#the three deep thinkers

[iviarellereads]

The Neverending Story, Chapter 21 - The Star Cloister

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Neverending Story, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

In which I'm gonna have to just start slipping past the racist appropriation so I don't go off on tangents about it every few pages.

Uninterruptedly(1) new emissaries from all parts of Fantastica poured in to swell the army of those accompanying Bastian on his march to the Ivory Tower.

It soon becomes impossible to count them all. Bastian has a magnificent tent which is always set up in the middle of the camp. Atreyu and Falkor are still in the group, but haven't said a word to Bastian since the reprimand. Bastian secretly wants Atreyu to apologize, but he doesn't. Falkor seems to have forgotten how to fly, so he and Atreyu just walk together most of the time.

Bastian gets bored riding Yikka, and seeks out Xayide, who always shows him proper respect(2) and has something interesting to say as she smokes her "water pipe".(3) Bastian asks her about the giant armour, and Xayide says her will made them move, and indeed can control any empty vessel.(4)

Xayide asks if Bastian is really happy riding an old mule, and dithers over not wanting to tell him what she means even when he asks, until she suggests he think of his public image.

Bastian doesn't comment on this further, but the next day, he gives Yikka a story about her dearest wish: to be able to tell children and grandchildren about her time carrying Bastian, despite being a sterile mule. He gives her a story of a handsome winged horse, too shy to approach the huge caravan, that Yikka must leave to meet. Yikka is torn, because she loves being Bastian's mount and she's scared of change. Bastian encourages her, and she leaves.

For a long while Bastian looked after her as she hobbled off. He wasn't really happy about sending her away. [...] He kept telling himself that he had made Yikka's dearest wish come true. But that didn't make him feel any better. A person's reason for doing someone a good turn matters as much as the good turn itself.(5) But that made no difference to Yikka, for she really did find the white, winged stallion. They married and she had a son who was a white, winged mule. His name was Pataplan and he made quite a name for himself in Fantastica, but that's another story and shall be told another time.

Bastian starts riding in Xayide's litter with her, at the head of the procession. But he's not happy that Xayide convinced him to part with his friend, and she soon realizes the reason for his gloom. She offers him a gift: a belt that can make its wearer invisible. Bastian gives it the name Ghemmal to claim it.

When he tries it out, he's very unsettled by not being able to see his body(6) and he cannot find the belt or the clasp to release it. Xayide reaches into the air and finds the clasp almost immediately, releasing him. She uses this moment to broach a difficult topic: Bastian still sets store by friendship, but truly, he should harden his heart and cut loose the insolent Atreyu before he and Falkor cause Bastian harm. Bastian is at first unwilling to believe that Atreyu could mean him harm, but once the seed of thought is planted, he can't stop it growing.

That night, Bastian asks to be alone in his tent for a while, and he thinks hard not about Xayide's warning about Atreyu, but her words about wisdom. He has rushed from wish to wish, never stopping to feel content. He thinks wisdom is being above all emotion, and if he can achieve this, he will be immune from all harm. That is his final wish.(7)

A while later he leaves his tent, and six owls approach, messengers from Ghigam, the Star Cloister, where the Monks of Knowledge live. They were sent by Ushtu, the Mother of Intuition, one of the Deep Thinkers.(8) Their mission is to find the Great Thinker, who is, of course, Bastian,(9) to solve a problem they cannot. Bastian summons Xayide and Atreyu, and the owls fly the three to the Star Cloister.

The Monks of Knowledge are made up of all sorts of Fantasticans, but to enroll is to give up all your worldly connections, and devote your whole existence to knowledge, rather than material gains. Sometimes their numbers dwindle, but they never relax the entry requirements. The Superiors are like humans with animal heads. Ushtu (Intuition) has an owl head, Shirkry (Vision) an eagle head, and Yisipu (Reason) a fox head.(10)

Very formally, Skirkry speaks, asking Bastian if he will help them. Bastian agrees. Shirkry asks what Fantastica is. Bastian answers that it is The Neverending Story. The Superiors withdraw, promising to meet again the next day at this hour.(11) The three are led to guest rooms, and Xayide finds that her magic is out of reach in the cloister, so she's unable to summon a nicer bed.

The next day, they meet again, and Ushtu asks where The Neverending Story might be found, and Bastian says, in a book bound in copper coloured silk. They retreat again until the next night, return, and finally Yisipu asks where the book is. Bastian says, in the attic of a schoolhouse. Yisipu asks if Bastian can prove it, and Bastian says he can, and they should meet at the top of the Star Cloister the next night and watch the sky.

The next night, Bastian gathers them on the roof, and says the glowing gem's name backward, so that it shines with the light of a hundred years in a moment. Somehow, this rends the heavens into a vision of the attic, as Bastian left it. Once they recover from the flash blindness, the Superiors all say they saw their own animal in the attic, and ask Bastian to settle the matter. Bastian says they're all correct, and he's leaving now.

That night the usual harmony of the Three Deep Thinkers was disturbed by a first radical difference of opinion, which years later led to the breakup of the community. Then Ushtu the Mother of Intuition, Shirkry the Father of Vision, and Yisipu the Son of Reason each founded a cloister of his(12) own. But that is another story and shall be told another time. That night Bastian lost all memory of having gone to school. The attic and the stolen book bound in copper-colored silk vanished from his mind. And he even stopped asking himself how he had come to Fantastica.

=====

(1) The owls fly above a starry night sky over the desert. (2) The back to back contrast of Atreyu refusing to bow, and Xayide laying it on too thick is almost too unsubtle even for me, the person who rather enjoys being told things instead of hinted them. (3) I can't be sure what it's actually referring to, presumably some sort of hookah, but it amuses me to think of it as a bong instead today. (4) Huh, that's a funny coincidence as Bastian's brain becomes empty of memory. (5) I love this line in particular. Is it just outside narration, pointing to Bastian's failing that he doesn't recognize? Is it close narration, something Bastian acknowledges within himself? The ambiguity of the identity of the narrator also contributes to this question. It's been suggested that it's the old man in the mountain, but how much can we trust the narration to reveal itself? I have my gripes with this book as we explore it together like this, but I can't deny that when the writing is good, it's GOOD, and the translation is a work of art in its own right. (6) The eternally under-discussed side effect of invisibility! (7) And of course, we see that it costs him the last of his memory of home at the end of the chapter. (8) Even knowing German capitalizes all nouns, this is Too Many Capitals. (9) His wishes really do pay off in the least subtle of ways. I know it has to be that way, it's a children's book, and I'm an adult who has a fair bit more media literacy skill (because it is a skill you have to learn and flex) than a child. Children's books can be subtle and deep, and I grant this is reasonably deep, but subtle describes none of this. (10) We're taking it as given about powerful semi-humans with animal heads at this point, after all the sighing I've done about appropriation, right? (The most commonly acknowledged point of reference for this among white folks is Egyptian tradition, though I'm sure it exists elsewhere as well. But, Egypt is a thorny issue for white people to wade into, mythologically speaking.) (11) That all feels rather anticlimactic. (12) If I never encounter the default male again (from this, including Ushtu but saying "his", to people calling a mixed group "guys", to all the other insidious ways it persists) it will be too soon.

[daenysx]

hi hello!! i've just found your blog and i adore it and your writing! <3 do you mind if i request remus lupin or james potter (whichever you prefer) with a reader who has excruciating period cramps? thank you sm!! :)

hi gorgeous, thank you for being so nice!! i once wrote a period fic with james, this is the remus version, i hope you like them both <3333

remus lupin x fem!reader

remus makes you another cup of hot tea, but he's not sure if you can drink it.

it breaks his heart, the way you try to lay down on your bed but being unable to relax. your entire body is tense, he knows the effects of your period by heart now. he also knows it's useless to try to cheer you up when you can't even feel your legs properly. he only wants you to get over the first three days which are always the hardest to get through.

"hi, pretty girl." he comes next to you with your tea. "i made you some tea."

"thank you, remus." you say, trying to sit up. remus helps you. "thanks."

"here you go." he holds the cup for you. it's too hot. "i hope this helps a bit."

you take a sip. your boyfriend is lovely with his wide eyes, his eagerness to do anything to make you feel better. the tea is nice. it would be nicer if your cramps weren't so bad.

"oh!" you suddenly hold your belly. the pain is always shocking, catches you unexpectedly. remus gets the cup from your hands. he knows it's for the best to stay calm, you're already hurting, he doesn't need to be another thing for you to worry about.

"it's okay, dove." he tries. "can i hold you?"

you nod. "please." he opens his arms to get you. putting your head on his shoulder, you give another painful sound coming deep from your throat. remus keeps his hands on your back.

"it's okay, it'll pass." he whispers against your head with a huge hand rubbing your back. "do you wanna go to the bathroom?"

you shake your hand, blinking tears back. "no. maybe later. i don't think i can stand up."

"tell me when you want to go, okay? i'll help you."

your hand finds remus's, he squeezes your fingers. he kisses your hair the way you like, too many kisses all at once. he's so warm, you lean against his heat to feel him. "i'm okay." you say. he nods, looking at you to see if you mean it.

"can we cuddle?" he asks, his eyes are pleading. "if you're okay to lie down?"

"okay." you say. "i just- my legs hurt, i don't feel too comfortable."

remus is a quick thinker. he likes to think he knows what he's doing when it comes to holding you, there are too many positions you like but when you are on your period, he needs to be the one to take the weight off you. he lies down, gets you in his arms as you put your leg on his legs. remus puts your head on his chest, his long arms securely wrapped around your shoulders.

"good?" he asks. you nod, and he smiles. "i'm gonna rub your back, okay? tell me if anything hurts, dove."

"it's nice." you say, because it really is. his fingers know your body so well, he also knows where to put pressure and where to be kind. you force yourself to relax on him. sleep usually distracts you, it can work right now. you make quiet noises which guide remus to see if he's doing okay. he rubs your poor muscles until his hand goes numb.

"my tea got cold." you say, sadly.

"i can always make you a new one." remus says with a huge kiss on your forehead. "don't worry about it, sweetheart."

you hum quietly, press a little kiss on his clothed chest. remus's fingers go through your hair now, he braids a little piece to help you relax, you still don't know how he does it with one hand. the next few minutes are quiet but neither of you are uncomfortable because of the silence. you like remus's peaceful aura, he brings relief to your painful times, he keeps his cool. you are tired but never tired enough to not kiss his neck and show him how much you adore him.

another cramp hits you. it's not as painful as the earlier but you feel it deeper in your muscles because you lay down. you snuggle closer to remus, trying to bury yourself to his warmth until it passes.

remus cups your cheek. "you're doing so good." he says. "i know it hurts too much but try to focus on me, yeah? maybe you'll feel better if you sleep."

you feel so desperate and so needy for his affirmation, it hurts. "can you hold me tighter? until i fall asleep?"

"of course, baby." he coos. "if you feel worse when you wake up, i can get you a painkiller."

you nod against his chest. remus wraps his arms tighter around you until you feel nothing but him. you try to hug him back, it's a bit unsuccessful attempt but he supports your waist to keep you on himself. his hand on your waist is a nice weight, better than any heating pad you use. you take a deep breath of his familiar scent.

"it'll pass." he says before you close your eyes. "i'll hold you as long as you have me."

he's being too sweet, too precious. you would blush and hide yourself to his chest but your brain is focused on the pain, sadly. you still give remus a nice kiss, though. he keeps his lips on your head until your breathing evens out.

[slashercult]

pick a fruit bowl to find out how you will recognize your future spouse

reminder that not all of the messages in this reading may apply to everyone. so with that i urge you to take what resonates and leave the rest. don't force anything if it does not fit. this reading is mainly just for fun. don't forget to follow or reblog if you want to see me do more readings like this.

pile one

you will know that your future spouse is your future spouse because the connection will be instant between you two. it will feel completely different from all of the other relationships that you have been in, a lot more passionate. i feel like with your past lovers, you would make them out to be a lot better than they actually were to you. but this isn't the case for your future spouse because they are the real deal and you know it. your future spouse could be an air sign (gemini, libra, aquarius) or could be a talented artist. i feel like they enjoy doodling in their journals, they seem like a daydreamer kind of person, their head is always in the clouds. they have strong arms, i feel like they could be a bit buff and like working out. they won't be shy with their displays of affection in public but i also don't see them trying to do anything that could possibly embarass you. they value you your feelings over everything.

pile two

you will recognize who your future spouse is because of how calm and peaceful you feel whenever you are around them. they won't sugercoat things when talking to you, but not in a negative way, more of like if they feel something is upsetting you they will go ahead and ask you what's wrong because they don't like seeing you feel bad. communication is something they do not take lightly, and this works in your favor because i don't see you two arguing with each other as much because of this. this person could be a lawyer or could be in a profession that has somethng to do with law. they have a well defined chest and back area, nice neck area as well. i feel like they enjoy being outdoors and taking care of their plants in a garden. they are wise and may look a bit intimidating at first but they are actually super sweet and understanding.

pile three

you will recognize your future spouse because of how optimistic and confident they are. this person is also be extremely lucky, they may have some sagittarius placements. they just radiate golden retriever boyfriend/girlfriend energy. they are a deep thinker and they are not afraid to voice their opinons. you both may share the same political beliefs (or just beliefs in general). you could come from the same religious backgrounds and may have a similar childhood. this person enjoys watching sunsets with you and their favorite holiday is halloween because they love pumpkin flavored things. they definitely play a sport, i feel like the sport could be hockey or lacrosse, something that involves a stick. you will know your future spouse is your future spouse because their beautiful wide smile. they are soft, warm, and love cuddling on the couch while watching a sports match. your relationship with them could help heal your inner child.

thanks for reading! if you enjoyed or resonated please heart and reblog so i can do more of these readings.

[leovenuslatina]

kiss and tell 💋

⋆♱✮♱⋆

what your future spouse says about you to their friends and families

⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。 ⋆

psa - tarot readings are not set in stone

take what resonates leave what doesn’t

you’re fully in control of YOUR own life

⋆♱✮♱⋆

take a deep cleansing breathe

pick a pile that calls to you

⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。

⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。

{pile one - ace paper swords, five of pentacles, page of cups}

~

your person brags about you for sure!! they tell their friends and family how accomplished you are and how successful and beautiful you are!! they are the type to blush and smile so hard whenever you name comes up.they tell their friends and family how strong you are and how they feel like to two if you are meant to be. they may tell their family that you’ve been through a lot in you life and that you’ve gotten through some pretty rough things and how they really admire how incredible you are. they feel as though they have to praise you whatever chance they get not in a bad way but just because they want you to know that they feel so fortunate to be with you. they tell their parents about how they want to marry you and have kids with you all the milestone of their life they want you there!!

-

^extra messages^

_ playfullness

_ innocence

_ romance

_inner child

_chemistry

_ magnetic attraction

_self love/self care

_you deserve love

⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。

{pile two - knight of wands, queen of swords , king of swords}

~

so much . literally don’t get them started when i was shuffling the card a bunch just bursted out at once 😭which tells me that they can’t stop talking about you like whether people ask about you or not. they are the type to see a color or a random object and just go off on a rant about how that reminds them of you or one of you favorite things. when your fs talks about you they say you’re a determined person you do whatever you set you mind on you have hella focus and discipline. you fs says you’re energetic and passionate. they will say you’re a charming person who knows what your worth is. your fs tells everyone how self confident you are and how sure of yourself you can be. pile 2 when your fs talks about you they glow ! they say how you’re a quick witted thinker you’re organized and perceptive. your fs always says that you’re clever and highly skilled mentally. overall pile 2 your fs can’t stop sharing about you to no matter who will listen.

~

^extra messages^

_ supportive

_ encouraging

_ truthful

_ logical

_self discipline

_lawful

⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。

{pile three - 2 of swords, high priestess}

~

pile 3 what your future spouse will tell their friends and family is how much power you hold over them you’re a power house and you’re not even trying. you’re high maintenance and hard to please but they like that. they tell their friends and family about how hard to get you are and how hard you make them work for your attention and they love it!!! they say you’re magical and mystical and shit lmao like you say stuff that they were thinking and you can predicted things just before they happen. they are absolutely in awe of you fr!! they think you’re mysterious pile 3 everyday they learn something new about you and they fall more in love youre like a gift that just keeps on giving. pile 3 any time anyone asks your fs about you they just list off things they love about you like that you’re understanding and nurturing you’re kind and nonjudgmental.

~

^extra messages^

_intuition

_purples and blues

_insightful

_ manifesting a soulmate

_wisdom

⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。

{pile four - 4 of cups, the artist, 6 of cups}

~

what your FS says to their friends and family is you’re a a very creative person and you have so much passion about everything you bring into the world. you’re the type of person that’s constantly reinventing themselves. they tell their family that you live learning and exploring and that your mind is constantly growing and working and moving at a million miles an hour. they are very impressed with you. they also tell their families that you’re a generous person. you may make a lot of money or come from a home that is very wealthy but you don’t act as though you’re better than anyone and you help others in need. they say you’re a very helpful person and you’re always there whenever anyone needs a friend.

~

^extra messages^

+boredom

+interpreter

+learning

+prosperity

+favor

⛧°。 ��༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。 ⋆༺♱༻⋆。 °⛧⛧°。

[m4rried2the-moon]

⁽ 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘤 ⁾ 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶?

what is it about you that draws people in? what kind of people do you attract?

please only take what resonates, don’t second guess that gut feeling and remember this is mainly for entertainment purposes!

pile 1 - ace of wands, seven of cups, five of swords, three of pentacles. you attract: two of wands, ace of cups, page of wands.

what it is about you, pile one, that attracts people the most is your ability to go for what you want, and the way you inspire others to do the same. you’re someone who can take a hit and keep on going—you don’t hold grudges very long and your forgiving and collaborative spirit make others want to hang out with you. others feel like they talk to you without the fear of judgement. you are a deep thinker, i feel like people look up to you for guidance and to give them the real advice they need (hardly ever sugarcoated). you’re a positive, dynamic individual who’s assured in most everything you do. also, seeing that you may very well be someone who’s very easy to get a long with (even if intimidating at first from your sheer emperor/king of wands energy).

the people you attract are often in the same boat, you may meet a lot of people who are equally as sensitive and intuitive as you may be. most of your associates/friends may have the same attitude, equally as imaginative, creative and go-getting as you. your relationships and interaction can give others a sense of belonging and mental/emotional clarity. those who can’t handle the heat definitely head straight out of your kitchen and those who can cook enthusiastically with you.

pile 2 -four of wands, the fool, page of wands, two of wands. you attract: ace of swords, ace of wands, two of pentacles and five of cups.

what it is about you, pile two, is that you make people feel like they’ve found the right person (in any case). you carry the energy of excitement and novelty wherever you go. people look at you and think ‘what’s their secret?’ when you’re having fun all by yourself or even out with others. i feel like you’re a fighter in the sense you aren’t afraid to go to bat for those you care about, and your values. you’re the first to speak up and last to leave the party because you’re being kept by everyone. you have a clear sense of direction and a unending lust for life.

the people you attract may not know what they want often times, but you do a good job at inspiring them. they may find you with the intention of your enthusiasm sparking something new in them. you give them inspiration to flesh out themselves by watching how fulfilled you are and thinking ‘how can i live to the fullest like them?’ you pull them away from their regrets and guilt of the past and some people may even idolize you (possibly an unhealthy amount). you can make them feel like your their only friend or they are the only person in the world (your passion and sensitivity to people).

pile 3 - queen of wands, page of swords, ace of wands, ace of cups. you attract: ace of swords, four of wands, six of swords, two of cups.

what it is about you, pile three, is that you are intelligent, put together and a leader in the eyes of many. your leadership and ability to solve problems inspires others to trust you and keep an eye on what you’ll do next. others may even see you as a know-it-all but that also can be attractive to them. you go for what you believe is the best for you and advise others to follow the same. the way you speak to people inspires them in your passion and your ability to guide others is natural. people like you because you pull no punches about your intentions, and better yet just end up going for what it is you want and accomplishing things as soon as you get the whim. you’re dedicated, and others love that about you.

those you attract are often equally as truthful and intelligent as you, they find your presence to be a time of celebration and joy. you give the people around you a sense that everything will be okay, whatever they were dealing with before feels very small and insignificant with you. whether that be trauma or just a bad day, when you interact with those who respect/admire you (or even strangers), you can give them this great sense of relief from a harder time—you help people relax.

thanks for reading! hope you got what you needed ♡ don’t forget to like/reblog

[ravens-two]

PAC: Your Next Romantic Relationship

This reading includes:

the person you'll be dating next

The extended reading includes:

when and how you'll meet this person

what the relationship will be like

any 18+ messages

Disclaimer: this is just for entertainment purposes, and as a pick-a-card reading it may not resonate for everyone. Also, this content is 18+ only!

TIPS | BOOK A READING WITH ME | PATREON | LINKTREE | SUGGEST A PAC TOPIC

Pile 1

Who are you dating next

Eight of Cups, Moon, Tarragon - Regeneration

The first thing I'm getting for this person is that they could be a scientist or work in research, maybe even as a teacher. They seem like really deep thinkers and people who are very well-read or that tend to read a lot. Besides spending a lot of time and energy on their work - that seems to be their passion - they also look like they really enjoy traveling. Some of them may have to travel for work (and now I'm seeing that some are archeologists or something like that), but most seem to travel for pleasure. No matter what your next person is someone who has travelled a lot and has seen a lot of the world - and even if they haven't travelled "that much" it could be that you haven't travelled much at all so that's why it seems so much.

Your person is also a very deep thinker. I'm getting something very specific about them which is that they like to get to the depth of any subject. Let's say that you're talking about your favourite dishes, your person wants to get to the bottom of the subject, they want to analyze why you love those dishes, the memories you have of them, how hard or easy they are to cook, then they may get into the culinary arts in general or the history of food or something like that. Do you know what I mean? Once you start talking about something with them it's like they unravel the subject as if it were a ball of yarn.

Your person seems to be an introvert. They don't really like crowds and tend not to go out or party too much, they prefer to keep to their friend group or to small groups in general. I feel that this is also related to how much and how deeply they like to talk, it's better suited for smaller groups. For some of you it might also surprise you that this person is more spiritual than you thought. They might not practice anything in particular (including religion), but they very much believe in something bigger than them and are very open to the spiritual side of things. This is also someone who has been through a lot and has had to reinvent themselves multiple times. I feel like your person is very wise and has a lot of life experience specifically because of this - they've just been through so much shit that would have broken down any other person.

When it comes to their appearance I'm seeing pale skin - and depending on skin tone you can even see their veins - and dark hair. Mostly black and brown hair, but I'm also seeing red (dyed I think).  In general, they seem to be taller and leaner. Even for the men they don't like they are very muscled. I'm also seeing that some of them have dark circles under their eyes. So what I just heard was that they "look a bit like a fucked up Tim Burton character come to life" lol. I do think that they are good-looking but in that Timothée Chalamet type of way. Also, I think that your person has huge eyes!

check out the extended reading on patreon

Pile 2

Who are you dating next

Three of Wands, Strength, Marigold - Positivity

The first thing I'm seeing for this pile is tanned skin and defined muscles. Your person looks like they spend the whole day under the sun. I'm literally seeing them wet as if they had just come out of water. An interesting detail I just got is that they have body hair, especially for the men they seem to have hair on their chest and tights. I feel like for most of you this person has really dark eyes, the lightest color I can see here is a darker shade of hazel eyes. No matter what they have warm and very expressive eyes. It's the type of eyes that you feel safe just looking at them, honestly.

Speaking of warmth and safety I think that your person just radiates those vibes, especially if they're a man. They seem/are someone who's reliable and handy, basically someone who you can call at any time of day or night and you know that they'll find some way to help you. They also seem the type of person who really cares about the safety of your friends, not just yours. This is very specific to some of you, it doesn't really apply to everyone, but your person also has a bit of a himbo energy. Like they have a really good heart, very good looking and strong looking too, but not much going on in their pretty head. But, again, this is just for some of you! For most of you this is someone who is pretty smart and very aware of the current political/social climate.

One of the main things I'm seeing is that your person is very hopeful and definitely an optimist. They try to cheer you up whenever they feel like you're feeling down or when you need just an extra push of motivation. The thing that keeps coming up though is that isn't just for you it's for your friends, their friends, the people around you two. It makes me think of those guys who only want to buy a drink to the girl they're interested in instead of the whole group and it's the polar opposite of that. If you're hanging out with your person and your friends, your person will make sure to treat your friends well and make them feel welcomed.

For some reason I feel like your person might be a firefighter or EMT, I'm not sure why, but it seems like more of a physical/manual type of work. This person doesn't look like they're sitting behind a desk the whole day. They might work the night shift too. No matter what they do, their work is a source of satisfaction for them and their "way to contribute to society" so it's important that their work aligns with their values. This person has a bleeding heart and they're always trying to help whenever they can. They might do volunteer work or community work of some kind, but this is someone who really cares about their community and the world around them. A bit random, but your person might cry very easily, just like watching a commercial or something like that. It seems that they are very emotional. A bit like pile 1 in that sense, but I also feel that your person has been through a lot and that's exactly what made them kinder and made them worry more about the people around them. Very, very specific but I think that hunger and poverty is something that really "hurts" them if that makes sense. It would be the thing that they would just erase if they could.

check out the extended reading on patreon

Pile 3

Who are you dating next

Sun, World, Sweet corn - Ritual

Okay, the first thing I'm seeing is that your person loves eating and cooking and feeding people to be honest. They see meals almost as a sacred ritual that helps to create stronger bonds with other people. I feel like they're really good cooks, especially because they have a good palate. Your person also seems like the type of person that is really close to their family, like calling/texting them every day, sharing a meal together every weekend, that kind of stuff.

This person might have OCD or something like that, but their daily rituals seem very important to them. They are someone who loves routine and feel a bit anxious when things don't go as they had planned. Honestly, that seems to be the biggest issue for them they get really disappointed/annoyed when they plan something and it doesn't happen, even in simple things. Let's say that you two plan to go watch a movie and eat popcorn, but when you get there there ins't popcorn. Well your person is devastated. It's only for a couple of moments, but yeah it really hits them strong.

With the Sun and the World though, this is a very successful and hard-working person, but also someone who is very happy go lucky. Like they genuinely believe that life is beautiful and a miracle and they will romanticize even the smallest things. They seem like the type of person who will just tell you "it's going to be fine" even in the face of something absolutely tragic and that couldn't possibly "be fine" (somehow they may end up being right though).

They seem to have a very child-like and radiant personality too if that makes sense. In a way it's because they really attract other people's attention just for being themselves, but also because they just seem so genuinely happy and joyful. When they laugh it makes other people want to laugh as well. You may get an instinct to protect them at times, because it seems that they are too innocent for this harsh world. They're definitely dreamers and they think that even the smallest action can change the world. They have strong beliefs about what they think is wrong with the world and what should be changed.

When it comes to appearance I'm seeing blonde or light brown hair, maybe even some ginger here too or maybe a brass tone. In general, I'm seeing really long hair, especially for the women, and mostly wavy or curly. Although I think that the shorter your person's hair is the curlier it is. For their eyes I also lighter eyes here, even the brown eyes are more of a honey shade. The most striking thing though is that your person - no matter what they look like - is very beautiful. They get other people's attention precisely because of how physically striking they are. I feel like they tend to be very symmetrical and their bodies are very good looking too. It seems that they tend to be taller and curvier, both men and women.

check out the extended reading on patreon

Pile 4

Who are you dating next

Two of Wands, Ten of Wands, Peppermint - Success

While doing the reading for this pile "Ocean Eyes" suddenly came up so I really feel like your person is probably going to have blue or green eyes, maybe even hazel too. I also feel like their eyes have this very emotional quality to them, it's like you could get lost them in them because they're so expressive. Honestly, I get a very big Ian Somerhalder vibe here like with the dark hair and very light eyes and that contrast. I think that in general your person is a person of contrasts, of light and dark and even contradictions.

Do you know that Walt Whitman's poem "Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself / (I am large I contain multitudes)"? I think that they really embody these lines. I'm also getting Fernando Pessoa's "I am nothing. / I shall never be anything. / I cannot even wish to be anything. / Apart from this, I have within me all the dreams in the world." Your person is very, very poetic pile 4. Maybe they're into literature (especially the classics) or they really love reading/writing poetry. This person is very deep, but again, filled with contradictions. They are hard to understand because they seem to be many things all at once. It's a very Gemini energy to be honest.

Apart from this your person is also very successful. They may come from money or they worked really hard until they got to where they are. No matter what though they dedicate a lot of their time to their work, to the point that they can't even rest properly because they can't take their mind off work. Some of them might also have some personal project or a business that they feel very passionate about and are just waiting for the right time to "launch" it. They're someone who makes a lot of plans, but not like in pile 3, more in the sense of making a plan to break down the steps that they need to take. This is for organization not control, if that makes sense. They also seem to really enjoy traveling, but either don't have much time for it or they end up getting tired in the middle of their trip. They feel like the type of person who has wanderlust, but also gets homesick easily. 

They are introverts for sure, and although this doesn't mean that they're antisocial it really does feel like they spend more time at home or by themselves. To me this feels more like they never really get the company that they crave. They really need mental stimulation, and the people around them can't really offer them that. Something that's coming up is that they might struggle with the little demon and angel on their shoulders sometimes. I feel like the little devil sometimes really wants them to cause some mischief or chaos and they try to control this. Honestly, what I'm getting from this is that they may annoy you on purpose, for their own amusement. I don't think that this is toxic, it's more meaningless stuff that will make you laugh rather than really annoy you.

What I can tell you pile 4 is that your person is very, very unique. I think you'll know it's them as soon as you meet them because you'll think that you've never met someone like this.

check out the extended reading on patreon

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

I Think Hypmic's Portrayal of Gender Roles is Kinda Refreshing: An Essay A.K.A. I'm Procrastinating on a Weekend Deadline :)

Hypmic's talking points on gender are hamfisted, corny, and melodramatic. "Maybe...we shouldn't have a wage gap," is not the hottest of takes. However, like most things in Hypmic, the writers have a lot more to say about gender and gender roles in the framing of the story itself that's much more nuanced. And honestly? It's kinda refreshing.

It's also something that went way over my head when I first became a Hypmic fan. Sure, I read manga and played Japanese video games--usually translated into English first--but I didn't have enough exposure to hundreds or thousands of pieces of untranslated Japanese media. I'm going to guess that most Hypmic fans don't either, which is totally fine and normal. We all exist within our respective cultural communities wherein we're bombarded with messages constantly telling us how to act, think, and speak. We tend to absorb these messages on subconscious levels and reflect them in the art we create and stories we tell, either by reinforcing them or challenging them. Thus, our stories don't exist in a vacuum, and divorcing stories from their cultural backgrounds can suggest the artist is the original thinker of a larger concept or hide their specific point of criticism. That is, if I wrote a story about a man who chooses to not catch fish, drink beer, and drive a Dodge Ram pick-up truck, we should be aware that I'm not the person who conceptualized the stereotype of dudes who catch fish, drink beer, and drive pick-ups. I wouldn't deserve the credit for dreaming up that exact image, and at the same time, it would be incorrect to read that as me targeting those three things randomly. The choice to not drive a Dodge Ram pick-up is not a commentary on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. It's a stand-in for the notion of masculinity.

Thing is, we're hit with messages about masculinity, femininity, and other gender-related concepts on a daily basis. No matter where you live or what language you speak, every person on Earth is inundated with messages saying, "This is what you are, and consequently, this is how you should act." Our relation to these messages is complicated, and this complexity is compounded by different cultural communities preaching different messages in their stories, marketing, and human interactions. For instance, the US's massive global cultural influence means that those outside the US can still easily recognize what I mean by catching fish, drinking beer, and driving enormous American pick-up trucks. But the location and cultural differences may add or subtract nuances. A person living in, say, Munich is unlikely to have Dodge pick-ups advertised to them the way a person in rural Texas would. Our fictional Munich person does not feel the same social pressures to buy a Dodge and represent their masculinity with a Dodge the way our imaginary Texan would. In turn, the Munich person likely sees a Dodge with an element of absurdity--who the hell needs such a big truck in a European city?--and foreign Americanness. The Texan wouldn't have that concern--why worry about navigating your enormous truck down narrow streets when you live in the countryside?--and sees Americanness as their local default, thus removing any element of foreignness.

That is to say, gendered messages aimed at people (especially women) who live in Japan don't affect me the same way as they impact those who do live in Japan. Like, it's not my dog in the fight, and there are plenty of people who are directly affected who write their own stories and commentaries on gender roles in Japan. Japanese women don't need a random guy in the US to stand up and say, "Damn, your gender roles are fucked!" 1) They already know. 2) They're already saying it. So I come at this from an angle of someone who already has deep, primary frustration with the gendered messaging in my culture and secondary frustrations when similar messages appear in other cultures. I don't have a bone to pick with Japanese media in particular. Plain and simple, reading and working on hundreds of pieces of Japanese media is what I do for a living. It's in my face constantly, and as a result, I am also perpetually bombarded by messages about gender roles in Japanese media.

It's not a hot take to say that Japanese media, like the media of every single other culture around the globe, has a lot to say about gender. There's a lot of slotting people into boxes and telling people what to do. It's chafing, as we see all across history in art produced in reaction to gender roles. In the past couple of decades, global shifts in gender roles have caused media to shift the messages they're pushing, but it's not controversial to say that Japan has lagged behind other countries like the US.

Many, many stories push arbitrary notions of how to be a girl or how to be a boy that don't necessarily come from the author themselves. The authors probably aren't even fully conscious that they're making these choices. If an author writes a story about a library and makes every female character a romance fan and every male character an action fan, it's likely a reflection of endless messaging that says action is for boys, romance is for girls. In turn, this story becomes yet another reinforcing message. If no fictional girls like action, and no fictional boys like romance, it becomes alienating for real girls and boys who don't follow these same rules. These rules are everywhere and have so much to say about gender that it's hard to know where to begin. Girls must like cute things. Boys can't like sweet food. Women must not express sexual desire. Men can't be shy. On and on and on.

Which is why, when there's a relative lack of this in Hypmic, it's kind of a breath of fresh air.

Wrong Ways to Be a Man

Actually, Hypmic does have a few moments where characters claim there are certain things men or women should do, but the writing always frames these messages as incorrect.

Take Samatoki, for instance. After Kuukou and Sasara leave MCD, Samatoki tells Ichirou, "Men shouldn't cry when they lose their friends. Men should only cry when they lose a family member."

(TDD chapter 10)

This line usually appears via Ichirou's perspective. In the stage play, it's told during a song Ichirou narrates, and as shown above in panel 3, the manga frames the line from the angle at which Ichirou sees it. In such moments, the audience is meant to read this as a cool line from a strong mentor figure to Ichirou. That's how Ichirou sees it, and he's a seventeen-year-old with too much on his shoulders who idolizes Samatoki. He is incapable of seeing how much pain Samatoki struggles with.

However, when the manga focuses on more intimate moments of Samatoki's life, we see that Samatoki does struggle quite a lot.

(BB/MTC+ chapter 6)

This isn't a cool, attractive figure meant to be idolized. While Samatoki's cigarette usage and aggressiveness are often framed as sexy or enticing, the juxtaposition with dirty laundry, overflowing ashtrays, and empty bottles make him a sympathetic and struggling figure. Therefore, we should understand that his notion that men don't cry is flawed. It's a means to distract himself from emotions he doesn't want to feel.

Later, as Samatoki begins to process his emotions and open up to his teammates, the unhealthy coping mechanisms recede. Samatoki is more confident, mature, and happier as a result of being more emotionally vulnerable.

We see a similar transformation with Kuukou. As a teen, Kuukou is reluctant to accept help or truly let anyone in. In a conversation with Hitoya, he says (and I am still completely unable to take this seriously), "A man's got to wipe his own ass."

(DH/BAT chapter 4)

However, over the course of his character arc, Kuukou learns that he cannot exist as a good leader or individual without the teamwork of his newfound "family." Only rejecting this classical and toxic notion of masculinity brings Kuukou joy.

In fact, most of the first-line characters have very similar arcs. At the start of the story, Ichirou is insistent on doing everything himself. He has to learn to be able to rely on other people (Kuukou, Samatoki, Ichirou and Jirou) to be happier and unlock his true strength. See below, his final attack and Ability use in the 2nd DRB, which is only possible when his brothers figuratively and literally support him through it.

(BB/MTC+ chapter 25)

Sasara struggles with emotional honesty and trust in favor of using humor to gloss over discomfort. It takes multiple heart-to-hearts with Roshou before he can let humor take a backseat and say how he really feels. Ramuda has difficulty trusting other people and being honest with his emotions when faced with stressful scenarios. Only through Fling Posse is he able to open up and ask for help instead of driving people away when the problems are too big for him to face alone. Jakurai struggles to connect with other people, work through and acknowledge his complicated feelings, and not place himself on a pedestal. Through Matenrou, Jakurai is able to ask for help, be more open, and ultimately be less hard on himself.

The second- and third-line characters follow similar arcs, and this repetition creates a core message for Hypmic: Trust and rely other people. Be open with your feelings. There's a wrong way to be a man, and that's to hurt yourself and other people.

Right Ways to Be a Man...Are Infinite!

But with that being said, there is a surprising lack of commentary on how else to be a man. Hypmic as a whole doesn't do much to constrain the male characters in terms of gender roles.

Sure, some characters do fit into more traditionally masculine roles--Ichirou, Samatoki, Riou, etc. The messaging makes it clear that it isn't wrong to play into masculinity provided it doesn't become toxic. (See above.)

Even then, however, these especially masculine characters are associated with less masculine traits that are either portrayed positively or not portrayed as a joke. Riou is an avid cook, but the joke is never that he wears an apron and knows his way around an outdoor kitchen (tee-hee, men don't cook!). It's that he cooks with horrifying ingredients. Samatoki is a fashionista, but the joke is framed as a counterpart to Ichirou's nerdiness.

(DoD chapter 1)

Here, it's funny that neither of them can shut up (the ペラペラ/blah blah SFX, the long bubbles filled with lots of text that's cut to indicate they kept going for longer), but the object of their attention--a model toy and a pair of jeans--are treated in the same neutral light. It's very common for stories to touch on, even defensively, the social taboo of men being into clothes. Hypmic doesn't even acknowledge that such a taboo could exist.

This is subtle but extraordinarily effective in giving characters the same consideration and weight. The more feminine characters are always treated just as sincerely (or, if there's a joke to be made, irreverently) as the more masculine characters. Take Ramuda, for instance. In Japanese media, a love of sweets is often characterized as feminine and will often be remarked upon, even in LGBT+ media, as atypical for men. Again, there's zero acknowledgement of such a thing in Hypmic. Whenever other characters talk about Ramuda's food intake, it's always framed as a concern about the lack of nutrition.

(FP/M chapter 11... I don't have the source lying around on my computer, so here's the old-ass scanlation lol)

It's also given the exact same weight as anyone else's junk food habits. Here, MCD goes out for burgers (a neutral to masculine-coded food due to the meat and high calorie count) while Ramuda opts to try a sugary Starbucks-esque drink. The parallelism in the comic's framing suggests that the two objects are functionally the same, and there is no comment that a sugary drink is feminine and therefore "inappropriate" for Ramuda. There's also no indication that MCD's preferences are in any way better. They simply happen to be the characters' personal preferences. The punchline is two groups splitting up, only to awkwardly run into each other again moments later.

(DoD volume 4 bonus comic)

Similarly, Ramuda's interest in clothes or fashion is never treated negatively--in fact, the discussions of clothes as a means to find identity and happiness make it a positive!

In ARB cards and promotional materials, Ramuda sometimes wears dresses. It's, again, portrayed in parallel to other characters wearing more masculine clothes and is never commented on as something "unusual." It's just who Ramuda is.

Hifumi is another interesting case. Like Ramuda, his playful personality often doesn't as stereotypically masculine. (To be clear, I read much of this as "gender neutral with a strong emphasis on youth" versus "feminine" in a way that I'm not sure has a good US equivalent...metrosexual/yuppie men's fashion, maybe? In the sense that it's a youth subculture that defies some masculine gender roles but is still focused mainly on men. I wish I was more well-versed in Japanese men's fashion and could give an exact term, but I'm what I'm thinking of is definitely an established thing--young, trendy dudes whose styles focus on poppiness vs. the rugged manly man or "idk, I'm just some guy" subcultures. It's a thing that pisses off old Japanese conservative men in the same fashion as people getting up in arms about "the gayz!!!1!" and their androgynous clothing lol.) Their personalities are often the butt of jokes, but only in the same way that Dice or Doppo are--that is, that they're exaggerated and over the top. There's no commentary on masculinity or lack thereof.

There are also moments when Hifumi, Gentarou, or other characters play feminine characters in roleplay moments, which is usually (but not always) not the sole joke. The audience is supposed to find it funny, but the humor is almost always centered on the absurdity of the scene as a whole. For instance, in a moment where Hifumi and Doppo are pretending to be two drunk karaoke-goers, the humor comes from the composite set-up of Hifumi's hair twirl, Doppo's untucked shirt and tie, Doppo and Hifumi's exaggeratedly flirtatious poses, the spotlights and sparkles, and the same font as used on classic karaoke machines.

(FP/M+ September 2022 oneshot)

Hifumi and Doppo do not perform traditional gender roles in their homelife, and while it's easy to see and often commented on in the English-speaking fanbase when it comes to Hifumi, I find it just as prevalent on Doppo. It's true that Hifumi is taking a feminine role by doing the majority of the household's cooking and cleaning, but if we were to assume Doppo has the masculine role in the household, he would have the breadwinner duty. However, he isn't the main source of income for their household, and he's just as unassertive in finding a (female) romantic partner as Hifumi is. Japanese men are bombarded with media messages stressing the importance of taking an active role in career and romance. That Doppo does not would, in many stories, make him the butt of a joke for not living up to masculine gender roles. But he isn't; instead, Hypmic portrays him as a sympathetic character. It's tough, Hypmic says, for people to get good jobs and maintain friendships/relationships as an adult.

Similarly, it's noteworthy that Hifumi's self-appointed term "Gigolo" is consistently portrayed as a good thing in Hypmic. The meaning of the English term aside, the Japanese word ジゴロ (jigoro) is almost always used as an insult for a man who is financially dependent on one or multiple women. In the strictest sense of the term, Hifumi is a jigoro in that his income derives from his female clients. However, there is never any shame associated with that, and as a whole, Hifumi's career as a host is shown to be a positive thing. I can't express enough how rare that is in any sort of semi-serious media. Certainly, Hypmic acknowledges that his job requires too much drinking (Doppo's verse in Hoodstar), but the overall portrayal is overwhelmingly positive. Hifumi and his coworkers are never treated as uneducated, boorish, or pathetic for "failing" to find other work that does not require flirting with and entertaining women. (This is partially due to the overlapping judgment with sex work.)

All the various harmless preferences and personality traits of the male characters are treated equally with no judgement over what's masculine or non-masculine. Within the broader context of Japanese media, this absence of judgment stands out and reinforces one of Hypmic's core themes: Differences make us better, not worse. In the end, Hypmic suggests, there's no one right way to be a man.

Right Ways to Be a Woman...Are Just as Infinite!

But what about women? This series is, after all, marketed mainly towards women, and while female audience members can no doubt extrapolate the lessons learned from the male characters, it's worth taking a look at the female characters too.

The female characters do receive much less screen time than the men and are not the focus in the series; I'd argue that's less an issue of overt sexism and more that they fall out of focus in the story the writers want to tell. (There's a broader discussion to be had about inherent sexism in the writers' focus which goes hand-in-hand with rap industries across the globe favoring men and rap being an example of exaggerated masculinity, but that's a topic for another day.)

Even so, the framing of the female characters is interesting in a couple key respects. The individual character arcs and motivations of the main female characters are, in my opinion, some of the weakest parts of Hypmic--many times, Otome and Ichijiku do things because the plot demands them to, making them look incompetent or needlessly cruel for characters we're supposed to sympathize with. Nemu's story seems to be handled with more care and takes an interesting twist, wherein she openly acknowledges that she's disenfranchised as a woman in modern Japan but rejects the notion that she needs to find strength on either Ichirou or Samatoki's (male) terms. By choosing to be strong in "her own way" (whatever that means...it's not well-defined), the authors are using Nemu to reject the notion that strength and power are inherently masculine.

What I find to be far more interesting is the character design for the Chuuouku women, both in what is said and what is not said.

To begin with, the characters and their portrayals run the gambit from highly sexualized to completely non-sexual. Some characters (especially Ichijku and Honobono) have conventionally attractive, curvy body types and are often drawn in ways that highlight their bodies.

(FP/M+ chapter 4)

(FP/M+ chapter 14)

In some cases, especially Honobono's, the enticing nature of the illustrations is framed as the character's choice; in the above, her words indicate that she wants to seduce the off-screen listeners. The images included above are largely representative of these characters' raps, regardless of illustrator.

But on the flip side, other characters with large breasts or hips are never drawn in a sexual fashion. By way of comparison, here are two shots of Nemu rapping.

(BB/MTC+ chapter 12)

Even in shots with dynamic poses, no attention is drawn to Nemu's figure in any sort of provocative sense. Nemu touches her chest, drawing the reader's eye there, but the artist does not emphasize the size of her chest--they're allowing a chest touch to be no more than an emphasis of the self. At the same time, Nemu's body isn't downplayed. We can see in panel 2 on page 2 that Nemu has a small waist and wider hips, but once again, she isn't being sexualized. The action lines draw the reader's eye to Samatoki and thus put the action first and foremost. This creates the idea that not only can characters portray themselves sexually, but they can just as easily choose not to.

We see similar with Otome, who does not wear any sort of revealing clothing and is never shown in a sexual fashion. However, Hypmic doesn't equate revealing clothing to sexual portrayals either! While I wouldn't call Tsumabira's outfit revealing, she does have more visible cleavage than most Chuuouku figures. However, her bare chest is never sexualized like Ichijiku's.

(BB/MTC+ chapter 4)

Compare the non-emphasis on the chest and the power stance to any of the many shots of Ichijuku where her breasts are front and center in the camera. Speaking of power stance, Tsumabira remains confident in her power stance without being sexy--that is, no stepping on the camera and showing her whole leg.

Which isn't to say that Tsumabira is a sexless character. She's drawn visibly turned on by the male characters in such a way that is cartoonish but not, in turn, overly sexual. Were this supposed to be titillating to the reader, I would have expected to see a larger close-up on her face and tongue. However, the artist (who is no stranger to focusing on tongues!) devotes the majority of the panel to Tsumabira's body language (which, again, doesn't absurdly exaggerate any of her proportions or focus on her chest) and covers part of the mouth with text bubbles. Tsumabira is drawn as engaging in sexual behavior without being sexualized for reader entertainment.

(FP/M+ chapter 4)

The juxtaposition of such different views with little to no judgement attached to any of them suggests that it's perfectly okay to want to be sexy or not, to wear revealing clothing or not, to be involved in sexual situations without being the object of sexual interest, or to simply exist with an attractive body type without sex ever coming into the equation. Just as some characters choose to tie bodies to sexiness, some don't whatsoever--and either is perfectly fine!

The former idea ("I can choose to be sexy") may not sound especially revolutionary to US audiences, where sexuality is thrust upon women willingly or otherwise, but I find it fascinating because it lets the main characters embrace this idea without associated slut shaming. So much of Japanese media insists that women should be sexy but are also wrong for wanting to indulge in their own sexuality. Therefore, having characters who run virtually every iteration of take on the topic (I want to engage in sexuality and be sexualized, I want to engage in sexuality without being sexualized, I don't want to engage in either) with multiple body types (ie, Tsumabira isn't automatically not sexualized because she has a smaller chest; Nemu isn't automatically sexualized because she has a bigger chest) and no judgement involved feels like another breath of fresh air to me.

As a whole, I find the diversity of the Chuuouku uniforms and character appearances quite interesting. They're undeniably all feminine and relatively militaristic, but different characters wear entirely different wardrobes. Skirts vs pants, blouses vs dresses, high heels vs boots... Since every character has her own take on the common theme, it once again feeds into the idea that each character is her own individual and perfectly valid for defining femininity in her own way.

Haircuts, too, range from longer and more feminine hairstyles to pixie cut-esque looks.

(BB/MTC+ chapter 16)

Again, nothing of the framing suggests this short-haired woman is in any way different from her longer-haired counterparts on the edges of this screenshot.

Finally, while most Chuuouku women are conventionally attractive, I find it extremely compelling that Haebaru is a stereotype of an unattractive Japanese woman. To be extremely clear, I do not think these stereotypes should have weight, but the combination of chubby and/or muscular build, freckles, rounded nose, and non-glossy hair is often used as a visual shorthand for unattractive or otherwise undesirable women.

Sure, it's not fantastic that Haebaru is a scheming, two-bit villain. However, so is virtually every other female character in the series, and in particular, Haebaru is (the conventionally attractive) Tsumabira's counterpart. Both are treated with the same respect or lack thereof, suggesting that one's appearance has nothing to do with your ability to be a no-good baddie. Ha ha ha.

It would be lovely if the female characters were fleshed out further and given intelligent choices and diversity outside of the realms of physical appearance. However, I do think the writers' choices are limited by virtue of all women automatically being antagonistic side characters (which, again, is another discussion altogether). What the writers can and have accomplished is further reinforcing a celebration of differences. Just as there's no one right way to be a man, there's an infinite number of ways to be a scheming snake of a woman HAHA.

Intersection with LGBT+ Topics

Unfortunately, this is a very binary look at gender and gender roles, which, while largely representative of the current state of Japanese media, can be disappointing.

Hypmic appears to want to steer shy of LGBT+ topics as a whole, which is a bit of a shame. In a story so focused on gender and acceptance of diversity, it seems the natural next step to explore the notion of those who experiences don't align with a strict gender binary. Such stories are growing in popularity in Japanese media but have yet to be anywhere near the mainstream acceptance in US media (which is still in a fledgling stage at best). I would imagine Hypmic's writers are unable or unwilling to take a definite stance on these topics in the work due to fears of financial or career backlash. If nothing else, the sexuality of the main characters needs to remain in a limbo in order to have plausible deniability for both self-shipping and shipping with other characters. (Some deniability may be more plausible than others.)

The few instances in which Hypmic does wander into this territory are usually clumsy. I am no fan of the handful of scenes where male/male attraction is supposed to be funny purely by virtue of being male/male.

The inclusion of Urumi, the one minor character explicitly LGBT+, is not stellar either. I am hesitant to apply any definite label to her, as the real-life people her stereotype portrays self-identify as everything from trans women to cis men--or refuse to use these English labels at all! Still, we know from her profession (proprietor of a bar heavily implied to be a gay bar by the neighborhood it's in), appearance (poofy permed hair, exaggerated make-up), and demeanor (feminine speech style, a bit flirtatious) that she's AMAB and choosing to present herself in a feminine fashion. By writing Jirou to ask, "Aren't you a man?" in an exasperated fashion, the writers have put her gender presentation in a boke role--suggesting she's over-the-top, exaggerated, comedic. It's not great. I completely understand why readers find it offensive (and it is) even while I don't think the writers intended it that way. Ultimately, it would have been great to see other explicitly LGBT+ characters portrayed without the joking angle.

With that said, I'm not entirely unhappy with her character. She is a stereotype, but the authors have chosen to take only the visual elements of the stereotype and leave the rest on the cutting room floor. In other works of fiction, characters like Urumi are often hypersexual to the point of being in-universe creepy, especially towards underage boys. Other times, characters like her may be eccentric or off-putting in other ways. However, that's not at all the case here. Urumi seems to play a helpful big sister/aunt role in Jirou's life, and he's clearly comfortable enough with her to spend the night at her bar.

(BB/MTC+ chapter 17. "Sorry, but can I shack up here again tonight?" "Of course you can.")

While she seems to engage in some sort of a bohemian lifestyle, as evidenced by the alcohol and smoking, it isn't anything outside of what many of the other characters do. Additionally, while she isn't drawn in a flattering fashion in scenes where she's playing up her persona (which is par for the course with any character in this series, regardless of gender), there are plenty of neutral shots of her being serious. Finally, the art is never outright rude--that is, she isn't drawn exaggeratedly masculine or flamboyantly...snakey? I don't know how to describe this to anyone who's lucky enough to have never seen this--clearly LGBT+ AMAB characters drawn with noodly limbs and huge, overblown lips winding around male characters.

Maybe because I see so much worse continuing to be produced in this day and age, I feel like Hypmic could have done a much, much worse job with this character. She overall plays a positive role and is treated with much the same care as other side characters. It's unfortunate, then, that the writers have chosen to make her gender presentation the subject of a joke.

In other frustrations, I heavily dislike the unnecessary gender divide in background characters. All punks and other background baddies are male, whereas all adoring fans are female. (But Rhyme Anima has done an interesting job of subverting this!) The vast majority of other background figures fall into strict gender roles, which is likewise disappointing. It appears that diversity may be an accepted trait for none but a lucky few that form the main Hypmic cast.

All in all, I don't think Hypmic's portrayal of gender roles is groundbreaking, nor do I think it's fair to suggest that all Japanese pop culture plays into strict gender roles. There are certainly many Japanese works, popular or otherwise, with much more interesting things to say about gender. However, when compared to the vast majority of the titles that cross my desk on a regular basis, I notice and appreciate the level of care put in to Hypmic's commentary on gender roles. The work consistently reinforces the notion that it's okay to be your own individual, no matter how that plays into your gender, and I find that freeing. That's a message we could all do to hear more often, regardless of culture and language.

TL;DR: Oh no, my rapidly approaching deadline. :)

[misc-obeyme]

Wait a minute, Barbatos listens to heavy metal? In which of the games is the sacred chat that included this juicy little fact mentioned? Is it a daily chat or is it obtainable from a card?

Affinity with heavy metal suits him very well, honestly.

I absolutely love when a character's personality is founded on a particular 'theme,' a specific range of generally interconnected interests, as well as a determined set of qualities—only for an unrelated/unexpected trait, quirk, hobby, talent or interest to sneak up and add a quaint pop of entertainment and relatability to their person.

Barbatos adores tea, likes cleaning, and tends to tiny demons, which are all things that give a sort of serene, domestic tinge to his figure. Yet, he indulges in the genre of heavy metal. And I think that that's such a satisfying, realistic shade to his personality palette because the truth is that one individual can hold so many differences within them, and some of those differences may at times be starkly opposing. And that is so intriguing.

Except in this case, I don't think Barbatos's appreciation for heavy metal is 'unrelated' to him per se or even a difference at all; in fact, it's woven with his being and who he is. Because of course, despite the calmness, fondness for tea, and intricate skills in making all sorts of sweet and savoury delicacies—aspects that craft an almost soft, meditative aura around him—he's also a thinker with a sense of wisdom and a badass who displays a multitude of talents while appreciating a musical genre famous for its loud intensity (which at first glance 'opposes' his general calm image and eloquent manner of speech).

So this is where I point out that this very 'difference' is perfect, since it's also a core similarity in and of itself; after all, Barbatos is intense and thoughtful, just like heavy metal itself (even though the genre has this unfair, unfortunate stereotype of being 'aggressive noise only'). What I mean to say is, this preference Barbatos has is merely an extension of his self and a representation of the parts of it that are not immediately apparent. It may seem startling at the beginning, but in my opinion, it makes so much sense that he would appreciate heavy metal.

He has lived for a very, very long time and that existence came with thousands upon thousands of experiences that shaped his mindset, temperament and wisdom, as well as gave him depth. I assume he found that heavy metal resonates with him in some ways. Perhaps it is not only admiration for the deep lyrics or relation to them, but also how the intense volume might help him vicariously express certain emotions.

In all honesty, it would be nice to see what young Barbatos was like. Now it's just rats that make him lose his marbles and go from 0 to 100 in the course of a millisecond. His anger is often pretty much covert otherwise. How interesting it would be to catch a glimpse of his wild days of youth—Barbatos being outwardly wrathful, spitting out what's on his mind without restraint, immediately resorting to violence, and even getting jealous because he's still young and hasn't yet attained the wisdom and maturity all that experience has to offer.

This is way longer than I intended it to be, but the subject piqued my interest, I love rock and admire the depth of thought in it and heavy metal, and overanalysing and overthinking are best friends of mine lol

The chat is from OG and I'm like... 99.999% sure that it's with the group The Fantastic Three. I remember Lucifer apologizing for Asmo who decided to perform some heavy metal at an event or something. And Barbatos was like, actually I like heavy metal. And Lucifer and Diavolo were both like ???

But for the life of me, I cannot find it. I thought it was a daily chat, but I can't find it. Maybe it's from a card? Does anyone know exactly which chat that is??

Anyway, I agree with everything you're saying. I very much headcanon that Barbatos has a lot of depth that we simply don't see. This because he hides it deliberately. I think he does this because he feels he has to have a certain demeanor, not just as Diavolo's butler and as a role model to him, but also because he feels he was too wild in his past. He wants to project that image of perfect calm and competence.

Despite all that, Barbatos is still a being with emotions and I really like the idea that heavy metal in particular speaks to him. Listening to it allows him to sit with some feelings that he normally represses. It helps him work through them instead of letting them fester.

I also think an indication of a well written character is when that character has unexpected traits. It's impossible to make a character as nuanced as a real person, but you can create the illusion of it by giving them depth. Barbatos feels like he has so much happening beneath the surface, so many pieces to him that we haven't discovered yet. It's one of the reasons I love him so much.

Who is he when he lets himself go? I have spent too much time thinking about that.

And how interesting it would be to see how he was when he was younger...

[johannestevans]

Finding Your Style, Part I: Shape & Silhouette

A deep dive into deciding on your own personal fashion and tailoring your clothes to fit.

Also on Patreon / / Also on Medium / / Leave a tip.

Introduction

Before I start with the actual meat of this piece, I want to establish what this series of guides is not going to be. These guides are going to be about building and cultivating your wardrobe and accessories for you and your preferences.

I have no interest in and will not be going into how to look good (or revoltingly, how to look “slimmer” or similar), how to be fashionable or trendy, or alternatively, how to look unique or dress differently to everybody you know.

I often get frustrated when pieces about cultivating one’s personal style stumble across my dashboards and they advise the reader to pay attention to the latest trends, to make a moodboard, cultivate a capsule wardrobe, and leave it at that — a moodboard can be helpful if you’re a visual thinker, and there’s nothing wrong with a capsule wardrobe as a tool, however.

I have a particular style of dress, I like to play around with a lot of colours and fabrics, a lot of patterns, and a lot of the people around me tell me I dress well and that they enjoy my style: I have never read a style guide that is envisioning a man who dresses like me, or even a man who dresses even close to the way I dress.

When I think of someone’s personal style, I’m talking about aspects of their appearance and the mode in which they clothe and carry themselves that are distinctive to them.

Firstly, this doesn’t mean that they dress uniquely, and like no other person around them.

I know guys who basically dress themselves to match mannequins in particular stores, and they look good for it — when I see them around, even if I haven’t seen those mannequins and don’t shop in the stores they shop from, what makes them distinctive is particular colour palettes, brands, and also a clean-cut, neat style that works really well on a shop mannequin. What they’re wearing obviously isn’t unique, but it is distinctive, and it is a particular visual I associate with them when I see them.

Secondly, when we think of distinctive qualities, I might associate them with a specific style that isn’t inspired by a high street store or particular fashionable brand — people who dress in vintage clothes and are always kind of ’90s or ’70s, or people who dress in lolita or goth or emo or cottagecore or identify with another subculture that has a particular visual signature.

Apart from fashion subcultures, there might be other aspects — yes, specific high street brands, but there are all kinds of other visual signatures like particular patterns (someone who always wears stripes, for example), other brands or media (e.g. someone who wears a lot of stuff printed with anime characters), particular places or hobbies, et cetera. I’m currently fleshing out my wardrobe and trying to find a lot more pieces that are nautical or sailing themed, so there are a lot of anchors, compasses, helm’s wheels, and ships incorporated into my wardrobe.

And thirdly — this is one thing I want to impress very firmly, because far too many pieces that focus on fashion don’t take this into account at all — one of the most distinctive qualities is how much I might recognise a friend’s specific needs for comfort in their style of dress.

I, for example, have a lot of cardigans, jumpers, woollen vests and waistcoats, etc, and in winter will often appear in multiple layers of wool underneath another layer of leather because I get cold so easily; even in summer, I’m often wearing a t-shirt under a collared shirt, sporting a cardigan, or even wearing three-piece suits. I know other people who basically from spring through to late autumn will only ever be wearing one layer, particularly just a t-shirt or long-sleeved shirt, because they overheat so easily.

This is going to be a series of pieces, and I want to focus on a handful of specific points to focus on in cultivating your wardrobe and accessories:

Part I: Shape and Silhouette

Part II: Fabrics and Materials

Part III: Colours and Patterns

Part IV: Garments and their Construction

Part V: Accessories and Details

Part VI: Eras & Epochs, Subcultures & Alternative Looks

Part VII: Thematic Cohesion

Part VIII: Editing and Adding to your Wardrobe

A lot of style guides are written with people in mind who are trying to look good at work, especially at office jobs, and subsequently they assume a certain level of conformity with business casual or other “acceptable” styles in mind, where standing out to any degree is considered in poor taste, but more importantly, where things like personal comfort aren’t taken into account.

Your personal comfort in the clothes you wear, whether that’s to do with your resting temperature, if you feel most comfortable in any specific fabrics or textures, if you feel comfortable under multiple layers or only one, how many pockets you have and how accessible those pockets are, how exposed or free certain parts of your body are, etc, is far more important than virtually any other aspect in selecting your wardrobe.

There are absolutely garments or styles where you might either enjoy the discomfort or think it’s worth withstanding for the visual effect, but that’s really up to you to decide, and anyone who says that you should be uncomfortable on your day-to-day, or that it’s normal and therefore desirable to feel uncomfortable in your own clothes, is a prick.

As a species, we wear clothes to keep our bodies warm and safe from harm, and while we might enjoy looking good or projecting a particular image, our comfort, safety, and our feeling of security in the clothes we’re wearing is no less vital.

Especially if you’re used to dressing in uncomfortable clothes, it can be hard to figure out what you actually do feel comfortable in, and that’s okay, that’s a process.

A lot of us have basically had it embedded into us, after years of conditioning, that there is only one way to dress, one way to exist, and that this is in-keeping with what’s Appropriate or what’s Pretty or in line with any other expectation, and unlearning that is hard, but it’s a process, and it’s possible to work through it.

Shapes & Silhouette

The first thing we often talk about when it comes to fashion, and the first thing a lot of clothes designers sketch out and visualise, is silhouette — if you find that hard to envisage, imagine yourself in whatever outfit is a favourite of yours, that you’re behind a canvas, and you’re being backlit from behind.

Your silhouette is the shadow cast by the shape of your body and your clothes — when someone first enters into a room, when we take in their outfit, we take in the broad strokes of it and the silhouette it casts, the shape of their body.

You might want to cast an initial impression that emphasises particular bodily qualities you’re proudest of, makes you seem taller or shorter than you are, slimmer or fatter, curvier or squarer, softer or more angular.

The problem with a lot of silhouette discussion is that many clothing designers abhor and loathe clothing anyone who isn’t a white, thin cisgender woman: imagining silhouette becomes about imagining a base body that serves as a mannequin and clothes that are draped on her, rather than about imagining a range of body types and different silhouettes that might go with them, complementing or contrasting the base body on which they’re built.

Subsequently, when people talk about clothing for fat people, particularly for fat women, a great deal of emphasis is placed on a silhouette that attempts to disguise or hide the body’s natural shape, whether that means making them seem nebulously slimmer by increasing their perceived height or by some other method, or increasing or decreasing their curviness.

The problem with that, apart from the fact that it relies on a vociferous hatred of fat people, of fat people’s bodies, of body fat in general, an odious bigotry in itself, is that a lot of the time, it doesn’t fucking work.

It’s instead people writing pages upon pages of advice on how to make yourself appear smaller and lesser, capitalising on people’s taught and conditioned self-loathing, and a lot of it is just clickbait. I’m by no means saying it would be ethical or correct if a lot of this advice did work, but the fact is that it doesn’t.

Someone might take your outfit with lots of layers and rounded shapes to it and assume you’re fatter than you in fact are, because multiple layers make you look larger — it could also be that simply wearing those soft fabrics make people think that you’re rounder, which they associate with fatness. In contrast, someone might take an outfit with lots of angles to mean that you’re bigger than you are because when we drape our body with angular clothes, they often work by sticking out from our body and creating corners where they don’t exist — but, people might associate that angularity with a lack of body fat, either with bones or with muscle, and therefore think you are bigger, but less fat.

We live in a fatphobic society where people make a lot of judgements based on how fat they perceive you as being. Because of the aforementioned fatphobic society, we also live in a society where people might associate you with fatness (or some other physical trait they consider negative) because they dislike you.

If you speak loudly or “a lot”, people might perceive you as being fatter than you are — if you barely speak, they might perceive you as being thinner, because you take up less apparent space, no matter what you wear or what shape you present.

There is no way to win, is my point.

You cannot win against bigotry in a fundamentally bigoted society by trying to change subtle perceptions of angle or size or light or shadow, and the people who say that you can are lying. The point of those lies is firstly to sell newspapers and screentime, but the second of them is to make the reader think that a bigoted society’s attitude toward them is their fault, because they weren’t employing enough tricks to deter the bigotry.

When I talk about the varieties of silhouette you might want to attain or aim for in your clothing choices, or how well-fitting or loose a garment might be for you, it should be in line with your preferences and your desires, whether that’s about aesthetic, comfort, or something else.

Photo by cottonbro studio via Pexels, with guide lines added by me.

When envisioning your silhouette, the key points of your body might be:

your head

your shoulders

your waist and hips

your feet

This depends on your body shape and also on the sorts of outfits you’re wearing — it might change for you depending on the clothes you’re wearing on a given day, or you might cut a drastically different silhouette in boymode versus girlmode, or in summer versus winter, etc. 

Think of these as anchor points on which your clothing or accessories are draped over or mounted from, almost like you might envision armour slots in a videogame. When you envision your silhouette, it’s how your body immediately appears when lit from behind — your legs and arms aren’t irrelevant here, and the shape of sleeves, trousers, and skirts will absolutely contribute to your silhouette, but depending on your body in motion or how you stand, these won’t always be immediately distinctive, whereas your head and torso will be.

As well as being the place where your clothes drape from, these might be the points where your most important accessories might be placed — headbands or hats, shoulder clasps or shawls or collar pins and such, belt buckles or suspender clips, and your shoes or boots. These points become the focus to which the eye is drawn because they’ll be the most static parts of the body, whereas other parts in between might jiggle or flow. 

These points aren’t part of some sort of rule you have to follow — it’s more of a handy shorthand to help train your eye into seeing the particular shapes each part of someone’s body cuts, and what the overall effect is, and how much you like or dislike the effect. 

You might feel that some of these anchor points, when emphasised or de-emphasised, add or take away from your dysphoria or your general self-esteem, make you feel more feminine or masculine, just look really fucking cool or really hot, etc. Think about those when you start sketching out your shapes in your head and what you like best. 

When you really want to imagine a silhouette, do what I did with the first three images — there’s the outfit itself, I’ve drawn the anchors at the top of the head, the top of the shoulders, the waist, and then the feet. Contrast that silhouette with this image:

Photo by Becerra Govea Photo via Pexels, with guidelines added by me.

This person has a different hair style, but see how with the shape of the dress, the waistline is drawn in compared to their shoulders, and would be even if they weren’t posed with their elbows outward? See how their waist appears to be smaller in contrast with the wide sweep of the thickly layered, loose skirts?

A useful exercise when thinking about a silhouette you like is to draw these anchor points and then either draw in lines following the outside of the body’s / clothing’s shape, or you can separate into each section and think about the simplest shape that silhouette can be boiled down to: a circle, a square, a triangle, a straight line.

In the two images I’ve indicated, I’ve focused on the waist as an anchor point because it’s the base of the suit jacket and then where this dress is drawn in — on your body, you might find that somewhere else on your pelvis is better for you to draw the line.

Have a look at this TikTok and look at all these bodies in motion, the clothes they’re wearing, how much skin is or isn’t being revealed, how loose or fixed each piece of clothing is, how much contrast is or isn’t present in the different shapes on show. Think about each different silhouette and how different or similar they are to one another.

(A TikTok of an NYFW fashion show in September from Remi Jo on TikTok.)

Look for the motion in these garments and in these people’s bodies — the parts that jiggle, that flow, that have free motion — and contrast them with the bits of their garments or bodies that remain more static. Many of these garments bare skin or flesh, and many of them cover a lot up, depending on the garment’s design — look at shoulder pieces, busts, waists, skirts, hemlines, sleeves. If a garment stands out to you as pleasing, cut it up in your mind and look at each piece of it individually before you consider the whole again, see what stands out most to you.

Generally, for modern men’s tailoring, the focus is often on the lower-slung hips rather than on the higher waist. If you’ve got a squarer body, your waist and hips might be the same or almost the same width, to the point you have no big distinguishing angle between the two points — you might want to think of your anchor point as at the base of your hips, in line with your backside; you might want to think of it as at the absolute high point of your waist if you tend to very high-waisted trousers or skirts. 

If you’re fatter and have a significant overhang to your belly, depending on whether you like to wear your waistband underneath the overhang and have your belly rest on top / over it, or if you wear looser clothes or generally keep your belly within the waistband, for example under your dress or your skirt, this might change how you think about your silhouette too. 

You might still be looking from the tops of your shoulders, but then the end of that “shape” might be in line with your backside or your upper thigh instead because that’s where you can see the lowest part of your belly in your trousers or leggings, or in a maxi dress, it might be a straight (or mostly straight) line from your shoulder down to your feet. Alternatively, rather than focusing on your hips or specifically where your waist is, you might like to make sure your middle point is at the widest point of your belly — if you’re wearing a belt, you might like the belt buckle to rest in the middle point there, or have the waistband of your skirt there so that you have the maximum flow to the skirt. 

And remember, as I said about how the most key points might be different depending on what sort of outfit you’re wearing or what the occasion is, consider how much you’re going to be sitting down or from what angle you’re going to be viewed by others. 

If you’re generally going to be sitting down while wearing a particular outfit, your midpoints at the waist might be less important to you than your shoulders and your feet — and if you’re going to be viewed significantly from above or below (for example, if you’re on stage or performing in a theatre), or from a further distance, this might make a difference to what key points you want to focus on. 

If you use a wheelchair, depending on how big your wheelchair is compared to you in terms of its back and shape, you might like to take its angles and colours in complement to your outfit — if you use a cane or crutches, or if you wear a prosthetic limb for some events but not others, you might want to consider the asymmetry or the squarer shapes cut by your mobility aids. 

Similarly, if you’re in costume and you’re wearing or using a really important prop like a stave or wand, some sort of weapon in the hand or slung on the belt or worn in some sort of other holster, you might want to employ similar complementary or perpendicular angles. 

For example, if you’re wearing something that’s really angular and is going to make one shoulder, side of your head, or side of your waist/belly seem much higher than the other side, you might want to match that angular shift to the side you don’t have a limb or use a cane or have a prop to continue that exaggerated angle — you might want to make it go to the opposite way to offset the imbalance. 

--

I’ve talked a lot above about how to observe and identify shapes and silhouettes in outfits you’re observing, but only a little bit about how to actually construct and cast them. 

For a lot of people, the shadow cast by your head is going to be the same every day depending on your haircut or hairstyle: if you have shorter hair, you’re unlikely to change it much on the day to day in a way that will be noticeable at a glance.

If you do have longer hair or you change your style regularly, you can think about the shape that your head is casting in contrast to your outfit — if you alternate, for example, between having a big ‘fro and braids or twists that are much tighter to the head or are gathered at the back of your neck, those will be pretty dramatic differences to your silhouette; ditto if you go between different ponytails or braids and different up-dos, whether that’s a bun or gathered braid or similar. 

If you wear hats and/or wear headscarves, those will make a big difference too — a beanie casts a very different shadow to a Panama hat, different again to a boater, a baseball cap, or a bandana. 

A more structured hat or other garment for the head — a tiara or crown, for example, or more structured hair styles that come out from the head such as bantu knots or structured wigs and up-dos, will be more static; looser hats, scarves, and loose-worn hair will have more flow and wave when you move, and will stay in motion as you walk or even as you turn your head. 

How visible do you want your neck to be? The lines of your jaw, your chin, your ears (and earrings), your brow, the nape of your neck? Do you enjoy the sensation of fabric or your own longer hair touching the tops of your shoulders, or being a weight on your back? Do you need the shade from your bangs or longer fringe, or that a structured hat will give you?

From your head we can jump to the broader part of your actual outfit or the garment that covers most of your body. 

Your shoulders and your hips / waist / the widest point of your belly are where the garments you wear are going to rest — shirts, jackets, vests, coats, all of these are going to sit on your shoulders and either cling closely to your body or hang over it; loose fitting trousers and any sort of kilt or skirt are going to hang off your hips or the widest point of your middle. 

Depending on your outfit and how your legs are clad, your feet might not actually be particularly noticeable — if you’re wearing shorts or anything with a shorter skirt, more attention is going to be drawn to the feet in contrast to your legs, ditto any sort of skinny trouser, legging, or tights. This goes especially for bigger boots, trainers/sneakers, and various heels.

MSCHF’s newest crowd pleaser, the Big Red Boot, is distinctive because the Big Red Boots are extremely shaped like boots, but not particularly like feet.

And after this point, you might have different points entirely that you construct away from your body — big earrings can be a point of interest; the hem of a shorter skirt, for example, might stop at your mid-thigh or knee, and that might be at an angle with your shoes; if you wear flared trousers like I tend to, you might create another point of contrast at your knee or at the mid calf.

Some points to consider are: 

Which parts of your body or your shape do you enjoy most, want to most emphasise, or want to draw most attention to? Are there any parts of your body or your shape you feel less comfortable showing or emphasising, and would like to draw attention from?

Are there any silhouettes, for any gender, that you feel most drawn to and interested in? For example, do you particularly like the shape cut by certain styles of suits, robes, dresses, or other garments? What points do you like most, are most drawn to? What points are the same from outfit to outfit? 

Think of cartoons and other animated series you like or have enjoyed, which normally have distinct styles and place emphasis on certain body parts or shapes for each characters. Do any particularly appeal to you? Do any characters look especially fun or cool compared to others, because of the style they’re drawn in or what garments or armour they’re drawn in? Cartoons will show an extreme, but they might help you visualise something you’re particularly drawn to because the extremity makes it so visible.

Apart from the shoulders, middle, head, and feet, do you want to create any further points of interest? Draw attention to your elbow or knees, dangling earrings, shift the silhouette of your feet by elevating your heel or sole?

Do you want your garments to hang from your body and be loose, or do you want them to be more tightly tailored? A garment that “hangs” will generally rest on your shoulders or around your middle and then be looser or boxier — a more fitted garment will hug tighter to the lines and curves of your body, and the extent to which will depend on the fabric weight and the construction of the garment. 

How much is your silhouette different in motion, standing, seated, or otherwise? How much does it change with different mobility aids, or in different seats, while doing different activities? 

And that’s it for that piece!

I am going to go through the other parts of this bit by bit — originally I was going to do this as one huge deep dive, but it just became untenable in terms of length. Let me know what you think, which bits are most helpful, and please feel free to mention anything you’d particularly want me to cover in the other pieces as I go through them. 

[nori-the-cat]

Boynextdoor Member's Ideal Type; Maknae Line ♡

Remember, tarot readings should be taken with a grain of salt. This tarot reading post is for entertainment purposes only.

Disclaimer: The members are still young and some are in their early 20s. Their ideal type can change over time. This tarot reading reads the member's current ideal type.

This tarot reading post also focuses on each member's ideal type based on the personality they like and what their person potentially looks like.

♡ Taesan ♡

cards pulled: three of pentacles, knight of cups reversed, the star, page of swords reversed, and knight of pentacles reversed

Taesan likes people who just get him. Someone supportive of his dreams and ambitions is a plus. Someone optimistic and can make him feel good is going to win his heart. Bonus points for being encouraging and always seeing the bright side.

Super dreamy or emotionally up-and-down people might not be his thing. He might prefer someone who's more down-to-earth and keeps things steady, avoiding drama queens.

While reliability is great, someone who's also up for trying new stuff is going to win his heart. He might not be interested in people who's stuck in their ways and never want to change.

Blabbermouths or people who say whatever pops into their head might not be his style. He might avoid partners who gossip or say things without thinking. Someone thoughtful and kind with their words would be great.

cards pulled: five of wands reversed, three of cups reversed, the hierophant, five of cups, and three of pentacles

Taesan likes people who are chill and easygoing, not loud or over the top. Think calming energy and a friendly smile, someone who makes you feel relaxed. Big personalities might not be his style.

He seems to be into people with a more subtle kind of beauty. Imagine someone who catches your eye because they're interesting, not because they're trying to be the center of attention. Think classic style that always looks good, someone who takes care of themselves but avoids anything too fancy.

Their eyes might be especially captivating, like they have a story to tell. Maybe they seem a bit deep and have a sensitive side. This person probably keeps themself looking good, but in a practical way. They like nice things, but don't go overboard. Think put-together style with a hint of their own personality.

♡ Leehan ♡

cards pulled: four of cups, queen of cups, the chariot reversed, ten of cups, and four of wands

Leehan wants a partner who brings joy and creates a loving, happy environment. He appreciates people who are supportive and have a positive outlook on life.

Besides that, he likes people who are good thinker, someone who takes things seriously and enjoys deep conversations. He's also drawn to people who are kind, understanding, and emotionally available.

He might not be a fan of super bossy people. Instead, he prefers someone who goes with the flow and is adaptable.

cards pulled: nine of swords

He finds delicate or slender physique attractive. This might suggest a natural elegance and grace in their physical appearance.

His ideal type is the standard beauty of South Korea. They might have a paler complexion.

♡ Woonhak ♡

cards pulled: king of pentacles reversed and four of wands

Woonhak might not be the biggest fan of people super into money and fancy things. He seems to prefer someone who goes with the flow, isn't uptight, and takes life as it comes. On the flip side, he loves celebrating and having a good time! Woonhak's ideal partner is probably someone who makes him feel happy and at home, someone who enjoys being with friends and family.

cards pulled: page of cups reversed and ace of cups

Woohak's ideal type is someone cute with a young heart. Someone who dresses well. He likes the coquette style. They might seem a bit mysterious at first, but they are actually caring and friendly. This mix of interesting twists of personality is what Woohak might find most attractive.

[aurekiwi]

Hello kiwi ! Can you do fs reading on jk ?

Thnk you 😇🙏

𝐣𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞

welcome to another reading by your favorite intuitive reader, kiwi! i was quite hesitant about this reading because of how tense bts tarot feels, but i realized that i'll have requests about jungkook and bts regardless in the future and thought i might as well try it out.

𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐰𝐢 | masterpost | support kiwi

before you read: please remember that i'm only one tarot reader. this reading was done with the best of my abilities and intentions, and i most definitely do not want to cause problems for jungkook, the future spouse, or any of you.

to start off, i asked my tarot deck Yume for a figure card that represents jungkook's future spouse. i received Balance, and the back of the deck was Harpy Eagle.

Balance: Balance sits outside of this duality. They follow their vibration, their own story. They can often be positive, revealing the good that sits inside us all. They can also be gloomy as they give in to the dark emotions that lie feral, waiting to attack. Balance sits somewhere in between. They know what it is like to carry both sides. Balance blends the best and the worst presenting us all a new opportunity to experience the whole of creation.

jungkook's future spouse is an open-minded individual who is emotionally intelligent, striving for balance within their every day life. they are aware of the fact that life has both its positives and negatives, and they must learn to adapt to them and find the greatness within each new experience. jungkook's future spouse is one who does not let their troubles stop them from moving forward towards what they truly love. others may perceive that they are ever-changing and mysterious- they have learned to maintain a neutral perspective and stance no matter the situation. i am sensing that jungkook's future spouse may be spiritual or religious due to the card's imagery of a woman whose hands are in the shape of yin and yang, with the universe making up her body. they are very wise and caring, feeling driven to help provide their sense of balance to others, whatever form that may be.

Harpy Eagle: The Harpy Eagle comes to you via visions in your sleep time and your waking days. When it appears, heed the message and take a good look at what is out of balance in your life. Take stock of your life. Are you where you want to be emotionally, physically, and financially? Now is the time to envision where you want to be and who you want in your life.

jungkook's future spouse seems to put a lot of focus on the idea of "balance," as it is mentioned by this card as well. they are very reflective of their circumstances in their day-to-day life and strive to improve by thinking about what they insight they may be lacking. this card also seems to clarify that jungkook's future spouse is a spiritual or religious person who has spiritual dreams that guide them in times of need. jungkook's future spouse desires to take control over their life, giving me a feeling that they may struggle with issues of control, power dynamics, addiction(s), and unhealthy habits. they may be a logical person and very hard on themselves, often moving through a hard situation without complaints by focusing on this idea of "balance" and "self-improvement." they are a future-oriented thinker, and they are excited to see how their current actions towards change will impact their future. in terms of their views on love, my understanding is that the future spouse wants deep and committed love but is currently unavailable to it due to past hurts and their dreams and career aspirations.

next, i asked my tarot deck Snow White for some cards that would help us learn about jungkook's future spouse. i received: temperance, two of pentacles, the tower, three of wands, and the star.

jungkook's future spouse is a very balanced and fair individual. as mentioned above, they may have had unhealthy habits and tendencies in the past, or they may have been exposed to an unhealthy power dynamic that has resulted in them focusing heavily on their idea of "balance." they try to stray away from substance abuse and other unhealthy habits/decisions by pursuing the temperance energy. in general, they are a very busy person. i see them being very quick with their decisions. the ace of swords card to me within this context, makes me think that jungkook's future spouse is often someone who gets into their head and likes to think and reflect about a lot of different things. once they make a decision, i see them being very fast about chasing after their goals and making their decision become their reality as quick as possible. that makes them pretty pre-occupied, however, they work very hard to make sure to spend time with their friends and loved ones. they may keep a small circle of close friends and have them as their support system, and they are the type of person who would be truly happy for your accomplishments and successes rather than being jealous. they have a lot of love for those that matter a lot to them and make sure to show that those they love, are loved.

the tower tells me that they have had quite a turbulent life which explains the unhealthy dynamics and habits that i sensed in a previous portion of the reading. i asked for some clarification, and i received the three of swords and the empress, which makes me think that their love and support has oftentimes been taken for granted and unappreciated. they may have found that they are usually the nurturing, caring, and understanding mother figure in many people's lives. with friends, that would mean the "mom friend" or "the therapist friend" who is always there to listen to your worries. i'm also sensing that within a family setting, it would be the person who is holding the family together, the bandange, or the mediator who has to step in whenever there is conflict. their life has been full of being broken down to the ground and constant rebuilding, each time an improved version of themself. this is actually quite admirable of them, and this signifies to me that regardless of their actual age, they are a very wise and mature person. plus, jungkook's future spouse seems to embody the empress energy, so they may attract a lot of people in general or people may really like them for those qualities as well.

the three of wands signifies a visionary, also higher studies/education and traveling. they may travel to different countries/land either to pursue higher studies or they may just like traveling or have family members scattered in different parts of the world. i'm also sensing that they may come from a diverse background, as in they may be living in a country that is not their culture's or their home country, motherland, or mother tongue. intuitively, they seem surrounded by wand or fire energy, so a city/state/province/country that has quite strong masculine/patriarchal energy. it can also mean that the place they are from is generally dry/warm/hot. they are obviously a very intelligent individual, so higher education also seems quite possible. this means that they are not "too" young as some may wish- they are probably at a minimum in college, or are in professional/graduate school or working. they are a very respectable person, and after interacting with their energy, it makes me understand why so many people are already so interested in them.

lastly, the back of the deck was the star. the star card comes after the tower in the major arcana- it represents a sense of hope, enlightenment, and happiness after a storm has passed. jungkook's future spouse seems to have a positive mindset about their struggles. people around them may perceive as someone who learns to see the good in any situation and appreciate the good of their current circumstances, even if it may be horrible for them. they are humble and are very patient. they choose to believe that the chaos and disaster breed blessings and good fortune (wheel of fortune) within their life. they always learn to be grateful and resilient. they shine bright like a star as well, and i suddenly see jungkook's eye and how they turn wide at the sight of his future spouse. they seem to have this glow around them... a beautiful, mysterious, alluring aura that makes them so attractive in his eyes. the imagery of the star card also makes me think that they have a very feminine energy, and they are an empath and a healer. there is lots of water which i interpret as intuition, emotions, and creativity, which are qualities that they may have that sets them aside from others. their career or area of study may be related to the star card's qualities.

[vampirae]

Stellium in the signs

A gathering of three or more planets in the same sign or house in a person's birth chart is referred to as a stellium in astrology. Stelliums provide a concentrated energy in that specific sector of a person's chart, which can have a tremendous impact on their personality and life experiences.

Stellium in Aries: an individual with the Aries stellium is likely to be active, ambitious, powerful, and assertive. They are competitive, driven, and frequently assume the initiative in a variety of spheres of their lives. They might like taking the lead on new endeavors and have a strong desire for independence.

Stellium in Taurus: people with a stellium in Taurus exude a realistic, determined, and grounded spirit. They place a lot of emphasis on financial stability, security, and sensual pleasures. These people frequently have a deep connection to the physical world and are trustworthy, patient, and reliable.

Stellium in Gemini: the energy of a Gemini stellium is inquisitive, versatile, and intellectually focused. These people are adaptable, friendly, and enjoy talking to others and exchanging ideas. They could be very diverse in their interests and be very good at things that call for quick thinking.

Stellium in Cancer: those who have this stellium are perceptive, sensitive, and nurturing by nature. They appreciate their home, family, and intimate relationships and are very emotionally connected. These people may prioritize emotional security and possess strong maternal or protective impulses.

Stellium in Leo: people with stellium in Leo have a lively, assured, and expressive vitality. They enjoy being the center of attention, are naturally creative, and have excellent leadership abilities. These people adore spreading happiness and warmth to others, and they thrive on recognition.

Stellium in Virgo: denotes a practical, analytical, and attention-to-details energy. These people have a strong sense of duty, are organized, and strive for perfection. They are excellent problem-solvers and critical thinkers, and frequently have a strong desire to help others.

Stellium in Libra: a harmonious, diplomatic, and friendly temperament characterizes a Libra stellium. Fairness, balance, and harmonious relationships are things they appreciate. These people are highly aesthetic, like the arts, and perform well in vocations that need teamwork.

Stellium in Scorpio: people with a Scorpio stellium possess powerful, transforming energy. They have a keen emotional understanding and are frequently drawn to mysteries and uncovering secrets. These people can grow profoundly personally and have great instincts.

Sagittarius Stellium: a Sagittarius stellium denotes a spirit of adventure, optimism, and philosophy. These people are intellectually curious, love learning about other cultures and belief systems, and have a strong desire for personal freedom. They may succeed in subjects like as education, travel, or spirituality.

Capricorn Stellium: capricorn stellium people are realistic, disciplined, and ambitious. They cherish established organizations and regulations, have a strong work ethic, and aim for long-term success. These people are dedicated and frequently have a natural capacity to lead.

Stellium in Aquarius: those with an Aquarius stellium have a distinct, autonomous, and imaginative vitality. They are frequently ahead of their time, believe in progressive ideals, and love being a part of a community. These people may thrive in areas such as technology, social action, or humanitarian concerns.

Stellium in Pisces: denotes a sensitive, creative, and sympathetic spirit. These people are very intuitive, typically have psychic talents, and have a strong sense of empathy. They are spiritual and creative, and may be inclined to artistic or therapeutic professions.

[thetarotwitch111]

Beetlejuice's advice - Pick a beetlejuice (Pick a card)

Happy Friday the 13th! 👻

✨help me keep doing the free pacs: tip jar

✨ personal readings - [requests open]

Good luck with Beetlejuice sweet advice...

👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

Beetlejuice

Well, well, well! You’ve gone and picked this pile, huh? You must be ready to get wild! And I mean wild, baby! Here’s the deal: You’ve been holding back, trying to play it cool, but I can smell it on ya! you’re bursting to break free and let your instincts take over. Right now, life’s been a bit too tame, hasn’t it? Like a boring old dinner party with those dull folks in the afterlife. You know what I’m talking about!

It’s time to unleash that primal side of yours. Stop thinking, start acting! You’ve got this fire in you that’s been waiting to come out, so let it roar! Whether it’s chasing after a passion, saying what you really think, or just shaking things up, now’s your moment to own it. Don’t worry about making a mess. Look at me, I’m the king of messes, and it works out just fine! You wanna go after something? Do it! You’ve got the instincts of a predator, so go ahead and pounce.

Life’s too short to play by the rules, and you know what? Rules are for suckers! Break ‘em, make some noise, and watch how everything around you changes when you’re the one calling the shots. After all, it’s showtime, baby!

👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

2. Beetlejuice

Oooh, look at you, picking this one. I can smell the love vibes from here! Someone’s looking for connection, huh? Whether it’s romance, friendship, or just some human contact, you’re in the mood for something deeper. And guess what? It’s coming your way faster than you can say Beetlejuice 3 times!

Right now, you’ve been feeling like something’s missing. You want more than the usual small talk and surface-level stuff. Well, here’s a little secret...when you let your guard down, the real magic happens! Show people that squishy center of yours, even if it makes you feel a little awkward. Hey, if I can try to marry a living one, then you can take a risk on love, right? Open yourself up, let people see the real you, and boom! You’ll attract the kind of connection that’ll make you feel alive again.

Whether it’s a deep friendship, a romantic spark, or just more fun, you’re gonna feel that spark light up soon. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find someone who loves a little chaos, just like me. So how about it? Any plans for a wedding soon? I’ve been trying to get hitched for a long time, but you…you’re a catch. Just saying.

👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

3. Beetlejuice

Ahh, you’re one of the deep thinkers, aren’t ya? I can tell. You’re not just here for the easy level stuff, no sir! You want the real deal! the big answers to those cosmic questions! And let me tell ya, you’re on the right track. You know what they say: I’m the ghost with the most, babe, and I see some serious mystery heading your way!

You’ve probably been feeling a little tug, haven’t you? Something’s been calling you to dive deeper, whether it’s a gut feeling, a dream, or just that weird sense that there’s more going on than meets the eye. Well, spoiler alert: You’re right! You’re getting ready to tap into something big, and it’s gonna blow your mind. The universe is trying to show you the secret behind the curtain, and you’ve got front-row seats to the show!

So what’s next? Start paying attention. The signs are there! those strange little synchronicities, those moments that make you go, WTF. Yeah, that’s the universe talking to ya. Don’t ignore it! Follow the breadcrumbs, trust your gut, and dive headfirst into the unknown. You’re about to discover something big that’s gonna shake up how you see the world. And let me tell ya, it’s gonna be a ride you’ll never forget. Just remember: You’re dealing with a professional here!

[vintagexherry]

Treasure for Three Days [8][Finale]

Pirate!Miguel x Princess!Reader

//Smut, Kissing, unprotected sex, oral, throat fucking, overstimulation, first times [pls comment if I miss anything]

A/N: Thank you for your patience

Previously

"Just couldn't stay away from you, hermosa." He chuckled at your flushed state.

"Yeah....I notice" You smiled.You glanced back at the shoreline, seeing your father shouting for you to come back.

This time, though, you're sure you don't want to.

You don't how you ended up here, but you sure as hell this is what you meant by taking your mundane life away.

Sure, running, piracy, and chasing wasn't the exact scene that comes to your head, but it's better than you could expect.

Lovely even.

The sun is setting, a mixture of orange and subtle purple paint the sky, and the shoreline of your kingdom is long forgetten in the distance.

Right now, you inhale the salty yet fresh air of the ocean, your face ached from smiling so widely from the event that transpired, but you can't find yourself to stop smiling.

The crew seemed to be happy that your back, saying things like keeping the captain in control.

You chuckle at their words, you only spent three-ish days with them yet you felt a deep bond.

"I see you're still nothing but a deep thinker, hermosa."

Your head turned around to see Miguel approaching you with a smirk.

He slightly bends down to kiss you on your lips, and you smile even wider.

"Hello to you too," you mused.

"Mmm, missed the taste."

Miguel seemed to stare into your soul with his piercing red-brownish eyes, and you can't help but shiver.

"Glad I didn't make you marry that snob of a prince."

"You met my fiance? Is that how you got your royal clothes from?"

"Fiance? No more of that bebita. And maybe... Maybe threatened him with a sword against his neck for good measures."

You chuckle.

"Sword agaist his neck? Sounds a bit familiar don't you think?"

He seemed to think for a while and laughed at the memory.

"Glad I did it." He smiled to you. His hands caressing your waist.

"Cap'n! The sails are okay and wind is steady." A crewmate reported, breaking you and Miguel in your bubble of light flirting.

"Good. Keep her busy, if im needed I'll be in my quarters."

You lightly yelp as you were dragged by the waist and made to follow Miguel to his room.

Once you both arrived and the door was shut, Miguel didn't waste time diving to your lips.

Your eyes widened a bit but you quickly returned his affection.

"Eager, are we? I didn't expect the infamous Miguel O'hara to be smitten." You teased.

"That's right, big bad, Arachne captain got the hots for a little princess. Now I wonder if that princess is willing to fix the problem?" He teased back as his hands go at the back of your dress, untying the corset as he does.

With the corset starting to loosen, you kissed him again.

He chuckles

"It's a yes then? Well what are we waiting for hm?"

With that, he suddenly carried to bridal style and promptly dropped you to the bed.

He didn't waste time kissing you feverishly.

While kissing, you didn't notice him taking a dagger nearby. He disconnected the kiss for him to slice the fabrics and threads that held your dress.

"Wha-Hey!-"

"Shhh, I'll get you a new one, as many as you like. Maybe more than your wardrobe."

He threw the dagger randomly on the floor and ripped the rest of your dress with his hands.

His lips returned to you and moved down to your neck.

You shuddered as you felt soft lips tracing the veins in your neck and down to your collarbone. The dress finally removed, and he threw its scrap randomly on the floor alongside the dagger.

"Mmm- Miguel"

"Relax for me bebita, that's it."

His hands caressed every skin that it could find, rubbing circles on your arms, until it reached your thighs, and then your knees.

While his lips are occupied for leaving you marks, his hands spread your legs apart to give him room.

You lightly gasped when you felt his bulge slightly drag at your clothed pussy.

He stopped his mistrations with his lips and hissed a cursed.

His eyes looked down at your underwear, he glared at it as if it did a grave sin agaist him.

In this scenario it probably did.

His hands left your knees and immediately went to remove your underwear.

Once off, your suddenly felt shy. Causing you to close your legs a bit but Miguel is quicker stop you.

"Mmnh, non of that hermosa, don't go shy on me now."

You bit your lip and slightly nodded as you opened your legs a bit again.

Miguel is still fully clothed. Your hands went to the buttons of his blouse.

Miguel seem to be happy with your intiative and let your unbutton his blouse and next were his pants.

When he finally slid off his clothes you gulp as his stature.

Miguel is big, his muscles, his height...

And that horse between his legs.

Miguel sensed your nerves and one of his hands raised up to pet your head.

"We'll take it easy, hermosa, But who knows, maybe next time I wouldn't if you keep looking at like that." He teased.

"Ego is as high as ever." You smiled.

Your eyes focused on his dick, it's size made you question how'd it fit into your mouth before, and now you want to question how it will fit into you overall.

You suddenly think 'fuck it'. You just ran away from your home and you finally gonna get the life you wanted.

A little rod down your throat should'nt stop you.

You raised your body so you could go down on your knees, Miguel's member just right in front of you.

You took your hands and gently wrapped it around it's length, Miguel hissed at the contact.

You find your lips connecting to his tip, licking off any excess precum that's starting to drip off.

Miguel hissed more, biting his bottom lip. His hands automatically held the back of your head, not pushing you further but enough to encourage you.

You took the sign and continued licking his length. After a few more licks, you sucked his tip.

"fffffuuck, that's it bebita. go o-on."

Your movements made his hips buck, almost putting his length into your mouth.

You licked and sucked a few more times, and finally, with a deep breath of courage and a whole lotta confidence to do it, you took his length halfway making it hit the back of your throat.

"Ah, ¡Mierda!"

His hand is now gripping your hair, giving you a bit of a sting but who cares at this point.

You bobbed your head, each bob making you take his length deeper into you.

If Miguel was known to be the fearsome and strongest pirate captain out there.

He's also known for not being patient.

With you almost taking his length down your throat, Miguel uttered a word you couldn't hear and the last thing you know was both of his hands holding the side of your head and ramming his cock down your throat roughly.

"Hgrk!" You gagged, your nose hitting his pelvic area and your senses are filled with Miguel.

Miguel didn't seem to mind since all he did was move your head for you while thrusting his hips to the same rhythm.

Your ears hear nothing but your own gagging noises and Miguel's swearing and grunts.

"Shhhit, a-amor that...thats it!"

With a few more thrusts, he held your head to stay in one place, then you finally felt that familiar warmth down your throat.

After a few minutes, Miguel finally let your head go letting you let his length out of your mouth.

Miguel above you was a panting mess, but you were much worse.

Make up the maids put on you this morning was all ruined with tearstreaks ruining the eye makeup and drool smudging the lipstick.

You might look worse but Miguel could beg to differ.

While you also took a breather, you notice his cock twitching back to hardness, and it did nothing but make you throb for it.

"Breath in as much as you need hermosa, it's gonna be a long night."

------

"Mi-Miguel!"

Your pleas go from one ear to another since Miguel was too busy ramming into you as if it's your last day all over again.

Both of you don't know if minutes or hours has gone by.

But sure as hell you both are enjoying it.

Miguel took his time to prepare you and your body, giving you praises here and there. Caresses are placed everywhere. And you thank the gods for being able to survive the thing between his legs.

"So good...So goo- fuck!"

While you were writhing in overstimulation, Miguel was busy enjoying himself.

His dick hitting that one spot you swore you saw stars with.

Forget stars. You were seeing whatever Galileo Galilei saw in the telescope.

Your moans and Miguel's grunts fill the room entirely that you weren't surprised if the entire ship could hear it.

But you can't think right now, no thoughts go in your head when Miguel started increasing in speed, the bed creaking with his movements.

You screamed his name but he doesn't seem to care.

His hands being on the side of your head, started gripping the sheets hard, a tale tell sign his close.

So were you.

You were now babbling mess beneath him, your mind felt pleasure no where near imagination.

"Come with me hermosa, come with....Fuck!"

His hips stuttered in movement as he finally gave one last thrust into you before you felt warm liquid flow inside of you.

You body convulsed at the feeling, shockwaves spread around your muscles making them tense and shake.

You said Miguel's name one last time before your body went limp.

You gaze above Miguel and he does the same to you.

His face was lightened only by the moonlight through the window.

Miguel gazed down onto you, he felt nothing but admiration for your being. You look like a divine being and him, just a mere mortal.

As both of you catch your breath, Miguel finally laid down next to you, wrapping his arms around you and you felt nothing but safety in the arms of your lover.

□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■

While you and Miguel are busy resting.

The crew was busy distracting themself at the scenery.

"Bloody hell... Those two finally shut up." Hobie muttered with a sigh.

Miles chuckled.

"Well, at least we finally have someone who can hold back Captain with his mood swings."

Hobie hummed in agreement. Resting his eyes

After a few seconds, he opened his eyes in realization. Hobie looked at Miles with a smirk.

"I know that look, I dont like that look."

Hobie didn't say anything but lend his hand out.

Miles looked at it and sighed deeply. He reached out his back and put out a pouch of gold. Throwing it to Hobie who catched it happily.

"A bet is a bet mate, so are rules." Hobie chuckled. "Told ya I always win"

"Oh shut up." Miles scoffed but that didn't erase his smile.

As much as the crew didn't get enough sleep that night they were glad your back. Someone who can laugh at their shenanigans and someone who can be of assistance when talking to Miguel.

And Miguel was nothing but glad he got his treasure back.

□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■

taglist:

@yougavemeyourheartyouknow @autismsupermusicalassassin @lionhearted-soldier @hearts-4-lanadelray@sukioyakio @chshiresins @ginger23 @amelialysm @serpentstarr @s0lm1n @saturnistireddd @manooh

[vivaciousofficiall]

I Am The Prize. (A Queen's Mentality)

2024, we are stepping out of our baby princess era ( victim mentality) and entering our Queendom.

Gone are the days of sending paragraphs, feeling powerless, being overly emotional, no boundaries, low standards & not taking proper care of ourselves. Kiss it Goodbye.

If you are reading this, then you are ready.

Here are three shifts you can begin to implement to kickstart your Queen Era.

1. INDEPENCE ON ALL LEVELS

True freedom is living life on your own terms. Some of us have spent too long in toxic friendships, romantic relationships and even family situations because we are codependent. We struggle to stand on our feet. We seek their attention, validation, approval , money etc.

We have forgotten our power. We have forgotten that we can give ourselves these things. Independence is key.

2024, we are working on providing ourselves with everything we need.

Start by

Moving more on your own time.

Get your finances together

Take care of your health

Know yourself ( the real you, not the mask you've been wearing)

Start seeking your own validation ( an independent thinker)

Go out by yourself

Educate yourself

Practice Celibacy/Abstinence

There's so much you could do.

2.EMOTIONAL CONTROL

This is so crucial. Emotional control is a must. If you let your emotions run the show , you lose every single time.

A baby princess cannot see beyond her emotions. she's trapped in the world of fight or flight. She's in survival mode.

A Queen knows emotions are just information. She is the observer. She's able to sit back and think about the best way to respond NOT react.

She's cool, calm and collected. No one sees her break a sweat.

Start by

Taking a deep breath when you find yourself getting triggered

Realizing no one has power over you. You get to decide how you want to show up everyday

By being selective on what you give your energy to.

3.SELF AWARENESS

Google accountability. A baby princess lives life as if it is happening to her. She has forgotten she is the co creator & it always takes two to tango. The truth is deep down, she's addicted to being the victim.

A Queen knows she is a powerful creator. If she constantly finds herself in certain unpleasant situations, she knows she has the power to change it because she created it.

Start by

Observing how you show up in life. How do you see yourself ?How do you act in your interpersonal relationships? What are your daily thoughts like?

Ladies, 2024 is the year we win. Its time to thrive. We got this.

xoxo, Vivacious.

[rue-dixon]

"Maybe I should just marry you then..."

Chilchuck x (Future) chilwife

(or reader/oc if you'd like to view it as that. But it is written about his canon wife.)

A conversation two childhood friends have, unaware of how their life will turn out when they're older.

Word count: 2930

Warnings: mentions of abuse and old values

His wife will be referred to as Bellana.

"Do you ever think about what happens after you die?" Chilchuck spoke.

Chilchuck and his childhood friend, Bellana sat at a river bank. Their shoes kicked off lazily next to them as they kicked their feet around in the cool water. It was a hot summer afternoon, Bellana had finished her chores around her families farm for the day at last. While Chilchuck had been released from his work for the day. So they met up like they always do, sitting under the shade of a large oak tree. Chilchuck's pants rolled up while Bellana pulled up her dress.

"Heavens, Chil." Bellana gasped, looking to him. Her fingers pressed to her chest. That being the very last thing she expected him to say.

"I'm serious." Chilchuck played with the tall grass around them. "I mean, something must be after death, right?"

"... maybe our spirits stay here." She shrugged, pulling her legs up to hug her knees. "They say ghosts are spirits who can't move on, perhaps we just never depart to begin with."

Chilchuck shrugged as well, "that seems depressing. Wandering around aimlessly forever." He stopped for a moment, taking a blade of grass he had plucked from the ground and swirling it around in the crystal like water.

"Do you believe in a god?"

Bellana looked to him, out stretching her legs once more. Her brows fround as she studied his face for a moment. Chilchuck was ever much of a "deep thinker", all he really focused on was working for his next meal. Despite them both being only ten years old, teenagers for halfings you could say. She wondered where all these deep life questions were suddenly coming from.

"Our ancestors say there were gods."

Chilchuck looked up at his best friend, letting the blade of grass go, causing it to float lazily down the stream.

"Do they?"

"Have your parents never told you this?" She titled her head.

Chilchuck averted his gaze, slightly irritated. She knew very well his situation. His father died three years ago. And his mother was always working.

"They didn't teach me much about anything if I'm being honest. Even when my old man was alive. Especially not things like this." He paused, "the only thing I learned from them was to work hard and not rely on anything but yourself."

He picked another blade of grass, fidgeting with it in his lap. Almost as a way to not have to look at her, which did not go unnoticed on her part.

Bellana frowned, she knew Chilchuck wasn't close with his parents. That's why all his free time was spent with her and her family. Even so, it was hard hearing it.

"My mama says there's a god for everything powerful. That way nobody can have too much power." She hummed, picking up a rock and tossing it into the water. The small stone hitting the surface with a small plopping sound. Splashing their legs.

Chilchuck's small scowl faltered. Despite these things being common religious beliefs and knowledge in their home village, she didn't look down on him for not knowing. She was patient, and sweet about it. Chilchuck had to subconsciously stop himself from smiling as he realized this.

"And how many of these gods are there exactly?" Chilchuck asked, continuing to pick at the grass.

"How should I know?" Bellana shrugged, the sass in her tone almost sounding childish.

"I'm just asking." He rolled his eyes a bit. "You don't gotta be a kid about it..."

"We are kids."

"We're practically adults now." Chilchuck sat up, crossing his arms.

"We're old enough to start thinking about this kind of stuff. We're not babies anymore who can't tie our own shoes."

"We have four more years." She huffed. Kicking the water again. Four more years. Four more years until they would reach age fourteen, the age where halfings are considered mature and are deemed adults by society.

Chilchuck let out an exasperated sigh, "Well- Yes, we are still kids. But that doesn't mean we should act like it."

Bellana shook her head, "you wish to be an adult too fast."

"And you don't want to grow up at all," Chilchuck retorted.

Even as a kid, it always bothered him how often Bellana was more than happy to cling onto whatever childhood she had left. Chilchuck couldn't even recall the last time he had felt any sort of childlike freedom. Maybe it was jealousy, jealous that she still gets to act like a child under her parents' protection. While he had been working to feed himself since he was physically able.

"What reason would I not? All adult halfing, woman do is bare children, serve their husbands and weep because he does not treat her well." She crossed her arms, glaring at the water. Speaking the reality of the roles halfing woman must succumb to in their villages society. Not everywhere was like this of course, but their isolated village was old fashioned in many ways. Heavily believing the old ways, back when other races barely interacted, were better.

Chilchuck's annoyance completely faded at hearing her words. His stomach dropped when he realized that she wasn't exaggerating. He had never really thought of what life ahead could possibly look like for her. Just assuming in the back of his mind she'd always be a farmer's daughter.

"Bel." He said, his voice firm. "That.. that can't be true. Women do so much more than that."

"Not in this village they don't." She grumbled, she was silent a moment before continuing. "That's all they tell us from the moment we are born. All we are here for is to be good wives and give our husband many children." Even through her angry gaze at the ground, she could feel herself wanting to cry. Her throat tightening as she fought back tears.

"It's not fair..." she whispered.

Chilchuck was silent for a few moments before he spoke up again, still firm but with a softer tone than before as he stared at her, but she still refused to make eye contact with him.

"Well, that's not true. Your parents and everyone else who says those things are wrong."

"It's not like I have a choice..." she mumbled. "No woman works in this village without being shamed." Even your own mother. Is what she wanted to add, but reframed from it. She slowly looked up, looking at the sky that poked between the leaves. "I can only hope whatever man I marry will treat me well... be loyal and won't raise a hand to me..." she murmured.

Chilchuck's heart broke at hearing this. He hated seeing how miserable she suddenly was. He wished there was more he could do besides trying to lift her up and comfort her. However in the long run, there was nothing he could do to save her from her possible fate.

"Hey," he began, grabbing her shoulders, she jumped a bit, turning her upper body to finally look at him. "Listen to me. Not every man is like that, I swear to you. Any man who lays his hands on a woman like that is no real man. Not all of us are unfaithful cheaters either, if they are they're just cowards and idiots."

Bellana stared at him for a moment, her dark, normally hooded eyes seemingly more wide. Taking in his serious expression and somewhat panicked body language. Her eyes studying all of him, as if she was trying to figure something out. The intensity of her gaze couldn't help but make Chilchuck feel somewhat uneasy.

"... you'd be a good husband, wouldn't you..?" Her voice was soft.

Chilchuck was frozen for a second, his cheeks turning pink at her comment.

"Uh..." He suddenly realized how close they were, her soft breathes fanned his cheeks gently. Tight hands still on her shoulders from trying to hold her attention.

Chilchuck quickly let go and put some distance between them, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to calm his sudden flustered face. The muddy ground almost causing him to slip in his sudden motion. Low friction against him and the ground caused him to not end up getting as far from her as he would've liked.

"I-I- um..." Chilchuck mentally cursed himself for his stuttering. It's been happening more and more lately every time he talked to Bellana. Big brown eyes darting to everything but her face.

Bellana frowned more and looked ahead of her again. Staring into the distant forest that kissed the other side of the river bank. Resting her folded arms on top her knees once more.

"I suppose it doesn't matter in the end. I doubt we can still be friends once we both have our own husband and wife."

Chilchuck's shoulders slumped when he heard that. He hated this, he hated how they were both expected to get on with their own separate lives eventually. Just because of what was 'expected.'

"Why," he began, crossing his arms around his knees as well, "why can't we just... stay friends?"

"Your wife would never let you share your private time with another woman. And my husband would think I am a whore for spending time with another man." She looked down at her feet, as she dipped her toes into the water. Swirling a them around and splashing it upwards. Although Bellana's face and voice were as calm as the river before them. The unsettling feeling of despair and doom that chained her heart down was not being ignored by her. However her strong demeanor was not broken.

Chilchuck's hands clenched against his arms. He hated that Bellana was right. Any women he married would most likely get jealous and any man Bellana married would most definitely be possessive. He didn't know many, or any, adults in the village that had close friends with the opposite gender. If they did, it was their spouses friends, not theirs.

It hurt to think about. That he wouldn't be able to stay friends with her once they were both married. Chilchuck cursed himself again when he felt frustration build up and tears at the corners of his eyes. He quickly blinked them away before they could fall.

"Well, why don't we just... not get married?" Chilchuck suddenly suggested, his voice betraying the slightest bit of desperation.

Bellana looked at him before bursting into fits of laugher.

"Not get married? Yes, perhaps you could manage. Move away from here, or start your own business. But for me? It's either a husband or nothing. Be on the streets when my father dies, begging passing families for their moldy bread." Her laughter died down as she leaned back on her hands. Although she had a smile on her face, she was anything but happy about the situation. Having excepted her fate as a child, as most woman did, she could do nothing but laugh at the thought.

Chilchuck's shoulders sagged in disappointment as he crossed his legs together. Last ditch effort he had, had fallen flat. It was a far-fetched plan to begin with. Besides the alternative, wanting to yell it at the top of his lungs. "Let's get married!", but he feared only laughter would be thrown at his face if he did.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. He felt defeated, he didn't really know what more he could do, as just a boy and as her childhood friend. There wasn't much he could do.

Chilchuck didn't want to lose her, he didn't want to watch her get married off to some idiot who didn't even treat her right. He truly wanted her to be safe and happy. A selfish part of him wanted her to be happy and safe with him, and him only.

"Maybe it won't be so bad." Bellana suddenly spoke up, staring at her finger as she poked holes in the mug, kicking the water with her feet still.

"We'll see each other at the village dances, and around the markets still." She hummed.

Chilchuck was silent for a moment, thinking over her words. Realistically, she was right. They'd still be able to see each other. Still, the thought of never being able to spend time together, just the two of them in the small moments that they do have... hurt. Only ever having contact with small "hello? How are you? Good, me too." As they walked by each other. Each holding the hand of someone else. Chilchuck swallowed back his feelings and forced a smile, knowing Bellana was still upset. Despite her hiding it well, knowing her as long as he has, he had learned her body language. Knew her ins and outs as if her mind was his own.

"Yeah, I guess we will..." he said, trying to inject some optimism into his voice.

Bellana had a small smile on her lips, as if ignoring what her situation could truly turn out for her in the future was the obvious solution. She as silent for a moment before speaking up again, her movements stopping but she still did not look at him.

"Hey Chil...?"

Chilchuck lifted his head when she called out to him. He could tell she was still putting on a smile, despite her voice sounding hesitant.

"Yeah?" He answered, his hands still crossed around his knees.

Bellana slowly looked up to him, "promise... promise me you'll treat whatever woman you take as your bride well... you won't be like those asshole drunks here... you'll be a good man to her.." she stared at him, her eyes big and a small frown resting on her lips. Her body now close together making her look like a sad child begging for warmth in the cold.

Chilchuck's eyes widened slightly at her question, or more like a plead. He didn't expect her to ask him that. He didn't hesitate however. Chilchuck reached over and placed one of his hands on top of Bellana's hand that rested on her knee.

"I promise." He said, keeping his voice firm and giving her hand a squeeze. "I won't ever be like that, Bel."

She felt a tingling warmth in her chest that spread to her cheeks as his dark brown eyes met her dark blue ones. The seriousness and sincerity taking her by surprise. Finding it seemingly harder to breath, before she shook herself out of it with a laugh.

"Maybe I should just marry you then..." she joked.

Chilchuck's face instantly went red at her words, causing Bellana to crack a smile. He wasn't expecting that. She had to be joking...

"Y-yeah right," he said, trying to sound casual and calm, although his voice sounded somewhat strained. He quickly took his hand off of hers, crossing his arms again. Chilchuck looked away to the trees, desperately trying to compose himself as she began to laugh again. Looking ahead of her once more, letting go of her knees and sitting back on her hands again.

"Yeah.. you're much too grumpy for my taste."

He rolled his eyes, "and you're too much of a brat." He shot back, but thought how happy he was that she seemed genuinely amused at the moment. No longer sitting in her own devastation of the near future.

"Yeah... we'd never work. Just fight all the time." She hummed a giggle.

"Yeah, imagine. You'd get annoying after the first hour."

She scoffed. "And you'd start whining right after the wedding!"

"And you'd start bossing me around the second we said I do!"

"You'd start nagging before we'd even be able to lay together that night!"

Chilchuck's face went bright red at her words. Immediately swerving his body the other way, he went to cover his face with his hands. His palms pushing sharply to his cheeks and eyes. Bellana already covering her mouth to suppress her giggles.

"O-oh my God," he mumbled under his breath. "I am not taking about that with you." Imagines flashing in his mind, only heightened his undying embarrassment.

Bellana finally burst into more very loud laughter. Much louder and more joyful than before, she clutched her stomach as she fell into the soft grass, kicking her feet around.

His shyness never failing to amuse her, even as she struggled to catch her breath and her sides began to ache. All her worries and anger from before gone and forgotten. All from the stupid face her best friend made. Chilchuck just sat glaring at her as he watched her having, to what he considered, a dramatic reaction.

"Oh shut up.." Chilchuck muttered, crossing his arms.

The whole conversation was steaming with hot irony. Of course, neither knew that at the time. Or maybe they did, deep down they both knew the thing they felt in their chests when they looked in each eyes was deeper than any friendship could possibly give them. That the hypothetical wife and husband was actually sitting near steps away from them. The promise he made was to the woman herself, and not some future mystery lady. Bellana's nightmare would not come true, and both of their fears of no longer being friends would technically never come to be. Maybe they denied it, lying to themselves that the feelings they felt was just a strong platonic connection, perhaps for the only purpose of saving face in case of a possible rejection. So it seemed obvious at the time they would marry other people. That the possibly, that the future husband and wife, was the very person they had that very conversation with at that moment, was absolutely absurd.