these things up in the system when you call. I'm not sure how--I think maybe they have access to a database of registered voters--but every time I call, they ask for my last name and address and at some point say, 'oh, yep, I've got you right here,' which indicates a database of some sort.

Research at least a little bit about their opinions. If they already agree with you, then it's much easier to leave a quick "I support you and want you to know that" to combat anyone who's arguing from the other side. If they don't, then you're best off finding out what specific issue they have so you can know the best kind of comment to leave.

Look up specific bills or arguments. I get daily emails from GovTrack about bills that are on this week's docket or have been voted on in the past day. IDK about anyone else, but being able to say that I disagree specifically with HR 815 or something makes me feel powerful, and possibly like I will be taken more seriously. Sometimes you can start with articles like this one, which include links to specific bills on the official congress website.

Email after if you can. Reportedly less effective, and takes longer, but you are more likely to get a written (canned) response, and it reinforces whatever you called about.

Basic structure of a call, at least as I've been doing it:

"Hi, my name is ____ ____, and I am a constituent from [city, state], [zip]. I am calling to express my opinion on [topic]. I am concerned about [short argument with a clear impact on the topic]. I ask that you support [measure or fellow congress member]/vote [yay/nay on specific legislature]. Thank you for your time, and I hope you keep my opinion in mind."

For this post, the topic can be stated as the war in Gaza, military funding for Israel, or unrest in the Middle East, depending on which you think your elected official will respond to best. That said, the structure should work for whatever your call is about.

Arguments to use against your elected official... or your on-the-fence cousin:

I'll be honest, some of these are not going to do much against your representative. They know the arguments, and have been going over them with each other for months. You just need to have one locked and loaded that they consider relevant instead of a nonstarter, in order to back up your opinion as 'founded' instead of 'nonsense, can be swayed with a good marketing campaign.'

I'll include explanations if I don't think something is self-evident (or needs more evidence to tell your cousin), but in most of them I'll provide some suggested verbiage that you can tweak as needed, and for a few of them, that's really enough.

THESE ARE FOR THE TOPIC OF CONCERN, ONLY. You still need to end each one with "I ask that the [official] votes to [action]" at the end. Give them something actionable (example from Feb. 13th). My go-tos right now:

Both chambers: Reinstate funding for UNRWA

Both chambers: Place mandatory restrictions on any aid to Israel, with contractual threats to cut funding if Netanyahu and his government continue to disregard civilian life

Senate: Put support behind Bernie Sanders and his motion to restrict funding to Israel until a humanitarian review of the IDF’s actions in Gaza has been completed (S.R. 504) (Tabled by the Senate on 1/16, but it is being brought back in as conditions continue to escalate)

House: Put support behind Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s petition for the US government to recognize the IDF’s actions in Gaza as ethnic cleansing and forced displacement, and put a stop to it.

House: Put support behind H.R. 786, introduced by Rep. Cori Bush, calling for an immediate deescalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.

What Not to Say

"There is no threat to Israel." I've talked about this elsewhere, but the short version is that this will be basically laughed out as you not knowing what you're talking about.

Anything generically antisemitic. (I mean, it might work on some of the white supremacists, but do you really want to encourage that thinking? No, so don't do it.)

Facts that you "heard somewhere" but cannot find a reliable source for. If it's being reported by the New York Times, NPR, or the BBC, it's probably trustworthy by government standards. If it's not a super common statistic, cite the journal you got it from by name. Remember, you aren't arguing to tumblr mutuals. You are arguing to your elected official or your 'I don't really pay attention' cousin. When it comes to this, big name news sources are better.

Unrealistic demands for complete isolationism, permanently abandoning Israel to its own devices, supporting Hamas, etc. Again, you will not be taken seriously. Pick an argument they might actually listen to, and use it to press them towards a possible solution. You want them to believe that if they adjust their position, they will be doing the will of most of their constituents, and thus more likely to get reelected.

The Ethics Argument

Third-party reporting has stated that that nearly 29,000 Gazans are dead since Oct. 7th, as of 2/18/24. The vast majority of those are civilians, and over half are children. Palestinians in Gaza are facing an acute hunger crisis threatening to become a full-blown famine.

The International Court of Justice has found that there is credible reason to believe that the state of Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza.

This does not mean that every single Israeli is complicit. It does mean that the government, particularly Netanyahu and his associates, has been reprimanded by a large, diverse coalition of countries, and has consistently refused to listen to that court since.

This argument will possibly work on your cousin. Less likely to work on your elected official. They already know the numbers. I just wanted to get it out of the way first.

The Re-Election Argument: Michigan vs New York

Meanwhile, this is possibly the most effective. Again, this is not an argument of ethics. This is an argument of "how can I make my elected official do what I want." We do not use only the purest moral argument. We use what works.

What to say to your elected official: Michigan, as a swing state, was won by democrats on the power of the Arab-American vote in the 2020 election. We (either party) are at risk of losing Michigan due to the current Congressional approach to the Gaza conflict, as that demographic is now polling as likely to abstain from voting entirely. The risk of losing several congressional districts due to the Jewish vote is a real one, but the risk of losing the the executive branch is greater, especially after what we saw with Suozzi. Supporting Palestine might lose us parts of New York, but supporting Israel will lose us Michigan.

Explanation: Something that has been taking up a lot of time and space in the election coverage is the situation in Michigan, and more recently, there has been attention paid to the special election of New York's third district, AKA the "who gets to replace disgraced George Santos" competition.

Michigan is traditionally a swing state. While 2.1% doesn't sound like a lot, that is some 211k-278k people (depending on your source), and while not all of them can vote... Michigan was won by about 154k. Arab-Americans are not the only relevant demographic, but they sure are an important one, and they are vocally opposed to the situation. Approval has dropped from 59% to 17%. From that same article:

As Axios notes, Biden won Michigan in 2020 by 154,000 votes, but there are at least 278,000 Arab Americans in Michigan. Biden took Arizona, a state with an Arab American population of 60,000, by only 10,500 votes. In Georgia, Biden prevailed with a margin of 11,800 voters, in a state that has an Arab American population of 57,000.

Democrats cannot afford to lose these states. Pressure your congresspeople about that, especially if you live in one of those states. I assume most Arab-Americans in said states are already calling every day; the rest of you can join in.

Meanwhile, most Jews (considered the most pro-Israel demographic by strategists) in America are concentrated in a very small number of electoral districts. Of the twenty most-Jewish, ten are in New York, which is why I put it up in the section header.

One of those districts was won by a Republican in 2022: George Santos, New York's third congressional district. Following his scandals and ousting, the seat was up for a special election, and the two candidates were Tom Suozzi, a democrat who held the seat previously (he decided to run for governor, and lost), and Mazi Pilip, a Nassau county legislator who was of Ethiopian Jewish background and had been in the IDF. She ran on a campaign that leaned strongly pro-Israel and anti-immigration, and when Suozzi won, she interrupted his victory speech to accuse him of supporting a genocide against Israel due to his rather centrist, rather milquetoast stance on the conflict during his election campaign.

Now, Suozzi's win probably had more to do with Pilip being anti-choice than her pro-Israel arguments, but he still won.

Democrats can better risk possibly losing a few seats in NY than definitely losing three swing states.

"But I don't want Dems to win their districts after what they've been--" Nope. Listen to me. Surveys indicate that Republicans are on average more pro-Israel, because Trump and Netanyahu are buddy-buddy, and we do not have a viable third option.

Also, again, this is about convincing Dems to be better. "If you do not vote to put restrictions on funding to Israel, I will not vote for you in November" is a lot more powerful than "I will not vote for you either way, because of what you've been doing, but you should do what I say anyway."

The Re-Election Argument: Risk of Escalation

So, that thing I said about Trump and Netanyahu?

Yeah, so, while Biden is giving Israel military aid while cautioning them to slow down and be careful, Trump is... complicated, but suffice to say he's much closer to Netanyahu on a personal level than Biden is. Biden's relation with Netanyahu is reportedly pretty frosty, while Trump's is based on relations through the Kushners.

Just from wikipedia:

Netanyahu made his closeness to Donald Trump, a personal friend since the 1980s, central to his political appeal in Israel from 2016.[21] During Trump's presidency, the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and brokered the Abraham Accords, a series of normalization agreements between Israel and various Arab states.

Trump's been more all-over-the-place recently, badmouthing Netanyahu for being what Trump perceives as a loser, which complicates understanding what his approach is. It's kind of incoherent right now.

Given Trump's general history of being pro-Israel, though, and the attempts by House Republicans to push through a bill of unconditional funding for Israel. It failed, but notable is that the more recent bill passed in part because it was paired with aid for Ukraine and Taiwan (something Dems are much more invested in having happen).

What to say to your elected official: If Trump is reelected due to his current appearance of being more critical of Netanyahu, there is evidence from his presidency to indicate that he will support Israel much less critically if elected. While he claims to want to settle the Middle East, it seems incredibly likely that he will worsen the situation for Palestinians, and ramp up retaliatory strikes to groups like the Houthis in a manner that will impact non-military parties, igniting tensions that are already tenuous.

The Disrespect/Wild Card Argument

This particular argument is best used against the Very Patriotic Politicians who are more concerned with the US's image and Being The Alpha Nation than with other things. Basically, this might work on Republicans.

This isn't really something I believe in, as a matter of foreign policy, buuuut it might work on your rep, so. Consider it!

What to say to your elected official: With Israel's recent actions in ignoring Biden, blocking US-sent aid like those flour trucks that got stopped at the Rafah border because they'd be distributed by UNWA, and generally Disrespecting The USA and Being Unpredictable is not only making the US look bad for being unable to wrangle a smaller country, but also making it so we are less able to wrangle other countries in the future, because Israel cannot be predicted and might set someone off.

The Europe and Reputation Argument

What to say to your elected official: The United States is losing credibility as a world power known for its military and ability to manage international disputes on behalf of the UN, because it is seemingly unable to influence Israel, and losing credibility as an upstanding moral state that is not doing foreign coups and banana republics anymore, as it appears to be tacitly supporting Israel's ICJ-labelled genocide, which is a really bad look with the other Western Powers.

I'm not entirely sure who this might work on, but there's gotta be at least a few politicians who are really concerned about America's image, more than about actually doing the right thing. Figure out if your politician is one of them.

If necessary, you can bring up how Trump is threatening to pull US support for NATO if Russia attacks someone.

The Middle East Stability Argument: Iran-backed Militias

What to say to your elected official: I'm concerned that the continued support of Israel, and thus the funding of their actions in Gaza, will increase the instability of Iran-backed militias, as we have already seen with the Houthis and Hezbollah. Entire Muslim-majority nations are showing increased displeasure not only with Israel, but with the US by extension. We cannot afford another war in the Middle East when we haven't yet pulled all our troops from the last one, not with the recent and recurring economic recessions. Any situation would also very likely be complicated or inflamed by the growing tensions among Eritrea, Djibouti, and Ethiopia regarding Red Sea access as well.

Use this on the ones that claim to be pro-military or pro-veteran. See what they said about HR 815 before the foreign military funding amendment was added.

The Middle East Stability Argument: Egypt

What to say to your elected official: Egypt's government has been unstable since the Arab Spring, and even now the military government is incredibly unpopular. With that existing instability, the addition of economic strain from the reduced usage of the Suez canal, the international disputes occurring because they're the main throughway for aid into Gaza, and the threat of a sudden influx of nearly one and a half million Palestinian refugees should Israel continue to push south... Egypt is looking at a possible near-collapse as we've seen in nearby nations suffering similar instabilities.

Explanation: It took several years for Egypt to really start recovering from the revolts in 2013, and it has applied for four IMF loans in recent years. The current government is unpopular to such a degree that they are looking to build an entire new capital from scratch in the middle of the desert so that they're less open to the risk of civilian uprisings; one of the primary causes for civilian dissatisfaction is economic issues.

Due to Houthi attacks at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, traffic through the Suez canal is down massively, and since the canal "represents almost 5% of the GNP and 10% of GDP and is one of Egypt’s most important sources of hard currency." (src) Various sources are reporting that trade through the canal is down 40-50%, which is putting more strain on the already unstable economic and political situation.

Finally, Egypt's population is about 110 million, but the governorate that shares a border with Israel and Gaza, North Sinai, has a population of barely 500,000. A push of one and a half million starving, injured people will, very suddenly, nearly quadruple the population of the governorate, and require extreme aid response from Egypt's government to keep alive and prevent a larger crisis in North Sinai and neighboring governorates.

The Middle East Stability Argument: Normalized Relations

What to say to your elected official: I am concerned that Israel's continued attack on Gaza is jeopardizing any chance of normalized relations with the Arab states in the future. American has put a lot of work into trying to get these various countries to normalize with Israel, and our funding of the current attacks on Gaza are sabotaging all that effort.

This one can be combined with the Iran-Backed Militias argument: Israel, in pursuit of revenge against Hamas, is setting itself up to be in more danger long-term, rather than less.

The International Trade Argument

What to say to your elected official: I am concerned about how the war in Gaza is impacting international trade and shipping costs. With the Suez Canal down to half its usual capacity and the Panama Canal raising costs and dropping capacity in response to the water restrictions, along with rising fuel costs in Europe and Asia, global trade is incredibly strained. We are being relegated to the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Horn, and the Malacca strait for much of intercontinental trade, and the macroeconomic projections are looking very bad for America.

The Domestic Economics Argument

What to say to your elected official: Many of the plans for Israeli military funding cause damage to other parts of the budget. For instance, a recent plan put forward by the Republicans of the House suggested IRS cuts in order to move that money, a plan which would impact the US budget negatively in the long term; we need those 14 billion being spent domestically, not supporting an overreaction/possible genocide in Gaza.

Explanation: In general, pick something receiving budget cuts that your congressperson will care about. I care about IRS funding, and saw it mentioned as a target in an article, so that's what I've got in my suggested verbiage up there.

The fewer people that are working for the IRS, the more they focus on auditing poor people (simple, easy taxes) and the less they can effectively audit rich people (complicated, time-consuming taxes), which means rich people are more likely to get away with evading millions or even billions in taxation. So yeah, you want more funding in the IRS if you are poor. They are already auditing you. You want them to audit the big guys.

The Russia and China Argument

What to say to your elected official: I am worried that the current focus on funding Israel without restriction is causing us to lose sight of the international threat posed by Russia and China. Russia is actively invading Ukraine, which continues to put massive strain on the European economy with regards to oil prices, especially with the Suez situation, and China has been testing missiles near Taiwan, and thus testing US responsiveness to those threats, for months now. We cannot afford to support an internationally unpopular war if we want to remain ready for Russia and China.

This is less likely to work on Republicans, since Trump is friendly with Russia, but hey, give it a shot if they're one of the ones who aren't fully in his camp.

EDIT 2/22/24: I'm a bit unsure of this tactic, but I'm putting it out there with hopes that someone with more political experience can offer feedback:

"Congress, and the US government in general, has promised to sanction Russia for the alleged assassination of one man within a week of the suspicious death, after five months of refusing to enact even slight consequences on Israel for the deaths of nearly thirty thousand, half of which are children. This is ethically questionable at best, but for the interests of elected officials, it is a very bad look. The mismatch shows a massive bias by the American government in regards to Israel's ongoing mass murder, with over two million facing famine as a result of Israel's aid blocking, and America's reputation on the world stage, as well as individual politicians' reputations domestically with constituents, is plummeting."

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Finally, my ko-fi again. I spent a long time on this and I'd like to move out of my parents' house sooner rather than later. If you appreciate my time and effort, please feel free to donate a couple bucks.

[teambyler]

CONFIRMED: Will will be tormented and central to the story again in s5

From the new s5 video, Will walking toward the camera is an explicit callback to s2. This isn't just some tingling in the neck: he is being DRAWN IN by something ONLY HE SEES. Just like Crissy and Fred in s4. We can safely say Will is going to be a target of Vecna or the Upside Down in s5:

And we now have a specific shot of what looks like Will ARRIVING in the Upside Down from s1. This is the biggest clue we'll get flashbacks to his time in the Upside Down. His time there WILL be central to s5's story: just like El's memories of the lab were key to unraveling the mysteries of s4, Will's memories might unravel the origins of the Upside Down (remember that time in the UD froze to the day Will was abducted!)

And in this shot it looks like Will's holding a pointer. He and Joyce are probably making a presentation about their experience in s1 using the overhead projector, with Jonathan's help (oh and more of the Byers Family working together YAY!):

GIF credit to @mikesbasementbeets

So it's shaping up to be a Will-centric season! They have said they will return to s1 themes. Will being in danger was central to s1 and it's coming back.

Aaaand the Painting Lie hasn't been resolved. Mike will have to come to terms with that revelation. And Will's "emotional arc" will be central to the season:

Aaand Mike and Will are joined together at the hip this season:

I'm so excited!

-teambyler

[blaithnne]

Local big sister experiences emotions, more at 6

Been wanting to do one of these with Lauren for AGES, but I never got round to it. Then I saw the Lydia and Phinium expression sheets on @littledigits’ website and I felt inspiration like never before.

The funniest struggle I have with Lauren’s design right now is that she nose too big for she got damn face. Literally, Hilda characters noses take up a fairly small portion of their faces, and her’s took up WAY too much, leaving little room for her to make facial expressions. But I struggled to find a fix because when I made the nose smaller it just didn’t look like Lauren anymore, so I took this as an opportunity to work on that!

She still has a larger nose than most characters, starting higher up (like her grandad!) and ending lower down (but not quite as low as before). I also made her eyes a little smaller and with a shape similar to Lydia’s (though you can see in some of these I hadn’t quite landed on that yet and her eyes are a bit too big), which works both as a nod to her parentage and because I think it makes the nose look bigger. This still doesn’t leave as much room for the mouth as most other characters, but that’s okay — Lauren is a very private person who keeps her feelings close to her chest, I think it works for her to have subtler expressions, adds to how guarded she is! Oh and I also updated the shape of her hair slightly, just to make it a bit more style accurate.

These changes are pretty small on their own, but I think combined they work well to make Lauren feel a lot more…alive? Far less stiff, anyway. I think she also has a more unique facial structure now, instead of just “what if Johanna was 90% nose”. She’s still got a big old nose and I love it but now she can emote, yay!

This is really all just concept stuff, I’m hoping to get a new fullbody style-ref for Lauren out soon! Now that I’ve improved the main issues I had with her face in the last ref, now it’s onto the silhouette! I want her to read as more of a strong character (though it comes across decently in her current ref, I wanna push it more without being as exaggerated as Ahlberg, which is. A challenge for me lol), streamline her silhouette, and finally make her taller than Johanna like she’s always meant to have been <3 I made her shorter for so long because I thought it would help her read better as her daughter but you know what? That’s dumb actually, she’s tall.

ANYWAYS, thank you for listening in on the annual Lauren redesign, and to the artists behind the show for posting so much amazing inspiring show stopping concept work for free because it makes my autism worse /pos

[jaggybot3000]

Hii ^.^

I was thinking of drawing your Mind design and I was wondering if his eyes are shaped like that due to artistic choices/ur art style or not? I dunno if I'm making sense and allz, but I really needed to know that so I don't screw up on the drawing,,,

hii^_^ i think i get what ur saying...the way i draw mind's eyes are indeed super stylized, it's more of an artistic choice!

i draw his eyes as blank and all triangle-shapey to give him more of an angry/menacing look(a resting bitch face lol). i just find it fun to draw! i also squash and stretch his eyes to better suit different expressions(for example, smaller/narrowed eyes when disgusted/disturbed, wider eyes when in fear/shock)

it's also not super consistent. sometimes the ends of his eyes go out a little extra far, sometimes i experiment again with pupils, sometimes there's eyebrows.

recently i've been going more for a wide-eyed look(late june vs late january below). my ever evolving designs lol

more or less though, his eyes will usually be in that general triangle shape, and he will always look a little mad no matter what (mad as in either angry, crazy, or both).

(also pls tag me if you do end up drawing him or any of my hms designs i always love to see it yay!!)