#THIS is why people hate late antiquity

[mourning-again-in-america]

Maximinus Dia, Maxentius, Maximian, I had forgotten how much I hated the age of Diocletian.

[leather-n-velvet]

High & Low: Part V

A Drew Starkey x singer/actress!OC SMAU

Summary: While on hiatus from touring and wanting to branch out with her career, Ivy Blake auditions for OBX, immediately hitting it off with none other than Drew Starkey during their chemistry read. As tension and drama brew between the two, can they get through the highs and lows that come with fame and relationships together?

A/N: I just want to preface this chapter- this is FICTION. This is an alternate universe and in no way reflects the actual people. I have just used them as a device of convenience due to picture availability. Please do not send anyone any hate.

Also, there are two more little blurbs in this one. I'm still getting back into the swing of writing, so I'm very sorry if it's horrible 😬

Chapter warnings: allusions to sex (no actual smut, but MDNI), cursing, O mentions (sorry).

Dividers by: @cafekitsune ⭐️🌙

Previous Part // Masterlist

ivyblake

Liked by drewstarkey, haley_james, and 3,293,389 others.

ivyblake IB x Naked Cashmere

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haley_james BEAUTIFUL. AMAZING. STUNNING. SHOW STOPPER.

drewstarkey wow. fuck me.

*comment has been deleted*

drewstarkey wow

madelyncline WIFE

user5 BODYODYODYODY

user7 perfection

hater1 why is she always half naked

haley_james because she can. hope this helps. 😊

NakedCashmere

Liked by haley_james, TheIvyLeague, and 764,386 others.

NakedCashmere We are so excited to have @/ivyblake as our newest brand ambassador. Catch the live stream of Sunday's show on our website!

#IBxNakedCashmere

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user4 can she be any more perfect?

user8 MOTHER

user2 I can't think of a better collab for her

TheIvyLeague ready to try to get my hands on this collection

Ivy’s phone:

Finstas

sonotivyleague

Liked by starboyd, madrecliner, and 213 others.

sonotivyleague happy 🩵 @/starboyd

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madrecliner AKDNFJSKAB

rude_boy bout damn time

djdavisssss ^^^^ RT

lacigurl MY BABIES

highwaytohale CUTIES

starboyd my girl 🩵

starboyd

Liked by sonotivyleague, lacigurl, and 108 others.

starboyd happy 🩵 @/sonotivyleague

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lacigurl YES I TOLD UR ASS

madrecliner my work here is done 😌

sonotivyleague 🩵🩵🩵🩵

O's phone:

Drew’s phone:

Drew was… for lack of a better word, fucked. At least, he thought he would be once he told Ivy the situation. Of course, Ivy was a very understanding person but this was a big deal to her. But how could he go back on his word to O*dessa and A*aron? The guilt was already building, knowing he’d have to disappoint one person he cared about.

“Baby?” He called, walking to the doorway of Ivy’s home studio. It was her sanctuary, truly. All the plants, the warm colors, the mismatched rugs, the couches from her favorite antique stores, she could truly let her creativity flow in a place like this. 

She turned, her beautiful smile lighting up the room as she rose from the piano. “Hey, I didn’t hear you get back. I was talking to Poppy about Sunday and since you and I don’t want to go fully public yet, she said you can hang out with her and Haley while I do my photo ops.”

Their lips met in a sweet but steamy kiss before he pulled back, hands resting on her hips. “About that, I have some bad news.”

Her eyebrows crinkled, wondering what in the world could have happened between when they'd woken up wrapped in each other this morning, her blissfully sore from their reunion the night before, and the hour he had been on his run. “What?”

“Um, I have a thing for a friend that I promised I’d go to. I’m so sorry, baby. Everything has just been insane lately and I completely forgot. I didn’t even remember until O*dessa reminded me.”

Ivy felt a slight dip in her stomach at the mention of the girl’s name. Drew hadn’t given her any reason to be jealous nor to worry, but O*dessa always just seemed to be there. Something in her gut told her not to trust her completely, but until Drew gave her a reason not to trust him, she wasn’t going to be the crazy girlfriend causing issues with his friends.

Drew watched as the disappointment settled on her face, making his heart ache. There weren’t many things in this life that he absolutely hated, but this was definitely the top of the list. Only a month together and he was already disappointing her. 

“Oh. Well, okay.” She muttered, pasting on a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

She sighed, “I mean, I’m a little sad but you made a commitment. I can’t be mad at you for being a good friend and following through.” 

“I swear, I’ll make it up to you, sweetheart.” He pulled her closer, brushing his lips against her forehead. “I hate that I’m not going to be there. I know this is a big deal for you.”

She smiled softly at him, “It’s one event, honey. I’m a big girl.”

ivyblake

Liked by madelyncline, JillianBlake, and 14,239,489 others.

ivyblake Thank you for having me, @/NakedCashmere 💋

#IBxNakedCashmere

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JillianBlake so proud of you honey ❤️

madelyncline GODDESS

user1 utter perfection

user8 GLOWING

Ivy's phone:

After Drew had gotten back to her house twenty minutes after their last text, she had pretended to be asleep but her mind was racing with worry. He brushed a kiss to her head before settling in behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer.

Ivy couldn't shake it as she looked back at her dimmed phone. The pictures that O*dessa had posted made her blood boil. An event supposedly so important that Drew had to come to and they looked like they were playing dress up to pose for selfies. She didn't want to judge, O*dessa and A*aron were younger than she and Drew were, so maybe she was overthinking it and looking for issues but she couldn't help it.

Haley and Poppy were genuinely confused as to why Drew wasn't at the show after she had talked him up so much and was so excited that he was accompanying her. To tell them that he had to cancel last minute was borderline embarrassing.

Even through text, she could tell Drew was feeling guilty about the situation, so it was hard to be completely mad at him. There was just something that was telling her that the whole thing seemed fishy.

A/N: Aaaaaand we have drama. Please let me know what you think and if you'd like to be added to the taglist. I'm so grateful for all of the likes, reblogs, and feedback I've gotten! HUGE thank you to @starkeysbebe for all of her help in this fic!!!

Taglist: @davinashifts333, @rafegf-real

[nataliasquote]

The Price of Perfection | n romanoff

Summary: Natasha will stop at nothing to be perfect, but what will it cost?

Warnings: body dysmorphia, negative self image, toxic thoughts, self hatred, tiny mention of SA

wc: 1k

notes: this is depressing as shit. I wrote it one go (again) and tbh I don’t think it makes sense. I just started writing and didn’t stop. Yeah… vent fic idk. Anyway, enjoy, you angst lovers :)

-⧗-

Mirrors.

A symbol of vanity, casting reflections upon the eyes of the beholder. They’ve seen the most lavish ballgowns and the sleepiest eyes, countless discarded outfits and miniature fashion shows.

Used with friends, with families, with loved ones, a way to see one’s favourite people in the same place. They brought so much happiness without so much as a second thought, so why did she hate them so much?

Whilst the rest of the world crowded to take pictures in the mirror, Natasha had hers concealed away like an antique. A pale sheet usually covered the large reflective glass on her wall, she couldn’t bear the sight.

It wasn’t the mirror itself that caused such repulsion in the Russian’s stomach, no. It was the figure she had staring back at her that left her paralysed in disgust. She avoided all reflections like the plague, far too afraid of what she would find if she looked.

Mirrors hid nothing. They were as raw as could be, every flaw highlighted like the freckles on her pale skin. Natasha never cared for the way her body looked, it served her just fine, but something had shifted lately, something small in her mind triggering an avalanche.

How do you even begin to understand something that has been objectified your entire life? How do you view it as anything more than a way to assist a mission, anything more than something for other people to break at will. The visible scars were one thing, but the invisible marks of the many hands that had slid grotesquely around her waist and pawed at her chest like pieces of meat were what stuck out the most as she obsessed over her reflection.

Perfection was a slippery slope.

And Natasha Romanoff craved perfection.

It was all she knew. But gone were the days of having instructors barking orders to ensure she maintained that divine perfection. She was on her own now, but was that a good thing?

Her self control was impeccable but her eyes told another story. They burned across the expanse of her stomach in the dim bathroom light, slender fingers tugging at the flesh on her hips whilst her jaw was set rigid. The cool air barely raised a hair on her arms as she picked herself apart, falling deeper and deeper into her nightmares as red lines began to form across her limbs and torso.

Where was the perfection she had been told she was?

Was it buried underneath the blanket of snow that coated her homeland in its icy beauty? Or was it simply a ruse, a false pretense, meant only to manipulate her further into the ultimate weapon.

Whatever it was, she couldn’t see it now. Even through blurry eyes filled with tears that warped her reflection further, Natasha still stretched and pulled at her skin, ignoring the burn that ignited just under the surface.

How can someone possibly want to love someone like her? A freak, a mess. Bile rose in her throat the longer she panicked, her eyes frantically darting between countless scars and layers of muscle she only perceived as extra weight.

Where had she gone so wrong?

Her mind, usually her sharpest weapon, unmatched in the face of the enemy, had turned on itself and left her the victim in the lonely battlefield. But who was she fighting, if not the figure who mimicked her every move and felt so familiar yet so horrendously foreign.

She didn’t know who she was anymore. Who did her body belong to, because it certainly wasn’t her. Would anyone want her in this state, or would they be just as repulsed as she was after mere seconds of inspection.

“But you’re beautiful.”

What lies. Her grip on reality may have faltered, like fingers slipping on sodden rocks, but she knew what beauty was. And yet now, face to face with the one so many people had admired, she couldn’t see the so-called beauty.

A breathy laugh escaped her lips, yet her expression did nothing to match it. It wasn’t that of happiness, but of desperation, of insanity, the final parts of her slipping away as dysmorphia finally took its hold.

She would never be beautiful, not to herself. Maybe for a fleeting moment when the sun shone just right and her chest felt a little lighter, but that feeling never lasted. All it took was one glance at her reflection in a window for the clouds to settle back inside her mind, reminding her over and over that she would never look the way she wanted. No matter how much she craved it.

The sheet went back up. Her eyes stayed glued to the sidewalk in fear of catching herself in a shop window, and slowly Natasha felt herself slipping away. Her close circle barely saw her anymore, she didn’t want them to see what she saw, and her fork only pushed her food around her plate instead of allowing her a taste.

She knew the price of perfection was high, but it felt astronomical as she scrambled after it, neglecting her life for a glimpse of that feeling. Yet it seemed the harder she tried, the further it felt, leaving her exhausted day after day.

But she never quit. That wasn’t Natasha Romanoff. If she wanted something, she got it, no matter the sacrifice.

But she was fighting a losing battle. Her clouded mind never once gave way to the idea that she was already perfect. How could it? She wasn’t happy with her body, no matter how much she lost or how far she ran.

To the rest of the world, she was the epitome of perfection.

But to herself, she would never be enough. No matter what.

And no compliment could fix that. Not when her self image was so warped that she couldn’t see straight anymore.

She was, and always would be, the reason for her downfall. No enemy could take her down quite like her own mind could and it was the only thing that gave her a sense of control.

But for the price of perfection, could she give it all up?

[fanaticalfantasist]

The Duchess - Chapter 1

AN: This story is set in my version of the Duke and I, so it's Daphne's story but with my favourite Bridgerton brother as well haha.

Every drawing room in London was full of the news being presented in Lady Whistledown's latest pamphlet. It passed through the lips of every young woman about to be presented at court, every concered mama and every eligible young gentleman who cared to read the latest gossip. Norfolk had been opened for the first time in over a decade.

The enormous home which acted as the london seat of the Dukes of Norfolk had been closed for so long many couldn't remember what it even looked like inside. It's halls had been left to gather dust and its fine furniture covered in large white clothes. The first activity in the great house was noticed by the maid of one small household who noticed the windows being openeded, and before long it had spread throughout London and clearly to the ears of the mysterious Lady Whistledown.

From her carriage Juliet watched as the fields slowly turned from the beautiful countryside of peace she loved into the city she was visiting for the first time in her life. Her parents had hated the place allways saying it had bought nothing but misery to them and they would't inflict that on her. She smiled a little looking at the city, thinking of all her father's descriptions that she could just about remember.

"You're away with the faries again" a deep voice made her jump out of her daydream. She looked up to see her only friend in the world Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings. The two had been thrown together at a young age by Lady Danbury, as two lonely children she thought they'd get along. Or at least she'd hoped they would, what had transpired was a close friendship which was fraternal in nature. Despire the late Duke of Hastings attemps to set a match between the young nobles it never took.

"Remind me again why I am doing this?" Juliet asked pushing a dark brown curl from her eyes and placing it behind her ear. Simon sighed, he hated to see his friend unhappy, he knew she was anxious, that she had a part to play that she was worried she'd fail at.

"We're both here to just show our faces, show our power and then we can runaway again" he said smirking when Juliet cracked a smile laughing a little.

"I'm guessing that's not what you said to Lady Danbury?" she asked as they pulled towards Hastings House.

"God no" Simon let out a boistrous laugh, he brushed his trousers down and got out of the carriage. "I'll see you for dinner?" he asked and she nodded.

As the carriage pulled away again and she was alone with her thoughts, Juliet took some deep breaths. The carriage held the embelem of the Norfolk family, so she knew the minute she stepped from the carriage eyes would be on her. Taking the small hand mirror she'd put into a bag she carried Juliet checked she looked every part the Duchess she was. She reminded herself this was a part she was playing, this wasn't her but the Duchess of Norfolk. She'd trained for this moment, she knew her power and knew what to do with it.

//

Everything about this day had been planned perfectly, to the point where Benedict was almost certain he could repeat each thing his mother had repeated to him. As he stood with his siblings waiting for Daphne's great entrance in front of the queen he would rather be anywhere but where he was at that moment. Nothing but a room full of mama's ready to push their daughters in front of the first eligable man they could come across.

"Miss Daphne Bridgerton presented by the Dowager Vicountess Bridgerton" the herald announced.

Benedict had to admit, that though he hated this and all these antiquated traditions, he was proud of the way that his sister was holding herself in front of all these people. He knew she'd be the diamond of the season, and knew the chaos that would cause in the Bridgerton household, his mother fussing and Anthony loosing his mind constantly.

With great interest Benedict watched as a herald ran towards the throne, and a message was passed on. He wasn't the only one who noticed that this was taking place, he could hear the slight murmer throughout the crowd gathered. They were all waiting to see what could have caused the Queen to pale slightly, and for those around her to look shocked.

//

Juliet took some deep breaths, knowing this was going to be an interesting moment for her, she had to stay calm. Running a hand down her white dress she smiled to herself. Thinking of what her mother had said to her, "Being a Duchess means being strong, no matter what anyone will say, you are a Duchess". She smiled sadly at the thought before hearing the chief herald from behind the large doors.

"Her Grace, Juliet Wyndham, Duchess of Norfolk" as he finished speaking the doors swung open. Juliet could hear the rippling murmers throughout the crowd. Slowly and confidently Juliet walked into the hall, she was keeping her eyes a head with keeping eye contact with the Queen. She oozed the air of being a Duchess, her power seeping through her veins.

She had chosen everything so prescisely, choosing to against all the traditions expected of her. No large feather, or cold trim. She wore a beautiful silk and lace dress her hair was not placed up but flowling around her shoulders, flowers delicetly spread around them and her diamonds sparkling in the light.

She kept her head held high, she knew the power she held. Juliet was well aware, as was everyone in that room including the Queen that Juliet was the most powerful person there. In fact the Wyndham family had more right to the throne than the current King and Queen did. She was richer, politically more savy and clearly admired.

"Your majesty" Juliet said clearly as she did a deep curtsy in front of the Queen before standing up again, she didn't wait to he invited too. She knew the power of the move, she was sending messages, and as many messages as she could.

"Your Grace, what an unexpected honour" the Quen was slightly stumbling for control, which made Juliet smirk.

[salixsociety]

The Problem of the 'Witch's Sabbat'

Why we should stop calling our non-jewish holidays 'Sabbats': a (hopefully) definitive guide.

It is the year of our Gods 2024, and to this day I still enter communities and see the word 'sabbat' as one of the first. It is common practice to refer to any holiday, but especially those as featured in the Wheel of the Year, as sabbat(h)s, and frankly, I am sick of it. So I hope that I can use this post to convince some people on why it is time to remove that word from our vocabulary.

Where Does the Word 'Sabbat' Come From?

The very root of this word is the Hebrew ש־ב־ת (sh-b-t). It is the root word for many words pertaining to rest and not working (or more broadly: 'cessation'). This word evolved into שַׁבָּת (shabát), which translates to Saturday or weekly rest-day, normally. This word, also often spelled Shabbos from Ashkenazi Hebrew, travelled through various antique languages (Ancient Greek -> Latin -> Old French) directly to Middle English, where it became 'Sabat', and later Sabbath. While this word, in its travel through Europe, has influenced some words, you'll notice that it has also stayed one unique word, with a unique meaning: the Jewish Rest Day. The Sabbath, Shabbos, Sabbat, Shabat, et cetera, will always and has for most of its history been the word uniquely reserved for Saturday in Judaism. To those not very well read on Judaism, it may be helpful to know that Judaism is what is considered a closed practice. It is only permissible to practice Jewish religious tradition, and to a large extent, Jewish culture, if you are a Jewish convert. By extension, that should clue you in on the nature of the word and holiday of Shabbat.

Further reading on this topic: Etymology, Jewish Sabbath.

When Did it Become Relevant to Witches?

The first time the words 'sabbat(h)' and 'witch' were uttered in the same breath would likely be around the late Medieval period. The reason why this is, is something not nearly enough people are familiar with: the incredibly deep link between antisemitism and witch-hunting. Before the early Church turned its hateful eye to the concept of 'witches,' it was firmly on Jews. Jews, alongside other heretics and oppressed minorities like the Rroma, were considered utterly worthy of damnation. They were seen as antagonistic to the Church, going against everything the Church stood for, and furthermore as misanthropic, greedy, unreliable enemies. They were the scapegoats for many disasters and indeed frequently accused of practicing magic or poisoncrafting to invoke these disasters on the 'Good Christian Folk'. Furthermore, and this may sound familiar to you, jews were accused of 'consorting with the devil' and murdering children in order to consume their blood to mock the Eucharist, often referred to as blood libel. It was often claimed that this (nonexistent!) practice was done on the Shabbat, alongside other practices twisting and mocking those done in Church on Sunday. The persecution of Jews in Medieval Europe was horrific and seemingly endless, having origins in antiquity and reaching a peak during the Crusades, and another when the Plague ran rampant. Jews were banished, forced to convert to Christianity or brutally murdered, not infrequently by burning or strangulation.

What all of this is meant to illustrate is that the witch stereotype, or the wish to persecute witches in the early modern period, didn't come out of nowhere. There is a reason that caricatures and cartoons of witches feature a short and stocky body, a big and 'ugly' nose, green skin, red or dark hair, buckled shoes, and a conical hat (which before it became associated with witches, was often called a judenhut or jew hat). The roots of the witch stereotype in antisemitic caricatures and stereotypes are well-recorded and easy to see. And, indeed, the crimes most witches were accused of and burned for, directly mirrored the crimes jews were accused of before them. Consuming 'pure' Christian blood, mocking the Eucharist, fornicating with the devil, and all of this at the 'witch's sabbat', a made up gathering that witches would supposedly fly to on their broomsticks.

The idea that witches existed and the wish to eradicate them didn't purely come from antisemitism, of course. Misogyny, xenophobia, religious idealism from the Church, and other factors played incredibly large roles. But let us remain forever aware that the people burned were not in fact people flying on brooms, having sex with the devil and drinking the blood of Christian children. They were jews, they were Romani, they were people of color, they were women accused of stealing milk, they were victims.

So, the word 'sabbat(h)' wasn't just appropriated because somebody else wanted it or didn't understand it, like in many other cases of (mis)appropriation. It was appropriated explicitly to harm and eradicate several already fragile and oppressed, and in the case of Judaism, culturally exclusionary, communities.

The Role of Western Esotericism and Wicca

One could have expected the concept of the witches' sabbath to die out alongside the trials, but there is a secondary evil in this story, and it is Wicca.

In the late 19th century, English anthropologist and folklorist Margaret Alice Murray, one of the few women in her field, was halted in her research about Egypt, and was forced to find a new field of interest. She developed a hypothesis, based in mostly fantasy, that certain 'witch-cults' had survived the "Burning Times" in Europe. They were, according to her, secret societies upholding prehistoric fertility cults. Though most of her work was based in fantasy and speculation, her theory had one passionate follower: Gerald Gardner. But we will get back to him in a moment, because there is someone else pivotal to Gerald Gardner's beliefs: Aleister Crowley. Crowley is perhaps one of the most famous sexual predators, racists, antisemites, and cultural appropriators in the history of western magic. But, he was 'intelligent', well-travelled, privileged, and obsessed with occultism. He joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn when Gardner was already there. Both during his time in the Hermetic Order and after, he studied many religious traditions across the continents and wildly appropriated from all of them, most notably for this story, from Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism). I will not go in depth about him, but he, and his fixation on Kabbalah, were extremely important to Gardner's views. Gardner, amateur anthropologist (with two fake PhDs!) and former devout Christian, used the works of Margaret Murray and Aleister Crowley to justify his claim that an old witch named Dorothy Clutterbuck had initiated him into one of these prehistoric fertility cults, one that survived the witch hunts. This is where Wicca started, and that makes the formation of Wicca entirely impossible to separate from antisemitism - and that is reflected by their language and rituals. From appropriation directly from Kabbalah, a closed practice, to calling their (mis)appropriated holidays 'sabbats', the origins of Wicca and their views on the trials are abundantly clear.

The Harm

I think we are now at the point in this blog where I should no longer have to explain that taking the word 'Sabbath' (or any other spelling of it) outside of its cultural and religious context, and applying it to practitioners of magic, is outrageously antisemitic. It is the propagation and preservation of notions and habits that got thousands of people, jews and not, brutally murdered, displaced, and forcefully converted, and it continues to conflate jews and witches - something that we've had to agree is antisemitic quite a few times, after quite a few genocides.

Another major evil in calling pagan/witchy holidays 'sabbats' is that it misconstrues what the witch trials actually were - it was the persecution of heretics. Witches are heretics, heretics are non-christian, jews are non-christian, therefore jews are heretics, therefore jews must be witches! In both the Old and the New World it was always the different, the other, the unfamiliar that were murdered. Again: people of color, Romani, jews, muslims, scary and ugly women, thieves, disliked women, the disabled, the mentally ill. It was not, and it will never be, privileged white women. In fact, it was generally them assisting in the eradication! I mean this with quite some distaste: if you are one of those people that says 'we are the daughters of the witches you couldn't burn', I know what you are. You are either uneducated or hateful, and I hope you fix that sooner rather than later.

Something else rather distasteful to me is how casually people are willing to dismiss the arguments against the use of 'sabbat' by the pagan/witch community. Antisemitism is not considered as serious, as severe, as relevant, as important, as worth considering. Not as much as other issues. I have had days-long arguments with people providing source on source on source and been met with: "I just don't see the harm." And I hear what you are truly saying. What you are truly saying is: "it's only antisemitism." When it is the appropriation of white sage, when it is the appropriation of Papa Legba, when it is the appropriation of something you don't want all that much, you are willing to stand up. But when it is antisemitism, when it is a word you've used for years, when it seems small and like it would be more convenient to just keep it, you are willing to stand by. And that is performative activism, and that is perpetuating the casual willingness to appropriate from Judaism. And it will be the reason that you and the people in your circle will also feel confident casually appropriating from other cultures.

Intersectionality

Despite the fact that the antisemitic nature of this usage should be enough, there is so much more harm to be done. After all, as was mentioned, it wasn't just jews that died. It was everybody who was not a white, wealthy, able-bodied, heteronormative, Christian man. It was women, so many women. It was schizophrenics. It was slaves, freed and not. It was natives. It was everybody who was different. When you stand by when people call their holidays 'sabbats', you are not just saying yes to antisemitism. You are saying yes to racism. You are saying yes to homophobia. You are saying yes to indigenous hate. You are saying yes to misogyny. You are saying yes to ableism. You are saying yes to ageism. You are saying yes to xenophobia. You are saying yes to hate.

After all, even when it starts with one group being persecuted, the persecution will go on after the extinction of the first group. And when the persecution finally reaches your group, and you have let every other group before you gone extinct, there will be nobody but you to fight for you.

Further Reading

OTHER BLOGS: The Witch Hunts & Antisemitism: An Often Overlooked History Why I Don't Call Them Sabbats, Why You Should Stop, and Other Thoughts on Problematic Aspects of Western Witchcraft The Antisemitic History of Witches Jews and the Witchcraze Can You Be a Jew and a Witch? Why Do Witches Wear Pointy Hats?

BOOKS and PAPERS: The Saturnine History of Jews and Witches - Yvonne Owens Heal the Witch Wound - Celeste Larsen “Persecution Perpetuated: The Medieval Origins of Anti-Semitic Violence in Nazi Germany,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 127, iss. 3 (2012) - Nico Voigtländer and Hans-Joachim Voth "The Malleus Maleficarum of Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger, translated with Introduction, Bibliography, and Notes by Montague Summers Do What Thou Wilt - Lawrence Sutin Witchcraze - Dr. Anne L. Barstow Imagining the Witch: A Comparison between Fifteenth-Century Witches within Medieval Christian Thought and the Persecution of Jews and Heretics in the Middle Ages Male witches in early modern Europe - Lara Apps, Andrew Gow ---- If you enjoy my work, please consider purchasing or commissioning some of my written resarch, ordering a reading, or commissioning my art. Click here to see the options. Thank you!

[meguyummy]

pls see the vision lets have a reddit love story guys! reader owns a book store, izuku's a nerd, pt 1.

--

Internet anonymity is something that you abuse often. Who could really blame you, though?

It's late evening, almost closing time. Sat behind the counter in your small antique bookstore, the only noises you hear are the occasional rustling and crunching of autumn leaves. Today was a slow day, and you're insanely bored. Pulling out your phone, you wonder which app to kill time on before closing up shop. Twitter has been uninteresting, and YouTube has irritatingly long unskippable ads. So recently, you've turned to Reddit. More specifically, r/HeroSnark.

Initially, all your critiques on heroes were posted on Twitter, long and profane rants that got you suspended multiple times. You gained a following for being an outspoken "hero hater", but the sheer amount of die-hard All Might fans who almost found your location deterred further posting. Hating in peace was way more fun than getting swatted.

Has anybody else noticed how sloppy Pinky is getting with her acid recently? Public damage is out the fucking wazoo. Istg if I see another hole in the sidewalk I'll riot.

After posting to the subreddit, you turn off your phone and stand up, ready to flip the sign on the door to "closed" and head home. That's when the work phone rings. Of fucking course that's when the phone rings.

Plopping back down with a groan, you yank the phone out of the receiver and greet the caller, wondering if they've ever checked your closing time (or have, and were just shameless enough to not care).

"Hi! I noticed you have a copy of Captain Cosmos' special edition autobiography and I was wondering if you could hold it for me. I'll pay extra!"

You cringe, scrunching up your face at the phone. The voice on the was certainly.. enthusiastic. The caller was a guy, with a deep, but still somewhat boyish voice. He must be a fanboy on a different level if he liked Captain Cosmos, an ancient and mostly irrelevant hero. Your store offered all kinds of obscure old books, and despite your personal dislike, you knew better than to hurt business by not selling hero media.

"Yeah... I could do that if you're planning on coming to pick it up within the next two days. Are you?" You hope your exhaustion isn't too obvious from your voice.

"Yes! Yeah, I am. Thank you so so much I've been looking all over for it. I'll be there tomorrow!"

You say both say parting words, and you put the phone down, closing up quickly so no other last-minute calls can stall you. Walking up the stairs you retire to your apartment.

Living above the shop was a dream come true, allowing you to thrive without the possibility of an annoying downstairs neighbor. The space was cozy, designed perfectly to your liking after years of living there. After a relaxing shower, you slump into the couch. Checking the post, you read replies from others who have noticed the exact same issue and are equally frustrated by it, some even bringing up more problems you hadn't even noticed yet. You upvote a couple responses, reply to others, and turn on a sitcom.

The amount of bitching done online doesn't mean you're an asshole to people in real life too. Not to normal people, at least. The fact that heroes act like celebrities instead of the crucial emergency workers they really are grinds your gears. Who needs to see Can't Stop Twinkling's annoying ass on TV for something that isn't a rescue? There's a pedestal that they always put themselves on, like they're all-mighty and amazing and need to be praised, but their actions never speak enough for your liking.

A new reply catches your attention, and your brows furrow reading it. This is probably because she's been suffering injuries from her last mission and has still been pushing herself to work and save civilians! We should all be a little bit nicer :)

You frown, blinking hard down at your phone at the reply. Why the hell is.. u/minimight on here to spread positivity? Wrong place for that, bud. You pause the sitcom and sit up from your slouching position on the couch, readying your thumbs.

First, the downvote button gets smashed. Hard.

Dude, I honestly couldn't give less of a fuck that she's injured. If she can be a guest judge on The Masked Singer while injured, she can try a little harder to not make the sidewalk in my area look like Swiss cheese.

Why would anybody who likes heroes spend any time in that subreddit? The whole point is being able to dunk on them freely. You're not going to let some random guilt-trip you.

A reply comes in a minute later. The sidewalk is going to be fixed soon, it was just a minor inconvenience that came during her battle to save a life!

Way to make it deeper than it was supposed to be, u/minimight. You send another quick downvote.

Don't care lol save it for a hero-dickeating subreddit, not this one. You type.

While I understand your frustration, we should give more grace! I know how inconvenient and annoying things like this are, but not everything turns out as planned.

Holy shit they're not done. You don't really feel like arguing with a hero stan tonight, so you reply with a photoshopped picture of All Might in a clown suit.

They quickly reply. I just wish more people would have an open mind on these issues.

Yeah, u/minimight is gonna feel the banhammer soon. After swiftly downvoting their reply, you click on their account. They're a member of a couple All Might subreddits, which are expected, but also some more snark ones as well. They've written a couple of long posts written about random obscure heroes and their 'impact on hero culture'. Seeing that, you decide to write them off another annoying hero superfan and turn your phone off, changing the TV to a movie you've wanted to watch for a while.

Disappointed, (the movie was way worse than you expected) you switch off the TV and head to bed. As you lie there in the darkness, the image of All Might in a clown suit comes to mind, bringing a slight smile to your lips. Maybe tomorrow will be a less annoying day, free from hero fanatics.

[saey707]

YO I HAVE BEEN COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS TO BE ABLE TO SEND A REQUEST

I notice you enjoy writing for the beloved ninjas... Do you have any headcanons of Shen, Zed, or Akali? (´･ω･`)

✿ Prompt: Akali, Shen, and Zed as your lover ✿

♡ champion focuses: akali, shen, zed ♡ tw: none! ♡ Gender-neutral reader

Author's Note: Anon, hello! Your request is in my hands! <3 I didn't include (Y/N) in this one and it will just be generalized ideas of what kind of lovers each nin would be if they had a relationship with reader! ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈ ♡) I hope you enjoy~

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼ ✿ ✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

Index ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.

Shen (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

Akali (૭ ｡•̀ ᵕ •́｡ )૭

Zed ৻(  •̀ ᗜ •́  ৻)

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼ ✿ ✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

Shen ♡ 

Of the three, Shen takes the longest time to warm up to the idea of letting someone into his heart. Because he has been hurt and betrayed by so many people he held dear to him, it is difficult for him to accept the love of another.

But, of the three, Shen would be the most protective. He'll do everything possible to assure your safety, especially with Khada Jhin and Zed on the loose...

When Shen begins to warm up to the sudden affection and warmth you provide him in your relationship, he'll definitely sink into it. How long has it been since someone has taken care of him? Told him that they adore him and love him? The years of deficiency from something so vital are going to have him longing for more of your touch and love!

Despite how busy work keeps him, Shen will try his best to always make time for you. He can't stand the idea of you getting hurt, or worse, killed by an azakana! It is why he would vow to purge all of them and send them back to the spirit realm where they belong.

On his off days, when things are particularly slow for the Kinkou, Shen will spend his time taking you to local taverns to eat! If there is one thing to know about Shen, food is his love language. He knows all the best spots, and will take you to them!

Shen is a big boy. He absolutely loves how small you are in his arms, and how you can't even wrap your own around him.

Shen would give the best massages. Though, he would be hesitant to accept them from you, should you wish to reciprocate.

He'll happily include you in his hobbies... That is if you are interested in meditation, gardening, and learning how to make different kinds of soups.

Shen will teach you how to fight. As much as you probably will come to hate it, given how antiquated his teachings are, he wants you to be able to defend yourself when he is away on advanced missions- In other words, tasks he doesn't want to go on anymore because he fears for your wellbeing every day he is away from home.

His favorite spot to kiss you is on the back of your neck, wrapping his arms around you from behind.

It may be difficult for Shen to say "I love you", but just being aware of his love language is enough to remind you that he really does care and cherish you deeply past the hardened exterior of his heart.

Akali ♡ 

Akali has always considered herself a lone wolf, especially because her upbringings taught her that if she wants things done properly, she has to do it herself. But when it comes to you... She doesn't mind the company.

Of the three, Akali is the most difficult to coming around to having a tender relationship. It's difficult for her to show strong emotions. But eventually she will come around, it's only a matter of time until she begins to express her feelings, than channeling and repressing them. So long as you are patient and are willing to listen to her, everything she feels so deeply for will begin to pour out.

Your relationship started off more... Physical, than it did emotional. Frankly, Akali feared that she would grow attached to you with the amount of nights she spent with you. But she wouldn't take back any of those nights for a second- Even the late night talks and aftercare you always provided her.

When it comes to your relationship with her, Akali is the most likely of the three to be the most possessive! Even though she doesn't outwardly show it sometimes, she doesn't want to share you with anyone else, and if anyone so much as looks at you the wrong way, consider them dead. But you know she's possessive, especially when she clings to your arm when she feels threatened.

On date nights, the first thing Akali does is take you to get ramen! It doesn't take her long to devour 3 bowls, while you are still stuck on your first one... However, some nights she'll share a bowl with you! And when you both get the same ramen noodle, she'll gladly connect your lips to hers with a gentle kiss~

As much as she hates leaving to fulfill missions and assignments, Akali knows she'll always have a place to go back to and feel her most vulnerable: Your home.

And when she does return home, you're always sure to prepare a warm bath for her and a nice cup of tea, followed by a good cuddle session. Such a routine is enough to give something that Akali can look forward to, and believe her, she looks forward to it.

She isn't the best with giving back, and generally doesn't know what kinds of gifts people like.

But when she does come up with something to give back to you it definitely is a pleasant surprise!

Matching tattoos in Weh'le is something you can look forward to when you're some years into your relationship with Akali!

As much as Akali wants to believe she is a stoic warrior with a blade, she feels so many deep feelings for you. Feelings that she's never felt for anyone else before.

Zed ♡ 

As much as Zed is made out to be the great antagonist of Ionia, he really would be the hardest to love and the most tender when it comes to showing his affection, out of the three.

He knows love is not a weakness and that it can be a reason for people to keep fighting. Master Kusho taught him otherwise: He taught Zed to repress his emotions and, essentially, to become a robot. "Only then could he be a real leader," his old Master said.

But Kusho was wrong about him. Zed can't stop himself from having strong feelings.

Zed is a two-for-one package! He doesn't mind performing duties around the monastery such as cooking and cleaning, but that doesn't mean he will fall short of providing for you and protecting you from potential threats. And believe him: The Yanlei always has threats...

He loves cooking and even excels at it! His favorite foods to make are Nagano soba and soup dumplings. And because he enjoys making these dishes he tends to make them a lot... Hope you aren't too picky about variety!

There is never an off day for Zed, but there is always enough time for you: Although not ideal, he'll let you sit with him (or on him~) while he tends to his armor and weaponry.

Nights are spent cuddling up to one another. This is the only time Zed will really let his guard down and feel his most vulnerable with you. His favorite thing to do is nudge his head against the crevice of your neck, allowing your fingers to tangle through his hair until he falls asleep.

He doesn't like leaving you alone, even though he knows full and well you can protect yourself.

When he is about to depart for a mission, he always feels like he isn't doing enough to assure you he'll be back and that he'll find a way to bring you something back (despite the incessant showering of affection).

While you can't be entirely romantic with a busy leader like Zed, that doesn't stop you from knowing deep down he loves you and cherishes you unlike any other being on earth.

You know Zed feels with his entire heart and he will hide it just enough to not let his guard down.

Zed won't ever stop reminding you how strongly he loves you. He won't ever let you feel otherwise. You give him strength. You give him a reason to fight. You make him feel like he is capable of giving and receiving love, even though he's a ninja.

[beesmygod]

BLOODBORNE LORE Q+A PART 2: CAINHURST STATUES

part 1

---

THE HUNTER ASKS:

all the statues in yharnam are weird. even the ones that look normal are so fucking weird. nearly every statue in this game hints at something much larger and stupider than we ever could have imagined.

before we start, for clarity's sake, the chalice dungeons are comprised of four major areas: pthumeru (the largest area and the aforementioned "tomb of the gods", it is a city that rose and fell eons before yharnam), the hintertomb (previously explained), ailing loran (a long ruined city whose fate echoes the fate of yharnam), and great isz (a dungeon that is overlapping with "the cosmos" and is of great story importance). they are NOT main game content. some people completely skip them because they appear to be repetitive and are honestly kind of boring. and yet....

this ties into castle cainhurst's "normal" statues. the first clue something is off is that all the knight statues are missing the right leg. all of them. and not in an uneven way that would imply they were knocked off by some art hating maniac.

it wasn't until the DLC came out that this became retroactively significant. the item description for the old hunter's trousers reads:

A widespread belief of the period was that "beast blood crept up the right leg," and this led to the double-wrapped belt.

the dlc takes place in the time of the old hunters, the distant past. but the knights predate the hunters, right? they have to. the rifle spear was said to be based on a "lost cainhurst weapon". its a pale and poor imitation of the reiterpallasch. and the statues...

the statues in cainhurst clog up rooms to much that they make moving around difficult. they're all the same 4 statues: a queen, a king, a different queen holding a child holding an orb (?), and a tasteful contrapposto nude. i cannot stress how many of these fucking things are just lying around or shattered around the castle. the depictions of the generic king and queen (in truth, these are recreations of statues around notre dame) match depictions in other parts of the game but absolutely no mention is made of their rule now or in the past.

how old is the cainhurst lineage?

old. really, really, old.

here's the only other place you can find the statues: as gold statuettes in the treasure rooms of the pthumeru dungeons

ah, and i know what you're thinking: obviously this is just fromsoft re-using assets in that classic sloppy late game kind of way. but there's. more. a lot more. its not just this.

its so old that the armor you see in the throne rooms and a portrait of a knight in cainhurst castle can be found scattered throughout the lowest parts of the labyrinth.

in modern cainhurst, the fellow above has been transformed through dastardly means into the gargoyle-esque enemy called the "child of antiquity". "bastard of cainhurst" probably would have been a better and more thematically appropriate name.

he is not the only cainhurstian (?) depicted on the this wall of what you probably thought was reused concept art. its probably that. but its something else too. you know who else is in these paintings and also in the chalice dungeons?

her.

in the sinister chalice descriptions ("sinister" being a modifier that adds her to the dungeon for extra challenge) she is described as a "mad pthumerian". h-how can she be a pthumerian if she's a cainhurst noble?!

have you noticed that bloodlickers will appear in chalice dungeon rooms where you've preformed a visceral attack? the only other place they're found in the game is cainhurst! they're read to be blood drunk nobles who have become vampiric like mosquitos or ticks. why are they in the dungeons??

there's also this cainhurst knight who continues to live and serve his queen. i believe one of his guaranteed encounters is at the very bottom floors of the labyrinth. how did he get down there??

did he get down there?

or...did they come up? the subjects of the portraits are pale and thin.

"The old nobles, long-time imbibers of blood, are no strangers to the sanguine plague[...]"

how old? how long have they been imbibing blood? they've experienced blood plague before?!

why do both the bloody crow of cainhurst (one of annalise's knights who is evidently not a vileblood) and the shadows of yharnam (the entourage of queen yharnam) drop "blood rapture" runes which are deliberately vague about which queen the rune is in service to?

how old is the cainhurst lineage?! WHAT is the cainhurst lineage?! annalise, queen of the vilebloods, is the sole survivor of a massacre that wiped out the rest of the vilebloods (an ideologically charged name imposed on them by the church). she was left alive simply because she could not be killed but she was forced into a mask she cannot remove. but the mask does not prevent her from making us into a vileblood, as we only have to drink her blood to do so.

what could the mask be hiding? why does her dialog change when you unlock the lowest chambers of the labyrinth? how are there two undead queens?! (yucky item from bloodborne warning)

all hail the undying queen of blood!

[joie-joie]

HUNGRY FOR YOU

TW: obsessive behavior, manipulative tendencies, insanity, yandere x reader.

He knew the moment he saw you. You were his. Crammed in the train with people, a frown on your face as you looked at your wristwatch late for something. He was mesmerized. He had never seen something so pure. So angry. You were so cute. You were so *his*.

He had to follow you. You were such a fast walker but he could keep up. Your bangs bouncing as you hurried home, little huffs escaping your pretty mouth. He chuckled, watching you enter a cosy little home. He could get you a bigger house just like his. He could keep you and make you satisfied, content and happy. He could turn your frown upside down. Why?

Hmm, that's a nice question. Why though? Why bother about someone like you? He couldn't tell. Is your curvy body? It's imperfections absolutely ethereal in his gaze? Is it your annoyed expression? Is it your full breasts he can't stop imagining squeezing with his shaky hands as he ruts his release into your warm, slick heat? He might actually cum from the thought now. No, focus.

Anyways, something about you makes him a romantic. He never liked romance. He believed in surrender. Surrender of one completely to the one who claims them. Definitely that's not romance, was it? He wants you so bad. But you don't even know he exists. Sad.

He watches you undress in your room from a hidden camera he snuck into while you were at work. Work? He hated that. You deserve to be kept. Fed. Bred. Taken care of in a way that you gain some weight on your protruding ribs. He would work on that. You're like a antique item. He would keep you forever. His eyes narrowed on you watching yourself in the mirror, your hands cupping your chest. He likes them more than any part really. He wishes he could bury his face between them. And your legs. Great. He watches the growing bulge between his legs, sighing as he palms himself absentmindedly as he watches you.

You were his. He just knows it. He can't do without you. He just can't. If you ever thought of leaving him... Well, you can't. Would your legs even work after being smashed by a bat? He chuckles, okay he he's just joking. Why would anyone hurt something they love with all their heart? He would never hurt you...

Would he?

#gojosatoru #Tojifushiguro #getosuguru

[frevandrest]

There had been a number of questionable takes recently regarding the Frev in the past few days that came in succession . Do you reckon if works in the past decades or so that were published in France and were made available to English readers would it may have at least mitigated such thing to ever happen or is the black legend so ingrained that even with the idea of an era where works by Belissa et Al were in circulation in English to people outside France, the result would be the same?

Before I reply, I need to make a disclaimer that I am not the best person to answer this question. I arrive from a very different educational tradition (neither Anglo nor French), and I actually discovered embarrassingly late about the whole black legend and the fact that, among some, the French Revolution was considered a horrible event (that failed). I was taught it was an event that changed the world forever (and helped shape the world today, mostly in a positive sense) and that it has to be studied to understand our world. So I am not the best person to judge the effect of the black legend vs new historiography. If others have more informed takes, please tell us; I am super interested. Now, the bad (as in, incorrect) takes we get here. They happen periodically, and they tend to be very similar, often by people claiming (and I have no reason to doubt them) that they are taking history courses on frev, typically in the USA. So these takes tell me about the state of teaching frev in the USA (Anglo?) sphere. Which is not necessarily the same as "what experts publish in academic articles", because - not sure if people are aware of it, so I need to emphasize - you do not have to be an expert on a topic to teach it at the university level. You typically need a PhD in the discipline, but not necessarily on the topic of the course you teach. I can imagine that they won't give a frev course to someone with a PhD in, say, antiquity, but "early modern period" is good enough, even if you are not an expert on France or the revolution.

Sorry for this preamble; I swear it is related to your question. What I mean is that these specific takes we saw here seem to me (though I could be wrong) not necessarily a product of current English-language academia on frev, but what students are taught. So yes, it is a good question on what kind of books students are given on the mandatory readings list, and if those teaching are even aware of the most current English-language books on the topic (let alone French). I swear most of this stuff is so dated and proven to be incorrect over and over again. We had someone a few months ago saying they read Carlyle for their frev class. ?? This is really strange to me, especially in the North American academia, where even books that are considered new-ish elsewhere, are seen as old, so why teach something published in early 19c? Unless you want to demonstrate changed attitudes about frev and discuss historiography, propaganda, etc. which doesn't seem to be the case. Those assigning such readings are teaching what they feel is true. So I can only guess that they never bothered to read newer stuff. Look. I am all for authors not liking the French Revolution or specific things in it (I am critical of many frev stuff myself), but you have to use current sources that go through earlier misconceptions. We can't still be stuck at "dictator Robespierre who ruled France", a thing that was disproven so long ago and no credible historian believes in (even if they hate Robespierre).

Now, this is about teaching history at the university level and not about experts in academia, because I do think most incorrect takes we get here on tumblr are from students. Experts sticking to the black legend and "horrible horror of the revolution that failed anyway and didn't achieve anything" are a different group. Though I am not an expert on the current historiography to judge it in detail. So, if someone reading this knows more and can explain, please share!

[kimbap-r0ll]

Finally !! Every time I come late but now I have the chance !! So my request is dorm leader with a Hua cheng s\o (Tgcf) !! Good Luck and thank you !!

Hi, thank you for the ask! So, I don't know this character (heard of the show, that's it) so I probably didn't get the character too correct. Hope you enjoy nonetheless!

Dorm leaders with an s/o like Hua Cheng

Riddle

So he doesn't mind your tendency to look down on others (Riddle does the same ngl) but he might not like your aloofness at first. Be sure to be gentle with him!

He's amazed at how strong you are, especially in your unique magic which has to do with shapeshifting. He might ask where the inspiration came from

If you have someone that you really care about, you tend to be super protective. You two are probably super protective of each other as a result haha

Overall he likes how intelligent you are and the two of you do a lot of study sessions together

Leona

He might've thought you were super annoying at first because of your high and mighty attitude. However, he does respect your abilities

He does find it a bit funny that you like collecting antiques or rare artifacts, he might just give you a necklace he has because why not

The two of you are fiercely protective of each other too. It's really cute in a way but at the same time it's super hard to approach the two of you because of your menacing aura

Similar to Riddle, he needs some comforting, so be sure to show him this side of you as well!

Azul

He fell for your cool, calm, intelligent persona. He really likes people that are really cool but he also likes people that are protective (likes to be protected ngl)

He tried to impress you with his own intelligence at first but that failed haha. He ended up just being truthful about his feelings and that probably worked

Please keep him close, he might not say anything about pda out loud but if you walk around with an arm around him omg he will melt

You two are a menace on campus. Not only are you extremely talented in magic but you are also extremely charismatic. You two should start a business together

Kalim

He tried to get you to laugh but you didn't budge. At first he thought you might be hating him, but that changed when you told him you liked the jokes you just don't laugh as often :/

Asks what you can shapeshift into, might seem obnoxious but he really is just a curious person. If you do even an easy shapeshift technique he'll go full on "OMG UR SO COOL 😭😭"

He doesn't mind your protectiveness but he does want you to relax a bit. He might want to dance with you to loosen you up a bit but how well that goes depends on the situation

Really likes spending time with you because you're just full of so many cool stories and things to teach him about. Jamil might like your presence too

Vil

The two of you might've seem like the worst people to pair up together because omg you two are literally unstoppable

Beautiful, handsome, intelligent, charismatic, powerful, the list goes on and on! Vil didn't think you two would get along at first but you two started to like each others' more quiet presence

Vil is quite protective, similar to you! The two of you probably hang around each other all the time but because of paparazzi it might be hard to do pda

Vil really thinks your amazing in so many ways. You two definitely like antiques together too

Idia

Was afraid to meet you at first because you were literally the strongest person he knew (other than Malleus). You however liked Idia and approached him first

Idia's too afraid to be protective (thinks he's not worth it ;-;) but will always get surprised when he feels your arm wrap around his shoulders when you two walk to class. His hair might turn red haha

He will introduce you to video games he likes, especially the retro ones since you like antiques and other rare trinkets. You should try some with him!

Idia definitely likes how you're chill but protective. I feel like it's a vibe being in this relationship, also Ortho thinks you're super cool

Malleus

The two of you probably were the top students in your classes and that's where you two got introduced to each other. He liked how you were very calm when talking to him, and that's probably where he got interested in you too

I feel like you two would practice magic skills and study together. It's a very calm vibe. You two definitely check out antiques together too since he's used to items like the ones you like

Malleus is extremely protective, he just doesn't show it as often. You however have no issue keeping an arm around him or holding his hand while walking to class. Sebek might question this at first but soon finds out you two are together and is like a fan supporting their ship haha

You two are like the intelligent-mysterious couple. But in reality, you two might enjoy a cup of warm tea together and just being wholesome

[inhurtandincomfort]

Found an ask game by sowhumpshaped whose since deactivated, but I thought I'd fill it in. This is for Eldwin, with Clyde, Nels aka The Handler and Alistair. I'll fill it for Kieran and Lukas at some point too. It was a fun character building exercise

for whumpee <3

Eldwin

1) what's wrong with you?

"I make bad choices, that's what's wrong with me."

2) be honest: did you deserve it?

"Well…" He looks away, biting his lip in thought. "Yes. Yes, I suppose so. It's hard to say anyone deserves this, but… most people haven't done the things I have."

3) what do you think about whumper?

"Fucking dicks. All of them." He pauses. "Well, Alistair's nice I guess even if he does make me do things I don't want to… And my Handler isn't so bad these days, I've gotten good at my work… But Clyde's the worst. Fuck him."

4) what do you think about caretaker?

N/A

5) do you have any rules?

"Rules? Like rules I must follow? Yeah, there's a few. Don't talk back, don't ignore them, look at them when they want you do but don't look when they don't… A whole bunch of shit, how am I supposed to know when to look and when to speak? I'm not a mind reader."

6) when was the last time you cried?

"A few years ago, I can't say exactly. I don't keep a record."

7) when was the last time you laughed?

"Do people keep track of this stuff? Fuck, uh… It would've been with Cass, so… a few years ago."

8) does something hurt right now? what is it?

"Ha, when does it not? I don't remember the last time I haven't ached for some reason or another. And the weathers been cold lately which makes my hand stiff…ugh."

9) do you have others who share your fate? do you wish there were?

He looks up in surprise, his brows furrowed. "Why would I wish that? No, I think there's been others in the past, attempts to extract their aether and make them strong, but none of them were successful and it was long before my arrival, I know not the extent of they went through."

10) do you have any triggers?

"I… don't think so? I'm not quite sure what you mean, trigger what?"

11) do you have any phobias?

"My fears don't matter."

12) have you ever killed? would you?

"Yes and yes. Is that all?"

for whumper <3

13) what's wrong with you?

Clyde: "Excuse me?"

Nels: "Hm. Sometimes I wonder. "

Alistair: He raises an eyebrow. "I wouldn't say there's anything wrong me exactly. I will do whatever it takes to keep my name and family thriving. Is that so wrong?"

14) be honest: did they deserve it?

Clyde: He scoffs. "Obviously. He's lucky that I saw his potential - if he can't be useful, then he deserves whatever anyone does to him."

Nels: "No. Not all of it."

Alistair: "It's not about what he deserves. It's about what he can provide. He works for us, and we protect him. It's a fair exchange."

15) what do you think about whumpee?

Clyde: "He's my best investment certainly, but he's far from perfect. He's good at his job I'll give him that, but outside of it he's just… weird. If he wasn't so useful I'd have him locked up."

Nels: "He makes a good soldier. I wish we could improve his physicality but he seems to hold his own and his magic is unmatched.

Alistair: "He's proven himself a valuable asset. A little weak-hearted, but nothing that we can't work on."

16) what do you think about caretaker?

N/A

17) do you have any pet peeves?

Clyde: "I hate people who complain a lot. Either do something about it or shut up, I don't care."

Nels: "Crying annoys me. It does nothing to solve your problems, expend that energy on something useful. Men especially should be stoic and think things through rather than letting their emotions run wild."

Alistair: "When people refuse to accept what's good for them. Sometimes what we need goes against what we want. A lot of peoples lives could be better if they accept that."

18) what would an ideal victim be like?

Clyde: "Someone useful yes, but also someone special. The way people like to own rare antiques and shiny jewels."

Nels: "What kind of question is this? I guess I'd want someone competent, easy to teach. A strong-mind and a quick learner."

Alistair: "Someone malleable. It's easier when they're young and lonely, they'll do anything for a bit of praise."

19) favourite tool/instrument?

Clyde: "I just use whatever I have on me. Cigarettes are easy and subtle. A pocket knife makes quick work. I do like a branding iron but it's a lot of effort and very permanent, and there's only so many good places to do it."

Nels: He shrugs. "I don't have much preference, I just use whatever I feel like at the time. Whips are good, very efficient, but you can't use them too much. It's all circumstantial I guess."

Alistair: "I tend to let other people decide such things."

20) aren't you afraid you'll get caught?

Clyde: "Please, do you know who I am? I can get away with anything."

Nels: "Not really. Been going long enough. This kind of thing is just kinda accepted here."

Alistair: "I know how to work my way around these things. I have no worries at all."

22) do you have any pets? animals.

Clyde: "I have four dogs."

Nels: "I don't, but my wife has three cats and my kids have a dog. My daughter wants a fluffy winged-lizard, so I guess that's on the cards…"

Alistair: "I have two cats."

23) do you have a preferred title or would you rather victims call you by name?

Clyde: "They address me as 'sir'. Names are for equals."

Nels: "…I don't really care. The kid calls me 'sir', like he does everyone. I might have forgotten to tell him my name."

Alistair: "My name is fine. You can't build a relationship with someone if they have to call you by a title."

24) have you ever killed? would you?

Clyde: "It might have happened once, I don't know if he died or not. I usually designate that work to someone else, but I'm not against it if I have to, I'd just rather not get my hands dirty. These clothes are expensive."

Nels: "Yes."

Alistair: "A few times, yes. You don't get in my position if you're unwilling to do the work yourself."

[linaselandbasil]

Eldarya boys as roommates.

Nevra: Has a lot of stuff he doesn't want you to touch but they're literally everywhere, you will inevitably have to touch it to make way. He'll keep the house clean if he has a date coming over though, which happens every few days to every few weeks. He has a lot of expensive stuff, so he's watching you with concern when you walk by his antique table lamp he decided to put on a coffee table, or his handwoven Persian rug that was passed down from his late father to him, or the irreplaceable framed picture Karenn drew of them when she was 6. Also, Karenn. Shes at his place maybe every other day? She never stops talking but that's fine, at least Nevra isn't bothering you. He thinks he's mysterious and dark, but he's simply a goth chatter machine.

Ezarel: Always annoyed by something you just did because he was planning something and you ruined it. He'd need to be at the edge of death before he disrespects your boundaries. He could be literally bleeding out and he'd avoid going to your room and waking you up because that's rude. He makes messes but they absolutely cannot be cleaned up, otherwise he can't find what he needs. He brings his work home a lot, there's documents and alchemical formulae on the kitchen table because why not? Why shouldn't he read his research notes on fungi based aphrodisiacs while eating dinner? He often comes home with his fringe burned, legend says his hair is like that because he forgot to tie it up and something exploded.

Leiftan: Very polite, he did nothing wrong in his entire life, he's a literal angel... But he's never home and his cat is a bitch and you're gonna have to feed that thing pretty regularly. When he comes home the cat is also an angel, but the bite marks and the piss stains remain. All his clothes are white or grey so he's done for the week in one or two loads, he's great at cooking (for eldarya standards anyway) and he sweeps up his cats hair every time he sees it. He's great.

Lance: You'll probably never be his roommate because he always lives with his brother. He's never home, he's always up to some bullshit, he's got no job most of the time but he has money somehow? Probably from Valkyon. You'll never have to worry about burglars, he'll eat them whole. He leaves his big ass shoes everywhere and you'll probably trip on them. He's usually a tidy person but by the end of the day he just wants a nap. Also, this creature is simultaneously a night owl and an early bird. Does he even sleep? How is he so muscular? Did you know sleep is detrimental to muscule development? Hmmm? I've never seen him sleep.

Valkyon: He has so many drugs, you'd start praying that the cops never show up. He's also that one bitch who has expensive liquor out on the top of the shelf to let people know he has a problem but he still has taste. He's not home most of the time because he's out getting laid somewhere. He's never late with rent either, but the cash is always sticky. He hates it when people come over but he also hates not minding his business so he shuts up about it. It doesn't matter what he's having, it could be antidepressants, but he'll ask you if you want sum'. That's some brother behavior right there.

Mathieu: He's a gym bro and he always has his gym friends over and they're playing video games while you're trying to live life like a normal person but there's 4-6 shredded dudes and girls in your living room every weekend. He's a Kevin, sadly, but he means well. (Search stories about Kevin, you'll understand) He ran into Lance at the gym and now he smokes weed too so he smells like skunk every once in a while. He'll cook nice meals for you, which is nice unless he Kevins it up.

[crushingcasanova]

Hi there :) I’m so sorry for my late response , things have been pretty freakin hectic .. i am here now , don’t worry :)

listening to you talk about theatre is so … mesmerizing. i love listening to people in general but .. its just so fun listening to you talking about that knowing how deeply you care about it. how its part of your life. im just sorta enamored（≧∇≦）

i agree , i absolutely adore fine arts. i just can’t get into anything else. its so awesome that you make jewelry!! ive been trying to get fully into it , but i cant seem to find the exact beads i need. but trust when i do .. its gonna be awesome. i do a lot of arts and crafts , and I really adore coloring. ive tried drawing but .. im so terrible , and i just hate being bad at things.

i definitely would say that i love people’s flaws .. usually those things are my favorite things about them ^^ but at the same time , i tend to get myself into bad relationships , then stay because “i can fix it! we will be fine and in love because ill help them!!” i bet you can guess how that turns out .. </3 i also agree that in most situations .. i don’t like to reach out , even if in my heart I do want to. i get nervous , and at times feel like if I didn’t reach out , no one would talk to me .. so i self isolate. im glad that im welcome here .. even if im kinda jsut like , a random person that doesn’t matter and is just yapping … </3

ughhh repurposing is so nice and so fun .. it makes you feel like you’re worth something , yk , giving an old piece a new home. its so rewarding. thrifting and antiquing is always rewarding , because almost every time i go , i find something. i almost never leave one of those stores empty handed .. (im also a shopaholic so ..) but its awesome that you do resin work !! is that calming ??

thank you so much for your kind words , i did get a good amount of sleep last night <333333 i have a few questions :)

what’s your fashion sense?

do you have any pets?

that’s it. thank you so much for letting me be here , hun !!

-🎭

Hello Cheshire <3 I quite missed you, so I was really happy to see you in my inbox again! I hope you've been well, dearie :) I know you mentioned it was hectic, so I hope you get a moment to relax!

I'm very honored that you like to hear me talk about theater! It's one of my biggest passions, honestly, because I adore being on the stage. I'd love to hear some of your favorite musical takes too, if you ever would like to share. I've always been into deep analysis, and I've done a lot for the Phantom and the Great Gatsby in particular :) I was lucky enough to see these before they closed, too, so I like to comment on the staging and the acting from the amazing actors who played my favorites. It also is a big inspiration for a lot of my writing, like this Great Gatsby one I did a while back about the beauty of Gatsby's obsession :) I hope you get those beads soon! I just started working with beaded jewelry a while back, and I make these kind of big pieces for some of my friends. I gifted my beloved a set inspired by them a while back and mailed it to them, and I'm planning to make some for my friends this year. I am sure you're not as bad at drawing as you say, but I think I completely understand the thought behind it. That's why I'm not really a fan of math, since I can never get better at it ... but I'm trying :) coloring is fun too, though! I completely understand self isolation, I used to be like that but I've changed a lot :) my beloved really stressed the importance of communication and taught me how to be more vulnerable and open up, but it's been an uphill battle. I don't think you're a random person who doesn't matter, dear! You bring a smile to my face with your messages, and it means a lot to know you care enough to talk to me too :) I agree with repurposing things :D It is lovely to give them their own home, I agree. It's kind of cute that you think of it like that :) I also am a bit of a shopaholic too, but I'm quite picky, so I usually leave empty handed. My resin work is quite fun! I would say it's a bit relaxing, but only at certain points in the process. The designing and the unmolding is fun, but not the pouring, because it starts to solidify quickly. You have to work quickly and then let it cure overnight if it's not UV resin. It can get a bit stressful As for your questions:

My fashion style is very cutesy, I'd say! A lot of skirts and sweaters, I usually don't wear jeans or other forms of pants very much to be honest. I wear a lot of pinks, blacks, purples, etc. I also am a big jewelry wearer, so I have a lot of that, and I usually am kind of maximalist when it comes to outfits. I also always have cute matching purses when possible :) I used to be a bit more like, hot topic emo style when I was younger, and I still shop there, but definitely less. I also wear a lot of dresses! I'm very hyperfeminine, I'd say, at least fashion wise. I think there are some pics somewhere on this blog, that I did for a follower special, or maybe some in love letter? Not sure! How do you like to dress?

I also do have a pet! I have a little black dog named stella :) she's a little cute miniature schnauzer mix! Do you have any pets, dear?

I hope this finds you well! I was so excited to answer this, sorry it took me a minute! Definitely took me a while to yap ^^;

[cittielinks]

notorious thief trying to court his neighbor

Where Yoo Joonghyuk, codenamed Regressor, is a notorious thief in town, having stolen billions of dollars worth of jewels, paintings, and antiques. No matter how frequent his crimes are, the police could not capture such a thief. 

Kim Dokja is just an average salaryman with an average salary and an average life. He has no idea about any recent news in his small town, sure he had heard about some thieves stealing around the neighborhood, but isn’t that a normal occurrence? He does not care about all of it. As long as he can have a meal on his table, he does not care about anything else.

Kim Dokja slowly walked back to his apartment and bought a bottle of soju along with his cheap dinner for the day. He stumbled upon his neighbor’s child, a college student named Yoo Joonghyuk, on the way home.

"Hyuk-ah! Good evening," he greeted, smiling as he saw the young man.

"Dokja hyung, welcome back." Yoo Joonghyuk nodded and greeted back.

"What are you doing here? It’s a bit chilly, noh?" he asked.

Yoo Joonghyuk’s ear flushed red and he mumbled something.

Kim Dokja had to lean a bit, but he could not hear what he was saying.

"Sorry, Hyukkie, I could not hear you. Can you repeat it?"

Yoo Joonghyuk cleared his throat and repeated what he said,

"I said, I was waiting for you. You were a bit late from your usual."

"Awee, is my cute dongsaeng waiting for me? Thank you, Jonghyuk -ah!" Kim Dokja grinned as he tipped his toe, trying to ruffle the taller man’s hair.

"Hyung, stop that.." yet Yoo Joonghyuk did not do anything to stop Kim Dokja from making a mess of his hair.

"Did you have dinner already?" Kim Dokja asked.

"I did. I have something to do today."

"Is that so? Too bad. You go now, you might be late with whatever your plan is today."

Yoo Joonghyk nodded.

"Let’s eat next time, Hyung. Don’t eat those cheap food, you might get a stomachache."

Kim Dokja chuckled,

Yes, yes. Now go."

Yoo Joonghyuk nodded and then left.

Kim Dokja watched as Yoo Joonghyuk left, and shook his head, laughing a bit.

‘This kid really is so cute, he thought, and he went to his apartment.

That night, while eating his now-cold food in front of the television, he heard the fascinating local breaking news.

"Breaking news, Regressor has struck once again!

This time its target is the pocket watch dated way back in the 1600's owned by the young Prince Ricardo and given to him by the now-then King, King Schweitzen von Kaizenix. It is said to be priced at more than 50 Billion USD.

The police have been on the run trying to capture the infamous thief."

"Well, damn,”  he muttered.

"Not my problem." He shrugged and switched to the nighttime drama for which he had been waiting all day.

The next morning, everyone was talking about the stolen piece and Regressor

 Kim Dokja may not care, but he does love drama, and so drama he listens.

"I can't believe a guy like him just stole the memento like that!"

"Who really cares? I just think Regressor is THAT cool."

"..."

"What?"

"I really can't understand your taste in men."

Kim Dokja can't help but snicker as he listens to the teens beside him on the moving train.

His day went normal and boring fast. As he was about to clock out, he heard a ping on his phone.

He let out a chuckle when he saw it was from his cute neighbor's kid.

"Hyung, don't stay too late today and stay warm, it reads.

Kim Dokja quickly typed out a response.

Really a caring kid, he'd hate to see him grow.

Today, Kim Dokja plans to buy his dinner at a new place, just beside the newly opened museum.

When he arrived at the local restaurant, there were a lot of people. The police were everywhere. Feeling a bit curious, he decided to ask the staff.

"What's happening here?"

"You didn't know?" she replied along with a raised eyebrow.

Kim Dokja awkwardly laughed.

"No, not really."

"Regressor apparently plans on stealing something at the museum. It's why the police are on the lookout."

"I see." He paid for his food and left.

Just as he passed the museum, he was pushed by a lot of people.

Everyone was shouting and screaming, and the police were out to get someone. And Kim Dokja's face planted on the ground, his food left forgotten.

Kim Dokja wanted to cry.

He slowly stood up and stared at the food that was wasted on the ground pitifully.

"Get out of the way! Regressor just flew away! Someone shouted at him and shoved him.

"Sorry,” he just mumbled.

He tried his best to get off the ground. His knees and palms are aching,

"It hurts,” he huffs.

Then, all of a sudden, someone grabs him.

Their arms were around his back and behind his knees.

And then he flew.

Kim Dokja wasted no time scolding them. He latched onto the person who took him away and screamed.

He closed his eyes and began to curse.

"What the fuck? Don't you dare let go of me! I will drag you to hell-"

Below them was a series of cheers, screams, and screeches.

The person holding Kim Dokja cracks a laugh.

"Hyung, that's not even a harsh curse."

"HUH?!?"

That voice?? ,

"Yoo Joonghyuk?"

The man, whose eyes were hidden, smirked.

Kim Dokja ultimately passed out.

–

When he woke up, he was at his old apartment, and Yoo Joonghyuk was sleeping beside him. He had to pinch himself hard,

He groaned.

"This can't be happening. I'm fucked,” he mumbled over and over again. Then Yoo Joonghyuk pulled him back to bed and snuggled closely to Kim Dokja.

"Hyung, it's still so early. Go back to bed."

Kim Dokja blushed, the dusty red was all over his face.

"YAH! This crazy kid! Let go of me! I need to talk to you!” He tried to slap Yoo Joonghyuk, but even though his speck was hard, he bit his lips enviously.

Yoo Joonghyuk blinks, he prompts himself to face directly at the older man, while still holding Kim Dokja's waist.

"Hyung, I'm not a kid."

Kim Dokja huffs,

"Then what are you, old man?"

"Can I just be a man who's going to start courting you?"

"W-what?"

If Kim Dokja was drinking water, he'd be choking right now.

"You're always like this, Hyung. You keep treating me like a kid even when I like you this much."

"N-no, no no. You can't like me?!?!"

Yoo Joonghyuk shook his head, and his curly strand of hair followed his movement.

"I stole those pieces for you, Hyung. Can't you like me just a little bit?" He said softly. Placing a chaste kiss on Kim Dokja's hand as he blinks slowly while maintaining his eye on the older man.

SOS! The kid from my next-door apartment said he likes me, so he steals expensive stuff for me?! What should I do? wuwuwu.

[hopefulatrocity]

From The Ashes

I am working on a Daryl Dixon x TransMale OC story. I'd love to do a full chapter story, but I know my attention span is not good enough to do that. I'll probably end up writing it in parts. Like a Prologue, The Farm, The Prison, The Road/Terminus, and probably skip towards The Lineup(I'm not a huge fan of the herd/wolves storyline). It's gonna get dark, I won't lie, though. Unfortunately, the apocalypse brings out the bad people, including violent transphobes. Plus, Daryl will have to examine his previous biases and accept his new identity in order to be with my OC. And Merle is a trigger warning in and of himself.

Note: My OC is based off of my experiences/feelings as a trans guy. These feelings and experiences may not align with your own, so please read with caution. I don't have bottom Dysphoria and Nyx doesn't either. So I use words like "pussy" or "vagina". I couldn't take testosterone due to health issues plus it just didn't feel right to me, so Nyx didn't either(which is why I describe him sometimes as having a more "feminine" aspects to his appearance. I am often misgendered due to feminine feautures so i wanted to mirror this with Nyx. and most of that will be written in regards to Daryl and his first meetings with Pheonyx. Daryl is a country boy in rural Georgia. His thoughts will be transphobic and confused at first). Nyx has had a top surgery, though, like me.

Name: Pheonyx "Nyx" Greene

Age: 28

Height: 5'8"

Face claim: Colin Ford(Specifically Under the Dome Era) but with a slightly less prominent jawline.

Prior occupation: Tattoo apprentice and secretary

Weapon of choice: Antique Navy cutlass sword, and compound bow.

Pheonyx is the oldest stepson of Hershel Greene. Older brother to Shawn, Maggie, and Beth. He didn't come out as trans until his late teens. Hershel and Annette, while not violently transphobic, didn't understand his identity and often forced him to be more feminine and "girly". They even tried religious therapy(not conversion) and pressuring him to take more active roles at church to try to sway him to be "normal". Maggie and Shawn were the only ones to support him when he came out. Only wanting him to be happy. He worked on the family farm for most of his life but after experiencing a hate crime at 22, he moved to Michigan to try to escape the conservative south and the painful memories. There, he started working at a tattoo shop as a custodian, then moving up to front desk worker. He started getting tattoos to cover prior abuse scars(from before his mom met Hershel) and became more comfortable in his skin. When the apocalypse began, Pheonyx was back in Georgia recovering from top surgery on the family farm. Over the years, Hershel has become more open. He still messes up with dead naming and pronouns but he is actively trying. He was the one who offered for Nyx to stay with them and recover. All of this will be the precursor to our favorite redneck meeting Pheonyx.

Also, Merle will be living in this story. He is going to be a typical transphobic/homophobic asshole at first, but he will be redeemed. And Pheonyx will use a spray bottle to correct him when he is racist/homophobic/transphobic/sexist.