#also yes this is the exact same concept as One in a Million

[freezethebeez]

For the Storm that will Pass

Admittedly, Ushijima is not the best when it comes to providing words of comfort. Despite being the captain of his volleyball team in high school, giving encouraging speeches was never his forte; he preferred to deliver comfort and security with his performance on the court. However, in the few months in which he has become well-acquainted with Kageyama, he believes that the standards of which Kageyama will hold his attempts at verbal comfort to are likely to be low.

in which unforeseen events (and an unforeseen upset setter) cause Ushijima to make an adjustment to his pre-tournament routine.

info: emotional hurt/comfort, ambiguous relationships, relationship/character study, and an unfortunate Hoshiumi who gets the complete wrong idea

[russellsppttemplates]

Hold my hand through it (Pierre Gasly)

Like Pierre is there for you, you are there for him, even if you think you're just doing something simple for him

Note: english is not my first language. this is a long piece after what feels like a lifetime, I hope I can still do it well enough, and, like I always do, I like to say this to make it clear: this request is special because this is a topic that I feel huge responsibility writing about and I feel grateful that I'm trusted enough to have it be requested.

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests (big pieces and blurbs too) so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

✨️ my masterlist ✨️

Tw: mentions Spa 2023 (the run and the reason that prompted it without too much detail), nervousness, curse words

"Do you have everything, amour?", you asked Pierre, grabbing your small bag once all the luggage was inside the car's trunk, "Yes, all ready to go".

You managed to sort your agenda out so you could travel with Pierre to this weekend's race, meaning you would also be travelling in a private plane with him and some of his media team a little bit earlier on the week as you usually did, "do you want to sit by the window or the aisle?", Pierre asked once you reached the two seats row, offering for Pierre to go on the window side, "you know I'll need the bathroom a million times", you chuckled, checking if your phone was on aeroplane mode and getting ready for take off.

The sky was particularly grey and you could surely feel that when you were flying, especially everytime the plane crossed through a heavy cloud, shaking and bouncing slightly. You had gone to use the bathroom, opening the door when one of the small bounces became noticeable, making you walk around and check if everyone was okay until you reached your seat, seeing Pierre nervously tap his fingers on the arm rest, "hey, are you okay?", you said, sitting down and lifting the arm rest between you two, snuggling into him while you began talking, "Did I tell you about what happened at the lab this week? We were gathering all the participants and two of them have the same name, like, the exact same name", you continued, hoping to distract him from the movements on the plane.

.

Another weekend, another poor result from Pierre, his P6 result early on in the season now a faint and a little less hopeful memory. "Why do I keep going like this? It's almost like it's not meant to be", Pierre said, running his fingers through his hair.

Sitting next to him on the hotel bed, you urged him to lay his head on your chest, taking your own support on the headboard, "you know how things work, sometimes you have a good one, sometimes it all goes to shit", you noted, "not all things are on your control, which sucks, and needs to be talked through with the people that know about it", you offered some advice in the best of your abilities, knowing how these things worked as well.

"Do you think I can still get anything from this season?", he asked, a genuine tone of fear and uncertainty in the way he spoke, and it stung your heart a little. Who were you to tell him it would all be good when you didn't know it?

"I don't know, I can't tell you that you will always win. Or that you will always finish in the points. But I do know if you work hard like you usually do, good things you'll come your way. You can't work this hard and come this far to not get rewarded, my love. You can trust yourself to do your best, and to have the people that love you backing you up", you kissed the top of his head, "will you be here?", he asked.

"Of course I'll be, P. I don't care where you are on the grid as long as you are happy. I want you to succeed, but I always hope you never have to give up your happiness for it, nor your well-being", you said, feeling himself squeeze you closer to him, "how about we FaceTime your nieces and nephews? I bet they're dying to tell you some cool stories from their favourite uncle?".

.

"Y/N!", Pierre yelled for you from the home office, prompting you to lower the heat on the stove until you turn it off, wiping your hands in a kitchen towel before heading up the stairs to see Pierre with his iPad on his lap and his laptop screen showing the circuit for the next race.

"Dinner is almost ready, amour", you said kissing the top of his head, "what are you working on?", you asked, looking for any clues since none of his simulator gadgets were connected to his technological devices.

"I have this idea, and I don’t know how it will play out, I don't know if people will even adhe-", he stumbled his words out until you interrupted him, "how about you tell me, hm? We can go from there", you smiled, pushing the chair you usually use when you're working from home and listening to his idea. After he explained it to you, you smiled, "I think it's a beautiful idea, P", you said, kissing his hand you were holding on your own.

Like you promised him you'd do, you joined everyone else for the Spa run for the drivers who had unfortunately lost their lives there. Being there alone always made Pierre feel everything a little bit stronger, and knowing he had you there, amongst all the people that joined him despite the rainy conditions to honour the drivers.

.

You wanted to allow Pierre to unwind, so you put matters into your own hands. Since he was arriving home earlier than usual, you made the bed with fresh linen, got a cosy meal ready to bake in the oven and started getting the bath ready when he said he would be home in ten minutes, filling up the bath and lathering a nice smelling foam so you could spend a good amount of time and wash away all the troubles of the week, closing the tap when you noticed his car arriving at the garage.

"Mon amour", you said as you greeted at the top of the stairs, "Hello, mon ange", he greeted back, "I was looking for you downstairs and I couldn't find you, so I thought you were asleep", he said before he kissed your lips. "I have a nice and cosy evening planned for us, to unwind and relax, just ourselves", you explained, leading him to the bathroom where you discarded eachother's clothes.

The bath had been filled with tender and loving touches, whispers of sweet nothings in all different languages but felt the same way nonetheless, followed by a warm meal while watching a movie in bed, "thank you, for all of this and for all that you do for me and for us", he said, noticing you were about to brush him off, "no, you're not going to do that, because I mean it. Not all people would go to the trouble of doing all of this, of supporting me when I need, of being there when I'm scared or nervous, and you're there. Every single time, you're the one there holding my hand through it", he said sincerely, "and I can only thank you for it and make it my mission to show you how much I love and appreciate you every single day".

[winchwsta]

I had an idea for a long time to bring Krux back as the main villain in the fan season, but I left it in a long drawer because there are no exact concepts and ideas for the plot.

But

I want to tell you how Krux survived in that time vortex where the time masters and Wu were supposed to die. The latter, as we know, did not die, which is unfortunate. The Masters of time were forever stuck in a time loop, where the last events of their lives were repeated over and over again. They got into Groundhog Day and tried to change the past every time, but each time Wu defeated them and died together in that time vortex. In another attempt to defeat the ninja, Krux came up with a way to break the time loop and the death of the twins. He told Acronix his rescue plan, but the latter abandoned this venture because this idea turned out to be too risky and dirty for him. Despite his brother's reproaches, Krux still did what he should not have done. Connect all four forces that flow in the veins of the brothers, but one of them will die, and this is the Acronix. By connecting with his brother, Krux gained full access to the forces of time. That is, before that, the forces of time were divided into two brothers for each of them, and with all the powers, Krux can freely move through time, control time and return to his home world - Chronos. That is, Krux has become a true, if I may say, purebred master of time and Timelord.  And at the same time became a blue titan, yes. Having become the supreme master, Krux freely came out of that time loop. Acronix now lives in Krux, and most likely Krux will now have four hands, hands of time. In his home world, Krux will now be considered a fratricide or a criminal who violated the rule of the Time Lords. In fact, Krux did not want to merge with his brother, but it was the only way to get out of this endless prison of suffering in time, and most importantly, the only way not to break the bond with his brother. Krux will always say in defense of himself that he did not kill Acronix, but saved him by joining together with him. I quote his words: "My brother is not dead. He's here in me. Yesterday, now, tomorrow, forever."

Chronos is one of the 16 worlds, one of the very first worlds in the universe, like the world of Oni and dragons. Millions of Chrononians live there and are ruled by Time masters aka Time Lords. These time lords are part of the Eternals and are the most powerful beings on an equal footing with the Overlord, the FSM and the gold Master. The Timelords themselves are titans, giants who are responsible for time. Without them there would be chaos, without them no one would live. One of the Timelords once visited Ninjago and fell in love with one of the commoners. The Timelord blessed her, and the bastards whose names you already know were born. But the Time Lord returned to Chronos without his new family, leaving his offspring without a father and their mother's care. Acronix and Krux grew up in the world of humans, serpentines and elemental masters. Although they were bastards who were often disrespected by the purebloods, the young masters of time were famous for their rare gift of the gods. The twins were angry at Timelord's father for leaving them in a gray, bleak world and for breaking their mother's heart. Acronix and Krux loved their mother very much, despite the fact that she is a simple person without any powers and titles. Embittered and abandoned by their own father, the brothers wanted to call the Timelord back to earth and get an answer to their main question — "why did you leave us?". After learning more information about the masters of time, about the world of Chronos and about Timelords, Master Chen "threw" the idea to the twins how to attract the attention of their father. He said that if the brothers capture Ninjago with the help of the great power of time, then soldiers and Timelords from Chronos will definitely join here. Chen also added, "Power over time is power over everything." And then you already know what Krux and Acronix did.

I don't know what I wanted to write in the plot then, but now I would write so that in the civil War the world of Chronos was shown for the first time, where Wu, Garmadon, Maya and Ray with Libber will travel. They lost the war with the time twins, but Wu found the only way to defeat the masters — to get the chronosteel from Chronos, forge a weapon from it that will take away the brothers' strength. Despite all the disagreements with Ninjago, the Timelords allowed to take the chronosteel and thus helped to defeat the time twins. Krux and Acronix knew perfectly well where the Alliance got the metal and forged weapons, and since then they were sure that their father didn't care about them and promised to take revenge on him for everything.

Revenge on the father, Chronos, Timelords and Ninjago. Krux must achieve this goal by promising his dead brother that everyone will worship before them as before the gods. Most likely, Krux will cause such chaos in Chronos, which will entail many troubles and changes in the history of all worlds.

In fact, creating a plot and dealing with time is not the sweetest thing. It takes a lot of brain-racking to get a more or less normal plot, so I threw this fan season into the long box. But I still like the idea of Chronos, with the father-titan Timelord and the connection of twin brothers together.

[canonjoshua]

For the Character Ask: Yuuki Terumi

send me a character and i’ll list:

favorite thing about them: How much of an utter asshole he actively chooses to be. Even just funniness aside, and he is incredibly funny, I think Terumi willingly choosing to BE as much of an asshole as he can possibly be just because he likes being an asshole, damn what everyone else thinks or feels, as the ultimate act of rebellion and freedom as what is basically god's mindless defense system growing a soul out of a desire for freedom from its task fucking owns. He's genuinely one of my favorite characters in all of fiction

least favorite thing about them: The piss yellow rain coat. There's some concept art of him that looks cooler. Hell there's a lot of alts that look better, color scheme wise. I wish it wasn't that exact shade of yellow. Even orange suits him much more.

favorite line: Where to fucking start? On the serious side of things, the entire arcade mode ending rant in continuum shift. I've got the whole thing memorized due to the hammy delivery Now… Murakumo, activate! This world is nothing but lies! Lemme show you what I like to call the truth! The truth called "despair!" In the name of Susano'o, I command you! Murakumo, AWAKEN! Behold, the sword of the god-slayer, KUSANAGI! Let all lies fall before your divine blade! Gaahahahaha! Finally, I've got the true successor to the Azure! Try and stop me NOW, Master Unit Amaterasu! Second is: How many years... How many years? Oh, how many years I've waited. How many times has this been repeated? How many hundreds of times?! How many THOUSANDS?! ONE HUNDRED THOUSANDS?! MILLIONS?! TRILLIONS?! I've repeated this worthless comedy show more times than I can count! Hmhmhmhm... Yes... Just a little bit more... Just a bit more, and it will be within reach — the lost "Embryo". Once that's done, this shitty, worthless comedy show will end. And on the comedic side of things: Basically everything he says during any given gag reel, with special attention given to the band gag reel.

brOTP: Him and Hazama. They're like shithead twins and the closest thing either of them is ever gonna have to a friend. Also, him and Ragna but specifically in the band gag reel.

OTP: Him and Relius. See the Relius post for my thoughts. Also, canon marriage.

nOTP: Him and Ragna. I get that people love putting together the main character and villain guys to do yaoi, but also, those two hate each other way too fucking much for that to even result in actual yaoi. They'd bite each other to death before anything like that happened.

random headcanon: Absolutely starts random internet discourse to both feed off of the hatred and because he thinks it's fun.

unpopular opinion: Terumi is a saturday morning cartoon villain on a morality level and probably one of the worst people in all of fiction, but at the same time, he has a lot more depths and interesting things to him than most people give him credit for, even including people who /do/ like him.

song i associate with them: The LA Vocal version of Endless Despair. WAILING WAILING. A LOUD CRY.

favorite picture of them: There's a lot of really good terumi pictures out there but I think I'll go with the slutty pose he does while showing Hazama some major revelations about his own existence.

[kaxtwenty]

I’m kinda tired of SW stories that focus on “challenging what we know about Jedi/Sith/The Force.”

This isn’t just me being a certified Jedi-Appreciator™️, this is mostly me just being bored with the concept.

Despite coming from a place of wanting to be “different,” we’ve had so many of these kinds of stories that the premise is ironically unoriginal.

I think part of the problem is that it also leads to a weird feeling of… unintentional inconsistency? Like, we’re never given a solid enough foundation on what the fuck the Jedi even are to the wider galaxy anymore because we’re constantly debating if the obvious good guys are really the good guys.

It gets to the point that some of the stories bend the established worldbuilding backwards so that they can continue to keep up these same debates despite having already done this a million times (see: Ahsoka).

Or will retcon each other to tell the exact same narrative over again (see: Tales of the Jedi vs Dooku: Jedi Lost).

Or try to approach the Jedi (space monks literally powered by good vibes) in bad faith while trying to approach the Sith (magical space fascists) in good faith (see: SWTOR).

I just look at the hype for the Acolyte, seeing people argue about it with, “well we already know the Jedi are flawed, so what’s the issue?”

Well *my* issue is that yes, we are already well aware of the Jedi Order’s flaws, we’ve had like 12 different projects that go over that shit in the last 8 years alone.

Excuse me if I’m a little bored and skeptical of what number 13 can add to the conversation at this point.

A story showing the Jedi Order through the lens of someone who genuinely doesn’t have issues with the sacrifices the lifestyle asks of them would feel fresher.

(Plus no one will ever be able to challenge Star Wars as well as the Kotor games did)

[raayllum]

Even though Dark Magic is, well, bad, I've seen many people say it's good and justified. Why do you think those people think this?

Two main reasons, I think:

1) People get so hung up on logistics they forget about theme. Yes, under like a million of (currently completely non-existent) restrictions, dark magic could be sustainable and used in a way that's safe for both the caster and the user. But that's clearly not what the show wants to do with it from a thematic standpoint. It's like if I took my personal views on monarchy (no I obviously do not support monarchies) and applied it to the show - which would be stupid?? The show wants to engage with certain concepts in particular ways. I can either choose to engage with the discussions they're having (what makes a good king) or be in denial about it and beat a dead horse of a topic they don't want to discuss (whether kings should exist) that they have every right o discard. But when you choose to not engage it speaks to like, a willful lack of media literacy, sometimes.

2) People fall into the trap of thinking what we do to survive is always healthy. And as anyone with unhealthy coping mechanisms can tell you, it's not. Yes, often times the things we do to survive are justified, but that doesn't mean they're ideal, sustainable, or good. This fits right in with how the series gives Dark Magic a lot of properties of cannibalism; outright consumption, finite ingredients, transactions between divinity and death and violation of social / moral barriers, etc. Cannibalism can also be something people do to survive, and it's tragic and complex and interesting from a fiction standpoint, but that doesn't make it Good tm

3) Compounding on that unwillingness to engage, they tend to fall into the dichotomy the characters themselves are living under and the exact things the show is trying to dismantle. Because if a character has the exact same cognitive dissonance as you (i.e. people lambasting Xadia for not sharing resources but then also condemning Harrow for sharing resources?? Which is it from an ideological perspective, Cheyenne??) why would you not just adhere to it if it already makes sense to you? This is why I've seen some villain / dark magic stans really hate and/or misunderstand the more 'heroic' characters, but I've seen many many more people who love the heroes also understand and sympathize with the 'villains.' It's why I not only enjoy the similarities between so many of the characters crossing over (Claudia-Ezran, Viren-Callum, Aaravos-Rayla, although there are many many other combos) but embrace and like examining those similarities.

The show itself tries to reject that “who is to blame? who should be punished?” dichotomy yet DM stans tend to fall right into it by often being biased heavily against the elves/dragons and ignoring everything humans have done, and it’s like... why don’t you just acknowledge what everyone has done, on both sides, and where you can go from here? You know. The Point of the Show

4) DM stans tend to believe the methods don't matter, only results and/or intentions. But in a show where basically everyone has ultimately the exact same motivations - to have the power to protect their loved ones - the methods are almost all that can matter. That, and the heroes are the heroes because they're focused on harm reduction.

5) Just every part of this bit of Harrow's speech being lived through directly (ATLA does something similar, with Ozai calling Aang weak, and the fans who hate Aang also don't see the irony lol):

It reminds me of people who get so close to understanding what the show is saying, but just miss it; people who say Ghosting is a harsh and non-sensical punishment, or that Callum connecting to primal magic is frustrating, bc it means that the elves were wrong and humans didn't need dark magic all this time, and it's like... you're so close to getting the point, bud. You just don't know better yet lmao

[flyingpurplepeopleprogrammer]

Why I negotiate up with my partner

Oh no. I'm doing ✨discourse✨.

So I've seen a post going around about negotiating up as a concept, why you shouldn't do it, and why newbies need to watch out for it.

And it's right. Mostly. Negotiating up is potentially very very bad, especially if you're inexperienced. If you're new to kink then you probably just shouldn't do it.

But, well- It's also wrong. The broad strokes are right and the intentions are good, but negotiation isn't as simple as that, and I'm remarkably uncomfortable seeing a whole host of consensual play that I and others engage in be branded as noncon.

This is a long post, so if you want to keep scrolling and avoid ✨discourse✨, this is your chance to roll on by.

So. How we talk about consent matters:

Consent in the real world does not follow the nice, contractual structure that we often assert onto it. People are… just kinda bad, sometimes, at knowing and articulating how they feel or what they want. We also don't always know what a situation will actually end up being like. Because of this, consent needs to be an ongoing and collaborative process. Both parties have to listen to and consider the other's needs.

We recognise this when we say that consent has to be revocable, that we should be able to negotiate down. We also recognise this when we say that, even when a person has given explicit consent for something, you should check in on them.

With consideration and good communication, negotiating up lets us do the exact same thing that negotiating down does. We're assessing and revising our play to get closer to whatever our mutual ideal is, and that's a good thing. This can - perhaps ironically - be particularly positive for people who are new to the play du jour. Doing something small to get a feel means you have more information from which to make judgments and negotiate your own play.

It's absolutely so that negotiating up is a less clear-cut and potentially riskier proposition than negotiating down, so you shouldn't hop right into it. Negotiating up requires the parties involved to assess their own emotional states, communicate clearly, and try to judge risk, all at once, which means it's not necessarily easy, but that's a different matter.

Negotiation - all negotiation - is partly an exercise in risk management. It's also an exercise in communication, empathy, emotional awareness, and about a bazillion other things that are both intensely personal and not particularly easy to simply model. How two people negotiate is going to be unique to those two people, and while there are absolutely wrong answers to how to do it, there is no one 'right' answer. What works for my partner and me won't necessarily be what works for you, and that's OK. Maybe ask us before calling it noncon, though.

"But FPPP," you might say, "being hypnotised compromises your ability to give consent!"

Well, yes. No. Maybe. It depends:

Hypnosis, while being a phenomenon characterised by suggestibility, can take a lot of different forms. Can you still be loopy, disoriented, or suggestible to a degree that compromises your ability to give consent after trance? Absolutely. But this always nonsense has got to go.

How we do our play matters: play can be empowering. We can use our toys to help people feel calm, centered, and able to communicate as easily as we can use them to help people feel docile and obedient.

How we set boundaries about trance matters: You're loopy and suggestible when you're fresh out of trance? Great. Let's go get a glass of water, walk around a bit, and shake the cobwebs out. Then we'll talk.

How we communicate with our partners matters: Setting the expectation that communication can happen at any time, not just "no" but, "how I'm feeling", "is this OK", and a million other things that we might need or want to talk about in or out of play. It's a lot easier to communicate clearly in and around trance if you're given the space to do so.

How experienced we are matters: People who are more familiar with their own experience of trance and practiced in communicating in and around trance are much more able to judge if they're in a place where they can negotiate or not. Learning how to talk about trance and consent lets you better communicate it with your partner, too, which helps out with the whole consent-as-an-excercise-in-collaboration-toward-mutual-benefit thing.

Not unlike negotiation, trance is an individual experience. It won't affect us all the same way or even one of us the same way every time. It's on us to evaluate that experience and how it affects us for ourselves.

I am probably well more incensed about reading OP's take than I ought be. This is because negotiating up is a vital part of my play with a particular partner:

This particular partner and I routinely negotiate up and down during our scenes. We're both experienced hypnokinksters, which means that we've each got a pretty good handle on how to recognise and express our feelings. We've also known one another for years and work hard to communicate openly and healthfully.

In our particular case, being able to negotiate up as well as down is hugely beneficial. We don't feel pressured to anticipate and plan out our play in huge detail beforehand, which helps our anxious selves. It means that if our exploratory tendencies lead us in a direction we didn't plan on, that we can take a look and decide "yeah, OK, let's do that!" For us, at least - with our particular anxieties, traumas, and desires - it just makes play easier and enables us to do a lot more of what we want to do.

Maybe it's not for you. That's fine, but it is a good thing for us, and you shouldn't invalidate that.

tl;dr:

Negotiating up isn't inherently good or bad.

Negotiating up is difficult, though, and doing it poorly can lead to a very bad experience.

Talk about how you negotiate/communicate before trying to do complex consent stuff.

If you're a newbie or not confident in your communication and negotiation skills, don't.

Bad people negotiating up in an attempt to subvert consent are bad. Yeet them to the sun.

PS: I didn't reblog OP because they made the post, like, 2 years ago and I doubt they want to get dragged into a ✨discourse✨ based on that.

[cloverchats]

The Basics of the Fortnite Lore

Fortnite lore! Yup, it exists, and it is more interesting and thorough than what most might think. 

I know the game has a bit of a "reputation" on the internet to put it lightly, but I'll be up front and say I am an avid fan of this game, I have no shame in that.

But you aren't here to watch a video of me talking about cringe culture and the internet perception of differing interests, you are here likely because of the prospect of this game, of all games, having lore, and uh yes it does. I've been following the storyline of this game for years now and it has grown a lot since then, which is great! But I do worry that it makes it hard for newcomers or returning players to get into the story without feeling intimidated. 

So I'm here to give a basic rundown of the lore. I won't be focusing on the timeline as much as I am the key characters and concepts.

While I am not here to matpat it up over every single exact detail of what's happened over the course of this storyline, I am here to give a well versed explanation of the most important elements of the story. 

But if you want to know more after you are done watching there are good videos out there that are very comprehensive, I recommend Richeva and TediusX’s videos on the subject, links in description.

The Zero Point

So one of if not the most important aspect of the storyline is the Zero Point. You know the big bang theory? No, not the television show, stay with me guys. The idea that in the very beginning there was nothing in existence, but then a big explosion burst out of nowhere and created the universe? Yeah well the Zero Point is if the big bang was an orb that instead of creating one universe, created the entire multiverse. You know the quantum physics concept of there being a separate plane of existence for every possibility, choice, or outcome.

To put it simply the Zero Point is a big ball of time and space junk that acts as a connection to the multiverse, but I would say it's more vital than that, think of the Zero Point as the beating heart of reality as we know it, the core of the multiverse, if the zero point were to be damaged or messed with, the fabric of reality would go off the rails, and if the zero point was ever destroyed.. then the multiverse, every conceivable thing would cease to exist.

So take a shot in the dark as to what the main villains of fortnite are doing.

Yeah,

They are messing with the zero point.

The Imagined Order 

The Imagined Order are an organization that have operated for thousands of years and serve not only as the games main antagonists, but also the driving force of most of the storyline. Lead by a mysterious entity known as Geno, details about him being very few and far between, but what we do know is that he is obsessed with genetic perfection, giving himself and others immortality, and founded the organization with the goal to figure out the perfect organizational system for the ideal civilization The imagined order took control of the zero point using their advanced technology, and use it to steal other things, people, and whatever else they want from their original dimensions, and shove them into Reality Zero, the home of the zero point, of which a strange land formation has formed around, what most would know as the Fortnite Island, more on that later. What the Imagined Order are doing to the Zero Point is not natural and incredibly dangerous, they do it all in the name of not only research, but to give themselves power. With that Power they managed to create an elaborate trap for those they have kidnapped across the multiverse, a trap hundreds, if not thousands, if not MILLIONS have entered, but very few have escaped. A trap known as “The Loop”

The Loop

The Loop is a time loop, you know the fantasy concept of a specific time or the same events repeating itself for eternity? But it is not as simple as that, let me explain.

Like I said the Imagined Order kidnap entities from across the multiverse to put in this loop (or sometimes to join their ranks), that not only explains all the crossovers the game has gotten, so many I can't name them all, but it also explains the strange mix of original characters the game has, maybe you will have your standard human soldier, but you will also have a viking, a wild west bandit made of pancakes, a warrior themed around an 8-ball, a anthropomorphic banana, there are no limits except the imagination in the variety of things trapped in this loop, which is a good thing creatively, but an obviously evil thing given its against all of their wills.

The Loop resets every 22 minutes and within that time frame a Looper cant speak, they cant remember who they are, not even their own name, and over the many loops of this battle royale, Most of the loopers have gotten quicker on the draw in terms of resorting to violence, it becomes like instinct to hurt another soul in this world of eternal torment.

*Mimics fortnite default dance music*

The Island

The Fortnite Island is not exactly an island persay, it is a strange land formation surrounded by a little bit of ocean and a grand cosmos beyond it, the land having two sides, two islands opposite of each other, and it's all formed around the zero point which is smack dab in the middle of them, underground.

If you were to go out far enough in the seas surrounding the “island” without hitting the storm, you’ll see sort of a void, space, whatever you really want to call it, if you were to jump into it, you would die, permanently. 

As far as we know, there is nothing in the fortnite reality besides the island, and an ice moon which there is not much known about yet beyond it being near impossible to get and/or survive there without special armor and a means of transport that wouldn't get ripped apart by the dangerous winds surrounding it.

The Seven

Here is where we get to the heroes of the story, the main ones at least, The Seven are a group of specially armored people from different realities with an entire army of followers, but obviously the main members consist of seven people, big surprise there.

Their goal is to  defeat the imagined order, liberate the zero point from the control of Geno, and break the time loop of reality.

But who are these seven individuals? What other groups are there? How are there so many Jonseys? Well that will have to wait for another video.. So until next time my friends, stay lucky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acQ8_ZB0AsQ&t=1s

[the-firebird69]

CAROLINA VAYDOR

They give you a simple package and they make it into a functional car and that's what people need if you want to go high performance you can do it but they use the same suspension tires rims engine the frame of it which is really metal and a lot of other things they use there's a whole lighting package it comes with it but you have to watch out for exclusions we did an estimate once

-18,000 for the body kit plus interior included for their sale

-about $9,000 for the Infiniti G35

-excluding tools and you need to get some in renting some the parts that they leave out cost about $5,000

-basic estimate would then be $32,000 it's about the same exact price as the other one and plus another 1,000 for rentals and consumables paint these are incomplete kits and they're a bear because people don't know what to do where do you find the damn light where do you find the lens for The lens comes with it and you can reuse the Acura light who works okay just doesn't look cool and Shaquille O'Neal bought one and had a professional mechanic install it and spent $25,000 on add-ons and omissions it came out okay but he was really not too happy because it costs so much you know for $180,000 for $200,000 it was happy about that wait a few years you won't be able to sell it cuz it'll be worth too much I'm going to smiled and said I get that one and things are going around cuz yes right now if he held it at auction he'd get about 40 or 50 million dollars and it's because of the names involved the symbolism and how it actually started was with one of our son and daughters ideas and that didn't do too well I am it's known as a clever manipulation to try and get to this and that's why they picked the infinity it's also because it has power it has about 300 horsepower on the infinity Tracy it doesn't go really fast on this with the dot exhaust goes about 450 mph and yeah you're going to beat other supercars lots of them with the top end to go 650 and with the right tires that can do it most change out the tires and rims to be very fast it's still street legal cause like the Bugatti and in the Aventador go about 600 so for about $40,000 you have a car that can beat the really fast Lamborghinis some of them that's the idea the concept is good the idea is good it's just so you have to go look for all these stupid parts and you'll never find them. The Bradley GT running too one and two use Corvette parts and you have to go buy them but they sold them aftermarket to anybody and now they still do now they're more so aftermarket parts and the sun says I'm going to go look for it now and we get what he's saying

Thor Freya

Olympus

Ziggy Stardust

[myraelvira]

The Star Wars Holiday Special [review]

I watched this movie in December of 2023, right around Christmas time. In complete honesty, it was during a Jabroni_Mike stream. The thing was so ridiculous, that I had to write a review for it.

I've had a minor interest in the Star Wars series my whole life. I remember watching the original trilogy with my dad, and being so bored that I fell asleep. To be fair, I was 5 years old at the time.

Then, when the first prequel movie came out, my father took my brother, sister, and I to see it in theaters, where I fell asleep after 20 minutes. To be fair, I was only 6 years old. A few years later, I don't remember when exactly, I saw the "Star Wars Rap" on funny junk, a website that still pops up in my head from time to time. This was also one of the first introductions to seeing something about Star Wars, that was made by fans, and kept archived on various websites by fans.

Enter the Star Wars Holiday Special. I had heard of it in passing over the years, mainly around the time I entered my 20's. I believe that I first ever heard of it was through AVGN, or Cinemassacre in general. There's a lot of things that I learned from them, including some of the topics that I talk about today. I remember James Rolfe talking about how bad the Star Wars Holiday Special was, in passing; but I never really understood why. It would come up as a joke in various videos, but I always thought, "come one, it can't be that bad.". I heard how George Lucas tried to bury the movie, becoming so embarrassed with it, that he'd refuse to talk about it in interviews. I figured that maybe it was "Troll 2" quality, and perhaps that was why he was embarrassed.

But I was wrong. It was worse. So much worse. First of all, I think that George Lucas has every right to be embarrassed of this movie. He should feel 5 million pounds of shame for ever even thinking that making the holiday special was ever good. There's a lot of background info to this movie that I don't want to cover, but in a nutshell, multiple people begged for George not to do this. So many people in the production crew could see the concept for what it really was, and yet George couldn't. The holiday special was destined for ill fate.

The plot of the holiday special is simple, to get Chewbacca home in time for "Life Day" with his family. The plot is simple, though, I wondered what was the point of it. It was so boring in comparison to the original trilogy, whose plot has been compared to old tales like L'Morte D'Arthur. I'm not sure if Star Wars was really based off the elements of King Arthur, but I always heard that, going all the way back to my Freshman year of high school.

The simple plot was a sad excuse to create something new with Star Wars. It's something you'd expect to see in a children's cartoon, where the same exact plot of "we have to bring so-and-so home!" is found. For some reason, Chewbacca had a whole ass family at home, a wife, a child, and the disgusting looking grandpa who was his father. The movie appears to be the first of what is now the permanent trope: let's bring a cute kid character in the mix, as a way of making garbage appear to a larger audience. It's clear that Lump, Chewbacca's son, was a shoehorn to make Star Wars more suitable to kids, I'm sure as a way to eventually get more money. I read that Lucas denies this/was afraid of people thinking this, but it's hard not to see this as a cash grab. Supposedly, this holiday special was created to keep Star Wars in the minds of people, before the second movie came out.

The problem with this is, is that Chewbacca's family is horrifying, and one of the most ugly to look at. Lumpy is an annoying brat that almost kills himself playing on the bannister of the house outside, only one wrong step before falling to his death. Yes, I know he's supposed to be like a typical American boy, adventurous and curious...but why? Why does a being from a galaxy far, far, away, have to share traits with Earth, and the human world? Wasn't the initial appeal of the series that the Star Wars galaxy was filled with aliens and terrestrials completely different from the world we know?

The costume for Lump, and really the wookie family in general, looked ridiculous. The way the teeth and eyes appeared in Lumpy's face was so odd. It just looked...off. I realize that these were the actress', but the mask made it all weird. Itchy, Lumpy's grandfather, looks horrifying if no-one has the mask on. An image from google made it look like a crime scene photo. And yes, Lumpy was played by a woman, the actress Patty Maloney, who is not 3'11, but still alive today! Ironically, she was only ten years or so younger than the actor who played Malla, Chewbacca's wife. Malla's actor was Mickey Morton, ironically. I don't know if it may have been because of the height, though I do remember Chewbacca's actor, Peter Mayhew, was very tall. So it was funny to me that Malla was played by a man.

Grandpa Itchy Mask without anyone wearing it. Freaky.

It was silly that Chewbacca's family was depicted like an all American family, something from the 50's. Malla was wearing an apron, like stereotypical housewife would, and I'm sure, to also depict that she was a girl. In a galaxy far, far, away, there are wookies just like us.

There's a lot of unnecessary things in this movie; and a huge waste of talent, as this special somehow got actors like Mark Hamil, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher to come back, but there were other famous names in the mix, like Bea Arthur, Diahann Caroll, Harvey Korman, and more. There was all this talent that got caught up in this garbage. It sucks that Diahann Caroll had sang a song specifically made for the special, because it was actually pretty good, and George Lucas' embarrassment buried the few good things in this movie, like that.

This movie, as a whole, was a mess. Reading the trivia on IMDB, I was sickened but curious at its monstrosity. For example, the actors in alien costumes began to pass out due to a lack of oxygen, in the cantina scene. That whole scene, which was pointless and unnecessary, of course, took a whole day to film. So much trouble for an unneeded scene.

Apparently, George Lucas thought of the special focusing on Chewbacca's family. This was protested but obviously, they went through with it anyway. Of course, this ends up with the first 10 minutes of the special going from no-one talking at all, to being completely spoken in Wookie.

For some reason, Jefferson Starship appears in the movie, as some sort of futuristic music video. It was awful. Once again, it's not needed! Why was this in the movie? The worst part, is that it was Jefferson Starship probably the worst era of music by the Jefferson Airplane gang.

If there was one good part to the movie, I'd say that it was the animated section. Though different from everything else entirely, there was this charm with the animation featuring Boba Fett. Though sometimes, it was a bit uncanny, I love the style it conveyed. There's something that makes me really nostalgic about seeing old adult cartoons. The grittiness, the dark atmosphere...it's something that I relish. It intrigues me because of how unpolished it was, with unpolished cartoons not being the norm in today's world, for a long while. If they ever were, really.

Overall, this movie was a special kind of schlock. It has an air of mystery to it since its basically been forbidden by George Lucas and all who ever played in it. But, this has a special level of trash that I enjoy. There is some garbage to this, which consuming is most parallel to eating junk food. I wouldn't watch this on my own, but its definitely one of those crap modules you show to friends or any group of people. It's so bad, you want to see other people's reactions to it too.

I give this one slime. It's not too cheesey, but it's not a good movie either. The whole thing is actually trying to be good, which just makes it more cringeworthy, than laughably bad.

[sarah-aliterarylife]

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Breaking up is hard to do, or so the song goes. I’ve never been very good at letting go of things that no longer make me happy, or things that never made me happy in the first place. I remained in a job that did immense damage to my mental health for 8 years, when I really should have left after 5. I stayed with a man I did not love for over 3 years. I have restricted my diet, and exercised to the point that I injured myself, because I thought that being slimmer would make me happy. As humans, we’re conditioned to stick things out, keep trying, persevere, even if that serves no other purpose than to make us unhappy. The same applies to the books in my life. The amount of times I’ve started a book and found it dull, uninspiring, or just downright awful, but couldn’t bring myself to put it down and read something else instead, amazes me. Why do we do this to ourselves? Are we so afraid of failure, or the sense of disappointment that comes with accepting that something just isn’t for us? Perhaps I commit to things too easily.

Once I’m in, I’m in, and I find it very difficult to remove myself emotionally. No matter how bad a book is or how little I connect to the narrative, a part of me has to see it through to the end. Perhaps I’m subconsciously hoping that it will get better, or that the ending will blow me away. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green is one such example of this. I am aware that the concept of a “bad” book is a very subjective one, and that John Green has millions of fans around the world who probably think that An Abundance of Katherines is a masterpiece. That’s ok, but I am not one of them. I thought it was dreadful. I chose An Abundance of Katherines because I had enjoyed two of John Green’s other novels, The Fault In Our Stars and Paper Towns (more on those in future instalments). It’s a novel that is aimed at a young adult audience. Yes, I hear you ask, why is a woman who is most certainly not a young adult reading books meant for teenagers? What did she expect? The truth is that there are some marvellous young adult novels whose reach extends far beyond their target audience. I think I hoped that this book would be the same. The novel tells the story of a teenage prodigy called Colin Singleton, whom you could say has a “type”. His “type” in this instance is girls named Katherine. Colin has dated 19 of them, to be exact. And every time he dates a girl called Katherine, she breaks up with him. Over 297 pages, Colin and his Judge-Judy loving best friend Hassan take a road trip (minus any Katherines) and attempt to solve The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability – Colin’s words, not mine. They also try to avoid a bloodthirsty feral hog, and avenge everyone who has ever been dumped. Some hijinks involving a dead Austrian archduke and a moral about reinventing oneself ensue. Reviews of An Abundance of Katherines were largely positive. The Guardian describes it as “brilliant, quirky and fantastically nerdy”. I do not agree with this. Don’t get me wrong, I love a quirky narrative and fun characters who are somewhat left of centre, like Colin and his friend Hassan. But I found Colin to be a whiny, irritating sap. As a main character and a leading man, he is awful. No self respecting teenage girl (let alone 19 of them!) would ever date him. The constant use of anagrams drove me mad. The made-up words (fug? Jewfro?) got on my nerves. The Katherines themselves were unlikeable.

Most importantly, huge swaths of the novel were incredibly boring. I kept waiting for an interesting plot twist, or for one of the characters to do something unexpected, but nothing happened. The narrative proceeded exactly as I suspected it would. It was dreadfully dull in parts. I found it so mind-numbingly dull that I actually found excuses not to read it – I did our laundry, I cleared out the wardrobes, I baked a cake, I even went walking on Cannock Chase alone (!) as I was so desperate to have something else to do. I also wasn’t certain as a reader who the book was aimed at. The book contains many obscure references and footnotes that I suspected a young adult audience would not understand. If I had read it when I was a teenager, I don’t think I would have understood half of those references. Perhaps John Green is aware that, due to the success of his other novels, his audience has widened to include adults as well? And yet, I stuck with An Abundance of Katherines all the way to the end. Why did I do this? Perhaps I identified with Colin. I have been told in the past that I too have a “type” - the difference between me and Colin being that I haven’t dated 19 of them! The simplest and most likely answer is, I hate not to finish a book. I enjoy the sense of achievement that comes with completing a novel and starting afresh with a new one, like a new chapter in my life. For me not to finish a book, it must be truly terrible or (and this is very important) it must have the ability to send me to sleep on more than one occasion. Admittedly I came pretty close with An Abundance of Katherines, but it was summertime, the nights were long, the weather was warm, and it was only 297 pages long. I think a part of me must have thought, what the hell? Let’s finish it and move onto something else. Quickly. I have the greatest respect for John Green as a young adult novelist. I thoroughly enjoyed my previous forays into his work, and the fact that he has played such a key role in getting young adults interested in reading, and covers sensitive subjects such as mental health and terminal cancer so effectively, is to be celebrated. But this book really wasn’t my cup of tea. Perhaps next time I will share with you a list of the books I couldn’t finish! (It will be quite short)

[night-filled-mountain]

“If souls can grow from but a piece...”

I feel like this quote from Matt is key to Lucien’s/Mollymauk’s/Kingsley’s whole development, and honestly, I’m kicking myself for not being preemptively clued in to the Kingsley reveal as soon as Matt said it.

Molly started out as only a piece of a soul. A fragment, sans memories. But not entirely sans memories, not for long. Even the Molly who was new to the carnival wasn’t equivalent to a newborn baby. Think of all the things that quickly came back to him: how to walk and talk, eat and drink, clean and dress himself, and carry out plenty of other basic physical processes...not to mention thousands, maybe millions, of words and concepts that he understood without knowing how or why.

It wasn’t his memory he lost, per se. It was his self-concept. It was all the memories specifically tied to Lucien: what he had seen, what he had done, who he had known. And it’s not because those memories were gone. It’s because Mollymauk actively repressed them. He admitted to the M9 that he got “flashes,” he had dreams, but he pushed them away, rejected them as having nothing to do with him. That was a choice he made. He was a piece of a soul, and he chose to grow into something new, rather than making any attempt to dig for all the other “pieces” buried within himself and reunite them into a coherent whole.

He was like a magical seed that holds a genetic memory of how to grow into a daisy, but somehow manages to repress it, learn new possibilities from the diverse garden that surrounds it, and grow into a zebra orchid instead.

Lucien was there as an option. Lucien was a concept he could have re-built around himself. He chose to burn it down and build something new.

And was it entirely new? Of course not. Molly spoke with Lucien’s accent (vaguely 😉). He had Lucien’s arrogance, his flair for the dramatic, his instinct for reaching out to people and traveling in groups and seeking daring new experiences. Molly wasn’t Lucien, but he could have been. I firmly believe that if he had leaned into those memories, if he had sought those answers, if his adventuring goal had been to become who he used to be, he could have succeeded. But he didn’t.

Because the defining feature of Mollymauk Tealeaf, the trait that most set him apart from Lucien and allowed him to become his own person, was the desire to do just that. To self-invent.

And he didn’t do it only once. Think of how quickly he adapted after the carnival broke up; how quick he was to latch onto the Mighty Nein and re-invent himself as a devoted member of their party, transferring all the affection and protective tendencies he’d previously devoted to his fellow carnies. Think of the various false backstories he made up for the M9, the elaborate lies he told about his family and background (and Taliesin has made it clear that he intended to do much more of this, as he didn’t expect Molly’s actual past to catch up with him so soon). Think of the lies he told and the cons he pulled while he was with the carnival...most memorably, the one he told Beau about two nights before he died, when he convinced a whole town that he was a king. (Did Kingsley remember this when he chose his new name, or did he remember the royal/godly sensations of Lucien’s ascension as he absorbed the Somnovem? We may never know.)

Spontaneity, adaptability, and constant re-invention of himself was the heart of Molly’s character. There is absolutely no reason to believe that Mollymauk Tealeaf, left to his own devices, would not eventually have gotten bored once again, decided the M9 no longer needed him (or waited until after they fought their last big battle and went their separate ways), gone to sea, changed his name to Kingsley, and become a pirate.

If souls can grow from but a piece. That’s the entire premise of Mollymauk Tealeaf, and it’s the entire premise of Kingsley Tealeaf, too. And I think Kingsley tacitly acknowledged that when he finally read Beau’s book, gave it all some thought, and named his ship the Mollymauk.

Kingsley is a soul that grew from the exact same seed as Molly. Is it a new soul, a different soul, shaped by new experiences? Yes. In the sense that Jester is a different soul from Genevieve. Caleb is a different soul from Bren. Veth is a different soul from Nott, and also from the Veth who had never been Nott. Captain Fjord Tusktooth is a different soul from the bullied and insecure orphan Fjord Stone. Expositor Beauregard is a different soul from Beauregard Lionett, fuck-up daughter who was meant to be a son, heir to a dynasty she never wanted. Yasha Nydoorin is a different soul from the Orphanmaker, and Caduceus Clay might be the only member of the Mighty Nein to stick to a single name with no complications, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been transformed.

The only thing that sets Molly’s transformation into Kingsley apart from his teammates’ journeys is the memories. And the memories are there, if he ever wants them. And if he never does? If he says I can start fresh whenever I want, and my past does not define me?

Well, that’s the most Mollymauk move of all.

[babymetaldoll]

I've been working out a little bit (Spencer Reid/Reader)

Requested: Yes.

Summary: Spencer has been working out with Penelope, and they are doing their best to keep it a secret. Until (Y/N) finds out and tries to help. And though he doesn't want to because he is embarrassed about his poor athletic performance, somehow she manages to help.  

Category: Fluff

Warnings: Curses, frustration. Good old fools in love.

Word count: 3.8K

A/N: Hello, pretty people! I've missed you! I hope you like this little story. It's one of the last requests pending on my list. Tomorrow I can finally visit my grandparents, I'll be taking care of them for at least two weeks, and though I know it's hard work, I am just so happy I can be with them again!! I miss them! Take care, whenever you are! Love you!

Masterlist

                                    𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

- "No fucking way, Spencer!" (Y/N) widened her eyes and laughed so hard tears filled her eyes. She was sitting at her desk at work, staring at her best friend, who could barely walk due to the two hours he had spent that morning training with Penelope.

- "Please, don't tell anyone."- he whispered and looked around the bullpen. He was too embarrassed already to let anyone else know he had to take the mandatory fit test. He wanted to avoid the jokes, especially Derek's.

- "Your secret is safe with me, as always, chipmunk"- (Y/N) smiled and bit her lips, trying not to laugh anymore- "But why on earth are you working out? You have enough case hours to cover a fit test!"

- "Apparently, I can't skip it this year. Both me and Penelope have to take it."- Spencer whispered and sat down very slowly, pain written all over his face.

His best friend stared at him reading the mix of embarrassment and physical pain he felt with each movement he made. (Y/N) smiled and opened one of her drawers, looking for the last Snicker she had hidden in case of need. Watching Spencer in pain was precisely the case. She stood up and handed him the candy, making his heart skip a beat. Spencer did his best to hide the blush on his cheeks and just looked away.

- "I can help you if you want."- (Y/N) whispered and cut him the most adorable smile she had.

- "Help me what?"

- "Working out."- she replied and bit her granola bar- "I can teach you how to kick ass, and I do look hot wearing sweat shorts."

Spencer nearly chook. He flushed and closed his eyes, trying to cover up his embarrassment. But (Y/N) giggled and turned around. Her job there was done. Now Spencer had to be picturing her in her sweat shorts.

Of course, he was. He couldn't stop, actually.

The two agents were the youngest of the team, and somehow sometimes in-between cases, it showed. Especially when they were on their own, and their conversations ended up in casual flirting.

(Y/N) was head over feet in love with Spencer, though she was never going to face it. God knows Penelope had tried to force her to deal with her feelings. But she was closed as an oyster. No matter how much Garcia insisted or how drunk they were, (Y/N) kept denying her true feelings in public.

Spencer wasn't indifferent. Not at all. As a matter of fact, he was in love with (Y/N). Everything about her bewitched him. Ever since the first time he laid eyes on her, he felt it. She was tailor-made for him. If only he weren't a nervous wreck each time he saw her...

After two years working together, Spencer had managed to overcome part of my shyness and awkwardness around (Y/N). They were best friends, and they would usually hang out in their free time. The little free time they had in the BAU. But even when they could playfully flirt all the time, Spencer was sure she didn't like him that way. He convinced himself she was just joking.

--

(Y/N) headed to the Batcave holding a large frappuccino and knocked on the half-opened door before walking in.

- "Penelope García, I had the feeling you were running caffeine low."

- "Oh my pretty little thing! How do you do it? You read my mind!"- the tech analyst nearly hyperventilated as soon as she held her ice and creamed coffee.

- "Reid and I were out for a little break, and I knew you would like one of these to cheer up your afternoon"- Garcia sipped her frappuccino and nodded. But as soon as she had finished savoring the perfect coffee, she asked.

- "So, you and Reid..."

- "We were out getting coffee, like the best friends we are."

- "But, there's coffee here in the kitchenette. There's no need to go out and get coffee unless you want to find an excuse to be alone with him."- (Y/N) raised an eyebrow and sighed. Garcia did that every single chance she got.

- "You and I know the FBI doesn't share our concept of "good" coffee."- (Y/N) looked at her friend and just smiled- "Besides, I told you, I felt you needed some extra sugar and joy in your life after your early workout session this morning."

- "That little snitch!"- (Y/N) chuckled and shook her head.

- "Don't get mad at Reid. He didn't tell me anything. I kind of figured there was something wrong 'cos he looked in so much pain just breathing."

- "Oh man, he is sored, but I am sure he would be way sorer if you train with him."

- "I offered myself to help him"- Garcia raised an eyebrow at (Y/N) 's words, and the young agent wide opened her eyes, blushing- "Stop staring at me like I'm a perv! I meant helping him train for the test. I could help you too."

- "Thank you, but no, thank you. I trained with you, and there's no way we are going to do all that boxing again."

- "Come on! You said you had fun!"

- "I did! I really did... but I could barely move the next day! And I had a date! I couldn't even dance, less doing... other... nevermind"- Penelope stopped herself in her tracks and shook her head.

- "Shit, PG!"- (Y/N) closed her eyes and chuckled- "Spare me the details."

- "Sorry... anyway... you and the little genius should definitely train in a more... horizontal way."

- "Garcia! Stop it!"- (Y/N) laughed and stood up- "I'm gonna go back to work 'cos clearly you have some hormonal issues today, and you are projecting."

- "Stop acting like you haven't thought about it!"- Garcia said and chuckled as her friend walked away.

- "I'm not telling you anything."

- "That means yes!"

- "No! it doesn't!"- (Y/N) was blushing; that's why she refused to turn around and look at Penelope.

- "Oh! It so does!"

--

The end of that day found Spencer even more sore, hungry and weary than he had felt in years. All he wanted to do was go home, eat pizza leftovers from the night before, and go straight to bed.

Until...

- "Hey, chipmunk!"- (Y/N) looked at Spencer, gathering all his things and getting ready to go home.- "Dinner at my place tonight. My treat."

- "I can pick the take out tonight?"- he said immediately and asked himself where did that come from if, a second earlier, all he wanted to do was to go to bed. Probably from the same place that kept coming back to the image of her in sweat shorts.

- "Even better. I'll cook"- (Y/N) answered and winked, playfully- "You deserve a proper homemade dinner after all the workout you did this morning."

Spencer looked at her and didn't even notice the silly smile on his face. If he had known how in love he was looking, he would have probably slapped himself. (Y/N) sighed and stood up.

- "I'm gonna take that silence as a "Great (Y/N)! Thank you! How considered! I'm so lucky to have you in my life".

Spencer rolled his eyes and shook his head.

- "Thank you, (Y/N). But I'll give you more praise if your food turns out to be eatable"- the young agent gasped, pretending to be insulted by his words, and hit Reid's arm with her knuckles.

- "Auch! (Y/N)!"

- "I'm being nice, and you are insulting me! I'm having second thoughts about driving you over!"

- "I can take the subway! You are such a slow driver I can actually be there faster."

Spencer stuck out his tongue at her and ran to the elevator, 'cos his friend widened her eyes and ran after him, probably to hit him again.

Morgan and Prentiss stared at the scene in silence, sharing a few looks, both of them thinking the exact same thing: "When are these two goofs ever going to hook up?"

- "They are annoying"- Rossi stood next to Emily's desk and crossed his arms on his chest.

- "They are in love"- she corrected, but David shook his head and sighed.

- "I know, and they are adorable, but it's so annoying staring at the same scene over and over again, waiting for something, anything, to happen between them."

- "Are you turning into a bitter old man who completely forgot about the charm of being young and in love?"- Prentiss raised an eyebrow and turned to Rossi. The Italian stared right into her eyes and shook his head.

- "I'm just saying someone should try to tell them something."

- "I've tried to talk to him about her a million times. But Reid is one private kid."- Derek said from his desk as the three of them stared at Spencer and (Y/N) getting into the elevator, still arguing and playfully playing.

- "And he is so insecure. He doesn't think she likes him."

- "Likes him? She is clearly in love with him!"- Prentiss said, annoyed- "I swear, if nothing happens between them this weekend, I'm going to intervene."

- "Now who is forgetting about the charm of being young and in love?"- Rossi joked and sighed- "Come on guys, dinner's on me."

--

(Y/N)' s dinner was a success. Spencer ate two portions of honey mustard-glazed chicken bake. She even managed to make him eat vegetables. And Spencer didn't even argue. Not only because it was delicious, and his body really needed some homemade dinner. But also 'cos (Y/N) got him wrapped around her fingers, even without knowing it. And if she asked him to eat veggies, Spencer (no matter how much he would argue) would eat his damn veggies. And he could actually enjoy them.

- "Ok, chipmunk, you ate all your food. You earned your dessert"- (Y/N) smiled and picked the dirty dishes from the table.

- "Let me do that. You already fed me. The least I can do is do the dishes."

Spencer followed her moves and took the dishes to the sink. (Y/N) didn't argue with that. It wasn't the first time Spencer cleaned the kitchen with her, after all. They had been good friends, close friends, for a long time, and they were used to being around each other.

But this time, it felt somehow different. Like there was something in the air warning them things were about to change for good.

- "Ok, doc. Do you wanna eat your dessert watching tv for a while?"- (Y/N) handed Spencer an ice cream bowl with chocolate chips on top and some whipped cream.

- "A smiley ice cream bowl?"- Spencer chuckled as he stared at it. He loved it.

- "Yes, you are never too old to eat food with a smile on it. And that's a life lesson, Spencer Walter Reid."- she said and walked to the couch, holding the remote control.

- "You are filled with wisdom, (Y/N)"- Reid teased her and sat by her side.

- "I know. It would help if you let me train you. You would pass your fit test in a blink."- she said and continued surfing channels.

- "Thanks, but no thanks. I wanna do it on my own."- Spencer glued his eyes on the screen and ate his dessert. (Y/N) just nodded and continued surfing channels.

- "Why?"- she asked him after a few minutes. They had been watching an old movie in silence, just eating their ice cream.

- "Why what?"- he whispered and looked at her just for a second. He didn't trust himself around (Y/N), especially under those circumstances: alone in her house. She had changed into leggings and an old extra-large sweatshirt. Her hair was in a messy bun. And Spencer didn't feel able to look at her into the eyes, 'cos he was going to cave in. He was going to grab her face with both hands and kiss her right there. No questions asked.

Which is why he avoided looking at her.

- "Why don't you want me to help you train?"

- "Just because"- he answered and glued his eyes to the screen. But (Y/N) knew better. She moved closer to him on the couch and held his hands. Spencer shivered right away at the sensation of her skin. It was so warm and soft. All he craved was some more of that. He wanted to feel her. Touch her. Taste her.

His head was going way too fast, and just because she held his hand.

- "Spencer, look at me"- she whispered and practically begged her friend to pay her attention- "I just wanna help. It's just a stupid fit test. It ain't hard."

- "For you."- he mumbled and looked down at his hand as her fingers played against his skin.

- "I didn't want you or anyone to help me 'cos I'm a fucking SSA who should be perfectly able to perform a simple fit test on his own. But no. I can't! And do you know what that means?"

- "That finally I know there's one thing you are not good at?"- she answered and smiled at him. Spencer raised his eyes and met hers. He knew his cheeks were all shades of pink, but for once, he just didn't care. He just wanted to look at her and see if she meant it. Or if she was just teasing him.

- "Right"- he snorted and shook his head.

- "I mean it, Spencer. You don't have to be good at everything."

- "It's a fit test. It's basic to be an agent. I need to be able to catch an unsub."- (Y/N) frowned and tried to understand where all that self-doubt and insecurity was coming from. To her eyes, Spencer had nothing to be ashamed of. To her, he was perfect in every single way.

- "You already catch unsubs, chipmunk. Everyday. You don't have to kick down doors to make a profile. And you don't have to run six miles to get the bad guy. Everything that you do every day at work is what an SSA is supposed to do. And you excel at it."

(Y/N) sighed and smiled at her best friend, trying to push aside the urge she felt to kiss him. His golden-brown eyes looked so big, like honey pools, she could stare for a lifetime. Spencer didn't know what to say. He really wasn't good with praises. He wasn't used to them. Not in that way.

- "Besides"- (Y/N) added after a few seconds of silence when she realized she might have said too much and started panicking.

- "It feels good to finally know there is one thing I am better than you at."

- "What are you talking about?"- Spencer answered right away, in the sassiest tone of voice.- "Just because I suck working out doesn't mean you are better. Even at my lowest, I'm still better than whatever you can do in a gym."

Reid was obviously joking. He knew (Y/N) could kick ass. Not only had she saved his life many times on the field, but also, he had seen her working out. And she could definitely kick his ass if she wanted to.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to tease her just because.

- "You take that back, Reid!"- she threatened him and

- "No"- he sentenced and crossed his arms on his chest

- "Last chance. Take it back, or you will pay for it."

- "Make me."

And that was it.

In a second, (Y/N) was on him tickling him, and trying to practice a chokehold on him. But Spencer was faster, and somehow, stronger than her. Maybe it was because he was struggling with himself. A part of him wanted her closer, and a part of him didn't want her too close, 'cos he knew his pants were going to start feeling too tight if she did.

Whatever the reason was, after two minutes of wrestling, Spencer had (Y/N) pinned down against the couch. And the way she panted against the fabric of the cushion wasn't helping him with his pants.

- "Spencer, it hurts"- she cried and tried to move from his grip, but he didn't let her go.

- "If you want me to release you, you have to say I am the best agent in this house."

- "Never!"- (Y/N) quickly answered and continued struggling.

- "Just say it, I've got you held, and I'm not going to let you free until you say it."- something in his tone of voice, it was teasing but also... sexy? (Y/N) knew Spencer wasn't trying to act that way, but it was working for her in a way she hadn't imagined. He would be so soft. And now, there he was, acting like a dominant man, holding her tight, not letting her move, literally pinned against the couch.

If only it were all happening in a different context.

- "Let me go, Spencer Reid!"- (Y/N) battled against his arms, but it was useless

- "Just say it"- he leaned in and whispered in her ear, and (Y/N) sword she could almost feel his smile as he spoke.

- "You are the best agent!! There, happy?"- she mumbled, making her best to sound annoyed and not turned on. Spencer released her, and she quickly sat down properly, rubbing her left wrist.

- "Did I hurt you?"- Spencer whispered and noticed how flustered she was. That was a first.

- "No. But I gotta tell you, you are stronger than I thought."- she said and stuck out her tongue to him, trying to be playful and innocent, though you could feel it in the air. That moment was anything but innocent.

- "Yeah, I've been working out a little bit."- Spencer answered and chuckled at his own words.

- "Well, you are going to have to learn how to control your new strength, 'cos this is going to leave a bruise"- (Y/N) whined and showed him her sore wrist. Spencer winced, ashamed he had been so hard on her without meaning any harm. He moved closer to her and held her wrist carefully. (Y/N) just looked at him as he kissed her wrist a few times.

That man couldn't be real. He was such a tease.

Did he know all the things he was, in fact, doing to her with that simple touch?

He surely had to know. Otherwise, there was no explanation, she thought.

- "Thanks"- (Y/N) whispered and fixed her eyes on his lips, still landing small kisses on her wrist.

That was when she stopped breathing. Spencer was literally breathtaking. He smiled at her, and she just couldn't help it anymore. (Y/N) leaned in and kissed him. It was a soft, short peck. But she had dared to do the unthinkable.

She kissed her best friend.

Spencer widened his eyes, shocked, and looked at her, not saying a word. They just stayed still for a good thirty seconds until Spencer finally made his move, cupping her jaw carefully with both hands and pulling her face against his.

The way she moaned into the kiss made him feel more in control than he had ever been before.

It was a soft kiss but intense. Spencer's lips rubbed carefully against her mouth, and his tongue moved carefully, making its way until he could taste her. (Y/N) moved closer to him until she was basically sitting on his lap, and his arms wrapped around her body, locking her against him.

They were in heaven.

Until it was over. Their phones buzzed at the same time, breaking the spell, ending the charm. (Y/N) jumped from Spencer's arms and grabbed her phone.

- "We've got a case"- she whispered and turned to him. He was agitated, his cheeks were red, his pants felt tight, and he was starving for more of those kisses.

- "Ok."- he replied but didn't move.

- "I'm gonna change, then we can go."- (Y/N) added, but he didn't say a word. To be fair, Spencer wasn't processing what was going on. He was still trying to elaborate a coherent thought. And most of all, he was fighting the boner in his pants that didn't let him stand up.

You could blame all the sugar in his body after the massive bowl of ice cream, or all the praising (Y/N) had given him, but Spencer found a new level of courage in that kiss. He decided it was time to stop overthinking it. It was time to act on his feelings.

- "(Y/N)"- Reid knocked on her bedroom door and heard her from the walking closet.

- "I'm almost ready. Did you talk with Garcia?"

- "No, but I don't wanna leave things like this. I wanted to talk about what just happened."

(Y/N) sighed and took a look at herself in the mirror. She could still feel her cheeks burning after that kiss, after feeling her best friend hard underneath her body, holding her against him. But she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what Reid was about to say. Most of all, because she was sure it was going to be something along the lines: "That kiss was a mistake, you are my friend. I don't wanna ruin this."

- "That kiss was..."- he mumbled and walked to her as soon as she showed up in the room, but words were hard to find when she looked at him that way.

- "Spencer, I..."- she tried to speak, but he just continued.

- "Would you like to..."

- "Pretend it didn't happen?"

- "Go out on a date with me?"- the two of them said at the same time and widened their eyes in shock.

- "What?"- (Y/N) questioned and stared at her best friend in shock- "You want to go out with me?"

- "You want to pretend it never happened?"- he asked her, scared he might have rushed to the wrong conclusions.

- "No, no, no, I don't... I can't pretend it didn't happen"- (Y/N) quickly answered and held Spencer's hand, afraid she might have ruined everything.

- "I was just scared you were going to reject me or..."- (Y/N) bt her lips and dared to look at him- "I wanna go out on a date with you"- she whispered and watched his whole face change as a big silly grin drawn on his lips.

- "Really?"- he murmured, still not sure it was actually happening. He asked her out. She said yes. He was sure that was never going to happen in real life.

- "Really"- she assured him and leaned in slowly to kiss him one more time. But her phone rang again, and so did his. This time it was a message from Hotch. Wheels up as soon as they reached the FBI.

- "But after we catch the bad guy."- (Y/N) added, and Spencer chuckled.

- "Sounds like a plan."

Spencer Reid’s taglist: 

@calm-and-doctor @all-tings-diego

Requested by @shilohpug​ 

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

The Hindu version of rapture anxiety is a little different. Many families, like mine, were raised on the Mahabharata & Ramayana as moral guides. The concept of Dharma/duty was introduced to me pretty quickly on. We don't really believe that we go to hell to suffer, it's not that popular. For Hindus, rebirth is a big thing, and to be born human is the biggest curse and gift. Anything that we do that is morally wrong is part of our negative karma. So if a child dies due to an accident, people tend to believe that their soul did something terrible in a past life. My mother always told me that doing anything wrong will have detrimental effects in my next life. Eg: I didn't want to go to the temple on my 12th birthday, so my mother scared me into going by saying that Laxmi will make me poor in my next life.

It's never seen as God's doing. God doesn't do bad things. It's always your fault if something terrible happens, it's simply your karma. To get moksh/nirvana, we have to apparently suffer a million lifetimes, including bugs & trees.

If your family is more religious like mine, this can go into the thought crime category. If you even think negatively about anyone/anything (even a book, bc the goddess of wisdom hates that) you will suffer in future lifetimes. It's really fascinating when you're out of it because I still catch myself being afraid of accidentally stepping on a book or judging something in my head. I know karma isn't a thing and that Vishnu isn't gonna punish me, but it's easy to slip back into it sometimes.

Ugh, that's so messed up.

It doesn't make any sense either. When someone does something bad to someone else, the perpetrator gets negative karma, but did the victim deserve it because of their existing negative karma? What about when bad things happen to good people, or good things happen to bad people?

A child dies and it's, well, they deserved it. It's very much a recipe for loss of human empathy. Not to mention refusal to make anything better. Why look to eradicate SIDS or cancer, or COVID for that matter, when people are just getting what they deserve? And anyway, dying just bumps them along to the next life anyway, no great loss, right? Geez.

On the topic of thoughtcrime, I've heard of similar from Xians. For example, Joe and Katie Bauer from the Born Again Again podcast talked about these thought-terminating habits they taught themselves, e.g. about sex. Any thought, no matter how minor or fleeting, that wasn't glorifying to the Xian god required repentance and

Joe: The example that was given in the book was like, say you’re at school and you’re walking down the hall in between classes and your eyes kind of just naturally go to some girl’s butt that you see walking down the hall ahead of you. And what you need to train yourself to do is immediately bounce your eyes away from that to anything else, ask for forgiveness from God for doing it, ask for him to fill you with his spirt, so that you can resist the temptation better in the future. And then continue on with your day.

Katie: One look? For one look.

Joe: Yeah, that was like, the pattern. So, I got freaking really good at that. I mean like, you walk down the street and there’s things that your eyes could be drawn to as, like, a sexual male, and of course your eyes are just looking round, cause you’re a normal person. And I was constantly in my head, redirecting my eyes, asking for forgiveness for the feelings I had, and moving on with my day, over and over and over again for years.

Yasmine Mohammed also talks about ss-Sirat al-Mustaqim, the narrow, straight path of Islam, a "tightrope" as she describes it, where if you stray even slightly from that narrow path, not just in actions, but in words and in thoughts, you'll burn in hell for eternity. Presumably this is why the devout have the exact same talking points.

https://quranx.com/Search?Q=%22straight+path%22

The straight path is lifted, of course, from the bible.

Matthew 7:13-14

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Luke 13:24

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Of course, the secular, parental version, in the west at least, is...

"You'd better watch out, you better not cry, You better not pout, I'm telling you why,

Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake."

For the fundamentalist theology of the Elect, Wokethink has its own parallel: the modern day phrenology pseudoscience of the debunked "implicit bias" or "unconscious bias" tests, which pretend they can mind-read your real intentions, despite these tests being unreliable and producing wildly inconsistent results. You need not actually think the thought-crime thoughts you're being convicted of; their intended purpose isn't to see if you have these biases, but to prove that you do.

As Archbishop Robin DiAngelo tells us:

“The question is not ‘did racism take place’? but rather ‘how did racism manifest in that situation?’”

”... intentions are irrelevant.”

“... no one is ever done.”

The cooties test always turns up positive, so you'll buy the weekly cooties shot.

There's an interesting observation - and I realize this is deviating off the religious topic - that I heard about recently on a "19 Lessons from 400 Episodes" by Chris Williamson: you are not your thoughts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds4TiQse2PQ&t=48m30s

"The voice that speaks in your head is not you. You are the one who hears it speak. Don't identify with what your mind says any more than you identify with what someone on the street says. This is one of the most liberating truths to know." - Corey Allen

So, with this, he's reminding us that you don't know what you're going to think next. You don't know what you're going to think next. If you don't know what you're going to think next, how can you say that the voice in your head is you? It's just another element.

Think about the fact when you've lost your keys, and you say to yourself, "where are my keys?" Who the fuck are you talking to? Genuinely. Who the actual fuck are you talking to? "I've lost my keys, where are my keys?" There's only you inside your of your head, is there not?

Well, no. If there's someone speaking, then there has to be a listener. And the person that's speaking is just this weird amalgamation of sleep deprivation and hunger and excess caffeine and limbic hijack and thought loops and what you've just seen on Twitter and that repetitive song that's on the radio that you can't get rid of.

You are not your thoughts. So when you hear something, you hear a particular piece of monologue that's in your head, you wouldn't identify if someone on the street just accused you of being that thing.

So genuinely, ask yourself why do you choose to identify with what your head says? You have faith in your own word? Maybe? Okay. Well, how many times have you thought a thing that didn't turn out to be true?

You are your most untrustworthy friend.

The voice that's inside of your head is batting... it's got the worst average in history. Imagine all of the things that you thought that didn't turn out to be true. All of the concerns that you had, all the worries, all of the fears and the overthinking and the absolute certainties about whatever catastrophe was going to occur, or absolute certainties about whatever success was going to occur and it didn't.

If you were friends with that person, you would think that they were the biggest gobshite on the planet. You'd be like "dude, all that you do is spew misinformation at me on a daily basis. What are you talking about?" But because the voice comes from inside of us, we trust it.

You are not your thoughts.

A god or gods that "designed" and/or created humans should know this. Indeed, in any religion where we're "made in god's image," the gods will have the same kind of internal monologue themselves.

It very much seems like religions universally and consistently exploit this phenomenon specifically to foster undeserved thoughtcrime guilt and therefore extract control. /shock /surprise

Imagine if we taught kids about how they think, how the mind works, along with healthy thinking tools such as the Cognitive Behavioral toolkit, how quickly the demons and the gods and the cults and the ideologies and the pseudoscience would disappear.

[cblgblog]

Sorry I’m advance but one of my other favorite accounts just reblogged a Tony scene and people are talking about Civil War and how it made them Stan Tony, and how when they watch that movie they hate team cap👀 Then someone was all about how he was sleep deprived and how much pressure he was under and couldn’t understand how people didn’t like Tony because. Someone literally said that when someone says they don’t like Tony in Civil War they say “did you watch the same movie as me.” I’m baffled. Oddly enough someone else said, “he just wants to help everyone.” Sorry for the rant but I think people forget about what the accords are and what it would mean for people. Side note, I hope you’re having a great day/night 😀

No sorry needed!

I feel you man, I do. Honestly, I’ve unfollowed people based on similar posts when I was in especially Done moods, so.

Look on the one hand, the movie would’ve been a narrative failure if everyone was in favor of one side or the other, right? The whole point of the damn thing—besides giving the Mouse overlords more money—was to spark discussion, debate. Which, yeah, we’ll call that the tame description for what actually happened. But just, the thing was meant to split the fanbase so in that regard…winning? Thanks, I guess?

Film is also very obviously subjective, different strokes for different folks, so yeah, ten people can watch a movie and none of them are gonna see the exact same film. Let’s try to remember that this is, in theory anyway, a good thing. I just read a professional film review yesterday where I had the same reaction. What film were you watching, dude? Incidentally his reviewing partner said the same thing.

So honestly, no, they weren’t watching the same film as you or I or anyone else, because everyone brings their own biases and experiences and knowledge and interests into a thing, and that’s always going to flavor how it’s viewed. Again, let’s try to remember that this is good. In theory. Heavy on the theory.

That out of the way? Let’s get into Tony specifically so his uber stans can find this and scream at me on anon as though I just shot RDJ with a nuke.

Oh yeah, he was stressed. Oh, he was sleep deprived. Yeah, I’ve heard that. And that it’s Pepper’s fault, if she hadn’t left the poor baby, if she was there to rein him in, he’d be fine dammit, leave the baby alone!

Here’s the thing. You know who gets a pass on their shit behavior when they’re upset or tired? Actual babies. Actual babies and toddlers, and children, up to a point. Because they actually cannot always help themselves. Their bodies and brains are different, they have not learned better.

When you’re a 50-year-old man who’s supposedly the world’s bestest superhero, who wants, wants to be in charge of protecting the whole world? You need a little more self-control than that. The sleep deprived excuse works if you snap at someone before you’ve had your coffee, not for this. Roseanne Barr didn’t get to blame Ambien for her racism, Tony doesn’t get to handwave CW away because oops, I was tired.

Really? You’re a superhero, dude. Most of your teammates are tired too, that’s part of the gig. If you crash and burn this badly without your afternoon nap, fucking hang up the armor and go back to your billionaire playboy lifestyle.

Speaking of that, sure, right. It’s Pepper’s fault because she left him. Put aside the argument on whether that was justified or not (cough, it was and she should’ve stayed away even though they are adorable together). It’s not Pepper’s job to keep Tony sane. It’s not any partner’s job to do that for anyone. If she wants out, she has a right to that, without Tony going off the rails and blaming it on her. Seriously, he says part of the reason he backed the Accords was to “split the difference” with Pepper.

Dude. You were an asshole and you lost your girl. You destroyed all your suits, turned an emotional and mental corner in IM 3…and then relapsed 4 minutes later I guess because Whedon. Either way, Tony admits himself that he does not want to stop. So instead of doing that, or finding another partner who can accept that, you back an unjust international law that pits you against your team, your supposed friends? Go to therapy, have a pint of ice cream, cry into your pillow, send her more of those strawberries you sent her in IM 2 that she’s allergic to. You don’t go trying to change international law in ways that could ultimately affect millions of people because your girl left you.

Honestly—and thank God they didn’t do this but—the only way the Pepper excuse works in excusing his behavior in any way is if she’d died. Or been severely injured like Happy in IM 3. Still wouldn’t be okay, but, like Quill messing up their chance to stop Thanos because Gamora died, it would’ve been more understandable. Understandable, not excusable, and the way the MCU treats their women as manpain fodder, we’re probably legit lucky we didn’t get this.

As for him wanting to help everyone. He does in fact want that, I think. The problem is that his need to feel like he’s doing that is stronger than his rational mind, or his want to actually help in a constructive way.

Tony is too smart. He’s dumb as hell in many instances, mostly involving people and relationships, but he’s also too smart, and he’s been told for too long that he’s smart, and he’s bought into it. Ultron. Suit of armor around the world, protects the world, no more alien threats. It’s a simple concept on paper that fails in execution. So there are people with dangerous powers. Okay, we’ll make a set of laws to keep them from being dangerous, problem solved. But again, it isn’t.

Tony is not used to problems he cannot solve. He’s a genius, right? He can fix anything. He should be able to fix anything. That’s how he feels. But not everything is zeros and ones and circuits, things that can be fixed mechanically like his armors can. The people he wants to protect are not built that way. But he needs to feel like he’s doing something, because he’s terrified of what happens to the world if he doesn’t. So he creates these simple solutions to complex problems. The suit of armor, the Accords. They sound good in theory, but the problems they’re trying to solve are bigger than they are. And Tony, way back in IM 1, he sat back for years, clueless that his weapons were being used for bad things. He says it to Cap in CW. When he found out what his weapons were being used for, he went in and stopped it. Whether or not he should’ve known that already is a separate issue here. The point here is that when he found out, too late or not, he went in and did something about it.

Tony needs to do something about it. Again, go back to Cap in AoU, Tony’s nightmare sequence. Steve asks Tony why he didn’t save them. Tony’s ultimate nightmare is that he sits back and does nothing, and his inaction causes everyone to die. Which is where you get Ultron. Something he came up with because of what he saw in space in Avengers 1, then doubled down on in AoU. It’s where you get the Accords. Oops, he caused someone to die, he killed Charles Spencer. Must do something about that right now so it doesn’t happen again, and he won’t have to feel this guilt. He should be collaborating with others to come up with solutions (no Bruce in AoU doesn’t count because Bruce was dumb there), or at the very least, taking more time to think through the repercussions of the things he puts out there. But he doesn’t, because he’s got his savior complex that tells him that he alone can and must fix this, and because he’s too dumb to realize how not-smart he is in certain areas.

“We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I’m game.”

Isn’t that what he says in CW, or something very close to it? Whatever form that takes. That’s the issue, right there, whatever form that takes. Realistically, yes, there should be laws regarding people with powers, the same way there are special laws pertaining to people who carry guns, or people who are licensed to fly planes. You have a thing/can do a thing that not everyone else does, so there are regulations pertaining to that thing. Laws change with the times, they always have. Some new technology comes up, eventually there will be laws that regulate it. As there should be, honestly. The issue with the Accords, Steve’s issue with the Accords, was not the basic idea. He says as much. He says that it could work, but there would have to be safeguards. Safeguards that are not in the Accords that Tony wants him to sign.

It's not a matter of oh, fuck the law, there should be no law governing these people, they’re above it. The problem is that the law as it’s presented here is unjust. There’s what, a month between Lagos and Ross coming by to tell them about the Accords? A month is not enough time to properly analyze such a big issue, Especially when you’re reacting out of fear, which is what happened with Lagos. People died because of an Enhanced person, an Avenger, in this case. Lawmakers don’t want that to happen again, they especially don’t want the political shit storm that comes with it. Damn, we look like we were asleep at the switch here, not having anything to throw at this problem earlier. Quick, let’s throw together this thing so no one can say we’re not addressing the problem.

Patriot Act of 2001, anyone? 9/11 happened, the public were rightfully terrified, the US said oh man, these are unprecedented circumstances, we’ve never had this before. Don’t worry though, we’re on this, we’re protecting you. The reality being that that bill simply gave the government too much power, most of it being used against people who were not actually threats, and it’s debatable, to say the very least, whether or not that law helped more than it hurt.

No law is perfect. No law ever will be. It’s not possible. We still have to strive for perfection though, have to aim there so that the laws we get are as close to fair as possible. Tony’s a big deal. If not for his “whatever form that takes” attitude, he might’ve been able to use his influence to pressure lawmakers into coming up with a fairer bill. Hey, I’m me, the public loves me, I will endorse this bill publicly and work on getting the rest of the team to sign, but you need to change this and this and this first, or no deal. Instead, he took the easy way out, the quickest, easiest way for him to feel like he’s atoned for his sins without actually doing anything. Whatever form that takes.

Tony’s not wrong because he backs the creation of a law that addresses these things. He’s wrong because he says himself that he does not care what that law does, specifically, so long as it exists. He’s wrong because he violates said law upteen times during the movie, while preaching to team Cap about what assholes they are for not backing it. He’s wrong because he cares more about feeling as though he’s tackled a problem than he does about taking the time to make sure that the thing he’s proposing is actually a good idea. He’s wrong because of what he does with Bucky, though that’s honestly a separate issue, for the purposes of this discussion.

Anyway, that was longer than I ever wanted it to be. Damn. Next time you see a comment about CW being the reason people stan Tony, just remember there are other people out there who stopped stanning Tony because of that movie. Everyone’s entitled to see a piece of media however they see it, and although the Tony stans are often the loudest, there are plenty of like-minded people out there who share your take on events. Block who you need to, unfollow who you need to, blacklist what you need to, and don’t let them get you down.

Hang in there, and have an awesome day :)

[lizbotw]

it’s only sharing a disgustingly sweet milkshake at the local college town diner after both of your evening classes that suna graciously provides the answers to the math homework.

the spongy pencil eraser is easy for you to sink your teeth into as you puzzle over his handwriting. “you know,” you mumble around the nib, trying to figure out if that’s a 5 or a 6, “i never know why you do this to me every week.” this time the drink with two plastic straws floating in an unhealthy heaping of whip cream is a syrupy strawberry flavor.

rintarou tips forward to sip at one of them and in your peripheral, chunky pink-coated fruit pieces travel up the clear tube and disappear between his lips. he releases the straw with an annoying ah that makes you frown, even if you weren’t concentrating in the first place. “aw, don’t tell me you don’t like hanging out with me.” he feigns hurt.

a well placed sip of your own allows you to avoid having to answer that—you have a personal rule of never being sappy in the presence of calculus. if you didn’t like him, suna knows you wouldn’t be hanging out with him—there are just some things you can’t do, even if it’s for the sake of your grade. none of this has to be said out loud of course, but he decides to be annoying and ask anyway.

actually—well... maybe hanging out is... not exactly how this appears to bystanders.

sharing a drink like this, you two probably look more like a couple on a (terribly cheap) afternoon date, rather than two broke college students that split meals to save money and believe that sharing answers for homework isn’t cheating, it’s collaboration.

ha, as if it would ever be different—things like the former never come true. maybe in movies, but that’s about where the line is drawn.

as if he knows what you’re thinking, suna raises an eyebrow at you over the glass, a smile playing on his lips—the same stupid look he always gives you. it feels particularly worse this evening.

it’s hard to avoid eye contact with him mere inches away, but you manage when a car painted a very interesting shade of red rumbles past the fingerprint covered window. you’re grateful for the distraction.

the subject changes when you realize suna has terrible taste when it comes to ordering milkshakes. “what flavor is this?” you spit out the word as though the very concept of calling this a real flavor is more disgusting than the drink itself, smacking your lips and screwing up your face at the excessively saccharine, artificial strawberry aftertaste.

this is no ordinary strawberry milkshake. no, this is a so-bad-only-suna-rintarou-would-order-something-this-horrible-(and-not-necessarily-on-purpose-either) strawberry milkshake.

“valentine’s valor,” he states matter-of-factly like those words mean anything to you. you stare at him until he elaborates. “their valentine’s special,” he clarifies and is gifted with a sarcastic thumbs-up from you in thanks—it is pointedly ignored and suna slings an arm over back of his seat. “dunno the exact flavor though. forgot.”

it tastes like the embodiment of pink, you decide. valentine’s valor. what a stupid name. there are a million and one better words that start with v... you can name at least five with a little thinking. you should ask them to hire you as part of their marketing team, you decide.

maybe it’s fitting title though. you certainly need valor to even think about taking another sip of that... concoction—which you do because you are obsessed with getting your money’s worth.

“valentine’s day was half a week ago?” your mental calendar helpfully supplies.

the clatter of pans in the back kitchen somehow mingles charmingly with the way rintarou throws his head back to laugh—a scene straight out of a movie really. you decide you hate him in the moment. “right you are. want a prize?” ugh. you stick your tongue out at his tone.

great. as if to add insult to injury, of course you’re sharing an out-of-date love holiday special with suna of all people. valentine’s was four days ago and this is where you are on a thursday night. the sticky upholstery of the booth seat, ripped and fraying at the corners, squeaks and groans and attaches itself to the fabric of your jeans as you shift around, suddenly hot. what a strange situation to be in, you think. this has to be a metaphor for life—then again, you’d been thinking this whole... thing has been a metaphor anyway.

yup, ever since suna sat next to you in a calculus II lecture all those fated months ago and took pity on how much you fucking sucked at math, up until the present where he takes slightly less pity on you but does enjoy emptying your dorm mini-fridge and making you pay for his milkshakes—all of it. this entire thing with him. one big stupid metaphor.

the specifics of how you came to have a routine like this are certainly murky, but two things are for certain—one, your calculus grade is certainly a lot better than it would have been otherwise, and two, you have one friend more than you did at the start of the school year. (that last one is kind of a big deal, you think. the college social scene is brutal. the word friend has started to become more disappointing than exhilarating lately though.)

rin reaches to your left to pick at the fries you’d ordered as a side—you’ve learned not to try and stop him. “also,” he adds, mouth full, “you’re totally getting me a new pencil after this.” yes, true, the pencil you’re currently leaving frustrated teeth marks all over isn’t yours. very easy to forget in the moment. you’ve probably destroyed 15 of his pencils by now for the 15 weeks of the last semester—only 7 so far for the current one. you do the mental math.

instead of drawing in the sharp lines of the differential equation that should be going in the question box, you lightly trace in the curves of a 2 and then another one next to it in the corner of the worksheet, graphite underlining them both in one swoop. the horribly thin paper of the school library’s printer is scratchy as you write but soon you flip the pencil over and under your fingers to tap the eraser (that has seen better days) just below what you wrote. “this is pencil number 22.”

suna leans over to look at the number as if you hadn’t just told him what it said. what an idiot. “glad you’re keeping count.” he settles back into his seat. “when can i expect my reimbursement?”

“you’re funny,” you say, without a hint of humor in your voice. the pretty 22 you had written now has flower petals growing off of the sides as you get distracted doodling along the edges of your work. it’s quiet for a moment as he watches you, or maybe as he takes the chance while you’re distracted to shove more french fries down his throat—either option is plausible and you don’t lift your eyes to check.

something occurs to you.

“rin.” you take an extended pause in between the words as you continue drawing, just to annoy him. you don’t continue speaking until he grumbles in acknowledgment (you try to hide your smile). “do you ever doodle in your notebooks?” now that you thought about it, suna was surprisingly pretty straight-laced when it came to class—you couldn’t ever recall him ever slacking off to the degree that meant his pages were filled with hearts and stars and flowers and suns and atomically inaccurate animals and tiny people in different colored ink. your work was always certainly the more vibrant out of the two (perhaps that could explain your grades and how you understand like... nothing in your lectures, but you decide correlation does not equal causation).

“waste of time,” he says around another mouthful of fries, another one already halfway there to his mouth.

suna is also surprisingly negative at times—but the blue book flipped open to his homework says maybe he’s just a liar though. you squint at it.

“it’s still pretty early but we probably should get out of here soon,” suna says, pulling his phone out from his pocket to check the time and leaning his elbows on the table. “i’ll walk you back. your roomie doesn’t leave the gym until 9—before you ask, yes i’ve been keeping track. it’s not stalking if it’s for my own sake.”—rin is, of course, referring to the long standing rivalry between him and your (very nice, might you add) roommate you don’t really understand but which has cumulated in him deciding he would avoid them as much as humanly possible purely out of spite. (“the only person i like in dorm 302 is you,” he’d told you one time and the throwaway sentence maybe made your heart flutter more than it probably should’ve.)

the bell above the front door jingles behind you as another patron enters. rin glances up at the sound and then returns to his phone with a bored bat of his eyes, probably scrolling through twitter or replying to texts, and picking at his teeth with a toothpick (where did he even get that?).

you try to get back to work (copying) but something in your gut tells you there’s more to his notebook than the messy handwriting and crossed out words that meet the eye.

with suna distracted, you take the chance to carefully slide the book towards you and then, in a single quick swipe, pull it into your lap under the table, already leafing to the back pages—everyone knows that’s where the real secrets are—not sure what to expect. a flash of color makes you pause and you flip back to a page that has the corner folded into a tiny, crisp triangle.

whatever you were thinking suna had stashed in the back of his calculus notebook certainly does not match up with what’s staring you in the face currently. sparkly, gel-inked hearts in neon colors glitter under the fluorescent overheads. in each of them, written in capital letters neater than you thought possible for suna, is your initials, a small plus sign in the middle, and then S.R. (for none other than suna rinatoru) next to it. it instantly makes sense to you. “rin, what the fuck.” one side of the book dangles from your hand, pages fluttering, and you hold it up for him to see, other hand flying to cover your mouth because you don’t know whether to laugh or pretend to be mortified or what.

it’s very amusing to watch how suna goes from a disinterested stare, to widened eyes, to reaching over the heaps of school supplies to attempt to grab the book from you, frantic. you hold it just out of reach. “what are you—” an old lady at a table shushes him when he half-screams. “—give that back,” suna whisper-yells instead in the greatest verbal equivalent of tiny caps you’ve ever heard.

“not a chance.”

he looks like he wants to lunge across the table and pry his prized possession from your meddling hands, but also has half the mind not to make a scene. getting kicked out and then subsequently banned from his favorite diner all on a noise complaint and disorderly conduct accusation was not ideal.

you hum, flip back to your place, and observe the drawings covering the lined pages. you shoot him a venomous smirk over the edge of the cover, one that’s more theatrics than anything, and say with all the satisfaction of someone who knows they have all the power, “oh, this is gold.” he deflates and you feel grateful he doesn’t see right through your facade because oh man are you sweating inside right now. what the fuck? no way suna rintarou is drawing little hearts with both of your initials in it like a lovesick middle schooler. no fucking way. you almost want to tell him that you did the same thing once when the thoughts about him had gotten especially bad (you felt guilty afterwards though, thinking you never had a chance with him, but... now... if he’s doing the same—well, that kind of changes everything).

suna is utterly defeated you think—doesn’t even try to defend himself, just slumps in his seat with a groan. you at least expected a “i can explain!” from him, a last attempt at dignity, not the resigned “i’m never going to live this down, am i?” he mumbles after a few seconds. well, either works for you.

“nope,” you quip, maybe a little too cheerfully because the response you receive is a distressed wail and him banging his head against the table. the old lady shushes him again. you chuckle at that (it feels a little wobbly though because once again, freaking out here) and flip the page. you stop.

this one has similar perfect little hearts drawn all over it, but there are other things. cute, standard shaky drawings of misshapen dogs and volleyballs and other things you never thought suna would take it upon himself to create but all of which make sense are there. but there’s something else. little scribbles in the corners with your last name swapped with his and even him trying out his name with your last one—all of them are scratched out but not so much you can’t read them. a list on the right in a very tiny font that makes you think he was embarrassed even penning the words is titled “date ideas?” (the question mark is in red and the dot is a heart) and has several popular spots around town written down in the local lingo of unofficial names for them.

“listen... please let’s forget about this.” rin’s voice is muffled and he’s still faceplanted. “it’s fine if you don’t... you know... yeah.” if you don’t feel that way, he means. true, the doodles were a pretty good indication of his feelings.

what to do...

well... you take pity on him, let your lips upturn and your eyes soften to reflect the sentiment, and shut the book with a quiet thud. you slide it back across the table from where it came and back to him silently. you give it a resounding pat when suna peeks up at you, expression saying it all—he was so going to get you back for this. you stick your tongue out—acceptance of the challenge. and just like that, you’re friends again—maybe that’s what’s so great about suna.

as you get ready to leave and slowly begin the trek back to the dorm buildings with him, street lamps glimmering a pasty yellow, there’s no awkward tension, no need to ask questions, no verbal wonderings about what ifs between you two. it’s just joking and shoving each other around and challenges to see who can run to the next tree the fastest in the middle of the chilly february night. you know, maybe for now you’ll keep your own thoughts a secret.