#Rowdy Boys 2022

[cryptidvoidwritings]

Well then 👀

Kade Wright’s Instagram story, November 16, 2022, and TikTok

@namethat-i-oughttohavetoldyou it’s more

[oversizedclothesdemon]

Moar of them

Found these at the bottom of a paper while cleaning my school binder.

[huggyhughesy]

media tour | quinn hughes

youruser

tagged _quinnhughes, jackhughes, subbanator

liked by lhughes_06, _quinnhughes, umichhockey and others

youruser media tour 2022!! thanks for letting me tag along boys <3

load more comments

jackhughes had fun making fun of quinn with you

| _quinnhughes :( wasn't fun for me

| youruser you know you love it!

lhughes_06 keeping them humble for me

| youruser always.

_quinnhughes would've murdered jack if you weren't there

| youruser rowdy has me to thank for coming out of this uninjured

edwards.73 making a pit stop in mich anytime soon??

| youruser be there next weekend!!

| dylanduke25 we've talked about this yn .... you have to give us a week in advance to clean for your arrival

| youruser moose was supposed to inform you. plus, you just moved in, it can't be that bad

| lhughes_06 obviously I did not...

| markestapa it's bad.

[pb-dot]

Writeblr Introduction

Suppose I should introduce myself per the writeblr Very Friendly Suggestions. I'm PB, or peebs if you prefer. I publish my books under the pen name Victor S. Dale. I'm in my 30's, bisexual, dyspraxic, and as behooves a man of my standing I'm also grappling with considerable depression.

I like to write, like it a lot and I always have. My main WIPs are: a clockpunk love story titled The Clockwork Boy, a Lovecraftian Horror Romance titled His Impossible Brushstrokes and a 30s-punk portal fantasy serial titled Thereafter. I also dabble with smaller projects I won't get into here. Mostly coherent and concise synopses of The Clockwork Boy, His Impossible Brushstrokes, and Thereafter follow below.

The Clockwork Boy

My NaNoWriMo 2022 novel was initially conceived because I couldn't find much fun MLM genre fiction to read, so I decided to get myself good and wedged into that niche. The story follows Jake, who's stuck in a dead-end job of machining gears and sundry parts as well as lifting heavy things until a small, yet deceptively strong young man crashes into his life, and also his arms. The young man is called 13, his entire body from the neck down is made out of impossibly complex clockwork parts, and he's on the run from multiple powerful people and factions.

13 is stronger and faster than anyone has the right to be, but several broken parts hold him back. Jake is immediately smitten by the complex mechanics of 13's clockwork body, not to mention his sad, blue eyes, and so vows to help repair 13. The complexity of the task at hand is only increased by the two being pursued by local goon squads as well as other clockwork-bodied people with numbers for names.

The world of The Clockwork Boy and the Hearts In Clockwork series, provided I get around to writing more of these things, is languishing in a peculiar type of anarchy. The Age of Steam has come and gone and after a series of destructive colonial wars known as The Coal Wars, the power of government and nation has all but eroded. In their place, an alliance of powerful merchants and holders of capital keeps an iron grip on what passes for law from their seat in the massive tower known only as The Spire. Their power is exerted through monopoly and other economic maneuvers, but also by their rowdy Enforcers, who rule through intimidation and sheer brutishness.

13, as it turns out, is part of The Clockmen, a hitherto hidden faction within The Spire, whose acerbic leader is working to create an elite force of clockwork-powered individuals to overthrow The Spire and their enforcers, but even within the clockmen, agendas differ. 13 was originally made to fight and kill rogue clockmen, but so objected to this that he fled, searching for his memories and what freedom could be found.

Jake and 13 eventually find themselves under the auspices of The Northwest, an underground worker-owned coop parts workshop that takes them in and offers them succor in their time of need. In the relative safety of The Northwest's hidden workshop, Jake and 13 get the time they need to perform the sizable number of repairs needed, and perhaps ask the question of what they are becoming to each other and what comes next.

The current status of the project at the moment is going through the old rewrite and editing wringers. I'm currently having the thing beta read and I'll make whatever changes I need after that before attempting to hook an agent to help me get the thing published. In the meantime, I post about it a lot. If you want to be up-to-date on the most recent rambles in the setting, check out the tag list post here

My final goal with this project is to somehow get it published and, provided I am not met with immediate scorn and ridicule, get started on writing one or more sequels. I don't have the entire series planned out or anything, but I have several stories in this universe planned, and I know where and how I want it to end.

His Impossible Brushstrokes

My 2023 NaNoWriMo entry and occasional Lagrange point of my life. Continuing the trend from last year of writing novels that I wish someone else had written already so I could read it, Brushstrokes is a male-led queer horror with a mspec protagonist, exploring the shared points between love and fear, admiration and obsession, and art and madness.

The story follows Oscar Skerry, an obsessive San Fran art critic who goes to progressively more extreme measures to understand the works of his favorite artist, a pan-European enfant terrible by the name Tomasz Gildebrant. Gildebrant is an obscure artist, whose paintings nevertheless go for exorbitant prices on account of his cult appeal.

Following the thread of an art patron going berserk and attempting to destroy a Gildebrant painting by eating it, Tomasz unravels the urban legend of Gildebrant Psychosis. This sickness allegedly drives some who see a Gildebrant painting into acts of brutality, depravity, or the profoundly absurd, and Oscar starts to suspect there is something deeper and darker going on than repeated failures of the mental health system.

Seemingly out of the blue, Oscar gets an invitation to join Gildebrant in his home in the southern Carpathian Mountains. Eager to get to the bottom of things, and share his theories with Gildebrant, Oscar accepts.

Once there, two things become readily apparent. One, Gildebrant is incredibly charming, so much so that Oscar finds himself doubting that Gildebrant could be the man behind the dark, disturbing paintings he obsesses over. Two, there are way too many things not adding up, like how the doors to his guestroom in the Gildebrant household lock automatically at midnight, and how many pairs of shoes fill Gildebrant's hallway.

Per April 2024, the first draft for His Impossible Brushstrokes is complete. The plan remains to seek tradpub or indie publishing once I've edited the thing.

Thereafter

My first self-released project. The first chapters of Thereafter is slated to be released via buttondown starting May 1st 2024. This story follows Michael, a man in his 30s who traveled to, and saved, a magical cave-world populated by kindly molefolk at the tender age of twelve (and a half.) Now, 20 years later, Michael struggles in life and finds himself wishing for those simpler days of adventure again. Life is not without a sense of cruel irony, as the phenomenon that spirited him away all those years ago reoccur. Michael doesn't find himself in the serene caves of the molefolk, however, but in a desperately ramshackle city built from the flotsam and jetsam of thousands upon thousands of worlds.

This strange town goes by the name of Thereafter, and it was the surviving population of the cave world, as well as many other worlds, built with what they could salvage after The Calamity. Few who saw the world-destroying catastrophe lived to tell the tale, and the few who have, tell conflicting and surely nonsensical tales of it. Either way, the few that survived being flung into the void between worlds found their way to this nexus of the dispossessed, where the despair of dispossession percolated under the pressure of resource insecurity and a general sense of the world quite literally coming to an end.

To assuage some of these fears, The Council of Thereafter, a hastily assembled collection of wizards, wise men and the occasional cryptic hermit, decided to summon heroes of the old to their side. Due to the way time flows differently in the realms of magic, centuries and even millennia have passed since Michael saved the Molefolk, and the tales of his exploits have only grown in his absence.

Fortunately, Michael will not be alone in his task of portraying a heroic figure far beyond what he is able to actually be. Unfortunately, his colleagues in this endeavor are all messed up to an equal degree to him. Lex, the Polish enby scientist, is cynical on a level that borders on the parodic and worryingly horny. Felipe, the Mexican pro athlete archer, is arrogant, flighty and seems physically unable to take anything seriously. Finally, Alicia, the New York-based fitness influencer, seems restless in a way that either speaks to undiagnosed ADHD or truly world-shaking rage contained under the athletic facade.

Together, this rag-tag band of 30-somethings must unite in their quest to portray the heroes that history have made them, all the while grappling with what it means to be a hero in a desperately imperfect world. The city of Thereafter is full of crime born of desperation, hatred born of fear, and runaway magic, but that is not all. After all, the only thing anyone can agree on about the Calamity is that it is still out there and may one day turn its destruction upon Thereafter.

With Thereafter, I plan to work more with character and group dynamics than I have in my earlier works. The dysfunctional found family of the Heroes is supposed to be a big draw of the story, alongside the mystery of The Calamity and more pressing concerns about survival. As usual for a Peebs story, there will also be rumination, politics and philosophy involved, tigers don't usually change their stripes after all, but we're also getting a fantasy post-apocalyptic tale of love, bravery, and the many obscure pains of growing up.

Thereafter will, as mentioned above, be released on a chapter by chapter basis via Buttondown, with an archive also being kept on Cohost. To subscribe to the release of Thereafter chapters, please see the introductory post or just go straight to my Buttondown site to subscribe.

[urrockstar-xe]

potions test - s.b x fem!reader

posted december 11th, 2022, 9:26 pm

anon asked: hi hi hi!!! i was wondering if you could do prompt 45 w sirius black!!! hehe thank u sm <3 have a nice day

45 "they hate each other" "no they don't, not really"

I am so sorry for the wait on this one (i've said that so much), so much has happened these past few months. I really hope you like this, sweets.

masterlist

word count: 0.6k

“Now what makes you so sure your tricks are better than mine?” Sirius’ question had the three boys all turning to look at You for your answer. “Well, for one, I don’t get caught.” Sirius scoffed at this. “That’s because they’re not brilliant enough to incite rage in our dear old professors, and for your information, I find gossiping over brunch with Minerva quite fun.” 

James, Remus, and Peter had been watching the two of you go back and forth for 15 minutes, somehow finding yourselves stuck in an argument about whose tricks are better.

“It’s not brunch, you imbecile, it’s detention.” You responded, crossing your arms over your chest.

 “Why are you both still on about this?” Peter asked, crumpling up a wrapper. “Because Black is too stubborn to admit when he’s wrong,” “Oh please if anyone’s stubborn it's you, always insisting on being right about everything. “You wouldn’t be pointing that out if you didn’t agree-”

“Alright! Y/n, I believe we have a study session for potions right about now, shall we?” Remus interrupted making a gap between his arm and torso. 

“Right, we shall” you looped your arm with his. “This test completely makes or breaks our livelihoods, I’ll be damned if I lose because of an argument with Sirius Black of all people.”

Once again Sirius scoffed at your words. “And what could you possibly mean by that? You know what, you’d go mental if I got a higher score than you.” You almost laughed in his face at his response. “I’d like to see you try.” 

Sirius smirked, causing a sigh from the small crowd of your friends. “See you on Friday night to reveal our grades to each other.” You rolled your eyes, knowing Sirius was now just trying to get under your skin. “There's a quidditch match on Friday!” James mentioned, shooting a glare at Sirius. 

“Yes, prongs, I’m aware.” He glared back. 

“Okay, she’ll see you then! Let’s go,” just as Remus began pulling you down the hall you heard James tell Sirius “If you flunk quidditch because you want to get in her pants, I swear to bloody merlin, Black.” giving both you and Remus a good laugh while you picked up the pace.

Sure enough, Friday night rolled around, and as you made your way across the hall to the rowdy group of Gryffindors Sirius turned to you with his usual Bright smile and charming eyes. “We won! Though I couldn’t hear you cheering me on in the crowd, I felt it in my heart.” He said pretending to pout while he gently patted his chest. 

“Sorry, I was too busy imagining the look on your face when you find out my potions grade beat yours to cheer at all, though I’m sure James was excellent.” You responded smiling back at the boy whilst holding up your graded paper, proving it was in fact higher than Sirius’. 

“Well, it’s not my fault you throw away your life for studying now, is it? We both know who the real winner of this competition was, I’m sure.” He winked. 

You both almost Immediately spiraled into a big bickering mess, walking down the hall together as you argued.

“They hate each other,” James said, once again watching you both with Peter and Remus.

And just as Sirius swung his arm around your shoulders, turning down another hall, Remus responded “No, they don’t, not really,”

“Were you really listening for me in the crowd?” You asked Sirius. Now out of earshot of your mates. “Always, darl’” He smiled.

“Well, guess I wasn’t loud enough then, oh well, there’s always next time.” You shrugged. Sirius laughed as he stopped walking for a moment to bring you into a quick kiss, leaning away ever so slightly to ask, “We’re going to celebrate me winning the quidditch game, yes?” You laughed, “as long we can celebrate me being smarter than you, Black”

[andromeddog]

pls talk more about your scottish highlander regiment ocs…… they are so enchanting.. i love the officers

anon i hope you are prepared for a lot of rambling under the cut

hello and welcome to my twisted mind.... i'll try to condense the 10k google doc of lore into something passable here. BASICALLY all of these ww1 guys are part of a web of interconnecting stories that intersect and span before/during/after the war. the main group are the four rugby boys who live in Stirling, Scotland and are drawn into the war in 1916 following the military service act...

from left to right we've got connor, james, peter, and johnny! excuse my bad handwriting but here's the jist of their dynamics. they play rugby together before everything goes to shit (peter is captain, james is the star player, johnny is stupidly reckless, and connor keeps getting into fights) a group of good guys, if a bit rowdy. they join up with the 14th Service Battalion of the Argyll & Sutherlands and spend most of the war fighting on the western front!

two old sketches of johnny and peter..... i think these r from like spring 2022? anyway i could go into more detail about their interpersonal issues but it's a lot and i feel like that could b its own post... ultimately connor gets killed taking out a stormtrooper (another oc) and peter loses a leg about a week later. james contracts influenza and gets sent home but eventually recovers, leaving johnny to finish out the war by himself. their group is definitely not the same after the war, and peter & james in particular really struggle with ptsd in the following years.

AND THE OFFICERS. WOO. aka toxic old man yaoi aka Lt Kincaide and Lt Irvine. these two spend like three full decades being catty and hating each other before they end up getting together LOL it goes something like this: kincaide is from a wealthy family, irvine is not, they meet at school and end up going to the same military academy prewar. they rly hate each other from the beginning and would probably just be petty rivals HOWEVER. irvine is sneaking around somewhere he 1000% should not be and catches kincaide in a very compromising position w another man. irvine intends to tattle but kincaide blackmails irvine into keeping quiet- irvine is there solely on scholarship and kincaide has enough social clout to ruin his military career. basically if kincaide goes down he's taking irvine with him.

that sets the stage for a decades long contentious relationship- partially bc they just keep bumping into each other. irvine obessively tries to find ways to end kincaide's career and kincaide loooooves fucking with him. individually they're very competent people- kincaide is an especially beloved officer even if he is a bit of a romantic snob, and irvine is insanely effective if a bit rigid and cold. these guys got issues on top of issues but proximity eventually leads to a healthy rivalry that becomes something like friendship that becomes basically being married. by the end of the war they are staples in each others lives but they dont get together until a decade or so after it's all over... they each take some damage during the war and spend their later years taking care of each other :')

my beloved old men. they are so fucked up. mutsache4mustache <3

there is so much i could say about them individually and the deep lore but im such a horrendous writer. also this is like a quarter of all of their stuff minus about four characters. the ideal format for this story would be a 300 chapter webcomic/graphic novel but i have neither time nor skill nor attention span for such a sprawling story so it'll just be random illustrations and blurbs in the tags. and my google docs. if any of this has interested ppl i've made a rugby boy playlist and an officers playlist bc im insane. you can get the vibes of their stories a lot better.

and uh i think thats a super rough version of these guys. anon i hope you know that i love you and this ask was so delightful to get <3

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Published: Apr 5, 2023

Prisha Mosley was 17 when she was first given testosterone in a clinic in North Carolina, after she had declared to her parents that she was a boy. She had struggled through her teen years with anorexia and depression after a sexual assault. Luka Hein had both breasts removed as a 16-year-old in Nebraska. Chloe Cole, in California, was a year younger when she had her double mastectomy. She had been on testosterone and puberty-blocking drugs since 13, also after a sexual assault.

All three girls were experiencing “gender dysphoria”, a feeling of intense discomfort with their own sexed bodies. Once a rare diagnosis, it has exploded over the past decade. In England and Wales the number of teenagers seeking treatment at the Gender Identity Development Service (gids), the main clinic treating dysphoria, has risen 17-fold since 2011-12 (see chart 1). An analysis by Reuters, a news agency, based on data from Komodo, a health-technology firm, estimated that more than 42,000 American children and teenagers were diagnosed in 2021—three times the count in 2017. Other rich countries, from Australia to Sweden, have also experienced rapid increases.

As the caseload has grown, so has a method of treatment, pioneered in the Netherlands, now known as “gender-affirming care”. It involves acknowledging patients’ feelings about a mismatch between their body and their sense of self and, after a psychological assessment, offering some of them a combination of puberty-blocking drugs, opposite-sex hormones and sometimes surgery to try to ease their discomfort. Komodo’s data suggest around 5,000 teenagers were prescribed puberty-blockers or cross-sex hormones in America in 2021, double the number in 2017.

Dysphoria furoria

The treatment is controversial. In many countries, but in America most of all, it has become yet another front in the culture wars. Many on the left caricature critics of gender-affirming care as callously disregarding extreme distress and even suicides among adolescents with gender dysphoria in their determination to “erase” trans people. Zealots on the right, meanwhile, accuse doctors of being so hell-bent on promoting gender transitions that they “groom” vulnerable teenagers—a term usually applied to paedophiles. In October supporters and critics of gender-affirming care held rival, rowdy protests outside a meeting of the American Academy of Paediatrics. Several American states, such as Florida and Utah, have passed laws banning gender-affirming care in children. Joe Biden, America’s president, has described such laws as “close to sinful”.

Almost all America’s medical authorities support gender-affirming care. But those in Britain, Finland, France, Norway and Sweden, while supporting talking therapy as a first step, have misgivings about the pharmacological and surgical elements of the treatment. A Finnish review, published in 2020, concluded that gender reassignment in children is “experimental” and that treatment should seldom proceed beyond talking therapy. Swedish authorities found that the risks of physical interventions “currently outweigh the possible benefits” and should only be offered in “exceptional cases”. In Britain a review led by Hilary Cass, a paediatrician, found that gender-affirming care had developed without “some of the normal quality controls that are typically applied when new or innovative treatments are introduced”. In 2022 France’s National Academy of Medicine advised doctors to proceed with drugs and surgery only with “great medical caution” and “the greatest reserve”.

There is no question that many children and parents are desperate to get help with gender dysphoria. Some consider the physical elements of gender-affirming care to have been life-saving treatments. But the fact that some patients are harmed is not in doubt either. Ms Mosley, Ms Hein and Ms Cole are all “detransitioners”: they have changed their minds and no longer wish to be seen as male. All three bitterly regret the irreversible effects of their treatment and are angry at doctors who, they say, rushed them into it. Ms Cole considers herself to have been “butchered by institutions we all thought we could trust”.

The transitioning of teenagers has its roots in a treatment protocol developed in the Netherlands in the 1980s and 1990s. It is built on three pillars: puberty-blockers (formally known as gnrh antagonists), cross-sex hormones and surgery. The goal was to alter the patient’s body to more closely match their sense of cross-sex identity, and thereby relieve their mental anguish. A pair of papers published in 2011 and 2014 by Annelou de Vries, one of the Dutch protocol’s pioneers, reported on the experiences of some of the first patients. They concluded that symptoms of depression decreased among patients taking puberty-blockers, and that gender dysphoria “resolved” and psychological functioning “steadily improved” after cross-sex hormones and surgery.

Transition ignition

Puberty-blockers do what their name suggests. The idea is that suspending unwanted sexual development can give patients time to think about their dysphoria, and whether or not they wish to pursue more drastic interventions. The same family of drugs is used to treat “central precocious puberty”, in which puberty begins very early. Some countries also use them to chemically castrate sex offenders. As with many other medicines used in children, the use of puberty-blockers in gender medicine is “off-label”, meaning that they do not have regulatory approval for that purpose.

Patients who decide to proceed with their transition are then prescribed cross-sex hormones. Males will see the development of breasts and alterations to how fat is stored on the body. Giving testosterone to females boosts muscle growth and causes irreversible changes such as deepening the voice, altering the bone structure of the face and the growth of facial hair.

Under the original Dutch protocol, surgery was permitted only after a patient turned 18, although as the cases of Ms Cole and Ms Hein show, in some places mastectomies occur at a younger age. Male patients can have artificial breasts implanted. More elaborate procedures, in which females have a simulated penis built from a tube of skin harvested from the forearm or the thigh, or males have an artificial vagina made in a “penile inversion”, are performed extremely rarely on minors.

In 2020 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (nice), a British body which reviews the scientific underpinnings of medical treatments, looked at the case for puberty-blockers and cross-sex hormones. The academic evidence it found was weak, discouraging and in some cases contradictory. The studies suggest puberty-blockers had little impact on patients. Cross-sex hormones may improve mental health, but the certainty of that finding was low, and nice warned of the unknown risks of lasting side-effects.

For both classes of drug, nice assessed the quality of the papers it analysed as “very low”, its poorest rating. Some studies reported results but made no effort to analyse them for statistical significance. Cross-sex hormones are a lifelong treatment, yet follow-up was short, ranging from one to six years. Most studies followed only a single set of patients, who were given the drugs, instead of comparing them with another set who were not. Without such a “control group”, researchers cannot tell whether anything that happened to the patients in the studies was down to the drugs, to other treatments the patients might be receiving (such as counselling or antidepressants), or to some other, unrelated third factor.

The upshot is that it is hard to know whether any of the supposed effects reported in the studies, whether positive or negative, are actually real. Reviews in Finland and Sweden came to similar conclusions. As the Swedish one put it, “The scientific base is not sufficient to assess…puberty-inhibiting or gender-opposite hormone treatment” in children.

Two American professional bodies, the Endocrine Society (es) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (wpath) have also reviewed the science underpinning adolescent transitions. But es’s review did not set out to look at whether gender-affirming care helped resolve gender dysphoria or improve mental health by any measure. It focused instead on side-effects, for which it found only weak evidence. This omission, says Gordon Guyatt of McMaster University, makes the review “fundamentally flawed”. wpath, for its part, did look at the psychological effects of blockers and hormones. It found scant, low-quality evidence. Despite these findings, both groups continue to recommend physical treatments for gender dysphoria, and insist that their reviews and the resulting guidelines are sound.

One justification for puberty-blockers is that they “buy time” for children to decide whether to proceed with cross-sex hormones or not. But the data available so far from clinics suggest that almost all decide to go ahead. A Dutch paper published in October concluded that 98% of adolescents prescribed blockers decide to proceed to cross-sex hormones. Similarly high numbers have been reported elsewhere.

The reassuring interpretation is that blockers are being prescribed very precisely, given only to those whose dysphoria is deep-rooted and unlikely to ease. The troubling one is that puberty-blockers lock at least some children in to further treatment. “Time to Think”, a new book about gids by a British journalist, Hannah Barnes, cites British medical workers concerned by the latter possibility. They say patients received blockers after cursory and shallow examinations.

The Dutch researchers weigh both explanations. “It is likely that most people starting [puberty-blockers] experience sustained gender dysphoria,” they write. But, “One cannot exclude the possibility that starting [puberty-blockers] in itself makes adolescents more likely to continue medical transition.”

Perhaps the biggest question is how many of those given drugs and surgery eventually change their minds and “detransition”, having reconciled themselves with their biological sex. Those who do often face fresh anguish as they come to terms with permanent and visible alterations to their bodies.

Once again, good data are scarce. One problem is that those who abandon a transition are likely to stop talking to their doctors, and so disappear from the figures. The estimates that do exist vary by an order of magnitude or more. Some studies have reported detransition rates as low as 1%. But three papers published in 2021 and 2022, which looked at patients in Britain and in America’s armed forces, found that between 7% and 30% of them stopped treatment within a few years.

The original Dutch studies published in 2011 and 2014 were longitudinal—that is, they followed the same group of patients throughout their treatment. Yet three recent critiques published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy nonetheless find fault with the studies’ data.

One of the new studies’ concerns is the small size of the original samples. The 2011 paper looked at 70 patients. But the outcome of treatment was only known for between 32 and 55 of them (the exact number depends on the specific measure). And even then, the final assessment of outcomes occurred around 18 months after surgery—a very short timeframe for a treatment whose effects will last a lifetime. (The first patient, “FG”, was followed for longer. In 2011, when in his mid-30s, researchers reported his feelings of “shame about his genital appearance” and of “inadequacy in sexual matters”. A decade later though, things had improved, and FG had a steady girlfriend.)

The critiques also suggest that the finding that gender dysphoria improved with treatment may have been an artefact of how the participants were assessed. Before treatment, female patients were asked to agree or disagree with such statements as, “Every time someone treats me like a girl I feel hurt.” This established their desire to be seen as male. After blockers, hormones and surgery the same individuals were asked questions on a scale originally developed for those born male. It offered statements such as, “Every time someone treats me like a boy I feel hurt.” Naturally, patients who preferred to be seen as male disagreed. In effect, the yardstick was changed in a way that might be seen as making positive outcomes more likely.

Finally, the original studies seem to have inadvertently cherry-picked patients for whom the treatment was most effective. The researchers started with 111 adolescents, but excluded those whose treatment with puberty-blockers did not progress well. Of the remaining 70, others were omitted from the final findings because they did not return questionnaires, or explicitly refused to do so, or dropped out of care or, in one case, died of complications from genital surgery. The data may therefore exclude precisely those patients who were harmed by or dissatisfied with their treatment.

In a rebuttal published in the same journal, Dr de Vries insists that the original papers found a significant improvement in gender dysphoria, the condition the protocol was designed to treat. She concedes that the switching of assessment scales is “not ideal” but says this does not imply the studies’ results were “’falsely’ measured”. In response to worries about the relatively short follow-up, she noted that a study reporting longer-term outcomes is due “in the upcoming years”.

What is more, whatever the merits of the Dutch team’s original research, the patients passing through modern clinics are strikingly different from those assessed in their papers. Twenty years ago the majority of patients were pre-pubescent boys; in recent years teenage girls have come to dominate (see chart 2). The findings of older research may not apply to today’s patients.

The Dutch team’s approach was deliberately conservative. Patients had to have suffered from gender dysphoria since before puberty. Many of today’s patients say they began to suffer from dysphoria as teenagers. The Dutch protocol excludes those with mental-health problems from receiving treatment. But 70% or more of the young people seeking treatment suffer from mental-health problems, according to three recent papers looking at patients in America, Australia and Finland.

Despite the protocol’s caution, says Will Malone of the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine, an international group of concerned clinicians, the reality is often the reverse, especially in America, with mental-health issues becoming a reason to proceed with transitions, rather than to stop them. “We are now told that if we don’t address young people’s mental-health problems caused by dysphoria with transition, they will kill themselves.”

Gender agenda

The original Dutch protocol emphasises the need for careful screening and assessments, as do official guidelines in most countries. But whatever the guidance, there are persistent allegations that it is not being followed in practice. “I had one 15-minute appointment before I was given testosterone,” says Ms Mosley. Many American patients contacted by The Economist reported similarly brief examinations.

The possibility that many teenagers presenting as trans could instead be gay has long been discussed. The Dutch study of 2011 found that 97% of the participants were attracted either to their own sex or to both sexes. In 2019 a group of doctors who resigned from gids told the Times, a British newspaper, of their worries about homophobia in some patients and parents. They worried that, by turning children into simulacra of the opposite sex, the clinic was, in effect, providing a new type of “conversion therapy” for gay children.

Both within America and without, whatever the loudmouths may claim, the vast majority of practitioners are simply trying to ease the genuine suffering of adolescents afflicted by gender dysphoria. But in America in particular the charged atmosphere has made it very difficult to separate the science from the politics.

European medical systems have not concluded that it is always wrong for an adolescent to transition. They are not trying to erase distressed patients. They have simply determined that more research and data are needed before physical treatments for gender dysphoria can become routine. Further research could, conceivably, lead to guidelines similar to those already in use by American medical bodies. But that is another way of saying that it is impossible to justify the current recommendations about gender-affirming care based on the existing data. 

[ Via: https://archive.is/oeQ6F ]

[mamamittens]

Onsen Delights (+18)

Day#5 of December Event 2022!

Fandom: One Piece

Ship: AceXOC(Saki)

Warnings: Nudity, possessiveness, dirty talk, unsafe sex, filthy sex, creampie, mating press, and biting/marking. Not necessarily in that order.

Word Count: 4,134

@spitfire-of-the-sea

If I need to make any changes, let me know!

It happens from time to time that a storm system moves by the Moby Dick and makes efficient travel impossible. Usually, it’s more along the lines of a hurricane or thunderstorm—rarely staying longer than a few days. But surprisingly for once, it was an entire artic winter system. And they were visiting an island at the time.

In short, the whole ship was beset in ice before they could reasonably leave, which was very impressive considering the sheer size of their ship. So, until the ice was sufficiently melted (or one of the commanders or Whitebeard got bored and broke the ice without damaging the hull), they were locked in place. The fact that this didn’t happen immediately could be contributed to only one simple fact.

The island was famed for hot springs and onsens. As well as their booze.

And they certainly weren’t going to turn down good business.

To keep down in fighting it was decided that parts of the crew would enjoy the amenities of the island at a time. Commanders with their crews and a small portion of those that didn’t get to go with their division to keep the ship running properly. It wouldn’t be a good idea if the entire kitchen staff was let off at the same time, or the medical division after all. Ace was just glad that he happened to be off with a good portion of his old crew. It had been a while since they’d hung out as a group—their responsibilities keeping them elsewhere most of the time.

Thatch tossed his arm over Ace’s shoulder with a rough chuckle, handing him a pass with his name engraved on it. A keepsake the island gave out for their inn with private onsens.

“Don’t forget, your room will have your name on the left side of the door. It’s near the more secluded onsens too.” Thatch winked, “Commander privilege.” He explained. Ace scoffed.

“I heard you the first time, Thatch! Geez, I’m not that forgetful!” Ace shoved the older man away with a laugh. For some reason, several of his brothers had been very insistent on reminding him where his room was. It reeked of a prank of some kind, but Ace was never one to turn down a challenge.

And they couldn’t do anything too destructive since they’d have to explain to Whitebeard why damages needed to be paid. He’d laugh it off, probably, but everyone tended to be embarrassed when it came time to explain the more disastrous incidences to their captain and father.

Regardless, Thatch sighed, ruffling his hair, before shrugging.

“Alright, I got it. You’re a big boy and can handle yourself. We just want to spoil our little brother—is that a crime?” Thatch bemoaned with the most fake ass tears in the corner of his eyes. Ace briefly contemplated shoving his boot into Thatch’s face but decided the best response was to ignore the dramatics completely and get cleaned up for the onsen. “Ah! My concern is being brushed off like snowflakes! Marco! Our baby brother doesn’t love me anymore! What do I do?!”

“Die I guess, yoi.”

“Marco you ass!”

Ace cackled as he retreated into the building, finding the bathing section for the onsen marked on his pass. A kindly old woman presented him with a package for the bath and Ace made sure to keep his manners in mind, bowing deeply as he accepted the bundle.

“Thank you, ma’am. I apologize in advance for my rowdy crew.” Ace offered. She laughed softly, wrinkled skin bending around her lips in humor.

“Oh, don’t you worry about me, young man. You’re hardly the worst pirate crew I’ve served in our inn. Enjoy yourself, you hear me? That’ll be thanks enough for this old woman.” She declared before shuffling off to tend to something else. Ace smiled and did just that.

Making sure to wash himself thoroughly before grabbing a towel and heading into one of the private onsen. There were several small areas separated by walls for private parties or small groups in a larger party. Likely in case families want to enjoy the hot springs but didn’t want to mingle with in laws or children at the same time. It was hard to say, really. Snow fell in light flurries, melting inches before the ground from the heat. Paper lanterns were hung from the walls as lighting, giving off a hazy amber glow.

He didn’t notice the small figure in the mist above the water at first, focused on setting aside his hat and towel where it wouldn’t get wet. His devil fruit made such luxuries as this a… bit of a gamble. But thankfully with practice shallow pools were no issue for him. Aside from lack of access to his powers, he suffered no side effects from the waters. Glancing across the area Ace felt his heart stutter.

“Saki!” Ace instinctively cried out in joy, completely ruining the sight before him.

His old crewmate-turned-reluctant-Whitebeard-nurse jerked out of her relaxed state. Leaning against the far rock outcropping with a towel over her eyes, completely naked under the glow of the lamplight. Blond hair silver and gold against her bare, white skin. She hissed in surprise, gray eyes narrowed at him before pausing in shock.

“Ace? Ack! What are you doing?!” Saki yelped, arms splashing in the water to cover her breasts. Ace pouted, ignoring the throb of his dick.

“What a weird question, what’s it look like I’m doing?” Ace scoffed, brushing off the obvious issue with his presence. He treaded closer to his friend, eyes helplessly drawn across her damp skin.

So, he… may have a problem. A Saki-specific problem. Usually, it wasn’t that much of an issue. He hid it well… well enough. But found himself inevitably drawn to her anytime she was around. And it was really coming back to bite him in the ass.

Not that he was a perv or anything but… Saki looked really fucking good right now. Skin flush with heat and dewy, hair pulled back off her neck except for rogue strands that clung to her body, and the mist from the hot spring a hazy film that drew his eyes to her arms. Arms that mostly served to push up her breasts and begged to be touched, to see if they were as soft as they looked.

“Oi! Eyes up here, Ace!” Ace flushed, grinning apologetically in a way that usually earned him forgiveness faster from Saki, as he looked at her eyes. Dark mole under the corner of her right eye prominent even in the soft light.

“…Sorry, Saki.” Ace mumbled, reaching out to stroke her shoulder without thinking. A gesture he’d done countless times—a side effect of his ‘Saki-problem’. His fingers slipped over her damp skin and he briefly marveled at the sensation. He felt his core tighten as heat throbbed, familiar arousal teasing him for being a coward.

“Hey, you still haven’t explained why you’re here right now, Ace! You’re supposed to go to the section next to your room!” Saki explained. “This is the women’s area.” Ace whined, once again thinking only with his dick as he buried his face in her shoulder. Her soft, natural scent strong as she yelped, hands pushing against his chest to dislodge his weight.

“This place is so confusing! I thought I was in the right section! How was I supposed to knooooowwwwww, Sah-kiiiii?” Ace whined, lips brushing over her neck as he briefly forgot the situation. Mainly, his erection.

But damn if he didn’t remember suddenly as the tip brushed across her plush thighs. Ace groaned, shuddering softly as he wrapped his arms around her frame.

“Ace!” Saki hissed, poking his abdomen hard to no avail. “You! Are! Naked! Get off me!” It took all of his willpower to stay still. Uncertain if he’d be able to refrain from exposing himself if he moved.

“…soft.” Ace huffed, brushing his hands down her shoulders as he clearly felt her heartbeat through her back. She stiffened, breasts brushing across his chest.

It felt like a dream. Like the best dream—the kind he only seemed to get moments before he was rudely awakened for one reason or another.

“A-Ace! I can feel you, you know!?” Saki hissed, grabbing his hair and tugging, earning a sharp groan as he reflexively pressed against her body. “G-Get out and take care of it, damnit! Stop digging it in!”

Ace huffed.

“What’s the point? It’ll just come right back when I see you…” Ace groaned.

His eyes popped open in horror.

He just admitted to being turned on by his best friend.

Chronically hard at the sight of her.

Saki was also frozen, shocked and likely disgusted.

“…What did you just say?” Saki whispered, fingertips delicately pressed into his spine. Her heart fluttered under his palms.

Ace cleared his throat and nervously pulled back, flustered and horrified.

“Ah-haha! Nothing! Nothing! I-I just—you know what, you’re right! I’m in the wrong place! I should go—” Ace started to the exit quickly, “I’m an idiot, I can’t believe I got lost! I’ll n-never live it down! You definitely don’t want me here—why would you—”

“Why wouldn’t I?!” Saki barked. Ace froze, one foot on the stone pathway and ass totally exposed as he looked over his shoulder. She also paused, face flushed as she looked around desperately, hands waving around in embarrassment. “I-I mean, y-you’re here to relax! Not to b-b-bother with me—uhm, why… why would you want to be in here when you could be enjoying some alone time! Big ship! Big crew! N-Not a lot of space to be alone, is there! N-Not that I’ve thought about that—of course not!”

Ace slowly stepped back into the water; eyes locked on Saki as she floundered to cover her ass. Completely exposing herself to him in the meantime as he slowly began to grin.

So… maybe there was a mutual problem between them after all?

She only fell silent when she realized he was right in front of her. His hands planted on the stones beside her, caging her in as he grinned. Eyes burning into her.

“It sure is a big crew.” Ace began, much to her obvious confusion. “And a big ship… weird how I keep finding my way to you. Every time you walk into a room, I’m right there. When we eat. Party. Plan. Fight. If you’re there… I’m right beside you. I don’t even notice when it happens—it feels so natural. It feels natural being with you… don’t you think so?” Ace asked softly, still grinning a little wildly as his heart was pounding.

Maybe it was the heat and winter air mixing around them making him dizzy. Maybe it was how close he was to Saki’s everything right now. Her most intimate and soft places totally within arm’s reach. Or maybe his head was spinning because for the first time, he seriously suspected that she liked him too.

“Yeah… yeah it does.” Saki admits quietly, her words brushing across his lips as he leaned in closer. Her eyes glanced away anxiously. “…C-Cause we’re such great friends, right?”

“And we want to be more, right?” Ace echoed, enjoying the shock as her eyes widened, pupils constricting as she looked back at him. Then the gray shrank, turning into a slim ring of silver and gold, reflected candlelight.

His whole body tensed. Teeth clenched as the confirmation struck him down to his heels before she even said a word.

“Fuck yes…” Saki whispered, eyes wide still with shock. The sound of her voice going straight to his cock as he pressed his lips against hers, slipping his arms around her body.

He pressed his body against hers completely, hands rubbing over her skin and squeezing the soft curves. Her moan buzzed against his lips as her head tipped back. Leaning into his embrace eagerly. His cock nestled perfectly between her thighs, accidentally sliding across her hot cunt. Ace groaned, pulling back as they panted for air.

Testing, Ace gripped her ass and gently thrust into her thighs. Something hotter and more slick than water covering his cock as Saki gripped his biceps with a moan.

“Ngh.” Ace grunted, relishing the feeling a moment longer before huffing. “Too fast?” He asked hoarsely. Saki shook her head.

“N-No… but maybe we shouldn’t dirty the water.” Saki laughed, moaning as he thrust his hips forward harshly again, just to see her reaction.

“But you look good like this.” Ace groaned, gently grabbing a fistful of hair to pull her back, presenting her breasts to him. He eagerly took advantage of her willingness, still grinding against her as he tested the soft skin with his teeth and tongue.

Softer and more malleable than he ever dreamed of, the pale skin was easily marked under his teeth and lips.

“A-Ace~!” Saki whined, reaching back to pull his hair as she shook, her thighs trembling around his cock. “S-Stop! W-We might get s-seen!” Ace dug under her trapped breast with his tongue, popping the nipple into his mouth hungrily. Still fucking her thighs.

The blood was rushing between his head and cock, muddying his thoughts outside of how fucking good she felt. A delight to his senses—all of them.

But then he remembered that this wasn’t entirely a private area. Anyone from his division could come in at any time.

They could see what he was doing to Saki at any moment.

Huffing, heat building in his chest, Ace released her tit from his mouth and looked at her face. She was flushed and panting, eyes almost closed as she cried out softly with every thrust of his cock against her cunt.

Absolutely not.

No one was going to get to see this.

His cock screamed, on the edge of release as he pulled away completely. His hands gently guiding her out of the water.

“You’re right.” Ace huffed. “We should take this to my room.” Saki stumbled, legs trembling as they got out of the water. Partially because he wanted to make sure she wasn’t soaking wet when they walked to his room, Ace briskly patted her off with his towel. Unable to resist kissing her skin as he pressed the fabric against it.

He managed to mark her breasts without a word but Saki shoved him when he tried to do the same to her thighs. Ace scoffed but allowed it… for the moment.

He wasn’t holding back when they got to his room though.

Carefully tucking her dry towel over her body, Ace knotted the damp fabric of his at his waist, scooping up his hat and placing it on her head.

Ace didn’t bother with anything else, dragging her behind him as he looked for his room. Once he spotted it—having thankfully never run into anyone else along the way—he reached for the door.

“I-I thought we were going to your room?” Saki whispered. Ace glanced at her with a raised brow.

“We are?” Ace lifted up his hand with hers, the wooden plate reading his name as he gestured to the left side of the door. “See? It’s got my name.”

Saki reached out and opened the door.

“I put my stuff away before I went to bath…” Saki explained.

Ace looked into the room and, to his surprise, she was right. Her things were packed away neatly next to the large futon. Toiletry bag placed near the bathroom door with her hairbrush.

“…They told me to make sure I went to the right room. Thatch even told me twice to look for my name on the left side.” Ace muttered, slowly leading the two of them into the room. Suddenly, he laughed. “Hah! Hey, think they were trying to set us up?” Ace asked.

Saki chuckled, cheeks burning as she nodded.

“Yeah… I think so. I was told the same, but on the right side.”

“Huh… Anyway! Where were we?” Ace asked, scooping Saki up into his arms and tossing her down onto the futon. He kneeled over her, gently removing her towel with a grin. “That’s right… we were right here, weren’t we?” Ace kissed her breasts, reaching up to cradle them in his hands. Their plush weight spilling over between his fingers.

“A-Ace!” Saki moaned in surprise as he licked up at her nipple, worrying the bud between his teeth before sucking it into his mouth hungrily. Her nails dug into his shoulders and scalp as she cried out. He fed off of her reactions and the delightfully soft skin of her breasts in equal measure. Heartbeat pulsing on his tongue as he groaned. Not one to hold back, he gave the other the same treatment, leaving marks along her supple skin.

His erection ached fiercely, reminding him of how soft her thighs were.

And with that reminder, Ace moved down. Nipping at the soft skin of her stomach as he groped her waist. Restlessly, her legs kicked under him, catching on the towel and ripping it off. But Ace was focused only on one thing.

Her thighs spilled over his hands as he slowly pulled them apart. Sinfully soft under his lips and teeth as he nipped the plush skin. And as eager as he was to mark her thighs—that haunted him for months after he saw her wear a bikini once—his mouth watered for something… sweeter.

Ace’s tongue parted her cunt in a firm lick, Saki’s whole body jolting in surprise as he toyed with her clit. Lapping at it as he reluctantly released one of her thighs to play with her body. Slipping his fingers into the growing mess before dipping inwards. Stretching her out slowly. Her hands anchored in his hair as she cried out noisily for him. And he kissed her pussy like it would silence her mewling lips. Tongue forcing his fingers apart as he tasted her. Only driving her to cry out louder.

He knew he was likely bruising her thigh as he gripped it, but he only sought to keep her still under him. To fight off her instinct to buck against him. Ace grinned and panted against her cunt.

“Thanks for the meal.” Ace laughed before diving in, ignoring Saki’s embarrassed screech. Curling his fingers against her walls as she clenched down against him. His tongue dripping with spit and arousal. His cock ached and smeared precum on the bed, but he was far from done.

Finally releasing her thigh, Ace moved both his hands to her waist, lifting her body up for him. Eagerly eating out her dripping cunt as she squeezed against his face. It fell from his chin as he ate her out messily, the lewd sounds turning him on further as he thrust his tongue in deep. Curling up against a spot that made her tremble relentlessly.

“A-Ace! Ace! O-Oh Ace—y-yes! Ah~!” Saki moaned, arching up into his lips and hands, creaming on his tongue. Ace swallowed harshly, lapping up the excess and chasing it as it ran down her thighs eagerly. Cleaning up her soaked cunt, lungs aching as he caught his breath.

“You’re lucky I’m hard as a rock, Saki. Otherwise you wouldn’t get me off your sweet lips with sea stone.” Ace panted, wiping off his chin with a grin. Saki was flushed and panting, eyes wet with unshed tears.

“S-Shut the fuck up, Ace!” Saki whined. Ace pressed a cheeky kiss to her clit.

“The only way you’ll do that is if you let me kiss you.” Ace winked, licking her trembling cunt again. Saki reached down and pulled him up. Slamming her lips into his with a moan.

Ace chuckled against her lips, lifting up one of her legs to place it on his shoulder. Bracing himself on one hand, Ace let his cock slip against her cunt. Coating it in the mixture of spit and arousal before placing the tip against her. With his tongue dominating the kiss, he was treated to the intimate feeling of her moan as he split her open. Hotter than the water they left, Ace groaned as he slowly bottomed up in the tight squeeze.

Despite his aching cock, Ace kept a slow pace. Thrusting against Saki as he tasted her soft cries. Crowding her against the futon as she was pinned open for him. He made sure to reach deeply, panting into her lips as he started going faster. Harder.

“Ace!” Saki yelped, her ankle digging into his spine. Ace let go of her leg, now confident she would hold onto him. Roughly toying with her breasts as he slammed against her thighs, causing her whole body to jerk under him.

“I’m not too much for you, am I Saki?” Ace taunted, eyeing her bouncing tits and the many marks he made. “Not regretting letting me fuck you in half, are you?”

“No! N-No! A-Ace—ooooh! Ace! Ace!” Saki cried out, trembling around him as he kissed her exposed neck. Tasting her heartbeat with his tongue. Her other leg curled around his hips, pulling him closer as he bit down hard. Groaning as she clenched down on his thick cock.

“Fuck yes. Keep it up, pretty baby. Take it for me.” Ace groaned, bracing himself as he picked up her other leg and threw it over his shoulder. Now railing into her plush thighs hard. “Fuck! Look at you, fucked out on my cock. You like that? Like being split open on my cock, baby?” Ace growled.

Saki nodded, the motion stuttered under his rough thrusts.

“Yes! Yes! I-I love it!” Saki mewled, trembling and crying out for him.

“Then why aren’t you cumming for me? Do I need to fuck you harder, Sa-ki?” Ace panted, shoving his knees under her body to lift up her hips. “This is all for you. It’s only fair that you take everything that’s yours… and I take everything that’s mine. What do you need Sa-ki ba-by? Tell me what will make you cum.”

“O-Oh, yes! A-Ace please f-fuck me harder~!” Saki moaned. Ace eager to do so, slammed down against her, letting the bounce against her ass grow harsh as he fucked her. “C-Cum! I-I w-want it! Please!” Saki screamed.

Ace, startled, slamming down to the hilt and without thought, came. Pouring into her quivering cunt as she moaned, squeezing his pulsing cock. The both of them riding out their high.

Ace was stunned. She… actually came just from that... Slowly, carefully, Ace pulled out. Watching the thick mixture drip from her cunt. His cock throbbed as he grew hard again.

Ace grinned, effortlessly holding up her trembling body as he bit her thigh. Watching as she clenched down, more of his cum dripping from her. His. All of it his, as it should be. He smeared his finger into the thick stream and pushed it back in.

“Teasing me for months and now you waste my cum? Tsk.” Ace chided Saki softly. Lifting up her knees and bracing them against her breasts. Fat of her thighs and tits struggling in the narrow space. Ace’s cock throbbed. “I’m sure you’ll get it right this time.”

Ace speared into her cunt again, the slide effortless despite the tight squeeze.

Saki moaned loudly, struggling to arch her back against the pressure on her knees keeping her down and open.

Ace couldn’t help but give a lewd laugh, kissing her panting lips as he sank deep.

“We have so much to catch up on.” Ace promised. “So, you’re going to take it this time, right? Cause you’re mine. Right?” Ace whispered as Saki trembled.

“Y-Yours!” Saki cried out.

“Good.” Ace growled, fucking her into the futon with lewd, wet slaps. Saki’s voice slurring in a litany of cries and agreement to everything he said.

And Ace encouraged her debauched desperation with his own eagerness. Driving her wild and over the edge again and again until they were exhausted.

Saki looked good in the onsen, naked and wet. But she looked divine in his arms, thighs dripping with his cum and littered with hickeys. At this point, Ace didn’t care if he had to thank his brothers or his own poor sense of direction. He was just glad he finally got touch every inch of Saki’s soft body.

“… Love you, ‘ce.” Saki breathed against his neck, closing her eyes as exhaustion finally took her out. His cock throbbed but went ignored, slowly slipping out of her cunt as it softened. Ace grunted as it fell, resting heavily between her thighs in a lewd smear of cum.

“Love you too, Saki.” Ace whispered back, pulling the blanket over them both before following her into sleep.

[qyuoza]

NO CELESTIAL! — Profiles 2: LOSERS (Official)

Hwang Y/n - Top student of her year and is very popular but keeps to herself a lot. Avoids drama so she’s very neutral most of the time. Is very rowdy around her group of friends exclusively.

Huh Yunjin - Y/n’s best friend besides Jeongin and Beomgyu. Always the best at giving advice when anyone needs it. A party girl who manages to keep her life in check.

Yang Jeongin - The third member of the chaotic bermuda triangle, alongside Y/n and Yunjin. Is pretty popular amongst students for fashion advice and just fashion in general. Doesn’t need to try because he’s just naturally smart.

Shin Yuna - A new friend of Y/n’s that she made in her after school academy who also goes to HYB Elite Academy. A softball varsity at the school. Well known as a boy magnet but puts her passions and studies first.

Lee Chaeryeong - Leader of HYB Elite’s dance crew alongside her sister, Lee Chaeyeon. Student body secretary that does her job well. Very chaotic on the sidelines when school isn’t involved.

Hwang Hyunjin - Everyone thinks he’s related to Y/n but really they aren’t related in any way whatsoever. Art department head and leader, he’s the best of the best. Dances in his free time and is part of the dance troop.

Han Jisung - Underground rapper that goes by J.One along with his group 3RACHA that consists of two other members. Almost always there but he doesn’t know why either. Popular and is seen at every party there is.

Kim Seungmin - Shy but sweet friend that everyone loves. Has a thing with Y/n but they aren’t even official so it’s more so just more than friends but less than lovers. Lets go of Y/n in the long run because they were never serious to begin with. A vocalist in the music department.

masterlist.

prev. // next.

taglist (open! js send me an ask or dm to be added): @blurredplatform @ox1-lovesick

© qyuoza 2022 -. no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any manner without the permission from the publisher.

[fundieshaderoom]

Fundie Families and Adjacents I Follow: Robertson

Phil Alexander Robertson- April 24, 1946

Marsha Kay Carroway "Miss Kay"- December 21, 1950

Phil married Kay began dating in 1964 (ages 18ish and 14ish) and married on January 11, 1966. They share 4 sons, 4 daughters-in-law, 16 grandchildren, 10 grandchildren-in-law, and 18 great-grandchildren. Phil has one daughter from an affair which gave him an additional 2 grandsons, 2 granddaughters-in-law, and 2 great-grandsons.

1- Marshal Alan "Alan"- January 5, 1965

2- Jason Silas "Jase"- August 16, 1969

3- Willie Jess- April 22, 1972

4- Phyllis- 1975

5- Jules Jeptha "Jep"- May 28, 1978

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

Alan married Lisa Gibson (November 7, 1965) on November 9, 1984, when they were both 19. They share 2 daughters, 2 sons-in-law, and 6 grandchildren, and 1 grandson-in-law.

1- Elizabeth Anna "Anna"- February 28, 1986

2- Katie Alexis "Alex"- November 30, 1987

Anna is married to Jay Stone. They share 3 children

1- Carley- November 27, 2005

2- Bailey Kay- November 5, 2007

3- Sage- August 2014

Carley married Joey Congemi on April 22, 2024.

Alex is married to Vinny Mancuso. They share 3 children.

1- Corban Marshal- March 29, 2014

2- Doc Santino- April 28, 2016

3- Pearl- September 26, 2017

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

Jase married Melissa Louise West "Missy" (April 22, 1971) in 1990. They share 3 children, 1 daughter-in-law, and 3 grandchildren.

1- Reed Silas- May 15, 1995

2- Cole Foster- December 4, 1997

3- Mia Elaine- September 12, 2003

Reed married Brighton Thompson (September 16, 1996) on October 29, 2016, at ages 21 and 20. They share 3 children.

1- Merris Carroway- November 24, 2021

2- David Silas- January 20, 2023

3- Frances Claudia- August 9, 2024

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

Willie married Leslie Koren Howard "Korie". They share 6 children, 5 children-in-law, and 8 grandchildren.

1- Rebecca Lo- October 17, 1988, foster child

2- John Luke- October 11, 1995

3- Sadie Carroway- June 11, 1997

5- Willie Alexander "Will"- November 8, 2001, adopted at 5 weeks

4- Bella Chrysanne- September 16, 2002

6- Rowdy- December 10, 2002, adopted in 2016

Rebecca married John Reed Loflin on December 3, 2016. They share 3 children.

1- Zane Israel- January 11, 2019

2- Holland Lo- December 24, 2022

3- Xander Reed- October 30, 2024

John Luke married Mary Kate McEacharn (May 20, 1996) on June 28, both at age 19. They share 2 children and are expecting another.

1- John Shepherd- October 14, 2019

2- Ella Kathryn- April 8, 2021

3- Wells McEacharn- September 12, 2023

Sadie married Christian Huff (June 9, 1998) on November 25, 2019, at ages 22 and 21. They share 2 daughters.

1- Honey James- May 11, 2021

2- Haven Belle- May 22, 2023

Bella married Jacob Mayo (July 22, 1999) on June 5, 2021, at ages 18 and 21.

Willie Jr. married Abby Kay Hammond on April 28, 2023

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

Phyllis- 1975

Tony Thomas

Phyllis and Tony were wed in 1994. They share 2 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, and two grandsons.

1- Grant- March 3

2- Joel B- November 20, 1997

Grant is married to Julie LaBaube. They share 2 sons.

1- Theo- March 2022

2- Harrison- May 2024

Joel married Kendall Devan (February 12, 1997) in July 2020

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

Jep married Jessica Pamela Strickland (November 12, 1980) in 2001. They share 5 children and 2 sons-in-law, and 1 grandchild.

1- Lillian Mae "Lily"- December 26, 2002

2- Merritt Decatur- July 30, 2004

3- Priscilla June- August 4, 2006

4- River Alexander- December 5, 2008

5- Jules Augustus "Gus"- November 6, 2015, adopted

Lily married Austin Stalbaum (May 2003) on June 5, 2023. They share a child.

Baby Boy- 2025

Merritt married Tyler Metro on June 5, 2024.

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

[colemckenzies]

I posted 3,319 times in 2022

1,213 posts created (37%)

2,106 posts reblogged (63%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@colemckenzies

@thebreakfastgenie

@doctorhawkeye

@kies-carreras

@flightlesslovers

I tagged 2,446 of my posts in 2022

Only 26% of my posts had no tags

#q - 806 posts

#mash - 49 posts

#anne with an e - 41 posts

#community - 35 posts

#boy meets world - 32 posts

#hawk plays things - 30 posts

#hawk plays danganronpa - 28 posts

#ted lasso - 28 posts

#star trek - 27 posts

#:) - 25 posts

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

See the full post

299 notes - Posted April 6, 2022

#4

my good friend ishmael emailing me his whale scrapbook . his whale tumblr webweave.

395 notes - Posted December 5, 2022

#3

everyone in the whale weekly tag talking about ishmael being suicidally depressed no one talking about how his intrusive thought about it is to knock people's hats off.

525 notes - Posted November 21, 2022

#2

See the full post

665 notes - Posted April 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

when the porridge starts getting a little rowdy in the microwave so you have to open the door until it settles down

37,033 notes - Posted May 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[jankwritten]

I posted 9,419 times in 2022

That's 9,419 more posts than 2021!

246 posts created (3%)

9,173 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@kindofapieceofshit

@paddooo

@theonlycabbage

@archive-of-our-own

@theradicalace

I tagged 4,098 of my posts in 2022

#pjo - 460 posts

#jason grace - 431 posts

#hoo - 369 posts

#nico di angelo - 277 posts

#percy jackson - 178 posts

#leo valdez - 134 posts

#jasico - 105 posts

#annabeth chase - 90 posts

#omgcp - 75 posts

#piper mclean - 72 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#in the meantime. love y’all. anyone who reads this and anyone who doesn’t. y’all are important no matter who you are. you deserve to hear it

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Jason and Nico being able to unmask around one another for pretty much the first time ever is one of my favorite things about them. Like no matter if their relationship is romantic or platonic or if they're even just acquaintances, I feel like there's always this prevailing sense that the two of them get each other better than most people get them. They also both suffer the same "curse" of identity - they want people to see them for who they are, but people tend to only see them for who their parent is. They hear Jason Grace and think son of Jupiter before they think anything else. They hear Nico di Angelo and they think child of Hades before any other thought comes to mind. These two are the only people for each other (that they know of so far, anyways) who hear their names and think friend, or dork, or nerd about temples first.

Sure, I understand that they didn't always start out that way. Jason in canon had a LOT of issues to work through when he was on the Argo - he had his memories wiped, he was in a relationship with a girl he wasn't sure he really remembered, he was being told to be a leader even though Percy also wanted to be a leader, and so he treated Nico the way he did because it was what everyone else expected of him. But then he saw Nico open up, or more he saw Nico be forced to open up, and he realized that he didn't have to obey what everyone else thought anymore. He saw this guy who was struggling, who was hurt and hated and he saw himself in that guy, and he wanted to help.

I just think Jason and Nico's relationship is so fucking awesome. The one that they tend to have in fanon, anyways, I haven't reread HoO recently enough to form an opinion about their canon relationship. I think it's fucking awesome that we have these two characters that, to us, bond so well.

238 notes - Posted April 29, 2022

#4

currently writing an AU where Chiron convinces Sally to take Nico home after the summer camp session is done because despite all they've tried, Nico isn't getting better mentally and it's clear that the atmosphere around camp is inhibiting him (kids still treating him like shit, his own feelings of inadequacy regarding his parentage, the way it reminds him of waiting for Bianca and Percy to come back only to learn Bianca would never come back, etc.)

So Sally Jackson takes Nico home with her and Percy, and Percy is PISSED. Like beyond angry, will not talk to Nico and is a total dick to him most of the time because he's a 17 year old boy who's finally going to see his mama again and NOW HE'S GOT THIS SHITTY LITTLE FUCKING SIDEKICK who he's still not TOTALLY convinced isn't in love with his girlfriend despite Nico literally coming out to him. In this AU Percy is definitely still dealing with a lot of his own trauma and none of it in a super healthy manner - hence, he hates Nico.

At least, that's how it was supposed to go. Now Percy and Nico have bonded into essentially being brothers. They wrestle in the backyard so often Sally has taken to spraying them with the garden hose when they're being too rowdy. They bicker and fight over whose turn it is to walk Mrs. O'Leary. They end up having to go to the same school (Nico kept getting kicked out of the other ones) and Percy defends Nico from people being dicks while simultaneously being a dick to him (but lovingly).

I love it when AUs get totally out of hand from what I originally wanted them to be and I elect to make this Jason Grace's fault for becoming Nico's boyfriend when I wasn't paying attention. Jason put Percy and Nico into a get-along shirt.

also Nico and Annabeth become good friends because she's around a lot and she finds him an invaluable resource on the topics that she can never wrap her head around, things that are too old to even really be in any online databases - things that Nico can access by speaking to the dead. They start off being very iffy about one another but by the end they are also Practically Siblings.

309 notes - Posted May 10, 2022

#3

I think that Jason has a stuffed animal that one of his guardians in New Rome have to him when he was a baby. A wolf or a fox or some other dog/cat-like creature - maybe even a stuffed hellhound or something, something that he rediscovers on accident while in the 5th Cohort’s barracks, something that makes him sit down on the floor holding it in his hands and cry, for some reason, something he can’t even remember but he knows was important to him once upon a time.

460 notes - Posted October 9, 2022

#2

Okay so the last time I read HoO was in middle school, like JUST before blood of olympus came out, so ofc i have a very bad memory for the details of certain scenes but like this 100% happened, I thought that maybe i didn't remember it right or something but. I mean it's right there so.

1,190 notes - Posted September 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

See now I think it would be really funny if IN CANON Hermes was Lin Manuel Miranda. Like in the show he is still the exact same as he is IRL. Hermes wrote Hamilton. He got bored of listening to Apollo prattling on about Broadway so he went out in disguise as a mortal and Did That.

That’s the only way I will accept him as Hermes, is if THAT is the reason.

4,711 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

(Tumblr telling me how to use tags makes me want to throttle somebody KAMDKCKMSNF BUT THIS WAS FUN TO SEE)

[wolfswitcheryanimations]

I posted 158 times in 2022

That's 51 more posts than 2021!

115 posts created (73%)

43 posts reblogged (27%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@abkspam

@nightvalezine

@aprofessionalwithoutstandards

@clockworkcheetah

@wolfswitcheryanimations

I tagged 140 of my posts in 2022

Only 11% of my posts had no tags

#art - 115 posts

#artists on tumblr - 113 posts

#tf2 - 30 posts

#team fortress 2 - 22 posts

#original art - 20 posts

#tf2 fanart - 14 posts

#sonic - 13 posts

#tf2 heavy - 10 posts

#oc - 9 posts

#sonic fanart - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 47 characters

#medic can wear senketsu bc he's built different

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

You know what? I like you. *sonicfies your queer horror podcast protags*

(Picrew by @crowesn , link under pictures)

See the full post

40 notes - Posted April 29, 2022

#4

Hey gamers! Anatomically-Correct Heart Eyes Chapter 6 is taking quite a bit of time to write, so to pass the time, here's a little spotify playlist!

I tried to make the order of songs line up with the story, but if you don't give two shits about my fanfic, you can enjoy the mildly disturbing love songs and two versions of "Lay All Your Love On Me" regardless.

So what are you waiting for, go and listen to some bangers! (And check out Anatomically-Correct-Heart-Eyes on Ao3 and Fanfiction.net!

ID: The first image has Medic has his eyes closed and his hands upholding his head, little love hearts to the right of his head. Heavy is behind him, looking confused. In the top left is text saying "ROMANCE AND VIOLENCE, HELL YEAH - A Red Oktoberfest Playlist", with the two's emblems on top.

The second image, below the playlists' title, is a list of the songs in the playlist, them being The Mighty Fall - Fall Out Boy, Hold It In - Jukebox the Ghost, Obsessed With You - The Orion Experience, Mamma Mia - ABBA, Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town - Talking Heads, Everybody Talks - Neon Trees, UWU (Band Version) - Chevy, Park Bird, The Too Much Song - Lemon Demon, Love, Me Normally - Will Wood, Take Me to Church - Hosier, Your Body, My Temple- Will Wood, Lay All Your Love On Me - ABBA, Lay All Your Love On Me - Brian David Gilbert, A Little Bit Mine - Will Wood, I Love You for Psychological Reasons - TMBG, and Happy Together (feat. Ray Toro) - Gerald Way. Below that is text saying "I WILL TAKE SONG REQUESTS!" End ID)

41 notes - Posted February 11, 2022

#3

[ID: Knuckles and Sonic being held up by Tails, who is trying to hold both of them up. End ID]

Wasn't expecting Sonic to be my new hyperfixation, but then again I was expecting to not expect something, so it doesn't count.

+ Bonus meme redraw, original by @makohjey

See the full post

54 notes - Posted April 20, 2022

#2

6 ships thing I did on Instagram! 5 out of 6 ships on this chart would kill you without hesitation!

See the full post

56 notes - Posted May 22, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

[ID: The Rowdy Three van from DGHDA, shown from it's left side, all beat up and covered in graffiti. End ID]

Ok, so this was going to have the R3 all littered around it, but that would've taken forever to draw, so here's a van.

Commissions

141 notes - Posted April 19, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[mai-han]

Several announcements will play in sequence:

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧ ALL TIMES ARE IN PACIFIC TIME  ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

This week's schedule has been swapped around!

Monday: Fortnite with the Rowdy Ruckus Boys at 8:30 PM Tuesday: GENSHIN IMPACT  (8:30 PM or earlier)  Wednesday: Harvestella (9:00 PM or later) Thursday: FFXIV 6.25 - Another Sil'dihn Subterane progging (V&C Dungeon Spoilers) (Around 8:30 PM) Friday: Harvestella at 6:30 PM Saturday: GENSHIN IMPACT (Starts at 10:30 AM and streaming all day for my birthday !)

 ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧  GENSHIN IMPACT SPONSOR STREAM INFORMATION ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧ 

I've been wanting to get back into Genshin, and with perfect timing, received an opportunity for some sponsored streams, and need your help! 

I am offering a quest to new players to sign up on mobile and reach adventure Rank 6 with me! You can play on mobile or PC but you must signed up on mobile first!

Requirements 

Use my unique link to sign up: https://strms.net/genshin_na_maihan_ 

You must be a new player. Existing players with new accounts on the same machine do not count. 

You must sign up on mobile FIRST. Genshin Impact can be played on Mobile or PC, but you must sign up on mobile first 

Reach adventure rank 6! 

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧  Regarding Harvestella  ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

I will be playing as much Harvestella as I can this week, but will put it on hold until after I play and beat Crisis Core Reunion (releases Dec 13) 

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧ Save The Date! ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

On Thursday, December 15, 2022 7:00 PM I will be participating in a stream raid train! Please join the festivities!

Check out everyone on the train here!: https://tinyurl.com/bdb57jac

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧ Feeding America ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ༶•┈┈⛧┈♛ ♛┈⛧┈┈•༶ :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

Thanks to everyone's generosity, we're nearly half way to our goal! You can donate to or share this link: https://tiltify.com/@maihan/hanchus-feeding-america

[wewerepromisedsomuch]

Live Review: Confidence Man @ O2 Institute, Birmingham

Artist: Confidence Man

Venue:  O2 Institute, Birmingham, UK

Date: 23rd November 2022

Rating: 8.0/10

After being the toast of the festival circuit this summer can Confidence Man replicate such carefree hedonism on a drizzly November night in Birmingham? Yes, yes they can! Whether it’s performing on a barmy summer’s day or the modest confines of the O2 Institute, the Australian quartet know how to unleash giddy party vibes with aplomb. The foursome’s dance-pop revelry is nothing but upbeat and brimming with silly joy as they sashay through choice cuts from their two studio albums ‘Confident Music for Confident People’ and ‘TILT’, along with a few singles and an inspired cover to close off the night.  

What can you expect from a Confidence Man show? A performance, that’s what. Tonight’s gig isn’t just four people on stage dialling it in, this is high energy pop with numerous costume changes and simple yet effective synchronised dance moves, all delivered with a poker-face as they bound around like they’re doing an aerobic workout. Taking to the stage in oversized suits, a la David Byrne in Talking Heads’ seminal documentary ‘Stop Making Sense’, front pairing Janet Planet and Sugar Bones kick off their pulse racing set with ‘Toy Boy’ and ‘Out the Window’. Utilising their props with style, their exaggerated formal wear takes on its own persona while the duo round their shoulders to the sound of thumping dance music supplied by Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild. While Planet and Bones are the main focal point, what with their flailing limbs and non-stop vitality, McGuffie and Goodchild are more discreet in their stage get-up; they’re dressed like ninja beekeepers with their faces obscured by black veils – of course!

After rattling through the first four songs of the evening, the suits are removed in favour of neon flashing shoulder pads and white trousers for Bones and a white fringed flapper dress and a Madonna-esque conical bra that strobes with all the colours of the rainbow for Planet. It’s at this point where the tempo ratchets up and the frenetic duo leap into overdrive. 90s house music infiltrates the night and a Balearic tone intoxicates the heaving Brummie contingent. Champagne is sprayed, sunglasses are donned and arms are hurled skyward; forget Birmingham, squint your eyes and this could be Ibiza and the debauchery of Manumission back in the day. The likes of ‘Does It Make You Feel Good?’, ‘Feels Like a Different Thing’ and ‘Luvin U is Easy’ go down a storm as you would want and expect. Not forgetting the tongue-in-cheek silliness of the group, there’s a healthy dollop of satire as the front pairing spell out “cool” with similar arm movements to the YMCA on ‘C.O.O.L Party’ at the heart of the main set. After another costume change, this time floaty snakeskin-like bohemian fabric billows like ship sails, the pair bring proceedings to a close with ‘Boyfriend (Repeat)’ and fan favourite ‘Holiday’. The latter is the perfect way to round off Confidence Man’s Birmingham show, with both performers and audience fused in an anthemic, rowdy union.

Wait, what’s this, surely they can’t top the flawless ‘Holiday’? Well, apparently they can and they did. A two song encore is triggered by ‘Relieve the Pressure’ which doesn’t quite match the effervescence of ‘Holiday’ but the colossal synth stabs of ‘Heaven’, a cover of DJ Sammy’s trance smash hit (which in-turn is a Bryan Adams cover) signals one last hurrah with frantic dancing from band and punters.

Striding out of festival season Confidence Man were coronated band of the summer and on the strength of tonight’s show they might need to be upgraded to band of the year.

 Word and thoughts by Adam Williams

 Photography by Naomi Abbs-Williams

[90363462]

Inspirational Anime Couples That Are Absolutely Perfect for Each Other

Steven JohnSeptember 24, 2022

Think about some of the most famous couples from arts and literature, not to mention from world history. There is the tragic love of Romeo and Juliet, of course, and the ill-fated bond between Antony and Cleopatra. Far more recently, Marge and Homer Simpson (somehow) endure, while David and Patrick from Schitt’s Creek inspire relationship goals. Those relationships, from plays, films and television, share little in common, except for an undeniable love. A similar bond can be found elsewhere, too, among some of the best anime couples.

RELATED: 120 of the Best Anime Quotes of All Time

As any fan can attest, there are numerous anime couples every bit as compelling as any presented by Shakespeare. Among the many cute anime couples are some from famous properties like Dragon Ball Z. Others are more obscure, at least to anyone who isn’t an anime fan. However, they will charm those who give them a chance.

Before we discuss some of the best anime couples, let’s first make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to the medium.

What Is Anime, Anyway?

Dragon Ball Z

Long story short, “anime” generated refers to animated television series or movies that originate in Japan. However, in Japan, it’s a blanket term for any animated work, regardless of where it was produced.

The word itself is not shorthand for the English term “animation.” Rather, it’s how “animated cartoon” is said in Japanese. There are aspects of anime that are seen as typical, such as dramatic action, and exaggerated expressions and body movements. But in terms of the storylines and settings, the field is broad. That’s one of the reasons there are so many wonderful anime couples. Their love stories can be found anywhere the writers and illustrators can create.

Here are six of the best anime couples you can find.

Misaki and Usui, ‘Kaichou wa Maid-Sama‘

Often called simply Maid Sama!, Kaichō wa Meido-sama! (“The Class President Is a Maid!”) is based on the manga series by Hiro Fujiwara. The title mostly gives away the premise. It’s a romantic comedy that centers around Misaki Ayuzawa, the first female student council president of the former all-boys school. Although she develops a reputation for disliking her rowdy male classmates, Misaki secretly works after school at a maid cafe, to support her family. Unfortunately, Takumi Usui, a popular boy at school, discovers her secret.

RELATED: 15 Amazing Female Anime Characters and What Your Favorite Says About You

Maid Sama! work so well because the main characters are in a classic “opposites attract” scenario. Initially it seems as though there’s every reason for them not to become romantically involved. Heck, they should actively repel each other. The series endeared fans to hard-working Misaki and to Usui, the archetypal big man on campus. They love how, even with the decks stacked against them, these two stuck it out.

Winry and Edward, ‘Fullmetal Alchemist‘

Winry is one of the most popular female anime characters. That shouldn’t be surprising, given the role she plays in Fullmetal Alchemist. Created by Hiromu Arakawa, it follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric as they try to undo the damage following a failed attempt to bring resurrect their mother.

Winry keeps Edward going, quite literally, using her mechanic skills to restore his prosthetic arm and leg, as needed. Their bond, which began in childhood, grows into true love. They become one of the best anime couples of all time, anchoring the beloved steampunk world of Fullmetal Alchemist.

Mikasa and Eren, ‘Attack on Titan‘

Attack on Titan has delighted fans since the manga debuted in 2009. The anime adaptation, which premiered in 2013, won’t air its final episodes until sometime in 2023. Created by Hajime Isyama, Attack on Titan is set in a world where the last remnants of humanity live in cities encircled behind enormous walls, and battle flesh-eating giants known as Titans.

RELATED: These Disney “Failures” Prove Your Idea of Success May Be Wrong

Arguably the most enduring element of the series is the love story of Erin and Mikasa, which is all the more poignant because it is doomed. Much will be spoiled right here, so be warned. So doomed is their love that it’s none other than Mikasa who slays Eren. Given his turn to darkness, she has little choice. Before she does, however, they endure — even when their relationship is strained beyond belief.

It’s not a pretty romance, but the feelings between Mikasa and Eren are undeniable, if undeniably sad.

Yuki and Kaname, ‘Vampire Knight’

What is it about vampires and their romantic lives that we humans find so difficult to resist? From Bram Stoker’s Dracula to Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, people love when vampires fall in love, especially when the objection of their desire isn’t another vampire.

RELATED: She-Hulk’s Sexual Liberation Is Crucial for Marvel and Disney+

That’s certainly the case with Vampire Knight. Based on the manga by Matsuri Hino, the romantic storyline is a complicated one. As usual, a human, Yuki, develops romantic feelings for a vampire, Kaname. But in this case, Yuki is also the object of the affection of Zero, her adoptive brother, who is an avowed vampire hater and hunter. That would complicate matters enough on their own. But, as it happens, Zero is leading a secret double life … as a vampire.

Meliodas and Elizabeth, ‘Seven Deadly Sins’

Don’t worry, Meliodas and Elizabeth have a happy ending in Seven Deadly Sins. After the defeat of the Demon King and Cath, they even get married and have a child, named Tristan. However, it takes this popular anime couple a long time to get there.

RELATED: Walt Disney’s Life Story: A Mouse, Eternal Life, and a Stolen Rabbit

Both characters are shown to have had difficult lives before Nakaba Suzuki’s Seven Deadly Sins even begins. And we do means lives. In this series, the characters are reborn many times over. Set in a magical world resembling medieval Europe, the story follows seven knights, each of whom represents one of the Deadly Sins (pride, wrath, envy, greed, lust, gluttony and sloth). The leader, Meliodas, is tasked with reuniting the knights after they disband in disgrace. His love story with Elizabeth dates back generations, during which time he has witnessed her die time and again.

With each death and rebirth, Meliodas gets closer to becoming the good person he wants to be — and to not losing Elizabeth again.

Trunks and Mai, ‘Dragon Ball Z’

One of the mot influential anime of all time, Dragon Ball Z predates the other properties on this list. The 1989 sequel to Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, the anime continues the adventures of Son Goku as he battles the enemies of Earth. That includes everything from evil robots to alien invaders to magical monsters. That may not sound like a premise ripe for romance, but it certainly was. Only not for Goku, always seems more interested in training or fighting than in romance or family.

No, the true romantic couple to watch in Dragon Ball Z is Trunks and Mai. Although Mai is a “mere” human she bravely fights beside Trunks’ side. It only makes sense that both of these characters survive the apocalypse, and that their romance is not only intact but stronger after the many trials and tribulations.

KEEP READING: 

Chris Evans Reacted to Captain America’s Virginity Reveal – Why Is It a Big Deal?

Steven John

Steven John is a writer based near New York City (after 12 years in LA, four in Boston, and the first 18 just outside DC). When not writing or spending time with his wife, son, and daughter, he frequently jogs and bikes, sometimes gets in a kayak, and occasionally climbs mountains. He writes for several major outlets, and his novels can be found on his website stevenjohnbooks.com