#the author also seems to be non-binary

[magpiemirroring]

I own a copy of this cookbook!

It's a good book even if you do not have an autistic child in your life and are in fact looking for help thinking about food as an adult. The book does not talk about food in a "we must trick our children into eating vegetables" sort of way, but does discuss healthy eating. It's not really a "kiddie cookbook" so much as a cookbook to help you prepare foods that kids might enjoy. (or you might enjoy).

The main goal of this cookbook is to help you think about and identify preferences and things you don't like and practice keeping those in mind when looking at food.

There's also a bit of a primer in thinking about preparing food so that it is more palatable to you, in order to increase the variety of food you are eating. About half the book is simply about food itself in terms of colors and flavors and textures and other qualities and also other sensory aspects of eating and things to consider when trying to make eating less stressful for folks with sensory issues. It introduces a lot of cooking terminology and spends a lot of time talking about techniques to be aware of to make food more the color/flavor/texture you prefer!

The author is very sympathetic to difficulties in eating at all, much less eating well! And there's a lot of humor, as they try to make food fun, too!

The other half of the book is recipes. Recipes include notes on colors, flavors, and textures, which I find pretty helpful! The recipes do often use professional cooking language (but there is a glossary and explanation of techniques and words). Some recipes are less beginner friendly than others, though I would not call any of these super complex. Each recipe includes a list of tools you will need along with the ingredients right up front. There are also often variations or additional suggestions and reminders to customize it to your taste.

In typical autistic "resistant to new things" fashion, I have not yet made anything from this book, lmao, but I really enjoyed reading it and sometimes I reread bits of it when I am struggling with food in order to try to figure it what it is I DO want to eat. The compassionate humor can really help when I'm stuck and feeling bad.

It's a slim book and I really wish it was doing better in sales because I would love this chef to get more chances to make cookbooks like this or for other writers to make books like it. It's not terribly expensive as far as cookbooks go so it's worth buying to add to (or start) a cookbook collection! Though, as i mentioned above this is not really what I would call a "beginner cook" recipe book. If you're just starting out learning to cook, i think there are better books out there for that. But I still think this one is worth having around for when you do get more confident in the kitchen. And just for the perspective it offers coming from an autistic chef writing with autistic eaters in mind!

I can't do much but maybe this will interest someone. This cookbook is by a classically trained autistic chef, made for people with sensory issues. It's sold 1/6th of its initial run because apparently no one wants to have an autistic person interviewed on TV.

Apparently it's also very funny.

Spread this around! I bet someone here can use this.

[selkie-tea-tin]

‘Danmei is mlm fantasy written by and for straight women’ is a lie. It’s written for transmascs and lesbians obviously.

[meiyokbf]

headcanon | sophia x transmasc!reader

author’s note: honestly been having so much fun writing these omg, please let me know what you guys think :) thank you so so much for the love and sorry for any typos! <3

warnings: pre transition!reader at the beginning, transmasc!reader, obvi. it kinda goes for both non-binary readers and transmen, too. hrt therapy & top surgery mentioned. nsfw at the end, MDNI.

🏷️: katseye x reader, sophia x reader, katseye smut, katseye, sophia laforteza, transmasc reader.

sophia would be the kind of girlfriend that would try her best to not make a big deal out of it.

because let’s be honest; it’s not a big deal!

pookie would activate ultimate leader mommy mode and would do Anything and Everything for you transition-wise.

she would google the entire history of trans healthcare in the US and be like:

“okay so i did my research and the system sucks BUT we will make it work.”

would gently correct people if anyone misgendered you.

“he, by the way.”

“my boyfriend, actually.”

and then she’d nudge you with a wink and whisper, “don’t worry babe, i got you.”

she was the one who encouraged you to come out to the katz, but in your own time.

and once you did, you looked over at sophia and pookie was bawling her eyes out.

she would buy you a binder with a note that says “just until we get you snatched for real.”

and let’s face it.

pookie bought it after like FOUR hours of research.

“i got one from gc2b because the reviews were kind, but i also emailed them. just to be sure.”

honey.

once you started T girlie considered going to nursing school just so she could apply it correctly on you.

would literally schedule a whole “tuesday testosterone ritual” with cozy music and warm tea.

and pookie tried to bake blue “T” shaped cookies for you but had to eat them all by herself once manon said they looked like avatar dicks.

and when you first talked about top surgery, she would light up and go:

“okay so do we start a jar? a spreadsheet? a tiktok to manifest?”

she would overpack your hospital bag like a mom going on a week-long trip to the beach even though it’s one overnight stay.

“i brought six pairs of socks, eight types of snacks, two power banks, a stuffed frog, and this picture of us because… comfort.”

she would cry harder than you after surgery, holding your hand in recovery and whispering “you did it, my brave boy, i’m so proud of you.”

she took time off just to be by your side, feeding you soup and helping you adjust pillows.

and also would post on her private story: “he got the titties out the way y’all!!! he’s free!!!”

and when you told her how grateful you were for her support, she’d just laugh and say:

“you were always him, babe. i just got front-row seats to watch him shine.”

babes.

if you think she has energy on her daily routine.

can you even imagine how she’s in bed.

sophia is a very very good switch (but she does love pleasing you and letting you use her.)

she would grin like a menace whenever you took your shirt off casually.

“oh, we’re just doing that now? you’re really gonna test me like that, huh?”

she might seem the responsible one but she would LOVE teasing you in public, even right next to the katz.

she’d absolutely tease you in public with sly whispers in your ear:

“remember when i had you moaning just from kissing your scars?”

she’d wear your favorite hoodie to bed, pull you between her legs, and whine:

“please fuck me, handsome. i need you so bad it hurts.”

and we all know sophia’s a talker.

so dirty talking is a must.

she would ask you to talk her through it, because your voice when you was in control made her melt.

“tell me what you want. don’t stop talking. i’m yours.”

and she would say the most gender-affirming things in the world for you.

sophia is a 100% a praiser.

she would drag her hands across your chest, mouth parted in awe, and say, “you’re fucking beautiful, you know that? look at you — so strong... all mine.”

you’d feel self conscious about your chest even after top surgery and pookie would know that.

she would always ask to see your chest during sex, not just because it turns her on, but because she knows what it means:

“please take it off… i want to feel your skin against mine. let me love all of you.”

and also. bare with me.

packer blowjobs.

!!!!!!!!!!

sophia was OBSESSED by the feeling of having your cock buried inside her throat.

babygirl would slid your packer in and out of her mouth and moan around you, “god, you’re so hard for me… you’re gonna make me come just from sucking you like this.”

and also… breeding kink…

even if both of you knew it wasn’t real; it was to her.

while riding you, she’d dig her nails into your back, voice trembling with need, “don’t hold back, baby… fill me up with your babies, make me yours like only you can…”

and after you made a mess out of her, sophia would spend hours tracing your scars with her fingers, kissing every inch of them.

“i’m so proud of you, my boy... you’re everything i’ve ever wanted.”

[dionysianfreak]

Hey there, this might be a bit of a heavy question (not sure?), and it's just about Dionysus and gender dysphoria. I'm trans (identifying as non-binary, but I think I'd be happier as ftm; just can't in the current living situation). I've been struggling a lot with feeling ok in my body and with my identity. I've been thinking of reaching out to Lord Dionysus about this issue (I do already worship him), but I feel scared for some reason. I think it's because I'm really used to adverse reactions when I've asked for help with these things, since I don't have any close trans friends who understand. I'm sorry if this question is a bother or if you wouldn't really know, but do you have any experience asking Dionysus for help with this stuff? This is gonna sound silly, but is he kind about it? Is this maybe something I shouldn't ask for help with? Thank you, and I apologize if this was a bit serious. I understand if you don't choose to answer, obviously, and I hope you're doing well.

hello love. I'm trans as well and I completely understand how hard it is to hide your identity. I'm not out to my family, nor my professional life. especially with how trans people continue to be attacked, I am so genuinely sorry that we live in a world where you feel afraid to live your life comfortably. Dionysos is my trans safe haven, so is Aphrodite/Aphroditos, because I struggle to find a place that's comfortable in the outside world.

I want to say first that Dionysos is certainly a favorite among fellow trans worshippers. there is a historical reason for this. you may hear some say that Dionysos is a God of queer people, or a transgender Deity, or that He was raised transgender. these truths have been heavily modernized (there was no unified idea of being "transgender" in antiquity) but nevertheless, Dionysos is historically a gender-challenging, effeminate Deity that fostered a non-judgemental environment for His followers. here are some examples:

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 28 (trans. Aldrich) :

"Hermes took him [the newborn infant Dionysos] to Ino and Athamas [the nymphai], and persuaded them to bring him up as a girl."

In some accounts, Dionysos is raised as a girl-child in order to hide Him from the wrath of Hera. below is an expert from Oedipus hinting that Dionysos's female childhood made Him partial to feminine clothing and presentation.

Seneca, Oedipus 418 ff (trans. Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) :

"Fearing thy stepdame's [Hera's] wrath, thou [Dionysos] didst grow to manhood with false-seeming limbs, a pretended maiden with golden ringlets, with saffron girdle binding thy garments. So thereafter this soft vesture has pleased thee, folds loose hanging and the long-trailing mantle."

another gender-bending aspect of Dionysos is that He is noted as taking on the "female" role within homosexual relationships. in antiquity, men who were penetrated were seen as more naive, young, and feminine than the men who enacted penetration during intercourse. this is where we get the epithet Androgynos, the God who has sex both in the male form and female form. this was sometimes seen derogatorily unfortunately, especially with later writers.

Suidas s.v. Androgynos (trans. Suda On Line) (Byzantine Greek lexicon C10th A.D.) :

"Androgynos: [A word applied to] Dionysos, as one doing both active, male things and passive, female ones [in sexual intercourse]. Alternatively ‘effeminate’ (anandros), and hermaphroditic (hermaphroditos) [also men who have lost their virility including eunuchs]. Also [in the genitive plural, meaning those who are] weak and have the hearts of women."

**context: this quote is from a 10th century Byzantine author, so take this with some salt

I think it's important to note too about one of Dionysos's birth stories. this interpretation is modern, but I see His birth from Zeus as another way Dionysos has challenged sexual and gender binary.

Euripides, Bacchae: "Daughter of Akheloios, venerable Dirke [spring on Mt Kithairon], happy virgin, you once received the child of Zeus [Dionysos] in your streams, when Zeus his father snatched him up from the immortal fire and saved him in his thigh, crying out : ‘Go, Dithyrambos, enter this my male womb. I will make you illustrious, Bakkhos, in Thebes, so that they will call you by this name.’"

like I said before, there wasn't really a concept of "transgender" in antiquity. there were cross-dressers and events that encouraged the practice, especially in Dionysian imagery (like Pentheus, Dionysos's childhood, and Euripides's descriptions of Him). He was a phallic God of women and a protector of the vulnerable.

now comes the fun part. In Modern Times, i absolutely consider Dionysos the God of transgender people and the protector of queer individuals. I say this because of my own experience and because a large chunk of Dionysos's mythology and theology is a great allegory for trans-ness.

Dionysos is born in secrecy and raised as a woman in hiding. Dionysos is born from a male womb. Dionysos is torn to shreds by titans and then His heart reforms His body. Dionysos is ritually torn apart by worshippers (sparagamos) and sometimes His flesh (in the form of a bull or animal) is consumed raw (omophagia). Dionysos is a shape-shifting God in The Bacchae and other times is personified as a bull or goat. Dionysos is effeminate; Dionysos is an elder, bearded man. you see my point. MANY aspects of Dionysian culture can be viewed as allegories for the modern transgender experience. these themes were prominent enough to follow writers all the way into Rome and to appear in later writings like Nonnus's.

everything above is my long, winded way of saying "YES, Dionysos understands". He understands deeper than many see and I worship Him as a transgender Deity. Dionysos is the reason I explored my identity in the first place and He is my safe space for expressing myself unapologetically. my depictions of Him are always gender-nonconforming and I generally view Him as a God of Transitions. Gender transitions yes, but also life transitions: moving home, finding new opportunities, social changes, etc. He is a God that helps us through these massive life events and eases the pain that comes with it. I find Him similar to Hekate in these aspects (upg), a Deity of the liminal in-between stages and the celebrator of the end-goal.

I sympathize with your unease. I have felt scared to approach the Gods with hard topics because it would feel devastating to be rejected by our own Gods. However, I have never once experienced berating for the act of asking nor for sharing my fears and pain. the Gods are here to build us up, not knock us down. you won't know if incorporating your trans identity into your religion works for you unless you try it. I'll bet that Dionysos would be happy to hear your voice and see your face regardless of what you're asking of Him.

I wouldn't be where I am today without Dionysos. I would probably still be a messed up, insecure mess. I had no idea my lack of confidence and hatred of my body was my dysphoria weighing me down. not until Dionysos pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to dress how I want to. the first step is the hardest in my opinion, but it's so so so worth it. Dionysos supports all of our intricacies and changes. even if I decide to detransition or change my identity once more, I know He will always be in my corner.

I sincerely wish you the best anon. the confidence it takes to speak about topics like this is massive and I'm proud of you for taking this step of inquiring about it ! whatever you decide, the Theoi will be by your side. also, thank you for giving me the opportunity to rant about Dionysos's trans aspects and my upg 🫶💕🍇 cheers !

[bullshit-usa]

As a psychology student, I'm interested in how you say in your bio that you'll debunk transgender identities through logic. As someone who has written essays approved by college professors about transphobia, gender dysphoria, and gender identity, I would like to know what's your main argument against transgender identities (trans women, trans men, non-binary people, and so on).

You can refer to me in any way you want. He, she, it, they, I don't care. My identity isn't important, only my arguments and knowledge are. Let's talk about it.

-📚

I’m going to assume you’re a B.A. in psychology, not a B.S. in psychology-which is an important distinction. Most psychology majors are B.A. majors.

But also, I graduated college so you saying “approved by college professors” doesn’t mean much to me. What does "approved" mean, I got consent to write about 'XYZ' for my term papers sometimes, is that what "approved" means? I also wrote essays and got A+’s on them. I don’t see myself as an authority on the history of the U.S. South or Southern legal history. I graduated college feeling like I didn’t know enough to ever consider myself as an authority on the topic. I felt like I knew nothing. Which is why I’m going to law school.

My arguments against transgenderism are based on the “treatment” of gender dysphoria. I think gender dysphoria does exist, but I don’t think it is biological in nature like many trans theory states. This is why the distinction between a B.A. and a B.S. matters. A Bachelor of Arts focuses more on the humanities, so reading and interpreting studies through a linguistic and theoretical lens, while a B.S. focuses on conducting research and interpreting studies through a quantitative and objective lens.

In logic, it is very important to point out assumptions in people’s arguments. Many arguments for transgenderism are based on assumptions, things assumed to be true, but not things proven to be true.

For example, the fact that transwomen have “female” brains.

This study (very narrow in sample) compares the white/grey matter content of female, male, and transwoman brains.

The graph corresponds with the amount of white and grey matter in the brain, meaning that the more "female" a brain, the more grey matter it'll have, and the more white matter a brain has, the more "male" it is.

0 is female, 1 is male, -1 is super female, and 2 is super male. This study looks legit at first until I point something out.

There's only one person that was slightly below 0 in this graph in the transgender woman violin plot, half of the men meet the "obscure brain sex zone" and a little less than half of the women also meet this "obscure zone," and the majority of transgender women meet this zone.

More of the transwomen stretch into the "super male" zone than into the "super female" zone. Only one did, while a little over half of the females did.

This is supposed to prove transwomen have female brains? It seems like it does the opposite. Because of the obscurity, none between 0-1 really matter as they overlap. It is the extreme cases that matter the most. No males go below 0, no females go above 1. Many transgender women go above 1, but only one went below 0, and just barely. This can be doubted based on this one person's brain was mismeasured.

And the key assumption is, what these scientists ignored and simply assumed was true:

How does an increase in grey matter in a male's brain lead to gender dysphoria? What is the connection between grey matter and transgenderism?

Sure, they pointed out that 1 male fit into the "female" range, and that was only after meeting a prerequisite: identifying as transgender. As for the "cisgender" people, it's never specified if they included lesbian and gay men.

If they tested for that, could we have seen even more overlap? And if gay men dipped into the "female sexed brain" and lesbians rose into the "male sexed brain" then the whole study is bullshit based on these gay men still identifying as men despite having "female brains" and lesbians identifying as women despite having "male brains." But we don't know this because they didn't test for it. If it is true, then something else leads someone to identify as transgender and white matter & grey matter have nothing to do with it, but to me that is already established as the majority of the people sampled overlap each other.

The primary differences seem to be based on the influence of testosterone and estrogen in the body. None of the trans-identified men were on HRT. This is based on their natal hormone levels.

Another assumption is that in the womb, trans-identified people were exposed to more testosterone/estrogen in their brains while their body was exposed to more estrogen/testosterone. This is an assumption because:

We don't even know if this is possible, how does testosterone/estrogen begin to collect and localize to one place

How come we have never observed this in any other body part, it is the excess of androgens/insufficient androgens that cause intersex conditions, not a localization excess of estrogen in their genitals or something like that

Why haven't we tried to observe hormone flux in the womb and do long-term studies on their gender/sexuality first before assuming that HRT/SRS would fix everything?

If there is no biological basis for transgenderism, then why are we trying to fix it through biology?

If it isn't like my fucked up & misaligned teeth, something observable, then why are we assuming that the solution is just as observable as inverting a penis or stitching on a flesh tube?

If it is not something objectively measurable, how can we truly determine who is trans and who isn't?

Correlation ≠ Causation

[mind-empty-just-fictional-people]

Forgive The World

main masterlist | marvel masterlist

summary: a series of news articles describing your relationship with bucky

pairing: bucky barnes x popstar!reader

square filled: Singer AU for @avengers-assemble-bingo ’s Bucky Barnes Birthday Bingo

rating: PG-13

word count: 0.6k

warnings: none

pairing note: i use pictures of dua lipa to capture the reader’s essence, but i still wrote the reader non-descript. also, i use multiple artists’ songs/lyrics (sabrina carpenter, ariana grande, nessa barrett, and taylor swift) and this is in no way me claiming to have written them. all rights to the proper owners. thank you.

author’s note: my first bingo! lettsss gooo!! this is less singer au and more popstar!reader, but i hope it still counts toward the bingo. also this is sooo far from the normal format i’m used to… can’t tell if i love or hate it.

music: forgive the world by nessa barrett

Y/N Y/L/N’S MUSE FOR HER NEW ALBUM

By Janett Smith | March 12, 2027

It is no secret that pop sensation Y/n Y/l/n has been dating the Avenger Bucky Barnes for nearly two years now. Since coming back from the blip, Y/n has released two studio albums and went on tour for several months. Now, she brings us yet another masterpiece of an album. And this one is called… (wait for it)... JAMES! How stinkin’ cute is that? And she released it two days after Barnes’ 110th birthday.

continue reading…

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Y/N Y/L/N ANNOUCES TOUR DATES

By Janett Smith | March 19, 2027

Start selling those kidneys ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary peeps because it’s official – Y/n Y/l/n is going on yet another world tour! This will be Y/n’s fifth world tour of her career, and tickets will go on sale in two weeks!

continue reading…

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Y/N Y/L/N STARTS SOLD-OUT WORLD TOUR

By Janett Smith | May 1, 2027

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Y/N Y/L/N WALKS MET GALA CARPET WITH BUCKY BARNES

By Janett Smith | May 3, 2027

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Y/N Y/L/N LYRIC CHANGE?

By Janett Smith | May 8, 2027

While performing last night, Y/n seemed to change a lyric in her iconic song Juno to highlight the fact that her boyfriend was in the VIP tent. 

While usually singing “Oh I hear you knockin’ baby, come on up” fans were quick to notice Barnes’ shout out when she replaced “baby” with “Bucky”.

I think these two just became my favorite couple.

continue reading…

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Y/N Y/L/N’S 2027 WORLD TOUR – AN INSIDE LOOK

By Janett Smith | May 21, 2027

Last night I had the pleasure of finally seeing Y/n Y/l/n in concert for the first time. Warning, there will be spoilers for the tour in this article.

Y/l/n starts off the show with a video of Bucky Barnes playing on the screens and the first song she sings following the video is Into You.

After singing three more songs (Daylight, God is a woman, and Lover) there’s a quick outfit change. I don’t want to spoil everything, I suggest you go yourself and see Y/n Y/l/n’s beauty in person.

The final song Y/n sings is yet another love song for none other than Bucky Barnes. Forgive The World wraps up the whole show, accompanied by confetti. 

After the show I had the privilege of going backstage to converse with Y/n. She invited me into her dressing room and I interviewed her while she got un-ready. Something that immediately struck me was the love this woman has for Barnes. We all know they’re in love, but something about seeing their relationship up close really struck a chord with me. She said something to me as she wiped off her make-up; “I get [Bucky’s] approval for every little detail, if he thinks the lights need to shine differently I make sure they do, if he thinks another song would fit into the set then I make it fit. I’m doing all of this for him so it makes sense to me to hear his opinion on things. Besides, I trust his taste in things, he’s dating me after all.” We both chuckled at her comment.

After our short interview while Y/n took off her make-up and hair extensions, she invited me to eat dinner with her and a few others.

At dinner I sat between two stagehands, Y/n sat next to Bucky.

I was close enough to overhear their conversation, which I of course will not be sharing. I’ll just leave you with this – there’s a lot of love between those two and I wouldn’t be surprised if they got engaged before the tour ends.

[weirdbookweeb]

Simon (Ghost) Riley NSFW Alphabet

Many thanks to @fictional-loves for the template <3 and obviously, this is NSFW. Proceed as you wish. Reader is fairly genderless throughout the whole thing. Pros of a non-binary author. Lots of love <3 request AUs, Headcanons, Alphabets of any kind for literally any character for any fandom in my inbox. This did involve some very interesting research. Cough cough.

A= Aftercare (what they’re like after the act)

He is a snugglebug for a solid 10 minutes after. He's got his arms wrapped around your waist, his face nuzzled in your chest while he's half-asleep. He'll make soft noises and reply gently to you with a soft, grumbly voice that just melts you to the bones. Then after those ten minutes, he gains his composure and cleans up everything, giving you kisses with teasing half-smiles. He then carries you to a bathtub filled with warm water and slides in right behind you to soak both of your aches away.

B= Body part (favorite body part their own or their lovers)

His own switches between his arms and his cock. His likes how strong he is and how big he physically is compared to a lot of other people, you included. His arms are what hold on to you and protect what needs to be protected. And his cock is just something he is really damn proud of cause it makes you feel good.

His favorite things about you are your thighs and your hair. He likes to tangle his fingers in your hair when he's kissing you, and to stroke it when you're resting in his lap, and to just smell the scent of you when he hugs you from behind. Your thighs are his kryptonite, though. The fact that they clench around his head when he's eating you out, or he can grab them as he fuck deeper into you, or that he can fuck them and feel their soft warmth.

C= Cum (anything that has to do with it)

He loves how dirty anything doing with cum can be. Tasting his cum on your lips? Seeing your eyes widen when he tastes yours? Seeing his cum on your pretty skin? Feeling your cum on his face and pelvis? He loves it all. He wears a condom when he's inside of you, but otherwise he wants you to be his canvas and he wants to taste you.

D= Dirty secret (Pretty self explanatory)

He kind of wants to do something where someone can find you both. Where he has to muffle your sounds and whisper in your ear things that make it hard to not be caught. He thinks it's really hot. He gets hard just thinking about it. He would agree to it immediately if it was brought up, but only if you brought it up.

E= Experience (do they know what they’re doing)

He's kind of got experience. He's slept with very few people and done a few vanilla things, but his job usually gets in the way of things. So he know the basics, but not the extremes.

F= Favorite position

Initially upon meeting you, it's missionary because it's how most of his previous sex was done and he really liked seeing your face. Eventually it becomes Breeze because he likes how deep he can penetrate you and can make you gasp for breath.

G= Goofy (how serious are they)

He's pretty serious. He's the kind of person who would chuckle if something funny did happen, like you both falling on the floor or someone farting, but he'd never go out of his way to make jokes. He's usually so deep in the moment that everything seems erotic unless it's genuinely really funny.

H= Hair (grooming habits)

He's neat, but he's not hairless by any means. He's always got a happy trail. It gets a little bit grown out on particularly long deployments (on over a couple of weeks), but never overgrown, unmaintained, and gross.

He also prefers his partners a similar way. Neat, but not hairless. As long as you take care of yourself, he doesn't really care.

I= Intimacy (in the moment romantic or rough/dirty)

This man is dirty. He swears under his breath when he enters you and talks about how warm and tight you are and cannot shut up about how much he likes fucking up into you. There is no romantic words in his sentences, only dirty promises and sexual gratification. He's gripping you like you're his dark angel bringing him his sinful savior, rough and desperate.

J= Jack off (do they masturbate and how often)

He masturbates semi-regularly. Every few days, he just kinda gets bored and horny. Passively paws at his dick through his pants as it hardens, teasingly, groaning under his breath before finally slipping his hand under the waistband and taking his cock into his fist with a hiss of pleasure.

K= Kink (kinks what they like possibly unusual)

He likes when his back gets all scratched up. Not to the point of bleeding, but angry red marks up and down his back drive him insane. He also loves begging, himself or his partner. He likes being worshipped and worshipping. He also likes wearing his work mask at times.

L= Location (where they like to get it on)

He prefers his own bedroom, but he also likes the kitchen. The bedroom is ideal because of comfort, availability, and the fact you can usually be more likely to go to bed right after. But something about how 'public' the kitchen is, and how he can fold you over the counters makes him love it.

M= Motivation (things that makes them tick/turn ons)

If you tease this man with a gentle carress and a few sexy sentences, he'll be turned on. Hot outfit? Turned on. Particularly proud moment? He wants to fuck you right then and there. He's kind of just turned on by you. He's got self control, but he's also just a man.

N= No (turnoffs or absolutely won’t do)

Anything to do with non-sexual bodily fluids (scat, piss, blood), multiple people, weapons (knifeplay, gunplay, anything similar), age play, breathplay, and anything that interferes with your ability to consent (CNC, S/A, ETC)

O= Oral (receiving or giving and how skillful they are)

He is good with both, be he prefers recieving so he can kiss you afterwards. He is incredibly skilled with his tongue and fingers, though. I mean. His ability to give oral is immeasurable. He was a little bit of a rookie when you got together, but he learned quick what you liked.

P= Pace (how fast they are and how long they last in bed)

He gives it long and hard. He can hold out pretty long (the better part of half an hour). He can range from 15 minutes if he's been built up for a while to over an hour if he's already came and can handle holding out for a while.

Q= Quickie (do they prefer fast and hard)

He's not fond of them. He used to do them with one night stands on deployment and they're not exactly his cup of tea anymore. Besides, what's fun in them if he can pull you aside for half an hour, have way more fun and leave you trembling from an orgasm.

R= Risk (do they like to try new things)

If you bring them up, he’s willing to try a lot of things. But outside of the bedroom, he's pretty shy when talking about sex. You'll have to be the one to talk about things you want to happen. He’s nothing if not a pleaser.

S= Stamina (how many times they can go and how long each round lasts)

He can go a few rounds. 3 or 4 with a resting period, maybe more if you give him an hour. He's not exactly 25 anymore. But each round can last around half an hour each, give or take.

T= Toys (are they game for using sex toys on themselves or lovers)

He's got stuff for the both of you. It's no fun otherwise. There's more stuff for you than for him, but there's vibrators, pentration equipment, lubricant (because yes, men and women and everyone in between can use lubricant, be safe), and more. Some stuff is hidden where you can't find it, just in case you get curious and ask one day to try something out.

U= Unfair (how do they tease or do they enjoy suspense themselves)

He is so unfair, but he expects it in return. He is the kind of person to tease you for an hour before you even enter the bedroom.

V= Volume (are they loud, what sounds, and do they talk)

He's pretty quiet. He grunts, groans, sighs, and hisses. If he's completely desperate and pushed to the edge, you can pull a whimper out of him, but most of it is breathy and bass-filled. He speaks constantly, telling you praises about your body, noises, feelings, everything.

W= Wild card (random sincannon of any sort)

This is solely for the femmes and women, sorry mascs and men, but he's got a bit of a mommy kink. If he's feeling a bit pathetic and desperate, he'll whisper out a pathetic "mommy..." and grab you tighter while thrusting into you and biting down into your shoulder.

X= X-ray (what’s down below in dem pants)

(I'm a science girlie in the most ungendered way possible, so I'm not going to say he has a 10 inch cock like I've seen a few people do, that is almost entirely unrealistic, Rasputin.) He's standardly sizable at 6.5 inches erect and 5.5 inches soft. He's circumcised and has a bit of a curve to him.

Y= Yearning (sexdrive level)

Again, he’s pretty easily excitable when it comes to you, but he’s also not 25 anymore. He doesn't have a super high sex drive, but he's definitely willing to do sex. On a scale of 0-10, 0 being absolutely no sex, 10 being horny all the time, he's a solid 6 with a "not horny all the time, but i definitely thing about it and I'm definitely open to it when offered".

Z= Zzzz (do they sleep after if so how quickly after)

He's got problems sleeping in general so he doesn't sleep afterwards. He'll be tired, but he'll kinda just hang out with you for a bit. If he were to fall asleep, it would rake him a couple hours at least and you'd have to fall asleep first and he'd have to follow a specific routine before falling asleep. Fallback from being in the military and being constantly unsafe made him have a pretty paranoid sleeping routine.

[hauntingofhouses]

Thinking about the crazy love triangle situation in Blue Eye Samurai and debating heavily with myself on how I'd like to see it conclude. And yeah this discussion can be thought of purely as shipping, headcanons, and fandom fun. But when analysing the show and engaging with it in a more in-depth, almost-literary level, it's impossible to dismiss who Mizu's potential love interests are and how different endgame romances would affect her character arc and the overall story and themes.

So in this post I'd like to look at the love triangle a bit more closely, and speculate on where the story will take this.

DISCLAIMER: It is my personal interpretation of the text that Mizu is non-binary—I use this as an umbrella term denoting any gender that does not adhere to the binary restrictions, norms, and expectations of what it means to be either a man or woman in a particular society; it's not just an androgynous "third gender" that exclusively uses they/them pronouns. Thus, while I personally believe Mizu is not strictly a cis woman, she does still identify with womanhood, despite definitely feeling a level of detachment from it due to living as a man for so long. With that being said, I will be using she/her pronouns for Mizu in this post, but please note that this is purely personal preference. Everyone is free to interpret the text the way they like. That's the fun of fiction. Now, without further ado, let's proceed.

Okay so, thinking about the pairings on a purely surface level, and even before i got into the show, I was pinning my hopes on some lesbianism going on between Mizu and Akemi, and the show does hint at this; in Ep1, during their first encounter in Kyoto, there is the famous slow-mo shot of their eyes meeting, Mizu's lips slightly parted as she is unable to tear her gaze away from Akemi, while sweet string music plays in the background. This is clear romantic framing, and a marker of attraction. If Mizu was a cishet man, there would be no question that this is a potential love interest.

But then, in the same episode, we meet Taigen, who is introduced to us firstly from hearing Akemi's father describe him as "a fierce and undefeated young samurai", the "best swordsman in the best school" and "a fisherman's son from Kohama [...] whose rise reminds [him] of [his] own."

In the next scene, we meet him in person as Akemi's fiance, and he seems sweet enough. He even gives her sweets! In exchange, Akemi gives him gold, and he feels a bit ashamed that he doesn't have anything better to offer her. But Akemi accepts him and his gift wholeheartedly and flirts with him a little, which makes him smile kinda shyly.

When Akemi confirms their engagement, Taigen is in disbelief because he has no status or noble background, but Akemi reassures him.

So from these first few scenes, we're introduced to Taigen as an honourable and strong samurai, but also as a man who is sweet and gentle with the woman he is about to marry, as well as aware of his own inferiority when compared to Akemi's high station.

Our view of him then changes as his true self is revealed: he is an arrogant and smug bastard among his peers, but more importantly, he is the terrible bully from Mizu's childhood.

And it is this side of Taigen--pompous jerk and unrepentant xenophobic bully--that we continue to see as the show goes on, and it's safe to say that this is his real self, sans any pretense of humility and modesty. Around anyone who isn't an outright superior in terms of class and power (ie. Akemi's father, the shogun), Taigen never hesitates to assert his own authority and "greatness."

But as the show goes on, he gets caught by Heiji Shindo's men, and then tortured. And that's when we see, okay, turns out he's not that bad. He's honourable; "honour" is not just meaningless and superficial pedantry for him, but an internalised, guiding principle.

He was a cruel asshat throughout Mizu's childhood, but in a prejudiced and xenophobic society, he was just playing by the rules. As a child, he knew he was at the bottom of society, but when met with someone even lower ranked than him (Mizu), he can project all those prejudices and insecurities onto someone else. This way of thinking--"if you can't beat 'em, join em"--is what allowed him to climb up the ranks despite being some dirt poor kid from an abusive household*.

*Well, that combined with his cismale privilege of course, because this would not be an option for a woman in similar circumstances.

Thus, his upholding of honour also exemplifies how Taigen embodies the ideals and rules of his society. His insistence on duelling Mizu is another more blatant example of this. He doesn't want revenge like Mizu does. He wants to be accepted by society, within the bounds that society has placed, and that means that his only two options following his defeat at the Shindo dojo were to either chase Mizu down and get his damn duel, or kill himself for his humiliating defeat.

Now! Moving on from Taigen, let's go back to the other end of this little love triangle: Akemi.

Mizu and Akemi only properly meet in Ep4. During their first meeting, when Akemi tries to poison Mizu in Madame Kaji's brothel, she compliments Mizu's eyes, calling them "beautiful."

This seems to genuinely take mizu off-guard for a second before she coolly plays along. We know that Mizu recognises Akemi from the get-go, and thus sees through Akemi's ploy from a mile away. It's also safe to assume she'd expected false flattery, because Mizu understands full well that this tactic is how women get what they want: by using their 'feminine wiles' and playing up their naivety and innocence. But even so, it's interesting that Mizu actually seems surprised by Akemi's compliment.

Then, after Mizu subtly taunts Akemi by lying about Taigen's death, she and Akemi have a bit of a scuffle, and then we get to Mizu saying this:

"Women in our world don't have a single good option. Except you, like some magical forest creature. You could have anything you want, but then you beg to eat trash."

(no screenshot because it's quite a long line but you get it)

Here we see Mizu's opinions on the marginalisation of (mostly poor and under-privileged) women stated outright, and underlying her words is also resentment. Because even though she and Akemi have shared experiences of female oppression, Mizu, unlike Akemi, was also poor, from a rural village, and is a racial minority. Mizu is triply oppressed, while Akemi only faces one primary form of oppression, and to someone as embittered by the world as Mizu is, to see Akemi "beg to eat trash" is a slap in the face, practically tone-deaf to the other injustices around her--injustices which Akemi has not shown much, or any, acknowledgement for at this point.

Then, after this scene, Mizu kills Kinuyo, and this unsettles her to a degree we've never seen from her before. She is visibly distraught, and the entire sequence hammers the theme of this episode (and arguably, a large portion of the show) into our heads: women in this world suffer. And even though Mizu is well aware of this fact, to commit this act is so visceral that is shakes her to her core, and it's what ultimately leads to the ambush of the Thousand Fangs.

But before the ambush, Mizu and Akemi talk a little again, and during this time Akemi taunts Mizu some more.

Right now, Mizu is exhausted to the point where (I believe) she even downs some sake, despite not usually drinking. Thus, worn down, she cuts Akemi's ropes and tells her, "Just go." Akemi recovers from her initial fear of Mizu's blade and taunts her some more, accurately seeing through Mizu's facade of coldness, recognising the raw anger there, and says this:

"I thought you had to be something special. Your face isn't even so scary. You're just... angry."

At this, Mizu is amused and compares Akemi to Taigen ("I see why he likes you. You're just like Taigen when we were children. A fucking brat.")

The reveal that Mizu and Taigen knew each other in childhood surprises Akemi, but before either of them can say more, everything goes to shit.

That's when we get to Ep5. This episode focuses primarily on Mizu, the central piece of this love triangle, and does the most out of all the episodes to shed some light on her character and goals, fleshing her out to be more than just the vengeful, highly proficient samurai we've seen thus far (symbolised by The Ronin), but also a person who is capable of love, domesticity and gentleness (symbolised by The Bride). But in the end, Mizu rejects both these ideals, instead becoming an Onryo, who is neither guided by pride/honour, nor love.

By 'reincarnating' into an Onryo, Mizu is able to win the day and save the women in the brothel. However, as she has now fully embraced her status as an Onryo, and is exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, she lets the Tokunobu clansmen take Akemi away while Akemi's screams echo in her ear.

Mizu says this choice is for Akemi's own good, that Akemi's better off; because Mizu is jaded and weary, and cannot afford the luxury of idealism, and thus must always be strictly practical and realistic. So of course that's why, in her view, yes, Akemi should not be wasting her time in a brothel where women are exploited and abused, nor should Akemi be so naive to think that her marriage with Taigen is even still possible. However, regardless of Mizu's views, it is not for her to decide, because though Akemi is privileged in some sense, she is still trapped and voiceless, and deserves the right to choose her own destiny.

But as it happens, in the end, though Akemi did not choose who she gets to marry, she DOES get to choose her next move when Edo burns down.

"I want to be great."

This one line is the key to her entire arc, which is only just beginning. We see she quickly has acquired the affection and good graces of the shogun's son after their wedding night and consummation, and with Madame Kaji and the girls now serving her, Akemi will only grow to become a prominent political player.

NOW, only after analysing the characters as they are within this season, only can we speculate how their arcs will continue as the show progresses.

First and foremost, I will reassert the popular opinion that Mizu and Akemi are foils. The climax (pun intended) of Ep7 illustrates this as it parallels the turning points in both Mizu's and Akemi's arcs:

Mizu melts the steel of all her loves and shames, the people she's collected: the broken blade wielded by both Chiaki and Taigen, Akemi's knife, Ringo's bell, Master Eiji's tongs - this symbolises her beginning to accept herself, and in doing so, also accepting the help of others;

Akemi consummates her marriage with Takayoshi Itoh, gains his affection, and cements her position as a woman in the shogun's palace - this symbolises her taking charge of her situation, no longer playing the damsel, but using her position to her advantage, empowering both herself and the underprivileged women around her.

These are thus two directly contrasting, diverging journeys:

Mizu's arc moves inward (yin). It is an internal path of self-love and self-discovery, focused on finding peace and tranquility inside herself, and this involves allowing herself to let others into her life, opening herself up to friendship and empathy once more.

Akemi's arc moves outward (yang), it is an external path of growth, transforming from a naive, caged princess to a powerful woman and a force to be reckoned with.

Akemi is always dressed in red, even her eyes are a bit of a reddish-brown rather than brown-black like most other characters, and in her penultimate scene she stands against a backdrop of flames. She is fire: quick-tempered, passionate, full of energy. Red is powerful, authoritative, and in eastern cultures, it is associated with prosperity.

Mizu is blue: her eyes, her sword, her clothes. She is also named after water; it's where she goes to recover, reflect and meditate. Water is fluid like a brook weaving around a stone in its path, always changing and adapting, it is graceful, it is beautiful and ruthless, tranquil yet swift.

Thus, in the future, I expect we will see plenty of political manoeuvring and intrigue in Akemi's plotline, where she fully embraces control of her life, and begins to take action to help others as well, realising that her own oppression is just one piece in a much larger picture. Her main conflict is with society.

In direct contrast, Mizu's main conflict is with herself. She must realise that her desire for vengeance is a projection of her own deep-rooted self-hatred. Her arc must move towards unpacking her feelings and trauma so she can be at peace with herself and allow space for love in her heart. Because as we saw in Ep5, Mizu had come extremely close to achieving peace and joy, as she had not only loved Mikio, but also had briefly believed that Mikio had loved her (and accepted her for who she is) as well.

Thus, assuming the story is not planned as a tragedy, Mizu will likely end up getting her vengeance, but it will not satisfy her, because it is not what she needs. What she needs is to let go of the Onryo within her and to reconcile both The Ronin and The Bride within herself, as she is both a fighter and a lover, but not a monster.

(Edit: I recommend checking out this post by @stylographic-blue-rhapsody for a much clearer analysis about Mizu'a symbolism as Ronin, Bride and Onryo!)

And now that we've mostly covered each of the characters individually, we can finally get to the main point of this post: the love triangle.

--

Let's talk about Option A: Akemi.

As I covered extensively earlier, Mizu and Akemi are foils, a yin-yang pair. But while they play off each other very well in a thematic sense, I personally believe that a serious romance between them will be more complicated if they become endgame. This is because Akemi's natural resolution is to embrace a position of power and influence, where she has both freedom and control over herself and to make much-needed changes in a prejudiced society. Meanwhile, Mizu's natural resolution is the opposite; her happy ending would to find a peaceful life where she is safe and free from prying eyes, and able to be her true self.

Thus, it would make very little sense for Akemi to forfeit power and run away with Mizu and start a humble life together. Akemi wants to be great, and that is absolutely what she deserves. On the other end of the spectrum, it would also make little sense for Mizu to dedicate her life in service of Akemi, such as acting as a bodyguard or something similar, because a life in a palace full of court intrigue and conspiracies is far from what Mizu needs to be happy.

With that being said, if Mizu/Akemi is endgame, and assuming their overarching character arcs do not shift directions, their love story would likely be either tragic, doomed, or bittersweet. I do absolutely love this type of story because personally I'm a sucker for catharsis, so it would be very interesting if the writers do decide to take this route.

Also, as a note, please do not take this as me dunking on this pairing. This is just my personal opinion and analysis and I completely understand if you disagree!

--

Then, of course, we have Option B: Taigen.

Between Akemi and Mizu, Taigen is a bit of a free-floater here, because Season 1 leaves off at a point where his arc is very ambiguous as to where it's headed. While Akemi climbs for greatness and Mizu goes on a journey across the ocean to (presumably) discover more about her heritage, we have little clues about where Taigen is headed. And if I'm being honest, I'm sure he has no idea either! He still hasn't reclaimed his honour, so he would be unable to rejoin the Shindo Dojo; he's been rejected by Akemi; and while he showed loyalty to the shogun, the shogun is now dead, and all the shogun's men who had witnessed his "humiliating" death were left to die by Lady Itoh, who is now pulling the strings within the palace.

Therefore, Taigen has very few options here.

And when considering his role in the story is as Mizu's begrudging ally, his arc will undoubtedly be focused on unlearning his xenophobia and misogyny, the latter of which we have not seen yet, but is surely present. Now, whether he will do this in Mizu's presence or absence will be unknown until we see Season 2. Following the Season 1 finale, he might return to Kohama and wait for Mizu there as he learns humility and remorse over his past cruelty; or maybe he will follow Mizu to London, and the two of them will continue to butt heads until he finally admits to himself that he cares for Mizu more than he would like to admit. There is no room for doubt that his growing feelings for Mizu are more-than-platonic, because we all saw him get turned on by sparring with her in Ep7 lol. Thus, regardless of the exact choice he makes, I am sure that his overall arc will be focused on redeeming his character.

Now, when it comes go redeeming him, I know there are many who simply don't want him redeemed because he was such a jerk to Mizu, and while yes I agree he was awful, I do believe there is also nuance to his character.

Previously I've discussed in great detail the colour and elemental symbolism with Mizu and Akemi, but have yet to touch on how they relate to Taigen. So, let's talk about that for a second.

While Akemi is red and Mizu is blue, Taigen is green.

Green is a complementary colour to Akemi's red. Complementary colours are directly opposite each other in the colour wheel; when mixed, they neutralise each other, but when put side-by-side, they form a pleasing and impactful contrast that boosts the brightness and prominence of both colours. This mirrors Taigen and Akemi's relationship. They are an "ideal" pair because they complement each other very well, and bring out each other's most prominent traits. Mizu's comment about their similar "brattiness" comes to mind here.

Green is also an analogous colour with Mizu's blue. These colours are sitting right next to each other on the colour wheel; their natural similarity makes it easy for them to form a cohesive overall appearance, but using both in equal amounts will make a design overwhelming and too busy. Thus, the best way to use analogous colours is to make one the dominant colour, while the other will serve as an accent. I feel this also speaks to the dynamic in Taigen and Mizu's relationship. They came from the space place, both from nothing; they're both strong fighters who love the sport, and work well together when fighting side-by-side; however, they butt heads too easily, mirroring how analogous colours can be too overwhelming when used in equal amounts. Thus, to work together in harmony, one has to be the dominant colour, while the other serves as the accent. In this case, the dominant force would be Mizu, as she is the protagonist of the story, while the accent would be Taigen.

By fulfilling this role as an "accent" to Mizu, Taigen's character would easily be slotted in as a the love interest. This is in contrast with a Mizu/Akemi relationship, whereby Akemi is Mizu's foil before she is Mizu's love interest. This is because, by being a love interest, a character usually takes a backseat in the story, serving the plot and the themes by playing a purely supportive role, and this is not possible in Akemi's case because her character exists to parallel and contrast Mizu (red and blue), and not to support her.

It is possible to serve as a supporting love interest in Taigen's case however. And this is because he, unlike the other characters, does not currently have a definitive place within the story. He initially served the plot as an antagonistic force, but now as he is slowly unlearning his prejudices and becoming a better person, he can no longer serve the story by acting purely as a rival.

Instead, he will serve the story by literally supporting Mizu. And this relates to Taigen being earth, which is steady, firm and reliable, unwavering in loyalty and principles, hardworking and rooted in stability, which is seen in Taigen's staunch and inflexible obedience to the traditions and rules of society. These traits are what make him a perfect samurai, but not a good man. However, unlike most people in their world, Taigen is still capable of change and redemption, which is why Mizu says that he has the potential to be great. Not great by way of power or glory, but great in character. Already, he is honourable to a fault, and does not betray Mizu even after she technically robbed him of everything he was striving towards. And when he was shot by an arrow in the chasm, he did not hesitate a second to tell Mizu to use him as a human shield and save herself.

The trigger for his redemption is Mizu. If she had never beat him in that duel, Taigen would live on to become a man like Akemi's father. Cruel, power-hungry, controlling, conservative. But through Mizu, Taigen's sharp edges are ground down, much like water that wears down the stones in a river.

Where Mizu and Akemi's possible love story would be a clash of wills, full of passion and even heartbreak, a possible love story between Mizu and Taigen would be the wearing down of souls. Mizu would make Taigen a better person, and in turn Taigen would dedicate his full respect and support to Mizu as his equal, thus getting her to slowly open up and love herself. Already, Taigen has grown enough to admit (begrudgingly, and in his own Taigen way) that Mizu is better than him; though, clearly, he still has a long way to go, as he still calls Mizu a demon shortly after that.

But basically, Taigen is a very simple man (his main goal now is "to be happy"), and Mizu has great depths that he cannot yet fathom. For this love story to work, it has to begin with Taigen changing for the better. If he succeeds in that, and is able to accept Mizu for all her complexities, I believe that they will make a formidable pair. And though he'd likely still throw a jab or snarky remark at Mizu every now and then, I think he'd come tl wholeheartedly admire Mizu as a brilliant swordsman and a kind soul. Thus, should things work out and this be endgame, Taigen would be able to provide Mizu with what Mikio could not: an idyllic life that is not built on a lie, but mutual trust, respect, admiration, and equality.

Or hey, maybe they could both make their own dojo together! I don't know.

(Edit: This post by @rinandsketches does a great job at delving into Taigen's character and a potential Mizu/Taigen relationship if you'd like to read more about this angle!)

--

Now, as I move on from Taigen, there are a couple more options on how to resolve this love triangle and that includes Option C: Ringo.

In this option, Mizu does not have an endgame romance with either Akemi or Taigen. In this route, she finds peace and love through friendship, solidarity, and a found family between herself, Ringo and Master Eiji—a bunch of outcasts in society who make a strong trifecta of sword-makers.

Also, as an aside while I'm talking about Ringo, I'd like to point out that I believe his element is air and his colour is a neutral grey; he is talkative, easy-going, wise, curious, light on his feet (stealthy) and free-spirited, which are all traits linked to air, and traits that complement Mizu nicely, as he is capable of getting Mizu to open up and trust others again, while Mizu helps him reach his true potential for greatness.

--

And finally, there's Option D: Polyamory.

This is basically an "all of the above" option, in which everyone wins and it's a super duper happy ending. It would also be awesome to get some polyamorous representation, and seeing the dynamic between Akemi/Mizu/Taigen play out would be very entertaining and refreshing. So, you never know, this just might be the true endgame!

--

AAAAND with that, I close my extremely long analysis of what is essentially Mizu's love life. Whatever the final outcome of this love triangle though, I just hope it will be well-written and satisfying to all the characters' respective arcs. (Also I just want Mizu to be HAPPY goddamn it because she deserves the world and her coochie eaten out)

Now, I highly doubt anyone will read any of this (especially not until the end!) but that's fine. I just have so many thoughts and feelings about this show and I just needed to get this out of my system lol! But if by some miracle you did read this far, I wholeheartedly welcome any sharing of thoughts and ideas because man am I obsessed with this show! But of course, if we have an opposing opinions, please be respectful when letting me know; I am very open to friendly discussions.

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

since it's pride month, i want to highlight my favorite underrated/underappreciated queer characters and ships! (part 1/???)

(feel free to add more!)

Lake - Infinity Train (non-canon)

it's not canon but you cannot tell me that Lake isn't an allegory for trans/nb people. her arc is so beautiful and her character resonates with me so much!

i have to admit, i actually kinda hated her in the beginning because of how aggressive and rude she was, but she actually gets good character development and you can also understand why she was the way she was, being a good representation of a minority who is constantly suffering because of the social norms she’s forced into. also i don’t ship her with jesse but i do like the idea of them in a qpr or just being platonic besties.

(i use she/her pronouns for Lake because that's what they use in the series, but also because not all non-binary people use they/them, and it's kinda weird to see people insist on using they/them for Lake just because she's nb-coded. she has never shown an aversion to bring referred to with she/her pronouns.)

Le Chevre x El Topo - Carmen Sandiego (canon)

they are side characters who don't play a huge role in the narrative but they are a really cute couple and have been confirmed to be canon! even without the confirmation, it’s clear that they were written to be a romantic couple.

mild spoiler: after the series ends, they stop being antagonists and instead put up a food truck together! it’s the cutest thing, i swear

Ryan x Min-gi - Infinity Train (non-canon)

my OTP through and through! i say non-canon but the romance is so heavily implied, you cannot ignore it.

they're a good example of childhood friends who had a complicated relationship where both individuals did something wrong, but in the end, they grow as people and manage to mend their relationship together.

Moomin x Snufkin - Moominvalley (canon)

i have only read one of the books and watched a few clips of these two characters but from that alone, it's clear that they were written as lovers (and the author is queer too!)

they are a beautiful portrayal of long-distance relationship where both individuals have different needs in life, but still want to be with each other regardless.

Terrestrius / Terry - The Dragon Prince (canon)

Terry is canonically transmasc and they actually manage to explain this in the series, without making it sound too forced or expository. he's such a sweetheart too, and his relationship with Claudia is actually really sweet, despite the fact that she's one of the villains.

Carmen x Julia - Carmen Sandiego (non-canon)

again, i say non-canon but it is heavily implied that they have feelings for each other, especially in the extra interactive episode, where Carmen leaves a bouquet of red roses for Julia, and Julia is shown to blush when receiving them.

Amaya x Janai - The Dragon Prince (canon)

what’s that? it’s actually possible to write an enemies to lovers romance that is healthy and not extremely abusive?

Amaya and Janai have such a good relationship in S5 (and Amaya is also a great disabled representation!) Janai actually learns sign language to communicate with Amaya, and there are no unnecessary miscommunication plots or drama, they’re just a really loving wlw couple.

Benson x Troy - Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (canon)

when i say we need more mlm ships in animated media!! i’m so glad us sapphics are getting a lot of representation but it’s time cartoons started including more queer men.

benson and troy are just a really sweet couple with a good relationship that doesn’t have a ton of pining or unnecessary angst. while i love complex and tragic queer relationships, i also think that it’s good to show teenagers just being teenagers sometimes.

this opinion seems to be scarce in the queer community, which really annoys me tbh.

Raine x Eda - The Owl House (canon)

i cannot believe that given the popularity of TOH, Raeda is still such an overlooked ship. this might be an unpopular opinion but Raeda is better written and has more chemistry than Lumity and Huntlow.

just within the span of Raine's introductory episode, they managed to establish a clearly romantic past between these two characters, and also an interesting dynamic. and even though they didn't have much screentime, they still turned out to be the best ship in the series. (again, just my opinion, don't come at me)

i think it's so important to show older queer people in media, just as it is important to show younger queer characters. it helps establish the fact that queerness has always existed and isn't some newfound trend that social media invented. not to mention, raeda is one of the very few canon ships that include a non-binary character.

[jellyfemmedyke]

I'm starting to consider "just go read Whipping Girl" to be a transandrophobic microaggression at this point. Especially given how the author admitted openly that she was intentionally ignoring the perspectives of anyone who isn't a binary fem-presenting white trans women. Feels like being told to read an instructional book on playing the drums to learn to play the piano when you already know how to play the piano and were doing so correctly before someone interrupted you to yell at you about how you're doing it wrong and won't be able to do it right until you read this book about drums that specifically says on the first page "this book is not about pianos" I mean how else are we meant to take that other than a bigoted thought terminating cliche employed specifically to silence oppressed people who are just trying to talk about their problems.

(And it's really funny for that person to come on to someone else's post to explain their own oppression to them only to go "just read whipping girl I don't have time for this" the second they get any push back. Tell me you don't have any understanding of your own beliefs and just parrot what a book from 2007 says anytime anyone doesn't immediately agree with you without telling me that.)

that''s such a good analogy too though, tbh I don't think that most people who say "go read whipping girl" have actually read whipping girl. I think they're getting quotes from the book and nodding they're head vigorously because it confirms their biases. Like a good chunk of the book is literally her loudly making assumptions about other trans people in relation to her own experiences, that are just provably false. The only parts that are any good are the ones where she talks about trans women only and specifically, where she is not trying to compare our oppression, or paint everyone else as having it better.

I 100% consider "Just read whipping girl" to be a dismissive microaggression in this context. It only seems to be used when someone is trying to silence trans men or non binary people who are not a specific kind of trans women. It's even used to try and silence trans women who support trans men too. Also I don't think that person was expecting the kind of pushback that he was getting lol. I noticed that's when ppl start whipping out the whipping girl the most

[fandom-lover2]

More Than Meets The Optic

Ultra Magnus learns he stans non-binary rights

Word Count - 1827

Author's Note: I wrote this for my platonic soulmate after they came out to their parents as non-binary and was not supported. @quilbug, reality may suck, but in my world you are unbelievably loved and supported. Thank you for the permission to post this. Luv ya

My head bopped up and down in time with the beat, my eyes sliding across the words of my laptop screen.

Man’s invention of fanfiction can be dated back to the 18th century, and provided endless hours of entertainment while also creating a person’s own impression of the source material and building on it.

I spent hours lost in the worlds of my favorite characters, amazed at the creativity of people as they made new storylines, and did away with events in the canon they did not like.

Ratchet barked out an order to Miko, pleading with her to turn the music down as a louder song filtered through the speaker she had placed on top of the TV. Miko sassed the medic back, something about appealing to the masses.

“Miko…” I called out, drawing out her name and dropping an octave. A clear warning.

She let out a wailing groan, but did as she was told and the music diminished in volume.

“Thank you.” Ratchet sighed, turning back to his station. I tossed him a thumbs up without looking away from the screen.

God this story was beautiful, and funny. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and my chest felt warm and bubbly. These happy fics, slice of life stories of the characters the shows and movies don’t get to bring to life made the characters seem so much more real, like they’re somebody you actually know and can converse with. That being said, when the story ended, or the author decided to stop writing, it felt like you mourned characters as if they were real people, because you never get the chance to see new events happen with them again.

I had just finished one chapter and was ready to start the next when my name was called, by someone I never expected.

I spun in my chair, looking up to meet Ultra Magnus’ optics. He was frowning, and shifted on his peds.

“May I speak with you? Alone?”

My eyebrows shot up. Without thinking, I turned to look at Optimus. Whether to get his approval or check if I’d heard his lieutenant correctly, I was met with his version of curiosity. Still, my guardian looked down at me and nodded.

“Uhh, yeah. Sure.” I gently closed my laptop and stood, walking towards the steps.

Ultra Magnus interrupted my journey, holding out a servo in front of me. Ok, this was getting stranger with every second.

I accepted his servo, sitting stiffly as he began walking down the hall.

The big guy never carried us humans, didn’t want to be anywhere near us. Till Optimus paired him with Merling. They were the only one of us “natives” he tolerated. They had their spot, nestled between his neck and that weird shoulder situation he had going on. And Merling loved him, kindred spirits finding solace in one another.

It was funny in the beginning, because both Merling and Magnus had been confused at how Optimus and I would go for patrols and get so lost in our conversation that we’d just end up parked somewhere talking, all sense of time leaving us. Now, since Optimus had spoken to his lieutenant and explained how things were different, Magnus actually slowed down, stopped expecting something bad to happen every second and he and Merling had started spending extended periods of time together as well. Merling was finally allowed to join him on patrols, and at the base (once reports had been completed of course), they would find somewhere to sit together, spending time in one another’s company.

To have him willingly wanting to converse with me, which hadn’t occurred often since our less than friendly meeting, and carrying a human that wasn’t his charge, it was a big deal. Something serious must be going on.

Magnus carried me into the empty hanger in the base and deposited me on one of the catwalks, then took a few steps back. I waited, watching him as he dropped his helm.  His optics were darting side to side, a quirk I’d learnt meant he was thinking. A minute later and nothing had changed.

“Everything ok?” I realized I probably needed to start this conversation.

“Everything is… well.” he said, hesitantly. And that was all he gave me, still looking down.

“Okaayyy.” I pierced my lips. “What did you want to talk about?”

He looked up at me briefly, unsure. I was so used to seeing him frown, always agitated by something, but this was more innocent, like he didn’t know what to feel.

“I have a question, regarding the one you share a namesake with.”

‘Quil.’ I silently wished I could correct. Merling hadn’t spoken to anyone at the base about their self-discovery yet. And I’d promised to keep it under wraps until they were ready for everyone to know.

“Ok.” I prompted.

His frown deepened, and he was still looking down.

“We were conversing while I took her home and she-”

He stopped suddenly, his expression turning into a scowl, and I swear I heard him growl softly.

“They,” he corrected, “told me they no longer felt content with previously used ‘pronouns’ or the name you share.”

Finally, he looked up at me. He shifted his weight again, servos twitching, like he was unsure what to do with them.

“Can you explain to me what this means?”

I couldn’t stop the smile that broke across my face, and my chest felt all warm and fuzzy again. This was the cutest thing, and the most caring thing, I’d ever seen the grumpy guy do. He wanted to learn.

“Firstly, thank you for coming to me to ask. It shows you really care, and that’s sweet. Secondly, I’m happy to answer any questions you have. Don’t feel silly for asking.”

He relaxed at my words, shoulders sagging just a smidge as the tension left his faceplates.

“Ok, to start. As you know, humans are often divided into two genders, male and female.”

Magnus nodded.

“Well, that can refer to what a person feels they are, and what they are biologically. For example, I am female, a woman. I was born a woman, have a body typical of that of a woman, and view myself as a woman. Jack is a male, was born a male and feels he is a man.”

Magnus nodded again.

“Now, some people aren’t happy with the gender they are born with, feel as though that is not who they are inside. In their souls.”

He frowned, helm cocking to the side slightly. It reminded me of what dogs do, and I really had to fight a laugh.

“They are not content in their own forms?” he reiterated.

I shook my head. “No. So what some people do, what doctors have developed, is a way for a person to change their gender.”

This caused him to look even more bewildered.

“Doctors can give people artificial hormones, and perform surgeries that allow the person to change into the gender they feel they are.”

“We did not have such things on Cybertron.” Magnus spoke, eyes shifting again. “Who you were forged as is who you were.”

I smiled at him, watching as he tried to comprehend what I was saying to him.

“So…” he trailed off, trying to find the word. He looked at me pleadingly.

“Quil?” I supplied.

“Quil,” he nodded. “Quil wishes to become a male?”

“No.” This caused him to look at me in exasperation.

“You just said-”

“I said in some cases.” I corrected. “Quil feels differently. They feel as though they are neither male, nor female. Man, nor woman.”

He stared at me blankly for a few moments, then blinked and continued to stare.

“Does that make some sense?”

“What can be done to make… make them feel content?”

I smiled again. “Well, for starters, doing what you just did. Calling them by a gender-neutral pronoun, so them/they, will make them feel as though you respect them, and support their decision.”

“And medical assistance?” he pushed, taking a step closer to me urgently.

“That’s their decision. They may choose to have a surgery to make them appear less feminine, or can use a binder, which they have already.”

He looked down again, silently taking in all I had told him.

Cybertronians already make so much more noise than humans, the sounds of their internal fans causing a constant hum to emanate from them. Now, even though it shouldn’t be possible, I could imagine hearing the sounds of gearing turning as he tossed around the words I had spoken in his processor.

“So, why ask to be called Quil, as well as ‘gender-neutral pronouns’, as you said?”

I paused, trying the find the best way to approach this.

“Kristin was the name they had when they were a girl. But they’re no longer a female, and that name is who they were, and so they need a new name for who they are now.”

Magnus nodded absentmindedly, still thinking hard.

“And who else knows? Because the other children do not refer to them by Quil.”

I nodded in agreement. “Humans can be… weird and intolerable at times. Many people won’t be happy or accepting that they have changed their pronouns and name. People will start to see them differently, but not in a good way.”

“And you think that others will treat them this way?” he asked. It was said harshly, almost like he was accusing them of it already. He was getting upset that someone might not accept Merling, treat them harshly. He was getting protective.

I bit back the smirk that played on my lips.

“I don’t think anyone here will, but Quil needs to make that decision. Who they trust to know this, who they want to tell. For now, it’s just us. When they are more comfortable, they’ll tell others.”

Magnus remained silent, contemplating again.

“Does this all make sense?”

He hesitated before speaking, “This would not of been accepted on Cybertron, and I have never heard of such feelings among my kind, but I understand what you have told.” He paused. “And I will try to refer to Quil as they wish.”

“That’s amazing.” I praised. “If you have any more questions, please come to me.”

“I will.” Magnus nodded once, then took a step back. “Thank you for your assistance.”

Then, he turned and began walking out the hanger, leaving me behind on the only catwalk that didn’t have stairs connecting it to the rest.

By the time I realized, he was already turning into the hallway.

So, maybe he wasn’t progressing too far in his understanding of humans, or his tolerance of us. And yeah, it was taking him time to adjust to how we’d changed the base and dynamic of the team. But no one could ever say he didn’t have the capacity to want to change and learn, he just chose who he’d do it for.

[sapphiel]

Introducing The Menavlions, a band of rebels who spearheaded a rebellion against the Kingdom of Spades.

All are survivors of raids by the Spades Army and their Ace, and are taking care of refugees they have saved or escaped to them. They answer to no government and do not accept aid from the other Kingdoms, for they have a disdain for any form of royalty or authority due to their former experiences. They also have all donned new names, based on types of polearms.

(Detailed character explanations below the cut:)

Pike is the head the Menavlions, the one who started it all and considers themselves responsible for everyone else. Constantly angry, aggressive, and vengeful, but does show a soft side to his friends and the refugees. Having lost most of his family, he has become incredibly protective the Menavlion crew, people they now consider to be their new family, and he is more than willing to die for them. Trans male, he/him.

Fauchard, Pike's biological younger sibling, a youngin who's had aspirations to be a performer for the King and Queen, but ever since the latter's sudden reign of tyranny, and having one foot injured and ultimately amputated during their attempts of fleeing, those dreams were dashed and broken. But despite that, she is surprisingly optimistic and cheerful, serving as the light of inspiration and motivation for everyone else. But, she's no idiot. She simply believes that complaining about everything is not the way to go. Trans female, she/her.

Voulge, the self-titled rogue, has always excelled in sneaking about and knowing all the secret routes and hiding spots all over the kingdom, be they natural or self-made. Surprisingly (and disturbingly), they are very well-versed on human anatomy, especially weak points. They always act a bit devious and secretive, as if knowing more than they are letting on. Non-binary, they/them.

Sovnya, the tall towering wall of muscle, was a former soldier who joined because of a last minute change of heart. She actually had captured Pike, and was on the verge of killing him then and there, but after seeing his kept refugees, seeing starving children and elders, she felt a sudden flow of remorse, something she thought she had lost long ago. She's very quiet, almost mute, speaking only in short brief sentences. However, they almost always mean well, they just happen to be in a constant MASSIVE self conflict and doubt. She's also missing one arm after helping Pike and the others escape from Atrocitus. Has a Russian accent. She/her.

Corseque, a nervous wreck of a nurse who joined the cause after seeing too much pain and death, and thinking enough is enough. However, despite her medical expertise and knowledge, she is actually extremely squeamish to blood and gore, but what she couldn't stomach even less so was the suffering that happens around her. She has a fighting spirit, and is in a constant battle between her cowardice and her willpower. …sometimes though, you might find her having a breakdown… and even emptying the contents of her stomach from time to time in an unwilling vomit session. She/her.

Roncone, the Menavlion's spy, was, or is, a priest that tried to work for the King and Queen, but he seems to know something that the others don't, claiming it to be the reason behind his defiance to the monarchy. Powerless to do anything directly, he instead feeds crucial information to the Menavlions, be it plans for raids and attacks, the Ace of Spades' activity, or any civilians whose lives will be endangered and need saving. He/him.

Guisarme, an elderly man who's a skilled armorer, and once thought he was going to die then and there, but after being rescued by the Menavlions, he's since dedicated his life to their cause, and being a former blacksmith, he supplies them with much needed tools, weapons, and armor for any type of problem. He's a bit rustled at times, and may be hard to get the attention of due to his focus at work, sometimes resulting in a very startled response if pushed. He/him.

Trident, a fisherman who lost all of his beloved family, is the de facto chef for the rest of the group. Being rather jaded and traumatized from that whole ordeal, the food he makes tends to be bland and unenthusiastic, but no one can really complain as it's better than eating literally nothing but dirt and gravel. He sometimes apologizes for what he's made, but assures everyone that it's going to keep them going for a bit longer if need be. He/him.

[olderthannetfic]

Most of my fandoms are books and my personal peeve is when people interpret a POV character as gay/lesbian based on their lack of attraction to the opposite gender and not on the presence of their attraction to the same gender (I should probably phrase this in a way that's more inclusive to non-binary people but let's not be kidding ourselves, that's not how the people I'm talking about think about it).

There's a character in one of my main fandoms who's frequently interpreted as a lesbian because she has a lot of guys interested in her and she sees them all as dear friends and is dreading marriage (it's a historical setting). The thing is, we have lengthy passages from her POV and she spends 80% of them surrounded by really attractive women and she sees all of THEM as dear friends too.

The book has other POVs where you can tell when the character is horny for someone, and it also has a couple of canonically wlw women whose POVs and reactions make it obvious that they're attracted to other women.

I don't know, obviously everyone can have all the headcanons they like but there's something that annoys me about the presumption that being gay/lesbian is the "absence of 'normal' (heteronormative) attraction" and not the presence of attraction to your own gender. I would personally headcanon the character I described as ace or demi or something like that - she just seems entirely disinterested in sex or romance and doesn't seem to "get" it.

A fun corollary to this is that men written by mediocre female authors and women written by mediocre male authors often come off as queer to me because the author didn't bother to imagine how a het person of that gender would see others. E.g. Harry Potter often coming off as really gay because JKR puts her entire pussy into telling us when a male side character is hot whereas she couldn't write someone being attracted to a woman to save her life.

There's also a bunch of old school fantasy authors who have their female characters describing other female characters' bodies because that's what the male authors are into, and rightly there's been feminist pushback against it, but every time I see a complaint along the lines of "Why is this woman noticing other women's boobs and curves no woman thinks that way" my brain goes "It's because she wants to fuck the women, like me, I'm a woman and I think that way, don't take away the tiddies from me thank you <3"

--

[meiyokbf]

headcanon | daniela x transmasc!reader

author’s note: requested!! sending some special love to dani right now!! we all know that she’s 100% an ally and would never ever do or say anything that would harm lgbtq+ community. she deserves the whole world ughh. hope you guys like it!! <3

warnings: pre transition!reader at the beginning, transmasc!reader, obvi. it kinda goes for both non-binary readers and transmen, too. hrt therapy & top surgery mentioned. nsfw at the end, MDNI.

🏷️: katseye x reader, daniela x reader, katseye smut, katseye, daniela avanzini, transmasc reader.

honey she KNEW.

she probably knew even before you did.

but she always kept it to herself because she wanted you to figure yourself out on your own.

and when you finally did, she couldn’t be happier.

dani would 100% be the kind of girlfriend who would help you pick your new name out.

you guys would spend hours together browsing the internet searching for the perfect fit.

and being the latina mami that she is, she would totally try to give you a hispanic name.

“you would make SUCH a good alberto, baby.”

dani would spend all night reading about transgender people, just so she could understand you a little bit better.

and also!!! she would totally be the kind of girl who would defend you in public if you ever got misgendered.

you had to hold that pookie back before she punched someone in the face.

daniela would suddenly be wearing a trans themed bracelet, too.

and the eyekons would definitely notice!!

on a random live one of them asked her what was that about.

“trans people are special and they deserve nothing but love!”

and then she posted “🏳️‍⚧️👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨” on weverse right after she finished the live.

dani being obsessed with your arms right after you started T, no matter how big or small they were.

miss girl would 100% help you with your T shots.

and once you came out to the katz, dani could not hold her excitement.

her parents were so so so supportive of you!!

they would unironically call you “mi hijo.”*

mami would whisper “you look so hot” when she sees you binding or wearing a button-up

and also!! she danced around the house with you in her arms like you’re her prince and you guys were in a fairytale!!

would give you forehead kisses after your first top surgery consult and saying “i’m so proud of you, always”

we aaaaalll know she’s a cry baby so after every little achievement girlie would BAWL her eyes out.

like when she watched you shave once and literally teared up, and when you asked why, she just shrugged and said, “you’re just so you. and i love that so much.”

would 100% call you “mi rey.”**

pookie was the happiest once you finally got your top surgery.

and honestly she was the first one to throw your binder away or donate it because she just HATED that thing.

and obviously dani would cry happy tears the first time she saw you shirtless after surgery; not from sadness, but because you looked so free.

she would let you set the pace for everything after surgery; touch, compliments, intimacy.

always asking, “is this okay?” and meaning it.

she would offer to help with your post-op care like it was an honor, not a chore; helping change your bandages, fluff your pillows, bring your meds.

and dani would 100% show you off to the katz like you were her most prized possession.

and she would ask you to do anything that required physical strength.

“amor, can you open this jar for me?”

“can you lift up the couch for me, mi rey?”

she would be the proudest girlfriend ever tbh.

*mi hijo: my son.

**mi rey: my king.

honey.

it seems like she was the one on hrt because that girl went FERAL once the changes started to appear.

and we all know that miss girl is a dom.

but after she’s seen how you looked after hrt…

your arms, your voice, your smell.

baby, she just wants you to ruin her until she cannot walk.

for some reason dani is obsessed with your chest, always has been.

but after you got your top surgery…

ughhhh.

girlie was HOOKED.

she would run her tongue over your chest, kissing your scars with so much care it made your whole body ache. but then she’d look up and say “now fuck me like you mean it.”

she would suck your nipples softly while jerking you off, making your breath catch in your throat, saying, “i want all of you to feel good. not just your cock.”

and dani went feral once the T changes started to really kick in and suddenly you became. angrier. and meaner. and rougher.

baby loved being on her knees in front of you tbh.

sometimes, you’d have her on her knees, begging for you, and the moment you came into her mouth. she’d be laughing breathless like, “fuck… you’re dangerous. don’t stop. please don’t stop.”

being so in love with dance & so in love with you, she wouldn’t think twice about bringing the two loves of her life together.

so she would let you tie her up with her silk ballet ribbons, wrists above her head, her body writhing as you licked slowly over her inner thigh.

“you’re so fucking mean when you’re in charge… don’t stop.”

but then she’d have you flat on the bed, cuffed to the headboard, whispering filth into your ear while she stroked your t-dick just enough, saying, “what’s the magic word, pretty boy? beg for it like a good slut.”

her being a dancer and your stamina getting increased from the hrt, oh honey.

needless to say you fucked for hours on end.

some nights you’d both be wrecked — her bent over, drooling on the sheets, your cock deep inside her while she sobbed, “i can’t… i need…fuck, mi rey… please… don’t stop!”

and aftercare? she’d kiss your chest and rub lotion into your scars, her voice gentle and sweet,“you’re so handsome. so, so good to me, mi rey.”

[7-wonders]

It's Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus!

Summary: It's Halloweekend, and you've got a couple of parties to attend! Morpheus, who missed out on the development of Halloween into the holiday it is today, is very curious about what your plans are.

Word count: 1.8k

And now, a note from the author: Ahhh Claire actually managed to write something! I loved coming up with and writing this; I was giggling the entire time. As always, if you enjoyed, likes, comments, and reblogs (but especially the last two!) make my world go round. If you didn't like it, also let me know! I'm always down to hear constructive feedback/criticism—it's how we become better writers.

Though reader is wearing a skirt, the gender of reader is not specified! If you're non-binary or a guy and you wouldn't mind dressing up in a skirt for a group costume, I hope you enjoy this fic too!

It’s not often that Dream of the Endless visits you in your realm, instead of vice versa. While he had met you in the Waking, he had never been entirely comfortable there. That feeling, that wrongness, only increased tenfold after his imprisonment at the hands of Roderick Burgess. No, Morpheus is not overly fond of the Waking.

Tonight, however, he’s here, and you have a pretty good inkling as to why. 

Though Morpheus would never admit it, hearing you talk helps to calm him down when he’s feeling stressed (another thing he would never admit to: stress). After a frustrating day of holding court—one of his least favorite things to do, but one that was integral to the functioning of his realm—you decided that telling him about your plans for the week would be a bland enough topic where he would not have to actually listen to your words, but simply your voice. Your plan seemed to be working; you could feel his body relaxing in your arms, and you had never been more relieved to hear the absentminded hums of someone who was only half-listening to a conversation.

At some point, you mentioned that you were excited about the Halloween parties that you would be attending. That got his attention, drawing him out of the reverie that your voice and your fingers carding through his hair had lulled him into. He shifted in your hold, his black pools of stars looking up at you curiously.

“All Hallows’ Eve is not for another week though, yes?” he asked.

“Yeah, but it’s during the week this year, which means everybody celebrates the weekend before.”

“Why not celebrate on the day itself? Traditionally, Samhain is a very important holiday.”

Now the miscommunication made sense in your mind. It was only natural that he still thought of the holiday as what it was before 1916. “Oh! Halloween has evolved a lot, especially in the past hundred years. It doesn’t really resemble the Samhain of old.”

He still looks a little confused but nods. “How interesting. So you will also be participating in these…festivities early?”

“Festivities” was a good way to put it, and you decided to just leave it at that. How the hell else were you supposed to explain to your eons-old, all-powerful boyfriend that the Halloween of today is about wearing a fun/sexy costume, doing spooky activities like haunted houses or watching scary movies, and partying?

“Yep!” you said. “I have plans with friends; we’re going to wear our costumes and go celebrate with others.”

“What will your costume be?”

“I’m not quite sure yet. I have a couple of different ones, so I’ll probably decide the day of.”

That interest in modern Halloween, specifically how you celebrate Halloween, is why you’re not really all that surprised when you hear him call your name from the other side of the bathroom door while you’re taking a shower.

“In here, my love!” You just barely have to raise your voice, knowing that he’ll still hear you above the sound of water raining down. The bathroom door opens, and you stick your head out of the shower curtain. You very happily accept the kiss that he offers you. “Hi.”

“Hello.” His voice, deep and as smooth as dark chocolate, rumbles through your ears in a way that you’ll never tire of. It’s impossible to resist giving him one more kiss (can you be blamed?), so you give in to the temptation.

“Give me five minutes and then I’ll be done, okay?”

Though it’s very reluctant, he does part from you. It takes you a little less than that to finish with your shower, and you open the door again so that you can at least be in the same space as Morpheus while you hurriedly put some makeup on (thankfully your costume doesn’t require anything drastic beyond what you normally wear). He’s sitting patiently on your bed, eyes already trained on you as you move through your getting-ready routine.

“What are you doing here?” you ask, glancing at him out of the corner of your eye. “You almost never visit me in the Waking.” 

You’re teasing him, since, as previously mentioned, you know exactly why he’s here. Naturally, Morpheus doesn’t catch on. “I wished to see you off before your Hallowe’en celebration.”

“That’s sweet of you!” To the bedroom you go, where your costume sits waiting atop your dresser. “I’m just about ready to go, I only need to finish putting my costume on.” 

Morpheus’s face grows flushed at the easy compliment you give him (you don’t think he’s ever been called ‘sweet’) and you laugh quietly before disappearing back through the bathroom with costume in tow.

A couple of months ago, two of your friends decided that being the Powerpuff Girls was the move for this Halloween and roped you into the idea. One of your friends, a natural blonde, claimed Bubbles before the idea could even fully be discussed. Your other friend was very excited to be a bearded Blossom and wear a giant bow on his head. This left Buttercup for you to dress up as, not that you were complaining.

Now, you’re sliding into a green crop top and a matching green skirt, this piece being made out of a shiny material. All three of your skirts are the same fabric (and definitely shorter than what’s considered decent), with the shirts being dealer’s choice. You finish your outfit off with black tights and a black headband—Bubbles is also wearing black tights, while Blossom will be sporting black knee-highs. All in all, it’s a pretty simple costume, but sometimes, that’s what the best costumes are.

You emerge from the bathroom once more and do a little twirl for Morpheus, whose eyes immediately light up. “This is very much a pop culture reference, so I’m not expecting you to understand the costume. Still, I think it turned out pretty good!”

Morpheus is not a man—the anthropomorphic personification of the collective unconscious, the Lord of Dreams and Ruler of the Nightmare Realm, simply chooses this as his favored form. Still, he is a man-shaped being, and like all man-shaped beings, he goes a little wild for the object of his affection in a short skirt.

“You will be wearing this in public?” he asks, standing up and approaching you.

Morpheus has lived for as long as beings have been able to dream. He quite literally lived through the Beginning when Adam and Eve didn’t know what clothes were, as well as a number of empires for whom clothing was merely a suggestion. The affront he’s showing at the clothes you’re wearing must be some sort of code for “this is my partner wearing something I consider sexy and I’m feeling possessive about other people seeing them.” That he looks at you as though you’re wearing the barest scraps of clothing and not dressing up as a cartoon superhero has you feeling mighty powerful.

You’d be lying if you said that didn’t turn you on a little bit.

“This is tame compared to what a lot of other people wear,” you inform him.

Morpheus does not look as though he’s listening. No, he’s focused on your body rather than your words. One hand rests on your waist to pull you closer to him, and the other hand comes to rest on your upper thigh where the skirt ends. He rubs the skirt between his thumb and index finger as though he’s testing the fabric. 

“Am I correct in assuming that costumes are no longer worn to disguise the wearer from errant spirits?”

“Yes, you’re correct.” Right now though, explaining the traditions of Halloween is not important to you. You need some validation, and stat. “But do you like it?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Thank you,” you say smugly, smacking his hand as he tries to slip it higher under your skirt. “Not tonight. I have to meet up with the gang soon!”

“Might I make a suggestion?” 

You nod. No matter how outlandish the suggestion, you’d listen to him make it, and you’d probably take it into strong consideration.

Morpheus places a delicate kiss on your jaw before he trails his lips to your ear. “Forget about your friends and stay with me for the evening,” he whispers seductively.

Oh, but that is tempting. You can already imagine the way in which Morpheus would remove your costume, the feeling of his hands on your body as he makes you forget about anything outside of you and him and the pleasure you bring each other. From the darkened look he gives you, he’s already picked up on these daydreams, and he’s in total agreement of that order of events. 

Unfortunately, your brain, that traitorous organ, reminds you of why you shouldn’t be absconding to the Dreaming with your lover.

You sigh in frustration at the logic and lean your forehead against his. “I would, but I’ve had these plans for a couple of weeks now, and I really am looking forward to them.”

Though it very obviously pains Morpheus to say it, he does agree. “Yes, I suppose it would be…rude to abandon them.”

“I should probably go,” you say begrudgingly, pulling away from him and focusing intently on gathering what you’ll need so that you don’t give in to your desire.

Morpheus watches as you whirl around the room, muttering the name of each item as you grab them. Your phone is annoyingly elusive, and you think you’ll just have to go without it until it’s dangled in front of you by your Dreamlord. Gratefully, you take it from him.

“Thank you,” you say sheepishly. That’s the last of your belongings, but you feel like you can stall just a bit longer. He’s heard about your plans, but you haven’t heard of his. “What will you do while I’m gone?”

“Wait for you to return to my embrace once more,” he teases.

“Please try to do something instead of moping the whole time.”

“I do not mope!”

You give him a look, one that says you see right through this charade. “Yes. You do. I’m sure there’s a new book you’ll want to read. Maybe ask Lucienne what she’s been working on, or start creating a new nightmare?”

“Are you not going to be late?” Morpheus deflects. It makes you laugh, but he is right, so you do a once-over of your room to make sure you’re not missing anything and kiss him briefly.

“Bye. I love you.”

“I love you as well, my starlight. You remember how to call for me should you run into trouble?” Of course you do: write down his name and speak it. It’s cute of him to act like he won’t try to have Matthew follow you, though.

You can’t help but smile at the sweet gesture. “Yes, I remember. I’ll be fine, okay?”

He nods, satisfied. “I shall see you later, then.”

You’re able to sneak in one more kiss before he’s off and you’re heading to your front door, already counting down the hours until your night of partying is over. Who knew dressing up like a Powerpuff Girl could get someone so hot and heavy?

If Morpheus thinks that’s attractive, just wait until he sees the angel costume you’re wearing tomorrow.

[punksocks]

BM Lilith Aspecting Ascendant Culture:

*Just based on my experiences, only take what resonates

-Being labeled as a weirdo as a kid and being outcasted from most social groups

-Getting to know the other outcasts and caring for them

-Being seen as feisty and often being blamed for starting fights when you stand up for yourself

-Having authority figures dote on you, often taking too much interest in you and what you’ll do

-Otherwise having beefs for seemingly the most petty reasons with other authority figures (which is crazy like why are grown folks fighting kids)

-Or being surprised that figures you looked up to seemed to have ulterior motives (especially conjuct, square, and opposition)

-Often you grow up being shamed to the point that you don’t grow into yourself and become confident in your Lilith energy until you’re older (late high school, early college, post college even). this is especially true for hard aspects (conjunct, opposition, square)

-People assume you’re mean and find you intimidating and are surprised if you’re nice to them

-Sometimes your kindness can mistaken for weakness and people severely underestimate your power and all of the hardships you’ve gone through in your life

-You may have gone through a period of downplaying your femininity/being a pick me before embracing your femininity/probably becoming a feminist

-You may be drawn towards alternative/unique styles that express a darker femininity

-You may be drawn to having an unnatural hair color (as I write this my hair is pink and orange so I get it)

-You may also identify as non-binary or femme instead of cis because of how much you don’t identify with traditional femininity

-No matter what you wear, it looks s*xy. You could be covered from head to toe and it wouldn’t make that much of a difference

-You may have gone through a period of wearing lots of layers to hide your body shape. Then embracing your curves by wearing more stylized outfits.

-People will often react as if you’re dressed scandalously for work or for different occasions even though the same outfit wouldn’t catch negative attention for anyone else

-Very specific but you may struggle when dating other women/femmes to either close the distance between you or to not unlock some petty behavior with the person you’re dating

-Maybe going through a phase of dating around after you come into your attractiveness. Partially being surprised by the attention (especially if you date men/masc folks) and partially being shocked by how dudes react when you date them (getting possessive and controlling only a few dates in)

-No matter how many people you date you tend to get shamed by friends or family for dating around

-But taking a certain amount of pride in the attention you’re getting after your glow up (if square or opposition your Asc you probably go back and forth between pride and anxiety/disgust)

-Getting favors from total strangers but evil eyes from (some) family/close friends

-Having to be aware of mean girl behavior for the rest of your life (4th house for family/7th & 8th house for relationships/10th house workplaces/1st house every aspect of your life lowkey and the experiences will likely shape your personality)

-Often growing out of friendships because you realize some people don’t actually like you but they’re indulgent on some aspect of your energy (for example, seeing you as strong so they like to “humble you” and make you feel small)

-Being seen as a temptress or a damsel in need of saving but rarely being seen as yourself (treasure the people that do see you clearly and treat you well)

-Being seen as “irresistible” to certain extremes. Trines and Sextiles are more likely to embrace this and squares and oppositions are more likely to be wary of volatile behavior this attracts.

-Older men are nicest to you. Men who are in relationships often ogle you or avoid you most adamantly. And f*ck boys get into you but like just physically. (Guys who claim to not be f*ck boys also can get caught up in the same way)

-In positive romantic relationships you may still find yourself unlocking passion in unexpected ways from your partners (ex. They may be the quiet unassuming type but when you hook up a more intense side of them seems to come out of nowhere)

-Getting dudes that have been in your dms trying to hook up for years (goofy behavior lol)

-Getting shown off by someone your dating but less likely to be introduced to someone’s inner circle as anything more than a friend

-Having guys that pursue you just to try to get you to change how you express yourself (how you dress, how you act, etc)

-Being the friend with all the stories of guys hitting on you in weird ways

-Having an interest in exploring s*xuality and bodily autonomy, but not matching the n*mphomaniac image projected onto you (more so for squares and oppositions)

-In general your s*xuality is a significant part of your personality either through embracing (trine, sextile) it or suppressing it (square, opposition) or by going back and forth between those extremes (conjunct, square, opposition)