#something something performative identities in a restricted society

[wehaveallgotknives]

I’ll stop goncharov posting soon but can I just say how fascinating it is to me that the genre we picked was cold war mafia movie? because if you had asked the internet a month ago what kind of film tumblr would invent, if tumblr were to invent a film, the answers would have been way more woke. a queer coming of age romance or a sexy heist with a super diverse cast or live action infinity train or whatever.

instead, the hive mind, the collective, latched on to something with much narrower boundaries, with stricter rules. no cold war mafia movie would have “good gay rep” or “a happy ending”, like you might expect tumblr to want. we want, we made, something rife with hidden truths, deception and manipulation, suppressed and sublimated emotions. it’s a movie rife with symbolism and suggestion, a text that needs to be unpicked and puzzled over, not one that spoonfeeds us a morally pure protagonist.

the website famous for our shithouse reading comprehension made this complex metatext about methods of interpreting an ambiguous artwork and that’s given me more hope for humanity than I’ve gotten from the internet in a long goddamn time

[hannieehaee]

HELLFIRE

18+ / mdi

summary: whenever he was at a crossroads, seokmin always knew he could turn to god. however, with the recent thoughts you've been putting in his head, he's not sure god will show him the answer this time around.

content: virgin!seokmin, catholic!seokmin, religious repression, old fashioned and exaggerated catholic beliefs, very brief mention of homophobia, very conservative beliefs, a lowkey cult-ish view of catolicism oops, seokmin is veryyy socially awkward and not used to socialization outside of religion, his parents are super overbearing, lots of family tensions, seokmin has an estranged brother (jeonghan), conflicting emotions about god, sexual repression, reader is an atheist, afab reader, smut, dry humping, oral (m and f receiving), handjob, penetrative sex, loss of virginity, etc.

wc: 13k

a/n: she's here!! i didnt write an outline for this and i kinda only focused on seokmin's pov for this which makes reader kinda look like she's trying to corrupt him for no reason lol but i promise its still fluffy and cute <3

masterlist | kofi/patreon

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Normalcy for Seokmin had always equated to the church. It was what he'd known since childhood and what he grew up surrounded by up until his current age.

His upbringing had been good by all accounts. Although he had an estranged brother who he didn't get to see too often, he had a father and a mother who cherished him like no one else. His financial means were also to be envied, as he was raised in a wealthy part of town and had always been surrounded by an upper class community – a heavily religious community.

This community was one that Seokmin always respected and cherished. Being brought up going from one private catholic school onto the next as he aged, Seokmin never knew anything other than the constant supervision of nuns and religious figures who would constantly guide him in the right direction (at least according to the bible). While others may think this lifestyle to be restricting, Seokmin knew it to be the proper path for a young man to follow. He never complained about the bi-weekly mass he had to attend with his parents, nor about the separation by gender that was mandated by his school. Seokmin knew all his prayers by heart and was sure of what his role in society must be. In short, Seokmin knew and did all things proper and by the letter.

As a young man (at the ripe age of 20), Seokmin finally found himself in a society that was not of catholic background. After transferring from a two year college in town (one centered around catholic studies, of course), Seokmin was now readying himself to move away from home in order to finalize his education in a fully co-ed institution for the following two years.

It wasn't like Seokmin had never interacted with people outside of the church (or with women in general). He was simply a bit on the shier side when it came to non-religious endeavors and usually only stuck by his religious community, which often abided by old-fashioned rules found in the bible. For instance, Seokmin had been so dedicated to the church that he would usually spend his free time volunteering at the church's food drive or performing with his church group at various family-friendly events around town. This meant that Seokmin's inner circle always consisted of people who had an almost identical ideology as that of his own.

Seokmin felt bad at admitting this (which was why he never vocalized these thoughts), but he could sometimes get a bit tired of the consistency of his life. It was a constant repetition of events surrounded by the same exact people time and time again. He never had any opportunity to be challenged or observe outside opinions, specially not with the constant supervision his community gave youth like him (something about wanting him to follow the right path unlike his older brother). Seokmin knew and trusted his beliefs, so he felt a bit infantilized whenever his own family would become overbearing while ensuring Seokmin didn't go off the rails like his brother had – his brother, who was still a quite a sore subject for him.

And now, Seokmin felt excitement. Knowing he would finally be able to explore the outside world and experience the last couple of years of his college life not under the watchful eye of his church. However, as a strong believer himself, Seokmin had still ensured he would have time to attend mass every week and maybe join a religious club on campus. Although he sometimes felt scrutinized by his family and community, Seokmin had never once faked his belief in God. I mean, it was all he had known thus far and all he felt he could really count on no matter what.

When the day to move into his dorms finally arrived, Seokmin had a difficult time hiding his excitement. His community had thrown him a goodbye party, allowing him to be the main focus of the night as one by one, every adult figure in his life bid their farewells accompanied by thinly veiled warnings to not fall into the bad habits sometimes found in non-religious communities. Seokmin was pure-minded at heart, so he took these warnings with a warm and heartfelt gratitude, knowing that despite his desire to expand his horizons, it was important he kept his beliefs safe.

Thanks to his parents, Seokmin had the fortune of being able to rent a room away from the dorms. His parents had insisted, claiming that dorm life could get quite rowdy and that a roommate who had not been pre-approved by them may give him a bad influence and lead him towards an unholy path. Seokmin, already slightly nervous about heading into the world on his own, agreed in order to give himself a safe space of solitude in case he needed it.

The apartment was pretty close to the dorms themselves, allowing Seokmin a calm commute in his bike every day for his classes. Thus far, he had been in the city for a week, still having a few days before school actually began. He had attended his church club already, meeting all the other members and scouting out who he may be able to befriend in the near future. Everyone seemed pretty much like the preppy rich kids he had grown up with all throughout his years of catholic school. There was a bit more of variety among the people in the club than back home, with the club allowing for co-ed inclusion of members (something which was quite common in church groups, though Seokmin had grown too accustomed by his non co-ed upbringing). They also seemed to come from different backgrounds, but ultimately Seokmin could tell that just like him, they were very likely brought up in a very coddled and comfortable way. This was how your presence in the club first stood out to him.

While everyone seemed very put together and happy to be there, you caught Seokmin's attention right away. Your visible discomfort was the first thing Seokmin noticed. Though you looked as nice and welcoming as anyone else, Seokmin could see that you seemed like a closed book. Your eyes did not light up the same as the rest of the members, nor did you actively participate in the icebreaker activities set up by the club. Seokmin also caught onto the fact that the other members already knew each other (likely from previous years at the college), while they treated you like a black sheep. And of course, Seokmin couldn't help but notice your appearance, which made it difficult for him to look away from you.

Of course, Seokmin had had female friends in the past. It's not like his church separated the pews by gender or anything like that. Seokmin was just slightly reserved. With his constant attendance at institutions that insisted upon gender separation at all times and very overbearing parents, Seokmin never really had the chance to form any type of relationship with any girl throughout his youth. He had teamed up with other female volunteers while working at charities and had even been in charge of showing new girls in the community around the church's premises. However, these were very isolated instances.

As of the past twenty years, Seokmin was yet to ever really think about women liberally. He was always taught that time for those things would come eventually, whatever that meant. It was something that had been repeated to him by both his parents, neighbors, the reverend, and even at some point by his brother (though his brother had said it in a sarcastic tone, which confused Seokmin even further).

And now here he was, sitting quietly across the room from you as he watched you in silence, barely paying attention to whichever new activity the group leaders were discussing for the first charity event they'd hold during the upcoming semester.

You were pretty. Seokmin could tell that much. His mind did not process anything other than your features for almost the entirety of the meeting, being far too occupied by analyzing every inch of your person as he unknowingly held his breath.

His eyes on you did not seem to catch your attention at any point, but they did catch the attention of a fellow member of the group who was sitting near him.

"You know her?", asked the nameless member.

"Oh, uh, what? No, I was just– "

"She's not really a member here, you know. Just kind of an honorary one, I guess."

"What do you mean?", he finally took his eyes off you due to his sudden interest in the conversation.

"Her parents pay for her tuition as long as she can prove she's an active member of the local catholic community. Apparently she just pretends for them, but her parents still somehow bought her way into the club", the guy lowered his voice to a whisper, "I heard she's an atheist, man. We just have to kinda ignore she's there."

Though Seokmin knew that his parents' immediate reaction to such gossip would be shock at the blatant disrespect you were showing towards your parents who clearly just wanted you to not stray away from the path of God, Seokmin was more annoyed at the guy who found it so easy to talk about you behind your back completely unprompted.

While Seokmin couldn't understand why someone would claim themselves atheist when it was so clear to him how life had been created, he still saw it wrong to judge someone for their beliefs. It was oftentimes that churchgoers back home would exhibit malicious intentions such as what he'd just witnessed from his fellow group member. You were clearly not bothering anyone and even looked pretty aware of the alienation the members were putting you through, so Seokmin couldn't help but feel sad for you.

He shyly shrugged off the guy who had made him privy to your information and went back to staring at you as you sat back and seemingly waited for the bi-weekly meeting to end.

Despite catching his curiosity that day, Seokmin did not end up having any contact with you, being way too shy to even hold eye contact with you as the meeting ended.

Days passed and Seokmin finally started school. He had to admit, he felt completely out of his league. Thanks to his parents, he was never properly socialized as a child. While most members of the church would have active social lives outside of their ministry (even going to public schools and participating in non-catholic leisure activities), Seokmin had always been confined into a box that only allowed him to interact with other heavily religious people. This was never a problem to Seokmin, who was happy to dedicate his life to the lord. Except now it was proving troublesome.

Since professors had a tendency to get liberal during discussions at times, he felt scandalized by many of the subjects spoken about during class. He also felt awkward interacting with other people his age, who would share very different beliefs from his own. Seokmin had even attempted to dabble into social media at some point now that he was not under his parent's' watchful eye, but even that had him feeling unseemly.

Overall, Seokmin felt embarrassed at how little life experience he had due to having dedicated his entire life thus far to serving both God and his parents. He was beginning to understand why his brother Jeonghan had left home as soon as he turned of age. He had always judged him for it, but his judgment was beginning to fade away.

Now that he no longer had his parents nor community around (much less his brother), the only comfort he could turn to was that of his nightly prayers.

His struggles continued for the following weeks, with Seokmin becoming a bit of an outcast in most social situations. He was quite outgoing in the church, but this was a completely different environment in which he felt ridiculous every time he tried to interact with people who had had far more social advantages and freedom than he did growing up.

Keeping a low profile had been easy to achieve for Seokmin. He decided after a few very awkward interactions that he would simply become an outcast and stick to himself, only ever interacting with his church club the few times a week they'd meet (though unfortunately never having the courage to interact with you). This seemed to work up until the second week of school, in which Seokmin's women's studies teacher informed the class they'd be doing a partner project for the entirety of the semester.

Seokmin had taken the class against his parents' wishes, feeding them with a white lie that it was part of the necessary curriculum in order to graduate. He argued to himself that this was a subject he would never be exposed to in his community, knowing his community to be slightly ... old-fashioned. This part of his life always made him embarrassed, – not really sharing many of the beliefs his community had tried to drill into him – so he wanted to atone for his lack of knowledge now that he was in a completely independent environment.

Teaming up with someone back home was always easy, as he was quite popular both in church and at school. Here, however, he had already given himself the reputation of awkward and overly dedicated to God – he had stated his devotion to God during the individual introductions they'd done on week 1, leading to low chuckles and uncomfortable looks from his classmates – which was something that the general population did not seem to like. He was avoided by his fellow women's studies classmates since then.

Sure, Seokmin did share a few old-fashioned catholic beliefs such as the necessity devotion to God and the importance of one's purity being kept until marriage, but he did not agree with any other bigoted beliefs shared by many catholic communities. He had genuinely taken this class with the hope to learn and expand his horizons, but most people in it had already decided that he must be a close-minded weirdo.

By some struck of luck, as Seokmin sat back, completely defeated while he watched other people stand up and enthusiastically find a partner, he suddenly heard someone clear their throat to call his attention.

It was you.

He hadn't realized you were taking this class too due to the high mass of students (about 100, give or take). And now he found himself looking up at you from his seat as you gave him what seemed to him like a confident grin.

"Hi, Seokmin," you sat next to him without so much as asking.

Your sitting position was troublesome for Seokmin, as he noticed the way in which your short skirt rid up as you crossed your legs and leaned towards him. You were wearing more revealing clothing today than any other time in which he'd seen you at the bi-weekly meetings. Your attire wasn't provocative by any means, it was just that you were always more covered up at the meetings. Seokmin assumed it might've been due to some scrutiny you may have faced by the members. This made him frown internally.

"Oh ... hi. Y-you know my name?", he sat up from his slouched position and faced his body towards yours, though he was too shy to meet your eyes for too long.

"Of course I do, Seokmin. We're in a church group together, remember?"

You carried a very confident and laid back air to you despite having only spoken to him for the first time just now. You also seemed much livelier than back at the confined room where his fellow church group members gathered. This was likely due to the lack of scrutiny you usually received completely unwarranted while at his church group's meetings.

"Ah, yeah, just, uh, didn't realize you noticed me."

"C'mon, Seokmin. You're the only person in there who doesn't look at me like I killed their dog. Of course I'd notice you."

He wasn't sure how to respond, but that at least answered the question as to whether or not you were aware of the gossip a few of the other members had let him in on.

"I'm sure that's not true ... I– "

"It's fine, really. Anyways, I just wanted to ask you if you'd like to partner up?", you suggested, completely unfazed by the mention of your judgmental group mates.

"O-oh. You want to? I mean, yeah! Of course," he couldn't help but feel relieved at the prospect of not having to meet with the professor after class to let her know he'd need her assistance finding a partner.

"Great. Here, put your number in my phone and I'll let you know when I can stop by your place so we can brainstorm," you handed him your phone as if nothing; as if you weren't suggesting going over alone to his apartment unsupervised.

He hesitated but gave you his number, flinching a bit when your hands accidentally touched.

"Thanks. I was thinking this Friday. Is that okay with you?"

"Oh, y-yeah. Sure," he mustered a toothy smile for you.

You giggled under your breath, "Okay, Seokmin. Looking forward to seeing you," there was a permanent smile in your eyes as you spoke to him, making him a bit giddy.

He bid his goodbyes back and finally let out a puff of air when you parted ways.

The rest of the class period was completely wasted to Seokmin. His mind was too giddy and preoccupied with thoughts of seeing you again, this time in a more intimate setting. The thought made him anxious, though he also felt some weird tingling he wasn't fully sure how to describe.

Did this mean you had noticed him too? Had he stood out to you in this huge hall? The thought made him shudder before regaining control of himself and starting to anxiously doodle on his notebook.

He snuck a glance over at the direction in which you left, now localizing your seat. You were talking to a few friends, which confused Seokmin greatly. This meant that you already had friends in this class, so why would you go out of your way to team up with him? Was his curiosity about you maybe mutual? This question would surely be all Seokmin thought about for the next two days until the two of you finally met up to discuss your project.

Seokmin saw you again the following day at second bi-weekly meeting of the week.

Once more, you sat back and said nothing, only bothering to sign your name on the attendance board at the start of the meeting and taking your usual seat away from everyone else.

Your attire was different from what you had been wearing in your women's studies class just a few hours ago. You had donned a long skirt and a long sleeve too instead of the tiny shorts he had seen you wearing previously. This change in attire made no difference to Seokmin, however, since he already knew what your bare legs looked like and could not prevent himself in picturing them as he stared.

Your presence had yet again proved to be incredibly distracting to Seokmin, who had already been thinking about you ever since you had suggested to meet at his place.

There was no one he could ask for advice about what to wear or what to do. His friends back home would frown at the thought of Seokmin even considering an unchaperoned gathering with a girl – especially an self-declared atheist who was simply pretending to be catholic for her parents.

His parents were also not a good option. Seokmin could just picture the gasp in surprise at the revelation that his women's studies class (one which his parents had called 'useless' and 'made up') had enticed him into bringing a girl home while no one else was around. He cringed at the mere thought of them attempting to intercept the situation by barging in and lecturing both you and him on proper relations between man and woman.

Seokmin knew he was overthinking all of this, but he had an internal conflict. On one side, he knew that this was just a regular meeting between classmates to discuss a project, but this was his first time alone with a girl (one he had a bit of a crush on, at that!) On the other side, Seokmin couldn't help but feel like he was breaking his parents' trust. They had explicitly forbid him from ever engaging in any type of relationship with any girl unless she was pre-approved by them (something which they'd already tried and failed at doing with Jeonghan). And on a secret third side of things, Seokmin felt like now that he was alone and untrained on what life was like in the real world, it'd be easy for him to fall susceptible to desire and betray God's word. He hadn't had any unbecoming feelings thus far, but his crush on you was enough for this fear to be instilled in him.

For now, Seokmin had the rest of his school day to worry about, so he pushed these thoughts aside and tried to draw his eyes away from your figure as he attempted to pay attention to whichever biblical lesson the group's assigned leader read from.

This was yet another biblical lesson Seokmin had heard time and time again. Despite his strong devotion to God, Seokmin always felt a little belittled at the constant repetition of teachings he had been hearing since childhood. Were his personal beliefs and devotion to God not enough? Why did he need other people to give him their own ideas of religion when he himself was an expert at all of God's teachings by now?

He related to your current situation in this aspect. Even if he felt comfortable in his religious stance, he had to join this club in order to prove to his parents that he was an active participant in the local religious community. He had to constantly deal with his parents' paranoia that he may stray away from God in the way his brother had. His constant assurance that his relationship with God was too strong for breaking was not enough for them; they simply couldn't help showing up in every corner of his life even as far away as he currently was.

Seokmin sighed at these thoughts and drew them away as much as he could. His mind was already preoccupied with thoughts of you coming over tomorrow evening.

That night he went home and prayed his anxieties away, turning to the only being he could possibly trust with his grievances.

"Hi", you smiled brightly at Seokmin, hands holding onto the handles of your backpack as you stood in front of his open apartment door.

"H-hey."

He stepped aside to let you in, wincing internally as he noticed the short length of the white dress you were wearing. He could tell by now that your personal style was more revealing than what you chose to wear at religious gatherings. He couldn't blame you, but he wished you'd cover up more for his poor sanity.

"Do you wanna do it here or did you wanna do it in your bedroom?", you broke him out of his train of thought.

"H-huh ? D-do what? Oh, oh! Yeah. I mean, here is fine. Unless you want to do it in my bedroom? I mean, do the work in my bed– yeah!"

He physically winced at his stupid thoughts; the dumb paranoia that this was more than a platonic study date had gotten to him despite having prayed to calm his nerves just minutes before your arrival.

Luckily for him, all you did was giggle under your breath and take a seat on his couch before taking off your backpack and settling your stuff on his table.

Dumbly, he stood there just watching you, catching sight of your dress riding up yet again in the same way it had two days ago in class.

You patted the space on the couch next to you, telling him to come sit, that you 'didn't bite.' The best response he could muster to that was an awkward chuckle and a follow-up on your instruction.

He made sure to leave ample space between the two of you, even making sure to avoid eye contact as he also pulled out a few notes of his own.

Without saying anything, you scoot closer to him, even turning to face him further, though still facing forward for the most part. Your knees were now bumping into his and your scent was near enough to invade his senses.

"Is this okay? Am I too close?", you asked when you noticed him stiffen.

"N-no. I'm sorry. I ... I'm being dumb. You're fine."

"Then how come you won't look this way?", you leaned even further towards him, making sure his eyes couldn't miss yours from his position.

He braved it and turned to face you, though his eyes were trained on your chin rather than your eyes. He now realized there was less distance between you than he thought.

"I'm sorry, I ..."

You interrupted him but grabbing his chin and gesturing him to look into your eyes.

"Do I make you nervous, Seokmin? You can look at me. You know that, right? It's not a sin to look into a girl's eyes", though your words sounded like mockery, your tone was as soft as your eyes.

He gulped and finally allowed himself to look at you. You were far too close now. Things had progressed too quickly, and in ways that Seokmin had thought were ridiculous to assume when he'd been going over the possibilities of your visit today. Yet here he was, eyes nervously staring into yours, trying their hardest to not lower to your lips or cleavage.

"You're exactly as I thought you would be," you started, hand moving from his chin to softly run your thumb on his cheek, "You're not like them. You're sweet ... But you're scared, aren't you?"

He didn't know where this was going, but your tone was soft and your words sweet so he nodded silently.

"It's okay to want things, Seokmin. Doesn't make you a bad person. You wanna please Him, though, don't you? Don't wanna disappoint Him?"

You were seeing right through him. It made him feel both understood but also like he was just as superficial as he thought the judgmental members of your church group to be.

"I just ..."

"It's okay, Seokmin. He'd want you to be happy. I ... I know it's meaningless hearing it from me, but He wouldn't want you to face this turmoil. You can give in. It's okay, I promise", your last words were said in the form of a whisper against his lips.

You were so close he could breathe you in, but his lips were unfortunately still not touching your own. This frustrated Seokmin, though it also relieved him. He felt way too heated to even engage in something as innocent as a kiss.

He knew that his first kiss would only lead to more. He had been so pent up all this years, shaming any desire away from his mind at every opportunity. He had never even pleasured himself, knowing it was frowned upon by God – at least that's the thought that was hammered into him since way too young an age.

He remembered the various conversations in which any thought of a relationship were verbally beaten out of him. He remembered the reaction of his parents when he had let it slip in kindergarten (his last year in a non-catholic institution) that he had a crush on the girl who'd been assigned as his new desk mate. He recalled the way his mom talked down on the four-year old girl, claiming her parents were not catholic and that she would be a bad influence on him. He remembered when his first phone was confiscated from him at fifteen when his father caught him watching the latest Twice music video at the time, claiming such things would lead him to impure thoughts. He remembered the last day he saw his brother two years ago right after a screaming match with his parents who had insulted and demeaned Jeonghan's partner, claiming he would burn in hell for his decisions against the lord's word.

With all these thoughts plaguing his mind, Seokmin let himself become numb to any spiritual consequences that would come from letting himself go. He found himself internally damning anything that wasn't your lips or the feeling of your hand on his cheek and sighed against you when you finally closed the gap.

Seokmin couldn't help himself in whining into your mouth when he felt your tongue tease his mouth open and begin intertwining with his own.

His arms were stiff against his sides and his lips far too shy and sloppy. It worried him that maybe he was not pleasing you in the way you did him, specially when you pulled away and spoke to him.

Your eyes were still on his lips and the distance between you remained small as you spoke up, "Follow my lead, okay Minnie? Let me show you .."

You kissed him again, this time slower and more sensual. It made his eyes roll back.

He took the hint and began moving his tongue in the same way yours did. He also shyly ran his hands up and down your back upon your wordless insistence that his arms wrap around your form. Following your instructions felt natural, though what you did next caught him completely off guard.

Your hands had snuck away from his cheek, with one now pulling at his hair (and making his eyes roll even further back in the process) and your other hand sneaking into his pants, touching him softly through his boxers.

He jumped back and accidentally disconnected your lips, gasping at the sudden intrusion.

"I ... I cant, I don't ..."

"It's okay if you don't want to, Minnie. I should've asked," you drew back a little, making Seokmin jump once again, but this time to make sure you stayed close.

"It's not that, I just ... I don't– "

"It's okay to want me. It's okay if you want this. We can stop if you want to, but ... you can want me ... You won't get in trouble, I promise."

Your lips were still close enough for him to reach, making him hesitantly grace them with his own. Thankfully you took the hint, giving him a wanton kiss that had him feeling dizzy.

He thoughtlessly kissed you back, whining any time you did something he particularly liked. You didn't attempt touching under his pants again, now simply sticking to running your hands up and down his clothed chest while his shyly caressed your back.

The kiss got heated pretty quickly, making him extremely light headed. He didn't know where this was going nor how he would feel afterwards, but he couldn't find it in himself to care.

His thoughts were interrupted when your lips left his own and trailed from his cheek to his ear, licking and nibbling at his lobe before whispering in it.

"Is this okay?"

"Y– yes. Please ..."

Your kisses against his neck had him throwing his head back. If he was mindless before, he was fully without a care now. Even if his community ever found out what he was up to during his first month away from home, he didn't care in this moment. His guilt may come later, but for now all he could do was enjoy your kiss.

"Can I play with you, Minnie?", you pulled away and gave him a sweet peck before asking.

"You ... It's wrong, I– He'll ..."

"He won't know, Minnie. It's okay. It'll feel so good."

You hesitantly snuck your hand under his trousers once more, slowly enough to allow him to deny you should he wish to. His sinful desire for you prevented him from moving, so you continued until your hand was wrapped around him.

"A– ah ... Y– you ... I've never ..." he sighed.

"Never touched yourself like this before?"

"'s not allowed, I ... I shouldn't ..."

"It's okay. I'm just taking care of you. Nothing wrong with taking care of your needs, right Minnie?"

He felt mocked by how ridiculous it sounded coming out of your mouth. But he still felt guilt. Guilt at every moan that left his mouth as you slowly rubbed up and down his length. Guilt at the way he wanted your lips back on his. Guilt at how difficult it was for him to drag his gaze away from your soft mounds peaking from your cleavage.

One thing was betraying everything his parents had always warned him about, but betraying God's word made him feel like he'd burn up until the day he faced his punishment.

Except he couldn't bring you to stop. He couldn't prevent himself in mindlessly nodding at you and asking you to please not stop.

Suddenly you grabbed his arm, directing it towards your chest. You must've noticed his heavy eyes eyeing your cleavage and realized what thoughts had been going through his perverted mind.

"Wanna touch them? It's okay, just ... just squeeze, yeah? That's it, fuck ... You're so pretty, Minnie," you sighed oh so prettily as soon as he followed your direction and experimentally squeezed at your clothed breasts.

He moaned and moaned at both your touch on him and his on yours. But he began to panic when he felt himself heating up more and more, feeling like he would soon reach a crescendo that he would never be able to fall back from.

"It's okay, Minnie. Let go. Let go for me, pretty. I'll take care of you," you must've sensed his panic and shut him up with your tongue in his mouth, swallowing his whines of pleasure as his end took over him.

He had never felt such pleasure before. Every touch you gave him was better than the last, making him wonder what other sinful acts with you would end up feeling like. He shuddered at the thought and went back to the blissful state his high was giving him.

You kept whispering soft praises to him, telling him that it was okay and that he could let go. He hadn't realized that he was crying until one of your hands softly wiped the tears from his cheeks and kissed softly at them. He felt more loved by your care than he ever had before. The seed of doubt was then planted into his head; why would such a loving an intimate act ever be seen as anything but holy?

He began to feel corrupted, but also conflicted on his thoughts on the matter. One thing he knew for sure, however; this would not be enough – he would seek you again and again.

After even more caring words from you, the two of you parted ways with no work done. You kissed him goodbye and told him you'd see him again soon. He responded shyly but you accepted it with yet another kiss and finally left his apartment.

That night Seokmin attempted to pray his conflicting thoughts away once more, but even then, Seokmin left mention of you out of his prayers, fearing that acknowledging your sudden and rapid effect on him would be the downfall of his purity and of the already strained relationship with his parents.

The following Monday, Seokmin saw you again at the first of the two bi-weekly meetings of your church group. As per usual, you sat alone on a corner while the rest of the club engaged in conversation with one another.

Seokmin chose to sit back once again, deciding to watch you from afar rather than participate in the conversation like he usually did, except this time you began to occasionally look back at him with a sweet smile. Your eye contact would cause him to look down with a blush, but after enough instances of catching your eye, he decided to shyly smile back at you. This proved to be fruitful, as you suddenly stood up and quietly walked your way over to him. Due to the conversation being led by the other group members, your new seat next to Seokmin went unnoticed, causing Seokmin's nerves to not flare up too much.

It was wordless but soft, the way in which you shared a seat with him and offered him yet another sweet smile. He felt giddy at having your attention in such a way. He was aware that he barely knew you, but having you become part of his life (in any way you may have wanted) made him feel a sense of pride he had never felt before.

The two of you spent the rest of the meeting giving each other shy smiles and playing tick tack toe on his notebook. When it was time to part ways, you finally spoke up and told Seokmin you needed to head back first, as your next class was far away. Seokmin wanted to offer to walk you, but was interrupted by another member of the group who called his attention – the same guy who had previously warned him about you. Due to the standoffish manner in which other group members behaved around you, you left awkwardly while Seokmin frowned and stayed back.

Slightly frustrated at not being able to bid you a proper goodbye (or walk with you as he had wished to offer), Seokmin's demeanor to his group mate was less polite than usual.

"What, are you two friends?", asked the member in a somewhat accusatory tone.

"I ... Yeah, maybe. Why?"

"I wouldn't advise that, Seokmin. She's a bad influence. I mean, you haven't been participating as much as when you first got here. It starts when you least expect it. Just don't want you to fall down a bad path."

"What bad path?"

"She was part of our faith at some point. Until she got corrupted, and now she just infiltrates our spaces like a nuance. She'll corrupt you in the same way if you're not careful. Take the advice, brother. Just don't get too close," and with that, he gave Seokmin a condescending nod and made his way out.

Since leaving home, Seokmin had forgotten how many churchgoers would cross boundaries without much care. How they would use the excuse of being 'sons and daughters' of God to be judgmental.

He saw no issue with your behavior. Maybe you had kissed Seokmin and maybe you had ... done other stuff to him. But you weren't a bad person for that. It wasn't like Seokmin stopped you (or even wanted to stop you). He wasn't sure why he felt so defensive over his groupmate's advice, but he couldn't help but be peeved off by this interaction for the rest of the day.

His mood stayed so sour towards his groupmate's harsh judgment of you that he had forgotten to do his nightly prayer before going to sleep, even forgetting to send a message with his blessings to his parents like he usually did.

The next morning he awoke to some overbearing messages from his parents inquiring why he had not messaged them the night prior. Seokmin was surprised at himself when his first reaction to their myriad of messages was to roll his eyes and lock his phone back up. He loved his parents, but his separation from them had quickly showed him how controlling they tended to be. But Seokmin realized it wasn't only them; it was the entirety of the puritanical and judgmental community he had grown up with.

Despite having only hung out with you once, you were already a breath of fresh air to Seokmin. You didn't judge him over his shy and socially awkward demeanor. He had a hunch that since you two belonged to the same church group and had likely had similar upbringings, you probably understood why he was the way that he was. Unlike everyone else he had met at this school so far (other than the other members of the church group), you weren't mean to him nor did you ever ignore him. You had seeked him out! The thought still gave him butterflies.

~

The two of you continued to casually hang out like this over the next week or so, though it usually tended to be only while on meetings with your church group or during your women's studies class.

Contrasting with your previous meeting, any time the two of you would hang out now mostly consisted of working on your project or getting to know each other. He had come to find out that you were here on a scholarship and that, as the nosy guy in your church group had stated, you were only attending the church group to appease your parents' belief that you should maintain some type of connection to God regardless of your beliefs in catholicism. You didn't get too much into it, but you also informed Seokmin that despite what the group members believed, you did not have a bad relationship with your parents due to your contrasting beliefs. This made Seokmin envious, pondering about how his parents would react should he ever find himself changing his faith.

Through the few times you saw each other in class, Seokmin grew to like you more and more. He knew now that he felt something for you that he had never before. He had a crush, for arguably one of the first times in his life. There were also more sinister feelings dwelling in his mind, however. Sometimes he would think back to that day alone in his apartment, when you took his innocence (though only partially). He wanted more, but he felt like he was simultaneously sinning and disrespecting you by even thinking about it. He still felt conflicted about last time, thinking himself a sinner and a bad son for disobeying both God and his parents, but he couldn't help himself in wanting more.

A few days later, Seokmin saw you yet again at your shared women's studies class.

Seokmin was completely unable to pay any attention to class today. Unfortunately for his sanity, you had recently begun to sit next to him every time the two of you shared this class. Seokmin had grown accustomed to sitting alone at the very back row of the auditorium in which your women's class was given. The first day he had sat next to a few people, but after mentioning his devotion to God during his personal introduction, he found people not only avoiding his eye and snickering at him but even going out of their way to sit away from him. You had been the sole exception, deciding to sit with him a few days after your meeting at his apartment, now smiling at him as you sat side by side.

Today, you have him more trouble than usual. You sent him flirtatious smiles during the entirety of class, even occasionally gracing your hand slowly on his leg. This had him shuddering and completely distracted, but he couldn't bring himself to stop you. You gave him a thrill he had never experienced before. While his mind before meeting you had always been dedicated to thinking of God and his duties as a member of the church, his mind was now fully occupied by you. As silly as it sounded, he had never felt the thrill of a crush before (specially not one that was reciprocated like this), and now he didn't know how to act.

"Hey, Minnie," you whispered to him as your professor lectured in the background.

"Y- yeah?"

"Wanna meet at my apartment after class today to study?", you now whispered right against his ear, finger drawing figures on his thigh.

"Oh, I– Of course," he coughed out.

You only giggled quietly in response and went back to paying attention to class (though still occasionally doodling cute hearts in Seokmin's notebook).

After class, the two of you walked together. Only a few minutes into your walk through campus, you slipped your hand into his. He was surprised by this, but allowed himself to squeeze yours back. His heart soared when you started swinging your intertwined hands back and forth.

Was this what romance felt like? The thought alone made Seokmin feel giddier than he had ever before. He relished in the simple act of holding your hand and felt pride any time you'd stop for a few seconds to say hi to some friends, never once letting go of his hand and even giving a quick introduction of his name.

You were quite literally heaven on Earth to Seokmin. He couldn't wait to get to know you even further.

~

Walking to your place took about half an hour, but it was worth it the moment the two of you stepped in and you immediately pushed Seokmin against the wall, stealing a kiss from him.

"Minnie ... Been thinking about you since last time ..." you kissed at his neck, pulling his collared neckline out of the way.

"Me too ..."

"Yeah? What'd you think about?", you paused to pull back and look at him, "You don't regret it, do you? Was I too much?", your tone was genuine, more genuine than he had ever heard anyone direct themselves to him.

"N-no, of course not. I've, uh, I wanted more ... Just .. was too shy to ask."

"Aw, Minnie. You don't have to be shy with me. We can do anything you're comfortable with," you shared a sweet smile with him before pulling him back in for a heated kiss.

This was only Seokmin's second instance in kissing you, – last time having been only over a week back – but he now found it easier to match your rhythm and play with your tongue in ways that had you humming against his lips. He wanted to give you pleasure in the way you'd given it to him. So far he felt like he'd been doing well with the kissing. You somehow walked him over to your bedroom without disconnecting your lips, making his heart speed up at the thought of what was coming up next.

He yelped against your lips when you pushed and straddled him on the bed, hands too shy to know where to touch. Fortunately, you didn't leave him hanging for long and positioned them on your waist for him.

"Minnie ... I don't wanna pressure you. So we're gonna do something similar to last time, yeah?"

He was of course in agreement, but ...

"I ... I wanna make you feel good too ... Please?", he almost winced at how pathetic he sounded. He also had absolutely no idea of how to please you. He had never even considered watching porn (being told he'd go to hell for even entertaining such thoughts), nor had he ever received any type of sexual education. As lame as it sounded, Seokmin was completely clueless as to what women did for pleasure. He had been clueless as to how male pleasure worked up until you had shown him.

"Do you want me to teach you how, Minnie?", you asked while unbuttoning his shirt.

"Please ..."

You kissed him again in response, wordlessly taking off both his and your clothes. When you finished, Seokmin couldn't help but feel exposed. However, the thought of his own nudity (sans his boxers) left his mind as soon as he realized you were also down to just your underwear.

With his mouth agape and his arms not knowing where to go, Seokmin simply sat under you and sweat bullets as he attempted not to stare anywhere below your chin.

Noticing his nervous demeanor, you giggled at him and put your hand on his cheek while the other remained on his shoulder.

"Oh, Minnie ... So pretty. Do you even know how pretty you are?", you ran your hands up and down his chest in a sweet manner, "And I'm the only one who gets to see it, hmm? All mine?",

"Y-your .... yes ... for you."

"Fuck. I'm gonna have so much fun with you. Gonna teach you everything."

Despite your words' effect on him, his main focus right now was your almost bare body and its proximity to him. He could feel the heat of your skin against his. His mind kept thinking about what you must look like beneath your underwear, with his eyes heavy and glued to your covered breasts.

"Want me to take off my bra, Minnie? You just have to ask. I'll go as far as you want to go," you pecked his lips yet again, still running your hands up and down his chest.

"Y-yeah. Wanna see you. Is that ... is that okay? Just wanna make you feel as- as good as you did me ..."

Your breath hitched, "Oh, angel ... So sweet and selfless. I'll show you. Fuck, I'll show you everything."

You separated yourself from him a bit in order to give him a full view. Then, in slow and sensual movements, you threw off your bra, proceeding to caress your own breasts as you gave Seokmin a sultry look.

Fuck.

What type of teachings were preventing him from seeing you in your barest of forms? You were nothing lesser than art itself. You were so warm and beautiful; so soft and perfect – both inside and out. Seokmin couldn't believe he had ever considered such things to be scandalous (which admittedly, he still kind of believed). At the same time, he was kind of glad he had never engaged in such acts before, because it allowed for you to be the first (and hopefully last) woman he would ever see in such an intimate setting.

Those thoughts aside, Seokmin was short-circuiting. He was so distracted he didn't even notice you removing your panties and settling back on his lap until you verbally called his attention again.

"Minnie? Wanna feel them? Hmm?", your hands were already on his, leading them directly to your soft mounds.

"F-fuck," he couldn't help but groan upon feeling the weight of them on his hands, "you're so beautiful ... Y-you're, oh fuck-"

Words could not express the unimaginable beauty he was witnessing, nor the arousal he felt at having you so bare and willing in front of him. He didn't know what to do or how he was supposed to react. He felt kind of bad at his wordless state, but he couldn't help being speechless at feeling such pleasure from merely seeing you.

"Like this, Minnie. Just- fuck ... yeah, like that ..." you instructed for his thumbs to play with your nipples, even making him pinch at them. Your sighs and the way you arched your back were enough for Seokmin to want to leave everything behind and dedicate his life to your pleasure.

"K- kiss them? Please, Minnie ..."

He took your order immediately, leaning down to kiss around your nipples, glasses fogging from the close proximity to your skin.

Your sighs intensified and your hand moved to angle his head so that his lips would land on your nipple. Taking the hint, he enveloped your pert nipple in between his lips and sucked, licking and nibbling at it as he saw fit. Eventually he lost himself a bit, allowing his hands to fondle your breasts desperately as he whined into your breast. Your whines for more made him lose his mind, leading to his mind fogging up even more.

This progressed for a while until you finally moved his head away from your tits and stole a wet kiss from his lips.

"You're so good, Minnie. So obedient ... Such a good boy for me," you breathed against his lips, wiping his foggy glasses before slipping them back on.

He physically keened at your praise, not at all used to being praised for such filthy behavior but still extremely pleased he was making you feel good.

"Now ... now I'm gonna show you how to make me feel good, yeah? Still wanna try that, angel?"

He nodded too enthusiastically, glasses coming out of place due to his enthusiasm.

"Okay, baby," you giggled, "Need you to kneel on the floor for me, okay? Right between my legs ..."

Oh. You wanted him to-

He had never explored his sexual desires in any way, so he was fully unaware where exactly this was going, but the thought of looking up at you while he made you feel good between your legs sounded like the holiest act known to human.

He followed your direction, groaning when he saw the hidden space between your legs glisten.

"Oh, God ..."

"Shh, don't use the lord's name in vain, Minnie", you were just teasing, but somehow the reminder of his lord made Seokmin feel a small pang of guilt at the thought of the sin he had been actively committing with you thus far. He decided to push it aside and continue on his path. Nothing mattered to him more right now than your utmost pleasure.

"Lick it?" you used your fingers to open up your folds, letting out even more honey for Seokmin to gawk at.

Wordlessly he got closer and closer, up until his tongue was able to flick at the length of your folds. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding at the taste of your essence, becoming instantly obsessed with its warmth. What he was even more obsessed with, however, was the whine you let out at such a simple touch.

Was it possible for him – an inexperienced and sheltered boy – to make someone like you – a gorgeous and clearly knowledgeable girl – feel this good? He needed to test the theory so he kept licking to his heart's contentment, following the directions your hand gave him as you guided his head against you.

He licked shyly at first, only sucking every now and then as he did his best to act accordingly to the sounds you were making. It didn't help that his mind was plagued by your taste, smell, and the warmth between your legs – not to mention your mewls of pleasure.

"My clit, baby ... Your tongue, angle it here- oh ... fuck, right there, Minnie ..." you angled him so that he could flick his tongue at a tiny little pearl found between your legs.

With all the newfound knowledge he had on how to deliver your pleasure, Seokmin did the best he could to repeat the movements you seemed to really enjoy (at least based on how prettily you'd cry his name after). Despite his mind being completely clouded by the entirety of your person, Seokmin continued to moan and cry against your cunt as he silently begged for more of your cunt against his face.

"M-minnie! Oh ... Fuck. Such a g-good boy ... All mine, shit ... Your tongue, oh ... just like that, angel ... Y-your nose, Minnie, please! Your nose, just- oh! Fuck", you cried for him, at some point taking full control and just grinding against his face as his nose and tongue poked into your most sensitive spots.

Seokmin felt incredibly proud at your mindless state, knowing it was him who had achieved that. Nothing mattered more in that moment than your pleasure; pleasure which only Seokmin could give you.

"Gonna cum for you, angel. Lick it all for me? Be a good boy and take it for me, yeah? Shit!", you practically vibrated against him as your high took over you.

Seokmin kept his face between your legs as you came, doing his best to lick at every single drop of essence and moaning at the taste of you. He allowed you to use his face as you saw fit, reveling in the knowledge that he had given you such other-worldly pleasure.

He didn't know it was possible for him to feel such pleasure from just watching you, but now he understood. If anyone asked, this was what heaven was supposed to look like – a beautiful girl losing herself to Seokmin's touch as he himself tried not to lose his own mind.

Throughout the entirety of your orgasm, Seokmin couldn't control his hips as they ground against the bed with a complete lack of rhythm, simply humping animalistically at you taking over every single one of his senses.

After a few moments of aftershock, you suddenly pulled Seokmin up and attacked him with a filthy kiss; filthier than any you'd shared before.

Your kiss alone had Seokmin struggling to keep himself from cumming in his boxers. You had been testing his self-control from the moment you teased him in class earlier today and he just wasn't sure how much longer he could take until pleasure took over him once again.

"Want me to try it on you, Minnie?", you asked once you pulled away from the kiss.

"That? O-on me?"

"Mhmm. My mouth on you? Is that okay?", you pecked his lips again, seemingly unable to disconnect from him for too long (which Seokmin thoroughly related to).

"Yes", he deadpanned, still out of breath from being suffocated by your thighs and then your lips just moments ago.

You wasted no time in removing his boxers. Seokmin felt slightly shy at this, having never let anyone ever see him nude before. Even last time he had been with you, you had pleasured him through his clothes and not seen past his shirtless state thus far.

But you praised him as soon as he was fully nude, kissing up and down his thighs as you told him how beautiful he was, how pretty and deserving of praise you believed him to be. His whole body heat up at your soft words, with goosebumps forming at your soft kisses that led up closer and closer to where he was aching the most.

He gasped when you finally took a hold of his member, bringing your face close enough to give the weeping tip a kiss.

"O-oh ..." he threw his head back at the sweet yet filthy gesture.

You giggled under your breath and began kitten licking at his tip, sucking lightly every so often. He felt like he had finally arrived to heaven. All those stories about what awaited his good behavior while on earth must've been lies, because he found the greatest reward of all in the form of your mouth wrapped around him.

Getting braver by the second, you put almost the entirety of him in your mouth, doing things with your tongue and lips that his poor brain couldn't even process. He whined and cried at your movements, not able to understand how easily you could bring him to tears.

As he quickly neared his high, his mind turned into mush, not allowing him to register what was going on with his body. All he knew was that his cries got louder by the second, his cheeks now damp with the tears that wouldn't stop falling from his eyes. His hips were uncontrollable, having to be restrained by your hands as he chased for his high with the utmost desperation.

"P-please! I need ... Fuck, please ..." he begged for nothing in particular as his high completely took over.

He felt dirty and disrespectful as he did it, but he came inside your mouth, wincing at the way your moans vibrated while he was still in your mouth. He couldn't help himself; his thoughts had been completely overtaken by the pleasure.

His cries had not stopped as of yet, even rendering him emotional as the high of his orgasm wore down. Now was the moment of regret, knowing he had broken his unspoken oath of celibacy yet again.

This was something all people in his community swore to. It was rarely ever spoken about, but Seokmin knew that he was supposed to save himself for marriage – in every sense. Despite already having quite strong feelings towards you and the things you did to him, Seokmin still felt like he had somehow disrespected you by engaging in such acts with you. But more than anything, he felt like he had disappointed God.

So he cried. He cried into his hands despite how embarrassed he felt at doing such thing in front of you, specially after having shared such intimacy.

"Oh, Minnie ..." you coo'd at him, getting up to hold his large frame in your arms.

You allowed him to exhaust his cries as he quietly asked for forgiveness. He didn't have to explain himself, as you understood. You made your understanding evident by reassuring him that he had done nothing wrong, and that he was still such a good man.

He believed your words and thanked you, eventually calming down enough to stop crying and speak coherently.

"Do you ... do you think He'd be disappointed in me?", he knew it was a stupid question to ask considering your lack of religion. The two of you had never thoroughly discussed religion with one another, but he knew you at least understood where he was coming from.

You pouted at him, cooing at him as you responded, "Of course not, Minnie. He loves you. You're such a good boy; treat everyone so kindly even when they don't deserve it. Treat me so kindly ... No matter what anyone ever tells you, what we just did is no sin", you explained.

"B- but the bible-"

"Shhh. Your faith is your own. No one can take that away from you, Minnie. Even if I don't share those beliefs anymore, I know an amazing person when I see one. You've done nothing wrong, okay?", you caressed his cheek and pecked his lips to drive your point home.

He nodded as he tried not to tear up at your kindness.

Him even questioning his actions' consequences on his faith would've provided him with a scolding from his parents or a look in disapproval from his reverend. But in turn you gave him acceptance and love. There was no way in his mind to believe that being with you – feeling good with you – was anything other than the holiest act he could engage in.

"Do you regret it?", you interrupted his thoughts.

"N-no, of course not ... It's just ..."

"I'd never want to make you do something you don't wanna do. I ... I know we haven't known each other for long, but I like you, Seokmin. I don't want you to think I'm just trying to ... corrupt you."

"You're not!," in a change of pace, he grabbed onto your hands and looked directly into your eyes as he spoke, "Everything you've taught me, I've wanted it too. I ... I like you too."

You smiled at this, squeezing his hands affectionately, "Yeah? Does that mean you wanna keep hanging out?"

"Yeah, I'd love that."

~

Unfortunately, time for Seokmin to go home eventually came and he bid his goodbyes to you.

The two of you spent a few hours after your heart to heart actually working on your project and later watching a few episodes of a show you said you'd been watching on Hulu. It was a nice time for Seokmin to get to know you outside of school, and it only reinstated how much he liked you already.

It was about 10PM by the time he got home, which was usually around the time he went to sleep due to the early hours of his classes the following day. Almost as soon as he finished his nightly skincare and prepared himself to go to sleep, he suddenly got a call.

It was odd for him to get calls in general, but this time around he knew who it'd be before even checking his phone.

It was his parents.

Seokmin had seen this coming. He had gotten too into his head this past week; too into you. Not only had he neglected contacting his parents as frequently as they had agreed (re: every night in order to 'keep a close eye on him'), but he had also been neglecting his religious duties. He had not kept contact with any of his religious friends from back home nor had he even attended church as of late. And surprisingly ... Seokmin had not minded these recent developments. He felt freer than ever. For the first time in his life, he was not under constant surveillance, receiving judgment for any instance in which his parents believed him to step out of line in his religious lifestyle.

Back home, a single absence from bi-weekly mass would be met with passive aggressive disapproval. Any instance in which Seokmin expressed interest in anything outside of the church (such as non catholic music and dance – both of which his parents had immediately shut down), he felt as if he was breaking a law at the way in which his parents would scold him for ever even considering such 'perverted' hobbies.

Upon moving away, Seokmin had begun to realize that his upbringing hadn't been as perfect as he had thought it to be, that his parents didn't love him as unconditionally as he first thought. He thought back to his brother's estrangement from his family and felt regret at not standing up for him, knowing that his parents would turn on him just as fast as they did Jeonghan.

With a sigh, he picked up the call, mustering as much interest as he could. He made some excuse as to why he had been unable to keep in contact and promised to be better moving forward. He faked a smile in his voice and forced his way through a peaceful call (sans the few passive aggressive comments his parents threw his way) and called it a night.

For the first time in his life, he put religion and his parents aside to give himself a restful sleep, only looking forward to seeing you the next morning and going to sleep with the remembrance of what the two of you did fresh in his mind.

"Oh ... I- please ..."

"Just like that, Minnie, fuck ... Don't move, angel. Just let me do all the work, yeah?", you ground against him even faster, angling your hips so that his member would grace against your clothed folds.

It seemed like the dam had broken for you at the same time as it had for Seokmin, because you had jumped him the very next time he made his way through the threshold of your apartment.

The two of you kissed until exhausting yourselves, leading Seokmin to beg you to undress both you and him (with pleading eyes rather than verbally, as he was still too shy to beg for such things with words).

It was only one day after you had given Seokmin oral (a concept which you had introduced him to), which somehow made Seokmin even more desperate to have you. Even after his parents' call ruining his mood, you had managed to bring it back up immediately after when you messaged him late at night suggesting the two of you meet up today. After spending the entire day together, Seokmin walked you home yet again, only to be jumped by you (once again) upon entering your apartment.

One thing led to another and Seokmin found himself fully unclothed under you as you ground against him through the thin layer of your panties. Seokmin was completely weightless under you, becoming a shell of his old self as he desperately guided your hips to grind against him. He wasn't sure where this would lead, but he felt the usual conflict that always arose when the two of you were alone like this. Even through all your reassurance, Seokmin felt as if he was betraying an oath by engaging with his sexual desires for you. However, these thoughts were immediately pushed aside when you leaned back down to kiss him again.

The kiss was nasty, for lack of a better word. Seokmin didn't fully realize it, but his desperation for your touch would sometimes render him into a sloppy kisser, but you seemed to not mind it as you moaned and licked into his mouth any time his kisses got a bit messy. Your grinding got more and more intense by the second, throwing your head back at the way Seokmin senselessly canted his hips against your own.

"M-minnie ... Want more ... Is that okay? Just need to feel you so bad ... Please ..."

"M-more?"

"Do you want it too, Minnie? Wanna know what it feels like?"

"Show me? Wh- Oh ..."

"You want it too, don't you? Hmm? You're so hard against me, angel. Don't you wanna feel me?"

"I just ..."

Before he could formulate a response through the lust that was clouding his mind, you suddenly brought one of his hands between your bodies, going behind the forbidden threshold of your underwear. Anxious but also incredibly turned on, Seokmin fell limp and allowed you to do whatever you wanted. You grabbed his middle and pointer fingers, angling them so that they could seamlessly slip between your folds. Though Seokmin had already felt the wetness between your legs the day prior, he had not properly felt just how warm and tight you could be.

"Oh, it's so ... Fuck," he moaned when you began guiding his hand so his fingers could go in and out.

"Shit, Minnie ... So good ... Wanna feel it now, angel? Will you give it to me?", you slipped his fingers out after proving your point, now going back to caressing his cheek with your own hand.

"B-but ... It's a sin ..." he let out before even realizing. Even with your constant reassurance up to this point, Seokmin still felt ties to his faith that made him second-guess himself.

He knew that he had already gone past certain point with you, and that having sex with you wouldn't make much difference in his morality, but he still thought of all the teachings of celibacy and all the censorship his community had forced onto him. Was this the right choice? His body was screaming at him to let himself go and seek his high from you. His mind was telling him similar things, though there was also emphasis on the fact that doing this with you, of all people, would be the best choice he could ever make.

"Angel ... It's okay to want it. You don't have to be scared ... I'll take care of you. Just wanna be close to you, Minnie. Don't you want that too? Hmm? Just like you so much, angel," you kisses softly at his chest as you said this, breaking his resolve.

And you were right. He wanted this so badly. He wanted to be as close to you as possible, to give himself to you in the most intimate way he could.

"Y-yes. Want you so much ..." he was shy as he said it, but he meant it to the fullest extent.

You proceeded to sensually remove your underwear, sitting back down above Seokmin's dick as you made a show of grinding your nude pelvises against one another, making Seokmin cry out in desperation.

Any doubts he had left him as soon as you allowed his tip to slip in, throwing his head back as he finally felt your warmth envelop him. You let out a variety of expletives at the feelings, all while clawing at Seokmin's chest, something that had his back arching in unexpected pleasure.

"Oh, Minnie ... So full, f-fuck ..." you moaned out, taking on a slow yet deep pace that made Seokmin shut his eyes and scrunch his nose.

Seokmin couldn't describe the pleasure you were giving him. He was practically frozen in place, the only part of his body still conscious were his hands, which were likely bruising your hips from how hard he was digging his fingers onto them. He needed to keep himself grounded, but he truly felt like today was judgment day, and he had gone to heaven.

"Open your eyes, angel. Wanna see you," your hand reached over to his cheek, angling his head so he could look your way rather than keep his head in its thrown back state.

He opened his eyes to find you smiling down at him with the light hanging on your ceiling providing the best view of you possible. You looked like an angel gazing down at him, like you came down to give him the greatest ruin and drag him back up with you. You had corrupted him in the best way possible.

"Oh, Minnie ... So beautiful. My prettiest boy ... Does it feel good, angel?", he nodded and let out a whine at your soft inquiries, "Yeah? How's it feel when I do this?", you squeezed around him, now bouncing rather than grinding against him, making him close his eyes back up and cry out your name.

"I- Please! I need ...", his nails clawed at your hips and back, begging for something unknown to him. He needed more, but he wasn't sure of what.

"I know, pretty. Gonna give it to you, just- fuck ... Just need you to be good for me, yeah?," you hiccuped, leaning down to kiss him again.

He cried against your lips, eyes rolling back when your tongue began dancing with his own, your hands reaching down to toy with his nipples. You were giving him too many things at once, making the overstimulation take over his already hazy brain. He didn't care about any moral repercussions to what you were doing together. Every time you touched him further solidified how right being with you felt.

Only a few moments of your ministrations were enough for Seokmin to feel that familiar coil begin to tighten. He knew his end was near, causing him to grow restless as he planted his legs on the bed and humped against you. Despite his lack of proper technique and the sloppiness of his movements, you matched his own and wailed his name.

Your hands came down to bring his up and pin them above his head, grinding deeper and deeper against him as the two of you crazily chased your highs. The bed shook against the wall at the intensity of your actions, with nothing but nasty sounds of your muffled moans and your arousal filling up the silence. Eventually you disconnected your lips, eyeing the string of spit that connected you before burying your head in the crook of his neck.

"I- I like you so much," he groaned out, high-pitched and breathless.

"Like you so fucking m-much! You have no idea ..." you reciprocated his words as you clamped down around him and let yourself be taken by your high. Your high was more than enough to trigger his own, leaving him in a practically astral state for a few moments as his hands ran frantically up and down your body, squeezing and scratching every so often.

When your highs finally wore down, you laid yourself beside him, cuddling him near you so you could wrap your legs around him and bring him as close as possible. You faced each other as you caught your breaths, running your hands along the length of his back as his own rubbed at your hips. The moment was pure bliss.

"Do you regret it?"

"No. I could never regret anything we've done. I- I'm sorry if I made you feel that way," he looked away from your eyes.

You nudged him to look at you once more, "Don't apologize, Minnie. I understand. I'm happy I was your first. Maybe one day I'll teach you even more fun things," you flirted through a giggle.

"Oh, I- Hah, yeah", he was caught off guard by your flirting, but still laughed along.

Yeah, he wouldn't mind that.

Over the following weeks, Seokmin did a better job of keeping up with his parents. He kept a safe distance while still giving them the belief that he was still fully engaged in the religious spaces they had envisioned for him. However, he could not help but lie when it came to what occupied his day to day life – you. He didn't bring you up, which you agreed upon after a tearful conversation in which Seokmin detailed his upbringing, leading you to spend the night up with him as you comforted him. He was also yet to attend mass again, and he even occasionally skipped the bi-weekly meetings of his church group – though only when you skipped also. These were a few of the things he kept secret from his family – advice from his brother Jeonghan, who he had recently gotten in contact with again.

Seokmin's faith was still standing; his relationship with God was slightly injured by his internal conflict about your sexual relationship, though he was now sure that he felt no regrets at anything the two of you had engaged in. To him, being with you felt like the biggest reward he could have ever hoped for. Seokmin realized quickly that his issue really laid with the catholic community in which he had been brought up, rather than his relationship with God itself. He disagreed with the judgmental and overbearing way in which certain catholics circles ran, something which he distanced himself from upon meeting you.

You had even introduced him to a few of your friends, some which were even catholic like him. Your buddy Joshua was one of the chillest guys he had ever met, yet his faith was pretty intact. This made Seokmin feel less guilt, though his balance between what was right and wrong in the eyes of God was still a bit of a mess. Luckily he had you help him navigate his way through that.

Along with all these developments, Seokmin had also begun speaking to his brother Jeonghan again (behind his parents' backs, of course). It made him happy to know that despite his brother straying away from his community, he had ended up happy with his life, leading a steady relationship and being happy away from his parents' constant religious persecution.

And you ... You had become official in these past few weeks, making Seokmin constantly have to pinch himself to confirm whether or not he was imagining all this. He was still a very shy and awkward individual, usually opting to hang out alone with you in either of your apartments. He appreciated how patient you were with him, never judging him for being a bit different and even teaching him the pleasures he had been missing out on during his very restricted upbringing. You had become a piece of heaven on earth to Seokmin, corrupting him, but only in the best of ways.

a/n: i left so many things unresolved here oops but all i cared about was seokmin's character development and we got there in the end so! anyways hope u guys enjoyed!!

To read short 2k word continuation u can go join my monthly tier on kofi or patreon!

content:

wc: 587 (teaser); 2080 (full drabble)

sneak peak:

Seokmin was, yet again, at a crossroads. Though this time it wasn't anything too serious, or maybe it was.

By current time, it had now been four months since the two of you had begun dating. 'I love you's' were shared and multiple sleep overs were had. Your relationship had been everything anyone could hope for a first relationship, and Seokmin now felt way more at ease whenever the two of you did anything sexual.

Admittedly, Seokmin was still slightly awkward about it, still never allowing himself to start sexual interactions and simply following your lead. Which was the crux of his current predicament.

He was unsure if he had done something wrong, if he had maybe insulted you or maybe there was some other unknown reason behind, but it had been over a week since the two of you had slept together. Over the past four months, the two of you spent most of your nights together, taking on a very domestic routine within the first two months of your relationship. Though you obviously didn't get down to sexual activities every day, it was common for it to happen a few times a week (at the least).

It usually began with you cornering Seokmin against the wall after a tiring day of college, or sometimes it began during a movie night in which you couldn't keep your hands to yourself. Whatever it was, you were always giving Seokmin an opening to entertain his sexual desires with you whenever he pleased. Even though he was always too shy to ask, it was almost as if you were able to read his mind and always incite him when he needed it most.

His sexual desires for you had grown quite a lot, making Seokmin worry at times. Was it normal how badly he wanted you at all times? Was this a consequence of having never before received pleasure until meeting you? He felt like a degenerate sometimes, from how badly he wanted you. Which was the main reason as to why he grew antsy so quickly after not having sex with you for the past week or so.

In contrast to these past months, this past week and a half (nine days to be exact; not that Seokmin was keeping count or anything), you had not given Seokmin anything further than a sweet peck on the lips whenever the two of you fell asleep next to each other. You didn't act any differently past that, still showering him with love and spending as much time as you could with him.

It wasn't that Seokmin expected sex from you or anything, but ever since you had taught him how pleasurable it could be to have a romantic partner, he could not see himself ever going back to his old, puritan lifestyle. Seokmin had become, for lack of a better word, an addict. He couldn't help himself in desiring you every time he caught an inch of your bare legs or the soft skin of your breasts through your cleavage. He had deprived himself of sex for far too long and now he could no longer live without it.

He didn't want to seem desperate, or as if he only valued you for sex, but he needed to get to the bottom of this and find a way to get you to touch him again. He was far too shy to ever ask you directly, but he would work his hardest to entice you into letting him have you again

...

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[y-rhywbeth2]

Gods & Clergy: Bhaal #2

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]

Religion | Gods | Shar | Selûne | Bhaal #1 | Bhaal #2 | Mystra | Jergal | Bane #1 | Bane #2 | Bane #3 | Myrkul | Lathander | Kelemvor | Tyr | Helm | Ilmater | Mielikki | Oghma | Gond | Tempus | Silvanus | Talos | Umberlee | Corellon | Moradin | Yondalla | Garl Glittergold | Eilistraee | Lolth | Laduguer | Gruumsh | Bahamut | Tiamat | Amodeus | The rest of the Faerûnian Pantheon --WIP

Because I found some extra stuff on Bhaalists.

Briefly featuring; secret identities, how to consecrate an altar, acceptable targets for sacrifice, red rooms, mummification, do not steal a Bhaalist's knife, and maybe some other stuff.

-

"Murder is natural. Slaying is what all creatures in Faerûn do, daily if they can. At least daily, slay something living—and the Lord of Murder is most pleased if the victim is one of your own kind and as formidable as, or more powerful than, you. Kill with swift skill, not by torture, forced suicide, falls, or collisions. Do it personally, with ever-greater deftness and elegance, and teach others the skills and the delights of slaying. "Deathbringers are to slay with enough skill that witnesses are impressed. They are always to challenge those more powerful than themselves, the clergy of other deities being prize targets. Slay with pleasure, but never with anger. Be in exquisite control of yourself. Utter the name of Bhaal so the victim can hear it. Ideally, it should be the last word a victim hears." - more Bhaalist dogma

Deathbringer appears to be a generic term for a Bhaalist who is part of the church. Or it's an alternative term for Deathstalker, it's hard to tell. Going on context, I assume it means the former.

In the time between his death and his resurrection, Bhaal no longer spoke directly to his followers even though he seemed to be answering prayers. He contacted them only rarely, and only in the form of nightmares.

Worshipping Bhaal is legal and persecuting his followers is considered... risky. Nobody wants to offend the gods. Murder, on the other hand, is very much illegal. Due to the fact that Bhaal is worshipped by committing very illegal murders, this gets complicated.

As with all evil and disruptive faiths, Bhaalists are permitted to worship so long as they don't disrupt functioning society and follow various stipulations: keeping their religious practices out of public view; not rocking the boat and causing the public to panic; and performing agreed upon services for the government for example. If they keep their end of the agreement, the law politely turns to look away.

Bhaalists protect their ability to worship the Lord of Murder by courting the halls of power, making themselves indispensable to the local government and nobility, and infiltrating law enforcement to cover their tracks. Many of them cut out the middleman and take positions of power themselves.

To make life easier for themselves, most Bhaalists have a "daytime identity" as a regular citizen, and keep their personal shrines out of sight (part of the restriction violent and evil faiths must follow in order to be permitted to operate in the Realms). The public should not be able to identify random Bhaalists walking amongst them.

Incidentally, Bhaalist shrines are kept holy by being anointed with the followers' own blood.

Bhaalists use their daily life to observe the city and consider their target. Preferred targets include:

Adventurers and travellers nobody knows. -

Criminals and troublemakers people will be glad to be rid of. -

People who are rising in power who might cause trouble for Bhaalists with that power -

The clergy of Bhaal's enemies: (Chauntea, goddess of agriculture; Helm, god of guards and law; Lathander, god of birth and renewal; Torm, protector of the common folk; Ilmater, god of martyrs; and Lliira, goddess of joy)

Favourite hunting grounds for Bhaalists tend to be either the main streets and markets (if they're looking to draw attention to the sacrifice, perhaps to make a statement) or the slums and poorer areas.

A daily murder is preferred by Bhaal, but only once a tenday is the murder of a person mandated. When the time comes, the Bhaalist will don their religious clothing and head out on their hunt.

Once the target is dead, they will take some trophy from them (and likely strip them of their wealth and possibly ransack their house, if possible). This trophy could be a personal possession, or a body part (for example; a finger, or their heart). The "trophy" is offered up to Bhaal on the altar, with a prayer, and Bhaal permits his followers to keep whatever wealth they acquire to fund their daily life and "continue their holy work." Many Bhaalists aim for a wealthy life, both for the comfort and for the fact that power and money are great ways to avoid anybody arresting you if you fuck up.

If in a city with a larger temple, then the worshipper is to tithe 50% of all coins taken this way to the temple.

If there is no temple in the area, then every member will be assigned a higher ranking priest as a handler of sorts, and they will give that 50% to them instead.

The church couldn't care less about non-monetary gains and land deeds, you can keep those.

Temples are not open to the public and may not be placed in view of the public, hence why they are built beneath the streets. There are also remote monasteries and monastic orders beyond the reach of the cities, which presumably hunt travellers on the roads at night and put the fear of their god into the hearts of nearby villages and farmers.

Bhaalists recruit by essentially running red rooms and snuff shows in secret locations at night; often cellars, basements and also private rooms in the upper floors of more well-to-do buildings. Guests wear masks to protect their privacy (the Bhaalists will presumably be wearing their full religious veils instead of masks).

The targets chosen for the spectacle will typically be those public opinion deems deserving of death. Violent criminals, for example. These slayings will not be considered a crime by viewers, and with a reputation for vigilantism, the cult may even come to be viewed favourably by some. Joining the cult means you get to "volunteer" the next guest star.

-

While I don't know how widely practiced this is, Bhaalists do mummify their dead. Invading a Bhaalist tomb may backfire when the long-dead priests take issue with their visitors.

Bhaalists blades may be cursed, in case they're stolen (particularly those they bury with their dead). Once unsheathed, the blades can't be returned to their scabbard until they've been used to take a life. Attempts to remove the curse with counter-magic will cause them to explode violently in a burst of metal shrapnel and fatal poison (which will be absorbed into the body on skin contact).

[joan-of-feminism]

Gender Is A Hierarchy, Not A Spectrum or Identity

Within the last decade, I’m sure that we have all seen something like this in a sociology class or just from scrolling through social media…

Queer theory is a postmodernist theory that has put forth the idea that gender exists on a spectrum as opposed to a binary. Important queer theorist, Judith Butler, says that gender is something fluid, always changing. Not only that, gender is also a performance. We do gender by how we act, what clothes we wear, what hobbies we enjoy. Queer theory says that gender is not tied to biology, it is socially constructed, and that, in theory, there can be an infinite amount of genders (Brown, 2019). While, I can definitely agree that gender is socially constructed, everything else that queer theory says about gender is a no from me. Here’s why I disagree and why I think all people need to think critically about what queer theory is really saying.

For thousands of years, femininity has been thrust upon females and masculinity has been thrust upon males. While some aspects of masculinity and femininity have changed throughout time and culture, some things have remained inherent about those constructs. Femininity enforces submission and weakness onto women. It puts women into the caretaking and child-rearing role based on their biological capacity to give birth. This keeps women dependent on men and prevents us from attaining social, political, and financial power. Femininity also sexualizes women, and causes us to become physically weak (foot binding, high heels, avoidance of gaining muscle mass, dresses and skirts which restrict movement). All of this because we are born female. We are put into the feminine gender because of our sex. As for males, they are put into the masculine gender. Masculinity enforces domination, leadership, and control. Due to those qualities, the masculine gender gives males social, political, and financial power, not just over themselves, but specifically over women. In essence, gender is the the imposed masculinity and femininity according to our sex, and one gender is put above the other. Society has created a hierarchy of gender where people who are given the masculine gender (males) are given power over those with the feminine gender (females).

Now of course, as a feminist, I am very against this gender binary/hierarchy, and many feminists in the 90s and early 2000s pushed back against this which is how queer theory started. The issue is that queer theory ignores the hierarchy part of gender. Gender is a social hierarchy just like race and class. In our white supremacist, capitalist society, white people unfortunately still hold power over other races, and the rich hold power over the poor. This same line of thinking applies to gender, because gender is a system that gives men power over women. Queer theory ignores/dismisses gender being a system that oppresses women based on our sex. Which leads to my next disagreement. Queer theory posits that gender is not actually tied to sex at all. This is a blatant lie. How have we decided for thousands of years who is put into the fem gender and who is put into the masc gender? We use sex. Females are put into the lower class of the gender hierarchy and males are put into the upper class of the hierarchy. So actually, sex and gender are intimately tied together. This is not to say that sex = gender. Gender, again, is a social construct of femininity and masculinity, but more than that, it’s a system of oppression that is based on sex. Now you could say, “well wouldn’t queer theory actually be good for women? It gets rid of the strict gender roles forced upon them?” Not true. It actually is dependent on gender roles and it implies that in order to get rid of oppressive gender, women can simply choose not to perform femininity. The issue with that is there is an abundance of research out there (and personal experiences of GNC women) to show that choosing to not be feminine doesn’t get rid of the social hierarchy that is attached to something we can’t change. Our sex. Queer theory of course says that sex is also a social construct.

“For Butler, the linguistic (discursive) norms we apply to talk about sex, sex organs and the body themselves create the idea of bodily sex (ibid.). Some theorists thus argue that the idea of male and female bodies with definitively different organs, hormones and chromosomes is an understanding that we have created through language and through the social meanings we inscribe on the body” (Brown, 2019).

Queer theorists like to argue that the only reason a body with testes, a penis, and flat chest is male, is because we as a society have all agreed that those characteristics make up a male body, that there is nothing innately male about that body. The same applies to the female body. The thing is, that just because us humans have the ability to categorize and name things found in nature, does not mean we constructed it. If it can be naturally observed, untouched by cultural ideas, then it is a natural phenomenon, not a social one. Humans were being born as males and females long before we had language or culture. Male and female are sexes found in many species, with or without understandings of gender.

Conclusion

So gender as a performance just doesn’t hold up. It reduces gender down to our actions, our clothing, etc… It is also dangerous, since it says that gender is not a hierarchy, but a spectrum of identities and outward expression. This causes feminists to ignore or dismiss the power struggle and oppressive systems at play between the sexes. The gender spectrum also relies heavily on oppressive gender roles and even perpetuates them. Take another look at the first two images from above. The first image shows gender as being a spectrum between traditional femininity and traditional masculinity. You are either a “Barbie” or a “GI Joe”. In fact, gender as a spectrum doesn’t get rid of gender at all. It doesn’t push back against gender norms or stereotypes at all. It simply says that there is a spectrum of gender between highly feminine and highly masculine. It is dependent on the two genders. It relies on the two genders to create gender identities that are a mix of the two. Queer theory’s gender identity relies on keeping this hierarchy alive, while simultaneously ignoring how this hierarchy puts men above women. Here is a quote and image I found that really sums up this entire post if some of you are still confused or if I just didn’t explain things that well.

“Gender is a hierarchy that enables men to be dominant and conditions women into subservience. As gender is a fundamental element of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy (hooks, 1984) it is particularly disconcerting to see elements of queer discourse argue that gender is not only innately held but sacrosanct. Far from being a radical alternative to the status quo, the project of “queering” gender only serves to replicate the standards set by patriarchy through its essentialism. A queer understanding of gender does not challenge patriarchy in any meaningful way – rather than encouraging people to resist the standards set by patriarchy, it offers them a way to embrace it. Queer politics have not challenged traditional gender roles so much as breathed fresh life into them – therein lies the danger.To argue that gender could or should be “queered” is to lose sight of how gender functions as a system of oppression. Hierarchies cannot, by definition, be assimilated into the politics of liberation. Structural power imbalances cannot be subverted out of existence – reducing gender to a matter of performativity or personal identification denies its practical function as a hierarchy” (sisteroutrider.Wordpress.com).

Sources:

Extra Readings that I think are helpful in understanding this topic:

Gender heriarchy and the social construction of femininity; the imposed mask by Kouadio Germain N’ Guessan

It’s not about the gender binary, it’s about the gender hierarchy: a reply to “letting go of the gender binary” by Jeanne Ward (especially page 291-294)

[lovelessrage]

Hey! I saw one of your posts and wondered what the label "loveless" means to you. Sorry you've explained it before, I couldn't find it

Hi! Sorry for the delay on this, I've been sick with a week-long stomach flu! Won't go into details, but it Has sucked majorly as someone who enjoys food and hasn't been able to for 5 days straight.

Besides that, though, in my personal experience, being loveless means a few things to me! For using it for myself, being loveless is ultimately about freedom; it's self determination to me, the ultimate choice of my life only being ruled by what I decide is best for me. A lot of types of love and relationships are very restricting to me and aren't something I'd choose on my own. I'm sure they work for others, and I'm glad they work for others, but for me they're more troublesome and anxiety enducing. Love feels like a performance I didn't sign up for where I don't know the moves or the words; being loveless is like finally being able to walk off stage and question why I was doing a dance I hated and didn't understand.

Second, I just... am in the most literal definition loveless. Almost all types of love I have never felt in my life, and I'm not very attracted to anyone at all. It's just the easiest way to simplify my identity; if I listed every aspec label I identified with, my bio would be 7 pages long.

Third, I do subscribe to loveless philosophy about decentering love, especially because I've seen what it's done to others around me; amatonormativity and platonormativity aren't neutral in the slightest and many people are damaged by their principles. They stay or force themselves to do things they otherwise wouldn't do because it's the expectation, and then get extremely hurt when breaking away. Feeling lost, hurt, and broken isn't a side effect; it's the intention when you create a society where the loving are right and the loveless are fixable. Love itself, as a concept, is a neutral emotion, but in the same way forcing everyone to be happy all the time doesn't solve depression, forcing everyone to be loving all the time doesn't solve loneliness. It just makes people bitter and confused, and even people who Do love are left feeling incomplete or like they've done something wrong when they don't have consistently stable friendships, family lives, or romantic partners. Decentering love is a way for people to be valued on their own merits and needs for life, rather than on a blanket "one size fits all" idea of what it means to be alive, creating room for loving and loveless people to decide independantly what's most important to them.

[gretaxstuff]

A Challenge but With Hope.

Margarette U. Garcia, SHS University of Perpetual Help System - Laguna.

As this story starts, I would like to acknowledge the family members of the people who did not make it through the pandemic. A lot of things have happened to all of us these past 3 years. A pandemic hit us so hard that a lot of families struggle to make it every day. I am very thankful to God that my family is not that rich, but we are comfortable. Our barangay was one of many in Carmona that has a lot of COVID-19 patients since, in our community, the houses are so close to each other that almost one wall connects two houses together.

So as this pandemic starts, the way we act, perceive, and analyze the world has unquestionably changed as a result of COVID-19. What used to be so close now appears to be so far away. It forced us into what felt like a "warp zone," where you have to train yourself to adhere to new laws. Keep your distance from anyone you encounter or converse with. Why is this person not hiding their identity? Is the person coughing in front of me sick? Do I need to spritz alcohol on the doorknob first before opening it? What is the physical separation protocol once more? a meter or two? Also, a lot of businesses went bankrupt.

I personally observed how businesses of all sizes attempted to survive despite unfavorable labor and financial conditions and government-imposed restrictions. Our barangay has all these problems, and you may call it miraculous, but yes, our barangay and its people have found a way to survive during this crisis. And since the government's implementation of the regulations, the Philippines has struggled. The Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was introduced after a period of appalling incompetence, during which the authorities both grossly underestimated the virus and failed to keep up with the preventive measures of neighboring countries.

In addition, it appears that the last-resort shutdown itself exacerbated a number of problems rather than effectively resolving the fundamental issue at hand: ensuring public health and safety rather than reducing the full impact that the virus had on the country. Except for frontliners, strict rules to follow the ECQ are mandated for all citizens until at least May 15.

Curfews, severe penalties for being outside, and a populace that is becoming increasingly hungry have resulted as a result of this. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on all of us. However, depending on our status as individuals and as members of society, the pandemic's effects and repercussions are felt in different ways. While some people try to adjust to working online, homeschooling all of their children, and using food panda and grab to get groceries and food, others are forced to be exposed to the virus in order to keep society running.

Our membership in society and, thus, our susceptibility to epidemics is determined by our many social identities and the social groupings to which we belong. These are challenging that the entire country and the entire world will need to cooperate on. Since many nations are affected, there is currently an international effort to resolve this problem. The gifts, on the other hand, I think are from God. First and foremost, the nation's leaders are working hard to support their nation. Other gifts include those given by the courageous frontliners — ordinary people who played crucial roles in this problem and rose to the status of heroes.

The last gifts are us — those of us who are aware of the issue and working to address it in any way we can. Because we now have confidence in our abilities, these gifts essentially guarantee a great future for us. As long as we unite and give it our all, we can solve any issue. I believe that we Filipinos should take accountability lessons from this problem. Many people took action, improved their performance, and became more responsible as a result of this situation.

I hope we can resolve this problem, but I also hope we can take something positive away from it. I hope that this pandemic will serve as a wake-up call to everyone, serving as a reminder that we are all connected as people in addition to serving as a reminder to stay safe and practice proper hygiene. We can all work together to solve problems because we are all related.

We've made it through the day at home by completing tasks. We perform household duties and arrange donations for organizations as a way for our family to spend quality time together. As we get ready for Lent, it's also a moment to reconnect with our Savior. Every time we attend mass and pray the novena, it feeds our spirit. As a result, I immerse myself in God's Word every day, because if I don't guard my heart, my love for Christ will grow stale. These are the times when I first started counting my blessings to determine what was still left.

In difficult times, counting our blessings brings us solace and fortitude. It lessens the pain we feel when we lose something or are disappointed. We might feel hopeful by remembering that there are still many things to look forward to and appreciate. The strong presence of the Holy Spirit resides inside us, so there is no need to live in fear. God did not guarantee a world without problems. He permits our struggles because they are necessary. He permits people to go hungry so they can taste His provisions and increase their faith in Him.

Filipinos learned to keep their attention on God and not the issue during those trying times, when their loyalty and faithfulness are put to the ultimate test. Because He provides us with strength, we are able to remain patient and carry out God's will in whatever we do. Never let the lack of trust in others dictate what we should do because our Lord knows our needs and will never replenish us in the same way. Instead, His response to us will always be exactly in line with what we currently need.

We must promote virtue in our neighborhood and broaden the scope of our giving, ideally to those who are in extreme need. In addition, I'm hoping that we may all be each other's beacon of hope when we're all feeling hopeless. Only he has the power to restore and heal the soul; we are unable to do so on our own. All in all, we should all be thankful for what we have and still be thankful for what we lose. We may have lost a lot, but we made it up to now. This is my roller-coaster pandemic experience.

[ripprint]

Unveiling the Art of T Shirt Printing: Crafting Your Style with Customization

What better medium than a custom t shirt to showcase your identity in a society where self-expression is king? T-shirt printing is now a sophisticated art form that offers high-quality, reasonably priced alternatives for anyone wishing to make a statement with their clothing, having evolved from a straightforward means of transferring graphics onto the fabric. High-quality custom t-shirt printing services are now the preferred option for both individuals and companies, whether you’re marketing your brand, remembering an occasion, or just showing off your inventiveness.

The appeal of personalized shirts is their capacity to showcase uniqueness. People are no longer restricted by the limitations of mass-produced apparel and may design clothes that genuinely express their individuality and sense of style. When it comes to custom print on shirts, the options are virtually limitless, ranging from unique images and slogans to complex designs and patterns.

The quality that custom t-shirt printing provides is one of its main benefits. Thanks to developments in printing technology, it is now feasible to produce beautiful, high-resolution graphics with accurate details and vivid colors. Whether you choose sublimation, screen printing, or direct-to-garment printing, expert printing services can produce outcomes that compare well to those seen in retail establishments.

Furthermore, the cost of custom t-shirt printing services has decreased, making it more accessible to people and companies of all kinds. Developing your ideas and staying within your budget is now simpler than ever thanks to flexible options and cheap pricing. Affordable custom t shirt printing solutions can meet your goals and your budget, whether you need a single shirt or a large order for a promotion or event.

But in addition to its visual appeal and price, bespoke t-shirt printing has useful advantages. Personalized goods can be effective marketing tools for companies, boosting recognition and visibility of the brand. In addition to increasing morale and team spirit, custom-printed shirts can help employees feel more united and like they belong.

Custom-printed shirts give people a way to exhibit their individuality and ingenuity. Custom t-shirts provide you the opportunity to truly wear your heart on your sleeve, whether you’re commemorating a life milestone, showing your support for a worthy cause, or just showing off your best artwork. And because you can alter every element of the design, including the shirt’s color, style, print location, and size, you can make a genuinely unique garment.

Custom printing services offer a vast array of clothing options to fit every taste and preference in addition to standard cotton t-shirts. Everyone can find something they like, ranging from tank tops and hoodies to performance tees and polo shirts. Additionally, you may feel good about the environmental impact your custom-printed shirts are making because eco-friendly and sustainable solutions are becoming more and more popular.

So, how does the printing procedure for personalized t-shirts operate? Everything starts with your design. Professional printing services can collaborate with you to produce a unique design that fits your demands and beyond your expectations, regardless of whether you have a specific piece of artwork in mind or need help bringing your ideas to life. Modern printing techniques are used to transfer the finished design onto the selected clothing, guaranteeing a perfect finish every time.

Custom t shirt printing opens up a world of possibilities for you to express yourself via your clothes, celebrate a special occasion, or market your business. There’s no limit to what you can produce with our high-quality, cost-effective solutions and unlimited customization choices. Therefore, instead of settling for pre-made clothing, why not create your own? Adopt the craft of t-shirt printing to create a statement that is all your own.

Tshirt printing

Originally a simple way to imprint graphics on cloth, t-shirt printing has developed into an intricate art form integrating design, technology, and skill. Customizing your t-shirts can involve anything from elaborate patterns and artwork to unique graphics and slogans. The options are virtually limitless. This essay will go into the intriguing realm of t-shirt printing, covering everything from its origins and methods to its uses today and advantages.

The history of t-shirt printing is extensive and goes back many centuries. Although the precise beginnings of the technique are unknown, printed fabrics have been traced back to ancient civilizations including Egypt, China, and India. Using hand-carved blocks, stencils, and natural dyes, early printing techniques produced intricate motifs and geometric patterns as well as simpler ones influenced by mythology and the natural world.

In the present day, Tshirt printing is easier to use and more adaptable than it was in the past. Technological innovations like direct-to-garment printing, heat transfer, and screen printing have completely changed the industry by enabling quicker turnaround times, better prints, and more customization possibilities. These days, anyone with an artistic vision may easily create personalized t-shirt designs.

Screen printing is a widely used technique for printing t-shirts that entails the transfer of ink onto cloth using a fine mesh screen. This method produces prints that are clear, vivid, and have good color saturation and durability. Screen printing is a popular option for event attire, team uniforms, and promotional products since it works well for large orders and designs with strong, solid colors.

Heat transfer printing is another well-liked method that transfers a design onto fabric by applying pressure and heat. Due to its ability to print in full color and with accurate detail, this technology works well for short batches and complex designs. Personalized presents, unique creations, and bespoke t-shirts are all frequently made with heat transfer printing.

In the t-shirt printing industry, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is a relatively new technology that has gained popularity swiftly. With this technique, ink is applied directly into the fabric using specialist inkjet printers, producing high-resolution prints with smooth color gradients and minute details. DTG printing is popular among artists, designers, and business owners because it works well for small orders, intricate designs, and photo-realistic artwork.

For individuals who are concerned about their impact on the environment, there are sustainable and eco-friendly printing choices available in addition to these conventional processes. The t-shirt printing business is seeing a rise in the use of eco-friendly substitutes such as water-based inks, organic cotton textiles, and biodegradable packaging.

High-quality custom t-shirt printing services are an artistic expression as well as a technical process. Whether you work as an illustrator, or graphic designer, or are just a do-it-yourself enthusiast, creating your personalized t-shirts is a great way to express your style. You may create custom-printed garments with anything from funny images and clever phrases to bold graphics and abstract patterns—the only limit is your imagination.

Furthermore, personalized t-shirts have useful advantages. Custom-printed shirts provide you the opportunity to create a statement that is exclusively yours, whether you’re wearing them to celebrate a special occasion, market your company, or just to express yourself. Additionally, the procedure has never been simpler or more convenient thanks to the option to order designs online and have them delivered right to your house.

T-shirt printing is an adaptable and affordable method of turning regular fabric into wearable art. Custom t-shirts provide an infinite amount of creative and customizable options for everyone, be they a person seeking to express themselves via apparel or a business owner wishing to market your brand. Therefore, instead of settling for pre-made clothing, why not create your own? Adopt the craft of t-shirt printing to create a statement that is all your own.

Custom t shirt

Custom t-shirts stand out as beacons of originality and expression amid a sea of mass-produced clothing. These adaptable canvases function as both apparel and statements, enabling users to express their identities, convictions, and associations with each stride. Custom t-shirts are now more than just trendy clothing; they’re effective instruments for communication and self-expression.

The art of customization is what drives the demand for bespoke t-shirts. People may make clothing that truly reflects their distinctive style and identity by selecting everything from the design and message to the fabric and fit. The options for personalization are numerous, whether it’s a clever tagline, an eye-catching image, or an emotional homage.

The capacity of bespoke t-shirts to tell a story or deliver a message is one of their most alluring features. Custom t-shirts act as wearable billboards, bringing our passions and connections to the world, whether we’re supporting a sports team, celebrating an event, or advocating for a cause. With all of the noise and distractions in today’s world, personalized t-shirts provide an easy yet effective approach to being heard.

Additionally, personalized t-shirts promote a feeling of belonging and camaraderie. Custom t-shirts foster a feeling of camaraderie and solidarity among wearers, whether they are participants at an event, members of a sports team, or staff members of a business. They act as tangible representations of shared ideals and experiences, creating bonds and a sense of unity among people who would not otherwise have much in common.

Custom t shirt provide practical advantages in addition to their social and cultural significance. Thanks to developments in printing technology, prints can now be produced that are long-lasting and of excellent quality. Professional printing services can accurately and vividly bring your designs to life, whether you want screen printing, digital printing, or embroidery.

Additionally, businesses may use bespoke t-shirts to meaningfully interact with customers and promote their brand. In addition to being a means of promotion, branded goods also allow businesses to establish a more personal connection with their clientele. Businesses can encourage good brand connections and client loyalty by providing bespoke t-shirts as promotional items or gifts.

Custom t-shirts are more than simply apparel; they’re effective means of connection, communication, and self-expression. Custom t-shirts are essential to our social and cultural environment since they may be used for a variety of purposes, such as promoting causes, establishing community, and creating corporate identity. Therefore, personalized t-shirts give a canvas on which to construct your personality and leave your mark on the world, whether you’re seeking to make a statement, express your support, or just stand out from the crowd.

Custom t shirts printing

Printing on custom t-shirts has completely changed how people and companies express themselves. The days of generic clothing and constrained design alternatives are long gone from the market. Wearers may now exhibit their distinctive personalities and brands in vivid, eye-catching ways thanks to the unmatched freedom and creativity that bespoke t-shirt printing gives.

The design stage is where the process of printing personalized t-shirts starts. Customers are allowed to make their own original designs or work with experienced designers to realize their ideas, whether it be for a phrase, artwork, or logo. Thanks to developments in printing technology, almost any design or pattern can be printed with astonishing detail and clarity on cloth.

It’s time to start the printing process after the design is complete. There are various printing techniques accessible, and each has special advantages and uses. Direct-to-garment printing, on the other hand, allows for complex, full-color graphics with no minimum order limitations, while screen printing is best suited for large quantities and straightforward designs. Additional choices include sublimation, heat transfer, and embroidery, each of which has a distinct appearance and texture.

Whichever printing technique is used, the end product is a personalized t-shirt that is as distinctive as the person wearing it. Personalized gifts for noteworthy events or promotional clothing for businesses, custom t shirts printing allows for countless creative and expressive options. It’s also never been simpler to realize your ideas on fabric thanks to reasonable prices and rapid turnaround times.

However, the goal of custom t-shirt printing is more than just making visually striking designs; it’s also about dependability and quality. Expert printing services make sure that custom t shirts printing endure over time by using premium inks and materials. Customers may anticipate that their personalized designs will keep their vivid colors and sharp features wash after wash, whether they are placing a single shirt or a large order.

Custom t-shirt printing provides a special fusion of originality, adaptability, and excellence. Custom t-shirt printing offers the ideal surface on which to leave your mark, whether your goal is to express yourself via your clothes, commemorate a significant occasion, or market your brand. Therefore, instead of settling for store-bought clothing, why not make something genuinely unique? The options for personalized t-shirt printing are virtually limitless.

Custom Print on Shirt

With a custom print on a shirt, you may add a unique touch to your outfit and show off your unique flair with each wear. Custom print on shirts offers countless opportunities for creativity and self-expression, whether you want to highlight your favorite piece of art, market your business, or mark a significant occasion.

You can make a shirt that is exclusively yours by selecting from a large selection of designs, colors, and styles with custom printing. Professional printing services can bring your vision to life with astounding clarity and precision, whether you desire a strong image or a delicate brand.

The first step in creating a custom print on a shirt is choosing an artwork or design. Professional designers can collaborate with you to make sure your design fulfills your requirements and surpasses your expectations, whether it’s a custom creation or an already-existing image.

After the design is complete, cutting-edge printing methods are used to transfer it onto the selected item of clothing. You can count on long-lasting, excellent results with screen printing, sublimation, or direct-to-garment printing.

In addition to being a great method to express your originality, Custom Print on Shirt is an effective branding and marketing strategy. Custom-printed shirts function as wearable ads that leave a lasting impact wherever they go, whether you’re advertising your company or a cause.

Conclusion

Custom print on shirts empowers individuals and businesses to express themselves creatively while making a memorable statement. With an array of design options and printing techniques, personalized shirts become more than just clothing—they become vehicles for self-expression, branding, and communication. Whether commemorating special moments or promoting a cause, RIPPrint leaves a lasting impression, making every wear a unique and meaningful experience.

[ebergeaud2]

Experience at Tate Britain: Women in Revolt

Over the weekend I had attended an exhibition held at the Tate Britain. Comprising of works, chronologically arranged over a period of 5 decades (1950s to the 2000s), chronicles the work and struggles of artists.

One thing that struck me as interesting, was the disdain for establishment; sectors that were evidently male dominated. A sentiment that strongly carries on over the course of the exhibition; disdain for healthcare, disdain for justice and social systems. The establishments posed as points of discomfort, confrontational and strictly conservative; remaining opposed and ambiguous with women’s autonomy alongside queer women.

Starting with the “Introduction” and “Rising with Fury”, Labour and Sex Discrimination laws were newly introduced, albeit not set in stone.

The exhibition quickly introduces us to its exclusivity, selectiveness, shunning countless trans-women out of the discussion, disadvantaged by their position as a woman but also as a queer person. It is here we begin to see protest posters, propaganda and seeds of what would eventually become zines, which would remain integral to women’s activism for years to come. Organisations such as Gay Liberation Front and Brixton Black Women’s Group are prominent references in the exhibition, as we begin to challenge the conventional idea of women’s place in society.

Many works in “The Marxist Wife Still Does The Housework” explored themes of domesticity and gender identity; being the housewife, dutifully fulfilling familial duties. Delving into gender roles and how accepting one’s role is to accept subordination. This is especially relevant in the theme that I aim to explore in my essay, as all cultures have intrinsically been derived from this ideology. The willingness to stick to strict boundaries. In this section, women begin to create artwork as a means of catharsis, expressing their thoughts on unequal labour laws. Despite being a progressive time for women, holding high positions, traditionalist mindsets and constrained binaries persisted.

The exhibition also discusses women of colour forming art collectives, their newly found means of expressing suppressed emotions. Creating zines and informative booklets on the struggles of being a housewife. At the same time, punk-aesthetics and zine practices were the mainstream of the marginalised. Collectively fighting under comparably more stringent and restrictive conditions. Combating prejudice with anti-establishment rhetoric. Zines at this point of the exhibition and by extension this point in history, become the vehicle for struggles. Zines begin to show up more in the sections: “OH BONDAGE UP YOURS”, “Greenham women are everywhere”, “Black woman time now” and “There’s no such thing as society”.

The works that stood out to me especially were posters from the Red Women’s Workshop, their use of strong and bold statements, testing the bounds of what a conventional woman can be. This type of characteristic, was highly evident for me, in “Shouting ‘Mortality’ as I Drown” 1977 by Anne Bean. Something about the quiet pain and performance of the piece stuck to me out of all the images that I had come across.

The aspects that inspired me the most from this exhibition was the usage of the punk-zine aesthetic and their design language from feminist artists. Inspired by the layouts and its visual language, I hope to produce a zine that details a similar kind of struggle, examining one cultures ideology through the lens of another, may be subject to change and take the form of posters.

[legalupanishad]

Article 25 of the Indian Constitution: All You Need to Know

This article on 'Article 25 of the Indian Constitution: All You Need to Know' was written by Toya Sen, an intern at Legal Upanishad.

Introduction

India, as a country, is truly unique and diverse. With its vast array of languages, religions, and traditions, India is considered a melting pot of diversity. The nation’s rich history and deep-rooted heritage are something to be proud of. India is the host and birthplace of many religions. For centuries, people belonging to different religious communities have lived together in harmony. The makers of our constitution, keeping this diversity in mind, recognised the fact that religion is one of the essential aspects of a person’s life and plays a very important role. Hence, they chose a path for the newly formed country to be secular in nature, with no state religion, where everyone has the right to practice and would be free to profess any faith they belong to. With an inclusive vision, Article 25 of the Indian Constitution embodies the essence of India's pluralistic and diverse society, promoting secularism and providing citizens with the freedom to follow, profess, and propagate any religion of their choice. This article explores the significance, provisions, and implications of Article 25 in upholding religious freedom in India.

Article 25 of the Indian Constitution

Article 25: Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion. “Subject to public order, morality, and health, and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion” Significance of Article 25: The significance of this article lies in its recognition of religious freedom as an essential right that every individual in India possesses. This article not only recognises the diversity of faiths and beliefs but also seeks to foster an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual respect among its citizens. This article upholds secularism, which is one of the essential features of our constitution, as mentioned in the preamble. Rights under Article 25: - Right to Freedom of Conscience: The first aspect of Article 25 ensures that all individuals have the freedom of conscience; in other words, it means that all people have the right to follow and hold any religious or non-religious belief as per their choice alone. This right guarantees that no person can be forced into adopting a particular religion without their consent. This aspect of the right is essential for the protection of the autonomy and dignity of individuals. It also plays a vital role in the promotion of a liberal society and citizenry. - Right to Freely Profess: Article 25's second aspect guarantees individuals the freedom to openly practice their religion. This includes public expressions of faith as well as private beliefs. It encompasses religious practices, rituals, ceremonies, and customs that are central to a person's faith. This provision ensures that individuals can freely express their religious identity without the risk of persecution or discrimination. - Right to Freely Practice: The third aspect of Article 25 guarantees the right to freely practice one's religion. This means that individuals have the freedom to observe and perform religious rituals, ceremonies, and rites as prescribed by their faith. It protects the right to participate in religious festivals, visit places of worship, and engage in religious practices without any hindrance. However, it is important to note that this right is subject to reasonable restrictions in the interest of public order, morality, and health. - Right to Propagate Religion: The fourth aspect of Article 25 bestows on individuals the right to propagate their religion. The right to propagate religion refers to the freedom to share one's religious beliefs and ideas with others and attempt to convert them to one's faith. This provision is sometimes a subject of debate and controversy, as it raises questions about the limits of religious conversions and the potential for exploitation or forceful conversion. The Indian courts have clarified that this right is not absolute and cannot be exercised in a manner that offends public order, morality, or the freedom of others to practice their own religion. Contact Us and avail the best assignment help for students available online!

Relevant Case Laws

- Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala This case is also famously known as the National Anthem case. In this instance, three children who are part of the Jehovah's Witness group declined to sing India's national anthem, "Jana Gana Mana," stating that it goes against their religious convictions. Despite this, the children stood up and remained silent as the anthem played every day in school, demonstrating respect and not showing any disrespect. A commission was set up to investigate the matter, and in its report, it held that the children were abiding by the law and did not show any disrespect, even though they refused to sing the anthem. After receiving instructions from the Deputy Inspector of Schools, the headmistress made the decision to expel the students. This controversial decision was brought before the highest court in India, where it was deemed that the headmistress's actions violated the children's constitutional rights to freedom of religion. Specifically, the court cited Article 19(1) and Article 25(1) as guarantees of this fundamental right. Moreover, the Supreme Court clarified that the act of singing the national anthem was not mandatory under any law, and standing silently during its playing did not constitute a sign of disrespect. This ruling serves as an important reminder of the need to respect individuals' religious beliefs and constitutional rights. - Shirur Mutt Case (1954): This was the first case to infer Article 25 of the Indian Constitution. The court concluded that the term ‘religion’ encompasses all beliefs and practices that are fundamental to a given faith. The court also ruled that religious practices might be regulated by the state if they were detrimental to public order, morality, or health. - Ramji Lal Modi v. State of UPBI. In this case, the state government has tried to restrict the distribution of religious pamphlets in its territory, stating that such an act is considered unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of India, in its verdict, held that the right to freedom and religion under Article 25 includes the individual's right to propagate one’s religion. The Court declared that the state does not have the power to restrict or interfere with a person’s right to profess their religion as long as this practice is done peacefully and does not threaten the public order of the state.

Conclusion

The Indian Constitution's Article 25 is a crucial aspect that supports the fundamental right to practice and express one's religious beliefs freely, without any fear or force. This article reflects India's inclusive and diverse values and demonstrates the country's devotion to secularism and communal harmony. While controversies and difficulties may arise regarding this constitutional provision, the Indian judiciary's dedication to preserving the essence of Article 25 will play a significant role in balancing religious freedom with the greater public interest.

References

- The Constitution of India, Art. 19 - The Constitution of India, Art. 25 - Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala, 1986 SCR (3) 518 - The Commissioner Hindu Religious Endowment Madras v. Shri Laxmidhar Tirtha Swamiyar of Shirur Mutt, 1954 SCR 1005 - Ramji Lal Modi v. State of UPBI, 1957 SCR 860 - ‘Article 25 of the Indian Constitution’, Indian Kanoon, available at: https://indiankanoon.org/doc/631708/ - 'Freedom of Religion', Dirshti IAS, 2 May 2023, available at: https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/freedom-of-religion-5 Read the full article

[findingkathybrown]

Best Travel Destinations for Individuals in USA

Travel causes you to feel the most invigorated. Each time you travel, it's only another experience out and out. Voyaging isn't simply restricted to moving from one spot to another yet every one of the encounters you get, societies you adjust to, life learnings you take, and recollections you make en route.

The US of America is the third biggest country on the planet by region. Inside this huge country, there are various elite urban communities and vacation spots worked by the stomach and trickiness of the various migrants that have arrived on its shores. The USA is a genuinely youthful country which has ascended to its ongoing strong height with assistance from spearheading individuals who have added to its vigorous innovative and prudent ability.

We generally love traveling in the USA, the nation is all around set up for this style of movement. We've viewed it as a genuinely reasonable country to visit, positively less expensive than Australia and the majority of Europe. Assuming you are hoping to visit places and need some motivation from somebody previously acing it, we have simplified your quest on best travel destinations for individuals in USA.

New York

New York City also known as NYC is the most famous city in America. Containing individuals from all races and identities from around the world, New York City must be the most different city on the planet concerning its populace. Homegrown as well as worldwide voyagers to the USA have this city at the highest point of their schedules. Here you will find notable locales like The Times Square, Domain State Building and The Sculpture of Freedom.

In addition to that, you can shop on fifth road, or walk around Focal Park. The Guggenheim historical center and Broadway are probably the most ideal getaway spots on the off chance that you like musicals, plays and the performing expressions. You can likewise visit neighborhood Stores and Bodegas to experience the urban areas Jewish and Irish legacy.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles, otherwise called the city of heavenly messengers, is home to the most extravagant and most well known film industry on the planet. Filling in as the not so unassuming home of Hollywood superstars, Los Angeles can be a really costly spot to visit. Regardless of that, guests are attracted into the way of life and sheer attractive character of the city.

Florida

Visiting Florida is generally about unwinding and loosening up and tasting a mixed drink while you sunbathe in the magnificent climate. Perpetual stretches of emerald sea shores act as an incredible stop for party participants and surfers. Miami, Tampa Inlet and the more welcoming Disneyworld are the most famous attractions of Florida. Whether you are there to part or with your family, there's something for each age gathering to appreciate in Florida.

[sparklebunwrldofanx]

Pearl

Okay. My deepest, most raw reaction to sitting in the movie theater viewing the film for the first time was infatuated. I forgot I was sitting with strangers watching Mia Goth perform such private and relatable extreme behaviors. The color scheme was warm and inviting. Similar to watching princess movies as a young girl watching someone struggling but still visually a dream was visually familiar. I was impressed by the character for having a positive outlook and putting feelings to work in her favor. 

I am unsure if I felt this way about the film because I have not returned to the theater post-COVID restrictions. I definitely took for granted the importance of the environment with being entertained. Obviously, I have watched so many films for class but it was enlightening and frankly awesome when I allowed myself for about two hours to enjoy a film I knew I would love. 

Everyone feels like Pearl one way or another, but that doesn’t matter because it clearly was made for me and other women. Pearl collects herself when interacting with her abusive mother and disabled father as they live on a struggling farm while her husband and symbol of change and the future. Even being kept away from society, growth, freedom, and identity her composer holds back her secrets. We are understanding, love and want to be loved, and giving; but like other human traits, we have rage, despair, regret, and insecurities. We follow the rules and dream of something different and more until we explode. I love sex, food, dresses, animals, movies, and being a good person. What does the guilt get you? Delusion until rage?

[miraefmd]

FOREVER YOUNG

“She grew up together under the name of 'Selene' and shines under the name of ‘Mirae'. A fascinating woman who transformed into a ‘Retro Queen’ in BVLGARI.”

a series of questions answered by selene’s mirae to accompany her cover and spread for w korea’s september 2022 issue.

What is it about fashion that appeals to you the most?

“Fashion is a part of everyone’s life. Some may not pay much attention to their own, but it is as clear on a person as their face. As a performer and an actor, I think a lot about my facial expressions because the tiniest detail could change so much in what it says. Like that, it is the strongest and most delicate form of expression.”

You’ll be returning to acting in Netflix’s Squid Game this month. What is it about the script that attracted you to the drama?

“Without giving too much away, Squid Game is a script that balances the hardships of life and society with the delicacy of life and society. It’s a similar reason as what attracted me to My Mister and Parasite. I have heard some fans refer to My Mister as one of my life works and Parasite was received with love across the globe, so I am hopeful Squid Game can achieve the same.”

You’ve worked with Netflix twice now, on Squid Game and last year on Persona. Is there something in particular that attracts you to Netflix productions?

“I like the freedom of a show on a streaming service. Broadcast restrictions are in place for a reason, but parts of both Persona and Squid Game would have had to be very different if we had broadcasting regulations to apply to. Being on a streaming service allows different stories to be told.”

What kind of stories do you want to tell that you have yet to?

“I want to tell more stories that might shock people. Shock is a powerful reaction. It can make audiences think and reevaluate their own preconceptions.”

You were chosen as Bulgari’s Korean ambassador earlier this year. What is it about you and Bulgari that creates such synergy?

“Bulgari is a brand with a strong identity, and I believe I have a strong identity to. Bulgari knows who they are, and so do I. Bulgari stands for boldness, charisma, and timeless beauty, which I attempt to capture in my own essence as well.”

What is ‘timeless’ to you?

“Anything with the boldness to transcend time. To me, timelessness is boldness. Boldness is often associated with youth, but really, it has a quality outside of time.”

[221brownstone]

Washington Post Opinion by Lucy Liu: My success has helped move the needle. But it’ll take more to end 200 years of Asian stereotypes.

Lucy Liu is an award-winning actress, director and visual artist.

When I was growing up, no one on television, in movies, or on magazine covers looked like me or my family. The closest I got was Jack Soo from “Barney Miller,” George Takei of “Star Trek” fame, and most especially the actress Anne Miyamoto from the Calgon fabric softener commercial. Here was a woman who had a sense of humor, seemed strong and real, and had no discernible accent. She was my kid hero, even if she only popped up on TV for 30 seconds at random times.

As a child, my playground consisted of an alleyway and a demolition site, but even still, my friends and I jumped rope, played handball and, of course, reenacted our own version of “Charlie’s Angels”; never dreaming that some day I would actually become one of those Angels.

I feel fortunate to have “moved the needle” a little with some mainstream success, but it is circumscribed, and there is still much further to go. Progress in advancing perceptions on race in this country is not linear; it’s not easy to shake off nearly 200 years of reductive images and condescension.

In 1834, Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman known to have immigrated to the United States, became a one-person traveling sideshow. She was put on display in traditional dress, with tiny bound feet “the size of an infant’s,” and asked to sing traditional Chinese songs in a box-like display. In Europe, the popularity of chinoiserie and toile fabrics depicting scenes of Asian domesticity, literally turned Chinese people into decorative objects. As far back as I can see in the Western canon, Chinese women have been depicted as either the submissive lotus blossom or the aggressive dragon lady.

Today, the cultural box Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders find themselves in is more figurative than the box Afong Moy performed in, but it is every bit as real and confining.

Recently, a Teen Vogue op-ed examining how Hollywood cinema perpetuates Asian stereotypes highlighted O-Ren Ishii, a character I portrayed in “Kill Bill,” as an example of a dragon lady: an Asian woman who is “cunning and deceitful ... [who] uses her sexuality as a powerful tool of manipulation, but often is emotionally and sexually cold and threatens masculinity.”

“Kill Bill” features three other female professional killers in addition to Ishii. Why not call Uma Thurman, Vivica A. Fox or Daryl Hannah a dragon lady? I can only conclude that it’s because they are not Asian. I could have been wearing a tuxedo and a blond wig, but I still would have been labeled a dragon lady because of my ethnicity. If I can’t play certain roles because mainstream Americans still see me as Other, and I don’t want to be cast only in “typically Asian” roles because they reinforce stereotypes, I start to feel the walls of the metaphorical box we AAPI women stand in.

Anna May Wong, my predecessor and neighbor on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, lost important roles to White stars in “yellowface,” or was not allowed to perform with White stars due to restrictive anti-miscegenation laws. When Wong died in 1961, her early demise spared her from seeing Mickey Rooney in yellowface and wearing a bucktooth prosthetic as Mr. Yunioshi in the wildly popular “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

Hollywood frequently imagines a more progressive world than our reality; it’s one of the reasons “Charlie’s Angels” was so important to me. As part of something so iconic, my character Alex Munday normalized Asian identity for a mainstream audience and made a piece of Americana a little more inclusive.

Asians in America have made incredible contributions, yet we’re still thought of as Other. We are still categorized and viewed as dragon ladies or new iterations of delicate, domestic geishas — modern toile. These stereotypes can be not only constricting but also deadly.

The man who killed eight spa workers in Atlanta, six of them Asian, claimed he is not racist. Yet he targeted venues staffed predominantly by Asian workers and said he wanted to eliminate a source of sexual temptation he felt he could not control. This warped justification both relies on and perpetuates tropes of Asian women as sexual objects.

This doesn’t speak well for AAPIs’ chances to break through the filters of preconceived stereotypes, much less the possibility of overcoming the insidious and systemic racism we face daily. How can we grow as a society unless we take a brutal and honest look at our collective history of discrimination in America? It’s time to Exit the Dragon.

[blacksunscorpio]

Hello, really loving your posts and wish you could share more insights on composite. Anywho, what do you think about composite moon opposite venus?

Composite Chart in Astrology

The Composite is a mid-point method and shows how the relationship between the two will be, not in theory but in actuality. How they operate in practice. It is not a synastry chart where we place two charts together side by side/ or on top of one another and see the impact two people have on each other.  Synastry is how two people’s planets get along. The composite chart is the energy of the relationship. It’s the final result of synastry. The biggest difference is that you have more control over a synastry aspect than a composite aspect. A composite chart basically becomes its own entity. The relationship itself has its own birth chart basically with a Sun, rising, moon etc. As a result, basic relationship dynamics can be seen in the composite chart.

Basics of the Composite/How to Read a Composite

Interpret planets by House and Aspect

Ascendant: How the relationship started & how others / environment see you + Degree + Ascendant ruler [=Area of focused expression]

Sun [houses and aspects]: Indicates what brought you together and what goal you have in life. [Aspects to Sun : Shows purpose of the relationship supported or not]

Moon : Emotional connection & the soul of the relationship

North node : Indicates in what direction you should grow as couple

Note Stelliums

Meaning of the Houses

1st House

Planets in 1st are directly and most immediately felt by the couple. This is how they operate with one another and how they are perceived immediately by others. How their relationship typically plays out/the energy of it.

2nd House

Deals with the possessions and values of the couple. Their ability to share with eachother and maybe even the income they make with each other. The sign this house is in van indicate how they demonstrate their values to each other.

3rd House

 Is about communication, and how the couple thinks about their environment. They way they communicate and their intellectual understanding of each other and the relationship.

4th House

 One of the core houses to observe in the composite [Davison or Midpoint]. This house can indicate whether the couple will last or whether they’ll settle down with one another. Moon here is fabulous. Uranus, which is an erratic and unstable planet is not the best.

5th House

This has has to do with the fun and creativity a couple demonstrates with one another in the relationship. Kids, etc. An occupied 5th can indicate the couple may wish to have kids together. This can also indicate whether this will be more of a fling than a long term commitment. Like the 8th, sexual activity can be seen here. Saturn here can also restrict fun and creativity in the couples relationship or lack of kids. Well performing Saturn can make it a long lasting sexual connection.

6th House  

Represents where the couple will be tested, in order to handle the outside world. It deals with the couples everyday work and routine.

7th House

 Is the house of intimate lovers or open enemies. A Venus placed in 7th can display itself as two people beginning the relationship off as lovers but also where one can hurt each others [feelings[ enough for the relationship to devolve into arguments and at worst, enemies. Venus in the 7th on the other hands, can slo be one of the primary indicators of marriage/romance.

8th House

The couples ability for commitment and ownership together. 8th is death, sex, and other people’s resource. Joint accounts and possessions. An occupied 8th shows a profound bond between two people. deep intimacy and transformation. Deep sexuality.

9th House

Shows how the couple explores and thinks with the higher mind about the world together. Their beliefs. How they expand together.

10th House

Deals with the status and prestige of the couple, How they appear to the public. As a couple, it shows how they navigate the world in an outward manner. The serious approach to life and the relationship.

11th House

 The social activities and social culture of the unit. Their peers, social circle/friends. How those in their environment see them. their relationship’s acceptance by society and also their social limitations. Pluto here can mean their relationship can be perceived as forbidden.

12th House

A full or occupied 12th house can be challenging in a composite chart, since it’s the house of the unconscious feelings and all things hidden. This can indicate mixed signals, confusion, miscommunication between the two people involved. Adversely, it can create a feeling of fatedness, soulmate binds, spiritual ties and even psychic connections.

Composite Ascendant/Sun

Type of couple, how your relationship appears to others. Ego/ Personality of couple Aries :  Active, self-sufficient, confident, bold. Careful with impatience or bullying.

Taurus :  Traditional, practical, Stable, security minded.  Careful with rigidity or bull-headedness/possessiveness.

Gemini : Mental, instinctive, restless, adaptable, social. Careful with duplicity or inability to commit. Cancer :  Emotional, Security, comfort. Careful with moodiness or neediness.

Leo : Confident, compassionate, popular, warm, dramatic Careful with arrogance or pride.

Virgo : Practical, detail-oriented, tidy/prim and proper, perfectionistic. Careful with criticism or letting anxiety overwhelm you/

Libra :  Compromising, loving, sociable. Balanced compromising. Careful with too much passivity or superficiality. 

Scorpio: Intense, transformative, sexual, probing, private. Careful with Possessiveness and jealousy.

Sagittarius :  Adventurous, independent, bold, optimistic, careful with tactlessness and drama.

Capricorn Focused, structured, perhaps an age difference is there. Careful with lack of emotional demonstration or pessimism.

Aquarius : Independent, unconventional, quirky, philanthropic, brilliant. Careful with flightiness or inability to commit.

Pisces : Dreamy, spiritual, sacrificial, silent, creative, emotional. Careful with co-dependency or martyrdom.

Asteroids to Consider

Eros : Mutual passions, erotic connection, sex & obsessions.

Psyche : Intuitive connection. Psychic bond of two people/where it will display itself [look at sign and house].

Juno : “You and I” dynamic. Nature of commitment in marriage-like sense.

Ceres : Nurturing connection

Vesta : Dedication & Commitment

Chiron : Deepest wounds. Indicative of the struggles of the couple and where healing is needed between two people to make relationship function.

North node : Purpose of the relationship. Life goal of the relationship/trajectory.

Aspects

Conjunction : Binding force, depending on the planets combined. Be mindful of too much power exuded here as a conjunction is still a hard aspect/fusion of energy

Sextile : Harmonic union, comforting, pleasing.

Square : Challenging, however with understand break-ups are not as common

Trine : Harmonic union, cooperation is organic.

Opposition : prone to push pull and make u/break up themes, strong attraction.

Favorable Aspects for Compatibility 

 Sun conjunct Venus = Love union, warm mutual feelings. Like and love each other.

 Sun conjunct Jupiter = Luck and growth. Prosperity, Optimism forgiveness and abundance. Pride of the couple.

Sun conjunct Moon = love that feels divine. People who like and love each other.

 Sun trine Moon = Natural compatibility. Nurturing. Understanding

 Sun conjunct Uranus = True unconditional love

5th ruler and 8th ruler conjunct = Very passionate, active sex life. Key to look at these houses and aspects.

 Sun in 7th = Indicate lovers or enemies.

 Moon in 4th or 7th = Excellent for a relationship or marriage

 Venus in 4th or 7th = Excellent placement for relationship and marriage

 Venus opposite ASC = Deep love.

 Venus-Mars = Sexual attraction. Natural pairing.

Stellium in 8th = Very deep, intense bond. Transformative [look for harmonious aspects or conjunctions]

 Venus-Moon = Emotional balance.

 Jupiter conjunct DSC = Mutual understanding & support

 Neptune conjunct Jupiter = Soulmates, spiritual

 Sun-ASC or ASC ruler = Chance for survival

 Juno in 1 or 7th = Fated

 Juno conjunct DSC = Fated. Karmic. Met each other before.

Stellium in the 1st = relationship will be important part of the couple’s identity. Drama may be played out at face value so out so careful if you don’t want the world involved in your business.

Difficult Aspects [long term]

Multiple squares = Challenging relationship. Misunderstandings. Tensions.

 5th ruler and 8th ruler square = Lifeless sex, strange uncomfortable vibe. 

 Planets in 12th house = Secrecy. Misunderstandings. Cheating.

 Mars conjunct Saturn = Sexual distance. One is hot while the other is cold. Unnecessary formalities. Drive is impeded.

Nessus or Sado forming many squares = Abuse/ sadism masochism. Some might like it hot like this but if there is no balance it can get outta control.

 Saturn square/opposite Mercury = Communication struggles. Restricted speech. Two people don’t express what they really want to say.

 Lilith square Chiron = Lack of depth, conflicts of past wounds, particularly in the sexual realm. Couple that wounds each other.

 Saturn square to the nodes = Bad indicator for long lasting relationship. Also an indicator of lack of support with goals [north node].

 Jupiter or Venus square/opposite Uranus = Divorce/break-up aspect

 Sun square/opposite Saturn = Something is missing. Power struggles.

 Neptune in hard aspect = Beautiful beginning, sour endings, deception or rose colored classes come off

Neptune to Mars in hard aspect = sexual idealism. Disappointments in sex. Couple that cheats on each other.

 Mars in hard aspect to Uranus = Sexual attraction, competitive & quarrelsome

Sun in hard aspect to Pluto/Mars = Power struggles. Intense and out of this world sex but can be an abusive or manipulative relationship.

Note: Aspects that appear in composite can be traced often back to the natal chart of either person. it will likely be a natal aspect and an astrologer can tell who will play out more of the theme in the relationship/or who will be more comfortable with the energy.

[lsleofthelost]

OKAY HI random but how do you hc the core fours gender identities / pronouns??? and how do you imagine them coming out to the rest of the group??? vv random but im curious and love ur work a lot

omg HIIII

love this question!!

i wouldn’t say any of these are like super set in stone for me because sometimes i think of a story where a narrative would be better if it was different (now if only i sat down and wrote those stories…)

Mal - i use she/they for Mal, though i mostly lean towards they/them. i like to think that faeries have a different view of gender than humans (because gender’s a social construct and faeries have a different society and all that) so they’re pretty detached from the human terms and don’t really care all that much about how they’re perceived. I don’t think Mal really had to come out to the core four since they were well known on the Isle + it’s common there to refer to all faeries with neutral pronouns unless stated otherwise. in Auradon, people mostly referred to Mal as she/her and that didn’t really bother them, but some people who became closer to the VKs hear others referring to Mal with they/them and start using that (tho Jane did that from the start because Jane’s also a faery!)

Jay - uhhh much less complicated, he’s a cis man who’s comfortable with his masculinity. plus, when he starts learning more about Agrabahn culture (which in my head is Arabic, mostly Saudi) and incorporating elements of it into his daily life with the help of Aziz and he is excited about it. a lot of it is what could be considered feminine in the western world, but Jay doesn’t give a fuck. kohl and floaty fabrics and silhouettes and the like.

Evie - definitely has complicated feelings about gender. because she was raised with this very narrow view of what is a girl and a woman and was only taught the restrictive parts of it. experiments a lot once she’s finally free of her mother, with her style, expression and what feels actually natural versus what has been taught by the Evil Queen. i’d say, at the end of the day, she uses she/her but doesn’t mind they/them either but mostly when describing her gender she’d say ‘i’m a witch!’

though i also fuck heavily with trans girl Evie

Carlos - you know how autistic people can feel a degree of separation from their gender because it’s all social and one of the big things with being autistic is trouble with social shit? yeah, that’s Carlos. went through a lot of his life like ‘well, no one really feels like the gender they were assigned at birth, we’re all just performing our roles, right?’ i think the realisation would only hit when in Auradon, a safe place where VKs don’t have to survive day-to-day but can actually live and explore. i don’t see Carlos being attached to a label, but the closest would probably be genderfluid. i feel like a lot of the time Carlos is a little separated from like their gender identity and it’s not really on their mind but there are time when it feels more? closer? so some days, they ask for specific pronouns to be used but mostly he’s good with he/they. again, i don’t think Carlos would have to come out, they’d just burst into the girls’ room one day and tell Evie to make them into ‘the prettiest girl ever’ and Evie would reply with something like ‘well i’m the prettiest ever, we can make you the close second’

[octaviasdread]

DEAD POETS SOCIETY: Costume analysis and Historical Context (Part One)

Part Two - Uniform & Non-Conformity | Part Three - Casual Wear, Chris & the Play | Part Four - Cultural Aesthetics & The Struggle for Individuality

Look, this is a long, long post I put together throughout this week as an insomnia project. Actually, just think of all my long posts as my version of Gansey’s mini Henrietta model in trc. Useless passion projects.

Opening Scenes

The opening shots establish the context of Welton. We are shown a Mother fixing the uniform of a young boy. However, this is not quite the expected display of maternal fussing, it is the perfecting of a performance, and this is conveyed through costume.

The mother is only visible by her gloves as she straightens her son's tie and collar. This focus on formal dress emphasises a level of detachment in their relationship as there is no skin-on-skin contact (something promoted for new mothers and their babies).

This is reinforced by the accompanying dialogue, "keep your shoulders back." Immediately, all concern for the student is centred on the presentation of his uniform as a representation of both his family and his school. Thus, the Welton uniform is shown as restrictive. It is a symbol of both the expectations and the weight of tradition which is impressed on the children required to wear it as they learn to uphold the inherited image of excellence.

There is no individuality amongst the students in this assembly. As the camera pans over the Chapel we are shown hundreds of almost identical boys in a sea of black blazers, white shirts, and striped ties.

The Procession

The tone of tradition - the first banner to be held up to the camera - is set by the details of the ceremony, notably the use of Catholicism alongside Scottish (and potentially Irish) culture.

Most modern Catholic schools in the US were founded in the 19th century (like Welton in 1859) to accommodate the increase of Irish immigration to North America. Most schools at this time were Protestant, and in 1852, the First Plenary Council of Baltimore (a meeting of archbishops & bishops) aimed for every Catholic parish in the US to open its own religious schools.

These institutions were considered a fundamental method of preserving the values threatened by anti-Catholic bills. They formed close communities with the parents (whose financial contributions were essential) and alumni (representatives moulded by their values). For this reason, tradition and discipline became key features of these schools.

I find it interesting that the Welton procession is led by students in traditional kilts (part of both Irish and Scottish heritage) who play 'Scotland the brave' on bagpipes. The headmaster, Mr. Nolan, has an Irish name meaning 'noble.' These hallmarks of older (and primarily Catholic) cultures add to the oppressive weight of history felt in the Chapel setting.

This general atmosphere is then visually broken down to focus on how it affects the main characters.

Cameron holds the first banner with 'tradition' which highlights its relevance to his individual character arc. He is arguably the one who struggles most with his relationship to tradition, ultimately falling back on it for a sense of safety after Neil's death.

The next poet in line is Knox holding 'discipline.' Knox's main struggle is achieving a balance between two unhealthy extremes. He declares, 'I've been calm all my life," before gaining the courage to ring Chris, and this reflects the rigidity he's always known. However, his supposedly romantic storyline highlights how Knox abandons all necessary self-discipline as he learns the freedom of Carpe Diem.

Finally, is Neil with 'excellence,' foreshadowing how trapped he becomes by his reputation as a model student, and by the expectations of authority figures. This is consolidated at the end of the ceremony when Nolan says, "we expect great things from you this year," and Mr. Perry replies, "he won't disappoint." By jumping in to reply for his son, Mr. Perry asserts his authority over Neil while also showing that his son's achievements are (in his view) inextricably tied to his own.

'Honour,' the final banner, is not held by any of the dead poets. This indicates that none of the main characters feels a sense of honour in themselves, the school, or its traditions and values.

The Teachers

Each teacher wears full academic regalia, a long black gown with a coloured hood denoting their subject of study. This strict adherence to academia indicates the prestige of Welton Academy and the high standard of education that its individual staff has received.

Keating and McAllister both wear white around their necks to signify the study of the arts and humanities.

Nolan also wears a medallion to signify his status as headmaster. This is often an element of formal dress worn by college presidents, which shows Nolan's connection to the Ivy Leagues (where he boasts many of his students attend). Mr. Nolan also has velvet around the neck of the gown to signify a doctorate.

Each teacher also has a coloured trim on their gowns that I can't find the official meaning of. Some staff, like McAllister, have a matching hood and ribbon trim. Others, like Keating, do not as his hood is white and the ribbon trim is purple.

Historically, purple has been a colour reserved for the clothing of royalty or those with power and wealth. In modern history, purple began to be perceived as a colour of creativity and wisdom. By dressing only Keating in subtle hints of purple, this introduction to his character hints at the leadership and wealth of knowledge he provides for the dead poets.

Keating is also shown in a light purple shirt during class, which I mention in part two.

I do also want to note (for the purpose of Keating as a queer-friendly figure) that purple is a colour that carries significance within LGBTQ+ history and literature:

Violet

The flower is mentioned frequently in Sappho's fragments and has been used as wlw code

During the 1920s, 'violet' was a slang term for lesbians

Édouard Bourdet's play 'The Captive' (1926) was censored for its lesbian themes, including a female character sending violets to another female as a symbol of her love. There was a trend in Paris of people wearing violets on their lapels in support of Bourdet's play

Lavender

The derogatory term 'a streak of lavender' was used to describe men whose masculinity did not match social expectations, hinting that he may be a homosexual, known as a 'lavender boy'

In the 1970s, sapphic feminists, such as Rita Mae Brown, wore t-shirts with the slogan 'The Lavender Menace' as a protest until they were admitted to mainstream feminist circles. This was a response to the well-known feminist author, Betty Friedan, claiming that lesbians were a 'lavender menace' who would undermine feminist efforts

The Lavender Scare

A lesser-known branch of McCarthyism under Senator Joseph McCarthy, most well-known for his anti-communist 'red-scare.'

McCarthy led a very public campaign to rid the government of 'communists and homosexuals' who were considered to be a threat to morality and to national security

Thousands lost their jobs despite a subcommittee investigation concluding that there was no evidence suggesting gay or lesbian civil servants had been blackmailed into betraying state secrets

Purple and its developing association with queerness

The invention of synthetic purple dye in the mid-nineteenth century caused the colour to become widely available. Historically, the colour had been expensive due to its source from a species of snail found in modern-day Lebanon. Until the 1850s, it had been a colour reserved for royals and the wealthy

In the late-nineteenth century, purple clothing became highly fashionable due to its new availability and novelty. As the movement of Aestheticism arose, purple became a popular colour amongst the Aesthetes who many deemed effeminate, or associated with Oscar Wilde and his 'purple hours' of drink and relations with men. Thus, purple began to be associated with a subculture many queer men participated in, and eventually with the queer community

Sources:

(My A-level American History course)

Catholic Schools in the US: here and here and the Plenary Council

Anti-Catholicism in the US: here and here

Academic Regalia: here and here

LGBTQ Flowers

The Lavender Menace

The Lavender Scare

Lavender as an LGBTQ symbol

The history of purple dye