#edited to correct. it was 2022

[formula-fun]

please do tell the max yuki thesis I BEG

this whole thing was borne out of anatomy of a champion, max's docuseries from 2022 which goes into his relationships with his family and also features a lot of yontent (yuki content). honestly i opened it to check that the scene i was thinking of was still there but got sidetracked for like an hour. there were obstacles to my research. but anyway

so max and yuki are honestly kinda similar people and they tend to balance each other out a lot better than anyone gives them credit for! they both like to laugh, they have kinda crass childish senses of humor, and they spend a lot of time together doing media for red bull, often without their teammates. i think we were all blinded by yukierre when yuki first joined the team because their dynamic was so strong, but ever since pierre left it's been more and more often yuki max. it's fun and people like it: they both like roughhousing and swearing and playing around with weird cars, and it's just generally good tv.

in 2022 pierre was out of alphatauri, yuki was partnered with nyck de vries (remember nyck de vries?) and max was shooting anatomy of a champion. 2022 was also the year yuki was sent to mandatory anger management class, and aoac brings this up multiple times to 1. show how stupid all the drivers but particularly max think it is, 2. point out that max has gotten a similar reputation for being violently angry when all he really wants to do is drive, and 3. segue into the fact that jos has an extremely well documented bad temper and has acted violently toward many people throughout the course of his life, including his son.

you'd expect the scenes between yuki and max in this to be kinda fun and silly, and they sort of are? but there are also these weirdly heavy introspective moments where yuki is watching jos come out to greet max or max is staring unblinking into the middle distance while yuki talks about his anger management classes. and again i read into EVERYTHING but you can kind of see where the comparison is drawn, that there's a recognition between their two situations. they're both so similar to one another and so different to their shared reputations that it's a shock anyone got it so wrong

but yeah anyway

yuki is now in his 5th year at red bull. he's been in the family with max literally a few months less than daniel and max were in it together, which is wild. in a way he and max have had kind of similar journeys here: they both were welcomed in by an older teammate who they were extremely close with but who then left, and they've been eating the replacements alive ever since. they travel a lot together, they do a lot of media together (and sometimes it seems like they put max with yuki just to get him to crack a smile or two), and they've both grown and changed a lot since yuki joined in 2021. they've seen the team's most dominant era, and they've also seen it enter the tailspin that's brought us to where we are now. i think it's easy to see max as the one who's outlasted all his teammates, the only one who can survive in that environment, the golden boy etc etc but. yuki's been in the red bull family too, this entire time. he's seen all the same shit max has and he's dealt with the team's racism and control on top of it.

there's just something about it, idk. compels me

[foul-milk]

COMING SOON TO THEATERS! MONACO GP THE MOVIE 🍿

[yurimother]

Viral Yuri Manga 'The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All' Released in English

On Tuesday, Yen Press released the first volume of Sumiko Arai's popular Yuri manga The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All (Ki ni Natteru Hito ga Otoko Janakatta) digitally and in paperback.

The manga, which started its weekly run on X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, follows gyaru Aya Oosawa, who develops a crush on the alt clerk at the CD shop she frequents, unaware that it is her female classmate, Mitsuki Koga. Yen Press further describes the series:

Fashionable and upbeat high schooler Aya falls head over heels for an employee at a local CD shop. He’s got an air of mystery about him, always dressed well, and has impeccable taste in music. Little does she know―this supposedly male employee is actually her female classmate Mitsuki! Mitsuki generally keeps to herself, but since her seat is right next to Aya’s, she can't help but be extremely aware of the other’s crush. Revealing the truth is out of the question―but perhaps getting closer to Aya wouldn’t be so bad...

The series became incredibly popular after its release online, with fans internationally drawn in by the series' distinctive artwork, character designs, and green-color pallet. According to the English publisher, the manga was one of the most demanded series in the recent past and is set to become one of Yen Press's biggest releases of the year.

In April 2023, Kadokawa published the first volume of The Guy She Was Interested In in Japanese. The manga began serialization on Pixiv Comic the same month. The series also won Kadokawa's 2023 Next Manga Award in the web manga category. The second collected volume was released in Japanese in April and is scheduled for English release on February 18, 2025.

The series is translated into English by Ajani Oloye.

You can check out Volume One of The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All in English digitally and in paperback: https://amzn.to/3YxI0kW

Edit: 10/24/24 - Corrected a character's name in the description.

[memser]

mcr blogger dash in 2025

🪳 buggerard

still so much debate about sexualizing gerards moans in Self-Flagellant but no ones talking about why in that muffled intro mikey is asked to leave the studio??

#im telling you something happened #frerard solos dni

🌫️ coquettegee Follow

yes in the new doc lindsey had any pronouns on her intro card but so did gerard. i think they just used his as a template and its some sort of error

🔁 singleangelicnote

all your posts are still using he/him for gerard and this sounds terribly gendercrit get help op

🔁 coquettegee

i see him as more of a femboy type and i have since dd, don't try to police me

🔁 kondemnedkadaver

???

#CAN WE KILL THIS GUY

🐕 omgee

ROSY HAS A SISTER!!!!!!!!

#WORLD PEACE

🎙️amptits

"november 22nd of 2024 right before the teaser dropped" uh oh guys

Anonymous asked

when will you people address the themes of necrophilia in the limited vinyl comic

🪨 fyeahfoundationsofdecay

sorry i didnt have 200 dollars and i dont care

#the larger mcr conscious has forgotten he jerked it to horror movies

🌄 infectionpiece

a bralette and the comfort flannel

#i hauve

🧘 clergy-xxx

I have some. bad news. Frank did not

yt.be/78hskUi83Hn2nb67mdns00

🤹‍♀️ cryptclown

10 MINUTE AD WALL FOR THAT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHAT I THOUGHT PEOPLE WERE JUST JOKING. OR INSANE

✴️ grifties Follow

selling ltd edition frank iero binder!! it still has the skeleton decals and it still glows in most low light. from the first run with that chemical they had to recall so probably don't wear it without a shirt on top or if you don't have insurance lol. 30 bucks just dm me.

🧘crypt-xxx

i respect the hustle BUT WE HAVE STOP RESELLING THE BIOHAZARD MERCH

🦕 toro-saurus

October 25th 2022

RAY😍😍😍😍 RAY TORO🤗🤗🤗🤯🤯🤯🤯RAAYYYYYY

🔁 toro-saurus

omg my old post i was so correct

#meeee when the new single dropped #how does he find the time truly

🤺 singleangelicnote

Guys since why does that new pope follow Gerard's private account on Globeus theres only like 80 people on there she HAS to know

#THE GAY POPE???

🪳 buggerard

dude i lost my implant magnet 🥲 im using my old touchscreen to post on here

#gawd im having swarm tour livestream flashbacks

🧘 clergy-xxx

I actually went to a few shows during danger days and mikey would often just turn around during the destroya incidents. theres video on youtube if you can get past the ad walls

🤹‍♀️ cryptclown

oh okay super awesome!!! so mikey leaving during antics isnt new. did frank leave too?

🪨 fyeahfoundationsofdecay

does anyone remember when the heavn photos came out. i had a job then and i saw them literally a year later

🔁 buggerard

november 22nd of 2024 right before the teaser dropped

#wild night to be online tbh

🌬️ mesmer

i got concussed what happened sunday

🔁 mesmer

THEY DID WHAT

[divinecap]

maya romper 𖥧

finished another refresh! ✨ this time for the maya romper, a fuzzy loungewear piece for your sims. (continue reading for more information about the update.)

BGC

maxis match

teen-elder

feminine frame

17 swatches

custom thumbnail

disabled for random

updates 📄

2023 DEC 18: (1) minor mesh and texture edits, (2) updated LODs, (3) expanded + refreshed color palette, (4) new custom thumbnail, (5) correct tags. (the filename remains unchanged; it should automatically replace the old file when added to your mod’s folder.)

2022 DEC 15: original release

free download 📦 patreon – simfileshare

terms of use: +more content from me ( tou )

thank you for supporting me! ❤︎₊ ⊹ please reach out if you are having any issues and i’ll look into them as soon as im able to..

[infiniteglitterfall]

this is my most autistic half-birthday ever!

I gave myself the day to pursue a special interest and fulfill an offer I'd made last year.

The Jewish Virtual Library has a page listing all the rocket and mortar attacks on Israel since 2001 (which was when they first started). But it's incomplete. Last fall, I noticed it stopped in August, so I wrote to them offering to help update it. They thanked me and gave me some places I could look.

Today, I finally did it. I ended up cross-referencing with the lists on Wikipedia, digging through multiple Twitter accounts and outside news sources and NGOs, and sending them an email with my updates... plus an html file where I'd updated the code on the page so they could just check it and upload it instead of typing in all the data themselves.

I am such a huge nerd.

There's definitely more research to do. But I think I found a strong stopping place that let me actually send what I found and post about it. Which is always the hardest part. As my drafts folder could tell you.

I have more than two thousand drafts on here.

Anyway, I'm going to put my findings under a cut tag. Before you read on, I want you to try to guess.

Because one of the things I've been told most often by people who wanna Argue About Palestine Without Having To Learn Anything About Palestine (Or Israel Or History Or Imperialism Or Fact-Checking Or ?????) is that the reason for October 7, the reason for literally anything in fact, is that "Israel bombs Palestine constantly."

I want to put together a list of Israeli airstrikes next. I would love to reblog this with that information. But first, I want you to guess:

Note that this DOES NOT include terrorist car rammings, mass shootings, mass stabbings, bus bombings, suicide bombings, etc. It therefore excludes almost the entire Second Intifada.

After correcting the most recent four years and sending in my corrections, I made a list of the totals using the most complete collection I could find for each year. (Sometimes it was Jewish Virtual Library, sometimes it was Wikipedia, and sometimes they matched.)

2024: 12,629 (an average of 35 per day)

2023: 12,295 (34 per day)

2022: 1,180 (only 3 per day)

2021: 4,425 (12 per day)

2020: about 203

2019: 798+

2018: 348+, 0.95 per day

2017: Only 47!!! Why, it's almost like living in Canada!! 0.1 per day.

2016: Wow, only 20. See, if you go through the years backwards, it looks like progress is being made.  Very exciting. Until I get to the Second Intifada, probably. 0.05 per day.

2015: 58.

2014: oh right, that war. 4,778. (Wikipedia's 2015 list claims " In August 2014, Operation Protective Edge was ended after 4,594 rockets and mortars launched toward Israel. From the end of the operation came into force an unofficial cease-fire between Israel and Hamas." but there were three more after that, and 181 before it, listed on wikipedia alone. so like. 4,778 actually, for 13 a day.)

2013: 70 total. Wikipedia notes this was the lowest number since 2001.

2012: 2,442, or 6.7 per day.

2011: 680, for 1.9 a day.

2010: 365, for exactly one a day.

2009: 858, or 2.4 per day.

2008: 3,107! that's 8.5 a day.

2007: 2,807: 7.7 a day.

2006: 1,275, or 3.5 a day.

2005: 858. An average of 2.4 per day.

2004: 1,158.

2003: 637.

2002: 472.]

2001: "These attacks commenced in April 2001, although the first rocket to hit an Israeli city was on 5 March 2002, and the first Israeli fatality was 28 June 2004." I count 173 mortar attacks in 2001, however. Which makes the first fatality a critically-injured baby in 2001. And as soon as I make 250+ more edits and have the power to edit Wikipedia articles on "controversial" topics, I'll make it say so.

Grand Total: 51,685.

An average of SIX PER DAY.

FOR 24 YEARS.

I've been saying four.

But there were actually thousands that weren't listed on the Virtual Library site yet. It really cranked up that average.

Now consider this: between 10%-30% misfire and either crash into the sea, or hit Gaza.

A surprising number of Gazan casualties in every "conflict" have been from Hamas & Co's own missiles.

And they know this. And not only do they not care, but they keep using everything from mosques to humanitarian zones as rocket launch sites.

And why shouldn't they? You have to really dig to find information on how many Gazans die that way. Almost everyone just attributes the deaths to Israel. Hamas is never going to get any actual flak for accidentally killing its own civilians. It barely gets any flak for intentionally killing Israeli civilians, for pete's sake.

[svt-meiying]

┈୨♡୧┈ PERSONAL FACTS ┈୨♡୧┈

𓆩♡𓆪 She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Neuroscience at the Seoul National University after obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology (Biology minor).

𓆩♡𓆪 During the older dorm arrangement she lived alongside Joshua and whilst other members moved around over the years, they reportedly still share an apartment.

𓆩♡𓆪 Ever since the first ACL tear, the left side on her in-ear has had the character '力', which is the character for power or strength, whilst the right is entirely white.

𓆩♡𓆪 The members had a microphone customized in secret, painting it using the light blue - nearly white - color of her right iris.

𓆩♡𓆪 Despite holding the position of lead vocalist, the company placed her in the other sub-units to add more contrast to their voices and provide the performance team with the unique graceful movements instilled in her through ballet.

𓆩♡𓆪 She has three different license types ; a driver's license (jan. 2019), a motorcycle license (feb. 2019) and a racing license (jan. 2021).

𓆩♡𓆪 Meiying owns a limited edition 2022 Nissan GT-R (R35) Nismo and a 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2R, though netizens have recently seen her holding Ferrari keys.

𓆩♡𓆪 Acting credits ; Sweet Home as Yoon Ji-Su, Gangnam B-Side as Kim Jae-Hee, Squid Game as Ji-Yeong and Exhuma as Hwa-Rim

𓆩♡𓆪 Meiying has long feared the sight of alcohol bottles along with medication in the form of pills due to the complicated past with her adoptive brother, so taking things such as vitamins or even needed treatments proved difficult for several years.

𓆩♡𓆪 Influenced through her very close relationship with BTS member Jungkook, the vocalist began smoking around 2022, though only does so when they are together.

𓆩♡𓆪 The maknae often calls other members 'hyung' instead of the proper honorific 'oppa' because nobody had the heart to correct her during trainee day.

𓆩♡𓆪 Aphrodite in 'Epic : The Musical' was voiced by the idol as tight schedules prevented her from taking on the larger role of Athena.

𓆩♡𓆪 Meiying's biological brother, known internationally under the stage name 'Saint' is an actor, model and martial artist based in the United States (as of 2024).

𓆩♡𓆪 Much like co-producer Woozi, she knows how to play basic instruments yet her skills also include ; the guzheng, the liukin, and the dizi.

𓆩♡𓆪 Stuffed toys are central to the maknae's interests as not only do they decorate every single shelf in her room, but no bag will ever be seen without fluffy keychains.

𓆩♡𓆪 During the filming of the 2013 movie 'Commitment', in which she played the role of Li Hye-In, she met her very first mentor ; Choi Seung Hyun. Public appearances at each other's side halted following the 2017 scandal, but they seemed to have reunited in late 2024 after the release of 'Squid Game ; Season 2'.

𓆩♡𓆪 In February 2020, Monsta X's Jooheon announced that he had become Meiying's mentor, a relationship that carries on to this day.

𓆩♡𓆪 Her artworks - ranging from paintings and calligraphy to embroidery - are permanent exhibits throughout numerous galleries.

𓆩♡𓆪 Wonwoo introduced their maknae to computer games and it has since then become one of her favorite pass-times, with her most played including ; Valorant, Assassin's Creed and many horror games.

𓆩♡𓆪 Retaining the athleticism from childhood, she takes part in many physical activities such as jogging, swimming and even bikes with ATEEZ's Wooyoung.

𓆩♡𓆪 Social media was taken aback by pictures of the young woman without the usual contact lens over her blind eye in 2019 and since then she stopped wearing it.

𓆩♡𓆪 Meiying has an entire glass case dedicated to displaying albums along with her favorite photocards, and during certain fan meets she will trade with fans.

𓆩♡𓆪 Physical proximity has become an anchor to ease the symptoms of her panic disorder, constantly hovering next to other members and often holding their fingers.

𓆩♡𓆪 The maknae's rapper tag is '어흥', which would loosely translate to 'roar' and it originated from the fact that whilst forming the paw gesture shared with Hoshi, her lips instinctively pull back to reveal sharp canines, as though she is trying to roar.

𓆩♡𓆪 She loves cooking intricate dishes, even finding joy in preparing meals for all 13 other members despite the effort it requires.

𓆩♡𓆪 Intellectual or deceitful games never prove boring when the vocalist is the one strategizing, her sharp wits allowing Meiying to trick even Jeonghan.

𓆩♡𓆪 The maknae's closet centers around pieces that others have purchased as gifts despite insisting that this amount of spoiling was not necessary.

⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅

Taglist ; @prbywoo

[nattikay]

Aww, that's very sweet of you to say! I'm glad I can inspire you 😸 Although I feel obligated to clarify that I am definitely not flawless with Na'vi hrh...even having been studying for about two and a half years now, I still make mistakes! But that's a normal part of learning, so that's ok :)

pela'ang, lam fwa ramìl ikranit oey fmeri yivom? D: what the crap, it seems the mountain is trying to eat my ikran?

[jeonqkooks]

to the loml, my beloved, may i play in the event game? hehe ;u; i would like your take on yoongi + "did i say that out loud?" + "stop looking at me like that!" ♡

i love you and congratulations again, jen oi ♡ muah~

sunlit sunday. (myg)

pairing: yoongi x reader prompts: "did i say that out loud?" + "stop looking at me like that!" genre/warnings: best friends to lovers (?), college au, fluff; mentions of drinking, barely edited word count: 1.1k note: i do not know what this is, nor why it took me over half a year to finish this drabble. cee my love you sent this ask in august 2022 and it took me literally forever to post i'm sorry 😭

as always, i’d appreciate any thoughts or comments you may have, and please drop a like and/or reblog if you enjoy reading ♡

The sun is already rising, but poor Yoongi hasn’t slept a wink. Partly because he can’t feel his left arm from where it’s being used as your makeshift pillow, partly because last night you told him you were in love with him and proceeded to pass the fuck out.

There was a party - there’s always a party every weekend when you’re in college - that Yoongi didn’t even want to go to. He just wanted to spend his Saturday night holed up in his apartment with you, pizzas and a movie. It gives him something to look forward to at the end of every week, partly because he's nothing if not a creature of habit, but mostly because he gets to spend time with you alone.

But tonight, you wanted to attend, and it didn’t take a whole lot of convincing for Yoongi to (begrudgingly) accompany you to a frat house on campus to spruce up your weekly routine. He would always complain, but you both know that he’d do anything you ask.

That's why he didn't really have anybody else to blame when he found himself having to tuck a very intoxicated you into an unfamiliar bed at 2:30AM in this greasy frat house. It wasn't exactly the best idea, but it was the only one he had. Yoongi wasn't exactly sober, and you were too drunk for him to haul you home.

You babbled nonsense the whole time he was peeling off your shoes and outer layers so you could sleep more comfortably. It was difficult - you're a squirmy drunk - but he managed in the end. When it comes to you, Yoongi has had years of experience, having known you from your early high school days together and being inseparable ever since.

He had gotten under the covers with you, about to try and coax you to sleep when you sighed dreamily at the ceiling, looking so content with whatever thoughts in your head that it felt like you could float away.

"I'm in love with Yoongi," you said, so softly that Yoongi wasn't sure if he heard you right. But even in the midst of tipsy uncertainty, his heart went berserk like it was going to run away from his body. Then you popped the ringing bubble in his head with a sharp giggle, uncaring, so oblivious. "Stop looking at me like that! Did I say that out loud?"

He didn't know what to say, even though it didn't really matter anyway. You weren't in a state of mind to comprehend everything he wanted to ask, everything he wanted to say to you. Yoongi kept his eyes on you while you kept yours on the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"You did," he muttered, averting his eyes, and you tittered again.

"Don't tell him." You turned to look at him with a finger pressed against your lips. He wasn't sure who you thought you were talking to but he didn't correct you; there was no point in doing so anyway. "It's supposed to be a secret."

He doesn't remember what he said next, if he even said anything at all. Though it doesn't matter because you promptly passed out afterward, and it's unlikely that you'll remember any of it when you wake up.

Everything from then until now is just a jumbled mess to Yoongi, his thoughts full of what the fuck's and his chest full of borderline painful palpitations every time you snuggle further into his warmth, seeking comfort in your sleep.

The thing is, he knows that you were being honest. You meant it, because you're nothing if not an honest drunk; you've disclosed your fair share of embarrassing secrets whilst under the influence before. But never would Yoongi expect to hear those very specific words coming from your mouth, words that reflect the same sentiment that he's been trying to profess to you for years now.

They rolled off your tongue, just like that.

If he's being honest, it wounds him a little bit. He's spent hundreds and hundreds of days thinking about the perfect way to phrase his affection for you and yet, you managed to spill your feelings out without a single care in the world.

Granted, you were drunk out of your mind, but still.

Eventually, you stir from your slumber when blinding sunlight slips through the cracks between the curtains. Yoongi watches you frown before your eyes are even open, then you try to stretch for a brief moment as you look around the strange bedroom, partly alarmed, partly confused.

When your gaze finally lands on him, he catches the way your eyes soften, the edges of your confusion melting away even though he doubts that the sight of him answered any of the questions in your head.

"Morning," you say, your voice heavy with sleep.

"Morning," Yoongi replies quietly.

You share a look, one that means completely different things for the both of you. You're probably hungover, and Yoongi is in love.

So in love that he doesn't even care to berate you for making him spend the night in a random bedroom in a disgusting frat house, where a pair of (likely dirty) boxers is casually chilling draped over a chair. So in love that it expels all sense of fatigue from his body until the only thing coursing through his veins is unfiltered fondness for you and the way your eyes crinkle when you smile.

So in love that he would wait until you're awake enough to ask him to walk you home, ask him to make you your favorite hangover breakfast while you take a long, hot shower to feel like a human being again. He'd wait until you're fed and caffeinated before joining you on the couch, prepared to kill the remaining hours of the day together. So in love that he'd only wait until that moment to tell you the things he's always wanted to say, the things that have always been on the tip of his tongue but he's never been brave enough to utter them to you.

He'd tell you what you need to hear, albeit with a bruised ego that you beat him to the punch but he'd pretend that you didn't. It's a secret shared between only Yoongi and the four walls of this bedroom.

He's so in love that he would endure staying up all night in this dump when he could've been in his own bed, comfortable and clean and cozy. But it's okay because it's Sunday and the sun is out, and you were the one sleeping peacefully next to him, despite how your head made his arm go numb. It's okay because love has a tendency to make awful things feel better, even if love is only stored in a set of sleepy eyes staring at Yoongi and a whiny voice asking to go home.

all rights reserved © jeonqkooks. reposting, translating and/or modifying is not permitted by any means. [posted 10.03.2024]

[vintagerpg]

Ikhon (2022) is a horrible little addition to Mork Borg (originally released in 2021, that run had a production error and is unusable; the corrected edition emerged the following year). It simulates an in-game object, a mysterious box that imprisons four near-forgotten folk gods who can be invoked by the desperate. Roll to see how they react. Bonuses for willing human sacrifices and the amputation of significant body parts.

In form, Ikhon is a box of booklets with black covers. You pick one, roll and hope you get a high result. Roll a one, when invoking the Old Dead, she pluck the skulls out of everyone present and throws them in the air. If you roll a ten or higher, she will accompany you until you indicate a target, and which point she will eradicate them from existence. It’s a game of extremes.

The draw, aside of injecting chaos into your game, is Samuel Araya’s art. Ikhon is basically a perfect portfolio: 44 gruesome pieces that land somewhere between Johan Nohr and Stephen Gammell.

[doodles-bi-tea]

radio ga ga

Mickey’s a bit of a fanboy. Paparazzi is too.

pairing: lt. mickey “fanboy” garcia x fellow wso reader [second person, no y/n – callsign: paparazzi]

warnings: probably inaccurate pilot/in-sky jargon, profanity, alcohol consumption, no beta / real editing, ambiguous ending…

word count: 1,974

a/n: I thought my overly-top-gun-obsessed days were long behind me (in the days of 2022/2023) but one of my two film classes said “NO! go back to hyperfixating on lewis pullman and danny ramirez in the midst of your james mcavoy obsession.” and here we are, folks.

[good god I went through a whole tizzy trying to figure out what exactly I wanted the reader’s callsign to be. “paparazzi?” no, that’s plural! “paparazzo?” grammatically correct, but solely masculine. “paparazza?” feminine-aligning in the native language but not everyone is solely feminine (myself included). I gave up and just went with the grammatically incorrect “paparazzi” because then it doesn’t have to be a gender thing – I already have enough trouble figuring out what gender I am, I don’t need this to send me down another rabbit hole. ... ANYWAY that was my little rant about the callsign. I have a whole list, because, let’s face it: are you really a top gun fan if you’ve never thought about what your own callsign might be?]

4/14/25 update: UM as of posting this, this was actually started a really long time ago and I kinda gave up on the ending so either it’s bittersweet and ends here or I can write a part two if anyone really wants it lmao… but i’m back to obsessing over romance games and mythic quest again so that’s a thing! I literally just finished my s1-s3 rewatch and started s4 right before I saw jessie ennis' story about how it got cancelled bro 💔💔

˚⋆࿔༄ᯓ ✈︎

ᯓ ✈︎｡༘⭒

“Comms check. This is Paparazzi, filling in for Harvard, behind Yale. Yale, Fanboy, Payback, do you copy? Over.”

“Payback here, I can hear you loud and clear. Over.”

“Yale reporting for duty. Over.”

There’s a pause.

[paparazzi] “Fanboy, do you copy?”

[fanboy] “No, Paparazzi, I do not copy.”

[paparazzi] “Payback, tell Fanboy to check his comms.”

[fanboy] “Checking ‘em right now.”

[payback] “Fanboy, you can’t hear us?”

[fanboy] “Nope.”

Another pause.

[paparazzi] “He’s fucking with us, isn’t he?”

[payback] “...Yeah.”

You turn your head to the left to look at Payback and Fanboy’s F/A-18, flying parallel to your and Yale’s own aircraft. He’s already looking back at you.

“Sorry, Paparazzi. The opportunity was too good to pass up.” Fanboy’s laugh crackles over the radio as you flip him the bird.

˚⋆࿔༄ᯓ ✈︎

ᯓ ✈︎｡༘⭒

“What a gentleman.” You scoff, knocking your knuckles on the back of Mickey’s blue-streaked helmet.

He clearly wasn’t expecting it from the way his neck gives way at the contact. You two walk side by side on the tarmac after the exercise with Reuben [Payback] and Logan [Yale].

“I hadn’t realized this conversation was suddenly about Bob.” He chuckles, before trying to knock your own helmet out of your hands by smacking it.

Your grip falters slightly but instead moves the helmet to rest against the side of your stomach furthest from Mickey.

“My tone would be different if it were actually about Bob. Not that I expect you to know the difference between jokes and seriousness.”

“I do, too! You play too much.” He says dismissively, as if actually offended at your comment.

˚⋆࿔༄ᯓ ✈︎

ᯓ ✈︎｡༘⭒

“I play too much? Are you hearing yourself right now?” You laugh incredulously into your mask.

Fanboy’s F-35 flies somewhere slightly behind yours. You, Bob, Halo, and he are engaged in a pretty routine individual speed drill. Being WSO’s, you don’t get as much flying time as your respective partners, but still need the practice just as much.

“No, actually, I can’t. It’s pretty hard, since, we’re, you know, in planes right now?”

You roll your eyes behind your tinted visor – not like he can see it anyway.

“Break right!” Bob’s voice rings clear over the radio.

You see him, at the front of the line, start to turn, soon followed by Halo, who flies directly in front of you. Your gloved hands move along the plane’s controls to follow the two of them.

“Leaving me on heard? Real cool of you, Pap.”

Beneath your mask, your lips press themselves into a thin line. You bite your tongue for the time being, knowing you all need to finish the drill on time or Mav (and Hangman) would be on your asses about it. Fanboy’s taunts can wait.

“Break left!” Bob instructs. “We need to speed up a little, guys. Increase after the turn.”

All four of you follow suit. Turning left, then pushing the thrusters. Pulling G’s makes your body ache a little, your head feel like it’s under a weighted blanket (not in a good way!), and your stomach turn ever-so-slightly. Your mind goes blank, thoughts drowned out by the engines’ rumbling.

“Mark!” Halo calls, breaking you out of your trance. “We got two minutes, forty-seven seconds. Better than last time.”

The four of you slow and align into a horizontal line rather than a vertical one, now flying side by side.

“Good run, guys.” Bob says into the radio.

You can’t see his face, but you can tell he’s smiling when he says it.

˚⋆࿔༄ᯓ ✈︎

ᯓ ✈︎｡༘⭒

You’re packing up your duffel bag in the common room, waving goodbye to Cassie [Halo] as she leaves, when Mickey exits the mens’ lockers and enters the room. You try ignoring him at first, but he initiates conversation regardless.

“What happened up there, Pap? Did pulling G’s fog your brain up so much you couldn’t come up with a decent response?” He sets his own bag down on the pool table as he folds one of his shirts.

“Stop saying ‘Pap’ like it’s a good nickname.”

“Doesn’t mean anything bad.”

“It sounds like a… fuckin’ pap smear or something.”

“That…” He tucks the shirt into his bag. “Oh.”

You roll your eyes for the “who-knows-how-many”-th time of the day and harshly zip your bag closed. The heels of your shoes resounded muffled clicks on the carpet as you went to leave.

“Hey, wait, I, uh, I know I’ve been particularly annoying today,” Mickey stutters over his words as he throws his bag over his shoulder and runs to catch up. “But do you wanna go to The Hard Deck?”

“So you’re aware of it?” You scoff, continuing to walk towards the door – click clack, click clack.

He chuckles sheepishly, now walking at your side. “Maybe a little. But really, you wanna come with me?”

“And why should I?”

“Because… Uh…”

You hum hesitantly. He hums eagerly back. There’s a moment of silence before he breaks.

“I’ll pay?”

The footfalls finally stop as you both reach the door.

˚⋆࿔༄ᯓ ✈︎

ᯓ ✈︎｡༘⭒

And that’s how you end up four beers deep at The Hard Deck, sitting across from Mickey at a small table on the outside patio overlooking the beach. The sun’s gone down a long time ago, the brisk, salty air is chilling the tips of your nose and fingertips, and your beer bottles are empty. You and Mickey sit in a quiet, slightly-drunk stupor together. Looking at the ocean together only furthers the warm feeling that pools in your stomach from all the alcohol.

“I’m gonna go pay now, be right back,” Mickey’s words slur together slightly as he stands up and takes his wallet out of his pocket.

You hum in acknowledgement and slump down, arms folded over the table and head resting on top. The door opens, then shuts, as you hear Mickey go inside. The cold air prompts you to close your eyes – for just a second. Or, at least, what feels like a second.

When you open them, you’re met with Mickey’s curious and playful gaze. His face is still relatively far away from yours but you make eye contact because he’s leaned down to look at you. It’s almost as if you’ve grazed hands or held onto an embrace for too long. He smiles, in a surprisingly meek fashion, before gently nudging your arm.

“Wake up, soñolienta.” [“Wake up, sleepy.”]

You hum, before sitting up. The beer bottles are all cleared from the table and the bar is mostly empty, like the patio had always been. Penny stands behind the bar, wiping the counter. Jimmy sits across from a young man at a table on the side, talking while drying now-clean glasses. A few random customers are dispersed around the edges of the room but whatever party had been in the room earlier was clearly over.

“Thanks, Mick.”

“No problem,” he responds softly before going back to sit down in his chair on the opposite side of the table.

There’s a comfortable pause.

You rest your chin on your hands. “You’re actually kinda nice when you choose to stop being so damn annoying.”

“You too.”

You both laugh, another bout of warm silence – contrasting the chill of the sea air – following soon after. Your eyes lazily trace the surroundings. Where the sky meets the sea; Where the sea meets the sand; Where the sand meets the patio. The sand bleeds onto the sun-bleached wood. The patio meets the rest of the building, its sliding-glass doors, and the warm-toned LED globe lights that are suspended on the overhang (you and Bob had gotten into a pretty interesting conversation about lights with Penny, the two of you eventually convincing her to buy LEDs instead of using the old incandescent bulbs she previously used). The few speakers that are attached to the underside of the roof’s overhang play some random radio station. The tune doesn’t sound familiar, until the first song ends and a new one starts.

“Hey, I like this song,” You mumble absentmindedly.

Mickey perks up upon your mention of the music – he pauses to listen with you.

“Is this Djo?”

A surprised smile sneaks its way onto your lips.

“You know Djo?”

“Duh,” He teases. “Who doesn’t?”

“I’m just surprised. I don’t know what kind of music you listen to, besides the stuff you post on your Instagram stories,” You chuckle. “Which is mostly rap or really random hype music.” [shoutout to the danny ramirez instagram follower gang, his stories make me giggle bc he’s just such a boy and always posting about the miami canes and random selfies and stuff – I feel like a lot of danny’s personality bleeds into his characters (joaquin torres especially) so I tied this in with mickey…]

“I gotta keep up appearances, you know? Can’t be posting random pop and alt when people want the manly…” He motions around aimlessly with his hands while he looks for the words. “Hype stuff. I don’t know.”

“Sounds to me like you just don’t want to admit you have any semblance of decent music taste.”

“That is not true.”

“You’re a dork.”

“Says you, dork.”

“I can tell a lot of thought went into that. Great comeback.”

“Too bad you couldn’t come up with one when we were in the air.” He raises his eyebrows and cocks his head slightly in your direction with a toothy grin.

“Whatever. Just let me enjoy the radio in peace.”

Another eye roll added to the count. And yet, you can’t help the slight upturn of your lips as you look away in an attempt to seem aloof – key word being ‘attempt;’ it doesn’t work.

“I actually really like ‘Go for It,’” Mickey suddenly says.

His admission is another pleasant surprise.

“Damn, maybe you are a real fan.”

“It’s all in the name, sweetheart.”

You try to ignore the way your heart leaps into your throat at the nickname, a slightly flustered scoff working its way past your lips. The beer still sits in your stomach, but instead of providing warmth, it now feels stagnant. You glance over at Mickey as he checks his phone for a moment.

Was he always this cute? Or is it just the way he stands out against the night sky under the yellowing light? The way the outer edges of his eyes are threatening to press together as a content smile sits on his closed lips? It could just be the fact that his mouth is closed, for all you know. You don’t know, but it’s making you rethink everything. It’s… not a great feeling.

He must notice your smile drop as you space out, staring blankly in his direction, because he turns his phone off and looks back at you.

“You okay, Pap?”

Shaken from your daze, your jaw goes slack for a moment before you press your lips together and turn away. Your ears barely register the nickname.

“Oh, yeah, sorry, just… thinking.”

Mickey quirks an eyebrow. “About what?”

“You.” Is what you want to say.

The name of the song he mentioned seems to mock you. ‘Go for It?’ Yeah, right. You’d settle for biting your tongue instead of dying of embarrassment right here on the beach.

“Just work stuff,” You shrug it off – it’s technically not a lie if you’re thinking about your co-worker.

Mickey hums in understanding. “I get that. I feel like work follows me off-base, home, more often than I’d like.”

You glance back at him now. His face is to the ocean, so you only see his side profile, similar to when he was on his phone. Any semblance of the smile he usually wears is completely gone. His sobriety is… sobering, to say the least. It’s not often he drops the jokester persona. It almost tugs at your heartstrings a little bit.

“You wanna talk about it?” You tread lightly.

Mickey pauses. “Nah, it’s okay. Just tired right now, I think. Just… ‘work stuff.’”

You both chuckle halfheartedly at that. The sea air grows stale as the silence grows.

“I should, uh, get home,” He suddenly clears his throat and throws his hoodie on.

A sense of panic arises in you as he finishes tugging the grey material down his torso. Say something or let him leave.

Say something? Or let him leave?

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

1. ‘It was an accident’: the scientists who have turned humid air into renewable power

Greetings, readers! Welcome to our weekly dose of positivity and good vibes. In this edition, I've gathered a collection of uplifting stories that will surely bring a smile to your face. From scientific breakthroughs to environmental initiatives and heartwarming achievements, I've got it all covered.

In May, a team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst published a paper declaring they had successfully generated a small but continuous electric current from humidity in the air. They’ve come a long way since then. The result is a thin grey disc measuring 4cm across.

One of these devices can generate a relatively modest 1.5 volts and 10 milliamps. However, 20,000 of them stacked, could generate 10 kilowatt hours of energy a day – roughly the consumption of an average UK household. Even more impressive: they plan to have a prototype ready for demonstration in 2024.

2. Empty Office Buildings Are Being Turned Into Vertical Farms

Empty office buildings are being repurposed into vertical farms, such as Area 2 Farms in Arlington, Virginia. With the decline in office usage due to the Covid-19 pandemic, municipalities are seeking ways to fill vacant spaces.

Vertical farming systems like Silo and AgriPlay's modular growth systems offer efficient and adaptable solutions for converting office buildings into agricultural spaces. These initiatives not only address food insecurity but also provide economic opportunities, green jobs, and fresh produce to local communities, transforming urban centers in the process.

3. Biden-Harris Administration to Provide 804,000 Borrowers with $39 Billion in Automatic Loan Forgiveness as a Result of Fixes to Income Driven Repayment Plans

The Department of Education in the United States has announced that over 804,000 borrowers will have $39 billion in Federal student loans automatically discharged. This is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to fix historical failures in the administration of the student loan program and ensure accurate counting of monthly payments towards loan forgiveness.

The Department aims to correct the system and provide borrowers with the forgiveness they deserve, leveling the playing field in higher education. This announcement adds to the Administration's efforts, which have already approved over $116.6 billion in student loan forgiveness for more than 3.4 million borrowers.

4. F.D.A. Approves First U.S. Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

The move could significantly expand access to contraception. The pill is expected to be available in early 2024.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a birth control pill to be sold without a prescription for the first time in the United States, a milestone that could significantly expand access to contraception. The medication, called Opill, will become the most effective birth control method available over the counter

5. AIDS can be ended by 2030 with investments in prevention and treatment, UN says

It is possible to end AIDS by 2030 if countries demonstrate the political will to invest in prevention and treatment and adopt non-discriminatory laws, the United Nations said on Thursday.

In 2022, an estimated 39 million people around the world were living with HIV, according to UNAIDS, the United Nations AIDS program. HIV can progress to AIDS if left untreated.

6. Conjoined twins released from Texas Children’s Hospital after successfully separated in complex surgery

Conjoined twins are finally going home after the pair was safely separated during a complex surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital in June.

Ella Grace and Eliza Faith Fuller were in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for over four months after their birth on March 1. A large team of healthcare workers took six hours to complete the surgery on June 14. Seven surgeons, four anesthesiologists, four surgical nurses and two surgical technicians assisted with the procedure.

7. From villains to valued: Canadians show overwhelming support for wolves

Despite their record in popular culture, according to a recent survey, seven in 10 Canadians say they have a “very positive” view of the iconic predators. 

Here's a fascinating video about how wolves changed Yellowstone nat'l park:

----

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Support this newsletter ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog.

[jamesfitzjamesdotcom]

hello jamesfitzjamesdotcom this is a really boring question BUT. are the two battersby fitzjames books actually one book, just with different titles? or is mystery man of the franklin expedition a different book to jfj: commander of hms erebus? thank you you’re a godsend

Hello, thank you very much and that is not a stupid question at all! I had been meaning to devote a post to this matter.

In July 2023 I was baffled to all of a sudden see a new version of Battersby's Fitzjames biography, entitled James Fitzjames: Commander of HMS Erebus. For those who don't know: Battersby died in 2016, so he is not around to publish new books. His family members who I'm in touch with had not been informed that this new edition was coming out. When I contacted the publisher, they said that the only difference between the two is that one is hardback and the other paperback, and that the contents are exactly the same. The hardback was out of print and had now been substituted by a paperback edition. Reasonable. But I was immediately annoyed by the change of title because 1) Why change the title that Battersby himself chose? and 2) It's incorrect; Fitzjames was the CAPTAIN of Erebus. Plus I'm annoyed by that colourised picture on the cover: his hair was not brown!

Believing the publisher that the contents remained unchanged, I was not planning on reading the paperback. Then, somebody on Tumblr sent me a message saying that they encountered a confusing change in the paperback.

While the first few paperback chapters are unchanged from the 2010 hardback edition, giving Battersby's misguided theory that Fitzjames was born in Brazil, Chapter 10 of the paperback suddenly names Robert Coningham's sister Hester Sterling as Fitzjames' mother:

This aligns with the research that Battersby had been doing after his book was published, hoping to find new information for a revised second edition. I obtained a PDF of the first chapters of this prospective second edition and published them on my website with Battersby's family's consent. I later learnt that Battersby ultimately didn't believe in his own 'Hester Sterling is Fitzjames' mother' theory anymore and that he had moved on from Fitzjames research entirely by 2016. (Also there are many mistakes in those chapters on my website but back in 2022 I hadn't been able to access the primary sources I needed yet, so I had no idea if Battersby was correct or not)

Fast forward to 2023 when this paperback edition of Battersby's Fitzjames biography drops all of a sudden, being a strange mix of the original book and a revised manuscript. Maybe there are even more changes from the hardback, I haven't done a full comparison yet. The publisher was being vague about what happened, but I will attempt to get to the bottom of it so that I can correctly represent in my Fitzjames biography why there are two versions of Battersby's book.

Spoiler alert for my Fitzjames biography: Hester Sterling is definitely NOT Fitzjames' mother.

[cainsnocreaturefeature]

[ MOD’S NOTE: posting these as is; images are to follow whenever I can get to them, because I have various jobs and other things to do. Thank you for your patience and understanding. ]

[ EDIT 5/22/2025: A correction has been made regarding a joke that was typed up in 2022. Thank you very much to the person who reached out to me regarding changing the joke, and I apologize for any discomfort. ]

=====

|| KIDD // THE PLAN OF ACTION ||

Gathering the others hadn’t been that hard, all things considered. They’d already sent Jerome and Ozzy down to Buggs’s room as the gathering place so that they could stay put in a single location already, while Nugget had been asked to assist Buggs in rinsing out Billy’s eyes with the water the first two had brought over. That had involved a lot of spluttering and flailing on Billy’s end, but it had worked well enough - Billy had stopped hallucinating Jerome as his father.

Kidd internally breathes a sigh of relief. There would be no more Billy-induced deaths today - and hopefully ever, if they got this right.

While Lily chatters with Billy about what had happened to him,  Nugget turns to look at Kidd. There is an indescribable look in his eyes as Kidd goes to meet his gaze. Nathaniel Goujon was not exactly that much taller than him, so it was easier to meet his gaze head on than if he’d been, say, Cindy - the shortest of them all. Nugget, whether he admitted to it or not, liked to use his size to intimidate others as necessary - but it never worked on Kidd.

“You know something.” It’s not a guess on Nugget’s part.

Kidd glances at Billy. The guy was currently bowing in apology to Lily and Buggs, main ‘hands’ or tentacles just curled around each other in a manner that implied guilt.

“That depends on what you mean,” Kidd replies carefully.

Nugget frowns. “You are not telling Nugget something important.”

“And I won’t until Alice, Ron, Madison, Penny and Felix are all back home.”

“You want to bring Felix back home too?” It’s Buggs who asks this question, having overheard the tail end of the conversation. He, Billy, and Lily all turn to face Nugget and Kidd as Deedee perches on his shoulder, preening. He frowns, an eyebrow raised.

Kidd sighs before nodding. “I’m not elaborating here, because everyone and their mother knows I’m going to have to repeat this over and over if I don’t tell this to everyone in one place, but yes. We’re bringing all of them back home.”

“He broke Nugget’s ribs,” Nugget points out bitterly. “And Carla’s.”

Lily scowls. “He forced Madison, Ron, Alice, and Billy back into their mutated forms. He literally dressed up as Penny - still weird, by the way - and knocked Ted out and then pretended to be Ted and then kidnapped Penny. And you want him back?”

“Lily,” Kidd massages his temples. “Not now.”

“Kidd, Billy nearly fucking killed us - it’s not your fault Billy, don’t worry - because that rat bastard was-”

“We are not discussing this ĥ̵̠͙̯̳͗̽̕͠͝é̶̥͉͒̒r̸̬͖̰̞̫̞͇̔̒͗̈́͗͝e̷̛͎͎͙̓͆̚͝, Lilith Kurosawa!” Kidd snarls, voice dripping with venom.

In response to his yell, the world seems to distort for a moment, to glitch, and the snarl lodges itself in Kidd’s throat and he chokes, eyes wide, as the very reality he’s in briefly stops making sense-

- until the brief glitch stops, and everything is back to normal... for the most part. It’s like it had never happened, and like he’d just finished shouting, because Lily is flinching as though it had just happened and Billy is hissing at him, wrapping his arms around his sister protectively. Nugget too seemed to be on edge at this response, and Buggs was wary judging on his body language.

What had happened?

Did none of them feel that?

No... Kidd thinks bitterly. They’d never felt the resets. This... sudden break in the universe wouldn’t be any different - even Nugget didn’t seem to have noticed the sudden shatter that had happened. He’d ponder on it later though.

Deedee cocks her head to the side curiously at him. “Here?”

With a sigh, Kidd inhales sharply, and exhales, before saying, “... sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that. You... you didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry. You’ve been a big help, Lily, I just... lost my cool.”

“No, it’s... okay,” Lily says, but he knows she’s still spooked. Lily was not that good at hiding her fear as she thought she was. Kidd knew that without a shadow of a doubt. “I was... I’m sorry too. You just woke up after being unconscious and here we are already burdening you with all this because we thought you knew the most out of anyone.”

“And I do know a lot more than everyone does on the subject, but I don’t know everything. That’s why we’re going to discuss all of this as a group. This is a group matter and those are our friends in trouble.” Kidd glances between all of them before adding, “You should all go to Buggs’s room. Wait- no. Nugget, you take Billy and Lily to Buggs’s room. Buggs, come with me.”

Buggs blinks, mildly surprised. “Why?”

“We’ll be fetching the others ourselves. And I need you to catch me up on the blog. Tell me anything and everything that’s happened while I was out.”

“Ah. Okay.”

-=-=-=-

“What are your feelings on it?”

“Hm?”

“My decision that we’re bringing Felix back with us.”

Buggs is quiet for a good while as they walk towards where they guess Cindy is lurking - either the kitchens or the library, looking for books on whatever she thought interesting at that current moment in time. Kidd’s almost about to repeat the question when the other answers, “Why are you asking me one on one? You told Lily we’d be discussing it as a whole.”

“Well, you’re interested in Cindy.” Buggs stiffens slightly at his bold declaration, but he doesn’t stop walking with him. “And Cindy does like you, but she also had a childish ‘thing’ for Felix when we were in kindergarten.”

Buggs scoffs. “She had a thing for most of the boys in kindergarten and you know it. She even eyed you.”

“Don’t remind me.” The pink flower was enshrined in his room back home, actually - trapped in glass for eternity. He’d had every single quest item frozen in glass and tucked away somewhere where he couldn’t look at them - a terrible reminder of the past, but a memento regardless.

Buggs sighs and scratches the underside of Deedee’s chin. “We were kids. So what if I may hold a candle for Cindy? She’s not interested in anyone right now, and I’m not doing anything to fuck with our friendship right now except be there for her. So I don’t have any strong opinions on Felix coming back, except for concern that it could be dangerous.”

“Alright.”

It’s silent as they pass down the corridor, before Buggs says, “Wait. We can pick up Monty and Carla first. This hallway is where their rooms are.”

“Which one?”

Kidd watches as Buggs looks around before pointing at a door. As he approaches, he picks up on the faint sound of people talking behind the door - which increases in volume when he gets closer. It sounded like...

“Cindy?” Buggs wonders as Kidd opens the door.

Cindy and Monty both freeze mid-argument as the door swings open. Carla, arms crossed, nods in acknowledgment at him. “Good to see you awake, Kidd. Sleep well?”

“Hardly,” Kidd snorts before turning to Cindy and Monty. “We’re all gathering in Buggs’s room. Whatever you three are doing right now, stop, and head over there right now.”

“I’m busy,” is Monty’s automatic response.

Cindy scowls darkly. “Busy trying to get yourself killed more like.”

“What the fuck is she talking about?” Buggs asks.

Carla groans, a hand massaging a temple as she shifts her weight to one side, cocking her hip and crossing her other arm under her chest. “The cat’s out of the bag, cariño. Stand down already like I’ve been telling you.”

“What’s out of the bag?!” Kidd exclaims in frustration. “Can somebody please just tell us what’s going on?!”

Cindy jabs a finger in Monty’s direction. It would’ve been hilarious considering how short Cindy was compared to Monty, but even with the height difference Cindy made up for it in pure firepower. “He’s been making plans to take down Penny’s mom alone and won’t listen to either of us. Maybe you can make him see sense, Kidd, because the boy genius is losing his braincells.”

“Monty, literally what the fuck.” Kidd whirls around to face the glaring Monty. “Are you out of your fucking mind? Are you for fucking real?”

Monty scowls at everyone in the room - well, everyone save for Buggs and Carla, that is. His fists clench by his sides as he bites out, “You don’t understand.”

“No, I really fucking don’t.” Kidd answers with the same amount of bite. “What makes you think you can just waltz in there and save all of them?”

“I’m going to fucking save my sister,” is all Monty growls. “No matter what it fucking takes.”

Cindy hisses through gritted teeth. “So you’re just going to leave the others to rot then. I thought they were your friends.”

“The fuck do you take me for, Hausmannin?!”

“An idiot! You’re going to get fucking killed and where’s that going to leave your moms, huh?! You gonna join Daddy Montgomery up in the sky already, smartass?!”

“DON’T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY FATHER THAT WAY!”

“ENOUGH!”

Cindy and Monty fall silent as Carla steps in between both of them and shoves them apart, shooting looks at both of them before facing Cindy first. “Cindy, you took it too far, hija. Monty, querido, just stop for a minute. I’ve been telling you this for days. Just stop. You haven’t slept in days doing what you’re doing. A break will not kill you or Penny.”

“What has he been doing?” Buggs asks.

Carla shoots him a dry look. “He’s been developing a stronger laser from the remnants of the eye lasers he took out of Penny years ago that’ll be able to zero in on Penny’s location and evaporate Felix in one hit.”

“You know what?” Kidd snaps his fingers, and Buggs takes it to mean ‘manhandle Monty’. The larger young man immediately goes to pick Monty up by the waist and throw him over the shoulder effortlessly, prompting the genius to shriek in protest.

“PUT ME THE FUCK DOWN and LET ME WORK!”

“Carla?” Buggs looks at Carla with a raised eyebrow.

Carla sighs and grabs Monty’s face by the cheeks. The sudden contact makes him freeze as she says, “Querido, please don’t make it so difficult for everyone. We’re going to get Penny back, but we also need to make plans with everyone else, not just us. You and I both know we can’t do this alone.”

“Yes we can.”

Carla raises an eyebrow. “Idiot. No we can’t. You may have lasered that old bozo’s knees and fixed Penny up and built yourself some fucking legs, but this is Felix Huxley. Well. Felix, but a robot. You saw how he took down all of us on his own. We’re going to need to work with everyone else and you know it.”

“Fuck you.”

“For every person you tell that to, my explosives rise in market value, my love.” Buggs tries not to choke at that, but Carla maintains a straight face as she smooths out Monty’s hair. “Much as I enjoyed the thought of sauntering in there with just my favorite explosive tubes of lipstick to see us through, it’s a kamikaze mission even I’m not keen on participating in.”

Monty scowls, but Kidd can tell it’s a weaker one this time as Carla’s gaze softens. “We’re bringing Penny back home, Monty. I promised you we would, and you swore on your father that you would. But I’ll be completely transparent with you: I’d rather you thought this over after a full night of sleep.”

“I thought you were trying to wrestle me into a meeting with the others,” Monty grumbles. “Buggs, put me down.”

“Only if you follow us afterwards,” Buggs replies.

“No promises.”

“Then I’m not putting you down, tough guy.”

“I don’t need to wrestle you into going into the meeting, Buggs can do it for me,” Carla points out. “I’m trying to peacefully convince you into listening to what everyone else has to say on the matter before you go take a night of rest and look over your plans once again.”

“Uh huh.” Monty stares at her, unimpressed.

Carla meets his gaze levelly. “You do not want me to pull out the trump card, Montgomery.”

“And that would be...?”

Carla pulls out her phone with one smooth action and hits a number on speed dial. After a few minutes, Kidd witnesses Monty’s face grow five shades whiter at the voice that comes out of the phone. “Carla? You called? Are you alright, dear? Anything you need us to get you while you’re all there?”

“Hi, mamadonna,” Carla greets the more heavyset of Monty’s mother figures with an easygoing smile - except the smile is very clearly laced with smug victory, because Monty is writhing nervously in response to the conversation. “Just letting you know that I’m feeling a little better.”

“That’s good,” the woman sighs over the phone. “Don’t forget to phone your father today, alright? Honestly, he’s been worried sick over you - he could use the reassurance.”

Carla bites her lip guiltily. “Yeah, I’ll call papa later, I promise.”

“How about Monty? Is he getting any sleep?”

Everyone in the room stares at Monty. Monty wilts slightly under their stares as Carla answers, “He’s... trying.”

“Oh, my Monty... tell him to get some sleep for us, alright? He’s a lot like his father in that regard, honestly - always forgoing sleep for something or another. Let me guess, trying to figure out something that’ll save Penny?”

Carla blinks in surprise. “Um, well... yes, Mrs. Montgomery. How did you know?”

“I may have married his mother only after his father had passed on, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t practically raised him myself. He’s as predictable as his times tables.” Monty turns bright red at the comparison. “Monty, if you’re listening in on this conversation, sweetheart, please just listen to Carla and your friends. Let Mommadonna handle what she can with Penny’s kidnapping, okay? You’re no good without sleep.” There’s a crashing sound in the background, and the woman groans. “I have to go, Carla. Three of the Mabini siblings are here and I believe they just broke something.”

“Wait, Ron’s siblings are-” CLICK! BEEP...

Carla lowers the phone from her ear, frowning. “... Well? Are you coming, or not?”

“... I’m going,” Monty grumbles, and Buggs puts him down as he warns, “But I am not letting anyone else in on this. That includes you Kidd.”

Kidd rolls his eyes. He’d end up getting dragged in at some point - he knew that for a fact. “Keep telling yourself that, Monty Montgomery. Come on, everyone. We have some things to discuss.”

[munchcorner]

Call me slow, but I just realized that they're adults here. The official account teased the time skip a day before the final chapter was released!

[Edit] This is an edit of this manga panel from June 24, 2022! Thanks to @lollipopsie for correcting me.

[14dayswithyou]

[18 May 2022] Is Ren touch starved?

Very. the only people Ren has ever been close with (aside from you, of course) were his mother and sister. But it's been years since he's last seen either of them, and he honestly doesn't really care about them anymore.

He also has zero relationship experience, no friends, and was bullied all throughout school, so... :') /please/ give him a hug or something lmao

20 Feb 2024 EDIT: Slight correction and retcon; While Ren has never fully considered River as his friend (RIP LMAO), in every sense of the word; he would be. Ren is simply unable to form connections with other people who aren't Angel, thus making him believe that River is someone irrelevant and expendable. He does tolerate him more than anyone else, however.