#The next thing I'm researching is philosophy

[i-miss-music-247]

If this week doesn't kill me, next week just might.

[burst-of-iridescent]

South Asian and Hindu Influences in ATLA (Part 2)

disclaimer: i was raised culturally and religiously hindu, and though i've tried to do my research for this post and pair it with my own cultural knowledge, i'm not an expert on hinduism by any means. should i mess up, please let me know.

please also be aware that many of the concepts discussed in this post overlap heavily with religions such as buddhism and jainism, which might have different interpretations and representations. as i'm not from those religions or cultures, i don't want to speak on them, but if anyone with that knowledge wishes to add on, please feel free.

Part 1

In the previous post, I discussed some of the things ATLA got right in its depictions of desi and hindu cultures. unfortunately, they also got plenty of things wrong - often in ways that leaned towards racist caricatures - so let's break them down, starting with...

Guru Pathik

both the word "guru" and name "pathik" come from sanskrit. pathik means "traveler" or "he who knows the way" while guru is a term for a guide or mentor, similar to a teacher.

gurus were responsible for the very first education systems in ancient india, setting up institutions called gurukuls. students, referred to as disciples, would often spend years living with and learning from their gurus in these gurukuls, studying vedic and buddhist texts, philosophy, music and even martial arts.

however, their learning was not limited merely to academic study, as gurus were also responsible for guiding the spiritual evolution of their disciples. it was common for disciples to meditate, practice yoga, fast for days or weeks, and complete mundane household chores every day in order to instill them with self-discipline and help them achieve enlightenment and spiritual awareness. the relationship between a guru and his disciple was considered a sacred, holy bond, far exceeding that of a mere teacher and student.

aang's training with guru pathik mirrors some of these elements. similar to real gurus, pathik takes on the role of aang's spiritual mentor. he guides aang in unblocking his chakras and mastering the avatar state through meditation, fasting, and self-reflection - all of which are practices that would have likely been encouraged in disciples by their gurus.

pathik's design also takes inspiration from sadhus, holy men who renounced their worldly ties to follow a path of spiritual discipline. the guru's simple, nondescript clothing and hair are reflective of the ascetic lifestyle sadhus are expected to lead, giving up material belongings and desires in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and, ultimately, liberation from the reincarnation cycle.

unfortunately, this is where the respectful references end because everything else about guru pathik was insensitive at best and stereotypical at worst.

it is extremely distasteful that the guru speaks with an overexaggerated indian accent, even though the iranian-indian actor who plays him has a naturally british accent. why not just hire an actual indian voice actor if the intention was to make pathik sound authentic? besides, i doubt authenticity was the sole intention, given that the purposeful distortion of indian accents was a common racist trope played for comedy in early 2000s children's media (see: phineas and ferb, diary of a wimpy kid, jessie... the list goes on).

furthermore, while pathik is presented a wise and respected figure within this episode, his next (and last) appearance in the show is entirely the opposite.

in the episode nightmares and daydreams, pathik appears in aang's nightmare with six hands, holding what appears to be a veena (a classical indian music instrument). this references the iconography of the hindu deity Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. the embodiment of divine enlightenment, learning, insight and truth, Saraswati is a member of the Tridevi (the female version of the Trimurti), one of the most respected and revered goddesses in the Hindu pantheon... and her likeness is used for a cheap laugh on a character who's already treated as a caricature.

that's bad enough on its own, but when you consider that guru pathik is the only explicitly south asian coded character in the entire show, it's downright insulting. for a show that took so many of its foundational concepts from south asia and hinduism and yet provided almost no desi representation in return, this is just rubbing salt in the wound.

Chakras

"chakra", meaning "circle" or "wheel of life" in sanskrit, refers to sources of energy found in the human body. chakra points are aligned along the spine, with energy flowing from the lowest to the highest point. the energy pooled at the lowest chakra is called kundalini, and the aim is to release this energy to the highest chakra in order to achieve spiritual enlightenment and consciousness.

the number of chakras varies in different religions, with buddhism referencing five chakras while hinduism has seven. atla draws from the latter influence, so let's take a look at the seven chakras:

Muladhara (the Root Chakra). located at the base of the spine, this chakra deals with our basest instincts and is linked to the element of earth.

Swadhisthana (the Sacral Chakra). located just below the navel, this chakra deals with emotional intensity and pleasure and is linked to the element of water.

Manipura (the Solar Plexus Chakra). located in the stomach, this chakra deals with willpower and self-acceptance and is linked to the element of fire.

Anahata (the Heart Chakra). located in the heart, this chakra deals with love, compassion and forgiveness and is linked to the element of air. in the show, this chakra is blocked by aang's grief over the loss of the air nomads, which is a nice elemental allusion.

Vishudda (the Throat Chakra). located at the base of the throat, this chakra deals with communication and honesty and is linked to the fifth classical element of space. the show calls this the Sound Chakra, though i'm unsure where they got that from.

Ajna (the Third Eye Chakra). located in the centre of the forehead, this chakra deals with spirituality and insight and is also linked to the element of space. the show calls it the Light Chakra, which is fairly close.

Sahasrara (the Crown Chakra). located at the very top of the head, this chakra deals with pure cosmic consciousness and is also linked to the element of space. it makes perfect sense that this would be the final chakra aang has to unblock in order to connect with the avatar spirit, since the crown chakra is meant to be the point of communion with one's deepest, truest self.

the show follows these associations and descriptions almost verbatim, and does a good job linking the individual chakras to their associated struggles in aang's arc.

Cosmic Energy

the idea of chakras is associated with the concept of shakti, which refers to the life-giving energy that flows throughout the universe and within every individual.

the idea of shakti is a fundamentally unifying one, stating that all living beings are connected to one another and the universe through the cosmic energy that flows through us all. this philosophy is referenced both in the swamp episode and in guru pathik telling aang that the greatest illusion in the world is that of separation - after all, how can there be any real separation when every life is sustained by the same force?

this is also why aang needing to let go of katara did not, as he mistakenly assumed, mean he had to stop loving her. rather, the point of shedding earthly attachment is to allow one to become more attuned to shakti, both within oneself and others. ironically, in letting go of katara and allowing himself to commune with the divine energy of the universe instead, aang would have been more connected to her - not less.

The Avatar State

according to hinduism, there are five classical elements known as pancha bhuta that form the foundations of all creation: air, water, earth, fire, and space/atmosphere.

obviously, atla borrows this concept in making a world entirely based on the four classical elements. but looking at how the avatar spirit is portrayed as a giant version of aang suspended in mid-air, far above the earth, it's possible that this could reference the fifth liminal element of space as well.

admittedly this might be a bit of a reach, but personally i find it a neat piece of worldbuilding that could further explain the power of the avatar. compared to anyone else who might be able to master only one element, mastering all five means having control of every building block of the world. this would allow the avatar to be far more attuned to the spiritual energy within the universe - and themselves - as a result, setting in motion the endless cycle of death and rebirth that would connect their soul even across lifetimes.

[tenthousandyearsx]

Kaveh: Hmph, whatever, it doesn't take a genius to guess what you've been up to… You were investigating Sachin, weren't you? It was obvious from your notes. However, I don't believe his research alone would've been enough to pique your interest. His way of doing things is disturbing, while you… Well, to be fair, your philosophy disgusts me too, but you and Sachin are nothing alike. I don't imagine your views intersect at all. Egoism and nihilism are not the same thing. Alhaitham: My personal interest aside, Sachin's legacy is not entirely meaningless — he conducted experiments on a great scale, and left his findings behind. Also, thanks for the compliment. But I'm actually just passing through — I didn't come here for the conversation. Well, not this one at least. Kaveh: What do you mean? What topic of conversation could be more sacred among scholars than the exploration of differing philosophies? Alhaitham: Well, based on what I've learned, Sachin and his "disturbing way of doing things" — as you put it — is very likely to have met your father twenty years ago.

Kaveh: …What did you say? Wait, so… No, surely that doesn't mean… Hah. So that's why he thought I looked familiar. My father must've gone into the desert due to his influence… Alhaitham: I'm afraid so. Kaveh: … Good thing I shattered that diadem. From now on… nothing like that will ever have to happen again. Alhaitham: The boundaries of knowledge are ever-expanding. Someone else will inevitably pick up the same line of research one day, and Vahumana regards it as a reasonable research direction. Kaveh: Oh, not this again… Even if you're right, and people are bound to fall into the same intellectual traps, things won't necessarily go the same way again next time. You have to admit that the actions of one individual don't always predict the behavior of the group, and vice-versa. Take Sachin, for instance. He's quite an anomaly. Alhaitham: And so is the one who stopped him — you. Conflicts of this nature are indeed exceptional, but it will occur again in the future. You said it yourself — the actions of one individual cannot predict the behavior of a whole group. You know that not everyone would have chosen as you did. Kaveh: …Even so, I stand by my views. You can forget about trying to convince me. Alhaitham: That's fine. We've been arguing over this for years, and I don't hold any hope of you understanding. The issue we're debating has long since moved on from who's right and who's wrong. Kaveh: …Thanks for letting me know all this. Alhaitham: What? Kaveh: I said, thanks for letting me know. Hey! Stop acting like you didn't hear me! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you!? Alhaitham: They say that earnest thanks should be given thrice, so… One more time, please. (x)

[sunny-days-and-warm-mournings]

It is finally finished!! I am done and is so happy!!!

This is an AU exploring the concept of Sūn Wùkōng/Dàshèng as a Yaksha and Tu Di Gong, rather than being a Yaoguai Warlord during his later years reigning as the Monkey King.

This AU follows the beginning (with some changes here and there) up until Wùkōng's shenanigans with Ao Guang, then he went on a separate path from Wu Cheng'en's novel.

In this iteration our favourite Monkey explored the realms as he burned up time, but then he took a particular interest in the humans' ways of producing food. Since Dàshèng was so used to the grandeur and bounties of Huagoushan (being surrounded by such lush forests and mountains that never withered nor died) he sort of took pity on them before deciding to help them grow their crops much better.

But this is just the very much shortened summary of the beginning of this AU, and I have compiled some research and even more lore in my Google Documents just to expand on this idea more.

This— Westward To Tathāgatagarbha Lore Google Documents

This is the Google Document of my AU, which I highly recommend for you to read! It explains all the other details and such on this story! I did my best on making them but there would be still mistakes that I have yet to find, but it should be decent!!

This is a more casual look for Dàshèng/Wùkōng for this AU as well as some brief pointers! I made this before the portrait so some things might have changed.

(Don't mind him holding a cup of beer it's fine.)

Taken from the server (with some hints for the next half of the archives/docs) which instantly kickstarted this whole thing haahahjjjss, but it really was so fun talking about it to others! They gave me more inspiration that I can handle.

And what is Tathāgatagarbha you ask? (Brief)

In Buddhist philosophy, Buddha-nature is the potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all beings already have a pure buddha-essence within. "Buddha-nature" is the common English translation for several related Mahayana Buddhist terms, most notably tathāgatagarbha and buddhadhātu, but also sugatagarbha, and buddhagarbha. Tathāgatagarbha can mean "the womb" or "embryo" (garbha) of the "thus-gone one" (tathāgata), and can also mean "containing a tathāgata". Buddhadhātu can mean "buddha-element," "buddha-realm" or "buddha-substrate"

The Chinese translated the term tathāgatagarbha as rúláizàng (如来藏), or "Tathāgata's (rúlái) storehouse" (zàng). According to Brown, "storehouse" may indicate both "that which enfolds or contains something", or "that which is itself enfolded, hidden or contained by another." The Tibetan translation is de bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po, which cannot be translated as "womb" (mngal or lhums), but as "embryonic essence", "kernel" or "heart".

The term tathagatagarbha first appears in the Tathāgatagarbha sūtras, which date to the 2nd and third centuries CE.

There will be more to this in the future when I'm finished researching more about it.

Also, speaking of people that inspire me, I'm calling my dear friends here who I think might like this: @digitalagepulao @kaijufluffs @sketching-shark @lavaflowe @sixteenthchapel @jttw-monkeybusiness and @hcdragoncat !!

Special thanks to Pardal and Grandpa Sun for getting me to write more of this too :D I had such great fun!

I have so much more to add to the docs and here but this is all for now :) and honestly this is one of the greatest projects I've started aside from the older ones. I'll come back again soon with more additions and art! And lore (And maybe some interactions with a few West Heaven occupants??)!!!

[thatfoxnamedfinley]

Ten Heartbeats...aka The Way of Kings thoughts

Holy fuck my friends

holy FUCK

this is the longest book I've ever read while simultaneously being one of the best books I've ever read

Friends, students, juvenile delinquents. LEND ME YOUR EAR.

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT, this is going to be a long one baby LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo

Them: Ok so everyone say their favorite character on three. Okay? One, Two, Three! -

Me: Szeth! Wait...er...I think actually it's Dalinar. Wait...but, Kaladin...er...and Syl too. Well, maybe...Wit...er...possibly Teft? Rock! Er...

Them:

The characters are EXCELLENT. Fascinating. Probably because the world building is so solid that they are able to all stand on their own in their own stories.

I know a big complaint is Shallan's parts in the beginning half (because we're so thirsty for Kaladin and Dalinar's stories) but I still really liked them. I know Capsule isn't the guy's name (spelled Kabsal I think) but I'm calling him Capsule. That's the one part I wasn't a huge fan of only because I'm not a fan of romance in anything I consume. There was a payoff at the end but still.

Now, I DO think that Jasnah CARRIED Shallan's chapters because a lot of what Shallan was trying to do revolved around Jasnah and stealing her Soulcaster and what Jasnah was researching and who Jasnah's father was and how intelligent Jasnah is. I actually found the philosophy of her killing those men in the alleyway to make Shallan more open minded to different ways of thinking to be quite brilliant. I also knew through other avenues of the story (Dalinar's POV) that what Jasnah was researching was major and the lore we would get from Shallan's POV would be invaluable to the world building. ESPECIALLY towards the back half when Shallan was drawing weird things and Capsule made his move to assassinate Jasnah (with bread and jam LMFAO bro)

The scene of Shallan running away from those creatures she was drawing was genuinely frightening, especially when she reached out towards the hand that was near her (in her drawing) and felt something there. I was like

And the soulcasting and that both she and Jasnah can do it without a soulcaster because...??????????? oh dont worry we dont know yet

And wtf is Shadesmar

like WTF is that place? WTF is there? What is it? A different plane? Are spren there? Are voidbringers there? Are not all spren good? Like, I know there are painspren and deathspren and rotspren and the question has continued to be asked if the spren are drawn to things or if they create them. But they seem to have limited intelligence (minus maybe Syl). But there's no reason to believe that maybe there are spren that aren't malicious; we just haven't seen them yet. They're in Shadesmar bitch

(side note, anticipationspren and gloryspren may be my fav, I can imagine them as little sprites with their hands raised in the air, lit af)

OH AND BITCH the revelation of the Parshmen being the VOIDBRINGERS????????????????? BITCH WTF

When it was mentioned the Voidbringers "hummed in song" I was like WAIT A FUCKING SECOND THERE'S NO FUCKING WAY

like WTF IS HAPPENING and when Jasnah was like "girlie, these bitches are ingratiated into every aspect of our society" Shallan and I were BOTH like

Kaladin and Syl. Baby boi and baby girl.

do not TOUCH me when Syl was holding up her little arms in front of the highstorm to try to shield Kaladin from it

When she brought him a leaf to make him feel better

Saying she tripped some men to get back at being mean to Kaladin and she was so proud of herself

At moments she gave Kaladin a reason to live and she was AMAZING. BOIIIIIII when she appeared a full woman next to Kaladin and the look on her face and the echo of his father's words making him go back and save Dalinar. Syl appearing like that honestly carried so much weight, especially when you find out she's an Honorspren. Spirit of oaths. Of promises. And nobility. And all of a sudden that moment and that battle had so much more gravity. I can close my eyes an imagine her hair blowing around her face as she watches Dalinar's banner fight to survive and the moment Kaladin realises he HAS to go help them....

BOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

ok wait wait wait my heartrate is increasing let me travel back a little bit

Kaladin and the process of getting his Bridge Four homeboys to trust him was

Rock and Teft are LEGENDS. Rock being the first one to really see Kaladin as a leader was iconic.

I'm listening to the audiobooks (if you are unaware and this is a first book posting of mine you've seen) I'm a REALLY slow reader. I get distracted and I have ADD so I need to be moving and doing other things (even if it's just COLORING while I listen, I can't just sit and read but I'm trying to get better at it), and there's a bookmark+note I left on chapter 21:

"Rock, I fear, may be an actual legend"

I actually ended up liking Teft a little bit more than Rock by the end of the book but Rock being the first one to actually be open and willing to Kaladin's leadership made me really like him immediately.

I liked Teft a lot because he was the one constantly checking up on Kaladin and asking him if he was okay, giving him space when he needed it but still staying close to him and I thought that was really sweet. When you're depressed, sometimes someone just needs to BE there with you and Teft seemed to understand the burden of leadership. And of course it helped that he saw Kaladin glow like a flamespren on steroids after Kaladin survived a highstorm.

All due respect I'm so glad he survived the highstorm cause, *COUGH* prophecy *COUGH*, but Sanderson described him as basically flapping in the wind like a wet sock

I liked when they were doing the assault to save Dalinar (SADEAS YOU FUCKING BASTARD OH I'LL GET TO HIM) and Bridge Four was watching him fight with his spear and they were all watching in awe and the Teft snapped out of it like OUR BRIDGELEADER NEEDS US COME ON MEN

And they all charged I was like

I came around on Moash too eventually XD

Lopen was funny cause he had like 15 cousins that owed him favors and I'm like BRO WHO ARE YOU

Hoid being Sigzil's old master was a pleasant surprise. When he was telling that story to Kaladin by the fire I was like "Wait a minute is he also a Worldsinger?? He knows all this SHIT!" Then when it was revealed I was satisfied. A pleasant tie-in to that character that made the world seem more connected.

My working theory is that spren gave the Radiants their powers and they have to do like an "equal exchange" thing (like Shallan with that voice that wanted something) for their powers to fully manifest. I don't know that you're "BORN" with powers so much as chosen by a specific spren with a specific power. But girl, idk this is just what my brain is thinking after lying in bed with scrap paper like

Dalinar.

Stoic boi. Soft boi. Emotional boi. Pent up boi. Sadeas and Dalinar have this exchange in which he has this to say about Dalinar. From Chapter 26, ahem, let me read it:

"It's odd, how a leader's influence can affect his men," Sadeas said. "So many of these are like smaller versions of you. Bundles of emotion, wrapped up and tied until they become stiff from the pressure. They're so sure in some ways, yet so insecure in others."

[...]

"But don't you ever want to let it out, as you used to? Doesn't it pound on you inside, like someone trapped within a large drum? Beating, banging, trying to claw free?"

"Yes," Dalinar said.

[...]

"And the Thrill, Dalinar. Do you still feel the Thrill?"

*folds sheet of paper away* And not only does this sound like the beginning of a very intense gay fanfic (note that my bookmark note in the audiobook read as follows: Yo Sadeas, this pillow talk is WILD rn bro. "Do you still feel the Thrill?" BRO WE'RE ON A HUNT FOR A CHASMFIEND RN THIS IS *NOT* THE TIME MY GUY), but Navani echoes something similar later. Dalinar does too when they finally accept their feelings for each other. He says he HAS to live for something or else he spirals out of control. The Codes, Gavilar, the book. If he gives himself any "leeway on the leash" then he rages. I found that to be ever present in his character, always having to calm himself down and ESSENTIALLY do breathing exercises when people pissed him tf off.

I found Dalinar's POV quite captivating. A warlord, a feared warlord, who has visions of...crazy shit during these highstorms and really goes through this internal conflict of if he is mad or not and if he should abdicate to his son. His boon and curse are unknown to us from the NightWatcher (although alluding maybe his curse has to do with his wife as he doesn't even remember her name).

During the battle at the end with the Parshendi when Sadeas abandons him I had several thoughts and feelings during this

1.) Kaladin choosing to go save him was fucking EPIC. When Dalinar sees them charging back to them, a single lone bridge crew...using THAT as a hope and fighting through the army....GOOSEBUMPS BRO

2.) I think that Parshendi that said he had "finally found" Dalinar after searching for him was Odium. I really think this. The odd respectful saluting towards Dalinar...it was all so odd but it makes me feel what I felt since we saw his very first highstorm vision. Dalinar is chosen. A lot of our MCs are. For what, I don't know. But they're chosen for this Everstorm coming.

3.) SADEAS. You insidious POS. From Dalinar's POV, it was written so well that I actually thought Sadeas was an ally. Maybe I'm a dumb mother fucker. I did NOT anticipate Sadeas betraying him. I really didn't. It's a trope and I should of seen that shit from a mile away but I didn't.

4.) It's actually heatwarming how much Adolin loves his father. during his brief POV's he thinks about him a lot in a very loving manner and it's actually lovely to see that the relationships he has with his two sons are HEALTHY. In Chapter 12, Adolin states the reason he fights is that he can never forgive the Parshendi for bringing his father so much pain after the assassination of his brother. That's like...super sweet! He even states in the same chapter that he thinks his father is the greatest man alive. Seeing a loving, healthy dynamic between a father and his son was actually super, super special and unexpected. He still had moments where he challenged his father and Dalinar LETS him but he spends a lot of his time trying to understand his father's thoughts and I can't WAIT to see more of this dynamic as well as more of Adolin and Renarin (I have a feeling this dude will be a dark horse later) in later books.

World building is great. I literally felt like I was dropped into this world with no explanations, expected to figure everything out. While there are frustrations in that maybe, I really liked it. It took me about a week to work through this book (I read along with the audiobook, like someone was reading to me at night) and many a night was I awake til like 4am listening and thinking about it. In my bed all curled up, listening and imagining the world. Giggling sometimes, gasping. Clapping vigorously. I almost cried once.

THIS is how stories should be felt. Like I'm by a fire, wrapped up in a blanket given to me from another world, lost in the stories of the stars when I look up. One of the best experiences I've had with a book and I'm truly looking forward to the next book.

Until next time *salutes*

side thoughts pulled from audiobook bookmarked notes:

Dalinar giving up his Shardblade for Bridge Four and all of the bridgeman was kinda hot, ngl

Syl may be a GOAT

"Brightlord Sadeas," Wit said, taking a sip of wine. "I'm terribly sorry to see you here." LMFAOO WHAT A CUNTY ICON i love Wit

wait if men don't write how does Szeth know how wtf (Szeth is an actual baby angel and he may be the side character I want to know the most about. Super super interesting)

Teft kinda clutch

"What is that?" Gaz said, pointing. "Bridge Crew. Carrying what I believe is...yes, it's a bridge." Kaladin is lowkey a comedian

wait where tf did Gaz go later on

Bridge Four nodding knowingly when they see Kaladin talking to air LMFAOOOO I fear this bridge crew is iconic

[sysmedsaresexist]

im a system trying to learn more about endos.

so far in syscourse ive only seen proof of cdds being traumagenic but they dont disprove non-cdd plurality, so what sources are there that have evidence of endogenic systems, if you have any?

Right now? There isn't any hard evidence that would satisfy anti endos. There's TONS of papers and articles talking about the recent emergence of endogenic systems, but they're mostly interview based. I debunked a lot of them when I was still anti. Small sample sizes, personal bias about dysfunction levels, all interviews. Those won't stand for those who are skeptical.

Now that I've calmed my gender neutral tits, though, I can look at where all this research is heading, and I can look back and find all the different terms that have been used to describe this same phenomenon. Those terms don't fall under psychology, they appear in journals about consciousness and self and philosophy, and they go all the way back to the 1800s, developing right alongside theories on hysteria and split personality, and the TOSD.

I don't need to do the work for you (/nm), just Google multiple self theory and fall down the rabbit hole. Trust me. One Google search, move at your own pace. It'll mean more when you find all this yourself and make the journey on your own. It was way more effective when I went alone.

That said, I'm not heartless.

The most promising research coming out is the tulpa studies.

Tanya Luhrmann and Michael Lifshitz are incredible, but it's Luhrmann who really stole my heart. She has a long list of work on religious communication with God and "others", and was a huge part of putting tulpas, and several other different voice hearing, religious communities into the fmri scanners to see what's going on. The reddit AMA is being passed around now, and it's largely being ignored by antis, without understanding what it was.

The tulpa studies began... shit, 5 years ago? Covid put a hold on the project, but it's back up and running and they're working on the final paper. The AMA was a chance for people to ask questions to the lead researchers about the project, including whether they found anything.

And they did.

The brains of tulpamancers and other practitioners lit up in unexpected areas and outside of conscious control (very basic overview).

Luhrmann also wrote about how this kind of research can help other voice hearers, and could potentially point to some new therapy opportunities for those struggling.

No, Luhrmann and Lifshitz are not dissociative specialists. Endogenic systems have screamed for decades about how they don't have CDDs and we just refuse to listen. This research is occurring in other areas and specialities. They don't need to be dissociative specialists to work fmri machines and see there's something happening.

My hope is that once the final results are published, we'll see some very quick movements comparing CDDs and endogenic systems. We're not there yet, but I think we'll actually have firm answers within the next couple years.

And after looking into other areas of research, and seeing the potential positives, and that they DID see some unexpected things on the scans...

Not to mention that I've spoken with Colin Ross, THE dissociative expert, who in the 1980s, wrote about "endogenous multiplicity," a subsection of those with MPD that had no trauma history, no dysfunction, no amnesia, etc, and he still stands by that to this very day. I've spoken with several other experts. Go look at Jamie Marich on Twitter and see all her colleagues in the notes.

Anti endo is a dying stance.

Learn nuance while you can (CDDs and endogenic plurality are different, occasionally overlapping), and jump ship before it's too late to take the harm back.

Happy googling and good luck!

[gimmethatagustd]

like a river | kth + myg + knj

As the only omega professor in the Department of Philosophy at Seoul National University, Yoongi is accustomed to dealing with pretentious alphas who think the world revolves around knots.

○ Pairing: Taehyung x Yoongi x Namjoon

○ Rating: Explicit/18+

○ Genre: A/B/O, college professors au, coworkers to lovers (?), smut

○ 14 / 100 Drabble Challenge (Academic)

○ Word Count: 3,761

○ Warnings: Unprotected anal sex, blow job, heat sex, knotting, light dom/sub vibes

○ Notes: Please don't read this unless you genuinely like A/B/O fics; otherwise it could be too much for you. I'm warning you in advance. I'm not responsible for your Tumblr experience :)

○ Post Date: May 12, 2024

○ Masterlist | AO3 Crosspost

○ What was Jai listening to? River - Bishop Briggs

Yoongi’s heat comes early.

He’s flipping the page of a thick, leatherbound textbook in the University’s library basement, where the archives are when his damp fingers stick to the page. Sweat beads along his hairline, breaking up the gel that once held his hair out of his face and letting a few dark strands fall across his forehead and into his eyes.

Slowly, Yoongi closes the book and parts the space on the shelf where he needs to slide it back with the other alphabetized philosophers’ texts. It’s been nearly three hours since Yoongi visited the archives with his fellow professors to collaborate on changes to the next academic year’s curriculum. They all need to come to a consensus on which books to include in the senior year capstone project syllabus. It’s hard enough to find an agreement in a department of fifteen alphas, two betas, and one omega without going into heat in the middle of their research.

It’s fine. Yoongi is in his mid-thirties; he has dealt with unexpected heats before.

None were as sudden as this, though, and none came at such an inconvenient time.

Yoongi hears a few of his colleagues bid their goodbyes from the opposite side of the room as they exit to take the stairs to the ground floor. Three hours is too long; looking at his phone, Yoongi realizes the library closed nearly an hour ago. Perhaps he’ll get lucky, and none of his colleagues will be here by the time he finishes packing his things.

Yoongi is unsteady when he walks down the aisle; his body feels heavy, and his muscles are weak. His heat shouldn’t have hit him so suddenly. Yoongi meticulously tracks his heats to accurately predict the exact time of day they’ll hit. He doesn’t believe in suppressants, thinks they’re utter bullshit, just one more way for alphas to control omegas’ lives. He lives naturally and keeps a log religiously. There’s no reason for this to be happening.

By the time Yoongi reaches the corner of the room where he had left his belongings on one of the study desks, his dress shirt is soaked with sweat. Dark red splotches are at his armpits, and a short, thin line at his sternum along the shirt buttons.

Thankfully, packing takes little time. Yoongi shoves his laptop and a few books into his worn leather satchel and slips it over his shoulder. His knuckles turn white from how tightly he squeezes the strap, and he drags his fingers along the wall to steady himself as he walks the perimeter of the room. The book titles and hangul headings on each aisle blur from the burn of sweat falling into his eyes. Using the back of one hand, Yoongi wipes the sweat from his forehead and exhales slowly through puckered lips.

The exit is five exhales away. Yoongi makes it to three exhales before he chokes on the next one and is inundated by the earthy scent of cedarwood and cardamom that leaves a bitter aftertaste in the back of his throat.

"Oh! I didn't realize anyone else was still here. I don't think I've stayed in the library this long since—Um, are you okay, sunbaenim?"

The alpha sitting at a table to the right of the exit is one Yoongi has done his best to avoid the entirety of the academic year, not by any fault of the man himself. Taehyung is one of the few tolerable alpha professors in the department. Young and fresh out of graduate school, he's promising as a professor despite his reviews being skewed in his favor because most of the student body has a crush on him. Yoongi may as well be a blushing college student because Taehyung's big brown eyes and sharp jawline make him want to stay as far away from Taehyung as possible.

"Y-Yes, just, uh," Yoongi fumbles over his swollen tongue, which feels dry in his mouth. "I'm just turning in for the night."

He prays that Taehyung lets him be. The exit is right there. All Yoongi needs to do is take a few more steps past the table, and he'll have his sweaty hand wrapped around the doorknob. The longer he stands here with Taehyung scrutinizing him, the less time he'll have to get home before he turns into a pathetic, sex-crazed monster.

Usually sweet, Yoongi's citrus scent turns bitter with his distress when he remembers he didn't drive to work today. He'll have to use public transportation to get home. No matter how strongly Yoongi rejects the sexist narrative that omegas are more vulnerable than alphas and betas, even he can't deny how unfavorable it would be to get on the train at night at the onset of his heat with strangers.

"Sunbaenim…" Taehyung takes a step toward Yoongi, who then takes a step backward. "You… your heat."

Taehyung audibly inhales, and shame creeps up Yoongi's chest, turning his neck and cheeks bright red, burning him like wildfire because the look on Taehyung's face makes him slick.

"It's fine," Yoongi whispers, and it most certainly is not fine.

When his thighs hit the edge of a table, he lets go of his satchel's strap to reach behind him. In his nervousness, he backs himself across the aisle from Taehyung's table, though Taehyung follows him with timid steps and rounded eyes.

"I don't mean to be rude, sunbaenim, but I don't think it's safe for you to go alone in this state."

Taehyung says more, but Yoongi doesn't pay attention. Taehyung's voice warbles and morphs into the muffled sound of someone trying to speak underwater, and all Yoongi can do is hone in on how pretty Taehyung's fingers are when he glides them through his caramel hair and how veiny his forearms get when he folds the sleeves of his white buttoned dress shirt to talk with his hands. Unlike Yoongi, who is short and soft around the edges and along his creases, Taehyung is tall and lean. His shoulders are broad and his hands large, and the swell of his biceps against the tight sleeves of his buttoned shirt is too much for Yoongi to look at.

Yoongi hates alphas. He hates how narcissistic they are and how they dominate every space they're in. Even now, he hates how Taehyung's scent is comforting and tantalizing, coaxing Yoongi's omega out of him and triggering his heat to barrel into him with the weight of a freight train.

Most of all, Yoongi hates the person his biology turns him into when he's around a pretty, big alpha like Taehyung.

"Just help me, okay?" Yoongi snaps from the exhausting headache building from the blood pounding in his skull.

"Of course, sunbaenim." Taehyung's eyebrows shoot up, but he's gentle as he grabs the strap of Yoongi's satchel and takes it off to hold it himself. "I'll drive you home. I just need to stop by my office first. Do you think you can—"

"No," Yoongi whines and hates himself for it, but he can't stop himself.

"No, you can't wait? Or—"

“Help me, Taehyung-ah.”

Taehyung's face maintains its innocent look of concern, but his ears turn bright red once he breathes in the ripe scent of Yoongi's slick, and the meaning of Yoongi's demand washes over him.

"You want alpha to help you?" Taehyung asks quietly, and Yoongi feels the deep rumble of Taehyung's voice reverberate violently through his body, weakening his knees. 

Yoongi's heat isn't forcing him to whimper a tiny "yes"; his attraction to Taehyung goes far beyond animalistic instinct. Apparently, Taehyung's does, as well.

"Gonna take my knot, omega?" Taehyung runs his long fingers through Yoongi's sweaty hair, gathering it in a makeshift ponytail and tugging Yoongi's head backward so he's forced to look into Taehyung's eyes. "Is that what'll make you feel better? Is an alpha's knot going to fix you?"

Taehyung's condescending tone, paired with his sudden harsh grip, makes Yoongi gasp. Though Yoongi's heat makes him lightheaded and lethargic, he has enough energy and wits about him to be irritated by Taehyung's comments.

"I don't need a knot," Yoongi demands through gritted teeth when Taehyung tightens his grip on his silky hair. He and Taehyung both hear how unconvincing he sounds, especially when Taehyung reaches around to squeeze his ass, and Yoongi instinctually presses back against his hands.

"It's okay, sunbaenim," Taehyung cradles Yoongi's rigid jaw in his palm. With gentle strokes, he traces Yoongi's lips with his thumb, pressing on the center of his bottom lip and pulling down. "All omegas need a knot. You were made for it."

Yoongi knows Taehyung is wrong. He wasn't made for anything or anyone but himself. That's the problem with alphas; they think the world revolves around their knots. Yoongi has taken very few knots in his life and found that relationships with betas and other omegas are far more fulfilling.

He doesn't need a knot. He doesn't.

But then one of Taehyung's hands squeezes Yoongi's face so he can angle Yoongi's head to the side as he licks up a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. His other hand unzips his slacks, and Yoongi realizes he's got Taehyung's shirt twisted in his fists to pull their bodies together.

Maybe Yoongi does. He feels Taehyung's cock, warm and hard, against the inside of his thigh, and maybe he needs a knot.

"Are you going to be a good little omega for me, sunbaenim?" Taehyung asks, teeth clenching at Yoongi's bobbing throat.

More slick leaks from between Yoongi's cheeks, and Taehyung makes a show out of shoving his hand in the back of Yoongi's slacks to glide his fingers through it. Taehyung laughs when Yoongi trembles as he presses against his rim, just enough to tease but not enough to push through.

"You need to use your words, little omega. Be good for alpha, and he'll be good to you."

Despite his harsh demeanor, Taehyung's sparkling eyes look soft, and his grip on Yoongi's body is firm but gentle.

"I'll be good," Yoongi says with a sharp intake of air when Taehyung abruptly yanks Yoongi's pants down his thighs.

It doesn't matter that they're still on campus, still at work. Yoongi lets Taehyung help him out of his clothes, tossing them onto the floor with his satchel. He's very aware of the fact that Taehyung keeps his clothes on and only unzips his pants to pull his cock out. It makes Yoongi feel dirty and vulnerable, being the only one naked. If someone were to walk in on them, Taehyung could easily cover himself and leave, whereas Yoongi would be left scrambling. Taehyung could slip away, and Yoongi would lose his job.

Yoongi hates alphas and their need to hoard power, but he turns into a quivering mess when Taehyung grabs him by the back of the head and forces him to bend over the table with his cheek against the cold surface.

"You'll be good and stay quiet, won't you?" Taehyung asks as he dips his thumbs into Yoongi's hole and pulls, groaning at how wet and pliant the muscles are.

Yoongi says yes, but he doesn't mean it. There's no way for him to regulate himself when Taehyung slowly eases his cock inside him.

The moment the thick head pushes through his rim, Yoongi's mind goes blank. He's so worked up that his heat is all-consuming by this point. Yoongi knows he's babbling as Taehyung thrusts into him because Taehyung shoves his middle and ring fingers into Yoongi's mouth. He presses down on Yoongi's tongue, making drool gather at the corners of his mouth but effectively keeping him quiet since all Yoongi can do is moan around his fingers.

"That's it, omega, suck on them and keep quiet," Taehyung murmurs as Yoongi wraps his lips around his fingers.

Taehyung gets in a few deep, long thrusts when the door leading to the stairs opens.

Yoongi, whose eyes had been squeezed shut with pleasure, immediately opens them and tries to get up, but Taehyung keeps him pressed against the table. Panic tickles the edges of his mind, but he doesn't really feel it like he should, can't truly grasp it when Taehyung's cock is fat and warm and so close to filling Yoongi up with his knot.

For a moment, Taehyung's hips slow to a stop. Not driven by hormones like Yoongi, Taehyung likely feels the panic of getting caught hit him full-force. That is until he realizes who has joined them.

Yoongi would recognize the other alpha's scent anywhere for how rich and creamy it smells, like freshly made chocolate, still warm. A fellow professor who has also crossed Yoongi's mind more than once, Namjoon is slightly more tolerable than Taehyung, mainly because his alpha arrogance is at least rooted partially in how much of a confirmed genius he is. Not that Yoongi cares about any of that with a dick up his ass. He's still trying not to panic. Although his heat loosens him up a bit and helps him let go of some of his inhibitions about sex, it's still difficult to completely accept that this is natural. Yoongi doesn't want to succumb to the need for an alpha's knot, but he knows he should give in to the instinct — especially if he has someone as handsome and giving as Taehyung to help him through it, if only for the night.

And then there's Namjoon, poor Namjoon, with his mouth hanging open and his tan cheeks turning rosy.

"Holy shit," Namjoon says weakly, his dark eyes flitting between Taehyung and Yoongi. "I came back because I thought I left my wallet. I tried calling you, Tae, um…"

Namjoon trails off, and Yoongi is sure they all think there's no point in explaining anything. Namjoon is smart. He can pick up on Yoongi's scent and understand why he's sweaty and slicked up, and Taehyung's fingers are shoved down his throat.

"Our sunbaenim needed some help." Taehyung's explanation is as half-assed as Namjoon's, and it's still too much.

Yoongi feels silly, pressed to the table with nothing to say and no way to say it anyway, even if he wants to. If it wasn't for Namjoon's embarrassment, Yoongi would be mortified to be caught in this position.

"You're not going to say anything to anyone, are you, hyung?" Taehyung asks with a cocked eyebrow. It doesn't look threatening, but it isn't the usually friendly demeanor Taehyung has.

Namjoon quickly shakes his head. "No, no, of course not..."

To Namjoon, who is barely keeping himself together, Taehyung's behavior probably does seem threatening. His eyes keep falling to where Taehyung and Yoongi are connected, no matter how many times he tries to keep his eyes on their faces — on Taehyung's face because Yoongi's face looks too pornographic, twisted in pleasure despite how nervous he is.

When Taehyung notices, he gives a little thrust, gently grinding against Yoongi's ass. Yoongi can't tell if he's purposefully grinding into his prostate, but he hits it every time, making Yoongi moan. He tries to grab the edge of the table to have something to hold onto, but his arms aren't long enough to reach. Taehyung jostles him forward, then eases him back, just to snap his hips into him again.

Yoongi should do something. He feels like he should, or at least say something. Anything at all. But he slowly realizes that he doesn’t want to. He hasn’t been with an alpha in so long that he’s wondering if he simply forgot how good it feels to be cared for and used. Taehyung fucks Yoongi because he feels good, so pliant and wet and a whimpering mess lying there to be taken, but he’s also doing it to make Yoongi feel better, to take the edge off his heat so Yoongi can get home safely without attracting unwanted attention or hurting his omega’s feelings by ignoring his instinct. The situation is mutually beneficial in that way; if Yoongi intellectualizes the whole thing, he can feel better about being fucked in the library by his younger coworker in front of another younger coworker.

The entire situation is insane, and all Yoongi can do is drool over it.

When Taehyung finally removes his fingers from Yoongi’s mouth, it isn’t to relieve him but to ask him a question.

“Sunbaenim, I feel bad for my hyung,” Taehyung says gently as he rubs his palms up and down Yoongi’s back. "He’s so hard.”

Still standing at the door, Namjoon inhales sharply, loud enough for Yoongi to notice it. When Yoongi looks, Taehyung’s observation is confirmed, though Yoongi isn’t surprised. What kind of an alpha would Namjoon be if he wasn’t turned on by what he sees? The erotic scent of heat sex alone would be enough to make any alpha feel the need to pop a knot.

“Oh,” Yoongi sighs, dragging his eyes from the apparent bulge in Namjoon’s pants to his narrowed eyes.

“Mhm. Don’t you think you should do something about that? Since it’s your fault?”

Yoongi tries to crane his head around to look at Taehyung, shocked by his question — accusation.

There's still a part of Yoongi that wants to tell Taehyung and Namjoon to fuck off because why is any of this his fault? It's not his fault his heat showed up early and unannounced. It's not his fault that Namjoon is horny.

Unfortunately, there's the natural side of him, the side that isn't burdened by social norms, gender roles, philosophy, and all the other bullshit in the manmade world. The natural, instinctual side of Yoongi wants to jump at the opportunity to pleasure and be pleasured.

So when Taehyung has Yoongi turn around to lie on the table on his back, he does so without hesitation. Once Namjoon approaches the side of the table next to Yoongi's face and follows Taehyung's lead by taking his cock out, Yoongi eagerly opens his mouth with Taehyung's encouragement.

"Such a good omega," Taehyung praises as he caresses Yoongi's face to brush his hair back as Namjoon feeds him his cock.

Namjoon lets his head fall back as Yoongi takes more into his mouth. He can't move the way he wants to, can only rock back and forth when Taehyung begins fucking him again, each snap of his hips jostling Yoongi and making Namjoon's cock slip out of his mouth.

It's overwhelming when Namjoon grabs Yoongi's head and begins to fuck his mouth, alternating how he thrusts into his throat with the frequency of Taehyung fucking his ass. They establish a rhythm, playing Yoongi like some sacred instrument only they know, spending the time to learn to do it properly. 

Yoongi can hardly breathe. Taehyung pounds into him so hard that Yoongi feels like he fucks the air right out of his chest. It gets worse as Taehyung's thrusts become more aggressive, and he begins chasing his climax. When Namjoon's cock hits the back of Yoongi's throat, he drools and gags violently enough that it hurts, but his omega likes it.

"Shh, just, fuck, just a little more," Namjoon moans. He fists Yoongi's hair and squeezes, keeping a tight grip on him when his thrusts become more shallow. "Shit, I'm not gonna last."

"Knot his mouth."

Yoongi's eyes fly open, but he can't look at Taehyung; he can only hear his quiet laughter. Alphas and their fucking knots.

Yoongi hates them. He hates how good they feel, like now, when he can tell that Taehyung is close because his knot is starting to catch at Yoongi's rim. It burns as it grows, expanding so much that Yoongi wonders if his body can genuinely take it if maybe he's not deep enough in his heat for this — and then Namjoon reaches over to pump Yoongi's cock as he and Taehyung keep fucking him.

Their rhythm gets thrown off and messy, first when Taehyung cums with a final thrust that forces his knot inside and then when he makes Yoongi cum immediately after.

Rather than follow suit in the same manner, Namjoon pulls out to spill onto Yoongi's face, keeping one hand squeezed around his knot and the other quickly fisting over his shaft until there's nothing left, all of his cum painted across Yoongi's lips and the side of his cheek.

“Fuck,” Namjoon sighs and lets his body slump into one of the chairs surrounding the table, “Holy fuck.”

Namjoon shakes his head with a laugh of disbelief, and Yoongi hates how cute he finds his dopey, dimpled, fucked out smile to be.

Yoongi slowly turns his head until he’s staring up at the ceiling, and his neck is no longer twisted to the side. It hurts to swallow, but he’s terribly surprised by how satiated he feels, so content that he almost feels sleepy — despite Namjoon’s cum on his face, Taehyung’s in his ass, and his own all over his stomach and chest.

Disgusting. Yoongi has never been so sticky and wet in his entire life, and he likes it.

Taehyung looks just as messy, if not worse, than Namjoon, though the two of them combined can’t beat out Yoongi’s current state. Taehyung’s bangs are plastered to his forehead with sweat, and his shirt is tucked inward to avoid getting cum and slick all over the bottom half. Yoongi doesn’t even want to know what kind of story his reflection would tell him if he looked at his appearance. All he can hope is that he didn’t get bodily fluids on his satchel or the books they need for the semester.

At least Namjoon and Taehyung have the decency to clean Yoongi up. It isn’t the best job, considering all they have to work with are the paper towels from the shotty little bathroom in the back corner of the archives, but it’s better than sacrificing someone’s clothes to clean up the mess.

“Thank you,” Yoongi is quiet with his gratitude. The embarrassment and panic he missed before are now hitting him since the fogginess in his brain from his heat has subsided, at least for a little bit. “I, um, don’t really know what to say…”

“You don’t have to thank us, Yoongi sunbaenim.” Namjoon smiles sweetly, and Taehyung nods in agreement.

“Yeah, we just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

It’s a rather extreme way of doing so, but Yoongi did ask for it.

“I still don’t know where my wallet is, though…” Namjoon points out sadly, and Yoongi can’t help but bark a hoarse laugh.

“I can’t fucking stand alphas.”

Disclaimer: All my writing is fictional and for entertainment purposes only. None of these characters are meant to actually represent the real people mentioned in the stories. 

All rights reserved © @gimmethatagustd​ - Do not copy, repost, modify, or translate any of my writing. Do not use my writing for any AI purposes whatsoever. Do not use my fics for anything aside from reading and commenting on them. My fics will only be posted on this Tumblr and on AO3 (gimmethatagustd & daddytaehyungie). Request an AO3 account here. 

[altraviolet]

From IDW1, an excerpt of Megatron's "Towards Peace," research for my 2024 minibang fic. My printer refuses to print the image so I'm writing it out below the cut!

In a society built around a grand Cybertronian taxonomy that is obsessively revised and reinterpreted, the one thing that never changes-the one thing that must never change-is the system itself. Every revision, every reinterpretation takes place within a rigid framework of social stratification. Nothing must threaten the Functionists' core philosophy: utility as an organizing principle.

If you could step outside the system you would recognize it for what it is: a prison. Worse than that, it is a prison full of willing prisoners. And not only are you a prisoner within the system, you are a prisoner within your own body. Whether you were born or made, forged or constructed cold, you are trapped inside your alt mode. The Functionists built the lock and the Senate holds the key; but most of us are unaware that we're locked in.

Make no mistake: your life is mapped out in front of you, as clear as the grooves in your transformation cog. You can no more choose to change jobs than Cybertron can choose to stop orbiting the sun. You can no more acquire a skill unrelated to your vocation than the sky can acquire a conscience.

In denying you the ability to reject your alt mode-in preventing you from pursuing a path of your own choosing-both the Senate and the council say they are acting in your best interests. They have a responsibility, they say, to ensure that you make best use of your god-given form. If you turn into a drill, it is because Primus knows that Cybertron needs drills. To deviate from your function is to risk invoking the wrath of god and bringing the world to its knees.

In truth, it is about control. A multi-skilled population is an empowered population. And if you reject your alt mode, what next? Would you reject your class? Would you reject your government?

The Functionists don't rely solely on theology when rebutting arguments for change. Working outside of your alt mode would be confusing, they say. Imagine being treated by a medic with tank treads; you would question their competence. And they extend the same question to the miners. "Would you feel comfortable working alongside a microscope?" And to the military: "Would you put your life in the hands of a soldier who turns into a data slug?"

And it is true. People would be unnerved-at first. But the Functionists-enabled by the Senate-have created the conditions that have given rise to this culture of suspicion; and they have done so deliberately, because it reinforces the status quo. Moreover, it fosters division, and division is another means by which they can control the population. The more walls you can put up between people, the easier it is to contain them, and the stronger the structural integrity of the system.

And that is why when you see a stranger you don't think, "What are they like?" You think, "What are they for?" You don't think, "What are their hopes, dreams, aspirations?" You think, "What do they do?" And then you think, "Where are they positioned in relation to me? Do they sit above, alongside, or below? Are they better than me, or I them?"

Even if you believe in the Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy, ask yourself this: who decides on that order? And then: why should there be an order? And that is the question that the Senate and the Functionists fear the most, because they know that their world would collapse if people arrived at the answer. Why should there be an order? I'll tell you: there shouldn't be.

Be happy in your work, they say, for it enriches you. Be grateful for your alt mode, for it defines you. Be thankful for the system-it protects you. Be mindful of your betters-they think for you. I say enough. Reject your work. Reject your alt mode. Resist the system. And your "betters"? You have none. We are all equal. And we have a right to decide how to live our lives.

[interrupted by a word balloon saying Cough! Cough!]

[rose-colored-tarot]

What is the latest belief or thing you added to your faith?

Faith specifically? That godhood is a title bestowed or earned, not an intrinsic aspect of an entity. This is a slight expansion of Stag's "spirits in silly hats" theory.

So last year I started my journey, maybe not on the crooked path, but next to it? within eyeline of it? Idk, I started seeking out The Witchfather. And things went really well, we have a good relationship going, I've expanded my craft significantly in just the 6 months since I made my pact (that sounds WAY more serious than it is, right now I have a year and a day deal going with him, we will reassess on my birthday). I also went into this relationship relatively blind to literature and prevailing ideas surrounding him. I wanted to get to know each other before I started researching him in depth.

As the weeks and months passed, I started to realize he was rather limited in power relative to what I thought a god should be able to do. Most of what we did together was tied to the forest behind my house, and his ability to act outside of my property was minimal. I have since come to the conclusion he is the spirit of that forest, not The Witchfather (capital T capital W, big daddy God [which I'm sure is a cultural Christian expectation anyway]) that I thought he was. He was simply MY witchfather. He only became a deity because I decided he was one, and from what I can tell, he does not give two shits if he is considered a god or not. He simply is a Guy who answered when I called out. I am the one who put that crown on his head, and he wears it indifferently.

So I think a lot of what makes godhood is how we as people/worshippers/whatever you wanna call us treat the entities concerned. Aphrodite is not the goddess of love, sex and beauty because of any inherent quality she possesses, the ancients just gave her that domain and she ran with it (and she's doing a wonderful job as far as I'm concerned).

This whole change in philosophy was super freeing with regard to my idea of faith and devotion. It takes the pressure off of my ideas of divinity. It is easier to approach someone when you think of them as "just some guy with a fancy title" god instead of "behold my radiance, look upon me and weep" god.

Thanks for the ask! It was nice to actually write this all out and get it to be coherent.

[thedoncasterk3]

yeeeeah so I'm clinically addicted to "the space school sapphic romance that becomes a high tech political thriller that becomes a shakespearean revenge plot"-

But genuinely watch Witch From Mercury, here's my pitch/rant:

it starts off with an ep0 "prologue" that already tells you this show is something. It details a science institute that was doing research on an experimental brain-linked interface for machinework (Gund-Arm, aka Gundam), the life of a few people there (including a mom, a dad and their baby), and the assault the government launched on it without warning because of that interface's drawback of being insanely demanding of the human body, and how barely a few people escaped from it.

And then immediately the toneshift going back into ep1 with the protag joining a new school and somehow awkwarding her way into:

-getting into a big robot fight with the top bully in school

-winning

-gaining a courtship with the daughter of space jeff bezos and not even knowing that that would happen.

The show starts off fun and wholesome as suletta and miorine grow close to eachother and other friends they make, and then from roughly halfway through S1 the show starts to give you both the happy chemicals and OH GOD moments, and oh my god it keeps getting better consistently (There's something insane about seeing a usually serious and angry character break their façade in one ep to talk about their romantic feelings, and immediately next episode, have their façade fully fall apart out of sheer fear of something).

:)

Anyway, on a non-"ohno" note

The characters are all likeable, well written and broad and each grow and change throughout the show (including background characters), multiple threadlines keep being unpacked that make you more and more excited and concerned simultaneously, and there's SO many good twists/reveals in it that completely change how you perceive the show or even where the show is going. Not to mention this show will make you question philosophies and ideals heavily. The writing on this show was done with surgical precision.

Sulemio will bring you to the top of the world and also yank you right back down without a parachute (this post was made halfway through S2 and i am in suffering but also worth it for them)

Also, the morals are surprisingly not as black and white as you think, and every character, be it villain or hero, has a completely different motivation which is insanely satisfying.

Also, the animation is fucking BEAUTIFUL.

And with the majority in 2D even for the big battles with the mobile suits, with 3D only being used for rapidly flying small drones or complicated mobile suit coreography and the like. The soundtrack is also incredible too, with there being a crazy amount of orchestral music written for it and the main themes being of a genre only describable as "pop, orchestral and techno fused into one". Love the S2 opener "slash", my favorite overall.

but yes overall, this is a threat if you don't watch this show I will find your fridge and steal ham from it.

PS: the happy birthday song is brought up more than once in the show, and that's a happy and good thing...right?

...right?

[captainmera]

Hello! I've just gotten caught up with both your TOH fics and IBWR and let me just say, your writing is fantastic! I have a million things I want to ask you, but if you haven't already answered this one, it's what I'm most curious about; How do you do your research on things like puritan culture? Like what sort of questions do you search for to get the information you need about historical costumes and culture? Thanks a million and I can't wait for the next updates to all three!! (metaphorically speaking ofc take all the time you need)

Hello! Thank you for reading! :D/ I welcome questions like these!

Oh! Let me break this up:

COSTUMES:

Find passionate people who hyperfocus on the era you want to dive into. There are a ton of reenactors and seam-enthusiasts on instagram & youtube who do historical sewing, and all of them usually have one era/decade that they spend most time in. They are extremely enthusiastic about both showing their progress of making the costumes, what makes them accurate to history, as well as displaying the garments by happily twirling around in them.

So costumes? Find the nerds. They'll tell you all about how men's shoes went from silk ribbons to buckles.

These people are the best researchers. Not all of them have degrees or have a history background. But they read, live and breathe these things more than any degree could give them. Some of them even learn languages just to read a book about wigs, buttons, and gloves.

Following the nerds will get you to the points much faster than reading the books yourself. They'll pluck out the important details and, very enthusiastically, teach you about the important bits. It'll also stick much better if someone is excited to teach you something.

CULTURE:

Same thing here, really. Find the nerds. But instead of just looking at fashion, look at things like: Food, music, lower social classes, local entertainment, pub songs, drinks, jokes and humour, pets, baby names, folklore, superstitions, agriculture, architecture, interior decor, furniture, sleeping routines, etc.

Ask seemingly mundane but important questions, such as: Where do they shit? What did a dentist do? What's a quack? And are there famous quacks? How did they deal with crime? What was punishments? Did kids go to school? When was it acceptable to get married? What was socially taboo?

Things like that.

I like to start with asking myself: What is relevant for me to know, in regards to my story?

Because you are telling a story, not an essay on the era you're having as your backdrop. You don't have to include every single accurate thing. It's okay to be off on some details in favour of telling your story (in my opinion). You're not a historian.

With that being said, if something like crime and punishment is important to your story, you should look that up. If you feel that the way people dressed, and the social morals and taboos, might be something that adds both world-building, and would let a reader fall into the era more.. You should look into that too!

Culture adds flavour to the setting. It allows both you and the reader to see the invisible stakes. For example: The puritans were very gendered. So it impacts how men and women interact with one another. It can invite both humour, conflict and pearl-clutching. Because if you understand that it would be, say, unacceptable for a man to press his lips upon the skin of a woman's hand, and you can both tell and show this to the reader; when such a thing occurs, the reader will LE-GASP.

Youtube is also a good space to go to.

Write down names of important figures of the time. Musicians, politicians, criminals, philosophers, inventors, women, plays, etcetera.

Something that influenced the culture was also what people were currently discussing and discovering. What was invented at the time? What were the philosophies and poetry written? Who were the prominent speakers of the time?

Like how we, today, are talking about how "social media is bad and ruining the children!" What did people talk about back then? People have always yelled "But what about the children?!" What were the social fears and terrors? These things influences the culture.

MY OWN NOTES:

I would say that no source is a bad source, one thing will lead to another. Don't just look for videos/documents/books about the puritans! Look at the era as a whole, even the time just before the one you are looking in at.

Context is everything. What happened in 1635 is a result of the previous culture's just 10-50years before. Don't dismiss the little things.

You never know when; a curator explaining why a led-cup was an important to medicinal practices at the time; might be of use to you! (note: Drinking over-night wine from a lethal cup in small doses made you shit a river and vomit. This was believed to be all the bad in your body leaving you, and even out the levels of various liquids in the body. Like pee, sweat, blood, and mucus. That's why blood-letting was a practice, too, to even your levels.)

TAKE NOTES.

Like, listen to a documentary and have a piece of paper nearby that you can scribble down something important you heard.

Documentaries can be a bit of a drag to sit through just to find ONE piece of good information. But hey, as long as you get something useful right?

That's the short summary of it. Hope that helps!

[iren-n-ire]

Astrology Observation 15

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🚩 Take note that I'm not a professional astrologer, I just share what I experienced (or observed).

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┈┈┈┈․° ☣ °․┈┈┈┈

Pluto in 28 degrees transit has something ending in family's transformation, chapter, etc.

Having a stellium in Scorpio transit (especially if it's Scorpio at 8th) will I make you prone to the theme of Scorpio itself (more stressed if it's Scorpio Season) and the same goes if you have planets in eight house (especially if it's also in water signs, it's also stronger if degree is also in Scorpio l, Aries, Water sign).

Mars, sun, and mercury transit in 12h is the time where we want are actions hidden, thoughts too as well as our presence. The low key period, I also like to call this as the mastermind era, big emphasis if the degrees are also in Scorpio and or Pisces.

Chiron in 5h transit vent their traumas or pain using their hobbies or in the field of arts (singing, dancing).

Venus in Virgo transit is the period where we are focus on mainting cleanliness, you may also feel like cleaning is fun and relaxing, closed off and cautious in people or relationship at this time, one of the ME time eras!

Moon in eight house transit may feel like doing naughty things to relieve stress and other negative mental issues, closed off or cautious who you vent yourself too. This is a good time to heal your emotional state as this is placed on a transformational house, emotions may also been a roller coaster or an all time high.

Uranus in the 6h transit may experience unexpected things in their daily life at this time and may know something unexpectedly. You're more inclined to do things in your gadgets or use technology for your benefit more.

Jupiter in 6h transit, I like to think of this as a guidance period because this is naturally placed at 9h, proving that you are protected by your guides or divine more at this time, 9h as we all know is similar to 12h in themes of religion. You can also be thinking of your philosophy, beliefs for reassessment or do stuffs like researching about religions.

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❤ Thank you! See you on my next post! ❤

💋 Be you, Do you, You are You! 💋

[dearanakin]

🐥 here ☺️

Ahhh spicy biker!Eddie - pleasant surprise I wont lie! 🫣 thank you so much for writing despite the writer’s block!!

I was wondering if you could write an alternate version with an established relationship including a shy!reader? She’s incredibly studious and stays late in the school’s library several times a week to study and Eddie ofc will never ever let her go home alone, so he always picks her up on his bike. The moments she’s holding on to him, feeling the wind in her hair are some of the few she actually feels free 🥹

Lots of fluff and Eddie worrying about her safety and wellbeing maybe??

Thanks for reading this!!! 💕💕💕 I hope you’re having a beautiful week angel

God I know I'm like way behind this request, but I promise I've been trying to make something pretty decent. Turns out I only had this small idea in my head, but it's kinda cute. I'm so sorry I took so long!!

Summary: You always stay late in the library most of the weekdays, and Eddie always makes sure you never go home alone. Sometimes he even makes you company, watching over while you study. (Fluff only. Word count: 972)

One evening, you found yourself in the university library, surrounded by towering bookshelves and the soft hum of fluorescent lights.

You had a significant research paper to complete, and the clock was ticking mercilessly towards eight o'clock.

You've spent all day at the campus and felt too tired already, but with the tests coming, you wanted to make sure you got good grades. In the room, there were only a few students, while the rest had already left.

Once again, Eddie made his way to a chair next to you, dragging it, so he could sit down. The noise it was making attracted the attention from the others, and you squinted, snorting.

He could never be able to be discreet. He sat next to you, watching as you read your papers.

"You couldn't be louder than that?" You joked, and he rested his legs across the table. Such a gentleman.

He fidgeted with his ringed fingers and smirked.

"Not my fault these damn chairs are too old, babe," He replied.

Shaking your head, you tried focusing on the remaining pages of your notes. You keep your attention on your notebook, while his face slowly reaches next to yours.

"Watcha reading?" Eddie whispers close to your right ear and you shiver.

"Just some philosophical theories" You reply, not taking your eyes off the papers.

"Sounds interesting. Is it about stoicism? Because I love that shit!" He sounds very into it, and it makes you chuckle at his sweet words.

"Oh, really? Tell me more about it then" You play along.

He looked at you, a little bit confused. He never seemed to actually enjoy whatever you would study. "Are you serious? Because I can go on and on about that shit".

You laughed again. "Yeah, babe. I'm serious".

He took a deep breath, fixing his bangs before starting to speak. "It's a philosophy that teaches us how to find tranquility and wisdom in life's challenges".

"You see, stoicism is all about recognizing what's within our control and what's not. It encourages us to focus on our thoughts, actions, and attitudes, and to let go of things beyond our control" He definitely looked so hot right now you would eat him on a stick.

"That's so profound. And so hot" You say it quite louder than expected, and he jerks his head back in a snorted laugh.

He places one hand on your thigh and squeezes it before looking back at you. "I could be one hell of a hot Philosophy professor, babe".

"Yeah, right" You squeeze his hand back.

He didn't say much later after that, waiting for you to finish reading your papers. But while waiting in the silent room, he was humming a song - which was probably Metallica - and it annoyed you.

"I'm going to need five minutes, but you need to be quiet" You started, lowering your voice, so only Eddie could hear you. "Or I will punish you later".

His brown puppy eyes widened in muse. "Well, then sentence me already" He said it too loud and earned a slap on his forearm from you. "Ouch".

"Just shut, please" You tried not to laugh at his playful demeanor.

Eddie loved the way you were so focused on school and your future. He knew he wasn't one to be too worried about that, considering he got held back twice before.

Now he's working his way up with his band, while making money at a record store.

He was fascinated by how you were so into every single thing you were interested in. He knows how much effort you have, even though he thinks you're a nerd. Which he's always joking about.

"You know you don't need to pick me up, right? I can get a cab" You said after a moment of silence.

He was trying to not make a noise, otherwise he knew you'd punch him. Supporting his chin on his hand, while resting his arm on the table, he huffed. "And you know I'll never let you go home alone".

"I'm a big girl, Munson" You retorted in a sweet way.

"I don't care, sweetheart. You're trapped with me. Eddie Munson can't let his darling go out there alone".

You laughed. "God, I hate it when you talk about yourself in third person".

"You actually love it, and you know it" He pointed out.

After you finished your studies, he helped you out with your books and papers, holding most of them for you.

You loved leaving the university in his company, because he would always pick you up with his bike and you loved how the wind always blows against your hair.

He secured your stuff inside the top case, giving you your helmet. Eddie helps you put the accessory on and makes sure the strap is perfectly set on your head.

He holds out a hand for you to support yourself before hopping in.

Eddie mounted the motorcycle, starting the engine with a satisfying rumble. He makes sure you're holding on him before pulling away.

With the wind in your hair and the open road ahead, you held on tightly, feeling both the exhilaration of the ride and the comfort of his care and guidance.

He pulled up by your driveway - you and Robin shared a house together - and helped you out with the helmet.

"Safe from the night dangers" Eddie wrapped one of his arms around your neck, giving you a peck on the jawline. You let out a light chuckle.

"Yeah, you're my true hero" You satirize.

He leans towards you, standing inches from your face, holding a sweet smile. "I love you, my darling".

"Love you too, Munson". You both kissed for a few seconds before he pulled back.

"I love it when you call me Munson" He melts down under your touch. 

[professornightmare]

SLEEPING BEAUTY. A MEDFET SHORT STORY.

You look so calm, so peaceful that it is impossible to recognize you like that. Gone are the days when you arrived a mess, screaming and crying, cursing and beaten. You were a silent cry for help.

In those cold nights, when no one could sleep, I promised to help you. I always wanted to get closer to you and talk about my work. But you were never available to listen to a young university professor. Now look at you, you are now a vital part of my work.

Why were you helpless to see your own beauty? Why did you keep choosing your self-destruction? I couldn't remain undaunted by your situation, that's why I promised you a world free of suffering, crying, and pain. I still remember the slight shine in your eyes when you heard my words.

But if you had paid attention in philosophy classes, if you had cared to read a little, you would understand that the world is cruel and a field of tears, that there is only one way I could keep my promise.

I still remember the night you came home drunk and without pants. Crying hysterically you fainted in my arms and I feared the worst. I ran for my medical instruments and carefully checked your battered body. I had to check that those brutes, whom you called boyfriends, had not defiled you. So I carefully spread your legs and began to explore you.

You woke up, it was a surprise for both of us, and you kicked me in the face in the middle of your screams. You walked away strangely because my speculum was still inside you. I didn't worry about my bleeding nose, but rather the possibility that in your outburst you had hurt yourself. I had to wait for you to sleep and carefully entered your room to anesthetize you and continue my examination.

It's a good thing you had the habit of sleeping naked. That saved me a lot of time for your preparation. I was able to improvise a gynecological table and calmly continue with your medical examination.

I took my time, I examined every part of you, every physical and physiological function of yours. I had to gag you so I could work in peace. Your initial protests turned into moans and we were both accomplices in that delicious intimate moment. I decided to do a few unorthodox procedures and extend our experience for a while longer.

I confirmed my worst nightmares, your body had been constantly abused. I didn't know if I could repair you, for that I had to examine you more. I closed all the doors and windows of the house we shared. I called my work to say that a delicate situation had arisen with a friend who needed my help, so I couldn't show up to work for a few days. You don't work, you live off your parents' inheritance. I called a place that rented medical equipment and got the little I needed for my initial studies on you.

I was very professional. If I kept you anesthetized or tied up it was because you didn't understand my experimental methods. Remember that I am the youngest professor in the gynecology department and I like to do research.

I know that in many moments you came to enjoy our time together. Your moans gave you away. This week I worked a lot of overtime, I didn't work my usual eight hours a day, on average it was twelve hours a day when we were together exploring you.

To feed you I had to do it by force. Always tied with your mouth open and me pushing the porridge and broth down your throat.

It was Friday morning and I already had your preliminary results. I sat next to you and looked at your tiredness, I was tired too, but I found the strength to read the results to you.

The verdict is that you are a complete disaster. You have abused and allowed yourself to be abused beyond limits. I haven't done your psychological evaluation yet, but I've known you for years and I know that your mental health is not very reliable. 

I don't know if I'm capable of healing you. Many consider you a hopeless case. But I have loyalty, and although our friendship stopped being what it was, and now we are merely acquaintances, I still plan to fight to improve your life. 

There are two options, become more aggressive in my treatments and procedures or free you from all earthly suffering. NO!!! I did not mean that. I would never dare to be something so barbaric. Your life is valuable and I swore to protect and preserve all life. 

I would simply look for a way to make your dream life. You know that I am intelligent and I always manage to solve complex problems, you also know that I always keep my word. So rejoice, or you will recover what you have lost these years or you will get your dream life. No, you can't choose, I'll do that. Why? Well, I have witnessed your choices.

What will I do? Well, it's Friday morning. We are going to have breakfast and then we will begin to take the first route. Experimental methods to heal your body. And if we see that it is not possible, well on Monday we would start with plan B of your dream life.

Let's get started. I remind you that these procedures are designed to modify your body limits and alter your reactions. It won't be easy, you must endure.

This is exhausting.

You've been in the gynecological chair all weekend. I have worked on you from seven in the morning until after midnight and we have made only a little progress on you. I'll make a plan C. What is it? You don't need to know.

It's Sunday at noon. I'll give you some rest and pleasure. Don't try to avoid it, just enjoy it. While I'll make some calls. Tomorrow you will fulfill your parents' dream, you will go to university. Easy, easy. Breathe in a little anesthesia, just a little.

Now that you are a little more relaxed, enjoy my specialty: treatments for sexual frigidity.

It seems that someone did enjoy my treatment. Tomorrow we will go to university, I managed to get you into a research project where I am. There we can continue working for your recovery, and at the same time your name will appear in the paperwork, you will be famous in the scientific community. Shhh... calm down... breathe... just sleep... tomorrow will be your big day.

Yes, she is the new candidate for the research. Here are her preliminary results and papers. What role does she play in? Well, seeing as we have reached the 10 month mark in an induced coma, I want to investigate the possibilities that this type of coma can offer in the surgical field. Her body is so deteriorated that she needs a total reconstruction. Yes, it's a shame that she is so young, which is why I think her body is suitable for the procedure.

I anesthetized her before coming. So call the intern to help me take her to the facility.

Place her on the available bed. Oh, she tries to wake up. Quick, a little gas.... Easy, easy. You are in a safe place. No, don't get up... Gas, I need gas. Only a little. Someone tie her legs... Calm down, don't try to move. Stop attacking us. I want to help you... Thank you, finally gas. Pass me the mask. Just a little, I don't want her to lose consciousness yet. I already controlled her, tie her hands and arms...

She will be on the project for a long time, so she will be our long-term guest. Let's prepare her.

It's been over two months and it seems like yesterday when you passed out in my arms in the place we used to share. Since I brought you to college, I have visited you daily. I work on you, even if it's just a little and I check all your well-being.

You look so calm. I know you're calm. These months have been somewhat difficult for you, but you would be happy to know that you are now the center of attention of many men, as you always wanted. 

Only these men don't take you to bed, they take you to the table. Unlike the men who surrounded you before, we are not seeking to destroy you, we are rebuilding you.

We have taken you to surgery a couple of times, we needed to see all the internal damage and measure it.

What do we find inside you? Fatty liver, ulcers, cysts, various latent diseases, lung and heart damage, among many other things. The diagnosis given may seem uninspiring for the timid who opt for a simple hospital job. I saw something positive in your diagnosis, that you are strong and I know that you are capable of moving forward with my treatment.

I have done small outpatient surgeries on you.

I have removed some cysts and the gonorrhea has been decreasing. You are improving.

I came to check your levels and prepare you for the night, since tomorrow we start with your experimental surgeries. Many have called me stupid for the plan I developed for you. The only way I can maintain your life while I rebuild you is by controlling your entire body. I will connect you to various life support systems and monitors. This way we can work deeply on you without you suffering.

Your life was a mess, now you serve a greater purpose. We can develop new techniques and technologies in you. You lived unconsciously, so this unconsciousness has been good for you. I started marking your progress.  

The medications and small interventions that I have administered to you have improved your quality of life. You haven't smoked in more than two months, nor have you gotten drunk. But the most important thing is that you haven't cried for more than two months, living in a dream world. Do you see that I keep my promises?

I remember that your favorite story was Sleeping Beauty. Even your sweet sixteen party was with that theme. You could say that it was fate that brought us together again at your parents' funeral where you decided, without consulting me, to move into the house I rented near my work and pay half of my rent. At first it was annoying, but looking in perspective that was the beginning of our fairy tale. Only here the prince keeps the sleeping beauty asleep. See you tomorrow, princess.

Here you can read it with the pictures that are to sexy for Tumblr.

[writteninlunarlight-years]

Hello!!! May I request an obey me matchup? Here are the details and thankyou so much for doing this! I hope you have/had a great day and if not , I hope tomorrow is better <3

Pronouns- he/they

Gender - non binary , male leaning of sorts , AFAB

Appearance :- glasses , brown skinned , pretty tall about 5'11, black wavy hair which reaches shoulders , dark hazel eyes

Likes/some attributes : philosophy, literature, gaming , coffee, painting, research, organising things for comfort, reading , writing , singing , sometimes dancing? , learning new things , classical music , can play violin , Veena and the sitar , fluent in 4+ languages

Dislikes : noise, unorganised things, people who don't wanna listen , making assumptions and judgement based on unknown facts , people with no willingness to learn new things/utterly foolish for no reason and no will for self development , insensitivity, rudeness for no reason , boisterous for no reason.

If it helps , I'm an ENTJ and a Pisces

Thankyou once again <3

~~~~~ MATCHUPS ~~~~~

OBEY ME!

Diavolo

~~~~~ HEADCANONS ~~~~~

Dia is a loveable man child. Okay well he is a prince so he's a little pampered but he's really down to earth and wants nothing more than to learn all about you and humans in general.

Dia is the perfect amount of chaos for your control. Though he is capable of being composed and poised he is definitely a goofball and likes to push your buttons.

He loves watching you organize things especially if you do something color coordinated he's all on that.

You're like another Lucifer and Barbatos for him, not that he would ever compare you guys. He's just excited to have another structured person in his life.

He loves taking you out for adventures, he thinks it is fascinating how intelligent you are.

He loves when you play any music for him. He's working music, he's showering music, he's setting up the student council room music.

When he finally confesses his attraction fo you he gets every brother and exchange student involved.

Honestly a little embarrassing and mildly chaotic but it was cute how hard he tried and that's what matters.

He loves when you teach him new things, where he thought dates had to be big grand things you showed him it could be as simple as sitting over a cup of tea and learning about each other.

His new favorite pass time is doing just that by the way. Listening to your ideas and philosophies so he can better understand how to help his people.

The first time he kisses you is when you two are dancing at one of his families balls.

You two are waltzing around discussing important business when something over takes him, maybe it was the way you looked in your outfit or maybe it was the light laugh and lilt in your voice.

He was smitten and asked graciously to show you how much he cared about you.

~~~~~ BLURB ~~~~~

It was another slumber party at the castle with Dia and Barbatos. You and Lucifer looked like matching dolls with how your movements and eye rolls happened at the antics of the other 6 brothers. Though you didn't like the eldest brother's attitude, 90% of the time, you had to agree his siblings were an unorganized mess. As you made your way to Dia's room, where you always stayed, you noticed paintings had all been moved slightly askew. This was horrible. Knowing it was either a Mammon prank on you or a Satan prank on Lucifer, you sighed and walked into the room to drop off your stuff. You would deal with the pranks later. For now, you just want to see your partner and relax.

It was as if Dia entered the room on cue and came to sit next to you. Gently, he took your hand and caressed it while he listened to you rant about the brothers. From Lucifer's demands to Belphies actions, you had a lot to tell for each brother. You didn't hate them by any means; you loved them like family, but they could push your buttons almost as severely as Dia could. As you sat up hand in hand with Dia, you pouted and began talking about all the paintings in the castle being askew. As you spoke, you noticed a hidden grin slowly morphing on the man's face and a concealed laughter bubble in his chest. He wouldn't, would he? It was a little early for the boys to already be causing trouble.

As soon as it clicked that the culprit was Dia himself, he had already gone out the door. Chasing after him, you ran through corridors, foyers, and other rooms. Eventually, the whole group was in on this massive game of tag. What was once frustrating became laughter and a good time around for everyone. Once you finally caught Dia with Lucifer's help, you'd have to thank him later; you pulled him into a hug. "Caught you! How could you do this to me?" His laugh was radiant as he picked you up and kissed your forehead. "Because, handsome, watching you get like this is a sick pass time of mine." Even as you were smacking his arm for the sultry comment, he was laughing fully, running away soon after restarting the game of chase again.

~~~~~ EXTRA ~~~~~

(You were in the school's theater room practicing a song for the upcoming recital.)

Barbatos: You realize we have a student council meeting today, my lord?

Dia: Yes, but just five more minutes. He sings so well I can't miss this.

Barbatos: You realize they will sing again, but this is not life or death.

Dia: How can I win the best boyfriend award if I am not constantly supportive? Asmodeus says it's an extremely hard and coveted award.

Barbatos: Did it ever occur to you that Asmodeus was messing with you?

Y/N: Can you two please be quiet for five minutes, then we can go?

Barbatos and Dia: Yes!

[studentbyday]

the end of week 4/52 ✨

🌤️ holy ground - taylor swift (not for the lyrics but for the beat which matches how excited i feel! imposter syndrome really did a number on my mental health this past week, but i'm officially part of the proteomics lab and i feel much better about everything! we had our first meeting and it seems they really want me to learn rather than expect me to know much about what to do which makes me so happyyy. i'm doing cancer research babyyyy!!! 🤓😍🥳)

☁️ to a wild rose - edward macdowell (i really love my philosophy course - how chill it is compared to my other subjects [i'm actually done?? on a friday???] but mostly the subject itself and how it makes me think about things i don't usually think about and how it exposes me to perspectives i haven't considered. and i also love my philosophy prof who's very thoughtful and well...philosophical but not in a pretentious or pompous way at all like i sometimes see on the internet)

🦂 hasche-mann (blind man's bluff) - robert schumann (tHe gRiNdDdDd) (i love my pharmacology prof for making the effort to make this hell of a course as easy and approachable as possible... it's still a lot tho 😵‍💫)

😾 miss shepherd's waltz (the lady in the van) - george fenton (despite sounding a lot like shostakovich's waltz no. 2, i do like this one for sounding especially like dame maggie smith's portrayal of grumpy. and that's how i feel right now as i'm very sleepy and still have to work over the weekend and hopefully i will be on track for next week 😖)