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sweetestofchaos · 1 year ago

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TOTW Ch 6

𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀: 𝗈𝗍𝟩 𝗑 𝗈𝖼!𝗁𝗒𝖻𝗋𝗂𝖽 𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀: 𝖬𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗋𝖾/𝖺𝗎: 𝖠𝗇𝗀𝗌𝗍, 𝖥𝗅𝗎𝖿𝖿, 𝖯𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖠𝖴, 𝖧𝗒𝖻𝗋𝗂𝖽 𝖠𝖴, 𝖭𝗈𝗇-𝖨𝖽𝗈𝗅 𝖠𝖴 𝗐𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌: 𝖧𝗈𝗆𝗈𝗉𝗁𝗈𝖻𝗂𝖺, 𝖨𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖱𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗉𝗌, 𝖱𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗌𝗆 (𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝖽𝖺𝗋𝗄), 𝖥𝗈𝗋𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖢𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖮𝗎𝗍, 𝖯𝗋𝖾𝗃𝗎𝖽𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝖵𝗂𝖾𝗐𝗌, 𝖠𝗅𝗉𝖺𝖼𝖺!𝖲𝖾𝗈𝗄𝗃𝗂𝗇, 𝖯𝗂𝖾𝖽-𝖡𝖾𝗅𝗅𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝖲𝗁𝗂𝖾𝗅𝖽 𝖳𝖺𝗂𝗅 𝖲𝗇𝖺𝗄𝖾!𝖸𝗈𝗈𝗇𝗀𝗂, 𝖧𝗎𝗆𝖺𝗇!𝖭𝖺𝗆𝗃𝗈𝗈𝗇, 𝖧𝗎𝗆𝖺𝗇!𝖧𝗈𝗌𝖾𝗈𝗄, 𝖧𝗎𝗆𝖺𝗇!𝖩𝗂𝗆𝗂𝗇, 𝖧𝗎𝗆𝖺𝗇!𝖳𝖺𝖾𝗁𝗒𝗎𝗇𝗀, 𝖪𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖺𝗋𝗈𝗈!𝖩𝗎𝗇𝗀𝗄𝗈𝗈𝗄, 𝖰𝗎𝗈𝗅𝗅!𝖮𝖢 𝗐𝖼: 7.1𝖪

"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place." – Zora Neale Hurston

a/n: @namjinsmoonchile as always, thank you for being my beta!

a/n 2: Bold text are BTS speaking English

taglist: @elliedearest @quirkybtsarmy @vvh0adie

series masterlist 🌻character profiles

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“Hey? What are you doing, silly?” Hoseok laughs but the smile on his face falls when he notices that Imani isn’t smiling like before. “What’s wrong honey?” Hoseok drops down into a squat and quickly gather’s Imani into his arms, her tail wrapping around his wrist and forearm as he stands. A scoff catches Hoseok’s attention and his body tenses when he finally notices the older woman across the table that is glaring at him in disgust. “M-Mom?”

The woman’s face sours as Hoseok speaks, “Don’t you call me that! As if I would ever birth someone so filthy. You had a child with one of them?!”

Hoseok tightens his hold on Imani and his mother rolls her eyes, “Thank God your father isn’t here to see how low you’ve fallen. A child, Hoseok. Really?”

“Don’t talk about-”

“She’s too dark to be one of theirs…oh God you laid with a foreign one!”

Hoseok’s heart freezes at the mention of Imani’s skin tone and tears burn his eyes, “S-stop it…s-she’s the sweetest little-”

“What a disappointment you’ve become. Thankfully we cut you off before you could bring even more shame to the Jung name.”

Before Hoseok can speak, a hand rests on his lower back, “Hobi-ah you don’t have to take that from her. She’s nothing but a bitter old hag!” Jimin’s voice is ice as he glares at Hoseok’s mother and the woman’s mouth falls open in shock.

“There’s another one?!” She looks green as she places the jewelry in her hand down on the table. “Just how many of them have you whored yourself out-”

“Hey!” Yoongi’s voice is acidic, melting whatever words were going to spill from Hoseok’s mother’s lips as he places himself in front of Hoseok, blocking his view. His eyes are a bright gold, his pupils now slit as he stares the older woman down. “I suggest you leave before something bad happens.” Yoongi makes sure to cross his arms over his chest, the scales on his forearms catching the lighting just right to make them more visible to anyone looking at him.

Huffing the woman sucks her teeth and storms away, not even bothering to buy anything that she had picked up, leaving the large pile on the table. Once Yoongi can no longer smell her, he turns his attention to Hoseok whose face is flushed red from trying to hold in his tears. Jimin looks at Yoongi, not sure what to do. He had never meant Hoseok’s family and he never thought he would. Before either of them can do anything, they watch as Imani pulls away from Hoseok slightly. She grabs his face in between her little hands and nuzzles their noses together.

“It’s otay. You cry, big boys cry too.”

Pushing Hoseok’s face into her shoulder, Imani starts to scent him, rubbing her cheek against his head and ear while she pets his hair. Yoongi’s pupils slowly turn back into round black dots and Jimin’s eyes are barely visible from how hard he is smiling. Hoseok takes a shaky breath in, his nose clogged from sudden snot as he tries not to bawl in the arms of a four-year-old.

“You hug?” Imani stares at Yoongi and he nods his head with a laugh.

Jimin and Yoongi both wrap their arms around Hoseok and whisper soft words of love and comfort. Hoseok hands Imani to Jimin, not waiting to cry all over the little girl and he lets Yoongi scent him as his tears soak into Yoongi’s shoulder.

“Come on, baby. Let’s give them some privacy.” Jimin walks away from Yoongi and Hoseok, rubbing Imani’s back as he kisses her cheek. “You were such a big girl, helping Hoba like that. Such a big girl!” Jimin praises and Imani giggles wrapping her arms around Jimin’s neck, scenting him happily as he walks over towards Seokjin and Jungkook who both look at him confused. Jimin mouths that he will inform them later as Imani holds her hands out towards Seokjin.

“Are you having fun, little one?” Seokjin questions, pointily ignoring the scent of Hoseok’s distress on Imani’s clothing.

“Hobi crying. Big boys cry too,” Imani mutters as she melts into Seokjin’s arms, enjoying the feeling as he scents her heavily.

Jimin rubs the back of his neck and licks his lips, “Imani was a very big girl and she made Hobie feel better, right?” Jimin pinches Imani’s cheek softly and she nods her head slowly. Jungkook rolls his eyes as Seokjin pushes Imani into a scent induced slumber. Her eyes start to flutter, and she grips the collar of Seokjin’s shirt in her hand. Her scent evens out and once Seokjin is satisfied, his inner omega soothed, he hands Imani to Jungkook and hurries over to where he can smell Yoongi and Hoseok.

Shifting Imani in his arms, Jungkook leans down and presses a kiss to Jimin’s forehead, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Later…I don’t want to repeat anything in front of Imani.”

Jungkook frowns at that but nods his head, nonetheless. “Seems like we’re calling it a day.” Jungkook nods his head in the direction behind Jimin and when Jimin turns around he sees the rest of his lovers heading towards the store exit. Namjoon raises his hand when he sees that they are looking at him and he motions for them to come along.

“Hoseok’s scent was sour,” Jungkook mutters as he drops a hand down to his side for Jimin to grab on to.

“Jungkookie, please. Just wait until later, okay?” Jimin laces their fingers together and brings their hands to his lips, kissing Jungkook’s tattooed fingers softly.

The moon is high in the sky, Imani is tucked away in her room, and all the guys are spaced out around the living room. Hoseok is sitting between Taehyung and Jimin on the couch while Yoongi and Jungkook are sitting in the love seat; Seokjin sits in Namjoon’s lap in the armchair with a baby monitor placed on the side table beside them. Namjoon turned on the air purifiers and opened up two of the windows to make sure any negative scents won’t wake up Imani or linger into the morning when she wakes up.

Seokjin plays with the ring on Namjoon’s finger and pushes out his scent making sure to pay attention to the three maknae’s since they don’t know the full story about Hoseok’s family. In between Jimin and Taehyung, Hoseok rubs his palms on his thighs, the sweat catching on the fabric of his sleep pants. He chews on the inside of his bottom lip trying to figure out where to start and Taehyung places a comforting hand on the back of Hoseok’s neck.

“As you know, my last name is Jung. I am…sorry, I was the youngest son of Jung Chihun and Choi Sori. They own two of the largest water purification plants in South Korea.” Hoseok clears his throat and picks at the rip in his pants. “I was expected to take over the marketing branch once I got out of school to help ease the burden on my father. At the time I was really excited, thrilled that I could help my family out.”

Hoseok folds his hands in his lap as he speaks, “As time went on, I got introduced to many chaebol families. I became good friends with a few of their kids and that’s when things started to change for me. I started to notice that I didn’t find any of the girls attractive. Well, at least not romantically.”

Jungkook’s leg starts to bounce and Yoongi places his hand on the younger’s knee to soothe him as Hoseok tells his story.

“Minsoo tried to kiss me when I was thirteen and I pushed her away. I told her that I only saw her as a friend and she was okay with that. We stayed friends, and acted like nothing happened. When I turned fourteen, Minho, Minsoo's brother kissed me and I liked it.”

“Was he a hybrid?” Jungkook asks quietly and Hoseok shakes his head.

“No, my family is extremely prejudiced against hybrids. They feel that humans are above them since hybrids share animal genes.” Hoseok explains and everyone frowns at his words. Hoseok rubs the back of his neck and clears his throat as he continues his story.

“Minho kept the kiss a secret between us and he became my first everything. When Minsoo found out, she told my parents and my father threatened to disown me if I didn’t clean up my act. So, I stopped seeing Minho and shortly after my father announced my engagement to a well off family that owned a chain of hotels.”

“You were engaged? B-But you were a child!” Jimin looks as if he is going to hurl as he stares at Hoseok in disbelief.

“Yeah…I don’t even remember the girl’s face truthfully. She was quiet with warm eyes. I couldn’t find it in myself to lie to her, so I told her the truth, inheritance be damned. Once she knew I was gay, she didn’t want anything to do with me. For the sake of appearances we interacted but that was it. She hated being in the same room as me.”

Hoseok balls his hands into fist on his thighs and clears his throat three times as he tries to speak. “I guess she finally told her parents and they called off the engagement. My parents were furious and set me to boarding school. That’s where I meant Jitae, a tiger hybrid that later introduced me to Namjoon.”

Jimin cuddles into Hoseok’s side and wraps his hands around Hoseok’s fists. “We became friends pretty quickly. Namjoon and I just clicked, and we understood each other. He didn’t even bat an eye when I told him I was the son of Jung Chihun.”

“Our Namjoonie wouldn’t ever care about that!” Taehyung giggles and Namjoon’s cheeks heat up enough to make everyone coo at him. Namjoon rolls his eyes and swats at Seokjin’s hands as Seokjin tries to poke at his shy dimples.

A soft cry cuts through the air and Seokjin glances at the baby monitor. Everyone holds their breath as they wait for Imani to make another sound to alert them that she’s awake but no other sound comes from the speaker.

Hoseok continues with his story as Taehyung rests his head on his shoulder. “After boarding school, I started to work for my father’s company but I still kept in touch with Namjoon. He had started to date Yoongi hyung at some point and again, we all just clicked together.” Hoseok glances over at Yoongi and the older man just nods his head in agreement.

“My parents liked Namjoon, moreso my father. He thought Namjoon was brilliant and wanted him to work under him. They invited Namjoon to dinner without my knowledge and when Namjoon showed up with Yoongi on his arm things got messy.”

Namjoon huffs with a frown, “That’s one way to put it.”

Yoongi speaks up and takes over the story for Hoseok. “His father assumed that I was Namjoon’s servant and when Namjoon corrected him, the old man started throwing insults at us. Hobah stepped in and said quote…you will not disrespect them like this father! They are the only people who have had my back from the moment I meant them and I love them…end quote.” Yoongi has a smug smile on his face while Hoseok looks down at his lap, unable to meet anyone’s eyes.

The three younger men all stare at Hoseok and Jungkook whispers low, “Wow, hyung. That’s a badass way to confess!”

Hoseok groans and hides his face in his hand while the others all laugh. Namjoon rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest, “You think that was badass?” He laughs with a shake of his head, “You should have seen the way he pulled Yoongi into a kiss just to prove his point.”

“What?!” The maknaes could not believe their ears. Their Hoseok, their sunshine kissed Yoongi in front of his homophobic parents…wow.

“What happened next Hyung?” Taehyung is on the edge of his seat, he is nearly in Hoseok’s lap as he stares at the older man. “N-No one got hurt, right?”

“Hurt?” Hoseok repeats the word and shakes his head. “Not physically at least. My feelings were bruised, you know parents say things that hit you the hardest…” Hoseok shrugs his shoulders and continues. “After I kissed Yoongi, my father kicked me out. My mom tried to reason with him and put all the blame on Yoongi since he was a hybrid. She said that he poisoned my mind and a bunch of other shit that I will not repeat…”

“His dad wasn’t having any of it. Gave us an hour to pack Hoseok’s things and leave. Whatever was left behind would be trash.” Namjoon frowned at the memory. “Good thing Yoongi drove his truck that night.”

Hoseok smiles as Jungkook slips from his spot beside Yoongi and watches as he crawls over to sit between his legs on the floor.

“Hobi?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry that happened to you. You didn’t deserve to have such shitty parents.”

“Thank you, Kook…” Hoseok leans down and pecks Jungkook’s forehead before he places another kiss on Taehyung and Jimin’s forehead as well. “It’s all in the past. That was the second time I’ve seen my mother since I left the house.”

“Second time?” Jimin asks and Seokjin grumbles under his breath which makes Hoseok shake his head.

“The first time I saw my mom was before you all came into the house. It was a year after Seokjin joined us. She was not happy to see that not only was I still gay but I also had another boyfriend and he was a hybrid.”

“I have never wanted to bite someone so badly in my life!” Seokjin pipes up and Namjoon pats his head to soothe the upset alpaca.

Yoongi huffs a laugh with a shake of his head, “Does anyone want water? Tea?” Yoongi moves to get up and Namjoon jumps to his feet.

“I’ll help,” Namjoon reaches for Yoongi’s hand and Jimin is quick to stand up and stop him.

“You sit. I’ll help.” Jimin swaps out Namjoon’s hand for his own in Yoongi’s hand and pulls him towards the kitchen to grab drinks for everyone.

“I could have helped,” Namjoon grumbles with a pout and Seokjin kisses his cheek.

“It’s late and the lights aren’t fully on. You could have gotten hurt.”

Everyone sits in silence and relaxes before Jimin and Yoongi come back into the living room with tea and water.

“You know, we still have to tell our parents.” Taehyung points out and everyone looks at him.

“I would like to wait until the adoption is finalized,” Yoongi takes a sip of his tea and swallows before he continues, “I do not think that there would be any reason for our application to be denied, mister Fentin was clear with what our exceptions should be. However, Namjoon and I have looked over Imani’s case paperwork many times and I am worried that the court will focus on her being a rare hybrid that suffered from neglect.”

“Jungkookie is a rare hybrid, so wouldn’t that help our case?” Jimin pouts and Seokjin shakes his head sadly.

“The courts will dissect our pack member by member. They will see seven men who live together and see that we do have relations with each other. Jungkook being a rare hybrid doesn’t mean anything. There are laws that protect interspecies relationships but they are still frowned upon by the majority.”

“Would they really take Imani away from us?” Taehyung’s voice is small as he stares at Seokjin, Yoongi and Namjoon. He has loved Imani from the moment he saw her in Las Vegas. He couldn’t imagine his life without her in his arms, not anymore.

“Since Imani and I have imprinted on each other, the chance of losing her is slim to none but the chance isn’t zero.” Seokjin would like to lie to his packmates but he has to be honest. It hurts him to be truthful but it would hurt more if Imani were to be taken when they all believe she couldn’t be.

“What else can we do?” Jungkook chews at the ring on his lip as his leg starts to bounce once again.

Namjoon, Seokjin and Yoongi share a look before Yoongi says, “We do what we have been doing.” Yoongi smiles and another soft cry comes from the baby monitor. Everyone freezes and when Imani’s cries start to grow louder, Seokjin rises to his feet and hurries upstairs.

Everyone stares at the monitor as Seokjin’s voice comes through and Hoseok leans into Jimin’s side while Taehyung runs his fingers through Jungkook’s hair.

“We continue to love her and be a safe place for Imani,” Yoongi finishes his speech and everyone nods in agreement. “Come on, bedtime. You’re all about to pass out.”

Slowly everyone gets up and they all make their way up the steps to the nest. While they get settled in, Yoongi walks down the hall to Imani’s room with the monitor in his hand turned off. The door is cracked open and he peeks his head in. Seokjin is sitting in a rocking chair with Imani half asleep in his arms. Her face is tucked into Seokjin’s neck, her nose most likely pressed into his scent gland and her arms are wedged between their stomachs. Seokjin’s head is tilted to the side and he looks to be half asleep as well as he sings softly.

The smile that pulls at Yoongi’s lips is blinding as he carefully creeps into the room, sets the monitor on the dresser and grabs a blanket from Imani’s bed. Yoongi places the blanket over top of the two sleeping bodies and Seokjin’s eyes flutter open. He gives Yoongi a tired smile and Yoongi presses a kiss to Seokjin’s forehead.

“We’re in the nest if you would like to join us?”

Seokjin nods his head slowly and Yoongi helps him get up without moving Imani too much. Imani’s shifts in Seokjin’s arms and she turns her head away from his neck. She squints as she yawns and whines when Yoongi’s sun dried laundry scent floods her senses. Imani’s eyes open a little and she reaches out tiredly, her body acting as a dead weight as she leans away from Seokjin who yelps in surprise. Yoongi is quick to catch Imani’s body in his arms as she falls sideways and Seokjin’s eyes are wide as he stares. Imani cuddles into Yoongi’s arms and chirps lowly as she drifts off to sleep.

Yoongi lets out a breath and tightens his hold around Imani before Seokjin readjusts the blanket and motions for Yoongi to leave the room first. Seokjin tidies up a little before he leaves the bedroom, pulling it shut behind himself as he enters the hallway. Yoongi is waiting for him with Imani softly snoring in his arms.

“Come on, the others are waiting.” Yoongi makes sure that Imani’s weight is balanced well before he drops one arm to his side and laces his fingers with Seokjin’s. The two walk to the nest and sure enough everyone is already asleep or on their way to being asleep. Seokjin enters the nest first and he makes sure that Yoongi comes down carefully with Imani. Silently, Seokjin starts to move a few blankets around in the center of the nest, a tinier nest that’s wrapped around a soft pillow at the small of Namjoon’s back. Once Seokjin gives Yoongi the go ahead, Yoongi walks over to the mini nest and sets Imani inside.

Imani whines in her sleep but before she can fully wake up, Yoongi grabs hold of her little hand and lays down beside the nest. Seokjin lays down in front of Namjoon who is half awake and kisses him sweetly on the lips. Namjoon mumbles something about his favorite plant and wraps his arm around Seokjin’s waist before he drifts off to sleep. Taehyung is passed out with Jimin in his arms as the little spoon while Hoseok and Jungkook lay on their stomachs with their legs intertwined. Yoongi smiles and tugs a thicker blanket onto his body. He yawns and rubs at his eyes with his free hand before he settles in and drifts off to sleep.

Yoongi stands in front of the mirror in his room and gives himself another once over. He has to go into the office today because the head of the company will be doing a walk through. Yoongi’s outfit is simple enough, a black button up, a black two piece suit with black socks and black dress shoes. Yoongi tucks a loose strand of hair behind his ear and nods, pleased with himself. The thin wire framed glasses are a nice touch even if they are fake. With his shoes in hand, Yoongi checks to make sure his heating is set to the right temperature before he jogs down the steps.

The scent of pork belly is thick in the air and Yoongi sees Hoseok and Seokjin in the kitchenette together. The nest is empty for the time being and Yoongi can hear Imani playing with toys in her room. Walking over to the two men, Yoongi kisses their cheeks and hums in thanks as Hoseok places a thermos of fresh black coffee into his hand.

“I am shooting to be out of the office by two but plan for me to be here around five, maybe five thirty if the boss wants to have a sit down and go over numbers.”

“Can you pick up dessert on your way home?” Seokjin asks as Yoongi takes a sip of his coffee.

“Anything you have a craving for?”

“Nothing too sweet…maybe cheesecake or macaroons?”

Yoongi clicks his tongue as he makes a mental note to grab both from a bakery. “See you both later on.” Yoongi steps out of the kitchenette and heads towards Imani’s room. The bedroom door is wide open and Imani is on the floor playing with a stuffed duck.

“Imani?”

Imani’s head snaps up and a large smile pulls at her lips as her dark eyes light up, “Yoonie!” Imani jumps to her feet and rushes over to Yoongi who squats down in front of her. “You pway too?” Imani points to the other stuffed animals in the room and Yoongi shakes his head.

“I’m sorry pup. I have to go to work but can I play with you when I get home?”

“No work! You stay and pway too!” Imani drops the duck in her arms and grabs onto one of Yoongi’s free fingers that isn’t hooked into his shoes.

Yoongi tugs Imani closer as she pulls at his hand and wraps his arm around her, “Hey, listen okay? I promise, I’ll play with you when I get home. Will you be a good girl and listen to Jinnie for me?”

Imani frowns and her eyes start to glimmer as they fill with tears, “No, no. There is no need for tears…” Yoongi panics for a moment as the sweet sunflower scent that comes from Imani starts to muddle and decay.

Footsteps come down the hall and Seokjin leans against the door frame. “You’re going to be late if you don’t leave now, Yoongi.”

Yoongi glances up at Seokjin with a frown on his face. Seokjin smiles softly and pats his head before he squats down beside him. “Would you like to help Seokie and I make breakfast for the others?”

“I help?” Imani repeats and Seokjin nods his head wildly.

“Do you want to make the muffins? We can do blueberry or banana nut or-”

Yoongi stands and backs out of the room as Seokjin lists off all the different kinds of muffins they can make together. He hurries to the steps and throws a wave over his shoulder at Hoseok who is now chatting with Jimin at the table.

“Bye Hyung!” They both call after him as he disappears down the steps.

As Yoongi reaches the bottom of the steps, Jungkook is already there putting his own shoes on. Yoongi stops beside him and drops his shoes onto the floor.

“You have an early lesson today,” Yoongi remarks and Jungkook nods his head with a yawn.

“Yeah. It’s a new client, so I thought it best to get all the boring shit out of the way first.”

“That’s my smart Jungkookie.” Yoongi ruffles Jungkook’s hair and when Jungkook stands up he flashes that bunny-like smile. “How many appointments today?”

Jungkook furrows his brows as he thinks over his schedule and shrugs his shoulders, “I think six but I can’t remember if someone canceled or not. Though I guess it doesn’t really matter since I picked up a shift at the gym.”

“The gym? I thought you were done with that?”

“I was but one of the trainers is out on paternity leave.”

“Oh, well that’s nice of you to cover for him.” Jungkook’s face heats up from the praise and Yoongi pinches his cheek. “Have a good day and don’t over do it.”

“I will, Hyung. Make sure you take two breaks today.” Jungkook tilts his head down and pecks Yoongi’s lips, “I love you.”

Yoongi hums and unlocks the front door, “I love you too.” He opens the door and the two step out of the house together before they go to their separate cars. Between the seven of them they have four cars to share and it makes days like today much easier to navigate. Yoongi gets into his car and heads to work with a smile on his face. He cannot wait for the day to be over and it hasn’t even begun; but he can’t help it. He has a full nest to come home to, now complete with his very own pup.

Outside, Namjoon jogs around the neighborhood with earbuds twisted into his ears and his phone stuffed into the armband on his bicep. The weather is nice, the sun is out and Namjoon is sweaty. He went out for an early jog around seven and it is now a little past eight in the morning. When Namjoon circles back to the house, the first thing he notices is that two of the cars are gone. He unlocks the front door and toes off his sneakers before he places them in the shoe rack. Namjoon walks right into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of water from the fridge. Twisting the cap off, Namjoon downs half the water bottle and pants. He leans against the counter and takes deep breaths.

The lift chimes and Namjoon watches as Taehyung steps off the lift with Imani on his soldiers. She has shifted back into a quoll and when she spots Namjoon, she starts to chirp. Namjoon can’t stop himself from smiling and he easily lifts Imani into his arms. She clings to his shirt and crawls up his chest until she is settled on his right shoulder. Her nose is cold as it presses against Namjoon’s cheek, softly digging into his dimple. Namjoon chuckles and strokes Imani’s back with one hand.

“What are you doing up so early? I thought you were going to sleep in.”

Taehyung yawns as he runs a hand through his hair and leans against the opposite counter as Namjoon. “Seokjin and Hoseok made breakfast. Jiminie sent Imani to wake me up.”

“Why did she shift?” Namjoon questions and Taehyung laughs a little as he stares at the quoll on Namjoon’s shoulders.

“Someone didn’t want to get her hair done, so she shifted right as Hoseok was going to pick Imani up from her chair.”

“Imani,” Namjoon’s voice was light as he laughed and kissed the side of her little head. Imani chirps and licks at Namjoon’s dimple which makes Namjoon’s face twist in disgust. It felt like someone was giving his dimple a wet willy. “We still have some shopping to do today, pup. You need your hair done.”

Taehyung chuckles as the little quoll shakes her head back and forth before she headbutts Namjoon’s jaw. It doesn't hurt at all since she does it so lightly but it still makes Namjoon huff.

“I think she would much rather stay home today,” Taehyung pretends to interpret and Namjoon rolls his eyes.

“Don’t you want to help, Jinnie pick out the bedding for your room? You can make it however you want, pick any colors.” Namjoon downs the rest of his water and tosses the empty bottle in the recycling bin under the sink. Imani whines as Namjoon lifts her from his shoulder and hands her over to Taehyung. “I need to shower and eat. In the meantime, Imani you need to shift back sweetheart. Hobie just wants to make you look super cute again!” Namjoon scratches between Imani’s ears and kisses Taehyung’s cheek before he walks off in the direction of the lift.

Taehyung stands in the middle of the kitchen with Imani in his arms and he looks down at the tiny quoll, “Would you like to see the back yard?” Taehyung walks over to the cabinet and pushes Imani up onto his shoulder so that he can grab one of the reusable bags. Taehyung fills the bag with a small bowl, two water bottles and a bunch of snacks. Making sure that Imani is okay on his shoulder, Taehyung goes to the lift and heads to the floor below. In the very back of the salon, there are doors that lead outside to the garden and once outside, Taehyung sets Imani down. The quoll sniffs around and Taehyung sits in the grass enjoying the sun on his bare face.

He is still wearing his pajamas, a pair of red sleep pants with a band shirt, nothing fancy with his favorite pair of Gucci slides. Taehyung watches as Imani scuttles around from palace to place, sniffing and exploring. Looking around, Taehyung inhales the Earth around him, the fresh flowers from Namjoon’s garden are sweet and ground his mind as he thinks about everything his packmates have been through these past few weeks. He never knew that he could fall in love with a stranger so easily and yet, here Imani is lost in the greenery of the backyard.

Taehyung grins and falls backwards with his hands laced behind his head.

Imani mewls from somewhere in the garden as she sits perched on higher ground. She climbed onto the outdoor furniture and is happily watching the clouds as they pass by from her spot on the table. She has always enjoyed the outside. She loves going to the park and playing on the swings the most but her most favorite thing to do outside is go for walks and see all the pretty flowers that grow in other people’s gardens. She wonders if maybe Seokjin or Namjoon will go on a walk with her, maybe she should ask them later.

Imani notices that Taehyung is laying in the grass and that looks nice, the grass was soft when she first touched it. Imani looks at the seat in front of her and creeps to the edge of the table before she jumps and lands onto the plush cushion. Carefully, Imani scales the side of the chair and she runs over to Taehyung once on the ground. Imani stops a foot away from Taehyung and watches him, silently for a while before she closes the distance slowly.

Warm, rich, sugary sweet chocolate seeps from his neck and calls for Imani to snuggle close. Her nose presses into Taehyung’s skin and he shivers from the sudden coldness on his neck. Fluffy softness, melt in your mouth marshmallow goodness has Imani purring low as she curls into a tight ball and presses herself as humanly possible to Taehyung’s skin.

Taehyung nuzzles into Imani’s fur, short but soft and sighs as she licks at his skin. “Seokjinie will be upset if we fall asleep out here, you know.” Taehyung yawns and Imani does the same thing. Taehyung chuckles and basks in the sun’s warmth.

“Ya. Ya!” Taehyung feels someone nudging his thigh and he groans trying to move away from the feeling. “Wake up and get off the ground!” Taehyung whines and someone whines in his ear with him. His eyes slowly flutter open and there is a dark silhouette standing above him.

“Wha?” Taehyung is confused and when he feels something warm press into his cheek he smiles lazily. “Did you have a good nap, my heart?” Taehyung’s words are whispered as he turns his head and places a kiss on the quoll’s head.

“Ya! Don’t ignore me!”

Taehyung yawns and rubs at his eyes before he turns his attention back to the shadow above him. Now that he’s more awake the shadow morphed into a person and Taehyung stares up at Seokjin.

“What time is it?” Taehyung yawns as he reaches for Imani and pulls her into his chest before he sits up.

“Were you sleeping out here this whole time? We thought you were playing with Imani or went for a walk,” Seokjin narrows his eyes and his foot is tapping against the ground. “I have a house call, so I’ll be leaving right after this. Hoseok is in the salon, Jimin went to work and Namjoon is in the office, on a call.”

“What time will you be back?”

Seokjin glances down at the watch on his wrist, “It should only be a two hour session max, but the house is half way across town…maybe four or five hours? I’ll be home around two, closer to three depending on traffic.”

“Mmmhmm, okay. Bye, hyung…”

Seokjin rolled his eyes and scooped Imani into his arms. “You be a good girl, Imani, okay? Em-” Seokjin clears his throat and nuzzles his nose to the top of Imani’s head, “Jinnie will be back soon, okay? I love you, cria.” Seokjin pulls his face away from Imani and she lifts her face in the air. Seokjin giggles and nuzzles her nose with his own before he hands Imani back to Taehyung. “Get inside before you get sunburned.”

Seokjin heads off inside and the sound of the front door opening and closing fills the air. Imani chirps and Taehyung kisses the top of her head.

“Well, I wanted to have a little mid morning snack but I guess we both fell asleep, huh?” Taehyung beams down at Imani and grabs the basket of snacks as he stands up. “Let’s see what Seokie is up to, shall we?”

In the salon, Hoseok is cleaning up, just dusting and cleaning the floor so that he can reopen the salon next week. As much as he would love to stay on leave, he knows his employees miss their chairs, so he doesn't have much of a choice in the matter. Though Hoseok himself will not be staying in the salon much since they all decided that Hoseok and Seokjin would stay home with Imani while rotating weeks. Hoseok will be in the salon every other week while taking care of Imani. The others will help out as well as best they can with their schedules but parenting during the day will mostly fall on Hoseok and Seokjin.

Yoongi only works three days in the office but even working from home he isn’t off the clock until six at night. Namjoon can work from home as well since he is an interpreter and he can do a lot of his work through zoom but again he isn’t off the clock until five-thirty, six o’clock. Sometimes later depending on who he is working with. Jungkook picked up a coworker's clients, so he won’t be home as often and Jimin is only off on the weekend. Taehyung’s room was converted into a home studio of sorts, but he still goes into the office a lot so that the room he shares with Jimin isn’t taken over by mannequins and fabric.

Hoseok looks up from the floor at the sound of Taehyung’s humming. He grins at the sight of Imani perched on Taehyung’s shoulder. “There you are, pretty girl!” Hoseok sets the broom aside and plucks Imani from Taehyung’s shoulder. “Did you just wake up? Your face is puffy.” Hoseok narrows his eyes at Taehyung and Taehyung rubs the back of his neck, feeling shy. Hoseok shakes his head with a laugh and turns his attention to Imani. “Let’s get you upstairs for now.”

Taehyung puts the Dyson vacuum away and follows Hoseok to the lift. They get on and ride it to the top floor. When they get off, Hoseok sets Imani on the floor and she scurries off towards her room. Taehyung heads over to the kitchenette and sets the basket on the counter before he grabs two large plates.

“Are you going to eat any of this?” Taehyung calls out to Hoseok who is walking towards the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. Hoseok nods his head and Taehyung smiles, going right back to setting up the plates with the food he packed for himself and Imani.

Walking to Imani’s room, Hoseok stops in the doorway and he looks around to see where the tiny quoll is hiding. He notices a black tail peeking out from the pile of stuffed animals and grins before he clears his throat.

“Imani? Are you here? Imani?” Hoseok calls out to her and steps into the room. He makes sure his footsteps are loud and he moves things loudly as he continues to call for her. Hoseok makes his way over to the pile of stuffed animals and plops down onto the floor.

“I wonder where she could be?” Hoseok bites back a laugh when Imani’s tail curls up and disappears in the pile of stuffed animals.

“Well, I guess I can take a break. I’m soooo tired from looking all over for her…” Hoseok slowly leans back and settles against the pile of toys. The pile shifts against his back and Hoseok yawns loudly, “I’ll just take a nap, right here.”

Hoseok starts to snore and the pile of stuffed animals shifts again. There is a grunt followed by a giggle and Hoseok fights back the smile on his face. He rolls over and wraps his arms around the pile making Imani squeal in laughter as he snores louder.

“Off!” Imani laughs. “Off, Hobie!”

“Huh?” Hoseok sits up and stares at the pile. “Imani? Imani, is that you?” Hoseok pokes at the animals and Imani giggles. Hoseok gasps and throws his hands in the air.

“Oh, no! The stuffed animals ate Imani!” Hoseok starts to dig into the pile of plushies and tosses them over his shoulder. “I’ll save you baby!”

Imani’s laughter fills the air as Hoseok gets to the center of the pile and her dark eyes are sparkling as she throws herself into his arms. Hoseok grins, his lips stretched as far as they can go as he hugs Imani’s tiny body in his arms.

“You found me!” Imani nuzzles her nose into the space where Hoseok’s scent gland would be and starts to scent him. Hoseok kisses the side of Imani’s head and carefully stands up with her in his arms.

“I will always find you, silly! Now let’s get dressed, yeah?”

Hoseok sets Imani on her feet and he goes into her closet to grab an outfit. Imani goes to her dresser to grab underwear and when Hoseok steps out of the closet with an outfit in his hand, Imani is no longer completely naked.

Imani sees the clothing in Hoseok’s hands and holds out her arms, “I dress me. You no help!”

Hoseok chuckles and sets the outfit on Imani’s bed. As she starts to dress herself, Hoseok grabs a pair of pink socks and sets them on the bed as well. He stays close by in case Imani does need his help at all, but she does okay by herself. She tugs on the grey biker shorts without any issue along with the duo toned yellow and pink button up shirt. Hoseok unbuttoned the first three buttons while he was in the closet to make it easier for Imani to pull over her ears and head.

Imani struggles to button her shirt and she looks up at Hoseok with a pout on her lips, “I need help!”

Hoseok squats down in front of Imani, buttons two of the buttons and fixes the collar of the shirt. He folds the bottom right of the shirt and tucks it into the waistband of the shorts before he scoops Imani into his arms and stands up.

“Let’s brush our teeth and then I’ll do your hair, okay?”

“No hair!” Imani whines and Hoseok pecks her nose.

“You have to get your hair done, pretty girl.”

Imani pouts but says nothing more as Hoseok carries her to the bathroom and they brush their teeth together with Imani standing on her green teddy bear step stool. Hoseok has a few hair products and tools tucked away in the shared bathroom for Imani, so that they don’t always have to sit in the salon and he pulls them out while Imani rinses with mouthwash. Sliding his phone from his pocket, Hoseok texts Taehyung and asks if he has any yellow or pink ribbon in his studio.

Setting his phone on the countertop, Hoseok stands behind Imani and starts to detangle her hair with water and leave-in conditioner. As he is sectioning the hair into two parts, Taehyung pops into the bathroom with a pink and yellow ribbon in his hands.

“Oh! Wonderful, thank you!”

Hoseok pumps styling mousse into his hand and pulls Imani’s hair into two puffs on either side of her head, behind her ears. Using a pair of crucial trimmers, Hoseok cuts a six inch piece of the pink and yellow ribbon. He makes a cute bow on each puff of hair and tames Imani’s baby’s hair with more mousse before he loosely ties a scarf around her head to help set the hair.

“Soooo cute!” Taehyung gushes as he picks Imani up and squashes their faces together. They both make silly faces in the mirror and Hoseok laughs.

“Okay, okay. Outta the bathroom!” Hoseok waves Taehyung out and cleans up once the bathroom is kid free. Stepping out of the bathroom, Hoseok pulls the door shut behind himself and heads into the living room. Imani is jumping around in the nest with a mouth full of food and a yellow duckie stuffy in her arms while Taehyung sits at the edge with a small plate of food in his hand. The TV on the wall is playing some animated movie and Hoseok feels his heart settle even more in his chest. He always felt at home with the pack mates but with Imani here it feels more like a dream come true. If his pack mates are home, then Imani would be the garden that they all tend to together.

#poly!bts #bts hybrid au #bts x black!oc #bts dad au #bts adoption au #totw ch 6 #fic: take on the world #divider by saradika

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mogai-sunflowers · 2 years ago

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MOGAI BHM- Day 11!

happy BHM! today i’m going to be talking about music and literature during the Harlem Renaissance!

Literature During the Harlem Renaissance-

[Image ID: A black-and-white photograph of Langston Hughes, a Black man with short hair. In the photograph, he’s sitting with his arm resting on the back of a chair in front of a table and a bookshelf. He’s smiling widely and wearing a light-colored long-sleeved collared shirt with thin, vertical white stripes. End ID.]

One of the spheres most influenced and prominent during the Harlem Renaissance was that of Black literature. Black writers began to publish works about being Black in America, about Black pride and stories, about forging a racial and cultural identity, and as Black stories began to become more told on stages, they also began to be told more through literature.

Magazines were a huge part of literature during the Harlem Renaissance- they were opportunities for Black writers to collaborate and reach larger audiences. Some of the most influential magazines of the era include the NAACP-published The Crisis, and Marcus Garvey’s and the UNIA’s N*gro’s World. Publications such as these boldly discussed racial topics and allowed readers to connect with their own racial identities.

The most famous writer of the Harlem Renaissance, indeed one of the most famous and influential American writers ever, is Langston Hughes. Langston was many things- he was a poet, an essayist, a novelist, and an activist. He is most known for his poetry, but all his genres of writing revolved around racial identity. Hughes is known for saying that Black artists rejecting their racial identity stood in the way of them truly creating Black art.

Langston’s most famous works include The Weary Blues, a poetry collection about Black jazz and blues musicians and Black life in America, famous for incorporating blues and jazz into his writing as well as Black American dialects. He also collaborated with other famous artists like Aaron Douglas and Zora Neale Hurston on the magazine Fire!!, a bold magazine for Black artists focusing on race, sex, intersections, and more. Hughes wrote about and memorialized the Harlem Renaissance in his autobiography The Big Sea.

Zora Neale Hurston was another very famous writer during the Harlem Renaissance. She wasn’t afraid to write in an explicitly Black way- she wrote in Southern Black dialects, about Black pride and autonomy, and didn’t worry about appealing to a white audience, which earned her criticism for being “too black”- a label she wore with pride. She was also known for writing about colorism within Black communities. Zora wrote famous works like “Their Eyes Are Watching God” and “Barracoon”.

The Harlem Renaissance saw the growing popularity of many, many writers. Other famous Harlem Renaissance writers include Countee Cullen, whose poetry chronicled Black lives in America, Claude McKay, whose famous story ‘Home to Harlem’ detailed the life of a Black soldier, James Weldon Johnson, whose famous poem ‘Lift Every Voice And Sing’ has been set to music, and many, many others.

The Harlem Renaissance left a huge legacy on Black literature.

Music During the Harlem Renaissance-

[Image ID: A black-and-white photograph of Louis Armstrong, a Black man with short hair. In the photo, he’s wearing a white, button up, collared undershirt beneath a light-colored suit jacket and a black bowtie, and he’s playing a trumpet. End ID.]

If there’s one aspect of the Harlem Renaissance that has had the most lasting impact on the world, it is music. Two of the world’s most popular, well-known, and influential genres, jazz and blues, were developed by Black musicians around and during the Harlem Renaissance. Developed in New Orleans, jazz music became an international music phenomenon.

Jazz was fast-paced, exciting, and had a focus on musical improvisation, allowing musicians to come up with their own music on the spot. Blues, a post-war musical genre that focused on slowly, passionately expressing deep emotions and difficult truths, became a staple of music in the Harlem musical scene and the Black musical scene across the country.

One of the staples of the Harlem Renaissance was a vibrant night life- this included many night clubs where Black musicians played music- as time went on, these night clubs became extremely popular, attracting huge crowds every night. They were a beautiful celebration of Black music, culture, and unity, and clubs like this are what led to the rising popularity of many Black musicians during the Harlem Renaissance.

Some of the most famous musicians of the Harlem Renaissance were Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Gladys Bentley, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, among many others! Louis Armstrong is famous for songs like ‘What A Wonderful World’, ‘Hey Dolly’, and ‘La Vie En Rose’. Songs like these are still famous today, as are songs by the likes of Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington.

Jazz and blues music were the beating heart of the Harlem Renaissance, and to this day they are some of the hugest genres in the world, cementing the influence of Black people on the world of music.

Summary-

Literature during the Harlem Renaissance heavily focused on Black identity, pride, experiences, and exploring Black life in America

Famous Harlem Renaissance writers include Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, County Cullen, and Claude McKay

Music during the Harlem Renaissance was largely jazz and blues, two Black music styles

Music performances at night clubs sustained the energy and popularity of the Harlem Renaissance

Famous musicians of the Harlem Renaissance include Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Gladys Bentley, and Cab Calloway

tagging @intersexfairy @metalheadsforblacklivesmatter @neopronouns @justlgbtthings @genderkoolaid @spacelazarwolf

Sources-

https://macaulay.cuny.edu/seminars/henken08/articles/h/a/r/Harlem_Renaissance_and_Literature_fb80.html#:~:text=The%20Harlem%20Renaissance%20brought%20along,to%20signify%20their%20cultural%20identity.

https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/langston-hughes-harlem-renaissance

https://www.zoranealehurston.com/

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/harlem-renaissance-literature-guide

https://www.history.com/news/harlem-renaissance-writers

https://www.biography.com/musicians/louis-armstrong

https://www.biography.com/musicians/bessie-smith

https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/harlem-renaissance#louis-armstrong

#mogai bhm #mogai #mogai community #bhm #black history month #blm #black lives matter

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lossisyours · 2 months ago

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How dare you use the word “n****r” to me. You know I don’t use such a nasty word. I’m a refined lady and such a word simply upsets my conglomeration. What do you think I was doing in Washington all that time if not getting cultured. I got my foot in society just as well as the rest. Treat me refined.

Zora Neale Hurston Letter to Langston Hughes (d. 20th January 1931)

#letters to x #zora neale hurston #langston hughes #w #i love reading letters SO MUCH

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the-girl-who-didnt-smile · 5 months ago

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RE: Is the actual Baron Samedi sometimes portrayed as bisexual in Haitian Vodou?

Unlike my previous posts, this one is about the actual deity, Baron Samedi.

Previously I had claimed that the actual Baron Samedi is portrayed as bisexual (and a vers) in some places in the world. Upon further investigation, this claim is dubious. I have learned the hard way that books and the web are often unreliable sources of information when it comes to Vodou / Voodoo.

On Wikipedia, there is a claim that Baron Samedi is portrayed as bisexual in Haitian Vodou:

Gede Nibo's parents are Baron Samedi and Maman Brigitte; Baron Samedi is the leader of the Gede and Barons and is depicted as bisexual dandy or occasionally cross-dressing, wearing a top-hat and frock coat along with a woman's skirt and shoes. Samedi has a tendency toward "lascivious movements" that cross gender boundaries and also imply a lust for anal sex.[14]

The source for this claim is from a book written by Randy P. Conner, titled Queering Creole Spiritual Traditions.

There is an image posted on this Wikipedia article, captioned “Depiction of Baron Samedi, a bisexual lwa.” This image is dated from year 2006, taken from the Island of Salvation Botanica in New Orleans. This botanica is owned by Sallie Ann Glassman, “one of few white Americans to have been ordained [into Vodou] via the traditional Haitian initiation.”

I am not entirely certain of this, but it seems likely that both Conner and Glassman have confused Baron Samedi with one of the Gede.

Baron Samedi is probably the single most iconic lwa associated with New Orleans Voodoo. This is ironic, as I have been unable to find evidence that he was actually worshiped in New Orleans prior to the revitalization movement. The revitalization movement of the late 20th century draws heavily from Haitian Vodou. It has been criticized by Haitians for bastardizing their traditions and deities. One of the most common errors is the conflation of Baron Samedi with a different category of deities, called the Gede.

As far as I can tell, there are three sources which claim that Baron Samedi is portrayed as bisexual and/or gender-blending. These sources are Randy P. Conner, Katherine Dunham, and Zora Neale Hurston.

Randy P. Conner is a gay, Caucasian American academic, described as “an initiate and practitioner of both Haitian Vodou and Reglade Ocho (Santeria), studying primarily with Mama Lola, a well-known practitioner of these African Diasporic traditions.”

The following is a quote from Conner’s Queering Creole Spiritual Traditions (2014):

Sanmdi is a bisexual and occasionally androgynous dandy, leader of both the Bawons and the Gedes and the spirits of the dead. Married to Maman Brijit, he is the father of Gede Nibo…The Bawon is well known for his lascivious movements, which include both phallic thrusts and pelvic grinds, the latter (and perhaps also the former) indicating a desire to engage in anal intercourse.

A similar quote can be found in Conner’s Cassell’s Encyclopedia of Queer Myth, Symbol, and Spirit (1997):

Baron Samedi (also Baron Cimitiére, Baron La Croix) in Haitian- and New Orleans-based Vodou, a bisexual and occasionally transgendered dandy, leader of the Barons and the GHEDES, the spirits of the dead. He is married to Maman (or Madame) Brigitte (also known as Gran-N. Brigit)...The Baron is well known for his “lascivious movements,” which include both phallic thrusts and pelvic grinds, the latter (and perhaps also the former) indicating a desire to engage in anal intercourse.

Katherine Dunham was a famous African American dancer and social activist, known for studying dance forms within Haitian Vodou. The following is a quote from Dunham’s Dances of Haiti (1983) (which Conner himself quotes in Queering Creole Spiritual Traditions and Cassell’s Encyclopedia)

One of the common and fearsome possessions is by Papa Gede, whose special emissary is Baron Samedi. Baron Samedi fancies himself quite a dandy, is a heavy drinker, and expresses himself in foul language and lascivious movements. He wears a top hat, a black tail coat, a skirt of cloth or grass, and at times dark glasses. If dark glasses are not available, he may simply wear battered rims without lenses. Baron Samedi's dual sexuality is expressed in gesture and language as well as clothing.

Zora Neale Hurston was an African American anthropologist who conducted research in Haiti and Jamaica between years 1936 and 1937. Due to the proximity to Alastor’s lifetime, I admit to relying heavily on her research. In Hurston’s Tell My Horse (1938), Baron Samedi is described as forcing humans to dress and behave in a “transgendered” manner:

Baron Samedi delights in dressing his “horses” in shabby and fantastic clothes like Papa Guedé. Women dressed like men and men like women. Often the men, in addition to wearing female clothes, thrust a calabash up under their skirts to simulate pregnancy. Women put on men’s coats and prance about with a stick between their legs to imitate the male sex organs.

All three of these sources are Americans, who studied Haitian Vodou from an outsider perspective.

In America - and other places outside of Haiti - misinformation is frequently spread about Haitian Vodou. There are some really egregious inaccuracies floating around, such as claims that the actual Baron Samedi is asexual or trans man - obviously wrong! A lot of people confuse Baron Samedi with Papa Gede - or even Gede Nibo! Gede Nibo is so different from Baron Samedi, but sometimes people confuse him with Baron Samedi because he also wears a top hat. A similar thing happens with Papa Legba and Elegua, where the two get mixed up due their shared origin and the similar spelling of their names. The burlesque, aggressively sexual traits typically attributed to Baron Samedi are actually features of Papa Gede, and other members of the Gede. The Baron Samedi of Haitian Vodou seems to have a totally different demeanor, where he is a powerful and serious presence.

Granted, it is possible that Baron Samedi has evolved over time, where the Barons (Bawons) have diverged from the Gede. Afterall, Hurston conducted her research in the 1930s. But judging by the descriptions, American sources may have misattributed queer sexuality and/or gender-blending to Baron Samedi, when it is actually the Gede who are associated with marginalized sexualities and genders.

If Conner, Dunham, and Hurston are in fact misinformed, I apologize for spreading this misinformation. My knowledge of Vodou / Voodoo is so rudimentary, it’s not even funny…

I have done a piss poor job of vetting my sources, and need to take responsibility! Due to being predominantly white, LGBTQ communities often have a problem with misrepresenting minority cultures.

Moving forward, I will try to be more careful in my research, so not to misrepresent Vodou / Voodoo as it is practiced across the world.

FULL CITATIONS FOR SOURCES MENTIONED

Conner, Randy P. Lundschien, and David Sparks. Queering Creole spiritual traditions: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender participation in African-inspired traditions in the Americas. Routledge, 2014, p. 64. ISBN: 1560233516, 978-1560233510

Conner, Randy P., et al. Cassell's encyclopedia of queer myth, symbol and spirit: gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender lore. Cassell, 1997, p. 83. ISBN: 0304704237, ‎978-0304704231 https://transreads.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-08-04_610b1d2370242_Cassellsencyclopediaofqueermyth.pdf

Dunham, K. (1983). Dances of Haiti. [Los Angeles, CA] : Center for Afro-American Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, pp. 19-20. ISBN: 0934934118, 978-0934934114 https://archive.org/details/dancesofhaiti0000dunh/page/18/mode/2up

Hurston, Zora Neale. Tell My Horse. Philadelphia ; New York [etc.], J. B. Lippincott company, 1938. ISBN: 0061695130, ‎ 978-0061695131. https://www.zoranealehurston.com/books/tell-my-horse/ https://bookreadfree.com/24210/646322

#commentary #the loa (hazbin hotel)#baron samedi (hazbin hotel)#TLDR there is a good chance i was wrong about claiming baron samedi is bisexual. if so i apologize for spreading misinformation!

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freeamongotherthings · 10 months ago

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o Journaling and Reading o

Been slacking on both but every day is a new day! B&N had a buy one get one 50% off sale on certain books so I took advantage of that and picked up some February reads. Almost halfway through the month but I believe I can make it through at least two more books. Currently reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and am enjoying it. Black literature is at the forefront of my reading journey; these books undeniably make me feel something that other fiction books can’t.

Journaling used to be my thing! I have so many emotions and am missing the know how to express them effectively, that’s where my journal(s) come in. I have at least two in circulation at all times but this is my favorite one. Bottling up your feelings is never a good look and writing them out has proven beneficial 💗. Need to be more consistent though..

#booklr #reading #blogger #journal #studyblr #Spotify

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blueiight · 1 year ago

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lfg… lighting out for the territories

Reinhard had always hated parties, and this one was no exception. He didn’t mind the stiff white dress uniform he was wearing, nor did he mind the food, or the music. It was simply the concept of being at a party, when he would rather be doing something productive.

“So, you’re the celebrity,” Dominique said. Her voice was low for a woman’s, and somewhat sultry.

OMG DOMINIQUE!!! MY MF GIRLFRIEND!!!

i love econ bro rein wiaw reinhard and stringer bell would get along well (or hate eachother) (bc we all know reinhard is a utilitarian goody-two-shoes despite being a conqueror. no love for the fiends & the pushers, von musel!)

the fact that this description is in the first chapter.. very ambitious.. even so early u see reinhard’s cruel outlook “…while the saving of four hundred Alliance soldiers may mean much to their families, in a war where battles regularly involve the lives and deaths of millions of people, it’s insignificant.” u can juxtapose this to yang’s moral dilemma bc reinhard has none. in fact hes like a lot of ppl will die for a greater cause (while that aspect of war torments yang, it is something a younger reinhard can alr rationalize??? rein canon compliant REDACTED?) wiaw reinhard is so fascinating to me bc hes in a far more disadvantageous position than he ever was at any point of canon tl. not to be oh ur sister aint in the kaiser’s ears skirt admiral~~ but its kinda like that. reinhard my baby im so sorry plz dont kill m-

BISHOP DEGSBY…???!!! also rly love the mention of the mandate … the goldenbaums r like this bizarro mix of prussian aesthetic, franco revanchism& legit hitlerite shit especially back in rudolf’s heyday n the intersection of emperor-god more associated in certain eastern cultures than not like theyre sooo weird the empire is so weird.

Reinhard’s smile was cold. “The Alliance is my home, and I am grateful to it for all that it has given me, but I do not pretend that the reason I fled there as a child was out of some ideological purity. It was out of a simple desire to keep the ones I love safe. To say anything to the contrary would be the height of hypocrisy.”

“And yet you claim to hate the Goldenbaums?”

“Hatred is not ideology, Bishop. It’s personal.”

reinhard von musel playa hater of year u.c. 796 😂

im sorry to put on my evil fujo goggles but i think something clicked here so canon lotgh reinhard had kircheis but distance from his family while in wiaw he has his family but distance from kircheis… ofc his hatred of the goldenbaum come from the same core of them tryna sexually barter his sister but its so fascinating here.

omg is reinhard being an econ bro slash amateur space socmed influencer the equivament of yang’s second rate historian bro-ism in canon tl . except reinhard loves this space military shit & the econ is an accidental hustle. that is the funniest shit ever + is actually more adjacent to my relationship w history… and even this whole blog. health bro shoehorned into amateur historian/anthropologist on yaoi tumblr

INGRIDDDD OMG I FUCKING CALLED IT..!!!

YOOOOOOO THIS SHIT CRAZY CULT COERCION MEETS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?? INGRID BEING THE SAME AGE AS ANNEROSE WHEN SHE MET LUDDY? I did not think she was that young at the wedding what is going awnnn hunny.

blackwell is like struggling to parse if reinhard is a fuckboy while reinhard is like im something of a feminist myself, (he really is my baby god its 2019 again the peak of my reinhard cte)

IS CH2 TITLE A ZORA NEALE HURSTON REF? This is the third wiaw chapter title ref i clocked methinks.

another moment id 100% comm is reinhard in jeans & a light 80s style jacket. reinhard always forgets hes in the top .5% percentile of beauty its hilaryus. pretty girl who just wants to be one of the bros

oh wow we’re actually getting ‘earth church being given cogent beliefs outside of being the space illuminati/blood libelesque as they were in canon’ wow thank u so much for fixing up that disasterclass. authornim’s catholic upbringing is bleeding thru but it makes it more poetic! but catholics dont be dope fiends like this. haha love it

MULLER!!!!! Lmao im already so into this game of telephone theyre playing.

It had been a waste of a day, and Reinhard had returned to his apartment in a bad mood. His mood only got worse when he found that his entire apartment had been ransacked while he was out. His personal computer was missing, and it was clear that the thief had left in a hurry, which meant that they had known Reinhard was returning home, which meant that it was not a thief but probably an imperial agent.

Reinhard stood with his hands on his hips in the middle of his studio, and addressed the room in the imperial language, using his general haughty tone, even though he had just had his apartment broken into, and he was somewhat disheveled from his day of training.

“Lieutenant Commander Muller,” he said. “I’m sure that you know by now that I do not keep anything other than my personal correspondence on my personal computer, and that my personal correspondence is of absolutely zero interest to you. Furthermore, you will notice that, although we share similar responsibilities, I have not, and do not intend to, break into your personal quarters. We may be enemies, but Phezzan would have you believe that we are living for the moment on a civilized planet, and I would hope that we can behave like civilized men.

“In the interest of not causing too great of a disturbance to the detente which exists here on Phezzan, I will not elevate this issue if you would return my property to me. I will be at the park at 54th and Lexard tomorrow evening. I will see you there, Lieutenant Commander Muller.”

IM ACTUALLY CACKLING!!!!!! hes so catty i love her. muller trying to look like a student but failing😂

“Well, I mean, he’s not… He’s not from the Empire.”

“Oh?”

“Like he would have been killed under Rudolph. Or at least sent to do labor.”

adding w/e starzone the galactic empire is in as ‘places to avoid entirely if ur any visible person of color’ MY God the absence of metaphor is striking amc iwtv voice . love how reinhard is like oh if u think u got my tea off a blog name then u rly gone get sum. tell leigh send hugs & kisses to my first love xoxo reinhard von musel

“Sir, my sister is more competent than I am,” Reinhard said, which made Blackwell laugh.

And is!!!

“Tell me.” She was a little more direct without the bishop present, which Reinhard thought was both interesting and an improvement.

LIKE WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HER!??? also im Lmbo @ reinhard going ‘well do i look like yo mf mama (earth) ‘ hes such a smartass i adore him. ik authornim oppresses reinhard but they truly Get Him!!!!

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Ingrid said. She looked up at the candle-lit altar. “You may look like a god, but you are only a man.”

Reinhard shook his head, too used to strange remarks about his appearance to be embarrassed. “I’ve never seen a god move anything in the world, so I would much prefer to be a man. Besides, my sister looks better than I do.”

im obsessed w ingrid bodying reinhard in such a manner with religious undertones & reinhard going fuck god. my sister’s cuter than me.

Ingrid’s hand dropped back to clutch the pew. “Part of me lived. Part of me died. A very dear… friend… of mine sacrificed her standing to save me. The Earth Church protected me. I’m very grateful to their patronage.”

DOES SHE FEEL LIKE A DEAD MAN WALKING…. IS THE EARTH CHURCH TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE LOSS OF WHAT WAS HOME FOR HER. MAGGIE😢😢😢HER SON ERWIN💔💔

REINHARD LOCKET…😢👀

As far as the man you encountered at a party, yes, I do believe I know who you’re referring to. I… hope... that you do not have too many reasons to come into contact with him, but if you should see him again, you may let him know that his message was received very happily, and that, quote, “I’m doing what you said to.”

OHMYGOD💔💔💔💔 wait im kinda jtfo at yang pov in this message cuz he prolly thinking to himself aw shit someone could be figuring me out on phezzan meanwhile reinhard & muller is in a quasi one sided homosexual espionage rigmarole

OMG ANNEROSE IS BACK!!!!

Linz had rather kindly made her a sign that read, “If your question is about my personal life, the answer is ‘NO.’ If you have an actual question, please come in.”

⚰️⚰️⚰️

#wiaw read #wiaw

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tani-b-art · 1 year ago

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Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story

Perry’s legacy in film, in Black American culture is imprinted. Generationally. What he’s done in the industry is groundbreaking. His non-traditional approach and method to all he’s accomplished is a testament to what we’ve always done as Black Americans when it comes to everything — having a seat at our own table we built. He broke the mold and shattered the glass ceiling. He truly has the Black American, ancestral lineage of perseverance running through his blood!

I also learned so much more about him and his relationship with his mother and his mother in general that I hadn’t known. Also, parts of him speaking about his mother connected a lot of why he has certain perspectives on life and relationships. The Black women in his life (his mother and aunt who is hero-like in my opinion for the type of action of love) truly played the biggest roles in his shaping as a young boy to becoming a man. We got an inside view of his mind and the journey of him becoming who he is.

Seeing the enormity of his success just is positively moving and stirring. I found myself super proud with the scenes of the grand opening of his ultimate studio! Those parts of the docu had me feeling like I could conquer anything. All of the studio grand opening touched my heart and made me smile tears of joy in the simple fact that he is the embodiment of our ancestors’ love, hope and courage. He built on what they started and I can feel them saying, “Well done.”

It’s moving and emotionally charging.

He also allowed us into the parts of his life as a father to his son. You can tell all that he does and is doing is to be able to give out the love he wished he could’ve gotten from the father-figure now, in life. His relationship with his son is so beautiful.

The intimate portrait, bio styled documentary was a great watch. I definitely recommend.

Now….I must speak on the issues that I took with aspects of his footprint on the landscape of film.

Perry loses me when he says things like, “…what we’ve done to each other as Black people who are successful…”. He referenced the boycotting Amos ‘N’ Andy had received in its time along with Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Amos ‘N’ Andy’s controversy: this show (was a TV adaptation of the radio sitcom of two white men who “adopted stereotypical dialect, intonations, and character traits that had been established in the blackface minstrel tradition in the 1800s”) came out in the midst of the Jim Crow era. An era we all know served to present imagery of Black Americans in racist propaganda replete with racist stereotypes and tropes. And the actors weren’t white men in blackface but actual Black men in these roles. Which is also the similar criticisms Perry’s Madea character receives.

The two shouldn’t be paralleled. Amos ‘N’ Andy was clearly stereotypical mockery (and no condemning the actors at the time) while Walker’s book is “inspired, in part, by a story that Walker's sister told her, about a love triangle involving their grandfather.” It is an account of real life experiences—a real depiction of what Black people, specifically Black women, were going through in the early 1900s in the Deep South. On the heels of freedom (this is post American slavery with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation) yet still facing the aftershocks of “ending” slavery (racism has never ended), Black women still faced slave-like treatment from former plantation & slave owners and now sexism & patriarchal treatment from their partners (I say now not in a sense of this being completely new). All while gaining more freedom in their outspokenness for the domestic plights they faced with their significant others and demanding equal rights.

Walker’s book and the following film adaptation received backlash on account of the increasing fracture between Black women and Black men in a post “free” society.

Perry also mentioned the not so pleasant views Langston Hughes had with Zora Neale Hurston and her usage of the Black Southern dialect in her writings. That too is incomparable because again, she conveyed real life. These were not caricatures she fictionalized for comic relief.

(please leave Alice Walker and Zora Neale Hurston’s works alone in correlation to yours)

Or in an appearance from Killer Mike (in Perry’s documentary) alluding to the fact that other groups of people don’t take issue with the negative depictions of their people in film.

One — yes they have and do. Has he spoken to any other ethnic group to ask?

Two — yes, your core demographic, who is Black, will have the most dialogue regarding your work. Who else would? White people? No, because you don’t make art for them. Your work is rooted through the lens of Black Americans. Of course the biggest critique will come from us.

We have a very different relationship with our own country and the world at large. Centuries of ridicule in minstrel shows with not Black (because yes, it wasn’t only white people performing in blackface to mock us) people donning blackface or in film with dangerous propaganda that single-handedly created a racist, terrorist group (k k k). We are still dealing with the aftermath of these harmful depictions and are in constant corrective mode. It’s a continual action.

He spoke about intention as well. And while I don’t believe Perry’s intention of the Madea character (or any of his characters in his films, shows or plays—that’s a different conversation…among other talking points surrounding him can be discussed in an entirely separate talk) was to be problematic it is very damaging to the representation of Black American women — two things can exist. Especially considering all the negative portrayals and images of us over the many, many, many years in all forms of media that the character fits into (again no condemnation on any of the actresses at the time).

But with everything I’ve said, Madea will just always have a kindred connection with me.

I was first introduced to Tyler Perry years ago from a cousin who lent me a VHS of both “Madea’s Family Reunion: The Play” and “Diary of a Mad Black Woman: The Play”. And when Madea came across my screen in that loud shiny red funeral squirt suit, there was an instant likability! I laughed more than I had from anything scripted — in fact, his plays were the first time I had ever watched a stage play. And from then, I have always had a special place in my heart for his plays and for Madea! I purchased 6 DVDs of his plays afterwards and the “Diary” film while I was in my freshman year in college and those plays got me through my first year.

I am glad he’s since retired the character and opened a new chapter of the work he’s putting out but I can acknowledge that Madea and the work pre-Madea’s retirement has been and is a source of joy for me.

And I think that’s what Tyler wants to do with all that he does.

Bring us joy.

#Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story #Tyler Perry #cinema #Black America #film talk #Black American cinema #film industry #Southern culture #Black tumblr #Black American culture #might be typos

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smokefalls · 1 year ago

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Title: Their Eyes Were Watching God Author: Zora Neale Hurston Publication Year: 2009 (1937 original) Publisher: Amistad Genre: fiction, classics

Hurston was well ahead of her time, creating a protagonist like Janie. It’s not to say that headstrong female characters didn’t exist in the past, but I could imagine some readers at the time might have been scandalized due to Janie’s fierce independence and the time she spent with three different men, which was so unabashed, I loved it.

It was a bit difficult to get into the writing style at first, but after a few chapters, the novel became an even richer text that beautifully shared the Black South’s language and culture. In addition, there was a lot to think about in this novel, ranging from race (and, relatedly, colorism) to gender/sexuality to the legacy of slavery. All of these were inevitably tangled up with one another, which added so much detail to an already rich story.

It took way longer than it should have for me to have picked this one up, and while I didn’t completely enjoy the story in general, Hurston gave so much to the reader to contemplate. This is absolutely a book that’s worth reading closely, and I can see why it’s assigned to students so regularly in the United States.

Content Warning: domestic abuse, racial slurs (n word), racism, death, sexism, misogyny, colorism mentions, slavery mentions, rape mentions

#Zora Neale Hurston #Their Eyes Were Watching God #book review #fiction #classics #2023 reads #booklr

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cyarskj1899 · 2 years ago

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The north remembers

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid05bn6FcHigPh4TmtcBhbK7p98gf1C1XKJjRHXUAxhM4m7fJvtR9NnGRvVzpemyL1tl&id=26423400230&mibextid=ncKXMA HOMELATESTCULTUREENTERTAINMENTBEAUTY/STYLECOVID IN BLACK AMERICAAWARDS SEASON 2023

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Drake Introduces First Woman OVO Artist As The World Waits For Him To Apologize To Megan Thee Stallion

No, Aubrey, we haven't forgotten the error of your ways.

Candace McDuffie

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Drake has finally acquired the first woman artist to grace his OVO Sound label. Even though he went to social media to champion singer Naomi Sharon, the world is still eagerly waiting for him to apologize to another woman music artist who goes by the name Megan Thee Stallion.

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