#this show has given me so many husbands and wives

[hazbinsimp777]

Hey

Can i please fanfic (Hazbin Hotel) Adam x fem reader x Lucifer

the reader is in a relationship with Adam, lucifer is intrigued by the reader and starts flirting with him

how does Adam react when witnessing this scene (Lucifer flirts and accosts the reader but the reader is not interested in him)

❗the reader does not know about Adam's connections with his previous wives (due to his pride, please use it)❗

LUCIFER X READER X ADAM

A/n: I love this concept so much! Thank you for the request anon! <3

✅️ Loyalty ✅️Protective and Violent Adam ✅️A little spice (end) ✅️ Fluff

!Warning: Reader is read as female and LONG before the battle in the season finale!

You are Adam's third and final wife, he had met you when you two had met in heaven. You only had died recently, having a good life on earth and genuinely being a good person. At first, you were very hesitant of Adam when he had asked you out. Seeing him only with his fuck boy personality, how he proudly bragged about how many people he has hooked up with.

Despite being in heaven and being the first man.

Nevertheless, your colleagues at your job had encouraged you to do so. As to being known for rejecting suitors who had asked you out. With much hesitation, you had accepted his offer. You recall being very nervous on your first date.

Soon you came to realize, under all of that masculinity, he was a total sweetheart to you. Behind closed doors of course, he started to become more trusting towards you. Coming to the conclusion on his true intentions, eventually, the two of you started dating. Which had lead to you having an wedding ring on your finger.

At that moment, Adam had given you the title of, "My sexy as fuck wife." Sure, you were never too keen on that title and Adam going around and announcing so. But you knew that only met Adam was proud to call you his. People had informed you of his past marriages, which lead to many questions in your mind.

Why hadn't he told you about these past relationships? As his new wife this puzzled you, was he not supposed to tell you everything? When confronting your husband about this, he suddenly had a change in attitude.

"Oh it's not important babe! I got you now and that's all I need!"

Noticing he obviously did not want to talk about his past, you had left the topic alone. Wanting to be a good wife, you promised to never ask about it again.

That is, until Lucifer questioned for an meeting with heaven regarding the growing population of hell. As one of heaven's biggest leaders, Adam was required to go. He tried to convince Sera to not go, but his request came denied. Adam was complaining to you all day when he was forced to go. You, for some support, asked Adam if you can, by any chance, accompany him to this meeting.

In your shared home, while Adam was bitching about this, you approached him, taking off his mask, cupping his face, "Maybe I can come with you. I know how much you dislike Lucifer, I can perhaps be your support or source of comfort."

Adam's eyes widened, his lips turned from a frown to an smirk, "Babe...." He started, picking you up, placing you on the counter, "You are a fucking genius! This could be my chance so show him my sexy ass wife!" He said, placing himself between your thighs.

You placed your finger on his lips, "Or...you can call me your beautiful and intelligent wife."

He rolled his eyes, "Yes Hot Stuff you are that too." At that it was decided, you are going to be at Adam's side of the meeting.

At the day of the meeting, you and Adam were called to meet in Heaven's meeting room, where as you can guess, the meeting will be held. For an odd reason, you were nervous, finding yourself fidgeting with your fingers. Sitting beside Adam, who he himself looks uneasy, it was quite obvious, even with his mask on.

"Babe?" Adam called you, turning his head towards you.

"Yes Adam?" You asked, turning your chair to the right, facing him.

He sighed deeply, "Stay beside me, whatever you do, do not leave my side." He warned.

This request confused you, "Why so?"

Adam groaned, "Just don't leave my fucking side okay!" His voice was firm and assertive. Not aggressive, but to the point it got his point across with you.

"Okay Adam." You said, turning your chair back toward the table. Continuing to fidget with your fingers. It only took a short moment until the door swinging open rung throughout the room.

Standing in the middle, Lucifer you assumed. The short man had a white top hat, a snake and apple wrapped around it and an cane with an apple on the top of it. Wearing long black boots, red eyes and blonde hair going back. You had to admit, he wasn't anything you would expect, very much shorter than you had pictured him. And he had no nose?

Nonetheless, Adam's grip on your hand had tightened, wrapping around your hand. Noticing this, you squeeze his hand, as an act of reassurance. Giving him a nod and smile. Looking down, you seen a small smirk appear on his face, his masked eyes softened.

The other angels had not arrived yet, you Adam and Lucifer being early for the meeting. Which meant, you all three were alone for the time being.

"Ah! Adam! We meet again." Lucifer walked up to Adam, swinging his cane in hand as his boots tapped against the floor.

"Lucifer, meet my hot wife right here, she is sexy, did I say she was my wife?" Adam bragged, showing you off to Lucifer.

Which was not out of character for Adam, but this was....a bit much from Adam. Why was he so determined to show you off to a man you hand't even met until now? Regardless, you weren't complaining, you loved it when Adam showed you off.

Lucifer's eyes scanned you, looking up and down, as if analyzing you. In which he hummed, putting both of his hands on his cane, "She is a looker I'll give you that." The short man smirked, taking a seat across from you. Adam was suprised that Lucifer had not mentioned Adam's past wives.

Something that was unknown to you or Adam, is that Lucifer was intrigued with you on first sight. Taking in your attractiveness, when he had seen Adam's arm around you, he instantly knew you were his new wife. But that did not bothered him whatsoever. Adam was giving Lucifer the most dirtiest glares known to man, occasionally glancing at him while he was talking to you.

In a matter of what seemed like hours, the other higher ranked Angels have arrived. Taking their seats, annoying the meeting had begun. During the whole meeting, Lucifer kept darting his eyes at you. You felt his sharp gaze on you, making you uncomfortable, not wanting to make this meeting worse for your husband, you brushed off the feeling.

The meeting had taken two hours, you and Adam were on the verge of falling asleep due to all of the boredom. You didn't even know what they were discussing, Adam didn't even say anything, what was the whole point of him coming in the first place? This truly did irritate you!

"Adam, a word please?" Sera called Adam, standing from her seat to the door. A serious expression written on her face.

Your husband looked at you with pleading eyes, then back at Sera, "Can we just talk later Sera? I need to stay with my fucking hot wife." He tried sounding normal, but his voice kept cracking.

"No. This will not be negotiated." Sera commanded.

You got up and gave Adam a kiss on the cheek on his mask, to give him more confidence. "I will be fine Adam, I promise, go do what you need to." You assured him.

Adam groaned, "M'kay Sweet Cheeks, be right back." After that statement, he went on his way, walking beside Sera. Turning to look at you occasionally before the doors had closed.

Now, it was just you and Lucifer in the meeting room, it did not help that he was seated right in front of you across the table. With a hum, Lucifer pulled his chair, walking around the table towards you. You felt your blood go cold, eyes widening, why was he walking towards you? Surely you are no interest to the sin of pride, right?

A tap of his cane hit the ground echoed the room, being the only source of sound.

"Tell me Dear, why are you with Adam?" He leaned on the table, putting a finger on your chin.

With pure disgust, you gently take his finger off of your chin, "I love him very much and because we are married." You told him, "And I see you are as well." You point at his own wedding ring.

Lucifer simply brushed this off like a spec of dust on his coat, "Oh that is not important gorgeous." He leaned on the table with his arm, "You do know Adam's history with his wives right?"

"Not much at all and I do not intend to know more." You said firmly, tapping your finger against the table.

"As it is known knowledge is power Beautiful, and I know you must be smart as you are divine." Lucifer held your hand, giving it a gentle kiss.

"Ew! As I have said before I am a taken woman!" You slip your hand away from his grasp.

"What the fuck is this?!" Adam exclaimed, staring at everything in disbelief. Rushing to your side, using his wing to pull you closer to him, staring at Lucifer with pure fury and hatred.

"What? Me and your supposed wife were just having a conversation between adults." Lucifer said.

"Listen here you nose less fuck! Stay away from my wife, you know what? Get the fuck out of here, NOW!" Adam commanded, pointing to the door.

"Why? Afraid I might take this one too?" Lucifer teased, both of his hands rest on his cane as he gave Adam a smirk.

Your eyes widened, "Adam, what is he talking about?" You ask.

Adam's face went tense, his masked eyes widening, "N-nothing hot stuff, I uh- don't know what he is talking about." He stuttered, not even looking at you.

"Too prideful to tell her-" Lucifer got cut off by Adam punching him, Lucifer was not able to defend himself in heaven. Due to his abilities being taken away from heaven.

This action from your husband has taken you by surprise. There have been times when Adam had been jealous, he would simply tell them off, maybe a punch or two. And you two will be off your way.

But this was different.

This was fill with many emotions. Ones with pure jealousy, rage and fear.

Every punch he gave Lucifer was personal, Adam was laughing like an maniac, "Your in MY house BITCH!" He kept saying with every punch. You had to get Sera and other higher ranked Angels involved.

With being dragged away from the sin of pride, Adam kept lying, "You get the fuck away from MY WIFE YOU SLITHERY FUCK!" After that, Sera demanded Lucifer to return to Hell. While you were right next to Adam once he had calmed down.

You were compressing his wings, which always calmed him down when you did it. He had his arms crossed and a cute mad expression on his mask, grumbling curse words under his breath.

"Do you mind telling me what was that about?" You asked softly, but in a gentle but demanding tone.

"Fuck..." Adam cursed under his breath. Looking down at you, "Do you really have to know?"

You only nodded, "As your wife, I want to know. Not out of curiosity, but because I want to know you better. So I have a better understanding of you. Just know I will love you no matter what." You assured him, putting your forehead against his.

"I am so lucky to marry you...." Adam started, then that is when you two shared a kiss. You felt Adam smile against your lips. He told you everything about Lucifer and his past wives. In which you comforted him and assured him, Lucifer would never steal you away from him. Or any other man for that matter.

"You know, you standing up to Lucifer was kind of hot and sexy as fuck Babe." Adam whispered in your ear, "Makes me want to fuck a baby in you." Adam said, gripping your ass.

"And wholesome moment ruined." You muttered.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

A/N: I hope this was up to your standards Anon! Request are open, terms in pinned post!

Drink water and Stay Healthy Lovlies! <3

[sandificatedman]

GILBERT IS SO.

HE'S LITERALLY SUCH MANWIFE MATERIAL

MY LOVE FOR GILBERT IS SO UNENDING. HE'S THE SWEETEST BEING TO EVER EXIST. HE MADE ME 100000X MORE GAY THAN I EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE.

You know what time it is :

hes so. he's. he's a little goofy but also so charming. He has a cane sword. He is a sentient meadow. He reads philosophy books. He lives in the attic with all the other gays in the village. If he didn't see The Corinthian I genuinely don't know if he would have figured out what the Deal (tm) was with the cereal convention. He wears a pince-nez. He would fight muggers in an alley for a complete stranger. he is the perfect man.

HE!! IS!! SO!! TALL! Kyo Ra is 5'6, Stephen Fry is 6'5!!

I,,, am 5'5. my brain has collapsed in on itself. Hello Mr. Gilbert you are so husband. What do I have to do to give you a kisskiss.

(also. this has nothing to do with nothing but they're so sweet. sometimes best friends are an orphaned Dream Vortex and a sentient Meadow. Friendship goals.)

if you don't think he's handsome. Idk get well soon I guess MSNDMSND

BUT AAA <3333 he's so enthusiastic about the smallest things. Look at him. Look at that smile!!! I love the constant twinkle in his eyes. There's so much delight packed inside this single man.

He gives the vibes of smb you'd meet randomly at the worst point of your life in a cafe or park, vent to, and receive the most philosophical, vague advice in return. It somehow solves all your problems, and you never see him again MNSDMSNDMN

Sadness

Regret

Misery

No other thoughts here this is just a very amusing screenshot.

HIS POSTURE!! HE LEANS A LITTLE!!!! I don't know why I find this so sweet but. like. He knows how tall he is and leans in a little so he doesn't look as tall. So he's more on other peoples level. Gilbert you are perfect.

Also, ring? ring? He's wearing a ring on his wedding finger? I know it's alluded to that the form he's taken is just a copy of smb else who existed at some point, so it could be from that.

BUT ALSO,, the prospect that Gilbert at one point married someone during his time on earth? Presumably smb who has died since there's no mention of it? idk fanfic writers go wild

(or,, that was just a Whoopsie from Stephen Fry forgetting to take his wedding band off before filming MSNDMSN which,, is the most likely. but shoosh let me dream.)

AND LOOK HOW PRETTY HE IS!!!! The way they adapted his transformation is so gorgeous. I've rewatched the gifs a billion times, and they still make me all soft and gooey inside.

I want to. have a nap here. just a nice little honk shoo honk shoo honk shoo in his embrace. A little stroll. Talk to him even tho he can't respond and ramble about the books I'm reading.

TLDR. Gilbert. A single hug from him would cure all my illnesses.

[esther-dot]

Hi! I just wanted to ask if you are one of the jonsas who think Jon and Dany won't be romantically involved in the books.

Well...

The streets grew emptier as they passed through a district given over to gloomy stone warehouses. Aggo went before her and Jhogo behind, leaving Ser Jorah Mormont at her side. Her bell rang softly, and Dany found her thoughts returning to the Palace of Dust once more, as the tongue returns to a space left by a missing tooth. Child of three, they had called her, daughter of death, slayer of lies, bride of fire. So many threes. Three fires, three mounts to ride, three treasons. "The dragon has threeheads," she sighed. "Do you know what that means, Jorah?" "Your Grace? The sigil of House Targaryen is a three-headed dragon, red on black." "I know that. But there are no three-headed dragons." "The three heads were Aegon and his sisters." "Visenya and Rhaenys," she recalled. "I am descended from Aegon and Rhaenys through their son Aenys and their grandson Jaehaerys." "Blue lips speak only lies, isn't that what Xaro told you? Why do you care what the warlocks whispered? All they wanted was to suck the life from you, you know that now." (ACOK, Daenerys V)

"Your Grace," he conceded, "the dragon has three heads, remember? You have wondered at that, ever since you heard it from the warlocks in the House of Dust. Well, here's your meaning: Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar, ridden by Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya. The three-headed dragon of House Targaryen—three dragons, and three riders." "Yes," said Dany, "but my brothers are dead." "Rhaenys and Visenya were Aegon's wives as well as his sisters. You have no brothers, but you can take husbands. And I tell you truly, Daenerys, there is no man in all the world who will ever be half so true to you as me." (ASOS, Daenerys I)

The dragon has three heads. There are two men in the world who I can trust, if I can find them. I will not be alone then. We will be three against the world, like Aegon and his sisters. "Was the night as quiet as it seemed?" Dany asked. (ASOS, Daeneryrs VI)

Three treasons will you know. Once for gold and once for blood and once for love. (ADWD, Daenerys VI)

Unlike show Dany, book Dany is a romantic, she does fantasize about being rescued, and she is interested in a guy even when he doesn’t particularly care for her. We now Euron wants her and potentially might harness a dragon, so it's possible by the time she and Jon meet, she's disabused of all this and they're only antagonistic. That doesn't really feel like Martin to me though?

His mantra has always been William Faulkner’s comment in his Nobel prize acceptance speech, that only the “human heart in conflict with itself … is worth writing about”. “I think that’s true of any fiction worth reading, that you’re really talking about people. And maybe it’s set in space or in a castle with dragons, maybe you set it in a suburban town where Dick and Jane live, or in some urban hell hole. Wherever you want to set your story, it’s still about people trying to make their decisions about what is right and what is wrong, how do I survive, questions of good and evil.”

I really doubt that he'd write a one-note dynamic. He inserted conflict into the healthiest canon relationship, he emphasizes the conflict within the Stark family, he likes complexity not merely theoretically, but it's what interests him, it's what he writes to explore. And here we have a series of quotes that set up Dany to trust someone (Jon) who has a preexisting loyalty to the Starks that will demand he act in their best interest which aligns with her prophesied treason (betray her for love of the Stark), and seeing all the Dark Dany foreshadowing, what she thinks of the Starks, it's clear they will not be friends.

Now, does Jon need to be romantically involved with her to spice up the two being at odds? No. Jon's time at the Wall has him trying to put aside his love for his family and accept his new "family," and no matter his oath or how many times he tells himself, he can't be swayed in his loyalty and love for the Starks. To me, it reads like a form of an idea that will add layers to his interactions with Dany. No longer is it merely an oath that is meant to make him loyal to "family", it's blood. It's actually family, long lost family, potentially, a new identity, not being a bastard, if he wanted it. The Watch allows him to rise up to Lord Commander, it would make sense for the Targ situation to offer him a high station too, as a form of temptation (not that it matters, he's obvy never gonna betray the Starks). Maybe we'll be lucky and it's only that.

But, we also have the Ygritte situation in which there is an invading force and even though he's sexually involved, he can't be swayed in his loyalty. To me, that too reads like prep for Jon's next "test" to be ramped up and even more trying, worse, much worse. How much "more" might we see here? I'm torn. I've read and liked different spec. If Stumpy is right and we get Jonnel x Sansa 2.0, Jon will already be married and there's just no way in hell Jon is cheating on Sansa, so blood relation vs the family that he grew up with may be it.

HOWEVER, if Jon is KitN, I don’t see how he goes South and puts himself in enemy hands, and if he isn’t, if he defends Sansa or Rickon’s claim, there’s a lot more tension because of what Dany could offer him. If Jon is not only accepted in the North but married to a Stark and king or warden or regent or anything official, imo, there's just not much tension there at all. If Martin wouldn't allow a clear-cut Jon vs FF, but wrote into that "the heart in conflict with itself" for Jon, I'm very doubtful he hasn't planned a similar trial for Jon with Dany/her invasion. Tension makes things fun, he likes making things emotionally difficult and morally complex. And let's not forget, Mance, the leader of the FF/the invasion is presented in a very Rhaegar-esque way, Dany sees herself as Rhaegar once, and Jon was meant to kill Mance. Doesn't bode well.

Also, we gotta look at that word "treason." Jon could be the king who knelt redux, Martin isn't in favor of needless war, a king sacrificing it all to save his people is admirable, and that would allow Jon's actions against Dany to be treasonous. And if we think of this from the Dany perspective, we would want to up the anti of her own feelings of betrayal. She "saved" (in her mind) Mirri, she trusted Jorah who claimed to love her, how can the last treason be worse, far more painful, the most painful? Someone who has sworn to her, ok. Family? Sure, but Viserys already abused her/was a threat. Lover? Well, we all know Daario is a fuckboi and doesn't care for her, so maybe, to make it truly suck, all three? The person she thought she was destined to meet/trust, family she didn't know she had, a potential husband, is her final betrayal? I think the stacking idea for both the relationship and the treason may be it.

I do not think Jon would willingly enter into a relationship with Dany. Unfortunately, that does not mean one will not happen. I don't think it's conclusive they will have sex, but Dany's tracks to Jon say "husband" (some would argue shadowy lover...), and Jon's experiences point to him betraying "family"/someone who loves him. IMO, the odds are it's a one-sided thing.

SO, my very rambling answer to a pretty straightforward question is, I am not. I am not sure that they will have sex, but I certainly think it's very likely Dany will want a romantic relationship as part of her Targ belief. It will end badly for her, as I talked about in the flies/"dead man's revenge" post, but I certainly think there's gonna be layers there, nothing simplistic.

[fizzigigsimmer]

I wish I had more time to write. I have so many fic ideas that live in folders that I am afraid will never see the light. After I finish my Big Bang fic I still have to finish To B With Love & All The Kings Men (oof poor baby has gone so neglected). So this brain bunny will sadly probably not see life until next years big bang honestly. But I love the idea so much and want to share it. All my love to @dream-about-dancing who helped me with my initial brainstorming and encouraged me that this wasn't too dark of an idea lol.

That said. Warnings ahead for some dark!romance as in, this is fucked up with purpose.

The idea came to me after the massive disappointment that was Don't Worry Darling. I just feel like the film missed a lot of the horror and emotional beats that make the original Stepford Wives so twisted and compelling.

So my idea for a Harringrove Stepford!Wives Au was born.

A secret government organization has given Martin Brenner funding for "The Eden project". The goal of Eden is to create an actionable community model that would end poverty, wealth inequality, crime, war etc in the western world. Their slogan is " take the first step to world peace. Choose Eden."

World peace is the surface goal, but we all know Brenner is a closeted sociopath - so naturally he's using Eden and the technology behind it to create a weapon that can control/erase/change the will of others on a mass scale. World peace through mind control in other words. Everyone in Eden is essentially a test subject.

Brenner finds volunteers by preying on fringe groups and people who are ostracized in society, because they can more easily disappear without being missed. Nobody cares if the guy dealing drugs out of his van stops showing up to the corner, or some "tranny" quits their job and moves without telling anyone.

Billy and Steve are college roommates, it's the 80s, and they're both deep in the closet. Billy struggles with his childhood trauma and Steve is there for him like no one else ever has been. Steve is exploring his own sexuality and trying to live independently of his overbearing parents for the first time and they form a very codependent relationship.

Steve's parents start to suspect somethings up with him and his roommate and start to put pressure on him to live up to his responsibilities (Aka join his father's firm and get married to a nice girl). It doesn't help that Billy is fearful and possessive of their relationship and generally just a giant redflag. Steve just wants to be with Billy, but he knows they don't have a future and he doesn't want to be the son who fucks up and ruins his family over something he shouldn't even want - so he breaks up with Billy.

Billy spirals. He completely ignores the part about Steve breaking up with him because he's an unstable mess lol and fixates on Steve's parents and the world telling them it's wrong to be together. He knows Steve was happy with him and that Steve loves him and is desperate to get him back.

He meets someone at a bar who introduces him to Project Eden and indoctrinates him into Brenner's circle. At first Billy thinks this sounds like some weird geek novel bullshit, but the idea of a safe world where he's not wrong for being the way that he is, and where Steve still loves him and he's powerful and successful and nothing can touch him? Appealing as fuck. Sign him up. He'll be a warrior for world peace.

Cue him literally abducting Steve on his wedding day and bringing him into Eden, where they become The Hargroves. They have the perfect life and the perfect marriage that the outside world tells them they can't have. Billy's the provider and each day he gets to come home to his blissfully happy and submissive husband.

He was afraid at first that Brenner's technology would take away what he loves most about Steve, but no he's still the same dork with the same fire. The only downside is Billy knows deep down that Steve didn't choose this and he lives in fear of Steve waking up one day and truly hating him.

The first crack comes when Steve starts to have upsetting dreams about the past, including the time his dad called him a slur and accused him of ruining the family and breaking his mother's heart. Billy tells him these are just nightmares but he knows they are really Steve's memories popping up where they shouldn't. He starts to panic and does everything he can to "fix" Steve, gaslighting him the entire way.

Meanwhile poor Steve is on a reluctant heroes journey slowly regaining his memories and his own mind. He starts unraveling the mysteries behind Eden with the help of Eleven and his friends, who are also fellow residents of Eden. Eleven is Brenner's "daughter" and unknowingly is a big part of how the technology works. Max and Lucas came to Eden together so they could be together without persecution. Heather and Robin were lesbians who didn't know each other and wanted a chance to experience being in love. Jason was a closeted man escaping religious trauma, but in Eden he's the perfect husband to Chrissy who isn't sick or being abused by her mother anymore, and Eddie was a poor social outcast who wanted the world to hear his music. In Eden he's a rock star and has a budding romance with Jason & Chrissy.

Steve agrees that they can't allow Brenner to use El and the Eden technology for what he's planning, but the more of the truth he discovers the more he wishes he'd never woken up. Because despite everything, he loves Billy and the life they have. Billy's very sorry of course. It was never his intention to hurt Steve. He just wanted to make things right for them. And it can all be right again if they all just take this little pill and go to sleep.

Decisions decisions.

[divine-donna]

May I request something how would Jace, Aemond, Aegon, and Helaena react to a bard s/o, please?

hi anon!! yes you may! i happen to realize that i have written plenty about bards (see my eddie munson medieval au fic).

anyways i’m using beautiful in a gender neutral way (because everyone deserves to be called beautiful!).

aegon targaryen

you have to have some sort of reputation in order to be allowed within the walls of the red keep. and that reputation is a good one, because you are renown throughout the seven kingdoms for your gentle songs and melodic voice. aegon had to hear it for himself. and during his name day feast (or at least the name day feast before the hunt), you played him a special song. prince aegon, great is he for he carries the conqueror’s name and his name is enthroned within ruby stones. and he had you join him in his room. and accompany them to the hunt to celebrate his name day. you were to reside in his tent during the whole trip.

“sing that song for me again (y/n). i want to hear about your travels. it sounds so freeing, to travel. i wish i could go with you. or maybe...i could just keep you with me. and you can go everywhere i go.”

aemond targaryen

aemond has seen many a bard, heard many a song. but there is something about you that captivates him. he keeps a low profile and goes out to see you. it starts with small things, like an extra tip given to you by a mysterious man. your songs make him feel comfortable, but he is shocked when he hears one of your new songs: a song about him. aemond one-eye, son of the stars, with a crystal eye and a sapphire heart. aemond one-eye, beautiful is he, husbands close your doors and windows for aemond one-eye will charm your wives with that sapphire eye. he’s a quiet patron and thinks you don’t notice him. but you do.

“i...i did not think you would recognize me. that song you sang was...beautiful. and not because i was the subject of it. all of your songs are beautiful. and you are to! i mean!”

helaena targaryen

the princess is not allowed out often. and sneaking out could open the floodgates for whispers, which is something alicent doesn’t want. but for her name day, the queen approached you personally to come to perform. you were just starting out so this was a shock. but you agreed because this could set you for life! and when you entered the hall, helaena was taken aback by your beauty. she had always dreamed of a partner and you fit that image perfectly. and she listened to you play. fair, fair helaena, a lady with silver hair. fair, fair helaena, a gentle dragon is she. fair, fair helaena, for the stars weep when she sleeps. the princess just had to approach you afterwards to come to her room. and when she asked for a price, you said there would be none aside from her presence.

“your name is (y/n), right? good, good. i would like you to come to my room tonight. i will pay whatever you want....oh, you flatter me! my presence cannot be enough for your beautiful music!”

jacaerys velaryon

even amidst gloom do festivities call. his name day was upon them and rhaenyra was more than happy that he had lived to this age of ten and eight. so she has a bard well known throughout the stormlands to come as entertainment (aka. you). when jace sees you, he stumbles because that is how beautiful you are. and your music was even more beautiful when you sang. prince jacaerys, the black dragon thrust upon a throne. prince jacaerys, the black dragon with stars embellished in his throne. you have never heard an applause so loud before until him.

“you must come down to the beach with me tonight. whatever the price is, i will pay. but i would like to show you the beaches of dragonstones. perhaps it could be the inspiration necessary for a new song?”

[storiesofthesahabah]

Do you know that?

Or shall I remind you of that honor?

Ukhty, O my dear sister in Islam, you are an honor that was given by Allah to your husband. You are not just a mere wife or one of his wives. You, yourself is a gift, a blessing - an honor. 

Let me tell you a story of a woman who showcased such great care of taking care of herself because she knew that she is her husband’s honor.

______

Her name was Asma Bint Abu Bakr Radiyallahu Anha, she is a famous sahabiyah (female companion of the Prophet ﷺ) and she also was blessed with great connection with the family of the Prophet ﷺ. Her sister was the Prophet’s ﷺ wife, Aisha Radiyallahu Anha, and she was the wife of the Prophet’s ﷺ cousin - Zubair Ibn Al Awwam Radiyallahu Anhu.

One day, Asma Bint Abu Bakr Radiyallahu Anha was returning to Madinah from its suburbs while carrying some date stones over her head. The Prophet ﷺ passed by her on a camel.

When the Prophet ﷺ saw this, he ﷺ said to the camel driver, “Stop, stop, let us pick up Asma.” The Prophet ﷺ invited her to sit on the camel. She replied, “I kept in mind the honor of my husband Zubair and excused myself from riding the camel.”

_______

One may ask, why would someone refuse a ride with the Prophet ﷺ, right? Asma’s  Radiyallahu Anha refusal to do so just shows you that she has both respect and obedience to her husband, not only for his honor but also for his feelings - just how a Muslim woman is supposed to have.

Indeed, we are living in a world where temptations amongst opposite genders are rising like boiling water. It’s here and there. No one is safe except those who keep lowering their gazes and those who honor the rights of their spouses and the rights of Allah over them.

My dear sister in Islam, let me ask you a few things:

- Whenever you are on these social media platforms and a brother messages you out of the blue - do you remember your husband’s honor?

Do not reply, rather direct the brother to your husband or better yet, show the message to your husband and let him reply to the brother. It’s not overacting, it’s called being a wife.

- Whenever you are in a doubt on something or you are facing a dilemma regarding “simple” matters of deen and you are advised to ask a scholar wherein you are put in a situation where a male scholar can be “easily” asked - do you remember your husband’s honor?

A lot of the women take advantage of their situations to go forth and approach “famous” scholars/speakers online leading them into getting into idle talks with such. This is not something new - this has happened to many already for there is a trend of celebrity scholars/speakers in our midst. So, if there is a dire need and the issue does not concern you and the husband - why can’t you ask your husband to ask for you - why is there a need for you to be the one to speak and can’t we find female scholars to answer that?

My dear sisters, a lot of the female scholars of Islam have emerged but indeed we don’t readily find them online like the male ones, so you have to make that little effort of asking and looking for them.

Just look at Asma Radiyallahu Anha, it was the Prophet ﷺ himself who offered him and the Prophet ﷺ is someone of high status and no scholar can match him yet this didn’t lure Asma rather it made her remember her husband even more. Also, realize that the Prophet ﷺ isn’t like any man who had lust and desire towards Asma unlike nowadays, almost all men are filled with it.

- Whenever you travel or go to the mall where you are exposed to all these prying eyes of men - do you remember your husband’s honor?

Empowered women are not women who travel alone, when there is fitnah everywhere, empowered women are women who honor their chastity by covering themselves up to the point that even their fingertips shall be unseen out of their fear of Allah that they might tempt others into fitnah as well as covering what is needed to be covered in honor of  what Allah has commanded them and for their husbands.

Indeed, empowered women are such women who know their honor.

Ukhty, my beloved sister, you have to know that you are your husband’s honor.

Truly, in these trying times - it is easy to fall into the traps of Shaytaan - especially traps that are concerning the opposite gender. Protect yourself by remember who you are - you are a Muslim - you are a sister of a brother, a daughter of a father and you are bound (if not yet) a wife to a husband and a mother to a son.

You do not need titles of “Ms. Universe or Ms. World” to tell the world that you are of something because being a Muslim by itself is such a great blessing also and adding up the honor of being a wife to a husband who fears Allah - no worldly title can reach that.

You are his honor, always remember that.

______

May Allah protect the marriages of all the Muslim women and men, rekindle the hearts of those who grew apart to find that spark within them to make a failing marriage work again and may Allah bless every believing men and women the gift of nikkah.

Amin.

Zohayma

______

Story was taken from:

• Sahih Al Bukhari 5224

• Sahih Muslim 2182

[walker-extended-universe]

WIndy Rewatch: 1x03

This episode gives me so many feels. Just like the show <3

This episode is really the calm before the storm that really picks up in 1x04. The characters are all still poking at each other and we're still learning the basics. There's so much we don't know and a million questions, some of which we still don't have answers to.

Things that Hit Different:

Kate waits .05 seconds before looking through Abby's things and finds nothing <3 Keep trying queen

Calian is so fucking soft with Abby I can't

"What if he finds out who you are? You could be next." Tom KNOWS who she is and has for a long time and it's scary to think that the only reason she's even here to puzzle this out is because he doesn't want her dead

Abby's risking everything for her dead husband and tbh we need more wives like that in the media

Tom and Gus are so interesting in this episode. Gus doesn't trust Tom one bit and he's not hiding that. Meanwhile, Tom is trying to sus out exactly who Gus is and keeps giving him all these little tests. Is he trying to find a weak spot? An ally? A reason to make Gus fight for the Davidson? Or a reason to eliminate him from the equation?

It's so early on but even here I think we see Taza trying to push Calian towards leadership. Insisting that Calian should lead the meeting with Francis and telling him to own up to his duty to his people..... I love it Taza believes in him so much <3

Lucia! :D Hoyt doesn't deserve her but I believe in him he can do better and be worthy one day

Hoyt and Calian are also so interesting in this episode because they don't like each other. They're only working together for Abby and they can play civil in front of her but the second they're alone they are at each other's throats. And it's really interesting because Calian is normally so soft spoken and less prone to violence but he's so aggressive with Hoyt and almost castrates him on a whim. I wish we'd gotten to see more of this side of him it's fun

"You have it in you to be good." "....Okay FINE." best writing give this show all the awards

Kate and Kai's banter at the restaurant is fun and I love them and I need them to kiss soon please

I know the Sullivan sister issue got resolved a little too quickly for some people but I mean, at the end of the day, it was either get their shit together or go broke and homeless. That's a fake it til you make it situation if I ever saw one

KATE. IS. NOT. SUBTLE.

"He's a lucky man yo have you in his life for so long" - Hoyt to Jacob's father. I've shed too many tears over Hoyt not having a dad already show!

Tom calling Abby "Abby" this soon feels wrong. I'm glad he sticks to Miss Walker most of the time.

Also! HE KNOWS WHAT SHE DID!!!! He knows it! And she knows what he was trying to do and she probably knows that he knows what she did! And they talk around it and she plays it off and he doesn't call her out and he gives her that damn smile like he wants to banter with her every day. It's so soft! And he shouldn't be soft with her because she fucked everything up but also that's what made him fall in love with her in the first place!

I'm still so fascinated with why Abby had an issue with Kate having a gun. There are so many other things they could've used to make her suspicious of Kate, but they chose her gun. I suppose it's just a cultural thing, given that Abby grew up in Boston high society. It's still odd to me.

Another banger of an episode. 10/10.

[scarlettatg]

Some thoughts on what I think are parallels for Episode 504 Dear Offred

Episode 301 Night

Fire is associated with many things, including passion, desire, rebirth, resurrection, eternity, destruction, purge, hope, hell, and purification. Serena burns the ceremony bed (and the whole Waterford house). This after Fred allows Gilead to cut off her finger for wanting to change things for women in Gilead - to gain power and privileges she had willingly given away for Gilead. She realized she had made her bed and now had to lie in it. She had no protection or voice, she was as vulnerable as any other woman in Gilead. Her status as a wife offered her certain privileges/power as long as she played by her husband’s and the men‘s rules.

June burns the invitation Serena sent to Offred. This season seems to be an internal battle between June and Offred but I don’t think June will ever stop being Offred. Offred is not a switch she can turn off because she’s no longer in Gilead. “Gilead is within you”. I’m surprised it’s being portrayed like Offred is the negative violent aspect of June when in 410 she says “I miss her strength”. June burning this might symbolize that she’s going to focus her fight on getting Hannah and not in issuing her revenge on Serena. On using that anger and use it to find Hannah or to fight Gilead. I certainly hope it’s not a way to say I’m going to be the old June because I don’t think this June is the type to stay home and play house - that would be a disservice to her character in my opinion.

Episode 104 Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum

My favorite parallel in this episode was the June/Janine/Handmaid one. I remember the scene in 104 when June gets her feet lashes for running away (with Moira) and the Handmaids bring her food and stand in front of her kind of like in a formation. Showing her love and in a way admiration for trying. I always thought this was the moment that the Handmaids started looking up to June and we see something similar in the 504 scene with Janine. The new Handmaids love her, they’re glad she’s ok and you can see these new Handmaids do look up to her. Janine is now being a June to them and it’s interesting to see how that will play out.

Episode 104 Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum

An umbrella symbolizes shelter and protection. It can symbolize protection against bad situations, like an event of misfortune is coming your way and hence you need that emotional security. It can also be an indication of wanting more emotional support than what you currently have. They are also emotional shields between us and the outside world. In both of these scenes both women are being protected by guardians who are the ones holding the umbrella (offering the protection). June is on her way out of the Waterford house after being inside her room for days. Serena is walking in to the unknown in what seems could be a role reversal. Nick is completely outside of the umbrella. He wants June to be completely protected. Ezra is halfway in the umbrella telling me he protects Serena but not completely.

Episode 104 Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum

In both of these scenes Serena is high up looking out the window down at June. The first time it’s when June is finally allowed to leave her room (after we see her manipulating Fred so I assume it was his doing undermining Serena’s authority). This is a battle that June clearly won’t at the end. Even though Serena is above June in the power structure in Gilead, I think that this shows how June has always been more than Serena. She had love in Gilead, was able to have her own daughter, women followed June, the Handmaids seemed to care for her wether the relationship with the wives seemed convenient in a way. So even though Serena is looking down at June, June has always been what Serena wanted to be. In 504 the dynamic has changed. June is “free” but Serena didn’t choose freedom. She’s still pretty much dictated by the men in Gilead. Now Serena is trapped in that building scared. June isn’t scared of Serena anymore she’s scared of herself and her feelings of wanting to kill Serena. Tuello says to June and Luke that Serena basically has nothing when June in a way still has everything Serena wanted. In a way it’s some sort of karma but for June (not for me) it isn’t enough.

Episode 210 The Last Ceremony

This one is interesting. Serena’s arrival at the Wheelers scream the Waterfords; for example: the W when the gate opens, the stairs and the call back to this scene. This scene played out in the open with Nick still in the frame where in Serena’s case she’s inside the house alone. June doesn’t coward or allows Serena to take away this moment. “No one knows the things of God” is what she tells her before continuing her journey inside the house with Nick by her side. When both Serena and Mrs. Wheeler pray they kneel and placing their hands on the belly symbolizing an adoration to the pregnancy. Serena is obviously uncomfortable and the scene screams that something isn’t ok, but June walked into the house knowing that her baby was going to be taken away but with clear strength and conviction.

[cheerfullycatholic]

Where is the phrase "Queen of Heaven" in the Bible?

If you're referring specifically to Mary as Queen of Heaven, I don't believe she's ever blatantly called that in the Bible. That belief is a long one to explain, I found an article that does so way better than I could, but instead of just linking it I thought I'd copy and paste it so you don't have to leave the website.

Mary’s title as “Queen of Heaven and Earth” is a great scandal to many non-Catholic Christians. After all, the Bible doesn’t mention anything about there being a queen in God’s kingdom. All this royal attention Catholics give to Mary—whether it’s singing “Hail, holy queen enthroned above” or portraying Mary in statues and paintings with a crown on her head—seems to many non-Catholics to detract from the royalty of Christ, who alone is King of Kings. Besides, how could Mary be a queen, since she is not the wife of the Jesus but only his mother?

One biblical theme sheds light on these questions and serves as a key for unlocking the mystery of Mary’s queenship: the Old Testament tradition of the “queen mother” in the Davidic kingdom.

In the monarchy of King David, as well as in other ancient kingdoms of the Near East, the mother of the ruling king held an important office in the royal court and played a key part in the process of dynastic succession. In fact, the king’s mother ruled as queen, not his wife.

The great pre-eminence of the king’s mother may seem odd from our modern Western perspective, in which we think of a queen as being the wife of a king. However, recall that most ancient Near-Eastern kings practiced polygamy. King Solomon had seven hundred wives (1 Kgs. 11:3)—imagine the chaos in the royal court if all seven hundred were awarded the queenship! But since each king had only one mother, one can see the practical wisdom in bestowing the queenship upon her.

A number of Old Testament passages reflect the important role of the queen mother in the Davidic kingdom. For example, almost every time the narrative of 1 and 2 Kings introduces a new monarch in Judah, it mentions the king’s mother as well, showing the mother’s intimate involvement in her royal son’s reign. Similarly, the queen mother is listed among the members of the royal court whom king Jehoiachin surrendered to the king of Babylon in 2 Kings 24:12.

Her royal office is also described by the prophet Jeremiah, who tells how the queen mother possessed a throne and a crown, symbolic of her position of authority in the kingdom: “Say to the king and the queen mother: ‘Take a lowly seat, for your beautiful crown has come down from your head. . . . Lift up your eyes and see those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?’” (Jer. 13:18, 20). It is significant that God directed this oracle about the upcoming fall of Judah to both the king and his mother. Addressing both king and queen mother, Jeremiah portrays her as sharing in her son’s rule over the kingdom.

Probably the clearest example of the queen mother’s role is that of Bathsheba, wife of David and mother of Solomon. Scholars have noted the excellence of Bathsheba’s position in the kingdom once she became queen mother during Solomon’s rule. Compare the humble attitude of Bathsheba as spouse of King David (1 Kgs. 1:16–17, 31) with her majestic dignity as mother of the next king, Solomon (1 Kgs. 2:19–20). As spouse of the king, Bathsheba bows with her face to the ground and does obeisance to her husband, David, upon entering his royal chamber. In striking contrast, after her son Solomon assumed the throne and she became queen mother, Bathsheba receives a glorious reception upon meeting with her royal son:

“So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right. Then she said, ‘I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.’ And the king said to her, ‘Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you’” (1 Kgs. 2:19–20).

This account reveals the sovereign prerogatives of the queen mother. Note how the king rises and bows as she enters. Bathsheba’s seat at the king’s right hand has the greatest significance. In the Bible, the right hand is the place of ultimate honor. This is seen in particular in the messianic Psalm 110 (“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool”). In fact, many New Testament passages refer to the right-hand imagery of Psalm 110 to show Christ’s divinity and his reign with the Father over the whole universe (e.g., Hebrews 1:13). Thus, the queen mother sitting at the king’s right hand symbolizes her sharing in the king’s royal authority and illustrates how she holds the most important position in the kingdom, second only to the king.

This passage regarding Bathsheba also shows how the queen mother served as an advocate for the people, carrying petitions to the king. In 1 Kings 2:17, Adonijah asks Bathsheba to take a petition for him to King Solomon. He says to her: “Pray ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife” (1 Kgs. 2:17). It is clear that Adonijah recognizes the queen mother’s position of influence over the king, so he confidently turns to Bathsheba as an intercessor for his request.

A few Old Testament prophecies incorporate the queen mother tradition when telling of the future Messiah. One example is Isaiah 7:14, which originated during a time of dynastic crisis in Judah when Syria and Israel were threatening Jerusalem and plotting to overthrow King Ahaz. God offers Ahaz a sign that the kingdom will continue: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel” (Isa. 7:13–14).

On one level, this passage points to the next king (Hezekiah) as a pledge that the Davidic dynasty will continue despite the threats of invading armies. At the same time, the royal son who is to be named “Emmanuel” points to the future messianic king (cf., Isa. 9:6–7, 11:1–2). This is why the New Testament says Jesus fulfills this prophecy from Isaiah (Matt. 1:23).

For our purposes we should note how this prophecy links the mother to her royal son. Since the oracle is addressed specifically to the Davidic household and concerns the continuation of the dynasty, the young woman bearing forth the royal son would be understood as a queen mother. This has implications for our understanding of Mary. Since the mother of the king always ruled as queen mother, we should expect to find the mother of the messianic king playing the role of the true queen mother in the everlasting Kingdom of God.

With this Old Testament background, we can now more clearly see how the New Testament portrays Mary in light of the queen mother tradition.

The Gospel of Matthew has often been called the “Gospel of the Kingdom.” Matthew emphasizes that Jesus is “the Son of David,” who is the true King of the Jews establishing the “Kingdom of Heaven.” With all this kingly imagery, it should not be surprising to find queen mother themes as well.

Right away, Matthew shows explicitly how the infant Jesus is the “Emmanuel” child as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 (Matt. 1:23). As we saw above, this prophecy links the royal messianic child with his queen mother. Further, Matthew singles out the intimate relationship between the mother and her royal son by using the phrase “the child and his mother” five times in the first two chapters, recalling the close association between queen mother and royal son as described in the Books of Kings. Just as the queen mother was constantly mentioned alongside the Judean kings in 1 and 2 Kings, so Mary is frequently mentioned alongside her royal son, Jesus, in Matthew’s infancy narrative (Matt. 1:18; 2:11, 13, 14, 20, 21).

We find Mary portrayed against the background of Davidic kingdom motifs in Luke’s Gospel as well, especially in his accounts of the Annunciation and Visitation. First, the angel Gabriel is said to appear to a virgin betrothed to a man “of the house of David” (1:27). Then the angel tells Mary, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31–33).

Hear the strong Davidic overtones describing Mary and her royal son: a woman from the house of David giving birth to a son who will be the new king whose reign will never end. With echoes from the queen mother tradition of the Davidic kingdom and the mother-son prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, we can conclude that Mary is being given the vocation of queen mother.

Mary’s royal office is made even more explicit in Luke’s account of the Visitation. Elizabeth greets Mary with the title “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43). This title is charged with great queenly significance. In the royal court language of the ancient NearEast, the title “Mother of my Lord” was used to address the queen mother of the reigning king (who himself was addressed as “my Lord”; cf., 2 Sam. 24:21). Thus with this title Elizabeth is recognizing the great dignity of Mary’s role as the royal mother of the king, Jesus.

Finally, Mary’s queenship can be seen in the great vision described in Revelation 12: “And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery” (Rev. 12:1–2). Who is this newborn child? He is described as the messianic king exercising his dominion. In verse 5, the author of Revelation chose the messianic Psalm 2 to describe how this child will “rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (Rev. 12:5, Ps. 2:9). This royal son is taken up to heaven to sit on a throne (Rev. 12:5), and he ushers in the kingdom of God by defeating the devil: “Now the kingdom of our God has come, for the accuser has been throne down” (12:10). Certainly, this newborn child is the royal Messiah, King Jesus.

In this light it is clear who this woman is who gave birth to the messiah: It is Mary. Some people have interpreted this woman in Revelation 12 as merely a symbol either for the Old Testament people of Israel or for the New Testament Church and therefore have concluded that the woman cannot be an individual (i.e., Mary). However, this “either-or” proposition is foreign to the biblical worldview, in which individuals often symbolically represent collective groups. For instance, Adam represented all humanity (Rom. 5:19), and Jacob stood for all of Israel (Ps. 44:4). Given this biblical notion called “corporate personality,” the woman in Revelation 12 should be understood as both an individual (Mary) and a symbol for the people of God.

But for our purposes, once we see that this woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus, it is important to note how she is portrayed as queen in this passage. Her royal office is hinted at by the imagery of the sun, moon, and twelve stars, which recalls the Old Testament story of Joseph’s dream in which the sun, moon, and stars bow down before him, symbolizing his future authority (Gen. 37:9–11). Her queenship is made even clearer by the crown of twelve stars on her head. Just like the queen mother in Jeremiah 13:18, here Mary is wearing a crown, symbolizing her royal office in the kingdom of heaven. In sum, Revelation 12 portrays Mary as the new queen mother in the Kingdom of God, sharing in her son’s rule over the universe.

We have seen how the Old Testament queen mother tradition serves as an important background for understanding Mary’s royal office. Indeed, the New Testament portrays Mary as the queen mother par excellence. Thus, prayers, hymns, and art giving honor to Mary’s queenship are most fitting biblical responses for Christians. In honoring her as queen mother we do not take anything away from Christ’s glory, but rather we exalt him even more by recognizing the great work he has done in her and through her.

Understanding Mary as queen mother sheds light on her important intercessory role in the Christian life. Just like the queen mother of the Davidic kingdom, Mary serves as advocate for the people in the Kingdom of God today. Thus, we should approach our queen mother with confidence, knowing that she carries our petitions to her royal son and that he responds to her as Solomon did to Bathsheba: “I will never refuse you.”

[levi-supreme]

REEEI!

For your character Bingo, may I have my husband, his tall sniffy bestie and whacko scientist bestie? (not asking about his grump bestie because you already did that :P)

i.e.: Erwin, Miche and Hange

MRS SMITHHHHHHHHHH ❤️ and with this, we have The Vets hehehe <3 also, my answers are probably going to get really long HAHAHA.

Erwin

I knew you would ask me about your husband HAHA because who else would as me about Mr Smith right???

Okay tbh I wanna talk about the 'wasted potential' here. Yeah a lot of people would definitely wonder how different everything would have been if Erwin was given the titan serum instead of Armin and yada yada yada. Of course I would want Erwin to live and continue leading the Survey Corps. With his brain (and big balls lol), his wit, and the fact that he dares to take risks and gambles, he really is a leader capable of achieving great things.

That being said, and although I am likewise extremely upset over his death, I felt like his death was necessary to somehow show that a leader can't be there forever. Eventually the leader has to step down and someone new would takeover the role, and this is how they learn to become great leaders. Also, if not now, when will Armin (and Hange) step up and achieve greater things? Everyone praises Armin for his analytical ability and all that, but if he isn't given the opportunity to showcase what he is actually capable of, then when will he get the chance to do so?

So yup, when I say 'wasted potential', I don't mean that Erwin's death was wasted. I meant it in a way that it was kinda sad he didn't get to live on to see the results of what everyone had been dedicating their hearts and lives for, but his death was necessary to keep the story going. (side tracking and some kny spoilers) It's kind of like how Kyoujurou's death in mugen train broke my heart and soul and I don't think I'll ever recover from his death, but his plot was necessary for Tanjirou's growth. If Kyoujurou never died, Tanjirou would never have achieved and done everything he did in the later part of the manga.

Also yes tbh I feel like I would be afraid of Erwin irl because he's sooooo intelligent and an extremely good talker, I feel dumb next to him lol and most of the time I think I'll just be listening to what he says without really understanding it HAHA. Also side tracking again... I know different people interpret characters differently and you can write whatever fanfiction you want about the characters. But honestly, I can't see eye to eye with a lot of the kinks and tropes people write Erwin with. Maybe I'm just boring HAHA and I am not throwing shade at anyone!!! It's just a personal preference and tbh I don't read a lot of stuff so yup. Call me close-minded or too picky, but yup I can't see Erwin as a kinky person.

And finally!!! Erwin + Levi + Mike THE BEST TRIO EVER. VETERAN WIVES UNITE. And with Hange, they can now drop their latest dapper top-selling album.

Mike

THIS. THIS AMAZING PERSON IS THE ONE WHO I FEEL IS THE REAL 'WASTED POTENTIAL'.

We hardly knew much about Mike and his life in the Survey Corps, and how Erwin, Nile, and him were all friends. I hated how people somehow only remember him for things like how he always sniffs people, how his olfactory senses are the most sensitive amongst everyone, and how he's the tallest character in the series.

Mike needs more love!!!!! He's more than that. He's the second best after Levi, but how many people actually know and remember this? Levi and Mike complement each other whether they're in combat or not, and I absolutely love them. I absolutely love Erwin and Mike's friendship too. They've been friends and comrades for the longest time, they know each other well.

I feel like Mike is always the middle man between Erwin and Levi whenever things get too heated between them. It's kind of evident with the little amount of Veterans content we have. When Erwin wanted Levi to join the Survey Corps, Mike was the one holding Levi and being in control of him. When Levi went berserk and shouted to Erwin saying that he'll kill him, Mike is the one holding Levi back too.

And somehow!!! I've incorporated their dynamics into my own writing too. In Levi's Valentine, Mike was the one holding Levi back after Levi and Zeke got into a fight.

Man, I just love Mike a lot and I'm so disappointed that people forget about him and only recognise Erwin + Levi + Hange. I wish we saw more about Mike. Honestly speaking, I just wish we learnt more about all the Veterans!!!!

Hange

Omg Hangeeeeeee!!! My irl best friend is a Virgo like Hange, so I can somehow guess and visualise how Hange would be like irl too.

Also!!! (snk manga spoilers!!!) I checked the 'wasted potential' not because I think Hange shouldn't have died. I checked it because given Hange's brain, thirst for knowledge and the curious mind to want to learn more about the world and everything beyond the borders, I feel like Hange would've contributed soooooo much to titan research and everything else after the war. I can totally imagine Hange being excited to empart knowledge down to the next generation and just being so enthusiastic over every small thing, so yup. To me it's wasted because Hange wasn't able to showcase all of their talents and they're just gone like that.

Also Hange is a really relatable and endearing character. I don't think I've come across anyone saying that they hate Hange, because tbh what is there to hate about Hange???? Given the little amount of time they had, I think Hange did a really great job as the Commander of the Survey Corps after Erwin died. And Hange laid a good foundation for Armin to take over too.

In conclusion, I love The Veterans. I love them more than anything else. And when I say The Veterans, I don't only mean Erwin Levi Mike and Hange. I'm also referring to Moblit, Nanaba, Rico, Ian, The OG Levi Squad and sooooo many others who have given their lives and hearts for humanity.

And if you've read till the end.... I love you haha.

Character opinion bingo!

[werebird]

werebird, i just finished winter lamb and im so in awe of your talent of dialogue writing, your on-point characterisation of hannigram but also the supporting chars.

i notice you're still active on ao3 but havent written hannibal fics for a while, and im just curious: how long did it take for you to plot out the story of winter lamb? there were so many moving pieces, that id love to know more about the planning process for the story. i'm also curious if you've ever thought of coming back to phantom spring as i'm eager to know how you planned to continue the story.

lastly, i'm dying to know what your thoughts are on how a potential season 4 would've gone given the hints bryan has told about cuba, murder husbands v murder wives, etc. your clever and natural plolines in winter lamb have me curious how you'd anticipate season 4 panning out.

Okay, first of all, sorry for taking forever to answer this but also thank youu so much for all the love 😭❤️

I'm gonna ramble a little bit so i'll put the answers under a read more..

Soo.. plotting the fic didn't actually take that long. At the time I was just rewatching the show and had the time and patience to pay attention to all the characters individually. I had some ideas of who I thought would make interesting allies and I wanted everyone to shine on their own and have their own agenda. I really loved all the characters individually, still do.

I didn't want the time skip to be as long as it was in the show and I wanted to skip the dragon storyline. Obviously I wanted Will and Hannibal to get together eventually and this turned out to be the most difficult thing. Will as a character is just so stubborn. He would rather die than give into his dark side. I spent so much time with the show back then that it was difficult to just pretend he would easily be convinced. He needed to believe he was sacrificing himself once more. I also knew he would have to cut all ties, feel betrayed and isolated, and feel like there was no way back. And so in the end, the fic came together piece by piece but somewhat naturally. I was just following along with where the characters wanted or needed to go.

I was also actually experimenting a bit with the unreliable narrator and with how much happened off-screen. It's not really something I'm usually comfortable with writing so this was what I struggled with as well.

I do wanna finish Phantom Spring!!! It's haunting me actually. I HAVE to finish it, the band needs to get back together!! I've plotted it and everything, but in order for me to do it right™, i would need more time and a better headspace to get back into the show (especially for the dialogue), to do more research, etc. and I would need to let go of what I consider my '''style''' these days.

Back then, I was really into screenwriting which relies heavily on dialogue (of course) but since then my interest has drifted away from it. Now I prefer a clear, singular pov in reading as well as writing. In order for me to include all the characters, there would need to be multiple perspectives. I started the fic and then I got scared that couldn't pull it off and then I stopped, hoping to continue once I would feel more confident. Your message is already helping me with that ❤️ so i hope i can get back into it soon.

Ahh the infamous forth season.... I would have been curious too about how bryan would have written it. Will wanted to die rather than be like (be with?) Hannibal. I think it's really really hard to have him come around and make it believable. Personally, I cannot see Hannibal (of the show not the books) be tamed (or become a vigilante) and i can't see Will go dark without him going through serious self loathing/more suicidal behavior. it would have been a painful season in order to pull it off. iirc they wanted to take on the Clarice character as well which i feel would have felt a little rushed too. Bryan is an incredible writer (i love him so much) but sometimes his choices confuse me (not necessarily in a bad way). I was always a little worried that a fourth season would move away from Will in order to avoid the difficult corner his character has moved itself into. I was also worried that the characters we all love would have no other choice but destroy each other and become unlikable. I don't know if I would have loved the show the same if I actually had to see Will and Hannibal eat Bedelia for example. I wouldn't have wanted to see Hannibal try and kill Jack again (and maybe succeed). Those are difficult choices. I do like conflict, but I don't like hopeless conflict too much :/

I still hope we might get to see it a continuation though. And with how much time has passed, there would now need to be a big time skip anyway so a lot of my issues could be explained away by time passed and people changed.

I hope these answers give you a little more insight, I would love to hear your thoughts too!! ❤️

[femdomliterature]

FemLit 0379 - Introducing Male Chastity Play (from a female point of view)

FemLit 0379 - Introducing Male Chastity Play (from a female point of view)

My name is Ella, I am 36 years old and I work for an insurance company. My husband, deliberately not named, is 37 years old and works as a   senior engineer. We have been happily married for 12 years, with two   daughters, and I am created this site to share my experiences and advice for Tease and Denial and Male Chastity. (If you are not married, please mentally replace husband with  boyfriend when reading this website, it all applies just the same.)   As you are reading this website, I am assuming your husband or boyfriend  has told you that he wants to try something called male chastity play with you, or you have heard about it somewhere and have suggested it to him. Either you have found this website through a search engine, or you have been sent the link. Your first reaction probably was surprise. Why would he want chastity? What  does he want me to do? 

Step 1: relax! When you read through these paragraphs   (I kept it short, I promise!) you  will understand why chastity is a fun, exciting idea for the two of you to try. You may find it’s simply that - a fun game to spice things up in your sex life. You may also   find that male chastity brings a new closeness and renewed desire to   you as a couple. Before you continue reading, make sure you have nothing  else planned for a little while and that you are not distracted by   anything. Relax, take your time, and try to be as open-minded as you can.                                          

To get started, I recommend reading this 101 article. You will need to make notes - digitally or on paper, as to do this properly there are some things you need to choose and then write down.                                           

After this 101, I do recommend you read through subsequent articles linked here, as there is more detail on some key topics, and the more you know, the better you will be at this!

But... First, what is male chastity play?                                           

Simply put, the man uses a so-called chastity device to lock his penis,  and then he gives the key to his partner, making her what is called a “keyholder”.  Chastity devices are sex toys made of plastic or metal that lock around  the penis, making it impossible for him to masturbate or get an erection. In chastity play, the keyholder  (you) has the power to decide when to unlock the device and when to  allow him sexual pleasure. That can be five times a day or five times a  year. The ‘game’ of it is the transmission of ‘power’ regarding his sexual pleasure.                                           

You may not typically be the 'dominant' sexual partner in the relationship, but in chastity play it is essential that you assume this position - even if you are just acting or role-playing initially until it becomes the norm. He is not giving you inanimate metal keys - he's giving you possession to his sexual release and the position of power. Enjoy it! Embrace it and take charge.                                           

I have always  felt that being well informed about something enables you  to do it well. There is a lot on the internet on chastity, and there are several internet forums and chat rooms which seem to start up and die  down as people move around. I have communicated over the years with over  two dozen wives who keep their husbands locked. I have met several of  them in person and the one thing they all agreed on was that the benefits of chastity for their husbands were incredible. It may amaze  you, as it did me, to find out that so many men and women use chastity  as part of their relationship, really more than you could imagine. There  was a Canadian newspaper article in 2019 stating that 6% of men are  caged with the key given to their wife. This just goes to show that male  chastity is less rare than you probably thought and there is a lot of  it being practiced, probably by some of your girlfriends.       

There are two major types of chastity - ‘play’ and ‘lifestyle’. Play is relatively short term and used as part of sex play and diversity. Short term, in my view, falls into the category of 2-week to 3-month lock ups. This is where most couples’ chastity journeys start. It's vital that the first lockup is at least 2-3 weeks, and is 24 hours a day for that period. Read why here. No 'nighttime only' or 'daytime only' - the lockup period must be erection and orgasm free.

Even in short term play, chastity has to be  a 24/7 thing. 24/7 is the foundation; it is the  most positive/enjoyable/effective because the cage is a constant reminder about the power exchange. Most of the day, the male will forget about it and only be subconsciously aware that anything is different. However when they do get a tingle of sexual excitement - for whatever reason, Boom - they are reminded that their erections (and more importantly, sexual release) belongs to you. That’s what’s fun about Tease and Denial (T&D). Life  goes on as it always has, employment,  financial, family issues and decisions are all still there. But it's a little secret you two share - a fun,  slightly ‘naughty’ way to mix up the relationship’s ‘sexual  dominance’.

What are the benefits of Male Chastity?                                    

The  motivation why a couple would want to begin with male chastity play is straightforward: It is simply a sexual   fantasy or sexual experimentation to mix things up. With the dramatic   rise in popularity in chastity play over the last five years - with   story arcs in mainstream media (Californication), articles in The Independent, Cosmopolitan,  Vice...), it may have piqued their interest as something fun to try.

he  large global movement called “Locktober” is practically everywhere, and is an  entry point for many males and females who want to experiment in this  way.                                          

 Or it is a matter of circumstance that allows for a different style of sexual ‘play’ - long distance relationships, work trips or  other reasons where vanilla lovemaking is limited/not possible.                                           

For  males, chastity play can be very VERY exciting. For the male, chastity play is about having a relationship   where male orgasms are limited but erotic heat is abundant. As part of the game, he  is giving up something that is a very standard part of a male's life,  his freedom to masturbate. Young men have an abundance of testosterone,  so masturbation doesn't  seem to interfere with their pursuit of young women. However, as men  grow older masturbating usually translates into the husband losing  sexual desire for at least a couple days. Male masturbation can create  an emotional  barrier in relationships and allows a man to remain somewhat  disconnected in a very selfish and self-serving way. Chastity puts a  stop to the masturbation and works in many ways; it  changes his mood, demeanor and libido.                                           

Males in chastity will almost always have   increased energy. Noticed he hits the gym more? Trimming the body fat? Need less sleep? More productive? Yup. Other changes will likely happen too. He will be more focused and task-oriented. Most  importantly it changes his desire to please you.  This is because as he continues to build up his sexual energy that he  no longer has the ability to release as he pleases, he will divert that  energy towards pleasing you - especially if he has asked you to be his keyholder, rather than you coming up with the idea to keep him locked. His non-stop offers of massages and oral  sex are a very  welcome side effect of the redirection of his sexual energy.                                           

What do I actually ‘do’ as a Keyholder?                                           

Chastity is just that, chastity. There is no need to entertain other kinks your husband may have if you don’t want to. In fact, it is likely  that your husband doesn’t even expect you to do anything more than hold his key. Just be yourself and do what you want. It doesn’t have to  become a time sink and your life doesn’t need to revolve around your husband’s desire for chastity.                                             

As counter-intuitive as it might sound, when you take away a man’s erections, orgasms and his ability to play with his cock whenever the mood strikes, he finds it very arousing. Chastity is a huge turn on.                                           

The sexual frustration a chaste man feels is intense, so intense he experiences a euphoric high from the change of control. That is why a guy becomes super-focused on his partner and the extreme arousal coupled with sexual frustration is what makes the chastity game so much fun for couples to play. The more aroused a locked male stays, the more he likes it. Teasing is what keeps a guy’s arousal at high levels.

Being a keyholder involves:                                           

1. Holding the keys and controlling when and how release takes place (see links)                                            2. Setting and communicating your keyholding rules at the start of the first lockup.                                            3. Teasing - to keep arousal in peak state throughout lockup.

Let's look at some of this in more detail.                                           

Teasing                                           

You don’t have to be an expert at sexual teasing or spend loads of time  learning how to become one. Chastity with teasing keeps the arousal and positive energy / endorphins / oxytocin at ideal levels. Chastity without teasing will lead to frustration and grumpiness - pretty soon the game will be up.                                           

So, teasing is essential to keep your  husband’s arousal peaking, but there are plenty of simple ways to do  that which don’t require a lot of time. It’s important to remember that you and not him will be the one making  the (bedroom) decisions once he is locked. There are no fixed rules how  often you should test him, unlock him or let him ejaculate, and chastity does not  need to change your everyday life, certainly not outside of the bedroom.  I would suggest you give it a try and then just go with the flow.                                           

Teasing Ideas                                           

So how do you do ‘teasing’? I don’t mean making fun of him. We’re not in middle school. I mean  turning him on, only it’s teasing because he can’t get hard, let alone  have an orgasm. It’s the ultimate cock tease and it makes chastity play  so much more satisfying for you and your man.                                           

The great thing about male chastity play is how little effort it takes you, as the keyholder. My ideal teasing effort is 2-5 minutes a day, or every second day... mix it up. Make it a rule that he is not allowed to ask for it. In bed at night, roll over and tease for a bit. Then say goodnight. Other nights - do nothing, say nothing. That is half of the fun - for you and for him!                                            Look at the list below and jot down some of the ones that appeal to you...                                           

Some simple teasing ideas: 1: Non-physical - Talk about it: Talk about his chastity cage. Tell him you like how it looks, how tight it must be, how full his balls look... Ask him to show it to you as a 'cage check' at random times... The simple act of talking about it will drive him crazy! Men are hilarious. - Choose his underwear for him. Tell him to wear a particular color, or tell him to wear the tight white ones, the compression shorts, swimsuit... or no underwear today...whatever. You’re taking control, and that’s hot. - Tell him to sleep naked every now and again - Even wear some sexy outfits and parading around will drive him crazy!                                           

2: Physical - Play with his balls. Even while locked, his balls are exposed, unless you have a full chastity belt where the balls are locked too. With his cock locked, his balls become infinitely more sensitive. Stroke / tickle to start, but then squeeze and pull. Then slap. Start slowly and build up the slapping in intensity, and tell him to tell you when to stop. Then start again..! Women are way too gentle with balls in general - most makes prefer far more rough play than they let on. Let him guide you if you are unsure.

- Play with the Cage: while most cages do a great job of making erections and orgasms impossible, playing with his cage is a great way to tease him. If it's an enclosed cage (better in my view) then he will not be able to feel anything at all if you are stroking it - but he will imagine it and it will blow his mind. Any exposed parts will become hyper-sensitive, so touching them or poking/licking... you name it - will drive him the best kind of crazy.  

- Kissing:  It’s the fastest way to turn him on and he’ll never turn it down. Even  though he knows his cock is going to ache because it can’t get hard, he  loves to kiss. For added heat, hold his cage / balls while kissing.

- Body contact: Make him worship your body – This is an absolute must when he’s locked  up. He craves your body. He craves you. Have him worship it. Have him  kiss you all over. Have him give you a massage.

- Nipple play: men’s nipples are almost 5x more sensitive than female nipples. With his cock locked, his nipples will heighten in sensitivity further. You may have even noticed they stiffen or harden more quickly or for longer than usual. Play with them by using nipple clamps, clothespins or even just by pinching and squeezing. Be careful, some locked males have been known to cum from just nipple play alone!

- Shower with him: Ask him to rub lotion on you or whatever you prefer. Being locked naked with you in the shower will blow his mind. - ‘Have and Hold’: If you want to unlock him as part of teasing, a fun one is to make him stand next to the bed or across the room, and unlock the cage. Once the cage is off, he is not allowed to touch his cock. He will almost certainly get hard. You carry on with reading or whatever you were doing and tell him to inform you when he has gone soft. Make the odd comment and watch to see how easily you can make him react. As soon as he is soft, tell him to relock the cage.

- Anal play: You may know that men have a P-spot near their prostate which is similar to the female G-spot, although most hetersexual males never use it. My husband is not into anal play, so I don’t have much experience there, but there are some incredible resources out there if it’s your cup of tea!

- Finally, if you want to play with his cock while unlocked as part of teasing, I’ll drop some notes on the ‘Release’ over here. Focus on edging and the touchless release (if you really want to give him a treat). Remember - teasing means no cumming. A little bit every day or every couple of days will form the foundation of your chastity play!                                           

Basic Keyholder Rules                                           

At the start of the first lockup, you need to set rules. Writing them down and send them to him on email or text message is the easiest. That way he has them at all times. And send them to him at work while he's locked and you will really get him squirming! Or you can inform him in person. These are your rules and are not a discussion - he has asked you to be the keyholder, so he must play by your rules or you call the whole thing off.                                           

The most typical rules for keyholders are as simple as this:                                  

The Wife can choose the chastity device.                                           

It's not called a cock or penis or whatever when it's locked. Come up with a name for his locked cock. Tell him that is what it is called from now on. The most common name is  'nub', so feel free to use that. And it's 'your' nub, your balls etc, not his. Make sure he gets that right.                                           

The Wife will hold the keys to the chastity device and will not make them accessible to the Husband.                                           

The Wife decides when the Husband will be unlocked, allowed and erection, or allowed release. Separate the concept of 'unlock= orgasm or'unlock=erection'. In most cases it's none of those.                                          

The Husband will not ask for release and there will be no discussions about chastity unless the Wife brings it up. Infringements can be extending lockup or some other forfeit ;)                                           

Chastity play will not intrude into the Wife's daily life or restrict her own sexual satisfaction.                                           

The couple will give chastity a try for at least 3 months. First timers should lockup for 3 weeks at least and then evaluate / discuss. The keyholder does not have to (and should not) tell the planned release date. Keep him guessing.

That’s it: give it a go!                                           

Give it a shot! You don’t have anything to lose, it may add a new level  of intimacy to your relationship, and you will have a lot of fun doing  it. I promise. Show your love to your husband, have sex freely and  frequently, tease him, be playful and enjoy each other. The only thing  you need to do is control is his ejaculations. Getting comfortable with  male chastity can be challenging at first but it won’t be long until it  becomes a normal everyday component of your relationship. Having talked  to many women, the most common regret was that they didn’t start male chastity much earlier!

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #169

What’s something you used to believe in that you don’t anymore? God. Or at least, one that has anything to do with its creations whatsoever, it's either that or there's no god period, I don't feel one way or another about it.

What’s your favorite dinosaur? Spinosaurus and raptor species; I'm particularly fond of how velociraptors are portrayed in the Jurassic Park series, however I know they're now known to be very inaccurate. I tend to be into less feathers on dinos.

Do you believe in reincarnation? If so, what would you like to be reincarnated as? I don't. If I did though, I'd wanna be a lioness, I think.

What are three scents that you like? Baked goods (especially fresh!), lilac, freshly washed linens.

Do you ever use the grounding technique 54321? Yes, it's actually very helpful to me, especially if someone else is with me asking to list the things off verbally. It gets me out of my head.

Where would you relocate if you were forced to leave your place of residence? I've got a strong feeling Girt would take me immediately, and probably Mom too. I KNOW he would if it was either his place or nowhere. Literally the only reason I'm unsure about her as far as an immediate situation is because Girt actually already has a friend living with he and his mom, so there's no spare bedroom, but they do have a long couch and my mom's never cared much about having to sleep on a couch.

What smells better... fresh baked bread or fresh brewed coffee? Those are two of my favorite smells ever, but bread.

Have you ever met a president? No. For some really odd reason that NOBODY understood though Biden was actually in my city a few days ago????? He visited a community college with a police escort and everything and it was basically a meme on Facebook because we were all like......... sir why are you HERE of all shitty places

Has anyone ever given you a gag gift? Not that I recall.

Do you find smoking unattractive? Smoking in itself, yes. I'm perfectly capable of being attracted to smokers, though. It's the act itself that I think is gross.

Do you think flirting is cheating? It is to me, yes.

Have you ever liked someone who had a girl/boyfriend? Yes.

Would you ever take someone back if they cheated on you? Absolutely not.

What's a word that starts with the third letter of your first name? Intrepid.

How many wives or husbands do you want? Just one. Not of each haha, one legal partner of any gender.

What's your favorite color gummy bear? I don't think I've ever had a favorite? I'd probably have to try them again, I don't often have gummy bears.

What's the last movie you saw in the theater? Still The Black Phone. I wanna go see the Barbie movie with Girt though when it's out next month.

What color is your iPod? Hot pink.

What’s a quality that your sister has that you absolutely can’t stand? Ashley has become immensely passive; she does whatever her husband wants, even if it's stupid and shit that's unfair to her. Nicole is very unaffectionate, except with kids; me and Mom both struggle with how reluctant she is to show she cares and loves, especially with how she was raised. She's very distant and wrapped up in her own world, and yeah, it's very hurtful sometimes.

Have you ever dated a smoker? If not, would you? For less than a day I did. I don't think I'd do it now; I wouldn't break up with Girt if he started, but I don't want to go into a new relationship with one, I'm not fearfully waiting for my partner to get lung cancer.

Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? Yes, one.

Name one of your psycho exes? None, I was the psycho ex.

Have you ever been drunk at work? I've never been drunk to begin with.

Have you ever taken a pregnancy test? Never one that you buy yourself at the store, I've only ever been checked via urine tests pre-medical procedures at the doctor's office just because it's protocol.

Do your shoulder blades protrude? God no not anymore, they haven't for years. It was a prom picture taken from behind us that made me realize mine did, I want my hot back back lmfao GIVE HER TO ME

How many bananas have you ever eaten in a row? There's no way I ever woulda gone beyond two, and even two right after the other basically never happens.

Do you have a protective father? No, not really. Like yeah, I know my dad wants me safe and would protect me if needed, but he's not the kind to take pre-measures to prevent something from happening to me.

Have you ever had to choose between two people? On a few occasions, yeah. First and most alarmingly was either keep my then-best friend or basically steal her boyfriend I helped her get with to begin with, then I chose Jason over Juan, and part of the reason I left Girt the first time we dated was because I realized I liked Sara, and I wasn't about to be unfair to him. The only reason I don't regret doing that is because I really do not think I was ready to date another man during that time period, and besides, dating Sara did verify to me that I'm not straight. It made me more confident in my sexuality.

The last thing you remember dreaming about: Oh my god I had the most fucking disgusting nightmare I have EVER had, like I am not even going here, just know I was losing my fucking mind in my sleep.

The last place you went: Medical building to get blood taken today; in exactly a week I'm seeing my endocrinologist again for updates.

The last time you held a baby: When my three-year-old niece literally WAS a baby.

What’s the scariest video game you’ve ever played? I think the OG Outlast was truly an incredible and very good horror game (I also just hate chase sequences, they ramp my anxiety up so bad, and the game loves those lmao), however a horror game I just straight-up can't play is SCP Containment Breach just because of the damn jumpscares, they are SO fucking intense and I REALLY hate how loud and sudden they can be with one specific enemy. I tried the game once and it's just not for me, but I love watching let's plays of it.

If you had the chance to slip through a portal, despite being unaware of any of the effects and/or consequences, would you do it? No, too risky.

When someone copies you, are you more flattered or annoyed? I mean I suppose this depends, but if you're talking about copying my own creative ideas, I find that very annoying and disrespectful.

Which is worse: Stale chips or flat soda? Stale chips. While I don't prefer flat soda, I'll still drink it; I can't do really stale chips.

What health problems do you have? A whole lotta mental stuff that I just don't feel like listing off, severe hypothyroidism, essential tremors, sleep apnea (supposedly what's responsible for my nightmares/terrors, which are on their own a massive problem), hyperhidrosis, low blood pressure, high cholesterol, very severe xerostomia (just the technical term for dry mouth), gastrointestinal issues, acid reflux so severe I have to take an antacid daily, and I'm still rebuilding muscle from atrophy in my legs. I qualify as obese and that comes with its own set of problems; some of those, I've already listed right here. I also carry inactive MRSA, but it's not an active infection or anything.

Do you believe shoplifting is ok in some circumstances? I will never fault misfortunate people who "steal" necessities to fucking survive. They shouldn't be REQUIRED to do that to fucking live.

Have you ever had an anaphylactic reaction to anything? No, thank fuck.

Do you have sensitive skin? Yes, I have bad dry skin.

What would you name a baby boy? I think Damien Vance, but idk, I'm not super dedicated to a hypothetical son's name.

What would you name a baby girl? So long as she'd have my current partner's last name, I'd be very hard-pressed for Miquella ("me-kell-uh") Lynn.

Do people's rude comments bother you for a long time? Yes, they basically never leave me.

Name three things you find boring. Sporting events, politics and economic talk, and waiting at doctor's offices and similar locations.

What excites you? Seeing animals I don't normally see, making an artistic thing I'm proud of, and anticipating a good surprise. Emphasis on KNOWING it's a good thing, anticipation over things that may be negative is a very bad experience for me.

Would you send your kids to Sunday school? You'd have to fucking kill me before I let anyone put my children through that. I grew up forced to go to one and it did me ABSOLUTELY nothing but harm.

What is the most interesting biography you have read? Well I've only read two biographies in general: Ozzy's autobiography and then one by Joe Berlinger that had to do with Metallica and the making of a specific film involving the band. Honestly the one by Joe was IMMENSELY boring to me, despite reading the whole thing just because at the time I was very into the band. Ozzy's was great though, he's such a fuckin goof that censors NOTHING and when he dies he's legally obligated to take me with him.

Do you think your life story would make a good book someday? I mean I suppose it could, with how much resilience and clawing up a mountain you've kept slipping down has been required throughout my life. It's not gonna be super action-packed or with a thrilling plot, but hey, I didn't give up lol.

Do you buy art for your walls? Mom actually will be for me once she gets some bills taken care of; we spent a bit of time looking at room decor for the remodel of mine, and we did pick out one of those three square panel pieces of art that's gonna go above my headboard. It's super pretty, and nature-based of course.

Would you ever decorate a room with a travel theme? No.

What insects do you think are pretty? Butterflies, moths, mantises, dragonflies, colorful and glossy beetles, blue hornworm larva, and there's certainly more.

Do you love God? No, I don't love abusers.

Is there an ice cream flavor that you strongly dislike? Which one? That I know of, I really dislike strawberry; I love strawberry sherbert, but not straight-up ice cream.

Do you own any books with an image of a cat on the front cover? lol oh boy my Warriors book collection still exists in storage...

Does anything you own have an image of a bird on it? Yeah, my planner involves lots of fruit and bird imagery. It's very possible there's more stuff.

Does anyone you know own a spaniel? How about an Irish setter? I don't know about right now, but my Teddy boy's mom was a cocker spaniel, and Dale was also half cocker spaniel.

[childabusesurvivor]

Thoughts After Watching "Shiny Happy People" - The Duggars Documentary

New Post has been published on https://www.childabusesurvivor.net/reviews/2023/06/05/thoughts-after-watching-shiny-happy-people-the-duggars-documentary/

Thoughts After Watching "Shiny Happy People" - The Duggars Documentary

We made it a point to watch the Netflix series Shiny Happy People this past weekend. If you’ve not seen it and don’t want spoilers, stop reading, though I will also point out that most of what you’ll see is aa behind the scenes look at things that have already been out in the public.

If you aren’t familiar with the Duggar family, they were the center of the TLC show 19 Kids and Counting. The parents belonged to a church that followed the religious doctrine of having as many kids as possible, with the goal of raising the next generation of fundamentalist believers who will lead society into being a Christian society.

The documentary contains a lot of interviews with people who were close to the family, including one of the daughters, who have since become estranged. Jim-Bob’s sister, a cousin, former close friends, etc. are all interviewed as well as other former members of similar churches who followed the teachings of Bill Gothard.

There is a lot of discussion, obviously, of the abuse charges against Josh Duggar and how the family, the church, and TLC handled that situation but that simply opens the door to a larger discussion of sexual abuse claims made against many, many leaders in the church, inclduing Gothard himself.

After watching all four episodes this was the obvioust take away for me. Many of us were shocked by the accusations against Josh Duggar but what this documentary makes clear is that this was bound to happen. It was really only the tip of the iceberg. The entire structure of Gothard’s plan for raising kids is setup to create abuse. Wives should be strictly submissive to their husbands, children to their parents, and everyone to the church leaders. Questioning is not allowed. Having any influence from outside this structure is not allowed. Kids are home-schooled using materials written or approved by Gothard. Kids who do not happily obey their parents are beaten until they become that child. Wives are simply an extension of that same thought-pattern, if your wife doesn’t submit enough, beating her in the same way is acceptable.

My point here is that even if we assume a father has only the best of intentions going into parenthood, there will be abuse. They will be teaching their children that abuse is proper when the other person is supposed to submit to you. So, as an older male in the family, what else could a teenage Josh Duggar expect from his younger sisters? They were supposed to submit to him and with the hyperfocus on any kind of sexual temptation, including the importance of females to not tempt males as opposed to males being responsible for their own gaze, it’s not at all surprising that there was sexual abuse in that family.

Frankly, I’d be surprised if there are families living in that structure who haven’t had some form of sexual abuse on top of the obvious, and condoned, physical abuse.

As one of the children who grew up in this church environment said, it’s the elephant in the room. If you spend every day hearing about how your sister should dress modestly so that you don’t think about your sister’s boobs, eventually you’ll spend a lot of time thinking about your sister’s boobs. It’s not healthy, and the interesting thing is, given what we learn about the people who created this curriculum, clearly they were struggling with their own lustful thoughts and actions, and many of the rules were about finding someone else to blame for them.

The fact that they then went and broke all the rules they set for other people also shows the impossibility of having absolute power over another person. The desire for that level of power is evil in itself.

How overarching is this submission? Jinger Duggar and her husband share that even after becoming an adult, and having to star in a spin-off in an attempt to keep making money from the show even after the allegations against Josh became public, she never got paid. All money from TLC went to her father, who controlled the money for all of the kids and his wife, even after they became adults. This is all supposedly normal according the their beliefs. She was abused by her brother, forced to talk about it in TV interviews and say that she forgave him and that it wasn’t a big deal, forced to subject her own marriage and newborn children to a life of reality-TV, even forced to film her own 60+ hours of labor, and never got paid for any of it.

And yet, she’s the only one of the Duggar children who appears in this documentary. She, apparently, is the only one who has left the church system that the family lives under. It may be easy to wonder why. Why have the other kids stayed in this environment? Worse yet, why is Anna, Josh Duggar’s wife, still waiting for her husband to get released from jail when he’s been found guilty of child abuse and possession of child abuse imagery? As one of the interviewers explained, what else is she going to do? She was raised to be a wife and have kids for the man chosen for her, and told that man was Josh Duggar. She has no knowledge, or skills, to do anyhing other than that.

Maybe that’s the saddest fact of all. The goal is not to raise smart, creative, children. It’s to raise obedient children who will do only what the leaders want them to, and the loyalty to the church leaders, parents, and husbands is so complete that abuse victims pale in importance compared to the belief system. Nothing else matters.

Sadly, as much as we might want to point at TLC, Bill Gothard and everyone else involved in those church teachings, the Duggar parents, etc. we also need to acknolwedge just how often this same scenario plays out. Abuse in other churches by leaders and priests? Kept quiet for years. Abuse in sports? Abuse in the Boy Scouts? Abuse in Hollywood? Heck, abuse in our own families? How many times have victims of abuse been encouraged to kept quiet to protect the reputation of the system they were abused in?

As shocking and dark as the details of the Duggar family and their relgious beliefs may be to many of us, it shouldn’t surprise us at all that they were so many people with a vested interest in the show, the religious organization, and the family were encouraged and even forced to gloss over the reality of what happened. If you’re shocked that anyone would go to such lengths to hide child abuse and ignore victims, you simply haven’t been paying attention. It goes on everywhere, and I hope the more cases like this one that we can bring to light, the more we’ll start to understand how horrible this is.

#Abuse, #Family, #Hope, #USA