#and there isn't exactly a way to transition to take care of it

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Do you have any tips on writing a character that can be a bit quiet and weird/quirky yet confrontational and loud. She bites and picks her fingers when very anxious but she’s also a confident, and brave character who fights for what’s right and what she wants. I have a difficulty mixing a character’s personality sometimes, and wondered if you had any tips to help? :)

On Creating Beautifully Contradictory Characters ✨

Hey writer friend! Rin here.

I LIVE for these questions! 💕

Here's the thing about characters (and people). we're not single-note beings who fit into neat little boxes. The most real characters exist in the in-between spaces.

Let's talk about how to make this work...

The secret to contradictory character traits

What makes a character feel REAL isn't consistency. it's coherence.

• Your character doesn't need to be the same in every situation

• What they need is an emotional core that makes sense of their seemingly opposing behaviors

• Think of their personality as a constellation, not a straight line

When I'm developing characters like this, I always start with their wounds and values. What do they care about SO DEEPLY that it would make a normally quiet person raise their voice? What hurts have they experienced that make them bite their fingers when anxious?

Some practical ways to blend these traits

• Give her specific triggers for each mode. Maybe she's quiet in casual social settings but finds her voice when someone's being mistreated.

• Create physical transitions between states. How does her body language shift when moving from quiet observer to vocal defender? Does she take a deep breath? Square her shoulders?

• The finger-biting anxiety habit is actually perfect. it can be the bridge between her quiet and loud states. Maybe it's what she does while gathering courage before speaking up.

• Show us moments where BOTH traits are present at once. She can be nervously biting her fingers WHILE confronting someone.

What NOT to do (because it's boring)

Please don't fall into these traps:

• Don't make her "usually quiet except when..." That's not a complex character, that's just situational behavior.

• Don't explain away her contradictions with trauma (unless that's genuinely part of her story). Not every character trait needs a tragic backstory!

• Don't make her self-conscious about her contradictions. She doesn't need to apologize for being both quiet and loud.

Let's make some word magic happen

Try writing a scene where:

We first see her in her quiet, observing mode

Something happens that triggers her sense of justice

We witness her internal thought process as she decides to speak up

She exhibits her anxious behavior (finger biting) while ALSO stepping into her confrontational mode

Afterward, she returns to quietness, but it feels different now

The magic happens in those transition moments. That's where readers will fall in love with her complexity.

Remember this always

The most memorable characters aren't the ones who are consistently anything. They're the ones who surprise us while still feeling true to themselves.

Your character's contradictions aren't flaws to fix or explain away. they're what make her human. They're what make readers say "I KNOW her" even if they've never met anyone exactly like her.

So embrace those contradictions. Let her be quiet AND loud. Let her be anxious AND brave. Let her be fully, messily human.

I hope this post helped you

-Rin T.

[ysaefinn]

Just binged your Suguru and I’m clawing at the walls!! Where have you been all my life??? He’s so…. I will be devoting all my night time imagining to your Suguru.

So… speaking as a type A, “i can do it myself”, type of person, would you be able to expand a little on doting Suguru? Like, how does he react to a reader that can care for others but believes in “walking it off”— someone who is all smiles and “don’t worry about me”s and tells little lies so that the people around her don’t worry.

If you’d like to🫣🤗

Hello darling!!!! Im so so so so so sooooo happy that reading from my blog made this happy. Truly i can't explain how much love i have for you for giving me a chance 🥹🥹

I wish you only the sweetest of dreams after you doze off from your nightly sugu day dream session my dear 🩷🩷

Im so so so so so happy you said this omg you should've seen the evil ass grin on my face when i finished reading 😭😭 bcuz this is actually me in a nutshell and my obsession with the the doting suguru agenda stems from exactly that.

Let me start of by saying that suguru understands your need to care for others, and he LOVES this quality about you. He admires you to no end, he's so so so so so so so fond of sweet helpful people, and honestly i believe he would find it much easier to trust and open up to someone like this bcuz he can relate to them a lot better.

That being said, suguru will absolutely not be falling for any of that bullshit 💀 you're little attempts to brush your discomfort under the rug will not go unnoticed by him, he knows you like the back of his hand, one look at your face is enough to see that you are indeed not ok.

As previously mentioned he loves you for who you are but he will definitely be trying to change it 😭😭 he will absolutely NOT stand for his baby hurting themselves for the sake of others (especially if it's cult!suguru oh my god that man has no regard for anything that isn't you) so you WILL be having that uncomfortable conversation he knows you are trying to avoid (maybe I'm projecting here), he can be very direct when he recognizes that you need something, he knows how hard it is to change the way you perceive others and how you act around them, but he knows you need this so he'll do it for you, anything suguru does is for your own good don't forget that!!!! And ok, fine, call him selfish, but what if he thinks the time you spend taking care of others is better spent being taken care of by him?? You're not helping by refusing to let him help you either. He will actually lose his mind if you continue to torture him like this 😭😭 of course he would be a lot more insistent when you both begin to officially date. Pre-relationship suguru knows he can only intervene so much. His ass is chewing the bars of his cage like a feral dog 💀

Anyway!! If speaking to you doesn't work, he's going to resort to inserting himself in literally everything you do until you eventually learn to just expect him to be there. He's cooking for you, hand feeding you, tieing your show laces, doing your skin care bathing you, brushing your hair, making your coffee in the morning, doing your laundry, before you can do any of it, you could be in the middle of something and he just...STOPS YOU AND TAKES OVER!!! the whole mother package pretty much, he basically drops you head first into domesticity (borderline codependency 😭😭 ) and you have no say in the matter.

The transition might be weird and awkward, and you might try to fight him but all you'll be getting back is a sickening sweet coo, "awh baby....just let me take care of you" while enveloping your entire body with his arms in one of his suffocating bear hugs then leaves you with a kiss on the top of your head to go back to cooking <- evil man with terrible intentions of making you depend on him forever.

[thebeholdingsblog]

Will Graham | NSFW Alphabet

TW: MinorsDNI, GN!reader, various kinks, allusion to dubcon but not really (it's clearly stated that he would never), a whole lot of smut, potentially dark subject matter

A = Aftercare

The afterglow is when he finds himself not occupied by thoughts about his work for once, so he likes to just lay in bed and hold you. For him it's the calm before the storm inevitably breaks over him again, so he embraces moments like that as much as he can, caressing you and taking his time before cleaning the both of you up with soft words of praise and encouragement scattered inbetween pauses of compfortable silence. He wants to bask in the feeling of having you on his bare skin for as long as he is able to.

B = Body part

Will is mostly insecure about his performance, not his looks, so on himself it's his stomach, he can appreciate the fact that it's well muscled but still soft.

On you it's your hips, his hands often find them, tracing the bones and eventually the sensitive skin below them as he takes great care to take his time and he feels like they are just meant to be held in place by his rough palms. Aside from that it's the place where your neck transitions into your shoulders, he finds himself nipping at it gently and nuzzling it often. Beeing honest though, everything about you is the sheer image of unrivaled perfection in his eyes. If he knows that you are particularly insecure about a part of yourself he will take care to give it extra attention until you see yourself from his point of view, even if he needs to make a you a whining mess to do so.

C = Cum

Inside of you, the feeling of your walls wrapping around him has a hold on him, but only if he is wearing a condom. He wants children, but is not certain that he is ready to be a father after all that has happened, so he keeps the both of you safe while secretly fantacising about what would happen if he wasn't wearing one. He cums hard when he does, needing some time to get there if he isn't feeling well mentally, but when he does it sends him into mindless bliss.

D = Dirty secret

While he would never actually do it, he has toyed with the idea of just slipping the condom off inbetween thrusts many times, it's one of the things that immediatly gets him close to the edge, though he could not break your trust like that and wouldn't even dare to try something like that.

E = Experience

While he hasn't had many intimate partners, the one's that he had have shown him exactly how to please them over time and Will is just a good student all over. You're not leaving the bed until both of you are thoroughly spent.

F = Favorite position

Cowgirl. Will loves to have you in any way that he can, but if he has the choice he's having you in his lap, his hands holding your hips and his eyes watching you as you set your own pace. If he is feeling a little more dominant he'll have you laying on a surface that's level with his hip, holding your wrists above your head with gentle pressure and making you see stars.

G = Goofy

Both are entierly possible, it depends on the day. If he's been at work, there are times where he comes home and (after asking) has his way with you without a single expression apart from his eyebrows pulling together in pleasure and his lips softly parting in a silent moan, but if the two of you have spent the day on your own he can be a bit more relaxed, chuckling with you over some nonsense that has happened and allowing you to make a few jokes if you take breaks in between.

H = Hair

In the beginning of a relationship he actually shaves, afraid that you would be uncomfortable otherwise, but if his partner has nothing against it he doesn't really do anything to his hair downstairs.

I = Intimacy

Will is worshipping you as much as he can, kissing every inch of skin that he can get his lips on and making sure you know just how much he adores you, how much he needs you in that moment. Even if he is handling you in a way that is anything but gentle, he'll have you feeling like you own his very soul. He's emotional in a way that is hard to describe, every movement carrying a sort of intensity that leaves you breathless over and over again.

J = Jack off

Less often than one would think. If he knows you are waiting for him at home, he doesn't even try. When his sex drive hits he wants you, not his hand and he actually has a fair amount of trouble cumming on his own. The only time he really does it by himself is when he knows he won't get to see you for a long time and he needs to focus badly.

K = Kink

Light impact play is always involved with Will, since he can hardly keep from holding you harshly and nipping at your skin, even while eating you out although he's careful not to hurt you, pinching the inside of your thigh if you can't manage to keep still for him.

Breeding is the sort of fantasy that he keeps to himself, but it his significant other even so much as alludes to it he's all for it. He would delight in having you walk around hours after the two of you are finished still leaking his cum, using his fingers to push it back inside as it drips down your thighs so not a drop goes to waste.

Praise is another one that is heavily involved as soon as the two of you are intimate. He craves for you to know what you are worth to him, but also enjoys watching you fall apart just from his words alone and manages to find just the right thing to say more often than not.

L = Location

In the comfort of his home, specifically in his bed. While he does think about having you in the most absurd places, he wouldn't feel safe anywhere else and the risk of exposing you to someone that isn't him doesn't sit right with Will. With the right encouragement there is a chance that he will have you anywhere you want him to though. Will is incredibly responsive, not needing much to get as desperate as a puppy begging for a treat and he's willing to do whatever you ask of him.

M = Motivation

It's the small things for Will. A smile that lingers just a moment longer than it should, the way you furrow your eyebrows while reading your favorite book and even when you push your fingers trough your hair after coming home from a walk with the dogs. It doesn't stop at your appearance though, even something as trivial as you talking about something that you're passionate about can get him hot and bothered in the matter of seconds. If you really want to get him there quickly though, feather light touches on his jaw can make him lose his mind.

N = No

Any sort of hard impact play. He has seen enough blood and strangling marks while working, he doesn't want to see them on you. He will try if you need him to, but would preferably stay away from this kind of stuff. There is a part of him that would love nothing more and maybe that is exactly why he won't do it.

O = Oral

He loves beeing on the passive end of the bargain, watching you intently as you suck him off, one of his hands making it's way into your hair although he doesn't push you down, so you can always come up to get air. There are days where all he wants is to sink into the warmth of your mouth and if you are happy to oblige he is praising you like you are a divine beeing the whole time.

What he loves even more though is giving you head. He can't imagine a more beautiful sight than your head falling back into the pillows and delights in the soft noises he can coax out of your lips with just a flick of his tounge in the right spot. He doesn't even have to try, he just knows how to push you over the edge and can't even be bothered to stop after you cum, only satiated when he knows you're absolutly satisfied. He needs some time to get to that point though, his first attempts tainted by the fact that he is scared he won't be enough for you, which is not the case. As soon as he gets that out of his head, well you are getting head.

P = Pace

Will prefers to go slow, but not necessarily gentle. He starts out with soft thrusts, but as he gets lost inside you his hips start to come into you roughly and even with brute force if he knows you can take it, though is pace stays torturously slow. He wants to savor the moment as long as he possibly can, although he has no reservations about going at a different pace if you ask him to do so.

Q = Quickie

If he had a stressful day he takes advantage of it to help him quiet his mind, but he doesn't do it often, knowing that he can get rough when he's overly frustrated and he doesn't want you to get hurt because he can't keep himself under control. Under normal circumstances he would much rather take his time with you.

R = Risk

If you ask him to try something new he will absolutly think about it and try it for you, yet he isn't too keen on doing anything that could have lasting damage. You're precious to him, he wouldn't risk breaking you as long as that is not exactly what you want.

S = Stamina

Two at most. Will doesn't need or most of the time want more than one round, he can last pretty long though, making sure he has you pleased and every single one of your needs throughly fulfilled before he himself gets his fill.

T = Toys

Doesn't own any, but isn't repulsed by the idea of using them. They do intimidate him a bit.

U = Unfair

Not while he is unwell, in those cases his mind is way to occupied with his work. If you're home and the week has gone over smooth though, his hands are always somewhere on you, fingertips tracing the lines of your back in passing or a hand placed delicately on your thigh while you're watching a movie, his hand drifting dangerously close to where you want him most but also not close enough. All of it until you eventually break and ask him to fuck you senseless.

V = Volume

Will isn't usually loud, but if you get him to let himself go, especially while giving him head, there is a good chance that he will whine at least a bit, though he does his best to keep himself from doing it.

W = Wild card

While Will is willing to do almost anything for the person he has his sights on, he is often insecure about trying new things because he is worried that he won't be able to do well enough. He needs lots and lots of reassurance, but won't ask for it because he keeps his feelings to himself. His partner needs to take the initiative to find out what makes him tick, both in at home life and in bed.

X = X-ray

A good 7.5 inches with plenty of girth, not too large, absolutly not too small.

Y = Yearning

He doesn't have time for a high sex drive and the thought doesn't occur to him often either way. If there isn't something that turns him on, he isn't thinking about it.

Z = Zzz

If you don't require him to be present with you, he falls asleep quickly, the peace after sex giving him the comfort to do so for once.

/Template by @/the-coldest-goodbye\

[so-i-did-this-thing]

Hi, sorry about this, I don't really have anyone to consult on this so I'm kinda just looking for anyones input.

I'm a current high school junior, who is 99% sure they're trans yet won't be able to come out to their family in the foreseeable future, but I'm hoping to start socially transitioning during college. I've also been swimming the majority of my life, and I'm debating as wether or not to go through the recruitment process for NCAA swimming, which my coach is pushing for. The issue is that since I'm hoping to begin socially transitioning during college/possibly go on t in upperclassmen years, to join a team would be stalling that indefinitely, since although I could still socially transition, to go on t would be considered doping and therefore highly illegal. And even if I do socially transition it would still be known that I'm on a women's team and therefore a lot of peoples first impression of me; not to mention swimming is a highly revealing sport, so everyone on my team would see me as a girl/I'd never realistically be able to pass (in the pool and out).

But also I love to swim! So it feels like no matter what I'm either giving up something I love to feel comfortable or to delay feeling comfortable in order to do something I love. And I'm worried that if I don't transition the dysphoria I'm already experiencing will get worse, because now the fact I'm not transitioning won't be to not get in conflict with my parents, so it's completely in my control. But also if I don't take the opportunity to possibly swim at college I'll feel I've worked on my strength and stamina for years for nothing. And knowing that I'll still be able to transition after, it'll just be a few years longer than I previously anticipated, makes it feel like it might be worth it, but on the other hand I know I won't feel 100% if I do.

Hello, Anon. It seems like you're thinking already pretty solidly about your pros and cons, which is great to see! "Indefinitely" seems like a big concept - isn't this more so just about the next 5 years? But let's back up a moment. Maybe another question to ask yourself is: exactly what do you like about swimming? Is it the competitive aspect? Just being in the water? The structure? Hanging out with other swimmers? Do you want to get a scholarship? Go pro? Coach, eventually? For each thing like about competitive swimming, ask yourself - can you find similar joy elsewhere? (The answer can simply be, "no".) I wouldn't say that your training is for naught - building healthy habits at your age is going to mean you'll be a healthier middle-aged and eventually, senior person. You can always swim in a community pool for exercise and fun. Or become a lifeguard. Or teach swim classes. So again, I think it boils down to how swimming fits into your identity. "Swimming" isn't exactly a gender, but being a college athlete seems pretty important to you. If you're not going on a scholarship, I think your risk of deciding to stop swimming at some point is fairly low, other than having begun your college career socially female and then having a more awkward coming out. And getting a Lecture from a coach for "quitting". (And fuck them if they do this.) I don't want to tell you to stop doing something you love, but if you do swim, you should be in tune with your dysphoria and check in with yourself often. Come up with lines that, if crossed, mean you need to stop and reconsider. (Skipping too many classes, not taking care of yourself, etc, etc.)

And if you're serious about transition, have a Plan A (transition in college), Plan B (transition after college), and Plan C (hybrid model), with milestones you want to achieve, both socially and medically. Get your resources all researched, phone numbers ready to call. Having a plan can keep you motivated. Either way you decide, it's going to be stressful. So don't skimp on the self-care, like hanging out with friends and doing other things that affirm the various parts of your identity. All that said, I'd caution about a few things:

If you swim and socially transition, you are likely to face a lot of scrutiny, especially from folks who will think you are a trans woman. Things are very fraught right now for trans college athletes.

Keep an eye on the news for how trans students are being treated at your college. You might actually want to postpone your transition for simple safety reasons. The world is pretty unfriendly towards us right now.

I wouldn't assume you can socially transition without your parents finding out. Just assume it will happen and be prepared for those consequences.

I really feel for you here. I've had to choose between a career as a musician (fulfilling, what I went to school for) and a career in tech (more money and stability). I chose stability, knowing I could do music on the side. I'm still a little sad I'm not a fulltime musician, but my financial stability allows me to enjoy the gigs I do get. (Or used to, since I'm mostly retired now.) Transition and swimming might be the same for you. Maybe you transition for the peace of mind, so that swimming for fun is less stressful, even if you're no longer competitive. But if competitive swimming is that important to you and something you wish to carry with you all your life, the experiences and connections you make in school might outweigh postponing transition. I don't want to give you an answer either way -- we hardly know each other. But I do hope I've given you a little more food for thought to make a decision.

[goddessinnerglow]

Become Your Best Version Before 2025 - Day 31

The Beginning of Your Best Year Yet

My beautiful goddesses… where do I even begin? Sitting here writing this final post feels surreal. For 31 days, we've shared this space together, growing, learning, and becoming. But today isn't really an ending, it's your launching point for everything that comes next.

You've proven something incredible: that small, consistent steps can create meaningful change. That you're stronger than your doubts. That you're capable of growth, even (especially!) when it feels uncomfortable.

Remember when we first started? That spark of possibility you felt? Guess what, it's still there, and it's growing stronger every day. Every tool you've gathered, every insight you've gained, every small win you've celebrated, they're all part of your foundation now.

Before we look ahead, I want us to pause and honor this moment together. Let's create a simple but powerful commitment ceremony right where you are. Find a quiet space, light a candle if you can, and take three deep breaths. Now, place your hand on your heart and speak these words aloud:

"I honor the work I've done these past 31 days. I celebrate my courage to show up for myself. I commit to carrying these lessons forward. I promise to be patient with my progress. I choose to believe in my potential. This is my commitment to myself."

Take a moment to really feel the weight of these words. Let them sink in. This is your moment of transition, from learning to living these principles.

As we step into January, here's what I want you to remember:

Progress isn't perfect, it's personal

Your journey is uniquely yours

Small steps create big changes

You're never really starting over

Community makes us stronger

And let's celebrate your wins! Take out your journal right now and write down:

Three ways you've grown since Day 1

Two habits you're proud of building

One insight that changed your perspective

A moment when you surprised yourself with your strength

Keep this series somewhere you can find it. On those days when motivation fades (they'll come, and that's okay), revisit the posts that resonated most. Let them remind you of how far you’ve come and why you started.

Your next chapter is waiting. It might not look exactly like you imagined, it might be even better. Trust the process, trust yourself, and most importantly, keep going.

As for me, I'll be taking some time offline to rest, reflect, and set my own intentions for 2025. I'll be practicing what I've been sharing with you, prioritizing self-care, honoring my needs, and preparing for an amazing year ahead. I'll be back in a few days with fresh energy and new ideas to support your journey.

And please know this: I believe in you. Not just in who you might become, but in who you are right now. Every effort, every try, every step forward (and yes, even the steps back) – they all matter.

Before you close this page, take one final moment. Stand up, put your arms out wide, and give yourself the biggest hug. You've earned this moment of celebration. Feel proud. Feel strong. Feel ready.

See you in 2025! Remember, becoming your best version isn't about reaching a destination, it's about embracing the journey of growth, one day at a time.

♡ ☆:.｡ Keep glowing, babes! ♡ ☆:.｡ With love, Goddess Inner Glow.

[sscardinal7]

As subtle as Purple's grief over his mom is, it's definitely a discussion I love. However, my favorite aspect of it is just how beautifully presented it is and the symbolism within the process.

Purple would stand over Orchid's tomb, laying his head low—he was stranded, left with no one. Unlike his parents; he doesn't have an actual obliged role or traits as his writing wasn't at all in concept. Nothing more than made to be a child of two. He completely relied on them and his only traits were a natural process based on how he was raised, and how he was raised wasn't really the best. But that far beyond Navy and Orchid's capability. And Navy noticed this.

The only present (or more appropriately; alive) parent was his dad and Purple felt as though he needed this.

On a surface level; it seems as though Orchid did not bring as big of an impact towards Purple as much as Navy did, but that isn't exactly true. I can argue that Navy was much rather an unhealthy distraction that Purple subconsciously developed following Orchid's death.

And this was a rough transition to take. Just when he thought he was close, Navy was already ahead. And then he stands on a pedestal, the peak of Purple's core; the center of his mind. Purple had to manually and literally make his way up to him. It didn't matter what or who he used in order to do so. Subconsciously making his maneuvers higher and higher—anything to repress that grief of his mom that he huddled so deeply in his mind.

And finally, King's betrayal allowed Purple to reflect on himself and his situation of rooted projection. What he committed in order to lead up to where he is now, if he is a morally good or bad person for it, and how he can make up for it in a way that he believes it's okay to be forgiven. Not only for his victims, but for himself. (Which is one of the main reasons why I was left so disappointed in AVM30 - The King for the erasion of this topic.)

And Purple is brutally forced back to that pit of reality he wanted to run and shield away from. His mom is dead, and her presence in the petals still holds a close linger of that knowledge. She's still here with him. She always wanted to be and he knows that. But now she can't provide that comfort and sanctity in a way that Purple always wanted.

It wasn't that he couldn’t catch up to Navy, it's not that the lingering and haunting memory of his abandonment and that damn head turn meant that he didn’t care, it's just that he couldn't find it in himself to be that use of profession that Purple needed. And that truth really, really hurts. And Purple was finally able to accept that and lead towards independence. But he needed this.

Every time Purple reflects back on his situation—being brought back into his episodes, he's always brought back to that same somber but comforting pools of petals that mimics around him. And Orchid is still with him.

When Purple would grieve and reach out towards Navy to pinpoint a set of switch in direction—Orchid's petals completely disappears.

However, when King embraces Purple as he switches his pinpoint towards him—Orchid's petals not only stay, but they flourish.

Food for thought :)

Even though the development and progress is not outwardly shown within Purple (as much as I wish it was) he made progress towards leaning more healthily towards the loss. Implying a shifted focus towards a positive grief—instead of an irrational distraction towards a person who isn't in his life anymore, and it shows.

(Even if he still sometimes reminisce what he used to and could of had.)

[creatingblackcharacters]

Hi! You've got an awesome blog here, I especially love having all the lessons linked in your pinned post. It makes browsing through it very easy! I have a handful of hairstyle questions about a Black OC of mine that I haven't been able to get answers to from general resources (you'll see why), if that falls within in your feedback scope?

So the character's name is Jaila, she's Black, transfemme & genderqueer, lives in New England, and she's in the zombie apocalypse. She and her former roommate, Cecil (who's White and a guy) are, as far as they know, the only people immune to the virus. They're wandering around looking for other survivors and running from zombies.

Jaila's hair is a bit of a pickle for me! She doesn't have access to her usual community to help her keep up with it (getting locs or braids redone, or help braiding), probably not many hair care products like oils/conditioner for a twist out, and only some access to running water. However, her appearance matters a lot to her, and especially her hair, because she learned to style femme hair as a late teen/adult and it was a big step in her transition. I'm thinking about braids for her, because they are relatively low-maintenance and a rest style. She has a bonnet and any appropriate combs. Other than lots of new growth and maybe uneven braids since she doesn't exactly have time to perfect each of them, what are some consequences of her lack of access to supplies? What might that look and feel like for her?

Also, is it okay if she talks about missing her more complex hair styles, and wishing she could do them again? (For example, a fancy twist out that she doesn't have time/product for, or extensions that would now pose a zombie-grabbing risk.) Or does that feel too much like saying some Black styles are "better" than others in a Euro-centric way?

Finally, do you have any pointers or things you'd like to see if/when she finally trusts Cecil enough to help with her hair? At the start of the apocalypse, he'll offer to help her with it (he used to help his various little sisters do their hair and doesn't really grasp that it's different yet; he's also madly in love with Jaila (it's reciprocal but still complicated)), but she'll reject him pretty soundly because he's literally just her weird roommate. But especially if she has braids, it's a lot of time to do them herself, and she gradually grows to trust Cecil very closely. Is it at all realistic that she would teach him how to help with her hair? Are there any details that for you as a Black reader would make a scene like that feel more real and embodied?

I'm sorry this ask is so long and I hope you're having a good day! Feel free to ignore any bits that aren't in your scope or that I've just missed a lesson on o7

So first: I know a Jaila! That's cool.

Answers:

1. So the thing is, braids are a protective style, but they don't last forever (especially if they're braids with extensions). So yeah she could leave it in the braids, but it's not just roots showing. After a while, the weight of the braids are just gonna start pulling on her new growth, (which she can't rebraid without taking the style down) which isn't as strong as the braids, and it'll thin. It'll also get dry, if she's got no access to oils or extra water.

2. Yes, that's fine. If your hair means a lot to your expression, and you lose the means to care for it, why wouldn't that upset you? That's not a Black or white thing. She can have preferred styles without being racist about the other ones.

3. It's not unrealistic, no. Especially in an apocalypse. Now I will say, I do think it's a bit wild to have a hair with extensions braiding or lots of small braids' lesson in the middle of an apocalypse, as that's gonna be real low priority and take resources like access to all the hair extensions, or water to make the style moisturized and neat. Braids don't have to be numerous; she could have a couple neat cornrows.

Me personally, I'd think something that'd be equally vulnerable and intimate would be having Cecil help Jaila learn to see her hair as beautiful as it is, with the resources that they have, without demeaning her mourning of her past styles. That should come after a lot of time spent together, with Jaila having shown and/or communicated how much her hair means to her.

Also, another thing: showing the honest frustration and mild indignity that you have to let a white person help you with your head 😅 like I would be a bit sick that I have to do that, especially when I value my hair so much. Things have become quite low. Being willing to show that this is hard for her, that he needs to show her gentleness and understanding, would be nice.

[loopdile]

loopdile so real. i have a Vision of both siffrin and loop being Deeply Deeply Closeted Repressed Transfem and having gender envy over odile and i feel like that'd do Something to the Dynamic. Something......... Something........................... well i'm not successfully envisioning it but maybe YOU are?

i am positively plagued by loopdile gender visions!!! maybe not the exact same as you're thinking but i think you will enjoy them. walk with me, anon, through the garden of my loop gender headcanons. it's kind of a big garden but we'll get to the odile part eventually i promise.

Before they were Siffrin, Siffrin had their gender on lock: something transfem, but also tied to unique cultural elements in some way, either the specific identity or the way of thinking about it or just the particular set of presentation options. Perhaps they even started fantasy HRT! But then they forget everything, obviously, including their identity and transition plans. They decide pretty quickly that they're not a man, but none of the alternatives feel exactly correct either; if their previous identity was presented as an option, maybe it would click and they'd settle into it pretty fast, but unfortunately that is literally impossible.

So, no clear goals in mind. And because of his forgotten past, continued memory problems, and constant traveling, Siffrin starts to really value the few things he can count on to stay consistent. He'd rather wear his comfortable hat and cloak than leave them behind in favor of anything more gendered. He'd rather stick with his familiar body than risk changing it. Still, maybe there are some changes he'd be happier in the long run to have made... but the process would be stressful, and he's got enough stressful things to worry about already!

But then we get to Loop. Who has already been changed, suddenly and irrevocably and so very, very accidentally. They are not Siffrin anymore, they do not have the hat and cloak, they aren't even human. They don't even really remember who they were pre-loops. There is no familiarity for them to cling to; instead, they're desperate to find things they can control, things they can change, proof that the world moves forward and they're in charge of their place in it. The motivation that Siffrin lacked, Loop now has in spades!

However, their negative feelings are more intense as well. They struggle to face real stakes, to put effort into anything too complicated, to try anything that might disappoint them. They take risks, yes, but not about things they care about; they take risks because they don't care. And they have a lot of other things going on, too, both practically and psychologically, so gender isn't their immediate priority. "Who and what am I?" is a very difficult question for them right now on multiple levels, a difficult question with only difficult answers.

But, starting with the practical: wearing clothes is an easy way to look and feel a little bit more normal, right? So they experiment, and they decide that dresses are just similar enough to the cloak to be comfortable, but distinct enough to not be as emotionally fraught. And they like them in a frivolous way that Siffrin was never willing to lean all the way into. Siffrin didn't put much thought or energy into his appearance, but Loop's inhuman form is a constant issue, so they might as well dress it in a way they like! Something good to balance out the bad, since they can't be neutral any longer.

And of course they think about body craft, though in a different context from most people. Even the nearly-human parts of their body are lacking detail, without all the right functions behind the form, and then other parts aren't human at all. Their body feels wrong, distracting, constricting. They don't understand how it works, and it draws attention they don't want, and it's not them. And yet, isn't it? Even if they'd been put back into a Siffrin body again, they aren't Siffrin anymore, either. Loop is what the loops made them. They want to change their body, to make it something they can be comfortable in, but they can't. Because body craft is a method of changing flesh and blood and bone, and Loop is not made of such human stuff anymore.

So we've got Loop. Trying to find themself, and maybe succeeding in some ways, but stymied or uncertain in others. Desperate to change, but scared to hope. To make a long story short, they join back up with the party, which brings its own set of problems, and yet... it's also a step towards fixing some of their problems, too. Most relevant to our post, here: Odile is a craft expert with a unique set of experiences. She's got a wide foundation of knowledge, since she's familiar with all three main craft types. She used to be part of Ka Bue's underground body-crafting scene, where she not only crafted her own body but also helped and taught other people; and unlike in Vaugarde, where Houses provide resources and education, Odile and her peers had to do their own research and experiments, develop their own techniques. She even has some knowledge of wish craft from Siffrin, and the way she stopped Siffrin from looping proves that she's unusually good at analyzing and adapting to new forms of craft.

So once Loop's dissatisfaction with and ignorance regarding their own physical form comes to Odile's attention, of course she offers to help. To see if she can figure out what their body is made of, and how it works, and hopefully, in what ways it can be changed.

And this dynamic with her... it's totally different from her relationship with Siffrin, both pre-loops and post. And Loop has always admired her, and here she is, talking about the confidence and determination with which she changed her own body, not without fear or frustration but not letting herself be slowed down by them, either. Taking her fate into her own hands and refusing to be anyone other than herself. And Loop used to feel that Odile understood them best, and losing that connection felt like the end of the world, but here she is, still! Observant and caring as ever. Dedicated to figuring them out again. Unflinching as she sees them for the strange thing they currently are, but equally unshakable in her insistence that they do not have to stay exactly as they are.

So Odile helps them figure out their body. Helps them with the craft itself, too, but even more than that — through both encouragement and example, she helps them be brave enough to genuinely try. To ask themself what they really want. To strike a balance between Siffrin's complacent hesitation and Loop's miserable desperation. To experiment, and face both the chance of failure and the chance of success with head held high. To hope.

Odile is not one for platitudes and empty positivity, after all. If she says something's possible, then it is, or she will make it so, one way or another, despite any setback. Isn't she proof? She remade herself, and she can remake Loop, too. Changing them, slowly and carefully and so very, very deliberately. Loop will never be human again, but they can decide who they are and become themself.

[bt-tarot]

how is jay enha as a boyfriend or how he would be like in a relationship please?

Hi! I'm sorry I took too long, but finally here it is~

Child, Rider, Book, Stork, Sun

I think he wants to play safe but at the same time he struggles with a part of him that wants to rush things. Like, in early stages he's so passionate and feels intensely but he will be careful with it. It's a sweet energy, as if he's scared of hurting his lover. He has the need to protect, but also be protected. I think he's a little inexperienced and he might think he has to do certain things when he's in a relationship, like he has to go by the book with the giving roses, chocolates and taking them to dates. A man of traditions when it comes to love matters chivalry isn't dead with this boy♡. I'm getting that he's very generous, he likes to give them gifts and just pamper his lover with affection, nights out and lots of quality time.

He wants to take his time to know his partner and he would really retain multiple information about them. He might be the type to know when his crush is coming just by the sound of their footsteps and how can recognize them in the distance just by the way they walk. He wants to know a lot of things about them quickly and may be the type of person that ask a lot of questions about their life, their family, the things they love or hate, their friends, favorite food, favorite color, all the details. He might be the type to visit his partner often and spends a lot of time with them. He wants to really experience life with his lover and make the most of their time together. If he can't spend time with them, he would call or text them often just to say hi or see how they're doing during the day.

I think he would also like to know about his partner's secrets or their transitions, what have they overcame to become the person they are and he may want to live those kind of changes with them as they grow together. He may be a little secretive, tho, I think he doesn't know exactly what to share or what's better keep for a while before telling them. I'm getting that he might tell his partner secrets about his work in a rush when something exciting or upsetting happens and then when he cools down he would rethink what he did for the rest of the day and worry that it wasn't prudent of him. That's why he's cautious most of the time and may not share much on a daily basis.

This is a quick side message, but I'm getting that he's going through a transition right now. He didn't want to answer the tarot cards and answered the Lenormand instead, but I got confused because I got the question many times and I asked the tarot cards again by mistake and it showed a painful glass-half-empty period that he's overcoming. He's good, but he's still in the process, so my take on this is that after this period, he will see the brighter side of things and learn a few lessons to be the kind of partner he wants to become.

That being said, I think he also wants to share his knowledge with his partner and what he learned during this period to make the most of the relationship and be happy together. I think he would really give his all to make his partner feel happy and fulfilled both materially and emotionally.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

This was surprisingly long :0

Thank you for asking! 🦇 ♡

[yandere-paramour]

Hmm ok! I understand (Isekai person)

Well can you possibly then instead do the Yan's with a transfem darling? Both of these are kind of me coping with the election actually djdjdj like I imagine them being really helpful and supportive throughout your transition in different ways

Sorry it took me so long! I've been busy and I wanted to do it properly. I hope you enjoy it!

Vivien is a raging bisexual so when you tell him you're a girl, he is so happy for you! Seriously he is smiling and jumping around, asking if you guys should throw a gender reveal party. Honestly, he designates the whole day as a holiday, he calls it "Girl Day". He makes some of his herby cocktails and bakes some sweets and you two have a little party together, celebrating you finding your true self. He immediately changes his verbiage and now makes a point to compliment things he knows you're changing (he already tells you how amazing you are 10 times a day but now he's being more specific). You both paint your nails together, and he will gladly go to the mall with you to pick out new clothes. If you do decide to go on with E and undergo medical procedures, he will be so so nervous but so so supportive. Nevertheless, Vivien will sit beside you, making jokes and throwing playful compliments your way to ease your anxiety; rubbing your shoulders while reminding you that he’s happy for you and this is what you've been waiting for. He's nervous for you having surgery and he's ecstatic when you come out unharmed, complimenting you on your new boobs/vagina. He'll even bake you your own pussy cake! Anyone disrespecting you is getting cussed out at the very least, fought at the worst. You deserve to be able to walk the streets as yourself and he will gladly make sure you can. He's just so happy to be with you and now he's happy you're happy in your own skin!

Noelle already knew. She makes a point to know everything about you so this came as no shock to her. Still, she listens to all your words and reasons, letting you talk your thoughts out as much as you need to. She encourages you to be as feminine as you want to be, and she will gladly fund your online shopping addiction. She isn't afraid of needles, so she can help with no problems, and you'll get a kiss and cuddle for being so brave. If you decide to medically transition, she will be there the whole time, grilling the doctors with every possible question about side effects and recovery. She stays the whole time you are unconscious, nervously sitting in the corner of the waiting room with her laptop as she tries to hold back on asking the nurses for another update about you. When you're home safe, she coddles you, washing your hair and helping you to the bathroom, reminding you that it's okay to take it easy because you're fragile right now. If a certain day is hard, Noelle is right there behind you, rubbing your back as she tells you how beautiful and lovely you are — how nothing could ever change how highly she thinks of you. While these dysphoric thoughts can be hard to get rid of, she wants you to know that she’s there to comfort you. Whatever you request, no matter how big or small, she’ll make sure to deliver it. She will take care of her girl, you know that for sure.

Atalanta, as always, is supportive and understanding. When you tell her, she hugs you and thanks you for trusting her with such an important topic. She is so proud of you for finding yourself and she supports you wholeheartedly. She asks what your preferred name and pronouns are, as well as nicknames and bedroom names you are comfortable with. She wants to be exactly sure of everything because the last thing she wants to do is upset or offend you. The second you walk away, she is frantically googling everything. She obviously knows about trans people (and publically supports them, we support trans rights on this blog), but this is personal. You're her Darling, she needs to support you during this time as best she can and she needs concrete advice to do that. Your relationship with her remains the same, if not stronger. Now she has an excuse to accompany you on numerous shopping sprees, helping you try out clothes to find your new style; you even meet with her personal stylist! When you tell her you want to medically transition, she takes it very seriously. Only the most experienced gender surgeon will even speak to her Darling, and a nurse will come every day to give you your injections. She’ll be there with every single appointment, nodding and asking questions when she sees a chance to ask. Her presence intimidates the doctors but she would never let you go through this all alone. She wants you to be as safe as possible. Anyone who disrespects you mysteriously disappears.

[rivalswrites]

ahmmm 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ How about like a Hawkeye & Punisher (seperate!!) X mtf (or js trans) reader hcs?? You never see trans readers that aren't js used 4 smut it's kinda 😬😬😬😬

I think the reader is fully out (maybe not fully physically transitioned), just doesn't bring much attention 2 the fact they are trans considering they'd probably be in the fight? So like the two realizing that she is trans and if anything changes/how they act about it.

Also sort've on the topic, what are your pronouns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u don't have them on ur page 😞

Before you read, please be warned that I'm writing based on my impressions of them not only in the game (though it's the biggest inspiration), but some of them with the movies/shows in mind too.

Anon you're so real for this, I genuinely haven't seen many trans readers that aren't nsfw and I'm so TIRED OF IT 😭😭 And tysm for asking, I guess it slipped my mind, but I use They/Them pronouns ❤️

I went the nonspecific route for which type of trans reader is so you could choose, truly sorry if that doesn't seem that way.

For some reason this was so hard to do, but I absolutely love both of them so I pushed through in the end💪 Clint and Frank’s ended up SO different, I'm so sorry 😭

Masterlist

He isn't dumb, he knows people are different in many ways. But that doesn't mean he can spot it like he can a head shot. He's not great with any sort of social queues, give him a moment.

It takes almost months for him to realize, but when he does it's a jump for him. It's not new to him, trans people, but he doesn't know many personally- so he goes to others for advice, people that he knows know more than him about this. When they tell him more about it, he's making severe mental notes.

He tries to come off as subtle, making hints in passing conversation that he knows and supports you, but he's not as slick as he thinks. It's very obvious. He makes comments like “People can change their gender at any moment, and that's just so cool” and thinks ‘yeah, I'm sly’.

Eventually you sit him down and kinda confront him about it, and he lets it out that he's embarrassed he didn't catch on sooner to something so open. It's almost hilarious how silly he looks, confessing that. His face is red with embarrassment and constantly running his hand through his hair out of nervousness.

But it's not wrong or bad he didn't realize, if anything it totally validated you- he couldn't tell you weren't born that way. He's just unintentionally made you feel the most validation you've ever felt. Congratulations Clint, the unintentional ally.

Now that he knows it's alright, he asks you all the questions possible. How did you know? What's it like day to day? Should he beat people up for you? He doesn't want to invalidate your feelings by doing everything for you, but he can't help it. It's in his nature, he sees you struggling and he has the need to help.

When it comes to hurt feelings, or just a bad day of dysphoria, he's at your side constantly. Without fail he'll always be there for you, his arms wide and body warm- ready to comfort. Those mental notes he's made in the past really help at times like these, he knows exactly how to make you feel somewhat better.

Some days he'll come back from a mission and catch you in his room, surrounded by his blankets, and his heart soars. He'll join you and wrap his arms around you, snug as a bug. The blackout curtains make it so he can coddle you all day and not know or care, only getting up for the bathroom or some kind of food (which he orders, his kitchen privileges are revoked).

This old man (affectionate) isn't too concerned about what or who people are, if you're on his side you're on his side. He acknowledges your presence and the more you know him the more he is willing to make dumb small talk during down time.

But you're closer than that, he makes the effort to watch over you during matches, to protect you. He even does more than small talk, he genuinely talks to you and enjoys it. He likes to think he knows you.

Except maybe he doesn't.

It was brought up in conversation, a small comment made by you. He's a little unfocused from the conversation after that, but he makes sure to keep it going until eventually you leave. The solitude gives him time to process and think. Man, he doesn't know you- nor does he know anything about these types of things! He likes you, he wants to make you comfortable, make you happy. How does he do that if he didn't even know something you seem pretty open about?

Research is what he goes to first, anything he can find he takes. He spends the whole night on his shitty laptop, hunched on the couch like a loser.

It's not until you come into the living room that he even realizes how late it was, much to both your confusion as to why either of you were up so late. A little embarrassed he admits he was looking up stuff about being trans, which made you think HE was trans, which made him almost jump up and half whisper half shout ‘no!’. This was difficult, and he explained quickly that it was for you, to make sure he doesn't ever make you uncomfortable and make sure he knows his stuff. How kind.

The both of you sat down on the couch, facing each other, and you told him if he had any questions he could ask you. You felt so honored that the Frank Castle, the Punisher, took his time to try and learn something he knew nothing about to make you comfortable.

Too flustered to say anything, Frank just wrapped his arm around you and pulled you into his side. Enough talking, he's embarrassed- it's late, get some sleep. Oh? You're worried about the couch, that's alright, just lay on him. His back will be okay.

[mjlovescm]

Snapshot, Argyle 🍋

A/N: idk if this is really nsfw but it contains- kissing, lap sitting/grinding, lingerie, 

“Okay, and when you take photos, put this on your neck so you won't drop it.”

“I’m not gonna.” 

Jonathan ignores Argyle’s words and continues to warn his friend about the importance of being careful. 

“Argyle,” Jonathan says cautiously, “what do you really need it for? Whatever it is, I can just take the photos for you and say I helped you with it.”

He suggests, for the fourth time today, just to be shut down again by his best friend. 

“Sorry man.”Argyle's hand is firm on Jonathan's shoulder. “There’s some things only I can do. Trust me.”

It was one of the many very vague responses he’d been receiving from the long-haired man. Useless attempts at easing Jonathan's worries when it came to Argyle using his camera for reasons that keep changing. First it was “curiosity,” then personal reasons. When those didn’t work, he landed on a random “project.”. Although none of it made real sense, Jonathan trusted his friend, for better or worse. 

“Okay,” he says with a huff. “I trust you.”

“Thank you man y/n’s pics are gonna turn out great.”

Jonathan smiles at the thought before really taking  in Argyle’s words.

“Isn't this for a work thing ?”

Argyle is silent before spewing nonsense to cover his tracks. 

“Thanks for the camera man, have it to you by monday!” 

Long distance at any age is difficult. But doing long distance as high school sweethearts going to separate colleges was rough. With the large transition, stress, and distance of college, you and Argyle worried how your relationship would survive. Rather than ponder the survival rate of your relationship, you searched for ways to keep it alive regardless of your location. 

Letters, mixtapes, and over-the-phone dinners were on the long list of long-distance activities. But anything involving sex was number one. Dirty letters were too prison-style; mixtapes would only put us in sexually frustrated moods; and phone sex started way back in junior year. But an idea the two of you never considered was dirty photos as keepsakes. 

The lingerie store at your local mall had peaked your interest the moment you stumbled upon it. But it wasn't until now that you had a real reason to shop there. A sexy photo shoot was the perfect opportunity.

“Don’t you think lace is a little advanced.” Argyle comment’s trailing behind you like a lost puppy. “I don’t want us to get too ahead of ourselves.”

“Advanced how?” you questioned your boyfriend. 

“Not in a bad way,” he’s quick to clarify. “I just- I don’t think my pictures will look as good as yours. I wanna give you something steamy to hold onto.”

You stop and turn to look at your boyfriend with a sweet, teasing smile. 

“Argyle, just because you’re paying doesn't mean I’m the only one getting something,” you assure him. “I told you I wanted us to match.”

“I’m paying?” 

“Yep and we're getting matching pajamas.”

After many hours at the mall you left carrying a hefty amount of bags and the two of you made your way to your home. 

But back in your bedroom, you weren't feeling as sexy as you did prior. Now that you were face-to-face with a camera and your boyfriend's eyes, the last thing you wanted was to be seen. 

A knock at the bathroom door makes you jump out of your exposed brown skin. 

“Baby I think I got the hang of this thing.” 

“T-that's good,” you paused, your mind elsewhere. “Can you get me the pajamas? I’m not ready for any pictures.”

“O-oh okay… you all good in there?”Argyle asks with a soft voice. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you lie. 

Your words say one thing but your body language speaks for itself. While Argyle worked out the kinks of the camera you found yourself stuck in your head. Suddenly hyper aware of the brown skin that was present and exposed under the matching set you had on. The change in mood is apparent to your boyfriend, who knew exactly how to fix it. 

“Before we start…” he sets the camera down and rummages through his jean pockets for something. “A little party starter?”Argyle smiles and shows you a few pre-rolled joints. 

Your smile quickly matches his, and soon smoke and smiles fill the space between the two of you. While you light the joint, Argyle picks up Jonathan's camera. 

“Smile, baby,” he says, pointing the lens at you. 

“Hey,” you say as the flash hits your eyes. “I thought we were taking sexy photos.”

“Trust me.”Argyle says almost more to himself than you, voiced laced with something.

“These are very sexy.”

“Oh yeah.” you match his newfound tone. “What about it?”

With the joint pressed to your lips and light in hand, you take a few drags. Exhaling you blow the smoke at the camera, Argyle's eyes light up along with the flash from the camera. 

You and your boyfriend take your time to smoke. Enjoying each other's presence and bodies, along with taking photos. As the weed settled into your system, your nerves slipped away, confidence and sexuality replacing them. 

“Don't you think that's a little close?”Argyle asks as you sit in his lap, a camera in your face. 

You ignore his question, pushing the camera aside and kissing Argyle without a word. A small sound leaves him, and you follow suit. Plump lips move against each other slowly, taking time to enjoy the feel of the soft skin. Argyle's large arms wrap around your body, pulling you closer and intensifying the kiss. 

“You- look so-”

Argyle attempts to speak with his lips still on yours but his words come out muffled. Wrapping your hands around his neck you ran your fingers through Argyle’s long hair as your hips began to move against his lap. Although his words don't break the two of you apart, the sudden flash of Jonathan's camera does. 

“Was that on purpose?” you ask, genuinely curious. 

“Yes,” he lies. “No, you got me excited,” he admitted.

“Aww.” you say with a smile. “Let’s take a few more.” 

You take a few cuter pictures, kissing each other on the cheek, among other places. But it didn't take long for your photo ideas to become less cute and more sexy. 

“Hmm, that's a good angle.” 

“Oh yea.” you say as you get on your knees before running your hand over the lingerie containing Argyle’s erection. 

You press your face to Argyle's bulge before kissing his tip. The two of you are too lost in the moment to remember Jonathan's important advice when it came to taking pictures. 

Argyle's clumsy fingers lose grip before he realizes.

“Oh shit baby.” 

Argyle's attempt at a warning is useless. You're smacked in the face with Jonathan's camera, and you immediately yell at the pain. 

“Fuck,” you curse, holding the spot where you've been hit. 

“Oh my god, baby, are you okay?” your boyfriend quickly analyzes your face. 

Once he is sure you’re fine, Argyle is quick to pick up Jonathan's camera, inspecting it for anything. A crack, scratch, or broken piece. Thankfully, Jonathan's prized possession was left unscathed, and for it to stay, that meant this photoshoot was over. 

“Told you your camera was safe with me man.” 

Argyle takes the camera off his neck and hands it back to its owner.

“Don't worry, I’ll develop them for you.” Jonathan offers. 

“No!”Argyle says with wide eyes. “These are for uhh my eyes only,” he says, plastering a smile onto his nervous face.

Masterlist Sweet and Sour Silky Smooth, 🍋

[rom-e-o]

Belisma/Guinevere watching Emmerich interact with small children as they're out and about in public.

Maybe they're standing in line somewhere and there's a parent in front of them with a toddler and the little tyke is just staring intently at Emmerich and he just gives a little smile and wave. Or maybe makes a funny face. And the toddler just breaks into a grin and giggles in the cutest way.

Maybe they're out doing errands and come across a lost little boy, so scared and crying and not sure where his mum/dad is, so they "go on a side-quest" (lol) to reunite him with Mum/Dad. And Emmerich carries him, first in his arms, then transitioning him up to his shoulders. And he and the boy are chatting the entire time, the child's tears and fear completely forgotten. The little boy laughs in delight and marvels at how high up he is on Emmerich's shoulders.

Maybe they're on a date, getting some ice cream and a little girl starts crying because she dropped her cone on the floor. So Emmerich steps over to Mum/Dad who already looks completely strung out and has a brief exchange before ordering another cone exactly like what the little girl had and gets down to her height to offer it, having a quiet little conversation that makes the little girl smile and giggle as she takes her new ice cream.

Maybe on a stroll they come across some children. One of them is seated on the ground, obviously in pain, holding a wrist or ankle or something and is in obvious distress the others are all freaking out trying to figure out what to do. Here comes SuperEmmerich (or maybe AwesomeEmmrich because Superman is probably Awesomeguy in the au😅) to the rescue sweeping in to ask what happened. The other kids probably scram because they don't want to get in trouble. After discovering the injury isn't very serious just quite painful, Emmerich heals the child, all while speaking soothingly and drying their tears. Then he and Isma/G'iney safely escort the child home.

Maybe they're in a waiting room somewhere and there's a little girl there who is clearly quite bored and getting fussy. Emmerich can't help but start performing some of his prettier magic spells for her entertainment. Before long the tyke is laughing and clapping, completely entertained and demanding further pretty magic: "Again! More! More!"

Every interaction he has with little ones, whatever it is, is just so natural and sincere and gentle and kind. Wifey is just slathering him with tender kisses at the end of the day, praising him and admiring him for his golden heart.

Awww. Okay, firstly, I love this. Also, it gives me a reason to wax poetic about this side of him, haha.

So, we see Emmrich being a nurturing, kind presence, even in the face of calamity. Specifically, helping unite a child with their parent. We see him act that way with little Mila as they search for her father as literal hoards of darkspawn attack.

The Siege of Weißhaupt, where this happens, is a grueling battle. It's an endurance test of waaaaves of enemies.

Your team gets tested.

Yet, even as the team talks about the hopelessness and comes to terms with the fact that this might be their last stand, Emmrich still speaks to Mila calmly and reassuringly. He also asks her good questions and listens to her answers.

He reassures her that her father is okay, and to keep going. He's a calming influence.

And she's reunited with her father. All is well!

So, I can totally see him being a sweet and caring guy that puts kids at ease. He knows that a friendly wave or a kind gesture goes a long way, especially for an innocent soul. He has some experience with those early days with Manfred too - cleaning up messes, helping him walk, etc.

I LOVE him replacing the ice cream cone for the child that dropped theirs ("It's such a simple gesture, but it makes everyone feel better") and him performing simple magic for the child in the waiting room as well ("You learn to never take it for granted. What's mundane to you is extraordinary to another.")

He's such a nice, sweet guy, and very patient. It makes sense why he could rear Manfred the way he does - he very much treats him like his child. He uses a guiding hand and is always patient. If he scolds Manfred, it's pretty gently.

Belisma/Guinevere sees all these instances, at it just exemplifies what they love about him. He's an intelligent, esteemed man of wealth and status, yet he'll stop everything to brighten a child's day. He's never too good for anything, and he's never patronizing or condescending to them either.

"No wonder Manfred is such a fine gentleman already," she says after giving him a long smooch, "Look at his example."

"Oh, you mean today? My dear, nothing I did was admirable. Just being a good samaritan, as we all should."

"I think it was. I think I loved watching you be so gentle and caring with those children ... fatherly, even. You're a good role model."

"F-Fatherly? I don't think ...do you really think so? Maybe?"

"Oh, definitely." <3

Wifey's already imagining him cradling their baby a few years out, and it's the most easy image in the world to conjure.

[nobylerdoubt]

Hii, not a byler doubt bit I ship mileven and in general I like them in s3, not at the beggining tho, I mean, Mike seems to care abt El when he starts like "what did I do wrong?" And later tries to get her back in some way, I feel like this is a popular byler doubt or at least it would be if I was a byler so what do you think abt it as a byler?

Thanks for submitting this ask! I think it's really cool of you to interact, so know that I mean my answer with all the respect in the world. I don't want to rain on your experience with the show - so take what you will from this. Protect your peace.

So there's two ways to answer your question - the Bi Mike perspective and the Gay Mike perspective.

From the perspective of the show that Mike is bisexual and did have feelings for El at some point - this is easy to answer. You because Mike had feelings for El in season 3 doesn't mean he has those feelings now, and we see more of a transition from liking El to realizing his feelings for Will and how his relationship with El isn't exactly healthy or mutually beneficial in season 4. A Bi Mike Truther would say "so what?"

But I'm not a Bi Mike Truther, so I always argue from the Gay Mike perspective.

From the perspective that Mike is gay, and has never had real feelings for El, we understand that Mike is experiencing compulsory heterosexuality.

I mention in this post that I believe season 1 mileven can be separated by pre and post Lucas's teasing - where before Lucas pointed out "if you like her so much why don't you marry her?" Mike's interactions were strictly friendly, and after Lucas points this out is where Mike gets this seed planted in his head - this idea that he can't just be friends with El, his feelings towards her must mean he likes her.

And in season 3 we see Mike continuously turning to Lucas for guidance and validation on his relationship with El. Lucas is the driving force behind Mike trying to make things right with El - he's the one who drags him to the mall to buy something for El, and he pushes Mike in the hospital waiting room to talk to El after she extends the "olive branch".

I also find it kind of poignant that Lucas points out that Mike is "hopeless" in the hospital scene.

But I think the best example of why season 3, and this subplot of Mike trying to win El back, is actually a gold star example of Byler is because of episode 3.

We start episode 3 with Max and El just after El dumps Mike's ass.

Max insists that Mike "will come crawling back to you in no time, begging for forgiveness. I guarantee you, him and Lucas are, like totally wallowing in self pity and misery right now. They're 'oh, I hope they take us back!'"

And when El spies on them what do we see? Mike's not sorry - he doesn't think he's done anything wrong.

In this same episode, Will and Mike get into a fight too, and Will runs off. And what does do when this happens? He comes racing after him in the rain begging for forgiveness.

Mike apologizes to Will about a fight they had after El broke up with him before he apologized to El.

And in the end - it's El who came back to Mike hoping to rekindle their relationship. Mike never properly apologizes to El (granted he does try during the Sauna Test, but gets mad after El reveals that she spied on them.) El is the one who ends up coming back for the relationship after three months.

All in all - I think Mikes attempts in season 3 to 'get El back' come from a somewhat selfish place of trying to hold onto this scrap of "normal-ness" that he has. It's not that Mike doesn't like El - I think the best moments these two have is when they seem to abandon this pretense of being a couple and just try to be friends.

In Mike's life he's been told many times that he needs to be straight, he needs a relationship with a girl. Granted this is 100% not how Mike is thinking about this, but he knows heterosexuality is what is expected from him, so subconsciously he's pushing himself to have this relationship with El, because I imagine she is a girl he can see himself being happy with. But in the end he can't love her the way she wants to be loved.

I have another post that talks a little bit more about my season 3 thoughts.

[sandyca5tle]

Slimeshifter HRT - Month 3(/28)

Well, hello again, I’m back after what feels like ages (even if it’s only been a couple months), but instead of Slime HRT I’m bringing you Shapeshifter/Polymorph HRT (not sure which I’m going with, Shapeshifter’s what I default to, but Polymorph is a more technical name (also seen ‘Omnimorph’ thrown around, but not really a fan of that myself) we’ll see how it shakes out). 

Before I get into my new changes tho, I’ve actually got some life updates: We got a job! In Hyper City of all places. It’s not very glamorous or anything, it’s just cleaning/washing up glasses and stuff, but it pays the bills - turns out that, with the control I’ve learnt over my acidity, I can actually clean things like that very well, just kinda melt all of the dirt and grime off, and eat it up. It can take a little while to do it, since I have to be careful not to damage the glasses, but I’ve gotten really good at it, and it’s helped my acid control too, so win-win there, not to mention with additional limbs I can then polish multiple of the glasses at once (although only like, two at a time, otherwise it’s hard to quality control)

On top of the new job, I also got a place to live in Hyper City too, just a simple apartment for myself. It doesn’t make the commute that much different, but it lets me deal with a few less weird looks from people, and I can be nosy at all the cool things here, not to mention it makes attending appointments just that bit easier too. Not to mention I can meet my friends and partner easier here too - it being only like a twenty minute trip from anywhere on Earth makes it an amazing meet up point.

Anyways, on with the transition update!

Unfortunately there’s really not much to say at this point, it being early on and stuff, much like with the start of my Slime HRT, but I have been paying very close attention and trying to spot anything that seems off, so I have a few things to talk about.

First thing, and honestly I’m not sure if this is the tail end of Slime HRT or the beginning of Shapeshifter HRT, but I feel very connected to my whole body. Now, I say I’m not exactly sure which transition this is exactly, because Slime HRT definitely kinda removed the distinction between body parts, at least as humans understand it as I only really have two now - my core, and my slime - so everything I make with my slime is just part of that, which definitely led to a greater sense of wholeness and connection to my body (also y’know, the whole feeling more comfortable in my goo helps). But this is new, it’s like I almost kinda know what each part of my body is doing - which I know sounds weird to say, like ofc I know what my body’s doing, it’s my body - but to use a human analogy, humans don’t know what their organs are up to 98% of the time, other than hoping they’re doing their job, so it’s kinda like if a human knew that for certain? The line’s a lot blurrier with slime biology, but idk, it feels more like my mind properly extends all throughout my body, rather than just being in a centralised location, even if (I think) I know  it’s all stored in my core. 

This change has both improved my dexterity - being able to more keenly feel any limb or extension I make makes it a lot easier to have fine motor control - and also improved my ability to alter my shape, hence why I think it might be a part of the Shapeshifter HRT, but either way, being able to feel every inch of my body has certainly helped with perfecting shapes - I can actually make my slime kinda sharp now! Although it’s still made of goo, so it isn't great at cutting things, but it’s a bit sharper than my previous attempts, so progress!

The other thing that’s helped with shapeshifting, and that I’m fairly certain is the Shapeshifting HRT, is that I’ve noticed my body has gotten, well, less viscous, more fluid. It’s been a little awkward, as I’ve gotten used to a certain level of solidity, and while I can change it back to normal if I focus, at the moment I’m stuck being a little less cohesive than I’ve gotten used to, which has led to a couple instances where I’ve suddenly ended up a bit, or a lot, more puddley than normal, which is both inconvenient and embarrassing. Fortunately I’m very adept at reforming myself, so it’s no worse than tripping over your feet and ending up on the floor, but it still sucks that I’m having to deal with it again. But hey, the benefit is that it makes it much easier to alter my shape, and I’ve been loving the increased fluidity, even if it has made shapes harder to hold… have had to be careful with my wings, since there’s less structure to hold them up and in shape, which sucks a little, especially as I’ve had to forgo them once or twice. 

As another annoyance to this is that it also makes me occasionally leave slime behind me when I walk, or otherwise move, which both sucks from a cleanliness perspective and a mass retention one, although the former is much more of an issue than the latter, particularly in the new apartment.

The other main thing I’ve noticed since starting is that…. argh it’s hard to describe, it’s like a new understanding of… things? Like when I look at something I’m automatically picking out more little details about their shape, and the same when I pick something up. I’ve found myself idly staring at things, or rolling them around in my hand, or engulfing them in my slime (mostly without dissolving anything), and just picking out all the details in them, sometimes mimicking cool shapes I notice either at the time or later. It’s kinda weird, it’s like a whole extra bit of information on top of the normal sense. It’s actually helped a lot with my job, since i can feel any imperfections be they dirt or scratches in the glass much more easily that i might have otherwise

Between that and the greater connectivity to my body, I’ve been dealing with a lot more sensory information, primarily with touch, but a little with the other senses too. This has all led to some bouts of sensory overload, which have been…. unpleasant to say the least (it’s an overload for a reason), and it’s particularly hard to block it out when it’s touch - ever tried not touching anything? Fortunately if I limit how much I do touch when it happens, as well as other stimuli, I can recover, but it is distinctly unfun…

But asides from those issues it’s been overall chill with these early changes, and frankly the improved altering of my shapes has been a great change.

As a quick note, separate from my latest transition, I’m very curious about how I’m storing all the mass I have - I mean, I can eat and eat, and I don’t gain any size unless I want to (and I know that sounds like boasting - and I guess it is a little, but not like that), but like, I have eaten some really big things when i’ve had the chance, and there’s been no change - I don’t even weigh more, or at least, nowhere near as much as I should for what I’m eating. I can go from my 4’4” self to the size of my apartment block, maybe even taller now, and I don’t become some kind of super dense slime when I’m small.  I’ve hypothesized before that I think it’s stored in my core, since I really started noticing this once that had formed, but there’s too much to just be stored in there, and again, the density would be an issue too, I should have started making some kind of way towards becoming a black hole or something. I’ll send an actual message to the company that supplies my medication to ask about this, see if they know anything about it, because honestly, I’d like to know what’s going on and also, if it’s some kind of weird timelord bigger-on-the-inside deal, that’d be really interesting - not to mention it could be really useful if it’s something we could learn to replicate with technology or something. So yeah, hopefully we can find out more about that if only to satiate our curiosity.

So yeah, that’s the first update for Shapeshifter HRT! Hopefully I’ll actually get to do some proper shapeshifting by the next time I post but until then: See ya!

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Well, here we go, Slimeshifter HRT, and I've got some plans for this next 'season' of this story hehehe, so hope you'll look forward to that hehe. Also wanna add a little something here about @ayviedoesthings 's Dragon HRT and @welldrawnfish 's Fish HRT having ended soon, given that they were some of the first to start writing their stories, and inspired so many of the rest of us to start our own, which has led to a wonderful community where we've made a bunch of wonderful new friends. So sad to see their series each wrapping up, but thankful to them both (and the others who started all this of course) for bringing us all together by lighting the spark that created this awesome community. And on a more individual note, this all also encouraged me to actually start posting my writing, something I'd never done before, let alone maintained a project this long, so I'm really glad to have had this inspiration to actually do this, which has also lead me to putting other (shorter) pieces up as well, and all in all that's been wonderful too, so yeah, really happy for all of that. So yeah, thanks to everyone who started this, and to all the new friends who are a part of this community and who've helped me in writing all this hehe. First - Prev - Next Previous Side Story - Two of One

Tags List under cut (Let us know if ya wanna be added)

@calliecwrites, @friedsputnik, @now-entering-the-goop-zone, @scrubbinn, @lilacinthefog,

@mint-and-authoress, @losttodreams, @redroversendjayover, @ariathelamia, @kanithecatdemon

[fictionaloveward]

hi guys...new ocs...clap if u cheered (and picrew i used for their designs)

facts about them below <3

• aria was partially inspired by teruhashi from tdlosk, in the sense that shes a perfect pretty popular girl with secret unhinged thoughts

• gwen is a neet, but ever since she started transitioning she's been a little more interested in selfcare. aria takes care of everything ofc from nails to hair to ****************

• this is the concept that made me create them:

• aria isn't exactly a yandere despite seeming like the type, she just doesn't get jealous easily cause she knows gwen only has eyes for her

• since they were kids, gwen has always been behind in everything: sports, relationship with parents, academics, love...but she never resented aria for that

• aria does not feel guilty at all, infact she even thinks the fact that they're related makes it hotter! gwen tho? she frequently feels disgusted at herself (but still can't let aira go)

• they're catcoded and puppycoded respectively. not in the "serious one x excited one" way, more in the "i will get what i want idc what you want or think x you can manipulate me, hurt me, but just don't leave me" way

● aira is the dom and power bottom, gwen is the sub and service top

• aira is into: cnc, dollification, dacryphilia

• gwen is into: cnc, puppyplay, praise & blackmailing