#asynchrony

[echthr0s]

what I was going to say before I got distracted by a spider being bad at spidering is that I think the knowledge that it is unescapable and I am never going to be free of it is why certain overwhelming situations get as overwhelming as they do for me. I can leave a party. I can take out stinky garbage. etc. but I am stuck here while children stomp-run back and forth above my head all weekend. I can put on my headphones but I will still hear/feel them. I am home all day for the most part so there's no reprieve. my room, normally my sanctuary, is also in this case my prison. it has been like this for 2 and a half years and it will be like this for years more. every weekend. for years. and I will never habituate to it because that's just not how this shit works. and there will always be train horns and loud cars and motorcycles and artificial lighting and the shitty doors in this apartment that make so much noise when you open and close them and upstairs neighbour will always wake me up at goddamn 05:00 every morning no matter what and I think about it all and the despair is like a steel vice

[emdashingly]

new fic: kingcraft

starbreaker got me to write my first fic this year. i just really wanted to climb inside jace's head and shake that little guy and ask him what he actually cares about and how he got here. so!

3k words, M, no warnings (more info in author note if needed)

nonlinear vignettes my beloved

heavily implied BDSM

in which jace teaches a masterclass in the dialectic of both enthusiastically and dubiously consenting

drifting through life and finding that your path coalesces in front of you anyway whether you like it or not

But Porter’s looking at him like this matters, and Jace has never cared about anything enough to fight for it. Not even now, not after— not after Porter had forced him to care. “Fine,” he says.

ft. cameos from kipperlilly, mary ann, and arthur aguefort. inspo tracklist is a quick and simple nine songs, under the cut.

fiona apple

not about love (where the title's from!)

tymps (the sick in the head song)

i want you to love me

the way things are

the mountain goats

alpha rats nest

horseradish road

age of kings

incandescent ruins

mitski

i don’t smoke

[gagande]

Purecode reviews | The strong typing in TypeScript

Learning RxJS Observables is vital for handling asynchrony in Angular, representing a significant aspect of its framework. The strong typing in TypeScript, although initially a hurdle, proves beneficial in preventing errors and maintaining large-scale Angular applications.

[pukicho]

if you're so smart, then who is this

hmm that's five pebbles from the titular indie game: Rain World, the DLC of which I am currently playing and enjoying GREATLY. The Watcher campaign is as fantastic as it is confusing, as unfair as it is beautiful. Aimless wandering has never felt more aimless, and yet, the sheer disorientation leads to an experience so uniquely-cadenced that I can't think of another game that feels quite like it. Like a journey whose objective is unknown to you, you simply move to survive, bouncing between timelines in a vain effort for meaning - that meaning, however, is constructed through that very survival. The asynchrony of the world leads to the occasional moment of blissful serenity, a brief hiatus from predator and time, to stand and observe quietly the environments and art without interruption - as if the game knows this, the music slowly fades in to drench the scene in meaning. A sense of poignancy underpins those candid moments in a way very few games can muster. Some feel the sentiment of The Watcher betrays the OG game, but I think it's the only way to develop the same confused spectacle that the base game had, by pushing the boundaries of its own framework.

[izuku-not-found]

I actually can’t stand my history prof. If I don’t get 80’s on my next 2 assignments I’m actually fucked. All because he didn’t specify what he wanted in the first assignment

[bellysoupset]

Weird - II

The first thing Leo realized when he woke up, was that he was going to throw up.

Not in the nearby future, but now, at this very moment. He kicked off the blankets and stumbled up, desperation being the only thing pushing him forward as the vertigo that assaulted him caused the whole world to catapult.

He barely made it inside the still dark bathroom, with no time to heave, projectile vomiting in what he hoped was the bowl. Sweat was running down his back and there wasn't a single piece of his body that didn't ache. Leo dizzily reached for the cold porcelain of the toilet, his clammy hands meeting liquid and he let out a groan.

His stomach rolled , causing him to gag several more times. He felt the liquid turn from the foamy coffee-bitter taste straight into the revolting taste of bile and coughed, abs burning with the heaving effort.

Finally, Leo was able to pull back. He plastered his back against the cold tiled wall of his bathroom, taking wheezing breaths as he tried to get his stomach in check.

By now his eyes were used to the darkness and he could see there was a small puddle near the toilet's base, where his aim had missed. Leo let out a little groan, moving his hand to his stomach and rubbing at it uneasily. He wished Jonah was up and could help him and also get the mess sorted, but his fiancé was still asleep and it felt like a dick move to go back into the room to wake him up just so he would clean up.

So Leo moved to all fours and got to it. His brain was all foggy and his nausea was still high, so Leo took much longer than he normally would have, as well as ended up using way more supplies than he probably should've.

His headache was back, more vicious than before, feeling like someone was drilling into the back of his head, as he finally made his way back to the room. Leo collapsed back into the bed and shivered, he was freezing.

Next to him, Jon let out a little snore and Leo nearly started crying at the fact his boyfriend was still asleep and not comforting him. Teary eyed and feeling completely wretched, the blonde scooted closer on the bed, so he could steal some of Jonah's warmth.

"Hmmm," Jonah groaned at the movement, but his frustration quickly melted away as Leo wrapped his arm around his waist and intertwined their legs. He let out a little content sigh, instinctively curling around Leo and causing him to melt down.

It felt like he hadn't even slept. One minute he was trying to cuddle with Jon and the next he was waking up as he felt Jonah try and sneak out from under him.

Leo let out a groan, reaching instinctively so he could grab his boyfriend's shirt and keep him put, so they could go back to sleep-

"I'm sorry, baby," Jonah whispered, fully getting out of the bed, only to sit at its edge, "I can't stay, I have a surgery to assist..." he planted a kiss on Leo's temple, "Bella said she will come ov-"

"No," Leo groaned, finally opening his eyes and forcing himself up. How come Jonah had just gotten up but was already all dressed up...? He frowned at this weird asynchrony, before letting it go, "what time is it?"

"A little past eight," Jon was very clearly worried, judging by how he kept studying Leo's face without blinking, "since you're awake, I want to get your temperature again."

Leo accepted the thermometer without a fight, leaning back against the pillows. His stomach was rolling and the room was incredibly bright, not helping his headache, "can you turn off the lights...?"

"Sure," Jonah moved around, turning off their overhead lights and pulling the bedroom into the grey semi dark, "better? Are your eyes bothering you?"

"Headache," Leo explained, curling up his legs, "I need to go to work..."

"You're sick, you're not going anywhere," Jonah glared at him, moving closer so he could rub Leo's arm in a soothing manner, "I called Bell and she'll swing by lunch to check on you, alright? Unless you're feeling too bad, she said she can work from our living room-"

"I'm fine," Leo grumbled. He would've rolled his eyes if they didn't hurt so much. The thermometer started beeping and Jonah quickly retrieved it, letting out an annoyed huff.

"That's a fever alright," he scoffed, roaming through their bedside table as he fished out several meds, "how's your stomach? Do you think you can handle a couple crackers, so you can take medicine?"

The mere idea of food caused Leo to gag weakly and he opened his tired eyes in order to glare at his boyfriend, "no way..." as if to corroborate his point, his belly let out an angry, upset whine.

"Okay..." Jonah rubbed at his temples, reaching for the antipyretics regardless, "I still think you should take these," he held up the little white pills, "and I'll get you some tea, alright? That must be easy enough on your stomach..."

Leo swallowed the pills dry, not daring to drink water. He wanted to beg Jonah not to go, not even to the kitchen to make tea, let alone to work, but he was valiantly sucking it up. He was an adult, he could go through the man-flu without his boyfriend hand holding him through it.

"I'm calling Bell to work from here," Jonah decided as he walked back in the room, holding up a large mug filled with steaming hot tea. Leo's mouth salivated at the idea of drinking anything, in a disgusting, slimy way.

"I'm fine," he groaned, curling up and sliding down the pillows, trying to ease the pressure on his head. It felt like some invisible hand was grabbing him by the hair and pulling his skull back, something he had never felt before, "you're gonna miss your surgery..."

"I won't," Jonah sat back down, gesturing for him to scoot up, "drink a little of the tea, you're awfully pale."

"It's gonna come back up," Leo whined, but sat up once again. The change of positions caused his head to swim and he nearly fell to his side, blinking dizzily to situate himself.

Jonah was holding him by the shoulder when Leo felt like he could open his eyes again and his eyebrows were all but meeting, that's how deep his frown was, "you're really off balance..." he said, in a tone that was almost annoyed, but Leo knew was just worry.

"Just gotta sleep this off..."

"Uh-hum," Jonah turned so he could reach his phone on the bedside table, passing Leo the tea mug, "small sips, okay?"

"I know how to drink," Leo bit out. In truth, his arms were feeling so damn heavy, he could barely lift up the mug to his mouth past the first sip, half listening in as Jonah sent Bella a voice note for her to come over earlier than the agreed.

"Why... Why Bell...?"

"Luke's in Doveport," Jonah explained, helping Leo hold up the mug and pressing the porcelain against his lips, "apparently he left yesterday in the middle of the night."

Leo took the smallest sip he could afford, barely able to fight a gag, "he's so dramatic."

"That's Atwood for you," Jonah chuckled, but his voice was strained, "Leo, I think you should come get checked out at the hospital..."

"You're a doctor, can't you check me here?" Leo groaned, the idea of getting up from his bed and going to the ER... He'd rather go to court.

"Not what I meant," Jonah sighed, "you're too weak for no reason, I wanted a blood work-"

"Oh my God, it's just a flu," Leo scoffed, then let out a little wet burp, the hot tea rushing back up. He swallowed convulsively, feeling shaky and clammy when he was finally able to push it all down, "ugh-"

Jonah looked conflicted, biting his lip and Leo knew he was making a sound argument. He hadn't been sick for even twenty four hours, Jon had no ground to drag him to the hospital.

His fiancé's phone started ringing and Leo slid down on the bed so he could fall against the pillows again, giving up on the tea as Jon planted the mug on his bedside table and picked up his phone.

"Bell?" Leo guessed, but Jonah shook his head.

"Alarm," he sighed, "I gotta go... Bella will be here in twenty minutes, okay? The front door will be unlocked, I loaded up JD's food bowl so don't even worry about that. Don't eat anything Bella cooks, I'll send you both lunch-"

"You're such a dad," Leo scoffed, closing his eyes, "go. Surgery. Important."

He could feel Jonah's hesitation, the nervous energy rolling out of him almost like he was vibrating.

"Wendy is in the hospital today, so if anything happens, have Bell call her-"

"Stop talking," Leo whined, well aware Jonah would just repeat all of this to Bella anyways. He curled up even more, "I love you. Go."

"I love you too," Jonah sighed, pressing a kiss to his temple, "I'll be back as soon as I can..."

"Hey, blondie," suddenly there was a pair of freezing cold hands on back, coming up to cup his cheeks and softly pushing away his hair, "open those beautiful eyes for me, will you? Just a little?"

Bella was sitting right in front of him and her hair was hurting him. Literally, the grey sunlight filtering through their windows was bouncing on her auburn curls and casting a fiery halo around her head and just looking at it made Leo squint and scrunch up his face.

His head was throbbing like hell and his stomach was beyond sour, so when he opened his mouth, what came up was a little fizzled out burp in the back of his throat, instead of a sentence.

"Oh, hi," Bella smiled, relief clear in her voice, a little chuckle mixing in, "are you gonna throw up...? You're looking hella pasty."

Fair question.

It took him a second, then Leo groaned in affirmation. He didn't even try to nod, his neck was stiff and just so much as looking at her was already an effort.

"Ookay..." Bella grabbed the sheets under him, giving it a good yank with her whole body weight so he was closer to the edge of the bed, then held up a bowl just as he leaned out of the mattress.

For a long, anticlimactic, minute nothing happened. Leo only panted over the bowl, his stomach rolling and reflux burning the back of his throat, drool falling inside of it. Bella's hand moved so she was holding the bin with one hand, the other one supporting his head and he let out a groan as the pressure on his neck increased and then heaved, loudly.

The tea from before came up in a spray, mixed in with bile and Leo whined as it burned his nose, nausea causing his back to curl and his eyes to water. He coughed, spitting the nasty taste, then gagged again and again and again-

Bright yellow bile joined the disgusting mess and Leo whimpered at the awful burning in his throat, further pressing his forehead to Bell's hand and squeezing his eyes shut against the brightness.

Was this a migraine...?

"Jesus, you're burning up," Bella whispered over his head and Leo coughed, a little burp bringing up a mouthful of saliva and leaving him panting and worn out.

"Hurts..."

"Your stomach?" He didn't have his eyes open, but Leo knew she had moved the bowl, because the acrid smell stopped tickling his nose. Her hand stayed on his forehead, as if Bell could sense she was all but supporting his head, his neck doing fuck-all.

"Head... Neck... Too bright..."

"You don't have migraines, do you?" Bella asked, although it was a rhetoric question. Next thing he knew, his forehead was meeting her thigh as the ginger sat on the mattress, the bed dipping under her weight.

Leo let out a little sob at the stab of pain in the back of his neck, pressing his forehead so deep to his friend's thigh, he could feel her femur under the layer of muscle and fat-

"He said his head's hurting," Bella's voice, all soft, barely above a whisper. Her cold fingers on his scalp, nails running up and down... He was gonna throw up again.

Leo tried to communicate it, but he couldn't quite think through the blinding pain overtaking his whole head. His stomach squeezed and he jerked with a gag, a splash of liquid meeting Bell's jeans-

"Definitely nauseous, Wendy," Bella's voice, slightly frustrated, "looks like Luke's cluster headaches... Not as far as I know...?"

Leo whimpered, reaching out and squeezing Bella's something — her hand? Her leg? Her arm? — to get her to shut up. He wanted Jon, he wanted the sensation of glass digging behind his eyes to stop-

Something fucking freezing met his forehead and Leo tried to squirm away from the washcloth, only for Bella's hand to cup his cheek and hold him put.

"Fever-down" he heard through the rushing of blood in his ears, his quick heartbeat seeming to be echoing inside his skull.

Leo was just about to pass out as he heard, "ambulance."

TBC

[thewritingofspencerrose]

mclaren masterlist : masterlist

New Addition

Lando Norris x OC Inspired by Mclaren surprising Lando with the puppies! I've had this in the drafts for a while, but was lacking a lot of writing drive lately, so we'll see if this gets me back into the groove!

The week began as they always do when we're just beginning the summer break.

Lan and I, lazying about the condo in the morning, simply enjoying each others company, before he is called off to MTC and I hop online for my asynchronis classwork.

It's our routine that I love so much, no matter how chaotic, before we take off on whatever adventures he has planned for us for the next few weeks.

Today was different though.

I spent the morning sick as a sailor, Lan holding my hair back and wiping my forehead with a damp towel. That is, until he had to go in to the MTC for a filming session, one he had convinced the uppers to allow Max to film for a Quadrant day in the life. His hesitance was written all over his face, but with a bit of convincing and the promise that I would invite a friend over, I was able to coax him out the door.

"It sounds like you've had a long morning," Kelly sighs with a frown, sitting across from me. When I had called her up, she and P were more than happy to come keep me company. There may be nearly twelve years between us, but from the moment Max and Lando introduced the two of us, it was easy to bring Kelly into my life as the elder sister I so dearly wished for as a child. And now she's here, her daughter's head fast asleep on my lap as I card my fingers through her hair.

"It's just that I am so rarely sick that to be this sick is more annoying than anything," I try to explain, "We're supposed to leave to travel with Martin in a week and I just can't keep being ill, my least favorite thing in life is feeling like I'm not up to my usual speed."

Kelly's eyes light up a bit, glazing over in a look of recognition. "Have you had any other weird symptoms lately? Anything you should keep in mind if you call the doctor?"

"Just some extra tenderness and I've been exhausted, but it's been a long few weeks with the double header and triple header nearly back to back," Its an explanation, one all of the girlfriends have discussed while sipping drinks over the weekends away.

The older of the two can't help but smile, "Dahlia, how about we run to the corner store and see about a test or two?"

A test? A test!

Oh my God.

"Baby? It's me!" Lan's smooth voice follows click of the door. He's always so loud while out and about, but home, with me, he's so soft.

It's why he's so good with kids at the track.

With Leo and Roscoe and Simba.

With me.

"In the kitchen, love!" In the kitchen with a bag that will change everything.

And there's a yip. A tiny little bark that has my brows furrowing and thoughts leaving my head.

"Lan? What was that noise?" Feet tapping against the ground, I can hear his approach as I step away from the cutting board, the yipping sound continuing. "Okay Lan honestly, what is that-"

It's his rounding the corner that cuts off the all the thoughts that have been spiraling through my head since Kelly, P and I took our little adventure.

He has a dog. In his arms. A little one that is squirming every which way, a collar the color of his race suit around its neck.

Lan has a hesitant smile, the same one he had when he asked me out way back when, and the same one I wasn't expecting to see today. "Surprise?"

My hands find him hips with little thought, staring him down. "Lando Norris, why do you have a dog?"

"I was hoping she could be the newest member of our family?" Oh he's in for something else in a minute or two.

She's is adorable, all happy and squirmy as she rests in whats basically the size of Lan's palm. It's why I move towards him, taking the little thing into my arms and letting her lap at me. "Where did you even find her?"

"Mclaren promo video for a shelter, I spent the morning with dogs and she just really seemed to like me! Stayed in my lap the whole time! So I couldn't just let her be taken back when I knew we could offer her a home!" He's stepping closer, breathe gently fanning over my head as he scratches the pups, his eyes meeting my own with a softness I wasn't expecting. "I know I can't commit to a real kid for a few years, but I was thinking that she could take that place in the mean time."

"About that-" I begin, knowing now is the only right time to mention it. "You know how I was throwing up all morning? And for the last few weeks?"

Theres a spark, the light recognition of an idea in his head, but all he does is nod.

"Well, I had Kelly and P over today while you were out, and we got talking as we do, and she suggested that I take a test."

"A test?" He's piecing this all together.

"A pregnancy test."

"And?" Tears are pooling in his eyes, and while we've discussed kids, we've never discussed the possibility of kids this early, while he's at the peak of his career. "You can't just leave me on a cliff hanger like that, Babe."

"What do you want the answer to be?"

"Babe," This may be the one time in Lando's life that he's stern out of bed.

"It was positive."

There's a pause, the longest of my life, if it wasn't for the fact it was only mere seconds before his arms are wrapped around me, nearly crushing the puppy between us who's only thought is to continue yipping happily. "Lan, baby, I'm going to need something verbal here."

His eyes are meeting mine again, tears trailing down his cheeks as his million dollar smile shines. His hands are still planted on my hips, keeping us close. "You could not have said anything to make me happier than I am right now," and there's so much emotion behind each and every word that I can't help but begin to cry as well. "We're having a baby!"

I can't help but giggle at his joy, "We are! And we have a puppy!"

His lips meet mine, before coming down and meeting the dogs head, nearly bouncing out of his skin. "This is perfect babe, we'll be able to train her and by the time baby Norris is born she'll be ready to be her best friend!"

"Her?"

"I'm calling it now," He states as if it's a matter of fact, curls bopping on his head as he moves. Our lips meet once more, smiles making it awkward like our teenage years, but with so much joy it feels infectious. "Oh my God I need to call Carlos!"

"You what?" There is no way Carlos is the one on his mind right now.

"I have to tell him that Pinon has a new friend! And I'm going to be a dad! He can stop making jokes about me being a child!" He may just be more enthusiastic about this than the baby or the dog. But he's Lando, and I'll give him a time for it later, because seeing him this enthusiastic is a sight too good to miss.

[valkyries-things]

MINNA CANTH // ACTIVIST

“She was a Finnish writer and social activist. Canth began to write while managing her family draper's shop and living as a widow raising seven children. Her work addresses issues of women's rights, particularly in the context of a prevailing culture she considered antithetical to permitting expression and realization of women's aspirations. The Worker's Wife and The Pastor's Family are her best known plays, but the play Anna Liisa is the most adapted to the films and operas. In her time, she became a controversial figure, due to the asynchrony between her ideas and those of her time, and in part due to her strong advocacy for her point of view. Minna Canth was the first major Finnish-language playwright and prose writer after Aleksis Kivi, the national author of Finland, and the first Finnish-language newspaper woman. She was also the first woman to receive her own flag flying day in Finland, starting on 19 March 2007. It is also the day of social equality in Finland.”

[bairdthereader]

Intentional Touch, Respected Space: A By-Episode Study, Part 2

This is the space where their love grows in safety.

S1E2: Crush

[Note: My longest and giffy-est post yet, but episode 2 is nothing short of monumental in the Narlie relationship. Grab a cuppa, a few biscuits, settle in, and enjoy!]

When we pick up with episode two, Nick and Charlie are in their private spaces, both trying to process the events of the day. Charlie does this by playing the drums and likely engaging in some very negative and circular thought patterns. Nick, meanwhile, is busy integrating this new knowledge of Charlie’s life experience with Nick’s previous, less nuanced perception of him. He’s trying to get a more complete picture of Charlie, to understand more deeply how this part of Charlie’s life affects the rest of it and makes him who he is. Of course he turns to the internet first, because Nick. We get the sense that maybe Nick has never really looked at Charlie’s Insta, based on how charmed he is by the first few lighthearted posts he sees. Then he comes across Charlie’s post succinctly expressing his hatred for school and his horrible experiences there.

This triggers a flood of memories of comments Nick had heard made about Charlie around the time he was outed the year before. While it’s highly unlikely that Nick hasn’t thought about this at all in the time he’s gotten to know Charlie, perhaps it’s been mostly background noise, or at least somewhat removed from his own experiences with Charlie. After witnessing Ben’s psychological and physical assault on Charlie, these memories have new profundity, clarity, and a terrible nearness. And they bring with them some delayed and misplaced guilt; now that Nick knows Charlie personally, he knows he would have done something about the past bullying if he’d had the chance. This is the wholeness of understanding Nick wants, even if it is uncomfortable and distressing, and with it comes a pressing concern for Charlie’s well-being. Nick feels an intense need to check in, so he does.

Of course it must be noted that Charlie made the virtual check-in leap first, after a bout of classic Charlie Spring overthinking. Justified overthinking in this case, since Charlie is highly aware that, immediately after he and Nick were pushed across boundaries in their friendship by the confrontation with Ben, he’s stepping over another line by adding texting to the mix. At the risk of getting a bit too meta, I’ll say this counts as an intentional, if virtual, touch. It’s a point of contact, reaching across the space between them, and though there’s an asynchrony to this form of touch, it’s still a new type of closeness for Nick and Charlie. It’s clear that they have not exchanged messages before, so by establishing this connection Charlie moves their communication from school-based and public to online and private. It doesn’t seem like a big deal on the face of it, but it is; it’s a pebble dropped in a pond that starts a flood.

Especially when Nick decides to reciprocate. Another thing we have to note here is that, in direct contrast to Ben’s rapid-fire, aggressive texts with Charlie, Nick gives Charlie time to respond. He respects that space between them, the room Charlie needs to emotionally maneuver and figure out how much he wants to tell Nick about Ben. Only when his uneasiness over Charlie's silence grows too great does he follow up on his original question, and even then, he continues to respect the space. He acknowledges Charlie’s right to keep things to himself, and simply offers a confirmation of his friendship, reiterating to Charlie that he is safe and trustworthy, and then leaving Charlie to decide on his own.

Charlie chooses to trust and share.

This new thread of connection snaps taut between them, and it never loosens again.

There now exists an increased ease between Nick and Charlie. When Nick invites Charlie to his house (ostensibly to meet Nellie), Charlie's posture is clearly relaxed and just slightly curled toward Nick, while Nick’s invitation is delivered easily and with no hesitation. Now, not only do they have private online conversation, they also have time together away from the social confines of school, time that belongs only to them. Another boundary is removed, that space between them narrowed just a bit more.

After requisite “hi”s have been exchanged and Nellie has been given the attention she rightfully deserves, Nick practically flings himself across the intentional touch divide. Charlie’s had a haircut (has he though? I’m with Tori on this one), and Nick reaches out, across the open doorway, to gently tug at Charlie’s curls. Charlie is obviously surprised, pleased, and a little confused. But this is a clear indicator from Nick, and a fairly clear acceptance from Charlie, that this kind of playful touch now falls within the bounds of their friendship. While there's a lot going on here for Nick as he realizes he does, in fact, notice aspects of Charlie's physical appearance and have strong enough reactions to them to both have and offer an opinion, he is not intentionally flirting with this gesture any more than Charlie is by asking nervously if the haircut is bad. Any flirting here is accidental or subconscious; they're still maintaining that caring respect for each other.

After Nick lists (just a few, it must be said) of Charlie’s positive qualities, Charlie mirrors Nick’s earlier playfulness with some of his own, covering Nick’s mouth with his hand and pushing him down on the bed. This could easily have become a more heated moment for Charlie, but it doesn’t, in part because Charlie is still incredibly conscious of the space required by their differing vantage points on the relationship. He uses only one hand, the other still grasping the video game controller and held down by his side; he looks at Nick's face only for a brief second before diverting his gaze; and he lets Nick push him off easily. Still, this is a freer Charlie than we’ve seen thus far, a Charlie who understands that, crush and romantic feelings aside, he’s found someone he can be himself with, and with whom he can safely express some affection, even if he has to keep the larger part of it concealed. Nick is surprised but responds in kind, equally playful with a huge smile and laughing “get off me!” (though notably slow to actually physically push Charlie away). His face clearly shows delight in witnessing a side of Charlie he hasn’t seen before, and these moments of casual but respectful touch have played a part in that.

Then comes the snow, and possibly the sweetest montage of the whole season. Here is a place where they can bring joy and easy openness into that safe, respected space between them. We get a glimpse of Nick brushing snow out of Charlie’s hair, shoving snow into the neck of Charlie’s coat, and flopping down to make a snow angel close enough to Charlie to brush his arm. Charlie’s delighted surprise is a little more nuanced, because the beginnings of hope are making themselves known, and there's a little bit of speculation in the way he views Nick's actions.

Despite Nick’s clear comfort with Charlie’s nearness (only Nellie separates them in this final scene, and Nick’s upper arm is crossed over Charlie’s while they talk in the snow), Charlie is still a bit more restrained—he doesn’t initiate much of this contact. He’s conscious of the fact that touch still means something slightly different, slightly more, to him than it does to Nick, so he generally allows Nick to choose when to use intentional touch.

While Nick’s conversation with his mom later isn’t about touch, I do think it’s there in the subtext. Sarah tells Nick he seems more himself around Charlie, so we have to conclude that she’s at least partly referencing the relaxed playfulness Nick experiences with Charlie (which is absent or at least different from his interactions with the rugby lads, with whom Nick is always aware, on some level, of the persona he is expected to present in that environment). Nick’s default setting is physical affection, but he’s been holding back all this time. With Charlie, Nick can let down his guard, trusting that the safe space they're nurturing between them, where they can see each other clearly and authentically, will allow Charlie to appreciate this essential part of Nick's nature.

The result—according to Nick, one of his favorite days, ever.

---

Much confusion and speculation about Nick's sexuality and romantic availability ensue among Charlie's friend group, causing Charlie to have extreme doubts about those stirrings of hope he felt while spending time with Nick. Nick immediately understands that something is wrong, and Charlie's highly uncharacteristic reticence toward him lets Nick know that whatever is wrong clearly has something to do with himself. He very deliberately puts a little extra space between them, trying to give Charlie room if that's what he needs, while also turning to face him a little more completely, opening himself up and communicating a willingness to listen. When Charlie still declines to talk, Nick, with his characteristic emotional intelligence, leans back in, removing that extra space, helping Charlie see that whatever's going on, Nick wants to understand it and, if he can, help fix it. Charlie, after an internal battle, briefly but decisively sets aside his doubts to ask Nick to come round his house. After all the drama and rumors, it comes down to just the two of them, as it always should have been, offering each other the space and support and patience they need to understand each other.

When Nick struggles in his attempts to play the drums, Charlie’s deeply buried but powerful self-confidence comes briefly to the fore and he tells Nick to budge up. He’s testing the waters here a little; by saying “let me help,” he’s still giving Nick the option to decline, but Charlie definitely isn't his usual deferential self in this moment. Nick does not decline; in fact, there is nervous excitement all over his face. Both of them are fully aware that they’re erasing that physical space between them—they’re pressed together from shoulder to knee—and they both agreed to be there.

Charlie takes Nick’s hands and guides him through a drum sequence, clearly focused and happy, in his wheelhouse for once, while Nick finally, fully realizes and admits to himself on some level that the kind of touch he wants to share with Charlie has changed. He can barely mask the confusion and exhilaration and little bit of fear that he’s feeling when Charlie stops playing and looks back up at him.

Then we have a very intentional removal of touch as Charlie recognizes that, maybe, this interaction affected Nick more intensely than Charlie, or even Nick, first thought it would. Charlie releases Nick’s hands and steps away, reinstating that safe space between them, giving Nick (and himself, really) a chance to assess how they’re both feeling. Nerves and uncertainty play a part in this, and Charlie is clearly a little concerned about appearing too flirty toward Nick, but by taking a step back he's also respecting that bit of fear and confusion he sees in Nick, trying to lessen it if he can.

And now we get to the most casually yet profoundly intimate scene thus far, as Charlie falls asleep on the couch while Nick watches a movie, both of them bathed in golden evening light and swathed in separate blankets, Nick much closer to Charlie's side of the couch than his own. Nick looks at Charlie with intensely confused longing—the first time he’s looking at Charlie when no one else, not even Charlie himself, can witness it—and wonders, what would it be like if this space between them was gone? What if he could be that close to Charlie?

And here he tests himself—does he have the nerve, or even the self-understanding required to take Charlie’s hand? Is that actually what he wants? Nick bravely pushes himself to cross the divide and confront his new reality. When he hovers his hand over Charlie’s, the intent to actually touch is there, but it’s not quite enough to overcome the fear and follow through. Nick pulls away, once again retreating into the safe space between them to process the fact that he very, very much wanted to hold Charlie’s hand. This happens not once, but twice, as Nick essentially double-checks his own impulses to make sure he understands them, to make sure he does feel this way about Charlie. Nick's gaze takes in Charlie's whole face--obviously there's a thought about kissing somewhere in there, but Nick is considering the entirety of his relationship with Charlie, the intensity of his emotions toward and about Charlie as a whole person. The potential for a different kind of intentional touch is just the final piece of that puzzle.

Now it’s late, quiet, and for all Nick and Charlie know they are, for the moment, alone (Tori’s lurking notwithstanding). There’s a sense, unspoken and shaky but undeniably there, that the tenor of their friendship has shifted. Charlie admits that he wishes Nick didn’t have to leave, a statement that, in a less charged setting would mean little. Here, though, it's a subtle admission of deeper feeling. Nick admits he would like to stay as well, and follows it up with a very telling line: “You look so . . . cuddly like that.” Lots of things are going on here. First, Nick is not looking at Charlie’s face for much of this exchange—he's looking at the rest of Charlie’s body. And this is only the second time Nick has commented on Charlie’s appearance; unlike when he notices Charlie’s haircut, here there is nothing obvious prompting this comment other than Nick’s own desire to voice his thoughts. Nick’s word choice is interesting, too. He could have said “cozy,” “comfy,” or some such. Instead, he says "cuddly," a word with connotations of both appearance and action, specifically reciprocal action. To say Charlie looks cuddly implies that Nick has thought about Charlie’s cuddlable-ness (not a word, but stay with me here). Combine that with the progression of the conversation—from admitting he doesn’t want to leave to telling Charlie he looks cuddly—indicates that Charlie’s cuddleable-ness is at least partly the reason Nick doesn’t want to leave.

Charlie, with all of his suppressed hope, tentatively picks up what Nick is putting down. “Do I?” really means, “did you mean that like I hope you meant it?” Nick responds with an emphatic “Yeah.” Then there is a pause while Nick holds a quick internal debate. Charlie waits, seeing clearly that Nick is struggling with something. As Charlie often does for Nick, he’s maintaining the space between them and allowing Nick to make his own decision about whether a meaningful touch is what he wants. This is one of Charlie’s most profound and consistent means of caring for and protecting Nick, and proof of how highly attuned he is to Nick’s conflicted emotions.

Nick comes to a clear decision and embraces Charlie for the first time. Charlie, unable to quite believe it and unsure of the meaning behind it, waits several beats to return the hug, giving Nick a lot of room to change his mind. And while Nick is clearly a bit panicked about his actions and their ramifications for him, while he is confused and scared, he intentionally, courageously chose this hug, this meaningful touch, as an expression of his deep care for Charlie.

And this is when that actual physical space between them becomes intangible space. It is still there, still a vastly important part of their evolving relationship, but when Nick and Charlie are alone, that space is now held between their minds and hearts rather than in the tangible world.

[freakartack]

Hey I just wanna I've been kinda obsessed with your blog for a while now, but never had the courage to make an ask. It's really nice to see such love with something as underrated at Warioware. It really needs more love. Anyways what's your headcanon on the Crygor family? (I personally headcanon Mike being close with Penny, but sometimes they will get into a harmless spat about who's the best singer of the family.) 

Aw, thank you!! That's very sweet of you. i'm honored....I think that Penny is one of the few people on God's green earth that Mike genuinely respects. I think they also chronically get on each other's nerves. The best summation of their relationship in my mind's eye is probably this excerpt from my upcoming (REALLY upcoming, like "not even sketches yet" upcoming) comic called "Mike Has A House Party":

I imagine that due to the asynchrony of Mike's rapid maturation (he came out of the lab a freshly angst-riddled teenager and is now what i would consider a "young adult") and his actual age (Kat & Ana are older than him), they have this kind of silent struggle over who is the "older sibling". (I use "sibling" lightly here because of the unconventional family structure of the Crygors but if I were to liken Mike's relationship with Penny to a family dynamic not created in a lab I would say that he is akin to a step-brother that went to college while the other sibling was in grade school and now exclusively makes shitty music in Garageband.) Mike can be very protective of Penny in kind of an older brother way but also thinks she is kind of a goody two-shoes (and tattletale), whereas Penny kind of sees him as a really annoying baby but also simultaneously looks up to him in a way. Between the two of them, Penny is more likely to humor Mike's insistence of being the Older Sibling, but she will very readily step up to the plate when mike is having Baby Brother Problems. She also enjoys poking fun at his various idiosyncrasies, such as being way too invested in Grease.

Mike does genuinely respect Penny's musicality though, and considers her one of the only people who understands his very very strong feelings about Music. (Much to the dismay of Dr. Crygor, who often tries to connect with his robot through their shared love of song and dance but is tragically branded by him as a Lame Old Man.) Likewise, Penny is elated to have a family member that shares her passion for singing, although unlike Mike she has far more respect for the talents of Grandpa Crygor. That being said, Mike and Penny can certainly butt heads about music too, which is honestly more aggravating to them than dealing with someone they actively dislike. Nevertheless, they will always welcome an opportunity to duet with each other

[midnightbrightside]

Do you have any krisnix fic recommendations?

OH BOY DO I

alright im keeping my reccs non-explicit on this account but here's a brief list:

the human experience of phoenix wright - cosmicpoet

You can never be forever, good together (I'm so lucky-lucky!) - Santa_Niklaus (implied/referenced domestic violence)

he loves me not - venomouschocolate (major character death)

the better animal i used to be - asynchrony (mentioned dubcon)

guilty/pleasure- cosmicpoet (cheating/infidelity. this was actually inspired by my cheaterverse comics on twitter! this author has written other cheater!phoenix fics that just absolutely blow me away with how beautifully they write)

i'd tell you i love you but i'd have to kill you - orphan_account

Inheritance - notmoreflippingelves

Peanut Butter & Crackers - klaviher

ad infinitum- vaecordia (this one was inspired by some domestic fluff i posted to twitter 💙💜)

Saviour Complex - Booloodle (and this one was inspired by my saviour complex comic!)

Gone (when the morning comes) - lustig (infidelity/cheating)

this is very much non-comprehensive and i know there are some that i missed (partly because i didnt want to put the same authors down over and over again) but it's a few i really enjoy

[tricia-fic-recs]

Fic Rec | Haikyu!! Gen Fics

No ships, for general audiences.

Hirugami Sachirou

chasing happiness by dawned

a story about a dog, a boy, and how lost things can still be found.

Schweiden Adlers Gen Fic

Keep It Positive by keijitrash

the five times the Adlers tried having game nights and the one time it actually worked.

Miya Atsumu & Miya Osamu Gen Fic

the miya thing by retrosas

Alternatively, how Atsumu comes to a realization about his relationship with Osamu thanks to hair dye.

lady gaga: the fic by mickiwowo

Atsumu religiously listens to Lady Gaga. Like, more than religiously. Borderline obsessively. Osamu had to deal with it while they were growing up. As soon as they were able to wipe their own asses, Atsumu had grown to have an affinity for Lady Gaga and any song she released. Their mother had thought it was cute, Osamu thought about how he wanted to put Atsumu in a chokehold.

so are you happy now? by astraeayna

What does happiness feel like? A story told by a twin from a broken promise, an achieved dream and hands that craft love with every touch.

Hinata Shoyo Centric Fic (Gen)

little beast by perennials ★

YOU ARE, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, SMALL.

Hoshiumi Kourai & Oikawa Tooru (Gen)

when you don't wish upon a star and the star is a boy made of wings and screaming wonder by alachat ★

he lands onto the ground with a bang, loud as wonder.

Haiba Lev & Alexander Yoffe (Gen)

fashion besties by asynchrony

Alexander Yoffe isn't really sure how he ended up in Asahi's office, or why everyone thinks he's Russian.

[scalematey]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson Characters: Julie Molina, Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Andi Parker, Flynn Taylor, Alex Mercer (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, alternatively how do i justify five people from los angeles moving to new york at the same time, lots of ocs but in passing, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, characters added as they appear not as they are mentioned, The Boys Are Alive, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University Series: Part 1 of i'm in a new york state of mind Summary:

Julie Molina is doing fine. She's 20 years old, she's going to college in New York City, she's living with her best friend Flynn, and she's got a part-time job at a decent indie coffee shop. Things have not been terrible.

Except, her manager decides that they need late-night events to keep things moving, and now Julie has to book bands for an open mic. Which wouldn't be a problem if she hadn't quit performing music five years ago, after her mother died.

It also doesn't help that the lead guitarist of Sunset Curve won't stop looking at her like that.

---

new fic uploaded yesterday :D first time i’ve written fanfic in a while. and also this entire AU has fairly developed worldbuilding already so like. i’m chomping at the bit rn

[furiarossa]

You got back into Danny Phantom too, huh? (Me, I've been reading fanfiction.) So, do you think being around ectoplasm affects the rest of the Fentons in any way?

He hey! We're not "back" into Danny Phantom, this is the first time we enjoy it, we didn't know about this show before!

But finally we discovered it, and, of course, its infinite worldbuilding opportunities! Y'know, we ourselves are a bit like the Fentons: we like to research about ghosts. To study and to create.

What do we think about the way ectoplasm affects the rest of the Fentons? Hmm... let's see...

Today we talk about:

ECTOCONTAMINATION

Ectocontamination is defined as the "fusion" between organic materials and ectoplasm. Generally, ectocontamination occurs due to prolonged contact, but there may be other causes, including forced ectocontamination.

Etiology

Ectocontamination in humans manifests itself in the form of a prolonged syndrome, which depending on the resistance of the subject's body can develop different symptoms.

Ectoplasm does not normally tend towards a natural connection with living tissues, being the solidification on the material plane of the body of spirits, and therefore being connected to them; however, there is some non-encoded ectoplasm (not part of a living spirit, long incapable of self-replicating and without information within it), usually leftovers from the meals of large spirits or simply material detached from the original creature through fault of mechanical damage: it is this non-codified ectoplasm that can "attach" to the bodies of living beings, accumulating in them and modifying their characteristics. In low-density tissues (such as adipose tissue), ectoplasm can accumulate in large quantities more easily, saturating the space between cells, while it is more difficult for it to accumulate in bones and cartilage. The brain (and in general the entire area inside the skull and filled with cerebrospinal fluid) is particularly sensitive to the accumulation of ectoplasm.

Ectocontamination is not contagious and only affects living beings that have been directly exposed to non-coded ectoplasm for a long time. Typically, it takes three to seven years to start showing symptoms of ectocontamination.

(So, yeah, this is the case for the Fenton family!)

Clinic

The exposure period necessary to develop ectocontamination varies from 3 to 7 years, provided that the amount of ectoplasm with which the body comes into contact exceeds an individual's natural tolerance threshold.

The tolerance threshold is different from person to person, and varies from a few micrograms per day up to almost half a kilo of ectoplasm. The most sensitive individuals develop the symptoms of ectocontamination just by regularly touching spirits with bare skin, absorbing the ectoplasm that these creatures sometimes lose naturally; however, this is an extremely rare occurrence: such sensitivity affects less than 0.3% of the population.

The syndrome normally begins with a maculopapular skin rash, accompanied by moderate fever, itching, general malaise, sometimes with headache, asthenia, loss of appetite. The main characteristic of the skin picture is the complete asynchrony of the lesions. In fact, several lesions are often found in various developmental stages, identifying the so-called "starry sky effect".

Although this is the most common onset of symptoms, they are not always present: sometimes contaminated people never develop a skin rash, itching or fever.

After the first phase of ectocontamination, the one in which effects similar to a skin disease are visible, the body seems to recover from the latter, but begins to show a series of symptoms that are often defined as "supernatural".

Signs and symptoms

An adult ectocontaminated individual, in whom ectoplasm has become established within the body, will exhibit a variety of symptoms unique to the individual, which may include:

Superior physical strength: the presence of ectoplasm between the fibers increases its performance, two to seven times compared to that of a normal human being. The density of the muscle, thanks to the infracellular presence of the ectoplasmic material, appears to be much higher than the occupied mass.

Obsession: due to the neo-coding (or para-coding) of the ectoplasm, which interacts directly with the nervous system of the host body, the ectocontaminated individual develops a typical characteristic of lemurs and other spirits, namely specific obsession or "purpose". The obsession becomes the first and most important thought of the individual, who focuses on it and tends to get bored easily when the topic is not being talked about. Humans with superior willpower can tone down this symptom, but the thought of obsession still remains with them always.

Resistance to Spirit Possession: Since the body of ectocontaminated individuals is already partially saturated with ectoplasm, it is much more difficult for a spirit to possess it.

Resistance to Mind Control: The brains of ectocontaminated people are modified by neo-coding and often work synergically with ectoplasm; Because of this, a normal psychic attack cannot hit him, because it targets a normal human brain, which has completely different neural connections.

Sensitivity to light: The retina of ectocontaminated individuals is particularly sensitive to sunlight. Often, these individuals wear sunglasses (or other protective devices) even when they are inside buildings. If their eyes are subjected to sunlight during the brightest hours of the day, ectocontaminated people tend to behave in a confused manner, like nocturnal animals awakened by a headlight. Although it is less common, it is possible to develop a skin sensitivity to light, which leads the person to cover themselves completely, from the neck to the shoes.

Depigmentation: The skin, mucous membranes and irises of an ectocontaminated individual may lose melanin, leaving the individual with a "ghostly" and washed-out appearance. This can unfortunately lead to a number of medical complications, such as reduced visual acuity.

So:

Maddie developed superior physical strength, resistance to mind control/spirit possession (we never see her overshadowed by a ghost!) and sensitivity to light (she often wears shaded goggles, even indoor).

Jack developed superior physical strength, an obsession (he's absolutely obsessed with ghosts, he doesn't really care about anything else), a slight resistence to spirit possession (we see him resisting Vlad's overshadowing, not completely, but enough to have the time to warn Maddie), and a partial sensitivity to light (in particular his skin, which must always be covered by the jumpsuit).

Jazz developed an obsession (for psychology, not extreme as the obsession that her dad has for ghosts, but a symptom none the less), and a light resistance to spirit possession. She was less exposed to ectoplasm than her parents. But it doesn't mean that she won't show other symptoms in the future!

And Danny, as we all know, is an half-ghost... that probably is an extra stage of the "normal" ectocontamination. But this is not the place to talk about it ;)

And that's what we think about the Fenton's ectocontamination! We hope it was enough, but... if you have any other question, maybe more specific... we would gladly, with joy, answer it!

And of course this applies to all of you! Help us build our lore with your questions!

All the ghost worldbuilding posts!

The "Ask us about ghost worldbuilding" post

Our ask is open!

[thoughtsfromlayla]

-does 15 minutes of my online, asynchronys class-

-takes a 90 minute break-