#i just raided instagram for a little

[thyinum]

It's so wild to me to see under that Xiran Jay Zhao's post about the bombed ukrainian printing house comments like "I hope everyone is safe." And I get it, people are saying this out of kindness and pure consern, there's nothing wrong with it. It just shows how little coverage our war has abroad.

No, no one in Ukraine is safe. No one in that printing house was safe, in fact, 7 people died. No one in a huge hypermarket in Kharkiv on Saturday was safe, in fact, there were 18 killed and 48 injured. And all this happened in the span of only a few days.

No one is safe in territories occupied by russians because the whole family can get killed by refusing to give up their home to russian soldiers. And every time ukrainian army liberates some region, they find mass graves and torture chambers there.

No one is safe even far away from the front line and the border with russia, because missiles and drones fly all over Ukraine, and you never know when the next one will land on your house.

Hell, ukrainians aren't safe even abroad, because there's always a chance there will be some crazy russian or russian supporter who will decide to beat or kill us. And I'm not making this up.

I'm aware that I'm more safe than the people close to the front line and the border with russia or in occupied territories. I don't hear explosions every day, unlike my friend from Kharkiv. But that doesn't mean I'm completely safe. Missiles and drones fly by at least several times a week, especially at night, when I don't hear the sound of an air raid siren simply because I'm asleep. 

I am not safe.

My family is not safe.

My friends all over Ukraine are not safe.

We're not safe until russia is gone from our territories. That's why we need all that ammunition and aid. War won't magically stop if our allies stop sending us weapons; that's not how it works. We'll just be more unsafe, because russia won't stop unless it is forced to.

Here's ukrainian news sources you can follow that report daily:

United24: Instagram, YouTube, Twitter

Svidomi: Instagram, Twitter

WeAreUkraine: Instagram

[angelhunxoxo]

✩Tom kaulitz x reader smut✩

This was absolutely not what you needed to see first thing in the morning.

You and Tom had dated 2009 to 2011,and even through the breakup there was no hard feelings on either side and you had continued your friendship.

So where the fuck did this video come from??

Warnings ✮:Smut yay!!Leaked sextape,fingering,praising,probably some errors I was doing 3 things at once while I wrote this,guys this is a little embarrassing ngl I’m a little embarrassed😞

You groaned as you woke up to your being blown up with notifications,your first thought had been someone calling you but to your surprise,it was your social media comments being raided on well..everything.

Your Instagram,your TikTok,your Twitter,even your damn Facebook,you were getting a million comments a minute and even a few of your friends had messaged you, including Tom.

‘Have you seen it?’

‘Seen what?’

He didn’t respond and instead just sent you a link to a Twitter post, your eyes widening as you saw the video you had taken so many years ago..

You were sat on the bed of the hotel room,in between Tom’s legs,wearing nothing but his shirt and a pair of lace panties. His hand ran up your thigh as his chin rested against your shoulder, making eye contact with the camera. His hand traveled up a little more as he snapped the waist band of your panties, making your breath hitch.

“Hurry up..” you mumbled with annoyance at how he was taking his time, build up was stupid in this case, the video was just for the two of you anyway…or it was supposed to be.

He chuckled at your reaction, his hand moving to lift your thighs up as he slid your underwear down to your knees, revealing your glistening wet pussy to the camera. “There we go” he said, and you saw his smirk in the camera.

His hand traced over your thigh and you could see him trace his name with his pointer finger which made you roll your eyes,”Take your time,why don’t you?” You murmured sarcastically as he kissed your neck lightly.

“Maybe I will since you wanna keep rushing me.” He teased, his hand finally reaching down as he traced the outline of your pussy with his ring and middle finger, gathering some of the slick that coated it before wiping it on your thigh as he snickered when you let out a groan of annoyance.

“Okay okay,I get it” He chuckled, his fingers dipping into your cunt,wasting no time in making sure he was knuckle deep. You bit your lip as your eyes fluttered shut and you moaned softly, Tom tapped your thigh lightly with his free hand,”Eyes on the camera,baby.” He instructed,his words lightly muffled against the skin of your shoulder.

His calloused fingers pumped in and out of your hole as his thumb rubbed your clit lazily. You could feel his clothed dick twitch slightly as it was pressed against your back. You whimpered as you felt his fingers curl against your g-spot,your eyes looking down to see how his fingers slid in and out of you in the camera. “Look at how well your pretty pussy is taking my fingers,’been waiting all day for this,hm?”

You nodded as your lips parted slightly,breathing deeply as you moaned. “mmh- yes..” you breathed out,your cheeks flushed. You felt yourself get closer and your walls tighten around Tom’s fingers. He could tell how close you were as he continued to rub your clit. “Don’t cum yet babygirl,you can hang on for a little bit longer,right?” He teased.

Your hips bucked against his hand as he began to thrust his fingers deeper and faster. Your head dropped slightly as you felt yourself get closer to the edge. Tom tsk’d as he grabbed your chin with his free hand,forcing your head up as he made you look at the camera while he squeezed your cheeks.

“Good girl..take it just like that.” He whispered into your ear as your hand moved to grip his wrist as your walls convulsed around his digits,your eyes squeezing shut as you got closer to your release. His fingers pushed in deeper and his fingers curled and uncurled rapidly causing your thighs to tremble as your breathing picked up.

Tom let out a small grunt as he felt you clench,”Don’t.” He warned but the way his rough fingers felt inside of you,seeing how they slid into you in the camera and his breathing tickling your neck pushed you over the edge. Biting down harshly on your lip as you came on his fingers,arching your back against him as you cried his name out in pleasure.

He let out a sound of annoyance, “You just don’t listen,do you?” He asked as he pulled his fingers out your pussy with a small squelch-y noise. He ran them back up your folds collecting your fluids before bringing them up to your lips, ”Open.” He said, to which you quickly obliged, opening your mouth as he shoved his fingers into your mouth, letting you suck off your own juices while he unbuckled his belt with his free hand.

He pulled his fingers away from your mouth before slamming his lips against yours and-

That was all you needed to see before exiting out the video,you already knew how it ended anyway; you,a sobbing and drooling overstimulated mess. At least your boobs were covered.

[gojoath]

ಣ ˖ ࣪࿐ྂ YOU SAID FOREVER, OKKOTSU YŪTA

yūta’s never been one to back down easily. especially not after you told him you’d be together forever. soulmates. you can’t expect him to just let you go.

summary. fem reader. yandere yūta. ex-boyfriend yūta. obsession. manipulation. stalking. yandere themes. dubcon. exhibitonism. dry humping / grinding. breath play - he puts his hand over your mouth. alcohol mention. previous fwb mention (not yūta). aged up characters. wc, 4.9k.

note. repost, the first yandere yūta fic i posted :)

this was not your preferred way to get over a failed relationship.

you grumble to yourself as you rest in the kitchen of the party your friend maki dragged you to— you know she meant well, opting to get you out of the house rather than letting you sit alone feeling sorry for yourself. but honestly, at this point you don’t know what you’d prefer.

the atmosphere in here is buzzing, full of intoxicated bodies with red plastic cups in their hands and loud music blasting through the halls of the house. the liquid in your own cup is a little questionably coloured— something maki had mixed, although bartending was never her strong suit— but you still grit your teeth before bringing it up to your lips and knocking it back anyway.

the concoction hits your taste buds immediately and you try not to gag as you swallow it quickly— feeling the burn set fire to your throat. you cringe at the drink, but honestly you need to loosen up somehow.

it’s not that you were heartbroken over your situationship, he had simply been something to pass the time. he was handsome enough, a good fuck and a decent guy— he helped you forget, which was really the main focus and reason behind spending so much time in his presence. but you still think it’s annoying that he just disappeared without a trace, not even shooting a quick text like hey, thanks for sucking my dick so many times, it’s been fun. 

you find yourself rolling your eyes again, before you’re pulling your phone out of your back pocket to check the notifications, huffing when it comes up empty apart from a few instagram story updates and spam emails.

now you’re alone, you’re only stuck with the memories you try hard to swallow down, they still sting a little— ache across your chest and you find yourself shaking your head side to side like it’ll rid you of them, even just for a few hours.

“hey, quit feeling sorry for yourself! you gonna mope around all night?” you’re thankfully snapped from your own thoughts when maki wraps her arm around your shoulder, letting a fair amount of her weight lean on top of you until you’re both stumbling slightly. but she manages to steady you as she sends you a frown.

“i am not moping.”

“you’re totally moping.” your bestfriend sighs before she takes another swig of the drink that’s currently swaying a little too much in her other hand, and you’re glad that she’s atleast strong enough to keep you both upright despite being the one about to take you down.

“loosen up a bit, relax~ he’s just a guy.” she tries again, but you can’t help the way your body seems to stiffen with her statement, she feels it too,

“it’s not about the guy.” but still you’re quick to reply, brushing it off as you let your eyes roll slowly over the crowd of people shoved around the kitchen island. a lot of them pre-occupying themselves with different things such as raiding the fridge, setting up beer pong and—

“it’s not about that guy, but it’s about a guy.” maki’s words are matter a fact and you know she’s right despite the way you wish she wasn’t. it’s not about your failed situationship but the one that came before that, the one you’re trying to forget. you shoot your bestfriend a glare, and she pulls her arm back from its place over you before she’s squeezing at your shoulder, sending you a reassuring grin as she backs off.

“gotcha, let me grab you another drink. stay put.” she knows you better than anyone.

it only takes a few minutes before you begin to finally feel the affects of your last drink, you’re not quite where you want to be yet but you feel a little hazy— a little softer as you let yourself float around the room in your own blissful trance.

although you can’t help but feel like someone’s eyes are on you, feeling goosebumps burst along your skin every so often— like when you almost bump into someone or you’re helped by a stranger when you stumble. their hands will be on your skin to steady you but your gut is screaming for you to look over your shoulder, but there’s never anyone there when you do— not paying enough attention to you atleast.

maybe the alcohol is just making you paranoid. 

you find yourself fading in and out of conversations, not really absorbing any information as you sway from your place between panda and inumaki. they’re talking about something you can barely make out, a little too enthusiastically as your eyes scan the room again— wondering where the hell maki is with your other drink.

inumaki moves slightly, waving at someone from across the room and you can’t help the way your gaze follows the movement— blinking slowly until you feel something twist in your gut. you catch a glance at a familiar looking figure, hair pushed back into a relaxed sort of style and a gaze that feels like it cuts through you.

it can’t be, right?

you don’t cast it a second glance to check when it makes you stumble back, because you already find yourself pushing your way out of the room as it suddenly becomes a little harder to breathe.

it’s warm and stuffy, sweaty bodies cramped together in the hallway but you’re drowsy and most likely hallucinatingat this point, atleast that’s what you’ve convinced yourself as you round the corner. you’d make your way to the bathroom, but when you see a considerable amount of people already queued up and looking like they’ve been waiting too long already, you opt to push your way into the backyard instead.

you're thankful for the decision, when you finally push your way into the dimly lit garden— sighing when you feel the cool air roll over your shoulders in waves and it has you taking in a deep inhale.

it’s quieter out here, the music is more of a faint sound that only fades even more as you take a few steps deeper onto the grass— letting yourself bask in the glow from the moon and the fresh air. the backyard wasn’t big, it was only littered with a few plant pots and a single bench— there was a corner to the side that led to the gate and the back entrance to the house, and plot of grass in the middle.

but it was small enough for people to very rarely want to come out here, especially at a party and you’re pretty sure the smokers have opted for out the front when you hear the faint chatter of voices over the fence.

you like this though. another slow breeze pushes through you and despite the haze of your mind, you let your head fall back as you sway with it, letting your eyes rest closed. you almost forget about the whole reason you were seeking the outdoors in the first place,

almost, because it’s only a few beats later when your peaceful alone time is interrupted by the soft sound of the back door closing behind you. your eyes are suddenly wide open despite the way you don’t dare to look behind you just yet.

you find yourself listening, intently— hoping that maybe it was just that same breeze that was to blame for it. maybe some drunk party-goer stumbled into it and didn’t realise you were out here, it was dark after all. yeah, you were just being paranoid. so you let yourself exhale the breath you didn’t even realise you were holding before you perk up and go to turn again.

“you’ve been avoiding me.” the words are low, but they take a soft sort of lull that makes your movements halt mid turn. your eyes are wide and something familiar to a shiver seems to race it’s way down your spine before you’re easing your head in the direction of the sound.

“you know why that is, okkotsu.” your words come out a little harsher than you intend them to, and you watch the way your ex boyfriend picks up on that too as he shuffles on his feet. his brows furrow and he bites on the inside of his cheek as he looks away from your gaze.

okkotsu yuuta was your ex boyfriend and the reason you were even in that stupid situationship in the first place. he was overbearing and protective, to the point where you couldn’t even go on a study date with a classmate without him bumping into your boyfriend in the library and suddenly they’re requesting a new project partner. everyplace you ever went to without him, he always seemed to end up there anyway.

although if you asked him, he would deny that you guys were broken up in the first place. he would always rather say that you just needed some space, you just needed a little time to relax but you’ll come back to him because you said you were soulmates afterall. why wouldn’t you? 

which is why, yes you’d been trying to avoid yuuta— tryingbecause he always still managed to find his way to every, single party you attended anyway, insisting that he was there for you, because he’s your date. you’d been avoiding this confrontation since the last one, and the one before that. you’d changed your phone number, but he knew your schedule, he knew the places you visited on your days off and the places he could find you because he knew you.

“baby, please don’t call me that.” his voice is tender as he takes a careful step into your space but he stops immediately when you meet him with a step back.

“i thought you’d be happy to see me. i’m here for you.” yuuta speaks again but he emphasises the way he says it’s all for you. like you’re making him act this way, it’s yourfault. you take another step away from him as you frown, opting to walk around the side of the house as you head towards the gate— you weren’t doing this right now. not tonight when you don’t have a clear mind.

you hear him call out a don’t leave as you retreat away from him, but it was always unnerving how quickly he seemed to move— feeling his hand wrap tightly around your wrist before your back is almost slammed against the brick wall of the house and he’s looming over you.

you hiss at the slight, sharp sting of pain you feel up your body at the impact and you hear yuuta gasp at the sound before his hands are reaching over you with a “sorry. i didn’t want you to leave me again.” but you’re quick to slap away his other hand when it reaches for your face aswell, earning you a pitiful, puppy eyed look.

“i’m not doing this tonight.” you try to argue, trying to shake his grip off your wrist but it’s tight, and you feel suddenly too warm underneath his stare as his lidded gaze crawls over your features. he leans into you, his free arm that’s now just resting in the air between you opting to rest against the wall instead as he keeps you caged beneath him. he’s close enough for you to smell the faint, familiar scent of his cologne.

“is it because of that guy?” yuuta asks, softly, like he’s sympathising with you— like it’s a touchy topic that he doesn’t want to bring up but it’s a question that fills you with unease when you finally find it in yourself to lift your eyes to meet his.

“what?” your words come out slowly, hesitantly and the dark haired male over you looks away as your gaze narrows, “how do you know about that?”

“hey, it’s fine. i don’t blame you.” a soft reply, like a lover consoling another— like he’s about to wrap you in his embrace and keep you there, but the smile he’s wearing is a little too happy for the subject. his eyes close with the close lipped grin as his hand squeezes around your wrist. like a reassurance— a reminder that he’s got you there. you can’t go anywhere else.

“you’re safe now. i got rid of him, we can be together again.” yuuta hums, like he’s being careful with his words— although he can still hear the way your breathing picks up. maybe if he leaned in a little closer he’d be able to hear your heartbeat, he wonders if it beats for only him. would you let him have it if he asked? he lets his hand against the wall fall slightly, resting on your arm as he strokes at the skin but the stare you’re giving him now is cold as he tries to soothe you with his touch.

“it was you?” your words are deliberately harsher now, sharper as you try to pull yourself from his touch but despite his appearance he was stronger than you’d expect. he doesn’t have any trouble holding you there as he tries to shush you, casting a few quick looks over to the gate to make sure you’ve not caught the attention of the people on the other end. it’s quieter now than it was when you first came out.

“he was in the way of our love.” this was okkotsu yuuta. he still remembers how upset he felt seeing you with that other guy, laughing and smiling so prettily when it’s only supposed to be for him. it was your fault. it wasn’t hard, he didn’t have to hurt him too much before he decided to give you up— to give you back, you deserve someone better than that. someone who would give up his life to keep you, and you have him for that already. you don’t need anyoneelse.

although he still had to teach him the consequences of touching what’s his. he’d do it as many times as he had to. they don’t stand a chance against him.

“i’m all yours remember. all of me. that means you belong to me too, doesn’t it? we’ll be together forever.” it’s unnerving how honest yuuta’s words sound, there’s no waver to them and his dark, lidded gaze is sharp as it holds yours. “you promised.” he brings your hand up to his cheek as he presses your fingertips into his skin, leaning into the touch but your fingers don’t stroke softly like they usually do. they’re rigged, stiff while your hand falls limp in his hold. you stare at him, and it makes him shift uncomfortably opposite you as he takes a loud swallow.

you can’t deny you feel scared, bile turning in your gut as you begin to blink a little more with your exhales but he picks up on that.

“i missed you.” yuuta tries again as his hands squeeze at your skin— his fingers around your wrist loosen slightly, but only so he can try to intertwine them with your own. he presses his chest into yours, pushing you harder against the brick behind you and you try to push yourself back against him as you huff.

“yuuta, stop it! are you crazy?” you try to argue because you’re mad at him, try to push against his chest but you can already feel the way his lips are grazing along your jawline, nibbling at the skin. his fingertips cold as they push underneath the hem of your shirt to touch your bare skin.

“sorry, it’s been so.. so long.” you shudder as yuuta breathes his words along the nerves in your neck next, fidgeting beneath him as he knocks your legs apart with one of his— pressing his hips into the space that’s left behind after, before they’re grinding into yours.

you’re breathing deep but yuuta’s panting into you like a dog as he ruts you into the brick behind you, it almost hurts with how it grazes along the bare skin he reveals. his hands are everywhere and you feel too hot for your skin, feeling the same bile rise in your throat as your eyes squeeze closed.

“please.” he gasps again, but the soft, pathetic little plea is cut off by the slam of the back door as you watch it illuminate the light around the corner. you feel the tension in your shoulders relax as you hear maki call for you, seeing what you would assume is her shadow fall out of the doorway a few moments later. it’s almost too eager, the way your arm shakes free to reach out, just as your mouth drops open to call back.

but just as your lips part, you feel the hard press of yuuta’s palm across your mouth— so fast and precise it almost knocks the air out of you as your head whips towards him.

“please. don’t.” he grits and you’re pretty sure if his hips weren’t pressing you into the wall right now your legs would’ve buckled entirely with the way they’re trembling. there was a few instances where he got like this, it was like a switch flipped and some dark aura that he kept wrapped away inside of him pushed its way to the surface. his lidded gaze feels like it cuts through you and you can barely breathe with how tight his grip on your mouth is as the veins in his hands bulge.

you feel yuuta press into you again, and you can feel how hard he is through the fabric of his slacks— accompanied by the flush of his cheeks as he suddenly avoids your gaze. he trembles over you, quietly grazing the blunt head of his cock between your legs but your eyes are still on the shadow of your bestfriend as she calls out another time.

your fingertips tremble as they reach out but your ex-boyfriend is quick to take them back in his own before you let them drop by your side again. your vision blurs with tears as you hear maki spit out a slurred curse before stomping back into the house, slamming the door closed just as loudly again before you’re wrapped back up in the shadows like you were before.

you feel lightheaded as yuuta’s fingers dip almost painfully into your skin, accompanied by the way you’re only left to breathe out of your nose right now because his palm is still tight over your lips. you try to speak, but it’s lost behind his grip and he’s so flushed and needy, he can barely hear you as he rolls his hips into yours once more— pulling a soft, dreamy whine from his lips that you cant deny makes something twist in your gut.

“i’m.. im sorry, ive just missed you.” he shivers over you as his thighs tremble at the feeling of your hips sliding along his. the look he gives you is lidded and dazed, clouded with lust as he pulls your hips up towards him, and you can’t help the whimper that would slip from your lips as he angles himself against your clit. you’re suddenly thankful that the sound goes lost behind his palm instead.

it’s insane the way yuuta moves you, dragging you along his own body as he takes control of you— making your body clap almost painfully against the wall behind you both. but you can’t deny how pretty he looks with his lower lip sucked between his teeth, his dark bangs falling slightly over his gaze as he blinks up at you.

his movements are messy and eager, like he’s trying to prove how much he’s missed you— how much he’s lovesyou in his movements. like all of those threats were acceptable, he really was just looking out for you and with every graze of his shaft along your clothed clit you consider forgetting about them entirely.

you did love him afterall, the chemistry was there— it’s evident in the way the feeling of yuuta’s body against yours is making the space where you both take a breath spin. maybe that’s why you’d been avoiding him, because you know you’d go crawling back as soon as you felt his touch, as soon as you heard his soft pants fall from his lips. that’s the reason, right? 

your mind and willpower melting away with every quick shockwave of pleasure his thrusts send through you.

“shhhh, i know what you need. i always do, i’ve got you.” his lips trail spit along your cheeks as he drools against you, whimpering against your skin and it’s almost instinct the way your arms finally relax— instead easing their way to his chest to twist at the fabric of his shirt.

yuuta gives you a look as he inspects you, slowing down his needy grinds to a slow, seamless crawl— like he’s making sure you’re not trying to trick him before he finally releases his palm from your mouth. your lips part as you take a much needed breath, but your gaze is lidded and blown when it meets his, and suddenly his palms are resting on your cheeks as he pulls you in for a kiss.

“b-baby,” he gasps as he grabs at you, tongue pressing past the seal of your lips to graze against your own— messy and lewd, like a sweet little welcome home as his hips ruthlessly rut into yours. the push of your mouth makes him whine, his palms clammy against your skin as he drinks up every sinful swirl of your hips you offer him.

you’ve become so lost in your pleasure, your fingers move to twist in his hair and you feel yuuta moan softly at the sting before his jaw tightens. his hips continuing to move in sync with yours as a low, slurred praise pours from his lips like honey. he feels so lost in the familiar, silky grind of your clothed pussy. “feel—feels so good.”

“all mine.” follows after before he curses under his breath and you can barely hear him with the ringing in your ears. he’s rutting into you almost too desperately, you can almost feel every detail of his cock through the thin fabric separating you both as he mumbles messily against your lips, insanity intertwining with his lust. “you belong to me.”

“yuuta~ah!” you moan, so prettily that it makes yuuta’s pace stutter before he’s grabbing at your thigh to hike it up higher, to perfect the angle so you can feel him rub right between your clothed folds. he can almost feel you, his mind swirling with the thought of finally sinking into your warm pussy again— finally claiming back what’s his after you kept it from him for so long.

“i love you.” his mind and senses blur as he pushes love confessions between your lips, promises and threats that go unheard as you lose yourself in the pleasure between your thighs. “don’t leave me again. i won’t let you.” he gasps again, and you know he’s close when he pulls away to nuzzle into the crook of your neck.

the press of your panties against you feels damp and if it wasn’t for yuuta holding you upright you’d have collapsed entirely as you hold onto him for stability. your breathing is ragged but you’re just as fucked out as he is, trying to meet each of his needy thrusts with mindless little humps of your own as you both near your orgasms.

“t-tell me, please.” your ex boyfriend trembles as your body claps against his, desperate hands clawing at your bare skin as you feel the shaft of his cock throb against you— begging just as much as he is with every breathless plea he buries into your throat. “please, i need it. i’m gonna—“

“i love you, yuuta.” you moan, it’s whispery and choked off just as he angles his hips exactly where you need him too, and it’s enough to have yuuta curling over you as the words ring true in his ears. it’s instantaneous the way his orgasm feels like it rips through him, his hips jerking and twitching into you as he babbles out slurred and whimpered thank yous, and his fingernails dig so tight into your skin you’re sure they’ll bruise.

he continues to roll his hips into yours, prolonging his blissful state because you’re whimpering his name, grabbing at him as you chase your own high— grinding into the mess he’s made in his pants and it only takes a few more presses onto your puffy clit before you’re going rigid.

your lips part, but yuuta’s quick to meet them with his own as he swallows up your moans— keeping them for himself as he holds you steady through your orgasm. your high hits you so hard and good your toes almost ache with how tight they curl, insides begging to be filled as you pull at the man infront of you’s dark roots and he whines into your mouth.

it’s greedy, the way you both ride out your highs until you’re a mess of limbs and agonised moans. your kiss is prolonged until it’s lewd and messy, pulling away with a string of drool despite the way your still ex boyfriends grip is as tight on you as it was when you started. he won’t let you get away from him again.

although with your dwindling pleasure and lust, you realise the weight of what you just did when you feel yuuta’s eyes on you— gazing down at you all fatuous and adoring. you clear your throat slightly as you try to move, feeling the ache in your spine from where you’ve been pressed against the hard surface but he’s quick to let his hands graze up the skin— smoothing out the area like it’ll help at all.

although the touch makes you shudder more than anything. 

“i have to go change. let’s go.” yuuta mumbles softly before his hand is intertwining with yours again, and you’re so aware of how tight his hold on you is that you know you’d have no chance to shrug him off. your lips part again, like you’re going to object and he looks at you— something a little dark twisting in his expression and it’s enough for you to suddenly forget how to speak.

another beat and he leans into press a kiss to your forehead, a whisper of a smile on his features before he’s pressing another to your lips after and sending you a soft, kind smile.

“i won’t let you leave me again.” and the confession makes your body betray you— maybe as a means of survival as you take a step in his direction on shaky legs to follow behind him,

“okay.”

love was like a curse afterall.

© gojoath. please do not copy any of my layouts or writing and translate or repost onto any other sites.

[janovavalen]

what are you .°୭̥ ❁ ˎˊ˗ au! aegon targaryen x fem!reader

summary: a night out was what it started as but when it ended she was a different person, a different thing.

warnings: drinking, blood mentions, vampire beings; smut: oral (f received), p in v, overstimulation—might seemed rushed but it’s meant to feel like that

word count: 3k

y/n never went out much, but when she did she went all out. her friend had invited her to her anniversary party for working with the very well known singer as his manager. she loved her job and would do nothing to change it.

y/n worked with her parents who are known for being doctors, their own hospital and all. she never enjoyed it however but she did whatever she needed to pay the bills.

‘happy anniversary lydia!’ y/n yelled as she sipped some of her wine, lydia smiled sweetly as y/n gave her a kiss on the cheek—‘aw thank you baby! it’s so surreal, i wouldn’t do anything to change it. and your to thank for it all’ she cooed as y/n rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.

y/n had introduced her to the job position wanted sign on instagram and helped her get the job, the singer she works for so happened to be known within her families hospital business by being in and out of them at his young age.

‘no no, that was all your talent to blame, i only pushed you a little to get it’ y/n commented while taking another sip of her drink, her friend shook her head and leaned into her side, everyone else that was invited had already been out on the dance floor, y/n herself didn’t really want to do that so stayed next to her friend.

‘hey not to freak you out but that platinum blonde over there had been eyeing you down since we got here’ lydia commented, y/n raided a eyebrow and looked out in the dance floor to see not one but three platinum blondes at a circle table as they drank, one a girl with long hair and a boy with long hair as well, y/n was a bit jealous of how healthy it looked.

looking a bit harder y/n noticed the one with shoulder length hair looked her up and down with a small smirk, she grew nervous and turned away.

‘oh god..he need to stop’ she whined while her friend laughed—‘what? why! i’d say he’s your type from head to toe’ lydia reminded.

‘no no that’s exactly why he needs to stop! my top is beyond toxic and from the looks of it he’d leave me on read after a one night stand if i were pregnant with his baby’ she held her head in her hands with her eyes covered as lydia busted out laughing.

‘y/n! stop it! just have fun, your in your twenties and it’s time to enjoy your life, you work your ass off everyday and you need a good one night stand anyways’ lydia reminded, y/n scoffed with a grin while lydia laughed.

looking over to see him still looking at her she smiled a bit and looked away; making her wine move around the cup with the slight movement of her wrist, she groaned at the thought of actually giving in.

just as she was about to do it she heard someone clearing their throat—‘excause me, but can i have this dance with her?’ she heard a man’s voice. looking up to see the platinum blonde standing next to their table, lydia gasped a little and turned to y/n giving her one last smile and squeezed on the arm for good luck.

‘she’s all yours’ she commented before getting up to leave. y/n was definitely going to scold her for that later, looking up and smiling a bit, he did the same, holding his hand out for her to grab cautiously.

it was a strange thing but the first thing she realized about him was his piercing gaze that lured her into him and freezing cold hands. she could’ve sworn she touched ice when touching his hand.

getting to the dance floor that seemed to be exactly into the middle of the floor, the people surrounded them in their own worlds, making out, laughing, drunk, high on whatever drug they’ve taken that night, and mindless of the fact they had work tomorrow, after all it was thursday night almost friday morning of eleven thirty.

his hand on her waist, and the other holding her hand, hers on his shoulder and the other in his own as well.

‘i just have to say your extremely beautiful, and sexy’ oh; what formal words and phrases to use for a woman you’ve never met. she smiled a bit and hummed—‘thank you very much, your very alluring and cold’ she said back with a slight joke.

he chucked a bit and shrugged.

‘low blood since birth i suppose, you seem to be full of it; very warm, and tan’ he said, she didn’t know if it were her lips or her neck he’d been staring at; but for once she’d rather it be her boobs.

‘so, what do you do for work?’ she wondered, trying to make some sort of talk or conversation, the awkward silence between the two with the only thing being peoples life and music surrounding them.

‘work in the day, get to get free at night. work for the day club on fourth’ he said while turning her around like some princess.

‘hm, i think i've heard of it. my parents went to it once or twice but only for medical reasons. are you their assistant or something?’ she wondered, hoping she could probably find out his name.

‘no i’m the son of the head owners, aegon. my brother and sister over their aemond and helaena’ he said as if it were nothing at all.

aegon ? helaena, and aemond…targaryens? she was in the distance of targaryen royalty basically. y/n always envied them sometimes and the whole city, basically the world.

‘a—aegon targaryen?’

‘ah yes, you’ve heard of me, glad to hear. i’ve heard about you as well, your parents mostly but you yea. y/n l/n yes?’ he said, smiling a bit, she smiled back a bit nervous but was hesitant.

‘yeah, they’re known for they’re work i suppose’ she grinned. he smiled back and started to look at her lips or neck again while she grew nervous.

‘if you want to kiss me just do it—‘

just as she said that he practically threw himself at her, his lips on hers and the kiss wet, violent and just what y/n liked. she hummed in his mouth as his lips and tongue fell over her lips and in them, their tongues fighting for dominance. she let his kiss travel to her neck where she almost moaned at the presser of what felt like his teeth grazing her neck.

‘come to my place, i won’t let you down i promise’ he mumbled into her ear, moaning as he did so along with a gentle kiss on her earlobe, she nodded her head.

pulling her out of the building and what seemed to be a taxi already waiting for them, the two getting in and kia lips finding hers quickly, the taxi driver didn’t even ask where to, he just started driving off immediately. she didn’t even bother to wonder.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🧛　˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

when they got to his place, it looked like a haunted castle, the brick walls all over, it stood on a large mountain and just to get to the front door was a whole hike up. y/n liked the fact she didn’t have to climb to get to her house but also found it pretty, it has a dark aura that she enjoyed. it gave it character.

‘what a lovely home’ she complimented while he only shrugged. pushing open the large dark wooden doors he was greeted by the form door.

‘ignore them, my parents insist on having maids all over the house for no reason at all’ aegon mumbled. getting a cup of liquor that seemed to be waiting for him at the table in front of the door.

walking in she held whe small purse in front of her figure. looking around to the large steps in the middle of the entrance, a large hallway and the light of a warm fire filling the spaces that were too dark to reach.

y/n noticed how the home was filled with dark curtains all through. she didn’t want to comment much or think about it, everyone had their likes and dislikes on the sun.

walking up the stairs and getting to the top, a large hallway leading down to his room. the two entering y/n was suddenly brought to his lips ok need once more. humming as his hand squeezed her thighs, she let him pick her up, wrapping her legs around his waist.

aegon’s hands on both of y/n’s thighs to support her as they kissed deeply, her hands rested on both sides of his neck. as she felt him walk to the fire place with a fuzzy blanket set on the floor she felt her back being laid down gently, her legs still wrapped around his as she felt him gently push himself against her.

‘shit…this is so bad’ he mumbled into her neck as he kissed down to her breasts, then made his way down to her stomach. pushing up the tight white button up shirt she was wearing she moaned when he began to suck on her skin, moving down and pushing the skirt she was wearing up and out of his way.

‘fuck’ she whispered, her hands finding way to his head, pulling his white hair as he moaned at this. her body was beyond warm and she could feel his cold touch all over her body that stung her like a seething fire.

her heat begging to be paid attention to was granted then he kissed it softly, moaning while they kept eye contact he let his lips wrap around her and began to eat like he’s ever eaten before, moaning out as she let her legs grow weak but tried to keep them wide for him, his hand resting on her thigh while pulling her leg up and over his shoulder.

groaning into he she moaned and held his hand, intertwining with his cold one. as she felt her climax he pulled away making her whine out in displeasure—‘w—what are you doing?’ she mumbled.

he smiled and pushed himself back up to her face, kissing her deeply and gently placing his two fingers into her cunt, she let her mouth drip open, his still set along hers as he smiled.

‘is that good? hm?’ he whispered. she nodded fastly with her eyebrows scrunched together. he could feel her climax and didn’t want that to happen, not yet at least.

‘shit…oh my god—yes’ she whined out, her voice getting higher and higher—‘don’t cum yet’ he told her and she whined, placing his hand down and unbuttoning his pants, he pumped husnelf a few times before entering her, she gasped but was in bliss.

her body warm and soft, her hand going to his back, scratching it ever so lightly while he pounded into her. first it was soft but then it was rough, fast..almost at a inhuman speed but she didn’t care, he must of had crazy stamina—‘fuck! fuck!’ she yelled as he moaned, picking her up while his strength kept her moving on him.

pushing her against the wall she moaned sweetly as he groaned into her neck, wrapping his hand around her throat and kissing her lips hard, she hummed at the kiss.

she didn’t know when it ended or when it started up again, but the next thing she knew, she was on the bed, the wall; cold on her back, the floor once more and the table that sat in the middle of his room. the two of them cumming numerous times over and over, her hair messy and her body marked with purple and red highlights of his lips that sucked hers.

laying in the bed when her stomach on the soft sheets and the cover lightly wrapped around her lower back. his hand was set against her as well as they both slept soundly. y/n however felt a strange pain in her neck that tempted her away.

groaning and getting up slowly to not wake up aegon. y/n searched for her underwear and a shirt, putting the two on and leaving.

she made her way out and down the hall, her hand touching the walls to find her way along with the intense headache that pounded against her skull.

finally finding what seemed like a bathroom, she pushed the door open and turned on the light. looking into the mirror and seeing, blood.

‘the fuck?’ y/n mumbled. was this guy into kinky shit she didn’t know of and why didn’t she feel it a while ago? leaning into the mirror she touched it slightly, her hand shaking and gasping to see two large holes on the side of her neck.

‘oh god’ she whispered.

‘he’s done it again’ a voice spoke. screaming and turning around she saw the long haired boy from the bar, aemond. he was standing near the door with a darkened gaze—‘what?’ y/n started to step back into the sink hoping for some type of space between the two.

he signed and stepped closer—‘he was always reckless i supposed. liked to play with his food’ aemond mumbled. she gasped out and almost fell but he rolled his eyes, not entertained at all, he moved out the way letting her down the hall.

her head was spinning, what was going on? the small ladies lights made her beyond dizzy, it looked like she was falling down a rabbit hole.

her hands on the walls to steady her body, she screamed when aemond was in front of her once more, turning in disbelief at the fact he was once far behind her.

‘what is going on? please just let me go home please!’ she yelled, begging. he tsked and shook his head.

‘i’m afraid that’s not possible, sweet thing. you’ll have to see for yourself soon enough’ screaming when she felt hands on her back she turned to see helaena, she had a look of sorrow on her face.

whimpering when helaena let her cold hand touch her face she felt some sort of calm wash over her, her body beginning to feel tired, her eyes dropping.

‘hm, sweet thing…such a frail life, taken from your hands by me who has no idea of what it is to live’ she whispers, her voice was sweet, loving, angelic. y/n would assume she had children by the way she handled y/n.

all a sudden her body gave in on itself and she fell asleep, the last thing she saw before falling was helaena catching her in her arms.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🧛　˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

waking up with the sound of yelling she groaned and let her eyes open. looking at the blurry figures of a man and woman and on the other side of the bed aegon.

the woman had long beautiful red hair and the man shoulder length blonde, they much he his parents—‘how could you be so reckless! so stupid to do this to her!’ the woman yelled, pointing at y/n who was currently suffering a headache that seemed to not end, and a strange hunger.

‘how would i know she’d turn that fast! usually i have time, five hours!’ aegon whined as he placed his hand on his head in stress, she was confused again.

his meal? not knowing what life it? turn? y/n groaned and it got the attention of the people. their heads turning to her as she sat up—‘oh, honey please. set down and rest—‘

‘no i must leave..my mother is expecting me—‘

‘no no lay down, sleep..we’ll get you some tea and medicine for your headache, yes?’ the woman pressed her hand on y/n’s shoulder, gently pushing her to the bed and soon her cheek for comfort.

‘what? what’s going on? why can’t i leave?’ y/n mumbled.

‘we tend not to when it’s day out, you will be fine darling just you wait here’ the woman led aegon and his father out of the room, she felt a strange feeling in her stomach once more and winced in pain, her heart however, sadden at the fact aegon had left.

her body cold and shaking she placed a hand on her head and groaned again in pain. soon a knock rang through the room and hurting her head—‘yes?’ she whispered, the door pushing open to show a shaking woman.

she held the tea and a pill for her to take, y/n didn’t know how or why, but she could practically smell her from across the room. not like that however, like smell a sweet bitter smell, a metallic almost.

‘h-here you are, miss.’ the woman said. y/n didn’t know what came over her but she stood up slowly and made her way over to the woman.

‘the tea miss. alicent ordered you to take and the pill to help—ah!’ while she spoke y/n charged for her neck; biting into it and humming in delight, the warm liquid running down her throat and easing her headache and stomach pain, the woman falling down to her knees and the glass cup of tea in her hand breaking y/n held her shoulders and sucked her neck.

moaning when she was done she snapped back and gasped—‘what the fuck? what the fuck!’ y/n screamed while she backed away and fell on her butt.

the door pushing open slowly—‘i knew it, aegon you’ve done it!’ alicent yelled while slapping his shoulder making him wince.

she screamed and cried into her hands, what was going on? why was this happening now? why did it happen to her of all people…was she what she thought she was?

‘yes..you are what your thinking and no there’s no cure’ aegon mumbled while stepping over the maids body.

‘what…no—why? this can’t be happening!’ she cried while unbeknownst to her, her hair was growing white from the roots.

aegon felt bad, he knew the costs of sleeping with her but..he couldn’t help it. she looked like her so much.

‘it is..and i’m sorry it happened to you. but, it’ll be okay, you’ll be fed, and you’ll have me…if that helps—‘

‘why the hell would i want you!’ she yelled, crying into her hands once more.

he winched and looked away, not knowing what to do. he hated seeing people cry because he didn’t know what the hell to do—‘listen..you don’t know it now but things will change all around you, and you’ll need me sooner or later then you expect…’

‘why? why would i need you?’ she wondered, her eyes puffy from tears and her cheeks wet.

‘you’ll know in due time, my love’ he mumbled. his hand going through her mixed color of hair. she shook her head slightly and looked down only to see her hair; platinum hair on her shoulder .

‘what…’ she whispered, picking her hair between her fingers and shaking her head, letting her other hand go to the top of her head and moving all her hair to her shoulders.

‘is my hair…’

‘yes…a side effect’ he told her. she almost cried again but shook her head, turning to him—‘what else will change?’

looking to the side he named a few things, the only ones she highlighted was, couldn’t enter the sun or she’d burn, couldn’t see her reflection because she was dead, her body would be cold to the touch to others, her hair was white, she’d stay this age forever.

forever twenty two.

‘do we die at all? in any way?’ she wondered. he shook his head—‘only by the sun, to the heart or starved’ she nodded slightly and blinked.

‘and…how old are you anyway?’ she wondered.

‘three thousand and twenty two’ she tried not to show her shock but he was pretty sure he could she it, he laughed a bit and shrugged.

‘how did you turn?’

‘my sister, she was bitten by my brother and so on so fourth’ nodding in understanding, y/n would hate to turn her parents.

‘you can stay here…for your parents sake’ y/n looked over at him and nodded—‘wait can you read my mind? you did it back there not too long ago?’ y/n asked, he nodded and helped y/n stand.

‘helaena can control those by the touch, aemond can practically see what your afraid of and use it to his advantage by making you see things, i can read minds, my mother and father however..i don’t know’ y/n nodded at what he was saying as he sat her down on the bed.

‘you should rest…you’ll be in pain sometime soon, your teeth will come in and it will feel as though you are dying’ aegon felt bad beyond words, but all he could do was help and warn her along the way.

‘wait’ she whispered as he went to leave, her hand holing his. letting her pull him in she placed her hand on his cheek and leaned in, kissing him slightly.

it was wierd but she could see something, she could see herself? she could shed the two of them..but she looked different, wore different clothes and so did he.

pulling apart slowly aegon read what she was thinking and smiled—‘we’ll talk about it soon, in time’

[charliemwrites]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C04DllsIN8h/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Not nsfw!!! Promise! This is what happens when the two little girls from next door get into your yard- Johnny is trying to play with them, deeding around so they’ll play chase. Ghost stays quiet, still, letting the littler one do her thing with the stickers…

The weird mutts instantly start herding you as soon as the girls leave, shoving their noses up your crotch- whining. God- what is *with* them! Last week Johnny raided the bathroom trash and *every day* you had your period- like he was checking the trash or something. Now they won’t stop herding you!

…Ghost shoving his face in a little cat sweater at the pet shop- one with a skull on it- and it looks like he’s wearing a goddamn *balaclava*

….i have had many ideas…. I am sorry

Don’t you dare apologize these are absolute GOLD ideas I love them so much and I might even add an extra part just to expand on this idea a bit more

And that Instagram reel??? I cackled. Simon would absolutely have that humiliated look.

[ador3him]

pairing: sapnap x streamer!reader

requested? nope

authors note: just some good old fluffy fluff

---------------------------------------------------

yns breath hitched as she spammed the keys on her keyboard. her eyes fully focused on her screen completely ignorant to her chat going wild. that was until a dono was read. 'sapnap donated $100, you're cute, wanna put our Minecraft beds together?' the automated message made her stop dead. "Sapnap? As in like the DreamSMP Sapnap?" She lost focus on her intense bed wars match and looked at her chat and then her Mod discord where her moderators confirmed it was the Sapnap. "Wow, very straight forward, maybe buy me dinner first," she chuckled and went back to her screen.

yns eyes flickered from her game to the chat screen waiting for a response but instead she started to get a call from Punz, her online friend. "Yeah?" She answered hoping he knew she was streaming. "yn! sapnap wants your number, he's texting me for it," his voice echoed through the room, no doubt her viewers could hear him. "Why?" a smile lingered on her lips, more a smirk but could be passed as a smile. "Minecraft beds obviously," punz's smile was evident in his voice. He had been bugging yn to meet his friends. she didn't want to, not because she didn't like them, because she liked her small community and didnt want to deal with new friend formalities. "go on, can't be looking like a prude," she groaned and hung up before he could retort.

"chat shut up," yn laughed reading the abundance of 'ynnap' circulating. "I don't even know the dude," she shook her head in disbelief and went back to her game.

-

After a couple more rounds of bed wars yn called it quits and signed off. "goodnight, goodmorning and goodbye my beauties," she waved at the camera and then went to raid- foolish. she had met foolish once at punz's house and had briefly texted for a Punz related thing. she clicked raid and then took off her headset, checking her phone she was surprised to see a text from a new number.

'hey! this yn? it's nick,'

She smiled and typed out a reply.

'oh em jee, THE nick? like cher? no last name?'

'why? you want my last name?'

yn rolled her eyes and sat on the edge of her bed looking down thinking of an answer.

'not really, sapnap, again, take me to dinner first. I'm really liking Minecraft cake atm.'

'tomorrow 7pm, I'll make a world- our world.'

yn hearted the message and changed to Instagram. She didn't know what sapnap looked like- shockingly. she may have been a streamer for 2 years but that doesn't mean she knew who everyone looked like, to this day the dream team and ninja are still a mystery. she just didn't go searching for it, she was content in her own little world.

yn searched sapnap's user and up came a man with scattered, brown, facial hair, a constant hat that had brown curls sticking out and beautiful eyes decorated with long eyelashes. "wow," she murmured to no one. then her finger slipped liking a post from 7 months ago, almost immediately she got a text.

*screenshot*

'you like what you see, peach?'

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

03/30/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR: Ruibo Qian; Rhys Darby; AdoptOurCrew; CoolPirates/Trans Day of Visibility; Fan Spotlight; Kudoboard Last Call; Watch Party Reminders; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika

Hope your weekends going well luvs! I know it's almost over for some of you, and others have one more day to go!

== Ruibo Qian ==

Our Pirate Queen is absolutely just slaying today.

Source: Ruibo Qian's Instagram

= Rhys Darby =

Rhys and Finn Darby did an interview at the Whammy Bar in NZ! Wanna see the video? Visit Stuff.co.nz

In addition, Rosie caught them in the newspaper!

Source: Rosie's IG Stories

== Adopt Our Crew ==

Our dear friends at #AdoptOurCrew have posted a lovely letter to all our trans and non-binary cast, crew and fandom!

@adoptourcrew Twitter

＝＝Cool Pirates ==

Lots more trans and non-binary cast, crew and fan crew spotlight today!

= Madeleine Sami =

IMDB Link

The Sami Sisters

= Zayre Ferrer =

Inevitable Foundation

Zayre Imdb

= Zackery Alexzander Stephens =

IMDB Page

Outmuseam

ZackeryStephens.com

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

Tonight's cast card is Toneey Acevedo! You may remember him as one of the tribal elders in episode 2 of season 1 who was helping Stede cope! So good to see him getting highlighted, thank you darling @melvisik!

= Final Glow Up Bracket! =

Our dear crewmate @thesparklyfkingpirate has been doing the #ofmdglowup for #marchmadness this month. I have been meaning to post about it for a week now and kept getting distracted. Sorry hon! Looks like it's down to the final two! Stede and Izzy! Source: TheSparklyFkingPirate's IG

== Kudoboards Last Call! =

REMINDER! KUDOBOARDS close on the 31st. 

Go send the cast and crew some love folks!

David Jenkins

Nathan Foad

Con O'Neill

Ruibo Qian

Leslie F*cking Jones!

Matthew Maher

Vico Ortiz

Samson Kayo

Alex "Ass Tonight" Sherman!

David Fane

Gypsy Taylor

Kristian "Wee John Wondays" Nairn!

Samba "BTS and Baking King" Schutte!

Fellow OFMD Fan Crew!

== Watch Party Reminders ==

Movie: Boy Date: Sunday March 31st at Time: 10am EST / 2pm GMT. We're watching Boy (2010) Hosted By: @tillychmo & @regg_official Location / Hastags: TBA

== Love Notes ==

Hello my lovelies! How are you holding up? It's almost the end of March, which is pretty darn hard to believe.

I really hope that you're out there having a good day. I hope your heart and burdens are a little less heavy today, even if they're not weightless. I hope you get a chance to take care of yourself even a little bit, whether that's a shower, or a meal, or a walk outside (or raiding the local target for discount chocolate)-- you deserve a break, and to get a chance to feel like you again.

Remember to love yourself my dears, just like we love you. You deserve all the darn love this crazy world has to offer. I hope you can see that, if not today, one day soon.

Src: @allontheboard Instagram

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

Tonight's Theme: Video Games! For those of you who ship #Freemanji

Daily Darby Courtesy of @neonpigeons

Tonight's Taika Courtesy of @aanakin

[misskattylashes]

I just wanted to share some thoughts with you about why celebrities don’t come out and why there is still a need for fake romances etc.

I will start this off by declaring that I am a heterosexual woman and in no way am I writing this from my experience as a gay person because I have none, only from the experiences of my friends. It is more what I have observed, especially doing my research as part of writing my Milex sagas.

For anyone who hasn’t read them, the first one Yours is the Only Ocean is set in 1785 and when I started my research, I was expecting to read of countless gay men being hanged or imprisoned for their sexuality. But strangely, even though sodomy was punishable by death, there were very few prosecutions. Molly Houses (male brothels) were raided, arrests were made, but no one was charged. The Georgians weren’t particularly gripped by moral panic and were quite sexually free and loose. The attitude taken that as long as something wasn’t affecting them, they would turn a blind eye. That of course didn’t mean that gay men could live openly – but a lot of them still can’t today (which I will come to later), but even fashions for men were ‘dandy’ consisting of powdered wigs and face paints to hide their pox scars.

By the way, I am only referring to men because lesbianism was never recognised legally.

But for my next novel The Fire and The Thud, things have changed somewhat,. Where previous laws only applied to sodomy, it now applied to all homosexual acts as they were an ‘outrage to public decency’. The Victorians were gripped by moral panic. Poor people were only poor because they were lacking moral fibre, alcoholics were weak and needed to be punished or else taken under the wing of the Temperance Society and encouraged to find God. Unfortunately attitudes that still prevail today.

In the Victorian era you were not executed for being gay, but you were sentenced to two years hard labour, and of course the shame of what you had done. Also, the roles between men and women were becoming much more defined, so any signs of effeminacy would stand out, so we see much more closeting happening.

The next book is going to be set in the 1950s and I have already started doing my research, and in some ways, it seems this era is even worse. Gay men were seen by some as subversive and a danger to the stability of society (this is the start of the Cold War era don’t forget), and homosexuality was now deemed as a mental illness and therefore considered curable. Advances in medicine and psychology meant that horrific conversion therapies could be carried out, or chemical castrations as Alan Turing suffered, to avoid going to prison. Gay men were pushed further underground, but at the same time, society itself had started to become more permissive and some gay men began to stand up for their rights, and the publication of the Wolfenden Report in 1957 led to the eventual decriminalisation of homosexual acts between men over the age of 21 in 1967.

So we reach 2024 and I can totally see why people find it hard to believe why gay celebrities don’t come out, and rely on fake relationships to distract from their true selves. After all being gay isn’t a crime, we have Pride, we have other openly gay celebrities and influencers whose careers are thriving, so how can it be that someone still chooses to stay closeted and go as far as having a fake partner?

Well for one, society is still a dangerous place for gay people. Homophobia is rife. See any innocent reel on Instagram about a kid coming out to their mum, or a same sex couple kissing, and you will find a hundred comments expressing either disgust, or telling them they need to find God, or else that some things shouldn’t be public (hello Victorians and your outrage of public decency).

But when it comes to entertainment, the biggest hurdle is their ‘Brand’. All entertainers have a brand. A ‘character’ actor would probably have little problem careerwise, coming out, because they are chameleons, they become the part they play then move onto something else and are equally convincing. But once someone hits the big time for playing certain roles, then they end up with a Brand, and I’m sorry, even in 2024 some brands are not going to be accepted by homophobes if they are played by a gay person. I honestly don’t know what would cause more uproar, a gay actor or a black actor being cast to play James Bond.

If your money maker is your looks or your hardman image or sex goddess image, then you’re not going to be encouraged to come out in your private life. When it comes to an actor, if they came out as gay, then served to play some tough guy, many people who wouldn’t even consider themselves homophobic would find their unconscious bias finding it difficult to take them seriously because of outdated stereotypes about gay men.

When it comes to musicians, it’s a doozie. The same young girls who love watching a gay influencer online telling all about his journey and sharing funny dating experiences etc, are not going to want their heartthrob favourite musician to be gay. For the influencer, being gay is their brand. Being handsome and sexy and available is the musician’s brand. Paint him to be a womaniser, or someone who can’t hold down long term relationships with beautiful women, and he becomes a challenge, someone who is just looking for the right woman to change him. Which by the way is not a criticism of young girls, I was one myself once and absolutely convinced I was going to marry my favourite musician and even when he got engaged, I convinced myself the wedding was never going to happen (they have been married 20 odd years now lol). It’s a natural rite of passage.

What is immoral is that the music industry feeds off this and just sees it as a way of making money. While their heartthrob is straight, they are available and this equals tickets sold, merchandise purchased. Quite often the fake girlfriend gains hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, meaning she becomes an influencer and brands fall over themselves for her to promote their stuff, knowing girls are going to want to buy it because it will make them smell like her or dress like her and X might find them attractive too.

Of course, the musician themselves makes lots of money and gets to travel the world and stay in the best hotels and eat the best food…but unlike the average person who can be seen out and about in a restaurant with their partner, they have to make sure the restaurant is discreet, or else carry Non Disclosure Agreements with them everywhere to make sure no one speaks about seeing them. Their friends and family are sworn to secrecy and often have to lead clandestine lives as well to accommodate it. They have to live in shadows, like their relationship is a dirty secret, like we are in 1954 rather than 2024.

So you are probably asking yourself why don’t they just stop it if it’s so restricting. Well normally they have to sign contracts that are so watertight they can’t break them without being sued for millions. There is also the moral aspect too. I am sure a lot of artists come to have good friendships with their fake girlfriends – after all they are expected to spend a lot of time with them. Well, if said artist came out and said his latest squeeze was fake, then everyone would look at all the girlfriends before and wonder about the nature of their relationship, and it would be humiliating for them. Especially ones who were mega famous themselves, or now in authentic relationships.

So yeah, that’s what I wanted to say really. Like I said, I have no idea what it is like to live as a gay person, but I do know a bit about how the media works, and so much of it is smoke and mirrors, and just because we might like to think we’re more Laissez-faire like our Georgian ancestors, so many of us still carry the moral judgement of the Victorians whether we like it or not, and now of course you can go on Instagram or X and tell everyone about it.

[aceouttatime]

26 29 45 50 for your Shep!

paine! thanks for the ask!!! <33

26. Does Shepard have a Twitter account?

-> Whatever the galactic version of Twitter is, Shepard probably has one. While he genuinely doesn't have much time for it, he thinks it's important to stay up to date on galactic issues. Granted, when he does have free time he doesn't want to have to deal with petty, online issues when he's actually out there doing things about the state of things, so it's a delicate balance.

I'm sure he gets told by all kinds of sources, news or otherwise, what to post, so he's got an official account that's partially managed by a team on the Citadel that corresponds with him when he's on duty. He may have multiple important people in the Alliance muted in his DMs.

Shep keeps it professional, mostly commenting on the state of the galaxy or what other important political figures put out. But that's absolutely not to say his omnitool isn't full of memories of the crew on shore leave, and cute pictures he snuck of Garrus asleep next to him, and videos from That One Time Everyone Had Their Asses Handed To Them playing poker against Cortez and Vega.

He'd be one of those people that would gravitate more towards facebook/instagram to keep up with the lives of close friends, if he was living a civilian life, but as it is, Space Twitter is accessible and easy to put away when he needs to.

29. Does the alliance use their image for propaganda/recruitment? Did they agree to/want it?

-> This is very much in the same vein as the social media thing. The Alliance has made a figurehead out of Shepard, boosting their influence, funding, and numbers, often by cherrypicking things he's said on tape as part of whatever their current pro-Alliance propaganda is and riding off of the success of his bravery during service and induction into the Spectres. They made him their hero, their golden boy, and then discarded his autonomy in the matter when he no longer fit with that image (see: Cerberus, claims of a Reaper invasion, Arrival DLC).

Shepard himself has very little say over the matter; he'd practically signed his life away to the Alliance after the raids on Mindoir, back when he was a traumatized teenager latching on to anything stable. Even during his training and service, he disliked the media attention wrought by important events like graduation ceremonies, ballroom dinner parties, and political events, most of which were not all that optional. He felt out of place--he wasn't a politician, he was a soldier, and for a long time, he floundered during things like that, not having ever needed to learn those sorts of intricacies. So he continued being unabashedly straightforward and saw much of the socio-political nonsense for what it was: a game he had no place in.

By the era of the trilogy, Shepard held a deep dislike for the way his image was warped to further ideals that were not his own. But they fell in line with what the Alliance needed, what the Council expected, and what kept the suits of the galaxy placated.

So he tries to let his actions speak for themselves because it is too late to reverse the distortion of his public image.

45. Do they vote?

-> Yes! Shepard casts his vote in at least the most important/largest issues affecting Council and Alliance space. He's technically a citizen of Mindoir (a colony of the United North American States--economically pretty reliant on, and thus fairly politically controlled by, them), but he also has citizenship on the Citadel itself, which functions a little differently than how human citizenships typically work, most notably in the taxation and legal departments (but I won't get into that just now). (I talk politics a little here--if that bothers you, please feel free to skip to the end of the blue section <3)

Politically speaking, Shep values more socialist internal policies like accessible healthcare, a well-funded and standardized education system, and workers' rights. He believes that the material, economic, and societal profit of a governmental system should primarily benefit and be controlled by the means of production: the everyday people that keep the system running.

He also has strong opinions on the rights of individual colonies, states, and nations, as he values national identity and the preservation of culture, natural resources, and history. While he sees the benefit in a centralized government for both each specie and the galaxy as a whole, he believes that the systems put in place before the shift towards interconnectedness should not be written off as arbitrary, outdated, or inefficient. There is a balance that must be struck between overarching governmental systems and lower ones, and that balance will be different for different peoples, whether due to biology, psychology, economics, history, culture, etc. He believes that a higher government's main duty is to defend the people and systems beneath it in a way that respects their freedoms, and therefore puts a lot of importance in national defense (as a victim of terrorism, a career-long Alliance soldier, and a man who pays close mind to the turbulent state of the galaxy in places beyond Council jurisdiction, like the Terminus systems).

Socially, his opinion is left-leaning, though he has some opinions that do not fit within the mainstream ideology. Shepard is a proponent of equality as a concept: racial, gender, sexual, etc., and equity where equality does not suffice. He puts value in individual freedoms like bodily autonomy, marriage rights, protections for minors, the right to carry, voting rights, minority rights, and privacy protections.

50. What was the last thing (non-email) Shepard read? Book, play, poem, essay etc

-> The most recent undertaking is, Vuigaris Ro'tana Dime (Folk Devils), a collective biography of a number of non-asari biotics that explores the stigma, state of infrastructure, medical issues, military training, and psychology regarding biotics and being biotic in different species and cultures. Some of the highlights are the experiences of a retired turian Cabal officer, a woman who worked on the development team for multiple L-series implants, and a salarian diplomat who faced political fallout after developing late-onset biotics.

[thefatartist]

Darcie and the Gym Rats: CHAPTER ONE

Nestled within her pillow fort on the cozy expanse of the couch, Darci found herself in a familiar ritual, her gaze fixed on the illuminated lock screen of her phone. Each passing second was pregnant with anticipation, awaiting that gratifying ping of a notification. Yet, as the alerts materialized one after another, most failed to capture her interest, swiftly swiped away with a casual flick of her finger. They barely earned more than a fleeting moment of Darci's attention before being consigned to digital oblivion.

In this digital landscape, only notifications bearing the insignia of Instagram stood a chance to disrupt Darci's nonchalant dismissal. It wasn't that she harbored an addiction to the platform, she reasoned, she could easily break free whenever she pleased. But today wasn't the day for such resolutions. Today, Instagram held sway over her attention, a tantalizing oasis in the desert of mundane notifications.

The tranquil hush of the living room was brutally shattered by the forceful swing of the door. In stepped Jessica, a whirlwind of energy and unmistakable gym dedication. Among the trio of roommates, Darci stood as the sole advocate of a hedonistic lifestyle, her mission clear: to lure her companions to the enticing depths of pleasure, excitement  and indulgence. Jessica, with her characteristic grace, slinked over to the couch, collapsing beside the meticulously arranged "meal" that had been left untouched on the coffee table, a testament to Jessa's culinary efforts. Her gaze darted between the abandoned chocolate wrappers and the inviting warmth of the chicken salad.

"I can't fathom why I bother preparing food for you, only for you to disregard it in favor of..." Jessica's accusatory stare flitted to a suspiciously empty glass bowl perched innocently on the kitchen counter. Jessa’s jaw clenched, "...raiding the entire communal candy bowl?! Darci, that was meant for all of us!" Jessica let out a deep growl, like a dog being deprived of her food bowl by a stranger.

Darci's arm emerged from the confines of her plush pillow fort, dismantling her makeshift kingdom with a casual wave. "The rest of the community was busy battling the Iron Legion of Dumbbells and Broken Dreams," she declared with a scoff. "You snooze, you lose dearie."

Jessica, undeterred, lifted the fork from the salad bowl, its prongs laden with lettuce dripping in ranch dressing. "Why must you drown perfectly good chicken salad in ranch?" she lamented. "Can't you show some respect and at least drown my salad in Thousand Island?"

"Can't you refrain from commenting on how I choke down your rabbit food?" Darcie retorted.

Jessa's eyes rolled so far back into her head that they nearly disappeared, just as the door creaked open once more. Chad swaggered in oozing confidence. "Sup, Protein Princess and Sleeping Drooly…"

"Watch it, Chad, or I'll turn your Prince Charming into Miss Charming!" Darci warned, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Chad was preparing a sarcastic retort before he saw the salad Jessica was eating. “Aw c’mon Jess! Even an Adonis like me needs a cheat day sometimes!” Chad whined.

Jess snapped back “This ‘rabbit food’, as Darcie so delicately put it… “. Chad snickered and Jessa’s voice responded “…It's a carefully planned, macro-balanced...”.

Darcie interrupted “...recipe for utter boredom. Look, why don't we ditch the rabbit food and order some actual food for once? Pizza, maybe? I hear there's this place with a triple-decker meat lover's special...”.

Jess shrieked in horror “Triple-decker? Darcie are you trying to clog my arteries?”. Darci’s eyebrow furrowed “You're already halfway there with your sad little salads. Besides, a little indulgence never killed anyone.” Darci’s familiar ADHD brain sprang into action after having clearly had too much sugar “Except maybe that guy who ate a bathtub full of Jell-O. But that was clearly a personal failing.”

Darcie would have continued if Jessica had let her. Still upset that her chocolate reward went to first place unexpectedly, she snapped fingers at Darcie. “Earth to Darcie…”. Darcie blinked. “Yes?”. Jessica, torn between the siren call of pizza and the guilt ingrained in her by years of calorie counting couldn’t finish her sentence. Chad, meanwhile, dialed the pizza place on his phone, a triumphant grin plastered across his face. Jessca whispered to herself, “One slice won't hurt. Just one. To appease the carb demons and quiet your... unsettling enthusiasm.”

Darcie leaned in close to Jess. “Oh, honey, I was just getting warmed up. We could raid that bakery down the street for dessert. They have this éclair that looks like a goth's dream come true - black chocolate and raspberry filling. Pure decadence.”

“Maybe just a small cookie?” Jessica gulped.

Chad piped up “Ignore them, Jess. They're just jealous. Double pepperoni for you, right?” Jessica looked at Chad, a feeling of defeat swept over her. “This is a slippery slope”. “Don't worry, darling.” Darcie assured Jess, “We'll hold your hand all the way down. Now, about that éclair...?”

Chad’s phone, on speaker, rang. One last glimmer of defiance died in Jess’s eyes. “You know what? Screw the macros. Let's do this. But I'm picking the toppings”. Chad jumped in, “Deal! Now, who wants extra cheese?”.

Darcie released a single, solitary laugh. What was this feeling; ‘happiness’? Less painful than Darcie imagined. Jess and Chad barely had time to respond before the voice on the other end answered. “Thank you for calling ‘Papa Tony’s Pizza’.

“Yeah, hi!”, Chad coughed “I was told you had a triple-decker meat lover's special…?”.

******

            The smell of the kitchen flowed like a river against Darcie’s nose. “Oh, come on”, she grumbled “I’m hungry!”. Jessica’s mind flowed with hurtful comments. She was still very upset about her chocolate, or rather lack thereof. She bit her tongue. There was no need to upset the peace in the apartment. Maybe she’d eat Darcie’s second dessert. That’d teach her. Before she could think about Darcie’s reaction to such meanness, the waiter approached with their dinner. The thick, juicy pizza was left on the table and the waiter departed with instructions to retrieve another cup of root-beer for Darcie. The three roommates continued looking at their phones, Jess taking selfies, Chad chuckling at memes and Darcie flicking away notifications between testing to see if the pizza cooled down enough.

            “Pizza’s cool” Darcie announced happily as she scooped three slices onto her plate. She delicately lifted the pizza to her lips and nibbled a bite before taking a much larger one that filled her mouth. “This is actually decent!” Darcie smiled, “Not bad for a place catering to the... unrefined palate.” Darcie shot a playful glance in Chad’s direction as he placed a couple of slices onto his plate. Jessica took the pizza scoop from Chad and got herself a single slice. She chuckled as she stared at the thick, layered pizza. She took a small bite, the melted cheese holding on for dear life to the pizza.

“You know, this isn't so bad. Maybe, a little indulgence every now and then isn't the worst thing in the world”, Jessica admitted. A grin grew across Darcie’s face as she wiped away some grease that dripped from her mouth. “I told you!”, she celebrated. Chad smiled and took another bite from his pizza. “Anyone down for some garlic knots?” Darcie raised an eyebrow, “Garlic knots? That sounds positively pedestrian.”

Chad, almost insulted, responded “What’s wrong with garlic knots?”. Darcie’s wide eyes squinted as her toothy smile grew. Chad never saw Darcie smile like this. It made him almost uncomfortable. “Oh, they're delicious alright. But have you considered... black garlic knots?”, Darcie asked, “Made with squid ink, of course.” The look of disgust grew in Chad’s eyes, but the subtle tilt of his head suggested interest. Jessica, however, was fully intrigued. “Where do they even have those?!”, she asked. Darcie winked. “I have my sources.”

[abiiors]

Reader feels quite ambivalent about birthdays and never really celebrates them. One year, one of the boys (dealers choice) hosts a surprise celebration with a bunch of small elements that show he really though about the reader and what they would be comfortable with.

this is genuinely the perfect request anon, you don't even know how directly this speaks to me!!! thank you <3

matty has seen the weird mixed feelings you have towards your birthday many times now; the excitement, mixed with the anxiety and the bittersweetness of getting older and yet he'll be damned if he didn't make you the happiest person alive on your birthday (and hopefully every day but the birthday is his top priority). he entertains all sorts of ideas; a big, flashy post on his Instagram with cutest photos of you (he might have to go off off the grid and also finding selecting only 10 photos is a very difficult task), spoiling you with a mountain of gifts but he knows you'll be cross with him if he went overboard, he knows you're not into big flashy surprise parties and neither is he to be honest (because what if he's got a 'eadache?), and then he simply settles in on a quiet and chill day. where instead of planning everything down to the very last detail, he will just be spontaneous with you.

so of course there is the obligatory breakfast in bed. he makes a heart with blueberries on the pancakes, puts some amazing maple syrup, and then proceeds to give you a kiss that's sweeter than any of it. he's being so sweet and cute and attentive that you almost tear up but then he dramatically bows at the waist like 'today, you can raid my wardrobe for anything you want,' because he knows you're constantly trying to steal his clothes + in your head you instantly know what you're going to steal. and once you've showered (together <3) there you are in some cute shorts and tank top and his flannel that falls up to your mid-thighs and smells like him. the rest of the morning is the two of you going for a walk to your favourite little cafe and getting your favourite drink, followed by him buying you the prettiest bouquet of flowers. every time he looks over at you, holding your flowers and happily sipping your drink, he keeps melting at how cute you are. you know you're meeting the boys and some of your other close friends and family for lunch, so you walk around and take photos till then, drag matty to a bunch of bookstores and makeup stores. and of course he lets you use his hand to test lipsticks on when space on yours runs out <3

the lunch is exactly what you want, intimate and fun and being surrounded by everyone you love. the boys all wish you happy birthday and give you gifts that you won't open till you get home but matty keeps looking a bit distracted throughout. there's definitely some silent communication that's happening and you want to ask but clearly if he wanted to know, he would have told you. anyway, you've almost forgotten the weird anxiety from this morning because of how sweet and attentive he has been all day but now it's starting to come back a bit because of whatever's happening between then. you just desperately hope and plead that it's not a surprise party. you know he would never but there aren't many other alternatives you can think of right now. and soon, maybe on your way home, he starts noticing how you keep picking at your nails and trying to dig them into your palms so obviously he's a bit worried about what's cause this sudden change until you stop him just as he's about to open the front door.

'are people going to yell surprise really loudly when i get inside?' and at first he thinks you're joking but he sees the actual nervous look on your face and the quiet tone of your voice and suddenly things click into place for him. it makes him feel a bit guilty that he has to pull you into his chest before he assures you, very firmly that that's not what's going to happen. and now that has you instantly curious because there certain was a look that was being exchanged. as soon as you're inside and he's running to the kitchen to get a vase for your flowers and you're just there looking at him with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out whats happening until you see him smirking and you know how much he's enjoying your confusion.

'alright tell me before i go crazy!'

'tell you what?' he shrugs innocently, which is all an act so you pinch his arm slightly in retaliation.

'you know what! the looks, you're plotting!'

and he laughs at that because he has been plotting and now there isn't any reason to hide it longer so finally, just as the sun is setting on you and the kitchen is bathed in golden light, he kisses you sweetly and tells you to go check the bedroom, 'i've got an outfit out for you,' he says, 'remember how months ago you missed out on getting tickets to see your favourite band? well we are seeing them tonight.' a bit of a cheeky pause, 'from the vip box.'

---------------

i know i almost made it sound like a proposal was coming but it think this is a much more romantic scenario for me atm lmao

[cloudcountry]

HERES MY FAVORITE HES SO CUTE RAHHHHH he’s like a gamer/hacker character and he was turned into a lemur

OOH HES ALSO SCOTTISH, A CAT LOVER, AND A GERMAPHOBE

some of his dialogue i find silly:

- I hacked into the Pentagon again today. I left a crumb train, so the NSA would raid ma home. When they got there, I was a lemur. I'm like a troll gawd now.

- Yesterday I hacked into the NCIC to wipe yer criminal record. But it was already blank. I think that means we need to cause a little more trouble around here.

- I accidentally updated ma Twitch stream that I was in a relationship. I don't want to be bothered changin' it back, so let's just make it official, aye? Great. Thanks for savin' me nine seconds of inconvenience. I appreciate it.

- I just noticed yer the attractive sort. Ye've got the kind of eyes that take one's breath away. If I faint, I'm hackin' yer instagram.

- Ya know, ya still make me gasp a little every time I see ya. Maybe I'm a little allergic?

- I was hackin' into the NSA's firewall today, when ma mind wandere and I started thinkin' of ya. Ya didn't know it, but yer the best cyber defense in the world right now.

whoops this ended up long uhhhh

HES SO SEVEN FROM MYSTIC MESSENGER IM SORRYYYYY

[cannibalcreepers]

Loveliest Creeps can i get uhhh Three-finger realising he's caught the dreaded Feelings™ for the reader and how you think he might go about making his interest known to them?

yknow I'mma make a new story with these boys and reader >w> ---------- You had been working for the old man for about 5 months in now, Three-Fingers had noticed, working at that shitty little gas station him and his two brothers would sometimes go to so they could fill up the ol' truck, after all their old man never stopped them. The first time the brothers spotted you was when you bolted inside the store of the gas station with Maynard, while Saw-Tooth filled up the truck. Both Three-Fingers and One-Eye tried to find ways in, tapping at the windows and doors, cackling at you and the old man. You on the other hand, were shitting bricks with the old man, confused and wild eyed. Yes Maynard had warned you, he sure as hell warned you that there were three giant ass men that came and stole his shit and to never call the police, never tell anyone because you would be in a world of hurt. You were so unsure about taking this extra hand job but no other place would pay a good wage or give you proper days off, with Maynard he gave you both Tuesday and Friday afternoons off once 1pm hit and the weekend off, along with a surprisingly decent paycheck, though under the table, and to take whatever from the store for lunch as long as it was under $10 which you thought fair. How this man was paying you $300 a week was a mystery on its own, but you thought having to just hide every 3rd week from some scary men was worth it, even if sketchy. Seeing them though, holy shit you almost passed out, they were huge and deformed, looking like killer slashers from horror movies. Them banging at the windows didn't help, but the old man just ushered you to keep it quiet. After the five months though, you were practically scrolling through tiktok or instagram as you stayed locked inside while the three men raided the place from outside, you didn't even hide yourself despite the old man's protest but really it was only the two smaller ones who did all the stupid faces outside the windows while the largest just filled up the truck with the most brain dead look on his face. The scrawny pointy nose ferret one though, always stared at you as he made his faces and mocking threats, you ended up actually giving him a dirty look once and stuck out your tongue which surprised and amused the grimy man. Ever since you did that, Three-Fingers couldn't stop thinking bout you for weeks, to the point he was daydreaming and getting on his brothers nerves with how distracted he was. Any time they came past, he wanted them to stop even if they didn't need too, getting a bit mean towards One-Eye by chasing him off if he got too close to any window you were by. He wanted to catch you outside just once, he had no idea what he would do but he'd make sure his brothers didn't lay a finger on you, like a spoilt child not wanting to share a toy. These thought were really hitting him though, was he actually catching feelings or was it just a weird obsession. His two brothers were catching on, they weren't stupid and knew when a sibling was catching some sort of feelings towards victims, though they didn't mind as long as it didn't affect their lively hood. Really you had better hope he never got you when you weren't inside that damn station, sure he could just smash his way in but where was the fun in that, also his old man would probably lose his shit, as much as Maynard was a nuisance he still was their dad. But what the boys didn't know, even if they tried to camp out the place, was that Maynard was picking you up from a bit up the road so as to make sure the three idiots didn't just try and grab you when driving up. Either way, that man was going to find a way to get to you and you will eventually learn about his intentions and feelings towards you very fast with how aggressively handsy that man could be. Most likely he was going to end up catching you and the old stinker slacking and just kidnap you, but for now he made kissy faces and bared his teeth at you through the cracks in the windows.

[captainyaps]

OC LORE FOR 'CHILDREN OF TROY'

howdy gang, whether you're from instagram or the future, here's my 'Children of Troy' lore, in one post, both for my best interests and if for some reason you're mildly curious. buckle up buddy, it's a wild ride.

(TW'S: THEMES OF SA, ED, DEATH, PARENTAL DEATH, WAR, AND ALL THINGS ILIAD AND TERRIBLE ANCIENT GREEK MEN INCLUDED! i will try and specifically warn within the lore where each of these are mentioned, but overall these WILL be within it!)

Short intro to 'Children of Troy': My Iliad au, following the lives of displaced Trojan children, orphaned through the war, each equipped with their own special kind of trauma! They are flawed, broken, messy little things, but nurtured by the hand of Metis, and each other at times, perhaps they will grow to be something more.

(this is a continuously updated post, i cannot do this in one sitting)

1. Metagonia (nickname Metis)

a particularly favoured hetaira (ancient greek sex-worker, usually with an education in things like dancing and singing and politics and such, in order to entertain her male clients) among Priam's many children, mainly a male clientele, but behind closed doors she was impartial to a bit of girl on girl action here or there. She lived in relative luxury, spending most her time within the palace walls, entertaining client on client, though never sticking with one for too long, to avoid scandal you see. And she never, ever had any children with any of them, making her even MORE popular. A woman who will satisfy my every wish, with no consequences? Sign me up! said every Trojan prince. That is until the war.

She falls pregnant by some son of Priam she doesn't know the name of, and is kicked out of the palace. she's seen it happen many a time with other hetairai, but hadn't ever thought it to happen to her. At this point, the war has begun, and Troy is under siege nearly everywhere. Massive reality check for Metis, but hey, she has bigger problems.

She has her twins, nicknames them Deimos and Phobos, after the gods of fear and panic, for one is always fearful of the world, while the other ceaselessly ends up in anxiety inducing situations all on his own, even as an infant. she raises them the best she can, makes her own shelter, steals food, steals clothes, it is war and barely anyone notices her, too busy fretting about the incoming raids. she is always moving, and evades each one, uses street gossip and word of mouth to pinpoint the next safest areas.

eventually, her children have grown, and she has found refuge in an abandoned village. razed by the Greeks. it is nothing but ash, and she has barely anything more. but her child is sick, and the other exhausted. she gathers materials from the debris, finds seeds of a dead farmer, plants them, makes a sort of tent for her kids. intends to only stay there the night.

fast forward a few years, it has not been a night. she has stayed in the dead village for ages, made it a kind of home. it is tucked away from war and fires, unmanaged by Greeks, declared too poor to bother with at all. call it decaying, rotting nothingness, for Metis and her children, it is safety.

for a while, it is just them. but one day, Deimos brings home a child. he is beaten, battered and burned. he is a baby, crying in Deimos' uncertain arms. Metis takes him in. that is how the camp begins.

[davidmariottecomics]

Save Your Work!

Hello, friends! 

This week is going to be very quick because, not to get ahead of myself, but next week is likely going to be pretty long. I didn't mean to time things out so there'd be a long one right after I'm done with work for the year and most people are off for that final week, but that's how things worked out. And the week after that, the last weekend of the year, I'm going to do a Best of 2023 round-up. 

But, in my brief update this week, I wanted to talk about some very straightforward best practices. 

I turned on my computer this morning and was shocked to find that I was *turning on* my computer this morning. One way or another, it had shut down since the last time I used it. Maybe it was Becca or a planned restart or something, but however it happened, my computer was off. And as any artist should know... you neeeeeeeeeeeed to make sure your stuff is saved again and again. You see, I was working on my holiday gift guide that I'm building for my Patreon when the computer shut off and I lost a whole spread and some change. All of it. The images, the hyperlinks, the text--both in terms of what I wrote and the font choices I made--everything. It shouldn't be terrible, but it'll add at least an extra hour on as I have to rebuild all of that. So, if you ever work on anything that would benefit from being saved, make sure you do!

The other best practice I want to emphasize today is something I say a lot. If you'd like to work in comics professionally, please make it easier on yourself and any potential collaborators/hiring folks, by making your web presence clear and accessible. Something I've slowly been working on over the past few weeks is going through my Twitter as I get ready to delete it before the end of the year and looking to make sure I have contact information from anyone I'm interested in not losing. I'm looking for emails, or agents, or websites. And the more varied the information, the better. Because I'm trying to incorporate that into my existing digital rolodex, whenever possible, while emails (for talent or their agents) are the things that are most helpful, I am looking to add your website info so I can quickly pop to it before emailing you and make sure you're who I think you are and your style is what I think it is. As much as possible, when I look through info I got from old like Visible Women sheets and the like, I'm looking for people who aren't just including their handle on one social because those can change, or who aren't just linking to an Instagram or Twitter account with "DM me" because while I know some people work best in DMs, for legal paperwork and the like, an email is so much more helpful. 

Lastly, and this should go without saying, but this is a post about common sense practices, be kind to folks. I don't know why this seems so counter-intuitive to certain people, but if you're openly hostile toward your peers, they don't want to work with you. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy of ostracization. It literally can't be said enough. Comics as an industry is doing just fine and differentiation in the medium in both format and talent is only a good thing. 

Alright. More next week! 

What I enjoyed this week: Dungeons & Daddies (Podcast), Reverse 1999 (Video Game), Nancy (Comic), Lego Masters (TV show), Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror (Short story collection), Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links (Video Game), Dandadan (Manga), Godzilla: Minus One (Movie), Godzilla Raids Again (Movie), Cunk on Earth (TV show), I'm a Virgo (TV show), Clyde Fans by Seth (Comic), getting and making some really exciting 2023 news. There's some amazing stuff to come! 

New Releases this week (12/13/2023): Sonic the Hedgehog: Winter Jam (Editor)

Final Order Cutoff next week (12/18/2023):  Godzilla Valentine's Day Special (Editor) If you haven't seen it, I put together a little explainer on what exactly a "Final Order Cutoff" is and why it matters! And if you found this helpful and have a platform where you think people should know, those explainers are watermarked and good to share! 

New Releases next week (12/20/2023): Godzilla: The War for Humanity #3 (Editor) Godzilla Rivals: Jet Jaguar vs. Megalon (Editor)

Announcements: If there is one blog this year that you should not miss, it's next week's. Big news to come. 

The Cartoonist Cooperative is still doing E-Sim cards for Gaza. You can donate a digital sim card so that residents can get access to the internet and have more functional phones and, in exchange, get some comics or a drawing or whatever else is available from the many participating artists. Additionally, the CC is hosting their mini-comic awards! It's a cool way to maybe get your mini-comic recognized and make some scratch! 

You can also give more directly. If you don't have money, and I get it, you can call or fax or email or show up at the offices of your representatives. Keep your eyes open for actions too, whether they're another general strike like what happened last Monday or demonstrations and marches in your area. Given the nature of the things, they often come together fairly quickly, so do exercise your due diligence. Also, of course, being informed and just giving your time to Palestinian writers is incredibly valuable. Whether that is journalists on the ground--who are being murdered at extraordinary rates--or reading Fiyah's Palestine Solidarity issue or anything from Verso's solidarity reading list, having and sharing that knowledge is significant. 

Becca just did their Art vs. Artist post for 2023. They did a lot of really cool work this year! They also posed a spicy art version. And as if it could not be said enough, while we've got some things brewing (and now on a schedule), you should reach out if you'd like to work on comics with them! I think we're both looking to do more next year! You can find their gallery on their website and also, y'know, maybe pick up a few things for belated gifts while you're there! 

If you aren't a Patreon backer yet, well, like I said above, I've been working on something pretty cool. I'm building a holiday gift guide. It won't probably be out with a lot of shopping time for Christmas in particular, but I thought it'd be a fun way to showcase some of what I've been learning more generally about design and how to make comics and zines and stuff. I'm really proud of it and it'll be exclusive to $10+ backers for December and then will be made public in a couple months. Also at that $10+ tier, there's stuff like a tour of my workspace, an adults-only podcast pilot that Becca and I recorded called "Abandoning the Premise" (short sample here), a review of root beers is also coming up quick, old D&D campaigns I ran, and more! Another goal of mine for next year is to grow my Patreon and also have it start making some money to fund more comics ventures for myself. 

Pic of the Week: I teased it last week, but the Winter Jam team did a Winter Jam-piece! Our fabulous leader, Iasmin Omar Ata, got Reggie Graham, Adam Bryce Thomas, Abigail Oz, Shawn Lee, and me to put together a happy holidays card from the Winter Jam cast! I did the thought balloon Froggy because even when Big is holding "Froggy", he can't stop thinking about that frog! 

[stunie]

I started selfshipping with Hoshina from Kaiju no.8 recently. It's my first selfship, I feel so insecure 🫣 how do you do it? like where did you start?

HOSHINA !!! how cute is that ?! selfships are really fun because you can do whatever you want with them. i think i started mine with selfship art! i saw an artist i really liked on here and wanted to see me and ume in their art style so bad > < so i think your start point depends on what u like!!

for some ideas umm, you can always come up with some lore !! how did you two meet, the trope ? enemies to lovers ? friends to lovers ? there’s a lot of prompts on tumblr. i just go to safari and google selfship questions and it’ll show the popular ones!!

you can also do selfship ask games!! there’s a lot you can reblog and people can send you asks…. i’ll always send them when i see them + you can always talk to me about them too!! i love to hear about selfships. um i had a little event earlier where i raided everyone’s inbox to ask about their selfship (i really need to catch up on the rest of those actually!! i haven’t checked that in a bit but ill try and do them tn!!! ).

THATS OFF TOPIC. moodboards !! you can make those!!! (: it’s fun cuz it shows like…. the vibes of u two … it’s fun to look for all the pics too !! i think most people look on pinterest for those > < OH !!! you know what i think would be fun ??? i haven’t seen ppl do it yet but matching minecraft skins ? if u make those ?!

that would be so cute aaa!! people also do like .. the instagram thing? you could edit some pics and make it look like hoshina’s insta.. what it would look like after meeting u etc !!!