#tw crowds mention

[cochineal-leviat]

"Our dear party celebrate after acquiring the third orb to unlock the House of Dormont. Their location? A tavern. It is a night to drink your worries and sorrows away. Hopefully, they will be able to relax before continuing their formidable journey.

Unfortunately, the booze has more unintended consequences than the group had considered. Especially on their new roguish member."

This is my first ISAT fic (that I have finished), and I am so stoked to share it with everyone! I also drew a comic with it because I was so excited about the story. This is definitely one of my best comics yet. I have been experimenting with panelling, and I am getting the formula down now after much trial and error.

I had a lot of fun designing Siffrin's clothes under the cloak (I even drew a reference for it in my sketchbook). I love designing clothes <3. Especially tunics. It seems a little too fancy for Sif's tastes, but I am chalking it up it being a gift from someone from a long time ago rather than something Siffrin would buy or get on his own)

Please enjoy~!

(Also, there are no spoilers for the game itself! Except for the ending notes of the fic, but I will place a warning there)

Different coloured pages without text under keep reading

Initially, I worked with different shades of grey for anyone: Siffrin has violet grayscale, Isabeua red, Mirabelle yellow, and Odile Green. But I ended up putting a black-and-white filter on it for unification. Please let me know if you guys prefer the 'coloured' versions more or not, and I will change the comic pages into the OG colouring. The purple for Siff is giving, but I am unsure if it is too noisy.

[ho-st]

cheater x reader

You saw him kissing the girl you were so worried about. The unnervingly pretty girl he told you not to worry about, the girl he always told you was just his friend. Your heart was wrenched open and you swear you could feel your blood pouring out of it, but despite all things he did you couldn’t find it in yourself not to love him.

The door opened with a click when you were downing a bottle of liquor, tears in your eyes as he rushed to your side in a hurry. And before he could say anything you cut him off.

“What did I do wrong?” you croaked. Your voice painfully strained to the point you could felt the pain in your throat “W-why do you do this to us?” And he finally clicked.

His hands fumbled for your waist, and you pushed him away. Your face contorted, sadness pooling on your features as you cried. “Why?” “Baby I-” “Why!” You were screaming by now, your body almost collapsing on itself as you shook, arms shakily wrapping around yourself to find some comfort. “ I loved you, I loved you faithfully, and you can’t do the same?”

He didn’t think that far ahead, he thought you’d never find out. He just wanted to feel like he wasn’t tied down, to reminisce about the days where you weren’t together. But only now does he realise how terrible that idea was, and how much he hurt you.

“Get out.” you mumbled, his hands tried to lift your face to his but you resisted. “Get out!” “F-fuck, how many years did I w-waste on you?”

----‐---------------------------------------------------------------

proper grammar?!?!?

[bonkers-behavior]

Gwenpool Movieverse Comic Part 3

Read: Part 1 and Part 2

some blood and medical stuff ahead

THE REVEAL! I think there’s gonna be one more part that’s pretty much only dialogue, like an epilogue just to round things out. But yay the girls are finally talking! (Also don’t look at Hank drawing him is hard in this style :[ and I cut out the entire actual blood donation sequence to save time sorry Hank enthusiasts)

Edit: The epilogue is now up!

[greenleaf4stuff]

Of Convenience 7.1

(all previous parts of "Of Convenience")

Adar x Celebrimbor (silverscars) political marriage AU, 7th snippet, part 1. Once the shock from his previous stroll through the camp has worn off, Celebrimbor risks another attempt. This time, he gets to see one of the uruk forges.

Celebrimbor is finally going to have a chapter in which he experiences no drama. He deserves a break. I have wanted to write about Celebrimbor’s reaction to the (no doubt) much more ‘improvised’ forges of the uruk for a while now, so this is a bit of self-indulgence in that regard. (Also this was supposed to be one part. How does this keep happening to me?!) Enjoy!

Despite how shaken Celebrimbor had been by his encounter with Damrod, he only needed a day to recover enough to chance another excursion into the camp.

He had Adar to thank for that, at least in part – the uruk had stayed in their tent for the rest of the day instead of running his usual errands and engaged the smith in plenty of conversation as he cleaned his sword from Damrod’s black blood. The uruk asked what Celebrimbor had seen of the camp and enquired after his thoughts, but also told him about how the day’s negotiations with Galadriel and Elrond had gone.

This was clearly done to put Celebrimbor at ease, and the elf was grateful for the consideration – even more so because it actually worked.

Still, Adar didn’t seem the least bit surprised when Celebrimbor announced that he would like to explore the uruk camp again by the following day, and sent him on his way with a nod and Glûg by his side.

"Be back by midday," was the uruk’s only request. "So that we may continue our conversation. And so that you might avoid unneccessary danger, perhaps."

Celebrimbor knew Adar’s words for what they were – concern, which also reflected in the tightness of Adar’s mouth and the way he intently stared at Celebrimbor as he spoke. The smith smiled at the uruk. "Of course. I’ll make sure to ask Glûg to usher me back here in time."

Glûg, for his part, appeared almost as if the confrontation with the hill troll had never taken place – he didn’t seem overly cautious or fidgety, and didn’t protest his task to chaperone the elf across the encampment once more. He was, however, quick to ask about Celebrimbor’s wellbeing. Which was surprisingly touching, the elf had to admit.

"I think I’ve recovered quite well, thank you," he replied, and got a nod from Glûg in response.

"Let us walk a different path today." A suggestion which the smith readily accepted.

"Could you perhaps to lead me to one of your people’s forges?" If Glûg thought Celebrimbor’s request to be odd, he didn’t show it – the elf had mostly been referred to as the Lord of Eregion or an ‘elf from a noble house’ in his time here, so he wasn’t sure just how much the uruk as a whole would know about his family history or profession.

"Sure. I think I’ll take you to Gurlak’s – that’s the closest one," the lieutenant pondered, and then jerked his head in the direction they would be heading. As they started to walk, he continued, "Do you want to see how the blacksmiths made the armor Adar gave you?"

"Something like that," was Celebrimbor’s response, coupled with a self-deprecating smile. "I’m actually a smith myself, moreso even than an elven lord I believe."

Glûg raised his hairless eyebrows, then hmpfed. The elf could tell Adar’s lieutenant was skeptical of his claim, but didn’t comment. "In that case, you’ll have to direct your questions at Gurlak herself. I know very little about forging."

The smith hummed and nodded before he answered. "Fair enough."

It didn’t take them very long to reach the forge – Celebrimbor could hear the sounds of large bellows and multiple hammers hitting metal on various anvils from a distance. Sounds that made his heart ache for his own smithy back in Eregion.

He didn’t often allow himself to ponder that which was lost to him – temporarily or permanently. But it was difficult not to think of his apprentices during the quieter hours of the night, or whenever he caught a glimpse of his city through the trees of the surrounding forest.

Working in his forge had been an integral part of his everyday life before he’d fled Ost-In-Edhil. Dare he say it, it had been a part of his identity. And yes, perhaps of his self worth as well. The prospect of getting to witness the craft being performed again, the possibility of maybe even being allowed to perform it himself, eased his heart - at least a little.

He and Glûg finally arrived in front of a ramshackle shed that had obviously been hastily built from scavenged and improvised materials, as seemed to be usual for the uruk. Celebrimbor himself couldn’t find any rhyme or reason to how it had been constructed, just that it would ‘do’ to hold all the neccessary parts of a forge inside.

A group of uruk was scattered around it, working on different anvils. Some halted in their movements as the elf and his guard approached, while others seemed content throwing questioning looks in their direction.

"By the way," Celebrimbor turned to Adar’s lieutenant as they came to a stop, "Adar requested that you bring me back to our tent in time for supper."

Glûg tilted his head, then nodded. As the smith turned back to the shed, he heard the other faintly mutter "Our tent, huh?" under his breath in a tone Celebrimbor couldn’t read, and the elf fought hard not to fluster – or show that his hearing had picked up on the words in the first place, for that matter.

Before the elf could work up the courage to approach and talk to the working uruk around the smithy – most of which were still watching him skeptically –, Glûg raised his voice and bellowed. "Gurlak! Come out, I’ve got someone out here who wants to talk to you!"

Celebrimbor and his guard crossed looks as they heard loud swearing and then heavy footsteps from behind the shed. The smith had no idea whether the way of greeting would prove to be in his favor or not, but he nodded at his guard in thanks nonetheless. The other threw him a grin - not a mean one, but certainly one of humor. Which did not exactly bode well.

The uruk who came around the shed was not at all what Celebrimbor had expected; the one who he suspected to be the aforementioned Gurlak was a tall woman, and built in a manner that would have made some dwarves jealous. ‘Barrel-chested’ seemed like a rather tame way to describe her, with a back as broad as a closet and arms so thick the elf wasn’t sure he could circle them even with both of his own hands. As well as the most ill-tempered expression Celebrimbor had seen that day.

The smith had a hunch that he knew why Glûg might have smirked the way he’d done. He also had a sneaking suspicion the apprehension he felt might be showing on his face.

The uruk, Gurlak, came to stand right in front of Celebrimbor. She was only slightly shorter than him, and unafraid to meet his eyes. Faintly, the elf registered how tiny the smithing hammer she held looked in her hand.

Perhaps that was the reason Glûg had been so skeptical of Celebrimbor’s claim to be a smith, come to think of it – the uruk woman certainly fit the preconceptions people seemed to hold of smiths much more than a tall-grown, comparatively slim elf. Though, to be fair, it had been some time from when he last had to forge things that were as big and heavy as the armor and weapons he could see the other uruk work on behind her.

‘Maybe I should change that,‘ Celebrimbor thought. ‘When I am back in Eregion.‘

Meanwhile, Gurlak was eying him up and down, and then turned herself around to Glûg. "That Adar’s elf?" she asked bluntly. For some reason, Celebrimbor focused far less on the way she was talking about him as if he wasn’t even there, and more so on the fact that she referred to him as ‘Adar‘s’ elf. Huh. "What does he want here?"

Glûg shrugged. "He says he’s a smith. Wanted to see your forge, so I brought him here."

Gurlak turned back to Celebrimbor. "Smith. That one," and then she barked a laugh loud enough to startle the surrounding uruk, before her focus returned to Glûg. "That elf looks as if he’d cough himself to death next to the fire. Noble breed this one, huh?"

"My name is Celebrimbor," the aforementioned elf spoke up, and made it a point to hold Gurlak’s gaze when she turned sharp eyes on him. "And yes, I am the Lord of Eregion. A descendant of a noble elven house. And, in fact, a smith."

He let his words sink in for a moment, before he bowed just a little and continued. "I take it you must be Gurlak? Pleased to make your aquaintance. Glûg said you are a local blacksmith, and knowledgeable when it comes to forging-" a risk, but perhaps it would pay off, "at least more than him, anyways."

For a brief moment, the elf thought he had misstepped as Gurlak narrowed her eyes at him, before she snorted and jerked her chin in Glûg’s direction. "Not difficult to know more than that one. Burned both of his hands when I tried to teach him."

Glûg made a dismissive noise and rolled his head skywards when Celebrimbor peered at him, before he waved the two of them off. "I’ll sit myself down over there, where I keep an eye on you. Have fun," and with that, he wandered over to an empty chair – or whatever counted as one in this camp – next to the shed.

"So, what brings you here, then?" Gurlak asked, drawing Celebrimbor’s attention back to her. There was still something mocking in her stance and tone, which only made the smith more determined to state his intentions.

"I...have not been able to return to my own forge in some time. For obvious reasons," he paused and drew a breath. "I wanted to ask if there was- if I might- could I offer you my assistance in your smithy in some way?"

He was aware that his expression likely held at least a hint of pleading in it – though frankly, he didn’t care. He was itching with the need to do something other than sit around all day and consider his past failings, or withstand the terror that was the immediate, unknown future. He’d go mad otherwise.

Gurlak blinked and stared at the smith for a long moment. "You sure you want to get those fancy robes of yours dirty?" she snarked, and this time it was obvious she was mocking him. Though her tone wasn’t as harsh as Celebrimbor had expected. "I’m afraid our forge is not as pristine as the one you are used to."

In the privacy of his mind, the elf heaved a quiet sigh, and then tried to put on an expression that he had often successfully used when trying to bargain with Gil-Galad. ‘Doe eyes’, was what Mirdania had once called it with a snicker.

"I know it’s likely that I will get ash and soot everywhere, yes. If you could lend me at least an apron or some gloves, that would be wonderful, but I can make do with my bare hands and what tools you have. I just want- need to work."

When it looked like she might hesitate still, he pressed on. "Please, Gurlak."

Celebrimbor could practically see her mind turning his request over, and how slowly but surely, her curiosity won out over her skepticism. "If you insist," she scoffed, and beckoned him to follow her with a wave of her hand. "There’s gotta be something that won’t be too much of a loss if it got messed up. I’ll get you an apron."

The elf’s resulting joy was bright and audible when he said, "I thank you for the opportunity, Mistress Gurlak."

A grunt and a very disbelieving look over her shoulder was his answer, but she did not go back on her word. "Sure. Don’t make me regret it."

[greentrickster]

Me going into this weekend: Well, it's time for the local anime convention, the one that I've been preparing for since December and worked super hard so I'd have lots of mage plushies in the store I sell them at downtown, all ready for excited anime fans to buy them!

This weekend: Protesters gridlock downtown on Saturday (aka, the Busy Day, aka the Profitable Day) because they can't handle the concept of a drag queen doing story time for kids at the library, someone escalates this to a very effective bomb threat that's fortunately fake but still forces local shops to close and the reading to be cancelled for the sake of safety, it pours rain, and is the coldest weekend we've had all month to boot. All the shops and the downtown farmer's market that brought in extra stock and produce in preparation for what is traditionally a very profitable weekend for local businesses due to exploring convention members are left in the lurch.

Me, now: (lying in my bed trying to console myself with humour) ...this did not go according to keikaku.*

*keikaku means plan

[quietlyblooms]

i've certainly written her having them before, but i don't think i've ever written a hc about chiyo's anxiety attacks. they're mostly triggered by major stressors -- if she's had a near death experience in a verse in which she isn't superpowered or magical, ofc chiyo's going to have a hard time handling that. she also doesn't do well when thrust into huge crowds, though she's tried to overcome her anxiety as she's gotten older. it's still uncomfortable, but she can ride a packed train/subway if need be, and pushing through a crowded convention isn't ideal but doable.

even so, you might occasionally catch chiyo coming down from a mild anxiety attack after braving a crowd if she isn't medicating. i haven't really decided if she's sought help for her anxiety? she definitely struggles with it in general, having suffered from childhood trauma in the form of bullying as well as an incident in which she was separated from her parents in a crowd of people. i'm just not sure that chiyo would seek help from a psychiatrist or therapist rather than just try to manage her issues on her own. i can see the idea of such a thing being uncomfortable to her.

but!! this is why chiyo will often choose to run errands really early or really late or with a friend. everything is easier if she has someone along, which is why she rarely goes to conventions alone, too, even if she's just a guest on a few panels. she won't easily admit to this weakness of hers, though, because she thinks her anxiety is not necessarily logical; she worries that most people would think she's overreacting and judge her. so :' ) there's that :' )

[matt0044]

RWBY, 13 Readons Why & The Dissuasion of Curiosity.

This is something I've often experienced with other shows be they stuff I have it bad for or stuff that I acknowledge is good but isn't for me. It's gotten to the point where when I see something getting dunked yet see that it's a fairly thriving series or even a full-on franchise, I start to scrutinize the scrutiny.

Especially when a lot of the popular talking points are either memes or passed around so often, they may as well be meme.

A while back, Netflix's 13 Reasons Why was bandied about Tumblr and YouTube as this most offensive thing for it's portrayal of suicide. I was aware of how this wasn't the sort of subject to take lightly lest I be eating my foot for a full course meal. As such, I took the outrage's word for it and steered clear.

I did start to get curious with a lot of specific scenes from Season 1 being passed around for the afformentioned dunking. Such as Hannah calling Clay a nerd for referencing Star Wars only for said post to show how much The Force Awakens grossed.

Said curiosity grew when I saw many video essays tackling 13 Reasons Why. Most were negative but what I footage saw didn't seem bad. Some of it was pretty... nice actually. But still, this was the show that gave suicide and poor mental health a bad name with how the female lead took her own life seemingly out of revenge.

So... I stayed away. That is, until I saw a billboard for Season 2 in NYC. Now this got me seeing that this show had a legit audience. Not just hatewatchers but those invested in the story of Hannah Baker and Clay Jensen. That's when I decided to add it to my watch list.

At best, it would be bad but maybe a fascinating kind of bad. The kind that RiffTrax would sink their teeth into. At worst, it would be a bore and I'd turn the other way. Then I started to watch it.

Twenty Six episodes later... I loved it. I felt that it... spoke to me emotionally on how life can be so messed up. I loved how no character was totally good or bad. How even Number 12 on the tapes had his depths despite being, well, the worst really.

When Hannah reached the end of her rope, I found myself begging her to not do what I knew she'd do. When Tyler Down tried to take matters into his own hands, I wished I could be there to talk him down. It takes a very special kind of story to invoke that kind of visceral dread.

Now if you've heard me out, how it relates to RWBY is that a lot of the dismissal and derision relies on a specific kind of media illiteracy: the active lack of curiosity.

Rather than be curious about people pitching a fit about "X show" and seeing for themselves what all the hubbub is about, they just stay away. They go with the crowd essentially.

And why wouldn't they? It's like how school bullies get away with picking on their victims even in front of others. Anyone else who doesn't want to play hero would keep their head down and not even be associated with the targeted kid.

I mean, we've got clickbait titles called "We Watch 'X' So You Don't Have To." That is literally ripping off the Nostalgia Critic AKA baby's first Angry Geek. It's not that looking into a show so you'd know if it's worth your time or not is bad. It's when it's from second hand sources like very leading Video Essays.

So many act autoritative and present themselves with the kind of confidence we so wish we had in ourselves. We trust that they're editing isn't being coy and that their assessment is legitimate or, if more emotionally, honest at the very least.

But what about the show itself? Why not find any clips online that highlight certain moments? Why not at least view some of the trailers? Why not go onto subreddits or Socials to ask, "Hey, why do some many seem to like this show?"

Because between James Somerton and Lily Orchard, it's become abundantly clear that there are many who are willing to abuse this this trust. And they are not isolated incidents. Even those who maybe are just giving their opinion may be twisting facts to suit their narrative. They also may be not.

But you won't know unless we let ourselves be curious. Is the show trash? Or is it just another punching bag for YouTubers to hit so money will fall out if they make a hard enough blow?

Is the show truly offensive? Or did it mishandled pre-warning those of its subject content?

Is the show bad... or just not for you?

Be curious. Find the answers for yourself. Nobody is ever immune from mob mentality.

Obviously I am not trying to demonize those who take umbrage with 13 Reasons Why. I’ve seen the scenes and know why they aren’t very beloved. This is about how not everything is just “show bad” or that you must like only “good media.”

[entriprises]

✧✦⭒ SONG ASSOCIATIONS : a song for romeo & andie sent by @fyrewalks

they have lots but i'm choosing to talk about casual by chappell roan cause dee and i have been talking lately about how they're pretty much on and off all through the first couple times they decide to act on their feelings. they go from friends to something somewhat serious to both pulling away because of lovebug/heart attack responsibilities and time.

they don't really have chances to be official and serious and steady because for so long each of them has too much going on and also because of the relationship they have as it is. romeo is one of the first and few people to know andie's secret. he's one of the few people who she can be open with and entirely and she's known him since before the bite, even if it was ultimately what brought them closer. for him, he's always waiting for the big sign of romance and thinks that maybe they're not meant to be but he also really enjoys the attention and intimacy. him growing in fame makes it really difficult with her being lovebug. so all the times they're sort of... casual, even if by every definition they're not and neither of them want to be.

dumb love, i love being stupid / dream of us in a year / maybe we'd have an apartment . . . it's hard being casual when my favorite bra lives in your dresser . . . and i try to be the chill girl but honestly, i'm not

they have all the points of being together. they talk about their future together, they are intimate, they talk openly... they just are stupid and have a million excuses as to why living in the in-between limbo is so much easier than doing anything else

[sanguine-salvation]

[muse thoughts meme!]

I find you despicable in every way. You've cost Gotham so much. Too much. I don't care that you're insane. Seeing you at Arkham is genuinely disappointing since I'd rather see you in Hell.

On second thought, Arkham is fine. Since you love death so much, we wish you a long life and a slow, undignified death.

(Two thoughts from the same brain... I wonder whose it is??)

[ tell my muse what your muse thinks of mine on anon! - ACCEPTING ]

"... Hmph. Is that all? Are you done?"

"I'm not surprised. How could you care. You don't see the weight, the ugly reality that Death gifted me with. You say I've cost Gotham too much, but she was destitute before I was even born. And if only you could see it. Really see it! How much pain they're in, just... rotting, aimless, empty. I've felt it. When I cut part of me away, it's because someone never has to suffer again! But no, I'm despicable. It's fine, I'm used to being alone."

"... unlike some people~"

[jesterbells]

Hey so a Feminism Appropriating Radical Transphobe/post-feminist conservative bigot (aka "TERF"/"radfem") just followed me (don't worry I blocked them) so this is a great time to reiterate that trans women are women, trans men are men, nonbinary people are valid, this blog is a safe space for all trans folks, and FARTs/PFCBs/"TERFS"/"radfems"/"gender criticals" are not welcome on this blog and will be blocked on sight! If you found your way here through fandom or some other way, you are in the wrong place :) go away :) Trust me you won't like it here--I post about trans rights a lot.

[voulezloux]

.

[elegyofthemoon]

log o7

• surprisingly knowing stuff for microbio that i didnt need to be lectured much and was kinda left to do my own business/finished early enough i can grab lunch

• being able to talk further to my friend about a writing project that i have on the backburner presently because i got a bad writers block about it but now i think i have an idea of where i wanna go

• getting a really stupid idea for a scene for said project and even getting a chance to write it

• being able to take a shuttle out of town (even if its just for classes. i miss driving around sm lmao)

• saw daffodils again :) also very pretty on sunny days like today. actually lots of them bc theyre planted all over the place here which is so nice!

• got to go home earlier than expected from the teaching :)

• GOT TO SEE A BUNCH OF BUGS.... I actually lowkey really love microbio tbh and I think it's cool (and terrifying. I had a huge fear of Everything when I first started learning about it), but getting to see each of the organisms face to face feels like being a little starstruck (which is kinda lame tbh but honestly it was so neat.), especially the parasites because they were a lot bigger than I would imagine them being!

• ngl walking around in the cold rain was nice. i mean it was really cold but it kinda felt freeing in a way. its nice

• i mean technically it didnt happen today but the little realization made me sorta happy. a lot of the times with friends i always worry about being really boring and tbh, from my perspective, i feel that i am. i dont really talk much and tend to be too anxious to do so. i dont speak my mind because i get way too nervous about how the other would accept it. that and sorta being told that i am boring/predictable a lot growing up made it hard to not think of myself any other way. (its kinda weird though bc i get told both ends of the spectrum where im either told im too boring OR im being too annoying so idk. cant win either way tbh). idk. its silly thinking about like two instances as of late that like i did something that was very predictable of me and still friends being fond of that bc thats just very 'me'. maybe its a silly thing to fixate on, but ig its kinda nice knowing that i dont have to try so hard to stand out/be different or whatever else. naturally, whatever i wind up doing, there'll be people who like me as i am, and i think thats a nice thing to hold onto

i forgot to add one more bc this was mostly written while i was on the shuttle back home and cooking dinner but it was also nice talking to my friend about some theories about hsr :] idk it got me excited to do so even though i dont have everything put together in my head alskdfjh

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

lord ruby would definetly regress if one of the lunars/lunar lords got to pushy [mainly blacky] he would hide and drop, shaking and crying.

crystal and red moon would be by his side and only let lord hypernova aprouch

Lord Shadow (the gentlest of the various gods, who happens to be an Eclipse who was also abused) would be very careful with him and hold him the rest of the meeting, after running this by Crystal Moon and Red Moon, of course. Possibly take him into the adjoining room to be with the companions like Evening and Nyx, who will make sure Lord Ruby feels safe and cared for.

[orangetintedglasses]

Plants hopped up on Eridium sounds like a recipe for disaster. o-o

( I mean isn't that kind of the point--

nah but like. I think Greenie wouldn't take to the 'beneficial' effects of Eridium right away? He's not typically the receiver of energy, he's the go-between for Dependents and the higher dimension's energy-- so when this foreign poison hits his system, he's gonna get sick.

He's gonna run hot, throw up slag, be uncomfortable and in pain... but the good stuff is clearly being absorbed. His markings might even take on a purple-y pink hue. But he's not acting like a battery-- he's not producing energy of any kind --so what's happening to it? )

[heirbane]

grandpa's first sunday. you know what that means.

Gaius, having grown up in the military and being under the wing of many superiors, is no stranger to the status quo between man and boy - senior and junior. He went untouched until he was sixteen summers, curls creeping between his thighs and sprinkling his chest and underarms. His platoon was full of those going through puberty and the pains of becoming an adult by body, even if Garlemald had deemed them adults years ago, by virtue of their enlistment.

His first bedfellow was a man a handful of years his senior, still lanky and ill-proportioned, a Roegadyn in birthright but not wholly in statue yet. The man had been gifted a new title, no longer on par with Gaius but his superior in all ways that mattered, and he used his new name to bend the teen at the waist and find his own pleasure.

(Several weeks later, Gaius had tried his own hand - to use his status and title as male birds did their showy plumage. It was all the same, this show of dominance, of power: the most decorated bird was the one to find a partner, and the higher the title, the wider the pool he had to choose from. He went to bed with a girl a summer or two older than him but with a title beneath his, and was so uncertain of how to give instead of receive that he was unable to keep himself afloat, drowning in teenage uncertainty and embarrassment. She got herself off, got dressed, and left - and, to his benefit, he never saw her again, but he knew in his gut that she laughed at him amongst friends.)

By the age of twenty and two, on the cusp of another promotion, Gaius had spent time in plenty of bedrolls, in plenty of company: with another, with multiple others, with further Roe and conscripted Miqo'te, with other Garleans. As he grew into his confidence and became comfortable with what he wanted -and what he needed to find a release among others - the encounters that required him to be receptive became fewer.

By the time Gaius is a quarter of a century old, half his life already paid to the military, he has ceased being dug into bedrolls or led to his knees. Part of it is status: he had already been gifted his tol title, leaving only a handful of soldiers above his rank who could have him submit in such a way. Most of it was personal preference and his silver tongue.

Gaius had not been taught that sex could be for love, for intimacy, or for much else besides stress relief and procreation. (Unsurprisingly, such a mindset is being fed to recruits thirty years his junior - the last few classes of Garlemald's military academy before it's fall still struggle to relate the act to anything beyond that.) Knowing that, it isn't a surprise that he treats it just so: bedding peers and juniors to remove his mind from his duties and to prepare for the battlefield.

Thankfully, by the time he is twenty and five, the softness that came with inexperience was no more. He knew what he desired, and his recurring partners knew much the same: his bedfellows were to take command, to behave, and do as told, lest he discipline their insubordination. He is not a lover but a dictator; he does not appear kind, although their limits and expectations are fully understood and tapping out taken seriously.

For his partner to end up like he did at the beginning - face in the bedroll, his fist in their hair, a pace so ruthless it punched gasps from their lungs - was not uncommon. Gaius was not known to take his time.

His haphazard foreplay and brutal pace thereafter slowed with age, as did the amount of partners that graced his bedroll - or his mattress, once the man could afford an apartment and amenities. As he matured, so did his tastes.

Gaius, at twenty and five, was known to devour his meal as if a man starved - a youth still feeling out his appetite and how much he needed to feel sated. Gaius, at fifty and five, had learned how to play with his food.

(While he still quite enjoyed the view of his partner's arched back and the sounds they made when he bent them over, he enjoyed their anticipation even more, the languid chase that came before he devoured them. He was in no rush. Death had come for him more times than he could count, and sex was a luxury he scarcely afforded himself as a man: he would relish in it, even if it meant listening to his partner beg.)

[davekatzdefensesquad]

Stop. Telling. People. To. Stop. Eating. Junk food.

You CAN eat it, but not on a regular basis. It shouldn’t be your primary diet. No one is saying that.

You can have a fucking soda every so often. And bread. And fucking RICE.

Telling people to limit shit is how you start binge eating in your underwear at 3 AM and hating yourself and not thinking about the progress you’ve made up to that point.

Stfu

Eat the fucking chocolate.

Life is too short.