#but I don't know about that that is just an assumption so I am unsure and everyone is different so...

[chromatophorium]

Just played some VR for about 2 and a half hours. I played the game 'I expect you to die 3', I had to stop because the third mission had you in a moving car and it made me motion sick.

Now I keep having these like moments where it still feels like I am in VR or something. Like, I expect my hands to touch stuff before they actually do.

I find myself expecting invisible boundaries, like when I bump my hand into stuff in the real world while there is nothing there in the game world. Like, in those moments I subconsciously expect my hand to bump into something I can't see if I reach out too far or too low.

My head and hand feels too light in those moments too, I don't like that it feels that way it.

And last time I played I had a moment where I was imputing the code to my apartment (I had gone out with the trash after playing) where my instinct was to input the code without touching it with my hand, like the game mechanic in the game, telepathy, where you can reach stuff far away.

And at some point during writing this I had another one of those moments where I fully expected my hand to feel no resistance to the keyboard and go through it, like when you push buttons during the game.

And the moments all like make me feel disconnected from reality, a bit like it's not real and a game. I don't like that. I think that's called dissociation, but I am not sure.

NoMy god. I hate how like easily my brain adapted to the rules of reality in VR and won't let go of them now. It has gotten better as I'm writing this though. But I think I'll be avoiding VR for a while. I don't like how it breaks my sense of reality.

[disneyprincemuke]

ღ this barbie has a baby

"wait a second," max blinks, hands in the air to stop the conversation from going any further than it could. the rest of the guys quiet down and slowly turn to him. "are we just going to glaze over the fact that she said she's bringing a baby to the paddocks tomorrow?"

lando furrows his eyebrows. "surely, she's not talking about an actual baby, right?" he looks around for approval. "i just assumed she was talking about a... partner... boyfriend, perhaps?"

mick shrugs, "i always just assumed she was talking about a grown person. she wouldn't bring an infant to the track."

"is no one even concerned that she's only turning 19 this year and you lot assume that she's got a baby?" alex asks, scowling at his friends as he scratches his head. "maybe she knows someone named baby?"

"she calls them 'my baby', though," mick points out as he presses his lips together. "it has to be a person, right?"

"who's betting what?" charles raises his eyebrows. "i think it's neither a partner nor an infant. a car she named baby, maybe."

max furrows his eyebrows, throwing charles a questioning stare. charles just shrugs before looking around the group to get their opinions as well.

"okay, i bet dinner that it's just a friend," alex says. "you're all going to be eating your shit when tomorrow comes."

lando shakes his head. "i still think it's a boyfriend."

"what if it's a girlfriend?"

"fine," lando scoffs, clenching his jaw as he glares at charles from the corner of his eyes, "then i think it's a partner. happy?"

mick scrunches his nose. "i am not participating in a bet about my teammate! and i've seen her car before – it's definitely not called baby."

"don't be such a party pooper," max frowns. "come on, mick, you have to have made some assumption about who or what this baby is. i still think it's an infant."

"she's 18!"

"potato, potato," max waves their concerns off. "so this is all for dinner, right? bet?"

"yeah, bet."

"mick!" she throws her arm into the air at the sight of the german entering the paddocks, waving him to approach her. "come here! i want you to meet baby!"

mick perks up, eyebrows shooting up that he's coincidentally the first face she's seen as their day starts. she's in the middle of a crowd, hands held out ahead of her as he approaches. as the crowd dissipates, he realises that she's got a stroller parked in front of her.

could it actually be an infant? oh, god, suddenly he's very concerned for her as a person in general. how could this have happened?

"this is baby!" she grins, unzipping its cover to reveal two ears and a brown sweater. "my cat!"

his blue eyes jump between the cat and the girl with a pink bow in her hair, unsure what to do with the revelation that baby is a cat. so who exactly is buying dinner tonight? "your cat? baby is a cat?"

"yes!" she beams, reaching down to scratch the feline's chin, who purrs and closes her eyes at the affection. "my dad got me baby two years ago when i finished in the top 10."

"wait," mick looks down at baby again, "is she wearing a louis vuitton sweater?"

"well, she's a sphynx," she frowns, fixing the sweater and pulling it down a little, "she gets cold sometimes." then she takes a step back with a grin, hands held out as she spins around. "and look! we match!"

"why are you spinning– oh, what's this?" lando grins, noticing the way they were conversing before he even passed through the gantry. "oh! what is that?"

"her cat," mick says through gritted teeth, eyes widening and hitting lando softly on the arm to urge him to just keep his opinions to himself. "baby. that's barbie's cat – baby."

"you named your c-" lando scowls softly, dropping his head low as the girl stops spinning. he turns to mick to hide his face away and blinks. "that's not a cat, mate. that's raw chicken."

mick simply shrugs in response. “i know.”

“she’s a sphynx! isn’t she cute?” the girl giggles, tapping lando on the shoulder. “and we’re matching clothes.”

lando stares at her. “this is baby… a cat? not even a person? not even an actual infant?”

she blinks at him. “infant? i’m 18.”

“what are you guys doing obstructing the paddock entrance and wh– hey, what’s this?” alex approaches with his hands grabbing the straps of his backpack.

“it’s baby,” lando grins, blinking hard at his friend. “a cat.”

“oh, how love– oh,” alex cuts himself off as he hunched over and looks into the carrier. he looks at lando and mick. “i imagined a more fluffy cat.”

“is that raw chicken wearing an lv sweater?” max pops up between mick and lando, furrowing his eyebrows.

“raw– she’s a cat,” she says again, pointing at baby with vindiction. “do you need to start wearing glasses?”

max grins with a small nod. he turns slightly to the men next to her. “why does her cat look something i’d find in the poultry section of the grocery store?”

“probably because it is part of the poultry section of the grocery store,” alex mutters, maintaining his grin to appease the young girl standing in front of them.

“oh, what a lovely looking cat!” charles beams, towering over the stroller wide eyed. “can i pet her?”

“yes! this is baby!” she shrieks excitedly, grabbing charles’s shoulder. she holds her arms out. “look — we’re matching clothes!”

charles’s eyes widen along with his smile. “oh! you have to get me some so i can match with you guys one day!”

“fun’s over,” max grumbles under his breath, waving his hands in the air to dismiss themselves. “i’ll see you and your chicken later.”

she furrows her eyebrows. “she’s a cat!”

— bonus

"a chicken?" oscar blinks, scowling slightly at the older men standing before him. "she has a pet chicken?"

"sphynx cat," mick points out with a tired sigh and a roll of his eyes. he turns to max, "you can't keep calling baby a chicken. you'll upset barbie."

max throws his hands in the air. "you should have seen baby! that's not a cat!"

logan tilts his head, eyebrows furrowed. "what's a sphynx cat?" he shrugs when he receives stares from them. "i'm not a cat person."

"those hairless cats," oscar explains. "have you got a picture of this said pet chicken?"

"pet chicken?" fernando had been walking by when he suddenly overhears something of a pet chicken which, in theory, is already such an absurd situation. he just has to know what is going on. "who has a pet chicken?"

"barbie."

he takes a step back. "that's some next-level rich people behaviour. not even lance owns a chicken?"

"sphynx cat," mick corrects again, looking around to ensure that she's not around to hear the guys making fun of her choice of best friend in the form of a pet. "it doesn't even look like a raw chicken, mate, it's a grey cat."

oscar grins. "so raw chicken that's expired?"

"a sphynx cat!" fernando cheers with a soft clap. "how nice! but isn't that a bit..."

"could be worse, really," mick mutters. "she told me earlier she originally wanted a tiger."

"really? what pulled her away from wanting a tiger?" logan asks.

mick sighs. "she read up that it's not very conducive for wild animals to be domesticated. she does, however, contribute tons of money to wildlife charities monthly."

taglist: @33-81 @darleneslane @namgification @happy-nico @nikfigueiredo @localwhoore @angsthology @renarots @elliegrey2803 @cha-hot @cosmoscoffeee @fanficweasley @sugarhoneylemons @aquangxl @omgsuperstarg @strawberryubin @lovecarsgoingvroom @mangotaitai @cherry-piee @ladyladybuggg @lethalvenus @gentlyweeps-world @spilled-coffee-cup @charizznorizz @wcnorris @storminacloud @minkyungseokie @viennakarma @leilanixx @daniellef89x @fezlvr @lavisenri @xcharlottemikaelsonx @ultraviolencesam @selsbackyard @ilove-tswizzle @riddle-me-im-sirius @kindestofkings

[unproductive-peanut]

Blitzø’s Buttons

Blitzø’s Buttons:  

I have discussed this before, but I am obsessed with the implications of the emergency buttons under Blitzø’s desk:  

More coffee  

Not really an emergency, but it's giving the millennial “Don’t talk to me until I have had my coffee” vibes. He is the right age...  

Soiled my pants  

How many times has this occurred for it to be its own whole button? Maybe he bought the thing with 7 spots and just needed to fill them? Soiled pants are for sure a button worthy emergency but hopefully not a common one 

Horny Client  

Again, how often does this happen? Does this button mean come rescue me or don't bother me I’m busy? Knowing Blitzø’s promiscuity, it could be either 

Deranged Client  

Yea, I am sure this one happens a lot  

Client Giving Birth  

This one has crazy implications. Can sinners give birth? I was always under the assumption that sinners had the least amount of autonomy; can't leave the pride ring, don't age, and assumedly can't procreate but maybe this proves that wrong? Or (and more likely in my opinion) IMP used to kill in hell before they got the book. If they did service demons before expanding to Earth, a client giving birth is a lot more possible   

Ghost  

What is a ghost to a soul in hell??? A ghost is traditionally the soul/spirit of a dead person without physical form. The sinner souls that come from Earth are given a new physical form. Can they lose that and become a loose, body-less soul? Aka a ghost? If so, how does that happen?

Or is it a hellborn’s soul? Do hellborns even have souls? I don’t think we have seen an examples in either Helluva Boss or Hazbin Hotel where a hellborn sold their soul or has died. (unsure if Charlie counts because her lineage is half cast-down human/ half angel) Supposedly, sinners respawn when killed (unless it's with angelic weapons) but what happens to hellborns when they die?  

How often does a ghost come to haunt Blitzø? Honestly, he has pissed off enough people, I wouldn't be surprised if this was a common emergency.  

A future episode is supposedly called Ghostfuckers so maybe we will find out more 

Stolas  

Maybe this was before Stolas found out about the book? Even if not, based on how Stolas behaved in the pilot episode, this button seems appropriate. Even in the first episode, Stolas seems to call and just spill his horny guts. Emergency button deserved, horny jail 

[galene-gothic]

𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝖺 𝗈𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎?

୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅* ‧₊ I hope this reading found you in good health, every reblog is appreciated and thank you for everything :) ˖♡ ˎˊ˗ ꒰ 🐇 ꒱

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗             PAID SERVICES

⸼ ۫ ︎︎⊹ ! 🪡︎ Pile 1 ꒱

Some sort of an event happened in the past, that's what people are discussing. Whatever happened seems to have caused you a lot of confusion. I honestly feel like people were purposely trying to cause chaos in your life in order to have some drama in their lives. These people seem to either have been/are close to you or just a close witness to the situation. They're saying good things about you, they're talking about how you released your sorrow, resentment or just negative emotions in general. They're saying that you've left your past behind. I just heard 'this boy', I have no clue but the drama might have included some boy. They're saying that your motivation and enthusiasm are returning now. They're saying that you've accepted the situation. They're saying that you're choosing to focus on the positives of life. They're saying that back then you were trying your best to have a positive attitude towards life and make what you could out of it. They might have witnessed you crying or expressing your sorrow, anger or whatever on the verge of tears. They're talking about how you've grown out of it. They're saying that you've grown to respect yourself now and have a lot of courage. The people who put you in such a situation might've been victimizing themselves and might've successfully guilt tripped you to a certain extent but you seem to have recovered from the guilt. They're talking about your endurance and your morals. They are saying that your views have changed or seem to have changed. There's another group of people, likely the ones who made you go through such a traumatizing time. They're saying that you lack self-awareness. They're saying that you only care about yourself. They're saying that you've not accepted what you've done and believe that you've been falsely blamed. I'm getting that it's because while some of it was your fault.

The way they dealt with the situation and treated you was much worse plus they seemed to just need an excuse to criticize you when they weren't even that affected by the situation. People who had nothing to do with the situation might've gotten involved too. Like, supposing you dated your friend's crush, the whole friend group might've turned against you when it didn't even affect them at all. Some of you might've trouble regarding education, some of you might've been forced to drop out or dropped out on will too, for the rest, you're just having difficulties with your studies. People are talking about it. The people who legit pray for your downfall are saying that you have unrealistic dreams and plans. They're saying that you don't have realistic goals and lack the motivation and discipline to work on your career. Someone saying that you're not someone who wants to work solely for money, you're not the type to be like 'as long as I get money, I don't mind giving up on my dreams' or atleast that's what they think and are talking about. Whatever everyone is saying seems to be assumptions mostly. People from the past who know nothing about who you've grown to be. I'm getting some sort of a pause for you. Gap year from work, education or social media. People who literally have nothing to do with you are gossiping about how you lack direction in life. For those of you who aren't dropouts or are not taking gap years, you might give really vague answers when asked about what you wish to do in the future. You might say things like "I haven't thought much about it yet" or "we'll see" or you might be unsure about what field to study next and you might accept it and sometimes vocalise it "I am not sure what to take yet". People wait for you to post so that they can have something to discuss or make fun of. People from the past are slowly beginning to see that your perspective is changing and you're gaining enlightenment.

The tea here isn't about what they're saying, it's more about how fearful they are of your growth and how many people have their eyes on you. People who literally do not know you but know the people or one of the people who tried their best to traumatize you tend to follow you, your friends, your love interests, etc. just because they're obsessed with you. Like, these people went off to college in the same or different places while you could not afford it, their college mates and friends follow you, the guy you were seen hanging out with, etc. I'm getting a very karmic vibe here. I'm not sure what or when but them looking at you and talking shit about you is weighing them down and lifting you up, little by little. Things are rebuilding for you. You're independent and friendly and the new people in your life see that. You know, the first few days at a new school, college or work. If you're pretty, you realise that you're pretty because of the way people act towards you and the things they say. You might suddenly have those moments "maybe, I am even more attractive than I originally assumed". People are obsessed with you and watching you. They're trying to strategize your every move and keeping tabs on you. Someone here legit dreams about getting a revenge on you and some imagine being better than you, being chosen by someone over you. Even if people do not say that they're mad at you due to external validation from people, they make it obvious and they literally form bonds based upon their jealousy masked as hatred towards you. They're mad because of the support you receive from others. Some of these people regret it because they never imagined you actually leaving them and letting go of them completely. While, one of them was definitely praying on your downfall and still is, the rest, they were just trying to poke some fun to excite themselves. The tea is that people have so many different assumptions about you at this time because they have no clue as to what you're doing, who you're with, etc.

⸼ ۫ ︎︎⊹ ! 🪡︎ Pile 2 ꒱

Some of you here are from Pile 1, someone here is praising you, they're saying that you're mature and grounded. I think that this is someone close to you because you actually do seem to be this way. They're saying that you're generous and social. They're saying that you're practical and care about material objects. They're saying that you have a good nature and intentions. They're saying that you're nurturing and emotionally intelligent. One hint as to who is praising you, it is someone you've talked to when you didn't do your routine or felt unproductive. You likely told them that you didn't get your work done that particular day and they likely told you that it's okay to have those days as long as you do not make it a habit. Some of you might be balancing between two or more different streams of income and they're saying that you are trying to harvest better time management skills. This person understands you very well, they're saying that you have a personality that is very balanced and traits that often contradict each other. You're the coldest warm person, warmest cold person, nicest mean person, meanest nice person, logical and emotional, etc. all at the same time. They're saying that you've gone through many ups and downs in life but always try to balance things out. They're saying that you try your best to keep your grace under pressure until you finally crack and burst.

They're also saying that you struggle with balancing though. This is definitely someone who knows you well. They saw you finally being able to mentally leave a situation. They're saying that you're releasing past hurts and pain. They're talking about your sense of independence and courage. They're so proud of you and your growth and they feel happy to be able to witness your growth. They're saying that you regained balance and control over yourself and your life again. This person has a lot of love for you. The connection between the both of you is likely platonic. This person really admires you for walking away or distancing yourself from past situations. You still seem to be healing though. They have a lot of faith in you. They're talking about your friendliness and ability to grow. They're saying that you're efficient and most likely will be successful in the future. This person knows that you felt used by people even if they do not speak about it. While, this person talks highly about you, there's someone else who's talking shit about you. They're saying that your relationships are very short lived and that you're superficial. They're saying that you're a bitchy person who has no friends (I'm getting that it's not like you cannot have friends, it's just that you don't have a lot of them or people extremely close to you right now.)

If you do, they're not aware of that, I'm getting that this person is likely making other people hate you along with them. If you guys had a break up, people are talking about that. There's a lot of gossip going around currently. This pile definitely seems to have had a falling out with friends or something. I just heard "if she's sad, she tries to drag your mood down too". You guys might have started your healing journey around children or are healing your inner child. Some of you have different projects that are helping you heal better. There's also a chance that some romance changed your perspective, people are not talking about it but it's kind of a confirmation for some of you. People are saying that you lack a vision for the future. They're saying that you do not have enough drive to go after your dreams and stay consistent. People are also talking about your failed long distance relationship. For some of you, it might've been just a situationship but they're not fully aware of that. A group of people are talking about how you've lost direction. They're saying that you'll get nowhere in the future, I just heard it's 'neighbourhood karens'. Someone is saying that you're going through an unrequited love. People are saying that you have blocked emotions and legit tell people not to talk to you so that you feel alone. They're saying that you hurt their feelings, made them sad and are exaggerating everything you've done to them even though they've done worse to you.

⸼ ۫ ︎︎⊹ ! 🪡︎ Pile 3 ꒱

People are saying that you're a social climber. If you go to school or college, juniors are talking about how mean you are. People might even be slutshaming you behind your back. The funny part is that so many of you here are probably virgins. They're saying that you lack/lacked financial stability and stayed friends with people just for their money. People are saying that you're out of control. They're saying that you're obsessed with status and use people. People are also saying that you act like you don't need anyone. The person or people who are talking trash about you are people who are still crying over spilt milk, likely people from the past. Someone is talking about how you have large sums of money and are likely stealing money from others. If you went to a sleepover recently, the person might've lost some money and talked shit about you behind your back. These people tried their best to guilt trip you in the past and it did work for a while but it stopped working after a while. They're still blaming you for everything. I'm getting that people tend to feel lower than you and then act like you're the problem. You might have betrayed them or they might have betrayed or both. This is someone you trusted who let you down. You might have done something that hurt one person in the group and the whole group turned against you is the scenario I'm getting. You might have almost completely hid yourself away from the world. These people are not open to change, they take everything as a personal attack and are still the people that they were a few years ago. You, on the other hand are the type to grow every single day. I'm getting that for some of you, you used to talk shit about others with this person or group of people but as you started growing older, you started feeling like it didn't align with your personal values and you might have called them out.

Maybe, you just refused to talk shit about others but they were like "oh, you think you're better than us/me?" Let's just say that they failed to understand you but they fear you strongly. They know that you have a lot of hidden secrets, there are so many things that they're trying to figure out about your life. You've withdrawn and are silent but you are often not like this and they feel like you're going to come up with something in full force. You naturally attract attention even if unwanted and right now you do not want attention, you want peace but when you come out of this period of solitude, they don't know what's going to greet them. They were in your life for pretty long until you had a falling out, they were always confused when you entered those periods of solitude and jumped into conclusions but everytime they did that, you did something surprising so they're naturally confused when it comes to you and your life currently. Everytime they ignored your potential, you proved them wrong. They spread misinformation on you but well you have something you have been working on that they can pick up on intuitively and they're so curious and feel like when you do step out of the self isolation or whatever, you're going to be so big, they will not know what to do. However, some of them are trying to reassure themselves and the rest that you lack potential for any of that. They think that you might've hidden agendas against them. These people cannot let go of you, mostly because if one of them doesn't bring you up, the other does. You're rising above the problems and their bitchiness. You've realised how worthy you really are and you think that you've gotten over the worst already and they can pick up on it too. You do not give them the time of the day. Your life improved in some way after they left your life and they know that.

It could be anything, something as small as your first job or something as big as a successful business, however, either way you're ahead of them in some way, regardless of whether they accept it or not. You've let go and learnt from the past to a certain extent and you're trying to fully release, they feel like their fears will come true. Their biggest fear is you realising your worth and achieving success. The amount of resilience you have is something that they cannot deny. Some of you are taking a break from school, college or work, maybe it's been one or two years now, you're still growing something for yourself though. They know that you have an ability that they lack, self awareness and acceptance, you're very much the 'yes, what I did was wrong but I forgive myself' kind of person while they're the 'yes, everything is my fault' while denying everything and refusing to look into themselves and their actions. I just heard that you're on your way to become a ten. You know and manage to take time out when you burn out, they aren't like that. They're too scared of being behind in life even though something like that doesn't really exist. They're burnt out and not content. Their life is tiresome because of some routine, I just heard 'rat race'. You're taking a lot onto yourself and someone else is talking about how hard you are on yourself and appreciating your efforts. Some are talking about how beautiful, nurturing and respectful you are. You're growing, please continue doing so.

[genderkoolaid]

Cw: "Aaron" Bushnell https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/bushnell-gaza-immolation-protest-trans-identity

I thought I should let you know if you didn't already. Rip Lilly

While there is evidence pointing to Lilly/Aaron being trans, I still think we should be careful in how we talk about it. I don't really have a problem agreeing that the username and the reddit history does feel like someone who, at least, is exploring their gender identity. A person who says they knew him/her in life is very insistent that s/he could not have been a trans woman based on private information. However, others who have said they spoke with him/her online frequently insist s/he went by Lilly and used she/her and he/him. Although I don't think there's any reason necessarily for those folks to be lying, I do wish there were actual screenshots of the pronoun use in discord servers? Given that rn the conversation is just People Online Making Claims.

I'm still unsure of how I feel we should talk about this tbh. Lilly/Aaron was very deliberate in how s/he presented his/her gender to the public. As the person interviewed says, I don't think Bushnell would be upset by being seen as trans if s/he was a cis man. But even if s/he was trans, I am hesitant to make assumptions about what is best for a trans person's legacy. The issue of trans recognition in death is very sensitive for most of us, so I understand why people are so invested in this. But it should be kept in mind that the discussion around Bushnell's gender should not overshadow support for Palestinians. That was his/her goal and its clear that s/he cared more about that than making a statement about his/her own gender. It is fully possible for a trans person to make the decision to let themselves be assumed cis, and be comfortable in that decision, and its not up to other trans people to decide whether they made the wrong decision with their own legacy.

Its possible s/he made that decision solely because s/he wanted to prevent his/her message from being derailed by transmisogyny. But again, that shows to me that s/he wanted more than anything for his/her death to be focused entirely on raising support for Palestine. I don't want to be patronizing about Lilly/Aarons's decisions and I definitely don't want any Discourse on this to do exactly what s/he was trying to avoid. Additionally, Bushnell is reported as having used he/she pronouns. The person who claims s/he used both uses both Aaron and Lilly. Its very easy for genderqueer and nonbinary people to have their identities reduced to binaries in death, even by other trans people. If s/he was trans, why are we making assumptions about if s/he was fine with being called a woman, or that s/he wasn't okay with being called a man? There is too much grey space and too much exorsexism that goes unchallenged in our community for me to not feel the need to point this out.

Anyways. I guess my Take on this is that both trans and suicidal people tend to have our choices undermined, and have people on all sides debate over what we Really mean and what we Really want. We are rarely seen as being the experts on ourselves, or having our autonomy respected even when it makes others confused or uncomfortable. I don't think anyone online discussing this can have a full picture of The Truth. Like I said, I don't think there's any reason to assume people claiming they knew Lilly and that s/he used she/her and he/him pronouns are lying right now. But more than anything I'm concerned that the debate over this could end up doing exactly what Lilly/Aaron was trying to avoid. And I don't think its my place to insist any trans person has to be out. I want to respect what s/he wanted for his/her legacy. I don't want him/her to be a trans hero if that results in detracting from his/her goals.

I think this is part of larger moral issue trans activists have to deal with when it comes to trans history: when is it okay for us to correct the language someone used for themselves? When is it illuminating and respectful, and when is it whitewashing someone's own self-perspective to fit our goals? Bushnell was extremely purposeful in everything s/he did as a part of his/her suicide, and that includes how s/he presented his/her gender. I don't want to disrespect those decisions.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

hi there! love your work! i recently had a prof say that all zoos (USA) are bad (so we shouldn't support them) and sanctuaries are better because using animals for entertainment is morally wrong, most zoo profits dont go to conservation, and conservation efforts are bandaid solutions to capitalism destroying animal habitats, so the real solution is to return the land to indigenous stewards to manage/rewild. i didn't disagree with the last bit, but the argument as a whole felt a little off to me for a reason i couldnt put my finger on. am i off base here? just feeling really unsure about the whole thing.

You're not wrong! There's a mix of reality and personal opinions in those statements, and it's definitely something worth critically examining. A quick fact-check of what they said for you:

All US zoos are bad

There's a massive range of quality of zoological facilities within the US (and around the world). Some are stellar and some are not, and it's really just not accurate to lump them all under the same umbrella for almost any purpose. Unless, of course, your issue isn't with animal welfare, and it's philosophical, which is what it sound like in #2...

2. Using animals for entertainment is morally wrong.

This is one of my favorite things to talk about w/r/t how we exhibit animals. Entertainment has become equated with exploitation and implicit low welfare in the last couple decades, and so you get a lot of people saying using animals for entertainment is wrong. But those same folk will say that they enjoy seeing animals in other contexts, and they think that's okay. Where's the line between enjoying something and being entertained by it? What makes something one and not the other? Also, we know that people learn better from from situations which are enjoyable/entertaining - even just a fun teacher who jokes around vs a dry lecture - so how can that only be a problem when it's used to make viewing animals more impactful? I wrote a whole piece on this a while back (linked here) if you want to dig into this more. Some zoos (and accrediting groups) are shying away from "entertainment" type branding - shows are demos now, for instance - and others are leaning into "edutainment" that's done with good welfare and communicates actual education messaging. In short, this is a personal philosophical belief, and you're right to question if you agree. (Even if you decide you do think that too! It's always good to question why someone is arguing what they believe about animal use, and how they came to believe it).

3. Sanctuaries are better than zoos.

There's two reasons I think he's misinformed here. First, almost all exotic animal sanctuaries in the US are licensed exhibitors - just like zoos! I only know of a couple that don't exhibit to the public at all. It's an important part of their revenue stream, because gate take helps support paying for animal care. Also anything you see from a sanctuary on Youtube, Facebook, or TikTok? Also exhibition! They just message about it differently, and often have a different ethos about how they exhibit (e.g. tours to reduce stress instead of letting people wander, doing conservation or rescue messaging instead of just display). Second... look, most people assume that the word "sanctuary" means a facility is intrinsically more ethical than a zoo, and therefore they must be a good place. In reality, many sanctuaries get much less public and regulatory scrutiny (at the state level) than most zoos. There are good sanctuaries out there, but there are also sanctuaries where stuff goes on that would absolutely be unacceptable at zoos, and it slides because of the assumption that sanctuaries are inherently more moral and ethical and care for their animals better.

4. Most zoo profits don't go to conservation

This is correct! Direct conservation funding is often a small part of the money a zoo makes. However, that's because money goes to things like facility maintenance, new construction, paying salaries, etc. If zoos put all the money they made back into conservation programs, practically, they wouldn't have the funding to continue to operate. The question that I'd suggest asking instead is "where are they putting money into conservation" and "are they doing conservation work or just throwing money at something to display the logo of the program." Also, it's worth keeping in mind that a lot of what zoos do to support conservation isn't necessarily financial. Many facilities contribute "in-kind", by doing things like sending staff to assist with programs or teach specific skills, or by donating things like vehicles and equipment. Research zoos do also seriously contributes to in-situ programs, and breeding programs for re-introduction like the scimitar-horned oryx and the black-footed ferret are also conservation. Could many of the big urban facilities with huge budgets do more? Yes. But looking just at dollars spent on conservation programs is disingenuous and inaccurate.

5. Conservation efforts are band-aid solutions to capitalism destroying habitats / Returning the land to indigenous peoples to manage/rewild is the real solution to conservation issues

This is a little outside my scope so I'm going to only address the part that I know. First off, like, there's no One True Answer to conservation issues. That's reductionist and inaccurate. Conservation really is a human issue, though, and it often has to involve solving human problems that lead to negative results for animals. There's definitely an issue with what some people call "parachute conservation" where Westerners swoop in and try to tell people living in range countries how to best manage their animals and natural resources without recognizing their perspectives, needs, or what drives their behavior towards those animals. That's not just a zoo issue - that's an issue with a ton of traditional Western conservation work. And there is progress towards fixing it! In the zoo world, I've been very impressed with the work out of The Living Desert, where their conservation people spend a lot of time overseas teaching people in range countries to evaluate and improve their own conservation programs, so they can assess efficacy and also have data to apply for grants, etc. They provide support when asked, rather than trying to tell people who live with these animals regularly what to do. One of my favorite programs that TLD collaborates with (they don't try to run it!) is a group called the Black Mambas that reduces poaching by supporting entire communities to reduce the desperation for food/income, educating kids about animals, and running all-female patrols staffed by community members.

Overall, it sounds like your professor's view of zoos is really informed by their personal moral perspective, and possibly reinforced by a lot of the misinformation / misleading messaging that exists about the industry and about conservation work. They do have some specifics right, but not necessarily the context to inform why things are like that. It was a good catch to question the mix of information and approach it critically.

[cemeterything]

what's being low-empathy like? i've never heard about varying degrees of empathy or what an empath is, i thought it was an internet joke (i'm not usamerican so maybe the theory is more evolved in the US) isn't empathy something you practice throughout your life and interactions?

'empath' has been turned into a sort of internet joke as a result of the label being treated like this shortcut to being a good person by some, but being high empathy =/= being an 'empath' and can in fact be very unpleasant and difficult because being highly sensitive to other people's emotions can be exhausting and overstimulating. honestly i don't envy high empathy people at all.

for me low empathy is like... i can figure out how other people are feeling sometimes, but it takes me longer and involves more intentional mental processing. i have to actively want to empathize with someone to do so, and can quite easily detach myself from a situation if i don't want to. my baseline empathy reactions to stimuli are very dull and distant, and i struggle to place myself into other people's shoes and often draw incorrect conclusions as to how they might be thinking and feeling and why they might have made the decisions they did on my own. i can be unobservant if i'm not trying to be, and fail to notice other people's feelings unless they make an effort to tell/show me, leading to me often being less involved in social groups and feeling 'out of the loop' on any developments that occur within them. i am frequently undisturbed by shocking and upsetting things because i just can't imagine what they must actually be like to experience.

to make up for this, i try to ask people questions and observe the world and people around me for clues to analyze that might help me figure out how to empathize better. i also have a tendency to stick to routines and 'stock reactions' in my social interactions whenever i'm unsure of how to respond, even with people i'm very familiar with. i don't mean them any less, but if for example i know that saying a certain phrase or performing a certain action usually provides comfort and i see someone upset and want to offer them my support, i'll use it unless i have a strong sense that an alternative course of action would be more appreciated. i'll often ask people what they would like me to do for them rather than assuming because i know my assumptions are often based on limited and inaccurate information and might just make things worse, which some people find very considerate, but others find needy and immature.

i do think that empathy is a skill that you can practice and develop. i have a developmental disorder (adhd) as well as a very socially isolated and abusive upbringing, so i have no doubt that my lack of empathy is at least partially based in that, and while i don't think you need to be highly empathetic to be a good person, i do hope i'll be able to develop mine a bit!

[queenshelby]

An Illicit Affair

Part 27: Hard Choices

Pairing: Cillian Murphy (46) x Reader (23)

Warning: Age-Gap, Taboo Relationship, Infidelity

After thinking about it for several minutes, Max finally picked up the phone and called his father.  His voice was tight, muscles tensed with anger and resentment. Cillian answered on the first ring, his voice guarded.

"Max?" he asked tentatively, unsure of what was going on. "Are you alright?" he wanted to know, seeing that Max had ignored his attempts to make contact with him during recent times, so his call surprised Cillian.

Max took a deep breath, his shoulders tensing. "No, dad, I am not alright," he replied tersely. stammering slightly.

Cillian's heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong, Max? Tell me where you are and I'll come right away," Cillian said urgently.

"It's not me that needs help, dad. It's Y/N. She's been in an accident, and she's in the hospital," Max said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"She was hit by a car," he added quietly, trying to process the information himself while Cillian gasped silently. 

Cillian's heart clenched, and he could feel the air being knocked out of him. He breathed heavily, his mind racing with questions. "Is she okay? Did they say anything about her injuries? Which hospital is she in?" Cillian asked, trying to hold onto his composure., blurting out questions almost incoherently. 

"She's at the university hospital. She's stable, but they had to remove one of her kidneys. Her leg is shattered too, and I don't know what to do, dad, they're asking me to make decisions about her treatment, but I can't do that," Max said, his voice breaking slightly.

Cillian took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Max, listen to me. I'm on my way," Cillian said, his voice cracking as he quickly slipped into his boots and reached for his wallet and key. 

"Okay," Max replied, his voice quiet as he hung up the phone. "He is coming right now," he then informed Lucy, causing her to let out a sigh of relief before asking the attending doctor whether he could leave now.

The doctor, however, told him that he could not seeing that it was still him who was listed as your next of kin rather than Cillian and, what Max said next, surprised both Lucy and the surgeon. 

"Yeah, but that's a mistake. They are kind of together," Max said, avoiding the surgeon's gaze as his cheeks burned up with embaressment and discomfort. 

The surgeon raised an eyebrow, surprised by Max's words. "I am confused," he said, looking back and forth between Lucy and Max. "Are you telling me that your father is the patient's partner rather than you?"  the doctor asked, trying to make sense of what Max had just told him.

Lucy's heartbeat quickened. This was the moment of truth. She had promised Y/N that she would never reveal their affair to Cillian. It was their secret to keep. But at this point, Lucy couldn't care less as all she wanted was for Y/N to be taken care of by someone who loved her and who could make informed decisions about her medical treatment.

Lucy nodded. "Yeah, kind of," she thus affirmed, her voice strong and confident while Max simply swallowed harshly and nodded. "But it's more complicated than that," she then said, trying to downplay the gravity of the affair as she held her breath waiting for the doctor's response even though she knew he wouldn't approve.

However, the surgeon simply nodded, seemingly understanding the implications of Lucy's words. "Alright then, I'll have one of the interns prepare the forms to appoint him as a next of kin, but until the patient is conscious and can confirm that she would intend someone other than the person listed on her current records to make those decisions for her, we have to keep working under the assumption that Max has the authority to do so," the surgeon explained, causing both Lucy and Max to nod in agreement.

Max, however, still looked uncomfortable and out of sorts, but as the gravity of the situation began to sink in, Max knew that he had to put aside his personal feelings and do what was best for you. He couldn't let his own ego and personal feelings get in the way of your care and well being.

"So, what I suggest is that we will wait until your father gets here and, when he arrives, I will discuss the treatment plan with the both of you for you to decide on together ," the surgeon offered kindly, noticing the strain on Max's face.

Max nodded, still looking uncomfortable. "That sounds good," he finally said, his voice quiet and, just as Max spoke to the surgeon, his father came running towards them.

Cillian's eyes scanned the area, taking in the white-tiled floors and the antiseptic smell of the hospital. "Where is she? Is she okay?" Cillian asked, his voice laced with concern as he approached his son, Lucy and the doctor. 

Lucy stepped forwards, her voice steady, and her gaze direct. "She is stable, but that's about it," she said honestly, and Cillian nodded, his eyes still scanning the area.

Max could see that his father's eyes were red-rimmed, as if he had been crying , and he felt a pang of sympathy for him. He knew that his father cared for you deeply, and that the thought of you being in danger would be tearing him apart inside.

The surgeon nodded in agreement. "Indeed, she is in stable condition, but her injuries are severe. She has a head injury and she is unconscious and has been ever since she arrived, we think it is most likely a concussion from the impact," he explained to Cillian.

"Can I see her?" Cillian asked with tear filled eyes. His hands were shaking, and Lucy could see the worry etched onto his face.

"I am afraid that this isn't possible. She is still in theatre and we will need to make a decision with regards to her leg. Currently, her right leg is severely damaged, and we have three options. We can isolate the injuries until she can recover from her concussion and while her body deals with impacts from the dialysis for her left kidney," the doctor began before taking a deep breath. "But the problem with this approach is that the leg will be beyond repair once isolated and she will need surgery in a few weeks to go through an amputation procedure," the doctor explained professionally and, immediately, his heart dropped. "It's the safest option and the one I would recommend to ensure her recovery," he explained again, leaving Cillian utterly speechless.

"And the other options are?" Cillian finally managed to ask, his voice barely audible as he struggled to process the doctor's words.

"The other options are not ideal, I'm afraid. The second option is to perform emergency surgery to repair the leg, but there's a risk that she could have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia given her current state, and there's a significant chance that her leg may not heal completely even with the surgery," the doctor replied gravely.

"And the third option?" Cillian asked, bracing himself for the worst.

"The third option is to amputate the leg immediately," the doctor explained, his voice gentle but firm.

Cillian felt his heart drop. He couldn't believe what he was hearing as you were lying in a hospital bed, fighting for your life, and he had to make a decision that could potentially change the course of your life forever.

He turned to Max and Lucy, his eyes pleading for guidance.

"What is the success rate if you were to proceed with option two? And how soon would the operation have to take place?" Cillian asked with surmounting dread and anxiety.

The surgeon looked at Cillian with a grave expression, knowing that the answer he was about to provide would not be easy to hear. "The success rate for option two is only around sixty percent given the severity of the damage. There is a considerable risk of infection and nerve damage. The operation would need to be performed as soon as possible, as any delay would decrease the chances of success," he replied honestly, making sure to convey the importance of this decision. "The main issue is that she is concussed and, by performing this surgery, we will put her at risk  of stroke or brain damage," he further added.

Cillian took a deep breath, trying to push down the anger and frustration that was rising within him. How could this have happened?

"So she could die during the surgery?" Max interjected , his voice laced with disbelief and the surgeon nodded gravely. "That's a huge risk to take, dad," he added, looking at Cillian, his gaze full of concern.

"It is, but it's one that we might have to take," Cillian said, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt overwhelmed with emotions. Fear, anger, guilt, and love all warred within him.

"But we can't," Max said, shaking his head. "I am not going to sign off on something that could kill her!" 

"Max, think about it," his father said. "What would Y/N want to do?"  Cillian asked gently, as if trying to remind Max of the person who was at the center of this whole ordeal. It was your life on the line, and they needed to make a decision that would respect your wishes as much as possible.

Lucy nodded, her eyes misty. "I agree with your dad, Max. We need to consider what she would want. All she wants is to be surgeon herself. She studied so hard for this. She also wants to go travelling still, hiking, running, living her best life," she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Max took a deep breath, trying to process everything that was happening.

"Dad?"  Max asked, his voice quiet and uncertain. "Are you sure about this?" Max asked again, searching his father's face for any signs of uncertainty.

Cillian took a deep breath, holding Max's gaze. "Yes, I'm sure," he said, his voice firm and steady. "Y/N is a fighter and she would want us to have the surgeons try and save her leg. If anyone can pull through this, it's her," he said, trying to inject some optimism into his words.

"But what if she dies?" Max asked, the words hanging heavy in the air.

Cillian took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Max's. "Then that is on me, not you," he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

Max looked away, pained. "Fine," he finally said. "We'll go with option two." He would sign the consent forms, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was a mistake.

The surgeon nodded, taking the consent forms from a nurse and handing them to Max.

"Very well then. We will proceed with option two. I will notify the surgical team to prepare for the operation," he said, watching as Max signed his name on the dotted line. "It will be a long and difficult road ahead, but I am confident that with time, rehabilitation, and support, Y/N can recover from this," he added, giving Max a reassuring smile before turning to leave.

Lucy watched the surgeon go, feeling a mixture of relief and unease.

She turned back to Max and Cillian, both of whom were lost in their own thoughts. She desperately wanted to tell Cillian about the stalker you had told her about, but knew that now was not the time.  Now was the time for focusing on getting you better and Cillian was clearly struggling  to keep his composure as he waited for the surgical team to prepare for the operation.

Lucy took a deep breath and moved closer to Cillian, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She is going to be okay," she said, her voice soft and soothing.

Cillian looked at her, his eyes filled with gratitude for her presence and support. "I hope so," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I can't lose her, you know. I just can't," Cillian said, his eyes filling up with tears. 

Lucy's heart ached for him. She knew how much he loved you, and it was clear that the thought of losing you was enough to break him.

"She's a fighter," Lucy reassured him while even Max remained quiet, no longer caring about the somewhat strange dynamics in his family right now.

It was irrelevant compared to the life-and-death situation they were currently facing and all he hoped for was a favorable outcome for you. 

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[milaisreading]

Can you do something for Hetalia Valentine's Day? The Axis and Allies are arguing with each other about being y/n's Valentine's date. While they are arguing Sealand goes to y/n's house with flowers on his hands and he is wearing a cute suit. When y/n opened the door Sealand asked y/n to be his Valentine date. Y/n found him so cute and she agreed. How would the Axis and Allies going to react after seeing this?

🌱🩷: Hii! Thank u for the request and happy Valentine's Day! Hope u like this! I had a lot of fun while writing!

Warning: Reader uses she/her. Requests are open!

🌍Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya🌏

"Achoo!" (Y/n) let out a loud sneeze, causing Finland and Denmark to look at her in surprise.

"Are you alright?" Finland wondered as he handed her a tissue.

"Did you get sick or something?" Denmark chimed in as he checked her temperature, which was normal as he could conclude.

"I am fine. I just think someone is gossiping about me, you know." She joked as the two looked at her in confusion.

"Weird."

"Yeah. Who would gossip about you?"

The country shrugged her shoulders, unsure what to answer them back.

'I just hope it's not Belarus scheming something! I already said I have no interest in Russia!' (Y/n) thought in fear, but tried to brush that image out of her head.

"I dunno. By the way, I am off to meet up with Belgium and her brothers. Have fun staying at home."

"Stay safe!"

"Call us if you need anything!"

Before she could answer back, there was a knock on the door and (Y/n) went to open it.

"Yes? Huh?" She stopped while looking down at a bouquet with red roses while Sealand was grinning up at her.

"Happy Valentine's Day! Please be my Valentine!"

"Huh... Sealand..." She muttered in confusion as the boy stared at her.

Meanwhile, the country was partially right with her assumptions. Eight countries were talking about (Y/n), just not in the way she expected it to be.

"You?! What makes you think you are compatible for (Y/n)?!" America yelled, pointing at Russia. The two countries were never on good terms ever since the Cold War started, now with Valentine's Day being right around the corner, and both going after the same country things got much more tense.

"And I don't see what makes you think we are not. (C/n) and I do share some history with each other. Meanwhile, you are just a little kid compared to me. Why would she want you?" Russia laughed as America got into his face.

"And you creep her out! Weren't you the reason she isolated herself to begin with?! Also, my present is way better!"

Meanwhile, Germany was glaring at Italy, who was fawning over the present he had prepared for (Y/n), which was a painting he painted for her.

"Ve~ I am sure mia bella will love this! I can't wait for her saying yes to being my Valentine-"

"Hold up, Italy! Who said she will agree to be you Valentine! I have a gift for her as well." Germany interrupted the Italian, who frowned at his words.

"Because my present is just better. And besides, I am the one who is more of a passionate person than you are." Italy giggled as he saw Germany's face turn red in anger.

"That means nothing! My gift is just as good!"

"I have to disappoint you on the last part, mon ami Italy." France laughed as he held England back from chocking him.

"After all, I am the country of romance and love. She will definitely pick me." France boasted as the German and Italian glared at the man.

"You?! You pervert have absolutely no chance! Didn't you scare (Y/n) the last time you saw each other!"

"That was months ago!" France said with a red face.

"And besides, she would rather have a gentleman, like me."

The four started arguing among each other as Japan and China looked at them with unamused expressions.

"They are so loud, aiyah! Stupid Westerners." China exclaimed as he covered up his ears. Japan silently nodded his head.

"And this whole argument is useless as well. (Y/n) will definitely pick me. I always cook her good meals."

Now this was something Japan wouldn't stay silent on as he sent the older nation a glare.

"You? Aren't you too old for this? Besides, (Y/n) likes me more than you. We have a lot of common interests as well."

"You?! Don't make laugh, Japan! You can barely look her in the eyes, let alone confess anything! I will be her Valentine!"

"Dream on." The two Asian countries were about to start arguing as well, but got interrupted by Sealand walking into the living room, looking at all of them in confusion.

"Why are you old people arguing now?" The countries tensed up and looked back at the micronation, who was holding a box with some sweets inside.

"Nothing a kid like you should know about." Russia smiled, causing Sealand to shiver in fright.

"Stop scaring him. He is still a kid." Germany warned as Italy hid behind him. Sealand pouted at that when England spoke up.

"What did you need? You usually only come to me when you need something."

The micronation looked back at the former empire as the rest looked between them.

"Nothing much. Just wanted to say that France's idea on how to woo someone over worked. I just had to act cute, and got a Valentine and sweets from her." The other countries stared at him in confusion as France laughed.

"Well of course it will work when you listen to me! So, your little lady friend likes you back?"

"Hold up! Since when do you have a crush?" England questioned as America and China chimed in.

"We could have totally helped you out, dude!"

"Besides, I am the oldest around here. If anyone knows how to treat a woman, that would be me." Que Japan rolling his eyes at China.

"Nah. I was fine like this. And Ms. (C/n) didn't say directly she likes me back, but she gave me sweets and said the flowers were nice." Sealand said as the countries froze in their spots.

"(Y/n)... you asked her out?" Italy asked as his face got pale.

"Yup! In a few years she might agree to be my Valentine for real! But for now, the sweets she gave me will do.' Sealand cheered as he left the room.

Immediately after he left, Japan took his phone out to call (Y/n), which was an action that didn't go unnoticed by Italy, China, and America.

"Hey! Put her on speaker!"

"She is making a huge mistake! She can't wait for Sealand to grow up God knows when!"

"Ve~ I am a way better pick!"

Meanwhile, Russia, Germany, and England were glaring daggers at France, who was both mad and frightened.

"I will give you 10 seconds, da?"

"You are too kind, I am giving him 5 seconds."

"Both of you gits are wrong! Kill him now!"

"Wait! I had no idea who he liked!"

Meanwhile, with (Y/n)....

Belgium pouted as she declined Japan's call for the 5th time while Luxembourg looked at her in amusement.

"You know, she will find out what you did, big sis."

"I am fine with her knowing. As long as her and Netherlands get together, I am saying this was a worth sacrifice."

The two siblings looked back at the said 2 countries. One looked like struggling to say coherent sentences, while the other one had his usual stoic look.

"It doesn't look all too well." Luxembourg chuckled as Belgium sighed in frustration.

"Don't worry! I am sure big brother will catch on to it and be the perfect gentleman! He even bought her hot chocolate." Belgium smiled as the two silently looked at (Y/n) and Netherlands. The girl's face was a dark shade of red as Netherlands stared at her intensely.

"You know...."

Luxembourg and Belgium held their breaths as the oldest spoke up.

"That hot chocolate costed me around 4 euros. Please pay it back when you can."

The two watched in disbelief as he said that and (Y/n) started to scramble for her wallet.

"O-oh! Sure, no worries!"

"Is he nuts?!" Belgium silently yelled as Luxembourg stared at his brother in annoyance.

"Money rules the world for him..."

[halfagone]

You know, that recent post with more thoughts on bio mom!Selina has given me an idea. Because Bruce and Selina, in one version of canon, have a daughter. Helena. Huntress. Consider: Another twins au, but with Danny and Helena instead

You have activated my DC knowledge, and I hope you know that >:3

Helena's character is a little more complicated and I am here to ramble about that before I get to the meat of this ask. There is a universe where Helena grew up to become Batwoman, not Huntress. And that is because she was raised by her parents and didn't get separated. But since you specifically mentioned Huntress, I'll try to stick with that one.

For anyone that doesn't know this part of DC comics that well, something you should know is that there are two Huntresses. Helena Bertinelli and Helena "Bertinelli", otherwise known as Helena Wayne. In the New Earth and Prime Earth comic series, their version of Huntress is the real Helena Bertinelli, whose family was a part of the mafioso and she was dubbed a "mafia princess".

But then, there's Earth 2, where Helena Wayne was actually Robin before being sent to another universe alongside Kara (more specifically, Power Girl) and ended up taking the alias of Helena Bertinelli, who had existed in this world but had been missing/presumed dead.

So where does that leave us? [Added a Keep Reading because this got long lol]

Since you specifically addressed Helena as Huntress, I'm going to be using this comic run:

You could probably write a story about how Danny finally finds Helena again and the two reunite, thus revealing that Helena had lied to almost everyone and she was indeed Helena Wayne once upon a time. And this of course would lead to revelations and heart-to-heart discussions about Bruce and Selina's relationship and what kind of parents they were. I like to imagine that when Danny reunited with his family for whatever reason that separated them, Danny becomes Robin as well. So there are two Robins stalking the streets and scaring the living daylights out of criminals.

However... if you wanted to make things a little more interesting, we could take this version of the comic and take it for a little spin.

In the original canon, Helena has already operated as Huntress for years before Damian figured out the deception. She's already an adult, and largely on her own.

But in this case, we can make Helena freshly from the other universe. Lost and unsure and all on her own. Enter Batfamily. The moment they get her in their sights they realize that oh, she's Bruce's kid from another world/timeline/whatever their first assumption is. And then, when they get her to open up, she reveals that she has a twin. Bruce is Unwell at the information and Helena is inconsolable because they only just got him back, and now they've lost her. Her parents are never going to let her out of the house again after this!!

Meanwhile, Danny is losing his mind and their parents are trying to do everything to get her back and it's a whole mess.

If you want to make things a little more interesting, you could make Danny and Helena the only Wayne children, so that when she goes to the other universe she's super taken aback by how many siblings she could've had and "isn't that our neighbor Tim? Tim Drake? Danny's bestest friend ever? What are you doing in that egghead suit, Danny would be appalled to see you dressed like that."

Something I will have to say is that we probably don't get a lot of AUs like this because the rest of the Batfamily would probably be adults and there's a rather large age gap between Damian (as the youngest) and Helena + Danny, in this case. Unless you have them from another world, of course.

Think... Batman Beyond, with Terry McGinnis. It's an amazing series, but pretty much all of the main characters that the fandom typically writes about are retired. There is no Nightwing or Red Hood or Red Robin. Damian is alive but he's back with the League of Assassins. Let's not talk about how Tim and Barbara are married.

I think this AU could be really fun, and I'd be interested in trying it out some day. But it is one of the trickier instances. But no less exciting because of it. ;3

[versethetic]

Hey verse 💖

I am currently going through something which makes it really hard for me to persist and feel fulfilled. I find it hard to trust imagination and know I'm doing everything right because I feel insecure? unsure? unstable? I don't know!

It's hard to feel calm and relieved about the 3D, knowing it has to change to my imagination but what if I feel uncomfortable in my own imagination? What if I feel resistant? What if I can't properly imagine things going my way without feeling pain in my chest?

I would appreciate it so so much if you took your time to help me out! 🫶🏻

take a break.

don’t force yourself to do anything that doesn’t make you happy rn. don’t try to affirm or visualize if you’re not happy with your imagination. just take a quick break, get some rest, try your best to ease up on yourself for right now.

do a quick look inward. what is it that you truly want? it doesn’t have to be 100% clear if it’s still something in the works, just identify the main idea of what it is you want.

only imagine what you want and what makes you happy. not comfortable but happy. only identify with your desires.

it is common and completely okay to feel unsure or uncomfortable with your imagination (especially if it’s you imagining what you desire) because that means you’re going to get used to a new state of mind. you’re shedding the old you to make way for the new you.

you may not be used to the idea of things going your way or working in your favor but they are now.

think and really understand this. feelings about what you have ≠ what you truly have. you could feel sad about circumstances, cry and scream and sob. but when it’s over, realize that your true desire still lies in imagination; it has not gone anywhere.

come up with rules. what beliefs do you want to stand by when it comes to how you view loa? you decide what becomes true in your universe and you stick to it, just like with any other assumption you have. what are you deciding is true in your reality?

here are some of my rules as an example

doesn’t have to be these and doesn’t have to be perfect. you get the idea.

anything that doesn’t align with your rules or what you wanna believe? fuck it. don’t identify with it. don’t assign it any meaning. pay it literally not an ounce of attention. you follow your own rules and beliefs because that’s what YOU wanna do.

discipline yourself. be your own validation, build trust in yourself because you are doing everything right. you always have been. get back on your feet as many times until the new state of your desire becomes natural to you. progress doesn’t need to be linear, but it can still be progress.

come up with your rules and stick by them with everything you got because that’s how the law will work for you.

realize that when you stick it out through those feelings and circumstances that inevitably things will change for the better. but you have to stick with that “better” because that persistence is what brings your desires to life.

any negative feelings, doubts, worries etc. feel them, don’t push down your feelings for toxic happiness, but realize that once you’ve felt them and let them run their course, there’s only one place you need to return to.

your imagination.

─── ⋆⋅ ♰ ⋅⋆ ───

tldr:

take a break. relax, let your feelings run their course and soothe yourself.

look inward. what do you desire? what thoughts or images does this desire bring forth in your imagination? identify what you want.

only imagine (affirm, visualize, sats, subs, simply deciding or knowing) and align with your desire. flip the negative thoughts or pay them no mind because they don’t align with what’s in your imagination.

come up with rules. make statements that stand out with what you believe in loa. “i can affirm as much as i want.” “i only need to affirm once.” “i simply know its mine and that’s it.” doesn’t matter what it is as long as its your personal choice.

discipline yourself. stick with these rules and your imagination and disregard anything else. feelings don’t matter. unwanted circumstances don’t matter. negativity doesn’t matter. it will not affect anything you have in imagination. get back on track as many times as you need to.

most importantly, take care of yourself.

[grazieschillivera]

Longing curses 2/5

-His persuasions-

Chapter Summary: After the little incident at the dueling club Tom has to start over to win you back. Now that he knows how the little dance of love works, he decides to not only show you how similar you both are but also shares a new secret with you

Word count: ca. 2000

Warnings/tags: some fluff (I guess), manipulation, making out

Some days went by. Tom could feel how tense you were again in his presence and he started to think about how he should show you that you were wrong. One afternoon Tom's studying got softly interrupted when a gentle laughter echoed through the shelfs. His head turned around in curiosity. He had never heard such a sweet laugh and his heart arched in a unknown way once his eyes found you. You stood there with a friend who just made you giggle and you suppressed the rest of it to not interrupt the other students further while you gave your friend a warm smile - instead of him, he thought. He was supposed to make you laugh, you should be at his side by now. Maybe you were right. He had to give something to get something, love needed commitment. True commitment, and Tom needed to find a way to share this with you without breaking himself.

                                                ✧ ⊹ I ✧ ⊹

A week later you had curfew again. Occasionally you would see some of the other prefects when your routes almost crossed.

,,Coffee?'' a voice next to you asked, making you stop in your admiring of the painting over the library entrance. The shadow next to you was easy to recognize. Unsure you looked down at Toms bottle.

,,Its safe, see. Helps with the tiredness'' he said while he held the bottle in front of you after he had taken a swallow.

,,Thanks'' you said when you took it from him. Your gazes were still locked.

,,You can trust me. I have every book I want. But I want to go inside to show you something'' he said. You drank some of the coffee and even though it was welcomed, your lips still curled down due to the bitter taste. Or maybe because of the offering Tom gave you.

,,I'm not interest in you showing me whatever you have in mind'' you said handing over his drink.

,,You don't mean that. I fear you misunderstood me last week. Give me another chance'' Tom said and made a step to the library’s huge wooden door, but you blocked his way by standing up in front of him.

,,I'm very clear with my opinions. You're just as cunning and self-serving as your friends, you don't care about others and just want things your way'' you said.

,,If I am all those things, then why do you think I had invited you to the club? Like it or not but I'm not the person you want me to be. In fact, I think you are scared to look at me without your assumptions. Thinking if you don't keep those borders up, you will get lost between them'' Tom said, showing you that he didn't lose his confidence despite your little argument some time ago.

,,Don't think of me as so stupid. I might suck in dueling but I'm not beneath you Tom! I know what I want. In a different world I would be a win for you.'' you said and tried to make you a bit bigger to meet his eyes. His relaxed smile really frustrated you.

,,Of course you would be. Thats why I like you. Me and you could be something special. Is my motive still so self-serving now?'' he asked still standing before you but not in an intimidating way you noticed. More like a friend who tried to talk you out of something harmful.

,,Well yes. After all I'm not interested. And I still have your little secret about you letting your friends sneak out during curfew. I will tell Professor Dumbledore tomorrow if you don't let it be Tom'' you said but not as sternly as intended.

,,Using our shared secrets as blackmail – who is cunning now? Seems we aren't so different from one another after all'' said Tom but you did not join his amusement.

,,No we are not. I follow rules, I treat people equally.'' you said confidently, knowing Tom had nothing in his hands that could harm your reputation.

An unsettled cry reaches your ear and you stop.

,,Thats in my wing'' you said and walked back upstairs. Tom followed you.

                                               ✧ ⊹ II ✧ ⊹

,,Its curfew. What are you doing here?'' Tom asked before you could.

A girl sat on a bench and wiped her tears from her cheek. She muttered something about her ex boyfriend and how she couldn't get back into her dorm, because he and his new girlfriend were there. Tom showed less interest in her excuse. With big steps he approached her to bring her to her head teacher.

,,Tom wait'' you said and walked in his way.

,,Its against the rules. Easy as that Y/N'' said Tom. Even though he didn’t care about the girl he still found himself very thankful of this lucky coincidence.

,,My wing, my understanding of the rules Tom'' you said, trying to not make a fool of yourself considering what you just had stated about your loyalty to rules. The way you said his name added more fun at his persuasions. Up to now it sounded always like a warning call but it would soon fade into something more suitable for his expectations.

Eventually Tom gave in and promised to accept your wish.

,,Please don't'' you simply said when your eyes met Toms again when you walked back.

,,I'm not judging your actions. Why should I? But since you are so keen to keep your reputation, you gave me a new secret. And I would like to trade it for a little favor. Just as you did'' said Tom, enjoying this feeling about giving you a taste of your own medicine.

,,Back then in the Pub I explained to you how getting to know someone works. I never thought you would misinterpret it so wrongly'' you said already knowing that you would go inside the library.

Tom lazily defended his actions, he already was occupied with other things in his mind but he played along for you.

,, You're sure this is a good idea. I'm not used doing such things'' you said silently, when you sneaking closely behind Tom, even though he had politely held the gate of the forbidden area open.

,,You'll be fine just stay quiet''. Tom took hold of your hand and walked confidently along the corridor, as if it was his wing that you walked in.

Due to the moonlight the bookshelves shimmered whitely when you passed them. You could only hear your own footsteps and it felt like Tom and you were somewhere completely else.

                                                ✧ ⊹ III ✧ ⊹

,,Sit down. I will be right back'' Tom said softly like he knew you needed someone to calm you down a bit. After all breaking rules made you still feel uneasy. He pointed to a bench that stood between some bookshelves from where you could look at a huge tapestry that showed the founders of Hogwarts. The air was cool.

Tom came back with a huge old book. On it laid a smaller one, that he took beside him. He tested the waters and asked you somethings about the founders. You both started to talk about it freely enjoying each other’s knowledge.

,,I have a next secret I would like to share with you. You Hufflepuffs can be trusted right?'' Tom said, his lips almost formed a grin. He seemed to suppress a feeling. Was it confidence? Or was it out of tension?

,,Sure I wont tell. Promise'' you said with a low voice prepared to stay open minded but carful.

For a moment you both shared in intense look. It was as if Tom wanted to read you despite your promise to be trustworthy. It crossed your mind that your odd friend fought an urge within him. But you couldn't really tell what it exactly was.

At first he kept his usual practical attitude he had whenever he talked to someone. Only the last part started to sound strange. For one second you thought it wasn't Tom who talked to you but then you figured, that this person was the actual Tom, or at least another part of him you hadn't seen until now:

,,Since my researches I finally understand myself, what I am, what I am capable of. I read everything from him, one day I will know all his secrets'' Tom said.

After am moment of silence he started to talk about the relationship Salazar Slytherin and Helga Hufflepuff shared in their lifetime. Loudly he questioned how they could share such a good bond, that was so infamous in Salazars diary, then he looked at you. Although he didn't mention it, you could sense what he thought after his last words. It made your stomach twist. But was it out of fear or curiosity?

You said that you are not the heir of Helga with a chuckle and that you don't live for this amount of pathos in your life. But it was useless, Tom saw something great within you. You couldn't change his mind and I a strange way you realized it did something to you. Being praised and called for the things you did so dearly. So you decided to also open up for him because that was what this night was about. Tom had decided to be honest instead of cunning. He was one of the good ones, it was clear to see for you.

 A bit shy you brought a book out of your robes pocket and presented an article that shows your family, who has a little reputation considering healing potions and herbology. It was almost like an unspoken law since the accident in the club to keep your distance from Tom but something made you break it.

You shared your story- that the glory vanished because your parents and grandparents had different interests, and that was completely fine for you. No one should practice something that made him unhappy. Nevertheless, you like it to sometimes research about your family from those better times. You found an ancestor of your father fell in love with someone very smart and they both ended up starting the little glory of you family.

,,I understand you, I do the same sometimes. Having a look in the past can give some orientation for what can be possible. Its like looking in a twisted mirror.'' you said still a bit lost in your memories about your family. After your words there was a cozy silence in the room. Being here didn’t feel forbidden anymore. It felt comforting.

,,I like this thought.'', Tom admitted showing his approval. You looked back at him and gave him an honest smile.

Now you knew what Tom searched for in life, and he knew what you searched for in a partner. And suddenly he became not only the keeper of your secret but also the answer to it.

With your permission Tom read some phrases out of Salazars diary to you and you started to get lost in the way his voice sounded so softly and his eyes now and then flew away from the lines and lingered on you. The words that held such a dangerous ambiguity couldn't reach your mind anymore, it was directed to Tom and the feeling he started to give you. At some point his hand had reached out for yours, he softly pressed it before using his words again.

,,I respect your values. Actually, we are quite similar Y/N. The difference between us is that I'm willing to prefer some people over others. Thats passion, isn't it? When there is this one person who outshines the others-who is simply more important'' he said and led your hand carefully to his lips to savor the feeling of your skin on them in such a way that your cheeks turned hot.

While you had the feeling that you and Tom melted into each other, Tom had the impression to finally wrap you around his finger, now you fell in love for him as well. At this moment you could only see him. Those not so beneficial values of your house would just vanish over time if you devote yourself truly to him. He would take care of it, and of you.

The hold Tom had on your arm stayed while his lips caressed your skin of it, carefully testing how close you would let him be.

,,You can't treat everyone the same Y/N.'' said Tom. He suppressed his satisfaction with you, who finally started to think, that you and him were possible. That only your mind was in your way of happiness.

,,And you don't want to treat me just as everyone else. Whenever I read about Salazars past, I see us. Just give it a taste Y/N'' added Tom close to your face after he had shoved you softly closer against him.

Slow and deep beats of your heart pounded against your and Toms chest, he was so close to you, he could feel how you were. If he couldn't see your pleading gaze, he had thought you planed on running away. But you weren't. Your mind told your body to stay still, Tom was finally in your head. To reward you, he pressed his lips against yours and felt how you fought against your last insecurities, while moving your lips shyly against his.

Patience, was all Tom had to remind himself of. Not only towards you. He realized despite his lust for you, that he was also in some way shy about this new form of intimacy. Still he would keep the control of it for you.

,,Doesn't this feel right? You feel so good Y/N. How can you ever deny us something so good again?'' Tom asked between wet kisses, that grew hotter the more he got lost in the feeling of your sweet lips and tongue that tried to keep up with his pace. It only made it harder for you to answer Tom, who demanded it.

But your shy nods and 'yes's weren't enough for him. Within minutes Tom had pulled you on his lap. His hands caressed the soft skin right underneath your breasts while his lips were attached to your neck to get every little moan out of you, that you tried to hid. You were in a library after all. But now fully consumed by this new ecstasy you moaned every answer out of your mouth he wanted to hear from you.

You looked down at Tom's eyes. They were so dark and yet so clear, that you could see yourself in them. And while you eyed this new side of yours, you also observed how Tom seemed to experience the same with you. 

The moment felt so unusual intense that your hands searched for Toms as a comfort, that were still around your ribcage. Before some fitting words of luck could be formed from your lips, Tom pressed his lips against yours again. It felt all so good your mind kept running and your heart beat so fast that you felt like a star that could explode. So you just made him stop.

Back on your spot on the bench you tried to study his feelings. For a second some kind of hurt crossed his frowned faced. Was it love that he wanted or was this just a trap you were naive enough to have fallen into for a brief moment?

,,Have you done this before Tom? Because I have not'' you said, your voice faded a bit away- you were unsure whether to feel pride or guilt.

,,Does this matter? It's what people do when they want I each other. And I only want you if this is what you want to know'' Tom said his last words with a secure smile, his hands brought you to his mouth before he gave them a kiss.

You were back at the same position where you just had started to fall for him again. But now something has changed. Something told you that he was meant to be yours and you were meant to understand him, to love him- because he had allowed you to do so. And Tom belonged to those people that rarely allowed such things- so this means he loved you truthfully, right?

,,We have seen each other’s true self now and we seemed to enjoy it'', said Tom now silently hoping to at least earn a nod from you. ,,Don't back away Y/N. Give it at least a try''. His hand that had held yours on the entire way back wouldn’t let go of you. Carefully he kept his grip around it.

So you nodded. Later Tom brought you to your common room offering you an invitation to a dorm party to give him and his friends a chance to show you, that you and your feelings would be safe with him.

[mlsofh]

Character Thoughts - The Radio Demon

Hello Wayward Sinners!

I am back again with another Hazbin Hotel based analysis. My theorist brain has been thinking; gears have been turning. My theories, speculation, and analysis today surrounds the ever mysterious character: The Radio Demon, otherwise known as Alastor.

Firstly, what do we know about the ever-illusive character? We know he is a sinner turned powerhouse of an overlord overnight the moment he died and entered hell. He massacred demons of all kinds with his carnage. Broadcasting it over the radio in hell when he died in 1933. Supposedly, Alastor is in his late twenties to late thirties. He is mixed creole. He is an only child, a momma's boy and the peak of his life was when he was living as a radio star.

Something that is interesting to me is that Alastor's microphone is actually an extension of himself. Viv has once stated that it's a possibility Alastor would not be able to speak without his microphone as it's an extension of himself. He is incredibly complex as a character. We don't know a lot about him likely for good reason. This isn't surprising and shouldn't come to anyone as a surprise since Alastor was the first character Viv ever created! He likely will have the most subtle depth along with Angel dust. (A common occurrence for Viv is to flesh out her male characters, which is concerning that she doesn't do that for her female ones, but Viv is also working with a large company now to help her with writing.) We know he frequents a place called "Cannibal Colony" which is presumed to be one of the fractions in Pentagram City. We must remember he's also a cannibal. He also has a higher view of women in general, and as stated by Faustisse(one of the former developers/illustrators of Hazbin Hotel), that he finds Angel Dust and Husker pitable. It was shown in the now deleted Hazbin Hotel comics that he values women. Whenever a butcher was going to kill a sheep demon, we saw that Alastor stepped in and killed the butcher. Now onto theory territory: What is Alastor doing at the hotel? I'm going to make a brave assumption that Alastor has more bold intentions when it comes to the fact that he is helping out with the hotel. I'm unsure what those intentions are personally. We see in sneak peaks that Alastor even has startled Lucifer, so them working together to watch Charlie fail is a bit of a long shot all things considered. I don't even think Alastor wants Charlie to fail. I think he really is just along for the ride and is a patron for the hotel. He actively is making large changes. Furthermore, we see him protecting the hotel from loan sharks/shark mafiosos. Whenever we use the trading cards also for reference, we see the hotel destroyed. I don't think Alastor is going to be a Jax situation from the amazing digital circus. I think he's going to be upset that the hotel is destroyed. He's going to be distraught and upset. I think he's going to struggle a lot with power. We saw he had eyebags in the trailer after using some power against Pentious. Imagine what a lot of power would do to him? I'd love to hear you all's thoughts about this. That's all for now, Stay tuned for more!

[nourrris]

I'm happy there was no season 4.

This could either be a popular, or very unpopular opinion, I'm unsure as frankly I've only began watching two days ago, and finished the show already, (god it was beautiful).

Anyways, I very firmly believe anything after a season 3 would have likely ruined the storyline, it ended on such a beautiful note, something that's so perfectly them. I'm also in a way, happy they never actually did kiss, although realistically I had been rooting for it to happen, the fact it didn't doesn't bother me one bit, it really brings out all the intimacy in their prior actions, and words, I love that their love was batshit insane, that it didn't need a kiss or pda to believe it was reciprocated, frankly surrendering eachothers lives together was more than enough for a confirmation.

But continuing on, I believe a season 4 would have been too messy, they left s3 on a very difficult position to recover off, and a position that didn't need recovering either, it didn't need fixing or changing - not one bit. It was so perfect in my opinion, their last things they did was kill a man together to save one another, then kill themseleves together, literally how much more fitting could it have been for these murder husbands? It just worked so well, that nothing can be more intimate than death for them, in my opinion.

Latching onto the last part of the first section of the post, I really liked how they portrayed the reciprocity of Will's feelings towards Hannibal. When Bedelia ask's Will if he 'aches' for Hannibal too, and it cuts off to another scene, I generally already took that as a yes, as it was a big damn claim, I don't think it's something you easily hesitate on, not when the person in question is a cannibalistic murderer. When he chooses to save Hannibal, and jump off the cliff with him though, that is the real confirmation of course, choosing to leave his wife and son, all friends and absolutely every inch of the life he made - for Hannibal, a man he physically could not get over no matter how hard he tried.

It's perfect, sorry I just finished the show today (like a few hours ago) and I love it so dearly, I've never watched something where the ending felt so genuinely satisfying, even if it seemingly hadn't meant to felt like a finale in that manner, it worked amazingly, I'm very glad it wasn't a s2 situation with such an insane cliff hanger, or else I would have probably just.. never watched the show. Some say it does feel like a cliff hanger, but eventually you can come to terms and realize that their actions, a double suicide in the name of love(?) couldn't possibly surpass anything else they've done at that point, their action's have led them to either horribly idiotic situations, or blissful moments.

Lastly I wanted to mention my original assumption of the ending, I midway through season 2 found out Hannibal was actually a incomplete cancelled show, also prior to that I found through spoilers that will eventually has a wife. Those facts are important because I very weirdly am a person who cannot consume a media without spoilers, (my anxiety is due to that). So I just about know every ending of a show before I'm even halfway into it, although I tend to prefer to wait later, I wondered if finishing the show was worth it so i searched it up, and watched briefly the ending, It was very relieving as if it actually did truly end in a heterosexual way it would have immediately made me quit the show, as yes they are intimite but I still did want any type of closure, without it I would have felt at most pretty indifferent with the ending.

Anyways, the show is beautiful, I love it so so much, even if it's a complete change in genres for me, I love the characters, I love the artistry and creativity in the show, and god do I love the ending.

(edit a day later: guys i totally missed that last scene w bedelia at the end, i still prefer s3's ending but did not know it was implied they were alive!!??!)

[quinloki]

*pirouettes in again* Hello hello! If you're up for it, for the kink ask game, may I request Smoker and Drake with Cum Marking, Voyeurism and Formal Wear? Thannkssss your headcanon are giving me life <3

Oh you are always welcome <3 \o/ My favorite clumsy trash panda xD

You know, I really REALLY wanna add Sir Crocodile to this, so I hope you don't mind me including him at the end ^_^

I am admittedly, unsure about your inclusion of "formal wear" in this context, but I have some (I believe) solid assumptions, so I'm going to go with my gut - and if you had something else in mind, don't be afraid to speak up!

Alright let's do this - I'll save my personal indulgence until the end XD

X Drake:

Cum Marking - FUCK Yes - Neither of you are sure if it's a him thing, or part of his devil fruit. There's just something in his eyes when he cums on you. Your back, your thighs, your stomach, your face, it doesn't matter where, so long as it's there and he either rub it into your skin or watch it dry. It's like being sure that his scent is on you, whether someone else noticed it and took heed or not was on them, he was just content to know it was there.

Voyeurism - Yes - Primal play concerns him because he's worried about losing control of the instincts in his devil fruit. That said, watching you is a little like stalking you - pre-hunt kind of stalking, and it gets his blood pumping whether he wants to admit it or not. But you're only for him to watch. This isn't a show for others, and he's not sharing his prey.

Prey that knows they're being hunted, certainly, there's no way you're accidentally giving him such a beautiful show.

Formal Wear - Sure - He's not against getting dressed up, but it's not high on his list. Pirate's son to marine to undercover agent, he's just never cared for the red tape of formal occasions in general. Certainly he looks good in a suit - so does everyone, and you look amazing dressed up, but you look amazing naked underneath him. The wrapping matters little, but he will admit that slowly slipping those delicate pieces of clothes of you. Making you stand there as he unbuttoned, unzipped, and undressed you, carefully setting the expensive pieces aside before devouring you whole.

It wasn't a bad change of pace.

Smoker:

Cum Marking - Sure - On you, in you; for Smoker it doesn't matter so much. What marks you best is the scent of his smoke. He smells like his cigars, you're not entirely convinced the cigars don't just smell like him, since he is smoke. However the lines blur is irrelevant. He'll mark you however you want him to, and he has stamina enough to be sure you're thoroughly covered in cum and smoke by the end of it.

At the end of the day there'll be no question you're his.

Voyeurism - FUCK Yes - He works long hours and there's little more that's more relaxing than watching you while he gets to sit back and enjoy the show. The first time you waltzed into a room buck-ass naked, going about your day like you weren't bandying about nude and told him he was always welcome to look he took it to heart.

He enjoys everything from watching you do little chores around the house, to laying yourself out in all your glory and giving him an enticing show. He'll even watch you at times you aren't completely certain he is - but whenever there's a chance that he's watching you privately you always give him a lil' show.

Formal Wear - Yes - He's not a big fan of dressing up, but he'll endure it (and look damn good in the meantime) in order to see you all done up alongside him. He certainly enjoys getting you out of your nice clothes than he does seeing you in them, and if you've been teasing him all evening - whatever the occasion may be - then you better help him undress you if you like what you were wearing.

He's generally a patient enough man, but he's not gentle enough to promise that he won't just rip that wrapping aside to get to what he wants.

Sir Crocodile:

Cum Marking - FUCK Yes - Every way that he can mark you, he wants to. Covering you in the heat of his sand, in the wetness of his pleasure, in the scent of his cigars - biting you, lining your body with the red marks of ropes and crops, even more permanent adornments like tattoos and such. Marking you inside and out with his cum might be the most temporary option available, but he's no less into it. You're his, his prey, his love, his partner - others can dare to lay their eyes upon you, but they'll know you're his.

If their smart, they'll even sort it out before they get on Crocodile's bad side.

Voyeurism - Oh god you don't even know - Let him watch you. Let the world watch you for all he cares. So long as your actions are for him, and your noises are because of him, he doesn't care who else sees. Put on a show for him, by all means. Every curve and turn and twitch of your body belongs to him, and if you're lucky, it's because you've given it all over willingly.

It may seem like he's being gentlemanly, when he stops himself from touching you before you're ready. It may seem kind and smooth for him to close the distance while waiting so patiently for your reply before he devours you. In all honestly, he's completely fine just watching you. Watching you struggle, watching you move through thoughts and decisions, watching you slips beneath the grains of sand that make your stance unsteady.

Again and again, he'll lay his trap. Wait patiently. Purr at you softly and reassuringly. And then smile like the beast he is, as you walk yourself into the waiting jaws that will never release you again.

Formal Wear - FUCK Yes - Crocodile looks good. He looks good without a scrap of clothing on, but the man knows how to dress. He has good taste, and he'll have you both the center of attention no matter where you go. To Match without matching, to dress so elegantly that you ride the line of simplistic and overstated with such skill that magazines have declared new trends in your honor (and his).

But more than seeing you dressed so perfectly, he loves to just rip the clothes from you. He has the funds to have you perfectly dressed again the next day. Hell, he could have whatever you want completely replicated, as often as you like, but the tattered remnants of what you had been wearing will fall to the floor. His patience doesn't exist for unwrapping you, and anytime he manages to show a kindness to your clothes it is completely for your sake that he restrains himself.

... I went a little hard at the end, but um, I had thoughts.

[chairteeth]

So hey did you know Touka shows affection like cats do

I'm gonna give my two cents on this basing myself off of canon and educated assumptions/guesses. For brainrot and logical reasons I will be using Nemu as the example human to Touka's example cat (the logical reason is that, simply put, they canonically spend the most time together, literally no one else spends nearly as much time with Touka. I would go as far as to argue that Touka spends more time with Nemu than with her family). This is actually semi-serious, believe it or not, I have arguments. They are as follows:

First off, a cat choosing to be around you a lot is already a sign that they enjoy your company, otherwise they would leave. Touka tends to be in a hurry to leave places like school, but is comfortable in the observatory, Fendt Hope, and later the yuri bunker (for those unfamiliar with Arc 2, Touka has an underground bunker lab thingy connected to a house and that's where she and Nemu spend probably 85% of their time). In fact, especially the yuri bunker, she seems calmest there. A cat choosing to linger in the same room as you means they value and seek your companionship.

Then, bunting! This is a really cute one, I mostly know this as that thing when a cat headbutts you with their forehead or rubs their head on you, but some friends have told me they also count it as bunting when their cats rub their cheeks against them? Anyway for the bunting I point at that one scene in the anime (you know the one, which in context is entirely definitely a purposeful gesture from Touka that is meant to convey comfort/reassurance). That scene also counts for the eyes! Cats' eyes are proportionally huge and also very vulnerable, so allowing anything, even someone's face, near them, is also a sign of trust and love (I am unsure if Touka does the slow blinking or if that has a human equivalent). In case you don't know which scene I mean (I don't shut up about it though so I don't know how likely that is):

Next, playing! Cats often play out of pure enjoyment (hunt/prey drive aside), and their preferred playmates are typically trusted companions. This manifests in Touka in the form of human playfulness, she doesn't really do the whole friendly back and forth thing with anyone or, well, act in any sort of joking or goofy way, unless she really likes the person. The most obvious example is Well again Nemu, their typical old married couple bickering.

Next up is gifts/hunting, yk when cats bring you a dead mouse or bird as a gift? That's because they love you. They are hunting for you. Touka's equivalent of this is acts of service that she doesn't apply her ego to, such as the website in Nemu's case, and I am assuming that Touka is a gifter but also will not give Nemu specifically "formal" gifts or make a big deal about them and mostly choose non special occasions to give said gifts. The gifts part is I think the only actual assumption I'm making here? The rest is just me putting canon things in the context of Cat.

And lastly off the top of my head, sleeping. Cats sleep A LOT as any cat owner will probably tell you, and they are the most vulnerable while sleeping, so the place a cat chooses to have a cat nap or fall asleep has to be a safe and trusted location. There is no greater compliment than a cat picking your lap or even your chest as their favorite sleep spot! And guess what. Christmas TouNemu night quote, Touka falls asleep next to Nemu. I am going to assume she falls asleep on her shoulder and that they're sitting down or alternatively they're lying down somewhere, because otherwise I have no idea how Touka fell asleep in the first place. The way she relaxes in Nemu's presence is extremely sweet, especially if you've read my essays about these two.

Anyway so my point is. Nemu's wife is very catlike. This has been your improvised ramble of the month.