#gender neutral speech

[hoovesandfloorpaws]

[since everything under a Read More cut gets deleted in case a blog deletes/gets deleted and the WayBackMachine isn't so good with pictures, for Archive Purposes only, I will add the most important bits of the full post.] [...] In a Swedish interview, Harry said “Ah, okej. Jag kan spela dubbelt, det ar okej for mig.” [...]

(source) [...] translation:

Interviewer: All the famous boybands have a member who is gay. (Westlife, Backstreet boys, Boyzone, N*Sync) Who of One Direction is most likely to come out? Zayn: Louis are the most camp. (They boys agree) Liam: But we don’t say you are gay, just that you are most likely to come out. Harry: Oh okay, I can play double, that's okay for me.

There’s two possibilities here: 1) Harry is trying to make Louis less uncomfortable or 2) He actually is bi.

I don’t really think Harry would put himself out there just to relieve pressure from Louis, because that’s a really big claim to make. I like to think he was being honest (Harry has always been a weirdly honest person anyways), but then again he has always been very protective about Louis’s sexuality. In this interview in 2011 he tries to stop Zayn from [outing Louis and accidentally outs him himself]:

Since there’s no way of knowing which is the ultimate truth, let’s move on to a new topic: Gender Ambiguity.

SInce the beginning of time (or at least the formation of 1d), girls have fallen head over heels for the boys. [...] This of course leads to the question, “What do you look for in a girl,” a question which Harry always answers in a very interesting way:

Int: “What do you look for in a girl?” Harry: “I think someone that’s funny. Someone who’s a nice person. And has a nice smile… something like that.”

Hey, Louis is funny, and nice, and has an amazing smile.

Int: “What do you look for in a girlfriend?” Harry: “Nice person with a good sense of humour, nice smile, and a nice bum!”

Refraining from once again inserting a comment about Louis’s amazing sense of humour, gorgeous smile, and shapely ass. Also I’m not going to remind you that a while ago Harry gave an entire speech about how Louis is always hilarious because of his perfect timing.

Int: “What qualities do you look for in a girlfriend?” Harry: “I just like people that are friendly, that you can get along with easily. I think that if you’re supposed to get on with someone, it’s easier to get on with them if you don’t have to put much effort to get along and make conversation. If it’s right it just kind of happens.

I think this one is the most obvious gender ambiguous one, because Harry makes it very clear that he’s just looking for someone he gets along with. [...]

Here we go again with the complete gender neutrality. _

Int: “Is it hard to meet girls who take you as a real person, not a pop star?”

_

For this next one I don’t have a GIF, but go to this interview here, around 3:28. (the video is not available on YT anymore.. i wonder why 👁)

Int: “What’s the one thing you look for in a potential girlfriend?” Harry: “I think just someone who has a good sense of humor. And like, if you can hold a conversation with him, that kind of helps.”

Okay, from all of these instances I think we can conclude that Harry makes an active effort to keep his ideal romantic interest gender-neutral. There’s really no way that it can be a coincidence, because the interviewers essentially set up the questions to be answered as “I like a girl who…,” yet Harry always changes the feminine pronoun to an ambiguous gender. This is a conscious effort on his part.

People tend to repeat back the language that they are given, yet despite being fed questions dealing with feminine pronouns, Harry consistently speaks in gender neutral terms. This is deliberate. 

Firstly he has his wonderful “Love is Equal” shirt, which was created by a company to support gay rights, and he also went to a gay nightclub, Le Bain, on March 22nd, 2012.

Neither of these really tell us anything in particular [...] we can really never know until he tells us, if he ever does. But what we do know is that he has placed some very strong hints our way showing that his sexuality is not clean cut as the media makes it out to be.

1D Studies--Harry's Sexuality

Listen to me ramble about Harry Styles, one of the most perfect human beings in the world, and constantly occasionally bring up Larry Stylinson while doing so.

DISCLAIMER: None of what I say is fact. This post is not meant to be offending or derogatory; I simply want to bring up some points. What his sexuality is or is not really doesn’t matter, but nevertheless it is relevant.

Keep reading

[klanced]

when adam met 11yo keith he immediately knew that keith was gay and was like i have GOT to support this kid!! (runs into traffic) meanwhile shiro spent years operating under the assumption that keith had like a gender thing going on

[tixdixl]

Ever since I noticed the different ways Vil signals her gender identity and gender presentation in the original Japanese, the more and more I wish that there was a way for us to get a complete revision of Book 5 where the nuances of Epel's cultural identity, Vil's gender presentation, and the ways the two clash in cultural understandings and ideals are ACTUALLY demonstrated in the localization for English only readers. Because they aren't. Vil's gender presentation and Epel's cultural rootedness are both watered down and erased from the English. And what's worse is watching both turn into superficial charicatures of their intended design, in order to accommodate an uninformed Western audience.

With Epel's very specific rural understanding of masculinity and feminity, and Vil's urban, gender-nonconforming understanding of masculinity and feminity, we have an incredibly nuanced and intersectional conversation about self-realization. And English only fans get to see none of it.

Of COURSE Epel is rejective of Vil's expectation of embracing feminitiy. He's a cis male who grew up likely in the rural country side, with hints of rural, possibly rural Osakan dialect in his dialogue. Of COURSE his expectations of masculinity and feminity clash with Vil, a femme non-binary person who is both an idol/celebrity and who has lived her entire life in urban settings. He likely has deep seated misogyny that he has to contend with. He likely has deep seated transphobia that he has to contend with. It's not that he himself is dysphoric; it's that his expectations of masculinity, his tate shakai, and his understanding of collectivism reject and clash with a sub-culture that permits and encourages the exploration of self expression, and views those forms of self realization AS maintaining the collectivist status quo, rather than violating it. When his understanding of self-realization dictates he must be and act a certain way as to not break the collectivist status quo, of course, Epel looks at Vil and thinks that what she is asking him to do is uncomfortable.

Of COURSE Vil sees Epel's rural world view and wishes to challenge him on it. Of COURSE she also FAILS to understand his perspective and find it irritating and uncouthed. She ALSO has biases against rural cultures, as indicative by her dialogue and Tokyo dialect. It's not that she wants Epel to "become girly", but rather that she wants to see him fit in and join the mold of Pomefiore. Because in Pomefiore and in the idol world, ruralisms and a rooted rural identity clash with the status quo. Her understanding of the collectivist culture and mindset within the dorm and within her culture dictate that HE is the one stepping out of line... all while he believes SHE is the one stepping out of line.

There are just so many layers here, and without any help from the localization, nor cultural understandings of the values and norms that inform the writing of this game.... of course. Of course Book 5 is watered down.

[ilyrouxls]

Amusement Parks Have Rouxls Too

Rouxls Kaard x Reader

(Fluff, Gender-Neutral Reader, Not Canon AU idk, Y/n used)

Your sibling Kris forces you to join them with their friends and Rouxls to go to the Amusement Park. Chaos, failed flirting attempts, jealousy, and disaster oh my!

You awake early on this Saturday morning to grey clouds covering the city, and cold air nipping at the people outside. A morning like this called for a warm beverage and a pile of blankets. Settling for hot cocoa, you feel excited thinking about everything you won’t have to do today. You stir the packet of Cocoa mix into a warm glass of water. No college, no chores, no work, and no terrible coworkers. It’s only 10am, so you still have a lot of time to waste indulging in doing nothing. It’s perfect for the first day of Winter Break. Of course, until Kris had decided to text you.

“Y/n. come to the amusement park with us.’ So unspecific, per usual of your texts with Kris. They seemed to have a knack for never telling you the full details while at the same time also leaving you on read. Sipping on the steaming cocoa, you write back a response; ‘1. Lol. why? 2. Who is going? 3. Why??’ Kris is always a handful for you, but you love them to death. When you had decided to move out, you chose to not move far so that you could still see them easily. You're glad that you had chosen to do that considering after you moved out, Asriel soon did as well. Asriel is sadly much farther away than you, so Kris began taking the bus to see you. You appreciate it a lot more than you’d ever admit. You both weren’t really close when you were younger, so it’s nice that you’re closer nowadays.

‘Ralsei, Susie, Noelle, Berdly, Lancer, me. The usual. Rouxls is gonna be there too. Meet us at 11.’ You sigh, Kris didn’t even give you an option to not go. And now if you don’t show up you’ll look like an asshole. Damn it, they’ve got you cornered.

On the flip side, Rouxls will be there. Your feelings for him are… complicated. He’s annoying, obnoxious, and quite frankly outright irritating. But these traits are why you’re madly in love with him. If you look past the three previously named traits, he’s genuinely sweet and caring. Especially towards his adopted son Lancer, aka his lesser son. You don’t really know the story between them because you've never asked; it seemed too personal when you first met him and now it seems like it’s too late in the friendship to ask. Rouxls certainly is an interesting character, you can’t tell if he likes you or not. He always calls you a puny small worme or a peon, or other names along those lines.

You drink the last of your cocoa, wash the mug, and think of the pros and cons of going. Cons; Being in a crowded Amusement park, scary rollercoaster rides, tons of people, and annoying kids. Pros; The Fun Gang, hanging around Kris, an opportunity to romance Rouxls…….

‘I’ll get ready, see ya soon.’

Your face feels hot, this could actually work out if you play your kaards right. The amusement park is the perfect place for you two to get closer. It almost makes you giddy thinking about it. Correction, it actually does make you giddy. You smile as you go to shower and tidy yourself up.

Showering is easy but picking out an outfit is hard. You want to impress Rouxls by looking your best, but not too overdressed. You want to be comfy, but not under dressed... It’s an overly complicated process, but eventually you pick something to your liking. You pack a bag with a thin blanket, so you all can sit in the grass at lunch of course, and your wallet. Soon enough, you drive over to the amusement park, planning your ‘devious’ plan.

The local amusement park isn’t far from the city you live in, but it’s a little farther to get to from where Kris lives. Your parents, Toriel and Asgore of course, used to take the family during the Winter and Spring a lot. Asriel always wanted to play the games to earn prizes but Kris wanted to ride all the rides. So you guys always did both. Kris won all the prizes, but got forced to share against their will. Asriel would get sick from Roller Coasters, but still went on them so as to not ruin the fun. You never weren’t much into games at the time and were too scared to go on the rides. What you enjoyed the most was the atmosphere; sitting in the grass, enjoying your family's presence, and watching the sunset at night. But besides that, you liked cheering both of your siblings on! The good old days of youth. One thing that’s definitely changed is that you would totally play the games now.

Soon enough you arrive at the amusement park and you already feel your anxiety kick in. There’s a lot of people, scary rides, and Rouxls Kaard here. That’s a lot of things that are scary. ‘Where r u? I'm here’ You send Kris the text, and try to gain the balls to go out. You take a deep breath and get out with your bag and head toward the entrance. You feel a buzz in your pocket and pull out your phone to read what Kris said while you stand in line. ‘Already got entrance tickets, trying to buy tickets for rides and games atm.’ You smile, it’s been a bit since you’ve seen Kris. They honestly brighten your day when you see them.

Going up to the entrance to buy tickets, you see a skeleton snoring at the ticket booth. “Uhm… excuse me..” You say, hoping to get their attention. The skeleton stirs and looks up to you, but keeps their head in their arms. “Oh, hey-o. Wanna ticket or somethin’?” His voice was monotone yet he kept a tight grin on his face, a bit friendly but a bit unnerving at the same. You hope he’s actually an employee, but his attire wasn't exactly a uniform.

Blindly trusting the suspicious guy, you nod your head. You were similar to Kris, not one for conversation but more in a socially awkward way. You pull out your money and put it on the counter. You focus your gaze into the park while the worker, if he even is a worker at all, gets your ticket. There's a chance you just gave your money to a scammer. You look past the gates and there in the distance you can see the Fun Squad!

… Oh no.

The scene before you plays out like this; Kris and Susie are shaking the ticket machine, Ralsei is frantically trying to stop them, Berdly is standing a couple feet away trying to act like he doesn’t know them, Noelle is at a different ticket machine, Lancer is hanging onto the machine gleefully, and Rouxls defeatedly sitting on the ground with his head in his hands. Oh boy, today is gonna be a long day. “Know 'em?” The worker at the ticket booth asks you. You make a face, knowing the fate in store for you when you walk in, "Yeah." He hands you your ticket and you thank him before going in.

“Guys don’t go breaking the ticket machine please... We just got here, we can't get kicked out yet!” You say, walking up to the group. “Ah! Finally, the assistance has arivedetheth.” Rouxls stands up and exclaims exasperatedly; it seems like he already tried to stop Kris and Susie. Kris and Susie stop shaking the machine and Kris runs up to you, giving you the biggest hug. Smiling, you hug back and ask, “So, what’s the issue with the ticket machine?”

Susie rolls her eyes and walks over to you. “We thought if we shook it hard enough the tickets would come flying out and we would save our money.” You can’t help but laugh a little because that makes sense now. "Don't worry, I got enough tickets for everyone while you guys were... doing what you did." Noelle says, tickets in hand. Seems like she was the only one with a brain. She hands out tickets to everyone, what a saint she is. As the Fun Gang begins to move towards the rides they desire, you fall a little back to walk with Rouxls. For no particular reason of course. “So, what made you want to tag along Rouxls?” You imagine the reason was probably that he wanted to watch Lancer, but you still ask regardless just so you have something to talk about. “Well, I wasn’t planning on attending, but I heardeth thou were going to be here and decidetheth to join along to so thou shall not be watching these little worms alone.” You don’t know whether to feel flattered that he cares for your well-being or offended for calling them worms. It makes you wonder whether Kris asked Rouxls to come by pretending you were already going, and vice-versa for yourself. What a trickster they are, if it was purposeful. “Aw, that’s sweet of you to tag along for me. Thank you, I appreciate it. The kids aren’t worms though.” You giggle, looking at your feet instead of him. He chuckles in response and you both walk in silence.

Soon enough the kids found the first roller coaster they wanted to ride on. The start of your master plan began to set in motion, or so you were hoping. You wanted to pull a few super smooth moves on Rouxls, but you were, conveniently, inconvenienced every time you tried. The first inconvenience was when you tried to ask Rouxls to get on the rollercoaster in the same cart as you. But he declined, saying something along the lines of rollercoasters was for worms and that he would never. The look on his face gave it away though, he was scared of them. So you were you so it was kind of a good thing. Instead you decided to join him watching the kids ride their rollercoaster. You were excited to get alone time with Rouxls until your second inconvenience happened. Ralsei wasn't able to handle the roller coaster and the poor little guy got sick, so he sat with you both for the rest of the rides. It reminded you of when Asriel got sick from roller coasters all the time when you were kids. You did feel bad for Ralsei, but you were also secretly cursing him for accidentally ruining your alone time.

After the last ride ends and everyone gets off the ride, you ask, “Okay everyone, are we getting hungry?” You get a collection of answers such as, “Hell yeah!” and, “Yes please.” Pretty obvious who those two answers came from. Kris takes the lead and shows everyone the way to the food and snack portion of the park. The stands around you smell delicious and the food looks great, but you can only think of one thing. Cotton candy. It’s been years since you’ve had authentic amusement park cotton candy, and it was the only food on your mind.

Seeing the stand in the distance, you start to veer away from the group with it being the only thing on your mind. “Huh? Y/n, where are you going?” Noelle's voice calls out from behind you, and you point at the booth. Heading over to it, you notice the man running the stand is the previous man from the entrance ticket booth.

“I thought you worked at the ticket booth?” You ask him when you get to the front of the line. The guy looks up and his grin seemingly gets wider. “Ha, I s’pose I multitask. It’s a skele-ton of work though.” He winks, and you can’t help but laugh a little at the pun but also cringe at it. “Oh I bet, sounds like you get worked down to the bone.” He snorts at equally cringey pun while you hand him the money, and he starts making your cotton candy. “Didn't read you as the type to like puns.” You look at him a bit confused. “Are you a professional at knowing whether someone likes puns or not?” He chuckles, "Perhaps." You roll your eyes and laugh. He hands you your cotton candy and you turn to walk back to the group.

After you turn around, you notice all the kids are playing tag on an empty grass hill nearby. Rouxls is standing nearby but instead of watching them, he's watching you. When your gaze meets his, he turns and watches the kids. You could imagine it but it seemed weird that he was watching you, his face looks a bit angry too. Was he mad that... you got cotton candy? Maybe he wanted some too. Putting that aside, you walk back to the group. The kids are all playing a seemingly intense game of tag, but it looks like they got themselves some snacks and put it in a pile nearby. You walk toward Rouxls and say, “Sorry about that, it took a little bit. I’ve got a blanket for us all to sit on.” He doesn't say anything, but you set your bag down and grab the blanket you packed and lay it on the ground. Rouxls sits on one end while you sit on the other, eating a bit of your cotton candy. Awkward silence ensues.

…

“So, did thou know the man at that stand? Thee both seemedeth.. uhm.. quiteth friendly.” The question broke the silence but didn't make any sense. “Oh, no not really. He was also the guy running the ticket stand. Kinda weird to be running both areas right? He was also making some cheesy puns.” Rouxls makes a hm sound in reply, leaving you with more questions than answers. Rouxls' weird attitude made it seemed like he could be jealous of the way you acted with the ticker stand slash food stand worker. But that's too cliche to be true, right?

You want to break the tension but you’re not sure how to with the way he's shut your previous conversation down. Staring at the yummy sugary treat you hold in your hand, an idea sparks to life in that brain of yours. Slowly, and hopefully not noticeably, you scoot your way closer to Rouxls. In a matter of seconds you’re so close that the both of you are almost touching arms. He doesn’t seem to notice thankfully, he’s staring at the kids but it seems like he’s actually spacing out. “Have you ever had cotton candy before, Rouxls?” You ask, finally breaking the silence. He jumps at your voice and turns to you in a surprised manner. He was definitely spacing out based on the slightly shocked expression he holds. “A-Ah, I didn’t realize you- thou got so.. close. No, I hath never had whatever thou speak of. He almost broke his façade but he picked it back up quickly... you always knew he probably exaggerated or faked his way of speaking. You smile and push the cotton candy close to his face and say, “It’s called ‘cotton candy’, and you should try some! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, basically it’s sugar that gets heated up into liquid and then spun into this like uh, soft cloud threads? I’m not sure how to describe it but you should try it.”

His cheeks flush a dark blue in a way that makes it seem like he could be blushing, but you’re not sure. “Are you sure? Isn’t it yours?” You nod your head, and he hesitates for a second but then he takes a surprisingly good sized bite out of the cotton candy and his eyes light up in delight. “Mm, tch-at is pretty, mm, good.” He mumbles, mouth full of cotton candy. You can’t help but giggle at his cute behavior. He glares at you, but it seems playful enough that you don’t mind. You pull the cotton candy back to you and take a bite, then bring it back to him to eat. From an outside perspective it probably seems like you two are a couple. You don’t mind at all, you hope he doesn’t mind either.

The kids finally tire out and join you both on the blanket to eat their lunch. You all share some laughs, and before long lunch passes by and the real fun begins. Susie suggests you go to the arcade, and of course you all agree. When you get there, Berdly loudly exclaims, "We should do a competition to see who is the best overall gamer! I know you all know I am undoubtedly the best, but I'm sure you're all eager to try to beat me." Ignoring his gloating for a second, that actually sounds pretty fun. "Sure, can I go against you first?" You ask him, you can't wait to kick this kid's ass. Berdly smirks and picks out some random shooter game. The others begin to pick out their competition and go to other games. While you get ready to start your epic match against Berdly, Rouxls walks over to you. "I am admittedethly not good with video games, so I wisheth thee luck on winning. I have no doubth that thou shall win." Even though you were sure he was just being nice, your heart can't help but flutter that he went out of his way to wish you luck. You played against Berdly a few times, and let's just say you won by a long shot. Even though Rouxls said he wasn't good at video games, you managed to get him to play a couple of games with you. He did pretty well for his first time, only struggling every once in a while. Then Kris joined in and basically annihilated everyone. They always did have a knack for games, always winning while barely putting in effort to it. These events have led up to now, where you’re all surrounding Kris and Susie, the last competitor against Kris. They’re playing Dance Dance Revolution and both of them are trying their hardest to win. Who knew Susie was this good at dancing, she was really holding out against Kris. Everyone was cheering for who they thought was going to win. You could hear Noelle cheering for Susie the loudest though, how cute.

The song was just about to end with Susie winning when suddenly she missed a note. The game flashed with a finish sign and showed their scores. Kris won by barely a smidge of points. “GODDAMN IT KRIS, I WAS ABOUT TO WIN!” Susie exclaims and in a fit of rage punched the screen, smashing it. Everyone stands in shock and you hear someone shout, “Hey! What do you think you're doing!” Looking to where you heard the shout, you see a guy who looks to be the manager and a couple security guards running towards you all quickly. In a rush of panic you yell, “RUN AND HIDE!!”

You all run out of the arcade, scrambling in different directions to hide on various attractions. You pause in the middle of a crowd outside the arcade unsure where to go, when a hand grabs yours and drags you along with them. Startled, you look and see Rouxls is the one who grabbed you. You both run towards the nearest ride to hide, the Ferris wheel. The worker, obviously clueless to the previous arcade incident, lets you into the box and starts the ride up. You take a seat to catch your breath.

Rouxls sits next to you, in the same state as you. “That was quiteth… hah.. an exciting and scary predicamenteth.” You nod your head feverishly in agreement. Pulling out your phone, you send a quick text to Kris informing them that Rouxls and you escaped to the Ferris wheel and that everyone should meet up in 10-15 minutes at the front. You know it's a bit annoying that you all have to hide out for that long, but it's better safe than sorry in case the guards go to the gate now. They don't text back yet, and you hope they're okay along with everyone else.

Suddenly, realization hits you in the face. Rouxls and you are alone. In a Ferris wheel. By yourselves. Alone. Did you mention alone? Your face warms up and your body starts to feel uncomfortably sweaty. Even though you were trying to woo him from the start and this is the perfect place. But now that it's happening with no interruptions this time, it's making your body feel like it wants to collapse and yet always throw yourself out of the window. You feel too scared to make a move so instead you decide to look out the window. You didn’t realize how long you all were playing arcade games until you looked, the sun is already setting behind the clouds. It was beautiful, it had already passed the orangey stage and was now in the darker stages. Dark purples, pinks, and light blues painted the sky. Some stars even started showing up.

“Rouxls! Look at the sunset, it’s beautiful right now.” You lean back into your seat to allow Rouxls to see the sunset from your window. Instead of looking from where he was sitting next to you, he scoots closer and leans over you to see the sunset. He stretches out his arm putting his hand on your thigh and his other hand on your shoulder to steady himself. His face lights up looking at the sky, and he smiles peacefully. You blush and oh my god do you want to kiss him right there and then, but you don’t want to interrupt the moment. He looks absolutely stunning in the lighting, the sun dimly reflecting against him, enhancing his features perfectly and making his hair look angelic. You try not to stare but you can’t help it.

Rouxls turns his head away from the sunset and instead looks at you. Your eyes meet and slowly Rouxls leans closer to you. He’s so close you can feel his shaky breaths against your face. To say you were freaking out in your head was an understatement, your thoughts were running a million miles a minute. You’ve been wanting to kiss him for months now, and it felt like it was about to happen. You want to make the move, but you feel frozen staring into his eyes. Rouxls makes the first move, and finally seals the gap and kisses you. It takes a moment, but you reciprocate the kiss and put your arms around his neck while he moves his hand from your shoulder up to hold your face. His lips feel soft and taste sweet, the flavor of cotton candy still lingering on his lips even after all this time. You both pull apart and you feel a little winded. “I apl- aplogizeth for not asking to kiss thou.. I couldn’th help myself.” Rouxls trips up a little on his words, but you understood what he said. “It’s okay, I’ve been wanting to kiss you for months- I mean it’s okay yeah don’t worry. Don't think about what I just said.” You accidentally overshare that little tidbit of info and try to laugh it off nervously. Rouxls smiles and kisses your cheek, which reassures you that he didn’t mind.

A minute or two passes, and Ferris wheel finally brings you both to the bottom to get off. Rouxls stands up and holds out his hand gentlemanly for you. You take his hand and hold it tightly, and he leads you off the Ferris wheel. With your free hand, you take out your phone and see Kris has texted a few times updating the situation.

‘Okay, I got stuck in a ball pit. A security guard is near me.’ (8:21pm) ‘The security guard just walked past me.’ (8:28pm) ‘THE SECURITY GUARD ALMOST SAW ME’ (8:34pm) ‘IM RUNING RNW OMG HE IS RUNIGB AFTER ME I WILL HAVE TO’ (8:35pm) ‘Sorry for the typos and not finishing my sentence. I’m safe now, we’re all here at the entrance except Rouxls and you.’ (8:39pm) ‘We’re leaving without you two with mom. If I see that you're both in the news for getting arrested, we aren’t gonna bail you out lol. And I'll print out your mugshot and hang it up in the house.’ (8:45pm).

You can’t help but laugh at the series of texts Kris sent. You update them that you’re okay and that Rouxls and you got stuck on the Ferris wheel. You shiver, now that the adrenaline is gone you realize how cold the night has gotten. Rouxls looks at you at you concerned and you say, "Sorry, don't worry. I'm just a little cold." He smiles and replies, "Ah, I see. It does seemeth to have gotten quite cold from when we hadth first arrivedeth. If you are cold dear, then taketh my coat." Rouxls lets go of your hand and takes off his coat, handing it to you. Although flustered, you take it gratefully and put it on. The coat is warm since he had been just wearing it, and is stops you're shivers in a matter of seconds, the jacket was a bit big on you but you didn’t care. You grab his hand again, already missing the feeling of it. “Thank you for the jacket, you’re never getting it back ever again. The kids left with my mom, so it’s just you and me. We better get to the parking lot quickly before security recognizes us.” You tell him and the both of you speed walk and get to the parking lot quickly. As you approach your car Rouxls suddenly stops. “Are you okay? What’s up?” You ask concerned, still holding his hand. “Uhm.. I just realizedth that thy mother took me here with Lancer, it was convenienth at the time to not take two cars...”

…

“Oh.”

“Luckily Lancer is with them. I think they’re all going to have a sleepover, I heard them mention it earlier at lunch.” You say and Rouxls sighs in relief that Lancer will be okay. While wondering how Rouxls will get home, a thought crosses your mind. You tug on his hand to get his attention, “Hey, wanna have a sleepover of our own? You can stay at my apartment for the night and then in the morning I can take you to pick up Lancer and take you both home.” Your face heats up, while your offer is meant to be innocent, your thoughts can’t help but imagine some not so innocent scenarios.

Rouxls looks surprised by your offer and you hope you didn’t over step. “I mean of- of course you don't have to, I can just take you home instead and then you can do your own things. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable-“ Rouxls cuts off your rambling by squeezing your hand reassuringly. You stop and look at him, and he leans down to kiss your cheek. “Don’t fret dear, I would love to stayeth over at thy home.” You smile, happy that he wasn’t offended and happy that he actually accepted your offer. You turn toward your car and you pull him close, walking hand in hand together.

“Alright then, let’s go!”

(Orginally posted on AO3 9-12-22, 4551 words)

(Based off of a dream I had January 2022. In the dream I had, instead of sharing cotton candy it was a bowl of white rice and I was feeding it to Rouxls. Just plain white rice. Not on a grassy hill, no no no we were just below the Ferris wheel on the concrete for no reason. Then Kris, Susie, and Ralsei come over and get all mad that we were sitting and eating because we were supposed to be in the arcade playing games. So yeah that dream inspired this lol)

[bloodpen-to-paper]

A thing I noticed that I wanted to share

At the start, it was the English speakers and the Spanish speakers. You'd most likely be more accustomed to one of those sides and stick to the ones you speak the language of if you're monolingual.

Then the Brazilians were added, and it became the English/Spanish speakers and the Brazilians. Still two sides, but the previous ones merged. The QSMP community were used to the original members, and the Brazilians were this new group we knew nothing about.

Now the French speakers are in the server, and the existing QSMP members are the English/Spanish/Portuguese speakers. The French members are "new", and I can't help but wonder how long it'll take until "the English/Spanish/Portuguese speakers and the French members" becomes "the English/Spanish/Portuguese/French speakers and the ___ members".

You stick with who you're most familiar with, and through them interacting with the others and getting to know them, at some point, you get to know them too. They stop being "others" and they become part of the group. In my case, the Spanish speakers stopped being "Quackity's friends", and the Brazilians were no longer just "fellow Brazilians" but some of the members that make me laugh the most. Forever is my favorite and I watch him and Cellbit' for all the lore. Because of Vegetta I know the word "mamadisimo".

Very few members of this server are "others" to me anymore, and its no longer because of a language/familiarity barrier but due to me actually knowing them and having my favorites based on their specific content. I've become so familiar with Maxo and Mariana and Vegetta, Forever and Cellbit and Mike and Pac, that I can't remember the time when they were "others" in my mind. Already I've become so used to having Baghera and Etoiles on the server, and I don't even remember how it happened, it just did you know?

This is... I think this is what Quackity was talking about. Even if he didn't have these exact words, this is what he wanted from the server. For people who you would consider an "other" in your life because of a language barrier to be the bridge that you cross to learning about all the wonderful languages and cultures out there in the world.

Before this, I wanted to learn Spanish because its a common language, and I struggled to pick up on Portuguese cause learning can be hard for me without some push. Most people didn't plan to learn either.

Now? I've seen so many people trying to learn these languages because they want to understand Cellbit's theories and Quackity's spanish streams and funny Roier clips on twitter. Now, I want to learn Mexican spanish specifically, because so many people near me speak it but the Mexicans on the QSMP made me care. I know that "pomme" means "apple" and I taught it to my mother who always wanted to learn French, and I'm brushing up on my French basics and learning that "parlez-vous français" actually means "do you speak french" and not "are you French" because I didn't care to know the difference before but I do now, because Baghera taught me. And... I've finally started learning Portuguese. My mom's teaching me and I started up online classes, and I've been self-teaching the basics by translating the QsmpPOR updates account. Ain't that something.

And that's what this was about. And I feel foolish (haha) that I didn't pick up on the vision earlier. Fuck, even Chayanne just mentioning he speaks Chinese is making me want to dust off my old high school Chinese homework and relearn the basics.

This server is something special. Its a jumbled mess of languages being thrown at each other until they start making sense and its sharing and learning, and I can't thank Quackity and his team enough.

[pinkinsect]

i think one of the reasons i enjoy making specifically blue lock genderbends so much is that a lot of characters are doing interesting things with their presentation and manners of speech in canon so it's fun to think about that in a different context

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

.

[buffintruder]

on the scale of 'monolingual english speakers assuming gender in all languages works the same way it does in english' this is so low in the importance scale that it doesn't matter

but sometimes i see people making posts on tumblr about japanese speaking characters using they/them or it/its, and like those words barely exist in that language, and any words you could use would just be weirdly convoluted and odd when its so easy and normal to not use any pronouns at all

like i know it's a joke but it is fun to imagine those conversations happening in japanese and being utterly baffled as to how it would actually work

[tunnelsnacks]

BITING GNAWING FEASTING CHEWING FALLOUT TAROT..........

Baby girl I’m so sorry there hasn’t been more but I spilt wine on my laptop three weeks ago and let me tell you it has been a journey getting a replacement

[suck-mein-pokeballs]

Also yeah, in standard Spanish El/o (masculine pronouns) are officially neutral

But for waaaaay over a decade by now both feminist and trans spaces have been challenging that, so while it is technically correct to use El/O/masculine gendered speech/pronouns as a neutral in Spanish, if you're in trans spaces it is safer to just ask people's pronouns, specially if non-binary people are welcomed in that space since we do not consider it neutral

[pory-z]

there's something incredibly refreshing in talking to a cousin i haven't contacted in a long time and seeing them write in our home accent

[ilyrouxls]

Sleepless Words

Rouxls Kaard x Reader

(Fluff, Gender Neutral Reader, Not Canon AU thingy.. idk, Y/n used)

Your constant struggle to sleep leads you to the balcony late at night, where a certain Duke suggests poetry to help your problem.

  During the late hours of the night, most could find you awake in your room. It’s not like you chose to be up in the late hours of night, you’d love to sleep peacefully like your friends, but the problem was you simply couldn’t. You couldn’t quite pin it down to insomnia, it was more so that it became a habit from your teenage days. But now that you’re a young adult, you’ve found that this is quite annoying. 

  You’re tried everything to fall asleep at a decent time; Melatonin, peaceful music, Youtube videos, playing a game to exhaust yourself, and various other things. Nothing seemed to work, you’d always be up till 3am or later trying to sleep. 

  Recently, your sibling Kris and their friend Susie accidentally brought you into this place called the Dark World. You enjoy the place a lot and you've been staying down here even when Kris and Susie aren’t around. You stay for a few reasons, the main being that you have been studying the place since you’ve arrived. You’ve always been an explorer at heart, and the Dark World was beautiful. It always provided mystery along with amazing scenery and people.

  Another reason that had you staying was a certain Duke, Rouxls Kaard. It might be crazy, but he really stuck out to you. His devotion to puzzles had your heart thumping. Sure they weren’t very good in terms of being difficult, but it’s clear that he puts his heart and soul into them; and that’s what really makes them special to you. Ever since arriving, you’ve been more and more interested in him. Of course as the cliché goes, you would never ever admit it to him. The only person you’ve ever admitted about your so-called ‘crush’ on Rouxls to was your sibling. They had a knack at figuring out your secrets, it was irritating at times but honestly you don’t mind for the most part.

  Back to the present time at hand, it was currently two in the morning in Dark World time. Kris and their various friends were also staying in the Dark World, they had lied to their parents that they were at Kris’ for the night for a sleepover and you were watching them. Technically, yes, they were having a sleepover, just not where their parents thought. You were also technically watching over them too, just not at where their parents thought either...

  Ralsei was nice enough to make everyone a room, including yourself. It suited your tastes so perfectly it made you question how the hell Ralsei could know. Maybe from the adventures you’d been on with the group, you suppose, but not this down to the nitty gritty.

  At the moment, you lay face down in your bed. You’re frustrated with your lack of sleep, and at this point you can’t be bothered with actually laying the correct way. You sigh, deciding that maybe a walk around the palace could help. Maybe you’ll stop in the kitchen for some water and snacks, since you’ll be up for another hour or so.

  Practically rolling yourself off the bed and onto your feet, you go to open your door. You try to open it as quietly as possible, but the door doesn’t bend to your will and instead creaks loudly. Hoping no one woke up from that, you hold still and wait for someone to investigate. After a minute with no one seeming to have woken up, you walk out into the hallway. Still trying to be quiet, you tiptoe your way out to the balcony for some fresh air.

  The sky in the Dark World was very unlike the sky in the normal world. The best way to describe the way it looks is to picture that one edible glitter powder you put in sodas that’s probably just a bunch of micro plastics. That’s basically what the sky looks like, though it’s much better than the edible glitter. 

  For the second time tonight you sigh, looking up to the sky. Your thoughts wander to your previous adventures from the last month or so. Who knew saving the world and making friends within a strange world would ever be a part of your agenda. And falling in love as well… it makes your head spin honestly. Who knew a man with the strangest way of speaking and easy puzzles could whoo your heart so easily without even trying.

  “Ah Y/n? What is thou doing outh here at thine hour?” You jump at the voice that suddenly appeared behind you. Speak of the devil, you turn around and see the one who’s stolen your heart. “Ah Rouxls, I couldn’t sleep so I decided to get some fresh air. But I could ask you the same thing.” Rouxls chuckles, making your heart pitter patter in the most cheesy way ever. He walks to stand next to you by the balcony, “Eh-he, ah so thine wisheth to knoweth why? Well thou shall see, I was sleeping quiteth peacefully but thenth I heard a loud sound that startledst thyself out of mine slumber. So thenth I decidededth to investigate the sound.”

  You can feel yourself cringe, what luck it was that you happened to wake him up and cause him inconvenience. “Oh I'm sorry! That was me opening my door, I’m so sorry for bothering you.” Heat rises to your face and ears in embarrassment as you try not to make eye contact.  “Oh no I did not mean- Do not worriesth dear, it was quite not a problemth, do not fret.” Rouxls seemingly stumbled on his words, clearly sensing your distress, and waved around his hands a bit. You smile and giggle at his behavior.

  Minutes pass of silence, luckily it's only a little awkward. You were staring out at the sky when Rouxls breaks the silence. “So, Y/n, do thou often haveth troublest sleeping?” You shift yourself to lean against the balcony and turn your head toward him. “Yeah actually, it usually takes me till three am or later to sleep. It’s a habit I suppose, hehe..” You laugh a little at the end of your sentence to try not to seem so glum. Rouxls mimics your movements and leans against the railing, “I’ve tried what feels like everything to fall asleep but it seems like nothing works.” The sentence comes out quieter than you meant. 

  Rouxls hums in response, you look at him and it seems like he’s thinking about something. After what feels like minutes, Rouxls snaps his fingers and says, “Haveth you tried poetry?” You raise a brow and tilt your head. Of course you haven’t, because why would anyone in their right mind try poetry to fall asleep... You keep that thought to yourself, realizing it sounds pretty mean, and instead just shake your head. “Ah, I knoweth it may seemth strange. But maybe your lacketh of sleep mayst be from stress. I writeth poems to tryth to ease mine stress.” 

  Now that he put it that way, it did make more sense. Maybe it was stress, not sure from what but stress can be caused from lots of things. “That actually makes a lot of sense. But I don’t really know how to make poems…” You trail off, thinking for a moment about your past English class poetry failures. Embarrassing… 

  Rouxls chuckles, “Wellth than I may teacheth you, thy is the best after allst. Let’s go to mine room.” He begins to ramble on about how he’s the best at poetry, while leading you to his room. You space out a bit not really listening. Normally you would listen to his narcissistic-esc rants, you find it annoyingly cute, but not at two in the morning. But before you know it, you’ve walked right into his room.

  “Hmm.. taketh a seat upon mine bed, as it shall be the most comfortablest place to writeth poetry.” Rouxls whispers as to not wake the others sleeping in a room nearby. You sit on his bed and look around his room. It really fit him perfectly, the room had an elegant look with a color scheme of blues, blacks, and whites. 

  Rouxls comes over to you and hands you some papers and pens. You assume he doesn't have pencils since it doesn’t really fit his style. He sits down next to you and explains how to write a basic poem. “Now you writeth a poem and I shall writeth one aswell, and hopefully it shallth make you tiredst.” You nod and begin to think about an idea. You try to think about your family or the scenery of the Dark World, but all you could think about was how close Rouxls was next to you. He was already writing down something on his paper, his eyebrows scrunched up a bit as he concentrated. You feel your face grow hot, and your thoughts flood with him. Without even realizing it, you start writing a poem about him;

  ‘The wind of the night calls out your name, As moon shines light upon your frame, I stand beside you admiring your elegant grace, A feeling of warmth clings to my face, I can only hope it goes unnoticed, As you talk and I try to stay focused, But my longing for you cannot subdue, My heart cannot help but intrude.’

  Admittedly it wasn’t your best work, nor was it your worst, but it worked. Your eyelids begin to droop a bit and you know you should get up to go to your own room. But you don’t want to interrupt Rouxls, who is still focusing on his own poem. Without much thought you instead just lay down across his bed, practically falling asleep as soon as you hit the soft mattress.

  When you wake up, you assume you only slept for maybe a few minutes. But the rays of sun shining on your face from the window say otherwise. Panic sets in as you look around and realize you never left Rouxls’ room. You were also not laying horizontal on the bed, instead you were now tucked into the blankets comfortably. You shift yourself up with your elbows and peer around.

  Rouxls is nowhere to be found. Now worry is set in your heart, where did he go? Did you falling asleep scare him off? The sound of the door opening pulls you out of your thoughts, and in comes Rouxls with a cup of coffee. “Oh, you are awaketh. Good morning.” He smiles a bit, a little bit sheepishly but you’re not sure why. “Goodmorning, sorry about falling asleep in your room. I didn’t think I would pass out like that…” Your face becomes hot again, which has been happening a lot more than you’d like. Rouxls chuckles and sips his coffee, “It is no problemth, I am glad I couldeth help you could get some sleepth.” You get out of his bed and stretch. You thank him and begin to leave before realization sets in. 

  “Oh uhm uh by the way, did you read the poem I made?” You turn and look at him, his face notably shades in a slight dark blue tint. He definitely did. He totally did. “Oh my god I’m sorry bye!” You manage an apology and then with that you quickly exit and rush to your room. Your heart beats fast and your face heats up, this time out of absolute embarrassment, and you close your door. Jumping into bed face first, you whisper scream into your pillow. “I cannot believe this why am I like this oh my god why did I write about him and then fall asleep like it was nothing what did I think would happen..…” You shake your legs up and down, hitting your bed out of frustration. This is definitely in your top three most embarrassing moments.

  A knock breaks your thoughts and you can only think the worst. It could be Rouxls here to reject you or it could either be Kris or one of their friends here to question you on why you were running down the hall; if they even saw you. Nervously you get up and open the door a bit. Of course it was Rouxls, why wouldn’t it be!

  “Ahem uhm Y/n, I apologizeth for reading your poem withoutst your permission. I could noth but help to readth it, and I also cannot help but ask if perhaps.. it couldeth be about me..?” God. Why. You wanted to die on the spot honestly. You nod your head hesitantly and start to mutter apologies but he interrupts abruptly. “I seeth, do noth apologize. You see I…. feelth the same way. Ahem, and well I was wondering if maybeth you wouldst like to go outh on a date..” Rouxls cheeks were dusted dark blue in blush, his eyes avoiding your own and his hands behind his back in an almost polite, but awkward manner. “Of course! I would love to actually that would be amazing. When are you thinking?” Your heart was beating louding in your ears, you felt like he might be able to actually hear it, and your face was hot like it was on fire; which was actually becoming quite annoying and repetitive. “Tonighth at six? I haveth the perfect restaurant that I thinketh you might enjoy.” 

  The two of you make plans for dinner that night and he wishes you a farewell and heads off to his own room. When you close your door you feel like you might collapse. Correction, you actually do collapse. Luckily not in a bad way, just out of excitement and adrenaline. After a few minutes of processing you stand up and get ready for the day. Anticipation fills your body as for the first time ever, you can’t wait for the night to come quicker. Who knew a poem could solve not only your sleep problems, if even for a night, but also your love problems.

(Posted originally on AO3 5-12-22, 2333 words)

[gaypirate420]

Kaleidoscope // Viktor

S2!Viktor x gender neutral!reader.

Summary: You're staring at his eyes.

Fluff. Spoilers!!!!

Viktor stares at his hand, that purple flowing and metallic skin. He just healed? Cured? an addict from the undercity, his mismatched pupils look up.

At you.

You followed behind when he left Jayce's lab, you were too determined and he didn't fight as hard as he wanted, in other times he would tell you to stay with Jayce, stay safe. He didn't keep you away from the Hexcore without reason, but he couldn't fight, as much as his mind was screaming at him, he just nodded monotonously after a couple of pleas.

Your eyes meet his, you sit down in front of him, whimpering slightly, after the explosion of the Council left you with an injured leg.

His eyes dart back down, he could just reach out and you wouldn't be in pain anymore but he closes his fingers and lowers his hand to his lap. He needs to understand a little more about this new... identity of his before he even attempts to touch you in any sort of way, he doesn't want to risk it. Sky disappeared in front of him like dust in the wind, he can't do that to you.

You smiled softly. His furrowed eyebrows soften.

"How are you feeling?" You asked with a soft whisper. He sighs, his eyes don't leave yours, in one hand he isn't feeling pain, that ache, that little needle-like sensation that infested his leg and back since he had memory. But on the other hand, he doesn't feel much, he isn't scared but also not happy, he isn't completely aware of what is happening but he is not mindless.

You keep looking at him, that smile doesn't falter and that is comforting. You're not scared of him not even after what you just saw.

"I don't know." He answers, there's a small shiver down your back, his speech pattern has changed, it's slow and monotone but there's some sparkles of emotions in it, it's not like he has talked much for you to completely understand yet.

You nod at his words, God you were so patient with him, always have been.

Your eyes don't leave his, the amber eyes he held are nowhere to be found, now a duller color replaces them but there's this drop of cyan, maybe crimson at times that moves around the two irises.

"Is there something wrong?" He asks, you shake your head.

"Nothing wrong, Vitya. I'm just looking at your eyes." You speak softly, scooting a little closer towards him.

Vitya.

His lips twitch ever so slightly, yes he is your Vitya, at least he thinks he is and you don't seem to look at him any differently, there's still that deep affection in your eyes, of course there is worry in your gaze, but the devoted love remains.

"What's with them?" He speaks again.

"They're different..." You whispered as you leaned your face closer. He doesn't move, he remembers the feeling, after years of being with you his heart still went wild when you approached, but now it's dull, but it's there. He knows it is, it's just a little distant, just in the tip of his fingers.

"Like- copper...but...there's this- bleeding of color.." You whispered as your eyes fixated on his, you were so close. Your breath against his face, lips near that beauty mark you loved to kiss.

"Like a kaleidoscope." You whispered, you didn't pull away, you missed having him so close. Viktor nods at your words, he hasn't seen himself fully yet.

You two stare at each other for a couple of seconds. Your hand hesitantly reaches up and cups his face, muscle memory is a hell of a thing, he immediately nuzzles his face against your hand. It's familiar yet he feels like this is the first time touching you.

He feels you. Not just your gentle hand or soft skin, you. It's a different kind of touch, like he's touching your soul, your very being.

You contain your excitement. He is still there. You smiled softly. His eyes flutter as he feels a faint sensation of your lips against his beauty mark.

He stays silent. It was dull, like a ghost touched him yet like every star in the sky placed a kiss upon his face.

"Will you do that again, please?" He whispers, meeting your eyes once more.

A/N: (Divider) Hiiii, hope you like this, I wasn't sure about writing something so fast, but I needed to get rid of the feeling. I loved Act 1, it was worth staying up til 5 am, Viktor has bewitched my soul completely, I don't have a lot of opinions, just questions, I'm going to wait until the whole season is over to talk about it and the characters. Enjoy the fic! Send requests please.

[ozzgin]

Definition: a total withdrawal from society and seeking extreme degrees of social isolation and confinement. content: gender neutral reader, unhealthy behaviors

Yandere!Hikikomori can't stop replaying your fateful encounter, the beginning of a blooming romance. He stared in terror at the notification that his package was - for once - delivered to someone else. An exceptional situation for which he had not been prepared. He kept rehearsing his speech, gathering his courage, planning for the potential dangers outside, when-

"Y-yes?" he answered meekly, peeking from behind the door.

"Is this your package? It's been sitting in my hallway for two months already."

Good Lord. What voice, what stance. He was completely stunned by your kindness, your benevolence to aid a stranger without expecting anything in return. Even more outrageous: you looked him right in the eye, for five whole seconds. He counted. It couldn't have been without meaning.

Yandere!Hikikomori often daydreams about your life together. Are you this much of a flirt with everyone else? No, such daring behaviors can only be reserved for one's soulmate. He'll pace back and forth inside his narrow room and theatrically reenact his ardent hopes of a future with you.

"What? A teal sofa?" he glances at the empty space, picturing your next to him as you both enthusiastically discuss your new home.

"It's fashionable, you say? You're the expert. I'll be happy with anything you choose," he reassures 'you' with a giddy smile.

Yandere!Hikikomori wishes he could see how your day unfolds. He toyed with the idea of stalking you, dutifully tracing your steps and guarding you from a distance, maybe snapping a photo or two in order to commemorate the precious little details. Alas, he hasn't stepped outside in years. He has no idea how the world works anymore.

The farthest he's ever gone was to the common staircase, where he was suddenly overwhelmed by a great panic. He ran back home, puked his guts out, then sat in bed and recalled the sight of your back as you hurried down, heading out for work.

"That looks nice," he mumbles to himself, checking the selfie you posted on social media. Is that your favorite coffee? Is it on the way to your workplace? How often do you stop there to grab a drink?

One day, he vows. One day, he'll make it outside. Well, at least long enough to talk to you. Perhaps he could convince you to a life indoors, ideally.

[More Yandere Stories]

[obsessivevoidkitten]

That Time You Got Yeeted Into Another World, Mistaken as a God-Sent Gift, and Used as a Prize in an Arena

Yandere Bear-Man Dilf x Gender Neutral Reader

CW: Noncon, framed for a crime, language barrier, eaten out like it's groceries, biting, scent marking, musk, combat, general yandere behavior

Word Count: 765

(Speed written out of nowhere because I had the idea suddenly, not beta read so please forgive any mistakes. I hope you guys like this ficlet. Also forgive the title, in a game I was playing there was a crossover with "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime" and I liked the vibe of the title.)

You were framed for a crime you didn't commit and in your village the punishment for that crime was immediate exile via being shoved down a steep crater in the center of which is a one-way portal to what is thought to be Hell.

What no one on your side of the portal knew was that on the other side was just another world. A world that celebrated with a great holiday anytime a human came through the portal. It was also a world populated entirely, with the exception of humans who crossed over, by human-like beast hybrids.

Driders, lion hybrids, nagas, aqrabuamelu (scorpion-men), harpies, dog people, centaurs, minotaurs, gnolls, and many other races that seemed to be part human. 

They have a connecting portal in their universe, but any who try to go into it are spat back out. The current went only in one direction.

Every few years, a human would be flung forth from the portal, a gift from the gods! But only the worthy can keep such a gift. So whenever a human comes to the realm from the watcher of the portal will ring the bells and all the warriors assemble and a grand tournament is held at the arena. Whoever wins gets to keep the human and gains enough wealth to care for them properly.

Things are no different when you arrive, you are immediately ushered away, examined, and pampered like a prize doll with no agency. Despite your objections. It seems like only the keeper of the portal has any rudimentary undestanding of your language, not that it helped you. He didn't explain much and his speech wasn't that great. Something about... a big game?

You were naturally frightened beyond all reason, seeing all these beast-men, but it didn't seem like you were being harmed. It really wasn't what you thought hell was going to be like. 

On the day of the big tournament, you were dressed in the finest silks, given a tiny crown of silver, and taken to the best seat in the arena. One where everyone could see you. A cushioned throne was provided for you to sit upon. You figured that this must be a ceremony to welcome people from the portal.

You watched as all the combatants sparred. At first you were horrified, but it became evident that people could yield and death was, almost always, avoided. There were combatants of every variety. 

Even from the start the best seemed to be a naga woman named Eeris and a bear-man named Brakwen. As they advanced through the fights they both finally made it to the finals where they'd clash. Eeris favored twin daggers and fangs while Brakwen used claws and brute strength. He had a sword but had not resorted to using it. 

It was a mighty battle but Brakwen the bear-man managed to win. You still did not yet realize you were the prize. Not until you were escorted down to him and were carried bridal style out of the arena with the crowd cheering. Brakwen had won the god's favor!

From close up he looked even more imposing. He seemed to be in his late 30s to early 40s. He mostly looked like a hairy man from far away though up close his massive size, sharp teeth, claws, thick fur covering his arms and quite frankly adorable bear ears, gave him away. He was rugged but admittedly rather handsome. You knew there was nothing you could do so you let him carry you away. 

Despite the language barrier, Brakwen did his best to please his god-given prize. He could tell you feared him. Especially since you tried to run off a few times. But Brakwen didn't get angry. You never even managed to get past the door. Even if you did there were two gates outside the house. You were far too valuable to let wander off. 

Eventually when you had stopped running off, and when his rut demanded he wait no longer, he began acting a bot more aggressove and sexual towards you. 

Though you tried to stop him it ended with him stretching out your hole with his powerful tongue, lubing you up with his copious amounts of drool, and sliding into you with his massive musky cock.

That's what your life was now. Being treated like a fragile precious gem most of the time and then for one week out of every month you were fucked full of hot bear cum in every possible position, bitten possessively, and scent marked by being forced to wear his oversized clothing. 

[karlachismylife]

Writing Russian-speaking characters

So I have once again been chuckling at some adorable clumsy Russian in Nikolai and Nikto fics, and thus I decided to make a little list that might be helpful for fellow COD writers here. And yes, please, feel free to reach out to me if you need any proofreading of your Russian phrases, I would be glad to assist since google translator can butcher it in ways non-speakers won't be able to notice.

I would really appreciate if you guys shared this post and helped it reach people that might need it, I put way more effort into it than I expected myself <3 Also, I might make a followup with some more words and/or phrases that can be useful, so please feel free to request some, since here I am mostly focusing on terms of endearment.

I will write down Russian words, their (approximate and wonky, sorry for that) transcription/transliteration and what part of speech they are (keep in mind that adjectives can be used as nouns when used to address someone) and provide according translation and use.

Keep in mind that in Russian the gender of the word is important!!! I'll write down them in following order: he/him (он/его) version/ she/her (она/её) version/ they/them (они/их) version. However! They/them is NOT traditionally used as gender-neutral pronouns, it's plural only. Some queer and younger folks do use they/them (myself included), but it does sound wonky as it's direct copy from English. Unfortunately, Russian is not very suitable for gender-neutral writing, but there are ways to go about it (I'll try to note some of that too).

*however, since Nikto is sometimes using plural they/them to describe himself, that would be okay with him since it's plural. I hope that makes sense, lol.

So if you're putting an adjective with a noun (example: милый котик) you have to use an adjective in the correct gender form FOR THE WORD! If the noun (котик here) is masculine, you use masculine adjective form EVEN if you're referring to a person with she/her pronouns.

What is love?

The main thing I noticed is that y'all use a direct translation of the word "love" - "любовь" [l'ubov'] (n) to refer to a person. As in "how are you doing, love?". However, that's wrong. "Любовь" is either a word to describe the feeling, or a name (short version would be Люба [Lyuba]). If you wanna use an affectionate pet name, consider one of the following!

дорогой/дорогая/дорогие [dorogoy/dorogaya/dorogiye] (adj) - means "darling". Often used between spouses. Mostly used to refer to person directly, sounds a little quirky if you use it to refer to them in third person (as in "my darling went out to buy some strawberries").

любимый/любимая/любимые [l'ubimiy/l'ubimaya/l'ubimiye] (adj) - means "beloved/loved/loved one" and is probably the closest to "love". You can use it to refer to person directly or to talk about them in third person (as in "can't wait to see любимую". Also yes, the endings are changing depending on the case and I'm not entirely sure how to explain this concisely without going deep into grammar lol).

милый/милая/милые [miliy/milaya/miliye] (adj) - the word means "cute/cutie", but is also used as a general terms of endearment, like "sweetheart". Mainly to refer to someone directly, using it in third person is a little old-fashioned I'd say. Also commonly used by people outside romantic partnership, a kind old lady can definitely call you over with this one asking to help her read expiration date on a milk bottle or something.

любовь моя [l'ubov' moya] (n + adj/pronoun) - okay, I kinda tricked you saying you can't use the word "love" to refer to a person. If you say this (means "my love"), you can! It's pretty romantic and I am actually the one person that uses this daily, otherwise it's either very romance-novel/old-fashioned sounding, but there are moments when it's perfectly suitable. Have that fairytale moment! Also please note, that while "моя любовь" [moya l'ubov'] (adj/pronoun + n) is grammatically correct, it sounds kinda weird if you use it to address the person directly (like in a phrase "my love, you shine brighter than the stars"). While Russian doesn't have particularly strict rules about word order, it does matter to some extent, and this is a prime example: people just use one order way more often that the other.

Pocket-sized

I've already told somewhere here my favourite Nikto fic moment: the sweetest, romantic moment, interrupted by him calling reader "детёныш", which means "cub" as in baby animal. And while my parents do use this word affectionately, I can assure you, most people don't, and it was clear that this was a result of a clumsy translation of "baby" or something like that. So here are some variants for words like baby, little one and such!

малыш/малышка [malysh/malyshka] (n) - I'd say this feels more "little one" than "baby" to me, it's a tad less sexually charged if you get what I mean. Also, you call "малыш" a person of any gender/pronouns, while "малышка" is strictly for she/her. Obviously can be used for kids too.

детка [d'etka] (n) - this one is definitely "baby" or "babe" as a term of endearment, calling a real kid this would be WEIRD if you're not a really old granny. I would also say that it's more commonly used to refer to female partners, but that might be just my perception and experience. It's still okay to use both ways. Also this word can be very much used if you need a little bit of sleazy/catcalling/bad pickup line energy, like someone shouting after a girl passing by on the street. Yuck.

маленький/маленькая [mal'en'kiy/mal'en'kaya] (adj) - this just means "little" or "small", I'd say it's used less commonly and usually in this form "маленький мой/маленькая моя" [mal'en'kiy moy/mal'en'kaya moya] (adj + adj/pronoun). I will expand on this a little later here! Can be used to refer to kids too.

All kinds of fauna

While poor детёныш is reserved for furry freaks like yours truly, there are some animal nicknames that are very widely spread! Here are some that I think would be most useful for y'all. Granted, some people think that these are a lil' bit cringey, but I think it really just depends on what you're used to hear around you. So if I think calling someone a cub is cute, and bunny is cringe, that probably says more about me :D

котик [kot'ik] (n) - this is a term of endearment for a cat. NOT same as kitten, mind you! Mostly used to refer to men (since the word is of masculine gender) - in my experience.

котёнок [kot'onok] (second o here is like ö in German) (n) - now THIS is "kitten". I would say this is more gender-neutral than the previous one, but the word is still masculine gender.

зайка [zayka] (n) - I believe this would be an equivalent to "bunny", although it's actually a cute word for a hare, not a rabbit. Definitely used for all genders (also the word can be both masculine and feminine gender), also is okay to use referring to kids (even teachers that are into endearing nicknames can call pupils this and it's not weird. well, in elementary school). You can also say "зайчонок" [zaych'onok] (n) which is a word for baby hare, even cuter.

рыбка [ribka] (n) - a term of endearment for a fish. I think it's viewed as a bit old-fashioned and thus only used jokingly nowadays, but you know what? Nikolai could pull this off 100%. Bonus points if it's "рыбка моя" [ribka moya] (n + adj/pronoun). Only used for women and the word itself is of feminine gender.

медвежонок [medv'ezhonok] (n) - now, I actually have never met someone who would call their partner this, but I myself would (and I definitely saw it in some media, but that's obv not too reliable). It's a word for a bear cub, so I think it's cute to call a huge ass bear of a military man this word. It's of masculine gender, but I would say it's okay to call a she/her person this too. ALTHOUGH there is a grammatically incorrect (but this only adds to cuteness as it often happens) word "медвежонка" [medv'ezhonka] (n) - this would be a female bear cub. My family uses this word, I use it, no, it won't be in a dictionary, but everyone will understand what you mean. Is okay to use for kids too.

щенок [sh'enok] (if it helps, щ is like German "schtsch", like in Borschtsch, like sh but soft) (n) - now, this actually is not used as a term of endearment, it's "puppy" and it's suitable for degradation. The word is of masculine gender, but you can call anyone this to be honest. You can tell Nikto he's "глупый щенок" [glupiy sh'enok] (adj + n) (silly puppy) and that man will either bark for you or gut you. If you say "тупой" [tupoy] (adj) (dumb) instead of "глупый" [glupiy] (adj) (silly), it will be downright offensive. You can say "щеночек" [sh'enochek] (n), which is an endearing term for a puppy, so it's a little bit sweete. OR you can use my personal favourite - "щен" [sh'en] (n), which is actually also incorrect, but if you've ever heard of a great poet and poetry innovator Mayakovskiy, he was called this word by Lilya Brik. I do NOT have the time to unpack that wild relationship (there was a throuple involved. Russian poetry scene of early XX century was WILD and it's my favourite poetry period hands down), but it's pretty famous. The word "щен" consists of the word "puppy" but with the end diminutive suffix cut off. The trick is, that while some words return to their non-diminutive form with such procedure, this one does not - so you're basically inventing a new word that now sounds quite degrading and harsh, but also sexy as hell (personal opinion). I would definitely call Nikto this word.

птичка [ptich'ka] (n) - that's just "birdie", but I actually wouldn't say many people use it to refer to each other. HOWEVER, Nikolai 100% calls his steel bird this. The word is of feminine gender and if you are calling a person this, it's probably more suitable for a woman.

цыпа [tsipa??] (n) or even цыпочка [tsipoch'ka] (n) - that's a chick, like a baby hen, used only to refer to women (feminine gender word). Honestly I only heard this in foreign films dubbed in Russian or like in jokes/sarcastic phrases. It's kinda rude/indecent/vulgar and the only man that can say that and stay attractive is Captain Jack Sparrow (he used this word in Russian dubbed Pirates like once maybe, talking to Elisabeth, and that was funny cuz he be crazy like that). But maybe you want this, idk.

And everything sweet

Unfortunately, I haven't seen anyone translate the word "honey" as "мёд" directly, that would be another brilliant laugh (cuz it's wrong to refer to a person like that), but there are some "sweet" words to use!

сладкий/сладкая [sladk'iy/sladkaya] (adj) - this just means "sweet", like the taste, and it can be sexy or sleazy or just cute. You can call a kid this word too, BUT for a child would be better сладенький/сладенькая [slad'en'kiy/slad'en'kaya], which is like one step further into diminutive-endearing department.

конфетка [konf'etka] (n) - this is a diminutive word for a candy, a sweet, like a caramel or chocolate or whatever. Not very common, but is cute. Also a way to describe a sexy/good-looking person (more likely a woman, the word is of feminine gender) or just something really good (a bit jokingly). The latter is usually used in a phrase build like "не ..., а просто конфетка", which is roughly translated "that's not ... that's just plain candy". Might have an actual English equivalent that I can't think of right now. Maybe "a total snack"? Probably that one, yeah. Can be said about anything, a car for example.

Shiny

I wanna stick in a few more words of endearment and they all are kinda shiny, lol, so here you go!

солнце [solntse] (n) - this means "sun", like that big glowing thingy in the sky, but it's very welcome as a term of endearment. This word is NEUTER gender (explained in the next section). Viktor Tsoy (a famous rock musician with an unfortunate fate and immortal cultural heritage) had a song ("Cuckoo" - "Кукушка") with the words "солнце моё, взгляни на меня" [solntse moyo, vzgl'yan'i na m'en'ya] (my sun, look at me), so "солнце моё" (n + adj/n) is a good one. You can also use "солнышко" [solnyshko] (n) which is an endearing version of "sun", so it's like "sunshine". Also of neuter gender! Can and should be used to address kids too.

золотце [zolottse] (n) - this literally means like... a little gold? A little golden piece? I don't think there's a proper equivalent in English. It's a word of neuter gender and it's very much used for kids too. Another version would be "золотой мой/золотая моя/золотые мои" [zolotoy moy/zolotaya moya/zolotiye moyi] (adj + adj/pronoun) - this is "my golden", it's a little less common and I feel like it's often used to be condescending, but it's not inherenrly bad, so you can use it for a loved one.

сокровище [sokrov'ish'e] (once again it's щ, look previously) (n) - this is a word of neuter gender and it means "treasure". I personally adore this one and it's pretty common. Can be used for any gender and for kids!

звёздочка [zv'yozdoch'ka] (n) - this is like a little star/starshine. Wouldn't say it's that common, but I use it a lot. The word itself is of feminine gender, but you can call anyone that! Or you can say "звезда моя" [zv'ezda moya] (n + adj/pronoun), which means "my star". Also feminine gender word, but can be used for anyone.

This dog belongs to...

I am not going to go too deep into sexy/sex-related words in this part, because I'll just get overwhelmed with the amount, but I want to go over some words of ownership quickly.

мой/моя/мои/моё [moy/moya/moyi/moyo] (adj/pronoun) - this means my/mine. It goes really well with many words in this list, especially the adjectives, like "мой дорогой" [moy dorogoy] (my darling) or "солнышко моё" [solnyshko moyo] (my sun/sunshine). The last version, "моё" [moyo] is neuter gender, it's NOT gender-neutral! It's the "it/its" I guess (not exactly, but let's just stick with this simplyfied explanation). Previously there were some words of that gender, so here you go. BTW I would say that in speech it's more common to put this word before adjectives and after nouns (like in my examples), just sounds better, but it's not wrong to do otherwsise. You can also just say "ты мой" [ti moy] (you're mine). Also can be used to refer in third person, like when you're discussing your man with your gossip girls, you can just go "а мой вчера..." [a moy vch'era] (and mine yesterday...) and everyone will understand that you mean your man. Unless you wee discussing pets, then they'll probably assume it's your cat.

хозяин/хозяйка [khoz'yain/khoz'yayka] (n) - saw this one too btw. This means "owner" or kiiiinda "master/mistress", and they are gendered, so it's actually wrong to call a woman "хозяин" unless there's some kinky genderfuckery going on (which I'm all for, but like. you get what I mean).

господин/госпожа [gospod'in/gospozha] (n) - okay, THAT is definitely master/mistress, also gendered. Standard BDSM terminology and yada yada.

And that's where I'd like to wrap up for today! However, if needed, I can write more - perhaps with curse words or with sex-related words, or some phrases? I dunno, you tell me! Once again, I kindly ask you to share since I think this will help people (and while I understand the struggle of writing in another language and especially using words from language you don't speak at all, I can't help but be a little thrown off every time I see a wrong use of words in text).

Also remember: while Siberia is bigger than USA or even Canada, there are still other regions in Russia that deserve to be mentioned <3 a lot of places with mindblowing nature, cultural heritage etc.