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lilasamaaa · 5 months

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Havana | Charles Leclerc & Carlos Sainz x Reader

Genre | Angst, Hurt, Smut.

Word count | 5.0K

Warnings | Sexual content, alcohol consumption, cheating, some gaslighting, heartbreak!!

Summary | Reader and Charles, who've been dating for a few years, go on a trip to Cuba between two races. A few days before leaving, they learn that Carlos and Rebecca will be staying at the same resort. Good news, right? Well, if you forget Carlos and reader's years-long mutual attraction. Inspired by the « She chose me/Did she? » trend on TikTok… with a twist.

Author's note | Lord... This was so filthy I'm sorry. This piece is the result of this poll! Wrote half of this listening to These Walls by Dua Lipa, the other with Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello. Just so you get the mood. Not proofread, sorry!

She had been waiting for these holidays for months.

Since the beginning of the season, she hadn't been able to travel with Charles to any race, having no available days off. She was jealous of the others wags. The influencers. The ones who could rearrange their schedules in the blink of an eye to follow their boyfriends to the other side of the world without thinking about the consequences. But she'd foolishly chosen to pursue studies, foolishly found a job in marketing, foolishly trapped herself without even realizing it. She loved her job. Or at least, that's what she repeated to herself every morning when her alarm went off at 6 a.m. Sharp.

She had followed the start of the season through her TV and phone, and had savored every brief moment Charles had spent in Monaco (which represented, like... twenty days, tops, since the beginning of March). She knew she couldn't complain. That she didn't have the right to. She'd chosen to share her life with a high-level and high-profile athlete, and this situation couldn't obviously be all positive. She knew that other women would have sold their souls to be in her place. To wake up next to Charles, even just once a month. So, she never complained. She endured.

Charles had returned from China two days earlier, and they were heading to Cuba this afternoon, preparing for ten days of pure bliss. She was euphoric. Delighted not to set her alarm for the next day, delighted not to see her boss and colleagues for ten days, delighted to spend time with Charles. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Yet... There was something.

Yesterday night, at the restaurant, as they were making the final preparations, Charles' phone had lit up on the table and the driver had grabbed it, staring at the screen for a few seconds before exclaiming, "Non, j'y crois pas!". She had shot him a questioning look, and her boyfriend had chuckled before saying "Carlos just texted me. Him and Rebecca are staying at the same resort as us in Havana. This is gonna be so cool."

Oh.

She hadn't responded, just smiled, and returned her attention to the plate of pasta in front of her. Carlos was... a friend. Well, it was actually hard to define. He was obviously primarily Charles' friend, but they had crossed paths quite regularly in the past few years, and naturally, they had hit it off. There was just one issue. One tiny thing.

The man drove her crazy. It was ridiculous. Almost humiliating. She had been sharing her life with Charles for four years. She was happy. She was in love! But... She couldn't deny that Carlos made her feel things that Charles never had. Just the thought of acknowledging this made her want to throw up.

She had never acted on her impulses. Absolutely never. But... she could have. She had noticed glances.

It had started one evening at the restaurant, in 2021, when the two Ferrari drivers had organized a double date for their partners to meet. She had immediately loved Isa, with whom she had hit it off right away. The dinner had gone admirably well, the food was amazing, the wine delicious. The wine. There had been too much of it. They all probably thought so, seeing the bottles go by, but no one had stopped. No one wanted to be the one to break the great mood of the evening. So, they’d drank. Again and again.

If at the beginning of the meal, Carlos had just been casting curious glances in her direction, the wine had changed that. By the time Charles was explaining to Isa how they had met, the Spaniard was piercing her with his gaze. Equally intoxicated and never one to back down from a challenge, she had not flinched at the driver's boldness, holding his gaze, not even blinking. It had lasted a minute. Maybe two. Or even five, before Charles had asked her the name of the movie they'd seen on their third date, you know, the one with the mansion, and she’d finally tore her gaze away from Carlos.

"I believe that was Knives Out," she'd replied, smiling fondly at her boyfriend.

The conversation had resumed its course, and a few hours later, the two couples had parted ways. Lying in bed, in the middle of the night, she could still feel Carlos' burning gaze on her. That could have been nothing. She could always blame it on the wine. But there'd been more.

One day, Charles had suggested that she came with him to an interview he was going to do with Carlos. "It won't take long," he had said. "And as soon as it's over, we'll go grab a bite at that Mexican restaurant you love". She had agreed. The questions had started simple.

"What would be your perfect day?"

"What's your pre-race tradition?"

"Describe your ideal woman"

Even though she had been browsing her phone for a while, absorbed by the device, this question had made her look up. Locking eyes with Charles, the driver had smiled at her before answering.

"That's rather easy to answer, because I've already found her. My ideal woman is career-oriented. She works hard, doesn't count her hours. She wants to succeed because she deserves it, not because she's dating me. She excels in everything she undertakes. She sets no limits for herself, fears nothing. Tries everything. She can be uncompromising, but she knows how to be gentle and caring. She has weaknesses, but she only shows them to me. I am her refuge, and she is mine."

She had smiled, touched, blowing a kiss to her boyfriend.

"Carlos?" the interviewer had said.

"My ideal woman..." the Spaniard had started, searching for his words. "Actually, I have the same, erm… taste as Charles. But I would add that my ideal woman isn't afraid to make mistakes. She allows herself to make wrong choices, to take the wrong path. It's okay, she will always find her way back," he had added, looking her straight in the eyes. That bastard can't be for real, she'd thought.

The last... "incident" had occurred at the end of last season. It hadn't been easy, but she had managed to get time off, and she had joined Charles in Abu Dhabi for the last race of the season. Her boyfriend had finished fifth in the championship, and everyone : drivers, engineers, girlfriends, had ended up at the club to celebrate Max's victory.

She wasn't a fan of nightclubs. She was very migraine-prone, and the music, combined with the neon lights, didn't do well with her. Feeling the pain starting behind her eyes, she had signaled to Charles that she was going outside, and despite his insistence, she had convinced him to stay inside, wanting him to enjoy the evening. In the dark corridor leading outside, she had closed her eyes for a second. No more. Just to relieve the pain for a moment. And she had bumped into someone, of course.

The someone being Mister Sainz himself. Of course.

"I'm sorry," she'd said, still rubbing her eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"Just a migraine."

"Here," he'd said, leading her outside. "Let's get some calm."

She was surprised to see no one outside. Granted, it was already late, almost 4 a.m., and many people had left the club already. But still, she'd expected to see a few people. Smokers, at least...

"Charles fought well," Carlos had said, leaning against a wall.

"Yeah. He'll be champion one day."

"Of course," the Spaniard had say, grinning. "He'll have the cup." A pause. "And the girl."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she'd replied, pretending not to understand.

"Everything Charles wants, Charles gets."

She wasn't in the mood for this. Not tonight. Even if she found it hard to meet the Spaniard's gaze. Even if feeling his eyes on her made her shiver. Even if she could feel her lower abdomen tighten every time the driver's smooth voice reached her ears.

"Maybe everything Charles has, Charles fought for," she had replied.

"Oh yeah? Is that the secret?" Carlos had asked, coming closer.

"There's no secret."

"Do you want me to fight for you?" he had added, so close that she could feel his breath on her neck.

"You must have misunderstood," she'd said, finally meeting his gaze. "I'm talking about the championship."

Carlos had let out a laugh. An ironic, mocking laugh. Disappointed, almost. A laugh that meant "You and I understood each other perfectly well, but you won't dare go further". And she hadn't dared. Casting one last glance, she had gone back inside, leaving him alone under the stars of Baku.

She hadn't seen him since. Good riddance.

"I still can't believe it," Charles had said, yesterday night, taking a spoonful of his tiramisu. "At least, you won't be alone when I go golfing. I haven't seen much of Rebecca, but she seems very nice. I'm sure you two will get along well."

"So that's it? Our romantic vacation just turned into a friend's getaway?" she'd asked, almost offended.

"No, of course not. I'm sorry, mon coeur. We'll spend as much time together as possible, but... it could be nice to do a thing or two with them, right? I thought you loved Carlos."

The sentence had overwhelmed her with guilt.

"I like Carlos. I loved Isa, though," she'd answered, pouting, while Charles looked at her with soft eyes.

"Yeah, I know. But we have to come to terms with the fact that we won't see Isa again. Or, at least, not with Carlos." the driver had said, rising from his seat. "I'll pay, will you wait for me outside?"

Three days and three flights later, she's sitting at the hotel restaurant table, facing Carlos, wondering what Charles could have possibly misunderstood in her request a few days earlier. We'll spend as much time together as possible, yeah, right, she thinks, clearly annoyed.

"It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Rebecca," Charles says, giving the model a big smile. "Carlos must only have eyes for you, because I hear about you every other day."

She chokes on her drink. The whole table looks at her.

"Sorry," she says. "Ice cubes."

The conversation resumes, Rebecca proving to be very interesting. And apparently very much in love with Carlos, she thinks as she watches the blue-eyed blonde. She doesn't like the pinch she feels in her heart. She doesn't even want to put a name on it. It doesn't matter.

"I'm so happy that you’re here," Rebecca says after a while. "I can't wait to spend more time with you all," she finishes with a big smile.

"Yeah. Can't wait," Carlos says, turning his gaze away from Rebecca's eyes. Finding hers.

The following days pass without incident. Charles divides his day between the hotel pool, the golf course, and their bed, where they make love several times a day. If for some time she had the feeling that they were less close, everything seems forgotten under the Cuban sun.

One day, while she was riding Charles particularly loudly, the driver's hands digging into her hips in a deliciously painful way, someone had knocked on their bedroom door. Surprised, they had stopped suddenly, like teenagers caught red-handed, before Charles had jumped out of bed, grabbing a towel on the go.

"You're not actually going to open the door, are you?" she had asked, hidden under the sheets, with only her head out.

"You never know, what if it's urgent... Like... A fire?" her boyfriend had replied before opening the door.

It very obviously hadn't been urgent, and she had felt like dying of embarrassment when she'd seen Carlos's smug face on the other side of the door. He'd quickly glanced past Charles to look at her. Very obviously naked.

"Sorry to interrupt," he'd said, accent thick, licking his lips. "We had agreed to meet ten minutes ago to go play tennis."

"Did we? Oh my god, I'm sorry," Charles had said, closing the door behind him, running to the bathroom to change. Ten minutes later, both of them had left and she’d found herself alone in the room. Hot and bothered.

In the evening, to make up for leaving her alone all day, a very tanned Charles had invited her to a fancy restaurant in Havana, before taking her dancing. She had loved that night, so close together in the anonymity of the Cuban capital. She would have liked to prolong the festivities, to pick up where they had left off, but as soon as they'd returned to the room, Charles had laid down "for five minutes," and had been snoring ever since.

A faint knock echoes against the door of the room, and she gets up discreetly, careful not to wake Charles.

"You've got to be kidding me..." she starts, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Are you sleeping in front of our door or something?" she spits out, annoyed to find herself facing the Spaniard for the second time today.

"Charles forgot this," he says, handing her a towel. A towel with the hotel logo. What is she supposed to do with that? There are plenty of them in the closets. She stares at him intensely, arching a brow. Making no move to retrieve the towel.

"Can I come in?" he finally asks after a few seconds.

Without a word, she steps aside, revealing the room, and the bed where Charles is still snoring.

"Wow," Carlos says, walking into the room, laughing. "He's fucking knackered. I might have gone a bit hard on him this afternoon."

"What did you do?" she asks, clearly unamused.

"Nothing special. Made him run a bit." he replies, smirking. "I'm so sorry if you'd planned to finish what you'd started earlier," eyes boring into hers.

"You're a little shit," she says, disappearing into the bathroom.

She thought he would take the hint. Understand that his presence was no longer desired. In the bathroom, she takes off her earrings in front of the mirror, the door to the bedroom wide open, when the Spaniard appears behind her.

"Are you happy with him?" he asks, leaning against the door frame.

"What kind of fucked up question is that?" she snaps, turning to face him.

"A simple one," Carlos says, eyeing her intensely.

"What are you even doing here?" she asks, turning once again to grab her hairbrush from the countertop. "Shouldn't you be fucking your girl or something?"

Her hate-filled sentence makes him pause for a moment, seeking her gaze in the mirror. Faced with his silence, she lifts her head, meeting his gaze in the mirror.

"I had other plans," he states.

"Well, go fuck someone else then," she says, vehemently brushing her hair. She doesn't realize what she's said until the driver presses his chest against her back, gently pinning her against the countertop. She lets go of the brush, holding the surface with both hands, trying to regain composure. His mouth slides along her neck, making her whole body shiver. He's still watching her in the mirror as he gently bites her earlobe with his teeth.

"You're the nastiest person I've ever met," she says, letting a moan escape her lips as the driver slides his hands under her top.

"I've been dreaming of this for years," he says, running his fingers up along her stomach. "Morals be damned."

In the mirror, she casts a glance at Charles, still asleep on the bed. She can't do this. She's not like that. She's never cheated on any of her partners, let alone him. He doesn't deserve that, she thinks, closing her eyes as Carlos licks her neck.

"We can't do this to Charles," she says, panting. "To Rebecca."

"Rebecca will be gone by dawn if you ask," Carlos replies, gripping her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"What about him?" she breathes, eyes sliding down his lips. "I can't do it, Carlos. I love him."

"Do you?" he asks, still holding her chin. "Say it one more time, and I swear I won't kiss you. I'll go back to my room and pretend nothing ever happened. We can even share breakfast in the morning, all four of us."

"I..." she stutters, closing her eyes.

"I'm about to do something incredibly reckless. I just need you to tell me if you're okay with it."

She doesn't reply. She just looks into his eyes, and crosses the distance between them. Their mouths collide violently, and both moan in unison, desperately clinging to each other. Her hands get lost in his hair, running along his scalp before pulling at the roots, eliciting a growl from him. He kisses her, biting her lips, encircling her face with his hands. His hands. His hands are everywhere. In her hair, on her back, on her butt. She feels like he's touching her everywhere at once, and his touch... His touch is burning, awakening things she's never felt. With anyone. She feels like molten lava. Like electricity.

He doesn't waste a second. He's too scared she'll snap out of it, change her mind. In one swift motion of the arm, he picks her up, sitting her down on the countertop, spreading her legs with his own body. His lips never leave her : he's exploring her neck, her mouth, her cheeks, her forehead, anything to get a taste of her.

He's afraid that he'll only have her that one time. That he'll have to live forever in the memory of that night. So he memorizes everything. The beauty mark at the corner of her mouth. The one on her neck. The fine white scar above her eyebrow. The tiny wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, the ones she earned through years of hearty laughter. He sniffs her, almost like an animal, absorbing her perfume until his head spins. He's so desperate, so pathetic for her, and he would probably be embarrassed by his own behavior if she weren't doing the same on her side. Her fingers trace every vein in his arms, every muscle in his back. She runs her tongue over his teeth, bites his lips, tugs at his hair as if she wanted to keep a lock of it in a necklace.

So far, they had just been kissing. Something she would have a very hard time justifying to Charles, but which could be ruled as a... distasteful accident. But as Carlos grabs her top, making her raise her arms in the air to take it off, immediately going for her breasts, she knows it's too late. That there will be no turning back. She's panting now, and over the shoulder of the Spaniard, as his mouth finds one of her nipples, she steals a glance at her boyfriend. Sound asleep. Unaware.

Carlos continues his descent, lower and lower, tracing a path with his tongue from her breasts to her belly button and down to her lower abdomen. Urgently, almost savagely, he tears off her floral skirt and her thong with both hands in one harsh movement, throwing them on the floor. He's been so impatient, so hurried all this time that when he finally kneels before her, her entire body tenses, bracing for impact.

But the impact doesn't happen.

Not yet. Carlos softly plants kisses on her pubic mound. On the insides of her thighs. On her knees. Anywhere but where she needs him the most.

"Please," she begs, breathless. "Please don't make me wait."

"I've been waiting for four years," he replies, looking at her through his long lashes, amber eyes diving into hers, "You'll survive a few more seconds."

When his mouth finally meets her core, she tilts her head back, moaning. He's slow. So deliberately slow. For years, she's driven him crazy, obsessing over every thought of hers. His revenge is childish. Immature. He's not proud of it, but he wants to drive her insane. To see her lose her mind because of him, just for once. She's having none of it, bucking her hips until his nose gets lost in her folds and finally, he snaps. Grabbing her by the ass, he brings her impossibly closer, lapping, nibbling, biting, even. Her back is pressed against the mirror, one leg over his shoulder, the other hanging down. She's closing her eyes, covering her mouth. Her moans. Praying that Charles hears nothing. Sees nothing.

With the tips of her toes, she finds his groin. Her touch is so soft. Barely there. His response is immediate, and she feels his growl reverberate through her entire core. Continuing his assault, his fingers join his mouth as he circles her clit before inserting one inside of her. Then two. He's watching her, somehow getting harder every time she moans, every time she tugs at his hair.

"I need you," she says between two breaths. "I don't know how much time we have, and I... I need to feel you inside."

He could have passed out right here, just hearing those words leave her lips. He rises, capturing her lips again, while she takes hold of his t-shirt, stripping it off. And then, they hug. Their skins are burning with desire, but there's nothing sexual here. For a few seconds, they stay like that, absolutely silent. Clinging to each other. The embrace tears them both apart. It's almost violent, suffocating, the way all those what's ifs, we could haves and others if only we'd knowns fill the room in those few seconds. The hug is heavy with things that'll never be. Things that'll never leave this embrace. This room. Feeling something wet reach his shoulder, Carlos pulls back. She's crying.

He seizes her lips again, yet this kiss feels so different from the previous ones. It's no longer a kiss of lust, of desire. It's a farewell kiss. He knows it. She knows it too.

Her hands crawl along his chest until they reach the button of his pants, which she pops open with a flick of expert fingers. He helps her remove the garment, which also falls to the ground, along with all the others. In this room, in this Cuban hotel, they are finally completely naked, pressed against each other. He kisses her again, intoxicated by her, her scent, her taste, while his hand finds his cock, stroking it gently. He's so lost in her, he almost doesn't notice her own hand chasing his, stroking him softly. And then, in a new kiss, he presses against her before entering her.

For a few moments, neither of them moves. He, concentrating like never before to not finish there and now. She, accepting the idea that another man than Charles has taken her, and that nothing will ever be the same again. Charles, she thinks, glancing towards the bedroom where her boyfriend has turned over, still asleep, but facing them. He's so close. So close to opening an eye and seeing his girlfriend and his teammate pressed against each other, forehead to forehead. Skin to skin. She's still looking at Charles when Carlos begins to move inside her, holding her tightly in his arms, pressing their chests together in an incredibly sensual motion.

"Tell me what you like. Tell me anything and I'll do it," he says, thrusting softly into her. "I want you to remember this. To remember me."

"I want you to make love to me as if I were yours."

It stings. It stings so fucking much, because the phrase reminds him that she doesn't belong to him. It stings because she's not entirely Charles' anymore, yet she'll never be entirely his either. From this night on, she'll be condemned to wander between them, to float between their desires, their loves. No matter how tightly he holds onto her, no matter how tight she feels around him, he'll never call her his. He obeys nevertheless, quickening his pace, capturing her lips.

His movements are precise, surgical. He feels her contracting around him, and the sensation drives him wild. Her hands are around his neck, seeking balance, support. His pace intensifies even more when he realizes something.

"Say my name," he asks, panting.

She knows why he asks for it, why he needs to hear it, so she doesn't question him.

"Carlos," she says, kissing him. "You're making me feel so good."

And it's true. In a way, it has nothing to do with his movements, with his skills as a lover. All those that he very surely possesses, but are only secondary tonight. It goes beyond that. It's about their connection. With each thrust, Carlos floods her with love, adoration, longing, with so many sensations that leave her feeling deliciously overwhelmed. He doesn't need to say it. Yet, in one thrust, one harsher than the others, he does.

"I love you", he breathes against her skin.

"I know," she says, holding his jaw with one hand, making him look at her, their lips brushing. "I've loved you all this time," she whispers back.

Her revelation must unlock something within him because suddenly, he lifts her, pressing her against the bathroom wall opposite from the sink, as she lets out a surprised cry, feeling him deeper than before. His thrusts resume, stronger, more aggressive. It's a good thing he's holding her as if his life depended on it, because everything is too much : the sensation of his body against hers, their feelings laid bare, the sounds he makes... Her head suddenly feels light, and she rests it in the crook of his neck as he continues to take her so deliciously.

She comes back to herself when she feels something stir in the pit of her stomach, something that takes her breath away.

"Carlos..." she starts.

"Tell me, baby," he replies, biting her ear. "Tell me everything."

"I'm feeling... I don't know... I'm feeling so, so good" she says, incoherent.

"Are you close?" he asks, still pouding into her.

"I've never felt anything like this," she says, panting. "Anything like you."

Then, everything explodes.

She can't hold back her scream, not caring about anything anymore, not even Charles, a few feet away. She's clinging to her lover, scratching his back. Trying to catch her breath. She clenches around him so tightly that he loses control, spilling into her in three thrusts, grunting.

"Give it to me, Carlos," she says. "I can take it. I can take you."

"Mi amor," he says, out of breath. "You're killing me," he adds, still thrusting into her, shooting some more ropes of cum into her cunt while groaning. "Te amo, te amo, te amo," he says, kissing her face.

The two bodies collapse on the floor, against the wall, nestled together in the intimacy of the small bathroom. She shivers, and he grabs a towel to wrap around her. Neither of them says a word. What is there to say, after all? Here, between these four tiled walls, they've already said everything. Shown everything. They've never been closer to each other. They've never been closer to anyone else. They'll probably never experience something like that ever again.

A few steps away from them, a sound of crumpled bedding alerts both of them.

"Babe?" comes Charles' sleepy voice, as their blood turn cold and she rises up impossibly fast to close the bathroom door, wobbling a bit, legs still weak after her orgasm.

"Go back to sleep, baby", she says loudly. "I'm just taking a shower."

There's no response, so after a few seconds, she opens the door again, seeing that Charles has fallen back asleep. Mouth slightly open.

"You have to go," she states, turning back to face Carlos, still sitting on the floor. Carlos stands up, and both of them dress in a heavy silence before quietly tip-toeing across the room. Once in the empty hallway, she gently closes the door of the room she shares with her boyfriend before letting out a breath. He knows what's coming. Something breaks in his eyes, and she feels her heart shatter.

"I meant everything," she says, head low. "I meant every word, every kiss. I'll forever regret the night we just shared, but not in the way you might think. I will regret for the rest of my life ever experimenting this happiness with you and having to let go of it. I love you, Carlos, like I've never loved anyone. That's why we shouldn't see each other again."

His dark eyes bore into hers, almost threateningly.

"Why?" he asks, raising his voice, and she winces, terrified that, on the other side of the door, Charles might wake up again. "Why stop yourself from being happy? Why give up on me?"

"I found a ring," she confesses, struggling to meet his gaze. "In his suitcase. He's going to propose to me, Carlos."

"If that's what it takes to have you forever, let me do it before him," he says, dropping to one knee as she looks away, tears welling up in her eyes. One more thing he'll have taken from Charles, she thinks. He'll forever be the first man to ever kneel before me. And he'll never even know this.

"Please, get up," she says, her voice trembling with a sob.

He does, and when he looks at her again, his eyes are filled with tears.

"Good night, Carlos," she says, taking a step back, holding the door knob to her room. She's gone in an instant, leaving him alone in the poorly lit hallway at half past three in the morning. Her scent all over his skin, her words all over his mind, her grip all over his heart.

#I'm not okay lol #might fuck around and write a part two with a pregnant reader #f1 #f1 2024 #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 imagine #carlos sainz #f1 x reader #charles leclerc #formula 1 #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc x female reader #charles leclerc x you #carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz x female reader #carlos sainz x you #lilasamaaa #smut

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ambrosiagoldfish · 4 months

Note

hi! can i request headcanons of Adam x Male Angel! Reader who is sweet, kind and never curses? preferly sfw and nsfw but if u don't write smut for Male Reader, that's fine!

hope u have a Nice day <3

Adam x Kind Angel Reader HC’s

Warnings: General Adam TW’s, NSFW in latter half of post, He/Him pronouns with Male Genitalia. Slight Degradation/dirty talk. Fluff + Smut

Request Box: Open

Word Count: 820

A/n: thank you so much for the request! I had a lot of fun with this one! I did make it on the shorter side but that’s only because it’s quite difficult to make Headcanon’s 1000+ words without other characters but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy! Also I decided to make this little header thing for fics! I’ve seen a few others do it and the GIF’s I normally use are becoming a hassle to find. Let me know if you guys like it!

SFW

Oh boy, this relationship really is a match that could only be made in heaven. No one would have expected Adam to date a man who is the complete opposite of him. If anything, people expected someone like him or even Lute!! But you? They never could have predicted that.

But what can you do, opposites do attract.

You’re always being so kind to him, telling him he looks handsome, helping him with any and all work he might have to do, and on top of it you bring him gifts and trinkets! Not to mention all the delicious treats you get him that are almost as sweet as you.

And to be honest, this really messes with Adam, cause you’re literally so sweet and thoughtful but he doesn’t have anything to give you in return besides sex. At least that’s what he thinks but in reality he gives you so much more than he gives himself credit for.

He plays you songs on the guitar, takes you out to fancy restaurants, and over all treats you with love and affection than any other has. But even if none of that was true, you don’t do anything and everything for him because you want something in return. You love Adam completely unconditionally.

The no cursing thing is something that genuinely gets on his nerves. Cause like, he could never. This man has the mouth of a sailor and the delicacy of a bull in a china shop. Which is one of the traits you love about him, that he says what he wants. But also you’re just like “Sir, this is not what The Father intended-“

“Neither was putting my dick in another guys ass but look, I’m still here bitch!”

And it especially bugs Adam, if instead of cursing, you replace swears with other words. Like the other day you stubbed your toe when landing on ground and Adam had fully expected for you to do what he does, which is scream the loudest swear and be pissed off at everyone for 20 minutes. But instead….

“OW Fudging chocolate chip-“

“JUST SAY FUCK”

So, ever since that day, Adam has sworn to one day take your ‘cursing virginity’, at least that’s what he calls it. And he try’s so hard to do so, which is a slight bit of trouble cause he doesn’t want to like, be a complete douche to you.

So until he figures out a way to get you to curse, he’s pretty stumped at the moment. But still, he absolutely adores you.

NSFW

Oh Boy x2

Everything I said previously still stands if not double the amount. This man wants to do the👏Most👏Unholiest👏Things👏To👏You👏

Loves to see your kind and sweet personality slowly crumble because of his cock.

‘Who knew you could be such a slut?’

He loves that your personality carries over during sex, you give him everything you’ve got and then some. You want to do your best for him after all.

Speaking of which, if you worship him in any way that man is cumming IMMEDIATELY. He really just wants to feel like he’s above everyone else, and Surprise surprise, he has a praise and you being the, oh so thoughtful person you are, you make sure to completely indulge that aspect of him.

You babble so much about how good his cock feels hitting your prostate over and over again. How well he’s making you feel like like the Good Boy he is. It really gets it him going.

Remember how I said he’s trying to make you lose your ‘Cursing Virginity’? Yeah well, this is how. He is SO determined to get you to spill out just one swear while he goes to town on you. Is it the most holy thing he should do? No. But how could he not fuck your brains out till you break your own moral code?

He tries so hard too. He has yet to get you there but he has come close. When he had you in a mating press, legs over his shoulders, your ankle’s lightly hitting the base of his wings with each thrust.. You couldn’t stop begging for him to cum inside you as you came for the Xth time in a row.

“Please Adam! P-Please! Fu~“ you cut yourself off with a hand to your mouth.

Adam looked at you with his signature grin, his hips not stopping their movements to pump himself in and out of you. “Was you about to say something babe?”

You held your hand against your mouth shaking your head ‘no’ clearly trying to make it seem like you weren’t about to drop the f bomb.

“Mhm, right~ let’s see if I can pry some other ‘naughty’ fuxkin’ words out of ya!” He laughs a wicked laugh as he switches the position so that he’s somehow even more atop of you. Leaving you a completely, moaning, helpless mess for him to dominate >:)

#hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel requests #hazbin adam x reader #Hazbin #Hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel adam x reader #Hazbin Hotel Adam x male reader #adam x male reader #hazbin hotel x male reader #x reader #x male reader #character x male reader #fanfic #character x reader #hazbin hotel smut #hazbin hotel adam smut #hazbin hotel Adam

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merbear25 · 4 months

Text

Easing his worries (Sanji x reader)

With such talk of the disowned child of the Vinsmoke family being spread, saying you’re anything less than intrigued would be a lie. He's finding it hard to come to terms with being forced into marriage. His heart is breaking at the thought of being betrothed to someone he does not know. You, however, help ease his heartache, even if it is for a moment.

A/n: I know Sanji would stay true to whomever he was with (arranged marriage or not), so this is just for fun. Also @escenariosinfumables I know I mentioned this idea to you weeks ago, but I remember you wanted to be tagged!

CW: NSFW! MDNI! gn!reader, spoilers for Whole Cake, angst, ooc, oral sex (male receiving)

With so much of your life having been devoted to serving the Vinsmokes, you’d unfortunately grown accustomed to their ruthlessness. No matter how devoted you were or how careful, there were times that you caught strays of their misplaced anger. There were times you sought out ways to distract yourself from reality, although such moments were scarcely found.

When talk of the black sheep of the family being dragged here spread among the help, your curiosity got the better of you. The other servants spoke in hushed voices behind closed doors about how he escaped his wretched family. Such theories of who he had become only flamed your own interest in him, leading you to be rather careless once Sanji came through those towering doors.

The wanted poster didn’t do him the slightest bit of justice; this man was far more attractive. Observing him from the sidelines, the resentment in the room was suffocating. With tensions running high, you were unable to look away. Rubbernecking at the eventual collision in personalities made you sloppy, spilling tea on the satin table cloth.

Being a temporary distraction from their berating, your lax behavior made you easy pickings. A cup was slingshot across the room, giving you no time to react and leaving you open to the full force of fine china shattering against your delicate face. Your breath was caught in your throat, as the cup stopped inches from your nose.

Despite your gratitude towards Sanji, the shock of events left you speechless. He pulled their attention back onto himself but not without suffering the consequences. Slinking back from the brutality that had been targeted towards you mere moments ago, an immense weight of guilt placed itself on your shoulders.

Knowing you were helpless to do anything, you could only watch this kind-hearted man take the full force of his family's malice. When they had their fill, they left him battered on the floor. As soon as they left, you went to him. Helping him stand up, he clenched at his torso which had been the main focal point of assault. Offering your aid to soothe his wounds, you led him to a room a few halls down in an attempt to find a shred of solitude.

With your tender care, he felt a rush of emotions flooding his torn soul and couldn’t help but let some of his heartache trickle out. The kindness and sympathy you held in your gaze felt like a warm embrace; he was in need of such compassion more than anything right now.

Voicing his fears that his future was being stripped away, you lent an understanding ear, allowing him to say as much as he needed in hopes of alleviating some of his stress.

“I hope I’m not speaking out of turn, but you deserve better—a better family and a better future.” Each word held affection, and as his hand gently found its way on top of yours, he graced you with a thankful smile.

Moments such as these were a rarity—a gem that hid amongst this lackluster world. You couldn’t deny the attraction you had towards him nor the pull of his gentlemanly charm. Lowering your gaze, you could feel a heat on your cheeks intensifying.

“We both deserve better,” his words were soft as he carefully tilted your head back towards him. His thumb rubbed your cheek, coercing you to lean into his display of affection.

Hesitating at first, as if to allow you ample time to deny him, he stole a kiss from you. The softness of his lips meeting yours brought on new waves of desire that you’d been deprived of. With you having been kneeling down to tend to his injuries, your hands were allowed access to his toned thighs.

As if on instinct, your hands caressed him, trailing up his thighs and lightly pressing your fingers into them while your tongues entwined. The heat you shared was burning with intensity, having you wanting more.

Running your fingers over his arousal, a sharp inhale sounded from him. When you unzipped his pants, seeing him at his full length further fanned the lust building within you. Peering up at him with your loving eyes, the reddened cheeks and biting of his lower lip only whetted your appetite.

“Such a kind soul should be treated with the utmost affection,” your words passed your lips, feeling hot on his exposed attraction and leaving him spellbound.

Swirling your tongue around his tip, you then tilted your head to coat the underside with your slick tongue, being sure to pucker your lips around his pulsating flesh.

He clung to the sides of the chair in a feeble attempt at restraining himself, but the sensation of your warm mouth wrapped around him was making it impossible. While you filled your mouth with as much of him as you could, his hand found its way to the back of your head, feverishly gripping your hair.

With the euphoric finish just within reach, he gently pushed your head down and thrusted into temptation. The slight force caused you to gag and grip his thighs more tightly, yet this only heightened his desperation for release.

His moans sounded throughout the room while he reached the peak of desire, pumping his pent up emotions into your intoxicating mouth. Coming down from his high, he wiped a strand of hair from your forehead. Seeing how breathtaking you were in the afterglow of this sinful deed made you all too endearing, enticing him to lean down and kiss your alluring lips.

With a few moments to regain your composure, you couldn’t help but wonder if he’d be successful at leading the life he was meant for. If he was, you hoped you’d have the chance to see him again. Leaving the room together, you knew it’d be for the best not to mention this to anyone. It’d be kept between the two of you and remain a secret within those four walls.

#x reader #sanji #sanji x reader #one piece #one piece sanji #one piece smut #op sanji #op sanji x reader #op sanji x you #sanji x you #one piece x reader #one piece x you #black leg sanji #one piece imagine #op #one piece fanfiction #one piece fandom

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coochiequeens · 1 year

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Because large-scale organising is “almost impossible” in China, women are turning to “all kinds of alternative ways to maintain feminism in their daily lives and even develop and transfer feminism to others,” she says. These may take the form of book clubs or exercise meet-ups. Some of her friends in China organise hikes. “They say that we are feminists, we are hiking together, so when we are hiking we talk about feminism.“ - Lü Pin

To find evidence that China’s feminist movement is gaining momentum – despite strict government censorship and repression – check bookshelves, nightstands and digital libraries. There, you might find a copy of one of Chizuko Ueno’s books. The 74-year-old Japanese feminist and author of Feminism from Scratch and Patriarchy and Capitalism has sold more than a million books in China, according to Beijing Open Book, which tracks sales. Of these, 200,000 were sold in January and February alone.

Ueno, a professor of sociology at the University of Tokyo, was little known outside in China outside academia until she delivered a 2019 matriculation speech at the university in which she railed against its sexist admissions policies, sexual “abuse” by male students against their female peers, and the pressure women felt to downplay their academic achievements.

The speech went viral in Japan, then China.

“Feminist thought does not insist that women should behave like men or the weak should become the powerful,” she said. “Rather, feminism asks that the weak be treated with dignity as they are.”

In the past two years, 11 of her books have been translated into simplified Chinese and four more will be published this year. In December, two of her books were among the top 20 foreign nonfiction bestsellers in China. While activism and protests have been stifled by the government, the rapid rise in Ueno’s popularity shows that women are still looking for ways to learn more about feminist thought, albeit at a private, individual level.

Talk to young Chinese academics, writers and podcasters about what women are reading and Ueno’s name often comes up. “We like-like her,” says Shiye Fu, the host of popular feminist podcast Stochastic Volatility.

“In China we need some sort of feminist role model to lead us and enable us to see how far women can go,” she says. “She taught us that as a woman, you have to fight every day, and to fight is to survive.”

When asked by the Guardian about her popularity in China, Ueno says her message resonates with this generation of Chinese women because, while they have grown up with adequate resources and been taught to believe they will have more opportunities, “patriarchy and sexism put the burden to be feminine on them as a wife and mother”.

Ueno, who found her voice during the student power movements of the 1960s, has long argued that marriage restricts women’s autonomy, something she learned watching her own parents. She described her father as “a complete sexist”. It’s stance that resonates with women in China, who are rebelling against the expectation that they take a husband.

Ueno’s most popular book, with 65,000 reviews on Douban, is simply titled Misogyny. One review reads: “It still takes a little courage to type this. I have always been shy about discussing gender issues in a Chinese environment, because if I am not careful, I will easily attract the label of … ‘feminist cancer’.”

“Now it’s a hard time,” says Lü Pin, a prominent Chinese feminist who now lives in the US. In 2015 she happened to be in New York when Chinese authorities arrested five of her peers – who were detained for 37 days and became known as the “Feminist Five” – and came to Lü’s apartment in Beijing. She narrowly avoided arrest. “Our movement is increasingly being regarded as illegal, even criminal, in China.”

China’s feminist movement has grown enormously in the past few years, especially among young women online, says Lü, where it was stoked by the #MeToo movements around the world and given oxygen on social media. “But that’s just part of the story,” she says. Feminism is also facing much stricter censorship – the word “feminism” is among those censored online, as is China’s #MeToo hashtag, #WoYeShi.

“When we already have so many people joining our community, the government regards that as a threat to its rule,” Lü says. “So the question is: what is the future of the movement?”

“Nobody can change the micro level.”

‘The first step’

In 2001, when Lü was a journalist starting out on her journey into feminism, she founded a book club with a group of friends. She was struggling to find books on the subject, so she and her friends pooled their resources. “We were feminists, journalists, scholars, so we decided let’s organise a group and read, talk, discuss monthly,” she says. They met in people’s homes, or the park, or their offices. It lasted eight years and the members are still among her best friends.

Before the book club, “I felt lonely when I was pursuing feminism. So I need friends, I need a community. And that was the first community I had.” “I got friendship, I deepened my understanding of feminism,” Lü says. “It’s interesting, perhaps the first step of feminist movements is always literature in many countries, especially in China.”

Lü first read Ueno’s academic work as a young scholar, when few people in China knew her name. Ueno’s books are for people who are starting out on their pursuit of feminism, Lü says, and the author is good at explaining feminist issues in ways that are easy to understand.

Like many Ting Guo discovered Ueno after the Tokyo University speech. Guo, an assistant professor in the department of cultural and religious studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, still uses it in lectures.

Ueno’s popularity is part of a larger phenomenon, Guo says. “We cannot really directly describe what we want to say, using the word that we want to use, because of the censorship, because of the larger atmosphere. So people need to try to borrow words, mirror that experience in other social situations, in other political situations, in other contexts, in order to precisely describe their own experience, their own feelings and their own thoughts.”

There are so many people who are new to the feminist movement, says Lü, “and they are all looking for resources, but due to censorship, it’s so hard for Chinese scholars, for Chinese feminists, to publish their work.”

Ueno “is a foreigner, that is one of her advantages, and she also comes from [an] east Asian context”, which means that the patriarchal system she describes is similar to China’s. Lü says the reason books by Chinese feminists aren’t on bestseller lists is because of censorship.

Na Zhong, a novelist who translated Sally Rooney’s novels into simplified Chinese, feels that Chinese feminism is, at least when it comes to literature, gaining momentum. The biggest sign of this, both despite and because of censorship, is “the sheer number of women writers that are being translated into Chinese” – among whom Ueno is the “biggest star”.

“Young women are discovering their voices, and I’m really happy for my generation,” she says. “We’re just getting started.”

By Helen R Sullivan

This is the third story in a three-part series on feminism and literature in China.

#China #Japan #Chizuko Ueno #Books for women #Feminism from Scratch #Patriarchy and Capitalism #Misogyny #Feminist Five #Lü Pin #WoYeShi

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rivnedell · 4 months

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I'm just fucking ashamed to be French, though I always was more proud to be European and identified as citizen of the world (well European proud now is questionable tho..) And I never felt like I was born in the right place, something always felt off. And fuck, tonight.. I feel so kxndkdkdokdjxf.

I love many things in France. But.. I think I hate more things that I love some.. I've always felt attracted to foreigners, talk to them, speak with them and exchange point of views.

I'm glad I was born here bc yeah, we have social security, we can vote, woman can proceed abortion, we are Free (well, les and less since Macaron 🥲, I know, we like to call him this way)..... And fuck things were bad before he arrived at the Elysée but since 2017......... It's H.E.L.L.

ALSO

My fellows foreign friends who would like to come to the Olympics in Paris PLEASE DO NOT COME !! It's going to be a shit show (I'm looking forward to seeing that shit happen tho so it will shut the fucking bureaucrats' nuts head).

Reasons not to come :

- They forced students to move out from they student lodging !! Like... Some are on the streets now ?? They encouraged renters to move their tenants so they could rent their apartment at crazy rates to tourists. (All of this in Paris.)

- They forced to move, like literally took them in buses, homeless refugees out of Paris and Ile-de-France (Paris region) to farer regions (invluding where I live), they left them there, without any care or home, the gov b just like... "Let's just move the "problem" but we don't make anything to help them" 😤 So where I live now there's countless men, hanging in the streets, helpless, homeless, drunk and cracked, and I'm scared, even walking during daytime. I have all the sympathy of the world regarding to their situation + how they were treated by the governement, but the lack of help makes them, in a righful title, more aggressive and defensive. (And this is how the gov keeps the vicious circle going, no help, defensiveness, aggressiveness, more police etc etc..)

- The metro tickets will go from 2€50 (WHICH IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE ALREADY WTF) to 4€ YALL do not come and waist your money to the metro company please !!!

- The government/senate passed a law for "exceptional" video surveillance with AI for the Olympics, which Amnesty Internation did condemn bc it flirts with violation of Human Rights... Well Macaron activated it... A fucking year ago, yes in April 2023 and will last WAAAAY after the Olympics. And on top of it they didn't confirm that AI facial recognition will be totally prohibited. They didn't fucking confirm it's an absolute no, they reserved themselves the possibility to use it "just in case". They let the fog settle so they can sell and use citizens' private data. Bros are going to transform France into China, extra militarized and super aggressive police... For the universe's sake, I can't stand those jerks.

So the Olympics are clearly used as pretexts to pass laws and things that are NOT OKAY at all. I mentioned the main things of course but all of the organization is outraging for us here. And I pray the Universe Macaron will caught a cold when the atrocity of this will hit his nose in a great wave of cruel ice just as cruel and degrading he is.

Period.

#paris 2024 #olympics #paris olympics #european elections #shit show ongoing #france #french not proud to be so #text post #important

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mamirhodessxox · 8 months

Text

Serving for our CUNTry

Damnation!Leon Kennedy x Model!Reader

Desc- Your a well know Runway model for VS & other companies dating Leon who is infact a Government agent. Unfortunately for you Leon’s team was low on backup since last mission going to complete shit which is how you ended up being recruited for the 1 time & it is a HOT mess.

Content- Mentions of ‘Bimbo’, Hints of sex, Violence, Semi gore details, funny ff this time, Reader serving for our CUNTry, bimbo!reader

{~I'm very serious with you guys interacting with my writing!!!! it would make me so happy & excited, the more comments & reposts the more inspiration i have to write :) Votes and comments are strongly appreciated so please COMMENT COMMENT COMMENT COMMEENNTTT the more comments the more content <3!!!~}

“Baby we need to recruit you for backup.” Is the words you absolutely did NOT want to hear ever in your life when dating Leon.

“So your telling me you expect me to go out on a mission with you in the middle of fucking China and use missiles & guns that I have never ever touched given the fact that all I know what to do is walk down a fucking runway and look pretty?” You spoke as Leon hesitantly nodded “Yes.”

Absolutely fucking not. no. no. no. NO! “Leon I’m literally a victoria secret model & you trust me with a fucking MISSILE?” And then he sat tapping his shoe before shrugging. “Maybe?” NO! BAD LEON! BAD! “Y’know what if I’m gonna be serving for this country involuntarily i might as-well do it how I want to do it understood?”

Leon regretted this decision immediately. He trained you for MONTHS. You were right, you were definitely better at walking down the runway in 6 inch heels than shooting a gun but who cares right? Everybody apparently. When you guys were deployed onto the mission Chris judged you HEAVILY for literally wearing Bright pink high heel pumps, the smallest skirt & crop top that had the words “Serving for my CUNTry.” With your hair in literal pigtails. If you weren’t the queen of bimbos right now then he didn’t know who was.

You all split up into duos in some random rank facility & you obviously went with Leon. Everything was going smooth at first. Until you were being chased by some random fucking creature “GOD DAMNIT Y/N SHOOT THE FUCKING THING!” “I’M A MODEL NOT A FUCKING GUN LORD LEON!” As it kept getting closer you heard a loud gunshot & nearly choked on your bubble gum.

“Oh my god you shot it!” You gasped and poked your heel at the fucked up creatures gooey head & gagged “I thought I trained you how to use a gun sweetheart.” You furrowed your brows & scoffed while your hands were on your hips “Yeah & then I realized I shouldn’t even be 0.1 millimeters away from one.” Leon pinched the bridge of his nose before running his hands down your arms “Sweetheart now is not the time to walk the runway and look pretty. You need to use the fucking gun.” You rolled your eyes “This is NOT it Leon I hope you know this.” Somehow Leon found this strangely attractive. Whether it was the current skimpy outfit you were wearing or just your attitude in general but he knew when you both got home you were in for a surprise for sure.

Hours later you were literally STRUTTING and I mean fucking STRUTTING SERVING CUNT SERVING THE RUNWAY VOGUING CUNTY into some random room after seeing Jill being nearly attacked by a bunch of the infected. You completely forgot what to do but you realize you had very sharp heels & also a gun so you put it to your own creative cunty use. In one hand you were shooting off a few of the infected and in the other you were holding your pump slamming the heel into the head of some of the zombie like people. Jill sat in a corner breathing heavily just watching in pure amazement before you flung the gunk of brains off your heel before slipping it back on.

You squealed and jumped up and down clapping “Oh my god I ate that!! Did’ya see that Jill! I TOTALLLYYY served cunt!!” Jill lightly smiled not even knowing what that meant “You sure did..” when you guys caught up with the rest of the group Jill took Leon aside “She killed half of them with her fucking pumps Leon.” He furrowed his brows “I’m sorry?? She saved you with a literal SHOE?” She nodded her head & looked over at you while you were explaining what ‘Serving Cunt’ even meant to Chris.

The team genuinely thought you were some bimbo but you somehow saved all of their asses. Even after the mission you were given some sort of Medal & grimaced at it “What the hell is that?” Leon chuckled rubbing your shoulders as you genuinely hated the fact that they gave you a medal that wasn’t even pink & cute.

One night you were appearing in yet another fashion show. The group had came for support & Leon watched as you strut down the stage & posed. Claire was in utter awe of you & Chris like a supportive father.

You were definitely made for the runway. Which would somehow be perfect for Leons next mission..

xtripleiiix’s Masterlist

A/N- OKAY I LOVE model!reader & leon!!! READER SERVED SOOO MUCH CUNT & I WANNA WRITE MORE AB HER & LEON HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THIS?

🏷️ list: @ginswife @coolpastelartshoe @greatkoalawizard @cokolin044 @kotoriarlert @alicerosejensen @bunnybot55 @valkyrurx @agent-dessis-posts

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absolutebl · 4 months

Note

I just finished Triage and was pretty impressed with the plot. Altho I mostly love love-centered BLs/QLs, it made me realize I really like plot-heavy ones (especially action/thriller/mystery) if they're done well. Can you look through what I've seen and let me know if I'm missing any good ones?

Ones I thought succeeded to varying extents: Triage, Not Me, Manner of Death, 3 Will Be Free, The Eclipse, Pit Babe, The Sign

Ones I thought fell short plot-wise (but still kinda appreciated for trying): KinnPorsche, Playboyy, Laws of Attraction

(And I've seen others with actiony/mystery plots but I consider the romantic plot to be more dominant so I don't think of them the same way: Long Time No See, Candy Colored Paradox, Kiseki Dear to Me, Never Let Me Go etc...hope that makes my ask clearer....)

Thanks! Appreciate you!

I live for this shit!

Plot heavy (driven) BL/QL

(external motivation)

Liked:

Triage *

Not Me *

Manner of Death *

3 Will Be Free *

The Eclipse

Pit Babe

The Sign

The ones I put an * by are ones that I barely consider BL because they are so very plot heavy.

It's Okay:

KinnPorsche

Playboyy

Laws of Attraction

Also seen, but more romance

Long Time No See

Candy Colored Paradox

Kiseki Dear to Me

Never Let Me Go

Hum, difficult, because I see very little difference between Pit Babe and KP and Kiseki. So I'm gonna spitball a bunch of BL that edges into gay romantic suspense (or in some cases horror / PNR) and see if any hit. These will mostly be Thailand, only Taiwan also dabbles in this sub-genre, and rarely (because of the expense).

He's Coming to Me

Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Your Soul (similar team as Triage so def worth trying, it's PNR tho)

Great Men Academy (an odd pick but I think it might work for you)

HIStory 3: Trapped (the first one I thought of after reading your ask)

Golden Blood

To Sir, With Love (more of a soap opera)

Because of You

Ghost Host Ghost House (more horror than suspense)

Chinese stuff:

My Esports Genius Brother (it's WILD)

Word of Honor (censored)

The Untamed (censored)

Guardian (censored)

SCI Mysteries (censored)

Advance Bravely (censored)

Legend of Long Yang: Rebirth

This is one of the few times I'll rec this because this is kinda China's BL speciality and one of the many reasons the censorship is so annoying. Their product is quality... sigh. Bummer it also has to be evil.

Not as much suspense + action but stil external motivation + complex plot (earned romantic threads)

AKA Korea can play, too.

Color Rush

Until We Meet Again

Love For Love's Sake

I Feel You Linger in the Air

La Pluie

Unintentional Love Story

Tinted With You

Vice Versa

My Dear Gangster Oppa

DNA Says Love You

Be My Favorite

Stay By My Side

Two Worlds

The End Of The World, With You AKA Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu

First Love Again

Twins

Oh! My Sunshine Night

Cupid's Last Wish

Absolute Zero

So Much In Love (PULP warning)

(These tend to be my personal favorite style of BL. Although some are much less successful than others, in order with best ones at the top.)

#Plot heavy (driven) BL/QL #plot heavy bl #gay romantic suspense #gay pnr #chinese bl #thai bl #taiwanese bl

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blackmoonlightexpress · 1 year

Text

About the mixed response in China & why I think TTEOTM will prevail in the end 💪

Saw the "Badly Received in China?" post earlier and thought to share a longer take on the situation in China, why are there so many antis, and my own predictions on its future.

First, a clarification, TTEOTM has been an massive hit in China. The data speaks for itself in every way you can measure commercial success: viewership, platform membership, app downloads, social media heat index, advertisements, merchandise sales, unintended tourism GDP contribution. The drama has shattered records and outperformed all the recent xianxias, which you'd never dare to expect for a drama with no dingliu (顶流) that airs exclusively in the dead April slot on a platform that's 3rd (sometimes 4th) amongst online streamers. (Some day I'll create a master post just on the stats.)

The only area it falls short on is critical response. It's not just the low Douban rating (opened at 6.x and now dropped to 5.6). The three Bs - Douban, Weibo, and Bilibili (which you can think of as China's IMDB, Twitter, and Youtube) were full of attacks against the show. This included trending topics on how the actors looked (LYX too thin, BL looking old/big/overshadowed by CDL, CDL 照骗 not looking as good as in photo) as well as allegations of plagiarism and drama behind the scenes between cast & crew members. A lot of people watched video edits that twisted the facts and had a poor impression of the drama and even left 1/2-star reviews on Douban without ever watching an episode. (This type of brainwashing is more effective than you'd think. I've been reading a lot of negative posts about the Little Mermaid movie and almost caught myself writing something negative about it without ever watching.)

As all of this unfolded, I kept asking myself, why all the smearing? Who is behind it? And why TTEOTM in particular?

A lot of what appears to be normal user activity is driven by water armies, marketing accounts, and "black" hot search ranking, all paid. This is all backed up by photo evidence captured by netizens. It comes down to commercial interests of rival platforms, productions, actors. This actually happens to every drama that is threatening in some way (almost a proof of success), but TTEOTM attracted more anti $$$. Why? For one, it's seen as the secret weapon that could elevate Youku's status as a 3rd/4th player to a close 2nd to rival and even at times overshadow Tencent. It's no coincidence that, Bilibili, which is owned by Tencent and has way more daily active users than Youku, has promoted hate videos and limited the traffic of fan videos - at some point not even recognizing the drama's Chinese title in search results. (Bilibili used to be a haven for LYX fans and a platform LYX has partnered with extensively. This flipped 180 degrees since he no longer has any unaired dramas with Tencent.)

TTEOTM is also a target for rival productions. It's got big name stars with solid acting reputation, one of the hottest IPs, and high anticipation from all the promotional materials - they've been super loud in letting everyone know that they have better costumes, special effects etc Meanwhile, there's a massive pipeline of unaired xianxia dramas that stick to the old formula and will likely feel dated after people have watched TTEOTM. People even started questioning how some productions with bigger rumored budgets ended up with cheaper-looking promotional materials, costumes, CGI (read: embezzling). So if you've invested in xianxia 101, you'd really want to discredit TTEOTM and stop people from watching it.

But there's also rival fandom jealousy, which is almost worse. Someone asked which fandom is behind it, I would say everyone. There are only so many "resources" to go around in the "entertainment winter" and it's a zero sum game. LYX and BL are both already big stars but still not at the top yet. They are big enough to threaten the dinglius, but not big enough to be accepted as having "made it" by other rising stars. E.g. Yang Mi, Yang Zi, Xiao Zhan receive a lot of hate too, but it's less realistic as a prospect to bring them down. In contrast, the smearing of Bai Lu actually kind of worked. (And I'm really talking about the fans. The actors probably leave it to their agencies/companies.)

Other fandoms are especially bitter in this case because TTEOTM really upset the status quo and commonly accepted truths in a way that kind of discredits everyone else. A lot of the below have been used by fans of dinglius as excuses for when a drama doesn't perform:

Youku is a rubbish platform and Youku exclusive web dramas will never have high viewership

It’s impossible for an actor to break out twice within the same genre

An actor can only develop a big dedicated fan base with CP marketing

Breakout hits are always unanticipated dramas that come out of nowhere

Autumn/Spring is a dead slot. Hits can only come out of the summer and winter holidays.

IMHO A lot of the intense hatred comes from long held beliefs being proven wrong. LYX has always been thought of someone who’s borderline A list and B list, yet the opening viewership of TTEOTM is like double that of dramas led by bigger stars. It would have been less threatening if it started low and slowly gained traction because the drama proved to be good. But the initial hype speaks to the market power of a LYX xianxia, so a lot of people wanted to see it fail and looked for faults everywhere.

Moreover, because TTEOTM had an explosive opening, it did not have enough time for word of mouth to develop before people started bashing it. If you look at Douban ratings, shows that fewer people watched tend to have better reviews because only fans bother to rate it. Starry Love and Back from the Brink, both harshly dismissed as flops by the industry, both have >7.0 on Douban. Meanwhile, people love to hate on a show that is receiving a lot of hype - suddenly they are held to completely different standards even if the budget is similar. Why are people more accepting of the rise of Dylan Wang and Esther Yu in LBFAD? In the end because the expectations were pretty low. They were able to build up a fan base while no one was watching.

Finally, TTEOTM does have lots of production problems, some of their own doing and others not their fault. Either way this left the drama less defensible in the face of scrutiny or tucao (吐槽) culture. The production is very ambitious and took risks, but did not deliver everywhere. It's got parts that look like a blockbuster film and parts that look like a B grade TV show. I personally did not like some of the editing, lighting, cinematography, color grading, special effects, makeup. AND this is precisely the type of production details Chinese viewers LOVE to fixate on. Meanwhile, compared to western viewers, they are more forgiving about things like mediocre acting, dubbing, slow pacing, repetitive tropes or storylines, uninteresting characters. (I think this has something to do with cultural differences around rewarding perfect execution over innovation/risk-taking, sum of the parts over parts that carry the sum.)

And then, there are creative choices that are daring and controversial. These are not problems per se - for every viewer that hates it, someone loves it because it's different. But this perhaps explain why its score has dropped further, even in non-Chinese platforms like MDL, even amongst fans of the show. For example... (spoilers ahead)

Opting for a bad/open ending, knowing that it'll upset some fans, but sticking to it because they feel that it protects the overall integrity of the story (no deus ex machina). Of course, most viewers prefer a happy ending. It would have been easy to just give people what they want. The screenwriter doesn't even have to come up with a new ending for god's sake! However, almost every xianxia that has come before has resurrected the lead character after the big climax. Viewers have been making fun of the cop out: What's the significance of life and death if everyone just reincarnates?

Packing lots of details in a fast-paced, highly complicated, non-linear plot, trusting viewers to be engaged enough to use their brain, rewatch, and discuss outside the show (a bit like Christopher Nolan films). The downside of this is that it's hard to edit out a scene. There's also high risk of viewers getting confused and complaining that the plot makes no sense. Even though most things do if you go several layers down, some rightly point out that they just want to be entertained and the drama should stand on its own.

Making this a male lead centric (大男主) drama, which is rare in the xianxia genre that more recently has targeted young women exclusively. The story shifts from focusing on LSS's mission to TTJ overcoming his fate, perhaps at the expense of the romance (a criticism I see a lot from viewers looking for a pure love story). However, for context, viewers in China (including CCTV itself) have been complaining that the xianxia genre has lost the "xia” (heroism). It's gone from Chinese Paladin, which is about ordinary people overcoming odds to become heroes, to stories that are just about pretty people, who happen to be gods, falling in love since the success of Eternal Love and Journey of the Flower. TTEOTM brings the focus back to "zero to hero" character development, so this is also a change that many welcome.

Allocating a crazy portion of budget and screentime to superhero fight sequences. I agree with all the critics who say these scenes don't add much to the story, the B roll looks better without CGI, and they could have kept other scenes instead. BUT guess which scenes I find myself rewatching and showing off to friends the most? Episodes 14, 15, 32. Because it is thrilling and glorious. Plus after enduring so many Marvel films over the years, I'm pleased to see a version that's genuinely Chinese (not some pan-Asian BS), rooted in our philosophy and martial arts tradition, featuring Chinese faces that have real kungfu training.

Going over the top on aesthetics - colorful costumes, hair accessories, and heavy makeup. A violent reaction against the simple pastel aesthetics that have dominated xianxias over the years. Of course, lots of people hated on the eyeliner and found the extravagant visuals distracting.

However, even with all its flaws, I'm glad it aired and did not wait for perfection. (A lot of May dramas did not go live last minute due to "technical problems" i.e. government censorship. These days, airing = success.) In addition, I predict that over time people will come to appreciate TTEOTM more. Here's why:

1) A lot of dramas now widely lauded as classics started out with poor ratings. Over time, the noise will die down and make way for what really matters - compelling acting and story. Empresses in the Palace (2011) opened with a Douban rating of 2.7 out of 10 (yes, this bad). Viewers didn't like the casting choice. They thought the actors looked bad. There were also issues with the costumes. Over time, its rating increased to 9.4. It's now a show rewatched so loyally that data analysts use its viewership to track market size. Similarly, a lot of the issues people have with TTEOTM are superficial. The things that matter most like acting are good, and even if you dislike the story and editing choices, it did manage to keep 70M people watching and engaged till the end, incl. people who don't watch a lot of TV or like this genre.

2) Moreover, when people look back or rewatch, they tend to focus on just the highlights, and TTEOTM is full of memorable scenes. There are also so many standout memes/gags (出圈梗) that will live in our cultural fabric forever. Fans on Douban were surveyed on who they would have chosen as the director instead and still overwhelming "rehired" Kuk Kok Leung. Biases aside, I think people realize that you could have a better executed drama overall - higher production value, greater consistency, more attention to detail, BUT you might also lose a lot of the things we loved. I don't know if another director would have allowed TTJ go full creepy/evil/weak in the first few episodes or filmed all the steamy love scenes without a modesty backlight. TTEOTM feels so different because it breaks ALL the rules (see above) that I'm not sure if dramas in the future will try to replicate. If they do, TTEOTM would have started a trend. If they don't, TTEOTM will remain the only option.

3) Only dramas that inspire passion will stand the test of time. There are plenty of dramas that score well but don't inspire passion - they will fade away over time. The TTEOTM fan community is intense - there's so much discussion and engagement everywhere. Its Douban group is the #3 most active ever (measured by # of comments). Its MDL page has 68K comments, highest of all aired CDrama. Its Douyin topic has close to 29B views, highest of all costume drama. (Interesting to note that TTEOTM has an excellent reputation on Douyin, the platform with the most active users and least amount of toxic fan activity.) Fans have spent >25M RMB on merchandise, an unprecedented amount - 3M RMB on a character that appears for <10 mins (OG Devil God). It's got to have done something right because this is way more buying power than the fans of LYX and BL combined. And in my N=1, I've not been this excited about a franchise since Game of Thrones and then Harry Potter.

Bottom line, you might have liked it, liked it with regrets, hated it... but if you're spending the time to read this post, all the way till the end, you've become a luna-tic (or 烬神病人)!

#till the end of the moon #black moonlight holds the be script #luo yunxi #bai lu #tantai jin #ye xiwu #chang yue jin ming #chinese drama #cdrama

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dandelionsresilience · 1 month

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Good News - August 8-14

Like these weekly* compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my new(ly repurposed) Patreon! (*sorry this one’s a day late, I had a family emergency)

1. Rio’s grassroots agroforestry sustains birds, bees & communities

“[Community-created and -maintained] agroforests have reshaped the urban landscape and now attract an array of fauna, from birds to bees and even fireflies, drawn by the diversity of plant life thriving on improved soils. Perhaps most importantly, the agroforests offer free food and medicines to residents in need, plus shade and educational opportunities for the whole community[….]”

2. First giant pandas from China in decades make their public debut in San Diego

(image source) “Tensions between the U.S. and China had temporarily paused the program known as "panda diplomacy" in which China loans its native animals to zoos around the world […] as a show of goodwill[….] But the presence of [the two pandas in San Diego] appears to show a mending of the diplomatic relationship, which Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to work toward in a meeting with President Biden last year. [… Gov. Newsom] called the giant pandas an example of how strong worldly partnerships can protect wildlife and their habitats[….]”

3. Good news for Europe's top economies as disposable income rises

“Poland experienced the largest increase in disposable income per capita, rising by 10.2% compared with a decrease of 2.7% in the last quarter of 2023. According to the OECD, this growth was "mainly driven by increases in employee compensation, social benefits other than in-kind transfers, and property income". […] In Germany, [household income per capita] rose by 1.4%, compared to just 0.1% in the previous quarter, partly driven by an increase in employee compensation.”

4. FDA approves nasal spray as first needle-free treatment for anaphylaxis

“The spray, which will be sold under the brand name Neffy, is seen as an alternative to EpiPen and other autoinjectors. […] “Some people, particularly children, may delay or avoid treatment due to fear of injections,” said Kelly Stone, an associate director at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, adding that the availability of the nasal spray may reduce barriers to rapid treatment.”

5. [Colin Farrell] is launching a foundation to support adult[s] who have an intellectual disability

““We want to take a good look at residential potential for families with young adults who are ready to go out into the world and have a greater sense of community and connection,” says the actor. […] "It’s really important for James and for all of our kids to feel like they are wanted, to feel like they’re part of the community. Not just out of charitable endeavors or being nice and doing the right thing, but out of a sincere desire to engage and learn about each other."”

6. The Berlin Zoo is hoping for more German-born giant pandas as scans confirm a pregnancy

“Giant pandas have difficulty breeding and births are particularly welcomed. There are about 1,800 pandas living in the wild in China and a few hundred in captivity worldwide. […] The zoo noted that female pandas are only capable of reproducing for about 72 hours per year.”

7. Arizona school district highlights the benefits of free lunch

“A study by the University of Washington found free meals at school help reduce hunger, reduce the stigma tied to free lunch, and can help reduce childhood obesity. [… A cafeteria worker] said since the school district began offering free lunch, they have seen a positive shift in the cafeteria culture, and students seem happier. […] In September of 2023, the USDA […] loosened up its application threshold for applicants, allowing an estimated 3,000 more school districts in high-need areas to participate in the [CEP] program.”

8. Gigantic millipede lost to science for 126 years rediscovered in remote Madagascan jungle

“A further 20 species 'lost' to science were rediscovered during the expedition, including three iridescent species of fish and several species of ant-like flower beetles.”

9. The climate law’s $8.8B in home energy rebates are starting to roll out

“New York and Wisconsin are the first to launch their long-awaited Inflation Reduction Act programs meant to deploy everything from heat pumps to insulation. […] Once deployed, the DOE estimates, the home energy rebates will help save consumers up to $1 billion in annual energy costs and support an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in construction, manufacturing, and other sectors. They’ll also help clean up buildings, one of the biggest sources of carbon pollution in the country.”

10. Advance in stem cell therapy: New technique for manipulating stem cells opens door to novel treatments

“Recently, a team of McGill researchers discovered that by stretching, bending and flattening the nuclei of stem cells to differing degrees, they could generate precisely targeted cells that they could direct to become either bone or fat cells. […] The first applications of this discovery are likely to involve bone regeneration, possibly relating to dental or cranio-facial repair[….]”

August 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 8 months

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Supreme Court poised to appoint federal judges to run the US economy.

January 18, 2024

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

JAN 17, 2024

The Supreme Court heard oral argument on two cases that provide the Court with the opportunity to overturn the “Chevron deference doctrine.” Based on comments from the Justices, it seems likely that the justices will overturn judicial precedent that has been settled for forty years. If they do, their decision will reshape the balance of power between the three branches of government by appointing federal judges as regulators of the world’s largest economy, supplanting the expertise of federal agencies (a.k.a. the “administrative state”).

Although the Chevron doctrine seems like an arcane area of the law, it strikes at the heart of the US economy. If the Court were to invalidate the doctrine, it would do so in service of the conservative billionaires who have bought and paid for four of the justices on the Court. The losers would be the American people, who rely on the expertise of federal regulators to protect their water, food, working conditions, financial systems, public markets, transportation, product safety, health care services, and more.

The potential overruling of the Chevron doctrine is a proxy for a broader effort by the reactionary majority to pare the power of the executive branch and Congress while empowering the courts. Let’s take a moment to examine the context of that effort.

But I will not bury the lead (or the lede): The reactionary majority on the Court is out of control. In disregarding precedent that conflicts with the conservative legal agenda of its Federalist Society overlords, the Court is acting in a lawless manner. It is squandering hard-earned legitimacy. It is time to expand the Court—the only solution that requires a simple majority in two chambers of Congress and the signature of the president.

The “administrative state” sounds bad. Is it?

No. The administrative state is good. It refers to the collective body of federal employees, regulators, and experts who help maintain an orderly US economy. Conservatives use the term “administrative state” to denigrate federal regulation and expertise. They want corporations to operate free of all federal restraint—free to pollute, free to defraud, free to impose dangerous and unfair working conditions, free to release dangerous products into the marketplace, and free to engage in deceptive practices in public markets.

The US economy is the largest, most robust economy in the world because federal regulators impose standards for safety, honesty, transparency, and accountability. Not only is the US economy the largest in the world (as measured by nominal GDP), but its GDP per capita ($76,398) overshadows that of the second largest economy, China ($12,270). The US dollar is the reserve currency for the world and its markets are a haven for foreign investment and capital formation. See The Top 25 Economies in the World (investopedia.com)

US consumers, banks, investment firms, and foreign investors are attracted to the US economy because it is regulated. US corporations want all the benefits of regulations—until regulations get in the way of making more money. It is at that point that the “administrative state” is seen as “the enemy” by conservatives who value profit maximization above human health, safety, and solvency.

It is difficult to comprehend how big the US economy is. To paraphrase Douglas Adams’s quote about space, “It’s big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is.” Suffice to say, the US economy is so big it cannot be regulated by several hundred federal judges with dockets filled with criminal cases and major business disputes.

Nor can Congress pass enough legislation to keep pace with ever changing technological and financial developments. Congress can’t pass a budget on time; the notion that it would be able to keep up with regulations necessary to regulate Bitcoin trading in public markets is risible.

What is the Chevron deference doctrine?

Managing the US economy requires hundreds of thousands of subject matter experts—a.k.a. “regulators”—who bring order, transparency, and honesty to the US economy. Those experts must make millions of judgments each year in creating, implementing and applying federal regulations.

And this is where the “Chevron deference doctrine” comes in. When federal experts and regulators interpret federal regulations in esoteric areas such as maintaining healthy fisheries, their decisions should be entitled to a certain amount of deference. And they have received such deference since 1984, when the US Supreme Court created a rule of judicial deference to decisions by federal regulators in the case of Chevron v. NRDC.

What happened at oral argument?

In a pair of cases, the US Supreme Court heard argument on Tuesday as to whether the Chevron deference doctrine should continue—or whether the Court should overturn the doctrine and effectively throw out 17,000 federal court decisions applying the doctrine. According to Court observers, including Mark Joseph Stern of Slate, the answer is “Yes, the Court is poised to appoint federal judges as regulators of the US economy.” See Mark Joseph Stern in Slate, The Supreme Court is seizing more power from Democratic presidents. (slate.com)

I recommend Stern’s article for a description of the grim atmosphere at the oral argument—kind of “pre-demise” wake for the Chevron deference doctrine. Stern does a superb job of explaining the effects of overruling Chevron:

Here’s the bottom line: Without Chevron deference, it’ll be open season on each and every regulation, with underinformed courts playing pretend scientist, economist, and policymaker all at once. Securities fraud, banking secrecy, mercury pollution, asylum applications, health care funding, plus all manner of civil rights laws: They are ultravulnerable to judicial attack in Chevron’s absence. That’s why the medical establishment has lined up in support of Chevron, explaining that its demise would mark a “tremendous disruption” for patients and providers; just rinse and repeat for every other area of law to see the convulsive disruptions on the horizon.

The Kochs and the Federalist Society have bought and paid for this sad outcome. The chaos that will follow will hurt consumers, travelers, investors, patients and—ultimately—American businesses, who will no longer be able to rely on federal regulators for guidance as to the meaning of federal regulations. Instead, businesses will get an answer to their questions after lengthy, expensive litigation before overworked and ill-prepared judges implement a political agenda.

Expand the Court. Disband the reactionary majority by relegating it to an irrelevant minority. If we win control of both chambers of Congress in 2024 and reelect Joe Biden, expanding the Court should be the first order of business.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

#Corrupt SCOTUS #Robert B. Hubbell #Robert b. Hubbell Newsletter #Expand the Court #Chevron deference #regulatory agencies #consumer protection #government by Federalist Society

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q1ngqve · 6 months

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assigning my mutuals something from china that reminds me of them / that they should try / visit with no context (because im bored asf and they deserve all the love)

@sleepy3 — taro paste with milk mochi and glutinous rice ball

@clubkira — hot and sour noodles

@gojoest — book stores in the rain, specifically the aesthetic ones in shanghai

@kentoangel — high class restaurants at the top of skyscrapers

@hwaitham — shanghai disneyland / universal studios beijing (heavy on disneyland, you’ll love it there)

@anantaru — anime shops in shanghai (there are SO many, i spent 400 rmb the last time i was there 💀)

@wa1kingcorpse — drinking with friends in the middle of the night on a random beach in qingdao

@maimochies — walking in the middle of the road with firmiana simplex planted on both sides in autumn

@toruslvt — judydoll lipsticks and blush (they’re so good and shiny)

@uvuyai — the colourful shops in huangxing walking street in changsha

@silkjade — xi lake when it’s raining and there’s mist over the water

@bonknigirlinthehood — liangpi (i swear it is so good)

@shoyoist — this one specific influencer’s vibe

@zhonglism — that one specific starbucks reserve roastery in shanghai

@dearyx — luckin’s jasmine tea latte (the oolong one is good too)

@rinneverse — strawberry tanghulu, but it has to be sold by cute old men walking around the tourist attractions

@celestie0 — the pretty girls you see on the streets that you just can’t help but stare

#there are a few other mutuals that i didnt tag because they seem inactive / semi-inactive :(#anyway this is just for fun #you dont have to take it seriously 😋#𓇼 mutuals!

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libraryofmoths · 1 year

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Moth of the Week

Madagascan Sunset Moth

Chrysiridia rhipheus (misspelled “ripheus”)

The Madagascan sunset moth is in the family Uraniidae. This species was first described in 1773 by Dru Drury who put it in the Papilio genus, a genus of butterflies. He though this because it looked like a swallowtail butterfly, and additionally the specimen he was given had a different species’s head with clubbed antennae (a defining characteristic of butterflies) attached to the body. Jacob Hübner corrected this mistake in 1823 and placed the moth in the genus Chrysiridia. I though this moth would be perfect to post in June for its rainbow colors.

Description The Madagascan sunset moth’s body is covered in black fur on the back and orange fur on the underside. The thorax is an iridescent blue or green and the legs and head are black with filiform antennae. The wings are iridescent red, blue, and green with the colors mixing for the full rainbow. Black patterning of spots and stripes are on all four wings with the forewings having a black edge. The hindwings themselves have a white fringe on the edge and six tails which are often broken off or damaged over time. The upper side of both wings are mostly black with a large patch by the body. Patterns on the wings can vary and some moths are asymmetrical. This can be caused by many things like temperature shock during growth.

The colors on this moth’s wings do not come from pigments, but instead are caused by the scattering of light from the wings’ scales.

Average wingspan in high altitudes: 7 cm (≈2.8 in)

Average wingspan in low altitudes: 9 cm (≈3.5 in)

On occasion a moth’s wingspan can be as large as 11 cm (≈4.3 in).

Diet and Habitat The larva feed on four types of plants from the Omphalea genus that grow only on Madagascar. These species are O. ankaranensis, O. palmata, O. occidentalis, and O. oppositifolia. The larva eat all parts of the plants from leaves, to stems, to flowers, to fruits, but they avoid the veins of the leave which have a toxic latex in them. Adult moths drink nectar and prefer white or whitish-yellow flowers especially from the Indian almond tree, tea plant, loquat, plants in the Eucalyptus genus, and common mango tree.

First believed to have come from China or Bengal, this moth is only found in Madagascar. They migrate over the island to different areas with their host plant and can be found all over the island except for the south west and extreme south where their host does not grow. This moth’s preferred habitats are deciduous forests and rain forest regions.

Mating These moths mate all year but have the highest populations in March to August and the lowest populations in October to December. The females lay their eggs late in the afternoon or at nightfall. The females will usually lay the eggs in the underside of the host plant’s leaves in groups but can on occasion lay them on top.

Average number of eggs laid in each group: 80 eggs

Predators The Omphalea genus the caterpillars feed on also attracts polistine wasps who prey on the larva. However, the caterpillars and adult moths are toxic because the Omphalea species contains polyhydroxy alkaloids, which the caterpillars gain by eating and retain as adult moths. The wings’ bring colors are a warning signal of this.

Fun Fact The Malagasy people believe the souls of the dead or of ancestors appears in the form of a lepidopteran. The Madagascan sunset moth is specifically called adriandolo or lolonandriana, from lolo for "spirit" or "butterfly" and andriana for "noble" or "king.”

Additionally, eating the silk from this moth is said to cause a euphoric high.

Another interesting fact is the Madagascan sunset moth is one of only two species in the Chrysiridia genus.

(Source: Wikipedia, Moth Identification, Bug Under Glass)

#animals #bugs #facts #insects #libraryofmoths #moth #mothoftheweek #lepidoptera #Chrysiridia rhipheus #Madagascan sunset moth #Uraniidae #pride month #rainbow

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citrinekay · 5 months

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hi this is very random, but i was wondering if you're up for sharing any recs (regarding kdramas)? i am an absolute blank canvas, you can influence me into any direction you desire!

Hi, anon! I'm ALWAYS happy to chat about kdramas, so not random at all 💖 I will preface this rec list by saying that, in my opinion, there are two types of kdrama-enjoyers: people like me who love crime/thriller/mystery dramas, and people who like the romance/comedy dramas that most people think of when they imagine kdramas. I will also say that I'm fairly dedicated to particular actors, and since I'm a busy person, I usually only watch dramas based on actors I know I like or recommendations from trusted friends. There's so many that I haven't watched that I'm sure a superb! With that being said, here are my top favorites:

Beyond Evil: My gateway drug to kdramas. This show grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go for almost 2 years. It's a mystery/thriller set in a smalltown where a serial killer has been on the loose for 20 years. Rookie detective (and nepotism hire by virtue of his father being highly ranked in the KNPA) Han Joowon arrives in town with strong conviction that he knows who the real killer is - Lee Dongsik, also a cop, who was accused of killing his sister 20 years ago but was released due to lack of evidence. A shining example of "opposites attract" and an evolving relationship arc that is almost unparalleled

The Worst of Evil: My gateway drug to Ji Changwook. A crime noir drama set in the 90s. In order to infiltrate a 3-way drug trade involving China, Japan, and Korea, rural cop Park Junmo goes undercover as the cousin of gangleader Jung Gicheul's deceased best friend. Crisis immediately strikes when it's revealed that Junmo's wife, Euijeong (also a cop), was the childhood sweetheart of Jung Gicheul. The married couple become further and further entangled in the gang's operations and with the enigmatic Gicheul as the undercover operation veers from one crisis to the next, until by the end, they are both asking themselves, "Can we go back to who we were before?"

D.P. (Deserter Pursuit): This drama follows An Junho through his enlistment in Korea's mandatory military service, his introduction to the D.P. unit, which tracks down military deserters, and his fight to expose the corruption, hazing, and abuse within the military. By his side is his partner, Han Hoyeol, a much more reluctant hero who is nevertheless dedicated to protecting Junho at all costs. Another great example of "opposites attract"! But be forewarned, as adorable as this pair is at the start, this series will force you to look at some very uncomfortable aspects of human nature and society and ask you some tough questions that might make you shed more than a few tears

If You Wish Upon Me: My second favorite drama from Ji Changwook and completely underrated, if you ask me. A lonely and suicidal ex-convict is sent to a hospice care facility in order to complete community service. The employees of the hospice operate a program that tries to fulfill the last wishes of their dying patients. To Gyeore's surprise, he finds a group of people who welcome him despite his flaws and slowly but surely make him a part of their little family. Another series that will definitely make you cry more than once! One of my favorite parts of this drama was the romance. Unlike a lot of kdramas, it depicts a man who appears to be tough and willing to fight on the surface but is actually traumatized, powerless, and trapped in an abusive relationship that the FL helps him to escape.

Bad and Crazy: How to describe this drama?? It's a quirky, wild ride that will have you asking "what the fuck?" while also keeping you glued to the screen wanting to know what happens next. Under most circumstances, my suspension of disbelief would have collapsed after the first episode but somehow this drama kept me engaged from start to finish. In simple terms, it's a story about corrupt cop Ryu Suyeol, who has a split personality, K, that is determined to kick his ass until he becomes the righteous hero he dreamed of growing up to be as a child.

Hotel Del Luna: A fantasy drama about a 1,000's year old immortal being, Jang Manwol, who runs a "hotel" for the dead. It's her responsibility to resolve the unfulfilled desires of those who have passed so that they can continue onto the afterlife in peace without becoming vengeful spirits. Young hotelier Koo Chansung is drafted against his will to serve as the hotel's mortal manager when the former manager passes away. While it's Manwol's job to resolve grudges for the dead, she herself holds the biggest grudge of all that's keeping her tied to the hotel indefinitely. Neither she nor Chansung know it at the beginning, but Chansung will be instrumental in helping her move on from her painful past. 10/10 will also make you cry (are you sensing a pattern here?)

Empress Ki: Don't let the whopping 51 episode count of this epic period drama deter you! I watched most of it within 2 weeks and could not pull myself away. It's loosely based on the true story of Ki Seungnyang, a palace slave from Koryo turned empress, who captures the heart of Emperor Toghon of the Yuan Dynasty, which has control over Koryo during this time period. Toghon as been a puppet king abused by the regent for most of his life until Nyang empowers him to reclaim his authority, and in turn, claims a great deal of influence for herself. I've seen a good deal of dissent from other viewers over Toghon and Nyang's relationship, but for me, it was the most compelling thing about the show. No matter how toxic, co-dependent, and fucked up things get between them, they just can't leave each other to the wolves.

Bloodhounds: Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, this drama criticizes the government's response to the economic crisis and the resulting explosion of debt capitalized on by the loansharking business in Korea. Boxers and former Marines Kim Gunwoo and Hong Woojin meet during a match and quickly become fast friends. When Gunwoo's mother is tricked into signing an exploitative contract by a loanshark in order to save her struggling cafe, the pair team up with Mr. Choi, a former loanshark himself who has turned his business around to helping victims of loansharking get out of debt. (The last 2 episodes of this show weren't up to par in my opinion, due to a last-minute rewrite for reasons you can look up online, but overall, I enjoyed the hell out of this drama and adored Gunwoo and Woojin from start to finish. Oh and good news, it's just been renewed for season 2!)

The Guest: A priest, a psychic, and a cop team up to stop a powerful demon called Park Il-do, which has visited tragedy on each of them in different ways. I'm wary of the over-used "linked in childhood" trope that comes up often in kdramas but this drama did it in such a believable and satisfying way. I loved the main trio and their dedication to protecting and helping each other and never letting any one of their group go into danger alone Not to mention that this drama will keep your adrenaline pumping from beginning to end! (You might not believe this but ........ this final episode of this drama made me sob like a baby)

Honorable Mentions include:

Strangers From Hell (Lee Dongwook and Im Siwan), Link: Eat, Love Kill (Yeo Jingoo and Moon Gayoung), Welcome to Samdalri (Ji Changwook and Shin Hyesun), The Devil Judge (Ji Sung and Jinyoung), Unicorn (Shin Hakyun), and The Sound of Magic (Ji Changwook and Choi Sungeun)

#ask #kdrama #kdrama recommendations #beyond evil #the worst of evil #d.p. netflix #empress ki #bad and crazy #bloodhounds #hotel del luna

28 notes · View notes