#can vote sometime in the near future :)

[candycandy00]

Finding Love in a Zombie Apocalypse - A JJK Interactive Romance Fanfic Round 2

Read the details about this event here!

During a zombie apocalypse, you meet a group of seven handsome men. Which one will you choose to be your survival/romantic partner?

Vote for the man you want to be eliminated! The man with the most votes will not be killed off in the story, but he will be removed from all future polls and his branching story will be closed off!

Reminder: Vote for the man you DO NOT want to survive with! You are voting someone OUT!

For the first two rounds, I’m not naming the men. You can probably figure out who is who, but that’s part of the fun! I’m doing it this way to encourage readers to vote based on the scenario rather than just automatically voting out their least fave character. Feel free to make guesses about who each man is!

In Round 1, Man #1, Choso, was eliminated!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more!

You’ve decided to stick with this group for the time being. They’re a nice mix of strong, smart, and caring. None of them come across as creepy or make you uncomfortable, which is saying a lot considering it’s a group made up entirely of men relatively close to your age. 

You spend the evening gathering what supplies you need into a duffel bag you found in the store’s rather scant sporting goods section. At night, one of them insisted you sleep in the stock room and keep the key until morning. He really was very considerate, and none of the others objected. 

The next day, someone makes coffee in the break room. You don’t know which one did it, but it’s the first cup you’ve had in over a week and tastes delicious. With foam cup in hand, you walk over to the front entrance to check the situation outside, only to find the man who called out to you yesterday keeping watch.

Man #1: Choso (Eliminated in Round 1)

He’s standing near the door, slightly to the side, still as a statue until you approach. 

“Want me to bring you some coffee?” you ask, taking a sip from your cup. 

He smiles at you. “Thanks, but I had some already.”

You gesture toward the entrance. “Anything new going on out there?”

“No, just a dozen or so zombies roaming around,” he replies. “They come close to the door sometimes, but with these tinted windows they can’t see much of what’s inside.”

You hadn’t realized they were tinted until he mentioned it, but you suppose that’s why everything looks so dreary outside. 

As you stare out the window, you notice something in the distance. You squint your eyes, trying to make out if it’s just another zombie or something else. As you watch, the figure picks up speed, breaking into a run. 

“Look! There’s someone out there!” you shout, pointing to the figure fleeing toward the store. 

The man beside you looks out through the glass door. “It’s definitely a living person!”

Behind the figure, a large group of zombies, perhaps the biggest group you’ve seen, is slowly giving chase. The figure stumbles, hits the ground, and you feel your heart race. You’ve witnessed zombie attacks before, but it’s always disturbing. And you can’t help thinking that this could easily have been you yesterday. 

You want to open the door and beckon the figure, but that’s not your call to make. You’re a guest with this group, and you don’t have the right to put their safety at risk. 

Thankfully, the kind hearted man beside you makes that choice. He flings the door open and calls out, “Hey! Run this way! To the grocery store!” 

The figure looks up, and from this distance they appear to be a young man. He scrambles to his feet and breaks into another run, a desperate dash for the store. 

You and the man both yell out to him, encouraging him to hurry and keep going. Just as he runs through the door, two zombies that must have been close to the entrance follow him in, shambling into the store.

Man #2:

Before anyone else can react, the large, imposing man who tore the zombies off you yesterday runs by you. With his bare hands he picks up the first zombie by the neck and literally throws it outside. Then he delivers a devastating punch to the second zombie’s head, knocking it clean off its shoulders. 

You yelp in surprise, having never seen someone kill a zombie in such a way before. Someone closes the door and locks it, but the herd of zombies definitely saw the young man run inside, because they’re heading straight for the store. 

Backing away from the door, you glance at the man who took care of the two zombies. “Do you think the glass will hold?”

He doesn’t seem the least bit scared. “Probably not against a horde like that.”

“What should we do?” you ask, trying not to sound panicked as the zombies close in. 

He grins. “You should run when they break in. I’ll tear the fuckers apart.”

Uncertain whether that statement is comforting or alarming, you turn to look at the newcomer. He’s a teenager, probably around sixteen, and he’s panting to catch his breath. 

You walk over to him. “Are you alright?”

He looks up at you, and his face is twisted in horror. “I’m so sorry!” he yells, tears in his eyes. “I shouldn’t have come in here!”

“It’s alright,” you tell him, reaching your hand out to pat his shoulder. “We’ll figure something out. We’ll-“

He swats your hand away. “Don’t! I… I’ve been…” his voice dies in his throat, and he pulls up the sleeve of his shirt, displaying a messy bite wound.

You inhale sharply, your heart sinking at the sight. He’s just a kid! “How long ago?” you ask. You’ve heard rumors that severing a limb with a bite will stop the spread of the virus, but it has to be done quickly. 

“Yesterday,” he answers. 

The man who fought the zombies steps up beside you. “Too long,” he says, his eyes narrowed as he looks at the wound. “We should probably throw him out. He’s no good to us.”

You look at him incredulously. “We can’t do that!”

Man #3:

The man you spoke to yesterday who seemed like a leader, who was clearly a planner, walks over. He looks at the boy, then at you. “We’ll need to discuss this,” he says. 

“Discuss what? What are the options here?” you ask him. “Let him stay or toss him out there to be eaten alive?!”

The man’s smooth expression doesn’t change. “Those aren’t the only options. We could tie him up, lock him in the break room, or even give him a quick and painless death.”

You feel your outrage subsiding. Those sound much more reasonable. You’re surprised he can think so rationally in this situation. “Okay. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

He smiles that same charming, not-quite-genuine smile he gave you yesterday. “Don’t be. Tensions are running high, so it’s understandable. I’d worry more if you were the type to want to throw him out immediately.”

You sigh in relief, then turn toward the boy, who is still muttering apologies. “What would you like for us to do? Restrain you? Or… or make it so you don’t turn?”

The boy looks up at you. “I don’t want to turn! Please, don’t let me end up like them! I’d do it myself but I’m too scared!”

Hearing such a young man say that is heartbreaking. But you understand. If you ever get bitten, you hope someone will kill you before letting you become a zombie, doomed to roam the earth, rotting and attacking others. 

The man pulls a blade from a holster on his hip and approaches the boy. “Are you ready? Or do you need more time?”

The boy hesitates for a moment, then nods. “I’m ready. Please make it quick!”

The man pats him on the back affectionately. “You’re very brave. You can rest easy now. I’ll make sure you don’t suffer.”

The boy is staring at him, and seems comforted. “Thanks,” he says with teary eyes. 

You turn your head, unable to watch. You don’t hear a sound. No scream, not even a grunt. It really must have been painless. When you look back, the man is easing the boy’s body to the floor. He looks thoughtful, maybe a little sad. 

“I’m sorry you had to do that,” you say. 

He’s wiping his blade off on a handkerchief. “Someone has to make the tough decisions, and then carry them out.”

You start to ask why that had to be him, but you remain silent. You don’t like the way he seems to be taking all the darkness and sadness onto himself. But you have bigger things to worry about right now.

Man #4: 

The man you saw standing guard yesterday, who said he wanted to go back to the city, is staring out the windows of the store, watching the growing horde approach. He doesn’t seem scared, only annoyed, as if this is no more than a minor obstacle to his plans. 

“I’m gonna get out of here,” he says, loud enough for the others to hear. “I don’t have time to get held up.”

You look at him in shock. “You’re just going to leave the rest of us?”

He looks at you dispassionately. “A group will draw their attention a lot more than a single person. I’m not getting stuck with these guys.”

You look him up and down, at his sturdy physique. “But, we need you.”

“You ever stop to think that maybe someone else needs me?”

The question takes you aback. You have no answer for him. If he’s that desperate, if he’s willing to wade through countless zombies to get to the city, there must be someone very important to him there. 

“Can you at least wait a little while?” you ask him. “The zombies might give up and wander off if they can’t see us through the tinted windows.”

The man sighs. “Fine. I’ll see what happens.”

You look out at the horde. The first few zombies have reached the front of the store and are clawing at the windows and doors. You shudder as you watch them. You’ve never seen so many before, or so close up in a situation where you can actually get a good look at them. If one is close, you’re usually fleeing or trying to kill it. 

They’re all staring straight ahead, seemingly at nothing. Can they see their own reflections in the glass? Can they even perceive themselves? Seeing them just leaves you feeling empty and sad. 

“Do me a favor,” the man says. “If I ever get bitten, put a bullet in my fucking brain.”

You nod. “Same,” you say.

Man #5: 

The man who gave you the tip yesterday about using duck tape on your arms steps over to the windows to survey the situation. He already has his arms wrapped in a layer of the tape, over top of his sleeves. A few of the others notice, and begin wrapping their own limbs in tape or thick fabric, so you do the same. 

He steps closer to you and takes the roll of tape from your hand, then begins wrapping your forearm for you. 

“Thanks,” you tell him, hoping he can’t hear how nervous the growing horde outside is making you. 

He seems as calm as the more physically imposing men, despite having a more slender frame. “Our best option would be to bang on the glass and draw their attention to the front, then all of us slip out the back way,” he says. 

You glance toward the back of the store. “Should we check to see if they’ve circled around?”

He nods, and the two if you make your way back, through the storage area and to a large drop down gate. You assume trucks come in this way to unload merchandise. But it’s locked up tight and you can’t see anything on the other side. 

“There’s a window up there,” the man says, pointing. You have to use a step ladder to reach it, but you both climb up to look out. 

There aren’t nearly as many zombies roaming around behind the store, but there are definitely enough to be a problem. 

“I think we can make it through, but it’s going to be a challenge,” he tells you. 

You feel fear creeping up your spine. So far you’ve been able to evade most large groups of zombies, but with the store being surrounded, it’s looking like you’re going to have to wade into them. 

As the two of you return to the front, you feel your spirits sinking.

Man #6:

The man with the bright smile comes up beside you as you stare out hopelessly at the zombies gathered at the windows. 

“I’ve seen bigger hordes,” he says. 

You look up at him. “You have?”

He grins. “Sure. They’re not so bad when you realize how slow and uncoordinated they are.”

You appreciate his optimism. But you realize it’s more than that. His confidence rings true, and it makes you feel a little more hopeful. 

“So you think we can get out?” you ask. 

He nods, still smiling, then gestures to where a few of the men are standing in a small circle. “They’re planning our escape right now. We’ve got some real smart guys here, so don’t worry.”

You finally return his smile. “I hope you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” he replies. 

Just then you hear something, like tinkling glass. Both you and the man look around for the source of the noise. After a few minutes, you spot a tiny crack in the glass, right where over a dozen zombies are pressing against the windows. 

“They’re breaking the glass!” you cry, backing away. 

The man calls over to his friends, “Guys, put a rush on that brilliant plan!”

They look up and rush over to check the crack.

Man #7:

The man you met in the stock room yesterday is the first to crouch down and examine the crack in the glass. His brow is furrowed as he watches the zombies shove themselves against the window, then he turns to face the others. 

“Everyone, get whatever you need and be ready to go in ten minutes. We’ll take our chances going out the back.”

You already had your backpack ready, so you pull it onto your shoulders as the other men begin doing the same. You feel your heart racing as you prepare for the fight of your life. 

The man is securing his own pack with a strap around his waist and checking the heavy denim sleeves of the jacket he’s wearing. He seems uncomfortable in the fabric, as if it’s not something he’d normally wear, but protection is the most important thing right now. 

“What do you think our chances are?” you ask him. 

He looks around the room. “With this group? Pretty good. If we all stick to the plan,” he adds, glancing at a couple of guys in particular. Then he looks back at you. “Try to stay in the middle of us. We can protect you.”

“Thanks,” you tell him. “I guess I lucked out when I stumbled upon you guys.”

He gives you a warm smile. “I’m glad you feel that way.”

Just then, you hear glass breaking, another crack at first, and then a shattering that startles everyone in the store. Right beside you, the first zombie crashes inside, and the man grabs your arm, pulling you back behind him. 

As the zombie horde begins shambling into the store, the men around you take defensive positions and get ready to fight their way to the back.

Tag List:

@tadabzzzbee @babysoo-meu @atomicweaselpaperapricot

[storiesofmyhead]

Chishiya x Reader

Summary: Chishiya gets jealous when Arisu tries to bring Y/n with him to open the safe

Warnings! Kissing, Jealous!Chishiya, use of Y/n

Word count: 1367

“Chishi, I’m tired. Can’t we just go to bed.” Y/n whines.

Shaking his head, he glances over to her. “Not right now. Remember the plan.” He says in a ‘you didn't forget did you’ voice. 

She groans, throwing her head back in annoyance. “But-”

“An hour tops. And then I’m all yours. Sound good?” He says knowing she couldn’t refuse.

“Fineeee.” She drags out following Chishiya out of the room.

Jogging to catch up with his fast strides she grabs his hand, lacing their fingers together.

~~

“So I’ll ask again. Who thinks Aguni should be leader?” Niragi says in a cocky tone, his gun resting on his shoulder. 

Taking a small step back, Y/n hides behind Chishiya. The nervous gut feeling she gets from Niragi unmatched. 

An takes a small breath, before raising her hand. 

“This is not a democracy.” Mira huffs. Content with An’s answer, Niragi moves over to Mira, his gun close to her head.

“But I think it is, isnt it. You can vote however you want right?” He says though it wasn’t an invitation to vote how everyone really wanted to. So Mira slowly brings her hand up at Niragi’s threat.

“And how about the former number two over there. What do you think?” Remaining silent he raises his hand. 

No matter what everyone really thought, they all knew the power Niragi had over them right now.

“And what about you two? Hm?” Niragi now moves closer to Chishiya, his gun raised, flashing his eyebrows at Y/n.

Chishiya bordley raises his eyes to Niragi, not saying a word as Y/n’s grip on his hand becomes tighter.

“Chishiya~ You’re not lookin’ down on us, are ya?” He says his gun now parallel to his side as he takes a few steps towards the two.

“Yall morons in the corps.” Niragi now angrily steps toe-to-toe with Chishiya, causing Y/n to gasp slightly, as he wraps his arm around her waist pushing her behind him.

Niragi chuckles at the protective movement of Chishiya, switching his gaze to Y/n quickly before landing back on Chishiya. 

“Those eyes of yours piss me off sometimes, you know that?” His gun pointed straight at Chishiya’s head, though he remained calm only slightly shifted back. “You really think you’re better than us, don't ya?”

Chishiya puts his two arms up in surrender, before bringing the left one back down around to Y/n’s waist, his right hand still in the air.

“I vote for Aguni to be the leader.” He says, his voice slightly joking, though Niragi doesn’t seem to care. “I’m pretty sure that’s what you want to hear, don’t you?” 

Scoffing, Niragi takes a big step back. “Well let this be a reminder of how you should act in the future.”

Nervously Y/n’s empty hand plays with the bottom of Chishiya’s jacket, as Niragi’s eyes move to her. Raising one eyebrow, she raises her hand as well.

Head turning towards a scared or shocked Arisu. “Why are you lookin’ so freaked out? I thought I told you to give me an answer.” His gun is now pointing straight into Arisu’s chest.

Though as Niragi taunted the poor kid, Y/n’s ears were filled with sweet nothing’s from Chishiya. He could feel her nervous tendencies behind him, so bringing her in front of him, he knew that whispering to her would cause her to focus on him and his words, nothing else. 

~~

Sitting in Kuina’s room, Chishiya sat in an armchair at the end of the coffee table, with Y/n by his side as she was growing tired. Her clinginess intensing with every second she stayed awake. 

“First Arisu will infiltrate the royal suite. Then he’ll search for the safe, and steal all the playing cards inside.”

A worried look on Arisu’s face. “And how will I get the code?”

“Don’t worry about that.” He replies looking down at the coffee table. “Ill let you know when you’re near the safe.” He slides a walkie-talkie to Arisu.

“I sure hope you’re right.” He says with an unsure look on his face. “Im taking Y/n with me.” he states causing everyone to look up shocked, Chishiya with a glare. “For precautions, you know just in case the walkie-talkie doesn’t work.” He shrugs.

“No.” Chishiya glares, Y/n stands nervously shuffling her feet behind him. 

“Why not? You’re sure of this plan right?” His eyebrow quirks. “Unless there’s something you’re not telling us?”

“Fine.” He growls, his eyes darkening. “But you get caught and drag her into it. I’ll make sure sleeping with those bodies in the dumpster.”

~~

Sneaking into the office, Y/n can hear Chishiya’s voice on the walkie-talkie. Her eyes darted around, nervously as she knows the actual plan, well she knew the actual plan. Now that Arisu brought her along, she didn’t know what was gonna happen and that made her nervous.

Punching in the code, the safe beeps signaling that the code was wrong. Arisu now scared, his eyes wide, pulled at the safe hoping it would open.

“It’s not opening.” He pulled some more. “Chishiya.” His eyes looked over his shoulder at Y/n to see her taking steps back towards the door, her focus on him.

“Chishiya! You there?” He spoke again.

Y/n watched as Niragi, Aguni and their goonies walked into the room, their eyes falling on Y/n before she pointed to Arisu.

“Ya, I really gotta hand it to you. You got balls.” Niragi taunts.

Y/n’s eyes quickly found Chishiya, as she ran over to him. His clm exterior unbroken though she knew he was relieved by the quick kiss he placed on her temple as she hid her face in his neck.

“You’re safe. I’m right here. Don’t worry.” His whisper’s filled her ears, as she focused on his voice.

Slightly pushing her away, his arm falling to her waist. “Go back to our room. Ill be there in a few minutes.”

Nodding, she places a kiss on his cheek, before running off to their room.

~~

Snuggled in under the covers, she watched the door, waiting for Chishiya to walk in. Finally after what felt like forever, the door opened. 

Smiling, she watches her close the door and shrug off his white jacket, placing it on a chair, before pulling off his shirts as well just towing that on the ground in the pile with their other dirty clothes.

Her eyes fell on his bare body, though no muscles showed he was still slightly toned. Opening her arms, Chishiya smiled tiredly, lifting the cover and sliding in. Wrapping his arms around her hips and resting his head on her chest.

“ ‘m so tired.” He mumbled.

Giggling, she nodded. “Me too. We can go to bed now though baby. Just me and you.” Lifting his chin up she places a kiss on his lips.

Moving to pull away, his hand stops her as it slides to the back of her neck. Placing his lips on her’s roughly, she gasped slightly not expecting it.

Smiling into the kiss, she pulled away not out of air. “What was that all about.”

Chuckle slightly placed his head back on her chest. “Stupid kid, changing my plan. Made me nervous. I told them that he forced you along, but I didn’t know if they’d believe me. Was scared that Niragi would do something to you.” His voice muffled at the end as he buried his head in her chest.

Eyes wide, Y/n sat silent at his confession. Chishiya was never good with words and the fact that he said all of what he did was surprising.

Sighing happily she places a kiss on his head. “I love you.”

“ ‘m love you too.” His voice muffled once again, though she knew what he said, a goofy smile on her face as it was the first time he had ever replied.

“ ‘m so proud of you.” She mumbled into his hair, placing one more kiss before letting the exhaustion take over.

[shepherds-of-haven]

If there was a popularity contest for the ROs, who would win? I think the obvious answer is Blade, with Chase as a runner up, but I think 3rd place is a bit of a toss up. My moneys on Lavinet… for completely unbiased reasons

Do you mean a popularity contest among us, the readers and fans, or a popularity contest among the Shepherds themselves? 😂 If you meant the first part, we did hold a popularity bracket a few months ago (results are here: Blade took first, with Trouble second) and a poll about romance options here, though a bracket is probably not the best kind of way to determine second and third places, etc., due to the nature of the random pairups (like Lavinet might have made it farther if she hadn't been paired with Trouble right off the bat, etc.). So in the future we probably will hold an actual "who's your favorite" poll, just to see!

If you're talking about a popularity contest within the Order itself, I think the results might surprise you! Who's considered most "popular" among the recruits tends to be a combination of who actively socializes with and spends time with them the most (i.e. who's friendly towards the most rank and file), which definitively isn't Blade (I actually talk about their various fanclubs and popularity among their admirers here, and discuss why Blade and the others lost some here).

If the Shepherds were to hold a popularity contest right now (Chapter 9 or thereabouts) with people voting for their favorite Shepherd, it would probably shake out to:

Trouble (universally popular and well-liked among the recruits because he casually hangs out as one of them quite often)

Briony (friendly and cheerful, makes a real effort to connect with people, learn their names and details about their lives (she has amnesia so she doesn't have any preexisting relationships, she's trying to fill up her life with new friendships fast), plus she can show you how to choke someone out with your thighs and that's awesome)

Chase (the vast majority of the people voting for him are fans/admirers who are feral about him, even though he doesn't mingle all that much with the rank and file, though he tosses them a wink or makes playful conversation with them just enough to fuel their ardor)

Ayla (goes drinking with the recruits and socializes with them regularly, arm-wrestling with them and mingling with them easily, etc. Sometimes she randomly pulls away or gets snippy if you rub her the wrong way, though, which is why she lost some points)

Red (he would likely be much higher if he wasn't rushing around with his nose in a book muttering to himself all the time--he's much more popular with the Circle Mages than he is with recruits who have joined up recently, simply because he doesn't really take the time anymore to meet new people or make friends, he has enough of those and now he just wants to be left alone to work on his own projects 😂)

Tallys (her beauty and mystique make her very alluring, so she has a strong backing of admirers and fans, but not super close friends outside of the inner circle; many find her a bit intimidating or hard to approach, so they admire her from afar)

Halek (similarly to Tallys, his hotness and laidback demeanor (plus his quiet celebrity status as sol) earn him a lot of admirers and fans, even if he doesn't really interact directly with them. People are really into guys who don't bother them and just do their own thing... they read his lackadaisical attitude about his position in life as humility and it feels like a gift and a blessing when the Halek Prince drifts by and idly asks to bum a smoke off of you lmao)

Shery (she has an incredibly strong backing of quiet fans and admirers, though nowhere near as much as the people who love Trouble--a magically-augmented sniper who has a penchant for boxing shirtless in the courtyard and remaining totally oblivious to people who are sneaking a peek from a window--or Briony, who can punch through walls. Fans of Shery are like... the hipsters of the Order lol they pride themselves on recognizing her awesomeness when it'd be easy to be distracted by the flash and drama of the others!)

Blade (he is pretty much universally feared, respected, and admired by the people in the Order, almost to the level of awe and reverent hero-worship... but because he never directly interacts with like 95% of them and treats them as subordinates, I can't see that they would all vote for him as their "favorite" Shepherd in a contest like this, not when they interact with many of the others on a daily basis and are actual friends with some of them! He may have the biggest share of non-romantic fans and admirers just on a general level, but the ratio of the ones who would actually vote for him are quite low because he's so aloof that they sometimes wonder if he's even human lol. Also, sometimes he terrifies them, like how he chewed out the guards for slacking off on his second interlude. It'd be like asking you to vote in a popularity contest between your close personal friend, a bunch of coworkers, and then your boss lol)

Lavinet (as of Chapter 8ish, her popularity among the Shepherds is still quite low. She is the latest major companion to join the inner circle, and on top of that, many recruits dislike or distrust her due to her status as a noble, assuming that this is a kind of PR stunt and she's going to quit as soon as the work gets too hard for her pampered self, or they outright resent her because they don't like the nobility in general (hard to blame them). However, give her some time, because after she starts really proving herself to the ranks by diligently and uncomplainingly doing her work and pulling off some impressive missions, and with a healthy dose of her patented, effortless charm and social grace, and feelings towards her are going to shift to become more positive... Given enough time, I believe her popularity and admirers would eventually rival that of Chase, Briony, and Trouble's, easily putting her in the top 3!)

Riel (he makes absolutely no effort to interact with any recruit in a way that would make him popular, lol. The majority of them know him as "avoid him at all costs because he'll rope you into doing manual labor for him" or "by God, do not drop any crates near his office because you'll be able to see his scathing, baleful look of reproach through the walls" so yeah, it's hard to see many people voting for him except for the quiet handful who are crushing on him hard)

Mimir (most recruits: who? because she lives outside in her tent, the majority of people don't even realize that she's joined the Order--I don't think she's even like an official officer, I think she just lives there now and gets fed lmao)

However, also keep in mind that these results are for a "who would people cast a single vote for if forced to choose their favorite Shepherd" contest. It's not exactly the same as, say, "who has the most admirers, period" or "who receives the most anonymous love letters"? Those numbers shake out to be more even... One might even argue that remaining aloof from the rank and file would have an inverse effect, in that it's easier to secretly admire someone from afar in a way that develops into sappy love-letter-type feelings, because you can project a kind of fantasy onto them, rather than having to outright vote for them as your "favorite" (while admitting you have almost no direct interaction with them). So if the question is, "who receives the most love letters?" I would say it's:

Blade - Trouble - Tallys - Chase - Red - Briony - Lavinet

Shery - Ayla - Halek

Riel (and only because people who truly admire him and have any inkling of his personality are terrified that he'd be able to figure out who sent him a love letter based on, like, the quality of their ink or something like that)

Woof, sorry for the long, rambling, overdetailed explanation, lmao... Hopefully that all makes sense!

[kpopsexstories]

Vote on the last NCT Dream MILF story!

I never intended for this to be a mini series. It sort of just happened because someone kept sending requests for it (thanks! 😁).

But when a request for NCT Mark and an older woman came recently – a story which has now been written in full (coming soon, promise 😉) – I realized that the only missing Dream members are Renjun and Jaemin. You'll find all the other member's stories on the MILF page on Story Finder 🙂

Now I have an ending in mind for this series. While the stories so far have been disconnected but in the same style and setting – younger, more or less experienced idol with an unnamed mature woman – the final parts will tie them all together in a way I hope you'll enjoy.

But, one member will not get a MILF story. My idea doesn't work if he does. He will instead play a different role in the broader plot.

Since Mark's part has already been requested and written, the question is simple: who will get the last part, Renjun or Jaemin? And consequently, which of the two will not get a MILF story? This sacrifice of one member is unfortunately necessary for what I have in mind 🙂

For the final part I imagine a wilder, more confident scene closer to Jeno's part than for example the inexperienced Chenle or Jisung parts. The member will be rougher and naughtier, and more willing to take what he wants when the older woman comes to sleep with him.

So, with that I mind, let's vote: Who should get to have sex with an older woman in the final part of the NCT Dream MILF series, Renjun or Jaemin?

🏳️‍🌈 New Gay Story: Lucas

Speaking of requests, I also just finished writing another requested story: Lucas topping a male reader. This story loosely ties in with the two Most Memorable Sexual Experiences of Lucas stories, Part 1 and Part 2. While those stories were straight the plot focused on his real life scandal. This new gay story does too, playfully filling a gap somewhere in between Part 1 and Part 2 of the MMSE stories.

I should add that the plot is not super central, but it is there. The main focus is really on the sex, which I think turned out very good and hot 🥵🍆💦

You can look forward to this story on a Gay Thursday sometime in the coming weeks. That means that one week the NCT Dream Dating Ban series will take a week off – probably after Chenle's and Jaemin's parts have been published.

A potential new way to send requests

I'm also toying with an idea: The ability to submit requests via a form on Story Finder, the external website on which you can browse the entire archive of my Tumblr blog smut.

The advantage of this as opposed to sending requests via Tumblr is that I would get the details I look for in requests, which in turn increases the chances of the request getting a story at all. The disadvantage is that it might become a bit of a cookie-cutter way to build stories, in that you simply select idols, sex positions, etc. from a list. It might hinder creativity rather than encourage it 🤔

In any case, I imagine it would be fun to play around with and select your favorite members, positions, plot points, etc. to "build" new scenarios, and see them come to life when I write them.

Let me know if you think this sounds interesting to try or if I'm just reinventing the wheel with this idea 😊 There's nothing wrong with regular free-form Tumblr requests after all.

Summary: The MILF series continues and will get an ending, former NCT/WayV member Lucas will get a gay story, and you might get a new (hopefully fun) way to send in requests. Please look forward to all of this in the near future 😊❤️

[janeeyreofmanderley]

Here my personal theories, feel free to contradict!

From best to worst:

Frodo- empathic, organised and attentive he will pay attention to what his friends mention about their hobbies and wishes and pick gifts accordingly. Is generous too.

Sam- same as Frodo but tends to gift more lovely homemade things! Known to be a bit overenthusiastic gifting plants and overestimating the recipients ability to care for them ( Pippin has a closet of dead houseplants Merry calls „ Treebeard‘s future revenge „)

Pippin- Loves loves getting his friends gifts! Starts already in October! Always means well but sometimes ends up gifting sth that more fits his than the recipients taste. Still everyone can see he tried!

Gimli- a gifted craftsman and friend to even more gifted ones he will make and pick exquisite jewellery and knives which are always welcome. Very organised, will have everything by December 10th at the latest.

Boromir- Not the most imaginative gift giver but well organised and honestly trying! Will usually ask directly for what people want and get just that or often will get vouchers for shops and events he knows the other one loves. By now HE regularly get’s Christmas cards from Faramir’s favourite book shop for that reason.

Gandalf- Will forget to get sth till last minute but shows up with vouchers promising cool trips and free fireworks, always a huge hit. Especially when no magical jewellery is involved.

Legolas- Time is such a relative thing for an elf! Will forget to start looking til Gimli gives him a nudge a week before. Will panic and buy very expensive but often kind of odd gifts. But always includes the receipt and never minds people exchanging their gifts so it’s fine.

Merry- swears that this year he will finally start looking for gifts early- becomes foreseen. Again. It follows a well meant panic shopping spree in an overflowing city which leaves him frazzled. Gifts everyone the same Christmas ornament he could grab in the last shop he Entered just before closing time.

Aragorn- Arwen gently nudges him. Faramir openly reminds him. He will attend all Yuletide ceremonies and still not realise Christmas is coming. No one knows how he does it, he least of all but it happens every damn year! Only realised he was supposed to do Christmas preparations at 8pm on Christmas Eve. Feels terrible! Eowyn started buying a gift for Arwen that Faramir then places on the king’s desk to help him out. Everyone knows. No one minds.

[outsidereveries]

jungwon's personality

what he was like in his childhood: very hardworking and oveeeeremotional (with good intentions). jungwon could be also very intuitive but also passive/calm child. basically the best of the 2 worlds i'd say.

which qualities has changed during puberty: he got more distracted and lacked discipline more than when he was a kid. basically he explored himself in one way or another, so it's no suprise jungwon was more forgetful at that time. possibly his time in school and not only (he also was a trainee around his teenage days, right?) is the main reason why because nonetheless, jungwon was happy and thankful for these times.

what he's faking: jungwon might not be that risky in real life (compared to his public persona). i am unaware where jungwon is adventurous in the engene's eyes (and not only) but in reality, jungwon is more thoughtful and thinks before acting. if you felt he's impulsive, he's not.

what's also fake but tries not to be: actually, to be realistic. sometimes jungwoon seems to be over the moon for certain things or even delusional. that's happening because of his "overemotional" side. it seems that with the years coming by, jungwon balanced the way he's feeling his emotions which is great however he's just really, really naive. this seems to be about everyday things (even personal ones) and as i really try to not go further, jungwon's just trying to not overthink everything.

what we don't see: jungwon has more individual offers than we see. he refuses them for some reason (i personally don't see belift) because everything won't work when he tries. he would like to try again and again but at this point, jungwon gave up. belift is just other breed (i mean, a (curse word).

political views: as their elections are coming, jungwon is feeling conflicted and doesn't believe in anyone. he lost hope for who to vote and hopes for an alternative party/person who will be worth it in the end. therefore, jungwon might not vote in the near future's elections but not because he's not interested. he actually cares. he lost hope. jungwon might be one of the only people around his age who is interested in politics and all that stuff around korea and possibly outside of it. if he watches other countries (specifically europe and to be more exact, germany, poland, bulgaria..), that's reasonable why he feels hopeless.

what's mixing between his morals and the fame: his intentions. jungwon overthinks how he'll influence engenes and the world and he wants to be actually useful for that purpose. he doesn't want to be just a k-pop idol, but he feels restricted as of now. not only that, he doesn't know from where to start.

would he choose the fame over his standarts: in this circumstances, no. he'll try to make the fame work in a way for him despite what the challenges will be.

religious/spiritual views: deep inside, jungwon is more spiritual than believing in a specific religion. however, this seems to be very hidden as jungwon clearly ignores his intuition.

controversial things he agrees with: to take rest if you don't feel inspired, to communicate when it's needed and to take care of yourself in the best way possible. this doesn't seem to be controversial but if there's instability, just rest. jungwon seems to have had conflicts regarding to that in the past.

addictions (either more prone to has them or might have them): being daring and risky. jungwon should be careful around people since like sunoo, he can be more prone to be manipulated.

destruction traits: jungwon can be impulsive and/or overemotional if he gets angry enough, if he doesn't understand anything that's happening.

qualities he's proud to have: this might be a bad thing, but to focus on enhypen. similar to what we don't see, he received more solo gigs but refused to do them so.

intentions for the future: i am sorry but this might be alarming for his group. if enhypen is likely to disband or reform behind the scenes, jungwon will make everything he can for enhypen to stay as a group untul the end of their contract. as much as jungwon wants the same thing (for enhypen to reform), he is more aware that this might end worse, so he will try to make the rest of enhypen to do their contract as much as possible and is in his power until 2027.

[fishsticksloser]

Liam SFW HCs

Warnings: OC, fluff, perhaps some trauma

A/N: I cannot draw, so have this little tidbit and make sure you vote for Liam on @tmnt-multiverse-election when the time comes!! More about Liam here I also have some ask lists open on my main that you can ask about Liam :))

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Liam really doesn't seem very affectionate.

He doesn't enjoy making a big deal out of it. Especially not in public.

His love languages are Quality Time and Words of Affirmation.

B = Body part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He loves his hands.

He works with his hands a lot; gardening, cooking, you name it.

On partners he loves their hands/hips.

He loves playing with their hands or wrapping his arms around their waist.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

He does like cuddling.

He prefers his partners being the little spoon or laying on top of him.

He's very anxious about his torso which is covered in scars so he doesn't want people touching it.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He wants to settle down

Liam really wants to get married and have kids.

He's good at cooking, he's very clean as well.

He likes his space (and home) to be tidy and cozy.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He's a very blunt man.

He doesn't sugar coat, you're an adult, you can handle it.

He would do it in private, there's no need bringing other into it.

F = Fiancé(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He's very loyal, he's ready for a lifetime commitment.

But.

He would wait a few years before proposing.

He has to make sure it'll last.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He's very gentle physically.

Soft touches, he never does anything without asking.

Emotionally however...

He's not so soft.

He's blunt and can even come off as rude.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He hates hugs.

They make Liam feel a bit claustrophobic.

If he does hug, they're a bit loose and weak.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

A year +

He has to be sure it'll be long-term. He doesn't want to say it just for it to mean nothing.

For it to end quickly.

He's also scared of saying 'I love you'

Especially being the first to say it.

Every time he has said it to anyone, it's ended horribly. Some almost instantly, some it took years, but he's worried that saying it makes everything go downhill.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He's not really a jealous person.

If anything he's more insecure.

He fully believes that if you're easy to sway into being with someone else, it's not worth fighting.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Soft...

Their soft and tender

He kisses slowly, his touch is also really soft. Cupping your jaw, then pulling you flush against him.

Lips and neck are where he loves kissing the most. He loves feeling you against him.

Liam loves his neck and hands being kissed. There's something so intimate and affectionate about it

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He's really good around kids.

Soothing them, entertaining them.

He wants to have a few kids in the future.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Cuddling in bed, kissing your face and shoulders, massaging you, humming softly.

Sometimes (mostly on birthdays and holidays) he'll get up early to make you breakfast in bed.

He loves showering/bathing with his partner, just taking the time to be together.

He normally doesn't talk, enjoying a quiet morning.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Cuddles, kisses, gently running his hands over his partner's body.

Just feeling them, being near them

He normally takes at least an hour to fall asleep.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He will answer any questions you ask...

Though it might be vague, he still answers.

Liam will eventually reveal more as he gets to know you, but it takes a while

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

He's not easily angered.

Believes everything can be solved by talking.

It takes a lot to get him angry, even then, he doesn't yell, he doesn't shout...

Which might be scarier....

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

Remembers damn near everything

He might forget more obscure things, but he does his best.

He remembers things his partner says in passing, even things you say you want.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

First kiss

Man cannot get it out of his head.

Kissing is so intimate to him, so first kisses are even more so.

Gardening together.

One of his favorite hobbies, doing it with his partner makes it more meaningful.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Liam is very protective

He will do anything for his partner, literally anything.

Including risking his own life.

He doesn't want to be protected, he doesn't think he deserves it.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Nice homemade, candlelit dinners

Anyone you want.

He makes sure all the house chores are done.

Does everything you ask him to.

He has a list of gifts to give, things you mention in passing, things you've wanted for a while, anything.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Liam is very apathetic.

He struggles with understanding and caring about others feelings

His feelings have never mattered, why would anyone else's?

He is working on it though.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Very concerned.

But not because he's vain

It's because he doesn't want to scare people with his scars.

He got tattoos to cover his scars, but his torso is still very bare and covered.

He hardly ever wears anything that shows his back or chest.

Even when swimming or going to bed, he will wear a shirt.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Liam is fully aware he can live without his partner.

Does he want to?

If you're seriously committed, no.

He wants you close.

He wants you safe.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He loves sitting in a bookstore/library with headphones on, just listening to music and reading.

His dream has been to own a coffee store/garden store/bookstore.

It ties all his favorite things together.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Don't hurt his friends.

Don't call him stupid.

These are hard boundaries.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He's a light sleeper.

Except when he's having a nightmare

It's almost impossible to wake him.

In normal sleep, he doesn't move much and snores softly.

[foster-the-world]

Exploring

I want to start exploring ADHD medications for baby boy. We were planning to wait until he was 6yo but I'm not sure that's realistic anymore. We made the cardiologist appointment for an EKG because we don't know his family history of heart issues. I want to research the options. Has anyone done the gene testing to try and understand what meds may work best? I'd prefer to skip the "test out a drug to find out it makes him behave worse" phase. Not sure how reliable the test is but have seen it recommend. Thanks to the shitty American healthcare system I can't call his development pediatrician to ask her to send over options before the appointment. If I knew what she was thinking I could make sure we are on the same page.

Was walking into the weed store when my daughters classmate and her mother came by. I was planning to get the 1906 chill pills. First time ever visiting such an establishment and of course I run into someone I know. Not a big deal. Its legal. Not sure they even noticed. I was happy to see her as I'm hoping her daughter will do the ice skating program with Rebel/Bee. Sent the info to a bunch of their friends today. The program said they would provide transport if we can get 8 kids at the school signed up.

I love how my kids live in the neighborhood with all of their friends. I love that they walk down the street and people regularly yell their name AND three times in the last week I've seen people on the street and walked out of my way so I didn't have to say hello. I'm not up for small talk all of the time. I'm sure they don't want to talk to me either. Sometimes you just want to go home.

Went to a school families apartment yesterday. The Dad is a Columbia Professor whose previous full time job was polling. He said in the last Presidential election in our precinct more people voted for Jill Stein then Donald Trump. Not surprised and happy to be in good company.

T-4 days to vacation. Found out the kids camp field trip to Coney Island is on Friday. We have to pick them up early to go the airport. Luckily we are flying out of the airport near Coney Island so I think we can just pick them up there.

Rebel has a very bizarre looking rash on her leg. One small spot, maybe one inch around. No itching/pain. Did a telemed appointment. The NP was like "Yeah, that doesn't look like anything I've ever seen." Told us to take her in sometime this week. Luckily, she already has an appt to get her finger prick tmrw morning. Not too worried about it but did wish it was more typically looking. Its always something.

Started baby boy on Steroids' Friday night. The cough is so much better. Thank God. Also good to know that may work in the future. Our doctor never mentioned it in the past. I need to get him into a Pulmonogist but as he has eight doctors appointments (6 Neuropsych + cardiologist + Dev Ped) in the next month I simply cannot add another one right now.

[feudalconnection]

Hello! First of all, thanks for hosting the awards ❤️

I think I read somewhere in your blog that you take suggestions. I imagine it is a lot of work to make this even happens, but I do have a suggestion. I know some categories are separated by ship and that’s really good, which brings me to my point: complete separation between ships for all categories. Some corners have more active participants than others, and in those categories where you get different ships in the options, it can get a bit [how to put it…] messy because the ship with more active participants will definitely get votes (and sometimes, not always, of course, there’s those that vote X ship to make sure Y doesn’t win).

Thank you and hope you guys have a happy new year.

Hello there!

Thank you so much for such a kind ask! We appreciate the thoughtfulness! So, this has been a suggestion/question/ask practically since FC's inception. People want to see their ships represented and acknowledge those creators just as much as the larger ships that often overshadow those smaller circles. That's completely understandable and totally fair!

However, breaking down each category into different ships is near impossible right now. In order to be able to host that, we would need far more participation than we currently have. Otherwise, for example, we would have 3 fics competing for Best Action/Adventure InuKag Fanfic versus 1 fic competing for Best Action/Adventure MirSan Fanfic. Can you see where that issue lies? We're not sure if we would ever be able to reach participation levels to give us the ability to do that. However, we also realize the community's desire to have ships represented fairly. So the mod-team has come up with an idea that may be able to give the community just that. On a trial basis, we could host a miniature term, separate from the 3 terms we are currently hosting per year. This term would be exclusively for those who want to indulge in shipping works. Here's a break down of how this would work:

This term would be shorter, with only 1 week for nominations, 2 weeks to enjoy the works, and 1 week for voting. This will help the mod-team garner how much interest/participation it receives, as well as help from overloading the mod-team with the tasks that come with hosting a full term.

All of the same FC rules would still apply that are currently in place. The exception is that we would lift the Winner Ban, so those works would be eligible just for this "Shipping Term". That rule is subject to change pending feedback and interest.

The categories would be simple: The Best of InuKag Fanfiction, The Best of KogKag Fanart, The Best of InuParents Fanfiction, etc. Ships can be added or changed pending on the interest check form.

We would have categories for both fanfiction and fanart to match up with shipping.

If this is not received well, then the mods will simply go back to the drawing board, as well as continue to take suggestions. If there is enough interest, then we will move forward with attempting this Shipping Term as a one-time thing with a date TBD. Depending on how it goes, it could become a more permanent occurrence in the future.

FeudalConnection was created for the community, and we want to abide by what the community wants as much as we can. We hope this will help in that endeavor.

You can find the link to the Interest Check Here.

As always, we welcome your feedback and will continue to do our best to bring love to the creators of this fandom.

-FeudalConnection

[kaidanworkshop]

Workshop Progress: May Update

As we enter the second week of May, each of the Workshop Teams have been burning the midnight oil working through the lines we received from our VA Paul Warren and preparing for implementation. You can always find more details about each of these updates via our developer diary. With no further ado:

Creation Kit & Assets Team: As the follower framework rebuild continues, we have successfully cleaned up several more bugs that existed in the base mod in addition to laying the foundation for line implementation. The biggest highlights are as follows: - Kaidan should no longer show up in locations he is not "allowed" to be unless you summon him. - We tweaked his follow radius to reduce collisions with the player - Kiai's horse AI has been completely rebuilt, with new flags to make sure Kiai is essential and won't affect the player's stealth meter - We set up the new global variables for the new nickname feature (as well as added a ton of new global variables to help regulate Kaidan's comments from firing off all the time) - Changed Kaidan's combat style from default to csHumanBoss2H as testing/prep for a future feature to adjust his combat style via dialogue - De-tangled ownership of Autumnwatch from Kaidan's romance path via a new variable; you can now get him the house without marrying him! We will be working with the Writing Team to come up with new dialogue for this new friendship path in the near future Besides the CK work, other members of the team have been hard at work splicing the 500+ individual lines we completed with Mr. Warren (260 lines, with minimum two takes per line). The entire staff has been voting on their preferred takes as the lines are separated, in preparation for KW_K01 implementation. Writing Team: One of our staff members joined our Community Team Lead for the directed session with Mr. Warren and was able to incorporate some of his feedback into our style guide, which has helped us tremendously with ensuring consistency across the staff. After several weeks of furious formatting and conversion into spreadsheets, the team has hit a great point in their task list overall. We have most of the original script separated by CK quest name, and have now turned our attention towards creating lines for the winning nicknames from the nickname poll conducted back in April. Additionally, we have begun to tentatively create new dialogue for several of the new features Kaidan will have added onto his framework; once we receive the go ahead from the CK & Assets Team that we are ready to begin implementation of those features, we will fast track these new excerpts of dialogue accordingly. Community Team: We are incredibly close to hitting $1000 in donations for our first month of fundraising! It has been absolutely riveting talking with members of our Discord and Tumblr, and we've gotten great suggestions that we're happy to see come to fruition via the CK & Assets Team. While we are still at least a week or two away from being able to put a video together for the new Kaidan intro quest, we are discussing setting up a livestream in our Discord sometime this weekend or early next week, to feature a few of our favorite lines from Mr. Warren. As soon as we decide on a date and time, we will update our socials to spread the word! Interested in joining the staff? We are currently accepting staff applications for the Creation Kit & Assets Team and the Community Team. You can find that info here.

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

I actually really like that the answers are just yes and no, it keeps things simple and clear :)

that’s the goal! I also have specific issues with “on my to-read list” and “never heard of it” as options:

for the former, there are really multiple gradations of intention-to-read for me — there are books I intend to read in the near future, there are the 1,614 books that are on my to-read list (not necessarily with intent to read in the near future), there are books I look at and think “yeah, I might read that at some point” (which is more, like, I can imagine reading that even if I don’t immediately want to read it right now), and then there are books I have no interest in reading.

if I’m presented with a binary choice between “on my to-read list” and “no” as answers to “have you read [X]?”, I feel like answering “on my to-read list” implies a misleading level of intention to read that I don’t necessarily feel, while — conversely — “no” implies a lack of interest that I also don’t necessarily feel. it’s too much!

“never heard of it” has a simpler and more practical problem, namely that people don’t always differentiate between having heard of the book and having heard of the movie, or the musical, or the TV show, in part because it’s hard to do so retroactively — I sometimes find myself indicating that I have heard of something and only belatedly go “wait, no, I knew there was a movie of this, and I wasn’t surprised to find out it’s based on something else, but I didn’t actually know about its original form”. also, people are scrolling through their dashboard and aren’t necessarily always reading exactly what the poll is asking — I’ve mis-voted on stuff before because I didn’t realize which blog the poll was actually from.

“yes” and “no” are the most straightforward options and so hopefully the easiest for everyone.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ellen Ioanes at Vox:

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died Sunday in a helicopter crash, a shocking turn of events that immediately raised questions about the Islamic Republic’s future.  In the short term, Raisi’s passing is unlikely to alter the direction of Iran’s politics. But it does remove one possible successor to 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In the long term, Raisi’s unexpected death may prove more consequential. The question of Khamenei’s succession is increasingly urgent because of his advanced age. Though Iran’s president can be influential in setting policy, the Supreme Leader is the real seat of power, controlling the judiciary, foreign policy, and elections. Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian’s helicopter made a hard landing sometime on Sunday in Iran’s mountainous northwest, where weather conditions made travel difficult and dangerous. Iranian state media announced the deaths of the two politicians and six others onboard, including three crew members, on Monday after rescue teams finally reached the crash site. The deaths of both Raisi and Amirabdollahian come at a time of internal and external challenges for the Iranian regime. A harsh crackdown after the widespread protests of 2022 and significant economic problems domestically have eroded the regime’s credibility with the Iranian people. Internationally, Iran is embroiled in a bitter regional conflict with Israel as well as a protracted fight with the US over its nuclear program.

In the near term, the first vice president, Mohammad Mokhber, will be the acting president as the country prepares to hold elections within the next 50 days as dictated by its constitution. (The Iranian government includes vice presidencies overseeing different government agencies, similar to US Cabinet-level secretaries; the first vice president is roughly equivalent to the US vice president.) Raisi was considered a potential successor to Khamenei, having already been vetted by the ruling clerics during his 2021 presidential run and having been committed to the regime’s conservative policies. With his death, amid one of the regime’s most challenging periods, Iran’s long-term future is a little less certain.

Within Iran, succession is the biggest question 

A hardline conservative cleric, Raisi always wore a black turban symbolizing his descent from the prophet Muhammad. His close relationship with the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fueled speculation that he could succeed Khamenei. The paramilitary force exerts significant sway over internal politics and also wields influence throughout the broader region through aligned groups and proxy forces in Iraq and Syria, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza.  Raisi was initially elected in 2021 with 62 percent of the vote, though turnout was only 49 percent — the lowest ever in the history of the Islamic Republic, evidence of the crisis of legitimacy in which the government increasingly finds itself. “People don’t want to legitimate the government by participating in what they consider either fraudulent or just non-representative political outcomes,” Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet, Walter H. Annenberg professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania, told Vox. 

Throughout his judicial career, Raisi is alleged to be responsible for or implicated in some of the government’s most brutal repression and human rights abuses since the 1979 revolution, including serving on the so-called Death Committee, which was tasked with carrying out thousands of extrajudicial executions of political prisoners in the 1980s. During and after the Iran-Iraq war, there were a number of groups opposed to the regime, as well as supporters of the Iraqi position and even an attempt to attack Iran from Iraq. In order to preserve the Islamic Republic’s legitimacy, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered a sweeping purge of the opposition; many of the dissidents who were arrested were chosen for execution arbitrarily.

Following the disputed 2009 election — which birthed the Green Movement, the most significant threat to the regime in decades — Raisi, then a high-level member of the judiciary, called for the punishment and even execution of people involved in the movement. And as president, he helped oversee the violent backlash to the Woman, Life, Freedom movement that erupted following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman arrested by the morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Raisi’s unpopularity due to his repressive past and worsening living standards for ordinary Iranians had helped further erode the government’s legitimacy, which may affect the upcoming presidential contest.

With the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi via a plane crash, it could have long-term effects, as Ayatollah Ali Khameini could be nearing the doorstep of death and succession plans to succeed him have been thrown into chaos.

[plasmasimagination]

hiya there!! congrats on 300 followers ^^ i hope hearing the news made your day and that you’ll have many more amazing milestones like this one,, oh! and when you read this, please have a drink of water — take care of yourself, ok? 🤍

for the matchup event, i’d like a matchup for the honkai star rail and genshin impact guys please!

~~~

i’m an enfp 4w3 and i’m currently a sciences student at school! deep down my passion is in voice acting, but i can’t pursue it for the time being because of my studies piling up xd

still, i have big dreams of landing character roles that people can relate to and potentially singing, voicing commercials or audiobooks!

in a perfect world, my dream future would be to devote the rest of my life to creating art that’s from my heart and that will move others!

i’m in a leadership role at school because i like to be of service to others in the greatest way possible. i didn’t get enough votes to be president, but i was voted to be secretary, so i take note of everyone’s ideas and also our final decisions at meetings!

i prefer to compile people’s ideas and try to make them all come true in some way than to lead people towards a singular cause. in that respect, i don’t always enjoy leading people or competition.

im also super into psychology and typology (mbti, enneagram) and can usually tell who’s what personality type after getting to know them a little~

while i’m ambiverted, i’m definitely a little more extroverted than introverted (the latter probably stems from fluctuating confidence). but anyways, i have a couple friends — and i get along best with the people who are intuitive types (mbti with the N).

i’m pretty distracted at times. i don’t always remember or hear things people say, which i’m hoping to improve on. in general, i like finding improvements to myself!

as for looove,, i’m pretty dreamy and romantic, but i’m not actively searching for love just yet. there’s so many things i wanna do with my life before truly settling down, but i won’t refuse getting to know “the one” if i meet them along the way.

my type is someone introverted/ambiverted. i’d really like a partner who has a different side to them when we’re alone~ — like shy guys in public who are dominant in private (*blushes*), or charismatic guys in public who need cuddles and a safe space in private. (i don’t mind it if they don’t fit this criteria! i’ll do all i can to give my partner a safe space regardless ^^)

i hope this wasn’t too long and that it all helps! have a lovely day! 🥰

HAII SWEETHEARTTTT oh my god now that I put it that way i seriously can't comprehend how big it is, and actually were on 352 by now like isn't that insane?? It's genuinely so crazy to me how plp actually enjoy my content like-....

Little a/n - also I'm so impressed by your like life and how put together you are like idk it just so cool to hear about your life and shi, keep doing you babe I'm your biggest supporter and hope to see you as a voice actor one day (｡˃ ᵕ ˂ *) ｳﾝ

Anyyyways... Time for your matchup woooo~👻

Your matchups are....

.

.

.

XIAO

Maybe not exactly the thing you're looking for, but surely worth a shot?

Partner that takes charge x partner that follows the other around like a puppy

Xiao isn't fond of making decisions, so he'll leave it up to you, but he will help in making the decision become reality if needed

He's also very passively supporting you. He understands that you wish to focus on your career and live life before settling down, and he's never gonna hold you down from it, he's gonna get out of your way in case you want to go out with friends or like clubs or traveling, though do reassure him sometimes otherwise he'll be very distant

Also generally it will take him a while to warm up to your but after that he'll follow you around and always be near you.

He considers you very intelligent and reliable, which makes him like you a lot more in a way, he enjoys the secure feeling you give off

Think of it as having a black cat pet, it always lingers around you but doesn't interact much, yet it still loves you. And in those rare moments it comes to cuddle with you it's like a blessing by the archons themselves

GEPARD

I don't know I just feel like after that deep matchup W xiao, that you deserve someone to actually love you properly

Busy busy man gepard who still finds time to spend with his sweetheart

He's the type of person who's forced to lead in a lot of situations, around you he enjoys letting you take over and he can just sit back and help you out without the hard decision making

He's very sweet but very professional in real life as we know because of status

But inside he's a big big softie

Random but I like to imagine he would write you little letters, sometimes just to tell you to stay safe and stuff but sometimes actual love letters where he expresses how much he loves you

But don't be fooled, at times he can also take the charge in things, so it's like getting the best of both worlds

He understands what it's like to want to focus on yourself and your future, so he's gonna step back if you need him to, he can wait months, years, however long you need to let him love you╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

[astercontrol]

Thoughts in no particular order.

I do not have any idea what is going to happen in the USA now, politically speaking. A lot is still terrifyingly uncertain.

If voting is still an option next election cycle, I'll still do it. But my trust in how much difference it can make is going down.

If I have any hope for the future of politics in this country, it's now mainly in the realm of how dictatorships have fallen in the past:

People are mortal. Tyrants die eventually. Sometimes the people who come into power afterwards are less horrible, and are willing to change things.

Sometimes.

If I have any hope for ordinary people being able to change things for the better in the near term… it's on a personal, direct level.

I am going to devote myself as much as possible to helping others directly. It may take me a while to decide what is the best path for me to do this. But that's where my focus will be.

My own physical and mental health is not good. In order to keep having enough strength to work and make money that I can use to help others, I'm going to have to focus a lot on self-care for a while.

This means I probably am going to have to set aside a lot of creative projects that I don't feel actively, enthusiastically motivated to do. (And right now I don't know what, if anything, I will feel motivated on. I don't choose my motivations or even understand them, and right now I have no idea what they're gonna do.)

If I've promised to do something related to a creative project (art, fiction, etc) for you, I'm sorry, but it is probably not going to happen any time soon.

I don't know what is.

But my overall goal is survival, for me and as many others as possible.

[topazadine]

Favorite Character Poll

Thank you for the tag, @drchenquill! I, of course, voted for Daisy on your poll. She just sounds so sweet, I want to wrap her up in a blanket.

Rules: list all your main ocs and give brief descriptions of them. then, create a poll with their names and allow your followers to vote on who their favourite character is.

I'll do the three MCs from 9 Years Yearning and see what comes up.

Uileac Korviridi

As a cavalryman of the Bremish Army, Uileac is good at two things: shooting people and riding horses. He is also good at embarrassing himself, particularly when it comes to love. Slim and slender, he resents his small stature, especially because it means that his sister Cerie, who is four years younger than him, is nearly his same height. Damn those male Korviridi genes!

Uileac is known for being even-tempered, competitive, sarcastic, and protective. He is loyal to the point that sometimes it clouds his judgment and gets him into trouble, but it's counterbalanced by his kindness toward those he loves most.

Fun fact: Uileac can swim, but he doesn't like to because his hair gets all gross and problematic. He'd rather sit on the shore and throw dry reeds at Orrinir. Once, he even made a flimsy little bow out of a bendy twig and a piece of twine so he could launch the reeds better.

Orrinir Relickim

Orrinir Relickim was a Future Boy: his parents gave him up to the War Academy when he was only six years old, where he worked as a domestic servant until he was old enough to join classes. As such, he has grown up his entire life around warfare and has the emotional wounds to match. He joined Infantry thanks to his excellent swordsmanship and his willingness to get up close and personal with the enemy, even if it means putting himself in danger.

A large, muscular man, Orrinir is earnest and affectionate, though he can bluster with the best of them. He often uses his loud, brash nature to hide the fact that he is a deeply emotional person whose feelings are easily hurt. A history of abandonment makes him cling to those he loves and follow them without question.

Fun fact: Once, Uileac told Orrinir that his father used to make peppermint cookies for their horses when he was a child. Orrinir scoured every recipe book he could find, then surprised Uileac with cookies for his horse, Erix, during Feast of the Horse.

Cerie Korviridi

Cerie is quite young during 9 Years Yearning, so we don't get to see a lot of her, but she grows exponentially during the rest of the series. Though she is quite timid due to trauma in the first book, her true personality - that of a sharp-tongued, stubborn, but loyal and determined woman - starts to shine through near the end.

Just as reserved and pragmatic as her older brother Uileac, Cerie makes up for her small form with a sharp personality. She is intensely devoted to the things she cares about - her High Poetry, family, and country - and will destroy anything she needs to in order to keep those things safe. Cerie may not be outwardly emotional most of the time, but her expressive poetry gives away all those feelings she can't bear to show.

Fun fact: Cerie has always wanted her own horse, but Uileac is very adamant that she can only have one when she's shown herself to be a very, very good equestrian. But he's also selfish AF with letting her ride Erix ... a true catch-22 ....

Tag list (omg look I made one!!) (ask to be added or removed if you would like)

Tumblr tag list: @kuebiko-writing @ryns-ramblings @cain-e-brookman @halfbit @macabremoons @theverumproject @mysticstarlightduck @aquadestinyswriting @urlocalwitch555 @sarahswriting @davycoquette @aalinaaaaaa @theaistired @glasshouses-and-stones @somethingclevermahogony @the-golden-comet @wyked-ao3 @avaseofpeonies @finickyfelix @gioiaalbanoart

[gear-project]

Annon-Guy: I'm making a new voting poll regarding fighting games and I thought I'd ask you one fighting game fan to another about what you think of the following games? (You can message me instead of replying this in the ask box if you prefer)

Street Fighter

Soul Calibur

Virtua Fighter

The King of Fighters

Dead or Alive

BlazBlue

Bloody Roar

Melty Blood

Phantom Breaker: Omnia

SkullGirls

Mortal Kombat 1

GranBlue Fantasy Versus: Rising

DNF Duel

Been a while since somebody asked me my thoughts on Fighting Games in general, so I might as well respond in a post:

Street Fighter 6 has loads of fresh potential, and I'm actually thinking about coming back to this series after my extended hiatus (the only problem being I can't afford games at the moment, hehe). Though I will still continue to take a passive "casual" approach to playing any and all fighting games, like I usually do. Capcom games tend to be a deep sore point with me in the past because of how hardcore the userbase typically is, so if I DO return, I'll be taking it very slow.

I'm STILL CURRENTLY PLAYING SC6 IF ANYONE ASKS. I'm just fully absorbed in farming/forging weapons in Libra of Souls. In fact, I just got a Level 90 Balor Scythe with 50% (max) critical hit rating! I got lucky today! I know Harada recently said he was partly responsible for "Euthanizing" Soul Calibur's development team as-is, but I still haven't given up hope for Soul Calibur 7, that is literally how much this series means to me... Soul Calibur is second only to Samurai Shodown and Guilty Gear in my heart of hearts.

Virtua Fighter: Sigh... that's a game I haven't played in eons... I played Dead or Alive 5 when the VF cast were guests in that title, and I goofed around a little bit with them, but to me that series always felt "basic" in terms of character appeal... sure a few characters were interesting, but I haven't really delved in to the game since it matured to more advanced graphics. I get that lots of fans (like Rooflemonger) are diehard VF fans for technical reasons, and I respect that... it's just to me these characters are the 3D equivalent of early Street Fighter concepts and that generic-ness never really appealed to me.

KOF... I have mixed feelings about this series: on the one hand the character designs are always peak or near-peak, and the music is always great... on the other hand the Team-based combat resources they've relied on for years feels rather dull to me. If they took even half of what BlazBlue Crosstag used and applied it to KOF, that would spice things up for me considerably. I've played my share of these games, Garou Densetsu: City of the Wolves (Fatal Fury) is going to do lots of things KOF has not done in a long time. My biggest beef with KOF is the fact it's so hard to earn meter and use it. I'm a Guilty Gear player, so Tension is super important to me, so I guess Gold Burst spoiled me in that regard, but still... KOF resources feel like they could use a fresh coat of paint in my humble opinion.

Dead or Alive... I actually haven't played since DoA5U to be honest, but at the same time this series has some goofiness to it that I always liked. The Combo freedom of the series always felt good to me, though there's a huge technical aspect to the attacks and hits, so it takes a long time to really understand what you're doing in that game... I also struggle with the Izuna Command Throws in that game, but I think I really love the counter parry system the most (even if some people hate it, I think it's very intuitive as a defensive tool). In terms of characters and roster, there's a lot that's both absurd and cool at the same time... and I think most DoA fans understand it... though the fanservice DOES get out of hand (we're an FGC community, not a BROTHEL). But sometimes they hit the nail on the head with DLC costumes, so that's a plus.

Barring what Mori has planned for BlazBlue in the future... I just really loved goofing around with mods in Central Fiction (I feel sorry for Console BB players as they are missing out on a lot of fun in the PC community). BlazBlue has always played second fiddle to Guilty Gear for many years, but despite this, it grew its own dedicated community to the point where you can TELL THE DIFFERENCE between a GG fan and a BB fan, and I respect that. Also, shoutouts to Ishiwatari for composing fresh music for BlazBlue that is a far cry different from the usual music we hear in Guilty Gear. It's just a fresh feeling whenever I play BB instead of GG, to be honest.

Beastorizor... Honestly, I had the misfortune to only ever play a demo of this game back on the PSX (PlayStation One console), so I was never lucky enough to get access to these games on a regular basis. I really like them, to be honest, and related to this but I also got in the manga "Killing Bites" because of how similar it is to Bloody Roar in concept... so I kinda wish Killing Bites had a crossover with Bloody Roar one day... that's how cool this series became in my mind. Also the art style and visuals were "very similar" to the Prototype build of Guilty Gear prior to the shift to 2D sprites for the first game back in 1998. Outside of Bloody Roar, Battle Arena Toshinden has a very similar art style to Guilty Gear's as well back in the day. BR is a very nostalgic game to me. I just wish Konami would get off their high horse and make a fresh game already.

I own Type Lumina (and Actress Again) on PC, and I've barely scratched the surface of that game to be perfectly honest. Melty Blood always felt like a different kind of game to me... in fact all French Bread games feel different from your typical "fixed combo fighter" games... they really put emphasis on options and freedom in these games, and I always appreciated that. The Moon system in the older games was just like EX Mode in Guilty Gear... so many variations you could pick to suit your play style, it was amazing, really. Also, the fact Lumina can customize your character sprite colors is the cherry on top... few 2D fighting games can brag to the idea that you can make your own unique colors, and Melty Blood is always going to be in my thoughts at some point. Also, I'm a huge fan of NekoARC Chaos... and no one can change that aspect of me!

Phantom Breaker... unfortunately I have never played this game, or seen it, so I can't really say much, though I know a few people who play it. My fighting game library is large, so sometimes I miss the boat on some titles, sadly.

Skullgirls... yet another game I barely play, though I keep saying it: the animation style feels optimal to what I would expect a Darkstalkers Remake to be. This series has a lot of Legal History that is plaguing it at the moment, but I still trust in the REAL SOVIET HEART of Mike Zaimont to pull through one day. I think this game has a lot of innovative concepts that people barely realize should exist in fighting games, and they're STILL adding new characters to this day as well! Well, it's yet another reminder that I have to get more DLC for this game later...

Mortal Kombat 1 (not to be confused with my nostalgic feelings for the Sega Genesis Port of the First MK game)... to be honest I've barely finished playing MK11 to really shift gears and play MK1, though I've heard some controversial discussions about the DLC of late, I have no idea what Ed Boon has in mind for the game's future... it's a tad different from older MK games to say the least, but they're still doing lots of fun stuff with it, so that's always good. And Ed knows how to spin a good yarn if Story mode is any indication.

Granblue... ohhhhh mannn.... I want to play Rising so bad... I want to play Relink too... I'm just broke. T~T Granblue will always be fun to me... and the fact they're adding costume and weapon elements to the game is just so great, plus the RPG mode makes me wish more games did what they do. Just the fact Granblue is being made by Soul Calibur's devs is also a nostalgic and great feeling as well. I'm still a hardcore fan of Vaseraga, to say the least... I'm also looking forward to trying 2B again as well (which is ironic, since 2B is ALSO in Soul Calibur 6).

DNF Duel... yet another game I haven't touched yet... I'm falling behind... it's killing me, honestly. I have yet to play Dungeon Fighter as well... though if DNF Duel really wants to appeal to me, they'll add an actual DUNGEON Mode to the game. That's my wish, at least.

Okay, I think that's everything... I just wish my PC was functioning and I could afford half the games on this list more. And I still have my eye on the latest Under Night In-Birth game as well... sigh... so much to think about...