#and thinking they're doing a good activism by platforming it

[uncle-fruity]

I am BEGGING y'all to stop posting hateful anons. Even if you have the funniest, cutest little quip that'll really show them! Specifically stop posting anyone on anon at all who is clearly trying to stir up some shit. Make these fuckers show themselves if they want to be platformed.

Anon hate? Block outright!

You do not know who that is. You don't know if that anon is really trans. You don't know if that anon is a cop. You don't know what the motivations of that anon are outside of spreading obvious hate & community division. ANYONE who is trying to divide our community -- to make trans people argue with and exclude each other, to pit us against each other -- is The Enemy. Whether they're being sincere in their bullshit or are just a bad actor trying to intentionally divide us, they are doing the work of the feds, of the oppressor, of the patriarchy.

We must be UNITED with each other! Stop throwing each other under the bus! Stop acting like these people speak for the community they *claim* to be from. Don't just fucking take their word for it! "Trans women hate trans men" NO! "Trans men just want to oppress people" NO! "Nonbinary & agender folks don't know what ~real~ oppression is" NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO!

We LOVE and RESPECT each other, damn it! There is no divide between our interests! It does not benefit me to see trans women suffer under the patriarchy! It does not benefit trans women to wave away my (transmasc) pain! It benefits no one to force gender roles & expectations onto each other. It benefits no one to write off nonbinary folks as having a "less important" experience. None of this furthers our goal for peace and human rights. It will NEVER benefit us to make snap judgements about people based on their identity. Especially when those snap judgements are based on INTERNET ANON HATE. The spread of hate & misinformation is too big a deal to just spread it willy nilly in the spirit of discourse or trying to be the funniest person on the internet.

Fucking hell. I get so SICK of this shit. If you feel like trans women as an ENTIRE GROUP are hostile towards trans men, check your fucking sources. If you think trans men as an ENTIRE GROUP are trying to escape misogyny & exercise their male privilege all over the place, check your fucking sources. If you think all nonbinary people even have the same experiences across the board, you need to expand your fucking mind to include people you never thought about existing. Use your logic: is every person in a single demographic ever the same? And by "check your fucking sources" I mean get the fuck out of your little bubble for a little while and expand the diversity of the voices you're listening to. And then LISTEN, don't weigh in; just absorb the information and think on it. You might not agree with everyone & their hot takes, but as you learn about how varied & nuanced our experiences are, you get a better sense of the overarching similarities we do share, because those things start to stick out after you've actually listened to 50+ [trans community members] who aren't all from the same corner of the internet as you. Read some damn solidarity posts and share those.

Solidarity begins and ends with us. We are the ones who make it, we are the ones who have to strengthen & protect it. I have unfollowed other trans folks who I generally agree with because of how much anon hate they uncritically respond to publicly that just furthers the division & hatred within our community. I do not experience a lot of online hate because I block/ignore the fuckos who come at me in bad faith 99% of the time, and when my fellow trans folks are the ones constantly exposing me to the kind of hate I actively avoid & whose ideals I actively fight, they are not doing me a favor. They are not doing any of us a favor. And the best way to drown out the non-anon people making bad faith arguments in our tags is similar: either ignore & block them outright or say, "This is bullshit and untrue," *without reblogging it* and let that statement speak for itself. If we all just shut these things down with one simple, "You're wrong about this," it is a lot harder for them to find enough fodder to further pit us against each other. Because even well reasoned people say stupid things in the heat of the moment that can easily be taken out of context & twisted to fit a specific narrative.

I know the urge to respond and Be Right or Own Them or Be Funny or whatever part of the brain it tickles for you is Strong. But it is careless at best, and harmful at worst. I assure you that we are better off responding to anon hate by just deleting their shit and making our own solidarity posts to counteract the kind of division they think should exist in our community.

Please, y'all. I'm begging you to post more love & solidarity than you do hate & division. I'm begging y'all to recognize how toxic it is & how easily people can manipulate you if all you do is stay angry and engage in bad faith arguments. I'm begging y'all to reach out to your community and find ways to love & spread kindness. The anger will destroy us, otherwise.

Just blocked another two people who showed up in the transandrophobia tag because they’ve decided they can’t support discussions around transandrophobia in light of these recent sexually harassing anons that trans women have been receiving that are supposedly on behalf of trans men.

And I just…

Can you imagine if there had been a similar response months ago when there were anons about correctively raping and impregnating trans men that were supposedly on behalf of trans women? If there had been people posting that we can’t take discussions of transmisogyny seriously anymore?

Honestly though? I think the people who’ve been making these posts weren’t really taking discussions on transandrophobia seriously in the first place, and were just waiting for a “good reason” to voice their antagonism.

And to be perfectly fair, there probably were some transmisogynist trans men/mascs who, months ago, when the copypasta targeting us was going around, similarly used the fact that those asks existed to further their bias against trans women.

But I can say that I only ever saw condemnations of that possibility months ago, and never any actual posts going around claiming we should trust trans women less or dismiss the concept of transmisogyny.

And I certainly never saw people saying that it would be understandable for the trans men who had been receiving these asks to trust trans women less because of it—because the ask, as heinous as it was, was a troll, it was sent to portray trans women as dangerous and untrustworthy to divide the trans community—unlike what I’ve seen in the wake of this current wave of asks.

[aq2003]

Just saw a Twitter thread where the right-wing/terfy population discuss how ugly and inherently unsexy DT is, in Rivals and in general. Several days ago saw a DW fan space thread where they discuss how ugly and inherently unsexy DT is, in Rivals and in general. Not the first time I see terfs and certain segments of Doctor Who fandom united in hating this one particular person... Just felt like sharing so I'm not the only one suffering from godless Twitter overdose.

don't worry even though i blocked/muted these people i still see screenshots of them being stupid. like iceberg floating by. so ik what youre talking about. the funniest thing abt this is that i also think tony baddhingham is unappealing and unsexy on purpose (especially if you compare him to the other two male leads) (he's all ugly sharp lines) (stellar character design!) and that's part of what makes him such a great character and what makes david's performance so amazing. but the stupidest people on doctor who twitter are like "he's so ugly and also he's playing a bad person which means he must be a bad person in real life". ?? deeply worrying that they hate dt enough that they'd align themselves with terfs over like. Having morals also

[qqueenofhades]

i registered to vote for the first time ( i feel old) now that im an adult but my state has closed primary elections which i was wondering if you have an opinion about. my initial thought was that its bad because i had to register democrat (rather than my states green party which represents my beliefs more) just so i could vote between democrat candidates, which feels like being pressured into supporting the weird pseudo two party system we have. but then i looked it up and apparently a reason for this is so that people from opposing parties wont purposefully mess up the votes just so that their preferred candidates have an easier time winning, and i think that makes sense too. but is that actually the reason theyve closed it or is it just to force us dem/republican?? cause it feels strange

Okay, look. I respect the fact that you're a young person, and I appreciate that you have not only registered to vote, but plan to vote in the primaries, so I don't want to lecture you too much. That said: I am taking you out for coffee, I am sitting you down, I am looking into your eyes, and I am urgently telling you the following:

The Green Party is a scam. It is a scam. It has existed for decades in American politics as an empty shell corporation weaponizing the good intentions of young people like yourself, because all it theoretically stands for "it's good to save the planet maybe." Which is not something that any non-insane person seriously disagrees with, but there is no world in which that cause is actually furthered by registering/voting Green (you mentioned that you did vote for Democrats, which -- good, but listen to me here, youngun, okay?) It ran Jill Stein in 2016 to siphon more votes from HRC, and this election it plans to run Cornel West, a pro-Russian tankie who positively equated Bernie and Trump, as another spoiler candidate. It does not stand for "protecting the planet" or America in any real way. It has never elected a single senator or congressman, let alone a president. It stands for empty performance/grievance political theater by those people who feel too morally superior to vote for/affiliate with Democrats, often because the internet has told them that it's not Cool or Hip or Progressive enough.

If your main priority is climate/the environment, you're doing the right thing by registering as a Democrat and voting for Democrats. (Also: the adjectival form is Democratic. It is the Democratic party and Democratic candidates, otherwise you sound like the Fox News host who wrote a book literally entitled "The Democrat Party Hates America.") They are the only major party who has in fact passed major climate legislation and have made environmental justice a central tenet of their platform. As opposed to the Republicans, whose Project 2025, along with the rest of its nightmare fascist prescriptions, openly pledges to completely wreck existing climate protections and forbid any new ones, just because we weren't all dying fast enough under their death-cult rule already. That's the main logical fallacy I don't get among both the Online Leftists and the American electorate in general: "the Democrats aren't doing quite enough as I'd like, so I'll enable the active wrecking ball insane lunatics to get in power and ruin even the progress we HAVE managed to make!" Like. How does that even make sense?

On a federal level, the Greens have contributed nothing whatsoever of tangible value to American or international climate policy/legislation, environmental justice, or anything else, because as noted, they don't have any elected candidates and mostly focus on drawing voters away from Democrats. There might be plenty of good candidates on the local or city level, which -- great! Vote away for Greens if they're available, or the only other option is a Republican! But on the federal/primary level, please understand: once again, they are a scam. There is no point in affiliating yourself with them. You're welcome to register Green and vote Democratic, if that makes you feel better or if you prefer having another label next to your name, but once again, I'm telling you in my position as a salty Tumblr elder that they have done nothing but harm to the causes they claim to care about, because "environment" is such a nebulous priority and has demonstrably been hijacked to stop the American government entity, i.e. the Democrats, that is actually working to improve on it.

As for your question: nobody is "forcing" or "pressuring" you to vote in primaries. By your own admission, you made a conscious choice to register as a Democrat in order to vote for Democratic candidates. If you were just a regular registered voter of whatever party affiliation, you would vote in the general election for whatever candidate the primary process produced. But if you are sufficiently vested and committed to that process that you would like to have a say in who is running under that party label, it is not unreasonable that you would register as a member of that party. Nobody has twisted your arm behind your back and made you do so; you are taking a considerable level of initiative on your own. Likewise, open primaries can be both a good and bad thing. This falls under the "the political system we have is flawed, but we can't magically pretend it doesn't exist and act according to our own fantasyland versions of reality" thing that I keep saying over and over. So yes, if you want a role in shaping the Democratic candidates who emerge from a Democratic primary process, you will usually register as a Democrat, and nobody has forced you to do that. It's that simple.

Likewise as a general programming note: I'm trying to cut back on politics a bit right now, because I don't have the spoons/bandwidth/mental health to deal with it. I apologize. So if you've sent me a politics-related ask recently and haven't received a response, I'm not deliberately or maliciously ignoring you; I just am not able to handle it as much as usual and will have to put it on pause. However, I feel as if this is important enough to be worth saying, so, yeah.

[grimrester]

i am really so sorry to continue harping on about the watcher entertainment streaming service. but this kind of stuff (internet content as a business & marketing it as such) is truly my obsession, and i think i will implode if i don't talk about some of the takes i'm seeing.

i'd like to emphasize again i don't have strong feelings about watcher either way. i like ghost files, i watch mystery files sometimes, i watched worth it back in the buzzfeed days. i don't watch any of their shows religiously.

anyway, here's the main things i keep seeing crop up and my thoughts on each:

"watcher has 25 employees they have to pay, and employing people in this economy is good, so we should be banding together to pay them."

employing people is good if you currently have the capacity to pay them. i checked watcher's linkedin page, and many of their employees were hired within the last year or two. if they hired people they cannot pay with the business model they had before, something is seriously wrong with their internal bookkeeping/decision making. it means they either didn't know they couldn't pay these people long term, or they did know and were content with risking newly hired employees' livelihoods on a huge content pivot in the next year.

of note is that none of their employees' titles have anything to do with managing the finances of the company. they are the size of a small business but have no one aside from the figureheads of the company in charge of their finances.

this is the kind of company decision making that leads to downsizing and layoffs, which can be devastating. but you know what's worse than laying off a portion of your staff? laying off everyone because your business is going under.

"not everyone can afford the subscription, but those who can should pay it to support the watcher team."

no. $6/month for a couple hours of content (depending on what shows you actively watch and the natural fluctuation of their release schedule) is a fundamentally bad value. i can pay that much for a few movies on amazon. i can pay that much for dropout, if i want to support a smaller business instead.

and to be totally frank, even if people do sign up, i don't think they'd get enough to compete with the amount they get through patreon/sponsorships. and the fact that they didn't know how many of their subscribers would realistically sign up is a bad sign.

a pretty good conversion rate of free to paid subscribers of a service or content is 3% (usually accomplished through a free trial). given the very poor reception of the announcement, let's say about 1% of their 3 mil youtube subs pay for their service. that's 30k people paying for their new platform. that's $180k a month in their pocket.

(they currently only have 12k subs on patreon so we are being generous here.)

a sponsorship deal (based on my googling, i have less direct experience with this) is anywhere from $10-50 per 1000 views. they've gotten about 1 mil views on their last few videos. 3 mil subs is nothing to shake a stick at, but let's say they're on the lower end of the payscale at $25 per 1000 views. that's $25k a video, $100k a month if they release 1 video a week. their lowest patreon tier is 5 bucks, so even if all their subs are at that tier, that's another $60k, so $160k total. it's entirely likely they're bringing in much more than that when you factor in merch, adsence, etc.

did anyone on their team crunch numbers on how many people would need to sub to make the switch worth it? did anyone do market research on how many people they could convert to paid users? because if not, if they really didn't have a game plan for this, the subscription service was always doomed to fail.

"this was their only option to continue making the content they want to make, with the production value they want."

i watched their announcement video. a key point in that video is that they have done sponsored videos and that's what used to pay for their content, but they did not like the amount of creative control the sponsor had over the content.

look, i get that's no fun. we'd all love creatives to be able to make whatever they want. but when you are a small business with a team of employees relying on you, you have to think about making money, sometimes at the cost of creative liberties.

and they had so many other options to make money for the projects they want to make without jumping to a subscription platform.

they could have started actually promoting their patreon, and maybe done some restructuring of the tiers. why not a highly produced, special series just for patreon members? or a special high-budget episode of each series, while the main series is lower budget?

bite the bullet and continue taking sponsorship deals on some less-produced shows, while axing sponsorships from the ones the crew feels more passionate about.

schedule larger, blowout-production shows only when they can be afforded. this is what Notorious Amongus Guy streamer jerma does. he saves up for big productions like his baseball or dollhouse streams, so he can really get creative with them.

they had other options and they've tried very little, especially when you compare them to other content house business at similar scales. try guys and good mythical morning both put out significant content with significant staff, and have had to diversify their income streams with auxiliary products, shows with widely varied levels of production, etc. but it seems to be working for them. watcher has merch and that's about it, and seems to only want to increase the production quality of ALL their shows.

really, all this just boils down to a terrible business decision. it's hard to say if the watcher team is working with a consultant or anyone outside of their team, but they certainly don't have anyone internally who is experienced with running a business like this. to me, it seems very much like they got in a room together and did some extremely optimistic income ballparking with no research behind it.

and that might have been fine for three dudes running a channel alone, but if they're a business, they have to start making decisions like one.

[merl-out]

unless ur a palestinian queer

I’ll say it again, please just grit your teeth and vote for Biden…

[drdemonprince]

So that was the DNC. The young liberals, white feminists, and leftists-in-name only have gladly fallen in line behind Kamala Harris, because she makes them feel good, and because all they have wanted was to find sufficient reason to stop feeling bad and get back to brunch. They've abandoned Palestine, the same way they abandoned the immunocompromised and abolition of the police, because these and so many other left political movements were little more than fashion to them. They were never interested in seeing the destruction of a political system that many of them could, theoretically, make themselves comfortable inside. They just wanted to be seen as current and good.

Did you know that there are 24 million millionaires in the United States? 24 Million. Millionaires. 24,000,000 millionaires. Up from 22 million in 2022. That's about 7.2% of the population. So much for "we are the 99%." There is a sizeable segment of this population that benefits from economic inequality and imperialism, increasingly so, as both the size of the lower class and the upper class expand.

Many millions of additional people have no interest in changing the U.S. political paradigm, because they have been propagandized to believe all compassion and competence fall away under "anarchy," or because they lack community in any meaningful sense and have no conception of how to act collectively. This is not their fault, but it means they act in ways counter to leftist organizing: calling the cops on people, refusing to show up for others, hoarding what property and wealth they do have, demanding that all acts of resistance be peaceful and brief, and pouring all of the political energies into exhorting others to vote (no matter how dyed blue or gerrymander red their districts are, no matter how genocidal, transphobic, and xenophobic all the options might be).

People think that participating in community is buying a $355 Chappel Roan ticket. The big voices for leftist organizing, supposedly, are individuals who market themselves as such on Instagram and TikTok in order to sell books, tarot decks, subscriptions, and workshops.

The sole method for social or political engagement that most people know of is making posts online, on an overblown advertising platform, and then complaining that they did not receive enough attention on their (monetized) posts. A person with shrewd social media instincts and a strong writerly voice can fake an entire political identity, professional connections, and expertise, and be followed by tens of thousands while doing nothing constructive in their day to day life or even being the person they claim to be. The more actively they post and generate revenue for Meta, the more lucrative their grift becomes for themselves and the more social power they accrue. Chasing power and profit for oneself is definitionally counter to leftist ideals. Even if they do not believe in electoralism, people like this produce endless content about the subject, because people follow it like it's sports. They're glorified entertainers, selling politically themed content, never taking themselves off the stage.

Challenge any of this and people will lash out at you, because you've attacked their cloth mother, and they're very lonely and afraid. The corporately-moderated semblance of connection is nearly all they ever get. You can't talk about sex, drugs, death, or any difficult human realities. If you don't present a disneyfied version of yourself you get accused or being a degenerate predator. If you don't participate at all, you must be apathetic, which is very bad, because having the wrong emotions or thoughts makes you evil.

The protests at the DNC were all either ill-conceived PSL honey traps leading dozens of 19-year-olds into arrest via Signal chat, or bloated 3-hour fundraising attempts miles away from the United Center and corralled by the police and Department of Justice marshalls and their collaborators. Everybody else is far away, enjoying brat colored cocktails and picking out demure tradwife clothing to disappear into for the fall. Dreaming of not having to worry anymore is akin to longing for death, and many liberal Americans have gladly embraced total obliteration.

It's not just conservatism that is a death cult. It's also the preservation of the nation-state. State-making obliterates whole cultures, languages, lands, traditions, and unique, person-to-person modes of relating. You get your food from a corporation or a government bureaucracy that does not know you and makes you fight for it, never from a person. This makes you forget that it's just persons, like the ones you know, like yourself, who do everything. It makes you cling to the state, and to normalcy, rather than speaking openly and messily to anybody else.

This is where it all begins and ends. The hope of a revolution rising up to somehow liberate Palestine was always a fantasy, the stuff of kid's movies. The truth is much darker, but more bearable, because it's real. We are very far from a dramatic political change. Most people aren't willing to even let a stranger into their homes to keep them sheltered. Did we really think they were going to rise up and put their body on the line to fight the state? Give up Starbucks and their PPO? Break the law? Lower their property value? Of course not. Get real.

And so, where do we start? By moving far, far away from the individualistic, capitalistic, clout-based avenues of political "participation" that do nothing but benefit people who present themselves as influential voices. By doing the small, slow, humble work of actual community building. Talking to your neighbors, feeding people, housing people, sacrificing something for others, driving a senior to the doctor, building a way outside of your own head.

We have to become more reliant upon one another and less moved by big personalities who will never know us or give a damn about us as people. Instagram pays me the more of you look at my posts and share them on their app. It pays every other high follower account you take political guidance from, too. You should be suspicious of me. And all the rest of them. You should place more trust in your friends, your neighbors, and the power of your own mind.

The way out of all this will not be easy. And it will not happen on here.

[taylorftparamore]

i also think the fact celebrities are actively pushing against interaction with fans is because like. they're so frequent now? you're expected to do them on social media. you're expected to do it in person any time you leave the house. you're expected to be ready to be photographed by anyone with a smart phone (everyone in the world) which gets uploaded instantly to everyone in the world who now knows where you are and MORE will show up. 2008 taylor swift was in a time when NOT everyone had a smart phone and uploading a photo to a social media platform means it goes viral in seconds.

would chappell roan be AS against taking photos with fans if it mean it would take hours to upload and she could be guaranteed that one fan interaction wouldn't lead to thousands more in the span of an hour? if "just one quick photo" didn't mean everyone would see it immediately then stalk her to her location? the modern celebrity has to deal with the fact that "just one quick photo" means that they now have to leave the area immediately or risk behind held there hostage for hours while thousands more want "just one quick photo".

it's a level of "on" that is inconceivable to 2008 taylor swift. i think we really started to see this shift in 2014, and taylor struggled to cope with it in response. i think it's GOOD that we're calling out how these behaviors have led to an increase of stalking and harassment of main female celebrities.

[eunxhan]

Ꮺ Anon Requested ⨾ Polyamory/harem relationship with head over heels bottom subs,, one is a cute shy guy who loves m reader so fucking much he doesn't mind getting cucked and stuff as long as it pleases reader,,another one is a hot sexy model who's very proud of his body, always taking care of himself so you'll praise him when you fuck him, taking care of his hair well so you can easily pull them,,, kinky sub who's into wild plays, totally devoted to reader and would do literally anything like damn.. Another cold aloof kind of man,, people are intimidated by him and he's all strong and one man army stuff.. Yet when it comes to reader he's just a mess like damn,, all these pretty, smart, strong subbies also has reader's personal brand on his skin,,, they're so head over heels they do anything for reader's acknowledgement,,,

Ꮺ Eun Replies ⨾ Oh my, It is lovely to see my sweets still active. I have been thinking about this entry the moment I came back in this platform. How I've missed all of you.. I did wrote them separately but I decided to write and post another where they all meet in the future. But anyways, what should we name these three?

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Ꮺ Disclaimer — NSFW.

Reader ⨾ MALE. YOU/YOUR.

Words used ⨾ 1578

Links ⨾ My Navigation

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Let's say, you're an average guy with a typical 9 to 5 job. You couldn't care less about what anyone has to say or do to you, yet three men managed to catch your interest. One of them being Shy!sub. It's not like you guys have been together since childhood; you only met during middle school.

Shy!sub is incredibly shy and easily embarrassed. He tends to blush a lot, especially around you. Even the slightest touch or intimate gesture from you can make him flush red.

Shy!sub is used to your rantings while playing with him, and sometimes, you being a little shit happens to take your anger out on him during your calls. He never says or complains about it; he just listens or sometimes even apologizes to you.

Shy!sub enjoys playing video games with you, even if he's not very good at them and you call him out for jt. He just finds it relaxing and a great way to bond with you. He often cheers you on during your gaming sessions.

Not only does he enjoys gaming, Shy!sub has a secret love for romantic movies. He often watches them when you're not around, dreaming of the day you and him will have your own romantic story.

Shy!sub looks at you as if he's admiring a piece of art, even if you're just there yelling and getting mad about something ridiculous. You can tell that he wants something else. But if you call him out on something, Shy!sub hates confrontations and avoids them at all costs. He would rather keep the peace than engage in an argument, even if it means holding back his true feelings.

Shy!sub is the type of person who's too soft for people like you to handle. He does your chores because he knows you're exhausted from your job or school, and even cooks for you.

Shy!sub enjoys cooking for you, as he sees it as a way to show his love and care for you. He often tries out new recipes, hoping to impress you with his culinary skills. If you point something out or compliment his cooking, be ready to see him almost everyday in your kitchen.

He acts more like a boyfriend than a best friend. One call of his name, and he's dashing towards you like a loyal dog ready to do what you ask. With him basically living with you, Shy!sub can sleep easily. He is afraid of the dark and often sleeps with a nightlight on. He sometimes asks you to sleep with him when he's feeling particularly scared.

Shy!sub never admits this but he secretly loves it when you get angry, as it shows your passionate side. He often provokes you, hoping to see your fiery temper.

When both of you started to have some intimate moments, Shy!sub got even more embarrassed but he never stops trying to tease you with his every move. He basically lives with you now from how much time he spends with you. Everything escalated quickly when you got home and saw him wearing something he normally doesn't wear.

Shy!sub looks so damn adorable in his light bubblegum pink lingerie, but you decided to keep it in your pants and let him explain what he was doing. You could tell he was about to burst out crying when you walked in on him.

—

Shy!sub's eyes widened as he realized you had caught him in his new attire. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his heart raced, fearing the worst. The lingerie, a gift from a secret admirer, was supposed to be a surprise for You. But now, with you standing in the doorway, the moment had been ruined.

You, on the other hand, couldn't help but admire the way the lingerie hugged Shy!sub's curves, accentuating his hourglass figure. The sight of Shy!sub in such a delicate and feminine ensemble stirred something deep within you—a desire he had never felt before. But he knew the time was not right to act on it.

"It's... it's for you," Shy!sub managed to stutter, his voice trembling. "I wanted to surprise you. I thought you'd like it."

"Wow, I've never thought I would see this coming from you. Someone who is known to be easily embarrassed over everything." You could see the vulnerability in Shy!sub's eyes as you reply to him. It was a rare sight, and it tugged at your heartstrings. You knew Shy!sub's affections ran deep, and you couldn't bear to see him so distressed. So, with a smile, you stepped forward and gently placed a hand on Shy!sub's cheek.

"You look amazing," You said, his voice soft and reassuring. "And I appreciate the thought. But remember, you don't need to do anything to impress me. I love you just the way you are."

Shy!sub let out a shaky breath, relief washing over him. He leaned into your touch, grateful for your understanding. The moment, though awkward, had brought them closer. From that day on, You began to see Shy!sub in a whole new light. Your words and gentle touch calmed Shy!sub's nerves. The tension in the room shifted, and a new energy filled the space. Shy!sub's heart fluttered as your hand lingered on his cheek, your thumb gently caressing Shy!sub's soft skin.

Emboldened by your acceptance, Shy!sub leaned in, his lips brushing against yours in a feather-light kiss. It was a tentative move, a test to gauge your reaction. But you responded with a hunger that surprised them both. Your lips met in a passionate kiss, your tongues dancing and exploring each other's mouths. Shy!sub's hands roamed your body, feeling the contours of your muscles through your shirt. Your hands slid down Shy!sub's back, cupping his rear and pulling him closer.

The lingerie, once a source of embarrassment, now became a symbol of their growing desire. The soft fabric rubbed against your body, igniting a fire within you. Shy!sub could feel your arousal pressing against him, and it sent shivers down his spine. His mind were somewhere else as he softly groans in your ears, his mind tells him to beg you to do something more to him.

You both broke the kiss, panting and flushed. Your eyes were dark with desire, and Shy!sub's lips were swollen from your passionate embrace. The room was filled with a palpable tension, a promise of what was to come.

"Darling," Shy!sub whispered, his voice heavy with need. "I want you. I've always wanted you." he whined at the end. You didn't need to be told twice. You scooped Shy!sub into your arms and carried him to the bedroom, which made him more excited.

•◦✦────•◦ᘡᘞ •◦────✦◦•◦•

Confident!sub, a charming and flirtatious individual, utilizes his natural charisma and wit to captivate those around him. Easily drawing in his audience, he leaves them craving more of his company. His tactics to garner attention, however, are solely to attract the cameras. When it comes to you, his dearest, he's wholly devoted.

His sarcastic nature and high tolerance levels add an alluring challenge to his persona, making him even more magnetic. For you, though, his sarcasm serves as a playful means of aggravation.

Confident!sub is confident in his physicality, maintaining his desirable physique through rigorous workouts. Brands and designers clamor for him to be the face of their new products, well aware of his pickiness when it comes to endorsements.

In his pursuit of physical perfection, Confident!sub adheres to a strict regimen of body care. His routine, from head to toe, takes a full three hours, with shower time not even included. If you need the bathroom while he's in there, you'll have to resort to forceful measures.

During his photoshoots, Confident!sub teases you with his movements and poses. He'll gaze hungrily at you, performing his job with you as his little assistant, always present in the room. If you're absent, his temper flares. So, sad to say that you're always with him in and out.

A possessive streak emerges in Confident!sub when he spots you admiring other models. With him in the room, half-naked and expecting your adoration, he takes offense at your gaze wandering to less attractive individuals. If you curse at him for his tantrums, his anger intensifies, believing you should have been fixated on him.

Confident!sub is unfiltered in his communication, voicing his thoughts at any given moment. Be it day, night, place, or time, he'll share his uncensored musings. With a bored expression, he'll casually mention desires like you satisfying him behind a door post-shoot or gripping his hair. One time while you were having breakfast, he mumbled something about how he dreamed about you pounding him for a photoshoot.

Despite his outward confidence, Confident!sub harbors insecurities deep down. He worries that one day, his looks might fade, and he'll lose the adoration he currently enjoys. So with you having around him, he dares not to let you go. He hates it when you look at other models that he finds intimidating. Whenever you reassure him about his insecurities, expect not getting out of the bedroom for atleast two days.

Confident!sub hates being touched by strangers. He becomes uncomfortable and edgy when people he doesn't know try to touch him. He's only comfortable with you touching him. You should be lucky that someone like him allows you to touch him, his words not mine.

——

After a long and tiring photoshoot, Confident!sub was ready to unwind. With his manager having rented a hotel room for him, he of course invited you to join him, knowing full well what he had in mind. You, aware of Confident!sub's intentions, eagerly accepted the invitation.

In the privacy of the hotel room, Confident!sub wasted no time in expressing his desires. You pinned him against the wall, his hands roaming your body with a hunger that could not be satiated. With you, equally aroused, gripped Confident!sub's hair, pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

Confident!sub's hands slid down to your body, undoing your pants with a swift motion. He wasted no time in freeing his own arousal, rubbing it against yours before he could let you rub against his entrance. With a swift thrust, you entered him, filling him with your length.

The room was filled with the sounds of him screaming your name and the wet sounds. Confident!sub's moans echoed off the walls, a testament to his pleasure. You, gripping onto Confident!sub's hair, praised him for his skill and good looks, encouraging him to continue his plea.

Confident!sub, driven by your words, moving his hips at the same pace as you with a fervor that was almost animalistic. Your hands gripped on his hips, pulling him closer with each thrust. Him, lost in a sea of pleasure, could only hold on for dear life, his moans mingling in the air.

As you both reached your climax, Confident!sub's moans grew louder, your thrusts becoming more erratic. Him, gripping onto you tightly, felt his own release building. With a final thrust, you both reached, your bodies trembling with the force releasing.

•◦✦────•◦ᘡᘞ •◦────✦◦•◦•

Intimidating!sub, a formidable figure with a history in the military, bears scars on both his face and body. His imposing physique and commanding posture are enough to convey his cold and strict demeanor, deterring others from approaching him. Even children and pets are frightened by his aura.

Despite his chilling exterior, Intimidating!sub has a soft spot for his beloved. At the mere sound of his name, spoken by you, his defenses crumble. He prefers to reserve his genuine smiles for private moments, sharing them only with you.

In terms of protection, Intimidating!sub is unparalleled. His presence alone is enough to deter potential aggressors, as if he were a guard dog watching over you. His menacing appearance suggests he'd defend you with ferocity, ready to "bite" anyone who dares to bother you.

In private, Intimidating!sub reveals a sensitive side. He cries during movies or deep conversations, seeking your comfort. With his head resting on your chest, he finds solace as he weeps, trying to express his feelings or explain the emotions triggered by a film. He's known to shed tears privately if his actions upset a child or pet.

Intimidating!sub is an intellectual powerhouse, capable of answering nearly any query and solving complex mathematical problems in a matter of seconds. He's like a human calculator, with an uncanny ability to memorize information. This makes outings with him effortless, as you need not consult your phone for calculations or searches.

Eager for your affection, Intimidating!sub leans on your shoulder, a subtle request for attention. He demands your love, regardless of your current engagements. If he's bold enough, he'll wake you to share a tender gaze.

Embarrassed by his nocturnal desires, Intimidating!sub awakens from wet dreams, seeking solace in the bathroom. If he gathers the courage, he'll attempt to rouse you, his eyes pleading softly.

——

After Intimidating!sub woke you from your slumber, you noticed the flush on his face, a testament to his embarrassment. A soft whimper escaped his lips, "Please help me with this..." Your eyes followed his gaze downward, where you found his hardened length, throbbing and grinding against the material of his pants.

The sight was too enticing to ignore, and as he offered you a small, tender peck on the cheek, you decided to give in to his desires. You guided his hand to release his length from its prison, letting it spring free. The tip glistened with pre-cum, a clear indication of his arousal.

Intimidating!sub's eyes locked onto yours, pleading for your touch. You obliged, wrapping your hand around his shaft and beginning to stroke him gently. His breathing hitched, his face contorting in pleasure. You teased him, speeding up and slowing down your strokes, drawing out his pleasure.

As you continued, Intimidating!sub's body grew more tense, his hips bucking involuntarily. You could sense his impending release, and you leaned in, taking his length into your mouth. The sensation of your warm, wet mouth enveloping him sent him over the edge.

Intimidating!sub cried out your name, his body trembling as he came. You swallowed his release, showing no signs of discomfort. When you pulled away, he collapsed onto the bed, his body slick with sweat.

You climbed on top of him, straddling his hips, and lowered yourself onto his still-hard shaft. He gasped, his hands gripping your hips as you began to ride him. The intimacy of this moment, with the dominant figure now reduced to the bottom, was intoxicating.

•◦✦────•◦ᘡᘞ •◦────✦◦•◦•

@𝑬𝑼𝑵𝑿𝑯𝑨𝑵. Do not repost, plagiarize, translate, or adapt my work/theme without prior permission and/or confirmation.

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Checking In

Good day my fellow exhausted creatives, it sure does be A Time we're going through. There is certainly a lot of things happening at once, and like many of you I'm struggling to stay afloat while desperately playing catch-up. I'll be honest, shit's pretty damn fucked up. Sometimes it helps to take a step back and reflect on some reminders.

Don't panic.

People are facing a lot of hard choices when it comes to what platforms to use, and I know it's pretty tempting to burn everything down. Take a deep breath and think about your options. Nightshade and Glaze aren't perfect, true, but they're open about their limitations and are still tools you can use. Look into alternative word processors beyond Google Docs that won't have AI-scraping. Take your time deciding what to do with your creative output and where to share it. I am Old, and I have seen several social media websites crash and burn. You will always have more options.

Take care of yourself first.

I've seen a lot of people burning themselves out hard over things they can't control. Gaza, anti-LGBTQ issues, American politics, it's a whole lot and it's all overwhelming. You cannot accomplish anything if you don't take the time to put your oxygen mask first. Eat, sleep, turn your phone off when you feel yourself being sucked in. This seems obvious, but it's often the hardest thing to do, believe me I know. You gotta keep yourself going before you can help others.

Small things still matter.

There's a lot of things you can still do even when you feel like you can't. You can sign petitions, you can promote the activism of others. Vote in local elections. Keep yourself informed without drowning - check your news sources once a day rather than all the time. Talk to your friends, spend time with your pets, find ways to help in your local community (a great place to find resources is your library!). Go for a walk with a trash picking tool and a garbage bag. A small difference is still a difference.

Recharge Creatively.

It can be hard to do creative things when you feel like there's so many other important things to do. But being creative - creating art, writing a story, doing a hobby - IS important to yourself and others. Sometimes you have to force yourself to do so - I have to put "watch a movie" on my to do list, or I'll never make time for it. Go to a coffee shop and make art. Play that new video game. Write that silly coffee shop AU. These things are important to you, and they will carry through with what you want to do for others.

Do what you can when you can and you will make it through.

[butchbear-in-progress]

I'm probably not the right person to do it since my disability is relatively minor, I have no platform and I don't talk like i have a degree, but I think we need to talk about the positive effects of feedism on our perceptions of physical disability because its really something special that needs to be nurtured

So many feedists being neutral/accepting or positive about mobility issues extend that far past the fantasy of kink and into their fat liberation and general lives. I don't see nonfeedists in those spaces talking about disability as anything but unfortunate reality, even if they're disability activists too. No one but a feedist has seen a good side.

Feedist disability positivity has encouraged me to actually use my crutches, bath boards, and alter my activity levels without feeling guilty. Feedists are genuinely the only people I know that accept "I can't physically manage that today" as a non negotiable answer regardless of whether they percieve my disability as being my fault or not (I was in an accident but people make up their own story since ive gained 100+lbs since then: either way I shouldnt have to specify how i acquired it!). They dont make me feel like shit when I admit I haven't been out or exercised in a few days even if I don't go into detail about why, largely because they don't associate it 100% with negative experiences by default. It can be a good time, a fun thing, hot even*

And to be clear, I don't just mean this is a cute way. There are good and bad sides to fetishising disability aids but seeing having to use a bath board to wash as something sexy makes me not hate myself for needing it. It's not for everyone but I am not everyone

*@fernisfat once said something in a photo caption about spending the evening at home getting fatter and I've been thinking it to myself even since. I'm not wasting time, I'm spending it on one of my favourite hobbies actually.

Ps. I know plenty of feedists are ableists and not like this but I don't want to talk or think about them right now thanks

[myfandomrealitea]

on the topic of your post about having politics-free spaces, it reminds me of how i can't seem to get away from political posts even on my blog where i solely follow age regression content. you know, the thing largely triggered by trauma that puts you into a child like state of mind.

it's just insane to me to see people say that running an agere blog isn't an excuse to not talk about politics. considering it's a side of tumblr people go on while being in the mental space of a child, i think it absolutely is a good reason to not post or interact with politics.

literally even child friendly safe spaces can't just leave real world horrors out of it. it's insane.

I've seen people in the comments of food blogs and knitting blogs spamming things like FREE PALESTINE OR DIE and asking the blog owner what they're doing to use their platform to aid in Ukraine's efforts and its like.

Please. Just let people fucking breathe. What is that actually accomplishing. In the time it took you to bully one person over your assumed inaction you could've actually made a difference through donating, sharing resources, ect.

I've said it before but I'll say it again; we are so far removed from what it actually activism right now its ridiculous. Bullying people for wanting to learn how to make bread instead of sitting glued to news broadcasts watching people die is fucking insane.

[sapphirerogers]

What if we start a petition (aka protest/movement/pressure building) for Marvel to release the Stevebucky scene from CATWS?

We know that scene in the Quinjet had been filmed. Chris mentioned it. All we need to do is pressurise @marvelentertainment enough. They've got to listen at some point, if we keep insisting strongly enough and for long enough.

If released, it may not undo the atrocity that Endgame was, but it will provide much needed to these two characters and their dynamic after being reunited.

If it is still not released, we will still have made a statement - that we're still an active and thriving fandom and we can come together when needed for a good cause, to do the things one or two of us can't alone.

I know it looks hopeless, and I don't blame you for losing faith. But believe it or not, each of us Stevebuckies have the power to change that. All we need to do is come together, and stay together.

Think about how big we are as a fandom. All we need is unity and reach. I don't have the number of followers needed to get this post to enough people at once, but I can try regardless. Somebody has to start, and if it must be me, I'll do anything needed. It's going to be worth it.

I'll be making this post everyday, or at least as often as I can. I'll be tagging some of my Stucky shipper mutuals here, and I need everyone who sees this and agrees with me (whether you ship them romantically or just care enough about their friendship) to reblog this as many times as you can. Flood their social media.

This protest needs a special tag, so let's call it #ReleaseStuckyCWScene (don't forget this tag; we want those who just want fics or other posts to be able to filter this out if they don't want this)

Should you choose to join me, please make this post frequently and tag Marvel in every post. Do this on all platforms where you're active, regardless of how many people you know and how many followers you have. And please use tags where they're applicable.

Taking one day out of each year to jointly talk about Stucky is not enough. We need to be consistent. I need patience and perseverance from all of you.

I believe in every single one of you. Let's fucking do this. Starting right now.

@mainly-marvel @oneofstarkskids @jjmaybanksgun @slut-for-henry-cavill @stuckyfingers @amarriageoftrueminds @imposterogers @artwinx @capibuck @uninspired-platypuss

(reply here if you want to be on this taglist)

[tempural]

Pertinent community guidelines for artists on BlueSky, especially in regards to adult art AKA PORNography.

from the community guidelines:

no "content portraying minors in a sexually explicit context", so if you're Steven King don't write the kids from IT having an orgy in the sewers while pennywise dances

no "depictions of excessive violence, gore, torture, dismemberment, or non-consensual sexual activity". Using specifically the word "depictions" makes me think that they're intentionally covering cartoon art as well as real violence. But of course there's still a vibrant guro tag:

https://bsky.app/search?q=guro

there's stuff in the noncon tag

https://bsky.app/search?q=noncon

And I'm sure there's people posting horrific gruesome special effects makeup from horror movies in other tags.

Just because there's people posting in the tag doesn't mean it's allowed. And any faceless platform can pull the rug from you, or change the rules without warning, or, or…

So I'll happily stay on my current fediverse server and feel safe posting horrible gruesome centipedes in vaginas ☺ The finances seem stable, the moderators feel good (haven't seen any racists or nazis), and I can just link my art to anyone who wants to see it on other platforms. The rules are clear enough to distinguish works of art and writing from actual real videos and photos of death and torture and abuse.

But the wonderful thing about "federation" is that we can talk to each other no matter what site we are on :D Who knows if the bridge between fedi and bluesky will keep working with me if the content rules are different though :P

SO! If you are already on the fediverse (which includes Mastodon, misskey, ruffy, and other softwares), you can follow me on blorbo.social and we can talk to each other normally without any complex tech gimmicks. You can also dm/message/email me for an invite to blorbo.social. Or just sign up yourself!

If you're on BlueSky, you can follow me on the mirror of my Fediverse account :D (you can also create your own fedi->bsky mirror)

The mirror will post the same things I post that are public, which includes my art and other's posts that I share. If you follow the bridge account (which creates your own mirror), then you can reply to my posts on Bsky, and I can reply to you from my Mastodon account, and we can hold hands and sing.

It's kinda complex and full of tech jargon, so if you don't want to do all that, it's fine. It's an option if you have 5 minutes to spend. And my art will always be available to see on various sites including my own that do not require log-in to view.

Thanks for reading. This post was copy/pasted from my fedi account (woohoo 5000 word limit), then edited with more information lol.

[qqueenofhades]

it's concerning what people are saying and thinking is activism. I've unfollowed someone who unironically reblogged something that said death to israel. how is that going to help? if anything that's just making a more hostile environment. support palestine but maybe cool it about what you say about israel considering why it exists in the first place

There are a few reasons for this, and the first is that the western left is so absolutely goddamn terrible about recognizing its increased and violent radicalization. I can't tell you how many posts I've seen to the effect of "the far right wants to kill everybody but the far left just wants healthcare for everyone uwu." First, by their own extremely warped and constantly biased perception, that would actually make the mainstream Democratic Party "far left." The party might disagree about how exactly the actual mechanism for better/more equitable healthcare should be implemented (etc. etc. if you oppose instant Medicare for All with no other transition period or hybrid options, YOU ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS A FASCIST!), but that's now a central and uncontroversial plank of official Democratic party policy. But since as we know, BOTH SIDES ARE THE SAME!!!, clearly that can't be what the self-defined "far left" actually wants. Witness how we've had several days of intense and valedictory social media approval and worship of a mentally ill person's violent and public suicide, because it was done for the "right reasons." This person should have been given help and support, yes, and we never know what's going on in anyone's head. But if I was someone also contemplating suicide, this whole "it's the right thing to do and you should just burn yourself to death and announce it's for the Right Cause and you will have legions of adoring admirers" would be hella hard to resist. This is going to directly cost more lives.

We point out all the time that the far right has become a fascistic death cult of authoritarian personality, but the online far left is now absolutely just as willing to make "you should die and/or kill yourself and others for Ideology" a central part of their platform. We've had endless rhetoric about how the violent Glorious Revolution is the only answer and society is irretrievably broken. This is casual, constant, inescapable radicalization, and it's presented as the only way to "do" leftism. So of course the rhetoric gets increasingly insane and genocidal (while insisting that all they want is to "stop the genocide"), and it's more and more normalized. We've had people reblogging posts that are almost entirely lies, because they "want to highlight" one sentence or half-truth they agree with (and apparently decided the best way to do this was to uncritically amplify the misinformation, rather than making their own post and trying to push back on it). We've had people admitting they're afraid to lose friends or be attacked on social media because the Groupthink is so pervasive and violently radicalized. This is not normal and this needs to fucking stop.

Secondly, and this is inescapable especially in regard to this particular conflict, the western left is absolutely steeped in antisemitism through and through, and it has no desire either to examine that or even think it should. It has become absolutely mired in the "antisemitism is a Good and Necessary and Correct belief to have and it's not actually a prejudice, it contributes to social justice because all Israelis and/or all Jews are evil settler colonialists constantly genociding innocent Hamas and/or Palestinians." This is why, as I keep saying, it's not that hard to support Palestinian self-determination, statehood, dignity, freedom, and a stop to the indiscriminate slaughter of Gaza, while not actually thinking that the way to do this is just to be wildly antisemitic at all times and calling for the genocide of Israel to be substituted for the genocide of Gaza. That does not actually reduce the net amount of genocide in this world!!! I thought you wanted to stop it, not turn it loose on another group of people who "deserve it more!" JESUS CHRIST!!!

On that note, even if you don't agree with every single premise or point it makes, a lot of people on this website (and on Twitter, but yeah, uh, good luck with that) need to read the following article in order to understand, as I keep saying, how deeply virulent antisemitism has become an unquestioned tenet of virtuous faith among the western left. Content warnings for some very graphic depictions/discussions of violence, including sexual violence, but that's not an excuse. If you've found yourself posting or agreeing with any version of the "Jews/Zionists/Israelis are all collectively responsible for this while evilly torturing innocent non-Jews" thesis statement, READ IT. Y'know, read it anyway. Try to get the first and most basic grip on the fraught and violent history of antisemitism, which is quite literally the oldest prejudice in the world, and how that interacts with and negatively informs the way in which supposedly well-intentioned western leftists are reacting to the current situation. As I said in an earlier post, I don't care if your "good intentions" (the road to hell is paved with, etc. etc.) are solely about stopping the current slaughter directed against Palestinians. That does not excuse you from the consequences of the lies you spread and the genocidal violence that you advocate as a "better" or "more correct" kind of genocidal violence then that already taking place. So. Yeah.

If you run into a paywall, you can remove it by disabling JavaScript on the page (this can be done with most ad-blockers), or someone has also helpfully provided the full text as a pdf in this link. Read it.

[rahuratna]

Boogie till we drop (Part 1)

CW: Highly suggestive language and mature themes. MDNI!

Genre: Crack, humour, mystery

Summary: Nanami and Ijichi are called in to handle an investigative mission requested by an unexpected client. The mission takes a strange turn when they learn that they're expected to assist in ... writing erotic fiction.

"Hello, yes. This is Ijichi. I'm just calling in to confirm the - ahhh - mission registered as ... hold on ... 247BH? Yes. That's the one. Yes, I'll hold."

Fingers tapping nervously against the polished wood of his desk, Ijichi regretted that third coffee he'd had this morning. At the time, it had seemed necessary (he was running on empty after a late night driving Gojo to who knows where) but the latest stressful situation was worsening his jitters.

Why? Why did occurrences like this always fall straight onto his overloaded plate? And he didn't even know who could possibly help him. His roster of available sorcerers was looking mighty sparse considering the spring festival coming up. And those that were available ... well. He didn't want to waste anyone's time with something like this! Surely another solution could be found other than registering this as a paying mission -

"Ah, yes? I'm still here. Oh. But .... Surely this could be referred to ... I - Yes. Fine. Yes, I understand the necessity of assisting our allies all too well, but - "

The dial tone on the other end signaled the end of the conversation and Ijichi growled slightly before slamming the phone down. He picked it up right after and checked it for damage, before replacing the receiver more carefully.

And so, it had come to this. Letting out a heavy sigh, he moved his swivel chair over to his desktop PC, opening up the Jujutsu Tech booking platform. This was a handy way to keep track of missions received and completed, as well as the sorcerers who were available to take on said missions.

"Hmm, today is the ... yes. Let me see. Who can I - wait, what? They're all booked already? Dammit."

Fingers clacking frantically over the keys, Ijichi cursed as he wondered how so many of them could have been snapped up during his brief phone call. Talk about rotten luck! And to think of who had requested the mission in the first place ... that person wouldn't be satisfied with just anyone. It would take an experienced and mature sorcerer to -

Ah. Well now.

A certain name, highlighted in green, indicating availability. Now here was a perfect candidate. The issue was not whether he'd accept the job or not (of course he would), it was his tone and expression when Ijichi laid out the details for him which ...

Shuddering slightly, Ijichi picked up the receiver slowly and dialed.

"Good morning, Namami. I have a ... request for you. But ... maybe better explained in person. Why don't you come down to the Tech? We're setting up an interview room and a briefing so you can get all the ... details of this mission." 

Now this was singularly nerve-wracking. Of all the sorcerers who's activities he'd been managing over time, Gojo had always been the one to grant him the greatest number of grey hairs ... but Nanami was different altogether. It wasn't that he was unkind, or even cold. There was just something so exacting in each and every action he took, such responsibility and purpose to the manner in which he conducted his duties that if Ijichi were to perform at anything less than his best, he'd start to feel an unshakeable sense of guilt.

He met Nanami at the elevators, bowing in greeting and leading him to the interview room where their client had been set up. The tall sorcerer looked calm and unflappable as always, dressed in his trademark tan suit and dark blue shirt. Some of Ijichi's nerves must have been showing, though, because halfway down the hallway Nanami spoke.

"What's the matter, Ijichi?"

"Wha - nothing."

"You seem ... more tense than usual. Is it something to do with this mission?"

Knowing that Nanami hated being kept in the dark about vital mission parameters, Ijichi sighed.

"To speak frankly, Nanami, I don't think it will be anything beyond your capabilities. It's the nature of the mission though ... "

"Ah. So you think it's a waste of time?"

"Not that. There's a missing person involved, and cursed spirits, probably. So those things certainly do require some form of investigation."

There was a pause, and Nanami seemed slightly puzzled when he spoke again.

"I've been on plenty of missions of that nature."

Ijichi grimaced. They'd reached Interview Room 5, and he placed his hand on the doorknob.

"I think it's best that you ... speak to the client himself."

Oh, to be a fly on the wall of Interview Room 5. Fortunately, Ijichi felt suitably fly-like at that moment, considering the two powerful presences he found himself shut in a room with, so we don't have to put too much effort into imagining ourselves in the same position.

Seated at the table in the sparsely furnished room, powerful arms crossed intimidatingly over the table's glossy surface, was none other than Aoi Todo, Grade 1 sorcerer and third year student at their sister college, the Kyoto Jujutsu High School. He wore the signature purple t-shirt under his uniform, dark hair gathered back from his surly face.

Ijichi didn't know whether to be relieved or offended when Todo's glance passed over him, summarily dismissed him, and landed squarely on Nanami. Something that looked like interest flickered in his dark gaze as Nanami approached the table. Todo raised a hand, then brought down one finger, pointing it at Nanami like a loaded gun.

"You. What typa girls do you like?"

Oh heavens, not this nonsense again.

Ijichi cleared his throat.

"Todo, we've been over this. Asking our senior members what their - "

Nanami raised a hand and Ijichi fell silent, waiting to see how this would play out. Arms placed stiffly as his sides, neatly combed blonde hair dropped into Todo's vision as the sorcerer bowed.

"Nanami Kento, grade one sorcerer. Perhaps we should introduce ourselves properly first?"

Todo immediately recoiled.

"Introduce ourselves? Man, don't tell me you're this boring!"

He stood, dramatically, the same finger never abandoning its accusatory position.

"This is how men introduce themselves, Mister Salaryman or whatever shit you're cosplaying as. We nail down our type of girl. That tells me the kind of man I'm dealing with. If you're confused, I'll start! I like tall women with big asses, just like the perfect Takada-chan!"

Nanami rose from his polite bow, which he had never abandoned throughout Todo's speech. Ijichi crumpled the papers in his hands, wondering if he should intervene, when the older sorcerer spoke, his voice deep and measured as always.

"I see."

He pulled a chair out on the side of the table opposite Todo and sat down. He took off his glasses and polished them with a soft cloth produced from an inner pocket. Todo's brow creased as Nanami made no effort to respond to him.

"Oi. Are you going to - "

"I believe I asked the first question."

Across the table, Nanami's eyes were now visible; serious, unflinching, a steely vice that brooked no room for argument. It was evident, in that sharp-cornered gaze, that this was no ordinary salaryman. Todo stared back before plopping down in his seat once more, chin raising stubbornly.

"Oh? Well, I'm Aoi Todo, grade one sorcerer. Still a student, or something. Now I've answered your question. You answer mine."

Nanami nodded before linking his fingers on the tabletop.

"Very well. In answer to your rather invasive query, my preference is women, not girls."

Ijichi's mouth twitched uncontrollably. He shuffled his papers, struggling to maintain control of his features.

"Secondly, from my knowledge, women are not defined by their individual body parts, but rather their whole. And if you're not prepared to appreciate the full impact of a woman, from head to toe, inside and out, then you've got no business looking at them in the first place."

Todo opened his mouth to retort, but Nanami raised a silencing finger.

"I'm not done. Third, I've seen this Takada-chan. I assume she's the idol I've watched in some sports commercials. While I can't attest to the exact nature of her character, I can say that she seems like a more straightforward young woman who has embraced an aspect of her appearance that may make others shy away from public attention. Admirable, all in all."

Having said his piece, Nanami sat back and effectively gave Todo room to express himself. Ijichi glanced quickly over at the brash young man, eyes widening as he took in the strange quality of his expression, which had changed during Nanami's short evaluation of Takada. Todo's eyes had completely glazed over, his mouth spreading into an alarmingly dopey smile.

Ijichi cleared his throat.

"Uh ... Todo?"

In order to make sense of Todo's subsequent actions, we must now take a small jaunt through the foreboding wilds of his mindscape. Join me, reader, as we brave the current of his powerful ego, traipse across the harsh plains of his formative youth and scale the towering cliffs of his ... charming personality, until we arrive at our destination.

Here, we see a rare sight; Todo at his most vulnerable, caught in a daydream that can only be induced by individuals who leave a strong and favorable impression on him.

No, this isn't normal. Yes, Nanami is the cause this time. Yes, we shall see where this dream leads, because here we are at its beginning.

In the beginning ...

Todo leaves home in a huff, slamming the door behind him.

"He just doesn't get me! And I don't get him! Why can't he just get off my damn back?"

The furious expression on his face makes others cross to the other side of the road when they see him. Todo goes through his day, as any rough and tough youth, jumping fences, taunting gangs in the area, and of course, pining over Takada-chan because he knows his strict, traditional father won't accept a tall girl like her. He'd probably say something about her looks being too 'unladylike' or not 'delicate' enough to make for a proper, modest wife. All code words for 'too tall'.

And what the hell was that all about anyway? Who cared about height? Todo himself was tall enough to make her height a non-issue.

Grumbling, Todo made his way home and slammed open the front door, announcing his presence before taking the stairs, two at a time. A short while later, a knock came at the door.

"Whaddaya want now?"

The door opened, and Father came in. The tall, blonde man looked nothing like his son and seemed nothing like him personality-wise either. He folded his arms and stood in the doorway.

"What have I told you about your tone?"

"Piss off if ya don't got nothing to say."

"That is grammatically incorrect. Double negatives - "

"God! Do you have something important to say, or what?"

There was a slight pause before Father took his spectacles off and clutched them in his fist.

"Son, you can't go on like this. I received a complaint from the school today, that you've started yet another fight. Haven't I told you many, many times than the men of this family handle themselves with dignity?"

"Dont start with me! I was ... I was protecting Takada-chan from harassment! So there! And don't even try to say anything. I already know what you're going to say. I haven't told you about my feelings for her for a reason, until now! You'll probably take one look at her and tell me that she's too tall to be a proper, traditional wife! And you know what? I don't give a shit! Even if I have to leave this house and make it on my own - "

"Wait."

Father was holding up a hand, stopping Todo's tirade in its tracks.

"Did you say ... Takada-chan?"

"Yeah! Got something to say about it?"

"Oh. Then that must be the same young lady who visited our house earlier, while you were out."

"T - Takada-chan? Came here?"

"If I'm not mistaken, she's rather tall, as you described."

Todo's eyes widened, his fingers clasping and bunching in the fabric of his school uniform jacket.

"But ... what did she want?"

"She wanted to express her gratitude to the boy who saved her. Her hero. And I assume that she was referring to you."

Todo's face darkened as he glanced down at the floor.

"So you've seen her, huh? And I'm guessing you think she's - "

"A very well-presented and articulate young lady. Very lovely too. I have to say, son, I can't believe a girl as bright and good natured would look on you so favourably, but there we have it."

Todo's head shot up, gaze scouring the stern planes of his father's face for any signs of deceit.

"You ... you like her?"

"Naturally. She is ... how do I put it ... a most engaging and a refreshing change from the overly traditional, is she not?"

For the first time, in many, many years, Todo spied something in his father's eye that was warm and open, something that brought to mind the hot chocolate they'd shared over a campfire, the long evenings curled under blankets and watching action movies together, a strong, but gentle hand on his head when he was downcast.

This was ... the true face of his father. The man who lurked just beneath the cold shell. He'd forgotten. And the word sprung to Todo's mind, a word he hadn't uttered in ever so long ...

"Papa?"

Nanami and Ijichi stared. The manager cleared his throat.

"Uhhhh ... Todo? Are you ..."

Reality seemed to reassert itself in the student's face, and boy, was the change thoroughly disconcerting. Todo's surliness evaporated in an instant, and he was now looking at Nanami as if the older man had agreed to pay for every meet and greet that Takada held for the rest of her career.

"Ha. I knew there must be something more to you. My little brother Yuuji wouldn't talk about you like that if there wasn't."

Nanami raised an eyebrow.

"Yuuji has spoken about me?"

"Of course he has, Pops. He's my best friend! He tells me everything."

Nanami was frowning now.

"Did you just call me ... Pops?"

"Somethin' else you prefer? Maybe just straightforward Dad?"

" ... I confess myself confused, Todo. I'd prefer if you just called me Nanami. Also, I was under the impression that Yuuji's best friends were Fu - "

Ijichi coughed loudly and slammed his file on the table.

"Shall we talk business then, Todo? Why don't you tell Nanami here about the details of your request."

The mention of the actual mission they were supposed to be discussing sobered Todo immediately. He pondered for a bit on where to start, before coming to a decision.

"So, if anything about this is going to make sense, you need to know about my hobby. I'm a writer. I've actually managed to publish some of my stuff! It's something that just helps me unwind and relax. Get the creative juices flowing. Gets my heart pumping and my combat instincts riled up. Just a way to express all the thoughts that are running through my head, ya know?"

Ijichi began to look uncomfortable again, and shot a sideways glance at Nanami, who nodded slightly in understanding.

"I agree that it's important for sorcerers to have some kind of outlet or hobby. And congratulations on publishing your work, by the way."

Todo beamed, and the change from aggressive and highly intimidating battle hound to eager puppy that lapped up praise was quite reality-bending.

"Thanks, Pops!"

"That's Nanami if you please."

Ijichi cleared his throat.

"Todo, will you please explain to Nanami how this writing hobby of yours is relevant to the mission?"

"Well, that's the thing. See, there's this guy who's been something of a fan. He's been buying my books from the very beginning. I started writing some time back, but only started publishing the finished stories last year. So, I've got about eleven books out in total. And he's bought every single one. Wrote detailed and amazing reviews about them on every platform too."

Todo grinned slightly in recollection.

"I mean, who needs marketing when you have this guy, know what I mean? So, a month ago, i put a new book out. Same old process. Never heard a thing from the dude. I didn't think much of it at the time. Thought that maybe he got busy or something."

Todo shrugged and sipped from the cup of coffee that Ijichi had brought him earlier.

"Anyway, two weeks ago, the new book got reviews, posted all at the same time, across different platform. It was this guy. Or ... I guess, someone using his online name. The review sounded really weird."

Ijichi, who was rapidly taking notes on his tablet, paused and looked up.

"Weird in what way?"

"It sounded like a ... bot writing. I dunno. Just not his usual style. And he also made demands about what he wanted to see in the next book. This guy never does that. He's even told me many times in emails how annoying he finds it when fans don't know how to just enjoy stuff."

Nanami nodded slowly.

"What happened then?"

"Well, a few days ago, I started getting letters in the mail. Very strange. I mean, apart from things I've ordered online, I've never used the postal service. They were letters from him. All the same demands he wrote online, but even more of them! And that's when I felt it. Traces of cursed energy on the paper."

Nanami sat back and inhaled deeply.

"You think there's something foul at work here, then?"

"Absolutely. I've got the letters as proof, and I've received more of them since. The traces grow stronger each time. And as for what's written on them ... "

Todo's arms folded once again.

"It's gotten worse. Unhinged. I think this guy is in serious trouble and I need to find him before it's too late."

Ijichi paused, tapping his stylus against the screen of his tablet.

"Todo ... please don't take this the wrong way, but ... why did you not go and investigate this mission yourself? You're a certified grade one sorcerer, and your school would definitely allow you to go ahead and - "

"Because I needed help!"

Todo's shout startled Ijichi so badly, that the stylus in his hand clattered to the floor. Nanami looked perplexed, as seemed to be the trend for this meeting.

"But then, why not ask - "

"Because none of those bastards like me!"

"They don't ... like you?"

"No. Buncha morons over at my school. Did you know that they don't even like my best friend? I bet none of them have your experience and know-how, Pops."

"Nanami. And that still begs the question, why did you think you needed - "

Todo leant forward across the table, and for the first time, took on a mature and serious aspect.

"Listen, these past few missions, especially with what happened to Yuuji, have taught me something. Strength will only get me so far. For a mission like this, I can bulldoze my way through, but my fan might get hurt in the process. It needs to be a properly conducted investigation, something your college has more background and resources to pull off. Not to mention, I had a look at your files when I found out who'd be helping me."

For the first time, Todo's eyes met Ijichi's. The latter seemed rather surprised that his fly-on-the-wall status had been revoked.

"You ... looked us up?"

"I did. Ijichi, you have tech skills that will come in handy. I need to trace this guy, because all I've got are online communications with him, and this recent paper trail. Pops, I've heard from Yuuji that you've taken on many investigations like this. I'll need your experience on this too."

Todo sat back and the cocky grin reasserted itself on his face.

"But if you guys need any heavy hitting done, I'm your man."

Nanami sighed and chose to ignore the improper title given to him this time.

"Very well. We'll take on this mission and assist you. But first, we need some basic details. Can you show us the communications received from this fan of yours? Maybe direct us to some of the reviews he's written?"

Ijichi's shoulders were tense once again. He tapped his tablet and handed it to Nanami.

"Ah ... here. I've taken the liberty of finding the webpage where Todo's books are advertised and sold."

Nanami took the tablet. He stared at it for some time. Ijichi was now sweating slightly, even under the strong air conditioning. Todo was trying to look unconcerned, but he was obviously watching Nanami's face eagerly for his reaction. When the stoic sorcerer finally looked up, Todo sat up, leaning forward.

"Well? How are my titles? They match the content and my own persona really well, right?"

Nanami, for once, seemed speechless. He polished his glasses again, unnecessarily, while Ijichi dug through his pockets for an antacid lozenge and avoided everyone's gaze. Finally, Nanami found his voice.

"Todo ... you write ... erotica?"

"Oh, sure. One hundred percent horizontal boogie woogie! And vertical too, ya know? If that's what you're into."

"Where did you ... source your material?"

"Oh, I've spoken to loads of people all over Tokyo and elsewhere. The art of sex ... " he paused with a small flourish, " ... is a universal language."

Ijichi found the lozenge and popped it into his mouth. He was going to bloody well need it.

[steddieas-shegoes]

just make the tik tok

for @corrodedcoffinfest prompt 'behind the scenes'

rated t | 880 words | no cw | tags: famous corroded coffin, modern au, frankie is anti-tik tok

📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱📱

Joining Tik Tok was a mistake.

"I cannot believe you thought having a band Tik Tok would be a good idea," Frankie said to Jeff as they watched Eddie and Gareth doing some stupid dance. "Look at them. They're stupid. You made them more stupid."

"I just thought it was a good way for people to see behind the scenes of the tour. Everyone agreed!" Jeff shook his head as he saw Gareth lose his balance and grab onto Eddie's shoulder to stabilize himself.

"The last one got 300,000 likes. We gained followers who never listened to our stuff before. They may be stupid, but my plan isn't."

Frankie sighed, but didn't argue further. Jeff was right. He just hoped he never had to do any ridiculous dances or trends to keep people interested in their music.

****

"You guys have gained thousands of followers on all platforms since you started being active on Tik Tok. It may be wise for all of you to be on camera," one of the producers of their album suggested.

"Not happening." Frankie shook his head. "They get what they want from those two idiots."

"Hey!" Gareth and Eddie yelled in unison.

Jeff waved them off. "If Frankie doesn't wanna do them, he doesn't have to. We agreed that this was a voluntary thing."

"Yes, we did. But we're seeing growth and there's been a trend of comments asking where he is in some of the videos."

"I'm in some videos," Frankie crossed his arms. "That stage tour one. I was setting up my bass."

"But people wanna see you. They wanna get to know you, feel connected. That's the beauty of this era. We can make fans feel like they're truly a part of the band, which leads them to sharing and buying." One of the managers of the PR team said. "It's good for your brand if you're just as involved as they are."

"I didn't know we needed to have a brand beyond metal band." Frankie rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch he was sitting on. "I'm gonna head to the studio and work on music. Which is our job."

No one tried to stop him.

****

"There's a woman who keeps asking where you are." Eddie shakes his phone in front of Frankie's face. "She thinks you're leaving the band and is begging you to stay."

"Tell her I'm not leaving the band." Frankie sat down at the table on the tour bus with his bottle of beer and the shrimp leftover from catering at their show. "Though the urge is strong when Gareth keeps drinking my beers."

"She's hot," Eddie continued, seemingly ignoring Frankie's words. "You should make a video so she knows you're not going anywhere."

Frankie rolled his eyes. "I'm not doing a fuckin' Tik Tok."

Eddie held the phone out to him, showing him the woman's profile.

She was hot.

And apparently only ever really concerned with where Frankie was. She'd even sent a DM asking if he was okay.

"Fine. How do I make one?" Frankie asked with a sigh.

"Seriously? We beg you for two months to make one and it's a hard no, but one hot girl wants you to be in one and you're ready to become a social media influencer?" Eddie teased.

"As if you didn't make an entire series of videos rating new pop songs because Steve asked you to."

Frankie grabbed Eddie's phone, ignoring his flailing to try to grab it back.

The app was already open, and he found it surprisingly easy to start recording a video.

"Hey everyone. I'm not leaving the band. I just hate social media shit. I'm fine. I'm not mad at anyone. Except Gareth who owes me 83 beers from stealing mine over the last six years. Yes, I've counted." Frankie sees a timer counting down and decides to give an awkward wave with his other hand before stopping the video. "That should be fine, right?"

He didn't wait for Eddie's response before saving and posting it.

"Uh. Usually they look at them before we post." Eddie explained as he took his phone back.

"They can take it down later if they want."

'That's...not really how this shit works, dude."

Frankie shrugged and continued eating his shrimp for a few minutes until Jeff came to sit next to him, calm as ever.

"You made a video." He yawned, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Yeah."

"It's got 54,000 likes already."

"Can't help that I'm charming."

"It hasn't been that many beers!" Gareth yells from his bunk, half-asleep.

"Your girl messaged," Eddie handed Frankie the phone with a smirk.

Glad you're not going anywhere 💗

"You better get her number, dude." Jeff nudged his arm. "She wants you so bad."

****

Nearly a year later, and more Tik Toks than he ever hoped to be a part of, Frankie smiled down at the VIP section for their sold out show at Madison Square Garden.

Sasha stood there smiling back at him, singing along to all their songs.

After the show, he'd probably be pulled into a stupid video with Eddie or Gareth, but he didn't really complain anymore. Not when those stupid videos were responsible for bringing him his future wife.