#like I don't think he particularly likes the social order but he does think changing it is impossible and he's not very invested in trying

[winepresswrath]

In honour of my dash I'm gonna pour one out for the time I went out into the tag and found someone arguing very sincerely that the scene in which Jiang Cheng argues

that Wei Wuxian can't marry Mianmian

because she's the daughter of a servant

which makes her Wei Wuxian's social inferior

yes even though he is ALSO the child of a servant

because Yanli brings him soup

actually it was jiang cheng bringing him the soup in that instance but he doesn't want to talk about that

is proof that Jiang Cheng sees Wei Wuxian as nothing more than a servant.

[metranart]

Jealous! Gojo Satoru

jealous! Gojo who ignores Geto's advice, to give you time to adapt and be friends first before starting to woo you.

jealous! Gojo who practically melts every time you bite the tip of your pencil while trying to understand something particularly difficult in class. 

jealous! Gojo who growls under his breath when he finds you in Nanami's arms after receiving some distressing news. Unable to think straight, gets dangerously close to lash out at the goodhearted blonde just to become an utterly inoffensive kitten, the moment he sees the tears in your eyes.

jealous! Gojo who not so discreetly asks for your number and pretends that it is for another reason other than his torrid crush on you but ends up sending you good morning and goodnight messages and all kinds of cat memes where he replaces the head with Suguru's photo.

jealous! Gojo who goes through your socials as soon as he has the chance and can’t help but grin like a maniac when he sees a picture of you. You have him at your mercy. You’re gorgeous, no! you are perfect to him! he just wants you all to himself.

jealous! Gojo who always tries to be one step ahead so that your missions are always with him, not with Suguru, not with Nanami, not with Yu...only with him, since if he is honest, he does not trust them around you.

jealous! Gojo who believes that he is slowly making his way into your heart, but he only ends up more madly in love with you, until one day he can't resist it anymore and holds your hand... and to his surprise, you don't ask him to let you go but just say adorably blushing: Your hands are so big and warm, Satoru.

jealous! Gojo who now walks hand in hand with you almost all the time, when you go to class, when he takes you to your dorm at night and even when Geto claims he's delusional, he insists, you guys are already dating.

jealous! Gojo who finally confesses his feelings for you and refuses to let you answer by kissing you, igniting a steamy hot make out session which leaves you breathless, whatever negative reply you had, its lost and even your reluctance goes to the back of your head, in order, to give him a chance.

jealous! Gojo who is over the moon, elated you ‘agreed’ and now you let him hold you whenever he wants. “Satoru, don’t be so clingy” Geto had said but he only stuck his tongue at him, every time the raven-haired tried to latch his hands away from you another came to replace it. Making Satoru smirk, wickedly. “God. Suguru, are you jealous?”

jealous! Gojo who slowly begins to let out his true possessive self, making comments about the most random things, like your skirt: "Isn't it too short, beautiful? I love it but I would hate for you to attract the attention of unwanted people" about your classmates: "I know that Nanami and Yu are your besties but with me by your side, do you really need to be so close to them?" slowly monopolizing your time for himself, after all he is not only your boyfriend but also your upper classmate, surely he only wants the best for you.

jealous! Gojo who literally breaks Naoya's nose when he blatantly hits on you at a meeting. "Back off, Zenin!" His eyes glowed ferally, to which Naoya just indifferently wiped the traces of blood with the back of his hand, tsking his tongue, nonchalantly. "She's not even THAT pretty, Gojo." All the available sorcerers had to separate them to prevent them from killing each other. You remember there being so much blood.

jealous! Gojo Who becomes even more jealous after that incident, scaring off any male that gets too close to you but claiming it's for your own safety, only those closest to him are allowed around but not for a long time.

jealous! Gojo who changes your mind with sex feats that blow your fucking mind away. "Nanami is my best friend, I’m going to the movies with him, period!" Gojo is bending you on his knee to spank that attitude out of you and when hears the first attempt of a sob, he pulls your panties down and massages the sore skin gently as he eats your pretty tight cunt until you are a shivering, moaning mess. "Suguru told me he saw you flirting with the girl tending the mochi shop" Gojo's pummeling his hips against your thighs, deep and steady, to make you forget his attempt to get free stuff, the sound of flesh slapping against flesh so loud and lewd that you even forget what you were complaining about, he’s fucking pounding your sensitive pussy till it’s puffy and leaking with his cum. He’s a little toxic like that.

jealous! Gojo who likes having you all to himself, he doesn't want to share you with anyone, not even Shoko or Mei, he loves you so damn much he could explode. He loves having you with him, having you on top of him, under him, against him. He's not your favorite sitting place but sure as hell, he always makes himself the only seat available. You actually don't remember how it feels to sit on something other than his muscular thighs… Shoko once said that he loves you more than is probably healthy to him.

jealous! Gojo who becomes more possessive with each passing day, growing more toxic and more aggressive when he believes that someone wants to take you away from him but loves you so, SO much that you can't help but forgive him every time, since he always promises that his blue eyes only see you, and so it will be FOREVER. You're not sure how you feel about the eternal part of that promise, but it certainly makes you feel like the most protected person in the entire planet.

I MADE SOME SICK SFW/NSFW ARTS FOR THIS DRABBLE, YOU CAN CHECK THEM OUT IN MY PATREON. ;)

[imagine-shenanigans]

sighs dramatically.

Okay but the ghost distribution system as we call it is hysterical but can we tlak about how None Of The 141 are built to date.

Like, sure, Gaz is great at flirting, and he's charming, but DATES? He's the type who asks you on a date because he thinks youre pretty/handsome/adorable/etc but by the time the two of you actually go on a date he's ready figured out like. the whole rest of your lives together. He's already imagined up 20 different scenarios of different dates, stalked your front-facing social media and found your secret or hidden accounts that theoretically don't link back to you. Sure, he's scrounged through your discord servers and your private messages and texts and a thousand other things while he was bored on leave. He knows enough to know that he's happy with what comes next. All dates are simply... ritual at this point? Something obligational, other than the fact he gets to spend time with you.

You're not going anywhere, he's just the least heavy handed of them, the one who'll let you think its your choice to keep him around until he's got his ring officially on your finger. Life won't go according to plan but he's prepared for that too. In his head, you're already married anyway, he's just working his way up to that part. He'll manufacture any scenario to keep you with him, because he wants you to be. And he'll make sure you want to be too.

Soap on the other hand is WAY less tactful about it. He's charming, and he'll take you on dates, sure, but the moment he spots you it's incredibly easy to get obsessed. He immediately drops an arm around you, purring in your ear and talking to you. Doesn't ask you on a date so much as demands it, puts his number in your phone and presses a kiss to your temple, his fingertips squeezing your chin before you leave. God forbid you let him into your home - he'll never leave if you do. Johnny's SUCH a physical guy that while, yes, personality matters, it seals the deal for him the moment he's got his tongue down your throat and his fingers in your pants. Something about the way you settle in against him makes him feel like he's home, and you will never get rid of him.

He's willing to take you on dates if you need more proof, but he won't even pretend like he doesnt already have a copy of your key. Like he's not telling the guys about the bonnie little thing he's going home to - he slips into your apartment/house/etc and into your bed without changing, barely finding time to slip his boots off. Presses one hand to your mouth and just... holds you. He'll fuck you within an inch of your life later when you're less panicked, sure, but he just wants to press his nose to your neck and breathe you in. If his hips rut against your ass, ignore it for now. (Haha... unless? No? okay in a minute then)

Price is just as manipulative as Gaz can be, just as charming as Soap and Gaz too. But he just... doesn't care, just like Simon. There's a reason so many people have Price with like... mail order bride or a "one day you look up and hes your husband" scenario and thats because he's good at what he does. And by that I mean being a husband and pumping you full of kids whether or not its physically possible. (Btw check out Ceil's mail order bride western au its good shit, or Bo's Kingpin Price drabbles, makes me lose it every time.)

He sees you walking about and the MOMENT you do anything remotely domestic - pick up a neice/nephew/babysitting kid/etc and put em on your hip? Rock hard. play peekaboo with a baby across from you at a cafe? pick up after yourself just to be polite to the waitress? he's already stalking you on multiple platforms theres no goddamn way youre getting away from him. He'll figure out where you go in your free time and insert himself there as naturally as possible. He's not particularly hiding what he's doing either - he likes to test you, to see if you notice things missing or moved. If you do, he'll be a little more cautious, use it as reason to drive you into hsi arms. If you don't he jsut views it as all the more reason to take you away - poor thing, you just can't help yourself can you? You're lucky nobody else has got their claws around you, hm?

[qqueenofhades]

what's been particularly vile to me is this group of white online leftists who insist that anyone who cares about more than this one issue for the election is a bad person, like, as if us black and brown people are making up reasons to be afraid and not.....believing the gop when they say they are coming for us. believing trump who has said previously that he does not bluff, that he will do the things he's said he will do (i hate what social media has gone to the word gaslighting but it feels like gaslighting. we lived through four years of trump. we saw the damage. stop treating us like we're being dramatic). it must be great to not have to worry about that i guess? "life won't change under trump" is such a telling admission because maybe theirs won't but mine will. and so many others' will.

and it is often again these (white) online leftists that love to call anyone who disagrees with them a white liberal (derogatory) because they know it would be racist (bad) to be this shitty and condescending to poc but they don't want to actually listen to anything black and brown voters are saying. it's easier to just call us white liberals and throw our opinions out, to ignore the work of black people for decades to gain the right to vote, to disregard the weight of telling them to not do that. it's genuinely appalling. they care so much about racism until it's time to engage with poc who have different opinions than their online echo chambers, then we're just stupid liberals with terrible opinions like..... wanting to live. not wanting four more years of trump. so sorry for that.

sorry for this vent in your inbox, i'm just so fucking tired of white people trying to rewrite history as if trump wasn't that bad. he was for my family and countless others and i am terrified for what's to come if he wins.

The thing about (the often-white) Online Leftists is that they have become just as much as a radicalized death cult as the diehard Trumpists. If you don't want to die for The Revolution and/or sacrifice your life, friends, family, the rest of the country, etc., then you're Insufficiently Pure and must be Purged. (Which I think is just complete BS, as none of them could actually handle sacrificing anything, but it's increasingly the only kind of performative rhetoric that is acceptable in leftist-identified discourse spaces.) This is functionally identical to "if you aren't willing to lay down your life for our Lord and Savior Donald Trump and the Great White Christian Nationalist Dictatorship, you're a liberal cuck," but with the names and justification changed. It doesn't change the underlying radicalization, nihilism, and insanity of the premise.

Another thing the Trumpists and the Online Leftists have in common is that they are busily rewriting just how bad Trump was in order to serve their Ideology. Ever since January 6, 2021, the Republicans have thrown everything they have at revising and whitewashing any suggestion that it was an "insurrection," and the Online Leftists have done the same, in an attempt to "prove" their insane point that Trump "would be better" than Biden. This is embodied in the recent ultimate-brainworm-nonsense maximalist-online take that "Biden has to lose so the rest of the world will see that the US rejects genocide!!!" That's right, the message that the rest of the world would take from Biden losing to Trump is that the US rejects genocide. Never mind if Trump literally wants to commit all the genocide possible and to install himself as a fascist theocratic dictator. In the deeply twisted minds of the Online Leftists, this is the only possible interpretation of Biden's loss, so they'll push for it as hard as they can! The Trumpists and the Online Leftists, at this point, are working pretty much in concert to damage Biden for similar insane reasons and get Trump elected. Etc etc., one Nazi and ten people at the same table is eleven Nazis.

Like. Sure. Four years ago, when Trump was president and people were dying by the thousands because he didn't want to wear a mask because it smeared his bronzer, just to name literally one of the terrible things he did every single day (and not even mentioning how much worse a second term would be) we were absolutely better off. Super-duper great. (Sarcasm.) Either that or "there is suffering and evil in the world and the only solution is to drastically increase the suffering and evil for everyone and to destroy what progress we have managed to make because It Does Not Fix Everything Now" is an absolute moral imperative, and either way, yeah. I'm calling bullshit.

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

Taming Of The Princess

Ao3 cross post

Rated: Explicit | brat taming, brat!reader, fem!reader, dubcon to con, foot fetishist (its minor) (like the good Victorian man who worships you)

it's writing month! and this 3k im crying

Richard has a measure of pride when it comes to playing his role seamlessly. Flawless charming, making himself appear as a humble knight to the lovely ladies of the manor. Oh, he does not forget about men, he is quite equal when it comes to honeyed words, subtle glances, and maybe a few smiles too.

You do not like him.

Lucky Guy and you are from the same century, but you are years further ahead than him. You two are inseparable and quite bold with one another (it said the social norms in your time changed). You hug each other, playfully flirt with each other, and then there is the way you both dress.

The maid dress was at least knee length, but your attire… What was the Lady Nightingale thinking? Your body just displayed so shameless, the way your hips swayed and the collar on your neck begging him to just grab you.

A foul temptress you are to hate him and tease him.

“What the fuck, Dick!” Post-match arguments, “I told you not to go near me!” They happen to everyone, it is nothing new.

“Richard,” Correcting you, “And you were at critical, decoder. My rescue was perfect, it was your primed cipher that was lacking.”

Victor left the match dining room while Naib Subedar watched, he usually does so if anyone gets physical he can put a stop to it before it becomes a fight.

“What!? My cipher was primed when I pinged it. By the time you got Victor, Naiad abnormal it.”

“Then there is no fault—”

“No, you fucked up! You should've left me and popped the damn thing.” You say.

“The match was a loss, (Name).” Naib Subedar cuts him the second he sees your hand ball up into a fist, and slips his hand over yours, “Enough, go.” Stern, you know he wants you to go cool off.

“... Fine.” You still are side-eyeing Richard but you back up from being in his personal space to yell at him. You walk away out of the room.

“That was easier than usual.” Naib Subedar says with his back to Richard then going over to the dining table before pulling back his hood and leading on the table with his hands. Exhaustion clear in his mannerisms and tired sigh, “Don't hold it against her, Naiad has been more of a problem with how frequent being matched with her is becoming.”

Naiad; Richard has some difficulties with her when he does get put into a match with her. Most of Richard’s matches though have been with Nightmare, Fool’s Gold, and often of late Night Watch.

It is a bit arrogant of him but he likes going against the Night Watch, predictable and one who does not relent in trying to take down the knight.

“Ah, well,” Naib Subedar stretches out his back before heading out, “You should go rest before your next match.” Then the knight is left alone.

Richard is learning there is a pecking order here, an unspoken chain of command and seniority. He has no intention of playing lone wolf or trying to seem like a leader, he is a simple knight in shining armor when necessary.

Florian is interesting with his hero complex, perhaps he will be interesting to speak with about the manor.

Richard's charms have already gained him a few admirers among the ladies, a few of the male admirers too because of his feminine beauty.

Two weeks here and he has found himself enjoying himself, though your behavior towards him— Particularly the nickname is bothersome. It is terribly childish yet your guarded demeanor has been brought up twice during gatherings.

You, a quote from a day ago, “Don't trust pretty boys.” 

Laughable given you were in the smoking room talking to Luca about how beautiful Joseph is with and without clothes on.

The mistrust towards him is fine, amusing when others think you are paranoid.

It is not amusing as weeks go by and he finds himself cracking at the seams when you keep pushing and pushing. And then you pushed the knight too far his true color came out… Not that anyone could fault him given the events leading up to it. 

He left the match only after you were downed and you pinged that you would take the dungeon. Perhaps you should not have tested him, or maybe you should have not teased him with backhanded flirting.

Either way, the knight has a plan to deal with your behavior.

"Finally, silence," The sigh from the knight is exaggerated as he looks over his results. It took some time and being a step of you, a cunning little crow— But the fox is far more cunning.

You glare at him as your wrists are tied behind your back and are kneeling, and rope biting around your breasts as he had tied two separate pieces of room to bind your arms in place. The cloth gag was a last-minute choice as you would not shut up, he should have expected that.

"I suppose we can work on your mouth later."

Richard has you in the supply closet in the kitchens, far from the others. He has his advantage and will be using it.

"Cute." Eyeing your bedtime attire, "To think under all that uncouth behavior and improper dressing, there is a fair maiden underneath."

You struggle against your binds, you hiss as the rope keeps your legs folded biting into your skin.

"I understand you enjoy pain but I advise you not to writhe too much... Not yet." A smirk on his face was highlighted by the candelabrum in his hand.

He kneels, his gauntlet hand reaching out tracing your cheek and chin with the back of his finger, eyes admiring the beauty before him. "Cold?"

You are flustered as your nipples are perky and showing due to no bra and the nightgown is revealed by your open robe.

"Fret not, I shall provide the warmth and succor you need, dear maiden.”

The sharp metal is maneuvered with skill and expertise, you whimper with your eyes squeezing shut as his finger moves from your face. Sliding down your throat, collarbone, and reaching the top of your breast. He tugs the front of your robe to further reveal your covered breast, a smirk on his face as he teases by tracing around your nipple. You try moving but you are stuck in place because of the pipe where you can hear water flowing up.

"You once said any girl would want a knight," His voice is so calm as he pinches your nipple and tugs a bit, "I had not realized my wild little crow was a lonely princess in disguise."

You turn your head away as he toys with your nipple causing it to become harder and sore.

"You had to only request my service, my dear lady." His other hand gives your ignored other breast the same treatment with his bare hand. Not much of a difference as both sensations have you struggling not to moan.

"Such a guarded heart. A princess must protect herself when she is alone."

Your back arches towards him by reflex when he leans down enough for his hot breath to caress your nipple through the nightgown.

"You are no longer alone. I am here.”

You are going to kill him, maim him, shove a damn halberd up his knightly persona ass!

The shift to having you on his lap had you struggle then you felt his bulge from his hardening cock within those tight pants, it just had to brush against your crotch. You shiver as his mouth is on your breast, taking your nipple into his mouth even with the fake silk-like fabric. There you moaned as he made sure to be cruel and abuse your breasts to have you rocking your hips for attention elsewhere.

"Oh, how beautiful you are," He guides you to keep rocking your hips, to keep grinding on his cock and staining his pants with your dripping cunt. He grins as he knows your face hidden in the shadows is simply lovely. The pained expression as pleasure captures you without its claws.

He raises your nightgown to your waist then tucks the sides into the rope and does the same with the back.

"Naughty. Quite the lingerie to be wearing, princess."

"Fump humt!" You try back talking which gets you a slap on your exposed ass cheek by his gauntlet. You cried out in pain.

"Behave, though I serve you, you will not disrespect your knight."

You nod as if apologetically.

"Good girl." Kissing your nose, "Now, let me lay you down."

You are untied from the pipe but still helpless and now you are on the floor with wide-open legs.

Princess. The shit you do not call yourself because you are too grown for that!— Plus, you prefer being called kitten or pup, some hot and degrading when you are in the mood. Yet, from him, it sounds like a perfect fit.

You gasp as you feel his metal finger rub up and down your cunt, your partially lace panties captured his fancy. You are wet, and can't be helped with what he is doing with your breasts, his mouth back on them as he tugged your gown down to free them enough to place hickeys on the top.

You writhe and moan, head turning back and forth, back arching up when he gives more attention to your clit. The barrier of your panties protects you from cold metal but does not save you from his touches.

"That's it, so good for me, princess. It is what I am here for, to satisfy you."

The corner of your eyes builds up tears as the stimulation becomes too much. You won't be able to hold back from cumming.

And you swear he knows!

Knows and stops before you could cum, you were expecting him to then pull out his cock and just fuck you.

Oh, how wrong you are. Your knight is hellbent on ensuring his lesson is taught and understood.

He moves your panties aside before putting two fingers in his mouth to wet them before he cups your pussy. You go stiff when he tries to put two fingers in and then puts the middle finger slowly and carefully. He hushes you, finger wiggles and he groans at the way your velveteen walls are so inviting. Tight and wet, he moves it around a bit more before inserting his index finger, a second to wait for you to relax before moving. Scissoring his fingers to prepare you, enjoying searching for that spot; that spot that has any woman hysterical.

You are squirming more as you feel him searching for your demise, and you get unexpectedly loud when he does.

"Rihmrd!"

"Ah, deep right here." As he touches it again. His thumb is on your clit rubbing circles as he now has you trembling before your fall.

Over and over, just on the edge, he kept fingering you to the edge but never letting you cum.

At this point, you are crying and begging for him to just let you cum. You have forgotten about being mad at him for anything! All you want is mercy to be free of this torture!

"Has the princess learned her lesson, hm?"

You nod your head quickly.

"Understand my patience can be tested but you will reap the consequences, dear one. I can be rewarding and merciless." A dark tone you now realize he used during one of the matches where you went too far to be petty.

"You will cum soon. First, you will provide me with a taste of your nectar."

Anything he wanted he could take it with how you are burning alive with need.

Richard Sterling is a beautiful man, there is no denying that truth. So is Frederick, so is Edgar (when he isn't being an ass), and Joseph (God, he is divine).

And you have had your share of fun with them. Nothing serious, just fun.

But you do not believe this is going to be a temporary one-night stand with Richard. You fear he is going to imprint himself on you, have you crawling back to him, to be his pauper turned into a princess by his word alone.

You hate that! Hate him yet he is between your legs drinking from you while you wish you could pull on his hair— Fucking soft looking hair.

His eyes are sharp on you, locking eyes with him is a mistake as his fingers suddenly start moving at a relentless pace and his mouth is on your clit.

That was your end, seeing the damn constellation of stars with how hard you cum.

You are not going to be able to recover from this, he might have ruined you forever for another. Jerk. Asshole. Damn bastard!

"Gorgeous. Well done, princess." Then he chuckles as your glare is back but your eyes are glossy from crying. "There is no need for that."

You are a mess, hot and bothered, and extremely needy for more.

He kisses his way up to your chest then kisses your chin with the satisfaction of a cat who caught the mouse. "We are not done yet, but you know this. You aren't done either."

You huff at him though you still are floating on cloud nine of your orgasmic high. His hands carefully untied your legs, soothing them and kissing your thigh as he rubbed the numbness you were gaining away. His eyes on your face, your parted lips, your eyes that stare wide-eyed at him like a doe-eyed maiden— Though he believes a siren-eyed maiden caught in a fisherman's net.

“How tempting you are my dearest princess. It is no wonder others are enchanted by you.” His voice is so elegant and sweet in the way you imagine romance novel men sound like.

Perfect, too perfect, you are going to dig yourself further into his trap.

The other leg is untied and given the same care, but then he lifts your leg, and—Your flustered cheek hurts from how hot they are! He tosses off your slipper, his tongue sliding up the bottom of your foot up your big toe, his mouth on it— Sucking on it— before bending your knee to allow him to kiss his way up to your calf.

“Fumk ah!”

Richard attacks your breasts once more, you are helpless and honestly do not want to fight, everything he does has you lost in the ether damn pleasure. His cock is not even inside of you and you want it so badly— So badly you are saying gagged nonsense as he switches from your breasts to your neck and face. He licks your tears away, lips on your cheeks, the dark chuckle as he avoids your sweet lips.

“Shh, now, have I not been patient and merciful with you? Foregoing your reasonable punishment.”

You nod as you just want him to fuck you already.

“Of course, anything for you as you hold my heart, princess.” He rips open your nightgown with his sharp gauntlet. “I will ravish you here, upon your bed, upon mine, anywhere your shameless heart wishes.”

The kiss on your nose has you in tears, well, more tears of frustration and need. He looks at you with affection and false pity.

"Now, my princess," The cloth tugged down to hang around your neck, "Beg with that filthy mouth you like to use to berate your knight."

Oh, you do, with a sobbing cracking voice, you beg for cock. Beg and debase yourself for him to finally fuck you the only way he can possibly could give.

"Good girl." He stands up leaving on the floor looking up at him like a savior promising to soothe your misery.

"On your chest, princess, and show me your ass." Vulgar word coming from him only makes you wetter— If that is possible. You do your best while lying down and rolling over the floor, you cringe at how sticky your breasts are on the cold floor. And pushing your legs under you to display not only your ass but your glossy dripping cunt to the fire.

"Magnificent..." Then he slaps your ass from the bottom near your pussy, "A taste of what you will receive if you test me again, my princess." He enjoys your shout of pain and lust from his firm strike.

You are so happy to hear the unbuttoning of his trousers, to hear his feet moving and the thump of him dropping to his knees. Better is his gauntlet-covered hand grabs a hold of your hair as he rubs his very hard and ready cock between your lower lips, his groan when the tip of his cock catches your twitching hole.

"Richard, please! Please, my knight!" Calling to him. He pulls your hair as his other hand guides him inside the paradise he knows well.

This is the point of no return he wants you, the point where he could do anything and you will take because so long as that quim of yours in full; and he will do anything to you. The last piece of rope is a short-lived mercy as the knight yanks off your robe revealing the deep dip of your nightgown.

The growl at the sight exposing the reality of your nightwear is far more revealing than the current ones of his time, anyone could— Have— Seen you like this.

Your arms are fortunately sore but not numb, your hands scrambling to grab onto anything as he moves at a fast and brutal pace— It hurts yet it is amazing! You cannot shut up, moaning and saying his name, you do not care if anyone passing back hears.

Richard just must not stop, never stop, you say it to beg him to not stop fucking you so damn good.

“That's it, perfect, princess.” Sounding equally as affected by this, by him thrusting into you like a rutting mutt.

“Richard! I'm so ah close!” It is too much yet not enough, “More, everything, please!” Broken sentences of desperation, the laugh behind you as he lays upon your back covering your body. All you feel is him, all you smell is him, all you want is him. His hand goes between your legs, you lose your voice as he rubs your sensitive cilt bringing about your end.

It doesn't stop even with you black out for a second, he keeps going with you on your back and him holding your legs together over his shoulder. He looks so handsome like this; his eyes shine with his fulfilled promise of sin, and his swollen bottom lip from biting down on it, the sweat on his forehead as he gives you everything. You cum once more but now with him, the sensation of his cum filling you up reminds you how grateful you are unable to get pregnant in this cursed manor.

The only good thing about this place, is no more menstrual cycles (though the ovation horniness is still there) and no pregnancies.

You both are out of breath, eyes locked on one another, he doesn't pull out. Richard parts and rests your legs down before kissing you, your legs lock him close as he starts touching you again and you fight to get his clothes off.

Richard finds him enjoying your “bratty” behavior, he gets to see how far you go to get the attention you want from him. It has its time and place, and yes it is childish, but he finds that so long as he has you over his knee— Well, you are inspired to behave for a while.

“Princess.” Kissing your hand as he finds you in the library putting away some of the books you borrowed, “Are you preoccupied at the moment?”

“No, why?” Placing the last book back, “Dick!” He pushed you against the wall-mounted bookshelf with both your hands against the shelf.

“Knight or Richard.”

“No Daddy or my Lord?” Being your usual self, “Is my Lord in a good mood if he is wearing his armor.” Winking at him. You like the Red Knight armor set though it is a pain in the ass to get it all off— Not that you want it off of him immediately!

“He is but her highness should address me as ‘sir’ for I am only her,” Sliding down onto his knees, “Modest knight.” You keep your hands in place as you watch him enjoy the benefits of you wearing a summer dress, one you usually wear to tea with Emma and Melly.

“Here?”

“Here.”

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Boys Prelims - Propaganda Division - Group 3

Propaganda:

Gene -

"Has a special interest in film and almost works himself to death because he doesn't think his film is as perfect as he wants it to be. He completely botches a project on purpose, an action blockbuster, because he felt like it wasn't respecting the thing he loves the most."

Kei -

"It was the scene in which Makoto and Nao discover that he was able to stuff so many wild plants into his bookbag bc there was literally nothing in it that sold it for me. I can't put it into words. I just see that and I know. I know that boy is autistic."

Arthur -

"His powers are literally fueled by his special interest in knights and chivalry."

Euini -

"I relate a lot to his social anxiety, especially his performance anxiety that occurs when he's being watched by people, particularly due to his stress at needing to follow the plan/do things the "proper" way in order to not feel like he's a failure. he also stands like a lil autistic kid and i appreciate him so much for that.

(LIGHT SPOILERS) basically, he has a test that he needs to take in order to advance as a witch, and he keeps failing it because he cant perform properly while being watched by other people, even though he knows the "right" spells to use and why he's supposed to use them. on his third attempt of the test, he's prepared a "script" to use so that he can follow it and not worry about failing in the moment (in this case, his script is a hand-written book of the proper spells to use and the order in which he's supposed to use them), but when a part of the exam changes, he's no longer able to follow his script. because he's been taught all his life that there's only one proper way of doing things, his way of thinking is very rigid and he's not able to deviate from his plan without panicking. luckily, one of his fellow examinees (richeh from the autistic anime girls poll 💕) is able to convince him to try and change the way that he does things to something that is more attuned to his personal needs- basically change the way that he casts his spells and which spells to use so that he doesn't need to struggle with doing things in the way that everyone says that he should; the way that he cant seem to manage. but, even before richeh helped him with that though, he was still finding way to modify the "proper" spells a little bit to better suit his weaknesses. he was trying so hard to fit in to the mold that witch society gave him, but it just wasnt right for him and he was making it work however he could."

Westar -

"something something Westar's entire character is an anomaly amongst the other denizens of Labyrinth in that he's a big goofball in a world where everything is dictated to the extreme by its ruler. if that's not an autism metaphor of some kind I don't know what is."

Sousuke -

"Sousuke Sagara is an ex-child soldier turned teenage special ops who has to go undercover at a high school to discreetly bodyguard another student. The only problem is that he has no IDEA how to act like a "normal" teenager. Sure, you can say that a lot of his mannerisms come from the whole "raised as a child soldier" thing which, fair, you could make a decent case for (C)PTSD. However, he's also extremely serious and has notorious flat affect and does not understand when other people are joking at all. He's incredibly literal; there's several scenes where he misinterprets what someone says, like the time he asked the art teacher what a model was supposed to do and got a rambling flowery metaphorical response about "becoming one with nature" so he ran off to hide in the woods. Another thing, his social skills are… lackluster at best. He's very blunt, and also a terrible liar for an undercover agent, when the student in question confronted him his strategy was to repeat the same phrase over and over again. One time he's challenged to see if he can pick up any girls, and after a brief misunderstanding his "improved" flirting tactic was to jump in front of them and say "Hi! Would you like to know the names of defense agency spies?" Speaking of, Sousuke has an obvious special interest in the military tech and giant robots he works with. He reads their magazines for fun and was able to rattle off the specs for a model Russian tank. The first time he actually looks happy is when he accidentally starts infodumping in front of the class while introducing himself. One time he got distracted on a mission (and need I remind you, Sousuke takes his job VERY seriously) because he found someone who was also interested in the giant robots and got into a full-on conversation with them and completely forgot what he was doing. It is IMPOSSIBLE to read this boy as allistic. And sure, he might be a little stiff, but he's also very caring in his own awkward way. One time he gave a girl flowers as an apology gift…because they were poppies and he told the girl she could get rich by selling opium on the black market. The "picking up girls" challenge mentioned earlier ended with him helping a grandmother pick out a toy for her grandson. He agreed to pretend to be someone's boyfriend for a day (it went exactly how you'd expect, but it's the thought that counts). In conclusion: stan Sousuke Sagara. and vote for him too."

Katsuhira -

"His entire thing over the course of the entire show is that he doesn't feel pain or emotions like other people. He isn't 'interested in himself' or other people (low empathy) and doesn't realize that the things that happen to/because of him do effect other people, he doesn't realize when people have a crush on him or want to be friends, and all of this is stuff he kinda comes to realize as the show progresses. He struggles to care for himself physically because of the lack of physical and emotional input he experiences, and his friends canonically often cook for him and have to remind him to eat, and is a bit picky about what he eats. He cannot read social cues to save his life and is very blunt and honest when communicating with others, and doesn't talk with much tone or emotion in his voice."

John -

"Is very loud and passionate and says everything he thinks out loud, not understanding why others may see that as weird. Has difficulty controlling his volume, so he's almost always shouting."

Yuuri -

"So he models his entire life around the first celebrity he gets a crush on. He's takes up that celebrity's hobby, he gets the same kind of dog that his crush has, and he definitely has his bedroom wallpaper with his crush's face. But then, he actually meets his crush. And his crush likes him back. Naturally he panics over this and proceeds to deny it for months until his crush straight up kisses him. Then like a day later, he just, buys a ring and proposed to his crush on the spot. He's the guy ever. He's so socially awkward, yet somehow still incredibly cocky."

Yoshimori -

"Baking special interest but does Not Get math my beloved."

[hellcheer-heaven]

After my latest s4 rewatch, I told some of the highlights to a friend who hasn't watch ST (and wasn't planning to; the genre isn't their cup of tea). When I reached the part about the aftermath of Chrissy's death, I said that I found particularly funny and infuriating that Jason accused Eddie of being a cult leader when he himself acted like one, rallying up his crownies and eventually getting the town on his 'hunt the freak' scheme. Then they said "oh, like Gaston?". Not saying BatB Hellcheer au (bc I personally don't like the Disney version and Beast's backstory is too further away from Eddie's) but there were def too many parallels between Jason and Gaston in canon, there would've been more than a few between Chrissy and Belle has she lived, and the most glaring one would've been their relationship once appearances were cast aside and Jason showed his true colors. What do you think?

I can definitely see what your friend and you meant by the parallels between ST/Hellcheer and BatB! I pretty much saw it after my first re-watch of season 4. I’ll try my best to explain using the disney version here while I give my two cents, and I’ll divide the sections with pictures too.

Town Hero

Jason and Gaston are quite similar, given that they're seen as the town hero that many people adore. Their looks, skills, charm, and being at the top of the pyramid allows for a large portion of the town to trust them wholeheartedly. They're seen as "perfect,” , thus they "can do no wrong" in the eyes of their peers. When they deem the Beast and Eddie as threats to their way of life, many people blindly follow whatever they say because Jason and Gaston are seen as a beacon of safety and hope. These "perfect" men found the answer to what's been plaguing the town of terrible things, so who better to follow than the self appointed leader who promises to get rid of the "threat" in order to make things right again.

“It’s Time to Follow Me!”

In terms of having a partner, Gaston’s interest in Belle is more for social status and as a means to boost his already inflated ego. He’s obnoxious and boastful, seeing Belle as another trophy to display in his already amazing life. He’s mean, but not bloodthirsty.

It's only later on his villainous intentions are revealed when he sees that the Beast is indeed real. When he hears how Belle speaks so positively about something so monstrous looking, that threatens Gaston's only chance of taking her for himself. His anger/jealously fuels him to use his power over the people to get them to do whatever he wants. This time Gaston is out for blood, cementing his change into a metaphorical beast.

As for Jason, a part me does believe that he did love Chrissy very much. He fell into despair the moment he heard about her death, so I don’t blame him for experiencing such raw feelings of loss and anger. He couldn’t bear the fact that the love of his life is gone. He wanted answers, he wanted justice to be served in the most twisted manner possible, and he was willing to do anything to avenge Chrissy’s death.

That of course doesn’t justify his decisions to beat up Eddie's friends, make a speech to get people on his side, and threaten to shoot Lucas and Max. I don’t know how religious Hawkins is, but I can imagine that many were not too keen on anything having to do with D&D and metal music even before the mysterious murders started happening.

Jason found his “answer” by pinning Eddie as a “satanic cult leader” for both Chrissy’s and Patrick’s horrible demise. He already has his preconceived ideas about Eddie, but Jason was past the point of reasoning and fanned the flames of hysteria. Cementing his metaphorical transformation from man to beast just like Gaston. In fact this short passage from "The Mob Song" sums up the dangerous side of mob mentality.

We don't like What we don't understand In fact it scares us And this monster is mysterious at least

Bring your guns Bring your knives Save your children and your wives We'll save our village and our lives We'll kill the Beast!

Something There

Now let’s look at the couple. While Eddie and Chrissy were given just a little bit of screen time together, you can absolutely see the chemistry between them during the bench scene (honestly all that scene was missing was a musical number). It felt like the beginning of what could have been a wonderful story between them. Sadly we'll never know if they could have just been friends or friends to lovers. But that's the beauty of fanfiction, people can create a world of what could have been. I'll share some headcanons (combo of ones that I’ve read and my own) regarding what might have happened if Chrissy and Eddie were allowed to live for the rest of the season.

They're both lonely, which surprises the other because they both seem so happy whenever they cross paths.

They learn to look past their already established preconceived notions about each other based on their social circles. i.e. Cheerleaders are mean girls, metalheads are vicious.

They both need to wear a socially acceptable mask in order to fit in with everyone around them.

Chrissy had a secret crush on Eddie growing up and still does. She's been told to steer clear of him because he's "dangerous," but that somehow still makes him attractive. So when she sees that he's actually a huge goofball, that doesn't diminish her feelings towards him.

Eddie is a hopeless romantic. He may have "cynical eyes," but he believes in things like "love at first sight" and "love conquers all." This of course blinds him to the reality that sometimes relationships aren't as cookie cutter like in a fairy tale.

They would share bits and pieces of what it was like for them growing up, which again surprises the other. Yet this helps to strengthen their relationship.

The two of them learn to see that there's more to each other than what's on the outside, which if it was done well would have made for a beautiful story.

Anyway I hope I was able to answer your question as best as I could.

[luna-rainbow]

Thoughts about this quote from AM about how Sam doesn't trust Bucky and will probably never completely forgive him for being the Winter Soldier?

Here's the link to the tweet I saw (I don't know how to include screenshots sorry 😭😭):

https://twitter.com/DianneR_99/status/1785867853238833641?t=NUhkilfwG2guZQx31-b82g&s=19

It's apparently from the official Marvel Studios' collector special TFATWS book.

Why is it so hard for people at Marvel to acknowledge that Bucky is a victim not some reformed villain?

(Also please feel free to ignore this ask, I know people have been dogpiled in the past for being slightly critical of AM and the last thing I want is for you to get hate because of me.)

It’s okay I think I’ve blocked most of them, or they’ve gotten tired of dogpiling me and blocked me. If I’ve missed anyone feel free to announce yourselves to get a block 😌

Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

I’ve said in other asks about AM’s comments on Bucky, I never blame an actor for not understanding the nuances of another character. That’s not his job. Understanding Bucky is the job of Sebastian Stan and the writers.

However, I know it’s tempting to compare him to CEvans, who had always spoken so affectionately of Bucky. Remember that Bucky’s story in the movies was complementary to Steve’s, meaning that CEvans had to understand Bucky's tragedy in order to understand Steve’s pain and guilt. To CEvans/Steve, it was important that Bucky was a wronged hero, because it rationalises why Steve would go such lengths to help him. For the entire trilogy, Bucky, and particularly Bucky's suffering, was very much impetus for Steve’s personal journey and growth. I've talked about the narrative motifs in other meta and I want to emphasise I don't mean this from a shipping lens - I mean that thematically, events that happen to Bucky have always been a major driver for Steve to make important narrative choices, and it is true even if you see their relationship as platonic.

Which…I guess brings us to the crux of the disk horse that brought about this tweet. No, Bucky is in no way important personally or narratively to Sam. Sam doesn’t grow or change because he cares about Bucky, although fortunately at least Bucky’s TFATWS arc involves him growing because he cares about Sam. We know Bucky is not personally or narratively important to Sam because of what AM has just said — Sam will always see Bucky as the guy who tore off his wings and kicked him off a helicarrier. Not a WW2 war hero, not a prisoner of war tortured into blank amnesia, not a survivor who had to rebuild most of his identity ground up, not a veteran living with PTSD without any social supports. These same views are echoed by his fans, who will scoff at everything I’ve said above and say we’re trying to “woobify a white fave” without knowing what woobify means. Sam does not care about what Bucky has been through, we know because the writing of the story has told AM that it is not important to understand who Bucky is or what Bucky has been through. All AM needs to do is to banter with this guy like he’s still annoyed at him over an incident 10 years ago when he had amnesia.

Again, I don't blame AM for this, because he can only work with what the writers have told him about the intended relationship between Sam and Bucky. And to be fair, he plays it like it is. At no point does it feel like Sam values or trusts Bucky beyond "annoying guy I put up with for work". I know some fans like to point to the Louisiana scene as proof that Sam trusts Bucky and has him as part of the family -- which would be great fanon if 1) AM didn't just contradict that and b) Sam spends most of the deleted scenes calling Bucky "the Winter Soldier" like the guy had any say in the moniker. And no, Bucky confessing his deeds to Yori is not Bucky reclaiming his identity as the Winter Soldier.

This is not an indictment on the ship, by the way, because you can wrangle canon to make it work, and shipping has been built on far less. I've got nearly 50k words on AO3 proving I've tried. But TFATWS canon is full of things happening off camera and the truth is...we never saw mutual trust and affection on camera between the two men. We saw two guys perpetually annoyed at and annoying to each other, and AM just gave the reason why.

[charlottesbookclub]

Armitage Hux Headcanons

okay so I'm back at it again with the Hux brainrot. I was hoping to do another little fanfic tonight but I just don't quite have the creative energy for that rn, so instead I decided I'd finally collect all the random Hux headcanons that have been living in my head rent free for years and finally send them out into the world.

General Armitage Hux headcanons below the cut since this got a little long -- oops!

he hates being cold when he sleeps since it reminds him of his childhood. arkanis was cold and rainy, the ships that took them into the unknown regions were cold and sterile. so now that he has his own private chambers, he makes sure to keep a pile of blankets on the bed.

his mother was a baker and was particularly known for her breads. when armitage was little, she would cut slices of warm bread, smother them with butter, then dust sugar and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves on top (or whatever the space equivalent of those are). because of this, the smell of bread and/or spices always reminds him of his mother, although aboard first order ships, it's not something he smells often.

he was bullied pretty ruthlessly at the academy. his slight frame, unique hair, and status as a bastard were all mocked and taunted almost constantly. he tried to ignore it most of the time, feigning indifference, but it actually fostered in him a deep-seated mistrust and fear of his peers.

following off that, he struggles to make personal connections with members of his crew. not that the first order really encourages that sort of thing, but friendships and other connections are pretty much bound to happen when you live and work with the same group of people. so he sees that other personnel are closer with each other than others, but whenever he makes an attempt to be more than strictly professional, people always seem put off. this is mostly because he has had so few friends, so he's incredibly awkward and unsure of what to do in a social situation (he's just like me fr fr). it's a vicious cycle.

the visual encyclopedia for tros said that pr*de was friends with both br*ndol and his wife (altho I deny that most of tros happened, just putting that out there. Hux Lives). this is just another reason that he hates pr*de, bc when he came to visit, he would join in with armitage's father and step-mother in belittling him.

he is constantly picking at the skin around his fingernails, often without even realizing he's doing it. this is another reason he prefers to wear gloves at all times when in the sight of others, so no one can see all the tiny little infected cuts on his fingers where he pulled the skin away. this is very much a symptom of his anxiety/paranoia. (also, this one is just completely me projecting lmao)

whenever he's planetside, he struggles to sleep (not that he sleeps very much or very well anyway, but it's even worse when he's planetside). he always assumed it was just the change of environment, which does account for part of it. but actually it's the silence he can't stand. on the finalizer or whatever other ship he might be on, there is the constant whirring and humming of machines. air circulators and the huge engines that keep the whole ship running along with the chatter of droids and the myriad other machines that all contribute to a thick blanket of white noise. the absence of it makes him uneasy, even though he doesn't know that it's the lack of noise that gives him the feeling of being unsettled.

he considers the huge polished war ships of the first order to be his home, but he does think about the sea on arkanis sometimes. fleeting memories will come back to him in dreams, or when he's collapsed in a state of semi-consciousness after overworking himself again. he remembers the crashing waves, the waters that shifted from deep blue to slate grey, the smell of salt on the wind, the screech of seabirds high above, the feeling of the sea spray on his cheeks and the waves lapping at his feet. he dreams of it and, although he will never admit it, he misses the sea.

that's all I have for now! but there are always more lmao. I'd love to hear anyone else's opinions on these or any other headcanons that you might have for our favorite ginger general 🧡

[breitzbachbea]

Could you answer ALL the questions for pady

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING ABOUT PADDY, I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO GET TO KNOW MY FUCKED UP OLD MIDDLE AGED MAN.

Ask Game for someone's OCs

✨- How did you come up with the OC’s name?

Babyname website, ten most popular boys names in Ireland all time. I don’t know if I picked his surname from a similar/the same site, but I must assume so. Et voilà – Patrick “Paddy” O’Neill!

🌼 - How old are they? (Or approximate age range)

Born on the 2nd of May 1965 in canon. He’s 48 in Irish Problems, the first story in the mainseries, which is usually the age range he also appears in in most AUs.

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?

Ohhh, does he ever! My man used to be quite the charmer in his youth! Not really putting the love in love interest, but he had a ONS with Daisy Grey, the mother of Shane Grey, who’s part of Charlie’s gay social circle after he left school. He’s also had a few flings with Þóra, @swabianmapley’s lovely OC and one of the Icelandic subordinates. The list could go on - Ben didn't call him a louser for nothing!

But the woman he ends up dating (if I'll get this far in the main story and stick to it) is Donella Ramsay. She's a middle school physics and english teacher from Glasgow he met on a bender in Dublin, where she has relatives. It's ... an odd match, but it works out for both of them.

Shoutout to his childhood/teenhood friends Kilian MacLeod and Angus O'Malley though! I don't ship them in canon, but I love a good AU with Kilick, Padus or a Derry Trio OT3. Welcome to the worst Polycule this side of the Foyle, maybe in the entire North West.

🍕 - What is their favorite food?

Honestly, I think nothing would top a good full Irish breakfast roll for this man. Something as big as his entire hand, stuffed with eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms ... only acceptable way to start the day.

💼 - What do they do for a living?

Be a menace to society! No literally, he's in the mob. Right hand to Harry O'Connel, the biggest shark in the Irish tank. Aaron O'Connel, Harry's father, was who picked Paddy off the Dublin streets and offered him to work for him. Ain't much of a living with the guilt his job produces but well, someone's got to protect the kids now and make their life cushy.

🎹 - Do they have any hobbies?

He plays the guitar! His father taught him. He also branched into other string instruments and is pretty good at the Banjo. His fiddling is good enough for government work. Needless to say, not only does he play, he also sings.

🎯 -What do they do best?

Being a calm mediator, to be honest. Everyone else always looks to him, due to his experience and Paddy's here to get shit done. Doesn't mean he's always calm or hides his emotions particularly well, but he's determined like no other and very good at both executing orders and giving orders. He's so splendid at being a father to be honest, it's a shame he never had any kids on his own, but doesn't matter - he loves Harry, Soph and Charlie to bits. Adopts every lost kid in need of a dad he can find, giving as much love as his big body can store.

🥊 -What do they love to do? What do they hate to do?

Loves to be a bastard with his children, a carefree ne'er-do-well, hates that to live that life he routinely makes it worse for a hundred other families who're just struggling to get by. Paddy is filled to the brim with guilt, believes God no longer listens to him and that there's no redemption for a man like him.

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

Night out in the pub with friends in Derry; Kilian, Angus, a few others - and the daughter of the Orangeman who's none the wiser that his daughter is hanging with at least one Catholic and Rotten Prods and getting shifted by the latter.

✂️ - What is one of your OC’s worst memories?

Hearing about Kilian's death after the funeral already happened. Kilian's older brother Keith didn't want him there.

🧊 - Is their current design the first one?

It is! I rarely change designs, mostly because the hugest chunk of my characters exist solely as personality and a vague idea of a physical appearance for months, if not years. Paddy had his design pretty quickly because I had to describe him, but I love it anyways. Especially the fact that he's 2 m tall and built like a brickwall.

🍀 - What originally inspired the OC?

I needed a right hand man for my mafia story and I knew vaguely that there's Protestants in Northern Ireland. That's it and as I learnt more and more about the actual situation and nuances of Irish history and identity, it just has made Paddy more and more interesting.

🌂 - What genre do they belong in?

Born to be in a romantic comedy or a GOOFY heist movie, forced to be in Angela's Ashes meets The Godfather.

💚 - What is your OC’s gender identity and sexuality?

Cishetero man as they come, though I make exceptions in AUs for Derry Trio OT3 shenanigans babyyyy. To be fair, too, he's moved in overwhelmingly queer circles due to the job and the kids in the past years that he's not at all fazed by the myriad of gender expressions and sexualities this world got to offer.

🙌 - How many sibling does your OC have?

None! However, he has/had a cousing called Caoimhe, who he loved so dearly, pretty much like an older sister. However, after his aunt/her mother died in a bombing, the family moved away and he never heard from her again.

🍎 - What is the OC’s relationship w/their parents like?

Very good! Both of his parents died in the 80s, sadly, but he loved them very much and they did him. They also were both rather old parents (William O'Neill was born 1917, Davian O'Neill in the early 1920s), so it's sad they died so young regardless, but not out of the clear blue sky. As I said, his father taught him how to play guitar and Davina also always looked out for her son. Paddy wouldn't have left Derry if one of his parents were still alive.

🧠 - What do you like most about the OC?

THE GHOOOOSTS, Paddy is so fucking haunted! He has lived three lives and to not lose the third one, he is willing to dig himself and everyone a grave without a bottom. Willing to do and encourage the worst things out of a deep, deep sense of love. He lost his cousin, his parents, Angus moved to London and then a bomb wrecked his and Kili's flat, so he walked out of town, left Kilian behind who died in the mid 2000s in a car crash. He got taken in by Aaron, traded his morals for a new family and helped raise Aaron's kids. Then Freya, Aaron's wife, dies in childbirth, Aaron's other right hand Ben gets shot in 2006 and Aaron accidentally poisoned in 2009. Once again, Paddy is the last man standing. So if anything happened to Harry, his sister Sophie or Harry's best friend Charlie, he'd kill everyone and then himself. No hyperbole. His actions in Irish Problems underscore that.

✏️ - How often do you draw/write about the OC?

Pretty much any time I work on the mainseries. He isn't in every AU and I also write a lot of one-shots/other fanfics about entirely different corners of the world that have nothing to do with him, but Paddy never strays far from my mind. Since I've been rewriting Irish Problems since 2022, rarely a month went by without writing about him.

💎 - Do you ever see yourself killing off the OC?

I've toyed with the idea of killing Paddy a lot, because he'd be potent drama. But at the end of the day, I could never go through with it because it breaks my own heart far too much.

💀 - Does your OC have any phobias?

Don't think he likes anything about bombs, but that's less of a phobia and more ... being traumatized by a civil war. He's got over his dislike of guns for the same reason, but still loathes most big guns and will not use anything automatic unless you held the man himself at gunpoint.

🍩 -Who is your OC’s arch-nemesis or rival?

Ben was always the man to pick fights and hold grudges, so Paddy doesn't really have any personal nemesis or rivals. Team England can be counted as such, simply because they're Team Ireland's biggest antagonists, but he has no particular bone to pick with Arthur (unlike Harry), Robert (unlike Charlie) or Tahir.

🎓 - How long have you had the OC?

Since 2013! "Like Father Like Son", how the entire story universe is called, was a Hetalia AU I created for an art trade. I needed human OCs for the story and that is how he came about.

🍥 - What age were you when you created the OC?

14. Insane shit.

Here's a drawing of him done by @pyromaniacqueen!

[inneskeeper-receipts]

Threatening legal action is a common tactic abusers use, especially when the person they abused comes forward about the abuse. This is a silencing tactic. I'm not surprised, I guess, but it is disappointing, and frankly fucked up;

I don't have a cent to my name at the moment, and rely on social services to stay alive because I am disabled and can't hold a job because of my disabilities. Fighting with bureaucracy in order to get disability payments and the other accommodations I need is currently my full-time job. Innes is aware of this, because not much has changed since we were together in terms of my finances and overall situation. He would be suing a disabled & impoverished queer trans man.

I am trying to be real about my experiences and what happened to me-- that's a major reason that I've been posting screenshots. They remind me that what happened to me was real, even if it was just online. It's grounding, not to "air dirty laundry", but to have backing proof for what I have been saying. I am not lying.

I was gaslit for so long into believing that it was mutually toxic, no good guys or bad guys but when I looked back at what had been said, there's just... No way that is the case. I literally don't have anything to gain from this except seeing someone be held accountable & experiencing some sense of closure! I am not the one posting my fundraiser link every time I am confronted.

I thought for a long, long time before posting the screenshots regarding Innes' own trauma. I did not want to initially, but I also do not feel it is my responsibility to protect him anymore, and it gives further context and evidence of the zoophilia. I agree, what he went through is fucked up and traumatizing. There's really no other way to put it. But that isn't an excuse to engage in zoophilia, to make zoophilic comments about real life animals, and to talk about committing zoophilia in real life.

The context in which he brought it up was because he had sent me a Gore Magala monsterfucking fic. The discussion was pretty unprompted to be honest, and I was uncomfortable at the time he sent those messages but didn't really know what to say, except that I wanted to be a supporting partner. Again, this was the first time zoophilia was brought up. Not about my own paraphilias or kinks, but about Innes'.

I have not been bringing up the zoophilia in order to hide my necrophilia. I'm not ashamed about having necrophilic fantasies, because I know that they will remain only fantasies-- particularly because the brunt of my fantasies involve me being the corpse.

Despite being kinky and weird, I don't want to hurt anyone in real life just to get off! I think mentioned prior, but there are different classes of necrophilia, some of which are solely fantasies. I'd like to be the more... passionate cathy to someone's heathcliff, you know? & If something does not cause you to harm yourself or others, or does not cause you distress to experience, it's not a disorder or a problem. If it does cause you harm, or cause you to harm other things, then something is wrong and you need to get help.

To reiterate: I don't care what fiction or fantasies someone has. That's not real. I don't care about words on a screen or lines on a page. I care about real harm done.

I do not trust Innes enough to speak with them privately. When I initially came out about the abuse, I told my therapist about the situation, and how Innes had said things would be better "if I had just spoken with him privately". My therapist disagreed: The only thing that would happen if I spoke to Innes privately is that I would be gaslit and yelled at for having the guts to talk about this publicly at all.

Their initial response to this was for them to DARVO me (shoutout to the random person who messaged me about that, I hadn't heard of the term before) and then at every turn they've tried to bring up things about me in order to hide their own flaws and misdeeds.

Our relationship was not mutually toxic. I will admit I probably was not prepared to be in a relationship again; We had started dating when I was still living in a house with my abuser who terrified me so badly I would barricade my door when I slept, and then had few chances to recover from this as I moved back across the country to escape, and immediately began the battle with bureaucracy to secure public housing for both of us. I was constantly trying to find ways to hustle and save money to move him out, while he spent his money on fibercrafts and video games.

He would do things that I found off, but when I'd bring them up, there was always some sort of excuse. The longer we were together the more I felt like I had to form myself into a mold to be what he wanted me to be. I'd be the cat, the bottom, the submissive, as long as it pleased him. The abuse and manipulation was very, very quiet, very subtle. I didn't notice it until years after the fact. There are things he said about or to me that still haunt me, years after. "I would have to be bisexual in order to be with you (intimately)" being one of them.

Also as an aside, just because abuse happened some years ago doesn't mean that the person who was abused should "just get over it" like him, his friends, & his audience seem to want me to do. I do not think for a second that Innes has actually grown or changed as a person but even if they had, that does not negate the harm done to me in the past, nor does it mean I shouldn't talk about it to avoid hurting someone's reputation. How someone responds matters, too.

As I have said many times, I do not think that Innes is an irreparable monster. I think that Innes terminally lacks the ability to take criticism, the ability to introspect, the ability to tell the goddamn truth, and the ability to acknowledge that the people around him are real living human beings and not building blocks for them to get what they want out of them.

These are all things that can be worked on! They're not permanent, unchangeable character flaws! But if Innes continues to have a platform that supports and endorses them being their worst, I don't think that any of that's going to change, and they're still going to be the toxic person I met 4 years ago, but older.

I have found it concerning enough to talk about publicly, because in those years and through my doubts his audience has grown, and though I've had him blocked and his username blacklisted, somehow I would still see posts by him. I saw the entirety of the train derailment saga go down. I saw how he responded, and it was much, much too like what I'd go through whenever I would catch him in a lie.

He positions himself in a seat of authority on here over a variety of subjects that I do not think he has much of a real claim in whatsoever. It is all too convenient, and knowing the details that I do about their personal life I can't help but call all of these alleged credentials into doubt.

Their ego is fed by engagement. I've known this since the start, but in the beginning I really did want to believe that maybe they were a better person and would just be honest. Even bad engagement is still engagement, like how they always respond to hate. They genuinely crave the attention. They were like this when we were together, too.

Their relationship to their online notoriety is inherently an unhealthy one, and I realize now that I've been feeding into it. I have been feeding into my own continued gaslighting. Whenever I struggle, or say what happened to me, there is always a convenient, twisted excuse as to why it was okay to do to me, or how it didn't really happen "like that", or something.

I have realized that there is no "winning" against someone like this, there is no way for me to convince anyone to believe me. I can give all the evidence in the world for what happened to me, but at the end of the day some people will remain unconvinced, even with the most damning screenshots. I have said my piece, I have spoken extensively about my side of things, and I know what is true. The best thing anyone who reads this and believes me can do is report inneskeeper, report their fundraiser, & then block them without engaging. Any engagement towards him is exactly what he wants. I refuse to feed further into Innes' ego.

prev. pin about the author & situation here

tag list:

zoophilia & linking a 17-year-old his nudes

abuse

manipulation

misappropriation of donated money

transphobia

blaming mental health for poor behavior to avoid accountability

lies

how innes affected my own housing stability

archive of this blog (inneskeeper-receipts)

coercive suicide/ideation

[paper--moons]

Regressor!Todoroki Headcanons

(with CG!Bakugou)

In Shouto's case, regression isn't exactly new to him. He's been doing it without realizing for quite some time, those small moments away from his father blurring and lending to a softer self that he can't even remember ever getting to be. Though he never can regress for long, the sparse amount of time is enough of a balm to his psyche that he can continue down the path set before him. A smear of babyspace up to about four and a half, his regression becomes a sanctuary of sorts that help him cope with the harsh homelife he was born into and face what he must do in order to achieve his goal. And it becomes more frequent once he's out from under Endeavor's thumb and living at the UA dorms. All of the sudden he finds himself with a lot more privacy and free-time, despite his studies; this naturally results in more time for his mind to toddle down the rabbit hole of somewhere cottony-soft and safe—where he is no longer Endeavor's little breeding project success, no longer bearing the weight of the expectations of his father and by extent the world, but just a little boy who wasn't created for anyone else's selfish purposes. However, Shouto's level of social awareness isn't exactly the greatest, so he doesn't particularly see any need to hide his regression (And why should he? Mr. Aizawa said it was normal and healthy during that one lecture...). The only reason it takes so long for one of his classmates to figure it out is because he's pretty reserved for the most part. No, the only reason it does get noticed is because he's latched onto a certain someone.

Bakugou is, perhaps, the last person any of them (including Shouto himself) would have predicted he latch onto. But the increase in their proximity as they complete their supplementary hero licensing courses could be to blame. The increased amount of time together and the shared experience creates a familiarity that makes Shouto feel comfortable with him nearby. Enough so that, towards the midway point of their remedial classes, Shouto has started hanging around him more. Or more like trails after him like some lost little kid, Katsuki thinks (especially after having to deal with the elementary school kids the other day, he can definitely see some clingy similarities even if Icy Hot isn't nearly as annoying as those brats). But it's a noticeable change; Shouto always seems to want to walk to classes together now, wants to partner up with him during combat exercises, or even just wants to watch him cook in the communal kitchen in the dorms. Katsuki finds it annoying at first, but something tells him there's more to all of this. Maybe it's the way Shouto seems so trusting as he follows Katsuki's every move with wide eyes—or maybe the "something" telling him is Izuku. Because unbeknownst to either of them, Izuku is getting both ends of the story here and has no trouble piecing together what is going on. And so he hints at it the next time Katsuki starts griping about how Shouto needs to stop following him, only to get hit with Don't be a dumbass, Deku because of course he paid attention in their hero psych courses and...oh. So he is like some lost little kid. Some lost little kid that's picked him for whatever reason. The realization suddenly has him feeling a lot more protective over Icy Hot.

He decides to test if Izuku was actually right the next time their class has a movie night. Shouto has (somewhat predictably, at this point) seated himself next to Katsuki, subconsciously shifting closer as some of their louder classmates playfully argue over what movie to watch. Because arguing is still arguing, even if it is over something silly like whether or not they are watching Zootopia or Big Hero 6. Shouto is surprised when Katsuki asks which movie he wants to watch, and is even more surprised when he gets up to pop the disc into the DVD player. Nobody dares to argue with Katsuki, not with that challenging look he gives before totally ignoring them and flopping back down into his spot on the couch next to Shouto. The movie begins shortly after and the commotion has settled down with only the sounds of crunching popcorn interrupting the opening sequence. He leans into Katsuki's side as the other boy wordlessly offers him his popcorn, doesn't even notice as a protective arm slips around his shoulder when he tenses up as Tadashi is lost to the fire. And by the thirty minute mark, Shouto is slipping a lot smaller and a lot faster than he can remember, his fingers staying in his mouth too long to just be sucking at the buttery residue the popcorn left on his fingers. No one seems to pick up on the fact that he's regressing—no one save for Katsuki, who has been keeping a closer eye on Shouto than the film he's supposed to be watching. It's pretty clear that he's somewhere in the toddler range, though he manages to stay awake until the end of the movie when the rest of the class has either drifted off on the sofas or have meandered to bed. But it seems to be time to go night-night as far as Shouto can tell, and so he naturally toddles after Katsuki.

Baby Shouto, while being as quiet as is typical of his usual self, is not exactly sneaky. That is to say, he makes no efforts to hide the fact that he's following Katsuki to his room on the fourth floor instead of going on up to his on the fifth. But Katsuki pretty much expected this to happen and only gives a few huffs at being followed. Really, this isn't anything too new; this is just the natural progression of what's been building up, if anything. And so he starts to lay out the ground rules about how if Shouto is coming to his room, then he's gotta go to sleep, okay? Of course the baby agrees to this, changes into some spare pajamas Katsuki gives him and...proceeds to sit criss-cross applesauce on the bed and look up at him. Though he feels tired, the idea of a sleepover (his first sleepover!) is enough that he wants to stay awake and take it all in. Not really processing what it is Katsuki is telling him, he's instead looking around the room and processing his surroundings. The room is grown-up in that high-schooler sort of way—there's a clear personality to the room, from the posters on the walls to the way the clothes are strewn around the hamper to how Katsuki makes a point to light some incense after turning off the overhead and turning on the lamp. It actually has a sense of being lived in, a sense of warmth that is comforting and not suffocating, despite being a dorm room. And it is exactly what he always imagined it would be like to spend the night with one of his older siblings in their rooms, had he ever been allowed to. Perhaps it is the excitement of the situation or the novelty of it, but regardless he is (unintentionally) making problems by shaking his head "no" whenever Katsuki tries to persuade him to sleep. They spend a good twenty minutes going back and forth (or at least as back and forth as one can go with a toddle who is nonverbal, which for Katsuki is a surprising amount).

Eventually, Katsuki caves and decides to get Izuku's advice via a quick text. How do I get him to sleep? The text chime on his phone is near immediate as Izuku sends a bombardment of texts. He gets as far as Well, Toshi is usually pretty tired when he's small, but have you tried... before ignoring the wall of texts that he's been sent, and instead of replying types up a new message after casting a glance back at Shouto who is still watching him from the bed. A simpler one, that even Deku shouldn't be able to mess up. Do you have a pacifier you can loan me? And, despite the straightforward "yes or no" nature of the question, Izuku starts listing off colors and patterns. Katsuki tells him blue—only because it was the first one he listed—and finds Izuku at his door not even five minutes later with a small care package containing the promised paci along with a sippy, a throw blanket, and a plush kitty. He takes it with a nod, rolling his eyes at Izuku's encouraging thumbs-up before slamming the door in his face. He'll pay him back for the stuff come morning, but for now he needs to focus on the kid on his bed. Shouto takes the paci with an ease that belies the fact that they haven't done this a million times, makes grabby hands for the blankie and stuffie, and finally lays down when Katsuki tells him Alright, Candy Cane. Bedtime. It's a gentler nickname than what he usually calls him, and even as small as he is Shouto picks up on it with a flare of something warm in his chest and butterflies in his tummy.

Neither of them really talk about it the next morning, as neither are really the type to put things like that to words. Although Shouto is willing to answer Izuku's questions about if he liked the things in the care package or if he needs anything else, but that quickly gets shut down by Katsuki because he is handling it, Deku needs to go take care of his own brat now. It's an abrasive and overly defensive response to something seemingly inconsequential, but the sentiment that yes, he wants to be Shouto's cg is there. And really, that's all that matters to Shouto. Having someone that he can trust when he's so small, someone that wants to look after him and do it right? It's nice. Not to mention it's a lot more than he's used to, even if it's mostly just getting to stay a little closer to Katsuki throughout the day and having him be a reassuring presence. And if any of their classmates notice, they certainly don't mention it; why should they? Plenty of the others regress openly and so it isn't abnormal to see somebody with their paci in the common room. Though it might be a little surprising to see Shouto so little, especially when he's clinging to 1A's resident hot-head (who appears to calm at being able to dote on him in his own way).

While there's a lot that changes between them as Shouto feels out his regression more, the biggest change occurs after Katsuki visits his home during their work study with Endeavor. If he wasn't protective of the kid before he sure as hell is now. Throughout dinner he's making new rules for himself so that he can be better for his rugrat. The dinner also makes him realize a lot of things about Shouto that he hadn't before—like why he likes to watch him cook so much, because apparently it reminds him of his sister. Or why he gets so tickled at having his Baba do something for him as simple as make him his bottle or watch a cartoon with him. He never had any of those things to begin with, and their little trip makes it painfully obvious what kind of home life he has had (or lack thereof, as the case may be). So if Katsuki is extra gentle with him later when all the big emotions that he's been ignoring from his family dinner finally come seeping out? Don't make it a big deal, Candy Cane, he just thought he could use somebody to lean on. And maybe Shouto clings just a little bit tighter than usual and tries to hide away just a little bit more. But again, neither of them feel the need to put anything in words—there's comfort to be had in the silent understanding they've developed.

[sage-nebula]

I've decided to make my own post because I am not an idiot, but full disclosure that this post is 50% based on thoughts I was having while I was driving home from the auto repair shop yesterday and 50% a response to a post I saw just now that conflated "redemption arcs" (things fictional characters go through in fictional stories) with "community support" (things real life people offer to other real life people in real life) and how this relates to "fixing people" (making someone who mistreats or abuses themself or others not mistreat or abuse themself or others anymore).

Read my words very carefully.

In fiction, it is more than okay to like whatever type of toxic or fantastical relationship you want. If you like to read stories about toxic, codependent people who are absolutely horrible to one another and will never, ever change, you read those stories. If you like to read stories about a tortured man who just needs The Right Person to teach him to be better, and then he is, sometimes exclusively only to them though, then you read those stories. Sometimes you want to read stories where the main character says "I can fix him" and fails spectacularly, and sometimes you want to read stories where the main character says "I can fix him" and succeeds spectacularly, and either way, you read whatever stories you want, whatever makes you happy, I'm sure it's somewhere in this vast Archive that we call Our Own.

However, in real life?

First of all, "arcs" aren't things real life people have. An arc is something that has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Real life people don't have those, because our stories don't end until we die. Unlike a character, whose life presumably continues even after their story ends (except in circumstances where they die at the end but you know what I mean), we have to keep living day by day, with all the rises and falls that come with it. Now, this does not mean that a person cannot change, or that a person can't get better and learn from their mistakes; but it DOES mean that we can't have a "redemption arc" where we complete a checklist of story beats and then suddenly we're a better person who has experienced the necessary growth to be forgiven. First off, no amount of growth or change ever requires any victims to forgive. And second, that's just not how life works. That's not how change works. Change and growth are baby steps taken each day, and sometimes you go backwards, and you get angry with yourself, but then you pick yourself up and you try again the next day, and the next, and the next. It's an ongoing journey that does not end until you die. That's life.

But second and more importantly, the real idea that I think the original post was trying to get at, but missing the mark on was . . . okay.

So, the original OP of the post (and the person who replied to OP) got angry at the idea that the strawman they had invented (the person who had theoretically said "you can't fix him!") would deny support to someone who needs that help to grow and change as a person. The person who had replied in support of OP added that the strawman clearly believed in punitive justice over rehabilitative justice as well. On the surface, I can see where they are coming from. After all, on the whole humans are a social species and do need support networks in order to not only thrive, but survive. People such as drug addicts need support and assistance in order to get into better places in their lives, and the prison system has been proven to be far less effective at preventing repeated offenses than rehabilitative programs. This is all true.

However.

The reason why "you can't fix them" is still true, and needs to be said and understood particularly by those who are susceptible to falling into abusive relationships (e.g. people who have been abused before, particularly in childhood or adolescence) is because of free will. Specifically, the free will that each of us has, but specifically the other person. Person A can want so, so, so badly to "fix" Person B so that they stop being an abusive alcoholic 75% of the time. But if Person B doesn't actually want to stop being an abusive alcoholic (even if they say they do during the 25% of the time they aren't smacking Person A around), and refuses to put in the work that it takes to become sober and be a better person, then guess what? Nothing Person A does will ever make them be a sober, non-abusive partner. They will be unable to fix Person B. It doesn't matter how much time, energy, money, or commitment they pour into that person. It doesn't matter how much they genuinely, honestly, earnestly love them. Because unless Person B wants to change, and will put the work into doing so, then they will not change, and Person A, for their own health, safety, and sanity, needs to exit that relationship.

Now, does that mean that if, ten years down the line, Person B decides they are ready to put in the work to get their alcoholism under control, no one should help them? Of course not! They should absolutely be put in touch with sober counselors, support groups, medical professionals, friends and family who can help them. Person A could potentially forgive them, if Person A chooses. But that willingness to change and put in the work has to come from within Person B first.

I've been in the position where I've seen people in awful situations just tanking their lives, people I loved and cared about, people I begged to just listen to me and get help, only for them to not . . . and ultimately I had to accept that I couldn't fix them. I could be there to offer support when they were ready to fix themselves, but the core work that needed to be done had to come from within themselves. I couldn't provide that. Not because I was inadequate, not because I didn't love them, but because I couldn't force them to do anything they didn't want, or weren't ready, to do.

So at the end of the day, "you can't fix them" isn't about not giving support. It's about recognizing your limitations as a human being. It's about knowing that:

You cannot force someone to do something they do not want to do.

You cannot force someone to do something they are not ready to do.

Not being able to help or save someone is not a moral failing of yours.

Not being able to help or save someone does not mean you do not love or care about them.

Providing support should never come at risk of your own health and safety, physical or otherwise.

When you love someone, it can be really hard to accept this. You think, "I know I can make them want to try. I know I can inspire them to want to change. I know they love me, so if I just love them a little harder, they will want to change." Nine times out of ten, though, that is just not true. And if someone is abusing you, it is not worth the literal risk to your life to keep trying. You are worth more than that. You are more than just someone else's band-aid.

Keep yourselves safe in 2024.

[reluctantjoe]

Murder is Easy cast and creatives tease Agatha Christie thriller that "balances deduction with seduction, humour with terror"

England, 1954. On a train to London, Fitzwilliam meets Miss Pinkerton, who tells him a killer is on the loose in a sleepy English village...

England, 1954. On a train to London, Fitzwilliam (David Jonsson) meets Miss Pinkerton (Penelope Wilton), who tells him that a killer is on the loose in the sleepy English village of Wychwood under Ashe.

The villagers believe the deaths are mere accidents, but Miss Pinkerton knows otherwise – and when she's later found dead on her way to Scotland Yard, Fitzwilliam feels he must find the killer before they can strike again. Because for a certain kind of person, murder is easy…

Mathew Baynton - Dr Thomas

Who do you play?

Doctor Thomas is a man with a certain position in the community, which he very much enjoys. And the arrival of Fitzwilliam puts a spanner in the works as far as he’s concerned in terms of his place in the village. And that causes him some real problems…

What do you find most interesting about your character?

To say that might spoil things! Without giving too much away... this is a man who cares really deeply about his status and a man who is very privileged, and any challenge to that privilege he’s going to get very defensive about. And he may be interested in certain theories that I think are an armour for him to defend his status. One of the most interesting things for me is trying to understand why a person like Doctor Thomas could be drawn to that, and why a person could truly believe in it.

Is it accurate to say that you enjoyed the costumes?

I mean, the costumes are just fantastic. It's rare in modern life that you get an excuse to be tailored and I'd get a few looks today if I walked around with high-waisted trousers and the rest of it. But I can get my kicks out of it when I'm being filmed in an Agatha Christie. It's a good excuse.

Why do you think small, quaint British towns and villages make such a good setting for a murder mystery?

I think the picture perfect little British village suggests serenity and order, and so that really lends itself to the idea of murder disrupting all of that. Causing chaos. I think there's something about the fact that it's so pretty and organised, and then something chaotic happens in the middle of it.

And why do you think mystery stories and tv shows prove so enduringly popular?

I'm going to parrot a theory that a friend of mine told me and take credit for it, which is that there's something really comforting about the fact that you watch the mystery, often a terrible thing, get solved, and then we can all sleep easily. The idea that someone will come along, figure it all out, wrap it all up in a bow, the bad guy goes away and we can all go to bed and tuck ourselves in and feel like the world is put to rights. I think that's the story people like because it has such closure to it and comfort.

Murder is Easy also examines the British class system and shows how the social roles were at the time, doesn’t it?

I think it's easy to forget that each new generation does not arrive with an in-built hard drive, pre -loaded with an understanding of social history or history of anything in fact. And so stories are powerful and important. Not just in a glib way, but this is how generations of people come to understand the world that they live in. For a lot of people, their exposure to history is through dramatic storytelling on the screen. So it is good that those elements are woven into the stories that we tell because, well, what's the famous quote? Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. I've paraphrased it very badly, but that's why it's important to shine light on all areas of history, but particularly on those elements where we can revise history – and when I say ‘revise’, I don't mean in terms of changing history, but in terms of getting it more correct. Many people were airbrushed out of history because they weren't the ones who got to write it.

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

I’ve been thinking about what Harry’s next release will look like as well. I’ve noticed several comments on recent pictures of him about him looking “straight” or that he’s no longer queerbaiting or pointing out the difference between his streetwear and performance wear, and it got me wondering about what his best next options are. Can he carry on similarly to before and continue to dodge questions about his sexuality and claims of queerbaiting? Can he continue to find success without lore? What would be an interesting move for him aesthetics wise? I’m very interested to see!

I think it's an interesting time to speculate

I sort of dismiss out of hand any comments about him looking 'straight'. There is nothing about the way he has been dressing this year that is different from the way he has been dressing for years. Baggy trousers and a patterned woolen vest is a combo Harry has worn a lot. Why pay any attention to people who think it's a new look?

Part of the reason that I find that so frustrating is that the fact that Harry's engaging with men's wear is not news. Harry has always principally engaged with men's wear - and as I've been saying for ages - it is a bit frustrating that everyone seems to ignore that. But my slightly grudge is probably not the most interesting question here.

To me the most interesting question is where does Harry stand now - and what are the challenges he faces? (there is another question of how him and his team might see things vs how they might look from the outside - but that's for another day).

@statementlou just reblooged a post I wrote about breadth of fandom vs depth of fandom. And I think as trends of accelerated it can be put even more simply. There are two basic axes that impact a career of an artist - one is the number of people who will spend money (tour tickets, merch, and particularly albums as merch) and the other is people who will give you attention (streams and therefore singles charts, social media attention, and ultimately the feeling of being important).

Harry's career is at the moment defined by having had both at a very high level, but also the second half of 2023 showed that having a lot of attention can be a challenge to navigate and can create risks. It also doesn't seem inevitable to me that he will be seen as culturally relevant in the same way when he releases his latest album.

I don't think there's been much change or much risk when it comes to people who spend money on Harry Styles. He'll easily sell enough albums for his album to be seen as a success. I was wondering about tour - but then I watched this video - and I was like - oh yeah people love this and want this. Harry will have a very successful tour next Northern hemisphere summer - with everything that means in terms of both people go and people experiencing it on social media.

The risk then is in the attention part of being in music - and I think here there are two risks - one is that he's not seen as relevant and that's some sort of failure. And the other is that he does get a lot of attention and its negative in a way that's damaging.

One thing I realised while thinking about this - is that quite core to Harry's mainstream attention (as opposed to the buying things fandom) is that each of his albums has had a song that spoke very widely to either how people felt (SoTT and As It Was) or how they wanted to feel (Watermelon Sugar). And those songs allowed Harry to connect to the attention audience, without revealing too much about himself. Although I think it's important to note that Harry has always had lore - he's never had success without lore.

Ultimately I think there are two questions - one is does Harry have a song that speaks to the moment his album is going to be released and what is he going to say or not say.

I think it's useful to put any discussions about queerbaiting in that context in order to not overly inflate it. Basically I think if he avoids any uncontrolled interviews where people press to ask about his sexuality while pretending they're not - then it won't really be an issue. Those are the real flash points. If he doesn't do a profile, or if the only profile he does is in a safe (Rob Sheffield) pair of hands - then I think it's unlikely to be that big a deal. There are other approaches - he could say something new and specific that draws attention or he could come out - but both would be a pretty major departure for him. I think it's wiser to assume that Harry will keep doing Harry, while understanding that people first change

Finally, it's possible that his new album might be more on track with Fine Line before the pandemic than Harry's House. It's easy to forget now that Fine Line was a modest success initially. It was number 3 on the UK charts, selling 10,000 copies less than HS1 (the numbers in the US aren't really comparable, because of the various ways that Billboard gets jacked with merch, tickets and so on). It did have legs - but it was the Watermelon Sugar video that really moved both Harry and the album up in terms of attention. If it hadn't been for the pandemic things would have gone very differently. But Harry would still have had a solid career. Reaching the heights of the attention economy is a mixed blessing - and it's not usually the attention economy that creates the financial base for an artist's career.

[leonsliga]

Thanks for posting the previous question. I'm glad the conversation was there about it too. Maybe he has no choice but to be friends with this guy. He doesn't have a lot of power in the club. Especially now. And truth be told, everyone else around him is also doing the same, but is just not asked about it. How this situation is different (from the other where he is more open about rights etc) is that his social standing within the club could be affected, or his career, more so when the club has taken the same stance in promoting Boateng's fitness and quality. Leon's response particularly, seems to parallel that same narrative, so it might be media-trained. On the other hand, his views on general opinions have nothing to do with the club, and they cannot hold that against him, even if they disagree. Regardless. as disgusting as the allegations are, I don't think Leon is a person who would condone that type of behaviour. and I don't think it undermines the amount of work he's done for the world. and his own personal actions have been nothing but role-model-like. he made a very big mistake with his words here. but I don't think he's a bad person.

Whether you post this or not, just know it's okay to still be a fan of Leon for all that he's shown to be right now, and Bayern as well, if it brings you joy and comfort.

Thank you so much anon omg 🥹 I feel so fortunate. I know a lot of times the internet can be a hateful, unforgiving place, and that only makes me more grateful that here we have a place where we can discuss things like this critically, without biting each other’s heads off. You’re all remarkably kind, and I want to thank you for that. It’s a deeply important virtue, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. Thank you for making this space a safe one; that’s all I ever wanted when I made this blog 💜

You make very good points. Considering Leon’s performances last season, I do think he suffered a loss of favor within the club, at least to some extent. He’s slowly but surely gaining that power and influence back this season, but since favor is a fickle thing, perhaps he felt he couldn’t afford to swim against the current on this particular topic. It’s an interesting theory.

I’m glad you brought up the club’s position on Boateng as well. I mean, every time the media came knocking, they always cast him in a positive light, previous actions be damned. I think that influenced Leon’s responses. How could it not? It’s far from the same situation, but we saw what happened when Manu called out Bayern’s sacking of Toni Topalović; his career and standing within the club hung in the balance. Leon’s a smart guy; perhaps he thought it better not to risk that, especially when he was just starting to regain the club’s trust. For all we know, Leon may hold entirely different views on the matter, but he had to stick with a media-trained response in order to present a united front with the club, especially when his teammates were doing the same.

The more I’ve been thinking about this situation, the more I agree with you. I have to think that given everything that Leon stands for, he wouldn’t condone abuse and assault. He’s never struck me as that type of person, given how outspoken he normally is on matters such as this one. I think that’s what makes his statements so difficult to digest; they contrast so heavily with how we’ve all come to see him. A poor choice of words on the spot doesn’t necessarily make a bad person—at least, I don’t think it does in this case. It definitely doesn’t change all the good that’s stemmed from his social and political activism, and it doesn’t detract from everything he’s done in the community. There’s just no way. He’s still the same person that takes time for his fans whenever he can.

I don’t know if you knew this or not when you sent me this ask, but these are precisely the words I needed to hear right now. As silly as it might sound, I’ve been struggling tremendously with whether or not I want to continue posting Leon content. I just didn’t want to act like nothing happened and like I agree with his take on Boateng. But I think (or at least I hope) I’ve made that clear, and as disappointed as I am in him, at the end of the day, he’s still the guy that makes me smile the most—who’s still a (sometimes) overly serious little goofball. I’m not the type of person who can just set that aside. He still brings me tremendous comfort and joy, as does Bayern, and I won’t pretend that they don’t. If I did, I would be lying to myself as well as to all of you. I’m still a fan of Leon’s, and I just wanted to thank you for reminding me that’s ok 🥹❤️ I appreciate it more than you know, just as much as I appreciate you taking the time to write me this ask. You’re a true sweetheart, and I can’t thank you enough for just being you <3