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#Real dragons stand up
otterlyart · 2 years
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biscuit-munchies · 6 months
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wolfcha gettin scolded by Bulma.
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kaltacore · 11 months
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that scene in the last straw after the explosion and before choosing anders' fate when everyone fights alongside hawke except for anders is so silly. there's an actual bloodbath going on and he's just standing here probably wondering if hawke will get mad if he joins the battle like nothing happened. man that must be awkward
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icharchivist · 7 months
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So if Siegfried's VA is coming on Granblue TV next week, pretty much everyone assumes we're getting a new Sieg unit. What are we hoping for, here? Fanservice and sexy? Strong and intimidating? Maybe showing off some fierce draconian power? I guess it's all sexy
Grand Sieg Real!!! Grand Sieg Real!!!
i don't know if it's what you really want to know since your ask is more lighthearted but here's what have been my thought process about it all and i've thought about it a lot for the past two years:
ever since Grand!Lancelot dropped in December 2021, we've known that they were going to release a set of Grand for each of the Dragon Knights.
Grands are given to some of the most important characters of the lore and of the game in general.
The Dragon Knights also are in a situation where they're popular and powerful, but their very first units (except for Vane) have been relegated to the Classic Draw, making them difficult to access for new players. It also means that their original kit has been outdated (though they still have their use)
So the idea of those Grands will be to be an upgrade on the Base Units, while taking into account their development so far, and also recapping the important parts of their lore.
It's why Grand!Lancelot recapped from the ground up everything we knew from Siegfried being framed to the crimes of Feendrache and the way Lancelot has grown from his blindly patriotic days.
Since the announcement of the Grand series for the Knights, only Lancelot and Percival have been released. it's also noteworthy that before the current rotation of knights, the last released unit was Halloween Vane, meaning that in the rotation, next one has to be Siegfried.
If they continue on the logic of replacing the base units, it will be an Earth Grand Unit for Siegfried.
What to expect from it? well, it just needs a look at the previous grands to have an idea.
Grand!Lancelot gave him an upgrade by connecting him to the Fairies of Feendrache, finally coming out from their slumbers and blessing their new champion.
Grand!Percival meanwhile got an upgrade thanks to Cath Palug, the guardian creature of the rulers of Wales, who has been set since BFAF with looking over the possible rulers of the nation and eventually give them the power to do so if they're considered worthy.
Their new arts came with an overhaul on their armors and also something that strengthen their current affiliation. Lancelot leaves behind the blue armor to embrace a white one as the leader of the White Dragons. Percival's armor meanwhile ends up upgraded with regal designs reminding of the coat of kings, strengthening as well his goal to become a worthy protective king. His uncap also strengthen this imagery by showing him as a leader of the people, while Lancelot is a little more "battle generic".
The conclusion to drive from it with Siegfried, which i had at the time and have been strengthened by the preview, is that Siegfried is also going to get a power up from a specific creature that will lead him to reevaluate himself.
So obviously, for his Grand to actually have the impact it needs, Siegfried's storyline must continue on the Draconian front.
in Siegfried's Fire unit, following the event of SIEGFRIED, the dragon blood has basically been consumming him and he's losing himself more and more and is currently in a situation of near death or losing his mind if he doesn't find a way to ease up Fafnir's blood. One of the theory mentioned in the FE as to how to save Siegfried's life, is that he has to connect with Fafnir in some way again. (we also know now, from Naoise's storyline, another draconian, than a positive relationship with the dragon you have the blood of in your vein can help you control this power).
So it's basically been set up for years that the next logical step in Siegfried's journey would be related to Fafnir and to his condition as a Draconian, and with the current Grand trend, it seems likely that this will be the core componant to his upgrade.
The newest event is called "The Dragon weep before Daybreak" and will feature discussion of the Sins of Feendrache. The sins of Feendrache are many, and one that is important is the way Fafnir has basically been used to poison the people of Feendrache for years due to Isabela's influence, after all. Moreover, any sins of Feendrache would imply unveiling Josef's past.
So i believe Siegfried will get his upgrade because he will be forced to confront Fafnir, in one way or another, and will come out of it with more power. I also believe that the past we'll unveil, probably even more regarding Josef, are going to break Siegfried to some level.
So what it means for Siegfried's Grand Unit:
-I think it's going to double down on the draconian angle. Since Fire!Siegfried we expect so, Fire!Naoise showed us how a proper feral draconian can evolve, and we know from gbvs that Granblue is leaning harder in harder on Siegfried being fully a draconian now. (besides, in Summer!Siegfried, a huge plot point is that the dragon blood almost drives him to insanity again and he still has to fight it and he wants to enjoy the last few moments he has with his friends for now)
-Which will probably mean that the uncap at least might be Feral and unhinged
-There's the possibility that the uncap also actually reflect his dynamic with Josef.
-I don't really think it'd be sexy for the sake of it being sexy, i think for such a big unit moment, they'll focus on the lore itself. I just hope that they remove his helmet for it bc looking at the concept art for Fire!Sieg, where he wasn't wearing the helmet while in the final art he does, is painful.
-Siegfried's theme colors are already Black and blue, so i think if change to his design, rather than color palette, it will be a design change like Percival had.
tldr So personally i believe it'll be strong and powerful, with a high chance of feral depending on how in control he will be, but nevertheless i do think the focus will be on the draconian aspect of his characterization, or eventually on his relationship with Josef.
and yeah i've been thinking about all of this since 2021 so i have many thoughts alright
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straycuties8 · 2 years
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rhaenys should’ve re-enacted that one shrek scene with meleys
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fandom-trash-xl · 2 years
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Added the SH Figuarts to my little Frieza collection
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Amazon had a good sale on this fella, so I decided to give in and get myself a Figuarts. He currently has to lean a bit on my statuette of Golden on account of his hand feet. Also, is it just me or are these things a bit awkward in the joints, like a bit stiffish? It took forever to figure what to do with him pose wise and also get said position to work- and even then it's not the best, even after trying to get the arms like on the box. Advice from any fellow Figuarts owners?
Also, here's the whole little cult so far- obviously they're not always on the same shelf together:
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I have the First Form Dragon Stars, the Golden Frieza Banpresto statuette, the Final Form Figurise model kit, the First Form Funko Pop, and now Final Form SH Figuarts :)
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ars0nism · 2 years
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for the low low price of being a lazy shit who only moves when they really have to, and yelling at your tank whenevrr you get hit, you too can be a glass cannon dps caster main!!
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halfsixwakeup · 1 month
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It's 2031, and Hermitcraft Season 15 has just started.
DocM77 has created a machine that adds a new dimension. Zero mods, no resource packs, just redstone and glitches. He is using Netherite blocks for his redstone circuits.
JimmySolidarity joined two seasons ago, and has died first every time. He is very careful this season, but other Hermits kill him first on purpose.
TangoTek has built Decked Out 4 in the End. It is roughly four times the size of the main island, and the dragon has been captured and sealed in an obsidian box so that it will make a cool sound effect in one specific room.
SMajor joined five days ago, and he has already been in a fan-favourite duo with half the server. His Ao3 tag has quadrupled in size, and his tumblr tag is full of art vaguely shipping him with just about anyone with a face.
Pearl has been a landscaper, a janitor, a postmaster, an accountant, a bus driver, and a librarian. Running out of public service jobs, she has started showing up at people's houses in real life with teas and coffees. No one's sure how she gets there.
Etho's tissue box has finally disintegrated, and everyone is excitedly recommending him mic stands. He is trying to hide the fact that he has put an exact copy of the box in its place already.
Zombie Cleo has become so adept at manipulating armor stands that they can perfectly recreate literally anything. Including things that by all rights should not exist. New viewers occasionally complain about lovecraftian nightmares and mental issues after seeing them. Cleo and their older viewers laugh like it's an inside joke.
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yueebby · 2 months
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keep dreaming! – gojo satoru
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synopsis. down bad? … it’s gojo satoru!
contents. fluff, lovesick!gojo, he basically has a wet dream of you, you wear tinted lip balm, your first kiss w him (??), suguru plays devil’s advocate
notes. remember spring days!au but can be read alone. anyways, enjoy!! I am writing this while sick (yikes). also of course this wouldn’t be canon compliant if i had not included satoru and suguru’s dynamic! I tried my best to apply their interactions during the basketball match + while theyre leaving jujutsu tech as much as i can.
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“satoru…” you murmur, looking up at him shyly. the two of you find yourselves alone in the classroom. a greedy smile plays on his lips, and you struggle to formulate words as your eyes travel from his cerulean ones to his lips. satoru can barely contain his excitement, the anticipation radiates from him like an electric charge.
“say it, [name]. tell me what you want.” he whispers back at you seductively, his eyes are spellbound onto yours. you whine before grabbing the collar of his uniform and pulling him onto you. your lips are soft, so soft. you were made for him, he’s sure, as your lips mold together. as a matter of fact, your lips are so soft that they feel eerily like his pillow–
"get up! we’re late to our mission!" suguru hits the top of satoru’s head with the spare pillow on his bed. the white haired boy immediately activates his innate technique to block his best friend’s attacks.
it was going to be a long day.
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“it’s unlike you to wake up so late.” suguru’s hands pause over the shoji door of the classroom. his concern for gojo was more important than the imminent lecture they were going to receive from yaga for their tardiness. “plus you totally sucked today.”
their mission had taken an unexpected turn for the worse when the pair had found themselves stuck in an incomplete domain. the narrow escape was only possible as a result of suguru’s quick thinking with rainbow dragon.
the bandaid on satoru’s cheek is a silent testament to the mission gone wrong.
“i’ve just been tired.” satoru mumbles quietly, heat rising to his cheeks as the memory of the dream flashes in his mind. he was too deep in thought to counter his friend’s insult.
something was definitely wrong. suguru raises his eyebrows, “and it has nothing to do with the fact that i caught you making out with your pillow?”
“i– what?” the heat has spread from his cheeks to all over his face. he hopes his sunglasses cover the blush that was blossoming on his face. suguru lets out a breath of relief. satoru’s blush meant that the matter at hand was only trivial…
“don’t tell me you were dreaming of [name],” his best friend smiles knowingly. satoru groans. suguru definitely knew, he was just playing with him at this point.
their conversation is cut short when the doors slide open by themselves to reveal a certain brown haired girl with a distasteful look on her face.
“satoru is having wet dreams of [name]?” shoko remarks quietly, making sure her comment is only heard by the two males. “i would act surprised, but it’s not like you’re above it.”
“just who do you think i am?” satoru looks down at his friend.  
“a real pervert.” shoko simply replied before quickly making her way back to the desk next to yours. 
satoru’s eyes follow her and make their way onto you. like a fly making its way into a honey trap, he can’t seem to look anywhere else. too busy burning the image of you absorbed in your textbook, he absorbs every little detail from the way your soft lips slightly part to mouth the words of the book to the way your leg bounces underneath the table. were you using a new lip balm? there was a subtle shade difference from your usual choice. gojo makes a mental note to ask you for the exact brand for… personal reasons.
in his trance, satoru fails to notice yaga’s scolding. he had also failed to notice how suguru had already made his way into a desk.
“satoru since you seem so eager to continue standing, i assume you volunteer to solve this equation.” yaga angrily taps the blackboard with a worn out price of chalk. 
satoru stiffens up, not because of yaga’s wrath, but because your attention has shifted from the textbook to him. you blink up at him, the image dangerously similar to his dream. satoru gulps, eyes quickly flitting to the equation messily written on the board. 
at least math equations don’t make him feel like his heart is beating out of his chest.
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it didn’t take a genius to notice how quiet satoru has been today. as if he were in his own world, you notice.
“i fear that i may have been giving satoru too much attention lately,” you mutter to your two other friends, mind running laps trying to recall all of the intimate moments you have spent with the white haired fiend— all of which could be characterized as highly inappropriate. 
“you always do,” suguru lazily rests his chin on the palm of his hand on the desk across from you. after yaga’s lecture, the seats had been rearranged appropriately so that the four of you could enjoy lunch together. “lay some of your love on us too.” he gestures his chopsticks to himself and shoko who were sitting side by side.
one could argue that the subtle smirk playing on suguru’s lips were a lot more dangerous than satoru’s. you’re afraid that suguru has started a game that will only end with your downfall.
the silver tongued boy seemed to catch satoru’s attention with his comment.
“ha– mad that you don’t pull? get your own girl,” satoru speaks up for the first time, glaring at his best friend through half lidded eyes from above his dark glasses. the half eaten melonpan in his hand was long forgotten.
“last i checked, [name] wasn’t your girl,” suguru places his chopsticks back down on his bento box. 
you could’ve sworn you saw an irk mark appear on the side of gojo’s face. 
shoko, who had been watching the scene unfold, sips on her juicebox silently. your eyes anxiously flit between the two boys.
“if you’re still mad about that mission, step outside. it’s not like i’m the one savin’ our asses every time.” satoru grits his teeth. 
the loud sound of suguru’s chair screeching on the wooden floor reverberates in the mostly empty room, “you and your uncouth mouth,” he accuses satoru.
shoko flees the scene. smart girl. 
you were about to follow her, but suguru holds out a hand for you to stop,
“i’m just about done anyway. please, don’t cut your meal early on my account,” he looks down at you and your full bento box. the black haired boy leaves no room for discussion when he turns his back to leave the classroom. 
when the shoji doors are slammed shut by suguru, your head whips to satoru who resumes eating his strawberry melonpan. 
“what was that? you’ve been acting strange, satoru– what happened on that mission?”
“don’ worry ‘bout it,” you barely make out the words coming out of his mouth that is full as he munches on the pink bread. 
you scoff, “you can’t just expect me to ignore the argument you just had with suguru. and that ugly bandaid on your face?” you point at the skin-colored bandage haphazardly placed on his face. upon further inspection, you also notice the growing eyebags on his face. it was truly peculiar to see any blemish on satoru’s perfect face.
he pouts, “are you calling me ugly?” satoru doesn't take pleasure in upsetting you, but the gradual way you leaned closer to him sparked an unexpected thrill within him.
“no, i’m worried about you. you’re being weird, satoru.” he was far from ugly.
as your back faces the window, the outside light casts an otherworldly glow around you.
“well, aren’t you an angel?” he tilts his head as he leans back in his seat, completely enamored.
“you never stop, do you? you’ve been completely out of it all day!” your scrutinizing gaze zeroes in on gojo who was mindlessly nodding with a dazed out smile on his face. “and judging by the way you’re all bandaged up, suguru was probably right! i mean you totally got roughed up. the great gojo satoru, wounded.” 
satoru blushes at your angry face. he’d say something indecent, but he fears that it would only scare you away. if only you knew that the reason he was all messed up was because of you.
“it's partially your fault, y'know.” cerulean eyes blink at you sheepishly before being replaced by a newfound mischievous look.
he doesn’t miss the way your anger shifts into confusion.
"excuse me?"
satoru continues, “if it weren't for you appearing in my dream i wouldn't have been distracted by that incomplete domain.” he points to the bandage cut just below his right eye.
“dreaming of me now, gojo?" you raise an eyebrow. the uncomfortable heat that was starting to rise onto your face at the new revelation that gojo dreams about you is ignored.
satoru looks away, "can you really blame a guy?"
you huff, ignoring his comment, “i think yaga has a first aid kit somewhere in the closet.” you make your way to check out the forgotten door in the back of the classroom. 
the cool sterility of medical supplies contrasts with the charged atmosphere left behind in the classroom.
when you do come back with the kit, your heart races, praying he won't notice the hitch in your breath as your fingers delicately tend to the nearly healed scratch beneath his cheek. satoru's ability to evoke strange emotions within you is undeniable.
silence envelops the classroom, broken only by satoru's deep breaths. you're so close that you can almost feel the warm gusts of air from his breath on your face.
"your body healed remarkably fast. i'm not surprised," you softly observe, your focus on the task at hand. satoru smiles, his eyes fixed on your concentrated features.
"yeah? well, i have an excellent nurse," he remarks, tapping the freshly placed bandaid on his cheek. "though it seems she missed one of my injuries."
you furrow your eyebrows. satoru points to his expectant lips, a playful pout on his face.
"no," you plainly state.
"aw, c'mon. kiss it better? i almost died today," he pleads, his eyes silently begging. you shake your head, unaware that it was your fault he nearly lost his head during the mission.
"you really want a kiss?" you repeat, catching on to his persistent request.
he nods fervently, his excitement palpable. was that even a question
you think he was pretty insane– requesting kisses from a fellow peer.
“satoru..” you murmur, leaning closer to him. his eyes were twinkling with excitement. the two of you were all alone, left with nothing but each other. this scene was all too familiar. 
the sides of his lips quirk up into a smirk while he watches your eyes travel all around his face. satoru has been fantasizing about this moment since the moment he laid eyes on you.
“[name],” he says, his voice softer than ever, a privilege reserved for those closest to him—especially you.
just a few more inches and your lips will meet… just a few…
slap!
satoru blinks in shock while you giggle at his confusion. he attempts to ask what just happened, but his mouth is sealed. his hand rises to find a bandaid now on his lips.
“you’re cuter when you shut up.”
 you seal your words with a soft kiss placed on his bandaged mouth.
...
gojo satoru explodes, his voice muffled by an adhesive barrier.
“m.rrry.. m.. mph..mph!”
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extra: 
all conflicts were resolved by evening when you had strategically set up a mario kart tournament.
right after you (indirectly) kissed gojo, you fled the scene, leaving a flustered satoru all hot and bothered. you ended up screaming into your pillow.. the same pillow that satoru was laying on not too long ago.
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impala-dreamer · 3 months
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Fanfiction is not "Eww... fanfiction".
Fanfiction is comfort after a long day. Fanfiction is hope when things aren't going so well. Fanfiction is exploring your emotions and sexuality in a safe place. Fanfiction is reaching out into a universe to discover things you never knew before. Fanfiction is discovering things about yourself that you were unsure of. Fanfiction is going on adventures. Fanfiction is walking when maybe you cannot. Fanfiction is standing up for yourself when it's hard to do in real life. Fanfiction is having the family you never had, the friends you always wanted, the love and affection you deserve. Fanfiction is letting out your frustrations and anger in a safe place. Fanfiction helps people. Readers and Writers alike.
Fanfiction is not "lesser writing".
Fanfiction is 100k stories about two dudes in a shiny black car. Fanfiction is 47 chapter epic tales about dragons and magic. Fanfiction is short stories that evoke such emotions that leave you crying for hours. Fanfiction is incredible prose that lingers in your mind for years to come.
Fanfiction is not shameful. It is not worthless. It is not just some silly thing kids do.
Fanfiction is beautiful art and no one can take that away from you. If they try, just write them into your next story and beat the hell out of them.
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kastalani123 · 2 months
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Mmmmmmmm, but what if Estelle grows up without knowing about the Greek myths being real?
What if Sally and Paul look at Percy, who's hesitant to hold his baby sister for fear of drowning her with blood-drenched hands, who eventually holds her like she's made of glass because the Destroyer is afraid of breaking her, who shoves his face into his pillow to keep his nightmares from waking her up–
What if Sally and Paul look at Percy, seventeen years old with the world resting on his shoulders since he was twelve, and ask, "Do you want her to know?"
And he wonders. He thought it'd be a given, that she'd grow up surrounded by monsters and magic, that he'd make fish made of water swim around her to make her laugh, that there would be no secrets as to his life's horror.
But he wonders. He thinks that, maybe, she won't have to grow up afraid of her own shadow. She's mortal, after all. There is no ichor in her veins. There is no guarantee she will be Clear Sighted.
There is no reason she can't live a normal life.
There is no reason she has to be woven into the Fates' tapestry beyond the barest of mentions.
He wonders, and he decides no. No, this one person, this little bundle of giggles, this reason that motivates him to learn healthy coping mechanisms, this little sister of his — she will not be forced to grow up so fast. She will not hesitate making plans for her future in fear of never making it that far. She will not suffer scars from things other than risky bike tricks and tumbling down a hill.
This one person that he can protect, for once in his life. This one person that he will protect, from both of his worlds.
Oh, it's not that she doesn't know anything. He makes sure she knows as many myths as possible, as many ways to protect herself as she can learn, as many people and places that can help her if she ever needs it. She grows up with bedtime stories about winged horses and giant dogs and a number of human-animal hybrids. She dreams of a brother with a scarred lip and a girl who loves too much and a sister who usually thinks of her sibling before herself and a boy who can tame dragons, and sometimes it's like her dreams are real, like she actually knows the characters from her brother's stories. She learns to recognize unfairness and abuse, to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, to make things right even if she has to force unwilling hands to do what she wants with trickery.
She knows so much.
But she never climbs a wall flowing with lava. But she never picks up a sword and dons a set of armor. But she never learns her loved ones' scars don't come from unfortunate accidents. But she never flies through the sky on helpful wings. But she never dives into the depths of the ocean in a bubble of air. But she never gets lost in a house that's always changing its layout to suit its occupants' needs. But she never watches her home in ruin. But she never runs from an inferno consuming the world around her. But she never cradles a friend's body as the life drains from their eyes.
But she never stops being an ordinary mortal.
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Okay time for the PBS Kids essay
Read it under the cut!
:readmore:
In 1968, before there was PBS Kids proper, there was Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. While it came several decades before the children’s block, it laid the foundation for the themes and values present in every facet of the network’s history.
Mr. Roger famously hated children’s programming at the time. To him, it all was droll and useless. But he didn’t dissuade the medium entirely— he saw potential. Potential that led to a few smaller television jobs, and eventually the creation of Mr. Roger’s neighborhood.
Rogers didn’t invent educational TV for children, but he did perfect it. He poured real heart and soul into probably the most sincere, heartfelt program in history.
Honestly, he could have his own essay. The more things you learn about the real man of Mr. Rogers, the more you’ll like him.
Anyway, the biggest thing that makes PBS different is the fact that it earns money through grants, fundraisers, and private donors— not through sponsorships and merchandise sales. This way, PBS Kids can push programming that it feels is important, rather than programming that merely sells well.
This also means PBS is less afraid of pushing social boundaries. Money doesn’t go away when their shows become subjects of debate— and Mr. Rogers took full advantage of this.
For context, this was 1969. The Jim Crow era had just barely, barely ended. Pool segregation was still very much legal.
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Mr. Rogers sharing a pool and a towel with the Black Mr. Clemmons was a pretty big deal at the time— especially on a show made for children.
Rogers was far from the untouchable sacred cow of today. When he was alive, he had a large number of detractors. Let’s just say that scene didn’t fly nicely by everyone.
Just one year after the debut of Mr. Roger’s came Sesame Street.
While Mr. Roger’s was made for all children, Sesame Street had the explicit goal of supplementing the education of underserved communities— especially inner-city Black (and later Latino) children.
While it was made to be accessible to children of all races and income levels, they definitely went the extra mile to make it something special for inner-city Black and Brown kids. (Why do you think it it’s “Sesame Street” and not “Sesame Cul-de-Sac”?)
At the time, a wholesome, sweet show set in a brownstone street was practically unheard of.
Jon Stone, the casting director, deliberately sought to make the cast as rich with color as he possibly could, bringing on a huge amount of Black talent such as Loretta Long, Matt Robinson, and Kevin Clash, as well as featuring Black celebrities as guest stars. Later, the show would expand its horizons, bringing on actors from Latino, Asian, Native American, and many more backgrounds.
White actors were and still are a minority on show.
In addition to letters and numbers, the purpose of Sesame Street is clear: make kids of color know that they’re smart, beautiful, and loved.
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It doesn’t get more explicit than this.
I want to point out this comment because it’s funny
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You’re telling me this bitch isn’t Hispanic???
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Anyway, these two were followed up by Reading Rainbow in 1983. And guess what?
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That’s right. Non-white focus.
These three shows, (along with other, lesser-known programs like Lamb-Chops Play Along, Newton’s Apple, and Shining Times Station (who featured Ringo Starr himself?? seriously how did that happen and why does no one talk about it) and some other nostalgic favorites like Bill Nye the Science guy, The Magic Schoolbus, Arthur, and Thomas the Tank Engine) aired on the new PTV block, which evolved into PBS Kids in 1999, bringing along Between the Lions, Dragon Tales, and many more.
Arthur is another stand-out that I’d like to talk about— it doesn’t have the same racial focus of Sesame Street, but it does focus on different income levels. The characters have various housing situations, from apartments to mansions to no home at all.
It also takes cues from Sesame Street and Mr. Roger’s in regards to talking about tough topics, though as Arthur has a slightly older target audience, it discusses things through stories rather than talking directly to the audience.
Cancer, religion, workplace discrimination, along with current (at the time) events such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina are all discussed on the show.
Another big focus on Arthur is disability. For once, they don’t stick a character in a wheelchair and then pretend he’s not in a wheelchair. A striking number of major characters either develop or get diagnosed with physical disabilities and/or neurodivergences, such as asthma, severe food allergies, and dyslexia, and they deal with them in very realistic ways.
A handful of minor characters have more obvious disabilities, and THANK GOD they go beyond the trite messaging of “disabled people can do everything abled people can do! everyone clap now!”
One episode in particular has the awesome message of “holy shit stop trying to help me all the time— it’s patronizing as fuck. I can get around just fine without you stepping on eggshells and trying to be the hero all the fucking time”
There are sooo many other shows I could talk about, but I can’t write about them all. I’m definitely gonna point out some more standout ones, though.
Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat
Created by Chinese-American woman Amy Tang
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Dragonfly TV
Features a multitude of female and non-white scientists to foster an interest in science with kids in those groups
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Maya & Miguel
One of the network’s first Hispanic-led shows
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SciGirls
I shouldn’t have to explain what the goal of this one was.
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Molly of Denali
When was the last time you saw a show that treated Native Americans as people? Much less a children’s show? 90% of the cast is Athabascan, and the show revolves around Athabascan culture, not shying away from topics like boarding schools and modern-day racism. Most of the writers are also Athabascan, and the show even has an official Gwich’in dub!
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It’s this commitment to real, authentic social justice that makes PBS Kids so much different from its competitors. Could you imagine the Paw Patrol dog looking at the camera and earnestly discussing what happened to George Floyd? I don’t think so— but Arthur talked specifically about it, Sesame Street did an hour long special about race in general, and the network itself made a 30 minute special.
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Disney Jr. could never. (Other than trying to teach colorblindness, of course.)
I’m gonna have to cut this into two parts, since I just hit the image limit
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prokopetz · 5 months
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Your post about the origin of paladin in D&D made me think of a long standing pet peeve of mine - when people insist that a knight, guarding a palace, without employing holy magic, is not a "real paladin" in modern media. Do you have any particular thoughts on the way that D&D has so heavily coloured definitions of things in this way?
(With reference to this post here.)
It's just basic lack of media literacy. People who get hung up on how Dungeons & Dragons defines its character classes are in the same boat as folks who misidentify bog-standard sword and sorcery fantasy tropes as Discworld references because they've only ever been exposed to the genre via Terry Prachett's parodies of it, or folks who see colour-coded alchemical symbols and think they've caught you name-checking Homestuck – they all need to read a second book!
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dior-and-dietcoke · 4 months
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" HOT MODEL SEX. " | TOMAN VERSION
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starring! : mitsuya, mikey, model!hakkai
cw! : 18+, dacryphilia, public, afab!reader, oral, praise, sex on a bike, a lot of outfit descriptions, its a long one, sub!hakkai, threesome, implied mitsuya x hakkai,
summary! : future!toman with a messy model!reader working for mitsuya
a/n! : I had so much fucking fun writing this so I might write a part 2 (bonten version)
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It all started when you got a gig to model for this newer brand from Japan. You were actually contacted and called by the designer of this brand to model. He was very sweet and understanding. Which was very rare in the modeling industry. So you were intrigued, not only by the pieces of the designer but by the designer himself.
So when you arrived in Japan he already got you a cab from the airport to a fancy hotel and all.
When you were actually there at the shooting, they gave you a black belt with a big silver belt buckle in the shape of the familiar dragon symbol of all his clothing, then the woman gave you low waisted flared jeans with another dragon on each side of the legs. you raised your eyebrows in awe. It looked sexy.
"What about the shirt?" You asked the woman. "Oh, you will be shirtless in this shooting," She said and handed you sunglasses with another silver dragon on both sides. "You're okay with that, aren't you?" She asked, not being completely aware of your contract, but yes, you were okay with it, known for it, actually. You did loads of provocative pictures for dior, Versace, and miu miu.
"Oh yeah, don't worry about it." You smiled and disappeared into the dressing room "mister mitsuya will be here soon but if he's not here once you're done we'll just start without him." You let out a hum of approval as you took your shirt off.
You didn't immediately come out once you were done, first you were admiring the craftsmanship of the clothing and how hot you looked, so you striked a few poses until you heard the heavy door open from outside the dressing room and greetings to the designer.
Then you decided to leave the room without your robe on, so you just covered your nipples with your arm.
You looked around as your heels clacked through the room. You spotted the lilac haired man you knew from magazines, with his back turned to you as he talked to the woman who handed you the clothes. You saw the woman's eyes light up behind her glasses and pointed at you, making the man turn around. You immediately smiled at him, but he seemed a little surprised that you weren't wearing a robe. He smiled and walked up to you. "mitsuya, correct?" You asked bowing to greet him. He did the same."Takashi is fine. " he smiled at you, very obviously trying not to look at your squished up tits "it's really nice to finally meet and work with you"
"Likewise, I'm absolutely in love with your work and ideas!" You complimented him with a bright smile. He returned the smile and the compliment before the woman came back to lead you to the set. It was a white background with a motorcycle in front of it, you were already so fucking excited about how they would turn out, you snapped your finger and cheered lowly as you strutted towards the bike
"You've ever been on one?" Mitsuya asked casually standing behind the computer that would display the pictures, you swung one of your legs over the bike and let go of your tits to grab the handles "nope, but I was always so attracted to guys on bikes" you grinned, to which mitsuya surprisingly said "I got a bike, she's a real beauty" you looked up at him through your glasses and already knew: you're gonna fuck this man after this.
And fuck him you did.
You were pressed against the door of your hotel room as the handsome lilac haired man lifted one of your thighs to press himself further against you as he messily made out with you, your lipgloss staining his lips and the sides of his mouth.
He hummed as you reached down to feel his erection and he broke the kiss to look down at your hand on his clothes cock before looking back into your pretty eyes, "did riding my bike with me turn you on that much?" He asked out of breath, you bit your bottom lip and nodded "fuck yeah it did.." you giggled, to which he grabbed your hips to pick you up as if you weighed nothing and throw you on the bed.
Seeing you lay there, legs spread, hair messy and your lips swollen due to kissing him made him feral.
He got between your legs and started unbuckling his belt, watching take your panties off and raise your black tight dress. "Fuck, you're hot.." he hummed before he leaned back down to kiss you again while pulling your dress down your tits to expose them to him again.
"You want it, baby?" He asked against your lips as his cock lightly tapped your sensitive clit, making you gasp and whine "fuck! Yes, yes! Please.."
Mitsuya groaned at your sexy voice begging for his cock. "Fuck yeah.." he replied mindlessly to your begging as the tip of his red hot cock began to slide as slow as he possibly could into your tight and already wet pussy. Fuck he never felt anything like it...his nerves were on fire his skin tingled and his eyes rolled back in pleasure.
You gripped the sheets with your expensive manicured nails and curled your toes in absolute bliss and ecstasy just from him sliding inside of you. "ffuckk-you feel good, baby-oh shit.." mitsuya babbled as his hips stuttered against you, making you shiver and arch your back.
"O-ooohh!" You wailed, grinding against him "please just-" you got cut off by your own slutty moan as his cock twitched inside of you "please fuck me, taka.."
His eyes widened as you said his name in such an erotic way, his cock was never harder than it was right now..his mind just shut off and he began ramming his hips into your own, shoving his cock even deeper into your tight and weeping pussy.
Your head shot back along with your eyes rolling back into your skull at the overwhelming feeling of pleasure crawling up your body, making your mouth water and your mind foggy.
You've never had a better fuck, and you hoped you'll work more often with mitsuya...
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After the best sex you've ever had, mitsuya asked if you'd wanna also do a runway show for his new fashion line, and you obviously said yes. Not only do you love his clothes, but doing runways is almost just as fun as the shooting.
As you were getting your makeup done, you saw mitsuya in the corner of your eye, he walked up to you and looked at your gorgeous face in the mirror with his pretty hands on your shoulder "my friends are here tonight to see this line, it's inspired by my delinquent times" he laughed softly as his thumb rubbed your shoulder "we're going to a bar after the show and I think they'd be more than excited to meet you.." You grinned and looked him in his purple eyes through the mirror. "Oh? Is that so?" You giggled. "Why is that?"
Mitsuya smiled. "I showed them your finished pictures because I knew they'd love the 'half naked pretty girl on a bike' concept." he huffed out a quick laugh, he did more than just show them your pictures, he also told them about what an amazing fuck you are..and you knew he did, you're not stupid after all.
"Mhh..then I'd be happy to meet them too" you grinned.
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mitsuya sat down next to mikey and baji. Mitsuya stretched out his legs before crossing them. "She said she'd live to meet you all" baji grinned "oh fuck yeah, bet she's even hotter in person." Mikey laughed at his comment but draken stepped in "bet she's a lot of fun too after what Mitsuya told us" to which the lilac haired man nodded "she's a real sweetheart"
The lights then finally went off except for the ones illuminating the runway, the music started and two women holding hands came out dressed in black dresses looking like his brand logo and matching tattoo with his best friend.
After multiple gorgeous men and women strutted out in mitsuyas toman inspired outfits, finally mitsuya saw your beautiful figure strut out in your beautifully confident and sassy walk, wearing the glasses you had on in the photoshoot, a short black leather jacket with a white dragon on the back of it, no shirt or bra underneath. A sexy Jean mini skirt swaying around your hips with a little chain covered in Swarovski diamonds, while your black leather high heeled boots barely audible due to the music clacked on the white runway, Your hair swaying as you turned and posed before turning back to walk back.
The men watched every move you made, every step, sway, and every flip of your gorgeous hair. You were even hotter in person, you looked like a fucking dream.
The way you walked was so fucking confident and the way you posed was so attractive for some reason
"No wonder she's a model.." Mikey murmured absolutely enamored. He wasn't able to take his eyes off you for a single second, none of them could.
And since that night, you started working more for mitsuya in Japan just because you genuinely enjoyed his company, his work, and his friends, of course. You've met baji, mikey, draken and sanzu.
All of them were so fun to hang out and get drunk with. The attention they gave you was unlike any other, maybe it's because these men were your dream in your teenage years, and the stories they told were so fun to listen to.
And not only that, they were also fucking hot. Baji's hair was just literally your weak spot, the way he would sometimes swipe his hair over his shoulder.
The way draken worked on bikes, how his hands were so talented, and oh, what they could do to you..
Or how when you'd be at one of mikeys races and every time he'd win and cross that line, you knew you were crazy wet. You jumped and yelled until your throat was sore.
speaking of sore..
mikey took you back inro his garage at the racecourse when no one was working, to show you his bikes.
he told you all of their names and when he got them as the two of you were drinking a beer, you smiled at the cute names the bikes had and you always liked listening to mikey talk, he was fun and sweet.
mikey walked over to his newest bike and waved you over to it. "wanna sit on it?" he asked. You shivered at his question as you imagined to sit on something else..
but you shook those invasive thoughts off and happily nodded before you swung your beautiful legs over the bike to place your ass on the cold leather, mikey watched closely as your soft emerald dress hiked up your legs, and how your pretty heels stood on each side of his bike.
he took a sip of his beer before speaking up again "youre lucky i didn't know you back in the day.." You curiously looked up at him through his black hair as he tilted his head, taking you fully in.
"Why do you say that? i'm sure we could have had lots of fun," you grinned, biting your bottom lip
mikey chuckled and shook his head at your bluntness. "i bet.." he took another swig, "but if i knew you, i would have never let you go." he grinned, to which you sat straight up.
"That doesn't sound too bad.." If you knew any of the guys back then, you would have done the same.
Mikey just grinned and got closer to you, putting his one hand on the handle of his bike and the other on your back. You looked up into his beautiful gloomy but sensual eyes before you just reached up to press your lips onto his own.
Not soon after you were bent over the bike, desperately holding onto the bike handles as the black haired man fucked you from behind, his hands on your wide hips and his nails digging into your flesh.
Your legs were shaking on either side of the bike on your golden heels, your legs felt like jello as Mikey's cock hit all the right spots inside you. "Fuck, you feel so fuckin' good" he groaned as your pussy gripped him so tightly that it was hard not to cum immediately. The way your pussy fluttered around him felt like absolute heaven. His hands started to drag you back and forth onto his cock as his own legs began to wobble "oh shit-" his head threw back as the fear a familiar tingle up his back and down his crotch.
"Can I cum inside you?" Mikey asked as he leaned over you, reaching around to hastily play with your clit in an attempt to drive you closer to your own climax.
You could swear you started seeing stars as Mikey began to roll his hips against you. Your manicured hands gripped the handles harder as you drooled onto the seat like a dumb fuck toy "uhh-uh-huh" you mindlessly babbled in approval, Mikey took his left hand from your hip to grab your drool drenched chin and lift it up so you were looking right back into his pretty eyes "I need a clear answer, baby..." his thrusts became slow and hard, his tip teasing your sweet spot over and over again, "yyes! Fucking-ah!" You moaned and clenched down hard on his long cock "cum inside!!"
Mikey didn't need any further encouragement. He kissed your cheek. "Good girl.." Before he sat back up to grab those beautiful hips again and slam into at a fast pace.
Your back arched, and your toes almost lifted off the ground as you felt your orgasm rapidly approaching. "f-fuck! Mikey!!" You yelled out, not caring if there was anyone around that could hear, let them hear. Let them hear you getting one of the best fucks you've ever had.
"Mhm- just like that," Mikey huffed as his hand gently clapped your ass before caressing it. "Get loud, baby.."
Mikeys eyes gently rolled back and his mouth hung open as he felt his cock tingle and throb before he came harder than he ever did, he moaned so prettily and his cum was so sticky and warm as you two came together.
Mikeys hand grabbed your hand on the handles as he rode out his high with his head held low.
After the two of you came down from your highest high of your life, mikey just wrapped his arms around you from behind, snuggling his head against your sweaty back. With his cock still inside you and slowly softening "that was fucking amazing.." you said, laying your hot, sweat dripping face onto the cool leather of the seat.
"Mhh.." Mikey hummed, his hands just continued to caress your tummy and his lips gently meeting your skin.
This felt like such a cute and sweet moment, if only your legs weren't sore as fuck from getting banged on a motorcycle.
"Mikey, honey.. we need to get up, my legs are so sore, " but you just felt him shake his head and pout. "Not yet.." You laughed and put your hand on the one that was rubbing your stomach.
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In the morning, after the intense night with mikey, you had another shoot planned with mitsuya.
He mentioned that one of his models is going to pose with you and that it's going to be provocative. Provocative is your second name. so even though your legs were still a little shaky, you were beyond excited to meet another friend of mitsuyas.
As you stepped into the studio, you saw mitsuya discussing something with a blue haired man. His hair was shoulder-length, and he had a scar decorating the side of his lips.
"TAKAAA!" You said happily, raising your arms. Immediately, mitsuya turned his head and smiled at you before embracing you a little longer for a friendly hug. He kissed your cheek before looking back into your pretty eyes. "How are you?" He asked sweetly.
You actually blushed and giggled as if you were a teenage girl again. "I'm good, I'm good, but don't you wanna introduce me to your friend?" You turned around to face the tall man, who just froze up at your sudden attention.
Mitsuya chuckled. "Right, of course.." he opened his arms politely and introduced you to the man, to which he bowed, "and this tower of a man is hakkai shiba"
You smiled as you looked him up and down, which sent a shiver up the man's back.
He was wearing an open leather biker jacket without a shirt underneath, dark blue jeans held up by a big belt with a silver belt buckle, the same one that you wore on your first shoot with mitsuya.
You bowed and looked back up at him, making sure to be obvious that you thought he was hot.
Mitsuya just held back a laugh as hakkai stared at you wide-eyed and stiff as a board.
"Naomi has your clothes, by the way, I'm sure hakkai is already more than ready for you," the lilac haired man grinned and left to one of his assistants.
Naomi was the woman who helped you on your first day. You learned after the few days of working for mitsuya.
You had a nice conversation with Naomi as you got dressed in a black and red biker jacket paired with a black mini skirt - and I mean TINY mini skirt. Your ass was peeking out of it. Underneath the skirt was a thong of mitsuya's latest lingerie line, hakkai was supposed to lift your skirt to show it off, with you dragging his jeans down to reveal the male underwear line, you were so excited to pose with this fine ass man.
You put on the golden chain with the dragon on it before leaving the dressing room.
When you arrived at the set, the tall blue haired man was already getting some pictures taken until mitsuya clapped his hands to get everyone's attention, and the people already knew the main shoot would be starting now, your heels clacked against the floor as you happily waved with both hands.
As you arrived next to hakkai, he tried so hard to avoid eye contact awkwardly until he finally spoke up, "Hey, this is okay with you, right?" He asked quietly. You giggled and nodded. "Yes, of course." You turned to the camera and put your hand around his hips to pull his pants down to the side, exposing the black briefs.
Hakkai hesitated but lifted your mini to show your thong off. He kept his focus on the camera as you two tried different poses.
Mitsuya just had a sly grin on his face the whole shoot
"Okay," mitsuya started "now get on your knees and like pull his jeans down" you nodded and did as mitsuya said, hakkai accidentally let out a gasp as he saw you on your knees infront of him, the tried as hard as he could to keep his cool but it was hard..just like him.
He was getting hard. He just hoped you wouldn't notice.
But oh, you noticed. you grinned before putting your hand on his crotch, your insides tingled as you felt it twitch in your hand.
Mitsuya nodded and spoke up again. "Now hakkai, do the same to her." Hakkai swallowed hard as he got down on his knees while you were already up on your feet, hakkai shyly pulled your skirt up and audibly gasped when he felt your heel on his shoulder, he swear he could almost smell the sweet scent of your pretty pussy at this "distance"
You bit your lip a little and put your hand in his hair, making hakkai softly whine.
Mitsuya stood there with his arms crossed as smiling in satisfaction. "Perfect..." he murmured, admiring the two of you together, clearly noticing the sexual tension between you two.
After the shoot was over, you didn't waste a second to invite hakkai to your changing room. Claiming you wanna "discuss some poses," and it technically wasn't a lie.
Once you were inside, you started kissing hakkai against the wall. He moaned in surprise, and the feeling of your beautiful body pressed against his own, both of you half naked from the waist up.
"You're pretty.." hakkai said between messy and wet kisses,"I know~" You hummed before continuing to make out with the pretty man.
You slightly hummed into his mouth when you felt his shaky hands softly grip your waist.
To his surprise, you suddenly got down on your knees, and before he could ask, you pulled his pants down along with his boxers. Letting his long cock jump out.
You grinned up at him before grabbing it and licking around his hot tip, hakkai moaned, and you felt his thighs twitch and move. "Oh fuck-" he whined, hakkais cute sounds woke something carnal inside of you. He was so sensitive already..
you continue to hallow your cheeks and lick through his wet slit, making the man obviously weak in the knees. They buckled, and his hands desperately wanted to just touch your beautiful and feminine body.
but his mind was just foggy with the mindblowing pleasure of your lips around his cock.
"a-ahh! you feel -" he moaned and threw his head back. "s-so goood-ah!" His cock twitched in your mouth as you lowered your head down to the base of his cock.
Hakkai grabbed at the wall behind him as his eyes rolled back, "f-fuck!" He let out a cute whimper, almost as if he was crying, and honestly, he could cry at how good he feels right now. His brain can't comprehend it.
So he just brainlessly asked "c-can I fuck you-please?" And you immediately looked up at his pretty, groggy and hooded eyes.
In response, you just got up and kissed him. You pulled at his jacket and let him cage you in against the wall. You then ripped his jacket off, making the silver chain on his neck jingle through the sound of your wet lips smacking against each other.
You pulled your own jacket off and pulled the latex bikini off, while hakkai pulled your thong slowly down and gasped at the sight of your bare pussy.
"Like what you see, hun?" You smiled, putting your hand into his soft, blue hair. He softly bites his bottom lips before speaking up "can I maybe-" he gasped breathlessly "can I eat your pussy?"
You nodded. "Go ahead, baby." hakkai didn't waste a second to suck on your swollen clit. Due to the sounds of your moans and hakkais wet sucking and tongue fucking, you didn't hear the door open. "Just as I thought" your eyes shot open and hakkai turned his head "t-taka-chan- I uh-" he began to apologize but mitsuya just shook his head and smiled "no keep going, look at her..she's so needy" you grinned at his statement and hakkai just continued, he didn't even think about it twice. He was too pussy drunk to stop.
You moaned and looked down at the pretty man, "No, no.." mitsuya spoke softly next to you, making you look at him with his hand on your hot cheek."Keep your eyes on me, okay?"
You nodded as your hips began to grind into hakkais face.
Mitsuya then started kissing your shoulder, slowly moving up to your neck. And sucking on your delicate skin. "Takashi-ah!" You drunkenly muttered. "Shh, we got you.." he softly said against your neckline before sliding down to grab at your tits and sucking your nipple into his mouth.
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The second you all got out again, your hairs were all messy, faces flushed, and still a little sweaty. You and hakkai had hickeys all over your necks and chests, while mitsuya looked calm and collected as always, aside from his kiss swollen lips and flushed face.
You could barely walk after getting tag teamed by both of the pretty men.
The assistants and photographers stared at you three for obvious reasons.
Mitsuya got back behind the computers. "Get in position, you two!" He commanded. You were surprised that Mitsuya wanted to take more pictures even though the both of you looked literally fucked.
But your confusion disappeared once you saw the pictures. You looked so hot in these.
Especially the one where you two faux open-mouthed kissed. "We'll definitely use this one." Mitsuya pointed at the exact picture you were admiring. "You both look amazing."
Mitsuya turned his head to look at you, and you shyly smiled.
You might have a little crush on mitsuya..
He then walked up to you and kissed you on the cheek. "Let's go eat something later, hm?" You smiled at him and put your hands on his waist. "I'd love to, taka"
Fuck you love your work lately.
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puppetmaster13u · 8 days
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Prompt 274
You know what is fun? Baby Ghost Jason. You know what could be even more fun? Ghosts are Dragons. 
Jason? Aware of none of this. 
He was on comms, y’know listening and rolling his eyes at Dickwing, who used his real name, really Dick, he mocks. It’s just a stakeout, nothing new there, honestly boring when he could be blowing something up instead. It should have just been a stakeout. 
Yet there’s something suddenly there, something behind him. Something that causes his hair to stand on end and his comms to spark into static like some sort of horror movie. Something, something with clawed hands with corpse-pale skin tipped in black, stained or dead or something else, tilting his head up and up and up as he’s frozen. 
“A child, out here? Alone?” a voice crackles, hisses, hums, and purrs, somehow all at once, unnatural in its tone. He can’t move, he needs to move, he has to move, but it’s like the space around him has gone cold and dead, like he’s stuck in the Pits once more as claws hold his head and his vision blurs. “Sleep, child. Rest- we’ll be home soon.” 
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pretty as a vine (sweet as a grape)
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pairing: luke castellan x reader summary: luke castellan might be everyone's favorite councilor over the summer. he might be a little too sweet for you in the fall. word count: 1.7k warnings: none
authors note: thank you to @wlntrsldler for letting me steal this concept from you even if making luke a real tried and true loser was a struggle. hope y'all enjoy!!
It was rare to see Camp Half-Blood’s golden boy without his signature smile on his face; always ready to help, always ready to please. 
You’d only had a handful of conversations with Luke Castellan, passing words in the height of hectic summer heat. Most of them in the middle of the night, when all the campers should be tucked away in the cabins, but you’d take the brief moments of quiet to wander the grounds with a lit cigarette hanging off your lips. 
Luke would approach you every time, always the same way, a pink flush on his cheeks and a quiet, timid voice telling you that he had to enforce the rules, that he had to send you back to your cabin because it was past curfew.
You’d roll your eyes, lick your lips, wave the smoke obscuring your view of him away playfully and promise to head back after this one. He’d nod and walk away, and you’d pretend not to notice his silhouette hidden behind one of the trees, not quite obscured enough by the lack of lighting to go wholly unnoticed, waiting for you to make your way back to where you’re supposed to be. 
He was sweet, too sweet, sometimes. Making sure you were safe, that nothing bad would happen to you even after taking his supposed leave. It was cute, really, how he acted around you underneath the starlight, always so nervous and flustered, like he’d never seen a woman before. You supposed, confined to the parameters of camp for so many years, he really hadn’t seen many of them.
It’s something you carry with you this year, watching as summer fades into fall, how camp suddenly empties. You’re not sure what to make of it, how still everything seems now, how the usual noise dampens into almost nothing and you itch for the hurriedness of July to return. 
You’re lucky, really, to have spent so long exploring the world beyond camp, seeing what growing up had to offer as if it were normal. A lot of the kids you see now, they haven’t experienced a half of what you have, trading high school for battling dragons at someone else’s request, and it shows each year like clockwork. 
If you’re honest, hidden behind the treeline near the lake, camp makes you uneasy like this. Less busy, less extreme - walking the thin line between a place to train and a place to live - and it has you more on edge than before. It could be that you’ve grown accustomed to the bustle of the Boston streets. It might just be that Luke has been hiding just beyond view since you lit your cigarette.
“I know, I know,” you say when he finally approaches. He stumbles, familiar flush blotching the skin of his neck, climbing the tips of his ears. “Just let me finish this one.” 
He nods and you wait for him to walk away, follow his usual path back into the forest. He doesn’t, standing on the damp grass nearby without saying a word, and you look at him again. 
You’re used to seeing Luke Castellan in different forms - it’s part of how he lives. Nervous and unsure and so confident with a sword that it’s a little insane that he’s the same person during training as is standing in front of you now. 
He’s got this little dip to his shoulders, fingers tapping against his own thigh as you stare at him. His curls are slightly longer than when summer started, curling around his ears and resting just above his brows. He’s got a sweatshirt on, dark green and oversized, and his teeth sink into his bottom lip the longer you take to look away. 
“You can head back,” you say eventually, flicking ash to the ground at your feet. “I promise to be good and go straight to bed.” 
It’s not meant to be anything, merely an assurance. But there’s this way Luke reacts to it, how his fingers stop tapping in favor of clenching his first, how he breathes deeper for a few breaths, how he swallows around nothing, that ignites something under your skin. Makes you want to push that little bit further. 
“You really need to stop coming out after curfew,” he mumbles in the end, tucking his hands into the front pocket of his sweater. It’s soft and a little warm and you wonder if it’s the humidity or Luke himself that’s responsible. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“You’re sweet, Castellan,” you crush the butt of your cigarette out, brushing past him to start the trek back to your cabin. “It’s kind of adorable.” 
You hear him suck in a breath. You don’t hear his footsteps directly behind you as you walk through the foliage. You kind of wish you’d turned around to see the blush rise on his cheeks. 
Maybe you will next time.
*
Next time doesn’t come for weeks. It gives you space to observe Luke now, when he’s being pulled in fewer directions, when there’s lower expectations. You learn that neither of those things exist where Luke is concerned; that he has this inability to not be helpful, to not put himself forward when no one else will. He somehow takes up more responsibilities as fall gets underway, smiling wide when you know you’d be stretched thin. 
It’s admirable, to a point, and you want to know how he does it.
A few years ago, you convinced yourself Luke was only on when the sun shone brightest. Watching him demonstrate a throw to a young Athena kid, you think he might be the sun itself. 
“Nice arm,” is what you greet him with when the little girl runs off, ball in hand. He pauses his hands where they rest on the fabric of his pants, still slightly bent at the knees from helping and lips parted as he glances up at you. “She seemed happy.” 
“She just needed some help with the technique.”
He shrugs and stands to actually face you. 
Mid-afternoon at camp has never really sat well with you. Always slower, sun burning and campers left to fill their own time before dinner. You’ve never really known what to do with it; Luke squints at the grounds before you as if he’s searching for who needs him next.
“Do you ever take a break?” Is what you say when the silence drags on for too long. 
Luke blinks, lips parting. A group of Hephaestus kids laugh from down by the lake. You wait. 
“I go to bed at midnight.”
“And what time do you wake up?” You kick at the grass below your feet, taking in how Luke stumbles for an answer, brown eyes darting each way as if it’ll fall from the sky. 
“The apollo kids really love watching the sunrise,” he chokes out in the end, digging his hands into his pockets. You wonder if he thinks it makes his nerves less obvious. “It’s a really nice sunrise.” 
“Come watch it with me tomorrow.”
You say it partly for the reaction itself. That same quick breath Luke takes each time you say something that shocks him, the red tint to his cheeks, the tip of his nose, the harsh movement of his adams’ apple. You kind of also really want to see how Luke Castellan changes between day and night - if it’s a version of him you just haven’t read yet. 
You don’t mention that you’ll have to force yourself out of bed, unused to early rising. 
He nods, three quick nods like he thinks you’ll take it back if he’s not enthusiastic enough. 
You smile then. “I’ll see you later, Luke.”
*
He meets you where he usually does, further north than anyone tends to go at any hour, let alone this early. There’s less hesitation to his steps than a few nights ago, your invitation dangling between you both something like a promise. 
“I’m not gonna bite,” you say when he stops just short of the rock you’ve claimed. You glance over at where he’s just feet away, bright orange camp tee peeking out from his grey hoodie. “It’s too early for that.”
“Oh.” 
There’s some shuffling before Luke is perching himself on the stone next to you. He’s close enough to touch from here, the makeshift seat just barely big enough for two people to share, and you take in how he tucks his hands into his pockets, makes himself take up as little room as possible. 
Outside of his swordsmanship, you’ve never seen Luke take up much space at all.
“This is nice,” he says eventually, the sun starting to peer over the lake. 
There’s something almost beautiful about what the sunrise does for him, you realise. Neither of you have moved, Luke’s gaze still locked on the horizon, but you’ve transferred your attention to him. You’ve seen the lake enough times. You’ve never seen Luke Castellan’s chest rising and falling with each steady breath, or the way his eyes turn a little gold when the sun hits them just right. How he relaxes in the autumn chill.
“You’re really pretty, Luke.”
It slips past your lips before it fully forms in your mind. His head snaps to the side, cheeks flushing and lips parted. You hadn’t meant to say it, too caught up in the slow start to the morning, but it’s out there and you don’t want to take it back.
“Such a pretty boy,” you mutter, shaking your head. 
“I-“ Luke starts, before clearing his throat. You see his hands twitch in his pockets. “What?” 
You twist on the rock underneath you, lifting your legs so they’re crossed, knees brushing the edge of Luke’s thigh. His eyes drop at the movement.
This should feel weird at camp. You’d fallen into the habit of flirting back in Boston, something to fill the gaps and score you a cigarette when you really needed help to get them. Never like this though - like the moment was delicate and its shattering was solely in your hands. 
The ability to shatter Luke Castellan, Camp Half-Blood’s golden boy, rests on your shoulders in an early sunrise.
When his breath hitches as you push yourself closer, you think you’d like to watch him shatter in the sunlight. 
Pretty doesn’t even come close when it happens.
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