#when the novelty of magic wears off

[aerequets]

on the topic of swearing, it would be so funny if yor has the vocabulary of a sailor and makes the conscious decision not to use it

like loid is sitting with his head in his hands after anya has somehow magically procured a bad word in her vocabulary and is like "i have no idea what to do. how is this happening. what if this is the start of a downwards spiral and she becomes a swear-slinging second grader and they expel her from eden" and yor giggles like "im sure once she learns the words the novelty will wear off, that's what it was like for me" and he's like "?? what it was like for you?" fully imagining that the worst word yor knows is like, crap or damn or something because she's so gentle and softspoken

and yor goes on like "yeah! like for example when i was a kid and learned *BEEEEEEP* or *BEEP BEEP* or *BEEEEEEEEEP BEEEP BEEP* i stopped using them after a while!" and she goes on and gives some more of the most filthy, gritty examples in existence

and loid is sitting there - mind you this man was in the Army so he is no stranger to swearing, but he is sitting there gobsmacked and face REDDENED from the absolute verbal weaponry yor is expelling with a smile on her face

[ickyuggy]

I am so fucking distressed I fucking hate this

I literally cant think about anything else

I miss him so bad and it makes me sick how desperately I'm praying that it isnt over

[pricelessemotion]

poltergeists for sidekicks | E.M.

summary: [2.3k] the kids drag eddie to the halloween store where you happen to work.

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

warnings: fluff, pining, eddie being a lovestruck idiot, r wears big prescription glasses and is described as having messy hair

a/n: happy halloween! here’s something i’ve been working on for ages just in time for the end of spooky szn! xoxo

masterlist

Eddie doesn’t hate Halloween. 

He used to love Halloween. He likes autumn. He likes watching the leaves change colors. He can appreciate the novelty of a hot apple cider and a hay ride. Hell, ever since he was old enough to go trick or treating, he reveled in it. Free candy and all he had to do was put on a costume and say three magic words? Sign him up. 

As he got older, he started to like Halloween for a slightly different reason. Don’t get him wrong, he still liked the free candy, but he liked the excuse to be someone else for a night. He liked how he could throw on a Michael Meyers mask and go door-to-door and be greeted with glee and sweets. 

It does a funny thing to a kid’s self-esteem, being treated better when he’s wearing the face of a fictional serial killer. 

Now, though, Eddie Munson is decidedly too old for trick or treating. He’s resigned himself to spending the holiday like it was any other day by spending the night in his room, playing guitar, and coming up with new campaign ideas. 

Which is exactly what he was doing when three freshmen started pounding down the door of the trailer demanding entry. Within moments, they are practically on their hands and knees asking, nay begging, for the older boy to take them to get last-minute Halloween costumes.

“Aren’t you guys too old to go trick or treating?”

“This is why we need to go to the store! If we wear masks, no one will be able to tell how old we are, hence extending our years of candy collecting.” Dustin explains, matter of factly.  

Eddie sighs, leaning back into the sofa, steepling his fingers together. “What’s in it for me?”

The three boys huddle together, conspiring in a manner that is not dissimilar to the way they plan their counterstrikes during Hellfire. They nod in sync, turning around so that Lucas is standing front and center, flanked by the two other boys.  

“That one girl you like is working there.”

Eddie remains stone-faced, quipping sarcastically, “That’s very specific.”

Mike lets out an exasperated groan, threading his fingers through his hair before yanking at the ends in frustration. “Y’know, the weird one. Coke bottle glasses, messy hair, always holding a book?”

Lucas’ eyes widen. Dustin smacks Mike on the chest and the hollow sound rings out through the empty trailer. They all start talking over each other, with two of them berating the third for A. being insensitive and B. expecting a good outcome from said insensitivity. 

Eddie wants to make a comment that your hair is not messy, it’s actually more voluminous. Besides, his hair is messy and he likes to think it makes him look badass. The glasses comment was a little unfair. Sure, the frames are a similar shade to the iconic green of the bottles of Coca-Cola. But the magnification was endearing, leaning more towards doe-eyed than bug. Unfortunately, Eddie did not consider that while he was observing you, someone might’ve been observing him. 

The assurance of your presence is how Eddie ends up here, parked outside of a hardware store turned seasonal shop. He’s helping his friends. He’s supporting a local business and therefore contributing to the local economy! You being here is just a bonus.

A bell rings above them as he swings open the door, the motion setting off a scratchy pre-recorded cackle. He’s gotta hand it to whoever is running the store. They’ve gone out of their way to transform the dingy overhead fluorescents and worn-out linoleum into something that actually resembles an eerie boutique. 

“Welcome in! I’ll be right witch you!” Your voice lilts out from the depths. 

You appear out of the darkness, expertly weaving under fake cobwebs and pushing aside fanciful drapes that have no doubt been strung up precariously around the store to add to the ambiance. You’ve got a witch’s hat on, tall and black and pointy, which further explains the pun you greeted them with. 

“How can I help you?” You smile brightly, adjusting your glasses. 

The younger boys barely spare you a glance, just a chorus of we’re good! before running off to the other side of the store, where all of the costumes are located. 

You barely blink at their rudeness. Whether that’s indicative of your experience in customer service or due to your generally sunny disposition, Eddie isn’t sure. You turn your smile and magnified gaze at him, “What about you?”

Eddie startles only slightly. He begins to peek over his shoulder as if there’s somebody else in the mostly deserted store that you could be talking to. What about him?

“Oh, I don’t need anything. I just came here with–” He gestures vaguely in the direction that the boys wandered off to. “The little shits that left me in the dust.” 

You bark out a laugh, a small smile settling on your lips. “It’s sweet of you to help them out.”

Eddie only blushes in response, murmuring a quiet it’s nothing, scratching the back of his neck like he might find a switch that’ll make him remember how to talk like a normal human being.   

“Well, if you change your mind, let me know.”

You pick up a clipboard and a pen and start leisurely strolling down the decor aisle, making inconsequential markings on the paper. Whenever you come across gaps in the shelves you reach back into them, pulling the products to the front edge with a concentration that is quite adorable. 

He’s definitely staring by now. Feigning interest in a skull-shaped candy bowl, Eddie scrambles for something, anything to keep the conversation going. “I’m surprised you’re not busier.”

“You just missed the afternoon rush.” You say, straightening a pair of plastic tarantulas that have gone askew. “Not too many people came today, though. I guess they realized that it’s so close to the holiday that the shelves would be picked over.”

“Really?”

You shrug, “I think by October 30th, most people figure if they’re gonna dress up, they’d rather just pull together something from their closets than spend money. We’re actually busier the day after Halloween because everything gets marked down and people want cheap candy.”

“Makes sense.” He nods. “So, I take it you’re a big fan of Halloween?”

Your smile is apprehensive as if you’re not sure if he’s making fun of you. Your fingers brush the brim of the witch’s hat. “What gave me away?” 

He falls into step beside you, clasping his hands behind his back and puffing out his chest. “I just had a feeling.” Then, feeling much braver than usual, he adds, “I like your outfit.”

You look at him again, clutching the clipboard to your chest. For once, your eyes are leaning more towards bug-eyed. The black velvet dress has draped sleeves and a skirt that swishes with every step. Orange and black striped tights protect your legs from the inevitable chill that comes with October in Indiana. “You do?” 

“I do.” He insists, “It totally adds to the magical vibe. If you told me that you were an actual witch and this was just something you do to pass the time I’d one hundred percent believe you.” 

All apprehension has slipped off your face, replaced by a genuine smile that cracks open his chest. “Thanks…” You trail off.

“Eddie.” He supplies. 

“Well thank you, Eddie. I’d tell you my name but I’m guessing I don’t have to.” You say, rubbing the plastic name plate on your chest. 

Eddie does know your name, but it isn’t because of your name tag. He was far too proud to ask around for your name, and far too afraid of rejection to ask you himself. He’d been lucky enough to get a library book right after you. He’d pulled the weathered paper from the slip, seen your name at the bottom of the checkout card, traced the loopy letters with the pad of his fingers. It had definitely been more than a little pathetic. 

Eddie coughs, clearing his throat, trying to maintain any semblance of nonchalance. “Do you have any plans for Halloween?” 

Your face slowly lifts from the clipboard, twirling your pen between swift fingers polished in a deep burgundy. Directing your gaze at him, you peer through dark lashes and Eddie’s never been more thankful for the inventor of coke bottle glasses. The magnification allows him to see the spark of intrigue dancing across your pupils. 

“I was just gonna stay home. Maybe help my mom pass out candy.” The implication of the last sentence seems to hit you. You look down again, scrunching up your nose. Eddie finds it endearing how your first instinct is honesty rather than anything else. 

“Cool. That’s cool,” Eddie says in a manner that is decidedly uncool. He fiddles with his rings before shoving his hands into his pockets. “Actually, I was wondering if—” 

Suddenly, Eddie feels stupid for getting lost in your eyes and not paying attention to his surroundings. Maybe then he would’ve noticed how the linoleum got ever so slightly softer under the soles of worn-out boots. He would’ve seen the cloaked figure looming in the alcove, waiting for some unwitting soul to step on the pressure plate.

Unfortunately, Eddie did not see any of those things. The poltergeist, or ghost, or whatever the fuck it is swings out. He stumbles backward, releasing a shriek that is so high-pitched, that he wonders if he should start tapping into his upper range. Maybe it would add more texture to Corroded Coffin’s Tuesday night sets. 

Instinctively, his arms fly backward, as if to protect you. He stumbles right into you, and he’s sure that if you didn’t grab his waist from behind, you would’ve fallen right over. Unfortunately, the movement has both of you careening back into a shelf, sending bags of overpriced candy and shitty Halloween decorations tumbling to the ground in a cascade of all things creepy and corny. He quickly spins around.

“Shit, are you–”

“I’m so sorry!” 

“I should’ve warned you–”

At that moment, chests heaving and hearts racing, you both seem to realize that your hands are still grazing Eddie’s waist. You spring apart, scrambling to clean up the display, haphazardly grabbing the fallen items and placing them back in their rightful places on the shelves. Among them is your hat, another casualty of the calamity. 

“I should’ve warned you,” You say again, slightly out of breath. “That thing nearly scares me to death every other day.” 

“It’s fine. I should’ve paid attention to where I was walking. It just added to the whole spooktacular experience.” He picks up the hat from the floor, dusting it off. “I think this belongs to you.” 

You give a bashful smile, but instead of putting the accessory in your outstretched hand, he gingerly places it on top of your head. Your glasses have slid down your nose from bending over to clean up his mess, and his thumbs gently push the joints of the frames until they’re sitting in their rightful place. 

“There,” He punctuates his statement with a resolute tug on your hat, making sure it’s securely on your head. “Perfect.”

You preen at him, eyes sparkling, before you cast them down at the floor. Dustin comes running around the corner, closely followed by Mike and Lucas. All of them are carrying armfuls of miscellaneous Halloween supplies, obviously alarmed at the clamor, but not alarmed enough that they didn’t take their sweet time coming from the opposite end of the store. Eddie takes advantage of your bashfulness and distinctly shoots them a look that says get the hell out of here. Dustin’s eyes dart between the two of you before they widen and his mouth forms a small oh. He sends Eddie an exaggerated wink, walking backward in order to not interrupt the private moment, dragging his two friends along with him.

“Thanks,” You smile at him. “For protecting me. I know who to bring with me if I ever want to walk through a haunted house.” 

He gives a lopsided grin, “My pleasure.”

“Ahem.” You clear your throat, “Anyways, what are your plans for Halloween?”

This is it. This is the moment that Eddie has been waiting for since he put down his guitar and his notebook and opened the trailer door. 

“That depends.” He clasps his hands behind his back, jutting his chin up in the air. “Are you working tomorrow?”

“I get off at four.” 

“The Hawk is doing this continuous horror movie marathon. Maybe you would want to go?” Eddie’s fingers are practically vibrating with excitement. He nearly forgets the most important part. “With me? I mean— Only if you like horror movies, I just figured because I’ve seen you walking around with that Stephen King novel. NOT that I’ve been watching you or anything!”

You let out a small giggle. The fact that you’re laughing and smiling is a good sign, even if it is slightly at his expense. He decides to lean into self-deprecation, hoping it’ll seem more charming than desperate. 

“I’d say I don’t scare easily, but I think we’d both know that’s a lie by now.”

You scribble something near the bottom of the paper on the clipboard, delicately folding it and ripping it off before placing it in Eddie’s palm. 

“Well, I’ve heard horror movies are less scary if you have someone to hold your hand.”

It doesn’t even matter that a ghost animatronic essentially acted as his wingman. The note with your number on it sits heavily in his pocket, thumb tracing over looped ink. Even though it’s cold as shit, he embarrassed himself, and signs of the spooky season decorate every corner, Eddie has a smile that rivals even the best of jack-o-lanterns. 

As Eddie turns off towards the dirt path that leads to Forrest Hills Trailer Park, the smile still hasn’t faded. 

For once, the streets of Hawkins seem a little less haunted. 

likes are appreciated, comments and reblogs are cherished ♥️

[bitethedevil]

Okay, you know the idea of tieflings having the "fuck me tail"? Well, what if Raphael did that in front of Tav without realizing it at the time and someone like Korrilla and/or Haarlep alerts the cambion that he had essentially been sporting a boner during the whole conversation with his favorite misadventure (if Raphael is unsure if Tav is aware of what the lifted tail meant, then even better)?

(AN: I get a LOT of asks about bathing and Raphael's reaction to seeing Tav naked, so I added those things into this one as well. Tav is Raphael's warlock. Loved this prompt btw anon. Thank you <3)

Tails (Raphael x Warlock!Tav)

Slight NSFW

“Do you care to explain why you are bleeding on my expensive Halruaan carpet when all I asked of you were to speak to Lord Caldwell?” Raphael said with a sneer as he studied her bloodied body. “If you are this incompetent at following orders, you will go back to dealing with clients in the Lower City again.”

“I can explain,” she wheezed. “And I did get him to sign, by the way.”

She was barely standing. Her clothes were bloodied, and she was holding a hand over a rather large gash on her stomach.

She handed him the contract. There were a few bloodspots on it, but it had the signature of Lord Caldwell as he had requested. He looked it over and it seemed to calm some of his anger, though he still seemed annoyed that she had not followed his orders.

Raphael groaned and started walking. He beckoned her to follow.

He led her to the boudoir. Haarlep was lounging on some of the pillows that laid on the floor near the pool, smoking from a hookah. They looked up at her with a sinful smile and lazily waved at her.

Raphael tugged on Tav's shirt before passing her.

“Strip,” he commanded.

Haarlep’s eyes lit up and looked hungrily at her before adjusting themself amongst the pillows to enjoy the show. Raphael kicked Haarlep’s leg in passing and gestured towards the other end of the room where the bed was.

“Leave us,” he said to Haarlep.

“Oh, she doesn’t mind if I stay and watch,” Haarlep said and looked from Raphael to her with an exaggerated pout. “Do you, mouse?”

Tav looked at the both of them with a confused expression, as she clung to one of the pillars around the restoration pool to not fall over.

“I’m not taking off my clothes,” Tav said.

“Your clothes are in tatters, and you look as if you are on the verge of fainting,” Raphael said and gestured to the water of the pool. “You will get in or I will throw you in.”

“Can’t I just keep my clothes on?” Tav whined. “I don’t want to get naked in front of you.”

“Oh please,” he said with annoyance in his voice. “The novelty of seeing a naked body somewhat fades after you have been alive for thousands of years. I could not be less interested in what you keep under there. Get in.”

She sighed and started taking off her clothes. Haarlep was quiet and hoped that Raphael had forgotten about them. They devoured her with their eyes while she took off her clothes.

Tav slipped into the pool and the water's restorative powers quickly worked its magic on her. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the pools edge for a moment as all the pain finally left her body.

Haarlep discreetly let one of their legs drop into to the water and started slipping their harness off. Before they could even make the move to slip out of the little clothes they were wearing to join her in the pool, Raphael’s hand was around their neck. Haarlep made a slight choked yelp as they were lifted to their feet and given a push towards the other end of the room.

“I said leave,” Raphael growled at them before turning his attention back to Tav. “A report, if you would be so kind, mouse.”

Tav opened her eyes again and sat up more. She noticed that Haarlep had not left them, but had instead simply taken a seat behind Raphael where they were out of view from her annoyed patron.

“Right,” she said and began washing off all the dirt and blood off her naked body with a sponge.

She began explaining herself to him: How Lord Caldwell had gotten pissed at her after she had not reciprocated his flirtatious advances after he had signed, as he apparently must have thought that him signing meant that he was free to feel her up and do as he please. How Lord Caldwell had called on his guards after she had, accidentally, of course, punched him in the face. How she had barely escaped with her life.

She wasn’t looking at Raphael as she was explaining. She kept her eyes down and kept focusing on washing herself, avoiding the wrath that would no doubt be in her patron’s eyes as she told him how she had escalated the situation by using violence.

She had only dared to look up at him briefly every now and again. She saw that he was leaning up against a pillar close to the pool, watching her as she explained.

Surprisingly, he did not have much to say other than a few sounds of affirmation that he had heard what she was saying, which made her even more nervous.

Suddenly she heard an odd noise. A high-pitched muffled sound that made her look up for a moment. It came from Haarlep. It looked as if they were near pissing themselves with laughter as they kept a hand over their mouth to contain the sounds. It wasn’t directed at her though, but rather something going on behind Raphael it seemed.

“So yeah…that’s…that’s it,” she looked up at Raphael, fully expecting to see him pissed off.

He quickly averted his gaze from her body and back up to her eyes, as it looked like he had been staring. He cleared his throat and made a sharp turn with his body. She could have sworn she saw a bulge in his pants before he did so. When he turned, she noticed that his tail was in a weird, almost heart-shaped position as well, which made her raise an eyebrow.

“Good,” Raphael said quickly. “Dismissed.”

Raphael snapped his fingers once and she was out of the pool, fully dressed. Another snap and she was sent back to where she was before she was whisked away to his house.

Haarlep started audibly laughing now that she had left.

“The novelty of seeing a naked body somewhat fades after you have been alive for thousands of years,” Haarlep mocked in Raphael’s voice and with his mannerisms.

Raphael glared at Haarlep.

“Oh, what a gift,” Haarlep said with tears in their eyes. “She really is something, your little mouse. To make you wag with both tails like that.”

Haarlep burst out into another laughing fit. Raphael’s eyes widened at their words, and he instantly became hyperaware of the position of his tail.

No, Raphael thought with horror, and a frown fell over his face at the embarrassing realization. It was a loss of control, and it was completely unlike him to forget himself like that. What was he? A hormonal boy who had barely grown into their immortality?

His eyes narrowed at Haarlep who was still filling the room with their high-pitched laughter. He was still painfully hard despite their taunting, and he had just the thing for shutting them up.

“Yes, please Haarlep, laugh while you still have vocal cords and a tongue to do so,” he threatened and pointed on the floor in front of his feet before undoing his pants. “On your knees, now.”

[jaythes1mp]

Escapism

You often dreamt of them. Of how they would come and sweep you away from reality, taking you into their incredible world, where you'd fit in seamlessly among the chaos of their everyday lives. How perfectly you’d fit into their little family.

But it was all just one big vivid daydream, an illusion created by the pixels on your screen. The characters, as captivating as they were, existed only in the realm of fiction. You longed for connection, for belonging, for them. But each chapter read, each game played, each show watched, served as a poignant reminder that they weren’t real.

It hurt.

Escapism, she had called it.

They were your escape.

Perhaps it was for the best. Those who advocate for moderation have always preached that too much of anything can ruin the experience.

After all, the allure of the fictional worlds was derived from the fact that they were fictional. The very absence of reality was what made them so exhilarating, so tantalising. If you were to suddenly be thrust into that universe, the magic would be ruined. The illusion shattered. They say, after all, that nothing ruins things more than familiarity.

Maybe, in some twisted way, this was better.

It sounds amazing, it feels incredible, you want it, you crave it, and it will be all you can think about... but if you had it... you'd only wish for more.

It's a never ending cycle of want, wish and hope. A never-ending quest for a perfection that doesn't exist. You yearn for it, but at the same time, a part of you knows that if you were to gain it... you'd only be left with an insatiable desire. Because once the initial amazement and shock wears off, the reality of things would sink in. The novelty of it would fade, and you’d be left with, well, just another life.

And then what would you do?

Flee back to reality in search of the comfort of familiarity?

Search for respite in another fictional being?

What you have will never be enough.

Even when given everything you think you want, you'll still be left with that hollow feeling inside. Because when reality sinks in, you discover that what you had built up in your mind was just an illusion. A dream.

You feel full for a little while, satisfied even, but then again, the hunger pangs start, and you're back to square one, chasing that next 'high' to fill the void inside.

It's a vicious cycle. So why bother wishing for things? Why not just content yourself with the life you've been dealt?

Because at the end of the day, you're only human.

And although we often like to say that more doesn't equal better, we all yearn for that extra bit that makes life worth living. We crave those more special moments. We're not just content with the ordinary, we aspire to be extraordinary. We want to live.

We want that little bit extra. And that's not a fault.

It's human nature.

「Is it not?」

Comments, reblogs, asks, and messages are all very appreciated and encouraged!

Currently working on new fic called ‘Shallow’. Anyone want to guess what it’s about?🦖🦖

[luvtak]

wanting, hhj x reader

✧ genre/tw extreme lying in the grass with hyune on his birthday, major yearning alert, really dangerous fluff i am so sorry, i love yous and maybe a few pet names, unedited<3

✧ w/c 784

✧ this is very quick and mainly just a word dump, but i hope you like it! some sweet for the sweetest boys birthday... how lovely the first bit of spring comes with him

Sitting close this close to him you can smell the sunscreen mixing with his sweet cologne– the scent of warm weather days; springs and summers spent laying together just like this… glowing underneath the sun like two sleepy cats.  It’s funny to think that you’ve laid this way a hundred times in a hundred different ways, yet the novelty never wears. His long fingers swiping their way down your arm, reaching around your wrist and holding tightly. This close he can feel your heartbeat all around him, your chest pressed right into his and the rapid thump coming from his hold around your bracelet. Even after all this time, you still get so nervous being with him, the familiarity of his love swirling in your chest and your stomach–creating shaky hands and warm cheeks. 

Hyunjin’s eyes are peering down at you, striking you down with the strength of it. He’s so happy, springtime brightening his complexion with the shiniest smile you’ve ever seen, happiness leaping off of him. The warm blush settling along his cheekbones, the same color of the blossoms above you, creates a brilliant desire to heat up in you. Not a physical desire, not the disastrous need of nights past, but a fire of want… days spent waking up together and kissing goodnight, pictures and paintings, shared nightstand novels.

It’s ridiculous, you have him already– your hearts are tied together with twine; shared myocardium morphing into one beautiful beating thing– yet you don’t think you could ever stop yourself from wanting more. That wishing ache for him to be with you, too see him like a mirror to your own soul. 

He told you once that being with you was like a shower of cold mist on a hot day. You remember laughing, giggling at the unexpected confession for an early morning, but you see now. This unexpected pain for loving and needing and wanting someone so much, the biting incredulity of seeing someone. 

This close, both can see the evidence of the human condition wearing on each others faces, but Hyunjin has never been fonder of sun scars or smile lines–he loves you and he tells you with the blossomed trees as his witnesses. 

“I love you too, Hyune.” you say, quietly though you’re alone, and his grin is a lesson in heartbreak; so lovely, like a supernova. 

He never thought he could love springtime so much, had always been accustomed to fall and the icy cold weather of winter, but lying here with you he thinks spring might be his favorite. Seeing you and the flowers alight into living breathing blooms takes his breath away, makes him reach for his pencils and his paints. In the week alone he’s amassed several pictures of you, all beautiful, but none right. It’s the only reason he resents his love for you, so big and blinding, that no matter how exact the portrait is, it’s still missing that fundamental gleam you hold. 

“When we get home, can I paint you again?” The question while posed so sweetly makes you groan, if it wasn’t his birthday there’d be no way you’d sit for him another time. And yet, you can’t deny how special he is–the only thing he wanted today was to spend it with you, cake and presents optional. 

It’s this magic that makes you agree, and you can’t deny the excitement of seeing him work. Ever focused and hard working, Hyunjin’s world stopping even while in messy clothes and tied up hair. Seeing him paint made you fall in love with him; the sight of his color covered hands and his clear gaze over his canvas, looking over at you to smile… god you were doomed for him then. 

His stare turns to the clouds now, smile still lilting as he speaks, “i’m painting you right now actually,” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Sometimes in my head I look at you, and I feel the need for a pencil or a brush. I see what colors I would use, how I would blend them together to get the exact shade for your eyes… I’m doing it now.” 

It’s such a Hyunjin thing to say, yet the truth of it shocks you–what a beautiful boy he is, a rare and lovely find. Grinning like he knows he’s wooing you, staring up at the maya blue sky and painting a picture in his head. 

“I really do love you, Hyune.” you tell him, and the strength of it turns his head. Lighting his eyes with a fondness made for spring, rising slightly to settle his lips over your forehead before replying earnestly with every bit of truth in his heart, 

“I love you too.”

© LUVTAK

[ollypopwrites]

Dinner and Diatribes;

Gale x F!Tav (she/her, AFAB) [note: references to the fact Tav is Curvy but there’s no descriptors on her appearance besides what she’s wearing]

Summary: Gale gets his perfect night in Waterdeep.

Rating: M (18+ MDNI)

CW: smut (oral sex, PiV sex, fingering, slight overstim, references to Dom!Gale but he doesn’t actually make an appearance this time), insecurity, General Mystra Warning, L-bombs

Word count: 4.5k

Notes: this was originally written with my SorcBard Tav in mind. They end up together post-game and Tav and Gale have not been with each other physically as of yet.

Read on Ao3

Tav appraised her appearance one last time, nerves bubbling up in her when she knew there ought not to be any. She was having dinner with Gale, not a stranger.

Yet, she tugged at the lacy sleeves of her tunic, the cream colored fabric dangling off her shoulders and belling at the sleeves. Her breasts were up and out, figure tucked and smoothed by the sturdy corset she wore. The wrap skirt, slit at the leg with stockings underneath, was periwinkle, hugged her hips and showed some skin. She had wanted to veer away from the normally shapeless practicality of the protective gear she wore throughout their journey.

And she found the delicate pale blue embroidery against the white fabric of the garment to be quite pretty, the silk bows that served as sleeves made her think of romantic ballads. She felt delight at wearing something pretty without thinking of practicality for the first time since being taken by the nautiloid. There was a novelty to sitting down to take time to get ready for something fun rather than something that could potentially end with blood and death.

Her eyes drifted over to the corner of the room that until recently had housed a small altar to the Mother of Magic.

In its place was a vase of flowers, Tav’s favorite colors and blooms, which had appeared that morning. The altar itself had mysteriously disappeared the day after they first arrived in Waterdeep. Neither of them had said anything about it, but she knew he had seen her staring at the dusty offerings and long burnt incense laid at the feet of an idol of his former lover.

With one last look in the mirror she bolstered herself. She was no goddess but she had defeated a Vampire Lord, undead generals, a 200 year curse, hordes of goblins and a Netherbrain. That had to count for something.

Taking a deep breath she left through the bedroom door, and was met by Gale.

Well, Gale’s double. A projection, as he was often fond of using.

“Greetings! I am here on behalf of Gale of Waterdeep!”

“Oh, are you?” She asked sarcastically.

“I am indeed!”

Sarcasm was not translated into the projection it seemed.

“If you are ready for the evening to begin, please say so, if not, I shall await your confirmation.”

Tav smiled a little, “I’m ready.”

“Please follow me.”

She followed him down to the same level as the study, and she found herself confused. They were meant to be having dinner. The whole package, she had recalled, he wanted to wine and dine her. She expected to be escorted to the dining room, not the study.

The door was closed, and the projection gave a polite bow to signal its leave. Should she knock? Uncertain, she gripped the door handle and opened the door.

Immediately she was confronted with a wave of unfamiliar smells. Normally the study smelt like the fireplace, leather of bound books, ink and slight sea air from the terrace. Instead this smelled of savory food, crisp night air, and heavy sea spray. The entry was draped by lavish silk curtains hiding any view of the room, tassels and embroidered prints creating lovely textures.

Gale stood waiting for her arrival.

His hair was pulled back and pinned neatly in his new fashion of a small bun at the back of his head. He wore a white tunic, billowed sleeves and a jerkin of sapphire blue, embroidered intricately with bronze filigree. Dark blue breeches, and what looked to be blue shoes which matched his vest.

It also looked as if he had trimmed his beard, the lines smooth and incredibly sleek. Tav had certainly noticed how handsome he was during their travels, and even then he was always somewhat genteel despite the rugged conditions.

This was different. He seemed more in his element like this, maybe not quite so formally dressed, but she could imagine this was the Gale Dekarios which caught the eye of a Goddess. Confident, gentlemanly and remarkably good looking.

His eyes lit up at the sight of her.

“Hello,” she said, aware how nervous and jittery her voice was despite her smile.

“Hello,” Gale grinned. “You look… exquisite.”

She blushed. “And you look very good in blue.”

Gale kissed her cheek, and she gripped his face to make sure he kissed her properly. “I’ve prepared everything,” he said. “Are you ready?”

“For you? Always.”

Like a true gentleman, he offered her his arm and she accepted. They walked through the fabric barrier and Tav audibly gasped at the transformation. The study was changed, made to look like an enchanting garden. Lit up by candelabras, framed by arches made of vines and flowers of every color imaginable, it was beautiful.

The view from the terrace had been expanded, so that from every angle a clear view of the glittering lights of Waterdeep glinted. The entire mirage was topped with a star filled sky and the moon hanging at the horizon of the water. She could feel a breeze, not too cold but carrying the scent of the ocean.

A table sat at the center, intimate, and music was playing from some unseen source. Most likely the enchanted piano. Where she knew the terrace was, his couch still stood, overlooking the view. The sounds coming through beyond the music were real, she could tell. It was simultaneously an illusion and blissfully real.

He led her to the table, pulled out her chair for her and then sat across from her. The smile on her face was starting to hurt her cheeks, only emphasized by another Gale projection bringing them wine. They toasted each other and she looked out on the view of the city.

“Do you like it?” He sounded uncertain.

Her hand came out to grab his across the table. “It’s hard to describe, but like isn’t a strong enough word.” She glanced over to the projection of Gale waiting to be summoned for any need they may have, “although I think the waiter fancies me.”

“I applaud his taste.”

It was very clear how meticulously planned the night had been. From the food to the wine, Gale had an exuberant explanation for his choices. For a moment Tav wondered why she would be nervous at all; they had shared every meal together for months. But, Tav knew that this was the courtship he had wanted to offer her, this was the night he wished he could have given her when he thought it was his last back on the road to Moonrise.

Gale, if he was nervous, did not show it. Instead his eyes glinted with excitement, eagerness, and delight. His gaze was so intense on her, she felt like either the wine or something else was making her brain fuzzy.

After dinner they danced, slow uncomplicated movements to the music from the piano for a while, and then settled onto the settee looking out at the water. The night sky was clear, the breeze from the bay adding a bit of chill that balanced out the warmth she felt from the wine. It was a beautiful tapestry of midnight blue and silver of the moon and stars.

She leaned against him half draped over his lap as her legs stretched out, fingers dancing over his palm which lay in her lap. His other hand gently danced over her arm and down her side. She thought she may melt at the warmth of his lips pressed against her bare shoulder, beard softly scratching as he lingered there.

“You ought to be careful, Gale.”

“Oh? What dangers lurk that I am unaware of?”

“The danger of spoiling me rotten,” she chuckled.

“I’m not averse to such a risk,” he nuzzled behind her ear, “quite the opposite, really. You deserve it, and more.”

Her mind rolled over that, heart full at his earnestness as usual. Even if she didn’t believe it, he certainly did.

“Thank you,” she said thoughtfully after a moment. “This night has been so wonderful.”

“It’s not over yet,” he whispered.

A shiver ran down her spine. No words finding their way to her lips.

“If I may be so bold,” he went on, “I’d like to partake in dessert somewhere more private.”

“Tell me, Chef Dekarios, what is on the dessert menu tonight?”

“You,” he said, a grin evident in his voice. “I’d have laid you across the dinner table if I hadn’t promised us both a bed first and foremost. You truly are a temptress,” his hand broke from her loving grasp to run along the curve of her neck, and shoulder, fingers trailing over the tops of her breasts before cupping her chin, “you incite such an insatiable hunger, even when you are doing nothing more than sitting there across from me. If you’ll allow it, I’d like to finally have a taste.”

Tav’s head tipped back, eyes closed as her skin began to flush and her heart began to thud in her chest. “I’ll allow anything you want,” she breathed. “Name it, it’s yours.”

“Tav,” he murmured.

“Yours.” She repeated.

A tug in her stomach and the strange shift of moving through the weave happened so suddenly, she opened her eyes, confused by her new surroundings. She was on her feet, Gale behind her still, but in the bedroom, no longer shrouded by lovely blue night sky but the warmth of a candle lit room and the familiar walls.

Gale murmured something, and then spun her around to kiss her. Needy, fervent meetings of lips, and tongues. Her fists curled into the fabric of his sleeves, and his settled on either side of her face. She felt a tugging at her back, then the cool brush of an unseen hand. He had conjured a mage hand to untie her corset, the fingers pulling at the strings to loosen them.

Before it managed to get them all the way undone, she was fumbling with buttons on his vest. She shrugged the heavy corset off, the thud of it falling to the ground ignored as she pushed his own garment off his shoulders. Before he could distract her with his hands again, she untucked his shirt and pulled the fabric over his head.

Her fingers danced over his warm skin, feeling hair and scars and firm muscle beneath flesh. Gale groaned, bending to grip her by the generous flesh of her thighs to pull her up in his arms, for the quick journey to the bed where he set her down. Her tunic was tugged off, thrown aside and he grunted in displeasure at the thin cloth bandeau that still covered her breasts.

Tav chuckled, grabbing the scrap of fabric and pulling it overhead. Gale’s eyebrows hiked up at the sight of her tits out, heavy and round with already pebbled nipples, and under the scrutiny she felt doubt creep in.

“Not what you were hoping for?” It was half a joke, a deflection for the blush she knew was on her face, something to do besides wrap her arms around herself.

“Are you completely mad?” He finally met her eyes, looking offended. “May I?”

She nodded, only to be firmly guided onto her back as Gale put one knee between her thighs on the bed and leaned forward.

His hands grabbed, not fully able to grasp, even with hands larger than her own. “Soft,” he thought out loud to himself. “How are you so soft?”

“I-I don't know,” she hitched a breathy tone. “Ah, gentle please,” she gasped when he began pinching and rolling the peaks between his fingers, calloused fingers from years of spell work and a combined over-excited pinch both thrilling and overstimulating, “they’re very sensitive.”

“Very important information,” he murmured, running a thumb over one in a soothing motion that still made her gasp out loud. “I wonder…”

The thought trailed off as his mouth clasped around one nipple and Tav gave an undignified squeal as her hips rolled. Too many layers between her skirt and underclothes to provide her the relief she wanted, even with his knee between her thighs. Each brush of his finger over one, followed by a firm squeeze, made her twitch and the laving of his tongue had her letting out soft little moans.

Finally he pulled away, watching as his hands continued where he left off. One hand danced over her soft stomach, and slipped down towards the waistband of her skirt, tickling the skin there until she gasped a laugh. He pushed down her stockings, tugged her skirt off and looked one last time for approval before he slipped her under things down her legs.

For a moment, his eyes darted over her body. Despite the thrill of being at the center of such avid admiration, she felt the need to do something in the face of it. A conflicting moment of uncertainty, the apprehension of him seeing any flaw in her moving her to try distract him. Her fingers came up to grab, but he gently redirected her wrist to his lips.

“You are perfect beyond imagining,” he said.

“You’re a flatterer,” she breathed, her eyes avoiding his, as they trailed over his torso and to the bulge in his breeches.

“I reject that accusation,” he said, grabbing a pillow and tossing it onto the floor before he got to his knees upon it. “I’m an admirer of art.”

Tav rolled her eyes with a half laugh as she allowed her legs to be spread, heels set on the edge of the bed. He kissed each one as he set them where he wanted, beard scratching and tongue peaking out to taste.

She was a little in awe of him like this. His eyes dark, a slight smirk painted onto his face, softened only when he met her eyes and smiled at her. With his broad shoulders forcing her legs wider as he moved further between them, and his hair coming out of his once immaculate bun, she felt her throat run dry and a heat rush through her body as she admired him.

He stopped suddenly, and she met his look of intentional seriousness. “If you need me to stop,” he said, “say the word and we will.”

She nodded her head.

He kissed the inside of her thigh again, before his eyes slid down his hands massaging around her outer lips. She was wet, it had smeared her thighs, that she already knew. A gentle gasp pulled from her lungs as he took his time, rubbing and spreading her, the same look of deep focus on his face as when he was taken with an interesting tome.

Gale rubbed along the seam of her, before spreading her open and gently rubbing her clit. A choked sound emitted from her after he commented, “you’re soaked, my love.”

“All your doing, beloved,” she replied.

“I do love hearing that,” he grinned. “You’ll have to tell me what else I do to you.”

Any response died away when he licked a long stripe along her. The slightest groan came from him, and he began to work. It was agonizing heaven, the filthy sounds as he sucked and licked at her cunt and the way he gripped her thighs only enhancing the actual sensation of his mouth on her.

Half-formed thoughts kept slipping out of her mouth until only single words and whines were all she could muster. Her hands slid over his, and he laced them together, his efforts doubling after the gesture of affection. Her excitement was running so high, anticipation adding to arousal, that she knew she would not last long.

“Gale,” she breathed, “feels so good — so close —“

He never pulled away, just found what was making her legs writhe over his shoulders the most, what made her hips search for friction, and her breath spike. Her hands gripped his so both of them had a firm grip of her thighs, as she suddenly teetered over the edge, heavy waves of pleasure singing in her veins as he licked her through it.

Except once it passed, he did not pull away. It felt good, so she was not going to push him off, but she was sensitive. Each touch of his tongue on her clit felt like a shock through her whole being making her legs clamp around him. He let go of her hands and pushed her thighs apart again, she thought that alone had her ready to fall apart once more.

Relentless and yet somehow still controlled, he was singularly intent on making her come again. The sensation almost scared her as she greedily chanted for more, more, more in her head and maybe aloud, she couldn’t be sure. Gale was groaning into her, the firmness of his grip surprising her still. She wanted him inside of her.

“Please“ she started to beg, “fuck me.”

He gave a moan, the only time she felt him falter. “One more, my love,” he replied. A demand or a promise, maybe both. “Give me one more.”

He let his fingers work over her this time, still between her legs, watching each movement she made. For her credit, she kept her hips and legs from knocking him away, the rest of her body making up for it. Her back arched, she writhed and gripped the bedding beneath her like it was going to anchor her.

When Gale slipped a finger inside of her, easy enough that he tried a second, she went stiff. “Good?”

She nodded her head.

“Words, please, Tav,” he said gently. It occurred to her he may be asking after her wellbeing rather than to tease.

Either way, she loved the feeling in her brain at the idea of it being a demand. Of him tormenting her in the most beautiful way.

“Good!” She blurted out. “So fucking good.”

His mouth had expertly pulled her apart, but she was finding his fingers to be just as talented. She clamped down around the digits pushing in her as she felt herself falling to pieces.

“Yes,” he breathed. “Good, Tav…” when she opened her eyes, she was met with him staring at hers. As if he could read her mind, he went on talking, “come undone for me.”

Her whole being responded to the request, as if he had the ability to command her body with just a word. She writhed and rolled her hips as she came, a truly unrestrained string of cries that she knew were a bit too loud. Gale’s hand cupped her cunt, and she could feel the pulse of it against his hand — his face giving way to pure want as he moaned.

“Alright?” He asked after a moment.

“Would be better if I had you inside of me,”she teased, giddily.

“Minx,” he grumbled, coming to stand.

“Tease,”she shot back sitting up.

When she kissed him he tasted distinctly of her arousal, and somehow it made her heart skip a beat. Her tongue danced over his, hand trailing down his chest to the waistband of his breeches, untying as she went. Her hands slipped inside, grasping through his underclothes at the length of his cock, hard and tenting the fabric.

Gale gave a sinful groan, eyes shut tight and when she started to stroke his jaw went slack.

Tav chuckled, “feel good, my darling?”

“Too good,” he grunted, hand gripping her wrist tight. “It’s been… far too long since I’ve — erm, partaken in pleasure on this plane, so to speak.”

Tav frowned, contemplating that, her eyes drifting to the space where Mystra’s altar had once been then back to him. “That’s okay,” she said immediately. “I don’t care.”

“You might,” he replied, wry smile masking what she knew to be embarrassment creeping up on him, “when the night ends rather, prematurely.”

Tav shrugged. “Then we drink some wine and wait until you’re up to more,” she said casually tugging off the rest of his clothes. “I didn’t wait all this time to have you just once tonight anyway.”

Gale licked his lips, eyebrows twitching up in interest.

She tugged at his wrist, “lay back,” she guided him onto the bed, pushing him to sit with his back against the headboard. “We can go slow.”

Gale got comfortable, hands grabbing at her hips when she settled in his lap. Her fingers danced over the orbs mark, raised like a scar but looking almost inked in like a tattoo. The fervor had stalled just slightly, his cock still hard between them but no longer pulsing as it had in her hand.

“What would our friends say if they knew what you were hiding under those robes,” she mused, arms curling over his broad shoulders.

“I rather think I held my own on our intrepid journeys,” he said, sounding more like himself. “Aside from the creaky knees.”

“That you did,” she agreed. “I would have been lost without you.”

She kissed him, slowly and affectionately, as she lifted herself a bit. Her fingers danced down his body again, taking their time to admire the sturdiness he hid under his wizard robes day to day.

Finger nails scratched through the hair that trailed down his torso, and into the thicker patch between his legs. She gripped him again, and he moaned into her mouth, the kiss matching his needy grasp on the flesh of her hips.

Unable to help herself from teasing, she dragged the head of him through her folds, letting him feel how wet she was for him. His brow furrowed harshly.

As she lined him up and slowly sank down, she was torn between watching every minuscule change in his expression and closing her eyes to relish the perfect fit. He stopped kissing her, the shuddering breath he drew and the way his eyes started to roll back giving her that much more satisfaction.

Her own gasp filled the soundless space between them, walls fluttering at the intrusion. “Gods, you feel so good,” she whined.

Gale was speechless. Voice stolen by deep concentration, and then his eyes opened. For a singular moment Tav felt as if she was the only other person in the world, the pure look of awe and combined sharp focus of his attention made her feel ten feet tall.

How could anyone, goddess or not, take his sincere devotion for granted?

“Do you want me to move?”

“Not yet,” he whispered desperately. “Just — please, let me —“

He pulled her to him, bodies pressing at almost every point. His arms were a tight wrap around her, his cheek pressed against her forehead as she gave him gentle kisses along his neck. It felt not dissonant to their time in the astral, joined in every way, but this felt somehow more intimate. To hold him within her, and still have him hold her safely in his arms — a perfect balance she could hardly fathom.

“Kiss me,” Gale breathed. “Please.”

Tav did as asked, fingers tangled in his hair and very gently rocked her hips. He groaned, grip becoming bruising, pausing the kiss and then coming back to it again. Slowly she started to rock, then raise her hips and roll them forward until she was slowly bouncing, the slap of her skin meeting his filling the room.

Gale broke from the kiss, hands moving to the sides of her face. That same look, as if he had seen something beyond his wildest imaginings; focused, stunned and reverent. She never felt so loved in her life, she was certain.

As if she could will the same feeling into him, she pressed their foreheads together. She moaned, as he hit just right within her. Sensitive, eager and greedy she chased the sensation.

“I love you,” she gasped.

His expression crumpled, and he groaned grabbing her around the waist so she had to stop. She could feel his cock throbbing inside of her. “You are… you — I love you —“ he grunted. “Please, let me — feel you.”

She slowed her movements to a subtle rock, which rubbed against something in her that made her entire body seize up in intense sensation. He murmured affirmations to her, face buried in her hair, his hand grabbing at her ass to pull her back and forth.

“I have to feel it,” he said, need dripping from his tone, “buried in you, I must —“

Her mouth left sloppy kisses wherever she could leave them as she rutted against him. As another sweet peak approached she leaned back, bouncing just slightly to get what she needed. Gale’s eyes flicked down to her chest, to where they were joined, and back to her face. Her body started to pulse, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

It felt so good. The drag of him against her walls, the blunt intrusion as she rolled her hips. Whines fell from her lips, she closed her eyes to focus in on the sensation, head thrown back in ecstasy.

As she peaked her legs shook on either side of him, hips moving out of pure instinct for more as she felt herself tighten around him. Uncontrollable pulses, grabbing and sucking him as far as she could talk him and a gush of wetness that added deliciously lewd sounds.

Gale seemed to stop breathing for a moment, before something in him snapped. He grabbed her hips, and with bent knees and feet planted on the soft sheets began fucking up into her.

More ruthless than she had expected, desperate and selfish and needy. It was nearly enough to get her to the edge again. Grunts from somewhere in the back of his throat joined her shocked cries telling him ‘yes’ over and over again.

He watched as he disappeared inside of her, mouth open as he panted, and then finally he broke.

With a swiftness she didn’t expect he pulled out of her, but his arms came around in a caging embrace so he still rubbed against her wet folds. He whined, as his hips jerked without any sort of pattern, punctuated by the hot splashes of him coming. Sticky, wet and warm.

His body shuddered as it passed, but he did not let go of her as he caught his breath. When she lifted her head to look at him, his head was tilted back and eyes closed as he recovered. She kissed his cheek, and he opened one eye to look at her, a smile blooming on his lips.

“You’ve ruined me,” he muttered.

“And you enjoyed every moment.”

“‘Enjoyed.’” He repeated. “Very light way to put it.”

“Then how would you describe it?”

“Hm,” he breathed. “Having trouble thinking currently. I will get back to you.”

“Now that’s a real accomplishment,” Tav laughed. “I’ve rendered Gale of Waterdeep utterly speechless.”

He laughed, one eye peeking open again before he playfully kissed her on the cheek. As she nestled back into his arms, she knew they would have to break away soon to clean up the mess they had made. But for just a moment she cherished the sound of his heartbeat, calming down and steadying with his breath.

“The first of a thousand nights.” He murmured.

“Hopefully more.”

“I’ll have the rest of your nights, if you’ll allow it.”

“They’re yours.”

Thank you for reading! 💜

[zweiginator]

art coming into the picture in the actor!patrick au omg i need the drama the angst the jealousy

also picturing 20s art and 30s patrick together does something to me like yes give it to me please

because im thinking that patrick got into acting young. he was never a child actor, but he lived around hollywood and there were plenty of talent scouts looking around for promising young actors. and there patrick was. he was handsome and so ready to work, work, work.

and it felt like one day he was a nobody and the next day his name had the magic stamp of approval and he couldn't go anywhere without the flashing white lights of paparazzi burning the backs of his retinas. and this was what he always wanted--but he could still miss his old life, right?

patrick was always stuck in a loop. a yo-yo of him wanting to crawl into a hole and be a hermit, and then wanting more and more attention as soon as a hot new piece of meat was thrown into the ring of hollywood. hence the scandals, and the homewrecking and the sex tapes.

patrick also feared that his youth was fleeting--well, because it was. he wasn't twenty anymore. the young, lithe boy who took any role that was offered to him, his agent saying he would be stupid to pass anything up at this point in his career.

it's how he found himself sexualized in movies. it's how patrick zweig became a name that subconsciously elicited a visceral, almost taboo connotation. movies where you had to cover your kids' eyes when they came into the room. patrick zweig was a sex symbol.

so maybe he envied you. the novelty of your career. you're only in your early twenties and your eyes still twinkle under the oppressive set lights. you're still surprised when people want your autograph.

a part of patrick wishes that you would have a big scandal. that what had come out about you and him would've gained more traction. but it only added to his growing reputation. it made people pity you, hoping you would come out of this film unscathed by patrick's venomous sting.

and patrick shouldn't want you; he didn't want you. until he saw you talking to the director's assistant. blond and a little scrawny but strong where it mattered. with nice curls and a charming smile that made older women want to pinch his cheeks and fuck him all the same.

art is the same age as you, born in the same year. patrick has only spoken to him a few times when he was giving art his coffee order. asked him if he could pick up his dry cleaning down the street.

art is organized and on time. and he obviously has a crush on you. who wouldn't? but patrick has surpassed the age of crushes and now he feels like a fucking creep watching you and art giggle, your knees knocking against each other as you face each other in flimsy lawn chairs.

patrick tries not to ruminate about it. about how fucked up it is that he didn't want you when he could've had you, but now that you're out of reach he feels like he missed the train and the next stop is hours away.

he thinks maybe you and art didn't actually hit it off as well as he originally thought that day. but a week later and there you both are, closer this time. you share a sandwich and wipe some mustard from art's lip. and you don't notice patrick lurking against your trailer.

it feels almost evil when after the awful day he's had, he goes out to a bar, wearing a ball cap and dark clothes. he gets two drinks and sips on them slowly in the corner. art and you walk in and fifteen minutes you walk out into the alley and patrick can't help but follow you. he's fucking magnetized to you.

art has you pressed against the side of the building, his hands resting on your ass as his tongue pries into your mouth and patrick is already unreasonably angry. and then he hears the softest mewl of your voice, moaning art's name, when only a few weeks ago you were sat in his lap and these roles were all fucking reversed.

your hands tangle into art's hair and patrick clears his throat. art wipes your lipstick from his mouth but red is still peppered on his neck and you both look at patrick like deers in headlights.

[reallyhatethiswebsite]

lazy power bottom raphael & anal fingering/handjobs

Read on AO3

-

Her entrance into his office was unceremonious. The devil sat squinting at old scrolls, looking up at her through his pretty lashes when she stood in front of his desk.

“I don't recall requesting to see you,” he said, his tone neutral. Tav was about to take a monumental risk, but she was still riding the high of her recent piece of freedom. Her magic was slowly returning - helped along by the fragments of his power Raphael was sharing - and it felt a little like the soft afterglow of an orgasm. A good orgasm. Constant. Tav hadn't felt alive like this in a very long time. She kept flexing her fingers and toes; he noticed, but didn't comment. 

“I want to talk to you,” she said simply. 

He was quiet for a minute. Digesting her behavior, and how he was going to manage it. Otherwise his expression was impossible to read. “Then talk.”

It was here, Tav knew, that she had to tread carefully. If she got this right, Raphael would be in her hands - as much as a devil like him ever could be - and she would be the closest to real freedom she'd been…likely since before her cursed magic ever even began to manifest. A depressing thought, but one she didn't linger on. 

“I'd like you to stop having sex with Haarlep,” she said. Instantly she could tell it hadn't been what he was expecting her to say. The surprise on his handsome face would've been comical if she wasn't balancing the certainty of her future on the outcome of this conversation. He wasn't surprised for long. He put down the scroll he was reading, planted his elbows on the desk and folded his hands together, where he rested his chin. He looked at her very much like a boarding school headmaster, both entertained and irritated by an unruly child's audacious behavior. Like it amused him to watch someone so beneath him attempt to display authority, but when the novelty wore off he'd get angry.

“Why should I do that?” He drawled. He was humouring her, Tav knew, because he was curious. Just as she'd hoped. “What makes you think you can tell me to do anything?”

“I can't,” Tav shrugged, “I know I can't. But if you want to keep having sex with me, Haarlep has to be out of the picture - or out of your bed, at least.”

“You're giving me an ultimatum? How cute,” Raphael cooed. That he hadn't incinerated her on the spot was an indication of his piqued interest. “I knew you held distaste for my incubus, but I had no idea it ran so deep.”

“This has nothing to do with me not liking Haarlep,” Tav countered. That was mostly the truth. She absently touched the ugly scarring on her naked throat. She'd wear that collar forever, it seemed, one way or another. Raphael's clever gaze followed her. “I don't share my sexual partners, that's all. Not by choice, anyway, and choice is something you said you'd let me have, at least when it comes to this. Unless you're going back on your word…”

“I am not,” the devil growled; his tone suggested he might like to. “Though you'd do well to make sure you don't mistake my clemency for complacency, songbird. Unless you'd like to find out what happens to people who do.”

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

“I'm sure.” Raphael narrowed his eyes at her, looking her up and down from her bare feet to the crown of her head. Tav did her best not to shift, to remain confident against his scrutiny. His next words were blunt. “Why should I choose you over an incubus I've kept for centuries? A creature perfectly attuned to my body, my desires? One who cannot and will not say no to anything I want to do to them?”

At last it was the moment for Tav to make her case. To admit a truth aloud to herself and to the devil who stole her away from a personal hell far worse than Avernus, or any other layer of Hell.

“Because I want you, Raphael. I want you. I haven't been able to stop thinking about that night in your chambers, the way you looked underneath me as everything else burned…it's driving me crazy. I know it was good for you, too. I can't give you the same precision and experience as Haarlep, but…maybe I can give you something better.”

Raphael's eyes darkened as she spoke, his pupils expanding to swallow the orange of his irises. His countenance changed, even if his placid expression hadn't. It was a subtle shift, but one Tav had become attuned to as she learned him, his mannerisms and habits.

“I must admit, the smell of fire has held quite a…scintillating sentiment for me these past few days,” he said. “Ah, what a delightful impulse buy you've turned out to be…”

Tav felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head. There was the caveat. A bitter reminder that she was still infernal property, no matter how well he treated her. She couldn't believe it. In the heat of passion, she'd almost allowed herself to forget. This wasn't about sex, or lust. It was Hell's oldest game: manipulation. If she had fun in the meantime, all the better, but she wouldn't again forget why she was doing this. Her flames were not doused, but tempered.

“So, are my terms acceptable?” Tav pressed. Crossed her arms over her chest. Leaned her weight on one hip.

“That depends, dearest.” The devil did so love negotiations. “If I were to relinquish my, shall we say, dalliances with Haarlep and share myself only with you…my little songbird, my sweet pet…” Tav's breath caught. Those words affected her more than she thought. Raphael smiled. “What would that mean?”

Hook. Line. Time for the sinker.

“Let me show you,” she murmured. “Right here, right now. If you're good for it.”

The devil was deeply entertained, that much was obvious. He clicked his fingers and Tav heard his office doors close and lock. “Hmm… What will you have me do now, pet?”

“Bend over the desk. Clothes off. Please.”

For a moment, he did nothing. His silent stare had weight. Tav wondered if this was the point of no return, if she'd found the line and crossed it. If he was testing her mettle, her conviction, to see if she would falter. If he was simply stunned that she believed she could speak to him that way, that she believed he would actually obey. 

Just when Tav thought he wouldn't, when the moment had stretched beyond uncomfortable and she'd almost given into the urge to squirm, Raphael did what she asked. The thrill Tav experienced was substantial. He stood. A simple click and he cleared the surface of his desk; another and he was naked, thick muscles, prominent veins and ribbed cherry-red skin on show, lightly dusted with patches of dark hair. He was softer around the middle than Haarlep's display, and Tav much preferred it. Raphael’s handsome cock was already beginning to fill, his dark pink glans peeking out from beneath his foreskin. He could play at aloofness all he wanted, but his body would always give him away. Still, he was a devil of pride, and there was nothing but smug superiority in the way he positioned himself; forearms braced on the desk, back bent, ass up. His tail swung lazily to-and-fro. He reminded her of his incubus like this, but - and she'd never tell him this - Tav thought he pulled off the seduction much better.

“Well, my songbird,” he purred, equal parts an invitation and a challenge. “Here I am. Show me how you want me.”

As she approached, Tav wished she could hate him the way she hated all other fiends and devils alike. He made it impossible, and that was infuriating, because it complicated so many things. She wished he repulsed her as Lyuris had, but she found Raphael's hellish features quite beautiful. She'd been certain there was nothing beautiful in Hell, but as she smoothed her hands over Raphael's hot skin and he made a quiet noise of approval…

Tav chewed the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. Remember why you're doing this.

He was so much larger than her, but like this, she could reach the parts of him she wanted much easier. Her touch drifted over his broad shoulders and down the column of his spine. At its base her fingertips flirted briefly with where his tail sprouted; the skin was baby soft on its underside and Raphael seemed to like being touched there, if the gentle “ah!” he released meant anything. He seemed to like being touched everywhere. Things between he and Haarlep were transactions, Tav had realised, but the devil’s appetite wasn't just for sex. He hungered for touch, warm and given willingly. Affection of the basest kind, as so many devils secretly and selfishly did. Something a demon would never understand. That was how she'd get him.

Tav squeezed his backside in both hands. He had a nice ass. She felt down lower to find his balls, smiling at the way he instantly spread his thighs to allow her access. His sack was hot and heavy in her palm, too big to properly hold. She kneaded what she could instead, firm testes inside rolling against his scrotum's thin, smooth skin. She tugged them gently. Raphael groaned, deep and throaty. Tav's deft fingers slid between his buttocks, parting them enough to feel the twitching velvet of his hairless puckered hole. He inhaled sharply when she rested her thumb on it but made no move to stop her. In fact, he lifted his tail and presented himself further.

“Oil?” She asked. Raphael clicked his fingers once more and a little bottle appeared on his desk. Stroking his hole, savouring his anticipatory twitches, Tav used her free hand to pop the lid from the bottle and scent its contents. “Mm, palmarosa. Smells good.”

“They do know how to make fine things in Waterdeep,” said the devil, distractedly. “If you're willing to shell out substantial gold, of course…ahhh…” 

“Of course.” As he spoke, Tav poured a generous helping of the oil on her fingers, and slowly pushed her slick thumb past the tight ring of his anus. The heat and squeeze of his slippery insides was amazing.

“Is that it? More,” Raphael snarled, impatiently pressing into her hand. “What are you waiting for?”

“Nothing at all.”

Her index finger, then her middle, joined her thumb. Experience told her how to twist them, where to rub, when to scissor. Experimentation would tell her where his prostate was, but until then he was enjoying himself anyway. His head dropped forward, clipped moans escaping him as he tried to fuck himself on her fingers, tried to get more friction, more more more.

“Another,” he demanded raspily, “give me another. Harder.”

“As you wish…master.” She said it purely for the shudder that ran through him, for the way he clenched around her fingers, but Tav would be lying if she said it didn't affect her, too. If she looked down, she could see his clawed toes curling. Her ring finger slipped into his ass, her pinky thumping his perineum with each harsh thrust and rub she gave him. The wet noises and her devil's grunts were obscene.

“Yes…nngh, good pet…such a good pet,” Raphael uttered, unable to stop talking even with four fingers up his ass. “So eager to please me…that's it, yes. Like that…”

With her free hand, Tav reached around to grab his cock, fully erect and leaking precum. To do it, she had to press herself flush against him, the backs of his thighs scorching the fronts of hers through the thin dress she wore. She couldn't resist dropping open-mouthed kisses on his flesh. He tasted of sweat and spice, and the strange ridges of his infernal anatomy felt like soft cartilage in her mouth. He sighed so sweetly when she sucked on them. Her fingers on his cock squeezed and stroked, her intent to reach his glans and smear his precum around for lubricant, but Raphael snatched that hand and brought it to his face. His forked tongue - that dangerous thing of pure silver -  licked up the length of her palm and lathered her digits with hot spit, and when he deemed them sufficiently sloppy, he put them right back on his aching prick.

“Fuck,” Tav cursed breathlessly, resting her cheek between his wing joints for a moment. Heart in her throat, blood roaring in her ears, cunt slick. 

Remember. 

The devil chuckled, but it quickly dissolved into a low, rumbling moan when she made a narrow cage of her hand for him to fuck, to rut and rub his prick into like an animal; and that was exactly what he did, rolling his hips to alternate between pleasuring his cock and spearing himself on her fingers in his ass. Tav felt every flex of his spine, felt every drag of his foreskin and swollen vein and ridge on his cock, felt every clench and spasm of his rectum. Felt it when she found the spot she'd been looking for, soft and spongy beneath her fingertips. The sound Raphael let out as his big body jerked bordered on inhuman; his claws scratched at the wood of his desk, his wings flexed, his tail thrashed.

“There,” he hissed, “right there.”

Tav kissed and bit him as she ruthlessly worked his prostate. He barely noticed, his rutting becoming feverish, snarls and growls mixing with wet gasps, fast and shallow. His cock stiffening further, balls tight, Tav knew he was about to come. She awaited it with vicious satisfaction, wishing only that she could see his face as he unraveled, if his sharp features would twist as lovely as they did the night she rode him in flames. 

He finished with a shudder, a guttural choked groan, his head lolled back, wings spread wide. His inner muscles fruitlessly milked her fingers, his fat cock spurting ropes of hot cum all over her knuckles, his chest, the desk. His claws had dug deep gouges in the wood. In the aftermath he quivered, panting. Tav felt as though she couldn't catch her breath, either. Her forehead rested once again between his wing joints where she stayed, still holding his softening cock. It took effort not to sigh with him as she pulled out, giving his hole - bereft, wet, winking - one final gentle rub. Her wrist ached, her cunt ached, her heart ached (but only a little). 

[ancientcharm]

Antinous, the beautiful young man who gave his life for love to emperor

Antinous was favorite and lover of emperor Hadrian.

"Antinous died in Egypt after falling into the Nile, according to what Hadrian wrote or, according to what really happened, because he was offered as a sacrifice. Hadrian was a great enthusiast of all kinds of divinations and enchantments. Thus, Hadrian honored Antinous - because of his love for him or because he would have agreed to die freely - since the voluntary surrender of a life was necessary for to achieve what he intended." -Dio Cassius

"The reason for this would have been that Hadrian wanted to prolong his life and that upon asking a magician to take his place, everyone backed off but Antinous offered to do so." -Aurelius Victor

Emperor Hadrian (reign: 117-138)

Born on January 24, 76, he was the nephew of his predecessor, Trajan. He was married to Vibia Sabina, grandniece of Trajan, with whom he had a terrible relationship but curiously he loved his mother-in-law, Salonia Matidia (Trajan's niece) like a mother. He is the third of the so-called "Five Good Emperors", however Hadrian was the only one of the five who was not popular either among the people or in the Senate, because:

He was the one who stopped - forever - the expansion of the Empire. This was not welcomed at that time because territorial expansion was the soul of Rome since its founding.

He was the first to wear a beard, something that the Romans associated with barbarism and "weird people", only some gods would look good with a beard. Later this Hadrian novelty became fashionable in Rome.

He used to have sudden attacks of anger becoming aggressive, and hours later he would lament bitterly and try to repair any damage done. This "bipolarity" was seen as a non-Roman attitude.

No one before or after him toured the entire empire as Hadrian did, which is why he is known as 'The Traveling Emperor'. His endless tours were not well regarded by the Senate.

His relationship with Antinous, considered inappropriate because he was not a slave and Hadrian had him in public concubinage

But despite everything, he was a good emperor; That's why he ruled without problem for 21 years

Unfortunately there are no historical sources about the life of Antinous but, thanks to his sculptures, it is known that he was a very handsome young man. As a teenager - but let us remember that the notion of adolescence did not exist in the ancient world - he met Hadrian in Bithynia. From that moment until the day of his death, when he was around 20 years old, he did not separate from Hadrian.

What really happened on the Nile

Antinous as Osiris- Vatican Museums.

After listening to a lecture and reading, I discovered that shortly before the death of Antinous, the emperor began to feel ill to the point that he feared an imminent death. But as was his custom, instead of looking for medicine, he looked for magic spells in the East.

When he arrived in Egypt with Antinous on October 24, 130, the arrival coincided-and was not so coincidental-with the beginning of the religious ceremony commemorating the death of Osiris, drowned in the Nile and then resurrected by his wife Isis. During the days of the commemoration, death and resurrection of Osiris, Isis was invoked in healing incantations.

Cassius Dio's suspicions are the same as other Roman historians as well as modern ones, because the death of Antinous was coincidentally during that religious ritual.

But those same historians agree that it was not Hadrian who asked Antinous to sacrifice himself. As the Roman historian Aurelius Victor wrote, he asked a magician for the sacrifice, but that man and the others backed away, so Antinous voluntarily decided to enter the Nile.

After the death of Antinous, Hadrian founded in Egypt the city Antinoöpolis in his honor. According to Dio Cassius, this was the reason for the sacrifice: "Since the voluntary surrender of a life was necessary for to achieve what he (Hadrian) intended, to found that city."

Cassius Dion's statement confuses me and seems very strange to me. Why would an emperor need the voluntary sacrifice of a life in order to found a city? It is very likely that Antinous really believed in those practices, that is, he believed that by doing that, his emperor could heal and live longer. Hadrian deified him, and I think Hadrian founded the city Antinoöpolis in Egypt because his beloved Antinous died there.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

DELTA ANON HERE AGAIN AND HOWLS YOU ARE SO LUCKY IM MAJORING IN PSYCH

So without further ado, the Myers Briggs test results for the Epic Sanses and Beta (directly copy & pasted)

Delta: ENFP-T

Meaning: Campaigner. Campaigners are enthusiastic, creative, and sociable free spirits, who can always find a reason to smile.

83% Extraverted: Extraverted individuals readily enjoy group activities and value social interaction. They tend to be outwardly enthusiastic and express their excitement.

56% Intuitive: Intuitive individuals are very imaginative, open-minded, and curious. They value originality and focus on hidden meanings and distant possibilities.

58% Feeling: Feeling individuals value emotional expression and sensitivity. They place a lot of importance on empathy, social harmony, and cooperation.

54% Prospecting: Prospecting individuals are very good at improvising and adapting to opportunities. They tend to be flexible nonconformists who value novelty above stability.

78% Turbulent: Turbulent individuals are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They feel a sense of urgency in their emotions and tend to be success-driven, perfectionistic, and eager to improve.

< Introduction >

People with the ENFP personality type (Campaigners) are true free spirits – outgoing, openhearted, and open-minded. With their lively, upbeat approach to life, ENFPs stand out in any crowd. But even though they can be the life of the party, they don’t just care about having a good time. These personalities have profound depths that are fueled by their intense desire for meaningful, emotional connections with others.

ENFP personalities carry an interesting blend of carefree sociability, sparkling imagination, and deep, contemplative introspection. They regularly use their natural curiosity and expansive creativity to try to better understand themselves and the complex dynamics of human relationships. And they are truly devoted to nurturing their relationships with and their understanding of the world at large.

In their unique way, ENFPs’ introspective nature is driven by their imagination, wonder, and belief in things that cannot always be explained rationally. People with this personality type truly believe that everything – and everyone – is connected, and they live for the glimmers of insight that they can gain from these connections. They believe that how we treat one another really matters. In fact, ENFPs are the most likely personality type to believe in the concept of karma.

ENFPs are independent and creative, always on the lookout for the magic and meaning in everyday life. They can’t help but ponder the deeper significance of life – even when they should be paying attention to something else.

When something sparks their imagination, ENFPs show an enthusiasm that is nothing short of infectious. These personalities can’t help but to radiate a positive energy that draws other people in. Consequently, they might find themselves being held up by their peers as a leader or guru. However, once their initial bloom of inspiration wears off, ENFPs can struggle with self-discipline and consistency, losing steam on projects that once meant so much to them.

Seeking joy:

ENFP personalities are proof that seeking out life’s joys and pleasures isn’t the same as being shallow. Seemingly in the blink of an eye, people with this personality type can transform from impassioned idealists to carefree figures on the dance floor.

ENFP personalities are capable of intense thought and feeling – and also of kicking back and having a good time.

Even in moments of fun, ENFPs want to connect emotionally with others. Few things matter more to these personalities than having genuine, heartfelt conversations with the people they cherish. ENFPs believe that everyone deserves to express their feelings, and their empathy and warmth create spaces where even the most timid spirits can feel comfortable opening up.

ENFPs need to be careful, however. Their intuition may lead them to read far too much into other people’s actions and behaviors. Instead of simply asking for an explanation, they may end up puzzling over someone else’s desires or intentions. This kind of social stress is what keeps harmony-focused ENFP personalities awake at night.

ENFPs will spend a lot of time exploring different relationships, feelings, and ideas before they find a path for their life that feels right. But when they do finally find their way, their imagination, empathy, and courage can light up not only their own life but also the world around them.

< Strength and weaknesses >

Strengths:

Curious – People with the ENFP personality type (Campaigners) can find beauty and fascination in nearly anything. Imaginative and open-minded, ENFP personalities aren’t afraid to venture beyond their comfort zone in search of new ideas, experiences, and adventures. Moreover, their curiosity extends beyond simply seeking novelty. They also have a deep desire to understand how things work and why they are the way they are.

Perceptive – To people with this personality type, no one is unimportant – which might explain how they can pick up on even the subtlest shifts in another person’s mood or expression. Because they’re so sensitive to other people’s feelings and needs, ENFPs can make full use of their caring, considerate nature.

Enthusiastic – When something captures their imagination and inspires them, ENFP personalities want to share it with anyone who will listen. And they’re just as eager to hear other people’s ideas and opinions – even if those thoughts are wildly different from their own.

Excellent Communicators – People with the ENFP personality type brim with things to say, but they can be caring listeners as well. This gives them a nearly unmatched ability to have positive and enjoyable conversations with all sorts of people – even people who aren’t particularly sociable or agreeable.

Easygoing – ENFPs may live for deep, meaningful conversations, but they can also be spontaneous and lighthearted. These personalities know how to find fun and joy in the present moment – and few things give them more pleasure than sharing their joy with others.

Good-Natured and Positive – All of these strengths come together to form a person who is warmhearted and approachable, with an altruistic spirit and a friendly disposition. ENFPs strive to get along with pretty much everyone, and their circles of acquaintances and friends often stretch far and wide.

Weaknesses:

People-Pleasing – Most people with the ENFP personality type are uncomfortable with the prospect of being disliked. To maintain the peace, they may compromise on things that matter to them or allow others to treat them poorly. And when they fail to win someone over, they might lose sleep trying to figure out what to do about it.

Unfocused – The thrill of a new project – especially one that involves collaborating with other people – can bring out the best in these personalities. But ENFPs are known for having ever-evolving interests, meaning that they may find it challenging to maintain discipline and focus over the long term.

Disorganized – ENFPs’ focus on the big picture and their love for exploring new ideas and experiences can sometimes overshadow their attention to everyday practical matters. Specifically, people with this personality type may try to avoid the routine tasks that they view as boring like household chores, basic maintenance, or paperwork. The resulting sense of disorganization can become a major source of stress in their life.

Overly Accommodating – ENFP personalities feel called to uplift others, and they may find themselves saying yes whenever anyone asks them for guidance or help. But unless they set boundaries, even the most energetic among them can become overcommitted, with too little time and energy to tackle the necessities of their own life.

Overly Optimistic – Optimism can be among this personality type’s key strengths. But ENFPs’ rosy outlook can lead them to make well-intentioned but naive decisions, such as believing people who haven’t earned their trust. This trait can also make it difficult for these personalities to accept hard but necessary truths – and to share those truths with others.

Restless – With their positive, upbeat attitude, ENFPs rarely seem upset or dissatisfied on the outside. But their inner idealism can leave them with a nagging feeling that some major areas of their life just aren’t good enough – whether that’s their work, their home life, or their relationships.

< Romantic Relationships >

It’s hard to overstate just how much people with the ENFP personality type (Campaigners) care about love. ENFPs are passionate, warm, and openhearted individuals full of hopes, dreams, and ideas, longing for a life of rich experiences. And they bring every ounce of this vibrant energy to their romantic relationships.

For ENFP personalities, romantic relationships are beautiful and exhilarating – an opportunity for two souls to not only explore the world together but also connect on the deepest of levels.

Many ENFPs harbor a deep longing to share their life with another person. As a result, these personalities may feel a bit empty or uninspired when they’re single. While their dedication to relationships is admirable, ENFPs may need to guard against investing too much of their sense of self in their relationship status.

Fanning the flames:

When ENFPs are interested in someone, they rarely hold back. People with this personality type tend to fall in love easily – and they fall hard. These individuals shower their new flame with affection, trusting that the devotion and passion that they feel are real.

Optimists at heart, ENFP personalities are undaunted by the practical challenges and inconveniences of a new partnership. This might explain why they generally don’t shy away from long-distance relationships. In their minds, physical distance is no match for the power of true love. Rather than focusing on potential issues, ENFPs sink into the joys of a relationship’s honeymoon stage, constantly looking for ways to prove their dedication and delight their partner.

In a world of dating games and rules, ENFPs’ willingness to throw caution to the wind can be a breath of fresh air.

For better or for worse, not everyone can match this personality type’s ardor and intensity. Some people just need more space – whether physical, emotional, or both. If their partner’s enthusiasm doesn’t seem to match their own, ENFPs may find themselves wondering if they’re doing something wrong.

And when the flames of romance start to flicker or wane as a relationship matures – as happens in nearly every longer-term relationship – ENFP personalities might worry that their devotion has been misplaced and the match isn’t meant to be after all.

The mystery of relationships:

ENFPs tend to be very affectionate and playful with their partner. People with this personality type consider physical touch to be an essential and effective way to communicate their love in their romantic relationships.

Perhaps because they’re so unstinting with their affection, ENFPs can struggle with the mystery of why some relationships don’t work out. Shouldn’t love be enough to keep two people happily together – especially when one of those partners is as eager to please as ENFP personalities are?

But, like everyone, people with this personality type need to remember that relationships are in all ways mutual – mutual interest, mutual growth, and mutual responsibility. As many ENFPs learn, the fate of a relationship has less to do with whether it was “meant to be” in some cosmic sense than with how partners treat and communicate with each other.

ENFP personalities know that lasting love takes effort and commitment – but they may become alarmed when the work of being in a relationship starts to feel like, well, work.

Cherished ideals:

ENFPs approach their relationships with the highest of ideals. They long to know and unconditionally accept everything about their partner, just as they long for that person to know and unconditionally accept them in return.

With this intense, all-in approach to love, ENFPs may feel more energized in the exciting, unpredictable early stages of a courtship than they do in established relationships. People with this personality type tend to revel in the thrill of exploring new ideas and experiences with their significant other. However, successful long-term relationships require more than just two people who enjoy discovering new things together.

For ENFPs, navigating practical matters such as chores, budgeting, and social or family obligations can sometimes seem painfully unromantic. But unless these types take on their share of the responsibilities and help keep things running smoothly, they may actually create or amplify any stress in their relationship.

In settled relationships, ENFP personalities may find themselves longing for the days when they and their partner were more focused on candlelit dinners than who was going to empty the dishwasher.

Fortunately, ENFPs can find ways to balance their spontaneous, passionate nature with the stability and consistency that long-term relationships require. With their trademark sensitivity and goodwill, these personalities can transform even the most mundane tasks into a creative, heartfelt expression of love.

< Friendships >

With their natural vivacity, people with the ENFP personality type (Campaigners) are effortlessly sociable. They generally make friends wherever they go using their charm and their excellent communication skills to draw in an interesting and diverse social circle – something that these personalities take pride in.

As friends, ENFPs are uplifting and supportive. They’re nearly always up for a little lighthearted banter – or a deep, heartfelt discussion about anything and everything. Moreover, they have a knack for making their friends feel seen, valued, and appreciated.

Generous and authentic, ENFPs have much to offer in the realm of friendship. At times, however, they may struggle with a suspicion that they care more about their friends than their friends care about them – a suspicion that can leave these sociable, warmhearted personalities feeling more than a little lonely.

For people with the ENFP personality type, friendship is an opportunity to see the universe through another person’s eyes.

The adventure of friendship:

Imaginative and upbeat, ENFPs know how to transform even the most ordinary moments into a special occasion. And for these personalities, nearly any opportunity to spend time with friends is a special occasion. ENFPs cherish their friends, and they’d hate to take a single moment together for granted.

With their trademark good cheer, ENFP personalities can turn any occasion into an adventure – an unforgettable dance party, an impromptu cookie-baking contest, or a soul-baring conversation about the state of the world.

As you might expect, ENFPs’ sociable energy can be a magnet for other outgoing personality types. But their warmth and sincerity draws all sorts of people out of their shells, and many ENFPs feel drawn to befriend those who are relatively shy or reserved.

Attracted to depth and nuance, people with this personality type find it gratifying to watch someone gradually open up and reveal their innermost thoughts and feelings. And with their unique combination of sensitivity and enthusiasm, ENFP personalities can help quieter friends feel understood and accepted – and a little exhilarated.

In too deep:

From the outside, it might seem that friendship comes easily to people with this personality type – and to some extent, it does. But that doesn’t mean that ENFPs always experience the deep, meaningful relationships that they long for.

Some people simply don’t want to open up emotionally in the way that these personalities crave. Others may turn out to be closed-minded or judgmental in ways that don’t match their values. To ENFPs, it can sometimes seem as if the rest of the world were satisfied with superficial, casual relationships. In these moments, they can’t help but wonder whether their deep longing for human connection is just too much for other people to handle.

Ever the idealists, ENFPs may find it difficult to accept that they can’t befriend everyone.

Their idealism can also cause issues within their close friendships. This personality type is known for going to great lengths to be caring and helpful. ENFPs take pride in being unfailingly generous with their energy, time, money, attention, and emotions. But, at times, these personalities may give so much to their friendships that they can’t meet their own needs. Unfortunately, even between the dearest of friends, this sort of imbalance can create resentment and misunderstanding.

Making life spectacular:

Fortunately, ENFPs’ emotional sensitivity enables them to respond not only to their friends’ needs but also to their own. Once they learn to balance their desire to help others with their need to stay true to themselves, ENFPs can bring the full strength of their empathy, curiosity, and joy to their friendships. And the adventures that people with this personality type share with their friends are the stuff that a great life is made of.

< Parenthood >

For people with the ENFP personality type (Campaigners), one of the great joys of parenthood is sharing their sense of wonder and inspiration with their children. Few things feel more rewarding to ENFP parents than seeing their child light up with curiosity about the world around them, take steps to discover how things work, and use their knowledge to help make society better. These parents do not merely want their children to survive in the world – they want to inspire them to change it.

ENFP parents also work hard to ensure that their children feel accepted and worthy just as they are. Rather than pressuring their children to look or act a certain way, these personalities encourage their children’s creativity and self-expression. Drawing on their own ingenuity and creativity, ENFP parents guide their children to discover and embrace their unique passions and interests.

ENFPs encourage their children’s curiosity, sweeping away dolls and dinosaurs when interests shift to the ocean, then sweeping away the fish when tastes change again to the stars.

Balancing love and discipline:

Striking the right balance between respecting their children’s autonomy and enforcing discipline can sometimes be a challenge for ENFP parents due to their strong affinity for harmony and individual freedom. They might not always have the heart (or, as they may see it, the lack of heart) to enforce the rules and restrictions needed to provide structure and reinforce important boundaries. These personalities often worry that if they’re too strict a disciplinarian, they’ll compromise the loving bond that they have with their children.

With time, however, many people with the ENFP personality type discover that having just enough structure can actually help their children thrive. Once they recognize this, these parents often learn to set guidelines in a way that’s loving but firm. In this light, enforcing appropriate rules can become yet another way that ENFP personalities express just how much they love and care for their children.

No matter how their children behave, ENFP parents rarely lose touch with their open-minded and empathetic nature.

ENFPs tend to radiate acceptance and compassion. As parents, they aim to become confidants who their children can open up to without fear of judgment. People with this personality type excel at creating safe spaces where their children can feel comfortable talking about their frustrations and their fears as well as their dearest hopes and dreams.

Go on, spread your wings:

Throughout their children’s lives, ENFP personalities provide their kids with an almost overwhelming amount of love and support. But as children mature into adolescence, they naturally feel drawn to establish their independence. They may spend more time with their friends than with their family or experiment with views and ideas that are radically different from their parents’.

ENFPs often see their children’s choices and behaviors as a referendum on their own parenting success.

Although they love the idea of their children becoming independent, ENFPs may sometimes feel that their children are pushing them away – something that can be profoundly hurtful for these personalities. They may be free spirits, but ENFPs are also sensitive to others’ feelings and expectations, and they may struggle not to take their children’s behavior personally.

Fortunately, ENFPs’ compassion can help them understand and honor their children’s needs through every stage of development. Parents with this personality type have the wonderful ability to meet their children exactly where they are. This can help their children develop a strong sense of self and self-worth, enabling them to venture confidently out into the big, wide world, knowing that they have both themselves and their ENFP parent to depend on.

< Career Paths >

“Maybe I could…fly helicopters and be an oceanographer who writes songs and cooks?” People with the ENFP personality type (Campaigners) are known for having a wealth of ideas, interests, and hobbies – to the extent that they may struggle to fit everything that they care about into their life.

It’s no surprise, then, that choosing a career path can leave these imaginative personalities feeling overwhelmed or scattered. ENFPs want to add value to the world, build community, facilitate learning, and express their creativity through their work. Consequently, they may feel pulled in multiple directions, uncertain of how to honor both their passions and their values while still keeping their options open and pulling in a steady paycheck.

The good news? ENFPs can use their boundless curiosity and imagination to propel themselves forward in nearly any profession.

When selecting a career, ENFP personalities tend to find that their main issue isn’t a lack of options. It’s that there are just so many fascinating and worthy possibilities to explore.

What works for ENFPs:

ENFPs have a way of brightening the world around them – including their workplace. As true optimists, these personalities can usually find pleasure and gratification in nearly any job. They may even welcome the challenge of breaking through a grumpy coworker’s shell, making harried customers smile, or boosting the morale of a less-than-cheerful workplace.

That said, people with the ENFP personality type are more likely to be fulfilled by work that meets certain criteria. First, they need to believe that what they do on a daily basis aligns with their core values. Second, most ENFPs feel best in jobs that use – and build on – their talents, both learned and innate.

It can be hard for ENFPs to maintain motivation in a job that doesn’t enable them to help people or create community in some way.

These personalities may feel that something is missing if they take on a career that doesn’t allow them to use and improve their people skills. ENFPs also tend to be most motivated in careers that offer learning opportunities and room for creativity – including the opportunity to experiment with side projects that catch their interest.

This explains why many people with the ENFP personality type are drawn to careers in nonprofits, public service, counseling, education, customer or public relations, hospitality, media and entertainment, and the service industry. Jobs in social media and communications can be an excellent fit for ENFPs as well, allowing them to balance creativity with a sense of human connection. ENFPs may also gravitate toward scientific and technical fields where they can have a positive impact, such as human health and environmental science.

Letting creativity prevail:

For ENFPs, few things are as demoralizing as a job where every day is the same. Predictability and repetition can make people with this personality type feel not only bored but also a little disheartened. Although they benefit from a degree of structure and accountability, they may lose steam in work environments that rely on strict regimentation and hierarchy.

ENFPs thrive in open-ended, flexible working environments that value creativity and collaboration.

ENFP personalities crave variety, and they love to ask questions. If they’re stuck focusing all of their energy on just one topic or project for too long, they tend to lose focus. To maintain motivation and their hallmark enthusiasm, they need to feel as if they’re both exploring new ideas and pushing boundaries. Any job that expects them to keep quiet and follow protocol is effectively turning two of ENFPs’ greatest strengths into liabilities.

Fortunately, ENFPs’ irrepressible creativity is an asset in most work environments. With their vivacity and empathy, these personalities can turn each workday into an opportunity to learn something new and make the world just a little better – and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

< Workplace Habits >

Marked by inherent charisma and original imaginations, people with the ENFP personality type (Campaigners) bring a unique energy into their professional environment. They are passionate about brainstorming with their teams and tend to excel in positions of leadership due to their ability to infuse the workplace with positivity and encouragement. With their warmth and open-mindedness, ENFPs often find ways to make their workplaces more creative, inspiring, and caring – no matter where they are on the career ladder.

Whether they’re a brand-new hire or a CEO, ENFP personalities feel happiest when they have the time and freedom to explore new ideas. And if they can explore those ideas alongside other people who share their excitement – well, that’s even better. Some personality types are sticklers for workplace hierarchies, but ENFPs see all of their colleagues as their equals. Sure, they may want to impress their boss, but chances are they want to make a good impression on everyone else as well.

ENFP subordinates:

As employees, ENFPs often impress their managers with their creativity and adaptability. People with this personality type are happy to experiment with new ways of doing things and to change course when necessary. They also stand out as excellent listeners, always eager to consider others’ perspectives.

ENFPs tend to light up their workspace with their innovative way of thinking, their empathetic nature, and their optimistic perspectives.

Like any personality type, though, ENFP subordinates have their pet peeves. Chief among these is micromanagement. ENFPs care about doing a good job, and they often feel that they do their best work when they can move at their own pace and do things in their own style. Constant nitpicking from their boss can be seriously stressful for these exuberant personalities.

That said, many people with this personality type do benefit from some direct management and oversight. ENFPs are notorious for skipping ahead to a new project before they’ve completed the last one. They love exploring new endeavors, but once a project’s allure begins to fade, they may find it difficult to stay motivated. In this spirit, these personalities may find it helpful to view check-ins from their boss as accountability and encouragement – in other words, teamwork – rather than micromanagement.

ENFP colleagues:

ENFPs view the people they work with not just as coworkers but as friends. These personalities take a genuine interest in their colleagues, curious about what makes them tick.

ENFPs can be counted on to provide cheer and support whenever one of their coworkers is down or stressed.

Their ability to relax and have fun will always make these personalities popular around the watercooler. But what sets ENFPs apart is how they can transform their popularity into natural leadership, inspiring their colleagues to band together in teams and collaborate to reach their goals.

People with this personality type are always on the search for win-win solutions to any problem. They don’t want to succeed at others’ expense, and they rarely put down a colleague to make themselves look good. Instead, they give credit where it’s due and lavish praise on anyone who does a good job. Group brainstorms are their forte. ENFPs listen to other people’s viewpoints and suggestions not just with tolerance but also genuine excitement.

ENFP managers:

ENFP managers don’t talk down to the people who work for them. In fact, managers with this personality type behave much like they did before they were in charge: They establish real connections with their employees, and they inspire by example rather than shouting orders from behind their desks.

However, not everyone shares this perspective on leadership. In the absence of clear orders, some employees may feel that they are being expected to read their ENFP manager’s mind. Some teams may need strict deadlines and timetables in order to succeed in their projects.

ENFPs prefer to focus on the big picture, letting their employees use their own judgment when it comes to handling details.

For ENFP personalities, it can be especially difficult to reprimand or fire employees – even those who deserve it. Unless they set boundaries and expectations, bosses with this personality type may end up disappointed or even taken advantage of by the people who work for them.

Fortunately, ENFPs have the sensitivity and insight to recognize when their team needs more structure or discipline in order to thrive. And while it may not be easy, they can use their communication skills and empathy to handle even the most challenging workplace situations in a way that is kind and fair.

< Conclusion >

Few personality types are as creative and charismatic as ENFPs (Campaigners). Known for their idealism and enthusiasm, ENFP personalities excel at dealing with unexpected challenges and brightening the lives of those around them.

ENFPs’ curiosity, imagination, and energy are invaluable in many areas, including their own personal growth.

Yet ENFP personalities can be tripped up in certain areas of their lives. When it comes to building relationships, choosing a career, or turning their dreams into reality, people with this personality type may need to consciously address their weaknesses and gain new skills – even as they draw on their many strengths.

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Beta + Epic (got the same result): ESPF-T

Meaning: Entertainer. Entertainers are spontaneous, energetic, and enthusiastic people – life is never boring around them.

82% Extraverted: Extraverted individuals readily enjoy group activities and value social interaction. They tend to be outwardly enthusiastic and express their excitement.

71% Observant: Observant individuals are pragmatic and down-to-earth. They tend to have a strong focus on what is happening or very likely to happen.

67% Feeling: Feeling individuals value emotional expression and sensitivity. They place a lot of importance on empathy, social harmony, and cooperation.

76% Prospecting: Prospecting individuals are very good at improvising and adapting to opportunities. They tend to be flexible nonconformists who value novelty above stability.

60% Turbulent: Turbulent individuals are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They feel a sense of urgency in their emotions and tend to be success-driven, perfectionistic, and eager to improve.

< Introduction >

If anyone is to be found spontaneously breaking into song and dance, it is people with the ESFP personality type (Entertainers). They get caught up in the excitement of the moment and want everyone else to feel that way too. No other type is as generous with their time and energy when it comes to encouraging others, and no other type does it with such irresistible style.

Living with passion:

ESFP personalities are inclined toward putting on a show for others and generally appear to be very comfortable in the spotlight. However, it is not their love for being the center of attention that drives this sense of confidence but their knack for sensing what’s appropriate in certain situations. They have an uncanny ability to mirror the behaviors of those around them.

ESFPs truly enjoy the simplest things, and there’s no greater joy for them than just having fun with a good group of friends. People with this personality type would almost always choose to be with friends over spending time alone. With their unique and earthy wit, they love soaking up attention and making every get-together feel a bit like a party.

It’s not just talk either – ESFPs tend to have the strongest aesthetic sense of any personality type. From grooming and outfits to a well-appointed home, they have an eye for fashion. Knowing what’s attractive the moment they see it, they aren’t afraid to change their surroundings to reflect their personal style. This type is naturally curious, exploring new designs and styles with ease.

Though it may not always seem like it, these personalities know that it’s not all about them – they are observant and very sensitive to others’ emotions. Often the first to help someone talk out a challenging problem, ESFPs happily provide emotional support and practical advice. However, if the problem is about them, they are more likely to avoid a conflict altogether than to address it head-on. This personality type usually loves a little drama and passion, but not so much when they are the focus of the criticisms it can bring.

A spontaneous spirit:

The biggest challenge they face is that they are often so focused on immediate pleasures that they neglect the duties and responsibilities that make those luxuries possible. Complex analyses, repetitive tasks, and matching statistics to real consequences are not easy activities for people with the ESFP personality type. They’d rather rely on spontaneous opportunities or simply ask for help from their extensive circle of friends. It is important for ESFPs to challenge themselves to keep track of long-term things like their retirement plans or sugar intake – there won’t always be someone else around who can help to keep an eye on these things.

ESFPs recognize value and quality, which on its own is a fine trait. In combination with their tendency to be poor planners, though, this can cause them to live beyond their means, and credit cards are especially dangerous. More focused on leaping at opportunities than in planning out long-term goals, they may find that their inattentiveness has made some activities unaffordable.

There’s nothing that makes ESFPs feel quite as unhappy as realizing that they are boxed in by circumstance, unable to join their friends.

ESFPs are welcome wherever there’s a need for laughter, playfulness, and a volunteer to try something new and fun – and there’s no greater joy for these personalities than to bring everyone else along for the ride. They can chat for hours, sometimes about anything but the topic they meant to talk about, and they share their loved ones’ emotions through good times and bad. If they can just remember to keep their ducks in a row, they’ll always be ready to dive into all the new and exciting things that the world has to offer, friends in tow.

< Strengths and Weaknesses >

Strengths:

Bold – People with the ESFP personality type (Entertainers) aren’t known for holding back. Wanting to experience everything there is to experience, they don’t mind stepping out of their comfort zones when no one else is willing.

Original – Traditions and expectations are secondary to this personality type, if a consideration at all. ESFPs love to experiment with new styles and constantly find new ways to stand out in the crowd. Not stopping at mere outfits, they inject stylistic creativity into their words and actions too. Every day is a performance, and they love to put on a show.

Positive and Enthusiastic – ESFPs are known for their zest for life and infectious enthusiasm. They naturally exude the kind of positivity that lights up a room and draws people to them, and this often translates into an engaging charisma that can inspire those around them. They tend to approach life and its multitude of experiences with an open mind, ready to immerse themselves in the new, the delightful, and the unexpected.

Hands-on and Observant – To ESFPs, the world is meant to be felt and experienced. They prefer to see and do than to wax philosophical about “what-ifs.” With all this focus on the here and now, on doing and acting, it makes sense that ESFP personalities are naturals when it comes to noticing real, tangible things and changes.

Excellent People Skills – More so than things, though, ESFPs love to pay attention to people. They are talkative, witty, and almost never run out of things to discuss. For these personalities, happiness and satisfaction stem from the time they spend with the people they enjoy being with.

Weaknesses:

Sensitive – ESFPs are strongly emotional and often vulnerable to criticism – they can feel like they’ve been backed into a corner, sometimes reacting badly. This is probably their greatest weakness, because it makes it so hard to address any other weaknesses brought to light.

Conflict-Averse – ESFP personalities sometimes ignore and avoid conflict entirely. They tend to say and do what’s needed to get out of such situations, then move on to something more fun.

Easily Bored – Without constant excitement, people with this personality type often find ways to create it themselves. Risky behavior, self-indulgence, and the pleasures of the moment over long-term plans are all things that ESFPs get into a little too often.

Poor Long-Term Planners – ESFP personalities rarely make detailed plans for the future. To them, things come as they come, and too often they don’t bother with taking the time to lay out steps and consequences, believing that they could change at any moment.

Unfocused – Anything that requires long-term dedication and focus is a particular challenge for people with the ESFP personality type. In academics, dense, unchanging subjects are much more difficult than more dynamic, relatable subjects. The trick for them is to find day-to-day joy in broader goals and to tough it out with those tedious things that must be done.

< Romantic Relationships >

People with the ESFP personality type (Entertainers) are social, fun-loving, free-spirited individuals who live life in the moment and squeeze every little bit of excitement from everything. Naturally, they don’t spare any of this freshness and energy when dating. For ESFP personalities, relationships aren’t about slowly building foundations for the future or planning out a life – they are bubbling, unpredictable things to be enjoyed for as long as there’s enjoyment to be had.

The spark of love:

Interestingly, ESFPs tend to regard falling in love as the best part of a relationship. They revel most in the stages that involve intense emotions, passion, discovery, and excitement. As a result, they might strive to keep these sparks lit longer than normal by investing more in the flavorful aspects of their relationship.

Because of this investment in liveliness and joy, relationships with ESFPs are simply unforgettable. People with this personality type always have some new and exciting activity up their sleeve, and they genuinely enjoy spending each moment with their partner. ESFPs enjoy physical intimacy immensely, and they prove themselves affectionate, inquisitive, and open-minded, loving to share with willing and reciprocative partners.

Conversation with ESFPs is similar, focusing on fun, sometimes quirky subjects rather than deep, soul-searching expressions. The past and the future, the sciences and politics, and long-term plans and commitments are all less likely to grip ESFP personalities than brighter, more tangible things. They slow things down and add too much weight to their freewheeling style.

People with the ESFP personality type happily chat about just about anything or anyone that comes to mind, but won’t have a topic forced.

The rise of conflict:

Emotionally oriented and sensitive, people with the ESFP personality type often respond poorly to outside “suggestions” on how to manage their love lives. They respond even worse if criticisms come from their partner, and trying to take emotions out of the picture by telling them to “not take this personally” isn’t helpful either. Slowing down and handling these situations better is a growth area for ESFPs.

On the other hand, the issue can be a lack of any criticism at all. ESFP personalities value social input a lot and are almost as affected by their friends’ opinions of their dating partner as their own. Since they are attracted to people who share their attitudes, this can leave them in an echo chamber that only tells them what they want to hear, reinforcing counterproductive behaviors and attitudes.

A joyful heart:

All of these tendencies can present a challenge for people with this personality type later on. ESFPs’ tendency to avoid promises and commitments sabotages important long-term goals. Building real relationships takes time and conscious effort.

But ESFPs are incredibly likable people who enjoy life’s small pleasures. Enthusiastic and affectionate, with a pure and down-to-earth love that just takes things at face value, ESFPs ultimately take the time to find someone who they truly enjoy being with every day rather than settling too soon for stability over happiness.

< Friendships >

People with the ESFP personality type (Entertainers) are known for their irrepressibly social and excited attitudes. They don’t internalize much of anything, sharing it all with their extensive circles of friends with wit, style, enthusiasm, and optimism. They are explorers of the pleasures of life, and they take particular pleasure in sharing those experiences with others. For ESFPs, there’s no point in living if you can’t feel alive.

Making life interesting:

ESFPs are people of action. Getting out with activities that engage the senses is this personality type’s idea of a good time. Sometimes, though, they may go too far with risky or careless behaviors and try to bring others along for the ride. They are sensitive, and rejection of these pastimes can be taken personally, leading to conflict or drama. They don’t have time to be lectured.

Making new friends isn’t a problem for these types. ESFPs use an alluring combination of blunt truths, disarming openness, and charm to keep things moving. Where ESFP personalities falter is in keeping up with the friends they already have. In their excitement and focus on the here and now over history, they might too easily pursue the next adventure that a new person has to offer, regretting that their older friend seems to have changed and become less fun.

Thrill seekers with gentle souls:

As they grow and mature, ESFPs come to respect different personality types and approaches more and more.

This can all give the impression that ESFPs are shallow, pleasure-centric creatures who care little for anyone but themselves – but this is a terrible misunderstanding, and far from the truth! They care sincerely about their friends. It’s why they put so much effort into coming up with group experiences that they believe everyone will enjoy, and they are deeply distressed by the occasional conflicts that hurt these relationships.

For all their effort to bring new people in, ESFPs extend an incredible sense of loyalty to their existing friends. They are great listeners and are often attuned to shifts in mood or behavior, making them adept at offering comfort during difficult times. People with this personality type find great satisfaction in helping their friends, and their support often goes beyond mere words.

< Parenthood >

People with the ESFP personality type (Entertainers) are some of the most relaxed, fun-loving parents out there. From the first moment they hold their babies, they are taken with the joy and wonder that their children experience in everything around them. Playing with children is a genuine pleasure for ESFPs, and they are constantly devising new and exciting ways to keep their children happy, excited, and engaged.

Wild and free:

Exploration and experiences are key philosophies for ESFP parents – when their children ask questions, the answer is, “Let’s find out!” Overbearing structures and tightly scheduled activities aren’t a big part of this personality type’s parenting. They’d much rather take things day by day and break up the crust by letting their children explore something new in their own way, something much appreciated by their children.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t any rules – they were young once too! Discipline is far from their strongest suit, but hindsight and maturity have their effects. ESFPs are often keen to prevent their children from suffering the same hurts and setbacks that they themselves experienced. If that means these parents have to crack down from time to time, they will lovingly lay down the law with their kids.

People with the ESFP personality type generally don’t care for consistently respectful consideration of the rules – a point of disharmony when their children need predictability.

One of the greatest strengths of ESFP parents is that they provide plenty of emotional support. While not especially demanding parents, warm affection, practicality, and adaptability give people with the ESFP personality type a very nurturing and encouraging parenting style.

When their children declare themselves future astronauts, ESFPs happily build make-believe spaceships and later use those declarations to help their children focus on their schoolwork and goals. And when the dream switches to archaeology, these parents are right there beside them, chisel in hand – knowing that it all leads to the same wondrous path of discovery.

< Career Paths >

People with the ESFP personality type (Entertainers) have a unique quality that makes them exceptional in some careers and miserable in others – they mirror the mood around them. When they are at a party or concert, they reflect that mood, giving them that “party people” image. When their friends are sad, they mirror that with sympathy and empathy. And when there is a crisis, ESFPs adapt as well, matching the intensity of the situation.

As a result, just about any career that focuses on working with others is a good fit for ESFP personalities to be happy and productive. Moreover, their natural charm and vivacity help them create impressions that last and form alliances that may prove beneficial in the long run. The old adage, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” resonates deeply with them.

Seeking new challenges:

As natural-born networkers, ESFPs flourish in roles that allow them to socialize and foster connections. These personalities are great event planners, sales representatives, trip planners, and tour guides, as each of these careers creates a sense of excitement, stimulation, and novelty between them and their customers.

They genuinely enjoy spending time with others and have a knack for making people happy in even the most frustrating situations. A good challenge is always appreciated by ESFP personalities, and they make wonderful and inspiring counselors, social workers, personal coaches, and consultants who improve employee or customer satisfaction.

With their ability to respond with resourcefulness and passion when their help is badly needed, ESFPs make brilliant medical professionals, especially as EMTs, paramedics, and nurses. They quickly pick up information about others, helping them get straight to the heart of the issue when dealing with the sick or injured. They thrive on intense emotion, and there’s hardly a better place for it.

Not everybody has the energy for that, though, or wants the responsibility of life and death – some ESFPs prefer to make others happy and excited by creating beauty instead. People with this personality type have plenty of creative energy, and many of them build fulfilling careers in music, fashion, photography, and interior design. ESFPs are renowned for their sense of style.

A touch of chaos:

However, jobs that eliminate human contact and focus on impartial, data-driven decisions can be torturous. Some do well enough by blowing off steam with friends after work, but for the most part, careers that are harsh or power-driven are poor fits. Add ESFP personalities’ discomfort with schedules, structures, and repetition, and repetitive, uncreative work is also often quickly sent to the “nope” bin.

Regardless of where their diverse passions lie, ESFPs need freedom, novelty, and, above all, human contact. People with this personality type need to know that they aren’t just appreciated (though that is very important) but liked. When ESFPs come into work, they want to see a touch of chaos and to be able to navigate it with a team of capable friends who are all too happy to take action by their side.

< Workplace Habits >

The cubicle life rarely suits these outgoing individuals. People with the ESFP personality type (Entertainers) prefer more dynamic, social spaces where they can easily strike up conversations and exchange ideas. There’s hardly a better type to have around in an energetic, hectic work environment. The more freedom that they have to do what they’ve got to do, the better the results – so long as they know what the goal is.

That said, regardless of what position they find themselves in at work, ESFPs share a desire to make the environment as friendly and enjoyable as possible. To do so, these personalities tend to maintain a social and relaxed attitude, and they use it to get everyone else on board with practical tasks that need to be done.

ESFP subordinates:

As subordinates, ESFPs thrive on change and new ideas, and they chafe under repetitive and strictly defined tasks. These personalities’ managers find willing and able experimenters who can brainstorm, quickly grasp new methods, and actually put those methods to practical use – so long as they have a little leeway to apply their own creative style. Changes may take a few tries though, as they can be forgetful in the heat of the moment and can get more caught up in trying to get quick returns.

ESFPs give honest feedback on whether things make sense, but they can sometimes be quite sensitive to others’ criticism of their own habits. Under fire, people with this personality type can become defensive and easily upset. But in the end, if they believe that the criticism comes from an honest intent to help, not hurt, they take it to heart. The biggest struggle for ESFP subordinates is that they value freedom far more than safety and security – if their conditions aren’t met, they won’t shy away from finding a new opportunity.

ESFP colleagues:

If anyone can make friends with their colleagues and keep tension at bay within their team, it’s ESFPs. A fun atmosphere is important, and people with this personality type use their strong observational and social skills to bring everyone together, shifting a souring mood if need be.

They rarely struggle to come up with ideas on how to make this happen, happily organizing events and activities inside and outside the workplace. ESFPs’ spontaneity, wit, and enthusiasm have no equal. This is important because, for these engaged personalities, a sense of fun and camaraderie go hand-in-hand with good, hard work.

ESFP managers:

As managers, ESFPs do everything they can to pump energy and fun into the day-to-day work that needs to be done. These personalities enjoy being the center of attention, and even more so they like to feel like they’re needed and appreciated. Jumping into the thick of the work and applying themselves to anything they’d ask their subordinates to do is something ESFPs consider part of the job. Authority and social status are secondary to feeling like they’re an important part of a team that gets the job done.

ESFPs are great at noticing others’ moods, and there are few personality types better at preventing conflict and encouraging relaxed, enjoyable workplaces. Subordinates are always welcome to speak their minds, and ESFPs are always happy to hear others out, especially if something is upsetting them. Their ability to relate to others and think on their feet makes them resourceful and inspiring leaders.

< Conclusion >

Few personality types are as charming and attractive as ESFPs (Entertainers). Known for their ability to improvise and focus completely on the present, they are great at finding exciting new things to explore and experience. Their energy, enthusiasm and down-to-earth attitude are invaluable in many areas, including their own personal growth.

Yet ESFPs can be easily tripped up in situations where their focus on practical matters is more of a liability than an asset. Whether it is finding (or keeping) a partner, reaching dazzling heights on the career ladder, or learning to plan ahead, ESFPs need to put in a conscious effort to develop their weaker traits and additional skills.

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Color: ISFJ-T

Meaning: Defender. Defenders are very dedicated and warm protectors, always ready to defend their loved ones.

72% Introverted: Introverted individuals tend to prefer fewer, yet deep and meaningful, social interactions and often feel drawn to calmer environments.

61% Observant: Observant individuals are pragmatic and down-to-earth. They tend to have a strong focus on what is happening or very likely to happen.

69% Feeling: Feeling individuals value emotional expression and sensitivity. They place a lot of importance on empathy, social harmony, and cooperation.

82% Judging: Judging individuals are decisive, thorough, and highly organized. They value clarity, predictability, and closure, preferring structure and planning to spontaneity.

71% Turbulent: Turbulent individuals are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They feel a sense of urgency in their emotions and tend to be success-driven, perfectionistic, and eager to improve.

< Introduction >

In their unassuming, understated way, people with the ISFJ personality type (Defenders) help make the world go round. Hardworking and devoted, these personalities feel a deep sense of responsibility to those around them. ISFJs can be counted on to meet deadlines, remember birthdays and special occasions, uphold traditions, and shower their loved ones with gestures of care and support. But they rarely demand recognition for all that they do, preferring instead to operate behind the scenes.

This is a capable, can-do personality type with a wealth of versatile gifts. Though sensitive and caring, ISFJs also have excellent analytical abilities and an eye for detail. And despite their reserve, they tend to have well-developed people skills and robust social relationships. These personalities are truly more than the sum of their parts, and their varied strengths shine in even the most ordinary aspects of their daily lives.

ISFJs are true altruists, meeting kindness with kindness-in-excess and engaging with the work and people they believe in with enthusiasm and generosity.

The gift of loyalty:

One of the greatest ISFJ strengths is loyalty. They rarely allow a friendship or relationship to fade away from lack of effort. Instead, they invest a great deal of energy into maintaining strong connections with their loved ones – and not just by sending “How are you doing?” texts. People with this personality type are known for dropping everything and lending a hand whenever a friend or family member is going through a hard time.

ISFJ personalities tend to feel most energized and effective when they’re showing up for someone who needs their help. And their sense of loyalty doesn’t stop with their nearest and dearest – it often extends to their communities, their employers, and even family traditions. But the intensity of their commitment and desire to serve can have its downsides.

Other people may take advantage of ISFJs’ helpful, hardworking nature, leaving them feeling burned out and overworked. And these personalities may feel guilty or stressed when they contemplate saying no or making changes – even necessary changes – to themselves, their relationships, or the way that they’ve done things in the past.

A notable ISFJ weakness is that they often find change difficult – particularly when it’s sudden or involves unfamiliar territory. In fact, they are the most likely personality type to feel stressed out by last minute changes.

The highest of standards:

For ISFJs, “good enough” is rarely good enough. People with this personality type can be meticulous to the point of perfectionism. They take their responsibilities seriously, consistently going above and beyond and doing everything that they can to exceed others’ expectations.

Despite their hard work and consistency, ISFJ personalities are still known for their humility. They rarely seek the spotlight for the things they do. But that doesn’t mean that they are okay with being unnoticed or unappreciated.

While ISFJs tend to underplay their accomplishments, that doesn’t mean that they don’t enjoy recognition – or that they’re fine with being taken for granted. Unless they learn to stand up for themselves, people with this personality type may find themselves quietly losing their enthusiasm and motivation, eventually becoming resentful toward those who just don’t seem to appreciate them.

Showing up for others - and themselves:

Although they’re Introverted, ISFJ personalities have a deeply social nature. Thanks to their ability to remember the details of other people’s lives, they have a special talent for making their friends and acquaintances feel seen, known, and cherished. Few personality types can match their ability to choose just the right gift for any occasion, whether large or small.

Dedicated and thoughtful, ISFJs find great joy in helping those around them build stable, secure, and happy lives. It may not be easy for people with this personality type to show up for themselves in the way that they show up for others, but when they do, they often find themselves with even more energy and motivation to do good in the world.

< Strengths and Weaknessess >

Strengths:

Supportive – People with the ISFJ personality type (Defenders) truly enjoy helping others, and they happily share their knowledge, attention, and expertise with anyone who needs it. ISFJs strive for win-win situations, choosing teamwork over competition whenever possible.

Reliable – Rather than working in sporadic, excited bursts that leave things half finished, ISFJ personalities are meticulous and careful. They take a steady approach, ensuring that things are done to the highest standard – often going well beyond what is required. Further, most ISFJs agree that sustaining discipline and reliability becomes easier with time.

Observant – ISFJ personalities have a talent for noticing things, particularly about other people. They pay attention to the smallest details of what someone says and does, giving them unexpected insights into other people’s lives and emotions.

Enthusiastic – When the goal is right, ISFJs apply all of their gifts to something that they believe will make a real, positive difference in people’s lives – whether that’s fighting poverty with a global initiative or simply making a customer’s day at work.

Hardworking – ISFJs don’t just get their work done – they take pride in going above and beyond all of their tasks and responsibilities. People with this personality type often form an emotional attachment to the projects and organizations that they’ve dedicated themselves to, and they won’t rest until they’ve done their share – or more than their share – to be of help.

Good Practical Skills – The ISFJ personality type offers the rare combination of an altruistic nature and hard-won practicality. They don’t just hope to help others. They take action – meaning that they’re more than happy to roll up their sleeves and do what’s necessary to care for their friends, family, and anyone else who needs it.

Weaknesses:

Overly Humble – ISFJs are so concerned with other people’s feelings that they may refuse to make their thoughts known or to take any duly earned credit for their contributions. They often downplay their efforts entirely when they think that they could have done some minor aspect of a task better.

Taking Things Personally – Although they might try to hide it, people with this personality type are deeply sensitive to others’ opinions, and they can be thrown off-balance if someone doesn’t appreciate, approve of, or agree with them. When they encounter criticism or disagreement – even if it’s well-intentioned – ISFJs may feel as if they’re experiencing a personal attack.

Repressing Their Feelings – Private and reserved, ISFJ personalities tend to internalize their feelings, particularly negative ones. This can create misunderstandings in their relationships. Eventually, all of their repressed feelings and resentments may boil over in a sudden, uncharacteristic outburst of frustration.

Reluctant to Change – ISFJs are among the personality types that struggle the most with change. Breaking with tradition isn’t easy for these steady personalities, who place great value on history and precedent. Even when change is necessary, they may wait until the situation reaches a breaking point before altering course.

Too Altruistic – ISFJs’ giving, generous nature can leave them vulnerable to being taken advantage of by others. It can be hard for them to rock the boat and stand up to someone who isn’t pulling their own weight. In fact, ISFJs are the most likely personality type to say they would rather clean up someone else’s mess than confront them about it directly.

< Romantic Relationships >

Romantic relationships bring out a side of people with the ISFJ personality type (Defenders) that may not be obvious at first glance. Beneath their patient and demure exteriors, ISFJs thrum with passionate commitment and loyalty toward the people they love. At times, even these personalities themselves may be surprised by the intensity of their feelings – especially their fierce desire to protect and care for their partner.

ISFJs’ emotions run deep – so deep that people with this personality type may struggle to find the words to express just how much their partner means to them. But they show their affection in a million little ways on a daily basis. Always eager to make their loved ones’ lives better and more convenient, ISFJs can transform even the most ordinary tasks – from cooking dinner to organizing a weekend trip – into a heartfelt gesture of love.

ISFJ personalities usually express their love and affection not through grandiose declarations but rather through consistent, everyday gestures that demonstrate thoughtfulness and care.

An ISFJ in love:

Although generally a proactive, can-do personality type, many ISFJs struggle to take the initiative when it comes to dating. Asking someone out can be incredibly uncomfortable for these personalities, who tend to worry about not only rejection but also violating unspoken social rules. The bad news is that ISFJs can end up feeling stuck, wanting to embark on a relationship but waiting for another person to make the first move.

ISFJ personalities approach dating and romance with an enormous level of dedication and loyalty. They value deep, enduring connections and are often seeking long-term commitment rather than short-lived adventures.

When they do find themselves in a relationship, ISFJs are – in a word – committed. People with this personality type find great fulfillment in sharing their time, energy, and affection with another person, and as partners, they tend to be incredibly giving and supportive.

They don’t take their relationships lightly, and they don’t give up easily – even when challenges inevitably arise. ISFJ personalities tend to have a realistic appreciation for the amount of effort that a healthy long-term relationship requires, and they’re more than willing to put in the work necessary to build a lasting bond with a person they cherish.

Soundness of the heart:

ISFJs’ pragmatic approach to life can sometimes shield the incredibly strong feelings that lie within their heart. It’s no surprise, then, that it can take these personalities a relatively long time to recover from the heartache of a breakup – or even a particularly painful disagreement. ISFJs give so much of themselves in their relationships that they can feel deeply hurt when they believe that someone isn’t offering them enough love, commitment, respect, and appreciation in return.

Unfortunately, ISFJs may find it difficult to break off a relationship – even when things just aren’t working out. People with this personality type may hang on due to misplaced loyalty, a general fear of change, or the hope that they can somehow figure out how to change any problems for the better.

It would be a mistake, however, to think of ISFJs as pushovers in their relationships. Although these personalities generally try to avoid conflict, they have clear and firm opinions and preferences on all kinds of subjects. And when they feel as if their partner isn’t respecting their wishes, all of their repressed frustration and disappointment may eventually boil over in the form of negativity, resentment, or heels-dug-in stubbornness.

ISFJs fully devote themselves to their partner, but they may feel unfulfilled unless they remember to also honor their own hopes and dreams.

In their heart of hearts, however, what ISFJ personalities want most is to ensure their partner’s happiness and wellbeing. As long as they balance this desire with a healthy amount of attention to their own needs and aspirations, ISFJs can enjoy exactly the sort of enduring, impassioned relationships that they’ve always dreamed about.

< Friendships >

Given how warm, supportive, and generous people with the ISFJ personality type (Defenders) are, it’s not surprising that others gravitate toward them as friends. But while they value and even cherish their friendships, they don’t find it easy to bond with just anyone.

ISFJs tend to be private and a bit protective of themselves. As a result, it can take them a while to open up to someone new. This explains why most ISFJ friendships don’t start as random encounters on a wild night out but rather through comfortable and consistent contact – for example, at school or at work. ISFJ personalities appreciate the opportunity to deepen their connection with another person over time, gradually sharing more and more of themselves.

Getting along:

Deep down, most ISFJs long to be liked and accepted. This is a natural desire, and it helps explain why people with this personality type are known for being such thoughtful, reliable friends. ISFJ personalities care about what others think of them, so they strive to bring their best selves to all of their relationships, including their friendships.

ISFJs navigate friendships with a unique blend of warmth, support, and consistency. Their natural ability to connect on a personal level and truly understand others allows them to build strong, long-lasting bonds.

This trait tends to make ISFJs exceptional friends. If taken too far, however, it can lead them to fall into the trap of people-pleasing. Some personality types have no trouble expressing an unpopular opinion or posing an awkward question – but not ISFJs. These personalities are reluctant to rock the boat, whether that means asking a friend to pay back a loan or disagreeing with where everyone else wants to go for dinner.

In most cases, this behavior stems from a fear of being rejected. While most ISFJs are perfectly comfortable having a small, tight-knit circle of friends, they hate the idea of risking the disapproval of even one of those friends. The problem is that, over time, people-pleasing can cause these personalities to lose touch with their sense of self and their ability to make decisions on their own terms.

Seeking balance:

Few personality types can match ISFJs’ fervent desire to be there for their friends through thick and thin. Always ready to offer advice, help, and reassurance, these personalities take pride in the fact that people turn to them in times of need. In fact, ISFJs will even ignore their natural tendency to avoid confrontation for their closest friends, jumping to their defense when anyone calls their character into question or puts them in harm’s way. Showing up for their loved ones in any way that they can truly offers people with this personality type a sense of purpose in life.

ISFJ personalities appreciate their friends deeply, and they aren’t afraid to show it – but it may be difficult for them to ask for that same appreciation in return.

In return, ISFJs crave loyalty and respect – and, in an ideal world, a bit of recognition for all that they do. But even though many of these personalities crave validation and support from their friends, they tend to be too proud to ask for it, just as they may not be comfortable asking for the help that they need. Fortunately, with time, many ISFJs learn that anyone who takes advantage of their generous, altruistic nature isn’t a true friend.

An inspired bond:

People with the ISFJ personality type can become attached to their vision of how things “should” be. In the world of friendship, they may believe – consciously or not – that they should be completely selfless. But when they ease up on this expectation, balancing their friends’ needs with their own, they can bring the full magnitude of their gifts to their friendships. This helps ISFJs enjoy the sort of meaningful, enduring bonds that make life all the more worthwhile.

< Parenthood >

People with the ISFJ personality type (Defenders) make devoted and responsible parents who see parenthood as not just a role but a calling. ISFJs bring their innate sense of dedication, reliability, and consistency into their parenting style, aiming to provide a stable foundation to help their children grow up to be capable, successful, and happy.

But when it comes to parenthood, ISFJs aren’t just motivated by a sense of duty – they are also motivated by love, and the depth and power of this love can be nothing short of amazing. Many ISFJ personalities feel that parenting allows them to use their gifts of altruism, generosity, and patience as they work hard to guide a beautiful new soul into the world.

The road to independence:

Given that ISFJs value tradition and guidance, it’s no surprise that many of these personalities embrace clearly defined roles for parents and children. Rather than seeing themselves as their children’s peer or best friend, these parents view their role, and often rightly so, as that of a loving authority figure – someone who imparts wisdom and values, gently but firmly teaching their children the difference between right and wrong.

ISFJ parents dedicate themselves to ensuring that their children understand the importance of taking responsibility and doing the right thing.

It can be challenging for ISFJ parents when their children, in an effort to assert their independence, push back on this well-intended guidance and support. As part of their development, most children reach a point where they want to test boundaries, experiment with new ways of doing things, and make their own choices – and that sometimes involves going against their parents’ advice and values.

This may not be difficult for these personalities to manage in the early years, but it can become more of a struggle once their children reach adolescence and young adulthood – when the decision-making stakes become much higher. ISFJs value stability, and they want to make sure that their children are setting themselves up for the “right” kind of future – one that includes security as well as happiness. If they worry that their children aren’t putting themselves on track for this kind of future, ISFJ parents can become deeply unsettled or even somewhat controlling.

An abundance of love:

Fortunately, ISFJ personalities aren’t known for losing track of just how much they love their children. It’s true that parents with this personality type may sometimes be heavy-handed in their efforts to steer their children in what they perceive to be a good direction. But even if their children end up going a different way, that doesn’t mean that ISFJs will stop loving them or trying to help them find their path to happiness.

Even when struggling, ISFJ parents always accept their children as they are, providing a strong emotional foundation that their children can rely on.

The truth is that parenting is far from easy for any personality type – not if they’re doing it right. That said, ISFJs have the advantage of being not just caring but also thoughtful and responsible in how they administer that care. Often seen as ideal parents, people with this personality type are able to offer their children stability, security, and – most importantly – an abundance of love and support.

< Career Paths >

People with the ISFJ personality type (Defenders) approach their career paths with the same commitment, diligence, and patience that they display in other aspects of their lives. Because of this, they are often seen as the backbone of their workplace. ISFJs are generally very reliable, hardworking, and always ready to lend a hand to those who need it. They take pride in getting the job done and getting it done well, rarely cutting corners or trying to avoid a time-consuming task. This unshakable work ethic, combined with a genuine desire to be of service to others, makes ISFJ personalities invaluable in a range of careers.

Shining behind the scenes:

Few personality types can match ISFJs’ deep appreciation of what it means to play a supporting role. Rather than seeking out the spotlight for themselves, they genuinely enjoy helping and uplifting others. It’s no surprise, then, that ISFJ personalities tend to seek out workplaces that are collaborative and team oriented rather than competitive and high pressure.

With their natural humility, these personalities tend to feel especially fulfilled by careers that allow them to facilitate others’ growth, healing, and progress. ISFJs’ patience and ability to stay present in the moment enable them to be incredibly attuned to the needs of the people they are serving. Teaching is a prime example of a career that takes advantage of these important ISFJ strengths, as are speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, medicine, and social work.

People with the ISFJ personality type are motivated, consistent workers, rarely losing sight of the ways in which their daily tasks can benefit others.

No matter what it says on their business card, many people with this personality type approach their work with an eye toward helping others in practical ways. ISFJs tend to excel at customer service, with a particular gift for listening to concerns, calming frustrations, and seeing things through to a clear resolution. The people skills that ISFJs call upon can also translate well into roles in human resources, IT support, hospitality, retail, office administration, library sciences, and pretty much any job that involves fielding and helping answer people’s questions.

Never missing a beat:

Some personality types lose steam in the face of a tedious, multifaceted task, but not ISFJs. Their attentiveness to detail is among their greatest strengths. Consequently, detail-oriented fields like law, accounting, data analysis, and research can be right up ISFJs’ alley. What’s especially notable, however, is how they stay connected to the human dimension of this work, rarely forgetting the impact that their spreadsheets and memos might have on real people.

Despite their many gifts, these personalities are unlikely to demand recognition or ask for promotions, preferring to let their work speak for itself. Given their respect for tradition and security, ISFJs generally have no problem with the idea of moving along in a structured hierarchy, trusting that their bosses will promote them if and when the time is right. But even the most patient person can become frustrated if their contributions seem to be continually overlooked. When ISFJ personalities finally do take the leap into management roles, they often find that their strengths are extremely well suited to building a cohesive, productive, and effective team.

Meticulous and socially oriented, ISFJs have a talent for remembering things about other people – a talent that can help them connect with a customer, bolster a faltering business relationship, or simply brighten a colleague’s day.

People with the ISFJ personality type may find it hard to part ways with employers due to their innate loyalty, even if things just aren’t working out. But as long as they put themselves in a work environment that appreciates and takes full advantage of their many strengths and talents, ISFJs can use their determination, precision, and altruistic energy to do even more good in this world.

< Workplace Habits >

Wherever they may be on the career ladder, people with the ISFJ personality type (Defenders) share the goal of putting good service and dedication above all else. ISFJ personalities can always be relied on for their kindness and ability to listen carefully to concerns – and to find ways to resolve them. Win-win situations are their bread and butter, and no other personality type can quite match the satisfaction that they take in finding practical, clear resolutions to day-to-day challenges.

ISFJ subordinates:

As employees, ISFJs exemplify the strength of humble dedication. Relied on and respected for their patience and commitment, people with this personality type really only need one reward for their work: the satisfaction of knowing that they’ve helped someone. And if that person expresses a bit of gratitude, so much the better.

At times, though, ISFJs’ radical humility can hold them back. They tend to be unwilling to play up their achievements, often for fear of creating unnecessary friction or appearing to be a braggart. Unfortunately, this can make it all too easy for their bosses to overlook them when opportunities for promotion come along.

ISFJs’ humility is a strength, but people with this personality type may struggle to get new opportunities unless they learn to take at least some credit for all the work that they do.

ISFJs’ loyalty and dependability often makes them invaluable to their bosses. In fact, they are the most likely personality type to report getting along with their boss. This might be in part because, in general, these personalities can be trusted to carry out their tasks precisely and without complaint. But it is also because they are such thoughtful and warm individuals who are willing to put in the effort to get to know people.

That being said, ISFJ personalities’ aversion to rocking the boat may make it difficult for them to correct or disagree with their bosses or coworkers, even when it’s necessary to do so in order to avoid wasted time and energy. Fortunately, with time, many ISFJs learn to express their opinions (and corrections) in a gentle, nonjudgmental way.

ISFJ colleagues:

For an ISFJ, an ideal work environment is founded on working together with colleagues rather than competing against them, with everyone collaborating toward the shared goal of getting the job done. Close-knit and supportive teams are what ISFJ personalities enjoy most, allowing them to express their altruistic spirit among people who rely on their dedication and warmth.

ISFJs build relationships with their colleagues naturally – a skill that they use to keep things running smoothly.

These strengths can become drawbacks, however, as ISFJ personalities’ aversion to conflict and their desire to help can be abused by less scrupulous colleagues. Instead of only asking for help when they need it, some colleagues may heap extra work on their desks, knowing that ISFJ colleagues have a hard time saying no. Unless they learn to set boundaries, people with this personality type can feel overburdened, stressed, and taken advantage of.

ISFJ managers:

ISFJs don’t always raise their hands for leadership opportunities. In fact, they tend to prefer taking orders over giving orders, but their interpersonal skills and work ethic actually lend themselves quite well to managing others. ISFJ managers tend to be warm and approachable, always willing to answer questions and always ready to step up and help. Having no real desire to exercise power over others, ISFJ personalities prefer to work alongside their subordinates, keeping things running smoothly and minimizing conflict.

ISFJs bring a team spirit to their work, and they aim to impart this spirit to the people they manage.

ISFJ managers care about efficiency and effectiveness, but not at the expense of maintaining a positive relationship with their subordinates. Change can be a challenge for bosses with this personality type – including the none-too-pleasant change of firing someone who isn’t working out. At times, ISFJ managers may sink a bit too much of their energy into an underperforming employee – but they’d much rather make this mistake than the mistake of giving up on someone who just needed another chance.

< Conclusion >

ISFJs’ gifts include generosity, patience, and determination – but they aren’t people who just want to hear what makes them great. These personalities are committed to actually using these gifts to become better people and be of service to others.

Woah anon. This must’ve taken a lotta hard work to copy & paste out, and I absolutely loved reading it. I’m gonna slap that in my “for later” or “favorite” tags cause im gonna read this over and over. And over and over.

It seems to fit them all pretty well with everything that’s been discussed so far. And also that last bit about ISFJs near the end—“they’d much rather make this mistake than the mistake of giving up on someone who just needed another chance”—really made me think of Color, particularly in interactions with killer. I’ll probably add on with reblogs to this sometime when I get around to re-reading it. I love this thank you 🙏

And tbh id love to hear whatever else type of psychology you have to say about any of the utmv characters if you ever wanna share.

[fishklok]

In an effort to combine both of my interests, I decided to expand on my Dragon Age!Metalocalypse AU in the style of Dragon Age: Absolution. I'll do more detailed designs later, I just wanted to get the basic concepts down

The general concept of this AU is that 5 musicians discover that weird magic shit happens whenever they perform together, due to demons or old gods or something like that. They're being watched over by a mage who's trying to study this anomaly and the Prophecy behind it. Also Crozier (not pictured) is a former Templar commander who's being mind-corrupted by Salacia (not pictured), the reincarnated visage of an old god.

Nathan: Qunari warrior (reaver). Nathan was raised by his adoptive human parents who love him very much (they're still alive; his backstory is very wholesome). However, Nathan started to manifest these weird magic-like abilities that could only be activated by screaming. Over time, he learned to finesse these abilities and now he can use them for cool pyrotechnics and stuff when he performs. Death metal exists in Thedas now.

Pickles: Dwarf rogue (tempest). Pickles was born to a very traditional merchant caste family in Orzammar, specifically a region in Orzammar where everyone has Midwestern accents. After being fed up with always getting compared to his twin brother, Seth, and not being able to live up to his ancestors and family expectations, he left for the surface. He expected to spend the rest of his life drinking his sorrows away, but then he met Nathan and they started a band.

William: Dwarf rogue (legionnarie scout). William is a casteless dwarf who was infamous for his abrasive personality. This ended up getting him into trouble when he was overheard badmouthing a particularly sensitive noble, and he was banished to the Deep Roads as a punishment. However, he actually enjoyed his time in the Deep Roads and felt a lot of pride dedicating his life to fighting the Darkspawn. His new purpose in life became wanting to join the Legion of the Dead. He manages to escape the Deep Roads sometime after the Blight, but he's still very proud of his legionnarie duties. He's a very good bassist because spending so much time in caves has given him a better understanding and appreciations for deeper sounds and vibrations.

Skwisgaar: Elf rogue (bard). Skwisgaar was well known in his Dalish camp for being the best musician in his clan. But over time, the novelty of that started to wear off and Skwisgaar wanted to be the best musician in other larger communities. He left home in search of a way to truly hone his potential as a musician. Also since he has a wolf motif in the show, there's probably some kind of Dread Wolf connection somewhere, I'll wait for the DA lore to update.

Toki: Elf mage (blood mage). Toki was born to an isolated village that was definitely ruled by a cult (think DA:O Haven). He spent his childhood being plagued by nightmares that eventually manifested in him accidentally summoning a demon that killed everyone in his village. But that didn't stop Toki from befriending the demon. Now Toki is just wandering around Thedas, developing an increasingly large arsenal of demon friends and being uncomfortably chipper despite his horrific abilities.

Charles: Human mage (knight-enchanter who is blood magic curious). Charles is a Circle Mage whose noble background has made his time in the Circle a bit smoother than most. After the Circles fell, he became the magical advisor to a few nobles, but he always felt intellectually unfulfilled. He decided to give up assisting nobles and instead chose to monitor this weird group of musicians, not knowing the kind of power he just tapped into. Also he's been secretly studying blood magic and necromancy.

Knubbler: Elf mage (rift). Knubbler is one of the mages Charles brought on to help him with his efforts. His time studying rifts left him blinded and a bit corrupted in the head, but his knowledge of magic is almost unmatched. Charles is the only person in Thedas still willing to work with him.

Abigail: Human mage (force). Abigail spent most of her life trying to be a perfect, by the books Circle Mage. But then the Circles fell and Abigail realized that none of this shit matters, so she might as well have fun. She joined Charles' team where Knubbler works as her assistant.

Melmord: Human mage (knight-enchanter). Melmord is a mage who fronts as a rogue. He was caught trying to steal Charles' research and Charles thought he could easily defeat him with magic, but oh no Melmord is a mage too. They have a homoerotic magical swordfight before Melmord falls off the tower. No one hired Melmord for this job. He just showed up and started causing problems.

Seth: Dwarf guy. Seth is Pickles' twin brother who did everything a merchant caste son in Orzammar is supposed to do. He married a merchant caste woman and had a kid, he honors the ancestors, he brings in coin, etc. However, Seth tends to get in trouble with the law quite a bit, specifically gambling, working with smugglers, fixing Proving matches, etc. But he's always able to pay off his crimes, so no one seems to care.

Amber: Dwarf lady. Amber is Seth's wife and another merchant caste dwarf. She has a pretty spotless record and tends to go unnoticed. I thought about making her secretly a former Silent Sister to explain why she never speaks, but I think even Seth would notice if she literally didn't have a tongue.

Magnus: Human mage (necromancer). Magnus was born in Seheron, but he moved to Tevinter in the hopes of expanding his knowledge of magic (and probably changed his name too to fit in). Unfortunately, even Tevinter thought he was too dramatic to put up with, so he was cast out of every group he joined. After getting fed up of his cool ideas not taken seriously, he joined forces with an escaped Qunari Saarebas, who is definitely going to listen to his ideas instead.

The Saarebas: Qunari mage (saarebas). The Saarebas is Qunari mage who escaped from his Aravaarad and went on a rampage across Tevinter to try and find his long-lost brother who was taken there. When he discovered that his brother was killed, he went on another rampage. He was able to escape Tevinter with Magnus' help and the two joined forces.

[ikemenomegas]

Omega!Gojo Satoru x Alpha!reader Small intimacies (ver. sfw)

Despite how rich he is, the ability to teleport halfway around the world, get dessert (which he does often when he's piqued) and teleport back all in an afternoon largely negates the need for his own car or any other fancier transportation. You're the one with a vehicle and Satoru likes to make you pick him up, even though he can get where he needs to go faster than you can drive.

He likes it when you are driving and holding his hand like the fboy he thinks he is, dangling your intertwined fingers over the gear shift/central console. If your car wasn't already manual or electric… congratulations, it is now. It evolved over night. ("Satoru how could that possibly have happened, huh where'd he go?") Better learn fast before he starts complaining he doesn't get to watch you use the clutch. (It's a toss up whether your old car will magically reappear after you get used to a manual transmission. If you try to drive him in the old car, it will disappear again.) If he thought he could get away with it, he would probably buy you a motorcycle. Alas, even jujutsu sorcerers are not guaranteed to die of curses and not-motor-vehicle-accidents

If you refuse to pick him up because you're not driving today (Tokyo has Fantastic public transport and barring that, very tidy taxi service) he has and will again show up at your stop, whining about how you've left him alone to fend for his own honor.

This attracts unwanted (on your part) attention because Gojo is... Gojo (six foot four, often wearing black from head to toe, and carrying on like an omega in pre-heat despite the fact that he never comes to you in pre-heat, he douses himself in scent blockers and goes out on jobs so he can capitalize on the extra boost to his cursed energy -_-) Nine times out of ten times Ijichi (or one of the other assistant managers in the rare case Ijichi can't be freed from whatever he was doing) is in one of the school's black cars anyways and Gojo will make another fuss ushering you into the back seat to rest.

He actually does like it when you bring him food though and is slightly more normal about that. Slightly

He's picky but also... kinda indiscriminate. Thank goodness he is sort of enamored of novelty. If you bring him new sweet foods then he will eat them and brag to his students about his mate, the top sorcerer and also top connoisseur of unique items who could have been a top shop owner but instead dedicated their life to protecting the weak and bringing him things to eat. Yuuji has tried one of the weirder things you've scrounged up in fascination, mistakenly leading Megumi to think it was normal and fine. Shocker, it wasn't normal and fine, he nearly spat it back out before he could make it to a trash can and it still managed to turn his tongue blue first.

Not going to lie, he gets mated to you to stick it to the higher-ups. He doesn't need a bite or papers to belong to someone or for someone to belong to him, and sometimes with how busy the two of you are, it honestly feels like you aren't mated.

It's easy to disregard the mating mark, it lives under your clothes, and usually you're so far apart from one another that you can't sense one another. When Infinity is active, you can't feel him even if he's standing right next to you. It doesn't really make you feel bad, this life is what it is, but Satoru likes to touch your mark just to watch you shiver when that sense of him suddenly appears at your side. He does this in public, looking like the cat that not only caught, but ate the canary. He particularly gets a little feral (?) when you're around other Omegas. You're not typically around one another, or able to touch, often enough to scent each other. So instead of letting his scent or your indifference chase off those who see you as a powerful and competent Alpha and try to approach, Satoru is sort of silly about how he gets to do it himself. When you're in bed together, the bond-mark straddles this lines between sometimes being an erogenous zone and being intensely intimate, often while he wraps you into his Infinity while you curl against one another.

To others it might appear threatening? but honestly you and Gojo Satoru are already a threat separately, especially after your last few years at the school, so it doesn't really register with you. Megumi though once asked you if you wanted to talk to a social worker or something... What I'm referring to is Satoru's tendency to detail his arguments with the higher-ups with you.

The part that disturbs Gojo's ward is where he will give you play-by-play and nearly word for word recounts of the threats he makes. The part that makes Satoru's kid back off is how you remember them in almost the same way and have used them to reinforce both your and Megumi's independence in the cases that the higher-ups try to use you to pressure Gojo. Those cases quickly became almost non-existent about a year after you graduated the Technical College but he remembers how the hair had stood up on the back of his neck when you calmly repeated one of the Gojo's threats, totally naturally and without mentioning your mate's name and how this elder's face just paled. To clarify, Megumi still actually likes you, but he's more convinced and resigned than ever that Gojo is just a bad influence.

How you mostly call him Satoru, but call him "my dear" at home sometimes, which always surprises him.

The first few times you called him "my dear" or some variation of that, it would make him feel weirdly vulnerable and he'd come up with some excuse or errand to leave. You thought it just made him uncomfortable so you stopped. Once he realized, he sulked for days. And when I say days, I mean days out of the few he's able to see his you, so effectively weeks. It's finally Ijichi who approaches you and begs you to fix whatever is wrong with Gojo before he makes another assistant manager cry. Alpha tries their best. They work overtime so that they have more than one day off at the same time as Satoru and try to spend those days with him. You offer Satoru a massage, to cook with him, even go into the city to do whatever he wants, even shopping. He accepts all of these and is somehow still petty and pouty about it. He tries to catch your attention in every one of the stores. This comes to a head when he backs you up into a literal wall, two outfits he wants you to try held threateningly in his hands. Panicked, you end up with one of the endearments slipping out. This is mostly because the brave shopkeeper looked actual inches away from calling the police and you couldn't think of anything else to let them know this was just your ridiculous husband. Immediately Satoru had backed away, bought both outfits in exactly your size without you having to try them on and already had his phone on his shoulder to call Ijichi to come pick the two of you up, before the embarrassed and panicked heat in your body could dissipate. The shopkeeper just looked sort of stunned and you offered them a quick bow in apology as you jogged to catch up with your very tall Omega. Gojo Satoru is the one-man army of the Gojo clan. As is Japanese custom, you don't share his last name even though you're entered into the clan genealogies right beside him. People always call him Gojo-san or Gojo-sensei (except for the higher ups who will use his given name to reference the fact that he is the youngest clan head of all the major families.) The only people who regularly called him by his given name were the people at school, his teachers and classmates. The only one who gets to call him "my dear" is you. Eventually you figure out that it's the endearments because during your first few trials of the hypothesis, Satoru purrs very loudly and shows up at your side like he's been summoned. He now does this when he wants to tease you. Meaning he slinks over to your side like this in front of other people, which sometimes disturbs your mutual acquaintances. Most people aren't super enthusiastic when Gojo Satoru just shows up, and they view you just sighing or smiling at him and putting your hand on his arm or over the place his bond-mark lies as a power move

Gojo can and has yoinked his Alpha with him to far flung locals, sometimes for a job because even he can't literally be in two places at once, technically, but more typically just because he can

You do not prefer this mode of transportation because while he is less aggressive about it than when he was a teenager and simply seeing if he could bring people along and how far, it's still an exasperating disruption to be one second in your kitchen or in front of some of the school's students, and then over some remote lake somewhere. (He is at least careful enough with you not do this in the middle of an actual battle) You learned quickly not to be too stunned by it, and Satoru's Infinity actually takes care of the temperature difference more often than not. However, this is when he wants to take you places. He may not always have the same wondering response - he's from a wealthy clan and has been their relatively pampered young master literally since he was a baby and the novelty has worn off a bit - but being with someone seeing these remote and beautiful places will likely never stop being new. Home though is Japan, and it's oddly nice to have someone to do the little things with - to drag into chaperoning the students with him, to split the last takoyaki ball with, to buy silly photos from a roller coaster with, to spend the weekend with...

[scorpiongrassfield]

Of Course You Trust Him

Start | Prev

“Don’t I always? You don’t have to ask every time.” 

Theo huffs, amused. “I’m… not sure you should, all things considered.” 

Before you can ask what he means, the world twists. There’s a pulling sensation, a bit like the tie you just severed. 

Your first instinct is to resist this pull, caught off guard as you are. But you told Theo you would trust him, so you let yourself be led away. 

When your vision clears you are no longer in Pat’s living room. 

No, you’re somewhere much more familiar. 

“Seriously?” you chide the open air. 

The format has changed slightly, but you think you’d recognize this place in any art style. Honestly, you’d probably recognize it blindfolded. 

Theo hasn’t responded to you. 

You sigh and settle down into the field of scorpion grass. 

Wasn’t it super super important that Theo not have people inside his soul? 

Maybe it was just the living people that were the problem? Or maybe it was maintaining the labyrinth, or Ametrine’s presence specifically that was hurting him, and Pat needed to leave because they’re a normal human. 

You doubt you’ll get a definite answer if you ask. You’re not going to bother. 

You hang out for a while, experimenting with a world made of oil paint. The petals of the flowers are surprisingly sharp. 

The novelty wears off for a little while. You aren’t sure exactly what Theo’s plan was here, or why he’s not responding to you. 

Despite being literally surrounded by a friend… 

You’re alone with your thoughts now. 

It’s doubtful you’ll ever get comfortable with that. 

Tearing out the connection to your former selves was a little like pulling a tooth. You find yourself unable to keep from poking at the void left behind. 

You know what you are now, mostly. But you still don’t remember being yourself. All you can remember is the fear you felt before flinching away. Like a hand from a hot stove. 

You’d like to think you know better than to touch a hot stove. And yet you can’t help but poke at the empty space. And every time you poke at it, the panic tries to sink its hooks back into you. 

You need to think about something, anything else. 

You wonder how Pat is doing. You still aren’t 100% sure what was going on with them. And you aren’t sure that doctors will even be able to help if the problem was weird exorcist magic. 

But Theo and Ametrine seemed convinced that doctors were the solution and they know more about all this than you do, so. It’s probably fine. 

You’re going to convince yourself that it’s going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine and definitely nothing bad will happen to Pat. 

Thinking about Pat being in the hospital for a second too long makes you panic in a different way. 

So you were wrong that thinking about anything else was a good idea. You should stick to specific things. Safe things that can’t hurt you. 

At least until Theo stops with the radio silence. 

Seriously, what gives? 

He goes through all that trouble to get you out of his soul, then invites you right back in but ditches you? 

Rude. 

Then again… 

Maybe he’s just tired. 

He has been going through a lot lately. Maybe you’re being too harsh on him. 

“Theo, are you napping right now? Can ghosts even nap? Is that a thing?” 

He still doesn’t answer. 

You’re going to take that as a yes until proven otherwise. 

Either way you are still alone with your thoughts and in need of a distraction. 

Surely… 

Surely since Theo invited you in here, he won’t mind if you take a look around? You aren’t planning on being too nosey, but you are curious about what his soul is like normally. 

Next

[hekateinhell]

#vcsmuttysunday: Armand & Daniel explore the Adult Entertainment Industry in the 1970s

I think it's more or less established fanon at this point that Daniel and Armand had a fun time experimenting with what the burgeoning sex industry had to offer in the late 1970s and early '80s (I place at least half of the blame on this comic). But sex shops really started taking of in Europe and North America in the '60s, '70s, and '80s! As far as I could find, London's first 'modern' sex shop opened in 1972 — five years before Armand and Daniel moved to London and lived as a couple in the city. Manhattan - where they later went - was infamous for having a strip of pornography theaters and all kinds of XXX entertainment spots in Times Square.

Here's some of the things they might've found in the sex shops back then, the ordinary and the not-so-ordinary:

(NSFW BELOW THE CUT)

Vibra Bed

It was a vibrating device that you attached to your bed and it turned the whole thing into… a vibrator. Armand absolutely bought one (or two or three) of these and probably made Daniel hump the vibrating mattress to completion while he watched. Their neighbors hated them.

Hitachi Magic Wand

Most of us have at least heard of this one that's still a best-seller today, but 1977 was when it really took off! I think Armand would've found it somewhat of a novelty to be able to bring Daniel to orgasm without using his hands or mouth directly. The vibrations alone would do it pretty fast, especially when placed along the perineum and the head.

Speaking of finishing fast...

Strain Loops

Cock rings in general became super popular during the sexual liberation phase of the '60s and '70s (people wanted to stay hard longer during anal sex), but I'm highlighting this type in particular because I hadn't come across it before and I just saw it mentioned in reference to vintage sex toys. Imagine Armand looping that around Daniel's dick and balls before he makes that boy hump that vibrating mattress a second time.

Novelty Handcuffs

This one I'm listing simply for my sake, because I think human Daniel (and vampire Daniel lbr) would get such a kick out of literally chaining a powerful vampire like Armand to his bedpost with the kitschiest bright red handcuffs!

And now - remember what I said about adult theaters in NYC earlier? Well, here's some of the movies they could've caught (and one of the places it would've been socially acceptable for Armand to whip out Daniel's dick out in public and do things to it, which he did).

Not saying Armand didn't buy Daniel leather shorts after seeing this and made him wear them everywhere for the next two weeks, not saying he didn't.

LIVE SEX ACTS.

Imagine Armand making Daniel get on that stage and put on a performance of his own! Maybe Armand joins him, maybe he doesn't (it would be Armand's first time in the spotlight since he seduced Louis in Paris - shame that was a performance of an entirely different nature... well, perhaps not to a vampire, huh?).

Grope-rooms are once again exactly what they sound like: you went there to grope other people and get groped. Bet The Dancer joined them more than once.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoy that tiny slice of sex history and that it inspires some smutty vampire thoughts of your own!

X

[rayadraws]

In his dragon form, Sorrel's feet are mostly designed to hold up his weight - they're not designed to hold objects or perch or anything like that. He can paw at something and if he absolutely had to maybe he could scoop an object up with a front foot but he doesn't have a very good gripping ability, risking dropping whatever he's holding, and even if he CAN hold on to it, that means he can't move without limping along on three legs; if he wants to properly carry something, it either has to go into his mouth or he'll need to use magic to manipulate the object, which isn't hard for him to do but probably requires a bit of active concentration.

With all this in mind, it's perhaps not shocking that Sorrel thinks hands are GREAT. They're one of the things that really won him over to trying human form in the first place. You can reach everywhere, you can hold things! Small things! You can hold them WELL! You can touch and prod and poke and grip and you can walk normally while doing it AND have your mouth free! Incredible! He was SO motivated when his mother taught him how to fight with a sword, for instance. He loved it.

And as a side effect of THAT, I think that when Sorrel is with someone he is very touchy... Not in a grabby hands way, he's well mannered and asks for permission first! But more like, he loves to gently pet his partner, pull his fingers through their hair, cup their cheeks, run his hands down their sides etc. He just loves to Gently Touch and appreciate every little sensation through his hands; the novelty never wears off.

He'd probably LOVE hand holding...