#if you think you are in a perfect community look deeper - you might just be higher on the food chain so to speak

[uncanny-tranny]

I think there can be some expectations in some progressive spaces that your political interests must cover every issue possible, that you must be as educated as you can be, and that no issue should go unnoticed by you. I can see why it is important to be educated, but I also think it's important to let people specialize in different interests.

If you want an example, I'm a trans man, and so many of my political interests are informed by this, and my "specialty" is on trans male issues. While I definitely am interested in more than this, I recognize there are some issues I shouldn't be centered on. I will learn about different people and their struggles, but it isn't my place to speak on it as an authority.

I think it's important to let people do this. It is only an issue when you refuse to listen to other people or disregard other people and their needs. It's fine for me to be interested in trans male issues, but if I used that interest to say that other trans people don't deserve anything, then that's the issue. It isn't an issue that I am invested in a particular "niche" issue.

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Pride! Jim & Spock? Can be in the Sybokverse or on their own eitherway is perfect!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5

“I believe I have the right to face my accuser.”

Jim is going to tear this asshole apart.

There’s muttering throughout the crowd, the auditorium filled to the brim for one cadet’s academic dishonesty disciplinary hearing. These are always open to be attended by the accused’s peers, but usually no one bothers, having far better things to do on a Friday morning. Jim is flattered, honestly.

Admiral Archer nods and everyone turns as one of the instructors stands and walks stiffly to the other podium.

Jim is honestly taken aback. A Vulcan giving him shit over this? He squints, trying to place him, suddenly sure he’s seen him somewhere before. Possibly just in the halls, but the familiarity feels deeper than that. He’s met a lot of Vulcans, to be fair.

“Cadet,” he greets.

“Defend the logic of your accusation,” he says, falling into familiar vernacular and only barely keeping himself from saying it in formal Vulcan. This guy might appreciate it, but Archer won’t, and Chris had told him not to be too much of an asshole.

The Vulcan raises an eyebrow. “The purpose of the test is to assess your response to no win scenarios. Altering the parameters, while admittedly an impressive feat of programming, shows both your lack of understanding and your casual disregard for the institution of Starfleet.”

“I don’t believe in no win scenarios,” he says confidently, flashing a smile to the assembled admirals that, in different circumstances, tends to get him laid.

He stiffens. “Your belief in them does not change their existence. In an impossible situation, you must react to the circumstances given to you. Anything else is entertaining delusions.”

“Bullshit,” Jim says immediately and sees Chris pinch the bridge of his nose. Oops. This is a perfect time to go into the speech that he has prepared, about how if he was actually trying to cheat he would have been more subtle about it, about how cheating was his answer to the question presented by the test, and how that applies to how he would really react as a captain.

But then the Vulcan gives him the bitchiest look he’s seen in – well, about four days, but he’s suddenly so sure where he knows him from.

~

Spock doesn’t understand how someone with so little regard for both etiquette and moral standards has survived this long in the academy. He’s intimately familiar with the doors that having a famous father can open, but surely there must be limits.

James Kirk opens his mouth, presumably to continue his insulting and inappropriate defense of his actions, then his eyes narrow, widen, and he demands, “Spock? S'Chn T'Gai Spock? Son of Amanda Grayson and S'Chn T'Gai Sarek?”

For a moment, all he can do is stare. “Have we met?”

His syntax when first faced with him had made him think that James Kirk was familiar with Vulcan, as unlikely as that seemed, but now he’s sure. Not only because of the correct pronunciation of his family name, but in how he has addressed him. Vulcan society is matriarchal. It is correct to identify him first as his mother’s son, and also appropriate to leave off his father’s title as ambassador when identifying his family origin, as his father’s position is supposed to be secondary to his mother’s. His mother married into his father’s clan, but that doesn’t change formal conventions.

Even on Vulcan, he is rarely identified correctly.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” James Kirk says, then takes out his communicator and starts typing.

What.

“Cadet Kirk!” Admiral Archer barks. “Put that away and comport yourself as your position demands or we’ll be here for more than accusations of your cheating.”

“Apologies, Admiral,” James Kirk says, placing his hands behind his back and looking like he’s taking this seriously for the first time. “If you’ll just allow a couple minutes-”

Spock’s communicator goes off.

“Commander,” Admiral Archer says warningly.

“One moment, please,” he says, his stomach rolling as he takes out the communicator. He’s hoping that this is another of James Kirk’s tricks, because when he’s placed it on silent only his family can contact him, and his mother marks all of her correspondence as non urgent. There is no good reason for his father to contact him.

He opens it up and blinks twice, to be certain of what he’s seeing.

Sybok has sent him a text base message. His elder brother never sends him text based communication, as he believes that Spock will not respond timely or authentically, and so only video calls him. Usually at inopportune times.

stop being mean to jimmy :(

He is a genius. Several things suddenly make sense all at once.

He is of course aware of his older brother’s dear friend who he only refers to as Jimmy. In the tragedy of Tarsus IV, when all should have been lost and the corrupt governor threatened to kill half the colony and did kill a not insignificant amount of them, it was Jimmy and Sybok who worked together to create a sort of resistance and keep people alive long enough to for their jury-rigged signal to make it through.

Receiving that strange message from Sybok after years of silence had let him, and their father, know that something was wrong and alert Starfleet.

Jimmy, who had been a minor at the time, and so his identity had been kept from the public at his request, and who had visited Sybok on Vulcan but Spock had examinations at the time and had not been permitted to travel across planet to meet him.

James Kirk looks at him, a smile hovering around the corners of his lips.

James Kirk. Colloquially known as Jim. Jimmy.

Spock had designed the Kobayashi Maru with his brother’s experience at Tarsus IV in mind. He had been different after, just as prone to arguing with their father, more prone to arguing with everyone else, but he’d been sturdier too. As if that experience had at once confirmed and destroyed all of his worst expectations of people.

James Kirk does not believe in no win scenarios and he has demonstrated that more aptly than any simulation could.

“I rescind my accusation of academic dishonesty towards Cadet Kirk.”

[togrowoldinv]

Invitation

Milf!Wanda Maximoff x Female Reader

You accept Wanda’s invitation to ladies night without knowing the deeper meaning of her gesture

Warnings: Smut! 18+ please! Kissing, cursing, oral (W receiving), fingering (R and W receiving), Wanda knowing what she wants and getting it

Milf Wanda Masterlist, Main Masterlist

When you first met Wanda Maximoff you had no idea what to expect from her. You were told you that she was kind but in a superficial way. And that she was a gossip.

The woman couldn’t keep anything to herself. All of the parents of her children’s friends knew that Wanda secretly knew everyone’s dirty laundry.

Still, you accepted her invite to the ladies night she was hosting at her home with community women. Everyone got an invitation you’re pretty sure. You felt like you had to go or you wouldn’t make a good impression on your new community.

You arrive to Wanda’s perfect, picket fenced home right on time.

“Welcome!” Wanda says. “It’s y/n, right?”

“Yes, hello,” you greet her. “I wasn’t sure if I needed to bring anything, so I made a pie just in case.”

“Just your fine self was all! But I’ll gladly accept a pie, darling!” Wanda says. She seems cheery today.

She takes the pie and sets it on the table with the other food. Wanda gets called off to talk to another person.

You don’t know many townspeople, so you stand by yourself until someone approaches you.

“Are you in new in town?” The woman asks. She’s beautiful. Her red hair cascades over her shoulders.

“I’m am,” you reply. “I’m y/n.”

“Nice to meet you, y/n. I’m Natasha,” she says. “You were smart to come today. Wanda likely invited you for her own pleasure.”

“How do you mean?” You ask her. “I thought everyone she knew got invited to this.”

Natasha shakes her head. “No, Wanda only invites people she thinks might sleep with her.”

“Oh,” is all you say. You had no idea. But the idea of that does make your heart race.

“Lucky for you, I’m seeing someone so you’re in the prime position for Wanda to choose you,” Nat says. “If you want her, that is.”

“Isn’t she married?”

“Separated,” Nat answers. “You should have some fun, y/n. Wanda’s a good person to know.”

“Yeah,” you agree. Nat excuses herself to her another drink.

You look at your phone to check the time. Maybe you’ll just leave, you think. But you’re curious about what Nat said.

Wanda makes her way around the get together, no doubt getting all of the information she can out of people. When she ends up next to you, you feel your pulse quicken.

“Hi y/n,” Wanda says.

“Hey Wanda,” you try to say casually.

“So, tell me. What brought you here to town?” She asks.

“Oh, um- I don’t know. I felt drawn here when I decided to move away from home,” you explain.

“Interesting,” Wanda says. “Could you help me inside with getting a few things?”

“Sure,” you reply.

You follow the woman into her house. It’s littered with photos of her children and evidence that kids have made this house a home.

Wanda leads you to the hallway where she stops into a bedroom. You wait by the door.

“Aren’t you going to come in?” Wanda asks. She bats her eyes at you. You’re fucked.

“Oh, okay,” you find yourself agreeing. “What are we getting?”

“Well,” Wanda begins. She slides her pants down her legs while looking you in the eye. “Hopefully you’re getting me off.”

You’re sure your mouth hangs wide open at her words. Natasha was right.

“Why me?” You ask her.

“Because I’m attracted to you, y/n. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since I first saw you. I knew I had to have you.”

Wanda crosses the room and takes your hands. She places them over her chest. You can feel her breasts through her shirt.

“Wanda,” you say her name barely above a whisper. “I’m not sure about this.”

“Let me assure you then,” Wanda replies.

She steps closer and leans in to kiss you. Her lips barely graze against yours but your knees threaten to go weak.

“Fuck,” you mumble when she pulls away.

“I want you to fuck me,” Wanda says. “Can you do that, baby?”

“Yes ma’am,” you say. You feel like you’re under her spell.

You kiss Wanda this time, not wasting a moment before deepening the kiss. You work your hands over her breasts. Wanda lifts her shirt up and you break the kiss long enough to pull it over her head.

“You’re so beautiful,” you tell her.

“Just fuck me,” Wanda says, pulling you from your longing gaze. “I don’t want to get emotional about it.”

“Sorry,” you say. “No emotion. Got it.”

Wanda grins as you kiss her again. You push her back onto the bed and kiss from her neck down to her chest.

You take your time with each of her breasts. You lick at her nipples and suck on them until she’s begging you to stop.

“I need you,” Wanda says. “Please.”

You nod and move to lay with your head between her legs. Her thighs all but wrap around your head as you bury your face in her pussy. You lick a stripe up her and she shivers.

“More,” Wanda moans. “More, fuck, more.”

You take her clit your mouth and suck. Bringing your hand to help, you bury a couple of fingers in her easily.

“All for me,” you say. Your voice vibrates against her. “So wet and tight.”

“Y/n,” Wanda moans as she gets closer to her peak.

You pick up the pace of your tongue and fingers. Soon Wanda is coming hard onto you.

“That’s it, sweetheart. Fuck,” Wanda says.

You lick her clean and move back up the bed. Wanda kisses you until she’s breathless.

She pulls away and looks into your eyes. You’re about to make a comment about no emotion being a difficult thing when Wanda moves her hand to your waistband.

The woman pushes her hand down your pants and brushes her fingers against your pussy.

“We don’t have long,” Wanda says. “But I owe you one. Can you take me now?”

“Yes ma’am,” you say. “I can take you.”

“Good girl.”

Wanda’s fingers slip inside of you. She haphazardly kisses against your neck as she works her fingers in and out.

“Oh, so good for me,” Wanda says. “You take mommy’s fingers so well. God, imagine what you’d do to my strap.”

“Fuck Wanda,” you moan out. “I’m going to come.”

“Do it, baby. Come hard for me,” Wanda instructs.

You come hard against her fingers and Wanda slips out of you. She brings her to fingers to her mouth and sucks them clean. The sight almost makes you have another orgasm.

“Thank you for coming today,” Wanda says. “I just might invite you again.”

“I’ll be happy to be here again,” you say.

Wanda smiles and kisses you one last time. She stands up and gets dressed. You readjust your clothes walk out of the room with her.

Natasha is in the kitchen and she just shoots you a wink.

You still don’t know what to think about Wanda, but you know you want to see her again.

[iambilliejeanok]

have you already done how Itachi would spend Valentine's day with his s/o, sfw and nsfw plss

Warnings: 18+, equal fluffs and smut🩷 scenario

He’s honestly a very country kind of guy. He loves the peace and serenity that comes with living on a farm. He doesn’t really like the bustle of the inner village, most especially on Valentine’s Day. Everyone is occupying every restaurant, couples are filling the streets, arm in arm and he just feels like it’s way too overrated to take you there. He prefers to plan things out for just the two of you to enjoy alone.

Despite his daily efforts at keeping you smiling and happy, preparation for Valentine’s Day can be a tad bit stressful for him. He needs for things to be perfect just for you. Careful not to wake you up, he’ll sneak out of your shared bed and into the kitchen, where he will whip up the finest breakfast for the finest girl in the world, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he shapes the pancakes into cute little teddy bares and drips some syrup over them with a smile on his face while he imagines your adorable reaction to them.

He already sprinkled some rose and peony petals all over your room while you were still asleep, and even placed some ever so carefully around your sleeping frame and sprinkled some on top of you since he thinks you look like a dream that way. He might go a little overboard with the petals though, since he practically covers the house in them, but please be understanding okay. He’s a sweet boy and a new lover, so he’s pretty imaginative about Valentine’s Day.

There are endless trails of pink, white and red petals leading to every room and you can’t help but giggle at the exaggeration. You love him so much for doing all this for you though, and he sweetly requests to join you in the petal and bubble filled bathtub shortly after the two of you have a nice, peaceful breakfast together in the kitchen with the windows open, allowing the cool morning breeze and fresh smells of nature to wake y’all up.

There’s nothing he loves more than soaking in the bathtub with you, and turns bright red as though this is all new to him, when you litter his pretty face with kisses and verbally communicating how grateful you are to have him in your life. He loves to feel needed and appreciated and when you demonstrate that to him physically, he gives in like a desperate whore, letting you ride him in the bathtub to your hearts content. He feels so special as you kiss and nip his face and neck while you slowly bounce on him, soft whimpers leaving his lips at the feel of your warm walls suctioning him as you lift yourself up, his eyes rolling to the back of his head when you allow gravity to help you sit all the way on him and he’s so lost in the height of pleasure you’re keeping him on, his hands gripping your hips so hard as he desperately tries to meet you with needy thrusts, wishing he could go deeper despite how you already feel him deep in your tummy. He didn’t intend to have you wreck pleasurable havoc on him on your special day of romance and strongly preferred to be the one to take you to these heights, but you look so ethereal with your opal pink bonnet still on, bubbles and petals littered on your shoulders and breasts, your face contorting as you near a climax so powerful that it forces him to cum with you and of course he obeys as he let’s lose, sitting upright to hold you tight, the bathroom filled with soft music and desperate moans of one another’s names. He lays back down against the tub with the his arms still around you, breathing heavy while he plants feather light kisses on your face. The two of you just lay there in one anothers arms, the hot water wrapping the two of you up perfectly as you take in one another’s presence, his dick still buried deep inside of you, slowly growing hard again and when you shift in surprise, he immediately apologizes to you for not giving you what you clearly needed sooner.

He’s so sweet you literally feel like you don’t deserve him, reassuring him that you had a wonderful time and that you enjoyed yourself as much as he did. Despite this, he can’t help shake away his guilt and when the two of you get out of the tub, he dries you off gently, picking you up bridal style to carry you back to bed, tossing you on the soft mattress with a smile on his face over your giddy giggles. He spreads your legs wide open, and hushes you when you begin to protest, reassuring him that he really doesn’t have to do all this and that the bathtub was enough, but he insists; “Sweetheart cmon, I really wanted to this anyway. Please?”, he practically begs, and just how can you say no to him????

He most definitely wants to take a walk with you on the farm or even a nice little stroll in the nearby forest and packs a nice picnic for the two of you to sit down under a tree on a nice patch of grass and eat. He bought you a gorgeous dress of your style and tastes and has you standing under almost every tree so he can take pictures of you, joining you in a few of them. You’re just so stunning to him and he needs to add these to his photo album. He’s very open to suggestion, if it will make your day of course and will even sing to you if you request that. He doesn’t consider himself an amazing singer, but his voice is so incredibly soothing that you just wanna listen to him all day, resting your head onhis lap while you relax to his divine voice. There’s something about listening to him sing that makes you wet and when you sit up to straddle his lap, he already has an idea of what you’re trying to do. Of course he’s happy to give it, but he’s shocked to hearthat you want to be in control. You’re clearly taking advantage of the day, and despite how often he usually denies your requests to too him, he’ll allow you to have things your way today. He has to admit though, he loves having you take care of him like this, it makes him feel special and the thought of you taking him how you want makes his dick twitch and he can’t help but feel like he’s being the receiver here and he worries , thinking you’re the one who actually deserves all this pleasure, especially on Valentine’s Day, but since you really want this, how can the lover boy possibly deny you?!

You love how smooth his skin feels on your tongue as you decorate his neck with more hickies, dragging your tongue up his neck, his jawline and finally, penetrating it into his mouth as you gently have your way with him, kissing him passionately. He quickly grows excited over allowing you to have so much control, but even so, he wants to please you, he needs to please you, it’s Valentines Day after all. Gently rubbing your thighs, he sneaks his hands up your dress, grabbing both your cheeks into his hands and squeezing gently. When he hears you moan excitedly into his mouth, he goes feral for a moment and tries his best to compose himself and behave, hooking your undies with his middle and ring finger to pull the pesky material to the side and expose your woman hood to his curious fingers. You’re wet and you’re dripping on his fingers before he could even touch you with him, the kiss growing aggressive as you try to contain your own neediness. He feels himself growing hot at the thought of you being so aroused over topping him and wonders why he only ever allowed you to dominate him today when he could’ve been experiencing this for the past 8 months. He might tease you for a bit, only so he can take in the many expressions you make on your pretty face as you softly plead for him. “Itachi babe, please”, you beg, grinding your hips down onto his fingers to get him to touch you where you needed it most. Now how the HELL can he say no to that? He’s immediately rubbing circles on your clit, mesmerized by the sweet sounds you’re making on his lap, your hands running over his chest and his arms, greedily feeling him up as you shudder from how good you feel and he can’t resist penetrating your wet cunt with his two fingers, your mouth hanging open as you instantly cum, squirming on his lap as he slowly sinks them in deeper, just past his second knuckle. He immediately starts pumping the digits in and out of you, and you’re already riding wave after wave of pleasure as he stretches out the intense pleasure of your orgasm. “Hey, look at me”, he softly reminds you, and you do just as you’re told, brown eyes looking into black ones as you begin to grind his fingers earnestly, desperate for another orgasm. He meets your hips with fast, controlled pumps and you’re morning his name out in ecstasy, shuddering as you fall against him, wrapping your arms and his neck. He smirks with pride, his face buried between your breasts as you hold him against you but he’s not quite satisfied yet, planning on taking more from you since you’ve forgotten to be the top in this moment, but to his surprise, you let go of him to unbutton his pants, reaching for his thick cock. He wonders when you became so greedy and if you got it from him. Rubbing his thick warm shaft against your moist vulva a few times lubricates him just enough for you to finally line with your dripping wet entrance, slowly sitting down on him, letting him bury himself as deep inside of you as you can handle. You both moan in ecstasy and can’t help but talk softly to one another as you ride him like you did in the morning.

As the evening nears, the weather gets cooler and he purposefully takes his sweet time walking back home with you, knowing you’d immediately be down to have another session in the tub and when the two of you are all done, the sun is beginning to set and he’s ready to finally give you all the gifts he’s bought during the week. He gently ties a blindfold over your eyes and wraps his arm around your waist, while holding your hand in his to guide you into the living room, where’s he’s lined up all your gifts and set up a cozy blanket fort in front of the fire place, where he plans on making love to you all night long after a movie and some snacks.

You’re reeling over the giant teddies, the huge bouquets and many boxes of jelwery and chocolates. He bought each and every single gift with your reaction in mind and it made him grow even more excited for this day. He’s surprised and can’t stop himself from blushing when you show him the gifts you got for him. He genuinely wasn’t expecting it, but also wonders what exactly he was expecting, realising just how much you love him too. He really looks forward to spending every day with you, but Valentines Day has to be on top of the list as one of his favorite holidays.

[izzuku]

ALL TO MYSELF.──

summary: luxiem going down on you <3

characters: luxiem x gn! reader

c/w: eating you out/sucking you off, praising kink, degrading kink, nipple play(?, fingering, pet names, edging,dacryphilia (if I forget something let me know) not proofread

a/n: nothing to do with this but I miss so much doing digital art, I wanna draw them aaa. Either way I wanted to make this for everyone to enjoy <3

VOX─── messes with you. He cannot wait any longer for you to strip. His hands are already roaming through your body. “You really want me to go down huh? Is that it honey?” He chuckles when your face makes that expression that he adores. The way your thighs tremble when his fingers find your underwear and the soft moan your lips let out when he kisses over the thin layer of cloth. He will attend to your needs but you better be prepared for his most carnal and dominant side to show up.

He is desperately slow at first. He wants to torture you, to make you beg for him to put his mouth to use. “What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said, love” and you hate it. You hate the way he's making you feel so embarrassed about asking for more. But oh, the moment you're undressed and open for him, he'll waist no time in making you a squirming and moaning mess.

His pretty lips devouring you completely, his tongue swirling around the most sensitive spots and when you think you've gone to cloud 9, his fingers start working you up. He'll wrap them, push them and move them in the correct directions. He'll leave sloppy and wet kisses over your sex, all the while making eye contact with you just to see how easily you're crumbling. “Look at you...moaning and grinding on my mouth like a slut. I may have to punish you if you keep disobeying me darling.” You can only respond with rushed words that don't make sense, babbling and lost in the pleasure that your lover is giving you. You can be sure that the demon will also push himself in once he has made you cum multiple times, but will leave his fingers inside while ramming into your hole.

IKE── takes his time with you. He's not that cruel like Vox, but he's most likely to tease you while taking your clothes off. He'll make sure that you're comfortable but leave funny comments. “You look like you really want this...so naughty of you love” his lips curve into a devilish smile when he sees your face burning in embarrassment. He'll like ask you to please tell him what you want him to do to you because communication is key in a relationship.

“Want me to use my mouth? Of course love” another smile is plastered on his face, your muscles relaxing a little with his honey words. With his skillful hands he'll put your thighs over his shoulders, ass up and perfect view of your body. His face is also a little bit red but pays no mind when the most important thing is pleasuring you. Most likely is that he's had some beers and the alcohol is taking down his inhibitions.

He'll start with kitten licks, short and small licks over your sex, testing how sensitive you're at the moment. His eyes would probably be closed so he can register your sounds and the intimate moment you are both sharing. “Deeper? Hm...as you wish, but don't say I didn't warn you~” his laugh echoes your ears for a split second before he takes you all in his mouth, wet noises filling the room along with sweet kisses he leaves over your skin. He'll probably moan with you, each time you grab a fistful of his hair and pull him down on you he sees the stars. The novelist might not be into violent acts when it comes to sex, but sometimes he just can't help but whine and whimper when your grip becomes tighter. When he has the opportunity to move around freely, he'll shower you in praises, checking up on you while you're melting under his touch. “So good for me...you're doing amazing. I'll make sure to make you cum” , so cute of him.

MYSTA── is eager to start. Once you work him up by being a brat there's no going back. He must teach you how to behave and not how to be a bitch and tease him during a stream. Oh you want to crawl under his desk and kiss his legs and boxers? Fine, do as you please, you'll be the one begging for more anyway. And he'll stick to his words. “You fucking brat, you can't stay still for a moment can't you? I'll show you how to obey then.” and his actions speak louder than his words. The sly detective will throw you to the bed, legs crossed behind his neck while he works with your clothes.

“I bet you can't even last more than five minutes” he spits his words, unlike any other day when they're sugar coated. That's not it, his lips will soon see your nipples as another attraction for him to go, twisting them, circling his tongue around and sucking in until they're burning red. And the way you're moaning and whimpering just makes him want to play even more.

Once your underwear is out of the way his tongue goes first, he doesn't waist time in anything. He's only goal is to punish you and to make you beg and apologize by lapping your juices and licking your most sensitive bundle of nerves. He also loves to bite around the skin, leaving bite marks on your thighs along with a trail of purple hickeys, it gives him a sense of possession. “What? You want to cum already? Nu-uh, you're not cumming until I say so, you hear me? You don't deserve it.” And he edges you constantly, loving how your tears fall under your cheeks. They're not of pain but of pleasure and frustration cause, admit it, you deserved to be punished.

SHU── is amazed by your body. The reactions he gets from you just by caressing the flesh of your stomach with his large nails gets his libido high. The aphrodisiacs he used on you are finally making effect and they got you to this point, laying on the bed, naked, panting for fresh air and begging to get rid of the insufferable heat in between your legs. “I think...I better use the liquids from the shelf” he mutters while tears prick your lovely face, hands grabbing into the fabric of his shirt. When the pink liquid was poured on top of your sex, a chilly sensation relaxed your sore muscles. That was, until certain's hot breath came in contact with it.

His mouth waters the moment his ears hear your sharp breath. His tongue is lapping up all the fluid along with your juices, giving open mouth kisses all around and getting the best moans out of you. “You taste...so good, god...” he babbles out while tasting you, sucking on the sensitive spots he knows by memory. The sharp nails are now grabbing your legs, leaving some cuts that will eventually be cured and kissed and all you can do is beg for him to continue. The sticky fluid that was once cold is starting to mix with the warm temperature of the room.

For your surprise the pleasure arises once again as Shu inserts his tongue inside your hole. The knot in your stomach is coming to an end while he can not restrain himself from you. His tongue is larger than usual thanks to more potions created by he himself you mentally thank him for the idea while you get railed. “I can't wait anymore...” , that's what you hear when he grunts, getting rid of his pants and letting his length spring out of his boxers. You've been tempting him with all your expressions, your moans and everything that he needs to feel you, to grind himself against you until the foreplay ends and the action begins.

LUCA── obeys easily. You want to try new things and so does he. He puts your pleasure and enjoyment before his, that's why he wants to start with you. To get all of his attention, you put on something that he likes, may it be a full outfit, just underwear, maybe even a maid dress, whatever that can make him lock his gaze on you. “You dressed like this...just for me?” his star eyes and red cheeks are enough signs for you to know that he loved it. And his big hands pulling you closer by your thighs makes the scene even more romantic.

He'll sit you on the kitchen counter, on his own desk, some place high enough for him to just bend down and put your legs above his head. He'll take his time too, memorizing all of the details on your body, your curves, your muscles, your skin, everything, he wants to engrave everything on his mind before he tears it apart with his body. This mafia boss starts with soft kisses around your sex and inner thighs then long, slow licks up & down. It's a repetitive action that sends shivers up your spine and makes you want more.

“Am I doing this right?” he looks at you with puppy eyes and something inside of you screams to just kiss him, and you do. In the heat of the moment you both make out, one of his hands pulling you impossibly closer, the other playing with you, long fingers drawing patterns along the delicate area, picking up a specific pace then slowing down again and again. “After...this, can...can I put it inside? Please” he begs while kissing you, going down again once you agree, letting him take control of you with his pretty lips and honeyed words.

[gabessquishytum]

Can I please propose a Bathing Addendum to the Amnesia AU?!

Because 1389 Hob definitely needs a little help re-learning the 21st century protocols with regard to bathing/hygiene. And it's a delicate matter because it's not like Dream cares one bit or wants to make Hob feel bad about his natural grimy state. But Hob DID love all those fun, scented, pampering products, (his bathroom looked like an Influencer's free sample stash exploded all over it), even this version of Hob seems delighted by the comforts of the modern world, and not having fleas is SO great, so staying neat and clean could definitely be an important part of the Care and Management of the Amnesiac Hob.

(Though, the one thing he IS a bit weirded out about is how short his hair is. He keeps running his hands through it nervously & wondering how he/they/who cut it that short without slicing his ears with the rusty shears?! It's ok, though, Dream assures him they don't have to keep it trimmed. He shows Hob how to comb it back into a stubby little bun and fix it with these fucking awesome springy circle things.)

Anyway. The first time Dream gingerly shows him the shower and suggests some form of washing, he's surprised that Hob totally goes with it, easy as anything, & immediately just… strips off and even prompts Dream to join him. And Dream belatedly remembers that this kind of thing was more common where/when Hob was from, and he probably washed in the river with his fellow soldiers all the time.

So Dream. Just. Does it. Follows suit. Stripping off his tee and peeling off those tight jeans, all the while STERNLY ORDERING HIMSELF to NOT MAKE IT SEXUAL. No, no, no. It's just a couple of guys washing together.

(He does not, in this moment, realize that it might be useful to remind Hob of the current conventions surrounding adult nudity. Whole parts of his vast mind have just sort of shorted out.)

Dream struggles to keep his physical body under control so as to conceal his own interest as they step in and Hob delights in the warm, indoor rain. But Dream's body is a manifestation of his own will, and right now his own will is having EXTREME DIFFICULTY in shutting the fuck up.

But he can try. He doesn't want to make Hob uncomfortable.

Hob, however, already seems to be having some trouble. See, as tiny a shred of control as Dream has over his own Endless form, Hob is just human and cannot even hope for that much. And his interest is soon VERY clear. He knows not everyone would be opposed to having some extra fun in this perfectly normal communal bathing scenario — he has, after all, frequently kept some of his fellows warm on those cold, muddy nights on campaign if they were amenable. But he doesn't want to presume and scare the pretty lord away.

So Hob is painfully turned on and starting to hate this indoor rain, which is not at all like a river where you could just sneak into slightly deeper water and hope anyone who wasn't interested just politely chose not to notice. He's so self conscious and just trying not to look too much at the perfect form next to him and to hide his own interest — very poorly — with a soapy loofah.

But Dream, who can clearly see what is happening in the sudden spike of daydreams and also right in front of him in the shower, is so sweet about it. And he takes the loofa and gently washes Hob and soothes him and tells him there's nothing to worry about.

And afterward, they fall into the soft bed, which is definitely way more comfortable than a quick fuck in the mud on campaign, and Hob thinks he might really like this modern bathing strategy after all.

Oh absolutely!!! Here's the original amnesia au where Hob doesn't remember the last 600+ years.

I can't stop thinking about the scene in the 1993 Much Ado About Nothing film where all the dudes immediately get naked and wash in a stream(?) together while inside the house all the ladies are in the renaissance equivalent of a shower all together. The casual intimacy of washing together/washing each other is deadass so beautiful to watch.

So yeah, Hob inviting Dream into the shower with him? Very real, very lovely, and feels like an expression of how much Hob trusts Dream. It's all super weird for Hob, but even though he can't remember shit, he just has this feeling that Dream will be good to him. In fact, he has this strange, warm feeling like Dream means something really important to him. And then there's the plain fact that Dream is gorgeous and even in 1389, Hob had a weakness for pretty men.

Dream knows that he should just keep this all platonic and straightforward, but Hob is just adorable. Confused, a little clumsy, so fucking cute with his teeny tiny man bun. Dream is puddle on the floor as he lets Hob’s daydreams and his own feelings combine. So he gives in. He washes Hob’s back, and dries him of in a big fluffy towel that Hob definitely stole from a hotel, and leads him to rediscover the joys of memory foam.

Hob has lost 99% of his memories relating to sex, so Dream doesn't get to experience Hob at his best, necessarily - but maybe because of that, it's actually more special? Hob is vulnerable, a little silly, and very enthusiastic. He wants to explore and learn new things. He's absolutely fascinated and overjoyed by the concept of lube. No spit or oil needed! He can get fucked and it doesn't hurt (much)! Weirdly it also smells like strawberries!

And Hob is mainly just so excited about Dream himself. His gentle, generous and beautiful stranger! He's so in love. Doesn't matter how many memories he has.

[red-flag-lover]

Father Giovanni x F!reader (Soulmate Au)

Chapter 1

Reader's POV:

They said everyone has a soulmate—someone who would connect with your soul. Perfectly made for you, someone who will fill the void in your heart. In our world, cards will appear when you turn 18. But unlike everyone else, when I turned 16, a card appeared out of thin air. 

Ms. L/n, Ms. L/n!

I was brought back to reality when the professor screamed my name, barely dodging the book she threw at me. I'm just thankful for my reflexes; I don't have to sport any newly acquired bruises.

"DARN-" I held myself back from cursing that ugly professor; who knows what she would punish me with this time if I finished my curse at her—maybe a weeklong detention, community service, or, for worse, research about those creepy totems and practices?

"If you're just going to daydream in my class, get out of here; I don't need students like you!" The old maiden's voice resonated around our classroom. As I was about to leave the classroom since I had already studied about this topic and I was advanced in my class, she called me once again. "Before you leave, Ms. L/n, why don't you answer this question that any 1st grader would be able to answer. What is research design? "If you can't answer that easy question, feel free to drop out of this class."

That's it?  That's her easy question; her question doesn't even give me a hard time; as I said, this subject is a child's play for me. "Well, research design is the blueprint of your research." Descriptive, correlational, experimental, and diagnostic designs are the four types of research designs. Your research design depends on the type of research you're going to do. If you're going to describe the relation of your study to something, you're going to use correlational. And if your research is scientific, use experimental methods. "That's all, it's really hard for me to answer your question; you caught me off guard, anyway, may I go now?" I answered her question with full confidence while adding a touch of sarcasm at the end. I can see my friend, Javi, clapping her hands as I walk out of that living hell known as the classroom. 

After that incident, I go to the cafe nearby since I don't have any class for the next 2 hours. A tall, lean, and a bit muscular man bumped into me. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the fall, but it never came. But then I felt two strong yet gentle arms wrapping around my waist and arms, saving me from a certain bruise and embarrassment. 

It felt like forever when I stared at his pitch-black eyes. My notes on the ground, long forgotten as I observe his features, He's 6 feet tall; he has perfectly symmetrical facial features, alluring lips, and bold, fiery eyes. Everything about this man is perfect. I feel like he's a part of me, yet I can't describe that feeling. Butterflies flutter at my stomach as I stare deeper into his mesmerizing eyes. I unmistakably feel comfort and safety for the first time. His touch was as comforting as the feeling when you sit in front of your fireplace while drinking your favorite drink. At the contact of our skin, I felt a pleasurable electricity running into our bodies. It's addicting, and it's ineffable. 

"Look at where you're going, miss; you might bump into someone not as kind and good-looking as me," the guy casually smirked at me. I deadpanned at his words; scratch those things I felt for him—this guy is a jerk. "Excuse me?!  You're the one who bumped into me. "And look at what happened to my notes; it's wrecked now; I have to rewrite this again, and you won't even apologize!" He just stared at me like I had grown another head. I was about to speak again when our school's dean called him. Out of irritation, I quickly grabbed my notes and went to the cafe in hopes of appeasing my anger. I looked back again and saw him and our principal talking; he waved back at me with his charming yet irritating smile. I think his name is Giovanni; I heard the Dean call him that. Giovanni, what a dazzling name, yet that guy is a total jerk. And who wears a priest outfit typically for his age? We're just the same age, I think. He's peculiar, but in a good way.

Two hours later, a good cup of coffee really lightened my mood. I am now talking to our school's dean; apparently, my "great" professor made up a whole different story in which I am the bad guy and she's the victim. And now I have to suffer while researching the history of Jeju Island exorcism practices. Out of all things I loathe the most, it's unraveling history. Why would I bother digging up information about the past that has already happened and cannot be changed when you have your future in front of you, where everything can be good or bad? It just depends on how you play this game called life. 

"Ms. L/n, as a punishment for your behavior, we expect you to conduct research about exorcism culture on Jeju Island, and it's already vacation, so you have to spend your vacation at a church, where you can freely do your research. Don't worry, our school will handle the expenses, even though your family can pay for your expenses as you're the daughter of the greatest heart surgeon in Korea and your dad is a businessman. "Good luck on your trip, Ms. L/n, and please obey your guide." He told me in a calm manner, and I could clearly see the pity in his eyes. "It's not my fault, sir, why do I have to do that research? Just assign me to anything not involving history." I begged him not to assign me that case. If I had to kneel in front of him, I would, but it would only bring shame to my name. "It's requested by your professor, and we have to agree to not cause any trouble, and please stay here, Ms. L/N, while waiting for your guide priest." I slumped in the chair, clearly defeated. 

A door caught my attention; the Dean must have left the door open. Peeking at the door wouldn't hurt anybody, right? I carefully looked inside and saw lots of boxes; I think it's a storage room. Oh! I can see the trophy I won for our school. As I was bending over to pick up a book on the floor, someone scared the living shite out of me. "Boo!"  I squealed and slapped the guy in his arms, and when I looked at him, it was the same guy who bumped into me earlier. "Are you crazy?" You shouldn't frighten people, especially if you don't know them. "What if I have a condition wherein I can't be frightened or feel nervous? If I die, what will you do?" I scolded him for scaring me, and he just scoffed at me. "As far as I can see, you're perfectly fine." "And besides, peeking into someone's room is inappropriate," he bantered at me. "Oh, as far as I know, it's also inappropriate for someone to shock you to death. "Besides what are you doing here; you're not a student here, are you?" I questioned him. "How would you know I'm not a student here?" He threw back the question at me. He thinks he's got the upper hand in this situation, but he's in for a ride. It's my turn to smirk at him. "This school was sponsored by my parents; I know every student here; I'm popular and the top student." "My father gave me a list of students; after all, I am an only child." Instead of replying, he just bowed in a mocking way. He turned around, and now I'm facing his formidable back. He looked back at me, sporting his cunning smirk, as he walked out of the room. "See you soon, Miss Popular." "Hey, I'm not done talking to you; answer my question." Hey!  "Come back here!" I screamed in frustration: "I can't believe that guy; how can he have the audacity to walk out when I'm still talking to him?" He's the first one to ever do that to me, and I think this time I found someone who can match me. 

"How bad can this day be?" I groaned.

[air-in-words]

Anastasia: SortingHatChats

Hey, guys, I back now.

Anastasia time.

So, as a DISCLAIMER: THIS FILM IS A WORK OF FICTION. I highly recommend looking into the actual history behind the film if you're interested!

Here we go!

(I seem to recall there being a sorting already posted of Anastasia, but I remember disagreeing with most of it? Absolutely no offense meant to whoever originally posted it! These are just my two cents!)

ANASTASIA/ANYA

BADGER PRIMARY

Anya's entire storyline revolves around the ideas of "family," "home," and "belonging." Not just her own, personal family (which would be Snake,) not necessarily the home she remembers being born into (as far as she knows, she's an orphan,) and not only her own state of belonging. She deals in the concept of these things as though they were basic necessities: everyone should want them, and she wants them because everyone needs them in order to be whole. This is truth to her, full stop.

Anya: "Do you think you're gonna miss it?"

Dimitri: "Miss what, your talking?

Anya: "No! Russia."

Dimitri: "Nope."

Anya: "But it was your home!"

Dimitri: It was a place I once lived. End of story."

Anya: "Well, then you must plan on making Paris your true home."

Dimitri: "What is it with you and homes?!"

Anya: "Well, for one thing, it's something that every normal person wants!"

This is not a belief system, nor is it a conclusion she's come to. It's something that is such a part of her make up as a human being, that to imagine that another person doesn't care about the concept of a "true home" or "true community" is downright disturbing to her. Her desire for "home, love, family" is not her trying to seek out individuals she already knows, but to find the space she came from, filled with strangers she's never met, but who she believes will accept her through the power of community. It reads very animated Hercules, often dreaming of a far off place where a voice keeps saying, THIS is where I'm meant to be. Badger Primaries love the idea of having a secret family they've never met that will swoop in and carry them away, loving them unconditionally, when the world immediately around them has been so cruel. Lonely Badger Primaries are the perfect characters to fall in love with the idea of being long lost royalty. The main character arc Anya goes through is learning that family is not just the people who gave birth to you: Found family is not only just as powerful, but can become even moreso over time. This is the same moral the animated Hercules learns! Belonging and community is created and watered like a garden: If you keep searching for your perfect, idealized community, you might miss the one forming right before your eyes.

LION SECONDARY

It doesn't take long to pin Anya as a rather loud Lion Secondary. She is unafraid to voice her opinions, and often does so in a blunt and unashamed way. SShe absolutely DESPISES lying, and she is the first to take the easiest, most straight forward way out.

Dimitri: (trying to detach a traincar after breaking multiple tools) "COME ON, there's gotta be something in there better than this!!"

Anya: (wordlessly hands Dimitri a stick of lit dynamite)

Dimitri: "That'll work!"

What this movie actual shows is an interesting, not as often explored aspect of the Badger Lion, which is how the brash and straightforward nature of the Lion Secondary can work against the desires of the Badger Primary. Anya longs for nothing more than home and community, but often inadvertently (and not so inadvertently) alienates those around her with her cutting phrasing. It takes a more grounded, good listener like Vlad to see past Anya's brashness almost immediately, understanding the intentions behind her bravado.

Vlad: "I see an engaging and fiery young woman, who on a number of occasions has shown a regal command equal to any royal in the world!"

DIMITRI

SNAKE PRIMARY (Initially Burnt)

Dimitri's storyline is a bit deeper than many people might initially realize. What we're looking at is a Snake Primary who, at a very young age, tried to save one of their People (the Princess Anastasia, for whom he is implied to have either a childhood friendship with or just a faraway crush,) and failed, horribly. In fact, they failed to the point that they believe they are at least partially to blame for the death of that Person. That's about as deep and dark of a hole as a Snake Primary can fall into, so the Snake Primary will, naturally, Burn and find new, non-Person things to fill that void. Namely, recognition and fortune.

Dimitri: "Imagine the reward her dear old grandmama will pay!"

Of course,this could point to Glory Hound Lion, just as easily. If not for his Snake Primary sneaking in at every possible moment. The line following that one above is:

Dimitri: "Who else could pull it off but you and me?"

The "you" in question being Vlad, the only other Person Dimitri has allowed in (and by "allowed in," I always assumed got so tired of Vlad actively FORCING HIMSELF into Dimitri's life that he acquiesced and decided to just let him stay.) But, Dimitri's obsession with the Princess Anastasia continues, against all odds. His latest con? Directly Princess Anastasia related. Is it enough for the woman they hire to play her be "good enough?" NO. She has to be PERFECT. They hold AUDITIONS, and Dimitri is the perfect person to be on the board, because Dimitri still knows her intimately well, even after all these years. Such as hum recognizing Anastasia's face in Anya's right from the start. Thus, comes Dimitri's initial inner turmoil in regards to Anya: Are his feelings just projection? Is he attracted to her JUST because she looks like Anastasia? Is he ACTUALLY that obsessed? All those questions become moot when Anya is revealed to truly be Anastasia, though Dimitri finds himself where he was as a boy. From this point on in the movie, pretty much every motivation/choice Dimitri makes revolves around the fact that Anya IS Anastasia, and that he is going to give her what she wants and deserves, no matter what it takes. Even if that means keeping himself away from her romantically. His character arc revolves around forgiving himself for what he perceived as a dire mistake against one of his People, which is a ROUGH arc for a Snake to go through.

Dimitri: "Paris holds the key to her past. Yes, Princess, I've found you at last! No more pretend. You'll be gone, that's the end..."

SNAKE SECONDARY

Dimitri is actually quite a good con, all things considered. He manages to trick Anya into thinking they have train tickets when they DEFINITELY do not, and he keeps the reward under wraps for the entirety of their trip. Not just that, but dodging around obstacles instead of facing them head on is his most natural state. As a child, he is seen sneaking out of the kitchens (where be belongs) and automatically offering the servants' quarters as a means of escape, which is extremely clever and resourceful. Dimitri tries to charm and placate Anya at every turn, trying to keep her naturally explosive personality under wraps.

Anya: "The baggage car...? There wouldn't be anything wrong with our papers now, would there, maestro..?"

Dimitri: "Of course not, Your Grace! It's just that I hate to see you forced to mingle with all those commoners..."

But, we spend most of the film seeing Dimitri forced out of his comfort zone by both the situation and Anya's combative Lion Secondary, so he's often seen conspiratorially complaining to Vlad while in his Neutral State or just outright losing his temper and yelling. But, this never comes first, and his plans and plots are always somewhat circumventing. During the train derailment, his plans are to jump off, disconnect the train cars, and just wait until the train coasts to a stop. All pretty passive/out of the box thinking. When he IS shown trying to face someone head on, he is always unsuccessful: Trying to fight for Anastasia during the siege only to be immediately knocked out, trying to take on Rasputin directly and being tossed aside pretty easily. Comparatively, Anya/Anastasia is shown to be successful when she is upfront and combative: Getting away from Rasputin as a child by kicking him in the face, ultimately defeating Rasputin by straight up smashing his reliquary.

VLAD

LION PRIMARY

Vlad is a pretty classic Paragon Lion Primary. He wants to do what is Good and Right and doesn't what is Bad and Wrong. For what reason would he wind up as a con artist as a Paragon Lion, though? Even for Paragon Lions, what is Good and Right to THEM can go against what the collective believes is good and right.

Vlad: "That's what I hate about this government. Everything is in red!"

Yes, the above line is also meant to be a coded message for Dimitri, but Vlad thinks the government has overstepped his moral boundaries and has chosen to step outside the usual bounds to follow his own morals. Part of those morals involve guiding those he believes are lost, thus, his "adoption" of Dimitri, a very lost young man with little direction. He tries to act as Dimitri's "moral compass" until Dimitri finds his own direction again. He does the same for Anya when she comes into their group, trying to lead her towards the possibility of finding her home, while gently guiding her away from focusing on her "past."

Vlad: "There is nothing left for you back there, my dear. Everything is in Paris."

He stands up for what he believes in, and inserts himself constantly when he believes Dimitri is wrong. Letting him know when he's "walking away too soon" or when he "has to talk to her" even if she's a Princess and Dimitri's a Kitchen Boy.

BADGER SECONDARY

Vlad is one of the kindest, most lovingly genuine characters I've encountered in fiction, and I mean with that with all my heart. He is consistently gentle and understanding with the people he comes across, and is always even-tempered and fair. Compare Vlad and Dimitri's reactions to finding Anya skulking around their home:

Dimitri: (shouting, from across the room) "HEY! What are you doing in here?! HEY! STOP!"

Vlad: (coming in at a light jog, holding up his hand politely) "Excuse me, child!"

Vlad always assumes the best from whomever he's interacting with, and is excellent at getting to the root of what's bothering a person. He actively tries to make everyone in his company comfortable, and will often make soft jokes or observations in an attempt to lighten the mood. His Lion Primary makes him unable to entirely give in when he knows what's going on is wrong, but his Badger Secondary gives him the skills to broach those uncomfortable topics with grace and eloquence.

Vlad: (gives Dimitri the most fatherly, loving hug in all of animation) "Ahhh, my boy... you are making a mistake."

TL;DR

Anya/Anastasia: Badger Lion

Dimitri: Double Snake

Vlad: Lion Badger

And, there we go! Anastasia was one of my absolute FAVORITE movies as a child, so I've really enjoyed getting an opportunity to sort them! Let me know your thoughts! :)

[laundrypause]

Random but don't you ever just look at Loscar and think Wait, this could be a good falling out of love trope. It could start off as Loscar being an already established relationship but like Oscar's been idolising Lando for years now. But that's what it always was, just idolising. And Loscar, they've gone through a lot, the F3 Championship fight, Oscar moving on to F2 but Logan not, Logan moving on to F2 but Oscar getting a reserve role. And maybe, during those events, maybe their relationship isn't as strong as before. And then comes the '23 season . You'd think that since they're going to be in the same series, they're gonna be as strong as ever. And they should've been. Keyword: Should've

Oh but of course, fate throws a curveball. Instead of Oscar getting the Alpine seat, he gets offered the McLaren seat. And who's in the other McLaren seat? Of course, it's Car Number Four, Lando Norris. It starts off small. Everything always does. Getting to the hotel late because of team debriefs getting overrun, not being able to make plans because Lando invited him somewhere. It really is small, but Logan… Logan knows that he's slowly losing Oscar. Oscar doesn't know it but he does. Oscar's under the impression that they're still perfect. Their relationship as right as rain. Not Logan though.

You might say, Logan, dude, you should really talk to him. Come on, communication is key in relationships. But his season so far has honestly been shit. He's under so much pressure, so much stress and to be frank, he really, really doesn't want to talk to Oscar about this. Call it cowardice, call it being scared he's overreacting or even just not wanting to be a burden to Oscar. Even so, Logan just knows in his gut. He's just a spectator in this comedy called life.

When the expected ‘talk’ happens, Oscar's honestly just shocked. What does Logan mean? Break up? But, they've been together since their F3 days, since they were teenagers. Oscar's been completely blindsided. Break up? Break up, he can't even comprehend it, can't understand it. He loves Logan, more than love itself if that was even possible. Logan looks so, so broken, he can't even look Oscar in the eyes. Oscar wants to fight, will fight for Logan. Yet, seeing Logan in this state, maybe… maybe he shouldn't fight. Maybe it'll be better for them to not be together. Oscar wasn't blind. He's seen what the season has done to Logan, how tired he always is, how his confidence has dwindled. Maybe Oscar was wrong, that it wasn't the season that was making Logan be in this state but…but him. Maybe this was what's best for Logan. And if it was best for Logan, as much as it fucking hurts him, he'll let go. Because isn't that what love is about? Letting someone go when love just isn't enough?

Logan could have probably chosen a better place to drop the news at. His driver's room isn't the best place but it could be worse. When he sees how easily Oscar agrees, his suspicions were confirmed and he's glad. No really, he's really, really happy. So happy, he won't be a burden to Oscar anymore and he'll be free.

So why is it ripping him apart, tendon from tendon, his heart squeezing so much it feels like he's got one of those blood pressure machines wrapped around his heart?

When Oscar leaves, Logan just breaks. Collapses to be exact. The adrenaline was the support keeping him up and now that the adrenaline has flooded out of his system, nothing’s holding him up anymore. Usually it'd be Oscar acting as his crutch whenever he got like this, Logan leaning on him, allowing all the weight of his burdens to be shared between the two of them. That's just it though, it won't be ‘usually’ anymore. Oscar's gone and he's never going to come back.

So Logan's just going to fall deeper into this, this hole of depression. He can't blame anyone but himself though. It's his fault, he fucked up. Can't even drive, can't even keep his boyfriend. What can he do? Oh yea, he can break up with his boyfriend. That's all he's good for, breaking things around him. His car, his relationships, his own heart. For that reason, Logan's just going to sit there, in his driver's room, curled up in a ball because this was the beginning of his end so why can't he be entitled to just…laying there.

[littlemisssquiggles]

…Sooooo…about that RWBY V9 EPILOGUE ANIMATIC…..

Not lying to tell you, I honestly forgot about RTX this year because I’ve been focused on other things these days. However, thanks to the almighty power of Twitter and the RWBY FNDM community, this squiggle meister was able to check out the V9 Epilogue Animatic that dropped at this year’s panel.

While I’m disappointed there was no announcement for RWBY V10 being greenlit, at least fans were given something to munch on with the featured animatic.

And y’know what folks?

If this animatic was an original draft for the ending of V9 then I am…

… SO FREAKING GLAD that this animatic never made it into the final cut for V9!

Because, for me, not only do I find the final ending of V9 perfect as it is with where it left the story off but also, some revisions need to be done for this epilogue ya’ll.

Don’t get me wrong. I thought this animatic was pretty good. I liked that it confirmed everyone’s shared theory that the others thought RWBYJ had died during the Fall of Atlas. At least that was confirmed to be canon.

However; if there is one part I would love to be revised for this epilogue, it would have to be the final moment after Raven (surprise, surprise but not really cause people theorized that shit since V8) brings RWBYJ to Vacuo and we get to see Nora, Ren and Oscar react to seeing their friends return from the literal dead and…Oscar is just standing there with the Oz-cane…smiling?

But it’s not a smile of deeper emotion. It’s not even his usual soft smile that he always gives Rubes.

Yes, yes, yes I know what ya’ll might be thinking---Squiggles, dear, please, it’s only a rough animatic. It’s not that deep sis---I KNOW…but STILL, bear with me on this one folks.

This is the closest thing to a RWBY V10 crumb that us fans will have to cling onto until the show gets greenlit…whenever. IF EVER.

This animatic is the closest thing to a potential V10 teaser that we have right now. It’s all we have right so if there are FNDM fam members picking it apart and overanalyzing it, can you really blame em?

IT’S ALL WE HAVE for V10.

So pardon me if the Pinehead Rosegarden shipper in me is a lil bummed out by this one shot of a rough, possible first draft animatic of an episode that could easily be the first episode of a possible next season of RWBY.

If I had to imagine a final version of this scene, I could easily see Oscar looking at Ruby softly. But even still…that’s…not the reaction I was expecting for their inevitable reunion.

If  you had told me that that’s not Oscar and is actually Oz in control, I would have a better chance at believing you with that because I am in disbelief that Ruby would return from everyone believing that she and the others had died during the fall of Atlas and…Oscar sees Ruby alive and well for the first time in who knows how long….maybe weeks or a month at best and his reaction is just a normal smile?

Not even a tearful smile or a shocked look like Nora. Just a casual smile before we cut back to Ruby’s final smile, like she was on the verge of tears before it fades to black.

Really? That’s it?  

NAAAAAAAAAH! Nah! Send that shit back to the boards for a second draft.

 #NOTMYRGREUNION

Again, I am fully aware that this is only an animatic and a bigger, more focused emotional reunion could easily happened after this scene in another “episode” if you look at this animatic as being like the end of the first or second episode of a potential RWBY V10.

But still, I can’t help but feel bummed by this a bit. At least the RG shipper in me is a little bummed.

If anything, I’m better off looking at this animatic as a precursor to a better more emotional and PROPER reunion between Ruby and Oscar.

That part I can dream about.

In the mean time, pardon my mini rant cause it’s been a while since I’ve talked about RWBY and I wanted to share my brief thoughts on the animatic for anyone who was curious about my thoughts on it.

~LMS (2023)

[rotworld]

14: Normal

(previous)

this can't be right. this is not your home.

->no gore. no sex. nothing to worry about. a normal place.

.

.

.

Home, says the heart. You are home.

The road is new. Perfect, smooth asphalt, black as pitch and spotless. No cracks or potholes, no uneven bumpiness or sudden dips. You’ve never driven a street so flawless. Your heart races at the sight of towering shapes in the distance, rigid giants looming in the fog. Is the thing you dream of here? A fence rises along the roadside, stone pillars and decorative wrought iron bars. You see city on the other side; populated sidewalks, angular rooftops, trimmed shrubbery. 

“That’s strange,” you mutter. “There’s nothing on this side of the fence. Is the whole city over there?” 

Jamie stares out the window with a growing frown. “Maybe the fence is anchorware tech?” they reason, but they don’t sound too certain. Your apprehension is starting to outweigh your excitement. As you drive further, those giants in the fog reveal themselves; glittering office towers. High rise apartments. Buildings no different than what you might find in the Drift’s other major metropolises. The people on the other side of the fence stare at your passing car with concerned faces. They shrink back. They vanish into their houses. They look human. Only human. 

You haven’t gone far enough, you tell yourself. There’s more to this place. People like you, somewhere. There has to be. You come at last to a pair of enormous, ornate gates. To the right sits a small black building that reminds you of Compass Hill in the old days, a place where an unpleasant man would sit and scrutinize all the traffic that passed in and out of the textile factory. There is a man standing in the doorway of this building, too, face pinched with suspicion, muttering into a two-way radio. 

“This can’t be right,” you say weakly. 

Between the gates is a stone pillar with an embedded, gold-lettered plaque. “ANCHOR,” it says in stark, unwelcoming letters. “A PRIVATE GATED COMMUNITY.”

[NOW PLAYING ON THE RADIO: BLACK WATER BY TIMBER TIMBRE]

The man at the gates comes up to your window, tapping on it impatiently. “State your business,” he says. He’s scowling, his voice gruff and irritated. The old textile factory employees staffing the gate were security guards, dressed in blue shirts and black slacks, little radios clipped to their belts. This one wears black body armor, a bulky tactical vest and fatigues, his hand resting on the gun holstered on his leg. He looks like a mercenary.

He’s a stranger. This is probably his job. But the words, the bristling aggression in his stance, feel like a slap in the face. You’d thought—expected, maybe, dared to hope after the girl’s homecoming in Compass Hill—a different outcome, but no part of you was prepared for this. You thought you’d see it, at least. You didn’t think they wouldn’t let you in.

“What do you want?” he snaps. 

“I…” You’re stunned. You have no idea what to say. “I was…just…”

He glances into your backseat at Jamie’s bag and your assorted supplies. “There’s a different entrance for couriers,” he says. “What’s the delivery ID number?”

“I don’t—I don’t have one, I’m—”

“Excuse me, sir,” Jamie says, leaning closer to the window. “I’m from the University, Department of Paraphysics, here to conduct an inquiry. I sent word in advance that I would secure transport via courier.” They hold up an ID card. The man squints, his scowl deeper than before. He turns away and you hear him ask about someone about visiting University staff. He never lifts his other hand from his weapon. You feel sick to your stomach. Jamie squeezes your shoulder reassuringly. 

“There’s no record of a University inquiry request,” the man says.

“I’d imagine not,” Jamie says, “considering the sorry state of the road coming in. You’re lucky we made it here at all. Anchor is responsible for the management and maintenance of its entry roads. I’d like very much to speak with someone from the anchorware labs. The Department Chair is anxious to see this resolved as quickly as possible.” 

The man gives Jamie a look of pure, unrestrained contempt. He lifts the radio to his face but it crackles, someone else’s voice coming through. “You can let them through. I’m almost there.”

He doesn’t let you through. You glance at Jamie but Jamie is holding his hard, hateful stare without so much as blinking. 

Someone comes up to the gates from the other side. You feel like you’ve seen him before; in the city, passing you on the street. In a commercial with no speaking lines. On a billboard you glanced at for a fraction of a second. You recognize Bachman by his leather gloves and the strangeness inherent to the rest of him—facial features that fade from your mind the moment you’re no longer looking at him, conventionally attractive but instantly forgettable. 

“I said you could let them in,” he says. 

The man beside your car looks at Bachman with the same disdain he held for you, only thinly veiled. “Courier can wait out here, can’t they?” he says. 

Bachman’s smile is the same easygoing one you saw in Nelton right before he warned you not to eat anything. “Open the gate, Caesar.” 

The man scowls. He saunters back to his guard post with one last nasty look at you and Jamie. A moment later, there’s a metallic clanging and rattling. The gates swing slowly outward. Bachman steps aside and motions for you to pull in. You think about turning around and leaving instead, but you want to know. You want to see it, at least. You drive slowly through the open gates. Bachman walks around to your open window. 

“It’s probably best if you park near the courier gates. Leaving will be less of a hassle that way,” he says, his smile apologetic. “You see this road here? Just follow it straight, all the way down. You’ll see signs. All of the spots are open. I’ll meet you there.” 

You have so many questions but he’s already leaving, starting a slow, casual pace down the sidewalk. There are people standing around, staring at you. Now that you’re closer, you can see they give you the same looks Caesar did, apprehensive and hostile. You roll up your window, swallow your fear, and drive. Jamie is trying to reassure you, still rubbing your shoulder, but they’re keeping an eye on your surroundings. 

“I’ve never heard of this place,” you say quietly. “I guess it makes sense. I thought anchorware was called that because that’s what it does, but it’s named after the city where they make it.” You take a deep breath. Stay calm. Distract yourself. You’re determined to get something out of this. It’s a beautiful city, full of lush greenery, ritzy boutiques and bookshops, and a network of sparkling canals spanned by picturesque stone bridges. There are stores, suburbs, patches of farmland, industrial parks. You ignore the looks of open disgust following your car. 

Jamie nods. “It’s my understanding that Anchor often turns up at the very edge of the Drift, usually far from anything else. Most people have never been here. And aside from a fleet of anchorware technicians, people from Anchor prefer not to leave. They’re…” Jamie hesitates. You feel them looking at you, their eyes full of pity. “They’re very proud of their…normalcy. How little they’re affected by shifts.” 

You find the courier gate easily enough. It’s further from the suburbs and closer to the skyscrapers and offices of the business district. Bachman is just crossing the street, accompanied by an older man with graying temples, a matching burgundy suit and tie. They’re the only ones so far who’ve seemed happy to see you and you rush to greet them. Jamie is slower to get out of the car. They put on a smile that’s broad and convincing, but you’ve seen enough of their feigned nonchalance to spot the stiffness in it. 

“Mr. Tiptree,” they say, nodding to the man you thought was called Bachman. “Dr. Gallagher. I assume I have you to thank for getting me through the door.” 

Dr. Gallagher chuckles. “I’m terribly sorry about that, Dr. Higgs. You know we take our security very seriously, but I’ll see to it that you’re added to the permitted guest roster. Your next visit should be much smoother. Shall we?” 

“Do you mind if my courier accompanies us?” they ask. You feel their hand settle between your shoulder blades. “They’re just finishing up their apprenticeship and will be enrolled next year. They’ll be joining my research team, of course. I’d like them to get properly acquainted with the facilities.” The lie rolls off their tongue easily. You hope this won’t get them into trouble later. Dr. Gallagher regards you with newfound interest and glances up and down, appraising you. 

“I don’t see why not,” he says. You can’t tell what he’s thinking. His smile is cordial but not overly friendly. He starts leading the three of you into town, towards a massive, harshly angular slab of modern architecture, a pincushion of skywalks connecting it to a cluster of smaller neighboring buildings. He walks beside Jamie, in front of you and Bachman.

“I’m glad to see you got out of Nelton unscathed,” Bachman says. 

“Ah. Right.” You pass other people on the sidewalk, giving you the same unnerved glare as all the rest. “Is…am I misremembering your name?” 

“I go by a number of different names for personal reasons. You can call me whichever one you remember.” 

“What’s your real name?” 

He smiles. “I’ve been hoping you would find your way here,” he says. 

These must be the anchorware labs, you think, finding yourself in a brightly lit, cold-looking lobby. The first set of doors is automatic but the second set requires Dr. Gallagher to flash his badge in front of a scanner. The floor is polished to a reflective shine and the walls are glass, long hallways flanked by server rooms, data centers, teams of researchers puzzling over scribble-filled white boards. For the first time in your life, there is no pull, no invisible string lodged in your chest. Your heart tells you that you’re home but it must be mistaken. 

Jamie and Dr. Gallagher stop in front of some sort of inspection room, people hunched over small, dissected anchorware boxes, metallic components scattered across tables. They’re talking about the tunnel, about increasing numbers of reported malfunctions and how the shifts are getting faster.

“Would you like to sit down?” Bachman asks. You nod weakly. He tells Dr. Gallagher you’re stepping into the hallway. He gives the briefest nod in acknowledgement and doesn’t even look at either of you. Bachman starts walking. You follow, unsure of what else to do. There are more computer terminals, more labs, more anchorware assembly lines. Eventually, you reach a break room with a round table and a coffee maker. The wall is floor to ceiling window, a view of a garden growing along the canal right outside. Bachman pulls out a chair for you. He sits beside you rather than across from you. His hand on your shoulder makes you look up, startled.

“Are you alright?” he says.

You don’t even know where to begin. “Why is everyone staring at me?”

“They’re not used to you. Anchor is a somewhat isolated community. New faces take some getting used to, they always do. We had a few new residents move in from Prismville not too long ago and it took some time for them to get settled in, but they’re part of the community now.”

“People move here?” 

Bachman chuckles. “I don’t know what you think this place is, courier, but it’s nothing scary or sinister.” 

You don’t believe him. You grew up in a place like this. The old Compass Hill went out of its way to look pretty and perfect, to build luxury shopping centers and expensive homes and beautified green spaces, so no one would notice how ugly it really was. “Then why have gates? Why keep people out?” 

“For security. This is the only anchorware plant in the whole Drift. The chameleite mines rely on us, and so does the entire supply chain reliant on different chameleite tinges. So does Nelton’s processing plant. So does Compass Hill’s delicate infrastructure, and the entire University. This isn’t a responsibility we take lightly.” His gaze softens. He shifts closer, rubbing your arm. “I know it’s frustrating, especially for a courier. Gates and walls and things like that just get in the way. But sometimes they’re necessary. Anchorware isn’t some frivolous accessory. It’s the backbone of the Drift. We keep things normal. We don’t always get it right, but we’re constantly working on the technology, fixing mistakes and repairing anything that goes wrong—”

“I have to go,” you say hoarsely. You’re on your feet before he can stop you, hurrying back the way you came. Bachman trails behind, calling out to you. You ignore him. You walk faster. Jamie is where you left them with Dr. Gallagher, their expression more pinched and impatient than before. They look up when you approach, forced smile vanishing in an instant. 

“We haven’t heard from Dr. Higgs senior in some time, but I understand she’s very busy with a new project,” Dr. Gallagher says, like you’re not even there. “It’s a shame, I’d hoped to offer her a position at the lab here. An absolutely brilliant woman, your mother, although your recent papers have really impressed me, too. We pay much better than the University, you know.” 

“What’s wrong?” Jamie asks. You try to speak. All that comes out is a sob. “Excuse me, Dr. Gallagher, I have to step out for a moment.” He looks disappointed but Jamie doesn’t hesitate or look back. They wrap their hand around yours and squeeze, lacing your fingers together. You keep your gaze on Jamie’s back, the gray weave of their sweater. It’s the only safe place to rest your eyes. You feel people watching. You hear them whispering. Tears prick your eyes. By the time you’re back outside, you’re starting to cry. 

Jamie stops just outside your car to wrap their arms around you, cradling your head against their shoulder. “I’m sorry,” they whisper. “I’m so sorry.” 

“I don’t understand,” you croak. “It’s supposed to be here. Where is everyone? Where—?” You choke back a sob. This is a mistake. It has to be. You’re wrong, your heart is wrong, it’s all mixed up because of the tunnel. Maybe it’s further east, or maybe you just didn’t go far enough. You get in the car still sniffling and rubbing your eyes because you can’t bear to be here a second longer. There is someone stationed at the courier entrance. They do not hesitate to let you out, you notice, and the gates slam shut behind you.

You drive. Without cargo to deliver, without a destination in mind, without anything to guide you, you drive. The gates vanishes behind you. The iron fence disappears into the fog. The tug returns, beckoning you back to Anchor. You feel hopelessly lost. Jamie doesn’t say anything. You see them fidget, glancing at you and glancing away. You turn on the radio, desperate for noise and distraction. You don’t know what you’re going to do now. You don’t know how to deal with this crushing emptiness inside of you, a void in the pit of your stomach. You just drive. 

“Maybe we should pull over somewhere for a bit,” Jamie says quietly. You nod, not really listening. Not sure of anything anymore, what you feel, what you want. “Just for a bit. Maybe stop for some food in the next town. Does that sound good?” You nod again reflexively. A sign passes. Jamie seems happy to see it. You nod at the next thing they say, whatever it is.

In the depths of your despair and your weariness, you’re only faintly, distantly aware of the terrain becoming familiar, forest fading to smalltown friendliness. You don’t recall why these faint, earthy scents stoke fear in the back of your mind. Incense, you think. Herbs and spices. Smoked meats.

You’re hungry, you realize. Hungrier than you have ever been before.

(next)

[finethingswellworn]

Stede's arc is hitting me so hard.

Because of course. Of fucking course this would happen. It was almost inevitable and the inevitability is crushing me.



Stede has spent his whole life being mocked for being soft or being written off completely. Never, not once, before he found his crew and Ed, did he receive love, care, or validation from anyone.

We see in Stede's perfect fantasy dream at the beginning of the season what he thinks he needs to do to win Ed's heart, to be a "man." That being your typical macho dudebro shit. Vanquishing Izzy, fighting, impressing Ed with his newfound pirate skills.

Then, he actually manages to get Ed back and he thinks the way to keep him is to be someone he isn't, really, because he still, after all this time, doesn't realize that Ed wants him as he is. Soft, kind, gentle.

As Ed says, Stede appeared to Ed as a sparkly fucking merperson and it was that Stede who saved Ed's life. Not as some great champion but as a weird, ethereal creature of the fucking deep. If Ed wanted someone to fight for him, he could have had his choice years and years and years ago.

But father Bonnet's words are still ringing in Stede's ears, even now. "Soft-handed, lily-livered little rich boy." So when Ed and his crew are threatened, Stede finally has the chance to do something about it. He kills Ned.

Just like when he got rid of Nigel, he's rewarded for it. Except, this time, it's not only by his crew. It's by the whole pirate community. A community that had once laughed at him, thrown drinks on him, humiliated him in every possible way. A community that he'd wanted so desperately to impress for so long.

It might be simple to say that Stede did all this just to impress Ed, and that's certainly a factor in it, but it goes a waaaaay deeper than that. There's a huge part of Stede that wants this, wants to be feared and respected, admired and valued in the way that Blackbeard used to be. He's said it from the first: "If I could only be... like Blackbeard... I'd give all of this away." It's a not-so-secret craving of his, the craving of a man who has been systematically disrespected and ignored his entire life.

"NOTICE ME!"

"SEE ME!"

"Can't YOU TELL I'M DIFFERENT NOW, (even if I've turned my back on everything I am, wrecked all my previous relationships to chase after this new, shiny thing,) SO FINALLY YOU'LL WANT ME, YOU'LL LET ME INTO YOUR CIRCLE."

And they do, for a time. The other pirates actually fucking do.

Oh, the thrill. Oh, the exhilaration. The wave of euphoria of that... it's like a drug. It sweeps everything else aside, everyone else who might love you enough to tell you this isn't who you are or what you should be doing. It whispers sweet, sweet nothings in your ear. Makes you act like a total jackass and everybody's loving it, loving you.

You start thinking: "I can do this. I can really do this. This is the new me. I don't have to be my lame old self who people have always looked down on in disgust or pity or both anymore. What a relief! I can be this cool guy who everyone likes."

Stede doesn't understand that he's doing the exact same thing Ed did with Calico Jack. No, the thrill is too overwhelming for that. He doesn't understand that, if Ed had bothered to stick around longer to talk, he probably would have said: "I don't like who you are around these guys."

It's not that Ed doesn't want Stede to be successful, it's that he doesn't want it like this. He doesn't want to be a pirate at all. He wants to do something simple like run an inn. But Stede's still too high on that recently acquired infamy and validation to notice Ed's discomfort with the situation. Or his own.

Until, all at once, he's in way over his head. He realizes, "Oh shit, I can't do this." He's beaten and battered, rendered pathetic yet again, and the only people who still care for him are the people he started out with. His crew, begging him to plead mercy. Because everyone else has died or left him as soon as he wasn't the toughest one in the room.

And here we leave him, having made a laundry list of mistakes, with everything up in flames and Ed gone. A new low. A hard lesson. But a necessary one.

This fucking show!

[imavillainok]

Introducing my new Feitan and Psyche (OC) fanfiction: Crimson Bound !

Feitan, a member of the Phantom Troupe, finds a mysterious young girl named Psyche and takes her in. From a young age, Feitan learned to fend for himself on the streets, while Psyche's mysterious past left her struggling to fit in with the group. Despite her lack of communication, the Troupe sees something special in her and accepts her as one of their own. As they grow up together, Feitan and Psyche develop a close bond and navigate the dangerous world of the Troupe.

I've had so much fun writing this fanfiction, and I hope that you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I've included a banner below to give you a visual representation of Feitan and Psyche, and I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback!

For those who are interested in reading the full fanfiction, you can find it here [Crimson Bound]. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I can't wait to hear what you all think! I will post it here on tumblr as well

CLICK HERE TO READ IT ON TUMBLR !

Please note that Feitan will speak just like in the manga. He talks different in this story. Just like the "I no like Hisoka" "Why you not chase them?" kind.

It's been a while since I first created Psyche, my own original character for the world of Hunter x Hunter. I remember reading a lot of reader insert stories and tried to visualize a character to use for Y/N. I started using picrew to imagine what character would I want it to look like, trying to come up with a character that would make me smile. And that's how Psyche was born.

At first, she was just a silly girl with blue hair and a mysterious aura. But as I kept commissioning drawings for her and writing short scenes about her, she started to take on a life of her own. I imagined her as a member of the Phantom Troupe, with a tragic backstory and incredible powers. She's not just a character with no life.

I started sharing the drawings and scenes with other fans of Hunter x Hunter way back 2021 on my old tumblr blog, and to my surprise, people really seemed to like Psyche. I received messages of encouragement and support, and even some fanart from other artists who were inspired by her story. Even my irl friends like her, sometimes they ask for more stories about her and what is she like. It was amazing to see how this character existed in another person's life.

As I delved deeper into the lore and fandom of Hunter x Hunter, I began to imagine a story for Psyche, one that would explore her origins, her abilities, and her relationships with Feitan and other members of the Phantom Troupe. I wrote short scenes, commissioned artworks, and shared them on social media, hoping to find other fans who shared my fascination with this elusive character.

Over time, Psyche became more than just a fictional character to me. She became a source of inspiration. As I wrote and drew more about her, I realized that I was also creating a version of myself, a persona that embodied the qualities I wanted to have or express in my life but couldn't. This might also be a case for some people out there. I am a silent, reserved and shy person, quite the opposite of who Psyche is.

Of course, Psyche is not a perfect or happy character. She has gone through many hardships and traumas, both as a creature from a dangerous continent and as a member of a ruthless gang. She has struggled with communication, identity, and loyalty, as well as with her own powers and desires. Yet, I see in her a potential for growth, for self-discovery, and for making a difference in the world, even if it's a dark and chaotic one.

Now, years later, I still think about Psyche from time to time. Even though she's not a canon character, she has a special place in my heart. She's And I hope that one day, I'll be able to tell her story in a way that does justice to her strength and complexity.

I am grateful for the creators of Hunter x Hunter for introducing me to Psyche, and for the people who share my admiration for her.

So here's to Psyche, my silly little girl. Thank you for being a source of inspiration and comfort all these years.

[cookinguptales]

wwdits tarot: the lovers

I’m a hopeless romantic and you all already know that. I will not apologize for anything that is about to transpire.

Let's do VI. The Lovers.

Okay, real talk tho, The Lovers is not always about literal lovers. It’s about pairs and duality. This can mean relationships -- sometimes a romantic one, sometimes just a relationship with someone else who’s important to you. Family, friends, a business partner, etc. 

When it comes to the relationships reading of this card, the important part is a sense of harmony. These are two people who trust each other implicitly and communicate well. This card is usually either telling a person to depend on this relationship or work towards achieving it.

There is a secondary meaning to this card, too, though. The pair can also be a pair of choices. The card won’t tell you which to choose, but instead calls on a person to look inside for a better understanding of which path to take. 

In other words, at its heart The Lovers is a card about knowing yourself. It tells you to look inside and figure out who you are and what you want. It calls for perfect openness and honesty, even when it's difficult. This will help strengthen your relationships but also help you make difficult choices.

All that out of the way… I really went back and forth on this one.  I always knew that I wanted Laszlo and Nadja to be on this one; not only are they literal lovers (the lovers of all time, honestly) but they really do trust each other and communicate on a level that bewilders and charms us all.

But… after a lot of thought, I’ve decided to deviate from tradition a bit and put more than one pair on here. Some of this is my own sentimentality, I’ll admit, but I think I also want to go a little bit deeper with this card.

The Lovers, when reversed, is about disharmony, both in your relationships and within yourself. It means you don’t know who you are and it means that you’re not communicating with full honesty and understanding in your closest relationships. And when upright, the card is a tacit warning against this. It’s a card that tells us to value our relationships, but also to carefully evaluate them and whether we’re being fully open with our loved ones and cognizant of what we want.

So… I think what I want here is an example of the harmony that this card represents, but also an example of the potential that this card seeks to realize.

So I’ve decided to make this a card of harmony, but also disharmony. Emotional closeness, but also distance. Being true to yourself, but also lying to yourself to protect yourself from uncertainty.

Yeah, I want to put Nandor and Guillermo on here, too.

I’m sure I don’t have to go into a lot of detail about Laszlo and Nadja and why they belong on this card. They’ve been together for centuries, they've grown together, and they communicate very well. They are keenly aware of the other’s emotional state and every time they have to keep anything from each other, it seems to physically wound them.

What really gets me, though, is the way they’ve helped each other flourish. That detail in s4 about how, due to abuse and neglect, Laszlo had a very difficult time expressing his emotions until Nadja worked with him for hundreds of years. She saw that potential in him and she supported him until she was finally able to draw it out. And he supports (most of) her murders and harebrained schemes without question. He believes in that beautiful, fierce peasant girl that he met all those centuries ago, and he will fight anyone who tries to disparage her.

Through knowing each other, they've come to know themselves, which is really the key to The Lovers. Seeing themselves through their partner's eyes has allowed them to see truths about themselves they might not have otherwise seen, and has allowed for a kind of open confidence that both accomplish through the support of the other.

Love that for them. Love those two weirdos. ;o;

And when I look at Nandor and Guillermo now, I see the beginnings of something like that. Both of them are able to be themselves with each other in a way they can’t with anyone else, and they have a trust and dependence on one another that doesn’t always seem earned. But… they’re not all the way there yet. They aren’t fully open with each other. They don’t live in harmony together. Their communication is frankly abysmal. They aren’t quite in full card reversal but at times it feels close.

So to me, I feel like we have The Lovers card in both of these relationships, to some degree. We have the platonic ideal of the card, an almost perfect partnership where the two of them are deeply in harmony with one another… and we’ve got the kind of relationship that The Lovers feels like it’s there to treat. The kind that needs to listen to this card's advice to become its final form. The reversal that is slowly being turned upright.

There’s an inherent potential in The Lovers, and I feel like I wanted to capture that as well as the ideal definition of the card. Because just like a great relationship has helped Nadja and Laszlo understand themselves, I think Nandor and Guillermo also need to be honest with themselves so they can be honest with each other. I think that, like Nadja and Laszlo, the health of their relationship is inextricably tied to self-knowledge and the choices they make.

So… The Lovers is a card about relationships but also about knowing yourself and making choices. It’s about the end result (having a great relationship) but also the time spent getting there (learning to open up and be honest with yourself and your partner). It is a card that doesn't necessarily describe the now, but what can be.

And it's a card that sternly warns against letting lies and misunderstandings ruin your relationships.

Anyway... yeah. I want both of these relationships on the card to show the different stages of the same idea, so to speak, and for this more than any other card I have a very specific idea about imagery.

I’ll show you the RSW card first, but I’ll warn you that I’m about to make a departure.

The RSW version of this card depicts a vision of Eden. Adam and Eve and the archangel Raphael. (He is an angel of the air, and the symbol associated with this card is… well, obviously it’s Gemini. lmao) So you’ve got these two lovers, but also the tree of good/evil there to represent choice. It represents both meanings of the card.

For the vampires, though, there’s an image that immediately came to mind when I thought of The Lovers, and it’s this:

(censored for your comfort)

In WWDITS, Laszlo and Nadja are often paired together for interviews, as are Nandor and Guillermo. But while Nadja and Laszlo are often presented as a unified front (sitting close together on the couch, holding hands between chairs, standing huddled together as they plot), Nandor and Guillermo are often either posed on unfair standing or several feet apart. Maybe Nandor is sitting and Guillermo is standing to his side. Maybe Nandor is on one side of the room, in the foreground, and Guillermo is on the other, by the door. The two are sitting in separate chairs, not touching. A game of strategy lies between them. The two of them maintain a certain distance.

This framing is very consistent with both pairs.

What’s interesting to me, though, is what happens when both pairs are together in the same frame. What we sometimes get is a frame like this, where Laszlo and Nadja are together in the center of the couch, and Nandor and Guillermo are together behind the couch — but on opposite ends of it.

I’ve always thought that dichotomy was fascinating. Together and apart, but both still paired. Moreover, what gets me is that Nadja and Laszlo often have an absent-minded intimacy; they will hold hands without even looking at each other. On the other hand, Nandor and Guillermo will steal looks at each other across the room, but they do not touch. It’s an appeal for intimacy, but one that is rarely fully met.

So if I were to make a card featuring both pairs, both together and apart, I would have a scene where the four are being interviewed. Laszlo and Nadja together in the center of the couch, holding hands and turned slightly toward each other as they look at the camera. And behind them, Nandor and Guillermo behind the couch, standing several feet apart but also just barely turned toward each other. And unlike Laszlo and Nadja, who stare straight ahead, secure in their intimacy, Nandor and Guillermo are pretending that they aren’t both stealing glances at the other.

(No angels allowed! This is an antichrist-ian show, thank you.)

And who knows! Maybe one day the two of them will actually listen to the advice of The Lovers, talk to each other frankly, and end up framed more like this!

no one is allowed to make fun of me for my decisions for this card okay bye

wwdits tarot masterpost

[iamthecomet]

I was looking back at some of my old SwissDew fics, and the thing I'm currently thinking about with them is that the first time they ever, like, had an emotional conversation one on one, Swiss had to really hold back his frustration with Dew's inability to really... explain his shit.

Like, his natural reaction would be to get annoyed that Dew isn't owning up to/telling him what's wrong or going on with him, but he decides to just wait and let Dew get his thoughts in order, and... wow, Dew is surprisingly open and honest about things when he doesn't feel like he's under attack for not being able to answer right away.

And that's kind of when Swiss realizes, maybe, Dew is just being defensive more than actually, ya know, rude, and that that's probably why Aether treats him the way he does, and that there might be some merit to stopping and reassessing a situation before diving off the deep end.

Anyway, after that, Swiss tries to listen more and Dew seems more genuine when he apologizes/admits when he's fucked up more often, because he doesn't immediately feel like he's on trial, and...

Healthy communication between two people who struggle with that sort of thing, ya know?

Dew also confides in him more about other things, too, after that, like, he tells him when he's not feeling good, or, hell, Swiss even learns basic things about him he never learned/knew because they never really sat down to talk before.

Like, Swiss learning Dew can be incredibly silly/a bit of a goofball in a weirdly wholesome kind of way, or Dew learning that Swiss is a really good cook even if he always seems to mess around while he's in the kitchen.

Just two nerds discovering how to make their relationship work.

ASDKJHFASDLFA H They're adorable. I love your Swiss and Dew so much. Communication is so messy sometimes and these two are the perfect illustration of that. Neither of them are really the sit down and talk it out type. And they both tend to take everything at face value. Like, Dew being a dick is just Dew being a dick. Swiss doesn't see a reason to dig deeper than that. But then slowly figuring it out? Talking to each other more in slow bursts. Dew finally sighing and telling Swiss why he was being a dick and Swiss going oh shit, I just thought you were being an asshole. They both start to realize that neither of them are exactly what they appear on the surface. They both have walls up--armor--spikes. And they are so much better at grinding their armor together than they are at taking the pieces off and seeing the bruises beneath. And when they finally do start looking under the defensive attitudes they find so many hidden things. So many pieces of each other to explore. They're the kind of people who know everything about each other, but in a weirdly casual way. Like of course Dew knows what Swiss' favorite movie/meal/blanket is. But he's not going around spouting it. But he is grabbing Swiss' blanket on his way to movie night in the common room so they can curl up under it together. Swiss and Dew's sometimes complicated relationship is SO important to me, and I really do adore the way you write them together. They're just so good to each other (most of the time).

[rinadragomir]

Julie Plec and convenient diversity 🙃

Okay so when I found out they chose a British guy to play Dimitri I was a bit upset but in a super chill way cause 1)he looks fantastic 2) British accent kinda reminds me of Russian so I thought they not gonna have any problems with working on it.

Then my Tumblr friend made a post and I found out they erased that part of him. TV show Dimitri is not Russian anymore. I was kinda confused cause 1)then why would he have a Russian name👀 2)what about the fact that Rose spends the whole book in Russia, what about Roza, what about half of their jokes😟

BUT TODAY 🤡I FOUND OUT 🤡WHAT THAT PIECE OF HUMAN 🤡SAID ABOUT THAT CHANGE 🤡

Okay it's not a literal quote but it's almost it:

Dimitri is not Russian anymore, you'll be fine with it when you learn more about that amazing man playing his role.......It was important for us to convey the spirit of modernity, to show today's world with all the diversity of its cultural idiosyncrasies. Accent, origin and race do not matter because we are all part of the same community.

That clown living her clown life 🎪

Okay let's see

So she put 1) diversity is important, we all different and it's cool to show it AND 2)why diversity if we're the same person? 🥺 IN ONE FUCKING SENTENCE?!?!????!

Julie Plec literally said: OF COURSE diversity is important, we have Black Americans! Latins, Chinese guys...or not Chinese, I mean asian people = only Chinese right? And of course ...*whispers* I can't remember more..... um.....what? Turks? what is it? Turkey? Like ...Turkey on Thanksgiving day?🥺Yeah? Russian? Russia... sounds familiar where is it👀ugh nevermind some white dudes, they sound like British anyway

I forgot to mention I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THE CAST they're babies and they do the best they can, their acting is the reason I watched that trailer✋they just do their job and do it perfect

I have BIG ISSUES with creators of this show

⚠️Before some of you start with your American "um bitch u know dat black people live in Turkey and British people live in Russia and Latin people live in Romania" I'll say: they definitely MIGHT live there, tho I've never seen anything like this in any of these countries (I live in one of them and I've been in two others

But after Dimitri being a British announcement, there's no way Rose is Turkish. No fucking way. No one actually cares about the diversity. Diversity is a thing ONLY when it comes to people who live in America.

When people from Turkey, Russia, Romania even slightly open their mouth EVERYONE SHUTS THEM UP with "um....white dudes talking again 😴we have Black and Asian people, others don't actually exist👁️👄👁️)

If you think that "WOW we have a cool beautiful black girl as a lead, finally some good fucking food, finally a WELL WRITTEN WOMAN OF COLOR"

no think again😍you really believe that a woman who thought "ugh....idk all of these Turkish and Russian....ugh language, traditions are so hard🥺" will MAKE AN EFFORT?! To write a proper black lead girl? Seriously? I have some news

If you look at the cast and think "we have a proper diverse cast! That's so great! Different cultures were so important in the books, I'm sure tv show creators will explore this topic even deeper" you're poor innocent silly soul, that's who you are.

👉🏻IT'S NOT ABOUT AN "AdApTaTiOn" IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THESE BOOKS AND THEY DON'T WANT TO, BUT THEIR LITTLE DAMAGE BRAINS CAN'T COME UP WITH THEIR OWN NEW UNIQUE STORY (and even when they can, it's so fucking bad, no one wants to watch it), SO THEY TAKE A POPULAR TITLE AND MAKE THEIR OWN SHIT PRETENDING IT'S ALL THE SAME CAUSE THEY DIDN'T CHANGE CHARACTERS NAMES. 👈🏻

And a little reminder how people look outside of England and the USA for my beloved Julie Plec and people saying "real diversity is here, who needs these white guys on the screen" (Turkish, Romanian, Russian)