Tumgik
#but i'd really rather you put some of that effort into figuring out how to make the cahir and radovid plots more satisfying and substantial
grinchwrapsupreme · 21 days
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there's this thing in theatre called "cue-to-cue" where you go through the play with minimal to no actual acting or lines, just the actors moving to the spots they will be in when certain lighting and sound effect happen, in order to line things up tech-wise, so watching it has the feel of watching the play with none of the content or meaning and the whole thing is supposed to be done very quickly. Certain parts of Netflix's The Witcher felt like watching a cue-to-cue in that it felt like the characters were just arriving at a place they were supposed to be in, muttering out parts of the scene, and then quickly moving to the next spot they're supposed to be in, like the writers of the show were cue-to-cuing the books, knowing where the characters were "supposed to be" without actually displaying why to a useful degree
the one that particularly stood out to me was the confrontation between Ciri and Cahir where, first of all, Ciri finding Geralt and Yennifer after leaving Jaskier was already very abrupt and lacking reaction, but then running into Cahir and him begging Ciri to kill him? That bit bothered me. Specifically because it all felt very quick and surface level, like the writers knew where the characters were supposed to be and what they were meant to be doing without really giving it space to be examined, so we get that tension between Ciri and Cahir as she holds the sword to his throat and then, just as abruptly, the people on horseback are approaching and Cahir just gets up and goes to fight them off without really any acknowledgment of his desire to be killed literal seconds ago beyond i guess the implication that he's willing to die here, and then he's face to face with these 5 horseback riders, brandishing his sword, and it's so obvious there's nothing he can really do to fight them off, there's literally 5 of them and they already look like they're just gonna brush right past, like Cahir is hitting invisible cues without the substance behind it
and I do think this feeling was worse in the third season than in the first two, but it did bother me enough that i sort of immediately lost interest in Cahir, because the quickness of that scene removed the intensity of it for me, and there were many scenes like it (Jaskier and Radovid's scenes for example) that gave the feeling that what should have been a whole play was reduced to a quick 15 minute run through where the cast are just moving from one spot to the next and it's okay because we'll do the whole thing at the dress rehearsal later
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yuwuta · 2 months
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PEOPLE TOLD ME ABOUT THE FLAMES, I COULDN’T SEE THROUGH THE SMOKE — MEGUMI FUSHIGURO
cw some kind of college au/boarding school au? this used to be for rodeo station and now just... exists on its own, friends to lovers, megumi has toji and satoru as father figures so are we surprised that he’s a bully and doesn’t really grow out of that phase… anyway, apologies to muta and miwa, 1.3k words
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Nobara makes a poor effort to stifle her laughter as Kokichi stomps up to stand in front of you, hair and clothes drenched in chocolate milk, shoes sloshing with each step, and the bandage on the side of his cheek peeling from the wetness.
When you look up at him, you’re unimpressed, and unsurprised, so you resume annotating your lecture notes as if you weren’t interrupted. If Kokichi wanted to stand in a puddle of dripping milk, then so be it—you should have finished your notes yesterday, and you couldn’t get through your other tasks without catching up first.
“Look, I already said I was sorry. I shouldn’t have kept bothering you for your number when you’d already said no,” Kokichi starts, wiping dripping milk from his chin, “Now, will you please call off your guard dog.”
You don’t reply immediately, focused on finishing the last paragraph of the page, much to Kokichi’s dismay, and Nobara’s amusement. He huffs at your silence, frustrated and humiliated, but there’s nothing for him to say or do until you respond. Maybe that’s something he should have considered when he kept trying to talk to you in class. Still, even now, you’re not ignoring Kokichi to embarrass him or string him along; you just want to finish your godforsaken anthropology homework.
“You seem to be under the impression that I can make Megumi start or stop doing anything,” you sigh, put your highlighter down, and tiredly look up at Kokichi, “But I regret to inform you that you’re wrong.”
Kokichi’s nose scrunches in disbelief, an angered hand coming to wave in front of his face, but his dripping clothes result in splashes to his face—and further laughter from Nobara. He sighs out of frustration, trying to put away his pride, but Nobara’s giggling and your nonchalant attitude are really making it difficult for him to take this in stride.
“Okay, you’re fucking with me—and I deserve it, alright? But, Todo already gave me a fucking lecture, Mai won’t look at me, and Megumi is going to rip and stain every single shirt I own at this point.” 
“That sounds like your problem,” Nobara snickers, rolling her eyes when Kokichi gives her a glare. 
“I'd love to help, Muta, but this is out of my control,” you loll, capping your marker, “Maybe try apologizing to Megumi instead of dripping chocolate milk over notes and shoes.”
“Eh? The hell am I apologizing to him for?” 
“You’re the one who pissed him off—how should I know?” you sigh, sliding your pens and markers into your bag, and closing your folder. 
Nobara pipes in to taunt, “You’d better figure it out soon, though. I hear they’re serving spaghetti tomorrow, and that definitely stains.” 
You swear you hear Kokichi growl, but it only makes Nobara laugh harder. The two of them together is a bad combination—Kokichi is easily aggravated, and Nobara easily aggravates. You’re certain that if Megumi weren’t already on his ass, Nobara would have stepped in to bully him just for the fun of it.
Still, you’d rather not have to testify on either of their behalf, so you bid Kokichi a goodbye, offering him your best advice about cleaning milk stains out of white shirts, and drag Nobara by the arm before she can make another quick quip to finally make him snap. 
She’s still laughing at Kokichi’s expense all the way back to your dorm, “As much as I like seeing Megumi pummel Muta, he’s definitely gonna get written up, at the very least, if he keeps it up. Just tell him you’re not mad about it anymore, and he’ll piss off.” 
You stuff your hands into your pockets, “I don’t control megumi. I didn’t tell him to egg Muta’s car, and pour milk all over him. ” 
“Like hell you don’t,” Nobara scoffs, “Kokichi was right about one thing—Megumi’s a doberman on a leash and you’re his owner.” 
“I didn’t even tell him that Kokichi kept asking for my number. I’m pretty sure Todo told Yuuji, and Yuuji told Megumi.”
“Yeah, that’s almost worse,” Nobara huffs, “He’s just moved to protect you out of undying loyalty—it must be nice to have a knight in shining armor. Does he call you ‘my liege,’ when you’re alone? He might as well bow down and kiss your shoes with the way he worships the ground you walk on.”
You know Nobara is teasing. The rhetoric that you have influence on Megumi isn’t new to you, but it’s always confusing for you to hear. You’ve known Megumi since grade school, and one thing you’re certain of is that he does things of his own conviction, and when he’s decided something, there’s little anybody can do to convince him otherwise. He’s the true definition of steadfast, and sometimes you wonder if his beliefs have inadvertently made him gain masochistic tendencies, because you’ve seen Megumi suffer in pain just to prove a point. 
“Megumi’s his own person, and he’s not easily influenced,” you chuckle, “If anything, he’s more of an attack dog—he bites whenever he sees something he doesn’t like.”
“In any case, he’s your dog,” Nobara shrugs. She pauses for a moment, skipping to catch up to you with a scrunch to her face, “I change my mind though, he’s definitely not scary enough to be a doberman. What are the puffy ones—the really small ones that yap a bunch?” 
“Pomeranians?”
She lights up—“Yeah, that’s way more fitting! Plus, he’s got spiky hair like those little mutts, a really bratty, spoiled one too. Gojo probably kept him in his Birkin as a kid.” 
You giggle as Nobara searches for an image to compare to one of Megumi. She goes as far as to make a collage and send it in your group chat for approval, instantly getting a rave reaction from Yuuji, and predictably, no response from Megumi.
Nobara walks you back halfway to your dorm, leaving you on your own to head to the gym to meet up with Yuuji. When you get back to your room, you’re not surprised to already see Megumi inside, sitting snugly on your worn-in couch with a book in hand. It’s Wednesday, so he only had morning classes, and prefers to spend his afternoon studying in solace, usually taking advantage of your larger, empty room to get his work done. He gives you a small wave, enraptured in his reading, and you know better than to try and disturb him, so you take your place on the opposite side of the couch with the remainder of your notes in hand, finally having the peace and quiet to finish your annotations. 
Megumi finishes his chapter before you’re done, but he waits for you, quietly scrolling on his phone so as not to interrupt you. You don’t face him when you speak, keeping your eyes on your notes, and simply stating, “Kokichi apologized.”
You hear him hum. you know he’s looking at you, but you don’t meet his gaze, and do your best to bite back a smile before he asks, “You forgive him?”
You finish your annotations with a final asterisk at the bottom of your page, so you cap the marker, and finally turn to face Megumi. He doesn’t ask a second time, even as you silently observe him, even if your smile is confusing to him.
“I wasn’t ever really upset,” you explain, “It was annoying, but he wasn’t harassing me or anything.” 
He hums again, but it’s not agreeing. “Tsumiki is gonna get mad if you get suspended.” 
Megumi calls your bluff with his hum this time, and you sigh. Tsumiki won’t get mad, because Megumi would never get suspended, not as long as Gojo is around as headmaster.
Megumi turns his body inward, raising an arm to rest his elbow against the cushion of the couch. He lolls his head to rest against his palm, cheek squished, and almost mischievous glimmer in his eye. In this light, you see Nobara’s argument—with sleep-tousled hair and expectant eyes, Megumi looks an awful lot like a puppy waiting for a command. 
It’s cute, until you realize that Megumi is awaiting your command. Is he?—why would he, he’s never been known to listen, and yet, you’re tempted to see if you truly do have him on some proverbial leash, like everyone else seems to believe.
“Megumi,” you call, softly, “He’s learned his lesson, and I’m fine, alright? Leave him alone.”  
Megumi blinks slowly. His features soften, only for a moment, before he’s turned away from you to pick up his book again. He doesn’t respond verbally, doesn’t touch on the topic for the rest of the evening that you both spend studying in your room, but the following day, you walk past Kokichi and Miwa heading into their chemistry lab, and notice a distinct lack of milk or food residue on his clothing or in his hair, so there isn’t anything more to be said.
Megumi is waiting outside of your lecture hall after your last class of the day, offering you a carton of strawberry milk—unopened, and un-thrown. You accept it, reaching up to ruffle his hair as a thank you, and you’re surprised when you feel him move into your touch. He dips his head down a bit further, gently knocking it against yours before straightening up with a sly smile. He nods his head, wordlessly, and turns towards your dorm, ready to walk you back. 
You follow, dazed, as you stab the straw into your milk. You’re a half-step behind Megumi, head clouded with confusing new daydreams about the boy in front of you, and now you can’t help but to wonder if you’re the one left to follow Megumi’s whim, or if he’s just pulling you by his own leash. 
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btnclmrttn · 8 months
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How they react if you send a spicy picture (OPM) (+18)
Under the assumption they have a phone imagine having to email a nude asdghdksvs
(bored and horny tbh I'll figure out the other three boys later 😭)
Saitama
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💛"Wow, you have no idea what I'd do for some of that right now"💛
If he didn't turn so red in the face he could probably play it off in public if he were to open it. Has definitely cracked his screen on accident over the shock/initial embarrassment of hoping no one saw that.
Always a pleasant surprise when he's alone. He's probably bored anyway. One of the best cures he could have in those moments is "excitement". Exchanging texts and nudes gets him super jittery, and he loves the addictive anticipation.
Building up self confidence slowly, but is rather shy with returning the favor. He doesn't wanna be unfair and not send any at all, but they usually are just body shots, seldom face. Muscles like that though? It's hard to get a bad angle on a body like that
Like 2 saved in gallery max. Would just rather have the real deal, but the couple he keeps is because they're generally pleasant for him to look at. Huge sucker for panties/boxer shots. They don't have to be full nudes for him to get riled up. He can confidently return his own underwear shot as well! (fucking love me a dick print pic ughhh)
Genos
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🩵"Oh you're perfect. I would love to see more of that angle"🩵
Around the public he doesn't show visible embarrassment, but he's very quick to pull up his phone. That could be the only obvious tell he's looking at something he doesn't want anyone else to see.
Full attention on you for sure if you managed to send at a time when he was alone. No matter where he is he's quick to respond, but much more detail and thought is put into responses when alone.
Always will return the favor. Has a couple of his own in his gallery if he was ever out and received one. It's only fair in his eyes! They're also never basic he makes an effort to look like the prettiest boy for you and he does a damn good job. Not only is the cyborg body cool, the way he takes pictures with angles and perspectives makes it much more sexy.
Yes he saves all of them it's taking up a huge space on his phone storage that's also photos of you in general. Doesn't really have an urge to get off to the photos or texts because it's never the same or as satisfactory, but he still likes to appreciate them because you're attractive. (Lemme throw in though that he would definitely love to get riled up to your voice/phone sex. He would end up hanging up and showing up shortly if he's over excited)
Garou
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🖤"fuckkkkk just you wait till I get my hands on that"🖤
Around people he doesn't get super embarrassed, and couldn't care. Will try to keep his phone close and low key as he studies your body so no one else sees what's just for him. If it's around Bang he might have a fuss or a fumble.
Might take his time to respond, but he's definitely not ignoring you. He's taking that shit in every fine detail he can see like you're a work of art. The pauses between all his messages is just him drooling over you
He'll send back, but not the full deal. Garou can make more of a game out of the tease. Loves sending pics back of his dick print through his pants (usually sweatpants yessirrrr) to show you what you just did for him. Will progress to more skin, like his abs and hem of his boxers, until you get some real nice pictures~
He's got a couple few favorites that never fail to get him off. Any shot from an angle above you will be saved definitely. Although, he ends up not getting completely satisfied taking care of it himself with pictures/texts alone. It's a last resort kind of thing if he knows he can't see you. If he knows your wear abouts, he will just show up.
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zoropookie · 1 month
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HOW HATERS ARE BORN (HHAB)
♡ chapter twenty-three — friends? (💋)
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"Hey, if any reason we don't make it out without anyone seeing us, I just want to say that," You paused to look at him while you two were walking. "I think I’d rather be in a dating scandal with an insulin pen than you."
The corners of his lips twitched. "Wow." He said sarcastically, attention mainly on where he was going. "I never knew you were capable of thinking."
"My brain power’s not for free, just so you know," You immediately responded. "I changed my mind what I said earlier. I want at least three Twitter apologies and a lifetime supply of Jason Derulo concert tickets."
Scaramouche's eyebrows furrowed, giving you the nastiest side-eye that you could have ever imagined from him. "I'd rather take my chances with the scandal, thanks.”
You rolled your eyes, nudging him lightly with your elbow. You couldn't help but look at him a lot more than usual today. The allure that rang true put him in a different light, despite the light not being your cup of tea whenever he opens his mouth.
It was almost like the gravity of the situation didn't matter anymore. Still, you remained high and mighty. "I guess I'd want to be around me too."
"You're very sure of yourself for someone who's annoying every other day of the week."
"I’ll take it. It's why I exposed you so bad, and you flailed." You smiled, which caused Scaramouche to grunt in frustration. "You got burned, and you knew it too. Despite all odds, I kind of won."
"You did? Is that why you went AWOL for two weeks when I responded?" There was a split moment of silence between them as they stood there, and Scaramouche chuckled. The sound was low and throaty in the dimly lit alleyway. "All the considering, and this is very painful to say, but you were better with words than I was."
"Is that... another COMPLIMENT I HEAR COMING FROM YOUR-? I forgot it’s three in the morning." You sighed, shoulders dropping. "I'm satisfied with being the cunning wordsmith."
“You’re also just pretty fucking unfortunate to be around, but we can stroke your ego.”
“I love that you’re taking the diplomatic approach here.” You teased, feeling your heart warm up from his staring. Both of you looked at each other, uncertain to say anything, but hesitant to break the eye contact.
“Hey— uh.” You continued, stammering on your words. “If this all blows over? You wanna…go out?”
The amount of silence that was between them should have been enough of an indication to you, but you definitely knew it was solidified once he looked at you with a blank stare. “No.”
“Yeah, no. I started feeling like I was going to vomit when I said that anyway.” You quickly recovered, turning your body away to bite at your hand. Your eyes squeezed tight in embarrassment, hoping that you melt by some galactic beam in the next two seconds.
Amongst their chatter, and the alleyway that hid both of your figures, a distant rumble slowly became louder as the sound echoed off the walls. A pair of headlights pierced the darkness, and the beams of them against the worn down pavement on the curb assured them that it was definitely the group.
"Come on, come on!" Hu Tao shouted from the window, making you and Scaramouche cringe. She clearly found joy from this, because for some reason, the smile plastered on her face spoke volumes.
You both shared a fleeting glance, a silent exchange of words before entering the car.
"Well, well, well. If I would have known that Scaramouche himself would be in my car, I would have put 3/4th's water in my gas tank." Heizou raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with amusement and mirth.
"Oh, be nice." You pursed your lips, squinting. "Like you made an effort to help me out in the past. Now you're on your high horse?"
"Um, that's alleged."
"Really? Is it? How's that case against (Y/N)'s hater going, Officer Shikanoin? Found any way to protect them?" Lumine spoke up, her arms crossed stubbornly. "Well?"
"Listen! I was given a very narrow band of things that I can do with that! Aaaand, my hands were tied with a lot of other things." Heizou defended.
"Yeah, I'm sure your hands were tied with all the Cheetos you were picking up, the ones you spilled in some sawdust." Yanfei chimed in with a wry grin. "But I suppose I can't blame you for your...preferences."
"You knew that was an accident."
"Oh Heizou, I never saw it as an accident."
The two of them were arguing so much with input from the others in the car, that you and Scaramouche could only look at each other again and back at the scene. This was the only way the two of you were getting home safe from social media.
"You wasted 2 hours picking up every single one-"
"I don't see how this is relevant to where we're going right now!" Heizou immediately interrupted her before she could finish. "Directions, anyone? Before I hit a dead end?"
Yanfei immediately started tapping on her phone screen, pulling up the GPS navigation app she used. "So you turn left, but the rest of it is all you." She said, shoving her phone towards Heizou who snatched it out of her hand.
"Where are we going anyway?" Hu Tao asked, too enamored in Yanfei to say anything substantial until now.
"Ei has a vacation lodge, it's pretty cool, and it has way too many guest rooms. We're going there, I assume you have a key to it, Scaramouche?"
Scaramouche couldn't even respond properly, only offering a yard long stare. "How do you know she has a vacation lodge?"
"Did you forget that you're an influencer?" Another mysterious voice, almost similar to a child’s, appeared suddenly.
Nahida’s head popped up from the back seat, next to Lumine. It was less surprising knowing that all of them were clashing groups, anyway. But Aether’s eyes narrowed to the front seat.
“Officer Shikanoin…” Aether said in almost a disgusted tone. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“It’s definitely NOT what you’re thinking right now—” Heizou took his hands off the wheel, causing the car to swerve for a split second. “DEAL WITH IT, okay. I’ll explain when we get there.”
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previous ♡ masterlist ♡ next
YOU ARE on your way to being one of the hottest streamer in your nation at the moment, racking a monthly average of 10 million viewers, but something specific bothers you about it. you know that a lot of people hate you, but there's this one account. one account that's been following you since the early days of your career. they leave a flood of rude comments in your stream, your moderators banned each account they made, but they keep making more. you are at the end of your tether. but you are yet to find out that this persistent cockroach is none other than your friend's friend (and the only other streamer that's bigger than you), scaramouche.
taglist ♡ @thystarsshine @veekoko @gumickajolli @simonisferal @kamiboo
@justpeachyteastea @feiherp @pinkismyfavcolor @aether-darling @kunisnaomi
@keiiqq @mine-lu @featuredtofu @danhenglovebot @k4zushi
@kyon-cherri @b4tm4nn @iiinaurate @quacking-simp @auroratumbles
@kookiibun @ulquiorraswife @amvpk01 @simplysm1le @h3xi2g0n3
@alatusorrow @scaranthropy @mellowberrie @magica-ren @vernith
@kabukipookie @bananasquash @suqarlaced @dellalyra @lightyagamifan
@yourfavoritefreakyhan @heartsforseo @yomishen @pwushizz @swivy123
@strxwberryfetish @ibyobi @ashfrommars4 @chemiru @ainnofinway
@agaygothicmushroom @levianamor @dragontammerz @wth121 @lylovw
@morgyyyyyyy @lovemari @suniika @melpomenelurks (bold users means i'm having trouble tagging you)
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maxislvt · 11 months
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pls tell us more about omega!wanda x beta!nat x alpha!reader 👁👁
warnings: amab!reader (no gendered terms), smut, omegaverse, sub!reader, dom! WandaNat, pegging, voyeurism, collaring, mating claims, breeding kinks, spanking, threesomes
i said I was gonna sleep but that's nawt happening so uhhh here!
okay so similar dynamic to my usual omega!wanda fics. You're rather soft and sappy for an alpha. since you face a lot of bullying for it, you hide your identity at work and don't really pursue a relationship because you've always been told that no omega would want an alpha like you.
for this I'd like to think Wanda and Natasha are a match made in hell. they're not dating each other yet. they have feelings for each other but both of them are really dominant and lack interest in being submissive so they're hesitant to commit
They both have their eyes on you before they even figure out you're an alpha. at first it's like a game for them. the first one to take you out on a date gets to do all the nasty and inappropriate things they want to you and tease the other for not getting you first!!
however that goes out the window really fast because they realize you're really bashful and it's just too cute to keep from the other. also you tend to turn and run the second you think you'll be alone with one of them for even a second.
Wanda is subtle. the way she touches you seems so innocent and kind that you almost ignore how close she is to your crotch. You usually don't catch on to her innuendos until much later into the conversation. She never forces you to stay but something is always compelling you to stay put and listen
Natasha on the other hand is very bold and doesn't hold back. sometimes you're literally pinned down and forced to deal with all her perverted comments. you couldn't run away even if you wanted to. her intentions are very explicit and there's little room for what she wants to do with you
it only gets worse when they find out you are an alpha. mainly because their nasty little fantasies can get really explicit now but also because they know exactly how to tease you. they never push too hard, but just enough to get you worked up
you don't know that they know but after falling victim to their coordinated attempts at courting, you assumed that they guessed incorrectly about what rank you are. in an attempt to have some peace, you make this grand reveal to them and they're so unphased. in fact, they're more focused on how good your scent is more than anything.
one thing leads to another and suddenly you're sandwiched between the two of them and fucked out of your mind. they don't even let you put up another act about how alphas should behave and keep you spoiled in bed all day until you stop pouting and promise to give them a fair chance
they do make an effort to take you on nice dates and buy you actual courting gifts. they're really expensive and have a lot of thought put into them. some of them are literally just sex toys they wanna use on you at a later date. like the first thing they buy you is a vibrator and lube. the hope was that you'd be curious but too inexperienced to do it on your own and come running to them
they're very horny romantics. so their claim bites on are either layered on top of each other to make a heart or symmetrical somewhere on your body. the choice is yours but I think it'd be the same way on all three of you.
anyways, you guys are a very practical pack I feel. the three of you would love to have everything be matching and constantly do cuddle piles but it doesn't always get to happen. sometimes it's as simple as one of you is on a mission and can't do the cuddle pile. other times it's the simple fact that Wanda likes to wear pajama pants, you only sleep in shorts, and nat typically goes without pants when sleeping.
and I think that practically carries over into sex as well. in my mind Wanda and Nat are a complementary pair. Wanda is soft and Natasha is strict. That isn't to say they can't come together and spoil or tease you though.
if it's just you and nat or you and Wanda, the whole scene was likely recorded and there's a million photos of how you looked.
Wanda prefers to get you really deep into subspace and wait until you're practically leaking through your underwear before stripping you naked and filling your ass to the brim. she'll let you cum as much as you want so long as you're good and let her have fun too
Natasha likes to tease. She'll edge you for hours before she even thinks about pegging you. Nat is not above spanking you just for fun! After she's marked up your skin and left you a sticky mess, she'll spank your ass bright red until you have a hand print
80% of the time they top you together is to spoil you. it doesn't have to be a special event, but they like making you feel good together and watching you make a mess of yourself. they'll stretch your ass out with both of their straps and go for as long as they can.
The other 20% is always a punishment and not even Wanda's pampering nature can save you. If you break their rules, then you have to suffer the consequences. Since Natasha is a sadist and spanks you all the time, they get a little more creative. They fuck each other right in front of you and make you edge yourself with a simple fleshlight.
The only time they let your top is if you're in a rut and that doesn't mean you're not subbing. most of the time, you're breeding Wanda while Natasha is controlling your hips and keeping you in check via a collar.
Natasha likes to watch while you and Wanda fuck out your cycles. Maybe she'll ride you during rut if she's really horny and wants to be knotted but she prefers to watch you try and act all dominant and tough sometimes.
also their straps are enchanted and they love fucking your face. Natasha likes actually fucking your throat but Wanda just thinks you look absolutely adorable on your knees and desperate to please her.
the aftercare is always wonderful. they follow a similar routine even if they're not fucking you together because it's tailored to what they think you need most after sex. cuddles and a bath are mandatory, even if Wanda has to drag you to the bathroom with her magic. if they've tipped you together, they prefer you just go right into taking a nap but they will let you watch TV or play a videogame if they weren't too rough.
honestly they seem like the type to not even consider sex if they know you haven't eaten anything, but they still keep a few in the mini fridge just in case you need something.
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dee-the-red-witch · 1 month
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Okay, I need to be serious and put this somewhere for one because I need to let people know wtf is going on in full because it affects a lot of shit, because I need to talk about it, and because I need to figure out what I'm going to do.
The relationship with S, my now separated, still cohabitating and coparenting with former partner has been getting worse and worse. She has barely worked since January has made minimal efforts at best in helping with childcare, has borrowed over seven grand in total from myself and other sources that I know of to lose all of it in an online honeypot scheme, has as yet barely done anything to try and recover those funds and because of all of this, left me in the situation of having to drain everything from my transition gfm just to cover april's rent and some of the bills, and then left me still having to fundraise just this week to cover stuff.
On top of this she's still being inadvertently (I'm assuming) transmisogynistic on a regular basis. And refuses to learn or do any better, unless, you know, I'm actively calling her out in the middle of it, and even then it's a whole other fight, that often turns into other abuses lkke her threatening to just immediately abandon me with the kids.
I don't feel remotely safe here, i am in constant stress, I can't focus well enough to work even when I'm not being constantly interrupted for things, and financially there is no way I can keep doing all this. I'm also physically exhausted from all this plus the workout regime I'm having to pull to get down to surgery weight (though with my recovery fund getting constantly emptied, part of me is in Does It Even Matter mode, while the rest realizes that somehow a gym full of cishet people in lynnwood is somehow SAFER than here.)
I don't know what to do. I don't really have options, and i need out. Affording here on my own would be equally impossible, so forcing S out isn't really a great option. I'd need around 6k a month to cover EVERYTHING fully doing it as a business, and there just isn't enough coming in. I need help and I need options.
And I'm aware that yeah, just. A bigass rant with context missing in parts and no real call for action or anything. Mostly I want folks including customers to know what's going on. Please don't cancel existing orders, I'm still working to try and fill them. Please don't send me resource links for shelters and such. I'm not running yet. Ideally, I need an out, and a place on my own free and clear, but I don't know how to get there from here yet. And I'll update later eith specific asks for help if and when I figure out what those are. I just need folks to udnerstand that things are kinda sucking for me right now and it's going to be rather hard for a while.
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dizzyjaden · 3 months
Text
Oh, to be loved by an artist... ✧˚ · .
Albedo x gn! Reader
♤ Summary: Your bf Albedo makes you pose for his painting then u cuddle <3
♤ Warnings: JUST PURE FLUFF !
♤ A/N: In celebration of this man finally getting a rerun in version 4.5
*✧・゚: *✧・゚:
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*✧・゚: *✧・゚:
In the warm firelit glow of the room, dimly emphasized with orange hues by the setting sun peering in through the windows, Albedo's eyes graze over every inch of your body fervently, he sits stationed behind an easel and canvas where he is painting you. Sketching for him is a hobby that came about from his line of work. It is more often than not that sketching things he frequently studies or needs to understand better benefits his experiments. Painting, however...
Painting is more of a love language.
Albedo sketches whatever interests him, it does not take a long time to do, and it requires little material and effort. With painting, one must really stress the details to bring everything together. He paints things out of appreciation for them. To really see every feature and memorize it all.
Ever since the two of you started dating, the only thing occupying his thoughts is you. Anytime he attempts to pass the time with sketching, you're the first subject matter to advance in his mind. It only makes sense to dedicate hours to an entire full-length portrait of you. You are important to him after all.
The pose he asked you to take is candid and simple, nothing dramatic. However, you had begun to appear restless with frequent unintentional twitches across your figure. He smiles sympathetically.
"Try to focus on your breathing. It will make it easier to hold still."
A slow exhale passes through your lips. Truthfully, remaining motionless for hours is more difficult than you assumed, but you couldn't grow tired of this position you are in. Your lover is not a very affectionate person, at least not physically. He of course never turns you away when you are the one to initiate, but he rarely does so himself. You've realized over time that it isn't because he loves you any less than you love him, but the way Albedo prefers to show his affection is simply exactly what he is doing now. Penetrating through your skin with his gaze, his lips slightly parted and his eyebrows furrowed while he ingests each little characteristic on your body that has built up and brought him you.
"I'm impressed by you, my muse." He teases. "Most people struggle to maintain such a striking demeanor throughout the entirety of the session. I hope you do not mind me taking my time."
"Striking? What do you mean by that?" You hum curiously. He sighs as he struggles to find words for it.
"Some people just look... Posed." He attempts. "But you are naturally scenic... Though perhaps I'm biased. You could do anything and I'd find it devastatingly attractive."
You smile playfully and roll your eyes, realizing he has not actually touched the canvas in a moment.
"Not to rush you, but yes to rush you, I'd like to breathe soon."
Albedo nods.
"I am finished."
Your eyes widen.
"Oh, really?" You prompt, subtly asking for confirmation that you are allowed to move.
He smiles.
"I have been finished for some time. I just wanted an excuse to stare at you a while longer."
You give him an annoyed scoff as a response and immediately stretch your limbs out. The painting had to have taken at least six hours. You saunter over to where he is seated and allow yourself to practically fall into his lap. He gives your forehead a quick kiss as you nestle your head against his shoulder to observe his work on the easel.
"I think it turned out rather well." He states in satisfaction. "Though, I'm not sure the most talented artist alive could do you justice."
You are blown away by how casual he is about what he just put on that blank board you're staring at with your jaw on the ground. It's you, absolutely you. Terrifyingly realistic yet still captured in the most flattering way imaginable.
"It's... Incredible..." You mutter.
"It's a painting." Albedo sighs. "To be honest, I did like the idea of having something for me to look at when you are not around, but at the end of the day, it's still just a painting."
Once again, you're blown away by his indifference as he wraps his arms around you.
"A really good painting." You affirm. "It's very... Good-"
"You are so warm..." He murmurs quietly, seeming to have already moved on. You sigh.
Sometimes it seems Albedo does not give himself the appreciation he deserves, if you squint you'll notice that he doesn't think of himself highly in any regard. Despite his alchemical advancements, he still believes himself to be average at best when it comes to intelligence. Despite his borderline inhuman artistic skills, he does not think his work is anything of note. It makes you sad.
You don't want to bring this up now and potentially spoil the moment, though. You'll get on his case about not knowing how amazing he is later. Albedo is always busy, he is always running back and forth to get something done, but now he is quiet and still as he brushes a hand through your hair.
"Are you tired?" You ask him. He nods slightly.
"It will be dark soon..." Albedo yawned. "I'd prefer not to waste what little day is left by going to sleep early."
Thankfully you speak Albedo, so you know when he says something like that he fully intends to stay up very late, working. You yank away from him to glare in irritation, he laughs.
"I will not stay up all night, love. Promise." He smiles. You hate how adorable his smile is, you're trying to be mad at him.
"If you don't sleep, it will negatively impact my own sleep schedule." You say in an assertive tone of voice. "I cannot sleep if you aren't next to me."
Albedo doesn't seem to fully believe this since you've fallen asleep on your own nearly every day of your life until the two of you moved in together. Nevertheless, he contemplates.
"I will come lay next to you until you fall asleep-"
"No." You cut him off. "Let's go to bed."
He sighs in defeat and picks you up as he stands from the chair.
"Fine, fine." He mumbles, rolling his eyes at your victorious expression. He carries you to bed and collapses beside you instantly. His sluggish behavior warrants a giggle from you.
"I suppose today was longer than I anticipated." He admits, pulling the blankets over the both of you. "Although, I am glad we got to spend some time together towards the end of it."
You shuffle closer to him which brings him to immediately wrap his arms around you, pulling you into his chest with a sigh.
"Are you comfortable enough?" He asks. Something about Albedo is that he never stops fussing over you, he'll probably ask you the same question another twelve times before falling asleep.
"Yes." You respond simply, reaching your hands up to play with his hair. This is the best technique when it comes to shutting Albedo up. His eyes quickly flutter shut at the sensation and you smile.
"Love you Bedo." You profess. His grip around you tightens slightly at your words.
"Love you too..."
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magical-wishies · 4 months
Text
To love or not to love, that is the questio-
Ok whoops wrong reference. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I made a MV of the song "Darling Dance" by Kairiki Bear featuring my favourite little tricksters for the occasion!
I'd rather you go straight to Youtube to watch it because Tumblr always finds a way to cut the quality, lol.
Eng subtitles are available too!
youtube
Here it is! Hope you enjoy my pride and joy. Basically like a hopeful child but in video format. Reblogs are specially appreciated because Youtube sucks at promoting new channels!
This also acts as a behind-the-scenes post, so let's get straight into that, shall we?
MV Project 1 "Darling Dance"
Illustration time: 37 hours
Editing time: Approx. 30-35 hours
Total: 70 hours
*Cough* Holy freakin' moly does making an MV take so long. Before you roll off your bed, I'll say that part of the reason making the art took so long was because I have trouble drawing Marx consistently.
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Here's some unused assets! Look at them, they're all salty over not making the cut.
In all seriousness though, a lot of times I don't really see a lot of editors/ MV makers getting appreciation for their efforts. And now that I've personally experienced making an MV for the first time, it's also increased my admiration to the people who dedicate their time to this! All the kudos to them.
Now, I'll go scene by scene then comment along the way! Spoilers ahead!
Verse 1
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Pretty good for what it is. In the first image, you see that heart behind Magolor? I discovered the motion of it on complete accident lol. Capcut is hard to figure out..
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I also really like the color palette of 2nd image. That art of Marx was the last one I did during production (aka I drew it this morning), and just look at him. He's such a bastard he's the best.
Pre Chorus 1
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Mmmm yeah it sure is the pre chorus! I put a bar behind the text in the middle because I didn't want people to stare into their soulless eyes for too long. That probably worked!
1st Chorus
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When I first added in the expression change, I fangirled over it a little on the first rewatch. Like, come on! They suddenly look mischievous, and the color change on the background! I know I drew it but still!
For the rest, I experimented a little with all the "Nah"s! I think it ended up well. Most of the lyric editing in this MV is completely original, so I had a couple of things to try out!
Verse 2
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This song is horrifically outdated because it says Twitter instead of X!! (/sarcasm)
This scene is my second favourite. I'm really proud of the details on the tabs and the editing at the beginning! Wish I could put more images but the app only allows ten. Bummer.
Pre Chorus 2
I think it's cute, and I used it as my pfp on YouTube! That's about it though.. image limit is killing me I can't put anything here :(
Chorus 2
...Not gonna spoil it! I like how I drew them, but there ain't anything notable. Unless you look at the last image I put right before the bridge. :)
Bridge
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This is where my editing comes in freakin' clutch. Ooooooh it's so satisfying to look at. Chef's kiss. Also those Marxs (Marxes?) are really cute.
The second part of the bridge is nice as well! I tried to make the lyrics snap to the rhythm. Glad I added that tv effect in the bg too!
Chorus 3
This scene is my favourite! Wanna know why?
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This sequence right here. I think I will etch it into my brain forever... I love me some snappy editing. Like a lot. Like a lot a lot!
The second part of the chorus is like the original song's MV! I loved the hearts popping in and out whoever thought of that is a genius. Putting it into the MV was a good decision!
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And that's a wrap! Hope you enjoy the MV as much as I enjoyed making it. And, stay tuned for next time! I have a feeling a certain jester is getting his own solo MV...
Feel free to leave your thoughts either in the Youtube comments section or here. See you around!
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sabertoothwalrus · 2 years
Note
eep sorry if youve been asked this, but when u go abt drawing bgs for ur comics, do u look up references or use imagination, and how do u practice drawing bgs for storyboards rather than illustrations? im rlly not sure where to start, and i feel like a lot of advice focuses on rendering bgs rather than it feeling ~lived in~ or actively being used or augh not sure how to say!!
hhhh ok this is something I am also still in the process of trying to figure out, and I am not a professional storyboard artist so I will attempt to answer to the best of my ability.
when it comes to storyboards, the amount of detail bgs will have during the boards phase will depend largely on both the studio AND the specific production. some 3D shows will have a render of a commonly used room the board artists can angle around for their shots. Adventure Time boards tended to be pretty loose, while the Owl House boards are EXCEPTIONALLY clean. DTVA seems to have bgs created in a several step process, and I'm not exactly sure of the timeline, but I know they have vis dev artists that do more illustrative, conceptual drawings to get the vibe, then the board artists draw out what general angles will actually be used, then layout artists/bg designers who actually go in and DRAW those bgs and add in all the little details, and THEN the colorist comes in and...colors it. I don't think every studio distributes the work in this same way. Not every studio is going to want board artists to draw clean backgrounds, but MOST will get pissed if you refuse to draw them at all djfhgdjf
If you want some tips about adding small details, this has some really useful advice.
I don't add lighting or grayscale values to my comics unless it's important to the tone/clarity, and I think that's generally the case with boards too (at least for TV, I don't know as much about boarding for feature). Here's some advice about adding lighting.
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^ here's a bg I put a little more effort into than usual. I referenced some images of thrift shops I pulled up on duck duck go, some of my own memories of thrift shops I've been to, and even went on the shiftythrifting tumblr. This was just a silly comic I knew I'd be posting on tumblr rather than a serious board, so it didn't matter to me if it was perfectly clean or not. some of the shapes are... vague. and loose. but who cares sdjhfjd I think (?) it conveys the concept that this is a thrift shop.
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^ for THIS comic I wanted imply hunter crowded them in the bathroom to "talk in private" which felt like a very 16 year old thing to do + there were already some nifty references of the Noceda's bathroom. and listen I know it's not perfect. I didn't draw ANY perspective guides, did more trial and error than I probably needed to, the cabinet is WAY too high. (even in the original, why is this bathroom so spacious???? why is the toilet so far from the wall where the toilet paper is???) but even with all the mistakes, it doesn't matter! no one probably noticed while watching. you see it so briefly, and your attention is still focused on the characters.
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I'd say the main thing when drawing bgs for storyboarding & comics is to focus on Perspective and Composition above all else. It's ok to be loose, but make sure you still have Clarity. Be mindful of proportion ("how big is this character in comparison to the objects around them?") and angles ("if this is a low angle, shouldn't I be seeing the ceiling/sky?") etc etc because even if you know you won't be drawing it perfectly, it helps to still have it in mind.
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enden-agolor · 4 months
Note
How do you think Stella meeting Binta for the first time would go?
(I can't remember if they interact or see each other in the game)
They actually don't interact in game at all 😔 Which is so darn unfortunate.
However ☝️
I like to think the way they meet up is that directly after the events of season 2, Jesse stays in BeaconTown obviously and is simultaneously working on getting the town back in order, providing care and resources to those affected while the Admin brought chaos to his town, and also trying to figure out what to do with the people of the Underneath. For a while, since Jesse and Binta are both leaders, they both work with their people to help liven up town again. Of course some people from the Underneath decide to leave Beacon to find themselves in the new world. Binta stays behind though and at some point in time, out of genuine curiosity, has a talk with Jesse in regards to Champion City, which is still a pile of rubble in BeaconTown's distance. Jesse explains Stella and her situation, and Binta can sympathize with her being a leader herself who too struggled to help her people. So once she's confident that the residents from the Underneath who decided to stay in Beacon are all situated, she decides to go to Champion and offer her help.
This is where she meets Stella and boy, is she something. Binta, unlike Jesse, immediately finds Stella's egotistical personality somewhat charming. It's not something she experienced often with her people who mostly expressed dread and sorrow for their living situation. I can't imagine true happiness was ever found while living in the Underneath. To see someone so into themselves the way Stella is, it compells Binta to put in the extra effort to get to know her. Like really get to know her.
I like to think at first Stella is kind of put off by the idea of needing help from an outsider, but after the Admin's reign of destruction, she's softened up to the idea and keeps a more open mind now rather than just pushing Binta away and boasting about how she doesn't need help.
Binta is like, really great at keeping Stella in line too. Teaching her proper and more respectful ways to talk to people. People have obviously tried before, but Stella would just push them away or act condescending towards them. Binta though has incredible patience. I mean look how she lived for god knows how long? Stella could be snappy at her, and Binta would just stand there, hands on her hips unfazed kind of just waiting for Stella to give her a proper response, and honestly? It works. Stella's attitude changes towards her once she realizes its not working, and it eventually happens towards her own people. Never Jesse though she is still the same towards Jesse forever and always 💀.
It's not exaclty a "first interaction" kind of response, but more how I'd think they'd act around each other in the beginning. For first interaction, I'll have to really think about it. I'd love to write a fic about them some day.
Anyways I like to think Binta falls first and Stella falls harder 🫶 Once they get married it's GayTown vs LesbianCity.
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writersdare · 1 year
Text
Keep It Quiet | Ashton Irwin
Pairing: Ashton Irwin x Reader (she/her)
Summary: Ashton and Y/N kept their relationship a secret for a while, but one interview made the things a little complicated.
Warning: none
Word Count: 1 819
Author’s Note: I figured I'd write a little piece about Ash, so this came to my mind. I hope you'll enjoy reading it. Maybe I should write the 2nd part? Let me now. Requests are open ♡
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It’s been few months since Ashton and Y/N kept their relationship a secret. Obviously, the friends and close people knew, but for others it was still unknown, even though, fans were guessing everything right from the very beginning. To be fair, they started to talk about these two a year ago, when Ashton and Y/N only met. They were good friends at first, yet, people were constantly asking if they were dating. Perhaps, it was just too noticeable they were always drawn to each other.
In any case, no one had a desire to scream about the romance just yet. Ash and Y/N wanted to keep it private before sharing their little secret to the world. Three months felt more like a year, though, as that’s for how long their feelings were blooming. They moved in together rather quickly, it happened almost naturally and no one even thought it was a rushed decision. Maybe because Y/N was used to stay at his place anyway, before they became a thing.
They met at work, so it was double awkward at first. Y/N was responsible for a creative part of the band’s new album, no one obviously planned to become that close. She preferred to keep her personal life and the job separate, and the guys were always like that, too. After all they were professionals. Ashton was taking it even more seriously than others, that’s why it was so hard for him to make the first move. It was a totally relief, though, when the work was done, and Y/N became more of a friend for everyone. They were constantly going out all together, and that’s when Ashton figured it was the right time to act.
“How about this one?” he entered their bedroom in a black patterned shirt and dark jeans. The guy looked at Y/N in the mirror, while she was doing her hair. 
The album just came out, and the weeks were busy with the press. Apart from music, the band put a lot of effort into a visual part, and as a creative director, Y/N was attending some interviews with the guys to explain the whole art concept behind the album. 
The girl looked at her boyfriend in the mirror, but then turned to Ash and made a short step back to see his outfit fully. The musician was staring at Y/N, waiting for her verdict.
“Uh… I like the first variant better.”
“Really?!” he sighed and threw up the hands in the air, being annoyed he had to change again.
“You look good in this one, too, babe. I just like you in that velvet jacket better,” Y/N shrugged and came back to her hair.
“No, I guess you’re right,” he mumbled, looking at himself in the mirror. “Plus, if I put on a black shirt, it’d be better with the velvet,” Ashton concluded and glanced at Y/N, hoping to hear her opinion again. He was always like that, if the guy was unsure about something, he’d prefer people to tell him the same thing few times. As if he was checking if they were certain.
But Y/N only nodded, focusing on the curling iron.
“Are you nervous?” Ashton sensed her mood immediately and touched the girl’s shoulder. She looked amazing, and the musician made sure she knew that.
“Just a bit,” Y/N said honestly.
“It’ll be alright, sweetheart,” Ashton gently kissed her temple and smiled a bit, looking at her in the mirror. The girl gave him the same warm smile.
It was getting harder to keep everything private, as on the interviews they’d be asked about their relationship all the time, and it was annoying. Of course, managers were giving a set of questions hosts were not allowed to touch, but they couldn’t put them two on the list, otherwise it’d be too obvious.
“When is your car coming?” Y/N asked, when Ash went to the bathroom to change the outfit again.
“In twenty minutes. Yours will be in half an hour. Will you make it?” she heard his voice through the wall.
“Yeah, I’m almost done,” Y/N nodded.
Maybe it was a bit ridiculous, but rather necessary — they were going to the radio station separately to avoid too many questions.
Ashton left home earlier, and Y/N arrived shortly after the band. Introducing each other, the sign “on air” lit up, and the interview has begun. The program was going live on YouTube as well, so the lovebirds were sitting purposely away from each other. Ash was sitting in the end of the couch with Calum, Michael was in the middle, and Y/N was sitting in the corner with Luke. The interview shouldn’t have taken too long, it usually lasted about twenty minutes, so doubtfully anything bad could happen. Y/N sill felt like she was on the edge, but the presence of a friend next to the girl was calming her down. Asking the band few questions, the host drew his attention to her. 
“So, Y/N, tell me how was it working with the guys, how the process looked like? Where did the initiative come from? I know you’ve been working with some amazing musicians in the past, Coldplay, Harry Styles, the list goes on and on. Is the working process always different?”
“Um, yeah,” she smiled and nodded, relaxing a bit, as the question was familiar. The boys turned heads to her, so Ashton thought it was an okay time for him to stare, too. “I was really happy the guys reached out to me, it was exciting. The process is always very different, I mean a lot depends on the music and if, um, an artist already knows in what direction they want to go to, if the music is somewhat ready. With these guys it all went almost naturally,” the boys nodded. “I feel like when we first met, we already got plenty of ideas,” Y/N glanced at Luke, as he was sitting next to her.
“Yeah, that’s true,” he nodded. “I think it was clear from the very begging that we understood each other, you know.”
“Yeah. It was also helpful the guys knew what they wanted to see. It’s harder when someone reaches out to you with no idea or concept. Surely, it’s my job, too, but if someone has no clue, no matter what we start to do, everything would seem wrong.”
“Did you have such experience in the past?” the host continued the conversation. “When the artist would contact you, but have no idea what they wanted from you?”
“Oh, yeah,” Y/N nodded.
“Can you give a name?” everyone started laughing, Y/N shook her head, smiling.
“No… But to be fair, it still can work out in the end. It’s always fun to try different ideas, I feel like we also had really a lot, before sticking to the final visual concept.”
“Yeah, that’s for sure, we tried to be as open as it was possible to the new ideas,” Michael agreed, actively gesticulating like he always did.
“Now, Y/N, we all know what’s happening on the Internet, so I just have to ask you and Ash if there is something going on between you, guys?” the host was smiling wide, clearly trying to get the truth from them, and Y/N only hoped she wasn’t blushing.
“I’m as single as it can be,” Ashton joked and smiled, being obviously annoyed.
“Alright, you heard this first on the radio! Y/N? Do you have someone special in your life?”
Y/N had no idea how these questions were related to 5SOS and the album, but she only smiled, ignoring a little sting she got when Ash answered the question first.
“I’m single, too. I know it’s a rather boring answer, but I’m currently focusing on my projects and, well, love comes when it comes,” she nodded with a smile, and the girl could swear she felt a tension that was growing between her and Ash running through poor Luke and Michael in the middle. To be fair, Ashton was first, who answered in a particular way. He could just say they were friends. But she was also certain that they both hated to lie. They just had to. Y/N continued. “We’re all good friends, we care about each other and, I guess, maybe someone just got a wrong idea because of that,” she shrugged.
“Alright, just friends then,” the host nodded and continued the interview, which all of a sudden became more of torture.
As about five minutes left, they started to play a game “who is more likely to”. The questions were quite innocent and simple, so everyone finally relaxed and were answering openly, fooling around time to time.
“Okay, next question,” the host said, smiling. “Who is more of a mom in your group?”
“Ashton,” Michael said right away.
“Yeah, Ashton…” Calum mumbled, thinking. “Although, I’d say Y/N was taking his place– “
“Yeah, I actually agree,” Luke giggled. “Y/N is more caring, would always bring snacks or ask if we drink enough water...”
Ash chuckled and nodded, remembering a story he actually did not need to tell on the radio.
“That’s definitely Y/N,” he looked at her, smiling and trying to hold giggles. “Remember, when we just woke up the other day and…”
Everything happened as if in a slow motion. Y/N kept smiling, trying to hide the horror on her face. Calum’s eyes widened, and Michael glanced at Ash to give him a hint to shut up. Luke hurried up to interrupt and save the day.
“Oh, yes, we were renting that house for a while to isolate ourselves from the civilization and just focus on music and art, and the other morning we went downstairs, Y/N was already there, making breakfast for everyone. That was rather sweet.”
Y/N nodded with a smile, deciding to go with that story, even though it had never happened. It still wasn’t too far from the reality, she was caring by her nature, indeed. And the girl definitely was coming to the studio with some snacks for everyone before.
“Yeah, that was sweet,” Calum nodded, supporting a lie. Ashton just kept smiling and nodding, feeling like an idiot. Until the end of the interview he preferred to stay silent and answer only when he was asked directly.
“Well, that was really close,” Calum commented, taking a seat in a car next to others. They were going to have another interview, so Y/N was coming with them.
“I know,” Ashton sighed. “Thanks a lot, mate,” he glanced at Luke.
“That’s alright, I think it all worked in the end,” the guy nodded with a supportive smile.
Everyone agreed with him, having no idea that meanwhile the fans were analyzing the video from the live interview and talking about Ashton’s and everyone else’s reaction when he almost told a story about him and Y/N waking up together.
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– gifs aren’t mine and belong to the rightful owner – saw them here @uservalentine
© writersdare | all rights reserved
All stories are original and written by me. Do not copy, trace and post anywhere without permission and credit. The stories are fictional, they do not correspond to reality and written just for fun ♡
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imtrashraccoon · 5 months
Text
I love snow days but the last several winters have been mild where I live so we mostly just get freezing rain. For the Americans out there, -15°C equals 5°F.
@owl-bones
First Day, Previous Day, & Next Day.
Bad Sansuary: Dust - Rival
Word Count: 1,947
The weather was awful outside. Like minus fifteen and billowing snow that made walking, let alone driving, quite dangerous. So you'd done the smart thing and elected to stay home from work. Thankfully, your coworkers had apparently all made the same decision, so no one would be judging you when you did go in next.
So now, you were currently sitting by your window with your thickest blanket and a half finished mug of hot chocolate. You liked watching the snow fall outside and completely cover everything in a white blanket. You also liked knowing that you were nice and cozy inside rather than out in the freezing cold.
Then you heard one of your floorboards creak, like someone had stepped on it. You glanced sharply in the direction of the sound to see who or what had caused it.
You immediately made eye contact with none other than Dust, standing in the middle of your living room with his hands in his hoodie pockets.
"hi..."
"Hi."
He stared at you for a moment and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. While you could tell he was tired today by the dark circles underneath his sockets, he didn't seem nearly as bad as some of the other times.
"so, uh, what's up?" he asked quietly as he walked over to the window.
You shrugged and took a sip of your hot chocolate. "Not much really, I'm just watching the storm and seeing if anyone's stupid enough to be outside in this weather."
"fun..." His tone of voice actually sounded completely serious rather than sarcastic, which for a moment threw you for a loop. He sat down on the floor next to you and leaned his skull against the window panes.
A smile played on your lips and you couldn't resist teasing him a little bit. "So what's the deal today? Colleague driving you up a wall again? Boss working you too hard? Did Axe finally find out you've been secretly hanging out with his best friend?"
His mismatched eyelights flicked to you and he cracked a wry smile. "nah, although the colleague has been as pleasant as ever."
You chuckled and finished up the last of your hot chocolate. "Are you just here to take up space on my couch or something then?"
He glanced over at your couch with an almost wistful look. "that sounds pretty tempting actually..." he muttered.
"You're like a stray cat or something with how often you hang out here now."
He gave you a weird look but didn't deny it. "your place is quiet and comfy..."
You hauled yourself to your feet and wrapped the blanket tighter around your shoulders. On your way to the kitchen to put your dirty mug in the sink, you called back, "Did you want anything while I'm up?"
"nah, i'm fine..." he answered.
By the time you'd returned to the living room, Dust had predictably made himself at home on your couch. He'd done it so often by now that you swear the cushions practically molded to his body whenever he sat down on them.
"As much fun as laying around and doing nothing all day sounds, I'd rather spend time doing something with you." You tapped your chin thoughtfully before an idea sprang to mind. "How about a board game? Those are always good for stormy days like today."
He briefly raised his head from the couch cushions and you thought there seemed to be a glimmer of curiosity in his eyelights for a moment. He shrugged but didn't make any effort to get up.
"depends on the game..."
You opened the small cabinet where you kept the few board games you owned and some old puzzles that were doomed to be forever unfinished. "I got Uno, a couple decks of playing cards, Chess, Dominoes, Monopoly..."
"you know how to play chess?" he asked suddenly, ignoring every other suggestion.
"Hm? Oh yeah, I was in my high school's chess club a while back."
You figured Chess was probably the best game to play with Dust anyways as it required little effort and wasn't generally a chaotic game. Now that you thought about it though, he kind of seemed like a very particular type of person. He liked his coffee black with nothing added, he didn't crack jokes at the drop of a hat, and he apparently liked Chess.
You ended up hauling the coffee table a bit closer to the couch so that both of you could be comfy while playing. Dust chose to be the black pieces which left you with the white ones, not that you minded as it meant you would go first.
He seemed a little unsure of where some of the pieces went, but soon figured it out without needing to ask. You couldn't help but notice how purposefully he set up his pieces and he'd even sat up straighter to do so. His hood and gloves stayed on though, which at this point, you would've been weirded out if he took them off for any reason.
"Have you ever played before?" you asked before the game actually started. While you figured he had at least some knowledge of the game, you didn't want to assume how much he actually knew.
He made a so-so motion with his hand before answering in an off-handed kind of way. "yeah, a couple of times, it's been a while though..."
"Same actually," you hummed. "May the best mind win..."
The game proceeded fairly quickly at first. You were playing carefully to try and get a read on his skill level, while Dust just sort of randomly moved his pieces around the board wherever he felt like. It was a bit confusing as you got the impression he wasn't actually trying, especially when he'd make a pretty obvious mistake like leaving important pieces exposed.
"Checkmate," you said while sliding your bishop into position.
Dust stared at the board for a moment, double-checking that, yes, you had just won the game. Finally, he seemed satisfied and nodded slowly.
"fair enough."
You took a deep breath and stretched your shoulder muscles. You still had it, even after all these years.
He began setting the pieces up again and glanced up at you expectantly. "rematch?" he asked.
There was a sort of spark in his eyelights that you couldn't quite place. Almost like he was excited or maybe passionate was a better word. It kinda thrilled you to see and you couldn't deny him now.
"Sure, why not?" you shrugged.
You ended up playing several more games over the next few hours. While you managed to win one, Dust seemed to have found his momentum and won every other game from then on. It was kind of impressive actually, seeing him study the board and then move pieces you hadn't expected him to. You quickly realized he was probably playing at least three or four rounds ahead of each move.
You didn't mind losing to him though. It had been so long since you'd played against anyone actually challenging and you were having fun. With each consecutive game, he was getting faster at beating you and you were beginning to realize that you'd vastly underestimated how clever he was. It could also be that he was just really good at figuring out patterns though.
One surprising thing was that he started talking during the games and not just trash talk or making related comments either. He was actually talking about himself for once.
"you know that idiot colleague of mine?" he asked and shifted a rook over slightly.
"Mhm?"
"he seems to think he's better than me at everything and constantly challenges me to these stupid contests..."
You moved one of your pawns up a space and glanced at Dust to signal that it was his turn.
"he also has to be a constant pain in my coccyx and can't help purposely annoying me at all hours of the day."
"Sounds lovely..."
"it's really not... he even goes so far as to steal exp from me whenever he gets the chance." He moved one of his pawns in front of the pawn you'd just moved to block it. "i hardly stand to be in the same room as the guy..."
"I assume that's a bad thing because of the...withdrawals, as you coined it?"
"it's mostly just an annoyance but yeah."
You fell silent for a moment as you considered your next move. Dust had already taken one of your knights and both of your bishops so you weren't left with many ways to attack him. Finally, you just elected to shift your king towards the corner where he'd be more protected.
"That sucks, why do you even work with the guy if he's so awful?" you asked.
He shrugged and scanned the board for a moment. "don't have much choice i suppose... we all essentially owe our boss so we gotta keep doing whatever he wants." When you frowned slightly, he added, "it's not so bad really, i'd be stuck in an empty world for the rest of time if he hadn't found me. at least this way, i get to do stuff and travel around a lot."
"I guess that's not too bad then..."
"killer's from pretty much the same type of world as me, although he's probably even more messed up."
"I assume that's your colleague's name...?"
Dust blinked when he realized that he'd even mentioned it. "yeah...and before you ask, no, his parents didn't call him that either." He cracked a crooked smile at you before moving his queen out.
"Very funny."
"i don't actually hate the guy though, even if i probably should. we get along when it counts... i've got his back and i know he has mine, if that makes sense?"
You hummed in acknowledgement but continued to stare at the board rather than actually respond. He had you in a tight spot all of the sudden now that his queen had come to play. Actually, he'd slipped up and left one of his bishops next to one of your pawns.
So, you slyly captured his piece and smirked at him to rub his mistake in his face. "Makes sense to me," you finally answered.
He didn't even look upset and slid his rook over across the board. "checkmate."
You stared at him blankly and took a deep breath. "Wow...you're like a Chess prodigy or something." You stood up to stretch your legs before adding, "That was fun but my brain's tired. You're a great opponent though, I haven't had to think that hard to beat someone in years!"
For a moment, his permanent smile widened into a more genuine one and his mismatched eyelights seemed to sparkle. His expression shifted back to a passive one seconds later though, which was slightly disappointing. He looked good when he was happy.
When you were cleaning up your apartment later on after he left, you had a sudden thought. Did Dust like you? He had willingly hung out with you today rather than appear out of nowhere all creepy like. Maybe you were starting to get through his cold exterior shell?
You weren't about to count your chickens before they hatched. If he wanted to be friends, you would wait patiently for him, and until then, you would continue being a listening ear if he ever felt the need to open up more. He kinda seemed like the type to bottle everything up until the stress from doing so becomes too much to bear any longer.
It was strange, but you felt like some progress had been made today.
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honyakuninakunaru · 11 months
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Rather Than Wishing Upon A Star In Vain // Mithra SSR Card Story
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CHAPTER 1
(City of Stella)
As I wandered around the stalls throughout the festival, I felt a familiar figure approach me.
Akira: "Hi, Mithra!"
Mithra: "Good evening, Master Sage."
Akira: "Since we're both here, shall we browse around together?"
Mithra: "Sure, why not. I haven't got much to do anyways..."
Mitile: "Heave-ho!"
(Smack)
Mitile: "Aww, missed again... This is difficult..."
Hearing a certain someone's voice, we turned our heads towards one of the stands. There, we saw Mitile trying his utmost to score at one of the festival's games.
Akira: "Hey, Mitile, what's up?"
Mitile: "Oh! Hello, Master Sage! And Mister Mithra... I've been trying to throw this ball for so long, but I can't seem to do it right."
Mitile: "Apparently, if you manage to hit any of the prizes hung on the platform, you get to take it home with you. But..."
Akira: "Alright then, let me give it a try! Which one do you want?"
Mitile: "That bag on the right! It's got lots and lots of star-shaped konpeito in it!"
Mithra: "I can just get it for you, you know."
Mitile: "Y-You can...?"
Mithra: "All I have to do is throw the ball at it, right?"
Mitile: "P-Pretty much, yeah. Here, you aim it like thisー"
Mithra: "&lt;Arthim>"
Akira: "Whoa, the ball's floating!"
Mitile: "M-Mister Mithra, you can't do that! It's against the rules..."
Stall Owner: "Oh, Lord! A-A wizard! Y-Yer a... wizard...!"
Upon witnessing Mithra use magic, the stall's owner abruptly yelled out in distress. 
Mithra: "Well, yes, I am. I am Mithra of the North."
Stall Owner: "Mithra o' the North... I reckon I've heard that name before... They say yer a heinous tyrant, the devil incarnate himself...!"
Mithra: "Heh, you know me quite well it seems."
Akira: "(I should step in, shouldn't I...) H-He's also a Sage's Wizard, among other... things."
Akira: "Mithra's not one to resort to violence without rhyme or reason. As the Sage, I can personally vouch for that."
Stall Owner: "Aha... So yer the Sage? Well, not that I'd know even if ye were lyin' to me, but yer quite the character, millin' about with them wizards."
Stall Owner: "Ah, whatever. I suppose wizards from other countries don' really have a reason to be conning us folk. Go on, play all ya like."
Stall Owner: "That goes for ya too, lil' mister."
Mitile: "T-Thank you, sir!"
Though still slighty wary, the owner took the ball from the cage and offered it to us.
Mithra: "Good. Now, let's see..."
Mithra: "&lt;Arthiー>"
Mitile: "Umー! Just a moment... please."
CHAPTER 2
Mithra: "What is it this time? Don't you want that sack anymore?"
Mithra: "I'm going to get it for you in a bit, so just stay put, will you?"
Mitile: "I... Appreciate that, but this still feels like cheating, and I don't like that..."
Mitile: "So, I'm going to get it myself! Without magic!"
Mithra: "Goodness gracious... Nevermind."
Mithra undid the spell he had cast upon the ball. It fell and rolled on the ground, a stone's throw away from the target.
Mithra: "This is what I get for trying to be nice. How utterly vexing."
Mithra: "Oh well, not like I cared about this in the first place."
Mitile: "...Thank you, Mister Mithra. Now, watch closely. I'm going to hit it on the first tryー!"
(Some time later…)
Mitile: "Heave-ho!!"
Akira: "Mitile! You got it!"
Mitile: "Hooray!"
After many strenuous attempts, the ball finally hit the target. Having successfully acquired his prize, a satisfied smile graced Mitile's face.
Mitile: "Look, Master Sage! I got it! I really got it!"
Akira: "That's amazing, Mitile!"
Mitile: "Eheheh! I should also thank you, Mister Mithra! See, I was able to get it with my own two hands!"
Mithra: "I still don't get it. It would've been so much quicker if you had simply used magic."
Mitile: "That's true, but putting effort into making your wishes come true feels much more rewarding..."
Akira: "You wished for something, Mitile?"
Mitile: "Mhm. I heard that if you get a bunch of star-shaped things at this festival, your will get your wishes granted."
Mitile: "That's why I really wanted this bag full of konpeito. ...Here you are."
Akira: "Aw, Mitile... Are you sure you want me to have this?"
Mithra: "I'm beginning to think you didn't really want this if you're willing to share it."
Mitile: "You two stayed by my side and encouraged me to continue, so... It's only right that I give you some as thanks."
Mitile: "I'm going to look for more stars, then! See you!"
(Distancing footsteps)
And with that, Mitile skittered away merrily, the bag of konpeito tightly clutched to his chest.
Akira: "Sounds kind of romantic, doesn’t it? Collecting star-shaped things to get your wishes granted, I mean."
Mithra: "Do you actually believe that? Surely there are other, more practical ways to get what you want."
Mithra: "You have Mithra of the North standing right before you. Anything you want, I can make it come true."
Akira: "...You will do that? For me?"
Mithra: "Of course. There's nothing I can't do. Come on, ask for something. Say, anyone you want me to do away with?"
Akira: "No, I don't have anyone like that... Um, I'm a little thirsty, so if you could get me something to drink..."
Mithra: "<Arthim>"
Mithra: "Interesting. It appears Nero's making some concoction out of pressed fruits. I'll go and get it for you."
Akira: "J-Just like that?! A-Ask him first, perhaps...?"
Mithra: "He won't mind. Anything else?"
Akira: "Well... I've been walking around for a while, and I'm a little tired, so it'd be nice if I could sit down for a minute."
Mithra: "As you wish. <Arthim>"
CHAPTER 3
Akira: "Is this... A chair from the manor's dining hall?"
Mithra: "It is. Since you're used to sitting on it, I thought it'd be the best choice."
Akira: ("That's true, but... I wonder if anyone's been sitting on it until now...")
Mithra: "Come on, take a seat. What would you like next?"
Akira: "That will be all. Thank you, Mithra."
Mithra: "Really? You're satisfied with this little?"
Rather malcontent, Mithra's dark-green eyes wander off to the stall we were at earlier.
Mithra: "Since you said you wanted to collect those start things, I assume there's still something you want?"
Akira: "Well, yea, it sounded interesting, so it made me want to try it for myself."
Akira: "But, rather than collecting them to have my wish granted, I'd like to collect them for the fun of it..."
Akira: "Mitile looked so happy when he got that bag of konpeito. I mean, how can he not. They're so sparkly and pretty, just like little stars."
Mithra: "...I see. You should've said so sooner."
Mithra: "&lt;Arthim>"
(Woosh)
(Somewhere up in the sky)
Before I knew it, Mithra had seated us atop his broom. Glancing upwards, we saw the night sky, adorned with millions of stars, in all its stellar glory.
Akira: "...Wow...!"
Mithra: "You wanted the stars, right? Is this good enough?"
Prompted by Mithra's words, I reached out my hand towards the sky. Beyond my fingertips, the stars shone like polished jewels.
Amidst a sky so dreadfully dark you could get lost in it, never to return, the stars bestowed a gentle, soothing glow from afar.
Akira: "...It's so, so beautiful... I feel like if I just keep reaching out like this, I could actually grab one..."
Akira: "If I had this many stars, my wishes would all come true in the matter of seconds... Thank you for bringing me here, Mithra."
Mithra: "No need to. This is the least I can do."
A perfunctory answer typical for Mithra. And yet, his voice was laced with the faintest bit of mirth.
Mithra: "Now you know that should you ever want anything, you can come and find me."
Mithra: "I will grant you whatever it is you may want, and much better than some petty star."
Akira: "...Mm, I will. Next time I think of something, I'll definitely ask you first."
Mithra: "...If you insist."
Mithra turned around. In his eyes, I could see the reflection of the stars.
Captivated by those little luminaries said to grant one's wishes, I didn't dare blink, for I wanted to remember this view forever.
Mithra's Wish // Card Training Episode
(Manor Lounge)
Akira: "Thank you for going along with my caprices last time, Mithra."
Mithra: "You didn't ask for who-knows-what, so there's nothing to thank me for."
Akira: "Still, it made me very happy. And now, it's my turn to do something for you."
Mithra: "You mean to tell me you can grant a wish of mine?"
Mithra: "What if I asked you to make me the strongest in the world? Or to bring me the greatest legendary beast there is, so I can eat it and fill my stomach for centuries to come?"
Akira: "U-Um, perhaps something a human like me can do... For example, I could cook you your favourite meal!"
Mithra: "Hm. Let's go to my room then."
Akira: "You want me to... cook in your room? I mean, why not, I need to fetch a few ingredients firstー..."
Mithra: "We can do that later. The things you can do for me can be counted on one hand."
Mithra: "If you want to do something for me that badly, put me to sleep, please."
Homescreen Voiceline
Mithra: "No matter how long or hard you wish upon a star, there's no proof that what you want will come true. Stop wasting your time and come here. I trust you haven't forgotten you have a duty at night. If you like the stars so much, I'll simply give you some of my sugar."
ーーーーー
Biiig thanks to circ (@amoresviesse) for providing raws for this story!
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unforth · 1 year
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I've been trying for ages to figure out how to put something into words about The Youth In Fandom and I still don't think I've quite got it but I did reach an insight about it that I think is valuable enough that I'm gonna take a stab at writing it.
For starters, I want to make it clear, there is no "The Youth In Fandom Problem." Based on my efforts running the art sideblogs for danmei fandoms, I can say with a fair degree of confidence that a vast minority of people of all ages are antis, purity wankers, pro-censorship, ageist, etc. Even among people who mark their bios with their age, it's a shockingly low percentage of people under 18 who are being super weird about this stuff, and I think that's something a lot of older folks bemoaning The Younger Generation could stand to know and be reminded of. This isn't a majority, it's just a vocal minority, and tbh...that vocal minority has always been there, at least in my own fandom experiences.
That said, I've personally been the target of "y r u in fandom, old woman? Go take care of your kids!" bullshit, and yes it's definitely real and yes it definitely happens. (I am not old, I am not a woman, I was here before the people who said that to me were born, and I spend all the rest of my time taking care of my kids, so...).
All that introduction is to posit a theory:
The kinds of people who say "you should grow out of it, you're too old for fandom, etc." don't actually really...like what they like.
I know that sounds batshit. They're here blogging about it 24/7, of course they're obsessed! But I really genuinely find myself wondering...like...are they actually obsessed? Or are they just performing obsessed because that's what their peer group is doing? Are they just following along with their friends, mimicking their friends' enthusiasm, going with the flow because they're scared of what will happen if they say "actually I didn't think that show was very good"?
I ended up with this as a theory to posit because is to arrive at "you should grow out of it," you have to start with "I will grow out of it." And to get to "I will grow out of it," you have to start with "I may be into this now but I will definitely Change." And to get to "I will definitely Change," you have to start with the base assumption that loving certain types of media isn't just part of who you are, but rather a temporary persona you've assumed overlaying some deeper Self that will be revealed with time - or that's already been revealed and that you're deliberately masking for whatever reason.
Lemme put it less abstractly (but more longwindedly, lmao).
When I was 16, I was fucking terrified. There were all these things I loved - Star Trek, Hercules and Xena, Babylon 5, Slayers, Evangelion, Fushigi Yuugi, the Wheel of Time, many others - some I'd been into for years, some I'd only just discovered. And I looked at the adults in the world around me, who didn't sleep with stuffed toys, who got into long-term romantic and sexual relationships, who settled into careers that they stuck with for 20, 30, 40 years, who had heaps of responsibilities, and it was so frightening I literally had trouble sleeping at night. My senior year of high school, I trained myself to sleep with a pillow instead of a stuffie because "what would people in college think if they saw me snuggling a stuffed wolf?" That was something I was prepared to sacrifice to be An Adult (tm), something I was (irrationally) ashamed of, something that wasn't so much a part of my personhood that I couldn't give it up. When I left home to go to school at 17, I left my wolf at home. (I brought him with me a year later, and he's now on my bookshelf. Less disposable than 16-year-old me thought, as it turns out, but that's another story.) But there were things about myself I wasn't prepared to sacrifice to fit in during college. I still wore my Star Wars shirt. I still hung my anime posters. I still listened to J Pop. My roommate might judge me. My classmates might judge me. My professors might judge me. I didn't care. Loving those were part of who I was, and I wasn't prepared to give that up.
I found solace by looking at the adults in my life who hadn't had to give up their "childish fancies." I looked at my mother, who introduced me to Star Trek, and thought if she didn't have to stop loving Star Trek to be An Adult, then why should I? I looked at my grandfather, on whose bookshelves I first found the Lord of the Rings, and thought if he didn't have to give up LotR to be An Adult, then why should I? They might not wear fandom shirts, they might not go to conventions, they might not engage in the same way that I did, but they still loved these things, and it gave me hope.
When I was saw adults who still did fan things, who dressed how they wanted, who had cool hair styles or colors, who had tattoos, I thought "wow, what a cool person. I hope I get to grow up to be like them. I hope I'll be that comfortable in my own skin when I'm that age, because I'm sure not that comfortable in my own skin NOW."
I'll have to change in some ways - find A Career, figure out this "attraction" thing everyone keeps fucking talking about, buy a house, all the rest - but I'll be able to love the things I love.
I will still be "me" when I'm an adult, just Me-Plus-More.
I wanted to grow up to be that adult. I was prepared to take figurative arrows, to fight, to slog through, to retain the part of me that felt most valuable - my ability to love the things I loved without apologizing for it. And I knew I could do that, because I already had. Man, the shit people gave me in middle school for being an out-and-proud Trekkie? smh. It was baaaaad.
Time passes. Now I'm 40, and yes, I have changed. I've had more than one career. I got married. I figured out I never did have to figure out that "attraction" shit because I learned asexuality existed and. uh. Oh. I had children. I bought a house.
And I still have a bookcase of manga and I still have a Tumblr blog and I've found new fandoms - many, many new fandoms - nearly all for franchises that didn't even exist when I was 16 and so so scared that I used to literally break down and cry over the prospect of "having" to "give up childish things."
I got myself through on the belief that I'd still be me, and I was right. More than 20 years later, I AM still me.
And that's what leads me back to "why do The Youth think they'll age out of fandom?" And it leads me back to "I can only assume their fandom participation is mostly performative." Because look. This is who I was when I was 10 and read Lord of the Rings, and it was who I was when I was 12 and I started watching Star Trek when Voyager debuted, and it's who I was when I was 17 and I pulled an all-nighter to watch the second season of Fushigi Yuugi, and it's who I was when I was 21 and spent my birthday totally sober and gaming with my friends, and it's who I was at 26 when I got buried up to my eyeballs in Supernatural, and it's who I was at 37 when I watched The Untamed and knew as easy as breathing oh my god I've found the next obsession.
If it's an embraced, realized, adored part of your persona, there's absolutely no reason to think it's going to go away. And there's no reason nor need for it to. There are always gonna be people who judge others for having passions, and there are always gonna be people who embrace others for having passions, and you just gotta identify and avoid the former and find and adore the latter. If you're young, and you love fandom, and you're afraid you, too, will "have to" give up childish things...congratulations! You've got nothing to be afraid of! You never have to change that aspect of yourself!
But...I know these teens on Tumblr who are bullying others already know that because they can see us everywhere. And instead of going, as I did, "oh wow, those older people who still love the things they love are cool! how reassuring! I can be like them!" they think "EW OLD PERSON NOT ALLOWED THIS IS MY ROOM DO NOT ENTER."
And that's weird. When I try to think, "What kind of mentality would lead someone to feel that way, act that way, etc.?" I arrive at: being in fandom is something that they're embarrassed about. Something they're ashamed of, that they think is shameful. Something childish and therefore only for kids, even when the media they're a fan of is entirely made for and by adults. Something they think is made for them in that moment but that they'll be able to easily discard when they move on to more important parts of their lives. Something they know in their heart is transient. Something they're just doing because their friends are doing it.
That's when they'd think "why would an adult still do this?"
When it's something you "know" will be "just a phase," you don it like you don the identity of "high school student," something that'll get shucked a minute after graduation.
And while I found the idea of giving up fandom terrifying, I again can only assume that for these type of person, NOT giving up fandom becomes something terrifying. "Of course this is transient. Of course I'm going to change. I can't wait to change, I hate who I am now! Why did these so-called adults not change? Changing to not like this kind of thing is a sign of Maturity and Adulthood that I am eagerly waiting for, because I believe there's something wrong with being this way, and therefore I assume the adults I see doing this are immature, have something wrong with them, are childish, cannot be Doing Adulthood Right, because they didn't give up the thing."
"I know, in my heart, that I can't WAIT to change, so if they don't want to change, if they haven't changed, something must be wrong with them."
And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is the only reason. People are way too complex for there ever to be One Explanation Of All. I'm sure some of the teens who engage in ageist bullying just think they're ~cool~ and ~different~ and their name is Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way. Others are just uncomfortable with adults, with or without cause, and think "you don't belong in the same space as me." Some surely have drank the conservative kool-aid even as they've tried to change and are pantomiming the bullshit they were fed by those around them in new and unpleasant ways. Some think "this media was made for people like me and anyone who isn't like me can't possibly be engaging it in the Correct And Proper Way."
Some will grow out of it - out of fandom, or out of thinking that being an adult in fandom is wrong/bad/inappropriate/immature/whatever.
A few especially unpleasant ones...won't.
Unlike young!me, who looked at fannish grown ups and thought "wow, I could grow up to be like them, they're so cool!", you think "ew, I hope I don't grow up to be like them, they're so weird!"
And if that's you...why are you here?
If you don't actually like who are you when you're in fandom, that's okay. You don't have to stay. If you lose your friends because your interests change, then those friends stink and you didn't need them anyway; people who actually care about you will always keep by your side even if your interests and theirs diverge. But just cause YOU are performing your interest in fandom...doesn't mean the rest of us are. Some of us genuinely like it here. And you might think that's fucked up of us, but it's honestly none of your fucking business. You do what you gotta do to grow up, and leave the rest of us already-grown-ups alone.
And if you do genuinely love it and you're just scared because you think you'll have to change - that you'll reach some mystical age of majority and suddenly wake up a different person...you won't. For better and for worse, you'll still be you, so if there's things about yourself you don't like, it'd be better to start working on unpacking that psychological baggage now, because there's never gonna be a miracle point where you Feel Better And Like An Adult unless you put in the effort to change.
Teenagers...you will not grow up to be a new person. You will never give up who you are. You will grow up to be You-Plus-More.
And if that's something you hear and go "omg that's great news!" then I'm glad to be the one who told you. Take heart. There's hope. You can be you and that WILL be okay. You can face up to and grow from the things about yourself you don't like. You can learn more about yourself. You have time, and you will be able to improve yourself, to become more like the parts of yourself you like and less like the parts you hate.
And if that's something you hear and go "oh god no that's the worst" then you need to stare that reaction in the face and understand that the only way change is coming is if you make it happen for yourself. No one is strong-arming you into being a fan. If it's not for you...then stop. It's literally that easy. But don't take out your uncertainty and fear on other random people who are more comfortable with themselves than you are. Most of us are not here because of fear. We're here in the face of our fear, as a fuck you to our fear, because we also grew up being told we'd have to give up so-called childish things to be An Adult, and it turns out that was a pile of bullshit and we can have careers AND anime posters. And we can afford more anime posters, cause our parents are no longer telling us how to spend our money.
If your participation in fandom is primarily performative...just stop performing. Be yourself, and find your OWN passion, and stop shitting on the people who have managed to be more true to themselves and their own interests. You're not cool and edgy and different; you're just an asshole and a bully, and I pity you.
Anyway as you can tell from this rambly mess of a post, I haven't really gotten my finger on my point yet, but idk. I've been thinking about this and I think there's something there???
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accessories-game · 2 days
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OC Questionnaire Tag
Tagged by the lovely @talesofsorrowandofruin over on this post!
Rules: Pick an OC or group of OCs and answer the three questions posed in character. The put forward three questions of your own and tag some people.
My questions:
What's something you wish you'd figured out sooner?
How long do you think you could survive if you were lost in a wilderness?
What's the most interesting conversation you eavesdropped on?
I'll be using Stella, Layla, Ilya, Eliot & Pippa from Accessories to Murder to play along~
1. What's something you wish you'd figured out sooner?
"I suppose it might be smart for me to say asking for help. I have a frightfully difficult time reaching out for fear of being burdensome, but the results are so often not as bad as I feared. I simply can't imagine running the shop without the tireless efforts of Mr Lewis or dear Camelia."
"Simple: knowing which jobs aren't worth takin'. The amount of headaches that kinda thing could've saved me..."
"Perfect literacy for the languages I intended to speak. Such things help to keep a lower profile. Slang is also something I had difficulty with but no longer struggle with."
"There was a rather famous play that I thought I had figured out but it turns out I had it all backwards. Looking back it's all terribly obvious now but I suppose that's not the sort of answer you're looking for."
"Never agree to buy a house close to the river, no matter how good a deal it sounds. My rugs are positively ruined and I don't think any of my plants have forgiven me."
2. How long do you think you could survive if you were lost in a wilderness?
"I'm not certain about surviving in the wilderness. I've barely seen much of the outside world being more of a city girl. Let's be charitable and say a matter of hours, shall we?"
"Hmm, maybe a week? I'm no stranger to going without but a life like that sounds pretty rotten to me. I'd get done in by being bored than going hungry or anything."
"Much longer than my last attempt, which was years ago now but I remained undetected and in good health for months."
"On a good day, between 3 days and a week. I should know, I have tried before... a fascinating experience but not one I'd recommend."
"What, alone? With no one else around at all? That's not really nice, is it? I'm not sure I'd last a day lost and out there. Just the thought's put me on edge now..."
3. What's the most interesting conversation you eavesdropped on?
"I can't say too much as I was rather young at the time but I believe I overheard an assassination being planned. I didn't quite understand the full gravity of it all then and I think part of me thought that this planned hit for intended for me! I couldn't sleep for weeks afterwards."
"Ooh, the scandals I could tell you about. I tell you, some of these people just think they're stepping into a second home getting in a cab and just start spillin' all sorts to whoever's listening. Probably all just idle gossip anyway."
"Not one I am fond of remembering. It was from my time as a translator back home. It saved my life as well as the man held captive but it is also why I can never go back."
"It was never the complete conversations that I found interesting. My father, brilliant man and better detective, was as much a source of mystery to me as he is an inspiration. I remember overhearing fragments of hushed conversations with people I didn't know. I know everyone from the press to the police say he's a big part of the corrupt element in town... but I never did believe that."
"This one time, I had someone come to me looking to find his old sweetheart from before The Flood. Very tragic, very heartbreaking and... somehow I knew she wasn't dead. I took a moment, you know, to gather my wits and that and out the window, I could just heard the words of the song he had just told me this girl sang. Anyway, it turned out that she was looking for him and had been singing the song all around the streets hoping to find him. I'm sorry, I just love telling that story. I love a happy ending."
And now... I tag @vellatra @noisette-tornade @kyuponstories @raichana @teresashiho @maskedemerald and @cool-mint
Your questions:
What do you do when you are lost?
What's something mundane that gives you the creeps?
How easy is it for people to trust you?
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kalinara · 5 months
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I was skimming through my dashboard and I saw a post that I thought was really interesting.
In the post, the person stated that they missed when fandom was more interactive, when it came to fanfic writers and fan artists, rather than today, where it was like the content creators were machines that didn't need positive feedback, but were just there to create product.
I'm paraphrasing, because I can't find it again. It stuck with me for a bit though.
See, I think this is the natural effect of discouraging constructive criticism.
I can appreciate that very few people enjoy logging into their email or messages and seeing a comment regarding a project that they've spent so much time and effort on and seeing "Well, this is what I think you did wrong."
I can appreciate that for most folk, fanfic is a labor of love, something that they're sharing with the community. They're not craftsmen honing a craft, per se. They're not looking for advice on how to improve.
That's understandable. But I think it misses something really important: that constructive criticism, heck, even a polite yet negative review is still ENGAGEMENT.
It's a conversation in a way that kudos aren't. It's a conversation in a way that gushing praise really isn't.
I'm not saying a writer has to agree with the criticism. People are people and sometimes people are full of crap. But the fact that someone took the time out of their busy day to actually engage with a writer about something they created, and to talk about it, and think about it, and examine what worked for them and what didn't...
That does mean something, in my opinion. I've been a fanfic reader, primarily a lurker, since I first took baby steps onto the web in 1996. Back before AO3. Back before fanfiction.net. I remember webrings, and mailing lists, and geocities. I even, vaguely, remember bulletin boards.
As I said, I was a lurker primarily. I didn't talk much. I followed the discussions. Sometimes I'd agree with it. Sometimes I'd disagree (quite strongly). I very rarely commented or reviewed.
But when I did review, that was because I really wanted to. And when I did review, I put a LOT of effort into it. I'd talk about what I thought the author did really really well (which was a lot! Or I wouldn't have bothered.) I'd mention what didn't work so much for me, and what I thought might have worked better. It'd take hours, sometimes, to figure out exactly what I wanted to say - what I would want to HEAR if I'd written the story. I always tried to leave the kind of reviews that I wanted to receive on my own work.
I'd never write a review like that now. The etiquette's changed. I recognize that the kind of review I wrote back in 1998 would be incredibly rude now. But when I look at the comments I've left nowadays - they're quick. They're meaningless. Even on fics I've truly loved. Sometimes I don't even comment. Just a kudo. Sometimes I forget to do that. It's not personal, but I've got things on my mind.
It occurs to me that even the word is different. "comment" vs. "review". There are very different expectations.
I see people sometimes talking about how what they really want is comments, though. And interaction. And I get that, but when you limit the type of interaction that you're looking for, then I think that you're going to get less of it.
I'm sorry. But sometimes I'll read a fic that's okay, but not great. It's got wonderful ideas, but they could be developed better. It's got good character voice, but some of the word choice is a little off. It doesn't sing.
At least, to me. Maybe it's just a matter of personal taste. Maybe it's a craft issue. The author didn't ask for my opinion, and that's fair enough. But am I going to leave lukewarm praise and nothing else? Maybe. I have before. But more likely, I'm just going to hit the back button and look for something else.
It's easier to give feedback now than it was in 1997 in a lot of ways. Kudos buttons are lovely. Instant review buttons/forms that don't require a perpetually shy anxious person to send an email to a stranger are wonderful things. I probably do leave more comments now than I did back in 1997.
But when it comes to actual substance and engagement...I'm not sure there's even a comparison. Why bother? If I feel really strongly about something in the fic, well, I can write a blog post about it instead.
It is kind of funny that this means that I get the engagement out of it, rather than the author, but that's how it goes sometimes.
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