#zeros in significant figures

[captainkirkk]

How long was it between when Iroh convinced Zuko to take up the Fire Throne, and Sozin's comet? A day? Less??

AU where Iroh convinces Zuko to be the next Fire Lord MUCH earlier in the series. Zuko, who hasn't been in formal education since was 13yo, understandably panics. He barely remembers his lessons on How To Be the Fire Lord, and they were all focused on how to rule during wartime. Not peace. What does an international peace treaty even LOOK like and how does one go about making it???? How does trade work when you're NOT trying to eradicate every other nation????

Book 3 Zuko spends all of his time teaching Aang firebending, interrogating the other members about their culture's traditions and politics, going on Blue Spirit journeys to raid any passing libraries, and reading everything he can get his hands on. He barely eats. He doesn't sleep. He's info dumping about the DRIEST political texts. The gaang are THIS close to holding an intervention or having Toph sit on him until he sleeps.

[sig-fig-counter]

There are no significant figures in this post.

So any math nerd or anyone who studies/teaches math has probably had this type of interaction:

Random person: so what do you do?

Mathematician: I study/work with/teach math.

Random person: Oh I HATE math.

And I, my fellow nerds, have found the perfect response: You hate math? You think you even know what math is? Have you ever had to prove that numbers are real? Or that shapes exist?? Have you ever had to sit in a topology class listening to a professor and watching the students literally lose their minds??? You haven't? Then stfu, I donzt wanna hear you say a word about math.

[reasonsforhope]

"Twenty million trees will be planted and 2,500 hectares (6,178 acres) of new woodland created in the west of England as part of a "national forest" drive, the government has announced.

The Western Forest will be made up of new and existing woodlands across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, the Cotswolds and the Mendips as well as in urban areas such as Bristol, Swindon and Gloucester.

It will be the first of three new national forests promised by the government to help meet a legally-binding target of achieving 16.5% woodland cover in England by 2050.

However, with only 10% cover achieved so far, environmental groups have warned much more needs to be done to meet tree-planting targets.

The most recent research shows the total area of woodland across the whole of the UK is currently estimated to be 3.28m hectares.

That represents 13% of the total land area of the UK but in England just 10% is woodland.

Across the UK, the aim is for 30,000 hectares of woodland to be planted every year.

The latest annual figures show about 21,000 hectares were planted, with the vast majority in Scotland and just 5,500 hectares in England.

Andy Egan, head of conservation policy at the Woodland Trust, said there had been "significant progress" on tree planting but that there was still "much more to do" to meet the UK's targets.

He said maintaining government funding was essential.

"Successful tree planting and ongoing management needs long-term grant support," he said.

Alex Stone, chief executive of the Forest of Avon Trust, which leads the partnership behind the Western Forest project, said there were some areas in the region that currently had only 7% of land covered by trees.

"This is about bringing those areas up so we have trees where we really need them," she said.

"What we are aiming to do with the Western Forest is get to 20% of canopy cover by 2050 and, in five priority areas, we are looking at getting above 30%."

The scheme will particularly target urban areas, including Bristol, Swindon and Gloucester.

The government said it would be putting £7.5m of public money into the forest over the next five years.

It said the project would not only help the UK's drive to net zero but would also promote economic growth and create jobs in the region.

Mary Creagh, minister for nature, said she hoped the Western Forest would also "make a huge difference" to water quality, flood resilience and to wildlife as well as bringing nature "closer to people" in the region.

But she conceded there was much more to do in order to hit England's national tree-planting target.

"I am absolutely confident that we can get to where we need to get to," she said.

"Projects like this give me hope and confidence that, with everybody pulling together, working with the public sector and the private sector, we can do it." ...

The Western Forest is the first new national forest to be designated in England in 30 years, following the creation of the original National Forest across Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, where 9.8m trees have been planted."

-via BBC, March 20, 2025

[frickingnerd]

shoto todoroki having a crush

pairing: shoto todoroki x gn!reader

tags: very sweet & wholesome fluff, inexperienced & oblivious shoto, confession (shoto to reader), supportive friends

shoto is going to be a little bit confused about his feelings for you at first

he really likes you! he definitely likes you more than he likes midoriya or momo or any of his other friends

but he's never been in love before and he isn't sure if what he's feeling is how love is supposed to feel like

he's probably going to do some research on his own, before he talks to his friends about it

he's going to watch youtube videos like "10 signs you are in love" or "how to talk to your crush" to get a better idea

once he thinks he figured everything out, he starts to tell his friends about his feelings for you, asking them for advice how to confess to you

the poor guy has zero dating experience, despite tons of girls actively crushing on him–

izuku and the others are going to try to help shoto out with you. they'll set the two up for situation where you are alone and they'll tell him what to say or do to win you over

every time he's about to talk to you, they are hyping him up and encouraging him to finally confess to you!

shoto isn't particularly shy to talk to you, he is just unsure if he's saying or doing the right thing

he decides that the best way to confess to you is to do it the classic way: 

he'll put a letter in your locker, asking you to meet him behind the school by the end of the day

he'll wait there for you, with either a single flower or a small box of chocolate that he bought the day before

he doesn't want it to be anything big, otherwise you would noticed it right away behind his back–

once you arrive there, he finally confesses to you

he'll tell you when he fell for you, what made him fall for you and by the end of it all, he'll ask you to be his significant other…

[gliphyartfan]

Diversity among hylians seems to be very low, so I ask you to please headcanons of the chain with a human reader who has vitiligo and maybee heterochromia. Please, please, that's all I need!

Ah, that’s true! Hylians, for all their magic and divine connections, lack a lot of the diversity that humans have. (Even if they have the funkiest hairstyles at times)

I guess at first, they don’t get it.

They’ve certainly never seen anything like it before.

The patches of lighter skin standing out against their natural tone? The two different colored eyes? It’s so far outside of normal Hylian traits that they’re just staring the first time they meet Reader.

Not in a bad way! They’re just so confused but the differences. (They adjust as they always do.)

Wind is the first to ask. (Zero filter after all)

Blunt as always he goes “Did you get cursed?”

(Cue Warriors smacking him upside the head.)

And Reader would laugh, though and reapond. “Nope. It’s just how I was born.”

Sky would be tilting his heads and say “Wait, it’s natural?”

Hyrule is quietly intrigued. (Half fae boy is kinda obsessed.)

He’d be like “So you were just… blessed with two different eye colors? And patterns on your skin?”

And Reader would be like “Blessed?” They’d snort. “I wouldn’t call it that.”

But Hyrule would.

(He probably ends up fully convinced that Readwr is some sort of celestial being that’s just pretending to be human.)

Twilight (when everyone is way more comfortable with each other) actually reaches out to touch your skin. (With permission, of course.)

The difference in texture is interesting to him. It’s not really different from the rest of Reader’s skin, but the contrast is so mesmerizing.

“Does it… change?”

“Sometimes,” They’d shrug. “Spreads a little, but nothing crazy.”

Twilight wouod be so fascinated. His own markings only appeared when he used the Shadow Crystal, so seeing someone with permanent ones they were born with is something else.

Sky thinks they’re literally kissed by the heavens.

No, really.

He genuinely believes that their skin is like clouds drifting across the sky.

He gets so poetic about it, too. “It’s like the sky at dawn… patches of light breaking through the darkness.”

Legend: “You’re making it weird.”

Sky: “I’m appreciating the beauty of nature, shut up.” (Which I personally wouod find funny)

As for heterochromia I thiiiink, Warriors and Legend notice it first.

Warriors, because he’s trained to pick up details.

Legend, because he’s just perceptive as hell. (Not that the others arent but I think everyone is heavily distracted by the vitiligo.)

Legend would go “Wait, were your eyes always different colors?”

“Uh. Yeah?”

Cue them both narrowing their eyes like they’re trying to figure out if Reader’s messing with them.

Wind and Wild immediately love it.

“Whoa! That’s so cool!”

“Can you see differently out of each eye?”

“Do things look different?”

(Reader has to physically stop them from shining a lantern in your face to ‘check.’)

Time kinda thinks it’s an omen.

…Not in a bad way, necessarily, but in the way that his gut tells him you’re important.

Like… by that point Reader was already significant to them, but this just adds to it.

He’s seen plenty of strange things in his time, but a mortal with two different eyes? That’s has to mean something ya know?

Four is intrigued from a more analytical standpoint.

Four: “So, you were born with this?”

Reader: “Yep.”

Four: “It doesn’t affect your vision?”

Reader: “Nope.”

Four: “Fascinating.”

(He will absolutely study their eyes in different lighting, making notes to compare them.)

All in all, they adore it. (And it is inevitable that creeps and weirdos will try to nab such a unique beauty when they go era hopping so it ends up with them being a biiit over protective with Reader. But hey! Stories to tell friends over drinks eh?)

[sig-fig-counter]

There are no significant figures in this post.

Just had a realization as I try to fall asleep:

I always held out that it's 'Sig Figs' because it's sorry for 'significant figures.' But it's Fig and the Cig Figs because she's being rebellious and so 'significant' is spelled with a 'c.'

It makes sense to me now.

[the-scientist-blog]

President Trump’s relationship with climate change policy has been highly controversial and has drawn a significant amount of attention from politicians, environmentalists, and global leaders. While it is true that Trump has been a vocal skeptic of climate change science and has historically supported policies that many believe undermine global climate efforts, the assertion that he would "stop" the progress on climate change entirely is more complicated. There are several factors to consider that illustrate why it is unlikely that Donald Trump will be able to halt the progress on climate change entirely, even with policies that prioritize fossil fuel industries, deregulation, and skepticism towards international climate accords.

1. Global Movements and Public Opinion

One of the primary forces that will prevent Trump from halting climate progress is the widespread global movement in other nations in favor of addressing climate change. Over the past few decades, public awareness and concern over environmental degradation, the rise of extreme weather events, and the growing scientific consensus on climate change have catalyzed action at various levels. Even during Trump's tenure as president, the shift towards climate activism grew, with international agreements such as the Paris Agreement, corporate initiatives, and grassroots environmental movements gaining momentum.

Public opinion, especially in democracies, plays a significant role in shaping policy. In the United States, the majority of Americans support climate action, including a strong preference for clean energy and renewable resources. Despite Trump’s rhetoric, various cities, states, and businesses in the U.S. have continued to prioritize climate goals. For instance, states like California have implemented ambitious climate policies, such as transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2045. Furthermore, a growing number of corporations have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions. The private sector’s movement towards sustainability, driven by consumer demand, investor pressure, and increasing environmental risks, represents a substantial force for climate action that extends beyond the federal government.

Even if Trump were to reverse or dismantle federal climate policies, the local and private sector commitments would likely remain largely unaffected. These bottom-up efforts represent a powerful counterbalance to federal inaction and are likely to continue advancing the fight against climate change regardless of the administration in power.

2. Economic Shift Toward Clean Energy

While Trump has been a staunch advocate for coal, oil, and gas, the global economic shift toward renewable energy is undeniable. The cost of renewable technologies, such as solar and wind power, has drastically decreased over the last decade. This economic shift makes clean energy an increasingly competitive and attractive option for both developed and developing countries. By 2025, it is estimated that the cost of solar energy will continue to fall, making it even more affordable and mainstream.

The renewable energy sector has seen significant growth in its employment. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), more than 11 million people worldwide were employed in the renewable energy industry by 2021, a figure that is expected to continue rising as nations transition away from fossil fuels. The growth of renewable energy markets is increasingly detached from political agendas, driven by technological innovation and economic pragmatism. Regardless of Trump’s policies, these forces are already in motion and will likely continue to expand, creating jobs, boosting economies, and driving global progress on climate change.

Additionally, as the consequences of climate change, such as extreme weather events, wildfires, and rising sea levels, continue to threaten communities and industries, the push for sustainable infrastructure and resilient urban planning grows. The cost of inaction will continue to drive investments in climate adaptation and mitigation technologies, further fueling the global transition to cleaner energy systems.

3. International Cooperation and Climate Diplomacy

Even during Trump’s presidency, when the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017, international cooperation on climate change continued unabated. While the U.S. decision to exit the accord was a blow, it did not signal the end of global climate diplomacy. Many world leaders and climate organizations pushed forward with ambitious plans for carbon reduction, renewable energy investments, and international collaboration. The European Union, China, and India, as well as other nations, have made strides in combating climate change through national policies and international agreements.

Trump’s reluctance to engage with the Paris Agreement, as well as his opposition to climate-focused international cooperation, did not isolate the U.S. from the global conversation on climate change. The U.S. remained a key player in many climate-related issues at the local, corporate, and state levels, even if the federal government under Trump was less cooperative.

4. Technological Innovation and Climate Solutions

The energy sector, which has traditionally relied on fossil fuels, is undergoing a profound transformation. Advances in battery technology, electric vehicles, and green hydrogen are already making renewable energy more feasible for widespread use. As technology continues to develop, renewable energy solutions will become more efficient, less expensive, and more scalable.

Furthermore, the global push for climate action will continue to stimulate innovation. Even if Trump were to curtail government funding for green technology, private investment in clean energy and sustainability is projected to increase. Major companies are making significant strides to reduce their carbon footprints, from Google’s goal of running on 100% renewable energy to Tesla’s push for mass adoption of electric vehicles. Corporate pressure and consumer demand will continue to drive innovation and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, limiting the potential for any one individual, including Trump, to stop the progress on climate change.

5. The Resilience of Local and State-Level Action

Despite the Trump administration’s rollback of federal climate policies, local and state governments in the U.S. have continued to push forward with their climate initiatives. States like California, New York, and Washington have continued to prioritize climate action, passing laws that mandate emission reductions, promote renewable energy development, and require climate adaptation strategies.

This decentralized approach to climate action ensures that the United States remains a significant actor in the global effort to combat climate change. Even if Trump were to reintroduce policies that weaken federal regulations, states and cities would likely continue their push for climate policies in line with the global scientific consensus. This “bottom-up” approach is a vital counterbalance to the federal government’s actions and is indicative of a broader commitment to addressing climate change that transcends individual political figures.

Read the Conclusion at https://www.thescientistblog.com/blog/you-cant-stop-destiny

[lotusarchon]

I heard you write for POC? Could you write some sfw and nsfw headcanons of wukong reacting to the reader wearing waist beads, I don't think waist beads is very common in china so maybe it's his first time seeing them?

back to the kitty cause she's kinda pretty (sun wukong x reader)

content warnings: female reader, second pov (you/your), info gathered from wikipedia so may not be accurate completely, reader is of african descent (trini specifically because yes 🇹🇹), fluffy headcanons, sun wukong being curious as ever, nsfw headcanons, minors + ageless blogs DNI, gentle sex, p in v, cowgirl position, mild breeding kink

author's notes: okay so imma bfr right: this is the first time I've genuinely heard of waist beads, like ever, so Wukong here is a reflection of my own surprise and interest too

SFW;

𐙚 I can personally see Wukong being genuinely intrigued when you bring them up the first time. Mind you, he's never been beyond China and while he has borderline visited India on occasion, that really is about the limit he's done on traveling with his free time. So, naturally, his interest is piqued when you mention them.

𐙚 Wukong's the type of guy to ask you a lot of questions when curious. Though you haven't shown him the waist beads due to cultural reasons, he asks you a lot of questions, like what are their purpose, what do the symbolize, how are they made, etc. It's a good thing he has an amazing memory, but you have to pray he gives you a break between questions. (Which, knowing Wukong, might genuinely be never.)

𐙚 He gives you such a puppy eyed stare to see those waist beads 🥺 please show him, he's just so curious, and you love him, don't you? Don't you wanna show him your pretty waist beads? Pretty please?

𐙚 Dear god he's practically in awe. He wants to touch them so bad―he finds the uniqueness of the chosen gems and your favorite seashells handcrafted by your mother to be gorgeous. The way they settle against your skin and rustle when you move, gods he just wants to touch so bad, but at the same time, he respects you and wouldn't do anything that might make you sad.

𐙚 Consider him surprised when he finds out that in some cultures, the waist beads are intended to be seen only by your significant other. When you confirm he's the first, he is thrilled. To know that you trust him enough to show him…dear god this man is jumping up and down with utter glee. He is not shutting up about it and might also beat up anyone that asks to see it.

𐙚 If it was possible, Wukong would beg you to let him wear one too. He finds them cute and even aesthetically appealing, especially knowing that you don't need them to be all fancy looking or rich. Too bad he's not a girl…

NSFW;

𐙚 Watch him go from sad he can't wear one to intrigued when he finds out in (Igbo) culture, not only does a groom have to give his bride a Mgbájí (waist beads) to ensure her attire is complete, but it's pleasing to watch as the bride dances to her new husband.

𐙚 Well, you know Wukong. Till death till you both part, and he has zero intention of parting with you. You're both practically married at this, point, so wouldn't you love him enough to put on a dance for him, as good wife should?

𐙚 Of course, if you didn't want too, he wouldn't have forced you, but when you wholeheartedly agreed with his request, Wukong thought his dick was gonna bust through his pants.

𐙚 The way the beads looked against your dancing figure, your alluring smile…gah, did he mention how much he loves you? Because, he does, and once you're within grabbing distance he yanks you forward and smooches you so hard.

𐙚 Don't expect to have those waist beads removed, oh hell no. Wukong insists you keep them on, and while he strips you bare, he ensures they're not even hurt by his actions. He wants to see them on your body while he fucks you.

𐙚 His cock literally throbs inside you while you ride him, and the shift of your waist beads while his hands squeeze your ass and your arms are wrapped around his neck are enough to send him over the edge. It genuinely takes a lot for him not to just bend you over right then and there, because he likes watching the beads shift against your body while you bounce on him.

𐙚 Maybe it's your imagination, but you swear he mutters something about knocking you up? And getting you another pair of waist beads to match the one you were gifted with from your mother? Something about you being so utterly divine in this moment, the idea of stuffing you to the brim with his cum and having you as his wife forever and ever..?

𐙚 Long story short, Wukong gives you a baby and keeps his word about granting you another pair of waist beads with pretty flower seeds and shells. Yay.

@lotusarchon, 26.11.2024, all rights reserved. do not copy, repost or translate my works without permission. likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated!!

[taylorklosscomeout138]

Do you really wanna know where Taylor was April 29th??

I'll give you a hint: Not with Joe Alwyn

On April 29th 2020 Joe Alwyn made multiple insta story posts from Taylor's house including pictures of himself and Taylor's cat Benjamin Button. But there was zero proof posted that Taylor was actually with him.

This was in attempt to convince fans that him and Taylor were quarantining together

However.....

Someone else also posted this day,

Implying that Taylor was in fact not at home with Joe, but instead she was quarantining with Karlie having Kookies for breakfast

Some fans speculate that the lyric in High Infidelity "Do you really want to know where I was April 29th?" was written about this exact date as the song reflects on her being dishonest about being somewhere else and implies that most listeners wouldn't like it if they knew the truth about where she really was, more specifically, who she was really with; Karlie Kloss.

2 weeks later from April 29th 2020, Taylor made her own little baking post, this time posting cinnamon buns inside an oven with the caption

"When you're proud of your buns"

It is important to note three things:

1. "Bun in the oven" is code for pregnancy

2. Two months after this post, Taylor released Kardigan featuring the lyric "dancing in your Levis"

3. About 9 months after this post, Karlie's son was born and he was named Levi

Do with that what you will but if Karlie was implying Taylor was quarantining with her in 2020, then when Taylor made that buns post she would still have been staying with Karlie

Some other major evidence:

- 1 month before Levi was born Taylor released a Cowboy Like Me hat and for the first time started calling them "dad hats"

(Yes that is a type of hat but she had not previously labeled them as dad hats before like she continues to now to this day)

- More strikingly, post Levi being born in 2021, for the first major time ever Taylor released Mother's Day merch

It can be logically concluded that just like any other WLW/MLM couple, so long as Taylor and Karlie actually were still in a relationship together in 2021, that she would be a parental figure regardless of any other factors.

I believe this is specifically why the time around April 29th 2020 had so much significance to her, because they already had their big plans and that is why Joe had to do his part and cover up the narrative with a stunt that he was "with Taylor"

In 2023 we got this dad hat with a very interesting choice of design.........

The way the S swirls into the T creates the body of the letter K. This is very reminiscent of how Karlie's love lock is a K that is also not completed so that it is a T at the same time.

And I'll just conclude with one of the most blatant things Karlie did that also proved that she wanted Kaylors to know it's true......

In 2024 Karlie posted Levi in a "Kith" hat... and at the time if you simply googled "Kith", it came up with the result "TaylorMade"

Which is because TaylorMade is a golfing company that had just launched a collab with Kith in 2024 when Karlie posted this.

Kith is also New York City based btw...

[prahelika]

let's get into it. the most incoherent and nonsensical rant of all time ig.

the symbolism of the Knife (™) in Mission Impossible

our first introduction to the knife comes all the way back in MI1. It's used to kill sarah - ethan finds it lodged in her body. It's interesting that sarah's body is the only one ethan ever sees with his own eyes - it makes the horrifying events of the night real. once confronted with the body of his friend, ethan can no longer consider this a bad dream or a delusion. it's real, his friends are dead, he has nowhere to go, the authorities are after him.

so the first role the knife plays signifies ethan's loss of innocence. (bear with me, this is going to make sense in a minute. or not.)

next time we see the knife, it's in the hands of franz krieger. he's a secondary antagonist; his role is to provide a clue to ethan as to which side he's on, and die messily at the end. it's here that ethan recognises the weapon in his hands, and starts to put the pieces together. (krieger has the knife that killed sarah + krieger was brought to the team by claire = something fishy is up.)

the most significant scene with the knife is, of course, when krieger tries to kill a person with it and ethan stops him. it should be noted that, upto this point, the audience doesn't really know shit about ethan's moral alignment. is he looking for revenge? is he looking for a way to clear his name, and nothing else? is he even a good person, worth rooting for beyond the fact that his friends are dead? who knows?

until this scene. "zero body count." it immediately establishes ethan as a person who is unwilling to sacrifice even a single life, no matter what. It may be argued that it would be justified for a spy to kill in this specific circumstance (1. ethan needs to clear his name 2. the NOC list needs to be taken for ethan to figure out what is going on) but he. doesn't. I don't think ethan directly kills a single person in the film.

the point here is that the knife, previously shown as something that is meant to destroy ethan's character, is then used to build his character up instead, showing him as somebody who's morally good even in the worst circumstances of his life.

now, we can fiiiiiinally come to MI8.

a role played by the knife in the first film was also to destroy the life of william donloe, the guy supposed to guard the NOC list. it gets him sent to a far-flung corner of the world for the rest of his life. wow, bet he's pretty pissed at ethan, right?

wrong. he's found a new life for himself with a wife he loves very much. he thanks ethan for giving him a life he's proud of. the knife that was supposed to be the end of his life was actually the beginning. (cheesy af but words not wording rn. sory.) he's a major player in the endgame, and he gets to survive along with his wife.

now! the last use of the knife. unless I'm very, very, very mistaken (in which case I will delete my entire blog), it is used by paris for the emergency surgery in the doomsday vault to save benji. and i. just. does anything really need to be said about that. the knife used to kill ethan's friend now being used to save ethan's friend.

the point of this whole post!!!! was to emphasise the fact that the knife always, always signifies turning a bad situation into a good one. it's a representation of ethan (mr. Impossible Mission) managing to flip the script everytime and make the absolute best of the suckiest situations he gets into.

tldr: the knife is a metaphor for the soul of mission impossible which describes how the man's greatest strengths stand out in his worst moments. "you use a scalpel, i prefer a hammer" wrong, angela basset, ma'am. they use a knife.

also if you made it to the end. you are now my friend without introduction. have a picture of peak eye candy ethan hunt and the unholy spirit that guides him.

[dreamchasernina]

The live action writers hate Aang

I have given myself a lot of time to think about the live action, and reached the conclusion that the writers hate Aang. I dare you to read read this and tell me I'm wrong.

Let me start this by asking you a question? What's the most badass scene Aang has in the first season of the OG show? No matter what you answer is, I know for sure, that scene doesn't exist in the live action. Aang does absolutely nothing to prove the audience he is the right person to be the Avatar, he learns absolutely nothing throughout the show, he doesn't need to look into himself and change his way of thinking. Nothing. Most of the fundamental lessons Aang learns throughout the first season are gone.

The first mistake Aang does in the OG is staying at Kyoshi island too long, letting the attention go to his head, getting too comfortable. He realises he brought destruction to the island and tries to fix his mistakes by jumping onto the Unagi to help the village. That's how he learned the responsibly he holds as the Avatar and finds a unique way to help the village. Well that doesn't exist in the LA. Instead, Kyoshi takes over Aang's body to fight the whole fire nation for him. Aang, himself, does literally nothing.

The spirit world. In the OG show Aang is forced to face his Avatar duty for the first time by trying to save the village that's beeing attacked by Hei Bai. This is his first test as the Avatar and he fails. Not only that, he loses his friend. So Aang has to figure out himself how to get Sokka back from Hei Bai. He figures out who her bai is, himself, understands why Hei Bai is angry and gives him hope, the way Katara gave him hope. So we see that even though Aang failed at first, he kept trying and was smart and compassionate enough to realise what the problem is and solve it. This does not exist in the LA. Aang sees Hei bai in the spirit world, within a second realises who he is and just gives him the Acorn, without having to face him at all!

Another reason I'm convinced the writers hate Aang is the way all the avatars + Bumi treat Aang. Everyone is mad at him for disappearing for 100 years. And look, I get that, you can be mad at him if he ran away from his duties...but he never did! He went to clear his head on Appa and got caught in the storm. And if he hadn't run away he'd be dead, so why are you all so mad at him?! Bumi being mad at Aang could make sense, because in the OG show Aang did spend a significant amount on time of goofing around before he finds out about the comet. But here, it makes no sense! Bumi is mad for no reason. As soon as Aang got out go the ice he took his duty seriously, so please, make it make sense! And the show just glosses over the fact that if Aang hadn't run away he would be dead with the rest of the air benders. Instead of letting Aang feel guilty himself, which he does in the OG show, they just get these characters to hate on him, because they're incapable of making their characters have any emotional depth.

Aang doesn't learn water bending. At all. And there is no logical reason for that. I guess they thought it wasn't that important but please explain to me how you want to make Aang more serious and focused on the Avatar duties but not make him learn water bending? The literal next step Aang has to take to becoming the Avatar?? That is the only clear goal Aang has from the second episode of the show - to find a master and learn waterbending! Make it make sense!

Taking away Aang's talk with Koh. So I assume if most people didn't answer my question above with the Koi fish, they probably said Aang's journey into the spirit world and his meeting with Koh. In the OG show, Aang has to find a way to figure out how to save the water tribe. He does so by going into the spirit world and talking to Koh the face stealer. So Aang had to talk to Koh showing zero emotions so he doesn't have his face stolen. That scene is so creepy and so badass and shows that Aang is really capable, even though he is a kid, he is facing the creepy ass spirit and is doing an excellent job. So when Aang finds out who the moon and the ocean spirits are, it feels deserved, it feels like an accomplishment. In the live action he doesn't have to show zero emotions because Koh is not stealing faces, he's just stealing random people for whatever reason. Koh tells him exactly what to do, bring me a MacGuffin so I can release your friends, Aang just goes to see Roku, no problem, no obstacles to overcome, brings the Macguffin to Koh and he just releases his friends. Wow, really shows us how resourceful Aang is by making him...get an object and give it back to Koh...

And the very last point that I absolutely hated in the show. When Aang goes into the Avatar state and becomes the giant koi fish and wipes everyone out, the live action show goes out of its way to emphasise that that is not Aang in there. Aang is gone. The Koi fish is just rage. and that's that. Taking away ANY agency Aang ever had. Look, I know in the OG show Aang is not in control of the Avatar state either, but we know that's still Aang in there, that's his power he's showcasing. He might not be in control but that's him doing it all, being all powerful. But in the live action, they tell us Aang is gone, that's just his body the spirit is using. Plus Aang does no watebending himself, no gestures like the original where you can see aang in the sphere water bending, controlling the giant Koi fish, showing us how far he's come as a water bender. But in the LA he's just in the sphere...doing nothing because he never learned water bending so of course that's not him doing all this cool shit.

I am so angry over all of this. This is you MAIN PROTAGONIST. and you made him nothing but a vessel to progress the plot. You gave him no character, no growth, no struggles, no power! So no, you cannot convince me, at this point, that the writers of the live action don't hate Aang. Probably as much as they hate Katara.

[kendrysaneela]

Character Guide to the Throuple Boat Show (aka Doctor Odyssey)

I figured I would make a character guide for anyone new to the boat throuple show (AKA Doctor Odyssey) or people who are thinking about watching.

Let’s start with the throuple (ship name Ody3)

Avery Morgan:

Sexuality: Polyamorous and fandom headcanon as bisexual

Only one in the throuple in custody of the brain cell 24/7

Is an NP on ship she has 8 years of schooling

Initiated their first threesome

First one to bring up being a throuple to the boys

Made out with both boys in the first two episodes

Most opinionated woman in the world but not in a bad way in a funny way

Easily jealous but never admits her jealousy

Has worked with Tristan for three years

Had an ex husband who she knew since kindergarten who cheated on her with her best friend and the best friend and the ex husband have triplets now. Has very negative views on committed relationships and monogamy because of this.

Had to have her appendix removed by Max and Tristan in the middle of a hurricane on the cruise ship while it was rocking back and forth severely at one point Max had to brace himself with his feet on the wall.

Wants to perform because she wants to feel joy and be bold

Queer lingo she identifies as during Gay Week: Femme

(Yes Gay Week is literally one of the themes of the week and they all do a queer lingo quiz beforehand to ensure they are all up to date and all state what they are yes this was a real scene)

Tristan Silva:

Sexuality: Unconfirmed but fandom headcanon as bisexual

Shares custody of the brain cell with Max

Is a Nurse on the ship

Mommy issues

Also jealous easily

Very emotionally intelligent

First one to bring up the idea of wanting to have a threesome. Not with the three of them just in general.

Is the first one to accept Avery’s invitation to have a threesome when she initiates

Has been in love with Avery for years

Sunshine personified

Has worked on other cruise ships before the Odyssey

Favorite food is chicken tikka masala crisps (this is significant I promise)

Enjoys the male attention from all the gay men during Gay Week

Part of the weekly boys,butches and bis poker game

(Yes there is a canon weekly poker game named boys,butches and bis)

Queer lingo he identifies as during Gay Week: Twunk

Max Bankman:

Sexuality: Unconfirmed but fandom headcanon as bisexual

Ship’s doctor

Shared custody of the brain cell with Tristan. Tristan has the brain cell more often

Incredibly repressed in every way

Not good with emotions outside of doctoring

Third to join threesome

The Ody3 threesome is the second threesome he has had in his life

Was patient zero for COVID in Connecticut in 2020 (yes really that is actually his backstory)

Makes out with Avery in the pilot right in front of Tristan right after Tristan tells him he’s in love with her.

Watches from afar as Tristan and Avery kiss literally the next episode

Says he wants monogamy but flirts with basically everyone

Obsessed with rubber ducky pollution

In the pilot while they were operating on a man’s broken penis Max, unprompted, told Tristan and Avery he has a big dick that he broke sophomore year of college

Doesn’t go to adventure makes adventure come to him.

Part of the weekly butches,boys and bis poker game

Queer Lingo he Identifies as during Gay Week: Everyone calls him Daddy but he says he’s a jock. Everybody tells him that’s not a thing and he is indeed a Daddy.

Captain Robert Massey:

Sexuality: Straight but a big queer ally always willing to learn

Captain of the ship

Has a gay polyamorous younger brother (played by John Stamos)

Knows lots of gay lingo willing to be quizzed on it

Seemingly an Ody3 shipper

Queer Lingo he Identifies as during Gay Week: Silver Fox

Rosie:

Sexuality: Lesbian

Chief Engineer of the ship

Doesn’t understand climate change

Lesbian/Bisexual solidarity with Corey

Is part of the weekly Boys,Butches and Bis Poker Game

Queer Lingo she Identifies as during Gay Week: Masc

Corey:

Sexuality: Bisexual

Head of Housekeeping

Always down for partying

Lesbian/Bisexual solidarity with Rosie

Is part of the weekly Boys,Butches and Bis Poker Game

Queer Lingo he Identifies as during Gay Week: Twink

Spencer Monroe:

Sexuality: Unknown

First Officer of the ship

Accidentally ate saltwater taffy with psilocybin in the middle of a hurricane once (not his fault he thought it was just normal saltwater taffy)

Part of the weekly boys,butches and bis poker game

Has a vibe with Tristan he can join Ody3 too if he wants

Vivian Montgomery:

Sexuality: Unknown

Chef on the ship

First came on during a Wellness episode where her whole thing was making raw food

She said she didn’t actually like making raw food so the ship hired her to make food she could actually cook

Has also kissed Tristan. Avery is jealous about it. (I would not be disappointed if she made Ody3 Ody4 instead.)

[prokopetz]

Code Green

A game for 3–7 players, about being where you're not supposed to be.

Last night, you were suspended in a tube of brightly coloured goo in an underground research facility, operated by an organisation whose three-letter initialism's meaning is strictly need-to-know. This morning, someone noticed your tube was empty. Nobody has determined how that happened yet, and you're not inclined to stick around until they figure it out!

Or, in other words, it's been nearly a whole week since I got that massive revision to Space Gerbils out the door, and apparently my brain has decided that's enough of a break. This thing was written start to finish in under 12 hours, so let the circumstances of its authorship guide your expectations. Special thanks go once again to Caro Asercion, whose micro-RPG Dwindle introduced me to the design space I'm fucking around with here. Go buy their stuff.

Anyway:

What You'll Need

Code Green is a tabletop RPG for one game moderator (GM) and up to six players. Each player will need a copy of the Profile Grid, below, as well as three tokens of some sort: dice, coins, beads, etc. You'll also need at least five six-sided dice (for the whole group, not per player, though it's fine if each player has their own set). If you're using dice for tokens, it's recommended that the dice you plan to roll be visually distinguishable in case they land on someone's Profile Grid.

Rolling Dice

There are two ways you'll be asked to roll dice in this game: rolling d66, and rolling a dice pool.

To roll d66, roll a six-side die twice, reading the first roll as the "tens" place and the second roll as the "ones" place, yielding a number in the range from 11 to 66. For example, if you rolled a 3 and then a 5, your result is 35. You may also be asked to flip a d66 roll; to do this, take your result and swap the digits without re-rolling. In the preceding example, if you flipped your roll of 35, your new result would be 53.

To roll a dice pool, pick up the indicated number of six-side dice, roll them, and take the highest individual result. Duplicates have no special significance. For example, if you rolled a pool of three dice and got a 2, a 4, and a 4, your result would be 4. If you would ever roll a pool of zero or fewer dice, roll two dice and take the lowest instead.

Character Creation

Each player should create their own character. There are three things about your character which are always true:

You are newly born into the world. You may know things about the world (e.g., from your programming, having read them on a computer terminal, etc.), but you haven't experienced them.

You are implausibly good at remaining inconspicuous; unless you're deliberately drawing attention or doing something which requires a dice roll, humans will almost always fail to spot you.

You are not human. You can decide what that means.

To find out what else is true about your character, roll or choose three times from the Form table, and three times from the Function table, placing your results into the correspondingly labelled slots on the Profile Grid, below, in any order you please. Your three results from each table should be different; if you elected to roll and get the same entry multiple times, flip your result, and re-roll if it's still a duplicate.

Think about what your three Form traits and three Function traits imply about your character's physical makeup, but don't set anything in stone just yet – you'll see why not in a moment.

Finally, roll a six-sided die five times, and record the results in the order in which they're received. The resulting five-digit number is the only name your character has when play begins.

Table 1: Form (d66)

11–12. Blood 13–14. Bones 15–16. Brain 21–22. Claws 23–24. Ears 25–26. Eyes 31–32. Guts 33–34. Hands 35–36. Heart 41–42. Hair 43–44. Legs 45–46. Lungs 51–52. Nose 53–54. Skin 55–56. Tail 61–62. Teeth 63–64. Tongue 65–66. Wings

Table 2: Function (d66)

11–12. Accelerated 13–14. Autonomous 15–16. Auxiliary 21–22. Cryogenic 23–24. Cryptic 25–26. Elastic 31–32. Electric 33–34. Entropic 35–36. Invasive 41–42. Invulnerable 43–44. Kinetic 45–46. Magnetic 51–52. Phasing 53–54. Polymorphic 55–56. Projectile 61–62. Pyrogenic 63–64. Telescopic 65–66. Toxic

Playing the Game

Play proceeds in a series of scenes. In each scene, the GM will set the stage: a challenge to overcome, a peril to escape, a mystery to investigate, etc. Given the nature of your characters, most things will be mysteries to you!

Initial Token Placement

Once the stage has been set, place each of your three tokens on a different square on your Profile Grid. If you have no preference, you can roll d66 for each token and place it in the square whose marked numeric range contains the number you rolled, flipping or re-rolling your result if you get a square which already contains a token. The placement of these tokens represents your initial state when the scene opens. Depending on the nature of your character, this may be reflected by a shifting of internal focus, or by a physical transformation.

Participation

To participate in the scene, simply tell the GM what your character does; the GM will describe how the world responds, and ask what you do next. Whenever you wish – or are forced – to do something more than lurk and observe, you are obliged to make a test.

Making Tests

To make a test, first choose a pair of traits – one Form trait, and one Function trait – with which to face the challenge. For example, if your Form traits are Legs, Tail and Teeth, and your Function traits are Cryptic, Invulnerable and Phasing, you might test your Invulnerable Legs against the trouble at hand.

Next, count the number of tokens present in the rows extending from each of the chosen traits. The illustration below shows which squares would be consulted in the preceding example:

Next, roll a dice pool containing a number of dice equal to the number of tokens present on squares extending from the chosen traits. Do not count a token twice if it's on the square where the two traits intersect (e.g., the green square in the illustration above). In the event that no tokens fall on squares extending from appropriate traits, remember that you are allowed to roll a pool of zero dice by rolling two dice and taking the lowest rather than the highest.

Finally, compare your result to the following table:

1–3. Less than human. Whatever you'd intended to try still happens, but it cannot overcome human opposition (or adversity which would challenge a typical human), and any lasting effects are transitory and easily explained away. 4–5. Mostly human. Your effort can contend with human opposition (or circumstances which would challenge a competent human), and its lasting effects make it obvious that someone (or something) has been interfering with matters. 6. More than human. Your effort easily brushes aside any human opposition, and its lasting effects are impossible to rationalise as anything other than the intervention of inhuman forces.

Without Applicable Traits

In the event that you're forced to make a test and no possible pairing of your traits is applicable, you don't get to roll anything, not even with a pool of zero dice; simply resolve the outcome as though you'd rolled a result of 1–3. Other characters may attempt to preserve you from this fate by assisting you, in which case you roll one die per assisting friend; see below for more details.

Assistance

If you wish to assist another character in making a test, consult your own Profile Grid, considering only those squares which contain tokens. Only the specific pairs of traits represented by the squares on which your tokens fall are eligible for assistance; for example, if one of your tokens falls on the intersection of Cryptic and Teeth, you may assist with Cryptic Teeth, but not any other pair of traits involving Cryptic or Teeth unless those squares also have tokens on them.

If you're able to identify an eligible pair of traits that seems applicable to the test at hand, explain how you're using it to help, and hand the player making the test one extra die. Any number of characters may assist on a given test.

Providing assistance neither requires nor permits your character to adapt (see below) – it needs to be your own test for that!

Adapting

After resolving a test, your character adapts, shifting focus or form to reflect what they've learned. Take one token of your choice from your character sheet, and move it to a different square which doesn't already contain one. You can move any token you wish, but it must end up on a different square than the one it started on unless no valid destinations are available. Adapting is not optional, and must be carried out after every test.

Suffering Strain

If whatever you're making a test against is particularly strenuous or dangerous, you might suffer strain as a consequence. Strain will often be incurred on a result of 1–3, and rarely on a result of 4–5; only the most foolhardy efforts will incur strain even on a result of 6!

To incur strain, roll d66, and place a small X on the square on your Profile Grid whose indicated numeric range contains the number you rolled. If there's a token on that square, immediately move it to an empty square of your choice, unless fewer than three unmarked squares now remain; in that case, simply remove the token entirely.

For the remainder of the scene, tokens may not be moved to any marked square. In addition, if you suffer further strain, and the square indicated by your d66 roll is already marked, your character is incapacitated, and may not participate in tests at all until they recover.

All strain is cleared – and any discarded tokens restored – at the end of each scene. Incapacitated characters also recover at this time.

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

The one thing I want from the Maul show

The trailer for the new Maul show looks fantastic with beautiful animation and some great voice acting. And of course, there's our usual Maul-isms such as he need for revenge and his never ending quest for an apprentice. I do love that Rook points out that he had another vision, which I think is pretty cool for Maul. I love the small details such as the sound of his legs against the metal ramp to the ship. I also love that we're getting an encounter with an inquisitor since in Rebels, his lightsaber is made out of a broken inquisitor blade.

With that said, the one thing I truly hope for are quiet moments where we really get a chance to delve into his inner thoughts. Underneath his quest for vengeance, who is he truly?

Maul is a complex person; while there is no doubt that he's not very moral, he is still very vulnerable, lonely, angry, and has a longing for a companion. The unfortunate reality is that Maul's upbringing has essentially tarnished his interpersonal skills and mind to a point where he struggles to have even the most basic meaningful connection. Savage sure tried the brotherly route and was met with an apprentice-master dynamic. Maul, of course, did care in his own way but has zero concept of healthy relationships other than what was taught to him.

Ezra was a similar situation where there was an offering for companionship (naïveté aside), but Maul still had to go down that master-apprentice route (and try and take out the real master for good measure). When Maul is at his most desperate to hold on to his connection with Ezra, he pleads that they could be like friends, even brothers. Of course, he's still not above using Ezra to get to Obi-Wan.

The point is, Maul continues to be one of Star Wars' most tragic figures: a lonely man who will never find peace with himself or anything in his life even when others try and offer it to him. It's his internal battle that makes him so compelling to me. Maul has to continue a quest that will never satisfy him. He's been offered chances for a better life, but never takes it. And with this new series, I truly hope they will give us more insight into his inner world. Does he still think about Savage? Has he ever considered the self-destructive nature of his quest (tbf, in Rebels he definitely knows imo).

We know that he will be getting a new apprentice, which could be a great opportunity to explore Maul's more tragic and sympathetic side.

It's pretty well known that Maul tends to seek companionship in people he not only sees potential in, but also sees a part of himself. Savage being his brother aside, with Ahsoka, Maul saw someone who had been cast aside, and with Ezra, Maul saw someone who shared his desire to defeat the Sith and avenge those he lost. Maul yearns for that connection and I'm curious so see if this relationship will be different from Ezra or Savage. It will still be master-apprentice, but will the girl be more hesitant to learn like Ezra, open like Savage, or eventually embrace the teachings and kick Maul to the curb? Maybe, just maybe, Maul will have a somewhat positive relationship that isn't just him dominating someone else the whole time. I'm getting off track here, but I really would be curious as to how another apprentice route is going to impact Maul (especially considering how every storyline he's in always includes some sort of master-apprentice dynamic).

Based on the trailer, it appears that Maul has a vision about the Twi'lek girl and offers to train her. It appears that his line about an unfilled destiny is directed at her and he can help her reach that potential. I'd love to see what this vision entails since it has to be pretty significant for Maul to go out of his way to seek her. Perhaps, Maul seeks to help the girl fulfill her "destiny" as a way to soothe his own aching soul considering he feels robbed of destiny.

Thinking back to Clone Wars, I wouldn't be surprised if Maul was haunted by what happened on Mandalore and with Order 66. In Rebels, he does have a portrait of Satine that he destroyed. We know Sidious is the man he fears more than anything. I can imagine he is plagued by nightmares and anger. He lost everything and getting a chance to "restart" with a new apprentice might just be the opportunity he jumps at to find some sense of purpose.

Purpose is another core Maul-ism. This guy literally tunnel visions on like one or two things (destroy Obi-Wan and Sidious) and then makes it everyone else's problem. In fact, part of Maul's tragedy is that he can't see another path for himself other than revenge. It is a result of his upbringing, but what's tragic is that he can't let it go, ever. So much of his pain comes from the fact that he will never be satisfied in life; everything around him fails and he can't even beat one specific Jedi. And for all the pain it's caused him, Maul can't. let. go. Enter a potential apprentice with an "unfulfilled destiny." No doubt Maul will use this to channel his own sense of purpose. I am really interested to see how this theme plays out with the Twi'lek girl and I wonder how much of this "unfulfilled destiny" is coming from her or from Maul.

Remember Ezra? He wanted to defeat the Sith, but it wasn't his number one priority. Maul was the one who influenced that side of him because that's what Maul wanted. He took advantage of a young, naive boy and it led to disaster. I'm curious of the Twi'lek girl's motivation and why she is in Maul's visions. Maybe this girl will give us more insight into Maul's inner world. Will she be someone he truly bonds with (to the extent that he can)? Or is it going to be more closed off as it has always been with Maul? Maul does open up, but the narrative usually is either very skewed or he's just venting.

All and all, I'm just excited to see Maul again. I realize this whole post just went into a ramble about Maul's character but he truly is such a fascinating person. His story is defined by the anger and pain he experiences, he is merciless on his quest for revenge, and yet, we the audience are still asked to feel sympathy for him. We see his vulnerabilities, his pain, his grief, his longing for connection, and over and over again, we see his failure. Maul is a cautionary tale of what happens when you allow revenge and anger to rule your life; it leads to nothingness, something that Obi-Wan echoes to him in Rebels.

It is heartbreaking that Maul only found peace when he died and while he finally realized that Obi-Wan was never his true enemy, that drive for vengeance never left him. Even writing this just makes me want to bundle him up in a blanket and hold him tight. Maul carries so much pain, both with what he has caused and what he has endured.

I hope this new show doesn't disappoint and gives us a new perspective on our favorite Zabrak. If you made it this far, thank you for sticking with this long-winded rant. I was just literally pouring all my Maul feels into this unintentionally. I love Maul so, so much; his story pulls at my heartstrings and his relationship with Obi-Wan is genuinely one of my favorite Star Wars dynamics of all time. I can't wait to see this new, unexplored chapter of Maul's life! (Until then I'm in my Andor brainrot, specifically over the pathetic cereal man).

[aspiringsophrosyne]

The latest teaser confirmed it: the Mighty Nein animated series will draw on material that not only predates episode one of the campaign but at least two characters' respective session zeros. The synopsis for the show also highlights what is most likely the Beacon, suggesting it may get significant emphasis early on.

Because of all this, I think it's possible (even likely) that the first season will NOT end with the events of episode 26, which is where I and many other fans figured it would after the initial announcement.

Instead, as a few fans posited, we could see C2E12 and its consequences serving as the season one finale.

When I first saw posters bringing this idea up, I liked how it sounded. It would give the Mighty Nein much more room to breathe than Vox Machina. I didn't want to believe that could happen, though. I didn't want to get my hopes up.

Now, I am getting my hopes up. Just a little.

Because to get to the Iron Shepherds before the end of season one, the CRew has to hustle. They cannot afford to waste time on any extraneous content. Pre-episode-one material is most welcome but it is extraneous to the Mighty Nein's overall story. It is nothing we can't infer from context.

Incorporating this material implies that the pace will be, at the very least, somewhat slower than TLOVM's pacing has been.

Showing how everyone meets means they can dedicate the rest of the season to Trostenwald, the Gnoll Mine, (Shakäste!) various Zadash hijinks, and then the attack. If paced well, that’s enough for 12 episodes, even without moving some later events (Where The River Goes, Harvest Close, the tournament in Whispers of War, etc.) up in the order, which they could do.

But I could be jumping the gun. It could be the CRew makes the mistake of trying to squeeze pre-session-zero content into an otherwise faithful adaptation of a season that ends at C2E26. Or adding that material but slicing out tons of content from the stream to make that work. We don’t know yet. We can’t.

But, again, the allusion to the Beacon makes little sense unless we have some time to sit with it. Not if it’s in the middle of a season racing towards Glory Run. Travis has said here about TLOVM that they had a limited runway and wanted to be off to the races from the jump. But with the Nein, they want to play around more. We could take that in several different ways, but it sounds promising.

We might get a slower burn with TM9 than with VM. If the first season ends around Midnight Espionage, we might not even see Caleb’s or Molly’s backstories until season 2! And that’s exciting; new watchers will have time to get to know these characters, care about them, and mull over who they could be before the bombs drop. And that’ll be fun to watch.

[awrkive]

tlp extra where one of the surgeons gang catches him admiring tlp OC please 🙏🏽

summary: tlp drabble #2 where taehyung figures jungkook out

w/c: 1.5k

note: instead of an extra heres a Drabble 🤓 the official introduction of taehyung into the surgeons gang study group. timeline is first semester of second year. this got a little angsty in the end but nothing major u'll see angst if u squint. also pls dont judge me if i got some of the technical medical stuff wrong 💔 i was armed with google searches n tiktok 💔

Taehyung can already hear the sound of laughter and your voices slipping through the hallways as he makes his way to Moon’s Print Shop. 

When he enters, he immediately sees the three of you – Doyeon, Jungkook, and you, huddled in the long table, with Doyeon seated across from you and Jungkook who are sitting close together on one side like usual. From where he is at the door, he gets the view of Jungkook circling his arm around the back of your chair, his head leaning down to the side of your direction, listening to you and Doyeon talk. 

“Oh, hey, Taehyung!” You snap your head to the direction of the door when Taehyung enters. The other two follow, greeting him simultaneously while he gives the same back, going straight to the chair available next to Doyeon. 

“We’re doing clinical reasoning. __ here is trying to do it in under three minutes.” Doyeon says, chuckling a little at the end of her sentence.

“Yeah, she’s trying to beat my record.” Jungkook muses beside you, and Taehyung watches as you turn to Jungkook with your bottom lip jutted out, frowning.

“I don’t know how you can do it in a minute. Teach me.” 

Jungkook chuckles, forming crinkles at both sides of his eyes. He lifts his hand – the one that’s not around your chair – to pinch your cheek a little. 

“You gotta study a lot, buddy.” 

“Don’t be cocky,” You say, swatting his arm and turning to Doyeon. “Okay, give me a new case. Jungkook, press record.” 

Doyeon and Taehyung laugh at both your antics. While Taehyung prepares his iPad and books, Doyeon begins to tell you about the patient, reading through a reviewer. 

“Okay, so the patient, a 42-year-old male, presents to the ER with increasing shortness of breath. He’s wheezing and coughing.” Doyeon starts. 

Cocking your head to the side, you ask, “Does he have a history of asthma or any allergies?” When Doyeon says "no", you try again. “Smoking?” She shakes her head. “Okay, well uhm… is his cough dry… or?” 

“Yep. It is dry.” Doyeon nods while looking at the paper. 

“What about the chest X-ray?” 

“Marked hyperinflation.”

“Is the AP diameter also increased?” 

“Yes.” 

“Oh,” Taehyung watches as some sort of enlightenment crosses over your face. With curiosity, he tries to peek at Doyeon’s paper but she immediately puts it down so he can’t see it. She arches her brow at him and he rolls his eyes, sitting upright back on his chair again. He watches you instead, getting invested. “Can you tell me about the ABG report, then?” 

“It’s PaO2 of 63 and PaCO2 of 54.”

“Oh, oh!” You lean towards Doyeon enthusiastically. “So the patient is hypoxic and hypercapniac… what about the spirometry, the FEV1?” 

“Zero point sixty.” 

Taehyung watches as a confused expression paints your face again. “So obstructive in nature…” It takes you awhile to ask another question, and even though Taehyung has only known you for only around a term, he knows that look on your face. You’re beginning to feel anxious now. With a hesitant tone, you cock your head to the side as you ask, “What about the bronchodilator response— is it significant?” 

“No, no.” Doyeon responds immediately. 

You pout. 

That’s when Taehyung sees Jungkook’s face beginning to contort into an expression of concern. 

It makes him arch a brow, but Jungkook’s too busy staring at the side of your face to even notice and question Taehyung about it.

“Okay… let’s go for the CT scan. Was there primarily an upper or lower lobe involved?” 

“Lower lobe, yes.” Doyeon nods.

You subtly look at Jungkook’s phone laying on the table with the timer up, grimacing at whatever you saw. 

Taehyung tears a piece of paper from his notebook and writes, [What is it?], and when he’s done, he slides it to Jungkook’s direction. It does a good job of straying his friend's eyes from you, his attention now to the scratch that Taehyung gave him. 

Jungkook quickly scribbles down something and returns the paper back to Taehyung. 

[Not sure. First impression is COPD. Waiting for blood work up.]

Taehyung’s mouth forms an O-shape upon reading the note, everything suddenly also making sense to him. He’s about to give Jungkook an impressed look but he’s already back to staring at you again, but this time you meet his gaze, and for awhile it’s like you two are communicating in a language he, neither Doyeon, know anything about – and Taehyung suddenly feels as if he’s… third-wheeling. 

The moment is cut short when you suddenly look at Doyeon, voice sounding full again. Confident this time. “Does the blood work up show that there’s deficiency in alpha-1 antitrypsin?”

“Yes.” 

Now there’s a grin on your face, and when Taehyung’s gaze falls back to Jungkook again, he smiles the same time you do. His arm around your chair comes up to pinch your arm, rubbing there softly – subtly – and your grin grows even wider – like his – when you finally tell your final diagnosis. 

“If he's AAT deficient then that's COPD. In his case, specifically, emphysema.” 

"And referral?"

Your excitement feels palpable as you say, "AAT replacement therapy and pulmonary rehab."

“You got it.” Doyeon says, smiling at you. 

“Oh my god,” You look at Jungkook’s phone and your eyes widen. “I did it in two minutes and thirty one seconds.” 

“Yeah,” Jungkook chuckles. He looks down at his phone as well and then gazes back at you. “That was hella good.”

“Right?” You grin, taking in the praise from Doyeon as well. 

“That was really impressive, __.” 

Taehyung throws a compliment, as well. He’s admittedly a bit slow at clinical reasoning – slower than Jungkook and you, at least. 

“That was, wow—” he shakes his head to the side and claps slowly for the theatrics.

The others follow through the silliness and applauds you. Meanwhile, you stand up from the chair and begin to curtsy jokingly, relishing in the exaggerated celebration. 

When you come back to your seat, Jungkook makes sure to scoot your chair closer so you land on it well, and you chuckle as he does so. 

Doyeon probably didn’t catch it as she’s back to reading her notes again, but Taehyung catches Jungkook mouthing, “I’m proud of you” to you in which you give him a sweet smile for.

“What was that yesterday?” Taehyung asks Jungkook as both guys wait for you and Doyeon at the cafeteria for lunch. 

Jungkook looks at him wide-eyed as he stops sipping on his shake. “Huh?”

“The whole thing with __.”

With a deepening frown, Jungkook continues to look confused. 

“I don’t understand.” 

Taehyung deadpans. “Oh, so, like, rubbing your friend’s shoulder to calm them down during a clinical reasoning test and staring at them intently while doing it, being all proud and supportive and shot, is normal to you?” He adds, “I caught that “I’m proud of you” line, by the way. I was watching you closely.” Taehyung makes a show of pointing two of his fingers to his eyes and then to Jungkook to emphasize his point. 

Jungkook scoffs. “What the hell does that mean?” 

“You like her.”

“Who?” 

“__.” 

Jungkook chokes on his drink. Taehyung doesn’t bother to give him his glass of water, squinting his eyes at his friend instead.

When Jungkook recovers, he jabs at his chest as he glares at Taehyung. “What are you talking about? No, I don’t like __. Not like that.” 

Taehyung doesn’t say anything for awhile, just stares at Jungkook to see the reaction of his face. He keeps on tightening his brows so Taehyung can’t decipher anything – a defense mechanism, really, but he knows he’s blown his friend’s cover when Jungkook scoffs again and rolls his eyes. 

“Alright, fine. You win. I like her.” 

Taehyung snorts. “I knew it.” 

“You didn’t.” Jungkook rolls his eyes again.

“I thought about it a few times. Dude, you’re like a golden retriever around her. Jackson totally digs __ but he thinks you’re both together the way you act around her.” 

“W-what?” Jungkook stammers. “Jackson? Senior?” 

Taehyung nods. “Yep.” 

Looking away, Jungkook stares at the glass wall. “Well. That’s not possible. She has a boyfriend.” 

That makes Taehyung's grin fade. 

Clearing his throat, he sips from his water on the table. “Well. Yeah. She has a boyfriend. The Eunwoo guy, right? The architect, or something.” 

Taehyung sees something that flashes across his friend’s face – hurt? jealousy? – he’s not sure. But the air begins to feel thick at the sudden drop of mood. 

“Yeah.” 

Both of them are quiet for awhile until Taehyung speaks. 

“That’s tough, Jungkook.” 

“I know.” But there’s a bitter smile on his face. “Just… don’t tell her about it, okay?” 

The sincerity and vulnerability in his voice were something Taehyung doesn’t expect at all. It makes his tongue fumble for the right words, but he settles with, “Okay. She won’t hear anything from me.” 

Jungkook gives him a tight-lipped smile. “Thanks, Taehyung.”