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usergif · 9 months

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HOW TO: Make Animated Neon Text

Hi! No one asked for this tutorial, but this is one of my favorite typography effects as of late — so I thought I'd share how I do it. You can see this effect in the first gif of this *NSYNC Celebrity set and the last gif of this Anthony Bridgerton set. Disclaimer: This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of gif-making in Photoshop. It's also exclusively in Timeline and uses keyframes for the fading effect seen on the blue text.

PHASE 1: PREP YOUR BASE GIF

1.1 – Choose a dark scene. This effect looks best contrasted against a dark background. You can definitely do it with a bright background, but just like a neon sign irl, you only turn it on in the dark/at night — so keep that in mind!

1.2 – Determine the length of your clip. Depending on how much you want your text to flash or fade in, you'll want to make sure you have a scene long enough to also allow the text not to flash — reducing the strain it takes to actually read the text. For reference, my gif is 48 frames.

1.3 – Crop, color, etc. as you would. New to gif-making? Check out my basic tutorial here!

PHASE 2: FORMAT YOUR TEXT

Before we animate anything, get your text and any vectors laid out and formatted exactly as you want them!

2.1 – Finding neon sign fonts. It's easy as going to dafont.com and typing "neon" into the search bar!

2.2 – Fonts I used. Neon Glow by weknow | Neon by Fenotype | Neon Bines by Eknoji Studio

And to not leave my fellow font hoarders hanging, the font for "tutorial by usergif" is Karla (it's a Google font) 🥰

2.3 – Group your text layers. (Conditional) If you plan on having multiple text layers like I did and you want them to appear connected (like how the last letters of "NEON" and "sign" intersect with the wand icon), I suggest putting the layers into groups according to color (the shortcut to group layers is Command+G). If you don't group your text and just apply the outer glow settings to each individual layer, you'll end up with something like this:

—where you can see the glow overlap with the line, instead of the smooth connection you see in my final example gif. I'm using 2 colors for my text, so I made a group for red and a group for blue.

2.4 – Apply Outer Glow. Right-click your text layer (or your group if you have several layers) and select "Blending Options" to open the Layer Style menu. Check "Outer Glow" and feel free to play around with the settings until you like the way your text looks!

Your outer glow color should be darker and more vibrant than the color of the text itself. The text should be within the same color family but much brighter and, sometimes, almost white (see Step 2.2 again for my text colors).

Here are the settings for the Red Glow (the glow color is #FF3966) and Blue Glow (#00F0FF):

These aren't always my exact settings but they're pretty close to my standard. I always set the blend mode to Hard Light and usually have the opacity at 100%.

For every gif I use this effect on, I like to play around with Spread and Size. Spread will make the glow look denser and "expand the boundaries" (source: Adobe) and Size will diffuse the glow and blow it out so it covers a larger area (Adobe says it "Specifies the radius and size of blur").

2.5 – Duplicate your text layer/groups and remove glow. We're only going to be animating the glow on our text, and since doing this affects its opacity/visibility, we want to preserve the base text by creating a duplicate.

I just hit the Command+J shortcut to duplicate my groups and delete the Outer Glow effects, making sure that the "No Glow" version is above the "Glow" version:

I also put all these groups into one group called "Text" for organization and so I could apply a drop shadow to all the elements for better visibility.

PHASE 3: CREATE THE FLASHING EFFECT

This is for the effect you see on the RED text in my gif!

3.1 – The 0.03-Second Rule If you've read any of my animation tutorials before, you're probably already familiar with this rule. In my experience (and for reasons I can't explain), Video Timeline pauses every 0.03 seconds (try clicking the forward button a few times, you'll probably find a "duplicate" or paused frame). So, keep all your layers a duration of 0.03-second increments (e.g. 0.06 or 0.09 seconds can also work) and align them on the Timeline at 0.03-second intervals. If you don't follow this rule, you'll get duplicate frames when you export, resulting in a choppy final gif.

3.2 – Trim and arrange your text layers. Only on the layers/groups WITH the Outer Glow effect, trim them into several segments of varying lengths where the glow will be "on" (visible) and leaving spaces where the glow should be "off."

Typically, I'll have a mixture of 0.06 and 0.03-second text. That's when the glow will be visible. Between each "flash" of visibility, I've got a 0.03-second blank space, baby *pen clicks* and I'll write your name:

The layers shown above are arranged with a few flashes and two long segments of no flashing. This is the order and duration of each segment shown above (purple = visible segments):

0.06 blank, 0.06 visible, 0.03 blank, 0.03 visible, 0.03 blank, 0.03 visible, 0.03 blank, 0.24 visible (the long bit where "FLASHING" doesn't flash at all), 0.03 blank, 0.03 visible, 0.03 blank, 0.12 visible

(I only did this for the text that says "FLASHING" to give it a glitching effect. The other red text keeps the glow visible starting at the first long segment.)

PHASE 4: CREATE THE FADE-IN EFFECT

This is for the effect you see on the BLUE text in my gif!

4.1 – Animate using the Opacity Keyframe. Again, we're only touching the layers/groups WITH the glow effect. If you only have one layer of text, you'll find the Opacity Keyframe by clicking the film reel icon:

If you're working with groups like me, you'll find it in the Timeline panel under the group when it's expanded:

As you can see, I already added my keyframes (lil diamond babies). And luckily, it's super easy to do!

4.2 – Add the ending Keyframe first. We're starting at the end because our layers/groups are already at 100% opacity. Drag the playhead (the blue arrow attached to the red vertical line) to a spot where you want the glow to be 100% opaque — this is where the glow will be fully "on" or visible. [Again, follow the 0.03-Second Rule. You will get duplicate frames regardless when using keyframes (this will be explained in the note in Phase 5), but abiding to the rule will mitigate the amount of dupes you get.]

Then, click the clock icon by "Opacity" to place a keyframe:

4.3 – Add the starting Keyframe. Go backward from the ending Keyframe you just placed (I went back 0.12 seconds — but you can play around with the duration of the fade, just keep it a multiple of 0.03):

And drop another keyframe, this time by clicking the diamond icon by "Opacity":

4.4 – Reduce the opacity on the starting Keyframe. Keeping that keyframe you just placed selected, go to the layers panel and reduce your layer's/group's opacity to 0%:

Now, this Outer Glow will slowly fade from 0% to 100% opacity.

And just for a visual aid, here's where my fade-in keyframes are in relation to my flashing segments:

To refresh your mind, the 0% Opacity Keyframe starts when "FLASHING" is visible for 0.24 seconds (the first long segment of visibility).

With these keyframes, you'll get a smooth fade-in à la ✨light switch with a dimmer✨

PHASE 5: EXPORT

Yay, we're finished! Convert from Timeline back to Frames and export your gif!

NOTE: If you only did the flashing effect and followed my 0.03-Second Rule, you shouldn't have any duplicate gifs. BUT if you included the fade-in effect using keyframes, you WILL have duplicate frames. 'Tis the nature of keyframes. 🤷‍♀️ I had 4 extra frames where the fade-in starts, which I deleted. So, as always, I recommend checking your frames when you convert from Video Timeline back to Frame Animation — and manually delete any duplicate frames.

Sorry this tutorial is so long 🙈 I over-explain so you're not just mechanically copying steps, but understanding the WHY behind each step! Thanks for bearing with me

If you have specific questions about this tutorial, feel free to send a message to usergif and I'll try my best to help! :)

More USERGIF tutorials • More resources by Nik • USERGIF Resource Directory

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wlwcatalogue · 3 months

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Chinese GL Webseries & Shorts for the Wuxia-Uninclined

Have you ever wanted to venture into the world of Chinese GL webseries and short films, only to find yourself at a loss about where to begin, or intimidated by the unfamiliar tropes and terms of the wuxia genre?

Well, worry no more! Here's a selection of non-wuxia webseries and short films curated by yours truly. Now you too can enjoy the lavish costumes and location shoots of these Chinese productions, so rarely seen in F/F works outside of feature films and the occasional TV series~

By the way, these are all translated and subbed by the inimitable Douqi (@douqi7s), whose immense contribution to the English-language baihe fandom is surely in breach of anti-monopoly laws. Offer up your thanks at her Tumblr and Twitter!

At-a-glance list

Webseries:

Ye-Mu Season 2 (1 hr 20m total, 2023) - standalone

The Vampires (41m total, 2022)

Ye-Mu Season 1 (27m total, 2022) - standalone

The Lost World (1hr 5m total, 2023)

Short films - order corresponding to the pictures above:

A Tale of Yearning (5 mins, 2022)

"She Brought Colour Into My World" (2.5 mins, 2023)

"I'm Her Weapon" (3 mins, 2022)

Miss Shen and the Woman Warlord (6 mins, 2023)

Women's Script (5 mins, 2023)

The Caged Canary (5 mins, 2023)

The Beauty of the Law (6 mins, 2023)

Flowers Bloom; Flowers Wither (9 mins, 2022)

Commentary under the cut!

FYI, I've opted to link directly to the subtitled versions since they're probably more difficult to find than regular anime, TV series, movies etc. If a link is broken, please refer to Douqi's blog directly.

Important note for the uninitiated:

It’s a bit difficult to talk about canonicity in relation to live-action works made in the PRC, as things which would normally be used as evidence of canonicity all fall under the censorship regulations— explicit references to romantic relationships or queerness, declarations of love, kissing etc. are all off the table. So while these may not look canon in the most traditional sense, they are intended to be read as such and should certainly not be dismissed as queerbaiting or yuribait. Also, the creators can get very imaginative, so this is less of a problem than you may think – see the entries on Ye-Mu Season 2 and The Lost World in particular!

1. Ye-Mu Season 2 / 叶穆 2 (32 episodes / 1hr 20m total, 2023, dir. Zhang Zhiwei) - MyDramaList

(Note: Despite the name, Ye-Mu Season 2 is completely unrelated to the first season; the only thing the two share is the cast, crew, and focus on Penthouse-style melodrama.)

Determined to take revenge for her mother's death, Xu Baiqing (Sheng Wei) marries a wealthy and much older businessman in the hope of finding evidence to put him behind bars. But first she must assuage the suspicions of his cheerily hostile second daughter, moody youngest son, and estranged eldest daughter (Ye-Mu Zhixia, played by Wang Laoji), the latter of whom Xu Baiqing dated in university and who is currently seething at the sight of her former girlfriend marrying her father...

If you want to get a sense of the potential breadth of Chinese GL webseries, this is a pretty good place to start. It does a decent job of matching the tone and presentation of a melodrama you might catch on TV (and in fact looks higher-budget than some I can think of), while committing to something that can’t be done on TV yet— namely, featuring an F/F exes-to-stepmother storyline and delivering on the drama inherent in such a premise. Of particular note is how the framing and behaviour of Ye-Mu Zhixia is very much consistent with that of a male romantic lead; thanks to some clever writing, it’s basically impossible to deny the nature of her relationship with the main character. They don’t even lean on the plausible deniability afforded by the label of “friendship”— in fact, in an early scene she is incensed when the protagonist refers to her as “[her] only friend”. There are a few caveats – the main character ends up in a lot of scrapes that her ex-girlfriend has to save her from, the reveals are often rather unsurprising, and the story shifts more to a mystery focus around halfway – but it’s still worth checking out if a Korean-style melodrama with an F/F take on a romantic storyline sounds appealing.

(CW: violence, murder, attempted sexual assault)

Note: See The Lost World (below), from the same creative team, for an even more impressive example of Chinese GL pushing the limits of censorship.

Links: MEGA / Internet Archive (compilation)

2. The Vampires / 吸血鬼鬼盲盒 (7 episodes / 41m total, 2022, dir. Zhang Zhiwei) - MyDramaList

(Note: Spoilers for the first 15 minutes or so, because otherwise the summary would be “They end up locked inside with the monsters on board”, which wouldn’t tell you much more than the title already does)

Every night, Tianyue (Ye Miao/夜喵) has been having dreams about the mysterious cruise ship docked at the pier. Convinced that there is treasure hidden inside, she and her exorcist-cultivator girlfriend Xiao Ling (Wei Miao/微渺) sneak on board only to find that they are trapped there until the sun comes up. Things don’t seem too bad at first: although they run into two vampires – the cute, cheeky Xingming (Yang Fuyu) and her elegant mistress Su Tanya (Sheng Wei) – they are able to call a truce, on the condition that the humans help search the ship for the latter’s beloved (Fu Cha, played by Wang Laoji). But when Fu Cha wakes up without her memories, it is clear that something is terribly wrong, and that the ship and its inhabitants harbour more secrets than expected.

For a webseries, The Vampires takes a while to get started— it’s a bit difficult to tell what kind of story or indeed what kind of tone it’s going for just based on the somewhat campy and comedic first section. But after that wobbly beginning, it manages to pull itself together to tell a compelling – and sometimes genuinely tense – tale about a motley band of humans and vampires, and the truths they have to face together. While the ending is no happily-ever-after, I found it satisfying and hopeful, and surprisingly affecting. Also, a bunch of the characters have real polyam energy, and this is reflected in the narrative beyond mere flirting!

(CW: abusive parents)

Links - MEGA / Internet Archive (compilation) / YouTube (compilation)

3. Ye-Mu Season 1 / 叶穆 (12 episodes / 27m total, 2022, dir. Zhang Zhiwei) - MyDramaList

(Note: Ye-Mu Seasons 1 and 2 are standalone stories; each season is entirely self-contained and the second season is not a continuation of the first.)

The head of the Ye-Mu family has died, leaving the next generation to squabble over the inheritance. It's a web of secrets, lies, and hidden resentments, as the characters dig out old grievances and fresh accusations in a desperate attempt to one-up each other. They're tangled up together to an almost incestuous degree, and indeed, the F/F subtext here is the ambiguous relationship between eldest daughter Ye-Mu Nanzhu (Sheng Wei) and second daughter Ye-Mu Nanmo (Wang Laoji) (rest assured that they are at least not biologically related).

Those who prefer darker stories and don't mind the pseudo-incest or other content warnings will find a melodrama which makes good use of its short runtime to deliver on twists, turns, and an explosive - if tragic - conclusion. That being said, the story is about the family drama in general, so do note that while the relationship between Nanzhu and Nanmo is narratively important, it is not fleshed out in great detail and certainly not the focus of the series.

(CW: suicide, ableist trope (spoiler – disabled character turns out to have been faking it), ableist language)

Links - MEGA / Internet Archive (compilation)

4. The Lost World / 夏夜知道风的甜 (1hr 5m total, 2023, dir. Zhang Zhiwei) - MyDramaList

(Note: Spoilers for the purpose of flagging triggering content, as it’s particularly easy to trip into for this show. Also, some vague spoilers for later episodes in order to highlight in order to highlight the themes etc.)

This webseries feels like two shows smushed into one: apart from the very beginning, the first half is a gritty, bullying-focused take on university life, while the second is a true-blue romantic comedy (aside from one blip – see the note below for details). But even if you’re wary of the bullying, I would still recommend watching the back half – which is basically standalone – as it’s a very funny and heartfelt story about two childhood friends finally getting their act together. Without further ado, here’s two blurbs!

From episode 1 onwards: After saving a classmate from the class bully, popular college student Xia Huaichu (Yang Fuyu) is subjected to a lengthy harassment campaign by the latter. She is suddenly faced with having to protect her reputation in the face of false allegations and fake nudes– despite the fact that all she wants to do is focus on reconciling with another classmate, a high school best friend whom she had previously lost touch with (Mu Qingfeng, played by Wang Laoji). From episode 14 onwards: Childhood friends Xia Huaichu (Yang Fuyu) and Mu Qingfeng (Wang Laoji) are caught in a weird gay purgatory where each has feelings for the other, and suspects that the other has feelings for them too. But both are exceedingly stubborn and want the other one to take the initiative in confessing, leading to ridiculous displays of I-don’t-care-isms and lots and lots of UST. (Does anybody use that term anymore??)

As you may have guessed, I’m not too keen on the first part of this show, nor the decidedly unnecessary attempted rape segment, though that’s partly on me for not checking the content warnings beforehand. And yet I’m very glad to have stuck with it, because the second half is not only hilarious, but also a masterclass in censorship-dodging that needs to be seen to be believed. Not just in terms of the suggestive scenes, of which there are many, either— the story is literally about two women starting a relationship and having to reckon with parental disapproval, homophobia, and other obstacles which platonic friends wouldn’t have to deal with. I honestly don’t know how this ever got approved, and can only applaud. Bravo.

Note: For those who want to avoid the triggering content, I’d recommend starting at episode 14, but make sure to skip episodes 19 and 20 as there is a foiled rape attempt.

(CW for entire series: bullying (incl. violence, fake nudes), sexual harassment, attempted sexual assault, fatphobic language, homophobia

CW for episodes 14-24: attempted sexual assault in episodes 19-20, homophobia)

Links - MEGA / Dropbox

SHORT FILMS

Quick note: Click on the English titles for the subtitled versions, and the Chinese titles (which are really just the video titles) for the originals. And yes, although the majority of these are shampoo commercials, they really do hold up as short films in their own right. Give them a try, you might be surprised!

A Tale of Yearning / 一见误终生，不见终生误 (5 mins, 2022, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – A bittersweet story about a literature-minded young woman (Sheng Wei) and a Chinese opera performer (Ai Ye) who bond over their love of fiction, only to be torn apart by harsh reality. Tragic ending, but I liked the more literary turn of the dialogue. Shampoo ad. (CW: homophobia)

“She Brought Colour Into My World” / “她走后，我的世界又失去了颜色” (2.5 mins, 2023, dir. Zou Hui Qu Le/走回去了) – A very restrained short film (actually, more like a music video) set during the late Qing era, wherein a sheltered young woman (Xiao Yu Za/小宇咂) falls for her female neighbour, recently returned from studying abroad (Sheng Wei). Lovely use of music and visuals to create a dreamlike atmosphere. Tragic ending. Not a shampoo ad.

“I’m Her Weapon” / 我是你手里的一把刀 (3 mins, 2022, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – A moody, interior piece about an assassin (Ai Ye) who yearns for some sign of affection from her handler (Sheng Wei), only to be left devastated by her new assignment. Surprisingly not a shampoo ad.

Miss Shen and the Woman Warlord / 我们是孤独行走的钟，但也要做敲响希望的钟 (6 mins, 2023, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – I’d like to describe this as being inspired by the story of Mai Jia’s novel The Message and the aesthetics of Kawashima Yoshiko (1990), but most Tumblr users would probably find those references deeply unhelpful. Basically, a female spy (Sheng Wei) disguises herself as a male soldier and infiltrates the mansion of a Republican warlord. There, she meets the warlord’s daughter (Ai Ye), who quickly realises that there is more to the promising young officer than meets the eye. Shampoo ad.

Women’s Script / 纵使“科考”无女子，无碍红袖书香，星辰有光 (5 mins, 2023, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – While sailing down a river, a girl (Zhi Chun He/至春禾) catches sight of a woman writing poetry on the riverbank (Sheng Wei), and is fascinated by both her beauty and her flaunting of the rules against women’s literacy. Shampoo ad. (CW: domestic violence)

The Caged Canary / 如果这是一场骗局，那我也只愿意输给你 (5 mins, 2023, dir. Liu Yun Rui/流云蕊) – The protagonist (Ai Ye) is sent by her parents to beguile a wealthy young man into marriage, but ends up developing feelings for his modern-woman sister (Sheng Wei) instead. Shampoo ad. (CW: attempted sexual assault)

Flowers Bloom; Flowers Wither / 她们一个被铁链禁锢，一个被男装束缚，直到救赎彼此 (9 mins, 2022, dir. Qian Li Min/千里明) – Takes the romance between a cross-dressing noblewoman (Du Ruo/杜若) and her supposedly-mad stepmother (Rou Lian Cheng/肉脸橙) to tell a story about the restrictions placed on women in historical times, and how resistance, even when futile, can still have meaning. Tragic ending, obviously. Not a shampoo ad. (CW: domestic violence, misogyny, accidental misgendering, gender dysphoria)

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lauren-ce · 4 months

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All these cute drawings of Mio are great and all, but there's a severe lack of what I think is one of her most important traits: Mio, canonically, is less a kitten and more a fucking feral tiger.

See that? She can run the hundred metri in seven seconds. You know who else can do that? FUCKING NOBODY, THAT'S WHO. Usain Bolt? Fastest person on Earth? Ever heard of him?

Yeah, that's right. Mio's so fast that she finishes a whole 2.5 seconds ahead of him. She has time to grab a sandwich and a glass of Wotah whilst he huffs and puffs his way over the finish line.

Her character model has visible abs!

This girl is weapon-grade!

Speaking of weapons, how about them?

Indeed, Mio's weapon of choice is literally a DOUBLE SPINNING EDGE. It doesn't get more badass than that.

Need more convincing? Well, on the topic of weapons, her cute little paws: What's that, you say? She's strong enough to make an interlinked Moebius duo fly through the air?

That's liftoff, baby! She hits with the force of ten ferronises, and her bare-knuckle strike sends enemies flying. Do you understand just WHAT THE FUCK THAT MEANS??

Sure, Melia can Break and Topple in XB1. Big whoop. Mio can wombo combo all by her goddamn self.

YOU'RE fawning and simping over your cutesy little catgirl Mio-Mio, while I'M paying for her knuckle tattoos that say Break, Topple, Launch, and Smash.

And here, she boops Noah on the forehead with those paws of war, but look again!

Do you see any contact? Of course not! Because a boop from Mio would cave in his fucking skull. Headshot. So, out of love for her boytoy, she stops a cetri short of murdering him.

Now THATS what I call control!

Virgin N, Chad Noah? I don't think so. N is a worm, insignificant even to the Virgin Noah, and Mio is the Chaddest of them all. "The freedom to choose?" Thats right: Mio HAS the strap, she simply CHOOSES not to use it.

This is the face of a cocky, stone-cold killer. She could've one-shot N if she wasn't held back by a pesky little thing called "weaponry".

All this to say, Mio is a feral animal and there should be more art depicting her as such (:

#xenoblade #xenoblade 3 #mio #noah #xenoblade chronicles #xenoblade chronicles 3 #xb3 #xbc3 #xc3 #jokepost

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pretendingtoknowhowtowrite · 1 year

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TITLE: Tight Jeans (You will be mine)

Summary: Dean and you always teased each other but nothing really happened until now... you are alone in a motel room since Sam had to go with Jack somewhere else. You are wearing one of his favourite jeans...things get spicier in an instant as Dean can't take his eyes off of you(r ass).

TW: anal - cursing - smut -let me know if I need to add something

TAGS: Dean Winchester x Female!Reader - 18+ - smut- penetrative sex - anal - fingering - name-calling - bites - just smut tbh, be prepared - DomDean - spanking

Words Count: 2.5 k

I'd love to read your feedbacks, so feel free to say it anonymously or comment this post :)

English isn't my first language. I apologize for any mistakes.

You were walking down the hall of that shitty motel. Dean let you go in front of him with a smirk and a hand gesture, masquerading the fact that he simply wanted to stare at your ass with such a chivalrous act. You chuckled as you could feel his gaze on your body, your lower body to be precise. You knew he did that only to stare; you were wearing those tight jeans he always complimented. <<Your ass is asking to be slapped in those>> he said the first time you wore them.

<<Enjoying the view?>> you asked him while turning your head to see his face. You expected him to look away the moment he realized he had been caught red-handed, like he always did, but not this time. His gaze was fixed on your ass, he was staring at you while licking his lips. You were the one that looked away this time, blood rushed up your cheeks and between your thighs.

Dean and you always teased each other with innuendos and allusions, sometimes Sam would even yell <<get a room you two!">> with a pissed tone. Your chuckles always followed that frequent reproach. But that was all, nothing ever happened. This time... something was different, his innuendos were different. Sam wasn't with you guys because he was with Jack off to...somewhere? To be fair, you weren't listening to him while he was explaining it to you. Why? Because the moment the younger brother said <<you must go alone with Y/N this time>> Dean looked at you, pointed at your body, bit his lower lip, and mouthed the words: "you will be mine".

<<I'm gonna take off those jeans later, you know?>> he snapped you back to reality. <<Yeah, sure Dean>> you replied with a bratty tone while, as a matter of fact, your panties were soaked since the two of you entered the Impala and he started talking to you. Like, c'mon... the moment you got in the car that morning he welcomed you with a smirk and grabbed your inner thigh, moving his hands on it for too long, and then proceeded to whisper good morning in your ear and bite it. He went on like that all day. That was more than what he usually did, and it had been like that since 5 a.m., it was fucking 11 p.m. now. Your body was flustered and aroused; you could only think about that "you will be mine".

The two of you were now standing in front of the motel room, Dean was opening the door while looking into your eyes, <<l mean it, I'm gonna take those off. Maybe even rip them off>> he said with a hushed tone that sent a shiver down your spine. You swallowed your saliva the moment he unlocked the door and the two of you went inside the room. It was shitty, like usual, dirty, like usual, but there was a double bed and just that. <<What is that supposed to mean?>> You said with a hinted smirk while pointing at the bed and looking at Dean's green eyes.

<<Oh baby, you know exactly what it means>> he answered, threw your bags on the floor, and pushed you against the wall. He firmly held your wrists above your head, your lips millimeters away. You stared at each other for a couple of seconds and then he kissed you, a desperate, passionate, deep kiss that made you melt. A moan escaped your mouth... <<that's the first of many more>> he said while smirking. Dean quickly took his and your t-shirt off, kissed you again, and then reached for your neck. He bit it softly, leaving marks on your body. In the meantime, he reached for your bra and took it off, exposing your breast. He stopped kissing your neck and stared at your tits <<Fuck>>, he moaned, <<you're so beautiful Y/N>> he said whimpering. His hands grasped your breast and started folding it, caressing it and then his fingers began pinching your nipples <<Oh...Dean>> a moan of pleasure and his name escaped your mouth again. <<You need to let yourself go baby>> Dean said while looking at you. He pressed his body against yours and got closer to your ear, you could feel his bulge through the fabric of his jeans pressing against your waist. <> he whispered in your ear and reached for your waist. Then he went down on his knees and pulled down your jeans, but they were tight, and your sweat was making that simple activity hard. He ripped them off, straight away, and exposed your panties. <<Dean, what the f- >> you tried to say since you were pretty much shocked about that, you liked those jeans, but you couldn't finish the sentence as he slid your wet panties off and slightly slapped your wet cunt <<Oh, look at you baby, were you this drenched since when? Since this morning when I rubbed your thighs or ...since this afternoon when I held your waist and smacked your ass?>> Dean interrupted you, still on his knees and looking up into your eyes. <<Come on, stop teasing. You've done it all day long already>> you answered with a flustered tone. <<mmmh>> he added, and started rubbing your clit <<Should I?... No, I don't think so baby>>. You started moaning loudly now, his thick and experienced fingers were rubbing, circumnavigating, pinching, and stroking your clit faster and faster. You started trembling on his hand <<Good girl>> he said and stood up again. He lifted you up and put your naked body on his right shoulder, you were basically hanging on him, your ass near his face. <<Mmmh, I like the view >> he said while staring at your asscheeks and proceeded to smack you hard, leaving his handprint on you. <<Fuuuck>> a moan and a squeal left your throat as you felt his big hand slapping you. You loved that, you adored that roughness, <<do it again>> you whispered, without thinking. Dean spread your asscheeks apart and then smacked your ass again with a big grin on his face <<That's my girl> he said while doing it. You were so fucking aroused by it and juices started dripping down your thighs. Dean laid you on the bed and started unbuttoning his jeans, his big bulge wasn't making it an easy task, his boxers got caught in the middle, so the moment he took his pants off he was completely naked. He got closer to you and whispered <<turn around for me babygirl>> and fuck, you did it without thinking twice <<Atta girl!>> he grinned and started moving his hands on your hips and on your butt, folding it, spreading it and looking at your dripping cunt and tight asshole.

<<Please Dean>> you moaned. Your hips couldn't stay still, your pussy was dripping wet, and your body was asking to be fucked. <<Don't be so greedy baby>> he said and shoved two digits inside you, immediately searching for your g-spot. The moment your walls tightened around his fingers he understood he found it and pushed another digit inside, he started to move faster and harder. <<Fuuuck>> you moaned and started twitching and moving your hips even faster, cumming on his hand <<Please Dean>>, you said and turned your head a bit to look at his face <<Fuck me, please>>. Dean smirked, looked at your red face, and bit his lips,<<Okay baby, only cause you're asking it so nicely, but...>> then got closer to your ear again, pressing his hard dick against your back<<But after I made you cum again I'm gonna shove my dick up your ass, is that okay babygirl?>> he said with a hushed tone that sent multiple shivers down your spine. <<You can put it wherever you want Dean>> you said while looking at him. <<Good girl>> he replied, pushing his thumb up your ass. It was painful at first but then Dean rubbed his dick against your pussy and pushed it in slowly, the pain was gone, and you were filled with pleasure. He lifted your butt a bit and started moving inside of you with his cock, in and out, slower at first and then always deeper, faster. He was moaning so loudly and holding your waist with one hand while fingering your ass with the other. <<You're so tight around my cock Y/N>> he said, while moaning your name. You were really tight because you couldn't stop twitching around him, you could feel your juices dripping and Dean's heavy breath was driving you crazy. You started moaning his name louder and he laid his sweaty body against yours, letting go of your waist and ass for a bit <<Oh fuck, I love it when you say my name like that Y/N, don't stop>> he said. You started screaming his name and his thrusts were faster and harder, reaching deep into your womb. He slid his hand on your hips and reached for your clit again, he started stroking it like mad and you couldn't help but to start shaking and trembling around his cock. <<You're doing so good for me Y/N>> he whispered in your ear and started kissing your back while fucking you. That was your last straw, you gripped the bedsheets and started shaking so much around his cock, you cummed and couldn't stop moving, every thrust was pure bliss. <<Such a nice view>> he grinned; you could feel his smirk on your back.

He started decreasing his pace and added <<you know what that means, right? I'm gonna fuck that pretty ass of yours now>> he spat on his fingers and pushed 2 of them inside your asshole. A moan of pleasure and pain left your body. He started stretching it and moving his fingers in and out while moving his hips, not letting you go. <<M-more>> you moaned and spread your asscheeks for him. <<Fuck Y/N, you're a dream>> he moaned and shoved another digit up your ass and spanked it. You yelled his name in pain but fuck... you really wanted him and just started moving your hips again. <<Look at you, so greedy for my big cock>> he said and pulled it out of your twitching cunt. He slammed and rubbed it in the middle of your asscheeks, and then pushed the tip inside your ass <<Tell me if I need to stop baby>> he said between one moan and another. He was so fucking big inside your tight ass but he gave you time to adjust around his width and after some seconds you told him << Put it in, slowly Dean>>, he did so, he slowly pushed his dick inside your ass and when all his length was in he moaned and said <>. You were holding your breath as his dick was twitching inside of you, but those words made you melt and relaxed your body, that hint of pain was now completely gone and so you started moving your ass to let Dean know that you wanted him just as badly as he did <<Me too Dean>> you replied while moaning. As you started moving around his dick Dean lost it and started moving faster and deeper, he pressed his body against yours again and started folding your breast while fucking you hard. Your moans filled the room, you could feel Dean's cock growing bigger with each thrust and wanted that moment to last forever. Dean started pinching your nipples but one of his hands went down and started fingering your pussy again, you didn't expect that and the moment he found your g-spot again you started screaming, twitching, begging him to fuck you more while cumming on his hand <<Oh baby, you're so hot, and you're all mine>> he said whimpering. The orgasm made all your body tighten up and so did your ass, Dean lost it and filled your ass with his hot cum, driving the both of you crazy with pleasure.

Dean let go of your body and pulled out, your ass dripping with his hot cum <<Fuuck>> he said while looking at your butt <<you're so fucking beautiful Y/N, you don't realize what you do to me>>. You turned around and looked at his face, Dean was covering his flustered face with one hand. You smiled and he kissed you again, another deep and passionate kiss, then he laid down next to you.

Some seconds passed... <<That was so good>> Dean and you simultaneously said. You looked at each other and burst out laughing.

<<Why the fuck did you rip my jeans off Dean?>> you said with a joking tone <<The fuck am I gonna wear tomorrow? yours?!?>>. Dean looked at you silently and laughed again, rolled over, and said <>. You giggled and hugged him, the fact that he was the little spoon was hilarious. <> you said, with a bratty tone that made him turn over your face. <<You naughty little brat. You really think you are the one in charge, uh?>> he said with a teasing look on his face and stared at your face <<well... maybe you are>> he added and kissed your forehead <<but the important thing is that you're mine>>.

You blushed and curled up in his body. <> he quickly said, whispering in your ear. You opened your eyes and looked up at him and answered <>. You stayed there, lying in bed for a bit and then you went to quickly wash in the bathroom. When you got out Dean was waiting for you on the bed, his gaze locked on your body again <<Don't you dare wear something tonight>> he said in his husky voice. You chuckled and replied <<No Sir>>, ran towards the bed and quickly went under the blanket. Dean hugged you and the both of you fell asleep, he was sleeping on his stomach, facing you and holding you with one arm, never letting go. He looked so peaceful sleeping.

Rays of light seeped through the window, and you rubbed your eyes open only to see that Dean was already awake, lying next to you. You smiled and he said <<Morning sweetheart>> with his morning voice and a smirk on his face. Oh, that hoarse voice was too much to handle ... you covered your embarrassed face with both of your hands and replied <<Good morning>>. Dean giggled and kissed your forehead.

You smiled and looked at the ceiling. <<Dean>> you said <<you must go buy me some pants>>.

Both of you burst out laughing and he replied <<Of course baby>>. That was the first of the many hunts you did without Sam .. or anyone else in general.

#dean winchester smut #dean winchester x female reader #dean winchester x female!reader #dean winchester x female!reader smut #dean winchester x you #smut #dean winchester x reader #spn smut #dean winchester x reader an4l

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shuttershocky · 5 months

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Do you have a dislike for media universes that "rewards" people for watching/reading all of it in general?

Or do you think there is one that executes that idea well?

I'm answering this 5 months late, but I'm pretty sure I still remember this ask being prompted by a post making fun of the MCU.

Do I dislike story universes that reward people for reading all of it? Not at all. I mean, I'm a fan of both Middle Earth and Star Wars, I fucking love big, big universes with plenty of stories in them. When they intersect in some small way it's a delight to me, I love those little personal winks from the author for having read their other works or recognizing the most obscure names only a nerd would know.

However, there's a difference between a little reference in a story meant for people who can connect the dots, and making something almost required reading for your enjoyment. It's the difference between an acknowledgement from the creators that you liked the setting enough to come back for a new yet familiar ride, and a company realizing they've found their cash cow and can't wait to milk it for all its got until it's dead.

And dead the cash cow will be, eventually. It's been said before that the reason why the Big Two of western comics have ceded more and more ground to manga over the years is that Spider-Man has 10 different starting points while Naruto starts with Volume#1. That's not just a funny joke. Onboarding new readers has genuinely been Marvel and DC's problem for decades, which is why it was both incredibly predictable yet shocking all the same that this is what the MCU turned itself into.

Sure, early on you could ask the audience to watch a couple movies before the big Avengers crossover, but now they've got all these TV shows on top of the movies that you have to watch in order to "catch up", and it's not even about the cool characters anymore. More and more of their fanbase is going to stop caring once the barrier of entry gets too high, and it's ridiculous to me that Marvel went this road with their movies when they know this is what happened to their comics first.

I mean, are you serious, their next big bad is Kang? I am not watching several TV shows and an Ant-Man movie that's somehow worse than the second one all to see how the currently left Avengers meet goddamn Kang the Conqueror. He's in both the TV shows and the movies, which means they're somehow giving Kang more buildup screentime than Thanos. Why? Either I've been extremely out of touch with Marvel comics or the MCU picked a wild choice to headline their next billion dollar franchise when Doctor Doom is actually available to them now and barely needs an introduction.

Sorry, got lost for a bit. Back on topic, yeah I know I know, all art right now exists under capitalism which means every setting that becomes a wider story universe is an author trying to milk their existing fanbase. Whenever a creator makes a thing that I like, and then announces they have a new thing set in the same setting as their first thing but isn't a direct sequel so they can keep gaining a new audience while keeping their existing one, I know I'm being suckered in.

Just, don't make it so blatant. And don't make it so hard. I am the exact target audience for these shenanigans and even I'm starting to feel like it's homework because it's all fucking required now.

If I, a lifelong Star Wars fan, want to watch the newest Star Wars thing, I have to see a hundred hours of other Star Wars media first. If I want to watch The Mandalorian Season 3, I can't just have seen Season 1 and 2, oh no, I have to also see The Book of Boba Fett too, because halfway through that show became The Mandalorian Season 2.5. Well I did see Boba Fett, and the combination of my dislike for turning it into required homework AND the show itself just being kinda dogshit meant I never touched season 3 of the Mandalorian. That show used to be so great because it wasn't tied down to any existing story arcs or characters, so it stood on its own and made for an amazing watch no matter how much Star Wars you've actually seen. And then it succeeded and so had to become the new spine for the entirety of Disney Star Wars afterward. Fuck. Now if I want to watch their latest show Ahsoka, I have to have seen the Clone Wars animated series AND Rebels, because the Rebels cast are in it too! I mean I did see Clone Wars and Rebels, but that still sucks!

That makes me worried now! Andor was also really fucking good and it stood on its own so hard you didn't even need to see Rogue One, the movie that introduced Cassian Andor in the first place. But now that season 1 was a success and everyone sang its praises, it certainly means season 2 is suddenly going to get real cramped with Ahsoka and Luke Skywalker and whatever guys are currently alive in its timeframe. Shit, they're probably gonna add Cal Kestis in season 2 of Andor. The Respawn Star Wars games are still doing their own thing which means it's time to connect to something else.

I hate what all this has become. It was fun to read the Silmarillion and see what kind of fuckery one family of elves got up to that eventually turned Sauron from minion to big evil eye parked next to evil mountain, but you didn't need to read all that before The Lord of the Rings. LOTR didn't assume you knew anything at all (and oh boy did Tolkien never miss an opportunity to explain shit).

Let me repeat. I am the target audience. I live for the ridiculously nerdy habit of reading things set in the same universe as other things and connecting all the dots. If /I/ feel like it's become homework, I can't imagine what the average person thinks of all this. Make it stop. Stop running everything I once loved into the ground in the name of endless profit. Star Wars was already doing this to itself before the Disney acquisition and yet it didn't feel this bad.

#I would take hundreds of disconnected and mediocre Star Wars comics and books made in the Legends era #Over what's happening to it now

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outtoshatter · 4 months

Text

This week's author spotlight goes to the fantastic and lovely @missanniewhimsy!!

Fics to Read:

Brave in the Shadows | NR | 5k tags: space, war, epistolary, open ending, angst Summary: Derek pulls his phone out as soon as he’s in the kitchen.

You have no new messages.

It’s the same every day.

Here Together | T | 10k tags: gaming, speedrunning, glitch hunting, online friendship Summary: In which Derek is a world-record holding speedrunner, Stiles is the glitch hunter who's found some of the biggest strats for the run and Derek's second most annoying mod. Small crushes get blown wide open when Derek invites Stiles to do commentary for a major run and they finally have a chance to meet in person.

Worthy | G | 1k tags: established relationship, domestic fluff, they both deserve nice things Summary: Stiles took a breath, then another, eyes locked on Derek’s. He shook his head, willing himself to calm down. “It--it’s been a while.”

Fics to Hear:

little boy lost | T | 1-1.5 hours tags: single parent Stiles, magic Stiles, deputy Derek, autumn Summary: If someone asked Stiles to write a parenting book, Stiles would say the best and most important rule is to love your kid. Just love the hell out of them, and make sure they know it.

The second most important rule would be don’t turn your back on a curious three year old with supernatural speed.

Stiles is currently failing at the second rule. Badly.

i went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees | T | 2-2.5 hours tags: fallen angels, guardian angels, rest stop Summary: Stiles is a crossroads demon operating out of a rest stop Subway, Derek is a guardian angel whose family has passed on. When Derek decides to stick around, the Jacob Campbell Southbound Rest Area gets interesting. Well, more interesting than it already was.

(aka the prompt generator drabble that grew legs and turned into an meditation on grief, guilt, responsibility, and the redemptive power of unconditional love.)

And When I Wake You're There I'm Saved | T | 1-1.5 hours tags: space, kidnapped Derek, kidnapped Stiles, no torture Summary: "Derek," Stiles says, firm. His hand is warm on Derek's shoulder. "I'll be okay."

"You didn't leave me," Derek argues. "How can you expect me to leave you?"

Stiles rolls his eyes. "Oh my god, it'll be fine. Even if I am captured, I'm just a boring human. They wanted you for your Lycan blood."

Derek crosses his arms. Mainly so he doesn't wrap his hands around Stiles' throat in an attempt to throttle some sense into him. "That's fine. But this isn't a time when being a boring human is an asset. This is a time when being a boring human results in a shot to the head."

"Derek," Stiles says again. He steps closer, so Derek is surrounded in his scent, his chemosignals—namely unwavering, resolute determination, distinctively sharp and entirely unbreakable—clouding Derek's mind. "You'll come back for me." He sounds so sure, and he can tell the exact moment Derek gives in. Because Derek somehow always gives in to Stiles.

"I'll come back for you," he confirms. "And you better not be dead."

Stiles grins, eyes sparkling with far too much humour for someone who potentially just sacrificed himself for a surly Lycan and bunch of strangers. "You do say the sweetest things."

In Progress:

[podfic] Fractured Starlight | M | 9/34 chapters tags: hurt/comfort, amnesia fic, witch Stiles, blood and gore, alpha Derek Summary: Stiles is driving home when a werewolf pops out of his trunk like a demented jack-in-the-box, aggressive, confused, and with no memory of who he is or how he got in there. Stiles has no choice but to take him through the protected borders of Willow Pass so he can figure out what's going on and if this strange werewolf is a danger to his coven.

Go check out allll of misswhimsy's fics on their AO3 page! Don't forget to mind the tags, leave a kudos, and maybe even drop a comment!

#sterek #sterek fandom #author spotlight #teen wolf #derek hale #stiles stilinski #misswhimsy #spotlight saturday

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mentallyisekaid · 4 months

Text

「 ✦ Fatui Harbingers x Signora's Sister! Reader, PART 3✦ 」

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Part 1 Part 2 Part 2.5 [Part 3]

It's highly recommended to read the parts in order, otherwise few things will make sense!

A/N ~ hey there, if you're following this story but haven't yet seen my pinned post, you should go and read it since it's where I'll update general stuff regarding the fic~

---

Featured in this chapter, we have... a certain dubious duo?

Warnings: half-intentional ooc moments

Word count: 2.3k

---

A week or so had passed.

It's not that you were complaining about this endless 'trial period', per se. Still, just going through piles of boring documents, day after day - any immortal being would've lost their mind sooner or later.

Half a millennium dulled all shine there was to a mundane life, so seeking out a bit of excitement was crucial for maintaining sanity. But even making bets with Childe wasn't thrilling enough (though it did come close!)

Without a drastic change of pace soon, you might have just gone feral.

And your colleagues were quite aware of it~ In time, you better believe they would've even stolen the Moon from the sky for you if you only asked for it, but nevertheless, first, you needed to prove that they could trust you.

The Fatui took immense pride in loyalty - yet yours was very fickle, and they knew it. But rather than allegiance, what your Harbingers seeked for was sign of your devotion toward them, something that exceeded the boundaries of professionalism and demonstrated... a much deeper level of trust.

"Was revealing the secret of this stupid Vision a mistake, after all?" a thought that had plagued your mind.

Well, who could say... but apparently, it had been worth it!

No one could really fathom Pierro's decisions, but it seems that after hearing you'd confided a part of your past to some of them, the Director had thought you'd proved yourself enough. And maybe it was because he knew you just a bit too well, having been there all those centuries ago.

But did this mean that all of them now knew of your little conversation with Scaramouche, Columbina and Childe?

Well, such a thought hardly occupied you.

Because more importantly, you were finally about to get (*insert an ominous fanfare*)...

Your very first field mission!

Good riddance, eternal paperwork~

---

A sign of their trust, or... just another test?

You didn't care either way.

"Lady Harbinger," a Cicin Mage had bowed her after entering your office. "The Jester has assigned you to an official errand with Lords Ninth and Second. You are to rendezvous with them at the gates. Effective immediately."

And girl, you couldn't have bolted out of that room faster! It made the poor Cicins squeak in alarm. The mage only sighed while shaking her head, not sure that you'd come out of this one with your sanity still intact.

So, your bored prayers had been heard. But by the gods, or a devil? A field assignment with this specific pair of Harbingers had the potential to turn out chaotic beyond belief...

and you were all for it!

It was daybreak in Snezhnaya.

The early morning air was even more frigid than usual, making your grip the coat on around you tighter as you waltzed through the snowy yard. From a distance, you could make out two shadowy figures next to the gates of Zapolyarny Palace, their menacing auras unmistakable.

When Regrator and Il Dottore were working together, anyone even remotely involved had better be on their guard...

Lest they wanted to end up in horrible debt.

Or as a part of human experiments.

But the shady banker and the heretic researcher had failed to intimidate you, and they found such fearlessness quite... captivating.

As you got closer, Pantalone offered you a warm smile.

"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?"

"Hello... and no, *yawn*... it's impossible to get decent rest with these working hours. But," a smile made its way onto your lips, "I'm pleased to finally get to work outside of the palace~"

And with the two of you, it might just be twice as fun, a totally weird thought that you didn't voice out, and instead sighed:

"Though, at the cost of skipping my yummy breakfast pancakes..."

You took a bite from the frostbitten, red fruit in your hand. This earned a chuckle from Dottore.

"No, no, you won't get sufficient vitamins from that. How about trying the special pills I gave you? You'd help me with my research while you're at it, too..."

"I'm afraid your experimental supplements might end up turning me into a slime."

An apple a day hardly kept this doctor away. But much to everyone's surprise, you seemed to know how to handle his eccentric personality and... the segments. Even Scaramouche was impressed by this.

"Don't you look rather young today, Zandik?" you questioned with a hint of playfulness; a habit you'd picked up from Damselette.

The Doctor only replied with a smile, gently sweeping away a few snowflakes from your hair as if admiring a most precious specimen (no objectifying here, Dottore's just being Dottore~)

This one seemed to be of the more reasonable segments, if such a concept even existed - though regardless of the form, you were really quite fond of their antics.

Pantalone, too, was a difficult person in his own way, knowing how to both frustrate you to no ends, and yet make you feel so endeared.

As usual, the banker seemed just a bit too amused by everything.

That, and he found you adorable.

"Hehe, I must admit that dealing with the two of you off-duty is always rather delightful~ but we ought to leave duly," he stepped forward and offered you his hand. "After all, we wouldn't want to be late on Y/N's first mission, now would we?"

Dottore mimicked his gesture. "Indeed, off we go."

These two....

But on that note?

"Dare I ask," you raised an eyebrow, "what the mission might be?"

They only smiled at you - Pantalone while adjusting his glasses, Dottore with his expression half hidden by that asymmetrical mask, and both in a suspiciously mellow way.

You frowned. Pierro had definitely been up to something when sending you on a nameless errand, and with this dubious duo, no less...

and you were quite enjoying the suspense!

---

Three Harbingers waltzing through the snowy streets, a dozen of Fatui agents following close behind, was a slightly unnerving sight; one could only wonder who had wronged the infamous organization this time, and pray the lot wouldn't fall on them.

Someone sure was out of their luck today.

You tried to ignore the not so subtle gazes the citizens threw you as you walked past them, though understanding their curiosity.

It was the first public appearance of the rumoured 12th Harbinger, after all.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, you tried to distract yourself by focusing on the scenery. It had been over a month since you'd last set foot outside the palace grounds, but Snezhnaya's beauty never faltered...

At some point, you got a bit lost in thought.

Dottore's lazy comment, however, caught your attention.

"Now then, I've heard some interesting things about that Pyro Vision of yours…"

Pantalone smiled, as if oblivious.

You sighed. "Well, that's unsurprising. From Scaramouche, I reckon."

"Tsk, you have so little imagination." The Doctor clicked his tongue. "Then, allow me to ask you... How long do you think the oldest one of my segments has been around? Or, how efficiently all these clones are capable of gathering information? Or, how much more I can figure out just by knowing a few things about you?"

"Such roundabout hints~"

"What he's trying to say, of course," Pantalone chimed in, "is that the Second Harbinger has many... unconventional ways of finding out what his curiosity desires."

You sighed, "and he shares everything with you, because why not?"

As expected, more or less.

It was granted that your secrets were never going to remain hidden from them forever, and frankly speaking, you didn't care. Pierro was already aware of every scandalous detail there was to your past anyway, so was there a reason for you to be so reticent about it?

Well, certainly not anymore...

but it was still a tad too early to completely let your guard down either!

A weird silence filled the air for a while, probably making the lower ranks behind you a bit uncomfortable.

But since Pantalone and Dottore didn't pursue on the topic, you thought, 'why should I either?'

Yet they obviously expected you to.

"Then," you sighed, giving in, "I assume you want to ask me about something? My Visions, plural, no doubt."

Pantalone patted your head, "Only if our little Harbinger wouldn't deem it prying."

"That's exactly what it is, but by all means, go ahead."

Knowing both of them were exceedingly shrewd characters, manipulating others so effortlessly, they could easily lead you into a trap here.

But somehow, they always did so gently enough not to hurt you.

They would never hurt you.

"Ask away, I suppose?"

Pantalone subtly gestured the Fatui agents to put some distance between them and the three of you - was it courtesy, or perhaps... protectiveness? Either way, it would prevent bothersome rumours about your past from spreading any further, so you gave him an appreciative smile.

Dottore was walking leisurely with his hands behind his back, giving you sidelong glances.

"Then, tell me, Y/N - why do you think Celestia grants Visions so heedlessly? Why is it that even some of the strongest individuals never receive one?"

The vapor from your breath formed clouds in the cold air as you took a few deep breaths before answering.

"Well, I can only speak for myself? I've always been quite ambitionless and ran away from all my problems rather than facing them. So, thinking back, I never should've received a Vision in the first place, fake or not."

You sighed, "Rosalyne, on the other hand... I think she had every right to receive a blessing from those crafty deities. She was assertive, gifted - yes, a bit of a diva at times - but somewhere beneath lied a gentle soul."

And here you were again, talking about her; she haunted you when she was alive, and haunted you as dead.

Pantalone raised an eyebrow. "My, I've never heard anyone say such things about the Fair Lady?"

Dottore, too, seemed reluctant to accept these praised you directed at your sister, as he'd only seen her as a shallow, crude woman.

"Don't get me wrong, though," you commented, "she was no saint..."

"But?"

You shrugged, "...but nor was I."

The two Harbingers had quietly moved closer to you, now walking on your both sides - you only noticed this when their arms slightly brushed against yours.

"After my father created this... thing and gave it to me, and how I greedily accepted it, I always wondered if we had angered the gods so thoroughly that they didn't grant my sister a Vision out of pure spite."

Pantalone brushed a loose strand of hair from your face.

"Perhaps... you shouldn't be so merciless toward yourself."

"I'm not. Rosalyne and I were very similar, after all."

Dottore raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"We both wanted what we felt we deserved - power, attention... acceptance. I don't know whose yearning was the greater one, but neither one of us settled for any less. So, I tied a manmade Vision on my hips, and Rosalyne left to study the art of liquid fire in the Akademiya; the divine refused to acknowledge us, so we searched for our due elsewhere."

Pantalone stroked his chin, seemingly amused. "Well... what a pair of blasphemous sisters?"

"But," the Doctor chuckled, "what you did surely made those self-important gods grit their teeth in frustration. I find such heresy quite commendable. Bravo, truly~"

"And then you went and became a Fatui Harbinger," Pantalone sighed. "Poor Celestia..."

You didn't know whether to laugh or cry at their comments.

"Though, I am curious about one thing," Pantalone continued. "You said Celestia 'rejected' you, yet here you are, with a bona fide Cryo Vision? Isn't that a sign that the gods did, in fact, accept you?"

It was something you'd been wondering ever since that day as well...

And the lamentable conclusion was this:

"Perhaps Celestia just took pity on me. Or, perhaps a real Vision was intended as a warning."

"A warning," Pantalone smiled eerily, "for what reason exactly, my dear?"

To keep your mouth shut?

To not cross such lines ever again?

And yet... "That's a story for a later time," you told them as well, smiling.

Dottore and Pantalone were adept at concealing how they really thought and felt about things, so you couldn't quite decipher their reactions to your cryptic words.

Still, a fleeting sentiment had flashed across their faces - resentment, perhaps. Not toward you, though.

Suddenly, they both stopped walking.

You took a few steps more before noticing and stopping as well, glancing at them over your shoulder.

"Well, would you look that? Time flies so pleasantly with Y/N around." Pantalone checked his pocket watch. "It seems we're here a bit early."

...and where was 'here', exactly?

It looked like a small, secluded village, somewhat. There were no proper houses, just some dilapidated cottages and cabins, and only a few of them. The people outside, wearing clothes way too ragged and light for this type of weather, had quickly fled inside once seeing the Fatui had arrived.

You knew there was a lot of poverty in rural Snezhnaya, but this was... well, it reminded you of the times when you'd struggled to get by as well - memories you'd rather never have had brought up again.

Dottore mumbled something about "these ones" being "too malnourished for test subjects" as he walked past you.

Pantalone had also went ahead with his subordinates, discussing some questionable economics that apparently concerned this place.

But you lingered behind them for a moment, lost in thought.

The people here have surely lost enough, so why choose to bring themselves even more misfortune by getting involved with the Fatui? I understand humanity less and less with every decade that passes...

Just now noticing that you hadn't followed them, the two Harbingers strode back to your side.

You quickly hid any remnant of hesitance from your face, giving them a smile.

"Time to prove myself, no?"

Dottore chuckled, "You don't seem too anxious about your first field mission, my little Harbinger, even though you don't know what's waiting up ahead..."

"Well," you sighed. "For the Tsaritsa, and all that... you know? And I reckon I've faced worse anyway."

"I'll ask you to elaborate on that some other time~ On a similar note," Pantalone mused, playing with your hair softly, "we all saw something in you that day, at the funeral, and it seems... you won't disappoint us?"

You shrugged, "We should hope so."

And with their arms loosely linked around yours, the two Harbingers started leading you toward a particular cabin...

(to be continued)

#genshin impact x reader #platonic genshin x reader #genshin x reader #dottore #fatui harbingers x signora's sister #pantalone #pantalone x reader #dottore x reader #signora's sister #platonic pantalone #platonic dottore #platonic fatui harbingers x reader #platonic genshin #intimately platonic #platonic dottore x reader #platonic pantalone x reader #genshin impact #genshin

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fateandloveentwined · 9 months

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number of unique chinese characters in a book

So there's this blog I read long ago on the number of unique chinese characters one uses. Say a person writes a 10k chinese novel. But how many characters are discrete?

Classical chinese poems and songs have me doubting my chinese ability as always, and that got me curious about how many chinese characters I know or write on a daily basis.

To answer this (and to very much knock my confidence like an idiot) I put together something to count the number of unique chinese characters in a passage. I use about... 2.8k characters in my general writing.

Then I wondered about the authors I read.

A quick search online suggests that a chinese user knows and uses 1000-3000 characters regularly, and after high school you are supposed to have taken in over 6000 characters -- something I'm pretty sure I didn't do.

That said, I got curious about the number of unique characters these authors I read usually use. That doesn't at all indicate writing competency, but well, it felt interesting regardless so I decided to go play with that a bit.

For reference, jinyong's wuxia novels are around 3.5k to 4.5k unique characters per novel.

you only need 2.5-3k characters to use chinese like natives do, it's not too much really!

methodology rambles feel free to skip to next heading

I recorded some numbers and figures for something to work with with works I enjoyed. Fanfics I also included, which I saved on my computer a long time ago.

I made attempts to analyse the data in a fairer way, looking at the total word count and the highest frequency of "的"s (a very common chinese particle, think the letter "e") used in the passage. That sort of helped, but at the same time there are always outliers that manage to muddle up understanding every single time.

So now, observations. I categorised them into four levels according to the number of unique characters, from lowest to highest.

observations

note: notable novels are highlighted in yellow for easy spotting, and fanfictions are shaded in grey. I added english titles for most of them because I didn't put them in when I first did the screencaptures.

first level: below 3.5k unique characters

Good authors don't always equate an extensive character set. Conversely, there are authors who basically cannot write well (subjective) and still end up with a surprisingly not-low unique character count.

Works like 靜影沉璧、瀟湘水冷、風骨同守 that adopted a more literary, classical chinese writing register had lower unique character counts than the others. This was not what I expected, considering these works were where I found most words I'm unfamiliar with and ended up questioning my chinese reading ability (sorry lol).

I was also surprised with 潭石、水千丞、覆水難收、木蘇里 (mu su li) because their writing are all pretty good, all achieved while using a much smaller lexicon range than what I've expected.

(不問三九 with good writing was also low and in this range, but I forgot to mark hers down so, shrugs.)

second: 3.6k to 4.5k characters

That said, some authors do typically reach a range of around 3.6-3.7k unique characters, which is a pretty wide character set. Supposing adding a book of an author increases the total number of unique characters the author has used, these authors tend to round up at around 4k+ words with 2-4 novels inputted.

With each book added, there would be an increase of a few hundred unique characters, but they tend to level off at about 4.3k etc., and that is likely their maximum unique character count.

Some do level off at around 3.7k though, which indicates a narrower range of lexicon employed.

third level: the weird level

weird because the unique character count increases by leaps and bounds with every new novel of theirs that I added, and we end up perplexed and baffled.

At around 1M to 1.5M words inputted from an author, I thought that the unique character count would be pretty steady already, similar to how the unique character counts for authors at the second level levelled off eventually.

That's not the case for these two authors here. It is perplexing because the settings of their books do not vary greatly, yet the choice of characters and words were, apparently, diverse enough to give a "forever"-going increase in unique character count with every book I added.

This category aggravates me so much I couldn't make head and tail of it honestly lol.

the final level: the eloquent and literate

Of course, in this world there are always very literate individuals, and verbose they may seem, some are good writers. Here are the authors who actually have a vast unique character range.

You may be wondering how this 3.7k differs from the ones in the second level, but bear in mind this is merely the result from a single work of the author, or that the author's book is, like, half the length of the other authors while achieving a far higher unique character count than others.

And there's meatbun at the top of the list; I used both 2ha and Yu Wu for her stats, but her 2ha alone was already higher than Royal Nirvana and any other book I tested, so she goes in this category.

And et voila. All of this may not make sense to you, I'm not even sure about how the reception of this would be, it was a passion project and an interesting evening that I had, and now that I have some (sort of subjective) results I hope to share it out. :)

feel free to hmu for peculiar thought experiments and discussions on this topic!!

this is a repost from another site. i have used too many a username, and am not ready to link together all of them yet (someday) -- if you recognise this and wonder, message me, that's probably another account of mine.

#danmei #chinese language #mxtx #2ha #language #linguistics #meatbun doesn't eat meat #meatbun #chinese #cnovel #fate's wonky thoughts #fate creates

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endreal · 2 months

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Ayyy a fellow dual E & T hrt user! How do you like your set up and do you wanna share what got you there?

Privacy is important please don't feel compled to provide personal information

Sure! I guess in some ways I'm surprised I don't get more questions about this.

I first realised I was Not Cis in...actually probably 2004 but I didn't have language to describe it at the time - all I knew was that David Bowie Pissed Me Off for incomprehensible reasons that had nothing to do with his personality or his music. I just Could Not Look At That Guy without feeling Extremely Complicated Feelings.

Anyway, a lot happened in the end of that decade and I started my first binary transition in the '10s. It actually went pretty stellar, all in all. It's just that...after 3-4 years I realized I wasn't any happier about myself than I was beforehand. It didn't "fit" right, y'know? Anyway after a lot of internal turmoil and some blessed insightful words from @kipplekipple I finally accepted that hey, maybe this whole binary thing isn't for me and I'm agender. Or possibly bigender. Idk. Even more Not Cis than initially assumed.

Anyhow, from there I kicked off some scary-to-me conversations with my Dr. (who, to her credit, was impressively supportive) and got the second course added to my hrt regimen. And after about 2-2.5 years of periodic adjustments and calibrations to my hormones and blood tests (which I've become quite good at sitting the draws, if I do say so myself!), my levels have basically stabilised, which has been great in almost all ways... even tho it does mean that I now experience period-like cycle every 3ish weeks preceding injections. 🤦🏼

A lot of this happened...not exactly under the radar, but I also didn't beat drums and yell about it from the mountaintops. A big part of this is because I had other life shit going on and a still-ongoing global pandemic swept thru everything in a major way, but I also have to acknowledge that part of it is because I had always been fairly open about being queer and trans, and I was afraid (yes, afraid) that my story might get picked up by bad-faith actors as a detransition narrative when in fact it was anything but that. So this is probably the first time I've said all the pieces of this all together and "out loud" even tho I've made plenty of passing mentions about different parts of it over time. So thanks for asking directly!

PS. for what it's worth, I later realised that my Complicated Bowie Feelings were essentially jealousy. I've accepted by now that I'll never be a vaguely luminous avatar of human androgyny (sorry David Bowie. sorry Grace Jones and Annie Lennox. sorry Link Legendofzelda.)... but I still give it my best try, in the ways that I can. :)

#Endreal in real life #agender

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heliza24 · 1 year

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I have really enjoyed reading your analyses of the YR sex scenes. Thank you so much for putting it in writing!

I have a question I think you might be perfect to answer. The cinematography of s2 is obviously really different to s1 and I don't think it's only the new team they brought in. There is a lot more 'shakyness' in the hand held cameras, there is a lot of going in and out of focus, a certain blurryness that underlines the plot.

One scene that really sticks out to me is the kiss in 2.4. As you already mentioned, we don't get to see Simon's face, the angle during the kiss is also a little off, the focus is on Simon's hands, on Wille's shoulder, but never on their lips. What do you make of that?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Hi there! I'm so glad you have been enjoying the analysis posts, and thank you so much for this question!

I have seen some speculation that the increase in handheld photography/shifts in focus constitutes a mistake or indicate that the camera team in season 2 was less talented than season 1. I don't think that's true, for a few reasons. First, that just isn't how TV works. Every scene is shot multiple times, from multiple angles. If the directors didn't like how something looked on the monitors on set, they would just do another take. And the editors and directors have all of those mulitiple takes to choose from when compiling the final edit, so they're going to pick the shots that they like the most, from an acting and also camera perspective. So if they're including a rack focus or shaky shot that's an intentional inclusion.

Second, while there may be an increase in this technique in season 2, it is already an established part of the show's film language in season 1. Specifically, hand held shots are used to convey heightened emotions.

I went back and watched the first kiss scene in 1.2, because I wanted to compare it to the kiss in 2.4 since you mentioned that in your question. There's three significant camera things going on in the 1.2 kiss in my mind. The first is the POV shots, where we look directly into Wilhelm and Simon's faces like we are the characters. This feels very stylized and deliberate. This technique actually appears in season 2 as well! Think about that moment in the party in 2.1, when the boys see each other and they're backlit by the swirling party lights. So not everything in season 2 is cinema verite; there are intentional moments of framing, slow motion, etc.

Going back to the kiss in 1.2: there's a wide shot, where you can see both Wilhelm and Simon in profile. This shot feels removed and uncomfortable, and it captures the anxiety that Simon is feeling when he's not sure if Wilhelm is going to return the kiss/his feelings. But then Wilhelm pulls him back in, and he does return the kiss and the feelings, and the camera becomes much more fluid as we're looking over Simon's shoulder as he kisses Wilhelm. As soon as the emotions swell, the camera becomes reactive, moving along with the characters. This happens in other scenes in season 1, like in the fish scene in 2.5 which I discussed in the last post.

With that in mind, I'd like to propose that the more hand held camera work is a deliberate choice used to convey heightened emotions in the Young Royals universe. And season 2 has much more heightened, strong emotions than season 1. The stakes are higher than the first season, and even when the boys aren't together they are always feeling intense emotions about each other. The kiss in 2.4 is one of the zeniths of that frustration and desire. There's a desperation in their reunion, and I think the way the camera comes in so close and switches focus adds to that. It's the third person in the kiss: breathless, excited, not sure what to focus on because it wants to feel all of the things at once.

This is also extremely nitpicky, but I think the reason that their lips are sometimes out of focus is because they're not the visual anchor of the scene. Their noses/forehead are the first things that touch, and I think the camera prioritizes keeping the focus on that part of their faces through the scene. Not that their noses are perfectly clear the entire time, because of what I mentioned above. But I did want to point out that just because they're kissing, that doesn't mean that their lips are by default the most important things in the frame.

As you mentioned, I do wish that they had included more Simon coverage in the run up to the kiss. But I think the decision to keep the camera on Wilhelm was a probably deliberate choice to center his reaction in that moment.

The other way the hand held camera works super well in season 2 is capturing movement, and sometimes a combination of movement and intense emotions, like when Simon completely whiffs Wilhelm with the ball in gym class earlier in 2.4 (this is possibly my favorite 30 seconds in season 2; righteously angry Simon is one of my favorite Simons). There are wide establishing shots that are pretty stable and set up the layout of the game they're playing, interspersed with more hand held closeups on Simon that capture his anger and the effort with which he throws the ball.

I think the choice to increase the amount of hand held work in season 2 really works. It highlights the intensity of what our characters are feelings and breaks down the distance between character and viewer. Obviously your mileage may vary depending on what kind of style you like, but I do think this was an intentional and well crafted part of the season.

#young royals #cinematic analysis #ask box #simon eriksson #prince wilhelm #wilhelm young royals #thank you for letting me write about this anon!#my meta

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onedaughterofman · 1 year

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Writing Sessions #8 (Papa Emeritus I x g/n reader)

Summary: You need some special lessons before being allowed to participate in the sex rituals. Primo helps.

Tags/Warnings: +18, sexual tension, orgasm control, orgasm delay, bondage, sex toys, dom/sub dynamics, edging, power imbalance, fingering, blindfolds, long haired blond Peepaw, age difference, general unholiness. Around 2.5 K of smut.

A/N: I'm Satan's strongest soldier and this is my hardest battle: to make you Primo fuckers. Also it's almost midnight I didn't proof-read this too much. I want to sleep.

You wanted this.

Now, sitting alone in the ceremony chambers, it’s not time to go back on your word. “I’m ready, Sister!” you begged, hands clutched together over your chest. “I want to participate in the next ritual!”

Sister wasn’t completely convinced, but your incessant blabbering ultimately exasperated her. “Fine,” she choked out, in a huff.“But you’ll have special lessons before participating in the real thing. You require extra preparation.”

Which took you to this place, waiting for your professor to arrive. Who will it be? Oh, you’re so thrilled to discover it. Papa Terzo is a busy man, but who would be better than him to impart this lesson? Or maybe Secondo, now that he’s retired? Or, perhaps, that cute Cardinal who recently entered the Ministry...

Your mind wanders around, thighs pressing together as your imagination runs wild. All the options are good, even if someone like Imperator or a higher ranked Sibling cross the door instead of Papa. You want to be included in the sex rituals to honor Satan, you want to constitute a part of those long lasting orgies with both Siblings and Ghouls.

Sex magick rituals are alluring, so powerful. It’s not for every person in the Ministry, but you’re convinced to be ready. Your eyes focus on the multiple crops and whips that are placed on the shelves in the wall, on the harnesses and leather straps, and then the toys. This room surely has everything anyone could wish for, from lubricant and condoms to the wildest dildos you have ever seen.

Wait, that one looks like Secondo.

Why is it golden, though?

“Enjoying the view, Sibling?”

Oh, shit. You were so distracted by that cursed object you didn’t even realize someone has entered the room. And fuck, it’s Primo.

“Papa!” You gasp, hand rushing up to rest over your heart. “I mean, Primo. I’m…”

“Stand up,” he cuts in, fingers gesturing in your direction. “This is not the right way to address your superiors.”

The blood freezes in your veins. You don’t know much about the former Papa, except for the fact he used to be quite authoritarian and mean. Most Siblings were pleasantly relieved when he surrendered the position to Secondo, for this last one was more reliant. But Primo…

Primo is severe and scary. You stand up suddenly, hands clasped near your body. His mismatched eyes scan all over you, stopping on your face for long seconds before falling back down to your torso. There’s something in those pupils, dark and bitter. The weight of his disappointment is massive on your shoulders.

“Your Unholiness,” you respond, in a whisper. He merely clicks his tongue, before letting out a tired exhale.

“Where are your habits? Is this a way to present yourself for a ritual?”

For Satan’s sake… you’re ruined. Of all the people who could have been chosen to serve as your professor, it had to be him. It is possible even Imperator would have been better than this.

Well, it’s too late to go back now.

Primo doesn't allow you to reply. He judges the way you struggle and stumble over your words, waving a hand to stop you right in your tracks. “It’s too late to change anything now. It doesn’t matter. Take it all off and get on the bed.”

This time, you don’t try responding. The clothes fall to the floor, piece by piece, allowing the icy air to hit your skin. Goosebumps begin to form on your exposed body, sending shivers down your spine. When your eyes accidentally set upon Primo’s face, you realize he’s staring right at you, scorching gaze studying every inch of you.

To be bare in front of someone it’s not new. There’s no such a thing as shame in this Ministry, no sense in denying the desire of pleasure and sexual satisfaction. But, to be bare in front of someone like him, that’s a completely different thing.

You swallow, but your mouth is dry. Primo’s pupils focus on the flick of your muscles under the skin, on the way your throat tenses. He dwells in the middle of the room, fancy robes sparkling under the warm lights. The gloves on his hands creak when he closes his fist, one finger lifting to point at the bed.

Right, there you go. Even as you move away, you sense the burn of his stare. As upset and serious as Primo might look, there’s no sense in denying the hunger in his eyes, the glint hidden in his black, blown pupils. To feel desired, wanted by someone, is enough to launch a wave of electricity right down your guts.

Another wave travels right between your legs when his fingers brush over your waist, cold leather harsh on the feverish skin. “Make yourself comfortable,” he commands, in a whisper. This time, the voice is gentler, but nevertheless carries authority. “I have to get something first.”

The silk sheets are cold too. Your bare back rests on them, gaze inevitably falling on Primo. This man is old, considerably older than you, probably older than most people in the Ministry.

It's crazy, but some say he made a deal with Satan, to look younger and live longer. Staring at him, you begin to think it might be truth. Under the mild, amber lights, Primo’s long hair glistens like gold. It's tied up in a loose bun, and only a few strands frame his face. His paint is faded and messy, making his bone structure look sharper, harsher.

There’s no doubt. This man is attractive, devilish so. Naturally, he’s one of Satan’s chosen ones. As strange as it is, Primo is making your insides feel warm and hot blood to rush in your veins.

“Sex rituals are all about energy. It’s not as simple as one might think,” Primo begins, walking towards the bed. There are leather straps and a pair of handcuffs hanging from his fingers, among other toys you can’t really see. “The more energy it accumulates, the more successful the ritual is. Some things can’t be speeded, you need to build them up, step by step.”

His voice becomes nothing but a distant murmur when he begins fastening the leather straps around your limbs, spreading your legs apart. His touch remains impersonal, almost professional, deft fingers working with natural ease. When he places the handcuffs on your wrists, fastening them around the bed frame, you can’t help but to snatch a deep, long breath.

“An orgasm is not the goal of these rituals. It’s just a reward for well-behaved servants. You’ll have to offer a lot of yourself in order to deserve one, understood?”

There’s more he’s not saying, you can note it in his eyes. Primo’s palm flattens on your abdomen, grounding you. His gaze scorches your soul, making your insides yearn and tremble. Even if he remains silent, he’s seeking permission to continue, searching for any discomfort or doubts you might have.

It’s useless. You’re certain of this. Biting down on your lip, you nod once before replying. “I’m ready. I want this.”

A deep, slow chuckle escapes his lips. His palm presses harder, enough to cause you to feel the strength his muscles still have. “I want this…”

“I want this, your Unholiness.”

“Good.”

A blindfold is fixed over your eyes, completely obscuring your vision. The last thing you witness is that sultry, heavy gaze framed by the jaded paint and the golden wavy hair. After that, all you perceive is his feeble touch, the way the tip of his fingers traces patters on the feverish skin of your chest, ghosting over your stomach and descending down your abdomen.

Another gasp exits your lips, through clenched teeth. A low rumble of acknowledgement is all you hear, before his fingers stroke your inner thighs, making you flinch. Not being able to see makes this whole experience cruder, stronger than it should be.

You’re already dripping, having prepared yourself generously before this session. And fuck, the buzzing sound of a vibrator coming to life absolutely doesn’t make things easier.

For a long moment, the buzzing is the only indication of something going on around you. Primo’s footsteps are light, barely echoing on the floor. Next, a sudden contact forces you to jump again, leather successfully restraining any further movement. His gloves are cold between your legs, fingers collecting a bit of the lube that slips out of your entrance. He wipes them on your inner thighs, a click of this tongue signaling his disapproval.

“It looks like someone needs to be taught how to be patient,” he muses, and his voice comes from all around you. The only warning of him being near is the tickle of his hair over your hardened nipples. Fuck, you can feel his hot breath reaching your skin too when he continues. “Being selfish is good, on a certain level. But here, Sibling, we make some sacrifices for our Father. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” you choke out, past a tense jaw. The teasing end of a crop on your thigh reminds you of your place. At this place, he is the boss. Hell, someone like him has always been your boss, but you never stopped to think about it. “Your Unholiness.”

“Good. Do you remember the gospel from the texts?” A nod is all you give. Luckily, it’s enough for him. “Recite them in your mind. Don’t forget this is an infernal ceremony, after all.”

Primo doesn’t speak anymore. You sense his fingers ghosting on the places you desire him the most, small vibrator briefly grazing over your legs and inner thighs before being secured right between your legs. The sensation travels all over your body, welcomed at first. It brings you over a nice edge, giving you some precious raw pleasure that makes your muscle tense, and toes curl.

Abdomen rising and falling with each labored breath, you squirm as much as you can on the silk sheets. Primo’s palm pins you down again, silently ordering you to stop. Obeying is hard when the intensity becomes stronger, urging your back to arch and ripping a deepmoan from your throat.

It becomes almost agonizingly good then. You’re unsure of how many minutes have passed at his mercy, but the orgasm is near and strong. Your voice fills the air, resonating against the ancient stone walls. Maybe you moan too loud, or squirm too much, but the vibrator comes to a sudden halt before you can reach your precious release.

A faint rumble dies in your chest. You bite on your lip, coppery taste of blood invading your tongue. Then, before you can complain, the buzzing begins again.

It becomes a cycle. No matter how silent or still you try to remain, Primo simply knows when you are about to come. He taunts and denies you as much as he desires, holding the control tight between his fingers. Just like that, he has you on his palm, begging for mercy you’re not completely sure he possesses.

No, this man knows no mercy. It’s been hours, maybe. You don’t know anymore. Your muscles hurt and throat aches, making it hard to breathe. It’s too hot inside the room, and there’s not enough oxygen in the air, nothing that can fill the emptiness in your lungs or inside you.

Praying to the Lord is all you can do. Over and over again, you recite the words in your head, trying to gain solace in that. It is possible Sister was right, maybe you weren’t ready for the raw intensity of these types of rituals. But now… now it’s too late. Now you are trapped here with him, overstimulated, tired and burning for release.

“Sibling,” Primo calls, palm cupping your cheek. There are sweat and pleasure tears falling down your face, before getting lost in your neck. “I’m right here with you. We’re in this together, aren’t we? I won’t let you down. You’re doing so good. You can take this just a little bit longer, si?”

It’s hard to say no when his thumb keeps caressing your face, a tender touch, almost lovingly so. Your head nods before you can think thoroughly and Primo lets out a short approving chuckle. His hand brushes your cheek again before falling on your neck, fingers lightly curling and palm pressing down before he disappears in the room.

The sound of a chair being pulled closer to the bed tells you this “just a bit” might have been a lie. The voices in your mind whisper this might have been a mistake, an overestimation of your own stamina. You were overly confident, too greedy. Now, you pay the consequences of your own actions.

The buzzing of the vibrator has become a dull, background noise. You’re dripping wet, soaked in sweat and tears, completely and absolutely ruined under his ministrations. Trying to beg doesn’t work, just like all your moaning and whimpering seem to have no effect on him.

No, he’s evil.

He merely laughs at your despair.

“What can I say, Sibling?” Primo asks, remote control dangling from his fingers as he approaches the bed. “Suffering for the Lord is not an easy thing.”

This time, the vibrator is set at the highest setting as his fingers enter you, curling and moving in a slow but strong pace. You see white static when you come, legs shaking, back arching, all the air leaving your lungs in a loud moan.

Coming down from the long-awaited high leaves you weak, almost passed out and twitching on the bed. The leather of Primo’s gloves is warm when he removes the blindfold from your face, other hand working on the handcuffs first and then on the leather straps.

Like a puppet with no strings, you let him do as he pleases. Satisfied and lulled into a well deserved sleep, the last thing you see is him placing a blanket over your body. Then, sore and exhausted, you close your eyes.

ps: This is not a joke anymore. Peepaw can fuck. None of us is seeing heaven now.

Writing gender neutral readers means I can't be as explicit or descriptive as I want to, but I hope it's still good.

#papa emeritus i #papa primo #ghost band fanfic #papa primo x reader #papa emeritus i x reader #this is not a joke anymore #send help #i need therapy #old men <3 #writing sessions #my writing

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fuck-customers · 11 months

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a fuck my manager/coworkers rant:

store manager got a new girlfriend back in October and since then work has been his second priority (EVEN DURING THE HOLIDAYS). Which is understandable in some regards but him and his ex literally broke up over him wanting to prioritize work. So often he goes off on two hour lunch dates with his GF we can see (at the shitty brunch place across the parking lot) when he said he was just going to go run the deposit to the bank. And he doesn't fucking COMMUNICATE anymore. One of my coworkers was given 5 days to completely rearrange a section of the store that was due last month but no one knew bc he never TOLD anyone and now he wants it done before Inventory is due. This entire month our rewards program is doing a special double points when purchasing a certain brand. I didn't find out until TODAY (the 20th) when I saw it on the TV image slide thing. The assistant manager didn't know until the Eighth.

He ignored and denied phone calls from our shift lead when on Valentine's Day when a customer was screaming at her, SM claimed that his sister was in labor and he was with her (dude you can step out of the room for five minutes) but we ALL know he was at V-day dinner with his GF (it was 5pm.)

He's on salary and should be working 40 hours and is technically on the clock all the time but he ignores people's text messages and shows up to work 15-30 minutes late every day and tries to leave early. He randomly goes out of town and only tells people last minute. There's no way he's making his 40 hours and NO ONE can do anything about it. He's been reported to our district manager several times and when she comes over to talk to him about it they just spend an hour in the back room giggling together because she doesn't care and loves him! All that matters is the store is doing well numbers wise.

... well it's not Anymore. because he's been so out of WACK that no one wants to put in effort working anymore. Bye bye 4.15 UPT and 40 DPT goal. have fun with the average 2.5 UPT. We've been consistently missing our sales goal. Oh well. Sorry buddy.

My biggest irritant though is that we are a pet store and like I don't care if my coworkers wanna slack on sales, but when they slack on caring for our animals is where I lose my mind and I'm sick and tired of having to pick up everyone's slack in that regard bc the management doesn't care either, they won't check over how animal care got done and so I have to be the one to make sure our animals aren't literally standing in soiled bedding 24/7.

I hate it here. In May it will be two years and I'm making minimum wage still, because every time the MW goes up, I lose any raise I had received. I should be making more than the hire we got two months ago but I don't. It makes me want to tear my hair out. I want to strangle our DM because she is the only thing keeping me from getting promoted, she wants me to have a car but company policy says 3/4 managers need a car. Everyone else does!! I would literally be lowest position anyways, I'm just there to pick up management slack I'm not there for big issues.

hate it here.

@staff I HATE the new text editor!

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violetvelourr · 8 months

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How long I have been doing art

People occasionally ask me how long I’ve been drawing and that question gets me utterly confused 😅 um, probably since I remember myself?.. 😅

First of all, big reveal. I’m old. Much older than you probably ever guessed. Because I’ve been doing digital art since 2003, and I was not exactly a toddler at that point, he-he. Don’t ask me my age though – I’m still a lady and I consider it impolite 🤭 but that might actually answer the questions of many teenagers why I don’t particularly interact much 🙈

So anyways, now we have settled my “art career” span. But saying “I began doing digital art in 2003” – well… I don’t want to do that, because people will be like, “whoa, 20 years”?! And will freak out at such a prospect – 20 years to get to my level, which is, frankly speaking, far from professional. Not to mention that before digital art I also drew traditionally quite a bit.

But the main reason is because “doing digital art since 2003” does not equal “for 20 years”.

How about we revisit these years and look closer at my digital art journey? I can’t promise that I will recall everything 100% accurately, but I’ll do my best.

So around 2003-2004 I tried drawing in Photoshop for the first time. It was an image of a lion, and to be honest, to this day I’m hella proud of myself.

Yes, first attempt. Yes, I drew with a freaking mouse!

My second piece from the same year span is the “Dancer”. oh yes, the remakable hepatitis skin tone 🙈

To be honest, I don’t recall having a drawing tablet that long ago, I'm quite sure I got it only in 2008, but looking at it, despite its flaws, I can hardly believe I drew that using a mouse… I’m not sure, it’s a mystery. The Lion was definitely a mouse artwork.

From thereon I abandoned digital art for a while due to studying, then work, and finally online RPGs…

In 2008 I posted my first digital WIP after a 5 year break.

Oh my gosh... Remind me to never try realism again, clearly not my thing 🙈

I think I was trying to draw an avatar for myself, which doesn’t exactly justify drawing a woman aged probably around 40 🙈 I was not that old!! As far as I can see from my journal, that artwork crashed and only this snippet of it was what I had left. I think it’s for the good. I ended up commissioning the avatar from a proper artist, ha-ha…

Over the span of 2 months I posted 5 more digital art pieces, none of them ever completed actually 🙈 And yes, behold how ugly they are...

My ambitions were growing faster than my skills were improving. The piece with the couple with that naked girl is my special pain because I even attended a digital art course by an amazing artist I was really looking up to back then – Anry – to try and finish this piece, but I failed miserably. I was the only person in that course (5 day 12hr/day intense course) out of 15 people who came “just for fun” – the rest were pursuing a professional digital illustrator career.

This is what I left off with after that course.

In this collage you see on the left what I came with, the middle – what the teacher did after I explained my concept, and on the right – my attempt to take the piece to its final form. But I could never accept that the base was made for me and not by me...

It still grips my heart when I look at it because it was one of my greatest fails. I think that to die peacefully, I need to finish this artwork 😆 If anyone is curious about the story behind this artwork, I’ll post it separately.

Anyway, as I said, I didn’t reach my goal, was hugely disappointed in myself and dropped digital art in April 2008.

However, I came back 1.5 years later, in November 2009, when I got into anime 😂

I think that’s also when I first tried Paint Tool SAI. Up until March 2012, I uploaded roughly 20+/- digital artworks/WIPs. The quality was a bit inconsistent, but I was beginning to get the hang of it a bit, finally. Here are some of them (yeah, the span of the mood is extraordinary):

So, in 2.5 years – merely 20 artworks. Just to compare, in 2022 alone I made 75+ artworks, which doesn’t even include animations and stuff I considered to not be proper artworks.

So, my last artwork from that period was in March 2012 (the one with the winged dude blocking the way for the girl), after which I abandoned digital art again, for good this time. I actually thought - forever, to be honest.

I’m not sure what happened then. I guess I just lost my motivation, got over my fictional crushes, was depressed and not happy with myself…

Problem is that in reality, I don’t have any imagination at all. Part of the reason why I always suspected that despite being quite decent in drawing, I would never succeed as an artist, so I could only say that my dream was to draw for Disney. But I knew I never would. And I knew I can’t do original art. Fan arts – yes, subject to being highly inspired, a feeling similar to a crush. I was too dependent on the mood. But even so… my artworks never were particularly fancy or original, I admit it.

Part of the reason why I’m also so sensitive about AI now. I see people actually living my dream, and I'm so happy for them. Working as illustrators, having an income from what they create... And that is being stolen from them now. That’s why I will probably never accept AI.

Ugh, turned off the subject…

Anyway, as I said, I abandoned art in 2012 and only picked it back up in October 2021 because of Kakashi. 😆

If my math is correct, that’s a 9.5 year break. I have been going non-stop since October 2021, so I would say that my ongoing artistic journey lasts for almost 2 years now. The previous 2-year period with 20 artworks – I’m not really sure about the value of that. The previous 7 digital artworks – even more so.

If I had to sum up my entire digital art journey, – I would say it is around 5–6 years, but in reality probably won’t add up even to 3 years, because the 3 years adding up from a bit of 2003, a bit of 2008 and bits of 2009-2012 had me produce only around 30 artworks, a majority of which were never even completed.

My main progress happened between 2021 and now, so in the last 2 years. And to be honest, I understand that if I am to continue - this is only the beginning...

#my digital art journey #yeah if it wasn't for Kakashi I probably wouldn't be drawing now #Kakashi is literally the reason I got back into art #Kakashi for life #Kakashi #Naruto #thank you Kishi #artists on tumblr #art #illustration

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starry-blue-echoes · 4 months

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For the fic title ask game, I'm actually part of a group writing our own continuity (one guy's writing the main series, while me and someone else are writing our own maybe-canon spinoffs, PHF-style), so here's the titles:

1: Fantasy Friendship

1.5: Yellow Dead Cell

2: Nugget Run Horizon

2.5: The Siren's Call

3: Twilit Curtain Call

4: Darkness Manifest

*cracks knuckles* alrighty, normally I'd try to do all of them but it wasn't vibing super well, so let's just go with the one that did work

1) Fantasy Friendship

weirdly enough this gives me darker vibes, specifically for Exorcism. Perhaps something to do with Jotaro and Pucci's friendship, flipping back and forth between perspectives. We have Jotaro who's in the dark but genuinely happy, finally finding community and companionship and people he can trust beyond his mom. Sure the circumstances that brought him here were awful and he'll never forget why he's here, but Pucci makes the days...... enjoyable, even

and then there's Pucci, who knows. He knows that the second Jotaro finds out what he's done it will all be over. That their friendship has been built on the biggest, most awful lie imaginable and said lie is keeping Jotaro here. But at the same time he can never bring himself to come clean, to return to disc, to tell him the truth because he wants to live in this fantasy he's created for at least a little while longer

and who knows....... maybe this pushes him to take drastic measures :)

a memory of his mom taken here and there. Little ones, the happy ones, the ones that truely held meaning to him, slowly but surely chipping away at his memories of her. Jotaro knows he has a mother but.......

She is no longer the woman who told him she loved him every chance she got. She wasn't the woman who would hug him and cherish him and comfort him when the other children were mean. She wasn't the woman who was always so supportive and kind and whom he flew halfway around the world to save

she was now...... nobody

so when Joseph Joestar enters the mansion months later and asks Jotaro to come back, to come home, to return to his mother, Jotaro barely does more than tilt his head and ask "who?"

#GOD this au makes me so mentally ill <333 #exorcism #jjba #jojo's bizarre adventure #stardust crusaders #jjba part 3 #jjba jotaro #jotaro kujo #jjba pucci #enrico pucci #jjba holly #holly kujo #jjba joseph #joseph joestar #sb answers #inconvenientmoonrising #ask game

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junkartie · 1 year

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I'm hearing 2 opinions on Erdogan and idk I wanted to ask you bcs I got both of them from non-natives. So the first says that he IS a good president, there is just too many outside factors trying to bring him down. And the second told me that he WAS a good a help for the country until he decided to care about some other things (colonisation ?) which eventually led to the current downfall. Maybe both are right or both are wrong, what do you think?

(can you tell I love political discussions because I don't I'm just really invested cause you're one of my fav blogs hehe)

Non natives love to defend Erdo which is why us Turks have a whole term for them. Most of it however DOES stem from the second option being true.

Erdogan was in fact a very good leader in his first few years of power, now my family personally never liked him, he technically was in power on the sidelines for 10 years until he became president 10 yrs go. He did many things like make hospitals and healthcare way more accessible, fixed a lot of roads and built bridges etc. Now you may go “jay, isnt that what a normal president is supposed to do ?” Well, yes. But the guy before him didnt do a whole lot, so him doing his literal job was enough to convince people he was good enough to keep around.

As time went on he started to take a way harsher approach. Slowly but surely the price and tax on everything went up. Religion started to be the hottest topic in turkey despite us being a secular country on paper.Slowly festivals became too loud, protests were bothersome, pride parades were sinful, gays werent considered people, music after 12 wasnt allowed, Eurovision was something too embarrassing for our country to take place in, alcohol was a luxury that only the desperate & sinful tried to buy, women were not obedient enough, the legal age to get married was too high, sex before marriage became a big topic, rapists and murderers would walk freely, femicide got to a brand new high and a whole lot more.

This all happened slowly and gradually. By the time we thought to speak up on any of this the i-don’t-even know, 60% yearly inflation rate had worn us down. A dollar was no longer 2.5 TL, it was close to 25. Nothing could be bought with minimum wage. Whatever you bought, you bought a second one for the govt in tax (a phone here costs twice the price of one in america). People who vote for him mostly do so because all media outlets are heavily censored and totally in his favor. He has control of literally everything. Literally!! He hosted a referendum where he legally was given so much power that he can change whatever he wants on a whim. He will confidently lie out of his teeth and tell his supporters that the reason everything is so expensive is because of his opposition (who have virtually no power) + its fine because even if we’re poor we’re closer to god and his supporters eat it up because they have some fucked up parasocial relationship with him.

Right now we’re screwed beyond belief. The election was rigged in his favor but despite everything he either wasnt able to end it on the first round or intentionally didnt so he could win by a higher margin on the next round. The house is fucked, the opposition lost a ton of seats to highly religious islamic fanatics who straight up advocate for sharia law. That and the president literally had an alliance with a terrorist organization who want 15 year olds to get married, theyre also in the house. Its great.

Now we wait for the 28th, but its going to take a miracle for Erdogan to lose. I have virtually 0 hope at this point. One thing is foreigners defending him, but any turk who does so deserve everything they get. I truly hope anyone who voted for him suffer a fate worse than death (at this rate, they will). It may sound harsh, but ive seen no one in power except for this absolute sorry of an excuse, cunt of a man. My teens and childhood was wasted away with terrorist attacks and a staged coup, along with a power hungry man who made every walking day of my life worse than what it could have been.

Basically, wish us the best of luck i guess lol.

#long post

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