#but that's not what we're discussing today

[rarestkindofman]

You're in her DMs being a creep.

I'm in her DMs sharing nature photography, gardening tips, cooking recipes, diet advice, discussing our hobbies or what we did today.

We're not the same.

[stxrsniolo]

┈̸̷┅ ̤ shattered trust ━̸̷︭

╁ ⠀aegan is typing . . . ⠀⠀ࡆ⠀⠀listen up, because this one's for the grown-ups. if you're here for some steamy, pulse-racing action, you've hit the jackpot. this isn't your grandma's bedtime story; it's spicy, it's hot, and it's gonna keep you up at night for all the right reasons. keep the lights low and the inhibitions lower. enjoy, you naughty thing.

pairings: harsh leader!matt x fresh meat!reader (asks and requests about this pairing are open)

find more with this pairing here: 01 02

the training field was alive with the cacophony of effort, bodies moving through drills, sweat and determination mingling in the air. y/n was part of a mixed group of nine, her first time training alongside others rather than under matt's singular, intense scrutiny.

she was trying to blend in, to prove her worth among her peers, but every movement felt scrutinized.

matt was at a distance, engaged in a conversation with commander willis, a man whose authority was as intimidating as his reputation. today's discussion was about performance, and willis's voice was laden with criticism.

"your new recruit, sturniolo, she's not cutting it. we need operatives who can perform, not just try," willis said, his tone dismissive.

matt's face was a mask of professionalism, but his jaw clenched subtly. "she's adapting, sir. her progress has been notable, she's an asset."

"progress isn't enough, we need perfection," willis countered, his gaze on her as she struggled with an obstacle.

"i'll make sure she meets your expectations," matt replied, his voice steady but his eyes dark with unspoken defense.

as willis left, matt's gaze swept back to the group, landing on y/n just as she shared a laugh with another soldier.

the sight ignited a flare of jealousy within him, raw and unfiltered, his professional demeanor cracked, revealing the possessive beast beneath.

"everyone, listen up!" matt's voice was like thunder, drawing all eyes to him. "you think this is training? this is a fucking vacation compared to what i'm about to put you through."

the group tensed, sensing the shift in atmosphere, matt's commands were now barked with a ferocity that bordered on cruelty. "back to the start  we're doing this circuit again, and we're doing it like our lives depend on it because they fucking do."

he was brutal, his eyes often fixing on y/n, singling her out with a viciousness that felt personal. "y/n, you're slowing us down, move your ass or get the fuck out," he snarled, his tone dripping with disdain, making her feel small, inferior.

the training intensified, the group pushed beyond their limits, but none felt it like y/n.

each command was a hammer blow, designed to break her spirit as much as build her body. "is this all you've got, recruit? pathetic," he sneered as she stumbled, his voice loud enough for all to hear, a public shaming.

her body screamed in protest, but she pushed on, fueled by anger and the need to prove him wrong as the others watched, some with sympathy, others with relief that they weren't the target of his wrath.

as she pushed through the pain, y/n's mind couldn't help but wander back to the moments they'd shared, the intensity of their connection in the storm, the raw desire that had once been between them. it was a stark contrast to this cold, harsh behavior.

as the session wore on, his demands became increasingly unreasonable, his criticism of y/n relentless. "you're a damn dead weight," he barked, his voice a whip, his gaze possessive but punishing. "you think you belong here? prove it, or you're nothing."

the session ended with everyone exhausted, but y/n felt singled out, her performance dissected and belittled, and as the others staggered away, matt approached her, his face hard, his voice low but no less brutal. "don't think for a second you're special just because i'm hard on you. you're not even close to where you need to be, remember that."

his words were a cold reminder of her place, not just in the team but in his eyes, the possessiveness was there, twisted into something cruel, a reminder that while he might want her, he would never make it easy for her.

she was his to break, to mold, to dominate, and today, she felt every ounce of his brutal attention.

⨥⠀ ⠀⠀aegan is typing ᅟᅟ:ᅟ⠀heads up, copycats and wannabe adaptors: my work is mine, period. no copies, no mashups, and definitely no translations getting thrown up here or anywhere else without my say-so.

keep your hands off unless i give you the green light, got it?

tags: @courta13 @chrislilcumslvt @marrykisskilled @chrislova @sturnshood @inspiredangel @strnilolover @emely9274 @sturns-mermaid @blushsturns

[michanvalentine]

Good morning, people! Good morning, lovers of wild ramblings!

Today, I feel like talking about Spawn Astarion again because, honestly, I just don’t get it. Let’s talk about the mask—that damn mask of Astarion. The one he apparently keeps firmly in place even in his "good" ending. Because he feels the need to hide, because Neil said that in the evil ending, he takes it off, etc. So, by that logic, Spawn Astarion is just a façade.

This topic of the mask is truly fascinating in general, in my opinion. It’s very deep, connecting to psychology, philosophy, and even literature. I mean, it’s not a new subject—far from it—and it has been discussed forever. Most importantly, it’s something that concerns all of us, whether we’re aware of it or not.

"One, No One, and One Hundred Thousand." A novel by the Italian author Luigi Pirandello (playwright, writer, and poet, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934), which revolves around the concept of the mask and how each of us wears one depending on the social context we’re in. At home, we act one way, at school another, with friends yet another, and differently again at work. We behave one way with those we like, another way with those we don't. And when we're alone, we behave differently yet again. We are different in each of these situations. In psychology, this ties directly into the concept of the self and how the ego reconciles all these facets to create a unified sense of personality.

I’d also like to point out that, beyond the perception we have of ourselves, there’s also the perception others have of us. Which one is true, and which one is false? They’re both subjective, so how can we distinguish absolute objectivity?

Now, back to Neil’s statement. First of all, the context needs to be clarified: this is about the actor's performance—the two different ways in which Astarion moves and speaks, the general attitude he has toward the world and others, and the approach Neil Newbon had to develop to bring his character to life.

"With Lord Astarion, we talked a lot about the idea that the cover is now off completely. So that you see him at his most terrible, and it's completely honest and he doesn't have to pretend anymore. So he loses a lot of the flamboyance and the fun of the theatricality, which is all a distraction anyway."

Ascendant Astarion no longer needs the cover. He is completely honest, and this is undoubtedly the worst version of himself. We see him at his most terrible. But what cover are we talking about? Where was this mask that Ascendant Astarion no longer feels the need to wear?

"That's all distraction so you don't see how he's hurt and damaged and his vulnerability. Lord Astarion doesn't need that anymore. So we just thought, okay, now mimics taking off a mask it's off. He doesn't need to pretend, he doesn't need to do too much. It's all about the status and that kind of stuff."

So we’re talking about the mask that covered the wounded part, the vulnerable part—the most human part of Astarion. The part that Ascendant Astarion killed during the ritual.

Ascendant Astarion feels free, powerful, and untouchable (feels, a subjective perception, always to be considered in relation to the opposing force—I can confirm that stabbing him atop the Absolute was quite easy, much to his surprise and disbelief; and if I’m not mistaken, he can even be forced back into slavery if one doesn’t intend to share the power of the brain with him). He no longer needs to use that mask because the part of him that needed hiding no longer exists.

So, keeping the context and the thread of the discussion, it follows that spawn Astarion—who has chosen to embrace his vulnerability and the most human part of himself—sometimes still needs the mask to protect himself. Which is perfectly understandable. That doesn’t mean everything he says or does is fake. Or that he’s constantly trying to please others. I genuinely don’t understand how people are connecting the dots in this way.

If anything, he behaves exactly like any person who has been hurt. We all do it, whether we realize it or not. A silly example? Who hasn’t, at some point in their life, made a joke about their own physical flaw (or any other personal insecurity) to diminish it and take away its power? It’s easier to laugh about it than to admit outright, "I don’t even want to talk about it because it makes me feel bad!" Does that make us fake? Meh...

Let’s take the Mind Flayer scene, for example. Astarion doesn’t find them attractive (but I bet all of us in real life are married to Mind Flayers, right?), yet he tries to be kind when expressing that. Is he faking it? Is he trying to please the other person? Absolutely not. He’s behaving like a normal person who considers the other person’s feelings and tries not to hurt them (otherwise, we’re venturing into sociopathy). That’s something to be admired. It’s not like he’s forcing himself to sleep with a Mind Flayer just to appease Tav. He’s simply being kind to someone who means something to him—as he should be.

And come on, I even read somewhere that in the graveyard scene, he’s too perfect, too accommodating to be real, ready to say and do all the right things! Because obviously, with that relaxed expression and those bright, sweet, emotion-filled eyes, he’s faking it! It has to be an act!

Aren’t we maybe exaggerating just a little?

And if we really want to go there, it’s not like Ascendant Astarion has many opportunities to build relationships or establish useful connections with the important people in Baldur’s Gate without having to "work them" a little. He, too, is subject to One, No One, and One Hundred Thousand—in the sense that he still has to navigate society.

[suffer-forever]

there is bad emo music, of course - there's bad music of all genres. country, for example, frequently gets judged by its worst offerings, i think.

but it's frustrating to have emo constantly reduced to weepy sadteen music, or to be spoken about as if it's entirely vibe-based, when it is like... a legitimate genre that has origins rooted in different social movements with its own subgenres, spinoff genres, different waves, and a "scene" surrounding it that encompasses music of other related genres that are not actually emo but overlap in ways that make sense (an example - warped tour lineups in the early/mid 2000s - many of these bands were not emo but fit on the tour regardless. this is far from an endorsement of any particular band in those lineups btw).

emo is a music genre with a sound that is abrasive or unappealing to a lot of people, especially in its later waves (see: post-hardcore and its descendants), and a lot of that is by design. it is not necessarily pleasant to listen to off-key vocals or outright screaming - but that's not to say it doesn't serve a purpose. there's still incredible depth in there. there's emotions that can be expressed more beautifully through how raw the music is and there are reasons that sound appeals to people.

this is all just bc i saw a shitty little poll that listed Gorillaz as an emo band but also ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[rmbunnie]

I am alone on this barren earth (Jason Todd liker and Mia Dearden liker who honestly thinks issues 69-72 of the 2001 Green Arrow run are fun and good and would really like to talk about them beyond "Jason Todd was ooc and irredeemable there because he was trauma-dumping on Mia but also everything he said was fake and made up and he was manipulating her to become his sidekick and he blew up her school in retaliation because she didn't so really we should ignore the whole comic as bad writing /or agree he should just be read as an sadistic sidekick killer" (None of which is true and over half of which is directly stated to be false in the comic's text) but all people ever have to say about the comic is weird wrong takes about the three pages in which the gym fight happens ripped out of the very interesting and fun surrounding context)

[sycamoretrees]

wrestling 2024 tag meme

inspired by the ShuPro awards and my struggle to remember what I've actually I've watched this year, I thought it would be cool to have a year-end wrestling round-up.

I would love for anyone else to also do this! Everyone's experience of wrestling is so unique and I'd love to read about everyone's different wrestling ~journeys in 2024. You do not need to write this much lol. Tagging with no pressure @benchwarming @thistledropkick @yoshihashismattebum @wrestleish but forreal anyone who wants to do this consider yourself tagged!

Please tag me if you do it or use the tag '#wrestling 2024 tag meme' so I can see them 🤗

MVP/Wrestler of the Year

Match of the Year

Favourite Feud

Favourite Tag Team/Faction

Favourite Show

Breakout (ish) Star

Horniest Moment

Most Anticipated in 2025

[NB - I'm more interested in recording my specific experience of wrestling this year rather than the actual chronological wrestling year of 2024, so if I saw a match for the first time this year, or got to know someone new, I'm counting them. Confusing? Yes! You do you.]

MVP/Wrestler of the Year

El Desperado (NJPW). This was tough. My rationale was - who was I consistently excited to see on any card and can I think of multiple specific great matches they had off the top of my head (my recall for specific matches is very bad). From Wrestle Kingdom with Hiromu, to his Super Juniors match with Fujita, to the Despe Invi, to his DDT match with Chris Brookes, Despe has been my number one guy in 2024. Runners Up: Konosuke Takeshita, Gabe Kidd

Match(es) of the Year

In no particular order: Shibata vs Okada (NJPW Sakura Genesis 2017) - obviously this is an 8 year old match now, but I watched it for the first time this year, and it is not at all overrated. Unreal.

Hiromu Takahashi & Jun Kasai vs Minoru Suzuki & Takayuki Ueki (NJPW Despe Invitacional) - an absolutely perfect comedy hardcore match.

El Desperado vs Chris Brookes (DDT Wrestle Peter Pan) - the storytelling they manage to pack into this match is incredible. Intensely romantic, erotic, funny, a visual delight.

Gabe Kidd vs Kenny Omega (NJPW/AEW Wrestle Dynasty) - recency bias perhaps, but contextually one of the most interesting and impactful matches of the year (I'm counting it for 2024 don't @ me).

Hirooki Goto vs David Finlay (NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling) - kind of a wildcard pick but I remember having a fucking blast. Finlay is my favourite guy to watch get flung into barricades, and his 'I didn't win the G1 and it only exacerbated my crushing insecurity because I know I'm not as good as Jay White so I'm gonna go after a bunch of easy wins to try to feel like a big man' tour peaked for me with this match.

Favourite Feud

Toni Storm and Mariah May (AEW) - easily the best women's feud AEW have ever done, for me one of the best storylines period. Toni Storm's character work this year was exquisite, and she and Mariah (and Mina Shirakawa) absolutely killed this narrative arc. In a promotion that increasingly felt like it wasn't For Me this year, this feud was For Me.

Favourite Tag Team/Faction

The Bang Bang Gang (AEW). Look, the Bang Bang Gang profoundly overdeliver in almost all regards, they are consistently entertaining and they commit to the bit. Also NJPW is having a such a weird faction time rn and I'm just not really a tag team person.

Favourite Show

Despe Invitacional (NJPW). A truly joyful show from start to finish, warm and fun and excited and exciting. Runner up: Beer Garden Fight in Shinjuku Day 2, the show that made me fall in love with DDT.

Special Mention: AEW Grand Slam, the most fun I had watching a show because I went to see it live with @benchwarming.

Breakout (ish) Star

Yuki Ueno (DDT). Ueno is obviously not any kind of rookie, but I only became really familiar with him this year, and to me (and ZSJ) he's the most exciting young wrestler in Japan. I can't get over how good he is at, well, everything. Runners up: Taichi (took me a minute but I realised just how good Taichi is this year, his pre-G1 matches were incredible), Takeshi Masada, Yuya Uemura

Horniest Moment

GIF by schadentekkers

i mean. This wasn't a tough call. The first time I saw this match (El Desperado vs Chris Brookes, DDT Wrestle Peter Pan) I had to pause it and yell inside my own t shirt for several moments, and it hasn't become any less insane after the third rewatch. And like, I'm not even counting the Just Straight Up Kink nipple stuff after this, but uh also that!!

Most Anticipated In 2025

Gabe Kidd was one my standouts when I started watching NJPW with the 2023 G1, and it's been a delight to watch him progress and develop. Obviously he's poised to step up even more in 2025... I'm here for it.

Taichi vs Sanada is coming and I'm so fucking seated.

The NJPW junior heavyweight division has a bunch of super talented guys and exciting stories right now, and if everyone can just stop getting injured I think there's a ton of fun to be had there.

And then IDK if 'anticipation' is the word but - I'm very curious to see what happens with Shota Umino. Been kind of a brutal year for him, and I personally feel like there MUST be some kind of change coming? Either way, I have no idea where he'll sit in the NJPW landscape this time next year.

Oh also I really fucked my own enjoyment of the G1 this year between getting obsessed with Walker's terrible commentary and getting stressed about the G1 art project I decided to do 'for fun' (hence no G1 matches included in my favourites even though I remember several of them being very good) so uh would love to enjoy the G1 this year.

[yooniesim]

oh nice, can't wait to see the exact same posts about tzr discourse again and again all over my dash for the next three days

[lunarharp]

Very important conferences.

[practically-an-x-man]

cancer.

not a dental issue.

[kirstielol]

this has to be the busiest month of my life 😵‍💫

[chiropteracupola]

a little pain now, to save a great deal more pain later

[flintlock fortress is a collaboration with @dxppercxdxver]

[sherlock-is-ace]

.

[violetsareblue-selfships]

good morning!!! <333

[butch-chastity]

there's this girl I have in a bunch of my classes who is obsessed with calling herself silly

[dogcollarpunk]

very funny how desperate i am for art theory & art history in our course like I don't have a history of not being able to a) read assigned reading and b) unable to write an essay without feeling like im dying.

[walterdecourceys]

okay goodnight 😴