#Sterling Essentials

[independent-fics]

Realizing in “The First David Job” Hardison told Nate he was “halfway home.” He really did like the little family they built. And my heart hurts for him because then he had to blow it up.

[comical-croagunk]

April Fool's!

[this post is pretty long due to pictures, multiple short introductions, and explaining how this event will work]

Deklan wakes up with a grumble to a persistent and somewhat annoying buzzing sound, rubbing their gooey head with their gooey hand.

... That's not right.

They open their eyes and stare at their arm, which is now very green. And has a bunch of blobs in it. It's familiar, but they can't place it with sleepiness calling to them still.

"Deklan," a voice says, cutting through the buzzing in the room.

"Wuh?" they reply, finally looking away from their arm in the direction of the voice. They see... a Yanma?? They don't own a Yanma. It's hovering close to them and staring- or they think it is, at least. Deklan goes to swat at it; the Yanma dodges easily.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO FUCKING KILL ME?" says the Yanma, and they jolt, startled. But the inflection is so familiar, they could place the name to the voice even while dreaming.

"... Sterling?" they say, squinting their eyes slightly.

The Yanma- Sterling- sighs, dropping onto their blankets. The buzzing sound stops when he does, and they realize it was coming from the wings. "Finally. I've been trying to wake you up for the last ten minutes. We're both Pokémon, for some fucking reason, but I'm less concerned about that and more concerned about the PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE."

Deklan drops a flat "there's what", rising up out of bed. Sterling's comment about being a Pokémon doesn't even register; there's people in their house and there shouldn't be. "How did- what? What? Our Pokémon would've alerted us??? Or so I hope- agh, come on!"

They beeline for the door, Sterling right behind them. They stop in the hall, listening to try and pinpoint where the intruders are. Hushed voices get their attention pretty quickly. "... They're in the kitchen, I think?" they mumble.

"Mm. You want to startle them and then try attacking, or be sneaky about it?" he asks.

"I think your wings would give a stealth mission away... uh." Deklan looks at their arms again, then at the floor at the top of the stairs, which they're very much not standing on. "... Hang on. Am I a fucking REUNICLUS?"

"Shhh! Do you want them to hear us??" Sterling hisses at them.

A tall, peculiarly-dressed stranger appears at the foot of the stairs.

"We've been able to hear you both. You haven't exactly been quiet."

"WHAT THE FUCK," Sterling practically shrieks. Deklan, on the other hand, is focused on the stranger's eyes. They know those eyes very well. They've been around those eyes for over a decade.

"... Serperior?" they ask.

They receive a nod in turn. "Hello, Deklan. Sterling. Despite these... deeply unusual circumstances, it's good to see you both."

"Huh. Interesting. Hi!" They smile at their long-time friend and partner Pokémon.

"What the hell..." Sterling mumbles. "So, wait. You can understand us even while we're like this? And we can understand you?"

"Certainly. Honedge thinks it's likely because all of us are Pokémon to start with, not to mention some of us have been alongside one of you for a very long time." Serperior levels them both with a slightly intense stare. "I am not the only one affected. We've been practicing introductions for a little while. Please do not yell so much when you see the others. Not everybody is handling it as well as I am."

He beckons for them both to follow, then disappears back into the kitchen. Sterling and Deklan exchange a glance, then follow the now-human Pokémon.

"Oh, shit," Deklan says once they enter.

"Good morning!" Cupcake, their Stoutland, greets. "I tried going outside to check and see if anybody came near the house in the night, but my senses are... very dulled in this form."

Deklan offers him a kind smile. They're going to be normal about this. "Aw, thank you. That's appreciated."

He nods, the corners of his mustache lifting up a bit in what they assume is a smile.

"This is Spotty... How are your energy levels today?" their Shiinotic asks.

"Oh, um-" They hadn't been paying attention, really. They look down at their body as best as they can, then spin around slowly in the air once. "... I think it's fine? This is more jarring than anything. I don't have legs to exhaust. And my arms are huge."

She hums, and they're surprised that it sounds so lovely. "That's good... Let me know if that changes. I'm more than happy to continue lending you... well, maybe not energy right now, but my physical support...?"

How nice of her! they think.

"Deklan! Deklan! Hey! It's me, Patch!" their ever-excitable Banette says, bouncing on his feet.

Whether he's smiling or not under his mask, his infectious mood makes them grin, too. "Hey, Patch. You're not getting up to anything too mischievous, are you?"

"Whoooooooo's asking?" he asks with a laugh. "No, no, I'm not. Serperior would have my head if I did right now. Maybe once I'm back to normal, whenever that is!"

Deklan shakes their head in amusement.

They spot the familiar colors of a Honedge's cloth waving at them from behind the counter.

"Uh...?" they ask.

Serperior leans over. "She doesn't particularly like how she looks, so she doesn't want to be seen directly all that much. She'll respond if you say something to her, though."

That makes sense. Deklan thinks of a topic, then starts talking. "Hi, Honedge! Have you given any more thought to the name thing yet?"

"Um. I like the letter L now also."

"Awesome. I'll take it into consideration."

The cloth gives them a thumbs up.

"Tox," Sterling says.

"Sterling," his Toxicroak replies. "... I always thought you'd be something cooler if you were a Pokémon. Like... a Luxray. Or a Rampardos. You're telling me I could punt you?"

He's thrown off so quickly that he barks with laughter before regaining his composure. He's still smiling, though. "Hey. Rude. Try and punt me, I dare you. I've already gotten a pretty good handle on these wings."

She grins, though it looks a little like a smirk, too. "Nah. I don't wanna add to the current issue."

"Fair."

He and Hunter stare at each other silently for a few moments before she speaks. "So this is what being human is like. Feels weird to be so... hairless. And to have thumbs."

"You're telling me. Being able to see everywhere without turning my head is kind of headache-inducing. That's not even getting into the tail or wings," Sterling grumbles. "Your hair does look pretty nice, though. Makes you look just as fierce as you do as a Mightyena."

She bares her teeth at him, a gesture he's learned means that she's happy. "Thanks. I'll take what I can get when I look like this."

"... Hi," Lucky says meekly, peering out from behind Hunter.

"Hey." Sterling lowers himself so that his Dunsparce won't have to look up as much. "... Lots of changes in your life, huh?"

He looks down. "I miss my tent."

Oh, that's an easy fix, actually. "You're welcome to use the blankets on my bed. Honestly, do it whenever."

"... Really?" Lucky looks back to Sterling with a wondrous expression. "That's- thank you...!"

"Of course."

Serperior raps his knuckles against the counter. Once he has everyone's attention, he speaks.

"Well. Now that we've gotten introductions out of the way, what do we do first?"

---

[WELCOME TO THE APRIL FOOL'S EVENT!

We were planning on having this be just for a day, but with the amount of art I made... nah. This will be running UNTIL THE 8TH.

For the duration of the event, the now-human Pokémon are available for questions! You can still ask Sterling and Clobbopus things, but they currently can't understand anybody else aside from their own Pokémon (as well as each other), so anything directed towards them will instead be answered by one of their Pokémon. Tox will be answering most things directed to Sterling, if you want to get answers as to who he is without him evading the questions...

All posts for this event will be tagged with #ally switch gone wrong. Have fun!]

[starboymuse]

even if it was a draw, really happy with the team’s performance today

honestly same they looked really cohesive and defended the score really well until the end of the second half but 1 point is better than none

[lufyuu]

,, Love Quest ''

Background character male reader x Protagonist oc

Part 1 Part 2

Tw/s: dub-con at the start, dacryphilia, rough sex, semi-public sex, overstimulation, multiple rounds.

In a world where everyone's assigned a role they have to be, you were one of the many unlucky yet common ones to get the role of a background character. One who couldn't even interact with the protagonist if you wanted. The way it works is through the system. There is a system that essentially controls the world. This system can create scenarios, assign roles, etc. This whole world was built by it. Everyone has to obey it, excluding the protagonist themself, that is. Some even say it's possible for the protagonist to control the system itself but, that's just a rumour.

Of course, the role with the most power is the protagonist. Anyone would dream to have that power. To be the protagonist and have everyone fawn for you, throwing themselves at your feet, worshipping your every step. Not only that, his love interest is the best of the best, the prettiest girl you'd ever be able to lay your eyes on, the one you'd never be able to get with if you weren't the protagonist. Just like any other previous protagonist in this world, the current one is an extrovert, River Sterling. He's a perfect guy in every way. He's very well known due to being the protagonist, but also, he is very talented. It's as if there is nothing he can't do. He's even the top 1 on campus. Very rarely is he seen getting anything under an A+. Despite everyone constantly praising him and falling at his feet, he remained humble.

Just like any other day, you enter the building with books in your hands. You had to return these to the professor after borrowing them for a day. No matter how much you studied, you always remained top 2, and because of that, you were annoyed by River. Of course, it's not his fault that he's the protagonist, but you couldn't help but still feel negatively towards him. Going up the many many stairs, you overhear a girl yelling, maybe at a guy? You're not sure what kind of situation it is, but you guess it is a fight between a couple. "You never even spend time with me! Am I not enough!? Destiny binded us together, and yet here you are, doing nothing to please me, your girlfriend!", it sounded like Aria, the protagonist's main love interest. "Aria, well how would I be able to spend time with you when I feel nothing towards you", River says with a nonchalant tone, shocking you a bit, you've never heard him using that tone before. You stop in your tracks, right in front of the door, where you can hear Aria yelling at him. "Y-you...what!?", you can hear Aria say in disbelief. "H-how is that even possible! I'm who you're supposed to be with, I complete you, I'm your other half!", even without being able to see her, you can tell she's tearing up, probably with a red face. Though despite her crying, you don't hear River comforting her. Which is again, very out of character for him.

Next thing you know, you hear a very loud slap accompanied by running sound towards the door. Before you could even react, the door swings white open, a blonde haired girl running out of the room, knocking you down in the process. You stare at the direction she runs to. "Who are you, why did you eavesdrop", you turn back to River, looking down at you, glaring, even. His once gentle eyes seem to be clouded. You don't even recognize him. "[N-Name]", you gulp, you felt as if the man in front of you was going to eat you whole if you said the wrong thing. "[Name]..? I've heard of you, the top 2, right?", he asks in an almost curious but borderline mocking tone. You remain seated on the floor, books scattered everywhere. "Are you not going to explain yourself?", he raises an eyebrow, walking towards you. Taking this as a sign to get the fuck out of there, you quickly grab the books and try to run off, only to have your shirt grabbed by the tall guy.

"Running off are we?", he looks at you with a questiong expression, why would you avoid him, he wont eat you, will he? With the clock ticking, both of you know that soon, this hall will be packed with students, fortunate for you, unfortunate for him. He doesn't want you to go before he can pry some information out of you.

Thinking of a plan, he quickly drags you to the room, shutting the door behind him so you won't be able to run out without him stopping you mid-way. With his hands crossed, he asks you once more, "Why were you eavesdropping?", his tone even more demanding. "I was on my way to the professor's office, I just overheard some things. Can I go now?", you give a quick explanation, wanting to get out of this situation as quick as possible. Though, he wouldn't allow it. "How much did you hear?", "not much, please let me go now," you walk towards the door, turning the door handle only to see it's locked. It shouldn't be. The door can only be locked from the inside, and by the looks of things, River didn't have time to lock the door.

[System: Love Quest]

In order to proceed, please engange in intercourse.

And just as the system suddenly appeared in their face, a percentage bar appeared in the corner of the room and it stood tall, at 0%. With one look, the both of you knew what it wanted. "What the fuck!?", you yell, looking at the window and then at the protagonist who clearly isn't phased. He only sighs, rolling his eyes, as if he was annoyed by this notification. "This shit again", he whispers, loud enough for you to overhear on accident. He's gone through this before..? is what you were thinking. You've almost never gotten a window from the system, let alone one with any sexual themes. If River wasn't shocked, that means it's probably a common occurrence for him.

The two of you stare at one another for an uncomfortable period of time. As if time stopped for a moment. "This is getting real annoying", he says, sighing and stepping towards you. You back away until your back is pressed on the door making you unable to escape as he grabs your chin, lifting it up and looking at you. "You'll make do", he says before pressing his lips onto yours. Out of shock, you try to push him off, wanting to yell at him. How could he, a protagonist, be kissing someone like you? You're what others would perceive as not worthy of being in his presence let alone be kissing him. Yet here you are, getting your mouth explored by the man himself. Your eyes were opened from shock but you closed it after a few seconds, wanting to savour this moment. His hand made its way to your cheek. He was very gentle with both his hand and lips, making you lean into his touch. Before long, you felt as if you were running out of breath, how long can he even kiss you for!? Fortunately for you, he let go of the kiss, panting and trying to catch his breath after that incredible make out session. "We're not done yet", he says, pointing out the elephant in the room which is the percentage bar which still stands tall at 0%, no progress has been made, making the room inaccessible from the outside. The doors being magically locked also kept anyone from getting out before the goal was met. You knew you had no other choice but to do this in order to get out, as much as you were annoyed by the guy as a student, you couldn't deny his charm, the way his eyes looked into yours, the way his grazed his thumb over your lips. Who wouldn't fall head over heels for him? Anyone would die to be you at this very moment.

Without any hesitation, you managed to gather the courage to pull him into another kiss, you could feel him smiling into the kiss as he reciprocated. Moving his hands to your hips, trailling down to your clothed butt. Gropping and fondling it before he eventually unzips your pants, letting them slide down to your ankles. Leaving your bottoms almost bare if not for your briefs covering your private part. "Ahm...agh", the both of you moaned into the intense kiss before letting go. "You're a good kisser", you comment, gasping for air once more. He smirks, "of course, I'm not the protagonist for nothing", he chuckles a bit. You felt hands slipping into your briefs, making its way to your ass, gripping it even more now. He really seems to be enjoying gropping you. You felt his fingers move closer and closer to your hole before he inserts a finger into you, causing you to grip his arms in shock. "A-agh..!", you let out a surprised moan, his finger wiggling around, trying to get your hole to relax a bit, "you're so tense, [Name], loosen up a little", his inserted another finger, making you unable to keep your composure no matter how much you try to.

You feel his fingers thrusting into you, as if trying to get you to cum from his fingers alone. His long and slender fingers were quite deep in you. It wasn't long before he added another finger. And now that three fingers are going in and out of your hole, you feel as if you're aboit to reach your climax. You close your eyes, moaning loudly. He took notice to this and immediately stopped his fingers as if knowing you were about to cum. You're now puzzled by his actions, why did he stop? "I don't want you cumming from just my fingers, that wouldn't be fun now would it?", you then hear the sound of pants unzipping, realizing it was from him. He pulled his hard cock out of his briefs. You stared at it for a while before he snapped you back to reality, "eyes up here, angel", he teased, giving you a pet name while he was at it. "What? Have you never seen a cock this big?", you definitely haven't. It wasn't just long, just looking at the girth of it made you shiver a bit, how will that even fit. It was befitting of a protagonist, he's perfect in every way, even in his physical attributes. "Enough staring, angel", he says as he suddenly picks your legs up. You instinctively put your arms around him tightly so you don't end up falling, "hey!", you yell, this wasn't a pleasant surprise, you could've fallen, "relax, you're quite light", he is very strong afterall, he's joined almost every single sport available at this point.

You decide to put your trust in him, he's able to hold you up for over a minute now, there's no way he'll suddenly drop you, that'd ruin the moment on top of you getting hurt. After the shock wore off, you notice something poking at your hole, "hm..?", you let out a hum of confusion, turning your head down only to see his cock at your entrance, wanting to be inside you. "Are you ready to be filled up like you've never had before?", the now cocky-like protagonist asks with a slight chuckle at the end. You nod and immediately feel his cock thrust up inside of you, almost halfway in already. He grunts at how tight you are despite him having prepared your sweet little hole for his cock beforehand. Trying his best to get his cock all the way into your hole as you moan out in pain and pleasure, "relax why don't you?", he gives a teasing smile. Leaning in for a kiss, he manages to get you to relax and without another word, thrusts the rest of his cock into you, shocking you once more. You accidentally bite his lip in the process, drawing a bit of blood. "Agh!", he pulls back, tapping his finger on his lip and seeing that blood is coming out of the wound. He focuses on you once more, as if signifying he's about to move. You give a slight nod and he starts to thrust in and out of you, slowly and sensually at first. "You're really warm inside", he comments while thrusting into you, looking into your eyes as you manage to keep them open.

After a while of the sensual and slow fucking, he gets tired of it, wanting to thrust into you quicker. And so, he does as he wants. Thrusting into you quicker this time, rougher. You close your eyes and tighten the grip on his upper back, scratching his skin through his shirt. Your moans are no longer considered quiet, you're full on moaning your head out. That was before you realized the bell had rung, students were on their way to class and they'd pass by this specific room. You bite your lip in order to muffle out the moans, keeping it somewhat quiet in order to not get caught. River on the other hand, didn't like this one bit. He wants to hear your delicious and sweet moans, you should let them out for him to hear. "Stop biting your lip, angel, let me hear you", something in his voice made you want to obey his words, and for some reason, you find yourself no longer biting your lip, now you're just letting it all out, moaning and crying out for him.

The faster he went, the more you felt like you were about to reach your climax. He also seemed to be close. The both of you sweating, moaning, grunting. "I'm, agh, gonna cum...!", he says as he shoots his load all in you, coating your inner walls with his seed, some even dripping out. At that moment, you also came, releasing your juice all over your stomach. With the two of you now panting and gasping for air, River carries you to a nearby table, letting the two of you rest for a while. Just then, the door swings wide open, "Who the fuck was making all that noise!?", a teacher yells into the room, seemingly staring straight at them. The teacher looks around in confusion, "huh...I was so sure there was someone here...", He then turns his heels and walks back out, closing the doors on his way. You who were covering your face due to this, looked in the direction the teacher was in confusion, "did..he not see us..?", you ask River, to which he replies, "the system did that, probably", as if the system heard the man, it dings and the both of you turn your heads towards the bar of percentage now sitting at a solid 30%, "huh? 30%?", you say out loud in even more confusion, "it wants us to have sex and get it up to 100%", River says without missing a beat, "ready for round two?"

———

"Agh..! To..oo big, ahghh...", you try to say in-between moans, overstimulated by his cock and the way he bites your nipples. "You're taking me so well", at least he's enjoying it, a lot. You even wonder if he has an infinite stamina, but of course your thoughts were drowned by the time he came in you for the third time. How many rounds has it even been? The bar has been stuck at 99% for so long, when will this end..You're so overstimulated at this point, River's cock has been relentlessly fucking you dumb. You can't even think anymore, nor can you let out any coherent words. It's been at least a couple of hours since the both of you started this, why hasn't it ended. Your cheeks are wet, wet from the tears which had been and are still rolling down your face. He loves witnessing your debauchery. Your clothes have been discarded to the side by now, you don't know where but they're on the floor somewhere. His thrusts get faster and faster, you didn't even know he could go this fast but here he is, fucking you with inhuman speed. "C'mon..ah..come with me, my angel...agh", he moans and grunts while saying this. Then his thrusts stop and you feel even more liquid filling your already over-filled hole, making it impossible to be kept inside and most of it dripping out your hole and onto the floor which has a pool of both yours and his cum. At that very moment, you feel your whole body give out as your vision blurs until you eventually black out.

———

What happened in the room stayed in the room. Your life went on as usual, the normal schedule. Though, one thing has definitely changed. That is the fact that you are now dating the protagonist despite still having the role of a 'background character' . Everyone was shocked but learned to accept it. Who are they to defy the protagonist's wishes? One person in particular wasn't happy about this. None other than his ex, Aria. Everyone saw that coming from a mile away, though, so nobody paid her any mind. After that, River took any and every class you took. Science? You'd see him sit there with an empty seat next to him, looking up at you and asking with a big smile, "come! Sit here, angel!", while patting the seat next to him to signal for you to sit. PE? He'd always get you into his team no matter what. No matter how bad the other team wanted you on theirs, they'd never have you as you now belong to River. Being in the same class as you had its advantages. That is, being able to fuck you in class without anyone noticing. To be frank, the both of you found it out on accident. It was during class when the both of you got a new love quest. You thought of leaving the class to finish but the system didn't let you. It wanted the both of you to do it at that very moment. When he took the initiative and pulled your shirt up to bite your nipples, not a single student nor the teacher had any reaction, it was as if the both of you were protected by an invisible bubble that allowed the quest to take place. That, combined with the fact the teacher couldn't see the both of you the first time, confirmed your suspicions that they were indeed unable to see you.

From that day forward, the two of you almost always got a love quest every single day of school. The session would last at least 2 hours, leaving both of you a hot sweaty mess once it was over and done with. You'd always be embarrassed and extra tight during these. The way you felt eyes on you, it was as if they could see you, but in reality, they really can't. You'd tighten up at the thought of them watching you, making River grunt even more due to your tightness. He'd smirk and ram even harder into you once this happens. "Naughty boy, you get off to the thought of people watching, huh?", he'd always tease you. These love quests would be random, though. Despite it happening every day, the two of you could never predict when it'd occur. It could be very early in the morning, in class, or even during an activity. It was always random, so why would you always see River getting hard even before the love quest appear...? It's probably nothing. You're just paranoid.

☆☆☆☆☆

Apologies for the wait. My schedule's been real hectic lately. This is not proofread, so please excuse the probably many mistakes/typos!

I hope you enjoyed it! If you have any questions/reqs, please do send them my way!<3

[jourke-rourke]

jim sterling, milliseconds away from snapping: would you two please stop flirting for 30 seconds so we can solve this murder nate & sophie: uhmm, this murder investigation is an essential part of our fun little date and you're really killing the vibe here

[bunnymajo]

Do you ever think about how 1977's Araiguma Rascal (Rascal the Raccoon) influenced Japan's perception of raccoons? And how that possibly ties in to Marine the Raccoon from the Sonic franchise?

no? okay. so let me explain

So Araiguma Rascal was 1977's entry into Nippon Animation's line of "World Masterpiece Theater" anime. World Masterpiece Theater was a popular timeslot dedicated to an adaptation of a famous novel or short story. Rascal is based on 1963 autographical book by Sterling North. It essentially tells the tale of a boy and him fostering an abandoned raccoon and it becoming his pet.

It should be noted that Japan up until 1977 had close to 0 raccoons in it. It is not a native species to Japan. However, viewers became very charmed by Rascal and wild raccoons started being imported to Japanese homes with the intention of keeping them as pets.

The ending of Araiguma Rascal (the anime anyway, I'm not familiar with the book and how it compares) has Sterling releasing Rascal into the wild. So many Japanese viewers who had buyers remorse with an actual wild animal in their home - did the same. And raccoons in Japan are to this day an invasive species. You can read about it more here

You might be asking "MajoBun what the hell does this have to do with Sonic?" - so even though Araiguma Rascal messed up the ecosystem, Rascal remains an incredibly popular mascot for Nippon Animation and a representative of the "World Masterpiece Theater" brand.

Over the years though they've made him more...hm. Mascot-like

Complete with a new brighter and eyecatching color scheme, the brighter orange and brown palette seems to have started around 2000 from what I could find.

You may have seen some of your favorite anime do collaborations with Rascal actually!

So unless you know a lot about animals or have to deal with the invasive raccoons eating the infrastructure to your home, it's possible that Rascal the mascot raccoon is the only raccoon you know.

Enter Marine the Raccoon, introduced to Sonic Rush Adventure in 2007. And hey, guest what color she is

(hint: she's orange and brown) Of course this is huge speculation on my part because Sega and her designer have never stated their influence to her design. Also, it's sonic. it's built on bright snappy color schemes for it's characters.

But still, whenever I see people think she's a red panda or think she should be more grey or something, I think it's worth noting that if the most popular raccoon in Japanese pop culture is orange, you bet Sega's gonna try to imitate what works.

Anyway, this is was really a big excuse to talk about Rascal the Raccoon. I think it's impact is incredibly interesting.

[trans-axolotl]

this is a shortened works cited from my thesis, pulling out the sources about American intersex history and activism from the past 30 years. i have pdfs for most of the sources there, if there's something that isn't linked send me a message and i can try to find it!

just thought i'd try to put a lot of intersex history sources in one place.

Works Cited: 

Amato, Viola. “The Intersex Movement of the 1990s: Speaking Out Against Medical and Narrative Violence.” In Intersex Narratives: Shifts in the Representation of Intersex Lives in North American Literature and Popular Culture, 55–102. Transcript Verlag, 2016. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1xxrsz.6.

Bauer, Markus, Daniela Truffer and Daniela Crocetti. “Intersex Human Rights.” The International Journal of Human Rights. 24, no.6. (2020):724-749.https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2019.1671354 

Brown, Lydia X.Z., Erickson, Loree, da Silva Gorman, Rachel, Lewis, Talila A., McLeod, Lateef, and Mingus, Mia.  “Radical Disability Politics.” In Routledge Handbook of Radical Politics, edited by A.J. Withers and Liat Ben-Moshe, 178-193. Routledge, 2019. 

Cameron, David. “Hermaphrodites With Attitude.” Newsletter. 1994. https://isna.org/library/hwa/ 

Carpenter, Morgan. “Fixing bodies and shaping narratives: Epistemic injustice and the responses of medicine and bioethics to intersex human rights demands.” Clinical Ethics. 2024;19, no. 1. (2024) :3-17. doi:10.1177/14777509231180412

Chase, Cheryl. “Hermaphrodites with Attitude: Mapping the Emergence of Intersex Political Activism.” Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. 4, no.2, (1998): 189-211. 

---, Hermaphrodites Speak! 1997; Rohnert Park: Intersex Society of North America. Video tape. 

Cohen, Julie, dir. Every Body. 2023; United States: Focus Features, DVD.

Denny, Dallas.  "Chrysalis Quarterly, Vol. 2 No. 5 (Fall, 1997 / Winter, 1998)."  Periodical.  1998.  Digital Transgender Archive,  https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/7s75dc39s  (accessed April 08, 2024).

Davis, Georgiann. “Introduction: Normalizing Intersex: The Transformative Power of Stories.”  in Voices: Personal Stories from the Pages of Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics: Normalizing Intersex, edited by James DuBois and Ana Iltis. 1-4. John Hopkins University Press, 2016. 

Dreger, Alice. “Rejecting the Tranquilizing Drug of Gradualism in Intersex Care.” Alice Dreger (blog). November 2015. Accessed April 9, 2024. https://alicedreger.com/dsd_human_rights/ 

Dreger, Alice and April Herndon. “Progress and Politics in the Intersex Rights Movement: Feminist Theory in Action.” Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. 15, no. 2. (2009): 199-224.

Fausto-Sterling, Ane. Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality. New York: Basic Books. 2000. 

“A Framework for Intersex Justice.” Intersex Justice Project. 2021. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.intersexjusticeproject.org/intersex-justice-framework.html 

"FTM Newsletter #37."  Periodical.  1997.  Digital Transgender Archive,  https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/kd17cs89j  (accessed April 08, 2024).

Hegarty, Peter, Marta Prandelli, Trove Lundberg, Lih-Mei Liao, Sarah Creighton, and Katrina Roen.”Drawing the Line Between Essential and Nonessential Interventions on Intersex Characteristics With European Health Care Professionals.” Review of General Psychology. 25, no 1. (2020): 101-114. 

Hermaphrodites With Attitude.  "Hey AAP! Get Your Scalpels Off Our Bodies! Flyer."  Ephemera.  1990.  Digital Transgender Archive,  https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/qj72p712h  (accessed April 08, 2024). 

“Hermaphrodites With Attitude,” Intersex Society of North America. 2006. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://isna.org/library/hwa/ 

“How To: Organize an #EndIntersexSurgery Protest in your hometown--a toolkit created by Intersex Justice Project (IJP.” Intersex Justice Project. 2019. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20191111232744/https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EgYy2jfSO04HF_FGv-8RXYEgWW422L-RB7oxMOaIiBc/edit 

Hughes, Ieuan, Christopher Houk, Syed Faisal Ahmed, Peter Lee, and LWPES1/ESPE2 Consensus Group. “Consensus Statement on Management of intersex disorders.” Disease in Childhood. 91, no.7. (2006): 554-563. doi: 10.1136/adc.2006.098319

“I Want to Be Like Nature Made Me: Medically Unnecessary Surgeries on Intersex Children in the US.” Human Rights Watch. InterACT. July 2017, accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/lgbtintersex0717_web_0.pdf 

“InterACT Statement on Intersex Terminology.” InterACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth. 2015. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://interactadvocates.org/interact-statement-on-intersex-terminology/#:~:text=interACT's%20use%20of%20terminology%20and,of%20the%20term%20%E2%80%9Cintersex%E2%80%9D. 

Lindhal, Hans. “Is PCOS an Intersex Condition? Here’s 5 Reasons Why Some Say Yes.” HansLindhal.Com (Blog). February 2023, Accessed April 7, 2024. https://hanslindahl.com/blog/is-pcos-an-intersex-condition 

---., “9 Young People on How They Found Out They Are Intersex.” Teen Vogue. October 2019. Accessed April 10, 2024. https://www.teenvogue.com/gallery/young-people-on-how-they-found-out-they-are-intersex 

“M.C v. Aaronson.” Southern Poverty Law Center. 2017. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.splcenter.org/seeking-justice/case-docket/mc-v-aaronson

Merrick, Ten. “From ‘Intersex’ to ‘DSD’: A Case of Epistemic Injustice.” Synthese 196, no. 11 (2019): 4429–47. http://www.jstor.org/stable/45220035.

Orr, Celeste. Cripping Intersex. University of British Columbia Press, 2022. 

Pagonis, Pidgeon. “#EndIntersexSurgery Protest At Lurie Children’s Hospital Recap + 5 Ways To Get Involved.” Intersex Justice Project. 2018. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.intersexjusticeproject.org/blog/endintersexsurgery-protest-at-lurie-childrens-hospital-recap 

Pagonis, Pidgeon and Sean Saifa Wall. “Open Letter to AIS-DSD Support Group.” EndIntersexSurgery. Intersex Justice Project. February 2018. Accessed April 8, 2024.  http://www.endintersexsurgery.org/ 

Redick, Alison. “What Happened at Hopkins: The Creation of the Intersex Management Protocols.  Cardozo Journal of  Law & Gender. 12 (2005): 289-296 

Reid, Graeme, and Minky Worden. “Caster Semenya Won Her Case, But Not the Right to Compete.” Human Rights Watch. July 2023. Accessed April 10, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/07/18/caster-semenya-won-her-case-not-right-compete  

Reis, Elizabeth. Bodies in Doubt: An American History of Intersex. John Hopkins Press, 2021.

---, “Did Bioethics Matter? A HIstory of Autonomy, Consent, and Intersex Genital Surgery. Medical Law review. 27, no.4, (2019):658-674. https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw/fwz007 

Rios-Espinosa, Carlos, Koomah, Syrus Marcus Ware, and Sean Saifa Wall. “Liberating All Bodies: Disability Justice & Intersex Justice In Conversation.” Webinar at the Crip Camp Impact Team and Human Rights Watch Film Festival, United States, October 2020.  

Rubin, David, Michelle Wolff and Amanda Lock Swarr. “Creating Intersex Justice: Interview with Sean Saifa Wall and Pidgeon Pagonis of the Intersex Justice Project.”  Transgender Studies Quarterly. 9, no. 2. (2022): 187-195. https://doi.org/10.1215/23289252-9612823 

Sharman, Zena. “Intersex Justice and the Care We Deserve: ‘I Want People to Feel at Home in Their Bodies Again.’” Ms. Magazine. 2022. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://msmagazine.com/2022/02/03/intersex-justice-the-care-we-dream-of-queer-trans-healthcare/  

Sharpe, Sam. “No one-size-fits all: Myths and Misconceptions about PCOS.” InterACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth. Advocates for Informed Choice. October 2022. Accessed on April 7, 2024. https://interactadvocates.org/no-one-size-fits-all-myths-and-misconceptions-about-pcos/ 

Spurgas, Alyson. “(Un)Queering Identity: The Biosocial Production of Intersex/DSD.” in Critical Intersex edited by Morgan Holmes. 97-122. Ashgate Publishing, 2009. 

Tamar-Matis, Anne. “ Advocates for Informed Choice, Newsletter Fall 2007.” Newsletter. 2007. AIC Legal .https://aiclegal.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/fall-07-newsletter-final.pdf

---. “Advocates for Informed Choice: Newsletter Spring 2008.” Newsletter. 2008. AIC Legal.https://aiclegal.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/spring-08-final.pdf

---. “Advocates for Informed Choice: Newsletter Summer 2009.” Newsletter. 2009. AIC Legal.https://aiclegal.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/aic-2009-summer-newsletter-pdf.pdf

---. “Advocates for Informed Choice: Spring 2010 Newsletter.” Newsletter. 2010. AIC Legal.https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=f8291560ebb2dafc25097480f&id=5803ec8c71

---., “June 2011: Promoting the Civil Rights of Children Born With Variations of Sex Anatomy.” Newsletter. 2011. AIC Legal. https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=f8291560ebb2dafc25097480f&id=cec68ddac 

---.. “June 2012: Promoting the Civil Rights of Children Born With Variations of Sex Anatomy.” Newsletter. 2012. AIC Legal. https://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=f8291560ebb2dafc25097480f&id=b4d4dd90cf

---. “ 2012 Annual Report.” Newsletter. 2012. Advocates for Informed Choice. https://interactadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AIC-2012-Annual-Report.pdf 

---. “2013 Annual Report. “ Newsletter. 2012. Advocates for Informed Choice. https://interactadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2013-annual-report-FIN1.pdf  

“US: Anti-Trans Bills Also Harm Intersex Children.” Human Rights Watch. October 22. Accessed April 10, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/10/26/us-anti-trans-bills-also-harm-intersex-children 

Vecchietti, Valentino. “A Journey to the Intersex-Inclusive Pride Flag.” Global Inclusive Pride Flag. Intersex Equality Rights. 2021. Accessed April 7, 2024. https://www.globalinclusiveprideflag.com/ 

Wilchins, Riki Anne.  "In Your Face No. 5 (Spring 1998)."  Newsletter.  1998.  Digital Transgender Archive,  https://www.digitaltransgenderarchive.net/files/vq27zn45k  (accessed April 08, 2024).

Withers, AJ. Disability Politics and Theory. Fernwood Publishing, 2012. 

Woo, Elaine. “David Reimer, 38; After Botched Surgery, He was Raised as a Girl in Gender Experiment.: Los Angeles Times. May 2004. Accessed April 8, 2024. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-may-13-me-reimer13-story.html 

[reelvibes91]

Paradise Promises Paid Off by end of Season One

When Paradise first aired, the thing that immediately hooked me was the intriguing plot. There was so much mystery that centered around the overall concept that was about to unfold. Of course, with any original mystery, there came the questions about how it would unfold.

Paradise was great from beginning to end and easily set a very deliberate tone in how they went about navigating the story. They never did too much at once so that each and every plot beat could feel organic in its own way. Every bit of the intrigue and shrouded pay off felt genuine because they devoted enough time to explain it. Often this is not a format that works because it feels too out of left field.

The biggest issue here was finding a way to make it all. It makes sense given the complexities that surround crafting a story of this magnitude. While there are still some lingering questions, the overall concept is executed very well.

A lot of the burden falls onto three people. The obvious one being Sterling K. Brown as well as James Marsden and Julianne Nicholson. Brown is the straight shooting, quiet, and reserved Secret Service Agent. Marsden plays the president and Nicholson an eccentric billionaire with secrets and a past of her own. They together form the core of what this story is based on upon. Marsden carrying the brunt of the flashbacks to fill the gaps. Brown is doing his amazing work to essentially react as the audience would to the secrets. Nicholson always makes us believe there is one more sinister secret left lurking.

One of the best parts about this show is the willingness to let it be a slow burn on the part of Dan Fogelman. He said that from day one, there was a three season plan, and he meant that. Had this show not been renewed, there was going to be an obvious cliffhanger. It shows belief in yourself to be willing to end on a note of this nature. Thankfully, there will be nothing left to the imagination as the show has been renewed for at least one more season as of right now. This show has been a pleasant surprise to start off 2025. There should be a new set of characters awaiting season 2 and as well as the reactions from the aftermath of season 1. Bring on more of this very interesting and refreshing series. A wonderful achievement.

[silkygoldmilkweed]

What and how Carmen Berzatto loves

[Alarm starts blaring]

Carm, straightfaced: Is that in my head?

[after the break, to Jimmy]

Carm: This is coming from a place of wanting to start fresh and clean. I love this place. I love this city. I want to start our first business here. I want it to be a real business, an honest business, with honest partners.

[later, as the alarm continues blaring]

Jimmy: Richie, can you please turn this goddamn motherfucking thing off?! It's making me insane. How's it not making you insane?

Carm: I don't mind it.

This exchange is one of my absolute favorite bits in the entire series, for many reasons.

* The alarm starts going off right after they start talking about getting a cash infusion from Uncle Jimmy because the Beef was involved in money laundering and other organized crimes.

* Carm's reaction is hilarious but also, as the case with many people with "different" brains, what's funny to us is their normal. There is, essentially, a blaring alarm in Carm's head at all times. He is always in danger. He is always about to be cast aside and forgotten. He is always worthless. He is never safe.

* But also, Carm, who famously cannot or will not say he loves someone unless bullied into it (by Mikey and Donna), uses the word love—twice! "I love this place. I love this city." His heart is really on his sleeve here. But what makes the Beef lovable is the people who work there. It has few other sterling qualities. The Bear becomes a sort of fantasy rebuild of the Beef, a beautiful, orderly place where people can come for nourishment and care. Carm is trying to work his way out of his toxic past but he has not yet learned that he needs to feel some feelings and name them before the healing can begin. The house is not the home. 


That said, we see over the course of season two that Carmy is a better "father" to his "The Bear" family than people give him credit for. In his worst moments, he devolves into an abusive, out of control, just mean and frightening person. But also:

* "You have to pay us Jeffrey." "That's true, Jefferson." Before he does anything else with his plans for building a dream restaurant with Syd, he sets aside some of Mikey's money to pay the staff. Watch Gary's face after Carmy tells them that.

* He gives his expensive chef's knife to Tina without a second thought, and when she tries to return it he looks straight at her and says, "I don't remember asking for it back."

* He had that chef's coat made for Syd. I think it's quite expensive? He claims a friend "hooked him up" but I'm pretty sure he just spent $2,000 on it because he wanted to buy her what used to be called "a token of his esteem."

* He sent two of his metaphorical kids/cousins/little brothers off to great colleges (Marcus to Noma, Richie to Ever) because he believes in them and he wants them to go places where they can grow and learn from others.

* Carm himself, in the realm of food and restaurants at least, is an absolutely outstanding teacher.

* Carm does not have a reputation as someone who is particularly attuned to the needs of others but he notices immediately, and worries immediately, when Sugar is in pain. When she's having abdominal cramps early in the pregnancy and she flinches and says "ow fuck" and starts explaining you can see Carm's life flash before his eyes at the prospect of his sister being seriously ill. Toward the end of the season when she has a knot in her shoulder he immediately notices and wants to know more about what's wrong with it so they can fix it.

Carm does love and he does have a love language. But for the time being he's mostly channeling that into a building and a menu and in provision for a professional family. People who want more from him, on a personal level (for instance, Natalie and Sydney), are currently mostly out of luck, but there's reason to hope that he'll get there. He speaks about our business as a substitute for acknowledging that it's actually our family, but he's still doing a lot of the work of leading and loving that family.

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

The Velvet Underground - La Cave, Cleveland, Ohio, January (or February), 1969

Another summer re-run!

One of the best Velvet Underground bootlegs was recorded on January 10, 1969 at the Boston Tea Party. If you haven’t heard it, or want to revisit, head over to Aquarium Drunkard, where I’ve updated an old Live Upload Series post. It’s probably the most solid overall Tea Party tape in terms of sound quality and obviously it’s a dazzling performance. But who am I kidding, you need them all! You also need this less well traveled recording of the VU a few weeks later, back at La Cave. I think this is the last of the Klimek Tapes, and though it’s incomplete, it’s still essential. We get a grooving “Waiting For The Man” (Lou and Sterling’s intertwining guitars sound especially sweet here), a white-hot “What Goes On,” and a fairly straightforward “Pale Blue Eyes” (did Klimek shut off the tape at the end because he was getting bored?!). Finally, and most importantly, there’s an almost half-hour “Sister Ray,” which interpolates a bit of “The Murder Mystery” in there. The peak, however, is the way Lou lingers forever on the “suckin’ on my ding-dong” line. Amazing! 

[independent-fics]

On a Leverage rewatch which has drawn me back to tumblr after years. Can I just say The First David Job is so so good. Like Parker and Hardison getting caught and Sophie and Nate(and by extension Eliot) essentially remind Sterling why they are key players here too by using their skills and “what would Parker/ Hardison do”. And also showing that the team has already learned and grown from each other and each others skills this far it’s just! So good

Also don’t even get me started on the dramatic pause before Eliot told Sterling “he had dental work with his name on it”

[bitter69uk]

Adieu to ethereal and distinctive actress Shelley Duvall (7 July 1949 - 11 July 2024), one of the essential faces of 1970s American New Hollywood cinema, whose death aged 75 was confirmed yesterday. Sad as the news was, it’s been heartening to see the outpouring of affection for her on social media. Duvall was clearly adored. (As Pauline Kael enthused, Duvall “melts indifference. You’re unable to repress your response; you go right to her in delight, saying ‘I’m yours’.”). The obituaries have inevitably and understandably emphasized Duvall’s sterling work in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980) and her triumphant TV series Faerie Tale Theatre in the 1980s. I particularly treasure Duvall’s collaborations with director Robert Altman in seven films including McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), the downbeat but lyrical Depression-era tragicomedy Thieves Like Us (1974) (she’s heartbreaking in that one!), Nashville (1975) and Popeye (1980) – who else could have portrayed Olive Oyl? I’d argue Duvall’s crowning achievement is her performance opposite the equally astonishing Sissy Spacek in Altman’s eerie dream-like 1977 masterpiece 3 Women. For me, the film - which shifts between black comedy (Duvall repeatedly slamming her skirt in the car door never stops being funny) to psychological horror to total inscrutability - represents the artistic zenith of 1970s New Hollywood. What a total original Duvall was.

[ma11goth]

★ —— ﹙ 'CAUSE I'M STUPID, SADISTIC, AND SUICIDAL. HARD TO ACCEPT AND THAT'S THE WHOLE IDEA. ﹚

FIG. A: ear piercings . . . three in left ear. two helix, standard lobe. FIG. B: ear piercings . . . two in right ear. one helix, standard lobe. FIG. C: facial piercings . . . standard labret. contrary to popular belief, this piercing does not go directly through the lip. it is instead placed below the lower lip, just above his chin.

FIG. D: wardrobe . . . a look inside his closet. tripp pants and shorts are his go-to, baggy and accessorized with straps and/or chains, and band shirts are essential. he's a big fan of layering. this includes long sleeves under short sleeves, or mesh and fishnet shirts either over or under plain tees or tanks. FIG. E: accessories . . . he wears a lot of silver. not only are his piercings always sterling silver, but all of his jewelry and accessories mostly consist of it as well. this includes his rings and necklaces. he typically wears at least one ring on each hand, and one necklace at a time. studded bracelets and belts are common.

FIG. F - I: wardrobe ﹙cont.﹚ . . . dressing down for him just means less logos and extra straps. this style is a lot less baggy and more form fitting — but despite his pants or shorts fitting better, they're still constantly drooping below his hips and exposing boxer bands even with the help of belts due to a small waist... and preferring how it looks.

FIG. J: wardrobe ﹙cont.﹚ . . . fall and winter edition. the bigger the better during colder months, and the jackets come out of storage. his looser shirts are usually more distressed from age, often getting them secondhand, and there's a lot of wear and tear in the hems and collars from being worn with love. they're also much softer due to this. FIG. K: accessories ﹙cont.﹚ . . . the chances of him carrying a discman are extremely high. if he has some sort of bag on him, it's probably loaded with cds that he switches out every few days.

FIG. L: wardrobe ﹙cont.﹚ . . . spring and summer edition. the less clothes the better during warmer months. tripp pants are switched out for tripp cargo shorts and once into summer, tees are often replaced with tanks. though he is guilty of making his own by messily cutting the sleeves from old shirts. FIG. M: beauty marks . . . he is littered in beauty marks, moles, and freckles. other than the noticeable ones on the side of his chin and neck, his back and shoulders have the most. obviously, they're seen more often during the summer when he's wearing less.

FIG. N: tattoos . . . starting in his pelvic area and spreading up over his sides are a matching cluster of stars. just how low they reach is impossible to tell with his clothes on... but it's low. FIG. O: facial piercings ﹙cont.﹚ . . . standard tongue.

[lumilasi]

Finally, after forever I have some sorta ref post for Diojas. I needed to do this given he and Azul are my "main" couple, and the most major story of my characters happens around them.

I wondered if I should draw his full body separately for this as well, but then felt like it fits to have his full body ref image be with his BF, since that's the case for Azul's reference too. (Which, I now have to update Azul's sorcerer outfit at least given the story changes in regards to his BG)

Diojas' bio below:

Name: Diojas Sterling

Nicknames: Dio (his family/friends), Boy, Brat (his dad, affectionately), Puppy, pooch, your highness (Azul, jokingly) Prince (his dad's pack members)

Age: 29

A Grimmhound/Lightcaster sorcerer hybrid whose opposing powers cause him to struggle with controlling both, especially the former.

Family: Mother Mellina (Lightcaster sorceress), Father Alexander (Grimmhound), teen sister Mia. His dad's Grimmhound/Lycan pack

Love interest: Chester Knight/Azul Samaros, a thought-to-be-shadowcaster sorcerer whose magic turns out to be something completely different eventually.

Closest friends: Iris Avara (An astral sorceress who is also Azul's childhood friend), Angus Belmont (Formerly his BF's rival), Roman Bosco (the BF of Azul's friend/honorary younger sister figure Ava, a fellow half-blood Grimm)

Rival: none

Powers:

Astral projection: A basic skill for all magic using beings essentially, just how good you are at it depends on your skill level; on one hand Diojas should be really good at it due to being a Lightcaster, but because of his Grimmhound essence he tends to struggle with it.

Light spells: Diojas can utilize sacred light magic for exorcism, healing, protection and offensive spells, but how well they work varies

Grimmhound power: Diojas can transform into a canine beast that is very fast, strong, and durable, not easily damaged by mortal weapons or even most magical ones. Because of his father being a Golden Hound, he also can summon special claws that can damage spirits and ghosts as well.

Keen intellect: Because of his struggles with his powers, Diojas is very good at finding workarounds and using tactical thinking in solving situations when he can't rely on his magic. He's also known to be able to learn and retain a lot of random information for later like his mother.

Weaknesses

He's very self-conscious due to his struggles with his powers & having been a rather lonely child, meaning he struggles to approach people on his own in a more emotional level, which is ironic considering he's actually very good with people once he does talk to them thanks to his emotional intelligence and empathetic nature.

Diojas can't control his magic fully, and needs a protective talisman to keep his beast side at bay. He has spirit claws like his dad, but can't summon them most of the time.

NOTABLE BG STORY FACTS:

Diojas has always struggled with his hound side, and as a child had it lash out often; this is the main reason why he and Mia have such a big age-gap, its because his parents ended up waiting until his magic became stabler before even entertaining the idea of having another child.

Azul/Chester entered his life when his parents decided they wanted someone to cover his back during missions as he was starting to take reckless risks to prove himself, and given he was an adult at this point they didn't want to be constantly present and make him feel like a toddler needing to be kept an eye on.

Diojas was a very grumpy kid due to his struggles, which is also why he didn't really have friends a whole lot until he began working together with Azul, who introduced him to new people that he ended up connecting well with/generally gained confidence to make friends.

Diojas ends up becoming sort of the negotiating neutral party between Angus and Azul during the first few months of their developing new relationship, where the two were still likely to be at each other's throats.

Other Fun facts:

Diojas is gay, he was instantly attracted to Azul and VERY unhappy about it.

Unlike his dad, Diojas doesn't have as strong of a canine instinct in human form, so he doesn't act out on them at random like Alexander does - unless he's drunk. If you see Diojas staring at a bird, not wanting to take a bath, or scenting his boyfriend then you know he's wasted.

Lot of people assume his empathetic nature was inherited from his mother, but it actually comes from both; Alexander just tends to hide his behind a gruffy facade due to his past trauma. (once you actually look at what he does rather than says though, it becomes obvious he's someone who cares about people a lot)

Diojas' hair is two-colored because typically, only manifested Golden Hounds can have blond hair, but Diojas also had blond hair genetics from his mother, allowing the 'golden mane' to manifest partially. If his mum had a different haircolor, Diojas' hair would be fully brown or even black.

Since he is a Grimmhound, he does tend to prefer red meat/game based foods, but doesn't sometimes eat it raw like Alexander, as again, Diojas' isn't as strongly of a Stinky Forest Man like his dad.

He's a bit closer with his mum, mainly because he really looks up to his dad and thinks he's kind of a disappointment for struggling with his beast side so much. (of course Alexander doesn't think so at all and keeps reminding him of that, but it is difficult for Diojas to internalize the message)

His first time was with Azul, given he never dated before either on top of growing up with no proper friends. (Azul had slept with Iris before but no one else so he wasn't that much more experienced despite the confidence he seems to ooze)

He tends to enjoy snatching Azul's colorful cardigans a lot, to the point he no longer even really thinks about it when he does so.

Roman becomes one of his good friends almost accidentally while he and Ava help him and Azul out in their quest, and Roman can relate with his struggles and fears of his own powers, BUT is also older so he has some life-experience to share with Diojas.

If Diojas would let his hair grow out fully, it would still be brown from the underside and blond on top; the brown color isn't just in his roots, but rather his hair genuinely has a split in pigmentation.

[kittysdiary]

Kitty’s Guide to Fall/Winter 2023

You’ve all LOVED my season guides so it’s only fair that I continue the tradition and make a fall/winter guide for 2023! In this guide I’ll be going over important topics that will outline what the kitty energy is going to be for the cold + cozy season. This guide will give you a month to prep for a bombshell fall/winter! 🍂🥧🎀

Kitty Energy This Fall/Winter

For this coming season I’m definitely going for that off duty supermodel look. Bombshell curls, doe eyed lash extensions, brown lipglosses and warm toned neutral eyeshadows with a pop of glitter. Layered looks are a must for these up and coming cold months. This years color palette will range from pink, cream, browns and dark denim.

Beauty

Pressed matte powders

Charlotte Tilbury + Patrick Ta are the makeup brand vibes for this up and coming season

Brown lip liners and neutral pink glosses

Long + fluffed lashes. Go for lashes with that seductive cat eye look!

New body butters, face creams, hand creams and face masks that draw in moisture. Weather change can cause dryness + irritation so focusing on products that hydrate is a must!!

French tip nails + toes

Fragrances with warm notes. Ex.) vanilla, cinnamon, spices + cashmere.

Valentino Donna Born in Roma Intense, Dior Poison & Mugler Alien Goddess.

Bellami hair extensions

Hair colors -> blonde, chestnut, deep chocolate brown + jet black.

Messy buns, high ponytails, curtain bangs + sleek styles.

Fashion

Fur coats + fur details that give off trophy wife energy.

Sterling sliver and pretty gold accessories

Bow details

Victoria Secret silk pajama sets + slippers

La Perla and Agent Provocateur lingerie pieces

Tote bags or top handle bags. Find bags with lots of space so you can fill it with travel sized lotion, moisturizer and hand sanitizer.

Knitted cashmere sweaters with a turtleneck to look elegant and cozy.

Velour tracksuits

Fuzzy lounge wear sets + lounge cardigans to wear around the house.

Ear muffs

Pearl + diamond statement pieces

Fluffy slippers

Pink, cream, brown, black + dark denim.

Cheetah and leopard print staple pieces

Small + thick gold hoops

Gloves with a fur trim

Ankle boots + luxurious high heels. Flats for busy days when you’re on your feet like at work.

Essentials

Booked spa, hair and nail appointments

Cozy comforter + blankets

Car maintenance

Snow boots

Invest in bubble bath soaps, bath salts + candles for a relaxing night in.

Buy new calendars, planners + stationary.

Purchase new dishes, silverware and mugs for holiday hosting.

Holiday decor

Thick tights, leggings, leg warmers + undershirts

Uggs

Thermo cups

Cold/flu medicine

Umbrella

Tea + tea brewer

Lip balm

[knnyomega]

- 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 loving people has only 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 brought briar 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣.ᐟ

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

crossposted on wattpad — fatedfallings / tiktok edits — fatedfallings.

⠀⠀⠀❝intertwined : twilight fanfic ❞

embry call x briar sterling. ( male oc )

CHAPTER ONE.

WHEN BRIAR THOUGHT ABOUT HAPPINESS his mind always went to weed then his best friend, Embry. He was never good at making friends, and that was okay with him but Embry always took it upon himself to try and get him out there, mainly to Quil Altera and Jacob Black. He tried appreciating where his friend was coming from. It was very obvious the other two did not see him as a friend, and it was mutual.

Of course he was never rude to them, he had respect but just like everyone else at La Push high school they were scared of him, and if you asked any of them they would say he was your typical bad boy; tattoos, piercings, skips school, does drugs and gets into fights but if you ask Embry he would tell you the complete opposite. He would tell you that no one has ever been there, no one has stood up or comforted him like Briar has. Embry is the only person that has seen his worst and best moments, and if you asked Briar, he's the only person that will.

Briar would describe himself as fearless and bold. He wasn't scared of much but one thing he feared was being home with his parents and he always felt guilty about it. He has two living parents and a roof over his head but it was like living with two ghosts, they never talked much, only when they told him to keep his grades up, be a better son, or to ask if he has money for rent.

He works two jobs, one for groceries and one for bills. He for one liked being busy all the time, it left no time for his thoughts to run free. Overworking himself was a coping mechanism that helped tremendously but it only worried Embry more. He understood why Briar did it but when he shows up at the Call household in the middle of the night starving, hunched over, and looking like a corpse then it's a problem. He'd always be grateful for the Call family, they  never treated him like an outsider and even set up a fourth dinner spot for him.

But Embry didn't laugh, in fact it angered him that his friends always joke at Briar's expense. "Don't worry I'm just kidding." Quil assured looking over at Briar but he was already getting up, choosing to dismiss the comment. "Very funny." A sarcastic remark was made by the boy. "I'm gonna dip, I need to go shopping before it's too dark out." The boys nodded watching as his figure disappeared then a loud smack was heard. "Embry what the fuck." Quil exclaimed clutching his arm.

Embry huffed, finally taking his eyes away from the trail. "You guys are mean to him." The other two muttered a sorry before getting up and grabbing Embry up. "We should get home too, it's late." Jacob muttered, still feeling guilty. He liked Briar and understands that he's more introverted but he's always been skeptical of him. "See you guys at school tomorrow."

Briar had grown accustomed to being alone, he was used to it. While the silence sometimes got too loud for Briar he loved the peaceful moments before. The crunching of the leaves or the smell after the rain. It was the little things that helped him stay calm. Anger has always been an issue with him. He has always had a shorter temper and is easily irritable it's another thing that's beyond his control but focusing on nature and being aware of his surroundings always helped.

He was so lost in his head he didn't realize he arrived at the store so he grabbed a basket and wandered to his first stop. He pulled out his list of food essentials and a pen looking for a specific brand of cheese but he heard them before he saw them— Paul, Jared and Sam were argue whispering obviously trying to be quiet but failed. He furrowed his brows trying to listen without exposing himself but the only words he caught were "Watch Embry" and "He's next".

He was so focused on what they could be meaning he didn't notice that the boy in question was in front of him waving his hand to get his attention. "Briar, are you okay?" Embry questioned trying to get his attention. "Em, when did you get here?" Briar still looked stressed but confused trying to grasp what could happen to his friend. "I didn't want you to be alone so I'm joining you and it looks like I didn't miss much!" He exclaimed snatching the list so he could start, and he was so focused on where to go next he didn't notice Sam, Paul, and Jared watching them closely but Briar did, and he didn't like it one bit.

So he grabbed Embry's arm pulling him away complaining that the store will close soon.