#Oh to be both mask and wearer.

[disruptivevoib]

Not really a "other peoples designs" RQ but could you draw Eleutheromania/phobia Soul or Whole.. just as a treat

You were once the shell. Now you're something else- and the mask that was yours is loathed as it loathes you...

Or something like that.

I feel this drawing lacks context in terms of the original fic, but since certain things are more explored... this is very aughk, to me. Have them both :]

[merrinpippy]

on masks

so shockingly miracle mask has huge mask theming in like every aspect. basically every significant character is 'wearing' a mask literally or metaphorically, except for luke who remarks in ludmilla's costume shop that he doesn't think any of the masks suit him (since the events of the previous game luke can be authentically himself now.) this is fun to notice on its own, but there's more to be discussed than just the presence of masks.

every mask in miracle mask backfires on its wearer to some degree! the most obvious case of this is descole and the masked gentleman straight up underestimating their own mask/s and failing to see their plans to the end, and the resulting consequences. dalston and henry's masks of stoicism turn out to have kept them from years of friendship they could have enjoyed, and paint them both as suspects in the masked gentleman case. angela's aloof facade and distance from everyone around her allows her to be kidnapped for a significant portion of the game without anyone but the professor noticing (and even then, he notices that something's up with her, but chalks it up initially as not knowing her anymore). less obviously, emmy's mask only means she'll end up hurting the people she has come to care for even more when the time comes.

most interesting to me, though, is hershel! even as a teen he's remarkably reserved, though clearly passionate. he keeps himself very controlled, and seems to care very much about coming across to others as helpful, grounded, and 'normal'. the interests that we know he has he keeps locked up, literally hidden away in cupboards, not to be acknowledged aloud to himself or others. he never gets angry or ever really displays any stereotypical teen behaviours apart from awkwardness.

now what this means is he is treated as the reliable one who will nonetheless go along with whatever randall wants him to do. he's never particularly assertive (something he will learn to be as an adult) so his willingness is taken for granted. he's put in mortal danger in akbadain because it never occurs to randall that hershel's protests are anything more than for appearance's sake.

and when randall falls and hershel is alone, he yells! he falls to his knees, completely overcome. he cries. he pushes through. and when he reaches angela and henry, alone, covered in dirt, looking completely haunted... they don't even ask him if he's okay. angela bodily shakes him. in the past and present, nobody treats hershel as if he's been through something traumatic - to everyone else, he was either a bystander to or complicit in randall's death, but controlled, mild-mannered and rational hershel is never considered a victim in his own right even after years have passed for everyone to think on it. years after the fact angela apologises to hershel... when she realises she needs his help. and henry immediately accuses him of betraying randall's memory and abandoning him.

and to be clear this isn't me saying oh they're evil or whatever but it's significant that they acknowledge how the trauma affected them and their behaviour from that point forward but it doesn't occur to them that hershel's behaviour and life trajectory was also altered forever! because hershel has for his whole life masked so well that to everyone else he does not have an interior life that isn't puzzle solving.

and the absolute funniest thing about it is that when hershel confesses this all to emmy and luke.... it's immediately back to the investigation, "where do we go now professor!" i'm sure there's no reason to ask if hershel's okay, he's probably unaffected by all that, let's go! readers i laughed out loud. tfw you mask so well everyone forgets you're a person

[tofu83]

Let me introduce the latest high-tech prison in the Republic of All Mankind！

As you can see, it’s not a building or camp but simply a set of body armor. It can limit prisoners' freedom and correct their behavior with minimal resources

Mark, the rebel who encourage young people to engage in destruction, has the honor to serve as an example.

Turn around, Prisoner!

"What the fuck are you doing to my body!?"

See? Even if he has thousands of unwillingnesses, he can do nothing but obey. That's because this exoskeleton has been connected to his central nervous system. Now he is not able to control his own body, but let the armor in charge.

Oh, that gentleman with crewcut hair in black jacket, you have question?

"Why not brainwash the prisoner or implant a controlling chip to make him completely compliant?"

Good question! We intend to keep their mind clear in order to let them understand what we could do to them. Let them know that every single person is just the property of our country. Even you and me both have to admit that the authority has absolutely power over us. Right?

Besides, the prisoners have to learn what is good and what is bad. Take Mark as example. He will join the rebels hunting team working with law enforcers to hunt down his accomplices, and force them into the same kind of prison he is in now.

"You freaking bustard! I will never betray my allies!"

He is so noisy, isn’t he? No problem! Turn around to show our guest your face, prisoner! Just a click on this button,

"Mmmm…Mmmm!!!"

the mouth gag and face mask will make him quiet!

Okay, let’s continue. After working for the authority many times, we infer they will finally understand how childish they were and how glory to serve the country. They will submit and be loyal to their country from the bottom of their hearts.

But we know some people are very stubborn and won’t easily be break down. If we need immediate combat effectiveness, they are the best choice because the armor also has the ability to fully control the wearer.

Lets enter the code here…

You can see that the prisoner stops struggling and stands up straight. His eyes glowing red like robots’ because he is actually becoming a robot.

Their minds would be wiped out in order to be reprogrammed easily.

Only the useful parts of their memories will be retained, and the rest will be deleted.

Now the reprogramming is almost complete.

Hunter bot 001 active and report status!

"Hunter unit 001 is fully functional, reporting for duty."

Let me prove that he is already converted into a loyal servant of our country.

"Hunter bot 001, perform your main mission!"

"Yes sir, this unit will comply. Start searching for potential insurgents…. Target detected! A close friend of the famous rebel, Mark, is in this room!"

Wow, what a surprise!!!

"Rebel, Name: Black. Must be arrested immediately!"

Hey！That gentleman with crewcut hair in black jacket！

Congratulations on becoming the second inmate of the new prison!!!

[dailycharacteroption]

Magaambya Attendant (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)

(art by LorenzoTonetto on DeviantArt)

(Oh goodness, I must have been supremely tired last night, as I forgot to post this. Never fear, Tuesday’s entry will be coming later today as well)

Of all the magical academies I’ve seen in fiction, Magaambya is probably one of my favorites. Founded on the teachings of the man who singlehandedly saved the traditions of arcane magic during the Age of Darkness and shored up by his philosophy of magic for all and used for the betterment of all, it truly has become Oldmage Jatembe’s shining legacy, where students are taught not just to master magic, but how to use it to better others… and most learn these lessons well. Most of them.

In any case, today we’re looking at the Magaambya Attendant, an archetype associated with the school. While not every graduate has this archetype, those that do represent those that have taken the lessons, both philosophical and magical, to heart. This isn’t to say that others slack on their lessons, rather that the Attendants draw power directly from their lessons rather than just philosophically.

Additionally, these attendants often also specialize in the lessons of one of the five branches of scholarship at the Magaambya: the Cascade Bearers who value creativity and imagination in magic; the Emerald Bough, who favor camaraderie and goodwill; Rain-Scribes, who adapt and learn from their mistakes; Tempest-Sun Mages who value valor and the courage to let their own views be challenged and changed; and finally Uzunjati, storyteller masters that seek wisdom in the lore and knowledge of old.

No matter how they specialize, however, they are still students of the same philosophy, so let’s take a look at how they apply what they have learned!

The base dedication of this archetype grants training in either the primal or arcane arts, as well as a basic cantrip in either of those traditions. Additionally, one must pick affiliation with one of the aforementioned branches, and finally, since they are associated with the same school, one can also take the halcyon speaker archetype alongside this one without the restriction one normally sees with archetypes.

Traditionally, Magammbya mages wear masks, often enchanted, when performing their duties, but some find, whether by accident or design, that their mask takes on a life of it’s own, becoming their familiar. While not all can talk, they can all detach from the wearer’s face and move about with a body composed of multicolored light, and can of course pretend to be an ordinary mask when the need strikes.

Naturally, some attendants master magic to further bolster their mask familiars, granting them new abilities.

Cascade Bearers demonstrate surprising flexibility, able to alter their spells on the fly with metamagical techniques they haven’t properly mastered yet, though only once a day.

Emerald Boughs are expected to travel beyond the school and potentially recruit new students. As such, they have a knack for adapting quickly to any culture they find themselves in.

Meanwhile, Rain-Scribes learn how to sustain their bodies entirely with ambient magic, eliminating the need for food, though they can also overclock it to stay awake while resting normally at the cost of needing food later.

The Tempest-Suns are perhaps the most likely to engage in combat, so they’d developed techniques to redirect the flow of their attacking spells, minimizing damage to their allies while also redirecting some of the energy to ward them for a few moments as well.

The Storytellers of the Uzunjati know dozens of tales, and they can leverage that knowledge to recall important tales and impress others with their knowledge of the old wisdom.

Later on, Cascade Bearers learn to be more flexible with the sources of their magic, able to add occult and divine magics to their halcyon spell arsenal.

Travelling so far from home, many Emerald Boughs find it useful to store away certain items for later use, and learn to create a small pocket dimension to store items that lasts as long as they remain conscious. Perfect for hiding an item that cannot be allowed to be stolen, or emergency tools for a situation.

Rain-Scribes are themed around adaptability, so some master learn to turn aside that which would hinder them. By shrouding themselves in magic, they can stride easily through difficult terrain, destroying or casting aside the inhibiting elements of which as they do so, with not even magically manipulated terrain being safe.

The combat expertise of Tempest-Suns continues as they learn how to expend unused spell energy to blunt and block incoming attacks, robbing them of the force to wound.

Masters among the Uzunjati can recall information and create a story about it on the fly, entertaining and gaining useful information in one act.

True masters among the Uzunjati might also learn to improve their stories further, providing useful advice and maybe a little guiding magic to bolster their allies when fighting a foe that inspired the recalled story in the first place.

As you can see, this archetype is primarily all about branching into one of the many schools of thought and roles associated with the academy, granting abilities that are thematic to what each branch of the school favors and represents, though obviously some are more flashy than others. This also means that an individual can only take a maximum of three feats (four for Uzunjati) from this archetype, making it relatively unobtrusive if you want to blend it with its sister archetype, the Halcyon Speaker, or take it by itself for some practical abilities that speak to the character’s role and vocation.

Like I said before, neither this archetype nor the Halcyon Speaker are required to represent a graduate of the Magaambya, but they both help represent someone who has learned to incorporate the unique teachings of the academy into their magical arsenal, and it’s nice to have such an option. Additionally, I like that in addition to breaking down the barriers between arcane and primal magic, the branches of the school are not broken down by schools of magic, but by philosophy in how magic is learned and applied. This goes a long way towards justifying how the Thassilonian schools are not universal, and why the schools of magic in the remastered version are more broad in their theming. (though I’ll still be using them for those that want them.

The dry desert consumes the weak, that is what Torva, a beastkin orc woman, grew up understanding, but when her latent talent for the druidic arts manifested, she was sent off to the Oasis, an impossible green city in the middle of the sands, to harness her magic at their academy. There, she encountered the kind and unjudging school environment and began to question what it meant to be weak or strong.

Instructor Kanzarato has a reputation at the school, and not just because he’s a dragon! The brine dragon wyrm tries very hard, but has trouble thinking of his classroom as anything other than his territory. However, once he has warmed up to new students, he is the first and fiercest to protect them.

Charming and quick with a joke, the storyteller Uban has many a tale they could spin, including those of the days when the magic academy of the White Valley still stood, teaching a blending of every source of magic. In the late night, when most have gone to bed, he confides that though they are outlawed and hunted, the mages of that school do still remain, bringing kindness and wisdom to those that need it. He meets any suggestion that he is one such mage with a soft chuckled and a wink.

[msfcatlover]

Death Mask Steph

Oh boy. This is the big one. I've agonized over this, and getting the design right has been... ugh. Nevermind. Here we go.

Death Mask needs to draw on Red Hood and Steph designs. (I would draw from Black Mask designs, but frankly Roman's designs are all kinda boring? He's a skull-head in a suit, and basically always has been; it's simple & effective, but there's not a lot to iterate on there.) Steph's suits tend to be armored one-pieces, but layering is so crucial to most Red Hood designs, that balancing the two has been... tricky.

(I've already shared the Stephanie Brown Costume History page. Unfortunately, the n52 designs page seems to be just descriptions with no pictures, and the page for her n52 appearances doesn't give you many good angles. So here's Steph's "Future's End" & "Future State" designs, as the stand-out missing designs, in my opinion.)

The absolute vital part of any Red Hood inspired design is, of course, the helmet. It's also been the biggest pain. Jason's had some good helmet designs and a lot of bad ones over the years, and (as I've previously stated) finding a full reference page for them is basically impossible. So here's what I'm going with.

Steph starts with a sleek, sculpted black metal base. Say something like this model of Jason's Injustice helmet. The primary difference would be that Steph's helmet opens up at the front rather than the back; the faceplate would be hinged at the top of the head, and it would swing up & forwards to reveal her face.

(Using the Injustice helmet as a base because it more than most looks like it really should open from the front. I'd also say the sides would also be able to open wider, so that it can still fit snug without being a pain to get in & out of. Not that anyone would ever bother to draw that detail, but I think it would look neat opening up in 3 directions all at once.)

Next, most of the face plate is covered by a sculpted skull. This is how she invokes the whole "Death Mask" idea, as well as purposefully stealing Roman's gimmick. Below the teeth are a couple understated tubs & valves, evoking a gasmask---something like this.

(Kinda a Red X look, I'm realizing now that I'm digging through my reference folders all at once... Anyway, this piece seems to be by Laura Sheridan, but her website seems to be down, you can only buy her art seemingly 2nd hand, and I can't find this picture listed anywhere but pinterest.)

The edges, mechanical bits, and any detail work added should be done in copper.

Within the eye sockets are two recessed glowing lenses, like Jason often has, though Steph's glow a dark magenta, casting light that borders on red.

(Obviously, these lenses change size & shape to show emotion through the mask, like you do. They're not designed to---in fact, logically all the bat-masks are designed like this in order to help hide the wearer's emotions---but that's comic logic for you.)

Below the helmet, Steph's suit is mainly made up of reinforced black leather motorcycle pants, a black undersuit, and an armored vest like this.

(But black. Obviously.)

However, she accessorizes. Steph has added a decorative metal ribcage to her armor, as well was plates mimicking a spine. The ribs should be copper-colored, while the spine can be either metallic or black.

(Depending on who's drawing them, the ribs could range from purely decorative to practically another layer of armor. And following the links from pinterest, both of those artists have apparently taken their rib-art down, which is once again very disappointing.)

Steph wears a chunky utility belt which sits crooked on her hips. I personally think it should be black (maybe brown?) with either copper, ivory, or dark magenta snaps/clasps holding the pouches shut (pick one for all pouches, not a mixture). She has a gun holstered on each hip, one on each thigh, a set of throwing knives (3-5) on the front of the belt, and wears her sickle-swords strapped criss-cross on her back.

The swords themselves are made from a copper-alloy, retaining their coppery color, and easily double her reach (are about as long as one arm.) They have a hilt not dissimilar to an Egyptian khopesh, but a completely different blade; Steph's swords have a much more exaggerated curve, and crucially, they're sharpened on the inside of the crescent, where a khopesh is sharpened on the outside. They legitimately look like a crescent moon sickle, stretched out to sword size.

(Khopesh hilt, and genuinely the best crescent sickle sword I can find for what I'm picturing. Steph's would be in much better shape, obviously.)

Steph keeps it understated-but-still-stated with knee-high, buckle-up, black leather motorcycle boots.

(These are mid-calf, but it's the closest I can find that aren't completely over the top. Also, any artist who figured out how to make the laces work without losing the straps would win my unending love for the symbolism of Steph clearly still mimicking her big brother but trying so hard to hide it.)

Steph’s sleeves are armored in black metal plates, ending in sharpened black gauntlets. I don't care much about the specific structure, I just really want that clawed look.

(Shorter would be more practical for finesse work, while longer claws could be worked into her fighting style. I am going back & forth on whether this should be both arms or just one of them, because I’m a sucker for asymmetric designs, but I think it might be a bit too much with all the other details.)

Finally, over top of it all, Steph wears an uneven ivory-colored hooded shawl made of layers of thin, wispy fabric. It hangs down her back to her waist, but bunches up in the front over her collarbones. It's purposefully designed to look tangled & messy, hiding her body shape with all its bulk & fly-aways, and is flimsy enough that grabbing hold of basically any part of it will just leave you with a fist full of torn fabric.

This is the hardest to find examples for, but... okay, so it's shaped roughly like this:

(If anyone can find the non-pinterest source for this one, I'd hugely appreciate it; all I'm getting is a dead twitter link.)

It's layered like these:

And it's made from material like this:

(This definitely gets swapped out for either a white scarf or a brown trench coat pretty regularly, just because those are easier to wrap your head around/draw. I think both could work & be cool, but Steph is trying to give off “undead vibes” with this original costume, and this gives her a more ghostly look which… okay, is heavily inspired by this Jason design.)

Also, Steph's hair is still long, but she ties it up in either a french or dutch braid before going out most of the time. Dutch is for going out in public or to the gym, where she'll lift it off her neck in a ponytail, french then gets coiled into a bun inside of her helmet.

(I am undecided on whether or not she also has an undercut.)

[anotherghoul666]

Oh no :( sleep token seems to have awoken something else in me. What is it about watching masked, menacing figures appreciate each other on stage that’s so addictive? Gahhh

So I'm pretty sure this was a thirst ask which, so valid anon, my own thirst for Vessel has hit me like a truck, and I could leave it at that or answer with a joke, but! I am me, I over-analyze and over-intellectualize shit, and you asked what it was about him that's addictive, so here we are. On today's episode of "AnotherGhoul takes a simple asks and turns it into a whole damn essay": masks, monsterfucking and stage personas, or why Vessel from Sleep Token is hot (with a nod to Ghost). For me*. I'll add, why he captivates me*, because everyone's thought process and erotic sources are different, but maybe you'll recognize yourself in something I describe here! Under a read more because I went WAY OVERBOARD WITH THIS XD

Option 1: the mask kink So, I've had a mask kink for a long time. I've had a name for it for maybe a decade. I got to wear my first full masks in an arousal context maybe around 2014-2015. I acquired my first mask in 2019 for play. I jumped in the puddle with both feet within the past two years or so in terms of wearing masks and making people wear masks. But I can also remember early memories when I was a kid of being very very very drawn to masked characters in cartoons or video games, so I'd say my propensity for them has been there for the vast majority of my life.

Masks do it for me because I highly eroticize the removal of human features or aspects. I find the consensual removal, or giving up, of humanity extremely exciting. Think, removal of speech through a gag or a simple rule, so that one of the main things that make us human, language, cannot be used during play. Or objectification, where a human would be made into an object consensually, or treated like one, be it playing a chair, a foot rest, a table, a decoration, a sex toy, etc. I enjoy the idea of a human, with its dignity and morals, consenting to being used like a mere disposable piece of plastic. The removal, blurring or limitation of core human features turns me on.

So it's easy to see why masks in general do it for me. It erases the human facial features, or replaces them with artificial features, to different degrees depending on which mask is chosen. It makes someone look less human. It separates the human from the object. Inside a mask, any micro-expressions you make don't matter. You may make a face or try to signal an emotion but that's not gonna translate. You cannot appeal to anyone's empathy from within a mask. From the outside, all the other person sees is the flat planes of the mask that don't move or change or adjust with the wearer's emotions. There is no expectation of being able to "read" a face when it's masked. No pressure to figure out the right expression and meaning. Which is probably comforting for me in terms of my neurodivergence and my difficulty with reading facial expressions in the first place. The mask doesn't move. There's nothing to read.

Now, I also know, for neurotypical people specifically, apparently masks are super hot because of the accent on the eyes. Your typical mask will have lessened facial features but slits or openings for the eyes, so the person inside can see. Naturally your gaze will glide on the featureless face and find the eyes. For NTs, whose brains are made to read people's eyes, "the eyes are the window to the soul" and all that jazz, eyes are often a person's most attractive feature. A mask accentuates someone's strongest and most unique trait. I don't subscribe to that. I prefer masks to dehumanize, not draw attention to the humanity under. The masks I find the hottest will have very little sight possible inside (added sensory play aspect here) and from the outside, covered eyes or weird eyes, as long as I don't get to see much of the wearer's eyes, it gets bonus points.

Which leads me to Vessel's mask. Inhuman face shape, check. No mouth (assumed no speech), check. No nose, check. In this case there are eyes, but there are six, not two, which I find very hot because of the monster aspect I'll speak about later, but also, they're covered inside. There's a mesh inside that allows him to see out, but we can't see in. So, no eyes, check. There is nothing for me to grasp there, nothing for me to read. My eyes glide and slide over the smooth surface of the mask with nowhere to grab onto. It's an endless search, so my brain can stop searching for clues, and that's relaxing. He could smile, he could be furious, he could cry, he could be uninterested, I'd never know. All I see is a mysterious face, the erotic appeal of anonymity on full display, the lack of humanity, the removed features. It's a 10/10 mask for me. (I like his stage mask less because of the cut out mouth, but I understand 100% the need for his mouth to be uncovered and unrestrained because the man has PIPES and he couldn't sing to the full extend of his abilities while hindered.)

(All of this applies to the Ghost masks too. Imma dip into Ghost because this remains a Ghost-centric blog. But like, the masks are a huge part of why I write what I write, and why I find the ghouls so hot. The shiny, smooth surface of the masks. The replacement of all the musician's unique features for an ensemble of pre-determined uniform fake features. The lack of individuality. The lack of names. The dehumanization. Some masks show more eyes than others, some masks have more mouth space or show nose more than others, but all the eras still appeals to a degree.)

Option 2: teratophilia Another thing I eroticize a lot is monsters / inhuman monstrous creatures. That would be known as teratophilia, the sexual attraction to monsters, or monsterfucking as it's been popularized online. It can also cross over with exophilia, the sexual attraction to alien or extraterrestrial creatures, for some people. Basically, non-human weird creatures are hot. This is not a new concept at all, look at any historical mythology, people were down to fuck monsters thousands of years ago. It exploded in popularity on the internet within the last decade or so (tho it's been around since the creation of the web), with big movies like The Shape of Water or Marvel's Venom that spawned basically a tsunami of terato online, and the internet was never the same, for the viewing pleasure of us monsterfuckers. (*important note to please Harkness Test all your monsters before moving forward with the monsterfucking. If that test is news to you, please research it first.)

Monstrous, inhuman creatures are hot to me, similarly to masks, because of the removal of the human experience and aspects. Monsters, weirdly enough, are safer than humans. Monsters tend to be direct and instinctual creatures. A monster's level of danger or threat is readily visible and apparant. They may have fangs or claws or be huge or more powerful than a human, that shit tends to be obvious. I can deal with obvious danger. I may even eroticize said obvious danger. A human's level of danger is very difficult to determine. Humans know how to lie, they can manipulate and deceit, they can hide, their form doesn't betray immediate threat like a monster's form does, and so, humans feel unsafe. I'll take a direct, transparent danger over a hidden threat I might never notice any day.

Monsters also tend to not understand or value human concepts. They exist outside of human constructs and that has immense appeal to me. I can't imagine a monster giving much of a fuck about social constructs like gender or the binary; a monster's not gonna assume things about you and force you into boxes based on how you look; a monster's most likely not gonna give a fuck about neurodivergences or about your mental health status, positive or negative; a monster's not gonna give a fuck about physical health or disability. That's the core appeal, for example, of The Shape Of Water and why it made such a big splash in the terato community and converted lots of people over: the human lead character is mute, and a core part of her romance with the amphibian monster in the film is that it loves her for her. It doesn't know she's even disabled, because how would he know that humans talk and "need" a voice to be socially accepted. We shouldn't need a voice, or any other "default" capability to fit in. Everyone should be valued equally, yet in human society we are not, abelism is an unfortunately reality, but in the eyes of a non-human creature, all these social standards are meaningless. Monsters are a door to radical acceptance.

Which, once again, leads me back to Vessel. So, in the lore of the band, and I quote, "Sleep Token are a masked, anonymous collective of musicians united by their worship of an ancient deity crudely dubbed 'Sleep', since no modern tongue can properly express its name. This being once held great power, bestowing ancient civilizations with the gift of dreams, and the curse of nightmares." Now, immediately that makes my brain jump to Lovecraftian horror, the Chtulu mythos, eldritch horror, etc. It conjures images of an immemorial creature with powers far beyond the human brain's conceptualization capabilities, a deity of a thousand eyes and mouths and pure darkness and tentacles, a creature that would corrupt the feeble human mind on first sight and break our psyche to fragments with a blink. This? This is the shit for me. That's my kryptonite. I adore eldritch horror (while being conscious of the extreme ethical and moral problems in the source material, yes I know Lovecraft was a racist piece of shit, I hate it too). Tentacles are deeply, deeply ingrained in my brain and DNA as pure arousal triggers (thank you, random hentai videos from the early 2000s). So like. What more do I need. I'm already in love. Vessel. He's a vessel. He channels this Sleep deity. He receives. He takes in this deity, its unconceivable power. A vessel, the term by itself, the concept by itself, is erotic. A vessel is useless unless filled. It's made to be filled. To receive. To carry. To hold. A vessel can only take. A vessel is always open and ready. A vessel may overflow and make a mess. A vessel is an object. A vessel is intrinsically feminine. So what can Sleep's Vessel do. What power would he hold within, what has he received. With his faceless face and his blackened body, remains of a human, overtaken by a cosmic monster of Sleep and dreams. Made to worship. He dedicates his life to worship. Active worship of ink and voice and energy on stage. Vessel receives and holds. What could be give. Of course I'm gonna think of tentacles and monstrous, unavoidable, mind corrupting sex. It's like, right there. It's in the name. It's in the deep marine biology theme of This Place Will Become Your Tomb. Fall For Me? Please, you give me this visual and this command? I'll fall.

(This also applies to Ghost. The entire "the ghouls are demons" vibe the fandom has given them is in huge part why I'm so attracted to them and write them in erotic scenarios. They are not human. They're demons. They're creatures from hell. I love to play with their lack of understanding of the human form and human social norms in my fics. They don't understand rejection, so they may not reject based on human constructs. They have powers tied to the elements and the void and hell mythology that makes them strong and scary. They have the fangs and claws and horns and devil tails; they can shift their shape and look more demonic with crazy tongues and wings and hands and feet. Nothing about the ghouls is human beyond the general shape of their flesh and that's pure seduction for me.)

Option 3: stage presence Anonymity is a weird beast that radically changes how a person acts and feels. Anonymity allows for a process called disinhibition, where a human's natural behavior inhibitors (eye contact, to read someone's expression, fear of being judged, fear of being seen, fear of getting caught, discomfort with pain, etc.) are diminished or nullified. We all knows disinhibition very well, because we experience it online every day. It's what allows us on tumblr to be thirsty motherfuckers this openly, while we likely wouldn't be as horny on main in person with other people. It's what allows trolls to thrive and cause harm; allows people to send mean asks or comments without feeling bad about it. Through anonymity online, we're allowed to post whatever we want, and not face the consequences of having someone's eyes directly on us, of being observed, of seeing the hurt we may cause on someone's face. If we make someone cry online, we likely will never know and we'll never see the tears, for example, and tears are an evolutionary tool to show emotion and discourage an attacker from causing further harm through a presumed level of empathy. When anonymous, you are invulnerable. Unreachable. You are the ether. You are the void. You are formless. You have no weakness. Nothing can get to you. Anonymity is power. You cannot be judged, for who can prove that it was you. To be anonymous is to be free.

History is chock full of the use of anonymity and masks to justify a change in behavior. Just think back to masquerades or carnivals. Events that often devolved into pure debauchery, because when masked, you could do anything you truly wanted. You could have sex and act wanton, you could drink and overindulge, you could party and be open about who you are inside, because nobody knows it's you, and nobody will know come morning. Masks were a key to freedom, a class eraser, a way for different classes to mingle without consequence. To wear a mask changes how you act. Once protected, once hidden, once safe, a person will act according to their true desires and whims. Masks allow us to be unhinged. And that's what happens on stage with masked performers.

In the mask, Vessel can act as unhinged and inhuman as he wants. He can let music consume him, make him move weirdly, erratically, dance around and contort himself like he does on stage, because it's not him doing it. Whoever is inside the mask (and no, I don't want to know. For now at least.), on stage it's not him. It's Vessel. And Vessel is a conduit for the music and the god. That's why he moves so strangely. Why he's so "creature". He doesn't have to be a human on stage, he's in the mask, in the paint, in the costume, nobody can ever hold anything he does up there against him, nobody knows who he is. The freedom he must feel. That's also why he can feel up on his band mates like he does. He touches them, encircles them, gyrates and grinds against them, appreciates them as you say, because he's not himself, and they're not themselves. This is all fine to do, because it's Vessel and the numbers, it's the characters. He feels his music, and his music is sex. It's so fucking sexy. His voice, the bass, the drones, Sleep Token is incredibly erotically charged music, like music with heavy themes of worship and power and surrender tends to be. Vessel sings lyrics of obsessive love and devotion, of violence, of consumming each other. He feels himself. His bandmates feel themselves. They feel each other. There's so much tension in their stage antics. They sing of sex: "Oh, and my love Did I mistake you for a sign from God Or are you really here to cut me off? Or maybe just to turn me on Cause these days I would be lying if I told you that I didn't wish that I could be your man Or maybe make a good girl bad" Why not act like it.

(I guarantee the anonymity disinhibition is what happens to the Ghost ghouls too. Not that they're anonymous anymore, and they know that, but on stage, in the moment, the disconnect between who they are as a person and who their stage personas are in Ghost is visible to the naked eye. Yes there are tells with how they move, but in Ghost it's like everything is turned up to 11 on the intensity dial. Because they're not *them*, they're the ghouls, so they can have more fun, be more free, more unhinged. They're more silly, they make more jokes, they fuck around with each other more than any of them does in their "real" unmasked bands. The ghoul personas allow them to be a magnified version of themselves, because it's not them, they're behind masks, they can sell the sex more, the tension, they can go theatrical with the jokes, it's characters doing it, not the musicians. I saw Per Eriksson live with Blootbath, I saw him with Ghost. Are there tells it's the same guy? Sure. Did I ever see Per lick his guitar picks and mime jacking off on his audience in Blootbath? No. Would the guy think of doing that shit in his "real" life? I'm sure. Dude's got "Sodomizer" tattooed across his stomach, I bet he goes ham on the sex jokes. But like. Unmasked in person, he's more soft spoken, he's more shy, even on stage, in the absolute blistering agfression of Blootbath's music, covered in fake blood, he still holds back the jokes and the sex. That's allowed for his Ghost character, but not for Per Eriksson the guitarist.)

Option 4: all of the above For me it's the combo. Inhuman masked face + monster undertones + anonymity disinhibition = arousal trigger / fascination for a character.

tl;dr: enjoy Vessel, enjoy the guys appreciating each other, thirst over them, it's all great, as long as you Worship and ideally support them (within your means) with streams or merch or concert tickets if they have earned it in your mind.

[lakesbian]

ok. the alecs. by first to most recent

and the pancake

ahem okay

this is the alec that everyone draws the first time they draw alec. hair not fully curly. vaguely fitting the description of A Little Guy but otherwise nondistinct. 4/10 this is what alec looks like from a distance of 15 feet if you squint

proof of the rule wrt alec that the masks people make up for him when they forget his canon design (literally just a blank white smirking mask) are always accidentally thematically relevant or interesting. wake up puppet boy. curly hair win but the outfit has not been fully faggified yet. 7/10 this sufficiently captures the essence of alec. i shouldve done a five-star rating system i like it better. oh well vibes-based 10 star system it is

these are all already scoring higher than many alecs because they come with the default understanding that he 1. is smalled 2. has curly hair and 3. is gnc so we can get into more specific critique. not actually a skirt wearer but that's my fault for trying to cram him in them anyway. it just will not take he just doesnt like skirts or dresses except for dead princess ghost nightgowns. he doesn't wear the super fancy clothing in public unmasked for a few reasons but, like, that's functionally a nitpick--it's alec looking like alec in clothing alec would, at one point or another, wear. 9/10

haunted doll AND more specific facial features and moles AND gayass clothing. and the mandatory curly hair. 10/10, this is what alec looks like

he's got sleek black riding boots instead of lace-up ones but like. yeah these are all far above the usual bar for attempts at drawing alec. little guy poofy gay outfit etc etc. on a tangential note people Should give him fun fancy mask designs of their choosing but also so many people do that that i kind of wish i could see a few drawings of him with the mask he actually has LMAO. anyway 6/10 i think the inaccurate boots and smiley cute-looking mask shift his energy a little to be slightly peppier than it should be but, like, that is alec.

automatic aishy bonus points and we have a spot-on alec costume w the boots n little tights n poofy shirt + a sassy little pose that emphasizes the alecness. 10/10 thats alec. wait 11/10 you get an aishy bonus point

thats alec. curly hair gay outfit haunted doll who hates being alive stare soft/conventionally pretty facial features etc etc. 10/10

the leftmost one feels a bit more alec overall bc he has thinner lips/a less defined and more littleguy face shape but both of these are alec. 10/10 i wish i had your ability to capture the depression stare he's never aware he has

yeagh thats the little guy. same general 8/10 range as the other ones 👍

this is a jean paul and not alec and its also a Fursona which is, like jean paul, on a different scale than alec. 10/10 jean-paul and fursona though. White boy named pancake would you come to his birthday party. jean-paul is even more frou-frou and baby princey than alec and this is appropriately so. and jean-paul bnuuy is cutesy and fancy like a childrens story beenyrabbit doll whereas alec bnuuy is creepy. so 10/10there also. holding him lovingly

[skycapt4in]

THE SPACEMAN'S WEIRD LITTLE MASK your preprogrammed lore ramble with owen about shit that exists in his own head <3

Given how often Noah's mask comes into play in his writings, I figured I should probably go into more detail about it and explain why it's honestly the one thing, aside from his luck, keeping him alive.. And it's not because it's where Plex lives.

The mask itself is made up of nanites because this is my sci-fi universe and I'll do what I want thank you. The nanites themselves are programmed to take up the basic shape of Noah's mask, with some changes and edits to match the head-shape of different species of people of course, but they all generally have the same silver tone to the metal and rounded lit-up eyes. Oh, and the masks are made up of two implants typically found behind the ears of the wearers. Just in case you didn't know <3

Every Guildsman with a mask has an A.I buddy like Plex, though they're all very different to each other mostly because they need to adapt to their wearer's personality and likes in order to work more efficiantly together. I'll just use Noah's mask and Plex as examples to make life easier going forward. But Plex basically controls the whole mask with some input from Noah's subconscious as both the mask and A.I are connected to Noah's vitals and brain so that both can be monitored and displayed inside the helmet.

The mask can activate when Noah is feeling particularly threatened/scared of something, yes you can even activate it if you give him a fright. It's able to withstand about a tonne of force if you were to attempt to crush it for any reason, though it's easier if you just keep hitting it with less powerful blows frequently. There's also a setting called 'Siege mode' with allows for the mask to buff itself up by taking power from the full body shield, there's a lite version of this setting that Guildsmen commonly use to better target their marks as it's aim and coordination with their guns is typically more accurate.

On top of that, the mask is also a sort of mini life support machine. It won't work in this function for very long and it's a very much last ditch effort because you aren't close enough to a medic to get help right now, deal, but it can break up in this function and send some of the nanites that make it up to momentarily patch up external wounds until help arrives; They also function as oxygen/whatever air you breathe filters and thus the bottom half of the mask never will break away to go do patch up work because then how will you breathe, huh?

Back to the displays, a common complaint with the masks over the years is that looking at all those displays so closely to your eyes, because it's inside the damned mask, was overwhelming as all heck, so the Guild started giving out wrist gauntlets that have a screen to better view the things the mask is showing you. Vitals, messages and maps are usually viewed through that part while the mask's feed is kept mostly clear, say for a few targetting systems and scanning options. Noah has a wrist gauntlet and while he does use it, he broke his to basically have a constant line to Shi'p, so the wrist gauntlet is partially controlled by Shi'p, much to Plex's dismay.

Almost forgot to talk about the goddamned translator.

Okay so, in probably every other Guildsmen the translator works fine. It's not the best on the market, and it might glitch occasionally but it's nowhere near as bad as Noah's has gotten over the years, because it's very common practice to get that part replaced when it starts going. It can translate about 60% of recorded languages in the universe at one time, with the ability to delete languages and upload new ones to understand. The translator implant isn't technically part of the mask as it functions when the mask is stored away, but it is part of the same implant, they're both different machines if that makes any sense? Like a screen and a speaker?

Noah's taken enough hits to that particular part of his skull over the years that he's fried his translator enough that not a day goes by where it doesn't just stop working for a few minutes. He can get it replaced but he's irrationally terrified of being put under by doctors and refuses to get it fixed. Someone please talk to him about it. Or just take him to therapy.

Anyways, a new addition to the mask's lore is that on top of the eyes being able to see in multiple different spectrums, it can shoot lasers. It isn't supposed too, Guildsmen just know how to break tech in order to give it new and interesting functions. Noah broke his mask in the same way and while the laser blasting looks cool and is great for when you're cornered, it drains power significantly and can only be fired around 5-7 times in a 15 minute period before the mask either dies and won't activate until it recharges enough, or before it begins to steal power from the shields which is usually something you don't want to happen if you're in a situation where you need to fire lasers from your eyes.

Aaand I think that's it. Remember kids, if you're going to fight a Guildsman, go for the mask. Helps if you're strong and good with potentially being shot with at with lasers.

[calf-cover]

Hello! Do you think this was all? Oh, no - I came back with the second part of

The Mini-Analysis of the Alchemical Aspect of Alagadda (part 2)

This time we will analyze the second Lord of Alagadda – the Wearer of the Mask of  Diligence - White Lord and their stage. It won't do without headcannons either, and let's start our trip right now! 

But I warn you, this analysis is three times longer than the previous one!

*And you can read the first part, if you miss it*

Want to say that alchemy and its sources are extremely disordered and often contradictory. I tried to make sense of them and organize by virtue of my knowledge and the logic of the ritual. 

But it is a little daunting to read with eyes opening wider and wider three pages about the "Virgin Mary's uterus", so that in the end came to the conclusion that this is purely a reference to a freaking return to the womb of the mother, rebirth and all the other stuff that already WAS IN A BUNCH OF RITUALS AND CULTURES And IT WAS CLEAR FROM the FIRST MENTION!!? And about the rest of the texts, I'm generally silent. As you read the alchemical treatises in the original it becomes clear why there are constant orgies in Alagadda. They just honor the origins, so to speak…

But let's get back to the analysis. Oh, it will be long and very interesting!

The White Lord, Wearer of the Diligence Mask personifies the stage of Albedo. And if Nigredo is a nightmare, Albedo is a waking up after it. In this stage we get purified, liquefied and crystal-clear matter capable of turning any metal into silver, the second most perfect metal after gold.

Spiritually, Albedo is a stage of contemplation and "growing up". This is the ablution from past sufferings and the entry into a new stage – after metaphorical death and rebirth in Nigredo, the rite of initiation comes to an end. The body is dissolved, and the spirit is purified and tangible. "The soul at this stage feeds on milk, like a infant, preparing for grow" says the description of this stage in one of the treatises, and the spiritual meaning here interests us more than the chemical one. It can be assumed that the "milk" here is a new experience, new powers and opportunities that a person receives by passively analyzing and absorbing the world around them.

In our analysis, I want to pay special attention to the fact that Albedo is very similar to the outcome of the initiation rite (rebirth in a new form after "death" in Nigredo), which makes it associated with duty. In all cultures, such rituals were often a "test" of a person's readiness for new responsibilities and a solemn endowment of them.

Hence, perhaps, the status of the Lord – "The Mask of Diligence". That is, given the nature of this stage, it can be assumed that the White Lord has some special powers and a role different from those of the other Lords, possibly related somehow to order and maintaining stability, while the other lords seem more chaotic and prone to destruction. It is also worth noting that this word has far more than one meaning – it means both "assiduity" and "perseverance", "patience", "thoroughness". And surely these qualities are also inherent in our Lord.

The symbols of this stage are the white swan, the moon, Jupiter and silver. The swan is a symbol of the perfection of the spirit, but also a link between water and air, the Moon and Jupiter, which refers to the Chemical Wedding – the end of Albedo, the mixing of two metals, "female" philosophical mercury and "male" philosophical sulfur – volatile and liquid. By the way, it results in a divine hermaphrodite – Rebis, their fusion and child. Therefore, it is likely that the White Lord, as a symbol of this stage and process, are intersex – and given their nature, this is not an ordinary "human" hermaphrodite, namely a mythical Rebis – that is an intersex squared with a fascinating chthonico-cosmic concept of gender. Finally, a character I can fully associate myself with

The moon emphasizes the connection of Albedo with water, as well as with the feminine principle and the fragility of the emerging alchemical compound. The light of the moon is still cold, barely discernible, it is far from the final clarity of Ruberdo. And consciousness is still wandering in the twilight, still tender and alert, but seeing and greedily absorbing everything it can reach.

Jupiter, on the contrary, is already an established, strong union – it is the reins of order, luck and confidence, and the patron saint of science, philosophy and law. It symbolizes immense knowledge, and the opportunity to touch them, expand the boundaries and know things that seemed forbidden and unknowable. Venus also has some influence at the end of the stage, but most of the time the process takes place under the auspices of the Moon and Jupiter. Venus, on the other hand, accompanies Albedo to the next stage, which we will talk about another time.

Silver is traditionally a magical, healing metal, second only to gold. It is a symbol of the majesty of purity, clarity, as well as strength and perseverance, because it withstands the effects of many aggressive mediums. It is a symbol of the feminine principle and the moon, providence and purification from the impurities of the soul.

Having gathered together all the information received, we can present an approximate portrait of this mysterious Lord. It is a powerful entity that most likely orders and balances the wild, unbridled nature of Alagadda and other Lords. And here I want to note an important point. As we remember, Albedo has a special connection with liquids – more than any other stages. And apparently, it is with liquids – the four humors of the body, the dissolutions necessary for transformations that Alagadda is extremely firmly connected. It would not be surprising if it was the White Lord who would act as such a link.

As for the character – apparently it will be restrained being, that immersed in secret knowledge and constantly analyzing and ordering everything. However, they will be endowed with strength and stubbornness, steadfastness, under the onslaught of which anyone will kneel.

As for appearance, the Albedo stage in alchemy is often depicted as a woman with a pale face in white dress and a crown. So most likely it will be a monstrous Snow Queen, cold as a cosmic abyss, deceptively fragile and infinitely mysterious. Truly worthy to carry the status of the purest divine unknowable Rebis, from the mere presence of who space itself freezes.

Well, now let's move on to my cross between a reclusive theorist, Dr. Frankenstein and my goofy ahh technician grandpa (who almost sawed off my fingers along with a piece of iron), a being more like a monumental iceberg than a thin ice queen, possessing the emotional range of a dried acorn.

I love my White Lord. I love their dissimilarity, I like their manners and character, which is reflected in their appearance, and the fact of their extremely perverted and at first glance not manifested sense of humor despite complete external and internal coldness. And there is still some irony in their "true" appearance in comparison with traditional images.

However, it is probably an omission that they were originally made without delving into alchemical symbolism - despite all the similarity of the final results. Instead, a strong emphasis was placed on their connection with fluids and lymph – humour, responsible for the brain and "hydration". Also, because of the translation in my native language, they were literally called "The Lord of Perseverance", so in the end there was more stubbornness than decency in them.

In my text to their tarot fan art, I mentioned that their body size is not increased because of fat at all. And I think it's worth revealing this fact so as not to torment the audience with guesses. Their tissues are saturated with lymph.

The lymph acts as a layer between their skin and muscles, the lymph protects and nourishes the mighty flesh around the gold-yellow bones, the lymph binds deceptively human insides and flows through the veins, binding any poisons and cooling burns before they have time to do any harm. The White Lord can literally absorb almost any damage and calmly continue moving, and this with their vulnerable humanoid form! And they are really needs that...

The White Lord is looking for answers to many questions. Why do Lords look so much more like people than ordinary peasants? How does the complex system of Alagadda work? Where are the limits of their fluid management abilities?.. They are an obscenely broad profile scientist, deeply studying, among other things, the nature of Alagadda, which remains a mystery even for the Lords. For this, they often get comeuppance from the Ambassador, then from Alagadda itself, accidentally getting into its dangerous processes, then from the offspring of their experiments, but after that they just shake themselves off and continue working. The fact that the Lord is orderly and follows certain rules does not mean that these will be the rules of the local government…

But in addition to personal research, the White Lord works to order, whether it's creating new drinks, alloys and fancy tools, or extracting a narcotic slug from places where it clearly shouldn't be. Of course, not for free. All the Lords are forced to seek their assistance one way or another.

They like everything to be orderly, studied and in its place, and at meetings they often act as a conciliatory party, restraining the ardent temper of their brethren. After all, they are is the only one who can tolerate the Black Lord, and often softens his violent nature.

They are infinitely calm, persistent and logical, but at the cost of their own feelings. They get no pleasure from anything other than mental work, have almost no attachments and do not feel the slightest regret when they see suffering as well as gratitude in return for kindness. If the Black Lord is an emotional being and perfectly aware of what pain and rid of it is, the Yellow Lord experiences a range of complex emotions and the most subtle and diverse variations of hatred, and the Red Lord deliberately ignores the feelings of others, putting his delight above the someone’s sufferings, then the White Lord, even with telepathy, is not able to fully understand what others are experiencing.

Usually they regard people as things – either neutral, or interfering, or giving an opportunity to extract something. And probably, including on this basis, they got together with the Black Lord. But you know, two evil geniuses in the same city sounds like an extremely explosive mix…

[league-of-sam]

Catching A Ghost | Simon 'GHOST' Riley

Ghost x Reader

CHAPTER THREE

Simon 'GHOST' Riley x AFAB!Reader!OC 18+ MINORS DNI! t.w // angst, mental health, language, violence, death, sexual themes/SMUT, military inaccuracies, language inaccuracies (google translate).

Catching A Ghost: Masterlist

Over the next few days, you spent time getting to know your team.

You learnt that Alejandro was the leader of Los Vaqueros, and Rudy was his second in command. They'd known each other for decades, and had one of the best relationships you'd ever witnessed. 

Soap had been hand-picked by your brother for the 141, having known both him and Ghost for several years also. He made the most effort to spend time with you, telling you all about his home life and his interests.

He was the youngest of four, with three sisters. His mother and father were still happily together, but he'd joined the military after not feeling like he fit in with his family. Your heart lurched for him, finding yourself placing a comforting hand on his thigh as he spoke to you. 

That's when he'd stared at you, an odd grin on his face.

"What?"

"Yer just bonnie, lieutenant." he said, smiling cheekily.

You scoffed, rolling your eyes, "you're going to be trouble, aren't you, sergeant?"

"Maybe."

You knew Gaz and Alex fondly, so there was only one person left to get to know; 

Ghost.

He...was something else. 

He seemed to avoid you where he could, unless it was to ridicule your tactics or skill in training. 

The boys had you doing all sorts to gauge your abilities. First, they had you sparring in the ring, something you weren't keen on, and expressed as much. But who were you to defy direct orders from your Captain? None of them got in the ring with you, happy enough to watch you flatten some of the more eager Los Vaqueros soldiers that volunteered.

Next, your signature knife throwing. Possibly the only thing you did that earned you a slight compliment from the mask-wearer.

They'd set up several targets for you, and had you do multiple routines to show off your skill and accuracy. 

Every slam signalled a perfect bullseye.

"Fuckin' hell," Soap breathed, "She might even be better than you, L.T."

Soap nudged Ghost, earning a frustrated grunt.

"Yeah right." Ghost rolled his eyes.

You'd turned, smiling widely at your triumph as Price clapped you proudly on the back. You'd not heard Ghost's blatant criticism of you, but you had caught Alex's glare.

"Passed your tests yet, boys?" you quipped.

"You are very impressive, carino." Alejandro said, coming over to you and helping you collect your knives.

"Thank you, Alejandro."

"Please, call me Ale."

You smiled sweetly, before excusing yourself, leaving the men in the training area alone.

They murmured amongst themselves, all of them completely impressed by you, well...all of them except Ghost.

He just found your constant presence annoying, and then the fact that his own fucking team thought you were better than him? Absolutely not.

He was the lieutenant of this force, he was second in command. He was fucking Ghost. And having to adjust to someone of the same rank was not something he thought he'd ever have to do.

You'd made it clear you wouldn't be taking orders from him, too.

Every morning without fail, you'd been in his way. Every morning without fail, you did not recognise his presence. It grated on him, and the fact you gave him attitude every time he brought up your lack of skill only fuelled his fire more.

"Fuckin' hell, Reaper. It's like you're getting worse!" You groaned, turning to him, "Good morning to you too, Ghost. And for the last time, it's (Y/N)." "Ya actually startin' to piss me off." "Oh my god, have a day off!" "Want you in training early tomorrow, ya need to scrub up on those observing skills of yours." he muttered, pushing past you. You laughed, turning to continue plating up breakfast, "yeah, not fucking happening, hombre." "Excuse me?" "I'm not one of your sergeants, we're the same rank, sweetie. Can't make me do shit." you finished, a sweet smile on your face.

The two of you butting heads was not going unnoticed by the team, a lot of them groaning as they overheard the two of you argue every morning.

Barely any words were shared when you argued.

Mostly, it was brooding scowls thrown across the room, filling the air with tension.

You tried to resolve it, truly. You brought his breakfast to him every morning, offered to help him with training...but he didn't want to know.

And it stressed you the fuck out.

So much so, your nightmares had started again.

Your anxiety riddled your body to the point you were closing in on yourself, and sleeping through the night became a difficult task. Night after night, you found yourself sitting in the living room or at the kitchen island, fingers clung around a cup of tea, nose buried in a book.

Ghost had joined you once, his own book in his gloved hands. He'd slinked through the darkness, barely making a sound as he sat down opposite you.

He hadn't said a word to you, as if he knew why you were there. It only made the heat of your blush crawl further up your neck, and you sink further into the armchair you were huddled in.

Little did you know, he did.

He heard your sobs from your room, he'd shot up from his own the second he heard you stumble from your bed, grabbing his weapon. Opening his door the smallest crack, he watched as you ran silently to the bathroom, washing your face, before emerging again and descending the stairs.

When you hadn't returned twenty minutes later, he found himself confused as the concern raised in his chest.

Grabbing his own book, like he usually did at this time, he crept down the stairs, standing in the shadows to observe you.

He found you crying quietly, lips floating above your mug. The way your eyes fought to stay open, rapidly scanning the room, he knew exactly what had happened.

Since you'd arrived, he'd heard the whimpers from your room, and this...it just confirmed his thoughts. You were suffering with nightmares, and they were getting worse.

In silence, the two of you read, the only acknowledgement of the other being the stolen glances over the edges of the pages. You stayed like this, all the way until Price emerged, a raised eyebrow at the fact that you and Ghost were in the same room and not murdering each other.

But you welcomed it.

His silent presence gave you a sense of comfort, and seemingly, he felt it too.

Because after that, he didn't seem to try to hard to ridicule you. He didn't seem to bite at your attempts to wind him up. He even started giving you pointers of improvement in training, rather than just telling you that you were useless.

That didn't go unnoticed either.

"So, uh, are we gonna talk about how the L.T. has like...completely switched up on (Y/N)?" Soap said, approaching Rudy and Alex at the kitchen area.

Their eyes shifted to you.

You were with Alejandro, him timing how fast you were at taking apart and putting back together various weapons. You had a smile on your face as you spoke to the older man, the two of you in what seemed to be a very animated conversation, given the way your hands moved as you talked.

Across the room, was Ghost. Stood next to Price, but not paying a single ounce of attention to him. No, his eyes were on you. 

"I'll take whatever that is over them constantly arguing." Alex said, mouth full of his sandwich.

"They still argue." Rudy said.

"Yeah," Alex shrugged, "but not nearly as much as they have been. As long as it takes the pressure off her then I don't care."

"Pressure?" Soap questioned.

"She's not been a lieutenant for long, and...I just, I think there's something going on with her. She's not as bright as she used to be."

Soap looked confused, but ultimately set his eyes back on you, "Do ya know who she was engaged to?"

"C'mon man!" Alex responded, giving the Scot a hard thump, "is that all you think about?"

Soap shrugged, an amused smirk falling on his lips.

"I'm not telling you."

"What? She your girl and you just don't wanna say?"

Alex almost threw up at the suggestion. Sure, you were beyond beautiful, and you had the sweetest heart he'd ever known. But god, he could never think of you like that.

"Wha- ew! No, dude, she's like my fuckin' sister."

Gaz had joined the conversation now, finding the debate over your love life rather amusing, "there you go, Soap, I reckon you shoot your shot."

"Ya know what, Gaz? I think you're right."

"Get in there before Ghost does."

At that, the four men burst into laughter, tears immediately streaming.

You and Ghost.

Ghost and you.

Ghost and any woman.

Even the idea was completely, and utterly, hilarious to them.

You and Alejandro shared a look, before rising from your chairs, making your way over to the laughing men.

"What's so funny?" you asked, eyebrow raised.

"N-nothin', angel." Alex said, wiping his eyes, "nothing at all."

"Well, if nothin's funny, then you won't mind getting on with your training, would you?" a gruff voice came from behind.

The noises ceased, silence filling the room.

Ghost loomed behind, arms crossed tight over his chest, and eyes hard.

"Aye, L.T."

"Yes, sir."

"Affirm, sir."

The boys uttered out their responses, scurrying off to their respective stations and immediately starting on their training.

"Same goes for you, Reaper."

"Thought I told you already, I don't take orders from you, Ghost." you said, smirking.

With your chin held high, you walked in the opposite direction of your station, opting to sit at the mission table, feet propped up and leant back in your chair. Looking back at him, you threw him one more sweet smile, before picking up your knife, and beginning to clean it.

He felt himself going to retort, but stopped. He was letting you get under his skin...god knows why. 

But he was gonna put a stop to that mouth of yours.

Grumbling, he walked in the opposite direction, leaving you staring after him with a satisfied grin.

"You wanna stop winding up my lieutenant?" Price's voice came from behind you.

"I will when he stops treating me like I'm not worth his time." you shrugged.

Sighing, Price pulled a chair next to you, plopping down on it, "you're just new, love. He'll get used to ya in no time."

"But I'm not a rookie, John. I'm an L.T."

"Yeah, I know," he rubbed his brow, "I'll talk to 'im."

You shrugged, not really sure on how you were feeling. Sure, you wished Ghost was nicer to you, but maybe that was just him.

"What's up with you, anyway, big brother?" you spoke, changing the subject.

He smiled, throwing an arm around your shoulder, "not a lot, just glad you're here. Missed you, kid."

"I missed you too, so much."

"So, when are you gonna tell me what's gone on?"

"What do you mean?"

He frowned at you, giving you the classic 'don't play dumb with me' look.

You rolled your eyes, a groan leaving your lips.

"You know damned well what I mean, (Y/N). You were about to get married, and now you're not even together?"

"Please don't make me talk about it, not yet."

You pulled away from his grip, trying to stand up to walk away. He pulled on your sleeve, making you stumble. The small clatter it made caused the others to look over, their attention now on you.

"John, no. I'm fine, I...I'm just not ready to talk about it." you whispered.

"Promise me you'll come to me when you are? You're keepin' something from me and I hate it. It's not you."

"I barely know who I am anymore."

His expression saddened, and you mirrored the expression back, before offering him a small smile as you pulled from his grip, leaving the room with your eyes on the ground.

Price's head fell into his hands briefly, worry clouding his mind.

Something was going on with you, and your unwillingness to share your troubles was only causing him more heartache.

[weaselle]

i work alone outside, so, it's basically just if i go into a restaurant or store. About half the stores are requiring masks still, but often in a post a sign but don't enforce it kind of way

there's a very high test and vaccine rate/availability in my county in N. California, and people are pretty good at self isolating when sick, which is helping keep rates low, but a lot of people aren't wearing masks much.

People in the town i work are pretty well off and seem to think they are mostly too good to be inconvenienced by masks, and in the town i live there's a strong pickup truck freedom-first contingent that tends toward maskless public appearances -- in both towns you'll likely see more masks in grocery stores than other places, which i have theories about, but idk.

Masks protect the people around, not the wearer, so if i'm in a store full of people not wearing masks, there's not much point in me wearing one, everyone in there is already rolling the dice

So what i do is, when i go in somewhere, if the employees are wearing masks, i wear a mask. That either means the employees want masks, or they have to wear masks, and either way i'm with them.

Similarly, i'll wear a mask if a significant number of other people have masks, or if there are, like, a lot of older people around. And of course anyplace that has, y'know, if you're in a pharmacy or clinic or nursing home or anything that could be considered a medical setting there's more enforcement and people tend to assume they need to mask and i will always wear one in those environments.

And then additionally i stay six to ten feet from people as much as i can, everybody is still doing close to a six foot distance thing a lot, especially for register lines.

Like, i go to a bakery and it's got a very small indoor space in front of the counter, and before the pandemic i'm sure you would easily have seen like six to eight people in there waiting to order and pay, but now it's pretty common for people to line up on the sidewalk outside if there's already two people in there, and there's no rule for that there, people are just doing it.

But as far as wearing a mask goes, i do it if the employees are doing it or if a bunch of the public around me is doing it; like, idk about a third, if 30% of the people are wearing a mask, i'm wearing a mask.

Oh! and the very rare occasion i do something like go to a bar or a party or something where i'm spending significant time in a more crowded environment, then i'll mask anytime i'm inside with people for the next week or so, because i consider myself to personally be higher risk for other people during that time, when i've had more possible exposure and might be carrying the rona (or even just influenza etc) without symptoms.

But most of the time I only see five people face to face, and 2 of them are eighty years old (one with cancer) and 2 of them work from home and are careful about their own exposure (because it's my sister and her husband and they care about the fact that my mom has cancer) and the last one is my boss who also works alone outside (so i only actually talk face to face with her about ten minutes a day) and that's everybody i actually spend any time with in a given month, so the bubble is pretty small and tight, and I'm usually very low risk as a vector.

If i leave the bubble or become more social, i'll probably mask a lot more

you can say what area you live in as well/if masks are still required where you are if youd like too! and no judgement on the results/dont be afraid to pick a certain answer, im genuinely just curious to see how much ppl are still masking at least here on tumblr?

[themovieblogonline]

Top 10 Movies To Watch If You Loved “Terrifier 3”

A mysterious gruesome killer, psychologically disturbing plot twists, and stunningly horrifying slasher details. Oh yes, we’re talking about the very own box office crown-wearer, Terrifier 3. With a trail of similar gory prequels, this one appealed to its audience with all the necessary chill for the Halloween season. Why end the fun right there? Here are 10 more movies to watch if you enjoyed watching Terrifier 3.   - IT and IT (Chapter 2)  Pennywise, just like our sweet serial blood-thirsty Art, sets the bone-chilling atmosphere in both It movies. The vicious clown who feeds on the fears of children returns every 27 years to haunt the small town. If the overall theme isn’t convincing enough, just trust a Stephan King narrative and take that fearful trail to another level.   - Friday the 13th One of the defining films in the slasher genre. Friday the 13th movies are perfect to watch if you’re into the slasher genre at all. Jason, the notorious serial killer is out there hunting down locals that reside in the murky Camp Crystal Lake. It is the classic murderer who may have somehow inspired Art. Henceforth, this one should be unskippable in your watchlist.   - House of 1000 Corpses The lore of unhinged obsession is topped with dark humor and horror. You will be taken aback by the firefly family just like a group of unfortunate strangers who end up at their doorstep at an unlucky hour.   - The Prowler Just because it has been decades, doesn’t mean the dance is over! The Prowler unfolds the story of a psychotic serial killer, seeking vengeance. Unexpected turns and meticulous crime executions will instill the necessary fear.   - SAW Movies This list of delirious blood monsters is just getting better. If you’re into horror at all, then SAW movies need no introduction. Kidnapped and forced to survive, the plots of these movies will not disappoint. And yes, the lunatic wears the iconic clown mask as well!   - Hell Fest A Halloween party/scary event gone wrong? That’s your feast right there! When the theme gets a little more serious than it should be, the protagonists discover the true horrors that await them.    - Maniac Plunging into the psychotic mind of a serial killer, Elijah Woods impresses the audience with his stellar performance. The tension, identity crisis, and traumatic events make Maniac a delightful horror.   - Halloween Kills A haunting town setting laced with slasher thrill. The franchise’s first movie is all about your creepy neighborhood advocating community resilience. An underrated gem in the world of horror.   - Wrong Turn Horror just got elevated in the thrilling and gruesome Wrong Turn. Experience how a group of friends falls prey to the cannibalistic family. Everything about this movie is goosebumps-inducing.   - The Burning How can we wrap this list without mentioning a disfigured caretaker seeking vengeance? The Burning is a perfect watch if you’re into survival movies that involve everything uncanny. The dark details do justice to the genre, making it a must-watch.   Gray clouds are taking over the sky and we’re entering the winter mist. So start your horror watchlist and make the most of this spooky season.   Happy Watching! Read the full article

[reverend-dog]

Meeting the Folks

The front door slammed shut behind Jerry, shoved by Sasha next to him. Jerry barely registered the noise. He felt paralyzed, his eyes refused to look away from the sight before him.

“Oh, my god!” Sasha cried indignantly. “Mom, Dad! You knew I was bringing Jerry over tonight! What the hell are you thinking?”

Mom and Dad stared back in credible imitation of deer in headlights, their poleaxed expressions in stark contrast to the vibrant assurance of their clothing. Mom wore red and orange with gold accents in a flame motif, while Dad’s outfit featured rings of dark blue, light blue, and silver. Both suits hugged their wearers like a second skin, and in public would be complemented with masks that left only the bottom half of their faces exposed.

“Baby!” Mom blurted, and offered a grin thrown off-balance by surprise. “We didn’t plan this!”

“Right!” Dad confirmed, and tugged on the seam of his suit as if stripping down could repair the damage. “Uncle Adam and Aunt Carrie were running late --”

“Dale!” Mom scolded. “Codenames!”

Jerry turned to Sasha, eyes wide. “Your parents,” he took care to enunciate his words, “are Strobe and Hotshot? Of Equinox?”

Sasha nodded, weak smile beneath eyes full of tears. “But don’t believe all the news!” she pleaded. “A lot of stuff they get blamed for, they didn’t do! Or it wasn’t their fault!”

Jerry’s eyes swung from Sasha to her parents to the door, as if calculating his chances of escape. “I’m not gonna get mindwiped, am I?” he voiced his dread. “Or… vanished?”

“No!” Sasha scoffed, and glanced to her parents for affirmation. They both nodded vigorously. “Even if they had that ability, they’d never! Especially not – not to you!”

“How abut this?” Mom suggested, her voice full of sweet reason. “You two go sit down in the den, maybe get some soda from the bar. We’ll go finish changing, and we can talk this all out.” She offered an incandescent smile. “How does that sound?”

Sasha grabbed Jerry’s arm. “That’s a good idea!” she cried. “Come on, Jerry! You drink ginger ale, right?”

Jerry let Sasha drag him sideways through a doorway, into a cathedral-ceilinged room with elegant wood and stone décor. “Here,” she invited, and released Jerry’s arm with a gentle, well-intentioned shove that made him land on the sofa. She pranced across the room to a bar that stretched along one wall, and came back with two cans, which she opened with a practiced flick of her thumbs.

Struggling to catch up, Jerry accepted the can but stared down into the hole in the top, as if in anticipation of something springing up to latch onto his face. Sasha placed herself next to him, her thigh a mild heat against his. “I’m sorry it came out like this,” she offered, face serious.

Jerry looked at her, and even in this situation felt struck by her beauty. He knew he was strictly average, physically and scholastically, and had wondered how he had scored a girlfriend like Sasha. With an effort, he brought himself back to her statement. “How did you mean for it to come out?” he wondered, fighting to keep his own tone level.

Sasha grinned an awkward grin and shrugged. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I didn’t really think that far ahead. I guess I was kind of waiting to see how serious we were going to get.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Jerry allowed with a nod. “So,” again he struggled to sound casual, “do you have – I mean, can you --”

“Do stuff?” Sasha finished, and nodded. She held up one hand, fingers spread, and looked at it intently. Sparkles danced between her fingers, grew thicker and thicker, and erupted into a fountain of light. “It doesn’t really do anything yet,” Sasha assured him. “Mom and Dad say it’ll get stronger as I get older. And no,” she turned on him with a stern look, “I’m not part of the business. They’re adamant that I make up my own mind about that, and only after I graduate.”

Jerry nodded. “Reasonable.”

Mom and Dad appeared, looking so normal that Jerry almost persuaded himself he had imagined the earlier scene. Mom crossed to the bar. “The usual, honeybunch?” she asked.

Dad settled himself in one of a pair of recliners. “Thanks, lovebug,” he returned, then regarded Jerry. “So, Jerry,” he opened, then chuckled. “I was about to make the usual small talk. But we’re a bit past that, aren’t we?” He nodded in agreement with his own question. “First, I promise you’re in no danger. Our work does take us into some shady places, and we sometimes have to deal with unpleasant people, but!” He stuck a finger in the air, and a tiny flash popped from its tip. “We never take from anybody who can’t spare it, and we use only as much force as we need to make sure we get home at the end of the day.”

“Dale’s telling nothing but the truth, Jerry,” Mom chimed in as she emerged from behind the bar. She handed Dale a tall tumbler filled with what looked like iced tea, and perched in the other recliner, a shorter glass in her hand with clear liquid and an olive. “The lies those people spread!” She shuddered, and sipped her martini. “It took a lot of to convince Sasha they’re just making us look bad to cover their own sins, and believe me, they do sin!”

Jerry took a gulp from his ginger ale, but his throat was so dry he nearly gagged. “So,” he started, and cleared his throat, “so what happens now? Are you just going to let me go? Aren’t you worried I might tell somebody?”

Mom and Dale exchanged knowing smiles, and from the edge of his vision Jerry saw Sasha’s smile flash. He had to wonder, did it really flash?

“Go ahead,” Dale invited. “Go to the police. Hell, EAGLE has an anonymous tip line, call them!” He drew from his tumbler, and smacked his lips. “Want to know why we’re not worried?”

“Dale,” Mom warned.

“Don’t worry, Paige,” he reassured her with a pat on the knee. “It’s safer, Jerry, if you just take us at our word when I tell you that there’s nothing you can do that poses a threat to us.” He smiled, and Jerry felt certain extra light came from his teeth. “Besides, you and Sasha are so good together. You should hear the way she talks about you!”

“Dad!” Sasha scolded, cheeks red.

“Don’t tease, Dale,” Paige admonished, but made her own jab. “But I have to agree, you two do make a cute couple.” She launched from her chair. “So, let’s have dinner! I ordered Thai!”

“Great!” Dale exclaimed, and stood with equal enthusiasm. “I’m starved!”

[daresplaining]

#very good post op though i wanted to note something as someone who's visually impaired#i'm doing it in the tags though i don't want to make this the Point of the post#a lot of us blind vi lowvis folks are encouraged to wear tinted at best opaque/reflective at worst glasses#not just because of possible disfigurement (which funnily enough no one talks about ever they're just like Oh It's Weird and Unpleasant)#(as if that's a normal thing to say about anyone's body)#but because people find unsettling both the lack of eye contact + the wandering eye contact + the accurate eye contact + ANY eye contact#from someone they think cannot see them in whatever way they think we can't see them#ultimately it grows into a mask both for the wearer and the sighted people#a comfortable distance between the things we believe to be true about the world and the actual reality of them#i think matt uses this distance for his benefit -- as someone who is known to use external perceptions of him to his advantage#but also as someone who has trouble reconciling the parts of himself he views as flaws as well as his virtues#he cannot fuck up or he can do no wrong but it's always filtered through a lens of alienation#his body is not his and his actions are not his (from @binomech)

Hi, the question about MCU Matt’s sunglasses reminded me of something I’ve wondered about occasionally: is there an in universe reason for why comics Matt wears sunglasses?

In-universe, this topic has never been explored in-depth, though there are many hints and it is easy to speculate. (The out-of-universe reasoning, of course, is that dark glasses are a common shorthand for indicating that a character is blind, even though many visually impaired people in real life don't wear them. Often, those who do do so because their eyes are sensitive to light.)

In Daredevil volume 4 #14, when Matt fully embraces his public identity and also decides to stop wearing his glasses, he indirectly refers to them as a mask.

Matt: "I disguise myself mostly out of force of habit, Wendell. And now that you mention it...I'm tired of masks." Daredevil vol. 4 #14 by Mark Waid, Chris Samnee, Matthew Wilson, and Joe Caramagna

This suggests that he uses them to shield a part of himself. Just as his Daredevil mask hides his identity, his dark glasses hide something that he doesn't necessarily want other people to see. The intensity of the accident that took his sight would suggest that his eyes would look quite damaged, and most Daredevil artists at least provide an indication of cataracts. Hiding his eyes could be a decision based in self-consciousness-- that Matt thinks the sight of them will make people uncomfortable. It could also be a part of trying to assert control in his life by being very intentional about how the rest of the world sees him. As a lawyer, visual presentation is important, and Matt is very good at putting up a front; he wears nice suits, he is clean-shaven, and his hair is neat. And he wears dark glasses so juries and clients can't see a messier, more "flawed" (if you will) part of himself. Matt is also someone who lives immersed in half-truths and has been hiding parts of himself his entire life. He isn't someone naturally inclined to bare his whole self to the world at any given time, and in that context, using the "mask" of dark glasses to hide a very vulnerable part of himself feels like a very natural strand within that web of secret-keeping.

My feeling is that it's a little bit of all of this.

[gekkoukanstrega]

EARLY ACCESS SNIPPET - The Summer Festival (P3:HEX)

Post's Word Count: 2408 (The actual Chapter in my doc has 13668 words, which will be posted in a couple days on my Ao3)

Summary: The cast are going to the Summer Festival at the shrine. Enjoying their summer night hanging out with their friends, a couple of surprises turned up for the better.

As soon as the sun begins to set, the time for the festival arises. The luminous lights from the lanterns brightens the nightly atmosphere as the crowds gather to enjoy the special occasion with their friends and loved ones. The shrine isn’t overly crowded, thankfully enough, even as the people chatter and make the place appear louder than usual for a small place. Decorations are hung up all around the Naganaki Shrine as well, with bright colors of fabrics and masks giving a nice touch to the festivities. With the public enjoying their time playing games and snacking on the delights for sale, it's about time for the high schoolers to arrive at the scene.

All the girls go out in their own unique yet colorful yukatas, while the guys that arrive stick with their casual clothing comfortable for the warm weather. That is, with the exception of Takaya— who chose to wear a lined violet-colored yukata with a yellow obi belt at the waistline. He even holds a black and yellow patterned fan up while he waits for the rest of the students to arrive. Ikutsuki happened to show up with a yukata of his own, being brown and beige colored with a dark gray obi. Both of the yukata wearers tied their hair up as well, with the Chairman in particular having it in a half up man bun.

The rest of the group finally arrive at the occasion, Aigis and Ken getting there at the last minute, gathering up with the others in a small huddle as some of the guys take a chance to witness the young women in their yukatas. Chidori’s is mostly silver and white with red-colored floral designs overlapping the inklike branch designs, with an ebony-colored obi wrapped around her waist to break up the light contrast. She also decided to put her hair in a large bun as well as having some makeup and eyeliner on to show off more of her beauty. Of course Junpei should be more mindful than staring right at her in a faze, based on his experiences with the brothers always glaring at him whenever he does so. Yukari then approaches next, wearing a pink and white checker patterned yukata with miniature flower designs on occasional areas of the fabric, and a yellow obi wrapped around her. Meanwhile Fuuka wears a bright blue yukata with simple sunflower designs and a red obi, and Mitsuru is a more elegant white yukata containing simple plant patterns while wearing a dark green obi. Aigis then shows up with a dark blue yukata with white flower designs throughout the fabric, wearing a bright red obi around her waist.

“Hey hey hey, looking good everyone! Now we can finally get this festival started!” Junpei becomes the first to announce with such excitement, glancing at all the girls gathered together before staring at one girl in particular at the end. His eyes widened with awe. “Oh wow, Chidori— you look really nice in black and white.” The man knows better than to make any sort of comment that can make her uncomfortable, being as admirable as he can be with his choice of words.

The girl then simply hums and looks down at her clothes. “Oh, you mean this dull thing?”

“Yeah, you look fantastic!” Yukari compliments the redhead’s wear as well. “It looks really good on you.”

The blonde android then hums in admiration. “How fascinating— the yukatas we all chose to wear are all different from one another. Assuming there’s hundreds if not thousands of uniquely designed materials to choose from,” Aigis states this with a curious tone, already learning so much about the cultural wear. “This kind of decorative attire is meant to be worn by men and women alike. Speaking of… Makoto-san, Junpei-san— why aren’t you two wearing your own?” The android girl turns to look at the two in question. With the corner of her eye she also spotted two other young men in their casual clothes as well. “As a matter of fact, I also realized both Sanada-san and Shirato-san did not put one on either. Isn’t this to be in the spirits of the festival?”

Ikutsuki gives a chuckle at that, given the fact the Chairman himself also noticed the oddity as well, but not so much bothered by it. “You could say that, yes. While it is part of cultural appropriation, it is not obligatory by any means, so not everyone is required to put one on.”

This only has Aigis become more puzzled. “Then why would one even come to the festival without wearing the decorative attire in the first place? I do not understand.”

Akihiko then calmly decides to give his two cents on it, not to say it’s even a correct answer to begin with. “I’d say don’t overthink it too much. Some of us are just here for a good time without getting all nice and fancy.”

“Heh, you sure took the words outta my mouth Sanada-senpai.” Junpei then rubs the back of his head with a wide grin, given he was going to throw some lame excuse in instead.

“Tch, says the one who wears a baseball cap all the time, every time. Seriously, do you ever take that off?” Yukari however gives some sass to the young guy as she lays one hand on her waist with an attitude.

“H-Hey, gimme some slack, will ya…?” He resents that, no surprise there, and kindly ignores her remark as he then glances over to Takaya as the man fans himself with a proper fashion. Junpei then takes a moment to comment, “By the way, you look a little too natural in a yukata.”

Takaya of course takes the compliment in stride, smiling over to the young uncultured man. “Hmph. Why thank you. Doesn't take much at all to look this stunning, if I do say so myself.”

Jin rolls his eyes with a snarky response. “I think the word you're looking for is ‘snobbish’.”

“Excuse you?” That earned Jin a glare from the eldest brother, his voice lowering to a hiss. “You shall regret those words, brother.”

Chidori then makes a disapproving huff, not feeling like dealing with her argumentative brothers first thing when coming to the festival. She then looks over at the bright colored stands and the decorative folks towards that general direction. “Well I don't know about you, but I'm willing to try out some of the food now. If anyone would like to accompany me, well, feel free I suppose.” 

“Oh, you kiddin’?” Junpei then takes the chance and moves right over to join her on their stroll. “I’m all here for the munchies! Which one do you wanna try first? We could start with the takoyakis, the mochis. Oh oh oh, have you ever tried the geppeis? I mean— I suppose everyone has, but—”

“Now hold on just a moment,” Ikutsuki comes in to stop them before they go and take off. While Chidori goes to make a sigh in mere annoyance, the two turn to look at the Chairman to hear him out. Ikutsuki makes sure they’re looking at him first before mentioning, “If there’s one thing to try first— I recommend the karaage. They make it with the finest ingredients, it’s completely im-peck-able!”

Few of the team members just shake their heads and groan at the pun joke, wanting to pretend they didn’t hear that. Meanwhile the Chairman shamelessly grins at it. “Aw come ooonn— that was good, wasn’t it? Anyways, you go and have fun now. Don’t eat too much, you hear?”

Mitsuru then adds in. “And do recommend keeping your phones on you, just in case.”

The students respond with some mumbles and a few ‘yeahs’ before the first two take off in one direction, as Kotone asks to join up with Akihiko and Ken before they go their way. With the rest still in their group circle, one random person coming from the entrance suddenly comes up to one of the students in the group, particularly at Jin, and pulls him closer before giving a proper hello to everyone else.

“Heyy, looks like you’re all here!”

Jin then smiles over to the person, being Izumi, while kindly pulling away for the sake of maintaining his balance. “Well look who finally showed up. Takaya and I were just wondering where you might’ve gotten lost.”

“Ha, very funny,” Izumi smiles through the joke as well, as he doesn’t take offense one bit from his friends who like to tease him all the time. He wears a simple two-toned gray jinbei which consists of a loose top and shorts. Right behind him is a little girl, not even four feet tall, who is wearing a cute pink-and-red yukata with a yellow obi wrapped around at the waist. Some of the female students notice the smaller figure immediately.

“Oh hey there. Who’s this?” Yukari asks with a gentle surprise in tone, seeing that she hasn’t seen the little one before.

Izumi smiles fondly and goes to introduce her to the rest of the group. “This one’s my little sis, Saya. She loves going to these festivals, but can be a little shy of people. Come one Saya, don’t you wanna say hi…?”

The girl only hid away out of clear bashfulness, trying to be out of sight by hiding behind Izumi’s legs. The girls only made an ‘aww’ with adoration.

Fuuka made a small giggle, seeing how endearing the girl is. “Heh, she is quite adorable. How old is she?”

“She’ll be turning seven in September. And just like any other Libra— she can be a kind and honest person. Wouldn’t you say so?”

Takaya can’t help but smile fondly over hearing that, given he was the one who said that to Izumi about what each zodiac means personality-wise a while back. Based on his experience of how much he knows about the little girl too, and vice versa, it’s not too far from the truth either. The young man with the bun then goes to kneel down and holds one arm out to the child, even waving his hands to get her attention. “Oh what’s the matter? Too bashful to even say hi to little old me?”

The girl then perks behind the older brother and smiles right away, walking over to the man while grabbing the one arm he had out. She then jumps up and down and giggles out, “Hehe, Taka-yaki!”

This only leaves the man in a dismayed look, practically rolling his eyes into the back of his head if he could. “I told you many, many times already. It’s not Taka-yaki. And it’s definitely not ‘Takitaki’ either!” The girl then pleads to get picked up, though while Takaya does so, he has some trouble holding her up with both of his slim arms. “My goodness, look how big you’re getting. You’re growing way too fast!”

Mitsuru only smiles after seeing that exchange. “Well how charming. Seems like you two have known each other for quite a while now.”

Takaya, realizing he never mentioned this to anyone else, goes and smiles with a firm nod of his own. “Oh, why yes— Izumi and I would hang out with Saya-chan all the time after school. I usually like to come over whenever and play some games while she invites me to her ‘tea party’ with her adorable little friends. She’s a real sweetheart once you get to know her too.”

Jin definitely recalls him being absent going over to Izumi’s on occasion, giving off a judgmental glare. “You mean rather than doing homework, right?”

“Oh tsk tsk— you do know life isn’t always about school, hm? We both know we’re more than free to take a break now and then. Do whatever, whenever. Isn’t that right, young one?”

Saya, being held by Takaya with one arm as she looks around to see all the others nearby, immediately agrees. “Yeah, school work is for school, not for home!”

“Well, sheesh, sounds like she’s taking that from you, huh? Who knew?” Ikutsuki smiles at the girl and even laughs in response to that, with Jin glaring at the side.

As the settling dies down, the girl then pulls on the fabric from Takaya’s shoulder. “Hey, can we do that fishing game? Please please pleeeaassee, my momma would really love to have a fishy!”

While Takaya glances over to Izumi to see if that’s something that’ll be okay to do, he then turns his head back and smiles softly at Saya. “Well I’d say that’ll be a lovely idea! Now then: Are you going to be the one fishing, or am I going to end up doing all the work for you?”

Given that something like that has happened before, the girl just giggles and demands the man to ‘march forth’ and head their way to the attraction, with Izumi staying where he’s at.

This had Ikutsuki confused for a moment. “Hm, what’s the matter? Don’t you want to tag along with her?”

“Ah, nah. It’s fine,” The unkempt-hair teen waves it off. “I thought it would be best to give them their time together to play some of the games. Besides, she probably got tired of me following her around everywhere.”

This only has the Chairman chuckle once more. “Fair enough. You kids have fun, I’ll join up with the two over there. Just to keep an eye on them.”

After that exchange, the students then parted ways to spend their own time enjoying the festival. Makoto, Yukari, Mitsuru and Aigis went together as a group to find some enjoyment with some activities, eventually splitting up later on. Fuuka, given she did ask Jin to tag along with her for the festival, goes to ask Izumi as well. “Oh, Uchitani-san, would you like to join us for the ring toss? We're thinking about heading there first before checking out the other attractions around.”

Without a beat, the teen lays an arm on Jin’s shoulder with a welcoming grin. “Oh yeah, you bet! Been a while since I played that one.” He didn't need to be asked twice in this case, partnering up with the two immediately and following their lead before nudging the bespectacled friend on the side. “Oh, Jin— we gotta do a rematch of that yo-yo ball game. Still need to beat you after last year.”

“Oh yeah? Bring it!”

[captainmalewriter]

Kink-lopedia

"'Bodysuits' is a kink that involves one person wearing another person as though they were a piece of clothing. As a result, the wearer can take on a whole new identity... Should I keep reading?"

My roommate RJ was reading out of a book I had given him. He was curious about different types of kinks, so I bought him a 'special' kink encyclopedia that he could learn from. I smirked as he read the book, and I encouraged him to keep reading. RJ looked concerned, but turned his head back to the book to keep reading.

"Transformation media of this kind can involve turning a person into a bodysuit..." RJ let out a loud yawn. "Or it can have a bodysuit that was never a person to begin with...... God, I'm so tired..."

"C'mon man, I thought you wanted to learn about new kinks! Just finish the page before you knock out!" I said to him. His eyes looked incredibly tired and it looked like he was struggling to keep them open, but he never gave in.

"Like other kinks in the transformation category...... The pleasure comes from becoming...... Another person......."

I watched as RJ's words became more and more slurred as he kept reading. Soon enough I couldn't even make out what he was saying. Each blink RJ had was heavier than the last. Then within the next minute, RJ had dropped the book on his face as he fell asleep snoring.

I watched RJ as he slept soundly; his chest going up and down with every snore. After another few minutes, his snoring had died down too. I waited another few minutes just to be safe, then I reached out and poked his thigh. His skin sunk where my finger was, much like a pool floatie as it loses air.

I jumped out my seat with joy. I could hardly believe that my little plan had worked! That book I had bought, the Kink-lopedia, had a magical property to it. Whatever kink someone read about, that person would convert into that kink. Whether that meant making that person become into that kink, or transforming into that kink like RJ. That book had cost me a pretty penny, but it worked! I got RJ to read it and now he had become a bodysuit for me to wear!

I wasted no time in trying him on. I spread out his legs with my hands. I couldn't help but lick my lips when I saw RJ's hairy ass crack. RJ liked being smooth, but he never bothered shaving the backside. It drove me wild! I put both hands inside his asshole and stretched apart his walls. Just like a balloon, his hole opened up nice and wide. I stuck my head in and started pushing in. There was resistance, but I just kept pushing myself further and further into RJ. I could feel all of his organs move aside as his body made space for me. I kept pushing in until his head became a mask around mine and my limbs filled into his.

I had slipped in quite nicely, but I was much scrawnier compared to RJ. There was a lot of empty space even when I was fully inside of RJ. Then, miraculously, the extra air in RJ had begun to leave and the bodysuit deflated. His chest had shrunk down until it was sitting nicely on my chest. His massive cock had shrunk down until it fit over mine like a custom made sleeve. My balls filled into his, and I could feel the weight of cum filled balls just waiting to be drained. RJ's body fit on my body like a rubber glove.

"Oh fuck yeahhh!" I shouted out in RJ's thick Mexican accent. Even with just hearing my new voice it was enough to give me a hard-on! I smiled as I swung my hips around, causing my new lengthy member to swing back and forth. It was so big and girthy... and I couldn't wait to put it to good use.

"Babe! I'm readyyy!" I called out. My boyfriend then popped his head into the room, and smirked when he saw me in the bodysuit. He walked up to me, planted a big wet kiss on my lips, and we proceeded to fuck several times that same night. Yeah, that book Kink-lopedia was the best purchase I've made in a while.