#the cruelty of making an animated show: money </3
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The girl that’s soon to be seen! (hopefully!!!)
#crossing my fingers and bones for future episodes to become real#the cruelty of making an animated show: money </3#manifesting so hard#monkey wrench#lariat#doodles
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Hi, Astro! What’s your thoughts on a Virgo ascendant, Scorpio sun 2nd house, and Libra moon 1st house female? 🤎
Hii, hope you're having a good day and a fortunate year!!💙🤍
♍Virgo Ascendant - as females, Virgo Ascendants tend to have an innocent, natural look to themselves (many of them also have doe eyes). They're not fans of wearing makeup, but considering you've got Libra Moon in 1st house, i'm inclined to say that you enjoy wearing makeup on a daily basis. You probably don't like to experiment too much when it comes to your makeup styles. You prefer to have a signature style/follow makeup trends only when they're not too over the top/adopt a classy, timeless makeup look or sport natural makeup.
Virgo Ascendants highly value having a skincare routine and your Libra Moon in 1st house only enhances that. They're inclined to purchase only vegan skincare and cruelty-free makeup.
Oftentimes, Virgo Ascendants switch to vegan or vegetarian diets for several reasons. I'd say their top priority would be enhancing their health, but they also care a lot about protecting animals. You can notice a Virgo Ascendant woman volunteering at animal shelters, hospitals or at the Red Cross in her free time. She also considers daily physical activity key to a healthy, happy life, but unlike Aries or Taurus placements, she's completely content with not going to the gym as long as she's getting her daily 10,000 steps. Ofcours, there are Virgo Ascendant women who go to the gym, but these women are usually the type to hop on the treadmill or do cardio exercises and then leave.
⚜️Scorpio Sun in 2nd house - these type of women are naturally intense, materialistic, possessive and gluttonous. This is the type of person (ik it's not just for women, but hear me out) that will never share their food with anybody else.
Another thing about Scorpio Sun in 2nd house women is that they're not afraid of doing the dirty work (aka s*x work) if it earns them money (honestly, they enjoy it too). They're inherently masculine in their personality, so they often choose to pursue manly careers such as police officers, firefighters, surgeons or being part of the military. They're also great researchers, but they won't work in academia unless it pays well. They desire to relax in their own wealth and luxury, without needing to depend on anyone else. These women are the true definiton of girl bosses. They're prone to take assumed risks and never back off when fear and doubts arise. If immature, one of their negative traits is the fact that they'll do anything for money, including lying, cheating and in extreme cases robbing a bank.
🎀Libra Moon in 1st house - women with this placement tend to be very vocal about their feelings, but in a balanced, diplomatic way. Even though they're not afraid to show their feelings publicly, Libra Moon in 1st house women always pick the right moment when displaying their feelings - usually the one that will benefit them. Their beauty and sensitivity is easily noticed by others and they highly value the idea of having an aesthetic - whether they express it through fashion, makeup, art or the way they decorate their phone, grouping apps by color or having an aesthetic feed/tumblr theme.
Libra Moon in 1st house women are extremely romantic. They tend to dream of their knight in shining armour coming to their rescue, watch sappy rom coms and cry when Rachel and Ross finally make up. They feel comfortable being single, but would rather choose to be in a relationship if possible. These women expect their future partner to put in as much effort as them, but for them, the notion of "effort" is different. Spending 3 hours to get ready to go on a date is important for them and they want to look good for their man - that's THEIR effort. His effort is him treating her like a princess.
#astro#astro community#astrology#astro placements#astro observations#astro posts#astroblr#astro blog#astro notes#virgo ascendant#virgo rising#scorpio sun#libra moon
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Best Underrated Anime Group D Round 1: #D2 vs #D7
#D2: Prophecy girlie, hyper cellphone, and gamer cat get silly
Su Moting, the daughter of a god and a monster, is the supposed Chosen One set to fix the balance of the universe, but unfortunately, she’s just barely living as it is. Only just told of her great fate, Su Moting couldn’t care less as she juggles her social life, work, and her new duties (which she doesn’t take seriously). Alongside Moting are Star Tianji and Star Dikui, a god and a monster out to help our protagonist with her grand mission. They, too, are also struggling to figure out life on Earth, as Tianji is an immortal who doubles as the god of Su Moting’s personal cellphone and Dikui is a cat monster immortal more concerned with lazing about. Somehow, they make things work as the best worst roommates of all time.
#D7: Girl who can play the biwa and see the future. 1180 CE Japan
The main character can play the biwa and also see the future with one of her eyes. After her father is killed at the start by the Taira clan, she is taken in by Shigemori of the Taira clan, who has the ability to see the ghosts of the dead. He wishes for her to help prevent the downfall of the Taira clan, which she has witnessed, but she refuses to since they are the ones that killed her father. Instead, she chronicles the events of their rise and fall, playing the biwa.
Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!
#D2: God Troubles Me (Hanhua Riji)
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[Admin: Submitter had linked the ending song, but it doesn’t really show us what the animation is like, so I went to find an actual trailer. Above is a teaser for season 3, but there are no spoilers.]
Alt Title: Man’s Diary
Propaganda:
Four-season donghua (Chinese anime) that’s so recent and seeped in American pop-culture that I needed to do a double take when a literal cockroach said “Run, Forrest, run,” in English with a heavy Chinese accent. There’s a cat who plays video games (he’s very good at it), a phone who’s the worst kind of hype man, a sentient air conditioner, a guy who can shapeshift into any vehicle, off-brand Super-Man but jerky, a high-ranking god that collects anime figures, and the mega ultra cool protagonist who is a normal human girl fresh out of college and always low on money. It’s great
Trigger Warnings: Animal Cruelty or Death, Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Flashing Lights, Racism, Self-Harm, Suicide.
All the TW’s above are done for comedic effect, but they come in fast and hard with the humor. Better safe than sorry! The biggest things I remember are one or two “blink and you’ll miss it” racist jokes, characters joking about killing themselves out of embarrassment (no one goes through with it), and there’s a LOT of self-harm via stupid decisions. Stupid things like tying a loose tooth to the back end of a sports car sort of stupid. The protagonists have 3 brain cells collectively.
#D7: The Heike Story (Heike Monogatari)
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Propaganda:
It’s based on historical events, so one can already know the ending before watching it, sort of like the main character Biwa. But seeing those events, getting attached to the characters as they have both fun, simple moments and difficult, painful moments and seeing the humanity in the characters and watching them grow up with the underlying promise that things won’t go well for them, and accepting that… themes of impermanence and grief… but also the art style is unique and bright and the music is great and fits the scenes, and I highly recommend watching this if you haven’t already !! It’s only 11 episodes!
Trigger Warnings: Suicide
If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.
#anime#donghua#best underrated anime#polls#poll tournament#tournament#anime tournament#animation#animated show#group stage#group stage round 1#tournament polls#chinese anime#god troubles me#hanhua riji#the heike story#heike monogatari#han hua ri ji#group d
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This is definitely a sensitive topic and something that I had long read the characterization of reboot Dante, his dark past, poverty, etc. and in conjunction with the issues I take with the entire franchise as a whole
I also probably won't make a lick of sense as I'm just typing these down like well polished rough thoughts...
Now it's never explicitly shown just how poor and marginalized the reboot character is, but it's undeniable the guy lives in squalor. The 2010 concept trailer, although a concept, does give an implied but harsher picture of the cruelty dealt on this Dante. In the final current version Dante shrugs off any sort of insult, lives like he's gonna die, squats on an amusement pier and yet nary anything too much of his past trauma because, well, none of the characters are therapists nor support groups (he'd probably even refuse it if he was finally given money)
He's lived on his own, survived on his own and owns nothing but that squatting trailer van, which has a LOT of poor economic connotations in American-western media and perhaps in real life (i personally don't know as of this writing but there's been repeated depictions of such a nice trailer van being a poor person's home for some reason in America, etc.), and the very clothes he likely had been given to or had to buy on the most affordable level. His coat doesn't even fit him well. And there's even some fanservice with regards to him fixing his coat sometimes, but whether there's any deeper intentions to that, I will say in my own experience as someone who has a ton of hand-me-downs, some of my jackets and coats don't fit me either. I don't buy clothes as often, and I'm more well-off than reboot Dante's situation. So take that what you will about his and perhaps my "poor taste" in fashion.
(It's really bewildering when "fans" make fun of this reboot character and his fashion, and even make fun of how poor he looks, etc. 🙄 and it flies over their heads that it was part of the intentions for his character, backstory and journey, AND really shows such questionable behavior. And they have the gall to say he has poor taste, but their lacking of reading beyond surface value in fictional media is definitely garbage)
A lot of his dark story is never quite made too dark. The edgy tone, in my opinion, is very surface level, and the the dark moments are all utilitarian, serving the crucial plot elements. Most of the story and his lines are satirical and very self-aware, referencing past titles (and YES especially the wig scene, which is about reboot Dante NOT being the same as the og, because he's his own character and must stand on his own, also the stylistic difference of their hairstyle looks off on reboot Dante!!)
I would say the mainline actually has spades of this edginess more, especially as it's been around longer. This tone and style is more pronounced in DMC 3, which seems to be unanimously many of the fandom's favorite but is also highly the origins of the current tone and style of the og Dante. (So the fans do like edginess.....they just didn't like it because it wasn't the classic series that was going to continue it at that time)
In the og, Dante's financial status floats in a vague state: both clear and something that isn't fully fleshed out. We know his office is generally in poor condition, he has debts and mishandles money, as he relies on Morrison. Perhaps the manga/s and anime would supplement further his status or his reactions to his financial distress. Yet his office is hilariously "renovated" (by the devs) over and over again, has a vintage jukebox, has a full alcohol bar, a full drum kit, etc.
It's a comedic power fantasy, the og Dante lives a devil may care lifestyle without worry, because he can with whatever allowance he has left and just because he can, nevermind whatever consequences are gonna come to him
But his office is a great extension of who he is as a character, and as years go by, however, it's pretty clear that the og Dante is not so much a solid character, but an idealized, stylistic power fantasy character.
His own internal issues are never the focal point and his office and financial state are even part of the jokes about his character. Heck, there's never a lot about Dante's inner thoughts nor his backstory, or most significantly any deeper emotionality to...anything. Most of these happen in the manga and novels, and discrepancies had happened before, and I'll let the hardcore fans have a say on ANY of the characterization, etc. that's even happened (and perhaps the quality of the writing). I now sometimes think mistranslations may occur, particularly with Japanese only/restricted content.
And personally it's fine, the game wants the players to focus more on the flashy, power fantasy escapism Devil May Cry is known for...
...the way I see it however, this is both this classic/mainline strengths and weakness. By giving their fans these bursts of fantasy, there's nothing deep that sustains an audience to remain invested to the og Dante. Sure, he's fun and charming and his attitude towards all obstacles is admirable, "cool",etc. The lore of Sparda, the other characters (ahem Lady and Trish, & other characters, Nero👀👀) and the Demon World show an expansive fictional world. And I'm sure people's mileage will vary as many want this iteration. But what else is the og Dante besides these? And despite such an ongoing lore, how can it not be a great factor to any of their adventures, struggles and perhaps better 👀 character arcs [ahem ahem the supposed badass WOMEN of devil may cry, AHEM AHEM Dante himself??? AHEM VERGIL AHEM?!?!?!? K Y R I E !!!!???]
I think that's my biggest gripe about the reboot DmC as well. They have such a creatively well made universe, but because of "fans" reactions, Capcom's decisions and what NT and Itsuno-san's team had to make do with the resources and time, what was undeniably a story with dark struggles, perhaps having visual storytelling on the reboot Dante's worldview and backstory, etc. they are all dashed and simply implied away at certain scenes of the game. I'm quite entertained with what we have of the franchise, and definitely of DmC: Devil May Cry, but I think, in a longer run, people would gravitate to a more cohesive, well-thought out story, a story that isn't afraid of depiciting cruelty, or a harsh reality, and a story of a more vulnerable male character who's humanity doesn't just have to depend on his supernatural genetics, but his journey alone can help reflect what we, as humans, keep all do, striving and enduring for the best
#now I'm well aware that the dichotomous nature of the og Dante and Vergil is a long running theme especially regarding their humanity#my conclusion is against the critics of the reboot who say that because they are Nephilim that the story and themes suddenly lacks humanity#or love etc which couldn't be further from the truth#whether it's favoritism blinding their senses or willfully not exercising the same media analysis just because it's the reboot#is utterly their own absurd opinions and quite unfair to do so#dmc devil may cry#devil may cry#dmc reboot#reboot dante#dmc: devil may cry#reboot dmc#dmc#dante#dante dmc#devil may cry 5#dmc dante#devil may cry reboot#reboot devil may cry#dante devil may cry#devil may cry dante#dante reboot#dmc 5#dmc 5 dante#dante dmc 5#nero dmc#nero devil may cry#dmc 5 nero#women of devil may cry
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Silver Blaze pt 3
So, the last part buried my dreams of Silver Blaze cantering gaily across the moor, enjoying his new life of freedom and pony companions, apparently he is in the other stable (and hopefully being treated well by the guy in charge if only because he's worth something). But what really happened that night.
Also the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime is in this part, I believe.
Also, apparently the curious incidents of the sheep in the field:
“Have you noticed anything amiss with them of late?”
“Well, sir, not of much account; but three of them have gone lame, sir.”
If someone has been practising how to lame a horse by laming sheep they are going in the special prison for animal cruelty.
Someone's been practising making animals lame on the sheep, haven't they?
Either that or there's a mysterious livestock-laming illness going around. What does foot and mouth do? (Apparently does make animals lame, but also has several other unpleasant symptoms, so they probably would have noticed that.)
But if Silver Blaze was ill, then having the horse 'stolen' so it couldn't run would probably be a better way of getting insurance money. Maybe. Surely he'd be insured against illness as well, though maybe not for as much? I know nothing about animal insurance, or race horses.
Colonel Ross still wore an expression which showed the poor opinion which he had formed of my companion's ability...
Colonel Ross is still being a dick, I see. Consistent characterisation there, I commend you. It does seem to be his one distinguishing feature. The parade of unpleasant colonels continues.
That was quite fun to say.
“To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.”
“The dog did nothing in the night-time.”
“That was the curious incident,” remarked Sherlock Holmes.
The Colonel was very angry. “I have been on the turf for twenty years, and never was asked such a question as that before,” said he. “A child would know Silver Blaze, with his white forehead and his mottled off-foreleg.”
...because there's absolutely no way to cover up those sorts of markings. At all... Nope. Impossible.
Oh, Mr Heath Newton... don't give your horse a racist name. Dude. Don't make the animal an accessory to your bigotry. I was all ready to like you for being the only person without a title, but nope. And there's another colonel in the running, are there really no other army ranks available? How many colonels does the British army have in the 1890s that they can just run around murdering and being murdered with such abandon?
(Colonel Wardlaw has neither murdered nor been murdered as far as I'm aware. Currently his only crime is calling a horse 'Pugilist' which is just a bad name, but at least it's not racist 😃👍. Colonel Ross has also not currently murdered anyone either, but I get the impression he kind of wants to murder Holmes.)
“That's not my horse,” cried the owner. “That beast has not a white hair upon its body. What is this that you have done, Mr. Holmes?”
He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, this one, huh?
“You have only to wash his face and his leg in spirits of wine, and you will find that he is the same old Silver Blaze as ever.”
“You take my breath away!”
This is the part I knew, I confess. I think there must be an Enid Blyton book with the same plot, because I remember it being a black horse with the markings covered with shoe polish, but same difference. I'm having fun judging Col. Ross for not realising this sooner, but honestly it's probably not his fault. Although it does seem logical that if someone steals a famous horse, they'd try to hide any well-known markings it has.
Of course, these days horses are microchipped, but Leverage already worked out how to get around that.
“My dear sir, you have done wonders. The horse looks very fit and well. It never went better in its life. I owe you a thousand apologies for having doubted your ability. You have done me a great service by recovering my horse. You would do me a greater still if you could lay your hands on the murderer of John Straker.”
Oh wow, an actual apology. Maybe not all colonels are bad...
The Colonel flushed angrily. “I quite recognize that I am under obligations to you, Mr. Holmes,” said he, “but I must regard what you have just said as either a very bad joke or an insult.”
Now Holmes is just having fun with him. This plus the 'it was the horse!' followed by 'but I have a bet on, so you'll have to wait' is just plain vindictive. Clearly the colonel's apology wasn't quite enough to absolve him of all punishment in Holmes' eyes.
"...the immense significance of the curried mutton occurred to me..."
Not quite as catchy, but it could totally be a sequel.
"Powdered opium is by no means tasteless. The flavor is not disagreeable, but it is perceptible."
I did wonder about this, but I don't know enough about powdered opium to comment. So the immense significance of the curried mutton was that it was spicy?
And the curious incident of the dog in the night-time is that it did not bark when someone stole the horse. Meaning it must have been an inside job, but Ned was apparently not involved. His drugging was honest.
"There have been cases before now where trainers have made sure of great sums of money by laying against their own horses, through agents, and then preventing them from winning by fraud."
The classic betting fraud scam, which is why insider betting is illegal. Not an insurance scam. Those are pretty much the only reasons to steal a racehorse, right? Well, I guess maybe you just want a racehorse... Always possible.
"You must know, with your wide experience of turf matters, Colonel Ross, that it is possible to make a slight nick upon the tendons of a horse's ham, and to do it subcutaneously, so as to leave absolutely no trace."
Well Straker was a total dick. He really did practise on those sheep, huh? Poor animals. They're the real victims in all of this.
"...Straker was leading a double life, and keeping a second establishment. The nature of the bill showed that there was a lady in the case, and one who had expensive tastes."
So he hurt animals, tried to fix races, and was an adulterer. Just a gem of a human being. And he drugged that one guy, which is pretty horrible, too.
“Ah, it bolted, and was cared for by one of your neighbors. We must have an amnesty in that direction, I think. This is Clapham Junction, if I am not mistaken, and we shall be in Victoria in less than ten minutes."
Who just happened to cover up the markings in such a way as to make the horse unrecognisable to you, but that's nbd. What's this? Almost our stop?
Like the colonel can't put together those pieces of information. He has pretty much 1 neighbour who happens to have a stable. It doesn't take a genius to put two and two together on that one.
I suppose you could call the travellers 'neighbours', but that seems unlikely.
The colonel was not a criminal, but he was kind of unlikeable, so he's going down in the tally of unpleasant colonels, if anyone's keeping track. Did ACD have a bad experience with a colonel? This is turning into a pattern.
Next up: The Beryl Coronet, which I remember the name of, but nothing about. In my head it just links back to The Blue Carbuncle, probably because they're both jewels and they have the same initials.
#Letters from Watson#Silver Blaze#Sherlock Holmes#long post#I spent way too long on that book cover#but I probably should tag for#animal cruelty#for that#animal death#maybe? it's a cartoony picture but it's still there
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Explanation of the Diagnostic Criteria of Conduct Disorder (CD)
In order to be diagnosed with conduct disorder, one must meet at least three of the following fifteen criteria in the past 12 months, with at least one criterion met in the past 6 months. Symptoms must be repetitive or consistent and clinically significant. If one is 18 years or older, they may only be diagnosed with conduct disorder if they do not meet the criteria for antisocial personality disorder.
AGGRESSION TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS
1. Often bullies, threatens, or intimidates others.
This includes bullying on social media (cyberbullying).
2. Often initiates physical fights.
May be extremely eager to physically fight others.
Getting into frequent fights may also affect their friendships, especially if they end up getting into fights with their friends.
3. Has used a weapon that can cause serious physical harm to others (e.g., a bat, brick, broken bottle, knife, gun).
"Used a weapon" is a vague statement, but a good assumption to make is that it counts if you used the object against another person (e.g., throwing a brick at them).
4. Has been physically cruel to people.
May push, hit, or bite others (especially earlier in life).
Physical cruelty may be disguised as "teasing" (e.g., hair pulling, poking/jabbing, yanking, "roughhousing").
5. Has been physically cruel to animals.
Methods include shooting, animal fighting, torture, beating, throwing them around, burning them, stabbing them, kicking them, dragging them, malnourishment, poking/jabbing hard, excessive teasing, etc.
6. Has stolen while confronting someone (e.g., mugging, purse snatching, extortion, armed robbery).
This means you're stealing things from a person directly.
Another example is pickpocketing (a form of larceny [theft of personal property] that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from a victim's pocket without them noticing).
Mugging is the act of attacking and robbing someone in a public or semi-public place (commonly alleyways, at least on TV shows).
Extortion is when one obtains something, especially money, through force or threats.
Armed robbery is the act of stealing from someone by using a weapon.
7. Has forced someone into sexual activity.
Pretty self-explanatory; if it confuses anyone or you want more detail feel free to DM me.
DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY
8. Has deliberately engaged in fire-setting with the intention of causing serious damage.
May have an unusual fascination with fire.
Others may find burn holes in carpets, beds, or furniture.
May pocket fire-starting materials (e.g., matches, lighters) and keep them hidden.
May light candles, fireworks, and other things, despite being told not to.
9. Has deliberately destroyed others' property (other than by fire-setting).
This is also called "vandalism."
Examples include smashing car windows, egging cars or houses, keying cars, slashing tires, defacing park benches, altering or knocking down street signs, and kicking and damaging someone's property with your hands or feet.
DECEITFULNESS OR THEFT
10. Has broken into someone else's house, building, or car.
Some professionals may count exploring abandoned buildings in this criterion, especially if you did not receive permission before exploring and the site was private.
Breaking into lockers and other school areas logically seem to be the most likely course of action for a younger child.
Other places include homes, storage units, and stores/pharmacies.
11. Often lies to obtain goods or favors or to avoid obligations (i.e., "cons" others).
White lies (to spare someone's feelings or avoid their wrath): pretending they can't find a sweater their friend wants to borrow because they don't want the friend to have it; expressing excitement about an achievement of someone else's but at the same time angry/upset that you didn't get it; telling their friend they forgot their lunch so the friend will share with them.
More harmful lies (intended to be malicious, to deceive, or to get something to which one is not entitled): stealing a friend's iPad and then telling the friend they don't know where it is; refusing to admit that they shoplifted and instead blaming someone else; taking credit for other people's work.
12. Has stolen items of nontrivial value without confronting a victim (e.g., shoplifting, but without breaking and entering; forgery).
"Without confronting a victim" refers to the idea that this criterion is talking about theft that does not include a single victim and perpetrator; instead, the perpetrator is stealing from stores or forging signatures (I think identity theft goes here, too).
Shoplifting is classified as a misdemeanor in the United States until the perpetrator reaches a certain price value of the goods they have stolen, when it becomes a felony (e.g., in Texas, shoplifting becomes a felony when the value of all of the stolen property amounts to $2,500 or more).
SERIOUS VIOLATIONS OF RULES
13. Often stays out at night despite parental prohibitions, beginning before age 13 years.
Kind of self-explanatory, if requested I can elaborate
14. Has run away from home overnight at least twice while living in the parental or parental surrogate home, or once without returning for a lengthy period.
Most runaways are not gone for more than 48 hours to a week, but based on this criterion I would say that being gone longer than a day or so counts as a lengthy period
15. Is often truant from school, beginning before age 13 years.
Truancy laws depend on the area you live in. For example, in Minnesota, you're considered truant if you have three or more full or partial school absences that are unexcused. In Texas, if you are absent without excuse for 10+ days or partial days in a 6-month period in the same school year, you're considered truant.
SOURCES
https://www.surgeactivism.org/articles/torture-by-teasing-animal-videos-are-racking-up-millions-of-views-on-social-media
https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/Patients-Families/Health-Library/HealthDocNew/Firesetting
https://www.findlaw.com/criminal/criminal-charges/vandalism.html
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-lying.html
https://www.simsfirm.com/blog/2015/march/will-i-go-to-jail-for-shoplifting-in-texas-/
https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/discipline-compendium?state=Texas&sub_category=Chronic%20Absenteeism%20and%20Truancy
https://www.crowwing.gov/1647/Truancy
https://www.lovetoknow.com/parenting/teens/teenage-runaways
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my mum says the coronation brings people together and a lot of joy to people (ordinary people, who aren't rich) and the royal family gives people a sense of continuity - politicians come and go but everyone knows the royal family. i can't help thinking she has a point - there is something comforting about the familiarity of them and they do do some charitable works and appear to be more accepting of different faiths etc.
(2) i say to her that it's not right that they're so rich and that they have colonialist roots and i hate their hunting. and i don't think the taxpayer should be paying for the coronation (though some people will say the coronation is good for the economy) but i find it hard to see it as as black and white as 'the royal family are evil' - they must be so heavily influenced by their upbringings and there must be a lot of pressure on them to uphold tradition.
(3) i feel like i'm being a killjoy to everyone and i'm wondering is the coronation actually making things harder for people struggling financially? or would they be struggling just as much without the coronation, but people just don't like the royal family to be rich whilst they're struggling and see it as unfair? because if it's the latter, and the royal family actually benefits the economy, then i don't see it as such a bad thing
(4) and does the fact that it has colonialist roots have a tangible negative impact *now*?
Firstly; in terms of them bringing people joy, you’d have to weigh that against them bringing many other people misery or anger. Very few people sitting in their council houses that they can’t afford to heat with their families they can’t afford to feed derives any joy from the existence of a monarch whose excessive wealth is derived from the public purse.
The Royal Stipend this year is 86.3m, on top of their cash and assets estimated between 20 and 24 billion. That’s not even counting Charles’ personal fortune, estimated at 1.9 billion. The Royals are inexplicably completely exempt from inheritance tax, so he didn’t give back a single penny he inherited from his rich mum. Can you imagine how much joy we could give people if that money went towards subsidised electricity, food, housing, schools, the NHS?
Instead, Charles will show up at a school or hospital every now and again to thank the workers for their service, a visit we will also pay for because the cost of security (or really anything actually useful) is paid by the taxpayer instead of being taken out of the Royal Stipend.
Even as individuals, everything we ever find out that we weren’t supposed to know paints them in a very bad light. The racism, the adultery, the alleged sexual assault, the animal cruelty, the unreasonable working conditions for their staff, the fact that they specifically don’t have to abide by diversity hiring laws (I wonder why), all the awful and insensitive comments recorded by people who have met them over the years. Charles currently giving out free portraits of himself to hang in all public buildings. He spent 8m of our money on a vanity project in the middle of the worst economic recession since WWII.
But it’s really not about who they are as people or how they live their lives as individuals, if Charles were a noble and just king the monarchy would still be fundamentally wrong. They represent and benefit from an institution derived from colonialism, built on wealth inherited from slavery and funded for by us. It is perfectly possible to leave the royal family, Harry has at least partially doing it, so having been born into it doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of making other choices about your own life. So long as they continue to spend that money and live that life with our money then it’s more than fair to judge them for it.
Even using the coronation as a single example shows how they are prioritised. This took place in the midst of an unprecedented cost of living crisis, with every bit of government help fought tooth and nail. But suddenly there was no question about whether or not we could afford it, no mention of the evils of handouts or the importance fiscal responsibility, because it was a party for the King.
Conservative-run Bromley council refused to fund "warm banks" during winter but were more than happy to spend £50m on events to mark the coronation. It was the same story for the Royal Weddings, both princes spent about £30m each, while homeless people were cleared off the street so they wouldn’t spoil the photos. Charles’ first wedding (to the woman he cheated on for years) cost 87m in today’s money, and was three days of lavish feasts and parties paid for by us. His second, ‘modest registry’ wedding to the new queen (who cheated on her husband with Charles) cost 5m.
Oh and just as an added kick in the teeth, we also paid about 12m in hush money to the victim of Charles’ brother Andrew. That’s just an estimate though, since the royals didn’t think we deserved to actually know the full cost or any of the details in the agreement, despite it coming out of our pocket. Imagine what all of that money could have done for people who actually need it, on top of the 2 billion in assets and 86m, assuming it doesn’t increase (again) next year.
There is an obvious link between that kind of money being spent and poor people in Britain not being given the support they need. The state has a choice where they wanted that money to go, and actively made the decision that it should benefit the rich instead of the poor. Charles could have refused, he could have recognised the state of the UK and decided the coronation should be quiet, dignified and inexpensive. But he didn’t - he went lavish, over the top and expensive, air conditioned custom gold carriage and all. He and the government didn’t even bother to tell us how much it was expected to cost - an apparent blank cheque we are supposed to be happy to pay.
As for the benefits, there is no convincing evidence that royal events or the royals themselves bring in more money than they cost. Everyone cites visitors to Buckingham Palace etc. but The Louvre and Versailles are two of the most visited tourist destinations on earth and the French beheaded their monarchs 250 years ago.
How much people appreciate continuity is of course subjective, but continuity in the form of a reigning monarch that can't be recalled by election is inherently anti-democratic. When the public vote out a government they're deeply dissatisfied with the way the country is being run, the fact that everyone will be replaced except the Head of State is absurd. Continuity of what? Parasitivism? Besides, how does everyone really 'know' the royal family? We know their names, we know bits of information from fallouts, but they take great pains to make sure that pretty much everything else about their lives, and particularly their finances, are well hidden from the public.
The British Monarchy are an outdated relic of our shameful imperial history and an egregious example of the class divide in modern Britain. The existence of these self-aggrandising scroungers is an insult to anyone in the UK who has ever struggled or ever had to work for their survival. Any benefits are far outweighed by the cost the public and to our supposedly ‘democratic’ process.
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Nilaufein
Dalamus' second eldest brother. Born 270 years before the events of Baldur's Gate 3, and born 70 years before Dalamus.
Nilaufein was a bit of an oddity among the family, considered kinder than most, or as kind as one could be without putting a target on his own back. He was no saint, he knew the harsh reality of living under a Lolth-driven society meant injustices and cruelty were, unfortunately, inevitable. He knew he had to be cunning, and vigilant, and selfish at times in order to survive, but he chose to avoid cruelty where possible. He used his charm and wit to talk his way out of trouble or talk others down from harsh decisions, appealing to other drows' inflated egos to keep them from "wasting their time" on those "beneath" them. This same sort of diplomacy was often used to mitigate confrontations between his brothers, Orgoll and Dalamus.
He tried to show kindness to Dalamus without making him too "soft" to survive the Underdark, knowing he could not be around to protect him forever.
Although the family's trade was gemcutting, Nilaufein found that he did not have the dexterity or the eye for fine detail to enjoy it, and he did not like sitting for so long. Instead, he found work at the bazaar raising, caring for, and training Pack Lizards and Riding Lizards. He enjoyed caring for the animals, the labor involved was rewarding, and it meant less direct interaction with the rest of his kin than many jobs. Made decent money when the lizards were trained well.
Nilaufein was selected to participate in a surface raid when Dalamus was nearing 30. He never returned.
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Okay,i made AU of John Krisfalusi and Spümcø.
John K/Spümcø AU
When John created his studio,which was named Spümcø. In 1990 he released his pilot for Ren and Stimpy, which was called "Big House Blues". In the end, everyone liked the cartoon. And Krisfalusi began his full production with his team on a cartoon called "The Ren & Stimpy Show" . Of course, Nickelodeon, which did such a thing as "NickToons",he noticed this and decided that he should have a contract with Krisfalusi. And now the era of “The Ren & Stimpy Show” begins to develop in the Spümcø studio. After the first season, which was not touched at all by censorship. The team began creating the second season of this show, and it began. Some episodes were closed from Nickelodeon and from television, and some moments in the episodes were completely cut out, and the full episodes can be seen on DVD.
And there was one thing. In August 22 1992 John K released an episode, which called "Man's Best Friend",aired on Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon already wanted to fire John for cruelty and such things. But John said that he did it because the audience wanted it and in the end Nickelodeon spared him,giving him one last chance. And in the end, John and his team were not touched by the dismissal.
In 1992 John Krisfalusi once secretly created an episode of Ren and Stimpy called "My Poor Stimpy". And half the team and even Billy West himself took part in this. After finishing this episode,John and his half of the team were very excited with joy, especially John himself. This episode was watched by literally all viewers, children, teenagers and even adults. After the episode, Nickelodeon was very shocked, because in this episode there was cruelty, the theme of abuse and a severe beating. Therefore, Nickelodeon could not stand it and fired John Krisfalusi and literally the entire Spümcø team was fired from Nickelodeon,And the release of new episodes was entrusted to Bob Camp, and Ren and Stimpy themselves were voiced by Billy West. This is how the Games Animations era began. Well, of course, after this, John was not upset. And myself with half the team that didn’t go to Games Animations - remained. And they themselves watched episodes from Games Animations,and according to John himself said the fact is that seasons 3, 4 and 5 are a stupid waste of money.
And finally, this era of the 90s has passed, and the era of the 2000s has begun.
In 2002 Viacom I wanted an adult version of Ren and Stimpy to be broadcast on SpikeTV. And Krisfalusi, of course, agreed to this, and he started his own business. He was bringing his team back to make an adult version of Ren and Stimpy,which is called "Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon". John had everything under control. We wrote scripts, sketches, and so on. So far everything was fine, until Billy West got involved with John K. He didn’t want to participate in this because his career in this will hurt. John tried to persuade him but in response. Billy West broke him badly. He mentioned that because of the episode "My Poor Stimpy" the team was fired. Because of this, Nickelodeon had to check episodes and seasons 3,4 and 5. So that they can be shown normally on Nickelodeon. And Billy West himself almost lost his career because of this. And so, Billy West screamed at John:
“THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!! IF YOU WASN'T DOING THIS. THEN THERE WOULD BE NO TROUBLES!!!"
And Billy West finally said to him last words:
“And you know what... I don’t want anything to do with you anymore... Forget about the fact that we were friends... Your junk will be closed in 4 weeks, and everyone will hate you,Including me. So...You are now a monster for me, who ruined everything." And Billy West left.
John was shocked and devastated by his "buddy's" words. His team tried to reassure him that everything would be fine. But John barely calmed down, and everything was fine. Only he had to find a replacement actor Stimpy. And he found it, it was Eric Bauza.
And finally, in 2003, the cartoon Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon premiered on SpikeTV. Shown late at night. And after three episodes such as "Onward and Upward","Ren Seeks Help" and "Fire Dogs 2", the ratings were 3.6/10.
Since the audience reacted differently, either someone liked it or they didn’t. And because of this, SpikeTV allowed three more episodes to be released, such as "Naked Beach Frenzy", "Altruistis" and "Stimpy's Pregnant". And the rating for this was 5.8/10, which surprised John and his team. And because of this, they were very happy that people liked it.
And they released 3 more episodes such as "Life Sucks","The Big Switch","The Wilderness Adventure" and a film in which episodes of "Life Sucks", "Ren Seeks Help" and "The Big Switch".
And the rating was 6.2/10, so John was very pleased, and in honor of this he releases the second season of the adult version of Ren and Stimpy. And there were a little more episodes than in the first season.
And John’s life was good, he liked the adult version of Ren and Stimpy himself, saying that it was “An unexpected favorite cartoon for viewers". Currently the rating is 7.5/10,The show was truly loved by fans and viewers.
And now, John Krisfalusi and his team are living well. And they forgot about the bad things that had ever happened to them…
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Samael Nodin Elatha
1. Neka I used
2. Neka I used
“Why are you looking at me like that love?”
Full name: Samael Nodin Elatha
Name meaning: Samael is one for Jewish Angels of death, Nodin mean 'Windy Day' in Native American and Elatha means 'Craft' in Celtic,it also the prince of darkness in Irish mythology.
Gender: Male
Age:24
Sexuality: Omnisexual
Species: Angel of Death
Personality: Samael is what people call him..dangerous to approach. Why? Well..Samael is very..what's the word..different in his own way. He shows very little interest in school things but he needs to pass in order it get his damn 3 cousins and his father off his damn back. He shows emotions time to time. Depending of how his day went and his thoughts along with his options about you, He can be a very sweet,caring and gentle boy. OR he will be your nightmare and hell if he is provoked. Much not say about his personality but what I can say..before Samael find my ass: He is understandable guy and will do ANYTHING to protect you, his family and friends. (If you came from a family, then he's a bit iffy on that)
Likes: Samael likes rainy weather. He always found it very calming and relaxing. He loves dancing plus music. This dude have a obsession with cute things like bunnies,kittens etc. He like seeing his old crush Tsukii happy despite the incident. His family...most of the time. He like smoking weed(Cannabis if you didn't get the ghetto term 'weed') since he actually smoked weed when he was 12 years old. The instruments he had, dusk time, his friends, spreading the 'TEA' to those said friends.
Dislikes: School. He have little to no interest in school but he had to suck it up because of his father and cousins. The students that flirted with him in the hallways. He hates missing his lunch. Certain aesthetics make him very uncomfortable(Traumacore is one of them..). He hates child abused and animal cruelty,
Voice Claims
Japanese: Cyno from Genshin Impact
English: Guren Ichinose from Seraph of The End
Facts
-On that day Samael was born, it was VERY windy day so Nodin is his middle name.
-He did not know this but he was actually an descendant of The Prince of Darkness..he did not know that
-He is from a Mafia Family. If you heard the name 'Dark Nightmares', that's his family.
-Samael is rich rich but he never spends much money. He can be your sugar daddy or something.
-James,Samael’s Father almost put Hemlock(a poisonous plant) as Samael's middle name but Marline, Samael’s mother slapped him because of it
-He has a younger brother and 3 annoying cousins
-He is 6'9
-He loves skateboarding
-He is very sweet despite his...appearance
-July 25th making this dude a Virgo
@dxmoness @primordixl @yevene @lxdymoon0357 @zhengbobatw @mewpangxin @anxious-twisted-vampire @inkybloom-luv
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Leverage Log: The San Lorenzo Job
OK, we're really switching to season-long setups now with the return of Manticore as a Plot-point. Not really a fan, I personally like shows where stuff can actually stand on its own to stay that way. It feels unfair to suddenly rely on the audience to start taking notes from previous episodes when you've trained them not to.
So now we know that there are 3 things to be stolen this episode: The Election/The Country itself (stuff the ballot boxes or hack the machines, possibly a Sophie Thing, grifting not a Person but a Country entirely), His Backup Gold and Diamonds (Big Parker Moment?) and the Manticore Servers (cause Leverage Consulting is not stupid enough to let that thing go out on the open market a second time. They learn from their mistakes. )
I guess there's a small chance they don't steal Manticore? In that they could also say "the servers will go on the open market after Moreau's take-down, and we'll just buy it with the money we steal from him" like he bought it after they stole it from Duberman, But that doesn't feel like how the Leverage Crew operates.
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The Italian makes another appearance, "Damian Moreau will never leave San Lorenzo". Clearly a case of Exact Words 101, So of I'm right they're gonna turn his Shelter from extradition into his prison.
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OK the heroes have all touched all the TV's in the electoral command center, which means they're now all Hardison-ed. Compromised, don't trust anything a TV shows in this episode.
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So they're compromised (definitely not intentionally no-no this show would never make the bad guy think he knew what was going on to make the bad guy overconfident. They'd never do that /s)
But are you telling me Hardison hadnt hacked the stuff yet? Thats like the first thing he does?
Normally... Normally its the first thing he does, i forgot about Manticore didnt I.
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"How is a campaing promise different then a lie", come-on writers, tell us how you really feel!
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What scandal could be worse then Sex or Corruption? Animal Cruelty, Puppies... You can tell the writers loved coming up with this as a plot.
Love the way that their chosen stooge absolutely despises them. Like Nate is not a nice guy and this is a genuinely good person forced to work with Nate at his sober-est.
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The way that Sophie tells the poor guy exactly how she's gonna manipulate him with the handshake, then proceeds to do it.
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And the team is back at what they do best biochemical warfare, Nothing these guys cant accomplish by drugging the heck out of some people.
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Oh jackbooted thugs with face concealing masks, in a show where the heroes are always disguising themselves as anyone and everything, shoot Shophie on camera?
Yeah that was the plan, make it look like democracy is falling apart to get them in trouble with the UN watchdogs. Tell the Current President he can simply frame Moreau to clean his own hands... give him a nice retirement package... I can see Nate's angle.
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So yeah, play your enemies against eachother, steal an election, Sophie's face is going to be on the money now. Sophie grifting so hard she makes a president feels like a good enough Big Sophie Moment.
So they didnt steal Manticore, just imprisoned the owner and then had it become a San Lorenzo Government Property (which is now an actual democracy).
No big parker moment... kind of sad, but having Parker steal all his gold off-screen feels like the most Parker way to steal. the simple "yeah she's good enough we dont even need to show the audience" is Parker enough for Parker. even if the 2-part finale didnt give her a "moment" the finale didnt need it.
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[Gong Yoo — 42 — he/him] Introducing JEONG-IN “SNOW WHITE” KANG . Word on the street is they are a RETIRED CSI / CLEANER and member of SYNDICATE for the past 3 MONTHS . Though they are DETACHED and ARROGANT , they can also be PATIENT and RELIABLE . In the chaos of New York City, they’re sure to fit right in.
TW: mention of death, animal cruelty, nsfw subjects
— BASICS
Name: Jeong-in Kang
Age / D.O.B.: 42, March 13th 1981
Gender, Pronouns & Sexuality: cis male, he/him & demi-homosexual
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Affiliation: Syndicate (3 months starting January 11th 2024)
Job position: Retired CSI / Cleaner
Education: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (MS in Crime Scene Investigation)
Relationship status: Single
Children: –
Positive traits: methodical, patient, intelligent, reliable, kind, witty
Negative traits: detached, uncommitted, arrogant, condescending, liar, apathetic
— BIOGRAPHY
Jeong-in was born in Seoul on an average day in a humble household. There wasn’t anything that stood out about him; being the middle child didn’t do much to help either. The only thing he eventually got known for was his nose; he was excellent with scents. Though, Jeong-in hated it cause he was so damn sensible to them. Eventually, they were able to put a name on what he was; a Nez. Jeong-in had no interest for perfume confectionery. His passion was to understand things after they had happened. At 11, his parents bought him a CSI kit for kids and that was it for him; nothing else would ever really interest him after that. So after doing his military service, Jeong-in had gone back to school to study in what truly fascinated him; crime scenes. He took pleasure during his profiling classes, but never pushed for more. As soon as he graduated he was hired, and ended up making a name for himself due to his sharp analytical eye. Figure out quickly how things had happened and why; immersing himself into the crime scenes in front of him. His amazing sense of smell ended up becoming his greatest asset; something that followed her to his criminal life.
Going down a bad path had nothing to do with mistakes made; it’d just been boredom. Boredom and his arrogant ass that thought he could do a job better than those who’d tried to clean murder scene. Cause if he could sniff out blood and any lingering fragrances, it’d be a piece of case to erase all proofs of a crime right?! For 10 years he perfected his skills; going around towns to find actual crime scenes that hadn’t been discovered yet. That was how he was discovered at 30 and willingly dragged into the world of gangsters. Over time, he was given the nickname 백설공주 (Baegseolgongju) Korean for Snow White. He hated the name at first, but came to enjoy it cause it had everything to do with his work and nothing with him. Moreover, the nickname became staple for his criminal activities, and left people to assume he was a woman. To this day, the knowledge of Snow White’s gender remains unclear for most.
He continued to live with a foot in both world till boredom got the best of him again, and he just left everything behind to move to NYC at the age of 39-40. His reputation preceded him so it was easy for him to fall back into hold habits. Though this time, Jeong-in turned his back on law enforcement for good. Until very recently, he’d been doing cleaning for the biggest checks; not really caring about who’d signed it. Though, he never showed his face to anyone and was only known by his nickname. Eventually, the Syndicate offered him enough money and the safety he’d once had back in Korea; so Jeong-in finally revealed his name and face to them as he joined their ranks.
Only the Syndicate members know that Jeong-in and “Snow White” are the same person. To outsiders, Jeong-in is just a guy that retired from the field to enjoy life in NYC.
— PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
Height: 6’ 0"
Body type: Athletic
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark brown (look black)
Facial hair: N/A
Piercings/Tattoos: N/A
Distinguishing marks: Any scars that could identify him have been surgically removed off records. Same for any repairs he ever done to his teeth once he got into the business.
Defining traits: Even though he’s an untrained “Nez”, Jeong-in still recognises people by their scent. It has come in handy for his work as CSI and cleaner.
Languages: Korean, English, Russian, Spanish, Italian
Fashion style: Casual chic
Extra: He doesn’t drink alcohol at all cause he has a really low tolerance to it. If forced to drink, Jeong-in will turns his face away and cover his mouth while drinking with elders or people of authority as a sign of respect per Korean traditions. Jeong-in like all korean men born in Korea is military trained and still workout like he used to back then.
— PERSONALITY
General: Charming and eloquent, but sometimes cutting to the chase a bit too directly, he comes off as just an average guy, but more often than not cold and distant. He can be flirty in some situation, but extremely private because of his double life. He’ll help others and be kind to keep up with appearances.
About his work: He’s condescending and arrogant about his work as a cleaner because he believes he’s the best. He refuses to work with an audience and will walk away from a contract if he’s not left to his own device.
With co-workers (Syndicate): Charming, eloquent and confident, but also very casual in the way he speaks. It’s not out of disrespect but how he is. But he also avoids unnecessary direct interactions with them unless he has to.
Motivations: Intrinsic & Introjected
Current Goal: Do his job
Life Goal: Stay happy while doing what he enjoys most (being a cleaner)
Best Quality: Methodical
Worst Quality: Liar
Fears: Being unable to be a cleaner
Hobbies: Cleaning random crime scenes, restoring old/rusty tools, training, walking around the city
Alignment: True Neutral
Influential Memory: Losing Park Yeo, meeting Lee
Source of Embarrassment: Messing up his work
Source of Pride: His work
Extra: He gets bored easily when he’s not cleaning.
— RELATIONSHIP
The Syndicate: Jeong-in avoids contacts unless he has to, but will occasionally try to be social. This is to help with keeping his identity as secret, but also because he’s not a social person to begin with. He doesn’t really care for their affair; cause his only interest is in his work. Jeong-in sees himself as a subcontractor more than a member of the Syndicate. But he makes the most of it. You could say he lacks ambition.
Significant other(s): He’s not monogamous, nor does he expect that kind of commitment from his lover. Casual sex can be fun, but he’ll prefer watching porn over it most of the time. He enjoys riling up his partners. He can look extremely detached with them, but he’s a fiery lover. He’s not into polyamory either, because he can only connect emotionally to one person at a time. He’s very much a power bottom.
Family: N/A
Friends: {see General in Personality section above} though, how he is with them is genuine.
토끼 (Tokki): His 9-month old Shiba Inu. She’s a rescue from an abusive breeder. Jeong-in was just curious about the idea of having an animal to look more “normal”. She was terrified of everyone, but approached him. She’s now all smile, loves her human but usually doesn’t like others (she ignores them) unless he tells her it’s alright. He displays the most emotions with her. He renamed her Tokki (bunny), because she jumps around when she’s excited.
— WANTED CONNECTIONS / PLOTS
《 xxxxx 》…..
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BLOOD MASQUERADE ∘ 3
HONO E NO GA
pairing; fem!reader x tba
rating; M/18+
wc; 9.3k
warnings; this series contains violence, blood, explicit smut. future warnings will be added as the story progresses.
masterlist. | taglist form.
a/n: synopsis, genre, and other content related to the fic can be found on the masterlist.
.♛.
You climb the stairs leading to the balcony with one hand firmly planted on the railing and the other holding the hem of your dress up to keep it from dragging. There aren’t many people up on the second floor — most are still enjoying the festivities downstairs — and when you reach the top of the stairs, the difference in volume hits you instantly. It’s far quieter up here than it was surrounded by the majority of the crowd. With a quick scan of the railing, your gaze settles on your target, and a little huff of laughter escapes you.
He hasn’t moved from the spot you saw him in earlier, and the shorter, orange-haired man is still by his side, hands tucked deep into the pockets of his velvet pants. You don’t move towards the pair yet, however. For the time being, you circle around the opposite end of the balcony, slipping behind the few guests who are lined along the railing while keeping your gaze firmly set on the two men across the way. You find a decent enough stopping place almost directly across from them; it’s a vantage point that will serve you well regardless, and it makes it easy to survey what’s happening on the ground floor as well. As you settle with your elbows against the rail, you lean over the lip enough to peek down at the dance floor. Your Fox with his shiny black hair and mask to match is still perched at the center of the room, although looking down on him from this angle with his brother watching from above, he seems less like a disobedient and independent child and more like an animal trapped in a cage. He’s putting on a show here and now, but you wonder how far that freedom goes, and whether he has any freedom at all outside these walls. After all, he hasn’t budged even an inch since he set foot into that inner circle. With the way the Wolf surveys him, it seems to you that there’s little to no freedom at all.
The subtle dynamic shows itself to you then, and you see a touch of the Wolf’s cruelty that Seonghwa assured you wasn’t there.
“So you keep your fox on a leash,” you murmur, eyes lifting to settle back on the other host of the night. He surely doesn’t hear you, but something in your movements must draw his eye because he lifts his chin to stare across the opening between you.
A smile tugs at the corner of your lips.
You don’t let the eye contact linger any longer than that; you only meant to entice enough to draw his attention and it seems you’ve done exactly that, so your job, for the time being, is done.
It takes only a few minutes for someone to approach you, although it’s not a man you’re after. A complete stranger, one that is unfamiliar, and you immediately know that he isn’t one of your princes based on the wrinkles creasing his features behind his mask.
“My dear lady, you are… exquisite, I must say.” His voice, as well, hints to his age.
“I’m afraid flattery will get you nowhere with me,” you murmur back before staring forward once more.
“Ah, don’t be like that! A few good words from me, and you can have anything you want in life. Money, power, more parties like this one — perhaps even better than this one.”
You almost scoff. There’s fairly little this man could get for you that you don’t already have.
“I noticed you don’t have a drink. Should we rectify that? I brought some special imported wine in from Mizubitashi! Ah, but we’ll have to go back to my room to get it. You don’t mind, do you?”
You can’t very well cause a scene here and now but if you could, the temptation to toss him over the railing is stronger than anything else. You reel on him with a fire in your eyes though, and he laughs — either out of fear or mockery, you cannot tell.
“Inviting a lady back to your room unsolicited reflects badly on the customs of our homeland.”
Despite your mouth being open to retort, the words do not come from you. The man before you snaps his attention just past your shoulder.
“I hardly expect to take criticism from a child.”
“Yet you will take it from your Daimyo.”
You inhale sharply and shift to look back as well, finding a suit of blue velvet in your peripherals, and it only takes a moment to process who it is standing behind you currently. There’s a flicker of disappointment in your gut as you were hoping to find the Hawk before he found you himself, although now that doesn’t seem all too important. Perhaps you still have a chance yet and he isn’t aware of your identity.
“A-Ah, my lord, I had — I had no idea it was you, you see! The mask kept me from seeing you properly, I’m sure you understand, and—”
“I’m sure I understand what you were intending to do with this lady as well.”
The man lets out a frantic laugh, and it echoes for far too long to be a natural, unforced sound.
“Just drinks! Our wine is delightful, as I’m sure you know!”
It’s hard to remain unbothered by the scene unfolding in front of your eyes solely because of the way the orange-haired man reaches out to grab the older gentleman by the collar and yanks him down to be eye level. You think back to Seonghwa specifically noting that this man was not quick to temper: it seems quite the opposite from where you’re standing.
“I might not be an official host tonight, but I was sent over here by one because one of my own people was harassing another guest.”
You lean back to look past the Hawk’s shoulder and stare back across the balcony. Jeong Yunho still stands there, eyes trained on your form as you move, and you let out a huff of air.
“If you wish to keep all your appendages and extremities intact, then I suggest you be on your best behavior from here on out.”
The older man stumbles a bit as he’s shoved back, but he’s quicker to steady himself and grovel at the feet of his Daimyo like a child scorned. The power would intimidate you, if it weren’t something you witnessed firsthand for so many years. You do have to bite back a laugh, however, and turn your face into your shoulder when you remember you don’t have your fan with you to shield your expression.
To grovel at the feet of a Daimyo like this… what would you do at the throne of the Emperor?
You don’t see the Hawk turn this man away, but when you do look back up after recovering from your amusement, he’s long gone and only the orange-haired man remains beside you.
“My savior,” you coo, throwing a bit of exaggeration into your tone for added effect. A hand lands on the Hawk’s arm as well, quickly followed by the other as it comes to rest on his forearm at the same time, and you loop an arm through his elbow with little effort as he just lets it happen. “I’m glad I didn’t have to resort to becoming violent myself. That hardly befits a lady at these sort of events.”
“The look you gave him alone was enough to prove that you could handle the issue yourself,” the man murmurs. His body is stiff against yours especially as you press a cheek into his shoulder, but he does nothing to pull away from you still. “You should thank the host for asking me to intervene instead.”
“Hm, yes, but you’re the one who took care of the matter. I can thank you as well regardless.”
“It’s merely my job.”
“One you have to uphold often, I presume?”
The man lifts his free hand to his head and combs through the wavy locks atop his head.
“More often than I should.” He looks off to the side and back across the balcony. “I ought to return to my companion now that that issue is taken care of.”
“Take me over to him, hm?” It’s posed as a question, and the man on your arm is quick to fulfill your request without another word spoken. “Are the two of you close? You and host, I mean.”
“Yes, quite. We’ve known each other for many years.”
“And he’s a man of good intention?” you prod further, peeking over at the Hawk to gauge his reaction.
“Too good for his station in life. Our line of work asks us to play dirty sometimes.”
“Oh yes, I’m well aware. But that’s what makes it fun, isn’t it? Playing games and finding new methods to get ahead… you can’t cheat at chess, but you can tip the scales in your favor.” You watch his features twist, and he seems to realize something then and there as you speak. You match his curious stare with a thin smile.
Then, he’s moving you further from Yunho and the railing, hand tightening around your elbow more and more with each step, and you can’t keep a soft giggle from tumbling out of your lips. He persists in his path until the two of you reach one of the branching hallways off to the side of the second floor. He wastes no time in pressing your body into the wall, not bothering to try to find an empty room and instead settling for something quite scandalously public. Your chest flutters with anticipation. There’s no point in trying to conceal your amusement, but it doesn’t stop you from trying to lift the back off your hand to your mouth. Your partner snatches you by the wrist and slams your arm into the wall beside your head. It’s not enough force to hurt, merely to excite, and you feel your smile falter a hair.
“Kim Hongjoong,” you say although it comes out as a breathless whisper. “Checkmate, Hawk.”
“Who gave you my identity?”
“No one. Inference only.”
“Who told you my name?” he hisses again, pushing a bit more force into his tone.
“The Owl. I gathered everything else from your brief conversation with the man who accosted me. Daimyo, Mizubitashi… it added up. Not the great predator chasing a weak little mouse as you thought? It seems we switched positions for the night, hm?”
“I believe I humbly requested that you wear my gift as I don’t like playing cat and mouse games.”
“It was hardly humble,” you murmur with a bit of an incline to your chin. Hot breath ghosts over your lips as he huffs out his annoyance in your face. “But that’s alright. I don’t mind a bit of arrogance as long as you have the spine to back it up.”
Hongjoong’s eyes blaze as he stares back at you.
“I have more than enough to back it up — you have no need to worry about such childish matters.”
“And yet you stand before me whining about my choice not to wear your gift. Childish? Hardly. I made a choice based on the information and options presented to me.”
“And who did you choose then?” He persists, and that piques your interest a bit. To the point where you think it’s possible for you to tease him a bit further here and now.
You push up onto your toes and force your face further into his space now, lips parted as you tongue at the back of your teeth before saying —
“The Fox.”
His pretty dark eyes burn with a beautiful flame in that moment.
“Do you think this is a jo—”
As he leans in, you reach a hand up between your bodies and grip his chin firmly between your thumb and fingers.
“It doesn’t pay to be jealous over a woman who isn’t even yours to begin with,” you murmur. Your lips are close enough to skate over his without any real contact. Even with him still holding you to the wall with his own hand, it’s clear that you have power on your side. “Nor does it pay to treat me like I’m a slab of meat for you all to fight over. I can’t fathom why the two of you would willingly choose to be in a room together even if at my expense, since you can’t seem to control your temper at the mere mention of his name. Give me one good reason why I ought to visit the two of you tonight. It seems like nothing more than a dick measuring feud that has nothing to do with me.”
“His interest with you is purely physical, whereas I already told you I intended to speak with you about your homeland. The reason I was paired with that prostitute of a prince was to keep him from trying to initiate anything with you as he refused to be with his brother tonight.”
“What if I wanted to lay with that prostitute, hm? Would you stop me then?”
“I lay no claim to you. As you already said, you are free to do whatever you wish. Although I may be blunt, I am honest and genuine in what I’m telling you. My people need your king’s protection, and I would do anything to give that to him.”
“I see you aren’t too proud to refuse help then,” you say through a sigh, releasing your hold on his chin and settling back against the wall. “Then if I choose to go with you tonight, you hope to discuss negotiations?”
“I hope to discuss your homeland and customs so that I know how to find favor with your Shogun.” It’s a surprisingly genuine and honest answer that has you smiling a little in sympathy.
“I will keep that in mind then. You are the only one so far to actually tell me of your intentions should I choose you tonight. I’m grateful for that honestly.”
You think to say something else but it comes up short as you’re interrupted by a separate voice.
“Hongjoong. Is something the matter?”
Both of you shift to the source of the newcomer. It’s your host, Yunho, who stands at the mouth of the hallway with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. His sheer height and broad shoulders are enough to block a good chunk of the hallway, and you can hardly see past his body to see whether other guests are watching on. The fingers around your wrist fall away in the blink of an eye.
“No. We were merely talking.”
“Seems like it was quite the intense discussion,” Yunho comments, but it’s a rather teasing tone.
“No matter.” Hongjoong steps back with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’ll leave the two of you to talk. As for you, milady, I hope we can speak further later on in the night.”
He tries to move away but you lean forward before he’s out of reach, catching him by the wrist with a huff. You stop yourself before saying anything though. What you want to say will expose you too much, will only raise further suspicion about your identity, and you aren’t prepared for the curtain to fall quite yet. So you drop his hand with a murmured apology and a lowered chin.
What I want to say is... I will make sure your people receive our help regardless of what happens tonight.
“Hongjoong,” Yunho continues as the shorter man tries to dodge out of the hallway. “You’re my eyes and ears, remember? Try not to cause any issues this time around.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll keep an eye on him. Don’t worry.”
The blond before you huffs out a laugh and drops his chin to his chest as Hongjoong sidesteps him fully and slips back out onto the balcony.
“I apologize profusely for his shortness. And I don’t mean his height.”
You hate that a laugh bubbles up in your chest at such a joke, but the twinkle in the man’s eye seems to imply he knows you’re amused regardless.
“Are you finding everything to your liking? I’m afraid I know fairly little about your homeland, otherwise I would have catered more to your taste.”
You don’t question how he figured you out so quickly, but you try to keep your surprise to yourself. With a small nod, you push off the wall and cross your arms underneath your chest.
“It’s nice. Busier than anticipated.”
“Is it stifling?”
You bite the inside of your cheek.
“I admit that I’m more used to how open everything is back home. Our parties typically take place outdoors.”
It’s not perfectly quiet in this corner of the mansion, even if more secluded.
Yunho pulls a hand out of one of his pockets and extends it in your direction with his palm facing the floor.
“We can step outside for some fresh air, if you’d like.”
“I would appreciate that,” you say through a soft-sided smile, slipping your gloved hand into his bare one.
“I hope you don’t mind stepping through one of these rooms to get there. Each one has its own balcony for the guests to use as they see fit. Should you stay the night, you’ll have access to your own as well.”
“I think my guests and I will be staying the night yes. Would it be too much trouble to ask you to show me to a room I can stay in tonight now?”
Yunho grins at you, a little half-smile that makes the skin around his eyes crinkle. The deep corners of his lips dip in a bit more to match the smile, then his features relax once more. It leaves you a little bewildered. For someone who is called a Wolf and supposedly feared and renowned, his features are soft around the edges and hardly angular. From the few glimpses you got at his brother, Wooyoung seems far more intimidating than this man here. He’s undeniably handsome though, and you can’t kid yourself into thinking you wouldn’t fall for Yunho’s charms yourself.
“Of course. Will you be needing separate rooms or...?”
A kind way of asking whether you are preoccupied with someone — either romantically or sexually.
“Two separate rooms. My bodyguard will keep watch in my room during the night.”
“Ah, brilliant. Right this way then. I’ll show you to a more private area where you can rest tonight undisturbed.” Yunho shifts your hand smoothly, moving it up his arm with his free hand until you take the hint and loop your arm through his elbow as he leads you further down the hallway. He doesn’t speak during, which surprises you some as he strikes you as the talkative type, but it does give you ample opportunity to keep analyzing his features from the side like this.
A single earring dangles beside his head, one that you notice doesn’t have a match on the other side. While it is a rather simple and unassuming adornment, the twinkle of the lights against its jewels implies diamonds and sapphires — gems that are hardly cheap and imply exactly how wealthy this man is.
It is, however, hard to say whether he is the more handsome of the two brothers. You see charm in both of them and find the allure in each as well. You aren’t too ashamed to admit that you would lay with either of them, if given the chance. But while his younger brother holds a sort of youthful and playful wile, the kind that makes you want to misbehave and do things you aren’t supposed to do, Yunho has a more mature and refiled look about him. Regal features with a softly sloping nose, a strong chin, and pretty lips that jut out enough for you to be curious about their feel and taste. He fully looks the part of a prince, and perhaps that it what fuels you to crave him a bit more carnally without playing games.
Sadly, you can’t jump straight to that sort of thing right away and you have yet to figure out what his intentions are — whether they’re good or not, and what his ties with your cousin are exactly without being too overt and suspicious. Letting him lead you to an unknown corner of this palace of a home is a test in and of itself, you suppose.
Your staring doesn’t go unnoticed, it seems, because after a bit, he tilts his head in your direction and peeks at you out the corner of his eye.
“Do you wish to ask something of me or would you rather have me allow you to admire in silence?”
“I was curious,” you start, “to see if you lived up to the rumors and expectations.”
“And? Do I?”
“I suppose the people weren’t wrong, no.” You fix your chin forward and look down the hallway now, an attempt to preoccupy yourself before you accidentally start ogling Yunho once more. He brings you to a staircase at the end of the hall, one that bends and curves upwards, and you lift the corner of your sweeping dress before stepping up alongside the man.
“I’m not asking for the opinion of other people, my dear. Merely yours.”
“Are you asking if I find you to my liking, just like everything else this evening?”
Yunho pulls the two of you to a halt on the midsection of the stairs. His shoes scuff over the wood floor as he moves to stand in front of you. It’s far quieter here: the music is distant, the loud voices are faded and forgotten, and even the air feels still to match the silence.
“I don’t think I’ve had enough of a taste to answer that question yet,” you continue, voice quiet to keep from disturbing the thin lines of tension between you. Under the bright yellow lights, you can see Yunho’s pupils blow out a bit. You pull your arm back with a grin and tuck your hands behind your back. “Do you agree?”
He takes a step towards you unprompted, and you match it with a step backwards until your back hits the stair railing. Hands fly up to grasp the wood behind your back. Yunho’s toes brush yours before his hands come to rest on either side of your own on the railing. He is leaning into your space now, in a way that floods your cheeks with heat and makes you blink up into his dark eyes. If you reach your little finger out now, you could brush his thumb, and that’s exactly what you end up doing as he leans down further. His eyes aren’t on yours — rather your mouth, your cheeks, your chin, the tip of your tongue that darts out to poke at the corner of your lips.
The heady weight of anticipation sits heavy on your shoulders.
Then, Yunho steps back.
“My apologies, I — I let myself get carried away.”
“Not much different from your brother, hm?”
Yunho leans further away as though scandalized by the concept. A moment later, he’s shoving his hands deep into his pockets and turning back to the other half of the staircase. You can spot the red tinge on the tips of his ears from where you’re standing.
“It seems I am in need of that fresh air as well,” he says through a shaky laugh, and this time you allow yourself to laugh with him. “Shall we continue on, milady?” You step up behind him, feet overlapping his only briefly as you follow him up, but you only get the courage to speak your mind when you both reach the top of the stairs.
“I would like to ask about your brother. Only briefly, I promise.”
“Of course, milady, I’m more than happy to answer any questions you might have,” Yunho replies through a hum, and it’s enough for you to trust that he’s being honest.
“I gather the impression that he does not enjoy his princely duties? Yet he seems to enjoy the social aspects of being a prince just fine.”
“He enjoys people and being around them, as well as the attention they give him because he’s a prince. I don’t think he cares that they only kiss up to him for status and benefits of their own.”
“What makes you say that?”
Yunho pauses his walking to look back at you over his shoulder.
“As the firstborn, I was the one who got all the attention growing up. Wooyoung got attention when he misbehaved, as he learned quickly, and because he wanted attention, he would constantly act out of line. When it came to instances where our parents were not involved, he learned quickly that he could get attention by using his status to his advantage. He opened the doors to letting people use him, thus he doesn’t care much when they do so.”
The silence that follows is heavy with implication that doesn’t need to be stated.
“I think these rooms will do. They’re just down the hall from where I’ll be staying tonight, so should you need anything during the night, I’ll be nearby. Shall we step inside?”
You offer a quick nod in response and bring your hands forward to rest in front of your body. The velvet has overstayed its welcome, if you’re being honest, but you’re reluctant to pull them off in case the weather out on the balcony is chilly. For now, you keep them on as you step into the elaborately decorated guest room. It’s far more than you are used to — a raised bed for starters, along with at least three full sized wardrobes and a dresser to match, not to mention there is a bedside table on either side of the enormous bed. The walls are coated in some dramatic red pattern that is hard on the eyes, but it’s at least dim in the room so you don’t have to be bombarded for long. Armchairs, a table, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and more standing floor lamps in the corners, yet the most absurd thing in your eyes is the loveseat at the foot of the bed. You’ve lived in different sorts of palaces your whole life, but this sort of extravagance is far beyond anything you are used to. You imagine you would suffocate under all of it if you had to stay longer than a week here.
“I imagine it’s quite different from what you’re used to?” Yunho inquires, and you wonder if you let your discomfort show too much on your features.
“It is... different, but not in a bad way.”
He bites back a laugh, lifting a hand to cover his mouth as he motions towards the door on the other side of the room. You move when he does and keep your eyes firmly set on his back as you have no further interest in looking around the room any longer.
“I believe we are extravagant in different ways back home. I’ve never been out of my region myself, so being able to have this new perspective is appreciated.”
“Is that so? I’ve only been to Senotakaitou once or twice, so I haven’t had the chance to fully see and engross myself in your culture.” A gust of cold wind hits you as Yunho opens the balcony door, and you pull your arms tighter together as you step out onto the marble-tiled floor. His voice falls in volume with his next statement, in a way that implies sympathy. “I imagine I’ll be asked to go back soon too.”
You know he’s referring to your father and his current state of health. You answer his words with a sad smile.
“Yes, I imagine you all will. All the crown princes will be asked to come if something worse happens.” You exhale a sigh, and the air puffs out in a white cloud in front of your face. Dropping your hands to the railing, you stare out over the scenery without saying a word for some time. Yunho doesn’t interrupt your quiet musing, but he does come to stand beside you with his own hands pushed into his pockets.
Night has fallen by now, so it’s become a bit difficult to truly see the scenery that Taimatsu has to offer. Still, you can see enough of the forest ahead and surrounding the manor like a protective seal of sorts. As you told Seonghwa, you see hardly any dense foliage like this back home — the farthest extent of it is within the safe and pampered walls of the palace where the gardens are, along with the sparse orchards contained in the furthest wall. Those are all maintained and watched over however; the forest before you now is unkempt and unknown probably to most.
“I take it you hunt?”
“Yes, milady, quite often.”
“In these forests?”
“Sometimes. There are other hunting regions within the area as well, but this is obviously the most accessible one for us. My brother comes along as well.”
“The tone of your letter didn’t imply you got along that well,” you murmur. You dare to glance over at the man out the corner of your eye, only to find him staring out over the trees.
“A bit of friendly competition from time to time doesn’t hurt, and I think it helps our relationship from festering into something worse.”
Maybe it’s the fresh air or simply a bit of braveness creeping into your system, but you find that feeling of adrenaline trickling back now. The excited kind, the one that wants to go back on the prowl, and you twist in your spot to let the rail press into your lower back now. The position is evocative of the one he put you in back on the stairs. You wonder if he notices it as well when his gaze slips over to you.
“Is that what tonight is as well? Friendly competition?” The grin on your lips is a little more than facetious. Yunho is silent for so long that you think you have overstepped your boundaries for a moment, but then he steps forward into your space. His hands leave his pockets to grip the railing, and now it truly it the position he had you in on the stairs. This time, though, there is far more privacy and less reservation about what you’re certain will happen. Just to be sure, you slip a foot between his legs, close enough to wrap around the back of his heel if he gets any smart ideas and tries to push you over the edge of the balcony.
“I should hope you value yourself well enough to know that you aren’t a plaything for any of us.”
“You can hardly speak for everyone, can you?”
“I don’t view you as a prize to be won, darling. Do the others’ opinions matter right now when it’s just the two of us?”
“I think I should be asking you that considering how I’ve given you many chances to be a little bold, yet you still won’t do it.” As you speak, your head falls to the side to accentuate the crooked grin painting your lips, and Yunho’s chest stutters as his breath becomes uneven. “You worry about me likening you to your brother, but frankly it’s only natural. I want you and... I get the sense that you want me as well.” You press a hand flat against his stomach, pushing against the soft satin there and dragging up until you can grab him by the collar. His instincts are enough to keep his forehead from colliding roughly with yours, but you still feel the heat of his breath pouring over your face as the distance between your bodies is minimized further. “Checkmate, Wolf, now let’s begin the real game.”
“I don’t want you to think ill of me — o-or think this is all I desire from you because, by the divines, I desire you desperately.” The weight of his stare seems to shoot straight through you, as though your mask isn’t there at all and he can see every inch of you without barrier.
“Stop thinking so hard, Yunho. I want you to take me as you see fit. If we did things my way, I think you would be the one to think ill of me considering the things I like in bed. Whatever it is you want… you can have it for tonight.”
At long last, a large hand grips your waist with enough strength to make you feel a little breathless. You feel your body move before it truly processes, but the cold air from outside dissipates in a few moments as Yunho pulls you back indoors. The door barely shuts before you find yourself pressed against the engraved wood, and this time, Yunho’s chest is fully flush with your own.
“We don’t have enough time to do all the things I wish to do,” he hisses through gritted teeth. The flush on his cheeks is beautiful under the chandelier, and you can’t keep from reaching up to thumb over the reddened skin just below his mask.
“Let’s make do with the time we do have then.”
You’re the one to pull Yunho’s face to yours and slot your lips over his soft ones. It’s a largely innocent kiss — one that tests the waters and finds the end of a fishing line waiting in the abyss. Yunho slides his arm fully around your waist. His tongue brushes over your lower lip just as he pulls you off the door. You sigh into his mouth, allowing him full access to explore your wet cavern without care now, and you aren’t deluded enough to think he hasn’t done this before. He knows his way around your mouth too well, around your lips and with his hands, how he roams your body in search of the laces that hold your dress to your skin. You can’t find it in you to care about any of that either; not as your own hands are shrugging his fancy blazer off and digging to pull his shirt out of where it’s tucked into his pants. You both move with a fervor that implies there is an unspoken countdown between you, and there very well might be considering how you’re supposed to make a decision later on tonight about which men to spend more time with. For now, you let your senses be devoured by the heady sensation of want for the man in your arms.
The backs of your knees hit that damned loveseat, and it’s that exact moment that you get your first gasp of air as Yunho pulls off you. Vision swimming, you pant for deep breaths of fresh air while Yunho grabs hold of your hips with his impossibly large hands. The ease with which he flips you around and onto your knees makes the coil in your gut furl tighter. Then, he’s back to working at the laces of your dress, a frustrated patience because he knows he can’t ruin the garment or manhandle you out of it — not when you still have guests to entertain later on — and you simply let him work with your own hands curled around the back of the loveseat.
“F-Forget the dress, just hike it up over my waist,” you finally say once a grunt of frustration passes through his lips.
“Fuck, okay, okay, hold on.”
The air in the room isn’t particularly chilly but it sure feels that way when it swarms your bare thighs. Yunho pools the black fabric just above your hips, fingers moving lower to nudge your knees further apart on the soft cushion of the loveseat. The way he suddenly freezes after doing so doesn’t surprise you in the slightest because you had nearly forgotten about the knife you were keeping strapped to your leg.
“You’re a smart woman,” he quips through a laugh.
“Hopefully I won’t have to use it on you.”
“I’ll make sure to pleasure you well regardless.” A warm hand smoothes over the skin just beside the strap of the thigh garter. He doesn’t even bother to pull your underwear off either, simply leaves it where it is and only peels it to the side when he drops to his knees behind you.
“What ar—” You cut short with a strangled noise of pleasure. Whatever just passed through your folds was surely not a finger, and you have to blink back over your shoulder just to be sure about what he’s doing. Watching him drag his tongue over your skin just past the curve of your ass doesn’t stifle your shock, but it certainly adds another wave of arousal to your gut. “Oh, you’re a fiend.”
“Had to have a taste, doll,” he murmurs through a grin. “You’ll need the prep anyway.”
You’re half-tempted to ask to return the favor, maybe to switch positions so he can have his way while you have yours, but he gets to his feet in the next moment instead.
“I’m gonna take my mask off… don’t wanna chafe your pretty skin with it.”
Teeth sink into your lower lip. You can’t take yours off yet, simply out of your customs and especially since this man is a prince — he’s not allowed to see your face bare without your fan in the very least and you left it back on the carriage outside.
“Are you opposed to the idea of me blindfolding you? Afraid you can’t see my face in its entirety quite yet, lovely, unless you can promise not to look?”
And that’s a far suitable solution in your eyes.
“Blindfold.” Your eyes find Yunho’s for a split second, piercing through the slits in each other’s masks to meet in a moment of crackling sexual tension. His tongue darts out to lick over his lips. Then he turns with a muttered string of profanities and rushes to file through the dresser against the wall. You could almost laugh at how ridiculous your position is, along with how quickly the night has progressed or more specifically your time with Yunho in particular, but that all seems pointless when he spins back around with what looks to be a silk scarf in his hands. Swallowing the lump in your throat is harder than you imagined. “You can just tie it around my mask,” you say, but your tone doesn’t climb any louder than a whisper.
“What would you like me to do?” Yunho asks as he slips the silk around your head. The question stops you in your tracks for a moment, because you aren’t sure what exactly he’s referring to until he leans over your back and presses his lips to your ear. “How shall I pleasure you, darling? With my hands? My tongue? Perhaps both?” His crotch is digging into the flesh of your ass at the same time, pushing the thick bulge of what must be his dick into your body, and you have no doubts about the size of what he’s keeping tucked into his pants for now. You reach around your back to grab at him. He hisses through his teeth when your palm drags over the stiff tent in his pants.
“That, perhaps?” You quip in return. He robs you of your vision almost entirely in the next second, and the silk comes to settle around your intricate mask. It’s thick enough to block a majority of what you can see, but there’s still a bit of haziness through the material, enough to keep you from becoming fully disoriented. Yunho’s hands slide down your back to settle on the bare skin of your thighs. Your own hand is knocked away by his, and you fold it back over the lip of the sofa without complaint.
“I would like this to be fully pleasurable for you, my dear, and if I take you unprepared, I guarantee it will be anything but that.”
“Ah, such a gentleman, so thoughtful and kind,” you singsong. You drop your torso enough to let your cheek rest atop the back of your hand. “Prepare me however you like, just try not to wear me out too much as I’m expected to entertain you all later.”
“You don’t have to do a thing, doll. We’re meant to be the ones doing the entertaining. You can sit and look pretty if that’s all you wish to do.”
Funny how that’s all you are expected to do back home as well, and what you’re destined to do in the future on top of it. For a moment, you entertain the thought — these men invited you here to host you, and while you have a job to do, it requires fairly little effort on your part to gather intel. Sitting back and allowing them to pleasure you is demure, yes, but why not take the opportunity while it presents itself?
Right now, Yunho is offering to do the same with a different sort of pleasure too, and this one you fully intend to take him up on, especially as he drops back to his knees and secures his hands around the fronts of your thighs. You get to take one deep inhale before he’s pulling your body back to meet his lips, and his tongue dips down to slide through the wetness along your folds. A breathy moan tumbles out of you, a sound that breaks the heady silence in the room, and you shift you face to press your forehead to your arm instead. Eyes squeezed shut, you sink your teeth into your tongue to keep further noises from pushing their way out. Yunho makes it awfully difficult — his tongue caresses the inside of your folds just enough to brush over your most sensitive bundle of nerves. Your thighs tremble with the effort of keeping them spread and open for the man, but the urge to clench them together around Yunho’s head is very much present. And with there being nothing for your eyes to focus on, you’re stuck with the heightened feeling of your other sensations, more specifically touch. So when a finger sinks into your hole and brushes along your walls, you whimper through your teeth.
“You can be as loud as you like,” Yunho murmurs, pulling back just enough to press his lips to the closest patch of skin he can reach. “It’s just the two of us here, and everyone else is downstairs enjoying the party.” He pauses, and second finger slides into your tight heat alongside the first. “You can enjoy yourself to the fullest as well.”
“A-Ah, Yunho…” His fingers curl inside you with the next drag of his tongue before he’s forcing the wet muscle into your core as well. The noise that leaves your lips is obscene, only muffled by the fabric of your glove. You close your teeth around the velvet. It’s uncomfortable on your tongue but it gets the job done — at least enough to keep you from filling the room with your noises. He thankfully doesn’t keep running his mouth or distracting you from the pleasure. You could admittedly stay here like this at least until you orgasm, but Yunho seems to have other plans for you as his fingers slip out to wrap back around your thighs. You don’t consider yourself to be all too petite or delicate, nothing like what most people would view princesses and royalty to be, so feeling how much of your thigh can fit in his hands makes you feel feel, for lack of a better word, tiny. You felt it a bit earlier, when he was pushing you down over the loveseat with ease, and now that rush of heady lust floods your system once more. If you had more time and could be more carefree, you might ask him to rough you up just a little, tug your hair or leave deep impressions of his long fingers in your skin.
“Think you can take me now, darling?” He exhales over your folds in a way that feels purposefully teasing, but you won’t complain considering how he replaces it with something much larger a moment later. His chest presses down on your back, and the weight pushes you further into a strained curve of your spine. Words die on your lips, a request for him to pull and tug on your neatly crimped and styled hair, but you don’t let it come to life. He’s continuing to tease you with the head of his cock, and while you can’t visibly see it, the feeling alone — along with what you saw when you still had the blindfold off — it’s more than enough to give you a few guesses about his size. Hands come down on either side of your own, and you can only envision how it would look from a third perspective. Yunho towering over you and caging you in with his arms, all while still standing behind where you’re perched on the loveseat. It’s lewd and filthy and entirely arousing because with nothing for you to directly look at, you’re left with these few bits of imagination.
“Give me all you got, big boy,” you answer through as much of a giggle as you can muster right now.
The slow drive of his cock sinking into your wet heat is enough to make you feel a little light-headed. He’s patient in a way that drives you insane, and you enjoy it about as much as you would enjoy watching paint dry.
“Please, hurry,” you plead, patting around behind you in search of his hips. Instead, you’re met with a hand that grabs hold of your wrist and pushes it down into the cushion of fabric made up of the skirt of your dress.
“Should I?” It comes out like a purr, something more feline than canine, and you almost forget what sort of predator he’s meant to be. “Should I give you all that and more? Wanna feel my cock stretching you open and filling you up?”
“Suddenly s-such a tease, are you?”
Yunho laughs, a sound that is loud and clear in your ears, then he moves his hand to grip the leftover fabric of his makeshift blindfold. It’s not quite the same as what you had been hoping for initially, but the second he yanks your head back, your neck burns the same as it would if it had been your hair.
“Am I? I can do so much worse, doll.” Your heart pumps wildly in your chest, a steady thumping rhythm that rattles against your ribcage and makes you breathe heavier. “If it’s too much… just tell me to stop.”
“I’m sure I won’t be doing that,” you whisper, lips barely moving. “I like it rougher than you might think.”
“Is that so?” The hand on your blindfold tugs harshly, and the full length of his dick sinks into you completely. Your moans are simultaneous with Yunho’s, a pretty chorus of pleasure, and though you want to drop your chin to your chest, you find yourself wholly incapable of doing that much because of how he’s gripping you. “Who could imagine that I would get so lucky in having you join us here? If you aren’t careful, I might believe we’re made for each other, doll.”
“So fuck me already then.” Your words are breathed out through a whimper, a quiet noise that isn’t quite enough to escape Yunho’s notice, but it also prompts the man to start moving his hips against yours. And if you thought him actually fucking you would be enough to shut him up, you would have been sorely mistaken. If anything, he only runs his mouth worse than before, not that his lips aren’t preoccupied in other places on your body.
With each tug of your blindfold and thrust of his thick member into your cunt, he rewards you with a throaty groan and filthy words.
“You feel that, yeah? How well my cock fits inside you? Your walls are squeezing me so nicely, darling, so sweet and tight around me.” The hand he left braced against the loveseat moves, and you only notice because it shifts to wrap around the base of your tensed throat. “Could fuck you in every possible position and still not have enough. Think you can keep up with that?”
“Ngh, Y-Yun—”
In your defense, you try to get some sentence out, although you aren’t even sure what you were attempting to say. It’s replaced by a blinding and searing pleasure inside you, as Yunho angle his thrusts in a new way that also happens to drag over your sweet spot with newfound vigor. You devolve into a litany of moans and whimpers, little punched-out sounds that match the pace of skin slapping against skin.
“Could fill you up and fuck you full of my cum so you have no choice but to be mine. Get you nice and pregnant, yeah?”
“Y-You won’t,” you hiss out through moans, and Yunho exhales a chuckle.
“I won’t,” he confirms with a surprising amount of genuineness to his tone. “Not unless you ask me to. Won’t do anything unless you ask it of me.”
That turns you on more than you would like to admit, but it’s blocked and scattered by the pleasure you’re feeling in the same moment. So when his cock plunges back into your cunt, you blame your orgasm on how good he feels inside you rather than his words themselves. His voice persists, but you tune it out to sink further into your euphoria. His thrusts come to a halt, but he doesn’t leave your walls quite yet, not until your body stops clenching around him and trying to pull him deeper into you.
It’s nothing romantic — the way he slips free of your cunt and starts jerking his hand haphazardly over his slick member is nothing idyllic, nor is the way he uses his other hand to drag your underwear further to the side to have more access to your bare skin. He reaches his peak like that and sends spurts of cum over your ass, leaving it to drip down lewdly as he too recovers from his orgasm.
You don’t mind, not really, because it wasn’t about it being romantic or picturesque for you. You both got your pleasure, and you also got an answer that confirms he isn’t about to try to kill you as you had initially imagined.
He murmurs something about fetching a towel from the bathroom. You stay put until he comes back, sighing into the cushion of the loveseat as he wipes you free of his semen with a sort of gentle reverence.
“I wasn’t expecting you to make me cum,” you say to break the silence. Yunho laughs while shifting your underwear back into its original place, and he tugs the skirt of your dress back down to cover your legs once more. Seconds later, your vision returns as well, and the silk around your eyes falls away. You shake your head to dispel a bit of the disorientation you feel. Seeing Yunho’s mask on the edge of the bed confirms that he hasn’t put his back on yet. You give him enough decency and respect to not look up at his exposed face without his permission. He snatches it up soon after.
“I’m afraid your past lovers must have been awfully selfish and poor in bed if they did not give you that much.”
“Hm, maybe they were, maybe they weren’t.” You let him take your hand and guide you into a far more comfortable sitting position on the sofa. It doesn’t last long, as you decide to throw your legs up on the cushion and recline that way, watching Yunho’s back when he carries the towel back to the bathroom. He comes back with his mask firmly set over his face again. “They’re hardly on my mind though.”
“Then I’m quite glad to hear it.”
He leans over where you’re perched on the couch. Long fingers find your chin and tilt your head up to look into his eyes. A sheen of sweat lingers on his forehead, and his hair is just a bit out of place, but no one will notice unless they were keeping track of such minute details.
“Truly… what a maddening effect you have on me.”
“Don’t pretend like I’m one of a kind, prince. I know men and women would surely be chasing your heels for just one chance at a night in your bed.”
One corner of his lips quirks up at that.
“And what do you think of me now that you’ve had a taste?” His lack of denial only proves your point further. You entertain his question nonetheless.
“I find your presence quite enjoyable, and I better understand why so many speak fondly of you.”
“Is that so?” His breath cascades over your lips in a phantom kiss that has you wanting to push up into his mouth.
A knock at the door is what pulls you out of your reverie, and Yunho’s weight against you fades away as he pulls back to stand up straight. You sit up on the bed, throwing your legs over the edge and resituating your dress enough to seem presentable.
“Yes, come in,” Yunho calls after clearing his throat.
It’s a head of fiery orange hair that appears in the doorway next, to your surprise and a fair amount of panic as well.
“Hate to interrupt the private party going on here but…” Hongjoong’s eyes slip past Yunho’s cool and collected form to land on where you sit with narrowed eyes. “It’s time for our esteemed guest to make a decision.”
“Ah, is it time already?” Yunho clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. He shifts to look back at where you’re sitting, smile warm. “Then I bid you farewell for now, milady. I hope you won’t keep me waiting but in the event that you do… I hope to see you later on tonight as well.”
He slips past Hongjoong to step outside without so much as looking back at you after that, although you can’t particularly hold it against him in any way. Hongjoong lingers in the doorway, eyes seeking yours.
“Wooyoung is eager to meet you,” he says. You know it isn’t the whole truth — that Hongjoong is just as eager to talk with you, maybe even bordering on desperate if you could see yourself describing the man in such a way. It remains to be seen just how far such desperation goes, however, along with what sorts of intentions the other men have this evening.
Perhaps it is becoming more and more apparent to these men that the power truly lies in your hands tonight.
.♛.
decision two. (closed)
.♛.
post-a/n: many of you will realize ‘caly didn’t you already write this didn’t you already post this’ and yes! I did! You are correct! I decided i wanted the second chapter to not be so ridiculously long and back when i posted it i had put some self-imposed pressure on myself to include all that in one chapter but i don’t want it to be a 20k chapter bc this isn’t moc LFDJKSLK i want the chapters to be in more digestible chunks and somewhat close in word count thus i decided to chop her in two and post separately! The voting for the decision will remain tho and we’ve already got the results for that so i’m gonna stick to them mostly bc i’ve written what is now chapter four according to those votes slkjfLS
chi no kamenbutoukai: blood masquerade belongs to calypso, hongism 2018-2022 - please do not copy, take, or otherwise steal this work. translating, reposting, or otherwise utilizing this work is not permitted.
#ateez x reader#ateez fic#ateez ff#ateez fanfic#ateez smut#ateez angst#ateez fluff#ateez series#hongjoong x reader#seonghwa x reader#yeosang x reader#yunho x reader#san x reader#mingi x reader#wooyoung x reader#jongho x reader#fic; cnk:bm#and thus we are back on track ahah#im not doing taglist for this since i already posted it essentially#taglist will be back with ch4!
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Best Underrated Anime Group F Round 3: #F4 vs #F7
#F4: Young boxer in futuristic Japan fights in tournament
#F7: Transmigrator heals a reincarnation revenge story
Details and poll under the cut!
#F4: Megalo Box
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Summary:
Follows the story of a young man that only goes by his ring name “Junk Dog”, set in the late 21st century. People live in a large metropolis, those without citizenship forced in slums called the Restricted Area. Junk Dog fights in fixed matches in the Restricted Area in a sport called Megalo Box, which is boxing augmented by metal exoskeletons.
One day, Junk Dog almost crashes into the CEO of the Shirato Company on his motorcycle, and he tries to pick a fight with her guard, Yuri. Yuri ends up fighting Junk Dog in a match, beating him and challenging him to fight him in a tournament called Megalonia. Forging an ID and taking the name Joe with help from his coach, the young fighter only has 3 months to win enough matches to rank high enough to get into the tournament and face Yuri. Not just for his pride, but also because of threats from the mafia, who wants money from Joe and his coach that they don’t have.
Propaganda:
Megalo Box is a series that got some recognition during the Crunchyroll Awards. It even aired on Adult swim’s late night anime block, even gaining a second season. But it seems like after the initial season, all interest of the show evaporated. It’s rarely talked about in fandom spaces or in anime video essays.
Which is a shame! It's a solid watch. The music is stellar. The characters are enjoyable, even if the plot of the main character Joe being a massive underdog that claws his way through a boxing tournament is a little predictable. But to be fair, this show was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the boxing manga Ashita no Joe.
Still, the anime keeps things fresh. It has added political commentary about class and race dynamics. Joe is brown-skinned, looks mixed, and is an undocumented citizen in the city he lives in. He has to fight in illegal fixed Megalo Box matches in the slums in order to make ends meet. Even that provides little protection, as he and his coach Ganbu get threatened by the mob for more money that they can’t produce. It also touches upon how children are abandoned and abused by the system with Sachio.
Joe is the ultimate underdog story. He ends up going by “Gearless Joe” because he fights his matches without wearing any Gear—aka the metal exoskeletons use in Megalo Box. He’s essentially boxing old-school style against others an unfair advantage with tools that augment their punches and movements. Joe did this in the first place because he was too poor to buy a new Gear, his old one falling apart, so he felt he was better off training and using his natural body in matches.
The second season also explores Joe's struggles with depression and drug addiction as he trains another Megalo Boxer, which is interesting and adds another layer to him.
Plus, the show also has racial diversity in the side characters. The English dub cast voice actors of the same ethnicities for Pepe, Chief, and Maria. Also, Kaiji Tang voices Joe, the lead.
Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore.
The anime is about boxing, so characters get beaten up quite a bit (even in fantastical ways). However, there’s also some other violence threats (like Joe’s coach Nanbu getting his eye cut and threatened to earn money by the mafia). Also, a kid named Sachio joins the group to help Joe and gets beaten by thugs and threatened a few times through the series.
#F7: There’s a Pit in my Senior Martial Brother’s Brain (Wo Jia Dashixiong Naozi You Keng)
Official English title: What’s Wrong With My Big Brother
Alt Title: My Dashixiong Has a Pit in His Brain
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Summary:
Dongfang Xianyun transmigrates as the eldest disciple of the Care-free sect. But the only thing that goes through his mind is to make sure he doesn’t end up dying by the hands of the “main character.” He believes he’s just a side character. He just wants to relax and survive all the mayhem surrounding him while dealing with one of his jealous sect teammates, who grew corrupted in the past life.
Propaganda:
This series is kind of insane but also just a lot of fun! The thing is, the shidi (junior martial sect brother), Yin Feixing, felt betrayed by his dashixiong (eldest senior sect brother), Dongfang Xianyun, after he was seemingly rejected for ending up studying the demonic arts. After he dies, he decides to take revenge in the next life, and this is where our story starts off…
The only problem is his dashixiong has been replaced by a transmigrator. And our new Dongfang Xianyun is not as cold or uptight as the past dashixiong (but as the story unravels, was he even that bad?); rather, this version is silly and goofy and fun. And because he believes wholeheartedly that Yin Feixing is the protagonist, he doesn’t act the way a dashixiong is expected to—but it’s in this silliness that one can find sincerity…
So as Yin Feixing exacts his revenge, turning Dongfang Xianyun into a demonic arts practitioner, Dongfang Xianyun’s new soul means he won’t follow the same path as Yin Feixing. Rather than fall to ruins like Yin Feixing, his empathy and creativity means he challenges this entire world by making his fellow demonic practitioners into law-abiding heroes, even as people hate him for the demonic arts. So as multiple plots unfurl, we get a pretty emotional, thematically interesting story, even amidst all the (very funny) crazy comedy, and a clever parody of xianxia* and other transmigration stories. 😆
(*Xianxia (仙侠 xiānxiá) – literally means “Immortal Heroes”. Fictional stories featuring magic, demons, ghosts, immortals, and a great deal of Chinese folklore/mythology. Protagonists (usually) attempt to cultivate to Immortality, seeking eternal life and the pinnacle of strength. Heavily inspired by Daoism. Source)
Oh, and Gong Changsheng is best puppy! He’s such a good sunflower boy with the biggest crush on Dongfang Xianyun, and I love them so much. I think lots of others will love them too if they gave this series a chance. 🥺
The slightly evolving names for each season are fun too:
S1: 我家大师兄脑子有坑 (My Dashixiong Has a Pit in His Brain (aka “he’s really dumb/ridiculous”))
S2: 我家大师兄是个反派 (My Dashixiong Is a Villain)
S3: 我家大师兄有点靠谱 (My Dashixiong Is a Bit Reliable)
(Plus, besides the original manhua, there’s a fun chibi OVA where the cast are like actors!)
Trigger Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore. The donghua isn’t as intense as the manhua, but there is one character who flirts in a somewhat creepy manner.
When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.
If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.
Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.
#anime#donghua#best underrated anime#polls#poll tournament#tournament#anime tournament#animation#group stage#group stage round 3#tournament polls#group f#megalobox#megalo box#wo jia dashixiong naozi you keng#what's wrong with my big brother#there's a pit in my senior martial brother's brain#my dashixiong has a pit in his brain
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Updated Colleen Ballinger Situation Summary (8/27/2023)
Bad articles for reading up on the Colleen Ballinger situation
Vanity Fair (Recognized by the internet as a puff piece)
TMZ (Victim blaming, spreading misinformation, bad journalism in general, etc)
A great article for the Colleen Ballinger situation: Rolling Stone article
Who is Colleen Ballinger?
36 years old (37 in November 2023)
$12 million (ish) net worth
Been on YouTube for about 17 years
Most well known for her Miranda Sings character/alter ego
Has a Netflix show: "Haters Back Off"
Winner of the 2015 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Web Star: Comedy
Has been on tour many times (live shows)
Mother of three (3) children
Sister of Trent Ballinger (also accused: down below)
Accusations against Colleen Ballinger (No particular order)
Blackface (1) (Her lawyer Andrew Brettler has since denied the blackface allegations, saying it was dark green face paint)
Blackface (2) (Made a video with her sister mocking Latina girls)
Racism (Reported to be racist behind the scenes of her Netflix show: Haters Back Off)
Antisemitism: Tweet (s)
Fatphobia (Has insulted fans at meet & greets, etc)
Encouraging body checking to children (Has caused many fans to struggle with food, develop EDs, etc)
Slutshaming & degrading children (Having a "porn bit" at her live shows. More details down below)
Sending lingerie to a minor (2016, about 13 years old)
Running a smear campaign on a 17 year old for 3 years (the 17 years old that later came out against her for sending him lingerie) (more has since been revealed about this situation)
Saying "context matters" in an "apology" for sending lingerie to a minor and then removing the context of her begging Adam to send him lingerie.
Having James Charles support her on twitter regarding Adam McIntyre (the kid that got sent lingerie) (This lead to Adam being doxed multiple times and harassed for 3+ years)
Taking advantage of her fans for free labor (One case: Adam McIntyre, has been confirmed having worked for her for 4 years as a child)
Victim Blaming Adam McIntyre (a child) ("i never would have send the lingerie if he hadn't asked) (She removed evidence of her begging to send the lingerie to him in her response video)
Gaslighting, Manipulating, and Love Bombing her fans (Usually children, multiple counts/situations/years, etc)
Animal abuse/Animal cruelty & not taking care of her cats (Stuffing a cat in a bag and watching it struggle to get out; "sawing" a cat in half with a comb; joking about hurting a dog as a kid, it biting her, Colleen lying about what happened, and the dog being put down)
Being in Group Chats with Fans (Topics included: divorce, virginity, favorite sex position, periods, etc)
Inappropriate behavior with sister and nephew
Inappropriate YouTube thumbnails, videos, and series (One thumbnail featured her covering her face with the words "I'm a pedophile!")
Harassing homeless people (with friends like Todrick Hall)
Distributing Trisha Paytas' OF content to at least one minor (15 year old Adam McIntyre)
Hosting viewing parties to watch Trisha Paytas' OF content to make fun of her.
Insulting Trisha Paytas & her body ("We saw a whale squirt and I'm not taking about Trisha Paytas.")
Having multiple books marketed towards children (Inappropriate topics down below)
Using Fundly to run Children's Cancer Fund/Charity Event, which made the money that fans donated go directly to her bank account (She refuses to show receipts, but we do know at least some of the money was donated under Miranda Sings LLC.)
Allegedly creating a character on her Netflix show based off of a fan. Colleen thinks that Ella (the fan) was faking her illness to get closer to her. (Ella does in fact have fibro) The Netflix character is portrayed to be faking fibro, though it is kind of unclear whether the character actually has it or not.
Insulting fans behind their back (Ella, as well as other fans)
Transphobia (Ella, Colleen's books, etc)
Minimizing the situation (1) The Ukulele Video
Minimizing the situation (2) Calling Becky's situation a teenager being mad over a "fart joke" that happened "5 years ago." (More details down below)
Live Shows (Multiple Incidents)
Pulling a girls legs apart on stage (for a "yoga bit), almost exposing her to the crowd (the girl was wearing a romper so she'd be invited on stage for the porn bit)
Endangering Fans: Becky (The girl mentioned above) says that a lot of men were looking at her in a "predatory way" when she got off stage. She felt unsafe walking to her car. (One example)
Having a bit where Colleen would stuff a bag of cheese balls into her pants and would target young boys (9 to 11 years old) to bring on stage and have them put their hand down her pants.
She was targeting young boys because a fan (age 15 or so) asked if he could be in the bit and she told him "you're to old for that bit."
Colleen had a "porn bit" where she encouraged young girls to dress either like her character Miranda Sings (red pants, white shirt, usually long sleeves) or to dress "skimpy." (usually a tank top and shorts) Colleen would bring the girls on stage and call the one dressed as her "not porn" and girl dressed "skimpy" "not porn." (Reminder: these are children)
The Books & Inappropriate Topics/Encouraging Bad Behavior (Incomplete List) (There are videos on YouTube going over the books more in depth where you can see the books yourself)
Jokes about animal abuse/animal cruelty
irl pictures of a kid on a leash
Ableism (the R slur)
Transphobia
Homophobia
Sexualization of Children
Slutshaming Children
Jokes at the expense of homeless people
Normalization of pedo behavior
Normalization of incestuous behavior (Lots of creepy uncle jokes that are way too serious)
"Here's how to get a boyfriend: Get a net, gloves, binoculars..."
Normalization of r#pe culture ("If someone says no, try harder!")
"What a good boyfriend looks like: *picture of multiple youtubers & content creators including Shane Dawson.*"
(Shane Dawson has since been exposed for being inappropriate behavior with fans, including kissing 12 year old fans)
QR Codes to her own videos such as "How to twerk" (and "not be porn.") on the Miranda Sings YouTube channel
Telling kids to get a "clean copy" of the book so they can mess with this copy of the book and have a copy to mess with and a "clean" one. (greedy, greedy)
Trent Ballinger (Colleen's brother) & Oliver (Who is trans identified as a girl at the time) Trent: 33, Oliver: 13 (at the time)
Inappropriate behavior with children (Oliver has since come out against him)
DMing fans (Messages to Oliver are down below)
"My family says I shouldn't talk to people under 18."
"You look like my last girlfriend in that photo."
"Anything we say stays between you and I."
""You would look good preg if you ever want children one day."
Vanity Fair: Andrew Quintana is the author of this article. What went wrong?
Didn't reach out to both sides
Portrayed Adam McIntyre as a stalker and a liar (An obsessive fan, basically)
Got Adam's birthplace wrong. Said he was from Brighton, England. Adam is from Derry, Ireland. (This has since been corrected. It was the only correction made to the article)
Victim blames Adam McIntyre
Andrew Brettler (Collen's lawyer) denies a "Single Ladies" performance in dark green face paint isn't black face. Brettler never make a comment on Colleen grooming fans.
"The reality of some of these claims, and in turn, the broader narrative around Ballinger, remains murky."
"Ballinger painted a seemingly accurate portrait of the Miranda Sings community: a silly place for kids like McIntyre to belong, looking up to an increasingly famous and powerful public figure. “I’m not a monster, I’m not a groomer, and I do not deserve to die,” Ballinger said in the video"
"Meanwhile, Ballinger continued to work on a YouTube channel that was far from her Miranda Sings satire. “Colleen Vlogs” offered wholesome lifestyle content about her kids. McIntyre appeared to seize on this, accusing Ballinger’s brother’s family—“the Ballinger family,” who have a family-oriented channel—of endangering and “exploiting” their children online."
“How creepy that I feel I watched them grow up,” [Adam McIntyre] said. “It’s disgusting.” His critique gave way to a denunciation of family channels more broadly."
Shades HuffPost
Compares the allegations against Colleen Ballinger to right wingers accusing any gay dude of being a groomer.
A gay man (Quintana) is weaponizing the LGBTQ+ community against Collen's victims (many of whom are LGBTQ+)
Compares people talking about Colleen to the "anti-Amber Heard brigade."
Quintana @'ed Adam McIntyre so he would see, turned off the comments on his latest Insta post, turned off all comments, and then blocked Adam. Adam literally just wanted to know what was up. He wasn't even being harassed.
There has since been recent news about Johnny Silvestri (one of the people who came out against Colleen and her ex-husband Josh). The best way to find info about that side of the situation in watching SWOOP's doc on it. (Part 3)
youtube
It's a long watch, but she actually has journalistic integrity (unlike Andrew Quintana). She keeps things engaging while providing important information.
If more comes out (which it probably will), I'll either remake this post, edit it, etc.
#colleen ballinger#adam mcintyre#SWOOP#youtube doc#youtube documentary#trent ballinger#true crime#news#discrimination#netflix#rolling stone#rolling stone magazine#video essay#slander#fraud#lgbt#lgbtq#lgbtq+#lgbtqia#queer#queer community#misinformation#non fandom#milk crate#the milk crate#breaking news#Youtube#parent#parenting#children
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Okay, so this TIME. I actually do have some #skincareconcerns.
If you’ve watched the video, you can tell that I’m suffering from some serious heats, acne, and dark spots. I even get acne sometimes on my face that hurts. However, I’ll be honest. My dark spots were way worse than this and I thank Curology for that. But I don’t think I’ll be going back to them anytime soon—not because it’s a product thing but because it’s a money thing. I do have other priorities and I am a broke college student soon to be graduating and spending 65 and some change every month…well, it sounds rather straining for me than helpful if I have to spread myself thin like that monthly.
BUT! I have just gotten my hands on some new products that you can easily get at any possible K-Beauty Store, their website, Instagram, or Amazon. I got mines on Amazon and will be officially trying it tonight while moving forward to using it in the AM & PM for optimal use to get the best results. I did show the products in the video but just for knowledge and wanting to share the product.
It’s called “Axis-Y.” & I got the “Spot the Difference,” which is a blemish treatment (and I got some blemishes. Believe me.) & the “Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum,” which helps correct dark spots, uneven skin tone, and brighten skin, locking in moisture for a glowing skin all day. And this brand is a K-Beauty brand. But I’m not 100% sure if they are a animal cruelty brand fully. But the products that I did get are animal cruelty free. So, as I am going through my process and the journey. I’ll totally do my research for those who are animal cruelty free like myself. ❤️❤️
And for my hair UPDATE!
Absolute health and bounce! See those curls & coils?! Healthy babes! I’ll admit, though I said hair will grow back. I did feel sad to cut my length. But the healthier the hair, healthier the curls. And I’m loving it.
Last week Friday, I did a co-wash with the “As I Am,” coconut co-wash. However, to make my detangling process easier and quicker. I did use the “Aussie Moist 3 minute deep condition,” leaving it in there for about an hour but I left it in overnight to wash for the Friday. And I kid you not! Hardly any breakage at all y’all. Literally, my hairball was the size of a penny. Before, I would get clumps of my hair in my hand in the shower—that could also be because of the bleaching and the dead ends—but, pre-conditioning + detangling makes for a much easier wash day. I don’t feel mad about putting in the extra work because it gives me results. I’ve also made the rule to co-wash weekly and shampoo & condition bi-weekly; but my hair is always getting hydrated because every week anyway, it’s in the water. So, if you got a hair type like mines. HYDRATION is 🔑!! But best believe, new updates to come.
#skincareconcerns#curology#amazon#axisy#skincare#dark spots#The Lav Family#natural hair#coily hair#4b-4c hair type#hair update
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