#it's my concept entirely so that was very satisfying to make

[meow286]

some ramblings today. with a little sketch and its tie down

drawing cats is always easy and almost automatic for me since theyre basically my foundation. so when i want to warm up on some concepts, theyre usually my go to.

recently ive been studying art again more seriously, really looking at where i was lacking and doing studies, reading a lot of art theory and reference books, life drawing, everything i can. getting better at grouping shapes, values, focusing on clarity of silhouette, simplifying information, have all become my priority. i really try to think the entire time im drawing now instead of going on autopilot. so even revisiting drawing cats occasionally, now feels new as im doing it with a new mindset/perspective on what i want to achieve. i tend to practice drawing 6-8 hours a day but the goal of where i want my ability to be still feels so impossibly far away.

i havent animated very much at all in the past year, and im trying to rekindle my love and drive for it, it scratches an itch in me that drawing never does. over the years of being a lonely teenager who tied their self worth to their online art presence, my self esteem was linked to how well i could perform artistically any given day eventually lead to me crashing and burning mentally. i could not animate without significant stress and feeling like i was going to throw up because i knew the end product wouldnt satisfy me. so i avoided doing it for almost a year.

i know a lot of younger artists follow me and its easy to fall into this trap, esp with how competitive it is and the incentive of social media attention. but it will make you miserable, and upset. even know i have to repeat to myself "its ok to make bad drawings" and that comparing myself to others has no purpose. this sounds overly dramatic since a lot of you know me as a former warrior cats animator, but ever since i made animation my career this thought process became increasingly difficult to escape and would affect my performance at work sometimes. i got a job working with dogs for a while since i didnt want to have the mental toll of doing professional work anymore. im trying to get back in the game now, almost reteaching myself art in a way. and ive been feeling a lot better.

im thinking of making some sets of cat anatomy tips, reference drawings, and my thought process when stylizing them to out up on gumroad for free. maybe some animation cycles and breakdowns too. if you read this far 😀 hi

[waitineedaname]

i was thinking my little thoughts while falling asleep last night, and a concept occurred to me: what if binghe learned about the system not from shen qingqiu, but from shang qinghua

look, he likes shang qinghua alright. he's pretty disinterested in p much anyone who isn't shen qingqiu, but on the list of People Luo Binghe Tolerates, shang qinghua is relatively high. he gave him advice on wooing sqq, after all, and sqq likes his company, so binghe tolerates his shang-shishu

but the thing is, shang qinghua is a spy. has been for decades. binghe knows this. really, everyone knows this at this point, which isn't a great look for a spy, but still. and since shang qinghua is a spy for mobei-jun, who is a subordinate for luo binghe, then technically shang qinghua is also working for him, but you don't get to the position of demon emperor without a healthy amount of suspicion for everyone in your court

so he decides to test shang qinghua a little bit. nothing major, just a little poking around in his dreams. he starts out with a subtle touch, just sifting through his memories. most of it is what he expected. he sees his time on an ding as a disciple and then later as peak lord, he sees him working for mobei-jun. he sees mobei-jun in some compromising situations, which he files away for later, and then sees him in an entirely different flavor of compromising situations, and binghe immediately decides to act like he never saw that

then he decides to take a more direct approach and starts nudging the dreams in other directions, to see how he might react to certain scenarios, test his loyalty. he expects shang qinghua to act cowardly, or bluff his way through a situaton, maybe even draw his sword if pushed far enough

what he doesn't expect is for shang qinghua to frown at the changes luo binghe made and go "I didn't write it like this"

what

binghe is so bewildered by that response that he loses his grip on the dream for a second, and before he knows it, shang qinghua has spun the dream scenario back into the way the scene originally played out. he steps back and looks satisfied. "there we go," he says. "that's how it went. you know, if I'd known I'd be dealing with this scene myself, I would've written it differently"

what the hell does that mean?

fascinated, luo binghe continues to test him. most of the time, when he toys with someone's dream, they're completely unaware of the changes. shang qinghua, despite not seeming aware that he's lucid dreaming, seems very aware of how each scene should go. except for, strangely, many of the scenes that binghe himself was in. binghe pulls up one from his disciple days, one of the times he remembered shang qinghua coming to qing jing on some errand. he hadn't even changed anything yet, had just let the dream version of his younger self launch himself at shizun in a tacklehug, but shang qinghua tsks and takes the reins from him before he can make any edits. "sorry bing-ge, but that was just way too out of character," shang qinghua says. the dream copy of luo binghe's younger self is sent further away, watching the peak lords with a sullen gaze. he's skinnier than binghe remembers being at this age, and one of his eyes is swollen with a purple bruise. that doesn't make any sense, luo binghe thinks. he hadn't been beaten on qing jing peak for years at this point.

the shen qingqiu beside shang qinghua in the dream stands with his back straight as a ruler, and when his gaze lands on luo binghe, he sneers behind his fan. shang qinghua sighs. "cucumber-bro really wasn't as good of an actor as he thought he was. he's way too soft to ever seem like the original goods."

alarmed, luo binghe dispels the dream and steps out of it entirely. sure, he knows shen qingqiu's personality changed almost overnight when he had that qi deviation. everyone knew that. he avoided questioning it much, unwilling to look a gift horse in the mouth when it meant having a shizun that cared for him

but shang qinghua. shang qinghua seems to know something more about shen qingqiu's personality change. something he's not sharing. luo binghe didn't like the idea that one of his subordinates could be hiding something as vital as this from him

well, this had been a test of his spy's loyalties, hadn't it? perhaps he should make a visit to an ding. he had some questions.

[pippin-katz]

Edwin's Parents Canonically Did Not Hug Him

I was watching interviews of the boys for a post I'm working on, and fucking excuse me?!

Source: Advocate Channel Interview, Timestamp 3:17

We have confirmation from George that Edwin's parents did not hug him while he was alive. It's due much more to the time period rather than neglectful parenting, but that is still crazy to think about. He also says "parents", meaning both his father and his mother; neither of them gave him any kind of physical affection.

The repressive time period causing Edwin's parents to be very emotionally absent from his life is not a new concept, and it gets brought up in varying intensities in fanfics I've read, but it always felt like a fuzzy, floating concept based on speculation heavily supported by probability. I knew it was an accurate assumption, but I couldn't reach out and touch it, if that makes any sense. Now, it's concrete in my mind.

It gives this scene even more weight:

Edwin's expressions, while already perfectly understandable, make even more sense. The way he's seemingly pained by the embrace at first. He did not even realize how badly he needed and wanted this kind of affection.

There is such a strong surge of pure joy, comfort, and love from the hug that it hurts him, because he realizes in that moment what he's been deprived of his entire life and existence. Edwin has existed for over a hundred years, and even though it's hard to believe, they've never hugged each other like this in the thirty years they've been together. I don't think I could ever confidently say that they never hugged, ever, in thirty years, especially given how physical Charles is with his affection.

But that expression on Edwin's face in undeniable.

George says earlier in video that Edwin "lacks the skill set to keep up" with all of the new emotions he's experiencing, and you can feel that in the way his face changes.

Edwin hugs him back, and lets out a big breath, relieved and satisfied by the embrace. The wave of emotions passes as he realizes that even if he overwhelmed and terrified by the love he's feeling, it feels good to hug Charles. He realizes that he wants to hug Charles, that he's allowed to want to hug Charles, and that he actually can hug Charles.

God, the amount of emotions Edwin has in that moment that he's completely unequipped for, simply because he's never experienced it, not even from the people closest to him in life. It's heartbreaking, but seeing him learning how it feels to be loved for the first time is so beautiful.

Edwin, the character that you are... George Rexstrew, the actor that you are... 😔🩵

(ko-fi)

[aggresivemenace]

Physical intimacy: Do Primarchs allow themselves to show their pleasure, or do they struggle to restrain it?

Lion El'Jonson

"My duty is to please you. Nothing else matters"

For the most part, he hides his own pleasure.

His purpose lies in satisfying his lady, his beloved; his own delight is, in his mind, a distant second.

The sound of your moans - this is his greatest reward.

Fulgrim

"Let me sing for you, in every gasp and cry"

He makes no attempt to restrain himself.

During intimacy, he is unabashedly loud - part of it born from his natural passion and disdain for holding back his emotions, and part of it a deliberate offering, a way to show you just how deeply you satisfy him.

Perturabo

"Even steel must tremble, when touched by loving hand"

He tries to restrain himself, clinging to the image of the cold, commanding Primarch of the Iron Warriors.

Yet his flushed cheeks, his tightly shut eyes, and the soft, unbidden sighs that slip from his lips betray him utterly.

Jaghatai Khan

"Love is simple. You and I - that's all there is"

He shows you exactly how good you make him feel.

His logic is plain: you are his wife; you love each other; your bodies bring mutual joy.

Why, in the name of all the stars, would anyone ever pretend otherwise?

Leman Russ

"If I love you, the whole world will know it"

Restraint is a foreign concept to him.

He doesn't just show his pleasure to you - he shows it to anyone within earshot. He wants them to know how damn gorgeous his wife is.

If the Primarch of the Space Wolves is busy replenishing the population of Fenris with his cherished mate, he’ll make sure the whole planet knows anout it.

Rogal Dorn

"You melt the walls I built around my soul"

He openly savors the pleasure your body brings him.

It may seem strange that this fortress of stone and ice could feel anything at all — but trust me: the Dorn the world sees and the Dorn you know, his beloved wife, are two entirely different men.

With you, he lets the burdens of the outside world fall away, surrendering himself completely to the tenderness of your hands, letting you see - and feel - just how deeply you affect him.

Konrad Curze

"Break me with your kindness - I cannot resist"

At first, he acts brazenly, almost mockingly - as if intimacy were merely another way to assert his dominance over you, to humiliate you (though you both know it's just a game).

He shows no true emotion at first.

But give him time, and pleasure will consume him entirely.

Soon, he'll be moaning, saliva trailing from his chin, and the cruel, cutting words will dissolve into broken cries, lost beneath the ragged sound of his hips colliding with yours.

Sanguinius

"Your touch makes my wings tremble"

He tries to hide it, but every time he fails.

A single glance, a single touch from you is enough to ignite him, and his body responds with breathtaking intensity.

Often, he grows shy of his own loud moans, hiding his face behind his hands - or shielding himself with his snowy wings, peeking at you shyly through the gaps between the feathers.

No matter how much he blushes at his own raw reactions, he never denies how completely you unravel him.

Ferrus Manus

"Hot iron bends easily"

He restrains himself - and he does it well.

But if you straddle him and set a fast, relentless pace, even the Primarch of the Iron Hands struggles to keep his composure.

He would gladly surrender his stoic facade for you, but the habit of control runs deep.

So remember: if you hear grunts, sharp breaths, and muffled moans, know that Ferrus is feeling very good.

Angron

"Hold me - remind me that I can be loved"

He hides it. His instincts scream that showing pleasure is the same as showing weakness.

He longs to surrender, to lose himself in you - but the way his mind is wired won’t allow it.

The best thing you can do for him is to cradle his tense, flushed face in your hands, kiss him gently, and whisper how much you love him, how much pleasure he brings you.

Roboute Guilliman

"With you, I finally remember how to breathe"

He shows you exactly how much he enjoys it.

You love making love to him after a long, grueling day - when the strength of a Primarch still fills his body, but his mind is worn and weary.

He lies back on the bed and closes his eyes as you straddle him, setting a slow, steady rhythm.

He doesn't need to do anything - unless he wishes to reach up and touch you.

Otherwise, he simply surrenders to the feeling, utterly relaxed.

He moans, sighs, and often murmurs how much he loves you, how deeply your touch pleases him.

Mortarion

"Even decaying flesh is soft to touch"

He doesn't hide it - simply because he can't.

By nature, he is deeply sensitive, and even if he wished to restrain himself, he would be helpless to silence the moans that spill from his lips.

Magnus the Red

"You see me - the real me - and you still love"

He praises you and encourages you with every breath.

You see, he is...large. Very large.

Before you, he stands in his true form, untouched by the Warp magic - for you love him as he truly is, natural and unaltered.

Though it can be a struggle to take him fully, he is endlessly patient.

He breathes heavily against your ear, his large, warm hands gliding over your thighs, his fingers brushing your flushed cheeks with tender reverence.

You're doing so well, my sweet...just a little more"

"You're so tight...It feels so good, my love"

Horus Lupercal

"For you, I would burn the stars and call it mercy"

He never hides his feelings - not with you.

In your embrace, he becomes what he was always meant to be: mighty, yet human; powerful, yet tender.

Horus wants to feel you with every part of his being.

His hands hold you tightly, as if he fears losing you, his kisses burning and urgent, filled with an almost painful devotion.

He moans your name, whispers how you drive him mad, how he can never get enough of you.

When he is with you, he forgets anything else - surrendering himself to you, just as he would one day surrender the stars at your feet.

Lorgar Aurelian

"Our love is a sacred flame - pure and holy"

He approaches intimacy with a heart full of reverence, yet weighed down by uncertainty.

At first, he tries to restrain himself, struggling to understand the depth of his own longing - how vital your closeness has become to him.

When he finally yields, his moans are soft, almost prayerful, slipping past his lips in waves of helpless devotion.

Still, shame flickers within him, and he tries again to quiet the storm, only to fail - again and again, drawn back to you.

It falls to you to remind him, in tender whispers, that between a devoted husband and wife, this union is no sin - but a sacred joy, a blessing to be embraced without fear.

Vulkan

"My strength was made to protect you...and to love you"

He doesn't restrain his feelings - on the contrary, he is sincere to the very core.

Every touch from Vulkan is filled with warmth and care; his moans are low and deep, like distant thunder, sweet and meant for your ears only.

He holds you as if you were the most precious treasure in the galaxy, even though his hands could crush mountains.

He whispers how much he loves you, how he trembles with every second spent in your arms - burning with passion, but never hurting you.

Alpharius/Omegon

"Two hearts. One soul. Yours forever"

During intimacy, it becomes especially easy to tell them apart.

Alpharius is more reserved with his emotions - he often buries his face against your neck, squeezing his eyes shut, too shy to let you see his expression.

Omegon, on the other hand, is the talkative one - he loves to praise you with a voice thick with heat and adoration.

"Darling, you're doing so well...taking both of us like you were made for it. Yes, made just for the two of us."

Corvus Corax

"In the silence between our breaths, I am yours"

He doesn't hold back, yet he isn't particularly loud.

He shows his pleasure through heavy breathing and soft, almost inaudible moans - not out of restraint, but simply because he is a quiet soul by nature.

And perhaps, deep down, he wants his sounds to be heard by you alone, his breath brushing against your heated, sensitive skin like a ghost's caress.

BONUS!

The God-Emperor of Mankind

"You are my light amidst endless darkness"

To the world, he is the unshakable master, majesty incarnate.

But in your arms, he lays down his golden crown, becoming only a man who loves his wife beyond measure.

He touches you with hands capable of commanding the stars, yet with a tenderness reserved for you alone.

His moans are rare, heavy, slipping past his lips when he loses himself in you, allowing a weakness he shows to no one else.

To humanity, he is a God.

To you - he is your man: loving, devoted, eternal

[virtualflowerbatathlete]

Weird opinion nobody asked me for:

Several things can be true at once when talking about Leo’s arc in HOO regarding romance.

NO, Leo did not need to resolve his self esteem issues and insecurities before he started dating. You don’t have to be fully mentally healthy to date someone or be in love (Look at Percabeth! Both of them were a mess when they started dating, but they grow together.) The implication that you need to be fully recovered from any mental illness or trauma before being “allowed” to date is a dangerous one.

BUT it was incredibly disheartening to watch these insecurities lead Leo to being in a relationship where he is not as happy as he hoped he would be, and even in some cases, being abused by a girlfriend who seems almost ashamed to be associated with Leo at all. Calypso’s irritation and snipes at Leo don’t feel at all like when couples like Percabeth or Solangelo tease each other. When Percabeth and Solangelo tease each other, there’s an undercurrent of genuine affection, and also a sense that the two are on even footing in the relationship; Nico can call Will his “significant annoyance,” and Will can call Nico his “little ball of darkness.” Annabeth calls Percy “Seaweed Brain,” and he can call her “Wise Girl.” But there is no even footing with Caleo. Leo is so desperate to make things work with her that he won’t fire back when Calypso insults his interests or personality. The relationship is volatile and imbalanced, and honestly, that feels like a far more tragic ending for Leo than him being single at the end of HOO.

ALSO it was fully possible for Leo to have an arch where he realizes that he doesn’t need romance to be happy, and later getting into a romantic relationship. (Hell, it could even happen in the same book) I deeply resent the takes where people somehow see both these things as mutually exclusive. As an example of this, over time, I learned that grades don’t define who I am, and that I can build my self worth outside of them. That doesn’t mean that I have to give up on getting good grades entirely. What that does mean is that I focus more on learning the material for my own benefit than trying to get the highest score, and strangely enough, my grades started going up. In the case of Leo, a character arc where he learned to love himself and not need a romantic relationship doesn’t mean that he would stop looking for one. Instead, he would seek meaningful connections with the people around him, one of which could bloom into a romantic relationship.

ALSO it would be fully possible for Leo to have this arc while in a romantic relationship with someone. While a partner can’t “fix” you, the people we love can open doors for us to learn and grow. Hell, in the books, we see this demonstrated with Leo and Jason. Leo confides an insecurity, and Jason challenges this insecurity. This causes Leo to think, and thus to grow. Yes, they were not canonically romantic, but my point still stands that this isn’t necessarily a journey Leo would need to do alone. He could have had a romantic partner who helped in his journey of learning to love himself.

ALSO the desire Rick, and by some extension we (the fandom) had in HOO to pair every single character off with their “perfect match” is one that should be questioned. I think that Rick and the fandom have come a long way, and I think TOA really played around with this concept in a very interesting way. But the strange implication I sometimes see is that Leo having no romantic partner must mean that it’s an unsatisfying arc. As an aroace person, the implication that life and stories are only satisfying if the person involved ends up with a romantic partner is disheartening.(I say this as a Valgrace shipper) If your first instinct when hearing a character is single or learning to love being single is to go, “OH GOD, THEY’RE ALL ALONE AND WILL NEVER BE HAPPY! THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN FOR THEM!” Maybe, it’s time to examine the implications behind those thoughts.

ALSO shipping is fun and not that serious. If you like a ship, go for it. This is not me telling you not to ship Leo with anyone, as I said, I’m a huge Valgrace fan.

Anywho, if you want more extensive thoughts on Calypso, lemme know. Also feel free to add, I’m sure there’s even more nuance to talk about

[drdemonprince]

Hi! I just wanted to hand something off to you. I was the one who asked about self-harm, cutting in my case, as a positive expression of sexuality (though I used sexuality as shorthand for what I consider a tertiary feeling to traditional sexuality, something that I think more closely describes my relationship to cutting as an asexual person, but that's a tangent). Anyway, your exceptionally open-minded reply bolstered my confidence, like, a lot. It motivated me to start pulling together relevant resources with help from other users in the Death Panel discord server. The first thing I was given back was a piece which immediately changed my life, and I wanted to share it. More specifically, I've always found something bothersome about the concept of "harm reduction" as a keystone in the topic of self-harm; primarily that it leaves open the "rhetorically" undeniable assertion that the ultimate reduction in harm would be abstinence of that harm in its entirety. I wanted to point especially at the concept presented in this article which concerns the definitive delineation of harm. I've tried like 4 times now to summarize the point made, but I cannot in a way which is as satisfying as the piece itself: https://pasleciel.substack.com/p/measure-once-cut-twice-in-defense Thank you again, because your act of understanding has genuinely saved my life. I don't think I'd have felt like I had a leg to stand on without your reply.

Thanks for sharing that link, I will check it out! I'm really glad you messaged and glad that my reply was helpful to you. I think "harm reduction" does kinda present the stigmatized act as one that does still cause some harm -- and in presenting it that way, it tries to convince the skeptical that permitting a behavior is better than attempting to ban or control it because acceptance allows that harm to be mitigated or worked around. That position still presents the behavior as a thing to be permitted or tolerated by others rather than the individual's right and sole business no matter what. The harm reductionist model came into being in order to push back against forced abstinence, forced institutionalization, and forced treatment -- the norm was already to rob the person engaging in the behavior of their autonomy by default, and so an argument for giving that autonomy back kinda had to be made. But abandoning that sort of thinking entirely and abandoning clinical judgements of excessiveness or harm is the logical next step.

If we continue trying to drag more behaviors under the banner of the "socially sanctioned" one by one -- as the piece you linked puts it -- instead of doing away with the power of social sanctions entirely, then we don't really get very far. We keep having to prove that the behavior has some prosocial and positive health benefit. I've always favored total libertarian anarchy instead. A person should be free to remove body parts, cause themselves disability, scar or mutilate themselves, change the shape of their body, change their body's functionality etc as they see fit because that's theirs to decide, and anything less means that people have the authority to judge whether their reasons are "good" enough (which usually turns into demanding that the person prove that the changes they want will make them more valuable to somebody else).

All said, I'm really glad you find cutting enjoyable and meaningful, and I brought up the example to my disability ethics class at the medical school this week thanks to you.

[katerinadeannika]

Notes after watching the full Behind the Scenes of Agatha All Along posted on Nov 13th 2024:

There was no way they could have written an ending for Agatha that did not involve death.

I have been saying this to all the naysayers from the get-go, to all the people making posts about being done or fed up or angry about the ending, or how it makes no sense, or how they should have could have done something different and been fine story wise. The behind the scenes confirmed my point.

The main through line for the entire show was the theme of Death; of Agatha never being able to escape it. Where she both loves and hates death and Death, the concept and the woman. Where she's been running from Death for centuries, but Death came for her son and was always coming for her the second she slowed down.

Every completed trial meant someone would die. Billy created the road based off the rumors and witch lore. And the only rumors out in the witch world were that someone knew someone else's aunt/relative/friend who had undertaken the road and never returned. In reality, that was Agatha's doing. But to Billy, it meant that somehow, the Road took its toll on them. And when the coven traveled it, the Road exacted the same price that Billy expected it to. Death or near death at every trial.

The first trial killed Sharon. The second gave Alice her power back and then Billy almost died (and probably would have if Agatha hadn't pleaded with Rio on his behalf, if the coven hadn't worked together, and if Billy hadn't made the Road with his own powers. Some interesting combo of the all the above). The third trial killed Alice who was trying to save Agatha. And the fourth trial killed Lilia and the Salem Seven.

Jac said she intentionally wrote it where Death was a very real thing that everyone in the show had to come to terms with.

And for Jen Kale, her gift was already dead, and she was supposed to resurrect it and take her own power back. She escaped because after Agatha's trial, the fifth one, someone DID die.

And this time it was Agatha.

Agatha had avoided it every other time by either being saved, or having the rest of the coven as fodder for death.

But in the end, when she could have left once again, she must decide who has to pay the final price for her invention of the Road. The Road that she has used to kill and lure countless witches to their doom over the past few centuries.

She can save the boy she has come to love and mentor after the loss of her son. Or, she can leave once again. And so she makes the final moment of self sacrifice, and chooses the final victim of the Road: Herself

She has been running from Death for centuries.

For Agatha's story to have a thematic ending that wasn't cheap or manufactured, she had to stay true to that through-line. That's how writing works. You find your themes. You write about and explore them. And you have a final consequence that determines if it's a positive arc or a negative arc for your main character.

They chose for Agatha to have a positive arc. A moment of final growth. To end the show on her finally making the right decision, even at the cost of the life she's sustained through countless centuries and via countless deaths.

There was no way the show could have ended any other way.

PS: There is no excuse to hate on it. At all.

It doesn't meet any of the criteria for the 'Bury your gays' trope. It doesn't even end Agatha’s story. But it does provide expertly written, well thought out, thematically poignant endings for all the characters in a way that satisfies their personal journey—throughout the show and the centuries.

And I am so glad they made it, and that it ended how it did. I wouldn’t want it any other way. As a writer. As an editor. As a viewer. And as a lesbian.

Agatha All Along is a masterpiece in TV writing. And I can’t wait for more.

PSS: Watch the Behind the Scenes on youtube that Marvel just posted. It’s super good and includes all sorts of info to help with fic writing and just general understanding of the writing and show creation. Also lots of Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza in interviews!

TLDR: Quit complaining and griping about the ending. It was written beautifully. The reason you got so invested is because of all the heavy death elements throughout that made things mean something. Embrace it. Or find media where you were the target audience. Cause if you couldn’t handle something well written that ends like this, you weren’t the target audience. And that’s okay. But move on before you keep griping and causing issues with the community and the cast.

[becausegraf]

Stolas is not Blitz's first rodeo - the case for Blitz' potential history as a de facto sex worker

(Okay, whoop de doo, here we go, if I sit on this essay any longer I won't get around to having dinner.)

Imagine someone you're into knows you've been struggling to make ends meet, and they approach you with this:

"Hey there, I've been thinking, how about we meet once a week to get giggity and have a good time, and in exchange I'll pay your rent, no strings attached."

Since 'this is hell' and not real life, also try to imagine what for example Moxxie or Millie's reaction might be to something like this. How would you envision this might go?

'What the FUCK' would be a completely sensible response. Even if someone agreed to this, you'd expect some reluctance, unease, nervousness, internal conflict... from most people.

And yet, this is basically what Stolas offered Blitz, and even in a hurry, his reaction wasn't at all shocked or confused. We see no hint of awkwardness in his behaviour around or during his monthly visits, not a lick of it.

There's a simple explanation for this: Blitz has done this before plenty of times.

He's quite literally 'used to it' and accepts this as a fairly routine type of agreement, without even questioning the concept of 'that horny head-in-the-clouds dork of a prince had a good time with me, and wants me to keep servicing him enough to offer me precisely what I want'. Stolas is far from unattractive to him, sure, 'why the fuck not'. Of all the ways this situation could have played out, this is one of the less difficult ones to deal with - satisfying people using his body is pretty much a 'shrug' to him, as opposed to having to come up with some kind of manipulation, or negotiating a different agreement, or keeping the grimoire against Stolas' will and earning himself the wrath of a Goetia.

The premise:

There is a long, long list of clues, many of them hiding in plain sight as 'haha crude jokes oh Blitz u so silly' moments, that Blitz has a history of providing sex as a service.

I also believe this is something most of the fandom already implicitly expects or wouldn't be surprised at all if it were confirmed in the show, but a lot of the implications are entirely invisible, and the effects on Blitz' behaviour are VERY easy to read as 'it's a comedy show, they write him this way because it's supposed to be crude and funny'.

Parts:

1) A hoard of hints

2) How this contributes to the massive disconnect between Blitz and Stolas' understanding of their arrangement

3) Some notes regarding the 'stage persona' of a performer, and recognition of achievements - a connection to his VA and co-writer

1) So, let's look at some contextual evidence first. This list is mostly constrained by my limited capacity to rattle off more examples on the fly, I'm sure you can easily find more of these everywhere you look.

- 'It's your night', and other such flat dismissals

This can be read as him just being cold and apathetic towards Stolas, as obviously 'Blitz is an unempathetic jerk-ass boyfriend'. However, if you read this through the lens of Blitz truly handling this arrangement pretty much like a professional, it makes perfect sense.

'We can do what you want, you're the client here buddy. This isn't about my preferences or wants, my job is to please you and not the other way around.'

- 'You know, I'm not really fussed when stuff like this happens' about Stolas rescheduling

Kind of a funky thing to say about your lover asking you if you have time to meet a bit earlier than originally planned, isn't it? Again, this makes sense if you read this arrangement as Stolas being like a client with a monthly appointment, and Blitz as the accommodating professional. The customer is king, if Stolas wants to move their appointment date (for something Blitz can do during his off-hours that aren't likely to conflict with other plans) then sure, it's not like he's going to charge a damn cancellation fee.

- 'But I thought you like it when I talk all dirty and fucky and shit'

The start of Apology Tour is a rough one, but it reveals a lot about the hidden reasons behind Blitz behaving the way he does with Stolas, and why we shouldn't take everything at face-value.

During their encounters, Blitz is in work-mode: h's very deliberate about how he comports himself and how to play to Stolas' tastes, for as far as he thinks he understands them. Stolas responded well to the aggressive stuff upon their first meeting as adults, and from Stolas' POV he had no real reason to clock that as *not actually really what Blitz' own personal preferred style is*. For as far as the owl knows, Blitz truly is unforcedly, naturally just 'like that' - scathing, dominant, rogueish, confident, bold and brash and adventurous in bed.

I think it's likely that Blitz probably *isn't*, maybe partially but not entirely, but trial and error quickly showed him Stolas is into that so... sure, he can accommodate. Whatever the fancy man wants of him, he can stay 'in-character' in that kind of exaggerated role pretty effortlessly.

Blitz glomming to MnM is a pretty big tip-off that he does have a sense of what true close intimacy is like and he absolutely does have a yearning for that. His 'I'm just here for the sex' bad boy attitude does not truly convey who he is as a person in his entirety.

The rowdy sexy assassin-cowboy-imp is the role he plays for Stolas, under the assumption that that is what he's into, and as a way to shield off his own much more vulnerable and conflicted real feelings. When it seems as if Stolas is no longer satisfied, he tries to 'get his shit together' and dial up the intensity, taking the whole sexually aggressive act to a level where it majorly crosses Stolas' boundaries.

Blitz at that point is just SO confused, so in turmoil with himself, and so terrified of losing the one point of connection he has to Stolas (which at that point really is pretty much their sexual compatibility plus a dollop of mutual je-ne-sais-quoi) he gets frustrated and just slips into a blind defensive rage.

(...yeah, that sure went over well, didn't it. 'God damnit Blitz', thus spoke the entire fandom.)

- Blitz' encounter with Chaz

This is a very interesting one to me. This set of scenes shifts very rapidly from one impression of Blitz to another, a triple pile-up of 'lol gotcha'.

'Oh ok , Blitz gets that it's kinda iffy to bang your friends' shitty ex' immediately gets subverted to

'...welp I guess his weird fixation is enough to disregard that entirely', and shortly after to yet another twist:

'-aaaaand welp, he took advantage of the situation without even blinking, because his instinct made him catch a whiff of something, and he took the first opportunity to poke into it a bit more even if said opportunity is banging the airhead randy shark'.

Blitz 100% uses his body like a tool. Any personal pleasure or bonuses that suit his whims he gets out of it is only part of his motivation. His played-for-laughs fling with Chaz is really much more functionally motivated: diving into bed with someone is just one of the several items on his list of things you can do to slip past someone's guard, shmooze them up, get up-close and even have them dead-asleep to create the perfect moment.

Watching this unfold, I personally very much did have that moment of 'oh dear that's a little concerning', that he made it look like he's 'just kind of a morally questionable ass', so casually making it seem like he was having some fun for his own sake when he was clearly going into this with the plan to slink out as soon as he had the shark where he wanted him.

This example also shows that Blitz clearly understands that sex and intimacy and trust are connected, but for him personally, that's pretty much optional (or even explicitly to be avoided).

- 'I've spent too much of my time, energy and holes on getting us set up', (so maybe don't get lame about this Mills)

File under 'haha Blitz so crude' and the easy interpretation of this as referring ONLY to Stolas. This likely concerns all the work he's done over the many years, starting long before the short time he's had the grimoire at his disposal at the time he says this.

He also does note himself as a) business savvy and b) sexy as fuck as the two major assets he has that he thinks of first in this scene. Blitz knows he's capable of capturing 'that kind' of attention, and he's clearly willing to make use of that.

- Finding out later in the series that he has a whole slew of exes that are still upset with him

This 'reveal' aligns with the general impressions we have of Blitz by that point pretty well. I wasn't surprised at all about that one - 'Oh, of course he does'.

Blitz dodges truly close personal intimacy, but he hardly avoids getting into situations that most people would experience as explicitly intimate, vulnerable and personal. His idea of 'boundaries' are very different from those of most people he deals with, and it's truly no wonder he ended up attracting quite a number of people to him only to ditch out once it became clear they were expecting some kind of romantic commitment.

With his natural charisma and easy charm and his *actual* innate kindness, combined with his well-practiced capacity to flirt and fluster and flatter, people that get to know him may very well be tempted rather quickly. They then easily misread his intentions when he's not one to say no if they make a pass and he's passingly interested. Of course, as soon as they let it show they're falling for him in earnest, *WHAM* goes the door, with no warning and often a sound 'fuck you' to seal the deal and ensure they don't come back.

'Why would he go and get intimate with me, if he didn't want to be with me?!'

The sheer confusion only adds to the offense at that point, and it's that lack of a sensible explanation that contributes to the pattern of people struggling to 'get over it'. We want to know 'why', we need the story to make sense, but Blitz does not give people that closure easily.

'Sorry I have a warped relationship with sex and it doesn't mean to me what it means to you as a baseline, AND I have massive hangups about people getting the feefees for me because everyone who does gets torn to shreds, so if we get giggity that's all you're gonna get from me' isn't really the kind of thing Blitz tells people ahead of time or after the fact.

- I may add more later or in a reblog, I could go on for hours honestly...

2) All this is far, far removed from Stolas' entire world

We all understand pretty well that our beloved well-intentioned dork of an owl has had a pretty sheltered existence (albeit frought with its own problems), and has *very* little experience in the realm of actual sexual activities.

If someone more worldly were to encounter Blitz and regularly interact with him in the way Stolas does, I think it would very quickly begin to raise questions.

You know, if someone so consistently treated your 'sexy date nights' the way Blitz does, I think quite a few of us would start to catch on that maybe he's got some, eh, 'circumstances' that inform his behaviour. Stolas however has nothing to go off off - Blitz is the experienced one, and he certainly acts like everything they do is pretty par for the course. Blitz is the role model, the example Stolas learns from about 'how things work' and what the rules are.

The issue is that Stolas is trying to learn how to have a fulfilling intimate relationship with someone, while Blitz is, in some fashion, actually trying (rather frustratedly at times) to teach him the code of conduct around just-business sex work. Over and over and over we see Blitz try to remind him of these rules, and from our POV, this comes across as Blitz being kind of cruel and mean because he's bluntly brushing off every earnest attempt Stolas makes to forge a connection.

Stolas doesn't understand what's going on under the surface, and for the most part, *neither do we as the audience*. We're here for the fluffy love story, and the hilarious impish shenanigans of our kind-of-a-dick of a protagonist. *Neither we as the audience nor Stolas take Blitz' behaviour and push-back seriously* as we don't get to explicitly view things through his eyes with the full understanding of what the world works like for him. He's either acting like a douche, or being erratic and hilarious, all just meaningless funny bullshit - right up until the moment where he snaps and suddenly it's no longer charming.

Stolas hapless persistence with trying to move past these 'walls', as he truly does desire something very different, eventually leads to Blitz giving up on getting him to cut it out, and it really seems as if he desperately tries to interpret he situation as an unruly spoiled but harmless client getting way too into the 'playing boyfriends' roleplay.

After all, what else could it *possibly* be? Love? Ha ha ha fuck you, of course not. What kind of asshole would even suggest that, that's just hurtful, inconsiderate and stupid - don't play with his feelings like that, it's JUST BUSINESS and Blitz needs to keep his head on straight. He's got a job to do and if he fucks this up and lets himself get attached and it all gets too real holy fucking sh- just drop the sky on him while you're at it, why don't you.

NO.

3) There are some themes here, as per the person who plays a big role in shaping Blitz' character

As 'the sassy crass youtube dude' in reputation I wouldn't be surprised if Brandon Rogers himself might be kinda familiar with the effect of people mistaking your 'on stage persona' for who you really are. People at times approach performers like him under the assumption they're always 'like that', and they tailor their behaviour according to that, too, instead of taking a step back and treating them like a regular person with regular boundaries.

At some point Brandon also said one of the things he relates to the most with Blitz is how much it irks him when people low key look down on what he's achieved.

'Nobody just handed him stuff, he and the team put in a fuckton of hard work into getting to where they are now'

This echoes Blitz' derision towards Fizz as someone who seems as if he's being given privileges, resources and support on a silver platter, just for existing as the person Asmodeus has a special interest in.

I will let that lead into my concluding comment:

I'm pretty damn sure we don't officially know the first damn thing yet about everything Blitz has put himself through to make it out of his twenties alive, just for starters, and to then become successful and reliable enough to provide a stable home for Loona and get his business off the ground.

[soldrawss]

Just wanted to let you know I love your Italian keeps us dancing au! So much it’s such a cool and cute concept!❤️ is there anything bout this au that you would love to share with us? Eg: how did 12!Mikey kick rise splints into being a better dad or will 12!Mikey ever get reunited with his bros etc etc

First of all, THANK YOU for liking this au, I'm honestly SHOCKED that so many people like it already! These silly goofballs mean SO MUCH TO ME so it makes me really happy to hear your kind words! SECOND, THERE IS SO MUCH I WANT TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE!!! IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD BE WRITING WHOLE NOVELS WORTH OF CONTENT! Alas! I will satisfy the need by answering the questions you've asked!

I say this with my whole entire heart that I REALLY DO LIKE RISE SPLINTER! LETS MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR! But this poor man was going through SO MUCH and that was BEFORE he even got mutated. There was so much grief towards his own life that I am NOT surprised by the kind of father he became towards these super intelligent, hyperactive little kiddos who needed so much of his time and energy and attention and care. There was SO MUCH standing in the way of him being a good parent, and I'm not using this as an excuse, but I understand why his depression was just too powerful and loud sometimes, and unfortunately, his babies being so young, couldn't/didn't know how to compete against it.

But then here comes 2k12 Mikey, 16 and freshly traumatized after having been ripped away from his own family and tossed into some strange dimension he has no business in, but who's also incredibly capable and clever and cheerful and kind! Who swept into his life and carved out a place for himself and who loved his boys from day one like a force of nature that never really quite got the hang of being told 'no' before.

He out-stubborned Splinter at every turn, because Splinter needed someone to affectionately kick his ass a little, and helped him not be so alone after his entire reality as he knew it shattered. There were STILL bad days, because grief and depression don't just go away, and 2K12 Mikey was still pretty much primary caretaker, but he helped just by BEING there. By making sure Splinter got up every once and awhile, and showered, and ate, and helped with bathtime and read stories for the boys so 2k12 Mikey could run errands really fast. And it helped to have someone competent and catty and nice to talk to, and it forced Splinter to reevaluate some things, because this is a 16-year-old, freshly orphaned kid who is HELPING HIM take care of his own kids, and it forces Splinter to carve his way out of his own mental fog and be PRESENT because DAMN, he can't let this kid take care of HIM TOO ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE.

[vigilskeep]

You're my favorite Viago poster & it's my birday so I would love to get your thoughts on that lil datamined bit from Viago's vo notes where it says "he won't be happy until he sits on a throne" (or something like that), would love to get your thoughts on 1- how true that feels to you, 2- what Viago going after the throne could look like if he really decided to make that move, & 3- how the rest of the Crows (esp Teia & House Dellamorte too I guess) would realistically react. Would also love if you include any thoughts on how Sol would handle/react to this because I love them 💖

well if it’s your BIRTHDAY i suppose i have no choice but to viago post... i do this against my will...

okay. first of all the datamined files are vastly out of date information so i don’t consider it as dismantling canon to disagree with them as much as it would be dismissing canon to, like, express that canonically a certain piece of concept art did not happen. that being said, here it is: “Calm, ambitious, and ruthless, Viago is the bastard son of the late King of Antiva. As a high-ranking member of the Crows, Viago has just as much influence as the Monarchy, but he still resents the fact that he is not a legitimate heir and feels his birthright was stolen from him. Beneath his cool exterior is a lot of anger and frustration. He will not be satisfied until he sits upon a throne.” (you can already tell this is directly not canon because viago’s dad is still alive in veilguard lmao)

here’s what viago thinks about the subject in eight little talons: “Rising to the rank of Talon should’ve been enough. With a small army of assassins at his beck and call, Viago was more powerful than the king. But the harder he worked, the more resentful he became of his half-siblings, who knew nothing of ruling or tactics. The knowledge that, given the chance, he could restore strength to the Crown dogged him—leaving a hole that no contract or coin could fill.”

one thing we should say is that the entire system where bastards are put into the crows is to prevent them from entering the line of succession. it would shake up the whole of antiva and how things have worked for centuries to abandon all pretense and put a crow on the throne for real. but that’s small fry because viago is saying he would do even more than that. what viago is talking about here is not just taking the crown—it’s restoring the crown to STRENGTH. he is fairly explicitly not talking about a future in which “the crows rule antiva.” it’s really an incredibly, incredibly audacious, hubristic thing to think, and his confidence in it takes me aback every time. it’s not the idea that he could restore strength to the crown, or the thought that he could do that. the knowledge he could do it. viago you’re insane.

does he really want that, even if he could achieve it? would it really satisfy him? i don’t know. i know that viago’s underlying self-superior beliefs about his ‘birthright’ did probably hold him together at his worst, but are also the root of, like, all his worst instincts. i know that crowns almost always make people worse! i also know that he only thinks through the entire above spiel because he is distressed that teia immediately devastated him with one line, and that the very next paragraph after the spiel is him immediately getting distracted by wanting teia so bad it makes him look stupid (again). would teia take these risks with him, or, even if he won the throne, condescend to be a king’s mistress? between the throne and the woman he loves, which is likely to satisfy the empty void in his chest, if he can only have one or the other? are we likely to enjoy the kind of king we would end up with, if viago loses one of the like two to three humanising connections he has that make him not a complete tyrant? (said with love.)

on the other hand, it’s not as if, right now, viago is holding a normal job down with supreme mental health support and a long life expectancy, let’s be real. and let’s be clear: if restoring strength to the crown does really mean going up against the crows, god, i can’t say i don’t want to see it. i can’t say the thought of viago-josephine-zevran triumvirate finally taking the crows out of power has never crossed my mind, okay. i’m a predictable person with simple wants. but you had best believe caterina will fight to the death on that, and many other talons with her. teia—to whom the crows are a family, however much they fight—could be lost here, which is nigh unbearable.

i don’t think viago is actively, seriously planning doing any of this, to be clear. in eight little talons he’s just thinking he could do it “given the chance”, i.e. if he was one of his legitimate siblings. not, this is my end goal i’m actually working towards for real! but i knowww he’s thinking it. and god knows what fighting for and winning treviso did to his ego. if he and teia break up again we are so in danger 😭😭

(for sol, my dearest rook de riva, the reaction is mostly Extreme Distress because they do not actually care about the fate of the crown or whatever, they just want viago to stay alive. this is not the Safely Staying Alive route, actually, viago. i don’t think they would really grab that skinny man by the lapels and yell, “i don’t think before i act? I DON’T THINK BEFORE I ACT?” and then shake him until he makes a laminated paper wobble sound. but it’s a close call. emotionally, it’s where they’re at. also, god knows what their dellamorte boyfriend, currently at least nominally first talon, is going to feel obligated to do about this. real mess!)

[zahri-melitor]

Hmmmm. Having so many more thoughts about "Damian's stories are about what Batman can do for Robin, while Tim's stories are about what Robin can do for Batman" as a concept.

And look this is partly me simplifying things way way down. Because ofc there are stories for both of them in the other direction, and I can name a bunch of them off the top of my head. But I'm looking at overarching themes.

Because!!! I think part of the divide in whether people feel particularly close to Damian's stories or particularly close to Tim's comes down to their identification over which fantasy and story they want to overlay the concept of Batman and Robin with. Do they want a fantasy about the strength and change a child can bring even to the adults around them? Do they want a fantasy about how a child can grow and be forgiven by adults for everything, even the dark parts of themself they hate?

"Can I fix others" vs "can others fix me" are both deep concepts people identify with, whether or not either impulse is a healthy one.

For instance. I will fully tell you that part of my problem with Dick and Damian as Batman & Robin, apart from the amount of it being written by Morrison, is that in the stories I have read, I see very few that give me a satisfying answer to 'what benefit is Dick getting out of this relationship', and as someone who helped coparent her own much younger sibling to the point my mother rewrote her will during that period to request that I got custody of my brother, not my father, should anything happen, reading a narrative where I'm supposed to celebrate Dick's sacrifices in taking on Damian is one where I want this situation to be rewarding for DICK. Because I know the suckitude of the situation where everyone is telling you how noble you are for making this sacrifice, and I know the joys you find in it, but by god is it hard and it is work that you can find yourself resenting and it is something where I see myself in Dick and I want a fantasy telling me that this was all worth it and the narrative is entirely uninterested in giving that to me.

[lumosatnight]

23 Fic Recs 2023!

This year has definitely been a year. I've devoured so many wonderful fics by so many amazing authors. Thank you @hprecfest for the super fun rec categories and for some fic inspiration! Here are 23 fics that I read and loved in 2023 (although some are quite a few years older) ordered by ship.

🌼 - fluff | 💔 - angst | 🔥 - smut

—

💫 DRARRY 💫

1. A post-canon fic

The Discreet Gentleman's Connection by pluto (gayrights420) [Drarry, E, 80.4k] 🌼🔥 I had the absolute pleasure of beta-ing for this fic, so when I say it is amazing, it truly is just that. Fast burn on the smut via Floo sex, slow burn on the in-person falling in love. Satisfying in all the best possible ways.

2. A fic that made me laugh

AITA for being "obsessed" with my childhood nemesis? by @rainstormradish [Drarry, M, 4.3k] 🌼📲 Draco on a reddit forum is hilarious just on its own, but the banter and formatting really bring this fic to life. Amazingly creative, had me in stitches!

3. A comfort fic

The Eighth Tale by @letteredlettered [Drarry, E, 12.0k] 💔⏳ An oldie but a goodie. I constantly find myself coming back to this fic and having my mind blown every single time. Time travel timey-wimey angst.

4. A fic with art

Dating Draco - A Visual Game by @itsphantasmagoria [Drarry, M, Video Game] 🌼🎮 This is a fic in video game form!! Amazing art and lovely story where YOU get to make the choices for Drarry's happily ever after.

5. A favorite series

The Journal of Dreadful Things by @lilbeanz [Drarry, G, 112k, WIP] 🌼📖 Hilarious, witty, AND COMES WITH ART!! Lilbeanz draws and writes a wonderfully delightful series starting from Draco's First Year. His characterization had me in hysterics. Book 4 is starting soon!

—

💫 COMMON SHIPS 💫

6. Fic with the hottest smut

Moonstruck by @prettyremus [Wolfstar, E, 3.8k] 🔥🐺 Found this gem while scrolling through the werewolf smut tag (don't judge me). I love the switch in dynamic with Sirius taming Remus's wolf through, ahem, rough sex.

7. An unreliable narrator fic

Sea of White by @dividawrites [Harrymort, E, 8.6k] 🔥🤍 Deliciously hot, creepy, and strangely sweet. Love their dynamic here, the unrestrained lust. Harrymort "die" and lose their memories, so, of course, then they bang.

8. A fic that made me cry

Far Apart, Far Away by @unmistakablyoatmeal [Hinny, minor Drarry, T, 1.6k] 💔💍 Infidelity angst has never been this good. I love the layers of emotion in this fic. Quick punchy sections that really pulled me in.

9. A Muggle(?) AU fic

Pleasant Hope by @ac1d6urn, @sinick [Snarry, E, 41.6k] 💔⛪️ Pastor Severus!! The angst, pining, and self-discovery in this fic is superb! I love the interwoven magic and detailed world-building of this little town.

—

💫 RARE PAIRS 💫

10. A fav amongst faves

The Last Trial of Peter Pettigrew by @sleepstxtic [Prongstail, M, 20.8k] 💔 🐀 Holy moly, this fic!!!! Is this my new favorite fic?? Possibly. The concept is brilliant, so creative and nuanced. The Peter character study using outsider perspectives is genius. Seamlessly balances canon and new scenes.

11. A pre-canon fic

Careless by @tax-onomic [Luther, E, 1.5k] 🔥🪞 Lucius/Arthur my beloved rare pair!! I am captain of the Luther ship, and Tax's fic hits all the right spots. The pining, the sniping, the prickly personalities with emotional vulnerability underneath! And all in the middle of a hot smut scene. Perfect.

12. A canon-compliant fic

Scottish by thepadfoots [Chedric, G, 749] 💔🌟 Lovely Cho character study focused around her Asian identity and the boy she loved.

13. A fic rated G (more like T though)

Lion-Hearted Girl by MinnieQuill (odainath) [Minmione, G, 4.5k] 💔🦁 I know the large age gap might scare some, but their relationship feels very organic in this fic. The setting is grim, but there is always hope in the darkness!

14. A fic rated T

You're So Vane by @patriceavril [Romelina, T, 6.8k] 🌼💄Romilda is so delightfully characterized, I was smiling through the entire fic. Angelina is the perfect foil (and love interest) to Romilda's attentions.

15. A rare pair fic (less than 2000 fics on AO3)

Snakeskin by @cntrl15 [Bellastoria, E, 3.7k] 🔥👠 Talk about a rare pair! Astoria/Bellatrix only has 2 tagged fics on AO3: this fic and the drabble I wrote based on it. But read this fic, and you'll see why I felt the need to write more in this universe.

16. A fest fic

Master of None by @nanneramma [Snormac, G, 5.5k] 🌼🧘 Severus is so wonderfully cranky, and Cormac is fine AF. The surprise pairing of 2023 that I never knew I needed and now I'm obsessed with!

17. An under-rated fic

Sun, Shadow, Shade by @naomijameston [Snuna, G, 700] 🌼☀️ Post-war fluff. Sunshine Luna is the perfect match for sullen Snape. A short and sweet fic for this underrated ship.

18. A canon-divergent fic

but somebody's gotta do it by nocturn [Pangulus, T, 920] 😄🧟‍♂️ This fic will make you say WTF but also huh, okay that totally works. The concept is WILD but Lyra executes it wonderfully. Pansy drags Regulus out of the inferi lake and they flirt a little while he gets de-corpsified lol.

—

💫 POLY SHIPS 💫

19. A dark fic

In his embrace by @loneamaryllis [Snarrymort, het!Snarry, E, 48k] ⚡️👀 Dark and dirty but so so good. A Voldemort Wins AU where fem!Harry is taken as prisoner. Snape's mindset as he tries to save her (and is forced to rape her) is so twisted and mesmerizing. Mind the tags!

20. A thought-provoking fic

Icarus by @thistlecatfics [Millvansy, M, 20.0k] 💔🍾 War trauma, addiction, codependency! This fic is messy with emotions but has a strong, beating heart underneath. I am in love with Parvati as she deals with Pansy's addiction and Millicent's denial — three beautiful, imperfect girls.

21. A holiday fic

A Time, Dark and Divine by @moonflower-rose [Dronarry, E, 17.0k] 🔥⛱ HOLY FREAKING FUCK!! The sexual tension in this fic is off the freaking charts. Drarry seducing Ron while on vacation in Portugal. Sign me the fuck up!

—

💫 GEN 💫

22. A favorite fic under 5k

The Scrunchie by @saintsenara [Lightning Era Girls, G, 4.5k] 💖👭 Such a lovely look into some of the female background characters, all following the path of a single scrunchie. Lisa, Padma, Parvati, Hannah, Sally-Anne.

23. A fic with an ending I can't stop thinking about

Through the Middlegame by @sandervansunshine [Astoria & Peter, T, 6.6k] 💔♜ Devastating, heart-wrenching, tragic. 10000% would recommend. Kylee has already heard me screaming in the servers about this fic. If I could get a fic tattooed straight onto my brain, this would be it.

—

💫 BONUS RECS! 💫

A podfic

Plenitude by @wilfriede, written by eldritcher [Amelmione, M, 14 min] 💔🥀 Amazing voices, amazing music, amazing ambience. Wilfriede really brings one of my fav Hermione/Amelia Bones fics to life in this podfic!

A comic

War Prize by @mrviran [Snegulus, Reggiemort, M, Comic, WIP] ☠️🐍 The panels are awe-inspiring. I am HOOKED on this comic. The murder and the TENSION. Ughhhhh so good. I am so invested in Severus's arc!!

A self-rec (completely self-indulgent)

For I Have Found Salvation by @lumosatnight [Snarry, E, 7.1k] 🔥✝ My first time writing Snarry! Priest Kink, church sex, and blasphemous religious imagery. Priest Severus is oh-so-tempted by Teen Harry. So fun to write and even more fun to go back and read as a guilty pleasure.

—

⚡️ Want more fics to read? ⚡️

Try my rec tag: #lumosinthelibrary

Year in Reading, b-day oneshots, WLW Library

[doodledrawsthings]

Opinions on the Sols from Nine Sols immediately. Please. Your au is delish.

Keep in mind these are my very off-the-top-of-my-head, surface level impressions of them after having recently beaten the game on story mode once, while streaming. I won’t be giving any deep analysis or anything lol so the tone will be pretty jokey and unserious.

MAJOR major Nine Sols spoilers under the cut. Please do not read if you haven’t finished the game.

Kuafu: second favorite character. I love him so much. He’s such a pal, everybody likes him. Hou Yi left him as the final sun standing after shooting down the other nine cuz he’s just a stand up guy. The fact that he’s the one who pled keep Abacus around and set his settings to High Sympathy and kept coming in to talk to him out of guilt over what happened to Yi kills me. Smart, silly, handsome, the last remaining Solarian in existence and he can never go home for the remainder of his life. He’s my ride or die bestie, he’s one of my several husbands who babysit my little brother while I go off on a revenge murder spree and I’m kissing him on the mouth.

Goumang: I like her design and concepts and think she’s a fun character. She was the first boss I fought and i thought she was pretty fun, though I didn’t find the fight as memorable as others. I wish she had more presence throughout the game, I heard from a friend she had some more stuff that was cut apparently? Curious about her rivalry with Yi and relationship with Eigong. And since Yi technically never killled her I’ve considered including her in the Dont Worry About It AU.

Yanlao: Grampa!! I think he and Yi’s back and forth throughout the warehouse area was pretty funny. I was so ready to kick his ass the entire time, especially after the segment where he’s shooting at you as you navigate a maze. Loved his bossfight, first fight of the first three i started with where I really felt the parry/dodge/attack rhythm for the first time. Rip gramps.

Jiequan: BASTARD!! (Half-affectionate but only half) he’s giving Fruity Disney Villain Who Flirts With You As He Stabs You In The Chest. He sucks <3 but he’s such a FUN character, what a great antagonist. His fake out fight is so intense, the prison scene is so intense, his boss fight kicked my ass and his theme goes hard. He’s a war criminal, he’s a freak, he looks like All Might MHA and he regularly irradiates himself as part of his body building routine. “Heroes are forged in agony!” 10/10 Disney villain, very stylish. Defeating him was so satisfying especially after the Kanghui fight in the prison and learning what happened with THAT horror show.

Lady Ethereal: I LOVE HER!! SO MUCH!!! UGH!!! she makes me so sad! But everything about her is SO cool! Her fate! Her backstory!! Her design! Her boss fight! Her entire platforming area!!! Just!!! Aah! I won’t say too much but it’s just so good she had my favorite fight in the game, the dance for that one is so much fun. I was streaming the game on discord for my partner and another friend and when we first went into the cortex, she was like “oh you should keep going left and see what’s over there ;)” and then I did and just!!! So cool that Red Candle started off making horror games, it’s really great. Love it. Awesome character, awesome boss, awesome theme.

Fuxi and Nuwa: Rich asshole twins!! These two suck lol but I do think they’re fun characters. The entire empyrean district is experiencing a resident evil style zombie infection and Nuwa is throwing a rager at the club for the rich cryosleepers only. It’s really eerie over there though, I love the vibe of the east side and the discovery of the mutants and destruction of the west half is spooky as hell. And then I got to the area where you get Fuxi’s sol seal and didn’t even notice he was sitting there until my partner pointed him out. I thought he was furniture lol. She’s really puppeting around her brother’s pustule-riddled zombie corpse Weekend at Bernie’s style cuz she’s that much in denial. Also absolutely horrifying that the district supposedly once held 100,000 sleeping solarians that is whittled down to 300 after the mutated virus wreaks havoc through the area. Personally, I’m mixed on their bossfight, the first half with just Fuxi was fun once I got the rhythm but the 2nd half when Nuwa comes in with her attacks gets a bit too chaotic for me. Their boss theme, however, is probably my favorite in the game. I love the opera samples, it’s so cool.

Ji: I think about them a lot. Like, wow what a guy. I think a lot about his immortality, and that if he had not left Penglai with the council he would have been stuck there, alone for eternity. I think about the fact that because they will never get Tianhuo, there would be no need for them to be in cryosleep, which probably means that in the 502 years that Yi was recovering, he was probably up and about the entire time, probably wandering around new Kunlun mostly alone. I wonder if they ever hung out with the dusk guardians, or if they just stayed in the grotto for the most part. Their boss fight felt the most like a dance to me, or like friends sparring. Do you think they thought of Lear as you attacked them with the moves he taught you in the spiritual realm? He makes me sad, but he is very stylish!

Eigong: FUCK HER! SHES SO COOL, BUT FUCK HER!!! EVIL GRANDMA! this games story is like peeling back an onion of horrors where each layer you peel back brings new, mortifying understanding of the situation at large until it ALL. COMES BACK. TO HER! AND HER FRUITLESS PURSUIT OF IMMORTALITY! Her boss fight KICKED MY ASS. I was streaming my first playthrough, so I was already prone to doing worse than I probably would without an audience (emphasis on probably) but in my first attempt I was fighting her for like 6 HOURS STRAIGHT. And for the true ending too, which meant three boss phases. I just could not get her pattern down and my hands were cramping but i really wanted to finish the game that weekend so I could finally talk about it so I ended up turning up the accessibility options to one punch man her. I did eventually go back and do her fight by myself with the story mode settings and MAN what a fun boss battle once you get the dance down (I’m still so bad at unbound counter), and it is SO satisfying to beat. Incredible character, we love fictional old women who commit atrocities in the name of science.

Yi: and finally we have the man, the myth, the legend. I could probably write a whole separate post about him and Heng and his relationships with the other characters but to keep it short- I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! BUT IM ALSO BITING HIM AND PUTTING HIM IN A BLENDER AND RUNNING HIM THROUGH THE DISHWASHER AND HANGING HIM UP TO DRY. Just UGH! It’s not common for the main character of a thing to be my favorite character but Yi is my favorite character. It’s the fact that he is his own character, and we, the player, must gradually find out things that HE already knows. And his budding and flowering relationships with the other characters, especially those who set up shop in the pavillion which leads into his character development is just AUGH. AND THE ENDINGS. YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT GHE ENDINGS. THEYRE GOOD BUT AUGH. I love him, I’m rotating him in my mind on a skewer, he’s my little manlet, my poor little “I’m not a good person” shadow the hedgehog energy meow meow cat boy. I love him so much, I’m so distraught over his terrible life choices. Incredible character.

Ok hope that was entertaining to read, bye.

[the-fiction-witch]

A Visit P3

Media House of The Dragon

Character Daemon Targaryen

Couple Daemon X Reader (Named Alyssa Targaryen. Sister of Rhaenyra and Daughter of Viserys)

Rating SMUT

Incest (Niece X Uncle)/ medieval marriage discussion/ Underage (Characters are over the age of concept but discuss times when underage)/ sexual discussion / sensual massage/ nudity/ blow jobs / cockwarming

"... I think I may have died for a moment there,” Alyssa blushed,

Daemon chuckled slightly as he looked down at her now, noticing the way she was smiling even in her exhaustion. she sat up climbed out the bed cleaned herself up and stole one of his shirts to wear before coming back to bed and giving him a soft loving kiss "you where fantastic my love absolutely fantastic Daemon,"

Daemon chuckled as he sat up himself now. She had always been the most wonderful and delightful woman he had ever known. He was more than proud to have her as his wife. Daemon couldn't help but feel so proud over the fact that he had satisfied her so much, he accepted her kiss now, as she had wrapped her arms around his neck in her tired state. Daemon was happy to feel her arms around him, as he leaned in for another kiss. He placed his hands gently on her hips and began to pull her tight to him.

"is there anything I can do for my dragon to make him happy too?"

Daemon chuckled a bit at this request now, as she was clearly still very tired and exhausted. But with a smirk he looked down at her and said "Yes there is. If I could request something to relax me now, because I feel quite exhausted after our experience just now, is there anywhere you could help me with a bit of a massage?"

"Mhm,” Alyssa nodded excitedly, moved off the bed starting to give him a very in-depth massage

Daemon groaned in delight as he felt her hands work all over him. The prince felt overwhelmed with relaxation and pleasure, as his entire body felt so relaxed with this treatment from her. Daemon had felt such a level of euphoria now, as she rubbed all over his body. Her strong fingers felt so wonderful as she worked through the knots in his back, neck, and all over his body.

"ooh? Very tense around here Daemon" she giggled,

Daemon let out a groan and moan as she reached his hips now. It was one of the more tense areas for him, as he often dealt with a lot of pain in this area after such intense physical activity and combat. Daemon let out a loud groan, as she seemed to have rubbed that area of his body perfectly now. He couldn't help but laugh at the giggle she had made now, as it brought a very pleased and proud reaction from him.

"it's all stiff and tense ohh dear I should give it a good massage"

Daemon groaned with pleasure and satisfaction, as the feeling that her fingers provided his hips was amazing to him. He could feel the aches and stiffness leave his area, as she continued to work her hands all over it. as he also let out a small chuckle as she worked.

"ohh my all my rubbing seems to have made it even stiffer"

Daemon let out a very pleased moan at this, as he could only imagine where her words were going to take them next. The prince suddenly felt his entire body becoming stiff and tense, as his body's response to her words and rubbing was quite strong now. She would have full control over his body and could take this wherever she wanted to if she did so desire. Daemon could only wonder for a moment what she was planning to do to him next.

"I should give it kisses"

Daemon let out a groan and moan with this last comment from her, as his body began to tremble and shiver from her words alone now. She had full control over him now, as his body suddenly became tense with arousal throughout all his muscles. Daemon now let out a sharp inhale , as she took control over the situation and over him fully now. “Yes…” He growled,

she moved and kissed down his neck, down his chest and stomach pressing kisses to his hard erection giving the shaft and head little sweet kisses, she was merciless with her kisses ensuring to do everywhere had taught her

Daemon let out a very sharp and loud moan now, as she began to kiss all over him. Her kisses and touches were so strong and intense, yet they were perfect and pleasing to him as well. Every spot she kissed and touched sent shivers through his body, as it all seemed to feel so good to him. Her tongue and lips were working magic all over him now, as he let out a very loud groan with each kiss.

she continued making sure to do everything he taught her and everything she knew he likes best, getting faster and more merciless

As this went on for awhile, Daemon's moans and breaths became louder and more uncontrollable as she increased her speed and intensity. With all the touches and kisses she had given him, she would know exactly what to say and what to do in order to drive him to his limits of pleasure. Daemon's body was completely being consumed by her now, as he was a mere toy for her to use to her delight now.

she giggled and little as she got even more intense refusing to stop until he reached his orgasm so she was relentless no matter how much he needed his long it took she was more determined then any woman he has ever met even whores being paid at the end weren't as determined as she was

Daemon's breath became more shallow as he got closer and closer into his release. Her determination to please him was unmatched by any woman he had ever known, as the prince was now completely overwhelmed with the intense feelings of pleasure she was giving him. Her hands and tongue were giving him all the right touches and kisses in the right places, as she was taking her time to make sure he was fully satisfied.

As her relentless touches and kisses continued to go on, Daemon couldn't help but start to feel completely overwhelmed. His entire body was trembling as his breathing was becoming very shallow. Finally, with one last kiss and tongue motion from her, Daemon suddenly had his release and his breath and body froze for a moment. he collapsed back on the bed and moans her name loudly she giggled and made sure he enjoyed every second before she sat up and cleaned her mouth up sitting up and giving his lower stomach a gentle rub to relieve some tension after his release, "aww there, that feel better now Daemon?"

Daemon groaned as he sat up himself now, as he was completely satisfied and drained. She was absolutely incredible. Daemon gave her a very pleased and satisfied grin, as he saw her sit up and clean her mouth as he began to sit up himself. He was feeling completely relaxed now, as her touches and kisses had been perfect for his needs. “Much better,” He smirked,

"did I do okay? I know it's been a while since I did it"

"No... you have been amazing for me. I wish I could have given you something more than just words to reward you for the incredible treatment you have me. So no, you did more than just okay. You pleased me in ways I have never felt before now. I would really be in a very bad mood all the time if it weren't for you. You're a miracle worker you are." Daemon gave her a very gentle and loving smile.

"aww thank you, but you did give me something more then words, I got two which where very very nice and all your love and kisses so I was well rewarded. I'm happy to do it again if you like me too?"

"If you would like to do it again then I would be absolutely delighted by the proposition. But only if you feel the desire to perform such acts again. For I shall never wish to force you to do anything you do not want, especially if it is something that you do not take pleasure in. I would love to keep this thing going for as long as you feel comfortable and willing to."

"could maybe we do something else that would pleasure you?"

"Of course we can." Daemon's eyes suddenly lit up, as he began to think of all kinds of ways she could help please him now. This could get very interesting if she had her way with him now.

"I did have one though I... Do know if you'd like it or not..."

"No matter what it is, please just go ahead and give it a try. What is this idea of yours?" Daemon's voice was full of wonder and curiousity now, as he stared at her with such anticipation.

"could maybe we cuddle up in the bed all spooned up and snug but... You also be... Inside. You know? Could we do that?"

Daemon had to fight back a moan, as this idea was so hot and appealing to him. He couldn't help but be amazed by every single one of her ideas, as they were all such a pleasure for him to hear now. Daemon was absolutely enthralled by this possibility now, as he couldn't hold back the moans now. He was suddenly beginning to drip with anticipation and excitement now.

Daemon was suddenly a little worried he might release even just from the concept of this. This was an incredible new concept that he had never been offered before now. What she had just suggested was indeed very appealing, and he couldn't wait to be there and experience it with her in the bed. “You want me to cuddle you… and be inside you?”

“Yes,”

“Uhh! Yes! Fuck yeah…”

"really! You want to try!"

"Yes. I really do want to try this.."

she smiled and gave him a kiss before she happily laid in the bed with her head on the pillow excitedly kicking her feet as she laid in only his shirt, she laid on her side and tucked the covers up and sat waiting excitedly for him

Daemon smiled as she laid down in this wonderful position, just waiting for him to join her. She looked absolutely adorable in her position as she had even tucked herself under the covers like a small child waiting for their bedtime story. Daemon quickly got in bed with her, as he suddenly lay behind her with a smile.

Daemon lay behind her and suddenly got as close as possible now, wrapping his arms around her fully and pulling her back into him. He was suddenly very close to her now, as he was right up against her back and her body now.

Daemon suddenly felt her body against his, as he was pushed against her fully now. He could feel her soft skin and the warmth of her body against his. Daemon was a completely satisfied man right now as he felt every inch of her being pressed against him in such an intimate and loving way. He felt like their bodies were becoming one as he was now wrapped up in her fully.

she held his hands as he wrapped them around her truly snug but she bit her lip waiting for the last part of this,

Daemon felt her hold of his hands and suddenly he moved them away as her bite sent a shiver down his spine. Daemon was now completely at her mercy, as he could feel the warmth of her breath from their close distance now. He let out a small moan, as his body was in this unique position against hers now. Daemon couldn't wait anymore as he suddenly started to rub his lower body against hers. Daemon couldn't help but moan and laugh when she did as well at how eager she was, as he finally gave her exactly what she was asking for now. He suddenly rubbed his lower body even more forcefully and eagerly against hers now. Daemon couldn't help but moan and groan once more, as the feel of her body against his was making him very hot and turned on now until he slipped inside her,

The sensation of his body sliding into her's felt absolutely incredible and amazing now. Daemon couldn't believe how warm, snug and cozy it was now as his body was finally in that perfect position inside her's. They were so close to one another now, it was almost as if they had become one single body. Their breaths combined in this very intimate position as they both moaned once again.

The two of them were now a truly connected being. They were both feeling the same sensations now, as their bodies became one. They both continued moaning now as Daemon rubbed up against her from behind. They were truly one now, as he could only imagine how much more they could improve this intimate sensation together now.

"ummm it's so perfect. I almost want to sleep like this every night"

"Ohh we will, we are doing this every night Alyssa, I am absolutely loving being this close with you."

"I do to. My only concern is maybe... Being to excited to sleep? Or maybe walking up to some mess if maybe we both start... Wiggling in our sleep?"

Daemon laughed at the concept being so excited while asleep they’d start having sex or that he’d end up just filling her with cum all night, while they were in bed in this position. He was enjoying this conversation and the intimacy of this position so much more than he could have ever imagined. Daemon then suddenly had a very mischievous thought going through his head.

"I think we should test that out see how excited and mess we could possibly make you now before we go to sleep would you like that?”

“Yes Daemon…” 

[mysticbewitched]

Back To Basics: Conscious Manifestation

A wild epiphany dawned upon me the other night, and it opened my eyes to a whole new perspective as a conscious manifestor..

It made me realize a very important truth that we as a community need to turn ourselves back to the basics of understanding conscious manifestation. We must remind ourselves the true meaning of manifesting and what it truly means to be a conscious manifestor.

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~ Part I: Basics of Conscious Manifesting ~

"Whatever you desire, believe that you have received it and you will." - Neville Goddard

I have noticed that too many people in this community have completely forgotten what it means to live your life as a conscious manifestor.

When you (as a manifestor) make the decision to consciously manifest a certain desire of yours, there's not any shred of physical evidence in front of you. This is why the whole entire concept is called "manifesting" in the first place.

As a conscious manifestor, you simply manifest for the chosen desire to materialize in your physical reality. The term manifestation means "-to turn something from an idea into a reality."

When you manifest a desire, you are conjuring your ideal entirely from within. It always comes from *within.* Never without.

When you manifest, you are only conjuring your manifestation from your inner mind, and then it becomes inevitable for your intended manifestation to appear in your "external world."

Even though your desire manifests in your physical reality, you first had to conjure the creation *from the inside* to bring about your desired changes.

Manifesting is entirely about your inner state of mind.

Your primary focus should always be your inner state of mind, forget about the evidence of your senses in front of you. All that matters is your own perception of yourself as a conscious manifestor.

Instead of turning to search outside of yourself and fixating on your circumstances, *you must satisfy your hunger for your desire from within.* The impatient hunger for your desire has to completely die.

Walk by faith in yourself as a manifestor and accept the fact that your desire is already an accomplished fact.

*It all comes from within.*

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~ Part II: As Within, So Without ~

Your only opponent in the game of conscious manifestation is *your own mind.*

"If you will assume your desire and live there as though it were true, no power on earth can stop it from becoming a fact." - Neville Goddard

Have you ever heard of the phrase, "as within, so without?" That is our nature of manifestation at work. You can never ever manifest anything from outside of you. In fact, there is absolutely nothing outside of you. You are the operant power of your reality.

Everything you see in your reality *comes from within*. It all started from within your inner state of mind and became your experience in the flesh. You are the creator and you always have complete control of your entire reality. To be a conscious manifestor means to be aware of your own power and your true identity as the creator of your experiences. Conscious manifesting means to leave victimhood behind and completely take charge of your experiences from the perception of your true self-awareness.

Conscious manifestation is all about manifesting whatever you desire *from within* without having *any* evidence on the outside. Too many people seem to lose sight of this important understanding.

Since you are the creator and the ultimate master of your own reality, you are living your life from the confident disposition of rewriting your story and deciding your experiences before they can play out in front of your eyes.

You are the author of your story and you are determining your ideals before they physically happen. This is how it truly goes and this is what you must understand in order to master conscious manifestation as a deliberate manifestor.

Let's turn to witchcraft as an example for a moment. When witches perform a spell, is there any proof of their manifestation in front of them whatsoever during the process of performing their spell work? Absolutely not. That is why they perform the spell in the first place.

Another question to ask yourself: What are witches doing when they perform a spell? The witches are in the midst of *consciously manifesting* their desire. They are commanding for a certain change to manifest in their reality. After the spell work is complete, their manifestation still hasn't shown up in front of them, but in their inner state of mind: they remain confident and unmoved in their faith.

Now really think to yourself for a moment here.

Do these witches spiral and fall apart?

Do they doubt themselves?

Do they throw a fit about the circumstances happening in front of them?

Why would they ever need to worry? Witches are strongly aware of their power and they already know how the story is going to end. Their desires have already been declared and they confidently expect for their manifestations to arrive.

Are witches ever searching for results of their manifestation outside of themselves? Oh, hell no. Do you honestly think these witches give the slightest care about how the physical state of their reality ever looks? They don't care at all. Their faith in themselves are stronger.

Witches are so confident in themselves as conscious manifestors that instead they laugh in the face of their circumstances. They recognize that their manifestation is inevitable. It is a done deal and they believe in their own power. Nothing can shake them.

Witches are aware of their own power as badass manifestors, and they truly believe in themselves. They are natural masters of conscious manifestation and their own craft. So, what kind of attitude do witches hold when their spellwork is complete? They remain completely confident in their own abilities, and they know the desire is already fulfilled. *it is done*.

Your inner state of mind is the priority, and it's all that matters since you are the creator. You are the author writing your own story.

In order to successfully manifest anything you want with ease, you simply view your world from the self-confident perspective of accepting the fact that your desire is now already fulfilled and you persist in that confident attitude of accomplishment. Your manifestation is inevitable to come to fruition.

Manifestation always *comes from within*. This is meant to be easy and you were never meant to struggle.

You are able to easily accept your desire as a done deal when you truly understand that you are the master of your reality, and the creation is finished. You will know this to be true without a doubt from your own experiences of practicing your ability to manifest.

Your only job as a manifestor is to stay strong in your faith and persist from the perspective of understanding that you have already achieved your desire. Your desire will manifest.

Persisting from the mindset of the wish fulfilled comes easily, and it becomes an enjoyment when you truly realize that you are the one in control. You are the one with the power.

You are one with your desires as the creator of your reality.

This is how conscious manifestation truly works. Too many of you are approaching the concept of manifestation completely backward, and your perspective needs to change for the sake of your success.

Do you want this to be easy? or do you want to keep struggling?

You must take a step back and understand that the manifestation game is never about trying to change "the outside." It's all about understanding who you truly are.

Conscious manifestation has nothing to do with trying to manipulate the whole world in your favor.

It's about realizing that *you are reality.*

As the operant power, you hold the ultimate authority to decide what you will experience. You simply give yourself whatever you desire *from within* and enjoy relishing in the fact that it is done.

You are meant to satisfy the impatient, incessant hunger for the desire by simply recognizing that whatever you want is already yours because you are the creator. There's nothing more to do.

Too many of you are so focused and fixated on the physical aspects of conscious manifestation when you are skipping the most important step to bring your manifestation into your reality. Accepting your desire as a done deal *from within.*

Why does physical aspects matter when you are the only one in control and missing the whole point of manifestation? The only thing that truly matters is solely your faith and belief in yourself as the operant power. Nothing else matters.

The manifestations reveal themselves in your reality when understand this: there is only changing *yourself.* You no longer feel the need to try to change the world when you stumble upon the realization that you and your "external reality" are one. There is only yourself to change.

Change your perception of yourself as a manifestor and this game becomes utterly easy.

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~ Part III: Manifestor's Mindset~

"Your opinion of yourself is your most important viewpoint. You are infinitely greater than you think you are." - Neville Goddard

You need to understand that you cannot come to the table of conscious manifestation with victim mentality. It's all a matter of mindset in this game, and the only way to be successful with ease will always be changing your mindset. There is no other way around that. You cannot escape from the inevitable.

~ There is no one and nothing to change but self. ~

You either believe that you are a helpless victim in your world or the operant power with complete control over everything in your reality.

Do you want to truly take control of your own life and manifest absolutely anything you desire? Completely drop the "woe-is-me" victim mentality and realize your own power. You are an incredible creator with limitless power. Don't you realize that?

If you want success in the conscious manifestation game, you must step up and embrace the incredible, infinite power you are. Embrace it with confidence because only you have the power to change your own life. Nobody else can do it for you. In your reality, you are the only one in complete control of every single aspect. You are the CEO.

This is all about believing in yourself and living confident in your abilities to manifest anything you desire for yourself once you finally realize that you are the only one in control.

Your confidence in yourself as a manifestor is all you need for easy success and this all lies in your conception of yourself.

You must wake up from the grave of the victim mentality and realize this important truth. You need to cultivate some serious confidence and faith not only in yourself but also in your own abilities.

Change your perception of yourself and walk by faith in your power. You are all that you need.

[ckret2]

ok this is maybe kinda dumb. but what if we read aku coming from a chaos entity and becoming a tyrannical dictator as similar to a response to overly laid back parenting to the point where it's just straight up neglect. like someone so desperate to avoid becoming their parents they go in the total opposite direction. not as in that's literally what's happening and more it's comparable/some kind of equivalent.

very funny concept.

Chaos blob: *gets a bit of itself cut off that becomes a person without the blob ever finding out about it*

Aku: "I'm going to be different from my stupid deadbeat dad who was never there for me."

Aku: *drips a bit of himself into a cup that gets drunk and becomes seven people without Aku ever find out about it*

Aku: "... What have I become..."

okay joking aside,

Aside from goofy shitposts, I personally don't headcanon Aku as a different person from the chaos entity—rather that the chaos entity was never a person at all and Aku vaguely semi-remembers it as "the thing I was before I was born." BUT, all the same, you COULD still build up a headcanon that Aku ended up a control freak as a reaction to the experiences as a chaos entity (whether you choose to frame that as "Aku chose to be different from his parent" or as "Aku himself had that experience and now wants the opposite").

Maybe the experience of being hunted by the gods makes him scared of the thought of wandering around space and he wants to surround himself with a fortress and an army and an entire empire as a defense mechanism.

Maybe being a floating chaos blob is characterized by being consumed by everlasting insatiable need to devour all of existence and when the blob achieved personhood Aku subconsciously went "well wandering aimlessly swallowing stars didn't satisfy my hunger so maybe it's time to systematically seize ownership of Everything and see if that finally satisfies me."

Or, heck, maybe he does define himself as Something Different from the chaos blob, something split off and new, and he feels driven to assert his Difference and Newness by being the exact opposite of what the blob was.