#also well aware a much better thing to do regardless of whether I get new disabilities is learn sign language

[some-teeth-in-a-trench-coat]

any other autistics here just always had a habit of taking opportunities to "practice" physical disabilities they don't have but could hypothetically develop in the future? stuff like "oh the lights are off, I'm gonna practice being blind" or "my hand has become Contaminated, time to practice life with only one arm until I can Decontaminate it"

[venbetta]

Okay, regarding the last post/ask, there's a part of me that worries for internet safety in recent times, because it's very easy to become a victim of hacking, doxxing, or in more extreme cases, actual harm (grooming, stalking, etc.).

Not to age myself (and others) but there was a time in school where teachers would show us videos and presentations of the dangers of lacking online literacy/safety. Net safety videos were a stable of my childhood and many others, and most of those videos discussed the following:

Do not post personal information about yourself online

Do not interact with people you don't know

Do not meet people you met online in real life

The effects of cyberbullying

Those were the basic stuff. There was a lot more to take away from them

And those videos were scary. That was the point of them. I think about them less now, but it stuck. Because it can happen. And it has happened.

That's why I'm worried and a little taken aback about the lack of understanding of safety and knowledge of the current internet user base. I know that kids and teenagers use the internet, it's nothing new at all. But they're not being taught how to be safe or use common sense!

At least not in a way that I'm aware of.

If they are being taught, it's either not taught well or it's not being retained. Either way, it's clear that it's not being implemented.

And yeah most of those rules above are broken almost immediately, because we as people have gotten too comfortable with posting and sharing our intimate lives publicly. Our ages, our genders, our dating status, our home state. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't acknowledge that, yeah, I also have some of that info in my bios!

However, some make the mistake of including very sensitive information such as their state, town, school, and worst of all their face!

Even if you don't do it intentionally, whether your posting on tiktok or whatever, if you have your state flag in the background of a video with your school logo just barely showing, someone with enough time and effort will figure out where you are. It's been shown in not only those tiktoks doxxing people but in those old net safety videos, too!

If this is scaring you, that's the point. That's what those net safety videos did. And sure, you'll forget about the rules and get comfortable with providing that info... I know most of us have, but it's up to you to keep yourself safe as much as possible.

With the state of the internet now, it's imperative to have an understanding of what the dangers are. Especially with ai in the mix. That's why I'm hesitant to even post my selfies anymore (Fuck Instagram for their ai scraping feature). It's because of what people might do. It's anxiety inducing. And that's why I'm making it a point to just be mindful as to what you do when you're online.

Don't join spaces that might have people that may take advantage of your naivety (I'm talking to kids and teenagers). If you find yourself in a space with someone or a group that makes you uncomfortable, leave. If they threaten or coax you to stay, follow your gut instinct and leave. Do not communicate with anyone who makes you uncomfortable. If it feels to be too much, tell a trusted friend or adult who can help you get out of the situation.

Don't post your current location. Don't post your school or work. Don't post your face if you can help it. Don't click on random links from people you don't know, even if they're offering free robux or nitro. It's a scam!

And before anyone makes a comment demeaning those for not knowing these scams or basic net safety, get over yourself. People who don't know either were never taught to look out for those things or never encountered such things.

People of all ages fall for scams regardless of what it is, kids to old people who aren't tech savvy. It's in our interest to teach people these things so that they can protect themselves. It doesn't make us better for knowing something and then shaming others for not.

Just be safe out there.

[76blades]

I can no longer stay silent.

I always feel bad for venting out loud, whether it be publicly or to my Twitter circle (which I have been doing a lot lately, and I’m sorry if it’s been distressing (…my point exactly)). But things have not been ok, nor have shown any significant chances of getting better anytime soon. I know I’m gonna be beating myself up later for posting this, but I’m sick and tired and I can’t stay quiet. I’m desperate for change.

For those who don’t know, Winter’s family (and job) has been severely mentally and emotionally abusing her, and it’s not just because of her gender identity. They’ve threatened and harassed her over her showing any negative emotions, her body, her interests, the food she eats, you name it. Granted, it’s not my tale to tell, but it has been BAD as of late for her, and it definitely has affected me. I might be going through some similar stuff with my dad, but he’s nothing compared to them.

Speaking of, for those who don’t know about my dad, he’s a slightly better version of Winter’s parents; a well-intended asshole but still an asshole. He has caused me to question my sanity and safety several times, and he refuses to acknowledge my anxiety as anything serious, and believes it’s something I can easily control and/or an act I put on. He’s been trying to pull me into college even though I’ve told him several times that I don’t want to, and he’s told me several times that if I don’t follow his advice then I’m only gonna end up nowhere. He certainly doesn’t believe anything regarding Winter’s situation either, and views it all with rose-tinted glasses. 

He also demands to know my entire schedule for the week, that I laugh at his jokes or smile when I don’t want to; and he even touches my shoulders and back without my consent, and he’ll get mad when I express my discomfort. I was dreading having to move back in with him because I knew this would all be happening, only for it to be so much worse. I don’t even feel comfortable recording when he’s home because I’m afraid of him yelling and/or making fun of me. And yet, it’s funny and sad how he’s an absolute saint compared to Winter’s family.

Winter and I have been breaking our backs trying to save up for a new home, but our jobs have been cruel to us on top of our families. We’re being overworked and underpaid, and a good chunk of our paychecks goes towards food and travel expenses. And while we’ve been trying our best to push our comms, we’re still a far way from freedom.

I don’t ever want to come off as a beggar for money, attention, etc., and I feel anxious whenever I boost my comms because of that, and yet I also feel like that’s exactly what I’m doing here. But I need to be transparent with you all about my and Winter’s situation. I am truly afraid that one of might truly snap, with the little remaining of our sanity vanishing in an instant. Tbh I feel like that person is more likely to be me than her. 

Regardless, I’m unsure of what else to do right now other than to keep boosting commissions and whatnot (and I might make a Ko-Fi goal too, idk), but I want to keep finding affective (and healthy) ways to spread awareness of our situation and help bring us a few steps closer to where we want to be.

I know I’ve said that I feel like I’m waiting for a miracle that won’t come, but maybe you all could help us bring that miracle to life. Thank you all for taking time out of your day to read this and support us.

I will be attaching links to my comms and Ko-Fi, as well as Winter’s. If you have any questions or would like to consider commissioning us, feel free to DM or Email either of us.

TLDR: Winter and I are being abused. We're desperate to leave our perspective toxic environments, and we need some extra help.

My Commissions | My Ko-Fi | Winter's Commissions | Winter's Ko-Fi

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Starting a family with Duckie Dale would include~

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

(Cross my heart, I don’t have baby fever right now lol.)

- Duckies always been torn over the prospect of having children. He knows he’ll love them and think that they’re great; and the fact that he’d be having them with you would make things even better, but he’d also be aware of his daunting lack of experience. His parents were never around to give him good childhood memories or any hints at how to be a good parent so he finds himself worrying over having the same relationship with his own children; regardless of how unreasonable he knows his insecurities are.

- So when you break the news to him that you’re pregnant, his initial reaction is warm and excited; the sort of ecstatic shock that comes from being taken aback yet far from disappointed. Alas, the longer he’d think about it, the more insecure and nervous he’d become. 

- The two of you hadn’t really talked about having children prior to you conceiving your first and possibly final child; at least not in a serious way, so your baby is more or less a half expected yet pleasantly surprising “oopsie baby”. After all, you weren’t naive: you both knew that you weren’t being perfectly careful all of the time and that sooner or later, it would come back to haunt your perfectly healthy pelvic floor.

- Duckie rarely voices his concerns about whether or not he’ll be a good father but it’s not hard to tell when he’s feeling scared. He’ll nervously joke about his insecurities and you’ll know right away that they come from a place of genuine fear: resulting in you insisting that you’ll figure things out together and that you’re sure he’ll be a wonderful father.

- The two of you are living in a decent place already; one that can withstand a baby well enough, but he still worries about every little thing. He utters out question after question the minute they come to his mind: should we do this, do we need that, what do you think about this, etc. You’ll think he’s done by the time you’re getting ready to fall asleep but lo and behold: “you don’t think we have to move, do you?”.

- He baby proofed the entire house one day without your help or knowledge because he had a bad dream or an intrusive thought and you just came home from the store or woke up in the morning and found him in a frenzy, excited to show you his new modifications. You’re happy that he cares so much about your future child’s well-being but you’re concerned that his heart won’t be able to take all the stress he’s putting himself under.

- The two of you were absolutely clueless while trying to assemble your babies crib together. Like two monkeys screwing in a lightbulb: genuinely embarrassing.

- Everything is sort of not real for him until your bump starts to show and then he’s like “wow okay so there really is a bun in that oven”. But even before then, he’ll be in the middle of absentmindedly watching you do something before realizing “no wait, she’s pregnant” and jumping to do it for you; as though it’s anything other than a minor inconvenience that has a 3% chance of posing any risk towards you in the slightest.

- When you need something done, half of the time you don’t even have to ask him: he’ll just step in and do it without a second thought; all with a fond smile on his face and a chuckle leaving his mouth. You’ll whine at him not to laugh and he’ll just smile wider, insisting that “he’s not, he’s not~”.

- He almost fainted when you went into labor and was holding on by a thread the entire time you were pushing. He was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and hated all of the pain; even if it wasn’t all that bad for you. He was holed up in a corner, chewing on his fingers whenever you didn’t want to hold his hand; trembling so bad from the anxiety that he could barely stand. If you weren’t so busy with pushing an entire child out of you, you probably would have been trying to comfort him.

- He definitely asked “what if I drop them” when you first went to hand them to him and you just laughed and told him that he wouldn’t. And he didn’t, he cradled them in his arms and sat there with an unreadable expression on his face: a mix of love and worry and everything else all at once.

- He really doesn’t have a preference when it comes to the gender of your child; he’s happy either way and just wants them to be healthy, but he does seem like the type of man to wind up with a daughter so take from that what you will.

- Coming up with different wacky; and probably matching outfits, for the baby to wear is one of his favorite hobbies and you’ll look forward to coming out every morning and seeing them on the couch together: patterns, colors, and textures a plenty.

- You’re genuinely such an eccentric and adorable looking family: always expressing yourselves freely and looking amazing regardless of how objectively strange all of your fashion choices might be.

- They’re constantly in his line of sight, regardless of where the three of you are. He acts as though you’re living in a place with wild animals and not just some borderline shitty suburb with little to no foot traffic. Duckie, she’s on the slide, not the highway.

- He definitely gives them all of his attention: constantly throwing praise and compliments their way and always being ready to play with them no matter how tired he is because he wants them to know that he loves them more than anything else in the entire world; wants them to never feel the way he did growing up.

- He’ll get home from a nine hour shift of hard labor and you’ll try to Shepard your child away; trying to give him at least a minute to himself so he can sit and relax, but he’ll push himself up and insist he can play, kissing you as he passes and leaving you wonder how you got so lucky.

- He genuinely cant get mad at or frustrated with them: even when they’re waking the two of you up at three a.m. and forcing him to stumble blearily into the nursery for literally no reason at all.

- Speaking of wake up calls: he almost always wakes up whenever they start to cry and will either go and take care of them himself; pressing a kiss to your sleeping forehead as he leaves the room, or he’ll get up with you and come to the nursery; as if changing a morning diaper is a two person job.

- The two of you indulge the baby so you can indulge yourselves. Your child might not need another dinosaur toy or silly craft but you do; and you’ll spend their nap time having the times of your lives and acting like two children yourselves.

- Water gun fights when daddy gets home.

- That being said: I can see Duckie being a stay at home father, so if you’re more of a career woman then fear not: he has absolutely zero shame and would love being able to take care of the two of you like the good little house husband he is.

- You’re probably aware of this before the two of your have your baby but Duckie is absolutely great with kids and plays ridiculously well. You never understand how he instantly knows what they want from him or how he comes up with game after game to keep them occupied but boy you’re glad that he can.

- He makes them laugh so loud. Little baby cackles are the best in the world and both of you can agree on that.

- He’s lowkey as invested in their shows and toys as they are. You’ll oftentimes catch the two of them sat on the couch absolutely engrossed in an animated dog cartoon like it contains government level mind control.

- You always have support with everything: his future plans were to make sure you were taken care of and by god, he’s gonna take care of you.

- That being said: he’s kind of a sucker for your child and will definitely struggle to play the “bad cop” every now and again. You let it slide though because you can tell he’s trying his hardest and you know that your baby inherited your ability to puppy dog eye him.

- He will quite literally do anything he can to make them happy; regardless of how embarrassing. They want him to wear a tutu or let them do his makeup? Alright, he guesses he’ll let them do it “just this once”. They want a unicorn birthday party? Guess who’s in the suit. Like I said before: anything.

- Every time they go outside, they excitedly pick a flower for you and present it to you like a queen; usually with him hanging back in the doorway as he insists they did it all by themselves.

- You may or may not have cried watching him teach them how to ride a bike, and that’s all I will say about that.

- He always saves everything they make him: pictures, cards, crafts; you name it. He’s got a box under your bed full of useless yet adorable things that most parents would probably throw out instead of saving for years at a time.

- You’re an extremely cuddly family: constantly giving each other hugs and snuggling, ruffling hair, poking, kissing, etc. There’s an over abundance of love pouring out of each of you at any given moment and anyone who comes across the three of you will probably be at least a little envious of how close you are.

- He’d technically be fine with just having one child but he’d definitely get a little upset and miss having a baby once said child grows up into a toddler. He’s always excited by each new thing they learn to do but he always has a moment of sadness when he remembers how adorable they were when they were just a tiny nugget and sat in his arms like an angel for hours on end.

- He’s a dork but you wouldn’t have it any other way. You doubt you could have chosen a better partner and you’re glad that your child gets to have him for a father; even if he’s sometimes a little embarrassing to be around.

[caitemis-art]

project moon debacle thoughts

I’ve had a lot of time to let this stew in my brain so might as well spill my thoughts to get them out of my head. If you have no idea what’s going on (hi mutuals) or aren’t in the mood for reading this kinda thing, scroll past and have a good day i guess

Worst part about all this is probably all the misinformation. I see lots of points cycled as fact despite being dubious at best and “source: dude trust me” at worst (even by those with good intentions). I encourage everyone to do extensive research before committing to an opinion!

As for Veilmori, I doubt they’re coming back. Even if PM extends an offer, they might not even take it at this point. Regardless, I wish them the best!

As for the “firing”? All that’s certain is that the contract isn’t being renewed or something like that. Not quite as extreme as firing, but not illegal afaik and there’s still a safety net for Veilmori. I’m unfortunately not well aware of the contract’s terms. All I know is that it’s somewhat common for Korean contracts to have a clause for the kind of situation that sparked the termination. (EDIT: Apparently the “firing over the phone” was a legit thing - very illegal - and Veilmori was a regular, not an outsourced contract or anything. Doesn’t help that PM is being vague about her employment status atm.)

Also I find it funny that this is the second time a “person fired over feminist social media” thing happened in PM. First time was a lot more clear-cut in comparison (very radical feminist group) but still, deja vu.

Honestly my biggest concern is the treatment of employees if the firsthand statements are to be believed. Hopefully this situation creates some major changes for the better in PM.

I doubt that PM being late on putting out a statement is a sign of something bad. A bit messy, perhaps, but legal red tape can get finicky. The statement we got doesn’t really say much, and it’s still unclear why exactly the termination took place. Honestly, I would be fine with everything if they just outright said the reason. Again, not sure if this is legal red tape or not. Anything’s better than a vague “it wasn’t because of her views” because even that could still relate to the social media stuff (i.e. not because of having views, but because of expressing them on an account publically and clearly connected to the individual). (EDIT: Altho I’ve been told firing employees over social media stuff is a big no-no, I’m sure there’s exceptions and it, sadly, has happened before. This situation’s case against Veilmori is flimsy at best though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was illegal outside of loopholes.)

Last thing to note is that this whole situation is a messy cocktail of social problems and long-held frustrations. Nobody wins in this scenario. PM was between a rock and a hard place and are still chipping away at the rock they are being crushed by. I’m not even gonna pretend I’m an expert on the gender war and whatnot. It’s definitely helpful to not view the situation through an ethnocentric lens though. That’s not to say you can’t maintain opinions based on your own views on feminism, but be sure to not ignore the context either.

Hopefully, like last time, everything can be cleared up and PM can get back on its feet. Currently my view is “not angry, just disappointed” for now. For now, though, wait for new developments and take care of yourself. Your feelings, good or bad, are absolutely valid and whether you continue to support PM or not is entirely up to you! You’re not a bad person for choosing either option.

[creature-wizard]

The thing about "conviction in one's own understanding" is that it's all around horrible for helping you obtain and hold a reasonable grip on reality. It's extremely ineffective at stopping people from internalizing bad info, and it also prevents them from absorbing good info. So here's the deal: conviction is a feeling. It makes you perceive yourself as right and just, regardless of whether you actually are. Now the thing is, it's impossible to know just how much we don't know, and people who feel like they know more are usually the ones who know very little. This is called the Dunning-Kruger effect. Everyone has gaps in their knowledge that they aren't aware of, and the thing about a lot of wrong info is that it aims to fill a gap you don't even know you have. Let's use flat earth, for example. To the average person, the whole idea feels really ridiculous - key word, feels. This isn't because they have a solid grasp on how the evidence points to a round Earth, or because they fully understand how we obtained that evidence. They just know it's round because it's what they were told, and it's what everyone else believes. This means that a flat earth believer can come in and ask, "yeah, but how do you know? I mean, you know what you've been told and you know what everyone else believes, but how do you know?" And then they stop and think about it, and they realize... actually, they really don't know. They begin to realize that they have massive gaps in their knowledge. Their conviction, which up to this point felt unassailable, is now critically shaken, and the conspiracy theorist can move in and fill these gaps with a lot of incredibly wrong information that this person has no way to evaluate right now. And you might think, "well, they can just evaluate it later-" but no, that probably won't happen, and here's why. So our average person here - we're going to call them Jamie - feels like their mind is being expanded. This information is completely novel, and it's huge. Jamie gets a big dopamine rush, which makes everything they're hearing feel super deep and profound. The whole time, the conspiracy theorist is explaining how they don't want people like Jamie to know the truth, and that all of the history books, science books, etc. have been written or edited by in on the conspiracy, or at least brainwashed by it. With these seeds of mistrust planted, Jamie is very unlikely to try and debunk the flat earther's claims. Now Jamie has a new conviction - that the world is flat and there's a massive conspiracy dedicated to covering it up. And this time, Jamie's conviction is backed up by massive amounts of information that appear to provide lots and lots historical context. The more Jamie internalizes the worldview of a conspiracy theorist, the more Jamie sees evidence of the conspiracy everywhere, and the more Jamie's conviction grows. Conspiracy theorists have conviction up the wazoo. What's far more important than having conviction is being willing to recognize and acknowledge when the evidence doesn't actually stack in favor of your belief. This is what the vast majority of conspiracy theorists lack, and is the main reason they remain conspiracy theorists. Instead of learning actual critical thinking skills, they simply get better at rationalizing things away. Another thing you need? The Five Ws - Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Find out who started claiming shit and find out exactly what they said. Examine the politics and prejudices common in the place and time they lived, and observe where their claims align with those. Find out why they were so invested in putting this stuff out there - what did they stand to gain from it? (There's always something to gain, even when it seems like there's nothing to gain.)

[ollieofthebeholder]

to find promise of peace (and the solace of rest): a TMA fanfic

<< Beginning < Prev. || AO3 || My Website

Chapter 39: September 2014

Gerard knocks twice, then cautiously eases open the door between the two adjoining rooms. Gertrude sits at the small, wobbly table in the corner, papers spread across it and her laptop in front of her, a cigarillo dangling from her lips and an intent look on her face.

“Gerard,” she greets him without looking up from her work. “How’s your head?”

“Best you’ve ever had,” Gerard quips as he steps through and closes the door behind him.

“I find that extremely difficult to believe. I’ve known some very talented men in my time.” Gertrude glances up to look at him over her glasses with one raised eyebrow. Gerard isn’t sure whether to laugh or gag. “I also don’t believe for a moment that you’re interested in women.”

“You’re not a woman. You’re a force of nature.” Gerard reaches into his pocket and pulls out his pack of cigarettes. He’s down to his last two; Woodbines don’t seem to be available in Overall Patches, Oklahoma, population would be twelve but Earl’s out getting petrol, so he’s going to have to either switch brands, at least temporarily, or stop smoking until he gets back to London. Actually, that might be the better option. It’s only a couple of months, he can do that. Maybe. “Can I borrow your lighter?”

Gertrude tosses it to him and waits for him to light up before going back to her work and asking, “Is your headache better?”

Gerard nods. “Yeah, the rest helped, thanks. What time is it?”

“Late,” Gertrude says, which isn’t remotely helpful. In the year and a half he’s been Gertrude’s helper—servant really, if he’s being honest—he’s learned two things: that her internal clock runs on Greenwich Mean Time regardless of where she is in the world, and that every task is urgent and immediate. When she says late, she could mean it’s close to midnight here, or she could mean it’s close to midnight in London but barely past dark here, or she could mean the plane she wanted to take to their next destination is closing its doors after boarding as they speak and this is somehow Gerard’s fault.

He decides he’s still too tired to bother guessing. “Late as in ‘all the restaurants are closed’, or late as in ‘the late great Harry Houdini, Avatar of the Spiral’?”

The look she gives him this time lingers, giving him the full force of her exasperation. Gerard is well aware that she could easily kill him, and probably will when she’s done with him, but right now he’s banking on her needing him too much to slit his throat and leave his body under the mattress, even if this is the kind of place where that probably happens once a week. “Houdini never encountered any of the Fourteen.”

“Knew him personally, did you?”

“It’s half past two in the morning, Central Daylight Time.” Gertrude shifts her cigarillo to the other hand and exhales heavily. “I’ve booked our tickets for Washington. I don’t believe there will be much to discover there, but I do want to see if there have been any new developments.”

Gerard tries to remember if she’s said anything about Washington before, then remembers. “The Usher Foundation, right?”

“Washington State. Not D.C. There are one hundred twenty-seven geographic regions in the United States named in some way after George Washington. Those in power are somewhat prone to romanticizing the past and ancestor worship.”

“Can’t think of any other nations like that,” Gerard says dryly. “Except maybe all of them.”

Gertrude rubs her forehead. “We’ll be flying into the Seattle airport, but our actual destination is something of a drive from there.”

“And…we’re looking for what, exactly? You said new developments. Is Seattle, Washington somehow important to the Unknowing?”

“Seattle, Washington is important to very little,” Gertrude says dryly. “But there is a town about an hour away that was the intended site of the Sunken Sky.”

Gertrude’s tone of voice isn’t particularly ominous—she utters those two words with the same weight as the rest of her statement—but the chill that runs up Gerard’s spine and the way his stomach twists itself into knots tells him that it’s probably something to be afraid of. And the fact that the eyes tattooed on his shoulders, and only the ones on his shoulders, suddenly feel like someone is pressing a hot compress to them tells him what that something is. “Does that…have something to do with the Buried?”

“Very good, Gerard,” Gertrude says, and she does actually sound a bit impressed. “The Sunken Sky is, or was, I suppose, the Buried’s ritual.”

Gerard almost swallows his cigarette.

Several responses come to his mind, at least half of which are profanity, but he can’t spit any of them out just yet, mostly because he’s too busy coughing and choking. Also panicking. That’s one entity he’s been incredibly thankful they’ve not encountered since he’s been working with Gertrude, but if she wants to walk straight into a ritual, for God’s sake…

“The Buried?” he finally chokes out. “We’re going to encounter the Buried? Fuck that.”

“We will be extremely unlikely to encounter it,” Gertrude assures him. “I was able to disrupt the Sunken Sky, let me see, six years ago. It should be quite some time before it can be attempted again. I simply want to see how much power the Buried has regained since then.” She considers for a moment. “Not that it’s likely to make another attempt in the same spot, but still.”

“Wait. Wait.” Gerard’s brain is beginning to catch up with the conversation, and he doesn’t like it. “Are you telling me it’s not just the Stranger? The Buried has a ritual as well?”

Gertrude looks slightly exasperated. “Of course. All of the Fourteen have rituals. Did you really think it was only the Stranger that wanted to come into our world?”

When she puts it like that, it makes sense. It does not, however, make Gerard feel any better. “So, what, they all just take turns? Go in some kind of order?”

“Hardly. I would imagine devotees of all the entities are constantly working to bring their masters through.” Gertrude takes another drag on her cigarillo. Gerard kind of wants to take it out of her fingers and bury it between her eyes.

“How can you be so calm about this?” he demands. “You’re telling me we’re focusing on turning back the Unknowing while some other entity could just swoop in and come through first?”

“Really, Gerard, what do you take me for, a fool?” Gertrude asks, glaring at him over her glasses.

Gerard doesn’t back down. “Yes. Next question.”

She ignores him, as she’s wont to do. “We are focusing on the Unknowing because it is, from my research, the nearest to completion. It is also the one I am most sure of the…shape it will take, and if I am correct, it will be the most destructive of the rituals even if it fails. We need to delay it as much as possible.” She shrugs. “Besides. Most, not all, of the other Fourteen have tried in relatively recent years. I told you, it can take centuries to build up enough power to attempt to bring one of the Fourteen fully into our world.”

“How do you know they’ve tried?”

“Because I’ve disrupted them, of course.”

“Of course.” Gerard takes another drag on his cigarette, hoping it’ll calm his nerves, and turns this information over in his mind for a moment.

Actually, knowing that particular fact makes a lot of things make much more sense. They’ve all heard the stories about the Archivist, and the more he’s traveled with her, the more he’s come to realize they aren’t exaggerated—if anything, they’re understated. Gerard’s desire to keep Martin and Melanie as far away from Gertrude as possible has been as much rooted in his fear that she’ll see Martin, with his Beholding powers that get stronger by the day, as something to be eliminated with ruthless efficiency as it is in his fear that they’ll get themselves killed trying to help. Knowing that she’s actually got a purpose, that she’s just trying to keep any one of the Fourteen from coming fully into this world and taking it over…that actually makes him relax somewhat. It doesn’t change the danger they’ll be in from her if she does find out about them and try to recruit them to help—especially Martin, who’s already part of the Institute; the last thing he wants is for her to decide she needs an official assistant and requisition him from the library—but at least she’s not likely to think Martin a monster and destroy him.

After all, she’s not a Hunter.

“I believe they’re all set to happen relatively close to one another,” Gertrude continues. She flicks the ash off the end of her cigarillo in the direction of the ashtray. “The Dance is coming up sooner than I would like, but it’s been over a hundred and fifty years since it was last attempted. The Dark’s ritual is in the works, I’m sure, but it hasn’t been gathering as quickly as the Stranger, so I believe there’s still time. I’ve not found any details on a ritual for Terminus—I’m not altogether certain there is one. And from what we’ve found here, the Hunt doesn’t seem keen to start the Eternal Chase anytime soon.”

“You’ve disrupted the other ten, then?”

“Well. Eight of them, at any rate. I believe the Pu Songling has some information on the Risen War, so I’ve asked Zhang Xiaoling to forward on a few statements that may tell us more—they’ll be waiting for us in Chicago, I hope, which is our next stop after Bucoda. The Rite of the Watcher’s Crown is still upcoming as well.”

Gerard stills. As evenly as he can, he says, “I beg your pardon?”

Please don’t let it be what it sounds like. Please don’t let it be what he thinks it is. Please. Please.

“The Rite of the Watcher’s Crown,” Gertrude repeats. She doesn’t sound particularly concerned. “I’ve no idea when it will occur, come to think of it, but I’m prepared to disrupt it as well.” She snorts. “At any rate, I won’t be a part of it.”

The last of Gerard’s hope rolls itself into a ball and dies. “It’s the Eye’s ritual.”

Gertrude nods sharply. “Correct. It’s nothing to concern yourself with at the moment. As I said, I’ve already got preparations in place for that, and we need to focus on the Unknowing.”

“Yeah.” Gerard stares at the end of his cigarette. Dimly, he wonders which of the Fourteen the fear currently unfolding in his chest belongs to.

Because all of his fears about Martin’s safety, should Gertrude ever meet him, return seven times over. Martin—bright, shining Martin—is Marked at least as heavily as a lot of the other things they’ve encountered. Whatever the Rite of the Watcher’s Crown is, and it’s obvious Gertrude has no interest in explaining right now, he’s likely to be swept up in it, willingly or unwillingly.

No. No, not willingly. Martin has dedicated years of his life to slowing the influence of the Fourteen on the world and protecting people from them, even without knowing about the rituals. He’d sooner scoop out his own eyes and burn them in one of their Leitner pots than willingly assist in reshaping the world for any of the Fourteen to take it over.

But what if he doesn’t know he’s doing it? And what if he just gets too close and gets caught in it without his consent?

Gerard swallows hard. He’ll have to pry the details out of Gertrude at some point. Maybe once they’re back in London he can ask again, or sneak a look at her notes or something. He needs to find out the details, because he needs to be able to warn Martin, keep him safe. Probably Melanie, too, if he’s being honest. Not that she’s as tightly bound to the Eye as Martin, but she’s in it enough, and there’s still a risk. Especially if she puts herself out there to try and deflect its attention from Martin.

It does, though, make him reconsider his promise. He hates himself for it, but he cannot introduce Martin and Melanie to Gertrude until he knows for sure what the Rite of the Watcher’s Crown is and what will be needed for it. He can’t risk her taking Martin out rather than chance him starting it off, with or without his knowledge. The best thing he can do for them is to keep them well away from her. Or so he tells himself.

He also can’t linger over this for too long or she’ll get suspicious, and if she gets suspicious she’ll try to compel him to tell her what he’s thinking so hard about. And even setting aside the fact that he knows she hates doing that, and she’ll remind him of that and ask him why he can’t just be honest with her without making her go that far and he’ll have to apologize a thousand times and it’ll make his headache come back and God, he hates that he’s once again trapped under the thumb of a woman who puts him through this exhausting level of mental gymnastics—even setting all that aside, he definitely does not want her to know what he’s thinking about right now.

“But this…Sunken Sky thing,” he says instead. “That’s definitely done with? I can’t get too close to the Buried. It won’t let me leave alive this time.”

It’s the right thing to say, because he sees the flicker of interest in Gertrude’s eyes. Call him fucking Scheherazade, because he’s just bought himself a little more time before she discards or kills him. “You can tell me about that later. After we’ve left Washington. I don’t believe there will be much of the Buried remaining there, but I suppose there’s always a risk.” She stubs out her cigarillo. “I want to see how much power has gathered there since I disrupted the ritual. It may give us some indication of how long it takes to rebuild, on average, and that may give us a better idea of how long we have to turn back the Unknowing.”

“Sounds great,” Gerard says. “When do we leave?”

“Our flight departs in two hours.”

“That doesn’t give us much time to get to the airport. Or to get through the security checkpoints once we arrive.”

“No. So I would suggest you gather your things. Quickly. We need to check out immediately.”

Luckily for her, Gerard is used to this. Old habits die hard. He walks into the other room and unplugs his phone—the only thing he’s taken out of his bag since lying down. There’s a text from Melanie, sent in their group chat several hours ago. [Trim your feeble lamps, my brothers.]

Christ, is that today? Gerard checks the date, and yes, it’s the twenty-third of September. As he looks, a reply comes through from Martin. [Let your lower lights be burning.]

Gerard quickly taps out his own response: [Send your gleam upon the waves.] That done, he switches his phone off and stows it in his bag along with the charger, feeling slightly guilty that he isn’t explaining things further to them. They understand…he hopes…or they will someday.

Oh, Martin, Melanie, I’m so sorry.

He slings his bag over his shoulder, palms the room key, and steps back into the other room, where Gertrude is still gathering her papers back into their folder. She looks up, evidently startled; he looks her dead in the eye and lies. “I’m ready.”

[acourtofthought]

I’ve seen your response to the other anon, and that’s exactly what I feel. We all know that both Elain and Azriel are in the wrong, for the circumstances of that almost kiss if not anything else.

What makes Azriel’s actions “worse” is that we know Elain is making a well-intended mistake. She should’ve spoken honestly with Azriel, minded the circumstances and do better, but it’s really not her intent to hurt anyone.

Azriel, on the other hand? His intent isn’t to hurt either, but it’s also clear he doesn’t mind it if someone (Lucien, honestly even Elain) will suffer as long as he gets what—the thing—he wants.

And guys, what he wants isn’t winning over the woman he loves, no. It’s having sex with someone he’s objectified, not even bothering to tell her he doesn’t want anything beyond that.

Both Azriel and Elain are making mistakes and Azriel isn’t a bad person (he’s also allowed to his desires), but seeing Elain looking at him so openly, in these circumstances, makes me sick to my stomach.

Agreed. Because it does seem like Elain is experiencing a bit of denial and naivety in that moment. That maybe after losing her fiance and trying so hard to ignore her bond, she was hopeful that this new path might make her happy. I don't think if she were actually to travel down that path she would be happy, but at that point I think she believed maybe she could be so I don't know that she was aware that she was trying to fill a void that couldn't really be filled with Az. Not to mention, she's 24. She definitely doesn't have much relationship experience. Az seemed to approach it with more awareness. He admits he knows he hasn't thought of a future with Elain. He admits that he's jealous of what his brothers have and since she's the third sister, why wasn't she given to him for the sheer fact of 3 brothers with 3 sisters. He admits he knows that wanting her is wrong and he'll accept just one time of hooking up with her and "that would be it". Which is why his side of things does seem a bit worse because he really had no intention of anything going further. Again, it seems like Elain may have been open to something beyond that one kiss because she was hopeful that she could prove to herself that another path would make her happy (regardless of whether it actually happened in the end. We can't know until we know, you know?).

[elvenbeard]

12, 25 and 27 for the ask game please!

Thanks so much for asking!!! :D

12. Do they have any sense of style? Regardless of the answer do they believe they have a sense of style?

Oh hell yes! You can't commit crimes if you don't look cute, right? XD But no honestly, he loves clothes, it's his biggest guilty pleasure if he had to name one.

I think he knows what goes well together and keeps up with trends - even if he doesn't follow them or actively breaks them. Is his sense of style everyone's taste? Nah, definitely not. But he likes to stand out when he gets the chance. At other times he also just enjoys putting on a really well-made, tailored suit and looking a bit more subdued but really fine still. He definitely gives Kerry's wardrobe a bit of an upgrade too xD

25. Do they have a daily/nightly routine?

Somewhat! During his time as a merc it always depended a bit on the gigs he got his hands on and whether or not they went according to plan. I feel like as a fixer later on he has an easier time even building a routine again (and for a while he missed his Counterintel job most for the routine it had given him for a while).

The bare minimum of what he strives to achieve though is going to bed and getting up at the same time roughly each day. He is more of a night owl and likes ot sleep in, so he usually gets up between 9 and 11 am, depending on how late the night was. Coffee and a small breakfast are a must, and Kerry gets him back into yoga, so that is often also part of his mornings. His days depend on what he gets to do, if he's at home or at the Afterlife planning things mostly, or if he's out and about, so there is no real consistent structure or schedule that's the same every day. Sometimes Kerry is home with him, sometimes he's at the stuio all day, sometimes they meet at some point during the day here or there. With their days being a little unpredictable sometimes, it's important to V to have at least somewhat of an evening routine of winding down. Before he knew Kerry he aimed to be home at the latest at midnight and then spent an hour or two just chilling, having a shower, playing a game, tinkering with something, things like that before going to bed. After moving in with Kerry at the villa and the penthouse he tries to be home a bit sooner whenever possible so they can do something together, go eat out somewhere, or just spend some time at home together, but it is an adjustment that really takes V some time and effort to make, because he's a workaholic at heart.

27. Has a chance encounter ever had an unexpected effect on them?

Absolutely! He's taken on some random gigs that affected him for much longer and much more profoundly than what he would've expected initially. Many of the cyberpsychos' he neutralized for Regina, their stories in particular, still haunt him, increased his already existing wariness towards getting cyberware installed, and made him aware of just how diverse and yet similar all their lives were. Full of betrayal and neglect, how many of them were veterans, too, that never received proper care after returning from combat. He never gave any of this much thought before encountering them and learning their stories, because they were all just numbers, "another cyberpsycho going on a rampage and killed by MaxTac" on the news broadcasts. Not anymore, and he sincerely hopes that maybe things will get better for them in the future.

The most profound chance encounter that completely changed his life though was definitely meeting Jackie. Had he not met Jackie he would've had no one to turn to after running away from home, he would've never met Viktor, he would've just been completely alone and lost and would've probably either died, slipped into a life of gangs and crime, or returned back home into a world that sucked all life out of him and become a completely different person if he'd made it out of there alive somehow a few years later. So yeah... unknowingly parking his mother's "borrowed" car in the Valentino's turf, getting in a fight with them, and Jackie being among them to deescalate the situation and saving his life for the first of many more times to come was definitely an insane but insanely important chance encounter in his life.

[possessionisamyth]

Given what Lily Gao has said about Ada, do you think Capcom is becoming aware of the criticisms regarding Ada's "dragon lady" persona and is working to correct it?

I'm going to preface this with I am not Chinese nor Chinese-American. I'm black, I taught english in Japan, and knowledge on this kind of racial stereotyping is growing at the same rate as my knowledge on antisemitism, AKA I know some but am still learning. So sorry again for this being long, but my answer will focus on how I look at writing/story analysis.

To be honest, for me when it comes to critically thinking about and analyzing media, I don't really care about what people say in interviews. I don't even look for them. The first exception I make to this is if someone has made enough of something that I can catch the patterns in their story-telling/depiction, and I have a desire to know where that comes from. That desire to know is also extremely rare, because there isn't a piece of written work (sans music) I don't analyze to some extent, and I've gotten great at guessing where ideas sprout from. Too good actually.

I say this not because the information is irrelevant, but because if what they're saying is true it will be executed well in the piece. If what they're saying is true, it will have met the goal whether or not they explicitly tell me what their goal is. I don't look at voice actor interviews, screenwriter interviews, or director interviews, and I haven't since my university classes. The other exception to this are blooper reels and director cuts with commentary. It's a shame many pieces no longer do these because they do highlight the goals of the movie better due to being in the moment with reels or by explaining why things were removed instead of why things were there, which is also more valuable to me.

I'm much less inclined to take Resident Evil voice actor opinions because I do not know how long they'll have that job. On top of that, IF we get Separate Ways DLC, I want how they took her lines in RE4R to make more sense as a result. I have a voice acting friend who loves Ada's new voice, but had problems with the direction they took her lines in. I didn't really hear it. I'm not experienced in that avenue. Me and my friend already have proven to have different opinions since I like when VAs voices crack or sound weak or warbly because it makes the scene feel more real to me. Voices aren't always perfectly practiced sounding without error because it veers too far into the uncanny which is why I stopped listening to ENG dubs of anime.

I love Ada talking to Luis and Leon like they're her subs. I love how bored and uninterested she sounds. It's a million times better than the "don't you want to fuck me" voice because anime has rotted the brains of many, and I'm a stupid gay who think women with deep voices can say anything so there's clearly a bias here! Yet until we see that DLC, which I'm praying we get, I can't tell you if Gao's words are true or not. Japan has a nasty history of being super xenophobic towards chinese people, and their xenophobia has been horribly normalized to this day. (I lived there, and I'm going back, and how nonchalant people were about it made me sick.)

As long as the DLC doesn't half focus on Luis, who Leon/Luis shippers are doing their own "latino papi" racist takes on link included check out the article, we'll have to see. I want to see the Remake Separate Ways DLC put in the work of departing Ada from the dragon lady stereotype. I want to know the writers and directors behind it realized how bad the original RE4 made it via making the remake DLC simply showing Ada as a woman who puts herself and her beliefs first no matter how gray those beliefs are. If it accomplishes that goal narratively, then I can assume whatever Lily Gao said is correct because other people will be talking about it. If it doesn't, then it doesn't regardless of the actor's interpretation of the piece.

Personally (this is related to the racist stereotype topic though veering off topic) If they do RE5 Remake, I will be flooding the tags with either praise or vitrol because jesus fucking christ the african stereotypes in the original? Painful. Physically painful for me. If they don't fix it, you all will know. In the meantime, praying we get that Separate Ways DLC. Really hoping to hear chinese voices who either enjoyed or felt neutral about Gao's acting on the DLC if it drops.

[piercethewon]

Chapter 2b: Two uncommon strangers.

↺ Undo selection || ⌂ Back to masterlist

For option B || wc: 1k.

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Tension was almost touchable inside the classroom.

Not only because your physics teacher had just announced that all tests from last week were already graded and many of the students present were fearing for their academic lives (Not Lily, though), but also because Jay and Jake, the unusual strangers you had met at the bus, were now in your class.

Regardless, the adrenaline that flowed through your veins was not enough to wake you up completely, and you could tell Sunghoon was holding back his usual nagging about your messed-up sleeping schedule. You were grateful that he cared, but there was not much you could actually do to fix it.

—Okay everyone, I want all of you to be welcoming with your new classmates— the teacher said as he started giving out the tests. Everyone seemed to agree, except for your pink-haired friend who was currently staring at the boys with zero discretion while holding tightly onto a pen; her knuckles were so white that you feared the poor thing would break in two anytime soon.

—Can you stop burning holes into their skulls? You’ll get in trouble— Gaeul, who had got ahold of the situation pretty quickly whispered to the tense girl. Lily did not even flinch when the teacher placed her test on the desk; to no one's surprise, a big “100%” written in bright red could be seen at the top of the paper.

It was your first time seeing her like that, but you knew better than to ignore her sharp intuition, so you opted to glance at the guys who were currently sitting before you, on either side of a very confused Sunghoon who had no idea how did he even manage to get caged between them.

Suddenly, the boy named Jake turned back to face you, an eyebrow raised in a questioning manner —Is there something wrong with my hair?—. Did he just call you out for staring? How did he even notice? Were you being too obvious? Well, most likely yes, since you and your roommates had not taken your eyes off them since the moment you got off the bus.

—Sorry!— you spoke before Lily could, opting to play dumb —It’s just that I never thought we could be in the same class, what a nice coincidence!— you were well aware of how awkward you sounded, but it was not the time to raise suspicions from them. You had no idea whether it would be too soon to get close to those strangers, but something about them was attracting you to their orbit like a magnet, so you had to be nice if you wanted them to let their guard down.

The teacher interrupted the conversation, placing your test on the desk —You did well, miss, but I know you can do better— he said before moving on to the next line of students. Well, at least the old man believed in your abilities, you had to stay positive at times like these were chaos surrounded you almost as overwhelmingly as his cologne.

—You passed! I knew you could do it!— Sunghoon cheered, his chair almost turned back completely to face you in an attempt to ignore the fact that the new students had barely taken their eyes off him since class started. He was in a hurry to get out of there, you could tell, but something about their behavior was making you think that Jay and Jake were not done yet.

The two of them were sharing discrete smirks and quick glances as if they were using an advanced and completely selective form of telepathic communication, and it was starting to make you feel uneasy. They were not even trying to hide their intentions, were they also in a hurry? For what?

You thought that, sooner or later, they would try to approach you again, and it would be better to be ahead of them, so you decided to act first. —Yeah, we should celebrate this, you guys can come, too— you pointed at the pair with your chin; Sunghoon’s smile has never faded as fast as it did after realizing what you were doing.

—No— you heard Lily speak from your left side. Everyone turned to her, Jay and Jake waited as if they expected her to add something else; they clearly do not know her well enough.

—Don’t mind our friend, she’s just a little shy…— A shy person would not exactly stare at you, dead in the eyes, while holding a pen in a threatening way, but what else were you supposed to do? —C’mon Lily, you heard our teacher, we are supposed to make them feel welcome— you tried to persuade her with something you knew she would never be able to refuse: orders. She was the most well-behaved person you knew, almost too docile; the only times she had gotten in trouble had been completely your fault.

The girl pondered for a minute before finally loosening the grip on her pen and neatly placing it on the desk. You and Gaeul sighed in relief, at least that was one obstacle solved. —So, what’s the plan?— Jay meddled for the first time since the class had started, you noticed how his accent was completely different from Jake’s and wondered how the both of them had met each other; you could ask them later along with many more questions, in case your plan succeeded.

—Let’s meet later at lunch— you said, watching as the teacher returned to his seat; you were running out of time —It’s on me—.

you did not miss the way both boys shared a glance and fought back smiles as if they had also planned to turn the conversation in the way you just did; you were starting to think that taking initiative was not enough to be ahead of them —Cool, see you guys at lunch—.

And with that, Jay and Jake turned to the teacher, who was just about to start today's lesson. Neither of them paid attention to you or any of your friends for the rest of the class, but for some reason, you did not take it as a good sign.

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► Next

► Taglist: @keikeu @dimplewonie

[witikli]

(very long but very important post, sorry in advance) hi uh. i know a lot of my recent posts have been more political than usual but um cope bcus its not gonna stop!

it's more important than ever to deprogram ourselves and confront internal biases based on culturally christian & capitalistic society. duh. i see a lot of people saying this but not many giving examples or advice on how to actually go about doing so, other than just "do the research urself." so i'm trying to share some resources to maybe help people get started. if you take the time to check these out and find them helpful, i urge you to share them with your friends and family as well.

second thought and genetically modified skeptic on youtube have some fucking amazing videos deconstructing christian and capitalistic ideas that most ppl probably don't even realize are ingrained so heavily into our society and are reinforced in almost every single piece of media, like, ever. both of them cite reliable sources and include links to all of them in their video descriptions. they explain things thoroughly and make it easy to understand (also they both put really good captions on all of their videos, but do sometimes reference images on screen without explicitly describing them or providing alt text, though these usually aren't essential to the point of the video). and remember to be critical of ALL media, including the channels i've linked and other anti capitalist or anti (cultural) christianity media. the channels i've linked are both run by cishet white abled men, and they're bound to make mistakes.

so anyways, i think a lot of ppl see criticism about cultural christianity/capitalism and assume it doesn't apply to them. myself included. i am an indigenous + asian queer disabled neurodivergent person and i consider myself an anarchopunk communist. i've done hours upon hours of research about this stuff. this does not mean i am immune to propaganda and internal bias, as much as i liked to think i was for a very long time. people always ask how they can help, how they can contribute, how they can possibly make any sort of an effect when they're just one person, who probably can't afford to donate large amounts of money to the people who Can take things into their own hands. the most important thing you can do is educate yourself. which, by the way, costs nothing but your time, and is often really interesting and enlightening. this doesn't mean you have to read depressing stories about people who are less fortunate (though i encourage you to do that as well). i understand news fatigue, hopelessness, and the want to distance yourself from social media as a means of self care. educating yourself doesn't have to be draining and emotionally demanding.

this has kinda turned into an essay but i wanna end it by saying the thing that prompted this was something as simple as that post saying "when are we going to overthrow the government," with a reply saying "y'all couldn't even boycott chick-fil-a." regardless of whether or not you still eat chick-fil-a, there are countless other companies that are much worse that we don't even bat an eye at. i haven't eaten chick-fil-a since i first found out about their homophobic shit, and i thought that gave me some moral high ground to stand on, despite the fact that i still ordered clothes from companies like fucking shein. i know not everyone can afford to stop buying from unethical but more affordable and accessible companies, i can't either. but everyone can at least be aware of the affect these things have, and spread awareness about it. i can do better, and so can you.

[the-expose-on-girls]

Goals and Aspirations

The purpose of The Expose is to make people aware of and speak out against toxic women, while providing a place of healing and community for victims of female bullies. To this end, most posts focus on calling out the negative. So, as a little break from the sometimes depressing norm, we will take a look at the positive characteristics that make a woman a GEM, a beneficial person to be around to any degree, and someone we should all aspire to become.

Virtue

Regardless of how she labels herself---religion, belief circle, what have you---she possesses and practices core virtues in her day to day life. Honesty, compassion, modesty and humility, loyalty, patience, dedication, just to name a few. You know she is the real deal when these qualities are not something she brags about possessing and practices even when no one is watching.

Self improvement

Healthy relationship with attention

This quality can manifest itself in many different ways from person to person. One girl might devote her free time to hobby classes like painting or ballet, while another may study tutorials on hair and makeup to become more self sufficient. Self improvement is so important for humanity. Those who focus on "leveling up" spend their time doing constructive activities that help them learn, grow, and thrive. Some of these endeavors have the added benefit of improving the world around them. With each passing year, they become a better person, adding talents, skills, and knowledge to their repertoire. They become much more interesting people. They expand their social circles.

This goes for personal characteristics, as well. She is self aware enough to see where she falls short, where she should improve, and then she aims for just that.

When she is praised for an achievement or a quality that she possesses, her first impulse is the divert that praise onto someone who helped her reach that point. She recognizes that her accomplishments in life are not reached through her efforts or talents alone, but with great contributions from friends and family.

ALSO, when someone else is the recipient of attention and praise, she is right there cheering them on. She is completely comfortable with someone else being the star of the show.

She doesn't thirst for the spotlight. She doesn't feel driven to be the center of everyone's attention at all times.

Creation vs consumption

The majority of her time, efforts, and resources go into creation, not consumption. Amazon wishlist? What's that? No, she is too busy building a life for herself, bringing all of her dreams and ideas into existence, to waste time online shopping, constantly thirsting over trivial material satisfaction. Whatever realm or medium her talents are in, she is always exercising and improving them, whether it be writing a book, learning a new language for her next adventure, taking classes to start her own business one day, staying up late to paint in her studio, what have you.

She doesn't waste the finite time of her life shopping for clothes she'll wear once, getting an overpriced manicure every two weeks, chasing the latest color of trendy travel mug, or hitting "add to cart" until her thumbs are raw.

Her time is spent bettering some portion of the world througg the creation of her hands, rather than helping society consume it all until there is nothing left.

Positive speech

Have you ever been around those people who never cease to talk negatively about others indiscriminately, complain about everything in their lives, and just say nasty, derogatory things in general? I have and it's absolutely exhausting.

An admirable woman speaks positively as much as possible. She hesitates to talk negatively of others, even strangers and "enemies". A problem in her life has to get very severe before she'll even mention it, and even then she's more focused on solutions or hoping for the best, rather than garnering attention from others by griping. Her humor is clever and never at the expense of others or herself. If someone confides in her about a problem they are having with a 3rd party, she will respond with wholesome advice, rather than jumping immediately to seeking revenge.

She lifts up everyone around her, rather than dragging them down.

Discretion

When trusted with sensitive information, she doesn't turn around and use it to gain attention or cause drama. If someone else blabs about whatever it may be, she will pretend like she didn't already know. If you ask her about something that happened to someone else, she will redirect you to ask that person to their face. You can always trust her with secrets, without even asking her not to tell. She will take secrets to her grave, rather than give up private details.

She doesn't gossip or talk negatively about others behind their backs. Yes, there may be people she does not like or get along with. But she won't take that as an opportunity to spread their personal information (or invent total lies about them).

[sabezyhaina]

LEVEL UP YOUR MUSIC WITH THESE EARPHONES!

Looking forward to buying some new earphones but confused about which ones to buy? Don’t know much about things to consider before buying new earphones? Worry not; get to know it all right here.

I am sure you must have a pair of earphones nearby, whether you are reading this post on your phone or laptop. Headphones are the most influential device in terms of our daily life. We wear them as we run, work, ride trains and fly on airplanes, and a few of us even sleep with them on.

Headphones are becoming more than just an audio device—they’re also a trendy fashion statement. Although providing outstanding sound is undoubtedly the most important factor, owning headphones with a stylish appearance also matters when making a purchase.

Everybody has distinct tastes when it comes to music. It is always enticing and engaging, regardless of the genre or language, whether it is rock, EDM, classical, or jazz. What type of headphones will suit your musical preferences then?

Worry not, we have answers ready for all of this.

But before that, here are the key considerations you should have in mind and ask yourself while picking your next set of headphones:

How do you intend to use them?

Are you trying to find headphones for portable listening that offer a haven of privacy while out in public?

Do you want earphones that you will be using mostly at the comfort of your home?

What is your preference, wireless or wired earphones?

If headphones, What kind of them are you looking for?

How much are you looking to spend on the same?

Once you have answered these questions, read further–

The headphones you purchase will depend on your use case. There are several varieties as well.

Over-ear headphones wrap over your entire ear, whereas on-ear headphones lay on your ears. In-ear headphones are portable and fit easily into your pocket, despite the fact that they aren’t the greatest for an immersive experience. While a wired pair of headphones provide signal translation with little loss, they also bind you to your gadget. On the other hand, a wireless one is portable and small. Limitations include a short battery life, a cumbersome charging process, and a sound quality that gets impaired.

For ease of use and greater comprehension, the process of choosing headphones can be broken into steps. Let’s have a better understanding of the different criteria for choosing headphones.

Every pair of headphones is made with a specific user in mind. Like studio pros, who must listen to music precisely for extended periods of time, they favor over-ear headphones with a flat frequency response. Similarly to this, in-ear headphones are preferred by those who enjoy listening to music on the go. You would prefer a bass-heavy pair if you are an EDM fan or bass head. Previously considered an added bonus when buying a headset, microphones are now a highly desired feature given that a large number of us are working from home.

When purchasing a pair, the genre is just as important as utility and everyday use. Your ideal headphones should suit your preferred genre, whether it is EDM, Classical, Folk, Country, Rock, Pop, or Funk.

While choosing the type of headphones you desire, be sure to keep your objective in mind. You’re almost there if you’ve sorted out this part.

Once you are aware of your use case, it is crucial to ensure the proper fit. There are three different kinds of headphones: in-ear, over-ear, and on-ear. Headphones that snugly fit into the ear are known as in-ear. On-ear headphones go over the ear and distribute the sound equally between the bigger over-ear and the smaller in-ear. Additionally, they are portable and light. Larger headphones called over-ears surround and isolate the ear.

Choose the size that best appeals to you. Choose in-ear or on-ear headphones if you need your headphones to be lightweight and portable. Over-ear headphones are the best option if you desire comfortable, roomy, and improved audio performance. Make sure they are a good fit for you and your usage style regardless of the design.

Here are a few recommendations from us so that you can make an easy decision to buy the headphones online::

Wired Headphones: BoAt BassHeads 950v2 OR Sony MDR-ZX110AP

Wireless Headphones: BoAt Rockerz 510

Wired earphones: Sony MDR-EX15AP EX

Wireless Neckband earphones: Gizmore MN220

Wireless Earbuds: Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro OR Apple AirPods Pro

These recommendations are to give you a basic idea of the best options in the market for earphones and headphones. Whether it be the wired ones, the earbuds, or the wireless neckband, choose what sails your boat and we would be happy to be a part of your quest to find the optimum earphones for yourself.

I hope this makes it easier for you to choose the ideal combination before you buy the headphones. If you want to explore more options, check them all out on SABEZY. It is the ultimate place for all your shopping needs. For more information, the latest offers, and other updates, get in touch with us at the following links:

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This article was originally published on Sabezy.

[cinnamonest]

Zhongli (Genshin Impact) - Yandere Profile

This man's voice has a POWER over me I SWEAR

tws: yandere, mentions of n/sfw

tws (under the cut): very ddlg-esque vibes, sorta? infantilization, noncon

I'm sorry I get such strong daddy vibes it unintentionally went in this direction, hope that isn't too bad lmao

I’m working on all the prompts I’ve gotten in! I’ve gotten a few so I’ll be working on those.

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What are they generally like? Lucid, aware? Obsessive? How do they behave?

He's one that might be likely to misunderstand his feelings at first, think that he sees himself as a mentor or maybe even an authority figure, someone to guide you and teach you and serve as a dependable partner to your travels. As time goes on, and he begins to recognize how utterly flustered he gets around you, he's forced to acknowledge the actual feelings he has.

While some yanderes with a slight aloofness or pride to them get worse when in love, such as Childe or Kaeya, his drops completely. You bring out a softer side of him, really, one that's protective and tender and loving, so very loving, wanting to be around you, with you. He's certainly an obsessive, protective type, ultimately allowing his protective nature to get the better of him as he demands to know everything you've done, account for your location at every moment, constantly keep track of your habits, inquire about very personal details of your life. If he realizes you're bothered by it, he might draw back a bit, but he's convinced that that's just your perception, that it's necessary, truly, and not at all unusual.

Pet names. Particularly fond of love, darling, and angel. Sweet things that represent what you mean to him -- something precious, something to represent his adoration and idolization.

The primary form of delusion comes from a perception of you. He's obsessive, and idolizes you to an extent. He perceives you as pure, innocent, angelic. The thing is, this applies regardless of whether or not you actually are. If you are, it will solidify the idea, but even if you're not, he will find a way to see you so, anyway. No matter how wise you are, no, you're naive. No matter how capable you are, no, you're weak and fragile. No matter how experienced you may be, no, you're pure. He can always keep this delusion running by bringing into account age and comparison - you'll never be as strong as him, so you might as well be frail and weak. You'll never have lived as long as him, so really, do you think there's that much difference between you and a child, when compared to someone like himself?

How likely are they to kidnap their darling? How quickly will they do so?

Actually highly likely, and pretty quickly. As he observes you, it becomes very clear to him how very fragile you are, how naive you are, you are quite literally too pure, too angelic, to be living in this world with such beings as humans. Fragile, beautiful little things have a place where they belong - protected. Where do we put fragile, beautiful things? We put them behind glass, behind ropes, in pretty cages, in secluded rooms. It's only natural that you, too, need a similar environment.

He's one of the ones that will... Elegantly kidnap you, as odd as it sounds. He's not a brute that would do something horrendous like knocking you out or drugging you, no, he'll find an excuse for you to come to his abode, invite you in, and you'll walk in none the wiser. Only after your in, and the doors close, does he guide you to your new room, calmly explaining that he's come to the realization that you're too fragile to continue your journey, and ought to simply give up on your travels. He knows you'll be upset at first. Like a child being denied, you'll get pouty, moody, you might cry, you might lash out at him. It's predictable. He'll dry your eyes and calm you down, brushing off any harsh words you may have, holding your wrists in his hands when you try to push him away, softly reassuring you that it will all be alright, that you're safe now, and you'll learn to accept this with time.

How difficult is it to escape from them? How do they keep you restrained? How do they deal with attempted escape? 

He would want something... elaborate. He's a man with taste for the most beautiful of things, including yourself, and he won't settle for something as simple as a chain or ropes. No, that would be too simple and brutish, and you, one of the finest things in his life, deserve something equally beautiful and delicate.

He's one of the ones that would go to a great deal of preparation for your arrival. He'd have a room prepared just for you, very ornate, beautifully tailored to you -- the walls your favorite color, the bed made of the same material as your old one, and the whole room completely filled with things you're certain you never even told him you liked. Clothes that fit perfectly to your body. It's frightening how perfect it is, because you know he had to go out of his way to acquire the information to achieve such perfection, but you have no idea how.

Everything about it elegant and detailed, right down to the series of ornate locks on the door. They're some of the sturdiest available, made with essentially unbreakable metal alloys and the most intricate lock systems to date. The windows don't open, and he'd certainly find some way to ensure escape through them isn't an option -- perhaps metal bars, perhaps an unbreakable glass substitute, perhaps merely locating your new home right on the edge of one of Liyue's most beautiful mountains, so that if you were to go out the window you'd plummet to the earth below. He's a bit delusional, but he's not stupid, and he will think through every possibility. Every little detail he needs to keep you safe and confined.

He's certain that, perfect as it is, this room is all you will ever need to be happy. Should you desire anything else, he can bring it to you. You'll never have to leave.

So it goes without saying that it would be exceptionally difficult to escape him. You'd have to find a way through the locks, for which your best bet would be to get some hair pins or tiny writing utensils. Even if you managed it, though, which would frankly be a very difficult feat, you'll have to deal with staying free. Zhongli has ties to the people of Liyue as a whole, and needless to say, he has eyes everywhere. You can't risk appearing in the harbor area, there will be far too many people who would immediately report you, and you'd just be walking right to him anyhow. The surrounding areas also have ties to him, so you'd want to try and reach Mondstadt, as far as it is, which is a difficult travel by foot all alone. You won't get far. He's faster, he's wiser, and he will find you long before you could ever hope to make it there.

However, he's not quite as angry as some yanderes would be about it. He doesn't take your escape personally, no, he blames himself, only calculating his own mistakes as to how it happened. He sees you as something like... a little runaway pet, so naive and dull that you don't know any better than to go wandering off. Or perhaps like a child, just sheepishly curious and wanting to explore, not knowing the dangers of the world. Or, perhaps...

"I haven't been giving you enough attention, have I? That's why you pulled this little act of rebellion... you're hurt by my negligence and wanted to be reassured of my care for you. I'm so sorry... I understand now, love. This was my fault. I've been so caught up with work... I'll delegate some tasks to my workers, and I'll be able to spend more time with you from now on, alright? Don't worry, I'm not angry, I'll take full responsibility. I'll be sure to make it up to you... now, let's go home."

How easy are they to trick, deceive, or manipulate?

Much like Childe or Venti or anyone who has been around as long as he has, you really don't stand a chance. He's an incredibly perceptive man. There's not much to say on the matter, as any attempts will be quickly shut down.

He'd find it amusing, really. Like a child trying to lie, but the evidence is all over their face and hands - it's that obvious to him. It's cute enough that he almost hates having to discipline you for it, but, you have to learn.

How lenient are they? What privileges can you have, and what will you be denied?

He wants his little angel to be safe - and unfortunately, you, being so naive and empty headed, don't always know what's best for you. He knows rules can be hard to follow perfectly, but they're there to keep you safe.

Extremely strict, will want to monitor every moment of your life, every little movement you take, and will insist on watching over you in every task. He'll pick out everything you wear, everything you eat.

Occasionally, if you ask very sweetly, he may take you out for walks in Liyue. Honestly, he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy taking you to what he knows are the finest locations, shops with the highest level of craftsmanship, restaurants with a high price tag and reputable food. He enjoys showing off his refined tastes and discerning selective abilities. And honestly? There's a certain... Powerful feeling to knowing you're made aware of the costs when he makes high purchases in front of you... even if you don't realize he's not always actually the one paying for it, or that he forgot mora again but promises the owner to pay later - but he'll make sure you don't know that. You hear the numbers, and your eyebrows raise, your eyes widen. You'd nearly faint if that total was on your responsibility, and he knows that. Which is why he'll simply smile at you, and tell you you're worth every last Mora. He'll buy you nearly anything you may desire. It seems like leniency, but in reality, it's his subtle way of locking control and dependency over you, making you respect him, making you love him.

"Don't worry, love. It's not a lot... Not to me, at least. Even if it were, my angel only deserves the best, no?"

What kind of rules do they have? What kind of punishment would they use?

Oh dear. Again, he's very strict, and wants to monitor everything you do, every little aspect of your life. He decides what you eat, portioning your meals to make sure you're eating enough, he worries about you going hungry during your travels, but luckily you'll never have to worry about that again. If you have a sweet tooth, he'll sigh and worry about your teeth and health, but he'll make sure to account for a little bit of sugar in your day, and will even pick up little treats from some of the most reputable places in Liyue.

He picks out clothes for you with each day. They're not... Normal clothes, per se. Certainly not what you'd normally wear on your travels. And it's not like anyone will see you except him - which is exactly why you'll have clothes he would never want anyone else to see you in. Frilly, lacey things, somehow both highly sexualized but also incredibly infantile, soft pinks, baby blues, gentle off-whites. They accentuate the curves of your body so perfectly, while just barely letting him see the parts of you normally kept hidden.

You'll have a schedule - a bath time, a bedtime, a wake-up time. He's weak to your requests, though, and may let you stay up a little late every now and then, or sleep in just a bit, if you make that soft pouting face and beg. He'll insist on bathing you, dressing you, so that you don't have to - and can't even if you wanted to - lift a finger even to wash yourself or put your clothes on.

He has a set of rules for you, very simple ones he hopes you can easily follow. No trying to leave. No doing anything dangerous. No talking to strangers when you go out. You must hold his hand whenever you're walking together, don't go wandering off.

He'll feel ashamed of the thought for a while, but eventually he'll cave and give into the desire, no, the security precaution, of a nice little collar for you. It's not too embarrassing, no, he went out of his way to find one that was delicate, almost like a necklace, made with fine materials, the engraving only visible up close. If you look closely, though, it clearly bears his name.

Breaking the rules is expected, he anticipates it. You're not the brightest, he might even view it as a mistake. A benefit is that you can easily pass it off as simply forgotten, or an accident. Hence, he's not too harsh - normally. He'll sigh, forgive you, and pat your head, contemplating how to prevent your access in the future.

Perhaps you wriggled out of his hand and ran off while walking? You were just excited, distracted, like a child. He might be able to procure a small leash, one that wouldn't be immediately obvious or embarrassing, to attach to your collar. Perhaps some cuff-like links to latch your arm to his.

You forgot the rule about not handling the kitchen knives and cut yourself? He'll have to get some kind of lock and simply keep them safely away from you. No big deal. Any measures are worth your safety.

If you push the limits, or have a defiant attitude, he might reach the point of punishment. As for not-unwholesome things, this would usually include taking away privileges, such as walks or sweets, but overall, punishment will mostly come in more impure forms.

How do they deal with rivals, or perceived rivals? Will they get rid of them? Will they kill them themselves, or find another way?

Not too much to say here - he has connections. He doesn't need to dirty his own hands. For all his supposed humility, if he truly dislikes someone, they're no more significant than an insect to him. He has no reservations about ridding the world of people who, in his mind, are obviously trying to deceive you, abuse you, corrupt you.

Thankfully, he is very capable of keeping a neutral face, even when he feels laughter building up. It would probably look strange if he were smiling over the newest body to come into his parlor.

How easy is it to make them mad? What does their anger look like?

It's a slow buildup. He views restraint as a virtue, and looks down upon those who lack control over their own tempers. He's a man who strives to meet his own standards of character, and that very much applies to self control and ability to maintain a controlled demeanor, even when he feels a bit of frustration due to you being intentionally and deliberately defiant.

It's his responsibility to be a good role model for you and make sure you understand how to behave. However, in the end, he's very keen on properness and rules. If you have a tendency towards brattiness and pushing your limits, you may drive him to a boiling point.

However, even when expressing his anger, he's remarkably controlled. It's very mature, really. Nonetheless, he will have you shivering and tearful with his voice alone, booming with that depth that reverberates off the walls, that vibrates against your very core. His true anger is one that can strike fear even in the most courageous individuals - he's terrifying when he wants to be, fierce and intimidating, a sort of power just eminates from him.

Nonetheless, it's quick, he calms down very quickly, wipes the tears from your eyes, and sighs.

"I do hate having to be firm with you... but I can't have you thinking you can just act however you want. You understand that, don't you?"

So they see you as above them, beneath them, or equal to them?

Both? It's difficult to describe. You're an angel to him. You're the finest work of art, the most intricate creation, the kind of person whose body and likeness deserves to be preserved in art and tradition, one of those women who should be renowned for beauty even centuries long after you're gone from the earth. It's almost goddess-like. At the same time, there's a beautiful, tragic duality to your essence, he thinks. A fragility and a dependency that leaves you in need, but an inherent status of perfection that makes you deserve the utmost perfect of care. You need to be coddled, cared for, protected, but you deserve it. Like a deity incarnated into a mere fragile human form, a queen that needs support to retain her grace.

Unlike some, he doesn't view his care and protection as some kind of favor that should be repaid with your gratitude, no, really, he is grateful that he is the one who is even deserving of being your caretaker, your provider, your lover.

Even if he is the one who determined that he deserves that role.

How determined are they for you to love them? How hard will they try to make it happen? Or are they content just having you?

He's convinced that he can show you that he is your protector, your lover, that it's fate itself that has locked you together, not just his own will.

And he is, above all else, patient. One of the most patient you could encounter. You think a year is a long time? It's nothing to him. A century for you? More than a lifetime. For him? Nothing. He can and will wait, as long as it takes, and he will never falter in his continual care. He'll remind you frequently, he'll shower you in affection, but if you don't return it? It's not that bad. He has all the time in the world to fix you.

Bonus: Is there anything that makes them unique, in comparison to other yanderes?

Moraless Sugar daddy

But in all seriousness, he is definitely of the gift-giving love language. He sees beautiful things, and beautiful things make him think of you! It's sweet, he thinks. So many little things he sees throughout his day make him think of you, and he has to have all of them, see your face when he gives them to you. He likes making you happy, for one, but he'd be lying if he said there wasn't a sort of satisfactory pride he gets from the power dynamic of it all. He wants to be the sole source of provision in your life, he wants your dependency.

If we're talking prior to the events of the game, it will be even more extreme. He treats it like it's truly nothing, throwing around massive purchases, seemingly as if he's not thinking about it at all. But he is - rest assured, he's taking it into consideration, at least, that is, how it will affect your attitude and perception of him.

General perverseness: how sexual of a person are they? What’s their drive like? How touchy do they get? Do they have any reservations about sexuality?

On the reserved side. He'd never conduct himself improperly in public, of course. It's out of the question. He cares about proper behavior and public image, and he'd never behave in a vulgar manner.

Even in private, he's certainly one of the ones that struggles with a certain guilt. To some degree, he would feel like you're so innocent and pure that he doesn't want to corrupt you. He goes through stages. First, he'll lie to himself, telling himself that the feelings he has for you are simply protective, platonic, a natural sense of responsibility for you. That becomes more and more difficult to convince himself of, the more excited he becomes around you, the more he finds his eyes drawn to whatever bits of skin are exposed on your body, finding himself drifting off to impure thoughts, trying to push them away. 

Second, once he's forced to acknowledge the true nature of these feelings, he'll simply practice restraint, something he's rather good at in this area. He tries, he really does. He tells himself he can't do something so impure, that it would violate you, that he should be ashamed of himself for it. It becomes more and more and more difficult to restrain himself with time, the feelings rising and the thoughts become more difficult to push away, eventually entertaining the fantasies in his head in an attempt to rid himself of the urge in real life. It doesn't work, no, it only makes the urges worse, and he can't be around you without his body nearly commanding him to do something. And finally, he'll take a different stance entirely, telling himself that, no, it's not going to corrupt you, rather, it's taking care of you. If he really wants to love you, really wants to care for all of your needs, then surely that would include your physical needs, and therefore, really, it would be wrong of him not to help you.

As that shift in viewpoints goes on, he'll become more and more bold, hands lingering just a little longer, face coming just a little closer. It's a slow build of tension, just waiting to boil over. 

How forceful are they? Do they care about your willingness?

He understands you're nervous. Again, no matter how experienced you are, somehow in his head he makes it out to be insignificant. Even if you've had other relationships, he convinces himself - and tries to convince you - that they were inadequate, they didn't care about you, not like he does. And he'll treat it as that -- any resistance you put up is nervousness, nothing more, nothing less. He'll reassure you a million times that you won't feel pain, that he'll be gentle, that you'll feel good, even if his size and strength frankly is rather intimidating regardless of experience. He'll keep cooing in your ear, softly whispering reassurance, softly running hands over your skin, holding you in place as the last inch stretches you apart. 

What sort of kinks or fetishes do they have, or would they fill?

Infantilization

Again, no matter how smart, experienced, and capable you may be, you're none of those things to him. You're a fragile, little thing. He has to take care of you at all times. It may not be evident at first, and he himself likely doesn't fully realize it, but there is something highly sexual to this for him. Caring for you puts him in a position of dominance, control. It gives him access to your privacy, dressing you up, fingers running over your skin, bathing you, watching your skin glisten. He'll talk to you in this way, too, often softly, remarking every little way in which you need him, and even condescendingly so. He wants you to be his, not only in a sense of love, but of possession.

Oral

Primarily giving. Even on its own, he loves the taste, but the effect it has on you makes it that much better. He loves anything that forces you to depend on him entirely for pleasure, that puts you at his mercy. And he'll be torturous about it too, restraining your arms and legs so you can't control anything, hold your hips down so you can't roll into him, so that only he can determine exactly how much pressure and speed you get. And he won't rush it, no, he'll go so slowly it's torturous, and telling you very simply that if you want any more, you'll have to beg.

Edging

For a variety of reasons. The power trip is as exhilarating as it is pleasurable, but he also loves watching your body writhe. Each little muscle that moves under the flesh when your arms strain against his hand holding your wrists together, the convulsing of your stomach muscles, the way your toes curl and legs spasm and the sweet little whimpers you make when he draws back just short of your high. He's mastered watching your reactions, knowing exactly when to stop, even if you try to mask it. He'll want you to tell him, though, nonetheless, tell him when you're close, if for nothing else but the sense of you obeying his commands.

Collaring

Similarly to infantilization, it gives him something of a sense of control, of possession. He loves seeing his name engraved on it, marking the whole of your being with his ownership. In his somewhat rare moments of roughness, he'll want to pull on it, use it to draw you towards him, in a moment of your defiance, in particular. If you're being mouthy, whiny, disobedient, and you finally make him snap, especially if you try to walk away from him, he'll yank you back with force, pulling you close to him, and when the force of it shuts you up, changes your demeanor, forces you to acknowledge your submission - the satisfaction he'll get from that is incomparable.

How do they feel about pregnancy or babies? Do they want them?

As much as he likes the idea, to him, you're already like a child, naive and fragile. Could your body even handle a pregnancy, a birth? He'd likely try to avoid it, but in the end, if it happened by accident anyway, rest assured you'd be getting the best care of any woman to ever be pregnant in Teyvat, and he'd do everything in his power to ensure you were always comfortable, taking his caretaking to another level, almost never even letting you get up, insisting you stay still and calm and needy.

What kind of (nsfw) punishments would they use?

He'd be one to pull the "it doesn't hurt you as much as it does me" line, but really, even if he refuses to admit it to his own self, having you bent over his lap is just as much for his own enjoyment as it is a disciplinary measure. It's more humiliating than it is painful -- he'd hold back, afraid of hurting you with his strength, but taking in every little flinch and whimper you make as he brings his hand down on your ass, keeping your head pressed down, kneading at the flesh. He'd insist it's the most effective punishment measure, but you can feel the hard-on digging into your stomach. The worse the behavior, the worse the beating, but every time, after it's over, he'll hold you upright, wiping the tears from your eyes and asking you if you learned you lesson, if you intend to do it again, and smiling when you insist you won't.

What body parts of their darling do they like the most?

Your skin. It's beautiful, and he loves the way that light from the moon and sun look on your naked form. He loves the way your skin feels, soft and delicate, smooth, so paper thin and fragile, and so, so deliciously prone to showing marks from the slightest of harm - a simple smack can make the plump flesh darkened and reddened, the lightest suckling will leave beautiful hickeys all down your neck and chest. There are so many ways to mark his property, to stake a visible claim all over you, it's irresistible.

He also will go out of his way, when picking out all the things he wants you to wear, to find colors that best go with your skin tone, in a contrasting sense - particularly lacey, sheer things that contrast very well, so he can see your soft flesh perfectly defined against the little lace patterns.