#im not constrained by rules

[xamaxenta]

monster hunter au stuff

[nature-played-a-trick-on-me]

Yearning for an outdoor space I can sit alone without going crazy from traffic pollution, and can hang my laundry out to dry. And having a washing machine in my apartment. And having a freezer inside my apartment. And not live near a main road oh my god.

[fangomango]

Not doin anything for smsw today cause I have 0 ocs for the things i like but poking up and very annoying edit for Friday (Thursday just gonna be stopped together so I can work on friday)

[munsonify]

hey!! i was rewatching season 3 and steve is just so cute, im sorry but if he tried to flirt with me at scoops ahoy, i would say yes!! i was thinking about a fic where they knew of each other in high school but were never friends then she runs into him working at scoops ahoy and he starts flirting BUT SHE ACTUALLY IS LIKE FLIRTING BACK AND HES SO FLUSTERED. and like they go out and it’s lowkey cute and afterwards is just some good classic steve smut

MUCH LOVE 💕

hey!! i adore this idea!! i’ve always loved season 3 steve and idc what anyone else says. sending love and apologies for taking so long, i hope you enjoyed this!!! (this fic ended up way longer than i expected im so sorry i dragged some of this shit on).

shoots and scoops

pairing. steve harrington x fem!reader

summary. after steve boldly starts flirting with you - his old classmate - at scoops ahoy, you take the opportunity and run with it.

warning/s. 18+ smut mdni, harmless flirty banter, possible ooc steve, steve calling r honey, steve calling r an idiot (affectionate), kissing/making out, hickeys, body worship kind of? (f!&m!receiving), oral (f!receiving), fingering (f!receiving), handjob, piv sex (protected), hand holding during sex, alludes to aftercare

word count. 6560

———

“well ahoy beautiful!”

your first instinct was to laugh - a deep, chest heavy chuckle that startled you when you felt it coming. you choked it down quickly, a slight wheeze slipping out in replace. it sounded slightly of a scoff.

the man standing in front of you was the last person you’d think would be flirting with you. steve harrington, whose hair was finally being constrained in a lousy sailor hat, stood with a flirtatious smile that has never been thrown your way. you know he hated how flat it looked, even if you barely spoke to him during high school. the man who always had every strand of hair placed perfectly would be caught dead before messing with his routine.

that was until now, which you assumed was not his choice.

it was a split second decision for you to respond the way you did. what the hell, right?

“ahoy handsome. nice hat,” you teased with a giggle. your eyes were bright behind your lashes as you look up at the man. he knew then he was a goner. a lump formed in his throat and his cheeks tinted pink quickly as he reaches up and takes it off.

you hear steve mumble something about a ‘stupid uniform’ as he drops the hat to the ground. in a weak attempt to try and redeem himself, he starts to ramble, moving away from your last comment. you’d never seen him get this way.

admittedly, you loved it.

“what can i get you, sweetheart? u.s.s. butterscotch? a banana split? plain chocolate? my number?”

you giggled at his last offer. for a second you thought, and for a second or two longer you faking-ly thought some more. you needed to make sure you didn’t come off as desperate. or at least too desperately.

you were honestly loving this attention.

“depends. how much does the latter cost?” offering him a sweet grin.

“just a date with me.”

your grin grew, and you knew you couldn’t resist.

“give me a scoop of u.s.s. butterscotch too and we’ll call it a deal.”

———

the moment you left with his number in one hand and a bowl of ice cream in the other, steve whipped around to find robin. he found her with her whiteboard propped up, marker with the cap still on. he was quick to snatch it from her hand, putting down two tallies under ‘you rule’.

“two? steve it was one girl,” robin protested, trying to wipe away the second tally. steve was quicker, moving the board to sit next to his discarded hat.

“she flirted back and i bagged a date with her. that deserves two.” he spun around to face the front of the store again, smoothing his hair back with a smug smirk. “i’m so back.”

———

a soft knock at your front door made your heart skip a beat. it’d been two days since you’d ran into steve at scoops, the flimsy napkin he wrote his number on the back of still on your nightstand, folded neatly. his voice sounded more smooth and confident over the phone. you could tell he talked himself up before answering to cool his nerves.

you checked yourself out in the mirror in passing, before moving to the door, opening it after a long, deep breath.

there steve was, hair done in his usual way. he wore a nice, short sleeved shirt that showed off his freckles biceps nicely, and a pair of his nicest blue jeans. you nearly poked fun at him for finally covering up his thighs, but you stopped yourself at the sight of the flowers in his hands. you settled on something a little less narrow. you definitely didn’t want him to think you were staring at him or anything.

“hey there sailor,” you greeted with a small smile, your eyes bright as you stare up at him. you tried looking in his eyes to avoid his toned arms, though his eyes were just as disarming. they’re a warm honey that make you fold.

“hey you,” his smile was just as pretty as his eyes. steve held the flowers in front of him, and you noticed how tight his grip was on the stems. was he as nervous as you were right now?

your heart skipped another beat at the way your fingers brushed against his when he passes you the flowers. in a desperate attempt to contain yourself, you welcomed him in and thanked him, rushing around to find a vase to set the beautiful flowers inside of. you weren’t worried about cutting the stems down or filling it with water just yet, only worried about your heart not falling out of your chest and straight into steve’s hands.

whether good or bad, you knew this was gonna be a long night.

———

it was a sweet night. steve treated you to dinner and a drive-in movie in which you spoke through most of. much to your surprise, you found it very easy to talk to the man. he was easy going in a way he never was in high school. his usual nonchalant attitude wasn’t as prominent anymore. you liked it.

“ya know,” steve whispered, leaning over towards you. his lips were right next to your face, only a few inches away from gracing your skin as he spoke. you were glad it was so dark, hopefully your blush wasn’t too prominent. “i betcha i could do that.”

by that, you were assuming steve meant karate. up on the screen was ralph macchio, side by side with mr miyagi in the second rendition of the karate kid. a small giggle rippled through your chest, eyes rolling playful as you turn a little to look at him. your faces were inches away, noses nearly brushing against each other. you could feel his warm breath against your skin. it smelt faintly of spearmint - he must’ve slipped himself a mint after dinner.

“you’re an idiot,” you teased, staring right into his eyes. “there’s no way in hell you could do that. you’re no macchio!”

“i am too! you haven’t seen my kickass fighting skills yet, you wouldn’t know,” steve exclaimed, still in a quiet tone. he’s speaking like he’s gotten into loads of fights before. “but i can promise you i could clear him, easy.”

steve was so certain in himself. you always knew him to be a little cocky, so this wasn’t much of a surprise to you. what was a surprise was how much you liked it. god were you screwed.

———

the drive back home was nice. you spoke to each other about how you enjoyed the movie, steve still convinced he could do karate. he even tried showing off, whacking his hand off the steering wheel like an idiot. that and the little wince he let out sent you into a fit of giggles you struggled to control. it wasn’t until the man shook his head, whispering a small ‘alright, alright’ that you managed to suppress them.

what really pushed you into silence was that same hand moving to rest against your thigh as steve drove. the sudden display of affection made you freeze. you weren’t repulsed or ungrateful for the sudden touch, only caught off guard. your teeth began to toy with your bottom lip in a weak attempt to contain yourself. you were so glad you were pulling into your driveway.

one of steve’s large hands pressed against the small of your back, gently guiding you to the front door of your house. he heard the way your breath caught in your throat and stayed there. the boy hadn’t even let go of you yet and you were already mourning the loss of his touch. in just a few minutes you knew he’d let go and be gone.

“i loved talking to you tonight,” steve spoke, his voice soft. he seemed fond, content.

“me too,” you told him, a small smile playing on your lips. it was almost shy. you watched as steves eyes flickered down to them, shiny with lipgloss you recently reapplied. the hand on your back moved to gently cup the side of your face. his thumb swiped slowly against your cheek, eyes gazing into yours.

“can i kiss you?” all you could do was nod. steve’s free hand found its way to your hip, gently pulling you towards him. his body slotted against yours perfectly, broad chest and strong arms practically enclosing you in. man did he smell good.

steve’s lips finally found his way towards yours, soft and inviting. they slotted between yours in a kiss that made your head swirl. if he didn’t have such a good grip on you you were sure you’d fall over from dizziness.

the kiss only lasted for a few too short seconds, your hands finding their way to his chest sometime during then. it took you a few moments to compose yourself enough to let your eyes flutter open. when you did, you caught glimpse of steve’s pretty eyes gazing at you, cheeks rosy pink and warm.

he let a soft sigh slip from his mouth. in a way, it felt painful for him to pull away from you. steve let his fingertips graze against your cheekbone, before dropping his hand to his side. the grip on your hip, however, stayed. his lips parted gently, mind swirling with thoughts he tried to get ahold of. he wanted to say something, but you really had a grip on his lungs. he wanted to stay, follow you to your bedroom. he wanted to feel your soft skin against his. he wanted to know what you tasted like. god, he had to stop. he didn’t want to mess things up by being to ahead of himself.

“would you wanna stay?” steve’s eyes went wide. everything from the tone of your voice to the way you stared up at him through your eyelashes screamed you wanted him too. needed him to. you about look as desperately as he felt. and, just like you before, all he could do was nod.

gripping the collar of his shirt, you gently pulled steve back down for another kiss. it was more heated this time, deep and needy, slow. a low hum reverberated in his chest, rattling against yours, eventually reaching your perfect lips. you blindly began to search behind you, a hand desperately trying to find the handle to your door.

steve helped, breaking the kiss for only a few moments, opening the door and pushing the two of you through it. the only thing he did was make sure it shut behind you two before his lips were back on yours, he let you slowly guide him in a stumble towards your room, arms holding each other steady as you make your way down the lengthy hallway.

on any other occasion, you’d be a little embarrassed by how cluttered your room was right now. your dirty laundry basket was overflowing, failed outfits from before the date in a small pile somewhere on the floor. the only thing you seemed to care about was getting steve out of these tight jeans of his.

once you secured your bedroom door shut, the man was careful with guiding you towards your slightly untidied bed. he let you lay down first, watching as you rest up on your elbows towards the top of your bed. steve was quick to climb up right after you, and even quicker with his hands, pawing at your waist as he leans down to connect your lips again.

a hand found its way to his hair, threading your fingers through it to tug his face closer to yours. it was a deep kiss, one that made you dizzy again. you were grateful for the soft landing behind your head in the case you do need to fall back.

steve’s lips parted after a while of your slow make out, tongue brushing against your lips in a plead. you let your lips part immediately, letting your tongue meet his, warm and desperate for more. finally, the man adjusted himself above you, gently moving to rest between your now parted thighs. when your lower halves connected you realized just how much trouble you’d be in.

his thick, heavy bulge pressed right against your covered heat when he settled in, letting his weight rest against you gently. even then, with the barriers between you two, you could tell steve was big. with the pressure still settled between your thighs, he adjusted himself slightly to rest against one of his forearms, pressing it right next to your side. his other hand started slowly exploring your body.

steve didn’t let his touch breach your clothes yet, despite the both of you desperately wanting him to. he was being respectfully, hand caressing up your waist, smoothing against your body until it settled beneath one of your tits, cupping slightly, yet not touching the supple skin. the boy could feel the way your bottom lip pouted out slightly into the kiss.

with that, steve pulled slowly away from the kiss, a small string of spit connected your lips briefly before it snaps. his eyes slowly opened, meeting yours in a droopy, heavy stare. somehow, he looked even more desperate than before. his hand drops down from its place beneath your chest, fingers beginning to toy with the hem of your shirt. he looked into your eyes in a desperate plead.

“can i?” steve whispered, not willing to move any further without your permission. you were quick to nod, almost too quick. if you weren’t so pent up you were sure you’d kick yourself for it.

you helped the man slide your shirt off your body, watching him discard of it on your floor amongst the other clothing of yours. steve still didnt seem to notice the mess, though, evidently preoccupied with something else. his eyes scanned your torso as respectfully as he could manage. he seemed to be memorizing your smooth skin - he admired the way your waist and hips curved (even through your shorts), the way your stomach pudges at, the way your tits sat perfectly inside of your bra.

that’s exactly where one of steves hands went next, behind your back to feel for the clasp of your bra. you gave him an encouraging nod, eyes trailing against his face, catching the freckles against his cheekbone. he was quick with pinching the clasp undone, something you were sure he’d practiced tons of times. while he was quick to unclasp your bra, he was slow to pull your straps down. steve let his fingers dance against the smooth skin of your arms, goosebumps waking at each dusted touch.

his eyes dropped down to your chest again the moment you bra was off. you saw the way his lips parted slightly, catching a glimpse of the way his adam’s apple bobbed as he lets in a quick, small breath. just before he could bring himself to start kissing on you, he felt your hand rest right against his chest again, gentle and needy. you gently tugged at the fabric of his tight shirt that was frankly hiding nothing, eyes pleading up at him for just a little look at him.

steve was quick to oblige, tugging off his shirt to expose his tanned upper body. dark, wiry hair spanned across his chest, eventually thinning down into a line that disappears into his too tight jeans. like a moth drawn to a light, your careful fingers found their way to his broad chest, nails scraping through the hair and against his skin delicately. you could feel the way steve’s stomach lurched and his abs tense slightly when your touch starts grazing down towards his stomach and happy trail. you were memorizing him the same way he was memorizing you, yet somehow, it felt different to him. the way you admired him with your gentle touch and your soft gaze tugged at his heart.

he was in desperate need of a distraction before he combusts. steve, as gentle as ever, slowly lowered himself against you again, large hands guiding you back down on the bed with him. unlike last time you leaned down, you let your back hit your soft mattress, head resting on one of your pillows with a pretty floral design on it. you let your hand rest on his lower tummy as steve’s face leans towards yours again, lips capturing yours in another breathtaking kiss.

you planted your other hand right on his shoulder, smoothing it against his skin in attempts to ground yourself in the moment, temporarily satiating your need for more. one of steve’s hands found its way to your waist, fingers tracing your skin, tickling you slightly. the other found its rightful place back beneath where your breast sits, cupping slightly. the smirk he gave into the kiss when he felt your breathing hitch against his thumb was diabolical.

steve broke the kiss just after that, lips trailing to your jawline in a slow, determined manner. he didn’t try and rush anything. he wanted to take his time with you, explore your body, truly feel you. steve let his lips kiss all the way to the pulse point on your neck before he truly latched his lips to you. you let your head rest back a little more, giving him all the room in the world to kiss where he pleases. it took you a second to realize his true intentions here, though the moment you felt his teeth begin to graze your skin, it clicked. you almost wished he would stop making you so dizzy.

once the man sucked a delicate, soon to be purple hickey to your neck, he let his lips trace your body even further down your neck. steve’s mouth trailed to the center of your chest before his head started to tilt up slightly to look at you, a quick check in to make sure you were still okay. he could feel how quick your heartbeat had picked up. the moment your eyes locked with his he knew to keep going. his slow kisses found their way to one of your breasts, the hand underneath reaching a little farther up to squeeze gently, lips grazing your soft, plush skin.

steve wrapped his lips wrap around your hardened nipple for only a few short moments, warm tongue grazing it, earning a pretty whine from your mouth. he received the same reaction when he gave your other breast the same attention.

the hands you had on steve’s body slipped away from him reluctantly as he travels down lower, intimate kisses pressed against your stomach and your sides. you weren’t quite sure where to put your hands yet, letting them hover above the two of you slightly until you were sure. just like your hands, steve eventually found his way to the hem of your jeans, his kisses pausing for a moment as he hovers over your clothed cunt. that’s when it hits you just how worked up he had you. all of those warm kiss and gentle touches have you aching for release, and more importantly, him.

steve’s pause had you worried, your eyebrow quirking up as you searched his face for some sort of hesitation or worry, any inkling of a ‘no, i don’t want to’. you saw none of the on his face.

“out of all the places you decided to stop,” you mumbled at breathlessly. “this is where you landed?”

steve let out one of his chuckles that make your tummy burn hotly, watching as he peaks up at you through his eyelashes. you began to lean up on your elbows again to get a better look at the boy. “just wanted to make sure you were okay, you idiot.”

you tried to contain your giggles, a few slipping out past your lips that were quirked up into a small smile. you gave him yet another nod, taking your lower lip between your teeth as you watched steve roll his eyes affectionately at you. his hands found their way to the buttons of your shorts, tugging your zipper down quickly afterwards. you lifted your hips up gently to help him shimmy them off of you, watching him tug them down and toss them with everything else of yours.

before you could let your hips settle back down, one of steve’s hands found its way to your lower back, holding you up for just a few short moments. he was quick to grab a pillow from beside your head, and even quicker to wedge it beneath your hips. you’re unbelievable was all you could think as you settled back down onto the bed.

heat spread up your neck and to your face the moment it hit you just how intimate he was being with you, broad shoulder placed between your spread thighs, face hovering over your lace panties. they were soaked through, you could feel it. even worse, you knew steve could see it, smell it even. and, as if steve could hear your thoughts, he brought a firm, soothing hand up to your hip. his thumb began to smooth against your bare skin, helping you settle down properly again.

every little touch he gave you was electric. a small zip flashed through the delicate skin of your thigh the moment steve’s other hand found its way there. though cold, though new, that touch soothed you too. he left small kisses on the skin of your stomach as he began to whisper to you.

“lay back, honey. let me take care of you.” fuck. you nodded to him in a haze, laying back into the bed comfortably. steve continued to leave small kisses against your exposed lower body, touch relaxing you even further into the bed until he finally made the move. his lips kissed right covered clit, making you jump ever so slightly. your slick made your panties transparent, leaving nothing to his imagination. soft kisses trailed down slow until his lips found your pulsing opening.

steve left a firm kiss right against it, letting it linger, before his tongue lolled out of his mouth. flat and eager, he let it slide from your leaking hole back onto your clit again, applying the tiniest bit of pressure against it before pulling away. an exasperated gasp left your mouth, a hand of yours moving to your forehead to rub slightly in irritation.

you always knew steve was a tease. he upheld that reputation a while with the ladies. you just didn’t think he was this much of a tease. he was working you up beyond belief. this was the complete opposite of how he’s been with you thus far - straightforward, easy going.

steve let his warm tongue connect with your clit once more, swirling around it slowly, before pulling away. this time, even with your desperate whine, he didn’t leave you hanging. his fingers hooked the sides of your panties, tugging at them enough to get your attention. you lifted your hips up long enough to let him tug them past your hips and down your thighs, before finally letting yourself rest down.

“so pretty honey,” steve whispered to you, hands finding their places back on your hip and thigh. you weren’t quite sure whether he was talking about you or your pussy - either way, it made your body heat up dramatically. without much of a thought, one of your hands found its way down to his, the one tracing your waist. he caught on to what you wanted quickly, grasping your hand in a gentle hold.

steve went through the same motions as before. after slowly spreading your folds apart with his unoccupied hand, his lips found your exposed clit in a warm kiss. he could feel the way it twitched against his flesh, and god did he love it. his lips trailed down to your opening again, watching as your arousal slowly drips out of you, leaking down to the puckered hole beneath it. a soft kiss placed against your opening was followed once again by his warm tongue, slowly sliding up through your folds again.

a breathy moan slipped out of both of your mouths at the feeling, only yours was followed by yet another as steve began to slowly lick at your clit. his tongue swirled and licked at the sensitive nerves with skill. you couldn’t help but bring your other hand down to his soft hair, threading through his locks gently to ground yourself, giving his hand a squeeze.

you could feel steve tense up, and you worried that maybe you’d done something you shouldn’t have. was he really that stuck up about his hair? you realized quickly how wrong you were when you saw the way his eyes fluttered shut for a few moments in pure bliss, lips wrapping right around your clit and sucking gently, almost as a thank you. you let out a choked moan the moment his lips latched and sucked, thighs tensing up slightly.

you were about to crumble hard, undoing all of the glorious work steve put in to work you up. he even doubled down, the hand not holding yours finding its way to your cunt, his middle finger collected up some of your arousal that was leaking from you. and, just as his tongue swirled around your clit once more, steve eased his thick finger inside of you slowly. a small gasp broke out from your mouth, feeling him pump his finger in and out of your tight hole. it wasn’t until several deep strokes that he pushed in a second finger, stretching you open, tugging a few desperate moans from your chest.

by accident, you’d tugged on the roots of steve’s hair. he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, a guttural moan hitting against your clit, sending shockwaves up your body.

“i’m so glad i don’t have that stupid hat on anymore,” steve mumbled against you, lips a little too preoccupied with sucking deliciously on your clit.

“i kinda liked it,” you let out breathlessly, trying so hard not to fall apart too quickly. instead of verbally responding, steve simply curled his fingertips into a spongy spot in your body you didn’t even know someone could reach. your eyes rolled back into your head at the feeling, letting out a broken moan. it was all so much - you could feel the pressure building up in your stomach, and quickly.

steve’s fingers kept brushing against the perfect spot, his lips and his tongue somehow knowing exactly what you needed from him. your chest started to heave slightly as you rapidly approached your orgasm, grip on his hair tightening slightly, urging him to keep going. your moans sung out for him to hear, uncontrollable and needy. you tried to warn the boy, though your words came out in a slight mess right as everything hit you.

pleasure filled every inch of you as steve works you through your high. the wet squelching coming from your sopping cunt only encouraged him more. your whole body tensed up for what felt like forever, hand gripping his as you grind slightly onto him, desperate for the last bit of friction before he pulls away, whispering thank you’s to him. he gave your clit a final farewell - a soft kiss - as he slowly sliding his fingers from your cunt. you looked down in bliss just in time to see steve, king steve, wrap his pink lips around his fingers and moan at the taste of you.

hesitantly, you let go of his hand, gripping ahold of his shoulder instead as you gently tugged the man up the bed towards you. the poor guy was still stuck inside his jeans. somehow, he hadn’t torn the threads in the front, his hard, thick cock pressing against the coarse fabric in an attempts to release itself. once steve was properly hovered over you again, your hands went straight to his belt buckle, only you right before undoing it, looking right up at his dark, lust filled eyes. his eyes darted across your face worriedly, before letting it drop, shaking his in disbelief.

“funny,” he whispered, gently pressing himself against your hands further. you gave him a teasing smile right as you began fumbling with his belt. you wish you had the patience to admire just how nice the leather on it was.

steve let you fumble around with his zipper, only assisting you in kicking off his jeans, keeping it far away from the two of you. he was still situated between your thighs, this time his hips slotted perfectly between them, knocking them wide open. your hands found their way back to his soft tummy as he leans in closer, face inches away from yours, noses knocking against each others. your eyes were still focused downwards, though, letting your hands drift towards his steadily leaking tip. you traced it oh so gently through the fabric of his boxers, close enough to his face to hear him inhale sharply.

your fingers began to trace the length of his cock, feeling the curve he has to him. the loss of his fingers inside of you made you feel empty, and all you could think about was how perfect he’d feel inside of you. your hand gripped his length through the fabric and squeezed gently, watching as another splotch of pre cum appears in its wake. you were much less of a tease than steve, you realized, giving into him quickly as you slowly tug off his boxers, helping him discard them.

finally, you got a full, unfiltered and unblocked view of steve’s cock. truthfully, you’d never seen one quite as nice to look at. his tip was a bright red, still leaking pre cum, veins lining his length perfectly. he was heavy in your hands when you grasped him again, lips lifting into a pleased smile at the sound of his soft gasp. you gave him another gently squeeze, slowly twisting your hand up his length, and down just as slow, smearing what you’d collected at his tip down with it. your hand somehow seemed so small compared to his cock, and you loved it.

“need you inside of me, stevie,” you choked out, finally peeling your eyes away from his dick, looking straight into his eyes when he looked right back up at you. you batted your eyelashes at him, eyes begging for him as you continue to slowly stroke him. steve stares at you with an almost blank expression, almost like he wasn’t quite listening, little whines rippling through his throat as his eyebrows knit together.

you stop stroking him at his base, squeezing his thickness once again, touch not leaving him. “said i need you inside f’me, stevie, please?”

you watched as he finally processed what you said, eyes going wide, head nodding rapidly as he scrambles back to his jeans to fish out his wallet, tugging out a condom he so conveniently had stashed away in there. this is the first time tonight you’d seen steve so at loss for words, and you weren’t sure why.

he did, though. this was the first time since he’s been in the dating pool that he’s felt a real, honest connection with someone. sure, you guys had only been on this one date. he knew that. there was just something about you and you’re kindness, your humor, your passion for everything that had him swooning. intimacy was a lot different when you were with someone you could admire like that. not to mention how hot you are.

steve fumbled through slipping the condom on properly, and it didn’t help you were beneath him smiling patiently up at him like you were. the moment he successfully managed it on, he found his way back down to your level, faces finally close again. steve has an arm rested right beside your head, his hand gently brushing all your hair away from your face. he wanted to see you properly, look you in your eyes.

you gave him a reassuring nod, telling him that yes, you were ready - that you wanted him. with a hand cradling the top of your head and the other gripping the base of his throbbing cock, steve lined himself up with your entrance. he was gentle with the way he pressed himself into you, your arousal still plentiful, helping him ease his way inside of you better.

“fuck,” you let out, eyebrows and nose scrunched up at the way steve was stretching you out. he let you adjust to him inch by inch, knowing how difficult it is to fit him at first. you brought a hand up to his face, cupping his jaw to get him to look at you as he slid in the rest of the way, bottoming you out, eyes locking at the perfect time.

“there ya go honey,” steve whispered, lips pressing against your forehead as he encouraged you, his cockiness finally slipping through again. “i know, tight fit.”

you could tell why he put so much effort into working you up the way he did - getting you in the mood, kissing you all over, filling you up with his fingers. it made this ten times easier on the both of you. he liked doing all of it regardless, making you feel good that is. he liked being of service.

when steve pulled his lips away from your forehead, you were quick to bring his attention to your own lips, pulling the man down gently to connect them with yours. it was a deep, desperate, wet kiss, something you craved so badly right now. that’s when he started to rock his hips into yours, slowly rolling himself down against you. he let himself test the waters, see how easy it would be for you to adjust fully.

luckily for the both of you, after a few slow, deep strokes, you adjusted just fine. the arm not rested by your head found its way to your waist, fingers trailing your soft skin as he begins to find a rhythm to fall into. he picked up the pace a little, hips moving just a bit faster as you make out. you let your hand move to the back of steve’s head, fingers threading once again in his beautiful hair. it wasn’t until you rested your other hand against his chest, smoothing against it that you found out what really gets to him.

the feeling of your nails scrapping against his scalp, your hand firm against his chest, and your dripping cunt squeezing around him was fatal. his hips stutter and snap harder than he intended, a desperate moan falling from his lips and directly into yours. your body jolted slightly at the snap of his hips, a moan falling out of your mouth along with his.

“sorry, sorry you just- fuck you can’t just do that,” steve rambled out, breaking the kiss and slowing down his thrusts. you gave him the cheekiest smile, raising your eyebrows at him.

“why not, handsome?” you questioned, circling your hips at the perfect angle, his tip snagging at just the right spot inside of you, whimpering beneath him. “s-seems like you liked it.”

steve adjusted himself at the sounds of your whimpers, nudging himself around until he finds that spot again, slowly thrusting himself into you. your grip on his hair tightened again, bottom lip quivering slightly as you take in the pleasure.

“i do, i do,” he reassured, finally finding his rhythm again, moans slipping from your lips. “just not when i’m t-trying not to go too fast, or f-finish too fast- fuck, honey, feel so good f’me.”

your back arched just a little at the sound of him praising you, clenching down around him again, just like you did before that caused the praise he gave. steve’s eyes lit up at the realization. he had some dirt on you now, too, and man did it feel good to be even.

“wouldn’t m-mind if you went faster,” you spoke, eyes begging up at him, legs spreading wider. you were already sensitive from your last orgasm, but now that he knows you like being praised? and he’s looking at you like that? you were struggling to contain yourself. “wouldn’t mind if you went h-harder either.”

“yeah?” he questioned.

“yeah.”

steve gave you a long, gentle kiss on the lips, petting your hair down affectionately, before he sat up a little in his place. he uses his large hands to readjust your legs, helping you wrap them firmly around his waist, giving him more leverage to fuck into you properly.

with every thrust from then on, steve fucks you just a little faster, just a little harder, until he finds that sweet spot that has your eyes rolling to the back of your head. you reach a hand out to desperately claw at him, finally find one of his hands to grab onto, holding hands with him just like before. this time, however, you tangled your fingers with his holding onto him tight. he’s gentle when he pins your hand down against the mattress, the complete opposite of how he was fucking into you right now.

you started to writhe underneath him, moans becoming more frequent, eye contact becoming harder to keep. you were close.

“look at me,” steve spoke out, chest heaving a little from exertion, choked noises of pleasure bleeding through. “honey, look at me. wanna see those pretty eyes when we cum.”

you let your eyes flutter open, forcing eye contact with him as you rapidly approach your orgasm, his praise feeding into your pleasure. he gives your hand a squeeze, a squeeze you’re quick to reciprocate. he looks just as close as you are - fucked out and needy. you kept your other hand planted in his hair, anchoring yourself down, keeping him close.

“gonna cum, stevie, gonna- ohgod,” you could barely get your words out by the time your second orgasm washes over you. your cunt convulses around steve’s large cock uncontrollably, gushing around him. you fought tooth and nail to not let your eyes close, and you were so glad that you didn’t. steve was quick to cum right after you, face scrunched up all cute, moans and whines almost on par with yours, white ropes of warm cum filling the condom. he had a hold on your hips and waist that would leave bruises as he took you two through your orgasm.

you two stayed there for a few minutes. no thrusts, no tiny hip movements, just taking in the feeling of your orgasms, heavy breathing filling the room. you two still maintained eye contact, even after it was all done. you were the first to break the silence.

“can you wear your scoops uniform next time?”

“oh shut up.”

the both of you burst into a fit of laughs, steve finally, slowly pulling out of your wrecked cunt. you were glad you had a trash can in the corner of your room - the only thing steve had to do was stumble over and discard his condom, grabbing ahold of his boxers and his shirt, offering up the shirt for you to wear. you happily obliged, tugging it on, before motioning to your panties after he slipped into his boxers. steve wanted to make a comment about how you ruined the pair, but spared you just tonight.

he was hoping there would be many other nights where he’d be granted to opportunity to do that.

[ranticore]

Now that you mentioned it in the tags; I really enjoyed how you did the queerness of characters in-text and I saw you mentioned more than once before how they consider/call themselves gay or anything and I was wondering if you'd be willing to elaborate on that (in Ironwall, MVF etc), but more from a writing standpoint than a worldbuilding one. Hope Im making sense lol

i looked up the invention of the word 'homosexuality' and found that it was invented 6 years after stbh is set

ghksjdg i mean there's more to it than that but it meant that my language was constrained, which also means that the characters' language is constrained as well. i have to think about ways i want this to come across to the reader. at the time i was thinking about how the basic concept of "btw this character is not straight/cis" is communicated in some of the stories i'd read, and one that stood out to me was a comic i read in a fully fantasy setting where the writer brought the narrative to a juddering halt to explain exactly how gender & sexuality are handled by the people here. as in the characters essentially turn to the camera and give the main character a lecture. i really didn't like it, the author's hand was too visible behind the panels.

but i took it as a learning exercise as well on what i didn't want to do. i didn't like the neon signs pointing at any instance of non-heteronormativity and i also don't like stories that market themselves based on the characters' gender identities, particularly stories which do not involve a coming-of-age/character learns to discover themselves narrative. it's a book about two trans men but it's not a book about being trans. that's none of the reader's business, that's hidden from you (particularly in islin's case, intentionally). i never wanted to foster a sense of voyeurism towards trans people particularly knowing that most readers, statistically, will not be trans. crucially the characters are stealth to literally everybody but like 3 people. their transition is done.

i never wanted a coming out moment, or an "i'm here i'm queer" moment either - not even because Society in the setting just because i don't like those things. to completely normalise it in the narrative between these characters is the goal - almost to the point of never even pointing it out at all except when it has to be. the vibe i wanted was like... hanging out in not necessarily a gay space, but with gay people, talking about random other stuff. i didn't even like the One coming out scene i had to put in (senca being like "i only fuck women" to bowman so that he would stop hitting on her)

so when writing i had a pretty good idea of what i didn't want. for the setting i had some strict rules to follow as well. characters would not identify as gay or bisexual or even some fantasy equivalent because those were not identities, they were acts. and heterosexuality wasn't an identity either, it wasn't even "the natural way of things", it was the means by which wealth could transfer between generations. if you do not marry, then you are not conforming to your gender. the four unmarriagable men in mvf are all denied entry to normative manhood for many de-gendering factors (disability, unmanly hobbies, vow of chastity, etc) but the culmination of those factors is that they can't marry, which is the whole POINT of being a man. three of them are entirely denied generational wealth - forcing them into poverty (it's not a coincidence that gay people are overrepresented in the criminal organisation)

from a writing standpoint this leaves them in a grey zone. when writing i tried out different language to see if it read nice to me (19th century equivalents to 'boyfriend' etc) and they all rang quite false, because outside of the whole 'can we put a label on something that doesn't officially exist in society' thing, the characters themselves are not the types of people to think that way. Bowman was dating Léa but he was never dating Félix. you can't date another man. the only people who date men are women, and Bowman is not a woman. therefore he is not dating Félix. to give just one example. ultimately for the language used i found that just leaving it as-is worked the best for me.

so after working all that out i wrote tha thing and then wanted to kind of explore - at what point does it become romantic? is there an actual border between romantic and platonic when you've kind of already fallen between the cracks in society into the grey zone where nothing is defined because it doesn't affirm the power of the ruling class. and in these particular friendships, where they've already been all things to one another, they've already done everything together, good or bad, does adding 'romantic love' to that list of things wildly recontextualise it retroactively or does anything change at all? just like the ending reveal of stbh says: who actually is the guy we've been thinking of as 'félix ortega' ? does it recontextualise everything we've just read? no, right? (or does it?)

the usual 'will-they-won't-they' romance plot isn't a factor in the book, we already know they will, they have, they won't, and they refuse to, all at once.

(jean-baptiste thinks of himself as an invert because he is Learned and has read some fascinating journal articles about cutting-edge sexology, and his relation to his sexuality is very very different. it's not something he shares with his closest friends in spaces without scrutiny; his entire life is scrutinised and his social system is predicated on marriage. like i think i said in the book, probably, i don't remember: he and renard are two guys clinging to the same life raft. they hate each other! but if you push the other guy off the life raft, then you're just one guy alone at sea, forever.)

[lovesickangelz6137]

"you cant be polyamorous and yandere" i am literally an angel. a divine being. you think i constrain myself to abide by the rules set by mere mortals?! my love knows no bounds, its inevitable, its infinite, its everything and nothing all at once you fool!

anyways wheres my several yandere boyfriends who i am also yandere for and we are all obsessed with each other? its dinner time and im hungy.

[afantasyoffiction]

We are official moots for life now btw. This is the price you pay for reblogging one (1) post of mine with character love.

Also I really like the concept of your ya book, love me some political intrigue, running from the law, and witches (even if they’re not ). What’s your favorite scene as of rn?

ahahahha YAY oh my goodness this is amazing. HI nice to meet you :)))))

picking a favourite scene is super hard, partly because im midway through writing draft two which feels kinda like starting from scratch, and partly because there's so much that i love but that doesn't ever work 100%?

that said, being a super dramatic kinda gal, there is something about my FMC (lets call her S bc i don't currently want to share all details on here) meeting the tyrannical king for the first. time that. hmm. pretty damn good soup. he's so just downright awful, and he knows her name from her parent's treason, and she hates him even more than she fears him.

ill share a lil excerpt from their first conversation, because its hard to describe how GIDDY it makes me when its objectively quite a creepy scene:

There was ice in her veins, paralysing all but her frightened, rabbit breaths. She couldn’t think clearly; all she could see was the rigid lines of his face, his piercing vivid gaze, the metal that sat like chains across his brow. Something reckless, something angry, took over. “You,” she hissed, like a fierce and rabid thing. She didn’t think it was possible, but his face morphed into something more frightening. Flickers of something like hatred painted themselves across his face. When he spoke, it felt like a higher being deigning to wrap its tongue around dirty, flavourless syllables. “S [fmc name].”  It was a statement, like he was recognising the dirty muck that clung to his show. He licked his lips, slow, savoury. Everything he did was slow and savoury - like he knew time was something that constrained commoners, not kings. Like he relished his movement through the palace, like he wanted to savour every moment of his rule.  When he spoke again, the hatred twisted his consonants into something like disgust.

thats just a tiny snippet bc they spend several scenes insulting each other across the whole book, but i think its a fun one!

anyways it took me so long (literal years of my life lol) to get to this scene after imagining it over and over again. obviously its never quite the way it is in my mind but im pretty proud of it for a first draft and im. so super excited to get there in draft 2!

how about you :) whats your fav/most anticipated scene?

[transgenderer]

in the anthropological/historical record, do we like...see, societies, that have a minimum of gender-segregated activity? like societies with less strict rules about who can perform what activities, and with less men-women separation, than like...modern urban america? i feel like this is a stupid question. but whenever im reading about various nonwestern nonmodern societies, even if theyre *egalitarian*, theyre remarkably separate in who performs what labor. and part of that separation is a practical matter of like physical strength (plowing or whatever) but most of it isnt! or at least not obviously so. which is weird to me. like surely societies arent constrained along this direction, surely they vary. it seems to predate agriculture even, like the !kung and the mbuti have pretty strict gender separation. its weird!

[ficyorick]

i forgot to mention im gonna play it a bit more loosey-goosey with alternating povs. its not going to be a strict rule of butcher-hl-butcher-hl etc, i felt a little bit constrained by it when writing bad ending ehe... i think we're looking at a butcher two-fer next up. ch5 will have to be written from ground up, ch6 is largely prewritten... idk when we'll get to chapter C (i have no idea where ill put it) but its one of those works that ive written and im like. people will either love it or say a resounding 'huh 🤨??'

[coolfreakingwizards]

Took a 5 min quiz from @grey-sorcery, left with some interesting thoughts.

I think the rules constraining magic are different than the rules that constrain us physically and socially, but there is still a set of principles and limits inherent to the universe.

Im not sure exactly.

Things are what they are I suppose.

When I was a kid we had spirits in our house. I used a blue light to chase them away, and I made a plank with various invented symbols to put under my matress for protection. Just seemed proper.

I like ceremonial magic, I'm a huge nerd so I love researching and collecting tools. I've had the most success with magic focused on myself, charisma spells and protection spells.

I like the candles and written verses and incense all all that, but at the basic level I think you just need yourself and some symbol of your intent. Spoken word, a gesture, anything really. There's tons of systems that codify what symbols mean what, but it seems to boil down to intent and action.

[fipindustries]

mean spirited 2 am rant

"I identify as X, and what that means is something i get to decide for my self" [LOUD BUZZER] WRONG, language is not a private game, try again.

Now, to be clear: This is not about invalidating your identity or telling you who you are or how to live your life or what rights you deserve. this is about you using words in really stupid ways, so either come up with a coherent definition and stick to it or ill stop listening to you for guidance on how to use these terms and will start using them however i damn well want, wether you like it or not.

The definition of words is not actually a private subjective individual matter, a word doesnt mean "whatever works best for you", language is a team sport, it exists for people to communicate things to each other, not for you to find labels that only work inside your head, words have to be decided collectively, communication is a comunal thing where we all got to agree on the rules for it to work, you dont get to create your own private meaning and then pretend that you are doing communication anymore.

And if you are like "thats a cage, thats a prison, thats constraining", yeah, welcome to ontology, when a thing is something then it is not all other things. Wow, such opression, to be forced to exist instead of being an abstract formless immaterial blob of raw thought that can be anything and everything and nothing all at the same time. "I dentify as the vague positive emotion of belonging that i get when im recognized as part of the in group" grow up.

"I dentify as X which may mean y, z and w properties but it can also mean a, b and c"

"I thought a, b and c meant the opposite of x"

"It can be, depends on who you ask"

"Then how can i know?"

"You can just ask for clarification"

"IF I HAVE TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION ABOUT WHAT YOU MEANT AFTER YOU USE A WORD THEN THE WORD WAS USELESS IN COMUNICATING INFORMATION, TGE WORD NOW DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING"

"It means something to me"

"Well, congratulations, you dont care about comunicating with others or being understood, you might be X but youre also a prick"

[republicsecurity]

Militarisation

Jenkins, now fully engaged in the conversation, leaned forward, her brow furrowed. "But Director, isn't our primary focus on medical aid and emergency response? Training paramedics in the use of weapons, doesn't that divert our attention from our core mission?"

Director Henshaw met her gaze with a steady resolve. "Jenkins, times are changing. Threats to the Republic aren't limited to accidents and medical emergencies. We need a versatile force, capable of handling various scenarios. Life Guards have merged with the Coast Guard, security forces are involved in multiple aspects of public safety. It's about ensuring the safety and security of our citizens, even if it means stepping outside the traditional roles of paramedics."

Jenkins hesitated for a moment, then spoke cautiously, "But won't this shift in focus affect the mindset of our recruits? Shouldn't we emphasize compassion, care, and medical expertise rather than weapon proficiency?"

Director Henshaw, leaning back in her chair, folded her hands thoughtfully. "Jenkins, you have to understand the geopolitical landscape. Arms control treaties constrain us, limit our options. The Republic needs to ensure its security, and sometimes that means finding creative ways to navigate these treaties without violating them explicitly."

Jenkins raised an eyebrow, a mix of curiosity and concern in her expression. "Creative ways, Director? You're suggesting we find loopholes to arm our paramedics?"

A sly smile crept onto Director Henshaw's face. "Not arm them, Jenkins. Empower them. It's all about how you phrase it. We're not building an army; we're enhancing the capabilities of our paramedics to handle a broader spectrum of challenges. We'll be providing them with tools to ensure the safety of our citizens, even if those tools happen to include defensive equipment."

Jenkins sighed, feeling the weight of the decisions being made. "This feels like a slippery slope, Director. How can we maintain the trust of the public if we start blurring the lines between paramedics and security forces?"

Director Henshaw leaned forward, her gaze unwavering. "Jenkins, trust is a delicate thing. The public trusts us because we keep them safe. If we can adapt to the changing landscape while maintaining our commitment to their well-being, that trust will endure. We're not abandoning our core values; we're evolving to meet the demands of the times."

"Jenkins, you're well aware of the limitations set by the Geneva Conventions. They talk about soldiers, combatants, and the rules of war. But look closely, and you'll see that paramedics, rescue workers, firemen, and nurses are not explicitly covered under those restrictions. It's a bureaucratic quirk, a loophole we can exploit."

Jenkins frowned, a mixture of disbelief and concern etched on her face. "Are you suggesting we use neuro conditioning on our paramedics, essentially turning them into tools of the state without violating international law?"

A wry smile played on Director Henshaw's lips. "Not just suggesting, Jenkins. I'm telling you this is the way forward. We won't condition the Security Forces directly, but we'll train individuals who are already neuro conditioned. It's a workaround, a means to an end. The public doesn't need to know the details; they only need to see results."

Jenkins sighed, realizing the complexities of the path they were treading. "This feels like playing with fire, Director. What if this approach backfires? What if the public learns about the manipulation behind the scenes?"

Jenkins, still uneasy with the implications, questioned, "But what if other nations catch wind of our methods and decide to adopt similar strategies? Won't that escalate the use of neuro conditioning on a global scale?"

The director's eyes gleamed with a hint of ambition. "Perhaps, Jenkins. But consider this: Pioneers set the rules, and those who control the rules control the game. The advantages we gain in mastering this art of conditioning are immeasurable. We shape not just the minds of our conscripts but the trajectory of global policies."

[1010ninetynine]

there's no single point. it's a mess. I'm not quite sorry.

I read Haikei, Seken-sama, the story of a trans man, and now I feel wrecked emotionally. I'm going to talk about it on tumblr dot com because no one else will hear this. well, it's not like the abyss of social media responds all the time. most of my moots like watching men kiss so idk if this even smacks for em. i mean there's one man doing the kissing? eventually? we don't even see it.

It's based on the author's experience living his life. The thought terrifies me to no end.

With this lead up you might think people die in this manga. No, no one does. No violence either. Definitely not as scarring as Banana fish, arguably.

Let me talk to you. Woman to algorithm.

Sorry if it's triggering.

The very first chapter features a kid with short hair putting on a school uniform, checking the skirt length, putting on chapstick, looking in the mirror and describing a creature in a skirt. They rush to school. Perfume is forced onto them. They try to wash it off. It's not coming off. She's accepted she's late, she walks at an even pace. She's accepted that despite everything she's a woman. And seeing the fate of an ugly girl, being treated as something to ignore and mock, she knows that she must be normal. It's better to be normal.

I say this without a shred of irony - Rino Tachibana feels like an alternate version of me. I mean, he ends up transitioning to be a male, and he seems like he gets laid more than I ever will. but that's boring talk.

the point is that I, like most people I imagine, hate and love the thought of being normal. of people not looking at me like im a weirdo. of being constrained by everyone's rules. they carve their way into my heart and thus engrave themselves into my soul. i want to be seen as a masculine figure but that's just not possible as a woman without being weird. i aim for the next best thing and it's not all that great. I've settled for being seen as a weirdo.

But Rino wanted to be a man. His name becomes Kanesho at the end of the manga.

She also loved Hanako, and knew Hanako wouldn't love her. She didn't conform to gender roles from an early age.

The truth is this is something that gays are known for, being unable to conform to society's expectations. there's people who argue that transition is a way to escape sexism/homophobia to an extent and I want to argue with those people that no, there are gnc gay men and women who just exist. I want to tell them that obviously no one would transition just for homophobia when I know so many who transitioned and ended up being gay because of it.

That's not consistent with the reality of the situation. If you're interested in women, and you prefer masculine activities, of course you'd want to be a guy. I know i've wanted my boobs gone as a teenager, hell, even now they bother me but I fucking ignore it. It's only natural, especially in a conservative country like Japan. I can't just like...fucking deny that. I can't deny that in countries like Iran, that might be your only option as a gay person if you want to, I dunno, fucking LIVE.

So yeah. It's definitely possible that a lot of trans people transition out of sexism/homophobia.

And that literally, in text, what is being described (not that Japan would kill her for liking girls if she didn't transition). Rino wants to be a guy to play soccer with the other boys, she doesn't like makeup and other feminine things, and doesn't like her feminine frame. Rino wants to be a guy because that's the only way she'd have a chance with Hanako.

Rino then tries to find someone for her crush so Hanako wouldn't be with anyone, only to get the wrong guy. She ends up dating him as a way to continue being with Hanako. She then breaks up with him because she knows she's not being honest + because she's masculine the guy's getting called gay for dating her and she feels like she's done something wrong.

I won't ascribe good or bad to Rino/Kanesho. I will say that what led to her living an honest life where he didn't have to suppress his desires was becoming more masculine (wearing a suit to graduation, and accepting that they kicked him out for it, transitioning medically and eventually getting a hysterectomy so he can call himself a Real Man).

I'm not saying this to blame Kanesho for his decisions, again I'm not sure what's right or not in these situations. I think they made him happy and in any case, he's not hurting a soul.

It just feels...it feels so fucking tragic is what it is. Rino would have never wanted to transition if her parents just let her be masculine. If she wasn't told that as a woman, liking other woman was wrong. And the truth is, this will fucking affect his life. He will not live as long, he's more at risk for osteoporosis, and several other health risks, all of this mentioned in manga btw. And he's accepted it because he's so happy living like this.

And how could he not? People don't judge him when he expresses interest in masculine activities, for dating girls, he's free to be himself. He just had to render himself infertile and at risk for numerous medical conditions, pay a hefty fee, and accept a reduced lifespan.

I don't misgender people who are real. I understand how fucking miserable it can be, and dysphoria's difficult to deal with. So, I use preferred pronouns and I generally try to avoid making people dysphoric. Rino/Kanesho Tachibana is not real, so I'm being honest about how I see her/him. I'm truly sorry if this bothers you - but I won't change that.

I too have looked in the mirror and hated what was there. I know what it's like to hate yourself so thoroughly transition seems like the only solution. And truth be told, I only didn't because I realized that if I continued T for long enough, a hysterectomy would be like...medically necessary. Vaginal atrophy would happen and I'd have to self lubricate. All of which, beyond my means personally.

what's my point? i don't have one really. haikei seiken sama was incredible.

[misfithive]

I really hope we get Micke/Simon one on one interactions but I’m scared they only brought him back for Sara ngl… when it’s Simon the one that was shown in s1 to go back to his father, even if just to ask for help. It would be extremely disappointing for me if that didn’t get the right conclusion.

But I’m kinda interested in finding out, and this is a spoiler, what will happen at the May 1st thing during workers day. Since Simon is gonna be there. It seems like they filmed for at least two days from the casting calls they posted, so it could be a kinda big scene for ep4 (the time it was filmed would coincide with the time they filmed that episode).

I think their story lines are so connected especially with Sara originally being upset that Simon would see Micke without her i'm guessing they will close the loop. I also would guess that Simon is going to have a lot more media attention and i'm sure the monarchy would find Micke to be a pr disaster waiting to happen. pluss even if sara goes to Micke for help it still involves Simon bc of the video and bc Micke's name was on the drugs that August has. so i think there are a lot of potential ways for Micke to be involved that are not 100% about Sara.

yeah! I learned a lot about May 1 day when people brought it up which is interesting bc we celebrate it as labor day here but a lot of people see it as a day off. I could imagine if Simon wants to be part of the demonstrations that could cause conflict if Wille is not allowed to be political and i'm guessing the demonstrations would be seen as political or at the very least im sure it would be unseemly for a royal to be holding up signs (I'm not sure tho if someone who knows more about this can clarify that would be great). So i could see it going a bunch of different ways maybe Wille decided to go against the rules and participate, or Simon and Wille fight bc Simon wants to participate and Wille cant/doesnt want to, or Simon feels like Wille doesn't understand why it's important to him, or the royal court does not want Simon to participate and he starts to feel constrained by all that comes with being with Wille. (all of this is moot if Wille/Royals are in fact allowed to participate which is what i don't know but someone please educate me on how/if the Royals participate in May 1)

[haanhhuynh]

Week 9: Exploring the Fusion of Gaming and Social Media

Hey gamers! Let’s have a look at the fascinating world where gaming and social media collide. First, we need to define what a game is and also, we need to discover the evolution of the gaming industry. According to Ellington, Addinall and Percival (1986), game is defined as “any contest (play) among adversaries (players) operating under constrains (rules) for an objective (winning, victory pay-off).”

The gaming industry has undergone a remarkable evolution over the past five decades, transitioning from humble beginnings to a global phenomenon. Starting from the experimental phase in the late 1990s, where games like Warcraft and Half-Life laid the foundation, to the emergence of online distribution platforms like Steam in the early 2000s, gaming has become increasingly accessible (Bankov 2019). The proliferation of subscription-based models, loot boxes, and microtransactions has reshaped revenue streams, while advancements in hardware and internet connectivity have fueled the popularity of cross-play and mobile gaming (Bankov 2019). The current decade witnesses a shift towards digital distribution networks and game launchers, marking a departure from physical copies. With platforms like Steam, Battle.net, and Epic Game Store dominating the landscape, the gaming industry continues to innovate and adapt to changing consumer preferences (Bankov 2019). Over the past few decades, the landscape of gaming has evolved significantly, with a notable emphasis on social interaction. Initially facilitated by platforms like Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and Instant Messaging (IM), multiplayer gaming has flourished, fostering community engagement and communication. The introduction of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software like Ventrilo and TeamSpeak further enhanced this aspect. Discord, launched in 2017, emerged as a central hub for gamers, offering text and voice chat alongside other features. It is reported that Discord had about 130 million users in 2018 and doubled that number to 250 million in 2019 (Kerr, 2019). As the gaming industry expanded, developers sought innovative ways to promote their games, leveraging social media integration such as X sign-ins and Twitch streaming. Twitch's acquisition by Amazon in 2014 (Lopez 2014) propelled it to the forefront of live streaming, revolutionizing gaming content consumption and monetization through subscriptions and donations. Despite attempts by companies like Blizzard to integrate Facebook Streaming, platforms like X and Facebook are generally less favored by older gamers, while mobile gaming appeals more to younger demographics who are active on social media (Bankov 2019).

In conclusion, the merging of gaming and social media has revolutionized both industries, enhancing connectivity and reshaping consumer experiences. From early multiplayer platforms to modern communication hubs like Discord, social interaction has become central to gaming. The rise of online distribution, subscription models, and innovative revenue streams has boosted accessibility and revenue. Integrating platforms like Twitter and Twitch has transformed marketing and content sharing. As technology evolves, this synergy is expected to deepen, offering new opportunities for community engagement and interactive experiences.

Let's keep gaming and connecting, folks! 🚀🎮

Reference list

Bankov, B. 2019, The impact of social media on video game communities and the gaming industry, University of Economics in Varna, Varna.

Ellington, H, Addinall, E & Percival, F 1986, A handbook of game design, Kogan Page, London.

Kerr, C 2019, Discord surpasses 250 million registered users in four years, www.gamedeveloper.com.

Lopez, G 2014, Why Amazon spent $970 million to buy Twitch, Vox.

[ithisatanytime]

Ecco2k & Bladee - Amygdala(slowed+reverbed)

 i just want to expound a little on my point about comedy existing sort of outside polite society, before the internet celebrities and entertainers were so far away as to be untouchable, with the exception of concerts most peoples entertainment wasnt live but pretaped or if it was live you watch it from your tv set, but standup was different, its much more personal, today you can chat to your favorite youtuber live and hell probably respond or you can comment on twitter, but back in the day the people entertaining you would likely never know you exist, but in standup they were literally right there often times making shit up on the spot, and working with the crowd, improvising, etc. its much more alive and real, and comedians were given a sort of special pass at the time to talk the way real people talk, and to talk about the things in life that didnt get mentioned on televisoin because they werent kosher, because well its real life, and most importantly fuck you its funny. comedians have always had this liberty, this expectation that they would be pushing the envelope, i guess the word im looking for to some it all up, is that comedy was always very candid and therefore wasnt expected to be as constrained by the sort of rules that tv and movie directors were constrained to. thats why i was so hard on shane gillis, its not that hes so bad, hes actually quite funny, but as a comedian i find him impossible to respect because he kowtows to the left and cancel culture, i can just tell hes scared, hes scared of being ostracized, hes afraid deep down of eating alone in the cafeteria still, school does this to men and its unnatural, its calhouns mouse utopia. its especially bothersome when its a comedian whos actually funny because in order to be funny you have to be at least smart enough to know better than to care about what literal retarded college girls think about your act. stand up comedy is a fucking dumpster fire and has been for almost a full decade now, i wish there was a place discussing the state of it where the userbase has some standards. honestly i wish for that more than almost anything at this point, just a website like reddit used to be waaayy back in the old days, it was always cringe but damn i just want to be able to read someone else mirroring some thoughts like the internet getting worse since covid, you cant even google that search query because it has covid in it so it totally ruins the results (try it) but even if you do find a thread on a public forum everyone is so pants shitting scared of the moderation that everyone has to pretend either the internet didnt dramatically change during the pandemic or if they do aknowledge the change they need to assign the cause to something like SEOs and corporate greed. the sheer level of censorship on the internet is what assures me most of all that the jews will not end this year in power. i predicted the black eye they got publicly, even within a pretty narrow timeframe, but they wont end this year with any sort of political power in the west, the censorship alone is proof of that for me, its a terrible mistake from their perspective but i believe they are literally out of options.