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asdfghjklmals · 2 days

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DOMAIN EXPANSION: UNLIMITED APOLOGIES✩༶‧˚

GENRE + T/W: sfw, fluff. suggestive comment. WORD COUNT: 3.0k words. TAGS: satoru gojo x fem!oc, enemies to almost lovers troupe. mutual pining with lots of tension. they are actually an established couple revisiting a high school flashback.

SYNOPSIS: satoru and oc gojo girlfriend tell their students about the first time they sparred and who actually won. AUTHOR'S NOTE: i miss these two and their high school phase. this fic’s flashback happened in the middle of ‘love at first fight’. REMINDER: if you want to imagine yourself in oc gojo girlfriend's character descriptions instead, please do!

you gazed out of your office window as the white haired, blind-folded love of your life was being tackled by two of his students. they were unable to touch him, no matter what attack they tried on their sensei. satoru’s cocky, but proud grin gave you the butterflies. you loved to watch his lessons from your office window during your spare time.

satoru was sparring with hakari and yuta as a demonstration to his current first years the limits of his own powers in close combat and explaining the pinnacle of jujutsu—domain expansions.

“he better not reinforce that punch wi—”

satoru reinforced his punch with blue, sending hakari and yuta flying across the sparring field.

“—and there it is.” you said to yourself while you giggled at the sight.

you decided to head to the sparring field as yuta and hakari might need someone who could heal them with reversed cursed energy.

*************************************

yuta and hakari were throwing up next to the wooden benches on the sparring field as satoru dusted off his hands, not even breaking a sweat.

“that was mean, gojo-sensei!” you called out, laughing at the sight of the nervous first years and a hurling yuta and hakari. “you really had to use blue with that punch?”

satoru loved when you called him sensei.

the first year teacher grinned at the sight of you, your long black hair blowing in the wind, green eyes shining at him, “what brings you here, (y/n)-sensei?”

satoru was usually the one who was trying to avoid his duties by seeking you out on campus, but it seemed that you were the one chasing him around today.

he tried to remember what he did to put you in a good mood this morning before he left for work. did he make the coffee differently? was he able to snag a good morning kiss? what made you come see him today? (read ‘morning routine’ here)

“i saw you reinforce your punch with blue and knew that i had to heal our precious students.” you feigned despair, turning to yuta and hakari who were now sitting on the bench, still shaking from their experience with satoru.

“hi (y/n)-sensei.” all the students greeted you in unison as you smiled back at them.

megumi, yuji, nobara, yuta, and hakari gave you a look of adoration. the students admired the love and respect that their sensei had for you. and how could they not love you? you were like the jujutsu high school mother, therapist, and caretaker all in one.

nobara eyed you, “(y/n)-sensei, do you think you could beat gojo-sensei in a spar?”

megumi scoffed at the question before adding in his two cents about his guardians, “she could bat her eyelashes at gojo-sensei and he would lose immediately.”

“you ain’t wrong about that.” hakari grinned in agreement, earning a laugh from you and the rest of the students.

all of the students knew that you were satoru gojo’s weakness. he could never say no to you and he would never want to spar with you in case he ever accidentally hurt you.

“hey…” satoru sulked, “you think your great teacher gojo can’t even handle little ol’ (y/n)-sensei?”

you winked at the sorcerer before sitting down next to yuta and hakari, waving your hands over their abdomens that received the punches—a stream of water coming from both hands to surround their stomachs, healing them from any injury the punch may have caused.

yuji asked curiously as he watched you heal the two students, “did you two spar when you were students?”

“we sure did.” you said with a sarcastic tone, “your sensei was so full of himself back then. somebody had to humble him and his freakishly strong powers.”

“ha!” satoru laughed out loud, “tell them the domain story, sweetheart.”

all the students cheered, “yeah! tell us the story, (y/n)-sensei!”

flashback

“you’re so full of yourself.” you commented snidely as you walked past satoru after throwing your ice shards at the targets across the sparring field.

all 12 of your ice shards hit their respective bullseye. your nectarine honey blossom fragrance tickled his nose as you walked past him.

satoru looked back at you incredulously, as if no one has ever said that to him before, “and you aren’t?”

he huffed with irritation as he followed you, only two steps behind from where you stood, your back was facing him. why was he following you? what was it about this stubborn (l/n) clan girl that was so magnetic? what made him so curious about you even though you drove him crazy?

you had only been at jujutsu high school for 2 weeks. you barely knew satoru and only had a couple of run ins with him. he was so hot and cold when it came to you and it confused the hell out of you.

after your first run in with him in the dining hall your first night at jujutsu high, you thought things would be okay between the two of you, that you could be friends—however, satoru still somewhat treated you with indifference. (read ‘love at first sight’ here)

“you know for a fact that i’m faster and better at laying out my domain.” satoru rolled his blue eyes at you, sticking out his tongue at you behind your back.

this argument started when yaga-sensei started his lesson on domain expansions—satoru claimed he was the best and that no one could top him. you being the competitive person you were, disagreed with him.

you turned back to invade his space, satoru staggered back a step, “you’ve never even seen my domain expansion.”

“oh, you mean the domain that i broke your first day at jujutsu high?” satoru sneered at you, attempting to hover over you, asserting his dominance and making you stumble back two steps.

suguru’s and shoko’s heads bobbed back and forth as you and satoru went at each other’s throats. a little friendly competitive never hurt anybody… right? and what the hell was this tension they were feeling that was radiating off of the two of you?

you glared icily at him, “and if you were smart, you’d know that domains can be broken from the outside.”

you seethed with emphasis on the word ‘outside’. “plus, if you were caught in iridescent ocean, you’d drown.”

“nah, i’d win cause i’d just lay out my own domain and crush yours.” satoru said as he leaned in closer to you. he took a lock of your soft black hair, twisting and curling it with his index finger, “then you can be a vegetable for 4 months.”

you kissed the back of your teeth in annoyance and shoved his hand away from you and your hair. who did he think he was touching you like that?

“hey! can you two stop flirting with each other?!” shoko called out with her two hands circling around her mouth, projecting her yell across the field.

you and satoru yelled back in unison, “we are not flirting!”

“why don’t you two just have a spar? you both know the rules for domain expansion spars.” suguru suggested as he sat on the grass, the heels of his hands supporting his frame.

the thing about domain expansions in spars was that you could lay out your domain, but you couldn't attack your opponent with it. this would show who could lay out their domain the fastest, and who had the most refined domain—which satoru claimed he had.

shoko looked over at her bestfriend in worry, “you know gojo’s domain expansion would put (y/n) in a coma if he couldn’t control the duration of it.”

suguru shrugged, “yeah, but (y/n) can use reversed cursed energy to heal herself so that should lessen the hit from unlimited void, plus i’m sure she knows how to do a simple domain.”

shoko thought to herself—it was true that you could heal yourself, and you were still brand new to the simple domain technique. but if satoru couldn’t control the time limit of unlimited void, you’d be a vegetable just like he said.

“i’ll try it.” you said confidently, “i’m not scared of a little satoru gojo.”

satoru scoffed at your comment as you flipped your hair behind your shoulder. he watched you walk away from him. you were so stubborn and feisty—unfortunately he liked that about you.

“fine, don’t let me say ‘i told you so!’” satoru called out to you as you glared back at him.

“let’s do this spar after class.” suguru suggested, “then you two can both shut up about who’s the best at laying out their domains.”

“fine.” satoru said with his arms folded.

“fine.” you said back.

suguru chuckled to himself as he looked away from the brooding you and satoru. he already knew his bestfriend had a thing for the new girl. he just liked to stir the pot.

“$10 bucks they’re gonna get together this semester?” shoko whispered to her bestfriend.

suguru grinned and reached out for her hand to shake on the deal.

“make it within the next month.”

later that day

“ready, (y/n)? got your big girl panties on?” satoru taunted you from the opposite end of the field.

“don’t go crying when i win.” you glared at him. you wanted to see him grovel.

satoru gave you a fake yawn, standing up straight. “ladies first.”

“what if you drown?” you sneered at him.

the white haired sorcerer winked at you, “i won’t.”

if his fake yawn didn’t make your blood boil, his damn wink sure did. it was like you weren’t even a threat to him.

“fine!” you called out, putting up your hand signal of the vitarka mudra. your thumb and index finger connecting, while the remaining fingers remained straight, “domain expansion: iridescent ocean.”

water started to fill the inside of your domain. satoru was swept in by a strong tidal wave, swallowing him whole. as your domain completed, you saw the blinding lights at the top—opponents caught swimming towards the top of your domain would be immobilized, which usually gave you a sure hit with your ice shards, and if your opponents swam towards the bottom, they’d drown or be crushed by the water pressure.

you didn’t see satoru move towards the top or the bottom of your domain. how long was he going to try to hold his breath for? why was he just staying in the same position? why hasn’t he laid out his domain?

you formed your ice shards before satoru crossed his index and middle finger, his hand sign for his domain. “domain expansion: unlimited void.”

a white light went back and forth between you and satoru, the void was trying to take over the spherical water domain of yours. you could feel a strong pressure of cursed energy trying to fight against yours. a mental battle of tug-of-war, and you could feel your cursed energy becoming unstable.

damn it, was satoru gojo going to win?

no. he can’t. you had to prove him wro—

in that moment, unlimited void took over, dissolving your domain of water and before the domain was entirely satoru’s, you reinforced yourself with your remaining cursed energy to channel it to reversed cursed energy.

you couldn’t move.

you couldn’t speak.

you could feel everything, but couldn’t do anything.

you felt the immense pressure of cursed energy release, the walls of unlimited void fell as your body collapsed to the ground.

*************************************

you groaned as your rubbed your temple. you felt a raging headache coming on.

“oh my god, (y/n)!” shoko gasped, running to your side. “you’re awake!”

you opened your eyes, the jujutsu high’s medical office light’s were blinding and not helping your headache. you looked around, you were laying in a hospital bed being monitored.

“what happened?” you asked.

“you’re in the medical room. you were knocked unconscious after the domain expansion spar with gojo.”

you felt a wave of disappointment and embarrassment, gutted that you had lost to satoru. he would probably never let you live this down.

“luckily you reinforced yourself with your reversed cursed technique or you would’ve probably been knocked out even longer.”

“what do you mean longer?” you asked, confused. hasn’t it only been a couple hours?

“(y/n)… you’ve been unconscious for three days.”

three days?

how could you have been unconscious for three days?

“satoru feels horrible.” shoko said quietly to you. “he hasn’t even slept since you’ve been in here. he didn’t mean to let unlimited void to go on for that long. he said it was only 2 seconds.”

2 seconds?

only 2 seconds in unlimited void, while reinforced with your reversed cursed technique landed you in the medical room for three days?

just how insane was satoru gojo’s domain expansion?

you looked around the room, noticing that satoru’s fitted jujutsu high jacket was sitting on an arm chair in the corner.

“he’s been here since…?” you asked the amber-eyed student.

she nodded, “you didn’t hear this from me, but he’s been helping the doctor take care of you. he’s been staying here for the past three days. he’s the one that teleported you to the medical office right after you fell to the ground.”

satoru gojo was nursing you back to health? you felt this weird sensation in your chest—just why would he even do that for you?

“he probably feels guilty.” you muttered to yourself.

“—and he didn’t mean to completely knock out the girl he likes with his domain expansion.” suguru said nonchalantly as he entered the room. he gave you a soft smile, “glad to see you awake and feeling better, (y/n).”

you smiled half heartedly at suguru before realizing what he just said.

‘the girl he likes’.

satoru liked you?

that insufferable boy liked you?

no way.

satoru appeared in the doorway of the room, gaining the attention of the three of you. shoko and suguru made eye contact with each other.

shoko interrupted the awkwardness in the air, “oh, i totally forgot—yaga-sensei said me and suguru have a mission today.”

she grabbed suguru by the arm and dragged him out of the room, leaving satoru at the door. once his bestfriends were gone, he closed the door behind him.

“hey.” he said sheepishly. “glad to see you’re awake.”

you couldn’t contain your teasing smirk towards him, “why? so you don’t have to continue nursing me anymore?”

“i felt bad.” satoru mumbled. he pulled his chair next to your hospital bed and placed his hand on top of yours, rubbing small circles on the area between your thumb and index finger.

“i thought i could control the time limit for unlimited void. i am so sorry, (y/n). i didn’t mean for all this to happen.”

you blinked at the sorcerer in front of you. he was full of remorse, the guilt was clearly eating him up inside.

you put your free hand on top of his, “it’s okay, satoru. i forgive you—besides, it was nice to have ‘the strongest’ be my nurse for 3 days. this will be a story to tell my future kids.” you teased.

his blue eyes looked up at you with surprise. he didn’t think you’d forgive him after doing this to you. he couldn’t contain his relief as the soft smile you gave him was more than enough to get his heart racing again.

“it’s the least i could do. i thought you’d hate me forever after this.” he sighed. he couldn’t imagine being forever scorned by you.

“satoru, i don’t think i could ever hate you…” you said quietly.

you wondered if he could hear how fast your heart was beating—the ecg monitor surely reflected your beats per minute, didn’t it?

the sound of someone clearing their throat and knocking on the door interrupted the tension filled air between you and satoru. it was your doctor, ready to let you go back to the dorms.

end flashback

“and that’s how your gojo-sensei landed an unlimited void on me.” you said as all of his students’ jaws dropped at the story you just told them.

“and you still dated him after that?” nobara asked, truly curious at why you’d date an idiot like satoru gojo. especially after he landed you in the medical room for 3 days.

the rest of the boys laughed while satoru frowned, defending himself, “hey… i made it up to your (y/n)-sensei eventually.”

“him and his credit card made it up to me for the next ten years after that.” you winked at the students as satoru put his arm around your shoulder, sneaking a kiss on your temple.

you laughed, “i decided to keep him around since he’s given me unlimited apologies for that one.”

in all actuality, satoru won that spar back then when you were students, but when you really thought about it, you won because satoru gojo was yours.

EXTRA:

the dusk sun rested in the horizon as you and satoru walked hand in hand. the work day finally coming to an end. you couldn’t stop giggling to yourself.

“what’s got you giggling like a schoolgirl over there?” satoru asked curiously, squeezing your hand.

“you and your damn domain expansion…” you grinned, closing your eyes and shaking your head at the memory.

satoru hummed, “i can think of another domain i can expand.”

“satoru gojo.” you glared. his full government name coming out of your mouth made him flinch. he may or may not have went too far with that one.

“what, sweetheart?” he asked so innocently.

“that’s enough.” you whispered. “save that for later.”

“did you two forget what i’m walking right behind you guys?!” megumi groaned, “so gross.”

you and satoru glanced behind your shoulders to see your miserable adopted 15-year old’s face showing disgust in what he just heard. laughter erupted from the two of you as megumi scoffed back at his guardians.

he couldn’t wait to be home in the confines of his own room.

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cheapshrimpysheep · 22 hours

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Meaningful Kiss 2

SUMMARY: Would they make Public Displays of Affection? If not, are they protective instead? And how do they show you how much they truly love you through their kisses? 💋

CHARACTERS: Freshmen (Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Sebek)

TAGS: Fluff; GN Reader; Romantic Relationship; Kissing; Flirting

WARNING: Spoilers from Ace Suitor Suit Card Vignettes

WORD COUNT: An average of 330 words per character.

COMMENTS: The first Meaningful Kiss with the Overblot Students went so well and so many people liked it that I thought about doing another one with the next most popular group, the Freshmen. And according to a poll more than 80% of the votes were for "OMG! YES PLEASE!" So here it is.

I hope you all enjoy 😘

CONTEXT: For some of them I needed to think first about what the beginning of the relationship would be like. But this would already be how they would act in an established relationship.

Ace is kinda into PDA, but more to tease you and mess with you. He is very comfortable with you. He has no problem putting his arm around your shoulders or waist with a playful smile. Often to try to convince you not to be the voice of reason and join him in trouble.

In public he may hug you a lot, but the only kisses he gives you are on the forehead or cheek. Because on the lips, those are the special ones! And those are reserved for your private moments.

You two are usually alone in Ramshackle Dorm, mainly in the Lounge. You would have many movie sessions where you would make popcorn and snacks together. And it is in these moments, where there is a high chance of you messing with each other, like throwing flour at each other or smearing each other's noses with chocolate, that his most meaningful kisses can happen. In a fun atmosphere.

His most meaningful kisses are playful and grateful. He hugs you like he never wants to lose you. His kisses are passionate, not in a sense of desire, but in a sense of gratitude. You know those moments when something happens that makes a person remember why they love someone else? These are those moments and those kisses. These kisses mean "thank you for being in my life".

However, there are also certain other times when kisses like this can happen. Imagine him getting into trouble and you ending up in trouble too. But of course, instead of handing Ace over, you protect him, help him hide or even hide with him. It is in these moments that you can also receive a passionate kiss from him. “Thank you for being my partner in crime” kisses.

Deuce is very new to these things, so he's not a fan of PDA. But even when he's gotten used to your relationship, he doesn't see PDA as something necessary. You love each other and you only need to prove that to each other.

BUT if you really like it when he hugs you or gives you a kiss on the cheek, he might do it for you. On the lips, those are the special ones and he is very embarrassed to give them to you in public because he needs to be comfortable to kiss you properly.

At first, he will still get flustered easily and probably blush a lot. It's all very new to him. So, even holding your hand will take a little while for him to get used to it. But once enough time has passed, he won't have any problems even linking his arm with you. And also given enough time, he will start to be that boyfriend who gives you a kiss on the cheek every time he greets you and every time he says goodbye.

For his most meaningful kisses there will be special places. Places where he will take you on his Blastcycle (Magical Wheel). If he takes you on a date. These kisses can also happen in sporadic moments where he feels so happy to have you that he forgets everything else.

His kisses are passionate, urgent, like it's something he needs to give you. You know when he gets so angry that his ex-delinquent self shows up? Now think about that intensity and lack of control, but with love and affection. He is more sentimental than rational, so I believe he is the type of person who is not ashamed to tell the people closest to him how important they are. And he won't think twice to decide whether to show you how much he loves you or not in a romantic moment.

Jack tries not to do PDA, or at least he tried more in the beginning. It's all still very new to him and he knows that you are his partner for life, so there is plenty of time to get used to the relationship.

Wolf beastmen only have one special someone, ever. They choose a single partner to care for. He chose you, the same way you chose him and now he is committed to you for life. And both he and you expect this to be a long time, so there's no need to rush anything.

He's not much into PDA, but eventually he'll feel more comfortable holding hands with you or letting you link your arm through his. At first, any kiss was still awkward in public, but after a while he ended up having no problem giving you a quick kiss on the cheek if you asked, or if he was very happy. And only some time after this phase, he will feel more comfortable giving you a quick kiss on the lips, usually to say goodbye.

Why are all his kisses in public quick? Because the slow ones are the private ones. Despite his tough wolf exterior, with you, especially in private, he can be a puppy. Rare are the times when he isn’t wagging his tail when he's with you. Or smiling, even if it's just a little. He likes to cuddle! The best moments alone with you are when you can rest in each other's arms. You can pet him. Please do.

He gives you sweet, light and lingering kisses on your cheeks and lips, but the most meaningful ones are a mix of gentleness and excitement. Do you know when dogs are so happy that they get excited? Think of that excitement, but gentler, more caring, more careful. He wants to show you how much he loves you, but he is also aware of his strength and that you are a human, less strong than a beastman/woman.

Being faithful to the character and his complexes, I don't believe Epel would have a relationship with someone more masculine than himself. So I believe his significant other would be more feminine than him or a girl.

If you're not a girl, it might take longer for him to get to this stage. But if you are, at first he may see you as a bit of a trophy, just a little. You will find him more cocky than usual and he won't have any problems with PDA, quite the opposite, he wants to show everyone your relationship. He'll put his arm around you a lot, whether it's around your shoulders or your waist. He'll try to get over the fact that you're taller than him if you are, but if you're shorter, he might feel like the protective boyfriend he so wants to be.

It will be a rocky start. And you will have to have a talk with him about the sudden change in attitude towards you. He will apologize a lot and reveal that yes, he is proud of himself for being in a relationship with you, because he is proud to be someone you can trust and fall in love with. The last thing he wants is to be disrespectful to you. This is still new for him, so can you help him be better?

After this beginning of learning, you will discover that yes, he genuinely likes PDA. He is a prideful person. Proud of himself for the person he is becoming with you and proud of you for... everything. And he wants to show everyone how much you deserve his affection.

He can hold your hand, hug you, and give you kisses on the cheek, but kisses on the lips are special, and less confident, at least at first. He has no experience and he doesn't want to ruin the moment. But once he gets used to it, you'll find that his kisses are just as sweet, cute and delicate as the appearance he's learning to embrace.

Good Luck! Sebek is... intense, but slow. Especially because he follows Lilia's “advices” too much. According to Lilia, once he falls in love with someone, he must pen them a letter. With a fountain pen since that and stationery are the true weapons in matters of love. He shall pen his feelings, slip a photo of his smiling visage into every third missive, and repeat this until the twenty-fifth full moon.

Of course you won't be able to bear this for long and you'll have to have a talk with him and Lilia. He’ll ask Lilia what to do from now on, and seeing that things are real now, he'll probably just reply: "Whatever you feel you should do. Trust your heart, but never overlapping yours with (Y/N)’s. That's it! Good luck."

Just like he does with Malleus, Sebek's way of showing that he likes someone is by admiring and protecting them. So, at first it will be just that, he will be close to you and you will receive many words of affirmation.

However, even after he becomes more comfortable with you, you will find that he is indifferent to PDA. At least PDA initiated by him. But if you say you want to hold hands, a hug, a kiss, whatever it is, your wishes are orders! Literally!

In that case, he will never have any problem doing any of the things you ask. Do you want to walk hand in hand? He will extend his hand like a gentleman asking his date to dance. Do you want a hug? He'll open his arms and let you in, maybe even give you a kiss on the forehead if you're feeling down.

Do you want a kiss? What kind of kiss? On the forehead? Granted! On the cheek? For sure! On the lips? Then you have to be careful. Remember that he never hides how much he likes and admires someone. He doesn't exactly have one kiss more special than the other. he will give you any kind of kiss you wish. Like I said, your wishes are orders and you will feel it in his kisses. His most meaningful kisses are all, because they are all to make you happy.

If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX

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chosolala · 3 days

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𐙚 ⋆˚｡⋆ jjk guys crushing on you

here are my headcannons on how i think the jujutsu kaisen boys would act when they’re crushing on you :]

characters: gojo, geto, nanami, choso

˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖

satoru gojo

he probably doesn’t say it to you straight away but he gives you enough for you to suspect something MIGHT be up

like he’ll treat you better than others when you go out as a group, like paying for your food and nobody else’s, or holding doors for you or carrying your bags but he still teases you and picks on you, so you can never really tell if he actually likes you

i feel like he’d have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he actually has romantic feelings for you and he’d only tell you if it is genuinely distracting him from his day to day life

his love language would probably be gift giving and physical touch, so when he likes you he’d probably be taking any chance he can get to touch you, weather that be walking with his arm around your waist so he doesn’t ‘lose you in public’ or buying you things like little key chains or matching bracelets

when he confesses, all he wants to do is kiss you, so he’d probably take you somewhere private but not too private for you to suspect anything’s up, like a kind of closed off area of the park and then he just dumps everything on you then makes a joke because he’s embarrassed

he would only confess if he’s confident you like him back though

suguru geto

he would probably make it clear that he’s interested in you from the start, not by stating it but with how he acts around you

he would do little acts to hopefully make you fall for him, like tying your shoes for you, carrying your bag, stuff like that.

he is also very flirty, just dripping casual flirty comments then smirking at your reaction

i can also see him teasing you a lot but over little things, just joking around with you

he may tease you in public or when your out with friends, but when it’s just the two of you he is the biggest gentleman ever, still very flirty though, never failing to make you blush

he DEFINITELY goes all out to show off when you two are on missions together

he would end up confessing to you with flowers on a random day

like he’d sneak up behind you and give you flowers then just ask you to be his girlfriend

kento nanami

he would definitely try his best to ignore his feelings for you but when you two are alone he can’t help but show his soft side for you two

he knows it’s not practical for the two of you to have any type of romantic relationship considering your field of work

when you’re really heavy on his mind he’ll invite you out for casual lunches or stops to a bakery he likes

if he really likes you i feel like he’d end up confessing really hectic, like idk

he’d probably be so fed up with how corrupt everything is at work and just come to you crying and begging you to just run away with him

when you guys actually end up together, the way he confesses is probably his biggest regret too, he wishes he did it properly

choso kamo

he probably has a hard time understanding his feelings towards you since he’s never really liked anyone before

he never told you he liked you but it was so painfully obvious

when you first met he couldn’t stop staring at you, everytime you talked to him he was just a stuttering, blushing mess

he’d just follow you around like a lost puppy and do whatever you told him to

thirsty? here’s a case of water. tired? he’s on all fours offering his back as a chair 😭 hungry? he just ordered the entire menu at mcdonald’s for you

he doesn’t really know what he’s doing but he’s trying

he would talk to yuji about and and yuji would probably end up teasing him and telling him that he’s in love with

he buys you heart shaped chocolate and tries to confess but he can hardly get his words out

you guys end up eating the chocolate together <3

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strawberrystepmom · 2 days

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sanemi x f!reader. isekai au, established relationship, mostly fluff and character study. | wc 1.3k, divider thanks to @cafekitsune

Gentle communication has never been Sanemi’s strong suit.

He’s moved through his life as wild and blusterous as the winds he wields to keep the world safe, a flurry of carelessly running off at the mouth and leaving destruction behind him if it suited him best. At least until he met you.

Brash is the kind word you’ve chosen to describe him or at least that’s what he overheard you discussing with Mitsuri shortly after he realized his feelings for you were mutual, after the two of you had engaged in relatively wordless physical passion more than once. He didn’t know what the word meant (frankly, he isn’t sure if she did either although she never mentioned it) and he asked you, pointedly, to explain yourself.

“What the fuck does brash mean?”

The look on your face, wide eyes and slightly downturned corners of your lips, caught him off guard even more so than you found yourself. He watched you through narrowed violet eyes while you considered the way to phrase the explanation, a little regretful about his naturally commanding and harsh tone though he could not, and cannot, change it about himself. For a period of time, you looked terrified of him every time you glanced at him and while he felt grateful that was no longer the case, old fears crept in when you opened your mouth to speak, eyes still wide.

“Are you upset with me?” You asked, glancing toward the ground for a moment and then back at his face - that scarred, beautiful face - concerned that your choice of words offended him.

“No.” He answered quickly, reaching out to rub his thumb along the soft skin of the inside of your wrist, something that became a habit after the two of you began sleeping together. His shoulders slumped forward, he inhaled deeply and lowered his voice. “I just want to know.”

Smiling at the glimpse of the man beneath the surface, you leaned in toward him to close the surrounding world off to just the two of you.

“It means that you aren’t afraid to speak your mind and to assert yourself. It’s not a bad thing, you just get to the point quicker than other people might.”

He could tell you were beating around the bush, a little trait of yours he noticed more and more over the time that passed, and his face fell into a scowl despite his thumb still pressing against your skin.

“So you’re saying I’m an asshole?”

You frowned back at him, shaking your head.

“No, I think you just forget about the subtleties of conversation. Facial expressions, tone of voice, language,” you raised your eyebrows at him, pursing your lips to punctuate the last point. “Little things matter, Sanemi. I can’t tell you why but they do.”

Tilting his head to the side, he lacked the grace to hide his confusion. You glanced up at him and trailed your free hand up his arm, reaching until you cupped his chin and cheek in your palm.

“Why? Why can’t people just say what they mean?” You giggled and patted his face, shaking your head. “I don’t have an answer for that but what I can promise you is that I’ll always figure out what you mean even if you say it a little roughly.”

He smiled down at you, slight enough that anyone else would mistake it for a grimace, but you knew better. Emotions have never come easy for Sanemi and you knew that long before getting involved with him bearing in mind that he didn’t speak to you for weeks except to bark orders or demand you cover yourself up in the revealing Slayer uniform you were given upon your appearance in his world.

Even back then, you’d come a long way with one another in a short time. You sighed and dropped your hand from his face, sparing him the embarrassment of being caught mid embrace with you lest someone approached.

“I never mean to be mean to you,” he admitted, eyes glued toward his hand still resting on your arm. “I don’t know how else to tell you what I’m trying to say. All this shit is just…different for me.”

Nodding, you reassured him with a half smile.

“I know and I always pick up on what you really mean anyway.”

The small tells have always said more than he thinks. Twitching fingers, especially the ones he has confided in you he has less feeling in, resting against your arm. Low chuckles in his throat, so brief you believe you imagined them. His lips roughly pressing against your hairline, your cheek, your throat in the darkness of your room.

───・・✦・・───

Those small signs have certainly come in handy over the time the two of you have spent together. The days of miscommunication aren’t long passed, they still linger in the back of your mind when his jaw is slackened and he looks like he may open his mouth to say anything and leave you to play damage control, but you have figured out the little tells.

The crease between his eyebrows deepens and he grips his teacup a little too tightly while kneeling in front of the table at his brothers’ home. You wordlessly sip from your own cup but glance over at Sanemi, raising your left eyebrow to give him the silent signal that you are checking on him.

Are you ready to go?

So many words contained in a simple gesture.

Please.

He nods once, indistinct enough that Genya and his wife who are lost in their own conversation do not look away from one another. Cup placed gently back on the table in front of him, he leans upward and folds his arms over his chest, allowing you to do what you do best. Talk.

“I think we’re about to head home.”

Genya and his wife rise and smile at the two of you, exchanging goodbyes and thanking you for visiting them and their ever growing family. Sanemi’s heart still occasionally pumps a few beats harder when he takes the time to consider how thoughtfully you approach him, patiently allowing him to clarify himself when most would just assume he’s impolite and leave it at that.

“Thank you,” he finally says when the two of you have exited out of the gate separating Genya’s home and the road, stepping down the path headed toward your own that is closer than it seems on a dusk summer evening.

“Of course.” You butt your shoulder against his playfully, fiddling with the inside of your sleeves. “I know you better than you think.”

Sanemi chuckles, sliding his arm around your waist and pulling you against his side. He’s never been one for overt displays of affection but it’s just the two of you, the crickets, and the earliest appearing stars tonight. There’s no harm in kissing the crown of your head and nuzzling his face into it while your footsteps fall into sync.

“You do,” he agrees, kissing your head. “You’ve tried a hell of a lot harder at the very least.”

This makes you laugh, grinning up at him and wrapping your arms around his waist in return.

“Only because I like you.”

He looks down, brows raised, feigning that same angry look he used to wear before he learned to relax and roll with the punches - assisted by you, of course.

“You only like me?”

Giggling, you shrug, pressing your head into his chest so he can rest his chin on top of it.

“Okay, okay, I guess I love you or something, too.” He chuckles and you feel it rumble beneath your ear, cheeks warming his breath gently ruffles the hair on top of your head.

“That’s better. Say what you mean when you’re talkin’ to me.”

There’s no derision in his words. No anger or frustration, nothing to make you jump or wonder what you’ve done wrong. You glance up at him to find him looking down at you rather than the path ahead, smiling. He’ll save his “I love you” for later, in another way, something you’ve come to appreciate about him since the days when you barely knew each other and were trying to figure it out.

#sanemi x reader #shinazugawa sanemi x reader #sanemi shinazugawa x reader #sanemi imagines #kendall writes #man im feeling so fkdkdjdkdkdkdkdkdkkdmd about posting writing for him let me post this and run away LMAO

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kinopio-writes · 1 day

Text

HH Characters x Physically Affectionate!Reader (Pt.2)

A/N: The last part. Enjoy, lol.

Bonus character: Zestial!

Warnings: Mention of sex on Adam’s and Vox’s part, but nothing explicit

———

Sir Pentious

• he’s not used to it and is uncomfortable with it (he makes a weird face every time you touch him)

• he’ll be fine after you two become close, though

• but don’t try to overdo it

• if he likes you romantically, however, he blushes crazy every time you touch him

• he doesn’t really have a favorite one

• he turns red no matter what

• and his love language (receiving end) is more about words of affirmation, anyway

———

Lucifer

• if you’re together with Lucifer, he’s likely smitten with you, so he becomes really giddy whenever you give him affection

• he probably starts stimming (doing little kicks or squealing)

• this guy loves to be held a lot

• oh, but he loves it when you nuzzle into him

• his favorite is forehead touching

• it’s really tender and he melts at that type of affection

———

Adam

• usually, every time you touch him, he’ll think that you want to fuck

• so he’s fucking confused whenever you don’t escalate any further than a kiss

• he does that thing where even when you pull away, he’s still leaning toward you, eyes fluttering

• he’ll probably get used to it

• his favorite is when you just cling to him

• if you’re not short enough to do that, he loves it when you just put your head on top of his while you two are curling up on the couch (he finds it cute)

• he also loves getting massages from you

———

Lute

• she’s not affectionate in general nor is she a fan of it

• so if she’s not that close to you, you better back the fuck up ’cause she’s going to take that as a genuine attack

• it’s worse if you do it out of nowhere (seriously, you will end up with a broken arm)

• but, if you two are sort of close and she’s used to your affections, she’s aloof to it all

• she will even start to initiate them herself unknowingly

• it’s because she mirrors the people she likes, which is not a lot, lol (everyone does this—I think—but Lute’s just more noticeable)

• back rubs are her favorite (not full-on massages, though, just a little rub after she got done training or something)

• she might like head pats, too (she feels praised whenever you do it. This works exceptionally well if you’re taller than her)

———

Vox

• he’s not that physically affectionate

• unless it’s sexual

• he’d be pretty weirded out if you just wanted to hold hands or something

• but after he gets used to it, he becomes nonchalant about it

• he’ll start grabbing your hand on his own accord (it becomes instinctive)

• he’s fine with PDA, but don’t try to be all lovey-dovey when he’s in conversation or dealing with someone else

• his favorite is when you two are just snuggled up on the couch doing your own separate thing

———

Zestial

• I added him in because I wanted it to be even

• anyway, he’s more hand-kissing and linking arms type of gentleman

• and the most he’ll do in public is link arms

• he thinks displays of affection should be private

• even then, he’s not that physically affectionate

• he doesn’t have a favorite, but considering that he’s cold-blooded, he quite likes it when you snuggle onto him and make him warm (this only works well if you’re just as tall as him, lol)

———

This was relaxing to do. I’ll likely write more stuff like this in the future whenever I feel unmotivated to write.

The next three requests I’m going to post at a much later date will probably suck ass. Sorry to the ones who send those in. And for making you wait a long time as well. If they even remember…

My favorite ones to write from the two posts were…mostly everyone! These were so fun to write. I sort of had a writer panic midway, but it was still fun. It’s probably because I used too many parentheses and it bothered me or something.

#hazbin hotel x reader #sir pentious x reader #lucifer x reader #adam x reader #lute x reader #vox x reader #zestial x reader #hazbin hotel sir pentious #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin hotel adam #hazbin hotel lute #hazbin hotel vox #hazbin hotel zestial #kinopiowrites

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transmascaraa · 2 days

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Hi!!! Im not used to requesting but i just thought of this, could you write a scenario where the reader, does the trend where you pretend to pet a dog/cat like you drag your hand over there head like your about to pet them, but you dont? and they lean into it and dont understand what your doing? i hope you get what i mean!! sorry if i was unclear... 💗💗

(with gorou, itto, lyney, tighnari, maybe neuvilette or zhongli?? and anyone else you want)

multiple characters headcannons!

not petting them.

characters: lyney, gorou, itto, tighnari, neuvillette, zhongli x gn!reader

author's note: ofcccc i think that's a really cute idea!! especially with the specific characters you requested lol hope you enjoy

♡ Lyney

-it is pure evil doing this to him

-you slide your hand over his head and just keep it there.

-he leans into it confusedly.

-"what are you doing?" with his pully dog eyes.

-"nothing, why?" you boldly reply.

-he thought you were about to let him.

-so he just stops leaning into your hand and does the same to you, keeping his hand over your head like that.

-"what?" you ask him.

-"how does it feel to not be petted properly?"

-you just put his hand back down and kiss him on the cheek, telling him it's a prank.

-he just goes red for the rest of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✿⁠ Gorou

-also pure evil that you're doing this to an actual dog(i would too)

-so just randomly in the day, you come to him, who is in the living room on the couch.

-"need anything?" he asks.

-"no." and that's when you looked as if you were gonna pet him, but you didn't.

-after a few seconds of just staring at eachother while he leans his head into your hand, his tail wagging slowly— he questions you:

-"hm? you can pet me, i don't bite, do i?"

-"nope, wasn't even planning to." and you put your hand back down.

-"you're really mean, y'know?" he says irritatedly.

-"mhm." and you pat him on the head just then.

-he might be a bit sassy throughout the day but not like it bothers you lol

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

⑅ Itto

-never written for this guy yet but ok i hope he doesn't turn out ooc or smthn

-so, you go up to him once, talk a bit.

-js everyday talk as if you're not planning to do this to him rn

-and you finally do it, leaving your hand above his head, only brushing against his horns faintly.

-he leans into it, confused about what the hell you're doing.

-"what's that supposed to mean? are you trying to trick ME? the ONE and ONI itto?"

-"no, i didn't want to pet you."

-"liar, liar, pants on fire. i've already seen that trend!" so he did the same to you, trying to mock you.

-"it wasn't the trend-" you try justifying yourself but he cuts you off—

-"then what, you just randomly float your hand above my head? what's that supposed to be? a ufo? i don't think so!!" sassy idiot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✷ Tighnari

-he doesn't keep up with the trends at all so you're kinda safe with doing it to him

-so you do it while he's researching something

-some plant idk

-and you come to his room all of a sudden.

-"what do you want? i'm a bit busy now...." he says while giving you a slight smile from his desk.

-"nothing at all, don't worry." so you come up to him and drag your hand over his head, him thinking you'd pet him for being hardworking.

-"why don't you pet me, hm? something wrong?" he's so fucking confused

-"nope, everything's fine." you can't stand to see him so needy of you petting him so you actually pet him.

-"thank you. now go, i hope it's not another trend you're doing."

-"well........... about that—"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

☆ Neuvillette

-he'd be the most confused out of all these guys(excluding itto)

-he was working on some papers with you near him, as you usually do.

-sharing a few words here and there, and then you just act as if you'd pet him (which you ofc don't do)

-"hm? love? what are you doing?" he raises his head from his papers and looks at you instead.

-"nothing."

-"you can pet me if you want?.." he slowly takes your hand himself and puts it on his head.

-so now you just keep you hand still on his head.

-"my dear, what are you doing?" he doesn't understand a single thing happening.

-you just shrugged as he then continued doing his paperwork.

-that's when you decided to just pet him as you wanted to at the start, seeing him smile at you from the side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

✧ Zhongli

-ehh so i feel like he would know about trends but never expect you to do one of them to him personally

-and you basically decide to take action mid-talk with him.

-"yes, and i've also heard about- what are you doing?" he gets cut off by your hand above his head.

-"nothing, you can continue." you reply innocently.

-"uhm.. okay? so as i was saying, recently, i've heard about how furina is doing currently in fontaine, and i can say i'm very impressed, she has- why are you laughing?" he asks with a confused smile on his face.

-you continue laughing for a bit longer until you actually pet him.

-"it was a prank-" you can't continue due to laughing at him.

-he's confused but also smiling at the same time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i hope nothing was too ooc

this was fun

hope you liked it :p

| @mischievouseal | @mariaace <3

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bonefall · 19 hours

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Maybe i just joined the fandom space way later than everyone else, but i swear to god the WaCa fandom is only this up in arms about how "ugly" and "deformed" and "disgusting" Moonpaw is/will be as a result of incest because she is confirmed to be a chimera.

I never saw this same kind of behavior when Graystripes parents were mistakenly made siblings. Nor with Ashfur and Squirrelflight, even after the fandom pointed out that theyre half-uncle and niece. I didnt see it with Fernsong and Ivypool. I didnt see it with Birchfall and Whitewing. I didnt see it with Dewnose and Sorrelstripe.

"Maybe its because theyre first cousins?" But no, because Dustpelt and Ferncloud are uncle and niece, directly related to Robinwing.

I believe the fandom only cares about the fact the parents are related here because in their mind it gives them "an excuse" to be disgusting about her chimerism. With any other characters, it's just another instance of the writers being incompetent. With Moonpaw, "it's why she's so fucked up".

Yes, they hate her because she's a result of an incest, but I'm starting to become convinced they're only this vocal about it because of how she looks. They don't truly care she's inbred, they only care that they have "a good reason" to be ableist.

This being said as a victim of incestual abuse. Cousin and cousin, just like Thriftear and Bayshine.

Is this a bad take? Am I grasping at straws? Is this just an effect of avoiding the fandom for so long? SOS

You're not grasping at straws. I think you're right on the money, honestly.

Something a lot of people don't seem to understand is that a lot of bigotry is not overt. Ableists don't usually run around saying they want all disabled people to be thrown off cliffs (when they get to that point we're in SERIOUS danger), but they DO grab your wheelchair's handles, or speak over you when you're stuttering, or assume you're stupid or dangerous. It's usually implicit biases, and structural inequality.

This is why humor is so good at revealing these internal biases. You may not believe you're classist, you might have friends from Alabama, or Durham, or Wales, but what accent do you give your "stupid" character if you're telling a story? Why are the accents of "poor" regions associated with low intelligence?

So to bring it around-- why did we see the spike in "jokes" about "ugly inbreeds" for our very first character with a confirmed genetic condition?

I've been in and around this fandom since 2008, and I've NEVER seen another character get talked about like this. Mind you, Graystripe was the child of a sister and a brother for a LONG time, too, from 2009 to 2016 (maybe even later, I don't remember exactly when the modern tree was released). And no one did it with Bristlefrost, either, in spite of there being a pretty huge uproar about her parents being distantly related.

No one else. Just the chimera. "No wonder she looks like that" and "here she is with a hapsburg jaw" and "she'd be so slurs she'd be icky."

Characters without disability, no congenital conditions, nothing = "Ugh damn writers and their incompetence strikes again. God they need to get some fresh blood in here"

(moonpaw) = "EWW NO WONDER!! WHEN WILL THE GENE POOL BE BLEACHED"

There's also the incredible irony of the fact that like. moonpaw has a common tortie fur pattern and heterochromia. you don't even need to show an ableist an actual congenital condition, you can suggest a normal face is disabled and they will lose their minds. Bigotry rots your brain.

Also, just, as a closing note, as usual the bigot is incorrect. Chimerism and inbreeding have literally nothing to do with each other. There is no link between chimerism and inbreeding. they are once again confusing chimerism and mosaicism and trying to whine It's Just Biology because you told them their joke wasn't funny.

#mooncourse #And it really just is an excuse to be ableist I got anons calling me delusional from this btw #Also lots of implications that I'm not a victim of incest apparently. Thanks ill go tell my therapist #I'd rather it be me than someone who had it worse though #Some of the stories that were shared with me-- especially one that was a DM and I will not be sharing-- have actually brought me to tears

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lurkingshan · 23 hours

Text

10 Things I Love About Triage

I am extraordinarily late to this party but I am here to scream about Triage, a show which I started on a whim after a stray comment from @incandescentflower and subsequently finished in two sittings. This drama has been on my list forever (I didn't watch it live because the distribution was wacky) and then it just kept getting overlooked as I fought to keep up with the deluge of Thai BL coming at us at all times. But I am very glad I finally hunted it down and made the time and I would like to tell you why!

Hello Again, Dr. Sammon

I am on record as a Sammon fan. She is one of the best writers working in Thai BL and she has a knack for mystery and suspense. Her narratives are always really well constructed with tight plotting and smart character work, and Triage is no exception. This story feels confident, steady, and complete in a way few Thai BLs do.

The time travel rules are blessedly consistent

Part of what makes the story sing is it's a time travel plot that actually gets the particulars right. In a time loop, the details are everything, and this show understands that. The series of events are consistent, the rules of the time travel mechanics are clearly explained, and when our protagonists learn something new, it always lines up with something we'd gotten hints about before or gives us new context for old information. There are no loose threads in this show.

My boy Tin is going through it

Tin is a fantastic protagonist. He starts the show disillusioned with his work and hilariously grumpy about this time loop situation--he is a busy ER doctor and he does not have time for this--but as he starts to piece together how the loop works he gets more methodical in his approach, and eventually becomes emotionally invested in his mission to save Tol. Tin felt really well-calibrated in that he was smart and he tried all the things you would be shouting at the screen for him to try, but he's still a human being with flaws and insecurities and so he makes mistakes, learns, and has to try again. The show really successfully put us in the frustration with him.

Tol makes for an interesting damsel

Because he's kind of an asshole! Tol is rude and disrespectful when he first meets Tin, he hangs around with some truly awful bullies, he treats Rit like garbage, and he's all around an arrogant dick. Until he isn't. I like the choice to make the focus of our mission such a difficult character, not only because it makes Tin's challenge that much harder, but also because it invites us to consider the reasons why someone might be behaving the way he is and whether they can be redeemed.

This show has everything: action, romance, and agony

It's truly an emotional rollercoaster all the way through, and you can't relax for a moment. The pacing is relentless through most of the show, and even as a bond develops between Tin and Tol and they begin a tentative romance, danger is lurking around every corner. As soon as these boys started making out in episode 9 I knew something awful was coming for me and IT SURE DID.

Jinta, the ultimate frenemy

On that note let's talk about Jinta, my nemesis!! Jinta is some kind of unspecified deity/whimsical god and the one who appears to be responsible for putting Tin and Tol in this loop. Is he trying to help them? Is he trying to torture them? I definitely think it's both! He seems to delight in showing up to taunt Tin as he struggles to figure out how to get through to Tol, and when it's Tol's turn on the merry-go-round he sends him to the darkest timeline for his high stakes final attempt to save Tin just because he can. I love/hate you, sir!

Sing and Gap and the darkest timeline

Speaking of which, can we talk about how appropriate it is that Sing and Gap are a couple only in the darkest timeline? I don't know if people were shipping this for real during the live watch, but I definitely was not and so I started cackling when we got to the worst possible timeline and Sing was suddenly calling Gap his boyfriend. Sammon, you are hilarious and I salute you.

Fantastic side characters

Let's talk about the sides I did love. First of all, aside from his weird aggressive flirting/not flirting thing with Gap, I actually did like Sing's friendship with Tin a lot. I also loved the hospital gang who were around to alternately tease and help Tin, most especially Toy and Fang. Toy is a sweetheart and a gossip who never misses a trick, and Fang is an actual badass who first cracked the case with that evil doctor and saved Tin's life. They are fabulous. Rit was also an excellent character with a lot of complexity and he added some much needed depth to the school storyline (does anyone else think he was basically the proto-DFF Non?). And while Mai and Heart were not my favorite people, I did appreciate that the show gave them a sympathetic portrayal instead of making them evil villains (we had the organ harvesters for that).

That beautiful clocktower

I must give a shoutout to this gorgeous clocktower featured in several important scenes. I got so excited every time it showed up. Fun fact: in the first clocktower scene I was like oh hey I recognize that from gifs, but it can't be that scene because it's too early for a kis--TIN WHAT ARE YOU DOING! (I was right, it was too early for a kiss and Tol was Big Mad but bless you for going for it anyway, Tin).

The romance is balanced and rootable

And on that note, let me give a shoutout to the romance part of this story for actually feeling balanced. This is not an epic swoony love affair, but more a story of two people putting in the time to understand and empathize with each other. Sometimes in these kind of time loop stories the romance can end up feeling very one-sided because one character is holding all the knowledge and all the cards. But in this show we have the neat trick of Tol taking over the loop to try to save Tin in the final arc, which means he got to go through a similar process of getting to know the darkest version of his lover and figuring out how to get through to him. I was delighted by all the events of the long loop playing out again, but this time with Tin being the obstinate one. Tol got a taste of his own medicine and it left me feeling like they were both equally invested in this relationship.

TL;DR: If you haven't watched this yet, you really should! It's a fast binge and a great time with some Thai BL favorites. It's unfortunately still not available for international streaming, but it's very easy to find grey now and it's worth the effort. Go forth!

#triage #triage the series #thai bl #shan recommends #10 things #shan shouts into the void

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 17 hours

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this isn’t exactly a question, but has twisted wonderland ever expanded on gender norms before? I know in sunset savanna women seem to be highly respected, but it seems like that is a behavior unique to sunset savanna. It seems like gender discrimination might be uncommon in briar valley because Mallenoa was so respected by her subjects, but Sebek, silver, and grim were surprised to find out she was so self sufficient and powerful when they met her in Lilia’s dream (this is more my interpretation tho) . in the endless night event, silver tells a story about a warrior who taught for her country, which is a reference to mulan i think, and the person he is telling the story to is very surprised that the strong warrior is a girl. I think silver told that story to Leona but I don’t remember. I’ve heard that royal sword academy is a school boys and girls can both attend, but night raven college is one of the most prestigious magic schools out there, so it being boys only makes me wonder if gender is a part of magic politics, although we have been shown female characters who have high educations and magical abilities such as Mrs . Rosehearts

No, not really? It’s explicitly mentioned and touched upon in extended conversations maybe a total of… 3ish times. Of those instances, most are referring to the Sunset Savanna.

Gender norms and politics are some of those elements of world-building that can come off as really ham-fisted and preachy if the characters stop everything altogether and just start expositing about it. Thankfully, TWST largely doesn’t take that “telling” route and instead “shows” us what they mean through subtle implications.

Now, for the most part I think the gender norms of Twisted Wonderland are similar to the real world, but may be more progressive overall.

For one, Twisted Wonderland has many male characters (both in NRC and beyond it) who openly wear cosmetics. No one ever comments on men wearing makeup or dressing up in a negative light. Sometimes they complain about putting makeup on (ie the effort) or certain fashions they don’t vibe with but never do they say it’s “not manly” for them to put on makeup/perfume/jewelry, care about their clothing, etc. Even the characters we traditionally think of as masculine (Jack, Leona, etc.) wear eyeliner and eyeshadow, jewelry, or try new styles of clothing. Floyd and Ace express interest in fashion. Jamil cares about the quality of textiles and Kalim is willing to buy tons of jewelry for himself (and his classmates!!) if the mood strikes him. Rook regularly compliments people’s looks and Cater has an eye for aesthetics too. Lilia brags that he is “cute” and likes to show off his cuteness to others. And, of course, we cannot forget our queen Vil, who champions the idea of challenging and redefining gender norms. He also shares these ideals with Epel, who has been called out by Vil for having “outdated” gender norms. Given that Vil is such a popular celebrity (5 million followers on Magicam), I get the impression that the sentiments he extols is a popular way of thinking and is the direction that TWST society wants to move toward. (This is assuming that his fans are mainly younger people.) The boys often “dress up” and wear different makeup when visiting new places such as Silk City and and Clock Town, so it appears that a lot of Twisted Wonderland society that we’ve explored leans more liberal when to comes to gender expression.

Another detail I think is important is that many of the Great Seven—in fact, over half of them—are women. This is notable because oftentimes history glosses over the achievements and accomplishments of women in favor of their male peers. The fact that NRC and all of Twisted Wonderland seems to honor them in addition to their male counterparts says something. The G7 women aren’t even the only instance of female figures who shaped history. Azul and Floyd, for example, have brought up the Mermaid Princess on multiple occasions, talking about how her union with a human prince and personal efforts have strengthened the bond between land and sea.

Gendered terms to refer to mages exist, but according to Lilia, “witches” and “wizards” are outdated (they were used during the human/fae war era of ~400 years ago). Currently, most prefer to use the gender neutral terms “mage” or sometimes “sorcerer”.

There does not appear to be gender restrictions in terms of the modern day workforce either. We know of the boys’ family members who are great mages or hold significant power or status. Mrs. Rosehearts is an accomplished medical mage, Mrs. Ashengrotto runs the most popular restaurant in the Coral Sea and his grandmother is a benefactor to those in the neighborhood, Mrs. Shroud is STYX’s Chief Engineer, Meleanor is an integral leader of Briarland’s military forces, Maleficia is queen, etc. Even the women in more mundane roles play vital parts in their communities: Mrs. Clover is a baker alongside her husband, Mrs. Zigvolt assists her husband in his dental clinic, Granny Bucchi supports him as his only relative, Marja travels and helps sell her family’s produce, etc. There are many economic opportunities for women in this world.

Some may point out that NRC is a prestigious all-boys school, so there aren’t opportunities for women in education. The same goes for RSA, which is another prestigious all/ boys school. To that, I say… that’s because NRC is a very limited scope of magic education as a whole. We don’t know how many other schools are out there or if all magic schools are boys only. It’s not impossible to think that there may be girls only or mixed schools out there—but the NRC cast are the ones this game focuses on, so we view things from that perspective. I’d also like to add that we only see male students from other schools because of meta reasons: 1) there are limited game assets, so some details are accurately conveyed by the live 2D models, and 2) this is a joseimuke, a game with a predominantly male cast aimed at a target audience of women. It makes sense that there wouldn’t be many live 2D assets for random female mobs.

There isn’t any lore in-game or in other official materials which would imply that women are discriminated against in education or in the workforce. However, Twisted Wonderland at large seems to still perpetuate gender expectations and gendered traits as we understand them irl. There are some instances when the idea of women having traditionally feminine interests are mentioned: (Suitor Suit) Ace complains that his ex only liked romance and animal movies, disliked thrill rides, and preferred cute things and taking Magicam pics; (Birthday Boy) Cater also mentions his mother and older sisters having interests in making sweets and cute things. Additionally, as Anon mentions, in Endless Halloween Night, Silver shares the story of Mulan, who pretended to be a man to save her father from enlisting in the army. He told this tale to Jamil (not Leona!), who reacts with surprise when he learns that this capable warrior is a woman. At the same time, there are “masculine” expectations vaguely alluded to: Deuce states he is the “man” of his household, Epel of course worries about his manliness and sees Savanaclaw, the athletic dorm, as “cool”, etc.

Of course, these gender norms are not pervasive nor are they the same everywhere in Twisted Wonderland. One extreme is demonstrated through Epel, who holds the most regressive beliefs prior to Vil’s influence. This leads me to believe that Harveston is one of these areas that perpetuates these beliefs—and when you think about its population, it makes sense. Epel tells us that his hometown is largely elderly people, who are more likely to hold conservative worldviews compared to young people. The community, being small and located pretty far from nearby urban centers, is also exposed to fewer ideas that differ from what they perceive as their “norm”. These factors will naturally shape its residents and inform how they interact with and perceive others.

I actually think that Briar Valley would also be one of those areas with regressive gender norms for similar in-universe reasons as Harveston. Briar Valley is described to us as a region mainly populated by long-lived fae… meaning they are pretty old and more likely to be conservative. Not only that, but the area is very isolated and fae in general prefer to keep to their own kind. Briar Valley is also said to be opposed to change and new ideas and technology being introduced to their land. All of these factors suggest they would have more old-fashioned ideas about gender, not progressive ones. Meleanor and Maleficia may be widely respected and viewed as capable women, but I do not think it is fair to extrapolate how magically gifted monarchs of the Draconia bloodline are viewed to the governed population. It is more likely that they are the exception, not the rule. This better explains why Sebek and Silver, who are technically subjects of Briar Valley, are surprised to learn of a powerful princess. Their shock, as well as how Lilia describes human princesses as being meek and needing protection, also implies the usual gender norms. Given that humans seem to be the majority race in Twisted Wonderland, it means those gender expectations were predominant at the time.

The Sunset Savanna is the only country we know of at the moment where women are noted to be viewed differently. According to Leona, he “respects women” since the women back in his home country are physically stronger and stronger-willed than men. (This may be a reference to how irl lionesses do most of the hunting.) It’s not uncommon to see women in high-ranking warrior or guard positions because of this. This implies that the gender roles are somewhat reversed here; women are the ones expected to be strong, not men.

Slight tangent here: I don’t particularly subscribe to the idea that “strong” women are somehow better or more deserving of praise than “weak” women. It’s a fallacy that I see perpetuated way too often in media. True feminism does not mean demonizing what is seen as traditionally “feminine”, nor does it mean women can only be independent or strong by acting in traditionally “masculine” ways. Feminism means not judging or holding back women from pursuing whatever it is they want to do, be it a career of their own, homemaking, or anything in between. Women can be strong and admirable no matter what they choose to do with their lives.

Okay, so Twisted Wonderland does operate on gender norms—but that does NOT inherently mean that Twisted Wonderland is a sexist hellscape. Gender discrimination is on a spectrum, and we’ve yet to see any blatantly regressive demands be taken as anything of real merit in TWST. If anything, they get clowned on and told off as much as Sebek is for his anti-human sentiments. And, as I’ve pointed out earlier, Twisted Wonderland on the whole appears to accept and normalizes things that may not be widely accepted irl— namely, men in makeup or in traditionally feminine fashion. There’s also many examples we can look to of regular women in power or jobs across the world of Twisted Wonderland.

We also need to remember that TWST was penned by people who also live in a society of gender norms, so it’s expected for their lived experiences to also bleed into the worlds they create. It doesn’t make them bad people, it just makes them human. They write what they know and also play around with the ideas of different societies—those that skew in both directions (as we see with Harveston vs Sunset Savanna).

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deconstructthesoup · 2 days

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Okay, so, thoughts on a DBD swap AU:

Crystal died in the 1920's, and in life, she was every bit the spoiled rich flapper socialite---with some added psychic powers, of course. But everything came crashing down when she fell for a demon, let him possess her, and he eventually killed her body, sending her to Hell on a technicality. Though Hell was torture, and it took her over seventy years to get out, she did learn and grow from the experience. Nowadays, she's a very good detective and a very good friend, even if she still lets her anger get the better of her at times.

Niko died in the 1990's, and was an outcast in life due to a combination of moderate anxiety and the fact that she never made an effort to try to fit in. She still contracted the dandelion sprites, but since she didn't have anyone to help her, they wound up killing her---which led her to meet a newly-escaped Crystal, and the two of them teamed up to take down the sprites before they could kill anybody else. Ever since then, the two of them have been inseparable, and Niko's regained a lot of her joy for life... despite, well, being dead.

Charles is a modern-day witch who was pretty careless with his powers, until he fucked around, found out, and got his memories stolen by a demon... the same demon who possessed Crystal, all those years ago. When he comes to, he of course doesn't remember a lot of the stuff he did, but he immediately takes a liking to the Dead Girl Detectives and offers to help out when their investigations take them to a sleepy, seaside town. Once there, he's able to rent a room and meet his neighbor...

Edwin is a quiet and generally closed-off comic book and classics nerd who had to drop out of school due to excessive bullying. He's in his first ever (very awkward) queer relationship with Monty, which isn't exactly working out as well as he'd like it to... and, well, it turns out that breaking it off means that he has to deal with Esther's overprotective witch-mom energy, and he gets slapped with a curse that's almost impossible to break---unless, of course, another witch and two ghost detectives move in right across the hall. He's still a little bit uptight, because rich parents, but he's learning to let his walls down.

Not sure how everything else is gonna work, but I do know that I want Jenny to be the eternally grumpy and tired Cat Queen, and Thomas (CK's real name) to be the flirtatious owner of the shop downstairs. Esther might stay Esther with Monty being her actual son, and maybe we'll need to figure out another female character to be Crystal's bi awakening.

#dead boy detectives #crystal palace #niko sasaki #charles rowland #edwin payne #jenny green #thomas the cat king

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zkaus · 2 days

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At the back of my copy of The Vampire Armand, there's an old interview with Anne Rice talking about creating that novel. I've never forgotten her answer to one of the questions... It haunted me for years.

It gives incredible insight into how and why she wrote such beautiful, brutal and broken characters, and what she endured in the creation process.

BUT before you read this, I'm going to STRONGLY warn you, it goes to very very DARK places

Q: What are your work habits for a novel?

A: Once I truly begin to write, I work obsessively, in twelve-hour days, punctuated by days of long sleep and vivid dreaming. Starting time and ending time are no longer important. I might begin at 9 A.M., or after noon or at eight in the evening. I go from there. I turn on the computer and write, write, write.

My room is a mess. Notes are scribbled on the walls so that I can look up at them at the appropriate moments and insert the date, the name, whatever, when I need it. Books are stacked so high that people have to search for me when they come into the room. Opened books with marked-up pages are stacked on top of one another.

I become suicidal. I go through a horrid despair some time or other before the final page, during which everything seems meaningless—from the dawn of history to the very hour in which I am writing.

I’m intolerable to live with. But I spread myself thin over a number of loved ones and staff members so that no one person has to put up with how intense, hysterical, and miserable I am.

When I get elated and talk fast and furiously about wonderful aspects of history or the characters, or good developments in the story, people run away from me. I don’t blame them.

While the novel is being written, I try to avoid dressing for outdoors. No one can make you go out if you don’t have shoes on. Not even in the south. I wear long velvet robes and soft velvet slippers. I refuse to go out. All food is brought in. I eat hamburgers because they are easy to hold with one hand while reading and holding the book with the other hand.

In the middle of the night I read, sometimes on the carpeted floor of the bathroom, just because it’s warm. I am wretched. I don’t care anymore about being abnormal. Writing is everything. Everything. It seems impossible to write the book. It seems impossible to lift a hairbrush to brush my hair. But I do it. I put on mascara every day that I write.

This period of intense work lasts about six weeks. It’s best that way. My imagination is overheated, and my memory clogged with data of varying importance. If I go over six weeks, I begin to forget things; I feel the loss of intensity and information and I become all the more self-destructive and obsessed.

The end of the book is a big event for me. A big event. I start screaming. I put the hour and the date at the end of the last page. I expect everybody to understand, at least a little. It’s a triumph! The darkness of destiny has been driven back for a brief while. I celebrate. I scream, eat chocolate, and sleep.

Right near the end of writing The Vampire Armand, I realized I had to return to Italy, especially to Florence, and at once I began to make preparations for the trip. As soon as the novel was finished and off to the publisher’s, as soon as it could be accomplished, I flew to Italy. That gave me hope, a way out of a life threatening darkness that often follows the climax of a book. But I still ate chocolate and screamed.

While writing, I don’t want to rest. I don’t want to sleep. Why sleep? It seems stupid, except when weariness overcomes me like a giant cloud of poisonous vapor. Then I sleep fifteen to twenty hours. I tell people to go in and out of the bedroom and ignore me lying there, as if I were dead. I won’t talk on the phone. I won’t open my eyes if I don’t have to. I dream terrible, upsetting dreams.

I want to kill myself. But I can’t. I can’t do it to other people, and I have work that must be done, novels that must be written. So I don’t kill myself. Besides, I don’t think it’s good to kill oneself. It’s a horrible idea. It has a horrible effect even on acquaintances.

I think a lot about people I loved who are dead. I think of how dead they are, year after year, ever more dead.

#interview with the vampire #anne rice #the vampire armand #the vampire chronicles #iwtv #the vampire lestat #louis de pointe du lac #interview #tw: sucidal thoughts #mental health #writing

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darkstarofchaos · 21 hours

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Okay. While we're talking about EarthSpark S1 problems that have been made worse by S2. Why is Megatron special?

One of the weakest parts of EarthSpark for me has always been the fact that Megatron is the only Decepticon known to have defected. Later on, Cons like Breakdown, Tarantulas, and even Starscream added some nuance by showing them willing to risk themselves for non-Decepticons, though understandably, none of them were willing to defect at that point. But even though such Cons clearly existed, none of them defected along with Megatron, or at any other point during the war.

And Megatron's own defection was just... It's painfully obvious that he was developed to be a Good Guy and didn't have a lot of thought put into what he was like as a Decepticon. By his own admission and Starscream's assessment, he was a violent leader who ruled with fear, but all it took to make him change sides was... Seeing a human care more about his side than he did? That's it? And if that is why he changed sides, he clearly took the wrong lesson away from that, because he still doesn't care about what used to be his side. Instead of trying to do better by them, he abandons them. And then all he has to do to make Optimus trust him is... Scan an Earth altmode. Really.

It all feels very weak to me, and doesn't adequately explain anything. Did Megatron make any attempt to be a kinder leader, or did he just defect immediately after seeing the Error Of His Ways? How did we get from "damn, I don't care about my guys enough" to "my whole cause is corrupt, I'mma go now"? Did he ever try to use his position as leader of the freaking Decepticons to end the war peacefully or steer them onto a better path, or did he just wash his hands of them the moment he considered himself morally superior to them? If he did try to use his influence before bailing, how did he change so much so fast that none of his officers wanted to follow him anymore? Why did he give up on his entire faction and not bring any of the more open-minded Decepticons with him?

There are so many questions that either aren't answered or only get vague suggestions of what might have happened, and the answers we do get aren't enough for me to buy Megatron's redemption. It all feels too fast and too easy, and I do not understand why he could defect from the faction he led but less committed Decepticons just didn't.

And now all of these issues are worse than ever, because all the nuance the other Decepticons had is gone. Now it's just "Y'know, Decepticons. They're evil." Apparently not all of them, because Megatron is still hanging out with the Autobots, Con insignia and all! I ask again, why is Megatron special? Why does he get to change but all the others have to be flat and evil?

The real-world answer, of course, is that he never changed. He was conceived as a good person and ally to the Autobots, and that's how he's going to stay. But you cannot have a "Cons are just evil" story while the ex-leader of the Cons is walking freely in the Autobot base. Megatron's entire character is only possible with the assumption that Decepticons are capable of changing, and trying to revert to Cons Evil makes his redemption weaker than ever. Because it's so painfully obvious that he was written to be a good person and his dark history doesn't actually matter.

#transformers #Transformers EarthSpark #EarthSpark spoilers #Barely spoilers since this is mostly about S1 but eh #Unpopular Opinions #Megatron #I haven't seen anyone talking about how S2 reflects on Megatron #Outside of commenting on the fact that Starscream is once again made worse than his abuser #And to be fair I'm probably one of the only people who has a problem with Megatron's redemption in the first place #But it was always a weak spot in the show and has gotten weaker

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writingquestionsanswered · 19 hours

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i struggle with writing a continuous long scene. instead, i end up writing short scenes that show the core of that scene almost immediately and then time skip to the next scene. is there a way to cure this? it feels like a lot of "jumping around" and somewhat inconsistent because of that.

Scenes Are Too Short (How to Write a Scene)

The way to cure continuously short scenes is to get a better grasp on what a scene is, what they should contain, and how to structure them. :) What is a Scene?

Long fiction is broken up into narrative building blocks called "scenes," which are almost like mini-stories that build upon each other to advance the plot. Remember: stories are about someone who is trying to resolve a problem in their heart and mind, situation, life, or world. The thing they're trying to achieve in order to resolve that problem is their goal. Goals can be broken down into smaller goals (or steps) that must be completed in order to achieve the bigger goal. Scenes are like mini-stories that focus on each of those steps/smaller goals.

What is the Purpose of a Scene?

A good scene should accomplish at least one of the following:

-- advance the plot by completing smaller steps/goals that are needed in order to achieve the story goal -- advance character development to push them toward where they need to be mentally, emotionally, physically, knowledge-wise, relationship-wise, or situation-wise in order to achieve the story goal

-- advance setting and back story development in order to build toward the climax (where the character attempts to achieve the story goal once and for all)

-- deliver important back story or other information necessary to help the reader understand the plot, characters, or setting and to help move the pieces into place for the climax How Are Scenes Structured? Like any story, scenes have a beginning, middle, ending, and conflict/dilemma. The setting, characters, conflict/dilemma, and goal for resolution of the conflict/dilemma are established in the beginning of the scene. Through the middle of the scene, the characters take steps to resole the conflict/dilemma, encountering obstacles and challenges which they must overcome or find a way around, and making decisions and plans to help them tackle the next step/smaller goal. In the end of the scene, the characters attempt to do whatever they need to do in order to achieve that step/smaller goal. The attempt may end in success (the step/goal is achieved), failure (they do not successfully complete the step/achieve the goal), or the outcome may be left unknown (aka a "cliffhanger.) With the exception of cliffhanger endings, the very end of the scene is used to set things up for the next scene/create a smooth transition into the next scene.

A Note About Conflict, Dilemmas, and Goals

It's important to remember that a scene conflict/dilemma and resulting goal doesn't have to be some big, major thing. It can be something really simple, like maybe a character needs cash for a road trip, so they're trying to get a summer job. The problem is that, on paper, they're under qualified for the job they want to apply for. However, they know they have the knowledge to do the job well, so the scene goal is to convince the potential employer that they have what it takes to do the job. Another example: a character has a crush on another character but the problem is they're not sure the other character is interested. Others have said they might be, so the scene goal is to approach the crush and casually ask if they want to hang out sometime. How to Craft an Engaging Scene In order to keep your reader engaged in your scene, be sure to do the following in every scene:

-- reveal new information (character, setting, back story, plot) -- develop internal conflict, motivations, stakes, relationships -- advance the protagonist's progress toward their goal -- establish the setting (time, place, environment, atmosphere) -- establish the scene conflict/dilemma and necessary steps -- illustrate the obstacles in the character's way -- explore character thoughts/feelings/reactions to scene events -- use a relative balance of exposition, action, and dialogue -- use the proper pace for the scene to maintain flow and interest -- explore story themes and messages -- end with some type of resolution for the scene conflict -- transition smoothly into the next scene Happy writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

#wqaadvice

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hopelesslyromanticshark · 3 days

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hey :’)

would u be willing to write a platonic jason grace and daughter of jupiter! reader? maybe they’re twins and it can either be super wholesome, like just sibling banter and stuff during training. or, super angsty where one of them gets hurt and possibly dies?

just need that sibling love rn 🤧

✮⋆˙ the mario to my luigi - platonic! jason grace x daughter of jupiter! reader blurb

𝜗𝜚 content…platonic! jason grace x daughter of jupiter! reader blurb 𝜗𝜚 warning…none! 𝜗𝜚 letters from the author…i decided to go fluffy with this one bc we do not need more angst on the jason masterlist lmao- also, i know you said during fighting but there is nothing more sibling core than aggressive mario kart frfr

────────── ౨ৎ ──────────

"BANANA BANANA BANANA!" you screeched, hectically turning your controller as to narrowly avoid it.

"HA!" jason mocked from beside you, having purposefully placed it there as he knew you frequented that side of the track. he had recently stolen first place from you, partially due the banana diabolical and a blue shell catastrophe.

"don't get cocky now, grace, still got a lap to go," you grumbled from beside him, turning with your whole body - which was unnecessary - as you rounded a sharp corner.

"please, i've got you right where i want you," called back jason, his eyes locked on the screen as he leaned forwards, his subconscious leading him to believe that might make the character on the screen go ever so slightly faster.

"oh yeah?" you asked, your wide smirk clearly heard in your voice. jason's brows furrowed as his eyes darted around the screen trying to find what could be the cause of your sudden happiness.

"what- OH COME ON!" the blonde boy shouted indignantly, his poor character spinning out from the very banana he placed earlier in the round as yours zoomed past.

"HA HA, SUCKS TO SUCK, LOSER!" you cheered, giggling as he speed away from the scene of the crime

"I STILL HAVE A CHANCE!" jason cried but knew it was all for not as you crossed over the checkered line.

instantly, you were jumping up from your crisscross position, bouncing up and down on the bed, cheering and laughing as loud as can be. jason rolled his eyes as he claimed second, pulling at you legs and sending you falling to the squishy bed and pillows with a small yelp.

"sore loser," your muffled voice came as you dug your way out of the pillows.

"wanna play another round?" jason offered.

"only if your cool with getting your butt handed you. again."

"first place has my name written all over it."

"yeah, okay, bud."

jason just smiled as he turned back to the screen, sparing you a glance as you crawled back to his side, your shoulders playfully bumping together. and he knew that as the sun rose, you two would be soldiers once more, people with responsibilities and duties that required their utmost attention.

but right now? right now, you were just mario and luigi, racing off into the sunset.

#postcards from covey ౨ৎ #all my love ౨ৎ #pjo #hoo #pjo fandom #heroes of olympus x reader #percy jackon and the olympians #jason grace #jason grace x you #jason grace x y/n #the heroes of olympus #heroes of olympus #jason grace x reader #the lost hero #pjo hoo toa #toa #jason grace fanfic

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humansbgone · 3 days

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Apart from two brief scenes that I can't complete without finalized assets, staging is DONE! That means, nearly all camera angles and approximate positions are established, and we're just about ready to get started on animation! Work's been moving along pleasantly quickly on this episode.

Here, we see a shot from when staging began, just checking how the characters fit in the scene--this is not actually a shot that will be in the final product.

Next, it might be another week as my assistants and I finish up some assets. Either that, or I'll try to get my part on the assets done over the weekend, then start on animation for parts where the assets aren't needed.

Alternatively, I might take a break for a week. I haven't been feeling too hot lately, and might need it.

Either way, it might be another week, and then something over a month to do animation work. Hopefully, things will keep going smoothly! Until next time!

#bugblr #bug #insect #science fiction #sci fi #scifiart #sophodra #rose #update #mantis #praying mantis #tarantula

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tossawary · 1 day

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I'm interested in reading a nonfiction book specifically on the disabling nature of pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare, and how this intersects with traditional gender roles and legal + financial oppression within many societies, but I'm also interested in reading about the intersection of feminism and disability more generally. (Preferably something that is not bioessentialist or transphobic nonsense.) Does anyone have any recommendations?

Let me ramble beneath a cut here on the area of interest I mean here. I promise I mean none of this in a weird bioessentialist or transphobic way, I've just been thinking a lot about how the physical realities (limitations, dangers) of reproduction affect our social structures, both in an activism way and also a fantasy worldbuilding way. I think "Dungeon Meshi" set off my thoughts on these things when it delved more seriously into the pain of long fantasy lifespans and the unavoidable violence of the food chain.

More generally (not talking about "Dungeon Meshi" any longer), I've taken note of fantasy and science fiction worlds which incorporate technological advancements for the author's convenience, allowing characters to act more freely and sidestep more realistic consequences of their actions, without apparently considering what these advancements mean for the shape of a society. These advancements include: effective birth control, effective protection against sexually transmitted health issues, relatively safe childbirth, relatively safe abortion, and substitute breast milk for infants. (And often menstruation is never mentioned.)

In most of these generic fantasy worlds I've encountered, the way that magic (or sufficiently advanced technology) shapes society is not the point of the story.

(Side note: I'm going to talk a lot about fantasy worldbuilding here, but I want to make it clear that I recognize this is a very serious topic and real people all over the world suffer from a lack of care regarding these issues. When I suggest that I find exploring these issues in fiction "interesting" or "fascinating", it's stemming partly from frustration in seeing these real and concerning issues represented so rarely in exploratory fiction meant to give voices to our nonfictional concerns, not that I find people's pain entertaining.)

A magic tea that keeps a character from getting pregnant exists as a device so that the reader can enjoy those sexy scenes without having to worry about birth control. An author might make a magical people "immune" to infections for similar reasons; now the audience can enjoy the "thrill" of unprotected sex with an incubus (impregnation kink) without having to think about the ick of getting syphilis. Magical healing exists to get our favorite character safely through childbirth, not because the author is interested in exploring what this might do to a world's birth rates. Magical infant formula exists so that our characters can look after an abandoned newborn, instead of dealing with the historic tragedy of infant mortality rates. And so on.

Many stories have alternate focuses besides this kind of technological + social worldbuilding for a variety of reasons! They just want to write sexy scenes or intricate political plots or sweeping adventures! That's fine! Sometimes, I also do not want to fucking think about the violent and deadly history of human reproduction.

And many OTHER stories DO deal with these things! I have read fantasy stories that say, "Hey, if magical healing is a thing, especially a thing that works as well or even better than our modern medicine, people would definitely try to control access to magic for power. And the religions of this world probably have lots of opinions on it. And it would generally effect the culture of this world on a foundational level, huh?" For some stories, this kind of worldbuilding is their whole thing. I have read some fantasy stories that do at least somewhat take into account what magical birth control and potentially reproductive autonomy might mean for the people there, though I might personally think that this kind of freely available technology would revolutionize society to a far greater degree than those fantasy worlds often depict.

See, I don't believe in gender or sex binaries, people are a lot more complicated than that, biology is a lot more complicated than that, and restricting legal rights and medical care and social roles based on either of those things is ridiculous. But I don't think it's unreasonable to point out that there are significant biological differences between groups of humans. (With blurry lines to these groups! Intersexuality is very much a thing!) Reproduction is necessary for the continuation of our communities, and in our reproduction, the pregnant parent bears a far greater physical burden and risk than the non-pregnant parent, which is really fucking unfair to everyone, but it's just the way that nature has it set up and we have to live with that process at the moment.

(Side note: no one should have to be pregnant or give birth if they don't want to. I also believe that, ideally, no one should have to care for a child if they don't want a child. This rambling may accidentally sound like "women are DESIGNED to have and care for children" nonsense, but 1) no human being or anything alive on this planet was "designed" for anything, that's horseshit thinking that's incredible harmful to people who physically cannot have children or are choosing not to have children so as to not pass on genetic issues, and 2) childfree people can do whatever they want forever. I may interchangeably use "pregnant people" and "women" because I'm switching off talking about physical reproduction and historical/modern oppression.)

(Also, yes, polyamory is a thing in relationships, and also people won't always live in partnership with the other bio parent of their children for whatever reason, but just go with me here for now.)

Historically, pregnancy and childbirth is a burden than has been borne by women. Currently, around the world, this is still a burden borne largely by women. And I've been wondering a lot about how much the oppression of women in our societies intersects with the oppression of the disabled. Even in ideal pregnancy and childbirth and childcare, without medical issues, it is a process that is at the very least temporarily disabling.

Some rare individuals can basically do hard labor throughout their pregnancy, up until the day they give birth, and then they're basically miraculously ready to run a marathon afterwards. Sure, whatever.

Most people do not have this experience with their pregnancy! Even if they do not experience more serious medical issues (which are a very real risk), a pregnant person is likely to at least get tired more easily and require more rest, to experience nausea and have specific dietary and nutritional requirements, to have achy feet and an aching back and other achy body parts, to have their mobility restricted by their belly and by looking after their belly. And so on! This is just scratching the surface!

By the end of their pregnancies, many people are unable to work. Many people are forced to work through draining pregnancies anyway, to get the supplies or money to survive, and suffer a variety of health issues later down the line. This inability to work leaves a significant group of people (the people who are producing the next generations within a community!) reliant on the compassion of their partners, families, or larger communities.

What if a society does not have a structure in place for those who cannot work? And who have no one to look after them? What if a person's partner or family or community is abusive? A physical and financial power imbalance is created by the unavoidably disabling nature of pregnancy.

And then there's childbirth, which comes with a very real risk of death or permanent health issues, to those with the best of modern healthcare and without. I don't feel like I need to get into this one too much.

But even if childbirth goes well, even if both parent and child are perfectly healthy afterwards, childcare itself restricts the formerly pregnant parent's ability to do things. Even waving aside the recovery period after childbirth, in a situation without infant formula or pumping + refrigeration, the breastfeeding parent is going to be stuck feeding the child multiple times every day and must stay close to them. In most situations, it makes sense that the breastfeeding parent is going to take on a lot of the childcare, and breastfeeding may go on for several years.

And though many people have done many impressive things with a child strapped to their back, an infant is both helpless and fragile. Toddlers are still fragile and still incapable of doing many things for themselves. Any human being, whether or not they were the pregnant parent, suddenly becomes limited in what they can do just by holding a baby. Caring for any human being, including the injured and sick and elderly, can be an exhausting situation and most carers are going to need help. Caretaking is work that will put limits on your ability to do other forms of work to survive.

And non-pregnant parents also deserve societal support! Especially if they have lost their partner for some reason or another and are now the sole caregiver for a child.

Thinking about all of this has underlined to me again just how much disability activism does for all "other" forms of activism. No one is better positioned to see how our societies fail to help and to care than those who need help and care to survive. What if a person cannot safely work? What if the work they can do is not enough to care for themselves and their dependents? What if a person cannot rely on the "compassion" of their local community? What would society look like if it was legally structured to provide unconditional support?

Reproductive rights and bodily autonomy seems to often become a high point of control. I'm not criticizing fantasy stories where magical birth control is readily available and it's just not an issue! It's nice to imagine that! But I do think it's worth thinking about how things like effective birth control and safe abortion potentially completely changes the way a society operates, giving people new control over their own bodies and futures. It's worth asking what power structures keep women (and other marginalized people) oppressed within a society when technology / medicine exists that could let them live freely. Is it a class issue? A religious issue? Can women legally tell men to fuck off or are they basically property in this setting?

(I think a lot about that one anecdote someone told about how their grandparents couldn't share a bedroom at one point, because though the couple loved each other very much and wanted to have sex, they just couldn't risk pregnancy again after all of the children they'd had and they had no effective birth control.)

(I also think a lot about the woman who tweeted about how birth control was good not just for "family planning" but because she wanted to have sex and didn't want children. She's the one who created / popularized the iconic phrase "die mad about it", I think. Amazing work.)

(I also think about how long it took for "marital rape" to be recognized as an issue and I want to fucking scream. It's STILL an issue in many places / situations.)

A society that does not freely provide medical care and childcare can never truly have "equality between sexes". Looking around at countries which complain about "declining" birth rates ("women choosing not to have children!!!") while also making it hellish (medically dangerous + a huge financial burden) to be pregnant or give birth or have children... I think I see part of their problem. Historically and into the modern day, pregnancy requires making yourself horribly vulnerable to your partner / family / community, and given the choice, even if they may want to be parents, a lot of people simply cannot afford the risk and burden of giving a child a good life. Pregnancy and childcare are often disabling and a lot of countries around the world treat disabled people terribly.

So, I'm interested in reading more about disability and feminism, as well as disability and children's rights, and disability and a lot of things, honestly. Or maybe something that just talks about childcare and pregnancy across a variety of societies around the world? Everything to do with "women are inherent this and men are inherently that" is bullshit, but there is an unavoidable power imbalance in reproduction (pregnant partner versus non-pregnant partner, which has historically been women versus men) which looks like it may have influenced traditional gender roles somewhat within some societies.

So, I'm looking for book recommendations.

#worldbuilding #tossawary reading #long post #I think that I'm going to turn reblogs off on this one from the get go because this is not my usual fare #reblogs off

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