#and once again asians do it better

[inthehouseoffinwe]

Aite, female character and general inclusivity rant incoming. Hate it and want to make a post? Sure. But give me the respect I gave those who inspired this and don’t tag me in it:

People immediately bringing the ‘female character’ argument into things drives me insane. Like we know she’s a female character, but trust me, that’s got very little to do with why people dislike her.

Are some people misogynistic? Absolutely!

Are most people misogynistic? No.

When we talk about Galadriel, and Luthien, and Elwing, and Aredhel, and Nimloth, and Melian, and Nerdanel, and Ahsoka, and Padme, and *insert literally any female character from any fandom here*, being female has nothing to do with it. It barely crosses our minds.

So for the love of all that is good, stop bringing ‘but she’s a female character! Anyone who sees her as anything but perfect, or thinks the male characters made better choices than her is obviously horrible and misogynistic and would never do this to a man :(‘ Into arguments.

I don’t care how few there are in the work. You can explain why you like her without blaming people for hating on the fact she’s female when 95% don’t. There are very literally hundreds of other reasons people interpret fictional events which portray the fem char negatively.

Especially in work like the Silm which is written by a canonical in-universe historian with basic backstory. We have every right to see him as unreliable and play with what that could mean. Doesn’t make it misogynistic if we want to see female characters as more shifty than they’re outwardly portrayed. Many of us often do the same with male characters, and even if we don’t, you have no right to judge someone so harshly when you barely know a thing about them outside an online persona. 99.9% of people don’t even consider male vs female when they write these things. And it’s not because of some weird subconscious misogyny either.

This is mainly aimed at those who bring this up over. And over. And over again in some weird attempt at guilt tripping people into ‘liking’ characters.

On the topic of things people do that make no sense, if characters are stated as being white, and an artist draws them all white. You have no right to say they’re being racist or whatever else you want to come up with.

Nor do you have the right to slander anyone who casually points out the character is white if others draw them as anything else. If we can call out whitewashing, we can talk about the opposite too. As long as the person isn’t being outright rude, have a conversation.

And don’t get me started on tagging pieces of fanart and fics specifically created platonic with a ship. Like the work? Great! Now respect the intentions of the person who created it.

No one in a fandom space, especially artists and writers, owes inclusivity of any kind when running off canon source material. You want to blame someone for a boring cast, blame the author! But even in general? You don’t get to force or guilt others to create content - original work included - that fits your ideal.

Yes I’m a writer and artist of original and fan content. Yes I’ve experienced all of these directly or indirectly.

Sincerely, a young brown woman tired of all the double standards.

[nekropsii]

A cosplayer I'm friends with on Instagram often vagueposts on his stories with complaints about other fans cosplaying Meenah or Damara on account of it being racist to do so. (None of the cosplayers in question had done any... questionable makeup choices of any sort, they just had the usual light gray body paint approximating canon. The friend in question is white himself, as am I.) Do you think there's a genuine issue with people cosplaying characters like those ones?

I'm genuinely curious on your insights; I came to your blog for this since I find your posts both about the alpha trolls and the racism especially with them, but also in Homestuck overall, to be very well written. If this feels too much like discourse to you, you're free to delete it. (You askbox rules made me a bit nervous ^^)

This is a loaded question, which I am getting the sense is... A controversial one, and I do not feel equipped to give a solid yes or no answer on this as someone who is not a cosplayer and doesn't really know anything about the scene.

However, I do have to ask... Why specifically Damara and Meenah? There's an infinite amount of characters who are white, even within Homestuck. Why specifically dress up as characters who are without a single doubt not white? That is tacky to me. This isn't even an anime situation where it doesn't really matter until people start pinning their eyes back, Meenah and Damara - Damara especially - are depicted in a way that is straight up racist, and also some of the few characters in the comic who are just straight up not white. Like, you have other options. Most of the characters in the comic are white. Why them?

[nomairuins]

so close to being done with one step in the larger step in the larger step of the spreadsheet.

i ran out of space in the tags so im continuing them under the cut bc i wasnt finished... and if you let me finish i would of finshed my santance

anyways i have some countries like. the borders r pretty close to irl countries and i have them in my notes as x country but other ones i split them into like. just smaller subregions of the continent based on irl like. regions. like i split africa into . Madagascar + East Africa + Central Africa + Southern Africa + Western Africa + Northern Africa and its referenced off of maps where those r like. the recognized regions (well. madagascar is usually just counted as either east or southern africa but yk). but idk... im worried its a shitty thing 2 do i just dont know what else 2 do with it. maybe i should just use an actual world map instead since im going more realistic with like. the time periods and stuff. IDK i just rly wanna avoid the shit the sims does so much where it lumps a bunch of cultures together like. the chinese world in ts3 world adventures having a torii gate for the icon. -_- yk. the map was kinda superfluous anyway and more judt a way to visualize where the worlds we have were distributed + also was mostly influenced by that one ts4 mod which takes that more simplistic approach but maybe i can just step away from that and just go more realism based Its just hard bc i dont wanna like. lose the more like. silly isnt quite the word (itis kind of but not fully) ig i mean i dont wanna lose the abstraction kind of thing the sims has. but like. I am auite literally making a spreadsheet to get rid of some of the abstraction the sims has so what am i on about. IDK i just have been thinking abt it a lot basically... like sims im already making shit up and locking the sims to like real world history stuff it only makes sense to like. do the same thing with The world and not have it be abstracted. so yes that was a lot of words to say i think im just gonna move to thinking of the sims as living on Basically earth. In my personal the sims palace that ive made up. this is not to say i personally think of the sims as tkaing place on earth or anything ive just decided to do like. Bc this whole thing is basically an au im making anyway like. taking ts3 sims and making them be from the 1950s thats already Not what the game is like. so ill just make it a Realworld sims au. ok yay 👍 thats all sorry for talking sm abt something so pointless and also for not using a SINGLE paragraph break im basically just writing in this like i write in the tags (stream of consciousness) but the tags have the benefit of being naturally split up so yes i dont think anybody is reading this far. when i was little and playing skyward sword for the first time roughly 7-8 years old i got to the like trial on skyloft and i got so scared i smashed the cd so that i wouldnt have to do it . and then i blamed my dog for it. and i did this even tho lamp had JUST started a skyward sword playthru which idk if i knew at the time but i do feel rly guilty abt it. but i was rly scared. ok thats all

[latenightdaydreams]

I'm thinking how Konig would react when his wife call him with full him in an argument (about culture bc I'm Asian ehe), like it's a sign of seriousness.

It's the same in my culture! I love thinking about giant König just freezing knowing he went too far😶

Laundry Day (fem)

Master List

>cw: fem/afab, argument, fluff

.

.

König has recently retired so that means that he is home constantly now. It means that you both get to spend a lot of time together and you love it, but sometimes he talks to you as Colonel König instead of just your Kö. Today was one of those days.

König comes into the laundry room wearing a towel around his waist as he has just gotten out of the shower. He is holding black workout shorts in his hand with an annoyed look on his face.

“Y/n, you didn’t wash my gym clothes?”

“No, today I only washed bed sheets and towels so far, I’ll get to them.”

“Nien, I told you to wash them last night.” He snaps back quickly.

At this point König is becoming very demanding and his voice has become stern, as if you’re his subordinate. You continue to fold towels and place them into the laundry basket. Trying to remain calm to not make König explode further. After a lifetime in the military, he has remaining traumas and it causes him to act out. You try to not take it so personally, but it’s hard.

“I know, but I wasn’t aware you needed them for today.”

“Of course I would, I work out every day!” He raises his voice slightly.

You take a deep breath, placing the towel down and turning to him. “Yes, but I wasn’t aware that you had no more clean-”

“Why would I ask you if I had clean clothes!” He cuts you off and yells this time.

You tighten your jaw and glare at him. You might be smaller than him, but you aren’t going to just let him walk all over you.

“Maybe next time you should inform me of your schedule and I-”

“Ich bin dein Ehemann! You do what I say, when I ask!” König’s pale face turns bright red as he yells at you, holding up his shorts in a bit of blind rage directed at you.

You’ve had enough, he knows better than to speak to you this way. You toss the basket of clean towels on the floor and turn towards him. The look in your eyes puts fear in the giant man’s heart.

“Alexander Jan König! You DO NOT speak to me that way!” Your voice is loud and stern.

König looks at you with wide eyes and a slack jaw. He is stunned, he isn’t used to people speaking to him like that; especially not his sweet wife. He doesn’t say anything. His face softens and his shoulders drop. His pale blue eyes glued to you, he’s still too scared to move or say anything.

“Do you understand?!”

“Ja-y-yes.” He stumbles over his words as he stands up straight.

“Good!” you walk past him out of the laundry room and he just watches you go before looking back down at the towels on the floor. He listens to you stomp away and slam the bedroom door. He is terrified, but also slightly aroused. 

He quickly bends down and begins to clean up the towels on the floor. He begins to start the washer to clean them again for you, he also plans on drying and folding. He goes back to the bathroom and grabs his own gym clothes and gets them ready to be washed next. 

Going into the kitchen, he saw dishes in the sink and began to wash them for you. He looks at the clock once he is done and only twenty minutes have passed, but he is still in his towel from the shower so he tries to go up into the bedroom to see if you’re okay.

As you sit on the bed with your arms crossed, still angry, you hear a light knock at the bedroom door.

“Liebling?” König’s voice is gentle as if he’s talking to a child.

“What?”

König opens the door slightly and pokes his head in. His eyes meet yours and he smiles at you timidly.

“Hallo mein Herz, can I come in?”

“Sure.”

König walks in like a dog with his tail between his legs. Your eyes travel over his attractive body as he makes his way to the bed and sits at the edge.

“I-I’m sorry…” the words struggle to leave his lips. Not because he doesn’t feel bad, but because his ego is so fucking big. “I’m sorry I snapped.”

You continue to just sit there and look at him as his head is dropped and his gaze is to the floor, “And what else?”

He turns his head to the side to look at you but quickly looks back away when he sees how mad you still are.

“And I’ll never do it again.”

“And?”

“I’ll take you out tonight for dinner, I can buy you whatever you want.”

You just look at him, up and down. A small smile comes up across your lips. You love to see this behemoth war criminal melt at your feet like this.

“Good. I also want a massage.”

“Absolutely.” König nods while he looks at you. “I’m very sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”

König looks at you with a genuine sympathetic look in his eyes. You're the one person in this world that understands him, he never meant to hurt or lash out at you.

“Thank you for apologizing Kö.”

He reaches his hand out for yours with a small smile on his lips. You reach out and intertwin your fingers with his. König can feel himself begin to relax as he squeezes your hand.

[pocketsizedowls]

My Conspiracy Theory about Natlan's Pale Characters

I started playing Genshin Impact around the 3.7 update, right after the Interdarshan Championship. While I wasn't around during the initial spark of outrage against Sumeru due to the characters' overall lack of melanin, I eventually learned a lot about Sumeru's cultural inspirations through the SWANA and South Asian creators in the fandom. I think it's beautiful how we learn about each other's cultures through Genshin, and I believe the designers at Hoyoverse do lots of research to facilitate these conversations. This is why I think it's a shame that Natlan, which features rich Indigenous cultures in the Americas, Africa, and Pacific Islands, features primarily pale characters AGAIN.

While it's possible that through the art, story, and fashion of Natlan we will once again learn about the diverse cultures of Indigenous Americas, West Africa, and the Pacific Islands, I don't think it's enough. Considering a lot of these cultures take pride in their skin color and bodies through tattoos, body paint, and other markings/piercings, Hoyoverse is doing a disservice to today's Latin American, African, and Pacific islander fan base by making the majority of Natlan characters pale. To insensitively cherry-pick what traits of each culture to represent and what to discard is the definition of cultural appropriation and racism, which is such a shame because of how many discussions about culture that Genshin has started since 2020. As a Chinese American player, I'm especially disappointed that the company who educated so many people about my culture is failing my brown and Black friends to such a spectacular degree.

Many people have come up with excuses such as it's just skin, it's just a game, Hoyoverse is a Chinese company so what do you expect, Latin America also has white people, etc. I won't bother debunking these myths because there are plenty of people doing this labor already, but what I do want to bring people's attention to is the fact that many Natlan characters were most likely designed with darker skin in mind. Through fanmade recolorings (here's an example), I noticed that Mualani and Kachina's tan lines and skin details look more pronounced with darker skin, while Xilonen looks more mature and Kinich looks more brooding. Having studied studio art during undergrad, I cannot unsee these intentional artistic decisions and cannot shake the possibility that the researchers and character designers of Hoyoverse were forced by higherups to whitewash everyone at the very last minute. If this is true, I hope Hoyoverse will find some way to reverse their decision or turn a new leaf in the future. Considering many other Chinese games like Reverse: 1999 and Dislyte already have diverse representation and melanated characters, Hoyoverse should find no problem following their lead.

As of right now (i.e. 4.8 update), Genshin players from all over the world are expressing their dissatisfaction with Hoyoverse through boycotts, review bombing, and posting on social media. The Chinese fanbase - Hoyoverse's primary audience - is especially vocal and organized about their efforts, which means if Hoyoverse doesn't notice now, they will notice soon. Despite how much we like using Genshin as an escape from real life, it's important to recognize how insidious the consequences of erasing melanated characters can be. Anti-Blackness and colorism harm people on the daily, which is why we must speak up when a company as big and influential as Hoyoverse is doing the harming.

Thanks for reading! Here are some related threads from X, formally known as Twitter:

Petition to "Stop Cultural Appropriation and Whitewashing in MiHoYo Games"

Valeria Rodriguez, i.e. Surcrose's English VA's thoughts on Natlan

Natlan Characters Look Better with a Dark Skintone

Kaveh rerunning in 4.8 is a ploy for WHAT!?!?!?

We Should All Email Hoyoverse

Official Account for HYV Boycott

[tomatopers]

about the hoyoverse boycott

i just wanted to put my two cents out there, as a South Asian:

We knew, from before anything was out, that Natlan would lack skin tone diversity at bare minimum, so it came as no surprise when these characters showed up; To preface my post, this does not make what happened and what's happening okay.

Why are people mad? Obviously, the skin tones are a big part of it. Yes, lightskinned people exist and live, etc, in these cultures- no, they do not make up 100% of them. What Hoyoverse is doing in Natlan is blatantly profiting off of poc cultures/religion in a disrespectful manner, and they have [once again] failed to acknowledge this. A really obvious example of this is the character "Ororon." I am no expert in Olorun, but as many have said, this character is meant to be based off of the deity.

This is awful- there are NO similarities, "Ororon" looks like my gacha life oc from seventh grade, and the disrespect towards the Yoruba people is insane.

As a twitter user whose tag I forgot mentioned, the majority of the Natlan Characters shown so far have been lighter than Lois Griffin [Family Guy].

Onto the boycott itself- If you are going to boycott Genshin, I recommend also boycotting other Hoyoverse games- being f2p isn't hard either, if you do not want to stop playing completely.

Additionally, I will link a petition to the bottom of this post, as well as some other things you can do to protest this.

I do wish I could have seen more of my and my family's culture in Sumeru, and that this backlash could have also occurred there, but in my honest opinion they did worse with Natlan and I'm glad we as a community are choosing to do something about it.

As a closing piece, I would like to point out the frequency of darker skintones in npcs, specifically enemies; The aggressive POC stereotype is both harmful and obviously incorrect, and people like me do not exist just to be placed constantly in secondary/antagonistic roles. Thanks.

Petition: https://www.change.org/p/stop-cultural-appropriation-and-whitewashing-in-mihoyo-games

Twitter posts about sending a feedback email [and template]: https://x.com/alsoknownasaki/status/1542216133734010881

Update bc I did not research ahead of this like a loser: Sumeru is not any better than Natlan actually!!!! Found out Nahida/Kusanali is likely based off of the Persian goddess Nahid and/or the Hindu goddess Saraswati! Sorry 😭

[maevebabyy]

OBVIOUS

megan skiendiel x fem reader

req! - "Maybe megan x reader (7th member) fluff where they’ve been having feelings for each other for a while but none of them dares to do anything about it, until they end up confessing to each other"

a/n - LETS GOOO FIRST MEGAN FIC

wc - 2.7k

“are you wearing my sweater?” you ask the chinese-american girl who was currently lounging in your bed beside you.

megan glances down at the oversized sweater she was wearing, the sleeves hanging past her fingertips. “mm, yeah. It’s comfy,” she replies, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

you can’t help but chuckle at the casual response you receive from the younger girl. “mhm. you realize that’s the fourth one you’ve taken from me this week?”

she shrugs, a playful grin now spreading across her features. “what can i say? you have nice sweaters. plus, i think they like me better.”

“right, because sweaters have feelings now.” you roll your eyes, feigning annoyance.

at megan’s request, you were once again watching crazy rich asians. leaning back into your pillows some more, megan follows suit, her head resting comfortably on your shoulder.

it had become a ritual of sorts– megan would come over to your room, or vice versa, and you’d settle in and do an activity together. whether it was binge-watching a series, a movie night, or just scrolling mindlessly through tiktok together. sometimes you’d be doing separate activities, the silence comfortable between you two as you continued on with whatever you two did.

the other members knew about yours and megan’s comfortable little routine. often teasing you two about it but still giving you guys the space to enjoy your time together.

“y/n?” megan pauses the movie, pulling you aside from your thoughts.

you turn towards her, curious. “yeah?”

“so, my mom sent me two tickets to the aquarium downtown”

“mhm?”

“do you wanna go together next weekend?”

you don’t put much thought into your answer, you were willing to do anything with megan. “yeah, sounds like fun. why’d your mom send only two tickets though?”

the singaporean shrugs, grinning softly. “dunno, but do you wanna go friday or saturday?”

“let’s go friday.” you reply.

“cool, am i driving or you?”

“i’ll drive,” you chuckle softly, “you suck at parking downton”

megan feigns offense, sitting up slightly, “hey, i”m not that bad at parking.”

you laugh, shaking your head. “like that time you parked in front of a fire hydrant?”

“it was one time!”

-

as the day of the aquarium approached, megan’s excitement quickly transformed into a flurry of nervous energy. she stood in front of her closet, clothes strewn everywhere, while her roommate lara sat cross legged on her bed, watching with an amused expression.

“ugh, why is this so hard?” megan muttered, tossing aside a black graphic tee. “i literally have nothing to wear!”

“you know you can just wear whatever you want, right? it’s not like the fish are gonna judge you.” lara smirks, enjoying the panic in the room.

megan shoots a look at her roommate, her hands resting on her hips. “but what if i wear something too casual? or dressy? i need to look cute, but also comfy! this is a big deal!”

“relax, meg. It’s just a day out with y/n.” the indian girl leans back, grabbing a piece of popcorn from the bowl beside her. “just wear something that you like.”

“are you seriously eating popcorn while i’m stressing out?”

lara laughs at megan’s offended expression. “you’re getting so worked up over this, it’s funny. it’s y/n, megan. i mean, did you even clarify that you wanted this to be a date or does she think this is just another hangout?”

the ‘06 girl flushes at slightly at lara’s question. “i-i mean, i haven’t exactly said anything. i thought she’d maybe pick up on the hints!”

lara snorts a little, “yeah, keyword: maybe. you know that girl is as dense as a rock!”

“could i be more obvious?” megan groans, “i mean– i’ve stolen like half her sweaters at this point.”

“we steal each other’s clothes all the time, megan” lara grabs some more popcorn. “you need to be more forward. just tell her how you feel!”

“way easier said than done, lara” megan huffed, plopping down onto her bed in frustration. “what if she doesn’t feel the same way? what if i ruin everything? i don’t wanna ruin our friendship.”

“meg, are we talking about the same y/n? the same one who willingly lets you into her room anytime you want?” lara laughs, throwing a piece of popcorn at the girl to get her up. 

“yes, lara! who else?” megan huffs once more.

“oh my god, you’re so down bad for her” lara laughs once more, prompting megan to hold up her pillow threateningly.

“okay, okay!” lara throws her hands up in defense as she finally gets up from her bed. “let’s get this outfit situation sorted out.”

-

meanwhile, in your room, you had some soft music playing in the background– oblivious to the chaos happening in megan and lara’s shared bedroom.

manon sat in your gaming chair, scrolling through instagram on her phone.

“manon, what do you think?” you ask, holding up some baggy black jeans, a black shirt, and a blue/white zip up cardigan.

the swiss girl glances up from her phone towards you, “that looks good, what shoes are you gonna wear with it?”

“probably just my black forces.” you reply, “i’m gonna go change in the bathroom really quick.”

you head off into the direction of the house bathroom, chuckling softly to yourself as you pass by lara and megan’s shared bedroom– briefly hearing the commotion inside.

you go into the bathroom, pulling up the baggy jeans and slipping into the black shirt. as you put on the cardigan, you glace at yourself in the mirror. you looked presentable, you think.

feeling satisfied, you head back into your room, showing off the outfit to manon. “did the vision eat?” you ask, striking a pose.

manon looks up from her phone again, taking in your outfit. “oooh, okay, yeah, the vision ate.” she replies, giggling lightly. 

“mm, thanks. i figured i should i should at least look presentable since we’re actually going out somewhere.” you lay down on your bed, pulling out your phone to check the time. you’d be leaving in about ten minutes. “megan’s been looking forward to this all week.”

manon raises an eyebrow, a knowing smile creeping onto her face. “are you sure this isn’t more than just a friendly outing? you seem a bit extra for just hanging out.”

you roll your eyes, trying to play it cool. “it’s not like that… or maybe it is? i don’t know.” you chuckle, feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation.

“you’re both painfully so obvious, y/n.” manon giggles.

“shut up,” you chuckle, rolling your eyes. “this is just another hangout”

“mhm, hangout.” the ‘02 girl teases.

“yes, hangout.” you say stretch your limbs as you get out of your bed, grabbing your car keys off your desk. “anyway, we’re gonna go now.”

manon waves you goodbye, smirking softly, “mhm, use protection y/n!”

you flip her off before leaving your room, shaking your head softly at your friend’s antics.

-

you arrived at the aquarium, the sun casting a warm glow on the entrance as you stepped out of your car. the building was massive, which was to be expected considering it was the top rated aquarium within los angeles.

“damn, this place is massive” you chuckle, taking in the sight.

“it gets better inside” megan says happily, a wide grin plastered on her face.

“you’ve been here before?” 

“yeah, with my parents when i was younger.” she nods at your question, gently tugging you along towards the entrance of the aquarium. “c’mon, let’s go y/n!”

the moment you entered, the soft sounds of water splashing and the vibrant colours of fish swimming greeted you. the expansive lobby featured large glass windows showcasing a massive tank filled with dazzling marine life, instantly gaining your attention. families milled about, kids pointing excitedly at the various sea creatures, laughter ringing through the air. couples held hands, taking selfies with the colourful backdrop if the fish swimming by, and the atmosphere was alive with joy.

you and megan wandered in, her eyes wide with awe as she pointed out a school of colourful fish darting around. “look at them!” she exclaimed, tugging at the sleeve of your cardigan, her enthusiasm infectious. you couldn’t help but smile at how excited she was.

“yeah, they’re really pretty” you reply, taking in the sight of megan pointing at the school of fish. as you walked further into the aquarium, you both marveled at the vibrant displays of marine life– jellyfish floating gracefully, a gigantic tank filled with a variety of tropical fish, and even a shark (which megan pretended to kiss.)

after a while, you noticed the temperature inside the aquarium had dropped a bit. megan rubbed her arms, shivering slightly.

you notice the small action, and, without thinking, you slipped off your cardigan and draped it over her shoulders. “here, take this. you look like you need it more than i do.”

the younger looks up at you, surprise shrinking in her eyes. “you sure? i don’t want you to end up cold now.”

“it’s fine, really. i’ve got a t-shirt underneath,” you assured her, grinning as you adjusted your cardigan around her. the sleeves fell just past her fingertips, making her look adorably snug. “see? you look great.”

“thanks, y/n.” she smiled, her cheeks slightly pink, probably from the cold, as she pulled the cardigan tighter around herself.

you both continued exploring, the chill forgotten as you moved deeper into the aquarium. families and couples were everywhere, kids squealing with delight as they spotted turtles and sharks. the atmosphere was lively, yet peaceful, filled with laughter and soft sounds of water splashing.

as you wandered through the exhibits, the noise gradually faded, giving way to a more intimate setting. the path led you to a quieter section, where the tanks were surrounded by dimmed lighting. here, couples were taking their time, sharing hushed conversations and leaning into each other, completely absorbed in the experience.

“wow, it feels different back here,” you remark, glancing at megan, who was watching a mesmerizing display of jellyfish pulsating gracefully into the water.

“yeah, it’s nice,” she replies softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “i love how peaceful it is.”

you shared a comfortable silence, watching the jellyfish dance, their translucent bodies glowing softly in the dim light. the ambiance felt intimate, almost magical, as if the world outside had faded away. just then, as you turned to move on, you spotted an ice cream shop tucked away in a cozy corner. a sign outside read: “free ice cream for couples!”

you raise an eyebrow, curiosity piqued, “look megan, free ice cream. is that why there’s so many couples around?”

megan’s eyes light up, a playful glint shining though as she follows your gaze. “oh my god! they still do that?”

“do what?”

she turns towards you, a wide grin on across her face. “you get free ice cream if you kiss your partner in front of them! my parents did this for me when we went last time to get me ice cream. i can’t believe they still do this!”

another comfortable silence falls between you two, before megan breaks it first. “do you wanna get some ice cream?

you hesitated, a mix of nerves and uncertainty swirling in your stomach. “i mean… ice cream would be nice, but we’d have to kiss first, right?” 

the 06’s playful smile turned into a mischievous grin, “exactly! come on, it’ll just be a quick peck. it’ll be quick!”

you swallowed, the thought of kissing her sending your heart into overdrive. “i don’t know… it might be awkward.”

“it won’t be! it’ll be quick, y/n!” she insisted, leaning in a little closer, her enthusiasm spilling over to you. “plus, think about the ice cream!”

you chuckle, glancing back at the shop. contemplation apparent on your face.

megan rolled her eyes dramatically, playfully nudging you. “you think too much, y/n, it’ll be a quick kiss.”

the more you thought about it, the more appealing the idea became. megan said it herself right? it wouldn’t be awkward?.  after a moment’s pause, you finally relented. “okay. just a quick kiss, and then we get ice cream.”

her eyes sparkled with excitement. “exactly, just a peck, and then we can indulge.”

as you both walked toward the ice cream shop, you felt a mix of anticipation and nervousness. the cheerful attendant smiled knowingly as you approached. “hi there! to get your free ice cream, you just need to kiss!”

you glance over at megan, who was practically glowing with excitement. she smiled softly at you, letting you know that she’s ready whenever you are.

what if i mess this up? what if it’s too awkward? you thought, feeling your heart race as megan leaned closer. but her smile was so genuine, and the warmth of her presence made you want to lean in too. 

you leaned in, feeling the warmth radiating between you. you noticed her fidgeting with the hem of your cardigan, a nervous habit you had come to recognize, and you could feel your own pulse quickening. the air felt thick with anticipation, the faint scent of her vanilla perfume swirling around you. you could hear your heart pounding in your ears as you leaned in closer, the world around you fading away.

the moment felt electric, and as your lips brushed against hers– soft and tentative– you lost yourself in it. time seemed to freeze as you both leaned into the kiss, a sweet connection forming in that brief moment.

when you finally pulled away, both of you were breathless, a mix of surprise and delight evident on your faces. “wow,” megan breathed, her cheeks flushed. “that was… nice.”

you nod your head in response, still breathless. it was definitely not just a peck.

the attendant handed you both cups of ice cream, a now forced grin on his face, “i was only really looking for a brief kiss but here are your ice creams.”

you both nod sheepishly– feeling a little embarrassed, thanking the attendant as you grab your two cups of vanilla ice cream. 

you both wandered to a small seating area nearby, the ice cream shop fading into the background as you settled into a more intimate space. you sat side by side, eating your ice cream.

unsure of what to make of the silence between you two, you tease her lightly. “does it taste like how you remember?”

megan grins softly at the tease, “it tastes better, actually.”

you hum, savouring your ice cream, letting silence fall between you two again.

megan looked at you, her expression shifting to something more serious. “so… about that kiss,” she started, her tone slightly nervous.

“yeah?” you prompted, your heart racing again.

she took a deep breath, her cheeks still tinged pink. “i really like you, y/n. like, a lot more than just friends.” her gaze held yours, steady and sincere.

your heart soared at her confession. after months of dancing around these unspoken feelings you two were finally going to talk about it.

“i like you too, megan. I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now, but i wasn’t sure how.”

a laugh of relief escaped her, her smile brightening. “so i was being obvious? i mean, stealing your sweaters, constantly going to your room for sleepovers…”

“trust me, i noticed,” you admitted, grinning, “i was just scared i was reading it all wrong.”

“i guess being direct really is the best way to clear things up” megan giggles lightly.

you chuckle along with her, “what made you decide this anyway? like, i mean, confess?”

“lara told me to woman up.” she laughs a bit louder.

you laugh along softly, “to be fair, i don’t think i would’ve tried anything unless you said something straight up.”

“i can see that now.” she giggles, taking another bite of her ice cream, then looks back at you with a playful flint in her eye. “so, what now?”

you consider for a moment, a smile creeping onto your face again. “honestly, probably the same exact thing we’ve been doing, except, more kisses and a label?”

“sounds perfect to me, y/n.”

a/n - rushed and not proofread 😭🙏

[haedalkoo]

Do you have a favorite thing about the way the boys speak as individuals (can be about their general type of speech, words/phrases they use, etc.)? Can be jimin and jungkook or any of bts!

For example, I don't speak korean, but jimin's speech always sounds so soft and comforting. Even when he's not trying to be cute, he still sounds so sweet. Armys joke about kindergarten teacher jimin, but I really do feel like even his voice and speech give that gentle vibe.

This is the cutest thing you could've asked me! Let's go in order:

Namjoon: I love the way he mixes Korean and English so seamlessly. I think he has two modes, Serious-Leader-Speech, very eloquent and straight to the point, carefully chosen words; and Regular Kim Namjoon, still all of those things but super cute, he rambles a lot and mixes languages and tends to use a lot of slang? He def lurks online. But guys, he's also so poetic. He sounds like he's reading a beautiful novel. He always sounds super polite too (when he's calm I guess!! he can get super hyped up lol) but he doesn't slur his words, it's so easy to understand him even though sometimes his vocab is really precise and advanced. OMG AND he doesn't have an accent!! BUT he imitates the members satoori and it's super goofy bc he's not great at it, so it's like his own made-up satoori.

Seokjin: Jin is an amazing speaker. I think the actor training has a lot to do with this, but he has such a good voice for narration and when he speaks in korean interviews he sounds super gentle and eloquent. IDK how to describe it, but he has a v specific tone and pauses in a very unique way, making his tone very melodic and almost like a news anchor hahaha. But when he's talking to the guys he loses that formality and he stresses random words that give him a kind of goofy tone? And he uses a lot of expressions like “야” (yah) or “으아” (euah) as sentence fillers. Again, like Joon, no satoori!

Yoongi: oh he's by far the member I have the most trouble understanding. He slurs his words a lot, starting off somewhat strong but almost losing the entire ending of the sentence. I'm sure you know what I mean even if you don't understand him. A friend once mentioned to me that his pronounciation of the letter ㅆ is not as strong as it should be, tending to sound more like a regular 's' sound like in the letter ㅅ. This is apparently due to his accent! Also, like Joon, to me he tends to sound really poetic, maybe more unconciously than Joon bc I feel like he's really deliberate with his words and Yoongi is more spontaneous. As a sentence filler, he clicks his tongue a lot and sucks in air (something I think JK has also taken from him)

Hoseok: Hobi always brings a smile to my face. I think his accent is the most notable (or maybe I just catch it better than the other's, especially since it's different from the rest of the members' given he's from Jeolla.) His entonation varies a lot, it's very melodic but in an energetic way because of this accent. He also ends sentences with 잉, ing, a lot, which leads to those "said cutely" translations. HE LOOVES onomatopoeias and adding random noises when he's doing things or describing smth. He's just a really fun guy to listen to. I noticed he uses 되게 (dwege) as a filler.

Jimin: you were right, anon. Jimin is incredibly soft-spoken and extremely careful about his words, that's why he tends to mutter or start sentences over and over again to convey the feelings he tries to express. This leads into very long sentences, with a lot of what I call 'pleasing' expressions. This is, Korean (like other Asian languages such as Japanese) is a very indirect language. When you want to express your disagreement with something, you don't straight out say 'I don't like this' or if you're telling someone to do smth differently, you don't say 'be careful next time, don't do that'. You say things like 'in the future, i believe that if you are able to do so it might be benefitial if this issue were handled in a different way' (this is a random example). Your sentences get endless bc you add words and politeness that softens the blow of your different opinion. Jimin does that more than other members who tend to be more blunt, like YG, TH or JK. I think this has changed over the years with the growing international fandom, but he used to sound really informal in his vlives to sound like an old friend with armys. now I think he expresses his outmost respect for us by speaking really formally and in ways that are easy to automatically translate. I also read he has some "feminine" speech patterns, since Kr is a very gendered language in the sense that girls and boys have diff sentence endings or words they use. I think this kinda contributes to how softspoken he is.

Taehyung: Tae's speech is all over the place, but he's extremely sensible and I think he offers the most unique metaphors when he's being sentimental. He's very heartwarming, but sometimes it's hard to understand him because he changes the subject, grammatical order or point of his sentences a lot to adjust to the speed in which things are coming out of his mind. This has gotten better over the years, though. I think age has offered him a sense of calm that allows words to flow better than in the early years of bangtan, where he was an excited puppy. He pauses a lot between sentences, saying "ohh" quite often, and he has a bunch of characteristic filler words like 약간 (yakhan, a bit) or 이제 (ije, now). If you watch the run bts ep where they forbid words for each member, I think ije was one of those for Tae.

Jungkook: guys he's so cute. I'm so grateful that he started doing lives more often, bc I always got the impression he struggled to put his thoughts into words more than other members and that's why he shied away from giving speeches. He still has a lot in his mind, but when he's not in a rush, he pauses a lot and stumbles over his words without shame until he gets the thought out. He speaks really really fast when animated, mumbling and slurring his syllables (that's why it's so hard for me to translate the travel show without proper subs.) We all know he has a lisp, I believe it might be a characteristic of his Busan accent, which is quite present on the regular (in contrast with Jimin, who sometimes forces it out, often around JK. He even joked that he was losing it a little). When he's directing his words to army, he tends to be really soft-spoken and formal, speaking in a way that you know comes from a place in his heart. He also uses a lot of onomatopoeias when describing things, and he adds cute endings to his words just like Hobi (my aegyo kings.)

[so-bitya]

Whitewashing in Anime - Agni ft. Cithis

Browns of the Same Shade

Hello again! I decided to revisit this topic again now that we have Agni's official appearance in the anime. I also wanted to go over some aspects that I did not get to include in my first post.

In the end, Agni also got lightened! His skin tone was always somewhat darker than Soma's in both the anime and manga appearances. Yana does describe his appearance as a "dark-skinned woman" in her genderbend sketches. So, for the anime to lighten him this much to such an degree is disappointing.

The skin diversity in the anime has been pretty lacking so far. Once again, A1 studios was not perfect, but they did manage to give all three Indian characters different dark skin tones, while this anime has every Indian generally the same lightened shade.

(every indian character in the anime are the same skin tone... cloverworks stand up, you can't let a-1 studios beat you like this)

Personal opinion of mine, I feel like animation studios aren't willing to play with skin color values as much anymore. I remember even seeing white characters being various shades of brown, especially under certain lighting and environments. Unlike now, when every character looks bleached the second they hit the sun.

I also wanted to review what I think of Soma's appearance. Soma's skin tone isn't any darker than it was in the teaser shot sadly, so we can't blame the lighting. I already was expecting it, but it's still a shame.

One positive feature I'll give to the anime is that Soma's nose isn't pronounced all the time. In certain scenes, his nose isn't as sharp as it would be for other characters. I believe that's just the style for the anime and its dependent on the shot.

Anyway, I felt this image was pretty on topic with Soma and Agni's situation and just anime remakes/reboots in general lately:

Brown ≠ Grey

Something I'm embarrassed I forgot in my last post is saturation! I mentioned often how darker skin tones tend to be neglected, but not only that, but the color! The vibrancy in the skin, the life!

A common feature I noticed, especially in East Asian media, is how they avoid the "brown" in dark-skinned characters, by constantly making their skin tone duller, ending up with more grey-toned skin.

I often see art advice for digital artists that they should pick desaturated colors or colors in the "grey zone" as to not overwhelm the art piece. Which is fine most of the time! But when you apply that advice for brown skin, what you get are mostly grey tones, and end up having your character look like a zombie.

Here are some colors I randomly picked. The colors on the left are those sandy, dull grey tones I was talking about. If you want to get those richer, deeper-toned browns, you need to pick colors with more saturation like the ones on the right.

Now of course, color is relative and you can't just color pick your way around without considering how it fits in with the rest of the piece. You can even end up washing out your brown character despite choosing a strong brown color. You have to consider the background, lighting, undertones, the environment, and how they'll affect your character. There may even be times desaturated colors work better, but you have to at least consider why it works "better".

Let's take a look at everyone's favorite manga artist right now, Ryoko Rui! Ryoko Rui is praised often for her diverse character roster and creature design, however I always found her darker skin tones rather... lacking, as such for the elf Cithis.

(I color picked her skin tone and it matched my light grey shades above lol)

Her skin tone is very washed out and grey. She not nearly as dark as she appears in the manga. Once again, there's that dissonance between skin tones. Now take a look at the manga's grey tones.

When you see this, what skin tone do you imagine for her? Do you imagine the greyish, washed out tones from above or do you imagine something more akin to these black fae models I found?

(credit: @jaharajayde on twitter and @glassmarigolds on pinterest)

I'll give Rui credit that her color illustrations of Cithis improved and she's gotten better giving Cithis stronger undertones. I really like how the fandom has been illustrating her too, there's been some amazing fanart of Cithis such as these (the lighting in the last one is lovely).

Just adding saturation helps so much with skin tone. I even found an fan edit of Soma that added more color back into his skin, and he looks so much better for it.

One might say, "Oh what's wrong with having grey skin tones in a fantasy story!" Well... nothing really! You can have green or purple or blue characters if you like. But when there's already a startlingly lack of brown characters in a fantasy story, it can get awfully uncomfortable seeing the story portray different fantasy "races" with obviously non white racial features... but don't want to include any black/brown skin tones.

(fantasy artists would sooner give an orc dreads than a human, forget a "noble" creature like an elf... such decisions only reveals the artists' viewpoints)

It all just comes back down to avoiding that dreaded "brown". When it comes to these "reasons", we have to question whether they aren't just more excuses to not include black and brown people in stories, which makes me come to my next point:

Essence of Brown

There's some severe misinformation I want to address about Soma. I saw a fan a while ago say that Soma has a white mother which explains why he has light skin.

Firstly, that information is false. It was a concept Yana had for Soma, but quickly decided to drop it. Soma is not half white.

In the early drafts of the series, Soma had a white mother and, thus, white skin. However, this was later omitted in final revisions.

(quoted from the official kuroshitsuji wiki as an excerpt from the character guide)

Yes, you can have mixed parents and any kind of skin tone really! But it feels... dishonest to create "reasons" why the manga's first major Indian character, joining a cast of white people in a European country, should have white skin as well. Especially considering Yana's artstyle, without Soma's skin tone and Indian wardrobe, is his physical characteristics like his face even distinguishable enough for him not to be mistaken as white?

Imagine I wrote a story set in France, and teased an appearance of an African character in story that only had white characters until now, only for him to be completely white in appearance, and identical to every other white man, except for the occasionally exotic dress and other drab stereotypes.

What would you think? That his race is only a dressing to fulfill an exotic need at times? That he's a supposed homage to another culture, but it's wrong to have him actually look like the majority of people who made said culture? Why is he even this way?

Did he have a white parent? A white upbringing? Lived in a white culture, lived a white life? Maybe he was separated from birth! From his hometown, his country, his people, anything to justify why my "brown" character is so divorced from that part of his identity, from that side of the family whose skin tone runs a little too dark.

And I think that's why Yana decided to drop the concept of giving him a white mother. Why go through all those loopholes and explanations? Why all that justification for him to have white skin?

It's just another way to avoid the "browness" again for a character, what makes them brown in the first place and related to black/brown cultures. It's what we should consider in the future when we find ourselves coming up with "reasons" why black/brown characters should be anything but themselves.

Whitewashing in Anime - Soma ft. Usopp

[da-shrimping-station]

thinking about the OM cast with an Asian MC who is strict about using honorifics no matter what

for us Asians, that shit's programmed and taught to us since day 1 and even if they're in Hell, i don't think an Asian MC will let that go so easily 😭 not to mention everyone is technically their elder so politeness in thrown in the mix too

the brothers would be so confused and weird about it cuz??? they have names, they're chill with MC calling them by name and not to mention they live under the same roof

why would they insist on being so formal and call them Sir???

Lucifer, Diavolo, and Barbatos would find it funny and a little bit endearing.

Diavolo is amused and is happy to hear him being addressed in another way other than 'your highness'

Barbatos thinks you shouldn't call him sir at all but is glad that you at least have manners.

Lucifer also thinks you shouldn't call him sir, but hey at least someone in the household outwardly respects him 😭

The rest of the brothers would be very shocked and would actively dissuade you from calling them sir. Asmo especially. Tho I can imagine Mammon and Leviathan being so flustered.

As for the angels, Simeon somewhat understands but gently reminds you to call him by his name. Luke tripped on nothing when he was called sir the first time.

The only one who would really get it is Solomon. But he would actively convince you to call him something more casual instead. Like big brother or whichever honorific for an older man that implies closeness. Call him uncle and he dies a little inside whenever he hears it. He is in utter disbelief.

Once they learn how it all works, it's a race on who gets to the most intimate/affectionate form of honorific first.

For Filipinos, it can go from Sir to Tito (uncle) or Kuya/Manong (big brother). And to take it a step further there's the never-ending terms for best friend (bes, beshie, beb, babs, tol, pare, mare, bff, lab, etc (i swear we come up w something new every year for it))

And then there's also the ultimate form of closeness: bestowing a nickname for them.

At this point, once Asian MC does away with the honorifics and sticks to the nicknames, you could say they're pretty damn close.

This is also the time when they better be afraid when MC calls them by their actual names. You're in biiiiig trouble. What color do you want your casket to be?

"Lulu, did you eat lunch today?"

"..."

"Lucifer, don't make me ask again."

"Shit."

Thank you for coming to my Tedtalk 🦐

[cherrylimecider]

>> college hockey player! ellie williams x reader

Ellie is the all star hockey player winning multiple championships for the University of Washington. She’s cocky a player and incredibly insufferable to you.

You’re the All-Star perfect student, easing every test and assignment in the architecture department at the University of Washington. You’re cocky, perfect and incredibly insufferable to Ellie.

When you encounter your ex-girlfriend at a party, you strike a deal with Ellie Williams to pretend to be your girlfriend for the hockey season. It gets too complicated to keep up with…

Read more on ao3 or wattpad @teawice 🤍

snippet from chapter 1:

The music is still blasting and yet it feels so quiet in here. If anyone knows the extent of what happened between me and Abby, it's Dina. Dina who was there for me when the falling out happened. Dina who came to check up on me everyday and made sure I brushed my teeth, Dina who would send texts to make sure I ate. So, as we stood there in our glaring battle, she quickly grabs my hand and in her motherly tone says, "Whatever is happening here." She gestures. "It's done, let's go, y/n."

"What's the rush, Dina?" I resist. "Everything is perfectly fine." I squeezed her hand in comfort and then let go. I glance back and forth from Dina to Abby. "You and I are still here to have fun and celebrate, and no blonde is going to ruin our night, besides I've moved on to better..."

"You what?" Dina asks, not picking up on any of my bluff and whatever drunken stupidity is going to slip from my mouth. She whispers, "Girl, what are you doing."

"So, who's the unfortunate gal?" Abby says as she is still there leaning against Owen, watching all this about to fall out.

If there's anything about me, I may be the most painfully prideful person in this room (aside from Abby, of course). If lying will get me to the top, then so be it. It doesn't help that I also chose a career that required me to have thick skin and learn to desensitize criticism given to me. Instead of succumbing to Abby like I have for the past year, I just really want to stick it to her for once. Show her that I will always be better, always win, that she was just a chapter that I could close and never think about again. So, everything that I was about to say may have been one of the dumbest decisions I have ever made, but the look on her face made it all worth it for a solid five seconds.

"Oh, you know, just the captain of the lady husky hockey team." I shrug as say with a casual attitude, trying to one-up Abby. 

"Oh my god." Dina mumbles as if finally catching on to whatever drunken nonsense I was doing. In the corner of my eyes, I could see her pinch the bridge of her nose. She must be so proud of me for sticking it to Abby.

"You're dating Ellie Williams?" Abby asks.

She is not proud of me. Dina had not informed me that Ellie was appointed as the new captain, and it was fair because Dina knew Ellie and I could not stand each other as Dina is, separately, both of our best friends. Doesn't help that Dina and I have been to busy to catch up as well.

The only reason I said the captain of the women's hockey team was because I knew Cat was the captain, or so I thought. Cat and I hung out once or twice and I knew she had a small crush on me after Ellie broke up with her. Cat was a pretty Asian girl, covered in pretty tattoos, dark hair that was exactly my type. So, bringing her up would have been easy to cover up, I could have said we are just hooking up and that its nothing serious. Only, I didn't know that Ellie freaking Williams was now the captain of the hockey team.

Ellie Williams, who is very much not into me and if she does date around, it's serious. If there's one thing, I learned from Dina is that Ellie isn't the type to mess around or be a sleeze. She's the type that's dedicated to her craft, her sport. Ellie who I know doesn't like me because I'm "too uptight." It's not like she's the most relaxed person ever either. Sure, she is cool and has a ton of friends, the press loves her look and her happy attitude, but I'm the one who knows that she herself is just as cocky as I am. Inconsistent of her if you ask me.

Last spring, I ran into her while in line to get coffee. I tried to hold a small conversation since it would be awkward if I just ignored her as if we weren't right next to each other in line. It was casual, nothing serious, just the usual "how's life, how's class, how's hockey?" basic questions as a friendly gesture. Ellie had the driest responses as if to get me to stop. That was my final effort to be friendly and right after, I sent a text to Dina about what had happened.

Ellie Williams in a million years would never give me the time of day, not a word, not even a look. And I had just proposed that Ellie Williams is my girl.

Like a deer in the headlights, I just scratch the back of my neck. But I can't just back out now, Abby is standing in front of me, in full understanding of my dislike for Ellie and her own dislike for her. With all the drinks I have had within the last thirty minutes, the only logical response to the situation is to keep going.

Dina is most certainly not proud.

"Of course," I say with confidence.

"Really?" Abby says trying to catch my bluff.

"Yeah, its been a month now."

"Wasn't she just with Cat?"

"That's old news, Abby. Jeez you're just late with everything huh?"

"We are leaving now y/n." Dina grabs my hand and tries to drag me away.

"You know I am on team now, right?" Abby says.

The pit in my stomach has grown into a full Olympic sized swimming pool. I feel my hands and feet go cold. My eyes shift to Dina's and we both think the same thing. She hasn't had the time to tell me anything in a while, so this was news that never got to me. I just dug my grave.

Before getting too lost in my thoughts, I feel a warm and strong hand around my waist accompanied with warm coffee sent. "Hey babe, I was looking for you."

I looked to my right and check to see who it is, only I knew who it was as soon as the voice spoke and the sent reached my nose.

Ellie fucking Williams.

Read more on ao3 or wattpad @teawice 🤍

[loganwritesprobably]

First Meeting.. P4 (One Piece Edition)

Part one with Ace, Law and Sanji Part two with Zoro, Robin and Luffy Part three with Crocodile, Mihawk and Buggy

Here is the final three characters I planned on writing for this: Benn, Shanks and Smoker! If anyone is interested in seeing this with other characters, my requests are open. All readers are gender neutral, so everyone is welcome to enjoy. No Y/N is used!

Requests are open for x reader things! I will write basically ANY kind of reader - male, female, non-binary, gender neutral, trans, disabled, black, white, latino, asian, neurodivergent, etc

AO3 | Fanfic Masterlist | Request Rules | Fic Trades Guide | WIPs

Notes: For Smoker it's kind of a first re-meeting but.. that totally still counts

Generally, men that much older than you weren't your thing - but men that much older than you weren't usually that attractive. Like, this guy was hotter than 90% of the people you saw come into port. You had a rule though, you didn't flirt with people just passing through. It wasn't worth the trouble of maybe getting attached, just for them to leave again. You knew for sure that this guy would be leaving again fairly soon when you saw him interacting so casually with Emperor Red Hair Shanks. Not worth the trouble on any level.

A young woman approached your stall and struck up conversation with you, and you fell into what you knew how to do - shifting stock. An older man in town had hired you to run the market stall he owned selling animal produce, because he was getting too old to be spending so much time on his feet and in the sun. You took the job happily. A man then approached, asking about the various things you had, and you continued with what you knew best. You told him about the milks and cheeses, the furs and the meats, and he just nodded along with a list of things in hand. You told him about each product, but he just stood there looking at his list, a little clueless. "Do you want to give that list to me, and I'll get what you need?" You offered, and the man just handed the list to you with a sheepish expression. You laughed good-naturedly and took it, grabbing things quickly to set on the counter for the man to take.

You turned your back to the main window, getting a few other things listed, and when you turned back to the man once again, the hot older guy was stood there too. "Come on Yassop, you know better by now." The guy said with a sigh, but he looked fond. Both pirates then. You set the final things down and counted up the total, writing it down on the list that had been handed to you so they could keep that as a record of their expenses. "That is everything from your list." You said, pointedly speaking to the man that had been identified as Yassop rather than the handsome man. "Ouch, don't think I've ever seen you be ignored quite like that Benn." Yassop said, and sudden understanding dawned on you. Benn. Benn Beckman. You felt a little stupid for not realising sooner, not that you'd exactly spent much time thinking about pirates. You had bigger problems. "Hey, I have to leave some for the rest of you." Benn seamlessly joked back, and Yassop took the list back from you, which he passed to Benn for him to look at while you packaged everything they'd bought in paper and into bags.

Benn was the one to pay, and his fingers brushed yours as he handed over the berri for everything they'd bought. A little spark lit as you touched, which you tried very hard to ignore. You didn't care. Nobody that's visiting, you'd promised yourself. "You're damn gorgeous, by the way." Benn said, and you knew you were already fucked.

You were a pirate. You didn't like to call yourself or your crew nobodies.. but hey, sometimes things that hurt a little were true. Tiny bounties, very few fights on your records, and little to no concerns of being tracked down by marines or by bounty hunters. So you were living the pirate life on easy mode for the most part, which you weren't really complaining about, you couldn't imagine having to learn how to really be a pirate whilst being hunted. You and your crew were in a random bar on a random island, drinking them out of house and home - but you were paying them, at least.

Your crew were yelling and laughing together, and it made you smile. You'd been looking over some paperwork (and why did being a pirate involve paperwork?), with a drink in hand, letting them have their fun. Most of them were a little younger than you, and if not physically then certainly mentally. Your head shot up as the door swung open to reveal some older men whose faces you recognised. Lucky Roux, Yassop, Limejuice, Hongo, Benn Beckman. The Red Hair Pirate crew. You didn't think this was one of their islands, you'd have noticed you were sure of it, so there was nothing wrong with you being there.

You sat very still for a few minutes, just watching what they would do, and how your crew was reacting. They were mostly oblivious, which was fine, as long as they weren't running your mouth they'd probably be okay. The Red Hair pirates also didn't seem to pay your crew any mind, which you weren't exactly surprised by.

When the door opened again, letting more sunlight into the relatively dark venue, the more experienced pirates looked up and laughed and cheered. Enter Emperor Red Hair Shanks. He was a sight to behold. You could feel his strength radiating from him, and damn he was handsome. You wondered if the rumours of his flirtatious personality held any stock, because you certainly wouldn't mind being flirted with. The man looked around the room, and as if he could hear your thoughts, his eyes locked on you. You looked quickly back down at your paperwork, but couldn't see any of the words. He didn't approach immediately, but a few minutes later someone did sit at your table with you. You looked up to find Shanks, with a drink in hand. "Your drink looks pretty empty, can I get you a refill?"

Once upon a time, you'd been training to be a marine, alongside Smoker. Not anymore. You'd seen some of the things that the marines were willing to do to civilians first hand and you hadn't been able to reconcile that with what you wanted to do with your life. Rather, you became a pirate. Yes, both pirates and marines had the power to do both bad and good things, but pirates didn't answer to a higher power in the way that marines did. You could choose to do good every day, and you didn't have to ask permission - so that was what you did.

More than anything, you were a travelling doctor. Your crew didn't fight, and neither did you really. You were all more than capable, but it was a last resort, because you all intended to do good as much and as often as you could.

Smoker had continued onward into the marines, and you'd lost a valuable friend.

You were in Alabasta, aware that the warlord Sir Crocodile kept the citizens safe, but one of your crew members wanted to visit home, and it never hurt to check in. You found devastation. Most of your crew members at least knew basic first aid, and so you deployed in pairs or trios to different towns to try to treat those that you found still alive. They were dying en masse of dehydration, and those who weren't dying from dehydration were suffering sunstroke, or illnesses they already had were worsened. You came across many a drunk child, because a mother decided alcohol was better than total dehydration, and you appreciated that they were trying. You gave away the ship's entire stock of fresh water, and your shipwright showed everyone how to build water filtration systems, so that you could show that to the citizens too. Then, you were able to distribute salt water that could be filtered into drinking water.

You were there for weeks. Then the marines flew through.

"What are you-" A familiar voice called out, and you froze where you were patching up a child's leg wound from collapsing. You took a deep breath, and checked the wrap, then stood to face Smoker. "Hello, Smoker." You said, voice soft, and he couldn't seem to find a response.

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Precious Truths: Part 14

Fandom: Bridgerton

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x F!Reader

Summary: After your father finds out you’ve been writing under a male pseudonym, he threatens to marry you off to an atrocious man unless you find yourself a husband within a month’s time.

A/N: yall i still can't believe sophie is asian. im so frickin happy dude. yerin is gonna be amazing. i just know it. anyway, enjoy!

Series Masterlist

You hide behind your hand as you snort with laughter. Benedict is beaming beside you. Hearing your laughter again makes his heart soar.

After your mother-in-law granted permission for his visitation, he immediately prepared himself for the trip to France. He was excited to see you, but he was also nervous. Therefore, he dragged Eloise with him. His younger sister wasn't in the mood to witness another pair of lovesick fools, however, she had never been to France. So she took up the opportunity to regardless. At the moment, a part of her regrets accompanying her brother.

"Hang on, how did you not know she was married?" Eloise asks Benedict.

"I never saw her wear a ring and her home didn't seem like a man lived in it!"

You chuckle, shaking your head, "How is it you always find yourselves in such situations, Ben?"

"Because he is an idiot, Y/N," Eloise responds and you laugh. Your laughter even brings a smile on Eloise's face, "Sorry to change the subject, but I hope you have been well, Y/N."

You softly smile at the young woman you always saw as a sister, "I'm getting better, Eloise. It definitely helps that you and Ben are here," you rest a hand on Benedict's and Eloise's, "Your company was very much needed."

"Always here to help," Benedict says softly.

"You didn't say long you'll be staying here for."

"Madame Montclair has allowed us a week, unless you grow tired of us."

You scoff, "I will never grow tired of you, Ben," realizing what you said you add, "And you, Eloise! Don't tell your siblings, but you two are probably my favorite Bridgertons."

Eloise hums, "Oh, please, Y/N. We already knew that," she bumps your shoulder with a cheeky grin and you two giggle.

Benedict watches as you and Eloise discuss your current works. Every once in a while, you'd turn to him and ask him a question. And every time your eyes fall upon him, the world goes quiet and he feels at ease.

________________________

Benedict gets along well with your mother and father-in-law. They, too, are fond of the arts and are in deep conversation with Benedict and his time at the academy here in France.

You can't help but feel a sense of pride fill you as Monsieur and Madame Montclair laugh at Benedict's jokes, praise him for his successes, and, overall, displays an openness to him. However, James had told you that is just how your mama and papa have always been. Good people.

Their relationship often makes you think if that's how your parents would have turned out if your mama hadn't passed early on. Would your father still love and care for you? Would he be happy and proud of your success as a writer?

The thought of him made you lose your appetite. You place your fork and knife down with a frown, immediately bringing you to the attention of papa.

"Are you alright, ma fille?"

"I apologize, I've suddenly lost my appetite. Is it alright if I step outside for a moment?"

Mama nods, "Yes, of course. Shall one of us go with you?"

"I will be alright. It'll just be for a moment, excuse me." You look to Ben with a nod and then to Eloise. Everyone watches as you exit the dining room.

Benedict clears his throat, "Forgive me if this seems inappropriate, but how has Y/N been doing from your perspective?" he asks the older couple, "She's only told me that she has her good days and bad days, but nothing truly more than that."

Madame Montclair sighs, dabbing at her lips with her napkin, "It is true. Much like my husband and I, Y/N feels as though she has accepted her life without James. Other days, it's hard to even go about her day without being stricken with grief. But as the months have come and gone, I think she is slowly healing. Her desire to go back out into the world becoming stronger and stronger. She will be going back to London after your visit."

Benedict and Eloise look at each other in surprise, "She hadn't told us that yet."

"Ah. Well, I apologize for that. I'm sure she was going to tell you. But I do think it's good that you two are here. I can already see she's happier."

Benedict softly smiles and nods, "Yes, well, my sister and I care a great deal about Y/N."

"That much is very clear, Mister Bridgerton," Monsieur Montclair says, "And I hope when she returns to London, you continue to care for her. We, too care a great deal about her." The older man gives a stern look to Benedict, one like a father scolding a son.

Benedict nervously clears his throat, "Yes, of course, sir."

_______________________

You're sitting on a bench outside, letting the air cool you. You're not sure how long you've been out there, but Benedict comes out with concern etched all over your face. He sits beside on the bench, hand grabbing yours to warm them, "Are you alright?" he asks, using his breath to warm your now cold fingers.

You sigh, "Yes. I'm sorry to leave dinner like that."

"It's fine. I just want to know what happened."

"Just watching James' parents made me think of my own. They made me wonder if, had mama not died, would they end up like that? Happy and proud of me? Would papa still love me and admire my work rather than scold me and cast me aside?"

Benedict squeezes your hand, "I understand. I, too, often think about how life would be if my father didn't pass. But I think it's best not to dwell on those things. If you get too caught up in it, you miss out on the wonderful things that are happening now right in front of you."

You hum, looking down at your fingers intertwined with Benedict's, "My aunt once told me after my mama passed, that in death, there is life. New beginnings. I suppose she is right. After mama's death, started my desire to publish my writings. With James' death, he brought you back into my life." You stare into Benedict's eyes, seeing how soft they are as they look back at you.

You find yourself leaning closer and Benedict is too, "Ben-"

"Everything alright?" you hear Eloise as she approaches and you two immediately create some distance between each other.

You clear your throat and look over your shoulder, "Yes! We were just about to head back inside."

"Very well. Make haste, it's cold out!"

___________________________

Your almost kiss with Benedict kept you up that night. You've been mentally scolding yourself for your weak resolve. He had only been staying with you for a few days and you are already throwing yourself at him. Your heart has always been weak when it came to Benedict. Even after falling in love with James, your love for him never compared to the love you had for Benedict. You always knew this.

However, it hasn't been a year since James had passed and you're already moving on with another man. You can't in good conscience do such a thing to James like that, even if he already knew how your heart had always belonged to Benedict.

Still. You need to control yourself around Benedict no matter how much your heart yearns for him.

[julymusings]

Dick Grayson x South Asian!Reader HCs

requested | reader is fem; like with Jason's hc post, I tried to keep it non-specific to any country, hope i achieved that😬

also it's barely mentioned but as a special treat: reader is trained in Indian classical dance😏😏😏

He loves watching Bollywood movies, but gets especially into the music…like really into it

This man becomes OBSESSED with Shreya Goshal; you come early one night to find him singing along to both parts of the duet Manwa Laage from Happy New Year while doing the dishes (which, if you don't know, is a very high-pitched song). He's so off-key but so into it you don't have the heart to tell him that your neighbors texted you to ask if a feral cat got loose in your apartment💀

Then it escalates— he tries to learn Hrithik Roshan’s dance from Dhoom Again (which has nothing to do with the fact that you told him Hrithik Roshan was your childhood crush)

(if ur not desi, it starts at timestamp 0:38 I highly recommend watching it for full context it's incredible— if you are then I know you already know what i'm talking about LMAOO)

And since you're a dancer you learn it with him but he’s genuinely upset that it’s so easy for you but so hard for him

"I should be getting this! Do you know how bendy my body is?!"

For some reason I feel like he would love the strong female lead-type movies (probably because he’s so eldest daughter coded) so movies like Queen, Dangal, Chak De India, that’s his jam, but he loves Kal Ho Naa Ho when he needs a good cry

If you’ve ever seen those tiktoks of families who dress up their dogs and cats in traditional wear…you’re doing that with Haley 100%

I think Dick is familiar with hair oiling because of his Romani background, but doesn’t start doing it until you guys are dating because you do it regularly so he just starts joining you

OR he does do it, but…badly. with one of those over-priced chemical-filled Sephora brands, and he doesn’t even apply it correctly. The first time you see him do it you’re legitimately offended. You spend the entire afternoon teaching him the right way, first taking him to the Indian market (they’re in new jersey so you know there’s plenty💀) and collecting all the ingredients and explaining the benefit of each one, then going back to his place and showing him how to properly toast the herbs and spices and then warm the oil with them, how to massage it all throughout his scalp and find all the pressure points.

He’s sooo attentive and genuinely interested, plus he just loves how passionate you are about this

He loves pani puri (obviously, he’s dick and they’re balls WHO SAID THAT)

But seriously, you make them and he’s just throwing them back non stop

He calls you rani (queen), meri jaan (my love), pyaari (cutie I think)

Dick learns how to drape your sari for you— he knows where all the pins go, where to make the folds and where to tuck in the fabric. He loves how happy it makes you and how you twirl in the mirror when he’s done. Once your relationship gets more serious, he loves to buy you new ones until you have all different styles for every occasion

He loves when you wear payals. You wear them once for an event, and he encourages you to wear them around the house because the sound they make when you walk is just so pretty

Another reason why he LOVES watching you dance. The ghungroos you wear make it all the more mesmerizing

Given how flexible he is from his acrobat training, he’s great at yoga. Much better than you, and you often require his help to get the positions right. He doesn’t mind, though, as long as it means he gets to have his hands on you as he guides your body into the correct stance

Of course he’s learning your language so he can communicate with your relatives. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, though

Most teaching sessions end with tears and/or yelling

“WHY ARE THERE SO MANY POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS??? WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE SPECIFIC SCENARIO FOR EACH ONE????”

“I DON’T KNOW DICK THERE JUST ARE”

In the least foot fetish-y way possible, he thinks the tradition of wearing toe rings is so attractive. When you tell him that only married women wear them, he considers proposing just for that reason (I mean he already has the ring, so what’s he waiting for?)

Speaking of marriage (😏), he’s so excited for you to get his name hidden somewhere in your mehendi/henna. When you’re getting it done, he keeps trying to peek into the room to see if he can spot it until the artist gets fed up and locks him out😭

On your wedding night the first thing he does when you get a moment alone is start searching for it

You told him about the tradition of stealing the groom's shoes beforehand. You did not, however, tell him about the bargaining portion of the tradition

So when he and his siblings are "looking" for them (come on now, they're world class detectives, but they don't want to ruin the fun) and ultimately "give up" like "okay! you got me! where are they!" and your family starts talking about a 5-figure ransom to see them again...

He's going insane trying to tell them that his father is the billionaire, not him, but your relatives could not care less. And the whole time he knows exactly where they are but he doesn't want to be that person and make all your relatives hate him😭

He manages to coax them down to 4-figures

He wanted 3, but after your youngest cousin read him to filth ("Oh the trust fund nepo-baby can't spare some change? Is this the kind of husband you are? Is this how you plan to support your wife?"), he had no choice

You KNOW he’s doing a dance number at the reception. Bonus points if it's the Dhoom Again dance

And of course he wants you two to do a number together. When he tells you as much, he thinks it'll be fun and silly and a way to spend time together— he's wrong.

Like a true Indian classical dance teacher, you are a DRILL SERGEANT. He gets transported back to his old Robin-training days, except Bruce is 8 inches shorter and wears 5 pounds of bells around his ankles. It's worth it for the end result, though.

You obviously eat him UP but he does a very good job

Which number? I'm SO glad you asked........

It's Kala Chashma

ok this really got away from me but i loved writing it. as for kala chashma i just thought it was funny😭but if you have any other songs you think would fit i would LOVE to hear

[alistairsmonstercafe]

SFW Dragon of the East

NOTICE GN Lung Dragon / Eastern Dragon Hybrid Reader

CHARACTER Price X Reader

ADDITIONAL I don't mind Fem/Fem aligned readers reading but don't feel insulted/complain that I strictly don't do Fem reader, not my cuppa tea mate.

INSPIRATION @/Bluegiragi Monster AU on Twt and Tumblr & @/thegnomelord

NOTE I have tried my best to include many traditional aspects of the lung dragon in my own way, and will take any criticism if its not up to date to the history of the actual, lung dragon/chinese dragon culture, although I am asian, input is always perfect.

In the midst of the bustling 141 headquarters, you, had been their newest recruit. A Lung dragon—a different kind of dragon from his European heritage, Price noticed. And whilst there was quite the fascination of a different yet similar species, he couldn't help but find himself intrigued yet lucky. There was something about your calm demeanor and patience that caught Price's attention.

In most cases, dragons are considered fierce, strong, quick, easy to anger, and anything that isn't patient. And yet there you sat, your long, seemingly unscathed scales and beautifully fluffy tail laid lazily across your lap as you spoke to Soap. Not an ounce of anger or aggression to someone so close to you as the usual European dragon would be when first meeting new people.

Curiosity sparked, Price observed you, trying to understand your customs and ways, which seemed a bit different from what Price was used to. You had a knack for being seemingly the most grounded. You words flowed like water and your advice seemed endless. You didn't seem rookie, either, and he wondered for how long you had roamed the earth for, and your presence exuded a sense of tranquility, much like the calm after a rain shower.

Acknowledging their differences, Price aimed to show you his strengths—leadership, courage, and wisdom earned from experience as a way of perhaps, courting you. Testing you, seeing if you would rise to the challenge. He respected your background, trying to learn about the values and traditions that shaped the Lung dragon's approach to life.

Yet in your interactions, Price was surprised when you didnt go against anything he'd bring up to you, opting for agreeing and even adding to his plans, he was left dumbfounded, leaving him as he subtly expressed his admiration for your dedication to the team. While their cultural backgrounds differed, there was a mutual respect growing between them.

Ghost could only watch from a distance a smirk on his lips beneath his balaclava at the way Price's scales would shift as he spoke to you, the way he'd try to puff out his chest a little or even stretch his wings to prove the size of them.

Around the first month, Price noticed your fascination with pearls, large, almost black shiny pearls, he subtly tried to engage in your shared interest, albeit in his own way. He occasionally brought his jewels or rare treasures from his hoard in his office. Almost hoping you might reciprocate or rise to the occasion. When asked, you had called it a "Flaming pearl." Leaving him confused. Had you of blown flame into it? Was it something that was often kept warm? Yet your soft chuckle left him once again, in the dark.

His attempts at courting had backfired in a way, revealing your calm demeanor and willingness to foster understanding rather than competition.

Little had he knew that his attempts were seen by you more then he would have thought. Only smiling at his little attempts.

Slowly, Price began to realize that your approach to courting wasn't about winning or being superior but about mutual respect and cooperation. It dawned on him that your patience and willingness to aid him were gestures of camaraderie and a desire to build a connection rather than engage in a contest would be better. So he went for something softer. After all dragons could he as delicate or as rough as they wanted to.

The way your scales in certain parts would glow, to the way you formed clouds from your breath rather then breathed fire, the way you disappeared into water as if you were, water, made you all the more interesting. Watching even as you sparred, against someone like Soap, your fluid and quick movement, kept you from being hit easily.

In this realization, Price's approach to courting shifted. He began to appreciate your supportive nature, understanding that their connection wasn't about outdoing each other but about nurturing a bond that thrived on mutual respect and understanding, something that be was well familiar with.

Little did he know, that you wanted to court him back, a collection of finely polished pearls from the ocean had been building up in a glass case. Wrapped in a strong, seaweed bow.

The day you had given it to him was during a beach day with the 141, you were all having a late night barbecue. And you had given the case to him, the moonlight illuminating your figure and the warm fire lit up your face. You scales glowing in an intricate pattern. Soft and slow.

He accepted the gift, marveling at the beautifully, perfect yet imperfect pearls.

"Your actions aren't as hidden as you think." You joke, gently cupping his face, you feel his cheek warm up like a blaze, watching as Price turned to the side and coughed out a few puffs of smoke in embarrassment.

You were bad for his health, thats for sure. But with all the cigarettes hes used as a substitute for flame? He'd take you over any kind of drug.

[levyfiles]

some people are mad at steven for a moral issue, tbf. regardless of your thoughts on watcher’s streaming service he did still say he has racist and homophobic friends. he still goes to a homophobic church.

STEVEN LIM??? OF WATCHER ENTERTAINMENT??? HOMOPHOBIC???

I assume that you must have been recently introduced to The Pod Clip that the twitter teens who hate him preserved to break out whenever it's a fresh moment to rally hate against him, but I would advise anyone just receiving this clip from August 2020 being passed around with the angle that Watcher tried to hide this to examine the facts of the situation more critically.

I and many others were there when this all went down and just know that I have a zero tolerance standard for people who show no remorse or growth when they uplift racists and bigots so if this was true I would have been long gone from this fanspace.

Myself and other fans who were startled by the statement hoped publicly that it would be an opportunity to clear the air for Watcher because the current political climate was just finally examining anti-blackness in everyone's biases and as someone who is mixed-African growing up in an Asian household, I know that anti blackness is and has been a normalised mindset in the Asian community.

But the thing is, months before this, Steven platformed Tammy Cho and her colleagues to discuss how all of us can work together to stop Asian hate and one of the conversations I highlighted back then was how very clear Tammy was that allyship from the Asian community to the African-American community was tantamount to moving forward. That the us vs them rhetoric has and continues to be harmful for both parties. Ryan and Steven were very involved in this discussion and agreed wholeheartedly.

Having said that, the narrative around the podcast ep never had a chance to be discussed rationally. It really ended up skewed because Steven's response to the backlash from that clip was this

I hope that's legible to you. Many people who felt uneasy about what he said felt a lot better and his intention to say something at the top of the next episode would once again, unfortunately, get derailed because Twitter users (some who are particularly loud about loving and supporting Watcher yet constantly join in on the throng of bullying as soon as the tide turns) were adamant that they needed Watcher to post the clip and Steven's apology publicly on their youtube front page and on the main socials, to literally advertise it when the reality is that not many people were watching/listening to the podcast. For what reason would it be intelligent or good business practice to broadcast this hurtful moment so that more people could get hurt by it?

Watcher's response amid the harassment was to release a full podcast episode where they all discussed what they would do going forward to show that they are allies, not just by not being racist or homophobic but by being anti-these things. They showed that they cared about their impact. It was emotional and devastating to watch and by that time, we knew the pod was likely going to wind down. 2020 was already a miserable time and it was made worse because no matter what Steven or Watcher said at the time, the "stans" on Twitter wanted the man fired, they posted memes saying the world would be better if Steven Lim didn't exist, they wanted him shamed by his staff, and for Ryan and Shane to publicly disavow him. Many of these so-called devoted fans raided the server to yell about how Steven's alleged homophobia hurts them, most of them were white and pointedly talking over people of colour telling them "it's not your apology to accept!". It was a blood bath.

And I see waaaay too many of the same faces utilizing this completely neutral move--that of COURSE could have been executed better--to terrorize Steven, to make petitions to get him fired, commenting on his wedding photo telling him that Tammy should leave him, posting those same damn disgusting memes because you see, a whole bunch of people forgot how disgusting and evil this vendetta was to the point where even watcher's socials started to FOLLOW some of these genuinely mean-spirited individuals. They didn't give a shit about a movement or activism.

What kills me--what absolutely THROWS me--is that these same people expect to be able to return to interacting with the staff, attending live shows, buying merch and sending fan mail as soon as the hate tide winds down. All these people so concerned about a statement referencing faceless hypothetical racists and homophobes that Steven never named nor attributed any context for--as he was never given the chance--are so quick to dehumanize and caricaturize real human beings to their faces and they think this is a normal and acceptable behaviour.

You'll have to excuse me, as an older fan who has seen my fair share of normalised homophobia and racism in these communities, if I disagree.