#loving the series while also engaging with it critically helps!
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What are some things you do to edit your fics/nail down your characterization?
i usually do my editing myself since i'm too shy to approach a beta reader! i think the hardest part of that is that, as a writer i'm always so proud when i come up with a good scene or paragraph that in my desperation to include it somewhere, i might end up putting it in a fic where it doesn't really...belong. i'm trying to be more discerning about that!
when it comes to characterization, i'm guessing you're mostly talking about knb because that's the only fandom i post fics for on my main blog and honestly, i've watched the anime like four times so i kind of know the story like the back of my hand by now 😂 it's just a matter of selecting what parts of the character interest me and what dynamics/relationships i enjoy, really. the thing about canon-compliant fanfic (at least for me) is that you're building on material that's already there, unlike in an AU where you have some liberty to make stuff up a little, so i try to find the balance between what we know and what hasn't happened but could happen based on what we know.
the great thing about visual mediums is that you can see characters' expressions and body language, what ticks them off, what makes them shy, etc. for instance, in the manga/anime, aomine loves to avert his gaze when he's either a) lying or b) avoiding sincere emotion, so that's something i incorporate into my fics too, if that makes sense! since we try to picture things and imagine things when we read, it helps me to focus on some of their mannerisms, speech style/patterns, etc. the fun thing about anime and manga is that the characters are almost always japanese, so there's a distinction in speech style where some characters are more formal than others and have a stiffer/more formal way of speaking, and the joy of writing in english is trying to capture that speaking style on text because speech quirks are such a big part of characterization, after all!
also, in knb, most of the characters play a sport, and sports culture tends to be very esoteric. they have rituals, they have rules and conventions, and it's important for me to try and capture the "world" they live in and what it means to live in that world. naturally, since i already have canon to help me, i don't need to do a lot of external research, but sometimes i do!
generally speaking, i try to set out with a goal in mind: who is this person? what do they want? what are they struggling with (since all my favorite characters are Strugglers), who is a support system for them? how do they achieve their goal? how do they feel about xyz [love, life, gender, work, friendship, family, whatever applies to the situation of the fic]. it's important for characters to Have Opinions, even if they might not be my own because a person's opinions say a lot about them! the interesting thing about characterization is that, on one hand it's something that's sooo subjective. the way i see a character is different from the way someone else does, which is why it fluctuates so much in fanfiction. it's inevitable and sometimes endearing. HOWEVER, i do think there are some things that are just...baseline and when you change those, you're basically writing an OC. i try really hard to establish that baseline and ask myself what makes Character X...Character X. the things that are absolutely integral to the character, like worldviews, opinions, personal history, cultural context etc.
at the end of the day, i try to meet characters in the middle and not change them to make them more stomach-able. if they're assholes in canon, they are going to be assholes in my fanfic, it's just a matter of picking apart their inner thought processes, their ways of viewing the world (however messed up they are). characters aren't interesting if you're changing everything about them to make them palatable, which is why i never write characters i hate! fix-its are HARD if you're writing good ones that actually care about what you're trying to fix!
i know it's kind of controversial in fandom circles to say this, but i do think canon often has a lot of interesting things to say, which is why i consciously try to work with canon and around canon, rather than discarding it as a whole. no work is perfect, and i find it more meaningful to engage with a series and what it has to say + what i think about it. the interesting thing about fanfic is that it exists in this little venn diagram between a series and how a fan engages with that series, and the interesting ones (to me) have always been the ones that have something fresh and original to say while engaging with the same underlying story. aomine's character arc but under the lens of mental health. kuroko's character arc, but as a trans allegory. kuroko's basketball, but from satsuki or riko's point of view. something that takes whatever we already know and tries to study it from a personal standpoint while still staying true to the broad strokes of the character!
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Baking Yesteryear. By B. Dylan Hollis. DK, 2023.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: cookbook
Series: N/A
Summary: A decade-by-decade cookbook that highlights the best (and a few of the worst) baking recipes from the 20th century
Friends of baking, are you sick and tired of making the same recipes again and again? Then look no further than this baking blast from the past, as B. Dylan Hollis highlights the most unique tasty treats of yesteryear.
Travel back in time on a delicious decade-by-decade jaunt as Dylan shows you how to bake vintage forgotten greats. With a big pinch of fun and a full cup of humor, you’ll be baking everything from Chocolate Potato Cake from the 1910s to Avocado Pie from the 1960s.
Dylan has baked hundreds of recipes from countless antique cookbooks and selected only the best for this bakebook, sharing the shining stars from each decade. And because some of the recipes Dylan shares on his wildly popular social media channels are spectacular failures, he’s thrown in a few of the most disastrously strange recipes for you to try if you dare.
***Full review below.***
Since this book is non-fiction, my review will be structured a little different from normal.
I've had this book for a while, but I didn't want to post a review before making a few of the recipes myself. I was already a fan of Hollis from his TikToks, so that might introduce some bias into my review - just so you're all aware.
Overall, I found this book to be quirky, easy to follow, and fun. I loved the bright colors and retro-feel to the photo shoots, and I appreciated that almost all of the recipes were accompanied by a picture of the thing you're supposed to be making. I also liked the blurbs written by Hollis himself; they very much felt like his voice, with his characteristic sense of humor balanced by his genuine love for baking and "old things."
Perhaps the most valuable part of this book, however, was the emphasis on lowering barriers to entry. I've read my fair share of baking guides that call for special ingredients or equipment, and there are a lot of recipes out there that are finicky and sure ton dissuade new bakers. Hollis's book, however, emphasizes that most (if not all) of these recipes can be done with basic tools - one does not even need an electric mixer (though it does make some recipes easier). There also aren't many fancy ingredients that aren't readily available at most grocery stores, so that also helps.
I do, however, have some minor criticisms which relate to the usability of this book. For one, the organization makes it rather difficult to find a specific recipe (or even category), particularly if you're like me and don't recall what decade it came from. While organizing the recipes by decade makes sense given the book's premise, it does make it more functionally difficult - you can't flip to the cake section, for example, and browse or put yourself within the general vicinity of the recipe you're looking for. Thus, readers will have to rely on either the TOC or the index a lot more, but this is a minor inconvenience rather than a huge drawback.
I also don't think the majority of the recipes are blow-your-mind good, but honestly, given this book's premise, I don't think that's the worst thing. The recipes are largely taken from sources aimed at home bakers, so you're not going to get professional-level pastries out of them. You will, however, get things that are fun and relatively simple to make, and they taste good enough to me that I'd consider making them multiple times.
TL;DR: Baking Yesteryear is a fine book for fans of Hollis's TikTok, but it goes beyond being mere merch. It not only provides historical recipes that are easy to replicate, but it also does a good job of lowering barriers to entry for new bakers. Experienced bakers might not be overly impressed by the recipes, but engaging with food history is a treat in and of itself, and it's delightful to see someone like Hollis engaging with the past with such enthusiasm and adoration.
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In Defense of Charlie x Vaggie:
Hazbin Hotel is far from a perfect show. I quite enjoyed it, of course, but that doesn’t mean that it lacks significant issues (not that I mind, nothing is perfect, and I believe people should be allowed to enjoy flawed media). One such complaint that I see often is that the show’s “main couple,” protagonist Charlie and her girlfriend Vaggie, are “boring,” or that they “lack chemistry.”
Personally, for me, the relationship between these two ended up being one of, if not my favourite part of the show. I’ll admit my bias that as a lesbian myself, I’m always a sucker for any kind of wholesome sapphic relationship that I can get in the media. Even so, though, these two stood out to me particularly well.
And while, yes, I can absolutely see why their dynamic isn’t the most favorable to some people, I don’t think it’s correct to say that the writers “can’t write meaningful relationships” or “don’t understand love” (which are both real comments that I’ve seen whilst I’ve been a part of this fandom).
The first and most blatant criticism that I come across is that the two are rarely affectionate with each other, and while this seems to be the case at first glance, I can’t help but disagree. Though we rarely see the pair actively kissing or engaging in other activities that one would perceive as romantic, it’s clear that they find comfort in each other’s presence, even if it’s subtle.
Throughout season 1, the viewer is shown numerous instances of Charlie especially being comforted by her lover’s touch. For example, while Charlie is on the phone with her father, Lucifer, at the beginning of episode 5, we can observe that she is clearly anxious about the interaction. When it’s clear that Charlie is getting stressed, Vaggie opts to take her hand, and it can be inferred from her expression in the moment that Charlie appreciates this gesture, even if she finds herself preoccupied.
Keen-eyed watchers of the series will notice that the two are frequently seen in contact with each other, or at least in close proximity, implying a love language related to physical touch. However, while frequent, some argue that these little exchanges aren’t enough to sell the idea that the couple are truly involved with each other.
People seem to be disappointed that we don’t get to see any more intimate or outwardly romantic interactions between the pair outside these small snippets or the More than Anything reprise (which in truth was unfortunately very short). But in my personal opinion, I think this dynamic makes them even more compelling. Sure, they may not be the most affectionate of partners while on screen, but I never needed them to be in order to be convinced of their love for each other.
Keep in mind, Charlie and Vaggie have been together for years, they’re out of the honeymoon phase. They’re also both incredibly busy people, especially with the updated, much sooner extermination date introduced in episode 1. As much as it sucks, doing cute stuff with their respective partner probably isn’t their priority.
The beauty of this, though, is that despite it all you can still feel their love. Vaggie would do anything for her girlfriend, and she does. Their relationship is built on such genuine, wholesome trust and support for each other.
You can tell from the way they look at each other, and from the way they talk to each other, that even despite the chaos and despite the time, they are in love. So much so that even a potentially devastating reveal like Vaggie’s true identity is nothing more than a speed bump for them. It’s really quite lovely to see.
That’s why I can excuse the atrociously short run time of their duet, it’s their first moment of peace in months, and possibly their last ever, they don’t have time to do much, and yet they choose to spend this time declaring their love for one another, because they are still the most important things in each other’s lives. It’s so blatantly clear that their love is genuine, in this moment and outside of it.
I personally feel as though, in the world of the show, the relationship between Charlie and Vaggie is very realistic given the situation they’re in, and if I’m being honest, they have the kind of relationship that I myself would love to have.
In short, I understand why some people don’t like this pairing. I can understand liking other things better, and I don’t dislike anyone who does. I can understand wanting more from it, and hey, I’d appreciate it if they sprinkled in a few extra kisses next season just to feed the fans, but that doesn’t mean that what’s there doesn’t already exist. In my opinion, I think Vaggie x Charlie is beautifully written.
There are honestly so many other little things I could bring up about why I love these two so much. You are, of course, welcome to disagree, but I encourage those who do to avoid harassing those who contributed to the writing of Hazbin Hotel, or those who actually do appreciate this aspect of the show.
However, I also insist that people try to look beyond the surface, to see the detail and the beauty of this pairing, as well as other aspects of the show, or other pieces of media.
Because art is beautiful.
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Hiiii could you please add INTP for your MBTI series? 🩷🩷🩷
Your MBTI, Your Relationship With JJK Characters Part 6
INTP + ESFP
Check out Part 5 here
check out part 7 here
a/n: Thank you Anon, @tojiiismyhusband @system753 @venus-xxoo for requesting INTP. Also thank you @suchasecretiveninja for reading 🫶🏻💕 I hope you enjoy these headcanons.
INTP:
Gojo Satoru = Fiancé
As an introvert who relies on the power of mind, I think you'll be fine having a loud extrovert as your partner; Gojo Satoru. INTP appreciates an open-minded partner who is willing to engage with them in intellectual conversations, challenges and debates, and Gojo is the one. INTP has a unique sense of humor that couldn't be understood by everyone, so with Gojo being witty, he'll find no problem in matching your vibe and continuing with your jokes even in serious situations, making the relationship even more enjoyable. Gojo is egocentric, so your wittiness would humble him everytime. INTPs prioritize logic, but also crave emotional connection which is the case for Satoru, he's so affectionate with you, and willing to satisfy your emotional needs. A balance between intellectual discussion and emotional support. Also both of you value independency so none of you feels restricted in the relationship. Let's not forget that Gojo is an ENTP so you're basically his introverted version.
Megumi Fushiguro = Friend
INTP values friendships that align with intellectual curiosity, and with Megumi being an intellectual himself with smart ideas, you'd totally become hooked. You would engage in deep existential conversations, debate and explore abstract concepts, while at the same time you respect each other solitude and independence without forcing your opinions on each other. Megumi is an honest person and honesty is something that INTP values. You are a fan of constructive criticism and feedback, you accepted it as long as it makes you grow mentally. Despite being logical most of the time you still have warm emotions which is the heart of your friendship.
Toji Fushiguro = Has a crush on you
INTPs are determined despite being a huge procrastinators. Toji likes how logical and rational you are and how you neglect your feelings when taking decisions and life choices. Despite being an introvert you engage well in conversations in public making you look like as if you are an extrovert. You are good at making your voice and ideas heard and understood. Toji appreciates your self-confidence even though you hide a lot of anxiety inside of you. He is also charmed by your mockery for situations that others may find scary, but you manage to find a humor in them, even though your humor serves as a coping mechanism. All these qualities made Toji drawn to you.
Ryomen Sukuna = Love hate relationship
Sukuna loves you but hates you at the same time. Despite him seeing humans as inferiors, he can't help the attraction he has for your badass side. He is attracted to your analytical thinking and overly logical mindset. As the king of curses, he sees human emotions as a weakness and burden so seeing a human who actually relies on their mind and neglect feelings intrigued him. Your unique and controversial thinking is also another hook for his interest. Your witty side completely swept him off his feet, you're kind of similar in this. Having a mocking and quirky kind of humor is kinda relatable for him. But at the same time he hates your resistance. INTPs worship independence and freedom, they completely oppose submission to someone else and don't accept forced rules. Let's not forget that Sukuna is an extrovert so extroverts that want to forcefully dominate introverts for perceiving them as shy individuals who are unable to defend themselves is a type that INTPs can't stand and that's how the tension / hate between you too was born.
ESFP:
Aoi Todo = Boyfriend
ESFP is a lively and affectionate partner you, totally match Todo energy. Your presence keeps him recharged, your energy and enthusiasm are infectious. Despite him being strong both physically and mentally he still needs your affection to function properly. INTP infuses excitement and passion in the relationship. Given that both of you and Todo are extroverts you thrive on social interactions and enjoy spending time together doing fun and spontaneous activities. You also have similar love languages. Both of you are also sensors so you have an awareness of each other's discomfort which brings a huge understanding between the two of you.
Geto Suguru = Rival
One thing that was able to make you consider Geto as your enemy; lack of emotions and empathy. ESFPs are highly emotional individuals they are expressive and very sympathetic towards others. Geto's ruthless side clashes with your nature, effortlessly creating a hurdle. His behaviors choices and mindset go against your principals and values leading to a significant conflict. You can connect with trustworthy people but with him there's no connection, you believe that empathetic individuals can't be trusted as they only care about their own desires without taking into account other people's well-being. On the other hand, Geto sees you as weakling and a burden on society for simply being an emotionally oriented.
Kamo Noritoshi = Source of comfort.
As someone who has dealt with a lot, lacking the families' warmth in his life, he always find himself indirectly dependent on you for some comfort. ESFP excels at expressing empathy through both words and actions Despite Noritoshi skills at hiding his emotions, you as a sensor you can sense his troubled spirit and provide for him a safe space by acknowledging and understanding his feelings without judgment and serve as a listener when he's ready to open up. Aside from comfort you also radiate a contagious positive energy that can break through the toughest walls. It makes ESFPs happy knowing that they had a positive impact on people around them.
Thank you for reading, remember this piece of writing is just for fun, also IMO so it's not necessarily accurate ✨
#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu kaisen masterlist#jujutsu kaisen headcanons#jujutsu kaisen imagines#jujutsu kaisen x reader#toji headcanons#sukuna headcanons#gojo headcanons#geto headcanons#jujutsu kaisen smut#mbti personalities#intp#esfp#anime headcanons#gojo satoru headcanons#gojo satoru#gojo smut#jjk fluff#jjk funny#jjk memes#megumi imagines#gojo x reader#geto suguru headcanons#nanami headcanons#itadori yuji x reader#sukuna ryomen x reader#ryomen sukuna smut#ryomen sukuna x reader#sukuna x reader#jjk headcanons
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apollo justice: ace attorney thoughts
over the weekend I finished playing AA4 so I wanted to try to put my thoughts in order. much to think about etc
spoilers for the whole game obv, but i haven't played AA5 or AA6 yet so any mention of those are speculation lol
I had heard some pretty mixed reactions to AA4 and I had a lot of reservations going in. It's also probably the AA game I've played that I've been the most spoiled for, which is a shame but probably an unavoidable consequence of waiting for the port while engaging with the fandom. I don't usually like being spoiled but I think knowing the broad strokes of what to expect actually helped here. I can imagine an AU where I blitzed through the first trilogy and onto 4 with no idea of what was coming and being... very upset and disappointed by the direction it took. Having several months to brace for things like Phoenix's disbarment, the 7 year gap, Trucy, etc definitely softened those blows and made me more amenable to them than I would've been otherwise.
Cases
For the most part I thought the puzzle solving was good and the pacing was solid. The puzzles were mostly challenging enough to be satisfying to solve but not so challenging as to be infuriating, and I don't think I needed a walkthrough at all. 4-1 is one of the best tutorial cases in the franchise so far (though I'd give the edge to 3-1) and 4-4 was a really cool finale. The middle two cases tbh I also found fairly charming, and there's usually a least one case in the middle that seems to drag forever, so that was a pleasant surprise. I played Investigations 1 right before this, and I thought both the puzzles and pacing in that game were frankly horrible, so AA4 won a lot of points just with that.
I did think Turnabout Corner and Serenade would be more relevant in the grand scheme of things. The half-spoilers I knew had me expecting a much bigger web of conspriacy than we ended up with -- I expected it to be more than coincidence that Phoenix got hit by a car, more than coincidence that the Borginian egg coccoons are related to poison etc ... like... I fully assumed this was going to tie into the atroquinine plot. But I guess not ... ? Lol
Characters
The new main cast are all very likable, despite my initial reluctance to have a new main cast to begin with. Klavier was an interesting change of pace as prosecutor, in that he wasn't particularly antagonistic outside of the court, nor was he particularly preoccupied with winning, but he was still fun and challenging enough to face off against. Trucy was fun and delightfully bonkers as all assistants should be. Apollo's longsuffering exasperation was hilarious. Ema is the BEST I loved having her as the detective I wish she was there all the time.
I loved Beanix, for the most part. I can see why he rubs some people the wrong way, and tbh I'm glad his last canon outing isn't ... this. But I didn't find him wildly out of character, or at least, when he was feeling "out of character" vs the trilogy it made sense given the intervening events. I also thought it was fun to see him from the outside and see what a galaxybrain 5d chess master he is. I do wish we'd gotten to see more genuine moments of him with Trucy.
Kristoph was fun as a villain, though I have to say fandom led me to believe he was much more of a mastermind puppeteer than he seemed to be in reality. I was expecting a whole decade worth of conspiracies! Instead he fucked up once and struggled to fix it for seven years, lol. I also found the Kristoph/Phoenix relationship a) very fascinating, b) not really what I'd been led to believe by fandom (shocker). I like the canon more though -- I like that instead of being a retread of the Dollie betrayal-from-someone-you-love it was two guys who hate each other being forced to play nice as part of their own schemes.
Criticism
I think it's fairly obvious AA4 was meant to be a soft reboot of the series, to pivot away from the trilogy cast and set up our new heroes in Apollo, Trucy, and I guess Klavier. I think this is probably the entire explanation behind Maya and Edgeworth (and others but lbr those are the big two)'s conspicuous absence... but that doesn't make their absence any less conspicuous. I can squint and forgive neither of them being there when Phoenix is accused of murder, even though I find that insane. I can squint around Maya maybe being off in Kurain during the Enigmar trial, even though I think they could've used a line of dialogue to explain it. But then we started playing past-Phoenix for huge portions of investigation and that started to fall apart for me. Sure, maybe he's pushing his friends away because he's depressed, or maybe he wants to keep Maya out of things because he thinks it's dangerous, or whatever -- you could at least throw in a line or two saying as much. Not mentioning them at all and setting AA4 so closely after AA3, where Phoenix fell through a bridge to save Maya and Edgeworth chartered a private jet, just feels ridiculous.
I also think, at the end of the day, the story here was focused on and pivoting around Phoenix. The core question of the game is "what the hell happened to/is up with Phoenix Wright?" I love Phoenix, so that alone isn't a negative -- except that I think it meant Apollo, Klavier and even Trucy felt underwritten. Trucy and Klavier have such personal stakes in the unfolding events with the Gramaryes and Kristoph, but we only spend a little time and hints on how that might influence Trucy, who mostly falls into the AA weird girl pattern of brushing off major trauma instantly. (Maya got this a lot too in the original trilogy.)
Klavier ... I like Klavier, but they did not do much with him. How did he feel about Kristoph going to jail? He doesn't seem to hold it against Apollo, which is uh, noble, but perhaps not believable. He says he values honesty and truth but do we know why?
Apollo, likable as he was, felt like a passenger in his "own" game, rather than a major character. He doesn't even solve much of the stuff happening in the big overarching mystery -- he is Phoenix's avatar in court, presenting evidence and clues Phoenix left for him. Unlike Trucy and Klavier, who I am pretty sure take a back seat from now on, I guess Apollo still has two more games to try and flesh himself out ... lol but I also know fan reception of those two is not great, so my expectations there are minimal.
Overall
A really solid game that I enjoyed playing, though I can see why it's controversial and not some people's favourite, if they really loved the trilogy. I think it's debatable whether this was the best/only way to continue the series after AA3. And I am excited to read and write a billion 7 year gap fics now.
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Unpopular Opinions about characters' sexualities to make the show more adult and complex, cause I love dark romances(pt1/??)
(I take criticism as long as You're polite, thank you)
So, first of all, I would've rather Alastor to be Pansexual, not in the nowadays way, but actually in the Freud -would fuck a tree if It was a taboo- kinda of way.
Stay calm, I have my reasons, and I will tell you all of them.
Like first thing first, it'd be way much more in character for him. He's a serial killer, and a cannibal.
He could have stopped in hell, but actually went even more wild. Thus meaning that he actually has a very passional and lustful nature, like many serial killers, and especially cannibals have.
You may think this is to be connected to the sin of Gluttony, but not at all! He doesn't act rationally to reach satisfaction like a gluttonous person would; instead he acts instinctively, he's driven by his needs, he has no control over himself, so he seeks It on others.
You see as you may have noticed, he is very violent and bloothirsty, ruthless, and merciless. All these characteristics are his true nature that he has to repress in front of others.
So having him hypersexual would've been a better call in my opinion. (Having to repress a lot, means you'd need to.. ahem... "relax" a lot.)
Or rather making him extremely into paraphilias to be considered to only engage with normal living humans (or rather human souls) when He needs to manipulate them.
Like imagine him engaging with overlords only to reach agreements or make pacts, or steal useful informations, (similarly to early Stoliz, but with real pacts where he owns sinners' Souls).
Or like not engaging in any way when he knows that it's the best way to manipulate some others. In this very case for exemple imagine Vox going totally insane knowing that even his situationship (aka Valentino or p.o.s.) went to bed with Alastor, but he didn't, doesn't, and never will. He'd become putty in Al's hands without even having to make a deal!
Plus, mega bonus: if he made a pact with Lilith he can destroy Lucifer just with that information. And maybe He never even went to bed with her, but way worst! He has had her trust for all these years, and been at her service all this time, hating the restrains, but adoring and being allowed to adore the restrainer.
To seduce her, to amuse her, to be at her leash, to be owned by her, all while Lucifer could only dream her and see her in pictures! Damn the rivalry would be beautiful! (And a great mirror to the one Luci has with Adam "bow chica bow now!").
And I would not even want him to be open about It, the other way around! Since It's still a need, he represses It in public. Like he acts like he always does in the serie 'cause that's the mask he wears!
But once he wears It off, he's unleashing everything that's underneath!
This would definitely make him even more of a creep! And I would love to see the characters deal with him.
I can see Alastor turning off Angels' advances, 'cause he knows that he's making Angel insecure, or rather secure enough to make him feel bad about self-ojectifiying (like what happened between Angel and Husk, difference being that Alastor would bribe Angel to make him listen, instead of helping him).
I can also picture him trying to seduce both Vaggie and Charlie, but losing interest as they're both too loyal to each other, while also feeling incredibly powerful when he makes a pact with each of them.
Maybeee he has intercourse with Rosie while or after having dinner with her.
Not sure about the rest.
Aaaaand done for now! Stay tuned to know which characters I would've liked to see as Aces instead of Alastor! Yeeeeeeeh!
Thank you for reading, go drink a glass of water at least, and have a nice day! Goodbye!!
#hazbin hotel#alastor#lucifer x lilith#lucifer morningstar#charlie morningstar#vaggie#chaggie#alastor x Lilith#vox x alastor#headcanon#character analysis#unpopular opinion#please don't eat me alive#have a nice day and drink some water#very sapphic of me to write that part about Lilith... I'm not so surprised tho.#apple daddy#dad beat dad
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Hi, just a random anon that has been consumed by Gravity Falls for almost 10 years now. I am once again being sucked back into the void of this fandom, and I wanted to say thank you for being so unhinged thoughtful during your interview with Alex. Your willingness to ask the tough questions, for example Grenda, and allowing yourself to gently engage in criticism while also providing a space for explanation is a thing most interviewers struggle with. Also thank you for asking about the journal squares. I am patiently waiting for the Book of Bill to destroy your precious timeline. :)
Oh my Timeline is gonna be eviscerated, I bet. Can't wait lmao
As for asking Alex the tough questions, I think in my head that was important to me. The show is my favorite show, but it isn't infallible. There is nothing wrong with engaging with (and even loving) media that has issues. But we can't let that mean that we ignore the issues.
I've said this before, but Alex Hirsch is a hero of mine, not in the sense that he can do no wrong, but in the sense that he helped make something that really changed who I was, and that I at least can tell he is trying to constructively engage with the people who were shaped by the things he made. And that includes people like me, who may have also been hurt by the things he made. Like the series Gravity Falls itself, he isn't infallible. But he's trying. And that means a lot.
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I’ll Spend The Rest of My Life Making It Up To You Series
Aaron Hotchner x Fem!reader
Warnings: Domestic Abuse, bruises, blood, broken glass/mirrors, trauma, engagement, marriage, reader does have a child.
A/n: Long title but idc... Here’s part 1. I’m halfway through student teaching and I begin my elementary placement next week. So who knows when part two will come around, but it will! Comment if you’d like to be tagged in part 2.
WC: 3.8K
Series Masterlist // Masterlist
You were in an abusive relationship. Problem was, you had been in it for 10 years before coming to terms with your abuser. It took one special person to help you. That special person had a significant role in your life before you met your husband, your abuser. What happens after years of not seeing them? What’s going to happen to you? Will you survive the cycle of abuse? Will you get help? Will you get out? Are you strong enough to break the cycle?
It was a hit to the face in front of your son that finally got to be too much. You knew that it was going to be hard to conceal. You didn’t understand it. Why did he constantly have to criticize you to make him feel big? How could he not know that his words hurt? Your body had taken a toll mentally and emotionally, all before it took a toll physically.
How in the hell did you even get yourself into this situation? How could you be in it for 10 years? Why didn’t you leave sooner? Why did it have to get to this point where you finally realized you’d had too much? He always told you he was sorry, he told you he loved you, he just had a bad day at work. The thing was, you were stupid enough to believe it, you always believed it.
You had finally had enough. The mental, emotional, and physical abuse from him was too much. You needed to lead a better life for your son. You didn’t want your son to grow up to know that’s how a man should treat somebody. You were worth so much more. At first, you believed that what your husband would get mad about was your fault, but then over time, the more posts that started showing up on your phone about abusive relationships, you knew that you were in one. You didn’t want to believe it at first, but you did. Slowly over time, you realized that you had to walk on eggshells around him.
You thought that it was normal that he just had triggers that set him off, but then you thought back to the man who once brought you so much joy, the man before your husband, the man who broke your heart. That man that you had loved so much, you never had to walk around eggshells around. The man you could be yourself in front of, the one who loved you for who you were, faults and all.
You tried to get out of your relationship, literally. You got in your car one day to leave, but he tracked you. He called you and asked why you had left the house. He started questioning you because you hadn’t told him that you planned on leaving that day. He had a tracking device placed on the car and would get alerts when you’d leave the house.
He also hated whenever you went out to lunch with friends, especially your guy friends. He hated it. You don’t understand why. Well, you do. It’s because he was nervous you’d let something slip that you were in an abusive relationship. You were too afraid too. You hid the bruises well, that’s why he never hit you on your face either, because you could conceal it everywhere else.
While he went away for another weekend, you decided that you’d had enough. You remember reading about the cycle of abuse from domestic abuse survivors. The cycle of abuse is tough. It’s the hardest thing to break. You want to get help, and you think you’re going to do it, but then he does something so great that you think he’ll change, and then you fall back in love with him.
You had constantly been in that cycle for 10 years. It’s the only love you thought you were ever worthy of, but you are worthy of so much more.
After debating for 2 hours and figuring out a game plan. You packed a suitcase filled with clothes as much as you could fit and started putting stuff into a car. You grabbed your son’s clothes, diapers, wipes, blankets, car seat, and bottles. You threw as much as you could into the suitcase and you finally took one look around your home.
You saw the hole in the wall that your husband’s fist had left when you dodged it. You saw the broken glass still in the corner from before he left. You saw the broken picture frames, the blood-stained carpet that you tell your guests you had accidentally cut yourself and didn’t realize it but it was actually from your husband hitting you so hard you were bleeding from your mouth.
Chills went down your spine. You were attempting to get out. You knew that if you were caught, he would kill you. You needed to get your son somewhere safe. You were done looking around your house, there were no good memories except the one’s you made with your son. You didn’t deserve this abuse anymore. You didn’t know where to go, so you found your way to the FBI. If there’s one person you could trust, the only male you could trust, you were going to him.
It wasn’t long until you pulled into the FBI building parking lot. Your son was in the middle of his nap, but you were just hoping that it wasn’t loud or busy in there. If he did wake up, it wasn’t the end of the world, you needed to get out of this relationship, you needed to do better for your son.
When you made your way into the building, your eyes started to roam around. You were trying to look for him everywhere. You knew he wouldn’t be down here, he always needed an office, but you just were trying to look for comfort, a familiar face.
You explained to the receptionist that you needed to see him. You knew he was the unit chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, you were proud of him. He always set high standards for himself. He had been through so much, he was a survivor, too, but not many realized that.
When you were escorted into the BAU, you were met with an older man walking by. You learned his name was Dave Rossi and you told him your name and your son’s name.
When he asked if there was anything he could do for you, you just asked politely to see Aaron Hotchner’s office. That really drew everyone in the room to look at you. You don’t know how close these people were but, they were a team, you could only assume they’d been through everything together.
Rossi knocked on Aaron’s door and you heard his voice. You hadn’t heard his voice in 3 years. It sent shivers down your spine. You were really getting help, and you were getting it from the love of your life, the man you always wanted to be with, but weren’t good enough for, you didn’t deserve him.
When you walked in after Rossi opened the door for you, you were met with Aaron writing something in a case file, working hard, and being busy. You began to think how wrong you were to come here. This shouldn’t be Aaron’s problem. Maybe you were just overreacting. But now you needed to come up with an excuse for why you were here.
“Hi, Aaron.”
Aaron’s head shot up from his desk and all it took was one look from Aaron for you to begin to break down. Aaron didn’t know what was going on, so when he looked at Rossi, the door was already being shut to give you two some privacy. You didn’t know what caused you to break down, maybe it was because your lover was here, seeing you at your worst, yet you’re still here.
You placed your son’s car seat carrier on the floor and Aaron wrapped his arms around you. He didn’t know what the hell was happening, but all he knew was that someone he loved deeply, even though he hadn’t kept in touch for the last 3 years was hurting, and you didn’t deserve to feel whatever you were feeling.
As he held you in his arms, he began to look down at your sleeping son, and when he tightened his arms around you, he didn’t miss the way your shirt rose up, leaving your skin bare. When his hands touched your bare skin, you tensed up, and that’s when he saw it. He saw the marks, the fresh ones and those still healing. He began to roll up your sleeves, he didn’t care if he was crossing boundaries, he needed to see that those were real. That the love of his life, the one he let go, had bruises old and new.
His first priority was finding out who did this to you so he could kill the man who was hurting you. He also knew that there was a sleeping baby in his office, who didn’t look more than 6 months old. If the man who was beating you touched what he presumed to be your baby, he would for sure kill the man who did this.
“Who did this to you?”
Aaron was furious. His jaw tightened and his fist clenched with rage. Everything at that moment stopped. He wanted to kill whoever was hurting you. You could see that all in his eyes and in his body language. While you and Aaron broke up, you still remained friends through it all. Well, friends who just hadn’t talked or seen each other in person in 3 years.
You just were afraid to tell him. You weren’t afraid of Aaron. You never were. You were just afraid that he’d see you at your lowest point because you knew he already dealt with so much in his life and your situation would just add more problems to his life.
“Aaron.”
You began to pull away from Aaron as he still was holding your waist. When he let go, he still had no idea what was going on. Well, he knew something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. You had bruises, you tensed up at the feeling of his hands on your bare skin. His best friend, the love of his life, was in an abusive relationship and he didn’t know. He was a really shitty person for it. How could he not recognize that you were in an abusive relationship when you told him you could never meet him out for lunch anymore, or when he finally got one last lunch with you when you hugged him, held him a little tighter, and whispered “goodbye Aaron” after you kissed his cheek.
Aaron would always remember that moment 3 years ago and it killed him that he never knew why you said what you did. However, you here in his office, getting ready to tell him that you were in an abusive relationship only made him feel that much smaller, like such an asshole that he was a profiler and he couldn’t tell you were in an abusive relationship.
“Who did this to you? I will make sure he never sees the light of day again.”
“Aaron, I can’t tell you, he will find me, and he’ll kill me and my son. I can’t go back. I have nowhere to go. I just wanted to come and ask if you had any friends who were lawyers to help me out. I want to sell the house, but I can’t face him again. Is there any way you can help me out? Please, I’ll take you and Jack out for dinner. I’ll watch Jack and give Jessica a break. I’ll do anything, Aaron.”
“Wait. Slow down, slow down. You need to tell me who did this to you. I will help you. Of course, I will, but I need to know who has been hurting you.”
You were about to start crying even more. You weren’t ready to tell Aaron. You were, but you weren’t. All it took was one small cry from your son before you looked at him and were going to lose it. Aaron was profiling you and you hated it.
“I can’t, Aaron. You know I can’t. Aaron, please. I’m in an abusive relationship. I need out. I need the tracker disabled on my car. I need a lawyer who can help me make sure I keep custody of my son, Mason. But you have to understand, it’s better if I don’t say his name, for my sake and for yours.”
You picked Mason up from his car seat and Mason began to look around. When he laid his head back on your chest, you made eye contact with Aaron. He was still trying to make sure that Mason was okay.
“Aaron. You know I can’t say his name.”
“N-no, please tell me that after I broke your heart, this is what happened. This is what you got. You never deserved this. You deserved so much more. You deserved more than I could ever give you. You met someone, you met Jake after me, you were in a relationship with him for 10 years. He beat you Y/n. Please tell me that it’s not Jake who did this to you. Please tell me that it’s not the man I watched you dance with at your wedding while I wished it had been me. Please tell me that Jake didn’t do this to you, that you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time with someone.”
You reached out for his hand. You needed to calm him down, you needed him right now. You didn’t need him to take the blame for this. He couldn’t have known what was going on. You were great at hiding what was going on. That was the plan, to not get caught, to not have people feel sorry for you and try and help you, because you were in that cycle where you believed Jake could do no wrong.
“Aaron, it’s not your fault. I loved him. Well, at some point I did.”
“Why didn’t you come to me sooner? Why didn’t you tell me whenever we’d meet up? Why didn’t I say something? How did I not know?”
“Aaron, listen to me, please. I covered it up. I didn’t want our lunch dates, something that brought me so much joy, to be ruined for me. I wanted those moments to be good things. Something I could hold onto until the next thing happened. You were and had always been the one good thing in my life, Aaron. Now it’s you and Mason. Aaron, this is my son, Mason. He’s 6 months old. I’m asking you to please help us. I’m going to leave this state. I just need help with the car and a lawyer.”
Aaron stepped closer to you and wiped the tears that were falling onto your cheek. He placed his hand on your son’s back and said, “I’m going to get you the help you need. But I’m sure as hell not letting you two out of my sight until Jake’s in prison. You’re staying with me. I’ll get my team to disable the tracking device. I’ll be able to get Penelope to reroute the signal to say that the car’s at home.”
“Aaron, he already knows I left the house. He knows where I am now. I guarantee it.”
“Stay here. I’m getting my team.”
He kissed the side of your head and for once you weren’t tensing up when a man touched you. You followed him out of his office, too afraid to be left alone, even in a secure government building. You and he walked into the conference room with his team and you listened to him explain who you were and your situation, how you needed help.
Being in that room made you feel small and weak. These individuals were all going to help you. You hated that you were going to make their life worse. Whoever was going to try and help was going to be affected by Jake. You knew it would.
Penelope said, “We are going to take care of you, girlie. We will take care of you and your son. I’m already hacking into the tracking system. My chocolate thunder here is going to disable the device on your car once we find it. We will work some magic. You go take that precious baby boy in your arms back into Hotch’s office and we will work our magic.”
Your son started to get fussy and you looked at Aaron. “I know you’re already doing so much, and I hate that I’m bothering you, but is there a microwave where I could warm up his bottle?”
“No, you’re not bothering me. Come on. Guys, I’m going to warm up the bottle and then we’ll be in the office. No one leaves until we make sure they’re safe. Got it?”
The team all shook their heads and gave you a sympathetic look. You and Aaron began to walk out of the round table room and he walked into his office to help you grab your son’s diaper bag.
“I can take it, Aaron. You can just tell me where it is. I’ll feed him in there. You’ll have your office to work.”
“No. Nonsense. I’m not letting you out of my sight ever again.”
When you began to warm up his bottle, you started to scoop the formula and Aaron said, “I know it’s been a while since Jack was a baby, but can I hold him? I know how hard it is to make a bottle with a wiggly baby.”
“Are you sure?”
Aaron began to take Mason from your arms and your heart melted at the sight of Aaron and Mason. The way he held Mason was a fatherly way that you wish you saw in Jake. Jake never hurt Mason, but you also made sure Jake was never alone with Mason. You didn’t want to think about what would happen if Jake snapped at Mason the way he snapped at you before.
Aaron’s fatherly instincts worked well. Mason was starting to settle down in his arms before he even began to eat. When Mason grabbed for Aaron’s tie, you found yourself smiling.
“I haven’t seen that smile since you and I were together.”
“It’s been a while. Only Mason gets to see this smile. Jake doesn’t deserve it.”
“You’re right. He doesn’t. He doesn’t deserve you. He didn’t deserve to have you in his life for 10 years, to treat you the way you were treated for the past 10 years.”
When you and Aaron made his way back to his office, he shut the door and you sat on the couch. You began to feed Mason and Aaron pulled out a pad of paper. He sat on the chair next to his couch and you looked at him.
“I have to ask you everything he did. As much as you could tell me. We also need to take pictures of the bruises. We’ll get you to a hospital, to make sure there’s nothing more than bruises, no broken ribs, no healing fractures.”
“I’m not going.”
“Let me help you.”
“I just asked for a lawyer friend. That’s all I need from you. I will be out of here as soon as they-”
“I already lost you two times in my life, I’ll be damned if I lost you a third time. I want to help you and Mason. Please let me help you. I need to know what he did. I’ve already sent a text to one of my colleagues who I went to law school with. He’s pulling all your files now. We’re taking care of it. If we get you to a hospital.”
“Then you’ll see the very worse of what he did to me. You’ll see the healing fractures, you’ll see the scars. I don’t want you to see that, Aaron.”
Aaron looked like he was going to snap his steel pen in half. He was gripping the pen so hard when those words came out of your mouth and then you saw the color drain out of him. He couldn’t believe what you just told him. He knew you were scared, but how could you be scared of him? How could you not want him to know how Jake hurt you?
“I won’t think any less of you. You’re stronger than I could ever be. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
The team was out in the parking lot disabling the tracking device from your car and they all began talking. They saw your car, how you’d thrown random things, well not random, your necessities into the car. They knew that your relationship must have been bad.
Rossi spoke up when he looked in your trunk and found a box of pictures and letters. He saw the bruises, cuts, scars, and marks all over your body that you had taken. He saw the pictures you took of your house, the broken pictures, the broken glass, the mirror.
Penelope said, “I don’t want to see her like that. Are there any happy ones? I mean, I don’t know how she could be happy with him, but is there anything? Maybe there was a trigger in the relationship. At one point she had to have been happy with him. That’s why she went out with him?”
“That’s how the cycle works, Penelope. He was probably good to her at the start. Then as things went on in their relationship, maybe she burnt something she was cooking and he went off on her. Then maybe it was she tripped and he blamed her for tripping over his mess, or maybe it was he squeezed her arm so hard to gain her attention and it left a mark, one of the first marks that he intentionally wanted to leave. But then he’d make it up with something romantic. Just when she’s had her breaking point, maybe considered walking out, he did something nice.”
Penelope’s heart was breaking at the thought of you, someone she didn’t even know was hurting. She wiped her tears as she was trying to rummage through the photos of your deepest, darkest secrets.
“But where does she come into Hotch’s life? When we met him, he was with Haley.”
Rossi found a smaller box. When he opened it up, he found pictures of a younger you and Aaron. He found the ones of you and him kissing.
“I know why she’s here.”
He turned the picture of you and Aaron towards the team and they immediately began to get teary-eyed.
Morgan said, “Hotch was her boyfriend before she got into this relationship.”
The team all looked at each other as Rossi continued to look into the box. Then he saw the flash of something when the sun hit just right. When he moved it to try and find the flash again, it’s when he saw it, taped to a picture.
Rossi pulled out the photo of Aaron kneeling on the ground, holding the ring out to you. The same ring that was taped to that picture.
“More like a fiancè.”
The team looked at him and said, “What?”
Rossi showed them your engagement ring and picture and said, “They were engaged. Hotch was her fiancè.”
Next Part
#aaron hotchner x fem!reader#aaron hotchner x reader#aaron hotchner x single mom!reader#aaron hotchner fanfic#Aaron Hotchner angst#aaron hotchner fanfiction#criminal minds fanfiction#aaron hotchner#Criminal Minds
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Second Print Volume of Sapphic Webtoon 'Always Human' Released
On Tuesday, July 25, Little Bee Books released the second and final print volume adaptation of Ari "walkingnorth" North's Yuri webtoon Always Human. The graphic novel, entitled Love and Gravity: An Always Human Story, adapts episodes 38 through the epilogue of the series.
Always Human was initially published as a WebToon Original from 2015 to 2017. It is published under Little Bee Books' young adult imprint Yellow Jacket in sponsorship with GLAAD.
The sci-fi series follows Sunati, a young woman living in a future world where people use technology to change their appearance at will through body mods. She spots and is instantly attracted to Austen, a girl unable to use mods. Gradually as their relationship unfolds, they deal with friends, family, and emotional turmoils that, despite the fantastic setting, are surprisingly grounded and human.
The publisher describes Love and Gravity:
Sunati and Austen are back in the final volume of their inspirational love story... Austen is working hard to overcome the limitations of Egan's Syndrome, a very rare condition that rejects body modifications, which is making school difficult. But while Austen is forced to confront her plans for the future, Sunati receives a once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity. . . on Saturn's moon, Enceladus! Will Austen find her way? And will Sunati leave Austen when she needs her most to follow her own dreams of space exploration? The wonderful ending to this story celebrates the complexity and beauty of what makes us human.
The print edition includes some updated and adjusted dialogue to along with the graphic novel's young adult audience, such as toning down Austen's swearing. The original version is still available to read on Webtoon for free.
Always Human has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. It received perfect 10/10s from Erica Friedman on Okazu and YuriMother. YuriMother listed the series as one of the best Yuri of the past 100 years in a guest post on Okazu and as a "must-see" series on the 2022 and 2023 editions of its Yuri Guide.
North is running a promotion through the end of August where customers who purchase any edition of the book and submit a copy of their receipt on alwayshumanbooks.carrd.co will receive Something Old, Something New, a short digital comic about Sunati and Austen's future engagement and wedding, as well as a digital copy of the Always Human soundtrack, including a brand new track. Customers who purchase the hardcover edition of Love and Gravity will also receive a postcard print and two signed chibi bookplate stickers in addition to the digital comic and soundtrack.
You can purchase Love and Gravity, the second print volume of Always Human, today digitally and in paperback and hardcover editions: https://amzn.to/3rTQ0yP
Official releases help support creators and publishers. YuriMother may make a small commission from sales to help fund future content.
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Every uber popular shonen series goes through this thing where they become basically inescapable for a long time, then, when the dust settles a little, people start hating and nitpicking it, until anyone who voices their enjoyment is made fun of, then an even longer while later, it becomes acceptable to like it again.
I noticed JJK is going through it bc there's this suddenly aggressive way of thinking of Yuji, and it always starts by hating the protag in some way.
And you know what? I agree.
It's a pet peeve of mine to see people constantly nitpick and nitpick and not say a single thing that they actually enjoy about the media they're engaging in.
It becomes even more irritating to me when people will throw out anything as a complaint when it doesn't make sense.
I won't say it's criticism because a lot of what people criticize comes off more as just being mean-spirited. They'll say "oh, this protagonist has a good heart and I don't like it". Like... if they're being portrayed as a hero who wants to do good then hello, they're going to have a good heart???
Maybe because a lot of protagonists are my favorite characters, but I really hate it when someone will hate on a protagonist because of whatever their reasons are and continuously doi it over and over and over again. It's like "damn, give the protagonist a chance to grow". If you can't, just drop the series.
And honestly, if you drop a series after one or two seasons, I don't think you should jump on someone's post to bash a character like "they didn't get character development". How would you know if you quit the anime? Shush. Just shush.
Like, with Yuji, someone in a video called him useless. Mind you, he said this on a video during the SHIBUYA INCIDENT. By then, we know what Yuji is capable of.
Useless? Yuji Itadori? The one who actually swallowed a cursed finger to save a kid he barely knew and his friends? Yuji Itadori who jumped Mahito with Nanami and not even a second later, saved Nanami from Mahito's domain? The same Yuji who tag teamed with Todo on Hanami and managed to learn Black Flash in moments and setting a record in that short time?
You're calling the Yuji Itadori who picked up Nobara to get her away from Eso and Kechizu and also worked 50/50 on taking them down?
Same Yuji who helped take down a veil? Same Yuji who fought Choso to slow him down so others could go and save Gojo? The same Yuji who boxed up Mahito?
I mean Yuji is even useful to Sukuna because without him, Sukuna would have still been just some lingering spirit until someone else came along and that could have taken YEARS.
So that's the Yuji being called "useless"?
Recently, someone told me that someone else was blaming Yuji for what happened to Nobara.
Look, Nobara is my girl, I adore her, she is everything to me. But Yuji was not the one to tell her to follow Mahito. (I get why she did though.) And I know she was in shock probably from seeing two Mahito's, but I would have moved before he could have touched my face.
I just... I just can't. I honestly can't find myself to interact with anyone who hates on Yuji. He doesn't have to be your favorite character, leaves more room for me and other Yuji fans.
But if you're really out here making stupid takes about him and hating on him, I cannot with you.
It's my biggest pet peeve with BNHA fans. I like other characters, I do, but I really despise those who hate on Midoriya. You can be a Miruko fan and say post something stupid about Midoriya and I will block you. And y'all know I love Miruko.
"He's a crybaby, he's too good, he's not badass."
Oh, but y'all were so quick to switch up when he was going through fucking depression even though there was three movies and five seasons of him doing nothing but great things, big and small.
I don't know if it's the lack of not opening eyes and really watching and reading the anime and manga. I don't know if it's because some people are just miserable and need to bother others because they don't like others having fun. I don't know what it is, but it's annoying.
Right now, I'm watching Bucchigiri?!
And Arajin, he's annoying to me, he is, I won't lie. But I'm giving him a chance for character development because hey, you never know. Same for Mahoro. I don't like her too much, but I'm giving her a chance and honestly, Arajin is just not taking the hints that she is not feeling him at all. The anime only has like 4 episodes right now, so it's nearly not done yet and I'm liking it, so I'm sticking around.
I rambled, sorry about that, but I just... I just can't sometimes...
#kiya answers#jjk#jujutsu kaisen#itadori yuji#itadori yuuji#yuji itadori#yuuji itadori#bnha#mha#boku no hero academia#my hero academia#midoriya izuku#izuku midoriya#deku
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Hello sex witch! Long time listener, first time caller, love how you do the teaching you do 😄
I was having a chat with my (college age) sibling, and I found she might have some... skewed views on the morality of being sexual. Think along the lines of purity culture, with a sprinkling of religious teaching, and a dash of how legality/morality must be intertwined. I know that sort of thing can lead to some unhealthy thinking, and honestly, I'm a little worried!
This is just background for context, I'm not asking you to solve or even unpack all that lol. But I really vibe with your stance on sex-neutrality, and it seems like a good concept to introduce her too. Like, a lil'nudge.
My personal sex-neutality mindset was gained over years of life experience and internet osmosis, which is really difficult to condense into a "quick-start guide," given I've never really had to educate on it before. I mean, I'll start with the definition, but she would probably prefer having sources other than just me talking for hours lol.
So. TL;DR. As an educator, do you happen to have any resources you could point me towards on sex-neuteality? Books, websites, podcasts, previous posts..? Things I could pass along?
Thank you so much sorry for the length
hey anon,
this is a tricky one because, as you said, sex neutrality is something that comes about from a lifetime of nurturing influences. adopting a totally new mindset is rarely something that can be adopted by one book or video essay, no matter how good they are. this is especially true in the face of religious influence, which can be very difficult to tactfully circumvent without making someone feel as if they're being criticized for being religious at all.
just having a figure in their life (that's you!) who's willing to start and engage with non-judgmental discussions about sexuality can be really helpful for people unlearning sexual stigma, so congrats to you for doing the hardest work just by being present!
having said that, you can't do everything and a recommended media list never hurts. there isn't a lot of work (that I'm familiar with, at least) that just sit you right down and say "hey. here's why sex neutrality good," so I'm going to drop work where that's sort of a powerful background radiation.
Emily Nagoski's book Come As Your Are is a pretty great guide for cis women learning to get comfortable with their bodies and sexualities and, more importantly, the possibilities of communication to find a relationship and sexual style that works for them! I really like the way Nagoski normalizes such a wide range of different needs and desires while assuring readers that there's no "wrong" approach; it's very comforting! if your sister is a podcast person, Nagoski also has an eight part podcast series of the same name where she debunks myths and answers more questions about sexuality.
actually hi as long as we're talking about podcasts Kate Lister, a historian who specializes in historical records of sex work, has a terribly fun podcast called Betwixt the Sheets that's nothing but sex friendly fun. it's got enough interesting historical meat to it that it's not even obvious sex neutral propaganda on the surface; some of my favorite episodes have Lister interviewing other academics about Queen Victoria's dietary habits and Hollywood portrayals of vodun.
if we want to talk about the 101 of getting comfortable with one's own genitalia and reproductive health, I must point to Dr. Jennifer Gunter's Vagina Bible. Dr. Gunter has made a whole career out of debunking medical misinformation, wellness scams, and Goop over on twitter. I think she should be allowed to attack Gwyneth Paltrow with a sword but I can't make that happen so I can at least promote her book.
if your sister starts feeling adventurous, Dr. Lindsey Doe's youtube channel Sexplanations has been a formative influence on me and has years worth of videos covering tons of topics in quick, unabashedly enthusiastic bursts of information. this video where Dr. Doe talks about her own instances of internalized sex negativity could be an excellent starting point, especially if you want to discuss it together like a lil youtube bookclub.
for a longer youtube dive, Khadija Mbowe's ruminations on sex positive feminism, its shortcomings, and which parts they see as worth preserving could also be a great point of conversation, especially for someone whose coming into the conversation not identifying with sex positivity. caveat that they do link to Christine Emba's book Rethinking Sex in the video description and I cannot in good conscience recommend or fuck with that at all, sorry.
Angela Chen's book Ace, about asexuality, is genuinely so so wonderful, and I think required reading for anyone trying to make sense of any kind of sexuality.
Meg-John Barker's book Rewriting the Rules is a maybe a more expansive version of Nagoski's book, less focused on sex and much more interested in expanding ideas of what relationships can look like and encouraging personal expression within them. honestly I think that's a really important part of embracing sex negativity - more compassion and less judgment for yourself can lead to more compassion and less judgment for others, right? right, hopefully.
Jaclyn Friedman's book Unscrewed is a delight, and does something similar to Mbowe's video linked above by highlighting ways in which commercialized #girlboss "sex positivty" is useless and then providing instances of real people doing actual, tangibly useful and positive work. Friedman highlights everything from queer youth shelters to orgs run by and for trans sex workers of color to reproductive justice organizations; it's a great dip into a lot of different radical causes without (hopefully) being too overwhelming.
I hope this serves as a good starting place for a lot of positive conversations with your sibling! good luck, friend xoxo
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Dude…You.. are truly a mean spirited person by the way you attack Rachel and her comic. I was hoping to see actual valid criticism on this blog that are good takes and respectful…but all I see is a savage, hate-mongering being; projecting your own personal fears on fictional Greek gods, with loads of malice; accusing RS of so many things that’s not even an issue in the slightest.. like bro are we reading the same story?? Bc I’d assume you’d dislocate your shoulders from all the reaching you do, to just cherry and nitpick the comic so much; at this point I think you’re dedicating your life’s work to shitting on this comic with asinine accusations?? hell, I get the comic aint perfect but the way y’all shit on it damn near has the same level of hate you’d normally have for a fucked up, white supremacist manifesto…. have you ever sought inner peace or?? what’s the problem,,,
Your views are truly horrid and y’all are why ppl are scared to come out with their own series bc of malicious people like you getting kicks of punching down an author and mocking them instead of being more civil with your views. Probably haven’t considered creators like RS with ADHD have RSD too huh… maybe haven’t considered how ppl with RSD got symptoms where it’s pretty difficult to take criticism…lmao.. aaaaand yet you antis are just as barbaric as obsessive LO stans and y’all just won’t leave well alone smfdh
Heaven help you fr. Hope you cease your obsessive hate for a fictional story and seek actual help than pouring all this hate on a book and pointing fingers at issues that’s nonexistent in the series.😒
Ooh yay it's been a while since I've gotten an ask calling me out. Love to see it :3
So here's the fun thing - I do have way less "spicy" takes on the comic (because let's face it, the definition of "valid" in this context is often... very subjective, I've seen people call the most respectful criticisms and reviews of LO "hate" plenty of times before) but I also just enjoy dunking on it because it's fun and it's how I engage with this comic that, believe it or not, I did genuinely used to love. I don't talk this much shit about comics I've never cared about. Boyfriends and Let's Play are also both godawful but I never loved them quite as much as I loved LO back when I used to read it religiously, so I just don't feel like talking about them as much as I do LO. Saturday nights used to be my favorite night of the week but they became dreadful after a while as my love for the series' drained relative to its decline. Now I have to find other things to look forward to on Saturdays, so I've gone ahead and made my own things, things that have rejuvenated the feelings I used to feel reading LO.
Here's another fun fact, in case you're new to Tumblr and don't know how it works - this is just my account that's dedicated solely to LO stuff. There are other things that I do besides shit-talking this comic and using it as fuel to create my own interpretations of it, but you don't see that here because this blog is, again, purely for my LO related stuff. I also have a day job that's completely unrelated to webcomics, and draw webcomics that aren't related to LO. I spent like.... 6 hours playing Slime Rancher today. I know it doesn't look like I have a life outside of this when you sift through my anti-LO-themed blog of queued posts all in one go, but I do lmao
Sorry I don't have a more satisfying response than "it's fun!" I have a great time in this community, everyone in it has been genuinely sweet and caring and accepting. Many of the people in this community are genuine friends now, who I go to for things outside of LO, from comic discussion to real life talk.
You know which community doesn't make me feel safe or welcome? The core LO community that's come at me in my inbox, snuck into our fan groups to spy, and even outright made bots to breach our privacy. As soon as I had even the slightest bit of criticism for the comic, back during the trial arc, they decided I wasn't "one of them" and I realized I was terrified of being an "anti" because I knew how anti's were treated by the community. I had to find ways to accept my own feelings as they were changing and having the antiLO/UnpopularLO community accept me the way they did... really changed my perspective on the whole "fandom" thing. I can take part in both sides in the anti/unpopular community - praise and criticism. Maybe consider for a second the only reason the criticism is so loud... has to do with the fact the comic itself isn't worth praising anymore.
All that aside, it's fine if you don't like my takes or don't agree with how I choose to spend my time! There are both better and even worse takes out there from other people just as pissed as I am about the turn LO has taken. None of those people, myself included, do what we do to "make" others hate the comic or hate on Rachel. None of us are encouraging outright bullying directly at Rachel, we're literally just curating our own space for discussion and memes and art and writing surrounding this dumb little comic that many of us did find enjoyment in back when it first started. And I don't think any of us are saying that because we don't like this comic, that means we're gonna automatically trash on anyone else's just for existing? Because, again, none of us encourage direct bullying, and if anything, all these accounts have inspired more people to take up comic creating through AU and fanfic content of the source material that they wish could have been better. If anyone's legitimately "scared" to go into webcomics because of a few strangers' opinions on the Internet about a massive commercial comic that's completely unrelated to their own work and far above what most creators will ever make... well, I don't know how to fix that or help with that. Maybe apply your own advice that you're giving me in your ask and stop caring so much? I'm just a person engaging in one of their many hyperfixations on the Internet and there are others who happen to share in my interests and enjoy my takes, whether or not that includes the saltier ones. There's nothing special enough about me to warrant any sort of finger-pointing like what you're doing. I'm not a monolith nor am I the end-all-be-all to webcomic creation or discussion lmao
It's honorable you want to defend Rachel, or people with ADHD/RSD. I can't shame you for that. But coming onto my blog that's themed around antiLO/unpopularLO content and doing the same thing you're claiming I'm doing (which I'm not because again, it's not like I'm going directly at Rachel with any of the things I say or do and I would never encourage anyone else do that either lol) is a little... hypocritical, don't you think?
But - sass time - what do I know. I'm just someone who's also ADHD. Autistic with RSD too! Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree, as none of us can speak on behalf of the entire neurodivergent community.
Appreciate the crit though, thank you for taking the time to write <3 Sorry to hear my blog didn't turn out to be what you expected but... I don't recall ever setting those expectations in the first place. At least not when I started. Now that Rekindled's a thing I suppose people aren't gonna expect blatant trashing when they find it but that's why I'm also trying to move away from purely trashing on LO so that I can put my time and energy into more productive stuff (even if that "productive stuff" is making a comic that started as an LO-spite project LOL)
But at the same time... I mean, is it really that surprising? Like I guess this can serve as a general "heads up" to anyone else who's new here, but I do not go easy on LO and have a lot to say about it (and I'm very loud and disgruntled about it) but I figured most people would realize that's the amount of spite needed to redraw the whole thing as I'm doing right now LMAO Like c'mon, you think someone who only dislikes LO mildly would really put in all this work? 🤣 I do it because I can't stand to see where it's gone, and I want to give myself and others who were disappointed alongside me the closure we all deserve. Trying my best, at least (～￣▽￣)～
That's all for now! Have a good one :' )
#lore olympus critical#anti lore olympus#antiloreolympus#lo critical#ama#ask me anything#anon ama#anon ask me anything
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Im glad to read the takes of a fellow zuko stan :)
Honestly, it feels like people just hate on him way too much lately. The posts ive seen on twitter, on tik tok, on tumblr... Do people just not like him anymore? Why did everyone turn against him so suddenly? I've been hoping it's something temporary, just a trend, but. I don't know anymore. People mock his disability, spit on his trauma, wish death on him and interpret everything he says or does in the worst possible way. I saw someone crying about how entitled he was because he took aang's seat when watching the play just the other day lmao. Another person wrote about how mysoginistic he was because he didn't remember katara's name when asking about kya's death to sokka? There are those who even call him a colonizer on the same level as iroh lmao. It seems their justifications for all the salt they throw his way are along the lines of "he's been loved for too long, aang stans have suffered way more, people just watched the show again and realized how bad he actually was, he's catching strays since his fans keep setting him up, his fans paint him as perfect and erase every bad thing he's done" etc etc. I'm all for criticism and deeper character analysis, but this is just said in bad faith. I also think it has a bit to do with how different engagement has become in fandom spaces recently (things people support in fiction need to be morally correct) and well, zuko was the perfect target. He's done bad things, sides with the villains for a good portion of the series, redeems himself but there are things he still has to work on... I don't know, it's been getting to me. There are many other harsh things ive read said about him (like implying how every single member of the gaang hates even after redeeming himself), but i honestly don't have the energy to delve into each and every one. His arc was poorly executed and his development was badly written now, apparently. I kind of just ranted here, i apologize. Im very happy to read the posts of someone who genuinely likes him and doesnt throw him under the bus to defend or elevate other characters...
hi! i'm glad you're enjoying my blog <3 and no need to apologize for the rant, i'm always happy to talk about zuko!
about to theorize a bit as to why it seems like maybe zuko has become a more contentious character, but it should be noted i have not been exceptionally, actively involved in the fandom very long. i loved atla as a kid, have retained fond memories, have witnessed some discourse from the fringes over the years, but only recently has it overtaken my brain to the point of making a whole blog about it. lol. so, like, grain of salt, etc.
i think a big part of it is what you said - in the last few years of fandom in particular, it feels like there has been a huge upswing in purity culture, moralizing liking/not liking certain ships or characters, and an overall increase in very black-and-white thinking. there's also an emphasis on "holding people accountable" (good in theory), often without specifying what, exactly, that looks like (less good). the idea then becomes that if you've done harmful things, there's no way you can ever make up for them and should just, like, hate yourself for all eternity and also die, probably, which is not actually helpful to anyone.
so, i think for those who ascribe to that mindset, zuko is a prime candidate for them to criticize. and while there's nothing wrong with criticizing a character or their arc or writing if you truly have a problem with it, as you've said, a lot of the time, criticisms against zuko don't seem to be made in very good faith. after all, a big part of zuko's arc is having to unlearn some very black-and-white thinking. also, zuko is not a real person. he is a character, and therefore a narrative tool, and if we want him to be 'held accountable', we need look no further than the story itself, in which he is probably the character the narrative holds the most accountable for his actions due to his prior status as a villain.
(it reminds me a bit, actually, of another favorite character of mine: alec in the tv series shadowhunters. he starts out the story already in a heroic role, unlike zuko, but a big part of his narrative is unlearning some prejudiced cultural mindsets and challenging not only his previous ideologies, but his conception of himself and the people in his life as well. as a result, alec can look sometimes more obviously flawed than the other main cast, but the point is that the narrative asks him to examine those flaws and change and introspect and grow in a way that it doesn't always ask of other characters when they are showcasing their own flaws. which does make me thing about zuko vs. aang in the atla narrative.)
the other thing i think is contributing to zuko's more contentious status in the fandom is how long atla's been in the cultural consciousness, and how common it is for things that used to be popular to cycle through to people starting to criticize or actively hate it to people saying "no, actually, it's still pretty good, you just don't want to like a popular thing" (this is me rn), to maybe eventually getting popular again/at least in certain subsects of the audience. zuko was probably one of the most talked-about aspects of atla for a long time, and while i can understand how that could get frustrating (because there are some other really great characters and aspects of the story!), that's not, like, for no reason. people connected with and admired his story for a reason, and many still do, and (in my humble opinion) that is because it is one of the most thought-out, intentional, and nuanced character arcs of the show.
the ableism, i think, really gets to me because like... even if every criticism from the people who hate him were 100% accurate and said in good faith (they're not, but let's pretend for a minute)... that still wouldn't be an excuse for ableism against a character with a prominent facial difference (or making fun of abuse survivors for the permanent injuries they sustain from abuse.) if zuko had never redeemed himself and stayed a villain, it would still be wrong to talk about his scar and abuse the way some of his detractors do. and the show agrees with me! you know how i know? the only two characters to ever make fun of zuko's scar are villains in the narrative: zhao and azula. ("make fun of" might not be quite right for zhao, since what he said - "you have the scar to prove it" - is far more matter-of-fact than azula imitating him by covering her eye or "make sure they get your good side", but he's absolutely being a huge jerk about it.) other characters react to zuko's scar in all sorts of different ways, even when he's still in a villain/antagonist/anti-hero role: zuko's crew is horrified to learn how he got the scar, song sees a point of connection and tries to reach out to him, but, while i think well-intentioned, she breaks a major boundary by trying to touch his scar when he hasn't conveyed he's okay with that, jet makes assumptions about his background because of it, lee, the kid from zuko alone, asks with curious, childish naivete how he got it, only for his father to reprimand him for asking, aang reacts with annoyance/boredom to azula's ableist joke, and katara trips over her words to correct him when zuko thinks she's essentially calling him "scary to look at". not all of these interactions are positive, but the characters (all of whom are written as pretty sympathetic, even if also flawed) aren't outright trying to make fun of him for it, and the narrative never implies he deserves to be treated as less than because of it, even before his redemption.
anyway. if people don't believe in characters' (and, hell, irl people's) capacity for growth and change and don't want to have nuanced discussions about how trauma can impact these things, i mean... that's their prerogative, but i don't understand why they enjoy the show, because those are big parts of it (and not just wrt zuko.)
i know it can be frustrating, anon— trust me, i get very frustrated. but i promise you, there are plenty of people out there who a) still love zuko and his story and b) are capable of and willing to talk about things with nuance and in good faith. i'm happy to be part of that corner of fandom, and i bet you can manage to carve out a space where more people like that exist, too! <3
#fandom critical#aang critical#atla critical#a little. jic#ableism //#abuse //#atla#zuko#anonymous#asks#i didn't delve into some of the specifics of people's aggravating bad-faith takes anon bc otherwise this post would be 3x longer but trust#hate them too#also the world is not ready for my alec/zuko parallels post that i still haven't made#cross-media parallels#for reasons
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Hi! I wanted to ask your opinion on why you enjoy Kuroshitsuji if it isn’t too much to answer. Recently I have been feeling like I’m being ‘punished’ for enjoying Kuro because I always see people talking bad about it and Yana on twitter. 😅 I am well aware Kuro has a lot of issues but I really enjoy the characters and such but the opinions of people about the series kind of has been hurting me as a fan and thus I have been losing interest🥲 I was hoping I can talk to someone who is a fan of Kuro that can help give me some mindset or something. I have been drawing for Kuro for years so I’m quite passionate towards the series and Yana herself and but this has been bugging me. If you can’t answer this it is totally okay and you can delete this ask❣️
Hi, anon! That’s not too much at all! My apologies for the late response; I wanted to make sure I could sit down to properly get my thoughts in order before answering.
My love for Kuro was originally (and is to this day) rooted in the source material. The manga and anime introduced me to some of my most beloved fictional characters, including Miss Grelle—as attested to by my url! 😉 The story instantly had me hooked with its campy hijinks, tragic undertones, and forays into the dark corners of the human psyche. Even with the current lag in pacing, I’m excited to see where the Phantomfam’s adventures take us next! And, of course, I would be remiss without mentioning the artwork. In a visual medium like manga, aesthetics can make or break your enjoyment of a series, and Kuro’s Victorian steampunk flair is perfectly suited to my tastes, especially with the steady improvement in quality as Yana’s honed her craft over the years.
However, particularly during this dry season of short chapters and plodding plot progression, it’s the community that grew up around Kuro that nourishes my love for it the most. Naysayers condescendingly sneer that the fandom is dead, but the incredible art, funny memes, awesome animations, excellent fics (some of which outshine published novels I’ve read), insightful meta and more that I see across my dash and in the tags suggest otherwise. And when we come together (such as during past fandom weeks or @anewp0tat0 ‘s recent event to celebrate the 200th chapter) that display of talent burns even brighter. As a writer, building up lore in headcanons and fic or reading my mutual’s creative interpretations of Yana’s world is just as fun—if not more so—than engaging with the actual manga. That enrichment alone is enough to keep me invested in the Kuroverse for the foreseeable future.
The series also holds considerable sentimental value for me because it served as the catalyst for my queer awakening and brought friends and loved ones into my life who I would never have met otherwise. Even if the day comes when I put Kuroshitsuji on the shelf in favor of other stories, that positive impact will remain.
However, that doesn’t mean that the series or fandom are perfect. Yana’s sleazy past and irresponsible pandering to the gross side of the fandom are an unpleasant reality with which we must contend, as are the fujoshis, transphobes, and other creeps—some of whom proved to be a genuine danger to minors—who continue to give us a bad name. But those people who blindly label Kuro as wholesale trash and accuse all fans of condoning the problematic content merely betray their simplistic, black-and-white way of thinking. We cannot and should not sweep the objectionable aspects of the series under the rug, but we can interact with Kuro critically—recognizing and calling out the areas in need of improvement while also cherishing the best parts of this cursed butler manga. As long as you’re consuming media responsibly, and in a way that doesn’t actively harm others, then you have no reason to feel guilty. You sure as heck don’t deserve to be punished!
Ignore the haters as best you can, and try to focus on what first ignited your passion for Kuro; don’t let those jerks steal your joy. 😤 Alternatively, if you need to take a break from that onslaught of negativity and just rest for a bit, that’s fine, too! There’s no shame in stepping away to recharge, and you shouldn’t push yourself to participate in fandom if doing so is detrimental to your well-being.
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been having a tough time over on the bird app, but I hope my answer was helpful and that Kurohell can continue to be a happy, welcoming place for you! 🖤
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Have a ramble about Legends Arceus bc I’m playing it again and am being reminded how much I love it
We were given so much with Arceus only for much of it to be taken away with scarlet and violet. Don’t get me wrong I love Violet like I have some criticisms but it’s more related to the push of having a new pokemon game every year. Similar to SwSh ScarVi very much would’ve benefited from a delay in its release and just having more time to work on it. Anyways this is not what puts Arceus above them instead what I actually love about arceus is this:
1. THE UI
This is more aesthetics more than anything but I absolutely love the ui for arceus. I honestly prefer having the headshots as icons for each Pokémon to be better than the tiny full body ones. This is just a little thing but I wish ScarVi kept the ability to see which Pokémon were shiny just from the preview icon. Like let me actually see it so I don’t accidentally mistake one as not shiny. Another element that I love and wish wasn’t removed was the ability to evolve from the menu. Auto evolving once they reach a level is nice but I don’t know having it as more of option for you to choose is really nice. It is especially good whenever you get Pokémon that are well past their evolution level and therefore take a lot more to level them again so that they evolve. Then you have to repeat the process again if it’s a three evolution line.
2. The Open World + side quests
While Arceus wasn’t the first introduction to open world I still feel it was the one that really mastered it. You just had a lot more space to roam and honestly I kind of like the idea of the varying biomes being divided into different areas you have to unlock. But I think what really helped the open world aspect was the number of side quests you could get. Because this truly encourages you to explore and wander. It was just going from one point to another. There were multiple other things you could do in between. Also I feel compared to ScarVi and SwSh the open world in Arceus just felt a bit more alive in a way. This point I’m not sure what it is that sets Arceus apart in this way. Maybe it’s bc the area you were in felt a lot more like you were out in the wilderness. Which given the basis of Arceus makes sense. And as far as main series games I’m not sure how this would be accomplished without repeating arceus again.
3.The Pokemon catch + shiny system
I don’t know there’s just something I love about not having to start a battle to catch a pokemon. It just really breaks away from the uniform formula that every other game has followed. And just finding other methods to effectively catch them without engaging in battle adds to it. Just let me throw pokeballs at pokemon without restraint. It’s very Pokémon rangers-esque honestly. Also while ScarVi does have overworld shinies I just wish they still kept the alert sound. Especially bc some Pokémon are very subtle. Also for me I’m the type of person that will just go running through an area with complete tunnel vision and the only thing that keeps me from passing shiny Pokémon is the alert sound. Just bring that back.
#pokemon#pokemon legends arceus#legends arceus#Alex rambles on about a game that’s literally been out for a few years now#but anyways I just love it so much#alex speaks#pkmn#also I just love rambling about video games in general like going to college for game design really ignited my interest in it
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𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 I - 𝕸𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝕱𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕱𝖎𝖗𝖘𝖙 𝕿𝖎𝖒𝖊, 𝕬𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖓.
─•~𝓜𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽 ~•─ - The main masterlist with all my collections
𝒢𝑒𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃'𝓈 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓂𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓂𝓈 - Genshin Impact masterlist
Here it is dear 𝓭𝓻𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼, the first fanfic on the Chapter's Will collection. As mentioned in the title and collection, this story will have a series of chapters regarding a certain story.
Read the 1st chapter right underneath the moon, and I hope you expect to see the rest of where this story goes. Have fun, dear 𝓭𝓻𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼.
Apologies for the edits, I realized my quality of work was not up to par with my standards. So I recently edited a newer version which I hope you all enjoy. Any constructive criticism is welcomed. Thank you for being patient, (02/20/24)
“You are quite formidable.”
Cyno said with no hesitation, as he and the woman he fought stood face-to-face. Well, face-to-chest, but Cyno is not one to disrespect a potential-rival. Though being formidable is a far cry from their current situation.
He had gone on patrol by the outskirts of Aaru village. By the request of Candace, he was tracking down another ring of Eremites that were suspected to have illegal trades in their hands. He also needed to keep an eye out for certain individuals in the area. And he did. He had found a woman wandering the dunes with her hood up and spear in her grip. She was talking with whom he thought was a downed civilian and he engaged in combat to save them. By the end of it, he realized the woman he attacked was not a specific suspect of the case and the civilian was actually an Eremite she apprehended.
He brushes off the sand from his arms and clothings. Eyeing the woman as she too brushed off the remaining sand on her. He observes her from head to toe dressed differently from his own and to the civilians and residents of Sumeru. A tube-like top that accentuates her healthy chest and her tight-fitting pants that curves around her thighs. Her shoes were high heels that sunk in the sand dunes. He supposes that while they may not be suited for the terrain, it pairs well for her towering height. The last clothing article on her was the hood it was still up, covering her face from the world.
She chuckles, “Why thank you, dear General.” Somehow her voice did not grate his ears nor seemed foreign to his taste. It was soothing and enrapturing. “When you approached me with a spear taller than yourself, I had expected a… different opponent. Though for someone very short, you are also quite “formidable” in my standards.”
Cyno’s eyebrows wrinkled slightly, “My… short stature shouldn’t dictate your opinion of me.” She laughed like he had joked about the seriousness of what had happened. “I am well aware,” She said, she brushes off the last grains of sand on her skin and throws her hood back. Revealing an ethereal, almost otherworldly beauty that he can’t help but be amazed by her. He quickly reassesses her again and he makes a quick judgment that this person is not from Sumeru.
His attention was shortly interrupted by a friendly smile and a vision of her voluptuous cleavage. “However, I am just saying that you are far better than the others who fought me in the past.” She said, her smile shifting to a sly grin enough to make the weakest swoon over her beauty.
And Cyno is not one to lie, but he too is a weak man, but not weak enough to keel over.
“Is that so…”
Cyno mulls over her words once and twice before he nods. “Well then, I am honored that I have garnered your respect.” He says and the girl before her laughs again, her laugh sounds like the waterfalls near the city. Fearless and carefree. “Although I would love to continue with this… banter we have created, would you mind giving me a name to a potential partner?”
“I go by many names, General, but I will give you the liberty of using (Y/n).”
——
As the sun sets, Cyno invites (Y/n) to his temporary home in Aaru Village. With the desert finally cooling from the sun’s burning gaze, the moon lets itself be known to soothe the burns. Then the darkness of the desert brings the dangers tenfold from the daytime. The cold that seemed to engulf people in its frosty hold.
Cyno leads (Y/n) insides, propping his spear by the entrance and taking off his footwear. He can hear Tighnari’s face judging him for wearing so-called shoes that don’t even cover the soles of his feet. “Please make yourself at home, I will fetch us some drinks to cool down.” He can hear her footsteps follow him through the entrance. He can see by the corner of his eye how she carefully makes her way with him to the open kitchen. Gesturing to the living room space, she sits herself comfortably on the cushions.
He quickly grabs a pitcher and fills it up with water. He rinses out two glasses from storage and turns them upside down. “Here,” He sets the tray on the coffee table , “I brought refreshments. We just faced each other in combat in the desert, I know exactly how exhausting that makes you.”
“Thank you, General Mahama-.”
“Please, just call me Cyno.”
“… Fufu~. Alright, Cyno.”
Cyno pours the two glasses full of water. He carefully hands one to (Y/n) who accepts the water. Cyno watches as the water slowly dwindles to nothing in the glass as he lets (Y/n) drink the glass empty. “Now, why don’t we get straight to the point.” She gives another sly smile at him. She sets the glass down on the table, leaning over it to be just a breath away from his face. “Being forward is a quality I look for in others, Cyno.”
Cyno clears his throat, “Good. I- huh?”
Surprise flutters through his blood as (Y/n) abruptly stands and skirts around the coffee table in favor of dropping herself on his lap. He stares at those captivating (e/c) eyes that seemed to sparkle with mischief, and something that desired more than words can describe. “Is something wrong Cyno? Do you not like my greeting?” Her voice is laced with that same playfulness as he stumbles on his words, trying to find the right ones to piece together. “No. no… I did not realize that this was a… greeting. I understand that customs may vary and I intend on reciprocating them.” Cyno might just go crazy with how he can feel her weight and the heat between them intensifies. This position is too.. inappropriate for his taste but there was guilt for being unrefined in greeting them back. “Apologies, I- I just didn’t mean to be rude…”
“Rude?”
(Y/n) leaned towards him again, her chest seemed to be taller and towered over him. Making herself as comfortable as possible as his face is engulfed in the softest and safest place in her chest. He feels a blush creeping up and possibly exploding on his face as he tries and fails to avoid being too handsy and comfortable. He feels her own soft hand, unlike a warrior, grab his hands to surround her in a hug. His arms unwillingly wrap themselves around her waist as he looks up at her with a red tint staining his cheeks. “Um..” He stammers through the embarrassment and his pride as a general suddenly crumbles beneath her touch.
“My, my~. Such a cute General…”
Cyno feels the heat just engulf his face. Cyno feels a sense of deja vu in his bones. This seems pretty similar to an incident a few years ago with a certain senior of his. He does not know what to do next besides let himself melt into the comfortable embrace of this strange woman he came across. He lets her pet his hair and keep him safe in his arms.
… ‘Such a strange woman.’ He thought as his eyes grew heavy from exhaustion. He felt himself slowly nod off to the gentle hums of a distant tune. Before he knew it, he was out like a light to the dark night approaching the desert.
#genshin x reader#genshin cyno x reader#cyno x reader#genshin cyno#genshin reader#genshin reader insert#genshin imagines#genshin x you#genshin x y/n#genshin impact imagines#genshin fluff#potential smut#chapter 1#chapter's will
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