#please let's be more complex and multifaceted

[idiosyncraticrednebula]

If she talks about "Women have a far deeper connection with the spiritual realm" and the "Divine Feminine", run.

[averagemartian]

I understand that Siuan's death hurt and it's a tragedy, and we all wish she could have a happy ending, but please...

It's not Bury Your Gays if it's a political execution following a coup that had everything to do with power (and the plot) and nothing to do with her queerness

It's not for shock value if it's been foreshadowed through the whole season if you had paid attention to what you were being shown and not just what you want to see

WOT is full of characters who happen to be queer instead of it being their sole defining trait, more than most shows out there, so let's stop reducing Siuan Sanche to her queerness

She was a complex multifaceted character and sometimes characters die

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Make it Better **

Ummm...I got a 🤏🏻wee bit 🤏🏻 horny and this happened...it's just filth.

WARNINGS: inappropriate relationship, slight dom/sub dynamic, bondage (collar and leash), subby male, oral sex (fem receiving), performative cunnilingus, prostate play, p in v, very light cbt: overstim, multiple forced orgasms, squeezing), degradation and praise kink, anal play, anal sex w/strap on, cum play.

WC: 5.9K

One thing you loved about Harry was his complexity. He was such an interesting and wonderfully multifaceted person, it was wonderful to see and to experience. Even now, as he reprimanded your class for all failing his last exam, you couldn’t help but smile down to your lap as you imagined how different his mood would be when you met up later.

“Is there something amusing about this, Y/N?” He questioned, but your head was in the clouds.

“Y/N.” Your friend Allen whispered and elbowed you lightly and you glanced up at him, he glanced over to the front of the lecture hall. You glanced over and saw Harry staring at you expectantly.

“I’m sorry, what was that, professor?” You asked as you uncrossed your legs rather sloppily as you sat up to ensure he saw your underwear from down at the front of the room.

“I asked if there was something amusing about you all failing the exam on the  diagnoses chapter? You’re sitting there smirking as if something about this isn’t serious.” He called you out.

“I’m sorry, professor.” You mumbled.

“What was that?” He asked, cocking his head to the side as if trying to hear you better.

“I’m sorry, professor.” You repeated more loudly and he hummed and went back to chewing you all out. Truth was that psychopharmacology was a bitch and everyone in your class was resigned to fail this collectively since Harry dropped your lowest score from the final grade. Therefore, you guys didn’t try and it showed and now Harry was pissed because you had all taken advantage of his policy.

He spouted off on everyone’s lack of integrity a few more moments before he took a deep breath and then said, “Anyway…” before he started to lecture. You smiled every time you glanced up from your notebook, he looked so fucking hot today. He was wearing his glasses today, and his scruff was outgrown how you liked it, and he had a vintage looking vest on that really showed off how big his chest was. You squirmed a bit at the thought of his stubble tickling your sensitive pussy as he got in there and ate you out. You couldn’t wait to see him later.

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

You said goodbye to your roommate and headed down the stairs and out of your apartment complex near campus. You walked to the first intersection and turned left towards the park and there was his range rover near the bus stop. You hurried over and he unlocked the door and you slipped into the passenger seat.

“Hi, baby.” You hummed and he smiled and leaned over the console as you shut the door, lips puckered out and waiting for you to kiss him. Finally your lips met quickly as your thumb brushed up his jaw.

“Hi.” He said when he pulled away, “Buckle up.”

“Oh yeah.” You said and strapped in before he took off. “What’re you in the mood for tonight?” You asked him.

“Need you first. Then we can order in, yeah?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” You hummed and reached your hand over to his thigh and gave him a squeeze. He placed his hand over yours and slid it up a bit, “Don’t rush me.” You said and he smiled.

“Sorry, I had a day.” He hummed.

“Yeah, even got a little snippy with me there.” You said with a smirk.

“I know…sorry about that.” He apologized.

“S’alright, baby.” You smiled

“I liked your panties, do you still have them on?”

“Of course I do.” You assured him.

“Good.”

You got to his house quickly and soon he was parking inside the garage. You unbuckled as the heave metal door closed and he hurried around to help you out of the car. 

“A kiss, please.” He said as he loomed over you and you smiled and puckered your lips for him to kiss you quickly.

“C’mon, lets get  inside.” You insisted and he grabbed your hand and guided you into his house. “Wanna get straight to it?” You asked him and he nodded.

“Please.” Harry mumbled as he locked up the garage exit. 

You started off to his bedroom and he soon caught up with you. He draped himself over your body and walk over with you. You leaned into his hold as he cuddled up closer to you.

“Need you so bad, babe.” He hummed lowly.

“I know, we’ll make it better soon.” You assured him as he kissed your shoulder. As soon as you made it to his room you unwrapped him from you and set your overnight bag down on the chair by the door and he came around to the front of you. His lips latched to your neck and started sucking gently, gradually getting harder and harder to leave a mark. You moaned as you tossed your head back, “Harder. Mark me.” You requested and he did just that, leaving an achey little blossom right at the base of your jaw. “Mmmm, now get naked for me.” You instructed. 

Harry immediately started undressing and you did too as you walked over to his bed. Once you were naked you sat down and smiled, just as he was taking off his socks. “God, you’re so hot. And you know it. Don’t you, baby?” You asked and he smirked and shrugged modestly as he strutted over, his hardening cock swung a bit with his movements, “You know, I thought it was cute. How you got all stern with us in class today.” You reminded with a casual smile, “I love how much you care that we’re learning from you.” 

“Of course I care, baby. Always wanna be good for you.” He said as he stopped before you and you smiled up at him. Your eyes raked back down to his cock, it was almost completely hard, it was erect but still hanging a bit. You wanted his big, fat cock standing straight up for you It always amazed you when it did, it was just so heavy, it always surprised you and made your mouth water. You wanted him so hard that you could see him throbbing and twitching aggressively at random.

“And you are. You’re so good for me, professor.” You purred up him, “Already getting hard for me.” You smiled and he nodded when you peered up at him. “Because you were so cute today you can pick three toys but for you only.” You said and he smirked and then hummed pensively as he walked over to his closet where he stored all your toys and accessories. In the meantime you went over to your bag and opened it up. You reached inside for the black velvet drawstring bag and then opened it up. You reached inside and pulled out your strap-on. You smiled as you smoothed over the indigo blue silicone six inch piece. You then reached in and grabbed the remote for the vibrating parts and the lube before going back to the bed. Moments later Harry was returning with a few things. “What’d you bring?”

“A fleshlight, a prostate wand, and a leash and collar set.” He said with a grin.

“You’re such a whore.” You smirked and he chuckled timidly, “Look at me.” You said and he glanced into your eyes, “Get on your knees.” You ordered and he set the things on the bed beside you and then knelt down. You spread your legs and he licked over his lips at your perfect little pussy. He could see your little cunt throbbing, begging for him to do something to it. “Please, lick my wet, little pussy, professor.” You pleaded and he groaned and delved right in. His hands went to your thighs and held you open and you thrust yourself forward as much as possible so that you could feel more of his mouth on you. His fast and agile flicks over your clit had you giggling and whimpered in minutes, “Oh fuck you’re so good at this, professor. Fuck you’re going to make me come…” you groaned and tossed your head back as your fingers gripped his duvet tight.

He started slurping you up and sucking as he prodded his fingers into you, hardly meeting any resistance from how fucking soaked you were for him. He loved the warm and sticky feel of your arousal coating his fingers and dribbling out of your tight little fuck hole. He wanted to ram his thick cock into you and add to your mess.

“Yes! Yes, I’m coming, professor! Oh yeah, baby that’s so fucking good.” You slurred quietly and he hummed happily as he eased up on your clit as soon as he felt your legs twitch, “Oh fuck professor, you’re so good. You eat my pussy so good…” you panted out. He continued kissing and licking at you as you pet at the high point of his cheek bone, “So good for me. Clean your fingers and help me get the strap in.” You said and his eyes fluttered up at you and he smiled as he pressed a gentle kiss to your puffy little clit.

“For a kiss.”

“Right.” You smiled and pulled him up to kiss his lips deeply. “Love to taste you like this.” You hummed and sucked on his lip and inhaled the scent of your arousal and cum around his mouth and on his nose. “It tastes good, huh?”

“So fucking good, baby. Would lick you raw if you’d let me.” He muttered against your lips. You smiled and kissed him again and it deepened. He got up and straddled your body as he reached for the strap beside you. It had a hook shaped insert for you that sat right against your g-spot and then a textured pad for your clit and then at the next end the slender and slightly curved six inch cock with a warming and vibrating tip. “Fuck you’re so wet.” He chuckled as the tip slipped past your entrance. He was gentle as he slid it upwards and when he felt it dip he pressed in and felt the tip sink past your entrance. You moaned softly as he added more force and sunk it deeper, sliding it along your inner wall. It tickled your entire body as it smoothed over the ridges inside of you, and then finally he bent his wrist forward and the rounded tip sank right against your g-spot. Your eyes closed and you shivered as you moaned lewdly.

“Oh fuck, professor!” You explained.

“It’s good right there?” He asked and you nodded profusely.

“Yeah, baby. So good, you hooked into my pussy so good…” you keened and then laughed as he swirled it into spot making you gasped. He smiled down at you and you tutted, “Alright baby that’s enough. Lets get you into that collar.” You suggested.

“Mmmm, lets.” He hummed happily and grabbed it for you as you sat up. You hesitated for a moment as the hook of the strap dug further into you.

“Shit, okay give it to me.” You said and he handed it over. You quickly unbuckled it and he knelt down so that you could fasten it back on him. “Is that alright?” You asked, giving a sudden experimental tug by the d-ring at the front. 

“Yeah, that’s perfect.” He hummed. 

“Good. Let’s get you laid.” You said patting the bed and he got up and went over to the top of the bed and laid in the middle as you wiggled on up on your knees with the toys in hand.

You giggled at the tickle of the rubber pad of the strap over your clit and he smiled at you. You grabbed the lube and the wand and got that set up on the slimmer side. You hovered over him and ran the cool metal wand down his tummy. He twitched and then relaxed again under you. He hissed when you set it down right over his pelvis before running your lubed up finger over his little ribbed entrance. He immediately relaxed and you smiled. 

“Good boy.” You praised, “You’re such a good boy for me, professor.” And he moaned as you reached for the lube bottle again. You squeezed some onto you finger and then smeared it against him before leaning back over him and kissing him as you pressed in, waiting for the tight muscle to give way, “C’mon baby, let me in. S’gonna feel so good.” You encouraged him and with a bit more pressure you sunk in and pushed deeper until you felt that little raised area for the umpteenth time in your life and then you smoothed over his prostate as he moaned loudly and his cock twitched wildly as the pleasure zapped through his body.

“Oh fuck yeah, baby. Fuck yeah…” he sighed in relief. You did it again until he was squirming and thrusting up into the air. 

“Oh professor, love to see your heavy cock swinging around like that. You want something tight and warm to put it in, yeah?”

“Yes, baby. Yes, please give me something to sink my cock into.”

With this you reached over to the fleshlight and brought it up to your mouth, he looked at you with a pained expression as your tongue ran from the bottom to the top. You nipped at the clit with your lips and then tongued a bit at the hole. When your eyes blinked open you chuckled at him and reached for the lube.

“What was that?!” He asked in shock, “Where did that come from?” He questioned.

“I don’t know…I just saw it and it looked so pretty and pink. Supple and smooth like a peach.”

“Interesting…” He posed and you chuckled. You’d never even kissed a girl before so you had no idea where this had come from. But he made you do crazy things when you were in charge.

“Yeah, huh…now I wanna see it stretching around your cock. Wanna see that fat cock spreading that tight, little cunt apart.” He groaned and you squirted some lube into it and then held up his cock. You pressed his cock at the opening of the toy and the excessive amount of lube you’d spurted in started to drip down the length of his cock.

“Please.” He breathed out and you bit your lip as you pushed it down enough to swallow up his swollen and ruddy tip. “Shit…want you back inside. Put your finger back inside.” He mumbled and with a look you communicated that he grab the flashlight for you and he did right away. Once your hands were available again you pushed your index finger back into him, helping him open up just a bit more before you stimulated his prostate with the metal wand resting over his lower tummy. You couldn’t wait to fuck him…

“Go on, get yourself off then.” You instructed and he looked relieved when he thrust his hips up to sink the rest of his cock into the the flashlight. You heard the squelch as he bottomed out and it made you smile at him. “Feels good?”

“Yes, baby. Feels so good…” he groaned as he watched his girth stretching the little silicone hole open wide around his erection. The sight was mesmerizing for you as well, you grew even wetter at the thought of your tight little hole stretched wide and slightly puckering around his thick length the way this toy was. 

“Gonna get the wand in now, OK?”

“Please.” He agreed as he nodded and you soon had the bulbous head rubbing against him before applying pressure and sinking it with the intent to get it deep to where your finger had been. It was tapered, the deeper it went, the more girth it had and this would also help to open him up for you a bit more. Finally, when the rounded tip prodded against his prostate he groaned, “Oh fuck yeah….”

“Right there?”

“Yes, baby. Yes, right there…” he confirmed happily as you started to swirl the metal toy  so that the tip could rub and prod at his prostate. 

You loved watching him like this, balls heavy and tightening every time he buried his cock to the hilt because you then prodded at his prostate a bit faster. His chest was glistening in the dim light of his bedroom and his abs clenched as he tried his hardest to stave off his orgasm. He had such a long and annoying day, he wanted this to last as long as possible. You could see him struggling, his brows knitting in concentration as he tried to will away the feeling of his orgasm.

“You don’t have to ask when you want to come tonight.” You said to him and his gaze found yours.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, professor.” you smiled, “Just want you to feel good.” You hummed and he sighed in relief.

“I do…fuck baby, you make me feel so good. Best girl I’ve ever had.” He panted and you loved when he told you this. It made your brain grow fuzzy and your heart to race with pride.

You knew he had fucked three other students before you came along. Well, the first two were just isolated incidents after those people graduated. The third one happened when he had decided to just risk it with one of the students from one of the upper division elective courses he taught, so that they would be on the older side but not majoring in his department. He’d have them all semester and then it’d be over. He chose someone who really cared about school, wanted them to be so eager to please him and when that went well he found it hard to let go, so he stopped for a couple years. And then your junior year you had him for the first time in his Learning and Behavior class. He recalls how you had come nearly 15 minutes late on the first day, he found it quite annoying actually until you stayed after class to explain yourself.

He just remembers the warm and sweet scent wafting around you as you told him that you had just transferred and had accidentally walked in the wrong direction from the parking structure. You asked for his syllabus and if you had missed anything at the start, he assured you that you only missed a little introduction on himself to which you responded with “Well that’s a real pity…” with a regretful smile and after that he was enraptured. It was ironic that you would be studying reinforcement and punishment methods and theories all semester. Without realizing it you were conditioning him to crave you. You felt that he was conditioning you too, every time he spoke of a reward he’d somehow make eye contact with you. 

You were bright and you worked so hard, all of the faculty you had spoke highly of you and so you were invited to join their Psi Chi chapter - basically an honor society type of organization for psychology students. This small group of students always got to have an exclusive holiday party at the department chair’s house with all of the faculty. You guys were privy to the future pans of the department, you got to know your professors better, and even form surface level friendships with them. After all, you’d be colleagues in the field a few years from now. You had Uber-ed to the party since your car was in the shop, so after it was over you stalled until mostly everyone left before you walked to to nearest bus stop and waited around for someone to pick up your ride request. It was Saturday night before dead week, people were raging before they’d have to be in study mode so it was hard to get a driver leave the downtown area where all the people were. Harry happened to see you and offered you a ride home and well, you actually kissed him and you ended up parked down a dark little street while you tugged on his cock until his cum was dripping down your fist. 

Over time though, things started shifting when Harry realized how safe he felt with you. You guys had been talking about things you wanted to try and you causally mentioned pegging because you felt like it must feel really powerful to do the fucking. He said he’d let you peg him and you even laughed because clearly in this relationship the one with all the power was him. He was your professor and you were just a 21 year old student…having power over him felt strange almost, but he insisted that you try it with him a couple times until you finally did and boy, you loved it. You didn’t know you had this whole other side of you until your strap was balls deep in him as his sperm squirted out of his tip all on its own. After witnessing that there was no going back, you guys did anything and everything you could together and now here you were a year later…still making each other feel good.

“You’re doing so good for me, professor. I like to make you feel good.” You hummed and he sighed as he ground into the fleshlight. The slick sounds of it all had your ears ringing. You reached for the remote of the strap and switched it on to the lowest setting and the vibrations made you freeze for a second, “Oh shit…” you whispered as you got used to the feeling of the vibrations deep in you and over your clit. Your eyes went down to his cock again, watching the little, silicone pussy puckering around him, “Fuck baby, need to get inside you.”  You muttered and he nodded furiously.

“Please, please fuck me, baby.” He panted and you pulled the wand out of him and set it down before gabbing the remote again. You switched on the warming setting for the cock part of it and then lubed it up generously. Harry looked feral and impatient as you did the prep work, he was itching to feel you fucking him the way you did. It was always so good with you. 

“Ready for me?” You asked and he nodded. “Wanna hear it.”

“Yeah, baby. I’m ready. Get inside me, please.” He mumbled and you were gentle as you pushed in. He moaned in satisfaction, thanking you for how good it felt. You smirked when you noticed he was copying your actions on the fleshlight, teasing himself the way you were teasing him. After allowing him to get a little more used to the new girth you picked up your pace and he fucked at the fleshlight this way as well, deep and slow, getting all the way in until his eyes pinched shut and he winced. 

“Too deep, professor?” You asked him and with his expression still tense he shook his head and hummed.

“Mmm-mmm…s’fucking perfect…fuck baby, you fuck me so good.” He praised, “Take such good care of me, baby. Always wanna do your best for me, don’t you?”

“Yes, professor.” You nodded, “That’s why I need you to come for me.” You said and he groaned as you picked up the pace a bit more. He started moving the fleshlight faster over himself until his head was falling back into his pillows as he groaned. 

“Oh shit, I’m coming, baby! I’m coming!” He warned as he thrusted up hard as he could and spilled into the toy. 

“Good boy. You’re so good for me, professor.” You praised him as you caressed over his tummy as he twitched a bit. This next one was the one where he got real subby for you. He was too sensitive so he stopped stroking his cock but if he was going to come again for you then he needed to keep going. You reached for the leash and gave it a tug. “Did I say you could stop, professor?”

“I’m just so sensitive-”

“I don’t care.” You cut him off, “You’re gonna give me another one so we can come together.” You said and he moaned and started to pull the fleshlight up and down ever so slowly, “There you go, work up to it. In and out…just like that, professor.” You smiled. This time you were copying him, being gentle and working back up to a pace that would make you both come.

When he was in moods like this he wanted to feel at your mercy, he liked when you’d get a little mean with him. So you started to thrust faster and harder, the more force you used to fuck him the deeper the the g-spot stimulator on the strap rubbed into you and made you tremble. You grabbed the remote and turned up your vibrations a few notches and then turned his on. He immediately shot up and moaned loudly as his prostate buzzed with the toy kissing right up against it.

“Harder?” You asked and he shook his head and swallowed thickly, “Too bad.” You smiled and turned up his vibrations to the next setting and he grunted lowly as he started to writhe. You reached for the leash and tugged him up a bit, his abs were burning, you could see them clenching hard, “Come for me, professor. Come for me.” You demanded and his eyes rolled back before shutting as he shot another load into the silicone pussy wrapped around his cock. The sounds of him sliding in and out of it were so sinful, you moaned as you saw his cum started to leak out of the bottom. He always shot such big cum loads, it made you crazy and seeing it starting to drip down his full, swollen balls got you closer to your high. The leash was pulled taught as he fell back into the pillows panting and whimpering.

“That’s so good…fuck that’s so good!” He moaned as he shivered. You smiled as he shook with the pleasure, goosebumps rippled over his skin as he relished in the relief you were giving him, “More, baby. Fuck me better, please. Fuck it all better.” He pleaded and you did just that. You went a little bit faster and moaned as your clit rubbed into the textured vibrating pad every time that you bottomed out and ground into his prostate.

“Like that, professor?”

“Yes baby, fuck I love it…” he groaned lowly his eyes meeting yours. 

“Fuck, look at you.” You smiled, “Such a big, smart, handsome man getting fucked like a helpless little whore. Mmm, such a good boy.” You hummed and he moaned. “Tell me professor, what are you?”

“I’m your good boy.” He panted and you smiled.

“Yes you are, baby. Taking it all so well. S’hard being in charge all the time, isn’t it?” You asked and he nodded and winced when you sunk in hard and started to grind, “How would you know? You’re not in charge. Not at all. I’m in charge, aren’t I?” You smirked and he nodded, “Do you think they know?” You asked and he groaned, “Do you think they know Professor Styles isn’t actually in charge? Do you think they know that you drop your pants for me and beg me to stuff your little hole?” You asked him and he moaned loudly. You bit your lip as you watched his balls start to throb. “Wait for me, I’m so close.” You moaned and he groaned and tossed his head back. You yanked at his leash and he grunted.

“Baby, I-I can’t hold it…” he warned and you bit your lip and focused on the feelings deep inside of you, the pleasure from the vibrations deep in your core radiated throughout your body in a delicious wave, “Shit…shit! You’re making me come! Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck me, baby!” He mewled as he started to stroke himself even faster and he groaned as he sunk the fleshlight down over his cock until his cum started to seep out of the top end of it.

You moaned at the sight of his thick, creamy cum oozing out of the too hole of the fleshlight, it was stuffed full with three loads of his sperm, it had to come out from somewhere. And you thrust faster until you were shivering as you started to come as well. Your eyes were squeezed shut and your breathing hitched for a few moments as the euphoric wave rolled through you beautifully. Your soft moans were like music to his ears, he loved that degrading him a bit got you off as much as it did him. After allowing yourselves a few seconds to come down from the peak of it all you let go of his leash and reached down to his balls. You squeezed at them gently and he groaned, his eyes were lidded and he looked completely fucked out.

“Think we got it all of out of you?” You asked and and he nodded frantically as he whimpered and bit his lip when you squeezed a bit harder, you loved how soft his skin was there, could play and suck at them all day if he’d let you, “Mmmm, I don’t know…they still seem quite big and full to me.” You said and he gasped as you tightened your grip around the base and gave them a few taps with your other hand. You saw his thighs tremble and you laughed a bit.

“Don’t make fun.” He whined and you rolled your eyes.

“You love it.” You said with amusement as you let go of his balls. They really were looking quite swollen today, but considering how sensitive he was, you didn’t want to make him too uncomfortable, just a little bit. “Let’s see how much you came for me, I’ll decide if you need one more.” You said and he hissed as you gently pulled the fleshlight off of his cock and inevitably, his sperm started dripping down his thick shaft and ended up puddling at his lower tummy. His cock was at half mast and it fell against his tummy with its weight. You watched with an amused smile as his cock twitched, almost as if it were fighting for its life. “That’s respectable.” You commented cooly and he huffed out a laugh. He knew you were still in the role, but he kind of wanted you to acknowledge that it was a lot, even for him. He wanted you to tell him that he did so well for you because he truly had. He had even spilled out of the top of the fucking thing. “What?” You asked him.

“Respectable?” He asked and you smiled.

“Yeah. What else do you want me to say?” You asked him with a hint of indifference. He needed, no, required, your praise. All day long he’d been waiting to hear you tell him that he played so well and that he made so much cum for you, and now you weren’t giving it. It was the itch he needed scratching to forget about the shit show of a day he had.

“Baby…” he whined softly and you smiled and leaned down to peck his lips.

“What is it?” You asked softly. Your lips tickling his own with your words.

“Say it.” He mumbled and you smirked, “Please, I need you t’say it.”

“To say?” You asked and he pouted.

“I came so much for you. S’more than respectable.” He said and you hummed. “Please, tell me I did good for you. I only wanna do good for you, baby.” He hummed desperate and you smiled and kissed him deeply, your tongues tangled for a moment before you pulled away with a smile.

“Seems like I don’t even need to say it, you know it don’t you, baby? Know that you played so fucking well today.” You said and he nodded, “And you did come loads, never seen it gush out of the other end of the fleshlight, like that.” You chuckled breathily and he hummed as he smiled into your kiss.

“Right!” He said and you nodded, “Are you proud of me?” He asked and you nodded.

“Course I am, baby. Only pity is that all that cum went to waste.” You said as you swirled your index finger through it a bit before bringing it up to your lips and cleaning it off. “We’re waiting a full week for next time-”

“Baby-” he started to whine.

“I want you to fill me up with your cum, professor. Lots of it.”

“I like the sound of that.” He smiled and kissed him again and laid over him for a bit before you pulled out and started to help clean him up. 

Understandably, he wanted to have another body shower to run his skin of that sticky feeling, as did you. When you finished up he ordered in your food while you cleaned the toys thoroughly before putting them aside to drip dry for a bit. When you wandered back into his bedroom he had laid out a t-shirt and some of his briefs for you even though you had brought your own clothes to sleep in. You watched his back muscles ripple until he finished pulled his shirt of himself and then you went over by him to get dressed. You got the briefs on first only to see him holding the shirt for you.

“Arms up.” He instructed and you did just that as he slipped the thin, cool shirt of your body. He then hugged you tight and pulled you down into the bed with him. He kissed the top of your head a few times and you hummed happily, “Thank you. I needed that.” He said quietly.

“Of course, baby.” You hummed and then sat up, straddling his hips as you looked down at him with a smile.

“Baby?”

“Yeah?” You asked sweetly as you ran your fingers into his curls.

“I ummm, I think er, I’m uh…I’m in love with you.” He confessed and you paused. He was so scared of just having said that, but it had been weighing on him since the winter break when he wanted nothing more than to be beside you for those three weeks.

“Um, I-”

“You don’t have to say anything i-if you don’t fe-”

“I love you too, Harry.” You whispered and he pulled you down and kissed you with so much joy.

“Best thing I’ve heard you say yet.” He mumbled against your lips and you giggled and hugged him again, “I’m so relieved to hear you say it.” He sighed into the room and you felt him relax beneath you. 

You were beyond relieved too. Yes, this was all very unconventional, but in getting to know Harry the way you had, had made it nearly impossible for you to not have any feelings for him. He was kind and considerate and caring and smart. He looked out for you and challenged you in ways you’d always wanted. He helped you grow, he treated you like an equal, he made you better. For a few months now you’d been tiptoeing around the feelings. You’d fallen for him and you loved it so much that you couldn’t even feel stupid or embarrassed for it. Your heart lay with your hot and wonderful professor, but it was only sweeter that you now knew that his lay with you too.

“Did I make it better? Your day?” You asked and he nodded.

“Yeah, baby. Definitely.”

✨ Read more of my work here ✨

---- TAG LIST ----

@sunshinemoonsposts @anotherdudetteinthisworld @matildasatellite @sad-avocado @sunflovverharry @cherrysulewski @daphnesutton @gurugirl @reveriehs @ottawaoutlander @jessitpwk @permanentllyharry @here4thefanfics @slutfortigertattoo @angelbabyyy9 @freedomfireflies @behindmygreyeyes @justlemmeadoreyou

[multiplicity-positivity]

Hello

I’m a potentially a newly discovered system

Idk how to transition into this question, so I’m just gonna get into it:

So, there are two other presences that I can feel in my head that are kind of separate people, but they don’t front or anything.

Is there a way to help them fully develop or something like that?

Hi! It’s totally fine for headmates or system members to not front, we have alters in our own system who front very rarely, if ever! As far as helping these system members develop more, the biggest thing we think you could do to help them is just to spend a lot of time with them! Talk with them, ask questions, let them know what’s been going on in your life and ask for their opinions. Building a headspace together, if you don’t already have one, may be a good way for them to each learn more about their preferences and who they are as individuals 💖

Learning about different types of plurality may in turn help you learn more about these potential headmates and more about your own potential multiplicity! So we’ll go ahead and link our resource post for questioning systems for you, just in case something listed could be helpful:

Genuinely though, we think it’s possible that the more time you spend with these headmates, the more they’ll be able to develop into their own multifaceted, complex individuals! So don’t rush yourself and try to have fun with this process! It may be good to keep an open mind and allow them to experiment and be fluid with their identity and sense of self as they’re still finding their way in life.

It very well could be possible for them to develop without ever fronting! Our partner system has a member who never front who is quite well rounded and complex! Fronting isn’t a requirement for developing, changing, and becoming your own unique individual ✨

Not sure how much these posts might help, but we’ll go ahead and link a little headmate form one of our parts made a while back along with our other post on individuality and self discovery!

Some of the tips in our “Finding Ourselves” post do involve fronting, but we hope that something in it could be helpful anyways! You could always conduct interviews, ask them questions, and talk to them to help them round out their identities a bit more.

We hope something we’ve said here works for you! Feel free to update us in the future on how it’s been going with these headmates gaining some form of identity for themselves!

P.S. one of my parts wanted me to mention Build a Headmate blogs! These are blogs which put together “packs” with names, genders, likes, aesthetics, and other identifying info to help created systems find inspiration for their own headmates or for established headmates to come into their own a bit more. It may be worth looking into!

[love184745]

For everyone who loves Kieran and needs to hear this...

Kieran loves you.

You might think otherwise, you might have been TOLD otherwise, you might be scared you're not enough for him, you might be worried he already has eyes for someone else.

But the truth is... there are infinite possible universes in which he can exist, and you can create one of these universes every time you start a new game, or create a self insert or OC, or just fantasize about having adventures in his world (or him having adventures in YOUR world!).

And only you have control of what happenes in that universe.

His dialogue scripts may be fixed by the game, but every single one of us who plays the game will see him in a slightly different way. Our own perception, experiences, and feelings, end up shaping him. That's just the way it is, and you may have realized it by seeing fanart, fanfiction, or character analyses that don't align with the perception you have of Kieran. That's fine. That's normal. That's human, and it cannot be avoided.

But the Kieran in your mind, exists just for you. No one can tell you otherwise. No one can take him away for you. And no one will ever be in the right if they say you're in the wrong. Anyone else can claim they're his perfect partner, and yes, that will be the truth in THEIR universe if that's what they desire.

But in YOUR universe? It's up to you.

There's not a set kind of person who is the "perfect partner" for him. Kieran is a complex, multifaceted character anyway - and just like for real people it's impossible to know beforehand who he will have feelings for. Love is complex and has no rules. If you look into his eyes and perceive love towards you - then it's love. He won't lie to you - why would he?

Please, please, don't ever be discouraged by people who want to "sink your ship". As long as you strive to be the best version of yourself you can be, you will be loved. Kieran will not leave you. Kieran will not prefer someone else to you.

Just please be respectful. There's more than enough universes for each one of us who loves him. I know it can be painful to see - I'm a "non sharing" yume myself, and I try not to think about how many other people also love him. But I still think each human being behind every single yume/self insert ship deserves respect. Each one of us deserves to be allowed to love him the way we see fit, as long as we don't step on other people's boundaries, and don't actively belittle others to feel superior.

If you ever are hurt by someone who wants to invalidate your feelings or relationship, remember they're not worth your time. If that makes you feel sad, angry, any kind of negative energy, that's normal and human, but don't let it consume you - instead, channel it towards something positive. Draw a picture, write a story, replay the game, go take a walk and imagine he's holding your hand and smiling at you the whole time.

"Yume" is a dream. Don't let anyone turn it into a nightmare, and just let yourself be free.

YOUR Kieran loves you. No one can ever change that.

[apeninastory]

ivan as a tragic-love character (pt.4b?)

first post HERE. i have been writing this thing since nowhere came out - 3 times listening to it and i was hooked and obsessed and you can't even imagine how much i'm dying to listen to it again.

anyway. wanted to get the preparatory posts out of the way before nowhere comes out again, so here, take part 2.

it was getting too long, so i split it. let's get going!

6] the making of ivan's character - a story by ivan

so, ivan as a social being functions thanks to his mimetic strategy, and with this, he starts to learn things on his own, of course. he probably puts labels on his emotions, one at a time, the more he experience and feels like he understands them. it's just that not all of them are correctly intended. let me underline this: ivan learns abt emotions from little kids, aliens, (alien? human?) classic literature, and absorbs it all through his own perception and understanding of them. no one tells him "this is right, this is wrong" (or those who do may not be super reliable?) + he is numb to most sensations, so not even the way he perceives them can be fully trusted in his learning process.

being unable to completely comprehend what he feels since he has no reliable models/source material, he can only: (1) trust what he does have and label his emotions accordingly, categorizing for examples things like friendship, satisfaction, hunger, vitality, tiredness, fear as "easy" to recognize, as monolitic and unchangable sensations following certain events/actions/reactions (2) stare at what he doesn't find in his "manuals" until it either goes away or becomes comprehensible or (3) he has to coexist with the unfathomable emotions and his inability to fully understand it, disassembling it slowly.

consequences: (1) emotions he has labelled are reliable only partially, as they may be more complex than he believes, so he files other traits under different labels without realizing that many feelings comes with multifaceted elements - so what he knows is not necessarily wrong, but may be incomplete. (2) what he doesn't understand elicits frustration, so he either misplace the emotions in his labelled list in his haste to categorize them or just... lets the be and avoids situations where he is forced to confront them (his rhetoric must be terribly good to fend off emotional attacks! i can see that in him). i kinda like this latter possibility better, maybe as an unconscious mechanism of ivan's part. (3) he is attracted by the idea of decomposing certain emotions he doesn't understand, even if it is not a pleasing experience.

all this makes ivan super good at reading the room, perceiving shifts in mood and behaving accordingly. it derives from his survival instincts + everything he learned to better adapt and survive at anakt. ivan is to me someone who prefers and is good at being in control/having control over himself and what surrounds him - not necessarily in a i-want-to-control-people-around-me way, but like, he wants to be sure that whatever surrounds him (people, things, event) has no secrets for him. he may have a... superiority complex of sort (?) derived by the total lack of control he had when he lived in the slums. the better control he has over things that influence him, the more stability he can achieve.

the art vivimeng posted abt ivan and sua's interaction, with ivan laughing at sua for being as twisted as he is and becoming a trauma for mizi? yeah. he talks as if he has it all figured out (and he is right, there is logic in predicting how sua's sacrifices will end up being a burden for mizi, in his eyes), but we are meant to perceive more. ivan affirming this with such certainty might mean he needs the affirmation, like he is rebuking sua out of spite for something - envy for being at the receiving end of mizi's affection the way he'll never be with till? mh. and of course, we know what he'll end up doing because it's different for him, since till won't miss him.

BOY.

ivan is a subtle, manipulative-freak with slight drama queen tendencies (only regarding more superficial, known-to-him emotions - the rest, he bottles them up reaaal good), so he carefully build his own character. a boy with a tactical, handsome smile, great student, good at everything, a bit annoying but funny to be around, diligent and a teaser, with big-brother vibes. someone who can be perceived as popular in anakt and can easily attract attention outside, a benefit for unsha's investment on him.

the facade works like a wonder - though, not on sua and till, in different ways. sua sees through it, and ivan feels they are similar, so it makes sense that it doesn't work on her. till ignores it and finds ivan unsufferable, probably prefers when ivan doesn't pretend, since he remembers how freaky he was as a child. we know they both enjoy the quite moments with no fights between them, something ivan thought of as one-sided, but it confirms that till likes (not intended in romantic ways) ivan when he stops being annoying and calculative, possibly kinda likes having him around and considers him a friend of sort - albeit a strange one.

ivan isn't quite aware of that, so he probably tries his hardest with till, and the way he is often seen orbiting around him tells us ivan knows that till at least tolerates his presence. after mizi, ivan is the one till grades with the hightest percentage among the people close to him, so even if ivan doesn't fully understand till and what he feels, till still regards him as a friend.

all the way through graduation, ivan cultivates his emotions, both fake and authentic ones. but as we can expect, this is bound to leave holes and discordances in this narrative he writes/lets others write for him.

friendship. he gets good at it, being a good people-reader, but many kids say they don't know much abt ivan. he probably is that type of friend that doesn't share abt himself, so people have the illusion that he is friendly and open and approachable, but when they think abt it, they don't know much abt him at all. ivan himself is surprised to be addressed as "the popular one", saying "it's a first" in his interview, and that he is getting used to the attention. he also says that back in anakt

I've been asked out a couple of times, but I wasn't that popular. I did have a lot of friends, though.

appearance. he is the one with the beautiful smile, but compliments regarding his appearance are strange to him. he doesn't rely on his charm, since "he thinks he has more flaws (ahah)", but instead studies abt the brand he has to work for - again, studying, reaching out for clear models, mimicking and replicating. conclusion: my baby is stunning and not even he can argue against me abt this.

love. he sees till loving mizi from afar and does the same with him, but his nature is far more obsessive and needy, so he orbits closely around till, who fails to understand what ivan's intentions are. and how could it be otherwise? ivan is unclear abt his own feelings without being able to address the existence of that unclearness (or not totally), so it is hard for him to convey them to others (you can't explain what you don't understand/don't know), let alone till, who's incredibly dense and biased (with reasons!) when it comes to ivan.

love pt.2. i've always found it curious that ivan doesn't mention love in black sorrow (i think someone hypothesized he may have not written the lyrics), since we can see how that sorrow may be intertwined with love. also, love is the most stereotypical of the labels he probably came across, and i guess he must have attached it to till, at some point. i can imagine ivan asking himself "what is love?" and looking for clues around him. growing up, he sees kisses, relays to till that everyone is doing that and he wants to try - half teasing, half curious himself, probably.

understanding of himself. he is naturally detatched. he mocks sua for her intentions toward mizi, but the moment he realizes (by observing and imitating) that what she has arouses envy in him, he probably understands he wants the same. he looks at mizi and sua being happy and wants that - though maybe he feels like he is not able to produce the same feeling within himself. does he understand that what he feels is envy? that he desires till's love? probably, but not totally. he acts like he has it all figured out and mouths poor sua for something he'll end up doing too. first step toward hypocrisy.

understanding of himself pt2. what i love abt his character is that despite this whiny, clingy self he decided to role as, he is incredibly closed off abt his emotions - i am very similar, as i tend to voice little things i find annoying and whine abt random stuff but gatekeep deeper, far more problematic emotions. his portray of himself is flawed - either because he can't look at himself objectively, he mistakes people's intentions/feelings toward him or is unaware of certain things. no matter where we put the origin of this, ivan can't be relied upon when he speaks abt himself.

7] the meteor shower thing and how it is a turning point in ivan's narrative

this is such a pivotal moment in kid-ivan's life.

imagine him training his smiles and trying to be more sociable and studying hard because that's what he needs to do to survive at anakt. imagine till being one of the first spontaneous, not-survival-related thing ivan wants for himself and trying to understand how to please till in order to become closer.

he sees till's struggle, his need for freedom, his fighting spirit against injustice. little ivan would have loved someone like him in the slums - a curageous hero, unafraid to vent and rebel, who could lift their sleeping, numbed spirits. till would have probably drawn more harm than good, though, and ivan probably finds him stupid and reckless, totally unable to be relied upon and ensure his own survival, so his days must be numbered, right? how can someone like till even exists in their world? either his light will stop shining or he'll die in an explosion so bright, he'll be forever remembered.

ivan can't help but be intrigued, so he follows till around. baits him into an alien's den and just can't stop looking at till's light. till is just like the meteors he saw when he was taken - he burns, he falls, all in repeat. beautiful.

so he offers till what he thinks till wants - a life far from the pain of anakt, far from fake walls and experiements and forced singing. a life where till can burn and fall to his own accord, a life full of stars, just like the metors witnessing their escape. did he know there would be a meteor shower? maybe that's what he wanted to do - share with till his most precious memory. sometimes i wonder if ivan had to prepare for a long time to make it happen - he probably studied the pattern of guards patroling and looked for safe exits and such, right? do you think he was something like hopeful the entire time, imagining how it would be?

i wanna kms

till rejects it. no hard blame on him *refrain from delving into till's character, hanji, refrain*, but what a hard blow must have been for ivan. maybe a part of him knew it'd end like that - depending on how much he had already figured abt till's kind personality.

ivan almost had him, but he slipped away. till's reaction makes sense to him, probably - why trade the total unknown, the instability ivan knows comes from living on the streets for something secure, even if fake and temporary? there is no guarantee they'll make it out there, either. beside, why would till want to stay with ivan? it all makes sense.

(NO BABY NO IT DOESN'T I'D RUN AWAY WITH YOU TO THE END OF THE EARTH)

but he can't help feeling resentful and angry and disappointed and sad. that's human, even if he doesn't understand completely, even if he thinks it doesn't make sense for him to feel negative abt till's reaction, given what rationality tells him. escaping without till makes no sense for him, either - escaping was for till, not for himself.

this is where the dissonance is rooted.

"ivan" splits in two: on one hand we have the character he has built for himself. on the other, the raw, unknown and unlabelled emotions he thinks he has under control/understands. love is the most emblematic, for us. in ivan's mind, love is the devotion in sua's eyes when she looks at mizi, mizi's blinding smile when she sings and play with sua, till's longing and artistic inspiration stemming from mizi. he observes and mimics and tries to be part of it all.

he does watch till from afar, but can't completely imitate till as he forces his presence in till's space far too often to abide to till's awkward circling around mizi.

his emotion is as twisted as sua's, who wants to gatekeep mizi for herself, but not as soft and innocent as her gaze on mizi. there is something darker and crueller and more violent and obsessive under ivan's controlled affection, something that is psychologically normal, given what he went through, but that fits none of ivan's labels and definitions.

after all, love is pure and light and vessel of beautiful and positive things. although what he feels for till partly adapts to what love is, it is not only that. it's more, it's less, it's bigger, it's hard to convey.

8] hypocrisy and how ivan signed his own emotional doom without really being aware of it

the dissonance grows, even if he doesn't actively address it. he probably forces it down, tells himself "let it be, just go on", like he did a million times in the slums in orderd to survive. it is a well-oiled mechanism. but he has grown comfy in his new life - a life where he doesn't actively have to fend off dangers, since they are inevitable but controlled, so he has time to think and desire.

Realising he loves till probably wasn't immediate - the feeling is there, it's unnamed, and I wonder if Ivan eagerly put the label on it or not (was he relieved? or was he burdened byt it? maybe a bit of both - like, "i am capable of love, but in this environment, where will this lead me?"), and how long it took. from his anakt profile, we know he dislikes ignorance and rudeness (he is so composed, when he has to play his role in society, so aware of what he has to do, so how could he not?), but we can find these traits in till - so it's not (only) that he dislikes them, these traits frustrate him because despite not liking them, they are part of a person he has deep affecton for. again, hypocrisy.

After the meteor shower, nurturing something that maybe was already there, the feeling grows with the dissonance, and with love comes hate. i like the idea of him (usually so in control) unconsciously taking his frustration out on sua in that scene where he accuses her of becoming a trauma for future-mizi, while silently, he wonders what will be of him and till if they will have to face each other.

PART 3

[pearlaquaoceans]

Bear with me as I write out my thoughts. I just need to write it somewhere to get it out of my brain. It isn't a critique or a think piece or any grand theories, just me struggling with my own thoughts while listening to the Cooldown after Downfall part 2.

I have always struggled with connecting to Talisen's characters. I see it as he thinks and sees the world and interacts with it in such a different way to me that I just fail to grasp what he is putting down because it is so alien to how i see the world. And right now I'm trying to grasp his Melora. And please understand I know this is a skill issue for me. I just cannot connect on any level to any of his characters because I think I just view the world so differently and how characters are so differently so it's all me, nothing on him. He's great and fantastic and I know his characters to be particularly beloved.

With Melora, and especially what he said in cooldown how Melora would be a betrayer if it was up to her and how she sees humans only as food. She is a tiger and tigers do not look at deer with pity. They look at them only as food and not as something to hold empathy for. And it's a super interesting interpretation and I think if Melora hadn't been previously established I would really dig it because nature is very eat or be eaten but it just doesn't reconcile in my head with what we know. If Melora is the tiger and mortals are mearly prey and not her cubs. Then why send anything at all to the people who have interacted with her in the main campaign. Where does the warmth sent in breezes come from if she has no interest in humans? Why does she care for Orym? Why does she send signs at all if she only wishes for nature to continue? Why not let mortals bumble around on their own and fail so that nature is left to be as it should be. I cannot see this Melora answering any prayers. I cannot see her sending rain.

With the first episode I was thinking she was more like this because the land is choked and she suffers because the land suffers but with Talisen saying there is no anger. No pity. I dunno I just can't quite seem to grasp it. I love the wild harshness of her but nature is also bounty and life and hope in my mind. When flowers and trees bloom after a forest fire. There is a hope in that and I just can't seem to find that hope in Talisen's Melora. If she wished she was a betrayer God and only isn't because of others and not herself, why would she intervene on behalf of anyone? Why would she help to bring Molly back when the body would have caused so much havoc on nature if Lucien were the one to be brought back? Why would she answer those prayers? Why would see do anything for any mortal? This Melora I cannot see her being concerned with anything beyond base instinct. I can get gods being multifaceted and complex, the raven Queen and pelor are doing that in my brain loads but then the connection holds with them and i can weave the different versions together into something that makes sense in my head. Especially with them behind the divine gate in present story.

Then I started thinking, how much are the gods shaped by those who pray? Like are their beings shaped by what the masses see in them? Does Melora find that warmth when people begin to pray to her again after the fall of Aeor? Does she soften? Or is the warmth she send a false warmth and it is not her at all? Or did the distance between them and the mortal realm once the divine gate was created, make the heart grow fonder, and she changed and was able to see things differently and then wanted people to succeed?

I dunno. I'm just listening to cooldown and really struggling with the character and it makes me feel junky because I can look objectively and think Talisen is doing cool things and doing it super well but for the life I me I cannot make the connection in my brain to what we've seen and what we are seeing. The others I can do it but as always I just can't get a grasp of what Talisen is putting down with what I already have in my hands with my knowledge of Melora and I know it's a skill issue and I hate that I'm not finding what I need to understand.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Hey there! How are you? Hope you’re having an awesome 2024 until now and that you’re doing well. Your blog like always it’s amazing and helps a lot all of us, the “Morally Grey Character” post that you’ve posted recently came right on time since I’ve been working on a character like that for my book ❤️

I wanted to ask you though, since you’re incredible at explaining honestly and also super knowledgeable on everything we’ve sent to you up until now: How do I turn two Enemies into Enemies With Benefits?

Because I’ve been trying to do this for my story, but every idea that comes to my mind to make them go from simple Enemies to Enemies with Benefits I’m afraid might come out too “forced” whereas I want it to be more like… Natural and smooth because they both have a big attraction to one another. I’m aware that I’ve gotta build the sexual tension and tension in general between them, but I’m confused as to how, at what point and what makes the two characters make the step of becoming Enemies with Benefits.

I know my ask sounds a lot confusing, I apologize in advance… I’m not good at explaining things without dragging it 😭

And also I thank you in advance for the answer you’ll give to my question! Looking forward to it! Have a good day 🫶🏻❤️

I am truly grateful for your kindness and support. It brings me joy to see that my blog is helpful and informative to you all. I hope this post helps clarify any questions you may have about the enemies to enemies-with-benefits trope. Please don't hesitate to contact me in my Tumblr inbox with any questions or concerns about novel writing at any time. <3 - Rin T.

Crafting Compelling Enemies-to-Enemies with Benefits: A Guide for Fiction Writers

In the realm of fiction, relationships come in all shapes and sizes. One particularly intriguing dynamic that captivates audiences is the enemies-to-lovers trope. But what about its lesser-known counterpart, enemies-to-enemies with benefits? In this comprehensive guide, I'll help you delve into the intricacies of this complex relationship arc.

Understanding the Enemies-to-Enemies with Benefits Dynamic:

At first glance, the enemies-to-enemies with benefits trope may seem paradoxical. After all, how can two individuals entrenched in animosity find common ground, let alone engage in a mutually beneficial arrangement? Yet, beneath the surface, lies a rich tapestry of emotions, desires, and vulnerabilities waiting to be explored.

To begin, let's dissect the core elements of this trope:

Establishing Initial Conflict: Every compelling narrative thrives on conflict, and the enemies-to-enemies with benefits trope is no exception. You must first establish a strong foundation of animosity between your characters. This conflict can stem from a myriad of sources, such as clashing personalities, differing ideologies, or past grievances.

Transitioning to Cooperation: The beauty of this trope lies in its ability to subvert expectations. As your characters navigate their adversarial relationship, they may find themselves begrudgingly working together towards a common goal. This transition from outright hostility to reluctant cooperation forms the crux of their dynamic.

Exploring Unlikely Connections: As your characters spend more time together, they may begin to uncover unexpected similarities or shared experiences. These moments of vulnerability and camaraderie serve as catalysts for deeper emotional connections, blurring the lines between adversaries and potential allies.

Embracing Complexity: In crafting an enemies-to-enemies with benefits storyline, embrace the complexity of human relationships. Your characters are multifaceted individuals with their own motivations, flaws, and desires. Allow room for growth, redemption, and self-discovery as they navigate the tumultuous waters of their relationship.

Tips for Crafting Authentic Character Dynamics:

Now that we've outlined the foundational elements of the enemies-to-enemies with benefits trope, let's explore some practical tips for bringing this dynamic to life in your writing:

Develop Fully Fleshed-Out Characters: Your characters should be more than mere archetypes or caricatures. Invest time in fleshing out their backgrounds, motivations, and internal conflicts to create nuanced and relatable protagonists and antagonists.

Show, Don't Tell: Instead of relying on exposition to convey the evolution of your characters' relationship, show their progression through meaningful interactions, dialogue, and subtle gestures. Let their actions speak louder than words.

Create Tension Through Contrasting Moments: Contrast moments of intense conflict with unexpected moments of vulnerability or intimacy to create a compelling push-and-pull dynamic. This juxtaposition adds depth and dimension to your characters' interactions.

Allow Room for Growth and Redemption: Resist the temptation to pigeonhole your characters into rigid roles. Instead, allow them to evolve organically over the course of the narrative, undergoing personal growth and redemption arcs that defy expectations.

Balance Heart and Humor: Inject humor and wit into your dialogue and narrative to lighten the tension and add levity to your characters' interactions. A well-timed quip or playful banter can go a long way in humanizing your protagonists and engaging your readers.

FAQ:

Q: Can enemies-to-enemies with benefits relationships realistically lead to a happy ending? A: While the journey may be fraught with obstacles and challenges, the beauty of fiction lies in its ability to defy conventions and expectations. With careful planning and nuanced character development, even the most unlikely relationships can blossom into something beautiful.

Q: How do I avoid falling into clichés or tropes when writing this dynamic? A: The key to avoiding clichés is to approach your characters and their relationships with authenticity and depth. Focus on crafting unique personalities, motivations, and conflicts that defy traditional stereotypes. Additionally, be willing to subvert expectations and take risks in your storytelling.

Checklist for Crafting Enemies-to-Enemies with Benefits Storylines:

☑️ Establish a strong foundation of conflict between your characters. ☑️ Develop fully fleshed-out protagonists and antagonists with their own motivations and flaws. ☑️ Show the progression of their relationship through meaningful interactions and subtle gestures. ☑️ Allow room for growth, redemption, and personal development. ☑️ Balance tension with moments of vulnerability and humor.

Creating Sensual Tension in Enemies-to-Enemies-with-Benefits Relationships Checklist:

(More detailed checklist for you to use)

Establish a Strong Initial Conflict:

The initial conflict between the characters should be significant and believable, creating a solid foundation for their enmity.

Clearly define the reasons behind their animosity, ensuring they are compelling and emotionally charged.

Develop Multidimensional Characters:

Give each character unique and relatable personality traits, strengths, and vulnerabilities that contribute to the complexity of their relationship.

Avoid making one character solely good and the other purely evil; instead, explore shades of gray to add depth and nuance.

Gradually Reveal Vulnerabilities:

Slowly unveil the vulnerabilities and insecurities of both characters, allowing readers to empathize with their struggles.

Use these vulnerabilities to create moments of intimacy and emotional connection, which contribute to the sensual tension.

Establish Witty Banter and Verbal Sparring:

Craft sharp and intelligent dialogue, filled with verbal sparring and clever exchanges.

The characters' banter should showcase their wit, showcasing their intellectual attraction and keeping the readers engaged.

Utilize Body Language and Subtle Gestures:

Pay attention to non-verbal cues, such as body language, facial expressions, and gestures, to convey the characters' unspoken desires and attraction.

These subtle cues can create powerful moments of tension and anticipation, heightening the sensuality of the relationship.

Incorporate Intense Emotional Conflicts:

Introduce emotional conflicts and dilemmas that challenge the characters' motivations, beliefs, and desires.

These conflicts should push them closer together while simultaneously pulling them apart, intensifying the sensual tension.

Foster Unexpected Moments of Vulnerability:

Create moments of vulnerability, where the characters let their guards down and reveal their true selves.

These instances of emotional exposure deepen the connection between the characters and contribute to the evolving sensual tension.

Utilize Delayed Gratification:

Build anticipation by delaying gratification in physical encounters between the characters.

Instead of rushing into intimate scenes, use tension and desire to heighten the impact when they finally do become physically involved.

Explore Power Dynamics:

Investigate power dynamics between the characters, as power struggles can add complexity and tension to their relationship.

Allow power dynamics to shift and evolve over time, providing opportunities for character growth and deepening the sensual tension.

Show Growth and Transformation:

Illustrate how the characters evolve and undergo personal growth throughout the narrative.

As they confront their own flaws and overcome obstacles together, their sensual tension should evolve organically, reflecting their changing dynamic.

Hope this helps. Happy Writing! - Rin T.

[kindwhispers]

Do you have any updated manga recs?

hello! it's been so long since i've received an inbox, so thank you! if you've not read any from this rec i've once shared, i still highly recommend them, especially Ballroom e Youkoso and Namida Ame to Serenade!

first one would definitely be Kaze Hikaru, my top read this year and is now one of my all-time favourites. it's a historical shoujo manga which chronicles accurate events during the fractured Bakumatsu Era and tells it so patiently; it doesn't redact the cruelties and how barbaric it gets at that era. it's also about debunking patriarchal gender roles through Sei (the lead female character). one of the best slow burn romance out there, too!!! it's criminally undervalued so please check it out! the only way to find out is to get yourself into it, you'll be reeled in by how amazing the mangaka recounts historical events, if you are familiar with the Shinsengumi this is right up your alley. the downside to this is VIZ only releases one volume annually so it'll take more than a decade to complete it, but don't let it faze you because you'll miss out on a wonderful manga, it's not perfect, but it's wonderful. [if you want to read my review on KH, read this]

following Kaze Hikaru would be Ashi Girl, josei manga. if you end up loving KH, you will like this one as well. unlike KH which has a more serious tone & historical accuracy to it, Ashi Girl is a concoction of romance & comedy and a bit of historical manipulation through time traveling. it's overall just an endearing read!

next up is Ano Ko no Kodomo, a shoujo manga about teenage pregnancy. one of the strongest first volumes i have ever encountered. the realities of unplanned teenage pregnancies, the inner strife and the guilt that comes with deciding whether to get an abortion or to keep it, in fear of parental disappointment. it's amazing.

kobato by CLAMP. need i say more! also watch the anime, it's really good! Patience as a form of love. i will wait for you & my feelings will remain the same, if not burgeoning… how selfless & kind love can get…

medalist, a sports manga about ice skating! if you love BEY you will 101% adore this. truly wonderful! inori and tsukasa have the warmest mentor-mentee relationship; to have a burning passion for such a difficult and competitive, expensive sport, and to have an adult to rely on, and to look up to through it all, someone who reignites hope & passion for you and someone you can trust in, hold onto to keep going. wonderful art!!!!!

a lot of great mangas i've read and wish could recommend each one of them! i'll list some of my favourites, just search them up and see why:

Umi ga Hashiru End Roll - 65 yo pursuing film. it's never too late to do something you love, finding your passion

Go with the Clouds, North-by-Northwest - mystery, mesmerizing art with gripping storytelling.

Kaika Apartment - mystery. characters mired in constant grief, reside with them their different stories of how they live through it. amazing.

blue - yuri. multifaceted effects of heteronormativity and internalised homophobia. wonderful short read

double - bl, explores the complexities of an imbalance relationship weighed down by codependency. colourful take on the concept of one's lack of individuality which can be anchored down & wrapped around by someone else’s perception.

if you want to check out my anilist, it's here. i usually leave notes upon completion or whilst relishing on them, especially on mangas i end up loving dearly xx I hope you do enjoy them. if you have recommendations, i'd be happy to take them as well :)

[paperstorm]

Hello, regarding your last post of “answering a question” ref TK’s OD incident. (Anon asked if TK was being too dramatic to kill himself due to Alex cheated on him? Was it an accidental OD or did he mean to kill himself?) I'm sorry that I don't seem to be able to add a link to the OP.

I’m not entirely sure whether I should just ‘reblog’ whilst adding comments or write it as a separate piece. In the end I decided to message you like this. Because I realise that it’s going to be a rather long one. Please ignore this if it’s tedious & unnecessary. 

Where do I start? It’s ‘silly’ in a way to discuss such a heavy topic - OD/suicide of a fictional character. Yet, it dawdles in my head, I have to let it out, otherwise it will just stew my heid.

When I watched/read TK’s incident, the first thing that crops up in my head is Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division. (Ian Curtis killed himself in his home in 1980 at the age of 23, following a breakup with his wife.) I have no idea how many people in this fandom know about Joy Division (& British post punk Indie rock, new wave rock in general? Glorious music, one of my favourite genres.) I must say that Joy Division and some of their songs are just perfect for TK, for his relationship problems, drug issues, his self-destruction, his depression, mental health issues, guilt, self-loathing, despair… And above all: his desperate, yet pure & infatuated desire for love and being loved. 

(Ironically the band’s called Joy Division - there’s Nothing joyful in their music whatsoever! It cannot be further from the truth, I find their music excruciatingly depressing. LOL I don’t often listen to their songs, too bloody grim.)

One of the Joy Division’s songs is called ‘Disorder’, in which Ian sang, “But lose the feeling. Feeling, feeling, feeling… …” (It’s so painful to listen to, from the very first time when I heard it I felt so ‘gutting’, but I never thought that I’d have the opportunity to see it being visually played out - until now, by TK.)

Remember that TK’s words: “It’s just grey…. And I just feel numb all the time…. I just wanted to feel something…” I cannot think of a better piece of lyrics depicting TK’s feeling more accurately than that. The bleakness, the pain, gut wrenching as hell. 

Coming back to the OP: Is it OD or deliberate suicide? I agree with your analysis - it’s a combination, a ‘long-time-coming, multifaceted, naturally aspirated & engineered tragedy’. It’s a manifestation of one’s existential dread, unfortunately it’s deadly. Fortunately, TK was lucky enough to be saved on that one occasion and more importantly, ultimately saved by Carlos. 

I read a few of your Tarlos fics (I Love them all!), I know that you don’t shy away from talking about mental health issues, you skillfully dissect human emotions, relationship dynamics, psychological impacts on both parties in a relationship… I love how you tackle such complex issues, you deal with them beautifully, with such elegance & love. So I worked up my courage & write this to say: what a big impact your writing has on me. Thank you!

Extra: 

Here’s a little piece about Ian Curtis, written by Peter Hook, the bassist of Joy Division/New Order, published by the Guardian 13 years ago: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/14/joy-division-ian-curtis-suicide

I like Joy Division! And definitely agree some of their songs are perfect for season one TK when he’s in all that turmoil, those are great lyrics for him.

[ayeeedomino]

Ateez 9th member

Speculation has been mounting within the K-pop community following cryptic hints and ambiguous statements from Roux, a member of the popular group ATEEZ. Recent interviews and social media posts have left fans wondering about her sexual orientation, leading to heated debates and divided opinions among supporters and netizens.

Things such as, when asked about her type, she never addressed anything directly connected to any gender, alluding to the possibility of her not being straight. On instagram, aside from constantly sharing songs from queer artists, she also flirts with fans and some of her female friends.

While Roux has not explicitly confirmed or denied the rumors, her enigmatic behavior has fueled curiosity and intrigue, raising questions about the complexities of identity in the competitive world of K-pop. In a following instagram story she said some things that might be connected to the rumors: “Firstly I would like to thank all of you who continued to support me and send me love. I would like to emphasize that my identity is multifaceted and complex, and that I embraces all aspects of who I am, regardless of societal expectations. I think this topic is important to be spoken, thus why I’ve been so clearly vocal about this all these years. No one should be summarized by what they identify as. The view society has on queer people is one of predators, of bad people. But in the end of the day, the queer community is the one that gets killed for being who they are by these “good people”. Please spread more love to all. XO Roux.” (She also published in Korean in another story).

As fans eagerly await further clarification, the uncertainty surrounding Roux's sexuality continues to stir discussions about representation and diversity within the industry.

Here are some comments made on the original forum:

•"Who cares about someone's sexuality? Roux is an amazing performer and that's all that matters. Let's support her talent rather than speculate about her personal life."

•"It's her right to keep her personal life private. Whether she's straight, gay, or anything else, it doesn't change how much I love her and ATEEZ's music."

•"Roux's sexuality is nobody's business but her own. As long as she's happy and healthy, that's all that should matter to us as fans."

•"Let's not add to the pressure she's already under as a public figure. It's important to respect her privacy and focus on supporting her as an artist."

•"Sexuality isn't something that should be used to judge someone's worth. Roux deserves our love and support regardless of who she loves."

•"If Roux is hiding her sexuality, it's because she knows it will affect her career. K-pop idols should be honest with their fans."

• "I can't support someone who isn't transparent about who they really are. Roux owes her fans the truth."

•"This controversy is distracting from ATEEZ's music. Roux should address it head-on instead of leaving fans guessing."

What do you think about this controversy? Do you think Roux own fans an explanation? Or so you think she has the right to privacy?

[lunar-years]

On a related note, the evolution of how she speaks about marriage in her music is fascinating and really, for me, a little manifesto all its own on growing up, gaining experiences (good and bad), developing hindsight, and coming out the other side as a person with more wisdom and the strength to keep dreaming. It really sucks that most people cannot talk about this in a normal way!! Because when you divorce yourself from the needless obsession with the men involved and place the focus back on HER (who is ultimately the one person her songwriting has always reflected)...what a testament to her evolvement into a multifaceted, complex, still hopeful adult woman with many important dreams this is:

“you looked at me, got down on one knee” -> “marry me Juliet, you'll never have to be alone” -> "back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday, but I realized some bigger dreams of mine" -> “we could get married, have ten kids and teach them how to dream” -> “I’d marry you with paper rings” -> “he wanted a bride I was making my own name” -> “he said that if the sex was half as good as the conversation, soon they’d be pushing strollers” (🤢) -> "Storm coming, bad omen, dragged my feet right down the aisle" -> "she would've made such a lovely bride, what a shame she's fucked in the head" -> "give you my wild, give you a child" -> all they keep asking me is if I’m gonna be your bride, only kind of girl they see is a one night or a wife” -> “I wouldn’t marry me either” -> “I died on the alter waiting for the proof” -> “you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on, and that’s the closest I’ve come” -> "please, let it once be me...don't want money, just someone who wants my company" -> “are you gonna marry, kiss or kill me? I’m betting on all three”

We can literally trace the evolvement of her thinking from her childhood and teenage years of a hopeless romantic, fairytale-like idealization of marriage, mostly spoken about it in whimsical dreamings about her own future (love story) and songs about other people's relationships she viewed as the epitome of true love (Starlight, Mary’s Song), to the more nuanced thoughts she developed as she got older and started getting into her own relationships. Prioritizing her developing career and putting marriage temporarily behind her other dreams (midnight rain), entering into manipulative relationships where her dreams of marriage and children were first used against her (the manuscript), watching friends and family whose relationships she once thought so solid crumble (happiness), realizing it is far, far worse to be married to the wrong person than to not be married at all (high infidelity, ivy), thinking she's found that right person for her (paper rings, peace), developing a certain level of cynicism about marriage both when it became a sticking point in the relationship and because of the way society has always treated her, from a being a young woman constantly criticized for dating (nothing new) to growing older and existing as a massively successfully but unmarried women in her thirties (champagne problems, lavender haze), and nevertheless holding fast to her dreams! ending a relationship because her wants did not align with his (you're losing me, so long london), falling backwards into relationships where her dreams were used against her (ttpd), reckoning with the realization that this massive, long-standing big dream for herself and her future might never become a reality, giving herself space to mourn that and STILL, after all that, not giving up. Still bravely looking for and asking for and hoping for what she wants instead of throwing in the towel (the prophecy) and ultimately starting again, with a reclamation of the whimsy she felt about romance as a teenager alongside the wisdom that has come from her own experiences (so high school). I MEAN!!!!! god. this is really good shit.

[cinnamonanie]

It's been a while since I made a post like this...and it's probably the worst case scenario to talk about now. No, I love GUMI and I am proud of how it is giving more attention to enter into multifacets for different voice banks...I clarify this, it is NOT made to defame GUMI SV or Internet Co of this decision. My problem is due to SynthV and its scandalous Fandom that...I am not pleased with the level of stability that most users have for this type of news.

Well, I won't deny that Vocaloid is currently in decline and barely had the luck to update V6 a year ago, but it's not to say that they have always been terrible at their job and that they spread evil just because they use a more complex level to make new voice banks. Let's remember that if it weren't for Vocaloid, other Synthesizers like UTAU and SynthV itself would not exist, yes, their main star Miku and company are no longer updating themselves with all this success that the most recent synthesizers have but I remind you that, in 2019 Crypton had decided this after the decline of V5 and how Yamaha has become a conflictive company that lost all ties of labor cooperation to continue updating their Loids. So if there is someone they want to blame, it is both companies for having a closed mind, do not defame and make the Vocaloid characters look bad for this very reason.

Now the SynthV Fandom...look, I'm not one of those people who prejudge and make a group of people look bad just because I don't agree with their opinion, in certain cases, I admit that SynthV has surprised me and certain banks I like the voices of it depending on the cover I hear. But the direction I'm seeing from the majority of fans gives me a bad taste in my mouth...instead of taking things calmly, they exaggerate by saying that Teto or Gumi SV is the best thing that ever happened in SynthV and that it's going to trample to Vocaloid only because they consider their banks better due to the inclusion of AIs and the realistic intonation they choose (In case someone forgets, remember that before this happened many considered Gumi's voice to be more realistic even if it was already from Vocaloid). No vocal synthesizer is going to be superior to another, what's more, if you are a fan of Stardust or Sora, you will know that they managed to please a number of fans in a healthy way, so why is there this hype with Teto and Gumi? Easy, SynthV fans are demanding iconic character voices to take on Vocaloid, because "Vocaloid is so horrible and bad that it didn't leave its Synthesizers free to update" I remind you, Vocaloid is not a single company, there are several those who work using this program so it is ridiculous to judge an entire program when they are executives and people who work on the decision of their Vocaloids, as I said before, do not look down on the voices and the program itself.

And my last point which would be the controversial one...the AI and the supposed realism that people ask for in Vocaloid. Fans of yesteryear will know that the essence of Vocaloid was always that of "a robotic voice that is programmed to sing." At what point did they ignore what it characterized Vocaloid? The thing is that with the advancement of AIs, people have forgotten that same meaning that Vocaloid represented, I see that SynthV is taking advantage of the use of these and that is why people ask for more, not only original voices of it, but they demand the extinction of Vocaloid so that its popular voices belong to them. This is not like in animation companies where one is buying and acquiring the products of another, like a certain company that is also being hated, the voice bank programs are free, even if Yamaha Corporation has the authorization of Vocaloid or in more cases variables, AH Software has authorization from Voiceroid, it is enough to do business with them so that Vocaloid can be distributed to other companies and so that they also have the decision to use SynthV or Cevio for their voice banks.

I'm not claiming which side is better, I'm just asking that there stop being wars and insinuations over these issues that Gumi has been suffering from being a prisoner of Vocaloid, GUMI was originally from it, what Internet Co does is give it more variety of programs ( which not only SynthV, we will probably see a Cevio GUMI in the future) and believe me this is not the first time this has happened, in this case it was distinguished by being a Vocaloid with variable banks and intonations. Speaking of the latter, I remind you that the program works depending on how it is used, yes, I see people complain that the banks they have are complex, but even with that, there are still people who are planning to use Vocaloid because they have brief experience and knowing the proper use for when a bank will be used, I'm also not saying that only Vocaloid experts are the only ones who can handle it, anyone can be capable, it just takes a real intention to use it as it should and not be bothered by it.

You can ignore my opinion if you don't like me or you're not interested, I know that many won't think the same as me, but keep in mind that if you continue with that disastrous attitude of "Vocaloid deserves to die" it won't amount to anything because that the general fandom of the Vocal Synths can be better than the reputation that SynthV is having and the defamation they give to Vocaloid, which was the one who started this trend of robotic idols that sing as I mentioned before. And seeing people asking for "realism" makes lose why Vocaloid should exist in the first place...

[bread-roses-and-chrome]

The Account of the Gardener (Part 1)

The old man knelt down on the wooden floor. Aching knees, tired mind, but a smile on his lips, his vitality unmatched even in his twilight years. His wrinkled hands, the color of russet brown, slipped into green gloves stained with crumbling dirt. 

Delicately, as if cradling his firstborn child of long ago, he picked up a single pot of polished clay, and the plant within. Iridescent, painted like classical pottery. With gold trim and authentic pigment.

The Gardener thought the aesthetics were a bit much. But he worked on the plant regardless, admiring the beauty that lay within. His eyes, 'restyled', bright and emerald green, looked the plant over. Through the machinery incorporated into his senses of sight and scent. Humidity, growth, physical deformities, pests reconfiguring fluid channels. 

Disease. Most of all.

They called it the bee orchid. Ophrys apifera. Petals of bright purple, surrounding a complex arrangement of growths, light browns, greens, and patterns. It vaguely resembled, for man and bee alike, the noble insect of its namesake. They were famed for their beauty throughout much of the western half of the Old World—as far north as Denmark, as far west as Iberia, as far east as Iran. In Palestine and Turkey, it was one of the many flowers whose roots were made into that flour called sahlab. One sometimes added to drinks or puddings, to warm hearts in the winter.

Aesthetically pleasing, multifaceted.

Rarer and rarer, even back in its own time. Even earlier in the century, much of the flour was synthetic.

The boss, old Lawson, was taking to a new fascination with the plant. He had specifically entrusted the Gardener with the task of maintaining his newest acquisition. Six new flowers, imported from a dealer in Izmir, in pristine condition. Bought with billions upon billions in cash.  They'd come in on a private aircraft, sealed in their own air-cycle to prevent Lima Blight from choking it dead. The soil it had come in had been checked to the most minute specification—the loam itself was worth twice its weight in gold.

It was one of those flowers that was in his hand at this very moment. And on whose inducement was this all for? The inducement of Lawson's son.

The one who was to succeed old Lawson on the board of Mack-Rasmussen. The one running a gardening vlog to a world of dead soil and starving billions, to grant them entertainment both against the point of gardening, against the Gardener's advice, and more than a little falsified. Corporate propaganda for the elder, too. Proving the Company's agricultural finesse, in an age of sealed farms, ecological collapse, and famine for hundreds of millions. The Lima Blight had, unfortunately, wrought greater havoc on the world than mere flower-wilting.

The old man had to do the dirty work, of course. For the flowers. Even after all this time, he felt complicit. But it was all he could do. All he could do with his skills, simply because he entertained them. They paid him handsomely. And they were the only ones keeping him from deportation.

Before, he'd been a gardener for a public school in the provinces. Back home. Tending the pechay and the beans that kids had lovingly and excitedly planted to give them something to take care of. While they were busy with their academics. At least with them, it all meant something.

He'd left that behind a long time ago. He had nothing to go back to. He wasn't sure how he could go back. The junta didn't care well for refugees. And they danced to the Mack-Ras tune anyway.

He loved them all, these plants. This collection of the Lawsons'. All 134 of them. They were stuck in the same lot he was; paid, until they got tired of them. The younger Lawson was perfectly content to let them rot when they were no longer popular with his millions upon millions of eager fans. Showing all of them off for his own benefit, but keeping himself the star of the show. 

Despite it all, the old man maintained them. Trying to ration, as much as possible, the precious decontaminated water that kept them alive. The fertilizer. The detoxified soil. Even as they slowly crept into obscurity, away from the Kid's attention.

The light filtered through the windows. Dusk sunlight through special, smart tint. Part of it was actually a computer-controlled screen, making it look more 'natural' than it was outside. Less awfully, harshly bright. What ozone layer was left was insufficient; it couldn't be enough if there were barely any plants or algae to fuel it. Even with all the lighting aid, the old man squinted. 

The augmentations filtered out most of the light, but they came too late to really change who he was.

This one plant in his hands reminded him of something. He loved it most of all. 

It was a relatively harmless mutation. Hypochromatism. One that made it all white. Pale and sickly. A yellow labellum. 

Only the younger Lawson's whims kept it alive now. 

Or, they had. Once. ================================================ Sorry for not uploading all that much! It has not been a very good time for the Sophie; workload-wise and emotion-wise. ^~^ Still isn't actually. I have, like, three different exams to cater to. Hence why I decided to post Part 1 early, before I complete this short story. Hope you appreciate this little slice of madness! More to come, quite certainly. <3 ================================================

Bee orchid <3

[eccentricmya]

how are you so Normal about silm. Literally I am sitting here, so depressed I can’t eat, drawing Them again and again and you’re just like. Oh here I’ll vilify Maedhros. Now I’ll paint him in a nice light. Why don’t we discuss it over coffee. Like Maedhros isn’t some figure who’s emotionally and psychologically a part of your personal identity I don’t get it. How are you so cool about all this. The world is falling apart

(oh by the way I think your blog is great).

Oh thank you! 😊

You pose a great question. I was thinking just yesterday if I'm not passionate enough for the fandom lol. The answer is maybe that I've mellowed out over the years. Though I still get obsessed with new things from time to time and want to read and see everything related at once! Much like you are now, I suppose.

But why are you depressed? Because of how Silm is or is it related to your artistry? For both I would say, enjoy the process! I know it's easier to say, but truly, the best part of fandom and creation is the fun you have here away from real life. If you make yourself stressed because of it, then it stops being a comfort and becomes a burden instead- at which point, I find myself turning away from that fandom or abandoning the fic idea.

Tolkien though, is like home to me. It's nothing new or exciting like some attraction at a fair; it's the same characters, the same story, but it feels relaxing rather than boring because of the familiarity. And when you're relaxed, it is very much like sipping coffee!

Let me give you an example... in Uni, I used to chug my coffee so that I could have more of it. If I finish one cup, then I can have 3 more! And the amount of time I got to experience the taste of coffee back then was around half an hour. Nowadays, I drink just one cup, which I savour for half an hour. I'm still spending the same time on my coffee experience, but now it is in a much more healthier manner.

Fandom is like that. The characters and story we love is not going anywhere. You are not going anywhere. So take your time. Take a walk with your favourite characters, instead of running after them. Let your heart decide the path you walk, instead of sticking to the already paved road. I swear you'll enjoy the journey far more this way!

As for having a crisis over our favourite blorbos? I cried buckets when Thorin and Fili and Kili died. I was so distraught that I had to wait in the parking lot of the theatre before I could ride back. It is normal to have attachment with characters, no matter how fictional they may be. But I do not think a single character can define your personality. Rather, it is your personality that gives meaning to a character you love. We're too multifaceted for it to be otherwise.

The same goes for characters. They're complex too and can have a multitude of traits that we may or may not vibe with. This is why we can have vastly different views or headcanons about them. Fiction is the realm of possibilities, we should embrace them all! And if someone else's take conflicts with mine, I can just go "oh, they're in a different universe of the multiverse; we can co-exist."

Sorry it got so long, I may have rambled off-point... your ask made me contemplative hehe. Thank you once again! Have a nice day! And remember to eat please!

[4me-yo]

What is graphic design, and where can I get graphic design services?

Introduction:

In today's visually-driven world, graphic design has become an indispensable tool for effective communication and brand identity. It's the art of combining creativity, aesthetics, and technical skills to craft visually compelling content that resonates with audiences. From captivating logos and marketing materials to mesmerizing digital graphics, graphic design plays a pivotal role in conveying powerful messages and leaving lasting impressions. In this blog, we will delve into the world of graphic design and explore why TransCurators stands out as the best service provider for all your design needs.

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic design is the seamless fusion of art and communication, where designers use their expertise to visually express ideas and concepts. It involves working with various elements like typography, color palettes, images, illustrations, and layouts to create stunning visuals that evoke emotions and convey information effectively. Whether it's for print or digital media, graphic design is a multifaceted discipline that leaves an indelible mark on every aspect of our daily lives, from product packaging to website design.

Importance of Graphic Design

Brand Identity: Graphic design is instrumental in creating a unique and recognizable brand identity. A well-crafted logo and consistent branding materials build trust and credibility among consumers.

Communication: Visuals speak louder than words. Graphic design transforms complex information into easily digestible visuals, making it easier for people to understand and engage with the content.

Marketing and Advertising: Engaging graphics catch the eye, attracting potential customers and increasing conversion rates. From social media posts to outdoor advertisements, graphic design is central to marketing success.

User Experience: In web design and app development, thoughtful graphic design enhances the user experience by ensuring intuitive navigation and an aesthetically pleasing interface.

TransCurators: Your Gateway to Exceptional Graphic Design Services

Among the myriad of graphic design service providers, TransCurators stands tall as the best destination to bring your creative visions to life. Here's why:

Unmatched Creativity: Our team of skilled designers possesses an unyielding passion for creativity and innovation. They're adept at turning ideas into visual masterpieces that resonate with your target audience.

Tailored Solutions: Whether you're a startup, small business, or established enterprise, we understand that each project is unique. TransCurators customizes design solutions to suit your specific requirements and brand personality.

Versatility: Our expertise spans across diverse graphic design services, including logo design, brand identity development, marketing collateral, web design, and more. We cater to all your design needs under one roof.

Client Collaboration: At TransCurators, we believe in building strong client relationships. We collaborate closely with you throughout the design process, ensuring that your input is valued and reflected in the final product.

Timely Delivery: We respect your time and strive to deliver top-notch designs within the agreed timelines, without compromising on quality.

Conclusion

In the dynamic world of graphic design, TransCurators stands as a beacon of excellence, offering unparalleled creativity, versatility, and client-centric services. Whether you're a business owner seeking a compelling brand identity or an individual wanting captivating visuals for personal projects, TransCurators is your ultimate design partner. Let us unlock the magic of graphic design and elevate your brand to new heights! Get in touch with us today and embark on a creative journey like never before.

Source Code: "TransCurators- Quality Content Writing Company"