#just giving some love to lesser-talked-about groups/activities

[nonshareraffirmations]

if you have a popular f/o who you liked before it was “cool”, that’s proof that your connection is real and powerful.

if you have an obscure f/o that nobody else considers or cares for, that’s proof that your connection is real and powerful.

if you have a variety of headcanons and stories for your f/o, that’s proof that your connection is real and powerful.

if you hyperfixate on your f/o or their source and spend most of your time thinking about them, that’s proof that your connection is real and powerful.

if your f/o is an exception to a preference you usually enforce, that’s proof that your connection is real and powerful.

if you have a blog dedicated to your f/o, that’s proof that your connection is real and powerful.

if you make unconventional, unique, and special selfship content of your f/o, that’s proof that your connection is real and powerful.

if you and your f/o have little quirks or inside jokes, that’s proof that your connection is real and powerful.

if you have detailed lore for your f/o and s/i, that’s proof that your connection is real and powerful.

(this post is not an authorization to harass doubles. it was made for your personal comfort, not for you to use to target others. best practice is blocking, distracting yourself, and moving on.)

[kirain]

Barcus FAINTS?! 😢

He faints no matter what you say to him, and he also blames himself for Wulbren's death.

Poor little guy. I thought killing Wulbren would be the better path, but boy did I reload fast. If you don't save him, Barcus cries and falls into a deep depression, and he doesn't speak with you again either. He only responds with "hmm" when you ask to trade. Even if you're nice and try to comfort him, he simply gives you the Brilliant Retort and wallows in his sorrow.

When I first met Wulbren I thought the same thing, but I quickly changed my mind during our second conversation; when he called Barcus "moss that clings to stone". If Wulbren actually cared and wanted to keep his friend safe, it would make sense for him to be cold to his face, but he also bad-mouths Barcus behind his back. There's no logical reason for that. In fact, it's a detriment. He actively tries to convince us Barcus is an annoyance, but if he truly cared, he'd want him to have some allies looking out for him, not enemies who'd write him off at the first sign of trouble.

Then there's the matter of the pendant. Barcus tells us he found it in the slums of Baldur's Gate, around some thug's neck, speckled with blood. But when we meet Wulbren, he doesn't have any injuries, and he never asks about the pendant at any point. In fact, when we find him in Moonrise, he doesn't even ask if Barcus is safe, he just says he's surprised he "had the stones" to leave the city. This leads me to believe he hawked the pendant for safe passage out of Baldur's Gate, and that he doesn't care about Barcus at all. If my friend came looking for me in one of the most dangerous places on earth, I think I'd show a little concern.

No, but I do think they were close at one point. In the Decrepit Village in the Underdark, you can find Wulbren's childhood diary, in which he expresses his desire to see Barcus again someday. Barcus left for the surface first, but I think he felt guilty about it. I also think he might've felt more for Wulbren than Wulbren felt for him, but that love was unrequited. As he grew older, Wulbren became more and more radicalized, to the point that he might've even come to resent Barcus. I don't have any evidence for that, but Barcus does tell us he's "quite popular" in Baldur's Gate. Popular, happy, successful, respected—everything the Ironhand Gnomes aren't. Everything Wulbren isn't.

Of course, that just makes everything all the more heartbreaking. Wulbren isn't the same person Barcus remembers, but he can't see past his love for him. At least not until Act 3, when Wulbren takes his "mission" too far. He's angry, racist, and desperate for validation; willing to massacre an entire group of ex-slaves for no reason other than revenge. I do sympathise with his plight, especially when you consider that gnomes are often seen as lesser, but Wulbren hates other gnomes and even threatens to kill Barcus when he tries to talk him down. Sadly, Wulbren isn't a good person, and I'm proud of Barcus for standing up to him.

[backwardsuwu]

The Missing Case of Louis de Pointe du Lac

Just a fic idea that came to me today that I will probably never write out fully but still wanted to share:

The Missing Case of Louis de Pointe du Lac

Opens with Daniel and Armand on their way to meet Armand’s “billionaire friends.”

Lestat's 30th birthday weekend is happening at this huge manor in the "death of your twenties" style party.

At the mansion, Daniel is snooping on the first night and finds an album tucked away with tens of photos of a younger Lestat with this guy.

He asks Armand about it but Armand skirts around answering and distracts Daniel for that night.

Daniel gets up earlier than everyone the next morning to snoop more and is caught by one of the staff. Lestat comes in and dismisses the butler/maid/etc., and Daniel tries asking about the guy.

Lestat tells Daniel that the man's name is Louis and that they were boarding school sweethearts. They kept their relationship private into their twenties because of Louis’ religious family and Lestat’s own cruel father.

He doesn’t tell Daniel more after that and refuses when Daniel brings it up throughout the day’s activities. Armand chastises him from causing issues, but Daniel sneaks off to the “restroom” and looks on his phone to find that Louis’ name doesn’t pop up anywhere online.

Daniel tell’s Armand that he isn’t feeling well from lunch and goes back up to their room to pull out his work computer (that he promised not to bring) and look more into it + email a researcher he knows about Louis.

Armand catches him and they argue about him working during their weekend away. During one of the afternoon events, Daniel gets a ping on his phone that the researcher looked into some cold case database they’re hooked to and found that Louis was reported missing but it was clear as an accidental report the next day.

Daniel goes through the motions of dinner until someone brings up his and Armand’s relationship and makes a snide comment that Armand is dating a lesser class “like someone else has before.” This spirals Daniel’s curiosity but Lestat shuts it down quickly.

That night after Armand goes to sleep, Daniel sneaks down to the office where he found the album and plans on doing work when he sees Lestat sitting and looking at the photos. They talk and Lestat admits he called the police over a missing person but it was Grace who told him Louis ran away. She even showed him a letter Louis left for Lestat explaining his reason for leaving. Lestat admits to still looking for Louis but not being able to find him and eventually accepting it was what Louis wanted.

Daniel leaves it alone that night and return to Armand, who wakes up and they say mushy I love yous.

The next morning, Lestat’s actual birthday, everyone get’s dressed up in all black and go around doing the eccentric party things. Daniel can’t get the Louis thing out of his mind, it felt too abrupt, even if Louis was being harassed by some of Lester’s peers or his family found out he was gay.

One of the activities if golf (which Daniel hates; Lestat is very good and it’s funeral themed) and he excuses back inside for a drink. He uses the time to find and call Lestat’s sister. He makes up some excuse (he thinks he knows Louis, he’s a PI, idk) and she buys it, saying she thought it was odd too because she felt like he would have told her. Grace tells him that their family had a girl who used to work for them that Louis took under his wing, Claudia. She tells him to ask her and said she’s kept tabs on her over the years.

Eventually, Daniel has to rejoin the group. They finish the outdoor activities and head back inside to get dressed up for dinner (again in all black). Daniel calls Claudia and she immediately shuts him down. He tells her he’s a reporter, gives his name, and says he wants to shed light on the corruptness of old money. This catches her attention. She admits Louis didn’t tell her why he was leaving, or that he even was, just that he was acting spooked some time before disappearing, and that he didn’t leave a letter for her but did for his parents, siblings, and Lestat. Daniel doesn’t find that strange but she insists he wouldn’t do that.

Daniel then gets texted from the researcher that they found out a specific phone number called Louis several times before he disappeared. They text him the pdf and the number is eerily familiar.

When Armand comes out of the shower Daniel confronts him immediately. At first, Armand is insistent he was just calling a friend, then when Daniel says he knows Louis was spooked, Armand says he was trying to console him. Until finally the waterworks begin and Armand admits to forcing Louis hand in leaving, swearing it was for Lestat’s own good.

They scream and fight and Daniel leaves in a rush, barely saying more than “he’s the reason” to Lestat as he heads out the door.

Time jump to three weeks later. Daniel is in Dubai where he believes Louis has taken up residence. He checks his phone for the maps and sees hundreds of missed calls and unread texts and emails. When he sees he’s at the right place he goes up to the intercom and buzzes it. A man answers and he finds it’s Louis after he tells him why he’s here and what he knows. Curious, Louis lets him up.

Louis offers him dinner and his side of the story. Apparently, Armand had done two things at once. One, he pulled his brother (Paul) in with a dubious religious group that threatened to ruin his family’s reputation and financial stability (which Louis had only just barley repaired), and if his brother went any deeper into it, put him (Paul) in a dangerous position the group. Two, spent years of them in boarding school and into their twenties one-upping Louis’ relationship with Lestat with his own friendship. To the point where when Armand decided to knock over the domino’s Louis was exhausted enough to just go quietly.

He also confessed to leaving letters for only Grace, Lestat, and Claudia. Which they both realized Armand probably found, threw away, and rewrote.

Daniel asked why he never reached out. Louis says he felt free away from his family and found exponential success in Europe, even if it killed him to miss Claudia and Lestat. That it was in part precautionary and part selfish.

Louis asks Daniel what he wants to do now that he know. Daniel jokes that he should write Louis’ story, but Louis agrees earnestly. Daniel then has to confess that he doesn’t only know Lestat, that his connection to him is with Armand. This seems to surprise Louis. They’re then interrupted by one of the staff coming in to hand Louis his cellphone. Louis keeps receiving calls.

He answers it. It’s Armand. He (Armand) bargains for Daniel’s forgiveness with a promise that he’ll leave Louis alone, with Lestat. Both Louis and Daniel are unconvinced. Louis hangs up and asks Daniel if this is something he can forgive. Daniel turns the question around on Louis who says no. Daniel hesitates however.

The story closes with the two agreeing to do a full interview and then allow Daniel to write Louis’ story.

[princessmacedon]

{ happy anniversary!

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is. Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing! Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together. Template courtesy of Neffi! 💕

Name: Red, more commonly nicknamed Reddo

Pronouns: they/them preferred, she/he OK!

Birthday (no year): December 28th

Where are you from? What is your time zone? moved to kentucky when I was young, and for sake of ease i use EST (TOAST)! i live near a timezone line, so i get to be flexible like that >vo)v HAHA

How long is your roleplay experience? with a few on and off breaks, roughly 15 years? i forgot about a period of my life where i 'moderated' (read: was the most active user on) a warrior cats RP site; my first foray into rp proper was in pokemon rp on tumblr, my first muse was lyra but i didnt have an internet name until i picked up and settled into writing (you'll never guess who)

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? kind of half answered this above oops, but with warrior cats i genuinely dont remember? i probably just googled warrior cats and wound up there HAHA. for pokemon...... honestly probably the same thing

How were you introduced to TOA? key had mentioned it to me in passing a few times, so i knew she was there, but it wasn't until my friend zyra mentioned it to me and suggested we write macedon siblings together again that i actually joined, hahaha

Do you have any pets? i do! i adopted a ?? year old dog from the shelter about six years ago, so now he's x+6 years old :] pretty sure he's some kind of border collie mix, but not certain! his name is tobin, but he'll answer as long as you say 'ob'. he's a sillyhead

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) it used to be winter because i love the snow! but as i get older and more harrowed by weather conditions, i appreciate how normal and not-trying-to-kill-me autum is HAHA

What is your IRL occupation? (finger guns) figuring it out

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? drawing was my first love! i like reading, especially comics, and writing; i like video games and immersing myself in stories, and have passing interests in things that i don't commit to trying out (like resin, charms, etc etc)

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? FFXIV, mainly; genshin impact and hsr; various farming-ish sims (story of seasons + old harvest moon, stardew valley, rune factory, currently fields of mistria); to a lesser extent dragon age, ace attorney, various VNs / otome / rhythm games, pokemon until roughly scarlet/violet era and then my wallet couldnt keep up with it HSDFSGVSD

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: as a kid it waffled between fire / dark, but not sure i have a dead set favorite type anymore. favorite pokemon still lucario and appletun for sure though!

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! (Optional bonus challenge: if you filled this out last year, try not to repeat what you said back then!) - i love christmas and thinking about gift giving! when i was in school my christmas spreadsheet hit like, 50 names HAHA nooooo way do i have that energy anymore, though - i'm reasonably fond of baking and also reasonably terrible at it! something always goes wrong but usually (usually) stuff comes out pretty tasty in the end. except for that time i set my oven on fire

How did you get into Fire Emblem? my friends were talking about how much fun they were having with the new game at the time, awakening! it looked fun so i decided to try it out

What Fire Emblem games have you played? - Beaten: Genealogy, Blazing Blade (FE7 if youre like me and still cant remember which one is which), Shadow Dragon & New Mystery, Awakening, Fates (Conquest + Birthright), Three Houses (Blue Lions) - Started: Binding Blade (FE6), Sacred Stones, Path of Radiance (FE9), Fates (Revelation), Shadows of Valentia, Three Houses (Black Eagles & Golden Deer), Engage

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: Awakening -- still Awakening! possibly tied with 3H, though. i really enjoy games where i can peacefully level grind

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! vaguely ordered, it's: Wolf, Maria, Cordelia, Seliph, Katarina...? if you think you're seeing a trend you're probably right, hahaha ^^ writing a character is an expression of love for me, so inevitably my muses climb higher and higher on my list over time

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! the clearest one i can remember is wolf, because when i was playing fe11 i was passively using him because he was pretty, and then he got 7 crits in a row and i was like :pika:

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳i'm weak toward green haired women AHSJASFDSF but actual game crushes, hmm... not sure!

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: chrom -> still chrom! - Fates: takumi -> hmm... silas or flora? - Three Houses: dimitri -> still dimitri, except now he's duking it out with yuri - Engage: i have the ring in my pocket as we speak, suffering from the burden of choice... probably diamant though?

Favorite Fire Emblem class? whatever class my blorbos thrive in

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? in all likelihood i'm a villager with just absolutely baffling AI. not entirely stupid, but you cant in good conscience say it's smart either HAHA as a playable unit though, i might be a recruit-type? i could do well if you help me grow, otherwise i'm just this scruffy shitty thing tucked into your pocket. middling-high skill growth, paper defense, and you wish you knew what my speed growth was because i don't (probably fast as a mage but realistically NOT as anything physical)

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? (Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, Church of Seiros, Those Who Slither in the Dark, unaffiliated civilian, other - for example Almyran) my heart says blue lions, but if i'm just some guy (unaffiliated civilian) i won't be surprised

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? - Boons: Reason - Banes: Authority, Gauntlets - Budding Talent: Flying

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? (Firene, the Kingdom of Abundance; Brodia, the Kingdom of Might; Elusia, the Kingdom of Knowledge; Solm, the Queendom of Freedom; Lythos, the holy land of the Divine Dragon; Gradlon, the desolate land of the Fell Dragon) hmm... probably either Firene or Lythos! i'm too much of a weenie to be from brodia HAHA

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?) toah, like noah! to all my xiv gamers out there this definitely applies to job shorthands too. durg. dirk. whum blum sidge. rurpur and rogg...

Current TOA muses: Maria & Katarina

Past TOA muses? Cordelia my beloved

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Maria! unless something unprecedented happens, i don't see that changing. writing her, her want and determination to love and find wonder in the world, to spread and be joy -- it just puts me in a good place! it's really, genuinely helped me a lot, even if her extroversion is exhausting to my introvert ass sometimes HAHA

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) uhhh... i definitely tend toward characters who are in some regard defined by a form of love or strong emotion, romantic though it need not be -- people who have some sort of powerful, aching tenderness in their heart. i've not really done as much as i've wanted in terms of bringing that out of them, but it's definitely something that draws me in to a character in the first place!

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? ooh, there are lots of characters i like who have a brusque edge or manner, who might be harsh or cold... i wish i could do that! i'd like to try, i think. and also the funny, energetic, boisterous types -- i love to see them and be around them, but i definitely can't pull it off hahaha

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) it's been a while since i've gone all in on this kind of scene, but i love emotional scenes and heart-to-hearts -- the sort of thing where you're communicating your feelings with everything you have and trying to reach someone else! i usually rein myself in well shy of that though, hahaha. i worry a lot about getting too lost in the sauce and derailing a conversation/thread, or making it all about what my muse/what they want to communicate.

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? for katarina, i'd love for her to make some friends! she's her own worst enemy in this regard, separating herself from friends/friendships whether consciously or subconsciously. for maria... well, i'd love for her to have a real heart to heart with someone!

Favorite TOA-related memories? to this day i miss and adore annie's frederick! his dynamic with my cordelia at the time was so much fun to write and to talk about and we had such thoughts for how their relationship would evolve -- it's one of the most interesting and endearing relationships i've had the pleasure of writing! on a sillier note, i often think about leif hauling ass after kanoesa's lewyn HAHA

Present or past tense? it used to be past tense, but i think toa's successfully converted me to defaulting to present hahaha ^^;; consciously at least, i try to match whatever my partner does!

Normal size text, small text, no preference? it doesn't matter to me, but i do hate fighting tumblr to keep all of the small text small.

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 the wolf app/blog i've been refining on and off for the better part of three years is no secret HAHA, but i've seriously contemplated writing a few other characters! radd and boucheron, to name a couple. i get super attached to my characters though, so it's a bit tricky

[susiephone]

Imagine thinking that wanting straight people to be accepting of gay people is a "trap" and not like, literally THE entire goal of the modern LGBT rights movement since its inception

okay. this is in response to me saying “respectability politics is a trap.” which it absolutely is.

but i’ll give you the benefit of the doubt here. let’s define respectability politics, shall we?

several people who are more well-spoken than me have talked about this. to quote this article on the subject:

Respectability politics is a school of thought that utilizes respectability narratives as the basis for enacting social, political, and legal change.

Respectability narratives are representations of marginalized individuals meant to construct an image of the marginalized group as people sharing similar traits, values, morals with the dominant group.

essentially, respectability politics is when people in a marginalized group (queer people, disabled people, people of color) wish to be accepted by the majority, and thus present themselves in a way and behave in a way that the majority deems acceptable - and pressure others in their marginalized group to do the same. for example:

“Not all bisexual people are sluts, I’m bi and I’ve been in a committed relationship for 20 years!”

“I’m gay, but I’m not one of THOSE gay guys, I hate shopping and I don’t like to flaunt my sexuality at all!”

“Lesbians aren’t really all masculine, I love makeup and having long hair.”

(I’m using examples I’ve seen in the queer community because I’m queer; I know this happens a lot in communities of color, but I am not qualified to speak on that at all.)

this stems from a desire to be accepted by the majority; for the purposes of this discussion, straight people. we hear straight people say things like “i could never date a bi person, they’re all cheaters” or “i don’t mind gay guys, don’t just shove it in my face” and “why don’t lesbians act like women if they love them?” and, in response, some people go, “i don’t act like that!! you can accept me! i fit in! i’m respectable, i’m not like those guys, they embarrass us!”

there’s also a lot of people saying, “don’t reinforce the stereotype.” as if it’s OUR fault straight people stereotype us.

so this leads to shaming within our own community:

“You’re bi and polyamorous? Wow, way to make people think we’re all two-timing whores.”

“Makeup? Jesus, we get it, you’re gay, you don’t have to make it a pride parade every time you go out.”

“You look like a teenage boy, this is why everyone lesbians aren’t real women.”

and that all boils down to:

“THIS is the example you’re setting? This is the face you show to the world? Don’t you know you’re representing us? No wonder they don’t respect us.”

and that’s the real problem: telling other queer people, “it is YOUR fault you’re not accepted, YOU aren’t acceptable, YOU reinforce these stereotypes, YOU should try and be more respectable, more normal.” and the thing is, “normal” is defined by the majority. THEY decide what is acceptable behavior for us. and guess what? 

most of the time, that boils down to, “It’s fine if you’re different... as long as you’re as close to what I deem normal as possible. As long as I can’t tell you’re different.”

in the queer community, this sort of thinking has led to the exclusion of butch lesbians, femme gay men, nonbinary people, non-passing trans people, trans people in general, people who use any pronouns besides she/her and he/him, bisexual people, ace people, aro people, pan people, polyamorous bisexual people, people who have an active sex life, sex workers, people who have changed how they identify, and countless others. these people get shoved aside by the Good Respectable Gays, who are eager to say, “We’re not like them, we’re just like you!” in order to be accepted by the mainstream. and it still doesn’t work. even the most macho, would-never-guess-it gay guy is bound to face some level of oppression or otherness at some point in his life. it doesn’t matter how much he fits in, how much he distances himself from the Unacceptable Queers; it won’t work 100% of the time. how’s that for a punchline?

there is no point in trying to file off the “unacceptable” parts of our community just to please straight people. 

if a person hates all queer people, no matter how they act or present, they’re a homophobe.

if a person doesn’t hate queer people, just the ones who shove it in your face and sleep around and won’t shut up about it and buck gender norms and use weird pronouns and expect people to learn their new name and change their identity every week... they’re still a fucking homophobe.

and why the fuck are we trying to please homophobes, again?

so when people say lil nas x is bad, actually, because he “reinforces the stereotype” of gay people going to hell and thinking a lot about sex or whatever, they’re playing right into respectability politics. why can’t he just talk about his sexuality in a normal way? why can’t he express himself in a nicer way? why does he have to use that imagery? why does he have to make straight people uncomfortable?

lis nas x is a gay black man who grew up being told he’d burn in hell for being gay. and he made an awesome song with a legendary music video saying, “fine. i’ll go to hell, just like you want, and it’ll be great. i’ll take the damn place over and make satan fall in love with me. and i’ll have a great time doing it, because i’m proud of who i am, and i won’t apologize for it or be ashamed of it anymore.”

to see that and wring your hands, worrying that a straight person will see it and decide to be homophobic about it, and pinning the blame for that on nas is missing the point.

every time we as a community make ourselves lesser or change the way we present just to be accepted by the majority, they move the goalposts, and someone else gets left behind. and the beautiful thing about the queer community is that there is a place for everyone who is left out in the cold by the straight, cis majority.

“We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” was the rallying cry for a reason. we’re different, you think we’re weird, you think we’re deviant, you don’t get us, and that’s fine, you don’t have to get us. we’re not going anywhere. get used to it.

respectability politics is a game you cannot win. so stop playing.

[quinloki]

Age play, blood play, mfm for Marco, Thatch, and Sabo pls

Alright, we're going to do this one by Kink.

MFM, Blood play, Age Play.

I want to note two things before I go into this: I know almost nothing first hand about age play, and just spent the last 20 minutes reading up on it via a few sources I trust. I'm going to do My Best <3 but I apologize if I get something wrong.

Second Note: Honestly, I shouldn't have to say this, but in the lesser known kinks I feel compelled - if you're going to come into reblogs and chat being a fuck about someone else's style of consenting adults kinky times, I will block you in as many ways as I can.

If you're particularly unlucky, I will bury you publicly.

If any kink mentioned in these asks isn't your vibe just - move. along.

MFM - Threesome involving two straight guys and a straight girl because the guys don't interact (so I'm assuming straightness, otherwise why would you let a whole human body alone like that?)

Marco - Sure - A lot like Shanks, this man has spent almost his entire life as a pirate and on a pirate ship. Marco is pretty open to just about anything, but he's so laid back that nothing really comes across as enthusiasm. There's plenty he is enthusiastic about, but I think the damper on this situation would be in only giving attention to one of two available partners. He's all for following the boundaries of the session, don't misunderstand, but those bedroom eyes of his can admire a full range of people.

Thatch - Yes - Look, Thatch is here for a good time, and he's all in for the parameters provided, why not? It makes everyone else comfortable and he can make breakfast for three in the next morning just as easily as two. He'd be less inclined to invite someone in between him and his partner, but joining in with another couple is fine in his book. (Thatch, I feel, is not lucky in love xD So he can be pretty soundly in the "not-sharing" category when he gets into any kind of relationship.)

Sabo - Rather Not - It's not that Sabo's a stick in the mud or anything like that, but he is a bit of a control freak. He's also a little shy outside of an established relationship, and not very good at sharing when he's in an established relationship. Sex is also a vulnerable activity, never mind the emotional and physical vulnerability, but also tactically - and he's got a lot on his shoulders already. There's too many variables, and for better or worse, I don't think he's interested in much of any kind of group setting. A polycule sure - something established and vetted is something I could see for him.

Blood Play - A risky form of edge-play. Please, please, please practice this as safely as possible. (Also, I swear I do head canon some characters being for this kink, just not really any of these people XD - sorry!)

Marco - Sure - There's that continued "it's hard to get enthusiasm out of Marco" again, but in this case, it's a sure because Marco is Marco. There's a lot of risk with Blood Play (unless we're talking menstrual (well, there's still risk there, but differently)), but between his profession and his devil fruit, he's just about the absolute safest partner you could have for this particular kink. He's not much of a sadist though, and honestly I think he'd prefer to be the one getting cut than the other way around - but only if it's something that gets you off.

Thatch - I dunno - Thatch is, to me, kind of squeamish about blood. In battle it doesn't get to him, in the kitchen, it actually kind of does. He manages to deal with it well enough that only maybe a couple crew mates know about it. Blood belongs inside the body, and that's his stance on it. He's not going to pass out or hurl, but Thatch knows how to do two things with knives - cut food, and, well, cut people.

And how he does both aren't techniques he's comfortable using on you. You could maybe bring him around with Marco's assistance, but I can't see Marco helping since he'd definitely know about Thatch's mild squeamishness.

Sabo - Yes and No - Sabo has, to me, a bit of madness in him. I mean, he's been through a lot, and I think there's a lot of extra risk in blood play with him. I feel like it would trigger bad memories, and I feel like he would be all for trying it. It's a kink of control, and there's an intimacy to it no matter how you go about it. So he would want to, carefully, try it. It might not be the first time, or the second, but at some point I think the light would flicker across that crimson liquid in the "right" (wrong) way and if everyone is lucky, the knife is buried in the wall, and no one gets hurt.

Age Play - Consenting adults role-playing as a different age.

(psst, hey, not all kinks are sexual and a lot of BDSM is actually not sexually motivated! -- I say this as a very sexually motivated human, if I can understand it, <3 so can you <3 )

Marco - FUCK Yes - Marco's actually a little enthusiastic about this because it's new to him. You lay everything out for him, and spend a few hours educating him and going over the finer points. He's attentive, ready, and willing. It's pretty chill for both of you, and honestly it's become a good way to bond, and stress relieve together. Thatch probably teases him at some point that he's treating you more like he's your father, and not your lover, but the two of you just laugh about it. It's a sweet little shared secret between you.

Thatch - Starts as a I guess, moves to a Yes - It takes Thatch a little while to really understand the assignment, but the more you explain, and the more you spend trying, the more he gets into it. It is a nice change of pace from the normal rhythm of the day to day of the ship, and he shifts around in the different kinds of roles pretty often. You two played tag one time and it ended up being half the crew playing as well before it was all over and done with. Though, no one else really understood why you were both acting child-like, but that just for the two of you anyway.

Sabo - I guess/Sure - There's just so much muck around Sabo's childhood and his concepts of family that I think this would be more a can of worms than anything good. He'll try, a few different ways, and a few different times, but younger play would make him sad for reasons he doesn't understand (until his memory comes back), and older play would make him angry for reasons he doesn't understand.

Given time he could probably come into a full Yes, but he's gonna need therapy to unravel those memory traumas and family issues first.

I honestly feel like I learned more about myself than these One Piece characters with this particular ask, but that's life sometimes XD <3

Kinky One Piece Head Canon

[littlegodzilla]

Request if you want to:

Single dad Norman falls for his son's friend's single mom.

I appreciate your writing

Hi anon!!

Thanks for your request! I really enjoyed wtiting it, of course we can say it's an AU from real Norman, I'm not going to talk about Helena or something like this, I took some liberties, hope you don't mind!

Enjoy!!

******************

Norman's Secret.

SingleDad!Norman Reedus x SingleMom!Reader.

One shot. Anon request.

Warnings: none.

Words: 5000

***************

The alarm clock goes off that damnably early morning. A grunt of frustration echoes through the room as he fumbles to turn off the infernal sound that has awakened him that morning. He huffs lying face up in bed as he rubs his eyes trying to wake up fully. He has never been a morning person, at least not out of obligation, but the week has started again, and he has to be responsible. After a few more minutes of standing still, he gets out of bed looking for some old sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He walks down the hallway of the apartment and opens the door to another of the rooms, doesn't turn on the light, leans over the small body resting under the sheets and touches his blond mane.

"Good morning buddy, it's time to get up." He whispers softly to him receiving a whimper in protest. He smiles and when he feels he's already awake, he lifts the bedroom blinds to let the light start coming in.

"Daddy, it's too early." Protests the little boy again, pulling the covers over his head.

"I know, but we have to go to school, so there's no excuse."

"I don't feel well..." he mumbles under the sheets and he smiles from his position.

"Mingus, don't make me use force..." He threatens him, but when the boy pulls the sheets down, he sees his father grinning mischievously and knows he's lost.

"Daddy, no!" But his father throws himself on the bed, trapping his little body and starts tickling him getting Mingus to squirm laughing. "Okay, okay!"

Norman laughs, kisses him on the head and gets up to fix breakfast warning him that if he's not there in ten minutes, he'll be back with more. Mingus laughs but gets out of bed to get ready and go to breakfast with his father. It has always been just the two of them, Norman and Mingus, Norman has always loved children and has cared for and protected his son the best he has known and knows how, Mingus is now only nine years old and Norman knows that to a lesser or greater extent, his son will always turn to him if he needs him, or so he hopes. Norman had his difficulties with his father when he was young and things didn't get better until the man was in a serious situation and then he was gone, Norman has always regretted not knowing how to fix things sooner and he doesn't want something similar to happen to his son. He is not a spoiled child, or at least Norman tries not to spoil him, but gives him the freedoms and independence he thinks he needs, of course the boy is still learning and his father has to stop him on more than one occasion. But he still thinks he's not doing badly at all.

When the blond boy appears through the kitchen door, he is already dressed for school and is carrying his backpack in his hand, leaving it on one of the free chairs. Norman has prepared breakfast; a bowl of cereal plus some cut up fruit and juice. He sits in front of his son and looks at the notifications on his phone, most are work stuff that he puts aside to check later, others are things from the parent group at school, sometimes he regrets a bit about giving them his number because sometimes they bombard him with unnecessary information, others it is a great help because the parents discuss activities or future important school dates that the child may have forgotten to mention.

"There's a field trip next week." He mentions reading one of the messages and Mingus hums. "Why didn't you tell me about it?"

"Next week you have to travel for your job, remember? I was staying at Uncle Andy's on those days." He tells him with a shrug, chewing his cereal.

Norman stands quietly watching his son, Mingus doesn't seem upset, just indifferent, it's not the first time he's missed an activity because his father can't accompany him, at first his protests led to an argument, but as he got older, Mingus came to understand that sometimes things didn't go the way you wanted and he just accepted that fact, others, like the child he is, he kept protesting and insisting sometimes he got what he wanted and sometimes he didn't.

"It's a multi-day excursion." Norman keeps saying and looks sideways at him, Mingus nods.

"That's why I didn't say anything to you, Uncle Andy can't go with me."

"Sure..." He nods as well putting the phone down on the table and takes a last sip of his coffee. "Finish that and brush your teeth, I'll pick this up and we'll go." He instructs him, Mingus finishes his juice and gets up from the table to get lost down the hallway.

As he watches him leave, hhe looks back at his phone and as he picks everything up, putting it in the dishwasher, he sends several messages. Mingus returns minutes later, ready to leave, Norman picks up his backpack and gestures for him to leave the house, but not before grabbing the bike by the door. Mingus smiles excitedly, he likes it when his father rides behind him on the bike or the motorcycle, it's fun and he feels his stomach swirl when they go at high speed, especially on the motorcycle. Mingus stands upright on the back of the bike and holds onto his father's shoulders as he pedals off in the direction of the school.

***************************

"Good morning Norman, good morning Mingus." They are greeted by several parents as they arrive at the school gate, Norman holds his son's hand as he pushes the bike with the other.

"Good morning." They greet at the same time.

The school doors have not yet opened, people are clustering at the entrance waiting, some who have more limited time due to work schedules, leave the children in the care of other trusted parents and leave, Norman makes his way through the various groups until he feels a tug on his shirt.

"Dad, there's Riley, can I go say hi?" He asks pointing to the little girl.

"Of course." He can't help but smile in amusement and lets go of his hand to watch him run over to her friend.

Riley and Mingus have been friends since they started school, somewhat scared of change, they connected right away and were almost inseparable. He slowly approaches watching as you, Riley's mother, greet Mingus with a warm smile and ruffling his blond locks. At first Norman found it hard to talk to you, making friends between parents wasn't something he was particularly excited about either, but children made friends and had to have at least a respectful relationship with each other, for the younger ones, with you it was harder, always surrounded by other mothers, curious and gossipy, maybe too interested to know why you were always alone, Norman doesn't deny that he is curious too, but he keeps it to himself. Mingus and Riley were the ones who helped you talk for the first time, it was going to be Mingus' birthday party, the boy had invited all the kids in the class, luckily there weren't many, and some had the privilege of staying over at the apartment, Riley was going to be one of them, but first he had to ask permission from her mother, you.

"Hi, I'm Norman, Mingus' father." He introduced himself to you formally.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Riley's mother." You introduced yourself as well by shaking his hand.

"I guess Riley must have already shown you the card, but we're celebrating Mingus' birthday at home this weekend." He explained and you made a surprised face.

"That cool card was made by you?" you looked at Mingus who smiled proudly.

"Yup!" Norman laughed wanting to find out from whom he had inherited that confidence.

"Mingus wanted to ask Riley if he could have a sleepover that day." He spoke again catching your attention. "There will be other children staying as well, I will be with them at all times and will personally drive them home the next day." He explained to put your mind at ease, you looked at him doubtfully just the same, they were still very young and leaving your daughter with a stranger made you uneasy.

"Mom, please!" Riley tugged on your sleeve, pouting exaggeratedly.

"Well, I guess it might be fun for them." You agreed, watching as the little ones jumped for joy.

"Great, anyway, on the card I've written my phone number, in case there's an emergency or you need to know if Riley's okay, you can call anytime or text me." Norman wanted to calm you down and you smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Norman, that's nice of you." You assured him honestly.

From that day until today, it has been easier for the two of you to talk and connect. Norman feels that there are still strained issues between you, that you're not quite comfortable, but it's not with him, it's a situation in general, like you can't trust people just like that. Norman tries to always give you your space and not bother you, but he has to admit that his curiosity for you has been increasing every day. It's more than just a physical attraction, he doesn't deny that it's there too, but he feels good talking to you, being close, sharing little moments with your kids, telling anecdotes from school or your day to day life, you don't meet for coffee or drinks as if you were lifelong friends, but every now and then you share a message just to make sure each other is ok, if the day has been hard or just to say you're there.

"Good morning." He greets you both when he reaches you and you smile.

"Good morning, Norman." You respond and Riley turns her attention back to his friend. "Working out since first period?" you joke pointing to the bike with your chin and Norman laughs.

"I'm a sporty guy, I can't help it." He follows your joke and you both let out a chuckle. "I have to go to work later and it's across town, with this it's faster than the subway or car."

"I see, you want me to stay with Mingus? If you're in a hurry..."

"No, no need, I always have time, no problem." He shrugs. He has to admit that being a single parent sometimes at work gives him a certain advantage with the scheduling issue. "I'd like to talk to you about some business..." he tells you, lowering his voice a little, glancing sideways at the kids who are engrossed in their business.

"Is something wrong?" You ask him in the same tone of voice.

"No, it's just... I heard that next week there's a field trip with the school."

"Oh yeah, it's three days, we're going to some museums and an amusement park... Do you want me to take Mingus with us? Riley doesn't have a bus buddy yet so I'll be able to watch them both no problem."

"I actually want to go, but I have to talk to my bosses about letting me have those days off, but I want to surprise Mingus." he smiles and you look at her excitedly and nod. "Anyway, if I couldn't go..."

"Of course Norman, count me in, Riley and Mingus are thick as thieves, so it'll be great if you can go together."

"Thanks, will you keep it a secret for me?" he smiles and you laugh.

"Of course, count on it." You hold up your pinky as a sign of promise, Norman smiles and intertwines his pinky with yours to seal said promise.

Norman feels a strange current running through him, he stares at you, but lets go of your hand and takes a step back not wanting to make the situation uncomfortable. The school doors open, you all say goodbye to your children and when they are inside the building you slowly walk away, Norman walks with you to the nearest subway station, pushing his bike, the two of you plan how you want to do about next week's trip.

"You really don't want me to give you a lift?" he offers, pointing to his small vehicle.

"No offense, but I don't think it can handle both of us." You laugh nervously and shake your head. "But thanks, see you later, Norman."

"Sure, see you later." He waves goodbye to you by hopping on his bike and as you disappear down the subway stairs, he rides away towards his work.

******************

Norman needs to pull several strings to get the days off he's asked for, he's had a bit of a falling out with his bosses, but they've finally granted him the full week on the condition that he makes up those hours and works from home during the field trip. Norman doesn't plan to do shit those three days, he wants to enjoy his son, but he will take advantage of the hotel time to get organized. He has made payment for the trip, some parents didn't seem too happy about this, it had been planned in advance and some things had to be modified, you stepped in to defend his situation.

"Riley and I are going alone, we don't need to book another room, or count more bus seats, we all fit right in."

It didn't take long to hear whispers and gibbering about how two adults were going to share a room without being a couple, what would the kids say or what would they think, even Norman's heart skipped a beat at the thought of it, but he really wanted to go on that trip. Once that was settled, he talked Andy out of worrying about taking care of Mingus those days, that he had solved the problem and was going with the boy on the trip. Andy wasn't the little boy's biological uncle, Andrew had been a good friend of Norman's for many years, almost like a brother and he knew he could rely on him for things like that, that he and his wife didn't mind taking care of the blond boy for a few days.

"Are you sure things will be all right at work?"

"Yes, I've arranged it and will go another partner for me, I'll have to make up those days, but I don't mind."

"That's okay man, enjoy the trip and have a good time with Mingus." Andy encouraged him.

So that morning the alarm clock rings earlier than usual, but Norman has no trouble getting up, he is excited thinking about the reaction his son might have when he finds out they are going on a trip. He gets out of bed, finishes packing the suitcase with clothes for the two of them, not much, after all it's only three days, gets dressed and goes to his son's room.

"Wake up, champ, time to get up!" He tells him shaking his little body.

"Dad, it's too early!" He protests seeing on the clock that it's not even time for school.

"I know, but if we want to get to the bus, we have to get up early." He smiles when he sees Mingus' eyes widen.

"Bus?"

"Yes, we're going on the field trip with the school."

"But...you had to go on the trip..."

"I talked to work and another co-worker is going for me." He shrugs.

"But Dad, won't they be mad?"

"Of course not, come on, get dressed." he urges him out of the room to prepare something to eat for the trip and a light breakfast so the boy doesn't get carsick on the trip.

Of course Mingus doesn't stop smiling and bouncing, as if he had suffered a sugar overdose, he squeezes his father's hand, walking quickly, today they had to take the subway to get to school since they couldn't leave the bike there for so many days or take the bike to the excursion. Norman lets his son's excitement wash over him, allowing him to pull him along impatiently, listening to all the plans he has in his head.

"Who will I ride the bus with?" He asks curiously and his father smiles.

"With Riley and her mother, we'll be sharing a room with them at the hotel too." He warns him, Mingus' eyes snap open.

"Dad!" His cheeks take on a ruddy color that make Norman can't hide a giggle.

"Are you embarrassed?"

"Of course not!"

"It's the only spare room left and they don't mind, but if you want I can ask for a room just for us." He says pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and quickly Mingus grabs it by the wrist.

"No, no, no, never mind." He shakes his head and Norman wraps an arm around him, pinning him to his side.

"Come on or we won't make it."

The school entrance is full of parents and children with backpacks and different suitcases, some bigger, some smaller, all waiting for the bus to arrive to start the field trip. Norman gestures to his son as you and Riley spot them. The boy greets his friend effusively as they walk over to you, Norman drags the suitcase over and takes the backpack off the boy so he can go play with his friend and the rest of his classmates.

"Good morning." You greet him, Norman shakes his head in greeting coming to your side. "Are we still waking up?" you poke him laughing.

"Hush, don't think it didn't cost me." He snorts rubbing his eyes.

"How did Mingus like the surprise?"

"I think he's still processing it, he got quite a surprise, but he loved the idea."

"I'm glad, I would have loved to see his face." You comment watching the kids play.

Norman has to bite his tongue in time to keep from saying that to himself too. He doesn't want to do anything awkward, but for a while now Norman notices that the friendship you two have, for him is becoming something more, he likes you, he finds you a very interesting woman, funny, off topic attractive, but he has never made a move for fear of not being reciprocated and that it could affect the friendship between the two children. He's an adult, he knows he can control the situation without it being violent to either of them.

"Everything okay at work?" you ask him then, Norman nods.

"I'll have to work at the hotel, when we have a moment, but I'm not leaving Mingus alone." He shrugs. "I'll make up those hours any way I can."

You look at him curiously, you have to admit you love to see Norman pouring himself into his son like that, work is important, they have to get ahead, but no more so than his family, Mingus is now at an age of absorption and growth, having his father figure around to teach him and take care of him will be meaningful to him. Sometimes you'd like to ask why it's just the two of them, but then you remember that he might ask you the same question and your body aches just thinking about it. Norman takes out a box of cigarettes and lights one, moves a little away from the group of parents so as not to disturb anyone, and fiddles with it between his fingers. You approach him, placing yourself next to him, you have never liked tobacco smoke, but it's funny how that same smell relaxes you when traveling, your family has always been smokers and the smell of a new car makes you more dizzy than the smell of tobacco.

"Sorry, but it's going to be a long trip and I don't think we'll be making many stops." He apologizes pointing to the cigarette.

"Never mind, we all have our vices." You joke but he nods.

When the bus arrives, the children are placed with their seating partner, the teachers number them and the parents do their own mental head count to make sure no one is left behind. You and Norman sit together in the seats behind Mingus and Riley, all the kids can't wait for the field trip to start, they can't stop laughing and talking, chaos is assured, but it's a good thing. The parents keep a silent eye on them, making sure they don't get into any mischief that might disturb or distract the driver. You and Norman can feel the eyes of the other adults on the back of your necks, but you don't say anything. Halfway through the trip the vast majority of the children have fallen asleep and all the parents relax at the same time.

The first day's excursion is educational, they will go to several museums, an aquarium and have a little guide around the city, in the evening they will go to the hotel to check in and have dinner and the next day they will go to the amusement park, then the last day will be educational again stopping at several places on the way back home.

"It's going to be a tough day." He says to Mingus as they get off the bus at the first stop and loads up with the boy's backpack.

"We're going to the aquarium." He tells him with a huge grin and Norman laughs low.

"That's right, I forgot." He pretends to apologize and strokes his hair letting his go with the rest of the kids.

"I think someone is regretting the trip." You prod him and he laughs.

"It's not that...it's just that I'm amazed at the energy they always have, no matter what, there's always something good."

"That's why they're kids." You smile giving him a touch of encouragement on the back and fall in line with the rest of the group.

The morning is long and intense, the kids have enjoyed themselves, the museum has been a bit boring for them, Norman likes art, in fact when he has some time he always likes to paint or go out to take some pictures, but he understands that maybe for some kids seeing so many paintings has been a bit dense, the aquarium was more exciting, even Norman had fun, there, being careful not to disturb the fish, he took out his camera and allowed himself to take some pictures, the children, his son, Mingus with Riley, the installations, even some animals that he found curious. He also took some pictures of you, without wanting to look creepy, but he found you so immersed watching the main tank, your curious smile, your eyes shining with intensity, the reflection of the water on your skin, he couldn't help it and had to shoot a couple of pictures, maybe he will show them to you later, or maybe not and keep them as a little secret for himself. He hasn't decided yet.

At the hotel, dinner has been a complete chaos, the children, tired from the whole trip, wanting to go to their beds, have become hyperactive and noisy, although you try to calm them down and put some order, the rest of the hotel restaurant does not seem very happy with all the commotion. Finally you can go to your rooms, drop your bags and rest from the day. Norman opens the door and lets the kids in first, there is shouting and cheering all around the room. You roll your eyes and walk in asking them to calm down.

"Oh, shit..." Norman hears you behind you and he peeks over your shoulder.

"Oh shit, what?" he asks and then sees it. "Oh shit..."

The room only has three beds, two singles for the kids and one family size possibly for the two adults, thinking you were the parents of the two kids or there were no more rooms left with single adult beds. You fidget nervously and Norman chews his lip several times.

"Hey, never mind, I'll sleep with Mingus in the small bed." He says to calm you down.

"What? No! Dad, you move too much, you'll knock me off the bed." He protests and Riley laughs.

"That's not true." Defends his father.

"It's okay, it doesn't matter, the bed is big enough for both of us." You shrug and Norman looks at you in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah, well, unless you're uncomfortable..."

"No, no, no, not at all." He shakes his head. "It's fine like that, yeah."

"Okay then Riley and I are going to shower first...is that okay with you guys?"

"Sure, no problem, I'll take advantage and go over some work stuff." Norman says pulling his laptop out of his suitcase.

Agreed on the shower time, you grab your stuff and your daughter's and both of you go into the bathroom so as not to keep your companions waiting, as you're sure Mingus is just as tired as Riley and will just want to go to sleep. Norman sits on the edge of the bed pulling his son's pajamas out of the suitcase and an old t-shirt along with some shorts for him.

"Dad..." Mingus' voice makes him look at him curiously, his heart flips at the sight of his exhausted eyes, but he still fights to stay awake. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, champ, what's up?"

"Do you like Riley's mom?" he asks with complete sincerity and Norman feels himself lose the color from his face only to explode an intense heat in his cheeks.

"W-what?" he mumbles trying to search his mind for a good answer. "Who told you...?"

"Riley and I have been talking about how cool it would be if you and her mom were together...we'd be brothers." He comments again and Norman doesn't know where to jump in.

"Re-Really?" he swallows hard and is thankful that the noise of the shower is maybe muffling that conversation for you guys, mortified enough he feels already. "B-but that's not how it works, kiddo..."

"Why not, do you like any of your friends?"

Oh his friends... Norman has had girl-friends, not many, but like everyone else, sometimes he needs to have contact with other humans, adults, and he has had the odd date, he hasn't introduced Mingus to all of them, they have always been nice to him and Mingus has been curious, but it has never ended up being anything serious. Norman has never had this talk with him because he thought he was too young yet. He sighs scratching the stubble on his chin, thinking about what he can say to him.

"It's not about that, it's been a while since I've had those kind of friends, but you see..." He chews his lip again, searching for the right words. "Even if I liked Riley's mom, it doesn't mean we're going to be together."

"Why?"

"Because maybe she doesn't feel the same way." He shrugs.

"Why don't you ask her?" He looks at him confused and Norman purses his lips. Of course to a child everything is very logical and he understands, but we adults like to make things complicated.

"What if I asked her and she didn't feel the same way? Imagine if things got really weird and you and Riley would never talk to each other again."

"That's not going to happen. Riley is my best friend."

Mingus' crushing logic completely disarms him. He loves his son's honesty and sincerity. He smiles and hugs him warmly, kissing him on the cheek.

"Don't ever change, kiddo." He asks him, confusing the boy some more.

After everyone goes through the shower, the boys stay talking some more in their beds until sleep overcomes them and they fall completely asleep. Norman walks out onto the terrace of the room with his laptop and his box of cigarettes, he's been a good father, he's gone all day without smoking, he deserves a break. He sits down at the table outside, turns on the laptop and while it's charging, he smokes a cigarette, the smoke slowly coming out of his nose. His mind still spinning from the conversation with his son, he feels like he still has goosebumps from it.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" your voice startles him, lifting his head like a spring, you're in the door frame of the terrace, already in your pajamas, watching him.

"Not yet, I have to get some work stuff ready." He denies and takes another puff on his cigarette.

"Okay..." You look at him and walk out sitting in front of him.

"No need to stay, if you're tired go to bed, I'll come later." He assures you, feeling a little nervous.

"No, it's okay, I'll wait for you, the kids are completely asleep."

"Yes, it's been a long day for them." He nods and you both laugh.

The silence that forms between you is quiet and pleasant, you lean back against the table as Norman's fingers and eyes move fast focused on his work. It's not too much, a little editing work, he just has to download the documents and tomorrow he'll take care of it, he sends a draft of a presentation to his bosses and texts his partner to find out how the meeting went. When the documents are downloaded, he turns off the laptop.

"Okay, I'm done..." His voice drops when he discovers that you are asleep on the table. He smiles watching you, he knows it's nothing special, but he sees you beautiful at that moment. He reaches out and squeezes your arm gently. "Hey, wake up." He whispers. "Let's go to sleep."

"Okay..." You whisper, more asleep than awake.

The two of you walk noiselessly into the room, the kids not even flinching, totally submerged in Morpheus' arms, Norman rolls the bed around to his side, opens the sheets and pulls off his shirt, laying face up on the mattress. You curl up on your side, hugging the pillow, turning your back to him.

"Good night, Norman."

"Good night..." He replies, but he doesn't know if he'll be able to sleep, his heart beating so loudly he's afraid even you might hear it.

The trip is proving to be really interesting and Norman is glad he was able to get away from work.

.

.

The End.

.

Okay, I think I'm going to pass here, I'm making the story too long, sorry.

Hope you liked it!!

See you all in the next stories!!

Taglist: @green-eyedladywrites @minervadashwood @livingdeadblondequeen @bringinsexybackk69 @phoenixblack89

[yourwolfmuzzle]

You know, im not going to be this kinda guy who “oh i know everything and i know how to do better” when it comes to the White Fangs and faunus stuff that going on in this series. I dont think i know how to fix this or rewrite this...race parallel story and i will not sit there and lie to people or most importantly to myself that i know better in this topic. And frankly, MK openly already admit that they themselves dont think that they doing great job (but im not sure that say shit like “oh we was young and we both just white dudes” will...make this situation better? Like...im white af and pretty far away from knowing american history or black culture history, but if i really want to write parallel between my fantasy race and some real situations and\or movements from real life - i first will at least spend more that hour to think about this and read history about this?).

Why i write this post? Seeing those post about “Yang buying the best tuna for Blake :)”, how fans treat sometime this topic (faunus specifically) or how this everything was written in the show - started with how Yang trying to get Blake attention in vol2, treating her like literally a cat and portrait this as a joke moment, stuff from chibi R/WBY, “oh she dont like dogs”, Marrow WHOLE character (love him, but he just “dog joke”) or how “faunus dont like when people call them just animals” transform into “blake, you can be human or just a cat”, jokes like “ask a cat to another cat” or how one of the compliments from Yang was “you have a cute cat ear” (OFFTOPIC - I still cannot believe that this was one of the things in confession scene...you telling me that those two never talk about what they like in each other and so basic stuff like “cute ears” even when they was a friends? Fucking really? Not even as a non romantic thing? If yes then HOW DE FUCK THEY EVEN DATING NOW???) - i wish there was never parallels with black history.

This is not i dont want to see stories like this or parallels like this. I love sometime read rewrites about this topics. I just wish its never was a thing in the show because from what i can see a lot of fans of this show have more interest in “cute animals interactions” that on analysing how bad this whole faunus and White Fang story was written. Not even that but the writers and directors not even have that much interest in this outside of “make one group look evil and do evil stuff”. From what i can see, most of the time people who have interest in this or try to work with this topic is people who think that “this topic was written without any nuance/accidentally (or not) extremely racist and i want to do rewrite about this” or to just make this into “omg Yang can be ally for Blake and she can support her and” and this all just transform into this one scene, when Weiss just drop some racist guy into trashcan. Just to make people who is not faunus look good in this picture and save sad small Blake(9((( (we all collectively will forget that she was in White Fang since childhood and was pretty good enough to fight with people like this but oh boi now she need help from people to deal with this).

And listen, i get it. A lot of people love cute animals or characters with animals traits. Im a cats owner and love dogs a lot, even if i cant have one. I have a characters with animal traits myself and im werewolf fan. People transforming into animals and who can have some kinda activity with all this? Oh hell yeah, give me more. We love cute cat girls and bois and everyone inbetween. This fandom is also LOVE stuff like this and the writers are no different either

But...its cant just work like this, when literally From Shadow, song that was in trailers, that we know before we even got first chapter of this series, tell us stuff like this: 

Treated like a worthless animal, Stripped of all rights, Just a lesser being, Crushed by cruel, ruthless Human rule

I cant just sit there and be like “omg cute Blake omg she a cat girl uwu” when before volume 9 calling someone just by they animal traits was equals to just dropping racial slur. Imagine volume 1-2 and someone call Blake literally a cat? She would just “destroy” this person on the spot and most likely this person deserved it.

And you cant just...drop this idea and be like “its never was about racial discrimination.” You cant just sit on two chairs at the same time and tell us that Blake soo easy about people calling her just a cat or her calling herself just a cat person with just cat ears when for 8 volumes its was about “dont treat us like we just animals”. You cant. You ether can continue this race parallel further, but having studied this topic better even with all the mistakes that was already done or try somehow find the ways to rewrite what you already have done at least for a little bit, or just...at least dont fucking touch this whole “ahah cute ears and tails” stuff and pretend that there are no problems.

[down-in-devildom]

MC being Used by Lesser Demons (Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and Belphegor)

Second part of this prompt: Part 1

CW: Violence, Torture, Manipulation, Murder, Cannibalisms ...general demonic behavior

Asmodeus

Asmo is always surrounded by all kinds of demons vying for his attention and he thinks it is absolutely adorable! He is someone that is just so magnetizing and mesmerizing that it is almost unsettling when people can resist him. Enter MC. Someone both equal parts strange, wonderful, and scary; They worth every ounce of love they can get! So he isn’t all that surprised when MC starts to develop their own little entourage of Lesser Demon fans.

Asmo lives for the attention and is happy to share the experience with MC. They go on little shopping sprees together and always have plenty of demons willing to carry their bags or buy them some gifts. The amount of times that Asmo and MC got in trouble with Lucifer for bringing home way too many gifts and taking up all the hallway closet space was starting to get ridiculous. It didn’t phase Asmo though. He is just happy to be able to steal the MC away, even if they are never truly alone.

Now, Asmo was rather observant and was quick to pick up some of his dedicated fans started to join up with the MC’s little group. He wasn’t jealous, per say, but it is odd when these demons that followed him all around the Devildom for centuries were now more interested in a human. He didn’t want these ugly internal thoughts to turn him ugly externally, so Asmo shoved the matter to the side for now.

When a particular Lesser Demon that he used to remember following him around rather faithfully gave the MC a gift, he was more curious about what they gave them than why they were not giving him items anymore. Whatever the Lesser Demon had handed to the MC had them practically gushing about it for most of dinner that day at HoL. Apparently, it was some sort of beautiful silk scarf and it looked absolutely amazing on them. MC had invited this particular Lesser Demon out to grab the newest latte at the DevilPop Shop as a thank you.

MC was so excited for the café date that Asmo didn’t have the heart to tell them that he already tried the newest latte and it does not photograph very well nor was it worth the calories. The day of the venture into town, Asmo sent the MC off with a gorgeous outfit that incorporated the new scarf, and a kiss on the cheek. Asmo had a makeup live stream to host so he wasn’t able to join them.

Asmo was still in the middle of filming when he heard the door to his room open. He could have sworn he told his brothers not to bother him for the next four hours and was kind of miffed. He turned his head briefly away from his camera and lights set up only to see MC dash by and flop themselves onto his bed. They yanked the scarf that they were given off of their neck and buried themselves in his covers. Asmo was quick to excuse himself and apologize for cutting the stream off so quickly before.

When Asmo made his way to the bed, he could hear the MC groaning and see them appear almost restless under the sheets. He gently pulled the covers off and gasped when he saw the MC with swollen, patchy welts all over their face, neck, and the beginning of their chest. He was now starting to become frantic because the irritated areas looked so painful and the MC looked like they were desperately trying to both hide their face and not cry at the same time.

When the MC explained how the date was going so well until their neck started to burn and the Lesser Demon they were with started to showcase such a cruel smile. The scarf must have either been hexed or treated with a fast acting poison that causes the MC to have an adverse reaction. The Lesser Demon had taken pictures of their pain-stricken face and threatened to post it all over Devilgram if they kept getting in the Lesser Demon’s way and taking too much of Asmo’s attention. This kind of behavior isn’t all that unheard of for some of his fans, but Asmo is generally very quick to put any wayward bullies in line. Maybe the Lesser Demon thought they could get away with it because MC was simply a human.

Asmo first treats MC’s welts with some of his skin care and makes sure that most of the pain is gone before having them drink some sleepy time tea to relax. When the MC inevitably goes to sleep after their harrowing ordeal, Asmo sneaks off and tracks that particular Lesser Demon down. It wasn’t hard finding their location after he used his various social media accounts to ask for their whereabouts. When he finally did find the demon, Asmo decided it would only be fair to give the Lesser Demon their own personal facial seeing who they felt so starved for his attention. He then proceeds to scrap the Lesser Demon’s face all across the brick and concrete grounds in the vicinity, painting the sidewalks red and really improving the other demon’s image, what with them not having a face anymore and all. Asmo is as sugary sweet to the MC the next day and continues to coo over them and their injuries. He also is sure to breezily mention that the Lesser Demon decided to disconnect from the media and social trends, whatever that may mean, and wouldn’t be around for quite a while.

Beelzebub

Beel was widely admired. He was a strong athlete and super sweet to most demons unless food denial was in play. He was also known for going on rampages when he was hungry and it was a big deterrent for many demons outside of his Fangol team and the Hell’s Kitchen chef. He didn’t really mind though. He has his brothers and now MC. Between him always having to worry about where his next meal would come from and how to keep his family together, Beel already had to take into account his environment and the threats that they held. 

When more and more demons started to watch him during his Fangol practices, he was confused. Typically, only the MC would come to cheer him on or wait for him to finish before heading out to grab some cheeseburgers. It didn’t really matter though. He was still able to give his best on the field and no demon got in his way when he approached the MC to start leaving for the day. It was only when the MC paused in their tracks after talking about their day did Beel turn to look at them with some concern. He asks them what is wrong before they said that one of the Lesser Demons were a really big fan of his and wanted to hang out.

Now, Beel is a very laid back type of guy so he was more than ready to grab a bite to eat with more company. MC waved one of the demons in the distance down and soon enough, the three of them were on their way into town for some snacks to have before dinner. The market was full of all kinds of street vendors so it was the perfect place to try everything at once. The first stop was a crepe stall that was super generous with their fresh cream and strawberries. The Lesser Demon was kind enough to pay for the treat and handed it out to Beel and the MC.

Beel was content for the moment with his twenty-three assorted crepes and was munching away when the Lesser Demon went to hand the MC their crepe. Unfortunately, it looks like the Lesser Demon tripped and smeared the dessert all over the front of the MC’s RAD uniform. The Lesser Demon apologized and was saying how sorry they were that now the MC would have to go home to change, but MC said it wasn’t a problem and they don’t mind still hanging out even though they were wearing their food. The Lesser Demon was adamant that they would need to change but MC waved them off.

Beel was just glad he still had some crepes to work through and offered up one of his to MC. There was a bite out of it but MC accepted it gratefully anyways. Beel noticed that the Lesser Demon had a strange look on their face and was looking at the shared crepe and the MC with a furrowed brow and a frown. Maybe the Lesser Demon wanted another crepe too? Either way, the trio still made their way over to Hell’s Kitchen and talked along the way. Or, rather, the Lesser Demon talked the whole time while Beel and MC just listened. The other demon sure appeared to be passionate about Fangol because that was all they wanted to talk about. That and about Beel being the star player that RAD desperately needed.

When the journey was finally over, they sat together at the bar in Hell’s Kitchen. The Lesser Demon wanted to sit between MC and him but he did not mind that much. Beel was quick to order just about two of everything on the menu. When the food finally arrived, Beel was making quick work of his order while the Lesser Demon continued to fill the space with more of their Fangol play formation theories. The MC was having a good time enjoying the meal and the conversation when they finished their singular portion of food and waved down the wait staff to order something else. 

MC looked so excited about the triple chocolate bat’s milk brownie sundae they ordered, Beel was almost inclined to order another helping of the dessert himself, they made it look so good. But before MC could scoop any into their mouth, their spoon was snatched from their hands. Beel and the MC looked at the Lesser Demon in shock and confusion on why they took away their utensil. The Lesser Demon then goes on to say that the MC already had enough to eat and it would go to better use to go to someone as active as Beel. The Lesser Demon then proceeds to take the plate from in front of the MC and add it to Beel’s dwindling food mountain.

Beel and the MC were frozen in place. Neither of them move but Beel could see past the Lesser Demon’s shoulder when the MC’s head hangs down briefly before they hurry to push away from the bar with an excuse that they have some business to take care of and leave the restaurant. The Lesser Demon looks...happy… that MC left and turns back to Beel and talks more about Fangol as if nothing happened. Beel felt in his gut the uncontrollable hunger that comes when he skips a meal take over him. The Lesser Demon is too busy yapping to see the shift in Beel’s eyes but they sure did stop talking when a growl from deep within Beel’s chest vibrated throughout his body and shook the ground itself.

Beel was famished and the only thing that satisfied his hunger was the demon that dared to deny his MC of something as important as food. Beel’s mouth opened impossibly wide as his jaw seemed to know no bounds and his fangs elongated. Before the Lesser Demon could get away, Beel’s mouth was at the other demon’s throat and the jugular was ripped clean out. The demon’s body fell to the floor in shock and Beel was quick to pounce and shred his meal apart, consuming the flesh and bones and leaving nothing left. Nobody in the restaurant stopped him. When Beel’s hunger subsided, he paid the bill and walked out to go find the MC. He just knows that they would love some macarons from Madam Scream just about now and he wasn’t about to deny them that.

Belphegor

Belphie typically struggled to find the motivation to do much of anything most days. Or rather, it isn’t much of a struggle if he had no intention of doing anything in the first place but the point remains. Today, he was actually able to summon the miniscule amount of energy required to go with the MC to the movies to see a documentary about human space exploration. Granted, he had almost every intent and purpose to just fall asleep the second the lights dimmed anyways, but he could at least be some form of company for MC during the show. 

Belphie was told to meet MC outside of the theater’s entrance about fifteen minutes before the flick. The only reason they were not able to walk from HoL to the theater together was because MC had some resource material they had forgotten to return to RAD and needed to run by there real quick before it was overdue. Bephie didn’t mind though. It meant he could sleep in a bit more before having to head out. When he did arrive at the meet up point, there was a Lesser Demon practically glued to MC’s side and Belpie would just feel his limited energy reserves drain.

When the MC spots him, they are quick to pull him aside and explain that they ran into the Lesser Demon at RAD and asked to hang out with them. When MC went to reject the offer and explain that they already made plans with Belphie, the demon was even more insistent about spending time with them. The Lesser Demon wanted to get to know more demons with an interest in astronomy and was a bit too shy to approach Belphie by themselves. Now that they had gathered the courage, they would not be persuaded to do anything else but tag along. The other demon appeared very keen on not letting MC and Belphie out of their sights and walked over to join the conversation after a moment.

Belphie was not exactly happy about some stranger ruining his movie experience, but figured that it wouldn’t matter too much rather the other demon was there or not. He was still “seeing” a film with MC. When they all walked inside to get their tickets, the Lesser Demon would not shut up about how excited they were to finally get to talk to more astronomy fans. MC did not appear to mind though and was being fairly polite. They would answer as many questions as possible but it was becoming apparent that the Lesser Demon wasn’t exactly listening to the replies and would turn around and ask Belphie the same questions. He ignored the other demon though because they were being annoying.

Once they walked to their seats, the Lesser Demon tried to sit between both Belphie and the MC. He wasn’t in the mood to humor the other demon so Belphie plopped down in one of the seats and pulled MC down into the one next to him. Because of the arrangement of the seats and some random demons seating on Belphie’s other side, the Lesser Demon was made to sit on the other side of the MC. Belphie could tell they did not appear all that happy about the arrangement judging by the deep frown that etches into their face. Well, too bad. This was originally his movie date with MC, not the Lesser Demon.

When the lights finally went out and the curtains pulled back completely from the screen, Belphie got comfortable in his seat and laid his head on MC’s shoulder. He was planning on getting on top of his well deserved nap as soon as possible, but something in his gut was keeping him just on this side of wakefulness. Although his eyes were closed and his breathing was slow, Belphie was on alert. He was naturally a demon with a lot of suspicions about other’s motives, so he was a bit weary of the frown on the Lesser Demon’s face a few moments ago.

Belphie heard the Lesser Demon start to whisper in MC’s other ear and had to focus a bit to hear the conversation over the film’s loud music score. The other demon appeared to be continuing their earlier barrage of questions. The MC whispers to the other demon that they would like to watch the movie and could answer everything later. The questions continue anyway and start becoming more and more morbid and strangely personal. What were human funeral customs like? Could humans sense when their life is in danger like prey can? Do human hearts taste better when they are still beating or shortly after being stilled?

That last question gave both the MC and Belphie pause. The Lesser Demon continues though, slowly moving their hand up the MC’s arm and across the chest until their hand rested lightly against MC’s neck. “I always wondered what it was about you that drove the Seven Avatars to becoming shadows of their former selves. Even Belphegor, with his intense hatred of humans, is over there sleeping on your shoulder like a newborn kit. Maybe the brothers just need a reminder of how weak and helpless humans are in order to snap out of their feeble minded states and become real demons.”

Belphie just lets out a snort of a laugh at the ridiculous monologue the Lesser Demon felt the need to recite before materializing his tail. The other demon seemed to realize their mistake too late and their neck was snapped all too quickly. Beplhie finally opens his eyes to peak up at the MC. They were looking at the Lesser Demon’s body and the way their head was twisted to an unnatural degree. Ah, well, there goes his movie nap. Belphie was about to get up to leave the theater, thinking that MC would probably not be in the mood to watch the film anymore and would prefer to not be next to both him and a corpse, when he was tugged down into the seat instead this time. The MC quirks a brow as if to say the movie wasn’t over and goes back to watching the screen. Good thing too because Belphie was past the point of simple sleepiness and wanted his movie nap, for demon’s sake.

-----

Thank you for reading part 2 of this request. Sorry I didn’t include the original question in the post but I am too lazy. I talk a lot so please excuse the run-on sentences -Leo

[erigold13261]

:3 I have some questions

Trans masc Daray? You know they just gives me those vibes

What happened between Adder and Cryil?

Does West know of the encounter?

Have EX-Jay and Necropolis ever collabed?

Are going to see more of Necropolis?

1). You know, I was debating on making Daray trans or not. It's up in the air right now. All I know is he uses he/him pronouns. His gender identity might change the more I work with him.

2). I'm still working on that, but I do know that it is supposed to be a complicated situation. On the surface, it is basically Adder forcing himself into Cyrils relationship with a girl (the only girl Cyril was ever actually attracted to). It was a pretty healthy relationship that Adder kinda forced into being polygamous which ruined it. Then Adder tried to keep Cyril in a relationship as the girl left first, which worked for a bit until the other members of Ex-Jay brought Cyril to his senses and got him away from Adder.

I don't mean forced as in he would not let Cyril go, but like, he was in a relationship and was fighting to keep it going. Actively trying to make it "better" in how he saw what better was. Unintentionally love bombing Cyril and making really expensive gifts that made Cyril fall in love harder but also make him feel indebted to Adder a bit. Like to a stranger the relationship looked fine, but there was some toxicity that was in it. Honestly, Cyril is really good at getting into toxic relationships (him and Purl's relationship isn't exactly the healthiest, at least not in the beginning, but hey, Purl is worse at picking who to be with).

Also, I'm not trying to defend Adder at all, but most of this happened because they were all young and dumb. Adder and Cyril had crushes on each other that they let form while the girlfriend, who was monogomous, just kinda got thrown to the side in the relationship. Adder overstepped but Cyril welcomed it instead of standing up for his relationship. It's supposed to be a complicated mess and I don't know if I am explaining it properly as it is still pretty vague in my head right now.

(fun fact, Cyril and Adder were penpals when they were kids. It was probably the longest friendship Cyril ever had up to this point which is why it took him a while to see how badly he was being treated)

3). No. Cyril doesn't talk about his relationship with Adder all that much. By the time Ex-Jay got popular enough to make it to Vinyl City, Cyril was hardly ever thinking about Adder at all.

4). Nope! Firstly, Ex-Jay thinks Daray's music is trash. It's some kind of Glitch Jazz, very highly EDM, which for the most part Ex-Jay does not like (but have been getting more used to it in recent years). Secondly, they know Daray and Adder are friends, so really none of them want anything to do with the Necropolis group.

If it wasn't for Adder, I would say that modern Ex-Jay would be willing to collab, but because of the relationship, they aren't looking to try and make music together at all. There is a possibility still though, IF Purl explains how much they like Daray's music and Cyril wants to do something nice and make Purl a song that combines Ex-Jay and Necropolis' styles together. But that would have to be for a really special event or something (plus Glitch Jazz and Alt Rock/Metal are probably difficult genres to incorporate together).

5). Oh definitely! I have a few things planned with them! We are gonna see the aftermath of Necropolis' Lights Up Audition along with some other interactions with characters (also gonna try to show how Cyril feels about Purl being really into Daray's music along with the potential that Adder might try to sleep with Purl and Purl being willing to do so).

I am absolutely going to be using them more! Mainly to help flesh out the more civilian world along with how lesser NSRtists have to deal with life (because I am definitely making them interact with my other NSR OC band with Hydrar and Timbre). So yeah, I think Necropolis is a good bridge between the elites of NSR, the big band names like Ex-Jay and Bunk Bed Junction, and the citizens of Vinyl City (as Necropolis is new to the city so they have to learn how things work).

[maxwell-grant]

Might I please ask if you have an opinion of DRACULA? (Either the novel itself or the adaptations); having read both this novel and FRANKENSTEIN, I'm tempted to agree with the reviewer who wrote that one of these is a Classic and the other is actually Fun to read ... (-;

(Art by Cinemamind)

I completely understand the sentiment of "one's a classic and the other's fun to read" and I don't necessarily disagree with it. I don't read Frankenstein for fun, I read it because it's the book closest to me and it's heartbreaking to think about and it's got one of my favorite characters ever in it and it's got a stake in my soul I gotta renew every year. Dracula, however? Dracula is a blast and it boggles the mind as to how every adaptation can be so crushingly lesser in nearly every aspect. My hardcover edition with annotations is one of my most prized possessions.

It's interesting that people tend to talk about Frankenstein and Dracula like Frankenstein was cutting edge sci-fi while Dracula was archaic and folkloric, when it's really the other way around. Frankenstein is the story of an arrogant dipshit rejecting modern science and thinking to unearth outdated knowledge soon blossoming into a vicious cycle of savagery, where as Dracula is the story of an ancient predator adapting and trying to take over current society and fought by a ragtag team of upstanding citizens using modern tactics to stave him off and eventually fight him, desperately struggling to stay ahead of the curve as he wisens to their tactics.

This book was really ahead of it's time in so many ways. I could easily see excerpts of it, particularly the Demeter journals and Renfield's story, taking off as internet creepypastas or found footage horror films. Dracula's a story about a group of characters playing detective as they update their blog entries about the coming of an initially incomprehensible horror taking over their lives. It's a story that could work regardless of Victorian or vampire trappings, and we know this because Blair Witch Project and Marble Hornets are some of the biggest horror successes of the past decades, all of which follow the same general idea, except in Dracula, they don't just discover the true nature of the horror, they also start fighting back and ultimately destroy it.

Dracula's obviously a great villain, that goes without saying. I don't actually tend to take Dracula seriously much of the time because I'm very fond of comedy takes on Dracula and vampires, but that doesn't at all diminish his impact in the original book. He's barely in the novel for much of it which makes his every appearence Count, and the atmosphere as well as the many, many forms he can show up or be suggested at really help solidify what an incredible presence he can be.

He's the strange ruler in a foreign country, he's the kooky old man with weird customs, he's the creepy house owner tormenting a hapless guest, he's a barbarian who lives in nostalgia. He's the wind on your window, a dog on the street, a bat in your windshield, a storm on your ship. He's a predator in every way possible, he's a handsome aristocrat, he's a tragic victim of his own monstrous nature, he's a demon who threatens to consume all mankind, he's the fucker who assaulted your loved one and has to go down hard by machete right now.

Even if we just threw out the 124 years of Dracula's history out, we'd still have enough material in the book not just for a great villain, but dozens of great villains and characters who could take just about any of these traits and run with them. And still, the thing that really, really stuck out to me about Dracula wasn't him, it was the other characters

Art by Kiwi

Dracula's cast is so, so underrated, so unfortunately sidelined as a result of adaptations that only care about The Count and try to give him all the dramatic weight and characterization and sideline all the other characters as merely bit players. Stories that twist Jonathan into a useless fop or an active jerk on the idea that he's the "boring" one, that diminish Renfield's story into just being a hapless and insane goon of Dracula, that make Van Helsing the only character who's even capable of putting up a fight and make him a generic badass, that completely neglect Quincy Morris even though he's great and everyone who discovers him is aghast at discovering "holy shit there's a COWBOY in Dracula?" like yes, there is, and he's incredible and everyone should love him and everyone WOULD love him if only the adaptations remembered he exists.

Adaptations that completely sideline Mina when, and I can't stress this enough, she is the most competent character in the book, one of the greatest pop culture detectives, a wonderful and compassionate and incredibly strong and intelligent character and the main reason why they even managed to win against the Count in the first place, and arguably the closest thing the book even has to a protagonist or hero. I'm not gonna go too into it here but, even putting aside the sheer awfulness of adaptations that try and force a romance between The Count and Mina, seriously fuck off with that, why is it that pretty much every "official" adaptation has had considerably less feminist interpretations of Mina than the source material written in the 1880s? It's a complete travesty (and yes, I'm including LOEG Mina in this, anyone who likes the book and character could have done that concept better)

I enjoy aspects of Dracula adaptations, mostly regarding certain actors's takes on the characters like Bela Lugosi (the only saving grace of that movie, honestly, but rightfully considered the iconic performance), or Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. I very much enjoy the Dracula adaptation Orson Welles did because it at least tried to stay faithful to the book. But regardless of their individual quality, I don't have much to say about Dracula adaptations that try to adapt the book other than "WHY in christ aren't you just sticking to what's in the book? Do you not see how GREAT it is, all the great things about it that are just waiting to be rediscovered and loved by new audiences? STOP WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE DOING WITH MINA FOR THE LOVE OF GOD-"

So yeah I definitely got thoughts on Dracula. Utterly adore the book but thinking about how much of it's greatness has been lost in the adaptations kinda makes me a little angry. Of course, this doesn't extend to adaptations that tell different stories or just put Dracula into existing stories or reinterpret it. I love Nosferatu and Castlevania Dracula and Hellsing Dracula and Billy & Mandy Dracula and Sesame Street Dracula. Dracula's basically become a sub-category of monster in it's own right and there's no such think as too many monsters, or too many Draculas

I'm very glad that Dracula's public domain because it means not only can he just show up anywhere, but it also means that just about anyone can pen their own Dracula stories. Still, it would be nice if the other great characters of Dracula got brought along for the ride on a couple of those.

[bulldyke-rider]

Did you ever watch the animated tv series Daria? In the first episode, cynical sarcastic Daria and her bubbly popular image-obsessed younger sister move to a new city and have to take a psychological evaluation at their new high school. Daria gets put into an after school program for teens with low self-esteem. Later she quips to her parents on the ride home, "I don't have low self esteem. I have low esteem for other people." I'm glad I saw this rerun so young because it helped me articulate my issue when I was put in therapy as a self-harming teenager. I had a lot of anger. I felt helpless to influence my circumstances and just felt trapped and depressed, in an underfunded "inner city" public school which didn't have the resources to educate us, around classmates I didn't fit in with. I really needed some guidance on how to change the situation I was in, maybe some recommendations for what groups to join so I could make friends, some direction towards college. But instead it was all about how to feel better about myself. I like myself. Back then, I suffered from teenage arrogance I was smarter and better than most people around me. I have good intentions and a lot of ambition, just aimless ambition. I didn't need to be convinced about what I deserved. I already knew I deserved more than the situation I was stuck in. An adult worth their salt shouldn't known how to use that to motivate me to take an active interest in making something of myself, look to the future, work harder at something that matters. But I struggled longer into adulthood because everyone wanted to talk about self esteem and I just figured they were full of shit. Because I had enough self esteem to think I knew better when other people didn't.

We know teenage girls feel angry about the injustices against their sex. We don't all mope around hating ourselves. And the downside is how this follows us into adulthood, into professional settings. They talk to women as if we're all afraid to negotiate raises and all experience imposter syndrome. It's infantilizing. We know from studies women who ask for raises are more likely to be denied than men, because male bosses believe men need more money as providers and other outdated stereotypes about men and their families.

Okay, you're so right.

Like, there are a lot of women and girls with just insanely low self esteem. I've run into so many. So so fucking many.

But people take that and apply it to all of us who are struggling even a little bit. And I think it breeds self esteem issues to be told you have low self esteem over and over. It's similar in concept to being called confident all the time and how it's code for ugly. "You don't love yourself" sometimes sounds like code for "I see you as lesser"

Idk, a lotta people think I have some idea about myself that I'm special and think differently from everybody. But I know there are a ton of people out there like me. It's just we don't get the center stage when it comes to talking about mental illness. And we're told we think differently than we actually do.

And so we're trying to navigate our own healing around being told to learn how to love ourselves and forgive ourselves. Bro, forgive myself for what? Love myself how? I don't see myself as separate from myself. I don't see myself as something I can love or hate.

I'm so far past learning why I do things, learning why I think things. I wanna know how to feel better. And no one wants to give me an answer. People just wanna convince me I'm self hating.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Have you see sexy namjoon? I mean sexy namsuits? I mean sexy nukim?? The sound of song feels completely foreign to me. I can't say I like it. BUT I genuinely can't stop listening/humming it's verses. Idk why but the song is strangely addicting. Especially I can't stop watching/listening to Namjoon's part. That man is a menace in black suit. I'm confused about my own reaction haha. Do you know who balming tiger are?

Anon Ask 2: Thoughts on RM new Collab song Sexy Nukim??

Anon Ask 3: BPP Sexy Nukim is so hard to stream!! 😭😭 It sounds so different nothing goes well with it and I play it after Bad Decisions 😭. Do you have any good suggestions for playlists please? I want to support RM.

**

Hi Anon(s),

This is the beauty of Chapter 2. The boys trying new things for themselves and sharing that work with ARMYs and millions of people to try out too.

Nearly all the people in Balming Tiger are staples of the local khh and k-alternative scene RM and Yoongi are still a part of, but the last time these guys as a group made a bit of a splash was in 2019 I think, with Armadillo. I thought Kolo Kolo (released 2020) was a better song but for whatever reason it didn't blow up as much as Armadillo did, and the group's fame has mostly remained limited to their niche communities. Balming Tiger are a bit unknown outside Korea, some members unknown even outside Sudogwon. Joon working with them on a song like Sexy Nukim seems like exactly the sort of thing he would do.

They've remained active since then and if you want to keep up with them just follow the 88rising and H1ghr crowd.

*

Think I said recently that Tae, and to a lesser extent Joon, are the members who act most like typical Korean guys, and Joon fully leans into that masculine energy in this song. He let's it all hang out. You're absolutely right that RM is the best rapper on this joint.

NME, 2022

Joon can be a bit of a hiphop purist so seeing him take on a track like Sexy Nukim is both unsurprising and also illuminating. The song itself I'd rate an 8/10 and it would've been 9/10 if not for Mudd on that track. MTS is probably the most 'indie' or 'alternative' artist on the song but for some reason he tried to channel Lil Uzi Vert. Just... why? That verse from Mudd the Student at 1:45 was entirely unneeded, but with enough listens it makes Namjoon's entrance on the track so much more satisfying. Joon talked his shit and dear lord that shoutout to BTS at 2:45 is so hot.

Let's touch on the elephant in the hall: it's likely most people in the fandom aren't going to like this song. I've heard the MV is difficult for some people to watch as well. This is a very distinct sound even within hip hop/soul, and it's as far from k-pop as one can go. Like this is the actual experimental music in k-pop, not really the stuff executives at SM, JYP, and YG recycle in every comeback. I think there's a real opportunity for people to discover a whole new world of sounds if they give this song a chance. Which is why I feel a bit encouraged by Anon 1's reaction and Anon 3 asking for suggestions to make streaming more fun, because I imagine switching between Bad Decisions (last Tannie release) and Sexy Nukim could be a bit... disorienting. Though I also allow contrasts in my playlists (and will add one in this list).

I think it's alright if this song underperforms the others. RM's taste is distinctly old school & vibey hip hop - it's the foundational first principles stuff that he loves and excels in that's likely always going to get less traction than the trap/trendy styles SOPE lean more towards. There are also tough conversations the fandom is going to have in Chapter 2 about who is actually supporting all the members, and as I said in my post on JITB, it's a conversation that's already started.

*

Anon 3, the way I stream changes often, it depends on how I feel and I've got several types of playlists to match those moods. I am streaming for Sexy Nukim now and these are five songs I played either at least two songs before or after it.

The Fugees - How Many Mics

*

Logic - 44 More

*

Lupe Fiasco - Paris, Tokyo

*

J-Hope - STOP

*

Tablo 출처 (Trace) ft. Scratch by DJ Tukutz ~~ [Contrast track]

*

:)

[ieattaperecorders]

let me just say that I am in LOVE with your post-canon concept, I've practically accepted it as my own canon at this point. it's got the best of both worlds: the tragedy of our jmart dying as mysteries, and the hopefulness of the two of them being able to live on (sort of) after the apocalypse. and how it still sets the scene to allow most characters to meet despite the fact the institute doesn't exist? ugh it's so good. I'm excited to see anything else you produce for it!

thecreepybunny:

please please please please make your post canon au into a fic please please please i love it so much i need to know where it goes

I’m not planning to really write a full on fic for it, (but anyone who wants to write/post/make content etc for it is more than welcome to!) If you want some closure on where this concept might go, here’s my take:

After the convention, Jon, Martin, Melanie and Georgie form an unofficial club based on the mystery.

Slowly, as more tapes are restored, more of the canon story is revealed to the four of them. But it’s all very strange and out of order. Chunks of random statements and supplemental notes are thrown in alongside tense confrontations at gunpoint. It’s confusing on several levels.

The four of them try to research places and hunt down people who seem to be involved, with mixed success. Some people they can’t find at all. Others are easy enough to find, but have no interest in going any deeper with it. The only three who show any real interest are Sasha James, Jane Prentiss, and to a lesser extent Oliver Banks (who works in the same new age shop as Jane.)

(Yes the worm woman is one of the most active participants in this search, and no Tim isn’t. It’s just what makes sense to me with their respective lives and personalities.)

It eventually becomes a little group that’s ostensibly centered around this one paranormal subject, but is kind of just a nice social circle. Melanie and Georgie really hit it off and eventually start dating. Martin gets a lot out of having an actual friend group, and it gets Jon out seeing people more, which he likes.

(Maybe Tim pokes his head in here and there for the social aspect, because I like Tim.)

They slowly piece what seems like more of a coherent story together, getting plenty of things wrong and reacting amusingly and/or painfully to various developments.

Obviously Jon and Martin fall for each other over time. But neither of them can stop thinking about the bodies and what it all means. Time travel is still the prevailing theory in the group, and it’s hard not to wonder if this is their future.  Both of them have too much anxiety about the possibilities and about each other and themselves to act on their feelings.

It’s less of a “mutual pining because I don’t think the other person likes me” situation, more of a “mutual pining because we both have a thing for each other but we’re terrified of the idea of us dating for existential reasons” one.

Eventually the group has assembled audio clips that piece together about a quarter of the canon story, but there’s very little tape left (a lot was completely burnt up or otherwise missing.)

By this point, they’ve passed the hat and gotten the remaining tape at some weird paranormal auction. Georgie and Melanie use their connections to get some equipment, Oliver and Jane learn tricks for restoring magnetic tape.

Eventually, Oliver calls both Jon and Martin up and asks them to meet at his flat. When they arrive he gives them a single cassette and a handheld tape player. Explains he’s finished restoring all the remaining audio, and he made a copy especially for them. He’s very vague but says that it’s pretty heavy, and he wants them to be the first in the group to hear it.

(Yes it’s Oliver who gives them this tape, specifically for maximum doom-prophet appropriateness.)

They leave feeling ill at ease . . . they’d have expected Oliver to be excited about something like this, but he’d seemed grim and uncertain when he handed over the tape. They make some excuse to listen to it later, say they’ll take care of some errands or something then go back to one of their places and listen afterwards, so they can give it their full attention.

They run their errands and oh, look, there’s a street festival or something why don’t they just go look at that definitely not as an excuse to put off listening to the tape they’re afraid to listen to, etc, etc. The day goes by with them going from one distraction to another. Moments of enjoying each other’s company laced with the anxiety they’re both pushing down.

Eventually they end up in a park. The sun’s going down. It’s getting harder and harder to put this off.

Martin points out they could just get rid of it. Throw it in a bin and walk away. Jon points out that Oliver will doubtlessly still share it with the others, and whatever’s on there will be hard to avoid forever. They sit for a while in silence. Finally, Martin’s like -- well, if we’re going to do this, let’s do this.

He’s about to hit play when Jon reaches out and grabs his hand, stopping it before he can press the button. He talks about how strange and frightening and wonderful the months since they met have been, and about not wanting to let fear rule him anymore. About how whatever is on that tape, or in their future, he wants them to face it together.

Music swells, kiss, etc. They both press play together.

IT’S THE ENTIRETY OF MAG 200, FROM START TO FINISH. KER-PRANKED!

In one fell swoop they learn 1) it isn’t time travel 2) what caused all the nightmarish events they heard about on those tapes 3) that those same forces are now in their universe 4) that their alternate selves brought them there, and 5) the emotionally heartwrenching end those alternate selves reached.

They look at one another, and grip each others hands tightly. They look up at the night sky, which suddenly seems deeper, darker, and more foreboding than it ever has before.

And for a moment, both of them swear it’s looking back.

[themadamespod]

Sharon Carter: A Study in Selfishness

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier spotlighted some hard truths. Beyond its real-world parallels, it’s changed our perspective on the MCU. And on the heels of the finale, we can’t help but reflect on how we got here.

It feels like ages ago that an alien invaded Earth believing it was his right to do so. This madman imposed his will upon a whole planet. He wielded god-like power over an entire species. He took the lives of countless people, leaving the rest to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. 

In doing so, he became one of the most beloved characters in the MCU.

So why is it that many of the people who adore a monster are now so disappointed with Sharon Carter?

Easy. Loki is a man. 

Angels and Demons

Relax, everybody. This is not an anti-Loki treatise. I’m writing this post with a Loki poster behind my chair, a Loki mug on my desk, and a Loki t-shirt on my back.

To be fair, it helps that the God of Mischief is played by one of the most charming, attractive men in Hollywood. But Emily VanCamp is no slouch. She’s a beautiful, talented actor who elevates any project. So why are people upset that she’s the Power Broker?

Women aren’t supposed to veer from familial or cultural expectations. 

Women aren’t supposed to put themselves first. 

Women aren’t supposed to seize power in a man’s world. 

The events of Civil War alone had a tremendous impact on the characters we love. Sam and Bucky’s respective ordeals changed them forever, and The Blip forced them to adapt even further. So many people are praising their growth in the TFATWS finale, and we’re among them. But it’s frustrating to then see comments like these:

“Omg wtf is wrong with Sharon? That is NOT who she is!”

“Since when is Sharon evil? That ain’t her.”

“Sharon is totally a Skrull. The Sharon we know would never turn her back on everything she stands for.”

Guess what, folks? Just like Sam and Bucky, the Sharon we once knew no longer exists. She, too, changed and grew - right out of the box that the patriarchy built for her. And people don’t know how to handle it.  

Double Standards

Misogyny is so deeply woven into the fabric of our society that a lot of people, women included, often don’t see it. But it’s in almost every facet of daily life, leaching into our brains like a toxin. And TFATWS called Marvel out on it by illustrating a simple fact:

Men and women who behave in the same way are treated very differently.

A man who tramples others for a promotion is ambitious. A woman is a conniving bitch.

A man who sleeps around is held up as a ladies’ man. A woman is looked down upon as a whore.

A man who logs extra time at the office is a good provider. A woman is neglecting her family. 

Despite centuries of fighting for our right to exist, women are still brainwashed to be and be seen as lesser than men. We’re expected to conform to roles meant to keep us subservient. We’re told that caring for others is more important than caring for ourselves. 

Sharon Carter received the same cultural programming. And it’s likely that she felt familial pressure (either explicit or implicit) to follow in Aunt Peggy’s footsteps, whether she wanted to or not. 

And follow she did.

Sharon joined S.H.I.E.L.D. She fought armed HYDRA agents. Then she sacrificed her life, her career, and her freedom for the greater good. And what did she get for it?

The same thing women always get when they put everyone else’s best interests ahead of their own. 

She got fucked. 

A Matter of Perspective

Let’s pretend the TFATWS finale had gone differently. The Power Broker is a previously unseen bad guy, a Wilson Fisk type. After the U.S. government branded her as a fugitive and the Avengers forgot her, Sharon has just been trying to survive in Madripoor.

Nonetheless, she helps Sam and Bucky neutralize Karli. Sam secures Sharon’s pardon and she reclaims her former post as a dutiful C.I.A. agent.

Talk about disappointing; that would be like watching a woman return to a man who beats her. 

In reality, Sharon is revealed as the Power Broker. After the people for whom she gave everything betrayed her, she built a lucrative business from scratch using a canny brain and the skills S.H.I.E.L.D. taught her.

Now for those who are incensed by Sharon’s turn because she’s selling weapons, please see Exhibit A:

Even after Tony Stark stopped manufacturing weapons for the U.S. government, he continued making them for S.H.I.E.L.D. If memory serves, he also created a sentient murder-bot that leveled a city before nearly annihilating mankind.

Tony’s intentions were noble, but that didn’t make him any less responsible for a humanitarian disaster. The Sokovians would have been well within their rights to demand Tony’s arrest and incarceration.

But we love Tony, so we don’t like to go there.

And speaking of the U.S. government, let’s be real. American politicians wouldn’t condemn Sharon for illegally selling weapons to dangerous groups. They’d condemn her for cutting into their own profits. 

If there’s one thing the U.S. government excels at, it’s creating and arming terrorists. Sharon’s just running their playbook.

Redefining Selfishness

In all fairness, some people’s disappointment over Sharon’s arc has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with heroism. For this discussion, see Exhibit B:

Ever since Steve Rogers got his happy ending with Peggy Carter in Endgame, the Marvel fandom has been divided into two camps.

Camp 1: Steve is a selfish bastard who abandoned his family, his country, and the world when they all needed him the most.

Camp 2: Steve did more than enough for his family, his country, and the world when they all needed him most and deserved his happiness.

I will always be a card-carrying member of Camp 2, which is one reason I exited my Endgame theater as a human ball of snot. 

Steve Rogers gave enough for his country even before he was defrosted. He liberated a POW camp behind enemy lines. He defeated Red Skull. He saved countless lives by crashing the HYDRA bomber into the arctic, sacrificing his own life in the process.

And when he was resurrected after 70 years, did he stop and smell the roses? Read a book on the beach?

No. He saved the world. Again, and again, and again.

It’s incredibly noble that a life with Peggy is all Steve wanted. Think about Michael Bay’s uber-patriotic Armageddon. Those roughnecks had quite the list of demands for saving the world, all of which seemed perfectly reasonable because, hello, they were saving the world. 

So what does this have to do with Sharon Carter? Well, if you’re in Steve Rogers Camp 1, you likely see Sharon as a selfish bitch. I’ll make the same argument in her defense:

She’s given more than enough for others. She has every right to now put herself first.

We as women need to redefine selfishness. It’s been weaponized against us for far too long. We have to reframe it as a positive concept whereby we simply make our needs a priority in our own lives. 

If more women embraced selfishness, we would be unstoppable. 

Oh, and if you’re in Steve Rogers Camp 2 but still disappointed in Sharon Carter, you’ve got some hypocrisy on your chin. Might want to wipe that off. 

A Final Note

Alice Walker, who knows a thing or two about feminism, once said, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

When the name “Power Broker” was first dropped on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it felt cheesy. But now it seems like the perfect title for a woman who not only refused to give up her power, but actively sought more. 

Sharon Carter is unequivocally selfish, but that doesn’t make her evil or even wrong. 

It makes her one powerful woman. And we can’t wait to see her again. 

[secretagentspydetectiveninja]

Idk if you know about the video game Octopath Traveller, but if the character Cyrus Albright isn’t aro then neither am I (impossible).

I feel like I should have more Ace Attorney aspec hcs, but because there’s so little actual romance in the series, it’s hard to single out characters who seem aroace. I feel like Herlock Sholmes is too obvious, but I always got an alloace vibe off of Gumshoe.

Actually, in the good old days when tumblr group chats were still up, I was in an AA one, and the subject of asexuality got brought up. I kid you not, every single person who was active at the moment came out as ace one after another. And this was like a good ten or so people.

We talked about it for a while, and decided that AA is just appealing to us over other media because it lacks sexualization and romance. There are no romantic subplots among the main characters other than the low-key Wrightworth or Klapollo flirting moments. The romantic relationships that do exist are fairly minor to the plot in the sense that they don’t have a ton of emotional investment packed into them, they’re just a part of the bigger story.

We also decided that we like mystery stories in general because the average one has twists and turns, suspense, and excitement, but doesn’t rely on sex appeal or romantic plots. Unless it’s noir or action thriller or something, mystery protagonists aren’t usually interested in that stuff. Sherlock Holmes is famously ace-coded. Hercule Poirot and Mrs. Marple don’t think about that. And if there is a romantic subplot, then it’s usually more about the case than about love.

Just thought it was interesting. Really putting the Ace in Ace Attorney.

I haven't played Octopath Traveller yet but your aro headcanons are always so well thought out, so if I do play it at some point then I'm excited to see this character and their aro-ness for myself!

You have such an interesting point about Ace Attorney and tbh I think that's why I ended up such a fan of it myself -- there are all these complex, interesting relationships that form an important part of the main plot, but none of them are explicitly romantic in nature. A lot of the time in media the romantic relationships seem "deeper" than the platonic ones, but it really isn't the case in these games and it's felt so refreshing for me. And a lot of the time it's ambiguous (like Wrightworth) so these relationships absolutely CAN be read as romance if you want to, which is awesome! But the important part is the trust and the love, whichever form that takes, and platonic love isn't any lesser than romantic love, so essentially it can just be whatever feels best or most relatable to the player. It doesn't force any romance. I used to always be drawn to kids shows (like ML of course haha) to avoid the over-sexualisation of other media but those usually still have a lot of romance, but now it feels nice to be able to have an interest in something more mature and still have it cater completely to my interests (and avoid things that I'm not interested in!).

"it's hard to single out characters who seem aroace" -- okay I'll be honest, my own brain's solution to this was just to headcanon them all as aroace (or at the very least, almost all). It was an accident I swear, I didn't mean to! It just sort of uh... happened? But yeah, Sholmes as aroace was absolutely a given for me, considering he's basically just Sherlock Holmes. And alloace Gumshoe is a great headcanon, I can totally see that! I didn't think about it before but he definitely gives off that vibe!

Lowkey Wrightworth, hehe... the "unnecessary feelings" line is undoubtedly gay, in my brain these two are a strong QPR. Edgeworth gives me aroace vibes (especially after he talked about never wanting to get married) and I'm probably just being self-indulgent at this point but aroace Phoenix too (his love for Dahlia always seemed too over-the-top to me to be real, like he was trying to "perform romance" correctly). But with Edgeworth I think of it as aro-spec, like "oh god what are these sudden horrible mushy feelings that I've never felt before and how do I make them go away >:(" idk I think I've overthought it... And in fact I do actually quite like Klapollo, but I'm very... picky? I have to be in the right mood and the stars have to be aligned just right and even then there's a 60% chance I'll just go "oh nvm, Apollo is aro now actually", no idea why. I said to a friend once "I only ship it when it's funny" and I think that probably explains it. They can be bi if it helps the joke land!

God I have such few actual ships in these games... the only one that's coming to mind that I unambiguously like all the time is like, Aura and Metis for some reason??? Minor characters and one of them's long dead? I have no clue why but this one just makes me so emo! Aaaaaand that's about it, I think. I'm so obsessed with the brotps I actually genuinely forget the concept of romance exists sometimes when I'm playing these games, lmao.

Same about the mystery novels hehe, I remember devouring every Poirot book my local library had when I was like 13 or 14, I really should get back into those because I enjoyed them so much! It was really refreshing, since I was also really into teen dystopia books at the time but they're usually full to the brim with romance, which got pretty annoying sometimes.

My reply to this got so long, sorry! (My reply to your next ask is probably gonna be long too, I have so much to say, but I'll answer it in that ask!)