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inky-duchess · 4 months

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Etiquette of the Edwardian Era and La Belle Époque: Courting

This is a new set of posts focusing on the period of time stretching from the late 19th century to the early 20th Century right up to the start of WWI. I'll be going through different aspects of life. This series can be linked to my Great House series as well as my Season post and Debutant post.

I get asked a lot about courting, what's acceptable or what's off limits and how one may woo a prospective spouse. So let's explore how to win the hand and heart.

Meeting (not so cute?)

Firstly, it is really difficult to have a meet cute in the Edwardian era. Women and men are kept separate for most of the day, only really getting to meet at designated events: A dinner, a ball, a social event. Meeting in the park is a cute idea but a gentleman can't just approach a lady (or another gentleman) without being introduced by a third party, either a senior party or a mutual friend. However, an introduction at a ball is sort of like Cinderella's get up, it ceases to matter when the ball is over. Your gentleman must not approach a lady after that ball, he must be reintroduced. Once an introduction has been made, he can speak with her.

An Interest

When an introduction has gone satisfactory, a gentleman must make the first move by calling to her parents'/guardian's home and making a formal request to begin courting. Her parents/guardians must consent, usually leading to a short brief interview of the gentleman's family, his connections, his wealth (though in not so vulgar terms, they may inquire where he lives which is an indicator). The woman's opinion did matter, she could give her reasons for accepting or turning down the offer. When the interest is approved, the gentleman can start offering invitations.

Three's Company

Of course, just because the parents agree, doesn't mean the couple gets to be alone. The young lady will be accompanied by a chaperone either a lady's maid, a governess, her mother or another female relative. While the couple is together, the chaperone will always be a few steps behind or have them in sight. She's there to ensure that nothing more than a conversation happens. This is not only for her young lady's reputation but also to save the man from any claims of impropriety. The chaperone also serves as a sort of spy, gauging whether this relationship is worth pursuing.

Activities & Tokens

A gentleman may invite a lady out to lots of different activities. He can invite her for a promenade at a local park or gardens, out the theatre, visit her at home, invite her to galleries, to balls or to be his companion at sporting events such as the races, tennis matches or boat races. When visiting in the house, the gentleman would be expected to speak with all the family, be polite and courteous. This is how the family guages his suitably. The gentleman must provide transportation and funds for any excursion. Gifts are to be refined as well. Expensive gifts are considered vulgar and will likely be turned down. Small gifts such as flowers, books, cakes are acceptable. Gifts aren't as important as the time spent together.

Rules of Engagement

There are certain unspoken rules surrounding courtship that every gentlemen must follow for a successful courtship:

A gentleman should always pay attention to his lady, and not exclude her or cast her off for others

A gentleman never smokes in front of his lady nor forget to remove his hat.

A gentleman must always offer to refresh his lady on an excursion

A gentleman must defend his lady from any offense be it an insult or a scene unfit for her eyes or within an argument. Throwing in an apology for any offense can add a cherry on top.

However if she's the one giving offense, without any reason, the gentleman must seek to create peace, apologising on her behalf.

When walking, a lady will be placed in the inside of the pavement.

A gentleman should never spend above his means to impress his lady. Staying within his means is not only smart but a show of restraint and a glimpse of what life ought to be if they marry.

A gentleman should always offer his assistance when a lady is exiting a carriage or going up a flight of steps or carrying anything heavy.

If a man accompanies a woman to a ball, he's expected to dance with her on her first and last dances of the evening.

A gentleman must always make his intentions known and not string a lady along with no intention of marriage. He must never joke about his intentions or lead her on.

Marriage

Courtship usually promises marriage which is why a gentleman or lady should not enter into courtship unless they would consider marriage. Courtship may last a few months or a few weeks and while it is going on, both sides should consider whether marriage would be a viable option of either of them. Parents/guardians would be consulted, the gentleman must make his intentions known to her father or nearest male relative before approaching the lady and popping the question. A courtship that doesn't end in marriage is seen as a failure and may damage the reputation of both parties, leading people to wonder what happened and who is to blame. For example is a perfectly eligible gentleman will not marry a perfectly eligible lady or she turns down his offer, people will usually leap to the conclusion that there is something lacking.

LGBTQIA+ Courting

Gay people have always been here. They have courted and they have loved. Whilst it was illegal in this time in many parts of the world, love did prevail. (fun fact: lesbianism wasn't illegal because nobody wanted to explain what it was to Queen Victoria). The good thing to know is that courting whilst gay was likely easier in this period. Whilst there were restrictions and rules for straight couples and chaperones haunted their every step, none of this would happen if two people of the same gender stepped out together. Two gentleman going to the opera together or dining at a restaurant or attending a ball together (dancing in public was unlikely) or two ladies promenading in the park or attending a concert would not be examined like a courting couple. They would have more freedom to move around but of course, with legal impediments PDA was kept a minium. Whilst they wouldn't be allowed to marry legally, there was little stopping couples from moving in together. Nobody would say much about two spinsters sharing a home or two bachelors crashing together

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 7 months

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AITA for seeking out a poly relationship on my own despite my partner being monogamous?

Let me be clear before I give major context. I (30MTF) would never force my partner (30F) to do something they do not want to do. I am not implying I want to force her into it. I just worry she may TAKE it that way.

Now, the context: I've been in a relationship with my partner for going on eight and a half years. Ups, downs, none have really tested our relationship, and I don't intend for this to do so either. I am polyamorous, they are not, and I have been aware of that for a long while because of their abusive ex trying their best to force her into some majorly uncomfortable poly relationships in the past. She is, by and large, someone I have wanted to spend my life with for almost all of those eight years and the only reason we haven't gone any further is due to it being long-distance.

During the last few years, though, she has been going through some absolutely horrid at-home problems. I dare not air out her laundry, but it is some shit that has made me quietly pause about even bringing it up for a good long while.

I am crushing on one of my friends (29NB). Hard. It is not a case of "leave my partner for them", because she's stuck with me no matter how much shit life throws her way. Love her to death. But I AM poly. And it IS common knowledge in my friend group that I'm with her. Of course, I would not do anything against her wishes, nor do this behind her back.

So before even admitting my romantic feelings to the person I'm crushing on, I did bring it up to her. And... either due to the stress she's under or her previous issues with a polygamous relationship being, she did not say no outright, but it took me multiple times explaining that I PERSONALLY want to try this without forcing her to also date this person. She simply grew very quiet on the subject and wanted to think on it, and the subject hasn't been broached once since for the past few weeks.

Let me repeat this: I do not want to force her into this. I am not trying to make her also date this other person. And again, I am not leaving my partner for this other person. Nor would I force this other person (who is ALSO poly like I am) into dating her either. Plus, if she says no, I will not be happy, but... it would be what she wants.

It's just... she's under so much stress, and I feel like a complete asshole for pining for one of my friends. I worry she's taken it the wrong way, and that she's afraid I'm going to eventually leave her for them. I wouldn't have been with her for eight full years and change if I didn't want to stay with her.

TL;DR: I want to be in a SEPARATE poly relationship with a friend of mine without forcing my monogamous partner into it as well. After bringing it up to her, I feel like I broke some level of trust with her despite not wanting to force her into anything. AITA?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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rose-tea-and-strawberries · 6 months

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your lipstick stain is a work of art

Masterlist

Giving Epel, Leona and Ace a DIY Maison Margiela Kiss Shirt

Warnings: Reader is female

I may have gotten a bit carried away in Leona’s part 😅

EPEL FELMIER

After listening to another one of Epel’s rants on Vil’s strict training regimen, you came up with a bright idea. Even though you couldn’t see his face due to the way he was spooning you, you could tell from how his rough country accent would get more and more prominent that he was more than annoyed - and thankfully, you knew the best way to cheer him up.

“Hey, Epel,” you piped up, turning your head to look right at him, effectively cutting through his tirade, “that new makeup set that your Dorm Leader gave you? You haven’t opened it yet, right?”

“Uh no,” he scrunched his nose up in confusion, “A hate the stuff.”

“Then can I have the lipstick, please?”

“Um, sure? I mean, I’m not gonna use it. But why?”

“You’ll see…”

….

The next day, you set your plan into motion. Armed with the sleek black lipstick box that your boyfriend was more than happy to hand over to you and a crisp white shirt you had purchased from Sam’s, you began working on what you supposed was your magnum opus. Once you had finished, ten minutes later, you sent a quick text to Epel, telling him to meet you in your dorm for a ‘surprise’.

When he arrived, he was confused to find you standing at your doorway, dark red tinting your innocent smile, with your hands behind your back.

“For you,” you chirped, still smiling as you handed him a neatly wrapped box.

He took it from you slowly and cautiously, suspicious eyes not leaving your face as he searched for any hint of deception. You’ve never given him any reason to be wary of you, or to think that this might all be a prank, but considering you’re best friends with a certain red haired troublemaker, it didn’t hurt to be heedful.

It was light, very light. He shook it but apart from faint rustling, he couldn’t hear anything that could clue him into what it was. He raised an eyebrow, “what’s in here, doll?”

“You’ll just have to open it and see.”

He ripped open the wrapping paper, letting the torn pieces fall to the floor as he found himself holding a box. Uncovering the lid, he looked down to find a white shirt, carefully folded inside, its collar and entire front covered in lipstick marks - lipstick marks that happen to look suspiciously similar to the shade that you currently wore on your lips right then…

Noticing how his surprise had frozen him, his eyes wise as he appeared entranced at the sight before him, you say, “do you like it? I figured that -”

You didn’t even get to start your explanation, let alone finish it, as you were engulfed by the comforting fragrance of fresh apples and his lips were pressing on yours like his life depended on it and your back was flush against the wall of your entrance passage. One of his hands clutching the box protectively to his chest and the other flat against the wall right next to your head. You close your eyes and melt against him, letting your arms. When the need for air became more and more apparent, he reluctantly separated himself from you, eyes blazing.

“You have no idea what you do to me.”

“So does that mean you like it?”

His answering kiss said more than enough.

….

You should’ve known that your little surprise would come back to bite you. As cherubic as your boyfriend appeared to be, he was nothing but a demon underneath those soft lavender locks and wide doe eyes.

You were reminded of this the next morning when he strolled into your shared homeroom class, right in the middle of registration.

“Mornin’ sir, sorry I’m late.”

Beside you, you could hear Ace and Deuce choke on their breaths. The air of the room seemed to be submerged in freezing cold water as you could feel your fellow classmates freeze in their seats, a few of them whisper-shouting expletives of shock. Bewildered by the sudden change in atmosphere, you look up from your book, only to feel the rest of the world still around you and all the blood leave your face.

Standing at the entryway of the classroom was Epel Felmier, his posture upright and proud. He had abandoned his blazer, waistcoat and bowtie, and instead of his usual Schoenheit-approved expensive lacy high-collared shirt, he donned your gift, wearing his lipstick kiss stains like badges of honour. He waltzed into class bearing the grin of a cat that got the cream. His smug aura was blinding and his confidence was so corporeal that he appeared to be triple his actual size.

“Mr Felmier,” Professor Crewel sternly asked him, years of teaching seeming to prevent him showing any sign of fluster, his eyes ignited with frustration, “what is the meaning of this?”

“My girl happens to be an artist, Professor,” Epel replied easily, “As a student of the dorm that prides itself in appreciating beauty, it would be rude and becoming to not show off her masterpiece.”

All at once, the entire class turned to look at you, their gazes searing, as you stared straight down at your desk, mentally calculating how hard you’d need to bang your head against it for you to end up in a coma.

Once the Dorm Leader and Vice Dormleader of Pomefiore find out about Epel’s little stunt, you knew that you would be a goner.

“Henchman, what is he talking about?” Grim demanded.

“Wow, Y/N,” Ace looked at you like you had suddenly grown three heads, “didn’t take you to be that type.”

“And what type would that be?” Deuce instantly came to your defence.

“ENOUGH!” Professor Crewel’s pointer smacked down against his desk, effectively silencing everyone yet again, “Mr Felmier, get to your seat at once. I expect to see you in detention this lunch break for violating the dress code. Rest assured, I will be taking this up with your Dorm Leader. And Miss L/N-” he turned to you with his sharp gaze, whilst Epel didn’t even look the slightest bit perturbed at facing his Dorm Leader’s impending wrath, “please stay behind after the bell rings. I have something to discuss with you.”

“Oh~” Ace muttered under his breath, “looks like papa’s angry.”

Needless to say, Epel managed to spend the rest of the day wearing that shirt. Throughout the entire time, you could feel the other students give you looks ranging from puzzled to amused to knowing.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

“Hmmm,” Leona sighs, amusement colouring the guttural resonance, as you press another drawn-out kiss under the sharp curve of his jaw, “not that I’m complaining, herbivore, but what’s with the sudden boldness?”

“Well,” you hum languidly, looking at the lipstick stain you left behind - another one to add to the growing collection you had scattered on his cheeks and lower face - moving your mouth lower to his pulse point and letting your lips linger on his skin before flicking your eyes up to look right into darkened green irises, “considering how you always make a big deal over me wearing your scent, I figured that I’d return the favour - let me mark my territory for a change.”

The smugness radiating off of him was palpable and you ignored the deep, satisfied rumble of his chest as you busy yourself with printing your crimson pattern onto the length of his neck, going lower and lower with every press.

To be honest, finding yourself straddling his lap from his seat at the edge of his bed, your arms draped over his shoulders and his hands resting firmly onto your lower back, was not exactly what you expected when you entered the Dorm Leader’s bedroom to wake him up for his Spelldrive Club, but it definitely wasn’t an unwelcome change. And you certainly weren’t lying when you made that jab at his shamelessly obvious leonine instincts - the innate predatory need to broadcast to the entire school that you were not to be messed with - with the way he would nose and nuzzle at your neck until he was satisfied, or drape his too large blazer over your shoulders before sending you off to class. Though, if you were being candid, you had the suspicion that his behaviour was less to do with his species and more to do with Leona himself. After suffering through decades of denial, him finally being given what he covets so freely and willingly results in him wanting nothing to latch on and never let go, to hold the object of his affections in his arms to keep and protect and cherish. Of course, you could never complain as for all that he seemed to take from you, he also gave to you tenfold. It takes a great deal of trust for a lion to bare his neck (‘both literally and figuratively,’ you think as your mouth presses against the skin under his ear) and a lion as proud and closed-off as the second prince of Sunset Savanna? A feat like that was almost inconceivable. Even now, his tail is coiled around your leg like a vine of ivy as he let you do as you pleased with absolutely no questions asked.

When you once again come back up from yet another kiss, Leona uses this opportunity to cup your face with his hand, using just the right amount of pressure to to grip onto your jaw and rub his thumb over your cheek. His eyes, though still gleaming with want, melts into something more soft. As a master of strategic brilliance, his proficiency in self control is beyond admirable yet whenever you’re near, he finds himself unraveling. And he loves every second of it. His drinks up the sight of you: the flush of your cheeks, the black of your eyes, the smudged rouge of your lips that he smears even further with the edge of his thumb.

Oh Great Seven, you're perfect.

“Would you look at that,” he murmurs, “my little herbivore’s got a set of claws on her. We’ll go on then.”

You smile back at him before resuming back to your original position.

You run your right hand down from his shoulders, not stopping your mouth's work as your fingers slide down his chest, swiftly and seamlessly hooking and undoing the buttons of his waistcoat. Grabbing onto the lapels of the honey golden material, you deftly push it downwards off of him, exposing the white expanse of his clothed torso as it falls limply onto his elbows. You then kissed the area near his clavicles, where the first button of his shirt had been left undone so that your lipstick stretched over both his tanned chest and the placket. Seeing the glaringly obvious red mark left behind on the pristine white fabric gave you an idea and before you knew it, you pressed dragging kiss after dragging kiss over the collar and upper side of the front of his shirt.

You managed to only get to above his breast pocket before your boyfriend was dragging you back up and collided your lips together at a speed so fast it left you reeling. Before you could fully compute the change in direction, pounding knocks on the door snapped you out of your vertigo.

“OI, BOSS,” came the annoyed yells of Ruggie, “You were supposed to be at the club meeting five minutes ago. Quit foolin’ around with the prefect and get over here!”

Leona let out an irked growl but he made no move to shift his position, even when the incessant knocking failed to cease, “Okay! Okay! I’m coming. Jeez!”

“Wait,” you say as you get off his lap and watch him stand up, lipstick stains and all, pick up his duffle sports bag and head to the door, “are you leaving? Like that?”

“Why not?” was his unbothered reply.

Now that the spell over the room had been successfully broken and clarity and common sense once again seized control from the haze, the full impact of your actions dropped into your stomach like a lead anvil. With it being mid afternoon, the Savanaclaw common area, let alone the corridors of the school, would be in high traffic. The thought of the other students (and seven forbid the teachers) seeing him covered in marks and knowing exactly who put them there fills you with pure mortification, sending blood rushing upwards and making your cheeks burn.

“What’s this?” he turns around and makes his way over to you, towering over you and smirking down at your abashed and frozen figure, eyebrow raised, “where did my brave little herbivore go? Don’t tell me she’s all talk after the show she just put on.”

It’s settled. You can never show your face around NRC again. Your only options now are to beg Malleus to smite you with lightning or to pull an Idia and live the rest of your life as a hermit.

He slowly leans down and places a tender kiss on your forehead, whispering over your skin, “Don’t think that this is over. When I come back, I’ll show you how territory is truly marked. You better be prepared.”

He then saunters off, his bag slung over his shoulder, as he opens the door without a care in the world. You can faintly hear Ruggie’s deep inhale before a “WHAT THE HELL?!” fills your ears.

You should’ve known that you could never one up a predator.

(yes, I know that realistically it would be impossible for one application of lipstick to last that long but let me have this)

ACE TRAPPOLA

It was when you heard the bathroom door slam shut, followed by the sound of your shower head spraying water, that the idea came to you. Knowing Ace, he would spend at least ten minutes in your shower since he liked to make use of the privacy and alone time that Ramshackle provides and his dorm denies. Or at least, that's his go-to excuse when asked why he spends more time sleeping over at your dorm instead of the one he was sorted into.

Sending a playful smile to the door that separated the two of you, you slowly and quietly got out of bed so as to not disturb Grim (who still insisted on sleeping next to you, even after Ace became a staple in your life. You agreed with him, despite Ace’s annoyed refutes, simply stating that Grim and you would sleep together before your relationship and you weren’t planning on stopping that) and made your way to your closet where you kept one of Ace’s school shirts to prepare you for the occasion where he forgets to bring one. You then rustled through your drawers and pulled out a cylindrical stick of lipstick and got to work. Thankfully you had finished applying and kissing his shirt by the time he was done showering and was dressed and ready so when he entered your bedroom and was greeted by the sight of you wearing a mischievous grin, alarm bells started ringing.

“Hey, babe?” he asks with trepidation, “what do you have behind your back?”

“Nothing,” you answer lightly.

“Oh really?” and he swipes behind you but you dodge in the nick of time. Luckily for him, his fine-tuned basketball reflexes put him at an advantage and in no time at all, he’s got you pinned on your bed, with him sitting on top of you, legs straddled on either side of your hips, and you lying beneath him. In his hands he triumphantly holds your surprise. He unfurls the white fabric and holds it out in front of him with - and then almost drops it onto your face as red blooms across his nose and cheeks when he realises what he’s looking at

He looks at the shirt then at you then the shirt and you in quick succession, taking note as to how your lips appear to be the same shade as the marks on his shirt.

Scrambling together and haphazardly picking up what’s left of his bearings, he attempts to throw on his usual cocksure smirk but his still cherry red countenance betrays his flustered visage, “so what’s this, then.”

“A shirt,” you respond.

“Looks like you made a lot of effort with this, sweetheart,” he muses, his eyes bright and jaunty, “are you so obsessed with me that you need to mark me up?”

“I thought it would be a fun prank. But seeing that you don’t seem to like it-” you make a move to grab at it but Ace holds both of your wrists down with one hand.

“Hey, who’s saying I don’t like it?!” he argues defiantly, “this has got to be the best present I’ve ever gotten.”

“Really?” you ask, eyebrow raised in amusement.

“Really,” he nods and then looks down at you mischievously, “why don’t I show you how much I like it?”

He then leans down and captures your lips with his and for the nth time of his life, Grim wishes that you were still single.

BONUS FOR ACE BECAUSE I LOVE HIM:

Ace then spends the next ten minutes trying to convince you to do the same to his basketball jersey

You know this boy decided to wear that shirt to the next Unbirthday party, relishing in his dormmates’ stares, the sound of crashing silverware, and the sights of your mortified expression, Cater’s phone recording everything and Riddle’s reddening face.

Poor Deuce goes bright pink and refuses to look at you for the next hour.

Honestly the lecture was so worth it. The collar and heaping and heaping of chores, not so much but he would totally do it again.

Yeah, it turns out that wearing a lipstick stained shirt isn’t technically against the rules and our resident rule-breaker definitely exploits that loophole. You know that rule where you have to wear pink when feeding the flamingos? Nowhere does it say that he’s not allowed to buy a light pink shirt that’s covered in hot pink kiss marks (you went along with this half because you wanted to stop his whining and half because you wanted to mess with his dorm leader for collaring Grim the day before)

Since you forbade him from wearing that shirt in public (for NRC’s collective sanity, Riddle’s vocal cords and Heartslabyul’s auditory abilities) Ace makes it a point to hang up that shirt on the door of his wardrobe in his dormitory so that he can brag about it to ‘the miserable and jealous singles’ he shares his living space with (RIP Deuce and the other Heartslabyul NPCs)

He also bought a few more shirts and begged asked you to do the same to them

That shirt is his new favourite thing of all time. He’s even changed his phone’s wallpaper and his Magicam icon (both of which used to be a selfie of you kissing his cheek as he smiles at the camera) to a mirror selfie of him wearing the shirt and you posing next to him.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #ace trappola x reader #epel felmier x reader #leona kingscholar x reader #fem reader

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coryosmin · 4 months

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Coriolanus Snow x Plinth! Reader

warnings: smut, masturbation (m), coriolanus snow being horny for like no reason. reader is just existing and coriolanus is like “oh no my dick is hard”

summary: coriolanus and reader have been assigned to work on a project together. coriolanus can’t seem to focus on the assignment though.

It all started when Professor Satryia had assigned partners for the latest project. It was a study on the old cities of North America and how the function of these cities may have occurred. It was an assignment that would take a lot of research and dedication to figure out as there are little to no remnants of what North America used to be. Now it’s just Panem. Everything anyone knew were simply in textbooks or regular books.

When Coriolanus had been assigned as your partner for the project, he couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. This assignment would determine a large portion of his grade and of course, he had to be given someone who wasn’t even from the Capitol. At the same time, however, he relished in the fact that you came from money. And getting close to you may be a step to getting closer to the things he wanted out of life. So really, how bad is it?

You two had begun your assignment in the library. You had taken out many books, reading through them and taking notes. Coriolanus had done the same. You guys didn’t talk too much, not ever really being that close. Coriolanus was closer to Sejanus than he was to you, of course.

You and Coriolanus sat next to each other, working separately. And yet, Coriolanus couldn’t focus. He didn’t know why. All he could smell was the floral smell of your perfume, it intoxicated him. And with each breath he took, it was all he could focus on. You were an attractive woman of course. He had always found you attractive, unable to ignore the whispers from his fellow classmates talking about how attractive Y/N was.

His mind, whenever he tried to focus on the assignment, he kept gazing to you. His blue eyes looking at your face, taking in the focused look. The furrow in your eyebrows, your plush bottom lip caught between your teeth as you read and took notes. He couldn’t help the bulge that grew as he watched you. He took a deep breath, subtly adjusting himself. He ran a hand over his face.

“You seem tired,” The velvet sound of your voice broke the silence. You looked over at Coriolanus, your doe eyes looking at his icy blue ones.

“A bit,” Coriolanus replied a bit hoarsely.

“Shall we continue tomorrow?” You asked. “We can combine notes.”

Coriolanus nodded his head, pressing his lips together. “That would likely be a good idea.”

You gave a small smile before closing your textbook and notebook. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Coriolanus couldn’t help but notice the small smile on your face. How your eyes crinkled ever so slightly, the smile lines that illuminated your face, the small showing of your dimples. That definitely didn’t help Coriolanus’ problem at all. “See you tomorrow,” He eventually said.

You packed your things into your satchel before leaving. Coriolanus stayed behind for a few minutes, trying to regain his composure. He packed his things as well, putting his satchel over his shoulder. He positioned it so it covered the crotch of his pants as he walked out.

When he gets home, he barely greets Tigris and his grandma’am as he storms into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. His cock still so hard. He cursed himself for being so turned on by something as minuscule as you doing what you were supposed to be doing. He felt like he was hitting puberty all over again. He took his satchel off, throwing it onto his desk before sitting down in his chair. He unzipped his pants, lowering them and his underwear just enough to let his cock breathe.

He closed his eyes, playing with the tip of his cock before stroking himself. He didn’t even bother to tease himself, jerking himself off firmly and quickly. He felt desperate for release. He whimpered softly to himself, throwing his head back in pleasure as he thought about you.

Oh how he wanted you so badly. Your pretty and plush lips would look so beautiful wrapped around his cock. He couldn’t help it when he bucked his hips into his fist, wishing it was your mouth instead. He wanted to see your doe eyes looking up at him, watery and glimmering with tears as you took him in so deep.

Coriolanus jerked himself off faster. “Fuck…” he moaned out quietly, careful to not allow anyone to hear what he was up to. He felt his release build up in his abdomen, his cock stiffening as he jerked himself off. He thought about running his hand through your hair, pulling it as your lips were on him. And with that thought, he came very hard, moaning out your name. His uniform shirt was covered in his cum as ropes came out over his chest.

He took a few minutes, relishing in the afterglow of his orgasm. He breathed heavily, his blond locks covering his face slightly. Coriolanus looked down at himself, cursing as he realized he dirtied his shirt. Luckily, his only other uniform shirt was clean. He could wear that tomorrow. Sighing to himself, Coriolanus tucked himself back into his underwear, pulling his pants back up.

The next day, there was no school. So technically, Coriolanus didn’t need to wear his uniform. But he also didn’t really have much else to wear so here he was, sitting in the private room in the Academy’s library as he waited for Y/N Plinth to arrive.

You arrived a few minutes later, dressed in a floral patterned dress that definitely made Coriolanus hard the minute he saw you. Your legs were showing, he could see a bit of your thighs. He knew you wore it simply because the weather was getting warmer. He bit his lip. “Hey,” He greeted, looking at you.

You looked at him, giving a small smile. “Hey,” you replied, taking a seat next to Coriolanus.

Coriolanus tried to compose himself, to keep his cool. But as you were dressed in that beautiful, floral dress, with your floral perfume on, the small dimples on your cheeks as you smiled softly at him, the furrow in your eyebrow as you worked, Coriolanus knew that he was a goner.

And just like the previous night, he went home, barely making it into his bedroom before he shoved a hand in his pants to relieve the tension.

#fanfic #the hunger games #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #coriolanus snow smut #coriolanus snow x reader #smut #young president snow #coriolanus x reader #x reader #coriolanus snow #coriolanus x you

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kaerumi · 9 months

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Hello dear, I was wondering if you can do some yandere for the very infamous OP men shanks, mihawk,ace,and sabo with normal y/n who's younger than them in separate senariors..

Y/N traits : innocent, sweetheart, warm personality, enchanted beauty with extremely cutie pie face and amazing warm and calm voice that melts the snow from its sweetness it's make anyone feel at ease only by hearing it , it's one of the most reasons why those men had gone insane over her ,why they want to possess her at any cost .

TY and have a good day ☺️.

TW/CW: Yandere, Age gap is up to 3 years, obsession, implied murder, implied poisoning, mention of murder & arson, manipulation (for Sabo)

Notes: I'll be honest I have no clue how to do an innocent reader. And it's gonna be GN Sorry I don't particularly do Female readers Also sorry for not writing in so long :^

Shanks

Shanks was a popular Model, he can flirt with anyone without hesitation.

Then there was you, you weren't popular at all. When he saw you he felt the urge to just... Take you.

He felt jealous of the guys around you that soaked in your attention, in your voice and innocence and especially your beauty.

He just needed it. Needed you.

Eventually he started obsessing over you trying to find every photo there was of you, eventually it got worse

Just hope for both your innocence and sanity you don't meet him.

Until you did.

And suddenly you started to notice people around you get killed, you somehow trusted the red bloody haired man with your safety.

"You'll be fine I'm here after all! All you need is me sweetheart."

After all what did you know?

You're innocent after all

And that's what made Shanks' job of getting you to be his more easier.

Mihawk

Mihawk was a famous swordsman and you were always interested in swords so naturally you took interest in Mihawk.

Unfortunately he took a interest in you as well.

You ended always staying behind the classes because of how much trouble you had with sword, you'd have small conversations with Mihawk.

Slowly Mihawk started to know everything about you and wrote of it down in a notebook that was always locked in a case.

When someone annoyed you too much or confessed to you they suddenly would fall ill and be unable to attend.

Due to Mihawk naturally being cold people didn't notice anything different about him and you didn't know better.

Though you slowly started to blame yourself because people around you would get ill and naturally they ended up dying to the illness.

"My dear... It's not your fault, they naturally fell ill. It is not your fault and anyone who is saying such things is a horrible person who is just jealous. It is unfortunate they fell ill yes but there was nothing you could do. My dear..."

You never knew why they fell ill, and you may never know.

Maybe it's better if you never did anyways.

Ace

Ace was Ace, he's a popular play boy in the town but all he did was flirt and play with hearts.

That was before you came along.

He knew he needed you once first meeting your eyes.

You were most certainly more cuter than anyone else's hearts he's played with.

He wasn't gonna break your heart, no. He could never, he was gonna make sure he was the only one in your heart not matter what he had to do.

He would do whatever you wanted to do or needed.

He'd gladly kill with no hesitation.

Want him to stab that guy who catcalled you? Done.

Want him to burn down a place that has bad memories? Done before you could mention it.

No one went near Ace when the missing people news started getting known, knowing how cold he got when it came to that, they tried to warn you how cold he could be.

You always laugh it off and hang out with him anyways.

He'd act like nothing was happening.

Why read the news when you already know it before anyone else?

You wake up from your nap when you started hearing the news "Mmmh?" Ace turns off the Tv "Don't worry about it my love just go back to sleep."

Sabo

Sabo was the second in command of a powerful business.

Once you joined everything changed.

However unlike the other three Sabo wouldn't kill, no. Sabo wouldn't want his hand or gloves dirty and blood stains too.

Sabo would figure out your favorite things to do and food and everything and give it all to you.

He'd spoil you with everything you'd ever wanted.

He'd help you with a lot of things

He sublely manipulates you into being dependent on him and him alone.

No one would dare go near you if they cared for their job or reputation.

No one went near Sabo either, Sabo didn't mind this, it just meant he could give all his attention to you.

He tested it once day by hiding on purpose.

When you realized Sabo wasn't there you got really nervous and got a bit upset, until Sabo popped

up and helped you again which you immediately calmed down when he did.

Sabo smiled at you, he was glad that his plan was working and working well.

"Please don't leave me alone..." "I promise I won't ever again my angel..." "Thank you Sabo." "Anything for you. My sweet Angel."

#one piece x reader #sabo x reader #one piece yandere #op sabo #one piece #portgas d ace x reader #ace x reader #shanks x reader #mihawk x reader #dracule mihawk #shanks #portgas d ace #yandere x darling #yandere x reader #yandere one piece #Kaerumi's writing

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nomnomnoona · 6 months

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ATEEZ IN LOVE - Hongjoong

Hongjoong is not someone who falls in love right away.

He knows how to separate love from warmth. And as much as he enjoys physical affection, he has to hold back.

To him, what might be a simple expression of warmth may easily be misconstrued by others as something more.

To some extent, this frustrates him because he can't be himself, randomly reaching out to play with their earlobes while watching a movie, or resting a hand on the leg, not out of affection, but because he just feels comforted by idle touch.

The reason he hasn't opened up his heart to many is mostly because if people think his attentive eye contact, hand holding, and embraces is enough to fall in love, then they might not be prepared for what he's really capable of when he's in love.

Hongjoong in love is far from idle.

His mind won't stop racing. His music will have traces of his cloud nine state. He'll be checking his phone more often than usual for replies or calls, or even to check if your social media is being updated. But he won't comment. He would have probably screenshot your selfie on your stories though.

He'll look for reasons to steal you away, even if it's just to talk a walk around the corner because fifteen minutes is all he has before his next schedule.

Hongjoong will never say he's in love, but you'll feel it and see it.

Hongjoong will pay attention to what's missing and fill it.

He'll walk closely behind you because it means he gets to see you entirely. Plus, it would be a huge perk that he can get a whiff of your perfume when the wind hits right.

He would never let you walk close to the street. He will always be the one in the outermost lane.

So, remember physical touch as his love language? He'll never just hold your hand. He'll make sure that when your hands are free, he'll steal it for a moment, fingers interlaced with yours, and stuffed into his jacket pocket. This way, you're the closest you can be to him without PDA, something he's a little more reserved about.

Plus, the warmth. And he loves warmth.

Hongjoong stares.

It's futile to get him to look at the camera on Zoom, because all he's doing is watching your video in full screen. If he makes eye contact with you, he'll be looking at the camera. He's already told you it makes no sense to stare at a camera. He gets nothing from it.

He knows he's being bratty, but some days, when he really can't be with you, what he needs is just to see you as you are. He can only really sleep once you do, even if it's just on screen.

Then on rare occasions, where his schedule is much more forgiving, he makes it a point that his evenings and early mornings are free so he could at least have you to himself at the beginning and end of each day.

In the morning, when you're up and preparing to start the day, he makes it a point to stay in bed and bury his face in your pillow. He know he can embrace you and bury his face in your hair, but there's something he loves about your smell on linen and fabric.

At night, he'll jump in bed first, because he loves seeing you make your way to him. He enjoys when you close the light of the bathroom behind you and then choose him to end your day with in bed.

On days when you're getting ready together, he loves those little moments where you leave the door open to the bathroom. As he's freshening up, he would watch you through the mirror as you got dressed.

There were times when he'd make sure to take the brushing of his teeth to the bedroom so he could just be in the same room as you.

The thing with Hongjoong is, though he loves idle touch or embracing you so tightly you almost fuse into one blob, it's more than enough for him to just know you're around.

Hongjoong in love is someone who is content.

He's perfectly happy about little bits of proof like how you both own the bed and the apartment, or that he's sleeping in the sheets you picked out, or you're wearing his shirt to bed.

Hongjoong loves it when he can give you what you have, when you'll let him provide you with it.

Hongjoong's pretty sure it's you.

He might look like a man who likes to keep his options open, but the truth is, he's pretty sure it's only you he wants. He's as loyal as they come. And though it might scare some people how it's so second nature to him that he can love so deeply, this is his true super power.

Hongjoong is constant, grounded, and with the right person, he is his most beautiful, most earnest self.

If Hongjoong is in love with you, you will have the world.

#ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #ateez x reader #hongjoong #hongjoong x reader #ateez hongjoong #hongjoong ateez #atz #ateez fanfiction #ateez fanfic

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impactedfates · 5 months

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hehhaharhar i so totally not deprived of father figure! genshin men with kidnapped child reader? pls pls 💓💓💓any man is fine but perferably the tall ones ☝

★ A/N: Yeah sure you aren't...anyways, yep I got you covered with this request :))

☆ Genre/Trope: Platonic + Familial

★ Format: HeadCannons (Characters Included (Separate): Diluc, Zhongli, Kaeya, Childe, Kaveh)

☆ Warnings: Mentions and hints of kidnapping // Mentions of death (In Diluc and Childes) // Spoilers for the Liyue Archon quest if you have not done it yet // Mentions of going to the hospital (Kavehs)

★ Extra: Reader is adopted in Zhonglis one // Reader is shorter then most characters (They're about 6-7 age wise) // Reader has no vision // Reader is ofc NOT traveler

For whatever reason I can see it being a Fatui that kidnapped you. Perhaps to get payback for the massacre Diluc caused back in Snenznaya. Whatever the reason, once Diluc finds out you’re gone and it was because of the Fatui? Oh he’s more then pissed.

If they wanted to upset him, they succeeded. Perhaps too successfully as when he finally finds you, most of the Fatui that’s been there to ensure you don’t escape has been soaking in a pool of their own blood. He of course won’t hurt anyone violently if you’re in the room, but he will knock the other people in there out. He’ll pick you up and hide your face in his chest as he calmly walks out.

When you are back home, he’ll take a few days off work to ensure you’re okay after what happened, and maybe if it comes to it he may actually ask some of the Knights of Favonius for help as well.

Honestly whether or not he actually hurt anyone is up to you, however I do think that when it comes to family, he isn't that hesitant to be a bit more violent then usual.

Getting adopted and having your father being the ex-archon of Liyue had it's ups and downs, especially as you witnessed your father continuously forget his wallet, however never have you thought you'd get kidnapped.

You weren't sure why though, Zhongli had kept his identity a secret and the only ones knowing were other Archons and the traveler as far as you knew plus Zhongli in his "mortal" form isn't that much of an important figure to others, nor is he famous. Yet here you were, treasure hoarders surrounding you.

Meanwhile, Zhongli was panicking wondering where you went. One second you were close behind him, the next you were gone. So he quickly called upon some of the adeptus to search for you and thankfully, you also had the privilege to call upon Xiaos name and he'll come right to your side. Whatever happened to the treasure hoarders?

You're not sure, Xiao simply teleported you away and right into your fathers arms as he held you tight before disappearing into the green mist once again. Zhongli checks all over you to ensure you aren't hurt. After that day, he's sure to always have an eye on you and when he cannot. An adeptus will look out for you from afar.

Being a Knight, and a captain in fact. Kaeya definitely encountered people wanting to push his cool persona over the edge. It's part of the reason why he's a bit hesitant on growing closer to certain loved ones.

He's afraid of loosing them, so when he lost you. He did not take it well, despite his cool demeanour when he ordered some knights to go search for you, people like Jean and his brother Diluc were quick to see he was in a state of panic, Jean even offered to take over the search so Kaeya could relax but he didn't want too. He had to find you safe and sound, even if that meant he had to get hurt.

When you are finally found, he's quick to take whoever's responsible away and have Jean deal with them properly as he himself brings you to Barbara who checks for injuries you may have sustained. He's by your side at all times and may even be hesitant to leave your side.

Even though Jean likely did give him some time off to spend time with you and for him to cool down after what happened, he's still unwilling to leave you alone, even with another babysitter. He does reluctantly agree when his older brother offers to take care of you. He knows Diluc is strong and will be able to protect you. (Better than Diluc protecting him anyways)

Whoever kidnapped you must have a death wish or something...

Of course it's easy to see why someone were to kidnap you. I mean, being the kid of not only the fatui, but a harbinger. It's clear why someone tried to kidnap Tartaglia's kid but...it's not smart either.

The Fatui have a large amount of people working for them, and most aren't afraid to attack. And due to the fact Childe is a harbinger, it's easy for him to get people to find you as soon as he knows of your disappearance and when you are found, he asks his subordinates to take you back to his house where his family will look after you whilst Childe *cough cough* uh...deals with the perps responsible.

He'll come back soon, cleaned up but faintly smelling of blood and double checks to see you're okay. Now he does go back to work faster then anyone else, this is mainly because I don't think he'll really be allowed time off, however he does have some subordinates keep an eye on you from afar.

Oh archons, he is p a n i c k i n g. Once Kaveh finds out you've been kidnapped he's so worried, it takes Alhaitham to actually shake him to get him to finally focus on finding you. Unfortunately unlike the others listed in this post so far, he cannot easily go looking for you himself. However being friends with Cyno does mean you have the General of the Mahamatra looking for you and he is good at his job.

It may take awhile but eventually Cyno does find you, and after dealing with the kidnappers and arresting them. Takes you to the Sumeru hospital (they have one right?) to get healed as he tells Kaveh that you've been found.

Kaveh stays by your side no matter what, he'll sleep on the damn floor of the hospital if he has too, he doesn't even leave you once you're discharged from it either. He feels so guilty about what happened and blames himself so he tries his best to make more time with you. Even if this means his debts may increase, he just wants to spend as much time with you as possible encase this happens again.

And hey, Alhaitham may be kind enough to dismiss Kavehs missed rent payment that month.

Weehee. I actually enjoyed writing this :D However next time please make sure to check to see if my requests are open before sending one in, in any case I hope you liked this <33

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carionto · 7 months

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What Humans call the "Thousand Yard Stare"

As more and more Humans interact with and integrate within Coalition stations, reports, closer to hushed whispers really, began to circulate of some Humans being... discomforting... to be around.

Initially we thought it was just rudeness or passive aggressive behavior or any number of subtle actions or choice of words, no matter how advanced or civilized there will always be some assholes.

However, when some of these "offenders" were presented to us peacekeepers, we found them to be perfectly polite and reasonable. As our conversation continued and shifted topics, whenever there was a lull or the focus was on another speaker for a longer time, the Human's gaze drifted somewhat.

Sometimes she would look to the side and it was harder to tell what her exact expression was, but every so often she would be looking at one of us, but... not. It was as if she was staring at something behind us, through us even. Beyond the walls of the station, it even felt as though beyond space and time itself.

It was one of the most unnerving and chitin-chilling feelings we've ever felt, but then the Human seemed to notice our change and became that friendly and cheerful person once again:

"Sorry, my mind drifted there for a bit. What were you saying?"

And the conversation continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary for the Human.

Upon our return to our office, one of the Human peacekeepers heard about our impromptu assignment and offered this explanation after we told him what happened:

"Oh yeah, I think that person was a retired firefighter or rescue worker of some kind. Professions like that can be dangerous and you'll eventually encounter something horrible at a disaster site or crime scene. Probably saw someone die, or a person they rescued later didn't make it, or it was a kid... It's the toughest when you're the last one a child sees before..."

There it is again. That look, but with a tinge of sadness this time. We didn't know he was carrying such memories. The untimely death of anyone is a difficult time for those that survive, especially when it is the young whose life was still just starting. It seems Humans with their heightened senses and sensitivity to the feelings of others these kind of experiences imprint a far stronger memory than for most.

"Anyway, we've got a bunch of names for such things, but typically we call it the thousand yard stare. It's an old measurement unit, don't worry about it. I think the meaning may have changed a bit over the years, but basically some people go through traumatic stuff and they decide, consciously or not, to sort of... detach themselves from reality. It's a coping mechanism.

A few people thrive on horrible things, but they're the exception. Most of us would go crazy or depressed or any other infinite bad possibilities our brains can go in if we don't find a way to separate ourselves from certain realities. It can get real bad otherwise. It's rare, but a few go truly nuts and try to inflict their pain unto others. Most end up suffering alone for a long time. And some can't take it anymore and decide to end it themselves.

Thankfully therapists and support options are widely available, so those kind of scenarios are really rare, like... suicide accounts for about three out of a hundred thousand deaths last time I saw those charts. Plus drones and automation take care of most of the dangerous tasks, leaving the vast majority of cases to be caused by interpersonal relations actually. A broken heart is one of those traumas we'll never get rid of it seems. That's just life, I guess."

#humans are space orcs #humans are space oddities #humans are deathworlders #humans are space australians #I don't know if these tags are actually appropriate for this one #it feels weird writing about depressing adjacent topics like that #one one hand #I don't feel good about it #on the other #I feel I have to put it into words or it'll leave a stain in my brain #sometimes words are more like a tumor #and the only way to get rid of it is to transfer them to a public space #carionto

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koimethehorizon · 8 months

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Fionna and Cake theory: Simon the Artist

Nothing like a good old creative panic attack.

Fionna and Cake good. Haven’t been excited about a show like this in a long time, though it being a part of Adventure Time does help quite a bit. I was holding on to some cautious optimism for the show when it was announced as yet another big IP series covering the multiverse (still waiting to groan at THAT scene where Prismo has to explain to us about there being infinite universes), but as usual, Adventure Time’s crew continues to surprise me with its creativity, humor, and thematic resonance.

The most striking part about Fionna and Cake so far is just how deliberately the show wants us to differentiate it from the original Adventure Time.

We’re getting shots where Simon pops an artery from his arm, a theme song that explicitly talks about suicidal ideation, discussions of rent and financial problems, and curses no longer disguised with AT’s usual dialogue. Adventure Time has always had violence, thematic density, and juvenile rating pushers, but they were always reserved at small points. Meanwhile, these are factors that are just casually shown and discussed in Fionna and Cake every 3 minutes or so. This is not an all-ages miniseries, it’s for young adults. (hint: this will be relevant later)

Let’s get right into it. This is much less a speculative lore theory and more on what thematic direction the story may be going.

Before we do, let’s get this out of the way first. This theory assumes that the current Fionna and Cake world is all a part of Simon’s head and not merely a separate multiverse, which… I’m certain is fact for the following reasons.

The immediately obvious piece is that Fionna and Cake was always the Ice King’s fanfiction. Now if you’re versed in AT’s continuity you’re probably going to be asking about the red light in Fionna and Cake + Fionna and… I’ve no answer for it unfortunately. It’ll probably be relevant later in the series and possibly age this post like milk but for now, we’re not here to focus on the how, but the why.

Second is that the intro and the ending of Ep 2 literally show Fionna’s world spilling right out of Simon’s head like an animated world out of a frozen brain. If that isn’t clear enough-

Didn't realize this until writing, but these glasses are just plastic made to look like Betty's

There’s no other explanation for this other than that this world is artificial or influenced by Simon in some sense. Fionna even specifies that the statue went under renovation 12 years ago, but nobody seems to know who it is. Considering how Finn looks in the episode, it’s likely that it’s been that long since Betty’s sacrifice in the finale.

With that out of the way, here it goes.

The reason Fionna and Cake exist in the first place is because the creators found Natasha Allegri’s genderswap designs charming and wanted an in-universe reason to use them the Ice King wanted to create trashy, wish fulfillment through art. It was a phase.

Definitely changed that image for publishing.

Simon can argue if they’re good or bad but it’s undeniably his art. It’s not just a portfolio he left behind in a closet, it’s an experience that was shared with a larger audience.

And even if wasn’t liked at first, the citizens of Ooo seemed to have come around to it. And some of them love it!

Whether Simon likes it or not, he has a fan base that is so endeared to the story he made all those years ago that they demand he makes more. Why let a good story, loved by many, go to rest when you still have some life and creativity left in you?

Can't move on in more ways than one.

Except, the problem is that Simon isn’t Ice King anymore. He’s aged out of it.

His real passion is history, he's an adult who who finds passion in the mundane and antiques from the past. And frankly, there isn’t much room for wish-fulfillment and fantasy anymore. Simon has responsibilities. He has a job and a daughter in a world that is moving faster than he can process.

And where Ice King wrote about looking for love, Simon has already had it.

And lost it. His mind isn’t focused on the rosiness of finding new love, it’s grieving the one he already thought was the one.

Wasn't he supposed to be good with kids?

Despite his new life experiences, all his peers seem to want from him is to make more of what they’re familiar with.

A story made from wants and wishes that he doesn’t even have anymore.

A story that was literally made by someone else at a different time. It’s a fiction he cannot connect to anymore, art that he’s embarrassed by. Yet also jealous of. Because at one point, the body Simon used to be in understood what exactly was missing from his life and could express that easily.

Seeing it again is like experiencing a retrospection of a cringey loser you don’t want to imagine having ever been. It’s not you anymore, and you don’t want to be reminded of that.

Because despite him having a new creative passion, no one seems to care about that. All they want is Fionna and Cake. And what is more lonely than other people misunderstanding what you’re trying to express?

If I failed to make it clear somehow, my theory is that: Simon’s relationship with Fionna and Cake is a metaphor for creators growing out of their art. And this new Fionna and Cake world is still comfort art born out of Simon’s current desires and perceptions.

The snippet subtitles this “child holding a phone”. I guess I’m wrong. Essay over.

Episode 1 and 2 both have direct parallels with each other. They’re both about a protagonist who are feeling displaced from their world, living a phase of losing a significant other, leaving a thankless job, wearing a mask of stability in front of the people they care for, seeking a guru at the heart of the forest, and concluding that they no longer belong in their current world.

But more importantly, Fionna and Cake (the characters, the world, and the show) are no longer for an all-ages crowd. Fionna and Cake now feature young adults, curses, gore, alcohol, partial nudity, financial issues, morning routines, mid-life crisis, and overt suicidal ideation. These are the feelings that Simon relates to and possibly desires to express through art. Thus, his story and our new miniseries have warped that way.

Am I overthinking this? No. How dare you assume that.

Is equating the unconscious writings of his dementia-ridden self to Simon as his younger self seem a bit odd? ….Kinda. Again, it’s not the how but the why that matters in this case. I'm NOT crazy, I have proof that there is some acknowledgment of this directly in the show.

Rewatch the bar scene and apply this reading of the episode to what Simon says there:

“Your old stuff, Fionna and Cake, honest to glob my man, is an inspiration to me.”

“My old stuff, I don’t really want to talk about my old stuff…”

“Why not? You should be proud! You wrote an entire extended universe in a fugue state if you think about it.”

"Simon cringes"

If you have ever shared art with a group of people in the past, you’ve had this conversation.

Not likely, not possibly, no perhapses. You HAVE.

And Fionna and Cake being an epilogue to a massive award-winning, near-decade-spanning, cultural sensation 5 years after it ended, might result in its creators feeling very retrospective about what audiences want from them now.

And how difficult it’s going to be to tell new experiences and tones from what’s come before. Also, come on. “Extended Universe?” That doesn’t sound like Fionna and Cake. That sounds a lot like something else.

Again, seems bad with this kid.

One of the more profound shots in the main trailer for the show features the inconspicuously Finn-like kid crouching at her Fionna and Cake book in Simon’s trash. I believe this character is going to have a major role in two ways. Convincing Simon to be proud of what he’s accomplished and/or embracing that Simon wants to move away from his original work in order to create something new, or perhaps more likely, reinvent Fionna and Cake into what Simon relates to now.

We’ll just have to see what Simon thinks of his new Fionna next week.

PS. Talking as a fan now, WHAT IS UP WITH THE 1000+ TREEHOUSE IN THE INTRO?!!! ARE WE REVISITING THIS TIMELINE AGAIN?

SOMEONE TELL ME NOW!!!

#television #adventure time #fionna and cake #simon petrikov #fionna campbell #animation #speculation #theories #fan theory #character analysis #discussion #adventure time spoilers #fionna and cake spoilers

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imagines--galore · 1 year

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Hey I was wondering if you could write a zuko x reader? Y/n is a water bender working for zuko while he travels(set in the first or second season) thank you !!!

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Romance. Mentions of injuries and such but nothing too extensive.

A/N: This is a separate entry from my other Zukoxoc fic The Thread of Fate. So please do not confuse them to be the same. Also you have to read between the lines to sense the romance. Like really between the lines. Thank you! Hope you enjoy!

You may have be on the ship because of a debt you owed General Iroh, but it didn't mean you had to like any of the occupants.

And by occupants you meant resident Prince Pouty - Zuko.

You had kept your distance at first, keeping your head down and going about your job, but it didn't take long for your patience to snap and you began to talk back to the Prince. All because he just had to be rude to you and everyone else on the ship.

Sure General Iroh had explained the reason behind his behavior, it still didn't excuse him from being so rude all the time. Not to mention brash.

Your skills as a waterbender came in handy whenever he or any of the other soldiers aboard the ship would return with injuries. The soldiers had been wary of your at first, and you them, but in time they had accepted you as one of their own, and would often joke around with you, or seek out your help with an injury or a bruise.

Prince Zuko, on the other hand, had been entirely too stubborn to allow the enemy, his words, to see to his injuries. It wasn't until he had very nearly collapsed from ignoring his injuries, after several run-ins with the Avatar, that he had allowed you to come close and heal him.

Afterwards he had been somewhat civil towards you, and you him. Though there were times when you would berate him for putting himself in unnecessary danger and only coming to you when the pain would be too much for him to handle. He would justify his actions, saying he could handle it. Iroh was usually the mediator between the two of you, always there to make sure neither of you accidentally harmed the other. You had threatened to toss the Prince overboard on more then one occasion.

Funnily enough, he had never ever mentioned hurting you with his firebending.

Your transition from hostile shipmates, to hostile companions was slow-going and took months for the both of you to actually admit that perhaps you both could get along.

Of course, when you had just come to that realization, Zhao had commandeered Zuko's soldiers and ship, to be used to take over the Northern Water Tribe. Iroh had instantly dismissed you from your post, saying your debt had been paid. He had no desire to see you in the hands of the evil man.

Which was why you were now staying at the small inn where Zuko's ship had made its final port. You had no idea where to go from there. You didn't have any family to go back to. You had been saved by General Iroh out of the goodness of his heart. Which was the reason you had stuck to him with the claim that you owned him a debt.

Truthfully you had just felt safe with him, and now?

Where would you go now?

You were so lost in your thoughts, staring at the small cup of tea in your hand that you very nearly jumped out of your skin when the door to your small room slammed open and General Iroh stumbled in, supporting an unconscious and injured figure at his side.

Your eyes widened at who it was. "Zuko!" Your cup clattered to the floor as you ran to help the General lay the Prince down on your bed. A sharp gasp left your lips as you assessed the damage to his body. Burns, cuts, scraps, bruises, gashes. There were so many of them.

"What happened?" You demanded, even as you quickly began to gather supplies. A bucket of water, an old blanket to rip up for bandages and the bag that contained your own salves and pastes to help with the bruising.

"The pirates. They were in league with Zhao and they blew up the ship with Zuko onboard." The man explained, worry for his nephew evident in his gaze as he watched you do you work. Taking a small knife, you quickly cut open the shirt Zuko wore to assess the damage there.

You worked the entire night.

The more serious injuries were healed with your healing abilities and once you had tired yourself out from that, you began to apply the healing salves to whatever small burns and cuts you could find. You were almost out when your patient began to stir.

"Wh-" You reached out to gently grasp his shoulder to keep him from getting up lest he aggravate his injuries.

"Shh....just lie still. You're alright. You're safe." You told him. Pouring the concoction you had steamed a few moments ago, you held the cup to his lips. "Drink this. It'll help with the pain."

For once Zuko made no complaint, as he raised his head just enough to drink the warm liquid. His face grimaced at the taste but you made sure he drank every last drop.

"Your Uncle has gone to get some food. It's nearly afternoon." Outside the sun was high in the sky. Sleep hung heavy in your eyes as your gaze ran over his face. "Does anything hurt? I was able to cure most of the injuries, but I don't know if I missed something." Worry laced your tone as you fussed over the bandages that were wrapped around his forearm.

He pulled back his arm, only to grasp her hand tightly with his own. You were surprised at the strength behind the grip but you met his gaze with your own as he stared at you with an intensity that had never been there before. At least not the kind where you felt your face growing hot and had you averting your gaze after awhile and clearing your throat. His grip softened, allowing you to slip your fingers from his grasp.

"Thank you Y/N." Well that came as a shock. He had never once thanked you for when you treated him. He must've hit his head really hard on something.

Still you didn't say anything, the blush along your cheeks only intensifying as you nodded and cleared your throat. "It was nothing." But it seemed to mean something to him.

Thankfully Iroh returned just then, with food and provisions, and with the way your stomach had been growling, you all but wolfed down the soup and dumplings.

Of course you couldn't ignore the feeling that someone was watching your every move.

You simply focused on the food, too afraid to meet those intense golden eyes again.

#zuko x reader #zuko x oc #zuko x y/n #atla imagine #avatar the last airbender imagine

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an-otterly-adorable-being · 7 months

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Asmodeus x Fizzaroli x Publicist!Reader Poly Headcanons

Hehe I made more stuff, because I'm feeling good today! Hope y'all enjoy! Also feel free to start sending requests in again!

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• There's a lot of rumors going around that the Prince of Lust himself has been all cozy with one of the Lust Ring's top performers, so it was only natural that you would end up getting a job to "make things right."

• Afterall, you were one of the best PR people in Lust, why wouldn't you get the job.

• Maybe that's a bit egotistical, but there's a reason for it.

• You can spin stories better than most demons, even covering up a handful of true stories.

• You've worked for Leviathan, a number of Goetias, and even the Morningstars.

• Being hired by Ozzie and Fizz was a lot more work than you expected, though.

• Not only did you find out that they were together romantically, meaning that you'd need to keep the secret as hidden as possible, which was difficult when they decided to be sweet "behind closed doors."

• Dealing with the servants who had found out was a blast.

• (That was sarcasm, btw.)

• On top of that, you also began to develop a whole range of feelings for the both of them as you became a part of their lives.

• Turns out those feelings were somewhat reciprocated.

• After a few months, the three of you came up with the best plan you could.

• A lot of the controversy was directed more at Ozzie, as he was the one big on carnal desire over romance.

• Fizz was not as big of a deal.

• So, you and Fizzarolli began to "date."

• There was definitely some push back, but it was a decent success.

• A couple of public dates, love letters, and pictures taken by paparazzi(you, actually) later, and things were relatively calm.

• It wasn't a permanent solution, though, so you set to work on a separate project...

• Making the Lust Ring cool with Ozzie and Fizz's "non-existent" relationship.

• It did take a while.

• Scratch that, it took way too long.

• Turns out most people in Lust were actually okay with it, it was the press and other rings that were the problem.

• The other rings of Hell would take far too long to deal with, so you set your eyes on the newspapers.

• Lots of papers in Lust are actually sponsored by either Greed or Envy.

• Greed goes where the money goes, so theoretically, if the tabloids and rumors weren't as profitable, they may drop those stories.

• That left you with Envy, which had always been a pain for you.

• While Greed takes the actual newspapers, Envy picks up the cheesy tabloids. It's less about making a profit and more about making people feel terrible, especially when it's something the writers and bosses don't have.

• Luckily, you still had some good will with Leviathan, and so you doubled down on getting the stories stopped.

• You still were working with Asmodeus and Fizz, and even though you weren't in a real relationship, Fizz was getting worried about you overworking yourself.

• They both were, actually.

• You were dead set on this going, though, so they couldn't talk you out of it.

• They took the next best thing, though, forcing you to stay at their very luxurious penthouse.

• You even slept in their bed. If you wanted to, that is.

• You probably would've picked up on the fact they were trying to romance you, but alas, you were too focused.

• It took a long few months of persuasion, company scandals, bribes, and an unhealthy amount of blackmail, you got most of Lust on board, at the very least.

• And when you told them, they were thrilled!

• You organized a little interview with a local news channel (the host owed you, after all) and they finally came out as a couple.

• When you were asked about, you were expecting Ozzie and Fizz to tell the truth about your fake relationship.

• But they said you... could be a part of it for real?

• Yeah, they asked you out on TV, and you accepted.

• Even if the pressure from the show wasn't there, you would've said yes anyways.

• Your final task for them was getting an article in a paper out, talking about how beautiful Fizz and Ozzie's relationship was.

• And now that the job is finally done, you can cuddle up to your new boyfriends without a care in the world.

#headcanon #helluva boss headcanon #helluva boss x reader #fizzaroli x reader #asmodeus x reader #asmodeus x fizzarolli #polyamory

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hana-no-seiiki · 2 months

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might be running a little late on the spiderverse post (and by little i mean it’ll prolly be posted this weekend instead when all of us are free) cause i got assigned a task for skewl last minute 😭😭😭😭 so ill just give you guys this short fic/drabble w/ Cat Villain Reader for now that has been rotting in drafts for a bit.

please read my previous cat villain posts for more context !!

If you were to give a rank of the most punchable face in the Batfam, it’d be Damian. No surprise there in hindsight, but the fact that he managed to beat his own dad — the one that left your one true love to die — still astounded you.

Despite his reputation and the fact above, Damian had more calm moments with you than any of his predecessors. It may have been due to other factors; you being older and more mature (less of a brat), that you didn’t hate his guts, or that he wasn’t a masochist like Tim.

But the biggest reason was Talia.

You don’t get how the woman fell for Bruce but she did, and you knew she would do anything for him. You’ve fought her before and she was no joke.

And, she was the only person who helped you with Jason. Who didn’t scoff at your violent reaction towards his death. Who actually understood you, rather than ply you with words of comfort.

So, of course, you were a lot more gentle when it came to her son. Even during his more verbally abusive phase.

Recently however, you’ve noticed a change.

“What?” Damian glared at you (I say as if he looks at you in any other way other than glaring)

“Nothing.” You looked away, your mouth forming a pout. Damn him for having great observational skills even through both of your masks and while you guys were in the middle of a fight.

“Were you just staring at my arms?”

“No!” You shouted in offence. “. . . Yes.”

But how dare of him to be right anyways! It wasn’t your fault his new fit looked tighter on his toned biceps.

In any case, that’s where the change really started to be obvious. Usually after that he’d knock you out or screech curses, but now… now he’d —

“Keep looking. You’re easier to catch when distracted.”

You immediately felt your knees go weak.

The nicknames, too. Good god the nicknames. Some of them were still as degrading as ever, but you also noticed a sudden rise of sweeter ones, some in his mother tongue, others just plain corny.

“Hey Kitty, get your food elsewhere.” Damian greeted you from behind.

Damian never greeted you.

Your fights and/or meet-ups always started with a little roughhousing.

Which, as of the moment, was not happening just yet. Not to mention he didn’t even take advantage of your surprised state.

And so you turn invisible.

Ever the sharp eyed man that he was, he quickly spotted you from the sound of your movements. Yet he doesn’t attack. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right behind you, seizing your arms and whispered, “Did that make you purr?”

You licked him in response. Safe to say that you were smacked down afterwards.

You were starting to think that Damian liked you.

Of course, even though you were confident to a fault, you weren’t conceited. So in order to test that theory, you managed to switch your heists up for when he wasn’t on duty.

And from what you hear from Tim, he hasn’t been doing so great.

So terrible his days have been in fact that he had been sloppy enough to get caught. While the rest of his team was busy fighting you took the opportunity to sneak in. A favour for Talia’s help, you thought.

“Fool! What are you—“ Damian shouted at you. The villain they were fighting was no joke. If you had gotten caught —

His sermon gets interrupted by a kiss from you to the lips. You even shove your tongue down his throat for good measure.

You separate from him after a few minutes.

You think from the fact that he pulls you back in and kisses you as his friends were screaming in the background made it clear that he more than just liked you.

Maybe even loved you…

— to be continued

#yandere #yandere x reader #yandere x you #yandere imagine #yandere fic #yandere core #yandere batfam #yandere damian wayne #damian wayne #damian wayne x reader #yandere damian wayne x reader #robin x reader #robin #robin x you #batfam #dc #yandere batfam x reader #batfam x reader #dc x reader

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cooki3face · 9 months

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spirit baby reading 🧸

Disclaimer: I usually speak to the feminine collective when I do these so if you’re not mom and you’ll be dad switch things up so they may resonate for you. <3

I’ve literally always been so obsessed with Bey as a mother so I refuse to use anybody else for my banner. Sue me if you’re mad, otherwise have a great time, I’m gonna do these as channeled messages this time, so if you’re in a high-level soulmate or twin flame connection these could be really good to get some insight and understanding from a different perspective. When we talk about spirit babies, we’re speaking of the spirit or the souls of babies that are waiting to be born and spiritually connected to you.

Often when you’re in a soul connection or a twin flame connection, the person you’re connected with is part of your soul family and the children you’re meant to have will choose the two of you as parents are a part of your soul family as well. They love you both unconditionally, free of judgment and misunderstanding because they see everything before they come to you and forget everything about their soul's purpose and about why they chose you as a parent, and what it was like to choose you. They often play a huge role in you and their other parent getting together as well. They protect and guide your connection just as much as the divine. Hope that this is helpful if you’re in a high-level soulmate connection or a twin flame connection, love you! 🧸

pile one:

Before I begin, I just want to say someone’s child is really obsessed with the chicken dance song, idk if you remember what that was from when you were a child but here’s a link to a weird YouTube video with the audio.

“Mom, the best thing you can do right now is to relax and release your control and enjoy yourself. I know that dad is taking a long time but he’s coming to marry you and be with you very soon and you just have to be patient.” For some reason, I’m getting we you could be expecting multiples at some point soon. “We know how much you care about Dad and how patient and gentle you’ve been with him and we ask that you send him lots of love and encouragement even though you guys aren’t speaking that much.

Don’t think that he doesn’t love you or doesn’t want you just because he hasn’t said so because he does. All he wants is to be with you and to build a family with you and that time is coming. He’s closing out karmic cycles and making sure that everything is perfect before he comes towards you because he knows it’s what you deserve. We told you this when we spoke to you in your dream. Dad is making sure that he gets lots of money and gets everything ready so that you will be comfortable and well taken care of and he can buy us lots of stuff.

Please don’t become discouraged or try to forget about Daddy because it hurts that he’s away. We connect with you every day and we’ve been sending you messages through your social media so that you know we’re here waiting for you. Remember that separation and time apart are only an illusion and only exist in one realm of existence. Time to us over here goes by very quickly and you and Dad are not truly separated because you are connected spiritually and are married and in union with one another in spirit.

You and Dad are taking the time out to do the inner work and grow and that’s why you’ve been given this time apart by the universe so that everything can be perfect and ready when you guys come together because the two of you deserve nothing less than perfection. You and Daddy both are doing the inner work and have been working very hard. Continue to do things that you care about and enjoy and take care of yourself in the ways you deserve. Dad is releasing karmic energy within his life, leaving behind third-party interferences that are standing in his way because he’s no longer going to allow anything to get in his way of loving you and being with you. He’s learning to love beyond his fears and his ego and he’s learning to follow his heart every single day after a long time of living for others.

And when he comes to you, he will be completely unrecognizable and he’ll be different from who he was before, when he had a hard time and couldn’t be there for you the way you wanted him to. You’re going to be so proud of him and so happy to see him again. Let go of any self-doubt Mom or any negative ideas about if Dad loves you or if he’s coming. I know you know he is so hold onto what your heart and your spirit are telling you and just relax. Everything is going to be okay.

Dad needs you to release the past and fully let go of past versions of your connection and even let go of the present because it is not a full representation of what he feels for you. After all, he’s not where he truly wants to be right now which is right by your side. There was a lot of hardship that the two of you went through but even you feel in your heart that it was ages ago and we know that you love him and we know that you love him because you can forgive him and show him so much grace even the second he makes a mistake. Cycles are coming to a close. Your time is coming. Please, just rest. “

channeled messages or things I picked up on during the reading 👣:

multiples or a set of twins to be specific (a boy and a girl)

“Take me out to the ballgame” one of these children may really like baseball or grow to like baseball as a sport. You could have an elder family member who enjoys baseball as well.

May enjoy gardening as a hobby

Blue and green as well as purple and orange

Heavily adorned scrapbooks or photo albums

A boy or son being born first or older. He protects.

Close sibling/twin relationship. Irreplaceable to each other. Incomplete without each other. They may grow to enjoy a lot of the same hobbies, I'm getting swimming and recreational sports or arts and crafts they may share together. Not shying away from twin-ness and pride themselves in being very much alike because they respect one another so much.

Boy/son is very caring and emotionally intelligent and compassionate

The girl/daughter may be very shy in nature and very petite and take after her mother in face and stature. I'm hearing she's a diamond. People will really be fond of her beauty and adore her and people who know you or knew you may find her face very nostalgic because she looks so much like you.

I'm also getting that she's got a timeless beauty. She's someone who will grow up to be very stunning and beautiful and would've been that in every era or point in time.

I'm also getting that she may grow up to be fond of music and the arts.

She may like to dance (getting ballet) or do gymnastics.

I'm hearing whoever she marries Daddy is gonna make them pay a big fat dowry or go to the ends of the earth for her and her brother will see it through

***

pile two:

The divine masculine in your life could be tall or something or this baby may come out heavy or just be in a larger percentile for his age group. I instantly got that song Sza sang on SNL “I Need a big boy”

“Mom, things will be made right. I really don't want you and Dad to fight or have trouble but sometimes conflict is necessary because things have to fall away and come out in relationships and sometimes things go wrong for a reason and we have to be strong enough to deal with them. I know that you're sad or you're not feeling hopeful right now. And you may feel like everything is going wrong and everything is against you but that’s just not true. You have to trust in the divine and trust that things will come together and work out for you in the end.

I know that there have been delays and blockages within your and dad’s relationship and with you really getting what you truly desire. And these circumstances have given you bad dreams and made you very scared and anxious but I want you to get some rest and relax. Nothing good comes of being tired and exhausted. Take care of yourself and focus hard on what you can do to make things good around you and enjoy yourself even if things are rough with you and Dad or in other areas of your life. Remember that you and Dad are both growing and sometimes we don’t have all of the answers and don’t have the solution to everything.

The universe is trying to teach you to find wholeness and happiness within yourself right now Mom because that’s what you need the most. You may feel like you need dad or other people and things to feel happy and that’s not true. All the things you’re stressed about aren’t good for your health and aren’t all your responsibility to carry with you so you have to take some time to release your control and release all of this stress. I see what’s going on and I know that you’re unhappy and having a hard time with your current circumstances but things are always capable of getting better and these feelings and these times are temporary.

This is a good time to decide what you want to do with your time Mom or want you want to do with your life and how you want to live. Sometimes when there are blockages, separations, or dramatic changes and events in our lives that means that we need to focus on ourselves more. Dad has lots of internal wounds, karmic cycles, and blockages that he needs to work through before he can be there for you the way you need him to and so the best thing to do is to show him grace and compassion and focus on finding happiness and support within yourself. “

channelled messages or things I picked up on in the reading 👣:

TikTok, social media, or clinging to social media or using social media as a distraction or a way to cope with emotional pain

Umbrella by Rihanna “ooo baby it’s rainin’ rainin’”.

NFL babies /sports babies

“Somewhere over the rainbow” and it’s lyrics

The Wizard of Oz, the cowardly lion, or the Tin Man and their meanings

Miscarriages/infertility/struggle to conceive or complications during pregnancy, or post partum

Plays, performances, or the theater

A boy/ a son

The color blue

Sports teams/mascots

***

pile three:

“I see that you’ve been working very hard Mom, taking care of yourself and taking care of your responsibilities and taking responsibility over your life. It’s time you start thinking about what direction you’d like to take in life or what you really truly want to do so that we have a good foundation for ourselves. Sometimes I’ve seen that you’ve had a hard time focusing or a tempted to put your energy into other things. But you know that nows not the time to be distracted and it’s a lot of progress being able to be tempted and have the strength to stay focused and I’m very proud of you. I know that you’ve been feeling alone or have been alone but I want you to know that in isolation the universe brings us growth.

And that sometimes in life people have to walk away from us or we have to walk away from people and even sometimes we drift apart from our friends and loved ones. It’s a natural part of life and when doors close new doors open Mom. The universe gave you time alone so that you can establish things for yourself and really decide what you want for yourself and take initiative over the directory in which you’re going. All the times we’ve had a hard time. All the times we’ve undergone lots of change in your life, all the times there was chaos and we were confused were all for a good reason, and in life we have to learn to see the lessons in our experiences.

It’s time for you to branch out on your own mom and remove your dependence on others and other things in your life that keep you from living authentically and really growing into the beautiful woman you’re meant to be. And one day you’ll be happy and you’ll be celebrating just how far you’ve come all along. There’s so much potential for you to grow and for experiences and endless opportunities to reach you. And don’t worry about not having found Dad yet Mom because soon you will meet him and soon you’ll finally get the love and the relationship you’ve dreamed of all along, all this time. “

channelled messages or things I picked up on in the reading 👣:

This sounds like a girl or a daughter

“Alright” by Kendrick Lamar

You may choose to be a single mother or look for a donor when you’re ready to have a child

You may not know who your person is or haven’t met your divine counterpart yet or received the love or the relationship that you’ve desired for a long time

This child is going to be really attached to you and take after you in many ways. The two of you may bond over fashion or you may end up being the primary parent and main support system

This child may come at a time where you’re going through a large transition or you’re entering a stage in life where you want something new or different

This is a big girly girl. A huge fan of pink and flowers and may like to get her nails done with you.

She may come out looking a whole lot like you as a child or as a baby

This baby is going to heal your inner child by being able to live the life or have some of the experiences you would’ve wanted for yourself.

***

I hope this gave you some guidance or was something you really wanted to hear tonight 💕 If you ever need a personal reading, you may go to my Instagram and click the link in my bio to book a reading with me! Love you!

#self love #self care #self improvement #self discovery #dream girl #self expression #healingjourney #self healing #manifestation #divine feminine #divine masculine #spirit baby reading #pick a card #pick a card reading #pick a pile #tarot #tarot readers of tiktok #tarot readers of instagram #tarot readers of tumblr

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tanadrin · 4 months

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Imagine one day a new social trend starts spreading. It’s something unbelievably dumb. Not harmful per de, but truly silly to believe. Let’s say, I dunno, healing crystals start going mainstream. Everybody’s talking about their crystals. It becomes impolite to criticize people who believe in healing crystals. They become a big part of people’s personalities, and people on TV start talking about them, and one day years down the line politicians are debating funding for crystal-based medicine. And through it all you are sitting there going, what the fuck is happening. I thought we were all on the same page on this. You want to get along and be friendly and open minded but you cannot pretend to believe in healing crystals, this is nonsense, and when the topic comes up you refuse to lie about it. This eventually starts to have social consequences—they’re that popular!—but what can you do? You cannot pretend a lump of quartz can cure the flu or whatever. It’s just all so unbearably embarrassing.

I think what the centrist/liberal/center-left reactionary turn driven by culture war stuff feels like. And I think the key emotion is probably cringe. Not hate, not fear, though those emotions may reinforce the turn. I think in a lot of cases people who imagine themselves pretty open minded and flexible have as part of their worldview something they thought was bedrock social consensus—on the level of “healing crystals are silly woo”—so bedrock maybe that it didn’t even need to be a conceptual boundary they actually policed in their minds.

For instance, when she started her anti-trans turn, JK Rowling made a big show of not being really anti trans, just arguing that Some People Had Gone Too Far. She wasn’t a frothing religious reactionary, after all. And I believe that’s probably true! I think Rowling probably did have a mental model of sex and gender with a little bit of give in it—of the “we can humor the odd weirdo” type. But as the discussion of trans rights in the UK got more serious over her lifetime, trans people went from “the odd weirdo” to “a recognized minority,” and eventually this ran against a bedrock belief that on some level men are men and women are women and never the twain shall meet. To act otherwise was just too embarrassing. And she wasn’t going to embarrass herself in the name of political correctness.

Other people whose brains have been eaten by the anti-woke mind virus (as @eightyonekilograms calls it) have something going of the contrarian in them, who enjoys yelling “up yours, woke moralists!” or w/e. Im thinking of ppl like Glenn Greenwald here, or Dave Chapelle, people who seem not to feel alive except when people are mad at them. That’s a separate but interesting dynamic. And there are people like Graham Linehan who become totally unhinged through this process of auto-radicalization, moths drawn ever closer to a particular source of validation within their chosen reactionary subcommunity, until they are truly parodies of themselves. That is also an important dynamic, but it’s one that only takes hold after the initial turn has begun.

I think the role of that feeling of cringe, that refusal to entertain an idea because it is too embarrassing (even if it does actually have a decent body of research behind it, unlike crystals) is important to think about, because I am interested in how to get people over it. I know that feeling has affected my own thinking over my lifetime. I wasn’t raised particularly conservative, but I had to learn not to cringe at a lot of feminist thought before I could appreciate it and learn from it. I explicitly didn’t have that cringe when it came to gay people for whatever reason, so it never entered my mind that it might be a problem. I remember being surprised to learn when I was very young that some boys wanted to marry other boys, but my response was “huh. Go figure.” Because for whatever reason I had not picked up that this was something I was supposed to be grossed out by. A general doctrine of empathy, of trying to understand people on their own terms, can help forestall some of this stuff, but it’s not foolproof in either direction—I don’t want to believe crystals have healing powers if it becomes socially popular to do so, just because it is socially popular to do so! And if they do, I don’t want to not believe they do just because it is socially unpopular!

(Obviously the crystals thing is not a one to one metaphor for the trans thing, so don’t read too much into that. Maybe astrology would have been a better analogy. Also I’m not talking just about people whose reactionary turn is predicated on trans issues—I think this dynamic applies to everything from gay rights to the Tridentine Mass. But trans issues are a handy example bc, as the adage goes, somebody posts once about trans people and they never post anything normal again. I think the classic rapid-onset trans derangement syndrome is closely tied to the fact that gender norms are a really deep element of many people’s social-consensus-based worldview, and so challenged to that worldview are felt as really cringe.)

I’m curious if other people who grew more liberal in their thinking over time had a similar experience of having to overcome what was basically a feeling of embarrassment at certain ideas.

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