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bangtanflirt · 8 months

Text

(Un)natural Instincts (Part 2)

angst, fluff, smut

Pairings: OT7 x Fem Reader, Human CEO Reader, Human Assistant Yoongi, Wolf Hybrids Joon, Jin, Hobi, Jimin, Tae, and Kook.

Basic premise: You and your assistant end up rescuing six wolf hybrids. No part of the process is easy.

Part 1 > Part 2 > Part 3

General Warnings: Hybrid abuse and lab experimentation, hybrids as second-class citizens/owned property, future smut (Minors DNI, 18+ content)

Specific Warnings: torture collars, needles, mention of past dubcon (hybrids under influence of the synthetic hormones cannot properly consent), more inaccurate business talk,

____

It’s 7am the next day when your actual assistant shows up at your door, with your precious Americano in hand.

“I heard about the coffee mishap yesterday, so I thought I’d bring you this a little earlier than usual.”

“You are my savior.”

Yoongi laughs as you invite him in. Your assistant is one of the few people you found you could let your guard down around. He’s probably the closest thing you have to a friend.

“Is everything alright with you? You never call off work, and you didn’t reply to the message I sent.”

“Sorry, there was a lot going on. Everything’s fine now, just had a little scare with my mom’s blood pressure. She’s good though!”

“Oh thank god. Are you sure you don’t need more days off to take care of her?”

“My brother is keeping an eye on her, but I very much appreciate the sentiment.”

“Of course. Don’t hesitate to step out when you need. Or if you need help with her medical bills, I’m always here.”

“Woah woah, calm down there before I start spreading a rumor that you’re actually a nice person Y/N.”

You roll your eyes and laugh, “Don’t you dare.”

But the joking atmosphere only lasts for two seconds before your mood turns solemn.

“I’m actually so far from a nice person you wouldn’t believe it.”

And so it goes, you explaining the entire fiasco of last night. You know you deserve the judgy look he tries to hide when you get to how easily you caved in. But there’s also sympathy in his eyes, because he’s one of the few people in the world who would even try to understand where you’re coming from.

“That’s not all…they also…um…gave me one.”

He looks puzzled.

“They gave you a collar? But you don’t even have a hybrid.”

You take a deep breath before uttering the next sentence.

“They gave me a hybrid.”

“WHAT?!”

“Shhh! Keep your voice low, he’s sleeping in one of the guest rooms right now!”

He switches to a whisper yell instantaneously.

“You took a hybrid home with you? Are you insane?!”

“Maybe I am. I don’t know, I wasn’t exactly acting with a plan. I just couldn’t send him back to get tortured. You should see him Yoongi, he looks like he’s been through hell and back.”

The man’s eyes softened.

“I don’t know how you’re going to get yourself out of this mess, but I guess I’m getting dragged into it with you, aren’t I?”

“You can always quit, you know. I’d give you a cushy desk job somewhere in the company.”

“Eh I’ll wait. I’m still not fed up with you yet, even if I think you’re actually insane for this. So is the hybrid going to just lounge around here while you’re at work? Shouldn’t there be some supervision?”

You nod.

“Yeah, I notified the housekeepers already, told them I’d pay extra if they take care of him for me. His name’s Jungkook by the way. 60% human and 40% gray wolf.”

“40% is a lot.”

He’s right. The very few pet wolf hybrids in the market right now are 25% wolf, as that’s the max percentage before they get too dangerous to handle.

“Yeah, but I’m more of a threat to him than he is to me at this point.”

___

The workday is long, and you’re mentally not even there. Every five minutes, you’re thinking about Jungkook and how he’s doing. Thankfully, the housekeepers keep sending you updates to assure you he’s doing fine.

You scroll through with relief, reading what he’s up to throughout the day. Apparently, he was terrified of the shower, but had no problem drawing himself a bath. Another text let you know he loves the omelet the chef prepared for lunch. And the rest of the texts are just notifying you that he’s resting in his room at various points in the day. So far so good, thankfully.

With your mind at some ease, you can actually focus on work.

You get your hands on everything Pet Paradise can give on the Obedience Collar before officially signing a contract. There’s information that’s classified, mainly the patent for the synthetic hormones, but the books and research procedures are documented in the files in front of you. And unfortunately, they look spotless. The money is all there in a clear trail, no gaps or unusual patterns, and the research procedure follows all protocol needed. You want to just hide under your desk and avoid this entire situation.

You’re scheduled to tour the research facility tomorrow, and the last thing you want to do is see five more hybrids as scared as Jungkook—especially knowing you can’t scoop these ones up and take them home. But you’re holding out hope. There’s still a chance that something’s wrong at the facilities, something not shown on paper. At this point you’d settle for the smallest thing and find a way to blow it up so the whole operation has to be shut down. You’ve got some of the best lawyers in the country, so you might as well use them. You just need something to be wrong.

It's around 6:45pm when you arrive home, and one of the housekeepers greets you with a warm smile, immediately jumping into how well-behaved Jungkook is. It makes you wince to hear him described like that, especially knowing the amount of needles piercing his skin just to achieve the “well-behaved” status.

The staff all leave as you arrive, knowing you like them to be done by the time you're back. The chef has already left hours earlier, as he usually prepares dinner in advance and keeps it in the fridge.

Jungkook’s door is slightly ajar, and you peek in to see the boy melted into the bed. It’s weird; he looks a lot more tired than yesterday, eyes barely keeping themselves open. It’s probably the hormones, you conclude somberly.

“Jungkook, it’s time for dinner. Come on out.”

The boy takes the last bit of energy he has to trudge to the dinner table, and you put a heated up bowl of kimchi-jjigae down. You sit across and join, noticing that the stew is extra flavorful today.

“Mhmm, Chef Gyu really outdid himself with this one. And I bet the omelet was just as delicious. I was told you loved it, is that true?”

You look over expecting an answer, but what you see instead is Jungkook almost falling asleep right into the bowl before catching himself at the last minute.

Maybe the side effect of the hormones make him too sleepy to do anything?

Your thoughts are interrupted by your ringtone. It’s Chef Gyu.

“Hello Chef, I was just singing your praises for this food.”

There’s a nervous chuckle at the other end of the line.

“Thank you Y/N, glad you and your new friend liked it.”

“Is something wrong? You usually don't call this late.”

“Um, yes, actually. The reason I called is because of your hybrid.”

“What do you mean? I was told he stayed in his room for most of the day. Did he cause you any trouble?”

You look over, but Jungkook is too exhausted to register that you’re talking about him.

“No, none at all. He was extremely polite. The problem was the housekeeping staff…they didn’t do any of the work today.”

You feel a pit in your stomach, putting the pieces together.

“Did they…did they make Jungkook clean the house?”

“Yes Miss. They were watching TV for practically the whole time. I should’ve told you earlier, but I told myself it wasn’t my place. I’m deeply sorry.”

“Thank you for telling me now. I appreciate it a lot. I have to go.”

You hang up abruptly, seething the minute the phone is cut.

There’s a million different ways your mind is conjuring up of how to ruin the housekeeping agency, make them cry bankruptcy as you blacklist them from working anywhere ever again. The rage inside you is glowing red, and the only thing getting you to calm down at all is your objective of getting Jungkook back into bed before he actually does fall asleep into his dinner. You support his weight gently, grateful that he’s awake enough to zombie-walk wherever you lead him. It’s only when he’s tucked under the blankets do you let the anger stir up again.

They made him clean the entire house by himself. A house that usually takes eight people to clean, they made him do all alone so they could kick back and relax with your flatscreen TV. It astonishes you how cruel people can be, how they can look into his scared doe eyes and take advantage of him.

The world is not on Jungkook’s side right now, it seems.

___

Yesterday’s incident is fresh in your mind the next morning. Thankfully, Yoongi found a new housekeeping service at the last minute. You’re still worried that the same thing might happen again, but you can’t afford to miss work today; so, you do the best that you can and ask Chef Gyu to keep an eye on the situation while he’s cooking.

Today’s the day you need to tour the lab facilities for the Obedience Collar—a task you’d trade in to do quite literally anything else. Yoongi looks at you with concern, seeing the strain this visit is putting on you.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. Isn’t the plan to go in and find something to shut the whole thing down?”

“But if I can’t shut it down? What if there’s nothing wrong there either, and I have to look into the faces of five other abused hybrids and know I’m ruining their lives? What if I just call the whole thing off? Yes Mr.Kang is going to be insufferable and yes it’s going to cause a blow to my reputation, but it can’t be worth it to go through with this. It’s just not right.”

The room is silent for a second before Yoongi speaks up.

“It’s a little more complicated than that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was trying to find a good time to tell you since yesterday, but you’ve been so stressed that I didn’t know how…”

“Spit it out Yoongi.”

“Kang got on the board of directors at Jewel Accounting.”

Your blood runs cold. Jewel Accounting is one of your key partners.

“W-what do you mean? Isn’t that a conflict of interest? How can he be on the board that has to audit his own company?”

“He’s overseeing consulting, not audits. Pet Paradise wouldn’t be his client, but I’m afraid pulling out of this deal on a whim is going to make business a lot harder for us. The only way out is finding a good legal argument against investing.”

You want to shove your head into a bucket of cement.

___

The lab is cold and sterile, with glaring fluorescent lights, medical lab equipment spread everywhere, and white-tiles lining floor to ceiling. The researchers guiding you, however, seem to be in a chipper mood, smiling as if they don’t torture hybrids on a daily basis here. First, your team is taken around to look at the facility in general. Jungkook’s adverse reaction to showers makes sense when you see the one tiny sad looking shower stall they use—a lab assistant boasts about the stall being “efficient” by fitting at least three of them in at once.

Yoongi lightly touches your shoulder at different points throughout the tour, as if to ground you. There’s no beds, just a chamber with cots on the floor, and the food packets of sludgy brown gruel are easily the least appetizing thing you’ve ever seen.

“And now we have the part you are all, no doubt, most excited for: the research subjects!”

You hold your breath, dreading what comes next.

One by one, each wolf hybrid is brought out and lined up in front of you, all with the same fear engraved in them as Jungkook. They might be the hybrids, but you’re the one with urge to claw someone’s eyes out at the moment.

“We’ve trained different ones for different purposes, just to test how well the collar can make them behave in different situations. Jungkook was given away before any specific training, but the rest are skilled in different domains. First up we have Jin, Jimin, and Taehyung.”

Three of the hybrids step forward. One is a broad-shouldered blonde, with two smaller-framed brunettes next to him.

“These three have been trained for housework and taking care of children. Now, we know the image of a wolf-hybrid putting a baby to sleep sounds ridiculous, but this technology really is that advanced.”

Someone in the back makes some joke about a wolf singing rock-a-bye baby and everyone laughs. You and Yoongi fake a laugh to keep up appearances.

“The next one is Hoseok”

He’s lean with slicked-back black hair, and you notice he’s the only one dressed up, with a low v-neck shirt that leaves plenty of his chest exposed. More than he’s comfortable with, it seems, because you notice his hands itching to cover himself up. He doesn’t though, just fidgets with the sides of the shirt instead.

“He’s a romantic companion. Trained to give pleasure to any gender and for any intimate situation. He can fulfill every fantasy your minds can conjure up!”

There’s some snickers erupting again, but neither you or your assistant can attempt to fake laugh this time. Especially not when he makes eye contact, giving you a trained flirty smile that doesn’t reach his eyes one bit.

“And the last one is Namjoon, the pack alpha.”

Namjoon steps up, the tallest of them all. He stands the straightest as well. His hair is black and his eyes are more dragon-like than wolf, looking straight ahead with a stoic expression. The only indication of his scared nature is his trembling fingers and pleading eyes, but that aside, he looks as still as a statue.

“He’s a guard hybrid, perfect to keep intruders away. He’s been trained in a mix of defensive martial arts. Plus, he’s an alpha so you’d have to be insane to try to fight him off. Fun fact, hormone packs for alphas are different—they have a higher dosage. It took some experimentation, but we finally got the levels right.

And with that, you’ve seen the whole pack! Normally, training a wolf hybrid to do any of these would take at least two years, and that’s only for the ones 25% max wolf DNA. God knows training a 40% wolf would be nearly impossible. But with the help of the Obedience Collar, not only can we train higher percentages of wolves, but we can train them in as little as three months! As Mr.Kang probably told you a thousand times already, this will really revolutionize the hybrid market!”

___

You toss your laptop bag onto the sofa right as you come in through the door, kicking your heels off and slouching into your favorite recliner. You can’t be bothered to put things up in a tidy manner at the moment, especially with how shitty you feel.

There wasn’t a single flaw you could find at the lab today. All the equipment had passed inspection checks and were state-of-the art, the researchers had proper credentials and specialized licenses in hybrid research, and every procedure conducted was documented thoroughly—you made it a point to skip over the entire section for Hoseok, wanting to stay far away from the details of what he was made to do.

You let out a frustrated groan. Forgetting you’re no longer alone in your house, hearing footsteps shuffle spooks you for a second, before you see the wolf hybrid timidly come into the living room. Thankfully, he looks well-rested today. Chef Gyu did text you a while back that the new cleaners were doing well, and Jungkook was actually resting in his room for real this time. He does a quick bow before walking over and propping your heels up correctly. His next mission seems to be to put your carelessly tossed laptop bag in its proper place.

“You don’t need to do that for me Jungkook. I can do it myself.”

“Sorry Miss.”

You hate how meek he sounds, and that he’s the one apologizing in this situation. You should be getting on your knees spilling apologies right now, for going to that lab to see his pack be flaunted off like toys. But instead, he’s looking at you as if he’s the guilty one.

“You didn’t do anything to apologize for. Thank you for tidying up, I appreciate it.” You give me a reassuring smile, but he seems more confused than anything else. He doesn’t know if that means to do it more in the future or not do it all…he wishes you could just give simple commands instead of these tests.

You sit down for dinner, but don’t know how much of an appetite you have after today.

“Do you like the fried rice?”

“Yes Miss” he says between big spoonful, and the way he talks with his cheeks full makes you melt a little.

“Call me Y/N, please.”

“Yes Miss Y/N.”

“Just Y/N is fine”

He raises a brow,

“Pets should address their owners politely, Miss Y/N.”

That sentence makes your skin crawl. The way he so casually refers to himself as a pet, and to you as an owner.

“It’s okay Jungkook, I like being called Y/N.”

“…if you say so, Y/N.”

The name alone feels so wrong on his tongue, making him worry that someone in a lab coat is about to come drag him away for extra obedience training.

“Thank you. So, what have you been doing all day?”

“I tried to help out with the housework, but the people today told me that wasn’t my job…which was really confusing because the people yesterday told me that it was my job.”

“It’s not your job.”

“What is my job Mis—I mean, Y/N? I know I don't have specialized training, but I'm a quick learner! If you could give me a list on how to be good here, I’ll do my best and follow it.”

You want to tell him he doesn’t have to worry about things like that anymore, but you’re concerned that a conversation like that will malfunction his brain. How could it not, when the hormones flowing through his body plus the brainwashing tell him that’s all he should be thinking about.

“There is one thing you could do for me”

His wolf ears perk up, eager for a command.

“It’s really hard to keep up with the latest shows with my job, but I feel left out when everyone in the office has seen something I haven’t. If I give you a list, you think you could watch them for me and give me the summaries?”

“Yes absolutely! I’ll take detailed notes and tell you everything!”

There’s genuine excitement in his eyes. Jungkook’s never had the opportunity to watch TV before, and he can’t believe his luck. He doesn’t show his joy too much though, fearing that you’ll think he’s using the assignment as an excuse to slack off. He wants to be good, wants to show you he’s well-trained.

“Perfect. You’ll be helping me out a lot.”

You have to bite your lip to keep a straight face, endeared by how hard he’s trying to hide his excitement. But the moment is short-lived, as Jungkook’s face turns sour in an instant.

“What are you thinking about?”

“My pack. They’d probably love watching TV too.”

You don’t say anything to that.

Dinner ends with an uncomfortable silence looming in the air, that is until Jungkook spills juice on himself.

“I’m so sorry!”

“It’s not a big deal, don’t worry about it.”

“B-but you just got me these clothes. I was being careless. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s really fine, it’s not hard to get it dry-cleaned. I’ll put the dishes up, so go in and change into something else.”

He gives you one last string of “I’m so sorry”s before heading off to his room.

Once you’ve loaded the dishwasher, you make your way upstairs to the boy’s room, seeing if he needs anything before bed. His bedroom door is open, as is the bathroom door. You follow the sounds of scrubbing before being met with his back to you, hunched over the sink, trying to get the stain out of the white t-shirt. He’s topless and you know it’s wrong to ogle at his incredibly fit physique right now, but something catches your attention right before you’re about to avert your eyes.

Blue splotches pepper his waist, almost bruise-like but not quite.

“Um, Jungkook”

The boy turns,

“What are those blue marks?”

He twists his body in front of the mirror, looking at the marks with the same amount of confusion as you.

“I have no clue.”

Was it an allergic reaction? Have your “eat up” commands been making him eat food he’s allergic to?

“Do you have any allergies?”

“I’m not sure…no one’s ever told me…but I feel fine.”

“Nothing hurts? No nausea, hives, itchy nose?”

He shakes his head.

“I’ll come home early tomorrow and schedule a visit with a hybrid doctor in the evening.”

The color in his face visibly drains.

“I’m a-alright. Really.”

No doctor please. Last thing I need is another person in a white coat messing with my body again.

Your tone softens, “Relax, the most it’ll be is an allergy test. No one’s going to hurt you.”

Jungkook’s back to shaking as much as he did on his first day.

____

A/N: Thank you for reading! Let me know if you're liking it so far!

Taglist: @welcometomyworld13 @kalala22

*If Tumblr doesn't let me tag you for some reason, I'll send you a DM instead!

#bts hybrid au #bts hybrid x reader #poly ot7 #ot7 x reader #hurt/comfort #bts smut #bts angst #bts fluff #unnatural instincts

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megantheebaddest · 2 months

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Ghostin’

summary: anon request - need a drew x reader where she’s also a famous actress and got introduced to drew by madeline but upon knowing eachother , she finds out drew is messing with odessa and she just ends up ghosting him and never speaking to him and doesn’t know why reader hasn’t talked to him!

warnings: Odessa 🤣

“How are you and Drew doing? I feel like you never update me anymore.” Madelyn said pouting out her lower lip. She was sitting on the couch wrapped under the blanket you two were sharing.

“Yeah. Not much to update you on. Apparently he’s really busy filming his movie.” You shrug and start fumbling with your fingers. “i’ve asked him a handful of times when i can come visit him while i’m off from filming but..”

Madelyn scrunched her eyebrows as if she knew something. Your eyes met hers and you started to panic.

“What? Why do you look like that?” you questioned.

“Well.. i don’t know. i just.. i’ve seen Odessa visited him a couple times. It was on her finsta. Didn’t you see it?” Madelyn had a worried expression on her face.

“Wait what? I absolutely did not see that. I’ve been asking him but don’t want to seem too clingy.. Why would he ask her to come there when i’ve been specifically asking?” You asked, immediately entering instagram to search her page. “Aha.. i’m blocked?” You said showing Maddie your phone.

“Listen Drew told me not to say anything because he told me it was a thing of the past but… They used to hook up.. Like pretty often.” Madelyn was now on instagram on her phone looking it up to show you. “Oh look she just posted this 12 minutes ago on her story.” She turned the phone to show a picture of dinner plates at a fancy restaurant and you could see Drew’s perfectly big hands with his rings on. The location was tagged too, the precise location he was filming at.

You decided to text him to see how it goes…

“Okay so he’s lying to me.. But i don’t even understand why?” You showed Madelyn the phone.

She scrunched her eyebrows this time in an angry way. “I don’t understand either? He practically begged me to introduce him to you. He always talked about being a huge fan of your work and that I was so lucky to know you. I don’t know why he’s acting like this. I’m sorry Y/n, I should have known better.”

“No Maddie please don’t apologize!! We aren’t even a thing so pretty much he has every right to be hanging out with her or whoever, ya know? I just don’t get the point of lying to me and her blocking me.”

“I know exactly why she did it… She feels threatened. Anytime he meets a new friend, ESPECIALLY if it’s a girl she goes crazy! Like she’s very territorial of him. I don’t know how he doesn’t notice it.”

“Yeah that’s strange.. I definitely do not want to deal with that.”

_________

A few days pass and you still never received a call or even a text from Drew. You were on your way heading to the set of the latest film you were working on for Netflix. You were scrolling on twitter when you were interrupted by Drew’s name popping up on your screen. You instantly declined the call sending it straight to voicemail. Now that he wasn’t occupied by Odessa he has the time for you and you weren’t about that. You were both in the phase of still getting to know each other but with all of this happening and him straight up lying to you about something, not even serious, you realize you don’t want to get past this phase. You don’t want to know/involve yourself with someone like that. He sent you a text which you happily ignored (you loved that you had your read notification on), getting out of the car and heading on set.

Finishing up for the day you had another text from Drew.

This went on for days.. You had no interest replying anytime soon.

#drew starkey #drew starkey imagine #drew starkey fic #drew starkey x female reader #drew starkey x y/n #drew starkey x you #texting drew starkey #anon request #send requests #megantheebaddest

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ao3cassandraic · 8 months

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I’m wondering about your thoughts on something I’ve been musing on after S2. How good is Aziraphale’s reading comprehension? How much does he understand subtext and metaphor? Because his behavior this season struck me with the impression that he didn’t really understand the books he collects. He’s clever at puzzle solving, and contains vast knowledge; but he always seems to take things at face value (when he’s not willfully misunderstanding), and refuses to give up black-and-white thinking, which would make it very difficult to analyze texts.

Angels, demons, language, and culture: part 1

You sure ask the difficult ones. (Which is great, I'm totally jazzed about it!)

I delayed answering this ask because it sent me off in a lot of directions:

What is an angel's starting knowledge base?

In contrast, how and what do we humans learn about our world and one another?

Which of these learning methods is not really available to an angel?

What do humans learn from books, fiction especially?

What kinds of information get left implicit in books because authors are humans writing for other humans?

How would an angel fill in those blanks? How would those blanks distort an angel's notion of How Humans and Human Things Work?

What would angels generally and either Aziraphale or Muriel (because yeah, it's hard to have this discussion without thinking about Muriel too) specifically read human-authored fiction for?

I don't have all the answers to the above questions. Not even CLOSE. I happily invite my fellow meta-ists to weigh in on any or all of them!

But let's see what I can tease out. We'll start with factory settings, so to speak.

Angelic vs. human factory settings

(questions 1 through 3)

Angels have (one) language. They have music -- or, at least, they can sing Her praises (likely by rote). At least some, like our Starmaker, have the knowledge to do specific jobs. Note that Aziraphale not only doesn't know how to make stars and nebulas, he's not even clear on what a nebula is. We can safely assume from that that angels don't all possess the same set of knowledge and skills purely by virtue (heh) of being angels.

We don't see, however, how much of what they know is simply an angel's birthright versus how much of it is somehow educated into them. We also don't know how She divvies up necessary knowledge, though I'd think it safe (given most takes on angelology) to guess that angelic rank and intended function are part of Her calculus, perhaps even the whole of it.

What strikes me hardest is that angels seem to be created either as adults or children (which is what I believe the scareable "cherubs" are), and they may well never change that state. The Starmaker is childlike in some ways, but not a child. Likely never was a child! Aziraphale, Before the Beginning, isn't childlike at all; his personality seems pretty close to fully-formed.

And children learn so very, very much. Babies learn so much as babies, while their neuroplasticity is super super plastic! Especially they learn about relating to other beings! (Which the Starmaker is conspicuously Not Real Great at, honestly -- absorbed in the work of creation, the Starmaker does not pick up the feelings Aziraphale is laying down at all.)

Children also learn one OR MORE languages, and that "more" is rather important, because language shapes how we think to some extent (the extent of that extent, and its nature, are objects of fierce debate among linguists and neuroscientists), and different languages shape us differently. Just as Crowley (as plenty of theologians argue) did humanity a favor with the whole knowledge-of-good-and-evil thing, the Tower of Babel (assuming that was a thing that happened in the GOverse; no reason it wouldn't have, I suppose) added a whole lot of nuance and complexity and competing understandings to humanity's sense of itself and its universe.

Exactly how angels and demons manage to speak all human languages (which Crowley indicates they can) isn't clear. If we accept that the Tower of Babel happened, both Heaven and Hell must have had to figure out a way to deal with it.

We do see, however, that angels and demons can be fluent in human languages without being fluent in human thought or human cultures. Gabriel and Sandalphon speak perfect English yet barely know which end of a book is up. Hastur and Ligur can't disentangle ciao/chow. And, I mean, actual food? Fuhgeddaboudit. So I see their linguistic facility as a sort of Douglas Adams Babel fish: it can translate an angel's or demon's thought into the target language, but it can't help an angel or demon think like an actual speaker of that language.

As an example, Gabriel can tell Job and Sitis about their new children, perfectly fluently. His purely-linguistic fluency does not help him understand that they loved their old children, much less why.

This may explain why Aziraphale studied French under M. Rossignol. He perhaps didn't feel he understood how French speakers think, and was interested enough in that to learn the language (as other meta-ists have noted, the language of love!) the human way.

So yeah, if I have a conclusion here it's that angels and demons can seem as off-center as they often do from a human perspective because they wholly missed out on a key period of human brain development.

What they have in its place appears to be... rules. Which is, I think, where I'll take this next.

#good omens #good omens meta #heaven and hell #the starmaker #aziraphale #hastur #ligur #babel fish #language and culture #tower of babel

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babycharmander · 10 months

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TW ANTISEMITISM. THERE WILL BE DEPICTIONS OF ANTISEMITIC ARTWORK AND TEXT IN THIS POST.

Okay so, this is not the kind of post I normally make, ever, nor a sort of post I ever wanted to make. But this is an incredibly important issue that goes beyond fandom stuff, and I've talked with a few other people about it to confirm that it is something concerning.

I want to start by saying that I am not Jewish, but I know that you should never let antisemitism get its foot in the door. (If anyone who reads this is Jewish and needs to correct me on anything, please do so immediately.)

This was posted to the tags yesterday:

[ID: A screenshot of a post from @/liu4ka. The caption at the top reads "well he looks at me / and i look at him / and then he smiles" in very small, stylized text. The image below is artwork of Otto, facing right, with his eyes squinted and his mouth in a skewed, toothy grin, with his hands held up in a strange way. /end ID]

This picture looks perfectly fine at first glance... but the thing is, that caption you see there was not the original caption. I managed to get a screenshot of it before it was changed, and the original caption was this:

[ID: A screenshot of the original caption of the above post, which reads "well he looks at me / and i look at him / and then he smiles like sly jew" /end ID]

That's... a weird way to describe a smile. I'd wondered if this was referencing something, and apparently the first two lines are lyrics from a Weird Al song, but the third line is definitely not. That was making alarm bells ring in my mind, along with the pose Otto was in (which I'll explain in a moment).

Still, I wanted to give this user the benefit of a doubt, because it's entirely possible to unknowingly say something that sounds Bad. So I looked at their other account on VK (which is a Russian website that is, as I understand it, similar to Facebook--they have the same name there and post some of the same art). It didn't take me long before I found... this (photo taken with the google translate app). (I hate sharing this, but I need to show proof here):

[ID: A photo of a computer screen taken from the Google Translate app. It features a character facing right, with their eyes narrowed and with a toothy grin on their face and their hands clasped in a specific way in reference to the "happy merchant" Nazi meme. The caption reads "SCARY JEWISH MUSIC PLAYS." /end ID]

It's not in the screenshot here, but the post this was in also had a song linked with it whose title directly referenced the "happy merchant" meme.

If you're not familiar with that meme, please look it up, as I'm NOT comfortable putting that image on my blog. But it's an image people should be familiar with because it is VERY FREQUENTLY referenced by white supremacists and nazis, and that's what's being referenced here.

Obviously not every single piece of art with a character giving a sly look is going to be a reference to that meme, but CONTEXT is important. The Otto image isn't posed exactly like the meme--the hands are not the same--but alongside the original caption AND given the other art this same artist has drawn, I don't think there's any room for doubt here.

What also doesn't help the case is that there was misinformation going around that Otto was canonically Jewish, so I don't think any of this is coincidental.

I feel awful writing this stuff up. I never wanted to make a post like this, but this was a case where I felt like I should not remain quiet. Once again, this is something that goes beyond fandom. Antisemitism is not something you ever, EVER want let through the door, ANYWHERE. I do not want it in this community, and you shouldn't either.

If any member of the Jewish community wants to correct me on anything or add to this, please do so.

Thank you.

#psychonauts #psychonauts 2 #tw antisemitism

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thatgirlonstage · 3 months

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Considering the cross section of people who want ao3 to have an algorithm with the painful lack of reading comprehension you see so often on the internet and it occurs to me that part of being able to use a website like ao3 the way it’s intended requires you to… know your own taste.

In order to input the correct filters to find what you’re after, you have to have some sense of what you like and what you don’t like and how those things are described in tags and categories that you can filter on. You have to have the ability to take a fic and parse out which pieces of it you responded to and then figure out how to get more of it. You are, with the aid of a filter system as fantastic as ao3’s, actually more effective than an algorithm at doing that once you know how! You know that the reason you liked this fic was because of the really gooey cuddle scene between A/B, so you know that now you should go look in tags like “Cuddling” or “Hugs” or “Comfort” or “Fluff” or “only one bed + Rated T”. An algorithm can’t tell if you liked the gooey cuddle scene or the fact that it was a steampunk AU or this specific author’s style, it can only make statistical guesses at the fact that a lot of people who liked THIS fic also liked THAT one. It doesn’t know WHY.

But like… that is a skill. It may be a very intuitive skill, especially for people who have been doing it a long time, but if you’re accustomed to being spoonfed suggestions I can guess it wouldn’t be intuitive at all. I can absolutely see how needing to search for your own preferences would stump you if you’ve never had to do it before.

And it is very much an exercise in both literacy and understanding your own taste. If you don’t bother to paint things you read or watch with any more nuanced brush than “I like this” or “I don’t like this”, then you never learn what, exactly, it is that you’re liking or disliking. You’ll never be able to pull a text apart to figure out which strands are compelling and which you could do without. You’ll never be able to tell the difference between what is a generally well-written story and what is tugging at something that you specifically enjoy. Especially in the climate of judging media by its moral correctness, where dislike and especially disgust gets equated to “there is something objectively BadWrong with this art and therefore NO ONE should like ANY part of it,” people are increasingly encouraged to sand away any understanding of their own personal tastes.

Knowing your own taste can be scary. Very seriously, it can be hard to look at yourself and reconcile all the weird, cringe, taboo, silly, gross, embarrassing, or fucked-up stories you might like. It can be easier to just go along with what other people tell you is good or bad, particularly when there is as much pressure as there can be in online spaces—both inadvertent and intentional.

But I promise, I absolutely promise, knowing your taste is the best and fastest way to find more art that you love. Figuring out what it is you like is the route to finding more of it, to finding art that resonates with you, art that bring you joy. Figuring out why you like it can be interesting, but that can be an even bigger and more fraught question to consider. You don’t have to understand the why. Just start with the what. It will unlock so many doors for you.

#idk is this anything #I’m just thinking out loud mostly

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thatbadadvice · 11 months

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Help! The Ungrateful Youths of Today Don't Appreciate the Value of Anything, and by 'Anything' I Mean the Worthless Shit I Am Trying to Sell Them

Ask A Manager, 12 May 2023:

Several years ago I was frustrated with the way people went about looking for jobs. I’m a small business owner and even before running my own company, I always networked. Through networking I’ve managed to do so much. Today I run six networking groups. Again, several years ago I created a t-shirt designed to network for you. It lists various fields, each with a checkbox by it, and comes with a small sharpie so you can check off the type of job or career you desire. By wearing the t-shirt everywhere you go, it starts the job seeking conversation. I marketed them inexpensively to college grads. I went to colleges, job fairs, and even graduations. Not one t-shirt sold. I was so angry. I was on popular talk shows and in the paper and still nothing. Today I sit with every size t-shirt in my garage. Many ask why I don’t still pursue this idea. They are the ones who got the idea and believe in it. Perhaps I was ahead of my time. I marketed towards college grads who texted as a main form of communication. However, today communication is even worse. Young adults can barely look someone in the eye. Please tell me what your opinion is of my t-shirts. I hoped people would wear them daily and maybe while filling their gas tank this would start a conversation that would change their lives forever. Networking will always be the way to get what you need. Referrals, physicians, mechanics, plumbers, electricians, landscapers, housekeepers, financial advisors, accountants, babysitters, trainers, real estate agents, tutors, and whatever I have missed. Am I wrong? Would my product help those unable to network?

There is one reason and one reason only that your revolutionary clothing business has failed to see the success it so clearly deserves: young people today are appallingly poor communicators who, for reasons that likely include video games and participation trophies, are actively unwilling to appreciate the awesome one-on-one human connections that can only be made by going about life wearing a t-shirt and hoping someone reads it and decides to enter into a business relationship as a result. Yes indeed, it is specifically and only the modern youths who have refused to purchase your t-shirts who are very, very poor at understanding how to build valuable and meaningful relationships with other humans. There is definitely not anybody else here who is bad at communicating.

Every single person on planet earth who is under the age of, say, 25, lacks the foresight and vision to appreciate the radically lucrative possibilities of wearing the same t-shirt every day every single place they go. Every single person who didn't buy one of your shirts did so because they are young and stupid and don't know a life-changing idea when they see one. But you do! Because you are old and smart, which are the same thing.

After all, you are great at networking and have managed to do incredible things as a result of your great networking skills, such as running six networking groups. If that's not proof positive that networking works, what is?

The only way to know for sure whether your shirts will help poor communicators understand exactly how bad they are at connecting with others may be to try your product out for yourself.

#advice #bad advice #workplace advice #ask a manager #networking #jobs #job search #hiring #workplace #unemployment #job searching #the young people today #how do you do fellow kids #millennials #gen z #boomers #labor #kids these days

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warmerstranger · 11 months

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SAPPY AND THUMPING HEARTBEAT!

ft. (separate) Mayoi Ayase, Midori Takamine, Tsumugi Aoba.

This took me ar.4 days while studying their character, sorry if they're not still exactly on point wee ;( not beta read.

°°``summary: they like you but doesn't take things further when you suddenly become their very drive to a new point of relationship.

°°``Marked as and included with: fluff, angsty kind of, Mayoi being a silly creeper guy.., stalking implied but not extreme, self-deprecating humor... Just a few heads up, nothing too much ^^ also, I'm thinking the timeline for this is in !!/Music era

Mayoi Ayase

The one who takes things slow like baby steps while feeling that he doesn't deserve you. At the beginning, insistently asking if you maybe want to reconsider and apologizing because he have become your very wrong choice. Even though he was just pleased watching out for you from afar like the secret admirer he is... But, please don't misunderstand, he's actually has been dreaming this moment! He just can't help it that he still always have thoughts of your breakup in various worst case scenarios and he every so often compulsively expresses it. Holding onto your trust in him, he's slowly learning and working to be the best boyfriend so the chances of you leaving him is decreased.

Dating with Mayoi involves...

➻❥ Lots of understanding and reassurance coming from either both of you. He can easily pick up on your social cues, thus knowing instantly what would make you uncomfortable (even if he sometimes misunderstands thinking he's the source of it) and handle the situation well in a way your worries will be left scurrying off♪ so, please go easy on him whenever he makes any mistakes and goes on apologizing while belittling himself profusely about it.

➻❥ Acts of service. Even without you telling him, he can be unexpectedly a gentleman, shown through little gestures that would make him sound as if he's lesser than you although he means well. You wouldn't need to open a door by yourself and dirtying your hand with the unknown doorknob that have been in many people's hands so let him be the sacrifice since he's already not that 'clean' himself. Wiping your sweat off your face? Leave it to him, it's always been a dream to have a close up on your face he could die happily. The very same guy who would also lay on the road when you have to step over a puddle please stop him

➻❥ Physical touch. Depends after he learns that you've grown comfortable enough with him. Sometimes when you merely complimenting or acknowledging his efforts, he would tear up and hug you, saying you shouldn't be so kind to him since he wouldn't be able to hold himself back from spoiling you with all of his physical affection he could muster... He swears his heart could give out yet his grin is that of the most giddy man living if you're the one who would initiate it first. Surprisingly sudden yet tender in his advances.

➻❥ Vague menacing flirts; “Times like this makes me raring to put my beating heart out on your plate I wish my ribcage is a closet easily opened by you.”

“I feel so complete being with... you, I wouldn't mind having you wear my skin if I could.”

➻❥ Vulnerable, trembling kisses that barely graze your lips before slowly securing the right position with them, placing the effect of a stillness in space and time. Mayoi would muster up the best kiss he could give and still apologize if that one kiss isn't that good to you. He's not one to refuse for more kisses if you so wish, a better result he promises.

➻❥ Messy morning and evening text of 'i love you's accompanied by little cute emoticons along with specific cautionary expressing his worry 'Please always look both way when crossing the road!' or 'Please be careful of having your phone out in the public... it might get snatchedd or worse I'm sorry'

➻❥ You braiding his hair, him pampering you by styling your hair or giving you some accessories to decorate your outfit. His gifts are mostly sparkling trinkets he found from the ES vents secret rooms, stuffed animals, and little diorama of your anniversaries with him.

➻❥ Domestic indoor type of dates at home where this man is more like personal servant sometimes waking you up and making breakfast or dinner. Occasionally on some uneventful days though, there are other times you realize that he really is still your boyfriend.

~~~

A gentle greeting hangs up in the air, not reaching your ears even as he crouches down and peeks to you from the foot of your bed. He then creeps toward the side and now watches your rythmic breathing, feeling bad for what he's about to do but reminding himself that it's for the sake of you too.

“(Name)... Wakey-wakey... I'm so sorry I have to disturb you out of your beauty sleep. I know I'm only an annoying pest but please—umm, you're not.. no, no, you have to wake up. I have prepared you breakfast...” he whispers, nervously frowning.

“Yesh... just wait.” Stirring awake, you mumble before staying silent again. Giving you a few minutes as he admires your face, he soon shakes his head fervently. “Th-this can't do... (Name), you're perfectly fine with it, then, right? I'm sorry, ple-please don't mind, you can hit me all you want or banish me later though I would rather you—In a-a-anyy case! Pardon me...”

He slithers under your sheets knowing you aren't getting up any sooner, cuddling and nuzzling to you with hopes that you would be bothered enough to wake up. Yet, Mayoi wants this moment stay for as long as it could basking in your overall blissful presence.

Chuckling to him, you reply. “Gee, that just makes me want to sleep in more.”

He beams before sitting upright while holding your hands, accompanied by a bright smile rivaling the sun. “Th-that makes me flattered, hehe maybe we can—oh, no no (Name), you can do it, just one step away and getting closer to facing this day, please.” A hopeful tone lace his rushed sentence.

“Okay, what about my morning kiss as the final push?” you ask, pointing to your cheek.

Stammerring abashedly, he closes and opens his mouth. “..I, I can't simply-! No really, I mean... I was thinking of saving it fo-for later... But, it can't be helped if it's your wish...”

With eyes tightly shut, he pecks your cheek then shuffles down from the bed. “Now, with that, please get ready soon.” he offers his hand out for you to support. “I'm all yours.”

Midori Takamine

The one who would begrudgingly goes with the flow you brought about and giving his all. Despite all the complaining of 'why does it have to be him' and 'what do you even see in him', he would've felt worse if he just refuse this very chance that might be the green sign he has been seeking for him to go forward. Midori starts feeling more at ease going out with you, while keeping his doubts to himself about you choosing a better partner than him and feeling he may as well end this dating stuff. But that would be just a bad move to go through. Because, in the end... how can he even avoid you when you're filled with expectant hopes of him like that?

Dating with Midori involves...

☘๑ His intimidating mild discomfort and informal words with actions that speak more even as he sighs often. Things would be way less difficult liking you who weren't that interested in him before and settle with having mascot characters that's similar to you... He just can't get how you have this deep a trust leaving the rest of things or counting on him to do them. Also feels like he's high in cloud nine or something whenever he manages to lift your mood. It's a simple one, but the most satisfying achievements he have ever done in his entire life, besides pretty much being known as, well, the vegetable boy. His sighs sounds more relieved with a fond smile around you...

☘๑ Acts of service. More of from your side with his greengrocer business going on. Midori does still return the favor whenever he could and it's usually out of willingness if he offers. A bit different story if you're the one who ask him first because he might just label it as a pain but you can help yourself just fine which means borrowing him as he won't refuse lending you a hand.

☘๑ Quality time. Hanging out in his room while reading casually some comics together and commenting on tidbits of it or just simply enjoying your company is all what he needs. He's not that creative enough with supportive words or reaching out to provide some physical affections (though he won't push away your affection if you do the latter first), but he's there and will always be your pillar to lean on. Every break or day off where he could be alone with you while free from works is one of his favorites. He always try to not do some tasks around those moments since he would just get stressed out because of it and instead simply sharing his attention and efforts on you.

☘๑ Veggies. Free and the freshest only. He would give you some that reminds him of you or if he could imagine you as an herbivore animal...

☘๑ Rushed one-lip kiss and pecks because he's so not wanting to deal with his heart going crazy so he would rather make it quic. Things like this takes him a lot of energy and it's better than messing anything up anyway... Except when you're not satisfied, then he would try giving you what you want by picking up the rest from where you lead.

☘๑ Pictures sent by him taking a picture of some plush mascot key strap hanging from a random person's bag. Aside from that, casual texts from time to time asking 'where are you. if you can, dont make me search...' > (meaning so he could get to you faster).

☘๑ Insecurities intimate talk. He was and sometimes does still speak about his own misery and melancholic view, but lately because you've become a source of his consideration, he's more focused on your complaints and agreeing with whatever he relates to. Other times, he will keep silent since he doesn't want—more than anything—being your burden, thinking it would be too much for you on those particular heavy days to him. He can't bear it if you frankly get sick of him, even when he also feel at the same time, you would be better off saving your time and leave him for someone else more... better or not a loser like him. But if you aren't bothered and still wants to lend him an ear, he might express them, all the while hugging tight his favorite plush mascot character to try sparing most negativity away from you. He isn't against receiving some of your comfort, even if that would take some time for him to get used to.

☘๑ Besides indoor dates, there's a mascot character hunt type of date with an example of going to the arcade in some days off or as a celebration of his live success. Such as on one night...

~~~

The arcade isn't that rowdy this night where it could come as suffocating and it's just perfect for him. You both walk further into the section of claw machines for the stuffed animal and all kind of mascots behind the glass, waiting for the next seizer.

“So... Are we gonna start any soon now?” his eyes are already locked on a particular machine filled with vegetable mascots.

Earlier, you have challenged him into a competition where the winner who have caught the most will receive all catch from the loser.

“Yep, go crazy, we'll meet again here in an hour.” you reply, leaving him who answered an energetic 'okay' before he runs over to the machine not far away on the right side.

Not long after, he soon have gotten three of his targets finally in his hands after many determined tries. There's suddenly a surprised 'wahh' voice sounding near by his side which causes him to press the button at the wrong time and as the result, the claw misses. “Uuh... It was so close too dammit, so annoying, wanna die...” he mumbles, looking down in despair when that same voice revealed to be a little boy speaks out.

“You're great, big stranger brother! Can you please catch some for me?”

An hour later on your way to the meeting point, you catch a little boy carrying a round bag full of mascots running with a big smile from the way where you meet Midori. He's scratching his head awkwardly while holding three plushies in his left arm. “Well... This is all I got.” he sighs, gesturing to the plushies.

“Oh, I also got three, luckily... what happened though?”

He glances between the plushies you have and at the floor. “Got too carried away winning for that boy earlier, so the others were...” his gaze soon return to your face with a slightly agape mouth. “Wait... Three, does that mean it's a tie?”

You nod. “Yeah! Oh, no, wait, the catch you did before still counts too, you're practically the winner. So, here. These are cute but I had fun just playing.” Handing them out to him, he instead shakes his head and pushes them back.

“No, no, thanks, you don't need to though really... I would just feel bad. The final fair results is the one we have in our hands right now.” he then smiles, “I still had fun too, anyway. I think my inner child just healed, thinking that boy reminds me of the childhood. At least, all the mascots have found their place in each of a happy owner. That's why, I could trust them to you.” On the rest way back, you can tell from how he sounds eager telling you fun facts and the backstories of each plushies you have, that it was indeed a fun time for the both of you.

Tsumugi Aoba

Similar to Mayoi, Tsumugi would be unsure how to pick up the initiative and if he's befitting of a love life. That's why, as long as he can help you from time to time and indulging in the warm feelings from seeing you happy is already a lot enough than what he could ask. More so, he feels responsible, mixed with bitter guilt that you have decided to choose him of all people... But he will try not to disappoint you and does his best, though in that aspect he somehow still acts like a friend with benefits most of the time, who doesn't seem to be treating you any different than others. That's until you find his acts are more apparent in multiplied forms and earnest expressions like your treatment is the result of being placed at the top of his world.

Dating with Tsumugi involves...

❁♡‧₊˚ His inviting aura that lets you reach out to him easily for anything you might need or if you're encountering some difficulties, even when he's in the middle of doing something, it's important to hear you out no matter what it is and think about how he can help. Unless there's some urgent work needing his attention firstmost, he would apologize with a disappointed frown, offering to plan another time between the tight schedule where he can aid you completely so he would really appreciate your patience. He would make it up to you, and he does, more than what you expect even. It feels like he has such motherly vibes, because he could be bringing the drinks you want along with some refreshments too for the discussions. You don't even realize a small torn part on your jacket until Tsumugi tells you and offers to sew it, he doesn't mind because he could show off his ability.

❁♡‧₊˚ Words of affirmation flows smoothly from him the second you seem troubled or depressed until your thoughts can be tidied and held under your capability of control again that it's easy to feel reassured. Although, it would be a lot harder were you the one to give such words because he would deflect almost any with an appreciative smile and expression about him who is undeserving of them. He'd rather you share such kind things to others who may need it more or it could serve as a good reminder worth keeping to yourself.

❁♡‧₊˚ Acts of service, naturally. You have his full attention, always compassionate in assisting you. Furthermore, his assistance is accompanied by a relaxed chat with you. He can even manage the tasks you have to be processed in order, becoming less overwhelming and tying them with how you do things so you can do them without difficulty. Do use him to your heart's content~ it makes him happy if you especially depend on him, no trouble at all. If you're the one who try to help him, he wouldn't let you do so if he can, he's supposed to be the dependable one after all... Eventually he caves in and feels motivated to finish his work faster, though.

❁♡‧₊˚ Talk for long hours, like any topic, any reminiscing, will keep you chatting on and on with him because they just give you many thoughts to think about and experience in a useful way. Those topics would time to time include him mentioning the past with a cheery tone, yet concealing the heavy implications within... But, you don't need to think too deeply about it. Besides, he's okay, and still thinking about the future in a hopeful manner, too. It's just like any other day and have the similar tone to one would speak about the weather today.

❁♡‧₊˚ Occasionally, you would receive lucky charms and your lucky item for the day from him when the morning is about to start. He would also offer to do a reading on your fortune with the intentions of helping you get ready facing the day ahead. Even if you don't believe in any spiritual part of them, he would like it if you keep the charms or item for him. So his feelings for you could stay safe in your hands everywhere you go and whenever you take a look at them, you would be reminded of him♪ that's what he would like to think, at least... He's also fine of throwing them away and not giving them to you again, he can find another way that would make you more pleased.

❁♡‧₊˚ Forehead kisses, soft and not too impudent for him to do. He's saving the deep kind on the lips for a better day and event such as birthdays or celebrations when he could feel like he's worthy of them. He would let you give those kisses as many as you like, but he wouldn't return them back, unless it's the time.

❁♡‧₊˚ A bouquet of flowers on every and each date with different color and type to commemorate the particular events on that day, on that note he would explain the message they symbolize if you like :) They're good as a build-up for the atmosphere, too. Even so, please excuse him being a little bit dense in the wrong moment sometimes. He can focus too much on making you happy it's almost like everything is about you rather than as a date of you and him; going any places you want to go, treating you to the food, bringing you drinks...

❁♡‧₊˚ Library and bookstore dates are his go-to usually. Even if books were not your interest, his presence already does much to make the experience fun and rewarding. Besides that, he likes visiting few diners with their special steamed red sweet buns which are his favorite. The moment he mentioned it with such a happy satisfied smile, you realize it would be good to buy him some especially on this late night in the library.

~~~

Already covered by his own blanket, he was slowly dozing off at the second you call his name out. “EEP—sorry I'm not... Oh, (name), it's only you. Your voice sounded so soft I thought a ghost was whispering to me, you see.” he smiles sheepishly. “Is there anything you need? You should go to sleep soon... though I'm not the right person to be saying this, huh, ahaha.”

Putting a tea on the long table, you then give him a wrapped box which he accepts. “Enjoy them while it's hot, let me handle your work.”

“Is this...” he leans his head closer to the box, eyes widening in realization of a faint smell wafting from the box. “Ah, I know this smell anywhere! Thank you, (name). For the tea and the buns. But I didn't do any work, it's only a few lesson plans needing to be reviewed. I'm almost done with them. I have troubled you enough...” The still closed box is laid down on his lap.

“Yeah, right, your eyes are almost done sleeping there too. Let me handle them if they're only few left.” you take a seat from his side.

“I have a much better idea, how about we eat this buns together? I don't think I would be able to keep myself awake if I'm left alone while you're focusing on them.” He moves the box up on the table, closing the distance between you and him while he wraps the blanket around you. “There we go. Today was really exhausting, but I managed to finish all the works. Well, except that one. Fufu, what reason do you have for staying up late?”

“..nothing much, just worried about you.”

He takes a bite from one of the buns, humming delightfully. “How thoughtful of you like always. I'm glad to be the one who occupy your mind at this time, thought I can't say I like the thought of worrying you.” Finishing a piece, he then leans on your shoulder. “I can still get some sleep and, I will be revitalized enough now that you're here. Tomorrow too, with the warmth and care you provide me, I can try working harder again as usual. I don't think I could ever repay you back even with this insignificant love I have compared to the dearest you. But, I hope you can still accept my best everything of efforts for your happiness...”

#enstars headcanons #enstars x reader #ensemble stars x reader #tsumugi aoba x reader #mayoi ayase x reader #midori takamine x reader #ensemble stars headcanons #ensemble stars x you #enstars fluff #enstars x you

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juney-blues · 1 year

Text

ever since i made THIS POST a lot of people have been asking for a tutorial, even though in pretty much all of the screenshots i included the specific part of inspect element showing exactly what i edited.

so buckle the fuck up I guess because the tumblr userbase want to find out how to make html pages unusable and who am I to deny you.

get ready for Baby's First HTML and CSS tutorial lmao

ok so first things first we need to go over BASIC HTML

html is made up of these things called "tags" which specify certain parts of the web page, such as

HEADERS (<h1> through <h6> in terms of importance)

PARAGRAPHS (<p>paragraph here</p>)

LINKS (<a href="linkhere"></a>)

BOLDED SECTIONS OF TEXT(<b>bold here</b>)

and a bunch of other stuff,

by default however, specifying all of this just gives us a plain white page with plain black text of varying sizes

that's of course, no fucking good, and sucks shit, so the arbiters of html decided to let us STYLE certain elements, by adding a STYLE parameter to the tag

this can change any number of elements about how things are formatted.

text colour, page colour, font, size, spacing between elements, text alignment, you name it? you can change it!

you might've noticed that, certain elements are nested in other elements

and that any changes that apply to one element, apply to everything included under that element!

how convenient!

anyway this method of styling things by adding a style=" " to their tags is called "in-line style"

i think because the "style" goes "in" the "line"

it's generally ALSO a pain in the ass to style an entire website like this and should be exclusively reserved for small changes that you only want to apply to specific parts of the page.

for any real change in style you want to create a <style> section in your page's header!

this can be used to make changes to how all elements of a type in your page are displayed

or even add new elements with whatever wacky styling you want that can be used with the <div> tag!

wow! isn't css just dandy!

and hell you can even use External CSS™ if you're making multiple pages and want them all to have a consistent theme, by pointing to a .CSS file (which is basically just a <style> header without the <style> tags lmao

ok this is all well and good and very interesting if, say, you're making your own website

*cough*neocities*cough*itsreallycoolandfree*cough*

but you came here because you want to FUCK UP A WEBSITE and make it look STUPID!!

so this is where the transform css property comes in~

you can read up on it HERE if you want the details but basically it allows you to apply mathematical transformations to any html element you want,

all of these fun bastards,

they can be really useful if you're doing some complicated stupid bullshit like me

OR for having fun >:)

if you'll remember, earlier i said that css properties apply to literally everything nested in an element,

and you MIGHT notice, that literally everything in pretty much all html files, is nested in an <html> tag

you can use style=" " or regular css on pretty much ANY html tag,

INCLUDING HTML!

ok ok that was a lot of buildup for something that i could've explained in one or two lines, but i gave you all this fundamental knowledge for a reason,

well, two reasons, go make a neocities

CHAPTER 2: THIS POST HAS CHAPTERS NOW

CSS KEY FRAMES BABYYYY

THESE FUCKERS DON'T WORK AS INLINE STYLING

I HAD TO TEACH YOU HOW CSS WORKED, TO GIVE YOU THE KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED, TO ANIMATE PAGES. TO MAKE THE FUCKERY COMPLETE!!!!

OKAY SO AGAIN READ UP ON THIS IF YOU WANT THE FULLEST POSSIBLE UNDERSTANDING

BUT WHAT KEYFRAMES ALLOW YOU TO DO, IS ANIMATE CSS PROPERTIES

and then make a class, which calls that animation...

and then assign that class. to your html tag.

and then vomit forever

we can do it in 3d too,

the only limit is your imagination... (and how many parameters you want to look up on w3schools and mozilla mdn web docs)

CHAPTER 3: APPLYING IN PRACTICE

ok now the fun thing about all of this, is you can apply it to your blog theme, literally right now

like literally RIGHT now

like step one, make sure you have a custom blog theme enabled in your settings, because that's turned off by default for some reason

step 2: edit theme

step 3: edit html:

step 4: apply knowledge in practice >:)

#juney.txt #html #css #web development #psa #long post

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remus-poopin · 6 months

Note

Hi! Sorry to bother you but I’m looking for specific pieces of HP meta and I’m kinda lost.

Do you have any reading recommendations about homosexuality in the Harry Potter world? I’m trying to decide a couple of things about the world-building for a fic and I’d love to read about other takes on the topic.

Hi! It's not a bother at all I love this stuff! I have my own thoughts about this too and this is a question I often think about and I was planning on writing something about this eventually anyways so I'm glad I got this ask because now I have a excuse to! (And I can talk about some gripes I have with the author as well so yay)

CW: Homophobia and misogyny

Here is a meta by @thecarnivorousmuffinmeta on homophobia in the wizarding world.

Here is @hchollym's take on gay marriage in the WW

The books give no mention of homosexuality explicitly, but the author has slightly expanded on the topic at later times in interviews and tweets. In 2007 she confirmed that Dumbledore was gay and later she gives us more details about his sexlife. She then said this in 2007 about homosexuality and homophobia in the wizarding world:

"MA: 'We wanna talk about Dumbledore so bad. We know that you've created worldwide intrigue when you said that he is gay. But I wanted to ask you about homosexuality in the Wizarding World in general. Is it a taboo?' JKR: 'Now, that's something I never thought of. I would think that that would be-- it would be exactly what it is in the Muggle World. But the greatest taboo in the Wizarding World is, well, for some wizards... I mean if we're talking about prejudiced people within the Wizarding World, what they care most about is your blood status. So I think you could be, um, gay, pure-blood, and totally without any kind of criticism from the Lucius Malfoys of the world. I don't think that would be something that would interest him in the slightest. But, you know, I can't answer for all witches and wizards because I think in matters of the heart, it would be directly parallel to our world.'"

She also says this in a tweet about homophobia in 2014:

“Only by ludicrous Muggles. The wizards don't give a damn - it's all about the magic for them.”

Now whether or not you take this to be canon is up to you. What I think is interesting here is I feel as though we are made to think that homosexuality is a non issue in the wizarding world and not a point of prejudice by the second statement. From her first statement she says that its “something she never thought of” and I'm guessing her second statement is contradictory because she wanted to appease LGBT+ fans and reassure them that Hogwarts is a safe space (for some, lets not ask her about the other letters in the acronym).

This is a pattern I've noticed JKR exhibiting in a lot of her post book words in which she is trying to communicate how egalitarian the world she created is through her new information, while the text does not reflect this worldview. I think a good example of this is how when she listed the ministers of magic she included several women, going back as far as the 1700s to try to show there are not as many barriers to entry for women in the WW. Yet we see many instances of sexism throughout the series from the characters. I think what she was trying to do is have her world primarily focus on blood purity, and creature rights and have the issues we face either go to the backburner or not be present at all. Now I understand this choice, (though I really don’t think it's necessary, more interesting or remotely realistic) but I also think her execution is pretty awful because you can (and I'm about to) make an argument that these issues are still very present in the wizarding world. I think the biggest issue here is that she doesn't understand the structures and systems of oppression that she handwaved to the side to truly write a world where they would not be a real problem. To me, given what we've seen of the wizarding world, homophobia would still very much be an issue.

So I think if we're going to talk about what homosexuality looks like in the wizarding world we would also need to talk about what homophobia would look like in the wizarding world. Homophobia has many factors contributing and working with it to make it function as prejudice and a system. If I had to break it down to its biggest parts I would say our big three is: religious fears, rigid gender norms, and disgust. Those often play off each other to create an effective tool for upholding a power structure in society by subjugating certain members. Let's examine these in the context of Harry Potter.

Religious fears:

Religious fears resulting in homophobia is very common in the real world but for this factor to apply to the WW I think we would need to determine whether or not the wizarding world is even religious. We have examples of christianity showing up across the books in casual ways, Harry has a Godfather, he was christened as a baby, and Lily and James have a quote from the bible on their tombstone. From this we can at least make the assumption that the Potter family is religious to some capacity. We also see that one of the Hogwarts ghosts is called “The Fat Friar’. But to my knowledge this is where the references end. If the wizarding world is religious, or at least wizarding Britain, they seem to be casually so. So I don't see this being a huge driving factor in any homophobia we would see in that universe.

Rigid gender norms:

I think if you take away any religious influences you're still going to see homophobia even in its most violent forms and this has a lot to do with rigid gender norms. If gender norms are established to sustain a power structure that a society relies on to maintain a certain order, any breaking of those norms will be met with punishment (socially or physically). In a heteronormative culture, homosexuality can be seen as a breaking of these norms.

First off, Pureblood culture seems to be obsessed with lineage and creating heirs, In one of the meta I linked it talks about how homosexuality would be a threat to that. At least in pureblood society, your job as a man is to make pureblooded babies and your job as a woman would be to give birth to them, anything else would be looked down upon.

If we step outside of pureblood society, we can see that the general wizarding population also seems to have strict ways in which men and women should act.

So what are the gender roles the wizarding world has? Well there are the clothing, all wizards wear robes, but dresses are traditionally for women and any robe that looks a little to dress-like for a man could be seen as embarrassing:

“'What is that supposed to be?' He was holding up something that looked to Harry like a long maroon velvet dress. It had moldy-looking lace frills at the collar and matching lace cuffs. - ‘Mum, you've given me Ginny's new dress,’ said Ron, holding it out to her. ‘Of course I haven't,’ said Mrs Weasley. ‘Thats for you, dress robes’.- “You've got to be kidding’ said Ron in disbelief ‘Im not wearing that, no way!' - In some trepidation Harry opened the last parcel on his camp bed. It wasn't as bad as he expected, however. His dress robes didn't have any lace on them at all - in fact they were more or less the same as his school ones, except they were bottle green except black” (GOF, pg 155 and 156)

“Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville changed into their dress robes up in their dormitory, all looking very self conscious, but none as much as Ron who surveyed himself in the long mirror in the corner with an appalled look on his face. There was no getting around the fact that his robes looked more like a dress than anything. In a desperate attempt to make them more manly he used a severing charm on the ruffs and cuffs." (GOF, pg 411)

There are cultural roles:

“‘Come on, Ginny's not bad,’ said George fairly sitting down next to Fred. ‘Actually , I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us…’ ‘she's been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren't looking’ (OOTP, pg 574)

There is no ostensible reason for Ginny not to be able to play Quidditch with her older brothers, even if she was too young at one point, very soon after she should have been able to, considering Ron was only a year older. From this we can assume that wizards, or at least the Weasleys, have a view of femininity as more fragile, or weaker than masculinity. This idea is reinforced through the founders of Hogwarts making separate dorm rooms for girls and boys where boys cannot enter the girls dorm but girls can enter the boys, this also positions men as aggressors in a sexual sense.

There are sexual roles, any time there is slutshaming in the series a women is at the end of it. Hermione is seen as a “scarlet women” for appearing to toy with Harry's heart:

“I told you not to annoy Rita Skeeter! She's made you out to be some sort of - scarlet women!’ Hermione stopped looking astonished and snorted with laughter. ‘Scarlet women?’ - ‘It's what my mum calls them’ Ron muttered." (GOF, pg 513)

Ginny is constantly facing accusations of behaving a little too promiscuously by her family.

“'Let's get this straight once and for all. It is none of your business who I go out with or what I do with them, Ron -' ‘Yeah it is!’ Said Ron just as angrily. ‘D’you think I want people saying my sister’s a-’ (HBP, pg 287)

"'my tiara sets the whole thing nicely, said Aunt Muriel in a rather carrying whisper, 'but I must say, Ginevra's dress is far too low cut.'" (DH, pg 145)

Merope Riddle is called a slut for running off with Tom Riddle Sr.

"'dishonored us, she did, that little slut!'" (HBP, pg 365)

All of these instances are made to seem as negative and as a breaking of the societal norms. The norm being women as chaste, demure figures of virtue.

We've established these gender roles, and we've seen there are consequences when you fall out of line. So, what if the gender role calls for you to be masculine as a man and then defines that masculinity in part with obtaining women and sexual prowess? Homosexuality would be in direct conflict with that. And with that lets tie it into disgust.

Disgust:

The disgust that a homophobe feels can be stemming from a couple different places. Maybe it's religious fears like we talked about or maybe it's because of gender norms. But that disgust is only taking place because they perceive something they hold to be pure being tainted and violated; the word of god, the sanctity of masculinity, or hegemonic gender roles. In a society where these beliefs are upheld and treated as sacred, any conflict with that will be met with judgment at best and violence at worse.

I don't see the wizarding world as a progressive space where homosexuality or anything LGBT+ would be considered a non issue because the text does not reflect that. The text shows the same misogyny, the same disdain for femininity, and the same reverence for masculinity that we see in everyday life and because of that I feel it only makes sense to see the wizarding world just as bigoted as ours.

Ok so what does homosexuality look like in the wizarding world then?

Well if we've established the wizarding world as a society that would be hostile (in any way) to gay people I think its easier to move forward on how to imagine how they fit into that society since we have ours for reference. However, Its important to remember that our oppression doesn't define us and its not the only thing to consider while writing. Think about what the fashion would look like, what the music would sound like, what the spaces would be like and just generally what the culture would be. Have fun with it!

Hope this helped a little!

#what does homosexuality look like in the wizarding world? short anwser: Sirius Black #also sorry i took so long to anwser this i was busy failing my exams #hp meta #harry potter meta #harry potter #hp #ginny weasley #the weasleys #james potter #lily evans #molly weasley #albus dumbledore

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ruins-and-rewritez · 22 days

Note

for the crows: lgbtq+ identities go!!

[Photo ID: Text that reads; Kaz: I don’t I understand why I’d have to explain myself to you or anyone else. If I want to kiss Inej that’s my business not that I want to kiss her not that I don’t want to kiss her. You know what? I’m not answering this, I’ll kiss who I want and if it just so happens to be Inej then that’s merely a coincidence... (He continued to ramble on in the manner for several minutes so I had to cut the response short) ;End Text. Accompanied by a picture of Kaz Brekker (Freddy Carter) Labeled; 17, Despises Labels. End ID]

[Photo ID: Picture of Inej Ghafa (Amita Suman) Labeled; 16, Straight-Adjacent. Accompanied by text that reads; Inej: I’m not really up for a relationship at the moment, but as a general statement I prefer men when considering the future . That’s not to say I wouldn’t consider my other choices if the occasion arose. ; End Text. End ID]

[Photo ID: Text that reads; Jesper: Boys are pretty, girls are pretty, as long as their up for it I’m ready to kiss anyone (muffled off-screen swearing) AND.- and by anyone I mean my one and only boyfriend Wylan I definitely will never try to ever kiss anyone else (nervous laughter) ; End Text. Accompanied by a picture of Jesper Fahey (Kit Young) Labeled; 17 Bi-Disaster. End ID]

[Photo ID: Picture of Wylan Hendricks (Jack Wolfe) Labeled; 16, Baby Gay. Accompanied by text that reads; Wylan: Boys. Definitely. I mean I’ve already got one and have no plans on exchanging him unless he does something really stupid like oh I don’t know...make out with someone who happens to look exactly like me by mistake? Just a thought. End Text. End ID]

[Photo ID: Text that reads; Nina: gender doesn’t really matter all that much to me, everyone has always just been so unique and beautiful to me no matter how they choose to be identified. But if we’re being specific, I prefer great big brutes with absolutely horrible social skills, it’s so fun to tease them into adoring me. ; End Text. Accompanied by a picture of Nina Zenik (Danielle Galligan) Labeled; 17, Pan Empress. End ID]

[Photo ID: Picture of Matthias Helvar (Calahan Skogman) Labeled; 18, Token Straight. Accompanied by text that reads; Matthias: I haven’t really ever given it much thought, but I guess if were to be with someone I would very much like it be someone who would challenge me. Some who would push me to be my best self. Someone unforgettable. The kind of girl you might dream of in your darkest nights.....(trailed off into thought); End Text. End ID]

Ask The Crows your own questions!

#long post potato 🥔#six of crows duology #six of crows #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan hendriks #nina zenik #matthias helvar #ask the crows #asks #ruinsrulings #rarzo #wow i spent way too much time on this #disclaimer #the views and opinions expressed above do not necessarily reflect those of the actors or writer leigh bardugo #the views and opinions expressed above are merely responses fashioned from my overactive imagination and may or may not reflect canon

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kumoriyami-xiuzhen · 3 months

Text

Hakuoki Drama CD - Shimabara Disturbance Track 1 English translation

Happy new year everyone! I know it’s kinda late to be saying that... but whatever. Decided that I’ll only be translating track 1 this month and then not doing anything else until after February 22 since I need to study like 700 pages of text.... sorry but not really sorry? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (committing to writing my exam has cost me +$1000 so yeah.)

Anyway, in regards to the Hakuoki dramas that I wanted translated, this one probably ranked first or second, right next to Shinsengumi Oni-tan... but it was too much work to go look up the sections that were missing from the tl I found for the longest time.

As a warning, I HIGHLY ADVISE AGAINST READING THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED THROUGH THE SHIMABARA INFILTRATION MISSION FROM ZUISOUROKU (specifically Saito’s route, and I’m going stress the fact that this is NOT my bias speaking, and that this is a recommendation being made based on the drama itself, though it should probably be fine if you’ve watched the Hakuoki Sekkaroku anime...? Probably? Well, assuming that’s the one where they go to Shimabara since there are some spoilers for it too?).

Also, the promo video for this has been posted to my video blog if anyone wants to watch that.

enjoy!

Hakuoki Drama CD - Shimabara Disturbance Track 1: A Man Without Greed

Translation by KumoriYami

Hijikata: Thank you for all your hard work, Saito. It really was the right choice to leave capturing all the ronin at the inn to your Third Division.

Saito: Please don't say that, however, Vice-Commander, what is this money for?

Hijikata: It’s a bounty, a bonus for doing especially hard work.

Saito: But, I was merely accomplishing my duties as a member of the Shinsengumi. How can I accept a bounty for it? Furthermore, this is too much.

Hijikata: I knew you wouldn't accept it. Forget it, I don't want to force you into accepting it because I often send you on difficult missions. If I give you the occasional reward, you shouldn't decline, and just accept it.

Saito: I understand, then I'll gratefully accept it.

(Saito leaves the room and starts walking away)

Saito: A bounty...?

Saito: I can't betray the Vice-Commander's kindness, so I need to think about how to use this.... how should this best be used? Since there was so much of a bonus, it shouldn’t be spent all at once... In this case, exactly what should I do?

(sound of fighting from the dojo)

Saito: Hrm? It’s quite noisy in the dojo. is someone training the troops? I’ll go observe the situation..

Souji: No good, no good~ your sword is too slow, your footwork is sloppy [or steps taken are too small. reword later?], and there are weaknesses everywhere! There are too many flaws, so if you don't want to die, you better work harder.

Warrior: Yes...

Saito: Hrm.

Souji: Areh, Hajime-kun, when did you get there/here? What's wrong? You look like you have something to say.

Saito: You’re still conducting harsh training as always. It’s fine if you train the troops, but there’s no point in causing injuries before they can become more useful. .

Souji: Is that so? I’m already very gentle~. If this sort of attack killed someone, they'd immediately get cut down in real combat when fighting ronin~

Saito: Although that's true...

Souji: Anyway, would Hajime-kun like to have a match with me? That just now wasn't training for me. I'd be very happy if you were my opponent.

Saito: No, my apologies, but I have something I need to think about.

Souji: What's wrong? You aren’t speaking clearly.

Saito: I have abrupt question for you, Souji.

Souji: It's rare for Hajime-kun to consult me. What is it?

Saito: If you were suddenly given a lot of money, how would you use it?

Souji: Me? In that case... I'd buy some candy and share/eat with the kids living nearby.

Saito: Ah.... I see....

Souji: Isn't it rude to sigh/seem so disappointed after hearing someone else's answer? Speaking of which, did you receive a lot of money again?

Saito: Well....

Souji: That's why you should use it and not worry about it. It’s a luxury to worry about how to spend money.

Saito:.....

Souji: Just spend it however you want. Dignity and standards don't matter, regardless if that's in the eyes of Hijikata-san or anyone else.

Saito: If I was able to do what you suggested, I wouldn't have asked you.

Souji: Seriously? Hajime-kun, you really have no desires...

Saito: It’s true that I have no desires for material things.

Souji: I think it’s just that you’re not materialistic. Well, my opinions won’t matter anyway. Besides snacks, all I can think about are the caltrops I bought and scattered in Hijikata-san’s room.

Saito:....I’ll head back to my room to think about it again. Excuse me then, Souji.

(Saito walks away)

Souji: Huh... it’s a problem too be so rigid.

-------

Saito: Then, what should I be doing? There’s nothing I need to buy right away, and I don’t want to spend money on food and drink either...

(sound of running then a door slides open)

Shinpachi: Yo, Saito! Excuse me!

Saito: Shinpachi? Sano and Heisuke, what’s wrong?

Harada: Hehe, I heard about it, Saito. You received a large bonus, right?

Saito: That is the case. Why do you know that?

Shinpachi: Well, in any case, that doesn’t matter right? You're so serious, so even if you got a huge sum of money, you probably wouldn't know how to spent it, right? We just came over to give you some ideas!

Heisuke: Hajime-kun, how is that going? Have you made a decision on how to spend it?

Saito: No, not yet.

Harada: Let me ask you first, is there something that you want?

Saito: There's nothing I want in particular.

Shinpachi: If it's like that, then just go to Shimabara!

Saito: Shimabara?

Shinpachi: That’s right! Enjoy the company of geishas is the way to go, right?!

Saito: I'm sorry, I'm not interested.

Harada: Well, Saito is the same as always. What about getting a new katana?

Saito: Unfortunately, the blade was sharpened recently, and it is a Kunishige...

Heisuke: Ah~ I get it, I get it! Speaking of which, does Hajime-kun have any interests?

Saito: An interest? Why are you suddenly asking me this?

Heisuke: Generally speaking, people spend money on the things they like. I've never seen Hajime-kun spend money on his own interests.

Harada: That’s true. Do you have one?

Saito: An interest...? I appreciate katana and other things...

Sano: No need to continue, I get it.

Heisuke: That’s right... even when he has time off, Hajime-kun is still working...

Harada: This is a rare opportunity. Why don't you try something that you haven't done before?

Saito: Haven’t tried before?

Harada: For example... reciting haiku like HIjikata-san.

Shinpachi: That's true... you'd be very suitable to reciting haiku. So if you were doing that with HIjikata-san, it'd go like...

~~[this is being imagined]~~

Hijikata: It's become warmer,

more recently it feels that,

spring's finally sprung. [yeah that matches the 5-7-5 stanza haiku syllable count... why the hell did I try to match that?]

How about it, Saito? Try composing a haiku about spring.

Saito: Yes.

The warbler is perched [more literally it’s on a branch... but w/e]

It chirps again and again

It cries are ceaseless

Hijikata: Oh~ that wasn’t bad! Although it's very straightforward, it's very easy to understand.

Saito: I’m honoured to receive your praise. I will continue to improve from now on.

Hijikata:Ooh, the journey to learning haiku is long and hard, do your best.

~~~[end of imagination sequence]~~~

Shinpachi: No, it shouldn’t be like that...

Harada: No, not like that.

Heisuke: Anyway, it doesn’t cost money to compose haiku. At most, he could buy a few collections.

Harada: That’s right, the purpose is to spend money.

Shinpachi: So, what about buying some delicious food? We could find out which store has the best dango and eat them all one by one.

Harada: Why don’t you replace the dango with something more expensive? Like with sake to go drink.

Saito: Go drink?

~~~imagination sequence~~~

Saito: Store owner, is there anymore sake left?

Owner: I'm terribly sorry, that was all the sake in the establishment

Saito: No, wait, the sake on the shelf over there hasn't been served yet.

Owner: Th-That's not for sale. It's a specialty sake from my hometown.

Serve it. I won't stop drinking until I have all the sake in the store. If you don't serve it...

(unsheathes blade)

Owner: Th-That sort of thing...Please wait! Okyakusama! Okyakusama..!

~~~[end of imagined sequence]~~~

Shinpachi: Is going out for sake supposed to be like that?

Harada: No, it isn’t.

Heisuke: Furthermore, that's what Sano-san wants to do right?

Harada: Then what ideas would you propose, Heisuke?

Heisuke: Eh: In... in that case... a show house [ 見世物小屋 is the word here in Japanese... Wikipedia says the term “freak show” is used overseas. had to get the audio as text because I wasn’t sure of the word I had used originally].?

Shinpachi: A show house? It's true that tickets are expensive so that might not be bad...

~~~[imagination sequence]~~~

(crowd going ooh)

Saito: Come one, come all Regardless of how ridiculous the order is, I will obey it without fail. I am the legendary dog with a human face [or human dog... I guess].

(crowd clamor)

Saito: Vice-Commander, please immediately give me an order.

HIjikata: Saito! Apprehend Souji, who scattered caltrops around my room!

Saito: Understood! No, wan! Dog with a human face, going forth!

(crowd clamor)

~~~[end of imagined sequence]~~~

Heisuke: Why is Hajime-kun working for the show house? That would be for making money, not spending it!

Harada: And isn’t the dog with a human face just like the usual Saito? He’s someone who called a human with dog like traits.

Shinpachi: But with so many options, there should be something you're interested in. How about it, Saito?

Saito: No, I’m sorry, but I can’t accept any of these proposals you’ve given.

Harada: Well, that’s how it is.

Shinpachi: Sure enough, it’ll just be going to Shimabara. Occasionally, you do go drinking together with us!

Harada: Can't you say anything else? He said it already that he wasn't interested.

Saito: But, it might not be bad to spend this money on someone else. I'll need to think this over again.

Heisuke: For someone else...?

Saito: Heisuke, what is it?

Heisuke: Eh? Ah, it’s nothing!

Harada: Then, we’ll take our leave now.

Shinpachi: Tell us when you figure out how to use it! If you decided on going to Shimabara, I'll approve of that!

(door slides open, Shinpachi and Harada leave)

Heisuke: Then, I’ll be going too.

Saito: Wait, Heisuke. What was it that you were going to say? Your expression is strange.

Heisuke: No, I was just a bit envious of Hajime-kun.

Saito: Envious?

Heisuke: If I had a lot of money, I would give Chizuru a beautiful kimono.

Saito: A beautiful kimono... like the clothes she wore when she infiltrated Shimabara?

Heisuke: That’s right, Chizuru was so cute then... No, uh, she was very happy!

Saito: Yukimura at that time... The day I infiltrated Shimabara, Yukimura, who had been disguised by Osen, seemed shy to show herself. I probably won't ever forget how she looked then. Her appearance wasn't changed at all, she simply wore a beautiful kimono, combed her hair, put on some hair pins and make-up, that's all it was. I couldn't even look directly at her. That's how beautiful Yukimura had become then...

Heisuke: Hajime-kun! Hajime-kun! Hey Hajime-kun!

Saito: Uh.... Ah! What is it, Heisuke?

Heisuke: What are you doing? Why are you suddenly dazed?

Saito: No, it’s nothing. Sorry, what did you say?

Heisuke: I was just talking about giving Chizuru a beautiful kimono to wear! But that's impossible. How would hear wearing a woman's kimono be allowed at headquarters?

Saito: Nn, that’s right.

Heisuke: Kodo-san is still missing, so I really want to do something that will help cheer her up.

Saito: Is Yukimura very depressed?

Heisuke: It's not like that, but she might be forcing herself to smile.

Saito: That’s right...

Heisuke: I really want to do something for her.

Saito: Ah...... But would she want to wear a woman’s kimono again? Or is it that I want to see her dressed up like that again? No, even though she’s usually wearing men’s clothing, it’s to be expected for her to want to dress up a woman. No, but...

Heisuke: Hajime-kun. Hajime-kun. Hey~ Hajime-kun! Hah... he’s like this again... would it be better to just leave him be for a while?

---to be continued---

....in february. unless it’s fine to post track 5 and 6. since those are done while track 2 is incomplete.

#hakuoki #hakuouki #hakuoki drama cd #hakuoki drama translation #Hijikata Toshizou #Okita Souji #Saito Hajime #Toudou Heisuke #harada sanosuke

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haet-sal · 1 year

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Do I Look Like Your Mommy?// Sunwoo x milf!reader

Part Two to Bad Person Behavior. Read Part One

Sunwoo hates his therapist. “You don’t know how to handle your relationships” Bullshit, old man, you’re the one that doesn’t know how to handle your relationships. Once again, Kim Sunwoo is back to using and discarding people—only this time, he gets hurt in the process.

You think I’m just gonna let you use me? I’m not your fucking toy.

WARNINGS (and it’s real bad this time): INFIDELITY, abusive father, DIVORCE, ploys to get a couple divorced (bad person behavior), PHYSICAL VIOLENCE

SMUT TAGS: mommy kink, unprotected sex, blowjob, fingering, eating out, sex with people on the other side of the door???, MILF

W.c.: 6.4k

Why won’t Sunwoo’s mommies love him? :(

“So, young man,” doctor Shin taps his pen against his clipboard, it’s become somewhat of a nervous tick for him— “your mom still isn’t talking to you, after her failed engagement?”

“Uh-uh…” Sunwoo shook his head. “It’s not my fault her choice of man was a fucking cheating loser.”

“And this best friend?”

“She actually cried to me begging to talk to me again, but I didn’t reply. Good blackmail material, though, real pathetic.”

“I am specialized in treating young people like you—would you like a diagnosis?”

Quack of a doc, Sunwoo thinks to himself. “Am I a psychopath? Treat people like furniture?”

The doctor looked at him with furrowed eyebrows through his glasses. “You’re far from a psychopath, Sunwoo, it’s more like… a childhood socialization gone wrong. You never learned how to show people you value them, so in turn, you drive the people around you away, people you love—like your mother and this friend.”

“I think you’re sugarcoating the actual truth that I’m actually an incurable asshole. I mean, it’s all to text my mom tonight, isn’t it?”

“I don’t understand—”

“I know you report everything back to my mom, anyway…” Sunwoo sighed, stretching his legs out on the sofa. “Mom really should have picked someone with more distance from our family—I’ve met your family, Doctor Shin! I know all about them—Ryujinnie, your wife…”

The doctor looks up from his notepad, frowning, eyes suddenly concerned, changing their light from the stoic look. “If you’re threatening my child—”

Sunwoo barked out with laughter. “No, no, I’m not… I’m not threatening Ryujin, Doctor.” Feigning an interest in the antique desk clock on the doctor’s tabletop, he approaches. Then his hands pick the family photo album on there, turned away—but he knows exactly what’s in the photo.

“I’ve seen this photo, in your house,” Sunwoo says. “Ryujin was so small—you should get a new picture, she’s my age now, isn't she? And anyway, your wife looks so… pretty here.” Sharp-canine smile, like a wolf scoping out prey.

“You can threaten my daughter, if that’s what you’re doing—but Ryujin doesn’t fall for boys like you, Sunwoo, and I’m sure of it.”

“I’m sure she’ll be all the more turned off about me if you mention to her all my dirty therapy secrets,” Sunwoo says, setting the photo frame down. “I mean, god knows that’s what you’re doing with my mother—” The smartwatch on the doctor’s wrist chimes a little, a minimal tune, which he’s grown accustomed to. “I’ll see you next week, doctor.”

Yes, Ryujin does hate him. Might even be the leader of the Kim Sunwoo hate club. She and her friends glare at him when he passes by, which Sunwoo enjoys—it’s like he’s the main character. What Ryujin called him specifically, was “dirty fucking bastard”. Which he very much enjoys.

But it also makes sure that he doesn’t feel one tenth of a percent bad when her mother is bouncing on his lap…

Sunwoo can’t help the smile of victory that graced his lithe face while the bedroom—the one you shared with his therapist—filled with the sounds of your thighs against his hips and to be more vulgar, his balls against your pussy—not wanting you to see his exuberance, he tries to hide it by pressing his mouth against your bare breasts, not daring to bite—although he uses both of his hands to play with them, rubbing them until they hardened.

“Ughh, mommy… mommy, may I?”

He’s so very everywhere in you and on you that you don’t even remember what he’s getting at. “Huh… oh, yes, yes, good boy, you’re such a good boy for asking—” you slipped into a long moan when he finally sucks on your breasts, paying attention to both of them—the wetness of his tongue lapping against those swells makes you cream all the more on his cock.

You know you’re leaking, and it makes him more satisfied, that he’s taking you there–he knows your husband never could.

He’s never even handled this much… wetness with any girl of his own age before—actually, scratch that, even the older ladies he fucks don’t feel this warm and wet around him, take him in so perfectly. It’s the kind of heat in both your cores that makes his mouth water, it’s…

… sublime.

It’s okay that he cums in you, because you’re a grown up, you didn’t worry and lose all inhibition in anxiety like those girls his age… You simply grin at him. Like you’re proud that you’ve brought him there. Oh, how much he loved this… everything’s going according to plan.

He knows you probably don’t fuck Dr. Shin that much anymore, but… the implication of the old doc fucking a pussy he used—

Kim Sunwoo is evil.

Sunwoo looks over at you after you’ve cleaned yourself up, using hair mist and combing your fucked out hair (that he’d so meanly grabbed until strands came out sticking to his sweaty palms) and trying to get the smell of sex out of the bathroom.

Sunwoo had other ulterior motives to coming here today, though.

“So…” he starts, you’re still combing your hair, watching him through the vanity mirror. “Have you thought about what I said last time? And the time before that and the time before and that time after you sucked me off in the poolhouse—”

“It’s not that easy, Sunwoo,” you tell him.

“Ryujin’s over 20 years old, if you’re worried about that. She can handle it. Hell, my parents got divorced when I was eleven, and I’m a pretty outstanding member of society, if you ask me.”

“Sure.” You giggled, not arguing with him. “But marriage isn’t one of your relationships, Sunwoo, I can’t just ‘dump’ him over text… He and I have a child together.”

“You should hate him,” Sunwoo says raspily against your skin, as he kissed up your arms and then down your collarbones. “He talks in that therapy-room voice to everybody, like we’re all his patients, and, Y/n, just think—he’s just not a good conversationalist.”

You giggle.

“I mean, I’m the age of your child, and you enjoy your talks with me more, don’t you?”

“Sunwoo,” you called, brushing the hair out of his eyes, “you really are a good speech-partner. But you’re also just a boy.”

“Mommy,” Sunwoo whined out, “you’re not listening to me!”

“Don’t be a brat. I’m not going to divorce him, what about Ryujin?”

“He’s a cheater, you should serve him papers and just get paid in every single way you could get paid.”

“It’s not that easy…”

“You know I’m skipping my lectures to satisfy you, you could at least hear me out,” Sunwoo says.

“Why’s it so important to you?” you probed, suddenly curious.

“I want you to be happy. You’re still young, beautiful… you’re way too good for him, you know that.” Sunwoo looked at you with searching, no-nonsense eyes. He means everything he says. Even though he seemed incredibly comical trying to be serious. “And I wanted to nail you in his sacred marital bed, of course.” You just looked at him with amused eyes, which he’s surprised by. “What? Is that too predictable of me?”

“You’re just cute.”

His mother had been planning this party for a month, and he had no idea it was today. She hadn’t talked to him in a while.

But tonight, his house filled up with more and more people—old, ugly people he didn’t care for, and their stupid children—and his mom finally acknowledged his presence in the house, introducing him to the crowd as he came out of his room.

“Aigoo, Sunwoo, my son~” His mom takes his face in her hands, cold manicured hands against his cheeks. “Everyone’s been asking about you! Tell them about the soccer scholarship you got.”

“Uh, it’s…” Scratching his head, he looked over at his mom—it’s the first time she’d smiled at him in months. He could cry, if he was the type to cry about it. “It’s nothing.”

Trying to take his mind off his mother’s insincere smile, he lounged around the party, basically waltzing like the prince in Cinderella through the house, stealing shrimps from their icing, eating olives off martinis.

And you’re here.

A grin slowly spreads across his face as he locates you, dressed hot with a dress with a skirt that cut in a way that made his dick hook in his pants—if he wasn’t trying to describe it exactly—and you’re bent over the table, talking to some old, fat, balding man.

Ah, why are your tastes just so…

“Hello, Mrs. Shin,” he murmurs thickly into your ear, alcohol-dipped olives on his breath. You didn’t acknowledge him, and he likes this game already, one hand trailing up your exposed legs… up and up, until it reaches your hips. He feels your little lace panties, and a knowing smile crept up his face…

“Excuse me,” you tell your speech partner. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Come with me,” Sunwoo requested. You shake your head up at him, and his grin just spreads. “I don’t think you understand, you’re in my house. It’s like walking into a wolf den, I’m just gonna have to swallow you—” He attaches his mouth to your shoulder, biting down. You swiftly pull away.

“Sunwoo!”

“Relax, everyone will just think I’m a drunk little idiot boy and you’re helping me out, being my mom’s beloved friend.”

He finally gets you to go upstairs to his room, inconspicuously—no one cares what anyone was doing, anyway, and thankfully most of the grownups were being entertained by a story in the living room.

He takes you by the hand even farther into his room, to his bathroom. “Let’s do it, right now. Here.”

You frowned. “That’s putrid.”

“Why?” he whined. “It’s a bathroom hookup during a party, everyone does it!”

“Yeah, maybe at your age,” you laughed, “not mine.”

“Come on.”

“There’s nothing in it for me.”

“Can’t you just do it because you like me? Because I’m your good boy?”

Sunwoo’s funny when he’s whiney and horny. You think you just go along with it because there’s not really much to lose anyway, and, plus, the eye-rolling-back-jaws-slack face Sunwoo does when he cums is just too entertaining to pass off.

He’s just wearing normal pants, so you just pull them down, and then next come his boxers, his gorgeous cock—which is strange, but there’s not other word for it, it’s big when it’s hard, he’s a grower—and he’s hard now, has been since he saw you in that dress.

“You better not get anything on my dress,” you told him.

Sunwoo didn’t even play coy. He leans his head back against the door, moaning “mm-hmm” and lets you take over his body.

The minute your mouth is around him, he loses control. Perhaps he didn’t have much to begin with, but really, he had no sense of inhibition to be quiet—the party was so goddamn loud downstairs anyway.

But you’re sure they’d be able to tell between party sounds and the sound of a boy screaming, so you shush him, silently—as your tongue wrapped around the underside of his cock.

“More,” he begged, he’s more a mess of labored breathing now, as he tries to be quiet. The tortured breaths and moans are making you more of a mess, in those little pink lace panties that Sunwoo had felt earlier—but you knew you’d get no release, not tonight.

Sunwoo groans and bites down on his fist when you take the whole of him in, imagining the way he’s gagging you, being all the way in your throat, got him even hotter, ready to spill into your mouth right then and there.

“Fuck,” he moaned, “fuck. I didn’t lock the bedroom door—”

“Lock this one, then,” you say.

Thinking about someone being outside listening, just behind his bathroom door, made Sunwoo even more turned on, and he starts thrusting himself into your mouth, unable to control himself.

“You only cum when I tell you to,” you tell him. “I didn’t come all the way here for you to not play by my rules, okay?”

“Mmm, fuck, you’re so sexy when you talk like that—” But his teasing only turned into a series of broken moans once you resume pumping his cock, putting your lips around it and sucking with hollowed cheeks. Sunwoo grabs the doorframe for leverage and just lets out a sound that was basically a manish scream, with an opened jaw and wild eyes. “Fuck, fuck! I still can’t? I’m not allowed? But Y/N—”

You wish you could gag him, but there’s nothing to do it with, so you just keep sucking him off, torturously edging him. You don’t even know how he’s been holding himself off this long, it’s actually getting genuinely impressive.

“Mommy!” His voice had given out and he was just whispering now. “Mommy, please. Please, please, I have to—”

“Alright,” you relent. “Be a good boy and cum.”

Sunwoo takes over for your hands, pumping himself onto the carpet, as you just move to the side and watch him fall apart. The clarity’s hitting him, he’s basically high—and he’s genuinely never had an orgasm this good before, at least not standing up and in his house.

“Wow,” he says. “Wow, I… I’m not even sad anymore.”

You giggle, going over to fix your lipstick in the mirror. Sunwoo tucks himself back in his pants, not even a little wistful—this was the best way this could have ever gone. “What were you sad about?” You finally ask.

“My mom… she ignores me all the time but today she pretended she still likes me,” he answered. “Called me ‘son’ and everything. It’s sad.”

“She loves you,” you say, more a promise than anything. “She’s not ‘pretending’ to like you.”

“I mean… she won’t even talk to me, right now she’s just nice to me for show.” He blinked away stray tears. “When she’s nice to me it hurts even more.”

“Sunwoo, you acted like a bad person.”

“Even if I’m bad—!” Sunwoo’s head shoots up to look at you. “Even if I’m bad, she should love me. Like a real mother.”

“Forgiveness takes time,” you say wisely, and when you look him in the eyes again, he’s changed his demeanor entirely. All the sadness, gone. He kisses you again, and this time he’s in control, both hands holding your face in place. When it’s not enough, when he needs more of you—he attaches his lips to your neck next, hands roaming under your dress, he just needs more skin, more softness, more you.

“Mooom!” a girly voice called out from the hall, and you pull away, while Sunwoo bites his lip, trying to contain his annoyance. “Mooom, I thought I heard your voice here?”

You didn’t need to push him away, Sunwoo steps down from attaching his lips to your neck, and you swipe your hand away at his kiss-mark, hoping it leaves no hickeys—you’re wearing a neck-less dress. “Mom?” Ryujin calls again, opening the door, only to become face-leveled with Sunwoo.

“You?! Why are you—”

“Hello, Ryujinnie!” Sunwoo’s hand quickly raises up to mess the younger girl’s hair up, into a bird’s nest-disarray of brunette hair. “Your mommy and I were just—”

“Having a talk,” you say quickly, heels clicking as they carried you out the door. “Sunwoo’s the host tonight, dear, I was just helping him with some… things.”

Sunwoo rings the bell to your front door, and waits. An envelope of photos and the calling card of the best law firms in the area clutched under his arm. You answer through the intercom. “Who is it?”

“Special delivery.”

He’s surprised you can actually recognize his voice, as you ring him in. He quickly goes to the master bedroom, gloating that he had you all to himself. Your husband’s at work and Ryujin must be at college.

You’re lying in bed—it’s just noon, and of course you get to sleep in—and he lays the envelope beside you, with a grin. “Your ticket out,” he says.

You cut through the envelope and start to file through the photos, and it’s text message screenshots—dick pic between them; paparazzi-shot-esque photos of your husband and a younger woman; an actual selfie of the two of them in bed, or just the girl with Dr. Shin behind somewhere, in the frame.

“These are—” you gasp.

“The law’s on your side! The jury’s gonna eat this up, and you’re gonna get all the alimony.”

“How?”

“Pfft.” He blows the bangs off his forehead. They just land back, strangely framing his eyes so sweetly. “It was easy-peasy trying to get these.”

“PI?” you wondered.

“Wouldn’t even need one, when I know the woman he’s fucking.” He only realizes that he shouldn’t gloat so much about a marital affair, when you must also be hurt by it. He tries to turn his expression solemn, although a grin hints at the corners of his mouth. “Soooo, you promise you’ll serve him the papers soon? I hope the court date is on the day of my session.”

You laughed. “I don’t understand why you’re hellbent on divorcing me, but you’re right. I’m not happy here.”

Sunwoo grinned at you, and he basically pounced on you, straddling your thighs. He puts the envelope away on the bedside table. “I’m setting you free,” he told you, “I’m setting all of you free…” His hand reached over underneath your flimsy little night dress and felt for your clit, locating it and gently rolling it under his index finger.

He didn’t suggest anything verbally, but a low groan came out of his throat, as he felt your bare pussy under his hands.

You silently take his hands into yours, just to get them away from between your legs… there’s a scar in the middle of his wrist, which you’ve never noticed before, so today you rub figure eights around it and look up into his eyes.

He has them closed, like he doesn’t want to face you. “What happened here?”

“I fell—” he stops himself. “No, I didn’t…”

You furrow your brows in concern, signaling that he goes on.

“When my parents were still married… my mom didn’t see a way for it to get any better than being married to a cutthroat lawyer, so she was always on his side. Even when… even when he wasn’t the best. Not just to me, though… he’d blatantly cheat and she wouldn’t say a word. I’d get… There would be, like, bruises, all over me, and she’d say, tell the doctor you fell. So that’s what I kept doing. I got this when he yanked me into the house and I kept trying to push him off, so he flung me against the wall. I don’t know at which point I broke it. The scar’s from surgery. I finally told a school nurse that my dad threw me against the wall, and she said: honey, it doesn’t matter what he does, he’s still your father. So I just kept telling people I fell.”

“Sunwoo…” you cup his face in your hands, and he still has his eyes closed, like he doesn’t want to see, he doesn’t want to feel.

“My mom divorced him and got all his money though.” He turns to you with brand new eyes. “See? Divorce saves the day. Best thing in the whole world. Now you can do that.” Sunwoo grinned down at you. “So do you want to do this or not? You owe me one.”

You relent silently, eyes still greatly disturbed by what Sunwoo disclosed, you can’t even begin to think of having sex right now, but Sunwoo seemed to be turned on by the compassion you suddenly feel for him, as he lifts up your nightdress to your breasts, not even obsessed and attacking them like he usually does—he’s going to be a grown-up about this, hands rested pinning your waist down to the bed as he licked up your slit, wetting it.

You feel his sharp nose poking against your sensitive skin, never touched by light—and once he starts lapping at your clit, just rolling it under his tongue, you instinctively bring your hands to grab his thick hair. “Ahh, slower.”

“Okay, mommy…”

“There’s no way I’m going to get wet after what you’ve said to me,” you say dejectedly.

You feel Sunwoo smile against your poor, sensitive skin. “Just imagine me instead…” Sounds of the wet slurping, like he’s eating, resumed. “Just imagine I’m fucking you… imagine my cock… imagine me holding your head down… mmm—on the bed… I’m fucking you like one of my college whores. You like that? You want to be fucked like I don’t give a crap about you?”

You mewled a little as you followed his instructions, it’s like what you do with your vibrator every night, except there’s a boy on his knees between your legs, getting you off.

“Yeah, you’re getting wetter…” He was too occupied to talk, but he tried. “Just keep doing that—does your pussy feel empty?”

“Uhhuh,” you answered quickly.

“Poor pretty little lady… let me help you.”

You’re surprised the lapping at your clit hasn’t stopped, but suddenly Sunwoo’s parting your legs even more, two long, slender fingers spreading you open, the middle one going up all the way and curling up inside of you.

You jump up with a jolt and almost scream, you suddenly remember that you still have his hair in your hands, but you don’t want to pull, not even to remind him you’re still under him, feeling so much—you wait it out.

His hands pump in and out of you in incredible speed, and his tongue kept working at your clit. He’s relentless, and somehow knows your body better than you know it. When he feels your legs starting to shake around him, he realizes he can’t make you cum on his tongue, switching to flicking your clit with a thumb, and licking at your slit.

“Sunwoo, don’t!” For some reason you found cumming into his mouth too dirty for your liking. “I’m gonna—ah—”

“On my tongue,” he says. But you hold yourself back. “I said, on my tongue.” What happened to the boy calling you mommy… but you relent, the shift in his tone scaring you straight, and you cum, clenching around nothing.

He laps up everything, tongue dripping with drool and cum so much onto the bedsheets that it makes it look like a hentai comic frame. You simply lay back on the pillows, coming down from the orgasm. It really was a lot for you, someone whose husband had never done this with her.

“Do you want to cum now?” you murmured, but in the silence of the house and the whole neighborhood, he hears you.

“If you want to make me,” he says, ever so diligently. You’ve never seen Sunwoo be this cute.

“Fuck mommy’s throat, baby,” you commanded, and the boy follows suit without a question. Your fingers are on the buckles of his belt, and as you pulled out the leather out of the loops, your fingers get stuck in some of them, you’re still so fucked out, riding a high that you can barely comprehend that all you needed to do was disentangle your fingers from the loops…

But you get him out of his jeans anyway, and just when you’re pulling his briefs down, down the happy trail and the mess of beautiful wild hair—you hear the front door being opened.

Sunwoo looks at you in alarm, but also with challenging eyes. He wants to see how this works out.

“Mom?” Ryujin’s voice called from the living room. “Yeji flung a whole bat at me—I had to go to the nurse!”

Sunwoo rolls his eyes as he pulls away from you, tongue still fresh with the taste of you. “Our little cockblocker…”

“MOM! I’M CONCUSSED!”

Sunwoo steps away from you slowly as you tried to regain your composure—he helps you with your little sundress, zipping the side up himself. Then a chaste kiss on the side of your head. “I’ll leave through the window,” he offered. “Can’t help if she sees me climbing out, though.”

“You’re a good boy, Sunwoo,” you say to him softly. “Think of me later when you're getting yourself off.”

He only sees Dr. Shin every odd week, so he hears about the divorce first before he gets to see the defeated look on the doctor's face. The power he could have on this man's life was just hilarious.

This week, when he goes to his session, the doctor looks like he’d aged twenty years overnight. Sunwoo gloats. “Before you ask me about my life, why don’t we talk about yours—how’s the divorce going?”

Sunwoo knows Doctor Shin knows. There’s just that resentment he always sees in the eyes of his victims. “It’s going very poorly,” the older man answered, “but I saw an old friend of yours in the courtroom, Sunwoo, and I thought we could lead our session with that.”

“An old… friend?”

“You don’t know, huh? How long has it been since you've sat at the same dinner table as your father?” When Sunwoo went quiet, not understanding, he continued: “Lawyer Kim took my wife’s case, Sunwoo. Your very esteemed patriarch.”

Sunwoo’s body went jittery.

“Would you like to talk about that?” Doctor Shin raises his eyebrows and gawks at him, but Sunwoo’s staring at his own two feet, shell-shocked.

“What do you mean, my father is taking the case?”

“I mean,” Doctor Shin hisses, voice dropping and laced with poison, “when I saw his face in the courtroom, the first thing that came to mind is that he gave you his worst features, including those damned, cruel eyes, nose that begs to be punched, and your broken mind. Hopefully neither you nor the man that gave you life will ever see a peaceful day, for ruining my life this way.” He clasped his hands together, back to his normal demeanor. “So do you want to talk about the effect of your father figure in your life?” When the boy stayed silent, until minutes passed without either party saying anything, the therapist continued: “I mean, it’s obvious you have no father figures in your life.”

“What—”

“You display fatherless behavior.”

“Y/N is having a divorce party,” his mom tells him. “Oh—I keep calling her Y/N Shin, she’s back to her old last name—ah, the joys of being divorced…”

Sunwoo lifts his head up to look at her. “You weren’t invited.”

“No…”

“Because her lawyer is your ex-husband.”

His mom shrugged.

“Mom! Why are you not mad?”

“It’s fine, honey, it’s his business.”

He’d be cursing in front of his mom if he could. He kicks the kitchen stool he’s sitting on backwards, doesn’t look back when it falls to the ground. He’s wearing an overworn band T-shirt that’s torn at some places, but he puts a flannel on top of it, he doesn’t even know how he got his shoes on but they’re on.

“Sunwoo,” his mom called. “What are you doing?! It’s none of your business who her lawyer is—”

“Yes, it is!” He slams the door to the house.

A divorce party largely consisted of bored housewives who were horrible people but became even more horrible people once the champagne hits. The music choice was incredibly grating… although he’s sure the rap he listens to would annoy these women just the same.

His father left. It’s that late into the evening. And yet… he could smell the Cuban cigars and the cologne he’s been wearing for twenty straight years, it gave him a headache and left him indignant, with aching joints and scars.

“You’re not meant to be here…” your voice trailed off as you saw the boy enter the room. Quickly, you pull him by the wrist to a secluded corner. “What are you doing here?! You know now’s not a good time for us to—”

“As if I’d want to?!” Sunwoo demanded. “I know what you’re doing with my father—and I know my father doesn’t just let pretty things run past him. What, did you fuck him in the same bed you fucked me, you dirty—”

You cup his mouth shut. “What is wrong with you?”

He pried your hands off of him. “I’m right, aren’t I?” he scoffed. “You know, I thought you were better than that. Better than one of my dad's whores.”

“Sunwoo,” you cooed to the boy, “let’s not pretend this is actually a big deal—you’re just mad you weren't the only man I was flirting around with.”

“You think I care who the fuck you’re fucking? I care because that man hurt me!” Sunwoo reached out for your hand, aggressively making you feel over his chest. The scar, skin-deep that the tissue had grown over it, the one he always says hurts— “This,” he says. “He did this to me. He did worse to my mom—and you don’t even care—about me, or about your friendship with her.”

“Sunwoo,” you cooed, absolutely motherly, “Sunwoo… You obviously don’t care too much for your mother either, if you could just sneak around with her friend like this.”

Sunwoo pulls back in alarm. “Don’t tell me how I’m supposed to treat my mother—How can you even touch him, sign contracts with him, look at him—” You’re suddenly concerned about the wildness in his eyes, so you sympathetically try to pull him back down to earth, just so he would calm down, but he’s fervent and feral, it’s like something in him just broke, and everything just comes out in anger. If it was possible he’d be breathing fire.

“Sunwoo,” you called him, grabbing his form, shaking with anger, by the shoulders. “It’s not that serious.”

“Not that serious?!” he demands, but you notice how his voice had lowered into a small, childish hiss. “And I fucking gave you the way out. You think I’m just going to let you use me? I’m not your fucking toy.”

“The divorce was your idea,” you say curtly, the tone you use with Ryujin when she’s too loud for your liking. “He was the only way I’d win the settlement—come on, Sunwoo, you can’t possibly blame me for hiring him.”

“Fuck him. And fuck you.”

Sunwoo shoves past you, and as the premature celebrations go on, he treads with gritted teeth towards the kitchen, past the caterers with appetizer plates. He felt like spitting on that man’s face, what the fuck, why did you have such terrible fucking taste—

He finds a brunette head of highlighted hair, turned away from the door and drinking out of a wine glass.

Sunwoo grabs the bottle she’s drinking from—it’s old, expensive French vineyard wine that he’s suddenly developed a taste for. Yet another thing he’s stolen from the Shins. “It was me, by the way,” he spat out at Ryujin, the red liquid thick in his throat. “I fucked your mom and got your parents divorced. Still think I’m a dirty fucking bastard?” He waits for the realization to spread across her face, before turning away on his heels. Wine clasped in hand.

Sunwoo goes to the pier to get drunk that day. There couldn’t be ‘win some lose some’ with him, Kim Sunwoo had to win. Everything. And he’s already let his dad win for the last time in his life.

It’s easy to act like they’re close again. Like his mom, Mister-Lawyer Kim would never ignore an invitation from Sunwoo—even if they lacked sincerity, they had an incredible need to perform. And the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.

Mister-Lawyer doesn’t bother to call Sunwoo, simply texting sporadically for hours, while Sunwoo laid on his giant million-thread count bedsheets checking his phone, taking a sick day from school. He could hear his mother’s laughter from downstairs as she kept talking to a distant aunt, it was sort of sweet.

Don’t worry, mom. This guy won’t win again. But really, deep down he knew it wasn’t a matter of this mommy—it was about the other ‘mommy’.

Kneeled between his legs as he gripped the doorframe as you sucked him, gritted teeth, your name echoing. Just your name. And then it turns to that sweet little nickname. Mommy, mommy, please, mommy, let me cum.

He clicked his tongue as the memory came to mind. How crass… well. He wasn’t losing his mommy to that man again.

Suddenly his dad sent him a text, the one he’s been waiting for: if you want to catch up, we can have dinner, son!

With a grin, he wrote back, thumbs tapping two keys in one second: what about at the Shins? I'm best friends with Ryujin. You want a clientele dinner, don’t you?

You better not be up to anything.

Congratulate me on the case, at least.

Asshole, Sunwoo mumbles to himself. I knew you’d win, dad. Unbeatable.

He needs to wash his hands and mouth with anti-bacterial soap after he’s typed the word ‘dad’ out. But the dinner was the next evening, and he carefully took out his suit from the closet, and started ironing it—if his father was going to kill him, he could at least go out in style.

Your husband moved out. And all his pictures are gone.

And yet Sunwoo couldn’t even delight in his mission-clear, because he’s too jittery, and the difference of the house is throwing him off. But the old doctor was gone… so was half of his estate, left to you. And he still couldn’t gloat, because now there was a bigger bump in the road.

He knows you two must be fucking. Just the way his father hangs his arms around your body, you weren’t just a client.

Somehow it didn’t make him feel better that he had you first. He could just start crying tears of blood once he thinks back on every secret he ever told you, every display of trust—just for you to fuck his worst enemy like he hadn’t bared his heart to you.

It hurt, but he suppressed the emotions, and sat down at the table. The light of the sunset streamed beautiful and red through the lawn—your ex-husband was rich and could afford all that beauty—while Ryujin stared daggers at him.

“You ruined my life,” Ryujin spat at him from across the table.

Coolly, he laid back on the chair. “Calm down a little.”

Ryujin kept glaring at him. “You and your father planned this didn’t you?”

“Don’t accuse me of being in cahoots with my father,” Sunwoo speaks, disgust dripping from his tongue as he says the f-word. “Chill out, Ryujin. I’ve done your mom so many times, I’m basically your step dad.”

“You. Fucking.” Ryujin readies her knife, as she lunges over a corner of the table to hurt Sunwoo, but he laughs at her face, which makes her all the more rage-filled. She’s about to literally stab him with a steak knife, when the parents re-enter the room.

“Ryujin!”

“Sunwoo!”

Mister-lawyer grabs his son by the nape of his neck. “Just what do you think you’re doing, making enemies out of clients?” he demanded.

Sunwoo paid no mind to him, looking over at you. “You want to see what he’s really like? Behind closed doors and everything?”

“Don’t play smart, remember who brought you into this world, boy.” His father pushed two fingers into the side of his skull, as if to drill the thought into his head.

Sunwoo laughed at his face as if he were laughing at death. “I was starting to miss the way you’d say that to me.” Challenging eyes, but anyone could see he was scared—his pupils were shaking. You stood by, worried, and even Ryujin didn’t have a clue what was going on. “What could you do to me this time? Haven’t you run out of torture methods?”

“You watch yourself, before I—” The lawyer did try to hold himself back, but his hand was raised already, eager to snap. Sunwoo stood in front of him, a willing victim.

“This is the man you want to fuck around with?” he demanded of you.

“Oh, Sunwoo, I thought you got over it…”

“Still haven’t learned, have you?” The lawyer shoved him back with one pointer finger, but there was so much force to be felt in it. Sunwoo lost his footing for a bit. “You’re still the dirty little mutt that needs to be taught a lesson—and never learned. Goddamn, how can my son be so stupid?”

“I don’t want to be your son, I—”

He didn’t know if it was a hand of open-fist or closed, he’s just falling to the floor. He takes down one of your decorative pure-sandglass vases down with him, and it crashed into shards, some of them painful and stabbing through his skin. He lands on its shards, and when he tries to support himself on the marble floor, it’s impossible to find a place not riddled with the glass. Suddenly he’s small again, he wants to cry, he knows he can’t—whatever pride he had left, his dad would take it from him again.

And again and again and—

“Imbecile for a son,” his father spat out, thoughtlessly stepping over his body, two pantsuit-clad legs that made Sunwoo feel small and insignificant again, just like in childhood. He gave Sunwoo a mean, undignified look before he he turned his back on him and exited the room. With him removed, Sunwoo could breathe again—although his heart rate never slowed. It seemed as if his heart had become the size of his chest, he could feel the beating in his ears. And he couldn’t even remember to breathe.

Ryujin walked over to his shaking form on the floor, carrying a napkin that she so unkindly throws on him, landing like a kite on his chest. “Calm down a little, Sunwoo.”

He tastes the cut on his cheek, and the glass in his palms cut through. And he couldn't let go of the shard, in his panic he just grabbed onto it.

There has to be a lesson in there somewhere.

#the boyz x reader #the boyz smut #tbz smut #tbz x reader #sunwoo smut #sunwoo x reader #sunwoo fic #sunwoo imagines #sunwoo scenarios #tbz scenarios #the boyz scenarios #tbz hard hours #the boyz imagines

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jumpingonrainbows · 4 months

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To my fellow lesbian drama fans, am I the only one noticing parallels between the character's arcs of Gideon and Harrowhark (The Locked Tomb) and Madoka and Homura (Madoka Magica)?

Spoiler warning for both media in the text below, of course. And please, if you interact with this post, keep in mind I'm still reading Nona (although I'm almost at the end, about 1/4 left)

And thank you, my lovely @grosutina, for letting me scream to you about all this and for introducing me to the tlt series

This all started because I've read before how people jokingly call Gideon "lesbian Jesus" and I instantly thought of how Madoka is called "lesbian God". But that wasn't all. The more I thought about it, the more parallels I kept finding.

I just read the part where Gideon wakes up in Nona (or, reveals she was awake the whole time) and it initially shocked me how ANGRY she was. She was angry and like Nona pointed out, she was also extremely sad. But the more I thought about it, the more I understood why she was like that. She gave herself away to Harrow and sacrificed her whole self, but Harrow, in an attempt to save Gideon, mostly out of love, went as far as to lobotomize herself to prevent herself from fully absorbing Gideon! I write "mostly out of love" since this also has a tang of selfishness, she couldn't imagine a life without Gideon for herself. And I am not judging her at all. There's the whole thing about Harrow already feeling like a blob of corpses, but that's an analysis that other people can do better than me. But to Gideon, that just screams rejection on Harrow's part. It doesn't help that they haven't talked much about things and are just doing what each thinks is best for the other.

Can you see the connections already? Homura does exactly the same to Madoka. Homura rejects Madoka's sacrifice and takes it upon herself to redo it and "force" Madoka to be "saved" so she can have a normal, happy life. This completely overrides Madoka's sense of agency. She made the decision for herself, but the person who loves her the most went behind her back, did not understand her true wishes, and forced a reality on Madoka that Madoka didn't really want. This is all out of love and care from both parties. I actually really like this specific post about the flower scene in Rebellion that explores this further https://www.tumblr.com/faelapis/728119853949534208/pmmm-rebellion-the-flower-scene?source=share

Another parallel I noticed is the way that both Homura and Harrow cope with the losses of their loved ones by creating alternate universes. And they both do this by sacrificing something: Harrow modifies her own brain, and Homura transforms into a witch.

Lastly, just the whole parallels with Gideon and Madoka being religious icons.

Of course, the stories themselves are not that similar, but I find it very interesting how both main couples of the series are incredibly identical. It all comes down to how these characters love each other and the extraordinary outside circumstances that force them not to communicate with each other.

In the end, I wish I could draw Gideon/Madoka and Harrow/Homura outfit swaps.

PS: writing all this makes me even more hyped for the new Madoka movie. How will Madoka react to what Homura did? Will she be as angry as Gideon was when she woke up? Seeing Madoka angry is something I didn't know I wanted to see but now I really hope they do it.

#tlt #tlt spoilers #pmmm #pmmm spoilers #harrowhark nonagesimus #gideon nav #madoka kaname #homura akemi #the locked tomb #nona the ninth #puella magi madoka magica #madoka magica rebellion #spoilers

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theseawillbringdarkness · 10 months

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I rarely write reviews for things, because honestly, I’m just a regular person with no experience or knowledge on the details of game development, and I get anxious that I may misunderstand something due to being unaware of how certain mechanics work or subtle aspects of storywriting, but I decided to give «Cryptid Crush» a more detailed overview than just a little post full of me gushing over this project that I made originally (spoiler alert: this review actually is just one giant post of me gushing over all the things I love about the game, because I just wanted to note down everything that caught my attention). I’m putting it under the «read more», so folks that didn’t play it can avoid spoilers. And also because I got a bit into oversharing\infodumping mode (aka, a LOT of text), and there is a lot of images too. Buckle up for a ride and let’s-a go!

All screenshots are from the game “Cryptid Crush” by Drowsy Drake Studios.

This is a big read. Seriously. 3378 words. Don’t ask me how it happened, I was in the zone.

Spoilers!!

I say “review”, but it’s just my personal opinion, not entirely written in a serious manner, because I by no means intend it as some serious and professional writing.

TL;DR: play «Cryptid Crush», support it’s creators ( @cryptidcrushvn, @squidinu ) and check their website!

I actually stumbled over this game by accident, because one evening I was in especially sour mood and decided to lose myself in one of dating simulators or visual novels, so I was browsing Itchio to see if anything catches my eye. «Cryptid Crush» instantly did just that, because I’m absolutely in love with monstrous characters and I loved what I saw on the game’s main page. Normally, due to whatever weird neurodivergent way my brain works, I can hardly make myself play new games\watch new shows\movies\cartoons, because that requires certain mental preparation from me (aka «the stars must allign in a specific way, or else I’ll stare at the game icon forever, unmoved like a statue»). No idea why it works like this! I have whole lists of things I want to play\watch, but I always have to catch myself in a mental state that is perfectly accepting of getting invested in a new story, even if I know there is 90% chance I will like it. And let me tell you, I’m very glad that I gave «Cryptid Crush» a go. Actually, this is now my comfort story, and there is a lot I want to praise the creators of this game for.

Mechanics

Click to progress the story, which means I can drink tea\coffee AND enjoy a good story. That’s already a win in my books, especially if you’re looking to settle down for a cozy, relaxing evening. Ability to simply scroll back in case you accidentally skipped a dialogue line or want to read it again can really come in handy. Actually, while I’m at it, I have to say BIG THANKS for such detailed menu when it comes to picking where exactly you want to start after you played both chapters. Rather than having to play from the beginning, you can pick a scene to start from, which is especially great for when you want to replay certain moments or conversations in the game.

TTRPG mechanics: at first, I was a bit intimidated, because I always have troubles absorbing technical information about how certain things work (which often looks like an overwhelming cluster of information for my brain), and while I make sure to read through everything, it takes some poking around or even winging from me to get a hold of how something in the game works. However, here it wasn’t so bad at all. I love how «throw a dice to determine success or failure of selected action» here is both used in battle mode AND at a few points in the story, to see if you can get additional information from the characters or get away with a small lie.

When it comes to fights, I enjoyed them more than I expected - said TTRPG mechanic wasn’t so hard to understand after all, and little comments and dialogue lines made the process even more lively and enjoyable. I greatly appreciate the way tutorial was smoothly integrated into gameplay and for a chance to pick difficulty when it comes to fights. I’m a simple person, I play on «easy» majority of the time, so it worked perfectly for me.

Character customization: while the look of the main character, Robyn, is pretty much «set», there are still details you can change, like picking a different color for the coat, hair length, etc. And you can choose whatever first and second name you want (so, like usual, I just used the name of my main OC). Also appreciate the ability to pick pronouns, because I didn’t think too long before picking «they\them». Am I having some sort of self-discovery? I don’t know, but I always appreciate having that option for some reason.

Artwork

The visual part is stunning! The art style is so beautiful and cozy! I love the thicker lines on the outline (no pun intended) of characters, the soft colors, the creativity of monstrous designs. Love how big hands some of characters have (like August in werewolf mode, Oz, Jamie, Mike, etc.)!! My absolutely favorite part, as usual, is facial expressions, of course. Backgrounds also have each their own atmosphere (like cozy one at Robyn’s place, or creepy haunted one at the Elkhorn radio station. Actually, this bit has tons of details - a nice example of «environmental storytelling») and vary in level of detail, allowing some scenes to have more focus on the characters. This pencil-painting style looks great, by the way!

Story

The story in «Cryptid Crush» is very intriguing and allows you an easy integration in it’s world, being a good mix between supernatural and something familiar to all of us. Like dealing with mysterious curse, living in a town full of various cryptids and all the shenanigans that come with it, while at the same time being a relatively regular person, who is just trying to navigate the chaos of their life and worrying about groceries. There is a main story of searching for answers about said curse, but plenty of other storylines that entwine with it, enriching the story and making it feel so full of life. The world here truly feels alive, and there is one part that I love so much.

Despite characters facing hardships and things being rather scary at times (like Robyn’s trip to the void, their first nightmare and what Mike had to face while dealing with Mr.Walker), the story is so. Very. Wholesome. It’s in everything, in the way characters communicate between each other, and especially in their relationships. I’m a big fan of the «found family trope», it always moves me, and I truly believe that sometimes a family can be just a bunch of dysfunctional adults that love each other and try to get along, and seeing those little details or these heartfelt talks that characters share (like the talk between August and Atlas, for example) - they warm my heart so much. My own life may be a mess at the moment, but somehow, this story gives me reassurance that it will work out. Things can be tough sometimes, but they don’t stay tough.

On that note, I absolutely have to mention the amazing writing. Different people obviously gravitate towards different writing styles, but this one is great in so many ways. The descriptions are dosaged perfectly - they’re not dry or, on the contrary, stretch so much that it significantly slows down the story. They’re perfect in giving you enough information to imagine the scene and atmosphere well, without turning into cluster of words (I enjoy big descriptions, but sometimes they may be more fitting for an actual book, rather than a story with a certain flow). And when you’re given lore at the library, it’s also written very interestingly (and the illustrations are so great!!), giving you a better outlook on the world of cryptids. I love the way that size and type of the font (or little details, like «shaking» letters) is used to better convey emotions. All characters feel so alive, they each have their own very different personalities and little quirks. I also absolutely have to applaud the sense of humor that comes into writing and makes it such an easy and comfortable read! I don’t have enough words to describe properly how much I love the writing, okay.

Characters

Usually, I always have a few favorite characters when it comes to stories (I’m personally very fond of Oz, for instance), while I’m rather neutral towards the others, sometimes warming up to them as the story progresses and I get to know them better. «Cryptid Crush» is an exception, though, because I actually love all characters that were introduced to us so far?? So allow me to spam a little with silly little commentaries for each of them. Also, I may mention it about dozens of times, so let me say it here: all voice actors are doing spectacular job! I’m legit in awe of the talent and range, and it’s clear they’re doing their best and having fun in the process too.

«Mothman»

Not gonna lie, I keep asking him for «dad advice» just for fun (I can’t believe his sound effect is straight up «hi Hungry, I’m dad»). The answers are simultaneously the worst and the best.

«Robyn»

I’m fairly certain they’re a mom friend at heart, being a voice of reason on different occassions. Probably unsuspecting that they’re in need of the «found family», but also I hope that it certainly awaits them. Absolutely love it how they’re just trying to ignore all the weird things that are happening in their life currently. I mean, sure, there is a ghostly cat and also now another ghost that haunts your phone. Doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about breakfast.

«Taro»

She is a little goblin of a cat, and I love her. I mean, I’m aware she is a cat, but at the same time she is so... CAT. If you know what I mean. Waking you up by putting a paw on your face (or through your face in this case), demanding food and attention. Love her, and the voice is absolutely perfect for this type of personality! And her monstrous form looks awesome!

«Atlas»

The quote that comes to mind right away is «I only had them for an hour and a half, but if something happened to them, I’d kill everyone in the room and then myself». Many bits of his personality feel so relatable, especially the urge to infodump\overshare (like what I’m doing right now, whoops). Side note, but in Chapter 1 «Leviathan Waltz», during the phone talk before bed, I always got the picture of Atlas chilling in the attic, identical to the one at the intro of the chapter. An alternative, creepier version was unexpected, but that was a really cool surprise! In any case, I love Atlas dearly, and his enthusiasm towards things is very contagious. I’d absolutely watch a trilogy marathon with him (if there are subtitles, or I’m gonna miss 40-50% of information).

«Jamie»

I didn’t know what to expect at first, but with all the «Let the crimes commence» and casual trashing of the haunted radio station, I did not expect how gentle they are (not with Mike, for obvious reasons, but you know). I adore the manner in which they wrote the message to Robyn the next day after the trip to Elkhorn radio station, almost sounding like what one would write in a full on letter, as well as their overall manner of speech and also being a voice of reason, taking care of their friends. Also, they have a skull-face, which automatically makes me love their design. And bright blue details go so well with the rest of their palette! Also also, I was really thrilled to see a character that goes by «they\them» (okay, yeah, maybe I am going through some self-discovery here).

«Mike Madhouse»

I have to note right off the bat: Mike’s voice actor really be WILDIN’. The absolute charisma that drips off every voiced dialogue line, the unrestrained enthusiasm and madness?? Absolutely amazing. I’m not the person to genuinely laugh that easily, but sound effects for Robyn’s haunted phone crack me up every time. As much as various facial expressions Mike makes (I swear, you guys cranked it up to 200% and I’m loving the result). I’m looking forward to seeing him getting some character growth, and I was happy when he didn’t turn out to simply be defeated and leave the scene for good. He is a complex character, not easily showing his true emotions, which only makes these moments hit even harder (like the sad face he makes at the mention of Atlas, when they’re about to leave for Edith’s shop). «MeAt GrInDeR!!!» moment is definitely one of my favorite ones. (Also, different variations of sprites during the fight, like Atlas Madhouse and demonic looking Madhouse, look epic!)

«August»

He is friend-shaped. That’s it, I don’t have anything more to say, I bet he gives the best hugs. Well, of course not, I do have more things to say. For instance, how adorable he is when he gets flustered after being called, well, adorable. Actually, I only recently noticed the blushing sprite that flashes for a second when he turns around to jump through the window right afterwards. I mean, he wanted to get out of the clinic anyway, but that was a smooth escape. Also, I adore the «I was already a wreck» pun when Robyn apologies for hitting him with a car (I actually love puns, and sometimes I make it other people’s problem, pfft). The enraged snarling August makes upon realizing Atlas forgot to turn off the oven was both terrifying and hillarious in the context. (Lowkey, love all of his sprites and the fact that he has these different «stages» of his werewolf form too.)

«Oz»

I said this already, but when seeing Oz in Chapter 0, I thought he will only make a fleeting appearance and that’s it, which made me a bit sad, because he instantly caught my eye. So I was absolutely delighted to see so much more of him in the next chapter! I love how chill he seems to be, looking intimidating, but at the same time giving impression of a gentle giant who wouldn’t hurt someone without a good reason. It might be a bit challenging with a character who doesn’t speak majority of the time, but it also allows a lot of creativity with the way he communicates and expresses his feelings, and it makes it entertaining to see his facial expressions change at various comments the other characters make. The very rare «pleased» expression he makes honestly warms my heart. But also he gives a strong feeling of a «this bad boy can store so much PAIN inside-», which makes me want to give him a hug and a kiss on the forehead. I’m looking forward to see more of him in the future, his appearance in the dream sequence alone was very surprising (especially having him actually speak here). Also I loved the moment when he and August were in the middle of an argument, and Gus waited politely and patiently while Oz was writing down what he had to say. ALSO have to note that I absolutely love his color palette, which makes yellow eyes stand out even more on top of various shades of grey, black and white.

«Thursday»

Beloved goblin: Bird Edition! Thursday’s pleased expression is one of my favorite sprites. I’m losing it at the contrast between their «crow mode» and very sudden «deep-voiced man, enunciating perfectly clear what they got to say», the first time it took me by surprise.

«Edith»

I was wondering if she is a normal human, right until that one «it’s the charm that protects you-» sprite that made me go «grandma, why are your teeth so big-». At the same time, I felt for Edith in this moment, because I felt exactly the same on multiple occassions, whenever I had to explain something obvious to a customer. Looking forward to seeing more of her, but it’s obvious she is very caring.

«Hazel»

She is sassy, and she clearly had enough of whatever shit she has to put up with. But she still loves her brother, even if she seems annoyed.

«June»

Literally the most adorable ball of energy! I wish I had at least half of her energy.

«Goatma’am»

Her coat! Horns! And overall colors!! She is so pretty, and so nice and helpful! I love the way she is voiced, and I really enjoy listening to this specific kind of speech\voice for some reason. «Parsnip» bit made me snort, though.

«Robbie»

It’s actually very refreshing to see a Cryptid who is just as bewildered at many things about Longhope as any «regular» person likely would be. Lowkey, I loved that wobbling sprite of his when he was telling Robyn what people call cryptids where he is from. He seems to be up to some shenanigans, as well as being determined to find the «goddess sleeping at the river», so I’m hoping he will eventually succeed in his quest.

«Tessie»

She is a mysterious lady (and so beautiful too!), and I’m curious to learn more about her!

«Mr. Walker»

Despite looking rather simple, he’s got an eye-catching design (which I liked even more, because I love shadow-like monsters), and the fight had a lot of creativity put into it! It was a nice twist with Mr.Walker looking like a bigger threat and with smaller HP than the Lantern, seeming like the most reasonable target to take down first, only to swiftly come back into fight after being defeated. And the «Lantern cuts the lights» move was also nice. All in all, Mr.Walker makes easily a very disturbing and terrifying enemy, making the encounter at the graveyard so intense.

Music

Last, but not the least, is music (and it’s nice that you can see the name of the current soundtrack playing in the menu in the lower part of the screen). First of all, the soundtrack in «Cryptid Crush» is straight up enchanting. It always fits the mood perfectly, and I certainly got a few favorites. I kept «Dirt Nap Dreams» on while working a little while ago, and it was soothing and nice for concentration. The track itself is rather chill and a bit somber. «Thaumaturgy Thursdays» makes a perfect soundtrack for Edith, Oz and Thursday trio, having a bit of this «something wicked» energy to it. «Midway to Nowhere» appears to be rather chill, but has this very unsettling mood that is so great for certain scenes and places. And, of course, one of my most favorite ones - «Urgently Jammin’», both remixed version and the original! I swear I listened to this for days. But I also love «Supernatural Foe» for a nice beat and «Old Gods» for how dramatic it is and how it makes you really feel how high stakes are during fight with Mr.Walker.

Second of all, I just have to mention how well sound design is used in the game and how many details go into it. My favorite examples: 1) when Atlas tells Robyn he wants to show them something, and then suddenly «Urgently Jammin» breaks off instead of «Loosen Up Longhope», when he makes a big reveal of still being possessed; 2) «casual» soundtrack breaking off into intense and terrifying «The UNWELCOME Visitor» with Oz seemingly about to get Taro on Edith’s orders, only for everything to abruptly go silent as she goes «I’m joking» and slip back into «Thaumaturgy Thursdays» as the mood changes from threatening back to casual; 3) when Hazel and Oz are having an argument, «Elkhorn Radio Intro» plays out (which is associated at this point with the fight sequence beginning), only for things to suddenly cut back to normal when Robyn and Atlas enter the scene.

All in all, I just want to say that the attention to detail is insane here (another example I didn’t mention above is when Robyn is searching for Mike, and before you see the actual sprites of August and Oz fighting in the background, you see their icons and damage). It’s obvious how much hard work and love is being poured into this project, and I just want to say big «THANK YOU» to Drowsy Drake Studios for creating such amazing story with so many lovable characters. You’re doing amazing work, and we all appreciate it!

Again, I strongly advice to also check out their website for more information:

https://cryptidcrush.com/

P.S. Apologies if I forgot or misunderstood something, it was a bit hard to properly gather my thoughts, but I did my best! If you actually managed to read all of it, you’re a champ.

#cryptid crush #long post

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