#this is the first time i encounter that phenomenon

[hydrachea]

1, 12, and 15 for Blade!!

character ask game

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

Short(ish) answer: I am, have always been, and will always be an edgy bitch, and this fucker is edge personified to such a degree that his name is Blade.

Long(er) answer: He checks all my boxes so flawlessly it's kind of rude! Red eyes, spider lily imagery, red/black palette, edgy, death theme, a perfect excuse for some nice and sexy gore, insane, the always nice concept of immortality as a curse, very neat backstory, really I just vaguely knew of his existence and then when Ravi came across him back in summer I read his first character story out of curiosity and you know how some people fall at first sight? Well I crashed at first sight with an intensity that could have triggered a mass extinction event.

Anyway, I like him.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

He doesn't really use his phone, the only reason he has one is so the other Stellaron Hunters can contact him. They never expect texts back, because his hands are way too ruined to comfortably use a phone's small keyboard - at most they expect him to answer their calls, since pressing a single button is manageable. BUT I like to think that if someone, probably Silver Wolf, decided to teach him, he could use a combination of stickers, voice recordings, and speech to text to actually send messages.

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

I'm beyond weak to Kafka/Blade and also enjoy it with a sprinkle of Silver Wolf for an OT3. They have the nicest dynamic and also a certain fic converted me on impact.

[michaela-o]

Random things i think Cybertronians would find adorable about humans ~♡

1. Humans getting spooked by random loud noises because humans are naturally very jumpy about loud noises

Imagine:

you're sitting over at Swerve's bar, just chatting, having your drink on the counter Swerve let you sit on, because your makeshift little table and chair are work in progress. Suddenly some bot decides to honk their horn near you which makes you yelp and jump (like cats when they get scared of cucumber) which makes you almost spilling the drink as you were about to take a sip.

The whole bar stops and laughs at you. You just look at the bot who did it with the most unimpressed look ever (ㅍ_ㅍ)

2. Watching you stretch yourself because Cybertroniams aren't as flexible as humans

3. Sleeping

this may sound a bit creepy but from what i saw Cybertroniams sleep very eerily still and almost never move when they're in recharge because they're very vulnerable when doing so. So i think when they have their first sleepover with a human and they happen to fall asleep sooner and they start to either sleep walk or sleep talk (which fun fact, i do a lot ( -᷄ ᎑ -᷅ ) ) the bots would look in utter confusion like- "ya all don't stay still?? How???" I think Cybertronians would also find cute how groggy humans are when they wake up and them needing proper time to load into the world around them. Oh god and wait till they hear about the weird ass dreams humans can have or humans trying to explain déjà vu to a bot💀

(makes me think of Sunder being frustrated bc he wouldn't be able to get into a human's brain😝)

4. Physical Clumsiness

The occasional clumsiness and lack of precision in human movements. I think a lot of bots would find this very amusing to occasionaly watch since Cybertronias are typically more coordinated and precise in their actions. Like imagine bot walking with a human who let's say just woke up earlier to a meeting and are slowly walking around occasionaly hitting themeselves or their arm with a corner of a wall because their sleepy processor didn't calculate the trajectory good enough. I think they would find this rather adorable (๑´>᎑<)

5. Emotional Reactions

Yes i think humans are way more sensitive than Cybertronians are. Human's exaggerated emotional reactions to minor events, like getting overly excited about a sports game or being deeply upset by a small mishap, could be seen as amusingly disproportionate. Like imagine you drop your favourite mug on the floor and it breaks as much as your heart in that moment. You walk around the ship super sad, like a kicked puppy, and the bots can almost feel the sadness dripping off of you so they ask: "Hey uh- you okay?"

And then you proceed to explain that you broke your favourite mug and that you'll never find a mug similar to your favourite one. The bot stares like ಠ_ಠ. Oh so that's the reason? Okay so apparently humans don't pack bond with only random things that are alive but even with things that aren't.

6. The uncanny valley effect

I think bots would find rather fascinating how human brain responds to this phenomenon. Like- the human brain can feel that something is off and can't be fooled. Imagine holoforms in Cybertronians. Like yeah they can look very appealing but only up to a certain point which when that point is reached it tickles that one part of the human brain which tells us "na-a-ah something ain't right"

At one point they wanted to wtiness this in real life so some bots (Percy, Brainstorm) made a set up of holoforms and real looking hologram of humans and waited for you to figure out which unsettles you the most. They were surprised that you were 100% accurate in this and that you were able to tell which one are holoforms and which aren't.

7. Expressions of Wonder

the awe and wonder in the human eyes when we are encountering something new or beautiful, such as a breathtaking landscape or a technological marvel. I think Cybertronians would find this pretty adorable, very innocent and reflective of our curious nature.

8. Human Fragility

I think the most popular one. The general physical fragility of humans, along with our tendency to bandage minor injuries or get flustered over small pains, might be viewed as cutely vulnerable for many Cybertronians.

Feel free to add anything you'd like !!😄🫶🏻🫶🏻

[nothorses]

You've made a lot of really great posts about transmasc experiences and struggles, and they really resonate with me! So I guess I want to in complete earnest ask: why the push for 'transandrophobia' when anti-transmasculinity as a term has been around for longer and faces little friction by comparison? I don't really *dislike* transandrophobia, but its meaning gets muddied everywhere from different directions, while ATM is pretty direct and succinct I feel. It's very clear that it's about TRANSmasculine oppression. I'm not against having a dedicated term at all, but the content of our struggles gets lost in the weeds of attaching kind of understandably divisive terms like misandry and androphobia in an attempt to mirror a phenomenon very specifically about misogyny; it seems more trouble than it's worth considering ATM is right there

I'll be honest, this ask is confusing to me for a few reasons.

When I started talking about transandrophobia around the summer of 2020, the conversations I was encountering were very much, like, a handful of people across Twitter and Tumblr (literally, a handfull!). I picked up "transandrophobia" because it was one of two words I saw in use, and the other- "transmisandry"- felt much less clear and much more contentious. It seemed super obvious to me that people would draw a line from "men's rights activists" trying to push this idea that "misandry", as a systemic oppression of men by women, to "transmisandry", and assume some ill intent where there was none. It's confusing!

"Transandrophobia" was the better of two options being floated at the time, at least in any conversation I saw. "Anti-transmasculinity" was not really a term I'd been made aware of, if anyone at all was talking about it at the time.

I have seen people pick up "anti-transmasculinity" more recently (maybe in the last year?), and this is definitely the first I've seen someone shorten it to "ATM". The people I've seen use that term have been mostly people who seem really new to the conversation, and the vibe I've gotten has been very, like, "we're the Good Transmascs, our word isn't dirty and gross like those other Bad Transmascs everyone hates. you'll listen to us now that our word is Good and Pure, right?"

Which is like... kind of frustrating, and kind of sad, honestly. I think these people honestly believe that if they just choose the right word, all the people who've been dragging me and every other transmasc talking about these issues through the mud for the last 4 years or so will really just stop & listen. If they can just say it right, these people- who have been relentlessly harassing and spreading lies about every single transmasc who came before them for years now- will care what they have to say, and will be willing to engage with them in earnest, compassionate dialogue.

If you just find the right word, all of these people will care about your hurt, your pain, and the suffering of your community.

It kind of breaks my heart. It's an incredibly hopeful, kind, loving way to view the world. It's compassion and patience and forgiveness that these folks are not being given, but that they so badly want to offer to others.

And at the same time, it sucks to be the Bad Transmasc. It sucks to have fought so hard for so long, and for the people I've been fighting for all this time to turn around and say, "you're gross, and dirty, and evil, and everything you've done is a mistake." It sucks to see the people I've been fighting for agree with the people I've been fighting against, and shove me under the bus in an effort to appeal to the people running me over with it. Knowing that the bus is going to aim for them once it's done with me just makes it sadder, yknow?

@saint-speaks wasn't the first person to ever speak the word "transandrophobia", but he is the one who coined and popularized it in its current form. And then he was dragged through the mud so hard and so brutally that some people think I coined it, just because when I defended him (too little and too late, imo) I withstood the mud-dragging better than he did (and gee, I wonder white.)

And now people take for granted that everything everyone said about hymn to justify that frankly fucking evil harassment campaign was true, actually, and we should abandon the word he coined and find one with purer origins.

If you honestly think "anti-transmasculinity" is just a more practical word, that's fine. I don't care what word we use. But they're going to cover it in mud, too. They're going to cover every one of you in mud.

Will you keep fighting for "ATM" once they make it the new dirty, gross, bad, evil word? Will you keep fighting when they drag you and everyone else through the mud for using it? Or will you agree with them, make up a new word, and never look back?

Please don't let us drown in the mud. We've been fighting for you, and we want to fight with you. Please.

[harunayuuka2060]

Twst Unveil Event: The goddess of love's blessing Part 1

Yuurin: ...

Leona and Ruggie: ...

Ruggie: Um, Yuurin? Did you suddenly have a growth spurt?

Yuurin: *has become 190cm tall; waist-length hair; and an hourglass figure*

Yuurin: I'm not sure, senpai. But I believe this shouldn't have occurred overnight.

Ruggie: ...

Ruggie: So, are you going to class looking like that?

Yuurin: Yes. We have an exam today.

Leona: ...

Leona: Okay. Go ahead. I'll contact Vil. *leaves the room*

Ruggie and Yuurin: ...

Ruggie: I'm sure he'll request a separate uniform for you.

The first-years: ...

Professor Trein: Excuse me. Who are you?

Yuurin: I'm Yuurin, sir.

Professor Trein and the rest of the class: !!!

Professor Trein: Wh-What happened?

Yuurin: I don't know, sir.

Professor Trein: ...

Professor Trein: You must have been in shock waking up like that.

Yuurin: Yes. A little.

Ace: ...

Ace: Oh great seven— Why he's so beautiful as a woman?!

Professor Trein: Trappola!

Deuce: ...

Deuce: L-Looking great, Yuurin!

Yuurin: *smiles* Thanks, Deuce.

Deuce: *blushes* You're welcome!

Malleus: ...

Malleus: Lilia, has time passed by quickly without me noticing?

Lilia: No, because if it was, Sebek and Silver should've changed as well.

Malleus: Hm. Indeed.

Malleus: *smiles at Yuurin* You've grown into a beautiful lady, my dear.

Yuurin: Thank you, Malleus-senpai.

Lilia: *chuckles* Malleus, why do you sound like a proud father?

Malleus: I've formed an emotional bond with Yuurin as if she were my own daughter. That's why.

Yuurin: He insisted that we looked alike. Only if my eyes were bright green like his.

Lilia: ...

Leona: *has called to ask Akihiko about Yuurin's situation*

Akihiko: Ah, it seems that Yuurin has been chosen this time.

Leona: Chosen for what?

Akihiko: The goddess of love and beauty bestows her blessing upon a chosen maiden, granting her the pinnacle of beauty she could ever possess.

Akihiko: For a brief span, this phenomenon will persist, leading the maiden to encounter her eternal love.

Leona: ...

Akihiko: *chuckles* That's what I know.

Leona: ...

Leona: SHE'S ONLY 16!

Akihiko: Don't worry. Nothing will be forced upon her.

Leona: Then what about the goddess's blessing?

Akihiko: ...

Akihiko: Well...

Leona: Aki.

Akihiko: ...

Akihiko: Let's trust Yuurin's cluelessness in love.

Leona: ...

[heroes-among-us-all]

A Perfect Match

summary: Chisaki isn't looking forward to meeting his soulmate, at least not until he discovers that you are Quirkless.

tags: soulmate!au, fluff, fem!reader

It’s just so annoying. Even though he’s lived with it all his life, Chisaki swears he’ll never get used to seeing that godforsaken timer counting down. It’s always there, in the corner of his periphery, and it only ever disappears when he shuts his eyes and lets everything fade to black.  

A soulmate mark. That’s what it’s called. People have different variations of it—some know the first words their soulmate will ever speak to them, some have a red string tying them to their soulmate that only they can see, and others, like him, have been stuck with a timer since birth that tells him how much longer until he meets his soulmate for the first time.  

And based on how much time is remaining, it looks like he’ll be meeting his soulmate today.  

Chisaki isn’t excited. If anything, he’s dreading the encounter, and he just wishes it would hurry up and be over with. At least then, the timer will disappear, and it’ll be one less thing grating at his nerves. He doesn’t believe in the phenomenon of soulmates, he has no desire for trifling matters such as love, and for a man who loathes being touched, he can’t imagine it would work out anyhow.  

Much of the day goes as planned. He helps Pops with some paperwork, cleans up the office to keep all those pesky germs away, and Chisaki briefly wonders how he’ll even meet you, since he intends on staying home all day.  

“Chisaki,” Pops suddenly says. “Would you mind going out into town and buying me a few things? I wrote a list of what I need.”  

Ah. So, that’s how.  

“Of course,” Chisaki nods, and he puts on his jacket before slipping his shoes on by the door. “I’ll be back soon. It won’t take long.”  

Seriously, it really won’t. Regardless of the fact that he’s going to run into you, he has no intention of staying and chatting. He’s going to reject you right on the spot. Soulmates aren’t real, anyways. What a stupid notion, to think that someone’s greatest love can be predetermined.  

Chisaki adjusts his mask more tightly, then steps outside. He reaches the store quickly enough, and although he hates having to touch things that countless strangers have laid hands on, his gloves provide him with a thin layer of protection from all the filth.  

He tracks down everything he needs at a steady pace, and as he reaches for the very last item on his list, someone else reaches for it at the exact same time.  

Immediately, Chisaki recoils, and he manages to avoid touching a stranger’s hand. But right as he’s biting back the urge to grimace, he realizes that the timer—the same timer he’s had all his life—his finally disappeared.  

Ah.  

So, it’s you. Chisaki turns his head to the side and finds himself looking at a young woman, who is staring back at him wide-eyed and breathless. He has a pretty good idea of what’s going on in your head. You must have realized it, too.  

After more than two decades, he’s finally met his soulmate.  

You’re pretty. Chisaki can at least admit that much. You have nice features, you dress in a way that suggest you care about your appearance, and you have a pleasant, clean scent, which means that you take personal hygiene seriously—thank god.  

But all that being said, Chisaki still has no desire to strike up a relationship with you. He doesn’t enjoy being around people. He can’t even bear to touch people, not counting Pops, who is his family. Not to mention that he’s part of the yakuza, and from what he gleams, you seem to be an average citizen.  

There’s just no reality in which this would ever work out.  

“U-Um,” you stammer, visibly nervous. “Are you...? I mean, um... it’s you, right? You must be my... soulmate.”  

It’s a bit endearing how flustered you are, and for a moment, Chisaki feels slightly guilty about what he’s going to do.  

Still. It’s better to tell you the truth now rather than let you get your hopes up. 

“The timer,” Chisaki nods. “I have it too. Well, I did have it. Up until a few seconds ago, at least.”  

A smile blooms across your lips, and it tugs at his heartstrings a bit, because goodness, you really are adorable.  

“I knew it!” you beam. “Oh my god, I can’t believe this is really happening! I’m so excited! But I guess that was pretty obvious, haha. Sorry. I’m going to try to calm down now, but it’s just—this is just so—”  

Chisaki raises a hand. “Before you say anything else, I need to let you know that I have no interest in pursuing a relationship with you.”  

It only takes a second for your expression to sink. 

“...what?” you mumble softly. “But... we’re soulmates. I thought that means we’re supposed to be together for the rest of our lives. I didn’t mean that we should start dating right away, but at the very least, if we could start by getting to know each other...”  

“I’m sorry,” Chisaki says. “I don’t have much interest in romance. I prefer to keep to myself, and frankly, I’m not even sure I believe in soulmates. It all seems far too convenient. It was nice meeting you, but we’ll have to leave it here.”  

By the looks of things, you’re on the verge of tears. Chisaki isn’t a very emotional person, but he can’t fault you for getting your hopes up. This must have been something you’d been looking forward to for many, many years. If only your soulmate was someone else. It’s a pity. You seem like a very nice woman, and he hopes that you’ll find happiness one way or another. Just not with him.  

You swallow hard, just barely managing to hold back your tears. “I... understand. I’m sorry. I came into this with all these expectations, but I never stopped to think that the other person might not have been as excited as I was. I guess I was just really hopeful. I’m Quirkless, so... people have always thought less of me. I figured my soulmate would like me no matter what, but we’re pretty much strangers, so I don’t know what I was thinking. Anyways, I’m sorry again for bothering you. I’d ask your name, but it would probably just make the whole thing more painful.”  

You turn to leave, but in that moment, Chisaki’s eyes have gone completely wide.  

What did she just say?  

“Wait!” he cries out, and you reel to a halt, surprised by the outburst.  

Now it’s Chisaki’s turn to swallow. The roof of his mouth feels dry and uncomfortable, and he worries that perhaps his ears deceived him. 

“You’re Quirkless,” he breathes. “Is that... really true?”  

“I’m not sure who would lie about something like that,” you chuckle weakly. “It’s not exactly something to be proud of.”  

Wrong. You don’t even know just how wrong you are.  

In a world teeming with filth and sickness, those who haven’t been contaminated by the Quirk pandemic are a rarity. People like you are unblemished and pure, and... 

Shit. Chisaki is starting to believe that soulmates might be the real deal, after all.  

“It’s okay not to have a Quirk,” he says, and it’s insane how fast his heart is beating now. “No. It’s better not to have a Quirk. I much prefer it that way.”  

You press your lips together. “Are you making fun of me right now? Listen, I said I was sorry for bothering you—”  

“I’m not making fun of you. I’m being completely serious. Quirks... I’ve never liked them. Just the thought of them makes me sick.” He pauses, inhales sharply to collect himself, then lets out a heavy sigh. “The reason I turned you away is because I thought it would be impossible for us to have a relationship. I break out into hives the moment anyone touches me. I distance myself from people, and the thought of being intimate with someone has always repulsed me. And Quirks are largely to blame for that, because Quirks are a mutation. A disease. That’s why I didn’t think we had a chance. But now that you say you’re Quirkless... I’m starting to think differently.”  

You arch a brow, and it’s clear that you don’t understand where he’s coming from. Fuck. He hopes he isn’t scaring you off. He’s finally, finally found someone who he has an actual chance of being with, and he doesn’t want to ruin this.  

“If you don’t mind... would it be alright if I held your hand?” Chisaki asks breathlessly.  

Once again, you stare back at him in confusion, but it thankfully doesn’t look like you’re opposed to it. You reach out a hand, slow and hesitant, and at the same time, Chisaki peels off on his gloves, letting his skin breathe free.  

When your fingers meet his own, he lets out a soft gasp. Not out of disgust, not out of apprehension, but out of sheer relief.  

No hives. No uncomfortable tightness in his chest.  

You aren’t sick like the rest, which means he can touch you to his heart’s content.  

Chisaki would have liked to hold your hand for much, much longer, but out of fear of scaring you off, he reluctantly lets go and gives you some space.  

“I just wanted to confirm something,” he mumbles. “If it’s you... I’m able to touch you just fine. I don’t get sick. It looks like we’re soulmates for a reason.”  

The look in your eyes is far from judgmental, and when you finally muster up your next words, Chisaki can hear a little hiccup catch in your throat. 

“So... you really don’t mind that I’m Quirkless?” you ask.  

“Not at all. It’s just the opposite. I feel comfortable around you precisely because you’re Quirkless. That must be why we were fated to meet. Because we’re a perfect match.”  

Chisaki has never flirted a day in his damn life, but something he said must have tickled your fancy, because you blush and shyly avert your gaze.  

“I was really worried there for a moment,” you mumble. “It sounded like you wanted nothing to do with me.”  

“I’m sorry,” Chisaki frowns. “I was too quick to judge. I’m very particular about certain things, and I thought there was no chance. But I was mistaken. And if you’re still open to it... I would love the opportunity to get to know you better. Starting with your name. Would you mind telling me your name?”  

“I’m [Name],” you reply, and you flash him another bright, genuine smile. God, he swears he’s already fallen in love with that smile.  

“It suits you. I’m Chisaki. Chisaki Kai.” He takes a moment to think it through, and then, he does something he’s never done before in public.  

He removes his mask so that you can see his entire face.  

Your eyes widen. “Oh, wow. Chisaki, you’re so handsome! I didn’t realize my soulmate would be so gorgeous. Now I can’t help but feel self-conscious by comparison...”  

“I appreciate the compliment,” he chuckles. “But you’re beautiful. I thought so even before I found out you were Quirkless.”  

He watches, with great delight, as you blush yet again. You’re just so adorable. He never thought he would be thanking his lucky stars for having a soulmate mark, let alone one that caused him endless frustration for more than twenty years, but here he is.  

“I was going to head straight home after running some errands for my old man, but how about we sit outside somewhere and chat for a while?” he asks hopefully.  

Your smile returns, this time, wider than ever.  

“Sure!”  

As it turns out, Chisaki doesn’t get back home until much, much later, and he finds Pops waiting for him with his arms crossed.  

“Chisaki,” Pops frowns. “What was the hold-up? You’re usually so efficient when it comes to these things. I was expecting you back hours ago.”  

Normally, Chisaki would have apologized at great length for inconveniencing Pops. He is, after all, the man that brought him and raised him as his own. He loves and cherishes him, and will do anything in his power to repay him. 

But right now, Chisaki is up in cloud nine.  

“I met my soulmate,” he says, setting the shopping bags down. “Sorry, Pops. We got to talking for a while.”  

“Oh?” Pops lifts a brow, and tries—but fails—to hide his smirk. “But I thought you said you wanted nothing to do with them. You told me you didn’t believe in such things.”  

“Well, I changed my mind.”  

“I’ve never known you to be the type to do that. You’re stubborn to a fault. But I’m not complaining. It sounds like you’ve turned over a new leaf. So, then, tell me about this soulmate of yours.”  

For the second time that same day, Chisaki removes his mask—and it’s so that Pops can see his ear-splitting grin.  

“She’s perfect.”  

[mikaaki]

✧ ⁠— COLD HEART OF SNEZHNAYA

characters : tartaglia / childe / ajax

warnings : fem ! reader ( she / her pronouns ) , angst ( no comfort ) , childe & reader have a son. childe leaving. ALSO POSSIBLE MAJOR SPOILERS?? mentions of the reader being pregnant & labor. death threats. SIGNORA & SCARAMOUCHE SPOILERS

word count : 1.5k

notes : i am so sorry.

also i haven’t written in months so welcome back me !!🫶 i wrote this in like 30 minute so i am so sorry if it came out choppy

being a harbinger had never been an easy task. surviving the abyss , climbing the ranks of the fatui , and surviving constant attacks from enemies was not a lifestyle for the weak.

it also wasn’t a lifestyle he wanted for his family. he had never planned to fall so in love with you. when he first met you at liyue harbor , it was just a chance encounter. but then he kept seeing you.

over and over and over.

childe figured he may as well get to know you. he had always been a charming man , almost too charming. it always worked out in his favor…

he wondered how long he could keep the balance of his personal relationship with you and his life as a harbinger up for. it had been going so well.

he remembered the day you announced your pregnancy so clearly.

it was a bright sunday morning and the two of you were having breakfast together. it was rare for him to be home on the weekend , but there he was , happily eating a serving of eggs and toast with you.

you had been holding off the announcement for a few weeks. you knew exactly how busy he was. something about seeing him so content with your presence made you spill the beans.

he had never appeared happier. childe made it clear in the past he had always wanted to be a father , but now that it was exactly happening? he couldn’t contain his excitement.

it was hard keep the pregnancy a secret , but it was necessary. the less people that knew , the better. the 11th harbinger having a family wasn’t supposed to be public knowledge. it made everybody involved a major target to his enemies.

one of the hardest days of your lives came a few months later , when you went into labor. childe stood by your side the whole time. he held your hand tight while you struggled with the birth of your son.

love at first sight had always been an odd phenomenon to childe. his son changed all of that. seeing the bright ginger tufts of hair and light blue eyes of his son , he instantly fell in love.

childe was a man who’s life was full of blood and gore , but this child brought out an entirely new side of him. he wanted to change and be a softer , kinder man.

but he couldn’t do that. the fatui would never allow him to do such a thing. he was a weapon , not a father , as much as he wanted to be one. he had a place in the tsaritsa’s chess game. you were nowhere to be found on that board.

it didn’t take long for the first threat towards his family to come in.

childe had never been so antsy in his life. he rushed home as soon as he could , only to find you and your son alive and well. that was the first time he considered leaving.

would it be better if he left? he knew it would hurt you. he knew it would be difficult to care for your son alone. maybe he could transfer money to you so you could have a well - off life.

he couldn’t risk your life by being in it. hate him all you want , but at least you would be alive.

the night he finally decided to leave was the worst night of his life.

his family had received too many threats. too many people knew of you. your small home in liyue harbor was a target of the worst enemies of the fatui.

childe had spoken of moving several times before. after bringing it up for the upteenth time , you finally agreed. it was a small home on the outskirts of the city. it was certainly an upgrade from your prior home , though still small. it was big enough for three , but would be quite roomy for two…

the thought of leaving made him sick. childe would never get to see his son grow. maybe he could come by liyue and see glimpses of him , but he would never be able to be his father.

he felt ill every time he returned home. you’d happily greet him with a kiss , whilst your son laid in his crib , playing with toys or babbling senselessly in an attempt to speak his first word.

sitting in your small home , the moonlight shines brightly through the curtains , resting on childe as he held your son in his arms.

you were sleeping comfortably on your shared bed , blissfully unaware of the mental battle childe was having with himself.

maybe he was being dramatic. he was a harbinger. nobody would truly be dumb enough to go after his family. that’s what he thought…until signora was killed , and only a few months later scaramouche disappeared.

with harbingers beginning to drop like flies , he knew it was only a matter of time until he was targeted , or worse ; his family.

he held his son gently in his arms , taking in every detail of the small boy as if it were the last time he would see him…

because it would be.

he intended to enjoy the last few moments he had with his son. once the boy was asleep , he planned to put him in his crib , kiss your forehead , and never come back.

“i’m sorry,” childe whispered, his voice soft and nearly breaking as he spoke. it was so different compared to his normal boisterous personality.

a sudden stiring from your bed caught his attention. he quickly turned to look at you , his gaze meeting yours as you sat up.

in a tired state , you glanced around looking for your son. your eyes softened as you noticed the small boy in his arms.

“he’s precious, isn’t he?” you whisper , a tired smile pulling at your lips. you were never quiet about how much you loved the small family you built for yourself.

oh how unaware you were…

childe struggled to reply. he felt as if he were going to snap and spill the fact he was planning to leave you and your child behind.

“he is.”

“he looks just like you , you know?” you laugh. you’d made it clear that you were jealous your son took after his father. they were practically twins. it was ‘unfair’ how you carried him around for months only for him to be identical to his father.

childe didn’t respond. he quietly held the baby in his arms , gently rocking him back and forth.

“it’s rather late , ajax.”

childe looked up at you as you stated his real name. somehow , that name made him leaving feel worse.

he loved you. he truly loved you. he loved the family you built together. but he couldn’t stay. he didn’t deserve it. he couldn’t risk either of you to stay and enjoy this.

“i know,”

“i can take him if you -”

“no. he’s almost asleep anyway,”

a silence fell between the two of you as you stared at your son.

to you , it was a comfortable silence. just a small family enjoying a late night with their small baby.

to childe , this was worse than the abyss. he felt like he was lying to your face. he was leaving , and he couldn’t even muster the strength to tell you that. he didn’t deserve to be a father. he didn’t deserve to love you.

“go back to bed,”

“i am,” you smiled, laying back against the bed. you rested on your side, watching as he continued rocking your son back and forth.

“i love you,” he whispered. the words felt bitter coming out of his mouth. he knew it was true. but he also knew it would be the last time he spoke them to you.

“i love you as well,” you replied in that tired voice he loved so much.

it didn’t take long for you to fall back asleep. only a few moments passed before your son fell asleep as well.

childe gently placed your son in his bassinet. a feeling of guilt overwhelmed him , but he couldn’t stay. this wasn’t the life he deserved. his family deserved better. you deserved better.

he wasn’t going to put you at risk every day of your life just so he could be happy.

he wished he could tell you how much he loves you , but that was no longer possible. you were already asleep , and he intended to be gone by sunrise.

he leaned over to your side of the bed , pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead.

the next morning arrived , waking you with the bright beams of sunlight. looking to your side , you realized ajax was gone.

that was nothing unusual. he often ran errands in the morning , or he was at work.

either way , you decided to start your day , picking up your small son. the two of you would get some housework done while waiting for ajax’s return.

[etheries1015]

The promises we made

Malleus Draconia X (implied) Fem reader

Genre: Fluff and angst, rolled in one.

General warnings: Reader is called "mother" and "queen" and mentioned to be pregnant, however is scarce and pronouns are not used.

TW: mentions of death. If there is anything else, please make me aware and I shall update accordingly.

You had given Malleus experiences he never thought he would have. From a memorable encounter, Friendship he treasured, to a love he would always hold near and dear to his heart. your life unfolds together as a beautiful tapestry of memories, promises, and eternity, a product more intricate than any woven piece, one he would never forget even as decades pass.

~~~~~~

He remembered it like it was just yesterday.

The harmonious sounds of giggles rang as you tipped your ice cream towards the fae prince, him gracefully taking a lick only for it to fall right off the cone. The way your mellifluous voice filled his ears with sounds of joy never got old to him, if anything, he would argue it was the most beautiful thing in the world next to your smile. The way you would light up at seemingly the most silly of things, he found himself smiling at the very things he used to call insignificant.

When night fell upon the campus, Malleus would often drop by unannounced. Simply to take a stroll along the forestry, talking about anything and everything. He never knew there would be so many things to talk about with a human, topics seemed far and few between yet time flew by unlike anything he had ever experienced when he was with you. A phenomenon he would often call it, the way you consumed his time without him noticing, yet he never found himself actually complaining. After all, you were his first true friend outside of the royal court, who was he to decline the company of someone so willing to embrace him- quirks and all?

Invitations were not sparse when it came to you- you were always the first to tell him of events, the first to ask him over, even school trips you encouraged him to explore the world and the places that reside in it. Diasomnia was no stranger to your presence, they became used to hearing your fits of laughter as you ran down the halls in pajamas and socks, sharing the forbidden things Malleus was unaccustomed to. Inviting him to do such things unbecoming of a prince heir to be king, it was truly freeing to be saved from the shackles of responsibility when you were nearby.

It was your first ever visit to Briar Valley, and your first kiss together was nothing short of perfection. The tension in the air as you gazed lovingly into each others eyes, inching closer with green slits flicking between your shining orbs and your tantalizing lips. The scent of roses surrounding you, the auroma of romance mixed the thumping in Malleus chest singing chords of unfathomable love. Afraid it would spill out, he had finally gathered the courage to close his eyes and pull you close with hands wrapped around your waist, sealing the overflowing love within locked lips. It was awkward, only slightly. Yet neither of you paid attention to the technique, only desperate to feel the warmth that filled your hearts. With unsteady breath he asked you then and there to be his forever until the end of time, to which you happily made your promise to him.

"Until the end of time itself," you whispered to him, foreheads pressed against one another, breath heavy from the heated kiss, "I promise you and you alone will have my heart."

"And I as well," he whispered back, "shall forever stay loyal to you as my one and only." He squeezed your hand and peered into your teary eyes, "until the end of time, shall we part."

Many firsts were accounted for in your time with Malleus, and his first sexual experienced was not exempted from that list. He recalled feeling...nervous. Excited, yet afraid. Being the most powerful being, he felt fear of hurting you for the first time. Hovering over your body his hands were trembling as he gently grabbed hold of your waist, eyes wavering with uncertainty as he gazed over your skin as if it were a precious jewel meant to be preserved. With your guidance, he had come to learn every inch of your body. What made you writhe in pleasure, your body shake with anticipation, and he had learned how much he adored making love to you. And it really was making love to a T; he never felt anything short of affection every time you were vulnerable to him and your skin pressed against one another.

Ah...and your wedding ceremony. It was truly a sight to behold. He can still recall the joyous sounds of clinking cups and reminiscing voices of friends, fae and human alike. As he looked out to the crowd he knew his parents would be proud to see such a sight; briar Valley filled with such diversity with joined hands and laughter as they celebrate the union of a pure blooded fae with none other than a magicless human. The way you looked walking down the aisle dressed in your wedding attire was forever etched into his mind the very moment his emerald orbs gazed upon your feature. You were always the most gorgeous being he had ever seen, yet something about you wearing an outfit that had basically deemed you his, he had truly believed no one could ever match your beauty.

There were times less savory, of course. Times where you'd hide your tears from your dragon lover, thoughts of returning to your home bubbling to the surface were difficult to ignore. You had left everything behind for him. Something he would forever be grateful for, you left behind your family, your old life, your town, and anything between those lines. You had tried not to hold this over his head, however when you were left hours alone as the now king of the valley had become seemingly too occupied to be by your side, it was difficult not to voice what you had sacrificed to be with him.

"I didn't leave behind my life only to be neglected like this, Malleus," he remembers how somber you sounded when you said this, with the loneliness in your eyes a striking resembelance of a feeling he had become far too familar with. Your hands fiddled with the skin of your nails, riddled with torn skin and rough from occupying your time with various tasks, Malleus grabbed them with rashness pressing a kiss to his lips and another promise escaping his regretful heart.

"I promise you my love, I shall do better to be by your side as you were by mine in my time of loneliness and darkness. I hadn't meant to burden you in a way I had been burdened, I just wish to work hard to make this kingdom a safe place for us and our future child," His hand carressed your stomach, a barely noticeable bump with the egg of your child. His forehead pressed against your own, emotions reigning much like the time in the rose garden years before.

"You and this child shall have all my attention."

"I will not leave to be lonely any longer, my dearest."

That was the second promise he had made to you.

Pitter Patters against the floors of the castle rang loudly, your troublesome fae twins free of their clothed confines squeeling as you chase them down towels in hand. He recalled finishing a meeting, walking out the doors to be greeted with his two sons bare for the world to witness as their little wings flapped pathetically and human legs springing as they barrel into their father. With an "oomf!" Of suprise, Malleus used his strong arms to keep his children confined to his chest, much to their dismay. They let out whines and small puffs of fire from their little mouths, the king unbothered by such small feats of magic from his offspring. You came following suit, hair disheveled and clothes ary, sweat beading your forehead as you slumped over to catch your breath.

"Now that their horns have grown and their powers strengthening, they believe to be superior to their own mother!" You huffed in annoyance, "such naughty little dragons!" With a hearty chuckle, Malleus carried his children off back to the bathrooms.

"Very mischivieous indeed. Sounds like they got that from you, my dear," He laughed. Giving him a light punch on the shoulder, he had called forth the maids to finish bathing his children while he grabbed your hand and lead you....elsewhere, for some much needed privacy.

Time is a very unforgiving thing, and Malleus never thought there would come a moment where he felt there wasn't enough of it. Years pass like mere minutes to him, the memories of his quickly growing children being nothing but babes in your arms seemed not so far away. Yet the most noticeable of difference that helped him see the true value of time, would be....you. He saw as your movements began to become sluggish, no longer to even run around in your socks hiding from the palace guards you had known since school years. You often spent time sitting in your special garden, reading a book or otherwise. The maids had taken over the tending of the floral, for with your weakening state came the struggle of taxing events. Attempting to wake you up with playful kisses and tickling had also become a memory of a near past.

The difference was uncanny. Your hair had grown grey and your cheeks sunken in, yet Malleus still looked at you as if you were the most precious cut of jade he had ever lay his eyes upon. He had reassured you time and time again, to your very last breath that you were still the only one for him: the most beautiful being he had ever had the pleasure of seeing.

Even now, staring at the obsidian gravestone with your name etched in emerald and a photo of your face, he never wavered in his resolve of that fact.

He remembered it like it was yesterday.

You lay in your shared bed, Malleus slouched over next to you with his hand gripping your own, too weak to squeeze back with equal affection as you wanted. Your children stood in front of the bed, staring with melancholy eyes as their father shed tears in front of them for the first time, wetting his cheeks to the hands that grasped your own. With a tired gaze you looked over to Malleus, and then your children, a sad smile upon your lips.

"Don't...be sad, tsunotaro," you said with weak breath, your husbands eyes widening at a nickname long forgotten to him,"I promise I'll be with you, until time ends, shall we truly part." You hadn't been able to speak much more than that, instead listening for hours on end as your two boys and your soulmate had said what they believed to be their final goodbyes. Right up until your children had fallen asleep, Malleus refusing to move even an inch from your side.

You passed away that night, and with your last breath, Malleus felt a part of himself die, as well.

It's been years since you had left his side, yet he remembered you as if it were just yesterday. Every day he would visit you, leaving little treasures and flowers on your grave almost as if he was a smitten school boy once again, chuckling to himself as he recalled how you would tease him for the trinkets he piled upon the dorm steps. He was encouraged to remarry, he was told to create a full blooded heir, to move on from you, and weave a new tapestry.

"I am loyal to one, and one alone," He told every sutior that came his way and every person who try to sway his resolve, "that is the promise I made to my dearest, and a Draconia never breaks their word."

That was his first promise.

Staring out over his kingdom, he felt the colors were less vibrant without your smile to follow suit. Your spot next to him remained empty yet polished, your side of the bed made every morning, and your garden tended to full of your favorite flowers.

Revered as the first human royal of Briar Valley, a celebration for your birthday was put in place in your honor. For even in your short life span, you were able to unite together races of all kind, bringing so much to the growth of the kingdom than anyone could have ever thought. A day and night of singing and dancing, decorations of your favorite strung on on a calibur so large it seemed a piece of you came back to light up the Valley just as brightly as when you were there. During the yearly celebration, Malleus sat beside you, a meal for four. You, him, and your children reminiscing of memories of the loved and far too soon departed queen. Near the end of the night, he placed a kiss to your stone and without fail said his second promise year and year again.

"You shall never be alone, my love. I am right here, as you were for me those many years before."

With the night festivities coming to an end, everyone had cleared out whereas Malleus insisted on remaining by your side. Some look at the king with pity in their eyes, seeing a mourning man, whilst some whispers on the street speak of the king as a fool; how the loss had caused him to lose his head, a desperate soul finding solace in something no longer there. None of that mattered to him. With fondness in his eyes, his tail wrapped around the stone head with a whisper audible to him and the ghost of you accompanying by his side.

"Until time ends...shall we truly part."

Masterlist

[stormsthatrage]

Short snippet from the Bleach I Knew You AU.

But before I begin. *Insert deep sigh here.*

Secretlypansexualmango, if you see this, it was supposed to be a response to your ask. Unfortunately, it took a hard left-turn and ended up in. Uraichi shipping territory? Look, IDK, I'm asexual, I don't get it either. Anyway, since I don't know your shipping preferences and don't want to accidentally respond to your ask with something that squiks you, I will be officially responding to your ask in another post that is less likely to be unexpectedly unpalatable. Thank you for your patience, and, uh, I hope this doesn't turn you off the au! (*laughs nervously*)

Without further ado, the snippet:

Breaking into the Shiba family grounds is easy. By sheer comparison, breaking into Shiba Ichigo’s room specifically is almost a challenge, but it’s not anything that Kisuke hasn’t planned for.

The strange, modified kido, and the odd wards Ichigo has placed, are simple to bypass with a bit of fancy footwork and precisely-timed counter-kido. It’s practically child’s play to get past them, now that he's roughly figured out how they work and where they all are.

His job is made even easier by the fact that, for some reason, Kisuke’s spiritual pressure doesn’t wake Ichigo up. Quite the opposite, in fact. He seems to sleep deeper when Kisuke is nearby and has let Benihime out a little.

He has theories about that.

He’s tired of them being theories.

He’s here to get evidence.

Kisuke bypasses the final seal and slides Ichigo’s window open, slipping into his room. He lets his spiritual pressure permeate the air a little thicker than he would in normal company, and as expected, Ichigo’s spiritual pressure slows down as he falls further into slumber.

… And Kisuke is supposed to believe that the first time they met was two months ago? When this is Ichigo’s reaction to his presence? When Ichigo is one of the most paranoid people Kisuke, an ex-onmi agent, has ever encountered?

Kisuke is a genius. He doesn’t need to be in order to see the flaw in that logic.

Kisuke steps further into the room, gliding softly over the old wood floorboards. He pauses in the middle, taking a moment to debate where to start.

Well. Why not with the simplest?

He’s caught it a few times, the barest trace of his own power lingering around Ichigo. A fascinating phenomenon, when he can’t recall a single time he’s drawn shikai around him, let alone used enough power to leave a long-lasting trace.

He draws closer to Ichigo’s bed, until he could reach out and touch him if he wished.

Ichigo breathes deeply, evenly, no sign of waking up. At some point, his covers ended up half kicked-off. Possibly from the heat, probably from nightmares. Regardless of the reason, Kisuke can’t help but think that he looks strangely fragile this way, surrounded by the evidence of his restlessness.

He puts a hand on the the hilt of his soul-partner. “Awaken, Benihime,” he murmurs.

She stirs within him, gently, in a way that is oh so rare. Like the softest, most gradual of ocean tides, she rises, her fragrance of wet iron washing through the air around them.

And together, channeling her power through his eyes, they see.

Glowing crimson threads that they have no recollection of weaving wrap protectively, lovingly, around Ichigo. A thin but strong filament, sewn through the skin from just below Ichigo’s ear all the way to his opposite shoulder, sutures closed what must have once been a deadly throat wound. Another one, obviously originally meant to keep shut a gash down the length of Ichigo’s forearm, keeps it companion.

And beyond the battlefield sutures there are more threads. Hundreds of intangible and deceptively thin and absolutely unbreakable strands of Benihime’s power wrap around Ichigo, crisscrossing over themselves — around his throat and across his face and down his torso and up his arms, visible wherever his bare flesh is exposed — seemingly serving no purpose.

Benihime’s power surges at the sight, a hot delight running through her as she sees Ichigo so thoroughly caught in her webs. Kisuke’s fingers suddenly, urgently ache with the urge to touch, to tighten, to add more.

Soul King.

No purpose other than, it seems, to satiate their own possessiveness.

Kisuke exhales a shaking breath. Closes his eyes for a brief moment. Gets the heat in his blood under control.

No purpose other than to alert themselves, perhaps? Did they know that one day they wouldn't recognize Ichigo anymore, and left this as a clue?

(And oh, what a clue. What a clue it is.)

He lets Benihime’s power fade, taking his hand away from her hilt. He’s self-aware enough to know when he needs to stop tempting himself, and he’s gotten the evidence he came for — far better proof than he could have ever anticipated.

He takes a step back, and the motion is the most unnatural thing he’s done in a long, long time.

He has questions. He has a few theories, too. Amnesia, caused by a very specific type of parasitic hollow. Dimension travel. Time travel. He doesn’t have enough information yet to figure out which is most likely, but he has finally confirmed beyond doubt that Ichigo is his, has been his, and something tried to steal that from him.

Fury flares within him, burning through his veins, and he can’t do this right here.

He takes another step back, this one just as unnatural as the last.

He can’t ask, yet. He can’t get closer, can’t wake Ichigo up with a soft hand on his cheek, can’t tell him that he’s there now, can’t promise him to take care of it all if he would just let him in again.

No.

Shiba Ichigo is in the middle of a chess game — a dangerous one, a complicated one — and Kisuke can’t see the whole board yet. Tipping his own hand might trigger a whole plethora of traps, including another round of amnesia, and he refuses to risk the knowledge he’s regained.

He will have to be careful. He will have to move cautiously.

He casts one last look at Ichigo, lets his eyes trace over that delicate throat that he now knows almost bled out. That delicate throat that had to be held together with Benihime’s webs. That delicate throat that he doesn’t remember stitching back together, despite the fact that he used his bankai to do it.

He was made to unknow a person he loves. He was made to unknow a war. He was made to unknow the fact that danger lurks still in the shadows of Soul Society.

He will know the end of this game. And Ichigo will learn that there is no universe in which Kisuke does not protect what’s his.

Kisuke turns. Takes another unnatural step away from his favorite, infuriating puzzle. And then he wrenches himself out of the room, out into the night, closing the window behind him and leaving as unnoticed as he had come.

[thedensworld]

Rewind Button | J.Ww

Pairing: Wonwoo x reader

Genre: angst, time travel, bestfriend

Summary: If Wonwoo had a time machine, he would definitely go to crash your wedding.

Warning: mention of arranged marriage, sexual abused, suicidal activity, depression.

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! COMMENT YOUR WISH FOR ME HEHE🙈🙈

***

Wonwoo stirred from his sleep, disoriented and bewildered by his unfamiliar surroundings. He glanced around, his eyes adjusting to the dim light filtering through the curtains of his old apartment studio. Confusion clouded his mind as he realized he should be gearing up for an action scene shoot in just ten minutes, yet here he was, inexplicably back in his past.

Memories flooded back as he recalled the sensation of being in his car, the soft melodies of music playing in the background. But why was he here now?

Before he could fully process his confusion, the shrill ring of his phone shattered the silence, jolting him from his thoughts. With trembling hands, he reached for the device, his heart pounding with trepidation as he saw the caller ID: Mingyu.

It had been nearly five years since they last spoke, and the sudden call from his old friend only added to the surrealness of the moment. Wonwoo's mind raced with questions, his emotions a turbulent whirlwind as he hesitated before answering, unsure of what awaited him on the other end of the line.

"Hello," Wonwoo's hoarse voice greeted Mingyu, his mind still reeling from the surreal experience of being transported back in time.

A rush of urgency flooded through the phone line, Mingyu's voice filled with frantic energy. "Hyung! Where are you?! The ceremony will start in 2 hours!"

Wonwoo blinked in disbelief as memories of this very conversation, this same heated exchange with Mingyu, flooded his mind. It was a moment from the past, long gone, yet here he was, reliving it once again. Why was he experiencing this déjà vu?

"Hold on, Mingyu," Wonwoo managed to utter, struggling to process the situation unfolding before him.

"Hyung! Are you listening to me?" Mingyu's voice cut through Wonwoo's thoughts, pulling him back to the present moment.

"I'll be there," Wonwoo murmured softly before ending the call, his mind swirling with confusion and disbelief. As he hung up, a sense of unease settled over him, leaving him grappling with the inexplicable phenomenon that had just occurred.

As Wonwoo's mind raced, replaying the moments leading up to his unexpected reunion with you, his heart pounded with a mixture of apprehension and longing. He wasn't accustomed to making requests or wishing for things, always content to be the grateful, considerate person others admired. But tonight, as he lay in bed, his silent plea had been answered, thrusting him into a whirlwind of emotions.

Meeting you again after five long years, on the set of his latest film where you were cast as a cameo, had ignited a torrent of memories and regrets within him. The scene played out in his mind like a haunting film, your presence stirring feelings he had buried deep within himself.

As you both discussed the upcoming scene, the unspoken tension between you hung heavy in the air, overshadowing the easy camaraderie you once shared. Wonwoo couldn't help but notice the bruises hidden beneath your hair and sleeves, a stark contrast to the vibrant spirit he remembered from your past encounters.

When he finally mustered the courage to approach you in private, your first question pierced through his defenses like a dagger to the heart. "Why didn't you come to my wedding?" you asked, your voice calm but laden with disappointment.

Wonwoo was rendered speechless, his throat constricting with guilt and regret. He had never prepared himself for this moment, never anticipated facing you again under such circumstances.

"I read your letter, and I was so disappointed you didn't come," you continued, mentioning the drunken confession he had penned before your wedding day, a stupid letter.

"Mingyu too, he felt the same about our friendship," you added, invoking the name of their mutual friend.

Unable to meet your gaze, Wonwoo could only mutter a feeble apology, his fingers fidgeting nervously.

But when you rolled up your sleeves, revealing the bruises marring your skin, his heart shattered into a million pieces. He longed to reach out, to offer comfort and solace, but fear held him back, afraid that even the slightest touch would break you further.

"Did Mingyu know about this?" Wonwoo finally managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper.

You nodded solemnly, confirming his worst fears. "But he couldn't do anything," you confessed, your words heavy with resignation.

Silence enveloped them both as Wonwoo struggled to process the weight of your words, the guilt and helplessness threatening to suffocate him.

"I was waiting for you," you whispered, the memory of your wedding day haunting your expression. "Since you promised."

Your laughter, tinged with bitterness, echoed in the cramped confines of the van, and Wonwoo felt his heart shatter all over again. "But you never came."

*

Wonwoo, dressed in his usual attire, rushed to the venue of your wedding ceremony, his mind spinning with confusion and urgency. Was this all just a dream, or had he truly been thrown back in time as he had desperately wished for earlier?

Mingyu's surprise was evident as he greeted Wonwoo, his eyes scanning his friend's unconventional choice of outfit – a black hoodie and baggy faded denim pants. Wonwoo's appearance, fresh only from a quick face wash, stood in stark contrast to the formal attire expected for such an occasion.

"Why are you dressed like this? Today is a special day!" Mingyu exclaimed, his concern evident in his voice as he pulled Wonwoo aside, shielding him from prying eyes.

Wonwoo blinked rapidly, unsure of how to explain his sudden appearance and disheveled state. If he were to tell Mingyu the truth – that he had traveled from the future to prevent you from suffering in an abusive marriage – he knew his friend would dismiss it as absurd.

"I need to meet Y/n," Wonwoo replied impatiently, his sense of urgency overriding any concern for social norms or propriety.

Mingyu furrowed his brows, his hand resting reassuringly on Wonwoo's shoulder. "We talked about this, man. You said you'd give up on her."

Wonwoo's heart clenched at the memory of his previous conversation with Mingyu, where he had resigned himself to letting you go. "Yeah, I know," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret.

"But I changed my mind. I can't let her go," Wonwoo confessed, his determination shining through despite the obstacles ahead.

Mingyu sighed, realizing the gravity of Wonwoo's intentions. "Isn't it too late? You know her husband is someone with power," he cautioned, his concern for both Wonwoo and you evident in his words.

"I promised her that I'd come today, help her cancel the wedding," Wonwoo explained earnestly, his gaze unwavering as he met Mingyu's widened eyes.

"No way! You know what would happen to both of you," Mingyu protested vehemently, his concern for their reputations and public image overriding any sense of recklessness.

Wonwoo took a deep breath, steeling himself before dropping a bombshell on Kim Mingyu. "She's pregnant with mine," he stated firmly, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air.

Mingyu gasped in disbelief, his eyes widening in shock. "What?!" he exclaimed, unable to comprehend the gravity of Wonwoo's revelation.

Wonwoo nodded, his expression solemn as he tried to convey the truth of his words to Mingyu. "I'll explain everything later, but right now, I need to meet her," he insisted, his voice tinged with urgency and determination.

As the weight of Wonwoo's revelation sank in, Mingyu could only nod in reluctant understanding, realizing that his friend's resolve was unshakeable. Together, they stood on the precipice of a decision that could change the course of your lives forever.

*

"When he found out i was pregnant with other man, he practically almost murdering me everyday. He made sure that i was suffering and i ended up losing the baby. Tears streamed down your cheeks as you poured out the painful truth, revealing for the first time to Wonwoo that you had been carrying his child. The weight of your words hung heavy in the air, each syllable laden with the agony of your suffering.

Wonwoo held you tightly in his embrace, his heart breaking as he realized the extent of your torment. Guilt gnawed at him relentlessly, a relentless onslaught of remorse for his past actions. He closed his eyes, unable to bear the weight of his cowardice – the cowardice that had cost him your love and the life of his own child.

In that moment, he saw himself for what he truly was: a coward who had let fear dictate his every move. He had been too afraid to pursue a relationship with you, convinced that you were too perfect, too good for someone like him. And in his cowardice, he had stood by while you suffered unimaginable horrors at the hands of your husband.

As you spoke of the threats and abuse you endured, Wonwoo's heart shattered into a million pieces. The thought of you enduring such torment while he remained silent filled him with a profound sense of shame and regret.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I should have protected you. I should have been there for you."

But your confession only deepened his anguish, as you revealed the depths of your despair. "But I'm so tired," you admitted, your voice trembling with exhaustion. "Every day feels like hell, and I just want to die."

Wonwoo's heart clenched at your words, the pain in your voice echoing the turmoil in his soul. He vowed in that moment to do whatever it took to save you, to break free from the shackles of his own cowardice and finally stand by your side. For he knew now, more than ever, that he could not bear to lose you again.

A week later, news of your attempted suicide rocked Wonwoo to his core. As he stood in the hospital corridor, waiting anxiously for any update on your condition, the weight of his guilt threatened to crush him. The letter found at the scene revealed the depths of your suffering, documenting the abuse you endured at the hands of your husband.

Finally, after five long years, Wonwoo came face to face with Mingyu in the hospital aisle. Mingyu's eyes held a silent accusation, and Wonwoo couldn't bring himself to meet his friend's gaze. He bowed his head in shame, unable to deny the wrongs he had committed.

But to Wonwoo's surprise, Mingyu's arms enveloped him in a tight embrace, his own tears mingling with Wonwoo's. "Hyung... She'll be alright, right?" Mingyu choked out between sobs, his voice thick with worry and fear.

Wonwoo wished desperately that he could offer Mingyu reassurance, to tell him that you would indeed be alright. But the truth weighed heavily on his conscience, threatening to suffocate him. He longed to confess that everything that had transpired was just a dream, that you were safe and alive, and that you belonged to him. But his fear held him back, sealing his lips shut once again.

As the situation began to calm, Mingyu turned to Wonwoo, his eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and frustration. "Did she tell you?" he asked, his voice tinged with resignation.

Wonwoo nodded silently, his heart heavy with remorse.

Mingyu sighed, his gaze drifting towards the room where you were being tended to by medical staff. "I just hope that asshole didn't use his money to free himself," he growled in anger, his fists clenched in frustration at the thought of your abusive husband escaping justice.

"For these five years, she's suffered a lot," Mingyu continued, his voice tinged with sorrow. "I want to help her, but there's nothing I can do besides offering emotional support."

He paused, his expression pained as he revealed the truth behind your intentions to reconnect with Wonwoo. "She told me that she was going to meet you for a shoot. She actually just wanted to be friends again. There was no intention of telling you the whole situation. But I forced her."

Mingyu's words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the consequences of Wonwoo's actions and the pain he had caused. As he listened to his friend's words, Wonwoo felt a surge of remorse wash over him, knowing that he had hurt not only you but also those who cared for you deeply.

*

Mingyu accompanied Wonwoo as they approached your room, his hand gesturing for Wonwoo to enter and have a conversation with you. Wonwoo, visibly nervous, stepped into the room, scanning the space until his eyes fell upon you sitting on the couch. However, instead of your usual charm and charisma, he noticed a subdued air about you. Nevertheless, your face lit up when you saw him, and you rose from your seat.

As Wonwoo rushed towards you, pulling you into his embrace, you felt a mix of surprise and comfort flood through you. "Let's take you out of here," he whispered urgently, pulling back slightly to meet your gaze.

Your eyes widened, a hint of fear flickering across them. "But I can't," you protested, your voice trembling. "He's not just a random person, Wonwoo! He would sue us."

Wonwoo shook his head, determination etched into his features. "We confront him," he insisted, his voice firm yet reassuring. "And tell him the truth." His words carried a sense of resolve, offering you a glimmer of hope in the midst of uncertainty.

Tears welled up in your eyes, reflecting the turmoil within you. "But what about our careers?" you choked out, your voice thick with emotion. "We're going to be doomed after this... Think about yourself, Wonwoo!" You pleaded, trying to shake him out of his determination.

Wonwoo held your shoulders firmly, his gaze unwavering. "In another universe, I was selfish," he confessed, his voice tinged with regret. "But I ended up losing our friendship, losing Mingyu. I ended up losing you..." His words hung heavy in the air, carrying the weight of past mistakes and missed opportunities.

Confusion furrowed your brow as you searched his eyes for understanding. "What are you talking about?" you asked, your voice trembling with uncertainty.

Wonwoo's grip on your arm tightened, his resolve unyielding. "We don't have much time," he urged, his voice urgent. "Let's go to the groom."

Quickly, Wonwoo waited for you to change into comfortable clothes, both of you donning masks and hats to conceal your identities. With Mingyu's help, you found the groom, who was engrossed in conversation with guests. Mingyu motioned for both Wonwoo and you to retreat to a private area before confronting him.

The groom's surprise was evident as he laid eyes on you standing outside your room without your bridal gown. Before he could react, Mingyu and Wonwoo restrained him. Wonwoo realized the groom had no control over himself; he wasn't your husband yet.

"Let's stop the wedding," Wonwoo declared, his voice firm as he initiated the discussion. The furrowed expression on the groom's face spoke volumes about his response.

But before he could utter a word, Wonwoo dropped the bombshell. "She's pregnant with my child. We've been having an affair even before you entered the picture." The groom's composure shattered, his anger palpable.

"What does it mean, Y/n? We discussed this already."

As the groom moved towards you, Wonwoo and Mingyu intervened, shielding you from harm. Wonwoo signaled for Mingyu to escort you to his car while he dealt with the groom.

With an imposing presence, Wonwoo approached the groom, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the groom's agitation. "Y/n will pass away five years from now," Wonwoo revealed, his words laced with a solemn warning. "And you'll be behind bars for abusing and murdering her. I know your violent tendencies with women, so don't come near us unless you want the media to know."

Enraged, the groom grabbed Wonwoo's clothes, but Wonwoo effortlessly freed himself, straightening his attire. "I'm from the future," he declared, his voice steady. "We could stand here all day discussing your future, but let's prevent it by canceling this wedding."

*

Dear Yoon Y/n,

It's your friend, Jeon Wonwoo. I want to start by apologizing for my absence after that night. I couldn't bring myself to face you because everything changed between us. I no longer saw you as just a friend.

To be honest, it's been a long time since I've seen you that way. You've become more than a friend to me; you're a woman. I confided my feelings for you to Mingyu, and when I admitted I liked you, he punched me. Yet, he confessed he saw it coming.

For a fleeting moment after that night in your apartment, I was happy. I knew we were both intoxicated, but I didn't regret a thing. Yet, I couldn't shake the uncertainty of whether you felt the same way about me. Did you feel the same love as I did for you?

Today, I received your wedding invitation, and I couldn't muster the courage to confront you in person about how much I love you. Mingyu mentioned it was an arranged marriage, which gave me a sliver of hope that you might not love him. But at the end of the day, he'll be the one who owns you, right?

I want to be him. I want to be him so badly. If I were to attend your wedding and ask for your love, would you want to run away with me?

If your answer is yes, then I promise to be there.

With all my love,

Wonwoo

*

Wonwoo sat beside Mingyu, the weight of grief heavy in the air after attending your funeral. Mingyu handed him a book, your diary, a crucial piece of evidence detailing the abuse you suffered at the hands of your husband. Wonwoo's fingers traced over the cover, feeling the weight of your words within.

As he flipped through the pages, his heart clenched at the entry describing the morning of your wedding day, when you discovered your pregnancy. "She must have been waiting for me," Wonwoo thought, his throat tight with emotion.

Each word in your diary painted a vivid picture of your pain and suffering. Wonwoo read with tears streaming down his cheeks, feeling every pang in his chest as he absorbed the honesty and rawness of your emotions.

The diary was a testament to the strength you had to endure such torment, and Wonwoo couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by a mixture of sadness, anger, and admiration for you. It was a journey through your deepest struggles, and Wonwoo vowed silently to ensure that justice would be served for you, no matter the cost.

"Gyungmo raped me that night. He wanted to kill my baby." Wonwoo closed the book, barely able to continue it.

Anger, guilt, and regret crashed over Wonwoo like a relentless tsunami. Jung Gyungmo, the source of your suffering, must pay for his atrocities, Wonwoo thought, his fists clenched with fury.

"We hadn't spoken for months after her wedding," Wonwoo recounted to Mingyu, his voice heavy with remorse. "But she called me in the dead of night, desperate for help. Her husband was nowhere to be found when I arrived. She was barely holding on, her body weak, blood staining her legs."

Mingyu turned to face Wonwoo, his expression mirroring the sorrow etched in his friend's features. "She was five months pregnant, enduring unimaginable stress and abuse," Mingyu explained, his voice cracking with emotion. "And she lost your... your baby."

Wonwoo's heart shattered into a million pieces as the weight of your pain crashed down upon him. The realization that he could have done more, should have been there for you, gnawed at his soul like a relentless beast. The guilt and anguish threatened to consume him whole as he grappled with the cruel reality of your suffering.

Mingyu's voice trembled as he struggled to continue speaking, the weight of your absence crushing his heart freshly from your recent funeral. Tears streamed down his cheeks uncontrollably, his grief pouring out in waves. Despite his own pain, he reached out to Wonwoo, his arms wrapping around his best friend in a tight embrace, seeking solace in their shared sorrow.

"It's not your fault," Mingyu whispered, trying to offer some comfort amidst the overwhelming anguish.

But Wonwoo's voice quivered with guilt as he choked out his words, his tears mingling with Mingyu's. "This is my fault!"

Mingyu shook his head vigorously, refusing to let Wonwoo bear the burden alone. "No, hyung," he insisted, his own anguish evident in his voice.

"If only I had intervened at her wedding, if only I had stopped everything, she would still be with us! She wouldn't—" Wonwoo's words dissolved into sobs, his pain too raw to articulate.

Mingyu nodded in solemn agreement, his own grief consuming him. "Me too, hyung," he confessed, his voice thick with sorrow.

"If only I could turn back time, I would stop the wedding in a heartbeat."

If only...

The words hung heavy in the air, a bitter reminder of the irreversible tragedy that had befallen them all.

[icedbatik]

I saw this opinion piece in the New York Times and, while I don't normally copy and paste entire newspaper articles, this is an excellent (if scary) read.

Aside from the sections on how much lack of consent there is in today's sexual landscape, hockey fans -- who should be well aware of the dangers of concussions -- might take particular note of the section in which "choking" during sex is linked to brain damage on par with concussion damage.

The Troubling Trend in Teenage Sex

April 12, 2024

By Peggy Orenstein

Debby Herbenick is one of the foremost researchers on American sexual behavior. The director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University and the author of the pointedly titled book “Yes, Your Kid,” she usually shares her data, no matter how explicit, without judgment. So I was surprised by how concerned she seemed when we checked in on Zoom recently: “I haven’t often felt so strongly about getting research out there,” she told me. “But this is lifesaving.”

For the past four years, Dr. Herbenick has been tracking the rapid rise of “rough sex” among college students, particularly sexual strangulation, or what is colloquially referred to as choking. Nearly two-thirds of women in her most recent campus-representative survey of 5,000 students at an anonymized “major Midwestern university” said a partner had choked them during sex (one-third in their most recent encounter). The rate of those women who said they were between the ages 12 and 17 the first time that happened had shot up to 40 percent from one in four.

As someone who’s been writing for well over a decade about young people’s attitudes and early experience with sex in all its forms, I’d also begun clocking this phenomenon. I was initially startled in early 2020 when, during a post-talk Q. and A. at an independent high school, a 16-year-old girl asked, “How come boys all want to choke you?” In a different class, a 15-year-old boy wanted to know, “Why do girls all want to be choked?” They do? Not long after, a college sophomore (and longtime interview subject) contacted me after her roommate came home in tears because a hookup partner, without warning, had put both hands on her throat and squeezed.

I started to ask more, and the stories piled up. Another sophomore confided that she enjoyed being choked by her boyfriend, though it was important for a partner to be “properly educated” — pressing on the sides of the neck, for example, rather than the trachea. (Note: There is no safe way to strangle someone.) A male freshman said “girls expected” to be choked and, even though he didn’t want to do it, refusing would make him seem like a “simp.” And a senior in high school was angry that her friends called her “vanilla” when she complained that her boyfriend had choked her.

Sexual strangulation, nearly always of women in heterosexual pornography, has long been a staple on free sites, those default sources of sex ed for teens. As with anything else, repeat exposure can render the once appalling appealing. It’s not uncommon for behaviors to be normalized in porn, move within a few years to mainstream media, then, in what may become a feedback loop, be adopted in the bedroom or the dorm room.

Choking, Dr. Herbenick said, seems to have made that first leap in a 2008 episode of Showtime’s “Californication,” where it was still depicted as outré, then accelerated after the success of “Fifty Shades of Grey.” By 2019, when a high school girl was choked in the pilot of HBO’s “Euphoria,” it was standard fare. A young woman was choked in the opener of “The Idol” (again on HBO and also, like “Euphoria,” created by Sam Levinson; what’s with him?). Ali Wong plays the proclivity for laughs in a Netflix special, and it’s a punchline in Tina Fey’s new “Mean Girls.” The chorus of Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me,” which topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for six nonconsecutive weeks this winter and has been viewed over 99 million times on YouTube, starts with, “I’m vanilla, baby, I’ll choke you, but I ain’t no killer, baby.” How-to articles abound on the internet, and social media algorithms feed young people (but typically not their unsuspecting parents) hundreds of #chokemedaddy memes along with memes that mock — even celebrate — the potential for hurting or killing female partners.

I’m not here to kink-shame (or anything-shame). And, anyway, many experienced BDSM practitioners discourage choking, believing it to be too dangerous. There are still relatively few studies on the subject, and most have been done by Dr. Herbenick and her colleagues. Reports among adolescents are now trickling out from the United Kingdom, Australia, Iceland, New Zealand and Italy.

Twenty years ago, sexual asphyxiation appears to have been unusual among any demographic, let alone young people who were new to sex and iffy at communication. That’s changed radically in a short time, with health consequences that parents, educators, medical professionals, sexual consent advocates and teens themselves urgently need to understand.

Sexual trends can spread quickly on campus and, to an extent, in every direction. But, at least among straight kids, I’ve sometimes noticed a pattern: Those that involve basic physical gratification — like receiving oral sex in hookups — tend to favor men. Those that might entail pain or submission, like choking, are generally more for women.

So, while undergrads of all genders and sexualities in Dr. Herbenick’s surveys report both choking and being choked, straight and bisexual young women are far more likely to have been the subjects of the behavior; the gap widens with greater occurrences. (In a separate study, Dr. Herbenick and her colleagues found the behavior repeated across the United States, particularly for adults under 40, and not just among college students.) Alcohol may well be involved, and while the act is often engaged in with a steady partner, a quarter of young women said partners they’d had sex with on the day they’d met also choked them.

Either way, most say that their partners never or only sometimes asked before grabbing their necks. For many, there had been moments when they couldn’t breathe or speak, compromising the ability to withdraw consent, if they’d given it. No wonder that, in a separate study by Dr. Herbenick, choking was among the most frequently listed sex acts young women said had scared them, reporting that it sometimes made them worry whether they’d survive.

Among girls and women I’ve spoken with, many did not want or like to be sexually strangled, though in an otherwise desired encounter they didn’t name it as assault. Still, a sizable number were enthusiastic; they requested it. It is exciting to feel so vulnerable, a college junior explained. The power dynamic turns her on; oxygen deprivation to the brain can trigger euphoria.

That same young woman, incidentally, had never climaxed with a partner: While the prevalence of choking has skyrocketed, rates of orgasm among young women have not increased, nor has the “orgasm gap” disappeared among heterosexual couples. “It indicates they’re not doing other things to enhance female arousal or pleasure,” Dr. Herbenick said.

When, for instance, she asked one male student who said he choked his partner whether he’d ever tried using a vibrator instead, he recoiled. “Why would I do that?” he asked.

Perhaps, she responded, because it would be more likely to produce orgasm without risking, you know, death.

In my interviews, college students have seen male orgasm as a given; women’s is nice if it happens, but certainly not expected or necessarily prioritized (by either partner). It makes sense, then, that fulfillment would be less the motivator for choking than appearing adventurous or kinky. Such performances don’t always feel good.

“Personally, my hypothesis is that this is one of the reasons young people are delaying or having less sex,” Dr. Herbenick said. “Because it’s uncomfortable and weird and scary. At times some of them literally think someone is assaulting them but they don’t know. Those are the only sexual experiences for some people. And it’s not just once they’ve gotten naked. They’ll say things like, ‘I’ve only tried to make out with someone once because he started choking and hitting me.’”

Keisuke Kawata, a neuroscientist at Indiana University’s School of Public Health, was one of the first researchers to sound the alarm on how the cumulative, seemingly inconsequential, sub-concussive hits football players sustain (as opposed to the occasional hard blow) were key to triggering C.T.E., the degenerative brain disease. He’s a good judge of serious threats to the brain. In response to Dr. Herbenick’s work, he’s turning his attention to sexual strangulation. “I see a similarity” to C.T.E., he told me, “though the mechanism of injury is very different.” In this case, it is oxygen-blocking pressure to the throat, frequently in light, repeated bursts of a few seconds each.

Strangulation — sexual or otherwise — often leaves few visible marks and can be easily overlooked as a cause of death. Those whose experiences are nonlethal rarely seek medical attention, because any injuries seem minor: Young women Dr. Herbenick studied mostly reported lightheadedness, headaches, neck pain, temporary loss of coordination and ear ringing. The symptoms resolve, and all seems well. But, as with those N.F.L. players, the true effects are silent, potentially not showing up for days, weeks, even years.

According to the American Academy of Neurology, restricting blood flow to the brain, even briefly, can cause permanent injury, including stroke and cognitive impairment. In M.R.I.s conducted by Dr. Kawata and his colleagues (including Dr. Herbenick, who is a co-author of his papers on strangulation), undergraduate women who have been repeatedly choked show a reduction in cortical folding in the brain compared with a never-choked control group. They also showed widespread cortical thickening, an inflammation response that is associated with elevated risk of later-onset mental illness. In completing simple memory tasks, their brains had to work far harder than the control group, recruiting from more regions to achieve the same level of accuracy.

The hemispheres in the choked group’s brains, too, were badly skewed, with the right side hyperactive and the left underperforming. A similar imbalance is associated with mood disorders — and indeed in Dr. Herbenick’s surveys girls and women who had been choked were more likely than others (or choked men) to have experienced overwhelming anxiety, as well as sadness and loneliness, with the effect more pronounced as the incidence rose: Women who had experienced more than five instances of choking were two and a half times as likely as those who had never been choked to say they had been so depressed within the previous 30 days they couldn’t function. Whether girls and women with mental health challenges are more likely to seek out (or be subjected to) choking, choking causes mood disorders, or some combination of the two is still unclear. But hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation — judging by what research has shown about other types of traumatic brain injury — could be a contributing factor. Given the soaring rates of depression and anxiety among young women, that warrants concern.

Now consider that every year Dr. Herbenick has done her survey, the number of females reporting extreme effects from strangulation (neck swelling, loss of consciousness, losing control of urinary function) has crept up. Among those who’ve been choked, the rate of becoming what students call “cloudy” — close to passing out, but not crossing the line — is now one in five, a huge proportion. All of this indicates partners are pressing on necks longer and harder.

The physical, cognitive and psychological impacts of sexual choking are disturbing. So is the idea that at a time when women’s social, economic, educational and political power are in ascent (even if some of those rights may be in jeopardy), when #MeToo has made progress against harassment and assault, there has been the popularization of a sex act that can damage our brains, impair intellectual functioning, undermine mental health, even kill us. Nonfatal strangulation, one of the most significant indicators that a man will murder his female partner (strangulation is also one of the most common methods used for doing so), has somehow been eroticized and made consensual, at least consensual enough. Yet, the outcomes are largely the same: Women’s brains and bodies don’t distinguish whether they are being harmed out of hate or out of love.

By now I’m guessing that parents are curled under their chairs in a fetal position. Or perhaps thinking, “No, not my kid!” (see: title of Dr. Herbenick’s book above, which, by the way, contains an entire chapter on how to talk to your teen about “rough sex”).

I get it. It’s scary stuff. Dr. Herbenick is worried; I am, too. And we are hardly some anti-sex, wait-till-marriage crusaders. But I don’t think our only option is to wring our hands over what young people are doing.

Parents should take a beat and consider how they might give their children relevant information in a way that they can hear it. Maybe reiterate that they want them to have a pleasurable sex life — you have already said that, right? — and also want them to be safe. Tell them that misinformation about certain practices, including choking, is rampant, that in reality it has grave health consequences. Plus, whether or not a partner initially requested it, if things go wrong, you’re generally criminally on the hook.

Dr. Herbenick suggests reminding them that there are other, lower-risk ways to be exploratory or adventurous if that is what they are after, but it would be wisest to delay any “rough sex” until they are older and more skilled at communicating. She offers language when negotiating with a new partner, such as, “By the way, I’m not comfortable with” — choking, or other escalating behaviors such as name-calling, spitting and genital slapping — “so please don’t do it/don’t ask me to do it to you.” They could also add what they are into and want to do together.

I’d like to point high school health teachers to evidence-based porn literacy curricula, but I realize that incorporating such lessons into their classrooms could cost them their jobs. Shafia Zaloom, a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, recommends, if that’s the case, grounding discussions in mainstream and social media. There are plenty of opportunities. “You can use it to deconstruct gender norms, power dynamics in relationships, ‘performative’ trends that don’t represent most people’s healthy behaviors,” she said, “especially depictions of people putting pressure on someone’s neck or chest.”

I also know that pediatricians, like other adults, struggle when talking to adolescents about sex (the typical conversation, if it happens, lasts 40 seconds). Then again, they already caution younger children to use a helmet when they ride a bike (because heads and necks are delicate!); they can mention that teens might hear about things people do in sexual situations, including choking, then explain the impact on brain health and why such behavior is best avoided. They should emphasize that if, for any reason — a fall, a sports mishap or anything else — a young person develops symptoms of head trauma, they should come in immediately, no judgment, for help in healing.

The role and responsibility of the entertainment industry is a tangled knot: Media reflects behavior but also drives it, either expanding possibilities or increasing risks. There is precedent for accountability. The European Union now requires age verification on the world’s largest porn sites (in ways that preserve user privacy, whatever that means on the internet); that discussion, unsurprisingly, had been politicized here. Social media platforms have already been pushed to ban content promoting eating disorders, self-harm and suicide — they should likewise be pressured to ban content promoting choking. Traditional formats can stop glamorizing strangulation, making light of it, spreading false information, using it to signal female characters’ complexity or sexual awakening. Young people’s sexual scripts are shaped by what they watch, scroll by and listen to — unprecedentedly so. They deserve, and desperately need, models of interactions that are respectful, communicative, mutual and, at the very least, safe.

Peggy Orenstein is the author of “Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent and Navigating the New Masculinity” and “Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape.”

[bogleech]

What's your favourite Resident Evil creature design? Mine is Lisa.

I reviewed almost each and every one in the canon for one Halloween marathon but digging through them to figure out my top favorites probably would take time so my top ones are:

Ivy: absolutely flawless and iconic design, can't believe they scrapped it in the remake. The simple three petals replacing the entire head of a crude humanoid is a beautiful haunting look. I love that you know it's going to do something unpleasant when you notice it has NO fangs or claws, and indeed when it catches you it just swallows your head, and then it STEAMS because it's that acidic and your headless body crumples to the ground. Hilarious.

NAUTILUS: an obscure one, only two of them exist in the sewers of one of the spinoff games and are implied to be a failed experiment that got flushed. In any setting with genetic engineering I always want to see the messed up errors that are barely recognizable. It's hard to even find clear images of Nautilus but it seems to be a big living womb that spits out swimming, exploding embryos. It also has little appendages on it like a roast turkey. Adorably abnormal.

DRAGHIGNAZZO: actually two creatures stuck together who are made out of mutated barnacles, with two different heads that dangle off the back. Visually it's such a confusing design and so difficult to follow, which is clearly intentional. When I finally figured out its anatomy, I drew a quick little cartoon explanation:

They stick together with the left one's big arm dangling! And they have those big "breathing holes" on their "necks" that seem to represent a bivalve siphon. There's some distinct aspects of geoduck in their design, too.

CHIMERA: a top favorite from the very first game. They seem brundlefly-inspired, but maybe with spider in there originally (later games explicitly called them flies), and so messed up that the original design features a mouth in their chests. I love that they appear in only a single laboratory hallway near the end of the game and aren't even an especially threatening encounter. They just threw in this extra little weirdo to show you how far the experiments were going, and to maybe shake things up last-minute with one last new enemy you don't see coming.

GLOBSTER: I love the globster "phenomenon" in "cryptozoology," even if they're never anything but dead whales and sharks. The idea of a weird blob washing ashore and freaking people out is just really fun, so then Resident Evil Revelations 2 opens with a beach full of unidentifiable lumps and when you get too close they show they have a big old goofy mouth! They're so ghastly and so cute, just big sleepy lazy piles with silly teeth! Oh and yeah they used to be people or something I guess that's pretty messed up.

[doukeshi-kun]

𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧!𝙣𝙞𝙠𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙞 + 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩

featuring ⨳ stalker!nikolai gogol x fem!reader

content ⨳ just his usual stalkerish behavior, noncon touching

notes ⨳ i am practicing uhghuh

The rain is heavy. Thunderstorms in the night sky. Even with the windows tightly closed, you are shivering under your duvet. If you trace your arm, perhaps your fingertips will run across tiny bumps on your skin. It is a bit regretful on your part because you wear a sleeveless top to go to sleep. But it was not that cold when you climbed on the bed a few hours ago.

Heater. Perhaps you could turn on the heater. If it's too hot, you can just discard your duvet away.

You slowly pull away the duvet of your chest but your eyes catch a sight of a tall figure standing quietly just beside your closet. The figure is all black and the only thing that is fully visible in this room lack of light is his mask and his white hair.

Ghost.

You gasp and pull the duvet over your head, hiding.

Hiding from the monster.

You have never thought you would encounter a paranormal phenomenon, especially during this cold, cruel weather. What is it? Slenderman? A spirit? A mimic? A demon? You do not want to find out—this confined space, this blanket, it is already your safest space.

If this is a nightmare, you want to wake up.

“Are you cold?”

“Ah—” you gasp when you feel a cold touch on your ankle. You let out a small whine, trying to pull your foot away but then your ankle is grabbed tightly, with a thumb rubbing your skin gently.

“You're cold,” the figure whispers and goosebumps creep up your spine when his voice sounds nearer. It is like he is behind you, looming over your lying body. His hand from your ankle goes loose but it makes its way up your leg, touching your calf, thigh, and waist until it rests on your tummy. His skin touches yours and you can hear his heavy breathing as you feel his hand pressing slightly on you. You gaze down to your stomach, seeing a large palm touching your body before it retracts.

This is not a demon, a ghost or a monster—this is just a person.

“Haa... F-Fuck...”

You hear him groaning under his breath as if he's muffling a moan. You don't know what he is doing but you do not want to look. You let yourself hide beneath the duvet, praying to some deities to shoo him away.

“I'm sorry, my dove. I must have scared you,” his voice looms over you again, this time much gentler. Then you feel his hand hold your shoulder before a whisper tickles your ear. “I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, little love,”

Tomorrow? What happens tomorrow? Breakfast, work, lunch, work, a short tour at the haunted fair to grab new merch, maybe a cheap dinner at the convenience store. What happens tomorrow? What's so special about tomorrow?

“What—”

You get up abruptly, pushing the duvet off your head as you sit up on the bed. The rain is still pouring heavily, though the thunder has calmed down. The room is starting to feel warm and you hastily get up to the heater, only to see it has been turned on and set to the right temperature you always prefer.

You turn to the closet, the place where you first see the black figure. None. Empty. He is gone. He has disappeared. Sleep couldn't slow down the pace your heart is beating right now. All you could think of were his gentle touch and his consoling voice.

And you already miss him.

©doukeshi-kun 2024 — do not copy, plagiarize and repost my works to any platform, more @/cherikolya

if you like my works, consider buy me a ko-fi!

[clown-friend-gt]

I had an idea for a g/t story but i'm probably not going to take the time to write it out any time soon. In the meantime, enjoy this list of concepts i have rattling around in my brain

Takes place in a world where humans, tinies, and giants all exist and are all familiar with one another

It's technically an urban fantasy, with things like modern technology and societies existing alongside magic and medieval cosmology (don't worry too much about what that entails, it never really comes into play besides brief references)

There are more humans than there are giants, and more tinies than there are humans

Since everything in this world is "human sized," humans are the functional majority

Mixed societies exist, but are in their early stages, so non-integrated communities are still just as common

Growing/shrinking spells exist, but are only permanent on non-living things (organic materials that are no longer "alive" still work, though)

Finally, the actual focus of the story: a human streamer/youtuber (from a non-integrated community) making content focused around spending a day as a giant/tiny

Video titles include "I SPENT A DAY LIVING AS A GIANT (NOT CLICKBAIT!!!!!!)" and "24-HOUR BORROWER CHALLENGE?????"

In the latter scenario, there is an actual borrower living in their apartment, who has to try and hide from the human while the human is going around trying (and usually failing) to do borrower things

(Borrowers are a known phenomenon in this world, but humans and borrowers rarely encounter each other

Borrowers are often seen as "backwards" and "savage" by humans and the "more evolved" tinies who live in integrated societies)

The human streamer inevitably finds out about the borrower when they explore the walls of their apartment and find the borrower's home in there

The borrower is worried that the human will react badly when they find out about them, and is especially scared about what they'll do when they go back to their normal size

But the human also has a secret: they aren't a normal human under a temporary shrinking spell, they are a size-shifter

(size-shifters also exist but are extremely rare, and their abilities are poorly understood, leading them to be viewed as dangerous and out of control

it is possible for size-shifters to control their abilities, but it takes a lot of time and practice)

Since the size-shifter is used to be A. small and B. misunderstood, they allow the borrower to stick around as their roommate

and then they fall in love

Also since the streamer had a lot of uncontrolled shifts before they learned to control their abilities, they're mostly playing up their reactions to being giant/tiny for the "first time" for the camera

That's all for now. I've got more ideas for this story, so let me know if you want a part 2. And maybe I'll find the time/motivation to write this story out for real at some point. I want to use the clickbait-y video titles as the titles for two different stories, so look out for those sometime in the future.

[rookthorne]

The ancient game of cat and mouse, a fight for survival between a predator and their prey, wasn’t a new phenomenon — it had been practised for centuries and it was an art that very, very few perfected. For years you had chased the craving to find someone that had mastered the art of the hunt, and for Halloween, you had gone all out and visited a haven unlike any other. 

It was there that you found your match. 

Cloaked in nothing but black and shrouded in a sense of lethality, you would have to run from this shadow in an adrenaline fuel haze unlike any other. A chase for the ages, the very one you desired. 

And if he caught you, your world would end as you knew it.

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑺𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑷𝑨𝑰𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮 》 Scare Actor!Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑺𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑲𝑬𝒀 》 𝐅

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑻𝑨𝑮𝑺 》 Fluff, spicy tension/implied spice, consensual stalking, primal, knife play 》 Friends to lovers, first dates, Modern/Halloween AU

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺 》 3 / 3

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑫 𝑪𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑻 》 12,036

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑺𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻 》 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑺𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑵𝑶𝑻𝑬𝑺 》 I had a random spur of inspiration slap me across the face and it sent me into a whole new generation of ideas. 》 This is a multichapter fic (part of my Fright Night event). 》 All of these chapters would not have happened if it was not for @smutconnoisseur beta'ing or offering her expertise in this area, nor would it have come to fruition without @thevillainswhore and @duckybarnes1917's hype and encouragement — thank you three so much.

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑺𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑩𝑬𝑻𝑨 》 @smutconnoisseur

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑨𝑹𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑽𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑶𝑾𝑵 》 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 — 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 》 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 — 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑨𝑫𝑫𝑰𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑨𝑳 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑻 》 Oneshots

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─── 𝐊𝐄𝐘 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

— 𝐀  = angst — 𝐖  = whump — 𝐈 = sick fic — 𝐃  = dark — 𝐃² = dead dove — 𝐏 = poly — 𝐊 = kid fic — 𝐅  = fluff — 𝐒  = smut

》 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄

𝑩𝑬𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑬, 𝑩𝑬𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑬𝑫

𝐅 • 3.6k

Rumours and tales had been spread of a character at the local Halloween Park that painted them in such a haunting light — they were a predator that even the bravest spook and adrenaline seekers feared, always alluding that he was far too ‘hardcore’ to trifle with.  Luckily for you, a target had been painted on your back, and you were about to experience one of the hardest escapes of your life.

》 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐓𝐖𝐎

𝑩𝑬𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑫 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑴𝑨𝑺𝑲

𝐅 • 5.0k

The mask that covered the Soldat both embodied the character and hid the man behind it, the cloak of his character so effective it was a shock when he cornered and isolated you, to ask you out on a date. Stranger things had happened, that you were sure of.

》 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍

𝑨 𝑮𝑨𝑴𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑪𝑨𝑻 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑴𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑬

𝐅 • 3.2k

It had come time for the final chase. Halloween had loomed in the back of your mind, until the night finally came. The Soldat’s promise from your first encounter rang true as you prepared — a promise that terrified and excited you in equal measure.  Time would only tell, and you had to hope you were ready for the final hunt.

》 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚 ⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄ 𝐅

The festive additions to Bucky’s Soldat costume had been a genius idea, you only had to work out the best way to bribe your boyfriend to go along with it, first.

》 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 ⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄ 𝐅

Bucky had more than one way to scare the living daylights out of you — it wasn’t just in his job description; it was in his nature.

》

》 𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭 ⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄   𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲

》 𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭 ⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄  𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲

》

[merelygifted]

Astrophotographer captures stunning views of northern lights and STEVE during brief encounter (photo & video) | Space

During a brief solar substorm overnight between July 31 and Aug. 1, full-time aurora chaser Justin Anderson proved that “being in the right place at the right time” pays off big time when it comes to hunting the northern lights.

“While editing the photos indoors, I noticed our all-sky camera was recording STEVE. I rushed back outside and captured the photo over our shed.” Anderson told Space.com in an email.

Anderson’s impressive photo shows STEVE arching and twirling against a beautiful backdrop starring the Milky Way in all its glory. Anderson also caught the dynamic northern lights putting on a great show too.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to see STEVE, let alone catch it on camera. In fact, the strange phenomenon was only formally discovered between 2015 and 2016 by citizen scientists according to the first study published on STEVE in Science Advances in 2018. …

[thebrightestwitchofherage]

Anti Zionism / antisemitism in the last of us fandom

I was scrolling through the last of us tag here and I came across this A/N

What you’re doing here is using the term Zionist as a derogatory term to describe a Jewish person.

Look, the creator is Israeli-American. Israelis are allowed to create things and exist in the public domain. The game has nothing to do with the conflict. if you don’t like the fact that the creator of your favourite show and game is Israeli, don’t watch/play it. It’s as a simple as that.

The only connection is that he’s Jewish Israeli. If you assume his work has some ulterior motive or hidden war propaganda , based on that- surprise, that’s antisemitic

Unfortunately , this is not the first time I’ve encountered this phenomenon

There are so many misguided donation links, posts and misinformation regarding the conflict/ anti Israel/ posts with plain antisemitic rhetorics in this fandom. It’s honestly so frustrating to see how you’re promoting such misinformation.

The game has nothing to with Israel/ Palestine. Stop projecting your propaganda on everything made by Israelis or Jews

Literally do a quick google search- Neil Druckmann , the creator , said he was inspired by other zombie games and games he was working on …

-

I am not going to tag any users or the user whose post I’ve added here as I don’t want to harass them.

What is important here is the message, not finger pointing at specific users.