#he is not a fan but he lets me talk at length about my passionate love hate relationship with this piece of media

[hargr00vy]

my friend just coined this phrase and i cant stop thinking about it

[gloomwitchwrites]

morning after one night stand with 141?

Anon! You have me kicking my feet and giggling over here!! I am cackling so hard omg. I've been waiting for a prompt like this, and I know it has been sitting in my inbox for a while. (Really there are a ton sitting in my inbox and I will get to them all I promise). But after feeling like garbage and having some health issues, this prompt just came to me naturally and I didn't need to force anything. I thought it would be best to tackle this first on my dive back into fulfilling these requests after the 1k follower event.

I went spicy with this one. I won't lie. Because, let's be real, a morning after with any of these four will only end up with you still in that bed. I know I'd fold instantly. No question about it.

Content & Warnings: swearing, unprotected piv (wrap it up irl), creampie, feelings, oral sex (male & female receiving), sex w/ and w/o condoms, vaginal fingering, dirty talk, aftercare

Word Count: 3.6k

For the masterlist and how to submit your own request, click HERE

ao3 // taglist // main masterlist // imagines & what if series masterlist

John Price

The ceiling fan above you spins slowly. It’s not nearly enough air. Your skin is sticky with sweat, and you’ve hardly slept at all.

The sheets you’re tangled in are thin, but what can you expect from a cheap hotel?

All of this was last second. A moment of tipsy-laced passion. Now you’re reaping the consequences. And the air is too damp, too hot, too���

Fuck.

You glance to your right, at the man softly snoring beside you. All the memories from last night appear before your eyes, replaying like a grainy recording. Images of all the positions this man put you in, and how fucking good his dick felt inside you.

Even now, you still feel the slight sting in your scalp from when he tangled his fingers in your hair while you took him into your mouth.

You need to leave. You need to leave with a thread of your dignity in tact before he wakes up. Before John wakes. You know the name well enough. He had you screaming it nearly all night. Insisted on it, and you happily obliged.

Shifting slightly, you shimmy to the very edge of the bed, trying your hardest to sit up without making too much noise or rocking the bed.  Swinging your legs around, you push up, coming to an upright position, feet planting firmly on the floor. Between your legs is a mess. You don’t have to see it to know.

Most of the night, John used condoms. But when the two of you finally curled up together, John had slid his hand between your thighs and parted you just enough to push right on in. You didn’t protest. You had sighed heavily, and then groaned when he rocked his hips, moving inside you.

In the moment you didn’t care. Not one bit. In a way, you still don’t, but what the fuck were you thinking?

You breathe in deep through your nostrils and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Lingering won’t help. You need to collect your clothes from the floor and leave.

As you open your eyes, and blink, you’re faced with your reflection. The full-length mirror against the wall shows the carnage from the night, but it’s not your appearance that has you pausing.

It’s John.

He’s awake.

And he’s staring right at you.

“You leaving me already?” His voice is husky. Sleep-tinged. The sound of it goes straight to your pussy.

“No,” you reply automatically.

He yawns, muscled chest flexing. “You’re lying, love.”

Your limbs do not cooperate. Move. That’s what you need, but your body isn’t listening. It’s melting instead, wanting to draw back into his arms.

“Am I?”

He nods, and rubs his large hand across his chest. The dark hairs there are tempting. You remember running your hands over those pectorals, and how your fingers dug in as you used him to rock back against his cock.

John pushes up and reaches over, that hand pressing against your back lightly, rubbing soft circles.

Fuck.

“Come here,” he says softly, and yet it isn’t soft at all.

It’s not pleading. It’s not exactly a command. John isn’t demanding anything and yet you are unable to form any will of your own. It’s like John has just taken a shot of whiskey.

Finally, your limbs move, but it is not away from him. Your feet find the bed again, and John is grabbing onto your thighs and waist, drawing you back. The whimper you release when both of his hands grasp the backs of your thighs as he pulls you into his lap is obscene. It’s silly. Downright ridiculous.

But it’s cut off. Cinched.

John’s mouth is on yours and then you’re kissing him. It is open-mouthed. A bit messy. But fuck is it good. His hands slide up your thighs, over the curve of your ass, and meander their way over your back. One arm wraps around your waist while the other comes up to your throat.

He won’t let you leave. He won’t allow you to slip away. John’s hand seems so large against your throat, and yet you don’t care. It’s possessive the way he claims your mouth. When you begin to wiggle, John growls, and you’re flipped onto your back.

John doesn’t cease kissing you, and his hands are everywhere. Your legs effortlessly part from him, and you feel his hard cock pressing against your thigh.

What’s one more? Couldn’t hurt.

You shift your hips, and it’s like John already knows. Drawing your legs up and into a more bent position, there is little effort in the way he buries himself to the hilt. You almost choke on your next breath but that is all you have.

There is nothing lazy or soft about this. John’s hips snap forward and back, skin smacking against skin. He presses his face against the side of your head, lips brushing along the lien of your jaw as he continues to relentlessly fuck you into the bed. Your hands claw at his back, fingers digging for a semblance of steadiness.

“Can’t leave yet,” he huffs against your throat.

Your face shifts toward him and John takes this opportunity to find your lips again, and this kiss is so much different. It is passionate, and speaks to something more desperate than a mere need.

This is only supposed to be a night. A fun, drunken fuck you can latch onto your belt.

But no. That’s not what this is.

Not really.

John "Soap" MacTavish

The air conditioning kicks in, and that is what wakes you. A cool burst of air travels over your skin, making you shiver, pulling you from sleep.

You groan, snuggling against the warmth you’re curled against. It’s a comforting warmth. A bit soft with some hardness too. Not completely comfortable but better than the blast of cold air.

When you sink further against this warmth, it shifts beneath you. Dazedly, you blink, pulling back slightly from this nice heat you don’t wish to leave. Your cheek grazes against something scratchy and then you’re frowning down at chiseled pectorals.

The night before comes rushing forward. It is a battering ram of information, one that sends your already foggy brain into overload.

“Morning, love.” The husky, Scottish voice grounds you, slamming you back to reality.

You twist slightly and are greeted by soft blue eyes and a lazy smile.

“Johnny,” you murmur.

“Remembered my name,” he laughs. He reaches over to grasp the back of your thigh, drawing it over his waist. That large hand of his squeezes gently and you shiver.

“You remember mine?” you ask, teasing back.

He hums softly, and then draws you in, whispering your name against your lips.

This was a one-time thing. A quick hookup. You met Johnny at a pub. He had zeroed in on you instantly, making his way toward you with eagerness like he knew he wanted you out of everyone there that night.

And you had melted. Complied. Fallen for his Scottish accent that only seemed to thicken the more he drank. He cracked jokes, and gave you all of his attention. It was nice to be wanted for once, and when he discreetly asked you if you wanted to go back to his place, you didn’t hesitate.

But the morning is here. It has come calling. And now you’re left with the consequences.

“I need to go,” you murmur, drawing away from him.

Embarrassment is starting to sink in. You have no idea what you might look like at the moment but it can’t be anything other than a mess. Your makeup is likely smeared, hair tangled like a bird’s nest, and you fucking ache everywhere.

Which is fucking understandable because Johnny has stamina. You’ve never been with a man with such quick recovery time. He’d finish, take a couple minutes, and come right back at it like he wasn’t winded at all. He also put you in all sorts of weird positions.

No wonder you’re sore.

Johnny’s face falls slightly, and his arms tighten, keeping you crushed against him. “Don’t want to stay for a bit? Could grab some breakfast.”

He’s offering it to you casually as if your rejection won’t mean anything, but you see the hesitation in his gaze. Johnny wants you to say “yes” and yet you don’t know why. It could just be a show of kindness. An offering of nourishment after the workout he put you through last night. But perhaps it’s something more?

No. That’s silly. Ridiculous.

The two of you met just last night. If anything, the two of you have only known each other for twelve hours. That’s hardly enough to go on.

But breakfast sounds lovely.

When you don’t answer right away, Johnny adjusts his hold on you. His face draws close, gaze lazily scanning your body. Slowly, he moves in, brushing his lips against your shoulder, and then the curve at your neck.

“Or we could stay here for a bit longer.” He presses a kiss to your throat. “Breakfast after?” Johnny’s hand changes position, slipping up to grasp the curve of your ass. His body twists, and you feel his hard cock against the inside of your thigh.

Your pussy immediately clenches, remembering all the things he did to you. You attempt to push the feeling aside but it only grows, flowing outward, zapping your self-control.

“Johnny,” you whimper as his hand ventures further downward, sliding between your legs.

His fingers part your pussy, and the sound of the mess between your legs reaches your ears. The two of you didn’t use condoms last night, but you’re both clean and you went for it. It seems overly loudly in the room, and Johnny’s breathing quickens slightly as he explores.

“Don’t mind me adding to this?” His lips come down on your neck before his teeth lightly sink in.

Your lips part and you cry out as Johnny slips a finger inside your pussy. He takes his time, slowly moving in and out of your pussy. Lazily, his thumb brushes over your clit. He repeats the gesture, and your hips buck against his hold.

“Staying?” he asks, lips brushing over collarbone to descend downward to your breasts.

His actions aren’t fair. This isn’t how things are supposed to go. He’s supposed to kick you out. To tell you to leave either politely or like an asshole. Instead, Johnny is trying everything to get you to stay. And you can’t say you’re all that mad about it because—fuck, this man knows how to use his fingers.

Johnny runs his tongue over your nipple and you nearly come undone right then. Your hips flex forward, pushing your clit against his palm. He inserts a second finger, and Johnny groans against your breasts as your orgasm builds toward its peak.

“Stay,” he says, and you squeeze around those two digits, gasping for air as your fingers dig into his pectorals.

Johnny withdraws and rolls you onto your back. You spread your legs gladly, your orgasm still buzzing under your skin. He boxes you in, the head of his cock pushing in. All that soreness returns but it is fleeting. Once he’s seated entirely inside you, you hardly care.

“I’ll stay,” you gasp as he rocks his hips.

“For breakfast, too?”

“Whatever you want.”

Simon "Ghost" Riley

When you awaken, it’s a jolt. A sharp shake.

You blink, not recognizing your surroundings for a moment. Hazy memories bubble up to the surface. There was a man with blonde hair and scars. There was whiskey. Lots of it. A bottle shared between you and him.

His hand kept straying to your thigh, squeezing with intention. You leaned in, asked if he was interested in going elsewhere.

This is elsewhere. And it’s not a hotel.

Simon.

You remember him now. His gruff voice, his large hands on your body, and the way he stripped you down in seconds before his mouth sought supple skin. Your cheeks heat with the memory, and you absently press your palm there, the warmth radiating into your fingers.

Glancing over, you find the bed empty. Reaching out, you test the sheets, finding them cold. Simon has been gone a while, but this is no hotel room. It’s too personal, which means he’s somewhere. This must be his home.

If you’re careful, maybe you can slip out. You sit up, and listen. Quiet. No running water or feet padding softly against the floor. The bathroom door is ajar and the light is off. Simon might be out in the kitchen or living room—or he might be gone.

That’s happened before. You’ve awoken only for the man to be gone, leaving you alone in his home to put yourself together and make an exit at your convenience.

It’s…fine.

Simon was a good fuck. You can’t complain on that front. He knew exactly how to work your body. He found all your spots—all the things that make you melt—and stuck with it.

Sighing heavily, you crawl out of the comfortable bed. Your limbs scream in protest, soreness making itself known in places you’ve never been sore before. It’s a game finding your discarded clothes on the floor. With only a sliver of sunlight from the window, you’re forced to grab and hold the item up in the air to determine if the clothing item is yours or Simon’s.

“Finally,” you mutter, identifying your shirt. It’s halfway over your head when you hear the front door. “Fuck,” you hiss, only tangling yourself further.

You take a step back only to smack your leg against the bed. It sends you backwards, sprawling onto your back. You manage to sit up and wrestle your shirt on when Simon enters the room.

He stands in the doorway holding a plastic bag, and wearing a black tracksuit. Simon’s hair is a bit of a mess like he quickly ran his fingers through it before leaving.

“Hi,” you say weakly, because you can’t stand awkward silence.

“Leaving?” asks Simon, but he doesn’t sound upset.

You shrug, and swallow down the lump in your throat. “What’s in the bag?” you reply, switching tactics.

Simon is quiet a moment before he reaches in and tosses something to you. You manage to catch it without fumbling it.

Glancing down, you look at the box. At the—oh.

“We ran out last night,” he states simply.

It suddenly grows hot in the room.

“We did,” you agree, clutching the box of condoms like it’s a lifejacket.

He bought more. Which means—

“You’re welcome to leave,” he says, crumbling up the bag and setting it on top of the dresser. Simon reaches into his pocket and deposits his keys along with his phone. Unzipping his jacket, Simon reveals bare chest.

When the jacket is gone, Simon is left in only black joggers. He’s on full display. Broad shoulders, muscled arms and chest, large hands that perfectly wrapped around your throat as he bent you over and fucked you from behind.

“Is that what you want?” you ask, but you already know the answer. If Simon really wanted you gone, he wouldn’t have left to purchase another box of condoms.

“It’s what you want,” he replies. Simon is so calm—so casual. He’s not moving away from the door. He stands there, shirtless, gaze intense.

You sigh loudly and glance down at the box of condoms. “You did go out of your way to buy these.”

By the time you glance up, Simon is right there, grasping your throat, easing your head upwards so that you can look at him. With his other hand, he takes the condoms and tosses them onto the bed.

“You’re staying.” It’s not really a question, more of a confirmation.

You nod once and Simon’s thumb brushes over your bottom lip. That soft touch is enough to part your lips, and Simon makes a noise deep in his throat that sounds like a groan.

“Take me in your mouth,” he rasps. “Like you did last night.”

Your hands find the top of his joggers. Sliding beneath the band, you wiggle them down until the base of his cock appears. You pull a bit more, and then it’s free, already hard with a tiny bead of cum blooming in the slit. Your tongue darts out, swiping it up.

Simon shivers, and his hold on your neck adjusts to grasp the back of your head. He doesn’t haul you against him, or force himself down your throat. He is waiting for you, and that action in and of itself is enough to get you to stay a bit longer.

The head of his cock slides over your tongue and you throat him deep. Simon’s eyelids flutter and his groan is sweet. You bottle it up for later with the intention of recreating that sound—to make him moan like that again.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

Sunday mornings are lazy mornings.

Some of the alcohol from last night still lingers in your pores, leaving a tightness behind your eyes and at your temples. But it’s not all that relevant.

Right now, you’re floating. There’s a man between your thighs. Well, his head anyway. And his tongue is doing all sorts of things to you.

Kyle’s tongue lazily flicks back and forth over your clit while he pumps two fingers in and out of your pussy. He is in no rush. No hurry. He’s taking his time, and you’re in blissful motion, hips rocking against his tongue, meeting his fingers with each thrust.

He groans softly against your pussy just before he sucks your clit into his mouth. Your fingers dig into his shoulders, and your back arches off the bed. Kyle’s name is on your lips. A repetition you cannot cease.

Even with your orgasm blossoming, you feel his smile against your skin. Kyle is smug that he’s done this to you.

What a way to start the day.

Kyle’s fingers slip from your body, and then he’s pushing up, reaching for the box of condoms on the bedside table. He snatches one up, tearing it open quickly.

“How do you want me?” you murmur, not trusting your voice. It’s still hoarse from sleep and the smokes you accepted last night.

Kyle rolls on the condom. His skin is glossy with sweat. The two of you have hardly slept. You thought this would be a quick fuck but it’s something else. Kyle takes his time, and that has drawn this one-night stand out into an all-night fucking marathon.

“You’re good as you are, love,” coos Kyle, settling between your legs again. You both groan aloud when he slides home.

It’s the next day. You should be out of this bed. You should be doing your usual walk-of-shame, and yet you’re still in Kyle’s bed, full of his cock, and completely strung out on orgasms.

“Promise I’ll let you rest after this,” he murmurs, testing with a roll of his hips.

You almost laugh. “You said that the last two times,” you moan as he hits somewhere deep.

“Did I?” he asks, absently.

Kyle is sweet, but he knows how to make you yearn. It’s agony. And it’s fucking beautiful. This isn’t how any of this is supposed to go and yet here you are, getting dicked down by a man who is clearly beyond simple hook-ups.

This man is boyfriend material, and even as your mind starts to drift back into a lustful haze, it’s scheming of ways to keep him.

Shifting slightly, Kyle adjusts your legs, setting a pace that makes each stroke divine. Perhaps it’s the fact that you’re exhausted that it feels so goddamn good. And maybe the two of you will actually rest after this.

The birds are chirping, and traffic is already moving. It’s the morning after, and yet the night seems to have been unending.

Kyle leans forward, and then your lips are connecting. Each kiss is deep. Tender. It’s unfair how nice this is. It shouldn’t be like this, and yet it is, and that makes it all the more painful when you do finally leave. This is not your home. It is his.

This is just an agreement made in a smoky pub. Nothing more.

“Kyle,” you moan, drawing his name out as your orgasm crests.

He smiles against your mouth, his pace stuttering out as the rest of him starts to tense.

“Almost there, love. Promise.” That word, promise, is strained. Kyle’s eyelids flutter, and then he too finds his end.

In the muted dark, the two of you exchange breaths. A car honks outside but it’s a muted thing. You’re hardly paying attention.

“Can we rest now?” you ask. It’s almost a laugh, but it’s also cautious. Maybe rest just means rest for him, and you’re about to be kicked to the curb.

“Yeah,” he smiles, rolling onto his back. Kyle reaches down to remove the condom before pushing himself out of bed and into the bathroom. The light flicks on. Water runs. And then Kyle returns with a damp cloth.

“Open those legs for me.”

You do so obediently, and Kyle patiently cleans you up before returning the cloth to the bathroom.

When he returns, the words tumble out of you unexpectantly. “I just need a couple hours and then I’ll go.”

Kyle frowns as he slides back into the bed. “You don’t need to rush out of here.”

You don’t need to rush out of here.

“I don’t want to bother—” Kyle shakes his head and you cease speaking.

“Come here,” he murmurs, offering himself. You slide up next to him, and Kyle wraps his arms around your body, dragging you into his chest.

Your lips begin to form words but Kyle makes a grunt and you promptly close your mouth. Kyle has you locked in his arms, and it’s comfortable. Normal. This is all too personal, and yet Kyle doesn’t seem to mind.

Maybe you could make this into something else.

Maybe this is him offering more.

Whatever it is, the concept fractures, slipping away as the warmth and comfort of him lulls you to sleep.

taglist:

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@lovely-ateez @thewulf @coffeecaketornado @glassgulls @beebeechaos

[shy-writer-999]

Summary: Zoro likes to choke you. He’s a fan of doing it to the point where you can’t breathe. ~800 words, short and (surprisingly) sweet!

CW: Afab reader, no gendered language, choking, breath play (erotic asphyxiation) (!!!!!), dirty talk, P in V.

MINORS DNI. NSFW CONTENT.

Zoro has a thing for breath play and choking. You converted him to it, really. He was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing when you proposed it.

But when his cock was in you and your face turned red from his hand around your throat, it got him off more than anything else. He loved to hear those desperate whimpers and sputters from your lips as he restricted your oxygen and rammed your dripping-wet core. When your moans turned into labored gasps and your eyes rolled back in your head, his cock throbbed and the coil in his stomach threatened to snap.

That damned haki of his. It made the whole thing more enjoyable, easier—he was able to read you so clearly, he could see when it was too much, when you were about to literally pass out. He could tell when your vision was just starting to get blurry, when your pleasure was on the verge of being too much. So, he brought you to the edge each time, like you asked, and then let you breathe again.

Every time his fist tightened around your throat, he could feel your walls squeeze and clench around his length, milking precum out of his cock while you struggled to breathe. He liked that you were a sadist. That you enjoyed the pain of him crushing your throat, the fighting for air while he hit your g-spot with every plunge of his cock into you.

You arched your back and clawed at the sheets while he dragged his girth in and out. Each pass elicited another moan from you accompanied by a squelching sound. He spoke down to you, grunting words between ragged breaths. Sometimes it was praise, other days he’d degrade you, most often he’d make love to you.

“You drive me fucking crazy,” he groaned and stared down at where his cock slid into your slicked up folds. “Pussy feels so—so fucking good.”

Zoro’s hand would usually find its way to your throat. You’d have to prompt him sometimes. He’s a sweetheart and a gentleman. So, he needed some coaxing occasionally.

“Come on, Zoro,” you mewled softly and looked at him, lustful and lidded eyes beckoning for more. “Choke me, please. Hard. I want it.”

He’d fold with ease and snake a huge, rough hand upwards.

Some days, the choking would be just choking. No breath play. He’d wrap a hand around your throat and leave it there, squeezing softly, not cutting off your airway. But other days he’d edge you while he stopped you from breathing. You’d feel like you were floating, either that or drowning, suffocating in the purest, nastiest pleasure imaginable.

“God, you’re fucking filthy. So fuckin’ desperate for my cock, so needy and messy. Fuhhhcckkk.”

The more worked up he got, the nastier things said. “Take it all for me, baby. Cream on my cock and let me fuck you full.”

When your cheeks were ruddy and only the whites of your eyes were visible, he pumped harder and brought a thumb to your clit. His hips rolled artfully, rocking into your sensitive, hot spot. Frequently, when he was close to orgasm, the hand around your throat crept upwards and cupped your cheek.

"Fuck, you're beautiful." He couldn’t help it. You were always so sweet for him, so patient, so desperate, so good. His lips met yours, salty from sweat, sloppy with desire, and demanding your affection. He put his forehead on yours and rubbed his thumb in circles on your cheek while he kissed you passionately.

Zoro always made sure your orgasm was white-hot and so euphoric you couldn’t speak. He loved to kiss you through it, savoring the feeling of your moans vibrating his mouth, your slippery tongue wasting no time to press on and swirl around his.

When your whines reached a desperate pitch and you writhed on his shaft, he fucked you slowly through your climax, helping you ride out last ripples of pleasure on his cock before he pulled out.

He tried his hardest to not bruise you. He was successful most of the time, but when he first started out, he didn’t have as good a handle on it. Whenever he squeezed a little too hard now (only ever when you asked for it), he’d get a sick sort of satisfaction watching you go about your day with faint bruises from his fingertips along that pretty throat of yours.

thanks for reading!! here's my masterlist and here's my october posting schedule.

i'm posting each day from now until halloween!

finally, trick or treat? (tumblr links)

[politemagic]

AHEM!

Not nearly enough people on this site are talking about Alpha Wolf. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to give you a little background to help make my case as to why YOU should be listening to Alpha Wolf! (buckle in, gang. this is gonna be a little long)

For my fellow Sleep Token fans, you've likely seen these photos, right?

Vessel was photographed in an Alpha Wolf hoodie a while ago, and then Alpha Wolf dressed as Sleep Token for Halloween last year!

but you should really check out the full video on their youtube!

But who are those guys?

Alpha Wolf is an Australian metalcore band comprised of five members! They've toured with the likes of The Amity Affliction, Motionless in White, and Polaris. They have three full length studio albums Mono (2017) (quick side note that they DID have a different lead vocalist for this album), A Quiet Place to Die (2020), and newly released Half Living Things (2024). Now, let introduce you to the band real quick.

Lochie Keogh - Lead Vocals

he has some of my favorite aggressive scream vox, his voice can really pack a punch. also my babygirl, my beloved🖤 | instagram

John Arnold - Bass, Backing Vocals

get yourself a man who can do both, we love our resident cool bassist. (they're staring at you intimidatingly to convince you to listen to their music) | instagram

Scottie Simpson - Lead Guitar

my certified cool guy™ in my book and honestly incredibly photogenic look at that man | instagram

Sabian Lynch - Rhythm Guitar

his tour vlogs are so fun to watch!! he's always having a good time, wonderful fun and cool guy | instagram | youtube

Mitch Fogarty - Drums

a sweet happy lovely goofball. man fills my heart with so much joy you don't even know | instagram

They are always performing with passion & energy. They're one of those bands that you can tell enjoy their concerts, because they're always having a great time on stage. I dare you to scroll through their instagram for five minutes and then try to tell me that they don't look like a fun bunch o' fellas!

Here I present five songs for your consideration.

(thank you to my beloved alpha wolf mutual @simpleapparition for helping me to make this list)

Their most popular track, if you're going to check them out, Akudama is a great place to start. It's their most popular for a reason!

I consider 60cm Of Steel to be another essential Alpha Wolf track. This one is also a collaboration with Holding Absence (another one of my favorite bands, but that's beside the point).

Acid Romance is another song from the same album as Akudama (A Quiet Place to Die). If you're in the market for some angsty lyrics, this bad boy's for you.

For the final two recommendations, I shall present two of our own personal favorites off of their new album, Half Living Things!

Garden of Eyes comes recommended by @simpleapparition

Mangekyō comes recommended by yours truly, @politemagic

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk

[nitrateglow]

Favorite films discovered in 2023

2023 kind of sucked, but it was a fruitful year for me as a movie geek. I finally got around to seeing films that have been on my TBW pile for years now. I also gave myself a challenge that I actually completed: watch at least one film from every year between 1900 and 2023.

Anyway, I'll stop beating around the bush. Here are my top 20 favorite film discoveries in 2023. (The order is very, very loose from 5 on down. I genuinely had a hard time narrowing the list down to 20, let alone ranking everything.)

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (dir. Mikio Naruse, 1960)

This well-regarded drama follows Keiko, a bar hostess who's just turned 30 years old. She has limited options as an unmarried woman in postwar Japan. Considered "old," she has to marry soon or scrape enough money to buy her own bar. With its jazzy score and first-person narration, When a Woman Ascends the Stairs has a noirish vibe but it certainly isn't noir at all. Though the film is tragic, what moved me so much was Keiko's character. She has a tough lot and her story is ultimately tragic, yet she is determined to keep going, even if life won't give her a break.

The Boy and the Heron (dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2023)

Miyazaki's current "last film" is certainly his most abstract and puzzling. I imagine it'll be one of his more divisive titles in the years to come, but count me among its fans. While being "in the know" regarding the current state of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki's 60+ year-long career in animation allows one to better appreciate the many allusions and themes within the film, it stands just fine on its own as a surrealistic adventure about grief and the power of art. Also, damn, I LOVE hand-drawn animation so much.

Black Cat (dir. Kaneto Shindo, 1968)

Kaneto Shindo's Black Cat is yet another confirmation of my feeling that horror pairs best with humor or heartbreak. While there are some morbidly funny moments, Black Cat is largely a devastating supernatural horror story about a young samurai who encounters two mysterious women in the woods, not realizing they are the ghosts of his murdered wife and mother. Even worse, they've sworn to kill any and all samurai they encounter, since their deaths were the result of raping, pillaging samurai-- but they remain human enough to desire an exception. I was creeped out thoroughly by the chilly atmosphere and imagery of this film. I liked it even better than Shindo's Onibaba and that was one of my favorites from 2022!

Malcolm X (dir. Spike Lee, 1992)

I usually dislike big movie biopics for being stuffy and formulaic. Malcolm X avoids both of these issues. Directed to the hilt by Spike Lee, this film is passionate and compelling, about as far from a stuffy Oscarbait biopic as you could imagine. Also, Denzel Washington is AMAZING in the titular role. Like, we're talking one of the best performances I have ever seen because not only is Washington convincing as Malcolm X, he also perfectly portrays his arc from zoot-suited young criminal to uncompromising activist leader. I was absolutely mesmerized the entire time-- it's a long movie that never feels its length and I'll definitely be revisiting it in the future.

The Kiss Before the Mirror (dir. James Whale, 1933)

James Whale’s horror movies are listed among the finest 1930s cinema had to offer, but his other works remain woefully overlooked. The Kiss Before the Mirror is a strange marital drama set in a dreamlike interwar Vienna. A lawyer defending a murderer who shot down his cheating wife comes to discover his own wife in the midst of a casual affair. Will this discovery lead to another killing? Despite the lurid plot elements, Kiss is closer to Kubrick’s introspective Eyes Wide Shut than a typical 1930s melodrama. Both husband and wife are complex characters struggling with destroyed illusions, making the story a hell of a lot more complex than you'd expect.

Five Miles to Midnight (dir. Anatole Litvak, 1962)

I am so glad I ignored the meh reviews on this one because I would have missed out on one of the best thrillers I've seen in years. Sophia Loren is a woman desperate to shake off her narcissistic, abusive husband played by Tony Perkins. When Perkins is wrongly believed dead in a plane crash, he hides out in Loren's apartment so they can collect the life insurance money, split the funds, then part amicably. This being a Hitchcock-style thriller, it doesn't work out that way. What sells the film is the psychological cat-and-mouse game between Loren and Perkins's miserable, mismatched married couple, and a noirish sense of doom lends a great deal of atmosphere.

Shoes (dir. Lois Weber, 1916)

Shoes is the best Lois Weber film I have yet seen and it still packs a wallop a century-plus since its initial release. Mary MacLaren plays a young woman single-handedly supporting her family on a five dollar a week salary. She wears shoes that are falling apart but can never seem to save enough for a new pair-- that is, until an unsavory way of getting the cash presents itself, much to her horror and temptation. This is a heartbreaking little film that showcases a lot of what I love about 1910s American cinema. There's less glamor in the settings and nothing at all genteel or cleaned up about the poverty on display. MacLaren is wonderful in the lead too, her performance a quietly compelling portrait of quiet desperation.

Jeopardy (dir. John Sturges, 1953)

Barbara Stanwyck was in such a wealth of films that I can forgive myself for not realizing this one even existed. After seeing it, it's easily in my top five favorite films of hers. On the surface, the plot sounds like fodder for sleazy sex fantasy: a housewife on vacation is kidnapped by a hot escaped convict. She's racing against time to save her husband from drowning after the tide comes in at the beach where he's trapped; the convict has a very specific price for any aid he's willing to offer. Stanwyck's characterization complicates the situation and the direction amps the tension to a breaking point. Great, great stuff!

Girlfriends (dir. Claudia Weill, 1978)

This film came across my path in a weirdly personal way. One of my sisters got engaged this year. We've been close all of our lives and shared an apartment for years, so this is going to be a big change for both of us. Girlfriends is about a young woman whose best friend is getting married, meaning she'll be on her own for the first time. In addition to making this adjustment, she's a photographer currently hired for weddings and bar mitzvahs, but dreaming of entering the larger world of art galleries. I guess you could say it's a 70s version of a quarter-life crisis film (Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha takes A LOT from it). The performances and direction are exceptional, having that unglamorous, lived-in vibe I love about the films of this period. It also just happened to come into my life at the most resonant time, so there's that.

Ivan the Terrible, Parts One and Two (dir. Sergei Eisenstein, 1945 and 1958)

As a person who hates the idea that realism is the only valid form for cinematic drama, Eisenstein's hyper-stylized Ivan the Terrible movies are a joy. The compositions are like something out of a painting, the acting is operatic, the writing mythic and sweeping. The dance number in Part II is one of my favorite scenes in any movie ever. Best of all, the films rise above their propagandist origins, becoming a fascinating study of institutional power set against individual charisma.

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (dir. Emilio Miraglia, 1972)

I've been getting more into giallo lately and The Red Queen Kills Seven Times is among the more memorable titles. You have the fashion world setting, a disguised murderer running around in a red cloak, over the top kills, a villainous junkie who looks like Bucky Barnes, a spooky castle with death traps, the works. It's a movie where I don't really care too much about the plot. It's the off-kilter, sinister atmosphere that draws me in, as with most giallo movies.

Little Miss Sunshine (dir. Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, 2006)

It took Alan Arkin dying for me to finally get around to seeing this much beloved 2000s gem. I expected to only be interested in Arkin as the drug-addled, foul-mouthed grandpa, but the entire movie is so warm-hearted and hilarious that I fell in love with it whole hog. The characters are all quirky without being Quriky (tm), if you know what I mean. And I love the final message about just living your life and not worrying about whether or not you're "successful" in the eyes of society. An old theme to be sure, but done so, so well here. (Also, the mercilessly satirical jab at child beauty pageants is pure gold.)

Pom Poko (dir. Isao Takahata, 1994)

I feel like a lot of western anime fans only see Pom Poko as "lol that movie where the tanuki have comically oversized testicles." And yeah, that is indeed something in this movie but there's so much more. It's one of the boldest films I've ever seen, an "animated documentary" (to use Takahata's words) about a village of tanuki waging war against humankind's encroachment upon the natural world. It's such a genre grab-bag, critic Daniel Thomas' description fits it best: "The story weaves through slapstick comedy, social commentary, satire, surrealism, and tragedy. It changes moods much the way the tanuki change form, bending and molding into a new shape, and relentlessly moving forward." I still think Only Yesterday is Takahata's best film, but Pom Poko is strong competition and yet another film I can see myself rewatching many times to come.

Bullet Train (dir. David Leitch, 2022)

I still kick myself for not seeing this in the theater when it came out. Bullet Train is a wonderful lark of an action film. On first watch, I recall thinking it was like a live-action anime shot in a very Tarantino-esque style. I've seen it a few times now and I enjoy the hell out of it every time. And if you don't like it, well, you just might be a Diesel.

That Cold Day in the Park (dir. Robert Altman, 1969)

Another film with a so-so reputation that I really enjoyed. Sandy Dennis (who's gradually becoming one of my favorites with every performance I see from her) plays a virginal rich woman who takes in a handsome young guy one cold day. Her initial kindness quickly curdles into erotic obsession and her house guest has his own secrets. It's an early Robert Altman film and not his most polished work, but that makes it all the more fascinating to me. It's a creepy psychological thriller with a haunting ending, as well as an interesting time capsule of the late 1960s.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (dir. Russ Meyer, 1965)

Where has this movie been all my life?? It's a bizarre campfest about three criminally minded go-go dancers who romp across the California desert, strewing all kinds of havoc in their wake. It's such a strange movie that I don't know how to describe it properly: it's got a New Wave sensibility to it all the while indulging in exploitation B-movie nonsense. Definitely a fun film to watch with a group.

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (dir. Chantal Akermann, 1975)

I finally bit the bullet to watch this one after it topped the 2022 Sight & Sound list. Do I think it's the greatest film of all time? No, but I don't like singling out any work of art for such a designation. Putting aside all the drama that ensued when this was granted GOAT status, Jeanne Dielman is a striking film. It's definitely not something you just throw on casually-- you need to set aside the time to watch it and be in the right headspace. My initial mild interest morphed into a sense of anxious dread as the film ground along its three hour runtime, its protagonist struggling to retain her total sense of self-possession and control as she's thrown off her groove by unexpected events.

The Wicked Lady (dir. Leslie Arliss, 1945)

This is not high art by any means. It's melodrama with a capital M, laying the cheese on thick. Margaret Lockwood plays a devious, scheming femme fatale in 18th century England who's a gold-digging noblewoman by day and a highwaywoman cavorting with bad boy James Mason by night. This is easily the most entertaining of the Gainsborough melodramas I've yet seen, dripping with soap opera antics, sumptuous costumes, and camp-a-plenty.

War and Peace (dir. Sergei Bondarchuk, 1966-1967)

There is no substitute for reading Tolstoy's massive novel, but this 1966 Soviet version is definitely a fine work in its own right. Filmed in three parts, it's about nine hours long and it does a good job capturing the interior lives of the characters in the source material. Everything about it is just breathtaking: the costumes, the sets, the massive numbers of extras during those battle scenes. It's the kind of intellectually and emotionally stirring epic that makes all those hours fly by.

The Sweet Smell of Success (dir. Alexander Mackendrick, 1957)

I often chafe when people act as though all 1950s American cinema were Leave it to Beaver wholesomeness and buttoned up repression. Some of the nastiest Hollywood movies I've ever seen came out of the 1950s and The Sweet Smell of Success is prime among them. Among the best of the late classic noir period, it follows Burt Lancaster as a popular but monstrous newspaper columnist who uses his power to control the lives of everyone around him, particularly his sister, to whom he has a borderline perverse attachment. The dialogue is as sharp ("You're dead, son. Get yourself buried." "I'd hate to take a bite out of you. You're a cookie full of arsenic.") and the cynicism as thick as the best of Billy Wilder. If you love noir, you can't miss out on this one.

What were your favorite film discoveries of 2023?

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 4/23/22

three months unemployed YAY. also wherein i get SUPER pressed about star wars lore

listening

funeral by tele novella. popped open tiktok to see something my best friend sent me and this was there, the first thing on the for you page. let's yoink a description of their previous album from an interview i'm going to quote at length in a bit: "The result was “exactly what we wanted it to be,” a perfumed mist of jingling, jangling, lilting, off-center pop—a strange little snowglobe gathering dust at the back of the shelf."

the lyrics did hit me like a train bc i often find myself mourning places and situations that were not necessarily good for me but were familiar.

Oh, you're not tied up Here comes the train The tracks feel safe because you know 'em

if you had told me this was made in about 2007-2009ish i would have believed you. very spare production in the way folksier songs of the time were spare. a bit raspy and direct in her delivery. there's a bandcamp interview wherein i found out this is the side project of a vintage/antiques dealer and she has a fascinating perspective on her own music:

Her passion for the craft is evident—in our conversation as much as in listening to the band—but music, for her, is a means to an end, a way to transmit stories. “As a musician, I’m mediocre at best,” Ribbons says matter-of-factly. “I think that my talent lies in my storytelling ability. I think that I’m a good storyteller.” It’s something instilled in her by her grandparents, “voracious readers” who were always buying her books and secretly wanted Ribbons to be a writer, she suspects.

i really adored this whole album as a cohesive work. "vampire cowgirl" is another standout for obvious reasons.

You came barrelin' down Rabid with some talk Of a gal who rides at night Picking off the stock

remarkably good at reproducing the general vibe of the midcentury cowboy western album, when tv cowboys were sweeping the nation

-

reading

T. Kingfisher's Nettle & Bone. enjoyed it, but not quite as much as her other stuff. whereas her other series are almost always comical and often stray into farce, this one was a bit grim. even with the addition of a demonic chicken. had to stop and really think about if my own experience with funerals and funerary rites (too many, too often) was coloring this for me but i think it is simply not as funny or interested in being funny as her other works. not a ding against it, but not what i was really expecting or in the mood for. image from tor, let's yoink the description from macmillan

This isn't the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince. It's the one where she kills him. Marra — a shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter — is relieved not to be married off for the sake of her parents’ throne. Her older sister wasn’t so fortunate though, and her royal husband is as abusive as he is powerful. From the safety of the convent, Marra wonders who will come to her sister’s rescue and put a stop to this. But after years of watching their families and kingdoms pretend all is well, Marra realizes if any hero is coming, it will have to be Marra herself. If Marra can complete three impossible tasks, a witch will grant her the tools she needs. But, as is the way in stories of princes and the impossible, these tasks are only the beginning of Marra’s strange and enchanting journey to save her sister and topple a throne.

paywalled article, sorry, but i personally have a bone to pick with fanduel due to [REDACTED INCIDENTS] from [PREVIOUS JOB] so it does not surprise me in the slightest that they don't really seem to be doing a single fucking thing about money-laundering. allegedly.

-

watching

the bad batch, or the 13/16 episodes of the third and final season that are out. all these images are from comicbookreview bc i watched this on my actual television

one of the plots i hate most is the trying to get someone back plot. for example, i think finding nemo does this really well bc it's also a coming of age/parenting movie. i do not think the second finding nemo movie does this well bc as soon as one person is reunited with the group, through a wacky series of coincidences they lose another member. plus that movie is part of the downturn of modern pixar where they forgot how to tell interesting stories but that's neither here nor there. the bad batch falls into the finding nemo 2 category. it's simply frustrating to watch. it turns into a desperate floundering after whoever happens to be missing instead of using a The Searchers style plot to say something about the act of the search itself. i realize i am once again saying "what if star wars was good" but like. come on.

the bad batch s3 is surprisingly focused on retroactively filling in the backstory of how and why palpatine got cloned with his force powers intact, which is apparently a difficult technical problem. i would have cared about this if this show came out before the last movie and we had a cool breadcrumb style approach leading up to the movie. unfortunately that movie (and the sequel trilogy more broadly) killed a lot of my interest in modern star wars. anyway, this cloning problem leads to a lot of very technical conversations in a children's' show that are interesting to me, a grownup, bc no star wars media has ever successfully explained 1) what midichlorians actually are and 2) the biological processes by which they operate but refuse to be cloned? which is extremely funny to me bc midicholrians aren't supposed to be real. qui-gon has that whole little speech and blood test in the phantom menace but the series had So scrupulously stayed away from explaining how the force works before that. they still fail to explain it but they at least attempt to break two inches of new ground. side note this show gives us TWO canon trans girl clones and i really wish they were in a better show.

it's annoying that i'm annoyed about a children's show meant to sell toys. some fun things: the pyke syndicate shows up, a slew of my favorite bounty hunters show up, this show is much better at painterly backgrounds and has an overall more concept-art feel than the clone wars proper or rebels. i think it would be cool if they stopped whitewashing the clones. i'm going to finish out the season but i don't exactly have a lot going on in my life right now. i am not terribly sad that this is the final season but BOY do they have a lot of loose ends to wrap up in three episodes.

-

playing

new genshin update on uhhh thursday and it's kind of exciting bc i THINK it will finally fill in this hole on the map and the associated shorelines of three different countries!

i thought i had long since found all the chests in liyue (the second area released) but in the process of doing a recently released character quest set in liyue i found another chest. this game is very good at hidden objectives and little secrets but i wish it was better at letting you know when you have Actually cleared an area completely of all the little hidden stuff. anyway i have been holding back the last character hangout (ningguang, my best beloved ruthless girlboss business high femme) for a terrible day and that day came! unfortunately hanging out with the fake pretend video game lesbian did make me feel better!

also unfortunately i fucked up and cannot count so the gacha pity system (every 90 pulls you're guaranteed a 5-star character) gave me Neuvillette. who i don't hate but i wasn't really planning on pulling for. i do like his questline and his voice actor, he simply doesn't fit in super well with a mono-electro team bc i play this game like an insane woman.

the real bitch of the thing keeping me from upgrading him is going out in the overworld and collecting enough sea stars. why can't he need flowers or little gears or anything else i have a thousand of.

anyway this gal will be dropping sometime in the next six weeks and i AM extremely excited to pull for her. she has some cool abilities (GUN) and is part of a popular pair with the steampunk lolita character i love and leads my other main team. i hope their abilities play well off each other but she has such a cool storyline and design i don't super care if she fits in with my playstyle. i will adapt for her in a way i am not willing to do with neuvilette

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making

i am once again obsessed with gallery walls, bc a friend has asked me to find the correct gigantic size frames to put some comics on his wall, and that has given me an excuse to go to thrift stores again.

unfortunately i have mostly found frames for me, and the projects i have been working on have kind of a long tail of when they will actually be on my walls. i picked up four 16x20 frames for $2.50 each (solid wood! remarkably detailed!) bc i eventually want to put up these fallout maps in the style of national parks maps up on the map wall in my office. i suppose this means i should join @ruffledringdove and actually play '76, bc that's the one modern game i haven't played. these are getting scuff sanded with 120 and painted with a eggshell paint sample in a bright white u all know the drill at this point. ive painted a lot of frames in the past few weeks.

left is one of the painted 16x20 map frames, right i have also finally sanded and painted both 12x16 deckle-edged wood frames i picked up off the side of the road in MA. and found glass + backs for them! eventually i will procure fancy mats and print + frame my grandmothers' portraits. they will eventually go on the living room wall, which is a neutrals and blue-greens wall of slightly disdainful women. this will help me swap the three maps in there to the office map wall.

i have also acquired this gigantic plaster-over-wood mirror for $15. i am using leftover rub n buff bc i don't have a great spot to spraypaint here without sheeting my entire front porch, and rub n buff is way less susceptible to 80% humidity than spray paint. also i would have to buy spray paint. i am looking up suspiciously bc i thought there was a bug. not sure what mackie was looking at.

[paradox-time]

@basil-does-arttt

Heeeeyyyy, thanks for giving me an excuse to ranttt <3<3

Ok so, I saw a post of yours that was something like "what about gortash do fans find appealing?”

I'm going to try my best to answer why some of us are fans of this Absolute Shitbag (pun intended)

Some of my credentials, I've played the game for over 700 hours over about 4 months, seen, made, and interacted with tons of fan content and talked about it at length with other fans and unwilling friends. I make it my job to know every single scrap of Lore the game has to offer, going to stupid lengths to read all the books and letters hidden throughout the game, I also savescum the hell out of dialog options so I don't miss any exposition. I've played a tav twice and a dark urge 8 times, plus started but never finished other origin playthroughs.

Safe to say. I am deranged. (Yay hyperfixation)

Anyway, Enver Gortash is one of my favorite villains in fiction. This does not, in any way, mean that I admire or excuse any of his actions. I don't find him handsome or charming. He isn't redeemable or even likable in any capacity as a person.

The entire main theme of the game is whether or not the characters perpetuate the cycle of abuse or break it. You see that with Astarion, he either kills Cazador and forges his own future as a freed spawn, or ascends, and becomes someone who is just as bad and abusive as Cazador. You see it with Shadowheart in whether she chooses to live a life under Shar's cruel influence, or leave her past behind her and embrace Selúne. You see it in Gale and whether he ascends to Godhhood and is nothing like the kind and inquisitive person he once was, or leaves Mystra and his life as an archmage behind to live a life of quiet comfort where he can follow his passions and teach people like he should have been taught instead of isolating students like how mystra and elminster isolated him.

Many more examples blah blah blah

Ok, a lot of people (wrongly) try to justify and apologize for everything gortash has done by pointing at his backstory like a gotcha thing.

Gortash's parents sold him into slavery when he was very young to pay off their debts. The person who then raised and owned Gortash was none other than the ultimate slimeball, Raphael the Cambion. In this environment, Gortash grew incredibly bitter and started to worship Bane, the god of Tyranny, Dictatorship, Strife, and Subjugation. This was because he believed he was owed power over others for everything he was put through. He then becomes a slave trader, selling Karlach to Zariel is one notable example, a war profiteer and arms dealer, he keeps the families of his prisoners held hostage in an underwater prison that was rigged to explode and then subsequently flood if any of his factory staff tried to escape. His workers were also made to wear fucking bomb collars. He sews bigotry in the general public by not letting refugees in the city and controlling the media (newspapers and posters). His entire goal and religious doctrine is founded on the belief that it is his divine right to control and oppress people.

It has been so freaking long since I've found a piece of media that had an actual villain, but still kept said villain's story and motives interesting! Lots of modern media really tries to go the formulaic propaganda villain route. “Character A wants to do the right thing. Character B wants to do the right thing but does it in a BAD and DiSrUpTiVe way!! Gasp!! Villain!” I think it's supposed to endorse and enforce moral superiority of centrists, yuck. but that's a Different Tangent™.

I feel like there are a lot of fans that think that in order to like a character, they have to be morally palatable and pg or whatever. I see lots of fans that can't fathom liking a character that is genuinely evil and a bad person. So they just. Ignore the entire central point of the character.

Gortash sucks ass. If I met him in real life I would beat his ass into the dirt. But he isn't real. And fiction, especially interactive fiction, is an amazing way to explore darker themes in a safe and controlled environment. This is amazing for dozens of reasons, including exploration of catharsis.

I like Gortash because he amazing as a Villain. His story is super connected to the themes of the game. His acting is done with so much care and talent from the production team at Larian.

Fans who fawn over and woobify him. Umm. Do better. Get media literate please. No hate, love all the gortash content, especially in relation to the Dark Urge's story line. But please stop pretending he isn't as bad as he is. That's one of the main things I find compelling about him as a story device in the first place. You can like evil characters because they're fake.

Ummm conclusion…. Yeah. I like Gortash because he makes a fun story.

[ok-boomerang]

what casual viewers take away from ATLA

My partner finally watched ATLA with me, and I kept mum about my Zutara shipping until the very end because I wanted to see his reaction.

When Zuko saved Katara from being crushed by rocks, he said, “I think they’re gonna get together” (because we’re soulmates 😭❤️).

Then, when Zuko and Mai hugged during the finale, he was legitimately mad. He went off about how the narrative set them up to be terrible for each other and how them getting together made no sense, and how Mai was mean while the whole point of Zuko’s redemption was that he was not. Please know that he didn’t remember Mai’s name and was just calling her “the bored girl.”

And when the KA happened during the finale, he was really confused. (“She clearly didn’t like Aang back!”) But mostly he was still mad about Mai.ko, because he felt it undermined Zuko’s redemption—a redemption he had called since s1, as the narrative made clear even to casual viewers that there was more to Zuko than being a bad guy. This was pretty interesting to me, because at the time KA made me angrier than MZ, because Katara was my priority. But my partner was frustrated that the show had gone to such lengths to show us that Zuko and Mai were wrong for each other and then ended with them together. It’s lazy writing; it’s insulting to your viewers.

I love hearing reactions of the ATLA finale from casual viewers (at least those that I respect lol). It’s one thing for us big fans and shippers to analyze the scenes and storylines but it’s another entirely to see what a casual viewer notices, someone who’ll forget the names of the main characters in a couple weeks but won’t forget how the ending left them unsatisfied, even if they don’t have the words like meta writers do to explain why the canon ships don’t work. What casual viewers do have are understandings of the implicit themes of the show, the major characterizations, the big plot moments—you can’t let the casual viewer be surprised—you can’t merely rely on major fans to pan the show for crumbs, like what one would have to do for any evidence that Katara returned Aang’s feelings. To my partner, Mai was "the bored girl"—that's what stuck out to him from her characterization. But Zuko is anything but indifferent—he is defined by his passion, whether we're talking about s1 Zuko searching for the Avatar or s3 Zuko joining Team Avatar.

Meanwhile, Zuko and Katara’s relationship arc fits the big themes of the show (e.g., harmony and balance between things that seem to be opposites but have much more in common than we realize) so their relationship development is not surprising. It makes narrative sense—it’s natural. It would have made sense to the casual viewer.

This post was inspired by this beautifully titled post, THE DUMPSTER FIRE OF MAI.KO, by @burst-of-iridescent

[harmony-discord-pipeline]

So I finished secret project 3 about seven hours ago, and I need to vent my love for this abomination of a wonder that is this book before I squeal loudly enough to wake the neighbors!

Brandon Sanderson, I direct this at you with all of my appreciation, nearly hyperventilating while grinning and cackling and tearing up from happiness:

What the (highly) absolute fuck was that?!

Seriously how?! Why!? I love this book so so so so much! But WHY?!?!

He made a world that was messed up weirder than Threnody, the weirdness disaster god death planet itself?!

He made a planet that was so Invested that it heated the ground to death-inducing levels, and that was before the activation of the undead world-destroying nightmare-supported time-lord-prison-utilizing spirit-trapping art-blaspheming neon machine.

Seriously, this novel features an undead world-destroying nightmare-supported time-lord-prison-utilizing spirit-trapping art-blaspheming neon machine!

Yet it’s the world I find the most beautiful and fascinating in the entirety of the Cosmere? I’ll be chewing on best-planet Komashi for the foreseeable future, so that’s great! Especially since we’re probably never going to visit this planet again!

And somehow secret project 3 is also a heartwarming tear inducing story of purpose and passion and connection. A story with characters I’ll be spinning around in my head for the next several months, if not longer. With a Sanderlanche that emotionally wrecked me.

By the way, let’s talk about the Sanderlanche! This Sanderlanche read to me like a love child of the Elantris and Warbreaker Sanderlanches, only with with Brandon’s current writing skill and Cosmere worldbuilding. Both of which had a strong willingness to let main characters die! I mean come on, there’s a hidden second epilogue not in the table of contents, solely to fuck with us into thinking this story would end with the major character death!

But this book not only gets a happy ending, but also has the fewest named character deaths of any full-length Cosmere novel to date?! (not counting those that were already dead from the start I mean, the only death is Usasha I think?).

To make my composure break even further, I found the artwork of the book itself be absolutely gorgeous! Aliya Chen’s showcase for this novel is beautiful while being perfectly suited for the vibe of the novel. The emotion and chemistry on display in the art? Fantastic. The colors and textures are so amazing! The way the artistry of the stacked rocks are captured on the page?! While also conveying just how overwhelming the nightmares would feel?! And the endpapers, those endpapers!

And the cosmere connections! The Hoid powers lore had me squealing! The discussion of Komashi’s Investitures and Yumi’s abilities in relation to other Invested beings! Design in general, Design best spren! And that’s only part of it!

Brando Sando, what made you decide to go this hard on this standalone novel?! I know you said you’re taking the gloves off, but this is ridiculous!

I don’t think this is going to be a novel that all Brandon Sanderson fans are going to love to this extent, since taste and individual standards are a thing that exists and that’s valid! Still, wow!

I can’t keep the grin off my face and tears of happiness from my eyes and I’m so so so so glad this book exists now!

[gabessquishytum]

Okay LISTEN on my bullshit again but your last comment about Dream being a voyeur set off my kink bells to alarm mode. I get that Dream is a lovely voyeur. I do! And I love that! But I want to offer this up -

Hob as the voyeur

Maybe different scenarios like:

Dream fucking someone else (dealers choice here who) and Hob (accidentally?) walking in - this one could go MANY ways. Angsty because it’s someone whose not Hob, on purpose kink negotiated scene, cucking, sudden realization of the “oh” moment that Dream does have sex and Hob didn’t think he would ever be interested and now he’s VERY interested, etc etc.

Hob as a legitimate honest to god peeping tom and all the morally grey that brings in. (This is my let Hob be Problematic™ agenda)

Hob watching other humans in the waking world - maybe an orgy?

Dream masturbating and Hob walks in on him (I’ll be honest I have a WIP I haven’t finished of this because this does it so much for me. But you know the saying- MORE CAKE)

Dream specifically sending Hob sex dreams [&/or daydreams] of himself fucking or masturbating and forcing Hob to watch them - Let Dream be Problematic™ too as a little treat

Incredible content once again, you have truly outdone yourself with this one my friend.

Idk what it is about this ship, I have never in my entire life found cucking remotely sexy but now I’m like. What if. WHAT IF. Either in a dream (problematique dream my beloved <3), or even in the waking world (depending how attached to canon you are). Hob walks in on Dream fucking Eleanor?

Hob loves Eleanor, he worships the ground she walks on, she’s his soulmate and he has never been so happy. Hob also loves his mysterious Stranger, who he has met only twice and even so, who holds an entire portion of his heart.

And right there, in their marriage bed where their son was conceived, Eleanor lies with her arms clasped around the neck of the Stranger. They look so good together, both fair skinned and soft. Hob’s Stranger is driving his wife to the very heights of passion, drawing sounds from her lips that Hob has never even imagined. He stands in the doorway and god, of course he isn’t going to interrupt! There’s no feeling of betrayal, just an overwhelming sense of how fucking lucky he is. He looks into Eleanor’s eyes and she smiles at him like she wants him to join them but Hob just. Can’t. He’s watching the way his Stranger moves like liquid, like molten silver. He’s watching the way that pretty cock drives into his wife’s body as though claiming a place within her. It’s. Too much. He doesn’t even get to touch himself, he’s already reached a trembling orgasm. And if it’s a dream, he wakes up beside Eleanor wondering what the fuck and also wow. And if it’s real… he has a lot of questions. When he can actually speak again.

I want to talk about EVERYTHING in your ask at length and please be aware that I am VERY INSPIRED and there may be a barrage of voyeur Hob fics on their way. But I have to mention peeping tom Hob here because I am also very much a fan of the problematic Hob agenda.

Like. Maybe it’s an accident at first. Hob has been dreaming for over 600 years so he has a pretty good level of control over the dreaming itself. He can walk around and see things that other sleeping people don’t. He doesn’t mean to end up in the Dreamlord’s bedroom, obviously. Especially since aforementioned Dreamlord is his best friend! It’s an accident, 100%.

The part where he hides against the door with his face pressed in a convenient crack while he watches Dream indulge in a little self-pleasure? Not an accident. The part where he comes back again, night after night, sticking his hand down his pants so he can rub one out while he watches. Also not an accident.

Dream knows. He knows everything. It amuses him that Hob thinks he’s being so sneaky and devious. He’s only there because Dream enjoys being watched. But Hob doesn’t know that. And the mixture of pleasure and guilt has never felt so delicious.

[linklethehistorian]

Linkle, I must know, what are your thoughts on Mori as a character? His actions and motivations?? Id love to hear your opinion, btw that last chapter of cherish was great!! I loved it so much!!!

Ahhh hello there, anon, thank you so much! 🥺😭💕💖🥰 It’s such an honor to get a message like this from someone who is reading the fic. 💕🥺💖🥰💕🥺💖🥰 I’m so glad you liked Chapter 12; it definitely has one of my own personal favorite scenes, tbh (but I won’t take up your time talking about that right now lol). Having a fan base for Cherish is truly lovely; I’m so blessed by each and every one of you. 🥺💖

As for your question, I’m always happy to share!

Before I say anything at all on my opinion, though, I’m first going to make it clear that I am completely setting aside that one…particular matter that has been discussed to death by the fandom for the moment, because I fear far too many people tend to forget that it is entirely possible to make any remotely positive commentary on a fictional character without that actually somehow meaning you condone his alleged…preferences. For the people in the back that need to hear this out loud to be set at ease: I in absolutely no way do.

Now with that out of the way for a bit, let’s talk about the rest of Mori. I’ll throw it under the cut, though, both for length and for potential spoilers of multiple light novels (Dark Era, Fifteen, Storm Bringer, etc.) and obviously the manga up to his last appearance in current arc. Oh and obviously the typical Mori-related trigger subjects. Yeah.

Honestly, on a general note, these days I think Mori as a character is super cool; I’m not sure where precisely I’d rate him on the list of characters because I honestly like nearly every character in BSD and think they’re pretty awesomely written, but on a general scale of 1 to 10, he’s a very solid 8 or 9 for me.

My first introduction to him was…admittedly not at all the best possible representation of him.

When I first joined the fandom, I began my journey through the series by watching the anime adaption of Dark Era, at the behest of a dear friend who said I would be best off doing so before I watched the rest of the show (of which there were only two seasons at the time) and then reading the manga, in order to get the best and most meaningful experience; it is not something I remotely regret, and in honesty, I would probably wholeheartedly recommend any new people to do the same, if they intended to start with the anime. Regardless, though, this decision did have the impact of making me immediately strongly dislike Mori as a person from the very start, given what he did to the orphans, Oda, and Dazai by extension.

Really, I wouldn’t say that I came to see him in any particular shades of grey motivation-wise until I watched the episode titled Double Black, in which there was the first reference of what would have become of the Port Mafia and Yokohama as a whole had he not usurped the throne to the organization so many years ago.

After that, I began to look at him with a bit more understanding and curiosity, horrible and ruthless though his nature may still mostly have been. Fifteen (specifically the light novel, NOT the anime) — which it should be said, I think is the best existing canon representation of Mori in terms of giving us a good look at his thoughts and motivations — only amplified that outlook and interest for me, and I think it alone is largely to thank for why I enjoy him as a character as much as I do in current time.

Although he’s definitely not someone I’d feel particularly comfortable writing an entire story solely around — as I don’t believe I’m expert nor absurdly passionate enough to do so compared to some genuine Mori fans that I know are out there out there — I nevertheless really, really do enjoy writing him, especially in Cherish (which is only the second time I’ve written him, if I’m honest — at least, in anything I’d consider publishing, anyway).

There’s just so much potential in him plot and personality-wise; he is incredibly flexible of a person in terms of his thoughts, mannerisms, motivations, and actions, which makes it super fun to explore and play around with when telling a story. I’d say he easily has one of the most fun personalities among the BSD ensemble, purely because of utterly unpredictable it can be; on one hand, he has moments where (at least outwardly) is capable of being extremely friendly, outgoing, generous and unassuming, and yet on the other, he is very much always inwardly observant of all that is going on around him and capable of quickly switching to being cold, calculating, and openly cruel at the drop of a hat. But even then, usually, his cruelty doesn’t come in the form of physical violence; it’s often emotional manipulation, intimidation, taking your fears and weaknesses and using them against you to get him whatever he feels he needs in the present moment. Sometimes, it isn’t even outwardly visible that the switch of gears happened; he knows how to poison you in the sweetest and most unassuming yet effective way possible — whether that poison is literal or metaphorical. He’s definitely the kind of person who could sing you to sing to sleep every night and kiss your cheek every morning even as he’s secretly plotting your demise. lol

That being said, I think a lot of the fandom, in their hatred for him as a person, tends to mischaracterize him a lot, rather than looking at it objectively. I’ve seen a lot of fics and general fandom takes that portray him as a sadistic person who is cruel simply for the sake of being cruel and does terrible things to others purely for the enjoyment factor, but that is 100% not who Mori is; canonically, Mori does what he does mostly, if not entirely, out of what he feels is necessity as the leader of the organization. Now, I’m not saying there may not be parts of him that enjoy certain things he does — it’s certainly more than possible, and even highly probable — but his actions as godfather are driven by achieving what he feels is the optimal solution, not by personal pleasure and amusement; as a matter of fact, in Fifteen, he even made it clear when speaking to Chuuya that he fully acknowledges a lot of what he does is morally reprehensible — he just feels that it is his duty to commit these atrocities for the ‘greater good’ of the organization, and that the end therefore justifies the means.

The thing is, there is a character in BSD who is exactly the way this portion of the fandom characterizes Mori, and he was even a member of the Port Mafia, so if people really wanted to canonically explore this dynamic of a character who wholly gets off on tormenting people, causing suffering and probing others’ heads rather than doing it as just a business practice, they absolutely could still do it and be true to canon by writing about said other character; it’s just that it’s not a convenient truth that a lot of the fandom wants or likes to face — because that would mean acknowledging that it was everyone’s beloved Dazai and not the oh-so-despised Mori who used to think in such a sick and twisted way during his days in the criminal underworld.

Granted, some people do write both characters very well and very accurately, and I applaud them, but I do find it frustrating when the fandom reduces either Mori to this purely evil, sadistic villain who is bad just for the sake of being bad, because he is so much more interesting as he truly is in canon.

It’s this dichotomy where his dedication to the overall well-being of his people and company is admirable and even understandable, yet at the same time his individual actions when you look at them from a moral perspective are pretty much all morally reprehensible in some way, shape, or form — if not in every way. The same is true of his time in the army; as a general concept, his desire to protect Japan during the Great War was on the whole admirable and understandable, we know that he was well-meaning about it, but at the same time, no matter how desperate the situation was, what he did to Yosano and his entire army was absolutely disgusting and unacceptable — especially because it came so easily to him to do it and he made no apologies for it nor expressed any guilt over the suffering he caused later on.

Do I think Mori is, on the whole, a good person? Absolutely not. Do I think that he sometimes has the best of intentions in mind with his schemes? In the grander scheme of things, yes; it’s just that he mostly doesn’t care who or how many he has to hurt to achieve that so long as it’s slightly less than his net gain from doing it, which in turn cancels out things enough to prevent him from ever being labeled as being or acting as a “good person” at any moment.

I think the best, most objective description of him is to say that he’s pragmatic and ruthless.

…And then obviously there’s the part that everyone in the fandom discusses to death — about the main universe version of him being into little girls. Not a whole lot to say about that; it’s gross, it’s wrong, it’s unforgivable, it’s morally reprehensible, and it’s chilling and disturbing and it definitely completely disqualifies him from being labeled a good person even if he had been able to earn that title from something he did somewhere along the way.

That being said — and I know this is probably going to be controversial to a lot of the fandom, so let me say upfront that I’m not saying that that isn’t 100% a valid and understandable reading of who he is and the way he feels based on all the evidence throughout the series, nor am I trying to convince anyone otherwise — purely because it is fiction and therefore all made up to begin with, at least for my own personal comfort, I typically choose in my own personal readings to just look at him as someone with a particular weakness for little girls because he’s fatherly — although I make no effort to claim that to be the objective truth, nor does such interpretation affect or influence any of my writings in any way; it’s simply the way I prefer to engage with BSD on my own personal time — outside of my writings.

As a matter of fact, in my one fic, Bittersweet Belief, he was intentionally written with the intention of being portrayed as a groomer, and in Cherish, his ‘tastes’ will be portrayed no less nor more suspicious than how they are in canon, and therefore it will never be fully, directly addressed, but may be interpreted however you wish.

I do not need people coming to me providing evidence of why they believe there is no way to look at it differently, as again, I am not arguing that it is objectively untrue in any way that Mori is written to be a pedo in BSD, and when in public spaces among other people talking about it I don’t even try to say otherwise, much less convince anyone of it. I understand fandom etiquette and I am not trying to erase anything about him from others’ perceptions in order to make him more “likable”. I am just engaging with BSD, whenever I am personally reading it and watching it, in the way that is more comfortable for me. Nothing more, nothing less.

Anyway, yeah, Mori’s a super fun character to write and observe in the BSD world! I think there’s a lot of depth to him and he’s very well-written — probably among my top past antagonists purely for the super interesting personality and the purely pragmatic outlook to life and business.

[goldiipond]

watched the promised neverland

what is s2 and why does everyone hate it

OHHHHHH OH YOU WATCHED IT??? LETS FUCKING GOOOOO IHOPE YOU LIKED IT!!!!!!

also thats a quastion with sooooooo many answers i'll try to be brief but. there is so much and i am very passionate abt it <3 heres a general summary of everything i can think of that sucks ass by your best friend skye:

-the biggest one is easily the amount of manga content that is changed/just outright cut altogether. s1 was a wonderful, faithful adaptation of the first 37 chapters of the manga. this manga has 181 chapters and had been finished for a while by the time of s2's release. essentially they tried to squeeze the framework of the remaining 144 chapters into one 11 episode season and it went about as well as you'd expect

-the decision to cut what is easily at least 80% of characters introduced after the escape arc. this includes a character who is, in my opinion, one of the funniest and most well-written characters in the series and a huge fan favorite in general

-the decision to cut literally the entire goldy pond arc, which is widely considered to be the best arc in the manga. every character that comes with it also gets the axe. haha goldy pond reference

-several major plot points and entire chunks of other arcs are also cut out, leaving a messy and frankly sad skeleton of a plot that they try to salvage with original plot points that only serve to make an even bigger mess of this story or to make a setup to what could be a really cool new plot direction and immediately disappoint you. i watched s2 before reading the manga and can count at least 3 separate instances where i went oh youre fucking joking

-i cannot stress how bad this gets. the final episode ends with what is quite literally a glorified powerpoint presentation in an attempt to wrap up an obscene amount of plot before they hit the episode length limit. i said 'this is bullshit' aloud to my sister on my first watch and coming back after reading the manga it was frankly insulting. a character fucking meets god and makes a deal that changes the laws of the world itself and in the anime this is told through a singular still frame that is onscreen for about 8 seconds. it is so bad

-this season fucking gutted pretty much every female character (and every character in general tbh) and turned a series with an amazing emphasis on freedom of expression and defying gender roles into another generic shonen misogyny fest. the significance of emma refusing to wear a skirt after escaping gracefield's oppressive environment is thrown out by putting her back into a skirt by the 3rd or 4th episode, literally every post-escape female character besides 2 are cut, including but not limited to an androgynous girl who kicks ass and is never treated like a joke and a girl who shoots a rich scumbag point-blank in the face to avenge her sister

-i dont see much talk about the racism but god its soo racist. every post-escape character of color is cut with the exception of one, a black guy who is given a 'ooooh hes secretly a villain' cliffhanger at the end of an episode that is entirely non-existent in the manga. they dont even commit to it and he's revealed to Still Be A Good Guy Actually at the start of the next episode, they literally had no reason to do this. at one point they have don tell a terrified 5 year-old not to cry because 'boys don't cry'. don cries more than literally any other guy in the manga and most of the girls as well, and he is never ashamed of this. i am greatly downplaying the amount of rage that line makes me feel

-they cut 4 canonically disabled characters, 2 of which are disabled by the time they're introduced and 2 of which end up disabled after events in the story, all of which are treated with nothing but respect in the manga

i could probably go on but im running out of brain juice so. heres the gist of it <3 in short, season one was for the most part a beautiful adaptation of the first arc and in a lot of aspects i even like it better than the manga, with my only major complaint being the addition of that weird doll krone talks to and the amount of times she's drawn as a caricature even after being toned down compared to the manga. s1 was made with so much love by people who clearly cared abt the story they were adapting, and s2 is a frankly heinous attempt at finishing it up in a very short amount of time. it is so impressively bad that literally no one, from the entire team that worked on the last 2 episodes to THE GODDAMN CREATORS OF THE SERIES wanted to take any credit for those 2 episodes. thank you <3

[ozimagines]

NSFW Alphabet with Chico Guerra…

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Nonexistent lol. He’s the kind of a guy who finishes and says “amazing, right?” afterwards. Upon request, he’ll let you out your head on his chest afterwards, and hold you. He’ll still be going on about how awesome he was but he’ll still hold you😂

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

Can he say penis? He wants to say penis. Okay fine… he likes his hair. Long, coarse, black hair that he combs every morning to look like Don Juan.

On his partner. Hands, I think. Their hands and their touch. Loves feeling his partner’s hands on his chest and biceps and neck. Makes him feel like a man.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He calls it “the money shot”, as in “where do you want the money shot, baby?”. He’ll come anywhere. Faces and chests and backs and his favorite; deep, deep, inside someone, then watching it run out as they try to clean themselves up. Loves “signing” his work, as it were.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

None. Shut up. Don’t ask. (But like a finger in the ass never hurt anyone, right?)

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

He’s got his mile high card, collects positions like they’re Pokémon, and has had sex with more people than he could count on his and all his friends’ hands. Considers himself a sexpert.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Good old, doggy style. It’s a classic for a reason, right? Also a fan of reverse cowgirl. (Or cowboy, depending on his mood).

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He’s funniest when he’s not trying to be. Like, he’ll try to be serious and if you’re distracted during sex he’ll be like “umm… guess I’ll call you when I’m done.” 😂 Sarcastic fucker.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Yuh. In color, coarseness, and length. (Season 5 length not season 3😂)

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Ha! Oh, wait… you were serious? If you catch him being romantic it’s because you CAUGHT him being romantic. Ask him to repeat it and he’ll be like “I said I can’t wait to screw you, I- shut up.”

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

His left arm should be twice the size of his right if jacking off counts as exercise. He’ll make a joke about shake-weights and you have to laugh EVERY TIME.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Pregnancy kink. You heard me. Doesn’t matter if his partner is able to get pregnant or not, he says “I’m gonna cum… and you’re gonna swell up with my baby” and you say “bet”. It’s not about realism, it’s about power and control.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

It’d be easier to tell you where he won’t do it; male bathrooms (thinks they’re too filthy), and schools (he’s had his share of high school wash room fucks, thank you.). Anywhere beyond that is fair game.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Any dirty talk. Like any whatsoever. Innuendos and shit.

“What do you want to do?”

“Mmmm… I dunno… what do you want to do?”

“I’ve got a hard problem… maybe you could help me with it?”

“The harder the better.”

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

No age play. Gives him the creeps. Even if his partner is significantly younger than him he’ll make them pretend they aren’t. He’s no cradle/grave robber.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Obviously he prefers receiving oral. Like, duh, a mouth on his cock is pretty much guaranteeing a good weekend in his books. He is willing to be bribed into giving oral thought. Think he’s good at it just because he’s good at sex. “Are you done yet?”

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Fast and rough, I think, and “slow and passionate” when he’s trying to will himself not to finish. He’s approaching forty, but someone tell his brain that.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Quickies? He calls them speed runs. And yes, he approves. Usually when he’s high or busy, he’ll start kissing your neck and running his hands over your thighs and then declare; “15 minutes, any takers?”🙄😂

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Please, “risk” basically means Tuesday to this prick. Upside down, tied up, sideways, over a cliff, doesn’t matter. Risk only makes his heart beat faster, and when he finishes it feels like it might explode. He loves that feeling.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

I’m gonna call it two times to completion and a third time of “wait, give me a minute… c’mon… I’ll get there”. He’s getting older, with the sex stamina of a nineteen year old. He can’t always make himself perform the way he wants. That said… oral fixation? (Hello?)

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

I don’t know if he owns anything besides the basic collar, riding crop, and handcuffs. (Idk what y’all are into but that’s pretty standard for me.) But I think if you own anything more out there that he’d jump and the chance for something new. Even if he doesn’t know how to use all of them. (Tried to tie you up with anal beads once; you never let him live it down.)😂

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Lol man doesn’t tease. He tries but he doesn’t have the patience for proper teasing so it comes off bratty😂. And god forbid you try to tease him. He’s got exactly zero patience for that.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Much a fan of sex sounds. Man’s is grunting and panting and groaning and growling the whole time. It’s like a damn cat in heat.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Switches to Spanish in the throes of passion. Doesn’t care if you understand a word. Lots of self affirmations. “Increíble, ¿verdad?”

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Broad shoulders, and a little hair on his chest. Masculine neck (idk how to explain that) and a decently sharp jaw. He has thinner arms and legs than others but they’re still toned. He’s dangerous when he needs to be. Now onto the fun bits… firm balls, average length, prominent head. I said what I said. Also trim but noticeable hair on his balls.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Omg yeah so this will be an all the time thing for him. If he says no it probably means he’s dying or something. His most horny times are in the morning and after work/mid afternoon. Lots and lots of afternoon sex. His average is five and a half jack offs a day so when he’s able to fuck he takes the opportunity.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Oh, when he’s spent, he’s spent. He’ll fall asleep in minutes or seconds, whatever his date allows. When he’s asleep, he’s a soft snorer. You’ll find where you couldn’t sleep with his noises before, now you can’t sleep without them.❤️

[day6source]

Young K deals with change in new album 'Letters with notes' — a track-by-track guide

by Franchesca Judine Basbas

Young K is back home. 

Since completing his military service last April, the Korean singer and DAY6 member has wanted nothing more than to be make music again, to get back on stage and be with his fans. "As a musician, I believed that was the most important thing to do," he told Bandwagon.  So, in the last couple of months, Young K has been working endlessly piecing his comeback together and before he knew it, he had a full-length album in his hands. Letters with notes is a heartwarming record recounting all that's changed and everything he's wanted to share during his time away. "I didn't initially aim for a full-length album; I just tried to write good songs and explore new ideas," the singer shared. "Undoubtedly, time has passed. My voice has changed, and I'm sure my thought processes have changed too. These changes have probably influenced the results I’ve achieved in my music." Learning and growing from his debut album in 2021, Eternal, Young K wanted every track on Letter with notes to contain bits and pieces of his heart and soul, emedding all the experiences that has inspired and influenced him over the last couple of months.  "The thought of wanting to create an album came from the wish to come back as fast as possible. All the recordings started after I was discharged, but been having ideas coming up in my head, so I can't really define it exactly," said Young K.  Bandwagon caught up with Young K to learn about the stories on and behind Letters with notes, track by track. Check it out here. 

WAITED (오늘만을 너만을 이날을)

I imagined what it would be like to get back on stage. The song starts off with me saying I feel nervous and asking how all of you were. In the chorus, I sing about how much I waited for this moment.

NOTHING BUT (이것밖에는 없다)

Singing about how it's hard to let go of love even as it fades from view. The song underwent several adjustments, and the title of my first mini album, ‘Eternal’, became the very first lyric of this song.

LET IT BE SUMMER

Talks about how I never want the summer to end, symbolizing summer as youth and the most passionate season, and drawing a comparison to life. I was glad this song was released at the end of summer, just before autumn arrived.

DREAMER (꿈꾼)

I envisioned an image of a person who has been through tough times but still dreams and sees their reality becoming brighter. Stars being drawn, a story of a dreamer.

BUNGEE JUMPING

It was the very first song I performed at a festival before its official release. I wanted to put a refreshing vibe, so I imagined a first-time bungee jumping experience, something I still haven't tried.

NATURAL

The word 'natural' caught my attention for some reason. I thought of what's natural: breathing, having meals, and the flow of time. It’s a very upbeat track with a rhythmical melody, making it quite enjoyable to perform live.

STRANGE

After watching Dr. Strange, the word 'strange' resonated with me. I began thinking of what the norm is. If I'm surrounded by strange people, would I still be considered strange? This led me to the idea that a concert is a place where you can liberate yourself and be free, so I wanted to create a song that asks people to get strange with me. I then brought the melody and lyrics to Park Mun Chi, and I loved how the song took shape.

SOUL

Doesn’t everyone have moments where you have to put on a smile even when you don't feel like it? The track itself already had enough soul in it, so it started off with the word 'soul'. I thought of soulless smiles and made a song looking for the soul that's lost.

PLAYGROUND

When I was editing the song, I was actually sitting at a playground, watching kids play. I came up with the concept first, but seeing them with my eyes made me take a closer look into how we've grown but the life we live isn't so different.

BABO

An English song but has a title with a Korean word. The word was chosen due to pronunciation, but I was pretty satisfied with the result. ‘paulkyte’ who I worked with was introduced by another musician named Eldon, who I enjoy listening to and a good friend of mine.

WHAT IS..

One of the fastest tracks written out of the entire album, I was able to write up to the first chorus the day we started both melody and lyrics. I loved the line and the tone of the piano, so I guess that helped me come up with an idea quickly.

[oh-soo-diabolik]

hi! I'd like to request a DL match up, if that's alright? :) idk if this is all actually relevant, but I tried to make it as short and engaging as I could! thanks in advance, and please ignore if anything♡♡♡

I'm an INTP-A fashion design student, smart and creative as fuck but very stubborn and self-demanding on the downside. I spend most of my time on either assignments, passion projects or scholarship tasks (it's writing short interviews + articles and organizing a small event this year), while reading and watching stuff as recreation. I'm usually perceived as either 'cultured' or 'independent' by outsiders, but actually get really bubbly and talkative whenever I like someone. my current goal is to earn enough to be able to retire to the countryside (lol)

I match you with Shuu and….

Now this can end in many ways; Shuu will find your smarts, artsy, and stubborn ways attractive.

Believe it or not, I believe Shuu would probably pay attention to your interests and hobbies more than you realize.

He will definitely appreciate that your a fashion student, it means your about self expression and being stylish.

(self headcannon: Shuu is a massive fan of fashion, whether he likes to admit it or not)

I feel like, you would keep him on his toes. He finds your self-demanding ways; bothersome for sure, only because Reiji is like that towards everyone in the house.

He’ll 11/10, prefer if you would give yourself breaks every two minutes. This man needs cuddles frfr, he just like me 🩵.

And the countryside? Count him in, Shuu is the kind of guy who likes to be grounded and prefer isolation; only because he’ll get peaceful sleep.

and

Yuuma;

Yuuma is a man who loves to garden, his garden is practically his baby. Yuuma, being a Leo like me, will admire your creative ways, and your stubborn attitude.

He’ll get a kick out of your stubborn ways, and your a fashion student? He’ll leave the clothes shopping to you, 100%.

Believe it or not, I believe Yuuma is the type of man to be on your ass about your projects— sometimes. Especially if something’s that’s important to you.

He’s practically a farm boy, so he fancies the idea of living in the countryside. He always likes that you’ll be able to keep the conversation going, there wouldn’t be a dull moment between y’all.

Yuuma is the type to prefer someone who’s bubbly and talkative, but just make sure to bring it down a bit when he’s gardening.

This man does not like being disturbed when it comes to his garden unless you’re helping whether it’s picking fruits and vegetables 🥕.

He would like that you’re constantly on the move, whether it’s talking over personal hobbies. Yuuma is the kind of guy who likes his partner to be independent—

but at an arm’s length, but if you go any further ya’ dead meat sow 👏🏽. He’ll let you have hobbies and be independent as long as you’re in his sight same with Shuu.

Fun Fact: both brothers will keep tabs; just like the rest of them really

[thommi-tomate]

Interview with Harry Kane pt2

By: Kicker

Thomas Tuchel went to great lengths to win you over to FC Bayern. How were you convinced?

Thomas told me his ideas about where he sees me in the team, what we need and how I can improve the team. He invested a lot - and that impressed me.

The arrival, the signing late at night, your debut in the unsuccessful Supercup against Leipzig. How would you describe your first 48 to 72 hours in Munich?

It was hectic, to say the least. When I arrived here, it was straight into team training, then on Sunday we had the press conference - it was a lot. I've never experienced how a transfer works, so I probably didn't realize how much was involved, but in some ways it was a great experience. From the moment I arrived to the moment I sat on the bench in the arena 24 hours later ... It was like a whirlwind, but I really enjoyed it. I had everyone here, my parents, my brother, my wife, the kids. It was cool for them to see and experience it too.

How do you deal with this hype?

I appreciate the support of the fans and the hype surrounding it, but I don't let it influence my work. I know exactly what I can do and how I can help the team and the club. I trust in my abilities, that's what I focus on. With big transfers, sometimes players come in who are desperate to impress and might get injured in the process. For me, it was all about training well and recovering. Recovery is hugely important for me, I try to relax and stay calm - and not do too much outside of training.

You were coached by José Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Mauricio Pochettino. What distinguishes Thomas Tuchel?

Every coach is different in their own way. Thomas has great tactical ideas and knows how he wants to play. He brings a good energy and passion when he's in the changing room. I like to listen and learn. Thomas and I talk a lot about football, we talk about the games and what he needs from me. Whether it's for me to drop lower or stay higher, because at the end of the day we want the same thing. We want to win the championship and the Champions League. The more we talk to each other and the more we try to help each other, the better chance we have of achieving that.

What is still missing to fully meet the coach's expectations?

You can't play a perfect game every week for a whole season. With Leverkusen playing so well this year, it looks like we're not playing that well. But it's been one of our best starts to the season for many years. We have to remain patient. We also have one more game up our sleeve. I have the feeling that the team is very hungry and we have to show that in the coming games, especially at the end of the season when the really important games are coming up in March and April.

A lot has gone well this season, but not everything. After the cup exit in Saarbrücken, when you didn't play after a blow to the knee, there was talk in England of the curse of Harry Kane. How do you rate your chances of winning the championship and triumphing in the Champions League?

I think if you look at the Champions League now and look at the teams, Bayern Munich is probably one of the top three favorites to win. As you've seen in recent years, it's not always the best team that wins, it depends on a lot of factors. I always have the feeling that you have to have a run in the Champions League and I hope we can get the ball rolling against Lazio

Have you ever heard of the "Final dahoam"?

No, not really.

It's the Champions League final "at home". Would that be the final for you this year at Wembley? Or next year in Munich?

I'd take either of them, or both! I don't care whether it's at Wembley or the Allianz Arena. For me it would be both finals at home, so to speak.

In the Bundesliga, there will always be comparisons with Robert Lewandowski, who has broken what feels like every record in recent years and left you with big shoes to fill, so to speak. Have you already written to him to tell him that you are chasing his records and that he should dress warmly?

I met him a few times, once on a commercial shoot and once we bumped into each other at the airport. He's done an incredible amount for the club. But regardless of Lewandowski, whoever has set records at the club before you - of course you try to get the best out of yourself, set your own records and break them. But I don't think about these things. I just want to play, the media and the fans can talk about everything else. Robert rightly has an extremely high status here, he has set the bar high. It's been a good start for me. And when we get to March or April, I'll hopefully be a bit closer to his records

Alan Shearer holds the record as the top scorer in the Premier League with 260 goals. You are 47 goals short. Will you tackle this challenge one day?

I'm really proud of the number of goals I've scored in the Premier League, but breaking that record was never my ultimate goal. The closer I got to the mark in recent years, the more often I talked about it, of course, but we'll have to wait and see. Who knows what will happen in the future. I'm here at Bayern now, I've signed a four-year contract - and that's what I'm concentrating on.

In your opinion, what are the key differences between the Premier League and the Bundesliga?

In the Bundesliga, more teams try to play out from the back; more teams press, sometimes playing man-to-man. So the spaces are a bit bigger, which we can exploit if we bring our pace into the game. Maybe there's a bit more structure in the Premier League; a few more teams defending in the block. As for the atmosphere, it's fantastic in Germany, very different to the Premier League.

As captain of the national team, how do you see England's chances at this summer's European Championship?

We have a good chance. The team has had some good experiences in recent years, and we reached the final at the last European Championship (2:3 in the final against Italy). I have the feeling that we can play a good role at this European Championship. As always with tournaments, it depends on certain aspects. It's been a long time since England won a trophy. As players, we have to try and change that.

What about the German national team?

I think Germany will be strong. I know there's a lot of talk about it here and the fans might be worried, but I think they have a really good team. As an Englishman, I would never underestimate Germany anyway. Especially at home, they'll do everything they can to impress their fans and give something back.

What responsibility do you have as captain?

The fact that I'm now playing here in Germany is a valuable experience that I hope I can pass on to the team. I want to set a good example on the pitch, in training and in matches.

Speaking of captaincy: is that something you aspire to here at Bayern, or does it - if so - just happen?

It just happens. We have a few leaders in the team, so it depends on the coach and the club. If there's ever a game where our captains can't play, I'd be very proud to wear the armband for this club. But I'm not thinking about that at the moment. Whether I'm captain or not, I'm always the same. I always train the same, speak the same, play the same - and that won't change.

There is the famous photo of you as a child with David Beckham, who was also England captain and went through a rollercoaster of emotions in this role. He also reacted to your goal from the halfway line against Darmstadt with a wink on Instagram. What does Beckham mean for English football?

Beckham was a big idol of mine when I was growing up. He was the captain of the national team. He was who I wanted to be as a child. And he was a great role model. We're always in touch and have met up a few times. For example, he congratulated me when I joined FC Bayern. Hopefully we can invite him to Munich to watch a game one day - that would be really nice.

Today, Beckham is co-owner of Inter Miami. Where do you see yourself in ten years' time?

Also a good question. I'll be 40 in ten years' time. Who knows ... I want to play football for as long as my body and mind allow. I just enjoy it so much and I don't want it to stop. Maybe I can still play when I'm 40. I like the USA, I spend a lot of time there. But I've also thought about the NFL and that I might want to continue there. We'll see. But I don't think I want to work as a coach, for example, although many players tell me that you think differently about it as you get older and towards the end of your career.

Franz Beckenbauer once said that he never wanted to be a coach - and he became a great coach.

Look at this. Maybe I'll change my mind in a few years.