#last time i read these we didn't have a platform like this to talk about them in this way

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

It's Time to Put Hitler to Bed

Over the last 20 years it's become increasingly common when talking about western politics to try and tie the political opposition to Hitler. It goes beyond Godwin's Law at this point, because it's no longer just in internet phenomenon. It happens in real life. In real conversations and real debates. All sides do it. No issue is safe. And it's beyond ridiculous at this point. It needs to stop.

So let's just stop talking about Hitler altogether when it comes to western politics.

He's dead. He's gone. His ideology died with him. Yes, you read that right. National Socialism is dead. It was a very specific ideology with goals and aims beyond being racist and hating Jews. Nowhere on Earth is there a serious National Socialist party with any political power or any chance at gaining any. Modern day neo-nazis are nothing more than edgelord racists desperately trying to grab some of the "shine" Hitler has with other idiots for themselves. They're awful. They're racist. They should grow the fuck up. But they aren't nazis. They aren't storming government buildings and they aren't winning political office. Most of them aren't even committing crimes. They're just sitting online or in a basement somewhere snort-laughing like Bevis and Butthead while they whisper "k*ke" and "n*gger" to each other and post pictures of ovens with captions like "where the Jews go". How basic and boring. They are beyond lame, and it's long past time we stop bigging these people up like they're some huge existential threat to humanity itself. They're not. They're just pathetic losers who have no power over anyone, not even themselves.

Does this mean we should forget the Holocaust? No. Of course not. We should always remember what Hitler did. But if we don't take the right lessons from that dark era in human history, then we might as well forget it because misremembering, on purpose or by accident, is just as bad as forgetting.

Hitler was an evil man who did evil things. He is a cautionary tale to never let rhetoric overwhelm your better nature. He is a warning of what happens when you give into hate out of fear or anger. But that's it. He does not influence anyone with power. Not in the west. No one in the west is actually trying to be like Hitler. And as evil as Hitler was, not everything he did was automatically evil just because he did it. And that right there is the main problem with the modern trend of accusing everyone you don't like of being Hitler. Hitler did a lot of things. He woke up. He ate breakfast. He fell in love. He breathed air. He got dressed. He gave speeches. He liked art. He was a human being. I don't say this to downplay the evil things he did or to try and create sympathy for him. But surely you can easily see how literally every single person on Earth has something in common with Hitler just by virtue of also being a human being, yes?

Hitler was also a politician. Which means that, yeah, every politician is going to have a position that's at least similar to something Hitler proposed or enacted in his political career. His views and platforms ranged far and contain things that are both left and right wing. Things which, in the hands of someone other than Hitler, most likely would not have led to the Holocaust. Because the Holocaust is an evil that was unique to Hitler. He baked genocide into his ideology, then codified and streamlined it after gaining power. His was a cold and inhumane calculation that only the Aryan race as he defined it was worthy of life. That every other race, everyone who didn't fit his idea of purity, must be killed to preserve his Master Race. There have been other genocides before and since, but none quite as industrialized and far reaching. And, in the west at least, there is no one with any power who wants to reenact anything that even comes close to the Holocaust. Not even that politician you really hate. Not even that activist group that promotes that awful ideology.

All accusations of being Hitler, or like Hitler, do is muddy the already opaque waters of modern western political discourse. And people are so bored with Hitler comparisons. He doesn't evoke the same emotional reaction he did even 20 years ago because, by this point, everyone even remotely active in western politics or political commentary knows someone who has been accused of being Hitler or a nazi, if they aren't that person themselves. It's become little more than the (supposedly) adult version of "I know you are but what am I?" It's meaningless, it's dumb, and everyone needs to stop doing it.

Stop making posts about how so and so is just like Hitler. Stop re-tweeting/blogging/posting them. Stop bringing Hitler's name into discourse at all. Stop arguing about whether or not National Socialism is right or left wing. Stop pretending that superficial similarities to Hitler or one of Hitler's policies is absolute proof that an ideological opponent is evil.

[radioactive-earthshine]

Astro Boy: The Hot Dog Corps

I love it when Atom just says these things out of no where.

[emberwhite]

I spent the last 11 months working with my illustrator, Marta, to make the children's book of my dreams. We were able to get every detail just the way I wanted, and I'm very happy with the final result. She is the best person I have ever worked with, and I mean, just look at those colors!

I wanted to tell that story of anyone's who ever felt that they didn't belong anywhere. Whether you are a nerd, autistic, queer, trans, a furry, or some combination of the above, it makes for a sad and difficult life. This isn't just my story. This is our story.

I also want to say the month following the book's launch has been very stressful. I have never done this kind of book before, and I didn't know how to get the word out about it. I do have a small publishing business and a full-time job, so I figured let's put my some money into advertising this time. Indie writers will tell you great success stories they've had using Facebook ads, so I started a page and boosting my posts.

Within a first few days, I got a lot of likes and shares and even a few people who requested the book and left great reviews for me. There were also people memeing on how the boy turns into a delicious venison steak at the end of the book. It was all in good fun, though. It honestly made made laugh. Things were great, so I made more posts and increased spending.

But somehow, someway these new posts ended up on the wrong side of the platform. Soon, we saw claims of how the book was perpetuating mental illness, of how this book goes against all of basic biology and logic, and how the lgbtq agenda was corrupting our kids.

This brought out even more people to support the book, so I just let them at it and enjoyed my time reading comments after work. A few days later, then conversation moved from politics to encouraging bullying, accusing others of abusing children, and a competition to who could post the most cruel image. They were just comments, however, and after all, people were still supporting the book.

But then the trolls started organizing. Over night, I got hit with 3 one-star reviews on Amazon. My heart stopped. If your book ever falls below a certain rating, it can be removed, and blocked, and you can receive a strike on your publishing account. All that hard work was about to be deleted, and it was all my fault for posting it in the wrong place.

I panicked, pulled all my posts, and went into hiding, hoping things would die down. I reported the reviews and so did many others, but here's the thing you might have noticed across platforms like Google and Amazon. There are community guidelines that I referenced in my email, but unless people are doing something highly illegal, things are rarely ever taken down on these massive platforms. So those reviews are still there to this day. Once again, it's my fault, and I should have seen it coming.

Luckily, the harassment stopped, and the book is doing better now, at least in the US. The overall rating is still rickety in Europe, Canada, and Australia, so any reviews there help me out quite a lot. I'm currently looking for a new home to post about the book and talk about everything that went into it. I also love to talk about all things books if you ever want to chat. Maybe I'll post a selfie one day, too. Otherwise, the book is still on Amazon, and the full story and illustrations are on YouTube as well if you want to read it for free.

[kanmom51]

Hi! I love reading your posts so much so I would like to know your thoughts on this:

https://x.com/smol_kia/status/1550222383075586048?t=1QUT02cleCrXVULBEegSjw&s=19

I saw some of us on X thanking this person for manifesting the toothbrushing scene which was funny but at the same time i am super confused on how jikook really did exactly the same as the fan art (the plaid pyjamas especially)! Do you think this was purely coincidence or one of them saw it and went 'let's make this to reality'?

English is not my first language, so I'm sorry if my ask is all over the place :) love ya!

Let's start with the end here why don't we?

JM and JK are the real thing. They have a real actual relationship unlike the dreamt up needing to lean on made up fanart relationship that Tkks delude themselves JK and Tae have.

That is the starting point.

Jikook are the real deal. A real life long term loving couple. TKK are not. Not a couple. Friends yes. At times closer at times not so much, but always and only friends.

So, let's talk about that fanart. It's from 2022. 22 July 22 to be accurate. I am literally feeling sick to my stomach at the moment, but I will share the photo, cause I'm going to be making a point here.

*At least they kept the JM in place (although they probably are deluded as to it's meaning...).

So, why is the date so important, you may ask.

Because that is the day ITS Friendcation came out.

And guess what we got in that first episode of the show.

Only the four friendliest of friends in their matchy plaid pj's.

Basically what we had was TKK's in their hazed daydreams wishing that instead of Tae sleeping together with his squad, to which a one Jeon Jungkook does not belong no matter how much they want to twist it (same crew that left JK at the ski resort by himself while leaving together), instead of Tae waking up with Wooga and their match plaid pj's and brushing teeth together, it would be JK there with him.

Like I say, dream on.

That fanart of theirs, is a dream not a reality, and they can scream until they are blue in the face, it won't change the fact that the one brushing his teeth with JK at the moment is JM, not Tae, by choice. JK choice. JM's choice. They both wanted it. They both planned it. They both worked towards it. And they are both living it right now.

I find it kind of funny how TKKs keep on screaming that JM and JK's travels are for the camera, not genuine, all for the buck. If that was true, if Jikook were indeed the 'fanservice' couple for BH, if Jikook were a money maker as a unit for the company, how is it that this cash machine has never been properly utilized. It always amuses me to hear this from them all while most of Jikook's interactions are off camera, not for us to intentionally see. This one unit that has never come to fruition officially (until now, and there is a reason for that and a reason why we are getting more now, none of which are them being 'faked' for the camera in order to make money).

I love how they twist everything to fit a constant changing narrative. I actually don't know how they keep up with themselves. It would be so exhausting.

I saw Mina's tweets. Will not share them here. I will not give that hateful ***** a platform here. All I will say is that it must be so very hard for her right now. Reality is hitting and it's hitting hard. I guess it's a last hurrah, an attempt to cling to their fantasy. Basically acting like a belligerent child having a tantrum.

If I didn't loath her and her kind I would actually pity them. They are going to be so very miserable in the upcoming months. Not to mention after they are all back from the military.

I guess these weirdos need to be reminded that JM and JK's Tokyo trip back in 2017 was not for the cameras. A trip eternalized with JK's GCFT, a trip they could not stop talking about, a trip they continued to talk about in their book under the title Real love.

I won't remind them of just how fondly JK was talking about their trip and the show, nor will I bring up that shining sun of a smile he had when JM says he'll hug him later, cause you know, these are basically fans that have no interest in what the idol they supposedly love (yeah, no love there) says or feels. It's about what they, as fans, want to feel dreaming about buff JK the fuckboy, bad boy, man handler and his dainty weak boyfriend Tae (with their love hate toxic jealousy drama filled relationship).

Excuse me for a sec...

I also guess they need to be reminded that not all of JM and JK's time together was filmed, not all of it was for the cameras, as they love to put it. Not in NY, and definitley not in Tokyo 2023. Funny how two people that were working on enlisting together and got to fulfill their wishes and make sure that the 18 months of their military service they are inseparable, even if that means a tougher placement than if they enlisted separately, still wanted to go on these trips together. I think that by now any claim that this was forced on them - the trips, the show, the enlistment - have been long disproved.

And for a couple that the company are 'trying to push on us' it's really funny how silent they have been since their enlistment. But yeah, these people will continue to say what they want because otherwise their dreams are dead. Kind of like Larry's that still think those two are a thing.

You know what else that fanart comes after, btw?

Not only the ITS friendcation, but also after this:

JK directing LGO MV choosing the couples pj's, choosing to have JM walk out of the bathroom brushing his teeth JK waiting for him in the bedroom.

Fanart is art (not that some of the fanart out there would be considered art by myself, but you know, that's a personal taste, or distaste, and that btw includes some Jikook fanart as well). It can replicate or express reality but it can also be an outright fantasy.

In this case it's TKKs seeing the reality (Wooga and Jikook) and expressing fantasy (their ideas or wishes applied onto TKK), lol.

And now we have JM and JK on their trip wearing these couples pj's.

What a blow that must have been for TKKs. And this whole scrambling thing they are doing, that this is "the company" copying their fanart. Absolutely hilarious.

Jikook have shown us over the years that they love plaid. Not gonna add pics here cause there is no end to them. JK, JM alone, together, plaid is something they have been doing. Specifically? Not necessarily. But it's something they wear.

Jikook themselves have worn plaid pj's in the past for LGO MV (and the live as well - do I remind you guys of JK's joke about why he decided to have JM brushing his teeth?). Director JK. Their choice.

The fanart TKKs are squealing about was not an original piece of art that a TKKer came up with. They literally copied the pajamas worn by the Woogas in ITS Friendcation inserting JK into their fantasy.

If people would watch original content they would know that Jikook, both of them, tend not to wear pj's at home. Not around the house and not in bed. We saw JM in ITS 2. We saw JK in his bed live (in which I would love to remind TKKs how flirty and naughty he was with JM all while being half naked in bed, nagging JM to do a live with him, all his choice, all knowing that the company will not be happy with him, lol - still waiting for that Jikook live, you know from the company's "for the cameras" couple). Oh, and we also have the LV live. Yeah, that was an interesting one. Seeing that not only did we hear from JM and Hobi that JM walks around in his undies at home but that JK is in charge of the soundtrack... I guess while he's in his undies as well...(JM's reaction to Hobi's slip up was priceless). Point being that those two don't do clothes for sleep. But clearly they couldn't go 'au natural' for the show, so they chose to wear pj's.

And just like the other clothes that they chose to wear throughout their travels, that we will get to see in the show, they chose to wear these pj's.

Couple pj's.

This is not a photo shoot. This is them coming from home with their own clothes wearing what they want to wear, what they feel comfortable in. And they chose to wear those pj's knowing EXACTLY how it will be perceived.

And just like Wooga chose to wear the plaid pj's, which btw were all identical, like the rings they wear, probably as a symbol of their friendship, all while NO ONE ever dared to claim that they were dressed by stylists or forced into wearing them or that the creators of the show even suggested the idea to them, JM and JK chose to wear these pj's that are not identical but seem to be perceived as couple's pj's.

Pajamas sold out of course, the company's caption at the bottom being: "How about watching the show together in couple pajamas?"

Their choice.

Their decision.

Filming themselves brushing their teeth - their decision.

I want to make something clear here. They have said it and I will repeat it. This is not a scripted show. This is them travelling, experiencing, enjoying themselves (you cannot fake those smiles and giggles), filming themselves. That angle, the camera in the bathroom, that is a camera they placed there, they wanted us to see this just like JK wanted to show us JM brushing his teeth and coming out to him in the bedroom.

Do I remind you what happened when a camera was placed in a room when they didn't want us to see what they were up to?

This is not 2018 anymore. This is 2024 (well, filmed end of 2023, and may I just note that after the new contracts were signed, and I do think this is highly relevant as to what we are going to be getting in this show, what we will be allowed to see, the level of candor). No more hidden cameras in rooms (I think the company had realized that was a dangerous game they were playing at), and their artists control over what will be filmed and what not.

Their choices, their decisions, not some company executive. Them. The two of them.

I will end this by saying that I doubt that Jikook are even aware of this TKK fanart.

But if they were, then this wouldn't be them copying the fanart trying to create the illusion they are a couple.

No need for an illusion when you ARE the real deal.

If, by any chance, they were aware of the fanart then I would say that any connection to it would be them saying a big FUCK YOU to TKKs and their delusions.

But yeah, I do doubt they were even aware of this pic.

JK's search logarithm is Jimin based. Not TKK. So keep dreaming TKKs, cause not only are TKK not the thing you so very much want them to be, the thought of that thing, them as a couple, you as a fan group, your art and fantasies, all those aren't even a blip on JM and JK's radars.

[greyeyedmonster-18]

Five Times Sirius Black Fucked James Potter and One Time He Didn't

(somewhere in a slytherin!sirius au inspired by @arliedraws...

part 2/5. read part one here.)

Sirius Black had already turned the lights off for the night. He had already changed into soft flannel pajama bottoms and had gotten into bed. Soft summer blanket over his legs. Everything was quiet in his cottage on the side of shore, aside from the waves crashing against the rocks outside. Just as he liked it. Preferred it.

Until there was a knock.

No.

A knock was an understatement.

Pounding. Banging. Punishing. His front door.

Sirius instinctually grabbed his wand, though he knew it was probably a drunk muggle who had wandered a touch too far down the road from the neighboring shore town. Or his cousin, had forgotten how to use the floor for some reason and desperately needed a cup of sugar for a cake she was making.

It was wartime.

Of course someone was baking.

Sirius tiptoed down the stairs, wand in front of his face, and paused before the front door.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

“What in the name of Merlin’s wrinkled—” Sirius started, swinging the door open roughly, ready to give a firm dressing down to whoever was on his doorstep at this hour, for being so damn rude, but lost his train of thought.

Even in the dark, only lit up by a wand, Sirius could recognize the shape of James Potters messy hair. It had been nearly a year since they had graduated, and the last time they had seen each other, and that was across a crowded train platform. Of course, Sirius had heard his name circulating among talk in the wizarding world, and he mostly stifled eye rolls. Out of school and people were still worshipping the ground James Potter walked on.

Such a lovely boy.

“Put your wand down, Black,” James said, his hands attempting to shield some of the light.

“Excuse me?”

“Just put it down, okay?”

“You’re at my doorstep and you’re making demands?”

“I’d prefer to be in your home, but I don’t want to invite myself in. Didn’t your mummy teach you manners? One of your nanny’s perhaps?”

Sirius exhaled through his nose, wiggling his fingers around his wand, “Prove it.” Sirius said, attempting to get control of the situation again. Though he knew no one impersonating James Potter on this Earth would’ve thought to find Sirius. Mistake one. But even so. Sirius was buying time.

Time to collect himself.

Time to trying to figure out what James could possibly be doing here.

“We got detention together fourth year because we raced to the front of the room in Potions to get Professor Slughorn’s attention first, and I tripped on my shoelace—that you untied—and accidentally spilled two vials of Shrinking Solution onto Peter MacMillan.”

Sirius snorted, “I did not untie your shoes.”

“You’re still going with that, are you? And here I thought, now that we’ve graduated and moved on a bit, we could let bygones be bygones and go about our lives like mature adults, and maybe you could admit to untying my shoe, and I don’t know, dying all my robes pink second year and—”

“Now you’re being ridiculous. Showing up to my home, making demands to enter and now accusing me of sabotaging your Potion’s grade. I ought to shut the door on you.”

“If you were going to do that, you would’ve already done it,” James said, voice losing some of the lightness it had moments before, and calling Sirius’s bluff in a single breath. “Can I come in?”

It was almost embarrassing, how quickly Sirius stepped aside and lowered his wand to let James walk into his home. He already knew to take off his shoes, leaving beat up trainers by his front door next to Sirius’s dragon hide boots. Sirius prided himself on always having an answer. A plan and a protocol in place. His parents used to chastise him, because he always had something to say and always had to get the last word in. But at this moment, with James Potter in his foyer, Sirius hadn’t a clue what to do.

Because it had been months and James was wearing jeans, and he had swapped out his thin wire-rim glasses for smarter, squarer ones that suited his strong jaw, and Sirius—

“I like your jammies,” James teased, looking down at Sirius’s flannel pajama bottoms.

Sirius wanted to disappear, following James’s gaze and remembering he was also wearing slippers. Pale blue slippers.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone,” Sirius offered as means of an explanation, “And it’s the middle of the night.”

“It’s barely eleven.”

Sirius made a noise from the back of his throat, “You’re the rudest house guest, Potter. You know that?” he said, walking down the short hallway, hoping, knowing James would follow. “Calling at odd hours, making fun of my attire, and the time I go to bed….”

“I said I liked your jammies.”

“Fancy a pair?” Sirius responded, all too aware of how juvenile he sounded. If you love it so much, why don’t you marry it? Ha, ha, ha. James made himself at home instantly in Sirius’s kitchen, unphased and uncaring. What a confidence, a power to know you were welcome anywhere in the world. James didn’t have to question that. Whether he was wanted in spaces, he just knew. Sirius busied himself with the tea kettle, watching with a raised eyebrow as James looked around the kitchen, slouching back in the chair at Sirius’s circular kitchen table.

James had been sitting for approximately fifteen seconds and the tablecloth already had a crease in it.

And Sirius knew he’d spend all of tomorrow doing is very best not to straighten it out again, the same way Sirius would leave his curls loose in school after a…meetup with James.

“How do you take your tea?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?” Sirius mimicked, trying his best not to smile at how quickly James scowled. Eleven and Fourteen and Nineteen were one in the same. “How do you take your tea?”

“Just milk,” James said, attention returning to Sirius, “This isn’t where I imagined you would live.”

“Pray tell, Potter.”

“I dunno,” James shrugged leaning forward onto the kitchen table, another crease in the table cloth, “Some place sterile…dark. A hospital ward, perhaps. A cave. This is actually charming.”

Sirius rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest and leaning his hip against the counter, “It was my Uncle’s and I chose it—”

“Chose! Of course you had multiple options of houses available to you. What, you didn’t want to go to France? Or Croatia, I’ve heard it’s lovely there.”

“Thought about it,” Sirius shrugged, heart squirming in his chest and smirking as the familiar banter infiltrated their conversation. Especially as James shook his head, always eager to poke at Sirius’s blatant privilege. “I preferred the quiet over here. Don’t get too many visitors. In fact, there are wards, and I’ve not given out my address to the Daily Prophet, so I am wondering how it is you found me.”

“Lucky guess?”

“Not quite.”

“My…mother knows your cousin. Andromeda, that’s her name, right? And I…told her I—”

“Lied.”

“Okay, well, yes, I lied to my mother—”

“Shame on you.”

“--and told her to ask because I wanted to send a birthday gift and we had lost touch—”

“How sweet of you to remember. What did you bring me?” Sirius asked, flicking his wand to magically pour the steaming water from the kettle into two mugs. One with milk, one without. And walking over to sit across from James in the soft, dimly lit kitchen.

“I uh..didn’t…” James fumbled, “That…was the lie.”

Sirius clicked his tongue in mock admonishment, “You’re on very thin ice here, Potter. Infractions adding up one by one.”

“…Sorry?” James offered, large hands wrapping around the cup of tea, thumb neatly sliding under the handle. He still bit his nails.

“Hm,” Sirius responded, and took a sip of his own tea slowly, eyes never leaving James. This was more like it. Sirius liked to see James squirm. Stammer. Forget himself. And if Sirius waited just long enough, James would fold, and Sirius would let him. “So, are you going to tell me why you’re here, Potter? Or should I start guessing? Make it a…game. I recall you being fond of those.”

James nearly choked on his swallow of tea, not all of it making the way down his throat, a small dribble leaking out of the corner of his mouth. James covered his mouth in search of a napkin, but Sirius was quicker, summoning one over to the table and into his hand. Sirius stretched his arm across, carefully wiping the corner of James’s mouth, tilting his head to the side.

“Careful,” Sirius said, “It’s hot.”

“No games.”

“I’m not playing one. Are you?”

“I’m getting married tomorrow.”

“Congratulations.” Sirius had known, of course. There was no wizard or witch in London who didn’t know James Potter and Lily Evans were getting married. The wedding the gossip around pubs and shops. The silver lining, and the only good bit of news in recent times. Dark times. Sirius knew. He didn’t know it was so close.

“It’s my stag party tonight…actually. Right now.”

“Should I be expecting those…charming friends of yours to show up as well? What’s that dodgy blokes name, the small one you walked around with? Pettigrew?”

“He’s not dodgy,” James corrected, and Sirius nonchalantly took a sip of his tea, in lieu of saying anything further “I…they’re not coming here. I stepped away, lost them and walked around that town down the road for about two hours before deciding to make it to your door.”

“And why would you want to come to my door,” Sirius asked, hand under his chin pretending to think, “I’ve got it. You want me to attend your wedding. Well I deeply apologize, Potter, I’ve simply nothing to wear on this short of notice.”

James groaned, head tilting backward to stare up at the ceiling, “I forgot how irritating you were.”

Sirius laughed softly, taking another drink of his tea, watching as James’s fingers tapped on the top of the table, still staring up at the ceiling.

Game. Set.

“Cold feet?”

“I love her,” James said firmly, before looking back to Sirius, “I love her.”

“I would hope so.”

“It’s not cold feet, I want….I want to marry her.”

“What else do you want?” Sirius asked, resting his forearms on the table and leaning forward.

“I’m getting married tomorrow,” he repeated, perhaps hoping Sirius would heed the warning. Push him away, kick him out of his house.

In which world?

Sirius just smiled softly, “So you’ve told me. What else do you want?” he asked, bringing a hand up to Potters face, caressing his cheek softly.

“You know. You know why I’m here, Black.”

“I do…” Sirius said, standing up from the table and walking to stand to the side of James, tilting James’s head up to meet his gaze, “But you should know…I’m still going to make you ask.”

Match.

James’s tongue poked out to went his bottom lip, hazel eyes blinking. Sirius’s heart rate was beating faster and faster, even as he wedged himself between James’s legs.

What a scene.

They were two people absolutely desperate for one another.

“This is the last time,” James said finally, breaking the silence and standing up so quickly it knocked the kitchen chair backwards. His mouth crashed into Sirius’s, and Sirius didn’t need further permission. His hand palmed the back of James’s head, the other hand pulling James closer to him by his belt buckle.

“Play your cards right and maybe you will end up with a pair of my pajamas you liked so well…” Sirius smirked into James’s mouth, lips brushing against his as he spoke.

“Shut up.”

go to part three

[jhkfan123]

because i liked a boy | tom blyth

pairing: tom blyth x actress!reader

in which: tom rushes to your house after you get threats and insults online due to speculations of a relationship between the two of you

warnings: mentions and readings of death threats, mentions of slut shaming

wc: 1.1k (sorry it's a little short!)

a/n: IT'S MY POOKIE WOOKIE DOOKIE COOKIE SHMOOPIE TOM'S BIRTHDAY! no but seriously happy birthday tom! bros birthday is approximately ONE week from mine. bro's a little aquarius like me. thank you so much for being the best tom! the age gap grows more everyday 🥰...anyway here is a little cute fic for you guys just for his bday!

in less than 24 hours they were everywhere. in your dm's, in tagged posts, on every platform.

it was only yesterday that you and tom decided to go out in public together. for the first time. and now you realized maybe it should be your last, for a while anyway.

the two of you kept a quiet relationship for about a month, up until yesterday, when you decided going out for coffee might be nice. and sure enough, there were cameras.

first fan accounts found it. then smaller celebrity news accounts found it. then e! news found it. soon variety found it. this had all happened while you were asleep. and when you woke up, it wasn't just the posts that you found. you had dm's. lots of them. each one a little worse than the one before it.

you weren't sure what to do. so you picked up your phone and dialed tom.

the phone rung for what felt like ages. then you finally heard the comforting voice you had been longing for.

"hello?" you heard. you felt a little lighter already.

"hi tom. look, i know you're not really on social media but, i just really need you to come over because i need to talk to you." you breathed heavily getting the sentence out as you now began to panic.

"i'll be there in ten minutes. love you." you heard. he hung up the phone. you sat down on the couch in your apartment. you had an urge to go on your phone, but you knew what awaited you. so you resisted.

about ten minutes later, you heard a knock on the door. right on time.

he only knocked out of politeness, he had a key to your unit. "oh, good you're here." you said. he looked at you with a warm smile.

"i came as fast as possible." he came over to the couch and pressed a kiss to your forehead. he sat down next to you and you embraced his warmth. "now, what's wrong." he said. you leaned into his lap.

"so, remember how we went out for coffee yesterday?" you asked. he nodded quickly. "so obviously there were photos which is fine and we expected that but, once people really started noticing, i started getting...threats." you handed him your phone which was now open to your instagram dm's.

"oh, no." he sighed with sadness. "i'm so sorry. do you mind if i look?" he asked. you nodded again. he took your phone from your hand and began to scroll. you saw the screen and began to read along.

user: who tf are you back tf off you slut

_user_: didn't you just break up with your other boyfriend you whore chill share him with us

user123: if you don't back off i'm going to jump you. mwah

tomblythlover: if you hurt him you die

each one got progressively worse. you saw tom's face shift with each one. he pulled you closer to him as he handed your phone back to you. you felt a single tear stream down your face, which tom immediately noticed.

"hey, hey hey." he wiped your tear with his thumb. "you didn't do anything wrong, ok? ignore every single one. you are not a slut, not a whore, not anything they claim you are. and, there is nothing you can do to stop these people. you just have to ignore it." he pulled you closer and tighter to him. "turn your dm's off. or limit them at least." he suggested. "get off social media. take a walk." he kept listing out ideas.

"you're right. i didn't even think of that, turning my dm's off." you said. you went into your settings and turned it off.

"what would you do without me." he joked, sarcastically. you hit him in his leg, the only place you could reach. you smiled up at him.

"i can't believe people would do this." you spoke. it was unbelievable. how could you say something like that to someone you don't even know?

"i can. people are crazy online. they stay stuff that they wouldn't ever say to your face. that's why i stay off of it." he responded.

"should i like, put a statement out?" you questioned. you often looked up to tom for advice about these things. he was only a year older than you, well, almost two, but he seemed much wiser. you loved the way you could look to him for anything.

"only if you want to, love." he assured you. "but if you think it will help you, then do it. do it for yourself, not for others." he continued.

"maybe i should. i will." you opened your story camera and began to type. you thought about what you wanted to say. then your mind drew a blank. "what should i say?" you asked, staring blankly at your screen.

"just say that no one is allowed to insult you just because we're dating, and that you need time to figure out what you are going to do next." he said. he thought of solutions with such ease, taking no time to think. ideas flowed like water out of his mouth. when you finished, you showed it to him, and with his approval, you added it to your story.

even though your dm's were turned off, you still hoped that people would stop attacking you in tagged posts, something that you couldn't stop no matter what.

"thank you, tom, for being here. i'd probably be lying in bed crying right now if it wasn't for you." he smiled down at you.

"i'll always put you first. i don't care what i'm doing. never be afraid to call me, even if i'm busy ok? i promise i'll help, any way i can. and please don't take anything they said to heart. you aren't any of those things, the only thing they got right is that you are my girlfriend." that made you laugh. "now, let's go do something to lift your mood." he pulled himself off the couch and soon helped you up as well. "where do you want to go?" he asked. you thought for a moment. you wanted to be somewhere quiet. with tom.

"i think just a walk around the neighborhood would be nice. no photos, no phones, just us?" you suggested.

"that's the best idea i've ever heard." he hugged you close. then he pressed his lips to yours in a soft kiss. he grabbed his keys from the entryway table, grabbed your hand, and walked out the door.

[karereiko]

Hello, everyone from Yuumori fandom.

Guess what, because of Concert that will be held in July all parts of Moriarty the Patriot Musical (op1-op5) are available to rent and watch online. With my Morimu fanarts or other talks about it I often get asked where you can watch it, often my answer is that you have to buy DVD or Bluray to watch this wonderful adaptation of Moriarty the Patriot manga. I know it's a big cost and hard to get for some so Streaming like this is a great opportunity to watch Morimu.

Official twitter posted few days ago about this possibility and here is the post with all information about it:

1600 yen is great amount to check if you will like it and wach it because I think it's worth any money, director who made morimu clearly loves manga, he treats source material with care and even makes it batter at some times, there is also a lot less cuts than in anime, like a lot. May be little spoiler or not, but Baskerville arc is there and Durham date too, as well as many Sherlock and John stuff that was cut in anime, some things from Moran arc etc. this is already big selling factor, right?

Actors are amazing and they love and care for characters they play. I wasn't into any actor adaptations before Morimu, I was ok with musicals but not caring too much about them and Morimu sold me since first part and it only got better and better each part even if you think that's not possible. Songs are there to make emotions and moments deeper or to have real fun with plot they show, they are not there just for song to be there. So yes high recommendation for you all to check Morimu if you didn't saw it yet. The most amazing thing is that you don't need VPN to buy those streams.

I was going to write about this few days ago and was busy, good I didn't because I talked with friends in Yuumori fandom who knows morimu and we were troubled to recommend this stream to people who doesn't understand Japanese. Morimu is faithful adaptation so almost like 70% lines comes from manga and you should understand what's going on if you read manga. Still, with subs it's a lot easier.

Kana did amazing job in creating English translation for Morimu Op1-Op4 at this point, all who bought DVD/Bluray versions of Morimu are using those subs and if you decide to buy own copy after seeing stream then those subs works great with DVD/Bluray versions.

So we talked over the stream matter and from what we checked with this plugin to Chrome it's possible to play subs with Morimu stream after you rent it (It works only with Chrome but if you know other program like this you can try it on different browsers, we only checked Chrome and this plugin) :

The only matter is that Kana saved subtitles in .ass file format, but you can easily format them to .srt file format that this plugin plays with this site:

You just open subtitle file and save it as srt, and open it with plugin to your Morimu stream. If you will have any more problems with subs them write me a message and I will try to help as soon as work let's me.

I think this is the easiest option that creators gave us now to watch Morimu, it was never so easy to buy or rent it until now, you had to use crazy VPN programs and other stuff to just check on it. So this is best option since for sure it won't last forever. Such promotional streamings are only around when new part is coming up, currently Concert I mentioned.

So for other things I wanna to say. If you get your copy of Morimu then please don't share it, don't post it to any social sites. Company that makes Morimu is quite strict with that matter and they do search who uploads those musicals and strikes them down/ deletes files even on places like google drive. Even without it, it's a matter of love for Moriarty the patriot. As much as fandom wants more people to watch those musicals, any piracy might destroy our chances to get Op6, possibilities for future streams and other stuff. Currently with Op5 we reached end of Final Problem arc and there is hope that maybe one day New York arc will be done in op6. Any piracy, sharing and messy stuff might destroy such chance, so please if you hold dear MTP then respect those rules. Watching streams with your friends in closed groups after you buy it isn't bad but please hold from any public sharing (they would be taken down anyway, but it would still put us fans in very bad light).

I know end of this post was not nice but it had to be told. I hope this possibility will help you see Morimu and fall in love with it like I did. I would recommend at least seeing OP1 and OP2, it should hook you and OP3 is where everything hits even more than op1-2, more hits from songs, more hits from sherliam stuff.

Hope to see you in Morimu cult :D... ehem... fandom. May you have "wind" (for some Great Detective) in your heart like William....

[pearlfeline]

sore loser

pairing: draco malfoy x reader

word count: 1,450

summary: reader gets jealous and draco falls harder during a practice duel. reader can be interpreted as any house but uses she pronouns.

a/n: i haven't written in years like before the pandemic. i deleted my old blog and had no inspiration until months ago lol i started this blog just to read but i started writing this a while back and i finished it last night. not proofread. if the beginning is horrid i apologize i didn't want to delete it and start over because i know i'll never start up again. enjoy the little fluff i threw together.

Dueling was an essential part of the Hogwarts curriculum. Every other week, there was a practice session down in the dungeons. Mats laid out on the floor and splayed on the walls. You hated it. Especially when it was in teams. Seriously, in what circumstances did students need to fight in pairs?

You weren’t known for your dueling skills and when your duels prolonged the average amount of time, you panicked and tapped out immediately.

Today was especially nerve wracking. Dueling in pairs, against Draco, and he’s partnered with the obnoxious girl who has it out for you.

She was clearly eating this up.

Draco was not. He did not like how obvious her intentions were. The shoving him every time she laughed, the raised pitch in her voice only when speaking to him, the way she says his name differently, all of it made him grimace internally. She was like a fly in his ear. Insufferable.

“An easy win.” She looks you up and down, smirking.

She looks over to Draco, attempting to exchange eye contact, but he was looking at you, with anguish. He didn’t hold his gaze for long as he adjusted his sleeves before getting in position.

Neville was your duel partner today. You could tell by his face he was utterly terrified. You kind of felt bad for befriending Draco, seeing what he did to the students around you and how he talked about them. But the side of him you’re not sure anyone else got to see, they don’t know about, the one you stumbled on accidentally while trying to use the washrooms and ended up staying on the cold floor for an hour after curfew just listening.

“Remember what we learned Neville.” You nod at him curtly. He sends you a look of appreciation under his worried gaze. Where would you two be without the extra training?

During the duel, you mostly try taking your anger out on the girl who targets you constantly for no reason. You didn’t even remember her stupid name. There are lots of girls like her. She was just the one who decided to be bold for the semester. Defending yourself makes you a target around the school for certain, but you didn't care enough to stop.

Dueling admittedly can be therapeutic when you have the right attitude. She was knocked down on the mat, clearly taken aback. You had shot spell after spell at her, almost to see how quickly you were able to possibly and properly get spells out of your wand.

Draco had to assist his dueling partner by default, but it made you unexpectedly feel sick seeing him trying to heal her.

“…Get up.” He holds her up by her arm. His gaze is anywhere else but around you.

You were searching for answers inside his eyes, growing more irritated the further he avoided you.

Neville gets his shot at revenge as well, continuously shooting at Draco while he tries to assist his dueling partner.

It was one of those matches that were long and painful. Both sides were equally as good, even if you hated to admit it.

It wasn't long until you’ve seen enough.

“Confringo!” You counter with a spell that bounced off the two of them back and forth until they’re both on the ground.

When the smoke cleared, your eyes flickered to the other end of the platform. Draco didn’t even look upset that he lost. Just surprised you would even use such a spell.

“I was getting sort of tired of using expelliarmus so frequently…” Neville blinked a few times, finally drawing his wand down.

“Freak!” The girl lays for a little too long expecting Draco to pick her up from the floor. He doesn’t.

“Is that even allowed?” She haggardly gets up on her own, dusting off her robes.

“It is.” Draco mutters before sauntering back to the group of students.

It was honestly one of the first duels you had won in a while, there was a newfound confidence in your stride.

It was free period. You decided to take the scenic route. To just relax outside,

“Came out to frolic in the grass did you?” Draco’s hair was completely restyled back to normal, despite the duel having just ended. He replaced his tethered robes with fresh ones and had enough time to wipe his complexion clean.

There was a playful smile on his face, one he didn’t show to most.

“After you lost, shouldn’t I be saying all these snobbish remarks now?” You look up at the sky to avoid his glance. Because if you did, you knew your smile would grow bigger than you would’ve liked.

He scoffs, setting his bag down on the ground.

“Don’t get all excited about this now,”

You watched as he sat down to reach your eye level.

“next time I won’t let you win.” Draco confidently sighed.

“Your pride would never let you purposefully lose.” You remark.

“Maybe it would for certain people.” He argues.

If this is what you thought it was, what an awful attempt at flirting.

“Either way, I won fair Malfoy.” You brush off his last statement.

Draco liked how you said his name. It sounded so familiar and genuine. It wasn't used in a hostile way.

It was hard to hide his growing smile.

“Why are you smiling…” You turn away.

“Is it so fun being a loser?” You say, back completely turned around to face him.

“I only lost because you flung me and that girl across the room!”

“She’s stupid! Of course I’m going to fling her away! You’re stupid too! Stop picking on people.”

Draco looks down while grinning at his feet.

“I’ll try.”

“Don’t just say it. Really do it.” You kick a rock in his direction.

“I get enough criticism for talking to you. Even though it’s all from you not being able to just leave me be.”

“Obviously you don’t care for what others are saying about me.” Draco shuffles the rock in between his feet, passing it back to you.

“Because I’ve seen otherwise to disprove the rumors.” You remarked.

“Before I start telling people you’re actually nice, you should start giving people a reason to believe me!” You toss the rock, watching it bounce off Draco's shoulder.

"Ow! You're the violent one!"

“I’m not going around claiming something that nobody will believe me for. I will not make a fool of myself Malfoy, not in that way. I'm already being prejudiced around here, no thanks to you.”

Draco was not known for his emotional intelligence. In fact, he might be the least comforting person you had ever talked to, but he had a feeling in between the insults, you were telling him how he really was capable of being a good person.

Draco let out a little smile, trying his best not to laugh at you.

Which was difficult because he had a habit of laughing at whatever or whoever he wanted to laugh at.

"This school is tolerable with you around." He said while swallowing whatever dry chuckles were left in his system.

"I'm only around because you follow me everywhere."

Draco slumped over, pushing his weight on your bag. Were his advances, seen as bullying? Of course it was. He was rude to everyone. How were you supposed to figure out he didn't mean it as much when it came to you? He didn't even really know he liked you not that long ago. Though, ever since that epiphany, he can't get you out of his head. There's the urge for more. To see you more. Sneak in more of you throughout the day.

"Keep bothering her, it makes you happier than when you bother others."

"I can't wait to see how she reacts to what I say next."

"I need her to see my new quidditch uniform."

All were stupid thoughts, yes, but they all worked. You were never mean enough to be hostile towards him, and honestly seeing him slip up and forget to keep his tough exterior up every once in a while was rewarding. You would never say it out loud but it made you feel special.

Draco lazily picks off blades of grass peaking through the cords attached to your bag. He had finally run out of things to say to bother you.

"...You aren't going to defend yourself?"

He glances up at you for a moment before shaking his head.

He thought, one day he'll be able to just confess and maybe pull you into a swift kiss right after. Of course, you'll say yes and kiss back and all of that stuff. He'll worry about it later.

[mrsjoeythehurler]

When I Met You

(OC FMC x Liam Mairi)

I’ve decided to write a fic about an OC and Liam Mairi from Fourth Wing. It’s going to follow the events of the first book and I’m so excited to share it with you. This is my first fic I’ve ever written so keep that in mind while reading :)

I hope you enjoy it!

All characters except for Aurora Sallow who is my OC and the FMC of this fic belong to Rebecca Yarros. The plot of Fourth Wing also belongs to Rebecca Yarros.

Content Warnings: most of the warnings that are for Fourth Wing are also going to be for this fic. That includes: Blood, death, injury, violence and war. The only content warning I am adding is panic attacks (2).

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ Aurora Sallow ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

It's Conscription Day—a day I'm not particularly happy to take part in, but I don't have a choice.

I was always meant to become a Scribe. I was always meant to look at books all day and spend my time transcribing them. It's what I've been studying for since I could remember.

That all changed when my parents sat me down two days ago to tell me I was required to become a Rider. My whole world was flipped upside down, my entire future ripped away from me in one 20-minute conversation.

The Riders' Quadrant is apparently in need of more Riders. I heard it's because most dragons are uninterested in bonding with humans, and I'm one of the unlucky ones who's been chosen to try and change that.

Looking around me, I see guards mounted on either side of the entrance and walking about. I see people hugging and conversing with their loved ones and the occasional person silently praying, most likely to any gods who will listen to ensure their safety. They're probably going towards the same destination as me.

Sighing, I look down and make sure my outfit is in order before fixing my hair. I tried to dress appropriately for the Riders' Quadrant—well, as appropriately as my closet back home had to offer. I'm wearing a gray long-sleeved shirt and corset, black pants that are a bit too tight for my liking, and my favorite pair of black platform boots. I'm just about to look through my bag to double-check that I have everything when I hear a familiar voice.

It's Violet Sorrengail. We've been classmates for a really long time. She's always been really kind and someone I consider a friend. Like me, Violet always wanted to become a Scribe; we would always talk about our hopes for the future and look forward to reading books all day.

What is she doing in this line?

She's talking to her sister Mira, so I don't want to interrupt, but I want to know why she's not with the Scribes anymore. She was always among the most intelligent people in our class, if not the smartest. She was going to be the best Scribe the Quadrant ever had. I don't see her wanting to give that up, especially considering it was her dream.

The line continues to move slowly, and when there's only one person ahead of me, I start to really feel the anxiety. I don't know how I'm going to do this. I didn't know two days ago, and I sure as hell don't know now. Who knows if I'll even pass the Parapet? I could be slowly walking towards my death right now. Maybe I should have talked to my parents more and tried to convince them that I can't do this and that anyone else out there is a better fit for this than I am. But I hate disappointing people. My parents don't even know that my panic attacks are back. They were so happy and relieved that I was doing better over the last year, but it all fell apart.

"Next!" Someone calls from ahead of the line.

It's a rider, a marked rider. Along with Captain Fitzgibbons, who’s a Scribe. "Aurora Sallow? First Violet Sorrengail, and now you?"

I give him a small smile. "I'm sorry, sir."

He nods. "It will be sad to see you go. Your future as a Scribe looked so bright."

I want to cry. Instead, I keep my small smile in place and try my best to keep my voice level. "Thank you."

As I go through the entrance, I climb the hundreds of stairs.

After what feels like 100 hours, I'm at the top of the turret, and it's raining. The turret is all stone, formed in a circular platform. The river below shines, with the sun glinting off the surface. Darkness runs through it that rivals the deep sea. I shouldn't have looked down.

Straight ahead lies the Parapet. It's a very slim bridge made of stone with nothing on either side to hold onto. It's a test to see how well you would manage while riding a dragon.

I'm screwed.

There are three riders at the entrance, but only one catches my eye—a mountain of a man with black hair and warm, tawny skin. He turns my way, and I can see the scar running through his left eyebrow, and that's when I know who it is. Xaden Riorson.

Xaden is the son of the Great Betrayer, Fen Riorson, who led the Rebellion. All of the children of the rebels were forced to join the Riders' Quadrant in response to their parents' decisions. I bet they hoped Xaden would get killed, but they were wrong. He's a third-year Wingleader now.

And he's also kind of scary.

Once he sees me staring at him, he narrows his eyes. I'm not sure if it's with recognition or disgust.

Then, I decide to wave at him like an idiot.

He turns back to talk to the Rider beside him, pretending I don't exist.

Yeah, I'm so screwed.

"Next!" Another Rider calls, and I step forward.

[gwojo]

Gojo Satoru as your bf

FEATURING: Gojo Satoru (五条悟)

gojo satoru x gn!reader, fluff, slight angst if u squint, basically just the things he'd do for you bc of how much he luvs u! wordcount: 622

We all know THEEEEE gojo satoru is so whipped when it comes to being in-love?! Some probably think he'll be clueless but when it comes to you, he's so knowledgeable with everything related to you

It started off as a lil crush on you and obviously we all know gojo is shameless when it comes to his feelings (except for dark and deep ones) so he kept on reminding u everyday that he had a interest on you

You both end up with each other while his students were also cheering you both on (it was so cute bc yuji was the happiest)

We all know gojo satoru is a very busy man, despite that he still makes time just to see you everyday, even making the higher ups angry due to him leaving his students in a abandoned hospital and he'd leave just to travel to you and see you.

Messages between you both weren't frequent, he will always find a way to see you irl but whenever he has to go overseas as his punishment for leaving his students without any supervision, that's where your notifications are FLOODING. LIKE NONSTOP.

Although he's at work at most times, he still somehow messages you??? like a lot?? so you ask him about it and he tells you that he messages u even when he's on a battle with cursed spirits

Honestly there would be more voice messages or calls in both of your dms because I reckon he's more of a call guy rather than a text guy

He'd always rant to you about how annoying the higher ups are and stuff, he's SUPER talkative but he always lets you speak first or after so you don't feel left out bc he rlly loves hearing ur voice

He's much of a "if he wanted to, he would" typa guy and honestly even if he didn't want to do it he would still do it for you, like even HIS FAVORITE Kikufuku he would still give it to you because of how much he loves you, he acts stingy most of the time but he'll always end up giving it to you

Whenever you have panic attacks or just anything general with having a bad day which results you into getting breakdowns, he'd always be there for you no matter what. Kisses and hugs, food, everything you ever loved, and him ofc

He never hated anything about you honestly, he just loved who you are and whenever you get insecure about the girls who chases him–he always end up flexing his wallet and his phone in front of their faces, why? because your face was plastered everywhere in it. LIKE EVEN HIS PHONE CASE IS YOU TAKING A MIRROR SELFIE, polaroid pictures were frequent with u (he keeps a pic of u in his wallet and also his students, even tho he doesn't use wallets.)

He'd call you "love, baby, sugarboo" most of the time, he's just so silly. He's a unserious guy tbh but he knows when to stop and where to stop whenever you actually get upset

Whenever he's upset because he got jealous when you were catching up with your bestfriend, he would stop talking to you or ignore you once you got home (trust me. he won't last after 20 minutes max.) so he gets all pouty but partially its a joke because he really trusts you with all his heart and he knows you won't replace him but he also gets upset and just a little kiss from you, he'll be back to normal (basically just bragging about how hot he is).. He'll always crave your presence no matter what, and nothing and no one will change that.

reblogs are appreciated! thank you for reading.

— © gwojo 2023. pls i advise u not to share on tiktok, plagiarize, repost on other platforms, copy, or translate.

[thescarletnargacuga]

TOY BOX

A BUTTONBLOSSOM/RAGAPOM/JESTERDOLL ONESHOT

A/N: I don't know which ship name is the most common, so I'm using all of them lol I may or may not have been drinking while writing this...

WARNING: none

~~~

"Today's adventure is THE TERRIFIC TREASURE TAKEAWAY!" Caine introduced his adventure of the day with the usual display of flare, completely oblivious to the reactions of the unimpressed six in front of him. "You're going on a scavenger hunt! It'll be three teams of two searching the grand Museum for TREASURES! Avoid security! Or they lock you up and your teammate has to get you out! If both of you are caught, you're out of the game! The last team standing, or the team with the most treasures at the end of the time limit, wins!"

Pomni spoke to Ragatha out of the side of her mouth. "Do the adventure titles always have to be illiterate?"

"No." Ragatha covered her mouth and whispered back. "I think that's just a Caine thing."

"Three teams? We ALL have to participate?" Zooble groaned.

"The game is more fun than way! Come on, Zooble! Don't you want to play a game with your friends?" Caine was practically begging. He could not force them to play if they absolutely did not want to, but he REALLY needed an even number of people for the game to work properly.

Zooble rolled their eyes and turned to leave, but then overheard Jax.

"Looks like Zooble is going to be as boring as always. Come on Gangle, you're my partner."

Zooble stopped and turned on their heels. They marched to Jax and shoved him away from Gangle. They crossed their arms and didn't move when Jax got back up and glared.

"Fine. I didn't really want to be stuck dealing with her whining anyway." Jax huffed and stretched his arm out to grab Kinger by the scruff of his robe. "Kinger and I got this."

"Hey, Pomni. Would you like to be my partner? ...for the game! The game." Ragatha awkwardly felt like she needed to clarify.

"Oh! Uhhh, yeah, sure." Pomni was glad Ragatha asked first.

"EXCELLENT!! I do love full party participation!" Caine snapped and a colorful portal opened. "Good luck everyone!"

The group walked through and found themselves in the grand main hall of an enormous museum. Around them the main hall separated into three wings and had three floors. Above them hung a banner that read WELCOME TO ESCHER'S MUSEUM OF ODDITIES. A full T-Rex fossil was having tea with a wax figure of Abraham Lincoln on a display in the center of the room. Various random items were in display cases, many of them only vaguely resembling artifacts and art pieces.

Pomni nervously looks around. "Uh, any ideas as to what these TREASURES look like?"

"No clue. I'm more worried about this SECURITY Caine was talking about. His ideas of enforcement came be a bit...scary. BUT we won't know until we try taking something." Ragatha tapped the glass around a weird mask looking object.

"...it just occurred to me that Caine has literally sent us to rob a museum." Pomni thought out loud as she backed up against a wall, feeling exposed in the large liminal space.

"This is supposed to be a competition right? Outta my way!" Jax pushed Ragatha aside, into Pomni.

Ragatha braced herself against the wall, arm on either side of Pomni.

Pomni flushed, seeing Ragatha up close and personal always made her heart flutter but they've never been this close. She stared up into Ragatha's smiling, apologetic face. Her one eye soft on her.

"Hey..." Ragatha giggled.

"...hey." Pomni delayed in answering, but managed a smile.

Neither of them moved. They just stood their. Awkwardly. Neither wanting to tell the other to move, because what if that was rude?

Jax yeeted the glass case Ragatha had tapped and grabbed the mask. It turned into a cloud of sparkles and a +1 popped up before disappearing. "Ha! I knew it! The WHOLE museum is up for grabs!" He jumped on the platform with the dino and president tea display and tried removing Abe's head.

The whole room went red. INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!

"Oh noooo..." Gangle whimpered.

Massive drones came out of the walls and flew towards Jax. "Oop, time to go." He bugs bunny-ed his ass out the room as fast as he could, three drones on his heels. One drone shot a laser at Kinger and he disappeared. The girls screamed.

"Come on!" Pomni took Ragatha by the hand and ran. The maze like layout of the museum discombobulated those who could get away. Lefts was right, down was up. Every door hit a stairwell and every stairwell looped in on itself. At one point, they were on the ceiling. "What kind of place IS this!?"

Ragatha tried to keep up but Pomni was practically dragging her. "Pomni! The stai-" She tripped, fell over apomni and they both rolled and bounced down a countless flight of stairs. Ragatha wrapped her body around Pomni in an attempt to protect her from the fall, even though it felt like rolling down a bouncy castle.

They eventually stopped when they slammed through a closed door.

Ragatha still had a hold of Pomni, they laid side by side. "Are you alright?"

"Uhhhhh....I think so." Pomni had dizzy swirls in her eyes.

Ragatha couldn't help but snicker. It was a funny look on Pomni. "Good. Because that was actually kind of fun."

Pomni shook the swirls away. "Seriously? Falling down the stairs is your idea of fun?"

"Oh, well, no, not real stairs but it was...uh...never mind. I'm just glad you're okay." Ragatha let go and they both got up.

They saw no way out other than the door they knocked off its hinges. Colorful tiles covered the floor, small tables sat in neat little rows, and there was a large play area.

"Where are we?" Pomni asked, looking around.

"I don't know. A classroom?"

"This place doesn't make any sense."

"It wouldn't be one of Caine's creations if it did." Ragatha said with an irey lilt in her voice. "In fact, this actually isn't the weirdest place I've ever seen. I wouldn't even put it in the top five."

Pomni gaped. "Say what?"

"Yeah, you weren't here for the time he tried to make us all fly like him and Jax ended up on the underside of the sun."

Pomni smiled. "He did?"

"Oh yeah, he had to tap dance the heat off his feet until Caine figured out how to turn gravity back on. Took like an hour."

Pomni started to laugh. "It took him THAT long?"

Ragatha laughed with her. "Yeah! If you ask me, I think he did it on purpose." She loved hearing Pomni laugh, it was so rare.

"Wait, so is that the weirdest?"

"Oh, no. The absolute weirdest had to be Derby Day." Ragatha leaned against an oversized toy box. "Derby Day was when Gangle had to-"

The toy box opened, swallowed Ragatha whole, then slammed shut.

"Ah! Ragatha!" Pomni went to open the box and she too was magically pulled inside. She fell and fell and fell into an endless pit of vibrate color. Ragatha was just below her. "Ragatha!!"

"Pomni!!" She cried out as she tumbled through the air.

Pomni streamlined herself to fall faster and caught up with Ragatha. She tried to get Ragatha's hand but the ragdoll was living up to her namesake and accidentally kicked Pomni in the face. They both spun and free fell into a pile of pillows. They laid there for moment to collect themselves.

"What. The actual. [%$!#]." Pomni mumbled into a plush pillow.

"I take it back. This IS really weird." Ragatha moaned.

"...top five?"

"Top three."

Pomni sat up and didn't bother checking her new surroundings. It didn't matter where they were, they'd probably end up somewhere else in a minute anyway. Ragatha rolled over and stared at the new sky. She couldn't see the top, it was an abyss of kaleidoscopic color. "You know...for all the weirdness...I am grateful for one thing."

"What's that?"

"You."

Pomni jerked her head up. "What?"

"Yeah... I'm probably saying this because it doesn't matter if I do... But I enjoy your company."

"Oh...I...I didn't think anyone would. I'm not exactly...fun. And don't say you don't matter. If there's one thing in this digital scape, that actually does matter, it's our feelings. It's what makes us human." Pomni rolled over to join Ragatha looking at the weird sky. "A-and you've been wonderful to be around, too. I'm sorry I don't really say it. I tend to get lost in my own head."

"I understand. This place will do that to you." Ragatha paused, considering if she should say what she wanted to say next. "I'm... Grateful for one other thing today."

"What's that?"

"I got to hug you."

Pomni turned her head to Ragatha. They smiled at each other.

Ragatha continued. "I- I know you're not the biggest fan of touch so...the fact that you didn't freak out after we fell down the stairs-"

"Ragatha, I wouldn't freak out on you. Not for that. Sure, touch isn't really my thing but...I make a small exception for you."

"Would it be okay...if we hugged again?" Ragatha asked with a deep blush across her cheeks.

Pomni scooted closer. "Yeah."

They locked into a warm embrace. It was the most human thing either one of them had felt in a long time. Pomni felt anchored, her mind focused on only the here and now. No what ifs and maybes. It was bliss.

Ragatha felt a sense of comfort and connection that she thought she'd never get to feel again. In this place...it was getting hard to feel anything but melancholy.

As they hugged the pillows shifted. They tried to get up but they both slipped in the surface vertically against one another. It was like falling into quicksand.

"Great....were are we going now?" Pomni held on around Ragatha's neck.

"I don't know, but we're going together. That's all that matters to me." Ragatha held tight as they sunk further and further into the unknown.

[solar-wing]

okay, just so you guys know...

I'm still working on Shadowing Nightwing. Just making edits and doing my best to tone down the length because it's well over 40k words and I–... I just can't.

Also, I'm trying to make sure that it's good and spicy enough for what y'all are expecting, but also something that won't get taken down on patreon, tumblr, etc. the literal second it's up—because again, it's spicy. Honestly, what I might end up doing is posting the first part of it, and then doing what I did with 'One Kent Was Enough,' linking the rest of the story to AO3 cause I'm tired of having to jump through hoops and loops with these platforms.

like Patreon is taking forever to "review" and put back one of my stories for "violating" community guidelines. And don't even get me started with Tumblr and their nonsense because I just saw one of my mutuals get his post hidden on here due to "explicit sexual content" that was "outside" of user guidelines.

and the crazy part is, his fic was under 1,500 words and was nowhere near as bad as some of the fem!reader content I've seen on here. Like I know I keep ranting about this (and I'll damn sure continue to), but I'm so sick of the bias against m!reader content, especially when it's explicit.

We already get a bunch of fem readers getting mad at us for not wanting to write content that includes them even when we explicitly state that we are m!reader authors and only write for male or gen!neutral readers. Then, the content we do write for our audience always ends up getting flagged or taken down for being outside of user guidelines, when it's barely anything bad.

Like the amount of abduction, non-con/CNC that could be considered borderline grape without the g, coercion, manipulation, Stockholm Syndrome, YANDERE, etc. f!reader fics I've read on this platform and others that have no warnings, flags, or shadowbans from what I can tell is truly something ridiculous. Matter of fact, they'll literally have the most likes, reblogs, and engagement I've ever seen. But, our male reader fics get flagged for using the word bussy instead of pussy...I'm not even joking.

but, I digress.

ANYWAY, with all that being said, once Shadowing Nightwing is posted, I'm gonna take a break away from smut and Omegaverse fics for a minute only because trying to do that specific stuff has started to feel more like a job than something I enjoy and have fun with, and I don't want to burn myself out or give y'all content that I'm not proud of or feel like it's half-assed.

Plus, I'll be honest, this past week has been really hard mentally, emotionally, and creatively for me given the results of this election, I can't even say I'm surprised, but I can damn well say I'm pissed off. Like, I can barely write without sitting there thinking about the fact that this orange peel of a FELON AND THUG—yeah I said it for you sibling and cousin fucking, buck-tooth, bobblehead, ding-dong, dropped ON your heads, mindless little minions—ahem—I mean, conservatives (if conservative means conversing brain cells that is) and his adult sid phillips looking ass v.p. cheated like someone trapped in a room with all their favorite foods while being on a diet, or more than half this country is really that stupid.

keep in mind, we're talking about a country with a lacking education system paired with a population of *checks note* sibling and cousin fucking, buck-tooth, bobblehead, DING-DONG, SLAMMED on their heads, mindless little minion bitches—AHEM—conservatives so that last part really wouldn't be surprising.

but again, I digress.

Shadowing Nightwing will be out soon, and we'll be returning to some PG-13 content for some time until I can wrap my head around this—or find the cheapest and quickest flight to Saturn—whichever comes first.

anyways, pls stay safe out there guys in these next four years, especially my minorities out there WHO VOTED FOR KAMALA AND TIM. If you voted third-party, didn't vote, or voted for the felon and adult sid phillips, I PRAY you get everything you voted for 😉. no seriously, I'm really rooting for you 😊

MWAH 😘 kisses, bitches 💛

to the rest of my lovelies, I love you all, stay safe and shine bright, and I'll be here soon with Shadowing Nightwing (that is if I haven't found a direct flight to Saturn first...fingers crossed🤞🏽)

[whysperingwoods]

Ethics in Witchcraft: Empowerment vs Cheap Tricks

Witchcraft is mainstream-- a reality I never would have imagined ten years ago. With that rise comes a surge of offerings on various platforms, from spellwork to tarot readings, along with it the need for deeper questions: What's real? What's empowering? What crosses ethical lines? I want to explore the ethics of witchcraft, and how we can empower ourselves without resorting to cheap tricks.

The Etsy Dilemma: Quantity Over Quality?

What inspired me to write this article was setting up my Etsy shop. A few years ago, when this blog as last active, I sold tarot and fire readings on Etsy, and I was curious to see how things had changed since then. So, I decided to do a little research and see what other people were offering.

I was surprised to see how much the popularity of not only tarot readings, but spell work has skyrocketed in the last few years. Initially, I thought "Great! People are more open to witchcraft and divination!" But a closer look at the listings-- the quality, the prices, the speed of turnaround-- my excitement faded.

Let's take a look at some of the top listings that come up when you search for "tarot reading" on Etsy:

Most of the top results use stock images, some are obviously AI generated. The turnaround times are incredibly fast, and the prices are strikingly low. It's hard to imagine the quality of a 12-month tarot reading done in under an hour for a fraction of the usual cost. Now, let's look at the highest-selling listing:

The listing has racked up around 51 thousand sales in only 1200 days. That's 41 readings per day, just for this one listing (and this shop has several). Can you imagine providing 41 readings per day? It raises important questions: How much personal energy and focus can truly go into each reading when it's churned out at such a high volume?

When I adjusted the price range to being between $25 and $100, the listings were much more realistic. Photos of real people, with reasonable turnaround times and expectations. Phew!

What if we look at spellwork? This is where things get even more complex.

We see the same trend we saw with the tarot readings: Quick fixes, AI-generated images, extremely low prices.

Any experienced practitioner knows how much time and energy can go into a spell. Everyone has their own personal style-- sometimes I favour small workings that can be done in the span of a breath, and other times I like to prepare something elaborate that will take weeks to prepare and execute. But it raises a critical question: Can real intention be poured into something that’s mass-produced and requires only the click of a button?

At the heart of witchcraft is intention. Without it, what are we really practicing?

Love Spells and the Ethics of Consent

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about love spells here. This topic easily warrants its own post, but let's touch on some key points. Love magic is one of the most popular types of spells on Etsy, and I wouldn't be surprised if it holds true on other platforms. A quick glance through old grimoires and folk traditions reveals countless examples of love magic. In a world where connection feels more elusive than ever, it makes sense that these workings are in such high demand. But where do we draw the line?

Navigating consent in magic is tricky-- where do we distinguish between influencing the world in our favour and infringing on someone else’s free will? It’s a deeply personal question, one that each practitioner must answer for themselves. It's easy to tack on an "and it harm none" at the end of a spell and hope for the best. But that sidesteps some important questions: What is harm? How far do we take that? Sometimes, giving one person favour inevitably affects someone else. For example, casting a career spell to improve your chances of a promotion may unintentionally take an opportunity from another person. Can that not also be seen as harm?

This is why it's important for practitioners to reflect on what level of harm they are comfortable with. It's not an easy question, and the answers may shift over time and with experience. Ideally, none of us want to harm others, but that's something we have little control over. Maybe a better framework to consider is reducing suffering, rather than trying to avoid harm altogether. For example, while aiming for that promotion, you could also wish for your competitor’s contributions to be recognized in other ways. Instead of trying to avoid all harm, perhaps the goal can be to soften its impact and ensure that success isn’t gained at the expense of someone else's misery.

Rather than an “and it harm none” approach that could render a spell ineffective, asking ourselves how to minimize harm while still achieving our goals can lead to more balanced, thoughtful outcome-- ones that benefit everyone involved.

When it comes to love spells, another way to navigate this ethical grey area is by focusing on influencing your own circumstances rather than someone else's free will. I see this as putting something in the person's path, and allowing them to approach it themselves. Rather than casting a spell to make someone fall in love with you, how about casting a spell to increase your confidence, making yourself more noticeable, or drawing more positive attention your way? These types of spells empower you without infringing on someone else’s autonomy or agency.

Final Thoughts

At its core, ethical witchcraft is about empowerment—honouring the free will of others, practicing with intention, and ensuring that our magic comes from a place of authenticity. As practitioners, we have the power to shape our craft in a way that’s meaningful and respectful. Let’s choose paths that uplift and empower us, and the people around us.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. How do you approach ethics in your own craft? What ethical issues have you had to navigate, and how did you handle them?

[starwriterulia]

Perversity and Loathing - Chapter 3

CONTAINS HEAVY SUBJECT MATERIAL THAT MAY TRIGGER READERS WITH ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND PTSD. SOME CHAPTERS CONTAIN 18+ CONTENT.

WHILE THIS CHAPTER DOES NOT CONTAIN NSFW SCENES, IT DOES CONTAIN DISCUSSION OF MATURE CONTENT THAT IS UNSUITABLE FOR MINORS.

This is a reboot of Tomb of the Goshenite Stargazer Dragon. (post)

Fandoms: DC Comics, Batfamily, Thalassic Space (OC)

Characters (In order of appearance): Bruce Wayne (Batman), Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Faith Lawson (self-insert), Ghouls (Nero Spirits in the form of jumspcare people), Nerobzal (OC, Fallen Angel, big bad guy of Thalassic Space), Clark Kent (Superman)

Word Count: 3327

TW: Spooky content warning, and the things that the entity who appears in the kitchen says some pretty dark stuff regarding Faith. Please correct me if I missed anything!

A/N: Holy shit, I fucking cooked. I found a little continuity error in the last chapter, lol. I forgot about the notepad, pencil and pencilcase of pencil crayons that Batman fetched for Faith. He has now put them on the bed, and they just stay there. :p Also, part of Chapter 4 is already written, since I realised the important events of this chapter ended when Bruce when into the servery to finish talking over the phone to Clark in private lol. Chapter 4 will be cozy, but I tell my real life story to explain why the others feel like something is off, so, uh, proceed with caution!

Tag list in the replies of people who liked/reblogged any part of the previous version of this story, or the previous chapter(s). You’re not obliged to read or leave a comment. Thank you for reading! ^w^

Dividers by @cafekitsune

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 (Coming soon...)

The kitchen was dark and the pantry door was silent. Although no one looked, it was obvious that the sunlight from the window had become moonlight. Batman had stepped forward from the door, and stood behind and slightly to the left of Faith, looking down at her. She looked directly in front of her, in the space betwen Nightwing's left arm and Batgirl's right arm. Nightwing and Batgirl looked at the wall.

A dog's heavy panting approached the window from the left. Upon the window, thump, splurch. Thump, splurch, thump, squick! "Bark, woof! Grrr... rarf! Rarf, arf, rarf! Snarl... snort." A soft thwick of tail hitting glass.

Batman counted: one. Two. Three. Four. A cluster of bare feet, pad, timp, pad-pad, and fingernails, scritch, scrrrr, scritch, came into the kitchen. Pad, pad.

"Scraawk!" Click, click of the tongue. Timp timp, timp, pad.

"Scrrr?"

"Scrawk!" Thud, thud! Near the island. Scrape, rrrrip! "SKYAW!"

"SCRAW!"

"ENOUGH!" Boomed a bass voice from the doorway. Faith's loins tickled, and she hated it.

Two. Three. Four. Critch, critch, critch. Critch, critch critch! Click, click of the tongue. Slurrrrp. Smack, smack of the lips. Two pairs of neon orange eyes gazing at each other slowly came into the view of the humans, the heads of the Ghouls illuminated by the window. They snapped and stared at Nightwing and Batgirl.

Do you remember the time the light of your past burned hot, and you were alone with the noise?

I remember that light, and its heat, my feet on the platform but my paralysed body flying at an impossible speed to the sun and starting to orbit to present Earth with a divine spectacle, how the screams rang in my ears. But I didn't stay there. I was embraced by a man who did his best, for his first dance under a different light, and both of us developed from our time together. I made the best friends and found both of the dearest loves that I will ever have. We dance in the light, golden day or silver night, in any weather, for the people who need us, and we dance for each other, sometimes. We dance for people like the woman you seem so eager to control, a woman who has struggled with control her whole life and seems to have found it, before you itched at her subconscious until you found a perfect monster to bring you to life. When I am the only light in a scene of dread and sorrow, I burn those like you, who have burned others and refuse to change their bulb or turn it off. Get out of my head.

Hiss. Snarl. Spit! Well, fine. Be that way.

Do you remember the time your heart was pulled at its roots, and you were alone to weep at its ruin?

I remember that love, and the pain, the pure chaos that shredded my shelter like the people I swore to protect with every once of strength in my body who I could only help using my intellect, the passive loss of worth I felt every day, how my love became the half of me that had been made useless and numb. But it did not last. I could still move my other half. I saved my life and the lives of others even like that. I am priviledged to be called "the best" or "my favourite" by many. In fact, I think I met someone who dyed their hair to be like me, today. I was not abandoned by those who care for me, and I never neglected myself when my roots were torn from beneath me. My love and roots were mended and made stronger, and now I save my tears for those who need it. Get out of my head!

Hiss. Snarl. Spit! Well, fine. Be that way.

Do you remember━?

"I always remember." Batman said. Faith gasped and turned her eyes and head to Batman. Their gaze lasted for a short second. A tall black figure, glowing neon red, with neon red eyes, briskly came from the doorway and stood in front of Faith, making Nightwing stumble.

A Ghoul swiftly extended its neck, crick, and followed Nightwing with a grossly opening jaw, but the hero planted himself as soon as he had been unstabilised. The Ghoul retreated and snapped its teeth at the other Ghoul, that snarled. The first Ghoul began a high pitch, "Scr━!"

The glowing figure whipped its left arm up, grabbing the head of the whining Ghoul and making it shut up. The glowing figure brought the Ghoul to its face, the figure's mouth suddenly opening down to the floor. The figure violently stuffed the Ghoul in its mouth, and swallowed it with a grotesque crunch and squelch.

"Go home." Said the figure. The remaining Ghoul, critch, critch, critch critch, thump! Timp timp, pad-pad, timp. "Here, boy." The window broke, and something with four legs, thump thump, thump, pant, pant, pant. Slurrrrp, pant, pant. "Spread the word."

The white paws of the dog sprang onto Faith's shoulders, its weight making her stagger, and its human smile and dark canine eyes stared into her eyes. The figure said, "You remember me, right, wife?" Faith parted her lips, a distinct suck-click sound made. The dog removed its paws, and sat, panting at the right foot of the figure.

"The dreams where I was human, dark haired, fair skinned, wearing clothes that you like, and I pierced the illusion's face in places that you like, too. I even made a blonde, fair skinned woman for you to have, dressed just like me. The dream where I showed you the inside of my loins, designed to breed you, and I fucked you there until you came with me, and you awoke. The dream where I was a black storm cloud, and you rubbed your sweet little cunt on my massive penis that dwarfed you. Your virgin juices dripped onto my member, and the one squirt of sperm I released was so colossal that you awoke. No more waking up with your dignity and secret. I am sorry your choice was taken from you, wife. But it is time to come home."

"'Where is home?', I hear the furious minds of these mortals shout. I will tell them. And they will hate you. But you don't have to be alone, after the truth is shared. You will come with me through Platonia to the Greatest Room, and in nine months, you will birth the Impossible Child. You will name him, and it will be the most perfect name. You are a creative woman, after all."

"Not a genius, no. If you were, you would have shown the Hallway your vagina to let me fuck you. Brazen. A vixen, unafraid of criticism from her peers, friends or family about her most devilish desires. But you do not call them devilish, wife, do you?"

"No. To you, they are freedom. I can give that to you. Forever. Eternal life, eternal freedom, an eternal outlet for your creative pursuits. Fully realised."

"All you have to do is take off your clothes, open the door one more time, and come home with me. Don't worry. I will close it behind you so that none of your friends will be harmed. Armaggedon will come. And we will have become so strong, you will have made me so powerful that no Author could stop us."

"Lucifer, his 200 loyalists, you and me, and the Child. Merge Two. Forever. Planets will change, the little star of this solar system, too, will change. A divine spectacle. The kind that only the love between Creator and Creation could bring. Except, we would be called, from then on, Husband and Wife of Sagittarius."

"What do you say, wife? Will you come home with me? Or must I rape you, and consummate our marriage here and now?"

Faith sighed heavily. A gruelling eight seconds passed. "Your home is not mine. Your love is not mine. Your child does not belong in my body, because I belong to me, and you belong to a fear that I did not make. It was planted in me, as it is in all people, regardless of gender, orientation, wealth or satisfaction as they live and die. My home is a magic train filled with people in costumes, singing cheerful songs in different languages to foster hope and bonds during the short daylight and long moonlight of Santa's Plain. My home is a carnival that celebrates each season, that employees people of all abilities, human or not, and living or dead, and together, under the glory my Puzzle Tower that offers its riddles and prizes to guests, they enjoy new memories in the center of the Realm of Tree Peoples."

"My home is Asgard, where my name was Ønske because I desire adventure and love both familial, platonic and romantic. My home is Pierian Spring on Mount Olympus, where I create stories, plays and songs with my teacher, Urania, and she shows me all of space, and all of its connections to how humans behave. There are other students studying under the other muses, and all of us are friends, and sometimes lovers, and we support each other's passions. And my home is Paradiso, even though Yahweh is not close to my heart due to how turbulent my crisis of faith was, during puberty, because Uriel is also my teacher, and he gave me the name Χαμένος (Chaménos), Lost, and copied all of my work so that Yahweh could enjoy them and share them with my family in Paradiso, in particular my adoptive dad and my birth mom. You belong in my subconscious, and you function perfectly there. I thought you liked the name I gave you, and that you would leave me alone? I'm confused, a little, about why you're so desperate to have me serve you with your definition of my freedom. Then again, you are my Shadow."

"I am not."

"Well, that's how I interpret you, and how I made you, in Thalassic Space. Let the Impossible Child sleep in his crib. Leave him in peace. Let another woman conceive him, if he must be born. And let it be in many, many years, as the most terrible surprise that God is dead, but Satan is alive, as it will be. But leave me out of it. I don't belong in that narrative."

"I am Backstage no more, Curtains cannot hide me. But I will return to the Wings, and I will take you with me, and both of us will Undress, our Actors will part as colleagues and friends, and maybe then, as we spend time with each other as mortals, I could come to love you. But until you Show Me Your Actor, you are only words on my document."

The figure and dog disappeared. The lights came on. The window was in tact and there was sunlight, and there were no markings on the walls, ceiling or floors. The humans sighed in relief. Faith's was the loudest. "Holy scene right out of a horror flick, is it really over?" Nightwing asked, making eye contact with Faith.

Faith sighed again. "Yes. Check the pantry." She looked over her shoulder at its door. "It should be fine, now." Batman turned and opened the door. They all saw that its interior was, indeed, normal. Batman closed the door. Faith turned her head back to Nightwing and Batgirl. "And the next time you see Ra's, he'll be really upset that he lost his new powers."

"Tch, and probably try to hurt you again!" Batgirl said, removing her mask and pocketing it.

"Yeeeeah." Faith said, blushing deeply. Barbara smiled. She stepped forward and pulled Faith in for a hug. Barbara patted Faith's back, and released Faith from her embrace.

"Do you not have magic, anymore?" Dick, having removed his mask too, asked. Faith's cheeks smiled tightly.

As Faith talked, her smile naturally faded. "Only what's included in my First Wish. Uh, it's what Urania and I were calling my 'most basic wish' because, technically, it wasn't my first, but━"

"Yes, she told us about Bella." Said Barbara. Faith nodded.

"And we figured that was how that all worked." Dick added.

"Ah, OK. Well, is everyone feeling OK? Besides nausea or headaches."

"Yep. No nausea or headaches, here."

"Yeah, same. I think we're all fine." Barbara replied. Batman hummed in agreement. Faith looked at him, and saw that he had removed his cowl. Faith batted her lashes, her blush and smile returning, and her top teeth showing.

"Hm. No offence, but I think you need to see a dentist."

"I did. This is what he did. It's silver."

"Yes, because white fillings are more expensive. It looks like you don't brush, though."

"Not often, no."

"Well, how about you and I sit in the dining room, Faith, and Barbara and Dick can make breakfast? You said you were hungry."

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"OK." Bruce softly said, his cheeks lifting a little. He walked forward and gently touched Faith's back to cue her to walk while Barbara and Dick busied themselves, and they exited the kitchen and crossed the hallway, leaving both doors ajar. They went all the way to the far end of the table, and Bruce sat at the chair at its end, and Faith sat on his right side. "Are you feeling OK?"

"Yeah, I'm OK, thanks." Faith rested her left arm on the table, her right elbow on the surface and her chin and right cheek in her right hand. "Considering I just confronted the dark side of my subconsious, that turned out pretty well."

"I would dare say you did excellent, there, Faith."

Faith smiled, a bit of warmth in her face. "Thanks."

"If you don't mind, I do need to call a friend and ask him to open a closet or pantry door to make sure Platonia is gone."

"Sure, go ahead."

"Thank you." Bruce rose from the chair, reentered the hallway and closed the dining room door. He produced an earpiece from his gauntlet, donned it, and called "Babe". Rrrring. Rr━

"Hi, Bruce." Said Clark Kent.

"Hi, Clark. Can I get you to test something for me?"

"Sure."

"Knock on a closet or pantry door, depending on where you are, five times, and let me know if you hear two knocks back." Walking sounds on hardwood. Clark was at home. Five knocks. Three seconds passed.

"Nope! Is everything OK, Bruce?"

"Yes. That means everything is OK. I can tell you what happened, since you're at home." Bruce sighed. "We had a scare. Ra's stabbed and raped a young lady in her mid-twenties, Faith Lawson, about twenty minutes ago."

"Oh no."

"This is a rather long story. They met in a dream in her childhood home, and..."

"Sheesh! Poor Faith! I'm glad everyone is OK, now. She was very lucky to have her necklace successfully summon Urania to bring her back from death and give Faith the powers she wanted as a kid."

"She was, yes."

"I'll have a look for Ra's, though there would have been news about him if he'd used the power he stole, and there hasn't been any." Clark said. Bruce hummed, furrowing his brow. "I'll also ask Hal if there's a new galaxy with a magic O-type star."

"Thanks." Bruce said, entering the dining room. "Faith?"

She raised her head from her hands, both elbows having been on the table and her eyes staring at its surface. "Yeah?"

As Bruce walked over, he asked, "Do you know where Ra's may have went?"

"Sorry, question to answer a question, but: do you know what video game the Clicker I gave Barbara is from?"

"No, sorry."

"Alan Wake. I put Ra's in the world of Alan Wake to potentially be scared of its existential horror and atmosphere, but not harmed by it, since Ra's is really durable and good at fighting, and would have figured out the whole 'stay in the light' thing pretty quick. I put him there so he would be unable to use the magic of Sagittarius A*."

"Oh, so I was right. That is where your dark magic is from."

"Yeah! Oh, I guess I didn't tell you, but I told Dick and Barbara, that good magic is formally called━"

"Solar magic." Bruce said with Faith. "I thought it would be called that. So, dark magic is formally called singularity magic."

"Yes! Hence why it was a, uh, big concern that I take it away from him."

"No kidding. And how can Ra's come back?"

"Barbara still has the Clicker, right?"

"She still had it in her hand, after Platonia was closed, so yes."

"Well, you could take it, think of anywhere in Eth'Alth'Eban, and then he'll appear there."

"That's good enough for me. Thanks, Faith."

"You're, yawn, welcome."

"Sounds like you need a nap, after you put something in your stomach."

Faith resumed her chin-in-hands position. "That would be nice. It might not work, I've kinda been awake for too long, now."

"OK. I was just making a suggestion." Bruce said. Faith tiredly bobbed her head. "One more thing, sorry."

"Hm?"

"The entity who gave Dick your necklace and the entity who was just in the kitchen are not the same, right?"

"Yeah! The first guy was the Umbrella Man."

"Clark, the Umbrella Man was the angel that followed the Fallen Angel Nerobzal, along with eight humanoid demons who became pale people with neon orange eyes called Ghouls," Bruce looked at Faith, "And, Faith, two of them were in the kitchen and crawled onto the ceiling, right?"

"Mhm!"

"They all followed Nerobzal into, presumably, the first Door to Platonia."

"It was, yes."

"Thank you. It had appeared on Lucifer's pelvis just for Nerobzal to open and claim as Nerobzal's territory."

"Oh my!" Commented Clark.

"Yes." Faith replied. "And the other guy was Nerobzal."

"That was really him?"

"Mhm. The perverted spirit in my dreams that I named Nerobzal is the entity who man-i-fest-ed," Faith pacing slowed as she spelled out the syllables of the word, and she briefly bared her teeth. "Oh boy, that could have gone so much worse."

"You're telling me."

"I'm just glad there weren't more than eight people in the room! Then he would have eaten all of us, just for fun."

"Lovely. Thank you for telling me that now."

"Well, we were in peril, when it would have been appropriate to tell you, and there was only four of us."

"No, you had time, before we opened my pantry back up to Platonia and you told us plenty of exposition."

"Oh yeeeeah."

"Yeeeeah."

"Sorry, my exposition timing and, uh, cohesiveness is far from perfect."

"You know, that's OK. It's realistic."

Clark commented, "Mhm!"

"Superman agrees. You did pretty good, for doing all of that on the spot, when we needed to get things done." Bruce gave Faith a thumbs up. She returned it with both hands and a big grin. Bruce exhaled through his nose, smiling with his cheeks. "Thanks again, Faith."

"You're, yaaaawn, welcome, ya-awn. Hawn." Faith smacked her lips and tongue, blinking heavy eyelids.

"Wow, it sounds like she needs a nap." Clark said.

"Superman says you need a nap."

"Valid. Will probably actually do that, after I eat. Brain is tired."

"Yeah." Bruce hovered his right hand over the top of Faith's head. "Do you accept head scratches?"

"Mm, sort of. Be gentle, and return my hair to looking tidy when you're done."

"Sure." Bruce gently scratched Faith's head for two seconds, noting how thick and lovely it was, then thoughtfully stroked the disturbed strands. "I'll tell Barbara and Dick, in case they have the same idea."

"Thankiiiie."

"You're welcome." Bruce returned to the hallway, closing the door again, then went up the hallway into the servery, shutting its door.

A/N: Ha ha, I said my blog's tagline, ha ha, I'm totally mentally stable after having written that, you know what I'm talking about (seriously, I am OK).

I stayed up until 12:16am, it was the 17th and now it's the 18th. What a world. I luv mah littol brain, you know? You know, you know? Yiss? Okie. I sleep now. See you in the morning, aka the next paragraph.

Hi, it's almost 6pm on the 18th, and this chapter is done now, plus all the little revisions, hooray. That's all I really wanted to say. OK, see you in the next chapter, byeeee!

Proceed to Chapter 4 (Coming soon...)

[luvo27]

If you had the Power of Editorial for one decision in the DC writers room and one decision only, what would you push?

gnome my friend i have to imagine you would not have asked if you were not prepared for the possibility of a very long answer!!

ok look look look so before i answer this you have to understand that jokes are one of the most important things to me in the world, especially jokes that are also something true and genuine and meaningful because those things are not mutually exclusive and often when put together can make something extraordinary. like the barbie movie you understand

the short answer: make Connor Hawke aromantic so a Green Arrow can be a Green Aro

the long answer!! i've talked a bit about my feelings regarding aro/ace representation in media and especially fanfiction before, so i'll try to keep this brief, but the thing i want to bring up here is that there is not a lot of aro/ace rep that can be explicitly confirmed within the media the characters are from. maybe it wouldn't be in character, or they don't have the word aromantic in the setting and let's be real a character saying they don't want to date is unfortunately still going to be regarded as being only aromantic coded, if that. Connor is already explicitly asexual, so (quick disclaimer that i haven't read a lot of his more recent stuff) it's already believable that he both 1. knows the term aromantic, and 2. would use that as a word to describe himself if he was.

moving on, Green Aro is probably one of the best missed out puns of all time i'm literally foaming at the mouth thinking about it, but it's also a pun that is genuinely meaningful. first of all, the aro/arrow wordplay isn't new, and the joke is a reference to and acknowledgement of aromantic community and history.

second, in terms of character relevance, i'll start with showing you something I found funny: last year for pride month, dc universe infinite (the terrible official dc comic reading platform) did a little pride round up. Connor was in there! i ended up taking this screenshot and sending it to my friends because the text cut off is hilarious:

like haha yeah celebrate dc pride. this guys got daddy issues. but for real, he has daddy issues!! he was getting bullied and getting into fights and the brilliant solution that he ended up going with to resolve all that was to go to a MONASTARY for the reason of HIS DAD WENT THERE. like my guy became a whole entire monk because his daddy issues were so bad. anyways, he continues to deal with his daddy issues by taking up the green arrow mantle after ollie dies the first time. and we all know about chuck dixon's habit of writing characters with such an insane agenda that he ends up unintentionally making them undeniably queer, connor is such a massive offender that he gets asked if he's gay genuinely so many times. like actually so many times. eventually i plan to make a full list of exactly how many times and also rank them because that would be funny for me, but its so many times.

anyways, he gets asked if he's gay because of his disinterest in women, which is a trait that im pretty sure multiple characters including connor himself bring up with regards to how that makes him different from his father. oliver queen is, or at least has been, canonically a womanizer. he slept around enough before he became ga that he didn't recognize connors mom when she told him he was pregnant, and he cheated on dinah which is crazy why would anyone cheat on dinah, and his relationship with dinah is such a long running and significant relationship in dc history. he is undeniably both romantic and sexual, while connor has brief relationship with a ghost which is. look that's just so aroace to me i dont know what to tell you. (im ignoring shado on purpose thats a whole other conversation)

being aromantic often means feeling pressure in some kind of way to find or want a romantic relationship. a lot of the time this pressure will come from family or friends telling you to find a relationship or being in relationships themselves. The entire world at large often puts pressure on people to have this great and grand and sweeping love story, whether people are inspired by fictional stories or real life examples. for connor, looking up to his father with his grand and sweeping love story, i mean like. to me this sounds like an amazing pressure pot for comphet.

so, to me, the green aro joke has a deeper and more specific meaning for connors character: it's about how he wants to emulate his father, and it's about how he's different from his father. It's about how there aren't a lot of examples of happy aromantic endings, and it's about the struggle to forge our own happy endings without those examples, and it's about how even though it might be difficult to find them, happy aromantic endings exist. and it's also a joke that makes me laugh.

anyways, thanks for reading all that!! and thank you for giving me the excuse to ramble about my guy!!! :DDD

[sgiandubh]

Pretzel logic

I never liked funerals - who does? - and I have always tried to avoid them, under different pretexts. This is one of the moments we meet the Great Beyond and we are at our most vulnerable. It's only fair and it is not something to be taken lightly, ever.

August 10, 2022 happened a few days before I decided to give OL a try and by the time I landed in here, that YouTube live had already been taken offline, perhaps with good reason.

That people watched it should come as no surprise to anybody: it happens in all cultures and societies - Death fascinates us and makes us curious, even if it's a questionable, voyeuristic kind of curiosity. It was posted for everyone to see, on the biggest content streaming platform on planet Earth. It was posted in consideration of the ending peak moment of the COVID pandemic, to allow for more people to attend, with the family's prior consent. It was most probably shot from the organ balcony, at a respectful distance and I am being told the streaming was blurry: a good thing, if you ask me. People screeching for "more clarity" of those screenshots should, in my humble opinion, think twice: context and taboo and all that.

That people saw something bizarre in the front pew was unavoidable. That the said detail (Occam's Razor would help us conclude that ambiguous things are usually anything but...) was screenshot, edited and made its way in here and elsewhere - impossible to control. However, I have not read any disrespectful comments about the event. Nobody snarked. Nobody grinned. A hole in the plot was pointed out, adding to the whole array of inconsistencies and if I remember well, it was almost missed out entirely (a taboo is a taboo, after all) and started its career online only days after.

Was it shared ad nauseam? Maybe - but who the hell am I to judge? Again, not something you can control, unless you set yourself up as the Torquemadas of this fandom and slap everybody on the wrist with your twisted righteousness. When your people discuss the Data Lounge findings in great, lewd detail, that is called having fun and (I love that one, don't you?) gossiping, as if you were just talking about Miss Scarlett's new petticoat, not a man's reputation. When our people dare to post pictures from a public event, or published for public consumption, that is immediately taxed as being insane or snooping.

A neutral person venturing in here would call out the bias immediately. I call out your hypocrisy and have no problem doing it in writing. And I never peddled neutrality, in here: I simply peddled decency and I remind everyone I have probably never posted any pictures from August 10, 2022 (I will triple check later, but I am pretty sure I didn't). It is a personal choice and, as you know very well, I am not alone in the Shipper community. Far from it.

That you chose August 10 to post the largest, most consistent amount of content I have read on your blogs during the last six months, shows me once more what I already knew: you simply can't help yourself, can you? It's all about slap-a-shipper day, even if this community remained remarkably silent and collected, yesterday. Extremes exist, they are a fact of life: silencing them is useless and unproductive, at least as far as I am concerned.

You have once again showed me your true colors, Mordor. At the end of the day, you do not really have a problem with the pictures floating out there. What you do have a BIG problem with, is the person sitting in the front pew and you would go to great lengths - to any lengths, for that matter - to disguise it under a thick sanctimonious cloak of civic disgust. Your shrieks backfire: if anything, they confirm, not deny. And for the sake of politics, anything goes. It is, therefore, ironic, that in order to post your reasoning, you did look, in great detail and for a consistent amount of time, at the same exact screenshots and pictures you send to hell so gleefully.

Spare me the dramatics.