#also good practice for non white characters

[androgynouspenguinexpert]

take it up with management

some sovereign designs bc i dont think ive ever seen one of before they got nutribulleted together

[rensylph]

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍 ( 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐀𝐔 )

<< yandere genshin highschool Au >>

You are a student at teyvat high, a prestigious highschool only for the wealthy and the elite has managed to get in due to one of your family members managed for you to be a student in the school, little did you know your presence will catch the hearts of many students.

Characters : Diluc, kaeya, thoma, ayato, alhaitham, kaveh, childe, scaramouche, xiao, kazuha, albedo, venti

⚠️Warning : this may contain some NSFW, non con touching, stalking and other content you may found uncomfortable ⚠️

( English is not my first language )

𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄

NAME : ( name ) ( last name )

CLASS : 2A

CLUB : music club

FAVORITE SUBJECT : ( your choosing )

( Name ) A second year student, a member of the music club, born from a middle class family has become an object of many students desires.

Diluc

A senior of yours, he is part of the student council. He is the son of a prestigious german family that owns a multi million wine company, is pretty popular in the school and is highly admired by the teachers due to his gentleman personality

Visit your band practice just to admire you play the instrument, he just stands there or takes a sit at one of the empty sits and just listens to you play your instrument without the bother of your other club members glaring at him.

Everyday for lunch he always buys extra grape juices just for you, as a sign of owner ship and glares daggers at his brother kaeya every time he tries to flirt with you. Every time a student approaches or talks to you other than him he will be jealous, so every time you approach he will have a hundred questions.

KAEYA

The adoptive brother of diluc, and also a third year your senior, local playboy of the school, many students including the girls have a huge crush on him and he also tends to flirt with anyone and find it amusing. He used him charms and good looks to enchant the entire school, he is also part of the fencing club in school

Very clingy and affectionate, he will hug you by the waist and every time you would complain on how uncomfortable it was, he would just brush it off and say you're being overdramatic there's nothing wrong with two people expressing emotion together.

Is actually insecure and has an infirior complex over his brother, diluc is a much more perfect candidate than him, hes the heir of the family company, has good grades and feels like diluc is much better than him. And this feelings torture him everyday. So every time he would try to one up with diluc for your affection

THOMA

A servant and student of the student council president ayato, and the only reason he manages to get it in is due to the kamisato siblings needing him at school hours. Basically a butler for the kamisato siblings as well doing the dirty work of the siblings.

Is heavily looked down on by the school's population, due to the school having a lot of high class students and the reason he's in the school is because the kamisato siblings lead him to be the subject for gossip and harsh remarks. Since your also reason to manage to get in the school is because one of your family members works at the school, you guys relate to being looked down upon by the schools

He will always bring an extra lunch box for you filled with special ingredients, he even bakes cupcakes for you with white frosting when you ask him what's inside he said its a secret, he can also play a guitar and sometimes you and him have a duet together. He doesn't tolerate anyone bad talking about your name so every time someone does it he will always give a "small" warning to them.

Ayato

Student council president as well the son and heir of a long rich and noble family, the elite of all. The school population swooned over him and he basked in their attention. You heard about him from the school multiple times but haven't seen him until you were accompanying Diluc to deliver some papers you finally met him personally

He would tend to make odd remarks to you like "I could just tie you up and not let you out of my sight" or "you're so cute, I could just shrink you down and let you live in my pocket" even tho this remarks are harmless you couldn't help the feeling actually meant those words 100% of all times. You Also have the feeling of being looked down upon by him, he doesn't look down on thoma since he knows what he's capable of.

Would give you head pats if you are done helping him, would also be found seeing you in band practice with diluc. He would invite you to fancy dinners in disguise as normal hang outs sometime the waiter identifies you as his girlfriend or fiance since you guys look like a couple, instead of correcting them he seems please as well if you do not join him he would make remarks of cutting budget on your club since he's the one that fund them.

Alhaitham

The school's number one in academics you can always expect him to be number one at any subject. the teacher's pet, his is willing to help the teachers with any task as long its not blocking his schedule. He is also brutally honest or doesn't know how to read the room or people, he's brain is always on its logical side.

Your professor asked alhaitham to tutor you because your grades have been falling recently, during tutoring alhaitham look down upon you for not understanding basic calculus but after the session you managed to ace your math test and received a head pat from him.

Soon it's normal for you and him to have a study session in your house or his apartment and you suspected he has a roommate since you found another room but he always gives a vague answer or not answer at all, but it always happens in your house soon you realize some of your clothing from your closet has started to disappear.

Kaveh

The art kid as well a person who is studying to be an architect, since alhaitham is the number one at academics. Kaveh is number two at academics behind alhaitham. Plus he excels at art and math more than alhaitham.

He's a passionate and kind person. He is very passionate about being an architect and perfection over his designs. You and him met during your first years at school where you saw him painting and the shine was shining and he was beautiful for a guy and a cough knocked you from your admiration. And that's how you and him met

He likes to make little trinkets for you a necklace and bracelets that are almost similar to his as well as small houses or hand crafted flowers basically small heartfelt hand crafts. He is obsessed with detail and so every gift has its meaning one of his favorites is an origami black rose.

Childe

It is a part of a gang of students called the fatui, and also the heir of a large toy company. He also excels at sports as a captain for the basketball team. By far he's a trouble maker always getting into fights the school is unable to do anything. Since he is by far one of principal's pierrot favorite students for some reason.

How did you guys meet, well you were accompanying your best friend lumine who's brother in the basketball team and you got hit by the head by the ball and knocked you out severely, when you wake up he was being lectured by your best friend. She was about to mole him alive until you woke up.

Every time you encounter him he will apologize every time and have an apology gift even tho the incident was a few months ago, he still gave you gifts for no apparent reason and how did he have the money to afford this much gifts he even gave you a necklace from swarovski that cost a lot. He will buy you lunch and he's very clingy as well.

Scaramouche

Also part of the gang that childe is part from, from a prestigious royal family. He was sent to live here by his mother who has a rocky relationship because he usually costs trouble for her until he learns to behave. Literally hates anyone and will roast and talk about how your existence ruins his day. You breathing next to him ruins his days.

Surprisingly he has friends who are kazuha a member of the literature club but he usually visits the music club to play the flute and who usually join him visiting your club, scaramouche and he usually makes criticism over how you play your instrument and how you suck at playing but why is he here, kazuha said to him that if his annoyed here he could leave but choose to stay you wonder why.

He makes small criticisms of you but you already have gotten used to it, and apparently he knows how to play the guitar. He easily gets jealous when other students or kazuha gets close to you one time you were teaching kazuha how to play the piano and your arm and his was touching and In the corner of your eye you could see scaramouche twitching with anger.

Xiao

Emo boy number #2, he's a part of the track field team, number one runner. He can be aggressive but he is not as much as scaramouche to be honest he's a decent guy just shy and doesn't know how to interact fully with anyone he can hold conversation but not that much.

He is very introverted and rarely interacts with anyone as long as it's someone who's close with him, he looks weak due to his short stature but he is very strong, known to bet up on some students who cause trouble. Him and childe usually have a spar

He would work as a body guard or protect you in the dark. You feel like watching at school or walking home from school it's xiao watching over you making sure you are safe.

Kazuha

One of your closest friends as well the chilliest person you ever met, he's in the same grade as you and you guys sit together. He's very well known in the entire school for his writings he's a very popular and chill guy that's what makes him likeable.

You guys sit together in class and sometime he would accidentally purposely rub his hands with you and when you look at him he would just give you a shrug or just basically act as if it was nothing.

He is well known for his writings right, and one of the most popular poetry he ever wrote was about love and about this person he had fallen in love with and wished to keep them from everyone and be the only one by their side, it's a pretty dark and twisted poetry about love. And every time when wrote about a poet of love he would have given you a glance at the crowd as if it was about you and for you.

Albedo

The smartest and one of the smartest guys at school, and very admired by the school and its population. Even tho some people find him weird it was overshadowed by his talents, people called him a genius who's on par with alhaitham on academics.

You guys were lab partners, and when you tried to help him he said you shouldn't and that this subject was easy so he told you just let him do all the work while you relax, it was an advanced subject. And the others were struggling while he was treating it like some sort of easy experiment.

He likes to draw and you have become one of his main inspirations, every detail of you has been drawn and it's almost looking at a picture by a camera.

Venti

A senior of yours and the leader of the music club. He's a master at any Instrument, a true embodiment of a music prodigy, his personal favorite instrument is the harp. He was originally recommended to the literature club but he rejected it but he does visit it regularly.

For a senior he is really clingy towards you, hugging you and always calling you his cute junior. You usually play together and he will point out some mistakes with your instrument but in a gentle way. And he told you how to hold or play your instrument while touching you in the hand.

He would be very clingy and gives he's rival a smirk while hugging you, he would play music for you and admire you while you're playing.

[writers-potion]

Let's Talk About Magic Systems.

There are two broad ways you can establish magic in your story world - work with existing concepts, or adapting it for something new.

Pick a System

High Magic vs. Low Magic

This distinction existes mostly in the western wrld from the Middle Ages onwards. In non-western cultures, this distinct often doesn't exist.

High magic requires magicians to study from books, ingredients are expensive and instruments elaborate and hard to get. The typical practioner of High Magic is of the upper class, highly educated, and rich. They serve in King's courts and have high social standing thanks to their knowledge.

Among the lower classes and women, Low Magic is ore common. It is taught orally and doesn't require reading skills and uses everyday objects and ingredients.

Black vs. White Magic

"White" magic is often associated with good, and "Black" with the evil. However, what really matters is the magicians intension, not the magic system that they work with.

The term "black magic" is often associated with working with the dead. It can also be used by an individual/group who just wants to appear more menacing.

Ceremonial Magic

This kind of magic involves lots of ritual, recitation and prayer, often in ancient langauges such as Latin, Aramaic and Sanskrit.

Most of the time, it's High Magic and practiced by religious figures.

The typical practioner is educated, has great confidence and a good memory.

Natural Magic

It involves ingredients from nature, such as herbs and water.

It may be practiced outdoor, in a kitchen, or in a laboratory.

The rituals are simple and short, and the practioner will watch out for the turning of seasons, phases of the moon, etc.

Religious Magic

This is a diety working through a magician. The magician prays and asks her god to work the miracle.

Most religions have their own form of magic, and the kind of miracles that the magicians can bring can be limited.

Wiccan Witchcraft and Voodoo are largely religious magic.

The typical practioner would be spiritual and devout, often suspicious of other religions.

Alchemy

Alchemy is both High and Low Magic, and it can incorporate religious, spiritual, philosophical and mythological elements.

In a modern setting, alchemy can also be portrayed as "science gone too far".

The typical practioner would be patient, methodious, educated and driven. The tools includes laboratory equipment, astronomical charts, writing materials, and an unsuspecting roommate(?) for testing.

Traditional Witchcraft

Traditional Witchcraft is a form of Low Magic. In early historic periods, the witch played an important role in village life, often old women who owned apothecaries and helped out other villagers.

The typical practioner would be female, uneducated, illiterate, practical, resourceful and poor. She will have a good memory and well-developed senses.

Tools used would be simple household implements - a cauldron, a broom, knife, etc. that can evade the Inquisitor's suspicions.

Wiccan Witchcraft

If you write contemporary fiction, this is the system your character is most likely to use. It's modern witchcraft, based on the religion of Wicca.

Wiccan witchcraft mostly developed in the second half of the twentieth centruy. It is a form of bothe Natural Magic and Religious Magic.

Based on nature worship and the polarity between male and female, the magician often begins a Wiccan ritual with an invocation to a God/Godess. The Lady (Godess) is depicted as having three aspects: Maiden, Mother and Brone. The Lord (God) may be depicted with horns.

The focus of Wiccan magic is often on healing, with an emphasis of ethical consequences of what is being performed.

It is often practiced outdoors, sometimes naked (which they call 'skyclad'). Wiccan witchcraft uses the phases of the moon to amplify its effects.

Wiccan like to gather in groups called 'covens' or to meet once a month or for major festivals. The coven leader may be called 'high piestess/priest'.

Typical tools include a chalice, a knife (called 'athame'), a wand, candles, herbs, crystals, and essential oils.

Necromancy

The magician summons a dead person, either ghost or spirit, sometimes bodily. The dead are enlisted to grant the magicians with favors or are questioned for information.

It may be related to Shamanism, as well as to some forms of psychic work such as channelling and Spiritualist seances.

The typical practitioner is psychally gisted, strong-willed and courageous.

Shamnism

Shamnism is a Low Magic system. The shaman intercedes between the human and spirit world by communicating with spirits, often to obtain information or provide healing.

Shamans may travel to the spirit world to seek answered, with some level of danger. They use drums, chanting, dancing and drugs to alter their consciousness and communicate with spirits.

Practicing shamans often work alone, but they choose a successor to train. The apprentice is supposed to accept the calling.

The typical shaman is musical, sensitive with a strong sense of rhythm and the psychic.

Tools include drums, bells, a costume, herbs, bones, smoke and mind-altering drugs.

Ancient Egyptian Magic

Ancient Eyptian Magic ovelaps with Religious magic, medicine and with psychic work. The deities most frequently evoked are Selket, Aset for raising the dead, and the gof Thoth for anything to do with sickness and healing.

The emphasis of Ancient Egyptian Magic is protection, often done throgugh an amulet or talisman. The circle or oval is the most important shape that has protective qualities.

The precise wording of a spell is important, as well as the colors that are involved. For magic to affect someone the magicians must know that person's true name.

The typical practitioner is male, literate, often a priest attached to a emple.

Folk Magic

This is a form of Low Magic practiced by amateurs.

This includes housekeepers who can keep the rats out, farmers who can ripen fruit before the height of the season, and scullions who can make water boil faster.

This people would only know a handful of spells, ans pass them in to memebers of their family.

Voodoo

Voodoo is religious magic and low magic.

The rituals are held in private, and may involve communication with spirits, especially the spirits of ancestors and saints.

Commonly used to cure aliments, confound enemies, and obtain desires.

Invent a System

Choosing the Right Words

If your character is clearly a witch, shaman, a necromancer, etc. with a specialty, use that term. Otherwise, the word "magician", or "mage" would be most appropriate.

The term "magus" (plural magi) refers to practitioners of the ancient Zoroastrian faith.

Strictly speaking, witches and wizards are practitioners of two very different magic systems, so your female character can be a wizard, and vice versa.

'Warlock' really means 'oath-breaker' or 'traitor' and doesn't describe a magician.

'Conjurer' is someone who can creae effects to impress an audience, not really magical in itself. The more modern temr would be 'illusionist'

A group of magicians may be called a 'coven' (though it applies mostly to Wiccan magic). A magician working alone would be a 'solitary'.

Magic vs. Magick

Normally, "magic" is the correct spelling.

However, "magick" may be used, especially by insiders, to emphasize that they refer to the real thing, not conjuring or other trick of the eye.

The magic systems are sometimes capitalized, sometimes not. When it involves a religion, nationaliy, or a particular family line, it is capitalized. Just make sure to keep it consistent throughout your book.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

[taevbears]

Movie Night

When horror movies don't scare you anymore, your boyfriend wants to figure out what you are afraid of.

⤑ pairing: Jungkook x fem!reader (feat. the Daegu boys) ⤑ genre: horror, mystery, suspense, one-shot ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 6.1k ⤑ warnings: obsessive behavior, stalking, depictions of kidnapping, torture, and multiple murders, hidden camera, non-explicit sex, a bit of angst, open ending. this fic gets pretty dark, so please be cautious of the warnings! ⤑ note: happy halloween! this started as a little spooky shower thought i had a little over a month ago and became this lol. i love reading scary stories, but lmao, i feel like i'm not very good at writing them. thank you @angelicyoongie for assuring me that this isn't as terrible as i think it is. also please note that this is a work of fiction and i don't think IRL jungkook is like the character in this fic at all

“No, please! Don’t hurt me!”

The shadow of a muscular, male figure looms over the female protagonist. His breaths are heavy from chasing her around, barely visible against the chilly, October air. Finally, he has her cornered. He holds up a sharp knife in the air.

The woman trembles on the ground, sobbing and pleading for her life to be spared. Mascara runs down her cheeks, and a look of hopelessness and despair fills her eyes. She holds her hands in front of her in a feeble attempt to defend herself.

The camera pans away as the killer violently stabs the woman. Her terrifying screams of pain and anguish echoes from the TV screen as fake blood splatters on the wall.

Blue and white light bathes over you and your date in the dim living room. You try to suppress a long yawn with the back of your hand.

You’re so bored, you’re practically in tears.

“You didn’t like it?” Jungkook asks you, chuckling at your reaction.

“It didn’t scare me,” you admit sheepishly, hoping he doesn’t get the wrong idea.

You love horror movies. It’s what inspired you to become a film student. You love being on the edge of your seat from the thrill and suspense that the main character acts out. You love being genuinely shocked from unexpected twists and jump-scares. You love a good ghost story that haunts you long after the credits roll, or the paranoia of a similar terrifying incident happening to you.

But perhaps, over time, they’ve lost a bit of their magic.

Although the production of movies has become phenomenal in recent years, movies these days seem to rely too heavily on shock value and nostalgia. Once popular franchises are milking out their legacies to a newer audience. There are so many retellings of the same, old stories that you can already accurately predict what will happen before you reach the ending. Even some of the most climactic scenes of the movie are so over-the-top, they’re almost comical.

Honestly, it has nothing to do with your date or even the so-called horror movie itself. You just don’t scare as easily anymore.

Jungkook peers are you curiously, a boyish grin on his face. “Then, what are you scared of?”

“I don’t know. Probably nothing.”

“Yeah? That’s a bold statement.”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it.”

Jungkook laughs. “You have to be scared of something.”

You throw the question back at him. “Then, what are you afraid of?”

He thinks about it, rubbing his chin in thought and pushing his tongue against the lip rings on his mouth. Then, he meets your gaze. There’s a sparkle in his eyes as he smiles at you. “Hmm, I think I’d be scared to lose you.”

You find yourself smiling back at him.

“You’re so sweet, Kook,” you tell him, leaning over to kiss him.

Only recently, you and Jungkook started dating officially, and you really like him a lot. He’s very cute, funny, handsome, and perfect in many ways. Butterflies flutter in your stomach when you’re around him, and there’s still that exciting giddiness and eagerness of new love whenever he messages you or visits you in the evening.

In some ways, Jungkook is almost too good to be true.

Part of you wonders if there’s a catch.

But with his lips on yours, it’s easy to push that thought aside.

Credits roll on the screen as the movie comes to an end. His fingers glide up your thigh as yours tangle into his hair. The cool piercing on his lips presses against your bottom lip as he slips his tongue in your mouth, and a soft moan escapes you.

Suddenly, Jungkook pulls away and faces the TV. He uses the remote to tap out of the movie credits and browse through the list of recommended shows on your streaming service. Casually, trying to hide a teasing smirk, he asks, “How about we watch a different movie, then?”

You stare back at him, a bit stunned and flustered. But your own smile touches your lips.

“Or,” you suggest, grabbing his wrist to lower the remote. He turns away from the screen to look at you, eyes lingering on the sultry smile on your lips. “I know something else we can do instead.”

When you first saw Jungkook, you thought you were being catfished.

His selfie on the dating app included a slight head tilt, a pucker of his pierced lips, and a peace sign. Big, doe-shaped eyes stared back at you from your phone screen, and you noticed the tiny moles below his lip, on the tip of his nose, and on his cheek.

The second picture was of him and his brown doberman, affectionately named Bam. The picture was taken of them outside. One of his hands was holding a tennis ball and the other was gently touching the dog’s long ears. A small, fond smile tugged on your lips when you looked between them and realized that they kind of looked alike.

The third picture was him at the gym. It was a back-shot where he was using the equipment. Broad shoulders, buff arms and back, a tiny waist. You stared way too long at his strong muscles and the ink on his arm before you finally swiped right.

Turned out, much to your surprise, he liked your pictures too. The two of you were a match.

And it wasn’t long until he sent his first message to you. In your inbox, a simple: “hey :)”

On your first date, the two of you agreed to meet at a very public, very crowded bistro. You stood nervously by the building, dressed nice for the occasion. And in case anything went wrong or if this Jungkook guy wasn’t who you expected him to be, you shared your location and had a “send help lol” message on standby for your bestie, Min Yoongi.

As you waited, scrolling through and jumping around different apps on your phone, you found yourself to be surprised yet again.

Someone who looked like the guy you’ve been chatting with called out your name. And soon, he was standing in front of you: big eyes, bigger muscles, tiny beauty marks on his face, colorful ink on his arm, a charming smile, and a simple, “Hey, I’m Jungkook.”

One date turned to a second date. Then, a third. And by the fourth date, as he laid in your bed that night and snuggled close to you, it finally started to sink in that Jungkook wasn’t some figment of your imagination.

He was real, and sweet, and seemed to really like you as well.

Jungkook, like you, had an interest in filming. He especially liked editing videos for his dance challenges, short clips, and a series he called “Golden Closet Film” on his channel. While you imagined yourself to be a big director, working in movie sets, and making scripts come to life with your vision, Jungkook told you he’d like to film a project where you’re the star.

“I don’t think I’m on-screen material,” you replied, amused by the idea. You’re not an actress. You don’t think you have the kind of beauty filmmakers seek out for their lead roles. Hell, if anything, Jungkook would be a better fit for an acting gig.

“You are,” he insisted, brushing his thumb against your knuckles. “To me, you’re perfect.”

You smiled at him then, your heart fluttering by his words. “You are to me, too.”

It was shortly after that conversation when you both decided to date each other exclusively. And it felt like the kind of romance you’d see in the movies. Picture perfect, a little corny at times, and a thrilling whirlwind of laughter, teasing remarks, and intimate touches.

“Am I who you thought I’d be?” Jungkook asks you the next morning after the movie-night bust, propping himself up on the side and peering down on you. His arm flexes, colorful ink decorating it, as the thick comforter wraps around his bare body.

“No,” you confessed, still a bit tired from last night. You keep your eyes closed as you quietly murmur, “You’re even better.”

“Yeah?”

You don’t need to open your eyes to see the pleased look on his face. As you feel him press his lips against your cheek, you ask, “What about me? Am I who you thought I’d be?”

Had you opened your eyes then, perhaps you would’ve seen it. The blank look on his face as he pulls away from you, how the light in his eyes suddenly seems to vanish, as if he isn’t really looking at you anymore.

Jungkook doesn’t answer you right away. When you open your eyes, you see him shaking his head. The same, sweet boyish smile appears on his lips.

“You’re exactly what I’m looking for.”

The topic about exes inevitably came up early on in your relationship with Jungkook. You’ve dated casually before. Even thought you’d be getting somewhere with some of the guys you were talking to.

But none of them quite compared to Kim Taehyung.

You were a film student. He was a photography major. The two of you were bound to end up in some of the same classes together in the art division.

To you, it was love at first sight. You fell for him so hard and so fast.

What started as bumping into each other at the library and helping each other with assignments led to making out at each other’s dorms with the text books left unopened. Coffee dates between classes became anniversary dinners at nice restaurants. He introduced you to his parents, and you proposed going on a romantic getaway together.

The day you didn’t think you’d ever love anyone else was when he snapped a photo of you looking out at the scenery during that weekend trip. It was just you and him, and a natural setting that looked straight out of a movie.

He smiled to himself as he looked at the picture through his camera. That day, he called you his muse.

And in return, you told him that you loved him.

When you fell for Taehyung, you fell hard and fast. Eventually, it occurred to you that Taehyung didn’t do the same.

Sure, he cared about you. Sure, he loved you. But while you heard wedding bells and dreamed about your future with him, Taehyung was just starting to put himself out there in the world. His art was being recognized, and he was getting booked to shoot at weddings, parties, and other big events every week.

Soon, the dates happened less frequently. The romantic gestures of bringing you flowers, surprising you on nice dates or small gifts, or even renting your favorite movies to watch together happened even less. He would promise that he’d make it to a party or an important event to you, just to let you down. And it felt like him giving you a bit of affection or attention was a chore.

Taehyung was the world to you, but the petty arguments and the distance that started growing between you two made it clear to you where his priorities were. And it wasn’t with you.

Breaking up with him was the hardest thing you had to do. Both of you knew it was coming. It was just a matter of who broke up with who first.

Just as Taehyung came into your life, quickly and effortlessly, he was gone. Nothing but bittersweet memories of what once was and what could have been weighed heavily on you for months.

What made it worse was that Taehyung, a man you loved with all your heart, had moved on from you so fast and so easily.

You saw him and his new girlfriend at a mutual friend’s party. You were warned that he’d be there, that he was already seeing someone. But it still hurt like hell to see him happy and in love with another person.

But if Taehyung could move on, so could you.

It felt weird at first, but you started to put yourself out there again. You joined dating apps. You went out with the people that fancied your interest. You met Jungkook.

And from there, everything was history.

With Jungkook, you started to think about Taehyung a lot less. The plaguing “what ifs” have quieted down, and the hurt from heartbreak began to heal. With Jungkook, you started to feel like yourself again: you started to smile more, laugh more loudly, enjoy watching movies again, became passionate about cinematic ideas you’d like to create one day.

With Jungkook, you’re also cautiously optimistic.

Because like Taehyung, you feel yourself falling hard and fast for Jungkook. It’s almost scary how truly perfect he is.

“I think you’re just psyching yourself out,” Yoongi tells you, sliding into the chair opposite of you with two cups of coffee in his hands. He smells like freshly-baked cookies. A spot of flour stains his apron as he uses his fifteen-minute break to hang out with you.

“Maybe,” you sigh, gratefully taking the drink he hands you. “What do you think about him?”

“Does my opinion even matter at this point? You’re in love with him,” he drawls before taking a sip of his Iced Americano.

“Of course it does, best friend. Why else would I keep you around?” you remark, taking a sip of your own drink. “Besides the free coffee and cookies. Thank you, by the way.”

He rolls his eyes. The perks of being friends with the cookie boy at your local bakery is a free cup of coffee and getting dibs on leftover treats that didn’t sell the day.

“He’s fine. Kind of annoying. A little too energetic,” he answers as his eyes flit toward the TV screen that his boss keeps on. A woman dressed in bright, business clothing holds a microphone as she reports on the recent news. There’s a grim look on her face.

You have your back turned to it, but you can hear Yoongi’s boss turning up the volume.

Breaking news. Missing woman found dead near home. The victim has succumbed to multiple stab wounds. It is believed that she has been kidnapped and tortured prior to her violent death. The attacker is currently unknown and still at large. Local authorities advise staying indoors and to please report any suspicious activity.

Your heart sinks as you look over your shoulder, seeing police taping off the crime scene and answering what they can to the news outlets. The location is so close to where you are.

“This is the second victim,” a customer mutters with a frown.

The person they’re with nods their head and asks, “Do you think they’re connected?”

“I don’t know. I hope not. We’ll have a serial killer in our hands.”

“Hey,” Yoongi calls your attention. When you look at him, there’s concern on his face. “If you need a ride anywhere, make sure you call me. Doesn’t matter what time.”

“I’ll be okay, Yoongi. Jungkook usually comes to my place anyway.”

“Still. Just let me know that you’re still alive when I check in, all right?” he says as he stares at the screen. You don’t blame him for being worried. As you follow his gaze, you see a picture of the latest victim of the ongoing case that has the whole town on edge.

This woman, like the others, kind of looks like you.

“If you’re with me, you have nothing to worry about,” Jungkook assures you, throwing a tennis ball as Bam hurriedly chases after it. 

The two of you are at a park with his dobermann. Despite how scary it’s been lately with the news, it’s a nice day. Children are screaming and playing together on the playground as their parents watch them nearby. A group of teenage boys are playing basketball on the outdoor court. Middle-aged and elderly couples are paired up and are getting their daily steps in.

“My hero,” you joke half-heartedly, but you’re still a bit concerned. Yoongi being worried about you makes you feel paranoid.

Jungkook turns to you. He holds out his hand as Bam retrieves the ball and drops it for another throw. “I thought you weren't afraid of anything.”

“Movie-wise, I’m not. But this is different.”

Jungkook throws the slobbery ball again. Further this time as Bam barks happily and takes off. He takes a seat next to you on the park bench. “I can leave Bam with you when I have my evening shifts. He makes a good guard dog.”

He works as an editor and cameraman for a big content creator, which gives him lots of flexible hours to work on his projects when he isn’t busy filming. Since the beginning of autumn, his boss has been giving him evening work to film ghost-hunting videos and other spooky content for Halloween.

“That’ll be nice,” you reply with a small smile. The two of them have been coming to your place so often, it might as well be their second home.

From a short distance, Bam lies on the grass with the tennis ball by his paws. His tongue is out, needing a short break from running around, as he faces you and Jungkook. Even with other dogs and kids around, he’s very well-behaved.

Just as Jungkook tells you that he’ll get Bam, the sound of small, excited barks grab your attention. A familiar black and brown pomeranian approaches you like an old friend, wagging its tail and perking its ears up when it sees you.

Your heart nearly jumps when you recognize the dog.

“Tan!”

You know that voice. How could you not?

That deep, smooth baritone has haunted you for months.

Taehyung, your ex-boyfriend, stops in his tracks when he realizes why his pomeranian took off. The two of you were still together when he adopted Yeontan, and you were there to help raise him when he was still a puppy.

“Who’s this?” Jungkook asks, drawing your attention back to him. He reaches out to pet Yeontan, but the pomeranian growls at him. Almost like he wants to protect you from him.

“Sorry, he’s mine,” Taehyung apologizes, stepping closer to you two and picking his dog up. He looks at you as he tries to soothe the agitated Yeontan in his arms. “It’s been a while. How’ve you been?”

“Good,” you reply politely. Old feelings start to pull on your heart strings that you fervently try to ignore. “I’m good.”

“You look good,” Taehyung starts, but then he purses his lips in regret. It’s obvious that he’s nervous to talk to you. Maybe he feels the same as you.

Softly, you reply, “You do, too.”

“Who’s this?” Jungkook repeats. This time, there’s an annoyed look on his face as he stares at Taehyung. 

It puts you off a bit. Jungkook is usually a friendly guy.

“Oh, this is Taehyung. We used to date,” you tell him honestly. Though, the information seems to just annoy him more. “Taehyung, this is—”

“I’m Jungkook. She’s my girlfriend now.”

His arm snakes around you possessively. He holds a steady gaze, but it’s a look you’ve never seen on him before. Dark, threatening, and angry. It’s almost unnerving.

“I see…” Taehyung trails off as his gaze shifts toward him. Yeontan is still in his arms, growling and barking at Jungkook. You don’t think you’ve ever seen the pup so aggressive toward someone. Even Bam comes over, ditching his ball to guard over you and Jungkook.

“It was nice to see you, Taehyung,” you tell him, sensing the tension in the air and deciding to cut things off. He seems reluctant to leave.

“Yeah…” he continues to trail off, finally pulling his gaze away to look at you. It looks like there’s a million things he wants to say to you. In a lower tone, he tells you, “My number is still the same. If you ever want to talk.”

You frown. After the breakup, you’ve deleted his number and unfollowed him on social media. “Oh, I don’t—”

“Then I’ll call you,” he promises, firm with his decision.

You don’t get it. You and Taehyung have run into each other after the breakup before, and he’s never had an issue with you dating anyone after him. He clearly has moved on, and so have you. 

Why now?

What is it about Jungkook that has him worried for you?

“I don’t like that guy.”

Jungkook is still heated as he drives you home. His grip is tight around the steering wheel, and the tires screech when he makes a sharp turn. Bam stumbles a bit in the back before sticking his head out the window again.

“Slow down, Kook. You have nothing to be worried about.”

The radio blasts in the car, too much in a rush to connect his playlist to the stereo. It’s playing the week’s top music, and a catchy song from a popular artist fills the car.

Curious, you open your phone and check your followers. You’ve unfollowed Taehyung a long time ago on all your social platforms, finding it hard to look at any of his recent pictures – even just his scenic photography – without thinking about how he had once called you his muse.

But Taehyung never unfollowed you. He had always kept his inbox open for you.

“Did you see the way he was looking at me? It’s like he was looking down on me,” he continues to rant, speeding over a yellow light. He glances over at you and sees that you’re distracted with your phone. “I don’t like how you were looking at him either.”

“Are you serious?” you ask, turning your attention to him. “We barely talked. What the hell are you trying to insinuate?”

On the radio, the program is interrupted. One of the hosts makes a grim announcement.

Ladies and gentlemen, we just received unfortunate news that a third body has been found pertaining to a series of brutal deaths. 

“You still love him! You’ll go back and leave me again!” he suddenly snaps, throwing you off guard.

Silence follows the tension.

Then, you inquire, “Again?”

The third victim is a young female. Hair color and eye color match the previous victims as well, indicating that this might be a targeted attack by the killer.

Not once have you been unfaithful to Jungkook. Even when you were starting to message each other, you weren’t talking to anyone else. The two of you haven’t even been dating that long.

“Forget I said anything,” he starts with a frustrated sigh. But he realizes he’s fucked up.

“No, I’m not just going to forget it. What do you mean by that, Jungkook?”

As of now, authorities have no leads on a suspect. All victims have been kidnapped, tied up, and tortured prior to their deaths. We are led to believe that this is the work of a potential serial killer. 

He nearly slams to a stop. The seatbelt around you yanks you back from hitting the dashboard. Bam falls to the floor and you gasp as the back of your head hits your seat.

Jungkook doesn’t answer you, but for the first time, it feels like the rose-tinted glasses you have on him have fallen off. He’s always been perfect to you: sweet, athletic, talented, and kind. But the Jungkook before you is someone completely different.

This Jungkook scares you.

Stay inside. Lock your doors. Call the police if you see anything suspicious. Be safe out there, folks.

“I told you to forget about it, didn’t I?” he asks through gritted teeth and a harsh look in his eye.

You nod your head, hands trembling a bit as you hold onto your vibrating phone. The screen shows an unknown number trying to contact you.

“Is there a reason why your boyfriend called me?” Yoongi asks you from the other line. He has you on face-time, awkwardly propping up the camera to show his elbow as he mixes a batch of cookies.

It’s been about a week since you saw Jungkook.

After he dropped you off at home, he wanted to put it all behind him. He kissed you sweetly and murmured apologies for overreacting as his hands slipped under your shirt. But you sent him home before he could convince you to sleep with him. You were still upset about how hostile he was toward Taehyung, his accusations about you, and what his outburst meant.

That hasn’t stopped him from trying to get back to your good graces, though.

The number of missed calls from him keeps increasing by the hour. Ones that you leave unanswered or send straight to your voicemail. 

You don’t want to talk to him.

At your door, you hear him rapping his knuckles against the wooden frame and insistently ringing at your doorbell. From the other side of the door, he begs for a chance to explain. 

You don’t want to see him.

Clearly, after reaching you directly hasn’t worked, he’s starting to contact your friends.

“He’s probably trying to find me,” you tell Yoongi, poking at a bowl of fresh strawberries. You’re still dressed in your pajamas, sitting on a stool by the kitchen counter.

The sound of a small dog can be heard in the background of your line. It dawns on him that you’re not at your place or Jungkook’s.

Yoongi is silent for a moment. Then, he grabs the phone and asks, “What do you mean? Where are you?”

You don’t feel safe in your own home. And that day, while you were in Jungkook’s car, Taehyung called to check up on you. He was always good at reading people, and he warned you that he had a bad vibe about Jungkook.

And you’re starting to see what he meant.

“I didn’t know where else to go.”

When you turn your phone, you reveal Taehyung busy in the kitchen, cutting off the crusts from his sandwiches. He looks over his shoulder and gives a sheepish smile at the scandalized expression on your best friend’s face. “Hey Yoongi.”

“Can you please explain what’s going on? Why are you at your ex’s?”

So, you do. You tell him that Jungkook wouldn’t leave you alone, that you needed some space to cool off but he wouldn’t let you breathe. It was becoming overbearing and overwhelming.

Against your better judgment, you call Taehyung. He invites you to stay over at his place until you’re ready to talk things out with Jungkook. Because even if you’re not together, he still cares about you. Because a part of him will always love you. And at the time, it seemed like a good idea.

“I didn’t want to be alone, especially with a killer targeting women like me out there,” you explain quietly. It feels like the murders have increased in a shorter period of time. If the town wasn’t on edge before, they certainly are now. “But I was still mad at Jungkook, and he was starting to scare me.”

“So the first person you go to is your ex-boyfriend?”

“There’s nothing going on between us.”

That ship has sailed. You know it has when you walked in and saw his engagement pictures hanging on the wall.

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“I’m sure he would’ve figured out that I’d be with you,” you tell him with a frown.

“I just wanted to help her, hyung,” Taehyung adds as he stands behind you. “I worry about her too. That guy gives me and Tan a bad feeling.”

Yoongi sighs. “Listen, I don’t think this is a good idea either. You shouldn’t stay with Taehyung. It’ll just make things look a lot worse.”

“I guess you’re right,” you reluctantly agree. Taehyung grimaces, but he can see Yoongi’s point too.

“I’ll pick you up after my shift. You can stay with me until you’re ready to talk to Jungkook,” Yoongi tells you, looking rather serious. “Don’t do anything stupid in the meantime, okay?”

Hey. It’s Jungkook.

You stare at the message on your phone. Three dots that indicate that he’s typing something, but he keeps erasing and re-typing them again. As if he’s trying to properly convey his words.

Are we breaking up?

You stare at that message even longer. It feels childish to break up with him without trying to talk to him. For the first time in a week, you pick up your phone and type back.

You scared me, Kook.

His response is immediate.

I thought you weren’t scared of anything.

You huff when you realize he’s teasing you, even now.

Movie-wise, I’m not. But this. This is different, Kook. You were really scaring me.

Again, you see the dots appear and disappear before a handful of responses appear.

I know, babe. I’m sorry. Can you please come over? I want to show you something I’ve been working on.

You think about it.

I miss you. Bam misses you too.

Yoongi said not to do anything stupid.

Please, baby. We can just watch a movie, if you want.

But, like in every horror movie, the protagonist finds themselves making a plethora of stupid decisions.

Okay, Kook. I’ll come tonight.

Movie nights with Jungkook was one of the things you always looked forward to throughout the week. Nothing appealed to you more than a night-in with your boyfriend, food delivered at your door, and checking out new shows and movies.

You have your list of favorites, but nothing quite holds a place in your heart than a good ol’ horror movie. Tellings of urban legends, supernatural forces, paranormal activities, true crime, and slasher films. 

As you step into Jungkook’s house, it almost feels like you’re in one of those movies.

His place is dark, almost pitched black. You could barely see what’s in front of you.

“Come inside,” Jungkook says, grabbing your hand. He pulls you in and deadbolts the door behind you.

“It’s so dark,” you remark, gingerly stepping forward. You have a bad feeling about this. You almost pull back toward the door, thinking of waiting for Yoongi or going back to Taehyung instead.

But Jungkook has a firm grip on you. “I thought you weren’t afraid of anything.”

“This is different, Kook,” you try to reason. “You’re really freaking me out.”

He pulls you further inside. In the living room, nothing but the TV is on. The screen is paused on a homemade film.

This must be the project that Jungkook is talking about.

Everything is set. The living room is clean, a bowl of popcorn and a couple bottles of alcohol sits on the coffee table, the lights are off, and the show is ready to play. He sits you down in the middle and keeps an arm around you.

“You know, when we met, you were exactly what I was looking for,” he starts as he presses play.

The tape shows you. Bam lying on your lap as you affectionately pet his face and kiss the top of his head. You, holding Jungkook’s hand and leading him down a busy sidewalk. You, in the kitchen, trying to swat his hand away as he steals your ingredients. You and Jungkook, peering into the camera lens, and your bashful face as he kisses your cheek. 

A smile tugs on your lips as you watch yourself on the screen. Jungkook leans over, copying his onscreen self and kisses your face.

One thing you liked about filming is seeing things from a different perspective. In this case, seeing yourself through Jungkook’s eyes. You look so happy, so incredibly in love with him.

Like with Taehyung, you fell for Jungkook hard and fast.

But Jungkook fell for you harder and faster.

Your smile fades as the next scene shows.

The camera points to the bed, and a couple walks in. It’s you and Jungkook, stumbling in together after drinks at a bar. You’re laughing and trying to wrap your arms around him as he leads you onto the bed. The kiss you share is messy, heated. You tug off his clothes to feel more of him.

You remember that night, but…

“Jungkook. When did you record this?”

You had no idea he was filming you then.

You don’t realize it then, but he makes eye contact with the camera, as if to check that it’s on. He maneuvers you to get a good angle of your body as you busy yourself with your own clothes, wanting him to touch you more as well.

“Jungkook, stop. I didn’t—” 

You feel so sick to your stomach.

“Don’t cry, baby. Here, I’ll fast-forward.”

But you don’t want to watch anymore. You want to leave. You shouldn’t have come here.

The screen shows you and Yoongi. The two of you are at the bakery he works at, and you’re wearing an old cardigan that you got rid of . You smile and eagerly reach for one of the coffees in his hands and take the bag of cookies he’s holding between his lips. He rolls his eyes at something you say before he takes his first sip of his Iced Americano. It’s a typical hangout between you and him.

It looks like it was taken across the street. Your heart plummets even further when you realize that the old cardigan you’re wearing was a piece of clothing you got rid of before you met Jungkook.

The scene changes. You’re sitting at the fountain at your university, looking over a script you wrote for an assignment. Taehyung comes to take a seat next to you. He greets you with a boxy smile and a kiss. The two of you were still dating at the time.

How long has Jungkook known about you?

How long has he been targeting you?

It’s you and Taehyung again. This time, it was filmed from the other night. When Taehyung came to pick you up from your house. He helps you carry some of your things into his car and hugs you when he sees the distressed look on your face. 

“Jungkook, what the fuck?”

It dawns on you that you don’t really know your boyfriend at all.

You try to stand up, but Jungkook has a firm hold on you. His grip tightens when you try to resist him, and his hand seizes your neck as he pushes you down. Your heart hammers against your ribs when you quickly realize you can’t escape him. Jungkook is much stronger and faster than you are.

More images flash through the screen. It’s Jungkook this time, taking a mirror-selfie of himself dressed in all black. He has his hood up and a Halloween mask covering his face. 

It cuts to his feet walking across the sidewalk. Carefully, the camera tilts up, showing that there’s a woman just ahead of him. She’s about your height, her hair the same as yours. She doesn’t notice him as she listens to music playing in her earbuds. 

The scene cuts again, and the same woman is bound and gagged on a chair. Fear shines through her eyes as a shadow of a knife reflects from her body. Behind the camera, Jungkook demands, “Say your line.”

He removes the gag from her mouth. Her voice pitches in a high shrill as she quickly says, “I-I love you. I won’t leave you.”

You recognize her as the latest victim of the latest killings.

And the realization hits you like a truck. Jungkook and his night shifts, the increasing deaths, his interest in filming, having you as the star.

“I practiced, you know. I’ll get it right this time,” he tells you, pulling out some rope he had hidden behind the cushion. You’re trembling as he wraps them tightly around your wrist. “I’ll make sure you don’t leave me again.”

“You’re so bad,” the Jungkook on the screen says, showing what looks like an abandoned warehouse. It’s dimly lit, but you can hear someone running from him. But he doesn’t seem worried, his heavy footsteps casually echo across the concrete. In his hand is a sharp and bloody knife. Mockingly, he asks, “Where did you think you’d go?”

The victim has been let go, but she isn’t free. Ahead, she finds herself cornered as Jungkook catches up to her. Terrified, she holds her hands out in front of her, as if that would stop him.

It’s like seeing your own fate on the screen.

The woman begs and screams before her blood splatters across the floor. You find yourself quoting her, staring up at his darkened eyes. “No, please. Don’t hurt me.”

“What’s wrong?” Jungkook asks, staring right at you. His mouth twitches, fighting a smile. “I thought you liked horror movies.”

Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated!

[chanafehs]

isabela's veilguard outfit is literally insane like a bikini that's it??? what world are we living in that her design from da2, a game that came out 12 years ago, is somehow less racist and misogynistic than her 2024 design??????

Am I surprised by this design choice? No. Am I disappointed? Absolutely.

If I’m not mistaken, Isabela is the first woman of color we have as a companion - specifically the first Black woman as a companion - and she is arguably the most sexualized character within the entire series. Like even going back and playing da2 it feels like everyone makes a comment about her sex life or literally slut shames her (Aveline and Anders I’m looking right at you) - even one of the voice actors called her a whore on Twitter. They don’t even seem committed to having her be Black either instead just racially ambiguous which sucks.

(I want to make it clear I am speaking as a non Black person but if any Black Dragon Age fans would like to add their own thoughts to this post please do so!)

I really want to know the thought process the devs had about this design behind the scenes because throughout all the jokes about bikini armor and making the armor “practical”, we still got this?? How????

The only argument I can see taken place in defense of this is having some kind of under water themed mission (in her concept art for dav she’s underwater with some of our companions) but if that were the case: why is she wearing gold armor. It makes no sense. She would sink right to the bottom and don’t give me some excuse about using magic. Also, you don’t need a bikini to swim underwater.

I’m upset also because the creators keep trying to say that games can’t exist without some politics and having more options to be inclusive to marginalized identities is paramount (these are both good things) but they consistently fall short when it comes to Orientalism, Racism, and Anti-Blackness. It only sends the message that these games are geared for white audiences, not us. It’s 2024 how have we not retired the bellydancer adjacent armors.

[kalims]

ㅤhere is my husband

premise. just us casually staking a claim on our non-official husbands (for coupons)

featuring. all characters

content. alignment, fluff

ㅤthe flustered over thinkers

one who's unbearably confused because he doesn't recall a marriage taking place to wed the two of you at all, he's a little concerned though. he's sure he'd remember such an event? anything with the two of you is practically unforgettable to the fact that when he's in bed only thing he thinks about is you, and the lingering anticipation that he'll see you again in the morning.

besides this said... eventful morning. where you've both apparently upgraded in relationship without his knowledge he can say that he's struggling to hide his steaming ears, hoping you won't notice if he brings the cup of coffee to his face so the steam seems like it's from there.

confused? flustered? thanks for the input! here's your boyfriend husband. doesn't even ask you to explain even though he's twitching to ask you cause if he knows you then you're almost always up to no good, maybe this is one of your tricks but he won't try just for the thought that you're still 'married.' all marriage related things, even the color white is sending his mind into overwire :)

— | riddle, jack, deuce, azul, epel, silver

ㅤwe love flirts

ah yes, if we've got the flustered, confused husbands we also need to get our resident flirts who just gives you a side glance and plays along like he knows what game you're playing. absolutely no questions at all because you know he's gonna bring up the topic sooner or later with a tease, he just feels like he has to return the fluster you'd admittedly inflicted on him. (which is apparently by proclaiming you're both married now.)

don't be surprised if you're getting private messages online, or just random people coming up to you asking how you're married in... this golden age, was that even legal there? you're not sure but maybe because everyone was kind of casual about it.

doesn't matter whether you say you're just messing with him. oh, you're done? good for you but he isn't. he's calling you his spouse everywhere, a local restaurant, shop, stall. wherever you say, he claims he's just doing what you asked for the coupons but you've got an inkling he's just got a knack for calling you his lawfully wedded partner.

— | trey, cater, jade, rook, lilia, leona (partly), vil

ㅤlegally in denial

we have the awkward ones who partially accept their fates, the flirts who's living purpose is to get a rise of warmth in your face, and we have the legally in denial ones whom are trying so hard to deny everything you do. you guys are dating?! oh my god... you must be being threatened to do this, where's the culprit?! news flash, there isn't any but even when it's so clear they seem to find every single reason to convince themselves that there's something wrong.

like, please accept our love already. you already called them your husband in broad daylight, is that not enough of proof? what do you mean you're probably gonna divorce him... he doesn't mention the fact of you guys never marrying at all, just jumps in divorce...

sometimes you should punch a man for his self esteem, it must be a struggle trying to convince someone you like, that you indeed like them. crazy, right? he can't take this heart stopping gesture he's watched too many times but will gladly arrange a wedding in minecraft. just tell him you guys got married ever since he put his bed next to yours if he asks since when.

— | idia on his own

ㅤairheads who are simps

the classic group of guys, of which they all are just incredibly down bad for the lead who just so happens to be you! <4 in this case they're so in love that they wouldn't even question anything you say even if you mix up murder and a name in the same sentence! if you trip? oh no, no. it's clearly the fault of the ground, not to worry! he'll even get workers to reconstruct the entire thing.

and yes, he's either rich or has enough influence (if not through intimidation.) anyways, if they're mad because of a horrible day just walk in a room and then the dark cloud over their heads just floats away and is replaced by hearts in their eyes.

a prank? oh you're funny. what ever do you mean? you're both clearly married. he's got the papers right here *materializes one.* where did that even come from?! say it once, now you've planted something that won't go away in their heads and it's going to shift to reality one way or another :)

— | kalim, floyd, malleus, rook.

ㅤchill mister tsunderes

takes a deep breath* screeches* yeah that's pretty much it. the people (possibly pertaining to just one person, cause he almost always needs his own category.) who try to refuse your existing even if you just cough. keyword: try because even if you're dating them they're still struggling to wrap their head around the fact that they are dating you so maybe their coping mechanism is just refusing to admit you make their hearts go boom boom??

is completely torn whether to screech again (preferably not in his mind to release that pent up... feeling. some type of fluster that makes him wonder if he should have brought a pillow to yell into.) or just reject what you just said. somehow his mouth just doesn't cooperate and he has to look away from you because he's actually struggling to keep his sanity together.

giving himself pep talk, the fortitude that 'he doesn't like you', trying to rebuild that wall back up again but he learns that he apparently can't take it when you're both referred to a life bounded vow. not as in he despises is, though he believes he is. but rather because he'll probably combust on the spot by the sheer claim being said out loud.

— | main: sebek, leona, ace

ㅤdem smug bastards

the ones who just can't resist to crack a smirk when you casually introduce him as your husband, no wonder you insisted he wore the promise ring you had given him.. just to show him off? consider him impressed! this might be just one of his favorite memento of your shenanigans. either he already knows what you're up do (leona) or he's just enjoying the remnants of your embarrassed face as he plummets you with endless grins and teases (floyd)

he's your husband...? I mean true but you're mainly his spouse :) should you even regret having done anything in the first place for the coupons? don't ever. anything should be done for the discounts, even if your supposed husband starts parading everywhere and uses every opportunity that appears in random conversations or situations to just casually announce your lawfully wedded marriage.

what do you mean you're not married? I mean he's got all the evidence in his phone, you didn't think he'd pass up the opportunity to record you saying that phrase for nothing did you? it's a great moment to remember, especially when it's in the middle of the night and he can't help but pull up that recording just to listen to it on loop like an idiot.

— | leona, floyd, ruggie, jade?, lilia (perhaps, vil (also questionable)

ㅤwho are you talking to rn?

those who look embarrassed but you're betting most on your money that he's just awfully flustered + doesn't like the feeling just guessing from him avoiding your eyes like you're the entity from bird box. does he really think his hood can cover the entirety of his red ears? they're fooling absolutely no one with that fake cough, only thing you heard was the quiet choke when they processed your words.

tries to play it off by 'composing' themselves in front of you, even though their back is turned to you. the straightening of their shoulder usually implies that they think they're ready but you can't help but note that several parts of their body, if not all, collectively flinch at the sight of you. they dont say anything but they give you this... look.

like, narrowed eyes, their jaw is slightly turned away from you, *judges whole existence with a side eye* they can't believe they even have you as a partner but besides that they can't wrap their heads around the fact that such a stupid notion such as that actually had him doing cartwheels inside his head.

— | jamil deserves this, ruggie, jack, azul

ㅤwym didn't we already get married?

YOUR HONOR ITS THIS ONE. you're probably making him more confused than you are. because?? cue confused face. didn't you guys already get married like, a month ago? do you not see the ring on your finger? the matching one on his own finger? did you really not notice anything when he just casually takes you to the most ethereal, sacred place of briar valley and hands you the box containing the ring...? has he done it too subtly? well, he's underestimated humans once again...

to fae culture that was probably the most obvious thing ever. he didn't outright just decide he wanted to marry you, but you've probably done something that borders on a 'let's get married' proposal in his culture so that just prompted him to get to work ASAP, get his workers find the most grandest ring there is in his family heirloom.

if you take it. that just meant you're both FOR LIFERSSSSS. HENCE WHY HES SO CONFUSED WHEN YOU'RE CONFUSED THAT HES ACTING LIKE ITS NORMAL. I mean he's happy that you finally decided to call him his rightful title after a month but why are you so flabbergasted, child of man? what do you mean you're not married? just look at said sacred, ethereal place in briar valley. both your names are engraved there together, that's enough proof isn't it?

— | malleus

bonus <4

ㅤthe actual partner in crime

want to take it up a notch? just call the resident creator of forged documents, this is totally legal and free! just get on his good side and he will remain there forever, unchanging cause he loves you now. unless you somehow wrong him... it's actually very beneficial because he can do nearly anything for you without trouble so... wow you're married? why didn't you invite him :( oh you're not but you want to be? oh that's totally fine!

oh you want his help? he can't go against the law because of his coding system but.. it also says to help friends whenever he can and you're his best friend so :)) *casually prints out paper* don't worry he'll talk to some friends and it will be legal before you know it!

knowing his brother he's probably authorized to break the law so he had to code it himself before he gets too far... anyways congrats on your actual marriage 😊

— | ortho

note. this is a commissioned piece, do not post this anywhere else

[kwanisms]

Kinktober 「10:12」 — c.jongho

» ateez menu | jongho menu | kinktober masterlist «

➮ incubus!Jongho × fem!Reader wc: 2.5k summary: To pass his final incubus test, Jongho must visit the human world and seduce a sleeping person. genres/themes/au: angst/fluff/smut; supernatural, horror, thriller; non idol au, monster idol au warnings: adult dialogue, female reader, supernatural and horror themes; sexual content (18+ mdni), see smut warnings under the cut! taglist has been moved to reblogs join my taglists! kinktober taglist is closed! Strikethrough means I cannot tag you.  MINORS WILL BE BLACKLISTED & BLOCKED. AGELESS BLOGS WILL ALSO BE BLOCKED.

a/n: well this was fun to write. i hated the beginning initially but i worked it out in the end! this is Jongho's birthday piece as well as especially written for my bestie Sky. i hope you enjoy your incubus!Jongho! thank you for reading and as always, this is a work of fiction and all characters are not reflective of their respective irl counterparts. for entertainment purposes only.

smut warnings: teratophilia (aka monsterfucking), somnophilia, mind break (f receiving), oral (f receiving), fingering (f receiving), dom!Jongho, sub!Reader, I think I got all of them but of course let me know if I missed something! kinks: Somnophilia + mind break dialogue prompt: ❛❛ I’m going to have you screaming by the end of the night. ❜❜

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It wasn’t exactly his idea to become an incubus but it seemed like a better idea to Jongho than sticking around in the Underworld and torturing souls so he signed up quickly. He had gone through all the usual training that came with the role but now it was time for his final test, one he’d been dreading since learning about it.

Seduce a sleeping person.

Jongho’s task was simple: invade the mind of a sleeping person, seduce them while they were asleep, and seal the deal. It sounded simple and it should have been but he was beyond nervous as he stood on the summoning circle, waiting for the portal to open.

“Good luck,” were the last words he heard before the edges of the circle started to glow, energy spinning and swirling around him as the portal glowed and just like that, he was standing in a dark bedroom. He glanced around and took in his surroundings.

Lightning flashed outside, a deep rumble following in the distance as rain pelted the glass windows. The room was a decent size with a queen size bed in the middle. The white comforter was tangled as the form of a sleeping person lay there. The sound of their breathing was the only thing he could hear as he focused entirely on their being.

As he drew closer, he realized the one sleeping was the one he’d been practicing everything else on. He had met you on the street as part of the plan. Meet a troubled soul with a history with sleeping problems, establish himself in their mind and slowly influence their thoughts as he visited them night after night.

He didn’t know why he expected his subject to be anyone else but he was glad it was you.

He moved slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed as he watched you sleep soundly. It seemed to be the first deep sleep you’d had in a long time and deep down he hated having to interrupt it but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

He reached out a hand slowly, fingers skimming over the white bedspread as he moved towards the top of the comforter. His hand stopped as you sighed out softly, turning your head in your sleep. Once you stopped moving, he continued, sliding his hand up your arm, brushing your skin with the back of his knuckles. His hand trailed up to your forehead where he pressed two fingers against your temple.

He shut his eyes, a warmth enveloping him as he entered your subconscious, taking in your dream-like state.

Opening his eyes, he found himself standing in the same coffee shop he’d met you outside of. He glanced around, everything moving slower than it normally did as he scanned the blurry faces of the shop inhabitants. His eyes landed on you sitting at a table by the window. Your face was the only one not blurry. He walked over slowly, moving at a normal pace as the world around the two of you seemed to drag on.

He reached your table and you looked up at him, a smile spreading across your face. “You came,” you said softly. Jongho took a seat, clearly you had been expecting him. “Hey,” he said, his voice sounding much more cheerful than he felt. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to show,” you said softly, looking down at your mug, your fingers wrapped around the ceramic and taking in the warmth.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Jongho asked, tilting his head. You looked up to meet his gaze. “I don’t know,” you said with a shrug. “I thought you might stand me up.” Jongho studied your movements. ‘Stand you up? Was this a date?’ 

“Why would I stand up a pretty girl like you?” he asked, noticing the way you fidgeted in your seat. You were nervous but receptive to his advances. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all. “So,” you said, shifting in your seat and looking up at him.

“Tell me about yourself.”

The scene shifted again, the world around him turning into a blur of movement. You disappeared, fading away as the location changed. The lights dimmed and Jongho found himself standing in the middle of a crowded club, the bass shaking the floor as lights flitted across the floor while people danced.

Jongho squeezed through the crowd, side stepping couples as his eyes landed on you, dancing with your friends. This was the perfect setting; you were more open to him here. He walked up behind you as you took a step back into him and he caught you gently. You turned quickly, ready to apologize until your eyes met his and instead, he grabbed your hands, pulling you away from your friends and further onto the dance floor, the crowd pressing in on you as he pulled you close against him.

No words were exchanged, only eye contact as you swayed to the music, hands sliding up his chest over the front of his shirt to rest on his shoulders as his hands moved to your hips. Everything you could have possibly said out loud you said with your eyes instead.

You turned, back pressing against him, your ass grinding against his crotch as you continued to dance. One of his hands moved to your stomach, pulling you back against him more, head ducking down to whisper in your ear. “You want to get out of here?” You leaned your head back against his shoulder and nodded, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

The scene changed again, the crowd dissipating as Jongho found himself in your bedroom, a heated exchange of kisses and hands pulling at each other’s clothing until you were left in nothing but your underwear. Jongho standing at the foot of your bed.

Jongho opened his eyes, the dim lights of the city illuminating your dark room as the rain continued to patter against the window. He stood up to remove his suit jacket, dropping it to the floor as he reached up to loosen his tie. He quickly rid himself of the tie and kicked off his shoes before climbing onto the bed, crawling over your sleeping form.

Back in your subconscious, you reached up, taking his face in your hands. “Touch me,” you whispered, your voice echoing slightly. Jongho leaned in, taking your lips in a searing kiss as his hands slid down your sides to your hips. His fingers dug into your skin as your lips parted, his tongue sliding into your mouth. You moaned into his mouth, hands tangling in his hair, as one of his hands slipped between your thighs.

Back in your room, Jongho pulled back the covers, taking in your body clad in a silk nightgown. He kneeled on the edge of the bed, the mattress giving under his weight as he slowly climbed over your sleeping form.

In your dream state, you let out a moan as you felt his fingers drag against you through the thin material of your panties which were already soaked. Jongho slipped his thumb under the material, pushing it aside as he slid his fingers between your folds, pads finding your clit quickly. “So wet already,” he murmured, sliding his hand down and dipping the tip of his finger into your entrance.

“I could slide right in,” he added as he watched your face. You moaned in response, thighs spreading further as your body outside of your subconscious responded the same, legs parting as Jongho’s fingers teased your entrance. Without another word, he slid his fingers into you, two at a time until he was knuckles deep in your cunt.

You let out a mix between a sigh and a moan, back arching as your walls welcomed the intrusion. Jongho let out a huff of breath before slowly moving his fingers in and out of you slowly, keeping an eye on your sleeping expression. He curled his fingers, making you moan softly. He continued to pump his fingers in and out of your hole, slowly building up your orgasm.

In your dream, you were much louder, more responsive as your eyes rolled back, wanton moans leaving your lips as he fucked you with his fingers faster and faster until your thighs started to shake. As quickly as it started, he stopped, pulling his fingers from your hole.

You whine at the loss of contact until he brought his hand to your mouth. “Suck,” he ordered, watching in awe how you reacted in your sleep, lips parting and taking his fingers in your mouth with a moan as you tasted yourself on your tongue. Jongho pulled his fingers from your mouth and sat back on his heels, moving to grab your panties and slide them down your thighs.

This next part was going to be difficult as he quickly rid himself of his clothes, tossing them on the floor with the rest. He stared down at your sleeping form, the thin strap of your nightgown slipping down your shoulder. He grabbed the front of the silk and gently pulled it down, exposing your chest.

He leaned over, taking one of your nipples in his mouth, tongue curling against the bud as he sucked, enjoying the soft whimpers and moans you let out as he teased the sensitive skin. He repeated the same thing to the other, pulling back to blow softly on the raised skin before he bunched the bottom hem of your nightgown up past your waist and kissed down the expanse of your stomach until he drew level with your dripping cunt.

He gave you one lick, enjoying the way your body shuddered before he gave you another, tongue dividing your folds and lapping at your clit. You responded in a series of gasps and soft moans as he licked and sucked at the nub, taking it in his mouth with quiet, wet slurping sounds and teasing it with the tip of his tongue.

You started to stir in your sleep and Jongho froze, waiting to see if you were about to wake up but you simply let out a hum and settled back into slumber. He resumed the motions, flattening his tongue as he pressed against your clit, dragging his tongue slowly over the nub as it started to harden.

When your thighs started to tremble again, he pulled back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He crawled over you, taking you back into another passionate kiss, letting you taste more of yourself on his tongue with a groan as his tongue danced against yours.

In your subconscious state, he pulled back, staring down at you with glowing red eyes. “I’m going to have you screaming by the end of the night,” he growled, a smirk starting to form as you pleaded with him to fuck you.

He pushed your thighs against your sides, scooting into place. Taking his cock in his hand, he lined the tip with your sopping entrance and pushed into you easily. You let out a long, low moan as he slid into you, bottoming out easily until he was buried fully inside your walls.

He let your body adjust for a moment, enjoying the way your warm walls fluttered around him. The first thrust was shallow and he hardly pulled back but the next was rougher, deeper as he pulled back and slammed into you. You let out a moan, head lolling to the side on your pillow, brows furrowing in pleasure as he set a steady but hard pace, fucking you against the mattress.

He knew he wouldn’t last long and it wasn’t the point to last long. He was supposed to seduce you, fuck you, and fill you with cum. That’s all he was supposed to do. His hips snapped forward, ramming his cock into you repeatedly as he chased his high. Your walls clenched around him rhythmically as your own orgasm approached. He moved a hand to your mound, thumb circling your clit quickly.

It wasn’t part of the plan to get you off but he didn’t see the harm in it.

Your back arched off the bed as you came around his cock in your sleep. He let out a chuckle, grabbing your hips as he started to slam into you repeatedly, ready to burst at any second. His eyes fluttered shut and when he opened them, he was back in your dream state.

You were splayed under him, fingers digging into the plush of your comforter as he fucked into you roughly, eyes following the bounce of your breasts with each rough thrust. The room filled with the sound of his skin hitting yours, your wet cunt and your whimpers of pleasure as you were sent hurtling back to another orgasm

“Jongho,” you whimpered, brows knitted together like your sleeping form. “M’gonna cum,” you warned. Jongho nodded. “Beg for it,” he said, slowing his pace as you whined in protest. “Beg me to let you cum.” 

You whined, eyes fluttering shut as you whined, begged, and pleaded with him. Your words mixed together in incoherent babbles as he fucked you through your orgasm before finally letting his own wash over him, thick ropes of cum painting your walls as his hips stilled.

As soon as he finished, Jongho pulled out of you, pulling your nightgown back in place and pulled the covers up before grabbing his clothes and dressing in silence. He glanced back at your sleeping form as he tightened his tie and grabbed his jacket, brushing the fibers from your fluffy white rug off it and pulled it on. He leaned over you, tracing from your cheek down to your jaw and giving your forehead a kiss.

“Thanks for helping me pass my test,” he murmured. 

He walked over to the spot where he had first entered the room and waited. After a few moments, a circle of light started at his feet before swirling energy engulfed him and in a flash, your room was left empty as the rain continued to pelt against the window, lightning flashing and thunder rumbling in the distance.

You awoke with a start, gasping as you looked around your room.

It was morning, gray skies as the tail end of the storm passed by, only soft rain falling over the misty city. You looked around your room before pulling back the covers and moving to get up, your thighs aching as you moved. You’d had vivid dreams of that same stranger again last night only they were much more intense and you felt like you’d had sex for hours if the burn between your legs was anything to go by.

As you entered the bathroom, you turned the light on and looked at your reflection, noticing the dark circles under your eyes that indicated you didn’t get much sleep the previous night. You sighed as you moved to the shower, turning it on and letting the water heat up. As you waited, you felt something warm and sticky run down the inside of your thigh and quickly reached down to wipe it away.

Bringing your hand up to inspect it you saw a runny whitish fluid, coating your fingertips, eyes widening as you stared at it. It looked suspiciously like…

Just what the fuck happened last night?

©️ kwanisms 2024 | all works on this blog are protected under copyright. Do not repost, continue, or translate my works. All graphics made by me.

[faeriekit]

Writing the Occult: quick notes for non-practicing hobby authors and other nerds🕯️

Hey. Real talk. If you're writing about occult rituals, magic, the works, whatever, there are some great ways to clean up your act and get some better, more aware accuracy in there. A lot of stuff in the wider consciousness of pop culture is kind of...not correct, or, uh. Should be something you're aware of. For instance:

G*psy is still a slur! No, Romani people aren't more likely to be fortune tellers than anyone else. Quit it with the weird stereotypes. The "g*psy fortune teller" thing hasnt even been on trend since the early 1900s. Move on.

"Voodoo" dolls are a racist perspective of an African-derived traditional religious practice. Vodun is a religion. It's not even a gone or far away religion either; Vodun and Santería have followers and priests all over the US, as do other ATRs. Since. You know. Slavery. The word you're probably looking for is "poppet", which is the term for the tool itself (tiny cloth doll for magical use) as opposed to, like, a whole religion.

A wendigo isn't a catch-all cannibalistic creature; it's part of a wider religious worldview of the Algonquian peoples. Native people have requested that you Stop Talking Abou That— yes, even asking that one YouTuber to Stop That, not that he seems to care. White people seem to cannibalize other people all the time anyway, so I don't see why there's a huge need for a Native scapegoat... There are other supernatural creatures and shapeshifters that eat humans. Pick anything else.

A lot of higher-level occult rituals as writ are just. Straight up antisemitic! If you're writing rituals and your magical language of choice is in Hebrew...hey. Stop that. Same thing goes for "elites who eat babies/drink blood." A some of it is a clumsily handled metaphor for the cannibalistic nature of having an upper class in a society, but a lot of it really is just dressed-up antisemitism in a trench coat. If you're looking up real rituals for worldbuilding...FYI, you may want to glance again before adding it to your work.

Just because ten dudes are standing next to each other in order to do a weird ritual doesn't make them a cult. That's just a ritual. Cults have more specific requirements; ie, whether or not there's religious abuse going on. You can make your weird spooky org have religious abuse, but if they're just, like, high schoolers, they're probably just novice occultists who occasionally hang out together.

I haven't seen anyone use "spirit animal" in a couple years, so that's great! Native people have also requested that we Stop That. Spirit Animal is a specific religious concept we don't have to tread on. Think of a synonym for the concept you're trying to convey; don't steal a word that's already in use for a religious practice. (Same thing goes for totem FYI.)

Hallucinogens often make you throw up. Like. A lot. People do certainly attribute religious visions to them, but also like drink a lot of water and keep a bucket nearby, because the whole scenario is just super disorienting. Most spiritual circles who utilize similar substances will have a trip sitter (someone sober to call 911 if there's an emergency) if they've got the resources.

Making up rituals for your story is totally cool. People invent new rituals all the time. There isn't a standard to be held to on that front unless you outright name a real life religious or occult group they're meant to be part of; THEN people will want standards. Until then, though, you're probably good.

Most TYPES of rituals have, like, a label, though. A ward prevents something from entering a protected space, an invocation brings something forth from within you, a banishment pushes something away from you, a consecration makes something sacred...A lot of these may be obvious to you from pop culture, but if you're going to try and make a character an expert on magic, adding the vocabulary to their lexicon makes their expertise more believable.

There are a ton of ways to exorcise ghosts! Basically every religion has, like, ten of them. If you want to add a little extra flavor on banishing/preventing evil spirits, google [character's religion/culture] [ghosts/spirits] to see what sort of flavor you can add to their specific person.

Occultists and witches and wizards and priests who do magic argue all the time. ALL the time. Interpersonal drama is real and it can Get You.

It's traditional to do certain specific rituals naked. Just FYI. It's not required. Just traditional. Utilize this knowledge for narrative potential... or don't. I'm not your boss.

Yeah, sometimes there's blood; your mileage may vary narratively. Most people don't go for the whole knife thing —you can get lancets at any drug store—but maybe your character is especially dumb or otherwise desperate. Palms and fingers hurt the most knife-wise; if your character knows what they're doing, it won't be their hands.

The keeping skulls around thing is real too, if legally and financially difficult to arrange in many cases. It's usually animal though. Human remains have a lot of laws in the states and, obviously, relatives want to keep their family close to their family — still, narratively, your mileage may vary.

The "White magic" and "Black magic" dichotomy is racialized. No, seriously. The things people demonize about dark magic— soul magic, necromancy, zombies, love/control spells, etc— are all really warped versions of Ancestor worship and other spiritual practices from African Traditional Religious beliefs. Well, the whole Zombie thing is actually a holdover from slavery and it's more about forcing ex-slaved peoples into performing more labor even after their death while White people are afraid of traditional Black spiritual resistance against colonial religious oppression— I'm going too deep into this, just trust me that if a dichotomy says that White is good and Black is bad, there's probably something hinky going on.

And, finally:

Ouija boards are sold at Barnes and Noble by Hasbro for $25, and a tarot deck can retail for as little as $20 from Spirit Halloween or Spencer's. No, they can't summon demons from the astral into your house. Can they talk to ghosts? Up to you; it's your story. Are cheap paper board and plastic planchette powerful enough to murder people, though...? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My magic 8 ball says that the odds are unlikely.

Obviously, you can do whatever you want with your work— I'm not your dad and I can't stop you, but if you're the kind of person who's like, hey, maybe I do want to prune out accidental racial slurs from my vocabulary...hey! This list is for you! Halloween is a time to get spooky! Get scary! Get booped, even; still, if you want to have an underlying thread of what the occult looks like in practice, you might want to dust off a couple of mid Magic/Witchcraft/Spiritual/Occult books from your local library and flip through 'em for ideas. There's some fun stuff in there.

Like the sacred blowtorch ;)

Happy Halloween, everyone! 👻

[cottoncandyafterdark]

Hello, Nanami's alphabet was so good, and I was wondering if I could request Senku (as adult ofc) NSFW alphabet too? I hope it's fine, thank you!

Got it right here! =D Thanks for the request, hope you like this alright! To be honest, I always have trouble seeing Senku in sexual situations, so I did my best to keep it true to him and how I see him while still being sexy. Hope you enjoy, thanks for waiting!

Fandom: Dr Stone

Character(s): Senku Ishigami

Warnings: None

ao3 | Ko-Fi

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

He needs a moment to catch his breath, but after that, he's surprisingly cuddly. He might not usually be one for physical touch, but he's not so averse to it that he'll leave you dry. Plus, just about everyone needs a hug once in a while- this is his once in a while.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He's not so focused on the physical, at least, not to the point that there's a specific part of your body he's more attracted to than any other. He thinks you, as a whole, are very attractive, end of sentence.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Mostly irrelevant because he pretty much always uses a condom. He doesn't have penetrative sex until they can make condoms in the stone world, and then always uses them until they re-invent other forms of birth control, or you discuss having kids and decide to try for a pregnancy. Whatever comes first.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

When he first decided to broach the subject of sex with you, he wrote down and practiced what he would say because he felt his typical blunt "brutal honesty" attitude wouldn't go over super well in this particular instance. He tried as hard as he could to make it sound like he hadn't spent hours rehearsing. He still has the notes where he drafted it hidden away, but if anyone ever found them he might die of embarrassment.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Yeah, it would be a shock if he had any experience before he met you. He's never been in a serious relationship before, and he's certainly not one for casual sex, so, yeah, you're almost certainly his first. He has no clue what he's doing your first couple of times having sex, but he'll get the hang of it pretty quickly.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

He's a fan of cowgirl and any other position where he's sitting or laying down and doesn't have to exert himself too much (not that he's lazy, but his physical strength and stamina is... Well... You know. He's Senku.) Don't take that to mean he's submissive, though; Senku is quite the power bottom.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He doesn't really purposely try to be humorous, but if something funny happens, he can laugh and go with it.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

As funny as it would be, he doesn't have any green streaks in his pubic hair- it is white/platinum blonde, though. He keeps it trimmed and well-groomed.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

He can be quite romantic, in his own way. For Senku, an emotional connection is a non-negotiable prerequisite for sex, so he almost has to be. He might not show his love in the most traditional of ways, but if you know him, and you do, you'll be able to feel it in the way he touches and talks to you during.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He doesn't do it all that often, especially once he's in a relationship. On the rare occasions he gets horny enough to want that release, he's going straight to you. He only jerks off on the rare occasion that he gets really horny and you just aren't available for whatever reason.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

He's mostly vanilla, but he's pretty into dirty talk to a point you could probably call it a kink.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Bed. Maybe a chair in a private place if he's feeling spicy. He has a fantasy of fucking you in the lab, but knows that you probably shouldn't actually do that (too many dangerous chemicals).

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Really, you just have to tell him straight up that you're horny and want to fuck. If he's in a good mood and not too tired, that'll start getting him nice and worked up on its own, then the foreplay will really get him ready to have some fun.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

No pain, no fluids, and no completely unprotected sex (at least, not without a lot of discussion and a clean STD test beforehand.)

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He likes giving oral a little better than receiving it. He enjoys receiving, of course, but feels it can spoil things a bit if he comes before the 'main course', so to speak. But when giving, he can just focus on your pleasure, especially if you have a little more stamina than him and he can make you cum once or twice without any fear of ruining anything.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Usually, he lets you set the pace, but he prefers it to be on the "fast and rough" side.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Not really his thing. His sex drive isn't very high, so a quickie just feels like a wasted opportunity. If he's in the mood, he wants to really enjoy it, and that usually means taking his time.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Experimentation is core to science, isn't it? So yes, he's game to try out new things. As for anything risky... Not really his thing. It's not like he's scared to take calculated risks, he just doesn't find them particularly sexy.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

We all know Senku isn't the most physically inclined guy. Unfortunately, this does affect his stamina in sexual situations, too. He can go for one round, and if you want more, he needs quite a bit of recovery time- though this is lessened if you go for a position where he doesn't need to exert himself as much, like cowgirl or other 'riding' type positions.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He kind of likes toys, though only uses them for his partner, not himself. He sees them as a tool mainly for foreplay- not the main event themselves. Of course, there's not many options for toys in the stone world... Though that may be a private little side project he works on occasionally.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Only a little bit. He's not trying to deny your orgasm or anything, just, draw out the foreplay a little bit more than is strictly necessary. He just wants to get both of you properly worked up and if that requires a bit of teasing, so be it.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He's very quiet. To the point that if you're in the dark, you could think he's fallen asleep or something. But he knows most people like more noise from their partner, so he'll start to fill the silence with words, since he's just not the type to moan and groan a lot- see entry W.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

He is shockingly good at dirty talk. You're honestly not sure if it's natural talent or he's copying what he's seen online or what, but his talent at whispering just the perfect thing into your ear to get you going is unbelievable- and unbelievably hot.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

His dick is about 5 and a half inches in length and also has a pretty average girth- nothing special in terms of sheer size, sure, but we all know it isn't the size of the wave, it's the motion of the ocean, right? ;)

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Quite lower than average, honestly. He needs a bit of motivation to get him going, so you'll have to get used to being the one to initiate most of the time.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He usually dozes off after 10-20 min if he stays in bed- which he often does, because he gets pretty tired, especially after more intense rounds. He doesn't stay asleep for long, though, it's almost always more of a nap than anything.

[pinkrosealice]

A non-exhaustive list of art, pieces of media, franchises, authors, and thinkers that I really need my fellow Cultsim/BoH/Secret Histories fans to get into and discuss with me and between themselves.

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(WARNING A LOT OF THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS COME WITH A LIST OF CONTENT WARNINGS AND ARE SOMETIMES CONNECTED TO CONTROVERSIAL ARTISTS AND PUBLIC PERSONS. THIS LIST IS NOT A ENDORSEMENT OF ANY PROBLEMATIC IDEALS OR STATEMENTS MADE BY ANYONE MENTIONED IN THIS LIST AND IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT ANYONE WHO LOOKS INTO ANY OF THE MENTIONED WORKS OF ART DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND THOROUGHLY CHECKS FOR DISTURBING / TRIGGERING CONTENT AT THEIR OWN VOLITION)

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Film Recommendations:

1. Dario Argento's Three Mothers trilogy, especially Suspiria & and especially especially the 2019 remake of Suspiria. Very Dancer DLC-coded, very Sisterhood of the Triple Knot and Thunderskin.

2. The Magic Lantern films of Kenneth Anger, who was a practicing Thelmaite* for many years. Lantern Principal is obviously what comes to mind when you hear of the name of the series and the dreams that were mystical experiences that inspired and were expressed in art, in this case films is very much akin to stuff we see in Cultist Simulator.

(* As shown in later parts of this recommendation list I argue that the games of Weather Factory become even more interesting and artistically impactful if you learn more about late 19th and 20th century occultism and movements like Theosophy and Thelma.)

3. Hereditary and Midsommar are obvious recommendations but even more so I would recommend the original 1970s The Wicker Man. Folk Horror in general is a great source of what the arts of The Bosk would look like in real life. They were definitely worshiping The Low Red Sun on Summer Isle.

4. A Dark Song, a 2016 horror film that actually revolves around the performance of a very famous and important real life occult ritual. I think a lot of the visual imagery in that film can give some inspiration for the kind of Rites our player character in Cultist Simulator is performing.

5. The Lair of The White Worm is a movie loosely based on a Bram Stoker story and is also very much a Gods of Stone overthrown by forces associated with humans raised to Divinity and the powers of the Sun and Apollonian principles type of story. Plus the whole Worm/Wyrms thing going on. I also recommend it because it's one of the more light-hearted and comedic entries on this list and I want some variation in tone. Also its psychedelic visuals compliment a lot of the surrealist elements that are tied to things like the Moth Principal.

6. Black Swan isn't explicitly supernatural but it is very Dancer Coded.

7. The Hellraiser movies, but only the first second, fourth, and the reboot. Leviathan, being associated with pain and pleasure and having the name of a mythical sea monster is probably very similar to whatever the hell The Tide was before The Red Grail vored her. The Cenobites are Long with Grail, Knock, & Forge as their Principals.

8. Pan's Labyrinth, for the Woods and the Bounds appreciators. I also think there is something to be said about the fascist subtext that underlines much of the Edge Principle, especially in The Colonel that can be explored and appreciated in this film and its reckonings with the evils of Spanish fascism.

9. To compliment the recommendation for the Magic Lantern films, also check out the short film The Wormwood Star, you can find it easily on YouTube and it's another piece of art heavily influenced by Thelma and stars Marjorie Cameron who I will talk about more later in this list.

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Game Recommendations:

1. Hollow Knight, it might as well be a story set in the era of the Carapace Cross. Sentient bugs, mighty Wyrms and dream gods with the powers of light but not necessarily moral goodness. Even the Void in Hollow Knight, and it's antagonism to The Radiance is very similar to The Nowhere and it's relationship with the established hierarchies in The Mansus.

2. The Silent Hill games, particularly the entries that revolve around The Order; like 1,3, Origins, and Homecoming. Dream worlds, Sun worship, the Dark Feminine and female psychics/mediums with deep associations with blood, birth and menstruation. Valtiel is totally a Name. Even the fog and mist of Silent Hill is giving The Bounds and it's Forge smoke meets Woods darkness type energy.

3. Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines, it's basically playing a Grail Long.

4. The tabletop games Geist: The Sin Eaters and Wraith: The Oblivion line up really well with the Ghoul / Medium DLC. *

(basically most if not all of the World of Darkness and Chronicles of Darkness tabletop games contain some themes, elements, or bits of World building that should appeal to anyone interested in the games created by Weather Factory)

5. The video games created by Korean studio Project Moon. Lobotomy Corporation has a lot of timers and simulation elements that have many similarities to those found in Cultist Simulator, and as the title implies Liberty of Runia takes place literally in a paranatural library just like Book of Hours even though the game play between the two is very different.

6. Fallen London and it's related media. The reasons why should go without saying. The controversies around AK aside, Echo Bazaar and Secret Histories are blood siblings and I desire more intersection and interaction between the respective fandoms.

7. The Bayonetta games have a surprising amount of real mythological and occult influence in their world building. The Solar Lumens juxtaposed with the Lunar Umbrans definitely has some resonance with Church of The Unconquered Sun and their on again, off again antagonism and allyship with The Sisterhood of The Triple Knot. The Apollonian natured House of the Sun contrasted with the Dionysian Woods & House of the Moo, and the Nowhere being connected to all three but being distinct; is not all together that different from the division of the Bayonetta universe into Inferno, Paradiso, the human world and Purgatorio between all of them.

8. The Shadow Hearts series of JRPGs are a Gothic, urban fantasy, historical fantasy, lovecraftian adventures around late 19th / early 20th century Europe and Asia. It has a lot of comedic elements and its world building and cosmology are not all that similar to the ones in Weather Factory games (barring their shared history as being inspired by Lovecraft). But if you want Lovecraft in video game form without the racism associated with his writings and you found Cultsim/BoH to fill that niche, then I recommend you give these games a try as well.

9. Secret World Legends, a functionally dead MMO but still incredibly fun to play and I think one of the best examples of urban fantasy / soft Lovecraft or post lovecraftian media in existence. Absolutely fantastic & memorable fully voiced NPCs and characters, really intriguing and rich world building and takes on mythology and folklore. Also given that you play as a quasi immortal with a deep association with bees and an ancient techno-organic goddess you're basically a Long.

10. To compliment the Lobotomy Corporation recommendation and the later SCP mention I think it's only natural that I also recommend the urban fantasy games of remedy entertainment like Alan Wake 1 & 2 and Control. Artists channeling / being used by Eldritch Forces in other dimensions and government institutions related to keeping a control on the supernatural are the most obvious similarities to stuff in WF games.

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Visual Artists:

1. Francisco Goya, especially his Black Paintings, his insights into the witchcraft and folkloric traditions of the Basque region and elsewhere in the Iberian peninsula should be very appealing to fans of The Twins and The Thunderskin. Plus all of the Catholic imagery brings to mind The Mother of Ants.

2. Austin Osman Spare, Rosaleen Norton, and Marjorie Cameron. All three of these people were heavily influential occultists and illustrators/painters so their work is definitely a great representative example of the kind of occult art that you are making when you Paint in Cultsim.

3. Salvador Dali is also a relatively obvious, but I think very appropriate all the same recommendation. Surrealism is by and large the big big tonal influence on Secret Histories in my opinion. He also did a tarot deck so that brings in the Lucid Tarot connection

4.Erté, absolutely the kind of art and fashion you would find in Cultist Simulator's 1920's. Art Deco for days but also his works in particular show a more flowy and organic influence that we would more stereotypically associate with the Art Nouveau of decades prior.

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Comic Books:

1. Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing and Grant Morrison's run on Animal Man. DC's Red and Green (plus all the other elemental forces) are a deeply underappreciated and underexplored element of the setting, and I think they have a lot of similarities with the Principles we find in Secret Histories.

2. Related to the above, Alan Moore's Promethea and Grant Morrison's The Invisibles for an exploration of 20th and 21st century occultism. Despite the two authors general distaste for each other, their works are often very complimentary.

3. The Hellboy franchise doesn't have a lot of one-to-one parallels with Cultsim & Co. but they draw from the same artistic influences of gothic fiction, weird fiction, mythology and folklore and the occult. So I feel very strongly that fans of one would and should find the other to be enjoyable. Both fandoms need to be more active on this hell site and though there are a handful of quality hidden gems of fanfiction for both franchises I desperately need more people to be writing & reading fan fiction for both. Plus I do strongly believe that Mike Mignola' s art style would really excel at illustrating characters and settings from Secret Histories. His non Hellboy work is also recommended especially the works that fall under his Outervers setting, like Baltimore and Joe Golem.

4. Although I will admit that I am not up to date on it, and that there has been a considerable amount of discourse around the quality of its storytelling (especially within the past few years) I would recommend the webcomic Gunnerkrigg Court to fellow Cultsim fans. Alchemic imagery, interesting reinterpretations of folklore and a setting and tone that is quintessential British urban fantasy / science fiction, Gunnerkrigg is in my opinion a work that has a lot of appeal for fans of WF's games and stories.

5. Lackadaisy Cats is an awesome Webcomic and animated web series. 1920s/ 30s gangsters and bootleggers in the form of anthropomorphic cats! And absolutely beautiful Art Deco illustrations! What's not to love.........

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Anime & Manga:

1. Any of the anime directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura especially Serial Experiments Lain and Ghost Hound(this one is seriously underrated in my opinion.) Surrealism is the name of the game as I've said earlier.

2. Le Chevalier D'Eon, both it's manga and anime even though the two are very totally different and have divergent takes on a similar premise. Historical fiction that reinterprets 18th century historical events through an occult lens is so very very Secret Histories. Plus both works have interesting explorations of gender and the nature thereof. It helps that as far as we know the French monarchy's Secret Histories equivalent are associated with the Hours, my personal headcanon is that Louis XIV was Lantern Principal aligned, and Louie XVI had Knock as his Principal. Also the manga version of the story has a lot of its magic system based around the Tarot.

3. You can't recommend D'Eon without recommending it's biggest inspiration (apart from Rose of Versailles of course) and that would be Revolutionary Girl Utena. Edge Dyads for days with that one. Utena and Anthy are totally The Twins. And the whole show and it's movie are full of surrealist pseudo occult imagery practically to the bursting.

4. Baccano! , a light novel / anime series that's about a bunch of immortal Mobsters in the 1920s and 30s. I mean that's basically The Exile DLC right there.

5. xxxHolic and Legal Drug / Drug & Drop, by CLAMP. A shop that grants wishes and a pharmacy that handles the paranormal are both the kind of businesses that I could see existing alongside Morland's, Oriflamme's Auction House & The Ecdysis Club. Plus both manga are hella gay and I will push my Weather Factory games are inherently Queer pieces of media agenda till the day I die.

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Theater, Operas, Music and Albums:

1. Jimmy Page's unused soundtrack for Kenneth Anger's Lucifer Raising. Definition of Occult rock and role.

2. Kiki Rockwell, especially her two most recent albums Rituals on the Bank of a Familiar River, and Eldest Daughter of an Eldest Daughter.

3. Stravinsky's Rite of Spring might just be the closest we will ever get in real life to an occult ritual in the form of an entire ballet like we see in Cultist Simulator and Book of Hours. Definitely a skill that could fall under the Wisdoms of Birdsong and The Bosk.

4. On that note, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte is also full of Hermetic Elements, Lunar / Solar antagonism, mystical initiation and ritual deity impersonation. Mozart was a Freemason so the fanfic of him as a Heart Adapt practically writes itself.

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Literally Fiction:

1. The webnovels Pact and Pale by wildbow. A magic system that revolves around incredibly hierarchical relationships between humans and mystical beings, where magic fundamentally requires discarding one's humanity and transforming into some kind of mystical being yourself is very similar to the Adapt to Long pipeline we follow in Cultist Simulator.

2. The Rivers of London series is one that I'm still familiarizing myself with but it's another example of wonderful British urban fantasy (that isn't the wizard books that shall not be named) The fact that the main characters of the series are magic police officers gives it a certain Suppression Bureau appeal.

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Nonfiction- Philosophy and Occult works and Authors:

1. Georges Bataille!!!!!!!! If you only pick one thing from this list to investigate further let it be the philosophical works of this man. His theory of religion as it relates to concepts such as economy, sacrifice, and eroticism you literally completely change how you understand The Hours and The House Without Wall.

2. Aleister Crowley, and any of his students, especially Kenneth Grant. He really is the quintessential modern English occultist, whether or not AK and Lottie intended it, the DNA of his beliefs or those of his Golden Dawn contemporaries, or his students is all over Cultsim and BoH. The Red Grail is like, so blatantly Babalon it's kind of ridiculous.

3. The Book of English Magic by Phillip Carr- Gomm & Richard Heygate, is a good introductory source of information on the history of magical practice and occultism on the British isles.

4. Occult Paris by Tobias Churton is a fascinating insight into some of the mystical practices that were en vogue in Europe just a few decades prior to when Cultist Simulator takes place.

5. Atlas of Cursed Places by Oliver Le Carrer. I could totally see some of the places documented in this book as being locations you could send your Followers to in Cultsim.

6. Please read everything you can that is academically critical about Greek magical Papyri. There are tons of resources for reading translations and analysis of these documents that are some of the most foundational examples of what real historical magical belief and practice actually looked like.

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Web Original Content, Podcasts, YouTube Channels and Tiktok Recommendations:

1. Greedy Peasant over on Instagram and tik tok does fascinating content related to Catholicism, medieval history and art, and other related topics. If you like all of the interesting reinterpretations of Christian religious iconography into sun worship that happens in Book of Hours I highly recommend his content.

2. The last few years have really seen an incredible ecosystem of academic scholarship on religion, mythology, occultism and esoteric philosophy develop on YouTube. Channels like Esoterica, Angela's Symposium, Let's Talk Religion, Religion for Breakfast, Jackson Crawford, The Modern Hermeticist, The Archaeology of Ancient Magic, and others are just overflowing gold mines of accessible and easily digestible but still academically critical and pseudoscience and conspiracy theory free information about mysticism historical occultism and esoteric religion and mythology.

3. There are also a number of great YouTube channels that aren't academically critical but are run by actual practicing witches and occultists and they offer fascinating and interesting insights into these same topics but from a lived more personal perspective which is just as important I think to learn about as the academically critical sources. Great channels include Benbell Wen, Maevius Lynn, Marco Visconti, & Nordic Animism.

4. In terms of fictional internet media, SCP is so broad that there's a lot of stuff that is completely different in appeal from what is enjoyable about Secret Histories, but there's also so much overlap. I need crossover fanfics and fan art more than air!!!!!

5. Lastly this is a fiction podcast so it's a little incongruous with the other nearby recommendations but, I cannot stress enough......... The Mangus Archives and Magnus Protocol!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are a lot of key differences between those two podcasts and Weather Factory games, but there are so many similarities that I have to write an entire three other posts about how similar the settings are and how I want to write a crossover/ fusion fic. I've seen like, one or two pieces of fan art and fanfiction that was related to both series but in my humble opinion it's not nearly enough. I really really really really really need Cultsim fans to talk more about Magnus and I need Magnus listeners to play these games soooooooo badly!!!!!!!!!!

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Well that mostly concludes this piece of propaganda for the time being, will probably make another post with further additions in the not so distant future. Feel free to reblog this with any other pieces of media that you think would also be appealing to fans of Cultist Simulator and Book of Hours.

[haowrld]

TO WISH — XU MINGHAO

SYNOPSIS : minghao finds himself back at his hometown, dreaming to meet you again.

NOTES : xu minghao x gn!reader, small fluff, angst, romance, non-idol!au, minghao’s pov, lowercase intended, a bit grim(?), dream to nightmare, not proofread

WORD COUNT : 1.8k words

WARNINGS : drowning, mentions of death, character death

A/N : this is inspired by hai cheng and this took like months to finish since it was just in the drafts LMAO. anywayy pls let me know what you think 🤧 🩵

MASTERLIST

it was the season of autumn, and the rustling leaves on the trees gently fell on the stony ground. there was a comforting silence in the afternoon and minghao thought that this would be a good moment to take a picture.

walking to his old home, he begins to appreciate the usual comfort. the cozy color of brown around the beige white as he lets himself bask in the peeking sunlight through the window and wishes to think about nothing—letting time pass by without a word.

but his mind continued to trail on as he thought about the waters. the rich color of the sea—a vibrant teal with a mix of the soft color blue. the way the waves move past sandy shores. he thinks about the sea creatures that wander aimlessly around the sea.

he also thought about his family, his home, and the frequent chilly weather that he grew up in. the familiar smell of his family's cooking, the pot of rice still hot as he took a bite. the book that was given to him resting on the floor even though he barely read any of the pages, and the small conversations he would listen to from his family.

“how was school? did you have fun with your friends?” his family wonders.

but most of all, minghao thought about you. he thought about the day he first met you. he noticed you wandering around the town, your eyes were pasted on your phone.

minghao was kind enough to try and guide you, “new around this town?” he remembered asking, each step unconsciously wanting to be close to you.

unsurprisingly, you looked back at him, letting out a sigh as you looked at him like he was your savior. minghao noticed the way you were clutching the on string of the balloon that you were holding. a bright red color, he thought.

“i can’t seem to find this place,” you walk up to minghao showing him your phone, its bright light hitting his face immediately. minghao noticed the familiar trails on the map, following their town’s local beach. no one ever visited that place as it wasn’t exactly the hotspot of his town.

but of course, minghao wasn’t about to let you down on the first day that he had met you, “sure, i could help you find it,” he said as he looked at you giving you a nod, your face practically lit up

he still remembers the walk you two both had together. you had a brown scarf that wrapped around your neck loosely, it seemed like it could’ve blown away at any second.

“so your name is minghao?” after asking for his name, you repeat it once more. you smile before introducing yourself as well.

“yep, i grew up in this neighborhood, so if you hear anyone call my name, that’s because they’re calling me. quite popular around here” he grins, as he looks at the older people from the cliffs, giving them a wave.

“then i can rely on you for a lot of things then?” you give minghao a bright look in your eyes, something made him sigh with content in his heart.

“i suppose, but what do i gain from this?”

“a new friend maybe?” you reply, nudging minghao as you give him a grin.

minghao, can’t help but smile. new friend?

“that would be nice,” he said, “someone from out of town needs to get to know this place.”

minghao remembers that fulfilling day, you two had exchanged numbers after and hit it off since. you and minghao were basically inseparable.

as he opened the curtains, minghao looked at the beach, and he noticed someone holding a red balloon and a familiar one too, he never thought you’d be here again.

or was it all just a dream?

even if it was a dream, he would want it to last forever. minghao immediately leaves his home to go to his sanctuary where you would be waiting for him.

were you here just to see him again? minghao didn’t know why you were suddenly at the beach, it logically didn’t make sense at all, since the last time he met you was years ago.

maybe you wanted to surprise him or maybe you don’t even remember him, but he doesn’t mind at all as he pulls the scarf you gave him close to his face, the same love and longing that he had when he first met you.

he dreams to see you again, look for the red balloon you hold for him to look for you, follow you around as you try finding hiding spots to try and not get caught, but as he finds you hiding a corner, he’s reaching out to you as you move away from him as a joke making him smile. he would feel his steps getting quicker as he tries to chase you.

“yn!” he didn’t care if his shoes were brand new and were going to be ruined by the sand, he quickly called out and you turned around, giving him a wave, you were so far ahead, he thought. minghao walks calmly, knowing you wouldn’t leave. he knows you wouldn’t.

he wishes for another day with you, sitting across from him on the train as he sketches you out, he thought of you as the most beautiful person he’s ever seen.

he wants to have one more night with you, sitting next together, as you both let out a sigh seeing the small fog. he wants to hold you close, as night falls, and the lampposts begin to glow the same orange hue.

but as he steps to the sand, there he finds nothing but a floating red balloon and the brown scarf.

“wake up, you’ll drown.” a familiar voice said.

what?

the red balloon pops as the shores wash past him, he has to remember to wake up as fast as he can. the water quickly drags him down from within. he was falling, drowning, he couldn’t feel anything but the strong, moving waters.

it was sudden. it was too much, he couldn’t breathe or feel anything. minghao was trying to swim as fast as he could, trying to get back to shore. he wanted to see you, but you were too far.

he was so close just to be able to see you. but you were too far, and now he’s going to…

“wake up.”

wake up it says.

WAKE UP.

minghao jolts, immediately getting up to find himself in his old bedroom, he could hear someone snoring quietly. the morning was about to rise, as the sun peeked through his curtains.

“a dream,” he mumbled to himself. as he gets off his bed, he suddenly steps on something soft, a contrast to the hardwood floors.

a brown knitted scarf was on the floor. minghao carefully picked it up, his thumb grazing around its details, its different shades of brown, and its textures.

minghao begins to tear up. he pulls the brown scarf close to his chest.

🌊﹕──﹕🧣﹕──﹕🌊

the train ride to the beach was pretty quick, there wasn’t anyone on the train like he remembered. as he steps off the light rail, he finally sees the beach.

the familiar turquoise color rushes through the sand as he looks around, the sunlight was warm as it was the coldest season of the year, he was the only person who ever visited this beach whenever he visited his family, it was quite calming as he looked down, listening to the waters.

although something told minghao to look up, and as he did, he noticed someone, someone familiar who was standing on the water still.

“minghao,” it mouths out before waving.

“take care,” minghao recalls your familiar catchphrase.

“take care…” minghao couldn’t help it anymore, he began to cry as everything else went silent. the unfinished dance, you two had choreographed together, he remembers fondly. the incomplete sketch of you, it was the only thing he could remember of you.

minghao wants to live another moment with you again, to be able to have another dance with you, to hold your hand as you move along with him, and let out a hearty laugh as you accidentally make a misstep before telling you it’s okay to make mistakes. step by step, the two would dance together like droplets of rain pattering down the ground.

but he knows it would never happen again.

“minghao!” a hand grabs his shoulder, trying to shake him, all the noise finally came to him, he heard the waves of the water hitting his shoes, the squawk of seagulls, and the person who was shaking his body

“are you…okay?” he hadn’t realized there was someone right in front of him. their shiny black shoes had been ruined by the grainy yellow sand, but it’s like the stranger didn’t seem to mind at all, they were only worried about minghao’s state and his unending tears.

“i…” he quickly notices the tears dropping into the sand. wiping away the tears, he looks at them, “w-who are you…?”

“oh you can’t be joking right now hao!” they aggressively shake his shoulders before immediately placing their hands on his face, “i just see you staring from far ahead and reaching at nothing and weeping, then you start saying that you don’t know me,” they said as they let go of his face and crouch on the grainy ground.

“you’re starting to sound like someone from an amnesia episode in a show…” continuing to ramble on, making minghao smile lightly. he laughed like this was the first joke he had ever understood. it was hearty, and it was weird, but it brought comfort.

“i’m sorry..it was just a dream…” he reassures them, holding onto the brown scarf tightly, “i just thought i needed some fresh air.

“minghao if something is bothering you, you have to let me know,” they said looking up at him, “if this place leaves a bad impression on you we can just leave and—”

“i’m going to be alright.”

“but you were crying hao..”

“it’s going to be okay, i told myself i would leave this…” minghao says, pulling the scarf away from his face, “…this scarf, it meant everything to me.”

minghao crouches on the sand next to them, “i’m sorry for going crazy,” he grinned wrapping an arm around them.

“well, i’ll be here if you need anything,” they said, “but i don’t want you to forget about yourself again,” they joke.

minghao remembers how long ago it had been since he lost you in the waters. the scarf was something that he needed to remove if he wanted to move on.

he unwraps the scarf around himself, but before he even places it on the sand, he stops himself for a moment. he didn’t know whether or not this was the right call, i mean this was the last time he was seeing this scarf.

it takes him a while to think, but minghao quickly shakes his head, wrapping the scarf around himself again before getting up taking their hand, “let’s go,” he says.

the beach that was once yours and minghao’s sanctuary. it lingers behind his mind as he leaves the beach with them, holding their hand. not knowing it, a popped red balloon slowly moves from the shallow sea.

taglist (open) send an ask or fill out the form to be part of the taglist!

©️HAOWRLD

[emoangel44]

i think the thing that makes people mischaracterize and completely miss the point of chara is that theyre written to be two very different things concurrently that dont really mesh together.

from what we know concretely about chara as a character, they were a very mentally ill child and complicated person who simultaneously hurt and helped people around them, who held both a lot of love and hate in their heart. they are fairly vague but also have specific character traits such as liking chocolate and filling up water glasses to the brim to maximize efficiency. they take speaking patterns from toriel and an interest in gardening from asgore. if you believe in the narrachara theory, they even have a character arc that changes depending on the route you take. they are inarguably a character who haunts the narrative due to their decisions in life having lead to tragedy that shapes the very plot of the game inextricably; and arguably a character that haunts the narrative and shapes the story much more literally in being a conscious force and companion that accompanies our journey.

at the same time, chara isnt treated as a character at all and is instead a meta-narrative device meant to act as an in-universe player stand-in. in this way chara isnt actually a person with character traits, but a vehicle for toby to provide commentary about the people who play video games. they are a concept that represents the state of thoughtless exp grinding. in the no mercy route their main purpose is to be a reflection of you and your mindset, even more directly than flowey. the reason theyre named after you is because, for a number of aspects in the game, they are supposed to be you; with no notable separation like there is with frisk.

this problem also heavily applies to frisk, for who there is an effort to separate their identity from yours at the end of the pacifist route but who still ends up with no real character traits of their own. people compensate for this by using black-and-white thinking; which results both in assigning frisk and chara a sort of "good-and-evil" dichotomy leading to their early fan interpretations, and in thinking that frisk and chara can only be either fully fleshed out characters or mindless player inserts leading to people favouring option one and basically ignoring the player as a concept except to occasionally use it as a generic big bad.

i think toby prioritized meta-textual implications over actual textual characterization for the human characters in undertale. this left chara as a character feeling unclear, unfocused, and incongruent due to them trying to be several things at once with no real through-line; and frisk as a character feeling practically non-existent outside of being a vessel. there are effectively two different charas in undertale, the character and the plot device, which makes it hard to talk about them as one consistent whole. i think this is why in tobys second game hes been putting such a focus on kris as a character and their separation from the player, as to improve on what he didnt properly touch on in undertale.

[a-world-of-whimsy-5]

Hello M! I saw you were open to writing for characters for GOT/HoTD, so I was wondering if I could send in a request for Aegon the Conqueror x fem! reader (non-Targaryen - maybe Nymeria's sister?) with the prompt 'Gift giving'? As for smut level, if possible lemon please, if not default or lime are perfectly fine too! Thank you and have a great rest of your day :)

Hello! Nymeria actually lived and died long before Aegon’s birth, and the princess ruling Dorne during Aegon’s time was already eighty or so, so I will write this fic with the reader being princess Meria’s great-niece instead. I hope you like it.

Pairing: Aegon the Conqueror x Fem. Reader (House Martell/Great-niece of princess Meria | Second person POV)

Themes: Soft | Smut

Warnings: Size kink | Kissing | Penetrative sex | Cream pie

Wordcount: 1.3K words

Summary: The day after his return to Dragonstone, Aegon receives his first gift on the day of gift giving

Rating: 🔥🔥| Minors DNI | 18+ | You are responsible for the media you consume.

A/n: In this version, Visenya and Rhaenys are merely Aegon’s sisters, and not his wives. I also write the seasons running for three months each, instead years and years.

Divider by @estrelinha-s

The Dornish custom of gift giving during the winter solstice was not unheard of in the other kingdoms, but they, besides the Northmen, were the only people to practice such a custom. Once King Aegon took a Dornish princess to wife and adopted many of their ways, his own kin started to exchange gifts as well.

The dreary holdfast that was Dragonstone was awash with black and crimson banners bearing the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen, and black and crimson bunting besides. Sprigs of evergreen clung to columns and windowsills, adding to the color that cut the chilling white of snow.

When Aegon opened his eyes, it was to the sound of a bell chiming. It was still dark out; the sun was obscured by thick clouds bearing more snow. Aegon hoped it was morning and that he had not slept through an entire day. His journey to Volantis was a triumph. It was also long and tiresome. Now he was home, and he did not have to think of leaving again for quite a while.

“Good morrow, my love.” Relief surged through him when he heard your greeting. It was indeed morning, and he had not, as he had feared, slept for a full day. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like the dead, sweetling.” Aegon threw back his pelts and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. The room was still warm; someone had added fresh logs to the fire. He suspected it may have been you, and he was grateful for it. “Is everything ready for tonight’s feast?”

“It is.” The featherbed was comfortable, and the pelts were soft against your skin. Still, you opened your eyes and sat up in bed. The appointed hour for the giving of gifts was still a long way away, but you wanted to give Aegon his before breaking fast. “And I have something for you.”

“You need not trouble yourself, my lady,” Aegon replied. He watched while you slipped out of bed and slid into a thick robe. He felt a stirring in his blood, a yearning. He decided the first meal of the day would have to give way to more pleasurable diversions. “I have a great many treasures already, you most of all.”

“True, my lord,” you agreed, and then blushed after hearing his praise. Aegon was now king. The immense wealth of gold and jewels of House Targaryen was his to use as he saw fit. Nevertheless, today was the day of giving gifts, and you padded across the room and opened the doors to your wardrobe. There, safely concealed between gowns of velvet and silk, was a heavy object wrapped in leather. The king sat up in bed, his eyes full of ravenous curiosity. “But I thought of giving you this all the same.”

“What have you there?” He inquired. His fingers twitched in anticipation. For nigh on half a year, the two of you shared the same chambers as husband and wife. You dined together and shared the triumphs and trials of ruling a great kingdom together. This, however, was his first true festival with you, and he did not know what to expect.

“I carved this myself,” you confessed, and you placed the parcel on the bed. Worry consumed you the entire time. Aegon had received many a fine gift in his life, and you prayed your own would pass muster. “It took quite a while, and I had to make sure you never came upon me making it.”

“Oho! You made it yourself, is it? Now I have to see it.”

Despite the many cares and expectations that came with wearing a crown, Aegon still possessed the enthusiasm of one free of such. He loosened the thin ribbon and drew away the leather.

“It is you and Balerion,” you explain, and run your finger along an unfurled wing. They were the hardest to carve. One night, you despaired that you would not get them right. “That was how I remembered seeing you for the first time. When you arrived at Sunspear, to ask my great-aunt Meria for my hand.”

Aegon lifted the piece of carved wood and studied it intensely. He admired the embellishments along Balerion’s body: the scales all over his underbelly, the horns on his head, and the sharp spines going down his tail. Then there was Aegon himself, perched on Balerion’s saddle, his crown atop his head. The king was deeply moved. All the wealth he possessed did not compare with this.

“I will treasure this always.” Aegon placed the carving on the chest of drawers next to his side of the bed. He decided to have the carving placed in his council room, on the mantle beside the painted table. “And I have a gift for you as well, my lady. For now, come here.”

He did not give you time to frame a reply and pulled you back into bed. Thoughts of gifts and feasts and celebrating were all but forgotten after his kiss. He was exceedingly gentle as always, stroking your arms, your thighs, his mouth hot and sinful while it plundered yours. Your hands found their way into his hair. He trembled and kissed you harder, moaning into your mouth when those same hands moved lower and clutched desperately at his back.

“Temptress,” he growled when nails dug into his flesh. Aegon slipped his hand over your belly, and loosened the sash of your robe. The rush of warm air made goosebumps prickle all over your skin. He trembled again, this time when you slipped out of it and wrapped your legs around his thighs. Your husband was big, and wonderfully so. You felt it even more when he slid that rigid part of him inside of you.

It hurt a little, even though you were more than ready. And it felt glorious at the same time. Every time he drew his erection out and then pushed it back in, flames sparked to life and surged through your veins.

“It is wonderful to be home again,” Aegon whispered in your ear. And it was not just him who thought so. You felt the same, and you reciprocated his sentiment by kissing him with fire and passion. Aegon nearly faltered, his hips and back now burning with effort. The room felt hotter, and the air was thick and sweet. His cock twitched within the warmth of your body when he felt a coiling deep in his belly. Faster he went, driving you deeper against the featherbed as he chased his release. It was too much. The pleasure was too much. The sensations that came whenever he pushed himself in were too much. Bliss—pure and otherworldly—rose and dragged you into a dark tunnel you did not seek to escape from. You could not think. All you could do was feel: the trails of fire that lashed at you and left you weak, and your very body slowly dissolving into a kind of pleasure that had no name. Then you heard it—your name spilling from your husband’s lips, and the deep, guttural cry that followed. Aegon thrust one last time before he stopped, and went still. 

Later, after he forced himself to move away from you, he admired his gift once more and then inquired after his sisters.

“Rhaenys has built a small mountain of gifts, her ladies tell me.” Aegon hooted when you told him. “Most of it will be given away to our guests during the feast. Visenya has only prepared tokens for us, for Rhaenys, and for no one else.”

“At least she has crafted a token for you, which is a miracle in itself.” Visenya, having expected Aegon to wed her according to the traditions of their House, was wroth when he chose a Dornish bride for himself. She had been cold and aloof for most of your marriage to her brother, but during the the last turn of the moon, there was a softening in her stance, an attempt to meet you in middle ground. It gave you hope for a much stronger bond with her in the future. “Send for the servants, sweetling. I think it is only proper for you and I to share a bath.”

[eclectic-sassycoweyes]

Checking myself for racist microaggressions in fandom

Some thoughts I had about how to check myself for micro aggressions in fandom turned into a checklist of sorts. With the encouragement of Andie @paperstorm it resulted in this post that then Neha @theghostofashton was so kind to offer a read-through of before I posted it to help fill in potential blanks and rephrase where needed!

So, something I noticed about my initial reaction to seeing more talk about microaggressive takes and behaviors resurging with the new season airing, was that there was this tiny part of me that went: ‘oh no what if I’ve done something wrong.’ I found this interesting because I think that that’s a pretty human reaction, and one that we all need to unlearn, even if it is rooted in the intention of being a Good and non-racist person.

Because I think that this is part of what can lead us to distance ourselves from the racism that exists in fandom, and to adopt the belief that ‘It can’t be me contributing to this problematic behavior because I’m not racist’, serving as a defense against the risk of being perceived as, or perceiving oneself as, a bad or racist person.

So when that reaction hits, we need to practice channeling those intentions into asking instead ‘what can I do from here on out to help my fellow fandom members who are PoC be able to enjoy fandom without having to encounter racism and microaggressions?’

That means not asking ‘what if’ but instead acknowledging that we are all at risk of contributing to microaggressive behaviors because of both societal and in-fandom mechanisms, that can cause implicit bias to be strengthened and affirmed in the fandom through us adopting each other’s takes, perceptions, interpretations and headcanons. So if I want to avoid being a part of the problem, that means checking myself too. So:

Point 0) I should assume that I have made mistakes in the past and that I will make them again in the future, as that puts me in a better position to be a good/not racist person than assuming the opposite I.e. If I perceive myself as in any way immune to being part of the problem of racism in fandom, then that in itself puts me more at risk of becoming part of the problem.

1-5: Checking my perceptions, takes and beliefs:

Is it important to me to be someone who is not racist, to not exude racist behaviors and to not contribute to racism in fandom? (the point here is of course, as we shall see, that checking this point isn't in itself enough, but it puts me in a better position to check the rest of the list. Being willing to continually learn and grow in this area is what will take me from non-racism to anti-racism).

Is my empathy and focus equally distributed between white and non-white characters? If my empathy and focus is unequally distributed between characters, I need to check with myself whether that could be symptomatic of racist bias. Example: do I notice TK being sad more than I notice Carlos appearing stressed and anguished in 5x01? Do I pay attention to Carlos being absent more than I do to him making an effort to be present? Is it easier for me to emphasize with TK feeling alone and worried than Carlos feeling alone and grieving?

Am I allowing non-white characters the same ‘negative’ emotions as I allow the white characters, also when those emotions lead to what I perceive as bad decisions or transgressions? 

Example: Am I allowing the characters of color to be petty, angry, aggressive, sad, proud, annoyed, worried, insecure, vengeful, grieving and acting with basis in those emotions without it negatively affecting my perception of them as people as much as I am the white characters? I.e. is Carlos walking out the door in 4x04 bc of worry and frustration, worse in my mind than TK walking out on Carlos in 2x04 bc of hurt and anger? Do I emphasize with Carlos for being worried and mad at TK for breaking their agreement to give Iris time, or TK for feeling hurt and ‘wrongly accused’ of having contributed to Iris going missing? Do I validate Carlos as much for acting on for not being ready to introduce his boyfriend or TK for being hurt by being introduced as a ‘friend from work’?

Am I making up valid excuses for the characters of color the same way I am for the white characters? There is so much we don’t see in canon. Parts of storylines, motivations and reasons for why the characters act the way they do, resolutions to conflict or lack thereof that we have to make up ourselves. Example: When TK or Carlos hasn’t explicitly apologized for causing the other hurt in canon, do I excuse that by either assigning them valid reasons for their actions thus deciding that they don’t need to apologize or by headcanoning that the apology does happen, just outside of canon where we don’t see it? Am I able to do this for both of them equally or for TK only? When Carlos struggles with Cooper, and TK not opening up to him in 3x13, do I consider him jealous or do I see him as having valid human emotions such as insecurity and a wish to be there for his partner? When Carlos works late do I assign him reasons of selfishness, vengefulness or indifference towards TK, or do I emphasize with why he’d feel the need to seek justice to a point where that’s difficult to balance along with his marriage i.e assign him reasons such as grief, feeling like no-one else is looking for the killer, and subconsciously seeking closure for his complicated relationship with his father?

Checking my writing and posting:

Focus and empathy/POV: Is there an uneven distribution between white and non-white characters in terms of who and which storylines I write/post about, whose feelings and motivations I focus on in my writing, who I make an in depth analysis-post about? - If there is an uneven distribution between white characters and characters of color, have I taken the time to really consider why? (see also point 2).

Does my writing risk feeding into stereotypes? 

Example: Do I always write Carlos as strong, hypermasculine and dominant and holding the role of support/caretaker for TK? Am I painting Carlos’ parents and his relationship with them as bad, homophobic and neglectful in an un-nuanced way whereas TK’s relationship with his parents are being written as healthy and unproblematic? In my writing, is Carlos seeking out his father’s killer on his own written as problematic whereas Owen taking matters of justice into his own hands, shooting/punching someone is forgotten is validated/heroic?

When writing characters of color, am I being extra mindful of how I write them? This doesn’t mean writing them as I would any white character and thinking box checked. Being mindful sometimes means writing characters of color differently to account for experiences related to them being a person of color and to consciously avoid speaking into or affirming harmful narratives. I should also be considering doing extra research and/or maybe seeking out a sensitivity reader.

Making myself aware of harmful narratives going around in the wider fandom in order to make sure that I don’t risk accidentally affirming them with my writing. Example: right after 5x01 aired a narrative started going around that the state of Tarlos’ relationship was worse than what canon made it out to be. A lot had read Rashad’s interviews, were excited for all the angst to come, and were not getting the happy, newlywed Tarlos we had been hoping for, so for some this speculation/interpretation either didn’t have racist motivation or didn’t have the intention of being micro aggressive. However, that narrative was in some places interconnected with the narrative that Carlos was to blame and of him being a neglectful husband even though canon had shown him as both putting in effort to spending quality time with TK, and being in pain and overworking himself trying to balance a very traumatic situation for which he was not to blame in the first place. All we knew at that point was that Carlos had come home late at least more than 1 time. Speculating that their relationship is in a worse state than canon shows, and writing extremely angsty spec out of love for angst isn’t necessarily or always problematic in itself. But this narrative going around in a way that is intermingled with unsolicited hate and blame directed at Carlos, means that a post that might not otherwise come across as microaggressive, becomes problematic as it risks affirming those narratives if not written very mindfully in terms of focus, empathy and implied blame, and containing the necessary disclaimers. 

Checking this point means listening closely when the PoC in the fandom are making us aware of racist microaggressions taking place/resurging, even if I feel like I for the most part ‘enjoy not seeing it’ on my dashboard. Me feeling like I'm not seeing it on my dashboard, doesn't mean it doesn't exist both in other places and on my dashboard but just in ways where I'm not clocking it as harmful.

Disclaimers - Using the examples from above, if I want to make that thorough analysis if TK’s facial expression the moment Carlos says he isn’t going to be home or I want to write the angstiest spec fic, I need to make sure to add the necessary disclaimers to make sure I don’t feed a problematic narrative that’s going around. Other people don’t know my intentions and can’t read my thoughts. So even if I don't intend to, if I’m not being conscious not to, my post risks hurting fandom members of color and affirming views that might be harmful. 

Examples of disclaimers could be: “I don’t believe that it’s going that bad overall or that Carlos is to blame/isn’t also going through it/missing TK those nights but I found TK’s expressions really interesting in this moment because..” or “It doesn’t seem like it’s every night he doesn’t come home and they seem so happy otherwise but there is just so much that could make TK worry about him and their marriage..” or “it’s so clear how much they love each other and how hard Carlos is trying to balance his marriage and grief/search for justice but the way in which it might remind TK of his parents/past addiction is so interesting..”

(It might also be relevant to check out point 2 and 5 on whether my focus and empathy is equally distributed). 

Calling it out or making sure to gently make OP aware, and moderating or showing my disagreement when I see racist/micro aggressive takes, also when those takes are posted by my friend who I believe didn’t have racist intentions with it. This isn’t saying that I should call out any and all posts that focus on TK or are super angsty. But if a post is speaking into or at risk of affirming harmful narratives, a simple “This is such an interesting take on how TK’s trauma could contribute to him worrying about their marriage! I think it’s really important rn to point out that Carlos isn’t to blame for this situation though. He’s in so much pain too”. Calling each other out/gently making OP aware or moderating/disagreeing with a take in the tags is also a way to stop a potentially harmful narrative from surging and being further affirmed and adopted in the fandom. 

Important end notes:

Checking point 0 puts me in a better position to check point 1-10.

Checking point 1 does not automatically make me check point 2-5, I still have to continuingly reflect and think critically about my own takes and perceptions.

Checking point 1-5 does not mean I automatically check 6-9. I still have to be making a conscious effort to check my writing and posting as I am otherwise at risk of affirming a microaggressive take going around in fandom, or in society. Actually, I risk accidentally doing so even when I am making an effort not to. 

Which is why I need to also check point 10.

We need to help carry the weight of making fandom a safe, comfortable and fun space for the people of color in it, so that that weight doesn’t rest solely on their shoulders. Because fandom should be a place that is equally as fun, safe and comfortable for PoC as it is for white fandom members, and right now it isn't. Assuming that I am not immune to being part of the problem to stave off anxiety or a negative self perception, but instead channeling those intentions into a purer sense of empathy for my fandom members of color and and deciding to do the constructive work of checking my perceptions, my takes and my writing, and helping to call out and moderate potentially or obviously microaggressive and racist takes when I see them, is a way to do that.

[ghostlysleuth]

Do you have any tips for when designing poc characters?? Like what not or to do, etc.

this is massively edited down to just keep the essentials. this isn't going to be as explicit as you were maybe wanting but saying "don't draw black characters this way, don't draw asian characters that way" isn't something i wanna do because it's not a good feeling to review a list of offensive design practices from a trauma standpoint and likely wouldn't be for any other people of color reading.

study from real photos.

really, any set of photos of people of color work but if you want a resource where people are not models nor actors that have been plucked up for their marketableness, here's a good site: Humanae — Angélica Dass (angelicadass.com) it's a photography collection associated with pantone to showcase diversity in shades of skin.

study faces within a group.

no two ppl look the same and character design is about showcasing this through certain features.

from these, study how much differently color works for melanated/non-white skin.

again, it's different for everyone even within groups. admittedly this is only something you'd need if you have a more in-depth or painterly style, but still. avoid grayish base skin tones. the aforementioned site is actually great for this.

LOOK INTO RACIST CARICATURES.

literally, people wouldn't find themselves "accidentally" slipping into racist designs if they just KNEW, explicitly knew, and internally acknowledged what people of color find offensive or what has been used against them in depictions of themselves.

yes, this includes looking at the old offensive cartoons, illustrations, etc. it's painful and uncomfortable and rough but it must be understood how these caricatures were a means of dehumanization and are mistakes to be learned from.

again, i'm not gonna list out exactly how not to depict a black person, an asian person, jewish person, latine, middle eastern, etc. etc. etc., because i feel these things should just be known, but if it's not, literally just be aware (or get aware) of the racial stigma faced by the group of people you are attempting to represent. put care into how you are depicting them.

BUT ALSO KEEP IN MIND: you shouldn't jump to default to white eurocentric features simply to "avoid" the any sort of backlash or offense that may be taken. because if you do so, a) in attempting to not be offensive, you're still perpetuating the upholding and favoring of white eurocentric features, and b) well, you're just stifling yourself.

designing characters of color REQUIRES acknowledgement of non-eurocentric features; hell, in the best cases, it's a celebration of these features.

as you would in replicating a style of architecture, a technique of painting, a depiction of a culture, you have to observe and become knowledgeable.

addendum: obviously, i'm not white, so i don't know the depths of how pervasive racism and white supremacy can be in a white person's personal life and upbringing; but i do know that racism and white supremacy are pervasive even (ESPECIALLY) in art, a much more tangible and permanent thing than a state of being, and knowing this, i do reserve a small margin of patience for white folks that are wanting to try to be in the know on this topic, especially younger people who have yet to unlearn certain things. if anyone reads this and thinks "well, it's not their responsibility or any person of color's to teach you these things," you're correct, but yknow. the effort's there, and trying's all we can do.

[duckiemimi]

jjk 261 leaks

i'm gonna ramble a bit here idk if it'll make sense.

i've always been the biggest advocate of not viewing things black and white in jjk, meaning everything is understandable from the readers' point of view, BUT that doesn't mean that the story itself doesn't have distinct boundaries between what's "good" and "bad" in the narrative. take geto, for example. great character, you can't help but like him, but even then you know he's an antagonist for a reason. the narrative says so, even the characters say so. there's a running theme in jjk where every antagonist (and antagonist-adjacent) character is motivated to control other people's bodies—geto and non-sorcerers (to a lesser extent), kenjaku and his CT, mahito and his CT, sukuna needing to have a host, etc. kenjaku, for the most part, has always been our point of reference when we talk about evil in the story. which is why it's so jarring to see yuuta, of all people, resort to the same thing. for the greater good? okay, let's talk about the do or die of the greater good in jjk.

the greater good in this arc is to stop sukuna to save humanity. but even then, this cause has always been eclipsed by less righteous, personal reasons, like wanting to save megumi, or wanting to fight sukuna. those are the reasons pushed for readers to see, to care about. while understandable (they are human, after all), compared to its contemporaries, jjk isn't really a manga where characters sacrifice their morals for the greater good. in fact (i've mentioned this once), for a structured organization with the goal to protect humanity, humanity itself isn't of much importance in the narrative. the story has always centered around the sorcerers. but that aside, in times of despair (like yuuji in shibuya), they've always shown remorse and regret for the things that they cannot control, hesitation. while there is no altruistic character in the series, no one has ever wanted or willingly suggested anything aligned with puppeteering. (why would they? isn't the cog mentality something we're trying to move past, especially with the machine now destroyed?)

to have yuuta be the first to suggest a plan like this is...jarring. from what's written, sure we can accredit it to his love and understanding for his teacher, but yuuta knows what happened to geto. the cast has seen what kenjaku can do and has done. you could say that yuuta has a history with control (rika, in a way), but i like to think that he's grown since volume 0. could this be a desperate last resort by a panicked child? yeah, maybe. but it barely reads that way. there are too many interpretations to call it that, it isn't convincing enough. this is also the first time we've ever seen gojo referred to as a "monster," despite being untouchable and revered as god-like throughout the manga. there are some panels earlier in the series of the cast being asked what gojo is to them, and most people answered that he's the strongest alone. i don't recall yuuta being asked, so maybe he's thought of this concept of "monstrosity" for a while, but it would've built up better if we were shown some sympathetic sentiments from him prior to this chapter. it would've tied everything together well. alas. thanks for the off-screen growths, timeskip.

while for different reasons (does the end justify the means in this story? what about geto?), the fact of the matter is yuuta has adopted kenjaku's methodology for the greater good. what does that mean for jjk's alignment and ideology? could this be commentary on the dreariness of teeth-gritting reality? maybe. i think this chapter alone has ultimately changed what morality means in the bigger story. after all, it's practically a lawless land right now with everything destroyed. but what kind of message will we end with? is there something that needs to be said, or is there nothing at all?