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ssunsationn · 4 days

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Little Things You Can Do To Get Back On Track - Timeless ⏳

If you came from my “Why Am I Still Unsatisfied?” reading, sit back and relax. Take in the messages I am collecting at this moment. These are very simple things you can do today to get yourself back on the track of life.

Note: This is meant to be short and simple, but a storm of butterflies can whip up a tsunami. I got more than what I asked for from my spirit guides today. It seems you have a lot to hear. You never know what could impact your life. “You should be prepared.”

DO BEFORE YOU READ: Clear your mind. Close your eyes, inhale deeply, fill up your chest to the fullest, feel the air brush against the ridges of your nose. Breathe out. You are no longer alone. Choose the photo that you can’t take your eyes off of.

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Pile 1. “Simple is best.”

• You could use some vitamin C, to be honest. But don’t overdo it. Learn more about your body and keep up with it—things like how fast you metabolize certain things, but if you’re on medication or supplements, be aware that metabolizing medication is different from metabolizing food. You also either drink too much water or too little.

• If you’re prone to procrastination, start looking for libraries and cafes to help you better focus.

• TAKE BREAKS. Mental, emotional, all of it. Look out the window and observe things that catch your attention. Maybe you’ll start to realize that life does have its small and beautiful moments.

• You don’t have to be surrounded by friends and people all the time. Allow yourself some you-time, explore places on your own—I keep seeing someone wearing a scarf, drinking a hot-warm coffee (coffee is super dehydrating for you btw, so make sure you drink tons of water), fall season. Lounging around in your room and having a show binge by yourself is also good. It’d be nice if you had at least one day off every week to spend by yourself, without the presence of other people.

• Remember that you should recharge yourself too and that saying “no” is okay. You don’t have to be responsible for everyone else.

• Take a walk at dawn, but wear a jacket when you do so. Be wary of your surroundings still, but when you have a moment, breathe in the air of an area that has a dewy smell to it. Damp or rainy seasons work fine. Watch the sun come up for a few seconds and take that time to appreciate your environment.

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Pile 2. “Rejection is Okay.”

• Have you gone on any dates recently? I’m seeing a girl with her legs crossed at a cozy cafe, but she’s not bothered by it. She’s neutral in fact, very simple existing, and she’s reading a wall full of post-it notes from other couple. She seems intrigued, although not overly. Just neutral and an “oh, how nice” kind of vibe.

• Perhaps there is a lack of confidence. You should strive to be someone that is okay with being alone in public—specifically LOOKING alone in public. No, that does not make you seem lonely. It makes you comfortable with your own presence. Maybe you tend to think a lot or contemplate often.

• Working on leadership skills could be something. Maybe you’d like to become more assertive? I don’t have too much advice for this group, to be honest. But you should learn how to stand up for yourself more and be careful so that people don’t take advantage of you (for anything/any reason) easily.

• Condition your mind to not caring what others think. Obviously, there’s a limit and rules set in place so that we don’t get in legal trouble—I’m talking about your mindset. Don’t let others get to you easily and work more on your posture. Standing/sitting up straighter will begin to subtly convince your mind and you that you’re confident.

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Pile 3. “It’s too quiet.”

• journaling can help. It might sound boring or it might be hard to sit in one place for a while, but you have to practice it. Discipline yourself.

• Kind of similar to pile 1, but this is a less responsible group. Don’t distract yourself from your problems and face them head on. Being cowardly isn’t a good trait to have. Be mindful about drinking and what other things you’re putting in your body. This could bite you back in the future.

• Friends may be questionable, may try to convince you to do things you weren’t initially planning to do/try. Be wary of this and stand up for yourself.

• Another thing if you do drink, learn not to drink away your problems or get high enough to escape them. It’s hard, I know. But you have to realize how important it is to live. Don’t be so reckless. If your soul is being let down, you’ll pay the consequences.

• If you feel like a failure or everyone around you says that you are, don’t feed into it. Build yourself up. Make something out of yourself but don’t let those people know. They’ll see it and possibly try to take credit. Don’t let them. Deal with it in a calm and diplomatic manner and turn your head away. You don’t need that extra nonsense. Simple acknowledgement is what they really need, so don’t give them the attention. You’ll mature so much from this.

• It might feel lonely and you may think you’re the only person who’s overthinking/overfeeling about something, or you feel like you’re different from the people you hang out with somehow. A small part of you probably thinks there’s more to life than just…this. Whatever you’re doing to pass the time and simply have fun. Like “they wouldn’t understand so I gotta fake it til I make it” type of energy. Laughing it off type of energy. “Ah, whatever- it’s nothing~” energy. Find like-minded people who share the same interests as you and bond with them. You will experience more authenticity in these relationships than your previous ones.

• Pile 3, you definitely have a bit to learn and it takes work, but you have it in you. The potential is very obviously there. You know it too, but you brush it off—don’t deny it. Don’t be scared of it and learn to speak its language. Reach your hand out to whatever is in that mental cave of yours and show it some kindness. It’s okay for it to come out. You’ll learn that it will take your hand faster than you’d thought. Don’t let doubt get in the way. This pile thinks A LOT and likes to drown it out, because it’s easy. Let yourself think and feel the emotions, bad or good. You won’t even recognize what you were holding back. You have power to impact people more than you realize. Good luck Pile 3, you have this.

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Lil Teddy note: I hope you enjoyed this reading guys!! Today I asked for simple things that my readers could do to improve their lives and become better beings. I meant to keep it concise and give 3D, things-you-could-do-in-the-present type of things, but apparently, I received other messages to give that involved mental and physical health as well. Some piles made me feel worried and passionate, like their higher selves were desperate to get them out of these ruts or situations. The signs have been there but maybe some piles haven’t been taking them seriously or have been brushing them off one too many times. This is your sign man 😂😂 Please, take yourselves seriously and realize that you’ve only got a shot of this. Stay safe, work on that confidence, and learn to be with yourself. With all that being said, take what resonates and leave what doesn’t!! Thank you for coming to our reading today :) Teddy outttt

#tarot reading #pac tarot #daily tarot #tarot #intuition #intuitive #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #pick a pile #pick a photo #pick a card

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heliza24 · 3 days

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Armand and Unbreakable Cycles

So (perhaps unsurprisingly at this point) I have a TON of Armand thoughts after yesterday’s episode. Specifically I want to talk about the function of the 1790s section, and how it perfectly illuminates the cycle of maladaptive behavior that Armand is caught up in and the difference between his stated wants and his actual needs. I think the setup we saw in this episode will also be crucial to understanding how Dubai plays out, so I want to talk about that too.

I know a lot of people love the show and TVC because of Lestat, and there’s some frustration that Lestat was presented in a way that was untrue or filtered. But I really think you have to view this episode as a lens into Armand, which we in turn need in order to understand Louis. Everyone has someone similar to Lestat’s role in Armand’s life; an ex or a situationship or a former friend who takes up so much real estate in your brain because of their outsized impact on you, who probably never thinks of you in return. We give these people a role in the story we craft of how we became who we are. That narrativizing is kind of the only way to understand yourself and survive (especially if you’re going to live forever). So I don’t doubt that there are things that Armand says that are untrue, or exaggerated, or twisted in his favor. But I do think the important part is the emotional impact his encounter with Lestat had on him, and I do think he’s being honest about those emotions.

(That being said I am of course very excited to see these events play out again in season 3 from Lestat’s POV. Don’t fuck it up AMC!!!)

The main thing that the flashback does is set up the cycle that Armand finds himself in over and over again. He consistently finds himself clinging to control in an institution he is starting to lose faith in, and is then shaken out of his complacency by a new love that seems– falsely– to rescue him.

Depending on how they adapt his very early backstory, I think we can probably assume that this pattern started in childhood for him. Marius rescued him from being forced into sex work, and seemed to offer a much better life. But in reality he was just grooming Armand. (Thanks @toriangeli for correcting a piece of my Marius lore here!)

In Paris he continues maintaining a strictly enforced life of misery for the coven long after he stops believing in it himself, and (by his telling at least) he was grateful to Lestat for having the strength to end it when he could not. It’s so clear why Armand falls for Lestat. Lestat’s refusal to live in shame, his love of the arts, his ability to exist amongst humanity (at least when he is on stage). Lestat is of the world, while Armand and the coven hide from it.

The reason I think it is so important that we got to see this play out in Paris is the way it illuminates the sometimes tricky relationship between Louis and Armand. Once again, Armand is the head of an institution that operates on strict and oppressive rules. Once again, we can feel Armand’s enthusiasm for this system waning (and see it reflected physically in the lack of ticket sales and general shabbiness of the theatre). And once again, Armand is swept off his feet by this new vampire who refuses to join, who loves humanity, and who has a passion for art. Louis is very much of the world. He refuses to be pinned down into coven life. Armand can’t resist taking what looks like the opportunity for escape in Louis’s love.

What I think is so fascinating about this cycle is that it allows Armand to remain passive. He never has to be the one to make the hard call to walk away from a kind of life that is no longer serving him. He just has to wait for the next gorgeous man to arrive to deliver him. As he says to Louis, “those with the most power are often the weakest”. His status and power in the coven prevents him from changing his own life. Or at least that’s what he believes.

Thinking about this helped me understand the dynamic of what goes down in the sewers, when Armand threatens Louis’s life. Assad says in the behind the scenes clips that Armand goes into that encounter very set on killing Louis, and I believe him. So I rewatched it a couple of times trying to understand when, and why, Armand changes his mind. The shift occurs when they start talking about Claudia, and Armand says that her mind will break apart soon because she was made too young. Louis says “you don’t know her,” and Armand responds, “I don’t have to. I’ve seen it before. I’ve seen too much.” That admission– I’ve lived through this cycle multiple times before, it is painful, and I don’t want to do it again– is what shifts Armand from being ready to kill Louis to letting him go.

There is of course an irony here; mentally ill and child vampires do not necessarily need to go mad. Generally they go mad at least partially because of Armand’s actions. And as we’ve already discussed, Armand going to sleep with Louis instead of killing him is really just a repeat of his actions with Lestat. He isn’t really breaking a cycle at all. But I think in that moment he believes that he is. Maybe he even believes that by being with a man who enacted great violence on Lestat, he can drown out the love and anguish he still feels about Lestat. At the very least, Louis has also loved Lestat and can therefore understand Armand’s narration of his own life in a way that not many other people can.

Ok, so now we are caught up on the past. Let’s talk about Dubai, and how once again Armand is engaged in the exact same cycle of behavior.

The penthouse is Armand’s new coven. He maintains perfect order by controlling the physical environment and shaping Louis’s moods and memories. But just like before, this way of life is no longer serving Armand (or Louis for that matter). You can see that the spark between them has died, only rekindled as a kind of performance when they are in front of Daniel. When Armand is telling Daniel about Lestat destroying the coven, and Daniel accuses Armand of leading Lestat to the coven intentionally… he might as well be talking about himself. Armand has let Daniel into his fortress, and there is at least a part of him that wants whatever destruction Daniel is about to bring into his life.

Daniel fits Armand’s type completely. Daniel is of course more human than Lestat or Louis could ever be. He knows about telenovelas and Bollywood and all other types of art. He’s whipsmart and inquisitive and is not going to let Armand get away with passively maintaining his old order. He’s of the world in a way that Armand finds irresistible.

I specifically found it interesting how many of the “Great Laws” Armand would be breaking by being with Daniel. Granted, Armand isn’t in the coven anymore when he meets Daniel. But I imagine old habits are hard to break, and being with Daniel would break almost all of them. Daniel is a mortal Armand has revealed his true nature to and allowed to live, Daniel has written about and exposed vampire secrets, and (if we’re looking at book canon) Daniel begs for the dark gift himself, a thing only the maitre is supposed to be able to approve.

Assuming that a chunk of Devil’s Minion did happen in the 1970s, something interrupted that love affair, before it could settle back down into a new but still oppressive status quo. Something prompted Armand to actively break his pattern of behavior and erase Daniel’s memories. I think it’s impossible not to think about Nicki’s example here, especially after seeing the 1790s flashback. I’m going to assume that 1970s Daniel was struggling with addiction and mental health issues in a way that may have been reminiscent of Nicki. How intentional was Armand in withdrawing because he saw what vampire involvement- his involvement- did to Nicki? How much was his treatment of Daniel a reparation for past mistakes he made?

These last couple of paragraphs are speculation, really, because we won’t know exactly what Armandaniel looked like until Ep 5. But I think it was crucial that we saw this part of Armand’s story before we see San Francisco, because his actions with Daniel will make more sense if we can compare them with the love affairs of Armand’s past.

Regardless, I do think the disparity between what Armand claims to want (maintaining the status quo) vs what he actually wants (to be liberated by a romantic partner) vs what I think he actually needs (to take action himself, instead of waiting for someone to do it for him) is going to play a role in the way Dubai unfolds. I don’t know that Armand will ever get to the point where he’s actively able to break out of the cycle he’s in, because this is Interview with the Vampire, the show of fucked up gothic romances. Vampire life is a series of bad decisions! It’s a weird arrested development you never quite get out of despite living for forever! So it would make total sense if the ending of Dubai mimics the ending of the Children of Satan and the Paris Coven in an unhealthy way. But regardless, it’s gonna be a fun ride, and I can’t wait to see it.

#interview with the vampire #iwtv #my meta #Armand #Daniel #Lestat #lesmand #armandaniel #devil's minion #Louis #loumand

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 4 months

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Yo! Good morning/evening, hope you are fine^^💝. I wanted to ask you a question but I was afraid that it may bother you or something (you know..that feeling when you are scared that you might disturb someone or being an unwelcome person) but yeah I will ask you since i was serious about your answer for some time now so I hope I'm not annoying you or something *feel free to answer only if you wish^^. You seem to know the characters pretty well, you are quite capable and great at reading and understanding them, one of the things I'm serious about is what do you think would make someone qualified enough to be with malleus? Do they have to be of the same species?certain Reputation, stature or traits?(sorry can't help it since I can't rest until I know everything about what interests me and figure it all out😅). Thanks for giving me some of your precious time I really like your blog, you're amazing💜

No worries, you’re not bothering me at all ^^ I love to talk about my hyperfixations www

Now, I know a lot of fans (particularly on the EN side) like to ship Malleus with their OC and especially with Yuu so I want to first make it clear that my response is NOT meant to invalidate those Malleus shippers. Whatever I say here is based on my own interpretation of canon lore (and let’s be real here, TWST won’t ever confirm if anyone is romantically interested in Yuu because it might not work with how some players view their own relationship with that character). In fanon, anyone can be with anyone, but in canon there are very specific in-universe rules and expectations laid out for Malleus so these are what I will be referring to.

I also want to emphasize that the final traits I discuss in this post do NOT reflect Malleus’s personal tastes or views. He has little say in what kind of an individual his spouse would be, so his own preferences are not speculated about or taken into account here. The traits I will be bringing up are based on what I believe the lore implies are the desirable traits for those marrying into the Draconia royal family.

We got it? Good 👍 Read more below the cut!!

Firstly, I’m completely disregarding the ideas of “Malleus can love whoever he wants to love”, “Malleus can scare people into accepting who he loves”, and/or “Malleus can change the law so he can marry who he loves” (a la Sultan from Aladdin or through some other Disney magic or logic). Here’s why:

In general, those solutions for “high stakes issues” are too simple, and that has never been how Twisted Wonderland tackles complicated problems. Just look at every single OB boy’s backstory. They’re so complex that they aren’t totally resolved by the end of their books; these problems persist and are long term things each of them are working on addressing. This is also true of the politics TWST introduces to us; Leona for example explains how there is social pushback and resistance to the idea of infrastructure reform because the culture of the Sunset Savanna stresses harmony with nature. This has made it difficult for them to adopt new technologies because real politicians in their world have to seriously weigh their cultural values with their health and societal progress. The only time there are really easy solutions are in events or vignettes where the emotional stakes are not super high, but who Malleus marries is, in fact, super important since this will entirely change the life of a main character and his country.

With that first bullet point in mind… No, Malleus cannot love whoever he wants to love. Certainly, he may feel affection for another but he can never truly be with them. He is royalty and the only heir to the throne of Briar Valley. It follows that he is expected to marry for political reasons/to better his nation. This is a non-negotiable obligation for him.

Rather than saying, “Malleus cannot scare people into accepting who he loves”, I think it’s more accurate to say Malleus knows he probably shouldn’t. I mean, yes, he may be upset about his S/O not being accepted by his people but I feel that is discrediting a lot of the loyalty he has for his own country. As a kid he may have thrown tantrums when he was upset and potentially harmed staff, but as a 178 year old he has a much better understanding of decorum and maintaining it in spite of his own grudges. For example, even though he personally dislikes Leona he still commands Sebek to apologize to him because, at the end of the day, this could harm Briar Valley’s relationship with the Sunset Savanna. That’s not to say that Malleus can’t be petty (he definitely is)—but implying he would be petty toward basically his entire country just because they would disapprove of the one he loves?? (We know this would likely be true because Sebek’s parents faced similar backlash when they got together.) I feel like his own sense of awareness and responsibility for his country, crown, and people would override that. As an example, Malleus states that he has never been in a car before because the senate would be against it and often kept Malleus in the castle. Someone of his power could easily ignore them and sneak out and do whatever he wanted, yet the dialogue implies Malleus didn’t. He obeyed his political advisors even when he was younger and arguably much more immature. Malleus might not like certain decisions made about his life but it sounds like he ultimately complies with them.

Continuing from the previous point, let’s say for the sake of argument that Malleus does scare everyone into line. What about his public image and the mental health of his S/O? Maybe Malleus can frighten people to not talk out of turn to his face, but he cannot control what people whisper about him behind closed doors or to treat his S/O well or like they actually like them. Not only would they be alienated (away from their own home and forced to adapt to a new one) but they’d be treated oddly by others too. What kind of reputation is that for Malleus? To be a tyrant king who throws a hissy fit anytime someone talks about his partner in a way he doesn’t approve of? With a spouse who is not at their best mentally because of the constant ostracization? (This is similar to what Leona experienced in his childhood.) I don’t think Malleus would want to subject anyone to that kind of life, especially not one he loves. And again, this attitude would be the vast majority of his people. It’s not like it can be avoided or resolved in an easy manner, especially when the people of Briar Valley have proven to be against change.

Lastly, Malleus would not change the law so he can be with whoever he wants to. To begin with, I doubt this is a unilateral position the senate would approve of. But okay, let’s accept that Malleus is royalty so his power overrides the advisors’ power. So he effectively just changed a law for a very selfish and personal reason rather than changing something to actually benefit his people. That doesn’t feel in-character for him, not when Malleus seems to understand that it is the duty of those in higher status to help those below them rather than themselves (see: Riddle’s Suitor Suit vignettes. Malleus has acted selfish before, yes (who remembers Endless Halloween Night? His Dorm Uniform vignettes? I do.)—but never at the cost of changing the status quo of his country. (Book 7 is not included here because he’s in a very distressed emotional state then; this “new law” scenario posits that Malleus is in a normal state of mind.) This is a major change—change which Briar Valley, its people, and most importantly, Malleus, are not ready for. You think there wouldn’t be social pushback against this? From a society that has become complacent with its own way of life and is still isolated from the rest of the world? That Malleus, someone who struggles greatly with accepting life changes himself, could enact such a big change so easily? (On a more technical level, you don’t just pass a law and it instantly becomes tangible or real, there is a process of approval and then implementation.)

Additionally, it’s made clear in Ghost Marriage that “[Malleus] cannot enter into an engagement lightly”, which is why Sebek goes in his place. Eliza, the Ghost Bride, is royalty (er, albeit dead) but it seems that royal status is not enough to qualify as his partner. Maybe this is because she’s dead and doesn’t have anything of value for Briar Valley (no land, no people, no political power), but it could also mean that the partner has to be given the thumbs up by other parties.

All that being said, here are some of the conditions I think would have to be met for Malleus’s future spouse:

Has to be someone of equal or at least high status. This means they also have to be a royal or at least of nobility. This appears to be true of Malleus’s dad, who is referred to as a duke.

Because of how self-contained Briar Valley is + nocturnal fae having beef with diurnal fae, I imagine his partner would have to also be a nocturnal fae. This would also solve the MASSIVE lifespan difference between fae and non-fae because at least fae would be far closer to each other even if their lifespans fluctuate but subspecies.

Someone suited to rule by his side. Being married into any royal family is no joke—it comes with the expectation that you will contribute somehow, and the partner should be fully equipped to enter the world of politics with him.

Piggybacking off the last point, I think mental fortitude is also a prerequisite. This is because being a politician (navigating the social climate both within your country and outside of it, keeping your people and colleagues happy, maintaining public approval, managing laws, dealing with potential attempts on your life, etc.) can be very stressful and can hurt those who are faint of heart or not prepared for the responsibility. Leaders have to make tough calls at the drop of a hat, and they have to be ready for it.

Has a lot to offer in terms of benefits to Briar Valley as a country. This could be in terms of resources, connections, and/or political savvy. This appears to be true of Malleus’s dad, who acted as a diplomat for Briar Valley.

Vetting and formal approval from the senate. lmao good luck with that

Has to be able and willing to have a child. They at least need an heir to the throne to succeed Malleus. (However, knowing how exclusionary and conservative as heck the senators are, I doubt they would accept anything but a biological child 💀)

Preferably someone with powerful magic or is skilled at magic already so as to lessen the chance of “tainting” the bloodline with a weak mage or a non-mage.

I believe that Briar Valley would prefer someone with old fashioned values like them, not someone pushing for massive reform. They have a culture that is resistant to change and a history of fighting for resources with outsiders, so if Malleus’s new spouse tries to introduce a bunch of technology or open its borders to other countries (even if they have good intentions), the people + the senate may oppose them. His father is implied to be open-minded, but he at least understood that such change isn’t reasonable without time and effort dedicated to the endeavor.

All that being said 💦 I think that this topic is actually less about what Malleus as an individual wants and what his country, his people, and, yes, even his asshole senators, want. This is basically an arranged marriage situation so that their country can maintain power and relevance. It’s about the collective and what Malleus must do for their perceived security and prosperity.

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themodernmarriage · 1 year

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ChatGPT makes the rules!

As a test, and for a bit of fun, I asked ChatGPT to define the rules and reasoning for male chastity in a female led relationship. I used the contract question as the starting point, and asked specific questions as follow ups.

Here are the unedited results! What do you think? CONTRACT:

As a Keyholder, I take this responsibility very seriously and want to ensure that our relationship is built on trust, respect, and clear communication. With that in mind, I present to you the contract for our male chastity slave.

Contract for Male Chastity Slave:

Purpose: The purpose of this contract is to establish the terms and conditions of the chastity slave’s submission to the Keyholder in a female-led relationship.

Duration: The chastity slave will remain in chastity for the duration of the contract unless otherwise specified by the Keyholder.

Ownership: The chastity device and all related equipment belong to the Keyholder, and the slave has no right to use or possess them without her permission.

Keyholder: The Keyholder will hold the key to the chastity device at all times and may unlock it at her discretion.

Release: The slave will only be released from chastity with the explicit permission of the Keyholder.

Maintenance: The slave will maintain the cleanliness of the chastity device and submit to any necessary inspections or cleanings as directed by the Keyholder.

Punishments: The slave acknowledges that any disobedience or failure to comply with the terms of this contract will result in punishment as determined by the Keyholder.

Consent: The slave acknowledges that they are entering into this contract willingly and with full knowledge of the terms and conditions outlined herein.

Termination: This contract may be terminated by either party at any time, with or without cause.

Confidentiality: The slave will not disclose any information about the Keyholder or the details of their relationship without her express permission.

By signing this contract, the chastity slave agrees to the terms and conditions outlined above and acknowledges that any violation of this contract may result in punishment at the discretion of the Keyholder.

DURATION:

I believe that the lockup durations should be agreed upon by both parties based on their individual preferences and desires. However, I can suggest some minimum lockup durations that are commonly used in female-led relationships.

For beginners or those new to male chastity, a lockup duration of 1-2 weeks is typically recommended to allow the submissive to adjust to the physical and emotional aspects of chastity. After that, longer lockup durations of 3-4 weeks or more can be considered, depending on the desires and limits of both parties. WHY IS CHASTITY NECESSARY?

Power Exchange: Male chastity is a tool for power exchange between the dominant partner (in this case, the Keyholder) and the submissive (the chastity slave). By controlling the slave's sexual pleasure, the Keyholder establishes and maintains control over the power dynamic in the relationship.

Discipline: Male chastity can be used as a form of discipline or punishment for the slave's disobedience or failure to comply with the Keyholder's orders.

Intimacy: By denying the slave's sexual release, the Keyholder can create a heightened sense of intimacy and connection between them. This can lead to a deeper level of trust and vulnerability in the relationship.

Sexual Exploration: Male chastity can also be used as a tool for sexual exploration and experimentation, allowing the Keyholder and the slave to explore new and exciting sexual experiences together.

Overall, male chastity is a means of enhancing the power dynamic and intimacy in a female-led relationship, while also providing a tool for discipline and sexual exploration.

BENEFITS FOR THE KEYHOLDER:

Power and Control: As the keyholder, the female partner has complete control over the male's sexual release. This can create a powerful dynamic in the relationship, where the female partner is in charge and the male partner must submit to her authority.

Increased Intimacy: By controlling the male's sexual release, the female partner can create a deeper level of intimacy and connection in the relationship. This can lead to increased trust, vulnerability, and emotional closeness.

Heightened Sexual Pleasure: When the male partner is denied sexual release for an extended period of time, it can lead to heightened sexual pleasure for both partners when release is finally allowed. This can create a more intense and satisfying sexual experience for both partners.

Enhanced Communication: A female-led relationship with a male chastity component requires clear and consistent communication between partners. This can lead to enhanced communication skills overall, which can benefit the relationship in other areas as well.

Increased Personal Satisfaction: For some women, the act of controlling their partner's sexual release can be personally satisfying and empowering. It can create a sense of confidence and pride in their ability to take charge of their relationship and their partner's pleasure.

Overall, being a keyholder in a female-led relationship can provide a range of benefits for the female partner, including increased power and control, enhanced intimacy and sexual pleasure, improved communication skills, and personal satisfaction.

BENEFITS FOR THE LOCKED MALE:

While it may seem counterintuitive, there are actually many benefits that a male partner can experience from being in a chastity cage. Here are some potential benefits:

Increased Focus: When the male partner is in chastity, he may find that he is more focused on his partner's needs and desires, rather than his own sexual urges. This can lead to a deeper level of emotional connection and intimacy in the relationship.

Improved Sexual Performance: By denying sexual release, the male partner may find that his sexual performance improves when he is finally allowed to orgasm. This can lead to a more satisfying sexual experience for both partners.

Enhanced Submission: Chastity can be a powerful tool for submission, allowing the male partner to fully surrender control to his female partner. This can create a more fulfilling and satisfying power dynamic in the relationship.

Personal Growth: The experience of being in chastity can also lead to personal growth for the male partner, including increased self-discipline and self-awareness.

Heightened Sexual Pleasure: When release is finally allowed, the male partner may experience heightened sexual pleasure due to the extended period of denial.

Overall, being in a chastity cage can provide a range of benefits for the male partner, including increased focus, improved sexual performance, enhanced submission, personal growth, and heightened sexual pleasure.

Nice one, AI.

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frownyalfred · 5 months

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a what-if scenario, as proposed by @lurkinglurkerwholurks and developed by myself, @audreycritter and lurker over on discord.

The original what-if: You know those delightful scenarios where Bruce is so pressed or scared or in danger that he yells for Superman and Clark POOF appears? Take alllllllllll of those, all that fear and pain and desperation...What would be required in that moment for Bruce to yell Clark’s name instead of Superman?

He’s so so so careful. Would it be an extreme amount of those emotions, like Jason’s death? Or is it something he specifically needs Clark for and needs him NOW? Like how much would that scare the living snot out of Clark to hear?

What if: Bruce finds Lois close to death -- maybe a few seconds away from dying, and it's a sure thing. Her heart is still beating, but she doesn't have long.

It’s kind of like a scene in a movie, where something happens that’s so big, so quietly awful, everything slows down and the rules don’t matter anymore. Internally, Bruce would go really still and hyperfocus to figure out how to fix this, but he’s not stupid.

Bruce sees Lois and knows. He clears the comms, kneels down next to her, and calls for Clark -- all in less than five seconds. Because there's no one else to make those snap judgements right now other than him -- or even knows why they need to be made.

Clark hearing his name shouted like that would make his entire world go staticky with panic. Because hearing Superman’s name shouted like that by Bruce Wayne has always meant the end of the world, and somehow this is so much worse.

He’d hesitate for a second because surely it’s a mistake? Why would Bruce call him that on open comms? Why is Bruce's heart suddenly pounding in his chest?

Bruce calls him Clark for two reasons: 1) Because he's about to give Clark the worst news of his life and 2) to remind him of his humanity. To remind him he's Clark at his core, because what he's about to see will shake those very foundations.

There’s nothing they can do. No medevac, Clark can’t take her anywhere. She will die, and it’s a certain thing. Lois just needs to see Clark. She needs to be able to say goodbye.

Bruce is both their friends and that’s what makes it worse. The weight of that grief -- grief for Clark, but also Lois because she is his friend too. He loves her, too, in a completely different way. And now he’s watching another person he loves die in front of him and he can’t stop it.

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jackdaw-and-hattrick · 1 year

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Stand at the Edge

Prologue- Next

Ao3

Damian was irritated. This was not uncommon, surrounded as he was by idiots, but today especially he was, as Todd would so eloquently put it, pissed. This was because, for reasons utterly unknown, Greyson had gone insane, obsessively cleaning the spotless mansion (until Pennyworth ordered him to stop) and incessantly bothering him about his appearance, all because of an interrogation. Why Father had decided to hold this particular interrogation within the Manor itself was yet another source of Damien’s irritation. Apparently, the suspect’s emotional involvement with Todd justified the clear risk posed by allowing this stranger into their home, despite the fact that all background checks and past interviews showed him to be a clear and dangerous unknown. If anything, Todd’s involvement with the suspect only increased the likelihood of this “Danny Nightengale” being a danger to the family. Damian did not believe that Todd was an irrational madman in constant need of supervision Father seemed to think he was, but he did not pretend the man did not pose a possible threat. There was also the possibility that Nightengale recognized how deeply compromised Farther was when it came to Todd and was using him to gain access to the family, be it as the Bats or the Waynes. If that was the case, then Damien was sure Father would not mind granting a temporary reprieval of the No-kill rule. For the family’s safety, that is. Not because he cared about Todd or any of his other siblings or their feelings, thank you.

The main area of concern surrounding Nightengale was not what they had learned, but what they hadn't. So far, he had avoided all interviews with concerning success. Furthermore, no family member had actually managed to get a photo of him. Attempts to look him up showed only that he was a student at Gotham University studying Astrophysics and Aerospace engineering, that he had a sister named Jazmine who worked as a counselor within Arkem, which was concerning within it's own right, and that he had lived with said sister until moving in with Todd three months ago. Footwork provided a few more details, such as that he worked at the Iceberg Lounge as part of the band playing the violin and that he seemed to have a number of pet birds, specifically ravens, though these birds seemed to come and go as they pleased. Neighbors reported that he was pleasant enough, though there were a number of noise complaints regarding both the birds and his apparent activity as an engineer. What was truly concerning was the total informational whiteout predating his arrival in Gotham. The transcript he had used to get into university was a forgery, as was his social security number, birth certificate, and driver's license. He had no social media presence of any sort and there was no one they could talk to who had any idea where he was from. The same went for his sister, they were both complete blanks. What was most interesting, at least according to Drake, was that the photo used on the fake driver's license looked to have been doctored, as if someone had taken an old photo and artificially aged it. None of them could think of a reason someone would need to do that.

“I still do not understand why we are bringing Todd and Nightengale here.”

Damien said, doing his best to tie his tie himself with mediocre success.

“Because,” Bruce explained, stepping in to help and rescue the tie from Damien’s increasingly frustrated attempts, “he is dating Jason, and as his family, we have every reason to want to meet him.”

Damien raised a brow. That seemed unusually irrational of Father. Perhaps the presence of Todd in the equation was interfering more than he had expected.

“Given how slippery he has proven in the past,” he continued “this is our best opportunity to engage him while minimizing both his suspicion and his likelihood to run. Furthermore, he is far more likely to be forthcoming than he would be if operating on his own turf. This gives us the upper hand more than if we attempted to meet him elsewhere.”

That was better. If there was one thing Damien appreciated about Father, it was his direct, analytical nature. Meanwhile, Greyson shouted something about needing to hide all of the chairs. Suddenly there was a knock at the front door, and a loud bang as Greyson tripped himself attempting to open it. Pennyworth, appearing suddenly at the door when Damian could have sworn he was in the kitchen, opened it before Greyson had a chance to right himself. Standing there was Todd and, assumedly, Nightengale. It suddenly occurred to Damian that he had never actually seen the man up close before. He was tall, with dark hair and brilliant blue eyes. He was thin as well, concerningly so, his joints sharp where the bones shone through. His skin was so pale, like freshly fallen snow or bleached bone. There was something terribly familiar about him, but so was probably any other pale man with black hair and blue eyes. As he grew closer, Damian noticed, snaking up Nightengale’s right arm and peaking up from the collar of his turtleneck, a Lichtenberg scar. Something in the back of his head stirred, but he couldn't think what it could possibly be. Greyson was shaking this man’s hand, offering some kind of greeting, but Damian couldn't hear it. Suddenly, Nightengale’s head snapped. Now he was looking right at Damian, his blue eyes boundless and staring as a grin stretched far wider across his face than should have been possible, wider even than the Joker and with teeth like a cat, sharp and predatory. He thought he maybe should have been frightened, though he wasn't sure why.

“Little Prince!”

Nightengale embraced Damian tightly, lifting him slightly off the ground. He wasn't sure how he had gotten so close so quickly. His skin was cold, but as comforting as an ice pack on an injury; the relief of a cold shower in the height of summer held in sharp and narrow arms. Something about this situation seemed wrong but he couldn't pin down just what it was.

“It's been so long! Look how big you’ve gotten. Ancients, the last time I saw you, you were just a shade!”

Wait. That was it.

“What do you mean, ‘last time’”

Damian willed his muscles to tense, his hands to clench into fists but they remained stubbornly relaxed.

“Dami, little light, ya sitti, don't you remember me?”

Nightengale gently set Damian and for a second he was blinded as the man was wreathed in rings of light bright as the sun. When the light faded the man had... changed. The most obvious shift was his hair, once black and now so blindingly white that it made his face shadowy and difficult to see, as well as luminescent, Lazarus green eyes, the sclera black as night. Rather than the simple black turtle neck and slacks he had come in, he was now wearing a black hazmat suit with a white belt holding what looked like an old-fashioned radio and, oddly, a thermos. He had white gloves, though they became sharp and claw-like at the tips. There were other, more subtle changes, such as how his skin grew grey, like someone who had been dead for hours, and the faint glow of the fractal Lichtenburg just visible through the suit. Damian became aware suddenly of pressure that had been building in his ears and only just released.

“No.”

“Oh...” the Man, he was not Nightengale, seemed to deflate.

“No... I... It's not... You can not.”

Damien was faintly aware that he was not making sense, but seeing that this made two of them, he felt little need to correct it. Finally, enough of his brain cells managed to collide for him to form a sentence.

“What are you doing here?”

“Damien,” Father said, careful to insert himself between his son and whoever, whatever, was floating just slightly off the ground before them, “who is this? How do you know him?”

“His name is Phantom. When I was a child, I would make up stories about him and the strange land he ruled.”

Hearing his name, Phantom smiled a much smaller, more hesitant smile than his Joker-esque grin from before. He waved slightly. Meanwhile, Father looked as if he were about to have an aneurysm. Looking about, that seemed to be the consensus amongst the onlookers, albeit Todd who laughed. Hard.

Tag Cultists

@mur-ururu @krzys2000 @soren1830 @fisticuffsatapplebees @emergentpanda-blog @heirxofxtime

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project-sekai-facts · 8 months

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Hatsune Miku broke space-time and here's how

a somewhat off-the-wall theory by tumblr user project-sekai-facts

SEKAI are... mysterious, to say the least. They're worlds made out of the emotions of teenagers, only accessible through a song on a phone that cannot disappear, and most importantly, inhabited by the main 6 Crypton VOCALOID characters.

So, what exactly is a SEKAI? For one, they're not magical or supernatural, as confirmed in Len's Street SEKAI 2*. According to Len, SEKAI are just mysterious, as previously mentioned. He also mentions in that card story that the Virtual Singers that inhabit SEKAI are not that much unlike humans, although they have the innate ability to help people discover their true feelings, and nurturing those feelings is at their core.

That's the thing, how are they able to maintain a humanoid form if they're not magical or supernatural, and not holograms either? Well, with magical worlds and the concept of people teleporting inside of their phone ruled out due to the phones going with them, the only option I can think of would be an alternate dimension. A parallel universe, if you will.

An alternate, parallel universe actually makes a lot of sense. Because there's still the big question of how a selection of characters came to be physical, sentient beings. It's made perfectly clear that in the world the main human characters live in, the Virtual Singers are simply Virtual Singers. They're just characters designed for vocal synth software, exactly as they are in the real world. So to me, the most likely explanation is that the SEKAI exist in an alternate universe where the Crypton VOCALOID characters exist as real "people".

It's not a perfect explanation, and doesn't really account for the fact there are several SEKAI, and several incarnations of the VOCALOID characters across those. While the SEKAI are presented as planet-like objects in a void (the "Between SEKAI"), as the game calls it, there's also the fact that SEKAI continuously grow, in a similar style to a universe. To be honest, I don't think the writers care that much about the physics behind SEKAI and the contradictions present.

They actually play with a bit of a "god" dynamic with the Virtual Singers. They aren't tied to a specific SEKAI, instead residing in the void between SEKAI and watching over "themselves" and the humans who inhabit the SEKAI.

All of that aside, how did the SEKAI come to be, and what's so special about the Virtual Singers? Why are they playing god in this alternate dimension?

Well, it's well-established that SEKAI are created from feelings. Specifically strong and unwavering ones, that have to maintain their strength in order to become a full fledged SEKAI, and not just a small fragment of what could be. But, where do the Virtual Singers come into this?

Well, it's hard to say. Considering how closely tied the Virtual Singers are to the SEKAI, I'd say it's pretty safe to say that they have an impact in the creation of them. Which places 2006 as the earliest a SEKAI could form, the year MEIKO was released. Although, considering how Miku is put at the forefront of it all, 2007 might be more likely. Perhaps the SEKAI were created by staff at Crypton, who were happy with Miku's outcome, and that's why she's at the forefront? It's plausible, though I think there's a more likely theory.

The game places a heavy emphasis on what VOCALOID means to people, the way a community has formed around it, and creators will put their feelings into music that can then be enjoyed by people worldwide. From an out-of-universe perspective, I think this provided the inspiration for the idea of SEKAI, though I think it works from an in-universe perspective too. By some reality-shattering phenomenon, when VOCALOID (particularly Miku) started to really explode in the late 2000s, the feelings that people entrusted to these Virtual Singer characters managed to create entire worlds based on their feelings. Obviously Miku being the most popular and well-know VOCALOID character ended up being at the center of it. Thousands of people conveyed their true feelings through her, and probably hundreds of those people felt strongly enough for SEKAI to be born from their feelings.

And that's all it is really. SEKAI are just a metaphor for the worlds that Vocaloid producers create with their songs, and the feelings they put into those songs, the feelings they entrust to the VOCALOIDs. It's a very literal representation of it.

#i didn't know what to post for today and then i was just like. yeah that'll work. post the header.#project sekai #theory #i know kaito and meiko aren't part of the character vocal series but saying they're vocaloid characters would still be correct right?#happy 3rd anniversary ig

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crazy-ache · 3 months

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SJM knows what she is doing with Elain and Lucien

The below quote is from "Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films" by Dean Movshovitz:

"As mentioned, conflict is crucial to your story and, yes, there is something deeply satisfying about watching a character fight against the odds for something they deeply believe in. But it is also very satisfying to watch two characters from different worlds grow closer together and balm each other's wounds— when it is earned. By "earned," I'm referring to a believable, specific process of bonding. Watching two people meet and immediately become best friends isn't moving. Nor is watching two people hate each other for an entire movie, only to turn on a dime and fall in love in the last minutes of the film. Bonding should involve two characters who have clear reasons not to like each other. Only through a parallel process of external events pushing them together and inner changes that remove the relationship's emotional obstacles, can they come together in a way that is truly meaningful."

Who does this sound like more? I'm going to say it again. Sarah knows what she is doing because she is a compelling storyteller. Elain and Lucien have clear reasons to not like each other right NOW (and that's just the way it seems for now), but once we get their book, we will see that parallel process of external events/inner changes bring them together and fall madly in love. It's why Sarah has described their journey as one of "growth and healing". They will balm each other's wounds. They will grow together. They will fall in love.

Anything else, such as a certain E/riel ship, would not be a compelling journey. It would not complement each character's respective development. And you know what else? It simply isn't interesting to read.

#elucien #elain x lucien #pro elucien #anti e/riel

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charcubed · 1 year

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I'm curious, what are the main reasons why Dean is your favorite canon bisexual in media? Love your meta and that video btw

Ooooo, anon, thank you for the kind words and for giving me an excuse to talk about my love for bisexual icon Dean Winchester <3

I'm going to be really annoying (sorry) and quote part of my meta first. It summarizes and articulates many of my thoughts on this. And then to further answer your question I'll add a bit under it!

From the very beginning, Dean Winchester has been a character tied to classic elements of American masculinity. He was introduced with a superficial veneer involving those elements, but almost immediately the early episodes provide a look at the complexity of his character underneath it. Over the years, that complexity was further explored, and he came to embody a study in things society would often have us think should be incompatible contrasts: the gruffness and grit of hunting life and its associated masculine iconography, paired with his open and deep emotional care for the world; unabashed love for classic rock, superheroes, and horror movies, as well as unabashed joy connected to TV dramas, chick flicks, and childhood favorites like Scooby-Doo; life on the road with a muscle car, but the desire for a home base with creature comforts he can make his own; motivation to always help people, but the clear longing for balance with personal domesticity and relaxation so he could save not only others but also himself.

As a whole, his character functions as an effective deconstruction of toxic masculinity and stereotypical American heroism. And while much of Dean’s most masculine traits and interests are said to come from his father’s influence, part of his journey is loving those parts of himself on their own merit not because he ever had to but because he wants to. He is not his father, and he redefines those valued parts of his identity so they are his and his alone. He also crucially learns to recognize and joyfully embody that those masculine traits were never all that he had to be, working through and overcoming shame and hesitancy along the way. The result? He’s “good with who he is.”

He and the audience are encouraged to see that there are no rules his identity and interests must subscribe to, on a micro or a macro level. The message is to disregard predetermined destiny or duty. Free will means his life is his to determine, his family can be what he makes of it and how he defines it, and what he needs and wants do not ever have to be mutually exclusive. Dean’s journey is about freedom from outwardly-imposed limitations–whether those limitations come from his father’s example and the God altering his story, or from the pervasive societal ideals and network/executive interference outside of it. Dean can and should contain multitudes, all at once.

In this way, Dean’s story is a powerfully queer narrative that acts as metacommentary. In the fullness of its execution, it is also specifically a deeply bisexual narrative.

The not-so-hidden truth is that Dean is canonically a bisexual man. His story was afforded something that’s rare for most characters and almost nonexistent for queer ones: fifteen years of lengthy, nuanced development.

[...]

Again: Dean’s identity journey is about how he can and does contain the capacity for multitudes, and it’s part of what makes him such a compelling character. He can like “this” and “that.” He can be attracted to women and men. Or, as writer Ben Edlund and director Phil Sgriccia said in a DVD commentary, Dean has “the potential for love in all places.”

I wanted to include the above verbatim because it spells out something specific: Dean's narrative is bisexual in its bones. Supernatural evolved to become a queer text, but the specific ways the show and Dean as a character evolved are very intertwined with and informed by the fact that Dean is a masculine bisexual man. SPN is a story that was not meant to be about being queer, but as it became about freedom through free will, those themes were then leveraged and emphasized in connection to queerness because of Destiel. And by the end, the free will narrative and Dean's journey as a bi man are utterly inseparable, because Dean's fight for true freedom is tied to his love for a man and their untraditional family in a way that higher forces are trying to hinder.

You cannot cut out or edit or remove Dean's bisexuality from the story, or several narratives and plot lines (not just Destiel) would at minimum be misunderstood or at maximum fall apart. And yet, simultaneously? Dean's bisexuality is also far from being the sole important thing about his character because he is written with such nuanced complexities and across so many years of material.

Of course, add onto this the overall unique situation that surrounds Supernatural as a piece of media. People talk at length about how there will never be anything like it again, including me; that's obviously true from multiple different angles and for multiple different reasons, with Destiel being prime amongst them. But a related yet distinctly significant branch of that topic is there will never be another bisexual character who is written and evolves quite like Dean.

Was Dean supposed to be bisexual from the very start, out of the mind of Kripke? Who can know for sure, but probably not. Were certain writers and members of production deliberately putting more queercoding and subtext into Dean's character/story from the very start? Who can know for sure, but potentially yes, and certainly the answer becomes unarguably definitely yes the farther you get into the show. That's part of my love and passion for him too, because all of that is deeply unique and incredibly cool.

Dean's bisexuality evolved in a way that (against all odds) actually feels organic, seamless, and like it's simply a part of his character that's been there all along. The effect when you look at Supernatural as a whole body of work is that Dean's always been bi, and his expressions of and acknowledgements of that part of him ebb and flow depending on situation–which is a very relatable notion for many queer people. And as those writing the show became more committed and certain about that piece of who Dean is, so did he, in nuanced and subtle ways skillfully embedded into his story by design. It's bafflingly, impressively cohesive; gives him an incredibly realistic feel; matches his overall character growth; and rings true to his demographic, age, personality, and experiences.

Dean and his story and the situation(s) surrounding both are simply incomparable, and that will be true forever ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

...also. Well. I simply love him, y'know? For even more reasons unconnected to this. How can you not, right? :')

Thank you for asking, and thanks for reading this bi Dean manifesto!

Putting my video that you mentioned here for anyone who's not watched it:

youtube

My new magnum opus, please stream, etc.

(or watch on Tumblr here)

#bisexual dean winchester #dean is bi #bi dean meta #bi dean winchester #dean winchester is bi #supernatural #spn meta #char writes things #God I LOOOOOVE HIIIIMMMM #dean #anonymous #yes I used like 5 dean is bi tags. I'm valid. leave me alone

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lacrimosathedark · 1 year

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Who wants trauma headcanons? :D

Bruce taught every Robin and Batgirl how to properly use a gun as well as ways to counter it. The base of all of their costumes are specifically reinforced against bullets. He updates them for every major attempt on their lives. From the start, Dick’s palms were reinforced against corrosive materials. After Babs was shot, he made Jason’s cape and spinal protection stronger. After Jason died, Tim’s costume was reinforced for blunt trauma and fire retardant. After Steph got “killed”, he actively left his plans available for Tim’s scrutiny. After Damian was run through, his next costume was reinforced for piercing damage.

The only time Bruce sets his One Rule aside is in the near aftermath of losing someone important, examples being when he nearly killed the Joker after he killed Jason and when he left KGBeast to die after he shot Dick. He would do that for any of his kids, and he’s as terrified of doing it as he is of not.

Kate gets anxious around mirrors. They remind her of her mother. They remind her of her sister and the games they used to play. They make her feel alone when she knows she’s not.

Dick is incredibly attentive and actively afraid of his own anger. After losing Jason, and not knowing in part because of his own distance with Bruce, he actively clings to his family so he doesn’t lose that chance again. This is part of why his adopted Tim as his brother so fast, and was willing to give Damian so many chances despite being a Huge Prick.

Dick was re-traumatized by Tim nearly falling to his demise, and now if any of his siblings exhibit the slightest emotional distress, he gets anxious about letting them out alone in costume. He’s terrified he won’t be there to catch them.

Dick finds the smell of rain, even in putrid areas of Gotham and Bludhaven, soothing. Until it’s mixed with the scent of blood and/or sweat, which actively puts him on edge. Especially at night. He has to actively focus on what’s going on or else he might freeze up.

While Dick actively enjoys how clearly people find him attractive and likes to have fun with it, he is a bit sex-averse, and any unexpected attention has him momentarily panic, or at the very least extremely uncomfortable. He hates when people lay their hands on him in a sexual way infinitely more than them actively assaulting him. He’s been taught how to handle clear violence.

Babs has an instant reaction of fear followed by anger every time she hears someone at the door. Sometimes intense menstrual pain gives her similar feelings and flashbacks. During these time, she specifically keeps an eye on her father, Bruce, and Jason.

She watches so much surveillance footage because she’s not as effective on foot anymore but needs to have everyone’s backs. She trusts Cass and Steph to act in her place, but she still hates having to be on the sidelines.

Jason and Tim don’t like anything close to their neck. Jason scratches at his neck when he’s got too much irritable energy, especially directed at Bruce. Roy and Artemis definitely notice and try to distract him.

Jason has adapted to explosives and loves them the same way he does morbid jokes, but certain sounds, like thick metal on cement, can set him off.

Jason get noticeably anxious around people who are actively intoxicated or severely ill. His anxiety usually manifests as aggression, which tries to direct appropriately, but it’s a struggle.

Tim immediately dissociates/numbs when confronted with a scene with lots of pooling blood. He has enough practice working through practically anything, he can push how he feels aside to work. But once he’s alone, he loses it. Only Bruce and Dick know.

After No Man’s Land, and even more so when Tim lost his fucking spleen, everyone gets anxious whenever Tim seems the slightest bit sick. Tim also gets incredibly nervous, but is able to put up a front for everyone else.

Cassandra often feels the need to check in with Tim--they know things about each other no one else knows and share quite a bit of trouble. And Tim was always there for her even when she was at her worst. He’s always been safe for her.

Cass sometimes talks aloud to Stephanie when she isn’t there, or when she’s sleeping. Stephanie has walked in or woken up to it a few times. She usually plays it off to smooth it over, but makes sure to check in with her later and give her lots of hugs and remind her she’s still there.

Jason, Cass, and Stephanie are all sensitive to child victims, and become very cautious around them.

Stephanie reflexively grimaces any time she sees any kind of black skull; shirt decals, jewelry, tattoos, her face scrunches up without any intent.

Stephanie is both the best and worst at handling victims who are young parents or have young children. She can empathize better than anyone, but it usually leaves her shaken. Tim, and sometimes Cass, are the only ones who can comfort her.

Steph has a love/hate thing for fighting the Riddler. On one hand, he reminds her of her father, and she is actively kicking his ass. On the other, he is much better than her father and usually less malicious (and actively wants to be noticed most of the time). She gets really pent up and ends up beating the shit out of his goons a bit harder than she should.

Damian hates the Bat Cave. He already felt resentment for the dinosaur almost killing him, and he loathes the case holding Jason’s case because he has come to find the epithet cold, and on a bad day all he can see is Tim lying among broken glass. After Bane killed Alfred, he could hardly stand being there for a minute.

Tim and Damian hate Time Shenanigans. Tim always sees the worst of himself and everything he’s ever lost, and Damian feels like it takes people away from him.

Duke sometimes flinches when he hears people laugh. He doesn’t mean to, but if it sounds a bit too unhinged, he can’t seem to help it.

#DC Comics #Batman #Bat Family #Bruce Wayne #Kate Kane #Dick Grayson #Barbara Gordon #Jason Todd #Tim Drake #Cassandra Cain #Stephanie Brown #Damian Wayne #Duke Thomas

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yanderes-galore · 5 months

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What do you think a romantic yandere concept of Opaline from MLP gen 5 would be like?

I wrote this on Docs but I didn't see this was specifically romantic, so I tweaked it from the original draft a bit, still ended up a bit general if that was okay, I apologize :(. Doesn't change much though.

Yandere! Opaline Arcana Concept

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Manipulation, Narcissism, Possessive behavior, Kidnapping, imprisonment, Isolation, Violence/Thoughts of murder mentioned, Emotionally controlling behavior mentioned, Cages, Forced relationship implied.

I may not have finished MLP: Make Your Mark, but I believe I know enough about Opaline to give my thoughts on her.

Opaline Arcana is an Alicorn that has been alive since Celestia and Luna.

By the time of Make Your Mark she is nearly powerless due to Twilight.

Now she tries to use Dragon Fire in order to grow in power due to being a Fire Alicorn.

Opaline is malicious, scheming, and deceitful.

She is very skilled in manipulation, especially emotional manipulation.

Considering how well she can control Misty, Opaline would use honeyed words to gain her obsession.

Speaking of Misty, I'd expect her to be used by Opaline for her obsession.

For example, maybe Opaline can't stop thinking of a pony who's close to the Mane 5.

Earth pony, pegasus, unicorn, it doesn't matter to Opaline.

For some reason she feels she needs you.

Whenever she spies on the Mane 5, her eyes drift to you.

At some point you may just drive her insane.

She doesn't understand why she feels so weird around this one pony.

So, she sends Misty to spy.

She already needs the unicorn to search for magic sources, she might as well have her look into why you're so special.

Opaline is already quite focused on her plot to rule Equestria by stealing all of the magic.

Yet the Alicorn feels distracted when you come up.

Why does she actually want to listen to Misty about your day?

She knows she has a distaste for the Mane 5, but she feels she hates you less.

If she just wanted to steal your magic then she shouldn't care about you.

It's not like you're that strong magic-wise, if anything Sunny is stronger.

It boggles her mind when she actually enjoys watching you.

Misty is grateful that she has an excuse to be around her new friends, but grows concerned for you.

You have no idea what you do to Opaline.

Only Misty knows… even then not by much.

She just knows you drive the Alicorn crazy at times and you have no clue about it.

You're oblivious to the scheming Alicorn miles away from you.

That is until Opaline starts getting bold.

Maybe she asks Misty to lure you to her castle.

That or maybe Opaline finds a way to capture you herself.

At some point Opaline feels she has to look into why you make her feel in such a strange way.

Misty is reluctant to take part in luring you.

However, scared by the Alicorn's fiery rage, Misty lures you out of Maretime Bay.

She claims she has something cool to show you!

It's a secret….

Having no clue about the incoming danger and trusting Misty as a friend, you follow.

Only for Opaline to swoop in and trap you.

Similar to other MLP villains I've written about in the past, Opaline may keep you caged away.

The first half of her obsession is the Alicorn studying you.

You're kept in a cage, if you're a unicorn your magic is negated or straight up stolen, if you're a pegasus your wings are restrained.

Opaline taunts you, claiming you're weak.

Yet she also shows frustration as she doesn't understand why she feels strange for somepony like you.

She wonders if it's pity….

But it becomes clear it's something else later on.

She begins to notice it when she's softer towards you despite you being behind bars.

Opaline of course uses manipulation to get her way.

Like with Misty she puts you down and often makes you feel like you need her.

It's her way of preventing you from leaving.

She's strong and is offering you a home with her.

If you're loyal you can be out of the cage and in a room

She's softer with you than Misty, but the treatment is very similar.

You want to run away but Opaline no doubt has caged you with magic like when Misty was grounded.

Misty may flee to “spy”, in reality she's trying to get you help.

She feels remorseful for her actions and knows she has to get you help.

Opaline treats you as something pretty to look at, something between a pet and someone she admires.

It's an odd relationship.

Sometimes she mocks you, sometimes she pulls you closer for affection.

You're scared of her toying.

Even when the Mane 5 come to help with Misty, Opaline refuses to let you go so easily.

You've driven her crazy and now she finally has you.

Is she just supposed to let you go?

No… she won't allow it.

As an Alicorn she's meant to get what she wants!

She'll keep you in her castle all to herself…

Even if it means destroying your so-called “friends” to do it.

#yandere my little pony #yandere mlp #yandere mlp make your mark #yandere mlp generation 5 #yandere opaline #yandere opaline arcana

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astrojulia · 1 year

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Born to lead: Aries assume leadership roles not out of ego, but due to their natural gift. They guide people on a common path and easily take the leadership role when they see that no one is playing that role.

Calm in danger: To witness a calm Aries, put them in a situation of stress and danger. In those times, they put their attention and intelligence to work and don't just stay in action. Ruled by Mars, war is their true field and not the same thing as everyday life.

Refined sense of humor: Aries raise the energy of the place and do so through jokes as well. Their sense of humor can also be different, accepting jokes about their appearance and manner when made by people closest to them.

They have a unique style: Aries like to show themselves through their appearance, so they also look for something in which they can stand out. Whether it's using a more hardcore haircut or wearing a piece of clothing in a dark green tone, it doesn't matter - it needs to be recognized as their own brand.

Rebels by nature: Don't try to tell Aries what to do, as they will find an argument to do it their own way. If you're not Aries and you're reading this, learn to "eat around the edges" - speak indirectly and softly so they'll change their minds. Because if you're going to face them head-on, you're lost.

Honest to the extreme: Aries hate lies, and that's why they always seek to confront the issue head-on. They speak the truth promptly instead of prolonging unnecessary deception - it's one of their mottos.

Loyal: You've probably heard that fire and air signs aren't loyal at all, but that's a lie. Aries want to have strong bonds with their loved ones and try to be always present in their lives. When something goes wrong, they try to fix it, but when it's over, it's over.

Opinionated: Aries strive to be heard in situations they witness, refusing to be passive when action is necessary.

Sweet dreams or a beautiful nightmare: Aries tend to be very sweet and polite, yes, they know how to socialize and are not rage animals, but their moods can change quickly when they feel hurt.

Competitive: It's not surprising that Aries are competitive, but it's important to remember. Aries can change their environment, even if it's something comfortable, if it doesn't ignite their competitive spirit.

Sensitive heart: Aries are very emotional when it comes to matters of the heart. They become sensitive in their relationships, giving their all to form intimate bonds with people. That's why, after a breakup, they take time before getting involved again.

Dislike of waiting: Okay, was that a secret for anyone? Now, jokes aside. Aries don't like to wait, especially when there's no explanation for the delay. More than 15 minutes, and they're gone.

Engaged in various activities: If the whole world had complementary activities in schools, then I could say that all Aries do them. But since that's not the case, Aries seek out different activities in their routine. Similar to Geminis, Aries enjoy having more than one thing to do and find it dreadful to just go home and go to work.

Dislike of routine: Aries don't like routine at all, neither in life nor in love. They need something new and something to do. Every now and then, let your Aries friend create a spontaneous itinerary.

Authenticity in expressing feelings: Just as they dislike lies, Aries never lie about anything, including their feelings. If they don't like something or someone, they make it clear. They may try to disguise their emotions, but if you get close, they'll drop the façade.

Quick learners: Being passionate doesn't mean being unintelligent. Aries rule their heads and have active minds, just like other air signs. However, Aries use their mental capacity to assimilate information quickly. They often excel in specific types of intelligence that align with their interests, such as mathematical or kinesthetic intelligence.

Distorted self-perception: Aries tend to have a skewed view of themselves, particularly regarding their bodies and appearance. Sometimes they exaggerate their flaws, while other times they underestimate their true qualities.

Guardians of secrets: When someone confides in an Aries, they keep that person's secrets confidential. Their commitment to truth and trust prevents them from gossiping or sharing private information. They believe that "some things are best left unknown."

Difficulty opening up: Especially in matters of love and intimacy, Aries find it challenging to open up unless they feel a deep sense of trust. This goes against the popular belief that Aries are more relaxed in these areas.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

#astrojulia #astrology #witchblr #astroblr #all about astrology #astro community #astro observations #astrology notes #witch community #astrology basics #aries #aries sun #aries rising #aries moon #aries stellium

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charles-leclerc-official · 2 months

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hi!! New fan here, i was wondering, how do you know which stats and data to look for in terms of fairly comparing the performances of drivers? and just in general tips on race analysis :') like figuring out if they did the right strategy, the data you need to look for, anything else you find significant? thank you so much! i'd like to be more objective tbh bc the emotions are vv strong during a race and they tend to overpower my rational side.

Well there is a lot that can go into this. Some of it is very much a learned skill that you get better at over time.

General good rules of thumb for comparison and analysis:

1.The same car/teammates: comparing teammates is usually very helpful in understanding a car and also where the two drivers differ. Since they are in the same machinery we can see what some general characteristics are of a specific car. And then we can also see where there are differences that can be attributed to a driver specifically. Comparing teammates is always useful, and helpful in understanding a team overall because you know that team is constantly comparing their driver's performances.

2. Max(or whoever is the current #1): having Max as a benchmark of the current top driver is always helpful because he's obviously the one to beat. Also since he is so good he delivers amazing data on tracks. So if I want to see where the SF-24 or Charles need to improve comparing to Max is a good way to do it. It would not be as helpful to compare Charles to say Fernando, who while a great driver, the car he's in and his standing right now just isn't going to offer many valuable insights.

3. Race strategy: this is a very complicated topic, it is way more like chess than people realize. Seeing who starts where, the places they can likely gain from there, the timing that needs to happen to gain those places etc. Those are all factors. You really get a sense of it after you watch for a while. This is an extremely complex area that is a constantly evolving logic problem (which is why teams are so focused during races) This is the area where I have the fewest tips because it is really one of those things that just comes from experience and observation. One thing to do would be read interviews about what your team is saying about their strategy and the thinking that went into it. Spatial reasoning and logic are a big part of race strategy, and then once the lights go out those things get affected by time and random events (ex a driver DNFing) So race strategy is a combination of spatial logic and being able to do it dynamically as time progresses over a race. So thinking of it like chess that changes every lap is a good way to think about it.

4. Race specific battles: pay attention during races who is really battling (ex Lewis and Oscar in Jeddah, or Lando and Carlos in Suzuka or Lando and Charles in Melbourne) then you can look at the data for some insights into why the battle played out the way it did. Another example would be if you wanted to understand why Mclaren made Oscar and Lando switch in Australia, you can go look at the data and the answer it pretty clear. So these kinds of comparisons can give a lot of insight into why a team made certain strategy calls.

5. DRS: DRS is always something I look at when talking about speed, because while it's great for speed it's more of a luck right place at the right time thing, and so if I want to be fair in pace or speed comparisons I try to find laps where either both drivers got DRS or neither did (sometimes this isn't possible but it's a good factor to keep in mind)

6. Same tyres: comparing pace and speed on tyres it's important to keep the compound in mind. Comparing a fast lap one driver did on a medium tyre to one another driver did on hards isn't really in good faith. Now sometimes doing cross compound comparison can be useful, (ex a driver setting the same times on hards as another driver on mediums is interesting and worth digging into) But if you are wanting to do a direct comparison and want to eliminate this as a variable always compare on the same compound (sometimes this isn't possible so keep that in mind) Comparing across compounds is helpful too, but you should be very clear about why and the logic behind it.

7. Field placement: Comparing a midfield car to a top car isn't super helpful. Max isn't Logan's competition, other midfield drivers are Logan's competition. So it's important to look at who is actually competing with who. You could do a Logan to Max comparison but it likely wouldn't offer much insight into either drivers' strengths or weaknesses. Comparing Logan to Alex(his teammate) or Zhou(someone else in the midfield) is going to be way more useful.

8. Weather/Temperature: this can be a massive compounding factor for performance and should always be considered. Was it raining? Was it windy? Was there notable heat? How was that affecting drivers? etc

9. Mechanical issues: always note them and take them into account, this sounds like a no-brainer but not everyone does this and it leads to a lot of bad faith representations of a driver or a race.

10. Team Radio: if you want to understand what a driver and a team were thinking during the race and want answers for why things played out the way they did (good or bad) then team radio usually has a lot of answers. A good example of this would be listening to Charles' radios in Suzuka, you can listen to him talking about which strategy to go with and then the team figuring that out with him. Radios are very informative. I always listen to Charles', so if you have a driver/team you are focused on I highly recommend doing that.

11. Sometimes there is no way to do a fair comparison: this is something that is important to keep in mind(and again a lot of people forget this). For example in Bahrain when Charles had that massive brake temperature imbalance issue, no one else had it. So we cannot really compare his pace or performance to anyone and account for that. We can still compare his say fastest lap to Carlos' to see what he was able to do in less than optimal circumstances. But this is another very important thing to remember. Sometimes conditions do not allow for a totally fair comparison, and that is always worth noting. This is a very important fallacy to be aware of, and it's a trap a lot of people fall into, making it appear as though there is a fair comparison in a situation when there is not. So always keep this in mind. Sometimes the fact no fair comparison can be made is informative in itself.

A lot of analysis is also what I feel like just falls under plain old common sense and logical reasoning. Races are big logical puzzles, so just like with any logic based game it takes practice to get the hang of it. This just comes with watching races and paying attention to the details.

Also analysis doesn't get rid of the emotional reactions(at least not for me) I watch live and have all kinds of emotions. I just do that in private and wait to look at the data. And that is totally normal for the record. This is why I recommend re-watching a race for analysis for 2 reasons. 1. You will probably catch a lot of things you didn't notice the first time, and 2. You won't be as emotional and will probably be able to view what happened more objectively.

Hopefully this answers your question <3

#luci answers #race analysis tips #analysis resources #race strategy is both more complicated than people think but it's also not rocket science #it's just a big logic puzzle that evolves every second so you have to keep finding new solutions

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bleachbleachbleach · 27 days

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Verisimilitude (long thoughts about writing)

Sometimes I get mailed random books to consider for course adoption. The first one I looked at the other day was so incredibly bad I could not make it past page 12--"oh my god I hate books" bad; "trees were wasted on this!!" bad. And then there's this one. I've made it to page 30-something and I could have told you 20 pages ago that Oliver Twist it would remain, but I am still reading it to read it, and maybe keep it to recommend extracurricularly. (The protagonist Alva is a weeb for American culture, whatever the word is for that, which I think could make for interesting study!) But that's all context to say,

AH YES THE INTERNET RABBIT HOLE OF NARUTO FAN FICTION, HENTAILORD. WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE.

SO...

BLEACH MENTION WHEN????

Based on the style of her screen name, the Naruto porn, and her listening to My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park, this girl is definitely living her teenage life in the mid-00s, in ways that are searingly obvious. Which feels like it should be a massive success in terms of using verisimilitude to pinpoint a particular time and place and, by extension, person. But I don't think it does?

In thinking about why this doesn't work for me as a reader:

1. As a general rule, I tend not to enjoy "fandom" subculture references like this in fiction, because they have never felt true to my experience of fandom, or even my experience of others' experiences of fandom. The specificity is there but not the verisimilitude. Whether this is because of an inability to articulate the breath of life that animates fandom spaces, or a feeling of needing to at least kind of translate it for the uninitiated general audience, I don't know. Not that Alva's narrative goes far enough to merit this discussion; she's just reading Naruto porn for one sentence, but it just doesn't land right for me. (Sidebar, this is probably also why I don't enjoy acafandom or fandom essays that aspire to acafandom; there's usually this attempted, manufactured critical/"objective" distance from the text that often feels performative, or at least the wrong [or less interesting] tool for the job. And even where 'in-group' positionality is addressed, the translation required to make these things legible to the out-group is just--well, not what I want in life, I guess!)

2. I am a great believer in drawing greatly from what you know and feel and all those random thoughts and behaviors and emotions and tics that make life interesting, and giving them to fiction. In fanfic especially, I am a great believer in seeing the author's hands in a text, making the story (and the original canon) unmistakably theirs. But I kind of always want them to be hands that are in the act of giving. By which I mean, I think there's a difference between all these things existing in a story and having been given to a character or a world or a story, and integrated genuinely into them.

Like, all I can think about while reading this book is how the author definitely lived through the mid-00s in a particular and very familiar way. Rather than create a richly immersive world, the details jump out of the page and leave the story behind. They don't feel like they belong to Alva (or perhaps Alva does not feel like a character with the depth to hold them and make them hers). They belong do the author, and to me, and to history, but Alva falls out of the equation. And if this is going to work, I feel like Alva can't fall out of the equation.

3. I was talking to a friend about something similar a few months ago. She was complaining about a historical fiction book she was reading with a book club she leads at the library she works at--how it was clearly very well-researched, but dry as hell. The information was not animated by the story itself. And I compared it to a fanfic I'd (not) read, where the author was very proud of all the research they'd done and how accurate-to-life its setting was. (To be clear, I'm not subtweeting Bleach fandom. Completely different fandom! Also this fanfic was published like 16 years ago.) The fic did bring in lots of specific details about trees and highways and city names--things I knew well, too, because it was set where my sister lives--but rather than be as exciting and, again, rich, as I feel like that familiarity could have been, it all felt dead. Because all these things were described specifically, but not true to how the narrating characters would describe them, or mentally catalogue them, or experience them.

And you might think, well, how would we possibly know how a character thinks about highways? It's not like he's explained this in canon. And I'd say, well, you definitely can. There are probably a lot of different ways a character could plausibly think about highways, depending on the specific shade and flavor of your characterization of them, all equally believable; but it's got to be part of the equation. There are a lot of ways to be right, and you know it when it's wrong. The wrong-est way it can be is for the way they think about highways to not factor into the way those dang highways are being described by them, in their POV.

4. I think about this both as a reader and as a writer--certainly more often as a writer, because I find that level of imagining a character's headspace the VERY best part of the process, and also because I am often concerned I am not doing it, or at least not well, lol. I'm positive I've done all the things I've just talked about not enjoying.

These concerns exist at the level of characterization work in general, but also at that level of, is the wizard behind the green curtain? Are his hands giving? Because while I do write fanfic because "it is fun" and because "this idea interests me," I am also usually writing it to work through deeply personal emotions/experiences. Which again, perhaps selfishly, I support that. But from a craft perspective I don't want it to feel, transparently, like "oh lol this author is going through it."

Moreover, from a relational perspective, I don't want that to be the relationship between me as author and the characters. Because one thing I am ALWAYS writing fanfic to do is to indulge my feelings about how much I am in complete, rapturous love with the characters and worlds in question. I don't want to just place things upon them, like a film or shroud; I want them to be given, integrated, arriving in the text wholly in their bodies and in their minds and entirely theirs. And I mean this for both the emotional arcs and conflicts and the random tics and details. I want them to have been given, and to belong, and to feel completely and inextricably theirs.

So, those are my thoughts about mid-00s Naruto porn!!!

I'd love to hear others' perspectives, as readers or writers or both. Have you had similar reactions, or quite different? Why do you write, and what do you want? What's your template for how you think about characterization, or your writerly relationship to canon/characters?

#writing #no brain just bleach

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themorbidwriter · 5 months

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As the truck drove down the highway, the engine roaring and tires humming against the pavement, you found yourself confined to the sleeper. Rusty had made it abundantly clear that he didn't want to look at you right now, let alone hear anything from you. The tension between you two was palpable, a heavy cloud hanging in the air.

It pained you to realize that you had thrown away all the kindness and care Rusty had shown you. He had treated you so well, even going as far as creating a room specifically for you. And yet, in a moment of desperation, you had attempted to escape. It was selfish, you knew that. You should have appreciated what you had, but fear had overridden reason.

Now, here you were, both confined to the truck, on a haul that had become a silent expanse of unspoken words. Rusty couldn't trust you to be left alone again, not after what had transpired. The disappointment in his eyes had dug deep into your core. So you sat in silence, contemplating how you could possibly earn back his trust.

As the minutes ticked by, the weight of the silence became unbearable. You could no longer stand the deafening absence of communication between you and Rusty. It felt as though the road itself was mocking your failed escape attempt. With a deep breath, you summoned the courage to break the tension.

"Rusty?" you whispered hesitantly, your voice barely audible above the rumble of the truck's engine. "Rusty… please talk to me."

You could feel the tension in the air as you swallowed nervously and slowly made your way beside Rusty in the driver's seat of the truck. His narrowed eyes glanced at you briefly, but he chose not to say anything about your disobedience of coming out of the sleeper when you were explicitly told to stay there. In that fleeting moment, you wished he would scold you, yell at you, anything to show that he cared enough to reprimand you.

But instead, he turned his face away from you, his attention focused solely on the road ahead. You could tell he was deliberately avoiding any conversation or interaction with you, knowing that speaking to you would only lead to hurt feelings and a further deterioration of your already fragile relationship. It was as if he had built an impenetrable wall around his emotions, shutting you out completely.

As you hesitated, unsure of what to do next, you couldn't help but question yourself. Why did you have to break the rules and disobey him again? Why did you constantly disappoint him? You had wanted so desperately to be a good pet, to please him in every way possible, and yet here you were, facing the consequences of your actions.

The truck rumbled along the open road, the sound of the engine providing a constant reminder of your mistake. Your heart ached with regret as you mustered up the courage to inch closer to Rusty. His eyes flickered momentarily from the road, curious to see what you were up to. And just as you reached over and gently grasped his hand, he didn't pull away. He just watched, his gaze unreadable, as you pressed a soft kiss to his calloused fingers.

Silence hung heavily in the air, the only sound being the passing traffic and the rhythmic thudding of your own heartbeat. It was in that moment that you hoped your actions would speak louder than any words could. You hoped to convey your remorse, your love, your longing for forgiveness through that simple act of tenderness.

But Rusty remained stoic, his emotions masked behind a hardened expression. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate your affectionate gesture or the love you were trying to convey; it was that he knew allowing himself to be vulnerable in that moment would only deepen the hurt. He couldn't bear the thought of losing you, but he also couldn't seem to let go of his anger and disappointment, even if it meant pushing you away.

You gently took hold of Rusty's wrist, feeling the warmth of his skin against your fingertips. As you pulled his wrist closer, he inhaled deeply, allowing you to press a delicate kiss against his arm. The softness of your lips against his skin felt like a fleeting touch of affection, but it didn't seem to break through the wall he had built around himself.

You continued to roll up Rusty's sleeve, hoping that your gestures would encourage him to open up and share what was troubling him. But, despite your efforts, he remained silent, refusing to speak to you. His eyes avoided your gaze, as if he couldn't bring himself to face you, and your heart sank at the sight.

Feeling a mixture of confusion, frustration, and sadness, you slowly let go of his hand, your fingertips grazing against his skin one last time. Desperately wanting to understand, you looked down, your voice barely above a whisper as you uttered the words, "I'm sorry."

Rusty's head turned slowly, his eyes meeting yours before quickly averting his gaze towards the road ahead. The weight of the unspoken apology hung heavy in the air, intensifying the suffocating silence that enveloped the two of you in the truck. It felt as if silence itself had turned into sharp knives, slashing through the remnants of your shattered relationship.

You yearned for him to react, to show some kind of emotion. Anger, frustration, disappointment… anything would have been better than this cold indifference. The fact that he was shutting you out hurt you deeply, adding to the pain of watching him ruthlessly take the lives of your friends. It was an odd paradox, seeing the man who caused so much destruction and chaos become the source of your sadness and confusion.

Tears welled up in your eyes, obscuring your vision as a muffled sob escaped your lips. Feeling defeated and emotionally overwhelmed, you turned away, hoping to seek solace in the cramped sleeping area of the truck. But just as you attempted to retreat, something unexpectedly held you back. Your head instinctively turned, finding Rusty's hand wrapped tightly around your wrist. Confusion swirled within you, conflicting emotions clouding your mind.

As you opened your mouth to question his actions, Rusty swiftly reached beside him, retrieving a bag. His grip loosened on your wrist, and he placed the bag into your trembling hand. The scent that wafted from the bag invaded your nostrils, instantly recognizable and nostalgic. It smelled like a cheeseburger, just like the ones he used to bring home for you after long trips away. It was a tender gesture, a reminder of the intimacy you once shared.

"Take that and get back in the sleeper now," Rusty softly instructed, his voice carrying a hint of concern. His eyes locked onto yours for a brief moment, flickering with a mixture of remorse and something else, something you couldn't quite decipher.

As you opened up the bag, your eyes widened at the sight before you. It was more food than you could possibly consume on your own. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you realized that some of the food in the bag actually belonged to Rusty, your significant other. Despite the ongoing disagreement between the two of you, you couldn't bring yourself to take his share of the food too. You believed he still deserved to eat and be taken care of, even amidst the tension between you both.

Staring at the assortment of delicious treats and meals, you couldn't help but feel a heavy wave of concern wash over you. The situation between you and Rusty may have been tough recently, but you didn't want it to escalate to the point where his basic needs were unmet. You took a deep breath, mustering the courage to talk to him about it.

Turning your gaze towards Rusty, who was engrossed in driving, you sighed softly to grab his attention. "Rusty," you said, your voice filled with a mix of hesitation and compassion, "I can't eat all of this… What about you?"

Rusty was back to his usual self, ignoring your presence as if you were a mere inconvenience. It was not unusual for him to give you curt orders, Despite his instruction to grab the bag of food and head to the sleeper of the truck, something within you screamed that this was not right.

You licked your lips nervously, contemplating your next move. As you reached into the bag, your fingers grazed a familiar shape. It was the bottle of soda that Rusty always got for you along with the meal. It was your special treat. Without thinking, you stood up from the floor of the truck, you cautiously made your way over to Rusty's seat and you sat down on his lap and got comfortable, ensuring you were not in his way. His furrowed eyebrows betrayed his annoyance as he glanced down at you, momentarily distracted from the road. His voice was sharp with irritation as he barked, "I said to get in the fucking sleeper! What are you doing, damn it?"

Silently, you continued to ignore his questions and disapproval. There was something you needed to do, something that went beyond his commands. Ignoring the questioning gaze in Rusty's eyes, you reached into the bag once again, this time pulling out a single French fry.

Holding it out in front of Rusty's mouth, you offered it to him, a sense of determination in your voice as you softly uttered, "Eat it."

The air in the truck became heavy with expectation, both of you locked in a quiet standoff. Rusty's stern expression softened, his features softened for a mere moment, before quickly returning to his usual hardened state.

With a grin, you tapped the french fry against his lips, making a radio crackle sound. "This is (Y/N). The french fry is ready to launch off. Open your mouth, please?"

Rusty's lips quivered slightly, a hint of a smirk threatening to break through his stern facade. He wasn't sure why this simple act of trying to get him to eat the fry was melting his heart, but he couldn't deny the adorable playfulness radiating from you.

You couldn't resist teasing him as he stubbornly refused to eat the delicious meal in front of him. With a mischievous grin, you got more comfortable on his lap, playfully taunting him.

You reached into the bag and pulled out another French fry, holding it up like a puppet as you used a disguised voice. "You know what I think?" you said, trying not to burst into laughter. Rusty turned his head, giving you a quick glance before focusing back on the road. Intrigued, he awaited your next words.

"Why I don't know fry number two what?" you continued, your voice masking the amusement bubbling inside you. "I think Rusty wants to bite me and eat me, but he's being an ass right now. A stubborn ass!" you exclaimed, giggling.

Rusty couldn't help but roll his eyes at your playful banter. However, a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he finally relented. Opening his mouth, he took a bite of the French fry, much to your amusement. Determined to push the limits of your teasing, you snatched a straw out of the bag.

You deftly opened the bottle of soda and slid the straw in, watching Rusty chew the fry. With mischievous intent, you raised the straw up and said, "Now suck it." Rusty's brows furrowed as he looked at you, taken aback by your audacity. There was a brief silence but he couldn't help but crack a small smile.

As you smiled back at Rusty, his focus shifted from your face to the road ahead. You couldn't help but notice his intense concentration, but you were determined to bring his attention back to the delicious food in your hand. With a playful grin, you reached into the bag and grabbed another french fry, waving it enticingly in front of him.

"Now would you like a bite of your cheeseburger or another french fry, Rusty?" you asked teasingly, knowing how much he loved both.

Before he could even respond, you interrupted yourself with a mischievous chuckle. "Well actually, you'll want to take a bite of this cheeseburger, of course. It's got all the vitamins that a big boy like you needs," you commented, listing off each ingredient with exaggerated enthusiasm. "There's the juicy burger, crispy bacon, melted cheese, tangy onions, and those perfectly pickled slices."

A small wrinkle formed between Rusty's brows as he tried to resist your tempting offer. But you were determined to cater to his needs and couldn't bear to see him resist the mouthwatering meal any longer.

"Pu-pull this goddamn truck over, Rusty!" you exclaimed, your voice filled with a mix of frustration and playfulness. "So you can eat, damn it! I don't care if you have a deadline for this stupid haul to keep up with. Your appetite comes first!"

As if the urgency in your voice and energetic bouncing on his lap weren't enough, you hoped your slight agitation would finally convince him to give in. Rusty's eyes widened at the sight of your determination, and a small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Rusty Nail had pulled the truck over to the side of the road, the engine coming to a halt. The two of you were alone in the silence, and he turned his attention towards you, his hands dropping to your waist. He held onto you firmly, his grip indicating a mixture of frustration and affection. "Alright, happy now?" he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of irritation.

You smiled mischievously, reaching into the bag that you had brought along. Your fingers fumbled for a moment, searching for the right item. Finally, you pulled out a cheeseburger, making sure it was the one without jalapenos. You knew Rusty didn't particularly like them, but you always had them added to yours because of your love for spicy food. It was just another one of those little compromises you made as a couple. Double-checking to ensure it was jalapeno-free, you brought it up to his mouth, offering him a bite.

Rusty opened his mouth obediently, ready to taste the burger you offered. As he took a bite, his eyes met yours, and you couldn't help but watch his reaction. It was fascinating to witness even the simple act of eating, especially when it involved someone you cared about. Rusty chewed slowly, savoring each morsel while maintaining eye contact with you. The intensity in his gaze made your heart skip a beat.

After a moment, you cleared your throat, breaking the spell. "Are we good now?" you inquired, wanting to confirm that the tension between you had dissipated.

Rusty paused, swallowing his food before pressing his lips against the straw of the soda bottle and taking a sip. He didn't break his eye contact with you, keeping his attention solely on your face. It was as if he was searching for something, analyzing your every move and word.

A mischievous smirk graced your lips as you observed his reaction. "Sucking while keeping eye contact, huh? That's a good sign," you commented playfully, noting the double entendre of your words.

Rusty's eyes narrowed slightly as he continued to stare at you. His curiosity was piqued as you raised a single finger, bringing it closer to him. Unsure of what you were up to, he raised an eyebrow, silently questioning your intentions.

Without further ado, you booped him in the nose, a soft giggle escaping your lips. "Boop," you pronounced aloud, unable to contain your amusement.

Rusty blinked, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected action. A slow smile spread across his face, his expression softening. "You're such a dork," he said, his voice laced with affection.

#joy ride #rusty nail #rusty nail x reader

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