#this is why he never wants to play the same game too much

[tooturtly]

Just so ppl know it does get better! I didn’t really have friends from ages 13-18, and even before then I always felt a little different (gay and neurodivergent). And yeah, it sucked. I thought I was doing everything right. I talked to people in class, I did extracurriculars, I was involved. But nobody was texting me unless it was about something school related. I wasn’t invited to anybody’s house. Twice the people I ate lunch with made homecoming plans but never invited me, I just showed up bc of how much they talked about it.

It finally took seeing the group of people I thought were my friends really overtly reject an openly neurodivergent guy from the friend group. Why? Because he talked too much, he was too sincere. It wasn’t any fault of his own. When I hung out with him in a smaller group, I had a blast. And I realized it wasn’t his fault or mine, but the people who I didn’t even like that much who were pushing me away. They were doing the same thing to both of us, and I should be pissed about it! (I still am, even know people change, it was still a shitty thing to do)

My senior year I finally put myself first and realized that having bad friends was worse than being alone. And I might as well be alone on my terms. I went to homecoming and prom by myself, I wore my own weird clothes and danced by myself just to have fun. I realized that going with those people had made me have less fun, because they hardly wanted to dance to the music if they didn’t know the song. I decided I was going to have fun and be my own person.

The only people I had who were friends were the older people at the game shop I went to. They were kind and patient with me when I didn’t know all the rules, and I’ve since lost touch with them but everyday I’m thankful that I had them in my life. Thank you for taking care of this weird teenager who was too loud and too pushy, and who you guided anyway! Thank you for humoring me!

And then I did find lasting friends. I graduated high school and found a group of amazing, nerdy, goofy people who I clicked with. We play D&D together, we eat together often, we share our stories, we talk and we laugh, we have inside jokes.

As I’ve gotten older I know I still have those moments. Even with my closest friends, I have doubts and anxieties about if they actually like me, if I’m a good and kind enough person to be able to sustain a friendship. Sometimes I think maybe I’m better off alone, because then any hurt I cause will only be me. I’ve never had friends before, I don’t know anything! Sometimes I think I’m too full of hurt to do anything but hurt. But I don’t trust those thoughts! My brain lies to me all the time! Those terrible twisted feelings never come from me, they come from a me that doesn’t know anything but pain and sorrow. I’m an entirely different person when the depression hits, and I’ve learned enough not to trust how I feel in those moments.

I know that I’m trying and my friends know it too. I’m not purposefully mean, I make amends when I make mistakes, which is all you can do because everyone makes mistakes. And I think about how much sadder my life would be without my support network. I would be miserable! Yeah I can do it alone, but I don’t want to! Doing it alone sucks! I love my friends! I don’t want to let them go, and they want me around. If my friends didn’t want me around, they’d tell me to pack it. Yet I’ve continued making friends, I find fun and weird people everywhere!

Fuck it, I’m gonna be me as much as I can! Life is terrible when you’re pretending to be someone else. And I’ve been lucky enough to find space irl where I can be me. If you can’t do that in person, go online, find community anywhere you can get it. I know I learned a lot from lurking online in high school.

My friends love me even though I have flaws, and I love them even though they have flaws. Including the anxiety and self doubt! Loving with flaws is human. Confidence is your armor against that self doubt. Even if it’s fake! Say fuck it and love your life, love yourself! The world is beautiful! Life is beautiful in those small moments laughing, in talking, in smiling.

Yes this is optimistic positivity! Because pessimism made me sad and being sad does not make you want to live! And I want to live. I made the choice once to live as much as I can. God’s tried to kill me twice and he has failed so far, so I will dance through life laughing.

I can still be depressed and I can still laugh! I can be lonely sometimes and still have friends! I can know that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel if I smile and greet the darkness as my friend.

On Isolation

[cherrycheolkat]

• random slutty thoughts - seungcheol •

seungcheol is a patient person - he knows you are trying to goad him into doing something and he doesn’t like it

the library is normally seungcheol’s sanctuary - it’s quiet - none of his roommates seem to know it exists - it’s his space

his only problem is you showing up and invading his space

there is literally every other place to sit, but do you sit in one of these other places? no. no, you sit directly across from him

even with a divider, he can hear every little sound you make

all the little sighs and random giggles are one thing, but when your foot bumps his repeatedly - he is sure he’s going to lose his fucking mind because why don’t you seem to know you’re annoying

in fact, he’s certain you’re the least self aware person to exist - personal space, what’s that for you anyway

but this is too much!

he’s had a rough day - back-to-back difficult classes - he’s gotten a snack and he just wants to stare at his computer and play games for like an hour without being bothered

but you are in his seat - you and your hair that smells really good (he had a class with you last semester, even sitting behind you was kind of annoying, but the impossible-to-name scent of your shampoo was something he did actually like)

he thinks of sitting elsewhere - but no, this is personal because you have to know what you’re doing

he approaches, huffy and pouty

he sees your screen and pauses - of course you’re playing the same game, but you still took his seat

when he taps your shoulder, you yelp and look back, face flushed

“what?!” your eyes are huge

he rolls his eyes, “you’re in my seat,” isn’t it obvious, he wants to add

you glance around and seem to realize, “oh - aren’t they all the same?”

he stares in disbelief, “no, they aren’t,” his voice is sharp

you sigh, “okay, princess, have your seat then,” you huff as you get up and collect your things

he doesn’t care for the remark, or the way it sticks in his brain like an earwig because really ‘princess’ was uncalled for

and when he happens to see you out the following night, you actually stop to talk to him

you smile cutely, “so princess, how’s the gameplay for you?”

he glares, he knows you just want to fluster him, “it’s fine,” he says coolly

but you’re not finished, you keep asking him questions - what kind of gameplay does he like - is he part of a guild

it’s only after you leave to get a drink that he realizes how long you’ve been talking to him - he wonders if you’ll come back or not

when you do reappear, you seem to be walking towards him, but you stop when another guy approaches

he decides he should go home anyway and starts to leave, tossing his cup in the bin as he heads for the door

he’s surprised when he feels someone pinch his ass and whips around

you’re standing there, staring, “who said you could leave? we haven’t even swapped game ids,” you pout

“did you just grab my ass?”

you nod, “yeah, it’s just so,” you sigh, “i just want to touch it, okay?”

he flushes slightly, “you have no understanding of personal space,” he tried to sound like he had some high ground to stand on

you laugh, “says the guy who played with my hair when he sat behind me!”

it was like he had been slapped, “that”— “i never!” he fumbled his reply

you are suddenly very close, “yes, you definitely did and i didn’t say anything because i thought it was kind of cute,” your lips brush his cheek

he swallows roughly, his mouth feeling dry

he feels your hand on his, the way you guide his hand between both of your bodies, then lower, he feels your hip, your low stomach - you keep pressing his hand lower, until his hand is between your legs, feeling the thin fabric of your shorts

he glances around quickly, sure that someone will see

“everyone is busy, princess, don’t look so worried,” he feels your hips press closer to his

he knows you absolutely don’t care that you’re surrounded by other people

he reflexively squeezes you, hearing your soft moan close to his ear, “play with me,” you whisper

“here?” he tries to sound confident, not insanely worried

“mhmm,” you hum as you kiss his neck, “make me come,” you whisper before softly nipping at his ear lobe

“can’t we go to the bathroom or something?” he tries again, hoping for a modicum of privacy

you sigh, “you’re such a worrier,” even as you pull away and head for the bathroom

once inside, you pull him close - the heat between you returning quickly

with a door between you and the rest of humanity, he was quick to unbutton your shorts and let them slide down her thighs, he marvels at your barely there panties and how wet they are

he pushes them to the side, working his fingers into you without a thought, and when you’re quiet, he’s almost disappointed

“this is when your quiet?” he needles

you smile and kiss him, “i can be quiet in the library too,” you quip

he’s surprised when you come quickly, he watches your cum dripping down to the bathroom floor - he’s amazed he got you off so well

he plays with your pussy idly, “that’s what i want to see you do in the library, leave a puddle under the desk,” he pushes his fingers back in - he’s sure your pussy basically sucks him in

you grin, “hmm, and here i was imagining sitting under the desk with your cock in my mouth,” you moan softly against his skin

he shrugs, working his fingers deeper, “it’s not like they’re mutually exclusive,” he reasons

you giggle, “fuck, stretch me more, princess - get me ready for your cock,” you mumble

he wonders if this has been your goal all along, but really who is he to question your motivation when you’re so wet and needy

[toomanyfish2]

FAV BKDK FIC RECS

split into short, medium, and long fics. under the break.

short fics

You're Mine? - Chapter 1 - s_the_queen - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

'Katsuki Bakugou and Izuku Midoriya endured a long and troubled road to get to where they are now. Maybe that's why they haven't noticed that they're dating even though everyone else has!'

Chapters: 7/24 | Words: 8,560

So, They're Dating, Right? - igniteloveignite - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own]

All the times everyone thought Katsuki and Izuku were dating, and the one time Katsuki realized he wished they were.

Chapters: 1/1 | Words: 5,022

Didn't I do it for you? - theburningbread - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

Deku has never been close with members of the Bakusquad, despite the squad’s best efforts. They were getting there as Bakugou and Deku’s friendship grew… but that friendship has been over for years. Mina wants to understand why they never got to be as close as she knew they could have been, so she asks. But, since she wants her friends to know as well she secretly calls Bakugou so he can hear too.

Chapters: 1/1 | Words: 15,430 | Angst w/ happy ending

all that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing - Chapter 1 - maxisnotokay - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

Izuku has had this thing about him that Katsuki has never been able to name, but he's been chasing it since he learned how to run. It takes a catastrophic building collapse during their third year and a severe concussion for him to realize what it is. Aizawa loses ten years off his life. When does he not.

Chapters: 3/3 | Words: 11,549

warm hands - Chapter 1 - flowercafe - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

A 5+1 featuring copious amounts of massaging, a dollop of mutual pining, many ridiculous competitions, Izuku’s achy joints, and one very tactile Katsuki.

Chapters: 4/5 | Words: 20,005

glowing skins and pleading fingers - mimisyum - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own]

In which Katsuki spent fourteen years resisting the urge to touch Izuku until it all becomes too much and he gives in. But maybe, just maybe, things don't go quite as badly as he expects.

Chapters: 1/1 | Words: 10,600

and the rest is rust and stardust - youreanovelidea - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

Kirishima likes to think that he knows his classmates pretty well. But sometimes, he looks at Bakugou and Midoriya and wonders if he even knows them at all. He wonders if anyone does. (or, Kirishima notices the moments hidden between childhood friends, offers encouraging words, and maybe kisses Kaminari in the process)

Chapters: 1/1 | Words: 8,587 | Side Kaminari/Kirishima

medium fics

i accidentally texted king explosion murder - Chapter 1 - tsundokushi - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

Izuku: Do you really think partnering with a copy of yourself will be good for the world? Vulgar Stranger: I. Don’t. Do. Partners. Izuku: Why thank you for sparing everyone the headache Vulgar Stranger: Since when are you fucking sassy Izuku: Wanna guess? Vulgar Stranger: Fuck u Izuku: :)

Chapters: 13/13 | Words: 64,439

An Extension Of Myself - Chapter 1 - igniteloveignite - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

Izuku got One for All but went to Shiketsu instead and ends up working at the same hero agency as one very confused, very turned-on Bakugou Katsuki.

Chapters: 14/14 | Words: 81,028

Dark Side of the Sun - Chapter 1 - Synnie - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

Staying up too late playing video games, Kirishima wasn't expecting to get an urgent call begging for help. Next thing he knew, he was letting his classmate Izuku Midoriya take refuge in his apartment - without consulting his always angry roommate.

Chapters: 20/20 | Words: 51,598 | AU - College/Uni

Immovable - Chapter 1 - asdfjkl129 - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

Bakugou and Midoriya get trapped under a building together. As Midoriya struggles to keep them both alive, refusing to give even an inch, Bakugou realizes some crucial things and refuses to leave without Midoriya by his side.

Chapters: 3/3 | Words: 76,094

long fics

promises kept - gabstar - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own]

'after barely surviving the war, katsuki swears to do right by izuku. no matter what it takes.'

Chapters: 10/10 | Words: 125,657

Kamikaze - Chapter 1 - Katsukimchi - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

'After being injured in a villain fight, Katsuki needs someone to take care of him. The only problem is - the Bakusquad is sick of his inability to accept help. So they send in the only person who's ever been able to tolerate Katsuki at his worst: Midoriya Izuku.'

Chapters: 37/37 | Words: 197,482

Before Midnight - Chapter 1 - DriftingGlass - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

Izuku Midoriya takes the same train to and from school Monday through Friday, morning and night. His only company during these lonesome hours comes in the form of another boy his age—a teen with scarred hands and blood gem eyes, a stranger with ash-blond hair who walks in a shroud of danger and mystery. "Would you stop with that fucking muttering, idiot?"

Chapters: 28/28 | Words: 211,528 | AU - Organised Crime

Hummingbird Heartbeat - Chapter 1 - Tokiji - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

“The knife went through his fucking chest, Kirishima.” Katsuki spat his name into his face, mouth twisting into a vicious snarl, teeth and all. “You know that's where his heart is, right? And his fucking lungs? All the vital shit?” Kirishima blanched. “I-I know, I just meant—” “What, you mean to tell me that your stupid fuckin’ ass is so ignorant to forget that he lost a shit ton of blood, hah?! Yeah, it was a flippin’ knife wound, oh hoo-ray, but look at the nerd now! He’s fucking dying because of it!”

Chapters: 28/? | Words: 136,922 | Angst w/ happy ending

Disillusioned - Chapter 1 - Rain_Whistler - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

After learning how some people are treated in a quirk-based society and how little anyone is willing to help. Katsuki makes it his mission to save his first and only friend.

Chapters: 37/? | Words: 182,789 | Quirkless Midoriya Izuku

Tell Me When You're Drowning - Chapter 1 - ThyNameNotSpoken - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

Izuku is in the Support Course, perfectly happy having given up his dream of being a Hero long ago. It’s just not possible for him with the nature of his quirk. As long as he continues to manage his quirk, life should be easy sailing. . . right? The teachers of UA think otherwise and become particularly concerned when he and Hatsume help in a training course. All his life, Izuku has kept moving foward. It's how he survived. But if he wants to keep moving forward, he will have to finally face his past

Chapters: 34/34 | Words: 226,705 | Support Course Deku

From The Sidelines - Chapter 1 - suffocatingspring - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia [Archive of Our Own]

When long-time enemies, Bakugo Katsuki--the all-star athlete and rascal of Ise--and Izuku Midoriya, the town sweetheart, are paired together for a long-term project, the quiet beachside town of Ise suddenly gets a bit louder. In which, Katsuki is an asshole pole vaulter, Izuku is going to fail psychology, and both are about to have the most intense spring semester yet.

Chapters: 14/14 | Words: 404,533 | AU - Highschool

[loverboysturn]

˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊ popular!matt and smart!reader meet for the first time !!

finally an introduction blurb to these two!!!!! eeek so excited about them :)

note: these two are from the same universe as popular!chris and cinderella!reader which you can find everything for here.

asks & requests are always open for this au.

matt has been failing classes for months.

it’s not something he was particularly proud of, and at first he wasn’t entirely bothered by it. the after-game parties, the endless practice sessions, and keeping up with whichever cheerleader was pining over him were enough to keep his focus elsewhere. but now, the failures were piling up and the pressure was all starting to feel a little too much. coach had called him into his office, bright and early, making it clear that if his grades didn’t see an improvement soon, his place on the team was at risk.

the truth was, unlike chris, football had never really been matt’s dream.. it was more his father’s. he played because his dad pushed him into it, and he didn’t want to let him down. he knew that if he got kicked off the team, it wouldn’t just be the end of his time on the field; it would be something his dad would never let him hear the end of. the weight of that expectation felt suffocating at times, but matt couldn’t afford to disappoint him. not now, not ever.

so, here he was, standing in front of the only thing that could save him, the tutor center on campus. if swallowing his pride and begging for help was the only way to keep his spot on the team, then so be it. he’d do whatever it took to keep his dad from finding out just how close he really was to losing it all.

matt pushed open the door, stepping into the tutor center, a place he had never thought to visit before. the air feeling heavy with the scent of black coffee, the walls lined with posters full of motivational quotes on them. he felt like the outsider, for the first time.

and then, he notices you.

you were sitting in the corner of the room, piles of textbooks and notebooks stacked around you. your fingers flying over the keypad of the laptop infront of you, brow furrowed in concentration, completely absorbed in whatever you were working on, as if nothing else around you existed.

matt hesitated, feeling suddenly unsure of himself. he wasn’t used to being in a place like this, he wasn’t used to feeling like he didn’t belong, but with a deep breath, he stepped forward, heading straight towards your desk.

“hey,” he says, voice breaking the silence. “i’m matt.”

you glance up at him, eyes narrowing slightly, before going back to typing, not giving him much more than a brief glance.

“i know exactly who you are,” you replied, your voice was flat, not looking up from your laptop, “everyone talks about you and your friends.”

he chuckled, though it was definetely more out of discomfort than anything, “all good things i hope.”

you didn’t answer, the room filling back with an awkward silence.

matt glanced around at the empty room surrounding you both, placing his hands awkwardly in his pockets, then his gaze goes straight back to you, before he cuts straight to the point. “look, i’m not gonna lie to you. i need help. badly. i’m failing most of my classes, and coach says if i don’t sort my shit out then i’m off the team. and if that happens, my dad… he won’t let me live it down. i need you to tutor me.”

his popular facade was starting to crumble, the embarrassment creeping in as he said the words aloud. he wasn’t used to this, asking for help and it made him feel vulnerable.

you study him for a moment, like you were really taking in every word. “you want me to tutor you?”

matt nodded eagerly, wanting so bad to make this work. “please. i’m not asking for a miracle. i just really need to pass, that’s all. i won’t make shit complicated, you won’t even have to deal with me for very long.”

you dropped the pen you had been chewing the lid of, crossing your arms and looking straight at him. “and why should i help you?”

he could feel the weight of your gaze, the way you were looking into him so intensely was making him feel almost… nervous, another feeling he wasn’t used to. “because you’re the smartest girl on campus, right?” he says, a false confident tone in his voice. “everyone knows it and i know you don’t want to help me out because i’m on the football team, but i really, really, really need this. please.”

matt felt his heart starting to race, he didn’t know what he would do if you said no, but he wasn’t backing down. “i’m not like them,” he says, referring to his teammates. “i’ll do all the work you ask, i won’t waste a second of your time.”

you studied him for a long moment. he could see you were trying to decide if you believed him or not, but you know you needed to benefit from this too.

“fine,” you sigh loudly, “i’ll help you, but only if you get your teammates to lay off my best friend when you’re all at the diner. i’m not going to help you if they keep making her shifts miserable.”

matt blinked, taken aback. “what? i can’t contr—“

you cut him off, instantly, “then no tutoring.”

he hesitated for a second, he hadn’t expected this, but he knew he had no other choice. “alright. i’ll talk to them. but you promise you’ll really help me pass?”

you nod, “if you follow through with your side of the deal and you turn up to every session, then yes, i will help you.”

matt met your gaze, his expression a mix of determination and uncertainty. “deal.”

you push your laptop aside, replacing the empty gap with a textbook from one of the many piles next to you. “we’ll start tomorrow morning before classes start, 7 o clock, don’t be late.”

he stands there for a moment, internally grateful you hadn’t completely shut him down like he had truly anticipated happening, “i’ll be here at 7 o clock on the dot, i won’t be late, not even by a second. i really appreciate this, you’re savin’ my ass big time.” he grins, before turning to leave.

“and matt,” you call out after him, just before he reaches the door. “please don’t make me regret this.”

[guzmawife]

🍓: he had no job when i met him but now he works at a high school as an errand boy / security (his children attend said school). hes the guy they call in when a real teacher needs to use the bathroom so he can watch the class. or to retrieve some papers from the printer. go get me that thing boy.

🍒: probably just chilling at home with snacks and movies and fast food. or chillen at the beach. 🏝️

🍎: tapu cocoa.. we all know dis.. hot sweet drinks…

🍉: hes not religious other than believing that a higher power exists. hi arceus..

🍑: totally more comfortable giving gifts. hes used to taking care of others so it’s pretty natural for him to be giving. he has no issue receiving but its not rlly a priority since he didnt come from much so hes used to not rlly asking for much.

🍊: i make him peel it. he knows my paws and claws have to stay clean… he’s comfortable with getting dirty and i am not!

🥭: no i domt think so. his dad was a prick and said shit like. Youre not a woman so you dont need those. fuckkkk that guy.

🍍: probably him being mentally manipulated and abused! 😿 killing all the people that taught him he wasn’t anything and made him feel like he had to act out in order to prove himself to others. hhhggffg. he deserves to be loved.

🍌: he likes to be in the dark. das it. no specific reason why.

🍋: he would probably change his hothead nature bc he doesn’t like how quickly he gets upset and makes bad decisions. and his hairline.

🍋‍🟩: he tells people if you squish bugs more will keep showing up. as a joke. heehe. sorry im gonna squish them still im a pussy.. thats probably why they keep showing up though. i have an actual curse. maybe he’s right man…

🍈: he thinks fate is bogus and if you want something to happen you have to make it happen.

🍏: hes bisexual and questioning demisexuality, he learned of his bisexuality through being in denial of liking the same sex and being like. This is ruining my tough guy personality. This can’t be. but then it kept happening and he was like man fuck this whatever. what the hell sure. he became normal. he’s still figuring out the demisexuality, to put it simply he just doesnt want to engage in sexual acts with anyone unless he has a genuine connection to them. it also just feels better for him. sorry for airing out your business Anywayyyyyy. Anyway.

🍐: he’s a nail biter its kinda gross sorry man. his nails are short always so i make him do short nail tasks since my nails are usually pretty long. i think he bounces his legs sometimes too. he knows i hate that shit thou so he tries not to. usually i just leave so he can shake all he wants. then hes like what wait no….

🥝: he would totally let me do his makeup. we’re both pretty lazy when it comes to makeup so we don’t so anything complex. i just do mascara and corner highlights and SOMETIMES lipstick and that’s it. #autistic i cant stand having too much shit ok my face. this isn’t even about me brah. he does simple makeup too since he’s just not super experienced. he just tries things sometimes but he’s not a professional. he just wants to look cool.

🫒: he’s a big hugger he squeezes too tight but it feels good though…. (´ ω `♡) he likes to be hugged too! yey!

🫐: definitely more of an artist he actually keeps a sketchbook. right brained yeah.

🍇: if we never met i think he might still be getting himself into some trouble tbh. he’s pretty stubborn.

🥥: he draws he plays games. he works out. he cooks. i think he would want to get into gardening but his location doesn’t allow for it since it’s always fucking raining.

🍅: i think he would get me testosterone or something that i can’t possibly get safely right now. or like. my own living space. or some rare pokemon card / plush that costs more than an organ online. sigh. or probably 1 billion dollars. muhehw.

🌶️: he drinks ginger ale. ginger ale the ultra cure.

🫚: hes not picky. he cant eat beans bc hes allergic to them. but i dont think hes picky since he has to make sure his kids eat first. so he eats whatevers left from them. leftover amalgamation.

🥕: he didnt like them but he ate them anyway bc his parents were mean :(

🧅: he cries when hes angry like super fuming. and when hes thinking about his past. hes just mad at himself for what happened and how he handled things. Basically. getting manipulated and taken advantage of makes him upset and he cries. he doesnt cry at movies unless he relates to them.

🌽: does bugs counts as animal. He likes dogs. and isopods. and other sea creatures.

🥦: pet peeves are getting called ‘boy’ or ‘kid’. i used to call him boy all the time just by habit and he would Not like that. “I’m not a boy. I’m a man. stop callin me dat…” okaaayyy whatevar. he doesnt have an issue with me calling him dude tho. despite being his lover. which is a little funny. um what else. people not knocking before entering. leaving empty cartons and stuff in the fridge or cabinet. ppl telling him he looks tired. or people calling him old. not that he has an issue with old people (😽) but its like. How did you even reach that conclusion.

🥒: hes afraid of ultra beasts a little.. specifically uh whats its name. nihilego. that bird that i hate. middle finger emoji. hes like. a little more hesitant with UBs than regular mons. he’s also got a fear of getting lost.

🥬: beige flags auumm i hate his ugly fucking sunglasses. and when he says. ya boy (pinches the space between my brows). peeing with the door open. he does that thing where u can feel him looking at you waiting to turn around during the movie so he can kiss you. theres probably more. im very good at complaining.

🫛: he loves to think of new pet names for me to see how i will react. he’d be like. “goodnight honeypie” and id be like “oh…. yeah… 😽” he also likes them too but most of the time i just call him musham or guzma bc i like saying his name. then he’s like. Why dont you call me anything else…. (sad puppy eyes). he likes when i call him mumu or honey. i calll him princess sometimes but its rare. princess is like his top pet name for me. meeooww. sometimes i call him Boss. thats For when. Im teasing Him. That one Makes his Ears turn Red. For special Occasions. meow.

🫑: he’s had a number of near death experiences so he’s pretty afraid of death. he has no lofty life goals. he just wants his family safe. wants to travel too and have good genuine relationships.

🥑: not super niche but cosmetics and nail art. he also likes cooking and insects and drawing. just things he grew to like from being around his family. or trying to distract himself from his own issues.

🍠: he likes to go to the beach and sit listening to the waves (same). he also likes to paint his or others nails when he’s bored. “gimme yer hands i wanna try sumn”. yknow.

🍆: favorite scent is meeeeeee… i kid i kid. probably like. Ugh. baked goods. Sugar smell. Rain smell 👎🏾 i hate rain smell but he likes it. i don’t think he has any specific least favorite smells other than the usual like peepee and caca yknow.

🧄: allergic to beans

🥔: he makes japanese curry a lot. easy to make in large portions for his 75million children. i like rice so he usually makes rice dishes for me. i don’t cook very often but when i do its cultural foods since he doesn’t know those recipes. he likes those. yom. he wants to learn baking but just hasn’t had the chance or motivation.

🍄‍🟫: i think he would wanna be a mewtwo or something. super strong and cool nonchalant. if we’re talking irl mytho creatures, cerberus. that guy cool as shit. #swagger.

this took me three whole days to answer. enjoyable experience rlly made me think. sorry for any typos i used swipe typing for parts of this 😿.

@sylvie-wants-your-dogs hi : )

the ULTIMATE f/o infodumping ask game!

(this is gonna be a long one...)

🍓 - disregarding the career your f/o currently has, what other career would they consider going into, if given the chance?

🍒 - if your f/o and you spend a day doing anything, anything at all, what would they do and why?

🍎 - what's your f/o's favorite drink? any drink, alcoholic or non alcoholic!

🍉 - is your f/o religious? what's their opinion on religion or spirituality?

🍑 - is your f/o more comfortable giving or receiving gifts? why? do they have any preferences on gifts they like receiving?

🍊 - if you asked your f/o to peel an orange for you, what would they do?

🥭 - did your f/o have stuffed animals growing up? do they still have stuffed animals? do they have a favorite?

🍍 - if you could change any one thing about your f/os backstory/character, what would you change? why?

🍌 - does your f/o have a vendetta against The Big Light™? what kind of lighting do they prefer?

🍋 - if your f/o could change one thing about themselves, what would they change and why?

🍋‍🟩 - is your f/o superstitious? is there any habits they follow or quirks they have to follow said superstitions? like not opening umbrellas indoors to avoid back luck?

🍈 - does your f/o believe in fate? do they thing everything is preplanned out by the universe or a higher power, or do they think that the idea of fate is bogus? why?

🍏 - if you have any queer headcanons for your f/o, how did they realize they were queer?

🍐 - does your f/o have any nervous ticks or idle quirks they do? like mindlessly tapping on a desk or fiddling with their hair when they're stressed?

🥝 - would your f/o ever let you do their make-up? what does their make-up process look like? is it simple? complex?

🫒 - what kind of hugger is your f/o? do they give good hugs? do they like hugs? do they like receiving hugs?

🫐 - is your f/o more of a writer or an artist? would you say your f/o is more left or right brained?

🍇 - if you and your f/o never met, what do you think your f/o would be doing right now?

🥥 - what hobbies does your f/o have? is there any hobby they would like to get into that they haven't tried out yet? what is it?

🍅 - if your f/o could buy you any gift in the world, whether it exists or not, what would they buy you? or, if they could make you something, what would it be?

🌶️ - does your f/o have any remedies they follow when they get sick? like taking a shot of whiskey to get rid of a fever?

🫚 - is your f/o a picky eater? is there any foods they will not under any circumstances, gun to their head, eat?

🥕 - when your f/o was little, did they dislike vegetables? do they still dislike them?

🧅 - what makes your f/o cry? do they get emotional at sad movies or books? do they only get emotional under very rare circumstances?

🌽 - does your f/o have a favorite animal? what is it? are they scared of any animals?

🥦 - does your f/o have any pet peeves? things that just really really get on their nerves? what are they and why?

🥒 - what's your f/o afraid of? do they have any phobias? anything minor they're scared of?

🥬 - what are some beige flags your f/o has? so, not bad, but not nessecarily good either. just. "oh. you do This."

🫛 - how does your f/o feel about pet names or nicknames? do they like them? hate them? what are their favorites and least favorites to be called and to use?

🫑 - how does your f/o feel about death? are they afraid of it? is there anything specific they'd like to do before they die?

🥑 - is there any niche topics your f/o is interested in? what are they and why do they like them?

🍠 - what are a few of your f/os favorite pastimes or things that they do when they're bored?

🍆 - does your f/o have a favorite scent? why is it their favorite? do they have a least favorite scent?

🧄 - does your f/o have any allergies? food or otherwise?

🥔 - does your f/o have any food dishes they make often? is there any foods you make for your f/o that they enjoy?

🍄‍🟫 - if your f/o could be any mythological species, what would they be? if your f/o is already a mythological species, would they ever want to be human?

I recommend practicing reblog karma ! people love infodumping about their f/os :) I also recommend sending more than one emoji at a time,,, there are Many here...!!!

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

For any skeletons who play video games, S/O friend encourages them to play a 1-player horror game. Though S/O is willing to try it, they warn the skeletons ahead of time that because the horror game gives you the option to hide if the killer happens to see u S/O will hide and never come out, S/O admits there a scardy cat when it comes to horror games.

It just takes a little encougment to get S/O to leave the room and continue with the game... even though as soon as they see a glimpse of the killer/ hear the killer or the music changes, they immediately go back to hiding... the killer has to be waiting to ambush them as soon as they get out they just know it.

Would skeletons help carry S/O through the game? Are they both getting jumpscared? Would skeletons take over while S/O watches them play? How will it go?

Undertale Sans - He would take over... If watching you having the scare of your life wasn't that funny. Sans is pretty much watching you play with a bucket of popcorn, really entertained right now. He's mostly watching you and not the TV because your reactions are hilarious. He can't get over your face every time you get jumpscared.

Undertale Papyrus - Papyrus is also focused on the game, but despite his best intentions, he's definitely not helping. Papyrus thinks the game is too easy and keeps trying to convince you the puzzles are way harder than what they're supposed to be, which leads to you running in circles again and again instead of pushing a damn lever. You're both getting jumpscare a hundred times, but Papyrus refuses to take the controller as he insists you're the one who needs to solve the puzzle because it's not fun otherwise. He also won't accept you cowarding away as an answer. You just want to curl up and cry.

Underswap Sans - Blue loves horror games, they're really exciting. Unfortunately, he also loves watching you get miserable every time you get jumpscared... And he's jumpscaring you as well. He can't help it. Every time he sees you extremely tense, he lunges at you, making you scream in fear. Bonus point when it happens at the same time as the monster on the screen. He can't get bored of this. You hate him so much right now.

Underswap Papyrus - Honey is even more terrified than you are. When you're not fast enough to hide, he takes the controller from your hands and runs into the nearest closet himself lmao. You're stressing him out. His soul can't take that game for much longer! And damn he was right. At the first jumpscare, he screams at the top of his lungs then passes out on your lap lol. Good luck to move now.

Underfell Sans - He thinks you're exaggerating a lot and that the game is not that scary. That's when you say that if it's such a smartass, he's the one who should play. As usual, Red is all big mouth and everything until he actually has to do the things. Taunting is one thing, playing for real is a second one. Oh, he's going to do it, because he's no chicken, but you can see him get paler and paler by the second. At the first jumpscare, the controller flies through the TV and Red jumps to hide behind the couch, all puffed up like a scared cat. You can't stop laughing. Well. He's pouting now.

Underfell Papyrus - Edge doesn't understand what's the big deal. It's just a game. It's not real? It's not even that scary. He's judging you so hard, wondering what happened in your life to not make the difference between fiction and reality. After an hour, he's tired of watching you struggle, sighs loudly, takes the controller from your hands, and finishes the game in half an hour. See? That's not that complicated. Why are you overreacting like that?

Horrortale Sans - He's no help. Watching your character run away on screen, it's... *yawns* tiring... him... up. After ten minutes you feel a big weight on your shoulder as Oak collapses on you and falls asleep. No jumpscare or scream will wake him up. He's too far gone. You feel so lonely right now.

Horrortale Papyrus - He's frustrated that you keep hiding. He wants to know what's next in the story! You're so slow he's shaking! Please, for the love of Asgore, let him play. He can't stand seeing you hiding every two minutes or so, or passing in front of important objects without seeing them. PLEASE. HE BEGS YOU. FOCUS. You didn't know Willow could be that affected by a video game, that's kind of funny.

Swapfell Sans - Ah, he loves supernatural shit. No, he doesn't! You can see him jump even more than you do every time something scary happens, and that's the second time he almost impale the TV with a bone. He's doing his best to not look affected by what's going on, but that's all a facade. It's actually too much for him after an hour and he leaves to do something else lol. That night, you notice he locked the door of your room and put the wardrobe in front of it, just in case.

Swapfell Papyrus - You swear he's running straight into the killer to see you get jumpscared. Rus is not scared at all, he thinks that's hilarious how scared you are and he can't help but ruin the game for you either by making funny comments during the scary moments or scaring you on purpose when you give him the controller. He loves gaming with you. You two should do that more often.

Fellswap Gold Sans - Wine doesn't want to play because he thinks it's too cliche the monster following you is a monster. That game is making fun of monsters and it's not even realistic. Everyone knows monsters can hear well and so hiding in closets won't save you. To prove it to you, later that day, he jumpscares you by jumping out of a closet, making you scream in terror. ... Wait, you didn't hear him? Are humans stupid??? How did you survive for this long without any survival instinct? That seems ridiculous.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - Coffee is playing the same way you are, except that when he gets jumpscared, he drops the controller and refuses to play again before at least two hours lol. That's two days now you're in the same corridor. You can't move on because you have to sneak behind the killer and none of you want to do it. You end up giving up that game and go to play Mario Kart instead lol.

[a99jazzybean]

Why do we Keep Playing These Games?

Chapter 3: Beg

Ch.1/ Ch2.

synop: College TA au

Jayce Talis... He's your unrequited sworn enemy. You are the object of his obsessive affections. After discovering your disdain toward him, He decides to win your heart... Through playing games. Winner gets to make the loser do whatever they want. You'll take him up on the bet, but what will happen if he wins?

words: 5K

includes: jaycexfem!reader, sexual implications, sexual tension, enemies to lovers, humiliation, betting

The first day of school had arrived. Humidity clung to your skin as you made your way across campus. It was going to be a boiler today, and not just because of the weather. While you were anxious about starting the first year of your masters, the thing at the top of your mind that you were really concerned about was your deal with Jayce. After your first office hours that night, you were going to have your first game. If he won… no, you couldn’t imagine that. You weren’t much for superstition, but just in case, you didn’t want to somehow manifest a win for the man. 

Briskly walking, you clenched your palms. Attempting to squeeze out the anxiety coursing through you. Once you made it to the physics building, you paused. Taking a deep breath as you were about to open the door. Before you could push it open, a large hand reached over your head and pushed it open for you. Craning your head you felt a rush of heat as your eyes met honeyed hazel ones. They were practically sparkling with excitement. A wide smile plastered on his face. 

“Morning!” He said, way too cheerily. 

“Morning.” You mumbled back, charging forward. 

Attempting to outpace him was a futile effort. He casually strode along with you, that damned smile never leaving his face. Behind you, you heard the familiar sound of a cane clacking on the tile. You slowed, allowing Viktor to catch up to you. In hopes that it would prevent the object of your disdain, from speaking with you. 

“Please, don’t wait on me. I’m going to the same place you are.” Viktor said. 

Viktor was technically not working this class period, but Heimerdinger wanted all three of you to attend all of the classes during syllabus week since you were “resources” for all of the students, regardless of what section you helped instruct. 

Thankfully, none of you had classes that overlapped with Heimerdingers today, so it worked in your favor to be introduced to all of the students. Sadly, that meant you would be spending the majority of your day with Jayce. 

You  were all aiding in six courses that Heimerdinger taught. Three were introduction to physics, the others were secondary level courses. Two you would work with Jayce and the other two you would work with Viktor. The three of you had various office hours during the week that any student could attend for assistance. You disliked the fact that many of your hours overlapped with Jayce’s, but it couldn’t be helped. The first of your shared office hours were that night. While the likelihood of students coming in was slim, you were required to work 20 hours a week. So you were stuck with him for three hours that evening. 

The three of you arrived at the giant lecture hall in the physics building. Professor Heimerdinger was already inside preparing his syllabus day presentation. Jayce, ever the gentleman, opened the door for you and Viktor. You mumbled a thanks and rolled your eyes. Viktor pat the man on the shoulder as his face fell from your response. No matter, he had plenty of time to win you over. Plus, you had your first game that night. 

Jayce could barely sleep the previous night. It wasn’t because of his excitement for the school year. No, it was because of the anticipation for the game you were going to play. Based on your clear determination, he had no doubt you were going to continue to play with him. No matter what the bet would be, or if you lost. You were too driven to win. Something he adored about you, but you didn’t seem to notice. He would make you realize it though. His intentions were clear with you, and he wasn’t planning on hiding them. 

“Ah, my star pupils!” Heimerdinger turned to you as you entered the room. 

He shuffled over to you, offering his hand to each of you. His cheery cheeks red, a soft smile hidden under his large moustache. 

“Well, how are you feeling? Any first day jitters?” He asked.

“I’m excited, professor.” You said, giving him a polite smile.

“As am I.” Viktor chimed in. 

“Yeah, really excited!” Jayce looked at you when you spoke. 

You ignored his gaze, and the red rising to your cheeks. 

“Well, I’m very excited to have you three working together! Especially since you are all such good friends! It’s always important that colleagues get along, and you’ve already checked that box off!”

You were taken aback at that statement. Giving Viktor a questioning look, who returned with a confused shrug. Then your gaze turned to Jayce, your eyes narrowing in accusation. 

“Right.” You said lowly. 

Heimerdinger was seemingly oblivious to the tension that had suddenly appeared in the room and continued to ramble. Jayce avoided your searing gaze, feeling sweat prickle at his forehead. 

“Well, now that we’re all here I’ll prepare you before the students get here.” The short man walked over to a large stack of papers. He split them into thirds and handed each of you a stack.

“That’s the syllabus. You’ll pass these out as I’m completing attendance. Then I’ll introduce you to the class!”

A few minutes later students began to arrive in the room. They filled up most of the seats in the lecture hall. As Heimerdinger took roll, you walked up and down the rows handing out the syllabi. Afterwards, joining Viktor and Jayce at the front. 

“Now class, I would like to introduce you to my teaching assistants this semester!” Heimerdinger motioned to the three of you. “Would you like to introduce yourselves and your studies?” 

Jayce stepped forward, beaming at the class.

“I’m Jayce Talis, currently on track to getting my masters in applied physics.” The man turned to you to introduce yourself. 

“I’m y/n. Studying for my masters in theoretical physics.” 

“And I’m Viktor. Studying applied physics as well.”

Heimerdinger smiled at the three of you. 

 “Jayce and y/n will be your official TA’s in this course, but Viktor will be available to assist you during his office hours.” 

The rest of the period went by slowly. Heimerdinger going on about the requirements for his course and grade percentages. You spent it sitting idly, just waiting for the period to be over. Begging for the time to pass faster as Jayce decided to sit next to you. Giving you puppy dog eyes while you attempted to avoid looking at his gaze. It was his attempt to catch your attention, and it was mostly catching your irritation. He nudged your shoulder, making you whip your head and glare at him. The expression on your face doing nothing to deter the man. Instead, making him smile as you finally looked at him.

“What?” You hissed through your teeth. 

He leaned close to you, making you catch a whiff of his cologne. Oh, okay he smelled really good. Wait, no, now is not the time. You raised a brow, waiting for him to speak.

“I just wanted to say you look nice today.” He gave you a sweet smile that tugged at your heart. 

You mentally shook off the reaction to his words. Whatever, he was your opponent. You wouldn’t allow yourself to waver from some kind words. 

Looking over your outfit you huffed. Sure, you had to look nice. Heimerdinger was very clear of his expectations for you and your compatriots. He expected you to be dressed prim and proper for all of his classes except for Fridays. Designating them as “casual Fridays.”

“Just like at an actual workplace.” He said, giving one of those cheery smiles of his. 

You worked up a smile to return to Jayce. Speaking through grinding teeth.

“Thanks.” 

He softly chuckled. Leaning back, a smirk on his face. 

At the end of the period the new students milled around you and the other TA’s asking questions about the course. From the corner of your eye you spotted the group around Jayce clearly attempting to flirt with the man. Jayce knew what the younger students were doing, he was hoping that you might be a tad jealous at the attention he was receiving. Instead you just rolled your eyes and continued speaking to the student in front of you. It didn’t bother you, this wasn’t your first rodeo being around Jayce. The man was a magnet for attention from everyone, you weren’t surprised that fresh new students were attracted to his charm. Again, the man was objectively attractive. No one could argue that. Plus, you knew he wasn’t one to entertain them. 

After seeing you ignore him, Jayce’s cheery smile fell. He watched as you continued to discuss whatever it was with the student before you. His jaw tightening as you didn’t even give him a passing glance. Instead, giving all of your attention to your conversation. 

“So Heimerdinger’s a good professor, right?” The man in front of you asked. You believe his name was Sam, if you could recall correctly.

“Uh, yeah. Do you have any questions about the course?” You personally didn’t enjoy small talk. 

“Oh um…” The student was taken aback at your bluntness. “Oh I guess…”

You tapped your foot impatiently. 

“How easy is the course?” He asked.

“Depends on if you’re willing to put in the work.”

“Can you help with that?” He asked. There was something suggestive behind the question, making you cringe inwardly. 

Before you could respond, a strong hand grasped the guy’s shoulder. Jayce had on one of his bright smiles, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Of course we can! That’s our job after all!” He told the student, a slight hint of malice behind the otherwise cheery tone. 

“Right.” You said, giving him a questioning look.

The student looked over his shoulder. Slightly sweaty as he caught the irritation in Jayce’s eyes. 

“O-okay. Good to know.” He shook the large hand off of his shoulder. “Well I look forward to working with you guys.” He squeaked before making a quick getaway. 

Jayce puffed out his chest, glad the student was out of the way. Specifically away from receiving your attention. He smiled at you, making your gut twist. 

“What was that about?” You huffed in irritation. 

“Just helping you out with answering student’s questions.” He stated cheerily. 

“Yeah, more like subtly threatening them.” You muttered. 

Jayce leaned closer to you. His proximity making you shiver. 

“Well, you didn’t seem like you wanted to be having that conversation any longer. Thought I could assist.” 

“Right, cause you weren’t concerned that another man was speaking with me at all.” You raised your brow at him, making the man look down in embarrassment. “Am I wrong?”

“N-no…” His cheeks burned as you’ve caught him. “I just didn’t appreciate it.”

Groaning, you turned away from him. You didn’t realize how easily jealous the man could be. Just to make it worse though, you decided to push him.

“It’s not like I cared when you had that gaggle of students checking you out and batting their eyelashes for your attention.” 

Jayce’s jaw tightened. He knew you were just trying to get to him, but it was working. 

“Well you don’t seem to care about me all that much anyways.” He said, hurt laced in his voice. 

Viktor stood nearby, overhearing your spat. He cringed at Jayce’s last response. 

You froze up, then turned back to Jayce. Expression softening. It was the first day of school, you shouldn’t be working each other up so soon. 

That didn’t seem to matter to Jayce though. Instead he was plotting up what he would be wagering during your chess game that night. You weren’t playing nice, fine. That just meant that he wouldn’t be either. Sure, he was ultimately trying to get your heart, but the man felt he needed to teach you a lesson. If you wanted to make him hurt, he’d make you hurt as well. 

“I’m sorry. That was rude of me.” You said. 

While Jayce’s own expression softened, his resolve didn’t crumble. He’d make you see. He had to. Something primal inside him needed to prove to you his abilities. While you understood he was extremely intelligent, he needed you to see he had more to offer you. And to make sure that you would accept those offerings. He knew that he could get you to like him, you just needed to see how good he could be. 

“It’s fine.” Jayce huffed, then let a small smile find his face.

You could tell he was still affected by your little spat, but hoped he would get over it soon enough. After all, you had extended a truce of sorts. At least you had apologized. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Too soon you found yourself tucked into the cramped office with Jayce. Checking the time on your phone you groaned internally. There was still an hour left before your office hours were over. Which meant you had to play your first game with the man. Jayce was very chipper after seeming off earlier in the day. He was giddy for your game. Ready to absolutely cream you at chess and make you do what he pleased. And boy did he have quite the wager. 

You had spent the day trying to figure out what you would make Jayce do when you won your game against him. After passing through many ideas you landed on having the man clean your apartment. Due to the hectic beginning of your masters program, you knew you were not going to have much time to clean it. Not that you were a slob or anything, just that you had more dishes piled in the sink than you wished to deal with. Your compromise, having Jayce do the cleaning for you. The man was a very clean person, you were sure it would be an easy job. And you could lounge on your couch and watch as he became your personal maid for a day. Yeah, that would be quite nice. The thought brought a smile to your face. 

“What are you so pleased about?” Jayce’s voice broke you out of your daydream. 

“Oh nothing. Just how I’m going to enjoy my win after our match.” You said smugly. 

The smirk and glint in your eyes causing butterflies to churn in Jayce’s stomach. He chuckled at your cockiness. 

“Right, because you’re definitely going to win.” He said sarcastically.

“Uh, yeah, obviously. You think I’m going to let you beat me? Nice try, Talis.” You scoffed. 

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.” He bit his lip after the term of endearment. Red bloomed on your face, that you begged to calm down. 

You hadn’t ever spent this much time in close proximity with the man, and to your dismay, you had somewhat enjoyed it. So much for “sworn enemy”. You had to at least try to keep a strand of your dignity. But you were failing quite miserably at it. Especially when it was so easy for him to get a laugh out of you. A laugh that had the man wishing he could rewind time just so he could hear it over and over again. Beautiful, chiming, with the tiniest hint of an adorable snort. God, you were something. Something Jayce desperately needed more of. If this was how your office hours were going to go, he would gladly work overtime with you. 

The only thing that seemed to stand in his way were the few students that had already visited with claims of not understanding the syllabus. Jayce wasn’t an idiot, he knew when people were interested in him. The gaggle of young students weren’t subtle about their advances, but the man had boundaries to uphold. Plus, they paled in comparison to you. No one that tried to schmooze with him could ever throw your charming sass and wit his way, and he wouldn’t have it otherwise. 

“Well, I am going to beat you. I’ll have you know I was a chess champion.” You said smugly.

“Is that so? When’s the last time you competed?” This was news to Jayce.

You paused, a flush of an embarrassment on your face. Lips pursed into a thin line as you contemplated telling him the truth. Not that you could really lie, Jayce would be able to easily see through that. It wasn’t a secret, you were a terrible liar. 

“Sixth grade…” You said quietly. 

A booming laugh jolted you out of your seat. Jayce was practically crying as he laughed at your expense. The grimace on your face making him laugh even more. 

“Wow, y/n. I’m impressed. 12-year-old chess champion over here.” He smiled at the thought of a younger version of yourself crushing the youthful competition. It was cute. 

“At least I’ve won something in it!” You argued. 

Jayce smirked. He could tell you that he was highly ranked in the local chess club, or he could enjoy watching you flounder. Chess wasn’t his pick of game for no reason. It was very calculated. He knew you loved a challenge, and he knew he was very good at the game. While he had a feeling he could make a game end quickly, he decided that he was going to enjoy his time with you. Especially if he could toy with you. 

“Sure, sure. You talk pretty big game. We’ll have to see how you really do.” He said with a wink. 

There was about ten minutes left of your office hours when a student walked in. Another person asking Jayce questions over the syllabus. The man bit his tongue to avoid sighing in annoyance. He hoped this wouldn’t extend past their hours. Your game time was so close, and he didn’t want to wait a minute longer than he needed to. 

You watched in amusement as Jayce rushed through answering the girl’s questions. Almost laughing out loud at how he kept scooting his chair further and further away from her as she attempted to move closer. His jaw was tight, grinding his teeth as he continued to help the poor thing. Hazel eyes glanced up to meet yours, melting at the smirk you had on your face. While most would find your smugness irritating, it was oddly endearing to him. Maybe it was because it was directed toward him, but regardless he enjoyed it. 

“Well, I think that’s everything. If there’s anything else I suggest visiting Professor Heimerdinger for assistance as he was the one who wrote the syllabus.” Jayce said, trying to end the office hours. 

“Okay, thank you so much, Jayce!” The student gave him a dazzling smile. 

“Of course. And don’t be afraid to ask the other TAs for help too.” He gave a pointed look at you. 

“Right.” The girl glanced at you, as you continued to smirk at them. 

“Well, office hours are over now. Have a goodnight, get home safe!” Jayce stood up, motioning for the student to leave. 

“Actually…” The girl lightly placed a hand on Jayce’s arm. You held back a snort at the action. “I was wondering if you could walk me back to my dorm.” 

“Ah, um…” Jayce was trying to figure out how to let her down softly. “That’s not really something that’s appropriate for me to do. I’m sure y/n could walk you home.” He said, knowing full well she wouldn’t take up the offer. 

“Are you sure?” She attempted to give him puppy dog eyes. 

“And besides, I have some thesis work that I’m planning on getting done here anyways.” His eyes were pleading with her to just leave already.

“I’m patient, I can wait.” This girl! 

“Look, I’m not walking you home.” 

“I’ll take you home.” You said, grabbing your backpack. 

Jayce narrowed his eyes in warning. 

“Oh that’s not necessary.” The girl said. 

“Nonsense! I know campus at night can be a bit eerie.” You clamped a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll walk you.” 

Jayce spoke your name lowly. 

“She said she’s fine walking herself home.” He looked at the girl, all hints of tenderness absent from his face. “Am I correct?”

The girl’s eyes widened at the shift in demeanor. 

“Um, yes…” She quickly grabbed her items. “I’ll see you in class.” She squeaked before leaving. 

Once the door shut, Jayce sighed and slumped into his chair.

“I thought she’d never leave.” He practically whined.

“That excited to play chess with me?” You poked his shoulder teasingly. 

He grabbed your hand, rubbing his thumb along the top. The tender action warming your heart, before you abruptly pulled back. 

“More like excited to beat you at chess.” That dazzling smile of his had reappeared. 

You felt a churning in your gut as the man walked to lock the office door. He grabbed the chessboard from his backpack and set it on the desk. Meticulously setting out the pieces, each clack making you shiver. 

It had been a long time since you had last played the game, and you were sure you were rusty. By the glimmer in Jayce’s eyes you had a feeling he knew the game well. Signing away your win with just a look. You gulped, and mustered up a determined look. You were going to try at least. And that’s what mattered, right?

“So who’s gonna be white?” You broke the tense silence building in the room.

Jayce hummed thoughtfully before answering. 

“I suppose we can flip a coin for it.” He said. “Or if you really need it, you can play white.” 

“I don’t need it, I was just wondering.” You feigned confidence.

“Right. Of course, my mistake. Miss sixth grade champion.” He grinned at you, making you gulp again. 

“Don’t doubt my skill.” 

“Oh I would never, sweetheart.” There it was again, that pet name. The one that had your heartstrings tugging. 

“Whatever, let’s get this started.” You sat down and cracked your knuckles. 

So you began, moving out one of the many pawns two spaces forward. Jayce’s grin never leaving his face as the two of you played. He decided to make the game last a bit longer than necessary. Enjoying the way he could make you sweat. The furrow on your brow growing as you bit your lip red in frustration. 

“You sure about that move?” He said after you sent a knight forward. 

You glared at the man before you. His side practically full, while yours held a measly five pieces. Almost all of your pawns obliterated, a bishop, and two rooks, and a knight on the sidelines. Jayce was pretty much chasing your queen across the board, picking off other pieces one by one as you attempted to protect her and your king. 

The tension was making your breath harder. With no idea what Jayce was wagering, you only had your running imagination to think of his future plans with you. It was inevitable, your loss. Even if you tried to buy yourself time, you knew he would win in the end. Perhaps he would be kinder to you if you forfeited. No, there was still a chance. Your king was still out of check, you could do this. Maybe. 

“What interesting choices.” Jayce teased. 

You attempted to pay him no mind, which ultimately was your foley. The man snatching up your queen with a sneaky bishop. 

“Would you look at that?” He exclaimed. 

You wanted to cry. Losing your queen at this point was your undoing. Jayce quickly cornered your king, making it impossible for you to get out of check. You groaned, fingers pressing into your temples. Something, there has to be something… But there was no way out. 

“Just accept it.” Jayce said smugly, enjoying the scowl on your face. “I’ve won, sweetheart.” 

“I will not accept it.” You moved your king to take his queen, making the man chuckle. 

Toppling over was your king as a bishop sealed your fate. 

“Checkmate.” That damned smile was larger than ever. 

He was giddy, so excited for you to keep up your end of the deal. And based on how you had complained that you were broke, he knew you had no other way out. 

Shoulders tense, you pushed yourself up from the desk. Of course, of course this happened. And you were so nervous about what was to come. He could ask anything of you, and you would have to do it. There was a part of you that knew you could end this, but the thrill of competing had you nixing that idea completely. No, you would follow through on your end. 

You looked at him with a heated glare.

“Aww, don’t look like that. As cute as I think it is when you’re mad at me, you should take the loss with dignity. Don’t you think?” He was gloating, and loving every reaction he got out of you.

“Cut to the chase, Jayce. What were you wagering?” You spat. 

“Oh nothing big…” He paused for dramatic effect. “Just that you have to beg for my forgiveness. On your knees. And..” He pulled out his phone. “I get to record it. For my own personal use, of course.” 

Your eyes widened at the deal. No fucking way…

“Beg for forgiveness?!” You said incredulously. “Forgiveness for what, exactly?” 

“Just for being so mean to me, avoiding me all these years.” He said, that smug smile growing on his face. 

You grumbled, turning away from him. Fists clenching as red rose to your face. 

The man walked up to you. Fingers lifting your chin to look at him. 

“Don’t be embarrassed. I’ll be the only one to witness it.” 

“Do I have to be on my knees?” Your voice wavered. 

“Yes.” There was no negotiating with him on this. 

If you wanted the games to continue, you had to follow his demands. 

“How do I know when you’ll be satisfied with my apology?” You looked up at him, scowl on your face. 

His smile didn’t waver.

“I’ll let you know when I’m satisfied.” 

You let out a huff of frustration. God, this was embarrassing. And he was going to have video evidence of you doing it. Since he was only going to keep it to himself, it didn’t go against the rules. You had to follow through. 

Jayce sat back down, turning his chair towards you. Continuing to grow giddier as your frustration and embarrassment grew. He spread his legs apart, and held his phone up. Pressing record, he looked back up at you.

“Well, I’m waiting.” He said smugly.

“Give me a moment.” You said quietly.

Just get it over with. You sighed as you began to sink to the floor. The wooden boards hard against your knees. When you looked up you had to hold in a gasp. The man before you, looking so smug appeared almost kingly. The chair he was seated in, the throne of a champion. And now you his prize, kneeled down before him as if you were worshipping him. You didn’t want to admit it, but it sent something straight to your core. Something that would certainly keep you up with want that night. 

With a harsh breath, you began.

“I-I’m sorry, Jayce…” God he loved the sound of your voice. 

“For what?” He pushed. 

“For being mean to you.” You turned from him, a motion he did not appreciate. 

A strong hand grabbed your chin and forced you to look at him.

“No, you have to look at the person you’re begging for forgiveness. Try again.” 

You ground your teeth, wanting to spit an insult at him.

“Please forgive me, Jayce.” 

“That’s better, keep going, sweetheart.” The way he said the pet name, sending a shiver through you.

“Please forgive me for being mean to you.” You looked straight into his eyes. Your words shooting straight to his groin. 

He hoped you wouldn’t notice him getting hard at your words. So far you hadn’t, as you focused on his eyes while you spoke.

“Please forgive me for purposely avoiding you.”

“And why would you do that to me?” You did your best not to glare at the man before you.

“Because I consider…considered you my enemy.” That made him raise a brow.

“You no longer consider me your enemy?” He asked, sincerity in his voice.

“More like my rival.” You gave him a cheeky grin, one he couldn’t help but return.

“Mmm…better than enemy, I suppose. Please, continue.” He motioned toward you.

“What else is there to apologize for?”

He chuckled.

“Beg me for my forgiveness for all of your wrongs. For hiding your beauty from me for so long, for running away from my affections, for fighting against me when all I wanted was your attention.” His voice was low, he fully expected you to beg. 

Your heart tugged at your chest at his words. Did he really think all of that? Beauty… It wasn’t a word you associated with yourself. Yet, hazel eyes glimmered with sincerity. He was being fully and completely honest with you. 

You sighed. Fine, you’d comply. Looking up at him, you continued. 

“Please forgive me for my wrongdoings. For hiding my…” You paused, not sure if you wanted to continue. Red painted your cheeks as you thought of his words. “Forgive me for hiding my beauty. Forgive me for running away from your affections.” 

“Will you keep trying to run?” He questioned. Still looking mighty upon his seat. 

“I thought I was only begging for your forgiveness.” You stated, your teeth worrying over your lip.

“Forgiveness is not just asked for through words.” 

“Jayce…I…I can’t promise that.” 

“But you can try.” He said, eyes growing dark. 

You only nodded, then continued with your final apology.

“I beg you to forgive me for fighting against you. For not giving you my attention.” You looked up at him, eyes pleading for it to be over. 

He nodded, stopping the recording on his phone. He stood from the seat, then kneeled down before you. A warm hand twirling a loose strand of you hair as he looked into your eyes. 

“Thank you.” He said. 

He offered a hand, and you took it. Allowing him to lift you up on your feet. His strength is always surprising to you, despite having those large muscles. 

“Now what?” You asked, feeling yourself come down from adrenaline rushing through you. 

“Now, you let me walk you home.” He gave you a soft smile. “It gets eerie on campus after dark.” 

[cyellolemon]

Gaming bfs!!! :) they're playing mario kart

[prismatica-the-strange]

Nope, I'm still crying

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

bruh he rly can't be stopped

ike was in second place at 95 wins, let that sink in for a minute

[playingonedchess]

like i tend to hate every fandom cause its always annoying some way or other but theres actually so much i literally bloody despise about the ace attorney fandom and all that random fanon they made up without even realising it has absolutely nothing to do with the games. it isnt even good fanon if that could even exist most of it is total utter rubbish

[poppyseed799]

I have this problem that’s like the opposite of nostalgia or something where some things I remember liking a lot as a child I look back and only remember the bad times.

This is specifically about Animal Crossing, loved that game as a kid, but I have literally no idea why, cuz it was just pure hell for me from what I can remember.

[floral-hex]

me… sad boy

[creatingblackcharacters]

No, That’s Not ‘How Color Works’. - Whitewashing

Whitewashing, as defined by Merriam-Webster:

"to alter (something) in a way that favors, features, or caters to white people: such as a) to portray (the past) in a way that increases the prominence, relevance, or impact of white people and minimizes or misrepresents that of nonwhite people and B) to alter (an original story) by casting a white performer in a role based on a nonwhite person or fictional character"

In fandom context, we know it to include:

Making someone’s skin lighter

Making someone’s hair a thinner texture

Changing someone’s nose to be thinner

Shrinking their lips

Changing the character in their entirety to be someone else

The Normalization of Whitewashing

Remember how I mentioned last lesson that despite the nature of poorly drawn Black characters, most audiences are not turned off enough to discourage the action in professional works? Similar idea with whitewashing. Not the same- unlike the Ambiguously Brown Character, which claims to have plausible deniability, overt whitewashing is usually enough to make fans speak up! But that’s the key word here- overt! It has to be “bad enough” to make enough people speak up, but as we’ve seen many a time, “bad enough” seems to have a much higher threshold for nonblack viewership (sometimes the limit doesn’t exist!)

Some visual examples

This is a link to my personal thread on a Netflix show I was watching- Worst Ex Ever. Now, while the show itself was quite enlightening, there was something I could not get over. I thought I was going crazy. And that was that no matter how dark the person of color would be in real life, the animated portions would draw this light pinkish-brown. Every. Single. Time. It's like they couldn't fathom scrolling down the color wheel. And this is a Netflix original! Netflix has plenty of money for someone to have caught this in creation. But... it was produced. And put out. And they're making more of it.

I asked all of the Dragon Age fans about the series, and uh… I didn’t know things were this bad, guys! Apparently this is a man of color, but it doesn't seem like the creators want you to know that 🤣. Jokes aside, as I’ve discussed before, the noticeable whitewashing- and that was one of many racist things I was told- was not enough to prevent sales... so why would they stop? I can only hope this new game, with all the updates, is enough to turn the tide. But the series has gone on for a while now, that if they’d chosen to do ye same olde… there clearly would not be a lack of financial support to prevent it.

Colorism as a Tool

Even when actors of color are cast, colorism often plays a role in normalizing whitewashing to audiences, even to Black audiences! People think “oh well at least they’re Black!” as if that is the only important part. It is not.

While Aaron Pierre, the actor cast for John Stewart of Green Lantern fame, is a GORGEOUS, STUNNING man, he is not the dark-skinned man that John Stewart is supposed to be and should not have been cast! To me, this is overt colorism, but clearly for many people this is not “enough” to warrant concern or even prevent the casting itself- including the studio behind the movie! Black fans have plead for years for the character of Storm to be played by a dark-skinned, preferably African, woman, and it has never happened.

It naturally happens in fan spaces as well, which is another indicator that colorism as a tool for whitewashing is quite effective for audiences. If I see one more Zendaya fan cast for Kida from Atlantis, I will scream. It’s been happening for years, and I don’t think any of the people who just want to see her and Tom on screen either understand or care that Kida is a dark-skinned character. Zendaya doesn’t look anything like Kida- it doesn’t matter if she’s Black too! Just because someone is Black does not mean they can play every single Black character! I’ve even seen people fancast Emilia Clarke of Game of Thrones fame, to which… I don’t have the words. I can’t fathom what would cause these decisions other than racism.

The Common Excuses

I must be honest. I don’t really feel like re-iterating how certain things are not okay and how to fix them, because I’ve already discussed these things in massive detail. So I’m just going to direct the excuses I regularly hear to my lessons, where you can read up on them.

“Their hair/eyes are like that because they’re biracial so-”

Relevant Lessons: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 8, 9, 10

There is nothing wrong with having biracial characters with a range of features. I am not saying that! Because yeah, genetics do happen!

But I mentioned this in my last lesson, and I will re-emphasize here, that using biracial identity as a way to whitewash is a sinister form of racism. The intention here- the real intention- is the issue here! The idea that somehow this character can only look the way you want them to look by "diluting" their Blackness… I don’t know how you can explain yourselves out of that one.

You don’t get to use us as an excuse for diversity while still trying to maintain your preference for Eurocentric beauty standards. Black biracial people don’t always look light skinned, thin-haired and ambiguous, and even the ones that do don’t deserve to be treated as your fetish for pretend antiracism. If you just want to draw a white person with a tan, do that. But don’t change a character’s entire look just so you can work in some whiteness. If you want to claim that canon Black character’s mother was white, then I guess they inherited some of her personality because their features should not change.

“It’s my style/It’s the color-”

Relevant Lessons: 3, 4, 10

I hate all excuses for whitewashing, but I’ve grown to despise, hate, abhor and loathe this one the most as I’ve become an artist. I wish there were stronger words to describe just how much I hate the “style” and “color” excuse.

Are style and use of color oft intertwined? Absolutely. I’m not saying they aren’t. But out of everything, there are two things I want artists to understand:

1. Style does not cancel out racism! No style forces you to choose ashy greys and to change peoples’ features. That’s you! If you look at something, and it looks offensive, you change the style. You grow as an artist!

2. “Everyone who is brown will look ashy so I just-” if you recognize that your Black characters look strange in comparison to your nonblack characters, then it’s time to try something else! I don’t understand this sudden need for “realism” when it comes to color and lighting, but not when it comes to hair, for example. No one cares about realism when giving every and all Black characters wavy tresses they probably wouldn’t have, but suddenly milquetoast watercolor attempts at brown and off-putting lighting is “how it works”. That’s not fair.

The color picker is an available tool! I use it often!

Dead giveaway of purposeful whitewashing: if someone gets the outfit color palette right via color picking, but the skin color is multiple shades lighter. That means they were looking at that character and chose not to proceed.

Dead giveaway of purposeful whitewashing: if the white characters in the show are completely correct in their palettes. Again, that means they cared enough to look at everyone else… and not the Black characters.

If you use the color picker and the color picked is… disrespectful, you do not have to use that! You can simply choose a better color that is still similar to the brown that ought to be depicted!

“It’s the lighting-”

Relevant Lessons: 4, 5

If your white characters do not shine like snow in the sunlight because of your lighting, then your lighting does not make your Black characters suddenly light tan.

If your Black characters look bad in your lighting of choice- for example, putting a very dark-skinned character in electric white lighting can be ghastly- try changing the intensity or the color of the lighting. DON’T change your character’s skin color!

I'm going to show you some pictures of South Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech. Pay attention to the choices of light, color, and makeup.

Look how BEAUTIFUL she is! Look at the choices of intensity and color of light, and how they make her look different in each image.

Now look at this image in comparison:

In this image, whoever did her makeup and took this picture did not take into consideration her skin tone. She's also under this really intense lighting. This is an example of "increasing the lighting does NOT make an image "better"". She didn't need to have lighter skin or "more lighting" to look good. She needed BETTER lighting, lighting that worked with HER.

To see this as an example in drawn art, @dsm7 makes an excellent argument for proper lighting and color, why it is an issue to use it as an excuse, and how to solve that problem.

‼️DISCLAIMER FOR NEXT EXAMPLE‼️

Okay. I am about to show y’all a fan-created example from my personal experience. It is a TEACHING EXPERIENCE ONLY. I am not including the artist’s name in this image. It happened a couple years ago, and it’s over- they’ve chosen to be who they are despite me kindly confronting them about it. The only reason I’m including it at all is because I feel like it would be remiss to have such a clear-cut, multi-level example, and not teach with it. That said, no, I am not telling anyone to act out towards them. Again, that is not what I’m telling you to do. The last thing I need is a literal lynch mob of angry nonblack viewership for trying to teach you all, and y’all sitting there watching it happen to me. Every example of whitewashing is not going to be so obvious, but I hope you learn how to spot the examples in the art you see and share.

I'm obviously a Hades fan, particularly of Patroclus- despite my disdain for the lack of effort in his canon character design. So I've seen a lot of things. That said:

“Well it’s just MY design of them-”

Relevant Lessons: ALL

The sepia coloring did not do this. The lighting did not do this. The design is the exact same as the Hades version, even down to the shape of the hair curling in the back. The only thing that is different… is the man himself.

Y'all. Y'all! You CANNOT take a pre-existing Black character and say “oh well this is my design of them” …and the design is of a whole white person. Because if the rest of the fit is the same, and the only thing that changed is the Blackness… Racism. If you’re going to “make up your own design”, then do that!

“Blackwashing”

Speaking of: I’m sure someone edgy out there thinks they’re so smart as they retort to the screen: “but if that’s not okay, then why is Blackwashing okay?” To which I say- shut up. 😐

The “definition” by fandom: making a nonblack character Black, usually an anime character, but characters in general.

Funny enough, the actual definition in the dictionary (or closest to) is “to defame”, in contrast with whitewash (as in whitewashing history). Maybe racist fans ARE using it correctly when they say you’re blackwashing their characters, when they mean you’re making them “less likable because they’re Black now”. 🤔

Anyway: Blackwashing is not real for the same reason reverse racism is not real.

Me painting these characters brown is not going to take away from the fact that there are far more of you in media than there is of me. Me saying that I ‘headcanon a character as Black with 4C hair’ is not going to make the studio go “oh! Well they must be Black with 4C hair now!” Me saying “oh I think I’d like this character better if they were Black” as a beta tester (less overtly, obviously, because I’m not racist!) will never make a studio change that character. Black viewers have minimal value in comparison to the power of the white viewer’s dollar. I could draw white characters Black every single day of every single game media… and they would still produce majority white characters. There has not been centuries- if not millennia, when we consider Jesus Christ himself, even- of purposeful “Blackwashing” with the intent of removing the original ethnicity- and thus importance- of white people. No one has ever been allowed to forget when someone is white. No one has ever been allowed to forget or not acknowledge white people.

How it could be "solved"

Personally, I love Black edits and I welcome them here. I find them creative and fun. But if you really, REALLY didn’t want us to make those edits, then naturally, we need more Black characters in all of our media!

I wouldn’t have to make edits if I saw more of me to begin with in the things I like to watch- but when we have those characters, racists act an ass about them. We’re not allowed to even be present! I’ve seen too many gamer bros mocking the existence of Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed, and he was a real ass man. But if we made a game about African peoples in African societies, how many of the gamer bros would actually play those games? Do you think there’d be as much support, when we hear so much about Black characters that are treated so abhorrently? How many games do we have where people would love their faves just as much if they were Black? I even learned that Solas was apparently supposed to be a man of color. IMAGINE how many people would not have liked that man, with the same exact plot and characterization.

Something I’ve noticed recently: apparently "Blackwashing" is not a thing when White fans “allow” it. Take this recent trend with Miku. International Miku was beloved! But if you draw any other character as Black on any other day, there will be people that are horrid about it. Ask any artist, Black artists and Black cosplayers especially, who’s ever done it what their comments are like. I’ve read entire missives akin to white supremacist drivel on how it’s somehow morally wrong to make characters Black. Meanwhile no amount of “hey maybe you shouldn’t do this” prevented the movie Gods of Egypt from being created, with a cast full of British White people.

Solutions to Avoiding Whitewashing!

1) Using References!!

Do I think you should know what Black people look like? Yes. We’re humans. It’s 2024. Everyone knows what we look like when it’s time to hate and discriminate against us, so you know what we look like when it’s time to love and depict us. If you’re on Tumblr, you have access to the Internet. ESPECIALLY if you’re in the U.S., as Black people are the source of damn near every piece of online pop culture. If you can find my dialect to make my jokes, you can find pictures of me.

Would I rather you use a reference every single time so that you can only strengthen your depiction of my people? ABSOLUTELY.

Anyone on the Internet telling you not to use a reference or that you shouldn’t need a reference? Unfollow them. You don’t need that negativity in your life. Why would you deprive yourself of a tool to create? The greatest portrait painters in history had to look at their subjects! You are not getting paid nearly as much to do this as Hans Holbein, and he had to stare at Henry VIII correct else lose his head- you can pull up multiple references. I’d far rather be judged for using hella references than be judged for being a racist!

Part of the issue is people draw what they’re used to, what they’re comfortable with (thus last lesson). But if what you’re used to is not what someone will look like… That’s not okay. Their features are not the issue, your skills are the issue. Learn! Practice! There is no rush. No one is rushing you to be perfect at drawing Black characters, and no one is rushing you to post them. You can just practice! If you’re not a professional, you can take as long as you need to draw! If you need to draw that piece of hair over and over until you feel like you have down the shape, you do that! If you need to use a tool that would draw the hair for you, you get that tool!

If you want to post, you can say you are practicing! If you make clear you are practicing, then be willing to accept that people may have feedback. I’d far rather deal with someone saying they’re unconfident and practicing, than someone posting a whitewashed caricature and closing their ears because “well at least I’m trying!”

2) Empathize! Care about actual Black people when you create a Black character!

Imagine, if you will, in the Twilight Zone: you went to an artist, and you asked for a white character (I typed in “regular looking white dude” on google). There’s hardly ever any white characters, you’re so super excited about this one! You paid good money, because you’ve seen just how amazing this artist creates! They’re so good at drawing characters of color! But no matter how many times you ask, they send you back an image of… Assad Zaman.

That man might be fine as hell! Gorgeous! Beautifully done! Chef’s kiss. Stunning! But… He’s not white. That’s not what you asked or paid for. You can’t even fathom how they mixed this up, they don’t even look alike! And when you confront them, they gaslight you, they call YOU the issue for not understanding how you can’t tell that this is a white man! They would never get this wrong! They have white friends, you’re the racist! But you’re not stupid, and you have functioning eyes- you can SEE what this drawing looks like! And… It’s not you.

It’s dehumanizing. It’s being told that there’s a “better way” to look like you, and that’s by… Not looking like you. You, as you exist, are what’s incorrect. Your identity is incorrect, not their drawing. It’s better to have thinner hair instead of an afro or locs, it’s better to have lighter skin, it’s better to have a straighter, thinner nose over a round one, and smaller lips.

And what makes it worse is knowing that people who don’t look like you? Probably won’t care. They won’t be willing to see- not unable, but unwilling- that playing with this caricature is harmful, that they’re propagating harm by not acknowledging it. They’re letting you know that your humanity means less to them than the clout received with a whitewashed or half-assed Black character, and that people will applaud them for that ‘attempt at inclusion’. And people will applaud! They will be entertained by the mere performance! And that hurts.

I’m going to say this, and it’s awkward and I try not to say it directly on here, but… Having Black friends and/or being around actual, real life Black people would help. I can tell from some of the questions I receive that Black characters and their traits- especially things like our hair and our cultures- are being treated as… alien concepts. But even if, for whatever reason, you legitimately don’t know any Black people, you do not need to know us individually to care about our humanity as a whole! Even if you do not know we’re there, we are, and we could possibly see your work!

By acknowledging Blackness and making room to understand what it means- and that includes how we can look- you are doing the bare minimum of acknowledging our personhood. If you cannot do even that, you don’t need to be drawing us.

Conclusion

Here’s the thing: if you want to draw a white man with tanned skin, do that. Just do it! You do NOT have to erase me to have more of you! There is not a single fandom where the majority of the white fans ever said “gee, not another white guy!” It simply doesn’t happen. God knows we wish it did sometimes. You will always have an audience for white characters. There’s no danger to any of you of “being erased”.

(Without putting on my political hat, I will say that a lot of white people who consider themselves to be far from white supremacist will express beliefs in line with great replacement theory if you push them hard enough. It is unfortunately not as uncommon an idea as you might think. I would do some self-evaluation.)

People are going to notice that you only ever draw white people, but… To be frank, that has never stopped anybody from being successful. Again, Jen Zee, at Supergiant with the terrible dark-skinned characters… Still has a job. at Supergiant. A professional studio. Dragon Age. Multiple games of consistent whitewashing and racist writing. Still going. If racism prevented creation and popularity, I wouldn’t have to have this blog. Alas, that is the society we currently live in.

But if you ACTUALLY want to depict Black characters, if you ACTUALLY want to do right and be respectful- not because you want the clout, but because it’s the right damn thing to do- then you need to commit! This means drawing them as they are meant to be! Accept that you’ll likely lose some fan base, who was there (whether they were aware of it or not) for the white and lighter skinned characters. Accept that this means that trying to appeal to those people by whitewashing characters is 1) wrong, 2) racist, which is 3) something you chose to do when you could simply have just… Drawn more white people.

I’ll say it again: antiracism is hard. It’s hard doing the right thing in a society that rewards racism so easily. It’s really hard knowing that people will stop supporting you or caring as much about your work when you start including Black characters as actively as you do white ones, especially if you start talking about the importance of it. But in my honest opinion, I’d far rather be someone that cared about others, with genuine fans, than someone that was racist for the fleeting internet clout of strangers. And that may be less ‘hopeful’ than I normally am in these lessons, but… People make choices. And people who have been informed- as you are now- are aware of the choices they are making. It’s the thought that counts, but the action that delivers- let’s choose better actions.

[cinnamorollcrybaby]

I really loved your career day fic and I was wondering if you could do a Shut up mom fic with the same lineup with nanami tho if you write for him🥺 👉👈

Shut up, Mom!

Tags: teeth rotting fluff, mostly crack, cursing, jjk men as dads / fem!reader

An: I would be delighted to write this anon :) my requests are open, loves. If you want me to write a specific idea, definitely ask and I’ll try to deliver on it! also, if anyone wants to be on a taglist please let me know. So, I gave Sukuna a kid in this one because I didn’t really see Yuji calling you mom or him dad. Yuji calls you two unc and auntie :)

SATORU • SUGURU • TOJI • SUKUNA • NANAMI

SATORU

“Aoi, did you take out the trash?” You ask your nine-year-old son while trying not to giggle. Aoi has recently discovered pranks, and he suggested playing one on Satoru. You couldn’t help but think that was an amazing idea.

Your husband was leisurely sitting on the couch, playing a game on the console he and your son shared. He was able to see you from his peripheral vision while you and Aoi were in the dining room. He didn’t seem to be too intrigued by the conversation, but Satoru is a chronic eavesdropper. He can’t help it with his technique and all.

“No, mom. Why can’t you do it?” Aoi plays his role perfectly, even throwing in an annoyed groan at you. Gojo cut his eyes towards you two, but he stayed silent for a moment. He knew this was your battle to face, and he wasn’t usually the disciplinary parent anyways.

“Because I told you to do it, Aoi. It’s your chore.” You say, putting on a serious voice as you would if he had really been sassing off to you.

“Ugh. Shut up, mom!” Aoi yells with a dramatic eye roll.

Immediately, you hear the game console cut off. It seems like you two had garnered Satoru’s attention. Footsteps carry into the dining room, and your all too tall husband leans against the doorframe.

Aoi sees his father, and his eyes widen. Your little actor. He then tries to walk off, but Satoru easily put his hand out against Aoi’s chest, preventing him from going anywhere.

“Woah, woah, woah, there little man. Who do you think you’re talking to there?” He interjects as his hands slowly unwrap his bindings from around his eyes, letting you know that he’s about to get serious.

“She’s getting on my nerves, dad!” Aoi continues to play the role, even though you can tell that he’s scared shitless.

“Hey, look at me.” Satoru says as he bends his knees to be eye level with Aoi. Your son complies with his dad’s order. “I don’t give a shit, okay? Never, and I mean, never tell your mother to shut up unless you intend on fighting me afterwards. She says to take out the trash, you say yes and take out the trash. Do you understand me?” Satoru says as he holds his son’s shoulders, squeezing them a bit so Aoi knows he’s not fooling around.

“Because I don’t think you want to fight me, do you?” Satoru questions. His blue eyes beam in the light, making your son nervously sweat.

“Baby, it’s just a prank.” You quickly interject with a laugh as you gently nudge your husband away from your son.

“Yeah dad, I was just acting!!” Aoi’s nervous gaze flutters into an adorable smile.

Satoru rolls his eyes and playfully laughs along. “You two are too silly, makin’ me turn off my game for this.” He shakes his head as he wraps his eyes back up.

“You were like gonna hollow purple me!” Aoi shouts with an excited laugh, and he reenacts Satoru’s cursed technique.

“Yeah, I love your mom a little too much.” Satoru responds with a grin up towards your direction.

SUGURU

Mimiko and Nanako are coming into their teen years, and recently, they’ve been obsessed with the idea of TikTok. After seeing the “shut up mom” prank all over, they knew that they had to play it on Suguru.

You, of course, agreed to help them pull off their little shenanigan.

“You two are not going out. It’s a school night.” You chide at the twin girls, giving them a small wink as Suguru was enjoying a cup of tea while sitting at the breakfast bar. He was scrolling mindlessly on his phone, reading the news or something like that.

“Mom, please. Everyone’s going.” Nanako pled and even threw in a small pout.

“Yeah, who cares if it’s a school night?” Mimiko chimed in.

“Girls.” Suguru warned as he normally did when you were having to deal with the twins. He didn’t like the idea of the girls ganging up on you.

“I said no. I bet you two didn’t even do your homework yet either.” You carry on, eyeing the two girls as if they were really in trouble.

“Ugh! Mom, shut up!” The girls somehow managed to say in sync. The two had obviously practiced their lines.

The tea glass hit the counter, and Suguru a stood up from his seat on the stool. “Hey. I don’t ever want to hear that kind of language in this house, especially not to your mother. Got that?” He said as he eyed your daughters.

Your husband was a bit of a strict father to the girls. He really just wanted them to turn out good, so he was the main disciplinary figure in the house.

“Dad! She’s-“

“Aht.” He cuts Mimiko off, and starts to walk up to the girls. “I didn’t ask. Apologize to your mother this instant. Then, go upstairs and do your homework. You two are grounded from going out for at least a month.”

“Sugu, it’s a prank.” You say as you can’t hold back a laugh from how angry he got that quickly. “It’s a prank, sweetie.”

Your two girls were nodding quickly, holding their hands out in surrender. “We saw it on TikTok!”

Suguru rolls his eyes at the three of you. “That app is no good for you.” He quietly chides. “Did you two do your homework?”

Mimiko and Nanako exchange nervous glances, and they both run up to their rooms to get it done.

Your husband laughs quietly and shakes his head before sitting back down on his stool. You walk over towards him and card your fingers through his long hair. He lets out a long exhale of contentment while leaning his head into your touch. “What are we gonna do with those two, hm?”

“Love them and try our best to teach them.” You softly respond before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

TOJI

Toji is a pretty laid back dad. He lets you take the lead on a lot of the parenting aspects, since it comes to you more naturally than it does with him. However.. he has his moments.

“Megumi, come help me do the dishes.” You say to your 13-year-old son. He’s in that weird stage of puberty where you’re his best friend one day and his worst enemy the next, which means he sometimes agreed to play pranks with you.

“Busy, mom.” He mumbles at the table as he’s trying to learn the hand signs for one of his shikigami. He was left learning this stuff on his own since Toji wasn’t a sorcerer, and you weren’t apart of the Zenin clan. You had no idea how to do the hand gestures.

“You can do that after you’re done helping me, Gumi.” You say as you turn on the kitchen sink. Your son doesn’t even acknowledge that you said anything.

Toji eyes him from his seat at the dining table, waiting for his son to comply.

“Gumi. Get in here.” You finally say after a minute of him not responding to you.

“Shut up, Mom!” He raises his voice at you, and immediately, Toji is on him quicker than you could respond.

“What did you just say to your mother, brat?” Toji grits as he stares down at his teenage son. Megumi looked back up at him mortified. “I brought you in this world, and I will take your ass out of it if I hear you speak to your mom like that again.”

“Baby, baby, baby, it’s a prank!” You say as you rush over to Toji. Megumi cracks a nervous smile, and you gently nudge Toji back.

“It’s a prank!” Megumi shouts as he leans back away from Toji slightly.

Your husband lets out an annoyed grunt. “You two play too much. Gonna make me kill my own son.” He says as he releases Megumi’s shoulder. He walks back over to his seat at the dining table and smacks your ass on the way back.

SUKUNA

“Ryu, come take out the trash!” You yell to your son. He recently brought up the idea of pranking Sukuna by yelling at you to shut up in front of him. You had urged your son that this was a bad idea, but he was persistent.

Sukuna was sat at the dining table, eating whatever Uraume had prepared for him. Usually, Uraume handled the trash as well, but you distinctly told them to leave it.

There’s no response.

“Ryu! Trash now!” You call out again in a more frustrated tone.

Sukuna is biting his tongue at this point. There is nothing that he hates more than insolence, especially towards you. You’re his queen, and he demands for all to respect you, including his son.

No response.

“Ryu!”

“Okay mom! Shut the fuck up!”

All four of Sukuna’s eyes widened, and he put down his fork. “Domain expansion. Malevolent-“

“It’s a prank!” You shout as you spin to look at Sukuna quickly. Your son is standing behind you, quite literally trembling in fear.

“Yeah- it’s a p-prank, dad.” Ryu stutters out.

Sukuna narrows his gaze, and he looks between the two of you. “Foolish.” He grunts. “Boy, come have a seat.” He commands, and your son reluctantly complies.

“If you ever pull some shit like that seriously, I’m not afraid to start over and make a new kid. I got nothing but time on my hands.” Your husband says while eyeing your son.

“Ryu’s a good kid, Kuna.” You assure him as you walk over to your husband and rub on his shoulders a bit.

“Mmm, for now.” He mumbles, and he nods his head to the trashcan. “Take the trash out.”

NANAMI

Your husband was sitting in the living room, enjoying his “lazy Sunday” as he called it. He had a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other. He couldn’t help but feel incredibly grateful for the life he was living right now.

He had everything he ever dreamed of: a stable job, an amazing wife, a small family in a loving home.

You were sitting next to him, casually rubbing on his thigh through his pajama pants. You and your daughter had been texting about playing a prank on your dear husband, and it was finally going to happen.

“Hana, did you fold the clothes like I told you to?” You call out to your daughter as she’s in her bedroom. Nanami turns a page in his book, still not paying too much attention.

“Mom, I’m doing something!” Your daughter yells back.

“Hana, get in here and fold those clothes!” You shout back, getting a bit more serious. Nanami lets out a small sigh as he places his mug on the coffee table. He’s normally quick to nip Hana’s attitude in the bud.

“I’m busy!”

“Hana!”

“Okay mom! Just shut up already!” She finally yells as she storms into the living room. Nanami shuts his book and immediately stares down your daughter.

“What did you just say?” He asks as he sits up from his cozy position. His jaw tightens a bit as he glares at Hana.

“I just told her to shut up. She’s being overdramatic.” Your daughter continues, playing her part perfectly.

“Who’s her? Your mother? You’re telling my wife to shut up?” Nanami says as he starts to stand up.

“It’s just a prank, Ken!”

“Dad, it’s a prank-!”

You and your daughter both shout nervously, and Nanami looks at both of you confused for a moment. It then clicks in his head. “God, don’t stress me out like that.” He chides as he relaxes back on the couch. He wraps his arm back around you and picks up his book again.

[rie-092]

NOONA

[ yandere! beom taeha ]

summary: he is your clingy younger brother.

tw. stepcest ( pls don't proceed if you're uncomfortable with this kind of content, thank you! )

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣

taeha has always been the adorable little brother that you could ask for. he can still remember the first time the chairman introduced you and your mother. your adorable grin as you stood in front of him. so adorable, so excited to meet him.

he can still remember how you ramble about how your wish to have a little brother had finally fulfilled. because now, you have taeha!

at first, the main reason why he play the role of the perfect younger brother was because you look... interesting. and of course, he also wanted to see you broken and empty.

he admit it, he loves to spoil you with small gifts. it started with the drawings that he drew back when the two of you were still a child. then it became hand made gifts, then it became the expensive ones. he now become obsess to see you wearing the gifts that he gave you.

okay, what the hell? he doesn't know what is going on anymore. but he kept his cool. he needs to be calm, because you see— he doesn't want his carefully crafted facade to crumble into pieces.

he doesn't know why but he also likes the fact that you trusts him too much. when you got this little cute stalker, he can still remember how you tearfully asked him to walk you to school everyday and never leave him alone.

one day, while walking home with you. he glanced at the guy who kept following you since the two of you left the school. a small smirk formed on his lips, should he test you? see how will you react once you met this little cute stalker of yours?

just imagining your shaking hand reaching out for him and pulling him to a hug. your eyes full of fear and your shaking voice was enough to make him really excited. but fuck— the thought of someone touching you—? he fucking loathe that idea.

that's why he dealt with your little problem. but of course, he never told you that. he wanted his noona to be the same adorable older sister who loves to spoil her younger brother. even though someone died because of her.

this wasn't a game anymore. you were his just like how he was yours. and taeha will do everything— anything to keep it that way. even if it means to dirty his hands with blood. even if it means that he needs to deal with the chairman.

because after all— you were his adorable older sister.

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣

“you have no idea how much i've been holding back myself for you, noona.”