#that does not belong to me but i greatly enjoy this character

[electrozeistyking]

So I don't know if SideVermin93 has a tumblr, but if someone could either tag them or send this their way, that'd be greatly appreciated. And seriously, don't knock Rebel Path simply because it features an OC; it does frequently follow Uzi's perspective, anyway.

C is a fun (if tragic) addition to the cast, and I love his use of colourful language. I may have quoted him a few times, I'm not gonna lie. Overall, I genuinely laughed out loud and smiled a bunch while reading this, which hasn't happened in quite some time.

Basically, as a thank you for making me laugh, here's the Ye Olde disassembly drone who is tired of this shit.

[withloveajaxx]

so baby let's keep this secret

𓂅 genre: modern! childe, scara, al haitham, xiao x gn! reader

𓂅 warnings: hints of making out in scara's part + childe's part is a hint of suggestive teasing

𓂅 summary: secret relationship with the genshin boys

𓂅 note: this is my first time writing for scara and haitham so,,, apologies if i mischaracterize them or they seem out of character :"D comments on their characterization are greatly appreciated ^^ but yea, that's it hehe, hope u enjoy this fic n have a wonderful day!!

CHILDE

tbf a secret relationship with childe isn't a secret to anyone at all because mans is whipped for you, but we gotta give him some credit for holding himself back from kissing you 24/7.

a "secret" relationship with this man is basically minimalized pda with a huge amount of teasing.

he absolutely loves to be the sole reason why your cheeks get red and you get all flustered in public.

when people ask you what's wrong and you can barely get out a blatant lie, childe already has a smug, yet somehow charming smirk on his face.

he's not good at hiding how whipped he is, but he does surprisingly well hiding his touches from the general eye of the public.

like whenever he's in a restaurant with you, he always makes it a point to sit beside you. he is never sitting anywhere else.

secondly, his hand is always on your thigh or fiddling with your fingers beneath the table. he simply cannot resist touching you in any way.

and finally, if he's being a little bitch… he'll slyly sneak an arm around your waist, squeezing it gently. i can bet my life he's lifting your shirt up slightly to rub your exposed skin to get you all bothered.

he's absolutely ravishing you when you get home though. spoiling you with kisses, cuddles, and anything you ask from him <3

ngl, with how touchy feely he is, i don't think people are gonna take that long to figure out what's going on between you two. the "secret" relationship is unfortunately a 5/10 in terms of success.

SCARAMOUCHE

you cannot tell me this man wouldn't take your relationship to his grave. 10/10 in this secret relationship 💀

unlike childe, he can keep his eyes and his hands off of you in public. he has a lot of self control and no amount of your teasing is going to get him to expose you guys (unless you pull out the tears or some begging then maybe). but like childe… he is absolutely obsessed with you when yall have a little private time.

this is where it gets spicy but i can just imagine scaramouche just reaching his limit from holding himself back from you after a long day, and he's just ready to break when you two are behind closed doors.

after all, he is a man of little patience isn't he? when you two get to his place after a long day, he doesn't even wait for a split second until his lips are slotting themselves against yours for a heated kiss.

he has you pinned against the wall beside the door, one elbow beside your head while the other slides down to rest on your hips.

when he parts the fairly passionate kiss his lips are still hovering dangerously close to yours. he doesn't even take that long to catch his breath, diving in for another kiss until he hears abrupt knocks at his door, and a voice he knows distinctly belonging to childe.

cursing under his breath, he holds a hand over your mouth, making sure you're hidden from the direct line of sight of the door before opening it to reveal the ginger headed man.

"make it quick, dimwit. i was in the middle of doing something," scara hisses venemously, eyes narrowing at childe. poor childe chuckles in nervouseness, scratching the back of his neck. "is that so? sorry, didn't know, maybe i'll come back later."

"yeah, whatever. just scram." and with that, the door is slammed closed and sacra's undivided attention is back on you again.

"c'mon," is all he says, taking your hand in his before leading you to a more secluded space in his apartment where no one and nothing can interrupt him from having his time with you.

ALHAITHAM

i think he'd be pretty good at keeping things lowkey. he acts the same towards everyone with some exceptions to you, so i'd say 10/10.

definitely not touchy in public (nor in private to be honest), but he's definitely into the little moments.

little moments like making eye contact from across the room and sending you the slightest hints of a smile.

or even grazing your pinkies together when your walking side-by-side in thr middle of the campus hallways.

there are bits of physical affection here and there, but the main thing that gives this man away is the quality time and acts of services that he does towards you.

hatiham doesn't spend nearly as much time with others as he does with you. you're always with him whether it be in the library studying, in a coffee shop while he reads a book, or in museums looking around and scuptures and paintings.

it's especially in crowded places like museums and coffee shops where he does small actions of adoration and affection.

like when you guys go on study or book dates, you'll feel his eyes on you when you're trying to write something down or read something.

when you look at him to ask you what's wrong, he's simply staring at you with a soft expression that screams nothing but admiration and love. it's quite endearing really, to see his ears turn the lightest shade of pink afterwards.

"do you need something, haitham?" you ask, the smile he loves so much gracing your features. he gently shakes his head, reaching his hand out on the table to take yours, "no. nothing. i was just admiring you, is all."

XIAO

there's a constant redness of his usually pale cheeks is a dead giveaway to your relationship, and he's pretty protective too so i'd say a 6/10.

whenever you catch xiao staring at you, his cheeks and the tips of his ears immediately burn red, and he whips his head around so fast.

people always notice and his friends always tease him for it, but he can't help such a reaction when what he thinks is the most stunning person is looking right at him.

or whenever he looks around the room to search for you only to find that you're already looking at him… his cheeks are literally on fire.

the adorable glow on his cheeks isn't the only sign he gives though. mind you, this man is very protective over you.

he wants to make sure that absolutely no harm comes in your way, and he'll do anything to make sure of that. he doesn't care if your relationship would be exposed that way, all he cares about is your overall safety and wellbeing.

he's the type of man who pulls you closer to him while you're crossing the street or walking by the road, having his hand on you in some way in case anything happens.

the type of guy who brings random stuff like bandaids, hair ties, and sweets for you just in case you need anything.

he's also constantly asking how you are through text, just in case you need him to do something or in case you need him by your side for whatever reason.

my favourite part about secret relationships with xiao is the kind of dates you'd have. he's definitely the type of man to do homey, indoor dates. he'd build lego bouquets for and with you, he's sit for hours bingeing movies or series you like, relax and read a book with you, or even just nap and cuddle. even though your dates are mostly at home to keep away from the prying eyes of others, he's sure to make it something you'll always love and never regret.

© withloveajaxx 2022. please do not copy, plagarize, or translate in any way.

[justsome-di]

Now a Pulitzer Prize winning book (don’t fact check this, just trust me) and featured on Obama’s 2023 Summer Reading List!

You should be reading Nobody Ends Up Dead in a Bathtub, Everyone Keeps Their Organs! Why? See above.

It’s a good story if I do say so myself. And if you read it, you’re a cool kid. Don’t you want to be a cool kid? This is something called peer pressure, and it usually works.

But for real, if you read Nobody Ends Up Dead then you’re going to go on a good adventure with good characters I guarantee you will love. Not to brag, but it is a pretty good story. There’s funny one-liners, a cute plot, and relatable characters that have been developed for years. Just heed warnings at the beginning of chapters. NEUD deals with some heavy topics such as eating disorders.

NEUD is officially all online for free. But you can still access bonus chapters and short stories on Patreon for only $4.

Links: 

AO3

Wattpad

Patreon (Patrons had early access to the whole novel and also get exclusive short stories with the characters and sneak peaks for new projects!)

Netflix Previews

Characters’ Playlists

You can also check out my carrd if there are any updates to how/where I post, it’ll probably be the most accurate place to find new or updated links.

Transcript under cut:

The Story is Dope

A New York office worker and a sex worker get set up on a date--one thinking it's a real blind date, the other under the impression it's an ordinary appointment. After realizing it was all a shitty prank, they set out for revenge. Their plan: show up to an upcoming Halloween office party as a genuine couple, convincing the pranksters they genuinely fell in love and refusing to let themselves become the butt of the joke.

Our main characters are Alex, an awkward admin assistant for a medical company who hasn't been on a date since he was a teenager, and Damián, a sex worker who seems way out of Alex's league but keeps insisting on spending time with him so they can perfect their revenge scheme.

The novel features a diverse cast and explores sex positivity. I also like to believe that it portrays sex work well. Damián is a hardworking man, doing what he loves, and meeting mostly great people along the way--but he also would benefit greatly if sex work was decriminalized and therefore had better resources at his disposal.

If you're looking for a story with LGBT characters that's mostly light-hearted but still packs a punch every few chapters, this is it! Overall, it's a happy story.

The Characters!

oh boy the characters!

we got Damián who's hardworking and doting on his lil bro but oh wow does he have some angst

we got Alex who is nothing more than a burning ball of anxiety trying his best--all too relatable

Leo, Damián's bro, is an ally, and he will make sure everyone knows. Also has angst.

Eve, Alex's lil sister, is an edgy teen who's failing calc and runs a queer book club

together, they're a weird lil dysfunctional family

I'll be honest. There's a lot of love in this story. From me and among the characters. The characters love each other, and I think the readers love them, too.

It touches on a lot of loneliness--inspired by how I've felt since Covid started--and a lot of the conflicting emotions that come with being gay. What happy endings do we deserve? What about happy middles?

It's a touching book about learning to be a better person and finding people who love you--platonically and romantically.

Here are some of my fave parts:

And then there was a streak of gray hair that shocked Alex. A streak of gray hair off to the side, nestled close to a salt and pepper beard. Textured hands held cocktails. Little, subtle lines creased when mouths laughed. Alex held his breath. On the packed floor, they were the only people Alex could see. They were laughing and holding each other and enjoying themselves, firmly in the place they knew they belonged. Flashes of teeth pressed against each other, disappearing for long seconds at a time.

--

“Sorry,” Alex said. “Your arm got heavy on top of me.” “You’re a little mouse of a man. I didn’t mean to crush you.” “I’m what?”

--

“A dog!” Damián cooed as he sat across from the lesbians. “His name is Yam,” Martin said.

“His name is Yam,” Damián cried. Kris and Clara released Yam and gently nudged him to Damián. Ecstatic, Damián picked him up and set him on his lap. “His name is Yam,” he repeated to Alex. “I heard.”

--

But he couldn’t deny that he was having a good time. It was like intense yoga with the perk of having a cock shoved up his ass. He was going to feel limber as fuck after.

--

“Can I do anything?” Alex asked. “To help cheer you up?”

“You don’t have to worry about me.”

“I’d like to. If you let me.”

--

“Wow this sounds great where can I read it?”

Tumblr @justsome-di

Watpadd @justsome-di

Patreon @just some di (link on Tumblr)

AO3 @justsome_di

Updates every friday!

[childotkw]

Self-rec time! What are your favorite five fics that you've written and why? After replying to this ask, feel free pass on to five other writers to spread the love. 💗

Oh god, this is like picking a favourite child 😅😅 but I'll rank them from most to least

1. Consuming Shadows

This was my first big story back, after I stopped writing for about six years. I was just testing the waters, having fun, and I wanted to play around with a ship I had only really just started consuming content for. It very quickly reignited my passion for writing, and it's blown up in such a way that I had never anticipated. I love the plot, I love the characters, I love Hadrian's progression from snarky but emotionally distant figure to a genuinely warm and loving friend, I love how well I managed to keep the threads of storylines and foreshadowing together, and I love the slow development of Hadrian and Tom's relationship in a way that's believable and does them both justice. The fact that so many people have resonated with it over the years has really left a mark on me, and I'll never forget all the things this story gave me.

2. you belong to me (i belong to you)

This one really was just my 'haha this is for the lolz' story. It was never meant to be popular or as big as it is. I was just fumbling around, wanting to write a cool time travel story, and then I came up with the Twist and it was no longer a joke 😂 I love the dynamics in it, I love Harry's general vibe, I love Orion and his chaos gremlin schtick. I'm still amazed that I came up with the plot twist (like, seriously, I don't think I can ever replicate that). And the fact that this story grew so popular and that so many people have enjoyed what started as my funny lil project overwhelms me in the best way.

3. The Lone Wolf Dies (But The Pack Survives)

In a lot of ways, this was a love letter to Regulus. I'd never really given him much thought as a character, but I fell in love with my interpretation of him. He's incredibly complex, and the future potential of the story really makes me excited.

4. ruination

Again, it's more the potential of this story that makes me love it. I wasn't super comfortable writing for asoiaf, and the fandom makes me...uneasy in a lot of ways. But I greatly enjoy all the ways this story could go. Lucerys intrigues me, and my interpretation of his character is especially fun to think about. I want to explore the slow but fundamental shift in a character, something that leads to them becoming almost unrecognisable. I love fantasy, and getting to play around in such an immersive world makes me giddy.

5. i don't owe you my forgiveness

It's only one chapter at the moment, but I really really really love the concept of soulmate rejection and the bitterness that is sown by Tom's hasty actions. The inherent power imbalance - originally in Tom's favour and then very dangerously in Harry's - is one dynamic I can't wait to sink my teeth into.

[bakerstreethound]

Once a Dream, Twice the Nightmare

Relationship: Hobrintheus x afab!reader

Warnings: 18+ Smut, praising, fingering (afab receiving), forceful OC male character who is a creep, mentions of workplace harassment, implied stalking, gentle Morpheus, loving Hob, mentions of killing, blood, knives, and dismemberment, lowkey knife play discovery kink appears, everyone is enraptured by Corinthian, makeout sessions, and consensual polyamory

Summary: Going on a date proves to be difficult, especially when it is from a guy at your office who cannot take a hint that you do not like him nor that you don't want to go out with him. Morpheus convinces you not to go and instead enjoy time with him and the two other people who care about you more than anything in the world. Needless to say, you lose yourself to them and indulge in their ministrations.

All writings belong to me @bakerstreethound (Do NOT claim, copy, repost, or translate my works to other sites. I only publish here and on A03 under the same username)

Word Count: 2.7k+

A/N: Hello lovelies, this came about from a request by my lovely wife @roguelov for my 5-year Tumblr anniversary. My six-year anniversary has passed, but better late than never. I had a lot of fun writing this request and Hob has become one of my favorites. I cannot resist writing for Hob, Corinthian, and Morpheus with a reader. I hope you enjoy it (I am so proud of this one!!). Comments & reblogs are greatly appreciated!

Dating was not your strong suit, so why you bothered adding mascara and eyeliner to your face for a final flare was beyond you. One last check you admired your flowy dress that sat just above your knees and was perfectly stretchy and comfortable.

You offered a half smile to the reflection in the mirror, sticking your hand in the pockets and giving a twirl. Pockets in dresses are rare, so when you first put the dress on you had doubts, not wanting to get too hopeful. They are different from your usual style, but this dress was made for you.

Carefully you smooth out the loose strands of your hair that fell from their bobby pin prison, dabbed on one more drop of lipstick on your lips, giving yourself a satisfactory nod. It wasn’t every day you put yourself together in such a manner, preferring comfortable clothes devoid of flowy dresses and skirts. There is a first time for everything, you think. 

Your phone pinged, breaking you from your thoughts. You know it is likely from Jordan, your co-worker who insisted on taking you to a sushi place. You tried to drop countless hints you had no desire to go or eat sushi and every time it was brought up in conversation it was redirected. You wanted to tear out your hair in frustration, so why wouldn’t he take the hint? 

“Darling, you shouldn’t go on that date. He does not respect you and is a fool. No one, no mortal deserves the likes of you,” a silky smooth voice drifts from the shadows. Goosebumps form along your arms at his appearance, as usual.

Out of the three of your roommates, Morpheus was the most elusive, dropping by at inconvenient times. Being friends with Hob, forever the immortal mortal, and Corinthian, one of Morpheus’s art projects was the least of your worries. 

You definitely could not turn down the rent either, as you desperately needed a place to live while pilfering through job applications. So far, a year or two had passed and you got a steady one, where you had the misfortune to meet Jordan, the nuisance and bane of your existence.

You felt so foolish now accepting his offer, not knowing he was asking you on a date until it was too late and his texts became suggestive and eerie. Men and their twisted words. You wished you could be rid of him and that stupid sushi place.

You turn towards Morpheus, acknowledging his presence as you fiddle with the necklace you added to your ensemble. “Well, I wish I could but Jordan is a pain in the ass and he won’t relent unless I join. If I appear and go on this date, then he’ll leave me alone for good.” 

“Oh, darling, that is not the case. He’s using you and harassing you both at work and during your off hours. No person acts in such a manner. Best leave us to handle it.” 

“Handle what?” a warm voice you’d come to cherish many a night inquired. Hob leaned against your doorframe, a small smile gracing his features. You have lost count of the times you lost yourself in those warm brown eyes. 

Turning from your thoughts you sighed as your phone pined five more times on your nightstand. “It’s nothing, an annoying co-worker who asked me on a date that I did not know was a date, and he never specified it was.

He twisted his words and I eventually caved since he was so insistent and I thought accepting it would make me get rid of him. Hell, I am such a fool and Jordan is a creep.” You take a breath, noting the concerned raised brow Hob gave to Morpheus who stood in the shadows, ever stoic. “You were right, Morpheus. I can’t go. What the hell am I supposed to do?” 

“You could block him,” Hob offered, coming to you to wrap you in a hug. His embrace strengthened your resolve and you looked to Morpheus. 

You sighed, leaning into Hob’s warmth. “I will do that, but I work with him at least three times a week and once he drops by my cubicle he will not take the hint no matter how insistent I get.” 

“We could send Corinthian after him. That is an idea.”

Morpheus came closer, standing before you at his full height, his hair a rumpled mess that you did not notice when he was cloaked in shadows. “I would call for him if you wish.” He stroked your cheek gently and you leaned into him, the coldness of his touch a wonderful contrast to Hob’s warm embrace from behind. 

“I don’t want to go,” you whispered, hating how you melted, hating how much your heart raced at the thought, hating how you’d face Jordan at work in three days. 

“Don’t go on the date,” Morpheus commanded.

Your phone pinged again and your heart seized, but Hob held you tighter determined to keep you steady. “Morpheus, why?” Your eyes widened at the set of his jaw, pure determination in his eyes, not willing to let you run from him. 

“Say it.” 

“Why?”  

“You know why,” Morpheus’s voice was soft, yet dangerously low, a silken melody in the space between and you want to lose yourself to his coldness, to Hob’s warmth. How did you not realize sooner they were who you wanted all along? No one else could or would ever compare. 

“Because I want you. I want Hob. I want so much more in this life than to be harassed and taken advantage of by that creep Jordan. I have never felt so safe, so cared for than with you, even Corinthian.” Your heart ached at your confession, realizing the truth in your words, the pure honesty, the desire behind it all. 

Before you could utter another word, Morpheus’ lips meet yours in a soft, determined kiss and you lose yourself to the cold, the fire inside your heart burning free. Hob grunted from behind you, soft warm lips pressed upon your neck, making you melt all the more.

You wouldn’t question how you got here, but you are thankful for them both, saving you from what could have been a precarious situation. You lose yourself then, with Hob biting your neck, passion, and desire brimming between the three of you, nothing could have been more perfect in that moment. 

They continue in their conquest, determined to turn your mind from the disastrous date that could have been and you’re grateful for them, the distraction, the new feelings between you all surfacing. You would not have imagined this happening to you with one, let alone two people you’ve come to admire throughout the years you spent together.

A soft moan passed from your lips as Morpheus slid his hands over your sides, a shower of goosebumps cascading down your arms in the wake of his touch. Hob groaned, pulling you tighter against him, feeling the weight of his desire along your lower back, sending heat to your core in anticipation.

Never had you expected to feel desire or passion for anyone in this lifetime or the next, and you wanted none but them. 

You sighed again as Morpheus’s hands wandered to your breasts, cupping them gently through the fabric of your dress. Hob followed in kind, sweeping his hands under your dress to tease the fabric of your undergarment with his index finger and tracing the apex of your thighs, a delicious agony. To no avail you squirmed against them both, nowhere to go but remain in this moment in time with them.

The buzzing of your phone faded into the background, drowned out by your panting and moans the men coaxed from your lips. Soon enough they had you a writhing mess for them on the bed, sandwiched between them in the throes of bliss and you kissed them in turn, determined to savor every moment, not wanting to let go. 

“So pretty for us to undress, yeah?” Hob cooed, working you with his fingers, coaxing your release from you as Morpheus toyed with your breasts, nipping and suckling, adding to your pleasure. 

“My darling, you’re a sight to behold, so lovely for us,” Morpheus’s voice drank you in, enveloping you in your soul and mind. 

You could do nothing but whimper at the feeling, everything too much yet not enough, body ignited, yet somehow wanting, no, craving more of them and their touches. “Please, Morpheus, yes. Hell, H-hob right there,” you groan, coaxing your lovers on. “I swear I’m going to fuck the next person that walks through that door.” 

“You have us, my love,” Hob whispered huskily, pressing his length against you, evidence of his want and desire.

Your hand grasped onto him with ease, relishing his head tossing back in bliss, the broken moan falling from his lips. Morpheus looked up in awe, his black eyes narrowing, admiring the display before kissing you on the lips gently. 

“I know, Hob but-” you shuddered, as a flash of white passed by your door. 

A deep chuckle resounded in your room followed by a southern drawl. “Well well, what am I missing out on? What did I hear my dear say, Morpheus? Surely they did not mean that. You and Hob are pleasuring them into oblivion already from the looks of it.” Corinthian smirked, his pristine white suit covered in blood.

He wiped the corner of his mouth, smirking as he pushed his signature sunglasses up on his nose before stalking around the bed to get a better view. You let out a soft moan at the sight. 

“Awe darlin’ look at you so pretty for them. So pretty for us.” Corinthian smirked, tilting your chin up with the tip of his knife. “Such pretty eyes. And Jordan will never look at you again or that sushi place.” 

You shuddered at his words, another wave of desire coursing through you. This other being, the creation of Morpheus had killed for you, showering you with such an act of devotion you’re not sure you could ever repay.

“My sweet, you’re so wet for us,” Hob murmured, dragging a finger along your thighs up to your slit, teasing you just so. 

“Looks like they have a penchant for my knives, is that it?” Corinthian’s smirk widened as he added a hint of pressure to the blade he pressed along your neck. 

You choked back another groan, overstimulated by the touches of your lovers, paired with the sound of Corinthian’s seductive voice, cold metal at your throat.

The bed creaked as Hob and Morpheus shifted slightly pulling you to the middle of the bed, keeping you between them, Hob on the left, Morpheus to your right. All of your eyes were focused on the Corinthian after he gently kissed you on the neck where he teased you with his knife.

You continued to admire the new addition to your party. 

The full-length mirror next adjacent to the dresser offered more of a view as Corinthian reverently took off his coat, placing it on your vanity chair, taking off his knife shoulder holsters, and setting the red stained knives on a pristine white towel. You would complain about the towel later, but you and your lovers are too enraptured by the creation of Morpheus to care.

You cannot deny Morpheus’s tastes, or Corinthian’s eye for fashion, the white button-down shirt accentuating his skin, carved of marble, honed and fashioned in the sands of the shoreline.

Carefully rolling up the sleeves up to his forearms, he took another white towel from your vanity, dipped it into the basin of water, and slowly, reverently, cleaned off his knives. 

The precision and the intention are all practiced methods, a ritual, even. 

A ritual that enraptured you and your lovers.

Corinthian set the clean knives on another plush white towel, placing a kiss on each of their hilts, before turning to meet your gaze through his dark signature glasses. 

“Well well, you three have been patient. Is this all for me?” He drawled. 

Hob smirked, kissing your neck, continuing in his prior conquest of teasing your clit to which you immediately squirmed, holding back a groan. 

“Such pretty sounds, my sweet,” Morpheus murmured as Corinthian walked over to the bed, nestling into his creator’s embrace. You were grateful Morpheus had insisted on a large bed, one that he could adjust in any manner he chose.

For a moment you were sure the four of you would break the bed or struggle for room, but now that all of you are on it, it is comfortable, safe, and warm. 

Warm like Hob’s insistent fingers to which you spread your legs further, welcoming him in, arching into his chest as he smiled at you, murmuring encouragement.

It did not take long for Morpheus and Corinthian to partake as well, them rotating between using their tongues and fingers upon you, driving you made and over the edge. Soon enough you pulled each of them in for a kiss, groaning your thanks to them for a wonderful evening, one you are sure not to forget. 

Hob cast a gentle smile your way, kissing your hand, before dragging his tongue along it, his ministrations continuing to your fingers. You raised a questioning brow, as did you other two lovers who were quickly enraptured once more with each other and their tongues. 

Hob shrugged nonchalantly as his tongue threaded nimbly between your fingers, sending surges of heat along your spine and you hope and pray that it is not obvious the vice he already had you in for the second, maybe even third, time that evening.

Taking his sweet time, he does not break contact as he takes your index finger in his mouth, tongue dancing with confidence before he adds in another finger. You are almost lost at the feeling paired with his eye contact.

The act alone was erotic, sparking your mind but watching him riled you further. You had to look away, you had to. Until Morpheus wrapped around behind you, grasping you, pressing his chest up against you. 

He strokes his hands down your arms, sending goosebumps in their wake. “Let Hob work, love. You can be good for us, right?” 

Corinthian grumbled as he shuffled closer, slumping behind Morpheus, ever the clinger and in want of a hug. He compromises by resting his head on Morpheus’s shoulder. 

You sighed in the agony of Hob’s ministrations, ashamed that something so small could rile you up, having you in a chokehold. “I can be good sometimes. If and only if it happens only for you three.” You smirk, noting Morpheus’ excitement pressing against your lower back. 

So this is riling him up, too. 

“What if I said I wanted to watch you and Corinthian makeout?” You mutter in your throes of it all, your brain becoming mush, spewing your desires, the darker impulses. 

Corinthian raises a brow and Morpheus bridges the gap between them lips and bodies colliding as one. You lose them in a flurry of black and white entranced by them, by Hob, pressing his lips to yours, swallowing your moans. You fall into Hob, into the cacophony of affection and desire, enjoying the whispers, groans, and moans that befell the four of you. 

Slowly, and oh so lovingly they tend to you and each other, your body trembling once you’re completely spent, your heart thrumming in your chest as Hob sinks into you, moaning low all while Corinthian and Morpheus watch, utterly enthralled as you come apart for Hob. 

Once you’re all spent, Hob licked the remaining remnants of the combined mess of their desire on your stomach, groaning all the while. 

“You’re all devastatingly pretty. How lucky am I to have you,” you whisper to the now empty room, lit by a single black candle and yellow flame. 

You heard them all shuffle in the darkness, heading to clean themselves up and Morpheus nuzzled up next to you and you felt a coolness between your thighs, registering the cloth he used to gently clean you off.

You smiled in the dark at the gesture. All three of them were so good to you and completely yours. All of you they could not imagine for more and they adored you and would continue to all until the hours of the night, where dreams and nightmares collided.

They would meet you there time and time again, always there, holding you and never letting go.  

******

[undermine-the-instinct]

Stop looking at me with those eyes!! JJK Pt l | Pt ll | Pt lll

Characters: Sukuna, Mahito, Kenjaku, Choso.

Warnings: YANDERE. Minors DNI. Due to the nature of said characters I will classify this as yandere/ darkfic. Soft(?) Gore mentions.

(A.N:I don't know what you did to get these men's attention, but good fucking luck, lol)

Love is what they this, this lesser thing beings pursue for some semblance of worth, importance. A liability, and a weakness that {Sukuna} doesn't have. But he supposes that is love by human standards. Curses fare no better. He will not debate whether curses can love or not, he does not exist to either, and he will hold himself to no standards but his own.

You are soft and sweet in his arms, and he enjoys that. Your sounds please him, whether in pleasure or pain. He savors the taste of your blood on his tongue. He wants to rip you to shreds, but he holds himself back. It will be too troublesome to find someone good enough to replace you.

So he supposes that he loves you, in his own way. The only way that matters.

He admits that he greatly enjoys the way you look at him. Your eyes shine, and while mortal means of wealth never enticed him, these are the only jewels he wants to hold in his hands.

"Stop looking at me with those eyes."

You're held up against his side, cradled in one pair of arms, bloody and tired and limp. He is not quite sated after his latest binge, and so he holds you; the remains are scattered around you both, twitching and shivering in the open air. Much like you are, you have to stop that–Predator instincts demand he sinks his teeth into you. Your flesh is a delicacy that he knows well.

But your sweet eyes– so wide and tinged with horror, are alive and bright, like lanterns cutting through the dark mist of night. So pretty. What would he do without them?

"Stop looking at me like that pet, or I'll pluck your eyes out again, like the pretty jewels they are." They were soft and veiny in his mouth, popping like gushers. Reverse cursed technique keeps you in one piece.

As if to taunt him, your eyes gleam brighter with your tears, and his hands twitch around you.

He must always catch himself. Sometimes he doesn't. He wants to keep going, keep going further and further till you're nothing more than viscera, blood in his mouth. Until the pain turns you into a curse, held above them all, just like he is. It would be better for you. It would be better for him.

But, no, not yet. He enjoys your human softness. He deserves it.

"Oh dearest." Your tears fall out unbidden, and he sighs, brings you up to his face, and licks the tracks they run down your face. Sweet, just like the rest of you.

You will stay here forevermore. You will never belong to anyone else, much less yourself.

♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡

{Mahito} is a creature born from every nasty thing humanity has ever felt or thought or done. A maelstrom, a calamity. Not a catastrophy. He is still happening after all.

Love is twisted for him, it's a thing of malcontent for him. In fact, it's one of the main things that made him up. A lover's anger at a cheating partner, vicious joy at their pain, the satisfaction of a lover's vengeance. The soft vindictiveness that comes after, when you pick up the pieces and put them back together again. It twists and quivers up in the light, and Mahito offers it all to you with a smile and horrid gleam in his dual colored eyes.

"Stop….stop looking at me with those eyes." You can barely whisper. There is a weight in your chest. Mahito quirks his head, a mockery of innocence, and doesn't even pout to make light of the situation, like he usually does.

Maybe its because he's never gone this far before. His pupils are blown out, leaving hardly any color, and they don't leave you. It scares you. He is smiling, he has been smiling this entire time, and you hate that smile. It has never been a good thing.

"Do I scare you?"

You keep quiet. Because you can't think, and you know better to blurt out the first thing in your head.

Yes, yes, you do. You know you do. And I know you like that.

"Your soul is finally trembling back into place." He hums, trailing his hands along your prone form, and you can't help the little whimper that slips past your clenched teeth. You can't handle it again. But Mahito grins, and squeezes, hard. Like a child with a fresh new toy. You're sure he's leaving bruises. The kindest touch he's given you so far.

"I worried for a moment that I'd have to mish-mash you back together, but you're fine. We're fine."

You are not fine. You are absolutely not fine.

"I tried to be gentle, like you asked me to. I tried to be considerate. But, just, look at you." The shaky exhale of his breath sends your heart racing, and your hands rush over to clamp over his wrists. He lets you.

Your skin is broken and bruised and bleeding. Your head is fuzzy, but panic keeps you alert. Your heart lugs in your chest, heavy and thumping and you feel the blood pound in your ears, it makes you want to tear yourself out open in order to stop the sick rhythm. You are sore, and you can't tell what exactly is broken, or bent out of place, but you're not dead, not this time.

You don't know how many next times you have.

Mahito softly shakes his head, looks down at all your broken and bloody bits. A breathless smile spreads across his face, while his brows furrow in question.

"How am I ever going to replace you?"

You whimper.

♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡

{Kenjaku} has means of helping you 'reincarnate'. He says helping, but really, you don't have a choice in the matter.

He has done this dozens of times, every time he obtains a new body. You are always the first thing he attends to after, your resurrection is priority. He wants your opinion, he says, and your attention, he doesn't. Your love. You're the only one worthy, and interesting, enough of standing by his side. You will remain there.

He smiles at you in this new meat suit, long black hair and smooth skin, a monks ensemble. He sits cross-legged, chin in hand.

"Stop looking at me with those eyes dearest."

"Or what? You'll pluck them out again?" You join him at the low table, if only to glare at him closer. He smiles, almost blissful.

"Not this time, I think this form suits you more than the last. I'd hate to blind you once more."

"I'll kill you one day, Kenjaku." He nods, mockingly.

"They say love is the greatest curse."

"You don't love me." You don't hiss, you don't growl or grit the words out through clenched teeth. Your hatred and malice is a dark, cold thing, settled in the pits of your belly like sediment at the bottom of the deepest ocean. It slips from your lips like the oldest poison.

"We've done this song and dance for centuries. Your morbid curiosity and lust for power is what keeps me here. I'm a pet."

"No love," he reaches over and boops your nose. He has gotten more playful in this body, and it makes you see red. It makes you afraid.

"You're an experiment."

"Like your cursed wombs?"

"No, something more personal." You roll your eyes, and move to serve your own tea. Fuck him.

"And what experiment am I an unwilling participant in, hm? How long it takes to break me?"

"How long it takes for you to love me," he corrects. The lines of the body's scar are shiny pink in the light. You want to tear it bloody.

"Which is one and the same, I suppose."

♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡ • ♡

{Choso} exists for his brothers, and that is all. That is all he wants and all he feels he was truly made for, and there is no room for anything else.

Anyone else.

Much less you.

"Stop looking at me with…those eyes." He doesn't understand adoration, only duty, and he is unused to the soft rapture in your eyes. It is wasted on a being like him, anyways.

"What eyes?" You droll out, still clearly lost wherever your mind went. He tries not to think where.

"You know what eyes you're making. Stop it." He hates how the softness leaves you, brow tugging down.

"Oh, sorry. I don't want to make you uncomfortable with all the, um, staring."

"It's not the staring. It's the reason behind it. Your feelings are wasted on me. Place them elsewhere." You don't flinch but your shoulders hunch, and he does not take back his words. They are true and they need to be said. Your feelings are wasted on him.

He just wishes he didn't return them.

"...I can't help the fact that I love you."

"You don't." You can't. You can't.

"Even if you did, it doesn't matter."

"Don't say that. Of course it matters."

"If love ever mattered my brothers and I wouldn't exist. You would understand the situation, and what this means for all of us. Your love is shallow, because you only see that which is in front of you." He sighs, and does not meet your gaze. He doesn't know what you see.

"There is no future for us." And no future that he can secure you.

His…father created him and his brothers on a vicious whim. He will not let you be dragged into that same cruelty.

There's no need to weep. He lets you leave to compose yourself, and doesn't let you take his heart with you.

A half curse, half human thing such as he– half wretched and half tainted blood, all sharp edges and harsh things.

He was not made for love. He was not made for soft things. He was born for tragedy and he will end that way too, and he will comply with his duties as an older brother.

He can not offer you soft things. Even if he dreams of your smiles.

So, please. Stop…looking at him with those eyes.

[t0rturedangel]

୧ ྀི ◞ ◟ ა . . . ♰ ୨ৎ THATS ONE HELL OF A KID

꣹ ㅤ◜ 𝒾 ⠀⦂ HELLUVA BOSS ㅤ♥︎ ㅤ／ ︎𝅄 ׄ ໒꒱  〬 𓂂 ׄ ㅤSHE ~ HERㅤㅤ!reader 𝟢𝟣. helluva boss x reader ㅤ𝟢𝟤. Platonic ⠀︶꒦꒷︶ A small hellhound, adopted by blitzø, helps the I.M.P on their murders, tradegies and … Questionable situations ㅤ  ︎ ︎ ｡｡ ⠀ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ( Ⓒ𝓉★𝓇𝓉𝓊𝓇𝑒𝒹𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓁 )

𝑭𝑹𝑶𝑴 𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑬𝑳 ⠀ ⨾ ⠀First helluva boss fic! super excited :D

꒰ ⠀ INTRO ⠀✦⠀ DUCTION ⠀ ꒱

✉️ ﹐ ⧼  𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈.𝐌.𝐏'𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 . . . [ name ]

ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤ ⠀❪ ⠀4 years old & she / they pronouns ⠀❫

⎯⎯ nicknames; Kiddo, little one, sweet, hon, kid, scout, pipsqueak, squirt, shadow, wolfsbane, runt.

︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶

𓂅 ໋⋅ ౨ৎㅤ·⠀·⠀· visage ; attire + face

ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ MAIN OUTFIT , [name ] 's outfit is the average kid's outfit, a short sleeved black shirt underneath long, almost oversized overalls, with the little buttons being skulls. Underneath the shirt and overalls are a pair of tights under the trouser part of them having black tights. On the back of their overalls, a red bow is tied right above their tail, as well as a pocket where their tummy would be where they like to keep various trinkets in there.

ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ ACCESSORIES , no accessories!

ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ FACE & BODY, [ name ] has bright and innocent features which make them easily be able to get away with many things! Their eyes are big and bright red color alongside black pupils. Their fur is a beautiful (hair color) colour, with some black- almost shadow-y like streaks of black, her ears pointed high and a big ol' fluffy tail. [name] is the shortest of the group, being haldf the size of Moxie and Millie giving them the chance to use all of the imps and Loona as personal 'drivers'.

𓂅 ໋⋅ ౨ৎㅤ·⠀·⠀· relationships ; biological + non-biological (ALL PLATONIC)

ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ BIOLOGICAL FAMILY , [name] can't remember their biological family- not mother, father nor siblings, in all honestly she doesn't even know that she has a family beyond Biltz and the IMP group! but they do exsist, they're out there and they're looking for you.

ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ㅤㅤㅤ⠀ CURRENT FAMILY , currently [ name ] lives with Blitz and Loona, sharing a room with the latter. She LOVES Blitz and Loona, almost immediatly adopting the two of them as her family. Additionally when she met Millie and Moxie she quickly registered them as her 'non-registered' 'non-biological' auntie and uncle, and (much like Blitz) loves to annoy the hell out of them. Eventually, [name] acknowledges Stolas and Octvaia as their other father and other older sister (despite Blitz's reluctances and disagreement)

WARNINGS,ㅤㅤㅤ♯ BLOOD

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ MURDER

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ VIOLENCE

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ VULGUR AND SEXUAL LANGUAGE

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ ANGST

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ SERIOUS THEMES

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ VOILENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ BLITZ 

BEFORE YOU GO, ㅤㅤㅤ♯ updates will be slow - my motivation is very low at the moment.

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ Helluva Boss does NOT belong to me

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ Some of the characters might be slightly OOC

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ If you believe I'm taking too long with updating the book please scream at me to update it!

ㅤㅤㅤ♯ I will add the necessary warnings on each chapter, if there are no warnings then that means nothing too extreme will happen- however all chapters WILL have swearing and maybe the smallest pinch of violence in them.

ཀ〘﹑　ACTS & SCENES,

ACT ONE - . . .

" Everything eats and is eaten  "

PLEASE ENJOY READING 'THATS ONE HELL OF A KID.'

any tips or ideas will be greatly appreciated!

Ⓒ𝐓𝟎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝕽Σ𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝕷 on wattpad and Tumblr

Ⓒ𝐆𝕺𝐍Σ𝐆𝕽𝐋_𝐓𝖃𝐓 on ao3

[riacte]

hope you don't mind me asking, but how do you write/characterise ren?

Hi, thanks for the ask!

For me, Ren has a very distinct character voice, so usually I put in a few words from the Rendog language post and it does like 70% of the work if it's nothing too serious. Hit the dialogue with the Rendogification beam! I know there's a post of people Rendogifying DSMP quotes and it's hilarious. Add a "my dude" before/ after his dialogue and it'll usually work. And maybe pepper in some "get in line"s. Or "outrageous!", "geez", "freakin'".

For HC Ren / Ren in general, I put him as like... a friendly, enthusiastic, charismatic guy who's very supportive of his friends and he's always eager to help. He is kind and sees the best in everyone. He's also very dramatic and unashamed of his dramatic tendencies (singing out loud, posing, twirling). And of course he flirts. He flirts with everything. He's probably flirted with someone's houseplant. He wants everyone to get in line for him. He makes a lot of inappropriate jokes (check my #the rd difference tag) which is greeted with complete silence.

But underneath that, I think he's a guy who tends to look down on himself / self deprecating and he is soooooo self sacrificial. He's gonna be good at something then go "I've never been good at anything 🥺". And he is genuinely so eager to sacrifice himself at all times; he'll probably throw himself in front of his friends to save them. And I think Ren is terrified of being lonely which is why he's clingy. If you leave him to his devices for too long he'll literally burn / blow up his base (Last Life, HC 7). Ren is fantastic with words, he's optimistic and naturally good at bringing people together, but he's also just a doggy who wants company.

Ren is quite talkative and he can ramble about random topics forever. But he also occasionally asks questions to his friends so they can contribute to the conversation. And I think he's fantastic as a storyteller because not only is he a master at "yes, and", he also likes including his friends and subtly inviting them to roleplay with him.

Ren is highly sentimental and remembers a lot of memories. He's not afraid to go sappy and sincere and vulnerable, but then again there's his fear of being a burden. Ren has a tendency to trail after competent, snarky, and mildly intimidating people (insert Ren's greens: Doc, Iskall, Martyn, False, etc) and enjoys being lovingly bullied and lovingly used as a punching bag. He lovesssss being a pathetic lil guy. He loves acting sad and soggy. And he kinda loves being beheaded and beheading his friends.

Ultimately, I think Ren greatly values company and loyalty, and always desires a tightknit group of people to belong to, maybe to even lead (Knights of the Square Table, Dogwarts, etc). And he wants to be useful and not be a burden, leading to his self sacrificial tendencies. He is so eager to serve and offer his services to the rest of the server— in HC, he likes selling / providing food in the early days (HC 4 he made a farm, HC 9 Gigapies) and then proceeds to build infrastructure for everyone to enjoy (HC 6 Hermit Railway Network), or come up with detailed "game" systems (HC 5 Hermitron (?) and HC 9 Hermit Quests). In that way, despite his theatrics, Ren is quite practical and down to earth. Give the man something to manage and he'll be happy.

I don't read a lot of HC fics nowadays but I don't think I've seen like, really severe mischaracterisation of Ren. Probably because Ren RPs a lot so he can RP as a lot of characters which decreases OOC-ness, maybe? Ren's a bit pathetic but he's not a coward, he will literally die for his friends. And while Ren might be a bit of a "derp", he has decent strategies (sometimes) which is mostly him accumulating resources + building a secure fortress (evident in Life series).

For Life series Ren, it's similar but more... guarded and cautious. Still desires a tight knit group of allies (usually his top priority). Still loves gathering his resources and building his defenses. Is kind and forgiving to the point he's taken advantage of (this behaviour decreases in latter series). And he loves his allies with all of his life and would die for them.

Oops, this got long lol. Hope this was helpful! :D

[synergysilhouette]

10 more Disney hot takes/unpopular opinions (Part 4)

"I See the Light" is my least favorite Disney duet--I don't know why, but it isn't emotional or impactful to me like other duets. Perhaps it was due to not being emotionally invested in Flynn like I was supposed to be at this point, and his and Rapunzel's different personalities making them feel almost like father and daughter rather than love interests.

2. Anna's "Frozen 2" look is very boring--It's wildly disappointing that they opted not to give her her double braids because they seemed too childish. This is only three years after the first film, and while I love seeing her hair down, I would've enjoyed her having her two braids as well when traveling. And don't get me started on her main outfit; the black look being chosen to show maturity/seriousness could've easily been a darker green or magenta to keep with her main look rather than going with black, especially since Kristoff's look is black (and also boring; it's just recoloring his look from part 1).

3. The post-renaissance era is very disappointing--No seriously. I'd save "Fantasia 2000" and maybe "The Emperor's new Groove" and everything else can be erased.

4. "Zootopia" is the best Disney movie of the 21st century so far--Given that I tend to appreciate Disney's musical films more and don't usually care for animal-centric films, this surprised me just as much as anyone else. However, the message, while not 100% transferible to human racism, was so impactful and emotional to me. I can only hope the sequel does it justice.

5. Yokai is the best "modern" Disney villain of the revival era--To clarify, by "modern" I mean that he isn't written like classic Disney villains as only having "evil" as their only setting; his villainy has a meaning to it, serving as a cautionary tale to what the hero could become. TBH, I think it was better done than the "Know Who You Are" message with Moana and Te Fiti (see my other hot take post). Granted, I do think some of his sympathy was removed when he tried to kill his students, but the message and overall theme itself is very good to me.

6. "Encanto" was good, but not great--Don't get me wrong, I loved most of the songs, and the animation was phenomenal as well as the message, but the film felt like it was overstuffed. With twelve family members, it was inevitable, but trying to give lessons with Luisa and Isabela along with giving Dolores a romantic arc felt underwhelming since they weren't major characters with Mirabel, who's main thing was feeling left out and isolated. If they wanted to incorporate other arcs, they'd have to be more included in the narrative, and you can still have Mirabel feel isolated; you can be around others and still feel like they don't get you or listen to you.

7. Ariel's sisters should've had more relevance than just being plot-accurate--I never really thought about this until the live-action remake, but yeah. Ariel's six older sisters don't do anything and don't exist except for the fact that the source material said she was the youngest of several sisters (thus where we get the title from; I think the fairy tale only gave her five, though). While this is more of a modern Disney idea, I would've liked it if Ariel AND her sisters became human, and each of them grow closer to Ariel upon seeing why she likes the human world so much, and further highlight the anguish Triton feels at driving all his daughters away. That said, due to the amount of characters in the film, perhaps condense the six sisters into one to three of them, and they could still have their hair cut as their payment to Ursula. In fact, perhaps because of this trade, their time on land is shorter than Ariel's (but they don't belong to Ursula until the third day is up), allowing them to get King Triton and disrupt the wedding at the last minute.

8. The Disney prince line should be more relevant--It baffles me greatly that this hit the backburner in contrast to the princesses. The unnamed prince Charmings could be given names and more fleshed out personalities, and their books/stories could be promoted just as much as the Disney princesses. There is other merchandise to be used besides dolls (even if that is the money maker).

9. Disney needs to consider PG-13 animated films--Animation in the western world seems to be synonymous with family/young audiences, 3/4 times, while Japan has shown that animation has huge potential in the young adult market. I desperately hope that "The Boy and the Heron" being so acclaimed inspires Disney to be more PG-13--not just for the rating, but because the story benefits more from the mature content. Note: this is more for violence/scary imagery than innuendo or profanity.

10. Disney should be more sparing when they hire celebrities for films expected to start a franchise--This is a personal opinion of mine, but while I don't think celebrities should be excluded from major motion animated films, I do think companies, particularly Disney, should use them carefully. These are for two reasons: if you hire a well-known voice actor, the character's voice may not sound as unique for a major property since the voice is somewhat ubiqitous thanks to the actor's work. Secondly, hiring a celebrity actor known for live-action productions, it may be hard to meet their schedule or salary desires when you want them to return for a short, sequel, and/or tv show. Not saying it happens every time, but I do have concerns about that, especially when I thought "Wish" was going to be something spectacular and show up more in Disney's merchandise.

[bleachbleachbleach]

Verisimilitude (long thoughts about writing)

Sometimes I get mailed random books to consider for course adoption. The first one I looked at the other day was so incredibly bad I could not make it past page 12--"oh my god I hate books" bad; "trees were wasted on this!!" bad. And then there's this one. I've made it to page 30-something and I could have told you 20 pages ago that Oliver Twist it would remain, but I am still reading it to read it, and maybe keep it to recommend extracurricularly. (The protagonist Alva is a weeb for American culture, whatever the word is for that, which I think could make for interesting study!) But that's all context to say,

AH YES THE INTERNET RABBIT HOLE OF NARUTO FAN FICTION, HENTAILORD. WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE.

SO...

BLEACH MENTION WHEN????

Based on the style of her screen name, the Naruto porn, and her listening to My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park, this girl is definitely living her teenage life in the mid-00s, in ways that are searingly obvious. Which feels like it should be a massive success in terms of using verisimilitude to pinpoint a particular time and place and, by extension, person. But I don't think it does?

In thinking about why this doesn't work for me as a reader:

1. As a general rule, I tend not to enjoy "fandom" subculture references like this in fiction, because they have never felt true to my experience of fandom, or even my experience of others' experiences of fandom. The specificity is there but not the verisimilitude. Whether this is because of an inability to articulate the breath of life that animates fandom spaces, or a feeling of needing to at least kind of translate it for the uninitiated general audience, I don't know. Not that Alva's narrative goes far enough to merit this discussion; she's just reading Naruto porn for one sentence, but it just doesn't land right for me. (Sidebar, this is probably also why I don't enjoy acafandom or fandom essays that aspire to acafandom; there's usually this attempted, manufactured critical/"objective" distance from the text that often feels performative, or at least the wrong [or less interesting] tool for the job. And even where 'in-group' positionality is addressed, the translation required to make these things legible to the out-group is just--well, not what I want in life, I guess!)

2. I am a great believer in drawing greatly from what you know and feel and all those random thoughts and behaviors and emotions and tics that make life interesting, and giving them to fiction. In fanfic especially, I am a great believer in seeing the author's hands in a text, making the story (and the original canon) unmistakably theirs. But I kind of always want them to be hands that are in the act of giving. By which I mean, I think there's a difference between all these things existing in a story and having been given to a character or a world or a story, and integrated genuinely into them.

Like, all I can think about while reading this book is how the author definitely lived through the mid-00s in a particular and very familiar way. Rather than create a richly immersive world, the details jump out of the page and leave the story behind. They don't feel like they belong to Alva (or perhaps Alva does not feel like a character with the depth to hold them and make them hers). They belong do the author, and to me, and to history, but Alva falls out of the equation. And if this is going to work, I feel like Alva can't fall out of the equation.

3. I was talking to a friend about something similar a few months ago. She was complaining about a historical fiction book she was reading with a book club she leads at the library she works at--how it was clearly very well-researched, but dry as hell. The information was not animated by the story itself. And I compared it to a fanfic I'd (not) read, where the author was very proud of all the research they'd done and how accurate-to-life its setting was. (To be clear, I'm not subtweeting Bleach fandom. Completely different fandom! Also this fanfic was published like 16 years ago.) The fic did bring in lots of specific details about trees and highways and city names--things I knew well, too, because it was set where my sister lives--but rather than be as exciting and, again, rich, as I feel like that familiarity could have been, it all felt dead. Because all these things were described specifically, but not true to how the narrating characters would describe them, or mentally catalogue them, or experience them.

And you might think, well, how would we possibly know how a character thinks about highways? It's not like he's explained this in canon. And I'd say, well, you definitely can. There are probably a lot of different ways a character could plausibly think about highways, depending on the specific shade and flavor of your characterization of them, all equally believable; but it's got to be part of the equation. There are a lot of ways to be right, and you know it when it's wrong. The wrong-est way it can be is for the way they think about highways to not factor into the way those dang highways are being described by them, in their POV.

4. I think about this both as a reader and as a writer--certainly more often as a writer, because I find that level of imagining a character's headspace the VERY best part of the process, and also because I am often concerned I am not doing it, or at least not well, lol. I'm positive I've done all the things I've just talked about not enjoying.

These concerns exist at the level of characterization work in general, but also at that level of, is the wizard behind the green curtain? Are his hands giving? Because while I do write fanfic because "it is fun" and because "this idea interests me," I am also usually writing it to work through deeply personal emotions/experiences. Which again, perhaps selfishly, I support that. But from a craft perspective I don't want it to feel, transparently, like "oh lol this author is going through it."

Moreover, from a relational perspective, I don't want that to be the relationship between me as author and the characters. Because one thing I am ALWAYS writing fanfic to do is to indulge my feelings about how much I am in complete, rapturous love with the characters and worlds in question. I don't want to just place things upon them, like a film or shroud; I want them to be given, integrated, arriving in the text wholly in their bodies and in their minds and entirely theirs. And I mean this for both the emotional arcs and conflicts and the random tics and details. I want them to have been given, and to belong, and to feel completely and inextricably theirs.

So, those are my thoughts about mid-00s Naruto porn!!!

I'd love to hear others' perspectives, as readers or writers or both. Have you had similar reactions, or quite different? Why do you write, and what do you want? What's your template for how you think about characterization, or your writerly relationship to canon/characters?

[mitternacht]

UU Appreciation Week Day 2: A UMA you appreciate

It’s technically the 21st for me so posting this now. I may be in the minority here but I really do adore Soul! I like where his character is going and I'm obsessed with the potential he has. So here's me rambling a bit about why I want to put him in my pocket so bad. More under the cut for spoilers!

I've been immensely endeared to Soul since my first reading, specifically because of his unique place in the story as the sole UMA created by Luna.

Soul is an outsider to all other UMA's, an Other. He is their predecessor as the first UMA to exist on Earth, and simultaneously he does not truly have a place of belonging with them. While every other UMA was created by Sun to challenge humanity, Soul is the singular UMA created to gift humanity potential.

And how tragic he is. He doesn't understand his place or purpose as a UMA because of this. Soul is humanity's hope, their lifeblood, their dreams and ambitions. He's not meant to bring suffering to humanity like every other UMA has been instructed, but doesn't know anything else. He's also been shown to greatly enjoy seeing humans overcome challenges, even if he doesn't quite understand why that is.

Imagine you're Soul, and you're your parent's only child, and you never receive an answer as to why you exist, why they brought you into the world. As time goes on, you realize you're just amusement for them, just another piece in their game without any true purpose or reason for being. Whether this is true or not, this is all you've been led to believe. And so all you have to cling to is the directive given to those around you. And even then you're just not quite right, not quite the same as the other UMA's.

(Can we just talk about the sadness in his eyes in this last panel)

And I truly do think that the realization in 223 may have been Soul’s breaking point, realizing that Luna never really gave him any sort of purpose other than for their own amusement, for their game. I’m unsure if it may be an inking error, but I’m fairly certain this is the moment we see his pupils start to shift from white to black as well.

From this point forward, we’ve only seen Soul with his blown out black pupils, and his personality has quite changed in comparison to how he’s acted before. He seems more uncaring, and cold now.

At the end of the day, I truly do believe that a huge part of winning this final conflict is going to be Soul finding his place with humanity, and understanding his purpose. UU is all about connection and belonging, and I don't think Soul is going to be the exception to that. I genuinely don't see him as evil or irredeemable, he's just a little mixed up and was predisposed to be a little off. And I only hope he gets a happy ending, along with everyone else.

PS: Who wants to join me in my insane theory that Soul is going to either turn out to be the Artifact Heart or that it’s somewhere inside him and that’s why it hasn’t shown up yet? Because I’m nearly convinced about it at this point, please ask me about my theories-

[theyanderespecialist]

Byakuya's Runaway Bride (Scenario) Yandere Byakuya X Female Ichigo (Bleach)

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins! I am here with a new chapter! This one is a request for a female Ichigo trying to escape from yandere Byakuya! Anyway I hope that you all enjoy this chapter here, Muffins!] 

(Disclaimer: Byakuya Kuchiki is not Yandere in canon. This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously at all! Simping for fictional characters and yanderes is fine! Same with shipping Characters as well! Just do not be illegal or gross about it! Yanderes are not ideal partners to have in real life. Also, remember to separate fiction from reality and headcanon from canon! 

Disclaimer: Byuakuay and Ichigo are not a canon couple and Ichigo is not female in canon! Again this is just for fun and not to be taken seriously.) 

(No One's POV) 

Ichigo slipped out from his arms. Getting something for his drink to make him fall into a deep sleep was difficult. Ichigo had saved Rukia yes, but after she did. Byakuya had become obsessed with her. He needed her in his life. She could not stand it, to be honest. Soon 1 year ago. He had kidnapped her from her home. She rarely saw Rukia now, as Rukia was ordered not to see her. She has not seen her friends or family. 

He told her in one month they would be getting married. She could not, and would not marry him. She stands to her feet and slips out. Walking to his office. She needs to get her Zanpaktou before she leaves, she will not leave it with him. He has a spirit energy suppressor on her neck. A collar. To show that she belongs to him.

She places her hand on her neck. The collar pissed her off greatly. It was one of the main reasons she could not leave for so long. She opens his office and then goes to the cabinet. She takes her bobby pin and starts to pick the lock. Slowly she worked and finally, the click could be heard. She unlocked the cabinet and took her large Zanpaktou. She had Zangetsu back. She will be able to leave finally. 

She does not even worry about day clothes or shoes. She just grabs her blade and runs out of the manor. She climbed over the way when suddenly the security bell of the manner started to go off. Shit! She jumped into the alleyway and started to run. Then she felt it. 

Byakuya is awake and his spirit energy tells her that he is VERY Angry! 

She needed to find a captain! Anyone that will help her. Of course, she does not know the layout of the Soul Society and it is pitch black! She quickly ended up in a dead in and then his voice made her blood run cold. 

(Byakuya's POV) 

I stood behind, my darling fiance as she caught her breath. I was angry, of course, I would be. She drugged me. But, I was also worried. She went out at night alone. She could have been hurt! Or worse she could have been taken away from me. 

"Ichigo, Darling," I say and she tenses. 

She knows that she has been caught, and she has nowhere to run. 

She turns around slowly and she does not meet my eyes. "Ichigo. Come here, your feet are dirty and you are cold." I state blankly. "Let's go home and I can run you a bath." 

"No!" She shouts and lifts her blade, ready to fight. "I rather die!" 

I sighed, she gave me no choice. I use my kidou, something she was never good at. It ended up knocking her out and I caught her in my arms. I will need to keep her zanpoktou somewhere else. I will also have to chain her down or start drugging her when we go to bed. These are things I wanted to avoid doing. But My Darling, Ichigo, she has given me no choice. She will learn to love me someday but until that day. I have no choice. 

I flash step home and remove her clothes. She is truly beautiful. My Darling Ichigo. My fiance. And Soon, my wife~ 

[YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS another one done! I hope you all enjoyed and, stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!]

(If you could see anyone with Female Ichigo from bleach who would it be?) 

[chibivesicle]

A more comprehensive way to watch Kekkai Sensen

This is something I started way back in May when I made my best friend watch the first few episodes of KKSS but in chronological order (in universe) as opposed to episode release order.

By no means is this to be a definitive list of things and I didn't quite completely match the manga and instead went with a flow that allowed for character development. I also wanted to make certain season two scenes or lines make more sense in context with the additional information from season 2 episodes or skipped manga chapters.

Like many people, I started KKSS with the anime and watched season one. I greatly enjoyed it but immediately picked up on the fact that a lot of content had to have been skipped over. This is due to how frequently anime will so faithfully adapt manga (line by line, panel by panel) that I found too many lines/character interactions were lacking something. Yes, Steven is one of my favorite characters, and my bias is showing, but it was clear that he was one of the characters who definitely had things cut around him. Closely following Steven, were K.K., Chain and Zed to a lesser degree since he didn't pop in until S1E9 and fairly late in the manga as well (volume 5 of 10).

Another issue with the season one original arc as opposed to adapting the chapters in order meant that all of the volume 1-10 back fill that season two had hurt Leo's character the most. Season one has him slowly overcome his struggles to save Black and release White. Season two then starts with legit Back 2 Back content and then jumps to back filling with the amazing original chapter 7 Day In Day Out. All of a sudden a lot of the comments directed at Steven by K.K. in particular make a hell of a lot more sense from S1E4.

Most of the return to previous chapters fleshes out Chain and the rest of the werewolves, Zed's origin and struggle to belong, Gilbert's skill set as a combat butler and K.K.'s domestic life responsibilities. Luciana Estevez is introduced all in all much later and we also get a return to the Desperate Fight in the Macro Zone, a story focusing on Leo's friendships with Beyondians outside of work.

Why a chapter like Get the Lock Out! was smashed in the middle confused me, since the season two finale was the manga volume 10 finale before Back 2 Back. I'm not sure if they should have even included this episode and instead animated other chapters like 11.5. Cherchez L'idole, 16. Outlaw of Green, or 19. Escape from Pain: Chain Reaction.

This all contributes to a sort of 'backwards/stagnant' character development for Leonardo Watch. When he does appear in events that happened in the manga before KKSS volume 10, he's back to the usual struggles which he was supposed to have overcome by volume 10. It made it weird as a viewer to see him get his ass handed to him as he waffled on things while if things had gone in order, it would have all tied up neatly with the Spectral Vision, Spectral Eyes the volume 10 finale. Instead, this is the season two finale which makes Leo go through the same motions as with season one and the new Black/White/King of Despair arc.

This is why I argue the anime hurts Leo's character the most - he gets development, then slides back trying to match the original manga story line and then ends up at the same place by the end of season two. If you had just been reading the manga chronologically, Leo gets much more fluid development and a lot of the self-doubt and growing street smarts have already resolved by the beginning of Back 2 Back. Leonardo Watch will never be the type of character with out of the world power or stats but by time he's in Back 2 Back, his relationship with Libra is such that he is a completely equal member of the main team. He voices his opinion when necessary and rolls with whatever is happening.

This is my long winded way to say that my proposed watching order will allow for a more natural development of the cast of characters and try to keep key elements together.

Here is my proposed watch order:

S1E1 – Secret Society of the Magic Sealed City

S1E2 – After the Phantom Ghost Wagon

S1E3 – A Game Between Two Worlds

This is one of the few anime episodes that really blows away the manga panels. The entire sequence as they enter the domain of the mob boss to play prosfair is gorgeous. I was already enjoying the anime, but when I saw this transition, I knew I was caught hook, line and sinker. The clever animation sequence, the perfect OST song, the build up. It was all excellently executed!

S1E4 – Bloodline Fever

S2E3 – Day In Day Out

A critical character development chapter for Steven, Chain, Leo and Zapp. Not having this in season one greatly hurt the characterization for them, in particular Steven and Chain. However, by bumping this into season two, I can see why after Get the Lock Out! they did not include Midnight Blue as Anila and Garrett are in Get the Lock Out! and Midnight Blue revolves around Garrett.

S1E5 – The Tremendous Blood Hammer

S1E7 – A No-Holds-Barred Eden

S2E5 – One Butler’s Blitzkrieg

S1E6 – Don’t Forget to Don’t Forget Me

Read chapter 11.5 Cherchez L'idole. This is the first glimpse into K.K.'s private life removed from Libra.

S1E8 – Z’s Worst Day part 1

S1E9 – Z’s Worst Day part 2

S1E10 – Run! Lunch!! Run!!!

Note, this episode will end oddly due to it being followed by S1E11 but most of the content with Daniel and the HLPD makes sense to be here. Again, this isn't perfect; you could watch up until Zapp gets sick and hold the last bit to watch right before S1E11 for better flow.

S2E4 – Werewolf Mission: Chainpossible

Somewhere around here read the chapter 16, Outlaw of Green. Again, a Klaus-centric chapter with more unsavory aspects of Steven's character that are removed from the anime.

S2E8 – Desperate Fight in the Macro Zone part 1

S2E9 – Desperate Fight in the Macro Zone part 2

Read chapter 19, Escape from Pain: Chain Reaction for Zapp & Zed Big Dipper bonding and hangry Steven. [Where's my subway sandwich?] and more unsavory Steven behavior dropped from the anime.

S2E2 – A Phantom Hospital Ward Rises

S2E7 – Bronchial Blues

S2E10 – Bratatat Mom

Watch the Restaurant OVA or read chapter 20, King of the King of Restaurants.

S1E11 – Paint it Black

S1E12 – Hello, world

I have no good filler for this section. Imagine some sort of boring time passed between these two situations. Due to the White/Black storyline it seems odd to flip the order of the finales.

S2E11 – Spectral Eyes, Phantom Vision part 1

S2E12 – Spectral Eyes, Phantom Vision part 2

S2E1 – Lights! Camera! Action!

S2E6 – Get the Lock Out!

There you have it, my proposed watch order for KKSS. If you want to throw in the zany formal dinner with the generic middle eastern prince OVA, go ahead and put that in sometime before S1E11, perhaps before watching Bratatat Mom since K.K. thinks lovingly about her husband Yukitoshi.

I personally love the OVA since it is one of the few times we get to see Steven's inner thoughts in a difficult situation animated. I still can't tell if the only reason why he doesn't succumb to the out of the world delicious food is to how anxious he is that he can't enjoy anything. He's so worried about landing the additional donation all other things fall to the wayside. Perhaps he should have brought a subway sandwich just in case?

That's all I have, go ahead and give my order a whirl if you want it to flow a bit better and read a few of those missing manga chapters.

[thrifty-swiftie]

othello: the line between love and lust

one of my more recent research endeavors, january 2024. considering i learned the top ten reasons why men vs. women have sex in my psychology class and it has become my roman empire, a fun little ditty on love and lust seemed appropriate to post in it's place. enjoy!

in shakespeare’s play othello, love and lust are the driving forces behind many of the characters’ decisions. beginning in act ii, othello is manipulated by iago into believing that his wife, desdemona, is having an affair with his lieutenant, cassio. as he seems to be smitten by desdemona, othello is driven mad by the alleged betrayal and in act iv he and iago devise a plan to kill both his wife and her lover. if othello truly loves desdemona, why does he choose to kill her over any other option? furthermore, the audience is unable to experience aristotle’s theory of catharsis after othello carries out his plan due to the dramatic irony laid by iago’s soliloquies. even if othello loved desdemona at one point in time, the choice to kill her was a decision based in lust, not love.

in order to best understand the motives behind the decisions of the characters in othello, it is important to understand the difference between love and lust. at its very simplest, love is defined by the concise oxford dictionary of current english as “warm affection, attachment, liking, or fondness…of, for, or towards person or to thing���” (fowler 486). however, according to francis fergusson, shakespeare utilizes a specific type of love in his stories. this type of love is called romantic love, which fergusson describes as a type of love that is “confined to…the ‘gentle’ or ‘noble…’ [and] demands total commitment and obedience” (fergusson 2-3). additionally, romantic love is also unique in that “when it first appears it always strikes its victim as a mystery” (fergusson 3). in contrast, lust is defined by the same dictionary as “sensuous appetite regarded as sinful; animal desire for sexual indulgence” (fowler 490). in othello, feelings of lust can be applied to othello’s need for power rather than need for sexual indulgence. the clear differences between the definitions of love and lust are vital for recognizing where the characters in othello make their decisions from and how they are feeling at different points in the play.

at the start of othello, it is made very clear that othello truly loves desdemona. upon meeting brabantio in act i scene iii, othello tells the story of how he and desdemona fell in love. He tells brabantio, desdemona’s father, that desdemona fell in love with him after empathizing with his stories from war, saying “she loved me for the danger i had passed, / and i loved her that she did pity them” (i.iii.194-195). even when facing charges of witchcraft from brabantio, othello defends his matrimony with desdemona wholeheartedly. as romantic love requires, othello is completely committed to desdemona. one event that shows his commitment to their relationship is when he gives her one of his most prized possessions, a handkerchief that once belonged to his mother. john a. hodgson wrote that “one of the most comfortably settled assumptions of othello criticism is that desdemona's handkerchief symbolizes true and honorable love” (hodgson 1). othello values this handkerchief greatly, even believing it possesses magical powers, and by giving it to desdemona, shakespeare shows the audience just how much desdemona means to othello. othello’s feelings for desdemona at the beginning of the play fit the description of romantic love and for the rest of act i, his actions towards desdemona are made from a place of love.

similarly, shakespeare makes it clear that desdemona reciprocates all of othello’s feelings in the first act. in act i, scene iii, when othello’s love for her is questioned, desdemona expresses her love for othello to her father. she says to him: "and so much duty as my mother showed / to you, preferring you before her father / so much i challenge that i may profess / due to the moor my lord (i.iii.215-219). this statement of devotion is the first we hear from desdemona, but she repeats similar sentiments throughout all five of othello’s acts. desdemona’s reciprocation of feelings with othello is an extremely important addition to the story. by showing the audience a loving relationship between othello and desdemona at the very beginning of the play, shakespeare allows the decline of the relationship to devolve in a clear and dynamic way over the next four acts.

desdemona shares a purely platonic relationship with othello’s lieutenant, michael cassio, but with a lack of context it could appear to a person that the two are engaging in a romantic affair. the two are seen throughout the play having innocent conversations regarding cassio’s work under othello but are often close to each other during said conversations. iago uses this lack of context to his advantage by convincing othello that their companionship may secretly be an affair. in his soliloqy at the end of act i, iago tells the audience: "after some time, to absue othello’s [ear] / that he is too familiar with his wife. / he hath a person and a smooth dispose / to be suspected, framed to make women false (i.iii.440-444)." iago’s grand scheme to manipulate othello is revealed in these four lines. if his plan is successful, by transforming othello’s feelings of love towards desdemona into feelings of lust, iago will be able to obtain the power he craves so desperately throughout the play. iago’s soliloquies are arguably the best tool in the play to help the audience understand his motives, and by extension, how his manipulation influences the decision making process behind their own choices.

iago is able to use othello’s feelings of love towards desdemona in the early acts of the play to manipulate him into believing that she is engaging in an affair with cassio. Like othello, iago has an unhealthy obsession with power. he tends to talk more about his lust for power rather than any love he holds for her wife. his plan revolves around taking cassio’s position, manipulating othello, and portraying desdemona as an unfaithful wife. one way of interpreting this scene is to believe that Iago may be projecting his own feelings onto othello because he is suspicious of his wife, emilia, cheating on him with both othello and cassio. in his rant to the audience, iago says “for that I do suspect the lusty moor / hath lept into my seat—the thought whereof / doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards” (ii.i.317-319). additionally, one other theory by warren staebler suggests that Iago manipulates othello because he is sexually attracted to desdemona. staebler says “if iago's motivation is sexual–and if this fact means that he is drawn sexually to desdemona–then the fact must also be the reason why he hates othello. his hatred floods his mind and is stamped on almost everything he says…” (staebler 297). the presence of these multiple ways of thinking regarding iago’s manipulation are very telling signs of iago’s feelings regarding love and lust, but all of the theories argue that iago doesn’t actually feel any sort of romantic love with emilia, like othello and desdemona do, he only has feelings of lust.

after consulting with iago, othello begins to look at his wife in a different light and the feelings of love he once had for her begin to fade. the moment that most clearly shows this switch in demeanor takes place in act iv, scene ii. in this scene, othello lashes out at desdemona, both by slapping her and telling her “i cry you mercy, then. / i took you for that cunning whore of venice / that married with othello” (iv.ii.103-105). when contrasted with his actions and feelings from act i, the way that othello during this scene is the polar opposite. othello’s actions towards desdemona in act iv, scene ii are cold, dismissive, and extremely cruel. at this point, the audience witnesses othello’s lust for power finally overturning any feelings of romantic love that may have still existed within him during this scene with desdemona. joan m. byles explains that “othello is both a narcissistic and idealizing lover, but in the end it is his idealism which defeats him. his love of self cannot outlive the scorn and self-contempt his superego pours on him” (byles 83). from this scene onwards, othello’s decisions come from a place of lust and are chosen solely to benefit himself rather than the people he surrounds himself with. othello has abandoned the ideas of romantic love, embracing his need for power instead.

in contrast, desdemona continues to express her love for othello several times throughout the play. one of the most poignant examples of this occurs in act iv, directly after othello lashes out at desdemona. when she and emilia return back to desdemona’s bedroom in act iv, scene iii, they begin discussing the morality of infidelity. desdemona firmly states that she would never cheat on othello, no matter the circumstances. despite emilia’s opposing viewpoint, desdemona tells her “beshrew me if I would do such a wrong / for the whole world” (iv.iii.88-89). unlike othello, who gives into his desires for power and loses sight of the love he once had, desdemona remains completely committed to their marriage. even when she is tested by outside forces, such as emilia’s temptations and othello’s own vile actions, desdemona values the love she has for othello above all else. it can be argued that desdemona is the only character at this point in the play that still has romantic feelings for their partner, as emilia had stated she would cheat on iago, iago refuses to trust emilia, and othello decided to kill his own wife. desdemona’s faithfulness towards othello is especially jarring when compared to how she was just treated by him one scene prior.

aristotle’s theory of tragedy is an important literary tool that explains why the audience reacts to events during a show in the way they do. aristotle defines his theory of tragedy as “...the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in language with pleasurable accessories, each kind brought in separately in the parts of the work; in a dramatic, not in narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish its catharsis of such emotions” (aristotle 2320). catharsis is an extremely important part of aristotle’s theory of tragedy and an audience’s successful catharsis is the ultimate goal of a play.

shakespeare utilizes dramatic irony throughout his play, but the use of this technique becomes especially tragic during the final scene. the most obvious way that shakespeare uses dramatic irony are through soliloquies. throughout the play, iago utilizes a series of soliloquies to directly inform the audience of his malicious intentions. other than iago, the audience members are the only people aware of the true intentions of his plan. this literary technique allows the audience to witness iago’s manipulation of othello in real time and also gives the audience a better understanding of the thought process behind othello’s deadly decision. by the finale, the audience is aware of exactly how the scene will play out, making it all the more tragic when nothing can be done to aid desdemona in her final moments alive. however, othello is also given multiple soliloquies throughout the show. these soliloquies show othello’s descent into madensss, but also display his reasoning skills at different points throughout the show. iago’s and othello’s soliloquies may differ in their main purpose, but both have a shared use as well. the dramatic irony in othello’s soliloquies helps to make the characters’ lust-based decisions more obvious to the audience, as the soliloquies from iago and othello often reveal the motivations behind their twisted decisions, with these motivations almost always being based in lust.

this dramatic irony in the final scene of othello couples with aristotle’s theory of tragedy to garner a certain reaction out of the audience. since the audience is fully aware of iago’s manipulation when othello kills desdemona, they will not be able to fully experience aristotle’s theory of tragedy. since the very first act, the audience has been exposed to each character’s decisions, even when other characters haven’t been informed. the audience has heard every interaction that led up to desdemona’s murder and know that in reality, desdemona did nothing wrong. shakespeare’s use of dramatic irony eradicates the audience’s potential for experiencing catharsis, therefore ruining their potential emotional release. if othello hadn’t given into lust, then perhaps othello would have allowed it’s audience to experience some form of catharsis.

in the end, othello’s decision to kill his wife was a decision made out of lust, not love. when othello makes the decision to kill his wife in act iii, scene iii, he has abandoned all commitment towards her. his animalistic need for power overshadows the love he once felt for desdemona, culminating in the deadly act v, scene ii. love and lust play equally important roles in shakespeare’s othello, but in the end lust triumphs over love. othello chose to ignore everything that desdemona had done to show her devotion to him in favor of supporting his own best interests. lust is the reason for desdemona’s death and the motive behind the majority of decisions othello makes in othello, but it is also the most influential outside force for characters like iago.

no edits! a paper in it's original form, a shocker for this page. this may not be the strongest essay i've ever slapped together on here but it certainly did get me a passing grade in college english, so i'd consider it a win. this likely will be my last research paper post of the year (unless i decide to go against the masses and stress write something on the wicked movie), so i'll see you in 2025 with some fun new topics (hybristophilia, artificial intelligence, all the works)! thanks for reading!

works cited

aristotle. “poetics.” the complete works of aristotle, ed. jonathan barnes. princeton: princeton university press, 1984.

byles, joan m. “'the winter’s tale’, ‘othello’ and ‘troilus and cressida’: narcissism and sexual betrayal.” american imago, vol. 36, no. 1, 1979, pp. 80–93. jstor, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26303359. accessed 17 jan. 2024.

fergusson, francis. “romantic love in dante and shakespeare.” the sewanee review, vol. 83, no. 2, 1975, pp. 253–66. jstor, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27542963. accessed 16 jan. 2024.

fowler, henry watson and francis george fowler. “the concise oxford dictionary of current english” oxford university press. https://archive.org/details/TheConciseOxfordDictionaryOfCurrent/page/n5/mode/1up. accessed 17 jan. 2024.

hodgson, john a. “desdemona’s handkerchief as an emblem of her reputation.” texas studies in literature and language, vol. 19, no. 3, 1977, pp. 313–22. jstor, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40754492. accessed 17 jan. 2024.

shakespeare, william. othello from the folger shakespeare. ed. barbara mowat and paul werstine. folger shakespeare library, 16 jan. 2024. https://folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/othello/

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[chattegeorgiana]

Hello Chatte, it’s me again! Just read chapter 13 and it was great! The chapter really sets up what you wanted to do story wise. Each characters pov drives the plot and their motivations makes sense from the OG canon. I love Sakura and Naruto drives and motivation. Naruto acknowledges the challenges of his philosophy such as his feelings on Pein and the Raikage, his personal feelings and how he’ll have to adjust if he wants to be Hokage. Sakura driving the plot forward with her plans to deal with the aftermath with war and her own personal project and the potential consequences of that is great. I’m assuming that’s why Sakura is wearing black? To symbolize her maturity and death of innocence due to the war and the potential consequences of what she wants with bringing back the dead. Also Tsunade taking care of business is great, shows how her character coming full circle from her walking away from Konoha to coming back and to making sure the next generation doesn’t have to deal with it. I read it on AOE, and I think you dealt with dark subject matter well. People often justify horrific actions behind “good” intentions. Both in literature and in real life

Anyway I’m glad that you’re taking a break to plot out the rest story I’m sure that will be easier going forward!

Hiii dear!

First of all welcome to my inbox again. My heart skips a beat whenever I see a message from you because you're one of the few people that truly does go such in depth with the way I create this story from so various angles. You and another great person I talk to about Kaika have a way to see right through my writing like no other!

Not to take from the others who enjoy Kaika, far from me, I appreciate each and every person who does it, but it's something about you two that tickles my writing senses, so to speak, haha.

It like y'all see right through me, and not in a bad way, but a great one. To be honest, I have to admit that ever since I started writing Kaika, it gave me perhaps another angle to look at Kishimoto and understand his predicament - especially in terms of Sakura's character.

It's so nice when one (or multiple) of your readers understand these layers of your writing and what you're trying to do with a character, because it creates a bond between the two of you, an understanding in an off itself, a knowing, a belonging; like a (not so) secret/coded language where you as the writer leave the coded messages, and the reader interprets and deciphers the message.

And when someone deciphers and understands the message it's absolutely incredible. It's like a feedback loop where both parts are in absolute sync feeding each other information and keeping the "motor running", if I may say like that.

Such an incredible feeling! Which is why, like I said, offered me another opportunity to understand Kishi's predicament with Sakura - for example. He did say he was trying to do things with her, but sadly the message wasn't getting across to so many.

But for me, back then, it did. It's just that I didn't have any means to reach out to him and tell him all those things. Sometimes I wish I could have been able to, to make him understand that hey, look, there's someone out there who sees it, keep pushing it, keep doing it, I SEE YOU!

But alas, it didn't happen.

Which is why I'm writing Kaika today to be honest. Well, not the sole reason but one of them.

It's my way of saying back after all these years to Kishi (methaphorically speaking of course, cuz it's not like I could reach him or anything lol) - I see you. I always did. And for as much as I didn't agree with many parts of his story, especially the ending, and how mad I was with him back in the day, I still appreciate him for giving me Naruto and especially Sakura Haruno, a character that I'll greatly cherish.

Anyway, I went so much on a tangeeeent! Let me get back to the actual subject of your message here, haha.

So, for the story and the plot... I'm finally so happy I'm slowly getting to these parts of it and I am slowly but surely starting to move the plot forward, you have no idea. I've been meaning to do this for such a long time, and while I planted the seeds in the initial chapters, with all the things that were going in my personal life that prevented me from attending to the story as I wished, it's such a big relief to be able to finally get here.

And not only that, but do it in a natural and organic way, that stays true to its canon counterpart. Because one of my worries was, I have to admit, that after being gone for so long, I would loose that touch, if I may say so, when it came to my writing. That flavor I try to bring it.

I have to admit, it's still kind of on and off, because I've been away from it for a long time. Took me almost an year from chapter 11 to 12, for example. I felt terrible and I worried that it was going to affect my writing, as well as that natural and organic feeling I tried to give to the story when mirrored to OG material. Partially my writing was affected as I do see things I would've written differently every time I reread the chapters after publishing myself.

But at the same time if I would edit over and over and over again, I would've never publish them, so for now it's like move forward, and you'll get back to your groove as you get to writing it.

That's why I've written this chapter only and then I want to take a break to plan story arcs. Because I want to be done with that side so that then, I can go full steam ahead and only focus on improving my writing.

As for Naruto and Sakura, what I'm trying to do with them is actually have them move the plot forward, not just be pawns that witness how everything moves around them, but have them be the agents of change. And to do that, I wanted to delve deep into their psychological and emotional attributes - like you said, for Naruto being the Pein and Raikage storylines, which are one of the biggest antithesis to Naruto's idealistic self, and with Sakura I went from two angles - from a relationship with self POV and with others. With self it's the greatly missed opportunity with inner Sakura, and with others is through how she connects with the others and brings about real change, rather than staying back and feeling sorry for herself that she cannot do more than that.

I love exploring these aspects to be honest, because that's one of Kishi's trademark signature when it comes to his writing style - the way he delves into the deep pits of the human psyche and manages to engage both the heart and the minds of his readers.

Like I said in one many of my other posts and talks with people - the reason Naruto is successful as a story and so popular is because of emotional manipulation, actually. I know it may sound like a negative thing I'm saying, but it doesn't have to be.

I mean, it is and it isn't at the same time. Depends from what angle you decide to look at it. From one angle can be good, from another can be bad.

But as a standalone fact, that's the truth. Kishimoto was remarkably crafty at manipulating his reader's emotions and getting them attached to the story to this degree. For that, I applaud him, even if I don't agree with him on everything he did, I can still recognize this remarkable skill of his.

And for better or for worse, I learned a lot from him, storytelling-wise. So for that, I'll always be grateful. And so I found my way to do that - through Kaika.

As for Sakura wearing black - YAS! That's exactly why it is, haha. That's exactly why both of them are having more black than other colors in their designs. Because it's meant to represent the depths of their psyche, going into the deep end face whatever they find there on that path.

I know Kishi already did it with Naruto in OG, but that was more on a personal level. It was from a standalone POV. So I thought, ok, how can I put a spin to this, add my own touch while still being faithful to OG? So then, that's when the opportunity presented itself - in his vastly unexplored Hokage dream that neither the franchise didn't go too much in depth.

Or at least, not in the way I've seen it, because from what I saw, they did something, but too surface level if you ask me.

Personally, I like to go deep and drill in the darkest depths of the being, if I may say so, haha.

Which is precisely what I'm doing with Sakura on the other hand. Sakura is a goldmine! An unexplored, uncharted territory with whom you can do so much with. It's incredible, really. Like I said on my Twitter on a post, it baffles me that Kishi didn't do so much with her because the potential. Dear God, the potential!

But oh well, I guess that leaves me more room to play with, haha.

As for my dear Tsunade, when I started Kaika I have to admit I didn’t exactly knew what to do with her other than tying her with some plots regarding the whole medical advancements. But those are built to bring forth Sakura's development, so I can't have Tsunade outshine Sakura. In this case Tsunade's function as a character in the story is very limited. This would prevent properly portraying the exposition with the new generation surpassing the old one.

And as we know, due to the way Kishi developed Sakura, it's rarely truly noticeable who's the better medic and he often put Tsunade in even scenes that impact-wise imo, would've fit Sakura better from a writing pov.

But then I ADORE Tsunade, so then the issue rose - what do I do with her character, in such a way that while yes, in Sakura's story she doesn't outshine her and provides support, but still leaves a great impact and mark on the plot as a standalone character, outside of Sakura's influence? Because as I said, this story will be mainly Sakura Haruno centric. Buuuut, I want it to be a balanced story, still.

And upon analyzing the character better - that's when the opportunity presented itself that fit all that criteria - is a supporting character in terms of Sakura's medical ninja development, however, she's also standing her her own as a standalone character by being a cog in one of the wheels of the old system that I work on reforming to bring the new one, and all done nicely wrapped in the the theme of the old generation vs the new one.

And given that this story is going to be mostly a story that focuses on the female counterparts - Sakura, Tsunade, Hinata, Karin, Ino (it's like I literally did a flip of the OG story that focused on the male cast lol, now I realized it), and females being the nurturers and live givers, I found it perfectly to have Tsunade the one that takes matter into her own hands in the problem of the Uchiha genocide. Because at her core she's a nurturer, a life giver. Despite being so incredibly strong, she represents perfectly the very principle of the traditional woman.

Because you see, I believe there's nothing wrong in portraying women in their traditional views of nurturers, life givers and all those other attributes that are associated with the female gender.

It's a matter of how you do it. You can have a character that's both a girl boss and a tender nurturing lover, for example. Like Tsunade is.

After all, the symbol that is associated with the divine feminine principle is the circle (which also happens to be the Haruno symbol *winkwink*). A circle has 360 degrees which encompasses 360 angles from which you can view a particular subject.

A woman encompasses all those 360 ways you can look at her in ONE. One circle.

It's just a matter of male authors rarely being able to portray that.

But since I'm a woman, I guess it's easier for me to do it.

And I will. Through Kaika.

Thank you once again for your incredibly insightful message.

Like you see, I love talking about these things, since this message turned out to be incredibly long.

It's been quite a while since I've written such a long response to an ask I receive, haha. But you surely know how to pull out those things in me haha.

Thank you, once again, as I said.

Wish you nothing but the best.

Chatte

[coraniaid]

Doug Petrie and Jane Espenson both joined the Buffy writing team in Season 3 and they each wrote three episodes that season.

Across the three Doug Petrie written episodes -- Revelations, Bad Girls and Enemies -- Faith has more speaking time than any other character except for Buffy (about 50% more speaking time than Angel, the character with the third most speaking time in that block of episodes).  In Enemies, she has more speaking time than Buffy herself.  

Furthermore, in all three of these episodes Faith is a central character to the plot: one whose actions and decisions and mistakes drive the story in fundamental ways. From being fooled by Gwendolyn Post into fighting Angel and Buffy, or accidentally killing Allan Finch, or willingly working with the Mayor to betray and abduct her fellow Slayer.  

Throughout these episodes Faith has a clear character arc in terms of her conflicted relationship with parental figures (compare “I just have this problem with authority figures: they end up kind of dead” to “We’re Slayers [...] why should we let [Watchers] take all the fun out of it?” or to “You get the Watcher, you get the Mom [...] what do I get?”) and of course her relationship with Buffy herself (Revelations opens with Buffy insisting that “really, we’re just good friends” after teasing the idea of going out with Faith on something that isn’t quite a date; Enemies ends with Faith warning Buffy that “kill me, you become me: you’re not ready for that” before kissing her on the forehead).

If you only watched the three episodes of Season 3 that Doug Petrie wrote, you'd probably assume that Faith was a major character of the whole show, as important as almost any other member of the core cast.

And you would, of course, be completely right.

On the other hand, across the three Jane Espenson written episodes -- Band Candy, Gingerbread and Earshot -- Faith does not speak one word of dialogue.  She does not appear on screen in any of these episodes, with her absence going entirely unexplained in two of them (even though they all take place after she arrives in town and Giles has been assigned by the Council to take care of her).  Only Earshot explicitly acknowledges the fact that she even exists (although something Joyce says in Gingerbread does, arguably, at least imply that there are Slayers other than Buffy).  

These three episodes instead give much more time to characters like Joyce and Giles and Cordelia Chase -- key characters since Season 1 who have a greatly reduced presence in the three Douglas Petrie episodes.  (Funnily enough, Angel himself and this season's big bad Mayor Wilkins also have rather less presence in these episodes than they do in the first three.)

If you only watched the three episodes of Season 3 that Jane Espenson wrote, you'd probably conclude that Faith is only a fleeting presence in the show.  A shadow who can only affect the world through Buffy Summers; an unseen ghost whose influence is reflected through Buffy's worsening relationship with her mother ("This is not a good town [...] it belongs to monsters [...] and the Slayers") or through her troubled relationship with her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend ("I’ve been with dozens of girls like her" is perhaps not the most tactful thing Angel ever says).  

You might even decide that Faith is not quite a character in her own right at all: she's more of an absence, a possibility, or an idea that Buffy has dreamt up.  Someone who Buffy enjoys spending time with ("not that she was so bad to have around" she tells Angel), someone who Buffy sympathizes with ("she was hurting a lot, and [...] protective-type people might be drawn to that”), possibly even someone who she's attracted to ("to the naked eye, [kissing Faith] looked fun" she tells Willow at one point; “she has the whole, you know, bad girl thing working for her” she tells Angel later).  Based on these three episodes, you’d likely think Faith only exists in the show at all in relation to Buffy.

And you'd be completely right about that too.