#go vote on the poll i posted right before this boy

[avengerchuck]

quick shitty doodles of Marty. I decided to explain his existence as an alien by putting him in the moonrockers so here he is in a Similar Fit. there are sparkly silver combat boots under thar. Also Dook LaRue <3 <3 <3 Make no mistake, I draw them snuggling and shit but irl their dynamic is NOT CUTE Marty is super obsessed with him but hes too starstruck by the rock afire to spark actual conversations with any of the members so he just goes to showbiz and wipes out their prize counter with the amount of tickets he accumulates and sits in the front row so he can stare at center stage. He is the first and only Rolfe fan but will acknowledge that Earl is the cool one in the duo. He knows ALL the words to the rae's shows and buys their records and is generally a freak. Dook is kind of offput by the visible crush he has on him but Mitzi and Billy Bob think its cute and Beach Bear loves to bully him (Dook) about it

[nisuna]

NOOOO I LOST THE ASK ABOUT GOJO X GETO'S LITTLE SISTER 😭😭😭

So I'll just post it like this I'm so sorry to that person

The gist of it was that you got caught watching him shower and got fucked hard<3

But anyway, HALF of you voted for this one on my poll so here you go, hope you enjoy!!

Thank you for your take!!<3

~drabble~ 18+ MDNI

<3masterlist<3

TW: brief eating out, mating press, doggy, Satoru's very cocky and mean but oddly nice in the end, breathplay, choking, hair pulling, spanking, slut calling, used whore once

You didn't mean to look. You really didn't mean to, but when you saw the bathroom door slightly ajar and heard his humming you had a moment of weakness. And you felt your thighs squish together once you took a peek inside. Darn. There he was, naked and in all of his glory. You saw the water droplets run down the dips of his trained back, god, has he always been this ripped? Your eyes trailed down to his ass...cute, you thought to yourself. Then your eyes wandered to his strong legs and as soon as you heard a groan your heart stopped. Your eyes shot up only to see him stretch his arms above his head. You sighed in relieve and totally missed the way the white haired man in front of you shot you a glance with a smirk. He'll indulge you for now. When you looked up again, he was back to flexing his huge arms. Big palms and thick fingers were massaging the shampoo in his hair. You felt your mouth go dry.

Even though Satoru was slimmer than your brother he was a bit taller, but right now he just looked so incredibly big in every sense of the word. For as long as you could remember he always towered over you. He used to tease you about it, but now you didn't feel annoyed at the height difference anymore. No, you felt weak. As your thoughts kept wandering you wished that he would turn around so you could catch a glance of his toned chest and hard abs, maybe even his-

You froze when you heard his voice, "Are you just going to stand there or will you join me?"

Huh?... What? was all you could think, when you tried to hide behind the doorframe.

"C'mon what wrong? You look likea deer caught in headlight. You didn't think I saw you staring this whole time? I even put on a show for you. Didn't you like it?", you heard foot steps come your way and as you were about to run away a naked Satoru wearing a towel, that hung so dangerously low on hips you could see his happy trail peeking out, stood in front of you grinning. "I think your face is telling me you ate that right up."

Gulp.

"Oh no I didn't see anything I just came here and was about to leave haha sorry," you lied, completely avoiding eye contact. Just as you were slowly backing away from him he grabbed your wrist keeping you in place, "Oohh-tto, hold up where ya goin', pretty girl. Can't blame ya for staring, hmm? So dirty watching your brother's best friend shower..", he mumbled pulling you closer.

"I said I'm sorry please-", he muffled your sentence with pressing his lips against yours, making you squirm in his grasp. You pulled away with a gasp.

"Satoru, what are you-?"

"I'm giving you exactly what you want. Don't lie to me. How long have you had a crush on me hm?

"Stop, It's not what you-"

Putting his other arm around your waist he pulled you into his damp body. "Then why are you blushing so hard right now~ Also, don't you think it's unfair?

what?

"You saw me naked, now's my turn.~"

-

"You're so sensitive, baby", he said between licks, curling his fingers inside your dripping cunt. "You sure you're not a virgin?"

"Mhh, stop.. I've had boys before, okay, just shut up and-"

"Those boys ever make ya cum?"

Your silence spoke volumes.

He pulled away from between your legs with a sigh, pity in his big blue eyes, "Don't worry, I'll show you how real men fuck. Fuck those boys."

Fuck those boys indeed.

Before you knew it you were on your back, legs pressed against your chest as you watched Satoru bottom out in your pussy.

"Shit- you're so tight. Baby relax, you're gonna snap my dick off if you don't."

"Can't- can't help it, you're so big, fuck.. feels good."

"Yeah? Like getting your cunt stuffed by your brother's best friend, hm?"

All you could do was whine at his words as he started moving his hips against yours. With every hit of his tip against the spongy spot inside of you your moans and mewls of his name grew in volume.

"Shh not so loud", he shushed you with his palm over your mouth, "We wouldn't want your brother finding out his little sister's being such a slut right now, yeah? Or that you were caught oogling me while showering? Hmm, want your brother to see you like this, you'd get off on that, wouldn't you? Fucking whore. He'll definitely notice if you keep being that loud."

"Noo.. don't say that please, mmhh I'm trying my best it just ah- feels so good. I'll try to be quiet it's just so hard I can't.", you whined, tears collecting at the corners of your eyes from his harsh words, as you tried to hold your legs up with shaking hands.

"I think I can help you out with that.", he whispered as he wrapped his long fingers around your neck, momentarily cutting off your airflow, which made you squeal. Eyes blown wide open.

Your panicked expression made him loosen his grip. "Shh, don't worry. I'll try to be gentle. I'll make you feel reaaal good.", with that he picked up his pace alternating between letting you breathe and choking you. He felt you gush at each squeeze of his hand. "You're so messy for me. You like being choked? You feelin' good? I'll make ya feel even better. C'mon on, all fours."

After a particularly hard squeeze he let go of your neck and pulled out of you. You sucked in a deep breath as you got up, sticking your ass out.

"Oh fuck, such a nice view. Prettiest pussy I've ever seen. And that ass, shit." He made you yelp as he spanked your ass, hard.

You were about to speak up, only to get interrupted by another mean spank, while he pushed his cock back inside your cunt. It made you arch your back impossibly more while you burried your head in the pillows below you, letting out pathetic moans.

"That's right, keep that pretty mouth shut and enjoy.", he slurred while holding your hips in place, stuffing you to the brim. He kept his relentless pace, spanking you from time to time, which only made you sob and squirm.

"You're so mean to me...", you whined into the pillows.

He felt his heart drop a bit. Oh no, did he overdo it?

His harsh thrusts turned into sensual rolls of his hips, "Shh 'm sorry baby. Cmon, I'll make it up to ya. I'll even play with your pretty little clit. See? All better now, huh?", he mused.

As he leaned forward to push his thick fingers onto your puffy clit all of your sadness faded, replaced by pure bliss. The mewls you let out made him grin.

"See, all better now hm? I'll make ya cum so hard, you'll never find someone better."

So cocky.. gaaah, but he does it so well. You'll let it slide this once.

"Ah- mmh yeah like that please~", you cried

Your words made him pick up his speed again, "Good girl. Gonna fuck you good. I got you." he slurred while kissing your back which only made your arch deeper as you squeezed him tight.

"God, you're gonna be the death of me. You're so tight and tiny down there, it's coiling around me nicely."

The way he was talking to you made you whine as you felt yourself getting close.

"'Toruu so good oh god-"

"Yeah? 'm I the best you ever had?", he questioned, cruelly slowing his fingers to get an answer out of you.

So annoying, but you indulged him. You'll say anything to cum on his cock right now.

"Yeah you're so good, the best. Only want you please, please make me cum. Need it so bad Toruuuu~"

His fingers went back to rubbing thick circles into your clit as he groaned, "Oh fuck, can't say no to you. Okay then, cum round my cock. Make a mess of me, pretty."

As soon as he uttered those words you let out a drawn out mewl, creaming around him, squeezing so tight he almost chocked on a breath

"Yeah thats a good girl, so good for me.", he praised you trough your high as your tongue lolled out and your eyes rolled in the back of your head.

Thank yous spilled out of your mouth, while he rubbed you into overstimulation. Just as you thought you couldn't take it anymore, he moved his hand from your clit to your hair, pulling your back flush against his chest

"'M gonna cum inside yeah? You're gonna take it all right?"

"YEAH PLEASE FILL ME UP SATORU!!"

"Shit", he thought to himself and with a few more thrusts he filled you up, cum already dripping down your leg.

When he pulled out, you fully expected him to just leave you there. But to your surprise he pulled you in a tight embrace, kissing the top of your head.

"You did so well. I hope I wasn't too harsh.", his voice sounded gentle and genuine.

Whoa..

"No, it's fine.. it was really hot actually. Thank you."

"Hehe", he grinned, squeezing you tight. "I know right, I'm the best."

You jabbed him in the ribs. "Don't get too cocky, you only made me cum once so far."

"Sorry, sorry can't help it if it's you." he laughed, nuzzling his nose into the crook of your neck. "Is that a challenge? Wanna see how many times I can make ya cum, no problem-"

"Y/N? Satoruuu~?", you both felt a chill run down your spines.

oh fuck.

"I hope to god you weren't just doing what I think you were~~", your brother mused.

Oh you were so dead. Both of you.

----

Feel free to send me your Hot Takes as well ^^

[orgasming-caterpillar]

Mahabharat characaters on Social Media: pt. 1

Yudhisthir

Mostly reblogs "Am I The Asshole?" polls and somehow each with a detailed and insightfully correct answer. Most people just look for his reblog and then vote whatever answer he's deemed right. That's how he earned the nickname "Dharmaraja"

Always explains stuff to the asks he gets and does it very politely so. You could ask him about anything and as long as he knows about it, he'll tell you about it.

Women respector since before 5000BC.

Never annoyed by hate comments on himself. Calls the fuck out of them if they disrespect his brothers.

Bheem

Posts photos of foods he likes.

Always posts about what he's cooking.

Gives gym tips to beginners.

Probably has "never stop bulking 💪" in his bio

Definitely makes it his own duty to teach his mutuals how to cook.

Arjun

Crazy good archery skills. Knows it. Shows them off.

(most people just look at his arm muscles flexing though)

Arjun: Madhav! Look at how famous this post about my archery is getting. I don't understand though. All I did was hit a bull's eye.

Krishna, looking at Arjun in that video being completely shirtless and slicked with sweat, brown skin glowing under the sun: *sweats*

Doesn't understand the thirst comments. ("Madhav what does railing mean and why does this person want me to do it to them?" "Uhm, it means they want you to "train" them haha. It's a slang. Haha." "*Replies to comment* sure I'd love to rail you")

Nakul

Sexy and he knows it.

Thirst traps.

Actually works very hard and always helps people, but he's such a troll that people just think he's a unemployed gymrat pretty boy until he attends some big event and people are like "YOU HAVE A JOB??????"

Loves his fans (I just know he'll heart each and every thirst comment go argue with a wall)

Always tagging his twin in the most random posts (most of them are jumpscares)

Sahdev

Does not want to be here

Always duets the videos nakul sends him and screams at the jumpscares ("I do not like this TRICKERY!" "The ball hit the camera Sahdev it wasn't gonna jump out the phone and hit you in the face" "I am BLOCKING YOU")

The fans love his reactions. He doesn't know, he never checks the comments.

Gives in after some time and creates a no-bullshit self help account to help people manage their life and work more efficiently

Krishn

The definition of Hot Mess™

On every platform he's on, which is every platform that exists, this man is Chaos. One post will be "My wife is so beautiful" and then "I miss Arjun" and then "here's three legal ways to loophole out of a lawsuit" and then a motivation post and then a video of a cute baby cow he saw on the sidewalk.

Pranks the fuck out of everyone and everything (his favourite victim is arjun)

Professional roaster. Has online beef with Shakuni. Insults in the most insufferable way possible you canNOT find a way to insult back it's so annoying cuz then he's like 😇🦚

Cute couple reels with Rukmini

[babygirl-riley]

Office Times

You were bored after finishing your paperwork from the last mission. So you paid a visit to your boyfriend to relieve some “paperwork” for him.

Simon Ghost Riley x F!Reader

A/N: I saw a post by @adaelines asking for someone to do a story about cockwarming paperwork scenario with our boi Ghost. Here is a poll to either make this into a series or another one. So go vote!

Warnings: SMUT, cockwarming, dominate!simon, domainate!ghost, piv, mask kink, voice kink, choking kink, rough sex,, pinning, swearing

simon x reader guide

Ghostly Ruins series

Next

You signed the last part of paperwork that was stack on your desk. Making sure everything was correct and read to be turned in to the Captain tomorrow. The mission was easy, capture and take, grab the target take them back to base and interrogate. Both checked and checked, now was the paperwork part of it, which you hated.

However, your boyfriend Ghost, made a deal that once you both finished that there would be some gift for you. Which drove you to it quick, you knew what that meant, you knew exactly what it meant. Usually it would mean basically non stop of sex. With missions like this one, there is pent up emotions and stress that both of you let go of.

So now you were here, sitting in his lap, your pants and panties thrown across the room, his cock inside you. You got him hard by sucking his cock under the desk, as Soap talked to him about next steps. When he left he glared at you before pulling you up and ripping your clothes off. When you would move, he would grip your hips stilling you. Grunting before continuing his paperwork. You whined wanting more movement. More everything. “Sim…”

He gripped you throat still having his other hand on your hip. “You have to stay still, punishing you isn’t what I was intending tonight,” he whispered squeezing a bit more. “Sit pretty and let me finish.”

You nodded hastily and felt his hand leave your throat as you heard scribbling. “I could have you finish in other ways.” You whispered nipping his clothed ear.

He growled. Growled. Shifting his hips making you whine and grin from the movement. “I’m givin you one more warning before that pretty cunt will be pounded.” He hissed passing one of the sheets of paper to the other pile.

You moaned from irritation, you seriously were desperate to get some sort of friction. You stared over your shoulder to see the last part of paperwork. Your pulse jumped, feeling the excitement, your pussy fluttering. Simon moaned loudly. “Fucking hell baby,” Right when he was done putting the paper to the side. He picked you up from your ass to place you on the desk. He slid his cock out to slam into you. “Such a needy minx.”

You gasped at the sudden thrusts he was doing. Slamming harder and harder, making the desk squeak a bit. “I…I needed…ugh.” You stuttered gripping his tattooed arm. It was all too much finally getting what you been wanting.

Simon chuckled as he slammed harder and his pace becoming faster. “Fucking can’t talk huh? Been…fuck…been wanting my fat cock.”

You nodded your head gasping for air, repeating his name. He gripped your throat and leaned down towards your face. “Open love,” You opened your mouth as you watched him pull his mask up to slowly spit into your mouth. You could taste the cigarette he had not too long ago, mixed with the coffee. You moaned as you swallowed. “Fuck y/n.” He moved his hips into you before pulling out and flipping you over.

You giggled as he slapped your ass a couple of times. You wiggled your hips to taunt him. Simon growled before slapping again. “Ya gonna be the fucking death of me lovie.”

Before you could say anything he shoved his cock right back in. You gasped as you gripped the end of the desk. You gasped dipping your head down to the desk. “F-Fuck.” You mumbled feeling his cock mold into your tight pussy.

Simon grunted gripping you hips more, for sure going to have marks. He was still for a moment before slowly backing his hips to slam right into you. You whined as he repeated the process, he let out short grunts. “Not listening lovie-mph-gives you slower place yeah?” He mumbled continuing to do the agonizing slow pace.

You nodded you head. “Please Simon.” You begged panting want more, you wanted him to fuck you so hard that you couldn’t walk. “‘M sorry.” You babbled at that point trying to slam you ass into his pelvis so you could get more.

Simon chuckled reaching down to grab your neck, pulling you up to his chest. “Yeah? You’re sorry?”

You looked behind your shoulder staring at him in his brown eyes. They were bearing into yours, full of lust. You pussy clenched seeing his 5 o clock shadow, his lips parted. His mask only up to his nose. “Yes please pleasepleaseplease baby I need…”

Simon’s hand gripped tighter, as your eyes rolled and your pussy clenched around him. He moaned behind you as he licked your neck and biting it. He stopped his movements. “‘ight since you begged so nicely.”

Next thing you knew it he pins your arms behind you back and pushes you back into the desk. Setting a brutal pace, you could hear the desk being scrapped a bit on the floor. You moaned as the pain from your arms started to have that lovely dull. Simon kissed your back as he kept going. “My love…fuck begging for my cock…Ah that’s right let everyone hear who you belong to.” he whispers against your ear, taking a nip at it.

The sounds that came from your pussy and his cock was beautiful noise. Both of your juices mixing together as you both chased your highs. You starting to pant more and the groans became louder. “I’m-Fuck I’m close.” You moaned.

His fingers went to your clit, letting go of your arms. “I’m close as well lovie. Cum all over me.” He grunted, picking up more of the pace.

You could see stars, you swore that your soul left your body as the band snapped within you. You pussy convulsing around his cock, making him whimper. “Fuck…Fuckfuckfuck.” He moaned loudly before pushing his cock all the way in.

You felt his cum paint your walls. You sighed feeling both yours and his drip down your thighs. He laid against your back, kissing your shoulder blades until his cock was soft. You both hissed as he pulled out putting his pants back on.

You stayed there for a moment before standing up, you could feel your muscles sore already. Grabbing your clothes Simon gently grabbed your wrist. “Sit lovie, I’ll take care of ya.”

[londonfoginacup]

Personal stream of consciousness around Liam and grief and moving forward

Every day I wake up and Liam is still dead. It continues to sort of feel like at some point I will wake up and that won’t be true, that he’ll be back, like he’s just on a trip right now. And I think that’s… a normal part of the grieving process, but it’s hard because it feels disrespectful, almost.

I only did 8 days of inktober this year. I had another ten sketched out already in my notebook, and now I wonder what to do with those. Some of them were good! (Some weren’t). I was older than Liam by a month or so, but for some reason I want to be able to go to him now, and show him those sketches, and say, I do art too! Aren’t you proud of me?

Death is a horrible and unnatural thing. It was never supposed to happen to us. We grieve because we were not made to lose people. We were made to love them forever. Grief is our body trying desperately to reconcile with a reality it was never made for. That is why it feels this way. We were not made for a life like this. We were made to hold one another in our arms. We were made to love each other. We were made for more.

I want to tell him that. That he was made for more than he got. I hope someday I can.

When tumblr started having polls, I always voted the Liam option, and in part that was because I love Liam and I would’ve chosen him regardless. But in part it was with the thought that, if he were to ever snoop on our community here, I wanted Liam to see that he had people in his corner. I don’t regret that. I’m sad it’s all I could do.

I was thinking about it earlier. About One Direction. I tried to slice it so many ways and I came to the conclusion that Liam and Louis are the ones that I think were the heart. I think 1D could’ve come back together to tour, make music, and so on, as long as it had at least those two. 1D could never exist without Liam. It just couldn’t. He loved them too much.

Obviously, I haven’t turned my queue back on. I haven’t felt right reblogging current day stuff about the boys. It feels like turning that back on will indicate being ready to move on, to some extent. And okay, I’ll never be ready so there’s that. But. The idea of turning it back on doesn’t feel right. Not yet.

That being said, I started last month preparing for Christmas. For the 25 days of fic rec I do, and the advent fic. And of course cards. I had decided just a week before Everything Happened that I couldn’t afford to do physical cards this year. And I feel ten times more guilty about that decision now, because it feels like surely people NEED that! But I am also trying to be realistic with myself; so many wonderful people have offered to help financially, and any other time I think I would’ve taken them up on that, but right now the emotional and mental weight of doing physical cards might also be too heavy.

Which, again, makes me feel like I’m letting people down when they need me. If I could, I would send all of you personalized letters every day. It is so hard to reckon with the knowledge that I am only human and must take care of myself.

But I will do the fic recs. that’s easy; I’ve already finished the post graphics.

And I will do the advent fic (I might change my plot— the original one didn’t have a lot of Liam, but i think I need him there more).

And I will make some sort of digital cards for sure. It occurred to me this year that I never put my paper dolls online anywhere and I sort of wonder why not. At least maybe this will be a treat for anyone too wary of sending a stranger online their address— all of you can print th paper dolls for yourselves. I’ll make plenty of outfits.

So. That’s my plan, I suppose. I’ve cried writing this more than I’ve cried all week, I think because it’s easy to think that I am past the worst of the grieving right up until I have to look head on at the facts again.

I miss him. I miss him. How could this happen.

[roo-bastmoon]

Things needing immediate attention in MUSE era...

We have GOT to diversify streaming platforms. Last year as a present to myself I went ahead and purchased a premium family bundle (for 6 email accounts each) for YouTube/YT Music, Pandora, and Spotify--plus a premium Apple account hooked up to Stationhead, and I currently have free trials going for Tidal, Qobuz, and Amazon. Premium streams are essential for charts.

Every day I make clicking through playlists on all these platforms as part of my routine: before breakfast, at lunch, and before bed at a minimum.

We also need to be very diligent about voting. Once I sat myself down and took the time to download the apps, set up accounts, and watch a few YouTube tutorials about how to do it, it's actually pretty easy and usually only a once or twice a day sort of thing.

Then there are the polls that have unlimited voting. That is a numbers game, a war of attrition. So while I wait for my lunch to heat up? I vote. Stuck in a waiting room for an appointment? Voting. On the phone with someone who is just gabbing away? Uh huh, mm mhm, but clickity click, I'm voting the whole time. I aim to hit that Vote button about 100 times a day. All told, takes less than 5 minutes.

Also our boy just posted on Insta after 126 days of silence. Please interact with the story and show him the love!

All in all, I think we really need to get into a routine where we fire on all cylinders. Streaming parties, funding parties, outreach & hype parties... We are hyper-focused on Spotify and YouTube videos and that stuff is absolutely important, but it leaves too many gains on the table. Let's use every tool in the box, okay?

Finally, I want to wrap up this post with gratitude:

I know I encourage you guys a lot to push yourselves and work hard, and I don't mean to come off as your taskmaster, but rather as a cheerleader.

We took a mostly Korean song with an insultingly low level of promo, plus no ads, no playlisting, no radio, only one version, with less than a full week to chart, which dropped during a major US holiday -- and it's very likely it will land on the Hot 100. That is...outstanding.

If nothing else, Jimin will see that he's loved and appreciated and we have his back. Whatever the assholes online try to say about vpn and bots and other bullshit, it was your blood, sweat, and tears that gave Jimin his well-deserved seat at an otherwise unwelcoming industry table. I'm so grateful to you and to this community for that.

We all know that Jimin is organic, authentic, and uniquely talented, and therefore isn't even in competition with anyone else. But we can still get him some good wins. What we do for him, we do out of love--not obligation or bragging rights. His music and his artistry are a source of JOY!

WE ARE OFFICIALLY IN OUR MUSE ERA!

We have two weeks to study up and get premium accounts and gather all our energy to support a whole album. How lucky we are to be so well fed and loved.

FIGHTING!

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

The State Birds Initiative: Connecticut (#5)

Hoo boy, it's been a minute! But hey, here we are again, after taking some extra time to figure stuff out. Welcome to the fifth official poll of the State Birds Initiative! Before the poll, though, one thing real quick. My suggestion is that you read the post below before voting in the poll below. That's especially important if you're lacking any context about the birds being presented as the new (or old) State Bird of the Nutmeg State, Connecticut. This is to be fully informed as to why these are being presented, and to make your choices appropriately. Lastly, some of these birds, you will notice, may go against some of the rules listed in the introduction post. All is explained after the jump where the explanations are, I promise you that. And apologies in advance, the spiel before the actual bird selection is...long. But with that...OK! Here's the poll!

Welcome to the Nutmeg State! A small state, mostly known for being between Boston and New York City, this is one of the foundational states of southern New England, while also having a somewhat...divided identity, we'll say. So, I grew up in CT, for part of my childhood, in both the classic upscale suburbs, and in the middle of the goddamn woods, right on the Connecticut River. For the record, the name "Nutmeg State" is based off of salesmen from the state known for peddling nutmegs. However, there's some speculation that the nutmegs sold were actually made of wood, but that's also probably from people who didn't know that nutmegs were supposed to be grated, and instead assumed they had to be cracked like walnuts. They tried, that failed, and they accused Connecticut Yankees for selling fake nutmeg as a result. So, yeah, a confusing legend at the root of the state's nickname.

You'll notice my use of the word "Yankee" there. Well, despite New York's domination of the term, it should arguably be most associated with Connecticut. "Yankee Doodle" is literally the state song; people from CT were previously and historically referred to as Yankees (which was also an epithet applied to northerners in general, to be fair); and it's actually possible the word was first used by the Dutch in reference to Connecticut settlers, according to multiple theories and historical references. But maybe most prominently, Yankee was used as a demonym for people from CT by one of its most favorite residents: Samuel Clemens, AKA Mark Twain.

Twain is, of course, Connecticut's most famous author, having written some of his most famous works while living with his family in Connecticut in his West Hartford house (which every central Connecticut middle school kid has been to at least once, I guaran-goddamn-tee it). Fun fact, though! Did you know...uh...ah, fuck it. Why keep stalling at this point? Look, as much as I love talking about Mark Twain, he was nothing to do with this post. Fact of the matter is...this was a hard one.

Look, I love Connecticut. It was the first state I remember living in, having moved there when I was a kid from the United States Virgin Islands, which I had been really looking forward to for a bunch of reasons. Admittedly (and unsurprisingly), a lot of that was because I was looking forward to seeing the birds! As a kid, I was also obsessed with birds, and I had never seen the birds in the US mainland before. It was an exciting time for me, and I honestly enjoyed growing up in CT, for the most part. I'd be there for almost 6 years of my life, and I have a lot of fond memories of the state. But, uh...ironically enough...finding State Bird nominees for Connecticut has been HARD AS HELL.

We will, of course, talk in GREAT detail about the American Robin (Turdus migratorius), as it's an important bird for more states than just Connecticut, but I'll give you a spoiler now: this is a boring choice for a State Bird. For any state. Don't get me wrong, I love robins! They're an extremely charismatic and iconic bird, and everybody has seen them at least once in their life if they live in the USA. They're also most likely an early bird (pun slightly intended) for people to encounter on a personal standpoint. Again, we'll get to them, but they're a notable entry in this list. And if one of the states kept the American Robin, I would understand. But, uh...is that state Connecticut?

OK, let's look at the state in the same vein as we have others. I'm sure this won't be the last difficult state to examine in the future of this project, so why not do the same here? Starting with habitat, Connecticut is another state placed within the Northeastern Coastal Zone, with a ton of deciduous forests dominated by oak, chestnut, hemlock, and white pine. There was a lot of clearance during early settlement and beyond, but succession has taken over in recent years to grow the forests back. The state's cut in half by the Connecticut Valley, with large floodplains dominated by maple and cottonwood, with the large Connecticut River right in the center of the valley. Finally, the Berkshires in the northwest corner of the state give us some classic New England flair with sugar maple (Acer saccharum), ash, beech, birch, oak, and hemlock trees on higher-altitude slopes, creating a hilly area that turns beautiful colors in fall. Man, I love Connecticut autumns. And the rest of the year, for that matter.

OK, what are Nutmeggers most known for, culturally and historically? It's a diverse state with a lot of mixed culture, partially as a result of its proximity to New York City. A lot of people tend to joke that Connecticut is just New York City, especially people from elsewhere in New England. And having been to NYC a lot when I was a kid, with a mom who worked there part of the week, and an aunt who lived there all of the week...yeah, fair. But Connecticut has a much more detailed culture than that. It's the home of the cotton giiiAAAAAAH, bad place to start that list. Uh, let's see, it's the home of whaliiiiiiing. Jesus. Uh...home of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe? OK, that's better. It's a major seat of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, leading to it being a production hub for textiles, clocks, typewriters, machining, sewing machines, steam engines, aircraft, and honestly, women's rights to a certain degree. After all, it's the home of the Radium...Girls. Huh. OK, CT's history has some bumps in it, but what state's history doesn't?

As for modern Nutmeggers, they're industrious, generally well-educated, and honestly quite a bit eccentric. I've gone back to the state a few times in the last couple of years, and I forgot how honestly weird people are there. In a good way, not in the fucked-up MAGA sense of the word. It's a state whose people are unafraid to express themselves, from my experience. Probably a result of the diversity in the state, and the diverse perspectives that result. Its political atmosphere is a bit complicated, but overall pretty liberal. Which...doesn't translate super-well into birds at first blush, but hey, we'll see what we get!

OK, with that, let's jump into the selection of the birds for this list. Real talk, if anybody has a suggestion that I hadn't brought up here, send it my way! I will absolutely add another poll if there are entries I think could bear fruit. But, in the meantime, read on if you're interested in the possible choices for the State Bird of Connecticut!

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an citizen of the United States of America who hasn't seen a robin. This is, by far, one of our most iconic songbirds, and is certainly one of the most common and widespread. For some of us, they're a sign of spring. For others, they used to be a sign of spring, until global warming prompted some individuals to stick around through the winter, shifting their diet to frugivory a bit more and brightening the snow as well. They're prolific breeders with bright blue-green eggs (which are iconic in their own right), and can have up to three broods in a given season! Extremely successful and very common. And that...is a problem, for our purposes.

See, Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin have the American Robin (Turdus migratorius) for their state bird, and none of them actually have a good reason for that choice. In Wisconsin, it was chosen by schoolkids because it was recognizable. That was also the reason for the Michigan Audubon Society to choose it as state bird. And Connecticut? Absolutely no goddamn idea. It's almost certainly for the same reason, but there is no real recorded reason for the choice of the American Robin as a state bird, as far as I can tell. For literally all of those states, it's a pretty bad choice by virtue of not being a good choice, at the very least. But that said...I mean, it's not the worst possible choice for a State Bird. For one state, anyway.

Robins, for the record, were named after a different robin entirely: the European Robin (Erithacus rubecula). Another red-breasted and beloved songbird, the European Robin was an immediate thought when American settlers saw the American Robin, hence why I keep saying "American". The two are so often confused in pop-culture, even Mary Poppins was guilty of it! That GIF above comes from the film, and in case you haven't realized it yet, that's an American Robin in England. Yeah. Wrong bird to use as a model for your animatronic, Disney. That has bothered me since I was a little kid, I swear to GOD. Erroneous film biogeography is one of my biggest pet peeves...but that's a separate conversation.

Back to the American Robin. Personally, I love robins of all species, and even recently did some genomics work with them (DNA extraction is fun). They're a commonly seen species, and a great entry-level bird for kids to get into birdwatching and nature. As an American icon, I genuinely think these guys should get some recognition...but I'm hard-pressed to say Connecticut needs them as a State Bird. We'll see what people think, but there's not a great case for them to get the title. To keep it...like I said, we'll see. Maybe the others won't be deemed as good a fit for the state. For now, let's move on from a popular backyard bird to a MUCH less popular one.

Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera)

Here's the eBird pick for Connecticut, and for good reason! The vast majority of the Blue-winged Warbler's (Vermivora cyanoptera) breeding population is in...Wisconsin. Wait, what? Hold on...yeah, actually, Wisconsin, New York, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia all have higher shares of the population that Connecticut, with 5% overall. That's still a lot better than the American Robin's share in CT (0.2%), but still...seems like that eBird article is SEVERELY outdated, or I'm using the database wrong somehow. Either way...huh. Well, let's make an argument for the Blue-winged Warbler, anyway.

Blue-winged Warblers are a species of some conservation concern, making them automatically of interest. They're also extremely interesting to geneticists and ornithologists because of their relationship to other members of Vermivora, especially the Golden-wined Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) and extinct Bachman's Warbler (Vermivora bachmanii), with having documented hybrid offspring with the former that's of interest for various reasons. But outside of that, they of course breed in Connecticut, and represent an interesting bird to look for and find, with a recognizable song and appearance. It's also prized by birdwatchers, and would be a good bird for any aspiring or experienced birdwatchers. It also inhabits shrubland, which is of some conservation interest to CT government and environmental officials. But other than that...not too much else.

Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis)

No. Look, I'm just gonna say this now: no. The Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis) not only doesn't breed in the state (and possibly has never bred in the state), but it's pretty much not found there. Like, at all. This is not an easy warbler to get anywhere in its range in the US, but Connecticut isn't included in that distribution. "But lonelywretch," you scream at your computer screen, "why is it called the Connecticut goddamn Warbler if it isn't even from the state?" First of all, not to police your emotions, but stop screaming; way overboard for this situation. Second of all, it's called the Connecticut Warbler because its describer, ornithologist Alexander Wilson, first saw it in a fly-by during migration while in Connecticut. And...yeah, that's it. They do fly through the state very occasionally during migration, but it's definitely not a reliable bird to count on for local birders there. Honestly...bad bird for the state.

Side note here: there's a lot of talk about renaming birds that are named after people, and I agree with that in almost every case. But here's a hot take to elaborate on in another series: location-based names need to be re-examined. Not all of them are bad by any means, but the Connecticut Warbler is a great example of a bird whose name makes NO FUCKING SENSE. Rename this bird, I BEG of you. If anybody has suggestions for a renaming of this bird, throw them in notes for something! Keep in mind, Gray-headed Warbler is taken (by Myiothlypis griseiceps), so come up with somethin' else. Warranted inclusion in the list for its name, but we're gonna move on.

Osprey (Pandion halieetus)

It's at this point in the list where we get into some interesting candidates...and where I had the most trouble. But I'm fairly satisfied with what I've come up with, so let's move forward! This entry's a somewhat controversial pick for a few reasons, but an interesting one for a bunch of reasons. Now, I don't know about you, but I love Osprey (Pandion halieetus) a whole bunch. An iconic raptor, as well as a very unique one, they're a pescivorous bird found throughout the entire continent. And in Europe. And Asia. And Africa, Australia, and South America. Yeah, they're a cosmopolitan species, found in every continent except for Antarctica. That automatically should make them a bit dodgy of a choice for a State Bird, since they can be found in every state (yes, even occasionally Hawaii). So, why Connecticut?

First off, Connecticut has an intimate connection with the shore and rivers, especially the Connecticut River. Seemingly a loose reason, but the Osprey, AKA the river hawk or sea hawk (we'll get to that later) is an iconic riparian raptor, and a common sight in Connecticut. Having grown up on a river in the state, we used to see Osprey all the time, and it was awesome every time. But their commonness in the state is an important story in and of itself. And, if you know anything about Osprey at all, you know where this is headed. And Connecticut is a great example of this story.

The Osprey is one of the most iconic victims of the DDT crisis that hit the country, as well as a symbol of the environmental success story that resulted from its banning. I won't go into the full story if you haven't heard it, but the short of it is that the pesticide DDT was inadvertently ingested by fish-eating raptors, especially the Bald Eagle (Halieetus leucocephalus) and the Osprey, causing the eggs they laid to have weakened, soft shells. This caused a massive decrease in these and other species, nearly driving both into extinction. However, once environmental movements prompted by Rachel Carson and her book Silent Spring advocated for its eventual banning, the populations recovered. And in Connecticut, they've recovered A LOT.

In 1940, somewhere near 1,000 nests were recorded for Osprey between New York City and Boston. By 1970, the number in Connecticut was down...to 8. Jesus Christ, that's a hell of a crash! One of the worst in the country, in fact. However, today in Connecticut, there are 688 active nests in the state. Which, yeah, doesn't seem like the ultimate success compared to previous, but what's interesting is the rate of increase. Because in 2014, according to the Connecticut State Audubon, there were only 210. In ten years, the number of breeding ospreys known was more than tripled. That's incredible. This has quickly made the Osprey a symbol of conservation in the state, because of a massive amount of monitoring increase. There are states with more of a population, but Connecticut has a pretty good argument for having the Osprey. But that said...other states could also claim this species. Florida and Maryland definitely have claims on it for population size alone, not to mention, well...the most iconic state of all when it comes to having ospreys as a symbol. But we'll get to that one WAY later. just keep that in mind before you vote for Connecticut to have the Osprey.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)

The Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus OR Astur striatus as of recent taxonomic proposals), on the other hand, is another bird of interest. The smallest hawk in the United States of America, this already seems a fitting choice for one of the smallest states in the country. It's listed as endangered in the state, immediately making it of interesting conservation focus. The reason for this status is likely because of window-strikes, which are common for the species in Connecticut, meaning that there's some public outreach needed to protect it. Protecting the forests they nest in (which are in danger) is one thing, but putting up protective window decals to help the species is another. Definitely a cause for focus.

However, there is one...minor detail that makes this a harder fight for public opinion, as well as a potentially ironic one. This is the first species we've discussed whose diet is basically exclusively birds. If you're in the Northeastern United States, and you've seen a bird get attacked and taken at your birdfeeders, it's almost certainly this guy. Which is cool, and important for the species' survival, but the average person being asked to protect a bird that kills other birds, especially birds like the American Robin, is...a palpable irony. Granted, it genuinely needs protecting, and has monitoring programs in the state, and it is a genuinely interesting raptor! But, this is a slightly harder fight to win because of that noncharismatic factor. But hey, it's a cool bird in genuine trouble in the state, it's a scrappy bird for a small state, and it's an interesting species to highlight!

American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)

This is another difficult bird to fight for, but one that needs attention, for God's sake. The American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) is a rapidly disappearing duck species, and not for the reason you think. Let's get to Connecticut representation first. It was the first bird to be used for the Connecticut Migratory Duck Stamp in 1993, the first one issued for the state. It's one of the few states in which it breeds (although it's not the primary state of focus, detracting from its candidacy). And, it's a controlled bird by Fish and Game, meaning hunting of the Black Duck is extremely limited. There is, surprisingly, a point to that statement, but I won't be elaborating here. We'll see how the vote goes, and I'll address it in the Results post.

So, why is this a potential issue? Well, Maine and New York arguably should get this bird instead, as they have a higher population. And the breeding population of this bird is incredibly important to promote, because it's disappearing. Why is it disappearing? Well, some of you may have looked at that picture and asked yourselves: "Wait...isn't that just a female Mallard?" And the answer is, no! But a lot of people think that. A lot of birds think that. Mallards think that. Which means that hybrids between Mallards and Black Ducks are incredibly high. SO high, in fact, the species is being bred and hybridized out of existence! They're so similar to Mallards on a genetic level at this point, that they'll be subsumed if their individual populations aren't preserved. So, yeah, these guys deserve some focus. Do I think they're a great Connecticut symbol? Well, to be fair, the state is regularly assumed to be either greater New York City or greater Massachusetts by outsiders. And it's not; it has its own identity that deserves to be preserved for what it is. So, yeah, maybe a good fit for Connecticut after all.

Also, it's the state in New England with the highest proportion of Black Americans (yes, even more than Massachusetts), so...I dunno, that's also something? Probably not, but as a black dude that grew up in CT, I felt the need to bring that up.

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

OK, sing it with me now!

Yankee Doodle went to town, a-riding on a pony; Stuck a feather in his hat, and called it "macaroni"! Yankee Doodle, give it up! Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mind the music and the step, and with the girls be handy!

Ooh, that last line aged a little rough, but Yankee Doodle! The Connecticut state anthem! Yes, really. Most Americans in the Northeast know this song, but it's got a unique resonance for Nutmeggers, seeing as it was allegedly based on the son of a Connecticut mayor! The state chose it as their song in 1978, and it's been a beloved symbol ever since. But, for the uninitiated (and probably to most school kids like I was), there is one weird word in there that needs a little explanation: macaroni.

Now, this does not, of course, reference the easy cheesy favorite of every child (and college student). No, this is a reference to an old 18th century term for a form of fashion back in the day. It's what the 2000s called "extra", or bourgeious (pronounced "bougie", of course). Basically, it's somebody who dressed WAY over the top in high-designed clothes and accessories to the point of looking...well, extra. Another applicable 2000s term would be "metrosexual", I guess. The macaroni became a satirical character in British culture, and would later become another character known as the "dandy". It's sort of a class-related satire, to be honest. In any case, the macaroni was known for over-the-top fashion, including...wigs.

So, what does literally any of this have to do with the Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)? More than you'd expect, actually. First off, the egret has a pompodour-like crest of feathers that makes it look quite like a stereotypical macaroni, in my opinion. Secondly, it does breed in Connecticut, albeit extremely rarely, sparely, and barely. Its population in the state used to be a lot greater...until people came around and starting hunting it down. Why, you ask?

Let's just go ahead and call that macaroni now, while we're at it. To be clear here, quite a lot of birds were used in millinery back in the day, but the Snowy Egret (and the Great Egret (Ardea alba), for that matter) are special. Those long white feathery plumes were heavily prized as hat decorations, enough so that the species nearly went extinct from hunting them for the hat trade. As a result of that, people began to turn their eye towards conservation of the species, and the protection of birds in general. Two women, Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall, got a group of women together to protect the birds. They rallied the troops, and their organization became fairly popular. Eventually when they sought to name it, they did so after one of the most famous ornithologists in American history at the time: John James Audubon. And from there...well, you can guess.

The Audubon Society is one of the premiere bird conservation organizations in the world, and especially in the United States, and is well-known to the public sector. And it was born right here in...Massachusetts. Oh. Wait, have I jumped the gun on this one? Maybe a little, yeah. But, in my defense, the macaroni is linked to Connecticut through its state anthem, and the Snowy Egret is linked to the macaroni, as mentioned. But, OK, maybe this is a better proposal for Massachusetts, not Connecticut. But, uh...there may be another contender. Kind of.

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

OK, here me out on this one. Look at this picture of a classic macaroni character (on the right, for the record). Does that hairdo not kinda look like the crest of the Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)? Like, just a little bit, at least? I dunno, I can definitely see it. But OK, outside of that, is there another reason for the Tufted Titmouse to be the State Bird of Connecticut? Well, they're extremely common, they've got some charisma to them, and they're definitely found breeding in Connecticut. But...I don't know. I think they're plenty charismatic, but I'm not sure that makes them a great contender.

Still...they should be represented somewhere, right? I mean, the species breeds entirely in the USA, even though it can be found in Canada as well. Plus, other than being very recognizable, they're also an easy bird to find and support with backyard birdfeeding. And, if you want a fun fact about them, they're prone to kleptotrichy. That means, they pluck the fur from mammals to use as insulation in their nests! Yeah! They actually pick the winter coat off of dogs, and use it for their nests! Adorable. But yeah, does this really count for a good State Bird of Connecticut? I doubt it, but I'll let you vote! And I swear to God, it better not be just because of the name that it gets votes.

There you have it. Some complex and controversial choices. I miss any that you think are a valid choice for the state? Do let me know, and I may just issue another poll if this one isn't good enough. We shall see. But, for now, I think it's time to move onto the next state. And lemme tell you, I'm real excited about that one, since...well, I live there! And I have some ideas, lemme tell you. And some people will...disagree with me. For sure. Anyway, see you next time in Boston, kid!

See you soon, and happy birding!

Introduction to the State Birds Initiative

1. Delaware - Poll | Results 2. Pennsylvania - Poll | Results 3. New Jersey - Poll | Results 4. Georgia - Poll | Results 5. Connecticut - Poll | Results 6. Massachusetts - Poll | Results (upcoming)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Alaina Demopoulos at The Guardian:

McKenna, who is 24 and lives in a rural, conservative state, recently got back on dating apps after a year of finding herself. She had two first dates planned for this weekend, but after Donald Trump won the election, she cancelled both. “It’s heartbreaking to know that in this country you only matter if you’re a straight white man,” she said. “It’s just devastating that we’re at this point. So I will not let another man touch me until I have my rights back.” McKenna, who did not want her last name published for privacy reasons, first heard about 4B a few months ago, via a TikTok video referring to the South Korean social movement. The basic idea: women swear off heterosexual marriage, dating, sex and childbirth in protest against institutionalized misogyny and abuse. (It is called 4B in reference to these four specific no-nos.) The mostly online movement began around 2018 protests against revenge porn and grew into South Korea’s #MeToo-esque feminist wave.

In the wake of Trump’s victory, 4B is once again on McKenna’s mind – and she’s not the only one. Trump’s embrace of manosphere figures such as Joe Rogan, the Nelk Boys and Adin Ross means he has strong support among their evangelists – mainly, young men. But for young women, the former president’s long history of misogyny means a vote for Trump is a vote against feminism, especially with reproductive rights as a key issue in 2024. Ahead of the US election, pundits predicted a history-making gender gap, and early exit polls support that prediction: women aged 18-29 went overwhelmingly left, while Trump picked up ground with their male counterparts compared with 2020. With the race called, TikToks viewed hundreds of thousands of times offered one way for women to go for the jugular: 4B, specifically cutting off contact with men. “Girls it’s time to boycott all men! You lost your rights, and they lost the right to hit raw! 4b movement starts now!” one creator wrote on TiKTok in a video viewed 3.4m times. In another video, a woman exercises on a stair climber machine. “Building my dream body that no man will touch for the next 4 years,” reads the caption. The top comment on her post: “In the club, we all celibate.” On Wednesday, Google searches for “4B” spiked by 450%, with the most interest coming from Washington DC, Colorado, Vermont and Minnesota. In South Korea, 4B began as an offshoot of national protests against the spycam epidemic, in which perpetrators filmed targets – most of whom were women – during sex or while urinating in public bathrooms without their knowledge or consent.

[...]

As with #MeToo in the US, men have called 4B an overreach, and discriminatory. South Korea’s conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, ran on a platform of abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which protects against gender-based violence and discrimination, saying feminists were to blame for the country’s economic woes.

Haein Shim, a South Korean activist and current undergraduate researcher at Stanford University’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research, said in an email that women who participated in 4B protests faced cyberbullying, harassment, stalking and threats of violence. “Many of us wore masks, sunglasses, and hats to cover our faces, and it was common practice to dress differently before and after a protest to minimize being stalked.” There were more nuanced critiques, too. “Some debated if it was a sustainable way to participate in feminism, because it was a total disconnect with men, and some people believe there have to be productive conversations among people with different world views in order for society to move forward,” Lee said. Feminists expressed concern over whether 4B “disregarded heterosexual women’s desires, in order to punish men who may or may not have participated in misogyny”.

Shim, the activist, says that 4B goes beyond just boycotting men, and encourages women to find solidarity with each other. “It’s a new lifestyle focused on building safe communities, both online and in-person, and valuing our existence in this crazy world,” she said. “What we want is not to be labeled simply as some man’s wife or girlfriend, but to have the independence to be free from the societal expectations that often limit women’s potential to be fully acknowledged as human beings.” Second wave feminist groups of the 1960s and 70s such as Cell 16, which advocated celibacy and separation from men, and political lesbians, who opted out of heterosexuality, were historically deemed as extreme – or simply trendy. 4B, a more contemporary movement that mostly lives online, may seem more accessible to gen Z women. On TikTok, 4B posts play as communal and therapeutic, a way to take back control during a time when basic rights are at stake.

Donald Trump's election, combined with the erosion of abortion access post-Roe, has fueled an angry backlash among feminist-inclined women by importing the South Korean 4B Movement to the States.

[danganronpabestboys]

Welcome to Danganronpabestboys! (scroll to the bottom for a few quick updates!)

Previously "Danganronpabestgirls," since the end of that tournament (huge congratulations to Chihiro Fujisaki, by the way!) I've decided to make a tournament for the boys next to determine the favorite of Danganronpa's male characters!

Rules/disclaimers(?) before I start:

This bracket will only include characters from the main games. Please please please do not ask me “Where’s [character from x novel]?” or “You forgot [obscure side character]?” I don’t know every single character ever mentioned in the franchise and it would take forever to add every single person, so I’m only including characters from the main games.

Similarly, please don’t ask me about gender discourse. I've set up three polls regarding the placements of Chihiro Fujisaki, the SHSL Impostor, and K1-B0 as requested. Aside from these three qualifier rounds, please don't bother me about gender discourse as I'm aware that different people have different interpretations of a character's gender.

The polls will last for one week before I reblog with the results. You can submit propaganda via an ask and I’ll tag it with the #propaganda tag. Try not to be too mean to each other in the notes while or after the polls are running <3

The “reasons” behind voting always feel like a source of conflict to me so I want to make something clear: this tournament is about which character is your favorite! It can be about personality, general aesthetic, how important they are to the plot— anything! This is no “which character is OBJECTIVELY the best” competition! This is about having fun! It’s a popularity vote— feel free to share what you love about the characters you pick!

On a more personal note, I’m pretty busy right now with schoolwork as I get further into the year. Result announcements or posting propaganda might take awhile! Please be patient with me as I am a human being who has to do other things.

I’m turning on anon asks with faith that you guys will be nice. Hate towards me or any character will be blocked immediately, but feel free to submit any propaganda or just ask a question!

I’m opening submissions! If you’d prefer to submit propaganda that way you can as well.

I’ll release the planned bracket once these three quick preliminary polls end— about a day from now. Then we can start!

Let’s have fun, okay?

Edits before I start the second round (please read!!)

Hating on a character in the tags will have you blocked immediately. Please be respectful, as every single character has its fans, and nobody wants to open their favorite character's poll to see somebody talking about how much they hate them. You will be added to the blocklist.

Please don't bribe people to vote a certain way on the polls. No matter how strongly you believe a certain result should go through, it isn't fair to the other voters. I can't stop you from doing that on your own blog but keep it out of the notes of my post, please.

Starting with Round Two I will no longer be reposting propaganda from the reblogs of the polls since it's become too difficult to keep track of. Cheer for your favorite characters all you like but if you want propaganda to be posted to this blog send it in an ask or submission.

[fanterfane]

Cloud Scarlet!

A pernicious member of Avalanche had what he thought was an AMAZING idea for infiltrating Shinra Electric. Deep impersonation! Materia magic could do a lot of things, even make a boy look and act exactly like the villainous director of Advanced Weaponry. So, Cloud Strife was converted and sent into the Lion's den. I'm sure this will go amazingly well, right? Wait... did we check to see if the real Scarlet is even out today...? Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine! Let me know what you think of this! I don't know much about FinalFantasy, but I did my best to make it as accurate as possible. I hope you enjoy it! This was technically one of my MarchNeedsMoms posts, but I guess Scarlet isn't really a milf, maybe more of a cougar? Either way I liked drawing Cloud this way. I think it's my first time drawing him!

If you like the art I make and you want to support me to help create more of it, please consider joining my Patreon at www.patreon.com/FanterFane for all of these benefits and more!

Preview all completed art at least two weeks or more before it's publicly posted!

View early sketches of all the things I'm working on! (On Discord)

Vote in monthly Patreon-only polls!

Participate in semi-monthly Patreon Sketch Request Streams!

Access to the Patreon-only section of my discord server!

Commission discounts!

And my eternal gratitude!

Alternatively, if Patreon isn't your style, you can also support me via a tip on ko-fi.com/fanterfane, or by subscribing on fanterfane.fanbox.cc!

[multi-fandom-simp]

Forever and always.. or maybe never. Part 2

[Part 1] [Alternate Ending]

Pairings: Aemond Targaryen x reader

Hanahakis Disease!AU

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon or Fire & Blood characters. I do not claim any of them as my own. This work is purely fictional.

Summary: You're dead, and now Aemond must suffer the consequences of loving someone he can never have. How long until he can no longer handle it?

❗️TW❗️: Harsh language, mentions of blood and throwing up, character death, mentions of sexual situations, mentions of infidelity, slight violence, arguments, mentions of childbirth

(A/N: Part 2 is here! It took me a minute to put this together because I had so many ideas on how to do it, so I hope it is to your liking. I would love to hear thoughts, opinions, and ideas on it as well, I'm always open for criticism/suggestion! My asks/inbox are always open as well, I love nothing more than to talk about my fics, or just to you guys in general! I'm always up for having more mutuals on here! Also, if you are interested in the alternate ending for part 1, I posted a poll on what you would like to read in it, so feel free to vote. Anyways, enjoy!)

Word Count: 2,329

Taglist:  @libdarkheart @bibli0thecary @earthangels-things @iiamthehybrid @bellameshipper @introverbatim (I believe that is everyone who asked to be tagged?? I apologize if I missed anyone)

It was hours before anyone was allowed to take your body. Aemond had sat there, clutching you as you turned cold and stiff, staring off into the distance as the young boy inside his head wailed endlessly. It had been Helaena who convinced Aemond to let you go, and Daeron who supported him while he carried you to the maesters. Alicent was the first to cry out as you were pronounced officially dead, a piece of the queen's heart seeping through her lips as she wept against your hand. The small smart-mouthed girl that arrived nearly a decade and a half ago now lay unspeaking before her very eyes. 

“Tell me you were there” Alicent croaked out. 

“ Mother?” Daeron was the only one to question the queen. Helaena knew the question was not for her and Aemond still stood unmoving. 

“ Tell me you were by her side, Aemond! That she did not die alone!” Alicent stared directly at Aemond now, even if he did not look back. 

“ You think so low of me, that I would let her die unheld?” Aemond whispered.

“ I did not think you would cause her such heartbreak and yet here we are!” Alicent cried out. The fire in her eyes might even make you believe she was a Targaryen in more than just marriage. 

“ I did not know” Aemond argued softly. 

“ Then you will not know the time of her rest as well” All air sucked itself from the room and Aemond’s cardinal-rimmed eyes shot to his mother. 

“ You can not keep me from it” Where an authoritative edge was expected, vulnerability came instead. 

“ I am your mother and the queen dowager, I will do as I please” Alicent spoke harshly, “ I will take Aemys to the ceremony. I expect you to get rid of that bastard wet nurse in the meantime.” 

“ Mother-”

“ I will hear no more, Aemond! If I see you there, you will be thrown in a cell until it’s over” Alicent warned one last time while brushing hair from your face. She bent down to place a motherly kiss on your crown before turning away swiftly. Shortly after her departure, Daeron said his peace as well, followed by Helaena. Finally, Aemond stood alone with you once more. It didn’t take long for his legs to weaken and buckle, taking him down to his knees. The memory of the last time he had been on his knees for you tore a sob from his throat. 

“What are you doing?” You giggled in astonishment as Aemond removed his tunic and knelt at your feet. His hands dipped in the warm lilac water that your swollen feet soaked in. 

“ I’m going to massage the knots from your feet” Aemond explained, watching as your face contorted in bliss when his fingers dug into the right spot. 

“ That is what the maids are for, my love.” You proclaimed before laughing again, ”Most husbands would scoff at the thought of massaging their lady wife.”

“ I am not most husbands, am I?” Aemond countered, smirking up at you. He took one of his hands from the water to caress your swollen stomach. Though he had soaked your night shift with water, you could care less.

“ I suppose not” You sighed contently, “Avy jorrāelan.” I love you.

“ Avy jorrāelan, Ñuha prūmia. Besides, it is the least I can do when I am the reason why you ache in the first place” Aemond continued to soothe the bump, hoping to feel movement. Kicks were his favorite, they usually occurred whenever you laughed. As if on cue, a flutter of movement blossomed underneath his touch as you chuckled at his statement. 

“ If I recall correctly, I was a part of that same reason” You took a towel from beside you as spoke and let it flutter to the floor. Carefully, and with assistance, you removed your feet from the water onto the dry cotton. 

“ Mhm, that is true, you even had me on my back at one point” Aemond snorted.

“ As I remember, you seemed to enjoy it quite a bit” You teased. 

“ Did I? Perhaps you’ll have to remind me” Aemond surged at you before you could even comprehend what was happening. His lips moved deeply against yours as he shifted you to lay back. 

“ Aem!” You gasped in delight, holding onto his shoulders.

“ Yes, Ñuha prūmia?” He cooed mischievously, gleaming down at you like the Cheshire cat.

“ This is nowhere near the position we were talking of, ñuha zaldrīzes!” Dragon. Your dragon, always. Aemond nipped at your neck upon hearing the endearment that always caused his heart to stutter. 

“ Mhm, ‘tis not, but I quite like this position” He murmured hotly against your neck. 

“ You won’t like it when it’s the position I give birth in” You whispered. It’s not that you were scared of your first child’s birth or of death itself, you just worried about never meeting your child if you did perish. 

“ Stop that” Aemond scolded. 

“ Stop what, I’m-”

“ Overthinking. I can feel it” He rose slightly to press his forehead to yours, "Both of you will make it out just fine, though I imagine the babe might still scream well afterward” 

Aemond was right, Aemys did cry well into the night after his birth until you were awake and well to hold him that is. It’s ironic, Aemond thinks, how similar that was to now. You were unconscious after a taxing birth, now you lay unconscious on a pyre. Aemys screamed for you then, and he screams for you now, despite Aemond being there both times. 

“ Muña! Muñaaaaa!” Aemond silently braided a piece of the thrashing toddler's hair as he kicked and screamed. Even at three years of age, he was clever enough to know something was wrong. 

“ Muñaaa-”

“ Aemys, please..” Aemond sighed tiredly, turning the child to face him. 

“ Jaelagon. Muña.” Want. Mother. By the seven Aemond wanted you too, but he couldn’t have you. The realization caused a tightness in his chest, a breathless one, but he refused to cough. 

“ I know, byka zaldrīzes, I’m sorry.” Little Dragon. Aemys truly was still little and it broke Aemond’s heart that you would never get to see him grow big and strong. He brought the distressed toddler to his chest and held him tight, tears soaking onto the small amethyst tunic he had been wrangled into. 

“ Aemond” Alicent called out from the doorway, poised in an onyx dress with a belt of deep purple jewels to match her grandson and a hand full of lilacs. Your faithful hyena, Lark appeared as well, striding into the room slowly. 

“ Be good for your grandmother” Aemond spoke quietly but firmly, before standing to full height. He watched as Aemys toddled over to Alicent, giggling as Lark lapped the tears off his cherubic cheeks. 

“ Muña?” Aemys whispered, your eyes shining up at Alicent through his.

“Mama?” the young girl croaked, peering up at a young Alicent Hightower.

“ Your mother isn’t here-” Her voice faltered at the heartbreak in your innocent eyes, “but surely we can see her later, alright? Now, what else would you like, little one?” 

“Flowers?” Alicent chuckled, before taking your small hand in hers. 

“ I suppose I can show you the lilacs..they’re my favorite” The queen whispered down to you, smiling when your face lit up. You may not have been hers, and despite Viserys being the one to invite you, it was the queen who took you under her wing. 

“Mother.” Alicent’s head snapped up to look at Aemond, breaking from her memories. She blinked rapidly to dispel the water weight from her eyes. 

“ Your mother isn’t here, but we’ll see her…someday” Alicent reassured, taking Aemys little hand in her own. Aemond watched as they went before leaving the room himself. He trudged up to a small room at the top of the tallest viewpoint in the castle. Dreamfyre was circling the skies, waiting for Helaena to say Dracarys. 

“ Aemond!” The sound of his name on your tongue lapped at his ear and your footsteps echoed past him. Dreamfyre now flew towards the grassy knoll. 

“You’re handsome to me” The ghost of your fingers prickled goosebumps near his scar. Dreamfyre landed upon the ground. 

“Avy jorrāelan”

 “Avy jorrāelan.” Your proclamation of love faded away with a hot wind as Aemond’s rang through the air. Dreamfyre hurled fire as Aemond hurled petals. 

Whereas your suffering lasted two months, Aemond’s lasted a year. He never tried to conceal, nor cure it. Aemond once said he would die without you and he meant it. Over the course of his downfall, several had tried to convince him to remarry.

“She’s gone, Aemond-”

“ Do not speak my name. I am a prince, refer to me as such.” Aemond snapped coldly at Alys, who stood in front of him and his family in the hall. Unfortunately with a slightly swollen belly accompanying her. The very sight of it made Alicent and even Helaena nauseous. You had only been gone a few months.

“ Apologies, my prince-” 

“ I did not say your prince, I am nothing of yours.” Aemond corrected once more. 

“ You were once” Alys spoke, gazing wickedly at the man before her. 

“ You tricked me, bewitched me” Aemond sneered.

“ I merely used your lady wife’s blood to make you think I was her. You, Aemond Targaryen are the one who chose to believe it. You began to love m-” 

“ I loved her, not you! It will always be her-” Aemond turned swiftly as he felt the familiar dryness creep up his throat and out onto his hand, bringing rivers of scarlet in its wake. 

“ I was going to offer myself up to you for marriage, but it seems that your wife still calls to you even from the ground.” Alys tuts, “Such a pity that I couldn’t have either of you in the end.” 

Pity. It was a thing that Aemond found himself receiving often. Lords would offer their pity on losing such a gorgeous young wife. Ladies of the court pitied him for losing the only woman who could ever love a monster like him. Even Aegon pitied him, but not for the right reasons. 

“It’s a pity that you lost your wife brother, because now I have to find you another one through alliance. Which mother loathes me for because she believes it’s too soon” Aegon grumbled the last part into his chalice as to avoid his mother's glare. 

“ I will not take another wife” Aemond didn’t bother to eat nor look at anyone, he was only sitting at the table for duty’s sake anyway. In his head, he was in a whole other world where you were alive and happy. 

“ You will remarry, to a Baratheon girl. You will remarry, forget about your old wife, which will get rid of those damned petals you leave everywhere, and then sire more children” Aegon chuckled darkly. 

“ No.” Aemond refuted. 

“ Yes-”

“No! I will not take another wife as long as I lo-” Aemond wasn’t able to say the word much these days without it being an instant reaction. The blonde looked down at his hands and saw not only flowers but thorns. He was nearing his end. 

Aemond’s end wouldn’t come for many more months. Leaving him time to try and end his life quicker. Many morrows would pass and for each one Aemond sat on his knees in front of Vhagar, but nothing ever came of it. Either the dragon refused to kill another rider, or she agreed with Alicent on the fact that Aemond deserved to suffer as you did. Aemond also lived to see Aemys reach another birthday. He spent as much time with the boy as he could in between his duties. It was the only time he could ever get a glimpse of you outside of his mind. The four-year-old’s eyes had become windows to your soul. Not only did Aemys have your eyes, but he had begun to display your mannerisms as well. Mimicking the way you used to carry yourself, the way you talked, and ate as well. The only thing he held of Aemond was hair and emotional range. Though the latter did not develop until after your death. 

“ Aemys, father must go now.” Aemond stood in full armor at the child’s bedchamber door. 

“ Okay.” Aemys spoke with a soft smile before figuring out how to say his next words, “Tell Muña I say hi”

Aemond’s expression fell before it was quickly replaced. He memorized the look of his son once more before taking off down the hall towards Vhagar. Aemys’s words repeated through his head as he flew toward God's Eye. Blood trailed from the corner of his lips and nose, but he ignored and braved on. He would die a dragon rider's death, a brave death, so that he may meet you again in the afterlife. The universe, however, like before, had crueler plans. Air began to solidify into silk beneath the tissue of Aemond’s lungs. His bronchioles turned to thorns, and trachea to roots, all while his body remained the soil. 

“ I-I lov-” For the first time since your death, Aemond sobbed. He needed to say it, needed to say he loved you before he died. The sky, the clouds, the stars, the universe, all of it needed to know how he truly loved you. Aemond could not see caraxes flying towards him with a rider confused on why his nephew was kneeled over before the battle had even begun. Daemon would not attack an injured rider, it would bring him no pride or glory. Instead, he watched as Aemond slid sideways from Vhagar and plummeted towards the river. 

“ Avy jorrāelan” “ Avy jorrāelan” This time it was your proclamation of love that engulfed Aemond’s just as the river of sea and blood consumed him. Aemond Targaryen could not feel the crisp coldness of the water, only the soft warmth of your hands pulling him in.

[demigod-of-the-agni]

Spider-Man India, but... where from India?

A SUPER long post featuring talks of: cultural identity, characterisation, the caste system, and what makes Spider-Man Spider-Man.

I’m prefacing this by saying that I am a second-generation immigrant. I was born in Australia, but my cultural background is from South India. My experiences with what it means to be “Indian” is going to be very different from the experiences of those who are born and brought up in India.

If you, reader, want to add anything, please reblog and add your thoughts. This is meant to be a post open for discussion — the more interaction we get, the better we become aware of these nuances.

So I made this poll asking folks to pick a region of India where I would draw Pavitr Prabhakar in their cultural wear. This idea had been on my mind for a long while now, as I had been inspired by Annie Hazarika’s Northeastern Spidey artwork in the wake of ATSV’s release, but never got the time to actually do it until now. I wanted to get a little interactive and made the poll so I could have people choose which of the different regions — North, Northeast, Central, East, West, South — to do first.

The outcome was not what I expected. As you can see, out of 83 votes:

THE RESULTS

South India takes up almost half of all votes (44.6%), followed by Northeast and Central (both 14.5%) and then East (13.3%). In all my life growing up, support towards or even just the awareness of South India was pretty low. Despite this being a very contained poll, why would nearly half of all voters pick South India in favour of other popular choices like Central or North India?

Then I thought about the layout of the poll: Title, Options, Context.

Title: "Tell us who you want to see…"

Options: North, Northeast, Central, East, West, South

Context: I want to make art of the boy again

At first I thought: ah geez. this is my fault. I didn't make the poll clear enough. do they think I want them to figure out where Pavitr came from? That's not what I wanted, maybe I should have added the context before the options.

Then I thought: ah geez. is it my fault for people not reading the entire damn thing before clicking a button? That's pretty stupid.

But regardless, the thought did prompt a line of thinking I know many of us desi folk have been considering since Spider-Man India was first conceived — or, at least, since the announcement that he was going to appear in ATSV. Hell, even I thought of it:

Where did Spider-Man India come from?

FROM A CULTURALLY DIVERSE INDIA

As we know, India is so culturally diverse, and no doubt ATSV creators had to take that into account. Because the ORIGINAL Spider-Man India came from Mumbai — most likely because Mumbai and Manhattan both started with the same letter.

But going beyond that, it’s also because Mumbai is one of the most recognisable cities in India - it’s also known as Bombay. It’s where Bollywood films are shot. It’s where superstar Hindi actors and actresses show up. Mumbai is synonymous with India in that regard, because the easiest way Western countries can interact with Indian culture is through BOLLYWOOD, through HINDI FILMS, through MUMBAI. Suddenly, India is Mumbai, India is a Hindi-only country, India is just this isolated thing we see through an infinitely narrow lens.

We’ve gotten a little better in recent years, but boy I will tell you how uncomfortable I’ve gotten when people (yes, even desi people) come up to me and tell me, Oh, you’re Indian right? Can you speak Hindi? Why don’t you speak Hindi? You’re not Indian if you don’t speak Hindi, that’s India’s national language!

I have been — still am — so afraid of telling people that I don’t speak Hindi, that I’m Tamil, that I don’t care that Hindi is India’s “national” language (it’s an administrative language, Kavin, get your fucking facts right). It’s weird, it’s isolating, and it has made me feel like I wasn’t “Indian” enough to be accepted into the group of “Indian” people.

So I am thankful that ATSV went out of their way to integrate as much variety of Indian culture into the Mumbattan sequence. Maybe that way, the younger generation of desi folk won’t feel so isolated, and that younger Western people will be more open to learning about all these cultural differences within such a vast country.

BUT WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH SPIDER-MAN INDIA?

Everything, actually. There’s a thing called supremacy. You might have heard of it. We all engaged with it at some point, and if you are Indian, no matter where you live, it is inescapable.

It happens the moment you are born — who your family is, where you are born, the language you speak, the colour of your skin; these will be bound to you for life, and it is nigh impossible to break down the stereotypes associated with them.

Certain ethnic groups will be more favourable than others (Centrals, and thus their cultures, will always be favoured over than Souths, as an example) and the same can be said for social groups (Brahmins are more likely to secure influential roles in politics or other areas like priesthood, while the lowers castes, especially Dalits, aren’t even given the decency of respect). Don’t even get me started on colourism, where obviously those of fairer skin will win the lottery while those of darker skin aren’t given the time of day. It’s even worse when morality ties into it — “lighter skinned Indians, like Brahmins, embody good qualities like justice and wisdom”, “dark skinned Indians are cunning and poor, they are untrustworthy”. It’s fucking nuts.

This means, of course, you have a billion people trying to make themselves heard in a system that tries to crush everyone who is not privileged. It only makes sense that people want to elevate themselves and break free from a society that refuses to acknowledge them. These frustrations manifest outwardly, like in protests, but other times — most times — it goes unheard, quietly shaping your way of life, your way of thinking. It becomes a fundamental part of you, and it can go unacknowledged for generations.

So when you have a character like Pavitr Prabhakar enter the scene, people immediately latch onto him and start asking questions many Western audiences don’t even consider. Who is he? What food does he eat? What does he do on Fridays? What’s his family like, his community? All these questions pop up, because, amidst all this turmoil going on in the background, you want a mainstream popular character to be like you, who knows your way of life so intimately, that he may as well be a part of your community.

BUT THAT'S THE THING — HE'S FICTIONAL

I am guilty of this. In fact, I’ve flaunted in numerous posts how I think he’s the perfect Tamil boy, how he dances bharatanatyam, how he does all these Tamil things that no one will understand except myself. All these niche things that only I, and maybe a few others, will understand.

I’ve seen other people do it, too. I’ve seen people geek out over his dark brown skin, his kalari dhoti, how he fights so effortlessly in the kalaripayattu martial arts style. I’ve seen people write him as Malayali, as Hindi, as every kind of Indian person imaginable.

I’ve also seen him be written where he’s subjected to typical Indian and broader Asian stereotypes. You know the ones I’m so fond of calling out. The thing is, I’ve seen so much of Pavitr being presented in so many different ways, and I worry how the rest of the desi folk will take it. 

You finally have a character who could be you, but now he’s someone else’s plaything. Your entire life is shaped by what you can and can’t do simply because you were born to an Indian family, and here’s the one person who could represent you now at the mercy of someone else’s whims. He’s off living a life that is so distant from yours, you can hardly recognise him.

It shouldn’t hurt as much as it does, yeah? But, again, you’re looking at it from that infinitely narrow lens Westerners use to look at India from Bollywood.

AND PAVITR PRABHAKAR DOESN'T LIVE IN INDIA

He lives in Mumbattan. He lives in a made-up, fictional world that doesn’t follow the way of life of our world. He lives in a city where Mumbai and Manhattan got fucking squashed together. There are so many memes about colonialism right there. Mumbattan isn’t real! Spider-Man India isn’t real!! He’s just a dude!! The logic of our world doesn’t apply to him!!!

“But his surname originates from ______” okay but does that matter?

“But he’s wearing a kalari dhoti so surely he’s ______” okay but does that matter?

“But his skin colour is darker so he must be ______” okay but does that matter?

“But he lives in Mumbai so he must be ______” okay but does that matter?

I sound insensitive and brash and annoying and it looks like I’m yapping just for the sake of riling you up, so direct that little burst of anger you got there at me, and keep reading.

Listen. I’m going to ask you a question that I’ve asked myself a million times over. I want you to answer honestly. I want you to ask this question to yourself and answer honestly:

Are you trying to convince me on who Pavitr Prabhakar should be?

... but why shouldn't i?

I’ll tell you this again — I did the same thing. You’re not at fault for this, but I want you to just...have a little think over. Just a little moment of self-reflection, to think about why you are so intent on boxing this guy.

It took me a while to reorganise my thinking and how to best approach a character like Pavitr, so I will give you all the time you need as well as a little springboard to focus your thoughts on.

SPIDER-MAN (INDIA) IS JUST A MASK

“What I like about the costume is that anybody reading Spider-Man in any part of the world can imagine that they themselves are under the costume. And that’s a good thing.”

Stan Lee said that. Remember how he was so intent on making sure that everybody got the idea that Spider-Man as an entity is fundamentally broken without Peter Parker there to put on the suit and save the day? That ultimately it was the person beneath the mask, no matter who they were, that mattered most?

Spider-Man India is no less different. You can argue with me that Peter Parker!Spidey is supposed to represent working class struggles in the face of leering corporate entities who endanger the regular folk like us, and so Pavitr Prabhakar should also function the same way. Pavitr should also be a working class guy of this specific social standing fighting people of this other social standing.

But that takes away the authenticity of Spider-Man India. Looking at him through the Peter Parker lens forces you to look at him through the Western lens, and it significantly lessens what you can do with the character — suddenly, it’s a fight to be heard, to be seen, to be recognised. It’s yelling over each other that Pavitr Prabhakar is this ethnicity, is that caste, this or that, this or that, this or that.

There’s a reason why he’s called Spider-Man India, infuriatingly vague as it is. And that’s the point — the vagueness of his identity fulfils Lee’s purpose for a character that could theoretically be embodied by anyone. If he had been called “Spider-Man Mumbai”, you cut out a majority of the population (and in capitalist terms, you cut out a good chunk of the market).

And in the case of Spider-Man India? Whew — you’ve got about a billion people imagining a billion different versions of him.

Whoever you are, whatever you see in Pavitr, that is what is personal to you, and there is nothing wrong with that, and I will not fault you for it. I will not fault you for saying Pavitr is from Central due to the origins of his last name. I also will not fault you for saying Pavitr is from South due to him practising kalaripayattu. I also will not fault you for saying he is not Hindu. I also will not fault you for saying he is a particular ethnicity without any proof.

What I will fault you for is trying to convince me and the others around you that Pavitr Prabhakar should be this particular ethnicity/have this cultural background because of some specific reason. I literally don’t care and it is fundamentally going against his character, going against the “anyone can wear the mask” sentiment of Spider-Man. By doing this, you are strengthening the walls that first divided us. You’re feeding the stratification and segmentation of our cultures — something that is actually not present in the fictional world of Mumbattan.

Like I said before: Mumbattan isn’t real, so the divides between ethnicities and cultural backgrounds are practically nonexistent. The best thing is that it is visually there for all to see. My favourite piece of evidence is this:

It’s a marquee for a cinema in the Mumbattan sequence, in the “Quick tour: this is where the traffic is” section. It has four titles; the first two are written in Hindi. The third title is written in Bengali*, and the fourth title is written in Tamil. You go to Mumbai and you won’t see a single shred of Bengali nor Tamil there, much less any other language that's not common in Maharashtra (Western India). Seeing this for the first time, you know what went through my head?

Wow, the numerous cultures of India are so intermingled here in Mumbattan! Everyone and everything is welcome!

I was happy, not just because of Tamil representation, but because of the fact that the plethora of Indian cultures are showcased coexisting in such a short sequence. This is India embracing all the little parts that make up its grander identity. This scene literally opened my eyes seeing such beauty in all the diverse cultures thriving together. In a place where language and cultural backgrounds blend so easily, each one complementing one another.

It is so easy to believe that, from this colourful palette of a setting, Pavitr Prabhakar truly is Spider-Man India, no matter where he comes from.

It’s easy to believe that Pavitr can come from any part of India, and I won’t call you out if the origin you have for him is different from the origin I have. You don’t need to stake out territory and stand your ground — you’re entitled to that opinion, and I respect it. In fact, I encourage it!!!

Because there’s only so much you can show in a ten minute segment of a film about a country that has such a vast history and even greater number of cultures. I want to see all of it — I want him to be a Malayali boy, a Hindi boy, a Bengali boy, a Telugu boy, an Urdu boy, whatever!! I want you to write him or draw him immersed in your culture, so that I can see the beauty of your background, the wonderful little things that make your culture unique and different from mine!

And, as many friends have said, it’s so common for Indian folks to be migrating around within our own country. A person with a Maharashtrian surname might end up living in Punjab, and no one really minds that. I’m actually from Karnataka, my family speaks Kannada, but somewhere down the line my ancestors moved to Tamil Nadu and settled down and lived very fulfilling lives. So I don’t actually have the “pure Tamil” upbringing, contrary to popular belief; I’ve gotten a mix of both Kannada and Tamil lifestyles, and it’s made my life that much richer. 

So it’s common for people to “not” look like their surname, if that’s what you’re really afraid about. In fact, it just adds to that layer of nuance, that even despite these rigid identities between ethnicities we as Indian people still intermingle with one another, bringing slivers of our cultures to share with others. Pavitr could just as well have been born in one state and moved around the country, and he happens to live in Mumbattan now. It’s entirely possible and there’s nothing to disprove that.

We don’t need to clamber over one another declaring that only one ethnicity is the “right” ethnicity, because, again, you will be looking at Pavitr and the rest of India in that narrow Western lens — a country with such rich cultural variety reduced to a homogenous restrictive way of life.

THE POLL: REINTERPRETED

This whole thing started because I was wondering why my little poll was so skewed — I thought people assumed I was asking them where he came from, then paired his physical appearance with the most logical options available. I thought it was my fault, that I had somehow influenced this outcome without knowing.

Truth is, I will never really know. But I will be thankful for it, because it gave me the opportunity to finally broach this topic, something that many of us desi folk are hesitant to talk about. I hope you have learned something from this, whether you are desi or a casual Spider-Man fan or someone who just so happened to stumble upon this. 

So just…be a little more open. Recognise that India, like many many countries and nations, is made up of a plethora of smaller cultures. And remember, if you’re trying to convince Pavitr that he’s a particular ethnicity, he’s going to wave his hand at you and say, “Ha, me? No, I’m one of the people that live here in the best Indian city! I’m Spider-Man India, dost!”

(Regardless, he still considers you a friend, because to him, the people matter more to him than you trying to box him into something he’s not.)

*Note: thank you dear anon for letting me know that the third title was Bengali, twas my mistake for literally completely forgetting

[calcja]

SAINT OR SLUT

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A 18+ POST W SOME NSFW THEMES READ AT YOUR OWN RISK ⚠️

Sypnosis: Here's what i think abt whether bonten characters r virgins or nahhh (ofc they're not minors here)

author's note: EXPECT wrong grammars and spellings bc english is not my first languange but i will try my best 😤 and also

❗️pictures are not mine. Credits to the rightful owners❗️

❗️ this doesnt follow the manga ❗️

• MANJIRO SANO

• Personally, i'm 50/50 whether if Mikey is a virgin or not, but i'm sure home boi flirts w girls

• Bro is literally stressed out w his life ever since he was a kid and we are all aware that he lost lots of people during his teenage years that led him into becoming a person that he is right now

• He would go to clubs for work or when he's stressed out, looking for some hot chicks to comfort his lonely ass then make out with them later on but it actually depends though if he would be in the mood to do it with someone, he might be "too tired" to have sex or if ever he did it, he would most likely do it just to feel something

• HARUCHIYO SANZU

• Now come on now

•He's a slut. like a literal slut. the slut of them all. the one and only babygirl.

• He's the guy that when you first look at him, you will say ti yourself immediately that "oh he's a slut" "oh that guy is definitely not a virgin" "he definitely fuck bunch of girls"

• Especially when he's high? oh my god. One thing u expect when this guy is high is hes at the club fucking some girls or getting his dick sucked.

• He doest want makeouts w gropings, home boi always wants a good fuck

•But regardless of being a fuck boy, Sanzu doesnt just easily goes to clubs on his daily basis, when he has work to do especially when it an order from mikey, he would do that first.

• Overall, he's the type of guy who do his works first and surprisingly do it well before he gets his ballsack empty!

• KAKUCHO

• hmmmm this guy is a.... virgin.

• He's voted for being the best boyfriend at the poll one time so i guess this guy is actually sweet irl or in fanfics (EVERYBODY LOVES THIS GUY HE SOLOS ALL UR FAVES IF UR A HATER OF THIS MAN THEN J ALSO HATE U)

•Moving on, Kakucho goes to clubs only just for work and nothing more. Sure he might get some drinks then that's it. • Unfortunately, it's very rare for someone to come up to him to flirt, not bcs of his scary face but bcs of his calm yet cold personality, voice and aura.

• I think he prefers to train more than having sex when he's stressed

• I just imagine him during his day off in his apartment or house or wherever the fuck he lives to have a calm life, taking care of some plants, relaxing while watching tv, reading books, drinking coffee, training and overall just enjoying little things in life.

• ANYWAYS BUT WHY DO I THINK ABT HIM PLAYING A GUITAR (Izana's old guitar)?!?!???! AND HE LEARNED PLAYING THE GUITAR FOR IZANA???

[dirtbra1n]

Seigi Sunday the first—hi seigi :)

logistics before we begin: one big post each week! for everybody’s convenience. as dictated by the poll we’ll be starting with white text on black background (dark mode), but I figure we can alternate between dark and light modes because the vote was fairly close. in the meantime I’ll be upping the brightness of the screenshots so they’re hopefully a little easier on the eyes. let me know if it super sucks

as we move forward feel free to keep an eye out for counters such as Most Beautiful Man In The World count, or general Wow thats a beautiful man.... count. or times I personally call seigi richard or the both of them together deeply sick individuals. it's december we can make it a Warm Drink Drinking Game or something.

now let's begin :) took a very long time Collecting the tools as an apology take this I love graphic design I'm really very good at it

I started over winter break, but once I was going to class four days a week during the day, then straight to my job in the evening, taking a morning nap in the break room and heading right back to school, it really did a number on my internal clock. I could never quite, think clearly. My wallet was full, but I had nothing in particular to spend the money on. I don't think I'd ever heard someone use my actual name at work—both my friend and I were uniformly addressed as "guard." Even food was starting to taste bland. I knew I couldn't keep it up much longer.

[…] I guess I'll just try to get my shifts reduced or find a new part-time job if I can't manage it? Yeah, that's the plan.

HI SEIGI!!!!!! it’s always morally okay to quit your job you should always quit your job. quitting jobs keeps you young seigi get OUT of there. anyway I forgot how immediately we get here

I crossed the road and ran toward the voices. There were four or five people—men in worn-out suits—raising hell. The man in the middle of the group, carrying a suitcase, had tripped and fallen. One of the drunks cackled and dumped his beer on the man's head. I took a deep breath. "Officer! Right over here! Hurry! Someone's being attacked!" The over-excited drunks scattered and escaped into the station. The man on the ground remained. He pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket to wipe himself off. "Are you okay?" '...You're a lifesaver."

AAUUUHHHHHHH SEIGI even if I hadn't needed to contend with image limit I would've typed this out. god

Under the light of the bug zapper, the man turned around. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and an impeccable command of Japanese, but his features were the most captivating of all. I prayed he hadn’t caught the little “whoa” I’d let out under my breath. I’m going to make a bold assertion: I’ve never laid eyes on a more beautiful human being in my life. He had high cheekbones and a perfectly sculpted nose, gently curled blond hair, and his skin was pale and silky smooth. His eyes were a shade of blue that I felt like I could stare at for hours. It was like someone had taken individual parts from all the most beautiful people in the world and combined them in immaculate balance to create this creature. Time and space—even down to the tiny particles of dust in the air—all flowed at a different pace around this man. It was almost enough to make you believe in the divine.

The most beautiful man I’d ever seen in my life* was standing before me in a grey suit. He told me his name was Richard.

BIG DAY FOR SICKOS!!!!!!!!

*yeahhh thats the stuff

Both officers gasped and leaned forward, thinking it might be illicit narcotics. I took the bait, too, but the bags didn't contain nefarious white powder.

nefarious white powder. Okay anyway

I wrote my name on the notepad on the desk with a ballpoint pen. The officer looked at my first name—written with the same characters as "justice"—and guessed "Masayoshi" for the reading, but I shook my head and wrote the pronunciation down, too: Seigi Nakata.

中田正義 like this. I love you boy....

It was 12:45 a.m. by the time they finally let us go. I told him I’d wait with him until the taxi got to the police box, and he gave me this look, like he was utterly baffled by me. “Are you sure you’re not a knight?” “A night?” “A gentleman,” Richard pronounced expertly in native-sounding English. “You accompanied me until I was finished with the police even though they said you could leave earlier.” “Well, it would’ve been annoying if I’d left and they realized they still needed me for something, right?” The taxi was taking its sweet time, so Richard went into the convenience store next to the coin-operated lockers in front of the station. He bought two bottles of water and returned to where we’d been waiting. The moment he handed one of them to me, the taxi finally arrived. I let out a loud “um” without really thinking, and he paused. “I, um, I know you’ve been through a lot today, but please don’t let this experience make you hate Japan. Not everyone’s like those idiots.” “I’m quite aware. Not to mention, making sweeping generalizations about people is a rather foolish endeavor. You shouldn’t feel responsible for their behavior.” Foolish. I hadn’t heard that word in a long time. The blond man with a much greater command of my own native language than I placed his suitcase in the back seat of the taxi instead of the trunk. This rather unusual meeting was coming to an end. Deciding that this might be my only chance to bring up what was on my mind, I took it. “Excuse me, just one last thing! Mr. Richard, you appraise jewelry, right? Like rings and stuff…” Richard looked a bit surprised at first. His eyes, blue like the sapphires he’d pulled out at the police box, gazed at me. The taxi driver grumpily announced that he was closing the door from the driver’s seat, but Richard stuck a leg out, setting his gleaming leather shoe on the asphalt. He took a business card from his breast pocket and gave it to me with one hand. “Jewelry Étranger” it said. I had to wonder what “étranger” meant. It had an e-mail address and phone number on it as well. “Call me at any time. I’m fairly easy to find near Nihon-bashi.” “But—” “Until we meet again, my knight in shining armor,” Richard said with a smile. I was speechless, probably because it was absolutely impossible to argue with him. And it wasn’t just his face but all of his mannerisms, too. The taxi vanished into the night, leaving nothing but a streak of orange from its taillights.

jesus christ. you know you two are sick. also sick is the visual image of the streaking orange light but Seriously so so sick what the hell is wrong with you both

my god. I'm not gonna say anything unnecessary but . mmmm. well whatever Hey seigi can we think of the optics for a second here

poppingthequestionquestionmark.jpg

I took the small black box out of my backpack, popped the lid open, and showed him the ring with the pink stone in the middle.

this is a gun I'm planting by the way. with my foresight knowledge of the future and twisted mind. give it a few novels

...[de]manding you give me the 'real' one back? Well, don't worry. I took thorough photos of the ring and even made two sets of printouts. You should take one. What else should we do just to be safe? Add some kind of seal, maybe?" Honestly, I didn't really expect an almost total stranger to trust me, but I did really want to know more about the stone. Richard remained silent even after I made my case. I hoped he would believe me. After all, he did see all my personal information at the police box that night.

guess you both will just...... have to trust one another............

we.ll. anyway seigi Get ready to say the line

It was probably a kind of longing. For the ring in his suitcase. oh you're sick you are so sick. you're going to pay for this one day nakata seigi Give it a few novels. like. four maybe I forgot. sicko. putting that aside richard smiling grinning and or laughing gives me catastrophic secondhand moe radiation poisoning This is so fucked up.....

Richard's expression didn't change as he continued, "Are you aware that this ring might be stolen?" I looked up at the ceiling the moment I heard him say it. I sighed before looking back at Richard. He was beautiful as ever, even with a frown on his face. He looked like he wanted to call me baffling. I supposed my reaction was pretty unusual. I couldn't stop smiling. I felt so happy. It was a huge weight off my shoulders. "You're... You're amazing! You really are a jeweler! That's just incredible!" "Keep your voice down." He shot me an icy glare, and I shut my mouth. I'd let myself get a little too excited. Richard was silent as a forest as his marvelously colored eyes gazed at me. Beautiful things had a mysterious power, one strong enough to strike a person dumb and render them unable to transgress. It reminded me of how I used to feel compelled to put my hands together in prayer every time I walked past the temple near my house, despite not even knowing what denomination it belonged to. Richard had that quality, and so did the ring.

"unable to transgress" Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. covering my little notebook with both hands. seigi do you ever think before you speak don't answer this

I took karate classes from third grade until I had to quit to focus on high school entrance exams. Even though my instructor was strict, I enjoyed it, but my favorite thing by far was that Hiromi wouldn't get mad at me when I got home late on days when I had class. I'd take the train after karate to visit Grandma at her apartment. I really loved her, though Hiromi hated having to visit her for Obon and New Year's. Even as a small child, it was clear that she was avoiding her mother, but Grandma was always kind to me. She was strong for her small frame and scary when she was angry. She was nothing like the grandmas at my friends' homes, but she was overjoyed to see me every time I came to visit. She would always tell me, "Don't do bad things. They'll catch up to you." Her eyes would look so lonely.

It was like a dream come true when she moved in with us, since I had no idea about the dementia at the time. Grandma was my hero back then, while my mother was never home. And when she was, she was bossy and mean. My mother laid into me when, in the fall of eighth grade, I told her I wanted to start working instead of going to high school. "I work my ass off to make sure you can go to college, and this nonsense is how you repay me?" That sort of thing. Furious, I snapped back at her that I didn't need her help because I was going to stand on my own two feet, just like Grandma. We both lost our tempers, and it almost came to blows, but my grandma intervened and Hiromi flew out of the house. Grandma was bawling. "I was angry. I was so angry. I can still vividly remember Grandma's face and voice. 'I'm a bad role model. You shouldn't try to be like me, Seigi.' That was the day she told me the story about the ring. She was crying the whole time. She was so frantic to get the whole thing out, almost like there was a spell on her compelling her to finish... It was terrifying." Don't do bad things. They'll always catch up with you.

I was sure that both my grandmother and the ring itself would want it to go back to its rightful owner. Back in elementary school, I didn't like my name very much. When the kids at school saw me helping an old man cross the street, they mocked me. "Look at what a good boy Mr. Justice is!" I was so embarrassed I wanted to die. It wasn't like I was helping people because of my name. That incident happened on a day I had karate class, so I confided in my grandmother about it. I asked her why people laughed at me for helping people. Why they mocked me. Grandma looked at me with fire in her eyes. I tensed up, thinking she was angry, but she just smiled sweetly and stroked my head. "I'm proud of you, Seigi," she said. Those words were my salvation. Wanting to help people wasn't a bad thing. But looking back now, it made me think of something else—my grandmother's regret. Her pain. The past she could never escape.

"Please. I just want some closure." Richard set down his water glass. He closed his eyes very deliberately, and his expression grew serious. "Going forward, I will no longer be treating you as a customer but as an acquaintance. Is this acceptable to you?" "Go ahead." "Very well, Seigi." His blue eyes were looking straight at me. They were so piercing they made me sit up straight.

okay .

I gazed at Richard's blue eyes, comparing them to thee pink sapphire. It felt like time, which had frozen in Tokyo fifty years ago, had begun to tick forward again.

alright .

literally without fail. just skin rending agonies OKAY!!!!!

"wrong thing to be distracted by" Okay seigi what do you mean by that. were you distracted by his signing his own name. Why are you acting so maidenly about this. he's not going to think you're being too earnest about when you both can get this all sorted because a) he likes you earnest Totally not like that by the way. and b) he's too busy getting distracted in his own right by your insane running commentary. but aaanyway,

definitely you should've woken him up.

She said it had felt like her life was about to end before it had even begun. The pink sapphire engagement ring was apparently a rare specimen from abroad—it must be worth the value of a woman's life, she thought. She began vacantly wandering around Ginza, gazing at the women working at the department stores. Eventually, she made her way to Shimbashi and got on the Yamanote line—in the opposite direction from her home. She waited for several stops to pass before picking a random one to get off at. That was when she noticed that the ring had vanished from her left hand. "I still remember that moment like it was yesterday. I didn't feel even the slightest bit of sadness. The ring hadn't done anything wrong, but as far as I was concerned, it might as well have been a collar with a chain attached." She chuckled. "It was like someone had opened the door to my cage." Unfortunately, this wasn't just a funny story. There was a huge uproar when her family found out. Her father even hit her. But when she still didn't feel sad, even after all that, it just made her feel like she was horribly selfish and ungrateful. She couldn't bring herself to suffer a little unhappiness to spare the rest of her family. "I didn't see a way out. I was useless to my family at that point. It felt like there was no reason to keep living anymore, so I figured I'd go back to the same station the next day and die. I jumped and everything, but I only lost a leg, not my life. The people who saved me said it was a miracle, but that day just made me a bigger burden on my family. The engagement was off, and I couldn't use my right leg anymore. I hoped they'd let me live out the rest of my life locked up in a tiny hospital room...but a doctor with a cute southern accent happened to take a liking to me." "Life can take some unexpected turns, huh?" she said with a smile. She looked truly happy. She had a son, and he and his wife were living with her now. Her grandchild was in elementary school. That was a face... A face I never once saw my grandmother make. Ms. Miyashita seemed to notice my surprise and tilted her head as if to ask if something was wrong. I bowed my head and apologized. My thoughts were in complete disarray. The pink sapphire in my hand sparkled. "I...I think my grandmother held onto this ring her whole life because she thought she'd done something irredeemable. But I...I loved my grandmother. That's why I want to bring some closure to this whole thing. Please, take it back." I couldn't say another word after that. Ms. Miyashita said my name. The servant tried to interrupt several times, but Ms. Miyashita paid her no mind and continued. "Seigi, do you like gemstones? Are you knowledgeable about them, like Richard is?" "No, I don't know anything about them... The only piece of jewelry I know at all is this ring." She smiled softly.

pause Completely forgot about richard Good lord, pull yourself together. and it made me wheeze cough laugh. this is another gun incidentally Also I hope you can feel through my painstaking transcribing how emotional this chapter makes me. I hope you can.

lets take a nice break from the emotionality though to throw rocks at seigi

"...Is there anything you don't know?" I tried bringing up the topic of the ring, but Richard just casually stuffed his face with a bun. Whoa, handsome men in suits walk around in public with food in their mouths? The sheer baseness of the thought brought a tear to my eye.

seigi I don't know if I've told you this before Probably not. but there's something really really wrong with you

"Papapa... Paparazzi...?" "Padparadscha. It's Sinhalese—the language of Sri Lanka—for the lotus flower." Sri Lanka. I felt like I'd at least heard that name in my high school geography class. Richard could tell I wasn't really following. "It's an island nation on the eastern side of the Indian Ocean. Its capital is rather famous for its long name." As I finished my bun, Richard continued on his tangent. "...This is more of a personal piece of trivia, but my grandmother was born in the city of Ratnapura. Ever since production began in the 1950s, padparadscha sapphires come almost exclusively from the city's mines." Which would mean the stone in the ring came from there, too. I glanced at him, seeking confirmation, and he gave a silent nod. My grandmother's ring had a stone in it from the city Richard's grandmother was from.

sri lanka Also a gun. likewise everything else here Whyyyy are you two so.. fated to meet one another..........

pointing out the flirtatious nature of banter like this feels like fruit hanging too low. am making meaningful eye contact with the lot of you though

"I did tell you that it was a keepsake from my grandmother." "Con men typically say the items they're peddling are keepsakes or family heirlooms. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that ring was actually stolen. If you think about it logically, it makes perfect sense to assume the item had ended up in the hands of an unrelated party. In the vast majority of cases like these, you wouldn't have had anything to do with Ms. Miyashita. You'd just be a random stranger trying to figure out how to pawn off a ring you didn't know anything about. Leaving an opening in my questioning created an opportunity to learn the other party's intent: A bad actor would try to make excuses, while an ignorant patsy would panic and simply deny the possibility. Of course, it isn't the most useful technique when it comes to people who are earnest to the point of foolishness." "......" "Perhaps you could say it's a tool not unlike a touchstone but for assaying hearts rather than metals." "...All right, you win. Thank you for the train fare." Richard flashed me a knowing smile. In the same moment, I noticed the chatter of the saleswomen on board get noticeably higher in pitch. It couldn't have been a coincidence. The fiercely handsome man with the classical features put his arm on the back of his seat, as if he were about to roll over to go to sleep. But instead, he turned to look at me in the aisle seat next to him. "I do think your innocent charm will make your life more interesting, my knight in shining armor," Richard said with a smile, emphasizing every syllable of that last phrase. He looked almost proud. Before I could reply, Richard announced that he was going to sleep and rolled over. He did actually fall asleep almost immediately and didn't wake up until we arrived in Tokyo Station. I was extremely tempted to slip the money for the train fare into his jacket pocket but didn't want to risk looking suspicious, so I opted not to.

brief intermission Richard I think seigi gets three or so free passes to say whatever the hell he wants to you. honestly I forgot how off your leash you were here. sick, sick man. so sick.

When we were about to part on the platform, Richard shoved the bag of Chinese food into my hands. I told him I couldn't possibly take it, and the jeweler said one more mysterious thing: "I'm not suggesting you eat it alone." ...Uh, you mean you want to eat it with me?" "No. I think you should consider visiting your mother," Richard suggested. Specifically, he probably meant I should tell her what happened today. "I'm sure you have much you need to say to her. Probably much more than you realize." And with that, the besuited jeweler bid me farewell and disappeared into the crowd.

another gun in here There are so many of these damn guns. other news Seigi was all that thinly veiled poorly excused flirting back there just a number of "mysterious things" he said. Wake UP!!!!!! anyway back to being shot dead twenty times

This was the same house and the same spot where Grandma had cried, too. And my mother was making the exact same face that she did. Grandma may not have been a "good role model," but she lived her life trying to make sure the people she loved were safe and happy. They might have died if she hadn't done what she did. No one would unilaterally condemn her actions. No one except Grandma herself... and her dear daughter. "If by some snowball's chance in hell, I, the person who ate up all her money, were to simply smile and say 'thank you' for what she did... she'd be rolling in her grave." "......" "Seigi, hand me the tissues." I handed her the box of tissues from on top of the TV. Hiromi blew her nose and crudely wiped her eyes. She balled up the tissue and tossed it into the trash, then casually ate a dumpling, forcing an "oooh, delicious." She was thirty-five when she had me. She probably thought she couldn't get pregnant anymore, but she still had me and raised me. She had always been like this, as long as I could remember. Always strong, stubborn, and tenacious, no matter the circumstances. She always seemed to be fighting something. "So, uh... how's the food?" "Mmm, delicious. Where'd you get it?" [...] It's not like you had to put everything out on the table at once. To me, family meant holding each other close, even through awkward situations like these, when nothing seemed to make sense. I felt the same way when Grandma was still here. Before we split the offering on the altar between the two of us, I rang the bell and brought my hands together, praying to the person who taught me that when you bring your hands together in prayer, you should relax them a bit, so they form what looks like a lotus bud. I remembered the long message I was meant to relay. When I opened my eyes, my mother was next to me, her hands together, too.

I'm wi[ping all my goddamn tears to make a note here about richard asking seigi if he'd give him the ring for a good price and seigi refusing being in its own right Another gun. but I didn't screenshot it. believe me though please It is a gun

Richard looked around the room before looking me straight in the eye. "I have a different proposal for you. For a while now, I've been wanting to set up shop in Japan. I want to create a space that isn't a showroom for gemstones but a place where I can talk to clients. At present, I plan to utilize the space on weekends." "You're setting up shop here?" "Precisely. And I'm hoping to hire some part-time help. Specifically for one position. The job would primarily be simple chores, like cleaning the shop, and would require at most ten days a month. In terms of dress code, anything is appropriate as long as it's not too worn-out." A part-time job at a jewelry shop. I didn't hesitate to ask what the pay would be like, and Richard gave me a number that blew my salary on the night shift at the TV station out of the water. "What do you say?" Richard pressed me for an answer with his eyes. It seemed like he wanted one right that second. But he was making a very compelling offer. To me, at least. "Are you sure you want me?" "Have you never cleaned a room before?" "No, I mean, I have, but... I mean this is a jewelry shop, right? I don’t know anything about jewelry." “I’ll be doing the selling and talking to clients. I may have you run some errands to buy stationary or mail things at the post office for me, but that will be roughly the extent of your responsibilities. If you were hoping for something more fulfilling, this might not be the right position for you.”

okay pause I’m biting into the low hanging fruit Are you sure you want me? SEIGI. punchline Have you never cleaned a room before? RICHAAARDDDDDD two people uniquely perfect for one another I’m Gonna Do Something. at a later date. a process will have occurred when I’m through with you two. also This is so volume 6 to me you people are SICK!!!!!!!

It was right on the tip of my tongue. I knew what I was trying to describe, but what was the word? What was it that Richard reminded me of? It wasn’t someone else’s name. It was the way he looked perfect from every angle. It was something else entirely. I know. “A gem! You’re a living gemstone!” It was perfect. I pointed at him, feeling very pleased with myself for figuring it out—for about two or three seconds, before I realized what an insane thing I’d just said out loud and hurriedly put my hand down. I bowed my head and apologized, but Richard just said not to worry about it. “Um… Anyway, I don’t really have any skills to speak of, and you really don’t need someone with such an overactive imagination. I’m sure there’s someone better suited to the job.” “I disagree.” His reply came immediately. My eyes went wide, and Richard smiled sweetly. His smile shone like a gemstone when held up to the light. “To be perfectly honest, anyone could do the job I’m asking you to do, but I wouldn’t ask just anyone to do it. If I wanted an expert in gemstones, I wouldn’t be looking for a part-timer. Gemstones may be objects that people treat with love and care, but the concept of beauty doesn’t fit into some neatly defined box. Beauty comes in myriad forms. It is a concept as rich as it is broad, and being able to recognize and appreciate that is a talent. A talent I believe you already possess. And I can personally vouch for your honesty. Going out of my way to find another candidate when I have someone who’s both available and qualified right here would be foolish.”

“Yes. I couldn’t ask for a better job. Though, you know, it probably would be better if I referred to you a bit more formally.” “And why is that?” “It’s pretty unusual for an employee to be on a first-name basis with his boss.” “Well, if you want to make a numbers argument, I think there are fewer workplaces where coworkers aren’t on a first-name basis.” “Oh, you mean in the whole world?” “Indeed. And this very room just so happens to be part of that great wide world. I’m happy to have you on board,” Richard said, offering a hand.

I just think you both are incapable of having normal conversations. I think you just can’t do it. the numbers thing is so LAME richard. but you don’t want to feel like he’s below you Ooihhhh sorry that’s a gun also Should I kill myself

He plunged a large plastic spoon with a heaping scoop of tea leaves into the boiling water and simmered it over high heat. Once the water began to take on the color of tea, he added the milk and then cut the heat once the froth began to reach the rim of the pot. Watching him flick the stove knob off was the first time I felt like this living gemstone was truly human.

if you’ll join me in ignoring gayboy for a moment That’s a perfectly good recipe for royal milk tea. :) I got deja vu when I was jotting this part down You don’t need to know how many hours I’ve been doing this now

“Drink up.” “Thanks…” I had a nervous look on my face as I sat down and had a sip. “Whoa! That’s delicious! How is it so tasty?” “This is authentic royal milk tea. All the rest are mere imitations.” Mere imitations. The way he said it was so funny, I couldn’t hold back a little laugh. Richard frowned, perplexed. “Let me guess, you didn’t drink the tea they offered us at the police box because it was a ‘mere imitation’?” “I have no intention of defiling my palate with sacrilegious flavors. Tea dies the moment it enters a plastic bottle.” “It dies?”

can you two just get married already. Can’t take it anymore

“It is simply not fit for human consumption. Understood, Seigi?” My new boss said my name. Richard Ranasinghe de Vulpian. A British man fluent in Japanese. His grandmother was born in Sri Lanka. His beauty was unparalleled. And he had very strong opinions about royal milk tea. I had a hard time believing such a strange creature lived in the same world as me. When I started taking fewer shifts at the TV station, one of my friends at my prep class asked me what was up with a smile.

seigi :)

and that concludes this weeks Seigi Sunday on “The Pink Sapphire of Justice”. on this [Sunday]. good night

[dungeon-meshi-tournament]

You guys had a ton of funny things to say in response to the polls in the Best Chapter Cover in the Manga Tournament. So much so, that my initial list of funny comments was three full pages long. But after a lot of revising, and some delays for personal reasons, here's the post with the funniest comments of the last tournament, sorted by the poll they were commented on:

Chapter 2 vs Chapter 3 (2ound 1 part 1) slugfest between the allure of seeing a characters full pack and belongings laid out neatly versus Laios, Doomed, Eats Sandwich

Chapter 4 vs Chapter 5 (round 1 part 1) i love the go white boy go image, but yuri is always the answer

Chapter 21 vs Chapter 22 (round 1 part 1) whats his name again. chester? CHESTER SWEEP

Chapter 57 vs Chapter 58 (round 1 part 3) we are all simple. we see funny catgirl, we click the button Sorry Marcille I'm giving it to Ominous Catgirl 😔

Chapter 72 vs Chapter 73 (round 1 part 3) Chapter 73 aka future finalist for "Horniest Chapter Cover" tournament i hauve covid ryoko kui horny is the best kind of horny

Chapter 8 vs Chapter 10 (round 2 part 1) these early round Close-Ish ones are really fascinating to me. What will win: dynamic group shot, or Senshi Wear Hat

Chapter 47 vs Chapter 49 (round 2 part 2) i don't know this series or the significance of these images but one of these has a massive hairy man being slutty so i felt qualified to judge this one senshi thighs sweep HOT SENSHI HOT SENSHI HOT SENSHI

Chapter 50 vs Chapter 51 (round 2 part 3) chilchuck being one raceswap away from a five o'clock shadow is important to me

Chapter 56 vs Chapter 58 (round 2 part 3) chilchuk forever haunted by the looming ever-present spector of romance. please show him your support in these trying times Look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn't click to pet her!! divorced dad AND potential bi king???

Chapter 68 vs Chapter 69 (round 2 part 3) THISTLE VS THISTLE WHO WILL WIN

Chapter 71 vs Chapter 3 (round 2 part 3) justice for dragon dinner but I Understand i dont go here i just need to support my bestie vore and cannibalism. ESPECIALLY vore and cannibalism sexualised. CHAPER 73 SWEEP!!!!!!!!! CUT THAT TONGUE OFF

Chapter 46 vs Chapter 47 (round 3 part 1) the senshi fanservice chapter cover is just dungeon meshi heritage

Chapter 68 vs Chapter 73 (round 3 part 2) Thistle giving head to the Winged Lion >>>>>>>>>

Chapter 80 vs Chapter 85 (round 3 part 2) my brain neuron activate when i see her eyes bags

Chapter 88 vs Chapter 89 (round 3 part 2) EAT THIS MOTHERFUCKING LION. EAT HIM. EAT HIM. EAT HIM.

Chapter 14 vs Chapter 21 (round 4) GO GIRL GO, BEAT CHESTER!! SLAY THAT OLD MAN TO THE GROUND MARCILLE

Chapter 76 vs Chapter 85 (round 4) sorry kabru but i have to support womens wrongs im sorry pepe silvia kabru but marcile looks hot in her tired renaisance faire goth era

Chapter 28 vs Chapter 47 (quarter finals) everyone LOOK AWAY im abt to do some cocomelon shit to that man ryoko kui's unstoppable lust for her own character has spread to the audience

Chapter 85 vs Chapter 97 (quarter finals) prev is right but unfortunately i saw a woman so beautiful i blacked out and voted for her before i could muster any logic 😵‍💫

Chapter 47 vs Chapter 97 (semi-finals) i read dungeon meshi for the food sorry naked senshi

Chapter 47 vs Chapter 73 (finale) battle of the horny covers THE S IN SENSHI STANDS FOR SWEEP VOTE CANNIBALISM PLEASEEEEEE senshi IS sexé but is he as sexy as laios getting his tongue [REDACTED]