#and tam would join for the cuddles after

[beziehungsstatuspizza]

if (for whatever reason) cal and rex had been kids together I just know they would've been friends and played together

[goforth-ladymidnight]

16) 18) and 21) for brilin? I was thinking that they can be combined into one, but you could also choose one or two out of them. I do however demand them cuddling (if you feel like writing it ❤️ obv haha)

From this prompts list: 50 Reasons to Share a Bed

16) Because I prefer your heartbeat as my sound-soother,

18) Because I prefer your weight to my weighted blanket, and

21) Because you feel most protected with me.

I shared part of this story back in February wow has it been that long?! *checks calendar* Holy hell this ask was submitted back in January. Welp, and now I'm finally sharing it after months and months of stressing over the ending... I'm trying to embrace the mantra: "finished, not perfect", so I hope you like it!

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆✧⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆✧⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆✧⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆✧⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Title: Stay the Night

Pairing: Tamlin x Briar

Rating: Mature. Some spice, nothing explicit; references to past abuse and torture, but nothing graphic

Word Count: 3k

Summary: After finally sleeping together in her bed, Briar wakes up to find Tamlin is reluctant to stay the night after she has a nightmare, because he's afraid he'll make things worse. A direct sequel to "Love Bite" (also on AO3)

Read "Stay the Night" on AO3, or read on below:

The hounds were coming, and there was nowhere left to run. Naked except for the rags hanging from her bruised and battered form, Briar shivered as she stood near the edge of the cliff overlooking the King of Hybern’s war camps. A sharp wind blew at her back, whipping her hair around her face and threatening to send her over the edge. It was a long drop to the dark river below, but surely a less painful death than being torn apart.

The man who had freed her from the wooden rack by the king’s bonfire had promised someone would come for her. But as the eastern sky turned gray and the stars went out, she realized that the only ones coming were those serpent-faced hounds. Their unearthly howls, baying for blood, made her fall back a step. Loose rocks skittered beneath her bare feet and made her heart seize with fear as she toppled backwards over the edge. Her voice was so raw from smoke and screaming that she couldn’t even cry out as she fell. And fell. And fell.

Briar jerked upright with a hoarse cry. The water—no, the room—was pitch black, and she was alone. Alone and naked and drowning in an empty bed. Her legs were tangled in the sheets, and her cheeks were wet with tears.

“Briar,” a familiar voice said nearby.

She could have wept with relief, but her throat was too tight. “Tam,” she croaked.

The bed dipped as Tamlin sat beside her and gathered her into his arms. “I’m here,” he soothed. “It’s all right.”

She gratefully buried her face in the crook of his neck and fisted her hands in his shirt as she sniffed back more tears.

“Nightmare?” he murmured.

She managed a nod, but nothing more. It was only a nightmare, she realized, but the wisps of it still clung to her, making her skin clammy and causing her heart to race.

He began rocking her, gently, and pressed his lips to her hair. His spring forest scent chased away the memory of bonfire smoke and burning flesh, and she sighed. He had been there that day, she remembered at last. Someone else had come for her at the edge of the cliffs while a great golden beast fought off the hounds, giving them enough time to escape.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked softly.

She managed to uncurl her fingers and loosen her grip on his shirt as she began, “It was the hounds,” then froze as an eerie howl echoed through the night.

As more howls joined the first, Tamlin sighed, then pressed another kiss to the top of her head. “You must have heard the wolves outside. They’re just passing through the forest. They mean no harm.”

They sounded so similar to the cries of the serpent-faced hounds that haunted her dreams… “How can you tell?”

She thought she heard a smile in his voice as he replied, “Because they told me so.”

It was his forest after all: the High Lord of the Spring Court, the Golden Beast of the Woods.

Still, she was not entirely convinced as she pressed her ear to his chest, but she let the slow, solid rhythm of his heartbeat soothe her own. His arms tightened comfortably around her as he rested his cheek on her hair. After another minute or two, the last howls of those wild beasts—whether they were mortal wolves or faerie hounds—died down, and the night was peaceful once again.

She let out a relieved sigh, then turned her head to rest her chin on his strong shoulder. Running her hands over his broad back, she asked softly, “What time is it?”

He pressed his smooth cheek to hers and said, “Somewhere between midnight and early morning.”

Her gaze flicked toward the open window over his shoulder. Late enough for the moon to set, it seemed, but not early enough for the sun to rise. She pulled away and tried to make out his face in the dark. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” he murmured. His hand moved to gently brush the loose hair away from her cheek—for faeries could see in the dark—as he continued, “I didn’t sleep.”

“Even after…?” Making love, she wanted to say, but they had only done it once. Was sharing a bed with him the same thing? After all, if he hadn’t slept, she couldn’t call it sleeping together, and if he was already dressed, then she didn’t know what to call it. “…W-what we did?” she finished meekly.

He lowered his hand from her cheek. “It’s different for faeries,” he said quietly, and her heart sunk.  

She felt for the sheet pooled at her waist and lifted it over her bare breasts. “Is that why you’re already dressed?” she mumbled.

He at least had the decency to sound guilty as he replied, “I just thought I’d go into the forest for a while. I didn’t think you wanted to sleep next to me if I…”

He fell silent and stood.

She shivered in the night air breezing in through the window, and blindly reached for his warmth. “If what?” she prompted, finding his sleeve and gripping it.

He let out a long, weary sigh. “If I turn back,” he admitted quietly. Into a beast. “I dream about the naga-hounds, too,” he went on. “And the king, and the war, and…”

“So do I.”

He gently extricated her curled fingers from his sleeve. “You don’t grow claws when you do.”

“I’m not afraid of your claws, Tam,” she insisted, holding onto his fingers.

“You haven’t seen the state of my bed,” he replied evenly.

She blushed. “Well, I—You never asked—”

“For good reason,” he growled.

As she imagined it, what it must look like if he grew claws in his sleep, everything suddenly made perfect sense. It had nothing to do with her and everything to do with him… and the beast he was when she first arrived. There had been progress in the months since, but many rooms were still filled with broken and shredded furniture.

When she remained silent, lost in thought, he made to walk away, but she gripped his hand.

“Tam, please… Stay.”

“And risk tearing your bed apart, too?”

���If you don’t have a bed, that’s all the more reason to stay.”

He hesitated as he seemed to consider her offer. “This is your room, Briar. Your bed,” he said carefully. “You’re safe here… I don’t want to hurt you and ruin that.”

She couldn’t help her growing blush, or the shy smile that touched her lips. “I told you before… I liked it.” She could still feel his bite marks on her neck and breasts and thighs, and the delicious soreness between them.

He was quiet for a long moment, then he broke the silence by letting out an amazed laugh. When he was through, he sat back down and sighed. “You are a strange one, Briar Rose Greenwood,” he murmured, reminding her of their first meeting.

She smiled. “And you are rather thoughtful, for a beast.”

He leaned in, with his broad shoulders and quiet strength, bracing his hands on the mattress and sinking into her ready embrace as his mouth found hers in the dark. As his lips parted hers, she slid her hands beneath his shirt, seeking skin.

He shuddered beneath her hands, but he chuckled. “You’re cold,” he murmured against her mouth, and she grinned.

“Keep me warm, then,” she whispered, then pulled him down to the bed.

Sometime later, he sighed, and his breath was strangely refreshing against the damp sweat on her breast. “If I didn’t know better,” he said without moving, “I would think that you were using me as a blanket.”

The real blanket was somewhere on the floor, along with his shirt and trousers. With his head resting on her chest, and his legs tangled with hers, the comfortable weight and heat of his body protected her from all but the coldest of breezes still coming in through the window. Even so, it was more refreshing than chilling against her sweat-dampened skin.

She smiled up at the dark velvet canopy above them and began to play with his hair. It was like silk between her fingers. “So, what if I was?”

His answer was a low, rumbling purr that she could feel in her bones. “I suppose it’s only fair,” he said after a while, nuzzling his face between her breasts, “considering what a delightfully soft pillow you make.”

She chuckled, then laughed aloud as he gave her a playful nip. As he rested his chin upon her chest, she thought she could see him smile.

“I still find it difficult to believe that you aren’t afraid of me,” he murmured.

Her fingers paused in his hair. “It’s because I feel safe with you,” she mused aloud. “Even before I met you, you protected me from the hounds of Hybern. I’ll never forget that.”

He shifted his weight to look down at her, and traced one of the bite marks on her left breast. “After everything you endured,” he said softly, “I can’t imagine why you would enjoy this.”

She shifted beneath him, face flushing, and mumbled, “I don’t know… It’s different with you.”

She could feel him studying her, and she could imagine his pained frown.

She shrugged a shoulder and looked away. “I guess it’s because I know you’ll stop if I ask you to…” She blinked back tears as she remembered the smoke in her eyes, the flames, the pained screams, and the jeering laughter. “But in the camps… no matter how much I begged them… they never stopped hurting me.”

Tamlin shifted his weight off of her and rolled onto his side, pulling her against him, then kissed away the tears that threatened to fall. “I wish I could have saved you sooner,” he whispered, cradling her head and wrapping his other arm around her waist.

She slid her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder, unable to speak.

He hadn’t been there when the Children of the Blessed were brought before the King of Hybern, and for that alone, she was eternally grateful. If he had tried to set them free when the king demanded entertainment, the serpent-toothed hounds would have brought them back, bloody and swollen, paralyzed by venom, and unable to scream. It had happened before her very eyes, when one of the other Children tried to run.

“Do you still worship us, even now?” the king sneered as he forced them to watch their Brother’s torture. It didn’t end until nightfall, and even though she cursed the king’s name, she still thanked the High Mother when darkness came…

Tamlin brought her back to the present by pressing his lips to her neck, and she sucked in a sudden breath, grateful for the distraction as he laid her on her back.

She swept her tousled hair up and out of the way, then reached for him as he knelt over her, ready to forget about the nightmares for a while longer…

But he caught her hands, then pressed a kiss against the inside of one wrist. “Let me heal you,” he breathed, then bent his head and brushed his lips across the bite marks on her shoulder. “Let me do this for you.”

“Oh, Tam,” she murmured, reluctant to agree.

The faerie healers had done their jobs well that day, when Lady Viviane took Briar to the Winter Court camps after her rescue. They had healed her bruises, her burns, leaving her skin perfectly whole and pretty, washing away the scars as if nothing terrible had happened… but even magic couldn’t heal her dreams.

And now Tamlin wanted to do the same. A bite mark wasn’t the same as a burn, but at least it meant that she wasn’t broken, that she could still experience pleasure as well as pain… and even find pleasure in the pain. And he wanted to take that away.

He pressed his lips to the hollow of her throat, coaxing her. “Let me prove that I am more than a beast,” he whispered. “Please.”

His please melted the last of her resolve, and she found herself nodding. “All right, Tam,” she whispered, letting her hands fall to the pillow above her head. “I’ll let you.”

Whether it was his magic or his mouth, her skin tingled as he slowly kissed his way down her body. She gripped the pillow as his lips skimmed the tips of her breasts, but he didn’t linger. Her back arched with a surprised, hopeful gasp as his fingers slid over the soft hair between her thighs, only for that deliciously sore feeling inside to magically dissipate into mere memory. To her dismay, tears stung her eyes, and she let out a whimpering cry before she could help herself.

He withdrew his hand, and he stretched out beside her to cradle her face. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, but I—” She sniffed, but the tears kept coming. “—I wish you would,” she whispered hoarsely.

He huffed out a bewildered chuckle, and wiped away her tears with her thumbs. “Why?”

“Because—” She couldn’t hold back a sob. “—Because if you’re hurting me…” She tried to cover her face, truly horrified at her tears now. “Then they’re not.”

Gratefully, he didn’t try to soothe her or stop her crying. He let her roll away from him and curl up to cry, no matter how confusing it must have been for him: A human girl crying like a child because her lover refused to leave his bite marks on her skin.

After a minute—an eternity, really—his hand slowly stroked her hair from her damp cheek, and his gentle touch helped her catch her breath. She didn’t resist when he slowly curled himself around her and wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her close against his chest.

She sniffed, then was startled from crying when he gently nipped at her neck.

“There now,” he murmured, then nuzzled his face into her hair. “They can’t hurt you anymore.”

She closed her eyes and sighed, then pulled on his hand so that she could kiss his open palm. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Humans heal so slowly,” he explained gently. “I just didn’t want you to be in pain.”

She pressed her cheek to his palm and whispered, “I know.”

“Are you in pain now?”

“No.”

He was silent for a while, and she was grateful for the time to gather her thoughts.

As a Daughter of the Blessed, she had been taught that faeries abhorred ugliness. To be selected as a faerie bride or bridegroom, one must strive to be as perfect as their future partner. Scars and blemishes were covered up and smoothed away by special ointments and lotions. Therefore, she should have been grateful that the healers had made her skin so perfect after her rescue… but she wasn’t. And it ate away at her, from the inside out.

Tamlin gently turned her head and asked her, “Do you think you deserve pain?”

She blinked up at his starlit silhouette, shocked.

“Because you lived, and the others did not?”

She bit her lip as fresh tears threatened to fall, but, as she realized the truth in his words, she managed to nod.

Instead of chiding her, he gently brushed the hair back from her brow and went on, “You’re not the only one who feels that way, you know.”

She swallowed hard and rolled onto her back to face him, but she didn’t trust herself to speak. Not yet.

He propped himself up on his elbow and reached out with his free hand to gently trace her cheek with a single finger; she could have sworn his nail was the tip of a claw. “I never wanted to be the Heir of Spring,” he said softly. “In one night, I lost everything that mattered… and the only one left was me. I’ve never forgiven myself… and it’s been centuries.”

“Oh, Tam,” she whispered, and reached out to cup his cheek.

His warm lips brushed against her palm. “I thought I was easing your pain,” he murmured, then sighed. “My heart was turned to stone once, and I used to wish someone—anyone—would come along and curse me one more time, just so that I wouldn’t have to feel anything ever again.”

Overcome with emotion, she moved closer and pressed her lips to his. “I’m glad no one did,” she whispered against his mouth.

 He pressed his forehead to hers, and she heard a smile in his voice as he whispered, “As am I.”

His free hand moved from her cheek to her neck as he parted her lips with his own. She slid her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down on top of her as their kisses deepened.

When his lips moved to her jawline and down her throat, she took a deep breath and swallowed the taste of his kiss. “Thank you,” she whispered.

His mouth paused in the hollow of her throat. “For what?”

“For this. For healing me. I… I shouldn’t have gotten so upset.”

He breathed a heavy sigh against her neck before lifting his head to look down at her. She could just make out his strong features in the dark. “There is no need for you to apologize,” he said gently, running the back of his fingers down the curve of her cheek. “I’m the one who should—”

“No, don’t apologize,” she said quickly, covering his hand with her own. “You needed to heal me; I understand that now. You needed to heal me, just like I needed you to bite me.”

He curled his fingers around hers as he chuckled. “They’re hardly compatible,” he said wryly. “At least you wanted me to bite you, although I still don’t understand why.”

She smiled. “Maybe I can help with that,” she murmured, then gently nipped at his knuckles.

His playful growl was the only answer he gave before kissing her fiercely and pulling her on top of him.

When the sun rose, the great Golden Beast of the Wood was nowhere to be found. Instead, Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court himself, slept soundly in Briar’s arms and in her bed. And as for her nightmares… he helped her to forget all about them.

[hypocriticaltypwriter]

Fun Facts About: Tamsin x Donnie!

Here are a few little things that I thought I’d share about the couple, also got inspo from @lordfreg and her post about her OC Runa and Donnie! WHICH I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE FIC ABOUT THEM! :D

Anyway, onto the facts~!

-Donnie and Tamsin are polar opposites, aside from the sarcasm and teasing remarks, Tam is over all a bubbly person and big on physical touch- we all know Donnie doesn’t exactly lean into those categories, but he does love his wifey none the less.

-You know that thing Donnie said in the Albearto episode? ‘You’re so cute but so mean! Why do I always go for you type?!’

Ahem: Tamsin

-One of the things Donnie loves involves physical touch is when he lays his entire upper half on Tamsin’s legs while she reads, and she traces and pets his shell. He could lay there for HOURS and guess what she’s drawing into his shell- it’s almost a little game they have now!

-Donnie is a softy… Behind closed doors. He doesn’t really like being super touchy or clingy around his brothers or when he’s busy, he likes focusing on other matters before he considers PDA, which Tamsin is fine with! She gets sometimes he just doesn’t want to cuddle or be covered in smooches; she knows he still needs his bubble of space.

-But when Donnie does what to be cuddly, RIP. If he’s feeling cuddly he needs snuggles, he needs it for a while, so Tamsin is going anywhere LOL. (This was probably passed down to David who is the exact same-)

-Donnie was actually the first to initiate considering children! He grew up with a family that seemed to only grow bigger as Cass, Casey, and many others joined, so he thought about it long and for a while before he went to have a long talk about it with Tamsin…

-That’s a lie. He panicked and forgot everything he was gonna say as soon as he walked into the kitchen, seeing her washing dishes. All he did was march up behind her and exclaim: “I’d like you to bear my children.”

And he walked out. Leaving Tamry just standing like:

-Donnie taught Tam about chirps, churrs, and clicks, while she herself struggles communicating with them, she knows what they mean.

-Tamsin sings ‘Into The West’ from Lord Of The Rings as a lullaby to all the kids, but Donnie would admit hearing her hum it while he lays with her is very comforting.

-Oh my gosh these two LOVE dancing, you should see how absolutely excited Donnie gets when he’s listening to music in his lab and one of their favorite songs come on.

He is immediately sprinting to their room or wherever she’d be and pulls her away from what she’s doing to come dance. If she’s busy with the kids, who says they can’t join in too? Their like their dad, the legendary BootyyyShaker9000, of course they love dancing with their parents!

Of course Karai gets embarrassed soon after when her parents start dancing together, giving a few flirty remarks to one another.

“Say, I don’t think I’ve seen you round this lab before. What’s the name, babe?”

“Oh, after tonight you won’t forget more than just my name~”

“MOOOOM DAAAAD! I CAN STILL HEAR YOU!!”

-Donnie is definitely the most protective parent- Tam is the more passive. She’s the one that tells her kids to walk off a crash on their bike or being pushed… Donnie at that point would’ve had an entire hospital wing made specifically for one of the kids.

-Tam and Don got married very young, they were around their twenties when they got married, and late twenties when they brought little Karai and the others into the world!

-Donnie, for the life of him, CANNOT stay away from home for more than three days or he (in the words of his dear brothers) becomes unbearable. He’s an anxious mess, as if once he leaves the Rebellion base would crumble to the ground.

“Did- did I forget to give Karai her staff? What if David climbs up the shelf again? Oh, Galileo- I didn’t put my uranium away! What if Maggie gets into it!?”

“You do know Tams is with em, right Donnie?”

“SO?!”

-Many, many days are spent with Donnie walking around his lab with two kids latched to each leg, two on his arms, and one on his shell… He’s not sure where they get their clinginess.

(Cue Tamry sitting on his lap watching him work and refusing to leave.)

Ah…

ANYWAY that’s all of the facts I could think of ATM, just wanted to share a lil bit of their relationship for funsies!

[tamcitrus]

Home.

pairing: Oikawa x f!reader.

genre: fluff, domestic. (sfw)

warnings: manga spoilers for Oikawa after graduation!

words: 900~.

Tam’s notes: Happy birthday to The my Great King! I can’t even explain how much I love him. I wrote this short little thing last night to celebrate his birthday. Thanks a lot to @dorkyama​ and @sunshinesatori​ for beta-reading this! I was sleepy and tipsy when I wrote this alñskjdñas ♥

You and Oikawa had met many years ago, as soon as he joined the CA San Juan club. You worked at the club as a physical therapist and assisted him on his admittance exams. You also doubled as an English-Spanish translator. Very few people in the club didn't speak English, nor did they speak Japanese, so you'd help with communication if all those people would happen to be together.

Along the years you got closer and closer and finally ended up together. You bought a comfy apartment in a nice neighborhood close to the club. You divided your time in work hours, your private consulting room, and him. He divided his hours in training, the club, and you.

When he told you about him getting the Argentina citizenship, you didn't even blink. Of course he was going to show a 200% commitment with the club because that's who he was. Committed, perseverant, dedicated, passionate. Of course he would go so far as to get the citizenship.

So, when someone in the club let it slip to you that he already got it, you prepared a surprise for him.

"Baby, is everything  good? You never call me from work," he answered his phone and sounded breathless.

"I'm just craving something and you're closer to it. Could you go to get some ice cream from that store we went to last time when you’re done in the club?"

"Craving? Is your period on time?" he laughed.

"Yes, Tooru! Gosh, you’re making me nervous," you giggled.

"Well, choose your words wisely next time, honey," he said and you could hear the smirk on his voice. "Ok, I'll get the ice cream. I have to go, see you at home."

"Bye, babe!"

Now you had an extra 30 minutes for him to come home. You rushed out of your consulting room and ran to buy everything you needed for the special dinner. Three hours and a lot of shopping later, you had a whole dinner with japanese dishes. Sushi, ramen, takoyaki, sake. A bit of everything for sharing between two and, of course, milk bread.

"Baby, I'm home!" he announced. He put your ice cream in the fridge. "I have great news to share with you!"

"Hey babe, welcome back," you smiled from your seat on the table.

"Woah, what's all this?"

"First your news," you said and offered him a glass of wine.

"I'm officially Argentinian," he smiled and showed you his little ID card. It no longer was tagged as foreign.

"Tooooooru, I'm so happy for you, congratulations!" you threw your arms around his neck and he grabbed your waist with one arm to lift you up a bit and walk to the table.

"Your turn now. What's all this?"

"Celebration for you getting the citizenship!" you let him go and showed him his seat. "We've got all kinds of Japanese food, or everything I could think of, and your favorite dessert! I just wanted you to have something that reminded you of your home today," you explained.

"This is my home now, love," he kissed you. "You are."

"I know, I just-" you blushed.

"I'm just messing with you. This is awesome and I love it," he sat on his chair and guided you to sit on his lap.

"You'll make it to the national team now, I'm sure. You'll kick everyone's ass," you kissed his cheek.

"I've got a free day tomorrow. Wanna play a drinking game?"

"You bet. But let's eat first."

"How did you know I got the citizenship today?"

"That's a secret," you stick your tongue out to him. "Now, let's eat!"

You finished your dinner talking about your day. Then, you moved to the couch to share a blanket and watched a movie.

"Did I ever tell you what my favorite alien movie is?" you asked him. He shook his head. "Signs. Have you seen it?"

"I don't think I have."

"Each time we get scared, we drink," you said.

"Let's start then, baby."

By the end of the movie you were already tipsy and snuggling by your boyfriend's side.

"We should go to bed now, babe," he laughed when you refused to let go of his arm, safely locked between your arms and against your chest.

"I really really love you, Tooru~", you babbled and kissed his arm.

"I love you too, y/n-chan," he said, sweetly, and kissed you. "Want me to carry you to bed?"

"Pretty please," you pouted.

He took you bridal style to your shared bed and hugged you from behind, being the big spoon.

"I'm happy you feel this is your home," you whispered. "I'm really happy to meet you and for being your partner."

"You're the best thing that happened to me here," he kissed your neck. "Now sleep."

"Iwaizumi is coming."

"What?"

"Hajime is coming. He's part of your birthday gift," you explained.

"That's awesome."

His birthday was months apart yet but you found a way to make it awesome already.

After a few minutes of silence, he felt your breathing get really soft. You were sleeping. He pulled the covers over your bodies and cuddled with you again.

You, right here between his arms, were his home now.

[ravs6709]

Hoodies- Kam

I saw an incorrect quote from a different Fandom and I thought it was hilarious. I mixed it up slightly but it works better so.

Anyways this might be more funny in my head but here's some Kam fluff.

Warnings, none!

•~•~•~•~•~•

Tam smiled in his bed, relishing the scent of Keefe that lingered from over an hour before. They had cuddled the previous night, and fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

But apparently Keefe had gotten up at some point, when he knew for a fact that Keefe preferred sleeping late. Usually, Tam was the productive one, but he just couldn't bring himself to get out of the bed.

Reluctantly, he kicked off the blanket, shivering at the sudden chill. On the edge of the bed, there was a sweater, so he grabbed it and put it on. It was bright blue and large- probably Keefe's. But it didn't matter, because it was keeping him warm.

Tam got up, and went to the kitchen, wondering where exactly Keefe would be. As he took out his breakfast, there was a note.

Hey Bangs Boy, I'm shopping with Biana. She's looking for a dress to wear for her date with Linh. I'll meet you at Everglen! Love you!!!

~Keefe♡

That made sense. From what he knew about Biana, her shopping trips were always spontaneous. And Keefe- whenever he tried- had good fashion sense, so he would be the perfect person to ask in this case.

They'd planned to hang out at Everglen, which wasn't that much later. Tam quickly ate his breakfast, so he would be able to get ready in time to get there.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Despite the fact that he was only going to be outside for a minute, he kept the sweater on anyways. It was an extra cold winter, and there was a decent amount of snow on the ground.

When he got inside, he was grateful for the immense heating of the glittering building. It didn't take long before he found the rest of his friends.

"Took you long enough!" Biana called out.

"I'm not even late!" He replied, walking over to sit next to his boyfriend.

"You're normally more punctual than the though," Fitz pointed out.

"And I can't even blame Keefe for distracting you this time," Linh added.

He felt his cheeks redden at the comment. He knew exactly what she was referring to.

"He's blushing," Sophie remarked. "Linh you broke him."

"I'm not blushing!" He snapped, but even then, it was softer than usual.

"Wait, are you wearing a hoodie?" Linh asked. "I thought you don't wear hoodies?"

"It looks big," Dex said. "Like Keefe big."

Tam shrugged. "I was cold, this was warm.

"I can't believe you wore my sweater, Bangs Boy," Keefe said with a smirk, draping an arm around his shoulder.

If it was possible, Tam's face went even more tomato red. It made his friends laugh.

"Y-you!" Now, what would be the best distraction? Without realizing it, he was fiddling with the overly long sleeves.

He pulled his arms out of his sleeves, making Keefe back away. He raised an eyebrow, looking confused. Tam gave him a look, one of those looks that Keefe described as 'completely irresistible'. He leaned closer, taking great satisfaction at the way the boy was almost gaping at him.

Then without warning, he turned around quickly, one of the sleeves moving to slap Keefe in the face. He turned back to look at his face, but the other sleeve did the exact same thing.

If Keefe was gaping before, he was completely dumbfounded now. After a few seconds, he finally closed his mouth and put a hand to his heart.

"This is betrayal!" Keefe said with a dramatic whine. "I've been betrayed by my own boyfriend!"

Fitz was covering his mouth to not laugh, but couldn't keep it back. He burst into laughter, and slowly, the rest joined him.

"If I date a tall person, I'm doing that to them," Sophie said in between breaths.

"That looked to stupid to watch, but that was hilarious!" Biana said. "And Keefe's reaction!"

"My own boyfriend slapped me with my own sweater! I can't believe!"

"Is it really surprising though?" Tam asked.

"I mean no, but... rude!"

"Tam, I don't know if I should be proud or if I should make you apologize," Linh said.

"Be proud," Dex answered. "That was beautiful."

Keefe glared at him mockingly. "Um? Rude? My own friends won't even defend me?"

"Sorry Keefe," Sophie said, though it was very clear that she wasn't sorry.

"I'll make it up to you later," Tam promised, gently grabbing Keefe's hand.

The mock glare softened into a light smile. "Fine, I forgive you."

"But that doesn't mean I won't do it again."

"Rude!"

•~•~•~•~•~•

Yes, the incorrect quote was about the hoodie slapping.

Taglist- @linhamon-roll

If you want to join the taglist, just ask!

[melonoverlord]

New asks for our good vent gremlin

Which parent do they look the most like?

She gets some features from both her parents, but she takes after her mom with her round face and dark brown hair. But she got her eyes from her dad.

Is there a name they were almost given (either by their parents or during character creation)?

For a while, her parents were considering Mary or Anne to be her first name after some long ago relatives, but finally they settled on Valerie because Mary and Anne just sounded a little too old, and just made Anne her middle name.

What were they like as a kid (if they’re currently a child, what would they be like as a teen)?

Val was always a kid who had a lot of faith in her abilities, though she was always quieter and serious than she is now (or at least before she got half her brain blown out). She was always focused on how her work could help her family and didn’t care about the consequences, but it was a serious endeavor and didn’t have time for stupid names like B3rT13. It was a robot, it didn’t need a name, Phoebe.

What’s their drinking tolerance and what kind of drunk are they?

Since joining the Freedom Vessel (and becoming friends with Luna), Val’s drinking tolerance has increased exponentially that now she can go about 5 drinks before becoming a sad drunk who just wants to talk to kitchen appliances in an attempt to have some semblance of talking with B3rT13 again.

Where do they like to be touched?

Before becoming a cyborg, Val was never the biggest fan of hugging unless it was B3rT13 and eventually Nivviah or Tam and then of course Ciri, but now she’s pretty touch averse to everyone except Clementine and Ciri, mostly because of the cyborg phantom limbs and not really remembering people that much. But if you gotta touch her, she is a fan of laying her head on people’s laps.

What’s their favorite position (top/bottom/switch/pillow princess/etc.)

Because she uses all her brain in inventing, she just wants to be told what to do in the bedroom, so she’s a bottom sub to the max. No thinking, just doing what’ she’s told.

What are their kinks?

Girl’s pride means she got a praise kink like no other and loves to be told how smart, good, and beautiful a girl she is (in that order) over and over, while possibly being tied up and also is slight into masochism with being scratched or having her hair pulled or blindfolded. As long as there’s cuddling at the end, she’s in.

How do they feel about adrenaline (roller coasters, extreme sports, etc.)?

Fuck yeah, bro. She’s not the Vent Gremlin for nothing. She’ll do anything at least once.

What is their fight or flight response?

Bitch runs from her feelings and responsibilities, but will run into battle if only to test a new bomb.

What’s their pain tolerance?

Well, since getting blown half to bits, she’s gotten an amazing pain tolerance, but she’s now always in a bit of pain all the time just because being blown up does that to you.

What character archetype are they the most like (the Innocent, the Hero, etc.)

The Creator, in every sense of the word. If it can be dreamt, it can be created. If it’s already created, it can be improved. She has hubris the size of the Freedom Vessel.

What TV-Tropes trope would they be?

Girl built her own body back from scratch, hijacked a robot in the name of science, and builds bombs for fun. What is she if not for the Mad Scientist?

What John Mulaney quote/bit do they most embody?

“I look back on being 17 and think, ‘Oh my god, how did I not die?’“

With the exception of love interests and immediate family, who are they closest to?

Before she lost him, it was B3rT13 easily. Now, it would be Flor and Percy, who were the first people near her age who she met in the Rebellion and also the first people with her when she was putting her body back together. The only reason she is not counting Ciri is because that’s her sister.

What is their moral alignment? What would have to happen for it to shift?

Ultimate chaotic good. She cares about bettering the world for her family and everyone else, but she will build a few bombs and killer robots on her way there.

Are they a morning person? What are they like before 8am?

She doesn’t necessarily like getting up before 8, she’s more of a naturally rise at 10, go to bed at 3am, but she’ll just be a little confused and cranky if she wakes up too early. Just hand her one of her wall snacks and she’ll be fine.

What are they like when they’re tired?

If you think she’s stubborn now just wait until she has no patience for anyone because she hasn’t had any sleep so she just keeps working until everyone leaves her alone. It’s a little better now that she has Clem “Sleep is for the Week” who will take any excuse to nap, because Clem just has to tell her that she’s tired and Val will go lie down with her.

What are they like in arguments?

Good luck trying to argue with Val. If she’s trying to argue something for your benefit, she will lock you in a room until you solve your problems. But if you want to argue with something for her benefit, she will find any way to escape the conversation, including hiding in the walls. Even if you do catch her it’s like talking to a brick wall.

What is their dominant hand?

She was pretty ambidextrous since she was young, but now that she’s relearning how to write, she leans more on her left hand to write.

Out of 10, how happy are they? How happy do they think they are?

Val was always more of a serious person internally, even when her sisters were alive. Now that she doesn’t remember anything, she’s back at a rough 6/10 due to her confusion and guilt, but in time it can grow to an 8 with help from her friends (and sister and girlfriend).

[lyrishadow]

Fill out for muse thing for...Tamarillo :)

(hope this works)Muse Ask: Tamarillo

Name: Tamarillo Cadera [married… at this point I am quite content to take his name and clan]Alias ( nicknames ): Tam  - someone tried to call me Rillo once, lets just say he didn’t try again.Gender: FAge: approx 30 - she was born on a backwater planet so the age isn’t ever exact as no records exist.Date of Birth: unknown. [for the record  I joined up with Braden when I was 25]Spoken Languages: basic, attempting to learn Mandoa, you have no idea how terrible i am at it, and how patient my man is.Romantic Preference: I didnt know how to answer this, I mean I am married now and seriously, whatever, it’s him I love…. , though I flirt with others, Tor made me promise that was as far as it went  (I mean, folks, have you MET Theron Shan?? who couldn’t flirt with that dork.)Sexual Preference:  *replying with raised eyebrow* Often?Occupation: Bounty Hunter and sometime saving the galaxy.Criminal Record: a few, early ones for stealing, and generally as she got older they were for shooting the wrong target (windows, fences, flowers..) older she gets the more its for straight up the wrong bounty or someone pissed at me for doing my job. There was this one thing with the Republic a while back which was a complete load of crap they.. oh right, short answers, and you know not over-sharing.Disorders: none. Unless talking too much is one.Eye Color: greenHair Color: Red (natural) although, I have died it red to make it much brighter, I’d go pink or purple but can’t seem to get the right products.Height:  about 5 foot 5 inches, hell no-one has measured that in a while (Torian is about 6ft?)Scars: Several poorly healed scars from fooling around with guns as a kid (and vibroblades, as well as anything weapon like) Overweight:  noUnderweight: noColor: blue green? sea green? you k now the blue end of green.Food: Tingilar (only made by Torian - and I know I cant even write Mandoa!)Drink: spiced caf  Candy: Uj cake, tho more cake than candy it is sweet and keeps well, if the others on the crew don’t know about it.Had sex:  yesHad sex in public: It depends how public you mean.. in a tent? next to other tents? yes…on a beach at night.. ahem yes.Kissed a Boy: several in fact.Kissed a Girl: nope, not even my mother on her cheek.Gotten Tattoos: One thats hidden under armour, 'Clan Cadera’ on it., its a token of my wedding. I also suspect that if people were to find me and see it, they could return me to Torian right?Gotten Piercings: noSmoked / Drank / Done Drugs : Not bad drinking… never secret or destructive more social than anything. I do like a good Corellian whiskey though.,A Cuddler:  Not really. Except with Torian. Seriously, random cuddling people make me uncomfortable, like… why are you touching me and should I shoot you?A Kisser: see above response. No random kisses… Scared Easily:  noJealous Easily: no, but if you mess with the man you mess with me.Trustworthy:  mostly. I rarely lie? I guess that would work.Considered Mean: have been, usually i can be when my patience is short or it has been a bad day. I confess to having a temper. Harmed Themselves: noThought of Suicide:  noAttempted Suicide:  noWanted to Kill Someone: frequently. Ok Yes. Tried to kill a few of the crew at one point or another. Ask them. oh and temper.Have / Had a Job:  First job waiting tables in the local bar at 16 (told them i was 18) , then as a gun to protect cargo on runs from home planet to the core, and then… well then I ended up working fairly solidly on Nar Shaddaa before Braden scraped my sorry butt off the floor after I got into yet another fight because idiots who drink are  still IDIOTS… not my fault they can’t shoot straight after six rounds.Siblings: Eight Yeah. read em and weep. My folks had a LOOOOT of kids, I dont even know where half of them are, I think I might even have a sister in imperial intelligence?  folks were always keen we follow our own path - as long as they didn’t have to pay for it of course, cos you imagine getting nine of us through any form of schooling. Fears: being alone, ;lost or stranded alone. Heart sinks every time we have to park the mantis out of orbit; it is strange how my life has ended up on that ship.Parents: Still farming;  send money as I can, and I let them know how we are going, mum was particularly happy i joined the mandalorians, she always liked the stories she heard about them. and she loves Torian however and has spoken to him a lot on holo.

[cleo-j-malfoy-archive]

Cleo and Darian AND Tim Tam and Cleo #greedy

(This is gonna get so Long!! XD)

Timothy X Cleo 

Ship Meme A 

who is more dominant in the bedroom?: Timothywho complains the most?: Cleo, like… poor Timothywho’s the laziest?: Cleo, Notts don’t know how to be lazywho wakes up the earliest?: Timothywho does the chores around the house?: The House Elf? who is the most protective of the other?: Ummm, Timothy is protective because it’s his duty as her husband.who gets jealous the easiest?: Neither, at all. and a song or group of songs that describes the ship: …Casual Sex by My Darkest Days?? 

Parenting Meme

packs the lunches: Cleoblows raspberries while cuddling: Timothy #GoodDadTimothyis the tickle monster: Timothy (I can’t.. so cute)gives life lesson speeches: Timothy. kisses the boo-boos: Cleobreaks the bad news: Timothyjoins the PTA: Cleocrashes sleepovers with embarrassing stories: … Cleo?gives the crazy nicknames: Crazy?.. Probably Cleo, Timothy gives the cute ones. 

Weird Questions

Who puts up the holiday decorations? Cleo, like her AuntWho eats the others uneaten pizza crusts? Timothy? She just secretly puts them there until he notices. Who always forgets to pick up their wet towels in the bathroom? Cleo, only cause Timothy doesn’t leave anything out of place. Who talks smack while playing video games?  (Would be Cleo)Who watches Jeopardy and calls out the answers? (Would be Timothy)Who is more likely to cry over a sad book or movie? Cleo, all the time. Who sings along with the radio? Cleo XDWho falls asleep on the other? Cleo (awe.. imagine it)

Ship Meme B

Who worries about how they will look when they’re older: Cleo :(Who makes the mix tapes/cd’sClings to the other during scary movies: (Would be Cleo)Gets into the shower with the other randomly: Cleo… ;)Flashes the other when they walk by after taking a shower alone: Cleo… the little Brat. XDInitiates hand holding while the other is driving: (Would be Cleo, but that is dangerous, for shame)Secretly tries to touch the other in naughty places during public/family events: … oh lord, I don’t know… I want to say Timothy?! But that would be VERY surprising. Asks weird questions in the middle of the night: CLEO!!! (THE EGGS!!) Asks “what are you thinking about?”: Cleo, Probably at like 1AM XDAlways has to be touching the other, (if either of them do): Neither. 

( @iudexxofxthexreborn )

Darian X Cleo

Ship Meme A

who is more dominant in the bedroom?: …Cleo? XD Naw but she likes Darian to have Control, my little muffin boywho complains the most?: Cleo, Dar just listens to it all who’s the laziest?: Cleo, Darian’s a Taurus after all. who wakes up the earliest?: Darianwho does the chores around the house?: Darian XDwho is the most protective of the other?: DARIANwho gets jealous the easiest?: Cleo, not that she ever really has a need to. and a song or group of songs that describes the ship: That’s What I’ll Be - Chester See (Bonus points for Darian’s VoiceClaim?) 

Parenting Meme (Too cute, this whole one)

packs the lunches: Darianblows raspberries while cuddling: Darianis the tickle monster: Dariangives life lesson speeches: Dariankisses the boo-boos: Both of them breaks the bad news: Cleojoins the PTA: Cleo (only cause she’s a stay at home mom)crashes sleepovers with embarrassing stories: Darian (you know it’s true)gives the crazy nicknames: Darian XD

Weird Questions

Who puts up the holiday decorations?: Both of them, He lifts Cleo when she can’t reach places. Who eats the others uneaten pizza crusts?: Darian, She just puts them in his mouth Who always forgets to pick up their wet towels in the bathroom?: Cleo, Especially the one from her hair. Who talks smack while playing video games?: Cleo, Darian couldn’t smack talk anyone. Who watches Jeopardy and calls out the answers?: Darian (precious Ravenclaw)Who is more likely to cry over a sad book or movie?: Cleo, She cried during Star Wars okay?Who sings along with the radio?: Darian, so well Who falls asleep on the other? Cleo

Ship Meme B

Who worries about how they will look when they’re older: Cleo :(Who makes the mix tapes/cd’s: Darian Clings to the other during scary movies: Cleo buries her face in Darian’s chest the entire time Gets into the shower with the other randomly: Cleo, ;)Flashes the other when they walk by after taking a shower alone: Definitly CleoInitiates hand holding while the other is driving: Cleo, everytime they are in the car. Secretly tries to touch the other in naughty places during public/family events: … Cleo ;), If you ask her, Darian is far too innocent. (Sorry Grandma Banks!)Asks weird questions in the middle of the night: Cleo!!Asks “what are you thinking about?”: DarianAlways has to be touching the other, (if either of them do): Cleo, she needs him like she needs air to breath. 

( @adxastraxadore )

[wittybitchesmag]

New Post has been published on https://www.wittybitches.com/2017/01/the-science-of-cute/

The Science of Cute

On 14 April 2016, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu, toppling buildings and sending residents rushing into the streets. Hundreds of aftershocks – one an even stronger 7.0 quake – continued for days, killing 49 people, injuring 1,500 and forcing tens of thousands from their homes. 

News spread immediately around the globe on social media.

“Earthquake just happened,” Margie Tam posted from Hong Kong. “R u ok kumamon?”

“Are Kumamon and his friends safe?” wondered Eric Tang, a college student.

“Pray for Kumamoto & Kumamon,” wrote Ming Jang Lee from Thailand, a phrase that would be repeated thousands of times.

Kumamoto is a city of 700,000 in a largely agricultural province in southwestern Japan.

But what, or more precisely who, is Kumamon? And why in the wake of an immense natural disaster did concern for earthquake victims focus on him, specifically?

That’s a bit more complicated.

◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

It is 12 March 2016, one month before the earthquake. Kumamon bounds onto an outdoor stage at the opening event of his birthday party in Kumamoto. About 150 guests – mostly women – cheer, clap and whistle.

What makes something so irresistibly cute that you need to touch, cuddle or play with it?

Kumamon waves and bows. He is about 1.5 metres tall, with black glossy fur, circular red cheeks and wide, staring eyes. He’s dressed for the occasion in a white satin dinner jacket trimmed in silver and a red bow tie.

One woman in the crowd holds a Kumamon doll swaddled in a baby blanket. Another has dressed her doll in a grey outfit matching her own. She says it took her a month to sew. A number of fans have pasted red paper circles on their cheeks to mimic his. Those in the first row arrived at 3am to snag their prime spots to greet the object of their intense though difficult-to-explain affection.

“Actually, I have no idea why I love him so much,” says Milkinikio Mew, who flew from Hong Kong with friends Lina Tong and Alsace Choi to attend the three-day-long festival, even though Hong Kong is holding its own birthday party for Kumamon. She slept in, showing up at 6am for the 10am kick-off, so had to settle for a seat in the last row.

Kumamon is… well, he’s not exactly a cartoon character, though he does appear in a daily newspaper comic strip. He’s not a brand icon either, like Hello Kitty, though like her, he does not speak and, also like her, his image certainly moves merchandise.

He’s not sexy, but when the Empress Michiko met Kumamon – at her request – during the imperial couple’s visit to Kumamoto in 2013, she asked him, “Are you single?”

But what is Kumamon? Well, he’s sort of a…

But first, the big moment is here. A birthday cake is rolled out, and the crowd sings ‘Happy Birthday’. Then presents. A representative from Honda, which has a motorbike factory nearby, gives him its Kumamon-themed scooter. An Italian bicycle maker unveils a custom Kumamon racing cycle. Plus a new exercise DVD, on which Kumamon leads the workout.

More than 100,000 products feature Kumamon’s image, from stickers and notebooks to cars and aeroplanes

The Italian bicycle is not for sale, yet. But the other two items are, joining the more than 100,000 products that feature Kumamon’s image, from stickers and notebooks to cars and aeroplanes (a budget Japanese airline flies a Kumamon 737). When Steiff offered 1,500 special edition Kumamon plush toys at $300 each, they sold out online in five seconds according to the German toymaker. Last year Leica created a $3,300 Kumamon camera, a bargain compared to the solid gold statue of Kumamon crafted by a Tokyo jeweller, which retails for $1 million.

So what is he then? Kumamon is a yuru-kyara, or ‘loose character’, one of the cuddly creatures in Japan that represent everything from towns and cities to airports and prisons. The word is sometimes translated as ‘mascot’, but yuru-kyara are significantly different from mascots in the West, such as those associated with professional sports teams, which tend to be benign, prankish one-dimensional court jesters that operate in the narrow realm of the sidelines during game time.

Kumamon has a far wider field of operation as the yuru-kyara for Kumamoto Prefecture (a prefecture is like a state in the USA or a county in England). He has become more than a symbol for that region, more than merely a strategy to push its tourism and farm products. He is almost regarded as a living entity, a kind of funky ursine household god (it is perhaps significant that the very first licensed Kumamon product was a full-sized Buddhist shrine emblazoned with his face). He hovers in a realm of fantasy like a character from children’s literature, a cross between the Cat in the Hat and a teddy bear.

Image courtesy of © Kumamoto Prefectural Government

Kumamon has personality. “Cute and naughty,” Tam explains, later, when I ask what about Kumamon made her care about him enough to be concerned immediately after the earthquake.

She wasn’t alone. After the April quake, Kumamon’s Twitter feed, which has nearly half a million followers and is typically updated at least three times a day, stopped issuing communications. With a thousand buildings damaged, water to the city cut, a hospital jarred off its foundations, and 44,000 people out of their homes, the prefectural government, which handles Kumamon’s business dealings and appearances, had more important things to do than stage-manage its fictive bear.

But Kumamon was missed.

“People are asking why Kumamon’s Twitter account has gone silent when the prefecture needs its mascot bear more than ever,” the Japan Times noted on its Facebook page on 19 April.

Into the vacuum came hundreds, then thousands of drawings, posted by everyone from children to professional manga artists, not only from Japan, but from Thailand, Hong Kong, China. They waged an impromptu campaign of drumming up support for earthquake relief using the bear, which stood in for the city itself and its people. Kumamon was depicted leading the rescue efforts, his head bandaged, lifting stones to rebuild the tumbled walls of Kumamoto Castle, propping up tottering foundations, enfolding children in his arms.

“Ganbatte Kumamon!” many wrote, using a term that means something between ‘don’t give up’ and ‘do your best’.

What is happening here? Kumamon is kawaii – the word is translated as ‘cute’, but it has broad, multi-layered meanings, covering a range of sweetly alluring images and behaviours. Not only does kawaii encompass the army of Japanese mascots, but a world of fashion that has adult women dressing as schoolgirls and schoolgirls dressing as goth heroines or Lolita seductresses, giving rise to ero-kawaii, or erotic kawaii, a mash-up of cute and sexy.

We eagerly spend fortunes on cute avatars – Kumamon earned $1 billion in 2015, Hello Kitty four or five times that – without ever wondering: What is cute? What about it causes us to open our wallets and our hearts? Is appreciation for cuteness hardwired in human beings? What does it say about our society? Is what it says good or, possibly, could cuteness harbour darker facets as well? These are questions being mulled over by a potential new academic field, ‘cute studies’.

And where do our concepts of cuteness originate? That one is easy. The primal source of all things cute is found in every country, in every city and town, every neighbourhood and close to every block in the world. You may have the template for all the cuteness in the world right in the next room and not even realise it.

Soma Fugaki’s dark eyes sparkle as he scans the opening night crowd at Blossom Blast, a feminist art show at the UltraSuperNew Gallery in Tokyo’s hip Harajuku district. Drinks are poured, music pulses. But Soma doesn’t dance or even stand. He’s a baby. Just five months old, Soma squirms in the arms of his father, Keigo, who gazes lovingly into his son’s face.

“Everything about him is a reflection of myself,” Keigo says, “a cartoon version… That has to do with how much I think he’s cute. I stare at him all the time. He looks like me. It’s my features, but exaggerated: bigger cheeks, bigger eyes.”

Babies are our model for cuteness. Those last two details – big cheeks, big eyes – are straight out of Konrad Lorenz’s Kindchenschema, or ‘baby schema’, as defined in the Nobel Prize-winning scientist’s 1943 paper on the ‘innate releasing mechanisms’ that prompt affection and nurture in human beings: fat cheeks, large eyes set low on the face, a high forehead, a small nose and jaw, and stubby arms and legs that move in a clumsy fashion. And it doesn’t just apply to humans: puppies, baby ducks and other young animals are covered by Lorenz’s theory.

Lorenz’s paper is the ur-document of cute studies, but did not produce an immediate reaction among the scientific community. He was a Nazi psychologist writing during wartime, exploring their loathsome eugenic theories – a reminder that the shiny face of cuteness invariably conceals a thornier side.

For decades, scientists focused on what babies perceive, what they think. But in the 21st century, attention turned to how babies themselves are perceived, as cuteness started taking its first wobbly steps toward becoming a cohesive realm of research.

 Seeing cute creatures stimulates the brain’s pleasure centre

Experiments have demonstrated that viewing cute faces improves concentration and hones fine motor skills – useful modifications for handling an infant. A pair of Yale studies suggest that when people say they want to ‘eat up’ babies, it’s prompted by overwhelming emotions – caused, one researcher has speculated, by frustration at not being able to care for the cute thing, channelled into aggressiveness.

These emotions are triggered chemically, deep within the brain. Experiments hooking up volunteers to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners have shown how seeing cute creatures stimulates the brain’s pleasure centre, the nucleus accumbens, causing a release of dopamine, in a way similar to what happens when eating chocolate or having sex.

Women appear to feel this reaction more strongly than men. While biologically this is explained by the need to care for infants, society’s larger embrace of cuteness has led academics in gender studies to wonder whether cute culture is the sugar pill that sexism comes in – training women to be childlike – or whether it could instead be a form of empowerment in which young women take control of their own sexuality.

More recent experiments have tried to separate cuteness from its biological roots to see if there are general aesthetic standards that can make an inanimate object ‘cute’.

In a study at the University of Michigan in 2012, visual information expert Sookyung Cho asked subjects “to design a cute rectangle by adjusting the size, proportion, roundness, rotation, and color of the figure”.

What she found supported the idea that “smallness, roundness, tiltedness, and lightness of color can serve as determinants of perceived cuteness in artifact design”. It mattered, she found, whether the person designing the rectangle was in the USA or South Korea. Cuteness is nothing if not culturally specific, and that itself has become a rich focus of inquiry.

Cuteness is so associated with Japan that the actual country – mile after mile of unadorned concrete buildings alternating with rolling green fields and periodic densely packed cities – can come as something of a surprise. The Tokyo subway is jammed with hurrying businessmen in dark suits, rushing women in paper masks, racing kids in plain school uniforms. Cute characters such as Kumamon can be hard to spot, and to expect otherwise is like going to America and expecting everyone to be a cowboy.

Still, there are pockets of cuteness to be found: tiny yuru-kyara charms dangling off backpacks or peeking from posters or construction barriers in the form of baby ducks.

But not everywhere – not even in most places.

Even in Kumamoto during Kumamon’s birthday weekend. Exit from the Shinkansen bullet train at Kumamoto station and there is nothing special on the platform, not so much as a banner – not until you take the escalator down and catch a glimpse of the enormous head of Kumamon set up downstairs, along with a mock stationmaster’s office built for him. The train station shop is filled with Kumamon items, from bottles of sake to stuffed animals including, somewhat disturbingly, a plush set that pairs him with Hello Kitty, the wide-eyed bear directly behind the kneeling kitty in such a way as to suggest… well, you wonder if it’s deliberate.

In the city, his face is spread across the sides of an office building, with birthday banners hanging from the semi-enclosed shopping arcades that are a feature of every Japanese city.

Six years ago, Kumamoto wasn’t known for much. There is an active volcano, Mt Aso, nearby, and a 1960s reproduction of a dramatic 1600s-era castle that burned down in 1877. Kumamoto residents believed there was nothing in their city that anyone would want to visit. The region is largely agricultural, growing melons and strawberries.

But in 2010, Japan Railways was working to extend the Shinkansen bullet train to Kumamoto, and the city fathers were eager for tourists to use it. So they commissioned a logo to promote the area, hiring a designer who offered a stylised exclamation point (their official slogan, ‘Kumamoto Surprise’, was a bright spin on the fact that many Japanese would be surprised to find anything in Kumamoto worth seeing).

The exclamation point logo was a red blotch, resembling the sole of a shoe. The designer, seeking to embellish it, and knowing the popularity of yuru-kyara, added a surprised black bear. Kuma is Japanese for bear. Mon is local slang for ‘man’.

Paired with a mischievous personality – Mew calls him “very naughty” – Kumamon made headlines after Kumamoto held a press conference to report that he was missing from his post, having run off to Osaka to urge residents there to take the train. The stunt worked. Kumamon was voted the most popular yuru-kyara in 2011. (Japan has a national contest, the Yuru-kyara Grand Prix, held in November. The most recent one was attended by 1,727 different mascots and nearly 77,000 spectators. Millions of votes were cast.)

A few Kumamoto officials resisted Kumamon – their concern was he would scare off potential tourists, who’d worry about encountering wild bears, of which there are none in the prefecture. But the Kumamoto governor was a fan and cannily waived licensing fees for Kumamon, encouraging manufacturers to use him royalty-free.

Rather than pay up front, in order to get approval to use the bear’s image, companies are required to support Kumamoto, either by using locally manufactured parts or ingredients or by promoting the area on their packaging. It’s as if Mickey Mouse were continually hawking California oranges.

The side of the box of the Tamiya radio-controlled ‘Kumamon Version Buggy’, for instance, has photos of the region’s top tourist destinations. In one of the songs on the exercise DVD released on Kumamon’s birthday, as he leads his fans through their exertions, they grunt, “Toh-MAY-toes… straw-BEAR-ies… wah-TER-melons” – all agricultural products that are specialties of Kumamoto. Go into a grocery store and Kumamon smiles from every punnet of strawberries and honeydew wrapper.

There is a tacit agreement to never allude to anything as crass as him being a man in a bear suit

The bullet train began service to Kumamoto on 12 March, so that date is now used as Kumamon’s official birthday. He was there to greet the first scheduled train, a moment recreated during his birthday fest.

Fans line up to hug him, often reaching back for a lingering last touch as they’re led off to make way for the next waiting fan. There is a tacit agreement to never allude to anything as crass as him being a man in a bear suit, to, if not accept Kumamon’s reality, pretend that he exists.

In 2014, Kumamon gave a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, where his title was given as ‘Director of PR’. The journalists posed respectful questions. “How many staff do you have to help you out with your activities?” one asked. The answer – “We have about 20 staff members in our section” – was delivered by one of those subordinates, Masataka Naruo, who enjoys telling people that Kumamon is his boss.

Shopping in Kumamoto the day before the start of the celebration, Mew and her friends wear Kumamon T-shirts and carry Kumamon backpacks. The three women show their discoveries to each other. They own a lot of Kumamon products already. Why buy more? What makes Kumamon so special? “Because he’s very cute,” says Tong, in English.

Being cute isn’t always enough, however.

For every Kumamon, for every popular yuru-kyara, there are a hundred Harajuku Miccolos. A five-foot-tall yellow-and-brown bee, Harajuku Miccolo stands on the pavement, celebrating Honey Bee Day by finishing up three hours of loitering in front of the Colombin Bakery and Café, greeting passers-by – or trying to. Most barely glance in his direction and do not break stride, though some do come over and happily pose for the inevitable picture. There is no line.

Harajuku Miccolo is cute yet obscure, the common fate for most yuru-kyara. The city of Osaka has 45 different characters promoting its various aspects, who must fend off periodic calls for them to be culled in the name of efficiency; one administrator piteously argued that the government officials who create these characters work hard on them and so would feel bad if they were discontinued.

Harajuku Miccolo is trying to avoid that fate.

“He is not a success yet,” admits one of his handlers, distributing cubes of the café’s trademark honey cake. “Many are not as successful…”

“…as Kumamon?”

“We’re trying…”

Nobody is cute in Shakespeare. The word did not exist until the early 1700s, when the ‘a’ in ‘acute’ was replaced by an apostrophe – ’cute – and then dropped altogether, the sort of truncation for which frenetic Americans in their restive colonies were already notorious.

‘Acute’ came from acus, Latin for needle, later denoting pointed things. So ‘cute’ at first meant “acute, clever, keen-witted, sharp, shrewd” according to the 1933 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, which doesn’t suggest the term could describe visual appearance. This older, ‘clever’ meaning lingers in expressions like “don’t be cute”.

The newer usage was still being resisted in Britain in the mid-1930s, when a correspondent at the Daily Telegraph included ‘cute’ on his list of “bastard American expressions”, along with ‘OK’ and ‘radio’. Not only is ‘cute’ unknown before 1700, but Lorenz’s Kindchenschema is largely absent from visual arts before the 20th century. Even babies in medieval artworks are depicted as wizened miniature adults.

Cute images of the kind we’ve become accustomed to began showing up around 1900. While purists fussed, popular culture was discovering the bottomless marketability of cute things. In 1909, Rose O’Neill drew a comic strip about ‘kewpies’ (taken from ‘cupid’) – preening babylike creatures with tiny wings and huge heads, which were soon being handed out as carnival prizes and capering around Jell-O ads (to this day, Kewpie Mayonnaise, introduced in 1925, is the top-selling brand in Japan). Cuteness and modern commercialisation are intricately linked.

Still, kewpies followed the lines of actual human anatomy more or less, the way that Mickey Mouse resembled a real mouse when he first appeared on film in 1928. A half a century of fine-tuning made him much more infantile, a process naturalist Stephen Jay Gould famously described in his ‘biological homage’ to Mickey. Gouldobserved that the mischievous and sometimes violent mouse of the late 1920s morphed into the benign, bland overseer of a vast corporate empire.

Today, about $5 billion worth of Hello Kitty merchandise is sold annually

“He has assumed an ever more childlike appearance as the ratty character of Steamboat Willie became the cute and inoffensive host to a magic kingdom,” Gould writes.

In Japan, the national fascination with cuteness is traced to girls’ handwriting. Around 1970 schoolgirls in Japan began to imitate the caption text in manga comics – what was called koneko-ji, or ‘kitten writing’. By 1985, half of the girls in Japan had adopted the style, and companies marketing pencils, notebooks and other inexpensive gift items, like Sanrio, learned that these items sold better when festooned with a variety of characters, the queen of whom is Hello Kitty.

Her full name is Kitty White, and she has a family and lives in London (a fad for all things British hit Japan in the mid-1970s).

The first Hello Kitty product, a vinyl coin purse, went on sale in 1974. Today, about $5 billion worth of Hello Kitty merchandise is sold annually. In Asia, there are Hello Kitty amusement parks, restaurants and hotel suites. EVA Air, the Taiwanese airline, flies seven Hello Kitty-themed jets, which carry images of Hello Kitty and her friends not only on their hulls, but throughout their cabins, from the pillows and antimacassars to, in the bathroom, toilet paper emblazoned with Hello Kitty’s face, a detail which an observer does not need to hold a doctorate in psychology to wonder about.

“If your target is young women, it’s saturated,” says Hiroshi Nittono, Director of the Cognitive Psychophysiology Laboratory at Osaka University, talking about the market for cute products in Japan. That is certainly true. In an effort to stand out, some yuru-kyara are now made intentionally crude or semi-frightening. There is the whole realm of kimo-kawaii, or ‘gross-cute’, epitomised by Gloomy, a cuddly bear whose claws are red with the blood of his owner, whom he habitually mauls. Even Kumamon, beloved as he is, is still subject to a popular internet meme where his works are revealed to be done “For the Glory of Satan”.

 Exploring the subculture known for doll-like make-up, bonnets and petticoats.

Because the practice of putting characters on products is so prevalent, and subject to resistance, Nittono, a placid, smiling man who wears an ascot, has been working with the government on developing products that are intrinsically cute. He asks to meet, not at his apartment or at an academic office, but at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Hiroshima, where he is finishing up an academic post.

For the past few years, Nittono and the government have been collaborating to develop cute items, a few of which are laid out on a table: a squat make-up brush, a bowl, a brazier, a few medallions and tiles. Given the mind-boggling array of cute merchandise available at shops in every mall around the world, it is not an overwhelming display of the ingenious synthesis of academe and government.

Nittono’s group is exploring how cuteness can be used as a device to draw people toward products without blatant branding.

“We use kawaii for such sentiment, feeling – kawaii things are not threatening, that is the most important part, small and not harmful,” says Nittono. “A high-quality product is somewhat distant from the customers; it looks expensive. But if you put kawaii nuance on such products, maybe such items can be more approachable.”

“If you have something cute, then you want to touch it, and then you see the quality of it,” adds Youji Yamashita, a ministry official.

Objects can also be unintentionally kawaii. With her husband Makoto, Date Tomito owns Bar Pretty, a tiny side-street tavern in Hiroshima. Six people would be crowded sitting at the bar. Makoto comes in from the market bearing a small plant in a yellow pot, a present for his wife.

“This is kawaii,” Date says, holding the plant up, elaborating. “There are lots of different meanings for kawaii: ‘cute’, ‘small’, ‘clumsy’. Some things just have a cute shape.”

She stresses something about kawaii: “It’s never bad,” she says. “I never use kawaii in an ironic way. Kawaii is kind of the best compliment around Japanese people, especially girls and women. They really like kawaii stuff and things.”

Single women in their 30s are sometimes referred to as ‘leftover Christmas cake’

Perhaps not all women. Just as Barbie’s measurements have drawn critique from feminists and scholars, so Hello Kitty has caught the interest of academics, especially in Japan, where the progress of women has lagged far behind other industrial nations. With girlishness a national obsession – Japan did not ban possession of child pornography until 2014 – and its most popular female icon lacking a mouth, if cuteness does become a separate academic field, then much credit has to be given to the feminist pushback against what Hiroto Murasawa of Osaka Shoin Women’s University calls “a mentality that breeds non-assertion”.

At the UltraSuperNew Gallery opening attended by Soma and his father, guests watch a woman in a frilly white miniskirt draped in white feathers with fuzzy leggings and an enormous yarn bow atop her head, her face painted white with a red flower on each cheek and blue dots running down her nose. She kneels in the gallery window, dabbing at a teal and yellow painting that closely resembles finger-painting writ large.

Her professional name is Gerutama, and she insists that, despite appearances, she is definitely not kawaii. She is a ‘live painter’. Some Japanese of both sexes reject kawaii – ‘fake’ is a word often used. But they are in the minority. Japanese women still live in a culture where single women in their 30s are sometimes referred to as ‘leftover Christmas cake’, meaning that after the 25th – of December for cake, birthday for women – they are past their expiration date and hard to get rid of. Nobody wants either.

Those surgical masks worn in public? Yes, to avoid colds, pollution and allergies. But ask Japanese women, and many will say that they wear them date masuku – ‘just for show’. Because they didn’t have time to put on their make-up, or because they don’t consider themselves cute enough, and they want a shield against the intrusive eyes of their crowded world. In a German study of 270,000 people in 22 countries, Japanese people came last in being pleased with how they look. More than a third of the country, 38 per cent, said they were “not at all satisfied” or “not very satisfied” with their personal appearance.

“Kawaii is sickening,” says gallery-goer Stefhen Bryan, a Jamaican writer who lived for a decade in Japan and married a Japanese woman. “Kawaii is especially babylike. If a woman acts like an adult in Japan, it’s an offence. Their self-esteem is nothing in this country. It’s all under the aegis of culture. It’s low self-esteem en masse.”

◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

Joshua Paul Dale pauses to remove his shoes at the entrance to his large – well, large for Tokyo – light-filled apartment in the Sendagaya section of the city. Dale, 50, a cultural studies scholar on the faculty at Tokyo Gakugei University, is the driving force for the creation of cute studies.

Neil Steinberg explores why, for certain robots, cuteness has its advantages.

Part behavioural science, part cultural studies, part biology, the field is so new it hasn’t had a conference yet.

Dale was the first to assemble academic papers into an online cute studies bibliography, a list now containing over 100 publications, in alphabetical order from C Abidin’s ‘Agentic cute (^.^): pastiching East Asian cute in Influencer commerce’ in the East Asian Journal of Popular Culture to Leslie Zebrowitz et al.’s ‘Baby talk to the babyfaced’ in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior.

Dale’s latest step has been to edit the East Asian Journal of Popular Culture’s special cuteness issue, published in April 2016. “The articles collected in this issue demonstrate the flexibility of cuteness as an analytical category, and the wide scope of the insights it generates,” he states in the introduction.

One inspiration is ‘porn studies’, now with its own quarterly

Cuteness has not yet emerged as an independent scientific field – Dale estimates that only a few dozen academics worldwide focus on the topic – but he’s hopeful that it is in the process of happening. Dale says one inspiration is ‘porn studies’, now with its own quarterly, created after academics united to focus on a topic they felt cultural researchers were neglecting out of misplaced squeamishness. A distinct field encourages exploration.

Hiroshi Nittono contributed to the East Asian Journal’s special issue. Nittono, who authored the first peer-reviewed scientific paper with ‘kawaii’ in its title, postulates a “two-layer model” of cuteness: not only does it encourage parental care of newborns, first, but once a baby moves into toddlerhood and begins interacting with the world, cuteness then promotes socialisation, a pattern Dale sees reflected in the aborning field.

“It’s interesting because it’s inherent in the concept itself,” Dale says. “Cute things relate easily to other things. It kind of breaks down the barriers a little bit between self and other, or subject and object. That means it invites work from various fields. It’s interesting to get people together from different fields talking about the same subject.”

Not that you need an academic conference to do that. Japan has uniquely embraced cuteness as a reflection of its national character, the way tea ceremonies or cherry blossoms were once held up as symbolic of Japanese nationhood. In 2009, the government appointed a trio of ‘cute ambassadors’, three women in ribbons and babydoll dresses whose task was to represent the country abroad.

◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

Humanity has always embraced household gods: not the world-creating universal deity, but minor, more personal allies to soften what can be a harsh and lonely life. Not everyone has the friends they deserve or the baby they’d cherish. Often people of both sexes are alone in the world.

Teddy bears exist because the night is dark and long and at some point your parents have to go to bed and leave you. There is real comfort in cuteness.

“Filling in an emotional need is exactly where kawaii plays a significant role,” writes Christine R Yano, a professor of anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s trek across the Pacific.

“Even in America, journalist Nicholas Kristof has written of an ‘empathy gap’ in today’s society,” states Yano. “He points to the place of objects that may be considered promoters of ‘happiness’, ‘solace’, ‘comfort’. When a society needs to heal, it seeks comfort in the familiar. And often the familiar may reside in ‘cute’. Witness the use of teddy bears as sources of comfort for firefighters in the wake of NYC’s 9-11. So I see kawaii things as holding the potential as empathy generators.”

Kumamon is a power station of empathy generation. In the weeks after the Kumamoto earthquake, Kumamon was so necessary that in his absence his fans simply conjured him up themselves, independently, as an object of sympathy, a tireless saviour, an obvious hero.

Three weeks after the 14 April earthquake, Kumamon visited the convention hall of the hard-hit town of Mashiki, where residents were still sleeping in their cars for protection as 1,200 tremors continued to rumble across the area. The visit was reported on TV and in the papers as news, as if a long-sought survivor had stumbled out of the wreckage alive.

The children, many of whom had lost their homes in the earthquake, flocked around him, squealing, hugging, taking pictures. Their friend had returned.

This article first appeared on Mosaic and is republished here under a Creative Commons licence.

Featured image: Pixabay/WB Mag

[melonoverlord]

50 Qs for Nivviah (fish mom blessed be)

Their age?

403. She celebrated her birthday while unconscious and in prison. Yaaaay.

Their sexuality/sexual preference?

Harold, she’s a lesbian

Any siblings/Only child?

She has one asshole half-brother, Dillon, that she electrocuted to death.

Their favourite season?

Spring. She always loves watching the flowers bloom on different planets and its the time for rebirth.

Who were/are their parents/guardians?

Assholes King Hali and Queen Athena of Theuthida

Their gender?

Female

Their date of birth?

Month 7, Day 28 (February 28th)

What clothing style?

Form fitting sweaters and flowy skirts, usually blue since she’s also blue.

What is their favourite food after a break-up?

She’s never had a breakup and hopefully never will, but she always goes for molten lava cake.

Their favourite thing to do after a break-up?

Roll into a ball and just let her emotions take over, with wild magic spreading everywhere and tears rolling down her face.

What happens in the ‘honeymoon phase’ for this character?

So much touching. Especially with Luna, if they go somewhere, they’re holding hands. If they’re sitting in bed, they’re cuddling. If they have a free night, Luna’s seeing those fish titties. She just wants to be sure her touch starved ass is never alone again.

How many serious relationships have they been in?

Just this first one with Luna.

What is their nationality?

Theuthidan

What languages do they speak?

Common, Theuthidan, Alternian, and Mambian.

What is their profession/Education?

She had tutors teach her mostly Theuthidan history as a child, and once she joined the Freedom Vessel, Luna, Tam, and Oberon taught her more world history and everyday things.

Their favourite comfort food?

Chocolate pudding.

What’s a food they hate?

Fish. It’s cannibalism. Tam once made tuna fish sandwiches and she started crying.

Their music taste?

Irish instrumental music (anything that sounds like faeries), Halsey, or Dodie, which she found while looking through Val’s “Icon” folder. She didn’t expect that many pictures of naked women, but she’s glad she found it.

Is there a story behind their name/meaning?

There is a Nereid in Iwione’s stories named Nivviah who helped Iwione establish the four major creatures on Theuthida (Theuthidans, Selkies, Sirens, and the Sea Serpents)

Something they do that seems childish to others?

She still remembers everyone that the Freedom Vessel couldn’t save. And she cries remembering each one of them.

What is their all-time favourite TV show?

She actually really likes the old Madeline cartoons. Don’t @ her

What is their all-time favourite movie?

Psycho. It’s just hard to beat the classics.

How big is their family?

Birth family she has her parents, half-brother, about seven aunts and uncles, and of course now Icio. Her real family is about 16 people.

Are they close to anyone specific in the family?

More recently, Icio because they’re the only person in the entire royal family who isn’t a twat. On the Freedom Vessel, Luna and Tam, Oberon, Venus, the boys, and Val.

Have they got any allergies?

Nope, which she’s grateful for.

Are they an emotional person?

She is a Solari. She feels every single emotion and then some.

Do they get angry/lose their temper quickly?

Like Tam, if you anger Nivviah, you have five seconds to run before Luna comes to kill you.

What are some of their guilty pleasures?

Long bubble baths, petting Luna’s hair and then getting too excited, painting her nails

Do they have pets? Do they want pets?

She sometimes looked after the sea serpents when she was a child on Theuthida, but doesn’t think that having pets would be very good right now. At least Castor has Noodle.

Do they like kids? Do they want kids/have kids?

She has ten-ish adopted kids she loves fiercely.

Who’s cuddle buddy are they?

Luna all day, every day.

Do they have any tattoos?

Nope, she doesn’t want any needle touching her skin.

Do they have any piercings?

She was forced to get earrings as a child.

What is their hair colour? Is it their natural colour?

Dark blue and light blue. She wants to see what dying it would look like but is too afraid that she would have to cut her hair if she didn’t like it.

Do they like musicals?

She will never tell anyone this because some people Val would make fun of her, but she really loves The Little Mermaid. It is very cathartic.

Do they like marmite?

That sounds like an STD

Do they like glitter?

It’s very hard to get out of scales, but she enjoys how it looks.

Do they believe in the supernatural?

She’s been raised to believe in gods, so yes.

Have they ever seen a dead body?

She hates every one she finds, but yes. Heron was the hardest so far.

Have they ever had a near-death experience?

She almost got executed twice: Once on Dryas with Manisha, and once on Theuthida with her parents.

Have they ever broken a bone?

Fish mom is lucky, she’s never broken a bone and kept her impulsive ass kids from breaking their bones.

What are they like when they’re drunk/what kind of drunk are they?

Don’t schedule a meeting with Luna when Nivviah’s drunk, she is the most clingy drunk and will ask if Luna can sit on her lap, which of course, Luna does but it makes it hard to pay attention.

Have they ever drunk underage?

She just started drinking once she got to the Freedom Vessel. She was waaaaay overage.

What is the first thing they do when they wake up?

Go to Luna’s office to see if Luna actually went to bed or stayed up all night working.

Do they consider themselves popular?

Everyone loves Nivviah and if you don’t, you’re not valid.

How do they like their tea/coffee?

She doesn’t drink coffee, but likes her chamomile tea with lemon and vanilla

What do they smell like?

Saltwater, fish, and lilies

Are they a virgin?

*vine voice* I’m an adult virgin! 

But not for long :3

Do they wear glasses/contacts?

No, but Luna steals Tam’s glasses (which he hates) to put them on Nivviah and she has a gay heart attack because it makes Nivviah’s eyes light up.

Are they good at remembering significant dates? Anniversaries, birthdays etc?

She remembers all her friends’ birthdays but not her own.