#Shrine Reviews

[zedecksiew]

Monument vs Shrine

In "Replica, Aura, and Late Nationalist Imaginings", the political scientist Benedict Anderson (most famous for his Southeast Asia scholarship and that definitive critique of nationalism, Imagined Communities) muses on the Lincoln memorial:

Within a temple explicitly mimicking "the religious edifices of a safely pagan Greece";

Mazda Corp floodlights designed "to ward off unnatural, indifferent sunlight";

The abstract enshrinements of "Lincoln's memory" in the "hearts of the people", while neither Lincoln's actual remains or any rites for people to perform are present;

The sense that ultimately the most reverential thing to do there is to take photographs.

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The Lincoln Memorial; the Jefferson memorial next to it; both figures repeated again on Mt Rushmore; both figures repeated ad nauseum on dollar bills.

These monuments are designed to proliferate. Not only must they create a sober, stately experience for the visitor---but they must also do so consistently, because they are built for visitors: the mass audience of the national population.

Otherwise they must be physically replicable: a memorial to a particular national hero, erected in every city.

The very format of monument-building get copied:

Post-colonial countries, in need of new myths, choose to manufacture national cenotaphs of their own, in imitation of Western models.

Malaysia has Putrajaya, a federal capital sprung ex nihilo from palm-oil agricultural land, its buildings all arches and onion domes and imitation arc de triomphes in inhuman scale, its avenues broad and utterly unwalkable in the tropical heat.

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At such monuments the citizen is cast as tourist.

Of this state-sanctioned object of devotion you are encouraged to take photographs, sell merchandise---ie: continue the process of replication. With every copy nationalism is reified.

God forbid you tweak the official monument with your own meanings, though! While writing this post, I found the following story, from December 2023:

"Lincoln Memorial temporarily closed after being vandalized with 'Free Gaza' graffiti"

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Anderson's essay cites instances where the personal and irreproducible sneak back into, or leak out from, or vandalise, national monuments:

"Early in the 1910s,"---in Manila's Cementerio del Norte, a municipal cemetery planned by an American urban designer---"a small pantheon was constructed for the interment of Filipino national heroes."

This monument was to emulate the Pantheon in Paris, where "great Frenchmen" of the national canon are memorialised.

But the Filipino version failed.

"Today, hardly anyone in the Philippines is aware of this dilapidated pantheon's existence ... What has happened is that the Filipino Voltaire and Rousseau have managed to escape, summoning devoted, often familial bodysnatchers, to convey them to home-town shrines."

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Not that the municipal cemetery itself is deserted. Custodians and their families live in the very mausoleums they care for.

Further, Anderson describes All Saints' Eve in the Cementerio del Norte, when thousands pour into its precincts.

But these multitudes adjourn to their own myriad family graves and small ancestral shrines: spending the day with immediate loved ones, "drinking, praying, gambling, making offerings ..."

Most of the Philippines' presidents have mausoleums in Norte, "but no one pays attention to them ... and only their separate descendants come to attend them."

"There is something exhilarating here that one rarely sees in national celebrations, maybe because the structure of the ceremonial is not serial, but entirely cellular."

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Hometowns re-exerting themselves within the nation; ordinary people scrawling meaning onto the edifices of the uppercase-P People. A multitude of the singular, instead of a single mass.

Despite nationalism's efforts to centralise and clone a national identity, still we mutate, still we bootleg, still we graffiti, becoming once again ourselves.

And---particular to post-colonial societies---in doing so we casually continue the work of liberation, sneaking the idea of freedom away from our own architects and elites and prime ministers, who would seek to seize its meaning for their own purposes.

The churches or mosques or temples to demos that the federal government builds are ours to transform. To take from. To ignore.

"No need. We've got our own shrines at home."

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National heroes become local saints and slip out of national control.

Does the Filipino government really control the various Rizalista sects? Karpal Singh is now a datuk kong, without his political dynasty's consent.

Across Melaka and Negeri Sembilan there once existed shrines dedicated to Hang Tuah, Malay folk hero, now a powerful figurehead of Malay-Muslim ethno-nationalism.

One such shrine existed at Tanjung Tuan:

With a plain altar---more a porch, really---of poured cement, for folk to leave food offerings;

Sunlight mottled from the surrounding forest, and fluorescent lights from a nearby gazebo;

A large rock, with an indent on its crown, said to be Hang Tuah's actual footprint;

The idea that this was a sacred space, where you could come to ask the spirits of the place for love or children.

The shrine that existed was sited in a forest reserve. It was swept clean of leaves by locals; its adherents belonged to all faiths and ethnicities; following the transactional logic of folk religion, those who had received its blessing would've paid for its maintenance.

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"Existed".

Because the Religious Department of the State of Melaka destroyed the Hang Tuah shrine sometime in 2022, for the crime of idolatry.

A double heresy. An affront to both orthodox Sunni Islam---

But also to the Malaysian state, that sanctions Sunni Islam as its official religion; whose nationalism requires its mythic hero to have only the attributes and magics the state ulama and historians say he must have---and no others.

Local shrines are destroyed, because the nation-state intuits them to be threats to its exclusive franchise.

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Image sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_five-dollar_bill https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Putrajaya https://www.facebook.com/PilipinasRetrostalgia https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/984521.shtml https://www.facebook.com/PerakPress https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malays_(ethnic_group)

[snuuufi]

what the actual fuck victoria secret ad is this bullshit

[fuckinmemesman]

have no fear, I came back with a positive post to make up for yesterday's complaining!

[jokerlennon]

i love downloading fonts. teehee i can use a font frequently used by the monkees any time i want. why would i ever want to do that? im not sure yet but i'm sure i'll figure something out

[meredoubt]

Shar's gonna find out that it's On Sight. Dirge can condone patricide/matricide, but he draws the line at making him have to be the bearer of bad news to his best friend.

[caimitos]

there r no group of people more superstitious that students about to take a test.....my bangs r pissing me off but i'm too scared to cut them until november i'm sleeping next to my reviewers and i got my pencils sharpened by some lecturers i really liked for good luck. they're labeled and tucked away safely and i'm beginning to realize this is probably how white women are with their crystals

[lizeon]

me on payday: ok, gotta save some money, don't go too crazy for these next two weeks

also me:

oops

[luwupercal]

re: the tumblr news: no particular plans to move anywhere yet but semi-seriously considering backtracking through all my shitposting and creating a neocities site to contain it

[vennilavee]

I posted 3,918 times in 2022

576 posts created (15%)

3,342 posts reblogged (85%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@hoennislands

@mintmatcha

@vennilavee

@playfulcl0ud

@phen0l

I tagged 2,934 of my posts in 2022

Only 25% of my posts had no tags

#jjk - 640 posts

#asks - 223 posts

#shut up saran - 149 posts

#fic rec - 116 posts

#geto - 106 posts

#rb - 93 posts

#jjk rec - 89 posts

#gojo - 79 posts

#levi - 73 posts

#s - 68 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#dean trying to keep the peace but sam trying to go his own way and screaming at his father in the middle of a road in the middle of the nig

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

the six of cups

pairing: geto x reader, background satosugu

summary: Tokyo and Kyoto have been ravaged by a serial killer targeting women. You're a journalist in the middle of it all and as the city grows more and more afraid, your determination to find the killer never wanes. In the middle of all of this, lies the fate of your relationship with your boyfriend and colleague, Geto Suguru.

warnings: this is a slasher au, there is murder, sex, blood, drugs, lying

word count: 10.3k

a/n: written for @strawberrystepmom's halloween collab (this is long overdue). i hope you enjoy and please rb/leave a comment/leave an ask if you did!

“Did you see the email that came through from corporate?” Mei Mei asks in a hushed voice, leaning over so that nobody around you can overhear. There’s no reason to be so discreet. It’s only you two on this section of the floor anyway. 

“No I didn’t, I’ve been working on this thing for Yaga all morning,” you reply before sending off an email and turning your full attention to her, “Why? What’s up?”

“Gakuganji sent this email to everyone,” she says, standing behind you and leaning over you to scroll through your inbox for you. The end of her braid tickles your forehead but you pay it no mind.  She has a bad habit of doing this, being nosy and prying into things she doesn’t need to pry into. But you allow her to- perhaps the scent of her perfume has deluded your brain.

You rip your eyes away from her freshly manicured lavender colored nails and focus on the screen in front of you. The email reads:

“Due to the increasing number of violent deaths in Kyoto and Tokyo over the last few months, we are recommending that you take precautions in ensuring your own safety. Please be sure to implement a buddy system for the coming months so that we may keep track of everyone’s physical whereabouts. Your safety is our top priority. Stay tuned for further updates.”

“Seriously? Keep track of everyone’s physical whereabouts? More like they want to make sure we’re alive so we can work until either we die or we’re killed by Tokyo’s latest serial killer,” you mutter, exiting out of the email.

“Is there a difference? Did you like how they just said ‘violent deaths’ and didn’t address the fact that it’s all been women who have been turning up dead?”

“Isn’t it weird that this is happening in both Tokyo and Kyoto?” you murmur, “What a weird choice to make.”

“Maybe you can ask the killer in person why they chose Tokyo and Kyoto to conduct their murder sprees next time we work late,” Mei Mei jokes.

“Yeah, I’ll definitely get a posthumous Pulitzer for that.”

Your job as a journalist hasn’t been completely glamorous over the last twelve years or so. You’ve gone from assistant, to intern, to junior editor, to junior editor and columnist. Now your role is a bit of a mixed bag- you’re mostly an editor and an investigator. And you dabble in overseeing the interns, to say the least. 

You didn’t have the ambition to be the best in your field, something some of your coworkers couldn’t understand. You just wanted to tell the truth because that’s what people deserve. And you’ve always had a knack for storytelling and weaving intricate words and topics together.

So here you were, starting your thirteenth year at the publishing company, itching for another series of truths to uncover.

You shut your laptop down and pack your bag as Mei Mei does the same in her cubicle. It’s a Friday evening and most of your team has taken to working from home on Fridays. You and Mei Mei happened to be here to finish up an article that’s due to Yaga on the following Tuesday. Otherwise, you’d be in your sweatpants in the comfort of your home with a warm drink in your hands.

But you’re not alone in the office. Another fellow coworker comes strutting towards you and you’re unable to suppress your groan and the roll of your eyes so far back into your head that you’re certain you see your own skull.  

Geto Suguru with the audacity to lean against the wall of your cubicle with that stupid smirk and those stupid obsidian eyes. 

You ignore him, and ignore the swirl of desire in the pit of your stomach. You refuse to be weak in the knees for him, not this time.

“C’mon, Mei Mei,” you say, meeting Geto’s amused eyes and not breaking eye contact, “Let’s go home.”

Mei Mei glances between the two of you, wondering why you sound so angry and why he’s just looking at you with that irritatingly mocking grin of his. The one she knows you’re weak for.

“Aw, but didn’t you see Gakuganji’s email? We need a buddy system,” he says, false honey in his voice and on his tongue.

You don’t reply, instead pushing past him and waiting for Mei Mei at the door.

“Uh,” she whispers once you’re far enough away from Geto that he won’t be able to hear, “Are you guys good?”

“Yup,” you reply crisply, popping the ‘p’, “I’ve just decided that he’s not worth my time anymore.”

“Oh, so now you listen? After like, six months?” Mei Mei chides, “I told you he was no good.”

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163 notes - Posted November 30, 2022

#4

hi hi saran!!! how about 19 for the kisses prompt <33

ty for the prompt aman, hope u enjoy!!

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Suguru gasps as your freshly manicured nails (a pretty olive green, at his request) lightly rake over his chest. You only grin wildly at him, pushing your lips to his hastily. Despite his protests, he bends easily to your will as you lick into his mouth and suck his tongue. He groans into your mouth, the sound as beautiful as the way he looks in front of you with his hair loose.

“Why shouldn’t we be doing this?” you murmur into his ear when his lips descend to the column of your neck. He inhales deeply and nips at your skin, taking a moment to respond. He peers into the depths of your eyes- you both know the answer. But still you only offer him a starry smile.

“Satoru won’t like this,” he finally replies.

“So? If he wanted to join, he’d just have to ask,” you grin, eyes twinkling as if you have a secret he knows nothing about. And maybe you do, but instead, Suguru surges forward and swallows your teasing with his tongue. Every part of him is so warm, the ridges of his muscles flexing and melting under your touch. You feel your body come alight under his sharp gaze. Nothing gets past this man.

Not now and not even nearly twenty years ago, when you were all just teenagers.

“Satoru doesn’t like sharing,” Suguru breathes, “If we’re caught kissing, we’re most likely dead. But let's risk it anyway.” Gojo has always had only one rule when it came to your friendship- he had to be the center of it. It was an unspoken rule, but that was the dynamic of the three of you. Nothing got past Gojo and his abandonment issues, either.

You vividly remember the first and only time Satoru had seen you and Suguru kissing. He had been absolutely calm, the picture of tranquility. But you both knew the rage behind his sunglasses. How dare his best friends leave him behind? How dare they even consider it?

It wasn’t that long ago that Satoru had caught you both dry humping each other in your living room. The fact that he had a spare key was both a blessing and a curse. But what did he expect- that you and Suguru would deny your feelings for his benefit?

Yes, actually. That is what he expected. Satoru is as emotionally stunted as they come and somehow, it’s taken you this long to understand him. To understand the way the three of you existed within each other.

Suguru misses the slick stretch of your lips into a sly smile and the mischief in your eyes. You tug him towards you again, groaning into his mouth at the feel of his hardness against your thigh. He is all consuming, the way he’s settled in between the crevices of your rough, calloused skin over the years. He’s ingrained himself into your bones-

The same way Satoru has. Do they exist without you? Do you exist without them?

“What’s this about not sharing?” comes a voice that makes Suguru pull away for a second. He meets your amused eyes and follows the direction of where the offending voice came from.

Suguru only grins roguishly at his best friend, ignoring the heat in Satoru’s gaze. He leans back against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. To anyone else, he’d seem apathetic. But to you and Suguru… well, you both know better.

“Suguru says you’re no good at sharing,” you goad Satoru, “Wanna prove him wrong?”

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184 notes - Posted January 27, 2022

#3

NECTAR

pairing: bartender sukuna x chubby reader (no curses au)

summary: it takes purple, blue and pink lights and your elusive neighbor, sukuna, for you to come out of the funk you're in. or, sukuna is your not so new attractive but harsh neighbor in your apartment building. you've taken a liking to showing up to his bar. he thinks you're annoying, the way you burst into the doors of his bar as if you own the place (you don't, he does). then, he finds himself looking forward to your sudden appearances. what changed?

warnings: alcohol, cursing, naoya makes an appearance, feelings of insecurity/questioning self worth, smut (spitting, some dirty talk, penetrative sex, kissing); this is an 18+ story

word count: 7.5k

a/n: can be read as a prequel to LOVE TALK, but can also be read as a standalone. enjoy!

Ryomen Sukuna is relatively new to the apartment building. He’d been saving up to move to a newer place, a place with amenities in a city-esque kind of feel, for the last few years. In between ensuring that his younger brother Yuuji was taken care of, and tirelessly working two jobs to support the both of them… He’d finally made it.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough for him. Besides, he thinks he’s earned a few ounces of luxury, considering the life he’s lived.

Yuuji’s in his third year at university and currently living with his best friend, Fushiguro Megumi. It’s the first time in his entire thirty-something years of life that Sukuna has truly, fully been alone.

It’s still taking some adjusting to, but he thinks he’s enjoying it. He’s already located his favorite bakery, close to his bar. The couple who owns it has his morning order memo​​rized, complete with hot tea or coffee and fresh bread or melonpan. He’s not usually one for sweets, but he could always go for a matcha melonpan.

It takes a few months (nearly the better part of a year) for him to truly settle in, for him to begrudgingly think of the Fushiguros as family rather than his brother’s friend’s family. He ventures into Toji’s boxing ring with beers and wings at least bi-weekly, and he seems to always have leftovers from Fushiguro-san in his fridge.

Fushiguro-san always mischievously asks if he’s dating anyone or if there are any friends she can set him up with. She seems to always know that he’s lying through his teeth whenever he rolls his eyes and gives her a blunt ‘no’.

The truth is, there is someone who’s gotten under his skin, and it’s one of his pesky neighbors. You live on his floor, just across the hallway. Despite being his neighbor, the first time he had met you was when you had stumbled into his bar with two of your friends.

You’d already been drinking with Utahime and Shoko, as evidenced by your loud giggles and slightly slurred speech. When you approach the bar with both arms tightly wrapped around your friends, Sukuna catches a glimpse of your midriff.

“Hi! Can we-” you gasp, “Hey! You just moved into my building! You’re my neighbor-”

“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed,” Sukuna deadpans, setting aside three glasses for you and your friends. Despite growing up in it, he hates excessive noise and each sound that comes out of your mouth just grates him further. It takes all of his thin patience to keep from snapping at you. You’re still a customer.

“Well, you don’t have to be so rude about it,” you mutter under your breath before giving him your drink order. And precisely after that, you’d flipped him off (with Shoko’s encouragement and Utahime’s disapproval).

Sukuna rolls his eyes. He has a feeling he’ll be doing that quite a bit around you.

From then on, you’d somehow wormed your way into his life. You showed up at his bar, sometimes alone and sometimes with your friends. You didn’t talk much to him, but he caught you looking in his direction more than once. 

You know when you’re wanted, after all.

Sukuna only just started nodding at you in acknowledgement on the floor of your apartment or on the unfortunate instance that you were both caught on the elevator together.

You’ve both come such a far cry from then. From Sukuna’s piercing glares in your direction to him texting you when your rowdy neighbors are causing a ruckus at 2 AM on a Wednesday night. He hates unnecessary noise and you’ve quickly picked up on that. If there is anything you both share common ground over, it’s loud neighbors. In between this time, it’s become a habit that you both take your recycling out the same day and time of the week (on Thursdays) and spend the walk complaining about how loud your floor and your upstairs neighbors can be.

He shouldn’t be so surprised when he starts to reluctantly look forward to you showing up at his bar to hang out with him. Sukuna doesn’t understand why you choose to spend your free evenings at the Kings and Curses. You always stand in the same spot, your favorite spot by the corner of the bartop where you can people-watch. And it’s Sukuna’s favorite spot, too, because your chest nearly always spills out of your shirt whenever you lean over to speak to him. 

You had scoffed at him when he’d asked why you spent so much time at his bar-

“What, I can’t spend time with my favorite neighbor?”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were obsessed with me.”

“Yup, you caught me…” you reply with a heavy roll of your eyes.

Sukuna isn’t used to anyone waiting for his company and in truth, it was a hard adjustment for him to just take a minute and breathe. Living in the moment is a foreign concept to him- he’s used to thinking weeks, months, years into the future. But now that Yuuji is settled in college, now that Sukuna knows he’s happy, healthy and with a good head on his shoulders.

Well. Yuuji’s always been an impulsive kid, but at least Megumi’s around to balance him out. Maybe. But Sukuna’s convinced that Megumi is just as chaotic as Yuuji is. He’s just more composed about it.

People have come and gone but Sukuna has never made it a priority to sink his hands into the ground and build a foundation with healthy roots. Yuuji has always been his priority and sometimes he still struggles to let him go completely. To allow him to make his own mistakes and have his own success stories.

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282 notes - Posted May 29, 2022

#2

LOVE TALK

pairing: bartender sukuna x reader (modern au)

summary: your love language doesn't quite align with sukuna's love language.

warnings: feelings of insecurity, smut (choking, spitting, some dirty talk, penetrative sex, kissing); this is an 18+ story

word count: 5.9k

a/n: written for mz kentobean and from the valentines day prompts i reblogged a while back. enjoy! idr who was on my tag list from before so i tagged a few people from memory

Most people, including Sukuna himself, would not expect a sensitive, genuinely nice girl to be with a gruff, rough-around-the-edges kind of guy like him. You are clear opposites in many aspects, and most times, it doesn’t get to Sukuna. He knows you’re brave, you challenge anything that isn’t right, behind your bright smile is a sleeping lion.

You challenge him everyday, forcing him to think outside of what has always been normal for him. Not to mention how sharp your tongue is.

Just because you love him doesn’t mean you’re easy on him.

Your relationship with Sukuna isn’t new, but you’re still navigating what it means for you both. Sometimes you think you understand him, you think you’ve got a handle on the inner workings of Ryomen Sukuna. And then other times, you think his stony, cold gaze might be the end of you even if it’s hardly ever directed at you. Sometimes you can’t tell what he’s thinking and you find seeds of insecurity burying itself in your heart.

You can’t help it. Sukuna comes to you late after long nights at work without saying much to you, only wanting to hold you close in bed as you watch your show together on the tiny television in your bedroom. You’d run a hand through his hair and look at him with sleepy eyes and ask about his day. Sukuna wouldn’t reply, only telling you to be quiet because he was exhausted.

But not too exhausted to kiss you and bury himself in your warmth.

He’d promised you that he would buy you a bigger tv someday, when he didn’t have to work nearly eighty hour work weeks and had more time (and money).

In your heart, you know that he believes in your relationship. Sukuna is not a man who does anything half-heartedly. You were the woman who caught his eye when you had scolded one of his bartenders in his bar for watering down your drink. He was smitten from then, whether he had known it or not. (He’d been in denial over you for a long time, trying to convince himself that you were just an annoying pest with nothing but a desire to get under his skin. What was a sweet thing like you doing at a bar called Kings and Curses anyway?)

You know Sukuna loves you- he keeps a photo of you in his wallet, everything he does is with you and your future together in mind, he always holds you close and is very protective of you wherever you are. You’ve already met his little brother Yuuji and his friends. He’s incredibly thoughtful as well, the minute you text him telling him you’re not feeling well, he brings your favorite foods and your favorite wine. He’s perceptive of you and Sukuna always has a hand on you, your arm, your lower back, your thigh. He’s always touching you and you didn’t care about being touched this much until you met him.

You didn’t realize how touch starved you were until you met him. You know he loves you but sometimes you’d like to hear it, too. You don’t want anything sappy or overdone, you just want him to be open with you.

Truthfully, you don’t mind most days that you talk but you don’t talk to him. But lately, he’s physically with you but not with you. Even if he doesn’t say it to you that often, you know he loves you.

But it feels like you’ve been trying to convince yourself of it more often than not.

*************

“Hey,” you say tentatively, “How was your day?”

“Same shit, different day,” Sukuna shrugs, “Whatever.”

“Nothing interesting happened?” you ask, rubbing his chest comfortingly. You kiss the underside of his jaw, and then his lips in greeting. He likes seeing you like this, a little sleepy and comfortable in your pajamas with a glow to your skin. But he’s starting to get irritated from all of the long hours and late nights working.

He wants to see you when it’s not just time for bed.

His brows are furrowed in annoyance and his jaw is clenched. Something has made him angry and you don’t know what.

“Nothing interesting ever happens,” Sukuna shrugs. You can feel him slipping through your fingers.

“Are you hungry?” you ask in a small voice, “I made-”

“No, I’m not fucking hungry. Just so fucking tired of this shit-”

“Of what-” you ask but he continues to cut you off.

“All of this shit. God, I just want to sleep,” he groans.

“Okay, but aren’t you hungry? It’s nearly midnight, I’m sure you haven’t eaten much,” you reply, turning on your heel to head for the fridge, “Why don’t you go shower and food’ll be ready?”

See the full post

394 notes - Posted February 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

2:07 AM

Pairing: geto suguru x reader; satosugu x reader

Summary: it's 2 AM and gojo satoru is breaking into your shared apartment with geto suguru.

Word Count: 1354

Warnings: some smut in the beginning (wet dream), oc is a little mean

a/n: hbd to geto!!

Suguru kisses you deeply, his tongue parting your malleable lips with practiced ease. He knows you’ll always let him in. You can feel him smirk against your lips as his hand cradles your jaw, thumb pressing against your cheekbone.

His other hand slides down your belly, tugging at the loose waistband of your shorts. You hum, rubbing yourself on his thigh lazily. His eyes glint, something mischievous glossy and bright in his irises.

But before you can feel his fingers slide into your wetness-

Your subconscious is cruelly pulled away from your dream as your ears sharpen with the rustling of something coming from the kitchen. Your eyes are heavy as you try to convince yourself that it’s just part of your dream, that Suguru will go back to kissing you…

But he’s fast asleep next to you, an arm wrapped loosely around your waist. His hair is splayed over his pillow in an inky halo and his nose is buried in your neck.

Well, maybe it was just your mind playing tricks on you. You try to convince yourself of it, fantasizing about Suguru’s hands to put yourself back to sleep.

Just as you're on the precipice of tumbling into unconsciousness, you hear another series of noises. This time, it sounds like footsteps and maybe if you were a little more alert, you would be able to recognize the footfall.

Your heart rate spikes as adrenaline fills your lungs. “Suguru,” you mumble, sitting up and shaking his shoulders, “Baby-”

A sharp gasp escapes your lips when the noises become louder as fear begins to seize your heart. Your hands inadvertently begin to shake as Suguru wakes up blearily. He instantly grows more alert the moment he sees the urgency on your face.

“What's wrong, darling?”

You don’t have a chance to answer because he hears it, too. He instantly jumps into action and you follow suit, ignoring his soft instruction to stay behind.

“Someone is in our home, I am not staying behind,” you hiss stubbornly. Suguru only looks at you fondly and despite the potential that your home is being robbed, he pecks your forehead.

The scent that clings to his grey t-shirt comforts you but not more than the vice grip you have around his bicep. Your home isn’t that big, it’s a two bedroom apartment, but it seems to take a lifetime to reach the living room from your bedroom. You can vaguely make out a silhouette in the darkness when you squint without your glasses on (your eyesight is terrible).

“What is that? Is that a person?” you whisper yell, “Is that a person or did you recently purchase a tall cactus?”

Suguru snorts but you can tell that the tension has eased out of his shoulders. You hear a laugh come from the silhouette, a laugh that you would recognize anywhere.

“Satoru decided to pay us a visit,” Suguru says dryly.

“At..two in the morning?!” you nearly shriek, glaring at Satoru harshly when Suguru turns the lights on. The sudden light does absolutely nothing to soothe your adrenaline as your hands shake. Satoru has the gall to laugh at you- and truly, it’s because you look adorable. Glaring at him with squinted eyes and lines of sleep on your cheeks. You cross your arms over your chest and Satoru is shameless when he stares at your skin through the holes of your muscle tank.

Well, it’s Suguru’s muscle tank and now it’s been claimed as yours. Satoru already knows that you’re wearing shorts under the tank (from the numerous times he’s slept over when you three were still all best friends, and nobody was dating or fucking each other).

Satoru glares at Suguru and you, as if you’ve both offended him.

“Sorry ‘bout him, darling,” Suguru murmurs, kissing your hair, “I’ll make us some tea.”

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423 notes - Posted February 3, 2022

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[way-past-future]

Touhou 10-13.

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Video: Shrines Shares Eerie "Witch Season"

New Video: Shrines Shares Eerie "Witch Season" @mattheartspade

Arguably best known for stints with Ponyhof and Will Butler, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter and musician Carrie Erving is the creative mastermind behind the indie electro pop recording project Shrines. Erving’s work, which sees her deftly weaving elements of pop, electronic music, indie rock and Irish sean-nós (traditional Irish folk singing) into a shimmering take on art-pop that The New York…

[tutchando74]

Shrine little review

A game on Doom engines, so it has the same gameplay. It even has the same enemies.

The artstyle is really good and unique. It has a gothic style to it that remembers me of Doom 64, and I love it. The guns also look cool as fuck.

The maps are also really good. They are beautiful and have some pretty good visuals, and also are very well made, being hard, but not bullshit hard ot confusing.

[ninsiana0]

Read SHRINES OF GAIETY by Kate Atkinson if you love post-war narratives, crime families, night clubs, London, running away, automobiles, vintage cocktails, missing girls, intersecting stories, love triangles, little dogs, fairies and well researched historical fiction.

[sergioguymanproust]

Bridges,gates and pagodas in Japan are painted red to protect them from evil entities that lurk in the woods and have for centuries been so desperately trying to attack gods and goddesses abode .Well,perhaps some of you if you visit the Japanese woods specially where shrines and temples are locate will feel the energy that is generated by these sacred places of worship,Shinto was the original religion of the Japanese people,later Buddhism was introduced and both religions have coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years ,so we are told .I believe because of these islands of volcanic origin and ridden by tectonic faults deep in the sea and land ,many of its folklore was born out of the need to find a rational explanation to natural disasters, but the visitations of extraterrestrial beings added a layer of mystery and charm to the japanese folklore,well macabre and dark throwm in for a good measure.The woods will always be a source of supernatural phenomena. Words by Sergio Guyman Proust.

“ Kitano Tenmangu Shrine “ // lotus.m.lotus

[matzimintz]

🕯️✩°｡⋆ shrines ✧ purity ring ⋆｡°✩🕯️

The first time I ever heard purity ring was in 8th grade and on Vine. I’m sure some of you will remember the 6 second videos that constructed and upheld our tween days. I was following some girl named “Piper” and she had posted a 6 second video at a show with a hand full of people and fluorescent twinkling lights made up the stage. There was a feeling that gathered inside of me that I had never felt before when listening to music, it was twisting my insides and made me want to search to the ends of the earth for more of those soft , fluid, and ambient sounds. I looked at the comments and the song was OBEDEAR by purity ring.

As I’ve grown older this album has inspired me in ways that have pushed me to seek out the magic that fills the universe [Especially producing my own sounds and music.] Every time I listen to this album I can picture and create scenarios inside my mind to play as I listen. I’m going to write what each song makes me think and feel.

SHRINES

crawlersout - Immediately I think of the way each and every sound was made and how Corin is able to create sounds that I’ve only heard before in my dreams. It’s as if I’ve listened and heard these sounds in lifetimes before and after. I feel creepy yet soft as I listen to the magic that the lyrics are creating. Megan’s voice is the lullaby that I want to wake up to every morning, listen to throughout the day, and fall asleep to during the midnight hours as the moon is the only light that fills my room.

2. fineshrine - I’m jumping around my friendly fire with the rest of my friends who are and can be animals, insects, the wind, the roots below, the moon above, and everything else you only one can imagine. I wish to be surrounded by these drum kicks who are so prominent yet so warm and calming.

3. ungirthed - peach is the color that this song makes me see. It’s little sparks off a cream color that end up mixed with peach to create a sour and sweet sound literally just like sorbet. [Maybe I’m sorbet in a cup at the moment I’m listening to this song.] Listening to Megan say “the air is familiar” reminds me of the lifetimes we’ve lived throughout and how infinite we are. [OK PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER -_-]

4. amenamy- the first sound makes me see rays of lights that I can only hear as I am floating under the water looking up. This is one of my all time favorite tracks on this album because I feel like I am swimming alongside all the fish as we flow under and over the trinkets that we live amongst under the sea. The reverb is a cradle to me in this song, it holds me as I’m swimming in the lyrics and notes that Corin and Megan were able to create.

5. grandloves- I see myself walking down that corridor that seems never ending in our dreams. Pale light guides me as the path is narrow and I’m trying to find my way out. Young Magic and Megan’s voice are echoing down and around as I keep walking forth. The little twinkly notes create light that help me see the path that seems never ending.

6. cartographist - such a daunting beginning, I feel like I’ve yet to come out of the dark corridor I was trying to escape. But it is as though the comfort of walking for a while has helped me push forward. Suddenly I’m no longer walking and I can see machines and gadgets working to create something, anything it seems. The soft and whimsical feeling that was created earlier has now turned into something more sinister, yet still intriguing. I’m not scared, I want to see where I’m being led. I don’t know where I’m headed, but I’m comfortable knowing change is coming. After time [that seemingly does not exist in this realm] continues to pass me by, I keep walking as I end up finding doors that lead to another eternity.

7. belispeak - I’m running. Maybe because of the song title, I feel like something is chasing me and wants to eat me, not due to hunger, but for longing to fill a type of void. But each and every time it thinks it has me, I am able to avoid it, it’s like something is taking care of me. Something that I can’t see but I can feel all around me. It’s like although I keep on running and running, I know I’ll be able to get away each and every time. Am I the one running away? Am I the one chasing?

8. saltkin - It’s an awakening. There is no fear, I am strong. I am magical, I am powerful. Everything around me and inside of me, is what I have created. There’s no where to go, I’ve been everywhere. I am the creator and I am the creation. I was then, I am now and I am forever. The power this song holds is for you to find here, there, in the next, forever. OUR BODIES WILL RETURN.

9. obedear - I feel safe within this song. It’s a reminder of the past memories and the paths that have led me to find this type of feeling that hides within lyrics and music. I can see and feel the little notes that make the song and I hear and see the lyrics that Megan has wrote. The colors in the sky are green, which would implicate something wrong, yet theres nothing to be afraid of. The universe unfolds within the sky and surrenders, there is nothing to fear as we live alongside what we cannot see.

10. lofticries - This is my favorite song on the album. I am fascinated by the sounds and noises. OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I listen to this song and I picture the spells and ingredients used to create this type of magic. I am filled with envy and sadness as I wish I could experience this song for the first time again, every time. [explains why I see green and blue when listening.]

This song is me floating in the middle of the sea and as I look up all I can see is the green thunder and the dark gray clouds that overturn any sense of light. I can feel the water drop on my face as the clouds cry tears of black back into the void of sea. Although the world around me is loud and dark, I am at peace. I am serene with the fact that there’s darkness that extends to the farthest realms of the earth. I am okay with the world being scary and dark. I accept it and choose to be the light.

11. shuck - Transcending from light. All in that one moment where I can see the sparks pop out of the fire, is this song. It’s the moment of looking up at the moon and realizing you exist amongst magic and are created by it. It’s the wind that kisses your cheek and reminds you that you are never alone.

In conclusion, this entire album is a story to me. It may not be a story to you. Everything I explained might make you think I’m schizophrenic or batshit crazy, but there’s certain things that music has always made me feel and see inside the pits of my brain that I’ll never be able to truly explain in words to the extent in which I wish could. This album is made of magic, all kinds.

c u next time -

matzi ✦⋆𓆩✧𓆪⋆✦

[impactedfates]

Yapper Boyfriend - Various HSR Boys x GN!Reader

★ Summary: Your boyfriend loves to talk and you love to listen, though sometimes it puts a stop to what you're doing or you can tell it's getting him worked up. So what better why to make sure he's happy then stopping him with a kiss? (TLDR: Shutting your boyfriend up w/ a kiss)

☆ Characters Included (Separate): Argenti , Boothill, Mr Reca, Dr Ratio, Dan Heng + Sunday

★ Genre/Trope: Established Relationship + Romantic + Fluff

☆ Warnings: None

★ Extra: Mr Reca may be OOC (Getting used to his character still) // Sunday may be OOC // Slightly Proof Read // Writing kiss scenes are awkward...

Your beautiful boyfriend Argenti, he was the greenest flag you've ever met. You never minded his yapping and praises for Idrila, that's just how he was. And honestly, seeing him hold a long dead god with such high regard after all this time was admirable.

Though at times, it can interrupt your dates. And that's what was happening now. You were both visiting a planet and stumbled upon a shrine for the very goddess he worships. Immediately, he lets go of your hand and kneels in front of it, he sings his praises to it.

You could only sigh and smile softly as he did so. Though that wasn't the end of the praises you heard, even after walking away. The conversation you were having with your boyfriend slowly turned into him praising Idrila again. You knew why, it was rare to find any followers of Beauty these days let alone find a shrine dedicated to her.

Though, you'd much prefer singing praises to him and how great he was. You didn't mind too much listening. You knew he was passionate about his goddess and who were you to stop him. You couldn't help but admire him. You also couldn't mind just...

"It's just fantastic isn't it my love? Seeing a shrine so well kept for goddess Idrila. It's just-"

You quickly leaned up, kissing him softly on the lips. He was quick to reciprocate, leaning into your touch before you two pulled away.

"I...aha, sorry. Was I going on again my dear?"

"Don't worry, continue. You just looked so passionate about this, I couldn't help myself"

"Those forking, son of a nice ladies!!"

Your lover huffed. Boothill crossed his arms as he grumbled, letting you mess with his hair as he continued to complain. It was understandable, the IPC was incredibly annoying this time around. He wanted to get a drink at the nearby bar but some of the IPC subordinates were there and quickly tried to pick a fight with him.

Causing all of them to be kicked out. He grumbled more as he kept muttering things under his breath. A 'mother forking' here, a few 'shirt bags' there and of course 'fudge heads'

Your hands worked to braid his hair slowly, hoping it would calm him down like the previous times but it seems as though you'd have to use a different tactic.

You leaned his head towards you before quickly planting a kiss on his lips, effectively stopping his next words from coming out. He sat there in surprise, even after you pulled away, he just looked at you before quickly turning away with a chuckle.

"Well I'll be damned...got me there sweetheart"

"Reca-"

"And the camera movement! Why focus on the trees when the drama is happening with the characters!?"

"Rec-"

"Oh and don't get me STARTED on the lighting, like really? That kind of lighting for that kind of scene?"

"...Re-"

"OH AND DID I MENTION-"

You sighed, your attempts at even just soothing your partner's emotions coming to a fail. How could you do anything if he's going to criticize the movie you had just watched. Or was this just spite because you complimented one of the characters? You could only listen as Mr Reca continued his onslaught on the film's cinematography.

God you knew yourself the film was bad. This was meant to be a fun date night as you two cringed at the movies but your boyfriend was getting rather into it. Eventually after 5 minutes of this thorough review, you reach over, putting your hands gently on either side of his face, cupping his cheek. You quickly lean in to kiss him before he could utter another word.

When you pulled away he looked at you stunned for a second before grinning like an idiot. That god damn smile you fell in love with.

"Perfect! Brilliant! You see, THAT is what the lead should've done during that confession scene!"

You couldn't help but let out a laugh as he took your hands into his, as he praised your action, comparing it to the film. You will say though, your plan of stopping his review on the film was a success, even if now he was ranting about how great the "scene" was when you kissed him.

Aeons you only asked one question, you figured your boyfriend would know and now you're stuck listening to Dr Ratio yap about something, that you can't even tell has any correlation to your original question.

It's not that you minded, you loved learning new facts but the problem was...checking the time, if he didn't notice soon Dr Ratio would be late to his next lesson...and while that could be interesting and funny to see.

The oh so strict Dr Ratio late to his lesson. You didn't want that for him. But you didn't know how to stop him, when he gets into a lecture he really gets into it. So how could you...

Ah! You got it.

You stood up and walked towards him, tugging on his shirt so he'd turn his head towards you, you leaned up and kissed him. It was quick and simple before you pulled away.

"I-...what was that for?"

Oho, a blushing and flustered Dr Ratio is so much better then a late Dr Ratio.

"You have a class to attend remember?"

"...[Name], I don't go to school anymore"

"...Darling...you're a teacher"

When those words left your mouth you could see him mentally face palm as he quickly grabbed his items. He muttered out a thank you as he kissed your cheek, checking his phone to see how much more time he had left before rushing to his class.

Now Dan Heng wasn't really a yapper. He often listened to you yapping instead. And on the occasion he would shut you up with a kiss. It always made you flustered, and it wasn't even to really shut you up to be quiet. He just couldn't help himself, you looked so passionate in your topic he couldn't help but lean in to give you some affection before gesturing you to continue.

For once, you wanted to do it to him. To kiss him when he was rambling about something, make him flustered and just motion him to continue. But he wasn't one to easily ramble about something.

You eventually came up with an idea though, it wasn't exactly the best and it didn't exactly involve him rambling but...y'know if it works it works.

You asked him to read out the some of the texts to the databank, like a story book. He blinked at you confused but agreed. He read one, two and another until you finally put your plan into motion, you leaned up to kiss him. He was stunned for a moment as you pulled away.

"...was that your plan all along? To shut me up with a kiss?"

"...maybe"

He let out a small chuckle. Shaking his head in disbelief.

"You're unbelievable, to ask me to read out the data banks just so you could shut me up with a kiss"

You stayed silent for a bit with a blush, realising how silly the plan sounded now.

"...please continue with the databank talk..."

“I’m sorry”

Those words were the first thing uttered out of his mouth when you saw him again. When you opened the door and saw your boyfriend again.

“I’m…so…so sorry”

He repeats, holding your hand as he brings it up to his face. He looks at you, you can tell he’s holding back tears. Aeons you haven’t seen him since…well, the incident with the Charmony festive. You haven’t seen him since he was imprisoned, how he managed to get out?

You didn’t care, your boyfriend was back but…he didn’t look well.

“I-I didn’t…I thought…”

He struggled to get the words out, holding your hand as if you were a delicate doll and one wrong move would break you apart and he’d be alone again.

“…I just wanted the best for everyone…I-I promise…I…I didn’t think…about…all the details…I-I thought what I was doing was right but it wasn’t…aeons…I’ve hurt so many people haven’t I…”

You listened, hearing his apologies just spill out as tears threatened to follow suit. He couldn’t even look you in the eye anymore, he felt too ashamed too. How could he after all that he’s done?

Yet another apology was about to leave his lips until he felt soft ones fall on top of his. He froze, eyes widening in surprise as you kissed him.

How…

How could you…still give him affection? When he finally looked at you, you looked at him so gently, so kindly.

How

How did he deserve that? No he doesn’t deserve that, he doesn’t deserve the way you gently lead him into your house, sit him down and hug him…you’re…happy he’s okay?

He watched you carefully as you went to brew a cup of tea for the both of you…Aeons, he’s so lucky to have you.

Sorry for not uploading in while. Schools hectic and I’m a year away before I have to plan on colleges.

Anyways, I hope you all liked this one ^^

I tried to make sure the “kisses” were done at an appropriate time/scenario if that makes sense

I have another draft in the works so hopefully I’ll get it done eventually