#I genuinely thought this history was more well-known than apparently it is

[cookinguptales]

Now that the post is over 10k and my notes are straight-up unusable...

One thing I wish I'd spelled out more explicitly in the original post because I see this point getting lost on a lot of rebloggers who don't understand why the healthcare thing was such a big deal is like

The subtext I thought would be understood bc I lived back then but apparently has been lost today is that making sure queer employees and their partners had healthcare in the early 90s meant Disney was paying for a lot of AIDS treatment.

This is one reason fundie Christians were so upset and queer employees were so grateful. It's one reason why it was such a controversial decision. It was a major talking point amongst my family, who believed back then that AIDS was a punishment from God.

(Some still do, I think. We don't talk.)

I keep seeing people saying that Disney only chose that option "because of their bottom line" and it's like??? Were you listening??? Disney has been paying for that decision for literally decades, but they've stood by it.

Like... the 90s weren't like now! It wasn't profitable to cater to the queer population of the country back then. They weren't raking in money with this.

It's in no way a perfect company but I fully believe in criticizing people for the specific things they do wrong and praising them for the specific things they do right. Disney has fucked copyright, monopoly, and labor laws and I'm not about to defend that. But they are well known in FL for being friendly to both queer people and disabled people, and that is unambiguously a good thing.

(Like side note, I could talk about Disney and accessibility for days. I have traveled extensively while disabled and no one does it like Disney.)

I've had people reblogging the post like "I straight-up don't believe Disney is an industry leader in equal protections for queer employees" and it's like ??? do you think I just pulled this out of my ass? If you want more information, go look it up! You'll see that this is well-established history. It's not my fault y'all don't read! :|

[noosayog]

[Hate That You Know Me] in which you hate Kita because he's hot

wc: 1.7k

warnings/content: wouldn't be a true noosayog piece without a hint of jealousy, minimal angst, mostly fluff, enemies-to-lovers

You’re not a very big fan of your tutor, Kita Shinsuke. He's straight-arrow, strict, and unsociable. He’s not very kind when you get something wrong, either. After the third question you answer incorrectly, Kita sighs and closes the textbook in his hands. 

“Let’s just pick up tomorrow.” 

“Fine,” you huff. He didn’t have to sigh that loud. It’s not like you were stupid. You just cared about things other than scoring higher than 90 points in every subject. You wanted to enjoy your youth and high school life. Besides, you were scoring above average in almost every subject. When your parents confronted you about a mere 70 points you received on a History quiz, you didn’t think it a big deal. Until Grandma Yumie in the neighborhood offered up her smart grandson, who happens to be top of his class, as your tutor. Without your consent, your parents had approached Kita with a part-time job offer tutoring you after school. 

“Kita has volleyball practice afterschool!” you refute, face warm from the embarrassment of your parents sucking up to whom they thought was a “handsome, young man” and the 70-point exam Kita was currently studying. You had never really known Kita that well, but everyone in your grade knows him. You stare at him with wide, intent eyes, begging and signaling him to turn down the offer, make an excuse, say he was busy, anything. But he doesn’t even spare you a glance. 

“I can help after volleyball practice, if that’s not too late.” 

Your mom squeals in delight and bows a thank you. You huff out a harsh breath and that’s what finally gets Kita’s attention. 

“I’m sure you can improve with practice,” he nods at you. 

–

It’s your 3rd studying session, when Kita notices it. 

“You’re not really that bad at History.” 

“I know,” you deadpan. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you this whole time.” 

He ponders this. “Why did you agree to tutoring then?” 

You’re going to blow a gasket for sure. “I didn’t!” 

He tilts his head, in genuine confusion, but that doesn’t make you any less pissed off. In fact, his obliviousness makes you even angrier. 

“Why didn’t you tell your parents you didn’t need it?” 

“I’m going to strangle you,” you mumble to yourself. “I did. Did they seem like the type who would listen?” 

“You should’ve been more direct with them, then,” he says archly. “Let’s keep going.” 

– Your relationship with Kita is mutual dislike. Well, he doesn’t seem to hate you the same way you openly express your disdain for him, but he certainly hasn’t been the kindest to you. He says things like, “I would expect that you don’t get these easy questions wrong,” “please stop being difficult and answer the next question,” or here’s the kicker: “don’t project your frustrations on me.”

That one made you want to push him out the window. 

When you ask your classmates what they think of him, most of them describe him as a model student who’s always willing to help if you ask. Apparently, he’s kind, smart, captain of the popular volleyball team, and it helps that he’s hot. Well, he doesn’t show a single bit of that side to you. He’s mean, even a little petty. 

When you complain to Aran, he just laughs. “Kita’s just teasing.” 

You scrunch your nose up in response. 

–

One afternoon, your club activities go longer than you’re expecting. You set out to find Kita to let him know. You don’t know what comes over you, but you ask, “do you just want to walk home together? I can wait for you.” Your face feels hot and you don’t look him in the eyes. 

“No, thanks,” he fires back, without even pausing for a second to think about it.

“What, why!” Was walking home with you so bad? Besides, it just makes sense. You’re going to the same place anyway!��

“Go home by yourself, before it gets dark.” he says, before turning around to go back into the gym.

“Fine!” and you stomp away. He didn’t have to turn you down that hard. It wasn’t like you were asking him out on a date or anything. Your face is warm and your heart is pounding. You tell yourself it’s indignation, but feel the hurt seeping through your ribcage into your heart. 

You’re dreading that night’s study session, but Kita acts completely like normal when he arrives at your house. You’re still flustered and reeling from the embarrassment of his rejection, running your mind in circles at why you’re so bothered by it. 

“What’s on your mind?” he prompts. 

“Nothing,” you mumble. 

“You’re not focused at all. You’ll never improve at this rate.” 

Had you not been so wrapped up in reminding yourself that you hated him, you might have noticed the teasing intonation in his voice and the slight tilt of his lips upwards in a discrete smirk. But all you hear is the usual patronizing tone and your frustrations burst like a dam at how unaffected he is. 

“I’m thinking about you!” you yell. “You and your stupid… stupid… just stupid!” 

He’s looking at you with his signature stoic demeanor, but you catch the slight puff of air he lets out and the twitch of his lips. 

“Are you laughing?” you ask incredulously. What was so funny about this situation? You’re in a crisis here, and he’s the epicenter! 

He clears his throats and stands up. “Let’s go to the convenience store. You need a cold drink or snack to calm down.” 

Your mind is whirling and a part of you is starting to understand that you’re letting yourself get jerked around, but you follow anyway. 

–

You’re on autopilot the entire journey until the two of you run into a girl who you vaguely recognize from school. Kita leaves your side and approaches her. 

“Suna, what are you doing out so late by yourself?” 

“My brother was supposed to be with me, but I don’t know where he went. Probably just went home ahead of me. It’s okay, I’m going home now anyway.” 

You watch with growing resentment as Kita pats her head and gives her a gentle smile you’ve never been on the receiving end of. “We’ll take you home. You shouldn’t be walking home by yourself at this hour.” 

So he wanted to walk this Suna girl home, but it was okay to let you go home by yourself earlier? 

“Is that okay?” she asks, glancing at you. 

“Yes, of course.” Kita responds as you stare at the ground. 

– 

Kita and Suna seem to know each other well enough. She even seems to know all the news about the volleyball season and the two of them are chatting animatedly about the upcoming opponents and strategies. You follow sulkily, five gaping feet behind them. Kita seems to be in a great mood, all laughs and smiles, and you hate him for it. 

Turns out, Suna’s house is close by and she bows a polite goodbye when you all arrive at her door. 

“Let’s go,” he turns to you. 

You turn your cheek to him. “I can go home by myself. We’re done studying tonight, anyway.” 

“Hey, c'mon. I can’t let you walk home by yourself at this hour.” 

You want to whirl on your heels and give him your fiercest glare and snarl to scare him off, but you just say, “it’s fine. It’s not like I need to be walked home anyway.” Even you hear the hurt in your voice. 

“Hey…” he says softly. He comes up around you to face you and gently takes hold of your hands. “What’s this attitude about?” 

“Nothing,” you say, still staring at the ground. 

“Okay,” he says. “Then do you want to talk about what you said at first?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“When you said you were thinking about me.” 

You whip your head up to face him so fast, you nearly headbutt his chin. “I didn’t say that!” 

“Yeah, you did.” He’s smirking openly now. “I want to know what you meant by it.” 

“It meant nothing!” you burst, annoyed by how he seems to be enjoying this whole situation. He’s always this stoic mask; you’re unaccustomed to this smug personality before you right now. Aran’s words echo, he’s teasing. 

“Nothing?” he says, playful lilt to this voice. He’s inching closer by the second and you’re suddenly finding it hard to breathe. 

“Kita…” you whisper. His hot breath and clean scent is fogging up your consciousness and you hear someone say, “I like you.” 

You watch Kita’s smirk widen into a bright smile and you don’t mind the “I-win” light in his expression if he smiles like that all the time. To you and to only you. 

He’s leaning in for a kiss and you have no control over your body as you help him close the gap between you two. It’s a brief kiss, respectful of your boundaries, very Kita-like. His slow, deep breaths bring you back down to earth. 

“Wait!” you say, sudden thought striking you. “What about that Suna girl?” 

He gives you a confused look. “What about her?” 

“You’re always saying mean things to me and you told me to go home by myself after school today, even though you were all nice to her and saying you couldn’t let her walk home by herself!” 

“Jealous?” he teases. 

"No!” you can’t help but huff and turn your back to him, arms crossed over your chest childishly. 

He huffs a quiet laugh and turns you by your shoulders to look at him again. His expression is sober now, eyes serious even if a shadow of a grin remains on his lips. “I’m sorry. I want to be kind to you, but it’s just so fun to tease you,” he admits. “I will stop if you don’t like it.” 

Struck by his earnestness, you’re embarrassed by how childish you’ve been acting. “I never said I didn’t…” you trail off. 

The grin is back when he says, “say you didn’t what?” 

You glare at him, face on fire. “I hate you.” 

“I like you, too,” he smiles, bringing his face back to yours and apologizing with gentle kisses.  

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Idk if the emoji thing works but 🐺

AITA for ignoring my friend's relationship and waiting for it to end?

Background: I (20F) have known my best friend (19X) since we were 14. We've gone through a few different friend groups (nothing dramatic, just fading relationships) but have always stuck with each other, partially because we are both autistic. I know them very well and they have said that I am their main support system. They have BPD which causes them to get obsessed with someone, which normally I would not think is my business, but they have a history of getting obsessed with people who hurt them, and I've always tried to warn them if I felt someone had bad intentions.

They've recently escaped their abusive household which is really exciting but I worry might make them feel lonelier because they've been getting into more of these situations recently. There were a couple minor relationships where someone broke a boundary causing them to have a breakdown, but neither affected their safety. And a few months ago they were talking to an older man online who I got weird vibes from but only mildly hinted to them he was creepy, which made me feel guilty when it ended up being way worse than I thought and became a disaster.

About three weeks ago, they started roleplaying with some guy on twitter, which I didn't think much of since they mainly just talked about what a good writer he is and he seemed fine. But then they asked what I would think if they started dating him even though he's in his 30s and I kinda thought they were just looking for a reason not to do it, so I said no he's too old for you. But then they started trying to convince me it was a good idea which only made me more hesitant. Their evidence in favor included that he used to be in the military (they know i hate the military so I do not know why they admitted this) and pictures of him (I am gay so this would not convince me regardless). They seemed surprised by my negative reaction, I said sorry but you asked for my honest opinion, they understood and I thought this was the end of it.

But now they're legitimately online dating and they talk about him all the time, they don't seem to understand that I am not a fan of this relationship and expect me to react positively to everything he does. I don't react negatively or completely ignore them I just go "ok" or "cool." They might not notice this because I often have times where I can't speak much so it's unfortunately normal for me.

I haven't noticed any other red flags from this guy other than the age gap and the military thing, but those seem a lot worse to me because of my friend's history and penchant for ignoring red flags, so I feel like if something worse was going on I wouldn't even know. Apparently he's going to come visit them in August (it's January as I send this) and I feel like that's enough time that the relationship will either die out or end horribly before he actually has the chance to physically be around them.

I feel torn in two different ways. On the one hand, I know that I'm paranoid and overprotective, not to mention scared of men, so I could just be overreacting to the situation. I don't think he's going to murder them or anything, but they're sensitive and I don't want them to add someone to the long list of people who traumatized them. They ARE a legal adult so it technically shouldn't be a big deal but they're the first person to be creeped out by legal age gaps, they just don't seem to apply this logic to themselves. I'm also not super experienced in relationships, I've only had a few short casual ones so I am not at all an expert.

On the other hand, I felt like shit when the situation with the other guy blew up even though they never blamed me for it. I feel like I should be doing more to dissuade them but they didn't seem to care when I warned them before so I feel like it's a lost cause and I don't wanna be pushy, I want them to genuinely understand why it's not a good idea.

I feel like I'm damned if I do damned if I don't, so I've kinda just settled on passively not really giving them feedback on the relationship in the hopes they'll figure it out themselves? As always I check in on them, try to give them positive attention so they're not desperate for it, and if the relationship actually lasts til August I'll make sure I know their location so they can tell me if they feel unsafe.

I feel like an asshole no matter what I do, so what I'm asking specifically is AITA for basically just ignoring the situation hoping it solves itself? Either because I should be supporting it or because I should bring up my concerns with them again.

What are these acronyms?

[ghostinthegallery]

Oltyx and Lysikor's relationship is so funny to me. So much of Oltyx's actions throughout TDK (especially in Reign after he firmly put regicide on the table as an option) are fueled by paranoia and fear of betrayal...and then you have Lysikor who is basically wearing an "I am going to betray you!" T-shit. And Oltyx is totally chill about him. He killed every other noble on his tombworld for shits and giggles. He offers to assassinate Oltyx as a favor when they first discover the human armada. And Oltyx just thinks "eh, he may or may not be joking, it's probably fine" (and of course Yenekh makes his objections to this plan known so that helps). Lysikor steals enough shit to make Trazyn proud, and again Oltyx kind of shrugs and demands his stuff back. He listens to Lysikor's counsel so much that Yenekh actually gets jealous!! Lysikor even becomes his main confidante for a while (because of reasons). Oltyx is more relaxed around Lysikor than anyone else in the story. What's going on there??

I mean the obvious answer is that Lysikor isn't cursed (one of the only people in the dynasty who isn't) so there's no dread mirror on Oltyx when he's around him. Lysikor has his own form of honor, and he genuinely seems to like Oltyx (whether this reflects well on our boy is debatable but still). There might be an aspect of comfort to Lysikor's honesty as well. There is so much uncertainty in Oltyx's life and he is filled with so much self-loathing, he might even want Lysikor's betrayal to come. Maybe that's why he keeps him so close. An easy out to all the shit he is dealing with, internally and externally, and coming from a source he understands.

To top it all off, Lysikor is legitimately sorry when he can't follow through on his betrayal. Like he has wronged Oltyx in not stabbing him in the back sufficiently. It is sweet in its own way. Like Lysikor respected Oltyx so much, he thought he deserved something truly epic. Better than just being killed in his sleep. Lysikor apparently had a plan, he just never got the chance to execute it. I love this window into another form of necron "madness." The twisted ways some of them view the world, but still find comradery.

Lysikor is still out there, of course. And obviously I don't want his master stroke to come (protect Oltyx and the flayers at all costs!) but if it ever did, it would be the most wholesome betrayal in the history of 40K. And I still think Oltyx would be weirdly understanding about the whole thing.

[survivalist-anon]

Log 13: Concerning Wolves

Sitting in Jame's office is a strange mix between having a candid conversation with an older friend and being in trouble I'm the principal's office.

"Young lady, I trust you know that you're about to embark on a rather tumultuous experience right?", his drawl was a bit more serious than usual. "This ain't like the movies where you know how things will turn out either.....things can go so far down south right into hell now that the Astartes are involved."

Remembering what had happened the night before, the circumstances of Grandpa's murder, and what I've seen, I had no excuses to ignore the dangers. "Yeah, I can see...... listen if it's about Jeff....and Fjord tossing the patrol car, he was trying to protect me. I didn't ask him to throw the car at Jeff a-", Jame's eyebrows arched up.

"He did what?", apparently he hadn't been told about that.

"Fuk. Well anyway....Jeff pulled his gun on me thinking I was someone trying to attack on him or something and Fjord reacted to protect. He was just doing his duty.", I could tell James was already going to reiterate the responsibility. A heavy sigh slide through his lips once more.

"It's ok, however Fjord's going to have to be kept on a tight leash and control himself around folks or he's gonna have to stay home. Do you understand me?", his tone felt like there was something else underneath.

"Ok...I understand sir....also....how....long you've known about all of this?", I ask only of curiosity...if he wasn't willing to tell me than that fine too.

James relaxed his seriousness and mellowed abit, taking out a photo album. "They've been here far longer than I have kid, in fact Aldercon was my great grandfather's Astartes. Way back when folks had come here for free land. He told me that Aldercon had come from the sky, landed squarely in the heart of the Wyoming wilderness. He was shellshocked, covered head to toe in blood and dirt....I remember stories of my grandfather and Aldercon, as wild as the tales of Paul Bunyan and Babe. The two had become folk legends out in the ol' West."

He opened the book to show me the first page, it was a collection of aged, photos from the late 1800's. One of the pictures was of Jame's grandfather, he really did come from an American lineage of cowboys. He was far more rugged than James however... I glanced at the tall, stockier man in a much more humble looking uniform, same black fist on his pauldron too. "Holy shit, this can't be him...for one he's smiling, and second, I thought -", I could see James giving me a look that said 'but you didn't '.

I could see a tiny difference between him from this photo and now. I can tell his hair was darker, I can definitely see that thousand yard stare of a man who's seen war, and his armor was slightly different from the Marines back at the fort.

James turned the page, this was one was a genuine surprise. "Even your great grandfather, had one.", next to him was a man fresh off the boat from Eastern Europe, my Great grandfather, dad for some reason or another was reluctant to tell me his real name...he kept calling him "Big George", after the Butcher Boy George from Hungarian folk lore. Then right next to him, probably helped bag a rather ominous looking bear, was Sten. That white stripe on his head wasn't present, he didn't change as much as Aldercon. This picture was even more older than James's granddad's photo.

"You see Lorey, they've been around for a while now....lord knows for how long though.". He began to reminisce about the past.

The implications of these Marines having been around is giving my inner history buff a massive concern. "Well....it would be extremely stupid to try to bargain the fact I thought they joking, but I'm starting to see...I take it this will be more complicated?".

He looks up at me, "Yes ... because just like with basic folks like us, there are bad folks....that big black one your grandpa wasn't lucky with....is one of them...there seems to be at least five or so kinds out there based on my sources.....one of them is out there right now reeking havoc near highly populated campsites..... Aldercon told me Sten and Toke will be in disposed of for the next week.... meanwhile have Fjord keep a sharp nose out for that one...it's the fastest I've seen of these ones....I'm not too familiar with the either...so I'm giving you a very special assignment. I need you to put your research training to go use."

He handed me a small leather bound journal.

"Keep track of them, now....let's go have some grub.", he gets up from his chair and pats my shoulder.

I sat there feeling something complex in me, I'm....going to catalog them? I open the journal and I SWEAR James has been screwing with me at least to this point....this journal aestheticly looked a DnD character sheet of it focused on identifying and profiling. I place it in my inner jacket pocket. "What the shit....", I still wasn't too sure of my role in all of this....I could understand why now.

I'm just part of a lineage of....marine handlers? I don't know.....

As I leave the room, I see the Fjord was getting a lesson in paper football from one of the volunteers.

James takes the desk bell and rings it to call the attention of everyone in the center. "Ladies, Gentlemen and folks. I would like to make an announcement, as of now. Be on high alert for any unusual activity. Anything and everything in regards to disappearances of livestock and or people, property damage of unexplained or unusual nature, and any purported sightings of creatures of unknown origin...I.e...NOT BIG FOOT.... We'll have to be reported to me, Lorey and Ronnie for the time being.

I figured Ronnie also got the information, I look at him and he was a little more on edge than I was.

Fjord, definitely knew what this whole deal was about.

With a ringing of the doorbell to the nursery, Shelly has brought in some new little guests.

"Oh guys come and see! The babies are opening their eyes!", Shelly, Ronnie and I have been researching the local wolf packs in the area and monitoring their behavior. One of the females under our care have recently gave birth a few days ago.

I check in the box as Shelly laid it on the table, 5 beautiful cubs. In their state, they're roughly two to three weeks old. As helpless as human babies. "Fjord, would you like to see them?"

He was a little curious, he walked over to see the five cubs. ".... they're so....small.... they're...just wee little things...".

I could see he was trying to piece together something....not certain what, but from my perspective he was wonder struck.

As the cubs peeped and whimpered, as all cubs do, one has just opened it's eyes. Showing a pair of smokey blue irises. Than, Fjord did something I wasn't expecting him to do. He gently placed his hand next to one of the cubs. "... interesting...."

"Oh careful please, they're fragile little ones.", Shelly had all the right to worry. These may have been wild animals, but even young wild animals need to be treated carefully.

His finger alone dwarfed the cub, he was so still and so focused. By this point I completely lost in what could he be possibly thinking. A little cub wiggled right on top of his finger, using it as a heated pillow.

Fjord, let out a soft but eerily convincing howl, low enough that it could be considered an indoor voice, but it was very real. All the cubs let out their first howls, right there, all with varying skill and ability. But every single one had howled for the first time in their lives.

The room was quite, understandably, this was extremely weird for everyone.

Anderson decided to break the moment, "ugh...yeah I'd like to report something.".

"Anderson hush.", James to the rescue. "Fjord seems to understand these pups pretty well.

Shelly was mesmerized, "Oh my gosh, they all just did that at the same time. In all my years here, I have never seen something so amazing before."

I kept looking at Fjord, if I could read minds, this would be a great time to use it.

After a few hours of everyone enjoying their food, drink and few games. I sat with Fjord in the back of the room.

I sipped the last of my ginger ale, I still couldn't get his expression out of my mind. "Fjord. That thing you did with the howl ....can...you explain that to me?"

He sat there, lips wrapped around a rib bone. "Oh, that....it just...why are yeh wolves so small? I mean, I seen some out there in the forest and yonder ....I'm use to the wolves back home. Ferocious and mighty beasts, equivalent to Astartes! Strong enough to bare us and ride into battle. The cubs from thosd wolves are just a wee bit smaller than your fully grown ones. They're born with their teeth already out. These ones.... they're.... just wee bairns...".

I still didn't really get it. "Ugh, you mean...you're confused on why they're small.....?", I ask.

He takes out the bone from his mouth, "I mean....why do they remind me of mortal children? Small, helpless.... fragile...".

The tone he took had felt familiar, it was the same tone I used when my expectations would be challenged. "Wait...are you telling me you're disappointed by our wolves?", I satirically question him.

"No lass, it's just.....they remind me of....well....me... before I became an Astartes. The wee one ....it had blue eyes....I ....use to have the same eyes.", that last comment took me a little to figure out he was actually feeling.

It was self reflection. I just gave this guy a massive 'thing' to think about.

"well, all wolf pups have blue eyes when they're born, than as they grow, they change colors... mostly to yellow, amber or green.", looked to the room watching everyone enjoying themselves.

I suddenly felt him gently pull the side of my jaw, making me face him directly.

"Interesting....you have green eyes.", he bluntly stated.

I could feel my heart pounding by this point, we just both intensely looked into each other's eyes. I didn't know what it was, but something about the way he kept looking at me, just burning into my soul, felt strange...yet I liked it...it wasn't human either....

"ugh....this feels a little bit....um.", I didn't want to be mean about the situation by calling it 'cheesy' or 'corny'.

"----Hey you guys want t-", Jonas broke the tension for the both of us. "oooooh you two were?", she gave a cheeky grin.

"Jonas! You scared me.", again I had no idea what to say but hey it was something.

Fjord snapped out of his stare and looked to Jonas, "oh hey lass, to do what?"

Jonas chuckled a little, "it's almost time to close up the station and let the night crew in. We're heading down to the bar tonight actually. Why don't you bring your kegs too, Franky doesn't mind it."

I had completely forgotten about those two kegs, if Fjord sticks to the. He could save me a little of money.

"Ah I could use a drink, I've been parched for some for a little while lass.", he looks to me as a way of asking for approval by this point.

"ok fine.", I lean in to whisper in his ear. "Please behave yourself, Aldercon's orders."

He looks at me was a smoldering look, leans into my ear, "I'll do my best.".

I have no idea why, but the way he whispered into my ear shot the best feeling in the pit of my being.

End of log 13

@kit-williams @barn-anon @egrets-not-regrets

@gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan @walking-natural-disaster

@squishyowl

@starfrost740

[spidey-bie]

I'm splitting this up into sections because there's a lot to go into here. Also y'all know about Ansi enough so I'm getting straight into the relationship. Not proof read if there's errors then no there isn't. Thank you to @the-cat-and-the-birdie for the questions.

Hobie & Ansi

–Part 1

Describe their relationship in 10 words or less.

Idiots who care for one another more than they think.

Describe their dynamic

There are layers to this. At first glance they give off power couple. When they're on site but not in a mission they're chaotic gremlins. But, when they're by themselves they're just two people who are so tired of living. Yet they're both gonna fight. It's gonna suck but they're both gonna keep going until things get better.

Quick! Someone asks 'What are you two? Are you dating?' - What do they say?

"Mind your business."

They will never explain a thing to anybody who they aren't close with if asked.

What's they're favorite way to spend time together?

Reading. They both love to just sit and read together. They'll read aloud to each other.

Hobie adores Ansi's reading voice. The way he changes his pitch for each character.

Her cheerful tone that she can somehow keep throughout the entire story. The way you can tell when a character is about to do something embarrassing because his nose just flared.

Ansi reads mostly sci-fi and fantasy because to him reading is an escapism.

Ansi enjoys Hobie's reading for many reasons (aside from the fact that his voice is so easy in the ears).

His deep and calming voice. The way he tries to hide or exaggerate his accent as he reads. The way he'll pause and take a long drawn out breath when he gets mad before he continues.

His smooth and steady pace is really relaxing. Ansi is fighting fight sleep every time. Hobie reads mostly memoirs or auto/biographies of important black political figures. For him reading is a means to gain knowledge and understanding about the world.

Are they romantic, platonic, sexual? A secret fourth thing?

Trying to narrow it down under any one thing is honestly offensive. They're just so loyally devoted to one another that the lines blur. Ansi will never trust anyone as much as he trusts Hobie and vice versa.

How long have they known each other?

2 years. (Hahaha so apparently they've known each other for 5 non-consecutive years.)

What song embodies their vibe?

It took so long to find a song that didn't use the word love in it. That was genuinely my only rule.

I Will by Mitski

I wanted a song that expressed the devotion that they hold for one another as well as their ability to be vulnerable with each other. To me this song is like them shouting "JUST LET ME TAKE CARE OF YOU," back and forth.

Two Slow Dancers by Mitski

The main theme of this song is nostalgia. And I've found that the two of them share more history than what I previously thought. They both wish they could turn back time. It'd be nice to go back to when life was simpler but they both know that they have to keep moving forward.

(I Wanna Be Yours by Arctic Monkeys was in the running too. )

Any nicknames for each other?

Hobie calls Ansi his/a Trickster and Ann

(like Anansi the trickster spider)

Ansi has tons of nicknames for Hobie.

So far she's got: Busy Bee, Bean, Paper Boy, Bie, Hobbs, and Princess if he's getting on his nerves.

What does a sleepover look like for them?

On a good night it's the two of them infodumping back and forth to one another. Or Hobie bouncing lyrics ideas off for Ansi to sing. Boring bland stuff because it's nighttime and Ansi has a sleep schedule that he likes to stick to.

On a bad night they're both lying in Ansi's full size bed drunk or high, spilling their hearts out to one another until either the sun rises or they both pass out. Sometimes they're just lying on the couch, Hobie in Ansi's arms silently sobbing.

What moment do they feel safest with each other?

Idk if this question is referring to a specific time in the day or a moment in their shared history so I'll say something for the first one.

Crime never sleeps and I don't think the two of them do either. I'd like to say nighttime but we all know nobody is getting any peace and quiet in the streets of Seattle or London at nighttime. So probably around dusk. Right before nightfall. Or at dawn when the sun is just starting to rise.

For some of these answers I just blacked out and it felt like they were speaking through me like dang. Y'all good????

Next | Third | Fourth | Fifth

[runwayrunway]

No. 38 - SriLankan Airlines (Air Lanka)

Thank you to anon for requesting SriLankan Airlines! This was a lot more interesting of an airline to talk about than I expected.

To begin with, take a look at that logo. I love that. The stylized bird looks fantastic and the typeface really matches it well. This is good.

But I will talk more about the logo in a bit. Let's talk about the planes they fly.

A gay plane has...taken off?

And in the process reflect on planes of years past.

An old plane has also taken off.

SriLankan Airlines, which was known as Air Lanka from its establishment in 1979 until 1998, is the second flag carrier of Sri Lanka. It was launched after the demise of former flag carrier Air Ceylon as a fully government-owned company. Though it was briefly partially privatised, it is now re-nationalised. There are apparently plans to potentially re-privatise it, but we will see. They're very recently announced and tentative.

Based on the wording of anon's ask, I get the sense they want me to specifically talk about Air Lanka, and to be totally honest I think I would be doing the airline a huge disservice if I didn't.

I can't read Sinhalese or Tamil, which impacts my ability to really fully understand the apparently quite eventful history of the airline. There are a few op-eds in English written for Sri Lankan publications, but as I'm not the intended audience I would need to research a lot of context before I could really understand much of it. It's a shame, because I am now curious about this.

Thankfully images transcend language, so I can understand how its livery has developed over time. Well, 'developed' is sort of a strong word. They had one livery, and then they had another. They really don't like to switch up their liveries every ten years how many airlines do, and I actually really respect that. Don't get rid of something good if you don't need to.

But was it good?

I never really thought about the landing gear on the L-1011. It feels like it's located so far back. Is it similar to the Trident's sideways gear to leave space for its massive electronics bay that it used to autoland? Also, that's not that many wheels for a plane that big.

This livery looks sort of standard for something invented in 1979, but it has hidden depths. Even just in terms of its broader design I prefer it to a lot of 70s cheatline liveries. The way it loops down to envelop the tail is nice and the smaller line outlining the main block of color feels almost anachronistic in the sense that it's quite a modern choice. Somehow the two lines on the nose make it look distinctly beaklike, which I think is neat. The wordmark is...acceptable, though unfortunately it seems to only be in English. They primarily used TriStars, which is quite discerning of them. But what's that thing on the tail?

I like the modern logo but I prefer this one far and away. It's really pleasing to look at and looks graceful despite its sharpness. Just very nicely designed. I think, if a good modern designer was given this logo, they could design a truly fantastic livery incorporating it.

Actually, although it undeniably looks like a peacock, it's got a bit less immediately visible of a meaning. Aviation is actually a pretty big part of Sri Lankan folklore, and according to the airline itself that peacock is actually the Dandu Monara, a flying machine flown by the legendary king of Sri Lanka Ravana in the Sinhalese version of the Ramayana. This is incredibly cool. Apparently, flying machines in a broader sense are a common feature of Sri Lankan folklore, and they are generally described as being wooden peacocks. I'm genuinely quite sad that I can't find very much about this in English, except for this article by an American researcher, so if anyone knows of any books in English on the subject please let me know.

It's a very elegant execution of the concept. It's easy to buy this blocky, geometric peacock as a machine, without it losing the ability to be recognized as a bird.

The red, meanwhile, is taken from the Sri Lankan flag. I would honestly love to see a livery for this airline that's on a base of yellow with these gorgeous secondary blue-green, orange, and the absolutely stunning burgundy shade used on the largest square. I think it's very unfortunate that Air Lanka chose a redder shade, because I think the warm hues of the flag are both uncommon in combination and very, very harmonious with each other. Normally I would find four distinct colors a bit busy for a livery trying to be on the simpler side, but with the yellow as a base, the burgundy making up most of the design, and the other two colors used for accent something truly great could be created.

The red they chose, while a more conventional pick that I feel is a bit of a let-down relative to what they could have done, is still a very nice vivid red. The logo is well-positioned on the tailfin, the entire design looks clean, and especially for the time this was thoughtfully designed and well executed.

I'm giving Air Lanka (1979-1998) a C+.

That grade, though, is for the livery. If I were just talking about the logo by itself, this would be one of my favorites I've covered so far.

And then in 1998 something happened.

Remember Air Lanka? This is them now. Feel old yet?

Just kidding. They only owned 40% of Air Lanka. In 1998 Air Lanka was partially privatised and Emirates purchased a minority state. One of the first things they did was completely rebrand the airline.

Well, it's certainly more modern. It is...very very white, and it looks...very much like the Emirates livery. Different colors for the text, different literal logo, but otherwise much is the same. The placement of the text, of the logos on the engines, and of the design on the tail - a sort of swoop from the tip of the fin to the fuselage body.

I think I prefer the old logo. While the new one does incorporate the rest of the flag, which I like, it distinctly feels alive. It feels like a bird. Normally I would like that, but given the inspiration of a wooden flying machine it feels a bit harder to recognize. The original logo was just...really really fantastic.

That said, the way it looks like the peacock is climbing up the tail, and the way it flows onto the main body, is nice.

I'm not sure how I feel about the blue underbelly on some of their planes. I mean, I'm kind of a fan of just telling everyone on the ground to visit Sri Lanka, but the blue feels very strange. If it were up to me I would have just done something which occupied more of the plane for a primary design, so it didn't feel like the wings and tail have a wholly different color scheme from the wordmark and underbelly, but that's how it feels.

It also feels...distinctly Emirates-y in a way I don't like. I actually think Emirates's execution of this particular concept is uninspiring but acceptable, but I just don't like the amount of resemblance here. It isn't exactly Continental and Copa, but it's far from KLM and Air France either.

These planes are mostly all white. Whether or not that's jarring or not really depends on the angle, and I think more often than not it looks okay. Nothing here bothers me, but I feel disappointed. Maybe my visions for how fantastic a livery based on the Sri Lankan flag and the Dandu Monara emblem could be were a bit unrealistic, with how airlines are, but it's a shame to see traces of Emirates in an airline that hasn't even associated with Emirates for over a decade now (it was renationalised in 2008). This is not fantastic, but this is not bad. It is not Lufthansesque, and if I saw this in 1998 I think I would actually be slightly nicer to it. But it's also mostly white, doesn't do anything spectacular, and passes up so much unique potential which could have made it one of my favorites.

I'm giving SriLankan Airlines a C.

I did debate taking that down to a C-, but I ultimately don't even think I can say I dislike this. I just wish it was more. I hope, whatever its future is, somebody commits to making SriLankan Airlines the legendary flying machine it has always had the potential to be.

[theprophesiedprincess]

The Prophesied Princess - Ch 2 part 1

Hogwarts Legacy fic!: Female OC, takes place in sixth year after the events of the game. Fantasy/ destiny plot with a lot of romance later on <3 feedback is welcome!

Previous Part - Next Part

Chapter two: Seraenya

Ser Jamis Evermore was a lean but muscled man. He had a receding hairline and wrinkles around the outer corners of his eyes, which Seraenya thought gave a kind look to him, as if he had smiled many times over his thirty-nine years. Despite this, the man looked strong and something about his demeanor portrayed that he was an experienced warrior. "I have heard much and more of your talents, princess. Syrio has spoken of you with only the utmost pride. I remember hearing that same tone when people spoke of your father and his before him. It will be an honor to mentor you through your sixth year at Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Ser. Your words are very kind." Seraenya had not known that she had any friends left to her from her home country of Astaria. After the war, support for her family was considered treason, she was sure. Ser Jamis had a genuine way in his words, despite the way his wand was tucked into his belt along with a blade. "Syrio told me you will be filling Professor Fig's position as professor of Magical Theory. You have a specialty in this area?"

Ser Jamis and Seraenya were traveling by an enchanted carriage, flying high above the Scottish greenery. This was the second, and much shorter carriage ride of their trip. There was no floo portal between Vossgaria and Scotland; a matter of international security – and travel by apparation was unwise for such a long distance. "Ay, mainly home-taught, I'm afraid. I took a special interest in the subject when I was a lad. I was a student Hogwarts, myself. Once I returned home to Old Cricket, there weren't many tutors or schools to formally pursue the subject. But I am an avid reader if you can believe it. Even during the war, I kept my books close by me when I wasn't on active duty."

Seraenya smiled, "I am sure you will do the students justice.". She looked out the window to an orange-specked sky of sunset.

"Princess. I know several of the faculty at Hogwarts from my time there as a boy. A good lot, most of them… Still, I would warn you to be cautious of each of them. Syrio has secured allies for you; those that will protect your identity from anyone who would wish to harm you. And yet, I'm afraid that alliance will only go as far as their own comfort isn't tested."

Seraenya sensed truth in his words, as much as she wished to trust the professors that she had grown fond of over the last year. "Professor Weasley. She is aware of my identity; I am sure of it. She protected my secret from Headmaster Black, and she came to my aid when I was in battle with Ranrok. I believe she may be a true friend to me. And Professor Sharp. He came to my aid as well, although I don't believe he knows my true name."

"Weasley, yes. I recall her and her brother from my youth. A good pair, and trustworthy I would wager. I can't say I know Professor Sharp more than just by name. He seems the right sort, but I would be wary nonetheless.", Ser Jamis warned.

"Hogwarts and its surrounding burrows are part of no kingdom territory and are a neutral ground. Even if the usurper discovered me and meant to harm me, doing so there would be in violation of Astaria's pact with the Ministry of Magic", Seraenya said. She knew this pact well. The reminder of it was one of the only things to calm her when she woke at night from nightmares of the usurper's men stalking her.

"You know your histories well, princess. You have been studying on your summer holiday, I presume. Ay, the pact is law, and the consequences of breaking it would be severe. Still, even bonds by blood have been known to be broken if the legends tell it true. Your strange powers have made you conspicuous to even the unsuspecting, I fear. We will walk with caution this year."

As the enchanted carriage descended in the sky, Seraenya looked out the window with a gasp. The sun had set, and the sky had become a dark sea of blinking stars. The Black Lake surrounding the Hogwarts castle was lit up with candles floating in the subtle wind-moved currents. This was a Hogwarts tradition, she knew. Every year, the new first-year students would cross the lake to the Hogwarts castle by paddleboat; an experience that Seraeyna never had, she thought sadly. She had attended classes as a "fifth-year" at the school for the first time the year prior. Despite a subtle feeling of loss for what could have been if she had been admitted to the school at age eleven as most had, Seraeyna knew she ought to be grateful that she could attend the school at all. With her secret ancestry and a target on her back that she had lived with her entire life, the experience of being a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would have never been possible if not for the deliberate maneuvers of Magister Syrio Tamassis. Seraenya knew that the Magister had much to gain by this arrangement. Becoming educated by one of the finest magical schools in the world would make Seraenya more appealing for potential suitors for her hand, and any marriage alliance made for her would come at a great monetary incentive for Syrio. Besides that, there was potential for Seraenya to make great friends at Hogwarts, some of whom may go on to be quite powerful in their adulthood. This was something Syrio himself could use to his advantage later. Syrio was a smart man; he made his friends happy knowing they would make him happy in return later. Seraenya did not fault him this, she was just weary of it. Still, she was grateful for his help in securing her attendance at Hogwarts.

"Thank you for being my travel companion, Ser Jamis. I hope you settle in as a new professor nicely," Seraenya said as her and the new professor exited the carriage.

"You as well, princess. I will send you an owl with a meeting time soon. Enjoy the sorting ceremony".

Previous Part - Next Part

Read full story here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14301267/2/The-Prophesied-Princess

[todayisafridaynight]

The topic of the dub is a complex one for me. Because while I do love the cast as well, it's also like, I genuinely think it's a problem with the industry that they can all be traced to like 1 or 2 other Smash Hit properties with few exceptions.

Like of course the Japanese actors are also household names, but I would be comparatively really hard-pressed to find that big of an overlap in casting. I totally understand it's exciting for people who enjoyed those properties to be able to say "Hey, that's X!" and I'm exactly the same way, but I just find it hard to believe that the same couple of US voice actors who've dubbed nearly everything for ages are always the best choice.

But way way more than that, it's the knowledge that the actors were essentially told to "direct" their own performances that has left me with kind of a bad taste in my mouth. I don't see the point of having an experienced cast of "actors everyone likes" and not harnessing their talents. It's pure insanity to me in comparison to how much care Yokoyama and the other directors put into each and every line.

Of course it's a huge credit to the actors that they understood The Assignment well enough that it turned out as good as it did, and I would still say it's the best dub in RGGS history (not that this is saying much), but at times it was painfully obvious that they didn't have enough to work off of.

So, you know, it was still pretty good, but I feel like that was in spite of how it was handled, and that I only used to say it was "great" to fit in with all my friends who were saying the same thing. I don't fault anyone who does think so at all, of course, but in my case I don't wanna do that anymore. (Though I'm sorry to be so overly critical in your inbox haha, it's no problem at all if you don't wanna talk about that)

Anyway! The Mole Song! My Blood and Bones in a Title I'll Never Remember! Great movies IMO and both fortunately very very easy to find. I hope you enjoy them, and thanks so much as always for taking the time to indulge my recommendations!

SPEAKING OF...... I SAW YOU READ SOLILOQUY AND CONFESSION............. I love how the exact same things stood out to us like yes, I've been wanting to draw That Exact Scene for ages too, How Did You Know. LITERALLY IMMACULATE RIGHT... Love the character interactions and themes discussed soooo so much.

But it's also really funny you mention it on that particular post because I had a dream we were discussing an AraSawa fic (that you may or may not have written in the dream?) the same day I recommended them. You know, now that you mention it, I've had a metric ton of Mine dreams, a few Jo and/or Arakawa dreams, even a few with Mine and one of The Joes, but as far as I can tell I've only ever talked about one dream with Daigo in it.

Apparently, in the dream, MineDai were confirmed a couple in the 10th anniversary book. Because they were participants in an experiment that was trying to gauge whether there was some kind of psychic link between partners, and while that whole thing turned out bogus, MineDai were the only gay couple and the only ones to stay together after the experiment was over. Like what in the SUBSTORY--

I don’t mind the criticism: everything warrants it and nothing can appeal to everyone, so it’s totally welcomed! Again, I’m purely biased, so it’s as you said my adoration can be influenced from someplace personal (which is a habit I try not to fall into: I’d like to appreciate the work for what’s presented, not from what I know or ‘nostalgia’ I suppose, you know). I know other people still have their grievances about the English dub, so I wouldn’t say you’re alone in that and I think you should make your honest feelings known! We criticise the media we enjoy because we know it can be better (or we’d like to see better), so again I totally have no issue with you sharing your thoughts (especially since voice acting is a special interest of mine, so I’m always happy to hear people’s word on it)! :]

BUT YEAH ONTO THE FICS THE TONE AND EVERYTHING WAS SO GREAT for sure to have special spots in my fic list (though tbh it’s a small list- but I guess it’s still an honor in that right, right lmao). And the rain scene is SO good I don’t blame you for wanting to draw it too- the fic in general was everything I was hoping, and that scene was just especially so good and something I’ve always wanted to see between Jo and Masato :’] With Arakawa’s perspective, I loved the drama theme- like it makes sense and is obvious, and I loved how the author executed the concept and ‘outline’ of Arakawa’s life.

I still stand that I have no idea how dreams work (the thought of writing a AraSawa fic, while surely temptig, I doubt I have the ability for), but that MineDai one does sound right goofy. Genuinely some kind of silly substory moment, dubious experiments and fake surveys and all ☠️☠️

[notverynymphetlike]

In the Time of Chimpanzees

Writing means a ton of self reflection. Half the point is putting all or some or none of yourself, and at least trying to know how much of yourself is there. I think I self-reflect a lot, people say I’m aware of myself and my shortcomings and what would’ve, could’ve, should’ve, or will fix them. I don’t do any of those things, and I don’t know how to force myself to. I don’t know how to force myself to do things I genuinely enjoy, like going to class with really good professors. I don’t know how to force myself to do difficult homework. I know I should. I know I should’ve gotten dressed and went to see a friend from back home I hadn’t seen since graduation at Market Wednesday. Knowing what I should do should be half the battle, that’s what tests are, they’re about knowing what to do, and then doing it. I was a big reader as a kid, apparently the library was cheaper than whatever other options, and it was fun to hang out with my mom like that as a little girl. Anyone who self-describes as “a big reader as a kid” has probably had a phase where they really wanted to be a writer. To write books and be known in history. Then it fades. Then I wanted to be known in history. Then I wanted to be a journalist a la Lois Lane and Vietnam and history and labor movements and helping people. Then that seemed impossible. I was told for years that I was smart. That I should do STEM. I looked around and saw that no one wanted to do chemistry so I figured the job market wouldn’t be as saturated. I did well in economics. My essays, when I turned them in, had a lot of voice and sources. My math homework was complete, science concepts understood. I don’t know what;s wrong with me. I really really don’t. It can’t just be losing structure. Losing almost everyone I’ve known and being thrust where I have to be outgoing. I’m good at being outgoing even if I don’t keep up with the new people. My last, turned in, writing assignment was filled with voice, no sources because it was about an experience I had, how would someone not have voice writing that, and comma splices. He told me to consider a double major in creative writing. Maybe I am depressed enough to be a writer. To write about the sunshine rainbow of what I should’ve been here. I want to make people happy. I want to make the world a better place. I want to live well. I want to know what’s wrong with me. If someone read my shit in a hundred years in an english class they probably could diagnose me better than a school lmhc or my mother. I’ve always thought that being pretty would make people less mean to me. That I’d get a seat at the plastic table. Despite the head bullshit, I am pretty. I’m 5’ and hit 108 on a bad day, but usually ~105. I’ve got a 25” waist, 34” bust and 34” hips. My face is fairly symmetrical, dumb eyes that look turquoise when I cry and green in the sunlight, and full lips. I know time will take the full lips. My teeth are gradually becoming more crooked and yellow, I don’t wear my retainer and I think falling asleep when I’m actually going to fall asleep is better than brushing my teeth. My nose could be smaller, it’s not a little button, but it’s straight and not huge. I’ve got cheekbones, and lost most of my baby fat. I naturally toe the line of dirty blonde and brunette, so once I got the go ahead from my mother, (she puts the blame on dad for not letting me dye my hair, she bleached her hair in high school her mother was a hairdresser for a hot second) I lightened my hair. It dreadlocks even more easily and I recently had to grip and rip a lot of it and then cut the dead ends. The last time, and only since hitting double digits I’m pretty sure, I went to a hair salon for senior prom. I asked about what kind of hair I had naturally and the lady told me a thick amount of fine hair, so right now I do still have a normal amount of blonde hair that now holds a curl. Being pretty, if I am, in fact, pretty, has not fixed all the problems I thought it would. Being outgoing and a spectacle has not fixed anything. Last night someone put my shoes in a garbage can and no one told me, not even the pretty girl I didn’t know who must’ve seen someone put the shoes into the trashcan by her. The spectacle of going down the stairs into the pool wearing a dress in ~65 degrees only made me cold and cost me $7 for half an uber, someone pawing at me, and having to walk half a mile at 7:30 AM. Everyone likes feeling wanted, and the easiest way I’ve seen to get that hit is to be confident and fucked. If you’re being fucked, that person wants you. My parents were good parents. They tried their best. I can handle a man a foot taller than me screaming in my face, a man half a foot taller than me screaming at his car, and get lovingly annoyed at someone getting really intense about football. I get upset and shocked when someone white says the n-word, I graduated high school with a weighted gpa over 4.0, and only needed 3 classes to finish a general AA. I despise the field of therapy, even though I know that’s what this is, me trying to figure out what’s wrong and what to do, I just don’t have someone analyzing and judging me. I know it can help people, but we have brain scan technology, if something is wrong with the brain, just do that. I always need proof for everything to a very obnoxious degree. I had a really bad cough where green phlegm was flying out earlier this semester. I accidentally hit my phone with it, and saved the spit for when I went to the doctor to get it checked out because even though the cough felt constant, what if I didn’t cough in front of the doctor. My mom got me an IUD the summer between sophomore and junior year because I went on social media at the end of freshman year saying this guy had fucked me, and covid hit sophomore year. I took trig that summer too. We’ve known, for about as long as you can know, that I have ADHD. I still haven’t been diagnosed. My kindergarten teacher had to give me extra worksheets because I did them so fast and was distracting everyone else. My first grade teacher had to come up with a new behavior system for me because I was too talkative. I get along really well with people who have ADHD and are good with their coping strategies, usually meds. I don’t get along well with other undiagnosed but ‘know they have it’ people. Like poles repel. I talk fast now. I don’t really think before I speak unless it’s a compliment, I might forget what I’m gonna say and that would suck. My father, when I was younger, wouldn’t wanna listen to anyone else at the table. That does include my mother. I don’t have any siblings. Just now, typing it out, I wonder how he would’ve been if I had a brother. My parents were super young when they had me, older brother wouldn’t have been possible, and at the time when it was the worst that I can remember was mid-elementary, so a younger brother would’ve spoken just as, if not more, stop and start and lackadaisical as I would’ve, and he didn’t even wanna hear about my mom’s studies while she was getting her master’s degree. Her master’s degree in a topic she was passionate about, and found interesting. Most people like listening to that stuff, unless you’re working a job you hate, doing a bachelor’s you’ve stalled out on because you had a kid with that woman and you need to support them. The only bright parts of his day back then seemed to be meeting dogs. And that was all he wanted to talk about. Unless a customer sucked, then we had to hear that story and about how the person was a fat idiot. I eat fast too. I still enjoy good food. I internalized what was probably only said once, and said to many many children who weren’t so affected later on “Stop talking until you’ve finished your food.” They might not even have said that word for word. I talk fast because I wanna say everything, I push every syllable out as fast as I can, I want them to come out all at once so that the person can respond or get back to whatever else they were doing. I hate taking up time. I hated being so dependent for rides in middle school in high school. I never wanted to ask to try out for teams or anything. I had a ‘girlfriend’ before I had a ‘boyfriend.’ I got home and told my dad. I think his reaction would’ve been the same if it were a boyfriend, a weird little ‘ok.’ Like that doesn’t really affect him, why tell him? I seek to prove my bisexuality, I don’t think that’s at all unique to any bisexual. Girls are just way way more intimidating cuz like I’m a girl I should already know what to do, and then getting rejected would suck so hard. I don’t care much if a guy says no, not if it’s in an unserious situation. Guys are guys, they’re a dime a dozen. As I go out more, I’m learning that rejection doesn’t hurt so much if it’s casual and you’ve only known the person for ten minutes, no matter their gender. I get mouth sores the same as my dad. Pineapple has been a known cause. Now he’s a musician and rips people off on etsy. He sets his own schedule and has always been a bit of an insomniac. A conversation that took place 2:30 my time, 1:30 his, was about me getting herpes from going down on a girl. It was over text and perfectly cordial. If someone tells me there’s something actually wrong, I deny it like hell. I feel fine. I’m not one of those. The ADHD thing being one until it really started affecting my grades.

[anhthuhoangg]

Woman (2022)

Redesigning nature

This idea arose from the observation that flowers are frequently used to express femininity, womanhood, and a woman's beauty. While there is no right or wrong way to express oneself as a woman, others misconstruct science and biology to deny or invalidate people who fall outside of gender norms. Thus, I intend to repurpose science and plant biology, also known as botany, as to reclaim and assert that womanhood is independent of biological sex assigned at birth.

To begin, I was inspired by Ernst Haeckel's illustrations in Kunstformen der Natur (1898), which serve as scientific illustrations.  I imitated the style and format of scientific and botanical illustrations, and used diagrams of male and female reproductive systems, to demonstrate that, regardless of science or anatomy, womanhood is not determined by sex. Gender is a broad social concept that does not operate within the boundaries of a false binary.

Choosing and redesigning the hibiscus was a symbolic approach as it possesses both male and female organs, which I thought would be essential to the discussion I aim to bring with this piece. When discussing biology, many people overlook the existence of intersex people, who have sex characteristics that do not fit into the binary of male or female biology. As such, while it is not immediately apparent, the hibiscus also seeks to depict intersex individuals who identify as women.

Although hibiscus blossoms are typically vivid pinks and reds, I picked a pale yellow as the base colour. I used a light foundation to create contrast between the base and the vivid pink and red colours that emulate reproductive organs and dramatically emphasise them. The two figures that resemble male organs were made slightly larger than the female organs to represent transgender women, who have been ignored and ostracised for most of human history. This is not to belittle the role of cisgender women in society; rather, it is a way for gender nonconforming people to feel empowered and included.

I also used white space to mimic the structure of scientific illustrations, which sometimes have both upper and lower titles. To take it a step further, I used the space between the flowers to insert sentences, one of which outlines the anatomy of the hibiscus rosa-sinensis as bisexual, as well as a brief sentence about the various colours it can take, and the other a personal reflection on womanhood. This is common in botanical illustrations, which include the plant's name and a paragraph that follows.

I chose to present this in two frames as I felt that presenting only one image, a diagram, would be too abrupt for the viewer. The first page features a more traditional, subtle botanical illustration, while the second displays the diagram.

Finally, Woman (2022) is a genuine wish for all women to feel included and valued, and to be free to express their womanhood.

[forcebewitht]

Force's Disney Geek Master Theory: Why Twisted Wonderland Is Called Twisted Wonderland

We have all grown to know and love various Disney characters over the years, correct? Yet, I believe a lot of us can argue that not many characters have the same effect on us even as adults today as the Villains do within their respective movies. In the game Disney: Twisted Wonderland as we all know and love, the select boys to Overblot are supposed to have the "souls" of their Villain counterparts, right? But...why is it called "Twisted" Wonderland, then? The truth may lie within something that has been right in front of us all along, my friends: the meaning of a mirror. Ready to buckle in for this one? If so, then here we go!

We have seen all of these guys share character traits, looks, etc with their Disney counterparts, correct? Well, what if I were to tell you that things in terms of the "main" guys that we are supposed to pay attention to aren't exactly what they seem? This could be analyzed in a few different ways, honestly, yet the most prominent way is this: the differences in their personalities- they are reversed. Let us take this bit by bit, shall we?

Ah, yes. The Queen Of Hearts. The ranting, raging, bundle of red, black, and gold we all know and love. (or else heads would roll, I'm sure) One of the things that everybody knows about her is that she's extremely hellbent on the crazy rules that she makes up and is prone to anger honestly very easily. Yeah, you can connect that to Riddle- but think about it for a second. While that rage and the rule thing is still there, it isn't as prominent with him as it was with her, is it? With the Queen of Hearts, her whole "issue" was that she wished to make everybody listen to her and follow her every command- but Riddle was essentially always following the rules of another- not his own. This seemed to make Riddle a little more calm most of the time in terms of how he handled and oversaw things. It wasn't until he actually Overblotted that the "listen to me and only me" thing came out- buuuuuuttttttt I'll get to that part in a bit.

Next: Leona and Scar. While we honestly didn't get to see a lot of what went on behind the scenes in the Outlands in terms of how Scar even met the hyenas to begin with at all, one thing can honestly be said- Scar worked very hard to get where he was. I mean, it's not like you can get an entire pack of rabid, hungry hyenas onto your side in the course of a single day, or maybe even a week (especially as a lion, no less). No, something to that extreme takes careful planning, wording, and stringing along to ensure that nothing goes wrong along the way. The way Scar spoke to Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed made it seem as though he had known them for a looooonngggg time before this- that's where that behind the scenes planning comes in. And then...you have Leona. Leona, from what we can tell in Chapter 2, planned the idea for the "endgame" alright- but he didn't actually act upon any of the plan for himself. Ruggie did. Even in the Lion King, we see that Scar had no problems whatsoever getting his paws dirty a little within his own scheme to take his "rightful place" at the head of Pride Rock- but Leona quite honestly did not a thing once Ruggie was in motion. See where this is starting to head?

Azul and Ursula. Ursula, the Disney baddie queen of my heart Ursula, the Sea Witch. She was known all around the ocean floor for helping out poor little merfolk in secret, wasn't she? Yet, nobody ever really seemed to catch wind of the whole "her turning those who didn't quite fit the bill into polyps" thing, did they? That was one of the things that made her such a honest threat to Ariel herself- because Ursula was cunning. She did things behind the scenes, and sure- we could catch onto it out in the audience (annnddd maybe Sebastian and Flounder as well), but nobody else really seemed to, right? Azul is the complete opposite in this standpoint. He instills direct fear into his "workers" and those even beyond and within his dorm. Like- basically most knew that this dude was bad news to begin with. Azul, mostly, seemed to hide his cunning facade behind a fake yet still seemingly "soft and genuine" smile and act. But all in all, he didn't really attempt to "hide" anything- hell, he even proclaimed his entire plan of what everyone with those things on their heads were gonna do for him in the open! At least when Ursula sang as Vanessa, she was in an almost perfectly enclosed room with nobody else around.

Jamil and Jafar. This comparison here, given what occurs in the movie Aladdin, is honestly one of the biggest possible indicators of this reoccuring theme I shall clarify in a bit. Jafar, while being sneaky, was known for being a more "out there" Disney Villain in terms of his personality alongside that of his partner Iago in the film. He would smile in a sinister way, he would crack jokes out in the open, and let us not forget his crazed yet oddly interesting laughter. Jamil? He's the exact opposite. Given his past and what he has had to dealt with growing up with Kalim, he is much more reserved and barely releases a chuckle or cracks a smile at all. His personality is a lot more repressed than that of Jafar himself throughout the film. Jamil has been so used to having to hold himself back thanks to his parents in favor of Kalim's family, he doesn't seem to know how to "let go" whatsoever. Yet Jafar, while still maintaining that sneaky side of him as well, has no problems whatsoever letting a little hang loose whenever he so chooses to.

Vil and the Evil Queen. This one honestly may be a bit more self explanatory than the others- but the difference between these two is their expressions of themselves. The Evil Queen was the very first animated counted Disney Villain within Disney's history- yet, she barely had any lines throughout the film at all. Her ranges of expression were almost little to none thanks to the era in which the movie was released in- but she always looked like she was pissed, huh? Vil is the exact opposite of her in this sense. He is able to fully express himself through his various facial expressions, theatrical abilities, musical experiences, fashion style, and even how he behaves. Vil is able to do so much more than the Evil Queen did or could do within that time period, that it's almost a little staggering if you fully picture it.

Idia and Hades. Now, now. We haven't honestly seen too much of the flaming blue boy yet in TWST, but one thing is apparent here right off the bat- in terms of his personality? He is the exact opposite of Hades. Idia is much like Jamil but to a more "geek" degree- he's extremely introverted, shy, a bit snippy, yet mainly keeps to himself and his gaming tech. Hades is most often renowned as the Disney Villain with the most personality- and the best humor. Hades has no problem whatsoever being "out there" with his crazy puns, sassy remarks, anger, and even mocking behavior. I mean, please, guys- I haven't been this choked up since I got a hunk of moussaka caught in my throat!

Finally, Malleus and Maleficent. Ooooohoooooooo boy. We have to count out the live action movie Maleficent for this one (sorry horned queen fans). One thing that basically everybody even with their toe in the water in that of Disney movies kind of knows this fact- Maleficent is c r u el. She's got a bizarre set of dark powers and an even blacker heart than that. Hell, we basically had to "soften her up" a little bit in Maleficent thanks to just how seemingly irredeemable her character is in that of Sleeping Beauty. I mean, c'mon now- cursing an infant? And we get no explanation for that in the original? C'mon, now. Anyways, Malleus? As we all can tell by now, this dude is the compleeettteeeeeee opposite. Sure, he has those repressed bits here and there too, but it is evident that this dude has a heart crying out for the MC and it is big, bold, and golden to the core once you look past how he looks. He sent the MC a card for winter break, for crying out loud. Yeah, let me know the next time you see Maleficent do that smh.

Now, I have avoided using a certain word up until this point to see if anybody could catch on to what exactly is happening here. Did you figure it out? Reverse. The boys that either have Overblotted already or intend to Overblot soon stop holding out on us, Chapter 6 have had the exact opposite personalities compared to that of their Villain counterpart- until one prime point in their "character arcs". Their Overblot.

Riddle wished to have all bow before him and obey his rules.

Leona led his entire dorm into ruin and nearly sanded away the entire school in the process.

Azul let himself finally free of his personal shackles entirely and "took what was his".

Jamil finally let himself go and opened up more in his personality, almost seeming to be driven insane in the process.

Vil wanted to become the most beautiful one of all and would kill anyone within the way of that goal without any hesitation whatsoever.

The moment that the boys' Overblotted, that was the exact moment when the "soul" of their Disney Villain counterpart took control. Keeping that idea in mind, that should mean that this will happen in the upcoming chapters and their Overblots:

Idia will show off all of the personality, powers, and intelligence that he has been keeping down within this introverted self of his.

Malleus will become so broken by being left out and alone in the cold for the final time that he will turn into a completely cruel Fae and possibly nearly kill either the MC or the representation of Prince Philip within that Chapter in the process.

(Hello, my dear Readers! Guess who is trying to get back into her bigger pieces of writing? This gal right here~ feel free to drop a comment and tell me what you think of this theory- I'd love to hear your thoughts! 💕)

[comradekatara]

do you think it would, over time, become public knowledge that kuruk spent his life killing angry spirits to keep the world safe and didn’t tell anyone to preserve yangchen’s legacy? why or why not? i’ve been thinking about the (apparent) lack of recorded history of each of the avatars’ lives - obviously there would be things like war or time or organization or bias or language barriers that keep the history from being well known but i wonder how different generations went about preserving each avatar’s legacy. like on kyoshi island we see her uniform and a piece of art about her, but no like. biography, and oyaji apparently has no knowledge of a lot of the complete story of how kyoshi island was founded, which is a major part of her legacy? this is getting very broad but i guess i’m also thinking about how much control each of the avatars has over their own legacy, and how that interacts with what others remember and pass down about their legacies.

yeah. legacy is an interesting concept, because it’s far more about who benefits from a certain narrative being propagated than it is about preserving the “truth.”

roku’s history was kept secret by sozin. history is told by the victors, after all. that said, I’m sure that as part of the campaign to dispel fire nation propaganda, zuko would publicize his story and make it widely known that he opposed sozin’s imperial conquest.

it’s clear that by aang’s time, kyoshi islanders deify kyoshi and genuinely believe that she never did anything wrong in her life, hence the narrative that she founded kyoshi island because she felt like it, and the whole chin motivation was erased entirely. kyoshi clearly believed in accountability, but she had no control of her posthumous legacy and how she would be interpreted by people who consider her more of a godly figure than a fallible human person. I’m sure that a full biography of kyoshi does exist somewhere (jinpa/the white lotus kept detailed records, after all) but probably not on kyoshi island itself, wherein oral tradition is likely prioritized.

kuruk made sure not to share the full story of his struggle with anyone other than nyahitha—even his best friends never knew the truth, although I wonder if kyoshi ever tells hei-ran (i like to think she does). he wanted to preserve yangchen’s golden legacy, and thought it more prudent to suffer in silence, despite knowing that his reputation would be a dark stain in avatar history. that was of course very noble of him, but since he also considers telling the truth necessary for kyoshi’s healing, she is now the one in control of his legacy, and what she does or does not do with it is up to her.

since aang doesn’t know the truth, one could safely say that kyoshi respected kuruk’s wishes and left his full story obscured, but it’s just as likely that aang never paid full attention in avatar class as a kid because he resented the monks for giving him that responsibility and did everything in his power to blow off his duties, so the day they covered kuruk he was too busy doodling on his desk or something. who can say.

I’m sure there are some true scholars on the matter who know the truth—if not humans, then spirits, who absolutely fucking hate kuruk’s guts and would want him to live in infamy. but I like to think that he got some form of justice in the end; he suffered so much, he deserved something, however small, in return.

[and-claudia]

Can I get a Tyrion Lannister fic if you can do it?something fluffy, maybe him and reader flirting in the library, reader may or may not be reading a special kind of book 😳

So this is my first time writing for Tyrion Lannister so I’m sorry if this sucks but I tried

Perhaps Another Day

Tyrion Lannister x reader

It was quiet here. An odd thing to ever say anywhere in King's Landing, but nonetheless here in the library all was quiet. Most people had long left the long aisles filled of old books.

I was fortunate enough to have been taught to read by my father before he passed.

That's actually what brought me to King's Landing. The King had known my gather at some point apparently, and after hearing of his passing he knew I'd be on my own with little money left, my father was never good at saving his silver. So knowing that I would be desperate he offered me the job of teaching his children, the princes and princess of the Seven Kingdoms, how to read. It didn't pay much but enough to get by, plus I got to live in the Red Keep and I didn't have to pay for my food so I was doing quite well right now.

But as I was saying I was in the library minding my own business, reading a book, when someone decided to join me.

There were plenty of other empty tables so why he decided to sit here was beyond me.

"Hello, Yn."

"Hello, Lord Tyrion." I greeted back, not looking up from my reading.

"Bit late, isn't it?" He asked opening his own book.

"I could say the same to you." I said finally looking up from the pages.

"That you could. But I seem to remember that you have a princess to teach tomorrow morning." He said knowingly.

"You would be correct.” I sighed.

“Was he that bad today?” He asked.

He knew I worked with Joffrey today. And he knew how exhausted he could be.

“Yes! What kind of question is that!?” I asked laughing.

“What happened this time?” He asked genuinely interested.

“Well he was supposed to read the next chapter of the History of Casterly Rock, but he didn’t. This is third time. And I was told to report to The King if this should again. Joffrey wasn’t pleased. I sat next to him as read the entire chapter. Well I did after he complained for an hour. Then hey screamed at me for him missing his sword lesson. But I told him it was his fault. He’s a spoiled brat.” I said with a sigh.

“I am so sorry you must deal my nephew. He is indeed a pain in the ass, but that pain in the ass is heir to Westeros.”

“Don’t remind me.” I groaned.

“We could leave.” Tyrion said.

“What!?” I asked shocked.

“You and I, sail across the Narrow Sea to Bravos. Make our own life there. No asshole princes to deal with. And a plethora of new libraries to read through.” He said smiling.

It was nice thought, I had to admit. But I had hardly any money, and no way to get there.

“If only, My Lord, if only.” I said closing my eyes.

“Perhaps another day.” He quipped.

“Perhaps.” I smiled at him.

“What are you reading tonight?” He asked, changing the conversation.

“Oh, nothing. Well nothing interesting anyways. What about you?” I asked, remembering that I wasn’t reading the most appropriated books at the moment.

“Not sure honestly, I just grabbed one and sat down.” He shrugged.

“Oh, were you that desperate to come and sit with me?” I teased.

“Guilty.” He smiled back at me.

We had an odd relationship to say the least. Neither of us were one for long term relationships, but we certainly had something more than a simple friendship. We found comfort in one another. We openly flirted with each other as well. It was no surprise when we each admitted our feeling for one another one drunk night a few moons ago. But him being a high born and me not being one, it could never be more than what we had here and now.

I had jokingly confessed to him that when the inevitable time for him to marry in order to become lord of Casterly Rock that I would be more than happy to be his mistress to still be with him. Though it was a joke, we both knew it was something I’d be will to do. But he told me he’d never let me do that, he said that I deserved so much more than to be his mistress. That’s when the jokes of running away together began. And even those jokes held a significant about of truth in them.

We sat in the quiet library for some time. Simply talking. It sometimes felt like he was the only normal person in the Red Keep. It wasn’t until I let out a small yawn that I realized how late it had gotten.

“Perhaps we should turn in for the night?” He suggested closing his book that had been left open while we talked.

“I think that is a wise idea.” I agreed closing my forgotten book as well.

His eyes widened slightly when he caught the cover.

“What would the Queen say if she saw her children’s teacher read such a scandalous book?” He teased.

“Well for you to recognize that story by its title, it seems to me that the Queen’s brother has also read it.” I shot back.

He laughed and nodded his head unashamed.

At this point we had made our way to the door of the library.

“Allow me to escort you to your room?” He asked.

“Of course.”

We walked in a comfortable silence. He knew the way to my room well. And I his. When we arrived I looked at him.

“I’d invite you in, but I have an early morning.” I said with a sigh.

“Perhaps another day?” He offered with a kind smile.

“Perhaps another day.” I agreed before opening the door and walking in.

[masterjedilenawrites]

I’m not good at making requests, so forgive me if anything come out wrong.

But, could you do something were reader and Tech are fixing some eletronics and listening to cientific things, and start talking about a wrong thing people said there, so they get distracted and when realize, they’re in to a awkward position (like him btween her legs or sth like that)

I love your writing and thanks (: <3

Omg I've been so soft for Tech lately and this prompt is perfect 💚 I hope this is what you were looking for, I really enjoyed writing it!

Tech x reader | 2k words

...making bacta the most important scientific achievement in history...

"Dank farrik," Tech huffed beside you.

You came out of your daze at the sudden exclamation and looked at your friend with concern, trying to quickly figure out what had gone wrong. You were helping him with a project, though what it was exactly you weren't completely certain of. All you knew was it involved digging into the walls of the ship and untangling a lot of wires. You'd been instructed to hold onto several of them, keeping them pulled taught out of the wall so Tech could fiddle with the other ends, and the dullness of the task had caused your mind to wander.

"What's wrong?" you asked, doubtful you'd understand any explanation, but wanting to be sure you hadn't done anything to mess up his progress.

He waved a hand at you dismissively, not pulling his attention away from the work in front of him. "Just the radio," he mumbled.

You hadn't been paying attention; it had only been turned on as background noise to keep you from going insane with boredom. And since it was tuned into some kind of scientific news frequency, you didn't really understand much of what was being said anyway.

...with the most influential application simply being in the field of medicine, providing us higher life forms with a versatile tool in maintaining our quality of life, and potentially even prolonging it...

Tech huffed again. Scoffed. Your mouth quirked at how upset he was getting. It was kind of cute.

But, you had to debate whether engaging with his frustration would be worth it. He had only recently calmed down from his outburst earlier that day, the only time you had ever seen him genuinely upset. Wrecker had accidentally knocked over a piece of machinery that was... well, something very important, apparently. No one was too sure. But Tech had spent most of the week carefully arranging its parts just-so, so that when all his hard work went crashing onto the floor, his breathing had suddenly resembled that of a charging Nexu. He'd drawn himself up, trying to match his brother's height, and ordered the poor guy to never step foot in this part of the ship again. The other Batchers had tried to defend him and were subsequently banned as well.

That left you as the only option for help.

Maybe that meant he wouldn't kick you out for debating him....

"Sounds like they're saying some pretty reasonable things. Am I missing something?"

Tech's fingers, which had been deftly working through the wires before him, clipping some and splicing others, finally froze. The clone's face tilted over to you, his eyes looking a little too judgmental through those glasses for your liking.

"You think bacta is the most important scientific achievement?" he asked. You didn't like his tone, either.

You scrunched your mouth in thought, actually giving the question serious consideration. While you mulled it over, Tech stood up from his hunched position in the wall and started pulling on some of the wires, unraveling them from their tangled mess.

"Yeah," you finally decided. "I think medicine in general is pretty important. And bacta specifically is the strongest known substance to deliver fast and effective healing."

Tech was mostly focused on the wires, but he spared you a glance.

"And treating symptoms is the most important thing for humanity? Here, hold this." He added another wire for you to hold in your hands.

You knew it was a loaded question so you chose to answer it with one of your own. "Well if it's not bacta or medicine, then what would it be?"

"Electricity," he said quickly and assertively, as if it was the most obvious thing in the galaxy. He continued to focus more on his work and you were annoyed he didn't seem to want to offer up an explanation to his opinion, despite having made you give one. He'd finally untangled the wires and was back to leaning into the cavern in the wall and setting them into their proper places.

"Why electricity?" You hated how dumb your question sounded; obviously you understood the concept and understood its importance. You just really wanted to challenge him to give you some explanations.

"For one, most medicines would not be able to be mass-produced were it not for the electrically-run vats in which they are made." He held his hand out behind him and made a grabbing motion. "Blue, please."

You sorted out the blue wire and passed it over.

"For another," he continued, his voice sounding distant as he leaned further away into the wall, "we must ask what constitutes a quote-unquote important achievement. For example, is an achievement worthy of the title simply because it improves our quality of life? Green, please."

You handed over the corresponding wire. "I'd say it's more about preserving life. Even outside of war, there's enough injury and illness that would end life were it not for medicine to heal them."

"Ah, but in that same reasoning, electricity also sustains life. It powers sources of light and warmth, which can also provide a means of boiling water and cooking food. All keys to survival. Yellow, please."

"So does fire," you shot back. "People survived long before electricity, and there's still plenty of civilizations living fine without it."

Tech finally emerged from the wall and took the last few wires from you, the red and black ones. He met your eyes with an earnestness that let you know how much he was enjoying this conversation. "And people have survived without medicine. At least the manufactured forms that you're arguing for, like bacta. Traditional medicine is as sufficient as fire."

Before you could respond, Tech moved to the side, motioning toward the wall with his head and holding up the remaining wires.

"Now, unfortunately these last ones need to be clipped in down below. I'm not able to fit through the lattice of the floor, but someone of your stature easily could."

You stepped forward and peered down. It was a mess of machinery and pipes and beams, but you could clearly see the port where the wires had been yanked out earlier. You knelt down, resting your stomach on the edge of the wall, but paused before bending over.

"If it wasn't for bacta, you wouldn't have been born." You were confident in your comeback and thus didn't linger for his reaction, turning to bend down into the ship with your wires instead.

You were disappointed to hear his soft chuckle from above you.

"And what do you think powers the bacta tanks that hold the clone embryos?"

You were glad he couldn't see the frustrated frown on your face. While you tried to think of a new point in your debate, you snapped the red wire into the proper port. But then you realized you couldn't quite reach the black one, and started carefully shimmying forward, deeper into the wall.

"It seems we have circled back to the initial question," Tech offered in your silence. You felt his hands hold on to your hips, steadying you as your legs lifted from the floor, most of your body now inside the ship. You didn't think anything of it, though, your focus split between your task and his words. "What makes an achievement the most important? Both medicine and electricity are capable of preserving life, but neither are essential to survival. So, what criteria are we left with?"

You were finally within reach of the last port and pushed the wire into it. "Sounds like you already have the right answer, so why don't you stop teasing me and just say it?" you called up to him.

"I...I didn't mean to sound like I was teasing."

You could hear the apology in his voice, how truly caught off guard he was to hear that you had perceived his attempts at a friendly debate, a conversation, as mocking or disrespectful. Your stomach knotted up in guilt, making your journey to wiggle back out of the wall a little more difficult.

"I'm sorry, Tech," you said through a grunt as you tried to push yourself back. "I didn't mean to sound rude. I just don't know the answer."

You felt his arms snake around your middle, pulling you the last of the way out. You came to rest on your knees, breathing heavily at the sudden increase in air supply. Tech was crouched alongside you, his chest against part of your back, his arms still holding you.

"I honestly don't know the answer, either," he blinked down at you, speaking quietly. "I don't know what criteria would constitute the most important scientific achievement. I thought maybe we could figure it out if we kept discussing it."

You craned your neck around to look at him, unconcerned about the discomfort it took to do so. You needed to face him fully. "Or... maybe we don't need to figure it out? I mean, does there need to be one achievement labeled more important than any other? Can they not all be valued equally?"

"I suppose..." he relented. But only a little. "It is a fun thought exercise, though."

You smiled at that, and it made your heart flutter a little to see him return the expression. There were a few seconds between you where you sat pleasantly in each other's arms... before the realization hit that you were in each other's arms.

"Uh," Tech stuttered first. His eyes looked about frantically as if the more he saw of you practically sitting in his lap, the more he would know what to do about it.

Your face was hot and your heart thumped forcefully in your chest. But you weren't panicking. Even though you'd been around the Bad Batch for a while now, this was the first time you'd gotten physically close to any of them, especially this dorky genius, who made you feel just a little better about life than the others did. You hadn't been sure why, not until this moment, your face being mere inches away from his own. Now it clicked.

His arms had removed themselves from your frame and he was starting to crawl backward on the floor. You quickly grasped his shoulder to stop him.

"Tech, wait."

He froze, looking at you with wide, apprehensive eyes. His shoulder was tense so you relaxed your grasp and simply let your hand rest on it gently. You gave him a small smile. Thankfully these little gestures were enough encouragement for him to lean back to you. He still looked at you timidly, but he wasn't pulling away anymore. It seemed like maybe he had been feeling the same things about you.

"Yes?"

He was waiting for you to make the next move.

"So, this project," you stalled, needing just a little more time to work up the courage. "What is it again? Why did I just crawl into the bowels of the ship?"

Your face was creeping closer to his, breath gently fanning across each other, warm but refreshing.

"I... I..." Tech seemed to be short-circuiting. "I was just, uh, re... redecorating."

Your nose had just brushed his when you suddenly frowned and moved back to look at him questioningly. "Redecorating... wires?"

You were very amused at how flustered he seemed to be in this situation. But then the tables turned as Tech rolled with it.

"Yeah, I didn't like the way they looked in there. Wanted to change things up. You know me."

The smile on our face spread as he talked and you couldn't hold back your laughter any longer. You bent forward, resting your forehead in the crook of his neck while your body convulsed with giggles. Tech laughed along, bringing his arms back around you to hold you in place. When you finally looked up at him and the shit-eating grin he had plastered on his face, you knew you'd finally found your courage.

"Oh, Tech..." you chided, pressing your smiling lips against his own.

[yslkook]

sonder

pairing: taehyung x reader (exes au) summary: sonder: the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. or

“What am I about to say?”

“That nothing has worked out for you since we dated, because even though the women you date are all wonderful, all you see in them is me,” You exhale, “I might have to kick you out if you say something as predictable as that.”

word count: 3459 warnings: alcohol, smut (penetrative sex, oral f receiving, tae is possessive for like half a second, some tears) a/n: inspired by these pictures of taehyung. also if this feels rushed, that was on purpose- i wanted to make them kinda messy 

Your second whiskey of the evening burns something bitter in the back of your throat, but you welcome it. It’s a welcome respite from the shitty week you’ve had, but that’s besides the point.

One of your favorite things to do to unwind after a tough week is to people watch, and one of your favorite places to do so was at the bars near your apartment. You liked to create vivid stories for these people that walked through the bar- who they were, what their backstories were. It was an amusing game to you, and even if both Yoongi and Hobi told you that you needed a better hobby, you’d only scoff at them.

Speaking of, Yoongi was supposed to be joining you soon. But apparently he’s running late. About fifteen minutes late, according to his cryptic text from earlier:

yoongi: running late, im bringing a friend

You think nothing of it, not really. And you just sip on your whiskey, watching a pair of new faces walk through the door from your stealthy booth in the corner of the bar.

You should’ve known that when Yoongi had said he was bringing a friend, it meant Taehyung. You briefly remember Yoongi telling you that Taehyung had moved back to the city a few weeks ago.

Taehyung, who had moved away halfway across the world years ago as a novice in the art history world. Taehyung, who had broken your delicate heart and taken pieces of it with him more than five years ago.

But even so, you harbor no ill feelings towards the man. He did what he had to do, and you did as well. It’s been so long now, that he should almost be a stranger to you. 

Yoongi watches the way your lips part in surprise at the sight of Taehyung- he knows there are still lingering feelings, maybe a lack of closure. Maybe something else that you don’t feel like discussing or diving into. You send him a hearty death glare his way but Yoongi ignores it.

You and Taehyung are nothing if not stubborn. Taehyung hasn’t stopped asking about you since he moved back to the city.

After all, you’ve hardly dated since Taehyung broke up with you. You had sincerely, genuinely believed that he was your one and only, your forever. It just hadn’t felt right, not with anyone else. So you just stopped, not wanting to force love with people if your heart really wasn’t in it.

And now, Taehyung is standing in front of you, dressed in expensive black from head to toe, looking as if he had just walked off of the runway before meeting up with Yoongi. His hair is longer than you ever remembered it being, two small silver hoops in his ears.

Handsome. He looks healthy and warm. He looks good.

You clear your throat and wave at both of them, opening your arms for a hug. Yoongi’s hug is brief, you see the man at least once or twice a week, but you pinch his waist for ambushing you like this. You gasp softly when Taehyung wraps his arms around you. You’d apparently forgotten how his body just fits into yours. Even after all this time.

It truly hasn’t been that long, but it feels like it.

“Hi,” Taehyung breathes into your hair. You should pull away, you really should. You can’t even meet Yoongi’s eyes, too bewitched by the hold that Taehyung somehow still has on you. 

You feel as though your heart is running a mile a minute, and yet it feels like you’re greeting an old friend after a long time. 

“Taehyung,” You say softly, his name sounding like a ghost of a memory, “It’s been a long time.”

You sit in your booth and Taehyung sits next to Yoongi. It feels like three old friends catching up after a while, not like if two exes are sitting with their mutual best friend trying not to catch glimpses of the other.

You take a sip of your drink with shaky hands. It’s going to be a long night.

At some point during the evening, Yoongi claims that Hoseok has an emergency and that he has to go. You think he planned this (both him and Hobi), because there’s a meddling glint in his eye that you haven’t seen recently.

You panic, scrambling to somehow get Yoongi to stay, so that you’re not alone with Taehyung. You’re afraid of what you might do or say. Or for what you might not do or say.

And yet, talking to him comes like second nature. Maybe it’s because you have years of history between the both of you, even if you haven’t spoken in the last five.

It hurt so much. When he broke up with you, you mourned the loss of your best friend. He had said you could try to be friends, but you couldn’t handle it at the time. And then more time went by… and suddenly, he was barely a thought in your passing mind. Yet, he still lingered, in your mannerisms. Maybe some part of you was still waiting on him. Which wasn’t healthy… But it wasn’t hurting anyone. And besides, you were okay. But you had never really believed in soulmates until Taehyung. Perhaps it was the lack of closure. 

At least that’s what you convinced yourself, because seeing Taehyung like this, laughing and talking to you as if no time has past throws you for a loop.

Mainly because… it’s so easy to fall into conversation with him. It’s so easy to laugh with him and make him laugh. You enjoy learning about everything he’s been up to over the last few years, all of his adventures, the sights he’s seen. How enthusiastic he is, how he finds beauty in everything.

You both had always been such good friends. Maybe that’s what you miss more than anything. Somehow, hours go by and you both are left to be the only ones in the bar-

“Hey what brought you here to begin with?” Taehyung asks, holding the door open for you, “Had a bad day? You still like people watching?”

“Yeah,” You say wistfully, “Something like that.”

He squeezes your shoulder in reassurance. You catch his eyes in the streetlights and feel your heart swell.

Even if it’s been more than five years since you saw Taehyung last, since you felt his fingers thread in between yours… it still feels so familiar. It’s funny, isn’t it? How so much time can go by, how you can be strangers on paper but feel like you’ve known his soul for this entire time.

His smile glows in the moonlight. A light breeze cradles him, carding through his dark strands of hair gently. You can vividly recall a time when it was you- your fingers running through his hair through soft laughs and unkept promises.

You wonder if your heart is still his, after all this time. It’s not as if you’ve had many people to compare your all-consuming five year relationship to in the last few years. Every person you met, you found yourself comparing to your ex-boyfriend. It wasn’t healthy.

And you had known that he had moved on from your own mutual friends. You don’t even know if he’s single right now, but you knew he was in a relationship a year ago… Or maybe two? Maybe you should care a little more, but you’ll blame it on the whiskey for causing you to squeeze his hand a little harder and lean into him.

Taehyung looks exactly the same, he feels exactly the same as he did when you were twenty-two and stupid enough to believe that you would make it. He’s always felt like he fit the messy edges of your soul perfectly, and even now, you feel that familiar warmth of his soul rubbing up against yours.

Even as he’s chatting away, eyes crinkling in genuine happiness, you’re hardly listening. You’re only thinking about how nice he feels next to you. 

Serendipity. It must be serendipity, for him to show up in your life again when you had been teetering on the edge of misery and self-deprecation. Your head is jumbled, brain filled with nothing but sweet memories of him and your heart is aching for something you might never have again.

But all you have is now. So when Taehyung twirls you easily and sways with you under the dimmed light of a street lamp, pulling a surprised laugh out of you, you make your decision.

“Where’s your new big girl apartment?” Taehyung asks, a hint of longing in his tone.

“It’s not new,” You scoff, “But I live, like, five blocks away.”

Taehyung takes your hand in his again, asking you questions about your apartment. How you found it, do you like it, do you have roommates. To which you shrug and tell him that you like being alone. Something shifts in his eyes, something sad. He recalls your thirst for life when you both had been together- always ready to try something new, always wanting to be around people, always dreaming with your head in the sky.

He wonders what changed. You’re so quiet, eyes a little dark, shoulders tense. Maybe that’s what growing up is. Maybe that’s what tumbling out of your early twenties and into your late twenties is.

Or maybe you’ve just changed in general. It’s been a long time, after all. Since you both mutually broke up, since he moved halfway across the globe. 

But still, he catches sparks, flutters of embers in your gaze. He catches the tender, playful excitement that you’ve always held near and dear to your heart- it’s what made you and him such a good team years ago.

Talking to him is so easy, not that you thought it would be difficult to begin with. It’s always been easy with him, easy to laugh with him, easy to love him. 

The front door of your apartment building comes into view. Your hand is still in his. Taehyung hesitates on letting you go, but he does.

“It was nice to see you,” Taehyung murmurs, allowing himself the brush of the back of his hand on your cheekbone, “I mean it.”

“Yeah. I’m glad I ran into you, too. Even if I was stuffing my face with whiskeys,” You grin and lean into his touch, “Even if Yoongi probably played both of us.”

“Don’t know when you became such a whiskey girl.”

“It’s been years, Taehyung. I’m sure I’ve got a few more surprises for you,” You say, smile falling into something more intense, “Wanna come find out what they are?”

“Thought you’d never ask, sweetheart.”

Taehyung’s lips are on yours the minute you close the door to your apartment. His hands are molded to your hips over your clothes and you instantly moan into his mouth loudly, slipping your tongue past his lips eagerly. Drinking him up as if he’s been yours to drink up this entire time.

You fumble with the buttons of his peacoat, nearly ready to yank the buttons off. Patience has never been your strong suit, but you just want to feel him. 

But the minute you pull away for air, you re-center yourself. No matter how enticing his bitten lips are…

“Are you single?” You ask bluntly.

“Why?” Taehyung says with an arch of his stupidly perfect eyebrow, “You falling in love with me again?”

“Shut up, you wish. I thought you had a girlfriend,” You say pointedly, toeing out of your heels and hanging your jackets up in the coat closet.

“You keeping tabs on me? I knew it,” Taehyung says, looking a little too smug about it.

“Shut the fuck up,” You swat his chest, “Yoongi may have mentioned it to me once or twice.”

More like he told you multiple times when you were drunk, wasted and crying over Taehyung because you never truly got over him. In some corner of the deepest part of your heart, you never got over him.

“I’m not dating anyone. Or talking, seeing anyone,” Taehyung shrugs, “That didn’t work out. Nothing’s really worked out, not since…”

“Don’t say it,” You mutter, “Don’t say what I think you’re about to say.”

You need another drink. So you pour yourself another hefty glass of whiskey and pour one out for him, too.

“What am I about to say?”

“That nothing has worked out for you since we dated, because even though the women you date are all wonderful, all you see in them is me,” You exhale, “I might have to kick you out if you say something as predictable as that.”

“And if it’s true?”

“Then I’m definitely kicking you out. Might need another five years to see you again,” You whisper. He moves closer to you, tentatively holding your hips in his. You don’t push him away, only looking up at him with wide eyes.

“I missed you so fucking much,” Taehyung breathes into your hair, wrapping you in a hug, “You have no idea. And you? Are you single?”

“No, you missed the idea of me. Of us,” You mumble, but you’re unable to pull out of his hold, “We were young, we had dreams… And yeah, I’m single.”

“We could’ve made it work-”

“Taehyung, stop it,” You mutter, throat going dry with barely concealed yearning for him, “We both made the choices we made for a reason. You’re here and I’m here for a reason. Don’t wanna talk about what if’s with you anymore. Just kiss me, Taehyung-”

Taehyung doesn’t need to be told twice, cupping your face in his big hands and pressing his soft lips to yours instantly. Time feels like nothing between you both, but it feels like he’s trying to learn this new version of you through your kiss. 

You’re undecided on whether this is a one time thing, but all you know is that you want him. And you want him now. His hands are warm over your thighs as he lifts you up in his arms, your chest plastered to his. His hair has gotten longer, dark strands effortlessly falling into his forehead.

He’s so handsome and you swoon when his lips press against your neck. Taehyung still remembers what you like, what your favorite spots are.

It’s almost as if no time has passed. You both ignore it, ignore the nostalgia creeping into the crevices of your kisses.

“Mmm, my bedroom’s that way,” You mumble hoarsely, pulling away with hooded eyes. 

“You’ll have to give me a proper tour later,” Taehyung says, his voice somehow even deeper.

“Yeah, you’d be so lucky,” You snort and Taehyung shuts you up with another searing kiss. He doesn’t miss the meticulous way you’ve decorated your cozy home, pops of color and decorations that are so very you in every corner. He sees a small photo collage in the corner of your bedroom. 

Once upon a time, a photo of you and him would’ve been the crown jewel.

“Tae,” You mumble, “Stop, focus on me. I want you-”

So he does.

Your legs close around Taehyung’s head, his tongue slipping into your glossy folds for the third time that evening. He can’t get enough of your soft noises, even when you’re telling him it’s too much, you widen your legs for him to slot in between them easily. Taehyung hikes your legs over his shoulder, nearly rutting into the bed at the sight of your quivering bottom lip and the way your tits bounce.

He palms you lewdly, squeezing and pinching.  “You’re so wet,” Taehyung moans into your pussy, “Fuck, baby-”

“Taehyung,” You breathe, voice sounding broken even to your own ears, “I want you, I want your cock…”

“You sure you want this?” Taehyung asks, his voice strained.

“Yeah,” You nod eagerly, “Do you?” 

With a nod, “Do you have condoms?” He rasps, nose nudging your clit.

“Y-yeah,” You moan, “The nightstand, first drawer. Brand new box, never before used-”

“Really?” Taehyung raises an eyebrow, “When was the last time, baby?”

“The last time what,” You whine, tugging on his forearm.

“Last time you had sex,” Taehyung says, pulling the box out from your nightstand. 

“Uhhh… when you broke up with me?” You shrug sheepishly, rubbing the back of your neck.

“Shit,” He groans, “Seriously?”

You don’t miss how he palms himself over his pants at your words. He’s always had a hint of possessiveness in him, and you already know that he’s trying to process that the last person, the only person to have ever seen you like this was him.

“Yeah, I didn’t have luck the way you did, I guess,” You say lightly, “Not that I was trying very hard, though.”

“Damn, baby, nobody’s been loving you right, huh?” Taehyung says, pulling out a condom from the box with shaky hands.

“Yeah. Not even you,” You say. Maybe that was mean, but his eyes flash at you in warning.

“Come here,” He says, a soft demand, “Did you miss me?”

You shrug playfully and unbutton his pants for him. He swats your roaming hands away and they land on his belly, your nails scratching lazily. Taehyung has always looked like a vision, but seeing him like this, hovering above you with golden, tanned skin and his jaw locked, looking every bit like the man of your dreams...

He commands, demands respect. Your pussy throbs just from the sight of him shucking off his pants and his boxers in one go, tugging his hard and heavy cock roughly with one hand.

You swear you drool. Your head is empty, only thoughts of him, his big hands, broad shoulders-

“Did you miss me, baby,” Taehyung asks again, voice a little rougher, a little harsher.

“Does it matter,” You challenge him, “You only want my pussy-”

“And you only want my cock-”

“So give it to me then. Since you know me so well,” You sneer. You gasp in surprise when he swats your thigh and then moan his name when he pushes the head of his cock into you without much warning.

“You talk so fucking much,” Taehyung breathes, cupping your cheeks with one hand.

“Shit,” You gasp, “You’re so fucking big-”

You squeeze your eyes shut and Taehyung stills inside of you, giving you time to adjust to him. He peppers sweet kisses over your forehead, a contrast to his previous words. You cannot believe that somehow, Taehyung is back in your bed, his cock buried deep within you. 

The thought makes your eyes water. You’re a little overwhelmed.

“What’s wrong,” Taehyung asks when he sees your wet eyes, pressing his forehead to yours.

“Nothing, you’re just so big,” You mumble, avoiding his eyes. Taehyung looks at you suspiciously but says nothing.

He’s the only one who’s ever had you like this. The thought makes something in his belly flare, the urge to leave bruises on your welcoming hips and pound into your wet pussy growing and growing with each second.

But he doesn’t move, not until you give him the okay. Taehyung’s fingers are tight around your hips, loose around your neck, his lips plastered to any inch of skin he can reach. With the first rock of his hips into you, you wrap your legs around his waist and shudder in his arms.

He nuzzles your neck, chest plastered against yours. Your nails are tightly pressed into his biceps, surely leaving marks for tomorrow morning. Your soft cries of his name sound like sweet rapture, something he’s been searching for for years. Or something that he had and something he let go of.

And then he wonders how he ever spent the last few years not buried in your pussy, when you feel something like home to him.

“You know, I moved back here a few weeks ago,” Taehyung says, turning on his side to face you, hands gentle over your chest.

“Oh, I know. Yoongi and Hobi wouldn’t shut up about it. They really missed you,” You reply, not meeting his eyes.

“And you? Did you?” Taehyung asks again. You hesitate.

“Does it matter, Taehyung?” You mumble, brushing his hair away from his eyes, “Does it change anything?”

“It could. If you wanted it to,” He murmurs, pulling you into his chest. His fingers are light over your spine, but you scoff.

“Don’t say shit like that,” You sigh, pressing your hand to his face. 

He only laughs with his big, bright smile and pulls you in closer, kissing your forehead. “I can leave you know. If you want me to. If this is... weird.”

“I think we’re way past weird, Taehyung. If I wanted you to leave, I would’ve kicked you out by now,” You say easily and ignore the way his smile sends unfamiliar butterflies through your belly, “Go to sleep. I’ll decide if I wanna kick you out in the morning.”