#i really need to standardize those someday | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

zarvasace · 5 months

Text

And here are Dire and Madness, dark Twilight and dark Four!

Rambling and more art beneath the cut as has been standard :) only two more left to do and guys I love them

Masterpost

Dire

Dire is dark Twilight.

He and Twilight share one major trait: they are protectors. Not even a process that bastardized Sky’s kindness could take that away. By no means is Dire nice, however. He is a Twilight that has lost all control and doesn't care to regain it, because that would mean facing all he's done. Some part of Dire is aware and suffering, but he purposely buries that part.

But on the surface that he presents and identifies with, Dire lashes out at everything that causes him pain—which is a lot of things. Dire is no different from the other Darks, in that he can't stand the light and gets annoyed quickly. He doesn't often speak, and nobody is really sure how much he really understands of what's around him. He acts more like an animal than a human in a lot of ways, and is often a little more cruel than he has to be. He's unnaturally strong and quick, and his weapons of choice are his nails and teeth. He indulges his brutal urges because the alternative is thinking.

For plans that require destruction and fighting, the Darks let Dire run out first. He could probably fight an army on his own, provided that he has plenty of darkness and an enemy without too much strategy. He's powerful and extremely dangerous. Due to that, the Darks don't let him run free. They use the shackles around his wrists and neck to keep him nearby and out of maiming range. When they do let him out though (to hunt or fight or exercise or whatever), he always comes back…

Because Dire is a protector. He leans more offensive than Twilight, but Dire too knows friend from foe. He doesn't always care, but Dire has sorted the other Darks as “friend” in his head, and he won't let anything hurt them except for themselves, if he can. He's particularly fond of Madness and Nothing, and has been known to grab them and not let them go, even when they start biting.

Dire’s design pulls a lot from the fever dream in Twilight Princess: gray skin, blank eyes. He has longer, more matted hair than Twilight. His claws are wicked sharp, and he wears tattered clothes without shoes. His wolf pelt is the softest thing about him, and it really should be washed. His markings are a bit more dramatic than Twilight’s, extending down his cheeks and arms and legs.

Despite the markings, Dire does not have an alternate form like Twilight. Well, he might, but he was never cursed the same way, and this technically is his dark world form. Some combination of magic might give him the ability to shapeshift, but he doesn't need it. He's bestial as it is.

Madness

Madness is dark Four! There is one big question here: is Madness the same person as Shadow from the manga?

Yes and no! Madness and Shadow do not exist at the same time as separate individuals. They were both made from Four’s darkness, but for different purposes. Shadow really did die when he smashed the mirror, and this isn't exactly a second chance… but it might be. Think of it like this: that body is a computer. Shadow was an operating system there, logging away memories and performing programs. Madness is on the same computer, but is a different operating system (a weaker one, really). However, those memories and personality from Shadow still exist, buried and only subconsciously influencing Madness’s behavior. They act eerily alike sometimes, not that anyone but Four would notice. Perhaps someday, Shadow’s OS will break through and become dominant, but even if he did, he wouldn't be the same. Madness would still be there.

“Still rivers run deep”—to me, this is very much Four. One body, four colors; a deep knowledge of his chosen trade; a rather serious demeanor with a lot of variety and thoughts; plans and ideas backed up with a combination of emotion and logic. He's balanced. In contrast, Madness is a “fast river running shallowly,” an unbalanced amalgamation of too much, all at once, a broad variety with little substance.

Madness is a little… unhinged. He's clearly smart, but he speaks in roundabout ways, making connections that don't exist or are too convoluted for anyone to follow. He stares into the distance a lot, and can be quite unnerving if you try to notice how often he blinks (rarely). Nobody can really decide how much of his behavior is on purpose or just how he is. When let loose, Madness shows unparalleled capacity for complex plans, but he doesn't always know how to hold back and often goes overboard. He'll beat that dead horse, and bomb those charred ruins, and smash that fallen vase… You get the picture.

A lot of these Darks have an odd magical power, and Madness’s is one of the more prominent ones. With a touch, he can attempt to bury a bit of his power in the mind of a sentient being (human, Rito, Zora, Minish, etc) and turn them into a thrall. While a being is a thrall, their eyes turn red and their consciousness goes to sleep. Madness can give them mental commands, and they technically work under his processing power and not their own, so no matter how vague the commands are, they do what he means them to do. Madness can also jump into thralls’ heads to pilot them specifically, seeing from their eyes and speaking from their mouth. He doesn't magically know everything about the thrall, though, so he still has to try to impersonate, and that doesn't usually work well. While he pilots, Madness is still technically in his body, so he will say out loud anything he's commanding the thrall to say, which limits his opportunities to trick the others.

Without commands, the thralls sit in still silence, which means that over extended periods of time, Madness does have to worry about food and rest for them. The more thralls he has, the less effective he is, because his focus is split, even if he isn't directly piloting more than one person at a time. If he lets someone go even for a moment, the connection is severed entirely. He absolutely refuses to use any thralls in a combat scenario, because he feels their pain, even though it's fainter when he isn’t directly piloting. He uses thralls instead to gather information, start rumors, purchase/steal supplies, and often just cause chaos.

Madness is actually rather genre-aware. He knows that their schemes are destined to ultimately fail, because the Darks are the “bad guys” and they will lose. As such, he's hedging his bets and logging away information for an inevitable betrayal to the Lights. He does not intend to be on the losing side when it gets down to it. He has half-baked plans to snatch a few of the other Darks and take them with him, too. Madness absolutely does not take any sort of leadership role, which means that he doesn't feel any responsibility to rein in Nothing, making him Nothing’s favorite. Madness also spends time hanging out with Dire, who he thinks understands more than he lets on. Those two would be his first choices, and he thinks Nothing might know that. (This is not at all related to the fact that Shadow’s memories of betrayal are both sweet and bitter.)

Madness does not get along well with Agony—Madness prefers chaos and mind games over Agony’s stab-first approach. He purposely annoys everyone else. Along with Depth and Shackle, Madness is one of the few Darks who can pass as human, so he's been on a few excursions into towns or groups, and he likes emphasizing his unnerving traits. He'll use a sword if he has to, but prefers bombs and words. He doesn't have any powers from Shadow (shapeshifting, stretchiness, whatever else), but he is very sensitive to light, like most of the Darks.

Madness casts a wide net, putting on an air of randomness with a sprinkle of insanity for flavor. He connects more dots than he appears to, though, and has a few unexpected urges toward the light. Make no mistake, though, he is a Dark, and he has no intention of doing good just to do good. His ultimate goal is to survive the Dark Chain’s fall, and beyond that… traveling? Therapy? Living at home with people he doesn't hate? (Why does he feel an emotional connection to his Light? Why does he want to protect him? Why does he want to exercise his freedom? Why does it feel like he's running out of time until—)

#my art #lu z darks au #linked universe #sorry for the low contrast dire there #had a hard time with some of these colors #ugh tumblr messws up my posts

136 notes · View notes

onlycosmere · 3 months

Text

Questioner: Do you have plans to self-produce your books into movies or TV shows? If Taylor Swift can do it, you can.

Questioner: Oh right, yeah, Taylor Swift. Let's point out, there's a little bit of a difference between a 45 million dollar Kickstarter and a 1.6 billion dollar tour. So, we've talked about this, and I've come to the conclusion that for right now I don't want to try it. There are a couple of reasons for this.

Reason number one is that I like my Kickstarters to have a ton of value in them, right? I always tell my team, I'm like, we have to be giving a lot of value to people on the stuff that they do with our crowdfunding or our Kickstarters. And that means that, of that 45 million dollars, we don't make a lot of that. We're putting most of that into the product, and into the shipping, and into the team, and into the company. And so, if we were to do a crowdfunded movie, we need like a 200 million dollar budget, 150 at the lowest, to do a film. And if I'm going to do that, I would want to be giving people a ton of value which means we'd probably have to raise 450 million, which is just a ridiculous amount to do on a crowdfunding, right? So that's number one.

Number two is, a lot of times, these sort of outsider projects don't work as well in Hollywood as you would hope they would. Taylor Swift was able to do a thing and put it directly in the theaters and whatnot, but what we want is a partner over a long period of time. I want someone like Universal, or Disney, or Warner Brothers, who has a long established reputation to buy in on the cosmere, and make things with me for twenty years, right? I don't want to just do one off, I want to build something over time and I feel like I need a really good partner in the industry to do that.

And you know, reason number three is, a fool and their money is soon parted. I've known too many people who think, yeah I can make a movie. And let's just say that there's a reason why The Room isn't that great, and it's because being good in one area doesn't mean you're good in another. I am really good at narrative. I'm getting good at screenplays, right? I'm getting to the point where I feel confident I could do the screenplays myself. But I can't direct, I can't cinematographize, I don't even know how to make that a verb, right? I can't do casting, I can't do all of these things that experts in their field, and yes, I could start hiring them, but I feel like, never having run a movie before, it would just be a disaster. So you would donate all this money, I would waste it all, because I wouldn't know what I'm doing, and this is how Kickstarters go bad real fast, right? I've only done these things when I know I can deliver, and I do not know I can deliver this for you.

So, for the mean time, I'm going to keep trying to use the standard mechanisms. I feel like, you know like, this year we got frighteningly close. Well, frightening is the wrong term. The frightening part is it didn't work out. But we got really, really close. I saw people on stage, in mistcloaks, acting and reading my lines, okay? Yeah. And then it all fell apart, and it's all dead, right? We got really close, but we're getting closer and closer. And Hollywood is really interested in the Cosmere. They recognize the value of my stories. They've been, for years, saying, we know this is going to come, break out, and it's going to be big someday. But it's all about figuring out how to make it work, and beyond that, Hollywood is kind of on fire right now. And so we're waiting for it to, for someone to put it out. So, regardless, the answer is, I've considered it, and I've discarded it for those reasons, but it's still possibly on the table. It is something that, you know, the awareness of the possibility is in the back of my mind, okay?

#cosmere #brandon sanderson #branderson #mistborn #the final empire #cfsbf #root #long post #wob

63 notes · View notes

sosuigeneris · 8 days

Text

why is being feminine seen as catering to patriarchy?

I enjoy putting on my make up, heels, I like looking good, I enjoy traditionally “feminine activities” like baking and cooking, I love a good gossip session with my girls, I’m empathetic and warm when I want to be, I can be very nurturing if I choose to be, I want kids someday and I want to be married. I can do all these things and still work my ass off in my business, close massive deals, be invited to speak for interviews, and conferences, be perceived as a leader without emulating alpha male behaviour.

By saying that doing feminine things caters to the male gaze and patriarchy, you’re putting women down. You’re inherently stating that being masculine is “correct” and “cool” and enjoying being feminine is “weak” and “vulnerable.”

oooooh buT YoUre doInG aLL tHiS fOr a MaN-

and even if I did, sometimes, do those things because I like a boy - what’s the issue?? If I’m invited on a date and I like him, and I want to look great, what’s the ISSUE? If he’s going to show up dressed well and groomed to look good for me, why won’t I? And if you’re going to choose to go out with a man who is an absolute dusty rat that doesn’t care about his appearance and hygiene, sorry but that’s on YOU. The first date might be a human error of judgement which happens, but going on a second date with said rat is unforgivable.

“meN aRe NeVeR subJecTed to tHesE stAndarDs”

by YOU. I sure hold men by the same standards that I hold myself. My standards are high. Just the way I hold myself to a certain standard, I hold men to the same. I’m not going to muck around with a guy who clearly does not meet my expectations. I’ve told off men for bad breath, bad manners, I ensure that my brothers and my closest guy friends are always looking good when needed, and I tell them when they do and don’t. I surround myself with good male friends I know I’d be ecstatic to marry my sister off to. Don’t pretend like your shitty low standards and mine are the same.

I don’t believe in blame game and low standards and it shows.

You guys really need to understand that it is alright to be multifaceted. Just because I enjoy baking doesn’t mean that I don’t like adventure sports, just because I enjoy doing my self care and meditation doesn’t mean I don’t understand politics and history and “Big Boy Subjects.” I may not enjoy F1 and sports but there are girls out there who do, and they also enjoy wearing dresses.

stop the unnecessary labelling and categorisation of people.

#Ugly truths yall need to hear #Complaining without providing a solution is STUPID #Whining about double standards without doing anything proactive to change them is STUPID #Lamenting that “oh I’m just one person how can I change the entire male society” ADDS TO THE PROBLEM #YOUR LACK OF COURAGE IS PROBLEMATIC #YOUR LACK OF STANDARDS IS SHAMEFUL #THE FACT THAT YOU ALLOW DUSTY MEN IN YOUR LIFE IS HUMILIATING #I SAID WHAT I SAID

45 notes · View notes

severalforraelee · 1 year

Text

The Girls Part 12: Charles Leclerc x Reader

Photo credit to LAT Images

Word count: 3,446

Written by raelee / Posted August 15

Masterlist

Formula 1 Masterlist

The Girls Masterlist

“They can’t FaceTime for very long, they have a doctor’s appointment early tomorrow morning so they need to go to bed early tonight,” I warn Charles as soon as I accept the call.

“What’s going on, are they okay?” He instantly questions.

“They’re fine, it’s just a checkup. Girls, come say hi to your dad.”

Ada and Lucy run over at the mention of their father. It surprised me how quickly they’ve welcomed him into their lives and normalized him being in it. That’s definitely an advantage of him coming back while the girls are so young, they’re not aware of the entire situation so they don’t have any conflicting emotions about their father’s absence, they just know the love and admiration they feel for him and that he feels for them. And growing up, they won’t really have any memories from before he entered their lives.

“Hi dad,” Ada grins widely, showing off her growing teeth.

“Where are you?” Lucy inquires.

“I’m in Singapore right now,” he tells them. “I can see the ocean. Look, see the water?”

He flips his camera to show the view from his hotel room, palm trees lined up neatly before it cuts off at the sandy beach.

“Ocean,” Ada cheers.

“I’ll take you girls to see the ocean someday, I promise.”

They chat some more, Charles having to ask them what they’re saying a couple of times to fully understand, but then immediately responding with enthusiasm. He takes genuine interest in what they’re saying, even if it’s arguing over who found a bigger leaf at the park today. The way his hazel eyes gleam at the two toddlers through the screen says it all- he loves those girls with his entire heart.

The conversation wraps up after about twenty minutes, the tiredness becoming apparent in Ada and Lucy.

“I love you girls. I know I’m not the best at times, but I try my hardest to be there for you to support you through everything,” Charles’ words are said to Ada and Lucy, but I know they’re really directed at me.

He’s trying to apologize to me without actually apologizing to me. By explaining his actions without saying sorry for how they made me feel, it’s apparent that he feels bad for attempting to pressure me into moving but doesn’t feel bad enough, or maybe he just feels too scared to say the words ‘I’m sorry’ directly. Plus, it’s a little off-putting to give a message to me through our daughters.

“Mommy, I’m going to play with Barbie,” Lucy announces, taking off to her bedroom to play with the new doll Lando sent her.

“Me too,” Ada follows her to play with the similar Barbie that Lando sent her.

“What?” Charles questions as I give him an annoyed look through the screen.

“If you’re apologetic for your actions, just say it. Don’t do this round-a-bout thing where you tell the girls how hard you try to support them. They know that, although they can’t understand it yet, they can feel your love and support. By indirectly apologizing and not actually using those words, though, you’re not supporting them in emotional growth by showing that it’s okay to be apologetic and that it’s okay to show your emotions,” I inform him.

He blinks at me, clearly processing the speech that I just gave.

“Yeah,” he starts, “Yeah, you’re right. To be honest, I feel like I’m not there to help with the girls as much as I should be and then I feel guilty about it, so I thought the solution would be to move in together so that it would be easier. And I thought I was already compromising because we would be moving in together in London instead of in Monaco-””Monaco, Charles? You wanted us to move to Monaco?” I can’t help but interrupt him.

“I did, for a brief second, before I remembered that you have a support system and school in London,” he defends himself, “Anyways, I guess I also wanted you to move in to something more… up to my standards. But I should’ve asked you about it before making such a big decision by myself. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you for your apology and the explanation. Now that I’m aware of this, I’m sorry for not hearing you out on why you wanted to move in to a bigger apartment and for not recognizing your emotions sooner.”

“Thank you for your apology,” he says. It’s quiet, but his smile slowly grows.

“What? Why are you smiling?”

“You snapped at me,” a laugh accompanies his words.

“Did I? Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so hostile,” I frown, thinking back on my tone. “No, it’s great, it’s always nice to be reminded of where Lucy gets her fire from.”

I roll my eyes, but my heart flutters in my chest at his admiration.

As soon as I set my phone down on the coffee table after the call has ended, it starts to buzz. I peer at it curiously, wondering if the call is from Charles trying to contact me to tell me something that he forgot. It isn’t. It’s from my sister, Flo.

I watch as it buzzes and buzzes. I adore Flo- besides Lando, she’s been the only one to treat me semi-normally since having my daughters. She sends me requests for pictures of the girls every once in a while, she’ll call me to hear about their adventures of the week, and she’ll like all of my posts on social media, even just the stories.

But… I can’t help but feel some resentment towards her. Maybe it’s because she’s the one who encouraged me to attend the race, just to inform me that the whole family bailed, or because she never defended me in front of our family. I just can’t shake the negative feelings no matter how much I know that this situation that I’m in is not her fault. This has grown a very apparent distance in our relationship.

So I watch as her contact picture disappears from the screen, showing that I missed a call from her.

“And lights out, and away we go,” the announcer cheers as the race in Singapore begins.

My eyes flicker to Ada and Lucy who are sitting in front of the TV, dolls laying on the floor in front of them but their eyes are attached to the screen where the fast cars zoom past.

It’s so interesting to see their love for Formula 1 at such a young age. It’s subtle- they don’t pick out orange McClaren hats gifted from Lando or red Ferrari shirts from Charles to wear.

But they’ll put their Barbies in the miniature Alpine cars from Pierre. And they’ll perk up at the sound of the Formula 1 theme song.

“Daddy,” Lucy cheers, pointing as the camera focuses on the red car. Ada looks on in awe.

Truthfully, I can’t tell if it’s Charles or Carlos, it’s always been difficult for me to tell the difference between two drivers in the same car, but I nod.

“Yeah, there’s daddy,” I agree softly.

My heart starts to yearn at the sight of him, which I confirm it is once I see the number on the side of the car, even if he is covered in a helmet and a race suit. I quickly push the feeling down, trying my best to focus on the screen in front of me.

I can’t start feeling romantic feelings for Charles, we just started getting along again. Developing romantic feelings for him would complicate everything. With two toddlers in the picture, what they need right now is stability, not for their mom deciding to ‘go for it.’

So I take a deep breath, watching as the Singapore grand prix goes on and on.

“Let me take a picture to send to daddy, first,” I request of the girls.

They stare at me warily, melting ice cream cones in their hands.

“It’ll be real quick, I promise,” I reassure them. “Smile!”

They smile as I quickly snap the photo, digging into their ice cream messily as I set my phone down. After it buzzes for the third time, I pick it up curiously, knowing that it’s not just Charles responding to the photos because he already informed me that he would be doing media all day for Ferrari.

My eyebrows raise in shock when I see three missed texts from my brother, Oliver.

Oliver: Hey, haven’t heard from you in a while, wondering if you’d be up for a chat later.

Oliver: Flo just told me that she called you the other day and you didn’t answer or call her back. Is everything okay?

Oliver: Here if you need anything

I sigh at the texts. I thought Flo wouldn't really notice or care that I didn’t respond to her call, but she must have if she’s getting Oliver involved. I click on the bubble to text, watching as it blinks.

Truthfully, I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to commit to a phone call with Oliver because I don’t want to talk about what’s wrong. I always talk about what’s wrong- sometimes, I just want space to think about how valid my feelings are without having to talk about them and get them validated by other people.

And the issues with my family are a sensitive topic with Oliver, since he is involved in the situation.

“Uh oh,” Ada’s words snap my focus to her and I see chocolate ice cream dripping out of the cone and onto her tiny fingers.

“Here, let’s wipe it off,” I tell her, locking my phone and reaching in my bag for a wet wipe.

The texts remain forgotten and not responded to.

I think I like Charles Leclerc. I mean like like- like I fancy him.

I haven’t seen him in person in almost three weeks because of him needing to be at the factory and then back to back race weekends, which I think makes seeing him through the screen all the more special. He grins widely on the podium, spraying the champagne at Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

Of course this season it’s not rare to see him up on the podium, but everytime it happens sparks erupt in my stomach in pride of how much success he’s having and how proud he must be of himself.

I like seeing that gleam in his eye and that cheeky smile that he only reserves for the camera.

I can’t help but smile myself.

My phone vibrates on the couch next to me and I glance over at it, frowning as Lando’s contact picture pops up.

I know I should answer. I’ve already left Flo’s call and Oliver’s texts unresponded to, and with Lando being my favorite sibling, I should have a soft enough spot to respond to him.

He’s probably confused on why I haven’t been as talkative as I usually am with him lately. Usually before races, I send him a text wishing him luck, but I haven’t done that for this race or last race. And I know I should answer to congratulate him on his P10- a great result for this year's McClaren, but I’m unsure of how the rest of the conversation will go.

I’m sure Oliver and Flo have already told him about how unresponsive I’ve been to them, he’ll probably press me for answers of why that is. But… Lando is the last person I would want to talk about these problems with.

And truthfully, between having to readjust to being a single mom again for these past three weeks and recognizing and dealing with my feelings for Charles, I don’t want to add my baggage with my family onto the stack of things for me to deal with.

So I leave my phone to buzz.

“Go play in your room,” I encourage the girls, watching them run into their bedroom.

My attention returns to my phone screen where Charles’ smile from seeing his two daughters has slowly faded.

“What’s up?” I question, sensing a slightly bothered vibe from his end.

“I can’t be home by tomorrow night anymore,” he informs me, “They told me that if I went from the race straight to the factory for a couple of days, I could have more time off, which means more time to spend with my family.”

I try to take in his words, I truly do, but my brain pauses at two parts.

Home.

My family.

We’re his home, we’re his family.

But once his words process, my heart starts to break. Mainly for Ada and Lucy, who have been so excited to see their dad since he left. Although they see him in the car and understand that it’s his job to race, they don’t understand why he’s gone so long and often, and it breaks my heart to have to explain it to them before every race weekend.

Tears start to pool in their eyes and their noses scrunch up, sniffling. Every. Single. Time.

“Oh, it’s okay, I understand,” I tell him. I can’t hide the shake in my voice, showing that although I might understand, I’m still upset by it.

He sighs. “Y/N-””Really, Charles, I get it,” I try my best to stabilize my voice. “Go rest, you must have a long day tomorrow. Have a nice sleep.”

I hang up before he can respond, not wanting to hear whatever he has to say. I know that whatever he has to say will pull at my heart, which will strengthen my feelings for him even more.

And I can’t have my feelings for him strengthened. I need those feelings to dissolve.

My phone buzzes with a text, and then another one. I think it’s from the same person, but when I check my phone I’m surprised that it’s not.

Charles: I’ll be there as soon as I can, I promise.

Cisca: Oliver, Lando, and Flo told me that you’re avoiding their calls and texts. At least let us know that you’re alright.

I inhale a deep, shaky breath, trying to stabilize my emotions so that I don’t break down.

I respond to one of those texts.

Y/N: I know, Charles.

I snap a picture of the two toddlers resting their hands against the glass, staring up at the sea creatures passing above them in awe. After tagging the aquarium’s location, I post it to my private story, locking the phone and sliding it back into my pocket.

“You see that one, girls?” I kneel next to them, pointing at a whale above our heads. “That’s a beluga whale. They can live up to 50 years old.”

“Scary,” Ada comments, watching it swim past the glass.

“No, no, they’re only scary if you’re mean to them,” I reassure the girls. “Come on, let’s go look at the starfish.”

The girls go to sleep easy and fast that night, exhausted from the day at the aquarium. I’ve curled myself up in a blanket on the couch, some crappy reality TV on in the background when I get the chance to open Instagram again.

A message from Alex Albon is waiting in my DMs. He had responded to my story of the girls at the aquarium.

Alex: They’re so cute! Did they have a nice time? I haven’t been to an aquarium in ages.

Y/N: They had a great time! Next time you’re in town we’ll go 🙂

To my surprise, he responds almost instantly.

Alex: I’d love that. Or you could bring them to see the aquarium in Monaco 😉

I giggle at the message.

Y/N: You’ve been talking to Charles too much

Alex: I have. I’d love to talk to you, Ada, and Lucy more. You should come to Monaco so that we can have a conversation

Y/N: Nice try, Albon

I feel happy about the conversation that I just had with Alex. I was really close to him and a few other drivers when I was a constant presence on the grid, and when I became pregnant and left, I severed all of those connections so that I could hide my secret from Charles more easily.

Now that my secret’s been revealed and I’ll be even more of a presence in the paddock, because I have Ada and Lucy with me now, I’d love to fix those connections. I don’t know where to start, but small conversations like this help, I guess.

My finger taps on the discover page, scrolling through casually. I freeze at a familiar image, tapping on it.

Spill_the_f1_tea: More information has been revealed about Charles Leclerc and Y/N Norris’ supposed twin daughters! An unofficial source has confirmed that they are the Ferrari driver’s children, Lucy on the second slide and Ada on the third slide. The first photo is taken from Y/N’s Instagram story today. The source close to the pair is unable to provide photos of the toddlers faces at this moment. What do you think about this reveal?

My finger swipes between the three photos in disbelief. Who would do such a thing? I know from what I’ve been telling everyone and what Charles has been telling everyone, we’ve wanted to keep this situation as on the down low as possible so that we could figure out how to co-parent before announcing the news and going public with it over winter break.

Tears start to well up in my eyes at the lack of respect towards my children’s privacy. I can’t stop reading the line The source close to the pair is unable to provide photos of the toddlers faces at this moment.

How can a person genuinely type that out and think that it’s an appropriate thing to post? If the parents aren’t posting pictures of the children’s faces, or of the children in general, why would a random person do that?

I sniffle, opening the viewers from my Instagram story that I posted today and taking screenshots so that I can hopefully connect the dots. But I have no clue when those other photos were taken, or where, or by who.

Heck, it could’ve been me who took the photos and posted them two months ago and I’ve just forgotten about it. And now I have no record of who viewed it or screenshotted those photos.

“Hello?” I answer the incoming phone call from Charles, my voice cracking.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He asks softly.

“A gossip blog just made a post about the girls. It’s information from an unofficial source, Charles, I have no clue who it could be,” I admit, choking on a sob. My chest hurts at the utter betrayal from a friend or family member close to me.

“What account?” Charles asks.

I tell him and it’s quiet as he looks at the post.

“I’m so sorry, Charles.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” he reassures me, “You trusted the people closest to you, the fact that they turned around and stabbed you in the back is not on you, it’s on them and reflects poorly on them as a person. We will find out who sent those photos in, okay?”

I nod, then remember that he can’t see me. “Okay.”

“Are you okay if I make a post? Just to confirm that I am the father of the twins. That’s all I say, I won’t confirm their names or show their faces. I just want to stop the speculation of paternity so that we can hopefully have less prying eyes in the future,” he requests.

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay with that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Just… don’t reveal all of them to the whole world, yet. Let them make that decision.”

“Of course,” he immediately agrees, “At least this unofficial source didn’t send in pictures showing their faces.”

“Yeah,” I agree.

The phone call ends and I’m left to just sit back, twiddling my fingers and watch Kim hit Kourtney with her purse until Charles does whatever he wants to do for damage control.

My phone pings with a notification of being tagged in a post on Instagram.

charles_leclerc: Hi everyone, Y/N and I share wonderful twin daughters together. Out of respect for their privacy and our own, that is all the information that we are willing to share at this point in time. Please respect that and treat everyone, including the amazing mother of my children, with kindness. Thank you.

Tears begin to escape my eyes again. But they’re not anxious tears, they’re not sad tears, they’re happy tears. I’m happy because of Charles.

Tags that are working

@untitled92260 @disneydaydreameralways @zxlla @thrsdyschld @purpledianezzzzzz @lovingroscoee @bilbobag9ins @way-to-eat-all-the-chips-kip @withyoutilltheendofthismess @chiogarza @simpforpierre @scottmctominbae @octaviareina @lindsaytriestowrite @starjane312 @savannah-elliott @sanne-p @o0itsjustme0o @eleanorbvb @permanentllyharry

@dr3lover @piceous21 @citylights31 @xoxoloverb @lebritneeey @sweetlittleorchid @soomanybands @raaaaabzzz @heyitskay-21 @5secondsof-beforeyouexit @xox-moon-xox @tall-tanned-tattoo @fredsandlokiswhore @fictional-l0v3r @valkryejh @welcometomyworldwithoutrules @starjane312 @hannahholland1811 @b-orderline @puthaydestroyer @theplobnrgone @dudde-44 @lmao-liz @herpes-free-since-05 @leclerc16s @fictional-l0v3r @hes-club @kyomihann @compulsiveshit @markluv4u @kodzuskook @hazzasswiftie @organasith @chxndlerrr @ella33 @pleasantducktimetravel @ourlazydetectivekitten @weirdlychaotic @s00nfloweronfyre @ophcelia @loveofmylife12 @iamasimpingh0e @amulhermaisfelizdomundo @allisonxf1 @f-hollands @junglxqueen @motylekrozi @shqwqrma @justmemewriting @hello-sunshine-x @hiphopdancer101universe @caosfanblr @rosesintj @arieltwvdtohamflash @dessxoxsworld @alwaysclassyeagle @irule-ha-losers @buendiabebeta @butterflyjames @copper-boom @xcharlottemikaelsonx @mrswang17 @charlesswife @kplatzman @teti-menchon0604 @oneoftwoghosts @darkmalice00 @alwaysclassyeagle @rafaaoli @a-distantdreamer @teti-menchon0604 @sadsierra2 @screemqueen @spngirl05 @lighttsoutlewis

Tags that aren’t working

@watermelon1299 @sweet3poison @88red88 @infamousmany @cippyo @sophiachiodelli @starlightoctavia @ln15 @adorerdj @fromthedeskofjoii @ar333f1 @callmequeenbeee @starbucksthings @ninnypoosworld @starxqt @poofy-baby-unicorns @escapingrealityagain @jazztime @sueesstuff @coucou123 @nglurmomishotlmao @dontforgetplusc @teamspideyman @starcatcher48 @lissimountf1 @motheraiya @lovee-rosiieee @brusg21 @lcuppo @squidwardsluverxx @ystrolllll @blueskiesandtom @fulla02 @teardropsandraindrops @ruleroftheuniverse @livster @kapsylia

#charles leclerc x reader #formula 1 imagine #charles leclerc imagine #f1 imagine #formula 1 x reader

277 notes · View notes

mdhwrites · 2 months

Text

The Point of Asking How Bad a Parent Odalia is

My last blog was asking this question. However, with many of the responses I got, I feel like I failed to articulate the why for that question. The importance of it and I answered and then deleted an ask that gave me a chance to answer that because it ended up muddying the point by being a response. So, here it is:

If you cannot understand cultural perspective in fiction, how do you ever write a convincing world that is anything other than our own?

Most of Odalia's actions are deplorable... By our standards and sensibilities. When taken out of context. The problem is that unless a work is ENTIRELY allegorical, and incredibly smart with those allegories, that approach never works. In fact, the most effective speculative fiction takes the context of the world they've made and uses it to AMPLIFY the point they're making. To further reinforce the concepts they're going for. As such, questioning if someone who is framed as evil within a text whether they would be actually evil by the merits of their society is kind of important because that contrast can say a lot.

In TOH's case, this never coalesces into anything. Odalia being a good parent from the perspective of not wanting her child to be a criminal and so not wanting her to interact with rulebreakers or literal criminals... It doesn't say anything. After all, it's not like the rules dictate you must let someone else die or must be cruel. No, the rules they're breaking are things like "You need to be registered with the state," and "Don't skip class." I'm sorry but that isn't extreme in any way? Not unless we're supposed to just coddle people who don't want to participate in society and ignore them ignoring their social obligations? Like the coven system is the Isle's ONE real law and the covens aren't even jobs. You are beholden to no one getting a coven sigil because you still have to go get a job. It's like saying requiring citizenship in ANY country is bad because it holds you accountable to anyone. Because someone is placing any sort of restriction on you. That... That's a pretty shitty theme.

And it IS a theme. It's why the show essentially claims Camila to be a bad parent until For the Future. She renounces her ONE time that she ever held Luz back from being full force her and the audience, and Luz, are meant to cheer for this. That this is taking away some cardinal sin when, and this is in our context because it's supposedly Earth, the reason Luz was sent to Summer Camp, to make friends, was:

She brought a BOMB to school in the form of fireworks, which is against the rules, if not law, in any school, especially without advance permission.

She assaulted people with wild animals she could not control which is a crime literally anywhere.

She brought live, WILD. ANIMALS. into a school without permission, nor without a way to control them and keep others safe which is again, in most circumstances, a crime. And she does this one TWICE. Explicitly.

She is not sent to Juvy, or military camp or ANY sort of real correctional facility. She is sent to a life skills camp instead. Not a conversion camp of any sort, just one meant to teach her basic necessities of being an adult someday, something a lot of people actually argue should be a regular part of school curriculum for good reason. And this, THIS, was her going too far as a parent.

All Odalia being the worst parent ever is further reinforcement of a theme that claims being a parent is a bad thing. Flatly. If you are doing more than strictly keeping your child alive, you are a bad parent. I'm sorry but that feels really bad and like a pretty shitty theme if you ask me. It honest to god, more so proponents that neglect is good. Give them a room, give them access to food, then fuck off. That's... That's not what 99% of kids want from a parent. They want an actual parent. I mean, it even understands this with Reaching Out but even then, the final agreement is "I won't tell you what to do ever and when you want me, I will be available." Parents are more than just toys for their kids. I'm sorry to anyone who's finding this out now somehow. They are meant to teach you morals, how to interact with society, to prepare you for your future, etc. like that. They are also there to take care of you but they are not strictly your friends because they're there to help you improve to be a better person, much like how a therapist isn't your friend. This is a LARGE part of why parenting is so difficult.

To simplify it in the way so many lazy analysts do by going "X person was mean so they're abusive," is... Dumb. And bad. And helps no one. It also breaks your fantasy worlds so maybe try a little harder? Or just keep using buzzwords. It is the easier way to do it.

See you next tale.

======+++++======

The ask that brought this about mentioned Mother Gothel like Odalia and Gothel are even comparable in their writing which... No. Mother Gothel is praised for good reason because she 1000%, in universe and out, is abusive. Period. In every possible way, including Rapunzel's reactions about her.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #toh #the owl house #odalia blight

29 notes · View notes

baby-xemnas · 5 months

Note

RRRHWHWAaaahAAAHHH FIRST TIME LAWBEPO!!!!!!!!!!! YES YES YES SORRY IN ADVANCE THIS IS VERY VERY LONG

i think law realizes at about 12 or 13 thats hes going to be with bepo forever and marry him and stopped trying to fight the urge and instead just waits Patiently for when bepo is ready, because bepo Will pick law, because law is his favorite and law will absolutely Make Sure Of It. he will KILL any competition without hesitation because bepo is HIS babygirl and will be HIS wife someday

ohh laws sexual awakening was absolutely bepo but they were teenagers and bepo was so much younger he couldnt.. he wouldnt.... he loved bepo before he was even interested in sex but then he became interested in sex and it just felt like the natural order of things for that to belong to bepo too, usually he would share everything with bepo but this........ bepo isnt ready for that.... but the idea of anyone else having bepo before law makes him Crazy he cant stand it!!! he wants to make bepo HIS in EVERY WAY

law, because he is very sane, decides the best way to do this is to fuck a bunch of people and get really good at sex so that when bepo is finally ready to have sex law will be the best and only partner he will ever want or need. bepo will be so completely satisfied he only has sex with law, forever. so law spends his teens slutting it up not because he actually cares about the sex, or the person At All but more as a hands-on study of the body, not for whoever hes having sex with but for BEPO. all the sex he has is him carefully studying the blade so bepo can have the best lover on the whole planet.

bepos sexual awakening is obviously law. he spent his late childhood knowing he wanted to give law Something, that he was desperate to be closer to him somehow or wanted to know something no one else did but then his body changes and he blossoms into a young bear and realizes what these feelings mean

bepo is heartbroken seeing law with so many other people because if captain was lonely he could just ask bepo!!!!! law should be able to come to him with anything... is bepo not good enough???? why did all those random people meet some standard he couldnt?????? he wants law to want HIM!!! but then again.. why would he..... bepo is a bear and hes weird and law wouldnt want him like that............. so bepo holds his broken heart and tries to be happy with what he has, tells himself not to be greedy

i think their first time theyre 15/19... law has waited so patiently and would wait a thousand years more for bepo but he can admit his control is......slipping..... but he wants bepo to know hes Serious about courting him that bepo is his One And Only. law started gently flirting with bepo while they were still kids, telling bepo he would be the only person who would always be there for bepo no matter what, that anything bepo wanted law would get it, bepo is his everything.. hes sweet and tries not to be a pervert about it even though he REALLY really wants to because bepo is so cute and hes getting so big and the texture of his fur changed hes not baby fuzzy anymore hes a real, grown predator polar bear-- but no. no. he must wait. for bepo to be ready

law notices bepos sexual awakening because law has been waiting for it with a 46 step color coded plan since he learned what sex is and when he realizes the way bepo looks at him has changed .... it takes all his strength not to jump him at every moment. bepo is glancing at law differently now, looking him up and down when he thinks law isnt looking, fidgeting with his paws and squirming when law leans back in a chair and spreads his thighs, god help him one night he hears bepo whimpering and moaning so sweetly in his sleep and pretends not to be awake when he hears bepo wake up with a gasp and go run off to the bathroom to change his pants

law stops having sex with other people because he could not care less about them anymore, he knows what he needs to know and now its time for him to use it on the only person who matters in the whole world: bepo. he starts with little things gently lingering touches on bepos back and shoulders, telling bepo he looks cute or pretty or even sexy in something (bepo has to go lay down he almost passes out) and making sure bepo knows he can ask law for anything, Anything, and law would never be mad or reject him

they used to share a bed or sleeping spot when they were small but they stopped when law started sleeping with other people, even tho sometimes he would just go to a hotel, fuck someone, shower, and go back to actually share his bed with bepo at night

so law offers....... bepo can sleep in laws bed with him again if he wants...

oh but its Different now though. the Tension bepo feels, he almost thinks by some insane miracle law might WANT him or be FLIRTING with him(??!?), maybe bepo DOES get to be one of the people law takes to bed but-- will he be any good at it????? what if he messes up??? and law never ever lets him again?????? but...law is always so patient with him and sometimes at night he strokes bepos fur so softly and tells him how good it feels and how much he likes to touch him, bepo has a cute face such cute lips.. law is more muscular now, hes growing some stubble and his voice is deeper, hes so mature and manly... wow... (hes a 19 yr old emo kid bepo is just a horny teenager) hes wearing a white tank top and boxers and he got these new tattoos that go all the way over his chest and bepo just cant TAKE it anymore he Risks It All and gives law the clumsiest nervous closed eyed kiss in the world

law told himself he would go slow if thats what bepo wanted but bepo kisses him and It Is So Over. bepo tries to pull back already shaking and tearing up and starting to apologize and law grabs his face in both hands and kisses him with so much tongue . bepo can do nothing but gasp and whine and hang on to laws tank top clawing holes in it while they kiss, laws hands running up and down his body he hugs bepo so close and bepo is making noises he didnt even know he COULD it feels so good to have law touching him..

law holds back just long enough to warn him Bepo...... If We Keep Going...I Wont Be Able To Stop........ but he knows bepo wont tell him to stop and he wouldnt be able to stop anyway ESPECIALLY not when bepo begs so sweetly and desperately for him to Captain Please Keep Going!!!! Dont Stop!!! law takes his time making sure he gets to touch every part of bepos body with his hands then with his mouth until bepo cries and begs him to just put it in instead this is too embarassing!!!! its weird!!! his body is weird law doesnt have to do all that!!!! but law wont stop he just tells him over and over how badly he wants bepo, how long hes been waiting and thinking about having bepo, how pretty he looks like this... he makes bepo lay on his back for their first time so he can see bepos face the whole time, holding his wrists apart so he cant hide behind his paws and bepo cries the whole time but its all yes yes and thank you and good and please and law law law law!!!!!

for all of his sex training law simply cant handle the bepo of it all and he finishes way faster than he meant to (law: i only made bepo come 4 times before i did. pathetic) but bepo wails and moans like hes the one who came hes so happy he finally feels so complete like this while law says his name and he gets to feel how HE made law feel good, law picked HIM, he picked BEPO and bepo made him FEEL GOOD!!!!!! law gently cleans them up and spoons up behind bepo and bepo feels his heart flutter because law never actually SLEPT OVERNIGHT with any of those other people so maybe bepo IS special... he asks very nervously in the dark if this means law will keep seeing those strangers and law just tucks his face into bepos neck and is like Of Course Not. Why. Bepo Is More Perfect In Every Way . said so confidently bepo moves back into laws room the very next night

the end ❤️

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

YOUUUUUUUUUU

thank you so muuuuchhh for thisss❤️❤️❤️

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah god perfect

"studying the blade" lol

that perfectly captured the beast in the cage that law was...

hhhhhnngg

#anonymous #lawbepo #talk tag #fic ask #lol

29 notes · View notes

excineribusbooks · 2 years

Text

Resource Post: Supplies, Equipment, and Software

So I've had some people ask about the supplies and equipment I use to make my books! This is not a comprehensive list, nor is it an official tutorial on how to make a book (for that, I recommend starting with Renegade Publishing's resource documents, DAS Bookbinding, or SeaLemon's YouTube tutorials -- all free, no patreon required!), but if you're floundering because you don't know what you need to get, hopefully this will help a little bit ❤️ If I discover more good resources or change up my style, I'll add to this post.

Of note: I'm based in the US, so this list is unfortunately pretty US-centric. Apologies!

SUPPLIES

Disclaimer #1: I have a background in book conservation, so I'm picky to a fault about the supplies I use. To make a long-lasting book, you want to look for "acid-free" or "archival" materials -- BUT, a lot of consumer craft stores have realized those are good buzzwords to slap on products even if they aren't really archival. Your best bet is to buy from stores that supply materials to libraries and archives; those tend to be higher quality and stick to actual archival standards. Talas, Hollander's, University Products, and Colophon Book Arts Supply are good places to start.

That said! If price matters more than longevity, hitting up Michaels or Joann Fabrics is totally fine. This is a hobby. The bookbinding police are not gonna come smash down your door because you didn't use archival-quality craft paper. My big recommendation, though: at least get your glue and paste from Talas. High-quality adhesive makes a huge difference in how well, and how long, a book holds together. Bad adhesives can turn brittle with time, stain your paper/cloth, and make all your hard work fall apart.

So, all that said, here's what I use:

BOARD - Davey Binder's Board, 0.098" GLUE - Jade 403 PVA PASTE - Zen Shofu wheat paste (you shouldn't have to buy more than half a pound -- a little goes a long way) CLOTH - Either Arrestox or Dover bookcloth, which comes in a wide variety of colors and holds up extremely well to whatever you want to do to it THREAD - 25/3 linen thread, which I run over a small block of beeswax to make it easier to handle and give it better "locking" properties as I sew. For bigger books of ten signatures or more, I sew onto 3/8" linen tapes for extra support. DECORATIVE PAPER - Hollander's is a treasure trove of decorative papers for endsheets and covers; Talas has some really nice ones, too, but they tend to be pricier (since unfortunately everything at Talas has gotten a lot pricier lately) PRINTING PAPER - Hammermill Colors paper, 20lb, in cream; 24lb is also a good weight that feels a little more substantial than regular printer paper. (I'll probably switch to 24lb once my 20lb paper runs out.) To get the right grain direction, I buy a ream of 11x17 paper and cut it in half to make standard letter-sized sheets (8.5x11). Here's a quick primer on grain direction and why it's important when making a book! ENDBANDS - I've never had the patience to sew my own endbands (though I hope to gain that patience someday!), so I just use premade ones like these.

EQUIPMENT

Disclaimer #2: a lot of the stuff on this list is professional-grade (or close to it) with prices to match. You definitely don't have to buy everything right off the bat. It took me fifteen years to accumulate it all, and you can DIY a lot of bookbinding equipment -- a good googling will lead you to all sorts of innovative ways hobby bookbinders set up their shops. The Renegade Publishing resource documents also have a lot of A+ recommendations.

PRINTER - For text, I use a Brother B&W laser printer with auto-duplex (auto-duplex is key when printing a book); for images, both B&W and color, I use a Canon color inkjet printer set to at least 300 DPI. I fully admit having two printers is an absurd setup, but what laser printers can do well, inkjets absolutely suck at, and vice-versa -- and like I said, I'm hella picky. You can get by fine with a single laser printer! Just make sure it's got auto-duplex to save yourself a lot of pain. GUILLOTINE - I have this model, which goes in and out of stock with some regularity. The trick with this guy is to (a) sandwich your text block between some scrap board so the clamp doesn't leave a dent, and (b) REALLY CRANK DOWN on the clamp as tight as you possibly can to keep the paper from shifting as you cut. This fixes 99% of the skewing problems mentioned in the reviews. PRESS - I have a little cast-iron press I bought off a coworker for fifty bucks; similarly, you might have luck searching eBay, looking at Affordable Bookbinding Equipment (Jim does incredible work!), searching craft stores for a flower press, or even just using two pieces of wood and a few C-clamps. SeaLemon on YouTube also has a good video on how to DIY a book press. PRESS BOARDS - For setting the hinges in the press, I use a pair of brass-edged boards like these. It's a good investment if you want to get really nice, crisp hinges, but it's also 100% possible to DIY brass-edged boards if you want. At my very first job, we even set our hinges by taping sewing needles to the book before putting it in the press! FINISHING PRESS - I have this one, which I use to back my books in combination with these backing irons BACKING HAMMER - To my chagrin, I've discovered that having an actual backing hammer makes backing a book way, way easier. Some folks have had good luck with a cobbler's hammer or just a regular old hammer from a hardware store, but I splurged on a student hammer from Hollander's, and it works fantastically. (I wouldn't recommend buying the "professional" hammers, though, because seriously, $90 for a hammer?! No.) BONE FOLDER - I'm actually not a fan of bone folders made from real bone; I like Teflon folders a lot better for scoring and flattening. (Real bone folders tend to burnish the material, an effect I'm rarely going for.) CUTTING MACHINE - A Silhouette Curio. This is 100% optional, but it's how I do the bulk of my cover designs, including cut-outs, embossing, foiling (with a foil quill attachment), and spine titling. The software and overall quality are way better than Cricut, and its 5mm clearance means you can fit more than just vinyl in there. Sadly, Silhouette has discontinued the Curio, but it's still possible to buy from third-party sellers -- and if you don't care about the 5mm clearance, I've heard good things about the Silhouette Cameo line.

A side note on vinyl, from the obnoxiously picky book conservator: if you're aiming for longevity with your books, using HTV in your book designs may not be the best idea. Not only can the adhesives be questionable, but the plasticizers in vinyl break down in really weird, gross ways once several decades have passed. That's why I tend to stick with cut-outs and foiling instead of HTV. But, again: if you just want to make something pretty, don't worry about it!

SOFTWARE

TYPESETTING - I use Affinity Publisher -- it's similar to Adobe InDesign, but with a flat cost instead of a bullshit subscription model. I am by no means an expert in this, since I've only been designing books for a couple years; pretty much everything I learned, I learned from Aliya Regatti's tutorial, plus or minus a lot of googling and noodling around. I've discovered that it does get cranky if your book is over 250 pages or so, meaning you may have to split longer fics into multiple files. That said, I've been really happy with it, and it goes on sale every now and then if the $70 price tag is too much.

As always, Renegade Publishing has a whole lot of tutorials for other software options, including Microsoft Word, InDesign, LaTeX, and Scribus if you already have access to one of those instead.

IMPOSITION - "Imposition" is when you lay out a book so all the pages are in order once you fold + gather the signatures. Since Affinity Publisher doesn't do this automatically on export, I use Bookbinder 3.0, which is an old but nice little Java program that breaks a single PDF into a series of properly imposed signatures. I usually set it to 6 sheets per signature.

MISCELLANEOUS

IMAGES

The Noun Project is a gigantic repository of basic SVGs and PNGs that are not only great for cutting machines, but for adding flourishes to your title page, chapter headings, and scene dividers. Every single book I've made has used at least one image from here; I pay for the yearly Noun Pro subscription, but it's not necessary to use the site.

Unsplash is perfect for photo elements

Pixabay not only has a great archive of photos, but illustrations and vector images as well

Surprisingly, Wikipedia also has a lot of good Creative Commons photos attached to their articles!

FONTS

1001Fonts is a good starting point for finding free fonts, as is FontSpace and DaFont

If you're willing to pay for fonts (and sometimes it's worth it for a well-designed font that's perfect for your project), Creative Fabrica and Pixel Surplus have some good stuff, including discounted bundles of multiple fonts

#book arts #bookbinding #fanbinding #resources

264 notes · View notes

gladiatorcunt · 7 months

Note

i'd really like to know if he'd have any types of kinks or a type?!!

like from what I've read from you, maybe it's just my impression, but does he find chubby people more attractive? (self-insert hihi)

or just kinks he'd have; like, modern!coryo screams corruption kink (maybe even a virgin!reader 👀), and things like degradation/praise, as well as a pretty big dom situation 👀

anyways, love your stuff!

I can't help coming back to your modern! coryo au literally everyday, I'm in love 🫡🫠

CW: implied-ish plus sized reader but i use “chubbier” so it’s a bit ambiguous i guess but that’s how i picture them, don’t like don’t read

First of all, thank you so much for loving the au, it's kind of getting demotivating a bit to see the fandom slow down but I'll ALWAYS have modern! coryo brain rot. So, I guess someday I'll be shouting into the void lmao.

I do think that when it comes to preferences, he does prefer chubbier people. He's one of those guys that likes being able to just really grab and slap anything and everything because you've got more than enough meat on your bones. Also, idk how to quite explain it, but I think he enjoys what he believes is a more realistic (?) body, like he'd deadass get so offended if you thought you had to shave or cover up stretch marks. He comes from a very superficial world where the beauty standards are impossible to achieve (edit: i’m NOT talking about being skinny being impossible, i’m talking about general beauty standards and having an unrealistically proportioned body like the ones in media, i’m aware that skinny people exist) . It's like how for a while, Aphrodite and other similar goddesses were depicted in media as very skinny but when you look back at how they were actually worshiped, there are statues and carvings and etc. with belly rolls and all kinds of versions of bigger bodies. That's what reader's body reminds him of, gets him feel closer to God and all that.

I'll get to some actual kinks in a second, but I do think he likes more of a reluctant person. He's someone that is built for the chase and that really revels in the wooing process, he'd never been in love before you, so the rush of intense feelings kicks his adrenaline into overdrive. It's a sort of predator/prey thing without being a full-blown kink, Coryo stalks and he circles around you until you're given such a small window of escape that you already missed your chance by the time he decides that he's done waiting around. You have the whole cutesy 'will they? won't they?' thing going for a bit until you just don't anymore.

In my head, modern!coryo's reader is a virgin for that exact purpose lol like he does have a fuck boy past that's typical for his place in society, so I just love the idea of sex suddenly becoming so "special" to him now that he's possessed with the need to mold your experience around him so you could never be satisfied by anyone else. I think he'd want to keep some of that shyness and insecurity no matter how much experience he gives you, so he can reassure you and praise you and tell you to suck on his fingers so the stretch of his cock won't be all you can think about.

He does favor praise over degradation but when he does degrade it's more... positive (???) in his eyes, calling you dumb because he wants you know you don't have to be smart, saying you're his slutty whore because he wants you to feel comfortable enough being as nasty as possible with him, etc. No matter what name he calls you, he's adding 'my' in front of it. The words will be the same, but his tone will change based on if you're driving him crazy (basically if he gets jealous for no reason again)

I also think that's he way more of a Dom type, he'll never go into extreme type stuff and he's more of a gentle Dom depending on the situation that led up to you fucking or making love. My modern!coryo is never going to let you have more control than letting you ride him (and you always end up getting tired, so he has to take over, which he is more than happy to do!). His control issues are severe like they are in canon, he's exhausted trying to hold himself back from just losing it on everybody. So, having a stress toy of an s/o that he can micromanage and love without limits does wonders for his mental health.

He's obviously obsessed with spanking/LIGHT impact play. The only bruises you'll get will be from him squeezing you too hard or littering your body with hickies, he'd bite you to pieces too but he likes to think that he has some sense of decorum.

He could get behind silk bondage, whether it's patterns on your body or spreading you out on the bed with your ankles and wrists tied to the bed frame. But he wouldn't do it because he wants to keep you from touching, he just wants to love you properly without you hurting yourself because you got shy and squirmed all over the place.

141 notes · View notes

jimintomystery · 5 months

Text

DS9: "Past Tense, Part I"

The Defiant delivers Deep Space Nine's senior staff to Earth, for a symposium about the Gamma Quadrant. But when Commander Sisko, Lieutenant Dax, and Doctor Bashir beam down to Starfleet Headquarters, the transporter beam sends them back in time, where they face the hellish conditions of, uh, approximately four months from now.

I don't watch this one much, because the dystopian nature of the Sanctuary District is a real drag. The whole point of Star Trek is the escapist fantasy that humanity will someday work out all its major problems (and find weird new problems, in outer space). Of course, the tradeoff is that every now and then we need to examine what those problems are, and why it's not easy to get from our present day to Star Trek's 24th century.

I've always been fascinated that this episode takes us to August 2024, roughly thirty years after the script was written. The standard move in a Star Trek time travel story is to visit present-day Earth, so the Starfleet officers can find our lifestyle primitive and barbaric. Star Trek seemed wary to look ahead to the early 21st century, perhaps because the 1960s TV series established lore about the 1990s that become awkward when the franchise survived into the '90s. At the time, though, I was confident that the '90s showrunners would be more savvy about looking ahead to the near future. I probably didn't expect to be sitting here in 2024, re-evaluating how well they did.

The key thing this episode gets right is not overdoing all the futuristic gadgets. The computer terminals and ID cards look like props from a an old cyberpunk movie, but they don't get in the way of the story, so it's easy to ignore them. There are no smartphones, and nobody seems to be Extremely Online, but it's just as well--most of the characters are too destitute or too overworked to stand around posting memes about the Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud. The most jarring anachronism, really, is that Chris Brynner--a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur--is not a totally delusional, narcissistic asshole.

When this originally aired, the Sanctuary District concept seemed over-the-top to me. Nowadays, though, I think about "Past Tense" every time I read about Chicago's migrant shelters, or drive past a tent city. In the story's 2024, Sisko and Bashir are detained for the "crime" of being asleep outside and having nowhere else to go. In the real 2024, the Supreme Court is currently considering whether this is cruel and unusual punishment, and I'm afraid they're going to decide it's not. In 1995, I thought it would take some sci-fi plot device for things to get this way within thirty years. Now I realize the writers were extrapolating from societal issues that were building up before I was born.

#star trek #deep space nine #star trek: deep space nine #ds9 season 3 #we are of bajor

20 notes · View notes

runwayrunway · 1 year

Text

No. 50 - All Nippon Airways Airbus A380 "Flying Honu" Livery

Happy 50th Runway Runway post! I had a bit of a hard time deciding what to do for it - after all, it's a pretty significant number. I already sort of know what I want to do for the 100th post, but I hadn't put much thought into the 50th, and I had to scuttle any plans for something long and interesting after a rather stressful week. Instead I decided to do something both fun and requested!

source: ANA Stories

One (well, three!) of the most beloved special liveries out there, All Nippon Airways' turtle-themed "Flying Honu" Airbus A380. These three friendly giants fly from Japan to Honolulu, delighting anyone lucky enough to see them.

Actually, I love the Flying Honu so much I have one myself.

I would describe myself as a bit of a magpie. I collect useless things, be they historical ephemera, horror movie memorabilia, old books, pretty rocks, or way too many fountain pen inks given I mostly use them to take notes. I even have a bunch of my old teeth in a pillbox. Surprisingly, though, the things my talons have lodged in don't include many model airplanes. I have...a few. I've actually, though serendipity, gotten two more since I started this blog, expanding my collection to a startling five. Maybe seven if you count my Starscream and Brainstorm figures, but I don't think I even remember how to put either of them in their alt modes. The fact is that while they aren't a fortune or anything plane figures are expensive enough that it's a commitment to buy one, and I usually only do when I stumble on a good deal for a model I really want. And one of the few times I've actually decided that I just needed a model of a specific livery was the "Flying Honu" A380. Specifically, the one I have is the airframe registered JA382A, Kai. (She's the 1:500 JC Wings diecast model and is around the size of my hand.)

I just needed to be able to gently tap her nose in person, okay? She can't fit up on the shelf with a lot of my other miscellaneous trinkets so she sits on my desk and sometimes I explain things to her while trying to figure them out, like a coding rubber duck. She makes me happy.

All Nippon Airways (全日本空輸) is a major Japanese airline. In fact, in terms of both fleet size and number of destinations they're bigger than flag carrier JAL. They're consistently described as being among the best airlines in the world for the discerning well-to-do business traveler, and let's just say that's not me, but what I am is a reviewer of airline liveries, and ANA sure has those! In addition to their standard Triton Blue livery they do all sorts of special designs, particularly crossovers with properties like Pokémon and Star Wars. All of these are something I would like to someday feature, but none of them matter at all to me when compared to the Flying Honu, introduced with the A380 fleet in 2019.

A couple of times when I've told people I know about this livery they asked me if 'honu' is Japanese for 'turtle'. That's a reasonable question, but the Japanese word for turtle is 'kame'. 'Honu' is the word for turtle, though - in Hawaiian.

image: ANA

In fact, Honolulu is the A380s' only destination. ANA didn't really want A380s to begin with, but ended up stuck with them while acquiring another airline. The thing about the A380, and the reason it failed commercially and so few were ever built, is that the use-case for a massive plane is pretty limited. It goes as such: you have a passengerbase of people who have to travel from one giant hub that can land an A380 to another frequently enough that you can actually make money on a plane with four entire engines.

Okay, so the use-case is that you're Emirates. ANA might be expensive, but they don't really have the central location or sheer amount of regular business travelers that Dubai does. 'Three' also isn't really that many A380s, which creates a bit of a question of reliability. So instead they fixed the problem in a way that's honestly pretty genius: they made it turtles.

image: ANA

ANA seems to be generally invested in Hawaii, with a fair amount of partnerships with local organizations. A lot of Hawaiian real estate is owned by Japanese companies, and those of Japanese descent are the second-larget ethnic group in Hawaii at 16.7%, so it makes sense that a lot of people would want to travel there. Tokyo to Honolulu is a nice 9-hour flight with no possibility for a stopover of any kind (unless they invent civilian aircraft carriers for A380s), so it's the perfect route for precisely three really huge planes.

images: ANA

They can fit 520 passengers across four classes on one flight, seated across both decks of the massive planes. There is also a section of seats which convert to couches, marketed for families. Those who fly this route get to enjoy rainbow lighting and the ability to buy a duty-free 1:500 model of the plane (not the same model I have, though, I'm pretty sure) or a set of Flying Honu plushes.

Ra looks like she's plotting something. Lani looks like she's never had a single thought in her life.

And they do make money off this, because people absolutely love these planes. People have apparently had their weddings on these planes, and I would too! They make ten weekly flights right now, but in December that will be increasing to fourteen weekly, or two daily.

Okay, so, the actual liveries.

Here's Kai in full-size! The light in my room make her look way cooler toned in the photographs, but in real life she's this color. It's frequently described as 'green' or 'emerald green', but I think it's definitely turquoise and would go so far as to call it blue. Whatever the case, it's meant to represent the color of the sea near Hawaii. Kai is also distinct from the others because of her eyes, which are closed as she smiles from ear to ear. That's why she's my favorite - she just looks so happy!

...a bit weirder looking from upfront, but look how even the ventral fairing is painted! That's part of the flippers where they curl around, tucked into the shell. Unlike the Transocean Air Jinbei Jets, the cockpit windows blend in with the 'scales' of the Flying Honu, looking rather natural.

'Ra' is a beautiful orange, meant to represent the Hawaiian sunset. She has a bit of a peach undertone if you look closely, but her details are done in an extremely vivid reddish orange. Her distinguishing feature are those gigantic eyelashes, similar to Sakura Jinbei's. The actual mouth shape on all three planes appears to be the same, but I find that the eyes still give them distinct 'personalities'. Ra has always looked very thoughtful to me.

Just look at her in flight! I've never understood why people call the 747 stately or graceful, and same for the A380 - double-decker planes are just inherently goofy-looking, and that's great, but ANA managed to make one look pretty elegant. I think it's because turtles are already regarded as large and slow creatures, so fitting like for like just makes it seem as natural for this absolutely gigantic aircraft to be flying as it is for a turtle to swim.

Finally, Lani, the turtle everyone agrees to be blue, represents the Hawaiian sky during its brightest color in daylight. If you look closely, you can see her blue 'eyeshadow', which I've always thought made her look relaxed.

This picture gives a good angle of my only real critique of the Flying Honu, which is that the shells and heads don't entirely look aligned, as if the head is in the process of being retracted. That said, I think that's just a fact of working with the shape of an airplane. There's just no more space below to fit any more shell.

Rather than being just one turtle, though, each "Flying Honu" has two fully rendered baby turtles following behind their 'mother'.

I think this is adorable, and beyond that it solves a crucial problem - the tail. Turtles do have those, but not in a way that maps onto a standard empennage. Instead, ANA makes the smart choice to end the shell at a certain point and add these two extra turtles make-way-for-ducklings-ing their way across the fuselage for more visual interest, leaving the tail empty for an ANA logo without making it jarring. This is a huge improvement over the Jinbei Jets, which again serve as a point of comparison as the other major Japanese marine life planes. (Amakusa Airlines is way smaller and thus not going to get caught up in this.)

I mean, it's hard to find too much to say about these that isn't just "oh my gosh, look at them". The Flying Honu are vividly colored, with clever shapes used to make them immediately recognizable as turtles. I smile every time I see one, including the little one on my desk!

And in case you weren't already delighted, there's two extra bonus turtles!

I think it's pretty obvious I'm giving these an A+. Come on, just...just look at them. The fact that ANA bothered to make three distinct ones with their own names and faces is just icing on the cake for me, but I do love that they did.

I can't believe I didn't find a way to fit this in earlier into the post, but I really love turtles. If you have an aquarium near you, and that aquarium has turtles, I really recommend stopping by to see them. My local New England Aquarium has had Myrtle for more than 50 years. As they describe her, 'the 550-lb Queen of the Giant Ocean Tank is large, in charge, and ready to receive your adoration'.

youtube

True to form, although a lot larger and dealing in a different type of fluid dynamics, the Flying Honu jets get plenty of my adoration too.

#tarmac fashion week #grade: a+#era: 2010s #era: 2020s #all nippon airways #aquairium #region: east asia #region: japan

61 notes · View notes

thegeminisage · 4 months

Note

Ask meme: hanahaki

i can't believe i MISSED THIS. i wasn't ignoring you on purpose, tumblr didn't show me the notification. belatedly, never have i ever written hanahaki but IF I DID...

*disclaimer that i am thinking of the modified hanahaki i see on tumblr sometimes in which you only die if you don't confess your feelings, not if your crush isn't requited, because that's...doesn't that feel awful? "i'll die unless you love me" like what if they Just Don't. that's such a bummer.

that said, i feel like the obvious choice is spock. he's like vulcans don't have emotions and then dad sneezes and everybody gets covered with petals. and everybody is like just tell kirk you love him it's so obvious everyone already knows and bones specifically is like you are such an idiot he obviously loves you back and wouldn't even make fun of you for having feelings like i would literally nothing bad can come of this this is your life we're talking about except. kirk is weirdly quiet on the subject when asked. and finally bones confronts him (while spock is in the room) like CAN YOU PLEASE BULLY HIM INTO CONFESSING and kirk is like. the thing is. he already confessed to me. and bones is like What and kirk is like (to spock) buddy i was trying to be patient but i think the game is up bc the game is pretty up and spock has to confess his feelings to the most stunned dr that ever graced the fleet. certain he's abouit to get rejected or roasted but actually bones is way too shocked to do either one

however, you could also do a really fun season 14/15 destiel w this one...cas CAN'T confess or his empty deal will come due, but if he DOESN'T confess the flowers will kill him, which will...also send him to the empty. so everybody else has to figure out what's going on and how to cure him while he literally CAN'T say ANYTHING to help them (jack tattles). alternatively, he figures if he's going to die anyway he might as well die happy so he confesses before the flowers can get him and then they have to go get him back like in many post-canon fics

geez. thank you for sending one. imagine someone wishing aloud on tunglr dot org that they got more ask meme asks and then NOT ANSWERING THEM

[ask meme, fuck it i'll take some more like two weeks later]

#liz answers asks #runawaymarbles #ASK MEMES #star trek blogging #liz watches spn #i really need to standardize those tags someday...

3 notes · View notes

zvtara-was-never-canon · 8 months

Note

https://www.tumblr.com/marsreds/160133555164/but-like-i-cant-really-be-the-only-one-that?source=share

Your thoughts?

"I thought that the scene that explicitly show us Aang's feelings for Katara went from one-sided to possibly becoming fully mutual someday was just going to be cheap drama, not actual development and I didn't expect this obviously meaningful moment to truly have meaning" Then your way of interacting with media is very weird and/or you need higher standards for the stuff, because a development in the story not being completely disregarded after the episode is over is how coherent narratives work and what EVERYONE should expect.

And funny how Zutarians complain about Katara going from thinking of Aang as just a close friend to potential boyfriend to "I absolutely want to be with you", yet they praise how she went from hating Zuko to being his friend.

It's literally just "My personal preference should dictate what counts as a canonical change in the status quo"

Seriously, I can't get over how stupid this take is. It's like going "I thought all those scenes that showed us Zuko wasn't a heartless monster even as a villain were just for drama, not setting up an arc!" WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU THINK THAT?

#anti zutara #pro kataang

23 notes · View notes

tare-anime · 1 year

Text

Royal Guard AU (wip)

There's a Royal AU for TwiYor week @twiyorbase, and I've had this wip for quite some time now, and I don't know when I'll finish it.

So, please accept this humble 'will be chapter 1 of someday will be finished fic'

Inspired by the amazing @mochidoodle Royal Guard AU art. (not at all part of their AU).

Summary:

Prince Loid Forger of Westalis loves to go undercover and blend with his people to gain information. To ensure his safety during his late-night shenanigans, Westalis' General of Royal Knights assigns him a personal bodyguard. Unbeknownst to them, this personal bodyguard also has her own personal mission.

(AO3)

----------------------------------------

"Your Highness. This is Ms. Yor Roseate. She is to be assigned as your personal bodyguard starting today."

Prince Loid Forger raises his brows as he looks up from the thick tomes in front of him. "And why do you think I need a personal bodyguard, Ms. Sherwood?"

The red-haired General of the Royal Knights' brow furrows. "I think you know full well of the reason."

Loid looks directly at her eyes. "I'm afraid I do not. Please enlighten me?"

Instead of backing down, the older woman hardens her looks. "Do you really want me to spell it to you?"

He sighs in defeat.

He should've known better than to challenge their Royal Knights General, who is also his personal trainer and has been with him since they were young.

Of course, the woman would know his nighttime shenanigans. And even though he had tried his best to cover his most recent injury (he was so sure he had done it secretly), those things do not escape Sylvia's observation.

"You won't tell Father, will you?"

The red-haired woman smirks. "Are you questioning my diplomatic ability?"

He chuckles, "No. Of course not." And then he mutters, "I still value my life after all."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!!" He stands up and comes closer. "So, any special reason for assigning Ms. Roseate as my personal bodyguard? Why don't you yourself be one?"

He saw the general gesture at the stiff woman beside her. "She might be the newest recruit, but she happens to be the strongest and most talented."

"Newest recruit?"

"Mhmm. But I highly suggest you not underestimate her, lest you want to taste her wrath."

Loid doesn't like the smug face of his martial arts mentor.

There must be a hidden agenda that Sylvia is scheming.

He plans to uncover that along the way.

The man then focuses on the dark-haired woman that stand in perfect stance ever since she is introduced.

Dark long hair, red eyes, and a lean figure.

What interests him most is her unique lean rapier-like swords that rest at her hip.

Double swords? Interesting….

"Well then. It's a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Roseate."

"The honor is mine, Your Highness." He sees her bow.

Mmm… very polite. Let's see how long until she asks to be replaced.

"And I trust you'll be on your best behavior, Your Highness? Please do not underestimate the 'recent' rumors."

Darn it! Loid is sure that he has suppressed the smirk.

"Of course, Ms. Sherwood. You can count on me for that."

The look that Sylvia gives him tells that she doesn't believe every single word that he says.

Loid just smiles politely.

She knows me too well.

It is the first day that Yor is officially on duty as crowned Prince Loid Forger Henderson's personal bodyguard.

And she feels nervous.

No, she doesn't think that her skills are under-standard.

She has passed General Sherwood's tests with flying colors.

It's the responsibility that unnerves her.

If something bad happens to His Highness, then aside from that her head will be on the line, it will soil her reputation.

And her mission.

She simply cannot allow that to happen.

So, she makes sure to stay close to His Highness and observe her surroundings thoroughly.

The day's tasks are part of Prince Loid's daily routines as crowned prince. He goes around villages, listening to the farmers' problems and giving advice to solve them and also taking notes for things the palace has to intervene to make sure they have a good harvest in upcoming months.

In other places, he monitors the progress of their new harbor, designed to make sure their fish products can be packed and distributed to wider areas, one of the most promising export commodities of Westalis.

On the way, he always returns the greetings of his subjects.

Yor often hear about the humbleness of the Prince of Westalis. But to witness said act by her very own eyes is certainly a different experience.

Seeing how the people of Westalia clearly love the Prince, and how he reciprocates each one of greetings is a bit overwhelming for her.

There's a certain pang of alien emotion bubbling in her chest.

When was the last time I felt envious of other people?

She squashes the feeling by refocusing on her task.

The amount of people gathering so close to him can mean danger.

What if someone with bad intentions was among these people and was waiting for a chance to harm the Prince?

So she better do her job properly and observe every small movement of the people, the environment, and every possible place for any surprise attack.

Thankfully, no incident occurred that day until they returned to the palace.

Arriving back at the palace, Loid then sits in his room and starts to read, and sign paperwork.

All the time, his newly assigned personal bodyguard sticks to his side, like what a usual bodyguard does.

However, Loid's keen observation noticed how Ms. Roseate many times look tense and glaring at his surroundings.

And she is still doing it now. He muses.

"Are you always this stiff, Ms. Roseate?"

He raises his brow when he sees her start.

She immediately bows "Apologies, Your Highness."

Loid chuckles and waves his hand. "Relax, will you? This is the last of my tasks for the day by the way. You are dismissed."

Yor blinks and answers, "I am sorry Your Highness. Ms. Sherwood assigned me to be at your side 24/7."

Loid's eyebrows arch, "24/7? Must you stay by my side even when I'm doing my business at the loo?"

Face immediately flushes, he hears Yor stammers, "O-Of course I'll be waiting outside, Sir…. I mean, Your Highness."

Loid guffaws. "That would be unnecessary. Sylvia can be too paranoid sometimes. But rest assured. Nothing bad will happen inside the palace. You may rest."

He gives her his best reassuring smile which always manages to convince everyone.

It looks like she is included.

He sees her fidgeting for a moment before finally Yor bows and retreats from his room.

Loid smirks triumphantly.

It is time to leave this confined palace and continue his nighttime routine.

After applying the fake mustache and goatee, clad in his cloak, Loid, or now known as Twilight, sneaks out of the palace through a secret passage.

The first place he always visits is The Frizz Tavern.

The place may be reeking of tobacco smells and alcohol, but people always gather there and so are information and rumors.

Today is no different.

He comes in and takes his seat at the corner of the bar. Right beside a curly-haired man, who once again is seen trying to woo the waiter and failing.

Slapping his shoulder, Twilight greets him. "Yo, Frankie. Still trying?"

The shorter man grumbles, "Shut it! If only you would share one or two of your persona with me, you stingy bastard!"

"It's not right to pursue women through deception, Frankie."

"You're one to talk!" Frankie grumbles, "Who is she?"

Twilight raises one eyebrow, "Who's what?"

Frankie places his chin in his palm and points past Twilight, "Her of course, who else?"

Puzzled, Twilight twirls on his chair and almost jumps from it in surprise.

"Good evening." The calm and soft voice of Yor Roseate greets him.

Thankfully she is wearing a massive cloak that covers her from head to toe, hiding her royal guard uniform, and a mask that hides half of her face.

But that doesn't answer his question, so he whispers, "What are you doing, here?!"

"I'm following my order from Ms. She-...."

Twilight immediately clamps her mouth and whispers, "No no no! Not here!"

Frankie peeks from his shoulder and says, " So you do know her. Is she another of your-..."

Twilight doesn't let him finish as he abruptly grabs Yor's wrist and briskly walks out from the tavern's back door.

After making sure that they are alone, Twilight starts his questions, "How do you know where to find me?"

"I'm following Your Highness."

Following him? From the palace? But he didn't feel anyone's presence.

He presses on, "Nobody should know I left the palace."

"I've been following you since you left the room."

Twilight blinks, "But I went through…." He abruptly stops himself lest he blurts his secret.

"That passage is indeed very cleverly built, as expected from Your Highness. But as Ms. Sherwood said it is-...."

He lifts his hand to stop her, "Wait wait….. Sylvia knows about that??!!"

The woman in front of him shrugs, "It's not that hard to find."

Twilight faces faults.

And suddenly Sylvia's warning rings in his mind: do not underestimate her.

Several weeks prior

“You are to go on a solo mission in a faraway place. I wish you to keep up your impeccable performance and not put shame on our country.”

Yor bows her head deeply. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Go. And make our country proud.”

Once again Yor bows her head and turns to leave the majestic throne room.

“Oh, and Yor…”

She stops and turns to face the King of Ostania.

She notices how His Majesty’s face softens a fraction as he whispers, “Please be careful.”

Yor smiles. “I will… Father.”

She then continues to pack her belongings and immediately departs to the kingdom of the West.

#spy x family #yor forger #loid forger #twiyor #twiyormonth #royal guard AU #action #comedy #wip #sxf fic #sxf fanfic #sxf wip

52 notes · View notes

batmanisagatewaydrug · 9 months

Note

cw: mentions of fatphobia, body image issues, gendered beauty standards

hey sex witch! love and appreciate your sex ed posts and the resources you've shared. i noticed that you've answered some asks about becoming more comfortable with expressing sexual attraction, and finding ways to see yourself as desirable -- i was wondering if you had any similar thoughts about becoming more comfortable with other people expressing attraction to you, especially verbally. it's something i'd really like to start enjoying in a casual way (i'm more okay with it within a long-term relationship or a kink dynamic, partly because it's something i can negotiate), but it's pretty consistently something that feels "off" for me and kills my interest. i don't want to react that way! i actively want to enjoy it, especially with people i otherwise like and connect with, and i feel like i might enjoy it a lot someday if the circumstances were right or if i changed my mindset/framing. plus, i know that i really like complimenting people i'm attracted to (if i know that they like it and i know what it means to them), and i'd like that to be a mutual thing.

to be clear, i haven't experienced sexual trauma, i'm nondysphoric (transmasc), and i'd say that i really like my appearance (in a nonsexual/aesthetic sense), so i think i can rule out a few of the common reasons that people feel this way. others have suggested that i might be aspec/demisexual when i've talked about my experiences, but i've gone through that particular questioning process before (and identified as aroace/"not interested" for most of my life), and i feel like it's probably something else.

i think a significant part of the problem is that when people have flirted with me/said that i'm physically attractive, they've usually referenced beauty standards that i'm both very opposed to and which are at odds with my sexuality and what i see as beautiful. i'm a guy who's always been viewed as thin and as having a "conventionally androgynous" (?) body type, and i've generally been attracted to people with body types and/or presentations that are noticeably different from mine -- that includes feminine-presenting people, fat and chubby people, and trans and gnc people who present in ways that combine masculinity and femininity. i've pretty much never been attracted to men who look like me. but when people compliment me on my appearance, they often compliment my body type or size directly or indirectly, and i feel like there's a certain undertone of "i'm labeling you as attractive because you don't look like Those People." i don't want to be around that attitude, and i don't find it flattering or "nice."

i generally wouldn't want to assume that a person who uses these compliments actually has extremely normative views on sex, is fatphobic, etc., and i believe that attraction is morally neutral no matter what your "type" is. it's not like i don't have specific preferences myself, though i probably have some biases that i'm not yet aware of. the whole idea of people being attracted to you because of aspects of your appearance that you didn't choose is...inherently messy, i think. i also know that in most cases, i can just leave, or ask people not to talk about me in these terms. but i still find the whole thing alienating and off-putting, to such an extent that i feel disconnected from most discussions and portrayals of sexuality, especially re: attraction to men. and that's on top of having to deal with the very common assumption that it's a universal experience for women and trans people to hate their bodies and want certain types of validation (but that's kind of a separate issue that i won't get into here).

do you have any thoughts on how to navigate this? i feel like i might be missing something important, but maybe i just need to understand and accept what doesn't work for me.

thanks!

hi anon,

I hate to be so brief when you've presented me with a veritable novella, but listen: you've already answered your own question here.

if I'm reading this right sounds like what you're experiencing isn't an issue of disliking compliments because you lack self esteem, but disliking compliments that are focusing on your body in ways that you don't enjoy. the problem in this scenario really isn't on your end. no matter how well-meaning people might be, you're not under any obligation to make yourself enjoy compliments that make you uneasy, and I'm certainly not going to be the person who tries to tell you how considering I operate my own life almost entirely around the notion that if it sucks, one must hit da bricks ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

you already said it yourself: if you don't like the way someone talks to you, especially if they're someone you'd like to continue having a relationship and building rapport with, the best move is to ask them not to talk about you that way. (if they're someone you'll never see again and don't give a shit about, by all means just blow it off.) if they're not cool with that boundary, awesome! you've learned something very important about them and can terminate that potential relationship immediately.

#sex edventures 2023

19 notes · View notes