#and should be equally as illegal for kids

[dailyautophagy]

How to Naturally Balance Your Hormones

Get enough protein. Proteins provide amino acids that your body cannot make on its own and are needed to produce peptide hormones. These hormones play a crucial role in regulating several physiological processes, including growth, energy metabolism, appetite, stress, and more.

Get enough sleep. Sleep is one of the most important factors in hormonal imbalance. The levels of hormones can rise and fall throughout the day due to the quality of sleep.

Exercise regularly. Getting enough physical activity strongly influences your hormonal health. It enhances hormone receptor sensitivity, helping the delivery of nutrients and hormone signals.

Maintain a moderate weight. Weight gain is directly associated with hormonal imbalances. Obesity relates to a lack of ovulation in women. Eating within your calorie range can help maintain hormonal balance.

Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber plays a role in gut health, helping regulate hormones like insulin.

Watch your gut health. Your gut produces numerous metabolites that can affect hormone health.

Eat healthy fats. Healthy fat intake can work to maintain balanced hormones that are involved with appetite, metabolism, and feeling full.

Lower sugar intake. Minimizing added sugar intake can help balance hormones. Eating added sugar promotes insulin resistance, and fructose intake is linked to disruptions in the gut microbiome, ultimately leading to hormonal imbalances.

Reduce stress. Stress can significantly harm the body’s hormones in many ways. Work to decrease and manage your daily stress.

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

So, the DfE have released their non-statutory guidance for schools on "gender questioning children". I know much has been made of the idea of outing trans children to their parents, but I think the guidance actually has far more concerning sections. And by concerning I mean "deeply transphobic and fucked up".

I know some people are happy it's non statutory, but let's be explicit, this document is transphobic, it's dogwhistle politics, and it's existence will directly harm trans people.

Ironically, the DfE's own lawyers have advised that this guidance is likely illegal and contravenes the equality act.

I think the idea that there are lots of students who are fully transitioned in school but not out at all at home is a bit of a strawman from both sides. In my experience (and I've mentioned this on tumblr before), a school would not normally encourage this if a student was genuinely at risk at home if outed, because even if all the teachers knew not to out the students, you can't control the behaviour of other students/parents etc. I think it's a bit of a right wing scare tactic "Schools are transitioning your kids without your consent". It's a fascist dog whistle.

In my experience as a teacher, the vast majority of trans kids I've taught were transitioning socially at home and school. Some did only use their chosen name/pronouns in school, but parents were aware.

But this straw man has been used to build a document which is deeply transphobic and wide reaching and will defacto exclude some trans kids from school, or from school sports, or from attending a school where they feel comfortable.

Trans kids exist. Kids can know they are trans from a young age, and there is no harm to anyone from allowing social transition at a young age. Some kids transition back to their assigned gender at birth. That doesn't mean anyone was harmed. But this guidance explicitly presents the idea of transition as both harmful to the person transitioning and those around them. Which is fucked up.

The new guidance has some really concerning bits in it which will seriously negatively impact all trans students. Here are some quotes below, with my comments in italics. Please note I'm quoting directly from a document that uses transphobic language:

-Primary school aged children should not have different pronouns to their sex-based pronouns used about them. (This is fucked, I cannot stress how fucked this is. These kids exist and simply pretending they don't is awful in the extreme. The idea that children can't socially transition at primary school is really messed up. )

-schools and colleges should only agree to a change of pronouns if they are confident that the benefit to the individual child outweighs the impact on the school community. It is expected that there will be very few occasions in which a school or college will be able to agree to a change of pronouns. On these rare occasions, no teacher or pupil should be compelled to use these preferred pronouns. (How does a child using pronouns of choice impact the school community? It doesn't? In my experience, teens are much more accepting of trans classmates than some adults. Also giving teachers explicit permission to misgender kids is fucking dangerous).

-schools and colleges should exhaust all other options, such as using firstnames, to avoid requiring other individuals having to use preferred pronouns. (My initial response to this was "why the fuck" but a trans friend commented that the purpose is to make trans people's lives as difficult and as miserable as possible, and they're going after the most vulnerable trans people- trans kids)

-If a child does not want to use the toilet designated for their biological sex, and the school or college has considered all the relevant factors outlined above, they may wish to consider whether they can provide or offer the use of an alternative toilet facility. (this is weird because I'm pretty sure it contravenes the equality act, I'm pretty sure there is a legal duty on schools, and certainly colleges where over 18s attend to provide gender neutral toilet facilities if required. Also, not having an appropriate toilet defacto excludes children from school).

-Schools may have different uniform requirements for girls and boys. Some specify which uniform items are for girls and which are for boys, and similarly some schools have hairstyle rules which differ by sex. A child who is gender questioning should, in general, be held to the same uniform standards as other children of their sex at their school and schools may set clear rules to this effect. (So some schools could, for example, force a trans boy or non binary student to wear a skirt. Which is unfair and messed up. To be honest, I think sex segregated uniforms belong in the dark ages anyway, but this is just ridiculous.).

-There is no general duty to allow a child to ‘social transition’. (Firstly, there legally is. Secondly, why would a school not want to? This just gives licence to transphobic heads to say "oh, no, we won't allow you to transition", which is illegal, but the whole thing is just such a fucking mess. And again, why? Why would you not allow a child to transition socially? Unless you want to pretend that trans children don't exist?)

If you want to read the full guidance, it's available here, but trigger warnings etc do apply: https://consult.education.gov.uk/equalities-political-impartiality-anti-bullying-team/gender-questioning-children-proposed-guidance/supporting_documents/Gender%20Questioning%20Children%20%20nonstatutory%20guidance.pdf

Yes, the guidance is non-statutory, so in theory schools could ignore it, but in reality, OFSTED etc can use non-statutory guidance as a stick to beat schools with. At this stage, I think we all know the OFSTED don't give a fuck about anyone's mental health or wellbeing.

Interestingly, even the DfE's own lawyers have admitted the advice could open schools up to a legal challenge. This SchoolsWeek article on the topic is super interesting: https://schoolsweek.co.uk/trans-guidance-dfe-lawyers-said-schools-face-high-risk-of-being-sued/

Anyway, whilst the fact it's non statutory is something, this is not the victory some people are making it out to be, and the fact a document encouraging misgendering children has been published at all is fucked. This document could very much be used to prevent children from transitioning, and will likely prevent some children who have transitioned from attending school.

[dearhargrove]

Please pls pls write for Eddie Diaz🥺

Sleepover

Eddie Diaz x reader

summary You're on the way to pick up your son, Liam, but it's hard to get him to go home when he's begging to sleepover at his new friends house. Turns out you don't mind as much when you met said kid and his dad.

word count 995

tags fluff, reader simping over Eddie, kind of open ending

a/n I got this idea randomly so I hope you like this <3

part two

masterlist

“Liam!” You call out when you spot your eight year old son busy playing with another kid. Usually whenever he heard you he'd come running; with every year he turns older you expect his clinging to reduce but it never does. Not like you mind, he may be eight now but he's still your baby.

But today he just glances and waves before continuing to giggle and talk with his new friend.

You're surprised as he usually never stuck with one kid, most of the time he'd even stay by himself. It worried you, even when you figured he just preferred to be by himself and did it by choice and not because he was left out.

One of the teachers at the side shrugs with a smile after seeing Liam and his new friend.

You approach them and put a hand on Liams back before bending down and kissing the top of his head. “Hey, buddy. Did you make a new friend?”

He grins and nods eagerly, “Chris! We've been playing all day. He's my best friend!” You chuckle at the eager introduction and wave at Chris, who looked almost shy if not for the cute grin.

“Well in that case, it's nice to meet you, Chris.” He politely holds out his hand, “It's nice to meet you too, ma'am.” He says quietly and slowly. You melt on the spot and gently shake his hand.

Your son stands up quick enough to knock the top of his head into your chin, leaving you to grunt in pain as he excitedly bounces in his spot. “I have to sleepover at Chris' house!”

Your eyebrows raise as the two boys continue making plans about tonight. You don't want to be the killjoy but for one you had never met the other parents nor had they met you. Otherwise you would've easily agreed; you were just happy Liam had finally made a friend.

“Alright, boys, I'm afraid this won't work out… We don't even know if Chris parents are going to agree,” you say and pointedly look at your son who's about to pout (you couldn't resist him and you would not let him make you feel bad about making a reasonable decision).

“My dad will say yes. He always says yes.” Chris says seriously and pushes his glasses up with his index. You smile as both of them look at you with equally big, pleading eyes.

“I will say yes to what?”

You almost give yourself whiplash with how fast you turn around because whose voice is that sexy? You'd never heard anyone talking that attractive.

And surely when you look at him you basically faint. Brown hair that seemed to be a grown out buzz cut, brown eyes and white teeth with a grin that makes your heart actually stop for a second.

“Sleepover!” Liam yells and then turns shy when the man looks at him with a smile that should be illegal to look that good. “A sleepover? That sounds exciting.” He gets even more attractive in your eyes when he leans over and kisses Chris’ head in greeting. So he was great with kids too? Wow.

He then fixes his gaze on you and you do everything in your power not to fluster as he rakes his eyes over you and back up to look right into yours. “Hey, I'm Eddie. Chris is my son.” He extends his hand and you shake it before remembering to introduce yourself as well.

He smiles at you through it and if it wasn't for Liam gently clinging to your hand as he and Chris watch you and Eddie talk you'd have actually lost it.

“So these two want to have a sleepover?” The boys both yell in agreement and you laugh, shushing your son a bit. Eddie looks at you with a questioning look and you shrug your shoulders. He had something trustful about him and with the way he acted with both the kids he already checked a few boxes.

But still, this was your son and you wouldn't leave him overnight with - practically - a stranger.

“My dad is a firefighter, he will protect us.” Chris mentions and you look at Eddie in surprise. He chuckles a bit bashfully but nods, “I'm with the 118.” You hum in recognition, “I work at the dispatch center.” He looks surprised now and you chuckle as he comments, “That's a coincidence.”

After that conversation flows easy and after probably fifteen minutes is Liam who pulls your sleeve with an impatient pout. You coo and pick him up with ease, letting him wrap his arms around your neck as he sleepily rests against you.

“Chris is clingy too, I feel like I shouldn't be indulging him so much, but…” Eddie starts and you see him ruffling Chris’ hair with a fond look as the boy looks at his dad with pure adoration.

“It's hard to resist. Yeah, same here.” You hum and both of you laugh a bit.

The teacher takes note of both the kids being picked up and you start walking to the parking lot after getting the backpacks. Chris is on crutches you note and slow your steps for him to comfortably keep up.

“Sleepover?” Liam asks again after - you were quite sure - a nap. Eddie tilts his head and looks at you, giving you the chance to decide.

Wow. So far he's more than just a green flag.

“How about we do a few meet ups first?” You suggest and both boys groan but ultimately agree.

Eddie nods and after letting Chris into the car he turns back to you and holds out his phone with a small smile, “Just so we can, you know, organize their play dates.”

Your heart actually stops for a second before resuming twice as fast and you take his phone to put your contact in.

“I'll see you around.” You smile and wave, Eddie grinning too as he waves and gets in the car.

[sooniebby]

Hey brother. I ain’t quite sure if you’re receiving this request or not (didn’t figure how to send them corrrctly yet), it could you write something with tsukkishima or Kuroo, please? With a character that is also somewhat smart academically but stupid for other shit. A intelligent himbo, if I can call it that way. And the other character is just feeling this weird sense of pleasure by putting the reader back on his place with some sort of dumbification. Thanks man

ఌ 𝐊𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐎 𝐓𝐄𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐎

꧁ 𝙏𝙚𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙤 𝙭 𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 ꧂

Word count › 1.4k

Rating › NSFT

Warnings › you’re very dumb :/

Kinks › light degradation

╭┈─────── ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-

╰┈─➤ ＢＥＧＩＮＮＩＮＧ

“That’s not how it works, Nekomata-San…” 

(Name) glanced back at Kenma with a confused look. “Why not? Isn’t the ball supposed to not hit the floor?” 

“Yeah, but…” 

“So then double hitting it should be fine.” 

“We can’t. It’s illegal.” 

“You can’t go to jail for that. There’s no law about it.” 

Kenma wanted to jump off a roof. He simply sighed and shook his head, deciding his mental health was worth more than explaining volleyball to his coach’s grandson. (Name) was honestly just confused on how something could be illegal in a game. 

“Kenma! Oh, afternoon, Nekomata-San.” Lev yelled, quickly bowing towards (Name). 

“Where’s Kuroo?” Kenma asked, wanting someone else to entertain (Name) before his brain turned into mush. 

“Dunno! I just got here,” Lev said, noticing only Yaku and Nekomata (the coach) was there. “Where is everyone?” 

(Name) hummed. “Maybe they got stuck in traffic?” 

“But… they were at school.” Lev said. 

“They could still get stuck in traffic.” 

“But they only have to walk. There’s no cars.” 

Lev looked confused out of his mind while Kenma simply wondered how could someone be so stupid but be one of the smartest kids at the school. He sometimes wondered if it was the price (Name) had to pay to be a top student. 

“What’s today’s date?” (Name) suddenly asked. 

“October 15.” Yaku said, walking over towards them. 

“Ah, It’s Kuroo’s birthday tomorrow!” 

“No, it’s Kenma’s.” 

“Ah,” (Name) blushed in embarrassment. “Sorry, Kenma.” 

“It’s fine.” 

“So are they just getting a party ready for Kenma? Oh, but why wasn’t I told?” Lev pouted. 

“Because you’re annoying.” Yaku grunted. 

Kenma shook his head. “I doubt it’s for me. Wouldn’t they do it tomorrow? We’ll have practice tomorrow too.” 

Nekomata coughed, earning the boys attentions. “(Name)… did you forgot the day you were born?” 

(Name) blinked. “I don’t think so. It’s September 15.” 

His grandfather sighed. “No, it’s today.” 

Kenma wondered how one could forgot their own birthday but he kept his mouth shut. Lev quickly went on a spew of questions on how (Name) could forget while Yaku simply muttered a happy birthday. 

“Ah, but that doesn’t explain why they aren’t here,” (Name) muttered. 

It did but no one had the heart to tell him. 

The door to the gym suddenly opened with Yamamoto, Kuroo, and few other players holding a cake. They yelled out a happy birthday with grins on their faces while (Name) just looked confused. 

“Who’s this for?” 

“Uh, for you.” Yaku said. 

“Ah! Right, thank you!” (Name) took the cake out of Yamamoto’s hands and blew out the candles, a small smile on his lips. After the quick happy birthday song, they all cut the cake into equal slices for everyone. 

“Nekomata-San, did you really forget your own birthday?” Kenma asked once (Name) was left with the largest slice of cake. Birthday boy gets the biggest slice, Nekomata had said. 

(Name) blushed. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell you… But I was busy worrying about what to get you.” A cute smile appeared on his lips. “I guess I forgot about myself for a moment. I’ll give you your gift tomorrow.” 

“Ah, okay.” Kenma was honestly surprised (Name) would give him something since he had forgot his own not too long ago.

Maybe (Name) just had short term memory.

“Nekomata!” An arm suddenly wrapped itself around (Name)’s neck, causing him to wince. Kuroo grinned mischievously as he pulled (Name) close to him. 

“You’re going to choke him.” 

“He’s fine. Eh, Nekomata, I heard from Lev that you don’t know how volleyball works.” 

(Name) pouted. “I was only wondering why something was illegal if there’s no laws against it.” 

Kuroo blinked, a confused look in his eyes. He wasn't expecting that level of stupidity but he’d ignore it. “Those brains of yours certainly can’t help with everything, huh? It’s okay, though, you have me to teach you.” 

Kenma felt awkward being here. It felt oddly sexual with the way Kuroo was holding (Name) close to him. The more lustful look in his eyes while (Name) looked into it in a way. 

He should go for his sanity sake. “I finished my slice. I’m going to go practice now.” 

“Oh, okay.” (Name) muttered, meekly waving him goodbye. Kuroo simply hummed. 

Kuroo waited until Kenma was gone before pulling (Name) outside. (Name) went along with him, a blush creeping on his face. Once they were outside and behind the gym, Kuroo easily manhandled him to press against the wall. 

“Cute, I love when you play dumb.” Kuroo chuckled, pressing light kisses on (Name)’s neck. 

“I wasn’t!” (Name) mewled. 

Kuroo and (Name) were dating, which was something only Yaku and Yamamoto knew. And it wasn't because they told them. It was more of they were having sex in the locker room and Yaku and Yamamoto hadn’t actually left yet. 

It was a traumatising day for them both but they were nice enough to never tell anyone. (Name) mainly didn’t want his grandfather get angry or anything. 

“Tetsuro, they might hear us,” (Name) muttered, watching as Kuroo pulled down his pants. 

“They’re busy practicing. We can be quick,” Kuroo grinned, reaching down to slip a finger inside only to feel the string of something. He blinked and looked at (Name) who looked as if he wanted to die. 

“Oya? Is this what I think it is?” 

(Name) flushed. “No, it’s not a dildo!” 

Kuroo still wondered what he saw in (Name). “I know that. It’s called a butt plug. I’m shocked you used it,” he laughed, reaching inside to pull it out. (Name) groaned as he felt his hole now clench around nothing. 

“Did you have it inside you all day? Thinking about me…?” Kuroo smirked. 

(Name) pouted. “You said you’ll be happy if I did…” 

“Hm, did I?” Kuroo slipped in two fingers easily, enjoying the needy whines he earned from him. “You just do whatever I say huh? Don’t think for yourself.” 

“What..?” (Name) whined. “I do think. It’s impossible not to.” 

Kuroo simply shook his head and slipped out his fingers. “Do you want me, (Name)?” 

“Please.” 

(Name) wrapped his arms around Kuroo’s neck as the volleyball player grasped his legs and held him up. His legs quickly found themselves wrapped around his waist as Kuroo reached down to push his cock into (Name)’s twitching hole. 

From the butt plug that was inside of him the entire day, his cock easily slid in, earning a whimper from (Name). It certainly took some strength to hold him up but Kuroo was able to began his slow thrusts, enjoying the small gasps that left his boyfriend’s lips. 

“Tetsuro, it feels good.” (Name) babbled, his grip tightening around Kuroo as his thrusts began to pick up speed. His back was rubbing up against the wall, possibly causing them to collect dirt but he didn’t care. He loved spending his time with his boyfriend and having sex on his birthday was arousing to him. 

(Name) quickly pulled him in for a kiss as his thrusts began to feel sloppy. Maybe it was the thought of getting caught or the fact that (Name) was really walking around school with a butt play all because he said he’d like it but Kuroo felt as if he was about to cum already. 

He wanted to last a bit longer but thought maybe it’s good he’ll cum now. So they won’t be out gone for too long. 

The two continued to kiss, allowing them to moan without being heard as (Name) could feel himself getting closer. The grip on his legs was driving him crazy as he felt Kuroo use them to move (Name) back into him with each thrust. 

Sounds of soft gasps and squelching filled the air was the sun began to set. In a weird way, it was oddly romantic. With a few more thrusts, (Name) came first, arching his back as he gripped Kuroo’s shoulders painfully. Kuroo was right behind him, grunting as he pushed in deep inside. 

(Name) shivered at the warm cum inside him, wondering if he was really about to walk home with it inside. Kuroo simply hummed, not sorry at all for not pulling out. A pout appeared on (Name)’s lips as he was about to complain until he noticed that they were no longer alone. 

There stood a traumatised Kenma and Lev. 

“Kuroo….” 

“Nekomata-San…” 

Oh, fuck. 

“(Name)?!” And his grandfather?! (Name) was shocked to see his grandfather right behind Kenma. 

(Name) felt himself faint. Oh, no. His grandfather really just saw him butt ass naked with cum dripping. Kuroo himself also wanted to shrivel up and die right then and there from the glare his coach was giving him. 

Yeah, he was gonna have to kiss that leader title goodbye.��

╭┈─────── ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-

╰┈─➤ ＥＮＤ

I hope I did Kuroo Justice lol! Thank you for requesting! And requests are open!!

[mortarpestle]

ortolan

Short piece with professional chef!sukuna and younger kitchen porter reader. Title taken from the very brutal and illegal French delicacy of the same name, which one must hide their face to eat.

word count: 1.7k

*no curses au, age gap (chefkuna is in his 30s and reader is in their early 20s), employer-employee power imbalance, petnames ("kid", "brat"), Sukuna is intense, reader smokes right off the bat and is…a lil grim and unexpectedly Freudian?? Idk what happened here, suggestive themes ahead.

An angry red flake falls off the tip of your cigarette. It sways and loses some of its brightness on its way to the ground, succumbing to a puddle next to your feet. There's a couple more puffs left before you inevitably reach the filter, maybe double that amount if you're frugal with it. A few stolen breaths to catch until dinner rush.

You hate this fucking job.

You also know that by the time you clock out and return to your apartment, you’ll collapse on your bed with the prospect of a new shift working your nerves into a frenzy. Talk about an abusive relationship. Effectively stockholm syndromed by cutting boards and sous vides—and your boss.

Sukuna seems to have that effect on people.

Behind you, the back door creaks open. Heavy footsteps stamp down the stairs, coming to a stop by your makeshift ashtray. For a few precious seconds you’re content with counting the flour spots staining his black clogs (expensive brand, sleek, better than yours). He smells like his food; spicy, complex and a little smoky. The perks of working 14 hour shifts at a restaurant with high end cuisine and an even higher tax bracket among its customers, is that you’re afforded the luxury of smelling like a human being. No deep frier mystery oil notes clinging onto skin and clothes for you and especially him. You stifle a rather unsavoury thought about his cologne and inhale bitter smoke.

"You'll fry your lungs with that shit, kid."

Despite the distance, he sounds closer than you’d like, closer than you can handle having him. You don’t mean to shiver. Or for him to notice.

"That's the plan."

Every word coming out of your mouth makes you more conscious of your worldliness. Primarily your lack thereof. Speaking to your boss never ceases to make you seem like a peevish child in comparison. The little nickname he insists on using just for you doesn’t help either.

Sukuna doesn’t reply and your stomach churns.

"You don't smoke...why are you out here." You continue, painfully aware of your appearance.

"Don’t get it twisted. I should be the one asking you that. I can think of ten different things you should be doing before traffic picks up instead of getting cozy by the trash.”

The buildup sweat from the kitchen stovetops is slowly settling over your skin. Seated on one of the plastic crates left by your local produce supplier, you feel like a proper rat. What a picture to paint for the man singlehandedly responsible for funding your life.

Getting back to work is the lesser of the two evils you’re presented with. Still, one more smoke before shift's end sounds like a dream. You slip a stick out of the tobacco case tucked inside your apron pocket, taking his silence as permission to light it between your lips.

You smile.

"What's your vice, boss?"

Sukuna clicks his tongue. "Wouldn't you like to know."

He doesn't seem too offended. After working under him for nearly a year you've come to find that Sukuna is a man who is hard to surprise and equally as tricky to offend. Good at hiding it too, when he wants to. Which is why you ask again, be it a bad idea or not.

"Everybody has one. I've never met a professional chef without a few loose screws, so what is it?" Maybe you could've phrased that last better. You're too tired to care.

He mulls over your question without really giving into it. He’s awfully compliant today. Normally he would've chewed your ear off at the second cigarette.

Something’s off.

"I trust you include yourself in that crowd you speak of."

“Not really. I’m not a professional.”

(Ash stings your fingertips, but you refuse to let go.)

"You've got potential." He says, low and succinct.

You choke on your spit, laughing in earnest, "Sure.” Potential for cutting vegetables and cleaning after other people’s messes, maybe.

"I mean it, kid."

Sukuna leans against the railing, arms folding over his chest. One long glance out of the corner of your eye grants you with an intimate view of his tattoos. All these months you've been catching glimpses of the full design, unable to tell where it ends beneath the black fabric. Not a single hair is out of place. His uniform is rolled up just above his elbows, exposing tanned skin with tiny burn marks littered over hard muscle, no doubt from his early training years. He wears them like medals of honour.

The first thing you did after landing a position in his kitchen was googling his name. Ryomen Sukuna is fifteen years older than you and begrudgingly, the only thing standing between you and quitting as soon as tomorrow.

You’re no stranger to unwanted urges, the occasional intrusive thought. It’s human, you are human and therefore unjustly robbed of any sovereignty over your unconscious and its whims. You don’t think much of it. Even when you take your rare bathroom breaks outside peak hours, only to find that you’ve soaked through your underwear just from glances and strict instructions thrown your way. What does that say about you as a person? You don’t intend to figure it out today.

It's a classic case of treating the symptoms and not the source of your disease. Pretending he doesn’t exist outside of the physical place you both work at won’t get you very far. It won’t take long for the tide to turn over. Sukuna doesn’t play with his food. Only with the people tasked with preparing it.

You tug at a stray piece of lint on your chest, playing with the cotton ball over the flame of your lighter.

"If boss says it."

"Don't call me that." he all but sneers at you over your shoulder. His voice is grating when he wants it to be. You don’t flinch, not even when you turn around to catch the stare he’s drilling into your slouched back. On a second thought you don’t think he’s taken his eyes off of it since he he stepped out to join you. His stare is violence. He makes you want to crawl out of your own skin for comfort.

Working within a kitchen hierarchy is much like having a father; you get used to raised voices and empty threats whether you like it or not. With Sukuna creeping around the counters, you also learn to not talk back if you know what’s best for you. You consider yourself lucky to have never stood on the receiving end of anything more severe than a scolding. Then again, you’re not important enough in the grand scheme of it all, and you make a point to take advantage of that as often as you can.

"Are you not?" you sneer back.

"I'm quitting," Sukuna bares his teeth at you, "Expected to be gone by next week."

You bet he’s enjoying the look on your face. Surprised stupid.

"Pick your jaw up off the ground, s'not a good look on you."

You collect your thoughts and try to convince him that this doesn’t change everything for you. "Can I have your knives? The fancy Japanese ones you keep inside the office safe."

"You better keep your mouth shut and listen to what I have to say before I change my mind you brat." His voice commands you to look at him, "I'm not retiring. I'm opening my own joint and I want you to join me."

You feel nauseous.

"Why."

You've never been one to count your blessings, mainly because it's not worth doing so when you can do it on only one hand. Everyone says your early 20s are hell, the trenches of adulthood. No second-hand warnings and half assed attempts at lukewarm life lessons could've prepared you for the slump you hit after graduating college. Money is tight as it's always been, only now you've got twice the amount of problems and half the support.

The job advertisement was a beacon of good luck amidst a sea of bad decisions.

You had to fight tooth and nail to get through the first week (hell week, objectively the worst time in any hospitality job) without any power or warm water in your apartment after missing the payment deadline. Sukuna noticed—not like it was hard to, given that you looked like shit fresh into your employment—and slid you an early paycheck tucked inside an envelope on lunch break. A week's worth of dailies in an employment contract that only guarantees monthly wages.

You could cry.

(You did. In front of him.)

(He looked so distraught he almost snatched it back.)

"You're good, honest. Smart yet a little stupid, but even that's necessary to get by in the business. Like I said you have potential and I want you in my kitchen when you see it through."

"I think," you start.

Sukuna gives you a sly smile, mumbling a barely audible “Is that so” with his eyes narrowed down to slits.

"—You're only doing this out of spite. Stealing Gojo's staff is dirty work."

"Started that sentence on the wrong foot. You think I’d sabotage my own shit just to get back at that fraud? Most of the guys he's got back there working for him don't even know how to grill chicken without fucking up."

Yes. Yes, you do believe he’d do that, but opt to keep the thought to yourself. You’re sure Sukuna would kill the guy if he were guaranteed to get away with it. Gojo is an angel investor in name and nothing else.

"I'll give you a week, no more no less. Sit on it, let it marinade in that little head of yours and have your answer ready by morning shift." He pushes off the railing to take his leave. Halfway up the steps he backtracks to reach you, snatches the cigarette out of your fingers and takes a long drag, draining the leftover tobacco inside the poorly rolled paper. After he's done, he licks his lips and kisses his front teeth to taste your saliva, humming in satisfaction.

Kicking away the crate, you get up on baby fawn legs, half numb from being folded over yourself for so long. They tremble, a blink and you’ll miss it movement. Sukuna’s limp hand twitches by his side.

He’s about to leave for good when you speak again, moving towards him.

"You never answered my question.”

What's your vice?

Sukuna stumps your cigarette on the brick wall next to your head. His words are low, barely audible over the commotion slipping through the open door.

"Be good and I might just show you in practice."

[rtc-confessions]

a lot of rtc fans aren't general theatre fans/theatre kids and it Shows. especially with the treatment of lowell high school. like making fun of these clearly young actors for .. doing poorly in a production is mean. as someone who loves all aspects of theatre, i would hate it if someone posted me forgetting a line on tiktok for the entire world to see or something equally as embarrassing. but messing up lines and being off key and microphones failing and slipping out of character, that's all a part of live theatre and they're parts of live theatre i've grown to love because of how unique to the form of entertainment they are. and a lot of the criticisms to be had with productions like lowell or the initial illegal high school production of rtc should be aimed at the directors, not the young actors who have little to no say in what they're performing

~~

[evidence-based-activism]

women are not held accountable. I don’t remember paternity fraud being a crime. In most places, a man still owes women alimony even if she cheats. He still has to pay child support even if the kid does not turn out to be his. Innocent men are punished and you are talking about them not being held accountable lol.

Gender neutral laws are a joke in most civilised countries. It always favors women without fail.

It’s just excuses for women to avoid accountability as usual.

to protect men paternity tests should be legal and mandatory.

Why are women surprised when men want paternity tests? The laws are already unfair to men. It’s like making divorce illegal.

"women are not held accountable."

Held accountable for what?? Did you send this to the wrong blog?

"I don’t remember paternity fraud being a crime."

That's because it's a civil offense. Also, if you agree to take responsibility for a child only to back out when you find out the child isn't yours then you never should have agreed to take responsibility in the first place.

"In most places, a man still owes women alimony even if she cheats."

First of all, the purpose of alimony is not punitive, it's to ensure both spouses can maintain the same quality of life. That being said, in a fair number of states, if he can prove infidelity he can often avoid or greatly reduce alimony [1]. In addition, it's simple to avoid this even in states without this consideration; just get a prenuptial agreement with a clause concerning infidelity.

Beyond all that: alimony is paid by the higher-earning spouse. Given the extent to which men have prevented women from earning equal money (e.g., insisting on stay-at-home-mothers, excluding them from higher paying jobs, insisting on prioritizing their own career advancement over their wive's), it's reasonable that they bear some of the consequences of this decision (i.e., paying alimony to a wife they've prevented from earning equal amounts of money by their own actions) [2].

In addition, alimony has never been particularly common [2]. It was a part of less than quarter of divorces prior to divorce reform, and has only fallen since then (and the proportion of permanent alimony has fallen even faster).

"He still has to pay child support even if the kid does not turn out to be his."

If you have reason to believe that the child isn't yours, then seek out a paternity test (the court can and does order them when necessary). Often times there is a time limit (usually a couple years following the child's birth) in which you can seek out a paternity test. If you miss this deadline, then you've already agreed to take responsibility for a child, therefore you are responsible for that child. The courts will subsequently prioritize whatever is in the child's best interest.

"Innocent men are punished and you are talking about them not being held accountable lol."

Child support and alimony are not punitive, they are part of what you agree to when you get married and/or have a child. If you don't want to be held liable for alimony, don't get married. If you don't want to be held liable for child support, don't have unprotected sex.

"Gender neutral laws are a joke in most civilised countries. It always favors women without fail."

Do you have any evidence for this? At all? This is so vague I can't even try and find sources for you. What laws? About what? What "civilized" countries? (And how exactly are you defining "civilized" anon?) How do they favor women?

"It’s just excuses for women to avoid accountability as usual."

Women are consistently held "accountable" for not just their behavior, but for the behavior of the men around them. Here's two articles [3-4], one from back in the 1990's and one from 2022, both describing the exact same phenomenon: a culture of women being blamed for men's actions.

Also, here's an interesting laboratory experiment [5] that found that only men were less likely to blame low performance outcomes of female leaders on luck (as opposed to selfish decisions). But again, this study was interesting, but also doesn't invalidate the extensive cultural history of blaming women for men's violence against them and other around them.

"to protect men paternity tests should be legal and mandatory."

They are legal.

No, they should not be mandatory. No medical procedure should be mandatory; that would be a gross violation of personal autonomy. It's one thing for a court to order a test based on the specific circumstances of that case (this is reasonable), it's another to mandate that every women or child undergo a paternity test (that is not reasonable).

Also ... this doesn't have anything to do with "protecting" men. To protect is "to make sure that someone or something is not harmed, injured, damaged, etc." [6]. Raising a child that is not biologically yours does not harm, injure, or damage; therefore preventing this does not protect men.

"Why are women surprised when men want paternity tests?"

Well if she believes the two of you have been in a monogamous relationship, then she may be surprised at the implication that you have not been faithful. If she believes you're "one of the good ones" she may be surprised at your attempt to dodge parental responsibilities. Or maybe this is just the first time you've showcased your misogynistic beliefs, and she's surprised at your display of disrespect.

"The laws are already unfair to men."

I covered this earlier. No, they are not, and there is no evidence suggesting they are.

"It’s like making divorce illegal."

No, no it is not. A divorce is "the legal ending of a marriage" [7]. Such an ending does not absolve you of your responsibilities to your children nor does it absolve you of the legal contracts you agreed to. (One of which is the payment of alimony, in the event of a divorce, provided you are the higher-earning partner.)

References under the cut:

Alimony laws and forms: 50-state survey. (2021, January 18). Justia. https://www.justia.com/family/divorce/alimony-forms-50-state-resources/

McMullen, J. G. (2014). Spousal Support in the 21st Century. Wis. JL Gender, & Soc'y, 29, 1.

Blame-the-woman syndrome—The washington post. (2021, September 21). https://web.archive.org/web/20210921162019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/wellness/1994/12/06/blame-the-woman-syndrome/50095e32-280a-441f-94d4-60c7c73eb11a/

“Blame her”: The cultural and legal phenomenon of accusing women | psychology today. (2022). https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intersecting-law-and-mental-health/202204/blame-her-the-cultural-and-legal-phenomenon-of

Erkal, N., Gangadharan, L., & Koh, B. H. (2023). Do women receive less blame than men? Attribution of outcomes in a prosocial setting. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 210, 441-452.

Protect verb—Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced American Dictionary at oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. (n.d.). Retrieved 2024, from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/protect

Divorce noun—Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced American Dictionary at oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. (n.d.). Retrieved 2024, from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/divorce

[antivivziepopparade]

Officially blocking Chaifootsteps.

Actually no, Chai.

How about we report lolicon AND children being exploited.

Because believe it or not, under the law, its the EXACT SAME THING!

Because lolicon is FUCKING ILLEGAL and is known to be CHILD PORNAGRAPHY which only encourages MORE pedophilles to feed into their urges. Which HURTS CHILDREN! So if anything BOTH SHOULD BE REPORTED EQUALLY!

PERIOD! So if you want to report more kids being exploited- do BOTH instead of mostly lolicon! Be the change you want to see in the world. BOTH CRIMES NEED TO BE ERADICATED! PERIOD!

[wizardfrog69]

Hello! Can I request Moriarty The Patriot characters including Mycroft as fathers? Like would they be protective, caring, would they spoil them a lot yk just general things basically🤭

Omg that's such I cute idea, I'm always too lazy to include mycroft but I'll include him this time.

'•.¸♡mtp men as fathers♡¸.•'

Mtp x gn!reader (if I make reference to the reader but idk)

Fluff :)

Feat. William, Louis, Albert, Sherlock, John, Mycroft.

Enjoy!

William James Moriarty:

He will be such an excellent father, but won't pay as much attention to the child as he would like.

He is a maths professor so he'll teach his children about maths obviously, but he is occupied by his work at time and cannot spend as much time as he would like.

He will also teach them on like equality and decent human respect and how everyone should be treated equally because at the end of the day we are all homosapiens and shouldn't judge each other due to nasty stereo types and rumours.

Basically his child(ren) are well educated but still go to school cuz like they need to.

Also Louis teaches them basic kitchen skills.

Over all 9/10 father, the whole underground situation isn't the best regarding children yk

Louis James Moriarty:

He is protective as hell, like the house is baby proofed till the child is six or something.

But he will let the child explore its surroundings, especially in nature.

He's they type of guy to baby proof the plastic containers but let them walk to the very edge of a cliff yk.

He wouldn't actually let that happen but you get what I'm trying to say hopefully.

He child grows up around the smell of tea and obviously that's the only thing they drink.

Also he teaches them basic and simple culinary skills!

Louis also would educate his child(ren) about decent human respect and the child's uncle, William will teach them math in his spare time.

9/10 again the very deadly line of work thing isn't the best regarding children yk.

Albert James Moriarty:

He spoils them, need I say more?

Also he encourages them to play with other kids from lower classes.

He would be the most serious about tho and his drinking habits need to be reduced.

The child can't have such influences on its little mind.

Its uncles teach him a lot of things but Albert also contributes.

8/10 after, this time his legal and illegal line of work also his drinking habits, we don't want the child to grow up to be drinking alcohol 24/7.

Sherlock Holmes:

He is the fun dad, like all the kids love him.

But he can be low key scary when serious/angry but other than that he's chill yk.

John is child's favourite uncle, and it thinks Mycroft is low key scary.

Also Ms Hudson gives little Holmes candy cuz she can never resist the little kid.

It's the only reason why Sherlock isn't on the streets.

Also he spoils the kid.

7/10 father, he's like broke, smokes way too much, also his line of work isn't the safest (he got arrested and almost killed someone) but he will try and be careful.

John H. Watson:

He's an amazing father, he's really caring and soft.

He might spoil the child on a rare occasion but nothing too much.

Also if he thinks he'll endanger himself being sherlock's partner or like assistant idk but whatever he is to sherlock during working hours, he'll quit.

He doesn't trust sherlock with his child, like at all, he thinks sherlock will drop it or something.

10/10 father, he makes the child his first priority and shouldn't get shot death regarding his line of work.

Sebastian Moran:

I cannot see him as a father, like at all.

Mycroft Holmes:

He a stubborn father, but he has a soft spot for his child, it's honestly so sweet.

Like he would low key spoil the child but not too much and he'll be a very caring father.

Although when he gets mad or overly irritated the child is told to stop whatever they are doing in a harsher tone and either get told to go to their room or something similar depending on what they are doing.

But he apologise to the child and tells them what they did wrong.

His child will definitely grow up to have manners.

9/10 father, he gets irritated a bit too much.

༺♡༻ ����𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 ⋆ 𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 ༺♡༻

Sorry but bond isn't in here as well :(

I hope the request is to your liking tho!

Take care of yourself as much as you can and have a good day/night!

-love, tired Az :) <3

[gearbox-doll]

Okay but I'd love to genuinely have a debate with someone, where everything is completely neutral and I don't have to worry about getting judged outside of the room, about why incest is bad.

Because like. Beyond the ick factor that most people feel, which wouldn't exist if it weren't so heavily stigmatized, why is it bad? I want a well thought-out, logical, neutral answer.

If it's because their kids would have mutations or whatever: first off, stikes me as kinda like eugenics. "They shouldn't have kids because their kids might be disabled", is what you're saying. Plus, the really bad stuff tends to crop up only after a few generations, and honestly I don't see that happening unless the family is specifically only marrying within itself? Like, I feel like in a world where incest is normalized, there would be equal chances of falling in love with a family member as there are falling in love with someone you aren't related to. Just because it's a possibility doesn't mean it's gonna overtake everything else. And that's not even bringing up y'know, gay couples or childless couples in general.

"It's wrong!": Why? Why is it wrong? Does the bible tell you that? (Genuinely asking, it's been a while since I've read the bible.) If it does, what about people who don't believe in the bible? Setting aside the idea of "everyone should believe in the bible", what is a non-religious reason someone should think incest is bad? Why does the bible say it's wrong? Are there explanations? Is it a case of "this was dangerous back then but now we have ways to deal with it"?

Abuse: no relationship style is inherently abusive, so I ask you this: why is incestuous abuse worse than non-incestuous abuse? Why is romantically abusing your child worse than romantically abusing someone the same age as your child? They should hold the same weight, no? And if they do, then why isn't it illegal for someone to date someone the same age as (or younger than) their child? If the person is an adult, don't they have a similar dynamic?

What about siblings? Siblings usually have a smaller age-gap right? What about twins or triplets? Why is incestuous abuse in this kind of case considered worse than domestic violence? Obviously it's not illegal to date an abuser that's similar in age to you. You can get them arrested for abuse, yes, but it's not illegal to date them, or for others to date them.

And yes, I know there are certain dynamics that are only found in families (golden child vs scapegoat, the power a parent has over a child, etc), but I think those are symptoms of other issues that should also be solved. A parent only has that much power over a child because children don't have equal rights. So give the kids more ability to stand up for themselves! And even so, in a relationship with that kind of age gap, I'd be willing to say that the older partner has that kind of power over the younger partner regardless of whether they're related or not, because often it's the older partner who has more money, a better space to live, is older so they "know better" etc which so easily allows them to control the younger partner. Just like in a parent/child relationship, the older party has to be aware of what kind of control they have, and make sure they aren't hurting the other, to be a good parent/partner.

As for golden child vs scapegoat, I think that kind of dynamic can just as easily be found outside of family structures, though for different reasons. A popular kid and someone who's bullied, for example. You get what I'm saying?

Like honestly if you can give a good, well thought out response to this I'll read it and consider it! I'll see if I agree with you or if I can find evidence to refute you! Let's make it a debate.

If you're just going to yell at me bc incest bad or whatever though, you're getting blocked.

[furiousgoldfish]

Hey goldfish :) It's 🌟 anon again (previous ask for reference: https://furiousgoldfish.tumblr.com/post/730639643605876736/hey-anon-from-this-post)

So things have changed quite a bit since the last time we spoke. Turns out we are in fact a system for one, and the host who was sending those asks has stepped down due to being extremely overwhelmed by being trapped in the situation we're in after realising just how bad things are. Bun still comes around to talk to our friends, and plans to return to being host once we get out of here, it's just too much for bun to be aware of how bad things are and still be stuck in this environment. In the meantime myself (the new host) and a couple of other alters are pushing forward with the plans to get out of here and holding down the fort, so to speak, until the day comes that we can get out of here. It's been a couple of months since this host change, and we've been doing alright so far.

Right now we're actually in the process of looking for a job! It's pretty hard, admittedly, considering that we don't actually have any qualifications (we were taken out of school when we were 9 years old) but we're hoping that something simple like just stacking shelves at the local supermarket won't require something like that. We're looking into it at the moment, hopefully it works out. Our long-term plan is to be able to learn to drive at least, so we can have more freedom, then start saving up to try and get our own place. One of the other alters here managed to reach out to social services to attempt to get help with finding housing, and we're just waiting on a reply from them. Assuming that works out, we might even be out of here in a year, which is really exciting!

Of course, with the potential escape so soon, it's starting to sink in that we...have no idea how to do a lot of things. Our mother refused to teach us anything because she was always "too busy", so we barely know how to make a simple sandwich (and even that's from one of our friends telling us!), let alone actually cook anything, and she has outright refused to teach us how to wash dishes, do laundry, or anything of the sort. That coupled with the fact we never got chores growing up means we have basically no life skills on top of the lack of qualifications, so there's a few of us who are terrified that we're going to fail.

I want to try and find something, at least, to help reassure those scared alters that we'll be okay, that we can make it out of here and stay out, but I have no idea where to start looking to try and learn anything, or even what to focus on first. Do you (or any of your followers) have any advice on where to start? Anything in particular I should be trying to learn now while we're still trapped here, to try and reassure the others that we'll make it?

Oh hey, glad to see you (or, the new host of your system) back!

So you are a system, god I am so sorry, that is one of the most extreme disorders you can have due to abuse and it proves that what was done to you was intensely cruel, inhumane and equal to torture. Kids don't develop something so extreme for no good reason, you had to become like this just to survive in your parents house. And they cut off our education, which sounds insane and illegal.

It makes sense for the old host to be overwhelmed, I remember when I realized how bad things are, I wanted to jump out of my own skin just not to be there anymore. I completely understand the old host's instincts to be inside where it's safer and to let others figure this out until you escape. I'm so glad you're planning to get out of there and to gain freedom, you deserve this and I believe you can make it out.

You're right that there's simple jobs that don't require much qualification, stacking shelves sounds great, I am guessing you could also do stuff like cleaning (what I do) or stuff that's easy to be trained for (I can't think of anything, I haven't done many jobs, if anyone can give recs in replies please do!)

I hope you do get out of there within a year! That does sound exciting, and even if it takes longer, as long as you keep trying you'll get there, I know sometimes it can feel impossible, especially when the abusers are onto you and work to sabotage you. Be sure to never reveal to them what you're up to!! Leave when they won't immediately notice! Don't let anyone know your location so you're safe from being discovered by them! The best safety from them you can have is them not knowing where you are or how to get to you, once these 2 things are accomplished, you are safe completely, and also you do need some income, but you already know all that.

I don't think I was even reading about survival skills back when I was living with abusers, because it just isn't the same when you can't immediately try out your new skills, the best way to learn is to try and figure it out on your own. I'd love to give you step-by-step instructions on how to cook, how to do laundry, how to clean, how to maintain your living space, how to organize and whatever else skill you want, but it's likely you wouldn't be able to try it out, and it would fade from your mind before you learned to use it. If you want I can still try and give you the instructions and you could save them for when it's useful!

There's a website I saw that gives step-by-step instructions to do any task, I want to link it here but right now I can't seem to find it, does anyone know what I'm talking about? It breaks down any activity to small steps that guide you trough the process, it was made for people who get overwhelmed by big tasks but do well with task broken down.

I do want to say that survival skills are pretty easy to learn and some of them super instinctive, and a lot is just about having confidence and the right information. I remember I got a lot of confidence from just learning how to tie a rope in different ways, I could make different knots, or create ladders or a swing using only rope, and that made me feel so smart and capable, even though I barely used it for anything except to show off.

I feel like I should do a basic instruction post about cooking, laundry, cleaning and maintaining living space and it would potentially make it easier to approach for a lot of people. I'll start on it now and you'll see it published a few hours from now.

You and your alters can definitely make it! If you can learn even skills that don't feel vital right now, like if you can sew a little pocket or make a cool knot, it will boost your confidence and give you a feeling on how exciting and rewarding it is to learn these things.

[glassjoe]

combining my bg3 nerdism with my punchout obsession

all of them would be monks in some way bc. panching. but theyd be multiclassed and use it during their fight, with the exceptions of glass joe and sandman as i think it makes more sense for them to just be monks as first and last bosses

i made this a while ago and dont remember most of my reasoning for the subclasses. just go with it. OH and i wanted only one for each multiclass, so no repeats.

if i fucked up dnd lore look AWAY im a bg3 and d20 boy im not hardcore

this is super lazy

glass joe- monk (way of mercy)

like i said, hes just a monk with no multiclass since hes the starting/warmup boss. he hasnt got enough exp yet

von kaiser- monk (way of the sun soul) & fighter (battle master)

i mean, with his soldier-y theme, both in appearance and voice, i feel him being a fighter is just the obvious choice. plus it feels like an easy jump from solo monk to fighter-monk

disco kid- monk (way of the shadow) & bard (college of valour)

hes groovin, and his dance theme is more prominent than flamenco's so it feels more appropriate to give it to disco. plus his headphones. enough about bards who play music give me interpretive dance bards

king hippo- monk (way of the ascendant dragon) & wizard (transmutation)

okay king hippo was the last one i chose a multiclass for and wizard was the last free class. ig he could be artificier but wizard felt more regal, like royal wizard. not too much reasoning for this one tho sorry lol

piston hondo- monk (way of the long death) & paladin (devotion)

another one i feel is relatively obvious. hes dedicated to what he does and seems to do nothing but train according to cutscenes. idk what to say hes just. paladin

bear hugger- monk (way of the sun soul) & druid (circle of the land)

i mean dudes best friend is a bear and he brings a squirrel into the ring. hes already a bear in two senses of the word, why not add a third and make it more literal? sure hed love to chill with mrs bear

great tiger- monk (way of the four elements) & sorcerer (wild magic)

i remember my subclass reasoning and it was just. three clones and him in his cutscene equals four. and they seem to have different "elements" associated with each. that said sorcerer feels like The Most obvious choice of the lot. he uses his magic naturally and deftly, but his knockout cutscene betrays a sort of lack of control he may have, so i went with wild magic. i could just as easily see draconic though and give him some cool tiger-like face scales.

don flamenco- monk (way of the open hand) & ranger (beast master)

hes a toreador and punts a bull into space, a class with an advantage over animals is the easy choice. plus based on vibes alone, rangers feel patient and wait for prey like he does in his fight

aran ryan- monk (way of the kensei) & rogue (arcane trickster)

honestly all the rogue subclasseses work with aran but i went with tricksger bc i felt more general. i dont think hed actually kill someone and theif was too specific for the general mayhem he causes. plus hed absolutely use illegal magicks in the ring.

soda popinski- monk (way of the drunken master) & cleric (war domain)

obvious subclass is obvious. cleric bc he heals himself in battle by drinking soda. war domain bc none of the others rlly fitt

bald bull- monk (way of the long death) & barbarian (wildheart)

okay a *lot* of the boxers could be barbarians but i feel like bull is the one with the most obvious "rage" mechanic, being his charge. wildheart bc bull theme

super macho man- monk (way of the astral self) & warlock (the archfiend)

i think smm was another one i did last but him selling his soul to be a rich and famous pro boxer feels fitting. i dont remember my reasoning for his astral subclass but i remember i really liked it so take my word

mr sandman- monk (way of the open hand)

again as i said before, i wanted him to be a "back to basics" sort of fighter. taking what mac should know most intimately and putting him through a ringer of all the typical "monk" things. open hand also feels like the most "basic" but powerful monk Thing so.

also. mac would be a monk but his multiclass would be up to the player, if they multiclassed him at all, and doc would be a way of mercy monk and a knowledge domain cleric, bc hes macs mentor, was a champion so he knows a lot. and heals mac if needed. (also a folk hero. dodnt do backgrounds for other characters but thar u go)

[rileys-battlecats]

Man,

Wrentail's character is just something I love, he is horrible in a very mundane, unfeeling, callous way.

He looks at Mudpaw, a cat that is only still alive because Wrentail decided to save him as a kit, and is just like "kid's a pussy (pun intended), let me toughen him up." and puts him through horrible training without feeling anything. Yet at the same time it doesn't seem like Wrentail is out to make Mudpaw's life horrible or is targeting him, it's just that this is the only teaching method he knows. He is callous and doesn't seem to know or care about how this is affecting Mudpaw.

At the same time, when push comes to shove, he clearly has a basic sense of right and wrong. Not letting a kit die isn't exactly a exceptional test of morality, but it shows that Wrentail knows doing so would be wrong, same with saving Mudpaw from falling. He does both without hesitation or ulterior motive. Wrentail isn't evil or deranged, but he can ignore his own conscience when it suits him.

Also, love his design, the contrast between his colorful pelt and permanent grumpiness speaks to me. WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST MAKE HIM A BROWN TABBY LIKE EVERY OTHER BAD CAT IN WARRIORS!!! Now I'm invested :(

YES THIS. He is a very mundane evil. Not mundane in that his abuse was unremarkable, not at all, but mundane in a way that is just... the way some people are. I've said it before on this blog, but I try to portray Wrentail in a realistic way. I don't want him to be cartoonishly evil, because real people aren't like that. Real people have multiple sides to them, and they can be terrible and abusive while also doing good deeds in other areas. This most certainly doesn't absolve them of the terrible things they've done, but it can muddy the water if you're only looking for someone who is pure evil. That's why I portray Wrentail doing good things as well; real abusers hardly ever seem like abusers from the outside.

tbh I've gotten a few comments on the youtube videos that have mistaken these good deeds as a form of redemption for wrentail. This is absolutely not the case. Wrentail's good deeds do not cancel out his bad ones. Him saving Mudpaw at the falls? Sure, Mudpaw instigated the fight but wrentail is the adult here; as a fully grown warrior, he should be fully capable of handling an out of control apprentice. Real teachers have to handle situations with students who are being violent, and they absolutely are not allowed to allow students to harm others or themselves (source: several college classes on classroom management and personal experience in classrooms). It was the bare minimum that he pull mudpaw up from the falls. And he did! He did it without hesitation! But that hardly means he's a shining beacon of moral good. Saving Mudpaw as a kitten? Literally it would have been illegal if he didn't. Once again, he shows a bit of emotion in the situation, he's swayed by a tiny kitten being in need, but it's still the bare minimum of what he should do for that kit.

Doing these things was good, to be sure. He's saved mudpaw's life twice. But it is absolutely not a reflection of him "secretly being a good person" or whatever. anyway I know those sorts of comments are likely made by people who don't have as much life experience or are just on the younger side, but it's kinda disheartening to see people misinterpreting those actions as me saying "oh actually he was secretly a good guy!" when that couldn't be further from the truth of what I'm trying to say. Black and white morality doesn't work here, good actions do not always equal good person.

And just because he's chosen to be harmful and abusive to Mudpaw, doesn't mean he's pure, abject evil. Wrentail wouldn't go out of his way to hurt Mudpaw if he weren't his mentor. It just so happens that he was put into that position of authority over this specific cat he had something against, and because he could hurt mudpaw, he did. He had the opportunity, and he took it. He could have just as easily asked for Larkstar to assign Mudpaw to another warrior, but he didn't, because it gave him the excuse and the room to hurt someone he thought deserved it.

Man, I really love the concept behind the designs I made for Wrentail and Mudpaw specifically. Wrentail isn't supposed to look evil, that's the point! He blends in with normal clan society. I specifically altered their designs after a while, making Wrentail softer and more rounded and Mudpaw angular and sharp-edged, to reflect the other characters' impressions of them. It is really funny though how many evil wc characters are big dark brown tabbies HAHA

[obihiro-division]

Veiled Vanguard Drama Track 1 - Bare to the World

Part 2

【 Road on the Outskirts of Obihiro City 】

Jack Verrill believed it was a wonderful day to begin a new chapter. It was a sunny morning, still freezing due to Hokkaido’s average cooler temperatures. It wasn't anything Jack and Daiki were not accustomed to, coming from a generally chilly, cold country.

Today’s errand was to check on the young man’s horse, Milo, over at the Spur Stud Ranch. Much to the complaints of the young man in question as he whined in the backseat of the Nissan Fuga the Kamiyama family had entrusted to the pair. 

Daiki: Do we really have to go so early? It’s seven in the morning!

Jack: Young master, Milo doesn’t know what ‘sleeping in’ means. It’s best to come to the property in the morning if we want to go for that morning ride. Its important you catch up with your horse.

With another groan from the young man and a complaint about missing his show, Jack could only smile and drive on. It wasn’t long before Daiki’s excited shouts would point out the fenced pastures that the horses had yet to roam on, the two knew they were almost at their destination

【 Spur Stud Main Barn 】

Daiki: Milo! I missed you so much!

The shout at the barn entrance earned many startled snorts and whinnies from the other horses. Rushing down, the horses panicked further, with Jack unable to do anything to calm the overgrown man-child.

Jack: Young master, you must lower your voice-

Daiki: Milo!!!

Exasperated, Jack could only sigh as he watched the horse in question let out a high-pitched cry equally loud as Daiki. The two embraced, with Daiki leaning over the stall to grab at Milo’s face and Milo pushing his snout into the man.

Ken Otake: Ain’t that lovely… Glad to see he still cares for that horse.

Jack turns to find an older gentleman, smiling and shaking his head at the reunion. Once he recognizes the man’s face, Jack flashes a polite grin and greets him.

Jack: Mr. Otake. It’s good to see you’re doing well.

Ken Otake: No thanks to the Kamiyama family spending a pretty penny on us! It’s been a while Jack.

Jack: Likewise… I see that Milo’s well cared for.

Ken Otake: Sure is! He’s been getting better lately too!

Jack: Better?

Ken Otake: Health wise actually! We hired a new stablehand who has been working on Lucien’s request to keep Milo’s legacy alive. Getting him ready to pair with another horse, if you know what I mean.

Jack: O-Oh my. And that’s… Good?

Ken Otake: Good? It’s great! That horse was bordering on overweight for a while when that kid would visit more frequently. Now he’s at a healthy weight and his diet has been perfect! Not to mention his coat is looking better and better.

Jack couldn’t help but narrow his eyes at the implication that the horse’s weight was the fault of Daiki, which the man was quick to notice and laughed.

Ken Otake: And it’s not the fault of your young master, don’t worry. It’s actually thanks to Hisoka keeping a careful watch on Milo. The damn horse has been sneaking off the pasture to eat the missus’s sugar beets and-

The butler perks up at the name.

Jack: Hisoka?

Ken Otake: Hisoka Tetsumasu! The new stablehand. Or I should say breeder since that’s what he’s working towards. I tell you, he’s practically in love with all these horses with how dedicated he is. If only he were here now…

Jack: Is he absent?

Ken Otake: Shouldn’t be! He went off to open up this package he got from Chuohku. Said it’s from his ma or something.

Jack: I see. Should I try to check on him?

Ken Otake: Really? Sure, if ya don't mind! He's at the living quarters down the path. Stay on the right, the left path leads to an unused part of the property.

A curt smile and nod, Jack entrusted the care of Daiki to the barn manager as he set off to find the new stable boy and Jack's coincidental person of interest…

【 Spur Stud Abandoned Barn 】

…Hisoka Tetsumasu, former second in command of illegal weapons market, ENAN. Pinned underneath the butler, the tanned man struggled under the surprising weight of the green haired butler.

Jack: That's no way to greet a guest, Mr. Tetsumasu.

Grunting, Hisoka's resistance starts to waver feeling helpless underneath this stranger.

Hisoka: W-Why should I welcome someone trying to k…kill me?

A sadistic smile spreads across Jack's expression. So the ex-black market dealer was fearful for his life? Seemed that the rumors were true. Without a word, Jack's arms moved down from his arms quickly to his chest. Grasping the fabric of his shirt, the material starts to give underneath the man's grip and-

Hisoka: What-What are you-

RIIIPPPP!

In one clean motion, the black turtleneck is shredded to pieces, exposing a now very flustered Hisoka.

Hisoka: W-W-W-WHAT?

Completely shocked, the redhead moves to cover his bare torso. The last thing he was expecting was to get molested before his death. What sick, twisted people worked for Chuohku?! Unfortunately for Hisoka, he wasn't quick enough to cover his pecs up. Pinned back once again, Jack holds his arms with one hand, the other tracing Hisoka's body.

Jack: So this is…

Hisoka: O-Oh my god, please just kill me? I'd rather just die than be t-touched by a stranger in t-t-this way!

Scrunching his eyes shut, Hisoka feels the soft material of the butler's glove trace over from his left pectoral down to his right side…

Side?

Opening his eyes, Hisoka finally realizes that the purple-eyed creep was tracing over his scars and observing them. Like a doctor inspecting wounds…

Jack: …What happened?

Hisoka: S-Sorry?

Jack: What triggered the attack?

Finally making eye contact, Hisoka was surprised to see that within his stern gaze, a look of concern was hidden much deeper.

Hisoka: You… You know?

Jack: Bloody… Answer me. What. Triggered. The attack.

Hisoka: I-I don't know! One moment everything was fine, then the next…

Jack: Fine, then what name did he go under?

Increasingly confused and frustrated by the butler's questions, Hisoka finally manages to push him away. Sitting up, he shouts.

Hisoka: Hell if I know?! It was an attack by some freak two years ago! Why the fuck are you interrogating me?

Jack: He is not…!

For some reason that line of questioning seemed to have struck a nerve. Kneeling in front of Hisoka, Jack stops himself to ponder his words before carefully speaking.

Jack: It is not a freak. It is… Something important.

Hisoka: What is he to you?

Jack: It is a target.

Despite the contradictory words between defending this man yet dehumanizing him by regarding him as “it”, it was clear that beneath the harsh words, the green-haired man cared for the subject.

Jack: I've been assigned to retrieve and bring it back to my home country. It is a lost asset my team has been working to retrieve for years now.

Hisoka: Years?

Hisoka glowers at that detail. He isn't able to dwell on it however, as the butler brushes it off.

Jack: The details don't concern you, alright? Look, could you just tell me anything of value? Anything.

Hisoka: I could tell you what he looks like? Since that monster you lost fucking haunts my dreams.

Jack: I already know those dull details, I mean where the hell did it go?

Squinting, Hisoka hums in thought whilst gripping the shreds of his shirt to his torso.

Hisoka: Why should I tell a Chuohku agent?

That seems to give Jack some pause for once. Silence hung over the barn for an uncomfortable moment, as Hisoka pressed.

Hisoka: Well? Are all Chuohku agents a bunch of perverts?

Jack: Wait, you thought- The pleading…

Standing up and stepping back, the butler stares down at the disheveled horse breeder muttering to himself. Jack then suddenly goes quiet, covering the lower half of his face. Hisoka nervously watched as Jack's body slowly started to shake and then full-on rattled with laughter as he burst into a fit. All Hisoka could do was stare up at the butler flabbergasted.

Hisoka: W-What's so funny?!

Jack: Oh… Dear me, you thought… I was… No, you oaf. I'm not involved with the Japanese government. Quite the opposite actually.

Hisoka: Then, who the fuck are you working for?

Jack: That my dear, is top secret.

Hisoka's face twitches in annoyance, but he doesn't say anything as Jack continues, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.

Jack: Still, the Chuohku dogs didn't need to send an agent to brand you like they already have.

Walking around Hisoka, the butler squats down to pick up the package that he had forgotten, looking inside to see the Hypnosis Microphones that had been delivered.

Jack: Real microphones… I'm sure you never imagined seeing Amayado's completed work.

Tossing one microphone to the redhead, Jack continues rifling through the contents of the box nonchalantly. Meanwhile, Hisoka scrambles to his feet to catch said device. The weight of the object felt heavy in his hands, a great reminder of his life leading up until this moment.

Hisoka: Why are they… Why send me this?

Jack: To humiliate you.

Hisoka: H-Humiliate?

Jack: Make you dance for them before they do something else, I assume. Honestly, this country is in such disrepair, they're making some lowly criminal dance for them to embarrass them before execution.

Hisoka: I don't want it! Take it if you want!

Jack: Oh, but Mr. Tetsumasu, they picked you! You couldn't possibly be thinking of turning them down after they went through the trouble of writing you such a lovely letter!

Waving said sheet nonchalantly in front of his face, Hisoka snatches the letter with a growl before directing his scowl at the sheet of paper. Sure enough, it looked like he was going to have no choice. For some bizarre reason, the women who sent the letter had written the letter specifically to Hisoka Tetsumasu. At the end of the passage, an additional note lets him know that they went out of their way to threaten and reward him.

Hisoka: Engraving the microphone? Shit, how the hell-

Jack: It’s not hard. Quite easy actually if you’re the type to forget to change your legal name.

Hisoka: Look you smug bastard, I did everything else I could possibly do to vanish off the planet! Don’t mock me like you know anything about-

Daiki: Uhh… Jack?

To be continued...

[akc-g]

the thing is ultimately idc what ppl do. u can do whatever u want. nobody can stop u from doing what u want. fictional characters ARE just fictional characters. ur not doing anything illegal aside from technicalities that we can argue abt all day. all of this ultimately IS debating based on ur personal morals n frameworks n none of this tangibly affects reality. there are sliding scales of acceptable for like everything in these discussions etc etc dark media has its place. i dont like that u will get, like, 'anti' spaces for lack of a better word that refuse to have anything troubling in fanwork or leave room for nuance. i think these spaces are very kid-orientated n we as adults need to actually argue w each other not 15yos who just learned the concept of fandom but im getting off topic.

my points onwards are that fiction is ALWAYS grounded in reality in some way - the characters exist for a reason, the story exists for a reason, fanwork exists for a reason. asking urself why you enjoy xyz n how you enjoy it is like a thing everyone should be asking themselves and your feelings from that also exist for a reason. nothing exists out of nothing. my feelings on this subject don't exist out of nothing - your feelings on this subject don't exist out of nothing.

and the second point that hasnt been talked to death is that, okay, yeah, fandom politics do not affect real life. but if they don't matter, if ppl upset dont matter, then why do YOU need them to matter? why is it just vacum sealed fiction when someone complains but when you talk about it, its suddenly important queer media? it clearly matters to you. it clearly has an impact on you. why can't it have an equally negative impact on others as the positive impact it had on you? why does fandom only matter when it helps? besides that something not touching the real world can be true while it very much effecting the niche space you inhabit, which is important in this context.

i respect that ppl get defensive of their interests and the things that bring them comfort, letting go of coping mechanisms or simply happy interests is difficult. i generally dont think ppl on the 'opposite side' are some kind of inhumane monsters. we r all just ppl trying to find something to make ourselves feel better abt our world. what makes you feel safe isn't inherently a good thing tho just bc it makes u fuzzy. this goes for like. everything ever but *post context*. ig my whole point is less ppl have no media literacy but that ppl deliberately have none bc ppl want to stay comfortable in the niches theyve created.

[p0ison-moon]

I have what’s going to be a really unpopular take but please just hear me out. Lately a lot of fellow Jewish bloggers on this website have (rightfully!!) been getting annoyed by random people going into their inboxes and asking if they’re Zionist, how they feel about Israel, etc. And I totally empathize with that because I’m an anti-Zionist Jew so I spend a lot of time correcting people’s assumptions that I must support Israel because I’m Jewish. Furthermore, I want Zionism to stop being seen as a central, undeniable part of being Jewish because that makes Jews like me feel pretty unwelcome. And I am aware that those asks often accuse us of dual loyalty, an antisemitic stereotype. So I’m not saying bloggers should have to answer those asks, or that they can’t get mad about them.

However, I think bloggers are wrong when they say that they can’t affect or change what happens in Israel because they’re American Jews (or otherwise diasporic, but it is almost always Americans who say this), not Israeli Jews.

Look. It’s one thing if you just don’t want to get involved (although I am totally judging you). But I can name a billion different ways American Jews have changed things in Israel, and stuff we can do right now! For example:

- protesting our tax dollars paying for weapons and bombs Israel uses to kill Palestinians, by pressuring our elected representatives, senators, and president into taking a stand against Israel

- supporting the Not on Our Dime Act, which is aiming to prohibit tax-deductible donations from being used to fund illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank

- working to change Jewish studies curriculum and summer camp + youth group programming to provide kids and students with more options than just Zionism, and a more complete + less biased education about Israel

- no tech for apartheid: Jewish Google workers protesting against Project Nimbus, which helps the Israeli government with surveillance of Palestinians

- using our position to educate people and make our opinions heard, so we don’t let Jewish Zionist organizations speak for us all and influence what gentiles think about Israel and current-day antisemitism

- I have my own opinions about the recent protests over Netanyahu’s judicial reform, but lots of American Jews supported them and they were definitely effective

- and that’s just a few of the many ways I’ve seen American Jews work towards creating real change in Israel. are we the only ones who can do this? no. but gentiles can’t shape the future of the American Jewish community, which altogether has quite a lot of influence in Israel. only we can do those things.

Saying that as American Jews our voices and actions don’t matter when it comes to Israel is actually such a weak, lame-ass excuse for refusing to take a stance for or against Israel. This isn’t something we get to be neutral about; silence equals support for Zionism.

That being said, I can’t control what individual people do. If you seriously want to refuse to support Palestine, fine. Whatever. Just please stop using “American Jews can’t help anyways!” as your excuse when that’s such a blatantly false claim.