#this was greatly inspired not only by the book itself

[tryslora]

On Writing Combat and Sex Scenes

Today I want to talk about writing sex and combat (and no, I do not mean combative sex). This post is inspired by a few recent events:

Once, a long time ago, I read a blog post that said “if you can write a combat scene, you can write a sex scene” and that was mind-blowing for me because while I was well-versed in writing erotica, I couldn’t write combat to save my life.

More recently, at Boskone, I participated on a panel about writing combat, and the research involved there-in.

Even more recently, I had someone look at me say, “You’re not a gay guy. How do you write gay sex scenes?”

So. Let’s begin.

I get it—sex and combat aren’t interchangeable. But at their core, they have some strong similarities which can be leveraged while writing. Both are intense, high drama, and can involve a lot of anxiety and quick thought. Both tend to narrow focus down to the moment and the current feeling and action. Both are heightened emotion and physical reaction. Both can involve actions that lie outside the author’s personal experience.

I started writing erotica when I was a freshman in college. I posted it online (does anyone remember rec.arts.erotica?) and was surprised (and pleased) by the compliments I received. Turned out my readers were not expecting the idea of emotion being entangled in their erotica. They were invested emotionally in how the stories went, and how my characters felt. Since I was writing from the point of view that made sense to me at the time, they were het stories from a female perspective, and they were very focused on the emotional connections and how the physical events heightened those emotions.

Male readers were surprised by the intensity of the feelings that these stories gave them (as opposed to pure arousal). It got me thinking about how I wrote, and why I wrote, and I tried to talk about it some at the time. I was eighteen. I was still a new writer. The internet itself was new. I wasn’t entirely certain how to frame it, but I remember getting one comment where a guy was surprised at how struck he’d been by the moment in the scene where everything shuddered to a halt due to an event in the story that interrupted the action, and I replied that that was because I wasn’t writing about the sex. I was writing about the character’s reaction to the sex.

Which has always been how I write. At the time, that was my only tool: put myself in the character’s mind, and write what they feel. If that’s affection and attraction and physical reaction, write that. Tangle it up, and hope the reader feels that entanglement.

Now, fast forward several years, and take a little side trip onto a tangent wherein I learned something very important about writing craft.

I was reading Syne Mitchell’s End in Fire, I think it was, and I kept having panic attacks. Now, I did most of my reading late, often when I woke in the middle of the night due to stress, or just because my brain refused to rest. I was in a rough place in life in general, with a lot of external work stuff going on and very small children. I wasn’t sleeping well. And it took me some time to figure out why I was struggling to read a book which I actually loved (and when I read it later in life, I enjoyed it greatly).

It was the sentence structure.

In order to induce the emotion of the scene, the sentences were short. Sharp. Quick. There was no time for the reader to breathe, much like there was no time for the heroine to do anything but act. The reader was caught up in the rising tension, to the point where my anxious, sleep-deprived brain, caught a panic attack from it.

The technique was brilliant.

Now back to our original timeline, wherein I read a post about how if you can write combat, you can write sex scenes. This post assumed that more people felt comfortable writing violence than sex. I was the reverse. I’d been writing about sex for over a decade when I saw this post, and it made a light bulb go off in my brain.

If writing sex was like writing combat… was the reverse also true? Could I improve my skills at writing battles by analyzing what worked when I wrote erotica?

So I tried doing just that. Back then, I found combat overwhelming. There was so much going on, and I was trying so hard to write good description that I lost all of the intensity. I was focusing on everything that was going on at the same time.

Thinking about how sex scenes were all intense emotion and narrowed focus, I applied that to my combat scenes. I wrote only what the point of view character experienced, and tied everything to their actions and reactions. I thought about how they breathed, how they moved, how they thought. I used those short, sharp sentences as they processed the scene. 

That doesn’t mean I forgot about everything else going on in the scene. That’s impossible. After all, in any story the things the character doesn’t pay attention to might be as important as the things they do focus on. Stuff still happens, and there is still fallout. I needed to know what else was happening so that if the character moved from one place to another, or did something that put them in the path of a different part of the action, I could have them start processing it.

But it also meant that on the page, out of sight was out of mind. Everything narrowed down to the now. The immediacy. Suddenly my combat scenes snapped into focus.

During the panel at Boskone, all of the panelists had experience with different fighting styles (fencing, street combat, and of course, me with taekwondo). I spoke about how for me, that narrow focus is very real when I spar. I know there are some people who naturally see a move or two ahead while fighting; I don’t. I am stuck in act and react mode. Can I kick them now? Can I attempt a head shot? Oh, no, circle back and away or they’re going to hit me… that’s how my brain works during a sparring match.

It’s not like a total blackout—there should be a vague awareness of things around the character. Sounds in particular, or sometimes flashes of movement. Something distracting can catch the attention of the fighter, but the personal fight will always pull the character back.

Combat feels easy when I’m writing like that.

Of course, there’s still the question of writing about something if I’ve never experienced it. As someone did point out to me: I am not a gay man, so how does that affect writing sex scenes? I’ve also never fought with a sword. Brawled. Fought from horseback. I have, however, held a blade, shot a gun, shot an arrow, rode a horse. I have a vague idea of how these things work, much like I have a working knowledge of sex in general.

So yes, research gets involved. Sometimes research is observational, sometimes it’s reading (there’s so much good stuff out there). I highly recommend video for combat scenes—find things that have the feel that you’re going for, then put yourself in the place of the character you want to write about. Practice. Work through the ideas of how things fit together, and what your character will (and will not!) know during the fight.

If you need to, stand up and block the scene by thinking about how you would experience it. What can you see, and what is out of sight? If someone is coming at you with a blade, what are your options? How do height differences affect you? Yes, I have asked friends and husband to help me block scenes. 

“Stand right there and show me what it looks like if you punch me. Okay, so if I do this then…” Yeah. It’s a thing. But it works.

When doing your research, remember that movie fighting (and hell, movie sex scenes) isn’t realistic. It’s meant to look good. For combat, if you can find re-enactments, or sparring videos, I highly recommend taking a look at those. 

Anyway, the point is: I don’t have to have shot someone, and I don’t have to have had gay sex in order to write about them. What I do need to know is how it feels emotionally to do those things, and I can extrapolate that from what I do know. I need to know enough about the details so I can get it right, and that’s where research will help me. Also, use language to create emotion. Because emotions are where we grab the reader, and how we pull them into the scene.

Combat and sex aren’t so different when it comes to writing, and the personal experience. Now, go forth and write!

#writing #writing resources #writing sex #writing combat

[anantaru]

˚✧⁎⁺˳ sfw alhaitham boyfriend headcanons

some sweet boyfriend hcs about the scribe since he’s finally getting released, enjoy everyone ૮꒰ྀི ´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა

꒰ a/n ꒱ — some instances in this are inspired by a couple hcs i have written about him in the past!

꒰ genre ꒱ — fluff, gn! reader

+ ˚ matching rings

for alhaitham, having a sense of bond with his significant other aside from an— already exceptional, emotional connection, didn‘t seem like an item he would‘ve spend nor waste any time on.

though a while later, after one day when he had sauntered through the midst of sumeru city, his eyes had suddenly caught a glimpse of a glowing jewel on a small table, being sold by a vendor from another nation.

it wasn‘t until later when he realised that the ring had a little stone embedded into it which held onto your most favorable color, next to it a larger version of the same product, a little different, but still carrying on the same intensity of beauty.

in the end he decided to buy it for you both, there wasn‘t a specific day or a special occasion that alhaitham had waited for to gift you his little present.

in reality he one day, brought the small gift with him to meet you, at last showing it to you in his large hand, the glow of the radiant stone on top of the golden frame had taken in the grand total of your pure attention.

he was well aware that you liked it, it was clearly written all over your sweet expression, how your eyes had widened in mere seconds, fixed with a certain luminosity of being so utterly grateful to him.

slowly, he rolled the ring on its desired destination and it fit you perfectly, of course it did.

after all, it was him who had your love, had fully acquired it and if he would remember and dwell back on it, alhaitham surely didn‘t regret buying the little gold since it was now an element part of his love for you, you who was his priceless possession.

+ ˚ slow, lazy make out sessions and his love

with the freedom he had obtained due to his job as the akademiya‘s scribe, alhaitham could gather enough spare time for you both to share with each other.

the comfort he sought after a long day was forthwith found in your arms with his head snugly leaning into your warm chest, listlessly paying attention to the low thumps of your heart.

although the two of you would engage in conversation at first, carelessly rattling onto numerous topics that just so happened over the past few hours, it'd aways end with you both getting closer.

for some unexplained reason, alhaitham tried to justify the comfort that consumed him whenever his lips would touch yours. It might have to do something with the dopamine releasing in him, with it setting free euphoric sensations in both his body and soul.

you were so sweet, so soft and squishy when your breathing went a tone lower, worldly wise and at a standstill, you were both relaxing under your touches, the romantic atmosphere that gnawed itself into the air, your surroundings adapting a fire as he gently took your chin in between his thumb and pointer finger, drawing you close just a bit more, a little.

there was no doubt that you have greatly helped him improve in the relationship department, not only with you sharing an intimate, romantic connection but as well as when it came to friendships in its complete glory, to illustrate further as indicated with his colleagues of the sumeru akademiya.

in this moment, you do not speak, neither of you.

it's those nanoseconds where alhaitham would be plagued by words or letters he wouldn't be the best person to speak them out loud, though in his mind, they ran freely and in tandem with his feelings.

i need you by my side, all eternity, i am better because of you, i love you unconditionally, all of you.

+ ˚ reading to you while cuddling

alhaitham had always preferred to stay in with you, to keep a low profile, in a finer way dedicating his time to you.

obviously, some of the books he had stored away in his home could become quite difficult for you to read and although sometimes— alhaitham would explain them to you in great detail, you will not understand a single syllable that was escaping that pretty mouth of his.

yet he was still trying for you and archons:

the way his bright eyes would carefully ghost over each page in concentration, or how he deciphered every definition in his brain, individually breaching out one and all meanings to gather the right one or how he was easily deducting the words with his cleverness.

to say he was cute while being surrounded by his thoughts was an understatement.

yes, it was apparent that as a result of some of the topics he'd try to make you understand, you'd end up falling asleep on top of him, more often than you'd actually prefer to do so.

It's not like you wanted to, also you didn't want alhaitham to feel like he was boring you to death because in truth it wasn't him who did— but the overly tedious subjects at hand specific books would display.

at this, he wouldn't fault you, at all.

meanwhile he had already pleasingly tucked a blanket over your resting frame, gently making sure you were extra comfortable while moving his body only as little as possible so he wouldn't accidentally stir you off your precious slumber.

as for how this day would end, well, alhaitham would continue to page through his book before at last, placing it onto the nightstand, dimming the lights before encircling you in his broad arms, compassionately positioning his head on top of yours and drifting off to a silent, secured doze next to you.

+ ˚ conclusion and alhaitham‘s ways of handling arguments

befitting of his character, alhaitham could become quite difficult to deal with when it came to arguments that would occur just as much as in any other relationship.

it was bound to happen and to him, it was mind numbing.

seldomly he would actively engage in an argument, which wasn't always the best route to take because it was important for both parties in a relationship to be open about their corresponding feelings and emotions.

deep trust was what had defined your relationship, since it was one, if not the most important factor. He was a great listener and once the situation had been properly calmed down alhaitham would appear to go through great lengths to make whatever seemed to had happened, right again.

however, he was quite uncomfortable whenever he witnessed you cry, unmistakably it wasn't in a belittling kind of way, rather did it too, push him into a soul destroying current, masticating him from the inside out.

it was a learning process, a wholly overtaxing one at that, but he did not seek perfection of you and neither did you.

to put it into a different perspective, in the end alhaitham— though it may not always seem this way, did whatever it required for you to be happy again.

he belonged to you just as much as you belonged to him and he wanted, more so desired, to keep it that exact way.

to live a peaceful, tranquil life with his soulmate was something he, no matter what, fancied.

on top of that, he'd make it his top priority to be unconditionally transparent with you, not daring to hide any aspects of his life with you in order for this to work out until the very end.

©2023 anantaru do not share, copy, translate any of my work

#genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x you #alhaitham x reader #al haitham x reader #genshin impact x you #alhaitham x you #al haitham x you #genshin impact fluff #genshin fluff #genshin impact x reader fluff #alhaitham fluff #alhaitham x y/n #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact images

[bakerstreethound]

Etched in Stone

Relationship: Benedict Bridgerton x afab!reader

Warnings: 18+ spicy times (MINORS DNI), flirting, fingering, mutual pining, childhood friends to best friends to lovers, exposed ankles, fluff, softness, gentle/possessive Benedict, brief mention of alcohol and slightly tipsy momma Violet Bridgerton makes an appearance

Summary: Bored at yet another party hosted at Bridgerton House, Benedict seeks solace (and a strong drink) in the quiet of Anthony's office only to find you there, one of his oldest friends and buried feeling resurface.

All writings belong to me @bakerstreethound​ (Do NOT copy, repost, claim, or translate my works to other sites. I only publish here and on A03 under the same username) 

Word Count: 4.1k+

A/N: I wrote this fic for my lovely friend @frostandflamesfanfic a while back but wanted to take my time posting it because this was such a joy to work on and wanted to savor every moment. El was there for the beginning of this story so it's only fair I dedicate it to them as well. Thank you for trusting me to write one of your beloved fictionals. I drew a lot of inspiration from both book and show Benedict. Any era inaccuracies are fault of my own as well as where Benedict's room is located in the house. Graphic by @firefly-graphics . Comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated!!!!

His piercing gaze hadn’t left you all evening, making your shoulders rise on the verge of danger, but the way his gaze bore into yours, and you couldn’t deny the shallow thrill or the pulsing in your heart. 

You hadn't wanted to come to the ball and despite your family’s protests and prodding you found yourself at the Bridgetron ball, dressed in the prior season’s attire, not caring about the gossip. It wasn’t like you had anything to prove to the ton or Lady Whistledown. A soft smile graced your lips at the thought and you round a corner, sipping on your lemonade, weary and the night was still young. You longed to be reading one of the adventures in your novels, whisking you away to another place and time, holding hands with your beloved. 

******

Benedict sighed for the third consecutive time in a row, making Eloise roll her eyes. “Brother, surely you can find some enjoyment from this party.” 

“When I tell you, I’ll let you know,” he grumbled, watching the couples swirl along the dance floor, his eldest brother Anthony pulling Kate close in his arms, a bright smile lighting her face. Benedict tried to hide the disdain, the ache resounding in his chest. He’d rather be locked away in his room, working on his art, perfecting the curve of a hand, the slope of a shoulder, silk between thighs. He shook his head, groaning before tossing back a glass of lemonade he’d picked up during yet another turn around the room. 

It did little to cool his blood. 

When he made his way to the study, he half expected to see Colin there sneaking a glass of Anthony’s secret stash, however, he didn’t expect you draped across a chair, nose buried in a book, legs curled over the arms of the chair, exposing your ankles. The smirk crawled along his lips for a fraction, enraptured by your stone-cold expression and you flipped another page, not uttering a sound.  He poured himself a drink, trying not to chuckle, and watched you intently. 

“Do you intend to stare at me all evening, Mister Bridgerton? Or are you going to ask me to pull myself together to dance in front of the entirety of the ton?” 

The drink almost lodges itself in his throat as he choked it down, the bewildered expression on his face the cause of your pursed lips. For the love, you were laughing at him! 

“Cat got your tongue, Benedict?” 

Oh, it was more than the cat that got his tongue, he wanted to swallow yours, combat your wit, fill himself with your words and beauty tenfold. 

Good gracious, what had become him? 

Here you were and he’d been watching you like a hawk all evening barely making a move and your ankles were there, tempting him, tricking him, enticing him. How ready he was to fall, the hold you had on him was indescribable. He’d been this way since he first laid eyes on you all those months ago. He couldn’t allow himself to dwell on you. But how he wanted to fall with you, drag you along the dance floor show you off for the world to see. No, he would do no such thing. 

He would enshrine you in a painting, etch you into stone, a carving upon his heart. 

Warmth flooded your body as you continued watching Benedict pace around the room and you doubted he realized he had done so. A bedraggled state was becoming of him, accentuated by his ruffled hair as he muttered under his breath, stopping to refill his glass with something stronger than lemonade. 

You smirk, perusing the pages of your novel, which sparked an idea. 

“Benedict?” 

Your voice, oh your voice was a guiding light, his anchor, steadying him through the whirlwind of a storm conjuring in his head. 

“Yes?” His gaze met yours, and he stopped pacing standing before you and giving you a good look at his chest, the rise and fall of his breaths, reminding you to steady yours. 

You crane your neck up, looking him in the eye. “Read to me.” It’s a simple request, but you hide the quivering of your lip. He leaned in closer, engulfing you in his scent, causing you to bite your cheek to keep from groaning. It was heady and intoxicating and it was all him. 

“What?” 

Focus, you ninny! You cursed softly to yourself gathering your thoughts as you clung to your novel. 

“I asked if you would read to me. Literature is the art of words is it not?” You shifted in your seat, your feet now resting flat on the floor as any respectable proper person would have done from the start. You let out a soft groan when the balls of your feet touch the floor, and he leaned down further, his index finger barely stroking along your jawline. Your ankles were definitely covered now, but you suspected his reaction didn’t stem from that. 

He cocked his head. “You would prefer me to read romance to you rather than show you firsthand?” 

“Why ever would I need to experience such things firsthand? I have everything I need here.” Your stomach fluttered, almost dropping when he kneeled before you, his fingers brushing along your sides before grasping your thighs and squeezing gently. 

“You do have one thing right for this evening. We have everything we need right here.” Another squeeze of your thigh sent your mind reeling. 

“Does one intend to enact upon such desires, Mister Bridgerton? Or does one who reads such novels suppress them?” 

His hands traveled further up your thighs a silent challenge, one you were not backing down from despite the pounding of your heart. You were here with Benedict Bridgerton alone in Anthony’s study, someone you had known for years, a constant fixture throughout your youth, the source of countless daydreams and now, rather passion-induced dreams. 

“Do you know how long I’ve imagined this?” He growled low in his chest and you forget to breathe. None of the books you read prepared you for reality, not that you would confess. Benedict didn’t need his ego poked any longer, the more he knew he could unravel you slowly. 

You squirmed against him, tugging his vest. “I’ve wanted you for years but denied myself. I didn’t - couldn’t- imagine you felt the same,” your voice came out as a whisper, a plea for him to see you and he did. Benedict saw you and gazed at you with hope and adoration. 

He growled low in your ear, sliding his hands around your waist, rising to his feet pulling you against him, the racing of his beating heart restarting yours. He was your desire, your soul ached for him, knowing he was the only one you could ever hope to give yourself to. 

No one else in the world was meant for you or could compare to him. 

His heart beating in tandem with yours, clinging to each other, a lifeline. It felt like a lifetime before clarity finally made its way into the world, making its intentions known between you. It was more than the slow-burning passion and affection blossoming between each other.

His lips brushing along yours sent your heart soaring, connecting your souls and you welcomed him, and you were home, he pulled you flush up against him, groaning softly, digging his hands into your waist. He couldn’t breathe, utterly weightless, intoxicated by your scent, everything. He was high on you, your touch, oh how lovely it felt your fingers digging into his back, melting against him, needing him as much as he did you. 

This was love. It was Benedict in a new form, one you awoke, taking him back home, a home he’d always known for you were there through it all. He wanted to give you everything you desired, everything you deserved. And you would receive the best in return. But not in his brother’s study on his favorite reading chair. 

“Anthony will kill us if we do anything here,” He pulled away in a moment of clarity, holding you close, your legs trembled, overcome with your passions. You ached for him dearly, more than you knew possible. 

“I’ve done worse, I assure you,” you snicked, gathering your bearings, brushing off your outfit, ruffling out the wrinkles as if that cleared off any evidence of Benedict having his hands over you wasn’t obvious. “I’ve defiled my mind with notions of unrealistic nonsense.”

He raised a brow, looking unamused, a flicker of amusement flashing before boisterous laughter, likely caused by Lady Featherington passing by the door and you inhaled sharply, the anticipation ticking by each moment. As soon as it came it went, hopefully, spurred on in good spirits. Lady Featherington surely didn’t have half the mind to break into Anthony’s study.

Benedict cracked open the door beckoning you over, taking your arm by the elbow, “Up the stairs, second door on the left. I’ll knock three times so you know it’s me.” 

You nodded, taking in his appearance, his disheveled hair, mused vest, and undershirt beneath. You would be lying to yourself if you denied the excitement of what lies beneath but the other side of you was equally terrified. 

******

Dashing up the stairs was easier said than done, the events of the evening causing your head to spin in a mixture of wonder, anxiety, and borderline delirium. You were sure you were dreaming but the stairs beneath your feet are solid, beckoning you up to the elegant quarters where the Bridgertons slept. You glided your hand along the banister admiring the railing, willing yourself not to fall, raucous laughter closing in, dangerously close by from the sound fluttering through the halls.

Perhaps Lady Featherington sought to uncover your dalliance after all. That would be the talk of the ton, however, you knew the Bridgertons could afford some slander from Lady Whistledown, but fortunately, all she commented on was the growing size of the family, the lovely grandchildren Vicountess Bridgerton had the pleasure of seeing when Daphne and Simon returned to town. 

You silently cursed your attire and its restricted movement when you made it to the landing, stopping for the briefest moment to catch your breath. You didn't bother asking if his younger siblings were asleep, but he didn’t seem to care at that moment, the way his eyes glanced along your body, and the smile along his lips was far too distracting anyway. 

Your minds were busy with other thoughts, the taste of his lips still freshly imprinted into your memory. You did everything as he instructed, the door to his room groaning on its hinges making your heart race, but you peeked out the door to be certain.

No maids padded down the corridor, the only sign of life was the music and laughter intermingling for what you could imagine would be all hours of the night. The Bridgertons could throw a grand party, no doubt about it. 

Benedict's quarters greeted you with the scent of him, masculine and comforting. It felt like home, the furniture dark and handsome, the shelves lined with countless books, figurines along his desk not to mention his infamous sketchbook lying on his desk in the corner by the fireplace. Charred pieces of crumbled paper jutted out from the embers. 

Curiously, you reached out for it turning to a page. It didn't take you long to figure out the odd figures as you pieced each frame together, a culmination of finished pieces, sketches, and half-started attempts, frustrated pen strokes deft in their quest to uncover the beauty ready to bloom. 

Hands. Intertwined, graceful elegant, smooth lines, hardened ridges, callouses palms, delicately resting ones. Upon further inspection, you noticed the tried and failed attempts at an all too familiar pair of hands. It was odd to look at how he depicted yours, strong, yet graceful, adept at anything you put your mind to between needlework, horseback riding, the leather a fine feel in your hands.

You had to admit some were quite good while some lacked depth and luster. Practice made it worth it in the end, some of the figures he drew resembled a striking resemblance to his family, almost as if he were imitating the artist of the figurines, which when you looked longer were small likenesses of his mother, father, and siblings. The sight warmed your heart. 

"Benedict! You're missing the partyyy!" A shrill giggle outside the hall pulled you from your exploration, your heart racing in tandem. You hoped and prayed it wasn’t Gregory and Hyacinth. From your previous encounters, you knew they were sharp, keen-eyed, and inquisitive about a multitude of subjects on top of their general mischievousness. Plus, you weren’t in the mood to ask any questions, but where the hell was Benedict?

Despite yourself you began pacing, desperately trying to avoid glancing at the bed draped in fine sheets, a fine rich deep velvety blue coverlet gracing it giving the piece a regal appearance. You wanted nothing more than to lose yourself between the downy softness of it all and fall into blissful dreams, and yet, there are other pressing matters to attend to. 

The giggling resumed and you sighed, thinking better of yourself, not wanting this to be a joke.

You found yourself opening the door, greeted with the voice of none other than Violet Bridgerton whispering, on the verge of a quiet yell to her second song, grasping onto his elbow at the lower landing of the stairs. “Benedict! Good heavens, you’re to retire so earlyyyy???” 

He rolled his eyes half in amusement and exasperation. “Mother, I have matters to attend to, plus the other mothers merely want to hunt me for sport and pair them with their retched daughters.” 

His eyes flashed, glancing up, his gaze boring into yours, flooding your body with warmth. He quirked a brow, challenging you while his mother rambled drunkenly along, still grasping his elbow while he shifted his weight on his feet. 

Shut the door, he mouthed to you, causing your lips to quirk in the barest hint of a smile. 

“Quite right, you have a fair point. But there was that one lovely person you danced with twice back in the orangery perhaps…” 

At that exact moment, you opened the door further to grant yourself a better view of Benedict’s struggle and also partly in retaliation to his protests, only for the grand door to let out a massive agonizing wail. The giggle left you of your own volition at Benedict’s bewildered expression rendering you completely helpless as Violet looked up at you, the same Bridgerton eyes, older, wiser and so kind smiled at you, albeit borderline tipsy. 

“I see now I see. That’s the pressing matter you have to attend to. Don’t mess it up dear boy,” she slewed, chuckling to herself, before whispering in his ear, his face flushing in response. Violet released his arm, winking up at you before traipsing down the stairs, leaving a flustered Benedict behind to collect his thoughts before he came back to his senses, scurrying up the stairs while you slipped back into his room, posting yourself right in front of the door, keeping it cracked just so. When he arrived you only catch a glimpse of his eyes flashing before the door sealed you completely from his sight. 

Silence greeted you and you feared you might have ignited his wrath, alas you merely wanted to tease him.

The seconds tick by then three knocks follow. 

Were you going to answer him? Oh, he was going to make you pay for this with many kisses. He huffed before composing himself. 

You still didn’t answer. 

“Don’t play with me, dear unless you wish for them all to hear us when we should be dancing.” When he knocked for the second time, you decided to open the door, the scowl imprinted on his face illuminating a side of him you desperately wanted to see. You did this to him. Without hesitation, he locked the door behind him and immediately pressed you against the wall, a scowl forming along his lips. 

“You wouldn’t dare flash me before the eligible men of the ton tonight if you had to.” You whispered, brushing a stray hair off his forehead. “I belong to you, Benedict. Even if I am an old maid.” Your heart thundered in your chest. You were home, you belonged to no one else, nowhere else but here in Benedict's loving arms. 

“I am yours, oh love I’m yours.” His voice cracked, overcome with realization and the emotion of it all, his scowl replaced by pursed lips, wandering hands, lavishing your body in the simplest yet heat-induced touches and you wanted - craved - more. More of him. Benedict. Your Benedict. 

“Benedict, Benedict…Benedict,” Your was all you can muster with the meeting of his lips upon yours, feeling the depths of him, pulling to you crashing over you like a tidal wave. You were a sailor lost at sea who made it to the safety of the harbor and oh, it was blissful beyond anything beyond your wildest dreams. 

“Say it again,” he pleaded, each kiss awakening desires long suppressed, ones you hadn't acknowledged since they only came about throughout the course of your friendship with Benedict. Only he could put you under his unique spell, craving his lips, the brush of his hand against yours and here you are getting more than you dreamed. 

“Benedict,” You sighed blissfully as he kissed you once more, kisses languidly savoring the feel of you as he guided you up onto the bed, the coverlet as luxurious as you surmised. You’ve not come close to feeling something so heavenly as this and Benedict, oh, he was more than you ever dreamed. The novels you’d read didn’t hold a flame to each sensation buzzing through your body, the magnetizing gaze of his upon yours, already undressing you with his eyes. You wanted to take your time, alas it was getting harder to resist. Benedict was one thing if not impossible, but he was yours, irrevocably so.

A fire in the fireplace crackled to life, startling you for a moment, while Benedict caressed your jaw, memorizing every inch, and you selfishly wonder if he'll draw your portrait one day, trying to capture the first moment he had you to himself in his chambers. He moves his exploration from your jaw to your shoulder, then your hands, leaving kisses where he can, murmuring sweet nothings, soft praises that have your knees weak and you wanting him all the more.

“Your hands are lovely, nothing can compare to me holding them,” he whispered, caressing them softly, continuing to place kisses of adoration along them while you gazed at his soft loving eyes. “I cannot capture their beauty, their essence onto the page. I’ve tried and failed for months.” 

You smiled, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You’ve done a fine job, Benedict. Your art is beautiful, never lose that passion inside you, it’s ethereal strong, spellbinding, and magnetic.” 

“As are you. You’re everywhere in my waking hour, in my dreams and sleepless nights. You’re my muse. You inspire me.” His voice wavered, a tear sliding down his cheek. Every bit of him belonged to you, there was no question, no doubt about it. 

Without another word, you tug on his vest, a beautiful shade of the signature Bridgerton blue, his shirt embellished with small bees. Everything looked wonderful when it was on him, but you wanted more, to lose yourself to him countless times throughout the night. 

“You’re pretty much the only reason I get out of bed most mornings,” You swallowed as he turned to face you, his hands cupping your face. 

“My love, oh my love,” he kisses you softly, in equal parts awe and reverence intertwined, making you forget where you are, the time and place. It’s you and him safe in each other’s embrace. His kisses trailed from your hands up to your neck, nipping softly, eliciting soft groans from you and you returned them in kind, his fingers stroking along your back, pulling you closer in his embrace. 

You brushed away another tear from his cheek, one falling from your eye as well and he wiped it away, kissing you gently before wrapping around behind you, desperation, adoration, awe, and passion guiding him. His lips connected with your neck, and you sighed in satisfaction, his hands wandering down your torso, lighting you up on the inside and you groan leaning back into him, leaving your mind to wander while you savored his touches. 

“Good, you’re not thinking, that’s right. Much better see?” His hand wandered lower, down stroking you just so, warmth blooming through your body. He relished your moans, biting into your neck as he watched the effect he has on you, wishing he could have done this to you earlier all the wasted time you have to make up for now. 

You urged him on through desperate kisses as you pull clothes from your bodies, every inch of him visible to you, eagerness and passion alike driving you both. 

“Keep going, please.” The last of your clothing fell to the floor and he pulled you back onto the bed while assuring him you have all the time in the world. “I want you, Benedict, always have, always will.”

He needed nothing more but your constant assurance, his fingers dipping into you, gliding along your body making you fall into his ministrations, your breathing ragged as you fell into bliss, his fingers replaced with his tongue sending you soaring into another place another time and it felt so irrevocably right, your fingers digging into his mass of curls encouraging him along, more than eager to assist your release. And when you were spent, his lips met yours hunger and desire battling, intertwined as you tasted yourself on his lips. You wanted more, you wanted all of him, however, in the midst of it all you found yourself asking a question as you kissed him once more, this time slower, unrushed. 

"What did your mother say to have you flustered as you are?" You batted your eyes, casting an impish smile, a look you know he couldn't resist. He hummed, his free hand stroking your side, his voice low in your ear. "My dearest mother told me to treat you well and that we best enjoy ourselves a little bit before our union. Told us to enjoy ourselves."

“Her intuition is uncanny, I never want to be on her bad side.” You huffed as Benedict groaned, pulling you in for yet another kiss, trailing down your body, making you squirm, not listening in the slightest, for he was far too distracted, focused on you before him. He would never tire of the sight, thanking his lucky stars. 

Finally, after years of yearning and pining when you’re joined, it’s a bliss, unlike anything you’ve known. You stifled a moan at the feeling, Benedict brushing a stray hair from your eyes, trapping you against him. “Love, I want to hear you, alright? Can you do that for me?” Your eyes widened at the request but when he moves against you, pleasure filling every fiber of your body you cry his name to the heavens.

Oh, how he loved it the soft whimpers, you begging for more and your name sounding just as sweet and sinful falling from his parted lips, swollen from your nipping and kissing. You want the moment to last for oblivion yet when you both lose yourself to your bliss, delirium hits and you pulled him closer in your arms, his face resting in the crook of your neck, the bed and sheets in disarray. You smirked to yourself more than pleased with the outcome. 

He continued to kiss your neck, nuzzling more, your hands stroking his curls. “I love you, Benedict.” 

“I love you more, my love.”

“I’ll love you forever.” 

“How about eternity?” He intertwines your hand with his own, kissing your ring finger. “Will you marry me?” 

 Your heart thrummed erratically but warmed at his loving gaze full of joy, hope, and wonder. It was a face you wanted to wake up with a kiss and love for all your days. 

“Yes, Benedict, a thousand times yes.” 

The smile that shot across his face kickstarted your heart and he kissed you for the thousandth time of the evening, not that you were complaining. For you have an eternity to kiss, love, and be loved by him. You settled against his chest, his embrace warm and reassuring, his hands settling on your belly soft and warm, while you drift off to sleep of bliss thinking only of Benedict and what the future holds.

******

#benedict bridgerton x reader #benedict bridgerton x you #benedict bridgerton imagine #benedict bridgerton smut #benedict bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton fanfic #benedict bridgerton #bridgerton #bridgerton netflix #benedict bridgerton x afab reader #afab reader #my writing

[rwbyrg]

What Inspired the Fairytale: Warrior in the Woods as a Rosegarden Allusion

I've broken down Ruby as Little Red Riding Hood, and Oscar as the Little Prince, now I want to analyze the two of them within a canon fable. The very first story within RWBY: Fairytales of Remnant: The Warrior in the Woods.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, I will summarize, or you can read it in the official free preview of the book here. One disclaimer before I get started: I'm not speaking about the animated adaptation here. Something Oz mentions in his fore/afterward of the book is that fairytales often shift and change depending on who it is that's telling the story. The book itself seems to aim to tell the most objective version as possible, whereas in the episode of FToR, it's very clear Tai's experiences and biases greatly influences the way he tells the story. With that out of the way...

The story is about a boy who lives in a village surrounded by a forest that is said to protect its residents from Grimm. One day, the boy ventures into the wood further than anyone would think to look for him. There he is attacked by a monster, the first he has ever seen... Only to be saved at the last minute by a cloaked warrior carrying a curved weapon. He thanks her and asks for her name, but she tells him to leave and not return. He doesn't listen. Every year since the day of their first meeting, he ventures further into the wood hoping he will meet his saviour again. And every time, he is proven right when she shows up and saves him at the last minute. Each year, the boy grows older and wiser, training himself how to fight, bringing the woman gifts as thanks for protecting the village alone and without appreciation all these years. Until one day, the village is attacked by Grimm for the first time in ages. On their next planned meeting, the boy - now a man - fights his entire way through the forest to the hut where she lives, and finds it torn apart and empty. He returns home and tells the villagers her story having taken up the mantle of protecting his people in her place. When asked if he kept going back to see her just because she saved him, he replies (paraphrased): "For that reason, and many more. But I believe she knew the deepest reason of all. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her silver eyes."

Even the summary alone paints a picture very reminiscent of Ruby and Oscar's paired arc throughout the show thus far, but I want to break it down even further. First things first:

The Warrior

She is described as "a fair woman in a flowing (threadbare and tattered) black cape" with a "curved blade" she can spin so quickly it "blurs". Her hair is "almost as dark as the Grimm's, white (ones) standing out as brightly as bone", and in the boy's eyes the first time he sees her, remarks that she is "beautiful and fierce". We know by the end of the story, as well as one of the Grimm fights, that she has silver eyes as well and she tells the boy at one point that she fights alone because she is alone, since all the people like her were killed by other humans. This lines up well with how Silver Eyed Warriors have been hunted by Salem and her forces for generations.

When we compare this to Ruby when Oscar first meets her, it hits all the same marks. He is captivated by her silver eyes the moment he first meets her:

She is fair skinned with black hair (if you include the books illustrations, with a reddish tint), has silver eyes, and a torn and tattered cloak.

There is a point at which the woman also ties a red ribbon around her weapon's handle to hold it in place, which immediately acts as a tie in to Ruby's colour scheme.

Lastly, the boy meets the warrior for the first time in a "moonlit clearing". And we all know how much moon imagery Ruby has associated with her by now, that I really don't have to go over it again.

The Village Boy

There are no photos or descriptions of him within the text, just that he is a boy when we first meet him and is a man by the end of the story after visiting the woman annually 4-5 times. So he is roughly 14, aka the same age as Oscar, for both their first appearances.

What we do know about the boy, is shown in the objects he carries for himself and the gifts he imparts onto the woman in the woods.

The first is a parcel of clothing. It includes some blouses, leggings, a black skirt, some boots... and a new hooded green cloak. Ruby's cloak is red, but as we know both in show with ships like Bumbleby, and thanks to Eddy's bit of trivia in that Reddit AMA a while ago, that wearing the colours of people you care for is a common sign of affection within Remnant. Within this story, the woman dons a cloak in a green colour (something heavily associated with Oscar Pine), whereas within RWBY in V6, it is Oscar who dons Ruby's colour on his shoulders in his outfit upgrade.

The second is the sword the boy forges for himself before their third meeting. It is described as long and thin which immediately calls to mind The Long Memory.

From there, the next gift: a bag full of food.

"She opened the bag and pulled out parcel after parcel. There was honey cake, a strawberry tart, and sweet biscuits. When she unwrapped a stack of fresh-baked cookies, her expression lightened, and her happiness made him happy."

The first bolded example: strawberries are cited by Monty as Ruby's favourite food, and as we know by Ruby's first meeting with Ozpin (which is important given his connection to Oscar), she's a big fan of cookies too.

Now that all the aesthetics and symbolism are out of the way, I want to compare the structure of the two stories.

Separation and Reunions

The Warrior in the Woods, as well as Ruby and Oscar's arc throughout the show (as well as The Little Prince) are stories of absences.

The boy starts his tale without the woman in his live for many years before he meets her. When they do meet, it is for only a moment within a day until they must wait another full year before seeing each other again. When they do meet, at least the first 3 times, the warrior saves him from Grimm attacks. Then, at the 4th time, he runs into no obstacles and is able to sit and talk with her without incident, only for her to disappear shortly before their 5th visit, leaving him to take up her job of protecting the village.

Ruby spends the first 4 volumes of the show not knowing Oscar, but when they meet he, just like the village boy, is in awe of her silver eyes. From there, she saves him from Grimm twice (I imagine we are holding out on the third where she saves him with her silver eyes for a volume we haven't received yet)...

...and they are faced with constant separations and reunions thereafter.

Oscar goes missing in V6E8 only to be reunited with everyone in V6E9...

2. They are separated for much of V7 due to disagreements and other external circumstance, only to reunite and make up in V7E9...

3. They are then immediately split up again, one going down to Mantle and the other staying in Atlas, only to reunited at the beginning of V8E1 (suspiciously after Oscar stares into a fire much like the boy at the end of the story).

4. It is short lived before they split up on different teams AGAIN, which leads to another reunion in V8E10...

5. Only to - you guess it - be separated one more time when Ruby falls into a void, leaving Oscar to think that she died and take charge as the new leader carrying her responsibilities in her place.

Which follows the structure of the original fairytale - at least in numbers - down to the letter.

Beyond that structure, there is also the matter of what both relationships are built upon: the act of taking care of one another.

In the book, the woman explains that she protects the villagers "because she can, because no one else will, and because some people are good, like the village boy, and that gives her hope".

This heavy responsibility the warrior carries is very reminiscent of Ruby's character arc. A leader who feels she can't be a failure, who can't rely on her friends and teammates to share how much this all weighs on her, someone that lost all her silver eyed family and fears for her own fate because of a trait she had no control over. Even going so far as to try and push people away for fear they will end up hurt because of her. Someone that "remembers all the people she saved, and all the ones she didn't".

This is juxtaposed by a boy who was sheltered and safe, far from the dangers of the world, but set out and joined hers anyway. And when he did, he brought her new clothes, a new weapon, some food, and an ear she could tell her stories to. When he explains his motives, he says:

"You've spent all these years looking after us. I thought maybe it would be nice if someone looked after you for a change. Because that's what I can do. Because no one else will."

Which ties into Oscar's character exactly as well. After his conversation with Ruby in V5 about how scary all of this is, his first thought after saying she's amazing, is to acknowledge how hard this must be on her. And from then on out we see him looking after her to the best of his ability, despite his inexperience, time and time again. Protecting her when she's hurt, standing up for her when their friends fight, and baking her a casserole after she's had a tough day.

All of these things tie into what Ozpin cites as the main message of the fairytale in his notes at the end of its chapter:

It is often used as a cautionary tale, intended to discourage children from wandering too far from home on their own, or from relying too much on others to save them. But the most enduring, and I think the most inspiring, aspect of this story is one which many have taken to heart: If you can help others, it is your responsibility to do so. Whether that means fighting evil singlehandedly, or baking cookies (for kindness can be as rare as silver eyes) is up to the reader to decide for themselves. From each according to their own abilities.

Ruby and Oscar are two characters driven by their responsibilities to do something about all the bad in the world, in whatever ways they are able, before they run out of time. While Ruby's main allusion is Little Red and Oscar's is the Little Prince, I think it's really inspiring to see a canon fairytale within RWBY's own universe that relates to their story so well as this one.

#rwby #ruby rose #oscar pine #rosegarden #rwby rosegarden #rosepine #meta #analysis #rwby meta #rwby analysis #warrior in the woods #fairytales of remnant

[rascalentertainments]

Wish Granted AU: Star: 🌟

Yeah, I finally got to the boy! Took long enough, huh? 😂 So I dud make a short character inspiration from a reblog chain a few weeks ago, so I'll go more into Star's character here:

So, much like the film itself, Star comes to Earth because of Asha's wish was so powerful, and aids her save Rosas. However, for "Wish Granted", he has no idea how to actually grant her wish. She basically fills him in on what's going on, and agrees to help. But he doesn't really understand why they need help. From his point of view, most of the humans on this part of Earth, and especially in Rosas look happy enough. He's just utterly fascinated with the animals, the trees, Asha, and just experiencing what humans see everyday.

But then he visits the Hamlet (in an animal disguise) when Asha wants to say goodbye to her Saba and mother. Star sees how sick Sabino has gotten, and the fear Sakina has for her daughter going back into danger. The Starboy sees that Asha's wish is entirely to help her family and community. (Its greatly emphasized once he gets to Rosas itself too) He partially understands and gladly accepts the task to help her. Asha can't believe this magical boy is a Star, it should be impossible. But just as her father said, the stars are there to believe in possibility. Star here is the impossible, made possible! Its no wonder his loveable and joyous personality leads her to falling for him! 😆

I took inspiration from this segment of the concept art book where they attempted to give plushie Star some kind of depth and character arc leftover from Starboy. They really tried to give Star something more than just being a toy, and Disney said "nah, a toy is good enough. Kids will love it." So Star's arc will be he starts off naive about the world and thinks everything is perfect. But once he starts seeing more of the people having other emotions other than happiness, he's processing how a human feels this. It hits harder when he actually feels a wish get destroyed, he feels their pain for a while after he connects with them. This is all going to connect to "At All Costs" when finally get that love confession scene! 😉

Now, my favorite part: POWERS!!! Star can shapeshift into different animals he sees, with his telltale sign of him being gold with white fur/hair. (Example image below) He's got a white six pointed star on his parts of his body that glow slightly, even in a human form, its just covered up by his black caped outfit.

I still kind of hate that Disney actually thought Star was too similar Genie just because he changes into animals. Like, what are you talking about? (I actually thought of MK or Beast Boy more than Genie.) Yeah, Genie could do that too, but he also changed costumes, size, shape, face, broke the 4th wall and did impersonations of movie actors of the time. Star didn't do all that. Besides, YOU MADE MAUI CHANGE INTO ANIMALS AND APPROVED OF IT!

Rant aside, He can change into any animal, but only has one human form. That's not only because there's way too many variations of people for him to adapt and he's not at that level of power yet. He mainly choose this particular human form because.... he thought Asha would like it. (He even gets the cape idea after he sees a picture of Magnifico. He just LOVED how that looked) Think of it as a boy trying make himself look better for the girl he has a crush on. 😂 His design is inspired by these three pieces of concept art combined with a dash of a superhero vibe. (Superheroes are hardwired into my brain, I tried my best NOT to do that! 😂)

Star can make animals talk, at least for a limited time, like when be has his big introduction song and the forest animals are his band. Animals are naturally attracted to Star, because he literally radiates pure joy and love. Those little critters just adore him! Think of this scene here:

One last thing to add is that once he's on Earth, and gets into Rosas, thus is when he gets the most attached to the planet. He has a big family with the stars, but he really wanted to be where the people are. He wants to see them dancing, ect...Meeting great people didn't just end with Asha, but also meeting the 7 Teens. He learns about their wishes as one desires, while confused on Simon's sleepiness/sadness. He actually attempts to heal Simon and can gain a new power. Star is not sure on how to react to Dahlia, who doesn't seem to have a wish. She seems happy cooking for the king (whom she has a crush on) and queen, no questions asked. Although, Dahlia does seem particularly curious about Star, even before finding out his magical side. She even tries to tell him to give up on granting Asha's wish, but he's definitely not doing that. 😂

When he meets the King and Queen, let's just say there's going to be a lot of angst/comedy with that. But when he has the mini stand off with Amaya. OH BOY, he's going to understand way more heavy emotions after meeting her...

(Star in this version is voiced by Jeremy Jordan, because he's a musical and VA legend! Plus he sounds so fun in every role he's in!)

Aaaand, that does it for Star! I mentioned in another post how when you look into his eyes, you can see microscopic galaxies or mini stars in eyes, like you can see the universe in his eyes! (When it gets to the At All Costs song, Asha can be seen in his eyes like she becomes part his universe) Any other bits will be revealed later, but I wanted to flesh the guy out here! He's a lot of fun to write and draw!

Now next up are the King, Queen and their ferocious yet spoiled pet Lynx! 😉

@signed-sapphire @oh-shtars @chillwildwave @lazytitans-world @emillyverse @annymation @kstarsarts @uva124

#rascal entertainments #wish 2023 #wish concept art #wish granted #wish reimagined #disney wish #wish rewrite #wish movie #wish starboy #wish star #wish asha #wish fandom #starboy #wish granted au #Wish AU #kingdom of wishes #the fallen star au

[dasher85]

Hello is it ok if I can please request an ayato x f reader where reader is asking for attention from their bf but he only gives her attention once he sees that they are starting to get really sad

Thank you for sending a request >.< I hope it's enjoyable

Kamisato Ayato x reader | y/n | you

1.9K words

Writing this while listening to: No Reason - Ryan.B ft. effie (listen on YT with translation)

--------------------------

It was raining. The sounds of constant fallen raindrops greatly creates a calming ambience. You looked outside through the window, feeling a little depressed.

‘Looks like I’m stuck here again…’ you thought.

It’s been three days and you haven’t been able to walk outside. You initially planned to take a leisure stroll with Ayato but it’s been raining since then.

You closed your book and decided to visit his office that was just a few steps away. Unfortunately, you’re only greeted by an empty room. Ayato wasn’t at the estate and you forgot he has been busy since yesterday. There is an upcoming event next week, so he’s in charge of organizing the paperwork and planning.

‘Right…’ you carefully slid the door close and went on finding other things to do. Roaming around the estate wasn’t that fruitful as you still feel… empty.

If only the weather was good, you'd already be walking outside by now… it doesn’t matter if Ayato was there or not… even his company would not be enough to quench this boredom inside of you.

‘Still… If he showed up right now-’ you thought while you walked along the hallway but surprisingly as if the archon had magically answered your thoughts, that same person walked in.

“Ayato? You’re back early?” you quickly greeted him.

He softly hummed a reply.

“Great! Do you want to drink some tea together?” you excitedly suggested. At least, if you can’t go outside, it wouldn’t be that bad to have a leisure time with him.

“Sounds nice” He smiled. “...but not right now. I still have some paperwork, maybe later tonight?” he suggested.

“Right… of course” you smiled as he nodded before hurriedly walks to his office.

Honestly you feel a little disappointed but it wouldn’t be rational to get overly depressed about that matter. After all, you know he’s genuinely busy with his duty. It’s good that he prioritizes work before leisure.

‘No matter, I’ll just wait when he’s not busy’ You thought, expecting that he’ll be done with work later tonight.

You leisurely ate dinner with Ayaka, finished reading halfway through a thick novel book, recited two poems, wrote down today’s journal and still… Ayato didn’t even get out of his office room. The servants had already sent in his dinner so you didn’t need to worry about him.

You, on the other hand, were feeling quite the opposite from earlier. The night was getting cold as you finally stood up feeling sad, thinking you’ve been completely forgotten.

‘It’s alright… It’ll be fine. Tomorrow’s a new day’ You slowly enlightened yourself to avoid those negative feelings. The last thing you’d want was to cry like an idiot because of such childish reasons.

The next day, you spend the day all by yourself again… same goes with the next, and the day after. You’d see him sometimes during random hours of the day but of course just like before he barely even got the time to reply to you. Eventually even after the rainy days stopped, even after you’d get to spend a whole day outside, you still feel… empty. 

‘If he can’t even have the time to eat dinner with me… why even bother staying here?’ You nonchalantly thought. Is it normal to feel this lonely even when you’re living under the same roof with him?

“I’d rather be somewhere else” you read the last sentence from the book’s contents before closing it. The book itself was reflecting what you felt, which certainly adds a certain slap of sadness in your soul.

Perhaps you were inspired by that book or maybe you it was just you… because you ended up avoiding him whenever you see him returning from work. No greetings, skip your dinner on certain days, spend a lot of time outside with your friends to the point of not returning at all and sometimes you’d be staying at your own residence. Not that all of these make you feel any better but at least there’s something fun to do… just so you can forget about being stuck inside a loop of discarded, meaningless, unimportant person. At least that’s just how you’d exaggeratedly feel right now. 

It’s been a week since then, you were walking back to the estate with a certain degree of peace in mind but suddenly from a distance, you can already see a figure. Not the guards but the estate’s owner himself was leaning against the gate. He probably has spotted you even before you noticed him.

“Why didn't you return last night?” he asked directly without sugarcoating his sentence. 

“Oh… you noticed?” You initially thought of ignoring his question but giving a reply wouldn’t be that bad… especially when you’re in this situation.

He sighed before pulling you along with him back to the estate. Perhaps starting an argument outside of the gate would have already been a sight for the guards. Not that you mind though… 

“I’m just worried” he admits as he made you sit opposite him at the tea table by the porch.

“Sorry…” you nonchalantly replied without much emotion, barely even looking at him.

Based on your actions, Ayato knows you’re not being yourself. As if possessed by a malicious yokai, he could barely understand why you’re acting this way?

“Aren’t you busy?” you asked him but quickly added “I know you are… go on, why are you wasting time here?” you smiled before casually poured yourself a cup of green tea.

He swiftly took the cup away from you, as he sat there suddenly bringing his face closer to yours.

“What is it? Tell me right now” He demands without averting his gaze away from your eyes.

Unlike a prisoner who was hesitant to confess their wrongdoings you solemnly spoke your thoughts to him.

“You have a lot of time for work, but not so much for happiness”

“You didn’t keep your promise, you didn’t at least eat dinner with me, you didn’t even spend five minutes talking with me… is it my fault to feel this way? Is a relationship supposed to be this distant? Is it supposed to be normal for you?” unconsciously you bombard him with more questions.

He calmly listens to you, unfazed as if he was hiding something or perhaps knew about it all along? You couldn’t tell what he was concluding in his brain but you still hoped it wasn't something that could hurt you even more than how you’re feeling right now.

Ayato lightly laughs, unable to hide his own amusement that you didn’t know anything about because this situation certainly wasn’t something to make fun of… unless, if it’s really your last day staying here…

“Of course not” He suddenly became serious again as he suddenly stood up just to circle around the tea table, taking the seat next to you.

“It’s not your fault” He whispered before bringing you into his secure hold.

“Are you making fun of me?!” you try to escape away, feeling displeased by the way he has just laughed at you moments before.

“I’d be feeling the same way too, you know… a day without you feels… empty” he calmly spoke, while effortlessly keeping you stay in between his hold. His hand was behind your head while the other was by your shoulder.

“Liar” you argued back.

“Life is a series of events strung together like a phrase of a sentence… Do you want me to continue?” He asked with much confidence in his voice.

Unforeseen by you, Ayato recites the poem you’ve previously written. You haven’t shown it to anyone, especially to him because he was always busy so it wouldn’t be possible that he knows?

“How do you know that?” you asked, feeling a little curious.

He laughs as he finally releases you, letting you see his face.

“I was going to invite you to the festival yesterday, buy some new novels for you to read but you didn’t return. Since you were just staying at your own residence…”

He seems to know that you’ve also finished reading the book you’ve been reading as if you’ve told him about it yourself.

“You… You asked someone to spy on me? Didn’t you?” You try to make wild guesses.

“They’re guards, you know that and it’s for your safety” he quickly explained.

“Not that. It’s about the books I read and the poems… how do you know that?” Once again you question him about his acknowledgment about those little details.

“Well… you do know we share the same bedroom, right?” he casually spoke.

“So?” you still couldn't make any sense of what he’s trying to say.

“Did you ever sleep properly this past week?” he asked again, as if he didn’t have the answer to your questions.

You carefully recalled the things you’ve been doing before… you’d usually sit by the room’s side table to read or write before getting to bed and most likely fell asleep but for some reason… you’ll end up comfortably inside the covers when getting up the next morning.

“Sorry for troubling you then… I must’ve drained your precious time” Even if he carried you and tucked you in bed, he still doesn’t spend at least five minutes with you.

He sighed, seemingly still unable to redeem himself. “You said, I have a lot of time for work, but not so much for happiness… then what if I tell you that I still think about you even while I do my duties?”

“What if it’s just you saying this to make me feel better?” you argued back with another doubt in mind.

“It’s true…” He worriedly exclaimed, hoping you would believe him.

You sighed, his words could barely erase the sadness you were feeling right now. 

If only you know… If only you’re not a heavy sleeper… perhaps you’d get to even listen to him complaining about how tired he was every day. How he wished he was better at managing his work, just so he can finish it in a second and spend more time with you.

He still remembers the promise he made. That night, he tried so hard to figure out the problem that everyone expected him to solve and it took him a while but eventually he was able to overcome it. He excitedly walked out from his office only to realize that it was already late at night. He was too late, you were already asleep by the room’s side table. Ayato quietly sat next to you for a long while, observing you, listening to your calm breathing. He sadly smiled before whispering an apology for breaking his promise.

If he was to admit it, perhaps even you would feel the second hand embarrassment. The way he didn’t miss every opportunity to hold you every night. No matter what position you were sleeping, he’d be holding you close by his side. Even if he couldn’t talk with you, it was enough for him. Ayato knows you’ll definitely call him clingy if you’d ever woken up because of him but fortunately you never woke up. 

It’s also why he's feeling nothing but energized during his work hours. Unbeknown to you, you're Ayato’s lifeline, his one and only happiness. During those nights when you were absent, he could barely sleep as if he suddenly had insomnia. He too, knows of this feeling… that feeling when you’re not by his side. Perhaps… if he directly talks about these things with you… and just makes things clear.

“Let me tell you something”

----------------------------

A/N: I can't even imagine how bad it would be if Ayato really did act like that for no reason. I'd rather make reader leave him for sure (just like the lyrics would be) but writing a breakup is too painful... Reader deserves the world. 

#kamisato ayato #genshin impact #genshin impact ayato #genshin headcanons #kamisato ayato x reader #kamisato ayato genshin impact #ayato x y/n

[knightfeared]

*TIME FOR SOME POSITIVITY! 📨 ➤   @sephyathredon ( … ) 🌵,✨, 🌼, 🌲, 🌱, 🌿, 🌙

◈ @hexcoremagician [ ; ] a canon rp blog I’m biased here for obvious reasons — but regardless? I highly recommend Mars’ portrayal to anyone who adores Viktor from Arcane & League. How they’ve built him up, fleshed him out & developed him is nothing short of AMAZING. I absolutely adore all the replies I see on dash, can clearly hear his voice & picture a scene painted perfectly well with how they write! You will not be disappointed, in fact, you’ll be beyond blown away by the true care they have for this character. They truly do him Justice! 💕

◈ @luxcruor [ ; ] a multimuse blog Though I’m slow with replies, Sailor is so insanely sweet to talk to ooc! They have this way of hyping you up for replies & character interactions & are not shy about meshing muses from other fandoms together which is something I admire greatly. They’re so friendly, very easy to plot with & chat to about the blorbos, you’ll be introduced to new muses through interactions with them, but it’s very easy to grow fond of them.

◈ @vulpesse [ ; ] a blog with beautiful writing Everything? Everything is beyond gorgeous! Bunnie is someone I’m still so shy to poke & write with but my god do I admire their creativity! They have such a way with words, making everything sound so poetic & gorgeous — I feel like I’m reading a well loved story book or fairy tale with their work. The graphics they craft & use to help in visualizing their story— it’s nothing short of beautifully inspiring. Despite how insanely gorgeous their writing is, they also go out of their way to open the door for interactions with muses no matter the fandom. Bunnie is such a genuinely sweet soul, so so talented, I highly recommend any & all of their blogs because the mun truly does put a lot of effort into building stories with people.

◈ @shimmerbeasts [ ; ] a blog with thought-provoking headcanons I gotta write together more with this lovely writer & it’s truly on me for being a chicken but I’m forever going to be blown away by how big their brain is with the lore & headcanons Miss T has developed for Zaun & their muses. Each one is so well thought out, fits seamlessly with their portrayals to help shape not only them, but build up the world itself to something that feels real, nitty & gritty but so believable. I don’t have the words to describe it, but they’re insanely skilled in worldbuilding from all I’ve seen since I’ve followed & I highly recommend them because the effort they put into their portrayals is incredible!

◈ @pitgritted / @prtector [ ; ] a blog that's always positive SUCH A SWEETHEART— I do not know them all that well but following their blogs? It sounds cheesy, but the vibes I get from both, from the mun themselves is nothing but positive— always so wholesome & talented — I admire their passion so so much because of the distinct way they capture their muses. The effort put into Taric & Sett is awe-inspiring — but so far, yeah. No — I am nudging them over onto dash & holding them up like Simba because they are such a warm, friendly, UTTERLY WHOLESOME PERSON here in the rpc— definitely! Follow!

◈ @jynxd [ ; ] a new blog They are new to me but I’m so happy I’m Mutuals with them. I’m excited to see all their Headcanons, their replies & writing on my dash — a new face but they have such a clear love for their muses, are so wholesome & cheerful to see poking others — all I can say for now is they’re worth following & taking the time to plot with cause so far from all I’ve seen, they’re a skilled writer with a lot of bubbling ideas!

◈ @hymnblood / @inexoratos / @grantsuccor [ ; ] a blog for my favorite character Sage is an og— I need to gush about their Zag cause their writing is utterly gorgeous, so beautiful it will always blow me away! I need to poke them more, & I highly encourage poking their portrayals a hell of a lot more too because the ideas they come up with for interactions, the way they bring their muses to life, give them such a distinct, memorable voice in their dialogues — the headcanons are lovingly crafted, fitting well for the muses I do know, & for muses I am unfamiliar with? They catch my eye. They carry a passion for everything they do that is very strongly felt & greatly admired. But yes— their portrayals are always top tier in my personal opinion! 🙏💕💕💕

#╰┈➤ ┊❛ answered ooc. ❜┊ #╰┈➤ ┊❛ out of medkits. / ooc. ❜┊ #╰┈➤ ┊❛ positivity. ❜ #HOH THIS IS A CHONKER BUT— god I’m mush #I’m lucky to be Mutuals with so many talented people IM SCREAMING

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 3

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. We’re now in the Top 3 of the countdown! TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “Look at us. We’re all freaks and monsters? And who made us this way? BATMAN!” Number 3 is…Trial.

“Who made who?” This is not only a quote from a very fine song by AC/DC, but it is a recurring question found and toyed with in a variety of ways throughout superhero fiction. Do the heroes create the villains, or do the villains create the heroes? Does extreme heroic action, that which already tends to bend the law (if not break it completely) result in higher extremes of crime and cruelty? Or does the existence of such evil in the world beget the need for heroes who will go to greater lengths to stop them? Is it, perhaps, a hint of both, or could it even be neither and it’s all sheer bizarre coincidence; that these things would probably happen regardless? While basically every superhero franchise worth its salt dives into this question somehow, some way, at some point, Batman is one of the characters who perhaps most embodies this fundamental problem: keep in mind, most of Batman’s greatest villains – especially in B:TAS – only came on the scene after Batman, himself, arrived. Does his presence in Gotham in some way inspire evil, or is it the presence of said evil that necessitates his constant intervention? “Trial” is one of my favorite pieces to address this question. Originally planned to be a movie, the story was tightened up to be just another episode of the show (I think budgetary reasons might have been the cause, but I can’t prove or be certain of that). While one does wish the episode could have been expanded on in feature format, I think the final result more than stands up on its own terms. The story focuses on Gotham’s new district attorney (replacing Harvey Dent), Janet Van Dorn. She greatly disapproves of Batman’s involvement with law enforcement, not at all impressed by his many feats of saving Gotham City, and frustrated with Commissioner Gordon’s alliance with the Dark Knight. In her mind, Batman is responsible for the rise of super-criminals in the city, and she openly admits that nothing would bring her greater pleasure than to put the Caped Crusader on trial. As the old saying goes, “be careful what you wish for”: Van Dorn and Batman both find themselves captured by a horde of Gotham Rogues, who have staged a coup to take over Arkham Asylum, using the Mad Hatter’s mind control technology to brainwash the staff. The Villains reveal they plan to put Batman on trial: the Joker is the Judge, Two-Face is the Prosecutor…and Janet Van Dorn is forced to act as Batman’s Defense. The irony speaks for itself.

Where do I start with what’s awesome about this episode, aside from the obvious novelty of the premise? Well, for one thing, if you love Batman Villains, then you definitely will enjoy this story, because almost every major rogue in the gallery appears in some capacity in this episode. Some, like Scarecrow and the Riddler, are non-speaking cameos, but a lot of the others actually get a fair bit of screentime and some great character interactions and dialogue. Seeing all these villains bounce off each other, as well as our two protagonists, is just a great deal of fun. I also love all the little humorous elements and hidden jokes in the episode: things like the Mad Hatter being the first witness (a direct and subtle reference to the Wonderland books), the Joker being the judge (which I think may have been a reference to a comic, but could also be a funny coincidence), and the Ventriloquist & Scarface as the bailiffs (which doesn’t reference anything, I believe, but is just freaking hilarious). I also like the journey Van Dorn goes on in this story. She starts off as a rival to Batman, seeing him as a nuisance and a hypocrite who causes more trouble than he’s worth, and wants to see things done in a straight-and-narrow fashion. By the end of the story, she concedes that he really does have a place and purpose in Gotham, and that the ends truly do justify the means…but she still doesn’t necessarily LIKE that fact. To an extent, she reminds me a lot of Ellen Yindel from “The Dark Knight Returns” (and her surrogate character, Ellen Yin, from the later animated show “The Batman”). In Frank Miller’s graphic novel, Yindel is Commissioner Gordon’s replacement, and she basically has the same concerns and feelings as Van Dorn. She also ultimately comes to the same conclusion: sometimes, drastic measures are called for, and one should not judge what they cannot fully understand. I don’t know if this similarity was intentional on the creators’ part or not, but it’s interesting to note.

“Trial” postulates that, unorthodox and questionable as his actions may be, Batman does NOT create his villains: whatever grudges and fixations these renegades have, they probably still would have become bad guys later down the line without his help. And what’s great about this conclusion is, at least in the Animated Series, that’s absolutely true! Most of Batman’s rogues are created independently from him, or were already off-balance by the time he came into play. So many times in this series, Batman isn’t the one spurring the action on, instead he’s reacting to dangerous activity. So whatever influence Batman has on Gotham City…in this show, at least, it’s safe to say it’s positive. The twist that comes after Van Dorn has this realization during the titular trial is absolutely marvelous, as well…but I think I’ll keep that one to myself. Watch the episode to see how this case adjourns. Ha Ha.

Tomorrow, I shall present the penultimate place in the countdown. Hint: “Are you the dreamer, or merely part of someone’s dream?”

#list #countdown #best #favorites #new year's special #year of the bat #top 31 btas episodes #btas #batman: the animated series #dcau #dc #batman #animation #tv #number 3 #trial #janet van dorn #bruce wayne #joker #harley quinn #poison ivy #mad hatter #scarecrow #killer croc #two-face #ventriloquist #scarface #arnold wesker #harvey dent #waylon jones

[tleeaves]

Thank you @luciehercndale and also @faithfromanewperspective (I am pretty sure you also tagged me and I forgot to make my reply then) for tagging me 🥺 It means the world, honestly, since I don't update a lot nor write too many fics, yet I'm still remembered.

When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💖

(All of the below are in The Last Hours fandom)

Wasting Beats In This Heart Of Mine 136,108 words. Work in progress. This fic is my most ambitious and it is a various x OC story (James Herondale, Cordelia Carstairs, and Matthew Fairchild). It's my own take on how multiple universes of the same characters work and what would happen if a time loop was created by trying to save someone who is meant to die. Basically, it's the fracturing of reality, the occasional dose of heavy existentialism and derealisation/depersonalisation, fixing of some canon complaints I had, but it all takes place during Chain of Iron. It's a re-write of an earlier and now deleted fanfic of mine called Chain of Lies. Oh, and there's romance. Everything kind of revolves around that, one way or another, even in some rather dangerous ways.

The Rain (It Rains Every Day) 7,912 words. Work in progress. This is a Beauty and the Beast AU but greatly inspired by the myth of Eros/Cupid and Psyche, as well as earlier versions of the Beauty and Beast story (the French version, as well as some others under different titles like East of the Sun, West of the Moon, which is basically Cupid and Psyche in a different font). It's got James Herondale x Cordelia Carstairs, Lucie Herondale x Grace Blackthorn, and Alastair Carstairs x Thomas Lightwood. The setting is 1900, Greece in an alternate universe where a whole bunch of the TLH cast immigrated to the country or live(d) in Bulgaria or Persia.

A Diamond On Your Pillow 1,978 words. Complete work. A crack-ship fic about Christopher Lightwood x Lara Croft because of a silly joke I had with @thevagabondexpress. I still maintain that it is the most genius of my works, even if I did not get around to writing out any of the backstory we talked about. Also, it's the strangest ship in the fandom corner right now and I am proud of that. The moment someone takes my title, I will be publishing a James Herondale x Alastair Carstairs fic and no one can stop me. Not even your mother. Heed my warning because after that it might be Peeta Mellark x Cordelia Carstairs AND I WILL DO IT.

Love, We Did Our Best 3,354 words. Work in progress. A Matthew Fairchild x pregnant OC fic. I came up with the idea after a weird dream I had about IVF, but anyway. It takes place in France (past) and Tortuga (current story), 1906. Matthew has been travelling the world and generally avoiding Shadowhunters until he gets to Tortuga and meets a Nephilim woman with her marks stripped in exile there. She is a widow expecting to give birth to her first child in somewhere over three months. It only has two chapters so far, but it's supposed to be a cute murder mystery (..."cute" as in there's romance, but also the murder mystery itself is not actually cute, it gets quite dark).

Pride and Prejudice 2,460 words. Work in progress. It is literally just a Thomastair Pride and Prejudice AU. It has one chapter. I intend to continue it one day, but I have to refer to the book often so it's on the backburner because I am too lazy to refer to the book to write and this AU requires it. I'll get around to it eventually. Probably.

I am tagging @griddle-cakes, @sourlemons262, @zoyalannister, and @all-this-panic-still-no-disco (mostly because I know you're also fanfic writers, 3/4 of which have written also for TLH. You absolutely don't have to do this though if you don't want to.)

#tag game #fanfic #the last hours #james herondale #cordelia carstairs #matthew fairchild #christopher lightwood #thomas lightwood #grace blackthorn #alastair carstairs

[mask131]

The Sandman and the DC universe, part 2: One of a trio

Part 1 of this series was about how Neil Gaiman dug up all sorts of old EC and DC horror hosts to create the inhabitants of the Dreaming and the cast of The Sandman. But here I want to talk about the “original trio” that The Sandman started as a part of.

The original story of The Sandman was closely tied to two other series of DC Comics, forming together a sort of “unholy trio” of horror-based “mature audience” stories, all sharing a same universe and having their respective characters pop up in each other.

The most obvious of this trio is the Hellblazer comics. You know Hellblazer. THE comic of John Constantine (in fact its original name was “John Constantine, Hellblazer”). The comic in which Constantine became a protagonist and central character, starting in 1988. 

The link between Hellblazer and The Sandman seem obvious due to John Constantine appearing as a secondary character in Preludes and Nocturnes, being the character Dream has to tag along with to find back his bag of sand. But there’s more! Did you know that Dream of the Endless does appear in Hellblazer? Yep, John Constatine’s appearance in The Sandman issue 3 was prepared and planned in advance, and announced in Hellblazer itself, as Dream makes an appearance in issue 19, as a prelude/prequel to Constantine’s appearance in The Sandman. (Mind you given the character was still brand new, Dream’s appearance in Hellblazer is... quite weird to say the least). 

Neil Gaiman isn’t just a fan and enthusiast of Hellblazer: he is also one of the co-creators, as he participated in it! He wrote issue 27. And the tie between the two comic lines only became stronger when in 2019 the Hellblazer comics were revived for a special series that would be part of the newly launched “The Sandman Universe” comics. 

But The Sandman and Hellblaze have one more thing in common, a comic book which forms the third part of the trio: Swamp Thing. 

Swamp Thing was where John Constantine was created and first appeared, as a secondary character, before Hellblazer was created to give him his own series. It was a comic Neil Gaiman greatly liked, and he even wrote the fifth annual for its second run (the stories “Brothers” and “Shaggy God Stories”. Before Neil Gaiman reused Abel and Cain with their Houses of Mystery and Secrets in his Sandman comics, Alan Moore had already “resurrected” them and used them in Swamp Thing - for issue 33. Which was actually a quite ironic twist of fate as the very comic book “Swamp Thing” was originally based and inspired by one of the horror stories told in the comic “House of Secrets”, the comic in which and for which was created Abel! 

But more importantly; Swamp Thing is where Matthew comes from. Yep, Matthew the raven. Neil Gaiman did not create or invent him. His full story (or rather backstory now) is in Swamp Thing, where he was a government agent named Matthew Cable. He had a long story and tons of adventures, and in the second run of the series (what people refer to as “volume 2″, he finally met his end. Falling into a coma in issue 31, he then plunges into the Dreaming. And there, meeting with Eve and Dream, he ends up dying in issue 84 - and due to dying in the Dreaming, he is allowed to be resurrected there... as Dream’s personal raven. 

And so, if you want to see what the rest of the Sandman world look like, you can safely look up at the Hellblazer comic and the Swamp Thing comic (Hellblazer’s original rule, not to be mistaken with a similar comic titled “The Hellblazer” ; and the second run or “volume 2″ of Swamp Thing) - as the story of The Sandman was designed to be woven with these two. Sandman, Hellblazer, Swamp Thing: the unholy trinity.

#sandman #the sandman #dc comics #dc universe #hellblazer #john constantine #swamp thing #matthew #matthew the raven #dream of the endless #dream #cain #abel #house of mystery #house of secrets

[elenajohansenreads]

Books I Read in 2024

#15 - Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire, by Lori A. Brotto

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

As with one of my previous reviews about a book on menopause, I'd like to point out up front that the structure and content of the book assumes the reader is a cis woman and refers to the reader's body throughout under that assumption, which might be alienating to any reader whose physiology doesn't match, be they cis men or any trans or intersex person. "Woman" in this book exclusively refers to cis women; only in one section does it allude to the distinction between cis and trans women by using the term "natal women" in reference to the specifics of one study. Which isn't to say that the core subject matter isn't potentially useful for or applicable to trans women or trans people in general, or that the book is setting out to be trans-exclusionary; only that what little research is being done on this topic is focused on cis women as the group who needs it and would benefit most greatly from it. (Which, given that most clinical medical science is done on cis men as the default, is still a good thing in my mind, that any research on sexuality is being done with cis women as the focus.)

Since the take-home message of this book is "Mindfulness practice could probably improve your sex life, and also the rest of your life while you're at it," in my mind that's equally useful advice for everyone, but the mindfulness exercises in this book range from generic at the start (anyone who can eat solid food can do the raisin meditation) to guided exploration of the body in both nonsexual and sexual contexts, which are specific to cis women.

If that message seems obvious, why does it need a whole book written about the science that "proves" it, well, I'm still a crunchy science nerd at heart and was interested to see the design structure of the studies done to research the topic and the results of those studies. That sort of narrative would likely seem dry and boring to someone more interested in the self-help, instructional aspects of the book; likewise, the mindfulness exercises themselves might not interest someone who was reading this for the crunchy science, though the book is definitely marketing itself to cis women experiencing some level of sexual distress or dysfunction who are hoping for a solution, to whom the book offers mindfulness.

Without getting too personal on the subject, I was interested in this book on both fronts; as with my previous reading about menopause, I'm trying to be proactive about engaging with the changes in my body as it ages, and I have noticed a pattern of changes in my sex life that I'm not pleased with. I don't have access to the sort of highly regimented clinical mindfulness study that the book refers to, but the barrier to entry for self-guided mindfulness practice is basically nonexistent--I already have one app on my phone I could be utilizing but mostly don't, and if it turns out I don't vibe with their library of guided exercises I know there's a wealth of other options. And even those aren't necessary, they're just helpful tools.

I know that I, personally, will face challenges attempting mindfulness practice despite all its potential benefits--mindfulness is widely considered to be especially beneficial for people with ADHD, but also difficult for them, as the differences in the ADHD brain from a neurotypical one aren't conducive to learning to achieve a state of mindfulness. But another, narrower take-home message from this book was inspiring to me: that self-belief about your own state of sexuality and sexual satisfaction is more impactful to actual sexual satisfaction that any combination of other studied factors (relationship status, age and hormonal changes, etc.) The book repeatedly assures the reader mindfulness is learning to treat negative thoughts as "mental events" to be noticed, acknowledged, and then moved on from, which in a broader, non-sexually-specific context, means that even my belief that "mindfulness will be difficult for me because I have ADHD" isn't an obstacle that can't be overcome. Forming a habit of mindfulness practice might also be difficult for me, but again, that can be overcome to at least some degree with motivation, and all those scientific studies did show that women engaged with mindfulness showed strong desire and follow-through in making time for daily practice (even accounting for the self-selection of feeling the need to participate in the study in the first place.) The benefits of mindfulness appear to be their own reward, in terms of successful habit-forming, so I'm hopeful.

#booklr #book review #nonfiction

[battyblog]

Scorned Women Media

This post was inspired by my recent watch of the gorgeous new Sophia Coppola biopic Priscilla. As Coppola does so well, the film created a hazy pastel world, a series of snippets from Priscilla’s time with Elvis Presley. Allowing us, the viewer, to watch the teen girl slowly be manipulated and abused by this rock and roll legend. The perfect femme fatale, no doubt that she is the victim in this scenario. Priscilla adds to the growing pop culture catalogue of scorned women media. This post will explore the intricacies of the femme fatale and whether or not our obsession with the female victim can be empowering. 

When I say the term ‘Scorned women media’ I mean both fiction and non-fiction stories that focus on the women as the victim in the scenario. We love depictions of woman suffering in the same society we do. Whether it is their lived experience or as collateral in another’s story. See the popularity of Princess Diana. A clear example of this is the shift in attitude towards Paris Hilton after her 2021 YouTube documentary. Paris disclosing that she was actually playing more of a character and a victim of abuse in the Troubled Teen Industry. Through such a personal disclosure she went from being a bimbo who can’t DJ, to a survivor and businesswoman who leveraged societies prejudice to make millions. The truth being that this Paris was there the whole time, we just weren’t looking.  

Biopics are a staple of cinema and becoming ever more popular. The biopic allows us to enter the world of a well-known figure, satisfying our natural human curiosity with a healthy dose of nostalgia. In terms of Priscilla, Coppola not only told her story but recreated her world, which I personally loved being a part of. But when we look back at the Biopics of the past few years the female led stories are greatly overshadowed by those of men. Just 33% of films in 2022 were those depicting solo female protagonists. In 2023 we had twice the amount of male led biopics to female led (18:9). It is important to tell stories of iconic figures in society, but the Hollywood funding bias leads to an oversaturation of white- male led stories. 

Something that made Priscilla stand out as a female biopic was the inclusion and input of Priscilla herself as a producer. Blonde and Spencer are recent films (2021 and 2022) posthumously telling the struggles of their main characters. In both cases, this lack of humanisation of their main characters leads to a violent depiction of their suffering and presents fiction as fact. Although Spencer does admit itself as more of a ‘fable’ it is a tough 2 hour exploration of ar Di’s presumed mental state and provides the titular character little relief or redeeming characteristics. Is it too much to ask to see a woman succeed?  

Priscilla peppers in scenes of abuse, yet still spends enough time with our main character for us, the audience, to see other characteristics of hers. There has been slight backlash into the favourable view of Elvis in this story, but with Priscilla herself as the producer, could this not just be her personal view. I hope that Priscilla is a sign of a shift in scorned women biopics to be made based on stories of its victims and prioritise what they WANT to say rather than sensationalise their suffering. Such personal and vulnerable depictions of women need to be more empowering, rather than add to the exploitation that they have already suffered from.  

Another 2023 hit was the autobiography of Britney Spears ‘The woman in me’, that allowed her to finally speak her truth after years of public exploitation. Spears’ book allowed her to reclaim her narrative, which is never a bad thing. The change in public attitude towards Britney shows a more general shift in how we view women and the symbiotic relationship this has with the media (we’re nicer to women so they are too). In her youth, Britney was so heavily exploited through stories told about her, the relentless hunting from paparazzi and their capitalising on her most vulnerable moments. The demand and space for her to write this book shows that we are more sympathetic to the struggles of women and our it-girls. ‘The woman in me’ will draw rage from any reader, rage towards how Britney was treated by the media, her family and her ex-partner Justin Timberlake. Their relationship was heavily prevalent at the time and was used by Timberlake to further his own career, by creating a false victim narrative and feeding into a pre-existing sexist hatred of Spears. He spread rumours that he was the victim of cheating, discussed her virginity in interviews and used a lookalike in his music video, all to draw sales. With the release of ‘the woman in me’ his reputation was shot through, his exploitative actions exposed (not like they weren’t already obvious) and Britney winning the public court of opinion.  

It took the release of the Britney’s autobiography to cause such a shift in public opinion. We, as a society, needed the victim to underline and contextualise his shitty actions, it brings into question whether anything would have happened if Spears had not so clearly corrected his lies. Well, in a clear case of Justin Timberlake, we see that it did in fact take a dressing down from Spears for him to admit his wrongdoings, not only to her but to Janet Jackson. The Janet Jackson incident being a wardrobe malfunction that led to him exposing Jackson’s breast in the 2004 Superbowl. This resulted in Jackson being uninvited from the next Grammys, and Timberlake winning multiple. Whilst Janet Jackson herself has only spoken positively about Timberlake and the incident, was her not allowing herself to be portrayed as a victim stopping us from seeing Timberlake as a controversial character. If Jackson had filled this role of scorned woman would we have seen her as being unfairly treated. Victim or not, the cancellation of Janet Jackson for this incident was disgusting and heavily sexist.  

But the point of Jackson vs Timberlake also brings into question the racial element of scorned women media. Previous examples of Priscilla, Spencer and Blonde all show beautiful, young, WHITE women. I believe this is due to the pre-existing views on white women as natural victims, frail and those to take care of. Although the slow feminist shift in attitudes has allowed us to now support the Paris Hiltons of the world- the reliance on big budget offerings to do such takes the little funding and heavily directs it to favouring space for white women to share their woes. Sexist predispositions are one thing to fight, but Black and POC women are handed another burden of racial bias. This dichotomy leads to stereotypes such as the ‘Angry Black woman’ , this pre-exsiting bias limits opportunities of scorned black women to present themselves as such. Our feminist shift needs to evolve to allow space for ALL victims of sexism to speak their truth in an EMPOWERING way. By no means do victims need to share their stories if they are not ready, but priorities must be shifted to allow those who choose to, to have the ability to. With this needs to be space for victims' stories to be consumed without them being patronised or sensationalised. 

Whilst we may benefit from seeing the representation in victimhood, we, as consumers, need to be aware of the forms of scorned women media we consume. We need to demand the depiction of women at their most vulnerable to be empowering like Spears’ autobiography. It needs to cause a shift in perception like Paris’s documentary. It needs to benefit the ones at the center of it rather than benefit from their suffering. The scorned woman is not just the beautiful white woman. An unfortunate fact about our society is that every woman is scorned. But now this growing societal focus must shift to stories of POC women, to further dismantle stereotypes and force self-reflection.  

#feminist blog #feminism #priscilla movie #britney spears #long post

[prpfs]

hi hi! 18+ f looking for an oc roleplay 🤍 i’m a novella writer who loves lots of detail and quality in her responses, but i’m not too big on quantity if the situation doesn’t call for it. i’m looking for someone i could plot, discuss, make playlists, and get engaged with regarding our roleplay/ships. i want someone with similar energy so the roleplay itself doesn't get monotonous! we can also see the vibes before exchanging total information, just so we get a basic idea.

i tend to gravitate towards mxf relationships, but i’m looking forward to a mxm pairing with my muse as the presiding/dominant one. as for nsfw, those themes are welcome! however, i’d like it to not be the main focus. we can discuss limits/ideas in dms, but do keep in mind that any taboo elements are off the table!

i don’t have a solid plot in mind, but i’m hoping we could craft a story inspired by the vibes and profound themes of call me by your name. we’d explore themes such as identity and attraction, pain, heartbreak, regret, coming of age and maturity, language and communication, time and anticipation, obsessive love, foreignness, age-gaps, intimacy, friendship, sexuality, the centrality of love in the human experience, and many other complex elements. while drawing inspiration from the movie/book, we will forge an entirely original plot, uniquely our own.

if you’re interested, like or reach out to this post and i’ll come find you! lately, i’ve been having issues with my dms. if you could kindly leave your discord handle in the comments, i would greatly appreciate it. if not, i’ll make sure to get in touch with you personally as soon as i can. also, do note that i only roleplay on discord :)

Leave a like, and anon will get back to you!

#oc roleplay #oc rp #oc x oc #m/f #m/m

[findroleplay]

hi hi! 18+ f looking for an oc roleplay. i’m a novella writer who loves lots of detail and quality in her responses, but i’m not too big on quantity if the situation doesn’t call for it. i’m looking for someone i could plot, discuss, make playlists, and get engaged with regarding our roleplay/ships. i want someone with similar energy so the roleplay itself doesn't get monotonous! we can also see the vibes before exchanging total information, just so we get a basic idea.

i tend to gravitate towards mxf relationships, but i’m looking forward to a mxm pairing with my muse as the presiding/dominant one. as for nsfw, those themes are welcome! however, i’d like it to not be the main focus. we can discuss limits/ideas in dms, but do keep in mind that any taboo elements are off the table!

i don’t have a solid plot in mind, but i was hoping we could craft a story inspired by the vibes and profound themes of call me by your name. we’d explore themes such as identity and attraction, pain, heartbreak, regret, coming of age and maturity, language and communication, time and anticipation, obsessive love, foreignness, age-gaps, intimacy, friendship, sexuality, the centrality of love in the human experience, and many other complex elements. while drawing inspiration from the movie/book, we will forge an entirely original plot, uniquely our own.

if you’re interested, like or reach out to this post and i’ll come find you! lately, i’ve been having issues with my dms. if you could kindly leave your discord handle in the comments, i would greatly appreciate it. if not, i’ll make sure to get in touch with you personally as soon as i can. also, do note that i only roleplay on discord :)

-

#rp #roleplay #oc rp #original rp #fandomless rp #mxf rp #mxm rp

[sabenvs3000w24]

Blog 9: The magic of Bioluminescence

Imagine yourself in a pitch-black forest, the floor beneath your feet twinkling with a million starlights or how about within the ocean waters.. This isn't a fantasy book setting; rather, it's the realm of bioluminescence, the phenomenon in which living things use chemical reactions to make light.

One small inquiry for a school project led me onto a journey diving into the bright realm of bioluminescence. A question I first asked myself was, how are living organisms able to create light of their own? This question inspired me to focus a large portion of my research on comprehending this phenomena, trying to evaluate the secrets of the shimmering oceans lit by phytoplankton and the illuminating mushrooms.

Bioluminescence is not only a stunning show; for many creatures, it is an essential survival mechanism (National Geographic, n.d. In the pitch-black darkness of the ocean's depths, deep-sea animals employ it to draw in food or ward off predators. Fireflies use their light to communicate, especially during mating season. Some fungal species can produce light, an enigmatic phenomena that is believed to draw insects that aid in the spores' dissemination (National Geographic, n.d).

But what is their method? Just as interesting as the show itself is the science underlying bioluminescence. An enzyme known as luciferase and a light-emitting molecule known as luciferin combine chemically to generate light (National Geographic, n.d). One of the most effective sources of light known is bioluminescence, which occurs when oxygen reacts with certain substances to generate light without producing heat.

These luminescent creatures generate strange, unearthly landscapes. Imagine strolling through a forest where bioluminescent fungus have covered the branches and roots, naturally forming a channel of light beneath the tree canopy. Imagine swimming in a sea where you are surrounded by a galaxy of blue stars and every stroke you make creates a bloom of shimmering plankton. These are experiences that go beyond simple observation; they are an immersive journey into the enchantment that exists in the hidden corners of our earth, which is what I searched out for my study.

A striking reminder of the marvels of evolution and the extraordinary flexibility of life is provided by bioluminescence. It illuminates the core of our woods and the depths of our seas with natural light displays that equal those of the stars in the sky, telling a tale of survival, communication, and beauty. I have only begun to scrape the surface of my comprehension of this amazing phenomena via my studies and personal experiences, but it has greatly expanded my respect for the complexities of both life and the natural world.

I hope this introduction to the luminous world of bioluminescence caught your interest and left you feeling amazed and curious. One of nature's many amazing teachings is the light that bioluminescent creatures emit. Nature's creative ability is boundless. Let us continue to ponder, investigate, and be amazed by the secrets that lie ahead in the natural world.

I have attached a YouTube video detailing some cool facts of Bioliminescence!

Hastings, J. W. (2012, December 2). Bioluminescence. Cell Physiology Source Book.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780126569704500543 

​​National Geographic. (n.d). Bioluminescence is light emitted by living things through chemical reactions in their bodies. National Geographic Education. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/bioluminescence/

#bioluminescence #university of guelph #nature interpretation #ENVS3000 #Youtube

[darkdoverpseeker]

hi hi! 18+ f looking for an oc roleplay. i’m a novella writer who loves lots of detail and quality in her responses, but i’m not too big on quantity if the situation doesn’t call for it. i’m looking for someone i could plot, discuss, make playlists, and get engaged with regarding our roleplay/ships. i want someone with similar energy so the roleplay itself doesn't get monotonous! we can also see the vibes before exchanging total information, just so we get a basic idea.

i tend to gravitate towards mxf relationships, but i’m looking forward to a mxm pairing with my muse as the presiding/dominant one. as for nsfw, those themes are welcome! however, i’d like it to not be the main focus. we can discuss limits/ideas in dms, but do keep in mind that any taboo elements are off the table!

i don’t have a solid plot in mind, but i was hoping we could craft a story inspired by the vibes and profound themes of call me by your name. we’d explore themes such as identity and attraction, pain, heartbreak, regret, coming of age and maturity, language and communication, time and anticipation, obsessive love, foreignness, age-gaps, intimacy, friendship, sexuality, the centrality of love in the human experience, and many other complex elements. while drawing inspiration from the movie/book, we will forge an entirely original plot, uniquely our own.

if you’re interested, like or reach out to this post and i’ll come find you! lately, i’ve been having issues with my dms. if you could kindly leave your discord handle in the comments, i would greatly appreciate it. if not, i’ll make sure to get in touch with you personally as soon as i can. also, do note that i only roleplay on discord :)

like if interested!

#oc x oc #m x f #m x m #1x1 rp #fandomless rp #discord rp #rp #roleplay