#random short pieces

[bluejeanstrash]

a sleepy seungcheol = a cuddly seungcheol.

early on in your relationship you’d learned that seungcheol was a cuddly sleeper. it wasn’t necessarily a need for him but just something he liked. you on the other hand, were not.

cuddles before sleeping? perfect. having someone all over you while trying to sleep? not so perfect.

thankfully, you both had come to a happy compromise.

but sometimes, like today, seungcheol would be extra cuddly. he was fast asleep, his body fully on top of yours—face buried in the crook of your neck, and one leg wedged in between yours.

you loved holding him like this—all safe and sound. until he fell asleep that is. because the deeper he slept, the heavier he got. your boyfriend was a buff guy, so now it was borderline uncomfortable.

you feel this pressure against your chest while he rests on you, completely at ease. you’d thought maybe if you tried hard enough you could fall asleep but nope, not possible.

‘cheollie’ you whisper, hoping it’ll be enough to wake him. but he just continues snoring, each snore rumbling through your body.

‘scoups’ you try again, a little louder.

‘CHOI SEUNGCHEOL’ and nothing. he simply moves a little in his sleep, letting out a particularly loud guttural snore.

okay. plan b. if you couldn’t get him off, it was time to slide down. after 2 unsuccessful attempts, you somehow make it, taking in a huge gulp of air on escape. you haven’t even fully turned to the side yet before seungcheol wakes up, upset the source of warmth underneath him is gone. he aimlessly moves his hand on the sheets until he can feel you.

‘where are you going?’ he mumbles sleepily, scooting over to you. ‘don’t..’ one heavy arm wraps around you, pulling you into him.

there’s a soft content hum as he feels your body fit into his.

‘seungcheollie?’ you call out to him sweetly.

‘mmm’

‘you know i can’t sleep like this, hmmn? come on’ you tap his arm signalling him to let go.

he doesn’t budge. instead, he just lets out some noncommittal sounds before nuzzling his face into your hair.

‘come on, let me go okay?’ more taps.

‘no! i don’t want to!’ he whines, kicking his feet under the blanket.

‘cuddle with me’ he pouts, slipping into baby talk. it was seungcheol’s own brand of baby talk that he would whip out only on occasions when he really really wanted something.

‘cheollie, you’re being such a baby’ you complain.

‘mmm, because i am. i’m your baby’ he says defiantly ‘so you should treat me like one’

you know there’s no point trying to convince him when he’s in this mood, so you sigh, deciding to give up and give in.

around 5 minutes passes in complete silence. and then he speaks.

‘you really won’t be able to sleep?’ he asks quietly, the thought of it now bothering him. how could he relax knowing his baby was not comfortable?

‘mmm’ you answer as he detaches himself from you.

‘fine! i’ll give up cuddle time for you!’ he sighs, rolling away. a few minutes later, he sighs again a little louder.

that’s his cue to tell you that you’re supposed to concede and snuggle upto him. but you don’t, having finally found a position that’s hitting all the right spots.

‘you really won’t come to me?’ his voice is so stupidly endearing that it makes you melt. you can’t say no to that.

he smiles as he hears the sheets rustle, your body moving towards him.

with his arms wide open he welcomes you as you rest your head against his chest. ‘i can sleep like this..’ you concede as he grins making sure you’re comfortable but still all wrapped up in him.

[mrsoharaa]

imagining reading a spicy romance novel in front of a crackling fire place, hardly clothed, comfortably sitting on the floor leaning back against the couch's cushions, the lulling gentle patters of raindrops clashing amongst the windows of the cozy cabin...peeping up at a peering Miguel.

brows perched up as you watch him gradually make his way towards you, slowly lowering your book as you feel his warm hands smooth up the stride of your bare legs, fingers soothing out along the supple exposed skin. daring, soft carmine irises never leaving your own with such admiration and hunger.

"you've been reading that book quite frequently, mi amor..." he leans down to kiss the hilt of your knee, fingers trailing up further beneath the borrowed shirt of his grazing over your pretty body. gently takes the lulling book from your grasp and sets it down beside the both of you. you smile cheekily, running your own hands up along his cheeks to the soften tresses of warm mahogany.

"I think it's time you give your loving husband some attention..." he humbs lightly, brushing the pliant touch of his soft lips against your knee up to the higher plain of your thigh. you giggle with a breathy gasp, his wide hands caressing the curvy dips of your voluptuous hips, fingers playing with the straps of your thin panties. playfully, you chew onto your bottom lip, nails raking through each silky strand of his wavy hair.

"mm, I think you're right Miggy...I have been too cooped up in that silly book...need to give my adoring husband my entire undivided attention, hm?"

[cosmosnout]

Random One piece art explosion

[cachekay]

Silly little luffy and ed crossover comic 👍

[hey-august]

"What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?"

"...do you mean the bar I work a-"

"Wait, can I call you that?"

"What? Pretty?"

"Pretty thing."

"Uhh, that's fine. Pretty thing or pretty girl work for me."

"Mmhm, and how should I refer to you when talking about the person of my dreams?"

"She or they, I guess? Why are you asking all these questions?"

"Because I want to she / them tits."

[itzrafee]

A thing on Uran and Helena in Pluto

Okay a short little thing on Pluto. Uran and Helena are my absolute favourite characters in Pluto. Urasawa has always had amazing side characters, from Mr. Rosso in Monster to Lee Harvey Oswald and Jackie in Billy Bat to God in 20th Century Boys, but very few have tied off the emotional ends of the story like Uran and Helena.

Maybe I'm projecting here but much like myself I feel like Urasawa is absolutely obsessed with Frankenstein. And he recognizes the influence Frankenstein has on Dr. Umataro Tenma. Or at the very least, the similarities between the two. And so when he made the protagonist of one of his most popular works Monster, Dr Kenzo Tenma, he solidified that connection. Kenzo Tenma calls back to Victor Frankenstein needing to end his creation while also calling back to Japan's other famous Tenma, thus making the connection explicit. Another throughline between the three of them is that all three are father figures to their creations and have obligations to their children, though all three have varying levels of success with them.

I've only read what I like to call Urasawa's "Core Four", conspiracy minded thrillers that are essentially road trips featuring usually two main protagonists that we see the world through, Monster, 20th Century Boys, Pluto and Billy Bat. Though I still haven't caught up to Asadora and that could still possibly fit this mold, Urasawa's Core Four share a lot of themes and ideas. One of the most important being the responsibility for one's creations, whether it was Kenji Endo and the Book of Prophecy or Kevin Yamagata and Billy Bat or Dr. Kenzo Tenma and Johan, all of his protagonists could arguably be seen as someone with the need to take up the responsibility of their creations. So where do the protagonists of Pluto fit in there? That's where Uran and Helena come in.

But first, we should take a look at Pluto's themes. While I could be wrong, at a cursory glance, I feel like the general consensus towards it's themes is that it's about hatred. I don't really think that's what it is as I feel like Urasawa is more trying to show us what it is to be human and what it is to be alive. And in that, he has a hidden protagonist in Pluto. Someone who's influence snakes through the plot and isn't seen much, but without who the story's themes would remain incomplete. Pluto tackles what it is to be alive through many things, such as memory, sadness, grief, hatred, love and parenthood. But none of that works without the realization by Tenma of his own mistakes. And Uran and Helena bookend these revelations and are absolutley key to understanding that.

In my favourite chapter of the series, Chapter 37, Uran goes from person to person as she finds a way to deal with her grief and eventually comes across Tobio's grave, Tenma having left recently. It's an absolutely beautiful chapter that shows Uran's humanity and Urasawa's love for sharing these kind and soft moments. But it also sheds a light on Tenma as Uran realizes someone who was grieving has just left. Without saying much at all we realize that Tenma has finally realized his mistakes. In the process of grieving one son, he lost the other. While remembering Tobio, he let Atom go. His grief towards Tobio is clear in the following chapter, Chapter 38. All of the things he wanted Atom to be; Tobio come back to life, Tobio's ghost punishing him, Atom rejected. And Tenma could only see that rejection, and not what he had, another son.

Uran shows us very clearly what Pluto, the story, is. It's a chapter in their lives. And we've come into a story nearing the end for Tenma. And it's through the humanity of two absolutely amazing characters in their own right, Uran and Helena, that we are able to so fully understand Tenma. Despite being robots, these two characters are the most alive of everyone. They love fully and freely and are catalysts of change. Uran's vibrant and full of life in a way that really sticks out. And Helena has such depth that it's evident in every scene she's in. She's not pointed out to be made by any famous scientist so all the life she has is her own. These two represent the life of robot's more than any other characters in the series.

So it's that much more poignant when Helena finally breaks down after putting on such a strong front of everybody. Grief intersects and she brings out Tenma's sadness as well. They've both been putting up such strong fronts that it's heartbreaking to see them collapse. It completes Tenma's growth and strikes a heartbreaking contrast between the two. Tenma became the way he is through the loss of his son whereas Helena doesn't even get to remember her own loss. It makes you wonder if the grief for her and Geischt's child compounds her sorrow too.

Without these two and their grief, a large part of Pluto becomes inaccessible. Pluto is largely about death so when two characters come in who've never had a hand in the grim work of taking life, you see the world through a lens that's absolutely crucial in order to fully connect with all of the character's and their situations. Death and Grief has scarred the characters in Pluto. Time and time again they've chosen the worst path. They've chosen revenge and hatred. But Uran and Helena are different. Without them, the story is incomplete. They provide an alternative. They provide the path towards healing.

im sorry for this one:

[kis-e]

𓍊𓋼 ⋆｡˚ 🪐 🪡 🧸 ⋆｡˚ 𓍊𓋼

[jonsnowunemploymentera]

Something rubbed against his leg beneath the table. Jon saw red eyes staring up at him. “Hungry again?” he asked. There was still half a honeyed chicken in the center of the table. Jon reached out to tear off a leg, then had a better idea. He knifed the bird whole and let the carcass slide to the floor between his legs. Ghost ripped into it in savage silence. His brothers and sisters had not been permitted to bring their wolves to the banquet, but there were more curs than Jon could count at this end of the hall, and no one had said a word about his pup. He told himself he was fortunate in that too. His eyes stung. Jon rubbed at them savagely, cursing the smoke. He swallowed another gulp of wine and watched his direwolf devour the chicken. Dogs moved between the tables, trailing after the serving girls. One of them, a black mongrel bitch with long yellow eyes, caught a scent of the chicken. She stopped and edged under the bench to get a share. Jon watched the confrontation. The bitch growled low in her throat and moved closer. Ghost looked up, silent, and fixed the dog with those hot red eyes. The bitch snapped an angry challenge. She was three times the size of the direwolf pup. Ghost did not move. He stood over his prize and opened his mouth, baring his fangs. The bitch tensed, barked again, then thought better of this fight. She turned and slunk away, with one last defiant snap to save her pride. Ghost went back to his meal. Jon grinned and reached under the table to ruffle the shaggy white fur. The direwolf looked up at him, nipped gently at his hand, then went back to eating.

Jon I, AGOT

It's interesting that GRRM would dedicate several paragraphs to a seemingly unimportant exchange between a boy, his wolf, and an unfriendly third party. But there's just something about this passage that has continued to nag at me for years since I first read it because, considering how heavy handed GRRM was with the foreshadowing in AGOT, this feels important.

Jon is sitting at table full of squires - aka would be knights. We don't really know who they are or what families they belong to, but it's safe to assume that they come from a certain level of privilege; this is considering the fact that it cannot be financially easy to be a squire. And these boys already have a slew of tales detailing all their previous knightly exploits regarding "battle and bedding and the hunt" which suggests that they have some capital. So you have boys who will soon be men. And they will, presumably, become men of some power.

These lads eat their fill of the chicken until only half remains, which Jon then gives to Ghost. The direwolf's name is not so important here but what he represents is. Throughout the series, we're told that Ghost is reminiscent of the weirwood trees (because of his red eyes and white fur). He's stated to be of and from the Old Gods and since he's a personification of the weirwoods, he might as well be one of them. It's almost as if Jon is presenting whatever is left on the table to the Old Gods (Ghost). He lets them devour his offerings while he silently watches. And the motif of watching is so interesting here because it's kind of like Jon takes on a stewardship role - to watch over land/people/etc. He oversees Ghost eating the chicken, so he's overseeing whatever has been given to the Old Gods. This is not new imagery to his arc. As a brother of the Night's Watch and eventually its leader, we have several instances where he leads people to adopting the Old Gods in some fashion. In ADWD, several recruits swear their vows to the Old Gods while he watches on as their Lord Commander. The Old Gods are also primarily of the North and we're told that Jon has more of the north in him than his brothers; interesting that this also includes Bran. So perhaps whatever is being offered to the Old Gods relates to the North.

We must also note that Jon initially thinks to give only a small portion, a leg, before pivoting and providing the entire thing. It feels to me a bit like the process of carving up a kingdom or something similar. The lords (represented by the squires) take what they want and leave aside what they don't; or perhaps they have eaten to their fill and can take no more. Then when his time comes, Jon first considers a small piece of land/group of people before eventually absorbing all of whatever is left behind. The concept of carving up a kingdom rings harder considering that we have several callbacks to the ideals of kingship in this chapter. Robert, Jaime, Tyrion, and even Mance though we don't know it yet, all play into this. And then there's the aspect of Jon letting the chicken slip between his legs which evokes birth/fatherhood, a very curious choice when GRRM could've just had Jon place the chicken on the floor. So land/people are carved up and Jon then uses whatever is left to birth his own type of kingdom. And this kingdom is one for the Old Gods.

This also touches on something that has been quite prevalent throughout Jon's arc. It's the concept of accepting the "others" or "those left over" who live apart from the accepted social norms. Arya (a tomboy), Sam (a gender non-confirming boy), the Night's Watch (criminals, extra sons, and men who have no future left or place to go), and even the wildlings are all examples of this. And Jon takes on a leadership/paternal role to every single one of them. He looks after them as a leader would/should. Sometimes, in the case of Arya and the wildlings, he's equated to a king. He's a steward/shepherd/king. There's messianic undertones to this:

Come unto me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30).

If you're familiar with Judeo-Christian tradition, you'll know that Jesus is often personified as one who spent the majority his time among the outcasts. The idea is that he came to save them too and that anew kingdom (or new earth depending on your translation) would spring up after the end of the world where he would forever rule as king; which presents the idea of a final king after the earthly ones are done away with. Now GRRM isn't so heavy handed with Christian allusions as other authors out there, but he does have a Catholic background and Jon is so overtly a Jesus figure. And in Revelation, Jesus is king and god at the very end....

One last thing: the mention of the mongrel who challenges Jon has always been rather interesting but confusing to me. A mongrel doesn't really relate to one specific type of dog. But it's interesting that Jon notes several roaming about where he is. They follow the serving girls who carry the food to be offered. Mongrels are used to describe antagonist/villainous groups in ASOIAF. Sometimes, they're used to describe slavers in Essos. But what's interesting is that most of the time, they're used to describe Euron's Ironborn especially in Victorian's POV. So I don't think the mongrel who challenges Ghost is a supernatural threat of death (i.e., the Others) but rather a human one. They represent those who are called to the scene once the lords have finished playing their games. It almost feels like a feast for (carrion) crows....

But it doesn't really matter because this mongrel isn't much of a challenge for Ghost. Though the mongrel is much larger, the direwolf is able to fend her off very effortlessly. Given that "mongrel" is used to describe Ironborn raiders, could this exchange between Ghost and the mongrel point to reavers or sea raiders who rise and fail challenge Jon kingdom? There is a historical King Jon Stark who did this....

When sea raiders landed in the east, Jon drove them out and built a castle, the Wolf's Den, at the mouth of the White Knife, so as to be able to defend the mouth of the river.[1][2] His son, Rickard, followed him on the throne and annexed the Neck to the north.

ref.

So this might shed some light not only on Jon's already published arc, but also on what we can expect in the future. We have some foreshadowing through Jon's ADWD dream that he will not only rise with the dawn (thereby live through the Long Night), but will be in a position to lead people (wildings in that chapter) to a new peace after a hard fought war. Also remember that the wildlings, rather enthusiastically, swear oaths to him as if swearing oaths to their king. In this instance, the supernatural (a dream of the war for the dawn) is followed by the natural/human. So perhaps this particular passage (and Jon's dream) can be used to predict that Jon comes out on top, and quite effortlessly too, as a leader. And he becomes a leader who rules by association with the Old Gods; or rules a kingdom for them.

To end, I think it's of note that this passage immediately precedes Jon's conversation with Benjen where he voices his desire to go out on his own - the hero's call to action. This is the adventure that's going to kickstart his growth as a man, warrior and most importantly, a leader. So it looks like before we even began, GRRM telegraphed how it would all end in just three short paragraphs.

[legosnek]

This is disturbing

[ren-renn-renny]

Trying smth more cartoony idk

I’m unable to use my pc for like a week so I’m trying to get used to doing lineart on tablet….sighhh

Most of them are just ugly sketches that I’ll never finish

[kaialone]

Just some interesting details mentioned about Paracelsus in the Slash Beat Encyclopedia and the 10th Memorial Book:

He was originally a stone axe created during the final period of the Crusades (remember, they lasted like a 100 years.)

It's described that it'd display its full power by sucking up blood, even before it was a sentient being. (So, I'm assuming he was some kind of magical weapon from the start? I think Slash Beat Encyclopedia even indicates it might've been a bio-mechanical weapon, but that bit is not mentioned in the 10th Memorial Book, and that one's more recent. EDIT: Looking it over again, I realize it could've meant "creature-shaped" rather than bio-mechanical.)

Its transformation into a Magical Foci (though for the reference, this specific term wasn't applied to Paracelsus until Xrd, I believe) and gaining a sense of self is said to have been a gradual result of him absorbing too much blood. (There's some additional details about how Magical Foci in general are born from Xrd's GGW and onward that don't come up here yet)

He began to communicate and even started picking his own wielders and the like, and sought for a purpose in life through his achievements in battle.

[infriga]

It's been over a month and I haven't seen a single OPLA ZoLu amv/edit on YouTube, ZoLu shippers wtf are you doing sleeping on the job.

[wieqo]

⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀๑⠀ ⠀🈺⠀ ⠀𝆹 ॱ

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kedrictfg

traflamar

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[novemberhope]

Gimme 10 facts about Niara!

Thank you!!!

So, Niara...

Niara is tiny, especially compared to Law and even more so to other One Piece characters. She's 163 cm "tall" (I wouldn't call it tall in OP though)

She comes from a large marine family. She is currently not on good terms with anyone. Her sister is Blackcage Hina btw.

Niara never reached the full potential of her devil fruit (which she didn't eat by choice) until after Marineford, when she came to fight for Ace's life but couldn't protect him (or herself).

Niara was a marine cadet and pretty unhappy when she ran into Ace. He invited her to join his crew and she became a member of the Spade Pirates but eventually, when the crew came across the island where her mother's family lived, she decided to not join the rest of them when they went after Whitebeard but to stay with her grandparents a bit to get to know them. She always had the intention to return to the crew at a later point but obviously that never was destined to happen.

Niara and Ace were besties during her time with the Spade Pirates and her deciding to stay behind for a while hit him hard. They saw other again in Marineford but Niara didn't even get close to him and got knocked out (and was taken on the Polar Tang along with Luffy since Ace had made it known that this was someone he cared about).

During the start of her journey with the Spade Pirates, Niara kind of had a crush on Ace but nothing ever came of it. He never knew about it either, nor did he ever developed romantic feelings for her. Eventually they developed a sibling-like relationship. (And, in an Ace-lives-AU, still have that kind of a relationship to this day)

I guess Niara has a type of dark-haired tattooed pirate captains? She crushed on Law hard but Niara being Niara never said anything but instead was being very awkward and was either avoiding him or talking way too much. (she always talks way too much when she feels awkward)

Niara gets drunk pretty easily. That's when she ended up confessing to Law that she liked him. After that, she started to avoid him again. He didn't know what to make of her first - she was cute but couldn't hold a conversation... (Eventually they sorted it out!)

If we keep this "in universe" with my other OCs, Niara also knows Ginny from the Spade Pirates but they don't like each other that much. Niara blames Ginny for selling them out.

She has beautiful handwriting and writes the ship chronicles for the Strawhat Pirates.

[oneminutefiftysixseconds]

Your tags on my Remco gifs 😭

with all of the talk during the Giro about tadej in pink and the Dauphiné bringing the return of the LCL-branded yellow jersey that's so familiar to us i have been Thinking about cycling's tradition of distinctive jerseys as emblems of leadership because until the very last day of a stage race the leader's jersey isn't a medal, it isn't a prize, it isn't a win -- sure, wearing the jersey for a few days is an achievement in and of itself -- but all that means is you're the fastest to the current point.

for the riders who take it at the beginning of a stage race, the sprinters or time-trialists winning a prologue, they know it's only a short while until one of the serious GC candidates relieves them of it; so wearing the leader's jersey is an exciting prospect, something to be proud of and enjoy while it lasts

but for the GC riders with a serious shot at taking the jersey home it's simultaneously a mark of leadership and a garish target. your team is expected to work harder in the peloton, you have more media duties, more responsibilities, and all eyes are on /you/. if there's a time trial you go last of all, chasing your competitors and heralding either more time taken from them or losing the colour that covers you like a second skin; in 2020 primož rode the planche des belles filles in a yellow TT suit and tadej didn't pin his numbers to a yellow jersey until the champs-elyseés. when a rider cracks in the leaders jersey the cameras follow them and everyone is watching to see whether they lose it, and if so how much they lose it by

this is all a bit rambly and disjointed but from an allegorical point of view the yellow jersey could be considered as a curse, as a golden fleece that shines so bright it burns, driving the entire race forward but to wear it is to be changed and if you are not strong enough to live in the middle of the flame then someone more capable will take it and hope they can last a little longer

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

I don’t think y’all understand how clearly I have a potential novel mapped out in my head based off things I’ve already written like. It’s the overarching plot of lost gods (depressed guy forms a relationship with an older artist after two failed relationships) meets the dying love story of moth work (two guys are doomed for a lifetime of each other) simultaneously threaded with a dreamlike whirlwind romance (body back & changing states) ultimately leading us to a narrator who feels more like an art exhibit than a man