#like please keep people who are still deeply struggling and find it difficult to Be Happy in your heart okay?

[sunsoak]

Honestly i do really appreciate this new trend of being happy and joyous whimsy and shit that has appeared on tumblr because it is a really wonderful thing to aspire to, and it’s really amazing to see so many people genuinely healing. But i really don’t like those posts that are acting like you are a scourge on society and the people around you if you’re like. Visibly and obviously depressed/suicidal/whatever and having a bad time. Like there’s an in between here…… not everyone is always going to be happy and whimsical and enjoying the beauty of life all the time….. sometimes mentally ill people are still going to act mentally ill…. Did you guys forget that… please don’t forget that… we are still trying

[marleemutt]

TLDR: im a black trans artist who can use some help right now following the sudden passing of my only sister - her doberman is now the responsibility of my parents and we can use help for his food, supplements, toys etc.

Kofi (help me send Chewy orders to my parent's house)

Wishlist (literally send him things like toys, treats, etc.)

⬇️ more info ⬇️

hey guys

some of you might be aware of this already, but early October, my eldest sibling & only sister suddenly passed away due to a seizure, she had been dealing with epilepsy her whole life.

this has been incredibly difficult for me, and my family. her passing was incredibly sudden, she was only 30.

for the past month or so ive been struggling to find any motivation to draw, and barely able to work.

she was the incredibly devoted owner of a doberman named Remi(Ramsey). Me and my sister traveled 4 hours to pick him up three years ago. He's a goofball who tears up socks and needs constant supervision. My parents love him, but I can tell he is a lot of work for two people who have fulltime jobs and have lived long lives.

I'm going to try to help them take care of him as much as possible, I feel that it's the least we can do to honor my sister's memory, since she loved him so deeply.

My sister always wanted a doberman, for years she would watch videos about dobermans and talk about them to anyone who would listen.

Remi wasn't easy to raise - I shared a room with my sister when she got him in 2020, she still worked a 9-5, five days a week, so I was his nanny for most of his difficult childhood. I was his chew toy for the first year of his life about - but that only made him bond closer to me. If he wasn't following my sister, I was choice #2. Dobermans are "velcro dogs", they were bred to guard their owners, and because of this, they are fiercely loyal. I've been moved out of my parent's place for going on 3 years, and my sister had just moved with Remi out a few months prior to her passing.

A week before my sister's sudden passing, we had to board Remi at my dog daycare job while my family and I took a trip out of state. When dropping him off, although he was happy to see me again for the first time in months, the moment my sister turned her back to him he began to panic. He got through the boarding all right but my coworkers told me he would cry and wait by the door for me or her. When my sister picked him up, they said he jumped all 80+lbs into her arms.

Since my sister's passing, Remi has been directionless. He's with my family, people he trusts, but he's bored, confused, and heartbroken. My sister would often take him to the dog park, social events, on runs, etc. but my parent's can't do that in their age. If my apartment allowed large dogs, I would take him, but I can't, and I see him maybe twice a month if possible.

Ramsey's Christmas List

I made a christmas list for him of things that might help my parents better take care of him. We're trying different food brands out because he struggles with frequent stomach issues, and we can't seem to figure out what food my sister was feeding him. This list is by no means a necessity for him, but I tried to add things to help with his boredom and keep him stimulated when my parents can't give him all their attention.

i do want to state that my family is capable of providing him with the essentials to live, we arent irresponsible. i would just like to help my parents out since a 3 year old 80-90lb doberman is a lot of work to be suddenly placed on them soley. And I worry for his health and well-being sometimes - Remi has a tendency to eat/tear random objects when he's bored.

please consider donating whatever you can. Everything goes directly to him.

thank you for taking the time to read this, and possibly reblog if possible. ❤️

[karatekels]

can you do a kk3 terry smut when the reader is being really bratty and Interrupted an imprint phone call and he has to punish them and can you add after care to the end too

I’ve had my eye on this prompt for quite some time! I’m incorporating in an idea from my NSFW alphabet for Terry (The W, specifically), since people seemed to like that little fantasy and I wanted to flesh it out. Thank you for the request, and I hope you enjoy!

TW: Rough sex (very rough sex); oral sex (male receiving); breath-play; waterplay(?)

---

Bath Toy

---

Your nails scrape the slippery tile of the bathroom floor as they fail to find purchase, your body again surging over the edge of the bathtub. You let out a soft whimper of pain as the lip of the tub presses into your ribs, and try your best to keep quiet.

“What?” Terry snaps into the phone irritably, thrusting into you at the same time.

 “Don’t bullshit me!” he warns, his free hand pressing down more firmly on the small of your back, keeping you in position as he fucks you from behind.

A whine escapes your lips as he enters you at an especially deep angle, your wet hair sticking to your face in damp strands. He reaches forward, the hand moving from your back to grab a fistful of your hair, tightening in warning.

Terry’s favourite fantasy of late was taking business calls while he took you, usually bent over his desk in his office. This was the first time you had tried it in the tub, and you were finding it a lot more difficult to stay quiet in this position; everything about it was too dirty, you felt too used, and the urge to moan out his name desperately was growing with every single one of his thrusts inside you.

“What do you mean you can’t dump it in Borneo?” he scoffs, using his grip on your hair to pull you into arching your back just the right way for him. “Who in Borneo knows what thoride sludge is?”

He takes a moment to take in the sight before him: rivulets of water trailing down your skin, your ass and pussy sticking out just above the clouds of bubbles in the tub, both slightly pinker in colour from the heat of the water and his attentions. Your face – what he could see of it, anyway, turned away from him and bent up to the ceiling as it currently was – was a mask of ecstasy, and he knew you were close.

He also knew you were struggling to keep quiet, poor thing. You were doing your best, and it was an admirable effort, but he was in no mood to let you off the hook; he needed to vent some of the frustration building up in him, and you were the perfect vessel to take it out on. He gives a particularly brutal slam of his hips, making sure his cock is rubbing against every single part of your cunt, and holds himself there.

“Ahh, T-Terry!” you cry out softly, your voice cracking. You miss the wicked grin he gives you.

Perfect.

“Just do it.” He orders, pulling out of you slowly, and despite yourself, despite knowing what’s coming – you broke his rules, after all – he hears you whimper at the loss of him inside you. Such a good girl.

“Do it!” He snarls into the phone, moving his hand to the back of your neck, keeping your head down, keeping you bent over the tub for him. You shiver, though the water is still warm.

“Call me when it’s dumped.” He hangs up the phone carelessly, and stands up so he can lean over you, delighting in your shiver of anticipation.

“Baby girl,” he pants in your ear, tsking you, “we’ve talked about this.” You arch up into him, eager to explain yourself, to justify your actions.

“I’m sorry, Terry, I tried!” you cry out desperately, and he loves hearing the sincere ring of apology in your voice. Always so keen to please him, and always so penitent when you felt you’d left him anything but satisfied. His perfect little fucktoy.

“I know you did, baby,” he croons, making sure to blow cool air along your shoulder, watching goosebumps appear in its wake. You whimper, and he inhales deeply, as though he were trying to swallow the sound. Your sounds of pleasure were practically indistinguishable from your sounds of pain, and he loved hearing both equally.

“But you fucked up, Y/N. You made noise, and you know you’re meant to keep quiet when I’m on a call, don’t you?” He releases you, and you immediately turn in the water to face him, sitting across from him, on your knees on the seat submerged beneath the water, the perfect little submissive.

Christ, he was going to marry you one day soon.

He reaches out to trace your mouth with his thumbs as you nod in reply to his question, not taking your eyes off of his face.

“Yes, Sir,” you murmur against his hand. He resists the urge to stick his thumb in your mouth.

The phone rings again, echoing throughout the bathroom, and he beckons you forward with a finger. You stand between his feet obediently, and he wraps a foot behind your knee, pulling you down until your knees hit the bottom of the tub, your head the only thing still above the surface.

“Two taps on my leg if you need me to let you up, and you’d better be half-drowned if I do,” he reminds you between rings of the phone. He knew you were too stubborn to use the safety measure, though – you felt like you deserved this punishment. His cock throbs at the very thought.

He reaches for the phone, bringing it to his ear.

“Yeah? Right, Margaret, where were we?” he asks. Normally his secretary would just bring her typewriter into the bathroom, unfazed by his nakedness, but ever since you came along he had found far more enjoyable things to do in the tub than ironing out correspondence details.

His other hand comes to the top of your head, fisting your hair once again, and you manage to take a deep breath before he pushes you completely under the water. Margaret asks him about the Grand Jury, and he considers the issue as he feels your mouth around his cock, the hot velvet of your mouth feeling exquisite.

“Bribe them, as usual,” he replies, guiding your head up and down on his length. The woman chastises him over the phone, scandalized. If only she knew what you were up to right now, he muses, grinning at the thought.

He pulls your head up and out of the water, and you do your best to keep quiet as you gasp for breath.

“Lighten up, Margaret,” he says, speaking louder to cover up any sounds you’re making. He doubted the woman would say anything even if she had heard something; even if he had you screaming his name like a mantra as he railed you during a call. Margaret was the epitome of discretion.

“Who’s the DA on the case?” Terry asks, shoving your head back down. You hear his side of the conversation, muddied by the water as you suck him off again, feeling deliciously naughty. The lack of oxygen, the loss of control, the need to be quiet, all of it had your body practically buzzing with need as you took your punishment. You would worship his cock, worship him, until you drowned if he wished it of you. God, if you didn’t love Terry Silver with everything that you were.

His grip tightens in your hair, his hips bucking up slightly to push himself further down your throat, and you know he’s close. Gripping the tops of his thighs, you seal your lips around his cock, keeping the water out of your mouth, and he thrusts into you one final time, filling your mouth with his cum.

He releases you, and you emerge from the water, breathing heavily through your nose until your heart rate returns to normal before swallowing every drop of him. He’s since hung up the phone, and is looking at you with dark eyes and approval, and you feel like you’re glowing with pride.

Terry extends a hand towards you and you take it, letting him tug you over to him. You float through the water, nestling sideways on his lap, laying kisses on the crook of his neck and feeling his chest rumble approvingly.

“Such a good girl, Y/N,” he coos in your ear, and you smile, happy to have pleased him. “You did such a good job, you handled that so well…”

Terry was always sweet and caring after being particularly rough with you, especially after a “punishment,” and the juxtaposition between the two made you melt like nothing else. One of his hands trails down to your thighs, the other supporting your back as you sit on his lap.

“Do you want me to get you off, baby, or do you just want to relax?” He asks, and if you could melt into him further, you would. You know he could have you coming for him in minutes, but for the time being you were content to just float in his arms, letting your body relax after the intense session you’d had.

“Relax, please,” you reply, slurring slightly. Terry using you always left you exhausted in the best way. He chuckles, and you feel the vibrations in his chest again, and he readjusts you, bringing you to sit between his legs with your back to him. Grabbing your favourite scented soap and a sponge, he sets to work, lathering your arms and torso and washing you, pausing to massage out any tension he feels as he goes, causing you to let out pleasurable moans that have his cock twitching against your ass.

You giggle, and he twirls his finger around in a circle in front of you, telling you to turn, and you obey, moving to the other side of the tub and reclining against the outer edge, arching your back to keep yourself floating at the surface.

Terry washes your legs and your feet slowly, almost reverently, and you faintly wonder how many other people have had billionaires bathe them before. You truly were the luckiest woman on earth, you think, looking at your love through half-closed eyes, feeling completely blissed out.

Terry sets the tub to start to drain before climbing out of the tub, toweling himself off quickly while you bask in delight. Feeling the water getting low, you sigh, standing up and letting Terry wrap you up in a fluffy towel and his arms.

Guiding you out of the bathroom and to the cushioned hope chest at the foot of the bed you shared, he settles you down, moving to collect your hairbrush and climbing onto the bed behind you. He combs out your wet hair until it shines, neither of you speaking, content in the silence, and loosely braids it into a ponytail, the way he knew you preferred.

You’re practically a puddle of satisfaction at this point, and he seems to sense this, lifting you effortlessly onto the bed with him, smiling down at you.

“Pyjamas or no?” he asks, amused by your sleepiness. In response, you wordlessly reach down and tug his towel off his hips before discarding your own, and he laughs, gathering you in his arms once again to slide the covers down before depositing you back on the bed. A brief catnap with your lover and you would be as good as new, you knew from experience.

Managing to slide further down the bed, you tug him in after you, letting him tuck the two of you into the blankets before tucking yourself further into him, snuggling into his embrace. For someone so strong, Terry was remarkably cuddly, and you nestle into his chest, twining your legs around one of his and letting out a noise of contentment. Terry’s arms come around you, caging you in comfortably, and he leans down to kiss your forehead before resting his cheek on the top of your head.

You’ve long stopped hoping for good dreams as you fall asleep, knowing that your dreams came true in the waking world.

[imariejoyce]

Your lessons made me my best self...

an open letter I made few years ago, to the one that got away...

Dear YOU,

As I sit down to write this letter, I find myself reflecting on our time together with a sense of peace and gratitude. You were the one that got away, but contrary to what many might expect, I don't really have any regrets. Instead, I feel a deep appreciation for the role you played in my life and the lessons you taught me.

I still clearly remember how we used to make plans for our future, working around the time difference to stay in touch and connected. After we broke up, I frequently thought about what might have been if we hadn't abandoned those dreams and plans. We crossed paths when I was still figuring out who I was and what I truly wanted from life. In many aspects, you represented both my strengths and weaknesses. You challenged me, encouraged my growth, and made me see the potential within me that I hadn't recognized before. Our relationship was not without its struggles, but it was within those struggles that I found the most valuable lessons. I learned about patience, compromise, and the importance of communication, especially since our relationship was long-distance.

When our paths eventually parted, I won’t lie—it was incredibly difficult. It took some time for me to move on, and each morning when I wake up, it felt like there were bricks on my chest; I could hardly breathe. Time seemed to move so slow, and all I could think about was why it happened despite all the effort I put into making it work. But then, one day, the pain faded. I began to see our separation not as a loss, but as a necessary step in my life. Our time together became a turning point for my personal growth, motivating me to strive for a better version of myself, to become the person I always had the potential to be. For that, I am deeply thankful to you.

Looking back now, I can honestly say I'm grateful for everything we went through. You were an important chapter in my life, one that greatly influenced the person I am today. My world used to revolve around you. I believed I was a strong, independent woman because I thought you'd always be proud of me and never leave if I kept proving myself. I don't regret it, though, as it pushed me to achieve a lot in life. While it wasn't the healthiest motivation to strive just to please you, I'm still thankful for the experience. But as that chapter ended, a new one began. In this new chapter, I've discovered a new version of myself, someone who realized that I never needed to please anyone to feel worthy. I now know that I can be my best without chasing after someone’s approval; instead, I should pursue my dreams for myself. Through this phase, I've learned that by doing so, I’ll attract the right people and the right energy into my life. I discovered my own resilience and realized that love is not just about finding someone who completes you but about finding someone who complements you—someone who helps you become a better version of yourself.

I slowly opened my mind and let my guard down, allowing others to know me better while also gaining a deeper understanding of myself. Because of the lessons I learned from our time together, I can now say that I am wiser and have a clearer sense of what I truly want in life. So, to you, the one that got away, I want to say thank you. Thank you for the lessons, the memories, and the motivation to keep growing. I wish you nothing but happiness and fulfillment in your life. Our paths may have separated, but the impact you had on my life will always remain.

Sincerely, ME

[momentomori24]

Ok, so I just finished chapter 4 of Master Detective Archives: Rain Code a day ago and I absolutely LOVED it. There's so much to talk about in this chapter but what I want to dive into is the book of death, the rule of the Mystery Labyrinth and Shinigami and Yuma both in this chapter and in general. My thoughts are inevitably going to be all over the place and I haven't proof read it so bear with me here (also I haven't seen anything about chapter 5 yet so no spoilers for that please).

MAJOR SPOILERS WARNING UP TO CHAPTERS 0- 4 UP AHEAD:

The Mystery Labyrinth and Shinigami are, to me at least, one of the most fascinating aspects of the game. The purpose of both is to uncover the absolute truth on a higher power; cut and dry, no morality or consideration for the circumstances needed. The Book of Death grants whoever has their hands on it to-- best described with Number One's mindset-- discard all emotions to reach a perfect deduction. Murderers, regardless of why, who and how, are punished as such, recieving the death penalty for their crimes every time. But not only is that logic deeply flawed, but also extremely hypocritical and put in the hands of humans with no right to wield it.

Throughout the game we see Yuma clear Labyrinth after Labyrinth and even though he exposes the absolute truth each time, he clearly struggles from the weight of his own power and the damage he causes. Yes, he's able to save others like Kurumi and the Watchmaker by solving cases, however he's forced to deal with the guilt of killing the culprits as a consequence. Take those Aetheria girls for example. The Labyrinth condemned them as murderers for killing Karin. By its rules, that is the absolute truth and only they will solely be punished. But we know the actual truth is that they resorted to what they did because of Karin killing Aiko and with Kanai Ward being the way it is, her death would be swept under the rug with no justice served. They're guilty, that doesn't change no matter what the motive was, but we as people can empathise, try to find a solution appropriate for their circumstance based on real world discernment. Same with Yakou. Led by the nose and egged on by Yomi, he killed Huesca, the man who murdered his wife for nothing more than a way to keep her quiet because she posed a risk to his position. In the Mystery Labyrinth, he was deemed the perpetrator and killed (if he wasn't already dead). That is what it considered the 'truth', but what it blatantly ignored was Yomi's involvement in whole thing. How he instigated Yakou's crime by sending him that letter and the items he needed, knowing full well he'd take the bait. He hired Fink the Slaughter Artist to stab Yakou and cover his tracks. All the atrocities and immoral acts he's commited long before the case even. In the face of higher power, he was deemed innocent, solely for not having the blood of Huesca directly on his hands (nevermind everyone else he's most likely killed). Yakou and the Aetheria girls have done something terrible, but at the end of the day they were people placed in difficult positions with no other options to get the justice they so desperately needed in a place like Kanai Ward. And yet, they're still judged the same as Icardi, the Nailman, the Worshipper and imposter Zilch-- hitmen and serial killers and traitors and inspired murderers that have taken the lives of others for less justifiable reasons behind their actions.

And Shinigami's perspective up until chapter 4 is no different from how the Labyrinth functions. Minus Yakou, a person she grew to care about, she enacted the same execution on every culprit because to her there is no difference between them. What we see as tragedy she sees as entertainment. What we can understand to be a desperate, broken-hearted victim she only views as another dangerous criminal. She isn't a person; she's a Death God on a much higher plane of existance, so she doesn't feel the need for compassion or empathy or understanding because it's all below her and unneeded to clear the Mystery Labyrinth. Her purpose is to seek the truth and truth only, emotions would only get in the way of that. She understands those principles better than anybody, which is why she can reap the souls of the culprits without regrets. But unlike her, Yuma is a person with an overwhelming amount of empathy and compassion, even towards culprits that didn't deserve it. And because he's human, because he's on the same plane as everyone else, the thought of killing them haunts him because he knows what conditions these people are living under, knows how limited their options were, knows that under the right circumstances that he could've ended up the same. Heck, in a way, he is the same. Where three girls kill their classmate as revenge for killing their friend, he kills three highschoolers to find the truth and save his friend. Where a man takes matters into his own hands before his wife's killer can escape his consequences forever, he exposes the truth at the cost of his life. Regardless of his motive, Yuma has killed people in his pursuit of the truth-- a motive lacking the emotional weight and connection like revenge, or justice, or self-preservation. It's not as if that's Yuma's only reason; he does it because he wants to save others. That's the conviction he needs to see it all through to the end and that's great, but the same goes for every other culprit (except Icardi , the Worshipper and Zilch). They don't kill for themselves, they killed for others and that's what led them down the road they took. And still, he can pass judgement on them in the Labyrinth for an act he himself is committing by solving those cases.

All in all, when it comes to solving cases, making a pact with Shinigami and clearing the Mystery Labyrinth to obtain the truth is a double-edged sword. It allows you to reach the truth of the case and punish the culprit in one sitting, sure, but that's all it is. Humanity and morality are the price for that kind of power. The culprit will never be tried for their crime. Regardless of the motive, they will only be punished with death and you can't get out of the Labyrinth alive without commiting to ending their life in exchange for the truth. You get the truth of the case, but there is no justice to be had because only the one who did the deed is considered guilty without taking all those other factors into account. Yomi is a psychotic, immoral and downright evil piece of shit, yet even the Mystery Labyrinth-- this higher power far above our own-- couldn't punish him because he gets others to do his bidding for him, making THEM the guilty party instead. The Master Detectives with all their Fortes and abilities couldn't do anything to stop him because he's the director of the Peacekeepers with the entire city under his thumb. Martina couldn't do anything to stop him even though she's both his lover (and I use that term very loosely) and the vice-director. It took Makoto, the guy who's literally only one position above him, to take him down. As satisfying as it was to see that scumbag taken down by the system he created with own two hands only to have it turned upside down and be treated with the complete opposite philosophy of what he put on others, what his idea of justice truly was, it just goes to show how the Labyrinth isn't always the solution. The rules it abides by and what it considers the absolute truth don't always correlate with the real world.

Discarding emotions and staying professional is important to reach a perfect deduction removed from bias, but compassion, empathy and good judgement are what is needed to decide on how to handle the people involved in the crimes. Some people are just bad people, others trying to adapt to their environment because they can't do anything else, and those should be treated appropriately and separately depending on what they've done and what their reasoning was. The book of death is far from the correct solution, but here in Kanai Ward it's the only way for mysteries to not be lost with how corrupt the system is. Shinigami has a point and Yuma does too. The Mystery Labyrinth is hypocritical and a power he should not have in his hands, but he has to do what it takes to protect others while still holding on to his humanity and understanding for himself and everyone involved. Both ideals are what it takes to make a great detective and I think does the game does a good job at not making this dilemma all black and white, rather more of a 'necessary evil'. I wonder where he's gonna go from here...

[shirogane-oushirou]

not rbing the post bc they're a minor and i'm not gonna be a hypocrite wrt "no minors" stuff... but i'd never heard the saying regarding how soulmates aren't found, they're made... and it's nice to know the definition of soulmate i've used for years actually has a basis in something ksjdnfkjnsdf. ;;; like i didnt NEED the validation but it's NICE to have.

if i ever use the term 'soulmate' it's that definition. no red strings of fate, no "first word on your wrist when you turn 18", none of that. soulmates should include having the agency to choose.

anyway. ren is my soulmate in that sense KJNSKDJN.

(rambling under the cut idk i just wanted to talk about ren's and my relationship and why i feel so comfy calling him a soulmate despite everything. we couldn't have worked OUT without putting the work IN, but once we do, it's Joever. i love him so much. i can't believe my brain made up a character who's so perfect for me in that he's NOT perfect but in the most complementary ways possible ughhhhh.)

wrt doc!ren, we absolutely Are Not Good For Each Other when we meet. two people internalizing everything and putting up walls and masks, obsessively people-pleasing vs doesn't-say-no-to-anything-to-keep-the-status-quo people-pleasing. he's very good at Playing A Finely Tuned Role and i'm just a fucking Brick Wall 7ft Deep, and it takes a lot of work for us to see that projected falsity in each other... see our similarities behind our differences... open up a bit... find more similarities...

he becomes ill, and we lean further on each other to help with our disabilities. when either of us reaches the "paranoia tells me this is going to end and i should pull back" point of the relationship, the other helps work through the source of their particular brand of paranoia.

just like... a series of "based on prev life experience, i have the exact emotional and physical skills needed to help you become a better person and reach your full potential" momence (tm).

even in r!ren's case, he still has things to work through wrt his anger towards his early life and his struggles to connect deeply with others, and in that story i'm closer to reality (in that i'm in my real life living situation and i'm not as self-assured or as self-sufficient), and that all leads to inconsistencies in what we both think the other person thinks about us. and it takes difficult work... walking through things... and in the end we become so healthy and so close! and we create a joint toolkit for solving interpersonal issues. it takes work, but we become the best people we can be with the other person, not expecting everything to simply work out in the end bc of magical soul bonds or w/e.

idk, the idea of "the perfect soulmate" is just so creepy to me. "they're trying to sell me something and i'm blackmailed by the universe into buying in" vibes..... hence why i love that one post of alice being like "if i'm approached by a perfect prince on a white horse, i'm gonna push him off the horse. eat shit." AKJNSDKJN

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

By the way, for the record, you ARE an excellent writer. I see a lot of you out there falling through the cracks and it really sucks. You guys deserve better recognition. I just write and post occasionally on here to amuse myself, but you guys actually go all out. So, I have to commend you for it. As for feeling rejected…I totally get that. Almost every day, I get another stupid rejection letter from a job position I applied to and it’s been over a year. Gods, I’ve been frustrated, but eh…I kinda got used to it. It still ticks me off occasionally, but ended up learning to take it in stride. Stay strong, okay? Do what you need to do and keep doing what you love on the side. I’m still in your corner cheering.

(Sorry for taking so long to reply! You know my situation, but with some breathing room today and tomorrow, I'm finally trying to catch up on my Asks.)

I must thank you for your unfailing positivity and your support of my work (including many reblogs❣️). The struggle for readers remains very demoralizing, and of course, still being in shadowban prison, my fics don't even show up in a tag search (I have to try reblogging them to my sideblogs and see if tagging them there as 'doctor strange fan fiction', etc will work; if it does, other people reblogging with said tags might help too). I've worked hard to maintain my particular style, and those that like it, find it lush in detail and emotionally evocative (and it's not just all about the smut, either!)--but it seems most of the popular DS writers on tumblr are giving their fans a steady, unadulterated diet of porn. I have a Mutual who writes for several MCU characters, and she's done fantastic work with Doctor Strange stories--but like me, her DS fics have been met with minimal interaction (while her others get lots & lots of love), so that she's basically sworn off writing Stephen. So, I know I'm not alone in my frustration. Although I don't hold much hope that many people will ever read my works, when My Muse visits, I shall do my best to be true to my vision, my stories, and my style.

And now it's my turn to cheer you on. I'm so sorry for the difficulties that you're experiencing in your job search. Those employers that passed you along have no idea what they're missing out on! A lifetime of unique experiences have given you a hard won wisdom, the ability to think out of the box in search of practical solutions to difficult challenges, and a tenacity for more than just survival--

--a tenacity for success, and for doing the most good that you can for others. You may be met with disappointments, but the ability you have to believe in yourself and what you have to offer, will land you the position that you're meant to fill. Hopefully soon!

I value all the advice and tips for coping with my homelessness, which you've sent recently. Please know that I see them--and you--and I deeply appreciate every wise word and your kind reminders that better things lay ahead for me.

[hcartcorruptcd]

RAINA ELYSE MARÍN survived another night. The town would certainly feel less safe without her close by. Not to mention, we can’t lose another HERBALIST, plus she’s only THIRTY-FIVE years old. Crazy to think, it’s been FIVE YEARS since her arrival, though in a place like OLBITUS, it can feel much longer. Good thing she’s staying at the RESIDENTIAL AREA. Almost like it happened yesterday, she still remembers PONCE, PUERTO RICO, and where she came from. It’s no secret, she was DRIVING BACK FROM A SPIRITUAL RETREAT when she came across the tree, and it’s still keeping her up at night. Truth be told, she’s awfully EMOTIONALLY INTUITIVE and GUARDED, but she’s survived this long. Well, it’s almost daylight again; maybe they'll play CHOREOMANIA by FLORENCE & THE MACHINE. Welcome to another night in OLBITUS, please don’t open the doors. (fitz, 27, he/him, est)

BASIC INFORMATION

NAME: Raina Elyse Marín

GENDER: Female (she/her)

NICKNAMES: Rai (pronounced like “rye”)

BIRTHDAY: September 5, 1989

AGE: 35

ASTROLOGY: Virgo Sun, Scorpio Moon, Cancer Rising

SEXUALITY: Lesbian

HOMETOWN: Ponce, Puerto Rico

BIRTHPLACE: San Juan, Puerto Rico

RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY: Espiritista (Espiritismo as core practice)

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s in Psychology, University of Puerto Rico

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

HEIGHT: 5'6"

EYES: Dark brown

HAIR: Wavy black hair, usually worn in loose waves or a messy bun

BUILD: Lean but toned, with graceful posture

DISTINGUISHING MARKS:

A crescent moon tattoo behind her right ear

A small scar on her left palm from a ritual gone wrong

Wears a jade pendant blessed by her grandmother

PERSONALITY & BEHAVIOR

HOBBIES:

Tarot reading

Collecting charms and spiritual trinkets

Gardening (specifically herbs for rituals)

Candle-making

Dancing alone under the full moon

LIKES:

Rainstorms and ocean waves

Spiritual conversations with like-minded souls

Jazz music

Soft fabrics and cozy spaces

Meaningful eye contact

DISLIKES:

Skepticism towards her beliefs

Disorganization or cluttered spaces

Shallow small talk

People who misuse spiritual practices

QUIRKS:

Talks to her ancestors like they’re in the room with her

Knocks on wood three times when she feels anxious

Collects fallen feathers and shells, believing they’re signs from spirits

STRENGTHS:

Emotionally intuitive and empathetic

Resilient and adaptable in difficult situations

Grounded and wise beyond her years

WEAKNESSES:

Can become overly guarded and suspicious of others

Prone to emotional burnout from helping too much

Finds it difficult to admit when she’s wrong

BACKSTORY

Raina grew up in a deeply spiritual household in Ponce, Puerto Rico, where Espiritismo was woven into the fabric of daily life. Her grandmother, a respected espiritista, guided her from a young age, teaching her how to connect with spirits, protect her energy, and honor her ancestors. Raina found comfort in this practice, using it as both a healing tool and a way to navigate the complexities of life.

However, tragedy struck when her mother, who was skeptical of Espiritismo, passed away unexpectedly. Raina felt a deep guilt, believing she could have seen the signs if she had been more spiritually attuned. The loss strained her relationship with her family, especially her father, who rejected her beliefs even further. Seeking independence and peace, she left for San Juan to study psychology, hoping to merge modern science with her spiritual practice.

After college, Raina struggled to find her footing, feeling out of place in both traditional psychology settings and among her spiritual peers. She moved to the mainland U.S., thinking a fresh start might help. But everywhere she went, she felt pulled between two worlds—the tangible and the ethereal. She settled in a small mountain town, opening a holistic healing shop where she offered tarot readings, spiritual cleansings, and herbal remedies. However, strange events, nightmares, and odd happenings that haunted her for months finally came to fruition whenever she encountered the fallen tree in the road after leaving a spiritual retreat.

BACKSTORY BULLET POINTS

Family: Raised by her grandmother, who practiced Espiritismo, and her skeptical father.

Childhood: Spent weekends collecting herbs and attending ceremonies with her grandmother.

Teen Years: Rebelled briefly, distancing herself from spiritual practices, but was drawn back after a vivid dream of her grandmother.

College Life: Earned a degree in psychology but struggled to integrate spirituality into modern therapeutic frameworks.

Adulthood: Moved to the mainland U.S. after feeling disconnected from her family and hometown.

Current Life: Runs a small spiritual shop and has noticed unusual events—like strangers knowing things about her life and dreams that feel more like memories.

WHERE WAS RAINA WHEN SHE SAW THE TREE AND THE MURDER OF CROWS?

Raina was driving back from a spiritual retreat, her car filled with herbs and crystals from the weekend's workshops. She was at peace, her mind still buzzing with chants and affirmations, when she saw the tree lying across the road. The sight of it felt like an omen—too deliberate to be mere coincidence.

As she slowed to a stop, the cawing of the crows grew louder, filling the air with an eerie chorus. Her hands gripped the steering wheel as a chill ran down her spine. Something about the scene triggered an instinct within her, a whisper from her ancestors warning her to turn back.

But Raina, curious and stubborn, stepped out of the car. The crows circled above, their black wings blotting out the sun for a moment. She knelt beside the roots of the fallen tree, tracing her fingers over the jagged wood, sensing a presence lurking beneath the surface—something ancient and angry.

Before she could process what was happening, a wave of nausea hit her, and the world around her began to tilt. Her jade pendant burned hot against her chest as the voices of the crows shifted—turning from squawks to words she couldn’t quite understand.

Something had been waiting for her.

FIRST NIGHT IN TOWN

Raina arrived just as nightfall crept in, her car stalling inexplicably on the edge of the town. With no cell signal and the road behind her seemingly vanishing into mist, she was forced to walk through the streets. She stopped a passerby—a jittery man with wild eyes—and asked how to leave.

"You can't," he whispered. "Not now. Not at night."

His words felt like a curse. Before Raina could respond, the man grabbed her arm and pulled her toward a nearby building. “Come inside, or it’ll find you,” he hissed. She tried to resist, but something in the air—a heaviness, a malevolent presence—made her legs weak with fear.

Once inside, the townspeople treated her kindly but cautiously, as if they knew more than they were willing to say. That night, Raina lit every candle she had in her bag and whispered prayers to her ancestors. Sleep eluded her, and she spent the hours listening to the strange sounds that echoed through the night, realizing that she was in a place where the lines between the living and the dead were dangerously thin.

WHAT DID RAINA LEAVE BEHIND?

Raina left behind her grandmother's home and the small spiritual community she had grown up with. Though she loved her hometown, unresolved guilt over her mother’s death haunted her, making it hard to stay. She also walked away from a budding romance with a fellow espiritista, afraid that opening her heart again would lead to more loss.

Her life before the town was filled with moments of both joy and sorrow—a delicate balance she constantly tried to maintain through rituals and prayers. Now, trapped in this strange place, she fears that even her connection to her ancestors might not be enough to save her.

CONNECTIONS IDEAS

Mentor/Guide: An elderly resident who shares cryptic knowledge about the town's spiritual nature.

Close Confidants: A small circle of townspeople who trust her for guidance.

Rivalry Turned Partnership: A skeptic challenges her beliefs, but they must work together to survive.

Romantic Tension: A lingering attraction to someone around town.

Protector Roles: Raina becomes a spiritual guardian for a younger resident, maybe someone wanting to learn her craft?

[theabsolutebee]

Hi,

I am Amani, and as you know, my sister Eman and I are currently living in the besieged Gaza Strip. We are the only ones left from our family. We live with our children in a tent, experiencing the worst living conditions. We are still suffering and struggling to provide water, food, and other necessities. Basic living conditions are not available, and we are living in extremely difficult circumstances.

Our homes have been completely destroyed, and our future shattered. We no longer have a house or anything we own. We have been displaced four times, facing exhaustion and severe illness, including gastroenteritis, high fever, cough, and amoebiasis due to contaminated water and malnutrition. Despite our efforts, we struggled to find the necessary medicine. Here we are now in the Mawasi Khan Younis area, where the intense ongoing bombardment continues.

My brother created this donation link to help us reach safety and save our lives and our children’s lives. Here in Gaza, we find nothing, and the truth is we are fighting to survive. We appeal to the entire world to move to a safe place where we can rebuild our lives in peace. Travel costs are high, but it is the best solution.

Your support means a lot to us.

Thank you very much for your understanding and assistance ❤️

https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-appeal-help-evacuate-my-family-to-safety

Dear Amani,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your story. My heart goes out to you, Eman, and your children during this incredibly difficult time. The conditions you are enduring are unimaginable, and your resilience is truly inspiring.

I understand the gravity of your situation and the urgent need for support. The loss of your home, the health issues caused by the dire living conditions, and the constant threat of violence are devastating. Your plea for help is clear, and I want to do whatever I can to assist you and your family in finding safety and stability.

I will share your donation link with my network and encourage others to contribute to your cause. It’s crucial that we come together to support families like yours, who are facing such severe hardships. Your fight for survival and desire for a peaceful future are deeply moving, and I hope that with enough support, you will be able to relocate to a safe place and start rebuilding your lives.

Please stay strong and hold on to hope. You are not alone in this struggle, and there are many people who care and want to help. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

With sincere sympathy and support,

THEABSOLUTEBEE

[mi4011amandithewarathanthri]

Assessment 1

TASK 2: Story angles

Lisa Hanawalt - narrative 1

“You know, sometimes I feel like I was born with a leak, and any goodness I started with just slowly spilled out of me, and now it's all gone. And I'll never get it back in me.”

“Oh well, life’s a bitch and then you die right?” “Sometimes. Sometimes life’s a bitch and then you keep living”

- one of these clips from Bojack Horseman as the intro 

(Include animated visual aids to go with the text)

Anthropomorphism can be traced back over 30,000 years ago. As long as there have been stories about people, there have been stories about animals. From ancient Greek myths and Egyptian gods to Disney’s early rubber-hose Mickey Mouse, to most recently the new Puss in Boots movie, personified animals have always been apart of how we express what it means to be human. 

No other animator captures this concept better that Lisa Hanawalt. Her art and more specifically her characters have carved a new niche for anthropomorphic stories in recent years, proving that animals are still necessary for storytelling. Her characters strike this perfect balance of alienation but also relatability that make her stories so effective and deeply personal. 

She is best known for her role as animator for multi-award winning show Bojack Horseman and producing well loved show Tuca and Bertie. Both these shows and most of Hanawalt’s work have always featured her uniquely bizarre anthropomorphic character designs. 

The biggest thing that strikes you about her character designs is the distinct lack of cuteness. Unlike Disney or illumination who make highly marketable and visually pleasing characters, Hanawalt is determined to show us the innate absurdity of what it means to  be a half-human, half-animal being, and it is the preoccupation with the absurd that lends her stories to be so gut wrenchingly human. 

Hanawalt presents the nuances of humanity through exaggerated animal behaviour. Essentially highlighting subtlety through excess. This tendency towards exaggeration, abstraction, and absurdism helps reveal parts of ourselves in a way we rarely ever see onscreen.  

Tuca and Bertie especially reveal womanhood in a way it never has before, through its loud, bright, and unabashed expression of female joy and pain. In this refusal to ‘tone it down’ Hanawalt’s style finds an authenticity independent of realism. Hanawalt shows us that this kind of art style doesn’t have to be reductive. It shows us that simplification can actually bring us closer to ourselves. 

Portraying mental illness on screen is notoriously difficult, with most media veering into gratuitous fetichism of the struggles of mental illness. Hanawalt has cleverly bypassed this trap purely through her use of anthropomorphism and wacky absurdism. By portraying these characters as animals, and in such in abstract manner Hanawalt is able to express complex and often dark emotions without them being overwhelmingly dower or pretentiously gritty or gratuitous. The fantastical elements helps us concentrate on the themes and characters without compelling us to engage in overly depressing, triggering imagery. 

Stylisation and simplification helps us reckon with our own complexity. It flattens out technical details but still conveys something that is immediately readable. By excluding the external workings of things we can get closer to our internal understanding of them. 

Hanawalt’s abstract work allows us to find ourselves in animal behaviour, and I don’t think theres anything more human than that. 

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: Hello, I have query reg typing myself. I have been typed as ESTJ and INTJ. I am very sure I have Te in top 2 in my stack and Fi in last 2. Confusion is about Ni-Se or Si-Ne, I am giving details below for each case.

Ni-Se

I am deep introvert, reserved person. Mostly, in my head. It is difficult for me to be present in moment. In teens, it was way more difficult, I used to be in my head almost all time

I am extremely observant. But it is for people, their voice, tone, facial expression etc. I tend to get feel of what they are not saying but it is there. I have details of such things in memory and I keep on analyzing it almost automatically. It's like I am maintaining profile of each person I meet

People are generally not aware about my deep analysis and observations about them. May be because, I dont express much. If anyone gets to know my thoughts, he is sure taken by surprise

I am good at any mental or cerebral work but too bad at physical work. I dont find thrill in any sports, physical activity. However, it started changing recently. Now, I do enjoy activity like trekking etc

I dont have any Aha moments like Ni has. Or, I am not able to understand that. Somehow, I can see how events will unfold in some cases already.

I can think about big picture or small details. Both with equal skill. Its like I am able to zoom in and out. This is major reason for my confusion for Si or Ni

I need alone time for myself

I like to be independent in general like financially etc

I am ambitious in case of career and want to have strategic role. I do not crave for authority or power over people but crave for freedom of work and decisions in my role

I want to maintain certain lifestyle but it is more for comfort and I am not bothered about status.

Si-Ne

I have good memory and attention to details if my job demands it.

I am not process oriented person but can create process for others and I dont mind following it myself in case it gives maximum efficiency and outcome

I struggle to follow routine. I do things which I like and forget to eat or drink etc if I am immersed in some task like reading book

Once I know something, I will remember it forever. It's like knowledge storeroom. But, I learn things very quickly and understand complex systems to larger accuracy

I can think of multiple options if it interests me. For example, I like to try various fashion clothing, cosmetics etc but this is more like leisure activity for me.

I am ok to discuss multiple options but do not like to keep everything open till end. I like to do sufficient brainstorming and then close things. Closure is important for me. I dont like to leave projects unfinished

If I think myself as teen, I am sure I show signs of Ni and not Te. Te came to me little later around 24 when I started to have busy life. Earlier, I was very lazy. So I feel I have Te and aux and Ni as dom

Somehow, our job demands detail orientation when I was junior level and I guess I acquired it because of need. I am perfectionists as well. That's why I thought I have Si.

Could you please help me with my understanding here.

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

What do you mean you've "been typed"? Who did it? Does it mean you have no idea about the process that was used? The process could've been very flawed for all I know. It doesn't matter if you're "very sure" about Te and Fi, you still need to make the case for me to examine. I can't determine whether the entire stack fits properly unless I can see, in detail, how ALL FOUR functions work together. I've lost count of how many times people have claimed to be "absolutely certain" of this or that only to be proven wrong in the end.

I don't guess at type. I aim for certainty through abundance of evidence. Given that you've provided incomplete information, the most I can say is: 1) ESTJ is highly unlikely since nothing you've said really fits with that stack. As a self-described "deeply reserved introvert", I don't understand why ESTJ is a possibility to consider at all. 2) INTJ is possible but not anywhere near certain. You haven't made the case for the entire stack nor have you provided proof that you've properly eliminated all the other possibilities, so I can't draw any firm conclusion. If you don't follow the submission instructions, I can't carry out a thorough type assessment.

[yhwhrulz]

Today's Daily Encounter Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Honor Your Parents

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you."1

Most of us were raised with the fifth commandment deeply ingrained into our minds' database. Honor your parents. Respect your elders. There is no question that this commandment was among the most repeated. As children, it was pretty simple: we obeyed; we obeyed right away—and preferably with a good attitude. As we grew older and left home, we were no longer required to obey, but still to honor them. We still respect our elders and should still express our love and appreciation. We can do that in a practical manner, whether it be by a call or text to check in on our parents, lending aid when they need it, and caring for them if they need to be cared for. There is no age limit for honoring the people who raised us. In doing so, we are honoring God as well.

If we are walking with the Lord or seeking Him today, then we probably had parents or guardians who sought after our spiritual well-being as well as our physical. The Bible has rules for both parents and children alike. Parents are instructed to "Train up a child in the way he should go, so that when he is grown, he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6), and children are instructed to "…. obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right" (Ephesians 6:1). As parents, it is our job to love our children and instruct them in the right way. As children our job is to take that love and instruction and turn it into honor and respect for our parents. It is commanded of us by God!

For some who had a difficult upbringing, honoring our parents may have been—and continues to be—a struggle. But God is a God of grace and forgiveness and desires for his children to be at peace. Ask the Lord to help you find both, and in doing so, be able to honor the parents who have been undeserving. You will be able to step forward as the person God has called you to be. When we honor God first, we are keeping the commandments and therefore ensuring ourselves a blessed life!

Suggested Prayer: Dear Lord, I have not shown my parents the honor you have commanded me to show them. Regardless of whether I believe they are deserving of that honor; you have commanded it of me. I ask that you fill me with your love and grace, and forgiveness if necessary, so that I might be able to make a conscious decision to honor my parents as is your will. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Exodus 20:12.

Today's Encounter was written by: Veronica B.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by ACTS International, a non-profit organization, and made possible through the donations of interested friends. Donations can be sent at: http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673-0119 U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050 http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2016 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following: "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2016 ACTS International.

[avvail]

Hii~ I hope you've been doing very well!

I have a request

So, how about a dangerously depressed hero x a really concerned villain. The hero has been dealing with self hatred and so has a self distrustive behaviour such as cutting. Villain finds out by noticing scars they didn't cause and look suspicious. Villain taken aback wants to support them and take them to their place to take care of them. Hero is struggling to feel positive but at least they feel warm next to villain who is showering hero with affection and gentle touches.

Feel free to add anything you think suitable, much love to you <33

tw: self harm!!!, minor blood, mentions of minor character deaths

The villain grips their wrist hard enough to bruise, and the hero winces.

They didn’t know why it felt off; was it because they were aware of Hero’s limits? The fact they knew how far they could go to bruise them, to hurt them, to cause them pain they couldn’t deal with? They knew that violent flinch wasn’t because of their grip.

They knew because Villain cared too deeply to hurt them like that.

“What’s wrong?” came their voice, tumbling from their lips before they could stop themselves. Hero’s sunken eyes instantly glazed over, hiding the pain, hiding the fear.

“You’re squeezing my wrist hard enough to break,” they huffed, but Villain noticed they were making no effort to pull away. If they really wanted to, they could. Why weren’t they making an effort to move?

The villain’s eyes darkened, and they shoved the hero back, pinning their wrist against the wall. Hero released a shuddering gasp as the hard concrete winded them, only held up by the villain’s firm chest.

They pinched their sleeve and tore through the fabric seamlessly, the suit fluttering above their elbow. They heard hero inhale sharply, their head hung low, barely even making an effort to hide anymore.

Villain’s breath stopped. “Oh, sweetheart...”

Their skin was riddled with fine scars, some still fresh and beading with blood. It was red raw, and Villain saw the patch where they had grabbed them, at the most recent massacre. Something dreadful pooled into their stomach, a wedge in their throat.

“Fuck you...” The hero croaked. Their voice was wobbling and tears were in their eyes. “Seriously, fuck you...”

“Hero.” They didn’t know what to say. “Why?”

They let go of their wrist, letting it drop to their side. The unmotivated Hero only seemed to slump against the wall, like all the energy had left them a lifeless doll in just a few seconds.

“It’s hard,” they whimpered. “Okay? This job is hard. I-I can’t save everybody and it kills me. The innocent people that have...have died and it’s my fault. All because I couldn’t save them...”

Villain watched as tears slid down their cheeks. Their beautiful Hero. Reduced to a shell of who they had been; they felt overwhelming remorse that it almost hurt.

Hero let out a strangled cry and brought a shaking hand to their face, covering it up haphazardly. Their other hand pushed against Villain’s chest, as if trying to shove them away – they lacked even a slither of the strength.

“People have died because I’m not good enough. It’s not fair, nothing is fair...i-it’s not...”

They gripped the front of their shirt as Villain leaned forward and placed their hands on their shoulders, sparking the hero’s defensive nature instantly. Their head lifted up, tears glittering like jewels under the moonlight.

Villain remarked hearing something about how ‘beauty is pain’. They couldn’t begin to describe how much they despised those words now.

“Darling, listen...”

“Let go of me,” they weakly pleaded, feet fumbling to get away. Villain pressed their lips into a thin line.

“Sweetheart...”

“Stop it,” they begged, voice cracking. “Stop it, please, why won’t you keep fighting? Please, keep fighting, I don’t want to...”

It wasn’t difficult for them to deter their weak attempts, but Villain felt as though they were so fragile. Every touch would bruise, hurt, discomfort them.

“Don’t finish that sentence,” they whispered, voice wobbling. “Please...”

Hero dissolved into a particularly heart wrenching sob that had the villain engulfing them in their arms in seconds. Their legs instantly went weak and they dropped to the floor, limbs entangled, as the hero finally let their tears fall free. All their pain and all their suffering, harbouring inside of them.

Villain never let them go.

Not for a second.

“Death is inevitable,” Villain whispered, their face inexplicably pale. “Stop shouldering the responsibility of other people’s actions.”

Hero was struggling to even breathe, yet they jumped at the chance to bring themselves down. “It’s my fault!”

“You aren’t the one who put them in danger,” the villain argued.

“But I could’ve saved them, I-I could’ve stopped it, I should have...”

Villain rubbed their back slowly. They were shuddering and shivering in their arms, reluctant to embrace such a affectionate touches. The hero didn’t want to crumble under their touch. This was Villain, after all—their nemesis. But their body seemed keen on betraying them, clinging onto them like they were the last person on Earth.

“I can’t even be bothered to save the city anymore,” they wheezed, pressing their head into their shoulder. “I can’t leave my house, can’t get up. I-I can’t even be bothered to shower or make food anymore, but...the city, the city will—”

“You are more important than the city,” Villain whispered softly, more genuine than they expected.

“I have to,” they responded shakily, equally as quiet. “I feel horrible for not wanting to do this anymore...”

“You feel like this because you aren’t taking care of yourself,” the villain pressed gently. “You are not less important than the city. Take some goddamn time off, Hero, and please don’t take on one responsibility and burden after the other. It isn’t healthy.”

Hero sobbed quietly. “Isn’t is what I deserve?”

The villain closed their eyes, cradling them close to their chest as the wind whistled past their ears. “You deserve the world, sweetheart. Put yourself first so you can save it with a smile.”

[kazuchii]

Hihi, can I request hcs for Xingqiu, Venti, Albedo, and Diluc with a gn s/o that seems aloof but they're such an idiot? Like for the first time s/o's bf see's how soft s/o really is and s/o is kinda being a tsundere about how soft they really are. I hope that made sense ashbesjks

Aloof GN!Reader w/ Genshin Boys

A/N: Hellooo! Thank you for requesting! You’ll be my first request so I’ll do my best to fulfill everything! I hope everything seems in character, I really need to get used to writing different personality types.

Synopsis: The Genshin boys discover that their s/o is actually softer than they originally thought.

Characters: Albedo, Diluc, Venti, Xingqiu

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: N/A

Masterlist

Albedo definitely didn’t mind you being distant towards him. I mean, he struggles with interactions in general so he just assumed,

“Oh, they must struggle as well.”

He never saw it as an issue between you since he knew deep down that you deeply cared for him.

He knew you’d always come back to him at the end of the day, he fully trusted that fact about you.

Strangely enough, he found you an intriguing person due to this.

Although the citizens in Mondstadt appear to see him in a positive light, there still are many who fear him deep down. After all, he keeps his secrets zipped up inside him. They know absolutely nothing about him or anything he’s capable of.

But you…you didn’t seem to care about that. And he was thankful for that.

And that brings you to today; a bright sunny day with the rays from the sun gleaming down.

The two of you, along with Klee, were outside the walls of Mondstadt, nearby the lake surrounding the city of freedom.

Today, Klee decided to have a little play date with the two of you. While Albedo was painting away, you and Klee were supposed to play around together.

If he’s being honest, Albedo was a little nervous.

You and Klee had never played together before and due to the distant and cold personality he was used to when it came to you, he wasn’t sure how you’d react with being around a bouncy and hyper child such as Klee.

So when Albedo spotted you playing with Klee, a soft smile on your face, he had a mini heart attack.

Not because he was panicking or anything, but more because he wasn’t used to seeing you smile like this. It made his chest feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Later that day, Albedo made sure to comment on the event.

“Well, it appears you two were getting along fondly.”

“You were watching?!”

“Of course I was watching. How could I look away from that fond smile you had on your face?”

“Shut up!”

“It was very cute.”

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

Diluc and you first met months earlier. You were just another customer at first to him while he was simply a bartender.

Immediately though, he found you interesting.

While his other customers were loud and obnoxious, you would just sit at a table in the corner of Angels Share, minding your own business.

You would only ever speak to ask for another drink, which he would always provide.

“Another glass of apple cider, please.”

He doesn’t know what came over him when he decided he mentally decided to court you. He probably will never know the exact answer either.

It wasn’t the easiest either. Courting you was one of the most difficult things this man has ever done, and somehow he accomplished it in the end.

You were challenging with your distant personality, to say the least. It seemed to him that you wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, that you didn’t see him in the way he saw you.

So when you finally accepted him after weeks, the relief this man felt wash over him in an instant is indescribable.

Now present day, Diluc finds himself heading back to Angels Share in the middle of the night. The moon was directly above him as he silently walked through the city, the only other light source being lanturns.

Due to the drowsiness that he was currently feeling, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he spotted you.

“What in the world are they doing out in the middle of the night?”

But what startled him more than the time on the clock was your facial expression. For the first time, Diluc saw you smile.

Diluc just stood frozen in time as you sat there, rubbing the belly of a stray dog, an empty bowl beside you. He could only assume you’ve been taking care of a stray.

“Who’s a good boy? It’s you, isn’t it!”

“(Y/N)?”

You instantly froze in place, your head creaking towards Diluc’s direction.

“D-Diluc.”

“What in the world are you doing up at this hour?”

“I-I could say the same for you! What are you doing up this late, huh?!”

You shot up from the ground, face beet red.

“I asked you first, love.”

“NOTHING. I WASN’T DOING ANYTHING!”

“That dog below you giving you puppy dog eyes says otherwise-“

“WHATS A DOG??”

Venti was simply just strumming away at his lyre, the sound alluring the Mondstadt citizens around him as he stood at the foot of the Barbatos statue in the plaza.

His eyes were shut as he too, was preoccupied with listening to the soothing sounds.

When his fingers came slowly to a halt, his aqua green eyes peeked open, the sound of the citizens around him clapping filling his ears.

A smile morphed onto his face.

But soon that smile increased in size. Beyond the crowd surrounding him, he spotted you. You weren't doing anything special, just standing there.

“(Y/N)!”

The bard could hardly control the excitement of you watching him doing what he adored.

Although your facial expression read that of a bored person, Venti didn't seem to mind at all at that moment. Instead, he craved your attention.

Soon enough, the bard stood in front of you, his grin somehow getting wider.

"(Y/N)! Did you enjoy the song?"

"It was nice."

Nice? Only nice? Your facial expression said otherwise. Was the song boring to listen to? Did he mess up a note? Maybe it just wasn't your type of song.

Venti's eyes narrowed in thought, his lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed. He wanted you to say something more than just nice, he wanted you to smile for once due to one of his songs.

That is how you found yourself in this situation. Daily, Venti would find you around Mondstadt, play a song for you, and then wait for your response. He wanted you to say something more than the song was nice without a single hint of emotion before leaving.

But each time, that was your answer and Venti was getting annoyed. Not at you of course, but that he lacked the power to make you smile. He’s the Anemo God, but he can't seem to make his s/o smile.

So the astonishment Venti felt when he glimpsed his eyes over towards you after he played yet another song and saw you smiling ever so slightly, he almost dropped his lyre.

"(Y-Y/N)...are you smiling...?"

"Wait what-"

"I saw it! I saw you smile!"

When I tell you Venti was all over the place, I mean it. He was like a bouncy ball with him bouncing in every direction. But he couldn't control it. The pure bliss he felt in that moment took over all his actions.

"I-I didn't do anything. My face twitched."

"You can't lie to me! I saw it with my own eyes!"

The relationship between Xingqiu and you happened almost instantly. The two of you went from total strangers to Xingqiu always dragging you on his little adventures.

It all started with just a single sentence;

"Oh, you like Legend of the Shattered Halberd as well?"

Let me tell you, the look on his face when you said that. He always dreamed of having another person he could converse with when it came to books. So, the moment you said that he wasn't about to let you walk away without learning your name and other books you have read.

A friendship sparked between the two of you. He was one of the only people who would constantly talk with you even if you acted distantly. Soon enough, the two of you became a couple.

He wasn't worried about grabbing you from your home and taking you outside on a little adventure after he just finished reading one of his adventure novels. And of course, he'd always have a book with him during this time. You found that cute about him, but you never showed it.

Whenever the two of you would chat about books, Xingqiu was always shocked whenever you told him you haven't read a certain book.

"You're telling me you've never read The Pale Princess and the Six Pygmies?!"

"Never."

That's when he shoved the first volume in your face, an immediate serious expression on his face. Blinking a few times, you accepted the book from him.

"Read it and then tell me how you feel about it. I can give you the other volumes if you enjoy it."

"Okay."

Xingqiu thought you seemed wary at first to read it. He knew you weren't as majorly obsessed with books as he was, so he internally was just preparing for you to end up not reading it.

He didn't mind it though, reading wasn't for everyone after all.

The following day though, he felt the sudden urge to stop by Wanwen Bookhouse. He just wanted to skim some of the books there, maybe purchase one or two.

But those plans immediately ended when he spotted you. You were leaning against the wooden red railings, the book he had let you borrowed flipped open in your hands. And you were a chunk through it already.

Xingqiu could've worn his eyes were bulging out of his eye sockets because the one other thing he saw was the tiny smile located on your face.

You didn't seem to notice Xingqiu before he was standing right in front of you, a huge grin on his face.

"You seem to be enjoying the book I lent you. Would you care for the remaining volumes?"

You almost dropped the book as a shriek left your mouth.

"Where did you come from?!"

"Well, I felt the urge to stop by the bookhouse and saw you. So, about those other volumes..."

There was a moment of silence between the two of you, your cheeks slightly reddish.

"I'll...pick them up later..."

[mercurygguk]

what a man gotta do? | kth

genre; established relationship au, fluff

pairing; kim taehyung x female reader

summary; what a man gotta do when his girlfriend is insanely adorable when she’s drunk and doesn’t take no for an answer?

word count; 2,488

warnings; mentions of alcohol, a tiny bit of swearing, just soft tae and oc being a cute ass couple that i really adore

a/n; saw a text quote on tumblr, my brain popped an idea. this is it. also, i know nothing about gaming, so if anything i’ve written doesn’t make sense, just ignore it lol. please love it a lot and enjoy!! ps. please tell me what you think, thanks x

There is something so oddly pleasing about having the entire apartment to oneself on a Friday evening. Taehyung has been looking forward to this evening for a week and it is finally here. An entire evening for himself with his gaming console, his friends in his headphones and a big bowl of popcorn beside him. It’s quiet in the apartment as he sets up his gaming spot, fluffing the pillows and setting them up nicely on the couch so he can sit comfortably for the next many hours of nonstop gaming with his bestest friends.

The reason for his night alone is because his girlfriend’s (you) best friend just got promoted to a higher rank in the law firm she works at. She then went on to invite all her friends out for drinks which, of course, included you. Taehyung had fought to keep in his excitement when you had told him of your plans a week ago. You had eyed him down then, noticing the small exciting smile forming on his lips as he listened to your words carefully as if he actually cared. He was just overly excited to finally be able to have a gaming night without interruptions. And it’s not that he wants to sound ungrateful or like he enjoyed that you weren’t at home. He loved spending his Friday nights cuddled up with you, hell, that was his favorite Friday nights. But he’s only a boy, really. And a boy has needs. Gaming needs.

So he walks to the kitchen with a pep in his step as the microwave finishes with a loud ping! He pours the popcorn into a bowl and heads back to the couch where his gaming spot has been set up to perfection, everything in place and ready for him to have a relaxing night of games. He sits back in the mountain of pillows, sighing in content as he places the popcorn beside him before grabbing his headset. He sets it atop of his head, checking the sound and mic. Seconds later there’s an incoming call from his group of friends. 

He picks up with a grin on his face. “Hey guys!”

Seokjin gasps from the other end. “What the hell? Got a night off from the wife?”

Taehyung scoffs and rolls his eyes playfully, a small smile on his lips. “She’s out for drinks,” he explains, “best friend got promoted.”

“Em got promoted?” Jimin then asks, just now hearing about the news of his long-time crush.

A smirk appears on Taehyung’s face. “Yeah, like a week ago. She didn’t tell you?”

Jimin falls silent at his question. Taehyung wants to tell his best friend to get out of his misery and just ask the girl out. He’s a hundred percent sure she’d say yes within a heartbeat. In fact, when Em is here visiting you and Taehyung, she talks about Jimin more often than she’d ever admit.

“Just ask her out already!” Seokjin groans annoyed, causing Jimin to tell him to ‘fuck off’. Taehyung grins, having missed gaming and talking with his friends like this. He saw them a few days ago in person which was nice too, but gaming with them is just so different and fun. It’s been a long time since he has had the opportunity to game for an entire night with Seokjin and Jimin.

“Well,” Taehyung captures the attention of his two best friends, “shall we get started?”

And that’s how the next three hours pass. There’s bickering, arguing because Seokjin didn’t manage to cover for Taehyung which caused Taehyung to get killed. “Come on, hyung! You were supposed to cover for me!”

Seokjin sighs deeply on the other end, calming his temper. “You think I’m a mind reader? How was I supposed to know you’d-”

Taehyung’s phone starts vibrating in his pocket. He pulls the phone from his pocket to look at the caller-id. Your photo flashes across his screen, the wide smile on your face on a snowy day in December. A photo Taehyung snapped one day before Christmas, a day you had dragged him outside and into the snow. The first snow in Seoul in years and you had been so happy that you couldn’t stop smiling, so Taehyung saw it fit to snap a photo of you with his vintage camera which he had brought along.

“Hyung, one second,” he cuts off Seokjin’s rambling, removing his headset to answer your call.

“Hey babe,” Taehyung greets who he thinks is you. He stills, confused as Em greets him back in a rather serious, tired-sounding tone. “Oh, hey Em, did something happen?”

Em sighs deeply. “____ is drunk off her ass. Can you come get her?”

Drunk of her ass? You haven’t been drunk off your ass in months, which is why you being drunk so drunk right now doesn’t come as a shock to him. It’s been a while since you went out drinking like you’ve done tonight, so your body has gotten used to not fighting alcohol. Taehyung runs a hand through his dark black hair, removing it from his eyes.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll come by. Where you at?”

With the information from Em, he hangs up and grabs his headset to put it back on. “Hey, guys, I gotta go.”

Jimin sounds like an unsatisfied child as he whines. Taehyung can imagine the pout. “What? Why?”

“Em just called,” he tells his best friend, “____ is drunk as hell. I have to go get her.”

Jimin mutters an ‘oh’ and so does Seokjin. They tell each other goodbye before Taehyung is shutting off his gaming console and heading for the front door. He grabs a coat from the closet in the hallway, throwing it over the white t-shirt and the green unbuttoned flannel he’s wearing. He jumps into a pair of boots and grabs his keys before heading out of the apartment. 

“Shit,” he swears under his breath as he steps outside, into the cold air of January. He takes long strides towards his car, getting in and turning the key in the ignition. The heat is immediately turned on before he pulls out of the parking lot, heading in the direction of the bar Em told him you’re at. “One night,” he mumbles lowly to himself as he slowly drives around the parking lot behind the bar to find an empty spot, “one freaking night.”

The bar is filled with people, some drunk and some just barely tipsy. The aura in there is happy, void of any worries these people might have on regular days. Taehyung skims the darkness of the bar, trying his best to spot you in the crowd. Soon enough his eyes zoom in on Em who’s waving at him. He glances to her right side, spotting you sitting there with your head resting on Em’s shoulder. You look like you’re passed out and Taehyung immediately finds himself worrying a bit more than he originally had. You never pass out, you just always end up being a slur who laughs a bit too much at anything you find funny in the moment.

“Hey,” Em greets Taehyung. He nods at her in a greeting as he stops in front of them, immediately squatting down to be at your level. He reaches out, brushing your hair out of your face. You look at him, eyes blank and unfocused as you take him in. Thank god, you’re not passed out, just closing your eyes for a few seconds for a short nap.

“Hi baby,” Taehyung coos, thumb brushing across your cheek. You smile sheepishly, a very soft and drunken smile. Your boyfriend has to stifle a laugh as you almost fall over as you sit up. He catches your shoulder with his warm palm, steadying you as he tries to catch your eyes with his own. “Wanna go home?”

You nod, not muttering a simple word other than a low hum as he helps you to your feet. You’re leaning against his chest, cuddling into the warmth of him as he talks to Em for a moment.

“Thanks for calling,” he tells her. 

Em nods with a grin and pats your shoulder as if to say goodbye. “Get her to bed,” she smirks, “she’ll have one hell of a hangover tomorrow.”

Taehyung chuckles and nods in agreement. He bids Em and your other friends goodbye before leaving the bar with you cuddled up against his chest. You’re stumbling alongside him, finding it rather difficult to stand on your own two feet.

“Baby,” Taehyung softly calls, “could you use your legs for a second? You’re way heavier when you’re not cooperating, you know?”

You mumble in response, nuzzling your body even closer to him. “I wuv y-you,” you hum, smiling with your eyes closed as you hug him tightly. The man holding you up can’t help but laugh at you, his heart swelling twice it’s size as you drunkenly confess how you feel for him. Even though he already knew that. Good thing it’s love confessions and not some other kind of confession that slips from your drunk mind.

Taehyung struggles to get you into the passenger seat but he manages. He helps you take a sip of the water bottle Em had gotten for you at the bar. Your head falls back against the headrest of the seat, eyes still closed and lips moving on in another round of mumbles and humming. Taehyung buckles you up before moving to his own seat behind the wheel. He glances at you as he ignites the car. You’re really a sight to see right now. Completely unfazed as you sit in a weird position in the passenger seat, your head lulling from side to side because you have absolutely no control over it at the moment.

“God, you’re drunk,” Taehyung sighs deeply, “let’s get you home.”

If Taehyung thought getting you in the passenger seat was hard, then he had another thing coming. Getting you out of the passenger, however, is a completely different ordeal and then getting you inside the apartment building and into the elevator was probably more exercise than Taehyung has ever done in one day. Ugh, he really hates going to the gym.

The front door is soon unlocked and you’re back home in the warmth of your shared apartment. After the elevator ride up, it’s almost as if you’ve sobered up again. You’re walking better, still holding onto Taehyung, but walking. You’re blabbering now, talking about how you and Em had tested who could drink the most shots in 30 seconds and who could chug a beer down the fastest. Taehyung listens with a small smile, shaking his head in amusement because this is so very much unlike you. But he’s happy you had fun with your friends.

“Oh, you should’ve seen the way I chugged down those shots,” you laugh, plopping down onto the couch as Taehyung kneels down to take off your shoes. “Em could not catch me at all!”

“I’m sure you were ace, baby,” Taehyung hums, grinning now because you’re way too cute when you’re drunk. He’s not even mad that you spoiled his gaming night because you’re too drunk to get home by yourself. This is a sight he would’ve hated to miss out on.

“My head hurts though,” you mumble, frowning. Taehyung matches your frown as he glances up at you while unclasping your heels from your feet.

Once your shoes are off, he gets back up. He cups your cheek, brushing a stray eyelash off it with the pad of his thumb. “Just gonna get a makeup wipe and some pills for your headache, okay? I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

You nod, smiling up at him. He pecks your forehead quickly before heading for the bathroom. Taehyung glances back at you to see you sitting there silently, wiggling your bare feet and hugging a pillow to your chest. He chuckles as he enters the bathroom to retrieve painkillers and a makeup wipe to clean your face. A few minutes after rummaging through the cabinets and the drawers, he exits the bathroom and heads back to you. He stops in his tracks when he notices you’re gone from your spot. He skims the living room, not finding you anywhere. What he does find though is something he hasn’t seen since he was like eight years old. Right there by the dining table behind the couch, you’re currently putting up a blanket fort, a wide grin on your face.

“Baby,” Taehyung catches your attention right away, “whatcha’ doing?”

You smile, looking back at the project you’ve started. “What does it look like I’m doing? It’s a blanket fort!”

Taehyung steps closer, nodding. “I can see that.”

It doesn’t take long for you to finish setting it up before you’re grabbing pillows from the couch, throwing them inside the blanket fort. You’re way too good at this. Something tells Taehyung that you’ve made a lot of these as a child. You emerge from the fort to motion at him, beckoning him to join you. “Come on,” you insist.

Your boyfriend looks at you as if you’ve lost your mind, when really, you’re just tipsy as hell. “____, shouldn’t we just go to bed? I mean, this is-”

“Just get in the fucking blanket fort.” 

Taehyung’s eyes widen as you stare back at him with hard eyes. “Alright,” he puts his hands up in surrender, painkillers in one and a makeup wipe in the other, “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

The hard stare turns into a wide, content smile and Taehyung seriously thinks he’ll get a whiplash from how fast you can switch between facial expressions. You’re already inside the blanket fort when Taehyung stands in front of the opening to it. He squats down, looking inside. It did look insanely inviting and cozy in there. You pat the spot next to you on the blanket, still smiling. Taehyung sighs as he knows you won’t give up until he’s inside your blanket fort. You really don’t take no for an answer.

“You’re lucky you’re adorable,” Taehyung shakes his head before crawling inside the fort, plopping down beside you. You lay on your side facing him with a grin. “I haven’t been in a blanket fort since I was eight.”

You laugh, reaching for his hand, intertwining your fingers. “Then we must make blanket forts more often.”

[sluttbuttsstuff]

Silver Chariot Agency: An Introduction

This is the first chapter/prologue to my jjba sugar daddy au.  To clarify, it’s modern day, with reader x various Jojo characters, all of which are of age, and “sugar daddies”.  I’m hoping to have several options/outcomes for various characters, kind of like a chose you own adventure story, or a dating visual novel.  As a note, this story may contain some dark themes and content, including drug use, yandere, sex scenes, and other things I haven’t currently planned out.

TLDR: this is the story about Y/N, who starts working at Polnareff’s sugar daddy agency and meets lots of hot jojo guys

ENJOY!!!

“Mr. Polnareff is ready to see you now!”  The cheerful secretary (Suzy, you think)  calls out, breaking you from your stupor and ushering you behind large, intimidating doors.   You grew up with dreams bigger than this, having a good career, doing something important with your life, but life had other plans.  You’ve been unemployed for nearly a year, and despite all the classes you’ve taken, interviews you’ve aced, and concessions to pay and pride just to be considered, you still had no job, and your unemployment had finally run out.  Long story short, you were desperate.  That’s when you first heard about the Agency.

You had noticed an email from the Silver Chariot Agency buried between job applications and rejection letters, and confusing it for a job offer, had opened it to read.  According to the email, you had been “scouted” as someone with the qualifications to apply for what appeared to be a Sugar Daddy, or Escort, service.    The email was polite, open and honest, but you couldn’t help but be a bit skeptical, if not mildly offended. There’s nothing wrong with sex work, mind you, but it wasn’t something you had any interest in if you could avoid it. You weren’t interested in selling yourself, and even if you weren’t wealthy, you weren’t ready to auction off your time to creepy old perverts just yet.  Not to mention, how safe were these agencies?  Still, the email had an open doors policy for any questions, as well as a phone number and email to direct all your questions.  You were going to delete the email, but somehow you couldn’t bring yourself to.  You saved it in your folder, and forgot about it for a few months.

Cut to today:  you couldn’t cover your rent, your auto bill, and your credit cards were maxed out.  After sending an email, and talking on the phone to a cheerful woman, she convinced you to visit their offices and talk to their C.E.O,  who was visiting your nearest location on business.  Surprised by their openness, and relieved not to have a door slammed in your face for once, you made an appointment and were now following Suzy through an impressive office space.  Silver Chariot had its own expensive looking building, with high ceilings, metal tones and spotlessly clean wall to wall windows and mirrors.  The place reeked of elegance, intimidatingly so, and you regretted your outfit choice for this interview.  

Suzy finally escorted you into a conference room, with an expansive metal table and tufted leather chairs that probably cost more than your car.  Then, at the end of the conference table, you saw a silver haired gentleman, who Suzy introduced as, “Mr. Polnareff, this is y/n, call me if you need anything!”  and with that, she left and closed the door.  You noticed  Mr.Polnareff didn’t stand up to greet you and shake your hand-not out of rudeness, but because he was in a wheelchair.  On top of that, he had an unusual looking eye patch, and despite clearly being too young to be considered elderly, had prematurely grey hair slicked back in an unusual pompadour.

He shook your hand firmly, and smiled at you as he greeted you, “It’s so lovely to meet you, y/n, I've been looking forward to seeing you in person.  Tell me, what brings you here today?”  He asked, sitting forward and listening intently.  You fiddled with your hands, trying to politely, but vaguely, explain your situation, without sounding too much like a sob story.  Polnareff listened without interrupting, merely nodding, as you explained what you’ve been through.

  “That sounds like a difficult situation- it is difficult in this day and age for young people to support themselves, even more so when they have no one to help them when needed.  I, myself, had to support not only myself, but my younger sister, Cherie, when I was your age.  It was difficult, to say the least, and I didn’t always handle it gracefully to be honest with you.  When my sister saw how much we were struggling, she decided to try helping herself and me by turning to sex work.”

You were shocked by his openness, telling so much of his personal story to a total stranger interviewing at his agency.  He continued,

“Back in my day, the streets of France were not a safe place to sex workers, least of all vulnerable women unable to defend themselves.  It was one of those nights, while my sister was working, that she was tragically attacked and killed.  She had no way of protecting herself, as I wasn’t with her, and the police were just as dangerous.  She died alone because no one was willing to help save her, myself included.  He paused, rubbing his temples as he remembered.

You tried to stop him, “Um, you don’t have to-”  you began, but he held up a hand and assured you,

 “I am fine, it is a painful, but old wound, and important you hear.  It was the most devastating event of my life, but it shaped me into the man I am today.  You see, because of what happened to my sister, I was determined to provide a safe place to any and all women and sex workers, no questions asked, to protect them from things that could happen to them.  Sex work is not something to be criminalized or judged; it is the oldest profession and a valuable work. So, The Silver Chariot Agency provides a safe way to support those in the industry.  That being said, working as an escort, or as it's sometimes called, ‘sugar baby’-”

 he punctuates the term with bunny ear fingers, “-Can be dangerous work.  There is always a risk of assault, and rape, however hard we may try to combat it, but our agency has extremely strict policies and protection plans to protect our workers in either case. I promise , should you decide to work here, that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”  Polnareff grabs your hand, looking into your eyes, intensely.  

You know you’ve just met him, but you’re inclined to believe Polnareff.  He’s either an excellent liar, or simply cares deeply about his company and employees.  

“There are, of course, other things to consider before you decide to take this job.  It is  a job, and many of our clients aren’t looking for romance, but some are hoping to find love and a potential romantic partner via our agency.  Some are looking for purely sexual relationships, and some want nothing to do with sex.  Some of our clients are involved with...less than legal hobbies and activities, and we strongly caution you not to get involved, as our legal department and contracts can only protect you so far.  If you decide to engage, do so with caution. 

“ Lastly, you ultimately get to decide who you want to pick as your clients, so choose wisely.  I have Suzy-”  He gestures to the woman, presumably waiting down the hall to escort you when ready, “Write up summaries and information on every applicant who have expressed an interest in our agency.  Make sure to carefully review them, and choose the client you think will have the best relationship.”  He finishes, giving you a lot to think of.  He can see the gears turn in your mind, and gives you time.  “Please, don’t feel like you have to respond today. Or, if you try this out and don’t like it, you can leave the agency or specific clients, with no fear of repercussions.”  He Pulls away from the table, and turns towards the door, before pausing.

He seems to change his mind, shaking his head as Suzy gets the door for him.

“I look forward to seeing you again, regardless of your decision, mon amie.  I’ll let Suzy handle the rest for today, thank you.  If you decide to accept, just call Suzy and ask her to see some client applications to pick out who you’d like to work with. Au revoir.”  And with that, Mr. Polnareff disappears with surprising speed.  Any other questions and details are handled by Suzy, who cheerfully tells you about the position, average salaries, tax information, and your typical FAQ.  You listen mutely, occasionally nodding along,  but you’re still thinking about everything Polnareff told you.  You could not only support yourself with this  job, but make a killing, while still being safe and having a say in the relationships.  This could work. This could work…

Less than 24 hours later, Suzy gets another phone call at the office.  “Silver Chariot Agency, this is Suzy, how may I assist you today?”  She asks cheerily.  A familiar voice whispers on the other end, “Do you think I could see some of those client Applications, please?”