#to the extent of my ability and access

[chicago-geniza]

One of many reasons I feel a profound affinity with Stefania is that she started out studying science and instead became a polyglot who studied art but retained her interest in/knowledge of biology and chemistry and applied their heuristics as metaphors to describe the properties of emerging artistic media, like film in the early 1920s

[butnobodycame627]

sorry I'm rewatching su and once again I'm a little mad about Peridot. like I love this show this show it great but where is my disability rep whyyy did you get rid of her limb enhancers whyyy did you give her powers. those were disability aids please 😭😭

[too-much-tma-stuff]

Finally Getting Help (prt 6)

Masterpost

The Wayne family gathered in the family room once Alfred was done setting up the projector, somehow there was also a plate of cookies and a couple pots of tea on the coffee table. How he’d found the time they didn’t know, he always seemed to be doing just a little more than should be possible but they didn’t question it. 

Jazz seemed nervous as she plugged in her USB and accessed the power point on Ghosts and Liminality. The tidal page had a picture of Danny in his Phantom form standing with a group of others, a boy with gray skin and blond hair, a girl with green hair and skin, and a goth with purple eyes and a dark skinned boy who looked around Danny’s age, and Jazz with the title “Ghosts and Liminals!” 

The next slide had simple text: “What are they and How are they made?”

With each slide she read the text on the screen allowed and then added any context or anecdotes she thought of, or had prepared. 

(Next slide)

Ghosts:

Made of ectoplasmic energy and obsession

Made either:

when someone dies with strong enough desires

An idea gains enough traction to take on a life of its own

Immutable concepts and gods

Must be allowed to indulge in obsessions or they will cease to exist

All have basic abilities such as flight, intangibility, invisibility, and minor shape shifting

On top of basic abilities most will have additional powers based on their obsessions

Immortal unless killed 

Love to fight

Liminals

Made when a human is exposed to high levels of ectoplasm for prolonged periods of time

Have some ghostly traits 

Ghostly traits vary person to person

Less susceptible to human illness and injury

“The ghosts on the picture are Kitty and Johnny, we’ve had problems with them but would consider them friends now. They’re the ghosts of two humans who died, but there are others, Vortext for instance is the ghost of Storms. Those ghosts who come from ideas are called ‘neverborns’. There seem to be almost an infinite number of ghosts, however not all of them are interested in having anything to do with us so we tend to get the same faces showing up a lot in Amity.

“I don’t know how many liminals there are. I thought they might be new with my parents' research but as I look into it more I think there are more natural sources of ectoplasm then my parents thought.” Jazz explained before going to transition to the next slide.

“I have a question-” Bruce started before Jazz hushed him. 

“Wait till the end please! I might answer it without you having to ask,” She scolded, and he felt very much like a schoolboy again as his children snickered.

(Next slide including a image of the glowing green viles in the Fenton’s lab and a glowing green crystal)

Ghost biology 

Ghosts do not have any recognizable organs or bones

The only solid part of their being is their Core which is the source of their ectoplasm 

Any injury to a ghosts form not done directly to their core is considered minor and will heal

A healthy ghost is fully capable of mending any damage including removed limbs in a matter of hours or days depending on extent of the injury

All injuries not including the Core are considered minor 

Ghosts are considered young for at least the first hundred years of their existence and are often not considered adults until nearly 500

A caveat to this is ghosts are heavily driven by emotion and will often be the age they feel they are allowing ghosts to mature much more quickly, or more slowly

When this is the case ghosts are treated as the age they present and behave

Ghosts reproduce by shaping ectoplasm and Wanting a child badly enough

“Believe me it was incredibly scary the first time I saw Danny in his ghost form have something go right through his stomach. It took him a long time to convince me it wasn’t a big deal and it barely hurt. He does have to make sure he repairs the damage Before turning human again though or the damage can transfer over and I don’t need to tell you a hole in the gut is a lot more serious for humans!

“If I’m honest I only know ghosts that have stayed younger then they really are, for instance Youngblood who’s a few hundred years old and could be well on his way to adulthood if he wanted but has remained a child. I assume it can go the other way though, if a ghost is very mature for their age.”

Ectoplasm 

Ectoplasm is the energy that makes up all ghosts and the Ghost Zone itself. All ghosts can feed on the ectoplasm around them as well as produce their own by indulging in obsessions. The ghosts Cores produce the ectoplasm like a brain produces neurochemicals when exposed to the right stimulation.

Ectoplasm is a powerful source of energy but unstable. When it is stabilized into an ecto-crystal it is more stable and can be used as a power source safely by ghosts and liminals.

“Most ectoplasm is green like you see in the pictures. But it isn’t the only colour, some other ghosts produce different colours and it is highly tied to what emotion drives them. When it’s pure it usually smells like petracore but it can get pretty foul.”

(next slide)

What are Obsessions

Every ghost has one or more obsessions

They can be very literal things such as boxes, or ideas and emotions such as Love

In rarer cases they may have dual obsessions

Unlike for humans obsessions are very healthy for ghosts

Ghosts need to indulge their obsessions

Sometimes the way ghosts indulge their obsessions might seem evil, however it is almost always just amoral 

Obsessions shape every part of a ghost from their powers to thier physical appearance, to befriend a ghost you Must understand and aid their obsession

In very extreme circumstances a ghosts obsession may shift, sometimes this is healthy, more often it is a result of extreme trauma

“With my interest in psychology this was sort of hard for me to accept. From the outside the way ghosts obsess seems really unhealthy but it’s what gives them life. When not allowed to indulge in their obsessions ghosts will dysregulate and go to extreme lengths to try and get their obsession, if that doesn’t work they either go dormant if their core is still healthy enough or they will melt. 

“Ghosts change their obsessions very rarely, I’ve heard of it happening as they heal. For instance once a ghost has gotten revenge for themselves, if that was their obsession, their obsession might shift to avenging other people, or even protecting them so they don’t need to be avenged.”

(Next Slide)

Ghost Culture

The Ghosts have a monarchy

The title of the Ghost King is not hereditary but passed through trial by combat

Under the monarch is a council of being known as Observants, and powerful and old ghosts called Ancients 

Ghosts respect strength and value power and cunning in combat a lot

Ghosts bond with each other through combat and play fight with family and friends often

“I have down that the ghosts are a monarchy, and technically that is true but the current Ghost King was a tyrant who was locked away thousands of years ago. I’m sure as soon as someone shows up who’s powerful enough to beat him his court will be happy to pick up where they left off with a better King, or queen, though I don’t think the title has to change based on gender.

“I really can’t stress enough how violent ghosts are! Because nothing short of having their cores shattered can kill them, play fighting for them can look Very Much like a murder attempt to a human. A lot of the issues we’ve had with ghosts have come from them just not understanding quite how fragile humans, and for most of them they feel really bad once they know they actually Hurt someone by shooting them. It’s really best for everyone when they’re kept separate and Ghosts can happily tear each other apart in peace.”

Liminals

The result of long term low level exposure to ectoplasm, sudden high doses are almost always deadly

Liminals Can have almost every trait a ghost can, usually having a combination of a few

Commonalities between liminals include

Minor cosmetic changes such as: glowing eyes, pointed ears, and/or sharp teeth 

Increased stamina, strength, and aggression

Increased obsessive behaviour

Liminals sometimes develop powers shaped by the strength and type of obsession 

“Most of the people Danny and I know are liminals. I don’t want to talk about them in case they don’t want to be outed so I’ll talk about myself and my parents. We all had prolonged exposure after all. My ears are pointed,” She said brushing her hair back so they could see them, “And Danny is a little more then liminal but even in human form he has fangs. 

“My parents didn’t realize it but they could to the point they could subsist on their obsession without needing to eat or sleep as often as a regular human would. About a year ago I started developing the ability to tap into and feel other peoples emotions, I can feed on them a little too but I try not to because the Worst ghost we met did that and I don’t want to be anything like her.”

(Next Slide)

In conclusion

Ghosts are not evil even though sometimes their actions are hard to understand

Never get between ghosts when they’re fighting each other but it’s usually safe to yell at them to remind them not to break anything

Never get between a ghost and their obsession

Don’t drink ectoplasm unless you know you’re already liminal

“I have a feeling the section about liminals will be familiar to a bunch of you. I know Damian is liminal though I don’t know how he was exposed to ectoplasm and some of you,” Her eyes skirted across Tim and Bruce. “Are toeing the line. You’ll probably notice Damian and Danny getting really close, and they might get in some really vicious looking fights. I promise Danny is playing at least.”

The family was left silent for a moment, Bruce knew he was thinking about Jason. Who had died, been exposed to.. What certainly seemed to be something like Lazarus water and come back, obsessive, aggressive, and emotional. He wished he’d had this powerpoint a long time ago. It helped understand Damian too but mostly he was thinking about Jason. He needed to reach out again, maybe meeting Danny would be good for Jason?

“So uhhh, ya, that’s the end of the powerpoint?” Jazz said, shifting from foot to foot in the awkward silence. “Any questions?”

Next

[oretskov]

◜𓇼　₊  SHE'S A... MANEATER!

( applies to my titans, dc comics & x-men dr )

"the blood you spill is the blood of kings," seethed dunyasha. "you are not fit for such a gift." inej raised a brow and slowly wiped the blood of kings on her trousers. — six of crows, leigh bardugo.

⠀⠀𓇼⠀⋆⠀⠀hemokinesis is the power to manipulate blood. users can freely create, shape, control, and manipulate blood and they possess complete control over blood, an essential body fluid in humans and other animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. the user possesses complete control over blood and all its components and is theirs to freely control. sound familiar? why, our beloved vigilante, who you may know by many names — bloodlust, vampira, pey — is the harbinger of ichor.

curious to know more? here's an in-depth explanation of what exactly she can and can't really do. it's the real scoop — unbeknownst to the public and some of which she doesn't know she possesses either !

⠀⠀𓇼⠀⋆⠀⠀key — [ ✦ takes a lot of energy, hard to do / ✿ undiscovered ]

BLOOD INDUCEMENT — she is able to induce bleeding in herself and/or others, either inflicting bleeding wounds or causing them to bleed heavier than they would otherwise.

BLOOD ATTACKS — she can release/use blood to attacks of various shapes and/or intensities, either projected, used as a part of melee attacks, etc.

BLOOD CLOTTING — she has the power to stop herself or others from bleeding. ✦

BLOOD CONSUMPTION — she can absorb the blood of others for either sustenance, offensive, defensive, or regenerative purposes.

BLOOD FIELD PROJECTION — she is capable of controlling her blood to such as the extent of expanding a certain amount of blood to be controlled externally, effectively creating a field around her to manipulate as she pleases. ✦

BLOOD GENERATION — she can generate blood, whether by drawing from already existing blood, or by manifesting it from anywhere she wants.

BLOOD MARIONETTE — she can use blood to control the motor functions of others against their will as if they were a marionette.

BLOOD MEMORY — she is able to access memories and information stored in their blood or the blood of others. ✦ ✿

BLOOD SOLIDIFICATION — she can solidify or give solid-like properties to blood with the level of solidity going from loose jelly to metal-like hardness or beyond.

BLOOD STOPPING — she can stop the blood flow of herself and/or others with variety of effects, from stopping wounds from bleeding to paralyzing an opponent.

BLOOD REMOVAL — she can remove the blood of herself or others, which could lead the target to confusion, unconsciousness, death and other symptoms of blood loss.

DEATH INDUCEMENT — she can kill anyone and possibly even anything using varying means, either instantly, slowly over time, after certain conditions are met, or after a certain period of time has passed. may be induced by touch, at a distance, simply willing it to happen, or by performing a certain ritual.

EMBOLISM INDUCEMENT — she is able to cause an embolism, the obstruction of an artery.

HAEMOKINETIC CONSTRUCTS — she can turn blood into different forms and objects of varying detail and permanence, ranging from simple shapes and images, to individual elements, substances and materials, to functional items such as tools and weapons, to more complex creations such as living or non-living entities, entire structures and even environments in certain cases.

HEMOTOLOGY MASTERY — she is a master of hematology, the branch of medicine concerned with blood, blood-forming organs, and blood diseases. this enables her to treat diseases that affect the production of blood and its components, such a blood cells, hemoglobin, blood proteins, bone marrow, platelets, blood vessels, spleen, and the mechanism of coagulation, as well as determine dna evidence related to blood, such as mutations and the like. with this ability, she can prevent blood-related diseases and injuries from happening and/or getting worse. ✦ ✿

INTERNAL RUPTURING — she can inflict internal injuries, such as rupturing internal organs, on target. this may not leave any outward sign of damage with the exception of blood coming from the orifices. this allows her to damage targets who are invulnerable to external physical damage.

PARALYSIS INDUCEMENT — she can immobilize the target completely or partially, causing them to be left without movement and sensation. making motor functions and muscle movement unavailable, the victim may freeze on the spot or crumple to the ground.

PREHENSILE BLOOD — she can make her blood move and use it to hold/manipulate objects like a limb, to attack opponents, to burrow into objects or living objects to usurp coordination.

SERUM MANIPULATION — she can create, shape, and manipulate serum, defined as the liquid, clear component of blood that does not play a role in blood clotting. ✿

UNCONSCIOUSNESS INDUCEMENT — she can induce a state of unconsciousness onto others.

BLOOD ABSORPTION — she can absorb blood, while removing it from the source, into her body and use it in various ways, gaining some form of advantage, either by enhancing herself, gaining the drained power, using it as power source etc., either temporarily or permanently.

BLOOD AURA — she can release and surround herself in/with blood for defensive and/or offensive purposes. the auras may also give her enhanced physical capabilities such as speed, strength and durability. ✦

BLOOD CLONING — she can create clones of herself, others and/or objects by using blood. ✦

BLOOD EMPOWERMENT — she becomes stronger, faster, more durable, etc. when she comes into contact with or are near blood, possibly unlocking abilities related to the affinity and enhancing her existing powers. she may be able to draw sustenance from the blood or even slow or stop aging. medically, blood is a valuable fluid for the right properties can heal and strengthen the terminally ill. she would not only gain greater sustenance from blood, but be compatible with types outside her own category or even species. ✿

BLOOD LINK — she possesses a link to somebody/something through her blood. this could allow her to know each other's locations, share in other power(s) or other capabilities.

BLOOD MIMICRY — she can transform her body completely into blood. her transformed form is anatomically identical to her normal form, aside of being made of blood, in which case it contains all to organs and is somewhat vulnerable to attacks. alternately she can transform into homogeneous matter, without any part of her form being more important than the other. ✦

BLOOD OXYGEN MANIPULATION — she can create, shape and manipulate the blood oxygen of herself and others, allowing her to regulate and lower/raise its levels. she can raise the blood oxygen to increase strength, speed, reflexes and stamina. she can lower blood oxygen to cause confusion, fainting, or even death; or raise blood oxygen to cause induce oxygen toxicity to others.

BLOOD PORTAL CREATION — she can create portals using blood, whether her own or that of others. ✿

BLOOD PRESSURE MANIPULATION — she has complete control over the blood flow of herself and others, allowing her to enhance her own strength and speed via increased oxygen and nutrient transferal. she can increase or decrease the blood pressure, induce heart attacks in other creatures by blocking the flow of blood to the heart, causing the body and/or face to redden, or reverse the flow of blood, causing body function to fail and the victim to die.

BLOOD PROPULSION — she can propel herself through the air for a short or moderate amount of time using blood.

BLOOD SENSE — she has the ability to sense the awareness of the circulatory system allowing to detect the presence of drugs, alcohol, other substances in a subject's blood.

BLOOD SUGAR MANIPULATION — she can create, shape and manipulate the blood sugar of herself and others, allowing her to regulate and lower/raise its levels. she can lower blood sugar to cause confusion and lower energy, or raise blood sugar to cause death via diabetic coma.

BLOOD FLOW VISION — she will have the ability to see all major and minor veins of any living being. she can even see them through inanimate objects like trees, concrete, clothes, and so on. ✿

BLOOD TELEPORTATION — she can teleport/transport between any two large enough concentrations of blood. in addition the power can be used offensively by bursting out of the person at the exit point, hurting them. ✿

BLOOD TRANSMUTATION — she can transform matter and objects, including living beings, into blood. ✦

BLOOD TYPE MANIPULATION — she can manipulate the blood types of herself and/or others.

BLOOD WEAPONRY — she can create or wield weaponry with power over blood, which grants her a wide variety of blood-based abilities. this ability is not only specific to mystic weapons, but also technologically advanced weapons. the power of the weapons depends on what they were created for or what level of blood-based ability she possesses.

BRAIN MANIPULATION — she has complete control over the brains of herself and others, including senses, the conscious, subconscious and everything the brain controls. due to this she is able to perform a series of functions; autonomic, or involuntary bodily functions, somatic, or voluntary bodily functions, and cognitive, concerning the use of the mind to solve problems. ✦ ✿

HAEMOKINETIC COMBAT — she is able to utilize blood with her physical combat, creating weapons or tools, enhancing her own abilities or directly manipulating her opponent's blood.

HAEMOMANCY — she can employ divination, a method of reading the future, the present and the past and/or provide help to a problem at hand by using an occultic, standardized process or ritual. divination can communicate with the supernatural or read certain patterns. ✿

HAEMOPOTENT REGENERATION — she can regenerate herself using blood as a medium, with the amount of used blood defining the speed of healing. ✦

HAEMOPOTENT REPLICATION — she can use the special abilities of others using the subject's blood as a medium either by touching, ingesting or simply being near it. this can be temporary, possibly depending on the amount of blood utilized. ✿

ORGANIC COMBUSTION — to trigger internal/external incineration via bloodwork.

THERMOVARIANCE — to boil targets blood.

[dixons-sunshine]

Come Back To Bed | Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

(GIF by @daryl-dixon-daydreams)

A soft, quiet yawn escaped your mouth. You wiped the sleep from your eyes and placed your hands on the counter, your gaze landing on the coffee maker that you had started up a few seconds prior. Coffee—that was another luxury that came with your stay in Alexandria. You hadn’t realized the full extent of your love for coffee until the ability to make yourself a cup of coffee in the mornings was ripped away from you. Now that you had access to a coffee maker and coffee, you weren’t about to take the delicious liquid for granted ever again.

You were waiting for the coffee maker to finish up, contemplating what you were going to make for breakfast when you felt a pair of arms encircle your waist, a warm body pressing up against your back, a face nuzzling into the crook of your neck. You didn’t even have to look over your shoulder to know who it was. However, you still did, and you were pleased to find your partner pressed up against your back.

You smiled and placed your hands over his. “Good morning, handsome,” you greeted him, chuckling when he simply grunted in response. “You sleep okay?” You simply got another grunt as a response, eliciting another chuckle from you. “You want some coffee?”

“Nah,” he voiced, finally doing something other than making noncommittal grunts. “I don’ want coffee. I want ya to come back to bed. I ain’t ready to for the day yet.”

This was a pleasant surprise for you. You’ve known Daryl since the early days of the outbreak, dating back all the way to the quarry. He was always the first person up in the mornings and the last person to go to bed at night. He was always rearing to go, to make himself useful. You couldn’t think of a time he had ever wanted to sleep in. This was a side of the archer you had yet to see.

“I can’t,” you began in an apologetic tone. “I have to switch with Glenn for my watch shift soon.”

“He can wait,” Daryl grumbled into the skin of your neck, his arms tightening around you. “Can’t even count how many times he’s been late for somethin’ jus’ ‘cause he was busy with Maggie. He’ll jus’ have to understand.”

You giggled and shook your head, leaning forward to switch off the coffee maker. “I can’t do that, Dar. It’s not fair to him to have to stay longer than what was agreed. You can stay in bed longer if you want to, though.”

“Like hell it ain’t fair. Seems pretty fair to me. And I want ya to come back to bed too. Don’ sleep well without ya there.” Daryl lifted his head from the crook of your neck and spun you around in his embrace. From your new position, you could better appreciate the view of your partner. He was sporting an old, faded Metallica t-shirt with a pair of flannel pants. His hair was messy and you could clearly see the sleep still present in his eyes. He looked rather appetizing, in your opinion. “I don’ care whether or not Glenn throws a hissy fit if yer late or not. Yer comin’ back to bed. S’way too early to function right now.”

“It’s almost 8am.”

“Exactly.”

You shook your head and stepped out of Daryl’s embrace. “I’m sorry, Dar. I can’t.”

A few beats of silence passed. “Then ya leave me no choice,” Daryl finally spoke up again.

You barely had a chance to process his words. You were hoisted up off the ground, your body being laid over your partner’s shoulder. You yelped and laughed simultaneously. “Daryl! You can’t just���”

“‘Course I can. I jus’ did,” he cut you off, patting your rear end once as he descended up the stairs to get to your shared bedroom. “Yer comin’ back to bed. Thought I already mentioned that.”

You knew there was no point in arguing with him. When Daryl sets his mind to something, you knew there was no point in trying to talk him out of it. You’d just have to apologize to Glenn later, and as Daryl placed you down on the bed and clambered over to lay down next to you, holding you tightly from behind, you realized you definitely weren’t about to get out of bed again soon.

And the cup of coffee you were busy making yourself stood long forgotten on the kitchen counter.

[celaenaeiln]

Dick Grayson's talent for manipulation literally brings the world to its knees.

Part 1 post

My absolute favorite trait about Dick aside from his craziness is his ability to control every single person in existence. The best part is, he's so clever in the way that he does it that people almost never notice.

Bart Allen

"Oh! Ahh..you're trying to get my DNA sample. You need my spit! Ha! That's such a Dick Grayson thing to do."

Bart knows!! Dick's brilliantly sly okay. Honey catches more flies that vinegar? He takes it so far that breaks he the ceiling with it because by the time he's done, people don't even know they've been manipulated. And if they do, then what can they do about it? He always wins.

With friends and family he does it to make them feel better without being so overt and discomforting them.

Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis

Jon came to him when he was feeling lost and upset and Dick set up the perfect conditions to encourage him and pick him up. He's just so good at doing what he's doing but he does it for all the right reasons.

But the extent Dick can go trick and manipulate someone is off the charts. A virtuoso.

In a Titans comic, Dick literally spent MONTHS acting depressed and weak after Donna, Wally, and Garth were kidnapped to another dimension by a villain just so he could trick the villain into thinking that his career was over and bring him into the same dimension so Dick could take him down.

He fooled everyone.

Teen Titans: The Silver Age TBP 2 Part #1

"Batman taught me how to be a totally convincing actor! So if the only way you could send me here with your ring was if I filled my brain with evil thoughts, I just faked it! My facial expression was pure evil-but my mind remained pure good." MONTHS.

He planned, pretended, and calculated every single fiber of his own mind and body until the whole world was fooled by his acting. He tricked an interdimensional being who had psychic access. That means he was so extraordinarily manipulative, he can control his own thoughts inside his head to trick someone else. Voldemort's legilimens has nothing on Dick's talent.

Like Bart, sometimes his allies are aware of this like with Selina-

Gotham City Sirens Issue #23

Selina's literally having a mental breakdown trying not to fall for Dick's manipulation and tricks.

But even if they know he's manipulating them, they still are forced to fall for it anyway.

Gotham City Sirens Issue #23

"Damn it."

Like a goldilocks mad scientist - he does it just right.

His acting is just so on point that he outschemes the schemer.

When the Crime Syndicate (Superwoman, Ultraman, Owlman, Power ring, etc) arrive on Earth to take it over when Dick is Batman, Dick needs to do something fast. But to make things worse, there's a being that's so powerful, that both the Crime Syndicate and Justice League combined have a snowball's chance in hell of defeating him.

So what does Dick do? He runs the game.

Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52

Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52

"Of course he had a plan the whole time. He's Batman. He always has a plan."

Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52

He tricks everyone.

Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52

And in the end, the Justice League wins and Dick saves the world.

Justice League of America (2006) Issue #52

I love how they characterized Owlman as a snake because that would make Dick a mongoose since mongoose eats snakes. And do you know what Mongoose represent in folklore? Action, adventure, boldness, fearlessness, impulsiveness, independence, optimism, rebellion, resistance, resourcefulness, speed, adaptation, agility, quickness, intelligence and wit. All characteristics that define him.

He plays the world like a chessboard, always five steps ahead.

He always has an ace hidden up his sleeve.

His thoughts are always masked behind a disarming smile.

He has mastered the art of manipulation.

And that's while he's outright fighting. His subtlety is just so seductive.

Take a look at the way he smoothly evades answering in this panel -

Grayson Issue #9

He's so smooth. She's constantly on the watch but she instantly fell head over heels for his charms in a half a heartbeat, that's just how good he is.

Grayson Issue #10

He's a master manipulator who knows exactly what to say and how to act to always end up winning.

It's seriously such a shame that one of his greatest skills and talents isn't talked about more because this man?! Flawless.

He's the spy everyone on TV wishes they could be. He's the type of spy people read about in history books and marvel at the ease, grace, and legendary story he leaves behind. He's the spy that everyone knows and dreams of in their fantasies.

Nightwing (2016)

And oh how they so are.

He can just get people to do whatever he wants.

There's a reason why Batman's only contingency plan against Nightwing is "Let's hope he fucks up." Because with his intelligence, skill, power, charisma, and raw talent - he's goddamn unstoppable.

[hexgirl13]

yours to consume

wc: 1,718

summary: idk dean is lowkey a sub and has a hot vampire gf

warnings: cussing, mentions of blood, dry humping, poorly written spicy scenes 🥀

a/n: I MEANT TO PUT THIS OUT WEEKS AGO </3 but life has been so busy so here it is now.. also this is my first attempt at something relatively smutty so if it's bad i'm so sorry 😭 ANYWAYS SUB DEAN SUPREMACY !! hope u guys love it 🖤🖤 thank u @dollyfetti for the inspo go read her story as well !!

if you ever told dean winchester, infamous monster killer, that his girlfriend was a vampire, he would have laughed right in your fucking face. but as he laid beside you on your shared bed, head resting on your chest, he wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world. his ear was right above your heart, and if you weren’t technically dead, he’s sure that he would hear it beating. and even though he was completely sprawled across your cold body, he'd never felt warmer.

the tv was playing old reruns of dukes of hazzard while rain quietly fell on the motel windows. when you, dean, and sam came to rent motel rooms, before either you or sam could get a word out, dean immediately asked for two seperate rooms: one for you and him, and one for his geeky brother (his words, not yours). neither you or sam were really complaining because it gave him some quiet time to himself, and got him away from all the lovey dovey shit he had to witness on a daily basis. and you didn’t mind because it allowed you and dean to just be. 

you already hid yourself so much from the world, besides sam and dean, and it was moments like this where you felt like you could be your true self to your full extent. it also gave dean the ability to almost fully submit to you. he didn’t need to dress up and play pretend as the big, bad hunter everyone assumed him to be. he could strip all of that away, hunter clothes included, and melt into your touch. laying atop you while you drag your blood red nails through his hair, and down his neck. if you weren't a vampire, he would’ve assumed you were some kind of witch that casted a spell on him for him to be so enamored with you. either way, though, he didn't care. he was grateful to have someone like you in his life.

you were dressed in an old rob zombie tee that you cut up, exposing the top of your upper chest and collarbone. the top of dean’s head nuzzled into the crook of your neck, ashy blonde hair tickling you as he did so. you could feel your eyes slowly begin to droop, not because of lack of sleep, but because of hunger. it had been a couple of hours since you had fed on any animal or cadaver blood. all of your blood bags had been run through and you wouldn’t have any access to more until tomorrow. you could wait it out, but you didn't want to risk the weakness that would follow. there was a long stretch of road that you could probably kill a few deer to consume, but you hated doing it to such innocent animals. you'd much prefer going to the local bar and killing a few sleazy men you knew nobody would miss. yeah, that's what you'll do.

you gently shook dean’s arm, trying to get him off you. “baby, i gotta feed soon,” you said. he just grumbled and shoved his face farther into your chest. “i just got comfortable,” he whined.

“i know, honey, but i gotta get ready so i can go down to the bar. i’ll only be gone for an hour. tops.”

he shoved his face into your neck, breathing you in. slowly he began to kiss at your neck, gently nipping at it. “c’mon, baby… you don't gotta do all that.”

you let out a breathy laugh, before a small moan slipped out when he licked at the sensitive spot beneath your ear. “i have to feed somehow, de. i’m all out of blood bags, remember?”

he continued his attack on your neck, now kissing up the column of your throat. “so?” you could feel his smirk against your skin.

“what do you mean ‘so’?” you asked, fisting his short hair in your grip to pull his face from your neck.

and boy, oh boy, this man fucking whimpered at that. sure, he was a little (lot) more submissive than most would assume, but it would still catch you by surprise when those tendencies would slip out during activities outside of the bedroom. “i mean i’m right here, baby.” you can have me.

his words caught you by surprise, making you drop the harsh grip from his head. trailing your nails down the side of his neck. “de, i don’t know… we’ve never done that before. what if it goes wrong?” every time you fed on someone, it was because they were already dead, or you had every intention to kill them. and dean didn’t fit into either of those categories. the last thing you ever wanted to do was to hurt him.

as if he could sense your worry, which he probably could, he rubbed his hand up and down your arm. “you’re not gonna hurt me, baby. i want you to do it. i need you too. i trust you,” he whispers, like it's a secret shared between only you two. “are you sure?” you whispered back.

“positive, sweetheart,” he replied.

you push yourself up to lean your back against the headboard, sheets pooling around your exposed legs. dean’s hands rubbed up and down your legs as he slowly crawled up your body to cage one of your thighs between his legs. he didn’t put his full weight on you, even though he knew he wouldn’t crush you. his hands settled on your waist as his eyes met yours. “don’t think about it, baby. i promise i’ll be okay,” he murmured. you just nodded your head, before leaning forward to capture his lips.

the kiss started off sweet and slow, breathing all of him in. but the second he bit down on your bottom lip and slipped his tongue past your lips, you groaned, tasting him in your mouth. your nails dug into the skin of his biceps, drawing blood. he hissed against your mouth and dropped his head into your neck. leaving the side of his neck on full display. you could feel the hunger pooling in your belly and spread throughout all of your body.

“just… tell me if it begins to hurt, okay?” you whispered. he nodded.

in an instant, your fangs were on his neck, and his blood was flowing into your mouth. his sweet taste was consuming, and you couldn't even get enough. dean’s eyes fluttered as you sucked his neck, soft mewls and whimpers escaping him. his blunt nails dug into the meat of your hips as he attempted to ground himself. “f-fuck, baby… keep going. please, keep going.” he tilted his head to the side, attempting to give you some more access. your hand that wasn’t on his bicep came up to rest on the side of his neck, stabilizing him.

you moaned against his skin at the taste of his blood flowing into your mouth. it was so… different from all the rest you've consumed. once you started, you were afraid you weren’t gonna stop. just a little more, you thought to yourself. you adjusted yourself on the bed, making dean fully sitting atop your thigh. dean moaned at this movement, tugging at the ends of your shirt. you weren't wearing anything underneath it besides a pair of lace, black underwear. his eyes dropped to them and he could’ve come right there on the spot.

he slowly began to grind against your soft thigh, the friction of his boxers and your skin stimulating him perfectly. you could feel this, obviously, and smiled against his neck. pulling your fangs out of his neck, you didn’t go far. blood trickled down from the two small hole shaped wounds, and you stuck your tongue out to lick it up. one long stripe from the base of his neck to the underside of his jaw. the ball of your tongue piercing was ice cold against his warm skin, sending a shiver down his spine. he shook against your thigh and bit down on his bottom lip to quiet his whimpers. 

your manicured thumb released the sharp bite he had it in, thumbing at his lip. “c’mon, sweet boy… you don't need to be doing that. it's just you and me,” you whispered. his tongue licked against the pad of your thumb, tasting himself on your skin. he groaned and moved his head to take your pointer and middle fingers into his mouth, eyes completely shutting as he licked his blood clean from your fingers. you pulled yourself away from his neck, watching as he sucked on your fingers and moved hurriedly against your thigh.

only you could ever see him like this. only you ever got him like this.

“there ya go, baby…” you cooed. “couldn't even help yourself, huh?” he moaned and nodded around your fingers, eyes fluttering in response.

your free hand rested on his hip, slowly guiding him. you pulled your fingers from his mouth with a pop, a string of his spit connecting them to his lips. he whined and chased after your fingers, and those sounds sent straight to your core. you leaned forward to capture his lips against yours. it was a heated and hungry kiss. teeth and tongue clashing against each other. your fangs grazed his bottom lip and he immediately opened his mouth wide, letting you slip your tongue inside. the second he tasted your spit mixed with his blood, he let out a shaky moan and ground himself one last time against you, before coming.

he dropped his head onto your shoulder, sweat slicking his forehead. his body shook as he took heavy breaths. “oh my god… i think i nearly blacked out,” he mumbled.

you laughed softly, pushing some of his hair back and kissing his forehead. “you feeling okay?” you asked. he nodded. “i’m more than okay, sweetheart.” he lifted his head to look at you, his handsome face graced with his usual smirk.

“de… what are you planning?” you questioned. he sat upright and moved further down your leg, before gently pushing you and your hips down. “i gotta take care of my girl now. my turn to feed on you,” he murmured, gently kissing your thigh. and who were you to ever deny him?

[wordsfrombudha]

😘 Moon Men in Relationships 🫂

In my previous post, we looked at how Moon men move in the world. Now, I would like to discuss how these men present in their relationships. I would really like to get deep into the psychological and behavioral patterns of these men to establish a clear framework for how to identify and navigate relationships with them.

Moon men tend to play multifaceted roles in their relationships and social dynamics, effortlessly adapting to different contexts and the people around them. This fluidity makes others feel "safe" and desired in their presence, drawing them in for comfort and validation without the Moon man needing to assert anything directly. As they navigate these interactions, they often adopt a quiet, seemingly naive demeanor, allowing others to underestimate and project onto them while they subtly maintain control and insight into the situation. This unassuming presence naturally places them at the center of social groups, where they become mascots or muses, quietly inspiring the ambitions of those around them. Without fully grasping the extent of their effect, they absorb the emotional projections of others, who attach their meaning, longing, and desire to the Moon man. Over time, this emotional magnetism turns them into a vessel for others’ hopes and insecurities, often leaving little room for their own inner world to be seen or acknowledged.

A good example of how this looks is with Jack Twist in the movie Brokeback Mountain. Jack is passive and soft-eyed, emotionally available in a way Ennis isn’t. He appears innocent and naive, but he’s keenly aware of what he represents to Ennis as he notices him being drawn in to Jack's allure.

Another role Moon men play is that of a passive facilitator of intimacy. They don’t actively try to create emotional connections, but they find themselves in emotionally charged situations regardless, platonically or otherwise. The behaviors that lead to this are usually intense eye contact, casual touching, probing-type flirting that still has an air of innocence, secret-sharing, and "accidental" touching/closeness. This is operationalizing their ability to connect and make others feel seen, even if they don't consciously realize they are doing it. They create comfort and desire by acting as they naturally do, which can easily be interpreted as an invitation, like a shower taken in the same hotel room being misconstrued as a prelude to sex. This unintentional intimacy leaves people confused, yet more intrigued, drawn to the Moon man’s enigmatic nature.

A good example of this is Jack Reacher in Reacher. Jack Reacher facilitates intimacy with his female costars without trying. His casual demeanor, powerful presence, and gentle quietness make people feel seen and safe, drawing them in emotionally. His unintentional closeness, like sharing space or physical proximity, often leads women to project longing and meaning onto him.

There are several key distinctions that set moon men apart from others. The first thing we need to do is realize that Moon men are not Sun men. If you are familiar with Sun man archetypes, then you probably picked up on a more than a few similarities in the examples I gave in my previous post. However, even though many of their behaviors may appear the same from an external vantage point, moon men are operating with different goals and intentions compared to Sun men. Like moon men, sun men are sometimes seen as the "masculine ideal," but their actions are different. For example, a sun man might steal to challenge unjust societal norms, but a moon man will steal for the fun of it and because it can grant them access to a higher quality of life. Moon men are much more hidden about this compared to sun men. When sun men challenge social norms, it is almost immediately noticed because it is obvious. Moon men are better at keeping a lower profile.

To see some examples...

Sun Man:

Moon Man:

The sun is much less sensual and externally oriented than the moon. The sun is content and fulfilled by itself, and it is more of a courtesy that they engage with others when they are stirred from their place of settled inner peace/stagnant happiness. The Moon, on the other hand needs others. They can project self-sustainability, but it is a farce. They exist on the bridge of duality. The Sun represents the aspect of spirituality likened to bodhi or enlightenment. In contrast, the Moon represents the aspect of spirituality known as bhakti or devotion/love for the divine. Enlightenment is achieved by going within the self and discovering a sensation of oneness and unity with all, while devotion is the process of approaching the divine as the dearly beloved devotee. Instead of seeing oneself and the divine as one, a person must surrender to the divine as an other and seek a connection of intimacy with personhood of a specific deity. In the context of moon men and devotion, they are the ones who require surrender and, in return, will bless those who do.

They do not want to be admired from a distance. They want to be adored up close, obsessed over, immersed in. They are not content with impersonal respect. They need emotional entanglement and attachment. A moon man wants to be glorified. But like a personal deity, they are illusive, never fully present in the way you want them to be. You might catch glimpses of them now and again, moments that feel profound and sacred, but they vanish just as quickly. They reveal just enough to keep you reaching and professing your love. The closer you think you are, the more you realize you have no idea who they actually are. This is not an accident. Moon men curate their mystery. They thrive on being longed for, and they do not want to be fully understood. They prefer to be imagined rather than known, loved as an idea rather than as a flawed person. And yet, paradoxically, they invite incredible intimacy. They will let you confess your secrets, cry in their arms, project your hopes and fantasies onto them. They will take it all in without resistance and reflect it back, perform it, feel and experience it for themselves. But when the moment comes for them to actually be honest about what it is they want, they will either retreat or shift the conversation. Not because they are cold, but because they are not built for full exposure. They are built to be worshipped from within a fog. This is why Moon men are so good at creating dependency. They don’t dominate through force but through suggestion and a presence/attention whose absence is felt even more strongly than their presence. And unlike Sun men, who may walk away once their work is done, Moon men linger and haunt. They return when you least expect it. They want to be worshipped, but no one ever said they wanted to be worshipped by only one person. They have enough to give to many different people at the same time.

An example of this is Tom Ripley from the film Plein Soleil. Tom Ripley is the ultimate, albeit darkly exaggerated example of a character who thrives on casual intimacy, admiration, and emotional worship without ever fully reciprocating or committing. His relationships are manipulative, and he draws others to him through his charm and mysterious nature, allowing them to project their desires and affection onto him. Tom is highly attuned to the emotional needs of others, and he draws them in by being emotionally available just enough to make them fall in love with him. Ripley thrives on being desired and admired by others, but he never fully gives himself over to those who admire him. He is elusive, presenting just enough of himself to keep people intrigued and desperate for more, always subtly maintaining control over his interactions and ensuring that he remains the object of desire, even going so far as to attempt to redirect worship for other people towards himself.

What moon men want is to be someone else's number one, while that someone else is their number twelve. Their sensual nature makes them addictive, and at times, polyamorous in energy even if not in behavior. So, in a world that prizes the singular, the Moon man struggles to fit the mold. He is looking for multiplicity, for the ebb and flow of attention, the fleeting moments of intimacy that he can offer to many, all while being praised for it.

This search for variety and for connections that are rich but not necessarily permanent sometimes leaves the Moon man feeling misunderstood. He does not want to be tied down to one path, one person, or one idea. His heart longs for the freedom to experience the depth of many lives, many emotions, and many connections without the burden of being confined to a single role. These men want to be deeply connected to multiple things and people at once, but the modern world doesn’t offer him that freedom. It demands clarity, exclusivity, and a kind of emotional ownership that feels stifling to someone who thrives in the fluidity of more fanciful relationships. It is kind of a compromise. Yes, they can have intense pleasure and interaction with multiple people, but they will usually have to give up the depth of connection and intimacy in the process. As soon as they might start expressing deeper feelings, the other individual will take that as a sign of exclusive commitment, which is not what moon men want. They want casual intimacy with many.

The gif above is of Gavin Leatherwood in the Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He plays Nick Scratch. If you haven't seen the show, I won't spoil anything, but Nick is a textbook example of a Moon man. I wasn't able to talk much about it in my first post because I ran out of room, but moon men are deep into fantasy, magic, the occult, and mysticism that deals with some kind of material manipulation, including sleight of hand, illusion work, and sorcery/science mixed with magic. They also love a good mind-f*ck along with some kind of "big reveal." I think the best examples of this are the movies The Prestige and Now You See Me.

This is what they want, but it is rarely what they get. When they cannot have it, they begin to feel lost and hollow. They have to compromise. Do they choose fickle pleasure seeking or a deeper connection? I don't think there is a universal answer to this. It is kind of up to the individuals and their choices. However, I have personally noticed a tendency for them to choose the deeper connection once they have gotten bored of shallow interactions. That said, I have also noticed many times when they do choose deeper commitments, they will eventually revert back to older habits that have at that point become novel to them again.

Moon men attract people who crave to be seen and adored in a way that feels all-encompassing. These people are dreamers and romantics, people who have longed for an intimate emotional connection that is accompanied by passionate physical ecstasy. Many come from emotionally neglected backgrounds, having never fully felt seen or understood by others. They view the Moon man as a safe haven, a place where they can finally be vulnerable and loved in return without having to compromise on the passion. What draws in most people is the physicality of the moon man. They notice his sexual allure, and in paying attention for long enough, his ability to embody a divine masculinity that is sensitive, creative, and soulful. This tenderness, combined with his magnetic presence, is captivating and intoxicating to those who long for a truly intense and fantastical relationship. But the truth is, in these types of relationships, the moon man tends to become a receptacle for the unfulfilled longings of others. At first, he seems like the perfect answer to their desires, providing a space where love and connection feel pure. However, this is mostly just a projection. No one is perfect, and moon men specifically are definitely far from... They may represent perfect love to wishful eyes, but projections can only last so long. Eventually, the illusion fades, and the real, imperfect nature of the Moon man becomes clear. They start to feel betrayed and like the relationship has been one-sided. This is when relationships are tested. The projections dissolve, and the Moon man’s complexities and contradictions become harder to love and understand. The challenge for the moon man is to navigate the balance between being seen for who he truly is and dealing with the constant pull to be adored for something unattainable.

I think the most perfect rendition of how this looks, capturing even the most subtle of nuances within this dynamic, is the show Normal People. From the beginning, Marianne is portrayed as someone emotionally neglected, both at home and socially. She craves not just romantic connection, but an all-encompassing, transcendent intimacy, someone who sees her fully, emotionally and physically. When Connell shows her tenderness, vulnerability, and physical passion all at once, she becomes deeply attached. He becomes her safe haven, someone who not only satisfies her longing for affection but also offers a kind of spiritual connection without demanding she perform or change. Connell is quiet, introspective, emotionally attuned, and deeply sensitive. His presence is soothing but elusive. He doesn’t assert his value or ask for attention, which only makes Marianne want him more. She reads his silences and softness as proof of depth, and she projects onto him the fantasy of a love that can finally make her feel whole. This projection is mutual at times, but more so from her side. In certain ways, she experiences him as a symbol of salvation juxtaposed with the forbidden nature of being with someone of a different class. But as their relationship progresses, Connell’s emotional complexity, stemming from his depression, his struggle with communication, and his occasional detachment, begins to crack the illusion. Marianne starts to feel like she’s giving more than she’s receiving, and that he can’t give her the intense consistency she craves. Still, even after they part ways, she continues to idealize him. When they reunite, the bond is always emotionally intimate and deeply physical, but there's still an air of yearning, as though she’s trying to recapture something she used to have that was never fully hers to begin with. Connell, the Moon man, becomes a vessel for her unresolved longings. She sees divinity in him through his quiet loyalty, his aching eyes, and his ability to be both soft and strong. But he can never quite hold the image she’s built of him. And yet, his presence lingers. He haunts her, not just because of who he is, but because of what she projected onto him. This is the quintessential essence of a moon man in relationships—to be longed for as a fantasy, and to be mourned even while still alive.

This theme of forbidden and corrupted romance is common to moon nakshatras, I think. Probably the most iconic and well known example of this is the story of Romeo and Juliet, written by moon man, William Shakespeare.

So what draws a moon man into a deeper connection? It is simple, really. When people constantly throw themselves at these men, glorifying them without any effort, they are drawn to people who don't give them that right away. I kind of like to think of how moon men function in relationships in terms of a traveling points system. They will stay with a person long enough to maximize relationship/love points with them, then they will leave. Most people will be easy to get full points with. They will be the ones to initiate everything and coax the moon men into a romantic interaction. But there is not commitment with these types of flings. It is when a person refuses to give the moon man any initial affection or adoration that he gets drawn in. Moon men can win pretty much anyone over with enough time, but when there is initial resistance, it takes them longer to accrue "relationship points." With these people, accruing points requires a commitment and depth others don't. These people aren't initiating anything with the moon man because they don't want anything from him. So, if they wait long enough, the moon man will fold in on his own desires and start pursuing and trying to initiate instead. And this is very unnatural for moon men as they are not used to being told no or even used to feeling this way about another person. They start to think this person could be their soul mate because they are feeling new things and acting completely different, falling all over themselves to shower someone with their complete attention and commitment, trying to gain devotion out of a person who isn't inclined to give it. Suddenly, they have to work for what they want, and that keeps them around and draws them in closer, becoming all the more intense. When moon men set their mind to getting something, they do not stop until it is theirs. When it comes to most people, he will not acknowledge them or express his passion until they first shower him with their love and affection in a way that is very direct and almost desperate. But when it comes to those who care less about his carefully cultivated surface exterior, they are not interested in doing that. They want something deep, something real, and this appeals to the more hidden side of a Moon man. This is what they want, deep down, but they are nonetheless conflicted about it because it is only one side of who they are, contradicting the many other identities they possess.

So who are these people that illicit depth and bring out the hidden side of a moon man? They are not loud or obvious. They do not chase him or try to impress him. Instead, they remain still... detached. They hold something ancient in their eyes, something he cannot quite explain that sucks him him. These are Ketu women. While others beg for his attention, they turn away. And in that turning away, they pull him in. He cannot charm them the way he charms everyone else. He cannot predict them or control the way they see him. They are immune to the surface. And because of that, he cannot help but want to show them more. With Ketu women, he feels exposed in a way that is both unsettling and intoxicating. They do not mirror his light back to him like others do. They reflect nothing, and in that emptiness, he is forced to confront himself. Not the image he crafts, but the person beneath it. The one who feels too much, who wants too much, who hides behind masks of ease and allure. Ketu women are not interested in what he can give them. They do not need his attention to feel worthy, and they do not collapse under the weight of his moods. They remain untouched. Yet, their presence shakes him more than any lover’s devotion ever could. They draw out the part of him that longs to surrender, not to a person, but to something vast and unknowable. It is something he cannot control or possess.

But this is where the conflict begins.

Because Moon men love the chase but not the commitment, they are drawn to the ones who do not want them. They come alive in the pursuit, in the struggle to be seen by someone who seems immune to them. And yet, if the Ketu woman eventually turns toward him, if she finally lets him in and loves him back, that is when he can start to slip. The hunger that once made him vulnerable can turn into fear. The need for stimulation returns, and he begins to wonder if he's given too much away, if he's lost the upper hand. Old patterns creep back in. The charm, the games, the need to be admired by many. He may begin to resent the depth that once thrilled him, because now it feels like it demands more than he is ready to give. It can start to demand more of his attention, all of his attention to the point of requiring singular focus, which is very difficult for them. The stillness that once drew him in starts to feel suffocating. He is torn between the longing to be known and the fear of being claimed. This is the paradox of the Moon man and why so many times they end up alone. He wants to be undone, but only on his terms. He wants to be seen, but not trapped. And so, even in love, he remains divided, caught between the safety of illusion and the raw truth of intimacy.

The movie Cruel Intentions is a perfect fit for this because Sebastian Valmont embodies the Moon man who thrives on charm, control, and emotional entanglement. He glides through social situations with ease, always the one in charge, always the one being wanted. But then he meets Annette, the Ketu woman. While others fall easily under his spell, Annette remains calm, detached, and morally grounded. She refuses to play into his games. This resistance fascinates and unravels him. He cannot manipulate her like the others, and that lack of control exposes his deeper longing to be truly seen. Her stillness becomes a mirror he can’t escape. She doesn’t reflect back the image he wants her to see. She sees through it, and because she is immune to the surface, he finds himself wanting to show her more. Her presence pulls out the parts of him that feel too much, want too much, and hide behind carefully curated masks. But once she begins to return his affection, the illusion starts to crack. He begins to fear the very thing he thought he wanted. The game is no longer fun. It becomes too real. Too intimate. Too vulnerable. His fear resurfaces, and he retreats into old patterns. He pulls away, not because he doesn’t care, but because the emotional depth threatens his control. Annette doesn't need him, and that shakes him more than any kind of devotion ever could. Loving her requires surrender. Not just to her, but to the parts of himself he has tried to avoid. And in that surrender, he risks being claimed, trapped, and forever changed. Sebastian wants to be known, but not if it means losing his sense of freedom. He wants to be adored, but not confined to one person’s love. The closer he gets, the more it slips away. This is the Moon man’s curse: to be drawn toward depth, yet terrified of being consumed by it.

Nowhere is this dynamic more striking than in friends-with-benefits relationships, which often become emotional limbos for Moon men. Unlike other men who might compartmentalize sex and affection, the Moon man blurs the lines until there are none. What begins as playful intimacy or a casual arrangement of shared comfort and physical proximity can quickly spiral into a strange, emotionally charged sexual ambiguity. Moon men excel in these dynamics because they are built for ambiguity. They are able to be present without promise, tender without commitment, intimate without definition. They can make their partner feel like the center of the universe during a single night and vanish into silence the next day. And yet, they don't see this as cruelty. To them, it is the natural ebb and flow of intimacy. But to their partners, especially those who are more linear in their emotional expectations, it can feel like whiplash or what people like to call "love bombing." These arrangements rarely stay casual. Moon men often unintentionally awaken strong emotional attachment in their partners through the sheer intensity of their presence. And sometimes, they fall victim to this intensity themselves. What starts as light and easy morphs into something far more complex: yearning, possessiveness, unspoken feelings, a hunger for something deeper but without the language or structure to hold it. The FWB becomes a proxy relationship that offers the intimacy of a relationship without the defined expectations. For Moon men, this space is simultaneously intoxicating and unsustainable. They thrive in it until they don’t. Eventually, the ambiguity collapses under its own weight. At that point, Moon men are faced with the choice to either retreat back into aloof detachment or dive deeper into vulnerability. Some will leave. Others will cheat. But a few, usually the ones touched by someone whose mystery rivals their own, might finally choose to stay and to love in a way that is more honest, even if it’s still messy. Because even the moon, as elusive as it is, sometimes desires a home in someone’s sky.

Some examples for this are the movies Friends with Benefits (fitting, I know) and No Strings Attached. In Friends with Benefits, Justin Timberlake's character, Dylan, captures the moon man friends-with-benefits dynamic well. At first, his connection with Jamie (Mila Kunis) is casual and fun, with no strings attached. Dylan's emotional depth and magnetic presence create an intimacy that blurs the line between physical connection and emotional involvement, leaving Jamie feeling seen and cherished without the expectation of commitment. However, as the relationship deepens, Dylan's natural ability to make Jamie feel like the center of his world intensifies her attachment, even though he remains emotionally distant. The ambiguity of their arrangement is intoxicating for both, but as feelings grow, the relationship becomes unsustainable. Dylan, much like a typical Moon man, is torn between his fear of losing his independence and the pull of true emotional intimacy, struggling with the conflict between wanting to be adored without being trapped. Eventually, he must confront the reality that even in the most casual relationships, the desire for deeper connection will inevitably emerge, forcing him to choose between retreating into detachment or embracing vulnerability. Then, In No Strings Attached, Ashton Kutcher’s character, offers warmth, emotional presence, and intimacy without commitment, blurring the lines between affection and detachment. His emotional availability contrasts with Emma's resistance to deeper feelings, creating the classic ambiguity of a Moon man relationship. As the casual arrangement becomes more emotionally complex, Adam, like most moon men, struggles with the tension between wanting more while fearing emotional entrapment. This dynamic captures the Moon man's pull between intimacy without structure and the eventual realization that true connection requires vulnerability, making it a perfect example of how Moon men navigate emotional ambiguity.

That said, there are very few people that can completely fulfill them. And this segues into my next point. Moon men are by nature bisexual. I don't mean that in the sense of there being a fixed ratio for how much they are attracted to both men and women, but more so that their behavior, their magnetism, and their emotional and sensual openness does not restrict itself to one direction. For example, even if a Moon man is only attracted to the idea of being with men sexually, he will still flirt with women. He will still kiss them, still crave their attention, still want to be seen and adored by them.

Perhaps one of the most complicated dynamics Moon men provoke is male rivalry. Straight men can find themselves simultaneously resentful, envious, and longing of a moon man, who seems to possess the things they desire, whether it's attention, charm, a subtle power over others, or just an intangible appeal. This rivalry is imbued with sexual tension, a complicated psychological mix of wanting to be the Moon man or, in some cases, wanting to possess him. This creates a push-pull dynamic, where the Moon man becomes the object of obsession, not only from women but also from men who both admire and loathe him.

As a side note, a good way to figure out who a moon man will engage the most with is to see how how much a man or a woman asserts onto him. For example, Rahu nakshatra natives are drawn to pursue moon men, and because they are more aggressive, the moon man will assume a more submissive role.

There is something in moon men that wants to be everything to everyone. He doesn’t like closed doors. He doesn’t like saying no to experiences that could bring him adoration, wealth, or pleasure. His sensuality is responsive rather than being fixed. He might sleep with someone he’s not even that attracted to simply because the moment felt right, because there was a certain look in their eyes, or because he wanted to feel chosen in that way. Gay moon men tend to carry this strange dynamic where they still perform for women. They still want to be beautiful to them, to be wanted, even if they will never return the desire in the same way. The same applies to straight moon men wanting the attention of other men. Even though they don't necessarily want to sleep with men, they are still drawn to male attention and still flirt with it in their own way. They want to be admired by everyone. They want to be desired by everyone, envied and yearned for in more ways than one. A Moon man thrives on the emotional charge that comes with being the object of desire. Sometimes it’s not about sex at all. It’s about the tension, the fantasy, the potential. They like being the dream or the unreachable thing that everyone tries to possess but can't. This creates a complicated pattern where they can unintentionally lead people on, or keep relationships in a state of emotional limbo, because they crave that dynamic more than the resolution. Moon men often live in the realm of “almost.” Almost touched. Almost confessed. Almost real. It gives them control and distance, while still allowing them to feel connected. This emotional ambiguity is part of their nature. And it’s also why they’re so hard to forget.

I think some really good examples of how this looks is Brian Kinney in the show Queer as Folk and Oliver in Call Me By Your Name. Brian Kinney is a perfect example of the Moon man. He thrives on being desired by everyone, regardless of gender, feeding off the emotional charge that comes from being admired, even when he has no intention of returning the feelings. Though he is openly gay, he still performs for women, still flirts with them, because he wants to be seen as beautiful and irresistible. His sensuality is responsive. He sleeps with men not always out of desire, but because he wants to feel chosen in the moment. With Justin, he exists in a constant state of emotional limbo, offering passion without promise, intimacy and passion without clarity. He lives for the fantasy, for the tension of being almost loved and almost known, because that space gives him both connection and control. Brian is unforgettable not because he gives love freely, but because he offers just enough to keep people dreaming.

Oliver fits the Moon man mold in a more subdued but equally potent way. He, too, moves through the world wanting to be adored. His charm is casual, his beauty effortless, and he soaks in the gaze of others like light on water. He flirts without always meaning to, makes everyone feel like they matter, and stays just out of reach. With Elio, he allows himself to be drawn in slowly, responding more to Elio’s openness than initiating his own. Oliver’s sensuality isn’t fixed. It’s tied to context. He may not always know what he wants, but he knows when he’s wanted, and he leans into that feeling until it becomes real. The relationship remains undefined for most of the film, filled with longing, ambiguity, and moments that hover on the edge of something deeper. Oliver gives Elio passion and tenderness but withholds certainty. Even when he loves, he does not stay. He disappears, not out of malice, but because ambiguity has always been his native language. Like Brian, Oliver lives in the realm of almosts—almost together, almost forever, almost said. And that, more than anything, is what makes Moon men unforgettable: they leave others forever wondering what might have been.

Link to Call Me By Your Name Trailer

But this moves into my next point. Who are those who can truly fulfill these men? Other than multiple women, the only ones who can really satisfy them are sun men. Sun men are everything moon men can't be: stable, centered, inwardly fulfilled. They do not need to impress. Their presence is unwavering, grounded in a sense of self that doesn’t rise and fall with the tides. This frustrates and attracts the Mmon man all at once. For once, he cannot create the emotional weather. He cannot stir the sun man, and that stillness and unshakable self-possession becomes a kind of subjugating force. They do not need him, and that’s exactly why the moon man is dethroned in their presence. But unlike Ketu women, sun men don’t demand his total surrender. They don’t test his loyalty or push him to break open his soul and reexamine his morality; they simply exist with steady self-assuredness. There’s a gentleness to the way sun men hold space that allows the moon man to soften. He does not feel like he must perform. He does not feel like he must unravel. And this creates a kind of intimacy that sneaks up on the two of them. Where Ketu women peel him open with silence, sun men warm him with stillness. They are firm, but never forceful. They don’t demand transformation, but they inspire it anyway. He finds himself changing around them without knowing why. He becomes quieter, less chaotic. He listens more and begins to reflect on his own desires instead of chasing stimulation. The beauty of the sun man’s presence is that he doesn't need the Moon man to stay. He doesn’t try to trap or bind him. There is no pressure to settle, no expectation to commit or fulfill any particular role. He allows the moon man the freedom to move as he wishes, to chase the excitement and stimulation he so craves. And yet, the moon man is drawn to him because, despite the freedom, the sun man is not indifferent. He sees him. Where others may be caught in the moon man’s whirlwind, trying to control or match his emotional energy, the sun man remains unwavering. He doesn’t glorify the moon man in the way others might, constantly trying to cater to his desires or amplify his sense of power. Instead, he embraces the moon man for exactly who he is, recognizing his depth without the need for praise or adoration. This nonchalant acceptance provides the moon man with a sense of security that he rarely gets elsewhere. For once, he is loved and acknowledged not for his charm or his endless emotional spectacle, but simply for being himself. In the presence of the mun man, the moon man can be vulnerable without fear of being exploited or judged. The sun man does not require the moon man to live up to any idealized fantasy.

And in return, the moon man gives him something just as rare.

He stirs him, awakening something hidden within the sun man that might otherwise remain dormant. With his ever-shifting moods and magnetic presence, the moon man breathes life into the sun man’s steady stillness. He adds color, sensation, movement. The Moon man brings the emotional depth, the poetic intensity, the subtle chaos that coaxes the sun man into feeling more, sensing more, being more and experiencing more than he usually allows himself to. It is a relationship of mutual illumination. The moon man reflects the light of the sun man back to him in ways he has never seen himself. And the sun man gives the moon man something stable to reflect, something that does not disappear when the night is over. Moon men also attract mentor-mentee dynamics, where older or more powerful figures are drawn to "raise" or possess them. These relationships are often paternalistic, but charged with layers of desire and projection. The Moon man may become the object of intense admiration and longing, as these figures seek to mold or possess them, adding complexity and tension to the dynamic.

This dynamic also exists in extra-romantic forms. There is a subtle air of kinship between Moon men, including other Moon men, and Sun men. When they come together, especially in groups, there is a boy band quality to their energy, a natural rhythm where each man plays a role, yet the connection and loyalty to one another runs deep. Their bond has a magnetic pull that others notice but cannot quite explain. They joke, they perform, they move as one, but beneath the surface is an unspoken emotional contract. Moon men recognize each other’s softness, even when it's masked by bravado or style, and Sun men act as a grounding force, radiating warmth that keeps the group coherent. Their intimacy goes beyond friendship but does not require romance. Moon men are often the "glue" that keeps groups emotionally bonded. Their natural attunement to the moods of others make them excellent at soothing rifts, absorbing envy, and maintaining harmony within the group. They play an important role in preventing emotional breakdowns, sometimes without even realizing the extent of their influence. This affective labor makes them indispensable to those around them, but also leaves them vulnerable to being taken for granted, as they give without receiving a lot of the time. They also become very jealous and angry if people are not taking their suggestions seriously.

The Beatles are a striking example of what happens when multiple Moon men come together in one group. John, Paul, and George all carried strong Moon energy in different ways. Paul was the peacemaker, emotionally attuned and eager to preserve harmony, often taking on the invisible labor of holding the group together. John, more brooding and chaotic, used irony and rebellion as shields for deep emotional sensitivity. George was the quiet soul, contemplative, inwardly emotional but not showy. He often seemed like the one least invested in fame, and yet his stillness carried immense emotional weight. Even Ringo provided a stabilizing, good-humored presence, offering the kind of dependable emotional support that kept the others from unraveling. Together, they created that classic Moon-man group rhythm: performative and playful on the surface, deeply bonded and emotionally volatile underneath. They laughed, joked, fought, cried, and loved each other in ways that felt more like a family than a band, with complex layers of jealousy, admiration, dependence, and unspoken affection. That’s the boy band effect, multiple Moon men creating a kind of emotional constellation.

You see a similar group energy in The Maze Runner trilogy. Nearly every core character carries strong Moon traits. Newt is the emotional anchor of the group, being nurturing, tragic, and emotionally transparent even when he tries to hide it. Minho is protective, reactive, and fiercely loyal, with the sarcastic edge Moon men often use to mask how much they care. Chuck is the embodiment of innocent emotional attachment, forming strong bonds quickly and craving connection. Even Gally, with all his aggression, is a Moon man. His need for structure and control stems from fear, loyalty, and a sense of protectiveness over the group. Together, they form a tightly wound unit of reactive, bonded boys whose relationships drive the emotional arc of the series. They move as one even when they fight, and their emotional dynamics often carry more weight than the actual plot. It’s a pure example of how Moon men, when gathered, create groups held together not by hierarchy or logic but by an unspoken emotional gravity achieved through loyalty, kinship, and the fear of being torn apart. I do not know if Thomas is a moon man. I would rather not assume without his birth time, but I do think there is a very good chance of this being the case, given some of the actor's other roles.

Trailer for maze runner

Finally, Moon men have the ability to create loyalty through emotional anchoring. By choosing one person in a group to emotionally anchor to, they create loyalty that can influence the entire group. This ability to form emotional connections with one person at a time, while keeping others in a group at a distance, makes the Moon man a figure of influential power. When they want there to be harmony, they can very easily achieve it.

The example is a lighter representation of everything discussed up to this point. It is Floyd Consoling Branch in Trolls 3: Band Together. The whole movie is about reuniting a boyband, which is very on brand for as many moon men there are in it. https://youtu.be/J_wbyDoF-r4?si=1gQuGKrhuqsJaIxu

In conclusion, navigating a relationship with a Moon man requires establishing boundaries, respecting his need for emotional distance, and being emotionally self-sufficient. Allow him to be dominant without expecting him to initiate, and make him feel seen without judgement. These men are elusive and independent, preferring space, so avoid being overly needy or clingy. Play hard to get and make him jealous when you can to keep him interested. Allow him to retreat when necessary, and engage with him in a way that piques his curiosity without pressuring him for emotional openness. Build trust gradually, but never force him to open up before he's ready. Recognize his attraction to variety and potential struggles with commitment, and set boundaries for what you are comfortable with the understanding that violating them will result in a termination of the relationship. Make it clear where you stand emotionally without confining him. Focus on cultivating your own emotional resilience and avoid relying on his inconsistent attention. Be patient with his contradictions and vulnerabilities, and keep the dynamic light and playful to avoid overwhelming him. By respecting his need for freedom and setting clear boundaries, you can create a balanced relationship.

Ok, that is all for now. Thanks for reading!

[sokamw]

Darth Maul x Reader

Misty nightmare

Summary:

It’s a rainy night on Dromund Kaas and Maul is having nightmares from the torture he has endured at the hands of his master Darth Sidious.

—

Maul removed one hand from your hip, caressing the hand holding him.

“These feelings are tied to me, as my soul is so unyieldingly tied to yours, my love” he rasped.

Hello, enjoy some angst and fluff with Darth Maul on a rainy day on Dromund Kaas. <3

You can also access the story on ao3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65280319

Pit, pat, pit, pat…

A cold breeze flows through you.

The only thing your mind registered was the pitter-patter of raindrops falling on your body.

Huh strange.

These raindrops were so fast.

It’s like they were attacking your skin from all angles without leaving a trace of cover.

Pit, pat, pit, pat…

“Have mercy!”

You startled as your mind perceived a pleading voice crying out in agony.

“Please, please!”.

Shallow breaths fluttered from your lips as you tried fighting this unbearable trance. But fighting it seemed to only fuel the unforgiving rain as it increased by the minute.

Each drop seemed to sink into every pore of your body like fire-

no-

like lightning.

Yes, lightning seemed to be more fitting.

As your mind pondered over the bizarre situation you found yourself in, your thoughts came to an abrupt stop.

What was that?

You processed distant whimpers and cries of pain, but no sound was escaping your throat.

No, that wasn’t you. This voice seemed familiar…

The tapping of the rain increased to an unbearable extent, making you feel like being drowned in endless torment.

You felt yourself reaching your breaking point as the last thing you made out was a distant cackling.

“There is no mercy”-

—

You awoke with a startle, taking gulps of air as if rising from the depths of Kamino’s stormy oceans. The excruciating burn under your skin lingers painfully as if still under the torment.

What happened? You felt disoriented as your bewildered eyes scanned your surroundings. Thin light streaks emitting from the two moons of Dromund Kaas shined through the big glass panels of the quarters you shared with your husband. As your eyes adjusted to the familiar surroundings, you acknowledged raindrops falling outside the window.

The rainfall seemed to cover every inch of the glass, covering it like a heavy blanket made out of cold water. Your thoughts were momentarily drowned out by the white noise reflecting of the heavy storm on Dromund Kaas.

One glass panel was halfway open, letting the smell of chilly dampness in the air creep into the room and filling your nostrils.

But that wasn’t the only thing your senses registered.

As you managed to calm yourself down to the best of your abilities you acknowledged the figure sleeping next to you whimpering quietly.

Not just whimpering.

Maul’s body lay straight on his back. His head was turned in the opposite direction of you, which is why you could only see the ink-filled back of his head. His horns were leaving sharp indents on the fluffy pillow. As you propped up your elbow to muster the situation better, he whimpered again, trashing his head to the other side.

Now you saw how pain-stricken his tattooed face was. His mouth was stuck in a permanent scowl as he breathed heavy, as if something heavy was pressing down on his chest. Abruptly, you pulled yourself up to aid him.

“No, no-���

Your worry increased as he started muttering words.

“Always remember-

mercy is a lie-

always remember-

I am filth-“

You had to put a stop to this.

“Maul!” you called.

“It’s just a dream” you vocalised as you softly put your hand on his right cheek with the caution of approaching a terrified creature barring its teeth.

“Maul! Wake up-“

Pain.

That’s the next thing you felt -sudden and throbbing- as Maul opened his golden eyes and swung the back of his hand at your head, muscle memory taking over.

As you tried to recoil and take control of the situation by sitting up properly, you heard a growl from the depths of his throat.

Maul bounced bewildered on top of you, pinning you by your throat and squeezing hard.

His other hand shot out to summon and ignite his crimson lightsaber, that’s resting dutifully on his nightstand.

Your hands flew to the strong hand choking you and clawing at it as you tried forcing out a sentence. Anything! But only a strangled sound came out of your throat.

That’s when his hand suddenly stilled and stopped squeezing the life out of you.

His bewildered, but oh so beautiful, golden eyes shone brightly into yours. The only sounds that could be perceived were the sharp intakes of breath coming out of the Zabrak above you and the rhythmic humming of his blade as he registered the lack of threat.

“Maul” you muttered weakly.

The red blade vanished into the silver hilt of the ancient weapon he was clinging to.

His shoulders sank as Maul realised who he was fighting. Heavy shame seeped into the marrow of his shaken bones.

His scared expression shifted to one of anger, instinctively processing the shame into deep-rooted self-hatred.

This subtle change did not go unnoticed by you.

The Zabrak retreated as he pulled himself from your body and flopped down next to you.

“Maul?” you called again, with a soft voice.

His only response was turning his whole body so he was facing the opposite direction of you and subtly curling into himself.

Now you were facing his bare, ink-covered back. You felt your heart breaking painfully slow as you saw your husband in this state.

The sheets rustled softly as your body tried closing the distance between you, but not quite touching yet.

The sound of heavy rainfall increased as a lightning bolt washed the room into a sudden white light.

You knew that the roar of thunder would follow in a matter of seconds.

But before the sound could pierce your ears, you saw Maul gently raise his right hand and quietly close the half-open window with the help of the force.

Maul slightly flinched as you gently put your hand on his upper arm. He didn’t draw his arm back or recoiled, letting your touch rest on him. Your pleading whispers broke the silence:

“Please don’t shut yourself off from me. Don’t push me away-“

“Your reaction time is deficient” he bluntly said in his raspy voice.

“I think I managed pretty well. I was just about to put you in a headlock” you joked, trying to lighten the mood.

The effect left much to be desired.

“Maul, look at me” you ordered.

After a moment, you felt him shift and turn around, now facing you.

You were sure you would never get used to how breathtakingly beautiful he was. You silently admired the contours of his crimson face, which was again set in a scowl.

But you could see behind the facade.

His own self-disgust was eating him alive.

“You know I can handle myself, right? It was a mistake, nothing else”

Maul only replied with a humph.

You looked down and took his hand into yours, tracing the black patterns with your thumb. “You wanna talk about it?”

An icy chill crept down your back as you remembered the harrowing dream he must have accidentally projected onto you with the force.

You feel dread form at the centre of your chest as you remember the agonising torture he endured at the hands of his master Darth Sidious.

Maul finally responded with a firm “Talking about it won’t make a difference, but only trouble you more”.

You frowned at him in silent disagreement, moving your body on top of him to straddle his hips.

Maul instinctively put his hands on your waist, holding you tight. The cold feeling of his cybernetic legs under you and the heat radiating off his body comforted you.

Your hand reached out to cradle his cheek, a singular finger brushing the base of the horn near his ear in a soothing gesture.

“You don’t deserve feeling like that, ever. I want to be there for you”

Maul removed one hand from your hip, caressing the hand holding him.

“These feelings are tied to me, as my soul is so unyieldingly tied to yours, my love” he rasped.

You tried ignoring the blush creeping into your cheeks and the flutter you felt in your heart.

“I felt your pain. It was agonising” you sighed.

“My apologies” he gave a quick peck to your hand “I will try to control myself better next time” he genuinely said.

Your heart sank at his words

“No!” you blurted out.

“You’re not alone with this, Maul. I want to help you. My well-being is tied to yours, as my soul is so unyieldingly tied to yours, my love” you cheekily responded, using the same words but nevertheless meaning it with all your heart.

The corners of Maul’s lips lifted up, oh so slightly, in a small smirk.

A small victory.

The corners of your lips lifted into a genuine smile in response.

You leaned down, resting your head into the crook of his neck and feeling his hearts beating. “You’re not alone” you muttered softly as you cradled him. “Ever.”

You basked in the comfort of holding him and feeling his warmth.

“I love you” you murmured, meaning every syllable of it.

Maul wrapped his arms around your body, nuzzling his head into the crook of your neck, careful of his horns.

“I love you too.” Maul rasped in a soft mutter.

Your warmth and comfort soothed his nerves as your breaths evened out, and you drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

—

Thanks for reading :)

[sillygoofyqueer]

Even more thoughts, for you to post if you so choose!

I do love the idea of Shen Yuan having a fancy hair piece with a pin that doubles as a weapon! Just because demon crows don’t have access to spiritual swords doesn’t mean he can’t stab the hell out of you.

For his main weapon, I’m thinking crow demons that can take human form tend to use bows, with the feathers shed by their clan as fletching. (Perhaps demon feathers also grant abilities of some sort to the arrows?)

Looking at the iridescence of crow feathers reminds me of the Chinese tradition of making jewelry with kingfisher feathers. Now I think it would be lovely if the crow demons also had a tradition of fashioning similar jewelry with their own feathers, perhaps treated with solutions and lacquered in a way that brings out even more of their color.

Speaking of colors, while crows aren’t among those birds able to see significant ultraviolet, they are tetrachromats, and thus are able to distinguish colors to a far greater extent than humans. I’m sure his sudden ability to see way more colors than he could in his last life is very perplexing to poor Shen Yuan!

The regular crows acting as an alarm system by cursing and saying spooky nonsense at all unknown visitors is an absolute delight!

I vote that Shen Yuan intentionally never gives them whatever signal that would mark Airplane as a friend, just so they continue to harass the guy every time he comes to visit. 😂

(I’m thinking poor Airplane is trying to set up trade routes for demons, and struggling with the general hostility different types of demons have for one another. Killing interlopers and/or raiding other demons for their stuff is not conductive to trade! It’s no wonder demons lack the arts. Nobody shares anything with anyone, except when giving demon nobles tribute. 😭)

You know, with all the feathers and bird-folks about, the transmigrators probably figure out quill pens. Not sure how big of an improvement they’d be compared to brushes, but they’re at least more like what the transmigrators are used to.

It’d also be funny if all the demon crows and villagers were learning to write simplified Chinese from Shen Yuan, instead of traditional, leading visitors to wonder what the hell is up with this one location’s weird writing system, where half the characters are inexplicably different.

(He probably teaches them traditional too, if only for the sake of reading imported books and things, but simplified is probably faster for personal notes and bookkeeping or the like).

I've always loved when people have weapons in discreet places, so it seemed necessary to dump that onto Shen Yuan because he's the most iconic character ever. Especially CrowYuan as well, it seems like something he'd do just to be safe when it comes to these things - after everything he's read, it's hard not to always be prepared. (Also, a more cheeky reason if I may, imagine Shen Yuan in a sticky situation and he pulls the hair pin out of his hair, now holding a weapon and looking AWESOME as he does it) Also, main weapon as a bow IS MAKING ME LOOOSE MY MIND. Ever since I was little, I've been obsessed with people who use bows (Legolas, Robin Hood, Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, various book characters) and the idea of giving Shen Yuan a bow?? I am dropping to my knees and shaking my fists at the sky. HUZZAAAHH!!! Feathers as fletching is a great idea, almost like a calling card of sorts, as well as a warning. Demon feathers giving certain abilities to arrows is a brilliant idea, such as resilience, poison, increased speeds (useful for high pressure situations where someone has to die before they can be alerted). I'd find it interesting if different demon feathers grant different abilities, and it's almost a norm for these demons to trade feathers! The jewellery idea is absolutely gorgeous and adorable! I was thinking that it could mainly be a crow demon thing, and to have one made for you if you aren't a crow demon is a sign of great trust within the community, a decision that has to be agreed to by at least half of the community! Also, itty bitty angst idea, this jewellery could also be highly sought out because it's gorgeous and its making is entirely a clan secret that is only taught to those within it - so, it's often seen as a spoil of war, a way to brag about a crow demon's death is to wear the jewellery "won" from "battle". Shen Yuan would most definitely be thrown off guard by this wider arrange of colours, often found in the wildest areas of the forest and just staring at everything. At first, he wonders if it's because he's a demon now, but more research (aka, bullying a demon chicken Airplane for answers) shows that it is fact not because he's a demon, but instead because he's a crow. He is both excited that he can see all these colours and fiercely delighted that Airplane can't, because he's a spiteful little shit and I love him. If Airplane comes to visit, he's grown adept to immediately submitting to the harassment of the crows because they soon grow bored of him if they don't get any reaction other than pitiful screaming. (He would highly suffer from trying to set up trade routes as well, lmaooo) OH MY GOD, if Mobei Jun ever comes to visit Bing-ge, he would also be immediately attacked by crows and that is funnier than anything else right now in my mind. His stern face immediately becomes one of absolute outrage, but it quickly becomes confusion when Bing-ge says he can't attack them back because "Shen Yuan would never forgive me" On the idea of feathers as quill pens, that would end up being incredibly useful for them! Perhaps the use of certain demon feathers would be better than others if we go by different demon feathers holding different abilities - for instance, let's say crow feathers hold increased speed, that would be helpful for writing because one would merely need to guide the quill and let it do the rest. However, a demon feather that created a poison effect, let's say chicken feathers, would not be the best for writing, which makes certain feathers more valuable than others for different things! Shen Yuan would be a great teacher, because he knows the traditional Chinese - which is useful for things you previously mentioned - but then he would be able to introduce a whole new writing system that makes it easier to write. This would be especially useful for those who may struggle with the traditional Chinese, because then they would still be able to access writing!! {part seven! part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, and part six!}

[carriesthewind]

Ok I'm not done complaining about this.

The IA's tweets about how "Publishers removed '1984' [and Fahrenheit 451] from our library"! really underscore how to me, their messaging has been more about self-serving performative manipulation than anything else.

They are deliberately comparing the enforcement of existing copyright law against them, individually and specifically, to the wholesale destruction and suppression of knowledge.

The metaphor really doesn't work in this case*, but that doesn't matter. The idea is not to convey a truth, but a feeling of oppression and injustice.

I just checked. I can check out both of those books, by ebook, from my local library. As in, they are available to check out right now.

And that's not true for everyone, I want to acknowledge! There are real access issues, even for popular books like those. And there are absolutely a number of people who only had access to certain in-copyright books because of IA. ...but also, again, because of how IA works, 1) those are also people who already had the ability to access the internet and all the content therewithin (including other resources designed specifically by librarians to get people access books that may be banned where they live), and 2) they still have access to so many other books through IA (and other resources).**

*And just to make it clear - I'm not saying that there aren't a lot of good arguments and examples about how aspects of the current copyright regime are dystopian. But in this context, these specific books are not the metaphors you are looking for.

**They are currently retweeting a bunch of folks from India, and it feels...a bit weird to me, in context. I know literally nothing about access to books and media in India. (I suspect, given the number of people, it is a topic with a great many facets and issues.) But there's something that feels...off to me, about how much they are focusing on the fact that this removed "more than 1,300 banned and challenged books"***, all of which, as far as I can tell, are either English-language books or books that were already published in English. It makes me question to what extent anyone involved in leadership in the IA knows about access needs in India either.

***Worth noting: they are counting each individual copy of a book - so in getting to their numbers, they count Lady Chatterley's Lover, for example, as 38 books removed.****

****Also you can still borrow all of these books from IA if you need access because of print-reading disability. They aren't actually removed and if you were relying on their print-reading accessibility program, you can still use it.

[ckret2]

heya! I've seen how bloated your message collection is so I'm not really expecting this to get a response, but I felt like I should leave a lil vein of silliness nonetheless. idk if it's ever been touched on, but - if given the resources and stovetop/utensil access, and assuming he doesn't immediately decide to do anything nefarious with said privileges - how good would you rate Bill's cooking skills from 'a toddler with a spatula' to 'a trillion years is more than enough time to learn to julienne a carrot like a michelin restaurant chef'? on an unrelated note - I was relistening to some older playlists, and when Spring and a Storm by Tally Hall came on I immediately thought of your fic. Something about the leading voice, the bittersweetness of the rain, and a knowledgeable being the size of a celestial body felt very familiar...

once again, as I sign off - cause i've definitely said it before - absolutely in awe at your work. This fic has absolutely changed my experience of re-entering the fandom. May the burnout curse pass you by untouched.

this is one that actually has some canon hints:

that doesn't necessarily mean he can cook well. But he can cook—and enough different things to fill a cookbook.

Personally I think his ability to cook things HE'D like is about an 8.5, and his ability to cook things HUMANS would like is a 6 when he's trying, and a 3 when he isn't trying. His skills are pretty good; but his palate is alien.

He's willing to treat literal dirt like a spice (and has salient opinions on the taste & texture of different kinds of dirt—we see him talk about the taste of Gravity Falls's dirt in TBOB). He considers poison's effect on the body to be a part of the culinary experience as worthy of consideration as flavor, temperature, or mouthfeel. (And why do humans consider that weird?! Humans voluntarily consume booze, caffeine, and capsaicin—cyanide is just as edible! Once!) Most of his favorite flavors are emotional experiences, and unfortunately for the nearby humans, he DOES know how to recreate those flavors. He considers hallucinogenics/narcotics their own group on the food pyramid. And so on.

Being stuck in a human body would hamper both his mechanical skills (he has more experience telekinetically causing an egg to invert itself than he does with cracking it the normal way) and his patience (why wait two hours for something to cook when this stupid thing needs to eat like every four hours? just crack an egg on bread, microwave it, slather on grape jelly, and dump on fourteen spices). So he likely wouldn't use the full extent of his culinary capabilities. But he has them.

tl;dr: he knows exactly what he's doing in the kitchen, and because of that it can be charged as a premeditated crime.

[duohensheng]

yes he is turning on the full power of his manipulation abilities here but hear me out: the feeling of betrayal is (obviously imo) real

if i were jgy i would be devastated. not just devastated. enraged. zewu-jun barged in here with everyone because he believed jgy had da-ge’s head on a shelf? I’m sorry, ZEWU JUN? BELIEVED?? the depth of the betrayal of that is nauseating to me. what the fuck has jgy ever done for lxc to believe that?? *checks notes* ah yes.. the lifesaving watchtowers.. making sure lwj’s reputation survived wwx.. helped everyone he could at every turn… definitely the marks of a guy that has their sworn brother’s head in his closet. dude. that is HEARTBREAKING.

(I mean, he did. he very much so did have his head in his closet. but for lxc to be willing to believe that????? devastating.)

this is the guy that lxc watched/helped REBUILD THE ENTIRE JIANGHU FROM DAMN NEAR SCRATCH. how many late nights?? how many months of quiet, gentle company at the Cloud Recesses (that he helped rebuild and paid for)??? like, this went on for TWO DECADES. TWO DECADES of night hunts and unwavering loyalty and reading each others’ minds and being each other’s closest person. it’s canon that they tell each other everything. jgy gives no one else earnest, unguarded access like he does lxc* (at the very least, earnest). I understand that lxc is reeling (and that this game only works if played fast, and was organised to give no one time to reflect or think anything through) but HOW is his first reaction not more defensive in a situation as extreme as this?

(I think the answer is that if this is his A-Yao that he knows so well, A-Yao will understand that lxc needs to give everything fair consideration and will honour that/not take it personally. which, in fairness (as proven by the Jade token cloud recesses scene where jgy is saying he’ll make sure lwj’s reputation is safe and gives lxc a chance to see da-ge before burial) he seems to do. soooo lxc gets second chances! good to know)

(cut to jgy asking why he doesn’t get another chance to get things right. why lxc won’t give it to him)

that feeling is… exhausting. even if jgy has been devoted to this man (and highkey the jianghu) body and soul for two decades, his first reaction is still mistrust in a situation like this.

(yeah yeah i know he defends him with wangxian and that he’s mild-mannered and introspective but SIR. this is JGY. WHERE is the outrage)

anyhow. this isn’t me trying to decide whether it’s “fair” for lxc to react the way he did. my thesis statement stands: i think in that moment, after the violent despair of Qin su dying, jgy’s feeling of betrayal at realising the extent of what’s going on finally bleeds through. it’s not just him and his clever words. it’s genuine (justified imo) betrayal

(cut to the fucking 3zun ceremony where they say we will not betray each other)

*not sure if i stand by this (su she??? what about our boy) but that merits a whole post in and of itself

[malk1ns]

february 4 vs devils, 3-2 S/O loss

can't be mad about this one since they were down 2-0 at one point and actually clawed back into a game for once! sid also made it just a scosh more dramatic by getting hurt and then coming back to thunderous applause.

this idea was started BEFORE sid missed practice and is being evaluated for an upper body injury.

Sid can tell as soon as he hits the ice that it’s not that bad.

That’s not to say it doesn’t hurt—it does, his entire left arm is numb from the elbow down and his shoulder is tingling and shocky from the impact, making his vision swoop unpleasantly as he hunches over and makes for the bench with his arm cradled against his chest. But it’s not long-term bad, not rehab sessions bad, not missing games bad, and that’s what matters most right now.

After three decades of abusing his body in the name of hockey, Sidney can tell when it’s impact pain instead of a break or tear, getting your bell rung and not a concussion. He barely needs the trainers and doctors to diagnose him when something is acting up. A few minutes of stretching, maybe some numbing cream and a nice long ice bath after the game, and he’ll be good to go in the morning, if not a little sore.

He tries not to startle too obviously when he feels breath on the back of his neck—no doubt there are at least three cameras pointing directly at him right now. “I’m fine,” he mutters, directing his right elbow backwards as subtly as possible.

The muscular thigh he hits doesn’t so much as budge. “Sit up,” Geno says firmly, pressing at Sid’s low back until Sid straightens, biting hard at the inside of his cheek to keep from wincing. The pain radiating up and down his arm makes him want to curl up into the fetal position under the bench, beneath everyone’s feet where nobody can see him, and yell until it stops hurting.

“Sidney,” Geno sighs, prodding at his shoulder. Sid holds as still as possible, tilting his head to the side to give Geno access. He’s not gentle as he feels along Sid’s arm, and Sid’s sweating from far more than exertion by the time Geno pulls back. “Okay, that’s it, you’re come back with me.”

“What?” Sid exclaims, whirling around and regretting it instantly. “No, man, I’m fine, just let me rest a few shifts, give me some IcyHot and I’ll be good to go.” He sends a pleading look at Sully, who pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stares pointedly down at his notepad—no help coming from there, Sully doesn’t get involved between his players and the head athletic trainer, not even for Sid.

“Either you come back now and maybe I let you play later in game,” Geno snaps, folding his arms and glaring down at Sid, “or I tell Sully right now, you done for game, maybe not play Friday either, too hurt. Which?” He raises an eyebrow.

And, well, if the threat of missing real time wasn’t enough motivation, Geno looking at him like that certainly would be. “Okay, yeah,” Sid mutters, hauling himself to his feet and trundling obediently after Geno.

He can practically feel the air suck out of the whole arena as he disappears down the tunnel. It’s not been an easy season for the Penguins faithful, and Sid is more aware than anyone the extent to which the fans’ enjoyment rests on his ability to play up to expectations. He tugs off his glove and raps at the wooden rail as they round a corner and cut right to the exam rooms, for luck.

Geno lets Sid get his gear off on his own at least, bustling around pulling things out of the cabinets and sliding on a pair of latex gloves. Sid tries not to make too many pained sounds as he tugs off his jersey and unbuckles his shoulder pads, but Geno catches the grimace of pain on his face when he turns around.

“And you want keep play,” he mutters, helping Sid shrug out of the pads and yanking his undershirt off as Sid protests. “You lucky I not cut you out of clothes.”

“You just want to see me with my top off,” Sid wheezes as Geno manipulates his shoulder. “Finally caving?”

“Yes, sure,” Geno says, totally deadpan, as he digs his finger under Sid’s scapula. “I see you fall onto ice, skate to bench like hunchback, I think to myself: this is man for me, must have him right away.” 

“Fuck,” Sid swears, flinching away from Geno’s touch. His big hands go gentle, rubbing at Sid’s deltoid until the soreness eases a little. “I’ve been telling you, you can’t resist me forever. And who’s—fuck, shit, that fucking hurts—who’s to say I didn’t fall just to get a little time with you, eh? All part of my plan.”

“Bad plan, Sid,” Geno says gently, sliding his palm down Sid’s bicep. Sid’s shoulder feels a lot better, just a dull ache that will fade, but there’s a sharp twinge in his elbow that’s a little worrying, so he lets his arm go lax and lets Geno examine him. “Think maybe you pull something little bit, hard to tell. How is wrist?” Sid opens his mouth, and Geno narrows his eyes at him. “Don’t lie.”

“Not,” Sid insists, lifting his arm and twirling his wrist. “I swear, my wrist is fine. He got my elbow mostly, and it pulled on my shoulder.”

Geno purses his lips, but lets it go. “Fine. You come to me tomorrow before practice, we check on things, decide from there.”

“I can finish the game?” Sid says, already getting to his feet.

Geno puts a hand on his shoulder and presses him back onto the exam table. “Need shot if you play.”

“Aw, c’mon, G,” Sid whines, making his eyes go big and pleading. “Do I have to? It’ll make me sick later, you know that.”

“No shot, no play,” Geno says, stepping to the counter and picking up a syringe.

Sid eyes the needle, considers making a break for it, but then Geno turns around and points it at him. “You take shot, you go play well. And if you win…” He hesitates. “Go win game, you take me to dinner.”

Sid’s jaw drops, and Geno uses his distraction to administer the shot. “Hey, fuck you, that’s dirty pool. Wait, are you serious?”

Geno looks him over, and Sid’s suddenly conscious of how sweaty and clammy he is, half-naked in Geno’s exam room. He tamps down on the urge to cover his nipples. “Ten years, think maybe you’re not so much joking anymore,” Geno says, picking up Sid’s shirt and helping him back into it. “Bad idea, probably. Could get fired. But…” He sighs, circling around Sid to tuck his undershirt into his shorts. “I don’t know, maybe it’s bad idea.”

“No, no, it’s a great idea,” Sid says hurriedly, hopping to his feet and letting Geno slip his shoulder pads back on. “It’s an amazing idea. I’ll go win, and then…” His head is spinning, and it’s not just from the painkiller coursing through his blood.

Geno’s right. He could get fired, if things go badly and they get found out. It’s probably against every single rule in the book, and likely Geno’s own code of ethics as an athletic trainer.

Sid has been serious, though, more serious than he is about almost anything else. He’s wanted Geno since he showed up just before they went back-to-back, newly certified and determined to prove himself.

He’s revolutionized their in-game care strategy, and his rehab plans get guys back on the ice faster than Sid’s ever seen. He’s a genius. The organization would hate to cut him loose, but Sid knows who they’d choose if it came down to that.

Sid has to be careful. He has to do this the right way.

“Go play,” Geno says, giving him a little shove. “You be okay. Come back if it hurts again, don’t be stupid.”

First, he has to win the game.

—

They don’t win. They take it to a shootout, though, and Sid figures that’s pretty much a coin flip, out of anyone’s real control. He felt pretty much fine through the rest of the game, well enough to do media after, but he can’t stop his shoulders from slumping when he’s finally released and can head off to shower.

Geno’s lingering outside the locker room, chatting with Karl. The conversation dies as soon as he makes eye contact with Sid, and Karl pats him on the arm before heading down the hallway.

“Hey,” Sid says, hitching his bag up—over his right shoulder, he’s not stupid. Most of the pain is gone, but he’s sore as hell, and it’ll be worse tomorrow. “So…guess you’re off the hook.”

Geno flattens his mouth, glancing around to make sure they’re alone before stepping closer. “I send you my address, you pick me up at six tomorrow night,” he says, so quietly that Sid needs to lean up to catch what he’s saying. “Pick somewhere nice, like, need suit and tie. I want nice date, not some place you go with guys for pasta.”

Sid can’t wipe the grin off his face the entire drive home.

[catchingdaydreams]

Dungeon Meshi spoiler

Theory time : Laios greatest desires

It's been bugging me about what Laios greatest desires are as there are different ways to portray it. So here's my interpretation.

Firstly I want to acknowledge that Laios is still or some what is still the ultimate monster. Whatever he wrote down in his book describing the ultimate monster abilities (not physical appearances I'm focusing on) came true in one way, shape and form. Firstly, the ability to consume the lions desire in the first place. Secondly, in the side stories his poop actually creates a forest. Now the quote "can change shape" actually occurs twice throughout the series (so far).

Firstly turning into the monster and secondary, turning back to a human. The second time was not an act of the Lion as said quote "no magic works on it", thus it is completely Laios doing to shape shift freely. It's also interesting to note that both times he sheds his skin when changing into a new form. Like why this specially? Funny enough we do see this other time, as he turns into a wolf in his dreams to save his friend from the nightmares.

Furthermore, while turning back into a tall man, he isn't completely monster free. His aura remains that other monsters still recognize and therefore fear him.

The idea that weaker monsters fear stronger monsters to the extent of avoiding them is mentioned many times throughout the series. For example Senshi talks about how delicate the food chain is and that a stronger monster (squid/ krachen one) caused an imbalance to the abundance of other species. Naturally dragons are known to be one of the strongest monsters in the dungeon, as Thistle set a variety of different species to kill his party. Yet a common thing arises, coexist is near non-existent as power overall dominates all (either by kicking others off their territory or eating the weaker one). This Laios presence being the ultimate monster is not only removing other strong-ish monsters but disrupting the overall food chain.

Now that I establish what I think Laios is I want to drive it back to what his ultimate desire was. Here are some common ideas that I've seen from others on what his curse was:

To never turn back into the ultimate monster again.

Laios has repeatedly mentioned that he wanted to be another race and fauns over Falins chimera form. So never being able to shape shift again could be his curse.

Never will be full.

This theory stems from when Laios is still eating the dragon despite his friends being full/stick from overeating. They make a comment of concern when Laios says he's not really full yet. There is also speculation from one of the panel of Laios being dramatic as he tried to eat a walking mushroom.

Monsters fearing him and/or fail to cultivate them

In my opinion all of these are correct. Yet how?

Laios cannot eat monsters anymore

It was the main driver/theme thought the series from him and his group to eat monsters to survive. Yet little by little Laios ambitious desire to eat monsters for survival quickly became for the pleasure of taste. This isn't a bad thing, as I would like to clarify. Yet the Winged Lion doesn't really have a grasp of humanity and sees desire as desire, thus is exploiting Laios to go down a gluttonous path. And it does this by offering/guide them to a variety of monsters and access to water and basic needs for cooking. This though doesn't work as Laios is Laios. He isn't selfish. His desires for monsters mixed with the need for acceptance is heavily stated with wanted to integrate and cultivate monsters up on the surface. Furthermore, as he's not alone unlike other dungeon masters such as Thistle or Mithrun, his actions are quickly dispelled if they are reckless. For instance Senshi makes a very important note of keeping the ecosystem in balance and to not over take/kill species as it would upset the food chain. Without his party, gluttony would further be his downfall.

Yet becoming the ultimate monster can also be seen as a gluttonous ideal. He's a apex predator, thus like an actual apex predator no one is able to challenge him / prevent him on what he can or cannot eat eat. The only downfall to his survival is his abundance of prey. Heck being able to eat the lion's desire also alludes to his power of gluttony too.

So with the curse, wouldn't it be ironic to prevent his desire to eat monsters. Being the ultimate monster is now a double edged sword as prey escapes him. He cannot share his desires for eating monsters amongst his people anymore, thus the quotes or trial and error from the epilogue pages. Even if he gets his hands on a monster he cannot truly enjoy eating it, as it never makes him full, which can be interpreted from the epilogue page as well. One might look at the page and interpret as him getting ill from eating the walking mushroom too.

Basically, Laios, as a monster, cannot be a part of an ecological process such as a food webs. He wanted to be accepted and liked by his peers, now he's rejected by nature. Forced to crave for the taste of monsters flesh but it remains elusive.

Forever unsatisfied

By ones desire

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

[alvivaarts]

Internet Safety Tips for Folks Under 18! <3

I'm writing this because it was brought to my attention that at least one of my followers/readers is 11! Years! Old! How do I know this? Because they publicly announced it! AHH!!! OH NO!

This made me practically lose my mind, because holy shit, internet safety is NOT taught like it used to be!! Are there no more assemblies or class gatherings where you watch internet safety PSA videos anymore? Or learn about it in the library? Like shit!!! Anyway, here is, in the simplest terms, tips I learned when I was under 18 that have kept me not only alive, but thriving and happy on the internet.

What Information is Appropriate/Safe for Me to Share Online?

Very little! Very, VERY little! It would be easier if I told you what NOT to share online! DO NOT SHARE: -Your age/that you are a minor. -Your state, province, or country of origin. -When you are going to school/if you are starting school. -Establishments (restaurants, activity places, etc) that may or may not be in your local area. -Any medical diagnoses (mental or physical). -Any traumatic events or triggers. (We'll come back to this). -Any other details of your day-to-day schedule. -Details about your relationship with family members. -What you are/are not allowed to do. -Passwords or personal emails/phone numbers/contact points.

It's completely fine to share: -Your interests. -Fun anecdotes from your day. -Things you are excited about (not relating to your daily schedule). -What you're eating/drinking/making. -Etc.

I know it sounds cheesy, but you should make it your goal to be unidentifiable online. People do genuinely want to use this information, information about YOU for bad reasons. We already know that data brokers exist- and that there have been massive data leaks in the last few years regarding adults/18+ folks personal information. Those people usually have the agency and ability to reclaim some of that privacy and get their lives back on track. You don't. In addition to that, sharing little snippets of information about yourself from the 'do not share' category can build up over time. It might not feel like much at the time, but it can become pretty easy to identify you with even two or three of those pieces of information. We've seen no-profile having folks on TikTok be doxxed with less.

By that extent, I recommend minimizing the images you post of yourself online, especially if you cannot monitor/approve of who follows you. It can be equally as easy for strangers to figure out where you live based on images you share online, especially if those show your face and places your frequent. We can doubt that the GeoGeussr guy might not use his powers for evil, but plenty of other people absolutely can.

Who is Trustworthy Online?

Short Answer: NO ONE!

If someone you meet in a server says they're your age? No they're not! If someone says they want to be your friend and give you free things/games/etc? No they don't! If you think someone is safe enough to share something personal with online? No they're not! If someone randomly adds you for the purpose of making friends? They are not your friend! If someone says 'you're mature for your age'? No! You're! Not!

It's easy to form attachments to people online. It might be because everyone is 'anonymous' (which is also not true, no one is every truly anonymous online) that it's easier for you to imagine a stranger to be a certain way. Or you might look up to someone a lot because of the things they make or produce. These people, even if you get along with them or share interests with them, are not your friend- and will never be 100% trustworthy. (Of course, there are very rare acceptations- I don't want to be a hypocrite. Two of my very best friends are people I met online and have now met in person. When you become an adult and are able to more easily move around and escape situations -via transportation, access to your own money, not needing to rely on others/adults to assist you, then you can decide to proceed with relationships.)

Additionally, people online especially will never offer you something 'for free'. It will always have a cost- that might be your time, your personal information, or access to you via video or audio call or other personal things.

1- Never accept random phone, audio, or video calls on any social media platform. Do not accept random friend requests either. 2- It is absolutely okay to say 'no', to block people who you don't like or make you uncomfortable, even if those people get mad. Your safety comes before other people's happiness. 3- Never accept 'gifts' from online friends, especially if they are much older than you. 4- Do not click on random links sent by friends or shared on uncertified websites, especially download links. Even mod packs or pirated games can hide viruses, malware, or phishing links- things that can steal your personal information saved to your devices, or that can destroy your devices from the inside out. 5- If you feel uncomfortable or unsure of how to handle a situation, report and block the person involved, and/or contact a moderator, site-manager, or trusted IRL adult.

Online harassment and bullying is also quite scary. This can come in many forms: -People trying to steal information from you. -People shaming you for your appearance. -People shaming you for engaging in the things you enjoy. -People shaming, name calling, or ganging up on you to make fun of you. -Targeted crap-talking towards groups of people by other groups or individuals. -Being told to harm yourself, or that life would be better without you (not true!).

If this occurs to you, block and report the user/s. If you happen to know the person harassing and bullying yourself and others in real life, inform someone in real life as well. Make sure to take screen shots and save them! However, make sure you understand the difference between bullying and someone trying to correct bad behavior or help you. Both can feel very embarrassing at first, but most of the time, people trying to help improve online communities (and you!) will not be shameful, harassing, or bullying. It's okay to feel embarrassed for not understanding particular rules or community standards, but do not take that embarrassment out on others.

Managing Your Own Online Experience

This one might sting for some folks, especially adults who haven't learned it yet, but: YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN ONLINE EXPERIENCE!

We're circling back to telling people online what your traumas and triggers are. Of course, a lot of things happen offline. It can be frustrating to come online as an escape and find something that triggers you or reawakens trauma, or even things that simply discomfort you. When it comes to things that traumatize or trigger you, block the source: Block people who cross your boundaries. Report those who break site guidelines (not people who do things you don't like- who break site guidelines). Block pages that might show things that frighten you. Do not visit websites that are known for certain traumatizing/inappropriate content. Turn on SafeSearch features. You don't even have to inform these people- do not engage, just disconnect. It's not cringe to want to optimize your online experience for your own safety, happiness and comfort!

When it comes to things that make you uncomfortable: Understand the difference between things that are traumatizing/triggering, and things that make your unhappy/uncomfortable/that you personally dislike. There is a difference. While you absolutely should have a safe and comfortable online experience, it is not appropriate or safe to approach people telling them to change X Y Z thing about what they post, discuss, or share. It's not appropriate to threaten, harass, or shame others for engaging in content that you might not like personally, or even engaging versions/aspects of that media in a way you might not yourself. The easiest way to avoid it? Don't engage with it. The instant you start to comment and complain, you're potentially outing yourself as a minor, AND telling the website algorithm that you want to see MORE of this thing you dislike, simply by engaging with it. It's a double whammy. Remember that, while your happiness and safety comes first, that does not come at the expense of other's wellbeing or enjoyment, unless that wellbeing or enjoyment is an active risk of physical or genuine harm to you that you cannot otherwise block yourself.

Finally, keep in mind that Adult Spaces/18+ spaces ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR YOU, WITH YOU IN MIND, OR FOR YOUR BENEFIT! It might feel and sound very exciting and even satisfying to get into an adult space unnoticed. However, these spaces are not meant for you- they often do NOT have all of the same safety tools as other 'public' online spaces. You are also putting yourself and the adults in the community at risk: Adults who may engage with you as an adult, because it's an adult-only space, without knowing you're a minor- as well as potentially engaging with adults who won't care whether or not you're a minor. Be especially mindful if an adult has a DNI specific to minors: that person DOES NOT want to engage with you. You wouldn't want your boundaries crossed, right? Don't cross theirs!

Some general rules to monitor your own online experience: 1- Block any potential sources of trauma/triggers. However, do not report them unless the subject matter genuinely breaks website rules (these differ DRASTICALLY depending on the site. Understand them before making any reports). 2- Live and Let Die (or Ship and Let Ship). Especially in fandom spaces. It's okay for you to have a particular take on a media, character, or ship. It is not okay for you to demean or diminish others for engaging in that media, character, or ship differently than you would. It isn't a competition about who's 'right'. Just enjoy yourself! 3- Turn on SafeSearch and Private Account settings. This minimizes potential triggers/uncomfortable subject matter, and allows you to monitor who engages with your account. 4- Do not actively pursue 18+ spaces. You don't have to stay 'in the kids zone', but don't try to insert yourself in a place where you cannot control what you might encounter.

----

I think that's about it! I'm sure there'll be other folks with plenty more to add, but these are the basics. Keep them in mind and try not to let yourself learn the hard way like I (and many others) did that The Internet as not as safe and fun as you might think it is. Of course, it is- but it's also full of unfun, or even dangerous things and people. Take care of yourself!