#also by celebrity culture and beauty standards in general

[sugugasm]

୨୧ ˗ˏˋ OTAKU HOT GIRL ! | suguru & satoru x yn “i like a tall woman with a nice, big ass.” ꒰ 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑠 ! ꒱ this is me being delusional srry, but thinkin ab gojo & geto fucking tall, curvy! reader after she begs them to watch her favorite anime with her . . like ugh rn. also forgive me if this is pure degeneracy. i was bein a horn dog n’ there’s no plot rlly :/ inspired by the one n only stallion ofc, we luv u mama

꒰ 𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑤 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 ꒱ : blk fem reader, uses she/her pronouns, usage of pet names like cocksleeve, love, baby, babe, sweetheart, etc. positions included such as doggystyle, double pen, themes such as choking, bratty reader, dom! satoru & suguru, rough sex ??, oral fem recieve, oral male receive, dirty talk, mentions of a size kink, lots n lots of cum, mmm yum so gross — 5.3𝑲 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕

“hurry up, boys! m’ gonna’ be mad if you miss the intro. it ruins the whole experience of watching for the first time!”

“we’re comin’, woman. calm down.”

both satoru and suguru scurry around in your shared kitchen, gathering the rest of whatever horrid snack combinations they could find before jogging lightly to make their way over to you on the couch. with your feet positioned criss-crossed n’ a warm bowl of popcorn sizzling down in your lap, the only thing really missing were the two imbeciles of men you mistakenly decided to roommate with around a year or two ago.

you roll your eyes fondly as satoru and suguru finally plop down on either side of you, their arms laden with an assortment of junk food. satoru’s got a family-sized bag of cool ranch doritos tucked under one arm and a jar of peanut butter in the other hand, while suguru’s juggling a pack of oreos, a can of whipped cream, and what looks suspiciously like . . ew, a jar of pickles. what?

“are y’all for real right now?” you laugh, eyeing their haul with a mix of amusement and disgust. “ we’re about to watch anime, not enter a county fair eating contest.”

“hey, don't knock it til’ you’ve tried it,” satoru grins, ripping open the doritos and the peanut butter simultaneously. his gaze dips briefly to your chest, taking in the way your soft pink lace cami clings to your curves. “besides, we’ve gotta’ fuel up. you said this show is, and i quote, ‘a cultural reset that will redefine our understanding of feminism and body positivity in media.’ i don’t know man, that sounds intense.”

suguru snorts, unscrewing the oreo package. his eyes briefly lingering on the bare expanse of your thighs, the flimsy matching shorts riding high as you curl your legs underneath you. “pretty sure she just meant it’s got a lot of ass shakin’ and women empowerment. still, sounds pretty lovely.”

you chuck a kernel of popcorn at his head, giggling when it bounces off his nose. “excuse you, that’s a very tiny observation of ‘megan - sama : twerk hero for a new generation.’ s’ a journey of a woman’s adventure to self-love and confidence in a world that constantly tries to tear her down. she uses her sexuality as a form of power. she like, challenges the male gaze and double standards with, well . . every clap of her ass.”

satoru blinks at you, a glob of peanut butter sliding off the dorito he’s holding halfway to his mouth. “that . . was surprisingly deep, yn.”

“mmm, that's our girl,” suguru says proudly, throwing an arm around your shoulders. his fingers skimming over your skin, sending a shiver down your spine. “beautiful, brilliant, and able to find meaning in the most unlikely places. like a twerking anime.”

you elbow him playfully in the ribs, warmth blooming in your chest at the casual praise even as heat prickles across your skin at the contact. “you’re jokin’ but m’ serious,” you whine, “it celebrates a body type that’s so often shamed and or fetishized, like i dunno’ . . she faces some of the worst - but she never gives up, and that self-love is what ultimately gives her the strength to change the world around her in the end . .” you keep gushing, waxing poetic about megan’s badassery and the show’s powerful message. the boys listen attentively, nodding along, but you don't miss the way their gazes keep drifting south, tracing your figure with barely-concealed appreciation.

you hated to go on your fourth tangent of the week right now, but god, representation really did matter. it was practically rare to see your body type in entertainment — let alone that exact body type standing at a whopping 5’10. this was . . like you said, a real cultural reset.

a comfortable silence then settles as they finish taking it in, the low murmur of the anime’s opening theme — otaku hot girl, now filling the room. you sneak a glance at satoru out of the corner of your eye, surprised to find him looking thoughtful rather than skeptical like any other guy your age would.

“i can dig it,” satoru says slowly, popping a peanut butter dorito into his mouth. “more representation of different body types in media, s’ important. and i mean, objectively speaking . . .” he rakes his eyes over your form, lingering on the swell of your hips and ass. “i like a tall woman with a nice, big ass. ain't nothin’ wrong with a little extra somethin' to hold onto, y’know?”

you raise a brow, something playfully bold and a little reckless brewing in your chest. “is that so? didn’t know y’liked your girls thick, gojo.”

satoru swallows, adam's apple bobbing as his gaze snaps to yours. “no, yn. i love, my girls thick,” he says, voice pitched low. “well that and, exploring your sexuality n’ confidence in general is jus’ sexy . . as hell.”

“hmmm, i see. getou?” you turn to suguru, head cocked. “any thoughts?”

suguru’s smile is slow and devastating, dark promise in his eyes. “he’s not wrong. m’ sure you know that though. body like . . yours, s’the kinda canvas i could spend hours worshipping. takes an incel to not appreciate it, honestly.”

“oh please. all that bravado, but i can’t you couldn’t handle me even if you tried.” you shimmy your shoulders, drawing attention to the truly tremendous amount of cleavage your cami isn't concealing. “you'd probably bust in your boxers if you so much as touched this ass. thank youuu.”

but even as you say that with all the confidence in the world, you can’t help but to think . . ‘what if?’ what if they could? what if you were talkin’ straight out of your ass right now just to have it be thrown in your face later on? — no, never, couldn’t be.

and later on, as the end credits of the final episode roll, you stretch languidly, you’d forgotten about the thought, feeling pleasantly buzzed from two pretty drinks the three of you had earlier and the easy camaraderie of the night. satoru and suguru have been the perfect viewing companions, cracking jokes and providing commentary that had you in stitches more often than not.

but all in all, underneath the lighthearted banter, you can feel something else tiptoeing - a tension, an electricity that’s been building all night. it’s in the way satoru’s gaze lingers on the curve of your throat as you tip your head back to laugh. it’s in the heat of suguru’s palm on your knee, his thumb rubbing absent circles that inch higher and higher with each passing minute.

“so . .” satoru drawls as the autoplay timer counts down to the next season. “that was . . actually enlightening annnd i just followed megan on instagram. so, when will she be mine?”

“mhmm, told you,” you laugh, feeling loose and languid from the warmth of the alcohol in your veins and the solid press of their bodies on either side of you. “and i dunno, join the club. she’s a fuckin’ queen. knows what she wants and goes for it, she’s inspirational, and an overall bad bitch, duh — i want her too.”

“kinda like someone else we know,” suguru muses, a sly curl to his lips as he turns to face you. his eyes are dark, heated in a way that makes your breath catch. “ain’t that right, yn?”

you swallow, pulse picking up speed as you meet his loaded gaze. “oh? and who might that be?”

“you,” satoru says bluntly, shifting to angle his body towards you as well. the movement brings him close enough that you can feel the heat radiating off of him, the firm press of his muscular thigh against yours. “talkin’ all that shit earlier, bout’ how we couldn’t handle you. you think that, babe?”

oh . . so maybe you were wrong.

and they had planned on it proving that to you.

there’s a challenge in his tone, a dare that sends a frisson of anticipation skittering down your spine. you lick your lips, noting with a thrill how both their gazes zero in on the movement, “maybe i did,” you say, pitching your voice low and breathy. “what’re you gonna’ do about it?”

suguru makes a rough sound in the back of his throat, fingers flexing on your knee. “oh, well since you asked . . we can give a little demo - show you exactly what we’re gonna’ do about it. ain’t that right, satoru?”

“damn straight,” satoru growls, a wicked gleam in his eye. “whaddaya’ say, sweet thing? why don’t you go ahead n’ show us what makes you a hot girl, yn?” he finishes.

heart pounding, skin prickling with goosebumps, you lift your chin in clear provocation. “tch, whatever. bring it on then, bitches. show me what you’ve got.”

of course you’d challenge them. why wouldn’t you? you quite literally had the power of god and megan on your side.

twin groans meet your bold words, suguru’s hand tightening convulsively on your leg as satoru’s eyes blaze with intent. “don’t mind if we do,” satoru rasps, voice gone low and gravelly with want. “been fuckin’ gagging for it all night, watchin’ you all curled up and cozy in this tiny ass pajama set, lookin’ good enough to eat . .”

“gonna’ fuckin’ devour you,” suguru vows, already shifting to press hot, open-mouthed kisses along the column of your throat. “gonna’ put this bratty little mouth to good use, fuck, been dyin’ to feel these pretty lips wrapped around my dick.”

you moan, head tipping back to grant him better access even as your hands come up to fist in satoru’s hair, dragging him down for a filthy, biting kiss. he groans into your mouth, licking past the seam of your lips to tangle his tongue with yours, one large hand palming roughly at your breast through the flimsy lace of your cami.

“fuckin’ tease,” he pants when you break apart for air, fingers already working at the tiny buttons holding the top closed. “prancin’ around in this scrap of nothin’ all night, like a slut. y’knew we wouldn’t be able to stop thinkin’ about you, baby.”

“why don’t you tell me?” you breathe, emboldened by the blatant need in their faces, the desperate flex of their hands on your body. “c’mon, boys, use your words. what’ve you been thinkin’ about doin’ to me all night, huh? how’re you gonna’ shut me up, put me in my place?”

“jesus fuckin’ christ,” suguru swears feelingly, wrenching himself away from your neck to stare at you with wild, hungry eyes. “keep talkin’ like that and i’m gonna lose it, i swear.”

“then lose it,” you purr, hooking a leg over his hip and using the leverage to grind yourself against his straining erection. he hisses, hips rocking forward to press the thick line of his cock harder against your aching center. “c’mon, sugu baby, show me how bad you want it. show me exactly what this bratty little tease does to you.”

“fuck, you fuckin’ - get her naked,” suguru snarls to satoru, already fumbling with the tie of your shorts. “fuckin’ get her naked right goddamn now, i can’t - i gotta’ taste her, gotta’ get my mouth on this sweet cunt before i fucking explode . .”

satoru doesn't waste any time, practically ripping your cami open in his haste to get at your bared tits. you cry out sharply as he latches onto one straining nipple, suckling hard and grazing the sensitized bud with his teeth. “oh fuck, oh god, yes!”

your shorts and panties are yanked down your legs, the sudden rush of cool air on your heated flesh making you gasp. and then suguru is shouldering past satoru to find his way between your thighs, pushing them open wide and burying his face in your dripping cunt with a guttural moan of satisfaction, “i call first,” he mumbles into your pussy.

satoru scoffs an agitated, “not fair, but whatever,” and you can’t help but to giggle at the sheer fact that they were quite literally bickering over who was gonna’ eat your pussy first.

“shut the fuck up — ”

“aht, aht! hey, all my munches get along so . . y’all about to argue all day or what?” you mutter, and as if they were being scolded back in their early sourcerer days - they hush, and then, “holy shit!” you whimper, back arching clear off the couch as suguru goes to town, licking and suckling at your clit like a man starved. “o-oh my god, sugu, you’re s’good . .”

“mm, y’like that, sweetheart?” satoru husks, sucking and then pulling off your nipple with a lewd pop. his hand palms roughly at your other breast, plucking at the stiff peak, drawing high, breathy cries from your throat. “like the way he eats this pretty pussy, fucks you with his tongue? gonna’ make you cum so hard you scream, baby, gonna’ make you fucking flood his mouth.”

“y-yes,” you gasp, fisting your hands in both their hair as suguru goes even harder, slipping two fingers into your clenching hole and pumping them in time with the relentless suction of his lips around your throbbing clit. “yes, fuck, m’gonna cum already, gonna’ come on your face sugu, please, fuck, m’ so close . .”

“that's it,” satoru coaxes, pinching your nipple viciously, making you yelp. “give it up, yn, fucking come for us like a good girl, wanna hear you scream . .”

suguru crooks his fingers just right, rubbing mercilessly against the spot that makes stars explode behind your eyelids, and you shatter with a raw sob of their names. your cunt clamps down vise-tight on his thrusting digits as you gush around them, release flooding his chin and dripping down his wrist.

he works you through the aftershocks with hitching praises and soft kitten licks, only pulling away when you start twitching from oversensitivity. he rocks back onto his heels, wiping and licking around his mouth with the back of his hand and tongue, eyes hazy and satisfied as he takes in your wrecked, limp form. “fuckin’ gorgeous,” he slurs, words edged with wonder. “shit - look at you, jesus, all fucked out and dripping just from my mouth. i told you i could spend hours between these thighs, baby, i wasnt lyin’.”

“h-hours, huh?” you manage, breath still coming in shuddery gasps. “that mean you’re done with me already, sugu?”

his eyes sharpen, a predatory curl to his lips that sends a bolt of heat straight to your core. “not even close, pretty girl. m’ jus’ gettin’ warmed up.”

“why don’t you let her catch her breath,” satoru suggests, something dark and intent in his gaze as his eyes rove over your naked, trembling body. he palms his cock through his sweats, hissing at the contact. “still gotta put that mouth to work, remember?”

your cunt clenches weakly at the implication, arousal already starting to rekindle in your veins. “gimmie’ a minute to recover and i’ll put it to work all night long,” you promise, licking your lips. “wanna’ choke on it, toru. want you to fuck my throat . . please.”

“jesus, fuck, you’re so nasty,” satoru groans, fisting a hand in your hair and dragging you up for a brief, brutal kiss. “gonna’ wreck you, baby. gonna’ fuckin’ ruin you for anyone else, mark you up inside n’ out until all you can think about is us, all you can feel is us stretching that hungry little pussy wide . .”

“oh please,” you whimper, already halfway there just from their words, their roving hands, the hot press of their bodies caging you in on either side. “god, please, i want it — fuck me stupid, i don’t care.”

“and we will,” suguru vows, fingers dipping back between your legs to circle your slick, twitching entrance. “gonna’ pump you so full of cum, baby, shit, gonna fuckin’ breed this cunt.” you keen high in your throat, the images they’re painting sending heat licking through your veins like wildfire. you want it, want them, with an intensity that’s scarce.

“so what’re you waiting for?” you rasp, disentangling yourself from their groping hands to shimmy off the couch and drop to your knees between their splayed thighs. you rest your palms high on their legs, thumbs teasing at the straining bulges tenting their sweats. “i believe i was promised a face fucking . . and y’know i hate broken promises. don’t make me beg.”

“brat,” satoru husks, eyes practically black with lust as he lifts his hips so you can tug his pants down his thighs. his cock springs free, thick and ruddy and leaking at the tip, and your mouth waters at the sight. “let’s see how cocky you are with your mouth full. won’t be able to sass when you’re chokin’ on dick.”

“choking? you promise, daddy?” you purr, shuffling closer on your knees, hands running teasingly up and down their thighs. suguru makes a strangled noise, hands clenching into fists at his sides like it’s taking everything in him not to grab you.

“open,” satoru demands hoarsely. “open that smart fucking mouth. lemme’ feed you.” you part your lips obediently, tongue darting out to swipe at the swollen head of his dick. he jerks like he’s been electrocuted, a guttural moan punching out of his chest as you proceed to lave at his cock like an ice cream cone, all kittenish licks and teasing flicks that have him cursing up a storm above you.

“gonna’ kill me,” he grits out, hips flexing like it's taking everything he has to keep from fucking up into your mouth. “yn, jesus, quit teasing and suck it, shit — suck it baby, please . .” deciding to put him out of his misery, you open wide and sink down, relaxing your throat to take him as deep as you can. he shouts, hands flying to your hair as you set up a steady rhythm, bobbing and sucking and swirling your tongue until he’s leaking a steady stream of precum down your throat.

suguru is panting harshly on your other side, fisting his own cock with short, rough strokes as he watches you work over satoru. “look so fuckin’ pretty with a dick in your mouth,” he praises raspily, thumb collecting the bead of moisture at his tip and reaching down to smear it across your lips where they're stretched wide around satoru. “made to be a fuckin’ eater, weren’t you sweetheart? made for us, made to take what you’re given, aren’t you?”

you whimper around your mouthful, the degradation making your cunt clench up hard. you redouble your efforts, relaxing your throat and sinking down until satoru’s cock is nudging the back of your throat, your nose pressed against his pelvis.

“holy fucking shit,” he wheezes, fingers tightening in your hair to hold you there. “oh my god, oh fuck, your fucking throat, m'gonna come, gonna come right down your slutty little neck . .”

“do it,” suguru growls, hand still fisting his own cock, the wet slap of skin on skin obscenely loud in the otherwise quiet room. “feed her that load, man, fucking paint her throat, make her gag.”

satoru cums with a hoarse shout, cock pulsing on your tongue as he empties himself down your throat. you swallow it all, working your tongue along the throbbing underside to draw out every last drop until he's shaking and pushing you off with an overwhelmed grunt. and you pull off with a gasp, lips swollen and spit-slick, chin wet with drool and the remnants of his release. before you can even catch your breath, suguru is grabbing you by the hair and dragging you over to his waiting cock, the head an angry purple and weeping steadily.

“looks like s’ my turn now, hm?” he grits out, tracing the seam of your lips with his cock, smearing the slickness around like obscene lipgloss. “back open, c’mon.”

you let your jaw drop wide once again, and then he’s pushing in, stretching your lips wide around his girth as he feeds you every thick, throbbing inch. he sets a punishing pace from the start, one hand cupped under your chin to feel his cock moving in your throat as the other winds tight in your hair, holding you still for his thrusts.

“oh fuck yeah,” he rasps, eyes fever-bright as he stares down at you, taking in your glazed eyes and drool-slick chin, the vulgar bulge of your throat. “takin’ it like a champ aren’t ya’? so pretty like this, baby. y’like it, like daddy’s cock buried in your throat like this?” you moan around him, looking up at him through your lashes as you hollow your cheeks and suck viciously — vacuum technique doing absolute wonders by the looks of it. he curses, rhythm faltering as his cock throbs warningly against your tongue.

satoru is suddenly there, pressing up against your back, arms banding around your waist as clever fingers find your aching nipples and pluck at them roughly. “your face is so pretty,” he husks in your ear, stubble rasping against your neck as he mouths at your throat. “it’ll look even prettier painted . . c’mon make him cum, you’ve earned it.”

the filthy words combined with the sharp mix of pleasure pain of his fingers on your nipples has you shuddering, cunt clenching down on nothing as a bolt of heat sizzles up your spine. suguru’s is close, you can tell by the way his thrusts are going erratic, his cock pulsing faster against your tongue.

“f-fuck, oh fuck, m’gonna cum,” he warns, high and tight, hips snapping forward once, twice more before he's pulling out abruptly, fisting his cock with desperate strokes. “open your mouth, fuck, stick out your tongue baby, wanna’ see it, fuckin’ shit!”

you obey mindlessly, tipping your face up and extending your tongue, a lewd, pornographic presentation. suguru loses it at the sight, shouting brokenly as his orgasm crashes over him, cock jerking in his grip as he paints your face with ropey streams of pearlescent white.

you moan shakily, back arching as some of his release hits your waiting tongue, the salty-musk taste of him flooding your senses. you feel debauched, utterly wrecked and still desperately turned on, your cunt a throbbing mess of need between your legs.

“holy shit!” suguru pants, slumping back against the couch, chest heaving. he takes in your cum - streaked face, the way you’re panting and squirming, still perched on your knees between them. “you’re a fuckin' vision, you know that? prettiest thing i’ve ever seen, all messy and marked up, fuck.”

“mmm, but she’s not finished though, are you baby?” satoru purrs, fingers drifting down to tease through your soaked folds, making you gasp and buck your hips. “look, she’s still hungry for it, so ready for more like the insatiable little slut you are. tell us what you need, sweetheart. tell us how you want us to wreck this pussy.”

“both of you,” you manage, voice a needy rasp. you reach down to circle your swollen clit, putting on a show for them. “want both you in me, filling me up t-til’ i can’t fuckin’ take it.”

“fuck,” satoru swears emphatically, cock already twitching with renewed interest. “yeah baby, we can do that, no problem. so sorry if we make you cry.”

“we gotta’ get her on the bed,” susguru demands, pulling you up and herding you towards satoru’s room. “need you spread out for us, wanna’ wreck you properly.”

you go willingly, eagerly, practically trembling with anticipation as they usher you into the bedroom, tearing their clothes off as they go. they descend upon you like men starved as soon as your back hits the mattress, hands and mouths roving over every inch of bared skin until you're writhing and keening beneath their attentions.

suguru pushes your thighs open and buries his face between them, groaning at the taste of your arousal. he licks into you like a man dying of thirst, tongue delving deep and curling just right to make you see stars. “fuckin’ drenched,” he mutters, pulling back just enough to circle your entrance with one long finger, gathering the slickness. “absolutely soaked for it, aren't you baby? dripping for our cocks, greedy little pussy desperate to be stuffed full.”

“please,” you whimper, back arching as he pushes two fingers knuckle-deep, pumping them lazily. “oh fuck, g-getou, more, need more!”

“ive got you,” satoru rasps, rolling on a condom and slicking himself up with lube. he shifts up the bed until he’s bracketing your head with his knees, the thick jut of his cock bobbing mere inches from your face. “gonna’ give this filthy mouth something to do while sugu opens up your hungry cunt, yeah? gonna’ fuck your throat while he fingers you sloppy, get you nice and ready for us both.”

you open eagerly for him, relaxing your jaw as he feeds his cock past your lips. he groans at the wet heat of your mouth, at the way you hollow your cheeks and suck, working your tongue along the throbbing underside.

“there you go,” he praises roughly, grabbing a handful of your hair and giving a shallow thrust. “just like that baby, fuck, feel like heaven around my dick . .”

you moan around him as suguru works a third finger into your dripping cunt, scissoring and curling them just right to graze that spot inside you that makes your toes curl. the dual stimulation has you shaking, the obscene sounds of satoru’s cock gliding through the slick clutch of your throat and suguru’s fingers pumping wetly into your pussy filling the room.

“she’s good to go,” suguru declares after a few endless minutes, pulling his fingers free and wiping them clean on the sheets. he slicks himself up, shifting into position between your spread thighs. “gonna’ wreck this pussy, baby, you have no idea how bad i’ve wanted this, wanted you. i think about you while i dream . .”

how could something said be so blended with both degeneracy and sweetness.

he pushes in on one smooth glide, the breath punching from his lungs in a guttural moan as your walls clench down greedily around him. “mm, what a tight fit. shit. gripping me, yn, goddamn.”

you sob brokenly around satoru’s cock as suguru bottoms out, hips flush against yours. he gives you a moment to adjust before he starts moving, rolling his hips in deep, devastating grinds that have you seeing stars.

satoru keeps rocking into your mouth, hands fisted in your hair to hold you in place for his thrusts. you take it eagerly, gagging a little when he hits the back of your throat but relaxing to let him push deeper, until your nose is pressed against his pelvis with every pump of his hips.

“m’ gonna’ cum down your throat again,” satoru grits out after a few minutes of spit-roasting you between them. “gonna’ get you all warmed up, honey.”

you moan helplessly, tears leaking from the corners of your eyes as you struggle to breathe around his considerable girth. just as spots start to dance in your vision, satoru stiffens and curses, hips jerking erratically as he spills into your mouth with a hoarse shout. “there you go baby, breathe for me — agh fuck yes. choke on daddy’s dick, thas’ good girl.” he then pulls out carefully, cradling your jaw as you cough and gasp, chest heaving.

suguru is still working into you from below, the drag of his cock against your fluttering walls almost unbearably good. you’re so fucking full of him, stretched around his thickness, but you still feel so empty, aching for more.

“please,” you rasp, looking up at satoru with wet, pleading eyes. “need your cock inside me too, need both of you fucking me, filling me, please.”

“such a needy little thing,” satoru marvels, eyes dark and hungry on your face. “gonna’ give it to you, baby, don’t worry. want me to stuff that pussy, hm? confuse you on whose is whose,” he laughs.

he slides down your body, shifting to kneel behind suguru between your lewdly spread legs. slicking up his fingers with more lube, he circles your stretched rim where suguru is steadily pumping into you, dipping just the tip of one finger in alongside his thrusting cock.

you keen high in your throat at the added stretch, the slight burn as he works you open further. suguru groans at the increased tightness, at the filthy drag of satoru’s fingers around his pistoning cock as he meticulously stretches you out. “god, look at you,” suguru pants, sounding absolutely wrecked as he stares down at where you're taking them both, hole straining wide and shiny-slick with lube and your own arousal. “pretty, little cunt all desperate for it, practically begging to be stuffed full. you want that, baby? want both of us crammed up in that pussy, wanna’ be our fuckin’ cocksleeve?”

“yes,” you sob, past the point of shame or restraint. “please, fuck, want it, want you both so deep in me, wan’ it to almost hurt . .”

“holy shit,” satoru swears feelingly, pulling his fingers free and lining his cock up alongside suguru’s. the blunt pressure against your already stuffed hole has you nearly hyperventilating, squirming down onto them eagerly. “okay, baby, deep breaths. gonna’ put both of us in, yeah?” you nod, and he pushes in hard, forcing his cockhead in alongside suguru’s with a devastating stretch. you wail brokenly, back bowing as you’re split open on their straining cocks, the burn of it so intense it borders on both pleasure and pain. but then suguru is rolling his hips and satoru is grinding into you and oh, oh it’s fucking perfect, the drag of them against your walls, the way they throb and pulse in tandem inside you.

“fuck,” suguru wheezes, sweat rolling down his temples. “o-oh fuck, fuck, fuck!.”

“m’ not gonna last,” satoru warns, voice absolutely shattered as he starts to move, drawing out only to slam back in, forcibly creating space for himself in your overstuffed channel. “yn, o-ooh, pussy’s stranglin’ me, baby — m’gonna cum.”

“do it,” you demand breathlessly, rolling your hips up to meet their thrusts, taking them impossibly deeper. “cum in me . . claim m-me.” with twin shouts they comply, snapping their hips forward one, two, three more times before they’re cumming hard, cocks pulsing in tandem as they empty themselves into you. you moan brokenly at the feel of it, of their release flooding your cunt, marking you up from the inside out.

they collapse against you as they come down, chests heaving and skin slick with sweat. you whimper as their softening cocks slip free of your abused hole, a river of come slipping out after them to soak the sheets.

“holy f-fuck,” satoru rasps after a long moment, pressing a reverent kiss to your shoulder. “that was fucking crazy . .”

“and incredible,” suguru adds, sounding just as dazed. “yn, baby, fuck. we wrecked you, jesus.”

“mmm, you did,” you agree, feeling utterly boneless and fucked-out in the best way. “absolutely ruined me for anyone else, jus’ like you promised.”

“good,” satoru growls, something fiercely possessive in his gaze as it rakes over your limp, satisfied form. “because this pussy? this filthy, perfect pussy? it belongs to us now. you belong to us now . . .”

you glance briefly at the tv, dick drunk and pleasure high. part of you thinks you should probably pay your respects to the anime that facilitated this unexpected but very welcome turn of events, but the rest of you is preoccupied with trying not to black out as satoru and suguru keep their attention on you.

megan-sama, you think muzzily, just before suguru starts to nip at your shoulder again, bless your ratchet heart. you the real mvp.

and then coherency flees completely as your boys descend on you once more, cutting off anything resembling higher thought.

the last fleeting thing you remember is a deep, unshakable gratitude for your beautifully crafted body and the incredible dudes about to spend the foreseeable future worshipping it.

thick thighs save lives, indeed.

there’s only one you.

we love you meg.

[djpachipikachu]

idk what those yokai beauty standards are bc graves!Yuichi looks cool asf, idk what else to tell you💀

just wanted to get that off my chest bc discovering ur au rlly gave me smth to look forward to in this medieval torture we call life, and for that i say thank you😞

STAWP UR SO SWEET this made my day sm EHEHEH giggling to myself thank u sm im so honored that graves is smth for u to look forward to

segue ! there is a reason behind yokai seeing him as unattractive teehee

L: “right? he doesn’t look bad at all! he’s fuzzy and has a sword, like, what else do you need?”

L: “and he’s, like, pretty as fuck, and sweet, i’d die for him, his fur is really soft and he’s a samurai, like, that’s cool—“

L: “HEY—“

Y: “okay, don’t—just ignore him, the reason they don’t like me is because of history”

Y: “miyamoto usagi is infamous for being Japan’s greatest traitor and war criminal, since he assassinated the shogun. the…eto, mortal? mortal yokai…part of Japan are very nationalistic. so the assassination and his other actions made rabbit yokai look…bad. violent and untrustworthy.”

Y: “the hidden city of new york is very popular to immigrate to, so there are many cultures—but japanese culture is the dominating one, so rabbit reputation here is still ugly.”

L: “AKA, it’s bc of RACISM”

and the reason the yokai slayer is more popular is bc being a bit of celebrity in the nexus definitely changes how he’s seen, despite fulfilling all the stereotypes of rabbits being “violent” !

its a violence that is contained and made for public entertainment, being in the nexus makes the yokai slayer a hypocritical exception the stereotype, smth smth about the furthering of harmful stereotypes being a twisted way to validate the public’s ego (confirming their bias of rabbits being violent while also supporting this violence from a safe distance away)

also bc most of his diehard fans are from a younger generation they’re more open-minded

however yuichi in his regular life doesnt have that cushion of being liked so yokai tend to think hes ugly lmao

[lizbethborden]

I'll expand on my previous post, since it broke containment.

It is a noticeable and remarked-upon phenomenon that women's beauty functions as a fashion trend. For example, we've been in the era of BBLs and "thick" beauty being the mainstream, popularized by the Kardashians. This trend has been widely criticized from multiple angles: the simple unattainability of a tiny waist and giant breasts and buttocks, as well as a button nose, large lips, and tilted eyes, which all together constitute the ideal; the fact that these body parts are often stigmatized for naturally occurring on women of color, but seen as desirable and laudable on the bodies of white women; the widespread practice and normalization of profit-driven plastic surgery, wherein, as a whole, women constitute the majority of patients and men the majority of doctors, etc, etc... Of course, now the pendulum is swinging the other way, celebrities are having BBLs reversed, and the new thing is the "ballet body."

Of course, the fact that women's faces, bodies, looks, can even be considered a trend, and can be capitalized upon for profit or other forms of gain, is a function of patriarchy. That being said, it is also a fact that certain women who, naturally or via surgery, have or attain these traits, will then go on to do just that--profit from their appearance. This is not new information. To return to the Kardashian example, Kim, Kendall, and Khloe have been thoroughly critiqued for perpetuating beauty standards that are unattainable except with significant quantities of cash, for appropriating beauty trends from minority populations, and doing all of this while making money--does anybody remember the "diet tea" that one of them was peddling that, apparently, made you shit yourself? Didn't Jameela Jamil's first big moment of virality come when she criticized the Kardashians for their perpetuation of diet culture?

The women who participate in these practices, who utilize their alignment with current beauty trends in order to generate a profit, are not inherently evil, and certainly are not the people at fault for the social and institutional forces that oppress women. That being said, they are actively participating in the perpetuating of those forces by profiting monetarily from encouraging other women to align themselves with harmful and damaging standards of female beauty and desirability. This is not a neutral action they are taking, nor are they just having a convo with their friends in a corner somewhere and expressing a randomly toxic opinion about beauty which impacts no one. These are women with platforms who are being given a lot of money in order to appeal to other women and encourage other women to spend their money to continue these harmful and damaging practices and beliefs. Have you ever heard the phrase, "they get paid for it so you'll do it for free"?

When we are talking about this subject, for example, the casting of wholly inappropriate actors to play women with distinct and stigmatized ethnic features, when those actors have features that align not with those women's actual appearance, but with the current trends of beauty and desirability, we are talking about women who are profiting from the erasure and elimination of certain types of female appearance, who are making money from making it seem like, for example, Gilda Radner (who was considered unattractive in popular culture), had a button nose and soft features. Here is a comparison between Ella Hunt, who plays her in the Saturday Night movie, and Gilda Radner as she actually appeared in life.

Ella Hunt is making money from this. She is not an innocent person who is cruelly forced into the position of erasing the public image of Gilda Radner as she actually was and replacing it with her own. She is not personally, inherently responsible for the patriarchal forces that come together to create beauty culture and generate the demands that all the women we see in movies and on TV look a certain way, but she is profiting from those forces, and continuing to profit in an active way, because this advances her career. She is receiving career gains from portraying Gilda Radner, she is adding a line to her resume for this, maybe she will win awards or critical acclaim for this. Yes, the patriarchy is not her fault, but it is her choice to advance herself and her career by appealing to patriarchal values and standards.

Does this mean I think she, or any other woman, in this position is a patriarchal collaborator? Well... To some extent, yes, and often more so than the majority of women. All of us are forced to collaborate with institutional power and male supremacy in various ways throughout our lives, but the majority of us will not stand to reap such significant financial and social gains from doing so. She does, and so do other women in her position. (Ask me about my opinions on Cate Blanchett in Tar and whether or not that's a patriarchal collaboration!) Do I think this means she is, inherently, herself, a bad person, evil, or doomed to be a traitor to women forever? No. And, I will be blunt, if I or anyone else indicted every female celebrity for patriarchal collaboration, we would have no famous women left to stan. That's stupid and silly and an impossible standard.

That said, it is not an impossible standard to think that the needle needs to move on this issue, wherein real women, who actually lived, and who possessed an appearance against beauty norms of their and our time are being erased and replaced in cultural depictions by women who do fit beauty norms. It is not an impossible standard to hold other women to to think that they should not be pursuing roles like this, and that they should recognize the inappropriateness of financially profiting from eliminating the image of women who do not possess their particular cultural cache of idealized, highly feminine, stereotyped (and always implicitly white and gentile) beauty. Sorry if that makes you mad or hurts your feelings because you like these women.

[vigilskeep]

festivals of thedas!!

five major holidays are celebrated all across thedas "from tevinter to ferelden", tied to the transition of seasons. (they are generally in the andrastian tradition, and have links to tevinter culture considering its widespread imperialism and influence.) i'm going to talk about what we know from the lore and also what i think the real world inspirations are, but i'm not the most knowledgeable person on that specifically, so if anyone has extra contributions especially for the latter, or thoughts of what their own cultural background might bring to some of these, i would love that!!

first day is celebrated, naturally, on the first day of the year! in the january equivalent month of wintermarch/verimensis. on this holiday, you visit family and neighbours, which in remote areas was once literally just an annual check that everyone was alive. there's a town gathering to commemorate the past year, with drinking and merriment, of course. celebrating the start of a new year is one of the oldest traditional holidays in the world. i might compare the tradition of making visits to scotland's 'first-footing' on hogmanay (new year's eve), where the first person who enters a home is a bringer of fortune (and gifts!). in scotland it should specifically be a dark-haired man to ensure good luck, but there are similar practises in other places with different standards

wintersend is a festival for the end of winter, celebrated at the end of the february equivalent, guardian/pluitanis. originally called "urthalis" and dedicated to urthemiel, old god of beauty and the archdemon from dao, it now celebrates the maker. i would imagine for both it stood to thank them as the bounty and plenty of creation returned to the world. we have some information on how it varies between regions. in the south, it is a day to gather, trade, arrange marriages, and attend theatre. in tevinter, it marks great tourneys and contests at the proving grounds in minrathous. nevarra, too, has "particularly grand" wintersend tournaments.

summerday (you begin to see how creative these names are) honours, you guessed it, the beginning of summer, celebrated at the beginning of may, or bloomingtide/molioris. apparently universally celebrated as a time for joy and marriage, which may explain why it was once called andoralis and sacred to andoral, old god of unity. time for those marriages the southerners arranged at wintersend to be celebrated! but most specifically, it's the day for coming of age. there's no details on at what age this occurs, and it may vary across thedas, but on summerday boys and girls wear white tunics and gowns in a grand procession to the local chantry to be taught the responsibilities of adulthood there. so most characters raised andrastian probably went through this! lots of cultures have coming of age celebrations but i'm not super familiar with them personally as my own is lacking, so i would love to have other people's takes on what else this might involve and if you see any similarities!!

funalis is now much better known in thedas as all soul's day, since after the first blight its original associations with dumat, the old god of silence, became rather unpopular. it's now spent in sombre remembrance of the dead. in some northern lands (i would expect this to be mainly acceptable in tevinter), there are parades after midnight where the people dress as spirits, which sounds so fucking cool, by the way, WHAT does that look like in the cultural imagination. in the south, it memorialises the death of andraste, with public bonfires to mark her death on the pyre, and religious plays depicting the events. all of this is obviously influenced by the real world all souls' day, a christian commemoration of the departed on 2 november, and i suspect visuals of the mexican day of the dead are being called up for the parades. however, funalis is actually celebrated at the start of august/matrinalis, which is equivalent to... you know... august. thedas gets an early start on spooky season i guess? for the southern andrastian stuff i would look at the history of miracle plays and catholic festivals

lastly, satinalia is a holiday accompanied by wild celebration, the wearing of masks, and naming the town fool as ruler for a day. it was once dedicated to zazikel, the old goddess of freedom, but is now more attributed to satina, thedas' second moon. this is very obviously linked to the ancient roman festival of saturnalia, which involved a similar switching of roles for the day, with slaves having the banquets and freedom of speech their masters would normally enjoy, and the rules changing for the day on how dress indicated rank, potentially including mask-wearing. you can see why the goddess of freedom was relevant. it's also been connected to later traditions like the british 'lord of misrule', which could be an influence too! there are many other festivals of masks to look to, as well. satinalia is celebrated at the beginning of firstfall/umbralis, which is november. in antiva, it last for a week or more, while a week of fasting follows. in others, it's marked by large feasts and the giving of gifts.

these are the festival days celebrated in all of thedas (in andrastian culture, at least), and there are likely many more regionally. for example, there's a delightful page in world of thedas vol 2 outlining all nevarra city's entertainments throughout the year, including ancestral pageants of the dead in the autumn, and winter styles of dance that mimic dragon hunting featuring armoured dress and fluttering red cloth, likely inspired by the pasodoble's mimicry of bull and matador. every place and culture in thedas surely has their own, and their own variations on the shared festivals above

i would loveeee if people included these more in their thoughts and fics and hcs. let your beloved characters get engaged at wintersend and remember their coming of age on summerday and dress up for parades!! pls. for my health.

[oswincoleman]

The Jetty reviews!

Beware, some of these reviews contain spoilers! I will highlight some non-spoiler parts of the reviews here though.

Soundsphere magazine: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The newest BBC One series ‘The Jetty’, which is full of shocks, twists, and more turns than you can shake a stick at, will immediately grab your attention and won’t let go until the credits of the final episode roll.

It’s safe to say, from the opening few scenes, The Jetty is an outstanding piece of cinematography!  The beautiful lakes of West Yorkshire are almost characters themselves, from their haunting stillness to their choppy and aggressive waves.  The metaphor never seems lost with this series.

With a stellar cast helmed by the ever-brilliant BAFTA and Emmy Award nominated Jenna Coleman (The Wilderness, Doctor Who) as recently widowed and single mother, Detective Ember Manning as she investigates a fire in a small town in Lancashire

Coleman shines as Ember, just as she does in almost all of her dramatic roles, she plays grief in a new light and as the case rears its head, Coleman just goes to prove she really is one of the best actresses of our generation.

Inews: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The ever-reliable Jenna Coleman is the glue that holds the series together, but it’s these flashes into the past where the drama really comes to life. 

Amid the tennis and the football and Glastonbury taking up the schedules recently, TV has been crying out for a series like The Jetty – one the entire nation can really get stuck into and chat about at work the next day. I can’t remember the last time a BBC crime series gripped me this much.

The Standard: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Jetty is a complex series, and Coleman carries it beautifully; whether she’s doggedly interviewing suspects or breaking down at home, she’s never less than magnetic. The police case is just the start of the story, really: what the show is really about is power, and how power can be abused, especially in relationships between young girls and older men.

The setting is also a stroke of genius. The picturesque lake acts as the focal point of all the action, veering from pretty to ominous as it laps at the titular jetty of Mack’s boathouse, hiding both secrets and bodies. The end result can be unbearably tense at times, but the show also offers flickers of light in the form of Ember’s relationships with her nearest and dearest.

It’s a welcome breath of fresh air in a series that spotlights and celebrates women – as well as pointing out the dangers of being a young girl in a world where men lurk in the shadows. It’s a message that feels all too relevant today; the show doesn’t offer any easy answers, but the end result is electric.

The Guardian: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jenna Coleman stars in a very good thriller that evolves into a dark, funny and moving look at how women navigate the brutally male world. It’s better than you would ever expect … especially after that opening

The Times: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/the-jetty-review-a-thoughtful-metoo-thriller-with-a-smart-twist-cx3z2z2zm

Still, it is an impressively mature and engaging role for Coleman. Her dry put-downs of her sidekick Hitch (Archie Renaux) were neatly done, showing that sexism operates on many levels, big and small, conscious and unconscious. Sometimes it can just be a thoughtless remark. And Jones was also careful to show that toxicity in this community wasn’t entirely male. 

Horse pleasuring aside, it also looks fabulous: breathtaking winter sunsets, the lovely lake glinting in the sharp grey light serving as an emblem for all the murkiness that lies beneath the surface of what shapes into a carefully calibrated four-parter. Too many dramas seem to voyeuristically revel in the terrifying threats that women and girls face. This shows what can be done about it.

What to Watch:

The Jetty should come with a warning because this new thriller is about to become your next TV obsession. 

I hope you haven't got much on for the next few days, because you are going to be busy watching Jenna Coleman in her latest thriller - and her first-ever role as a police detective.

I have always been a big Jenna fan, right from her early career as Jasmine Thomas in Emmerdale back in 2005. Since then the British star has spent almost two decades in film and television starring in huge shows like Doctor Who, Victoria, The Serpent and more recently her gripping Prime Video thriller, Wilderness (another show you really have to check out of you haven't already - you won't regret it!).

But somehow The Jetty feels different. While Jenna is very familiar with taking on lead roles in huge TV shows, this four-part thriller marks her first role as a TV detective.

So if you do one thing this week, set aside four hours to yourself and watch The Jetty - this is a show that everyone is going to be talking about. 

Stylist

The new BBC miniseries stars Jenna Coleman in a magnetic, layered turn as Detective Ember Manning, a whip-smart, no-nonsense police officer in Lancaster. After the old yacht club, now a showy holiday home, is burned down, Ember’s investigations lead her back to the cold case of Amy Knightly, a local teen who went missing 17 years ago. As her investigations continue, Ember is faced with the disturbing possibility that her late husband, Mac, may have been involved in the girl’s disappearance. To give away much more would spoil the delightfully twisty-turny plot that ensues, but suffice it to say, this show offers up a truly gripping crime story. 

But what makes The Jetty a true work of nuance is that it refuses to be overcome by the very real darkness it is portraying – as such, it feels quietly, doggedly brave. Instead of succumbing to doom, gloom and victimhood, it is littered with moments that capture the vast array of experiences of womanhood. Some particularly lovely moments of release include Ember and Hannah belting out KT Tunstall’s Suddenly I See in the car and, later, dancing wildly to The Killers’ When You Were Young. Being a woman in the world is still profoundly dangerous, but it is also filled with elation, joy, friendship, silliness and hope. The Jetty may seem like your average nail-biting detective thriller, but below the surface, it has surprisingly poetic depths.

Financial Times: ⭐⭐⭐

[kinksofknockturnalley]

“YOU ARE IMPERFECT, PERMANENTLY AND INEVITABLY FLAWED. AND YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.”― AMY BLOOM

Claiming is now open for A Devious & Diverse New Year!

Kinks of Knockturn Alley wants to start 2024 off hot, so we’re back with another iteration of one of our favorite fests! Devious & Diverse New Year looks to highlight body positivity, how it intersects with both fandom and sex-positivity, and to celebrate another devious year to come!

Body positivity refers to the belief that all people should have a positive body image—no matter how society, cultures, or generational ideals view shape, size, and appearance. Some of the goals of the body positivity movement include: 💿 Challenging how society views the body 💿Promoting the acceptance of all diverse body types 💿Helping people build up their confidence and acceptance of their bodies 💿Tackling unrealistic body standards Body positivity also recognizes that judgments are made based on other contexts such as - race, gender, sexuality, and even disabilities. Body positivity aims to help people understand how media messages contribute to how people perceive their bodies and their relationship with themselves in how they feel about food, exercise, clothing, health, identity, and self-care. By understanding the effects influences have, people can develop a healthier and more realistic relationship with themselves.

💿 THE BASICS:

All pairings are welcome. Triadriads and multis, general, and non-romantic.

Each prompt may only be claimed once. Your prompt will be dropped if you claim a prompt once it is full.

Your story or artwork must revolve around your prompt, a kink of your choice, and body positivity!

The link to claiming is in the Rules Document linked below.

💿 TIMELINE:

Sign-Ups/Claiming Opens: December 31st, 12 PM EST

Submissions Due: February 23rd, 2023, 11:59 PM EST

Stories Revealed: February 25th, 2023, TBD

PLEASE READ THE RULES IN FULL BEFORE CLAIMING A PROMPT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO AN ADMIN. RULES FOR A DEVIOUS & DIVERSE NEW YEAR CAN BE FOUND HERE: BIT.LY/DDNY2024

[doctordeathawaits]

tippies on transLatino?

si

TRANS - LATINO ..

Learn about the culture ! Things like food, literature, music, dance, cultural clothing - things like that, while learning you can pick out the things that are your favourite ! ( again, like food or music ! )

Learn about the history - whichever Latin country you assign yourself to be, learn the history of it, learn about the major events and celebrations !

Speaking of celebrations - every country has it's own, so learn about the celebrations your assigned country has, learn the traditions and how you can incorporate them in your life !

BAKE THE FOOD !! I think everyone can agree that the food slaps /pos So make it ! Having something from the culture for breakfast, lunch or dinner can help with euphoria, and learning recipes from Latino creators online is quite easy !

Learn the languages - most Latin countries speak Spanish or Portuguese ( not limited though ! ), so learning the language will help a lot ! The languages have similar words in English, so it can be easy for you to incorporate some words in your daily life !

Appearance wise - Latino people can look very different and are very unique ! It is up to you if you want to look a certain way - things like tanning or using hair care products to change your appearance slightly can help a lot ! Things like makeup can also help !

Fashion and style - Latin countries have their own fashion and aesthetics, while it is generally influenced by the American industry, they still have their own stances on beauty ! So learning the fashion, what is popular now and knowing what trends to follow can help you feel at ease ! A follow up - following Latino people on social media can help you understand the cultural difference when it comes to aesthetics, they have their own separate community online, and being apart of it or even just lurking can help understand the beauty standards <3

Hope this has helped ! Happy transitioning <33

[blueiight]

You know what I was thinking about one of the reasons why theres so many confederate/slave owner era vampires??…

I think its a way for white people to preserve and immortalize a time where they were allowed to be their most unhinged.

Like lowkey those are their heroes (do we see a widespread celebration of the union and union soldiers in the same way as the confederacy? why isn’t that also part of their “culture”). So if their heros are villains for trying to keep slavery alive and that era had to die then they found a way to make it undead, powerful still and also a way for them to root for those villians in a way where they don’t have to moralize it bc its the very nature of a vampire to be a monster.

So they get to push that it doesn’t make sense to moralize it in the way they’re always looking for allowances to not have to moralize the fact that they ever existed in that way and still carry a lot more of those sentiments and ways of thinking/speaking/acting than they’re willing to admit.

The vampire is from another time and frozen in the way they were when they were turned. The same way their grandparents are from a different era and stuck in their ways, but they don’t get to be forever young and desirable in their appearance by the standards of what beauty is considered to be. They want to be allowed to hold on to it as beautiful too.

It’s never really explored of contended with in any of the media that has a confederate of slave owning vampire in a way that reconciles with the racial implications of that. How they were already consuming people and exploiting and exerting control over people in their humanity and you weren’t to question them. They had the power and they didn’t want to give up that power and still don’t.

Now that lives on in a figure that is given even more power than their human counterparts and they get to be alluring and seductive and compelling. They also get special powers to aid in their consumption and compulsion. And the white reader is allowed to desire that figure bc it’s fictional and they’re meant to be monsters without ever having to question what it means that they want to be allowed to desire a non-fictional historical figure in a fictional setting so they don’t have to question why they yearn for that allowance. They free themselves from questioning why they’re always looking for allowances i.e. in micro-aggressive tactics and n-word passes (“i was singing the lyrics to the song!” and “I grew up in the hood around black people” and “my _____is black and they said it was fine”).

It’s reflected in the general anti-blackness within goth culture and vampire culture as well. The fact that the white og vc fandom was rife with racism and racist readers for so long. the author herself holding anti-black beliefs and never exploring how that shows up in her work. Just like in twilight and that author pushing against their being black vampires in the movie etc. etc. It’s exposed in the white og readers struggle to watch their beloved characters shown in an adaptation that does not allow them to hide, that challenges the allowance to have racism be an unspoken undertone in the media they consume. In an adaptation that refuses to soothe their discomfort with being challah to reflect on that part of their history and how they exist in the world today. Instead they get angry and accuse the adaptation of making their beloved characters ooc! They revise and excuse the very real examples in the very text they’ve been a fan of for years bc the text allowed them to ignore and participate in the apologia of it all and now the adaptation is not and they didn’t like that. They scapegoat and say they were expecting a romance (despite how the show was promoted) because they wanna romanticize that version of themselves and not be questioned about it ( another example: how they like to get married on plantations)…

sorry to just dump all these idk these thoughts on you, which probably have been talked about extensively and with more intelligence, but I just wanted to write it out somewhere and usually you have great discussions on your blog so yeah. hope you are having a good day 💕

i appreciate what u said. historically speaking, the confederacy was let off w/ a slap on the wrist bc more people who considered themselves union were able to sympathize more w the confederacy than they were with the struggles of black people held in bondage. not to mention the 19th century equivalent of tom cruise assassinated lincoln, and the subsequent line of presidents were so openly sympathetic to the confederacy that they pretty much destroyed what little progress was made + gave former confederates essentially free reign over the southern half of the united states to continue a system of racial apartheid. and still, the government is so concilatory to these people and their descendants. makes u think a lot about who it serves no? i cant see a time where white people wasnt given free reign to cut up in recent history or why theyd need fiction to do so cuz they already got the dub rl.. but i understand wym, in how escapism to this type of fan can entail can ‘escape from black people’ & how cultural products can reinforce the white southern usamerican mythology of the lost cause. i cant say im familiar w the goth culture tho ive loved some goth black girls, but ill trust ur word on it. tvc is rly the only vampire story ive got myself into but i find that the race dynamics in it to be its weakest , most outdated trait of it all that has received very little discussion before, during & even after the modern show adaptation of interview.. a video a thinkpiece here&there to add ur wonderful thoughts on this. but i find that type of old fan to be a loud minority overtaken by a new type tho… its easy to drag the confederate bride but not this one.

i find this newer crop of fans to be less the confederate brides & moreso ppl whove learned from the mistakes of ‘open’ racism & r subtler. cuz its moreshow how their racialist biases impacts their understandings of the narrative, what they center in their imagination& the like. its easier to drag some irrelevant bozos calling real actors UGLY saying MW better or feenin for some teenage boy who aint never acted to go play armand just cuz hes a white. but its much harder to acknowledge the subtleties in these types POV cuz ppl will just reduce me to being a dumb xyz chara stan or some abcd camp of fandom i dont even claim. getting called both a dumb louis apologist blackie & a lestat abuse apologist beating up on poor lou too. idk what i am lolz. but i digress. its relatability in hegemony is what i call it. these types r so discomfitted with a black main character, whos vulnerable, tormented, terrible & flawed. they have to reduce him to certain attributes, selective characteristics, shells of himself or drum up 2d crimes bc his evil so far had yet to target the ‘valued’ sort of victims, or fixate on a character of no color n reduce said chara to tropes too.

ive talked about how incredibly powerful it is, for the typical Black horror victim to become the monster as well as the Black man goring the white man in terms of the historical record. how finn o’shea starting off as louis’s runner & comes up and becomes ‘white’ comes at louis’s expense is hilariously ironic n somewhat [tangentially so, maybe?] comparable to how anne rice, an irish american, gained her notoriety..

he is The Vampire, as louis in the books was, he the only one who , in his torment, does not dwell underground for billions of years, does not contort himself into a beast, who simply just Is. The Vampire. making this creature Black, says a lot. even if amc did it for diversity board points, the showrunners did a beautiful job w this character. these type of fans clamor desperately so for a white, to ~debunk~lying ole lou in show verse. + tend to treat dan as if hes just an objective hardhitter & not yet another flawed character of the bunch, or want to prescribe every aspect of daniel’s life on the amazing mind gift possessed by armand de illuminatus. who conflate lestat’s whiteness, how he lords over rue royale, him unveiling his own trauma after traumatizing l+c so, his own complexity / love with some generic tropes cuz they cant relate to the fictional monster otherwise. hes david bowie w a french passport yall. wake up. its ppl who cried tears of blood for antoinette but aint give af about miss lily. its ppl who think tom anderson & fenwick were anything but racist crash test dummies to show what mainstream human power in new orleans looked like. lowkey its also people who never even much touch or have the intention of reading tvc much less get to qotd suddenly becoming #1 fans of one chapter in qotd out of the rest. itd be funny if it wasnt pathetic. how r u presented such a masterclass of a show. The Interview with The Vampire. now a canonly gay Black monstrosity of the Gilded age. his coffin is a penthouse slash billion dollar blood farm, hes regaling a dying old man he attacked in the 70s the truth& reconciliation committee but its a thriller romance with his maker, father, brother, Lover in one Lestat , the disasterclass of how he did his Daughter sister reflection Redemption Claudia. to find out the Vampire Armand holding the Gate’s Key, awaiting the end of the world, as the covid-19 pandemic reminds us of mortality?. the story shatters n is rebuilt. like omg. unlike the book interview Armand& Louis r still together!! whats going on!! in 2022-23? . but ive rambled enough. ill just be the dumb xyz stan to some ppl or someone else will reword this to make it palatable to these very same fans :/ it is what it is and it was what it was

[cb-writes-stuff]

Loredump. :3

Today we’re gonna be talking about two species that aren’t even gonna appear in the story I’m currently writing. I’m just like that, I guess.

The two species are called the khiones (khee-oh-ney*; S added for plural) and the lilas (lee-lah; S added for plural). Colonists, however, call them nymphs and pixies.

*The “kh” sound is called a voiceless velar fricative. To say it, position your tongue as if you’re about to make a G sound, then keep it there as you sharply push air out, with your teeth open. Make sure not to vibrate your vocal cords.

The Khione Species

Khiones are a little taller and more slender than humans. Their hair ranges from milky white to silvery gray, and they have the same eye colors as humans, only significantly more vibrant. What stands out the most is their skin: stark white and iridescent. Additionally, their lungs are specialized for high-altitude, low-oxygen environments, and their wide, tapered ears have a silky fur coat, to keep ‘em warm. Their ears also droop slightly, and flick and quiver in different ways when emotional. They also have inborn cold magic. (I hate calling it “magic”, but that’s for another loredump.)

They typically live in settlements on mountaintops, especially the snow-capped ones, which benefit them in many ways. Their magic is practical and useful in everyday life, and the air isn’t too thick for them to comfortably breathe. Practically all of them live on the continent of Kentra, and the number who have traveled across the sea to Caladein could be counted on one hand. (Guess which one the story takes place on.) This is mostly because they tend to choke on the air at sea level. They dress very warmly and show as little skin as possible. Not doing so would just be stupid, in their environment.

By human standards, khiones are very exotic, if not outright beautiful. Their presence is ethereal and draws every eye, especially with their skin shimmering through colors as they or their observers move. For the khiones, though, they have different ideas of beauty. Cleanliness is, of course, important. The brighter and more vibrant someone’s eyes are, the more attractive they are. In a hunter, being lean and fit, able to have more successful hunts and bring home more meat, is considered attractive. In a nurturer, being plump and portly is considered attractive, able to retain heat better and be a (metaphorically and literally) warm presence in the home. Hunters are typically attracted to nurturers, and vice versa. In fact, hunter/nurturer is, for all intents and purposes, treated as the primary gender binary among khiones, rather than male/female. Based on which you are, you’re expected to dress a certain way, act a certain way, and be friends with certain people.

Because of their nature, most things khiones do is communal. Growing crops, for instance, or sharing meals, celebrations—even raising children. Because of this, childbearing is not a primary goal of marriage. However, some certain rites and ceremonies can only be done between a child and their nurturer. As such, it is generally frowned upon for a hunter to marry a hunter. In the case of a nurturer marrying a nurturer, there is no one to bring home meat.

There are two main cultures among khiones in North Kentra (that is, the northern subcontinent of greater Kentra); the Crown khiones, and the Divide khiones. The Crown khiones live on a group of six mountains roughly in a circle, partly forming a range. The Divide khiones live on the great mountain range that splits the continent in two.

The Crown are generally quite friendly and kind, welcoming visitors into their homes. As long as those visitors are fellow khiones. When it comes to other species, they tend to isolate themselves, interacting only when necessary.

The Divide are fiercely protective and hypervigilant, refusing to let any colonists cross to the other side of the mountain range. Not out of hate though. Rather, it’s almost as if they’re protecting something… hmm. In contrast with the Crown, they regularly interact with outsiders, including a light trade with the colonists. Most Divide khione know their own language as well as that of the nearest colonist town or city. (The colonists have long since ceased colonizing, running out of places to colonize. Even so, the khiones still think of them as the colonists.)

As a writer, the name for the khiones comes from the Greek figure Chione, who was turned into a snow cloud.

The Lila Species

The lilas are essentially miniature humans in appearance. Smaller in every dimension, they have the same proportions despite only being two feet tall. Their ears aren’t even pointy. Like khiones, lilas all live on Kentra, typically roaming in North or Central Kentra depending on the season.

Pixies are feral. Absolutely wild. As a learned trait, rather than instinctual. With their size, they have to be. They’re small and fragile, and not very high on the food chain. Mostly everything can kill them, so they have to intimidate or outmaneuver would-be predators. And it works. Despite this, they’re not the ones the colonists call savages. That’s a different group… hmm.

Their most distinct and non-humanlike feature is their insect-style wings, sprouting from between their shoulders. Lilas always have two pairs of wings, for a total of four. The wings begin to grow at age two, and the style depends on their diet up until that point. The different styles of wings are:

Dragonfly-style: Sleek and agile, lilas with this style of wings are especially fast and able to make sharp turns in flight, as well as being able to hover. The wings are usually twice a lila’s arm span. They are often hunters who practice pursuit predation.

Butterfly-style: These wings are beautiful, multicolor—and large, with a silhouette around quadruple the size of the lila. They lend themselves to graceful, sweeping flights, as well as gliding. Because of their high visibility, lilas with this style of wings engage in coordinated hunting, signaling other lilas to the presence of prey. With their beauty, they also act as ambassadors in the highly rare cases other species are willing and wanting to interact with them.

Moth-style: Thrice the size of the lilas, this style of wings are more muted and velvety compared to butterfly-style wings. They’re especially good for silent flight and blending in with the surroundings, so lilas with these wings utilize ambush tactics during both day and night.

Damselfly-style: Like dragonfly-style wings but smaller and more delicate. Not quite as fast as dragonflies more as graceful as butterflies, lilas with this style of wings are good all-round or support hunters.

Hoverfly-style: These wings, small and almost circular, aren’t suited for hunting. Usually, these lilas stay with the young ones, tending them and fending off any threats. They primarily serve as caretakers, engaging in opportunistic foraging or hunting when possible.

Lilas also have inborn light and air magic, making them metaphorically and literally lighter, and enabling them to fly even longer than their natural stamina allows. They use both in their hunting methods, with gusts of wind to throw off predators or flashes of light to disorient them.

They lead nomadic lives, avoiding predators and harsh conditions with the changing seasons. Their luxuries are next to none, their sole focus set on staying alive. As such, they can hardly develop a culture or personal indulgences. Things like romance and dignity are ignored, being only a distraction from the task of survival.

Their typical dress is minimal. Shorts and skirts are common, inhibiting movement as little as possible. Hating to restrict their wings, the men go barechested and the women wrap their chests. They rely on callouses to protect their feet. They make their clothes from plant fibers and animal skins. They also wear things like feathers and beads to signal positions within a tribe.

As for weapons, the most common materials are wood and flint. When they can harvest it, bone is also quite popular, as well as other stones. Spears and javelins are especially prevalent, followed by bows and arrows. The bow and arrow is commonly used by hoverfly-winged lilas for defense, as their wings lend themselves to stability. Daggers and knives are also used, both against similar- or smaller-sized prey and for skinning prey of all sizes. Traps are also an essential part of their hunting techniques, especially when they can fly and most predators can’t.

So… yeah! That’s it for this loredump. Typing all this out was really helpful for me. It made me flesh out a few things I’d been ignoring before.

“Wait! What about the colonists? The ‘pink text… hmm.’ thing? The vaguely platonic cross-species lesbians!?”

Yes, yes, I know. A story for another time. A part two, perhaps…? This post is long enough as it is.

[priyanka-branding]

Embracing Diversity: Nina Davuluri against the backdrop of Fair & Lovely

I remember this vividly: in 2013, Nina Davuluri, an American woman of Indian descent, made headlines and history as she was crowned Miss America. Her victory was a moment of pride and celebration for many, especially those who saw in her win a broader acceptance of diverse beauty standards in America. However, the reaction to her crowning was not universally positive. Davuluri faced a barrage of racist backlash on social media, with some calling her un-American, and others linking her to terrorism. This stark response highlighted a deep-seated issue with race and beauty standards prevalent not only in America but also in other parts of the world, including India.

All I could feel was joy that a dark-skinned woman, of the same shade as me, was able to take such a prominent stage.

Parallel to this scenario in the United States is the ongoing controversy surrounding Fair & Lovely, a skin-lightening cream widely popular in India and other South Asian countries. Marketed by Hindustan Unilever, Fair & Lovely has been criticized for promoting fairness as a preferred aesthetic, implying that lighter skin is somehow better than darker skin tones. This message resonates with deep historical and cultural biases that associate skin color with status, beauty, and personal success. Many commentators even said that Nina Davuluri would not have been able to win the parallel Miss India competition because she was "too dark."

The Cultural Impact of Fair & Lovely

For decades, Fair & Lovely has dominated the skin-lightening market by promoting the idea that fairness leads to success and love. The brand's advertisements traditionally showcased transformational stories where a darker-skinned woman applies the cream and subsequently achieves her dreams—be it career success, marriage, or social approval. This narrative taps into the societal pressures and prejudices that exist around colorism—a form of discrimination based on skin color that is not just prevalent in India but globally.

The brand's influence is so pervasive that it has shaped beauty standards across generations, often marginalizing those who do not fit the 'fair skin ideal.' The impact of such branding is profound, affecting women's self-esteem and social dynamics. However, the narrative around beauty and fairness is changing, driven by social campaigns and changing consumer awareness about the implications of such products.

Changing Tides: Response and Responsibility

The backlash against Nina Davuluri in America and the criticisms of Fair & Lovely in India highlight a global need to reevaluate beauty standards. These events urge brands and societies to reflect on the messages they endorse and the values they propagate. In response to growing criticism, Fair & Lovely announced in 2020 that it would rebrand to "Glow & Lovely" and changed its advertising approach to emphasize skin health over fairness. This decision marks a significant shift in how beauty products are marketed, reflecting a more inclusive and diverse understanding of beauty.

Moreover, the response to Davuluri's crowning and her handling of the criticism also illustrates the resilience and grace with which individuals can confront entrenched stereotypes and advocate for a more inclusive vision of beauty. As the first Miss America of Indian descent, Davuluri used her platform to speak out against racism and promote diversity and cultural understanding, embodying the change she hopes to see in society.

Looking Forward: A Call for Inclusivity

The discussions around Fair & Lovely and Nina Davuluri serve as a reminder of the power of representation and the importance of inclusive beauty standards. They challenge individuals and corporations alike to think critically about the messages they support and the impact these messages have on individual identity and societal values.

As consumers become more conscious and vocal, brands must listen and adapt, not just for the sake of profitability but to foster a more equitable society. It's time for all stakeholders—corporations, consumers, and communities—to embrace a broader, more inclusive definition of beauty that celebrates diversity and empowers all individuals, regardless of the color of their skin.

[flipping-the-coin]

Megatron, what are the biggest differences on Cybertron now that the war is over?? Do you think its better or worse than before the war?

Excellent questions, Anonymous one, though complicated to express in such a short space. Cybertron certainly isn’t worse than it was before the war. There are some aspects that are much better, and others that seem to be more of the same oppressive slag as before.

I’ll start with the good, for once. I do not often speak on the positives of our post-war Cybertronian society. Before the war, a mech like me never could have dreamed of owning a hab in the upper levels of Iacon, and he also never could have bonded into a hab here, either. I appreciate that in modern Iacon, this is possible. Relationships like Orion’s and mine are no longer a punishable offense. Mechs are no longer tossed to the Pit as punishments for crimes. The Hall of Records is largely open to the public now, though you can thank Orion for that. Building codes are stricter, and habs in general seem to be of a higher quality for all than they were before.

There is some room for upward social mobility, if someone gets lucky. That is better than before, but still not ideal. I don’t imagine that Orion and I would have been able to live where we do had he not been granted his position. For everyone else who lives in the Lower Levels… things are less optimal. Here is more of the same slag from before, where we start to see the truth, that the caste system still functions, it just takes a new form. Upper Iacon often siphons power from the lower levels to use in their celebrations or memorial openings, not caring that those living below their pedes are made to sacrifice for it. Sparklings have less access to educational facilities down there, and end up funneled into hard occupations. The mechs down there are sold less refined fuels for a higher cost. Law enforcement is harsher on lower lever citizens; it’s all the same old caste slag.

The government is still corrupt. Orion has caught them changing and forging military records on more than several occasions; always to make their Autobots look better than they really were and to make the Decepticons look worse. Many in the Council hold prejudice against those they are supposed to speak for. They spend far too much on frivolous memorabilia to beautify their city instead of caring for their citizens. Same old slag, different cycle. I don’t know why Orion puts so much faith in that Medic when he was part of the same slagging broken system from before.

Now, for what is worse. The New Iaconian culture is becoming dominant not due to natural influence, but due to political ones. For example, most Cybertronian states have their own cultures, many of those cultures are now mostly extinct. Those who have returned to their homes find themselves being unable to register their cultural bondings without performing new Iaconian rites. You can’t even register old ones. Even with Orion constantly complaining about these issues with property, bonding and even sparkling adoptions, the Council sees fit to retain their new standards, thus silently wiping out many lingering pieces of what made old Cybertron so beautiful.

There is far more surveillance performed on citizens now. It is subtle, usually, but I notice that there is nowhere I can go where I am not being watched in some way. Old Cybertron was like this too, of course, but back then at least, one could dart down an alley to be free of optics in the sky. Now? Everywhere is monitored. The only privacy most mechs have is inside their habs. But coming from personal experience; I don’t think that is even sacred enough to keep them from watching you if they want to.

These are, perhaps more personal, worse for ‘Megatron’ specifically issues. I fully recognize why I just do not like it. Everything I do is seen as suspicious activity. Whether it is taking donations to the lower levels or purchasing an innocent gift for Orion, it is always seen as me going ‘outside my routine.’ I am not afforded any privacy whatsoever. They know everything about my life, from my fuel preferences, to my hobbies, to my interfacing habits, and there isn’t a Primus forsaken thing I can do about it.

The biggest differences between now and then are more difficult to pinpoint. There are no more death matches for entertainment. Civilians are allowed access to historical records now. There are no restrictions on relationships anymore. Things of this nature. Though, I am uncertain if I can say that things here are better than before. For some, they are better. For others, its the same old slag.

-Megatron

[bbumtravel]

Do you know 'The City of Light' refers to which location?

We are talking about the capital Paris of France.

Paris, the capital city of France, is renowned worldwide for its rich history, iconic landmarks, and vibrant cultural scene. Situated along the banks of the Seine River in northern France, Paris is often referred to as the "City of Light" (La Ville Lumière) due to its historical role as a center of education and ideas during the Age of Enlightenment.

Paris is celebrated for its stunning architecture, exemplified by landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral (though partially damaged by fire in 2019), and the Louvre Museum, home to world-famous artworks including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. The cityscape is characterized by wide boulevards, charming cafes, and beautiful parks like the Tuileries Garden and Luxembourg Gardens.

Culturally, Paris is a hub for fashion, art, cuisine, and literature. It boasts numerous theaters, art galleries, and fashion boutiques, while its culinary scene ranges from cozy bistros serving traditional French dishes to Michelin-starred restaurants offering innovative cuisine. The city also hosts prestigious events such as Paris Fashion Week and the French Open tennis tournament.

Beyond its cultural and historical significance, Paris is a global center for diplomacy, education, and commerce. It is home to numerous universities, international organizations like UNESCO, and serves as a key financial hub in Europe.

In summary, Paris captivates visitors with its timeless beauty, cultural richness, and artistic allure, making it a destination that continues to inspire and enchant people from around the world.

Although Paris is widely admired for its beauty and cultural richness, like any major city, it also faces challenges and drawbacks:

Traffic and Pollution: Paris suffers from traffic congestion and air pollution, particularly during rush hours. The high number of vehicles in the city contributes to environmental concerns and impacts on air quality.

Homelessness: Like many large cities, Paris grapples with homelessness. There are visible numbers of people living on the streets, which is a persistent social issue despite government efforts to address it.

Pickpocketing and Petty Crimes: Certain areas of Paris, especially tourist-heavy areas, are known for pickpocketing and petty crimes. Visitors are often advised to be vigilant with their belongings and avoid isolated areas at night.

Cost of Living: Paris is one of the most expensive cities to live in globally. Housing costs, in particular, are high, making it challenging for residents, especially lower-income individuals, to afford suitable housing within the city center.

Protests and Civil Unrest: Paris has seen periodic protests and civil unrest, often related to political or social issues. While protests are generally peaceful, they can occasionally lead to disruptions and tensions in the city.

Social Inequality: There is a noticeable wealth gap in Paris, with disparities in income and living standards between different neighborhoods and social groups. This inequality poses challenges for social cohesion and integration.

Despite these challenges, Paris remains a captivating and culturally rich city that continues to attract millions of visitors each year with its history, art, and vibrant lifestyle.

As a tourist, I think you should visit Paris at least once Thanks for reading <3

[misguided-madness]

This is the 65 year old “Queen Of Pop”: Madonna has performed on eleven concert tours, she starts her 12th tour to celebrate 40+ Years in music this weekend in London, I will see it in February, she has also done nineteen one-off concerts, nine benefit concerts, and three music festivals. She is the best-selling female recording artist of all time, a Guinness, book of world records honoree, a record breaker, more awards than can be named, with a net worth in 2023 of over 850 million dollars!

Selling more than 300 million albums worldwide, (By the way - most before streaming and social media) Her 14 studio albums have spawned 12 No. 1s and 63 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and counting and she earned a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. Her music in streaming numbers are growing fast including lots of her previous hits. This past year or so and this summer she has had collaborations with Sam Smith, Dua Lupa, and most recently the summer hit “Popular” with The Weeknd and Playboi Carti which is still climbing and maintaining high positions on a various world charts, some even in the top 10 or 20 it’s becoming another successful hit for her.

Madonna's legacy is more than her music, The seven-time GRAMMY-winner has empowered several generations to own their sexuality and call their own shots; she dared to be different and bending the rules on and off stage, particularly with the merging of sexual freedom and religion. Her fearlessness helped open doors for individuality in pop music, and the other female singers who came after her and beyond, have been influenced by her. Others of her legendary status, like David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, and George Michael are gone, She was the first woman in that status to rule in a very man’s dominated music world! Others like Janet Jackson and Cyndi Lauper have maintained their careers but not like Madonna! On top of being a music artist, she’s been a music mogul, a Director, an actress, an author a fashion and beauty designer and mogul and so much more.

Madonna became a megastar that didn't just rule the world — she changed culture.

This weekend when she makes her glorious return to the stage again, she'll remind the world of her relentless, fight, spirit and fearlessness that made her the standard for nearly every female entertainer on the charts today and in the music scene, regardless of genre.

Madonna has supported gay rights, before it was trendy, pushed sexual freedom, implemented religious imagery, and reshaped feminism at a time when it wasn't trendy to do so. She was cancelled numerous times before that was a thing, banned, censored and beat up and written off by society multiple times - All the while, she never has apologized for her "rebel heart" — solidifying her legacy as the true and original Queen of Pop.

She’s a single mother of 6 kids, she has built a Hospital an Academy for girls, and more. She has raised millions of dollars for a variety of organizations and charities throughout the world including AIDS and HIV organizations, this even in the very beginning of the fight when celebrities did not want to be associated or help in the crisis that was HIV/AIDS - she did!

She continues to have her ray of light foundation and Raising Malawi charities and their programs.

Madonna is a global citizen, an original, there will never be another like her! She continues to show us all how to love, be compassionate, be brave, be ourselves, fight for what is right, and how to reign as queen of pop!

[thevitaminz]

From aspiration to deception

In today's digital age, it has become all too common for brands — both companies and celebrities — to visually alter their advertising campaigns and marketing content. A striking example is Kim Kardashian, the media and business mogul, who has admitted to hiring a private paparazzo since 2019 to take and edit photos of her at public events. This trend extends beyond marketing campaigns and magazine covers; it's now common for pictures of celebrities out and about to be altered as well. The widespread accessibility of editing tools, combined with their saturation across social media channels, is perpetuating an unrealistic beauty standard that profoundly affects the minds of young audiences. According to a 2021 survey of 200 teens ages 13 to 21 conducted by ParentsTogether, an organization focused on supporting families, young people who use beauty filters weekly are more likely to want to have cosmetic surgery and to alter their skin color. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the survey found that the more time teens spent on social media, the more likely they were to report being dissatisfied with how they look. This is particularly dangerous as we come to terms with the emergence of AI-generated images and deepfakes.

It's crucial to recognize the difference between selling aspiration and promoting an unobtainable fantasy that borders on false advertising and fraud. In 2017, France passed a national law that required labels for digitally altered photos of models, mandating that any commercial image that has been digitally altered to make a model's silhouette "narrower or wider" must bear a declaration stating it had been "retouched." Similar measures should be applied in the U.S., particularly when it comes to social media posts. Just as social media channels now include grayed-out disclaimers with trigger warnings and additional context, posts featuring edited images should come with clear disclaimers indicating the potential doctoring of facial and body features. Implementing such disclaimers would help raise awareness about the prevalence of edited images and encourage more critical thinking among social media users.

Amidst this toxic culture of editing, Aerie has emerged as a trailblazer in promoting authentic and inclusive beauty standards. Since the mid-2010s, the brand has fearlessly embraced an unfiltered approach to its campaigns, showcasing its products on a diverse range of models with realistic body types. The AerieREAL campaign, which spans social media, advertising, influencer marketing, and beyond, is a testament to the brand's unwavering commitment to promoting body positivity and empowering women. The campaign's success is evident not only in its widespread acclaim but also in its tangible impact on Aerie's bottom line: since its launch in 2014, the brand has surpassed a billion dollars in sales, proving that authenticity resonates deeply with consumers. Over the years, the REAL campaign has evolved to encompass user-generated content, brand voices, and powerful initiatives. The brand has extended its messaging to the introduction of the "Real Good" line, offering comfortable and casual clothing and underwear that prioritize real comfort for real bodies. By seamlessly integrating the AerieREAL ethos into every facet of its brand identity, Aerie has set a powerful example for the industry, demonstrating that authenticity, inclusivity, and empowerment are not just buzzwords, but the key to building a loyal and inspired customer base.

As brands continue to shape beauty standards and influence young minds, it is imperative that they prioritize authenticity and promote realistic representations of diverse bodies. By implementing transparent disclaimers and embracing unfiltered campaigns, brands can play a vital role in fostering a more inclusive and empowering media landscape.

[beautyoflilies]

Aegyosal

What is it?

If you’re familiar with Korean beauty trends, you may have heard of the term “Aegyo sal” popping up in recent years. The term “Aegyo sal” roughly translates to “cute skin bags” in English and refers to the small puffs of under-eye fat, which is said to accentuate the eyes and add to a more youthful appearance.

Origin

Natural Aegyo sal aren’t the eyebags you get from a lack of sleep, but rather the under-eye fullness that is often seen in the lower eyelids of newborns and younger age groups; hence, they’re associated with youthfulness and innocence. They also tend to puff up, even in adults, when they smile, associating aegyosal with cheer and friendliness.

Problems?

Amidst this beauty phenomenon, a discussion on gender ideals and biases emerges. The widespread desire for an infantile appearance, often amplified through media and entertainment, mirrors a historic desire to appear infantile, innocent, and perhaps thus pure under the male gaze. This trend may also be reflective of "Aegyo,” a behavior centered around acting cute, which could be similarly tied to perpetuating and embodying the gender norms of female “purity” within a normalized gender order.

Today

The trend of aegyosal made a comeback largely due to the Korean entertainment industry, where celebrities, such as the soloist IU, Jungkook from BTS, and Joy from Red Velvet, with aegyosal were considered to have fresh and sweet charm. The desire in Korean beauty for a youthful and innocent appearance, as well as the larger beauty trend of “plump” skin called “gwang,” also fuelled the popularity of aegyosal.

Cosmetics

This has led to the rise of aegyosal surgery and fillers in younger generations, cosmetic procedures that use fat grafts, implants, or hyaluronic acid fillers to create a sausage roll shape like the aegyosal. In more recent years, it has spread to several other Asian countries, such as Singapore and China, and has begun to incorporate itself into their cultural beauty standards.

A Less Invasive Solution

While surgery and filler remain popular in Korea, a much more risk-free, convenient, and cost-friendly way to accentuate the aegyosal has arisen. By using makeup, concealer, highlighter, and strategically placed eyeshadow – even the invention of specific “aegyosal pens” in recent years – individuals can enhance their under-eye area, giving the impression of bigger, puppy-dog eyes without going under the knife.

[g--dgdgd123]

Exploring Al Jalil Garden: A Fusion of Nature and Modern Living

Al Jalil Garden stands as a testament to the harmonious blend of nature's beauty and contemporary urban living. Nestled amidst the serene landscape of Lahore, Pakistan, this residential community offers residents a unique experience of tranquility coupled with modern amenities. In this article, we delve into the various aspects that make Al Jalil Garden a sought-after destination for those seeking a balance between nature and urban convenience.

Natural Surroundings:

One of the most captivating features of Al Jalil Garden is its lush greenery and scenic landscapes. Spread over vast acres, the community is adorned with meticulously landscaped parks, tree-lined avenues, and verdant gardens. The abundance of green spaces not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also promotes a healthy and sustainable lifestyle for residents. Walking trails, jogging tracks, and recreational areas provide ample opportunities for residents to connect with nature and lead an active lifestyle.

Modern Infrastructure:

Complementing its natural surroundings, Al Jalil Garden boasts modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities. The residential units, ranging from cozy apartments to spacious villas, are designed to cater to diverse lifestyle preferences. Each dwelling is equipped with essential amenities and built to high-quality standards, ensuring comfort and convenience for residents. Moreover, the community features well-planned roads, efficient drainage systems, and reliable utilities, making it a model of modern urban planning.

Community Living:

Beyond its physical attributes, Al Jalil Garden fosters a strong sense of community among its residents. Various social and recreational activities are organized regularly, encouraging interaction and camaraderie among neighbors. The community center serves as a hub for gatherings, events, and cultural celebrations, further enriching the social fabric of the neighborhood. Additionally, the presence of schools, healthcare facilities, and commercial establishments within the vicinity ensures that residents have access to essential services without venturing far from home.

Commitment to Sustainability:

Al Jalil Garden is committed to promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship. Through initiatives such as waste management programs, energy-efficient infrastructure, and green building practices, the community strives to minimize its ecological footprint. Furthermore, the integration of eco-friendly features such as rainwater harvesting systems and solar panels underscores its dedication to preserving the natural environment for future generations.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Al Jalil Garden emerges as a captivating blend of natural beauty, modernity, and community spirit. With its picturesque landscapes, contemporary infrastructure, vibrant social scene, and commitment to sustainability, it offers residents a distinctive living experience that transcends the conventional notions of urban life. Whether seeking a tranquil retreat or a dynamic community, Al Jalil Garden stands as a beacon of excellence in the realm of residential developments.