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#I'm not saying that writing or drawing or coding isn't work and takes time and brains and demanding kindness and respect is mandatory
blkkizzat · 6 months
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ღ𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟!𝐓𝐨𝐣𝐢 ღ
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏 𝐨𝐟 𝟐
18+ONLY MDNI
kizzatober series: Thrilling Ghouls
Kinktober Prompts: Breeding, Dacryphilia, Aphrodisiac Synopsis: Catching him in a lie, you suspect your boyfriend Toji is cheating on you. Where does he keep disappearing to once a month that keeps him away for often days at a time. You're fed up. You've made up your mind this time to follow him but are you ready for what you discover? CW: AU. Most warnings for P2 really. Slightly dubcon-y. Bully/mean/teasing Toji. Bratty/crazy gf reader. Rough sex. Drug ref. Werewolf transformation but this isn't that furry shit lol. Omegaverse themes I borrow heavily from but I'm not following the rules of it faithfully (I don't even know them myself lol) WC: 4k of 10.4k Lightly black fem coded but no descriptors.
A/N: This one took a bit longer expected as I recently caught a cold, boooo! But I'm realizing even in my fics I intend to be PWPs I still need to set the mood and a plot springs forth lmfao. Plus I had fun actually trying to write a bit of horror in too! I decided to split into 2 parts because of the delay already.
Big shout out to an irl bestie @sairotonin for drawing a sketch of Werewolf!Toji for her inktober for me to use in my gfx. TY sis you a real one!!
Enjoy!
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“In the next 500ft, turn left.”
This was going to be the third goddamn left the car navigation told you to take in the last 20 minutes. You were ninety-nine percent sure you had been going in circles and were now lost as shit at night in the middle of nowhere. 
You glance at your phone sitting in the dash-caddy. 
One measly bar. 
The further you traveled, the more the service bars were dwindling as well. 
Shit, you had 3 full bars last time you looked.
Opting to keep ahead straight instead of turning, you cross-check your destination via the spy monitoring app you had shamelessly downloaded on your boyfriend Toji’s phone.
Toji’s current location was 45 miles outside of the city and it had been a good 10 miles since you last saw any kind of highway. The area you were in was a mix between nature reserve and private property so not even GPS could pin down the exact directions to his whereabouts. 
Sigh. 
You had never wanted to be That Girl™. 
You know, the ones who would sneak peaks at their boyfriend’s phones, were super insecure about any interaction their man had with the opposite sex and ran down on them while they were out to catch them in the act of cheating. 
But you were a woman at the end of her rope.
What else could you do?
For a few days every month Toji would simply disappear. 
The various excuses he gave usually centered around his work. You didn’t know exactly what he did, but you knew enough to know most of it was dangerous and wasn’t what good society would consider legal.  
Toji had scolded you before for asking too many details. 
For your own safety.
He would say with an arrogant smirk.
But even when working you had always been able to get a hold of him after a few hours. It was just this one particular job he would completely drop off the face of the earth for. It annoyed you, sure, but Toij’s work never followed him home so you didn't have complaints.  
That is, until you had finally moved-in with him and Megumi.
Truly, you were already like a little family.
Megumi, who had just recently started preschool, had been quick to warm up to you ever since you and Toji first introduced you to him a few months prior to that. 
But living together pushed things to a whole other level. Megumi would follow you around like a lost pup and often opted to sit in your lap rather than Toji’s.
Not to mention throw a near fit if you weren’t the one to tuck him in goodnight. (Toji would never admit he was a bit jealous and would only grumble slightly that it was less of a hassle for him if you did it so you should just do it from now on).
You never even realized you had such a mothering instinct, being on the same page as Toji about no more kids, until you looked into those little emerald eyes of Gumi’s and absolutely melted. 
You had grown so close that the little boy unknowingly let it slip once while Toji was MIA on that job, that he was glad Daddy went on his daddy breaks once a month so you both could have fun together by yourselves.
You tried to keep your reactions in check for Megumi but that revelation completely shook you. 
A “daddy break” didn’t sound much like a work trip to you which spiked your anxiety and caused you to spiral into overthinking. 
Did he need a break from you too as well?
You couldn't very well grill a 4-year old and you didn’t have the nerve to just ask Toji straight out. 
So you did the only thing you could think of at the time and that was to complain to your good friend Tsukumo over drinks a few days later after Toji returned.
Tsukumo, who always seemed to have the wrong answer for everything, simply told you to do the ‘smart’ thing and download a monitoring app on his phone that would log is calls, texts and whereabouts. 
You initially balked at her.
Tracking Toji had never crossed your mind.
Outside of this, Toji had never given you a reason to doubt him and you wanted to respect his privacy and trust, especially trust as you knew he didn’t let many people get close to him at all.
True, he wasn’t exactly the most forthcoming man you ever dated. You were well aware he had his many skeletons as well as ex-hookups. But Toji for the most part had been content with his gambling then coming home to you and Megumi. 
He wasn’t the type to ‘run the streets with the boys (he had no boys tbh), you had only ever known him to have the occasional drink with Shiu when he wasn’t out gambling.
You had almost refused to do such a thing… That is until Tsukumo posed the question: 
What’s more important Y/N– your peace of mind or his trust? 
And Y/N, is trust really what’s important here at all if he is in fact already taking advantage of yours?
Touché. 
Tsukumo had you there.
“Besides, you think that old dinosaur is even going to notice an extra app on his phone in the first place?” 
Tsukumo quipped, throwing back a shot of sake and jiggling the empty container at the bartender for more.
“You just got rid of his old flip phone last year. I’m surprised he can even use a touchscreen without punching a hole through it. Just delete the app once you’ve seen what you needed to see.”
Tsukumo gave you this advice like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 
Ignoring her digs at Toji’s age, and maybe it was the 3 bottles of sake the both of you had blown through in the last hour, but you were starting to think she might be onto something. 
“Mmm, on second thought, might as well keep it on there. Men like Fushiguro are dogs that need to be kept on tight leashes.”
Tsukumo grinned at you with a wink before turning her attention back to the bartender.
You still didn’t know then if you would actually go through with it.
Nevertheless, here you are now at 11:15 PM at night about to pull up on your boyfriend thanks to Tsukumo’s advice to find out once and for all if Toji was cheating on you.
You had dropped Megumi off at his best friend Yuji’s for the night, thanking Yuji’s parents for watching him and feeling guilty for lying to them that you and Toji had a date night. 
Almost there.
You are within 2 miles of arriving at the vicinity of where the monitoring app says Toji is.
However, your anxieties were getting the best of you as you drove in near tears.
You turn up your music louder, the booming bass distracting you from how much darker and creepier it gets the further you drive into the wooded area. 
Sighing again, you had no idea how this would turn out but you knew the result would determine whether you would be listening to Positions by Ariana Grande or Playing Games by Summer Walker on repeat during the drive back. 
Barely a half mile later, you see the engine light of your car flash. The pungent odor of burning oil fills the car as a plume of smoke escapes out from under the hood.
Goddamn it, Toji. 
“Y/N, make sure to go get ‘er an oil change while I’m gone. Ya got like 15 good miles left on ‘er.”                                                                                                                                  Toji’s voice rang in your mind. 
Well the big lunk he was wrong.
You had driven at least 33 miles so far.
You mentally cussed him again. 
Toji was the one who was supposed to change your oil, he used your car more than you did. Only opting to use his own blacked out unplated and unlicensed car for jobs like he was on now.  
You wouldn’t have even left the house if it wasn’t for his sketchy cheating headass. 
Okay, so you hadn’t exactly confirmed that just yet, but you were pissed and until you confirmed otherwise, right now he was a cheater and everything about this situation was his fault.
Pulling over to the side of the dirt road before you caused further damage to your car, you weighed your options.
Option 1: Call AAA
You had zero bars though. 
Fuck. 
Option 2: Wait here in the safety of the car until morning.
You would still have zero bars and you might miss Toji, making this whole trip fruitless.
If he beat you home in the morning and found you gone with Megumi at Yuji’s with the sad excuse for a 'date night' lie you gave, you would never hear the end of it.
He would taunt you into oblivion that your silly ass drove all the way up here unto the woods for your car to break down cause you were too busy being a psycho bitch to remember to get an oil change.
Option 3: Walk on foot the rest of the way to Toji.
Really the only viable option you had. 
It was a good 12 miles or so back to the highway, you didn’t know how many turns you had made since then and you doubt you could make it back on foot anyway. If you were going to walk a few miles to get service again you might as well walk to where Toji was.
Sure if he wasn’t cheating you would still get ridiculed, but at least you could get a ride home. 
And if he was cheating, you would hot wire his car (one of the few useful things he did teach you) and that motherfucker and his whore could find their own way home.
Resolving yourself to walk, you put on Toji's hoodie that fortunately was still in the backseat from him last using your car to go to the gym. 
You really should have put more thought into planning this before you left. Besides Toji’s oversized worn hoodie that reached your mid-thighs all you were wearing was a thin white shirt and black spandex shorts. 
You didn’t even have sneakers or boots, as you looked down at your fuzzy black slippers you mostly only wore outside to run short errands like dropping off Megumi at preschool or picking up groceries. 
Thankfully, you did have a small flashlight in the glove compartment though in case of emergencies like this.
Flashlight in tow, you step outside of your stalled car and immediately suck in a worried breath as the weight of the chilly night settles over you like a heavy cloak.
You only have a mile and a half trek but the dirt road that stretches out before you looks endless as it disappears into the obscurity of the thick shroud of fog surrounding you. 
The flashlight doesn’t do much to cut through the intense density of condensation. You had only made it a mere 20 feet from your car but you can just barely make out its faint outline.
Swallowing, you put on your bravest face and fix your gaze forward. 
The reflections of your flashlight casts shifty patterns on the mist in your peripheral vision and you do your best to ignore the chill that creeps up your shoulders. 
“Fuck you, Toji.” 
You mumble half-heartedly, pulling the hood over head.
You didn’t really mean it though. Would-be-cheater or not more than anything you wished he was here with you now. 
You were freezing, tired and all you could think about was how warm and safe you would feel in Toji’s arms. Even if you were mad at him. 
You pick up the pace, wanting to get to him sooner. 
Almost more unnerving than the fog itself, the forest around you is as quiet as a grave.
There are no chirps of crickets, nor hoots of owls. 
Not even in the crisp cold of fall does the wind rustle through the trees, everything is silent.
The haunting nature around you seems to hold its breath as if it knows you're an unwelcome intruder who has trespassed too far.
You don’t dare peer into the trees which look taller in the darkness, closing in tightly on the dirt road. They are ghastly silhouettes of their former selves blocking any moonlight to help guide your way. 
You shiver as you feel as if you are being watched from a distance.
The only noise you hear is the soft crunching of rocks and leaves beneath your feet with every unsure step you take forward. 
You can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of dread as a stray tear runs down your cheek.
You couldn’t get to Toji soon enough. 
Though you still didn’t have any service the GPS updated as much as it could in roaming, you were so close.
As you continue forward a shadow on the path catches your eye in the foggy distance. 
Your heart quickens as you inch closer, your anticipation mingling with fear.
Shapes soon begin to take form and the harsh reality dawns upon you.
A pack of wolves. 
Their shadowy figures coalesce before you through the fog as they take stock of you.
You start to feel queasy as you see their red-stained muzzles dripping with the blood of their latest kill. The grotesque carcass of a deer practically stripped to the bone lay lifeless under their enormous paws. 
Their eyes, fierce and predatory, meet yours with a chilling intensity as the feeble beam of your flashlight washes over them. The deer, although large, you know is not enough to quell hunger from beasts of their size.
With a shaky breath you slowly retreat, not wanting to further agitate their already aggravated predatory senses. 
Then you hear it.
From what seems to be the darkest reaches of the night, a sound reverberates from the trees, through the forest and beyond that's unlike anything you've ever heard before. 
The howl that tears through the stillness is so chilling you instantly feel the lamentation that carries the weight of centuries of primal power down in the very marrow of your bones.
Even the wolves snap their heads to attention and bow their heads as if the sound announced the presence of a creature much higher on the food chain... something more ancient and malevolent…
...something terrifyingly unhuman.
The body racking shiver you experience is so intense it has you sprinting at full speed before your mind, frozen from fear, can even process you are moving. 
You burst through the dense trees, leaving the road as your heart pounds like a drum in your chest and tears stream freely down your cheeks to soak the edge of Toji’s sweatshirt.
The tangled underbrush of the forest whips the soft skin of your legs and the forest itself seems to conspire against you as you navigate the obstacle course of branches, logs and large rocks all seemingly with a mission to slow you down.
You can hear the chilling howls of the wolves you saw on the road call out behind you, giving chase. 
The sounds of their footfalls grow closer with every passing second.
Terrifying as they are, they hold no candle against the howl that sent you running and your body continues to propel you forward. 
Panic frazzles your senses and you make the tragic error of trying to steal a glance back behind you before directly colliding with a large cedar.
Groaning from the impact you reel as you try to gather yourself, clinging to the tree for support. 
You hear a twig snap behind you and you whirl around as you are faced with a largest gray wolf out of the pack who had been chasing you. 
The alpha wolf’s teeth glint menacingly as their breath escapes in visible puffs in the frigid night air. 
Too late to try to make a run for it again, you whimper as you resign yourself to your fate. You slid down the large tree to bury your face in your knees.
Was this it?
Was this how you died?
You weren’t even able to see Toji after coming all this way. 
You also wanted to be able to hug Megumi one last time and maybe knock the daylights out of Tsukumo for her horrible ass idea. 
But ultimately this was all your fault. 
You could be snuggled up with Gumi on the sofa with snacks watching Anpanman but your dumbass had to go galavanting off into the middle of the woods like a fucking lunatic and now you’re about to be eaten by a wolf.
You could feel the wolf’s overbearing presence as it approached you but you couldn’t bear to look up. You’d rather spend your final moments thinking of Toji and Megumi. 
Yet despite your impending doom, your head did snap up once you felt a rough tongue gently lick your ankles and curiously sniff at the ends of Toji's hoodie covering your legs. 
The wolf was more than intimidating up close as its giant muzzle was the size of your entire head.
However the wolf regarded you cautiously like it almost recognized you before releasing its own chillingly deep howl and promptly running off.
Wait– T-The hell?!
You sat there at the trunk of the tree trying to process the interaction that just took place but you didn’t have much time to ponder as you heard something else approaching you rapidly.
The sound of snapping twigs and heavy, uneven footfalls don’t seem to be that of a wolf, renewing the sensation of dread through your body. 
Your heart races in your chest as the ominous sounds of the being looming evermore closer become more pronounced.
From the shadows emerges a monstrous figure.
The fog doesn’t reach this deep into the forest and the moonlight that peeks between the trees glimmers on its enlarged taut muscles. 
Its eyes, red, burn like fiery amber. 
Fierce and resolute you can see them pierce through the darkness long before you can make out any features of the creature's face.
What you think upon first glance must be a demonic apparition from your worst nightmares ends up being– 
Toji?!
As he steps into a beam of moonlight, the transformation before you is complete. 
Toji’s once-human and feet hands have become formidable claws with nails like blades, his face remains mostly unchanged with the exception of his mouth which in his snarl reveals rows of gleaming, razor-sharp teeth.
He is still mostly human in appearance but you can tell he stands taller, nearly 8 feet.
The thicker body hair on his forearms bristles with raw power.
He was completely bare save for the tattered jeans barely hanging on his body that had torn from the sheer size of his enormous muscularity in this form.
Each step he takes towards you makes your heart skip a beat yet you stare transfixed, unable to look away and your tears increase.
Was this terrifying otherworldly apparition the boyfriend you had been searching for?
Time stands still in that haunting moment as Toji’s eyes bore into your soul with a predatory intensity. 
His hunger and primal instincts radiates off of him like a palpable force. 
“T-T-Toji?” 
You cautiously inquire through your quiet sobs. 
“Y/N?! What the fuck do you think y’er doing out here?” 
Toji snarls back at you. His growl seems to cause the very atmosphere to vibrate and the earth beneath you quakes as your body involuntarily quivered with fear. 
Toji thought he must have been losing his goddamn mind when he caught onto your scent earlier but here you were like a lost little lamb to the slaughter before him.
He came out onto the woods to be alone, away from civilization and away from you and Megumi during his monthly transformations. 
It was safer that way, for all of you.
You had been fortunate the local wolf pack had acknowledged him as their Alpha and recognized his scent on you.
But there were far worse dangers in the forest besides them.
Toji wouldn’t be able to protect you like he was now. 
Not with you needing protection from him too.
Protection from him as not only was it a full moon, it was a harvest moon, a mating moon. 
The primal urge to rip you apart was only truncated by the more intense carnal urge to mate with you. Toji wanted to claim you as his and fuck you so hard into the girthy cedar behind you the entire tree would topple over by its roots.
He had wanted to claim you as his mate for a while now.
Even moved you in with him and Megumi as the final step but you couldn’t wait for that, could you? 
You had managed to track him somehow all the way out here and throw his whole plan into the shitter. 
He could barely control himself in this form as it is and now your scent, blubbering cries and the fucking harvest moon were sending him with full force into a fierce rut. 
“T-Toji w-what is this!? W-what’s happened to you!? W-what are you doing out here?!” 
Worry saturates your voice as you choke out your questions in rapid fire cries not giving him time to even respond.
Toji fights the predatory instinct in him who sees you as his prey and if your gaze wasn’t so focused on trying to read his face for answers you surely would have noticed him fully bricked near bursting out of his worn jeans.
You looked so appetizing. 
He needed you.
However, Toji could tell your nerves were completely shot and the slightest twitch of his muscles toward you had you almost jumping out of your skin like a little bunny rabbit.
“Y-Y/N…” 
His voice strained itself into a murmur as he attempted to do his best to lull you into some sort of security so he could explain things calmly to you.
Yet the way he was near salivating, drool dripping from his canines as he panted and towered over you did anything but make you feel secure. 
You mistook his lust for bloodthirstiness.
“Just calm down. It’s OK.”
Toji needed you to be calm like he needed you to take steadier breaths if he was going to successfully win the tumultuous war he was fighting against his instincts to pounce on you. 
There is an oppressive tension between the two of you and he can tell you are also fighting against your fight or flight reflexes.
Good girl. 
It would be disastrous if you did something foolish, no telling what might happen then.
But unfortunately for the both of you, your fits of emotion and impulses are what had your crazy ass out here in the first place. 
The pressure had officially gotten to you. 
Toji’s lies, your car, the woods, the wolves, everything leading up to this point bubbled over because the last thing you wanted to be told right now was to ‘just calm down’.
You snapped. 
“Ok? OK?! OKAY?!...TOJI WHAT THE FUCK ABOUT THIS IS O.K. RIGHT NOW!?”
You were practically hysterical as you yelled at him, momentarily forgetting your fears of Toji’s new form.
The trigger of being told to 'calm down' in a situation where you clearly had every right to feel every fucking emotion you wanted won out over everything else.
“MY CAR BROKE DOWN BECAUSE OF YOU DOING GOD KNOWS WHAT WITH WHOEVER THE FUCK OUT HERE, I LITERALLY WAS JUST CHASED BY WOLVES, ALMOST EATEN, AND Y-YOU… Y-YOU-”
A crackling snap came from above you and you realized Toji’s claws had completely ripped a large chunk out of the tree right above your head.
Your tantrum had in turn pushed him over the edge as well. 
His irises flared intensely at you as you quivered under his gaze in fear.
He would have you but first, he would play with you a bit.
Things never happened the easy way with you.
Yet, that’s also exactly the way Toji liked it too. That's why he'd put up with you thus far.
A malevolent smirk dons Toji's features as his simple command issues an unsettling tremor running down into the depths of your being.
“Run.”
P2 HERE!
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© ʙʟᴋᴋɪᴢᴢᴀᴛ 2023. ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛꜱ ʀᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ. ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ꜱᴛᴇᴀʟ, ᴛʀᴀɴꜱʟᴀᴛᴇ, ᴄᴏᴘʏ ᴏʀ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴀɴʏ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇꜱ ꜰɪᴄꜱ, ᴅʀᴀʙʙʟᴇꜱ, & ɢʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄꜱ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙʏ ᴍᴇ ᴜɴʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴡɪꜱᴇ ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ. ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ
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A/N: Count on Tsukumo to always given the wrong fuckin’ advice. Lmfao! Or was it the right advice in this case? Hmm we will see what happens next!
Smutty goodness in the next part. This part was just to set the horror mood!
I promise this fic isn't as nearly as long as Ghostface!Choso. It's looking to be about 8k total and I have 3.5k of P2 finished lol.
Reblog if you are both submissive and breedable for Werewolf!Toji, but likes and comments are appreciated all the same!
ღTaglistღ:
@callm3senpaii @arxliana @jujutsualy @luxiethefairy @fredswh0re @missphanosaur18 @moon-esque @briefrebelfanalmond @nikkitc0703 & @dancingwithdeities (prone bone coming in p2 just for u sweets!) LMK below if you would like to be tagged in P2. For all kizzatober fic tags comment on m.list.
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Wellness surveillance makes workers unwell
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I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me in TORONTO on Mar 22, then with LAURA POITRAS in NYC on Mar 24, then Anaheim, and more!
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"National conversation" sounds like one of those meaningless buzzphrases – until you live through one. The first one I really participated in actively was the national conversation – the global conversation – about privacy following the Snowden revelations.
This all went down when my daughter was five, and as my wife and I talked about the news, our kid naturally grew curious about it. I had to literally "explain like I'm five" global mass surveillance:
https://locusmag.com/2014/05/cory-doctorow-how-to-talk-to-your-children-about-mass-surveillance/
But parenting is a two-way street, so even as I was explaining surveillance to my kid, my own experiences raising a child changed how I thought about surveillance. Obviously I knew about many of the harms that surveillance brings, but parenting helped me viscerally appreciate one of the least-discussed, most important aspects of being watched: how it compromises being your authentic self:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2014/may/09/cybersecurity-begins-with-integrity-not-surveillance
As I wrote then:
There are times when she is working right at the limits of her abilities – drawing or dancing or writing or singing or building – and she catches me watching her and gets this look of mingled embarrassment and exasperation, and then she changes back to some task where she has more mastery. No one – not even a small child – likes to look foolish in front of other people.
Learning, growth, and fulfillment all require a zone of privacy, a time and place where we are not observed. Far from making us accountable, continuous, fine-grained surveillance by authority figures just scares us into living a cramped, inauthentic version of ourselves, where growth is all but impossible. Others have observed the role this plays in right-wing culture war bullshit: "an armed society is a polite society" is code for "people who make me feel uncomfortable just by existing should be terrorized into hiding their authentic selves from me." The point of Don't Say Gay laws and anti-trans bills isn't to eliminate gender nonconformity – it's to drive it into hiding.
Given all this, it's no surprise that workers who face workplace surveillance in the name of "wellness" feel unwell as a result:
https://www.ifow.org/publications/what-impact-does-exposure-to-workplace-technologies-have-on-workers-quality-of-life-briefing-paper
As the Future of Work Institute found in its study, some technologies – systems that make it easier to collaborate and communicate with colleagues – increase workers' sense of wellbeing. But wearables and AI tools make workers feel significantly worse:
https://assets-global.website-files.com/64d5f73a7fc5e8a240310c4d/65eef23e188fb988d1f19e58_Tech%20Exposure%20and%20Worker%20Wellbeing%20-%20Full%20WP%20-%20Final.pdf
Workers who reported these negative feelings confirmed that these tools make them feel "monitored." I mean, of course they do. Even where these tools are nominally designed to help you do your job better, they're also explicitly designed to help your boss keep track of you from moment to moment. As Brandon Vigliarolo writes for The Register, these are the same bosses who have been boasting to their investors about their plans to fire their workers and replace them with AI:
https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/14/advanced_workplace_tech_study/
"Bossware" is a key example of the shitty rainbow of "disciplinary technology," tools that exist to take away human agency by making it easier to surveil and control its users:
https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/01/bossware/#bossware
Bossware is one of the stages of the Shitty Technology Adoption Curve: the process by which abusive and immiserating technologies progress up the privilege gradient as their proponents refine and normalize dystopian technologies in order to impose them on wider and wider audiences:
https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/24/gwb-rumsfeld-monsters/#bossware
The kinds of metrics that bossware gathers might be useful to workers, but only if the workers get to decide when, whether and how to share that data with other people. Microsoft Office helps you catch typos by underlining words its dictionary doesn't recognize; the cloud-based, "AI-powered" Office365 tells your boss that you're the 11th-worst speller in your division and uses "sentiment analysis" to predict whether you are likely to cause trouble:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/21/great-taylors-ghost/#solidarity-or-bust
Two hundred years ago, Luddites rose up against machines. Contrary to the ahistorical libel you've heard, the Luddites weren't angry or frightened of machines – they were angry at the machines' owners. They understood – correctly – that the purpose of a machine "so easy a child could use it" was to fire skilled adult workers and replace them with kidnapped, indentured Napoleonic War orphans who could be maimed and killed on the job without consequence:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/12/gig-work-is-the-opposite-of-steampunk/
A hundred years ago, the "Taylorites" picked up where those mill owners left off: choreographing workers' movements to the finest degree in a pseudoscientific effort to produce a kind of kabuki of boss-pleasing robotic efficiency. The new, AI-based Taylorism goes even further, allowing bosses to automatically blacklist gig workers who refuse to cross picket-lines, monitor "self-employed" call center operators in their own homes, and monitor the eyeballs of Amazon drivers:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men
AI-based monitoring technologies dock workers' wages, suspend them, and even fire them, and when workers object, they're stuck arguing with a chatbot that is the apotheosis of Computer Says No:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/11/robots-stole-my-jerb/#computer-says-no
There's plenty of research about AI successfully "augmenting" workers, making them more productive and I'm the last person to say that automation can't help you get more done:
https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/augmented-workforce
But without understanding how AI augments class warfare – disciplining workers with a scale, speed and granularity beyond the sadistic fantasies of even the most micromanaging asshole boss – this research is meaningless.
The irony of bosses imposing monitoring to improve "wellness" and stave off "burnout" is that nothing is more exhausting, more immiserating, more infuriating than being continuously watched and judged.
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Name your price for 18 of my DRM-free ebooks and support the Electronic Frontier Foundation with the Humble Cory Doctorow Bundle.
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If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/15/wellness-taylorism/#sick-of-spying
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Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg
CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
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anistarrose · 2 months
Text
The thing about the Heart Attack segment in Wonderland is that they put so much aromantic subtext in it. They accidentally put SO much aromantic subtext in it, on behalf of multiple characters, and I'm thinking about it constantly. Let me tell you all about it.
Magnus is dropped into a dating game and literally leads with "I cannot stress enough how uninterested I am in this." Now, it's perfectly valid to read this as due to him waiting for Julia, or just him being plain old uncomfortable with having his love life put in the spotlight. However! I cannot stress enough the exchange that happens just a minute or two after that line:
Magnus (describing his ideal date): ... and we don't see each other again, ‘cause I'm really not interested in dating. Audience: [exaggerated] Oooooh! (cheers) Griffin: The silhouette is like, fanning itself. Lydia: Playing hard to get, huh? It seems like our contestant is into that.
And I just have to say: unfortunately, this is one of the most aromantic fucking experiences I've seen represented in fiction in my life. I mean — saying you're not interested in romance, then having those words twisted on you, like they're some secret coded way of saying that you are interested in romance? Not having a single way to express your disinterest that'll actually be believed? That's some aro shit right there. God. Fuck.
As an aside, it's enough to really tell that Heart Attack is not designed to be a reprieve from the pain, even though it's the "good outcome" of Trust or Forsake. It's designed to be uncomfortable. To funnel suffering to Edward and Lydia, just like all the other games do. (More on that later, in fact.) But in summary:
Magnus is a character who can be read as uncomfortable with romance for either aro-spec reasons or unrelated reasons. But in either case, his discomfort attracts reactions that reek of amatonormativity — and therefore, resonate with aromantic experiences. (Psst, I did recently write a gray-aro Magnus fic!)
Two more analyses below the cut (and only one of them is for another Horny Boy):
Obviously the next character I need to talk about is Merle. I've found aroallo readings of his character to be compelling for a long time (having sex with plants so you don't have to worry about romantic commitment, am I right?), but the way he describes his "ideal date" is another factor:
Merle: I volunteer to drive her vehicle, and tell her it's filthy, and so we go through the uh- drive through vehicle wash and she pays for that too. Um, and then I take her to have dinner with my family, and- Magnus: Wait, like your wife and stuff? Merle: She meets my ex-wife.
Merle's probably exaggerating as a joke, continuing on about both him and his partner being miserable, but I think the fact that Merle's mind goes here is genuinely drawing from a lot of poor romantic experiences in the past. He didn't get a choice about being on Heart Attack, and his marriage with Hecuba was similarly "arranged".
It's also worth noting that at this point in time, Merle is putting in the work to be part of Mavis and Mookie's lives again, but is not interested in doing the same for Hecuba — he instead just asks Mavis how Hecuba's doing. That said, given that Magnus is the one to put the focus on Merle's ex-wife, I think it's fair to read the "family" comment as Merle actually expressing that he'd rather spend time with his kids than give any special romantic attention to his date. Moving on to the rest of the "joke":
Merle: She's having a miserable time and she's really mad, she can't wait to get outta there. I take her back to her house, and so I lean up against the door jam and say, 'Sure you don't want me to come in for a few minutes?' and she slams the door in my face.
It's possible Merle just has a more roundabout, self-deprecating way of expressing a similar thing to what Magnus did: Merle just isn't interested in dating. To me, the last line implies he might not say no to sex, if offered — but overall, it reads as if Merle is putting minimal effort in because he's looking for an excuse to get out of this relationship anyway.
It's also possible that Merle's "rejection" of a suitor being so disguised as humor could point to him still coming to terms with his disinterest in dating. Particularly, in comparison to Magnus, who is so vocal and unashamed about it, while Merle might still be figuring this all out.
(Honestly, the self-deprecation Merle turns to here is actually kind of sad, when viewed in that light — he already lets himself be the butt of jokes so often, and now he feels like the way romance doesn't click for him has to be a joke, too? Oof. Someone give him a hug and tell him he's not broken this instant!) But regardless:
Merle views dates, and perhaps romance in general, as things that will inevitably turn disastrous for him and any party involved with him, and he would rather spend time with his children than repairing a relationship with an ex, or cultivating a relationship with a new partner. This is not an experience exclusive to the aro-spec umbrella, but you can't say that an aromantic reading of his character doesn't fit him like a gardening glove...
...which he wears while fucking his plants. Because plants don't demand emotional intimacy, nor take too much time away from the platonic relationships that matter more to him. And you know what? He's fucking valid for that! Fly your flag, nasty grandpa!
But moving on: I promised you aromantic analysis of characters outside of our protagonists, and henceforth, that analysis I will provide. And not just because I admittedly see Taako as the token alloromantic (though clearly an aro ally; if he hadn't chosen Forsake we wouldn't have gotten all this incredible characterization!)
I digress. So let's go on to addressing the lich twins in the room: Edward and Lydia.
Remember my argument earlier that Heart Attack serves the purpose of collecting suffering just like the rest of Wonderland does? How it's just a subtler way of making Wonderland's victims fundamentally uncomfortable?
...Using, of all things, romance?
How the vogue twins, for whatever reason, felt inspired to make people uncomfortable with matchmaking and adoration? How, some way or another, they noticed how much potential romance had to induce suffering? Being pressured into a relationship, being told that no matter how firmly you say you're uninterested, you're not really uninterested?
...Relatedly, I have always gotten the sense that Edward and Lydia projected relentlessly onto their victims.
Edward: This resolve, this desire to do whatever it takes no matter the cost to save yourselves — do you know who you three remind me of? Magnus: No? Merle: Who? Edward: Us!
I'm even going to go a step further and say that on top of projection, they want their victims to go through things they went through. Swallowing the guilt of having fucked someone else over to survive, of course — that's basically self-admitted. But possibly also... the feeling of not being able to get back what you lost (Keats). The feeling of being able to heal (Keats).
So, where does that leave Heart Attack?
Lydia: It was the three of us, surviving against all odds. The world against us.
Their family of three was (is) indescribably important to them. I'm not necessarily saying that societal expectations of romance, especially of romance as a priority above that of family, left a bad taste in their mouths — if not downright contributing to their trauma — but, okay, I wrote the rest of this post and now that I'm back, I can no longer deny it. I'm definitely, absolutely saying that.
At the time of the podcast, we know Edward and Lydia's own relationship is heavily strained. Until the end, they are lying to themselves and to each other about the fact that they continue to be emotionally and magically reliant on each other. After all, Lydia wouldn't say "I guess we really needed each other after all" in her dying moments with such surprise otherwise.
This is the second reason that I... well, I wouldn't quite call it a "theory," but I find it most impactful to read Edward and Lydia as characters for whom the concept of Love has baggage. And always has, from their origins as youth in a tough spot in an already amatonormative world.
Maybe the constant societal devaluing of platonic, familial bonds left them with serious emotional scars. Maybe the constant conflation of Love and morality just weighed on them and weighed on them and weighed on them until they decided: well, we don't love the way people expect us to, so we might as well give up on being the good people they expect us to be. We might as well embrace this new fuel of suffering.
...And you know, I hope this gets across what I mean when I always say I headcanon villains as aromantic to make them more sympathetic.
Edward and Lydia, textually, are already tragic villains. As twins and liches, they're also textually foil characters to several of the Seven Birds. But I also like to think that they have a lot in common with Magnus and Merle, and the possibility that tugs at my heartstrings the most is the possibility of them all falling under the aromantic umbrella.
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takiki16 · 4 months
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Hey so I am starting to get into Jupiter Ascending fandom (a couple years late but what can I say). I was thinking of writing a fic. Do you have any resources for JA extra information?
Thanks in advance. Also I am loving your fic (it's how I started getting into the fandom lololol). can't wait to reread!!!
HOOOOOOO BOY!!!!
I'm paging @bemusedlybespectacled, @gallifreyburning, @vr-trakowski, @sorrelchestnut, @florentinequill, @fuckyeahjupiterascending, @vrabia, and honestly ANYONE ELSE who wants to chime in here, bc HOOOOOOO BOY!
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(I made that sweet puppy in fucking 2015 on my dying laptop in the travel study dorm in DC, JUPITER ASCENDING HOW I LOVE THEE)
The eternal fucking tragedy of Jupiter Ascending is that the wider world doesn't love it like we do. Does it have every single thing that turns my crank, id-wise? Sure! Does it have gorgeous over-the-top sequined costumes and extravagant set pieces that remind you at every minute that this movie specially thanked Swarovski Crystal in the credits? Sure! Does it have theeeee single most pinpoint reading of MY PERSONAL FEMALE GAZE that Channing Tatum has ever done? (sorry mister Magic Mike, but you do not even come CLOSE to "may I kill him?" in terms of sexy) SURE! Was this movie a commercial or critical success? Absolutely not 😔
There isn't, as far as I'm aware, an art book. There isn't an official novelization. There isn't even an actual script posted to the usual internet databases that isn't just an automatic shitty talk-to-text rendition of the movie dialogue. There are concept art paintings and old cast interviews floating around, and this auction website where the Wachowskis auctioned off some of the props from the movie, but as far as canon resources and extra material beyond the movie itself there isn't much. A quick duckduckgo search would probably be more helpful to you than anything else, if any of the websites still have the articles up - it WAS eight years ago, and doesn't that just break my fucking heart.
My corner of tumblr LOVED this movie. In 2015, there were TONS of posts gathering interviews, posting concept art, making cosplays, all the signs of a small but healthy fandom ecosystem. However, we call this the blue hellsite for a reason - not all of those resources are still there, and the ones that survived time and incompetent archival site coding are probably difficult to find. I would definitely recommend trawling the JA tags of all the blogs I tagged at the start of this post, as JA introduced me to two of my longest and most beloved of all mutuals. ALL of their insights were key to A Fine Chain.
There is also my own jupiter ascending tag and my more specific jupiter ascending meta tag, although I don't know how bored you are lol. The general JA tag is 105 pages - I would almost recommend just starting at page 105 and working forward from there since it chronicles my descent into kinky space angel werewolf brain rot pretty nicely. There are also my ao3 bookmarks for JA.
I WILL SAY that it has been 8 years, and I have changed into a very different person than the one I was when I first saw this movie. I don't REGRET the first few chapters of A Fine Chain, or any of my breathless meta posts, but I do think that if I were to write any of them over again, I'd hope that my writing style has matured and I'd have lots more extra material to draw from. Actually graduating from law school, writing long fic in another fandom, and generally percolating more as a person has given me lots of new perspectives on JA that make it more interesting even as I still enjoy it (for example, HBO's Succession is ODDLY RELEVANT and I wish there were more JA fanwriters to take advantage of that fact).
...I hope that was helpful? I will ETERNALLY mourn the fact that this fandom wasn't isn't bigger - we haven't even broken 1k on ao3! But EYE MYSELF am here to discuss JA stuff as long as this weird spurt of creative energy sustains me, and my inbox is always open!
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loremaster · 2 months
Text
the premise of rain code band au
so you have context for whatever i end up drawing for it
so yakou started out in a band with yomi and friends (probably like. seth and dominic... no martina yet), he was the guitarist and yomi was the singer... they definitely dated though neither of them would ever admit to it now
but yomi of course is an asshole with a big ego that keeps getting worse, yakou puts up with it until he meets his (future) wife who convinces him to stand up for himself. yomi of course does not take it well, invites martina into the band and starts dating her instead. yakou gets ostracized by the rest of the group and quits the band, settles down, gets married.
she isn't a musician but she's still got a beautiful singing voice. she loves to sing along to his guitar playing. but eventually she dies (probably due to medical malpractice. fucking huesca) and yakou gets so depressed he doesn't touch his guitar again for years
meanwhile the whole world is obsessed with famous pop idol SHINIGAMI!!!!!! despite (or because of?) her abrasive personality she has tons of die-hard fans... but nobody knows anything about her personal life. she's a total mystery off the stage!
shinigami's success is really due to yuma and makoto (twins??? idk). makoto is her pr manager who handles her public image and her schedule; yuma is her creative director and songwriter, the genius behind her catchy tunes.
yuma is very competent at his job but is not enjoying his life. he feels immense responsibility for her success, and overworks himself so shinigami can keep topping the charts. he's not much fun to be around, and doesn't trust anyone else with his duties. shinigami and makoto conspire against him for his own sake, and fire him - or at least, send him on an indefinite leave. shinigami says his songs are shit. he takes her seriously.
yuma is moping down the streets when he meets yakou, also down on his luck... yakou takes pity on the kid and gives him a place to stay. he has no idea who yuma really is, and yuma doesn't tell him - mostly because of the shame of being fired. so yakou treats him like an unpaid intern.
somehow yuma ends up inspiring yakou to pick up his guitar again... which inspires yakou to put out a flyer for band auditions. he's not expecting any responses, but halara, desuhiko, fubuki, and vivia show up and he's impressed with all four of them!!! NOW THEY'RE A BAND!!!!
but... they start out as a cover band because they have no original songs. (desuhiko tries to write original songs. they are very bad.) yuma wants to help but he doesn't want to make himself a big deal... so he ends up sneakily slipping a song he's anonymously written under the studio door for yakou to find. the song is great... but the other band members can't seem to get the hang of it.
from then on the story would take more of an episodic nature, where yuma gets to know each of the band members' idiosyncrasies and learn how to write music (still anonymously) that fits their style. (i'd actually imagine the audience wouldn't know yuma's deal yet either, that'd be like... an end of the season reveal. i guess i'm imagining this as an anime huh) and in spending time with each of them he gets to actually befriend them as well and invigorate their passion for the band and willingness to work together. each time they'd get a cool new song that has a cool new solo for the focus character/instrument of each... episode? yeah
i'm going to post more about what those individual character based adventures will be later (feel free to supplement with your own ideas)
for now i am tired good night
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thirstbxtch · 2 years
Text
Cash Only
Part II Here
You’re short on cash so you decide to offer Eddie something else instead.
Pairing: Eddie/Reader. No Y/N. Reader is 18+.
Rating: Explicit, 18+ Only.
References to drug use, Blow jobs, Fingering.
Friday night and there's a knock at the trailer door. Not surprising for the line of business he's in, but still he didn't have any scheduled appointments for this evening.
Eddie opens the door to find you, standing on the steps, one hand on the trailer.
"Hey, you have any Speed?" You ask looking up at him.
"Yeah, sure, come on in," Eddie says, motioning you in.
You were one of his regulars. Usually you bought Mary Jane, but sometimes when you had alot of homework or a big test to study for, you wanted Speed. It was mostly just functional.
You follow Eddie back to his room.
"How many do you want?" He asks crouching down to the drawer where he keeps his stash.
"Five."
"Five," Eddie echoes, finding the pills and counting them out before putting them in a little baggie.
He stands, turning to hand you the bag.
"That'll be $75."
You take your wallet out of your back pocket, opening it up and counting the bills within.
Fuck. You're short. You're way short.
You count them again, and then again one more time.
"Is there a problem?" Eddie asks mildly.
You bite your lip, counting one more time just to be sure.
"Shit," you curse to yourself, staring down into your wallet, trying to think of anything else you could offer instead.
You've seen the way boys look at you now, Eddie included. Sometimes he stares too long at your mouth or your chest, or how you can generally feel his gaze when he thinks you won't notice.
And you can't deny you've done some looking yourself. Those soft brown eyes, long brunette hair, lean torso, slender hips. Nimble fingers that have expertly rolled joints for you.
You shut your wallet and slip it back into your back pocket.
"Look, I'm short," you say finally meeting Eddie's gaze, "but I can blow you for it." You offer casually like this is something you do all the time--offer blowjobs in exchange for drugs.
"Woah," Eddie says drawing the baggie back, "you know the rules. No cash, no drugs."
You take a step closer, and Eddie eyes you suspiciously.
"Didn't know you were one for following the rules," you lilt in return.
"Every man's gotta have a code," he replies very matter of fact. "Look, I could sell you less, how much cash do you have?"
You shake your head.
"No, that isn't going to work. I need five. I have to write my research paper this weekend."
Eddie's backed up against his nightstand now, and you just a few inches away.
"Not my problem, princess," he replies, turning to drop the baggie in the top drawer of his nightstand.
You sit on the edge of his bed while he's turned away, leaning back on your arms.
He's turns back to you now, caught off guard by the sight of you on his bed.
Sure you've been in his room before to buy, but you've never been on his bed, looking up at him through lowered lashes the way you are now.
You bite your lower lip now, intentionally this time, releasing it slowly and Eddie's brown eyes track the movement.
"You sure about that?" You ask.
Eddie curses softly and looks down at the floor, shaking his head. You're almost certain he's going to kick you out when he raises one finger.
"Just this one time," he says, lifting his head to look at you.
"Yeah," you say gently, nodding before he can change his mind and reach out to hook two fingers in his belt loop to tug him closer, "just this one time."
He sits on the bed next to you and you dispel any awkwardness by placing a hand on his thigh and turning your face into his neck.
He always smells good like cheap aftershave and cigarettes with the earthy tinge of pot just beneath, but it's so much better this close. Intoxicating. Your nose is brushing the skin of his throat and you can't help yourself, you press a kiss just beneath his jaw, and his breath catches. It's a strangely intimate gesture for a drug transaction, definitely something that Eddie wasn't expecting. You place another lingering kiss below it, sliding your hand higher up his thigh.
Eddie tilts his face up, allowing you more access to the line of his throat, and you leave a trail of kisses down to the collar of his shirt, undoing his belt and jeans. He's already half hard by the time you cup him through his boxers, teasingly stroking him through the fabric, before you pull your hand away, licking the palm, and slipping it past the fabric this time.
He bites back a little sound that goes straight through you and glance up to see him biting his lower lip, eyes closed. You look away before they can flutter open again, stroking him lazily, enjoying the feel of him beneath your hand, and it only takes a few strokes to get him hard.
You slip off the bed and onto the floor. Eddie spreading his legs wide for you to kneel between, watching you with darkened eyes. This should feel wrong. He's not some creep who exploits women for sexual favors. But somehow it doesn't. Not when you're looking up at him like that, like you actually want to be on your knees in front of him. He's gotten off to the thought of it before, but his imagination has been a poor substitute for the reality.
You pull his cock out from the slit in the front of his boxers. He has a nice cock. Grasping it lightly, you lean in, licking the underside of the head deliberately, keeping eye contact with him. Eddie's brows crease together, and he bites his lip again, moaning, continuing to watch as you close your eyes and begin to bob up and down, occasionally swirling your tongue around the tip.
He puts a hand on your head, rings tangling in your hair.
"Fuck," he sighs, "'s good."
Eddie finally closes his eyes and tips his head back. He's not going to last long at all if he continues to watch your pretty mouth swallow his length, and some selfish part of him wants this to last.
You glance up to see Eddie's closed eyes and upturned face, hair falling over his shoulders. Gorgeous. You take the opportunity to discreetly undo your jeans with your free hand and slip it into your panties where you're soaked and aching.
You hum around his length at finally getting some relief, but Eddie doesn't seem to notice, face still upturned. You continue to lick, suck, and stroke him and when you finally deepthroat him, he groans out a string of curses.
"God-motherfucking-damnit, sweetheart, fuck, yeah, so fucking good."
He looks down to see your hollowed out cheeks and your lips wrapped around the base of his cock. Can feel your throat flex as you try not to gag, and then your mouth is sliding back up again, bobbing to halfway a few times, before doing it again.
"Christ," Eddie slurs between labored breaths, fingers tightening in your hair, he wants more than anything to thrust up into that hot, wet mouth of yours.
He shifts his hips experimentally, shaft sliding against your tongue, and you take the hint, stilling for him, and he thrusts shallowly up into your mouth, just grazing the back of your throat. You can feel his cock begin to throb on your tongue and it's only a few more shallow thrusts before Eddie's moaning, loudly, spilling down your throat.
You swallow it all and suck him lightly through the aftershocks until he gives a hiss of oversensitivity, releasing him with a soft pop.
Eddie's catching his breath, looking down at you with wide dark, eyes. At your flushed cheeks and your swollen, spit slick mouth, just begging to be kissed.
You hold his gaze before slipping your other hand out of your panties, and the movement doesn't escape Eddie's notice. He's not sure how he hadn't noticed it before--
"Wait, were you?" He asks lowly.
"Yeah, I was," you admit plainly. No point in trying to deny what he had already seen.
Heat shoots straight down Eddie's spine.
"You think I'm just going to let you walk out of here with that pussy all wet for me," he says hotly and your eyes flicker, still processing his words as he hauls you up onto the bed with him.
He tucks himself back into his boxers before pushing you down against the mattress, pausing a moment before undoing your jeans, silently verifying permission, and you nod.
He pulls your jeans halfway down your thighs, staring at the wet spot soaking through your panties and groaning. He half lays on top of you, supporting himself on one arm as he pushes your panties to the side with his right hand, and slips two fingers inside you, voice cracking as you moan, you'd been so close when you were blowing him, and he doesn't waste anytime curling and pumping his fingers in a quick rhythm.
Your lower back curves away from the bed. His face is so close to yours. Your eyes meet, both dropping to the other's mouth and back again. Fuck. Eddie can't help himself, he kisses you, open and deep and sloppy, tongues sliding together, he pumps his fingers harder, pressing his thumb against your clit.
Your voice comes out embarrassingly high.
"Fuck, Eddie, yes," you keen, blacking out and clenching tightly around his fingers, you can even feel his rings, fuck, it's so good and he strokes you until your eyes flutter back open, then collapses next to you, face pressed against your shoulder.
It's just long moments of the sound of your breath together, and you're not sure what to say, but thankfully Eddie saves you.
"That was worth a lot more than five hits of Speed," he says contentedly.
"Do I still need to bring cash next time?" You ask, somewhat smug.
He nods against your shoulder before looking up at you.
"Sorry sweetheart, blowjobs don't pay the bills," he replies.
You laugh.
"A real businessman, aren’t you? Alright then," you get off the bed, zipping up your jeans, and generally straightening up, "I'll have cash next time." You promise, kissing him on the cheek.
He retrieves the baggie of Speed from his nightstand drawer and places it in your open palm.
"Great," he stands, zipping himself up as well.
Eddie walks you to the trailer door, stepping outside after you to have a smoke.
"Good luck with your paper," he calls, watching you walk away.
"Thanks, Eddie," you call back over your shoulder and get into your car.
Off to the library then.
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rosanna-writer · 11 months
Text
Our Song - A Gwynriel Songfic
Just a short songfic based on Taylor Swift's "Our Song" for Day Two of Gwyn Appreciation Week - Song Association
Originally I didn't have anything planned for today but the song came on at work, and I thought it would be fun to write something a little meta :)
The full fic is below the cut!
@gwynweekofficial
I was ridin' shotgun with my hair undone
In the front seat of his car
On yet another night that Gwyn and Azriel couldn't sleep, she found herself in his arms in the skies above Velaris. It happened less frequently now, but there were still nights like this, and they'd taken to flying once they'd given both up on attempting to sleep. The cool night air sometimes did them more good than trying and failing to rest.
He's got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel
The other on my heart
There was nowhere Gwyn would rather be than curled up against Azriel's chest with the city spread out beneath them. Even when they placed bets about how much free fall she could take before she screamed or if Az would beat his fastest time from one end of the city to the other, this felt like the safest place in the world.
I look around, turn the radio down
He says, "Baby, is something wrong?"
Tonight, though, they just made lazy loops around the city in companionable to silence. Gwyn might be able to draw Azriel out better than anyone else, but she didn't always need to.
After a while, Az glanced down at her and said, "Everything alright?"
I say, "Nothing, I was just thinkin' how we don't have a song"
And he says
It was, and Gwyn knew he'd know if it wasn't, but it was in his nature to confirm everything, not to make assumptions. Azriel didn't leave things to chance.
"Completely fine," she said, giving him a smile. "I was just thinking that for all the singing we do, it's a bit strange we don't have a song, isn't it?"
Our song is the slamming screen door
Sneakin' out late, tapping on your window
"It's probably for the best. Anything distinctive is predictable and easy to track."
Gwyn rolled her eyes and wondered if there was anything in the world he couldn't relate back to espionage. "Azriel. Not everything in life is about being sneaky."
When we're on the phone, and you talk real slow
'Cause it's late, and your mama don't know
"Not everything. But quite a lot."
His voice was deadpan, but Gwyn could read Azriel well enough to spot the barest hint of a smile on his face. He knew what he was doing, being pedantic just to rile her up a bit.
And Gwyn wouldn't give him the satisfaction of rising to the bait.
Instead, she just changed the subject and said, "Now that I think about it though, I wonder if you could use music to pass coded messages."
Azriel hummed thoughtfully, and Gwyn could feel it rumble in his chest. "A bit difficult to communicate much detail when there's only seven notes in a scale to work with, though."
If he wanted pedantic tonight, he'd get pedantic. Gwyn smiled.
"Actually there are twelve in a chromatic scale."
"That's still less than half the letters in the alphabet. My point still stands."
Our song is the way you laugh
The first date, "Man, I didn't kiss her, and I should have"
That was enough to consider it a draw. They lapsed back into comfortable silence and watched the city fly by underneath them.
Eventually Gwyn—completely incapable of letting anything go as always—said, "We really should have a song, though. And for the record, telling me having a song is predictable might be the least romantic thing you've ever said to me."
"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll outdo myself soon."
Gwyn laughed at that, then rested her head on the space between Azriel's head and shoulder. It fit perfectly, as if she was made to be there.
"There aren't a lot of things that are more important than being sneaky, but that laugh is one of them, you know," Azriel added softly.
Gwyn didn't have a sarcastic response for that, just kissed him.
And when I got home, 'fore I said, "Amen"
Asking God if he could play it again
They didn't stay out much longer than that. The flight had done its job, tiring Azriel out enough to catch a few hours of sleep. Gwyn wasn't quite so lucky, but sleepless nights weren't as bad when she spent them curled up against his side, one wing covering her like an extra blanket. While she listened to him breathe, she hummed to herself quietly and got lost in thought about music theory and cryptology.
I was walkin' up the front porch steps after everything that day
Had gone all wrong and been trampled on
The next day, Gwyn was not nearly as content. After only a couple hours of sleep, training the next morning was miserable. She couldn't bring herself to skip it. Instead, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep going, even though she lost three sparring matches in a row and failed to block countless hits she should have dodged.
No one asked what was wrong—the bags under her eyes were answer enough.
And lost and thrown away
Got to the hallway, well on my way to my lovin' bed
It had been a horribly long day, and Gwyn had pushed herself to get through all of it. Azriel considered telling her to rest, but he knew Gwyn—she'd only dig her heels in more if he did.
So instead, he made sure to be home first, ready to take care of Gwyn when the exhaustion finally overtook her and she collapsed into bed.
I almost didn't notice all the roses
And the note that said
And just as he predicted, she took one look at the carefully tabbed and annotated book he'd left on the nightstand for her and decided she'd open it when she'd gotten some sleep. The vase of roses next to it made her smile though.
Azriel was patient. He could wait until Gwyn had rested up enough to find the note he'd left explaining that he'd annotated the songbook for her because there was no obvious choice of which song should be theirs.
He'd rather just give them all to her.
I've heard every album, listened to the radio
Waited for something to come along
That was as good as our song
After flipping through the entire book together, Gwyn and Azriel agreed there wasn't a single song that felt quite right. Gwyn was beyond caring—it was the best gift she'd ever received.
But still, the next day, she'd returned to the library and gotten her hands on every book about music theory and codebreaking that she could find. She was on a mission.
I was ridin' shotgun with my hair undone
In the front seat of his car
Gwyn and Azriel had a few more weeks of peace before insomnia struck again. Gwyn had her nose stuck in the library books she was still making her way through when Azriel said he couldn't sleep either. He suggested flying again, and she never turned that down.
Gwyn sang softly to herself as they flew. She almost didn't realize she was doing it until Azriel joined in.
I grabbed a pen and an old napkin
And I wrote down our song
Something about the sound of their voices together unknotted the problem. When they got back home, she didn't come to bed, just cracked open the notebook full of staff paper and grabbed a pen.
Azriel might have thought that music was an impractical means of encoding information, but Gwyn was sure that with a few tweaks, her system would work.
And there was no song that was sweeter than "I told you so."
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ocie-vt · 29 days
Text
Thoughts on ARCADEA / AWOL
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Quite a while ago now I played the ARCADEA demo on stream with my good friend Purea Patel… I'm only writing this review(?) so much later because Ive just uploaded the VoD.
To get things started, ARCADEA Is an upcoming RPGmaker game in which you take control of Maisie, a mute girl on a quest to find her brother Jas. To do this, we must go through the world of Arcadia. It should be noted that Arcadia here does not refer to the Greek province, but instead refers to one of the interesting phenomena that can be found here: you see, In everyone's dreams lies an Arcade machine which represents their innermost psyche or something. It seems that we can go into these arcade machines for… reasons. Something to do with a cat? Here's the problem with writing a review of sorts from memory months after I've played something, A lot of the exactitudes of the game story have become hazy in my mind. For instance, I remember there was a talking cat who acted slightly sinisterly and seemed to be important somehow… The only other thing I remember about him is that we made him Australian for some reason. A lot of my recollection is like this, so from now on ill just mention the stuff that's stuck with me the most about the game.
Firstly, I must mention the art here, especially the character portraits. It's very good, I feel like all the main characters have very distinct designs, they're all vaguely colour coded in these nice lighter colours which both makes every character easy to tell apart which also giving them a nice sense of cohesion. It's all very cute, and this carries over to the level art, which also has pleasing pallets whilst keeping a good sense of variety between zones. Secondly, I must mention the minigames: they are of paramount importance in a game literally structured around arcade machines, and they most certainly do not disappoint. Even this demo has quite a few varied little gameplay segments, and it honestly does better in them than even some other extremely well produced or popular RPGmaker games like Pocket mirror, which relies a bit too heavily on variations of the chase sequence. Of course ARCADEA isn't exempt from having one or two chasers, close to the end there's a chase sequence against a paintbrush monster thing… but at least there is a mechanic there where you can leave bait for the monster to stall it a little. The other games are a bit more interesting though, for instance there is a puzzle in which you have to stand on a certain spot and then line up a piece of paper to reveal a symbol that tells you what direction to go next. It's a bit like that one forest sequence from Metal Gear, except in Metal Gear, the devs just left you to flounder until you got out. There's also one or two quick time button presses that I was very bad at… but it's also an interesting change of pace from other games I've played.
Last thing I'd want to mention here is that in one scene you are put in a greenhouse and told to draw one of a few plants highlighted in the room, except there was also a random set of vines highlighted that had nothing to do with this, and I was very disappointed when I couldn't try to select the random set of vines over all the pretty flowers to draw.
Anyway, all in all I had a very good time playing ARCADEA, and I'm excited for the full release. I would highly suggest that you play the game for yourself, you can download it here.
After we finished that demo on stream, me and Purea still had a fair amount of energy left, so we decided to look at the other game that the ARCADEA dev has worked on, A Wave Of Lights (AWOL). It's a cute little visual novel about a shut in girl meeting an alien girl and then, like, being gay for two hours. I've not much to say on the actual game itself since it's relatively short, It's just well written and the art is also cute. I will say that, uhh, I made some choices on the stream's end that might have impacted the drama of it a tad… When we played it we decided to voice one character each and whilst Purea gave a pretty neutrally toned voice to the main character, I heard that the other character was an alien and like… I can only decide the voice I went with as somewhere between Skeletor and a Dalek, because alien. It was really something going into the more dramatic or serious scenes with the characters opening up to each other and whatnot, where Purea was playing it 100% straight, and I was doing the silliest goddamed voice I have ever attempted.
to close this out, I should say that the Dev for Arcadia is named Aishin, and you can find them here on tumblr @arcadea-rpg.
Whilst Aishin was the artist for AWOL, it seems that the writer and lead dev listed was Tabby Wright, who you can find here.
AWOL itself can be downloaded from here, and finally you can find the VoD for my stream here.
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WIP ask game
Thank you to @sea-dwelling-wizard for the tag!
Tagging @jackdawandicarus and @lordcatwich (no pressure ofc!)
rules: answer as many (or as few) of the questions about your WIP as you can.
For this, I'll be using my Victorian dragon thing :)
1. What was the first part of your WIP that you created?
An initial version of the first chapter! It was initially going to be a really long poem (non-rhyming; I'm not that skilled). It focused on Heron (Hanne at the time) walking through sort-of-London (no, he does not wander through each chartered street where the chartered Thames does flow and mark in every face he meets marks of weakness marks of woe /ref) and entering a house. It was slightly more interesting than it sounds.
2. If your story was a TV show, what would the intro song be?
I'm honestly… not that sure. That's are a few songs that I link with it but that's spoilers so uh. Yeah.
3. Who are your favourite character(s) and why?
Amethyst because the only other characters are Leila, Heron and Thomas. I've not developed Leila much yet, I'm not allowed to say Heron because he used to be based on me, and Thomas is an absolute shithead. Also Amethyst is a complex character from the start. Thomas is literally just a capitalist and Heron's complexity comes from later events.
4. What other pieces of media could share a fan base with your WIP?
Well, in its current form it kind of comes from my Victorian lit obsession, and it's going to be epistolary so… Dracula. Though it has very little in common with Dracula other than being epistolary and Victorian.
Other than that, I think it has some similarities to the Cogheart books? It's been a while since I read them, though.
5. What has been your biggest struggle while writing your WIP?
Heron's fucking name. And just. Chapter one. I've started it four times by now and I've only just worked out it in a way that isn't absolutely fucking terrible.
6. Are there any animals in your story?
… they're all dragons. I guess that counts?
7. How do your characters get around?
In the usual way (they walk. Occasionally fly but walking takes less energy and is more what the city's built for anyway.)
8. What part of your WIP are you working on right now?
Chapter one. Still. I've not even written out a plan. Maybe I should do that at some point – that tends to help me get stuff done. And it'd let me work out how to pace stuff. Why have I not done that yet?
9. What aspects of your WIP do you think will draw people in?
Ummmm… Heron being useless for several months straight aroace. Nah idk really. Just the vibes. The misery. The hint of hope. The Orpheus and Eurydice metaphor that appears in the current version. The hopes that Heron will give in to his urges and just fucking BITE Thomas. Amethyst possibly being Zouelle A Face Like Glass coded. This makes no sense. I full-on just forgot Zouelle's last name oh well.
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veraynes-blog · 1 year
Note
hi! During the hollidays I went completely berserk on your tensimm fics and devored them. I never took the time to leave a comment because i was just always ravenous for the next chapter lol. I especialy love unspoken!! the concept of a willingly broken down and stuck tardis that still somewhat functions but isn't itself but still has all the infinite rooms,,,,argh!!! makes my brain go brrrrr i feel like its such rich ground for existencial horror Other than that, I'm absolutely in love with how you interprent tensimm, especially this..darker version of themelf the doctor can be if he lets himself get influenced, it really feels like yeah, this is what would happen to them. I also think you wrote the sexiest fanfic porn i ?? ever read???!! and ive been reading those for longer than i should Anyway I wanted to draw a big piece of fanart for you but other work got in my way. I still really wanted to show my appreciation for your writing hence this out of nowhere ask I wonder, what are your thoughts on 12 and missy? They're my fav version of them bc missy character's arc just!!!!gets to me, would love to have your thoughts :) Anyway i'll stop rambling on now, I hope you have a lovely day, I can't wait for whatever writing you have planned next
Oh wow, thank you so much??? 🥰 What a lovely message to log in to this morning!!
Ahhgh I'm so glad you enjoyed the fics! It's been my favourite fandom to (obsessively) take part in, which is probably why I'm not ready to let it go yet lol. I love your take on the broken TARDIS in Unspoken. Not something I actively considered at the time, but you're so right. They were living in a TARDIS shell, there's definitely something horrifying when you say it like that 😅
✨️Love✨️ when the Doctor gets an opportunity/temptation/influence to go a bit darker! You can tell in canon that it's something just below the surface, especially in Ten, and I feel like if he'd had more exposure to the Master his story could have gone a lot differently 👀
I'm always overwhelmed people even consider drawing fanart for my fics, thank you for telling me!! 🥰
And I love Twelve and Missy so much! Our first and only semi-canon confirmation of romance between them. They're also both a close second favourite in terms of versions of the Doctor and Master, for me. I would say, though, I always thought there was an air of... tragedy? That went right through their storyline. Not just the misunderstanding at the end (which to this day I find harrowing as a narrative 😔) but even the fact that Missy was so lonely and desperate to get her friend back that she was willing to change everything about herself? And the Doctor let her?? Demanded it, actually?? I dunno, she was just trying so hard in her own psychotic way, and I think Twelve wanted it to work as well, but he had such a strict and obscure moral code by that point that it all felt a little... doomed 😕
I do love them, I promise, I'm just not as good with tragedy as a genre 😅
Thank you again for the message! 😘
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trixeraptops · 1 year
Text
My second ever commentary post how fun
This time it's Enola Holmes 2
This is a live reaction so there is no context, suffer.
Warnings for swearing and all capsAnyways let's hop in the carriage and travel back to Victorian(?) England.
Ooh letter burning for the logo fun
Ok I doubt any of this is true don't lie to me bitch
Why is she running away from the police?What did she do
I will say she looks good
Yeah you should explain and I do remember you
Oh yay she opened a detective agency
Awww she kept Dash how cute
But didn't she give it Sherlock in the end of the last movie?
She forgot how sexist and ageist her time period is lmao
Hah they all just want Sherlock221B!!!!!
Trying not to draw attention, blows up a mailbox
Tewksbury is champion for change and progress I love it
Girl you have time for a little distraction you fucking tsundere
Chrysanthe-mum
Oh her agency is already shut down
2who is it
Aw a little girl she's so. Cute I love her scarf
Ooh the cinematic shot
Enola looks so out of place lol
I hope this is pro Bono I don't think this girl has much
Enola don't look so put off, not everyone is rich as you
Ew rat
We weren't sisters in the usual way, love that
It soesnt mean anything to the Lil one but to Mae it clearly does
Aw this is so sweet
The game is afoot Jesus your finding a missing person not hunting one
Changed her name to Hilda
They're looking for disease at the entrance omg
Bruv you're gonna get yourself and bessie in trouble bruv
That was smart tho
Ooh torn pages that's sus
She stole the pages?
Oh that woman has such a soft voice it's so pretty but I can't hear her
Mae definetely knows somethingMae was involves in the theft o.o
Haha 'young lady I'm afraid I'm married'
Damn she's in a bar and it's fucking rowdy in here
Mae is a showgirl isn't she?
She is
That was a fun jaunty number
The missing worked with Mae as a showgirl
Jesus Mae
Lol fake knife
False bottom! I knew she was a top lmao
It's a sappy romance poem
She ran away to marry someone didnt she?Ooh drama
Dun dunbdun mysterious blurred fellow in the background
Ew he's following her
He hid but he's very loud what is cane made of metal?
Sherlock! He's drunk
Lol roasted
His bullshit tips are everything
Now sh I'm thinking you should write that down
You shouldn't get so drunk ehen you have no way home write that down
Wait is she gonna live with her brother or is this is a John reveal?
Jesus christ he's really fucking observant even when drunk and hungover
I don't need tour help! But I'm still taking the food you offered
Don't speak with a mouthful
Tewksbury!!!
Ooh she sits where he walks to work so they can run jnto each other.
She looks so upset after making a joke
That was so awkward lmao
Feel a need?
It's a coded poem! Open mouth
She's so excited
You didn't have to say you don't sew bruv we get it your not like other girls
I doubt this case will get media coverage
The doors open o.o
Suspecious...But not as sus as her for breaking into someone's house
Oh this shows a struggle and abandonment
MAE she's dead!
This case just got alot more interesting
Inspector!
It'd mr.clangy
Sarah is wanted oof
Oh he tried to be respectful but superintendent is a bitch
I hate this guy I'm calling him mr.clangy forever now
Lestrade is so fucking calm, your boss just got punched in the gut
Hah he doesn't remember you bruv
Just a friendly visit cause your sis is running away from the cops
I cant I can't, maybe I can
He's such a fangirl omg
Damn she roof hopping
Shit she almost fell, she gone die
Wait what the fuck
Enola Holmes is turning all the men in England trans lol
I wonder if the cases are related
Wait Moriarty maybe?
I'm a slut for BBC Sherlock so forgive all the speculation that's purely based on BBC Sherlock, I know they aren't related
He has this walk
Grail
Immediate recognition lmao
AH VIOLIN
Enola looks weirded out
You tell Sherlock! She made it bout herself, she wants media attention not to help
Haha callback
He just walks past them lmao
I think Poppy might be a chick but I could be wrong
A hat! Dun dun dunnn
A TAPER CROWN HAT I KNEWBTHEY WERE RELATED
It's not a date it's a place!
Williams for reds not a Poppy at all
I'm going to a ball yay! Ew
Smh Enola
I love her cloak
Her dress is so pretty
Why is the music so sus when they light the cake
Lol the chaperone
She keeps forgetting what her society is like
Bitch you live here how do you forget this shit
He's actually leading Sherlock in a dance lmao
Oh she gone get caught
Tabitha Timothy lol
Fan language!!! Oh thats so clever and cute!
But she doesn't know fan language hahaha she immediately messed up
Omg Tewkesbury
Of course he's doing something with plants
This is so weird and cute i love their little relationship
Haha I love her
You're a man when I say soShe's such a bitch
She's a natural at dancing or maybe just with Tewksbury
What does that mean lmao
Don't touch the ginger cake!
Wait dance cards are an actual thing lmao
ID the writing ON SIGHT
TSUNDERE
jealous bitch
Cicely seems nice, she complimented Enola even if she had an outdated dress
Dislocated and I'll scream, ICON
He knows Bessie!
Ooh a secret meeting how funBunch of random letters returns
ITS MORIARTY OMG OMG
I LOVE THIS
I hope their as gay as the BBC
Oh my lord JUST SAY ITS ABOUT YOUR CASE
Not the police barging in
She gave him her evidence! How sweet
Cecily is the only one who looks concerned for her everyone else is making fun of her
Keep silent Enola!
Shut up mr.clangy no one likes you
Oh no he's gonna kill Bessie isn't he :(
His job is to kill match girls who are needling out the corruption?
Sexist
Oooh mr.clangy stopped Sherlock from getting her
Oof
POLICEMAN IS HIDING HIS HAND
Those fingerprints are blurry at best
Ohmygod I was typing the last line then Sherlock kicked a fucking sign and scared a cat
It's the jujitsu woman!
It's ok you can say it
Ew I don't like how that guard looked at Enola
Wtf whyd they push her into the center?They're gonna hang her? Or beat her? What?
IS IT HER MOM?!
No its jujitsu lady
AND HER MOM
Prison break bitches
Her mom really likes bombs huh
Carriage chase carriage chase
Theure giving people typhus or something
He's gonna jump on isn't heNot anymore lol
Mr.clangy you bitch stop shooting st them
You go girl
Holy shit he just broke their wheel
I hope the horses are all right
Probably are they disappeared with the crash
Fuck off you bitch
I LOVE THEM, I LOVE THEM OMG
HOLY TRINITY INDEED
DAMN HE GOING FOR THE KILL
THE CARRIAGE IS A BOMB
Genius
Aw they changed her into new clothes how nice
Her mother is initiating boy talk
He ain't my Boi
I love that's she's acknowledging her part in Enola self isolating
She's encouraging her to get allies ♡
I love these women
She just winked? Why?
Get a haircut as your parting word lmao
I knew it
They're killing the match girls by giving them typhus through the MATCHES
FUCK YES
And Sarah figured it out
She and Mae were expirementing eith it
Genius
They tested flies, mice, plants
Extraordinary I love them
She went to Tewkesbury!!!
His flat is filled with flowers and plants ♡♡♡♡
I love him
Yay their allies
Jealous bitch
IS CECILY SARAH?!
Shut up you awkward bruv
SHE IS
I FIGURED IT OUT MOTHERFUCKER
To be fair they spelled it out
TEWKESBURY YOUR NOT EVEN COURTING AND YIU DAID ILY
She sent Ily to William too
OHMYGOD I LOVE THIS
SHE HIT HIM
AAAHAHHHHHHH SHE RETUREND FEELINGS OMG OMG OMG
We live we laugh we love
Just tell em your a lord, I am, then they'll believe you omg
Sherlock!
The contempt in their voices I love this sibling dynamic
I knew they were connected I KNEW
Is that guy dead
He is
Mr.clangy
Moriarty is dead :(
Haha Tewkesbury
It's a set up!
Is Moriarty actually alive
He is
Ooh William thankyou for golding onto that
It's a letter isn't it
Nope map
Dora Dora Dora the explora
He can't fight lol
She's just beating him up until he pussies up and fights her
AH THEY KISSED
After she punched him multiple times lol
They're so cute
Secret treasure
SARAH!
She was wearing a wig this whole time damn
Uh oh they have to tell her he's dead
Aww poor Sarah ♡
Ew mr.clangy
BESSIE NO
YOU GO BESSIE BITE HIS ASS
SHERLOCK NO
Tewksbury is getting fucked up
Ooh but he's got a sword now
Fuck off clangy
Did Sherlock just kill someone?
How many bullets has he got? It's a small gun can't be too many
HAHA HE RAN OUT FUCK YOU CLANGY
ENOLA NO
Retractable knife for the win!
Ah shit she got knicked in the head real bad
Yes Tewkesbury fuck him up and get your girl
Shit clangy is dead Enola full ass killed him
Now that murder charge is valid
Sherlock you dramatic bitch
THE SOFT VOIXE WOMEN IS MORIARTY
WHAT A TWIST
I LOVE THIS
Go off queen! Tell him, dick him down verbally
Society creates yet another villain
For now at least, love thatOh no is the bad guy gonna win?
He paper burning is beautiful though
But the movie isn't over yet
Revolution!
Shut up boss man
Sometimes an inspiring speech doesn't work
At least not right away
Yiu go Bessie I love you girl
This is amazing I love this
I think this music was at the end of the other movie too
She runs her agency out of the fighting place now :)
Holmes and Holmes ♡♡♡♡
But I glad she refused
The running write that down gag ♡
They're gonna meet with jne another ♡
Ah they're so cute
MORIARTY ESCAPED O.O
I love them so much
Ohhhh the true part was Match Girl Strike that makes more sense
I thought I heard of match girls before
ENILA GOT HIM A FLATMAYE LMAO
IS THIS JOHN
IT IS OMG OMG OMG
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH
♡♡♡♡/5 I loved this movie
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Note
Hey there, I have a question. It may not have an easy answer, but it would mean a lot to me if you took the time to share your thoughts.
I love HotD and all of the amazing fanfic that has resulted from it. Obviously, the incest aspect of it is not for everyone, and is very squicky and off-putting to some folks, even if these are fictional characters. No HotD fic authors who write for the incest pairings, as far as I can tell, are condoning this behavior IRL or saying that this is appropriate content for minors, and most are VERY upfront with content warnings.
However, that being said, there’s a part of me that feels guilty for enjoying this kind of content. I am a survivor of sexual assault and I think of myself as a feminist, and yet it’s sometimes hard for me to reconcile that with also liking kinky stuff (including dubcon and impact play like slapping/choking/spanking) and consuming stories with taboo dynamics, such as incest. It seems like you feel similarly (I know you said that you do identify as a feminist, but I’m not making any assumptions about sexual experiences you may have had so please don’t take it that way), and I’d love to get your insight on this.
I feel like it’s mainly kink shaming/toxic modern purity culture that is making me feel weird/guilty about liking this type of content. Also, just fear of being judged or shamed - because there’s so much of that on the internet and just life in general. I’ve, admittedly, gone through phases where I was adamantly anti-kink and unlearning that behavior has been a long, hard journey, so maybe these complicated feelings are part of that? I would love to know if any of this resonates with you? If so, how have you worked through it? And any tips or insight for me?
Hey, nonnie!
Thank you so much for reaching out. I can see that you're struggling with some conflict over your enjoyment of House of the Dragon and its fandom, particularly as it pertains to the more taboo themes it explores. I'm going to do my best to articulate my thoughts here, so please forgive me if it doesn't come out quite right.
I definitely don't agree with the themes I explore in fanfiction as being the basis for a healthy and um, legal relationship in real life. There are a lot of red flags in the incestuous dynamics of House Targaryen, and ordinarily I would perceive incest in media as something abhorrent; for example, Cersei and Jaime Lannister just squicks me right out. I think the interesting thing here is that, at least for the Targaryens, incest is coded as normal - it's not viewed in-world as something immoral, but rather a facet of what it means to be Targaryen. I find that makes it more palatable, though I would still maintain in the real world that this is wrong.
I'm very sorry for what you've been through, and I hope you're doing okay. I can empathise with how difficult your experiences must have made enjoying this kind of content, though my own experience is a little different. I was raised by a very conservative family (not politically, strangely; more morally) that has gradually become more relaxed as I've gotten older. However, the damage had been done - for a very long time, I'd been taught the understanding that I should suppress all hints of sexuality, that experiencing non-platonic interest in someone/thing was distasteful and something to be made fun of, and this has really messed with my ability to seek out relationships as an adult. I've never dated, never had sex, because I'm so afraid of being perceived as 'lesser' for experiencing these sort of urges. I've done a lot of work on myself to come to terms with all this, and the process of unlearning it is slow - this fanfiction is kinda one of the ways I'm trying to let go.
As for the theme of incest and enjoying it in fanfiction - I think it's important to remember that most of the time, the draw isn't about comparisons to your own life. Liking a fantasy guy with blond hair fucking his young equally-blond niece doesn't mean you want to bang your own uncle or anything. I prefer to see it as a fascination with the dynamic. I once saw 'daddy kink' described by someone as a "power differential laced with care and affection", and you could argue that the uncle-niece connection is very similar here. We have an obviously dominant figure wielding authority over a submissive woman, but there's a safety net of love and tenderness that goes beyond sexual desire or romantic love. One could argue that those sorts of feelings are conditional, but a love for family is hard to break free of. There's comfort in that dynamic underpinning the kinkier scenarios such as dubcon or impact play/pain etc.; kind of a reassurance that no matter how far it goes, there's all these different bonds of care connecting the individuals together. TLDR: I feel like the fascination with incest in ASOIAF is more to do with the emotional security/safety than any innate desire to go around banging your own relatives.
For a long time, I too have been really ashamed by my fascination with those more overtly questionable kinks. I don't think it makes me any less of a feminist, though, because I recognise that my interest comes from a need to let go of my control. I constantly need to present myself as an assertive person because of my job or my age or the fact that I'm a woman in a patriarchal society where, if I don't advocate for myself, I'll be steamrollered. I'm not naturally assertive; it's exhausting. The idea that someone who genuinely cares for me could come in and relieve me of that for a while, take me out of my own head, is appealing. I'm so sick of keeping a lid on things, presenting myself as someone with a spine of steel, when all I really want is to be coddled and allowed to just exist free of expectations.
In terms of well, coming to terms with this, my biggest advice would be to be kind to yourself. You're not a horrible person for liking what you like, no matter what anyone says. And it's always good to consider this: what do you gain from shaming yourself for it? What is the value-add to your life? Because if the answer involves something to do with society, or 'normality', or morality, or anyone or thing other than you yourself, then that's not fair to you. You should be allowed to have an interest in themes and kinks that appeal to you, so long as that interest doesn't ultimately cross the boundaries of legality (i.e., I can like Daemon/Rhaenyra, but I'm NOT about to try and pursue my own uncle because ew).
I don't know if this helps at all, and I do sincerely hope I haven't brought up anything unpleasant or crossed any boundaries. But most of all, I just want you to take care of yourself - and remember that you aren't alone. If nothing else, there's plenty of fellow grotties on the interwebz here for you to find a community with; we're all here for you.
Thanks, nonnie.
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vixthefantheorist · 1 year
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JSE Community Greet thing
I saw this pop up last week when I was sick and told myself I'd do this when I got better. Now that I am better, I figured to do this while it was still in my head! :D
EDIT: There isn't an secret code or anything... its just the coloring won't take to some of the letters for some reason. which is weird since it's all highlighted to me on my dashboard but some of the letters still are missing colors when I try to edit it for some reason
Preferred name: Vix, RifterVix (either or is fine)
Preferred pronouns: She/Her
When did you start watching JSE? God, It's been a long time but like a year or two before the whole Ego thing started, but I was an on and off viewer at the time
Why did you start watching JSE? Why? Because Sean's funny. At first he was a bit too intense, which was why I was on and off, but whenever I did watch him, he never failed to make me smile. So I got drawn more to him over time with that humor
What's your favorite things about the channel?
The strange humor and insults Sean did WAY back. They were some of the weirdest but creative things I have ever heard and made me laugh so much. Then the way he sees things and interprets them when he plays games. And I will admit his accent was a weakness for me in the fact that I loved the way he said certain things because his accent. And I was actually curious of how he came about and it was really cool to learn a bit more. Then the Egos are a favorite thing but are more recent than the other reasons I had. Plus with the Egos, my favorite thing is just... watching explore his creativity and expand upon it more confidence and I can't wait to see where he goes from here.
Do you have a fave ego?
Oh hell yes I do! Anti and Chase. Honestly I love all the Egos, its just those two have more information than the others. Until we get more information on everyone, my current faves are Chase and Anti.
What type of community member are you?
Theorist, first and foremost, I love theorizing and breaking down what clues we have from videos and such. It's a lot of fun to try to guess Sean's story for these Egos.
Also an author, I do like writing short fics of the Septic Egos when I get the inspiration to and have the time to.
I would like to say artist too but I don't have many drawings of Sean/Jack or the Egos. I do have some, but not a lot. I don't have the means to draw on digital anymore so that's why I haven't drawn anymore on that. And... heh, I'm not very confident in my artistic skills, so I just mostly stick with theorizing and writing.
What else do you enjoy?
Oh, like likes? Books for sure, the Dark Series, The School of Good and Evil, Spelled... mostly adventure type of books. God games for sure, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Monster Hunter, Jak and Daxter, Tales of series, etc.
Are you open to nice messages and new friends?
Very much open for them! That's why I love this community! All the kindness and warmth everyone has to each other and Sean in return with what he does. All the theories we all throw and work together to solve the riddles he leaves in videos. All the fanfics I can read which are cool, the amazing artwork... and just... everyone geeking out over the Egos!
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miss-writes-a-lot · 2 years
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Jayvik kids (Disclaimer: This is just for fun. Nothing too serious.)
So, I had meant to draw designs or root through my things and find designs for these kiddos, but I got sick at the time of writing this (April 23rd), so I just made a shit ton of picrews of them and I'll just describe them to you here in this post. This is the picrew I used for them: picrew link -> https://picrew.me/image_maker/1414503
Storyline is kinda jank,. mainly because I didn't totally think this through before I wrote this, so don't be too hard on me or my characterization of Naph and Amaranthine.
Naph (he/him) and Amaranthine (she/her)
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These two are a pair and cannot be separated. These are not *my* kids of course. They are the two children introduced in LoL Jayce and Viktor's respective short stories. I can't say much on how they come into this family in my au at least, but in a certain angsty au that I am working on, it pretty much falls in line with canon. Naph gains a lot of confidence from working with Viktor and being around kids just like him (orphaned, picked on, etc.) And I think he gets along fairly well with Jayce (eventually). He's intelligent, kind hearted, but can reveal a tough side of himself that others hardly ever see.
Amaranthine is a ball of sass and style, likes to mess around but can get serious when occasion calls for it. Blunt as shit and isn't afraid to tell you that you're doing a terrible job at something. Also incredibly intelligent and witty.
They are the same age (12).
Eleanor 'Nell' Vallis (she/her)
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Nell was adopted at age 7 after the unexpected death of her parents left her orphaned on the streets for some time. She is meant to be a trio with her two other sisters, their powers representing the heart, body, and mind. Nell is the body but, in terms of powers, I'm still unsure on what those powers should be.
She is a kind soul, always looking for the best in others, and enjoys helping out in anyway she can. She doesn't like to think about her past and anytime death is brought up, she has a tendency to shut down or become visibly uncomfortable by the mere word.
She is 16 years old in most aus.
Reynard Rossi (she/they)
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(see how I made them color coordinated.)
Reynard was found at age 15 after running away from home. She represents the mind, having the ability of telekinesis and the ability to enter one's mindscape. Despite representing the mind, they don't often think before they act and would much rather fight first, ask questions later.
They're tough, fiercely protective of the people they care about, and they are Latinx coded.
She is 17, being the oldest of the siblings.
Viola Pizzelle (she/he/they)
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(technically she doesn't count but I'll explain.)
So, if you know me or Viola from my sorta dead art blog or from AO3 (MissWritesALot55), this is my oc Viola. I just started writing them into situations after watching Arcane for comfort and they just worked their way into being the Heart. As the heart, she has the ability of pathokinesis, the manipulation of emotions. She can use them offensively and can also take other's emotions (whether she means to or not)
She started out as an apprenta, working on a way to produce Hextech's own synthetic hex crystals to beat House Ferros and stop the added pollution they are producing. She's anxious about everything, constantly down on herself, and a bit pessimistic.
But she also caring and compassionate, and despite not being as intelligent, she does what she can to help out with the knowledge she does have.
They are 15 years old. The picture to the right is for a sort of Divorce Era Au I'm working on.
I have a few ideas for them, but I'll need to work on them more to execute them properly but if you're interested in them and their stories, feel free to ask and I'll answer the best I can and maybe I'll work on actually drawing them for things.
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anauwhere · 3 years
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Honestly tho if u see fanfic hobbies as labour just drop it
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