#also i have a hard time with the word favorite in terms of limiting so sharing all the love 🤗

[purplemccns]

What caused you to start writing? What was your key point? / How do you create an OC? What are your steps for developing an OC? / What are your favorite ships on here (feel free to tag?)

Questions for the mun // Accepting !

What caused you to start writing? What was your key point?

My best friend had done it for roughly a year and it just looked interesting to me. The idea of creating a whole person was so intriguing, and soon after finding the unpredictability of what chemistry you could have with muns and muses both ic and ooc was so much fun also. I'm so glad I did too bc I've met some of my absolute favorite people through writing.

How do you create an OC? What are your steps for developing an OC?

It's varied over the years, but my most recent process is find a faceclaim I'd like to use and kind of build around the vibes I get from their gif packs. Sometimes if I get muse for a character I'll build them in my mind before putting a face with them, but that's more rare.

What are your favorite ships on here (feel free to tag?)

Omg there's honestly so many but I'm gonna try to narrow it as best I can, but I'll preface that I truly do love them all. I'll start with my older writing partners before moving on to some of my favorite newer ones ♡

@fadinglights || while I truly do love all of our babies (esp Trace & Jia and Jules & Blu), Rivy just has a special place in my heart. I never imagined that the simple plot post we got them from would develop to all we have with them, but I'm so happy it has 🥲

@scftlightz || listen we've had a myriad of muses and I adore each one of them sm. We've talked about how we've had amusing and emotional threads and more, and I love that I can throw pretty much anyone your way and you'll accept them wholeheartedly. Maybe it's a slight bias though, but Keith and Ruby sit so high at the table and I just love them the more we write them ❤️

@jaillir-des-etincelles || I haven't written on this account with this wonderful lady just yet, but she's one of my longest writing partners. Every ship we've written has had amazing chemistry, but our og one will always be one of my absolute favorites. Lexicus started in a group rp I'm not even sure how long ago, and they still give me feels to this day 🥰

@tearfest || /technically cemeterysgirl since it involves Sasha but still. As we've said with them early on, the chemistry is chemistrying with them to the point that I think they do it themselves at this point 🤷‍♀️ It's so fun writing them and it gives me a new perspective of Trace that I haven't written before and I love it

@ameliiorate || we haven't written too much just yet, but I love the chemistry that Haneul and Star are already having. I look forward to Dilan and Theo, too, but I feel I'll love them too if the prior ship is any indicator 😉

@inkshadow || and last one of the newer ones, it's not a ship that we've flushed out too much just yet, but I've really enjoyed writing between Duri and Bella so far. There's something about their juxtaposition that is so intriguing to me and makes me excited for what they have to come 💕

Oh, and an honorary mention to @cruelaffair for all the muses we're already writing out together ahead of time before we even get started 🤗

[woncheolisms]

L&DS BOYS - LOVE LANGUAGES

content warnings: fem!reader, fluff, sfw headcanons

XAVIER - PHYSICAL TOUCH

Xavier knows he is smart, and witty enough. But when things get a little too real, he finds it hard to express himself.

And the feelings he has for you are the most genuine ones he has felt in his long, long life.

While he might not be someone who can wax poetic about his affection for you, he shows it in other ways, and physical touch in his favorite way to get his feelings across.

When you walk next to each other, he sticks close, arm brushing against yours. Occasionally, the back of his hand makes contact with your own. It's almost as if the tension builds and builds, until he finally connects your fingers, either intertwining your hands together or linking his pinkie with yours. No words leave his mouth. His touch says enough.

If the train is too crowded, he will pull you closer to him with a firm touch on the small of your back, making sure you don’t receive any unwanted bumps from strangers.

For a few weeks in your relationship, he developed a strange habit of pinching your cheeks and lightly pulling on them. You let him do it, knowing he would eventually move on and find some other part of you to focus on. Though the action did make your face heat up.

Another weird hyperfixation he has is nibbling at your fingertips absentmindedly. He plays with them often, but when he is distracted by a movie you two are watching, he will bite at them every so often. Sometimes, he is so focused on the screen that you doubt he even realizes what he is doing.

(He realizes. He just thinks every part of you deserves love. Don’t question it. It makes sense in his head.)

Cuddling with him is the perfect gift for your senses, stimulating you wonderfully.

Small nips on your skin, little lingering touches. He traces your skin with eager yet gentle hands, as if trying to memorize every curve and dip.

He buries his face in your neck and breathes in deep, and in that moment, bodies tangled with each other and the sheets, vulnerable and open, he will whisper, “I love you”.

It’s an affirmation more than a revelation, since his actions up until this point have all shown you that he really, truly does love you. So you whisper it back, trying to pour all your love into it, before slotting your lips together and using physical touch to convey your feelings right back.

RAFAYEL - WORDS OF AFFIRMATION

Rafayel is, in the simplest of terms, a yapper.

This man could talk for hours if you don’t stop him. About his art, about the meaning of life, about his experiences. He can express so much while also having an impeccable talent of being completely vague. Sometimes, you don’t even understand the things he says. And you’ve given up trying to decipher his every word.

But when Rafayel is talking about you, he makes himself abundantly clear. There’s no ambiguity about it; he loves you. And he will say it a million different times in a million different ways. Whether it be a bold declaration of how much his heart yearns for you, or endless teasing that is meant to rile you up and get a reaction out of you.

“I don’t think your talent lies in art, babe. It’s a good thing you’re a walking art piece yourself. No wonder I’m in love with you.”

“You’re leaving so soon? But I don’t think I’ve admired you enough for today. Don’t leave me!”

I’m impressed, Miss Bodyguard. You’re talented, and easy on the eyes. No wonder you captivated me from that very first day we met.”

Expect to wake up with a lot of voice notes on your phone. Minutes long. Sometimes rambling, sometimes actual ideas for new pieces that he wants to run by you. You better reply to all of them individually.

When you cuddle at night, you can talk for hours. No topic on earth is off limits with him. He will lay you down on a blanket on the beach, and as you watch the stars, he will tell you stories from olden times about star crossed lovers and tragic fairy tales. And he will turn to you, tell you how beautiful you are, how ardently he loves you, how he will never forget any moment he spends with you.

It’s almost like you can tell the exact moment he falls in love with you. Because he tells you. He never stops telling you. He voices his fears of you leaving him, he makes you promise you will never go away. He is clingy and he is whiny, and he is so endearing.

It’s hard to dismiss him when he is so loud about his love. And it’s hard to not fall for him just as he falls for you.

ZAYNE - ACTS OF SERVICE

This is an indisputable fact. Dr Zayne shows his love through acts of service.

He is intensely aware of your needs, and is miles ahead of you in determining what you require at any given moment.

It’s his way of showing you that he cares. He worries for you, and born from that worry is the urge to take care of you.

If you have had a long day, you will come home to a text from him saying he has ordered takeout and it will arrive at your house shortly, since he knows you are too exhausted to cook anything. It is always something different, but it is always food that he knows you enjoy. He will mix it with some healthy options too.

If you ever crash at his place, you will wake up to a tall glass of water and two aspirin on the side table, along with a note in his neat handwriting telling you that there is fresh cooked breakfast in the oven (he made it before he left for work).

Once you two are in a steady relationship, he keeps his house stocked with products you use. A spare shampoo and conditioner, toothbrush, a bathrobe of your size, a hair brush, you name it.

When you mumble something about the hand cream in your purse that is nearly running out, you will find a brand new tube next time you open the purse, and there is no need to even ask. You know Zayne put it there.

He is intensely observant. Even after knowing him for so long, it catches you off guard. He knows which of your clothes need to be dry cleaned and which ones are good for the washing machine. He knows which scents you use. Which products are harsher on your skin. He knows that contacts irritate your eyes after long hours of wearing them, so he keeps a small bottle of eye drops in your side table for that very purpose.

He scolds you for neglecting yourself, and he won’t hold back the harsh tone if he thinks your behavior is particularly destructive. To him, the best way to show love is to make sure your beloved is living the best life they can.

It is the littlest things, the tiniest details. And it shocks you, even after so long.

[voxceleste]

hiiiii you’re one of my favorite fic writers ever and i admire you so much. i wondered if you had any advice for other writers of how to improve? especially for someone who has been writing for years but feels like they’ve hit a point of stagnation/knows they’re “good” at writing but feels like they’re just not hitting their full potential. also, if you had any advice for the differences in working on shorter pieces vs longfics, any guidance or methods that worked for you would be so appreciated!! your work has been very genuinely inspirational to me and i hope you have a great day <3

thank you for your kind words! <3

mileage varies more with regards to writing advice than maybe anything else, so it's possible none of this will work for you.

a common framework in education theory/neurobiology/psychology/etc is that there's a goldilocks zone between comfort and frustration wherein most learning happens. games studies has a similar idea, that a game has to be mentally engaging enough to keep the player invested without making it so punishingly hard that they quit.

writing is pretty much free. unlike most other creative mediums, the scope of a project has no relationship to the value of the materials or tools needed to produce it. you're only limited by your own energy, time, and effort--which can be formidable restrictions, to be fair, but it's not like being a filmmaker, where good-quality equipment and collaborators simply take more resources to afford. writers should take advantage of this. we're really lucky in this way.

the best thing you can do to improve your writing is to attempt projects that feel a little too big for you, or that you're not confident you can pull off. it doesn't have to be "big" in terms of length; a short piece could qualify if the style, tone, structure, subject matter, etc is outside of your comfort zone, but in my experience this has often looked like longer and more complex projects. then again, i love writing long stuff, so take it with a grain of salt--some people just don't, but you mention wanting to try your hand at longfic, so i assume it's relevant. the point is that in order to grow your skills, you have to stretch them.

past fic projects that stick out in my mind for having pushed me to grow as a writer:

story with 4 POV characters, alternating POVs at a regular cadence, where goings-on in each section would affect the other chapters

story with a real-world historical setting that required research wrt material culture as well as timeline/"who was where when"

story that blended a codified and formulaic genre template (het romance novel) with seemingly incongruous story elements (protag being a passively suicidal closeted trans woman and ex-evil mastermind)

the common denominator is having a very specific story i wanted to tell about these specific characters, and digging my teeth into how to do that in a way that felt specific and not just a recycling of common fanficisms… though in all cases, there were at least one or two other fics i looked at for inspiration, if only in a distant way. (those fics, in turn, are often what i'd consider examples of "fanfic that is also just good, ambitious writing," whether or not they would stand alone as original fiction--but that's a different post that's already been made by others.) (they are also full of tropes and are very fanficcy in their own ways!) i had to put a lot of thought into how to approach them in a way that was most true to what they wanted to be in my heart, and usually had one or two specific touchpoints of non-fanfic media that i used to get my bearings, which is a good habit to get into whether or not you're interested in branching out into original fiction writing.

with regards to the transition into longfic writing… writing processes are idiosyncratic and whatever advice i give you has a good chance of being totally useless. it'll probably involve a lot of trial and error, unfortunately. some tidbits:

the worst thing a story can be is boring and this is doubly true for long stuff. i would always rather an author turn the dial a little too far than not far enough to be impactful

can't overstate the utility of a good beta reader as well as a good cheerleader or two to whom you can dump your 2am story thoughts and troubleshoot your plot issues

start the story at the latest possible point in time; many a longfic idea dies on the vine because the author thinks they have to do way more setup than is actually required. this doesn't mean you have to open in medias res with an action sequence, but if you're opening on something more quiet or "expositiony," you should know *why* you're starting there, and should be able to draw up that scene vividly and characterfully

putting a little bit of effort into fleshing out your setting and side characters can help you a ton if you write yourself into a corner. if you're stuck, it's hard to come up with a story element from nothing when your story revolves around two floating heads in featureless rooms

the period between being 1/3-2/3 done is the actual fucking worst. it's miserable every time. the story is no longer a beautiful shining thing in your head, it's an ugly blob of misshapen clay, and you haven't seen it all start to come together yet. it's not you or your project, it just sucks and there's no way out but through

trust your idea! trust your own ability! trust the magic that can be worked in the edit!

if you bite off more than you can chew with a project and aren't able to finish it, or you're disappointed by how it turns out, that's really disappointing and difficult, which i don't want to downplay. but it's not wasted time, even if no one else sees the results of your work. that effort and experience will make you a better writer.

other advice that may or may not work for you:

read a lot of fiction; read fiction that is not fanfiction, especially; read outside of your usual genres/favourite authors; read authors who are known for unusual or singular styles. challenge yourself to write something imitating one of their styles, even for a page or two. what are the characteristics of a paragraph by octavia butler? how does she approach sentences? how is that different from a similar length of text by victor hugo?

read about writing craft, not from bloggers but via well-regarded books. even if you don't agree with all the advice (which you probably won't) or it's not all directly relevant to you, these texts will address fundamentals that apply to almost all kinds of prose and prompt you to develop unglamorous good habits. steering the craft by ursula k. le guin spends each chapter on an element of writing, such as sound & rhythm or punctuation, and includes exercises to put her principles into practice. on writing well by william zinsser is a classic--its focus is nonfiction, but much of the advice is widely applicable. both of these texts are full of example excerpts from great english prose stylists. books like this aren't likely to introduce groundbreaking new ideas so much as train you to become more consciously aware of elements of style you may be less attentive to than you could be.

your only hard limitation as a writer is your own creativity; drive your stories like cars in GTA. you're here for a wild time, not a long time, and if it blows up you can just get a new one.

[cantareincminor]

Fandom Wrapped (Reader Edition) 2024!

Thanks to the wonderful @kattyelf for creating this template! Links and detailed reviews under the cut.

Disclaimer: I probably read hundreds of SxF fics in the past year, and it was not easy to choose which ones to put in the list above (or below)! This fandom is full of wonderful, friendly creators and I am so glad to be part of it. I also had to narrow it down to only the ones I read and reread in 2024, not 2022 or 2023. Finally...I also happened to read many good fics only once. Sometimes a fic is just too painful or sad to reread, especially if it's not finished.

Favorite fic and author: After peace by @unhappy-sometimes!

I could gush about unso for a whole post and not be done, but I will try to contain myself. Her fic After peace originated from an AU comic she drew where Twilight was forced to retire early due a major injury, and drifted aimlessly until WISE asked him to take care of an orphan they had rescued from Project Apple. There are several things that amazed me about this fic and cemented it in first place for 2024:

The premise. It was original and so full of potential.

How personal Twilight's journey felt to me. I didn't have a life-threatening injury, but I did put my career on hiatus in the past year and have often struggled with questions of -- what am I worth when I'm not "doing" anything? I was so used to going 150% in the rat race and coming out on top at great personal cost to health and family; even if all that was bad, how else can I get that sense of accomplishment? How can I stop wanting that sense of accomplishment?

Her style, which is both vivid AND concise. The fic was around 22K words if I remember correctly, with a well-constructed plot, character arcs, plenty of emotional beats, and a satisfying resolution. I often wonder if my writing is too verbose and when I see something like After peace, it challenges me to do better.

THIS WAS UNSO'S FIRST FIC EVER. THE HELL. It's like a freshman album that gets put up for a Grammy.

Fic(s) I reread (plus runners-up):

That Time Yor Seriously Thought About Leaving by peonydee: This is a WIP with one more chapter before completion, I believe. Peonydee's style is unique in how it's hard-hitting and disarming at the same time. Yor and Twilight find themselves in impossible situations, their relationship tested to the limit (and one of them in a close brush with death), yet there's still an undercurrent of wry humor, almost fatalistic due to the fact both of them have been steeped in death and dirty work for decades, yet still hopeful and reaching for each other. I also cackle every time she makes Twilight go off on a mansplaining tangent without ever using the term outright. A masterpiece of show not tell.

Is It Really All Right? by zyzy1083: This one is tender. A jealous!Loid fic with a fascinating portrayal of Loid from Yor's perspective. The imagery of a dark sea choking down any true thought or emotion from breaking for air will stay with me for a long time. There's also the fact she basically made up lyrics for an indie song as part of the plot and I had to ask whether it was a real song. Finally, there's the fact she was bold enough to portray Loid as less than a perfect, kind, smiley husband toward Yor, but in a believable way. He snaps at Yor at times. He loses his patience. It feels like a real relationship, in the awkward tension when one partner wants to talk and the other absolutely does not want to talk. I admire that courage and wish more authors would take that risk (calling myself out I guess!).

Green-eyed Monster by bigbruja: another jealous!Loid fic that's lighthearted and fun. This is a comfort reread. I enjoy seeing Loid recognize the threat of a supposed "old friend" of Yor's, questioning his own feelings and how far he needs to go to fend this guy off. The guy is a Garden assassin, unbeknownst to him. I also love Yor's own inner struggle of just wanting everyone to get along, but showing steel when she needs to.

dalliance by rosetintednerdglasses: this is a WIP, but it is HILARIOUS and I hope everyone will go encourage this author to pick this fic back up when they have a chance. TLDR, Twilight (in disguise) is sent on a joint mission with Thorn Princess and flips out internally when he sees it's Yor. Handler then orders him to ensure Thorn Princess continues to cooperate. So as Twilight, he has to sort-of honey trap Thorn Princess, while as Loid he has to keep Yor happy. Poor Yor believes she's torn between two different men and close to cheating on Loid! Situational hilarity all over the place, and fun world-building, like this other WISE agent randomly named "Steel Bunny" (LOL).

Not According to Plan by @kyrathel: love you girl! This is a gift fic for me, but that's not the reason I reread it (even though it's a WIP as well!). It's SO FUNNY. Twilight gets it in his overly anxious head that he MUST defend his wife from the bullies at City Hall, so what does he do? HE INFILTRATES CITY HALL AS A NEW FEMALE HIRE. The world absolutely needs more petty!Twilight! The latest chapter features laxative brownies. Enough said.

Let's start living dangerously by @beannoss: I specifically reread the later parts when dumb Twilight gets over his dumbness and finally talks to Yor! And they kiss again! I love the way huhwaku (beannoss) portrays overthinking Twilight AND overthinking Yor. And also, the simplicity of Yor at the same time. The voice she uses for both of them is refreshing, it really puts you in the mindset of the character. Yor's giggles ("teehee!") as she teases Twilight about his little perfectionist habits are a cute touch to a gentle, heartwarming fic about these two highly competent professionals just starting to take baby steps in how to be competent at a relationship.

Fic that made me emotional:

100% Perfect by @sometimesiship. Where do I begin? How about with the gut aversion I initially had to the premise of a futuristic AI dating bot AU, due to all the tragic, dark AI movies I have watched? But as it neared completion, someone convinced me to give it a try and I AM SO GLAD I DID. You can see my gushing comments in almost every chapter. The development of the relationship between human Yor and AI Loid is so natural, funny at times, poignant always, and beautifully written, even though from an objective standpoint not much exciting stuff happens (I mean canon-typical excitement like murders and spy missions). Sometimesiship has a way of describing emotion that is so raw -- she can portray the same emotion a dozen different ways with analogies and setups and dialogue and whatever -- and it still doesn't feel old. And the emotion that dominated the second half of the story was grief. Basically the grief of loving someone you know you're going to lose. Like being the spouse of a terminal cancer patient. I didn't cry while reading, but it was a closer call than I have had in a VERY long time. So much beauty and humanity in this story. And spoiler (?), it's a happy ending. So I hope you all go check it out!

That's a wrap! If you read this far, stay tuned for a Writer version of Fandom Wrapped 2024!

[eod-agent-13-12]

So, I have a little surprise!

The people have spoken. :D

Here's my Phoenix, Agent 13-12 (But also tempted to call them Firelight for reasons), interacting with several Phoenixes! (Under cut)

Here we go!

@neurotonic, I hope it's fine to do this...

To be honest, I wanted to draw my Phoenix accidentally stumbling and knocking into your Phoenix in the jeepney ride. (Kaskasero yung driver. XD) But I know my current limits so sitting beside each other in the jeepney ride it is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@bowehbowah, please welcome this.

I don't know much about your Phoenix but I can see the pair chatting about some experiences during merienda. (Mine and yours seem to have a complicated relationship with fast food mascots of all things. Mine loves the food in Jollibee but can't ever forget what the mascot did back then.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@agent-nor (Choosing this one to tag because it's focused on IEYTD stuff), then I'll take that permission! :D

When you mentioned "rarely been in contact with his family", my mind immediately raced to "mine also is in low contact with their family", and thus, this exchange. I was thinking this was in some kind of park where mine is curling up on some steps above him while he remained standing.

"Nangungulila" is a bit of a hard to translate term (for me) as it can mean "miss" but it feels more like "longing" is closer in meaning for me. It has the root word "ulila" which is translated to "orphan" but can also mean "lonely" or "alone". "Kuya" is the common term used to refer to an older brother.

TL:DR They're asking him if he missed them or if he feels lonely due to the fact they're not talking to their respective families. (Mine had a decent relationship with their immediate family but went low contact because of how dangerous espionage is.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had a lot of fun drawing these. :D I hope I get more energy and time to draw other people's Phoenixes soon enough since there are so many cool interpretations of our favorite chaotic agent.

(Please tell me if it's okay to draw your Phoenixes. I might draw them but there is no guarantee.)

[genericpuff]

The FAQ link sent me straight to the inbox. Do you have a Patreon? (Sorry if you've answered this before.)

Oops, that's not supposed to happen!! I'm at the shop rn but once I'm home I'll take a look at it, I recently changed my site theme so the link might have just broke 🤣

I do have a Patreon, and a Ko-Fi now too as well!! (just recently started a secondary page for Ko-Fi, I haven't finished sprucing it up yet but it's at least setup enough to function lmao) Both are setup for monthly subs, but Ko-Fi is frankly my favorite as it also allows for one-time donations, it supports community goals (which Patreon got rid of, bleh) and its fees are WAY lower, meaning more of what people send me actually gets to me!

That said, I do want to include a disclaimer for anyone finding out for the first time:

Obviously with the nature of Rekindled being fanfiction, I can't directly profit off it, so I'm limited in what I can offer in terms of tier rewards. I'm not exactly keen on running the risk of offering stuff like early access pages or sellable digital downloads of the comic itself, that sort of thing, as it could be held against me as selling Rachel's characters / story / etc. for my own profit. While Patreon overall does offer the "legal grey area" of operating as more of an optional tip jar than a commercial storefront, I would still rather mitigate the risk of legal consequences before they've happened, rather than push my luck and get screwed for it later LMAO

Aa such, most of what I post rn are backlog Twitch VODs from past streams (which includes live footage and commentary of me making "new" episodes) and time lapses of completed episodes ! Stuff that contains Rekindled goodies without it being a direct sales item ;p

Aside from balancing on legal tightropes, I've also just... learned the hard way from past experiences that I'm not the best at maintaining a robust and regular tier reward system 🫣 (thanks ADHD) If I were able to do this as my full-time job, maybe, but ultimately I prefer keeping my crowdfunding platforms simple so I can focus on making what people are really paying for - the continued production of more episodes!

Sooooo with that big disclaimer / explanation aside , if you do decide to check it out, just keep in mind that both platforms are operating more like optional tip jars, with the odd piece of bonus content every now and then from what I can feasibly (and legally) provide !! I try my best to upload regularly enough for the monthly subscription to be "worth it", but that's why I also have a Ko-Fi setup now too, for people who would rather just make one time donations or don't want to deal with another monthly subscription cost (mood)

Regardless, all the money that I earn from Patreon, Ko-Fi, and Twitch goes back into Rekindled in some way or another! Whether it's helping cover costs for my drawing software or paying for new brushes / assets, or even just helping with our Internet bill so that I can keep posting LMAO I'm super grateful to those who have or are currently tucking some extra change into my pocket to help support my work and get me by, every little bit counts 🤗💖

(and ofc for those who don't have the means to support with money - reading my work, commenting on it, reblogging it, etc. is super helpful too!!! All your kind words and fun discussions and theories in the tags and fanart and everything in between are their own form of compensation, because it brings me immense amounts of joy and constantly reminds me why I do what I do 🥺💖)

[mysumeow]

ꗃ LYNEY NSFW ALPHABET 1/2

warnings: afab genitalia, mentioned use of bra for reader, crossdressing mentions, gn pronouns.

a/n: finally. i hit the right balance. i didnt not go on a tangent with each letter like i did with previous alphabets TvT

PART TWO › MASTERLIST ‹

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

Lyney gets so cuddly that it's unbelievable how clingy he can get. He's clinging to you like you're his lifeline and will get pouty if you insist on leaving the bed. "Won't you spend some time cuddling your dear lover?" he would say.

On days when he's even more needy, you'll have to resort to negotiations (like letting go of you under the promise of getting showered together, for example).

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

I'm going to be real with you, chief. One would think it’s his hands, because not only does he work magic on cards but also between your legs. But no, it’s his legs, in my humble opinion. Why else do you think he wears shorts? To show off his legs. /j  And, also, the harness. That simple but effective piece of accessory is key to bringing attention to his legs.

Likewise, in his partner’s, it's also their legs. You cannot be around Lyney wearing shorts or something that shows your thighs because he’s going to be touchy.

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

Lyney’s pretty average in terms of how much he cums, the taste, how far it shoots, and the refractory period. If anything, he’s above average in how much he cums, but not by much. He enjoys seeing your face covered in cum and watching you lick the remains off when you finish sucking him off.

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

He would like to cross-dress and experiment with having sex with you in a place like a fitting room. The thrill of having to keep your voice down excites him. Although he’s aware it might not be as viable as he would like to think it is, considering there’s a risk of being found out and it could tarnish both his and Lynette’s reputations, Would that little fantasy ever come true? Probably not. Lyney can’t keep his voice down for the life of him.

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

Despite his outgoing and charismatic personality, he has had one or two close romantic relationships. He gives me the impression of being that type of person who’s friendly to everyone, and people love him, but it’s hard to actually get to know him past that amicable exterior.

No matter how limited his experience is, he’s got the advantage of having skilled hands. So he’s got a head start in that regard.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

He’s a romantic at heart; he wants to see your face and kiss you throughout the whole thing. Whichever position allows him to do that automatically checks the box for him. He’s inclined to do it with you on his lap and facing each other. For Lyney, there’s nothing more intimate than being able to appreciate in detail the faces and voices a lover makes during sex.

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

He has his moments of being stupid, but it’s to set a lighthearted mood. Does he implement his silly little magic tricks in the bedroom? I think he would do stuff like undo your bra with just one hand and in like a split second, for example. Or getting rid of an article of clothing when you least expect it.

H = Hair (how well-groomed are they? etc.)

Yeah eyeah he trims. He doesn’t appreciate how messy that place can get if left unattended.

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

The first word that comes to mind is sensuous. Lyney could start off with a lighthearted mood and joke a bit here and there, but then it escalates to a more sensible feel. He’s attentive to each one of your needs to ensure the experience is as pleasurable for you.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He somehow finds the time to do it once every day. On days when there’s no performance to be done, he even does it twice. High libido, as expected from someone of his age. Probably has one or two toys.

[girlbloggercher]

how to be 'that girl'

first of all, what is 'that girl'? later.com says: " “that girl” is a social media lifestyle trend that refers to women who prioritize wellness, productivity, beauty and mindfulness. " this is true, to a degree; to be 'that girl', you shouldn't prioritize beauty. that is, unless you are prioritizing inner beauty. also, the website describes it as a trend, which isn't technically wrong, but being healthy and productive shouldn't stop for you when the trend dies down. it should be forever.

so, how can you become 'that girl'?

STEP 1: productivity

i know it can be hard to be motivated to clean your room, read, study, etc. but you don't need motivation, you need discipline. make yourself do it because you need to do it and you know it. keeping to-do lists can also be helpful.

STEP 2: exercise

please keep in mind that when i say exercise, i don't mean to lose weight, i mean for your mental and physical health. there are countless studies proving that exercise can increase dopamine. weightloss is just a side effect. you should get atleast 10 minutes of exercise daily. but 1 hour is also recommended.

STEP 3: self-care

the term 'self-care' is extremely vague. it can range from skincare to movie nights to general maintenance. whatever you do to please yourself and take care of yourself, do it.

STEP 4: knowledge

you don't have to be in school to learn. it can literally be as simple as searching up a new word everyday. you can also read nonfiction books. my favorite nonfiction book is 'the immortal life of henrietta lacks'. it's especially great if you love science.

STEP 5: screen time

i understand that being on your phone is literally addictive, but you have to cut back. tiktok has feature where you can set a screen time limit. but other apps probably have this too.

STEP 6: eating

like i said in step 2, this is not for weight-loss, but instead health and the effects of it on your brain. you can look up the nutrients that each meal should have to be considered healthy. you should drink 1-2L of water a day.

[fyodors-husband]

Hihi! Can you do Ivan x reader nsfw hcs? Tysm! Also I hope your day is going well!

hi anon! Yes I most certainly can! I hope your day is going well too!

I love this little lobotomized mousey so much oh my lord, he deserved so much more screentime and character development I wish he got it 💔

CW: nsfw, slight OOC, slight vouyerisum, choking, rough sex, a variety of kinks, gn reader (No Pronouns except you), discussion of pervious surgeries had, lobotmies, freaky ivan, ivan himself is a ce but we love him, dub-con(?) (He is lobotomized so can't really process the consent part?), slightly toxic relationships, English is not my first language and my knowledge of words related to alot of the kinks I think ivan has are limited 😭, if I need to add any or if I got a word wrong please let me know!

°~•~○~°~•~○_NSFW BELOW THE CUT_○~•~°~○~•~°

He's a freak

Many kinks, down to try just about anything aswell

He usually bottoms but if you ask he has no trouble topping

He would be a service top though, he wants to please you more than himself but also himself more than you of that makes sense

Has no problem giving up control and giving you the lead in sex

Especially after his lobotomy, he almost needs to give up control, but there's still parts of him trying to grip onto it at the same time

Will probably cry but if you stop to make sure he's okay he'll yell at you not to do that

You both have a safeword but he never uses it, even when he needs to

If you've been together for a long time you've pretty much learned when it's to much

Very vocal, little squeals and moans when you do it

Especially if you pull his hair, he's very into that but you almost never do because of his stitches and scar tissue, if you ever do your very gentle (even though he tells you to do it hard)

Wouldnt mind being smacked around in bed, especially if hes helping you deal with a stressful day

He dosent mind being used at all, he's happy that he can help you

His favorite position is doggy style, that way if he asks, you'll pull his hair or smack his ass

He good with other postiitions too though, I feel like he'd never say but he loves the ones where he's facing you, like missionary and mating press and things like thoose

Just because he finds you so gorgeous and wants to be able to see you

Also because you can choke him and kiss him that way

of he wants something he'll take it, he's very stubborn when he wants to be

That being said if he realizes your stressed outside of work or even in the office, he'll offer to help you

Itll start off innocent but soon he'll most likely be in between your legs

"What do you mean not here? I'll make it fast jist relax, your so stressed"

Hell do that in your work, (especially if you have a private office), probably in the street (alleyways)

If he's desperate enough he'll even "forget" to close the curtains so that everyone can see how much you love him!

likes to be overpowered alot, keep your clothes on while he has none? He's drooling

He always asks you to finish on him or in him (of you can), he finds it as like a mark

Speaking of that, he loves hickeys and bites you give him, if they fade to fast he'll be really upset and make you make more

In the term of after care, he almost insists on doing it all, but you manage to make him lay down

Hell INSIST he dosent need it and that he's fine, but if you do end up doing it his brain wont process correctly

Its been so long since someone has taken care of him, he'll almost cry if your gentle

His mind dosent really work, he'll probably get a headache as his mind races to think about another time when someone took care of him, but, the lobotomy just messes him up.

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

Thank you so much for reading I really hope you enjoyed, likes a reblogs help alot if you'd be so kind <3

[yakuzacanons]

haiiii!!! is it okay to request some dating headcanons of Yutaka Yamai from IW? :D

LAST ONE FOR TODAY I have saved my personal favorite ask of da day for last, I have been obsesssssssed with Yamai. Also if you didn't know, Infinite Wealth asks are officially on da table so smoke em if ya got me. Some mild NSFW below, and welcome Yamai to the blog!

Don't let his dark demeanor fool you. Yamai is actually a big softie inside. Bit of a romantic himself, you can easily find him daydreaming about what was and what could've been.

He can be rough around the edges but he does have a sweet side to him. Type of guy who, despite all apperances, would help an old lady across the street. Carries that energy into romantic endeavors as well.

Given his history, chances are he will not confess to you first. In fact, he may try to bury his feelings. More of a flirt than anything, he hasn't had a serious romance since he left Japan and there's never been a steady partner of any kind.

Has had his fair share of experiences though, let's get that out there. Did his time at the strip clubs and hostess clubs, sometimes with the strippers and hostesses.

One of the most open minded guys out there. Things like age or race or appearance don't mean a darn to him. If he likes you, he likes you. Period. End of story.

Will not fall for someone easily but when he does he falls extremely hard, it's almost debilitating for him. Man won't be sleeping right, he gets disorganized, hell he stops getting cold so often. Everyone thinks he might be like dying or something, it's that drastic.

A shameless flirt and good at it. Blame it on all the lonely years at the clubs in Hawaii. Not a talkative guy and not the most profound conversationalist but boy does he have good voice control. Also has the most wicked fuck-me eyes. Key word being wicked.

Speaking of which, he can be an animal in bed. He's not messy or anything violent but he can be frantic, if that makes sense. Once he hits a certain limit, he's gotta relieve himself, either alone or with someone. He can't just pretend that isn't there. Translate that to a long term relationship, and you get some very hot and steamy sex.

Down to go on dates, it's the relationship part that's scary. A date can just mean getting food or having sex. A relationship means FEELINGS. And the last time he did that he had to leave Japan! Not a gamble to take lightly.

As stated previously, it is highly unlikely he will confess. Having said that, if you do, his face will kind of shift. Suddenly he's not some sullen, dark eyed fiend. He just looks so... soft. Like a cloud, almost. If you weren't serious or making some kind of joke, he would probably just fade away into dust right then and there.

He and Joon-Gi share the trait of loyalty. When he's in love, you are his person. Would do anything for you, for better or for worse. Despite how much his past has scarred him and how that's affected how he deals with his feelings, he still hasn't learned, huh? All these years later he's still a lover at heart...

[boom-butterflyeffect]

Hi, idk if you do until dawn girls requests but if you do and Iyou don’t mind can you do a NSFW alphabet for Sam or Ashley? Thanks :)

Sure thing! I'll make a Sam one at a different time!

this one will most likely be unsatisfying i can't lie because my brain just keep yelling "asexual awkward virgin ashley" at me

Ashley Brown NSFW Alphabet

A - Aftercare

Lots of cuddling afterwards, and she may feel a little bit shy or embarrassed.

B - Body Part (Her favourite body part on herself and you)

I think on herself she'd like her hands, specifically her nails, or her eyes, because she thinks they look pretty. On you, I think she just thinks all of you is really neat, but if she had to choose a favourite maybe it would also be your eyes.

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

uhhh I feel like Ash wouldn't like to be messy, jesus this one is hard...

D - Dirty secret

Ash definitely thinks big hands are a turn on, but would never admit she does because of a certain glasses-wearing blondie who has big hands. He specifically comes to mind when she thinks "big hands are sexy".

E - Experience (How experienced she is)

Virgin. I'm sorry. But I'm right.

F - Favorite position

She likes the intimacy of missionary I think.

G - Goofy (Is she more serious in the moment?)

Definitely a bit silly, cracking jokes, just wants the whole experience to be lighthearted and enjoyable

H - Hair

These ones always feel like weirdly awkward to answer for some reason, idk

I - Intimacy

Yes! She loves all the sweetness and affection.

J - Jack off

I don't think she'd do it often, but she does do it occasionally.

K - Kink

Hmm... I can't imagine Ash being super kinky tbh, I think she just wants to be held really gently and treated really softly <3

L - Location

I imagine Ash would be very private about this stuff and keep it in the bedroom.

M - Motivation

I can't imagine her having a particularly high sex drive, or there being anything in particular that gets her in the mood, I feel like she sometimes for her it's just a nice way to blow off steam or relax after a stressful day

N - No (Hard limits)

I feel like Ash keeps things very simple, and wouldn't really be up for much experimentation, which is valid!

O - Oral

Imo, Ashley wouldn't really do giving or receiving. The sexual stuff with her feels pretty minimal.

P - Pace

Soft and slow, just super gentle and romantic <3

Q - Quickie

I don't think so tbh, again, when she does do it I feel like it's more for the intimacy and romance of it rather than out of sexual desire

R - Risk

Nope. No risk. None. All safe and comfortable and cozy in the bedroom.

S - Stamina

Low stamina, one round and she's ready for cuddling and a nap.

T - Toys

I feel like she'd own a small vibrator or something, but she'd never use it with a partner or anything, it would be a secret.

U - Unfair

Playful teasing at best, like the "please tell me you're gonna take a vow of silence." joke

V - Volume

I think it would mostly be gasps and heavy breaths and sweet words of affirmation.

W - Wild card (Random NSFW HC of my choosing)

I kinda hc Ash as the kind of person who would be a bit more sex-repulsed. She'd jokingly be like "smash" and read fanfics of fictional characters, but actually having sex would seem awkward and uncomfortable for her, I think.

X - X-ray (Size)

uhhhhhhhhhhhh

Y - Yearning

Not a lot in terms of sex, I could see her being very cuddly and affectionate though, always liking to hold your hand, or hold onto your arm, be close by your side.

Z - Zzz

Would most likely end up taking a nap after the post-sex cuddles with you

[vodika-vibes]

Can I asks for a smutty piece with the prompt “you’re so fucking hot?” Your pick of which clone pls ❤️🙏

The Personal Assistant

Summary: You have a day off, sort of, and decide to spend the day with the love of your life, Commander Fox.

Pairing: Commander Fox x F!Reader

Word Count: 1775

Warnings: Smut, but it's pretty vanilla

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: Did I just come up with a brand new AU to make Fox's life easier? Yes, yes I did. Is this also horribly self indulgent, also yes. I love Fox so much, lol

When you were hired as the Personal Assistant of the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, you rather expected that the career had a time limit. On account of the fact that the Chancellor, himself, is supposed to have a term limit.

But here you are, Personal Assistant to a man who’s been leading the Republic for going on thirteen years now. 

For all that you’re pretty sure that your boss is a dictator in all but name at this point, your job does have some perks. You’re allowed to yell at Senators, you have a pretty swanky apartment in one of the richer districts of Coruscant, and you’re paid very, very well.

In return, you sort of just…look the other way when it comes to some things. 

Like the whole throwing lightning thing. Or the lightsaber thing.

You’re fairly sure your boss isn’t a Jedi, he’s kind of…angry, for that. But you’ve done your research and it’s not illegal to be a Sith. Actually, you’re fairly certain he’s allowed to be a Sith due to religious protections.

But then, you’re not a lawyer. You’re a college drop-out who somehow landed the career of a lifetime…working for the human embodiment of pure evil.

But, like, who hasn’t?

At least you’ve been able to extend some protection over the Guard. It hadn’t even been hard. Early on, when you started noticing signs of abuse towards the Guard, you just sighed and mumbled something about the Chancellor being far too busy and far too important to do things like give orders to the Guard personally, so he should just work through you.

And he agreed.

In fact, you’re pretty sure that the Chancellor doesn’t even remember the guard exists. And if you pulled a few strings and had Natborn guards working more to protect the Senators, while delegating the Guard to a more active police force, well…you work with the authority of the Chancellor, who’s going to question you? Certainly not the Senators. And definitely not the Guard.

Today, though, you’re not really working. Oh, sure, there are a few things you need to do. Some organization of the Chancellor’s office, a few maintenance requests that you need to make sure are handled.

But Palpatine, himself, is not on Coruscant. It’s election day on Naboo, the day when a new Queen is chosen, and as a Nubian citizen, Palpatine is expected to be there. He’s traveling with Senator Amidala and her Decoys, as well as a few guards from Naboo, but as you’re a Coruscanti citizen yourself, you’re not allowed to join the celebration.

Which you’re thrilled for. It means that you can make yourself home in Commander Fox’s office while he does paperwork. Or…you know, whatever it is that police officers do when they’re not doing police work.

Right now you’re lounging on a couch that you acquired for Fox years ago, you have your favorite music playing on your datapad, as you fill out work orders for the various things in the Chancellor’s office.

The fact that you’re not technically working means that you’re dressed down. Shorts and a tank top, with flip-flops that have already fallen off your feet from how you’re laying.

You hear a deep sigh, and you tilt your head back to regard the man who’s staring at you. “Can you not do that literally anywhere else?” He asks.

“I could go sit on Thorn’s desk,” You reply easily.

“Thorn’s not here,” Fox replies, “He’s out on patrol.”

“Aww.”

“Because I know you,” He continues with a pointed look, “And I know you like tormenting me by flirting with my brother.”

“I have never flirted with Thorn,” You say with a laugh, as you swing your legs off the arm of the couch, so you’re able to sit up and get to your feet.

“You don’t have to,” Fox grumbles, “He flirts with you and that’s bad enough.”

“Aww,” You cross the room and hop up to sit on his desk, and you grin when his gaze drops to your bare legs, “Are you jealous?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Fox replies as he trails the end of his pen up your leg from your knee to your inner thigh, a small smirk crosses his face when you shiver, “Do I have reason to be jealous, ner kar’ta?”

Your smile is soft and warm, “Not in the slightest.”

Fox considers you for a moment, and then drops his pen on the desk, and he smoothly pulls you onto his lap. You giggle and drape your arms around his neck, “You’re still wearing your armor, Commander. I’m going to get bruises.”

“You say that like you don’t love the bruises I give you,” Fox teases as he drags his hand up your spine to rest lightly at the back of your neck. “Or that I’m not well aware of how much you like my armor.”

You flush, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t,” He draws you into a loving kiss, and you sigh against his lips. “You’re totally innocent.”

“Exactly so,” You reply softly as you rain feather light kisses across his face. He relaxes under your gentle touch, and you smile down at him. Stars, you love him so much. “Fox, I need to tell you-”

You’re cut off when his lips catch yours, “Is it important?” Fox asks against your lips.

“Yes,” You reply, a soft whine slipping from you as he nips your lower lip.

“Can it wait?” He adds as his lips move to your neck and he leaves a red mark on the side of your neck. “Just a little bit?” Fox looks up at you, desire clear on his face, and he tugs on the hem of your shirt, “Take this off, cyare.”

The important thing you need to tell him flies out of your mind, and you shift slightly, “The door’s unlocked, anyone could walk in-”

“Then you’d better be quiet.” Fox replies with a sly smile.

You meet his gaze evenly, and then, slowly, you peel your tank top off and set it on the desk behind you.

Fox’s gaze drifts from your face to your breasts, and he releases a sigh of pleasure. “No bra today, ner kar’ta?”

“They’re stifling.” You reply, a moan slipping from you as his hands slide up your body to lightly slide his thumbs over your nipples. 

“So you’ve mentioned,” Fox says quietly as he leans in and takes one nipple into his mouth, “Stars, cyare, you’re so fucking hot…”

A long sigh of pleasure falls from you as he lavishes your breasts with his lips and tongue, and you bring your hands up to fist in his hair, “You have such a talented mouth,” You moan out. 

You feel him laugh against you. And then a startled squeak falls from you as he bites down to leave a mark on you. You feel Fox’s hands at your waist and you squirm, “Lift your hips, cyare.” He mumbles, “Need to get these out of the way.”

Somehow, you’re not exactly sure how, he manages to get your shorts and panties off without needing you to get off his lap. You don’t think about it too hard, after all, his lips are still leaving marks on your chest and breasts, and his talented fingers are sliding between your folds, searching for the nub that brings you so much pleasure. 

You fumble with the seals for his codpiece, and you drop the armor to the floor as you impatiently free his already hard cock from the confines of his blacks. 

“Impatient,” Fox chides, pulling away from you for long enough to speak when you start slowly stroking his length with your soft hands. 

“Can’t help it,” You reply with a small pout, “You went and got me all worked up.”

Fox flashes a crooked grin, “That was the point, mesh’la.”

You aren’t able to hold your pout for much longer as he eases you down on his length. While both of you much prefer spending as much time with foreplay as you can, you’re both well aware that there’s a time constraint.

Which is why you’re not too surprised when Fox presses a thumb against your clit as you ride him. At this point in time, he’s an expert at manipulating your body, and at pulling an orgasm from you in a startlingly quick time.

But the same holds true for you.

You bury your face in his neck as you feel yourself hurtling closer and closer to the edge. A quick press of his thumb, and a litany of praises, and your clenching tight around him, muffling your pleasure filled moans with his neck.

His thrusts become hard and quick, using your body to chase his own pleasure while you recover from your orgasm in his tight grip, and he bites down on your shoulder as he spills his release deep inside you.

Fox keeps his face pressed against your shoulder while you press light kisses against his neck and up his jaw. “I love you,” You whisper just under his ear.

He pulls back and kisses you deeply and passionately, “I love you too.” Fox pulls your forehead against his, and you both just exist together for a few minutes. And then he pulls away, “You said you needed to tell me something?” He asks.

You trail your fingers against his jaw, “It can wait.”

“You said it’s important.” He reminds you.

“It is. So important. But it can wait. Just a little longer.” You whisper, and then your forehead drops to his shoulder, “No. I lied, it can’t.”

He chuckles, “Tell me?”

“You’re not going to like it.”

“Tell me anyway.”

You release a shuddering sigh, “Palpatine commissioned the Clones through Dooku.” You whisper, “This isn’t a war, it’s a trap for the Jedi.”

Fox pushes you back enough to be able to stare at you. His gaze searches your features, and then he sighs, “...you’re right. I don’t like that.” And then he pats your hip, “Alright, pretty girl, time for you to get dressed. We got shit to do to save the Republic…” He sighs deeply, “From itself, apparently.”

You smile at him sympathetically, “When this whole thing is over, we’re going on vacation.” You promise as you slide off of him, and pull your shirt back on, “And we’re not getting out of bed for anything other than food and showers for a week.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Fox finishes adjusting himself and he pulls you into a kiss. “Love you, cyare.”

“Love you too.” You reply against his lips.

[lxtstrip]

Last to Fade | M. Sturniolo

TW: alcohol mention and 13RW show/character mention just for a moment and a SLIGHT spoiler of S1xE1 if we still even need a spoiler alert, but no SPECIFIC topics from the show.

AN: all opinions expressed about the show are mine, i do not speak for anyone else. i also knocked this out in 2 hours or so while rewatching the series.

WC: 715

Pairing: Matt x Reader

You watched Matt lift a bottle of Stella to his lips. He repeatedly begged you for Shock Top, but you insisted this was better. Strangely, he didn’t complain about the flavor profile tonight, because tonight was your night with him. He didn’t have to worry about posting anything on social media on nights like this and it relieved him more than anyone could ever begin to fathom.

As Matt set the bottle back on the coaster beside him, you couldn’t help but notice his hand and arm. You always had a thing for his tattoos, same as every other girl in his comments and DMs. However, you got to see the way they moved. You got to take in what they looked like half inside of messy bed sheets. You were lucky enough to experience the mundane and intimate alike.

In the most cliche fashion you were ripped out of your thoughts as Matt abruptly lifted his elbow to his face so he could address the tickle in his throat. Even his coughing could never bother you, no matter how loud it was. You were without a doubt that if and when you were with him long term it would infuriate you, but for now you found it to be something you could put up with.

“I don’t get it…” Matt finally uttered.

“What do you mean?” you asked sitting up to look him in the face.

“That damned smile!” he mocked the brunette on the television.

“We watched this series twice and you still don’t get why she fell for Justin?” you asked.

“The first time we watched it, I wasn’t paying attention to the romance! That’s chick shit.” he said, throwing up his hands in defense.

To be fair he was right, at the time it premiered it was marketed to bring attention to mental health and provoke thought in younger individuals. At the same time when you both watched it for the first time there were multiple sources tearing it apart and even more making fun of it so you two decided to give it a go deciding for yourselves what the final verdict would be. You both landed it deserved every generalized concept it was given.

“I’m just saying she would have been happier with Clay if she gave him a chance from the start of the show.” Matt commented.

“All this from the guy who said he wasn’t watching this for the romance.” you giggled, laying your head back down in his lap.

The credits started flickering across the screen and Matt couldn’t grab the remote fast enough. He didn’t even let the automated timer go off before he was jumping to watch the next episode.

You and Matt called it a night after episode two. There was a bit of debate between why a show would remain so cryptic for so long. Answers could have been given while still drawing people in, but you both decided it was lazy.

It was surprising Matt could draw such astute conclusions. He wasn’t widely known for being well read, just one of 3 brothers with a somewhat influencing career. Truth be told, when Matt wasn’t recording with his brothers or gaming, he was in the books pretty heavily. No genre was off limits for him after he met you. You changed him in the most positive ways; his words, not yours.

You were his favorite everything. He looked at you the same way you looked at him. He was enamored with you. You were his rock after a hard day, you were his passenger princess on dates, and you were his last girlfriend he ever wanted. He would never admit his feelings in that capacity, not now anyway.

Matt pulled the covers over the two of you and gave you a kiss on the forehead before settling in and wrapping his arms around you. A comfortable silence enveloped the two of you between chaste kisses and loving glances. You never knew how watching something on television could wipe from your minds so quickly and fall into your nightly routine. You liked it, there was a pleasant, resounding ambience that you two were made for each other.

To paraphrase the great Adam Young - the spaces between Matt’s fingers where right where yours fit perfectly.

[lorynna]

Please understand I am writing this from a position of genuine curiosity and not one of malice.

I saw your response to the anon talking about their aroace friend and you both agreed that asexuality is being “muddied” by people who identify as asexual since there’s so much variation between them.

I am honestly quite confused as to why you are dictating the definitions of lived experiences you don’t share. Why do you have to decide how people feel and perceive their feelings if those are completely separate people than you?

Is it truly your business to decide how labels should be applied if you aren’t the one using them? As an asexual, the way you discuss my identity dismisses me and other asexuals as people, because you make assumptions about what and how we should be feeling. It feels dehumanizing.

Again…I write this with no malice, I just don’t understand your position on this matter.

Hello anon.

My response to the other anonymous person submitting an ask involved both of us agreeing about the fact that those labels are hard to get taken seriously due to a lot of people either trying to weaken the definition of asexuality/aromanticism by widening it until cinderella's unique custom-designed shoe is a one-size-fits-all, (in other words:) it completely looses it's meaning and can be applied to the average person or a person who simply has a low sex drive and/or are following a trend, where it "seems cool and quirky" to pick out a label and make it your entire personality until you get tired of it and need to get something new.

Touching on your comment implying that I am calling this term (who in my opinion has become useless due to the above mentioned reasons) as me not rejecting the label therefore but because "there is so much variation between asexual/aromantic people". Which is just...sigh.

I don't think I have to point out that the reasons (again, listed above), that I have also stated in multiple of my takes about this subject, don't indicate any sort of valid variation but the broadening of a simple term until it is applicable to the average person who "sometimes does not feel like having sex" or "feels like not having a relationship for some time in their lives".

Now a counter question. Am I really dictating the definitions of lived experiences I don't share (like you claim) or am I simply talking about my opinion? What power do I have to truly dictate how someone can/has to label themselves? Suprise: I don't! People can continue to pick labels how they please and I can give my opinion accordingly, how I please.

I am challenging you to try and analyze if I am truly trying to be malicious towards actual asexuals/aromantics or if I am just fed up by everything getting used as a trendy label or people pretending to "be cool". I am challenging you to form an opinion on wether or not I am truly coming from a place of hate or rather constructive criticism. And I am challenging you to not see everything that defies your worldview as hate. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has them and sometimes they stink!

My favorite saying : You cannot define something, without actually excluding anyone from said definition. To defines means to limit and that's okay, that is essential. Otherwise words, labels, definitions, it all means nothing. To open the doors to everyone means to protect no one.

I would encourage you (if you are really interested in my take on the topic) to take a look into my pinned post, where I am talking about this more intrinsically. I'll link it here down below.

Also linking here now below the question of another anon that THIS anon is referring to.

[bardofavon]

Do you have any favorite quote(s) from 'a good myth is hard to kill'?

I DO!!!!! it took me so long to answer this, sorry, it's because there's so many floating around in my head and I couldn't begin to think about where to start.

I really enjoyed the scene where Kaz and the Darkling expand the Fold for the first time. At the time I wrote it, I really loved this line:

And who would they pray to anyway? Kaz? Kaz, who watches?  Kaz, who says let the ones you love be swallowed by the dark so that I can hold mine at a distance.  The jokes write themselves, here in Ravka.  xx

I also reallllly love the whole scene with Inej in the second half of this chapter but especially this bit:

I also have problems in my brain unlike any other so I really love the entirety of chapter 58 but in terms of "I have peaked with writing toxic romance" I really enjoyed these lines from chapter 48:

“Would you still love me if I destroyed the Fold?” “You won’t.” “But would you?” “You won’t.” “But if I did. That would be your limit.” “There is no limit. You’re mine forever, I will love you until there’s nothing else to love…but you would regret it. Love doesn’t exist distinct, safe from pain. You would suffer, and I would love you, and I would make you thank me.” xx

I also really like chapter 91. although saying that feels like i'm confessing to a crime. i don't like it as much as I like having written it. I like this line especially, because of the canon callback and the culmination of a lot I was building up to thematically:

“Please. Don’t do this,” Kaz says, and it’s almost funny how easily begging comes to him now.  “Begging can’t help you this time,” He says. He sounds saddened by it, as though he wishes it were as easy as being able to believe Kaz because he’s said please. “Not now that I know how little your word actually means.”  Somehow that cuts Kaz deeper than anything else has.  The deal is the deal. Maybe Ghezen is real after all, and this is Kaz’s punishment for spitting on all the bargains he’s made over the last year. He cheapened them, all of them, and now they mean nothing.  Man laughs at the gods until he needs them. Ghezen wouldn’t listen even if he did pray. 

and I definitely have a lot more, honestly there's a few chapters that really stand out to me as being like "wow I really popped off with this one" but the second to last chapter (the one right before the epilogue) was just so rewarding for me. it felt so cathartic to write and I hope it was cathartic to read. I really liked this line:

I'm in your head now, and it's my head too. Your thoughts are my thoughts, your dreams are my dreams, neither of us will ever escape. 

as well as

Something can't come from nothing, and the dent he will make in the world must be felt…it must be felt… But not by him. He's felt enough.  And for a moment, Kaz feels a bit of regret. He regrets that the most powerful man in the world, the first person he thought could truly see Kaz as an equal, never learned to share. He regrets they couldn’t be more, they couldn’t rule together, they couldn’t be the things they’d promised to be to each other. He regrets that it was all a lie, and he regrets that there was ever a time when he believed it.  But most importantly, most vividly, he regrets not being able to take a knife and slice him through himself so he can feel the warm blood on his hands and watch up close as the life he was so proud of fades from his eyes. 

honestly as much as it feels a bit egotistical to say it I just really love this work in general, I think overall it's definitely one of my best and I'm tremendously proud of it so I could probably talk about my favorite parts all day. thank you for asking <3 <3

I'd love to hear if YOU have favorite quotes!!!

[power-chords]

apologies if you've explained this already, but tumblr search is trash, so I have to ask... why the obsession with michael mann, how did that start?

Oh, man. It’s a long story! In the early days of the pandemic I got a call from my favorite rock musician that he had read a short essay I’d written on his solo album, and he wanted me to contribute a piece to his band’s forthcoming box set. Dream come true obviously, couldn’t say no, so I immediately buckled down on the research end, which for me involved a deeper dive into said musician’s love of film. Mann was on the list of suspects alongside more definitive entries like Coppola and Scorsese, but that turned out to be a happy accident of misreading. (Major shout out to Adam here, by the way, because without his guidance I would have been working with a much more meandering home-brewed syllabus.)

I enjoy movies like any properly adjusted American but they don’t tend to put a spell on me the way music does, or make me want to disassemble the whole contraption piece by piece like a good written story. And Mann’s work was the first time I’d ever encountered films that could have the same effect on me as music and literature. They were hypnotic and enchanting and propulsive, like my favorite records, but they also suggested this dense subterranean architecture of potential meaning, obscured from immediate view but very much there and carefully, deliberately encoded. In other words, these films were like texts imploring (really, daring) you to interpret them.

That’s Mann’s methodology in a nutshell, basically — it’s a seduction gambit, and on me it worked spectacularly! It tapped into my grotesque hedonic animal brain and sparked an intellectual curiosity as well. For me that combination has a narcotic quality that’s hard to explain, but I have an addictive personality. And the more I watched his work, the more it ensnared me like The Footage.* (“WHAT is going on? What is this film doing to me??” Etc.) You have to understand I have no prior experiential basis for this, so as far as I’m concerned it’s witchcraft. By the time I turn in my piece for the box set I have this collateral situation developing, ha ha, oh no, and here I am three years later.

Initially I had wondered if Mann had been an influence on Dulli, but it turned out to be a case of convergent evolution. Or something akin to it. I think they’re just similar in terms of what subject matter they’re attracted to, maybe in their modes of perception and how they make aesthetic/narrative sense of the world. And there is some part of me that keys into that sensibility — whichever part precedes organized expression, maybe even conscious comprehension — and finds it cathartic and liberating and all that good stuff. (I’m a Safety First adrenaline junkie these days so I try to limit my habits to art and pop culture.)

And then he and Meg Gardiner co-wrote an actual book which provoked further investigations, escalations, whatever you want to call them. It turns out that the abyss really DOES stare back into you in the form of numerous spooky historical coincidences. I’m like afraid of Heat 2 at this point because the more I go trawling around in there the more it becomes an eldritch object, LOL. I’m the closest anyone has come to living the film Jumanji, let me put it that way. But the experience has been a blast. And I feel fortunate to have found yet another creator on par with Dulli and Townshend whose work I will be able to take with me and return to over the course of my life, and seek shelter in in that way.

*EVERYBODY READ PATTERN RECOGNITION BY WILLIAM GIBSON!