#and associate it with him and therefore be afraid of him

[discordiansamba]

some more spitballing for the Avatar Zuko AU:

After the Agni Kai, Zuko is afraid of his own fire. The one who ends up helping him through this is Gyatso. His life might have been brought to its end by fire, but he is old enough to remember a time when firebending was not just associated with destruction.

The valley in which Aang grew up in was of the subterranean variety- the last place anyone would ever think to look for airbenders. Before Zuko arrived, he'd never left it, though he would often climb up until he could see the sky.

(his father left once, to get medicine for his mother after she fell ill during her second pregnancy. he never returned, and his mother and his younger sibling died.)

Aang at first only knows Zuko as 'Li', but once Toph joins them, she very quickly outs that as an alias. He's forced to admit his name is actually Zuko, and that he's the exiled former prince of the Fire Nation.

Aang, looking Zuko up and down: ...are you sure about the prince part?

Zuko: what's that supposed to mean?

According to rumors, the new Avatar is an Earth Kingdom boy named Li. Long Feng knows this is impossible- his predecessor had the former Earth Kingdom avatar in his possession, but allowed him to kill himself before the Dai Li could take complete control of him. Therefore the new Avatar must be from the Fire Nation.

All the more reason to capture him and bring him under his control.

Sokka: Okay. You know how I said you were being paranoid about the whole 'everyone wants to kill you thing'?

Zuko: Yeah?

Sokka: ...I think you might have been right about Long Feng, actually.

Zuko: No shit.

the rumors of Prince Zuko being a traitor reach the Fire Nation before the rumors of him being the Avatar do. when Azula is sent to collect him, she's in for the shock of her life.

What do you mean, Zuzu is the Avatar? He's Zuzu! He's not even a very good firebender!

Iroh arrives at the North Pole after Zuko does, after his friend Pakku sends him a very curious letter informing him that the Avatar has arrived there. Finally, he will have his chance to teach the young man firebending. He seems to know the basics already, but Iroh knows many advanced techniques he is certain will be helpful.

When he gets there, the Avatar is trying really, really hard to avoid him.

Aang: Why are you avoiding Mister Iroh? I thought you said he was your uncle.

Zuko: He is. That's why I know he wants to kill me.

Toph: Pretty sure Pakku said he wanted to teach you firebending.

Zuko: Well that can't be right. Why would the dragon of the west want to teach the Avatar firebending?

(Iroh will eventually run into Zuko despite his best efforts... but he is only deeply confused as to how his nephew got to the North Pole. Pakku, why didn't you tell me he was here? You know I have been searching for him.)

[scoobydoodean]

what is your opinion on people calling dean a heavy misogynist? i don’t agree personally but i feel like you could put my thoughts into better words

First, I have to chuckle a little at "heavy misogynist". Apparently, some people have begun to realize their fave is also guilty of misogyny crimes therefore they focus on making sure all of us know Sam is a light misogynist and Dean is a heavy misogynist. I just find that amusing.

This is a broad topic in a long show, so I won't endeavor to address every conceivable incidence of misogyny in the show I can think of. Instead, I'm going to create a few headings, at least one of which I think most criticism falls under.

Misogyny through the writing team

How Sam's misogyny gets a pass

Purity culture wank and Dean performing for Sam

How Dean actually treats women

Misogyny Through The Writing Team

First, Supernatural in of itself has issues with misogyny—as in, the writers of the show (including female writers) have issues with misogyny which they are happy to put on display semi-frequently. The show started in 2005, during a period of time where casual sexism was absolutely rampant on TV and no one thought anything about it. Female celebrities were regularly mocked and dragged on cable television in a way men simply weren't. They were called bitches and skanks and whores, and even "progressive" voices were inundated with casual misogyny and a fixation on purity culture (that largely applied to women only). Quite simply, I think fandom tends to be far too generous toward the writers, assuming certain things were "flaws" the writers intentionally wrote for the characters.

Put another way, there are some criticisms I prefer to level at the writing team rather than the characters, because what is written plainly reflects their ignorance in the real world rather than any intent to give Sam or Dean or any other character meaningful flaws—much less outright terrible ones that greatly harm their image. I'll give a few examples:

2.17 "Heart" makes me very uncomfortable as I sit here in 2024 and observe how Sam and Madison's romance develops. Me feeling that way does not mean the authorial intent of 2007 Sera Gamble was that I think to myself, "Man Sam comes off as uncomfortably rapey here." Hopelessly bad with women, perhaps—but not creepy.

In season 2, the writers begin to develop a running “joke” that Sam is afraid of not just clowns but also little people. The latter “joke” is (wisely) dropped fairly quickly. I have never criticized Sam for being afraid of little people, and I never will. It is readily apparent to me that this running "joke" reflects the ignorance of the writing team rather than an intent to give Sam meaningful or interesting flaws. Their intent was to use little people as the butt of a joke. I personally find this "joke" distasteful, and the idea of trying to take that and somehow "dunk" on Sam for the bigotry of the writers is more distasteful to me.

This is also how I feel about the running "joke" of a porn magazine and website (BAB) that solely features Asian women, that is put on display on multiple occasions during the show—first in 2.15 "Tall Tales", where the context is Gabriel infecting Sam's laptop with a virus from the website and making him believe Dean is responsible. BAB continues to make "Easter Egg" appearances in the show afterward. While often associated with Dean by fandom, the writers clearly think of BAB as a general, "funny" (it isn't), running gag with no more depth than "haha men like porn funny". An issue is stolen by a sentient teddy bear in 4.08 "Wishful Thinking". An issue is owned by the teenager who swapped bodies with Sam in 5.12 "Swap Meat". The Men of Letters also collected a considerable number of issues (8.17). I simply do not believe the writers thought for a single moment about BAB being a grossly racist gag. They most certainly did not write it as an intentional criticism of Dean from that perspective. It reflects nothing but their ignorance and racism here in the real world, and absolutely SHOULD be criticized from that REAL WORLD impact.

How Sam's misogyny largely gets a pass

One of the things I have not been able to stop noticing on this rewatch is Sam's issues with misogyny, and how often Sam's misogyny comes out in conflicts with Dean... starting from the very first episode of the show. Pretty much any time you get anything that feels like it might be a misogynist Dean or horn dog Dean moment... Sam either just has or is about to follow that up with some misogyny of his own.

In 1.01, right after entering Sam's apartment and meeting Jess, Dean mentions the Smurfs on Jess's shirt. We think to ourselves "Okay. A little misogynist... a little horn-dog Dean." Sam is happy to 1-Up that in two ways. First, Jess voices her intentions to go get dressed. Dean dismisses this, but while doing so, makes it clear he intends to leave the room with Sam, as he'd like to have a private conversation with Sam anyway. Sam objects, walking over to Jess and putting an arm around her, demanding Dean say whatever he needs to say right then and there. Maybe this would feel supportive if Jess wasn't in her underwear and hadn't just made it clear that now that the panic over a possible break-in is over, she'd really like to not be in her underwear in front of a stranger. But nope. By god she needs to stand there so Sam can prove a point about misogynist Dean! Second, Sam immediately (and I think quite erroneously) jumps to imply Dean is trying to cut Jess out of the conversation because she's... a woman? Or... something? He makes a big show of moving over Jess and standing beside her, saying anything Dean has to say, he can say in front of Jess. However, the moment Sam actually understands that Dean is here because John is missing on a hunting trip, he dismisses Jess to speak to Dean alone... because he's lying to her. By painting Dean erroneously with this "The men are talking" bullshit that had nothing to do with anything, Sam sets himself up to be viewed as a misogynist by his own framing of the situation and what it means to leave Jess out of a discussion. He also reveals his own alleged principles as a performative illusion. Despite being his intended life partner, Sam never intends to tell the woman he loves about his past as a hunter (he makes this clear later on the bridge). However, I think because Sam's actions usually co-occur with what gets called out more directly or more immediately recognized as misogyny from Dean (should have gotten him for the Smurf's comment, Sam!) Sam's misogyny often flies under the radar... and he's really... pretty bad.

I spoke here at length about how Sam tends to look down on women who interact with Dean (often before meeting them). There is absolutely an intersection with purity culture here and there's discussion in that thread about that as well, and whether this is a "2000s writers" issue or intentionally written flaws.

In 1.06, Sam cuts Dean off before Dean can accept an offered beer from Rebecca, but then as soon as Sam needs Rebecca out of the room, Sam asks her to not just bring them those beers... but also fix them sandwiches. Rebecca says, "What do you think this is, Hooters?" and Dean mumbles, "I wish" and we somehow lose sight of the fact that Sam literally just asked a woman to make him sandwiches which is possibly the number one misogynist man trope. Sam vaguely suggests Dean is a misogynist in 1.19 for nudging Sam to go on a date with Sarah Blake and possibly get information on the case, because that would be "using" her, but Sam wants to "use" Meg Masters in 1.22 and he wants to "use" Ruby to get what he wants, and when he said getting information from women was "Dean's job", he was also showing he was perfectly willing to use Dean and Sarah—he just doesn't want to get his hands dirty. It also comes to light in 1.19 that this is more about Sam's belief that he has to protect women from him, and Sarah herself ends up calling Sam antiquated for it.

I mentioned before that Sam doesn't plan to ever tell Jess who he is, and he makes the same plans with Amelia. Dean, meanwhile, confides in Cassie (it's what leads to their breakup) as well as Lisa.

I also have to mention... one of the funniest things I see deancrit samgirls in particular dig at time after time after time is Dean calling women "bitches". Never mind that Sam also calls women like Ruby and Bela bitches and calls a woman a bitch in front of Madison. Apparently none of these occurrences count because... *looks at notes* reasons. "Bitch" only counts as misogyny when it's Dean saying it. Also, let's not mention that Sam exclusively uses the word "bitch" to refer to women, while Dean also calls men and creatures bitches at different points so it isn't a gender specific insult for him.

Dean is definitely the "heavy" misogynist here... right? (I guess Sam is a "tall" misogynist instead).

Purity culture wank and Dean performing for Sam

Dean is commonly treated in fandom as if he's some kind of sex pest, and quite blatantly... he isn't one. Women almost always proposition Dean first (thejabberwock has sets on this here and here), but him asking people out also isn't inherently creepy in any way? Co-occurring with Sam's purity culture inundated judgements, we often see fandom's own as well, where Dean is some kind of sex pest because he... likes women? Or... because he has sex with consenting women who also want to have sex with him? Sometimes it's giving purity culture wank, sometimes it's given big radfem energy... but regardless, I sometimes see people talk about Dean like him so much as making eye contact with a woman is a violent sexual threat, and that's just laughable—as is denying the agency and autonomy of consenting women in general.

Even though it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, I'll also add that Dean... doesn't even actually have sex with the frequency that people talk about it? Dean has sex with Cassie—who was a long term partner of his in 1.13. He has sex with an actress in 2.18, and with Doublemint twins in 3.01. He has sex with a waitress 4.05. He plans to have sex with someone in 3.04, but turns her down when he realizes she's a prostitute who's working. This happens again in 10.07. I'm on season 4 of my rewatch and haven't been formally keeping up... but Dean is not actually having a lot of sex? We get implications he's been out partying a few times, and can maybe infer he scored, but we don't actually know.

I'm not a huge fan of performing Dean, in the sense that I think over the years I have seen it wildly overstated far too many times. But I do think Dean sometimes plays a character for Sam especially. Dean tells us this himself in 2.03 "Bloodlust" when confiding in Gordon. He never says so directly when it comes to the sexy sex guy doing sex persona, but his actions reveal him. One can think of plenty of examples of Dean saying horny stuff about women to Sam... but what about his actions?

How Dean actually treats women

Finally, there's how Dean actually treats women... and one would be very hard pressed to prove to me that Dean is sexist toward the women in his life. He's been close friends with multiple women and worked with women on hunts on multiple occasions and never once batted an eye. Jo in 2.06 is sometimes floated as an example, but it's actually discussed within the episode. Dean makes it very clear that he thinks women can do the job just fine. What he has a problem with is Jo's lack of experience and her romanticization of the job (especially during a period where Dean has fallen deeply out of love with the job himself). Everything we see as the series progresses supports Dean's assertion as truth. He's very good friends with Charlie, Jody, and Donna and doesn't go around excluding them on hunts while favoring men. That is not a thing that happens. While he initially tries to talk Claire out of the life (as he does everybody—this is not unique to women—see Adam for example) when she decides to hunt, he supports her regardless. There is nothing uniquely overprotective about how Dean treats women who hunt. End of. Dean has no illusions about traditional gender roles or any of that nonsense, jumping to clean dishes after dinner at Jody's and cooking breakfast for Lisa and Ben. (Our knowledge of Dean and the chores he does for his family already tell us this—but regardless). Even Demon Dean, an entity with no love for anyone and close to zero principles, targeted men who abuse and threaten women, and when Crowley ordered him to kill Lester's wife to fulfill the terms of Lester's demon deal, Demon Dean instead became so deeply annoyed with Lester's hypocrisy (he cheated on his wife first) and his assertion that it's different when men cheat, that he killed him and smiled while doing it.

So anyway, nope—I don't think Dean is a "heavy" misogynist.

[accio-victuuri]

bobo the piggy. 🐽 + cpns

i think it’s about time to make some kind of compilation about this aspect of the fandom. mainly because xz seems to be attached to it lately. this characterization of him is more of good natured teasing and endearment — nothing derogatory. i know there is a negative impression when someone is a “pig” but that’s not the case at all with yibo. it’s more of the cute side, and to represent that “soft side” of yibo when he’s not on lion or panther mode.

a huge part of this is mugui laoshi’s bobi character that everyone loves and why it’s really stuck with the fandom. who wouldn’t love that cute character? in the same way that yibo also has that cute side to him we all adore.

let me start first with yibo and his connection to the “pig” title. with him being known as the Little Golden Pig in c-ent. i’m getting this one from Baidu:

"Little Golden Pig" is a nickname for entertainment star Wang Yibo. This title comes from his extremely high popularity in the industry. With great influence, he is regarded as one of the top artists. The commercial value is so high that in the activities he participated in such as Weibo night or YH Family concert. Using his name the prices of related products will rise rapidly. Therefore, he known as the "Little Golden Pig" in recognition of his achievements in the business field.

TOTALLY AGREE. <3

other instances of this association:

• videos of him with pigs for your pleasure ( trying to be friends with one and this show actually had him rapping to this pig lol and feeding a pig at DDU )

• the miniso collab doll that is supposed to be yibo is a cute pig.

• he once wore Nike shows that’s called Pink Pig.

• the fact that we associate Pink as being his other favorite color and how he seems to associate that with romance.

• that viral pig meme that danced to Wugan 😂😂

• meme/expressions of him sometimes used by fans where he looks like a pig.

i bet there is some more, but i will stop here cause i know people ( and me personally ) want to move to the cpn side of things already! the first one will have to be PEPPA PIG. something that started within the crew and has somehow evolved into being about wangxian — and by extension — yizhan. ( some cpns here here and here )

• this video by BYS ( by your side ) of a behind the scenes clip when xz called wyb a pig. that’s it, in the video he calls his attention by shouting “pig” and then asks him to catch the sword and then they proceed to their usual banter.

• there is an lrlg rumor where xz was talking about a piggy nose. i think he really fixates on that. and the way xz says it, you can see that it’s good natured teasing. then wyb compares him to a black pig.

• his pig drawing, but it is doing a finger heart sign. a pose wyb was fond of at some point.

• the book xz was photographed with “The Maverick Pig” by Wang Xiaobo. i mean, look at the cover and the name of the author. tho we know that xz loves to read a variety of books and this one seems interesting.

and there was an lrlg rumor where it looked like wyb was reading a letter by xz to him. he started with “i give you my whole soul..” and xz cuts him off. like he is embarrassed and doesn’t want wyb to continue on. cpfs thought it’s from a poem by the same author called loving you is like loving life.

I give you my whole soul, along with its quirks, tantrums, flickers, 1800 bad habits. It's really annoying, there’s only a little good, Love you.

🫠🫠🫠🫠

• pig on his phone! 📲 i think this one is more telling and personal. you can explain it differently and say that since gg is superstitious, he believes that it’s some form of attracting prosperity. which could be true. but at the same time, wyb does the same for him. his piggy who brought him happiness and good fortune in life.

• fake rumor of them arguing as they usually do and then xz saying “the pig is angry” pertaining to wyb.

• another cute rumor:

🟢"It's cold, I'm afraid he'll freeze his head. Doesn't this look good with a hat?"

🔴"Yeah, you're pretty good at taking care of yourself."

Teacher Wang locked his phone. You're not going to reply? Hahahahaha. It's a piglet doll wearing a hat with the number "16" on it. It's pretty cute.

people are pointing at this stuffed toy as the alleged pig that yibo is taking care of. and the fact that it has 16 on it. 👀

and it’s a cow piglet!!!! 💕

just thinking about xz giving bobo a doll to take care of is making me somft!

• and another rumor 😂😂😂

XZ: There is a pig here wyb! [There is a pig sticker on the side of the makeup mirror. I don't know who put it there. ]

then xz was saying it’s cute, wyb then says “don’t say it looks like me!” to which xz replied: “I didn’t plan to say it! Why do you always think about yourself?” 🤣🤣🤣

they are so chaotic!!!!

there is something funny in all of this because with all the symbolism we have associated with them like the moon — xz chose the pig. maybe it’s because there is no room to misunderstand the meaning or association. you can explain what the moon, stars and umbrellas are for in a non-cpn way when he posts about it, but this leaves almost no room for escape. xz is really out here going on vacation and relaxed but leaving us stressed out with the candies he drops!

source.

[alicerosejensen]

Together forever pt.3

Warning: Yandere!leon; kidnapping, forced cohabitation, stalkering, fem/reader, age difference, pet names.

A/N: I wrote this earlier, but I will repeat it again so that there are no complaints: I do not approve of this in real life. What is written here is simply fiction, if you have any psychological trauma associated with this or do not like such content then DO NOT READ!

Part 1

Part 2

He really didn’t want to resort to force, but you simply left him no choice...

Flashback to weeks earlier, when you weren't yet under his protection, Leon was analyzing everything about his sweet angel. Well, ultimately, carrying your once again unconscious body back to bed, of course, the last thing he wanted was for you to get injured, but you never know what stupid thoughts could come to your mind after waking up again, so putting you into bed, he pulled out the handcuffs and chained your hand to the headboard of the bed. Not very comfortable but you can sleep.

Don't get him wrong, he doesn't want to keep you on a leash like a dog at all, but Leon has noticed for a long time that you are in constant danger. Back in that dusty archive, when you reached for another folder, the laces on your worn sneakers were untied. Darling, you don't know how to tie your shoelaces at all! He immediately thought that you could have fallen and broken your neck or any other bone, you could even have died by your own negligence! It's good that Agent Kennedy was around, right?

Looking at how you sleep and your eyelids twitch in your sleep, Leon threw the blanket back over you. He knows that your sleep is restless, in fact, he almost knows about nightmares, but you didn't need to be afraid anymore. Nevertheless, Leon was well aware that a sudden change of situation and getting used to the new rules that he created to protect you would be stressful for some time. However, it was still better than wandering through dark unsafe alleys alone on the way home, drinking drinks in cheap bars with your friends who didn't even bother to call you a taxi. Leon doesn't know who to thank for the fact that you're still alive and haven't been raped by some asshole who would break your whole life. Despite the fact that the DSO pays its people well, this rather applies to agents and various informants who risk their lives, but small archivists like you do not interest them at all. Therefore, his angel could not afford a nice apartment in a decent neighborhood without bastards and drug dealers who would gladly get you hooked on some trash. The door of your apartment was indecently easy to open Leon would have done it without a lock pick without any problems, but he didn't want to scare you, however…

It is now his house completely at your disposal. The refrigerator is filled with high-quality products and not cheap instant noodles whose packages were lying in your trash. Money was really tight, wasn't it? A mug with a touch of tea or coffee that for some reason you didn't want to wash well, an unmade bed with your smell that he liked to inhale so much. The moment he plopped down on your bed, the desire to hold you in his arms just took root in him.

He wanted your scent to sink deep into him, to penetrate into every cell of his body. He just needed to possess you. That's why Leon couldn't wait, especially since you never let him become anything closer than just a colleague with whom you chatted during lunch. At some point, knowing where you live, he even came up with the idea that you were really offended, but there was nothing about it from your correspondence or medical records. Like you just liked being alone.

He was watching you to keep you safe. He walked you home ready to become a savior at any moment, it's not the first time he's saved a lady in trouble, despite the fact that you weren't actually that lady. Not according to Leon. Sometimes he came to your apartment and leafed through your books that he didn't like, but he didn't judge. He was taught to be quiet and inconspicuous, so it was extremely difficult to understand about someone else's presence. The only thing that really started to bother you is that things sometimes rearrange themselves and the old traces of coffee on your favorite mug magically disappeared. Robberies were not uncommon in this troubled area, but the only valuable things in your apartment were a laptop and a game console. Actually, it was important for Leon to know about all your preferences!

Now it was all in the past. You're safe here with him, away from all the shit that can hurt you. And in fact, you no longer need to worry about bills and how to live until the next paycheck. Leon doesn't consider himself a psycho when he lies down next to you, inhaling the scent of your body, pulling you to him, kissing your temple. After all, if you want, he will become the hero of those stupid books for you.

"I will definitely take care of you," he whispers, making you shudder in your sleep after hearing this insinuating voice that leaves no chance of salvation.

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

Your resistance is really annoying. You are still sitting handcuffed to the bed and there are already bloody marks on your wrist from the skin erased into blood after a steady twitching of your hand.

"I just need to dress you up," Leon says in a calm voice, while his patience still allows him to hold in his hands cute clothes for his angel.

Skirt, tights, and a warm sweater. Of course it's warm at home, but he wants to be sure that you have everything you need. That's just you kicking, yelling at him and crying incessantly ignoring the pain in your wrist.

"Baby, don't make me use force. Enough of this moaning!"

"Let me go!" you shout on the verge of pulling the hated handcuffs even without looking at him. Over the past two days, hysteria has been covering you with your head constantly not allowing you to think clearly.

Leon sighs. In any case, he doesn't want to stuff you with drugs anymore, and then what he was trained as an agent comes into play. He needs to break the will of the enemy or rather his beloved. He didn't want to take emergency measures, but you just forced him. He comes up to you squatting down and takes your face by the chin, forcing you to look into his cold eyes. The prepared clothes fly to a chair that is too far from the bed to reach it, but it doesn't matter anymore.

"To be honest, I didn't think that you would calmly react to the move," you were outraged when you heard his words

"Moving in with you?!" you cry out. Tears are spurting from eyes. "Since when is kidnapping suddenly called moving?! I'm not a stray animal for you to just pick me up and stab me in the neck with various rubbish!"

"I could have been slower, but you just left me no choice. Seriously, I could no longer watch you live in that anthill and spend 10 hours in a dusty room earning yourself asthma. Although considering your problems with shoelaces, I would bet that you would have killed yourself earlier by falling off a stepladder or would have been crushed by one of those huge boxes with folders."

“what?.." a guess flashes through your head.

Of course, he could probably somehow get a dossier on you and find out the address of your residence, but… rearranged things, a mug… Did he break into your apartment? You've heard that Leon was one of the best. Patrick even once mentioned that the president himself constantly praised Leon and his services to the country could not be called insignificant. There are many successfully completed missions behind him, but you have never really cared about it. At least until you yourself become one of these successful missions.

"Your poor stomach won't thank you for stuffing it with these disgusting noodles and chocolate. You need to eat right, honey," his words make you angry "You need a proper daily routine, good sleep, fresh air and balanced nutrition. I can provide you with all this, but you only need to be my good girl."

Leon's hands grab you by the face and his forehead presses against yours when he closes his eyes, stroking your cheeks wet with tears with his thumb, then briefly and gently kissing your lips, which is why you try to turn away from him.

"Heal your head!" another shout and insult. "As an agent, you're probably supposed to have some fancy psychiatrist or psychologist!"

"It's true," he easily agrees, biting his lip and getting back on his feet. It still didn't work out in a good way to solve the issue "One way or another, you will obey me. I just wanted us to come to this without unnecessary conflict and tantrums, but if you like it more, then fine. Sit alone for a couple of days without food and water. And I'll come back later and you'll tell me about your decision."

"Wait!" You called out to him almost at the door when he had already turned the handle. Leon turned in anticipation of your words and probably there was still a glimmer of hope in him that you would accept his love right now without radical decisions. "You can't keep me here! My family and at work will be looking for me. No one will believe that I just disappeared!"

Leon only grinned briefly.

"Oh, sweetheart. People disappear every day and believe me, many don't care about them, and as for your family, they could take better care of you, but if they didn't, then this care falls on my shoulders"

The hope that it was just a way of intimidation for further submission glowed deep in your chest. No matter how much the soul did not want it, the brain still suggested that Leon was never the one for whom he could be mistaken. The sound of his footsteps quickly subsided and occasionally you could catch some rustling and knocking on the ground floor. Didn't want to know what Kennedy was doing there, but fear kept throwing up ideas about some sadistic torture room and the fact that he wanted you to forcibly become his girlfriend made you suspect of possible sexual abuse after which it would be impossible to become the same.

And yet the wounded deer jumps higher, fights more desperately. You tried to somehow take off your handcuffs, and to be honest with yourself, your hand was really hurting mercilessly that you wanted to howl. It will be quite difficult without an analgesic. The search for some kind of paper clip, an accidentally lying nail under the bed or something with which you could unlock the lock was not successful. However, you didn't have the hacking skill either, and the handcuffs definitely weren't from some sex shop. Steel bites into the skin until it bleeds, and it would be worth listening to Leon though in this: no need to make sudden movements. Moreover, there are already enough bloodstains on the bed linen, but you were so absorbed in despair that the brain simply ignored part of the pain, but very soon it will be very hard.

Add to that the fact that Leon decided to starve you.

At first, everything was even tolerable. The stomach began to cramp from hunger only in the evening add to this the fact that you are being kept locked up handcuffed to the bed makes your body exhausted. You cried for several hours, but Leon's mercy did not descend to you. It really wasn't a prank and he kidnapped you for his own purposes, which you didn't want to know anything about.

"Leon?.." is quieter than you wanted, you called him again.

It all seemed like a nightmare. Time dragged on so slowly that it was unbearable and scary from the unknown. You were hoping that Leon had made a mistake somewhere and the police would find you very soon, the main thing at this moment is to stay alive and not dead because you definitely won't be able to win by force against a government agent who has undergone professional training and completed many successful missions. When your nerves calmed down a little, you started thinking about how to deceive him. It may not be possible to escape, but send an SMS or make a call to the rescue service. You've heard these stories when a girl called under some pretext and was rescued, but will Leon trust you with the phone?

Later you heard footsteps. Probably Leon was listening to the sounds that you could make, but you were silent, looking at the door with the eyes of a frightened doe. However, nothing happened.

He's probably gone.

The throat was dry. You tightly squeezed your eyes shut trying to calm your breathing and come up with a plan of action. If hunger helped at first, then as time went on, the thought of food and water constantly stirred your thoughts.

there was one maddening silence around. Your wrist began to itch and throb painfully, the blood clotted, but at the slightest movement it began to bleed. It got dark outside again and it started to get cold. You carefully crawled under the blanket, covering your frozen feet with it, trying not to think about the desired water, especially since you had of blood loss. How long can you live without water? 3 days? 4 maybe 5 days?

"Please?" you whispered softly, starting to cry again and giving in to panic. "Leon?"

You needed painkillers. It was a bad idea to actively pull with your hand, but people often do what is not necessary when they panic and you had enough reasons to worry, but in the end there was no point in protesting. Not when you are on someone else's territory under the power of a physically strong person. And yet, most of you wanted to scream and scream, beat him and fight, and not invent plans to escape and naively rely on his mercy, which probably does not exist.

"Leon!" you called again louder in a plaintive voice, licking your dry lips. "Please… at least give me some water."

Drugs and stress perfectly lead to dehydration. Especially the first one considering that you were sick earlier. But Leon was still deaf to the pleas, it was generally quiet downstairs. Maybe he was already asleep?

By nightfall, the condition only worsened. You wrist was swollen and even the slightest movement caused hellish pain, throat was dry and your stomach hurt wildly that it began to seem that he began to digest himself. Maybe agents can safely endure such trials with dignity, but again, you have never been interested in this. You didn't even have the strength to cry.

Actually, it didn't take him two days because his heart was just bursting with pity for you.

Leon looked at you with such a puppy-dog look when you were sitting on the bed with your head bowed and trembling. Well, one day would be enough for his princess, and he sincerely hoped that this punishment would be more than enough.

Click.

You shuddered from another flash of pain and when you opened your eyes, you shuddered with fright when you came face to face with him again.

However, the handcuffs were removed.

"poor girl, I really didn't want anything," he threw the handcuffs on the bedside table, "But sometimes we have to do things that we don't like, right? if you hadn't screamed, things wouldn't be so bad right now and your arm wouldn't be swollen."

He stretched out his arms to lift you up, but noticed another resistance when your tired body moved away from him, which made Leon look at you with a threatening look again.

"Do you want to sit like this for another day?"

You nodded your head negatively and out of fear allowed him to lift you up to lower you to the first floor.

"Give me some water, please…" by God, this was the only thought in head

"Be patient angel" Leon's lips touched your temple when he put you on the sofa.

The glass of water handed to you turned out to be so desirable that it seemed you were a traveler lost in the desert who found an oasis. And yet Leon didn't limit you to one glass, allowing you to drink as much as you need, BUT in small sips. Given the thirst, you ignored his words and eventually choked, starting to cough while covering your face with your hand. Of course he didn't like it.

"Sure it's my fault, but you have to listen to me!" An irritated male voice made you shrink and look at him with those cute eyes that Leon loves and hates so much because you are afraid of him.

He put the first aid kit next to the table and took your wrist carefully, first examining the deep abrasion. You screamed loudly when Leon treated her with a disinfectant solution and then wrapped her in a bandage. having previously smeared some ointment, but it did not hurt less from this. And then he kissed you on the forehead like a brave child for whom it was a feat to endure such a thing.

"What do you want from me anyway?" you asked, afraid of the answer anyway, because your presence here did not bode well. "I didn't do anything wrong to you"

"I didn't say you did anything to me. I just want to take care and keep the one I love safe. In this case, it's you."

"Me?"

"Exactly," he smiled, sitting closer, "I wanted everything to be like everyone else, but you didn't give me a chance. Good for Patrick, too. And yet, to see how you walk everywhere where there is a potential danger… I just couldn't, Princess. I just couldn't take it anymore. But now I promise that I will take care of you and I know you better than you know yourself! Just leave all the tantrums of the fight. No more bumps or bites. I'm serious!"

Yes, there was a good mark of your teeth on his hand.

Although you didn't smile and were actually horrified by the human diversity, one thing was clear for sure even through fear - he wasn't going to kill you or…rape. The latter is not accurate, but the soul hoped for it.

"Just let's do it in order." You reluctantly nodded knowing that you have no choice "First we will put you in order, I will make you a bath and you wash, then you will eat and we will have a good rest and in the morning I will tell you about the rules with a fresh head. I will give you everything you want: books, clothes, cosmetics, whatever you want, but in return, no resistance, okay?!" Leon's hand stroked your tangled hair and at the same time pulled you closer to him against your will, but even despite a little resistance, he pressed you to his chest. "I won't be in a hurry. We will go slowly, there is no need to be afraid for me, the main thing is your safety, and there will be time for the rest"

And hear the joyful beating of his heart, you hoped only that you would have enough time to find help or escape, but for now… you may have to be not an obedient but a cunning girl, otherwise the consequences can be fatal.

For now, you need to wait for the moment and find its weaknesses.

[stellacatus]

Flatland (The book) is pretty good!

I read Flatland not too long ago, I´m afraid to admit that I saw the 2007 adaptation before I read the book fully. I didn´t change the fact that the movie was a hot mess to me.

At first I chalked it up to be just an indie movie from almost two decades ago, of course the script would be messy and the visuals jarring. But the moment I gave myself the time to read the book in it´s entirety, I realized how bad Ladd missed what the book was aiming to teach, and make fun of. Bigots like him :^/

Not only that, but something that irks me so fucking bad is the whole Chromatists ark in the movie; not only is it extremelly inaccurate to the book. This being A.Square´s retelling of a historical event that happened so long ago, we can´t really take A.Square´s word for it, as it was probably altered to make the Chromatists as "irrational liberals" and the Circular Priests as "the voice of reason".

Bringing this very much innacurate retelling to the present day of Flatland feels to me, like a very poorly made strawman.

I need to mention too, the leader of the Chromatists, an irregular shape. Which could´ve been an interesting approach to the differences between both kindoms. But,, the way he´s characterized really hits me the wrong way, feels extremelly ableist. And just serves to further the point that Ladd Ehlinger didn´t comprenhend the message the book was trying to comunicate.

Or he did, afterall, the Chromatist movement was a in-book version of a human rights movement, as it seeked women´s and irregular liberation and individuality.

To be honest, It could be interesting to explore a Chromatist resurgence in Flatland, the book has plenty of worldbuilding and potencial to have new stories written about it. (I´m yet to hear of a good adaptation though, If you have any good adaptations around this world, I would love to read it!). But not by people like Ladd.

Another thing I would like to mention is how much Ladd butchered A.Sphere´s personality in this movie. I hope I´m not the only one who has this sentiment. A.Sphere is supposed to be humble, he scoffs at the idea of somehow being a supperior, perfect being. He´s also empathetic and patient, things A.Square mentions he associate´s with women, and therefore inferior. Something that is supposed to challenge his view, as he has this notion that A.Sphere is a godly entity.

I believe this was a counsious desition; by scrumbing this character of this personality, now he doesn´t have to challenge A.Square´s (and by proxy Ladd himself) bigoted views.

I can still understand people might´ve grown attached to the character, I trust you have two brains and understand the core message of Flatland regardless.

This just goes to show media literacy is a very crutial skill, specially as an adult.

Anyways, have this quick thingy before I run to my Uni because just now I realized I ranted too much and now I´m late lol

[jays-therapist]

So much of who Yukio is stems from his self-hatred.

He wants to be an exorcist because he hates how weak he is. A lot of the contempt he holds for his brother derives from a desire to be like Rin, and not like himself. The way he remembers his own childhood is distorted by his self-hatred, as he struggles to focus on memories where he isn't inadequate.

I think the reason he hates who he was as a child is because he’s associated all of his worst traits to "Pre-Exorcist Training" Yukio, where he felt truly helpless and unable to do anything about his fear. Becoming an exorcist kind of gave him a sense of power? By learning about what he’s afraid of and how to deal with it, he now has control. At least, I think that was the idea behind it. What he doesn’t understand (and what Shirou probably didn’t consider when he gave his baby a gun) is that he’s not really overcoming his fear of demons. He’s just compensating for it, and clinging tight to any source of control he can get. Deep down, the fear remains; he still feels helpless, with a whole bunch of terrible coping mechanisms as a bonus.

(I also think this is one of the reasons he has such violent reactions to losing control, specifically towards his own body, like when he stabbed his arm to prevent himself from panicking in the Kyoto Arc.)

And he gets worse, because as he reasses the goals he had when he was a child (partly due to Toudou’s influence), he can only focus on all the ways they are selfish. A seven year old becoming an exorcist because he wants to be stronger only reinforces Yukio’s self-hatred, because it’s a self-oriented goal. Rin wants to be an exorcist so no one has to die for him like Shirou did. Shiemi wants to be an exorcist so she can protect others the way they’ve protected her. Bon wants revenge for the Blue Night and how it affected his family, and on and on and on. Yukio is surrounded by people who have experienced incredible pain, but focus on those around them. More and more, Yukio is seeing himself as the outlier, whose selfishness only serves to build upon itself. As he says, “I’m so obsessed with myself I can’t see anyone else!”

And like, that’s why I think the line “I’m strong because I had you!” holds so much weight, for both Rin and Yukio. For Yukio, it’s a realization that he loves his brother more than he hates himself, you know? He didn’t just want to be strong so he could surpass his brother. He wanted to be strong for his brother, and was inspired by him. It was that love that pushed him forward, and it’s that love that allows him to heal, a little bit.

This is best shown in the flashback he has later in Chapter 130 when they’re getting ready to square up with Satan. Earlier, I said that Yukio’s memories are distorted by self-hatred. Here, in this scene, we see a memory free of that bias, where Yukio, once shaking in fear, takes Rin’s hand. Yukio is brave, and able to overcome his fears with support, it just took him awhile to realize this.

Therefore, even though so much of Yukio is built upon hatred, he’s slowly recognizing just how much he loves and has loved.

[little-emerald-snake]

Getting Caught pt 4 Finale - Ominis Gaunt X F!MC

🔥 NSFW 🔞 MDNI

I can’t believe you heathens have gobbles this little series up so frantically and kept enjoying every part I put out. I’m so grateful everyone likes it. That being said consider this a finale piece. I have so many branching ideas that I want to work on and therefore I feel I’ve written a good end for this little series. I hope you enjoy and thanks for hanging on for this little journey.

Warnings: a little fluff, losing virginity, awkward first time, mentions of blood, unprotected p-in-v, use of the word cervix (some of yall CANT get with that word so I added it here 😅)

1.4k words

Ominis paced the Undercroft. His head had been an absolute mess since their last meeting. All his life he’d never wanted to have sex with anyone, the fear of producing an heir or subjecting a woman to his family being far too much for his sanity.

But now all he could think about was what she felt like inside, how badly he wanted to take her sweet, soft innocence and make her cry out in pleasure while wrapped around him. How badly he wanted to hold her in his arms and drown in her incredible scent.

He’d thought about sex but never this much in his entire life. His thoughts as he laid in bed awake trying to sleep was what her possible reaction would be, would she also want it? What would become of them if they went farther, could he protect her from his family if they decided to court?

His head lifted when he heard the whirring clocks, he straightened, clasping his hands behind his back and listening to each echoing boot step as she came closer. “Ominis. I got your owl…”

He held out his hand, causing her to stop. “C-can I say what I have to say?” After a beat of silence and a small yes he continued. “I-I haven’t been able to stop thinking of you. Maybe it’s because we’ve suddenly become rather intimate…but…I find myself feeling a strong desire for you. One that can’t be quenched while alone in my bed at night.”

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the harsh hammering of his heart. “I…want to ask if you’d be open to courtship. I know my family is less than desirable to be associated with but I could keep it secret from them. We could just tell our close and trusted friends…or if you’re not okay with that maybe…it stays strictly physical and secret.”

He wished now more than ever to have sight, to see her face…her silence made his stomach tighten into harsh uncomfortable knots. But when she finally spoke he couldn’t hold back a sigh of relief. “Ominis…I…you want to become physical?”

His cheeks reddened, a stutter marring his speech. “W-well I…y-yes I suppose. I-I-I mean I’d love to court you first but I…can’t stop thinking of whatever we've been doing together. I-I want more, however you’ll give it to me.”

She stepped closer to him, with each step his heart crashed against his ribcage, threatened to burst from his chest. To his surprise the pounding of his heart was the furthest thing from his mind as her hand caressed his cheek and soft lips met his.

He stayed absolutely still till she pressed deeper into the kiss, then his hands were in her hair, pulling her close as their kiss deepened. It’s a slow and sensual kiss, no urgency behind it, just raw emotions.

When the kiss broke they were both red cheeked and breathless. He was still holding her close, afraid that if he let her go she may dissolve into thin air.

She caressed his cheek again and he could hear her smile. “Ominis…I’d love to be yours. W-we can figure out how to manage your family as we go but I want this, us.”

Ominis swept her up into his arms and she giggled happily. He kissed her again, still holding her in his arms, maneuvering them deeper into the Undercroft. He sank to his knees and laid her on the pile of blankets, breaking the kiss. “D-do you want to go further?”

A small yes had him diving forward, lips crashing against hers. This kiss was a hungry, burning, all consuming wildfire that had her clawing at his chest, pulling him down against her.

He hovered above her, one hand awkwardly coming up to paw at the front of her shirt. A wave of heat pooled in his groin, sparking to life the need he harbored for her. She hummed softly which he took as a good sign, groping a bit harder and seeking her nipple through the fabric.

She breathlessly took his hand, helping him slide it up under her shirt and their kiss was broken as he moaned just from the feeling of her chemise. He was rock hard against her thigh, grinding himself greedily against her.

He pinched her nipple a bit harder than intended, causing her to yelp. He looked up sheepishly, apologizing before abandoning her breast and sliding his hand down to her skirt, hiking it up around her waist.

He groaned as his fingers met her wet center, dipping in to collect her wetness before rolling over her clit. She sagged against the blankets, moaning needily as he picked up speed.

Her back arched and Ominis pushed himself up as best as he could, still rubbing her as he attempted to free his aching erection one handed. He paused to rub a flattened palm over himself, desperate to soothe the urgency.

Once he’d accomplished freeing himself he was pushing against her, awkwardly leaning over her while trying to line himself up between her legs.

She tensed and he stopped, going back to rolling her sensitive bud under the pads of his fingers. “No rush darling, it’s okay. Sorry for my eagerness.”

She clutched his shirt, lifting her hips to chase the feeling he was giving her. She was gasping and moaning, writhing beneath him and if he didn’t know better he’d think she was about to cum.

His suspicion was confirmed when he nudged against her entrance again and she wriggled her hips against him, he could feel her spasming even just pressed against her entrance. His eager fingers sped up on her clit as a sob caught in her throat.

He pushed past the thin barrier of her virginity, turning her blissful sounds into a sharp cry. His attention was divided between the blissful heat he was slowly shoving into and petting her hair gently while cooing encouragements. “S-such a good girl. Gods, you feel so tight.”

She whimpered, pulling him closer which was his only sign to keep pushing into her almost too tight heat. His control waned when he lifted his hand to feel her face and caught a wet tear sliding over her cheek.

He tried to pull out and she shook her head, tugging at his shirt. “D-don’t stop. M’fine…please.”

He didn’t stop, instead focusing on rubbing her sensitive nub while lurching his hips forward inside of her. His thrusts were jerky and untimed but he still felt her clench around him and heard her whimper in pleasure.

A sick satisfaction and sense of pride took over him when he smelled the tang of blood and felt the slickness of it coating him. He shoved all the way inside, feeling her clenched tightly while he pulled out and shoved back in.

A choked moan escaped her throat and she clung tighter to him. They rocked together, finding a rhythm where he pulled out and pushed back in. He was much longer than she’d imagined so he bottomed out every time, causing a gasp when his tip kissed her cervix.

His elbows were planted on either side of her head as he rut into her, hips moving faster and more fervently. He grunted and groaned till finally he stilled and spilled inside of her, filling her up.

Her cheeks were red as she laid beneath him, embarrassed and shy after feeling him absolutely unload inside of her. He panted, adjusting so he could hold her face. “M’fuck I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. Don’t worry, won’t stop till you’re done too.”

She couldn’t believe he was still hard, his hand moved down to rub her clit again and his thrusts resumed, gentle and calculated. It wasn’t long before her moans and arching back indicated she was close. He felt her body language and soon she was clutching onto him, whimpering and begging. “G-gonna…m’gonna cum! Ominis!”

She did, clenching around him, she exploded in blissful orgasmic pleasure. He grit his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm as she whimpered and pleaded through her orgasm as it tore through her.

He held her, staying buried inside of her as he soothed her and caressed her. Petting her hair and praising her. “You’re so incredible. This is perfect. Gods I can’t believe your mine. All mine.”

She blushed, relaxing in his touch as he held her, basking in his warmth and soothing touch, taking in the fact that this all started with her catching him in the act down in this exact spot.

[igotanidea]

Anchor : Jason Todd x reader

Requested as a part of my 1k celebration by @yourmomsleftmissingpinkytoe: late night with Jason Todd .

***

“I like having you like this, you know.” Y/N smiled lightly, closing her eyes, her head lying comfortably on Jason’s thighs.

“Like what?” he smirked, running a hand through her hair.

It was that one night since forever that he did not spend on patrol. Or at least, not in the whole. He went on for a while, but quickly realized nothing was really happening. Therefore after checking his usual enemies and conforming that is was indeed peaceful came back to his girl, to spend some quality time with her. (if only the boy knew it was Tim and Damian who saw Y/N hurting and missing him so much, it physically hurt them so they took action to remedy her bad mood)Jason didn’t know how much he missed her, but it was not his style to relent so quickly. He just had to tease her a bit. They were sitting on the rooftop of her tenement house, surrounded by dark, staring at the space, hoping to see something more than Gotham’s somberness and gloominess. Two dreamers, two caring souls that found each other in the most hopeless place on earth. Indulging in each other’s presence.

 “Peaceful” her e/c orbs met his and he caught himself melting in the warmth and love he saw in them “not running around, chasing criminals, getting hurt. Not soaked in blood and injured. Just …. you.”

“That’s pretty unusual, huh?”

“Very….” She sighed deeply.

“you’re cold, princess” he cupped her cheek gently rubbing it “Maybe we should get back inside?”

“No, please, I don’t want to ….”

“You’re gonna get sick.”

“I don’t mind a bit of a break from everyday duties.”

“Bet you just want to stay in bed instead of waking up early, don’t you?”

“Sure. Preferably if I can keep you there with me…” she grinned, but quickly turned serious again, eyeing him with so much love it was impossible to keep it all inside. She might have been cold, but inside she was melting just because he was hers for the moment.  

“Come here” he urged her to get up and shrugged off his jacket, swaddling her in it. It smelled like him – gunpowder and cigarettes, he was trying to ditch - and she just couldn’t stop sniffling the material. It was surprising how much those scents grew on her. She hated them at first, even despite the fact that she was born and raised in Gotham and probably should have been used to smelling those at every corner. But that was before him. Flavors once connected with fear and pain, now were associated with safety and longing and loving teasing.   

“Did you just inhale my jacket?” he smirked

“You said you quit smoking” she retorted “liar!”

“I said, I was trying to. Never guaranteed any results.”

“I wish you were as effective with this as you are with crime lords in your Red Hood version.” She shook her head “Aren’t you gonna get cold?”

“Nah. I think I’m hot enough.” Jason smirked again, impatiently awaiting her reaction.

“Sure you are, Todd. But you got a 10/10 girl in front of you, so are you gonna take some action or not?”

“Mmm, let me think a moment.” He squinted “Not.”

“Not?! Why not?”

“Because I just want to hold you and feel you next to me. Not under me.”

“Oh, I can be on top, you know that.” She scoffed “in fact, I think you prefer me there, don’t you?”

“I…..” he blushed a bit and it was so adorable she just couldn’t help a little laugh

“Jason.” She cooed snuggling into his side “Come on, you don’t have to be afraid to be a little sensitive. It’s me.”

“I know.”

“So what’s on your mind, pretty boy?” she wrapped her arms around him and he put his on her shoulders pulling her closer.

“I like having you like this too. It’s just so normal and natural, being with you. And that scares me.”

“Why?” she asked softly, trying her best not to startle him, not to break that little moment of honesty and  vulnerability. “tell me, so I can make it better.”

“Huh!” he snorted “we both know me and normalcy does not work well together. I let my guards down for a moment and people just pull the rug from under my feet."

“Did I ever?” she whispered, entwining their fingers in a gentle, fluid motion. Their hands just aligned so well. Maybe he needed just a little comfort, reassurance and reminder he was not one of those "people"

“Never.” his response was immidiate

“So what’s the worry? If it’s all about that danger and protection shit again we’ve been through this million of times before, Jay.” the girl rolled eyes at him "You, Jason Todd, are getting bo-riiiiing....."

"It's not just that." he muttered

"We've also been through honesty and being more open in this relationship...." she pointed out "go on, spit it out."

"I'm worried about the future."

"Future? You? Since when?"

"Since I met you." he looked straight into her eyes and the amount of feelings he was holding in one simple gaze shocked her. It was like an electricity in her veins.

"Hey...." she cooded cupping his cheek, speaking with the most calming and convincing voice she could produce "I'm not leaving you, you know that right?"

"I know, but ...."

"I'm also not planning on getting killed or hurt or abducted or raped or whatever. Get out of your head, Jay, can you do that? For me?"

"I'll try...." he smirked

"Please tell me it's not gonna be the same try as with your smoking."

"Promise." he kissed her temple with a loud peck. "Teach me how to do that?"

"For starters you can just focus on the moment. I mean, living in it, not planning or forseeing or wondering. I just need you to be, Jay. Nothing more. No contingencies, no strategies. No danger. You're with me. You're safe. And if you need an achor to reality, I'll be yours. How does that sound?"

"I'd like that...." he mummbled again, pulling her closer. Due to some crazy magic her words and caresses were calming him down, a bit. "But if you're my anchor, does this mean I am your ship?"

"Oh, love, you have no idea about the ship for us in your family." she laughed

"Wait! WHAT!?"

She could swear his scream was heard in the whole Gotham and his family, who definitely was on the patrol might have actually heard it. Y/N almost heard Dick's laugh in her head and was pretty sure the brothers were going to have a litte discussion on privacy in the neareast future.

But for now, she was going to keep Jay with her for as long as it was possible.

[kaitaiga]

Craig Alan Jones - Black Ops OC

GENERAL

Age: 46 (1981)

Birthday: 23 July, 1935 in Adelaide, South Australia

Occupation: SASR Trooper, ASIS Officer

Affiliation: Special Air Service Regiment (SASR)(Formerly), Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS)

Rank: Lieutenant (Formerly)

Face Claim: Mel Gibson

Height: 186cm (6'1)

Hair Colour: Dark Brown

Eye Colour: Blue

Identifying Marks: Scarring on legs, mole on left cheek

Languages: English, Indonesian, Vietnamese (minimal), Russian (minimal)

Song Associated: Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ TOP

AFFILIATES

CIA

Russell Adler

Frank Woods

Alex Mason

Lawrence Sims

Lazar Azoulay

"Bell"

Aleksandra Clarke R. (@alypink)

MI6

Helen Park

New Zealand Army

Koa “Hunter” Nikau ( @islandtarochips )

Other

Abby Mason (@revnah1406)

PERSONALITY AND TRAITS

Myers-Briggs Type: ENTP-A

Generally, Craig is a relaxed but confident, goal-oriented individual.

He isn’t afraid to speak his mind when he has opposing views on a matter. He prides himself on his own experiences that have built said opinions, which may come off as arrogant at times.

Craig has a habit of working alone without noticing, working autonomously to get a job done. He is self-motivated and does what he thinks is best for an outcome.

As a trooper, he learnt to be adaptable and resourceful to any given situation.

SKILLS/SPECIALISATIONS

As an SASR trooper, Craig has to work in a smaller force element, therefore has undergone training in many different areas, including:

Parachuting (HALO/HAHO)

Combat Survival

CQB/CQC

Demolitions

Signaller

SF Weapons Handling (mounted heavy-weapons, sniper, etc)

Urban Combat

BACKSTORY

Craig was born on the 23rd of July, 1935 in Adelaide. Raised just outside of the main city, his father was part of the city council in Bradbury and lived well beyond his means. Craig attended prestigious primary and secondary schools but was always rebellious, preferring to skip going to school to commit petty crimes, tarnishing the family name as he knew that due to his father's status, he could bypass getting in trouble.

Due to this and in addition to not wanting to follow his father’s path of going to university and becoming part of the city council, this lead to many arguments between the two and at 16, he was thrown out of the house and had to fend for himself on the streets. Craig’s father, not wanting to have any association with him anymore, placed a fake obituary in the newspaper to officially cut ties with him.

For two years, Craig changed his identity and worked at a plant nursery before undergoing mandatory national service within the Australian Army at 18. He enjoyed his occupation and the perks that came along with it that he fully enlisted into the Army after his mandatory service finished and later into the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in 196X. He spent his first brief deployment in Borneo during the Indonesia-Malaysia conflict before shipping out to Nui Dat, Vietnam in 1966 as part of Sabre 1 squadron.

Unbeknownst to his unit whilst in Vietnam, Craig was ordered by ASIS to keep an eye out and investigate any intel that could hint towards any Soviet activity, passing anything he finds onto a CIA contact. This contact was revealed to be Russell Adler. The two become acquainted and would go onto Operation Fracture Jaw alongside Lawrence Sims.

For the remainder of the Vietnam War, Craig and the SASR continued to work closely with MACV-SOG, providing intel and support until 1971 where he returned to Australia. He truely florished in his time spent in the military, from a petty thief to an extraordinary soldier who lead his unit through countless battles, a great leader and mentor.

COLD WAR

Fast forward to 1981, Craig now works under ASIS as an intelligence officer. Due to his knowledge and intel of Perseus from Vietnam, plus his connections to Adler, he joins the crew at the CIA safehouse to help track him down once and for all.

Missions:

Fracture Jaw

Brick in the Wall

Echos of a Cold War

End of the Line

The Final Countdown

Two years later in 1983, Craig married his unnamed wife and thus his son Lachlan Jones was born.

TRIVIA

Craig prefers to wear his R.M Williams boots in the style, 'The Craftsman' in dark tan.

His main choice of attire includes: two button down shirts layered and unbuttoned (inner white and outer dark blue) with a brown leather bomber jacket on top, boot-cut blue jeans and a brown leather belt along with his boots.

Smokes occasionally, likes the brand 'Lucky Strike'.

Drives a red Mitsubishi Starion.

Favourite weapons include: HK MP5, Sterling Submachine Gun, Colt M16A1 and L9A1 Browining Hi-Power.

Frequently visits casinos and likes to gamble.

He prefers his coffee made black with lots of sugar.

[the-far-bright-center]

'I had a mother who loved me'

(aka, the Jedi Order is NOT Anakin's family)

This is a topic that I've seen discussed elsewhere and I felt compelled to add my own thoughts. I've seen some takes I vehemently disagree with, especially regarding Shmi and Little Ani in TPM, and Anakin's 'decision' to leave with Qui-Gon. It's crazy how some people will blame little Ani for 'wanting' to be a Jedi, yet apparently Luke in ANH is allowed to want this, even though Luke likewise barely knows anything about what being a Jedi entails, and even though it's much more risky (and, frankly, far more unrealistic) to dream of becoming a Jedi in the Dark Times era?? As if a nine-year-old slave-boy wanting to take part in his new-found freedom by learning to be something he associates with heroism means he somehow 'should have known' he wasn’t going to be a ‘good fit’ for the Order. My argument is that there was nothing wrong with Anakin, and there was in fact no legitimate reason for him or ANYONE ELSE to believe he'd not be good at using the Force to help others (which is what the Jedi are supposed to do), especially when he had literally just done so in the pod-race. The whole reason Qui-Gon noticed Anakin was because of how strong in the Force he already was, even untrained. Qui-Gon has faith in him, it's just the Jedi Council that doubts him. Because, unlike Qui-Gon who perceives Anakin's positive qualities and potential, Yoda and the Jedi Council are afraid of him. Because Anakin is basically an 'unknown' (read: uncontrollable) entity suddenly in their midst.

While the Prequels film-canon stands on its own in this regard, we can also look to the novelizations for even more emphasis on this topic. In the TPM novelization, several things are noteable: first of all, even before Qui-Gon arrives, Anakin has had prophetic dreams about becoming a Jedi. And since Shmi is aware that Ani's dreams and visions do often come to pass, when Qui-Gon appears and offers to take him away to be trained, why wouldn't she think that maybe this was somehow Force (or Fate) ordained? And that therefore it was the right thing to do to let him go? And the second thing, is while it's also clear that Little Ani (like Luke!) has a romanticised view of what being a Jedi might be like, his actual motivation for becoming a Jedi is not simply because he 'selfishly' wants to embark on some fun adventure without his mom. On the contrary, every. single. time. little Ani thinks about the possibility of becoming a Jedi or leaving Tatooine, it's directly in relation to eventually returning to FREE his mother and the rest of the slaves:

He was several things in the course of his dreams. Once he was a Jedi Knight, fighting against things so dark and insubstantial he could not identify them. Once he was a pilot of a star cruiser, taking the ship into hyperspace, spanning whole star systems on his voyage. Once he was a great and feared commander of an army, and he came back to Tatooine with ships and troops at his command to free the planet’s slaves. His mother was waiting for him, smiling, arms outstretched.

and

He gazed skyward, his mother's hand resting lightly on his arm, and thought about what it would be like to be out there, flying battle cruisers and fighters, traveling to far worlds and strange places. He didn't care what Wald said, he wouldn't be a slave all his life. Just as he wouldn't always be a boy. He would find a way to leave Tatooine. He would find a way to take his mother with him. His dreams whirled through his head as he watched the stars, a kaleidoscope of bright images. He imagined how it would be. He saw it clearly in his mind, and it made him smile.

Anakin wants to escape slavery and train as a Jedi so he can come back and continue helping his friends and family on Tatooine. So he can return to free the slaves. Little does he know that he won't be allowed to do that... :'(

It's important to note as well that at this point, Anakin *also* has no idea that, as a Jedi, he won't be allowed to get married and have a family. Even though he is already naively imagining himself someday marrying Padme. So he doesn't know that not only will he not be permitted to return for his mother as he'd always hoped, but he will also technically not be allowed to even have a family of his own even when he's old enough to do so.

And what of Shmi's thoughts on Anakin becoming a Jedi? At the start of the AotC novelization, she is trying to be happy with the thought of it, but ONLY because she believes he must be living his best life as a Jedi. She has no idea that he had to go through rejection first before being accepted into the Order. The AotC novelization shows that as Shmi is being held captive and tortured by the Tusken Raiders, she tries to comfort herself by holding onto her imagination of what Anakin's time as Jedi is like:

All those times staring up at the night sky, she had thought of him, had imagined him soaring across the galaxy, rescuing the downtrodden, saving planets from ravaging monsters and evil tyrants. But she had always expected to see [Ani] again, had always expected him to walk onto the moisture farm one day, that impish smile of his, the one that could light up a room, greeting her as if they had never been apart.

Heartbreakingly, as Shmi is being brutalised to death, she clings to the hope that her beloved Ani's life is now better than it was before, and that it was worth saying farewell to him all those years ago, even while simultaneously desperately longing to see him again.

As an aside, it aggravates me to no end that *cough* certain parts of this fandom perpetuate the idea that Shmi is just some blank, wholly selfless entity with no wants or desires of her own. That she's the ‘perfect’ example of a Jedi with no 'attachments' (aka an Old Order Jedi), and that somehow Anakin is a just a 'failure' compared to her. Yes, it could be argued that Shmi is shown to be a better or truer 'Jedi' than most of the other Jedi in the story (aside from Luke in RotJ), but guess what that would mean in that case? (Hint: it has to do with love and family.) Because first and foremost, Shmi is a MOTHER who is trying to do the best for her son, even though a piece of her heart is always missing while he is gone. The AotC novelization shows repeatedly that she tries to assure herself that she did the right thing by letting Ani go, but the human mother side of herself also cries out for him and misses him desperately. She might have let him go in TPM, but in AoTC she wants to see him again. In fact, she believes strongly that she will see him again (because she loves him and he’s her hero because she’s his mom and she trusts he will eventually come back to find her), which is the only thing keeping her holding on until he arrives. How can Shmi be a perfect example of an Old Order Jedi when the motivating factor for even her most selfless actions is her personal FAMILIAL attachment to and unconditional LOVE for Anakin?? Also, how insulting is it to claim that Anakin is a 'failure' in comparison to his 'wonderful, perfect mother', and then proceed to place all the blame on him for being said 'failure'....when he was shown on-screen to be doing just fine in taking after his mother prior to his time in the Jedi Order????

As another poster noted elsewhere, Shmi Skywalker is the only person responsible for the truly good person Anakin Skywalker was.

This is the heart of the entire saga. Anakin's True Self is good because of his mother. Because of how she raised him (to be selfless and to want to help others) and because of the unconditional LOVE she had for him. It was the Jedi Order that failed to provide that for Anakin, and Sidious who manipulated the situation to his advantage.

(And if Shmi was the only person who truly solidified Anakin's inner goodness, then Qui-Gon was the only Jedi who was presented as being equipped to bring out the best in Anakin when Shmi wasn't around. The only one who was prepared to act as an openly warm and compassionate parental figure to Anakin, the only one who could have properly mentored Anakin and helped him navigate both his Force powers as well as the Jedi Code, and the only one who was shown to be willing to stand up to the Council on Anakin's behalf. The tragedy is not that Qui-Gon found Anakin or even that he offered to take him to train in the Force. Rather, the tragedy is that Qui-Gon is slain in the Duel of the Fates, which leaves Anakin without a true protector and advocate in the Order, and allows Sidious an 'in'.)

So the idea that the Jedi Order is Anakin's ‘replacement family' is simply not true—certainly not in the way the story actually pans out. It's telling that, in the original Prequels-era EU, Anakin ran away from the Jedi Temple multiple times. That is NOT the behaviour of a happy child. (It is, however, typical behaviour for children who are struggling in institutionalised care.)

And indeed, the very first paragraph of the AotC novelization opens with Anakin dreaming that he is part of a warm, loving family:

His mind absorbed the scene before him, so quiet and calm and...normal. It was the life he had always wanted, a gathering of family and friends—he knew that they were just that, though the only one he recognized was his dear mother. This was the way it was supposed to be. The warmth and the love, the laughter and the quiet times. This was how he had always dreamed it would be, how he had always prayed it would be. The warm, inviting smiles. The pleasant conversation. The gentle pats on the shoulders. But most of all there was the smile of his beloved mother, so happy now, no more a slave. When she looked at him, he saw all of that and more, saw how proud she was him, how joyful her life had become.

Why would Anakin be dreaming longingly of being part of an openly loving, happy family if he already had that at the Jedi Temple? (Tellingly, he notes that this seems like something normal, as if he's aware that it ought to be commonplace despite the fact that it's currently missing from his own life.)

And later on, when he's visiting Padme's parents' house for dinner, he sees this exact type of scene he's been longing for play out right in front of him, and he wishes that his mother could be there to enjoy it, too:

Anakin took a good helping of several different dishes. The food was all unfamiliar, but the smells told him that he wouldn’t be disappointed. He sat quietly as he ate, listening with half an ear to the chatter all about him. He was thinking of his mom again, of how he wished he could bring her here, a free woman, to live the life she so deserved.

Note that Anakin is thinking about his mother, and putting her first in his mind. He can barely enjoy the meal while he believes his mother could be out there, suffering.

Later on as he and Padme are heading to Tatooine to search for Shmi, they bond over the fact that both their mothers told them the same nursery rhyme ('home again to rest'). It means a lot to Anakin that he can bond with Padme over this similar childhood memory. (No doubt something he would not have had in common with his peers in the Temple, since their only childhood memories would have been within the Jedi Order, rather than in a true home. And certainly not with a mother.)

Finally, we get to the RotS novelization. Yes, THAT one. The one in which we see that Anakin was perfectly willing to walk away from the Order the minute he returned from the war and discovered Padme was pregnant. Willing to walk away to start their FAMILY together. But then his nightmares began, and he reluctantly stayed just a little longer, thinking the Jedi (whom he originally joined with the express intent of wanting to help his loved ones) could offer him some solution to the horror his nightmares were showing him:

If not for his dreams, he’d withdraw from the Order today. Now. ...Let the scandal come; it wouldn’t destroy their lives. Not their real lives. It would destroy only the lives they’d had before each other: those separate years that now meant nothing at all.

To drive the point home, we also have the pivotal scene where Obi-Wan—speaking on the Council's behalf—tries to convince Anakin to spy on the Chancellor. Their exchange says it all:

"He's my friend, Obi-Wan." "I know." "If he asked me to spy on you, do you think I would do it? You know how kind he's been to me. You now how he's looked after me, how he's done everything he could to help me. He's like family." "The Jedi are your family." "No. No, the Jedi are your family. The only one you've ever known. I had a mother who loved me."

Anakin's story breaks my heart because all he wants—all he has ever wanted—is a family. Not to just to 'have' one in a vague sense, but to be PART OF ONE. He wants this, because even when he was slave living an unfree life, at least he had his mother. At least he could feel his mother's love, and could openly demonstrate his love to her in return. For Anakin Skywalker, being a Jedi was never the goal in and of itself. In his mind, it was always primarily a means to save those he loved. To save his family. This is simultaneously the most tragic and the most beautiful thing about his character. It is both his fall AND his redemption.

And those who insist on ignoring Anakin’s deep-seated longing for a family and want to act as though he should just be content with the Jedi Order instead are willfully missing the entire point of his story.

[acourtofthought]

Just to address a few things first -

I love Feysand together and I don't hold their (Rhys's) past mistakes against them.

The way Tamlin spoke to Feyre at the High Lords meeting was petty and childish.

But for those who claim Lucien's actions with Hybern are unforgiveable and therefore will forever make it impossible for Elain to forgive him in order to accept their bond, I think we should compare two scenarios:

Rhys admits that he forced Feyre into their bargain as a way to defy Amarantha, a way to get back at Tamlin, and yes, a way to keep Feyre alive. Feyre acknowledges that she was a pawn in his schemes yet still fell in love with him.

Versus:

Lucien had no idea the sisters would be brought into things, that was all Ianthe.

He tells both Feyre and Elain that what happened was a mistake, that the sisters being brought in and how things went down was not their plan. One of Lucien's main goals was to try and save Feyre.

Rhys, in comparison, admits that it was his plan to use Feyre as a pawn to serve his purpose. There were aspects that benefitted her but most of it was for himself and his people.

Tamlin and Lucien believed Feyre was being brain washed and tortured, something she let Lucien continue believing when he found her in the woods, when she felt it was more important to protect the secret of who Rhys was under his mask. So they worked with Hybern in exactly the same way Rhys worked with Amarantha, with the end goal of protecting Feyre and helping their people:

The differences in these scenarios are:

Lucien and Tamlin never used Feyre or her sisters as a pawn versus Rhys who actively used Feyre as one. For good reasons yes but it doesn't change the facts.

There was no "Ianthe" in Rhys's situation. Rhys, as High Lord, made the decisions on his own and did not risk betrayal by sharing his schemes with others. He clearly made the smarter play compared to Tamlin who trusted Ianthe but.....

Lucien never liked Ianthe. Never really trusted her, never wanted her around. Just as Cassian, Az, etc. followed their HLs orders to hide Feyre's pregnancy, just as Amren and Mor chose to keep the mating bond a secret from Feyre, just as the IC all hid the information about Nesta's made weapons from her, those under a HL are subject to following the orders of said HL. It didn't matter if Lucien agreed with Tamlin about Hybern, about Ianthe, he had no power to challenge him. In the end, the decision to do what they did was not his call.

I think everyone in this fandom knows that the events of Hybern would truly not stand in the way of an Elucien endgame.

When Rhys used Feyre as a pawn on multiple occasions.

When Cassian told Nesta that everyone hated her and initially hid the knowledge of the swords from her.

When Bryce initially thought Hunt betrayed her in CC1.

When Rowan punched Aelin in the face and told her the world would have been better had she died as a child.

When Feyre fell in love with Tamlin even after he kidnapped her.

When Ruhn fell in love with Lidia despite the sins she committed for the Asteri.

I think everyone knows Elain's current behavior towards Lucien is not preventing an Elucien endgame.

Not when Nesta told Cassian she wanted nothing to do with him and slept with other males.

Not when Feyre was initially afraid of Rhys, said the night she kissed Tamlin was the happiest of her life, admits she wanted Rhys even UTM yet still accepted Tamlin's proposal.

Not when Yrene thought Chaol was to blame (by association) for the death of her family.

Not when you consider what Elide believed about Lorcans loyalty to Maeve.

Not when Aedion found out about Lysandra and Aelin's plot to deceive him in marriage and children.

Given the history of SJMs writing, there is nothing preventing an Elucien endgame aside from Elain's reticence over the bond and when an author like Diana Gabaldon turned an unwanted arranged marriage (for Claire) into a love story that has one of SJMs favorite male love interests, I think Elucien is going to be just fine.

[linkemon]

Dancing headcanons 1

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here.

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Other headcanons from this series can be found here.

Sebek Zigvolt

• Sebek has no time for dancing. He is always busy serving his master. That doesn't mean he can't do it. Of course he can! What a disgrace he would be if he did not have such a basic skill for a knight! Lilia taught him when he was a small child.

• It was for this reason that Zigvolt didn't think about dancing much. Until he returned to Briar Valley with Malleus for one of the major holidays. He didn't expect that you would also be invited along with Grim to his home country. Though he could have predicted it, given your good acquaintance with the future king.

• When he saw that you had been named the guest of honour at the grand banquet at the palace, he thought something was flashing before his eyes. Lilia laughed softly at him, explaining that this was what Malleus had wished.

• Sebek stood for some time, looking at you as you hesitantly entered the room. This might have been one of the few times in his life that he was at a loss for words. Even more so when it came time to choose a partner to lead the traditional first dance. As you approached him, he was sure you were heading towards Silver. After all, he really was a great dancer, apart from the times he fell asleep mumbling steps. When you reached out to him with a question, he replied stiffly that he accepted the mission, to which you responded with laughter.

• He gave his all. He couldn't bring shame to the prince! But that doesn't mean he would let you fail if it wasn't the case. Lilia joked about his expression and how he fell silent for the rest of the evening for the following weeks.

• It's been a long time since that dance but he still thinks about it from time to time. Especially when he later realized that he had been telling you off for missing steps almost all the time. If he could, he would turn back time and enjoy the sight of you in your ball gown, twirling in his arms.

Azul Ashengrotto

• While music is a large part of life and culture for underwater creatures, dancing is not necessarily so. Azula's relationship with dancing was similar to that associated with flying on a broom - laying and crying.

• When you agreed to sign a contract to lend your voice and sing at Monstro Lounge, he was extremely pleased with himself. The number of students, and therefore the profit, has increased significantly since he started organizing evenings with music and you as the main singer.

• One time you decided to stay longer and help him close the place for the night. He didn't expect you to grab his hand while singing a slow song and start swaying slowly to the melody. You didn't comment on how obvious it was that Azul couldn't dance, which he was grateful for.

• It crossed his mind to get out of this unfamiliar situation as quickly as possible but he loved listening to your voice too much to actually do it. So he let you wrap your arms around his neck and continued.

• He would love to do it again someday, but at the same time not feel so miserable about his skills. He made it his mission to learn to dance behind your back. Once it is perfect, he will recreate the exact same situation and you will be very surprised. However, it will still take him some time...

Jamil Viper

• Dancing is one of the few activities in which Jamil does not inhibit himself as much as in others. When you asked him to teach you some choreography after the SDC performance, he agreed. Although he was sure that if you had asked about it before you got to know each other better, he would have refused, saying that he didn't have time because he had to take care of Kalim.

• You had to admit that you were impressed with the amount of dance moves he showed you. You were afraid that breakdancing would be too difficult for you but with the help of your friend, you learned some basic modern dance steps. It all went downhill from there.

• He had a lot of patience with you. Maybe he even showed you too much for a first lesson but somewhere inside him there was a selfish need to arouse at least a bit of admiration in you, something he didn't experience on a daily basis and even tried to avoid. The light in your eyes and the touch of your hands as he showed you some of his moves followed him for a long time.

• What was supposed to be just one lesson turned into an entire dance course. You weren't very good but it didn't matter. Spending time with Jamil like this was one of the most enjoyable moments of each week for you.

[not-feeling-the-aster]

I really like the idea that Lucy Gray and Snow are both a snake and a songbird. This also got me thinking about their connection to these animals and what that says about them. Especially regarding snakes.

Lucy Gray likes songbirds. She and the covey admire them, and almost see themselves as one of them. She is empathetic towards them, wishing for their freedom, as well as hers.

Lucy Gray also likes snakes. She is friends with one. She may not trust them entirely, but she is not afraid of them. She can even interact with venomous snakes, although we only see this with Gaul's mutts which wouldn't hurt her in the first place. The point is, she doesn't have anything against them. She accepts them as they are. And this is interesting because snakes are usually associated with evil, especially in the original trilogy. But they also have other connotations, such as transformation, rebirth, protection and healing.

Coriolanus hates songbirds. Well, he hates Mockingjays. And it's such a visceral hate that he wants them to dissapear, to kill them all as soon as possible. Even after admitting that they aren't particularly dangerous, he feels threatened by their existence. They weren't planned, they can't be controlled, and he doesn’t accept that. But even knowing this, he constantly associates them with the covey, and therefore with Lucy Gray.

Now, it's not clear how Coriolanus feels about snakes. He doesn’t like them as Lucy Gray or Gaul do, but he doesn’t hate them either. When he first sees the rainbow snakes, he doesn’t know if they scare him. Then Clemensia got bitten, which led him to question his trust in Gaul and the Capitol. Later, the same snakes would have killed Lucy Gray, if he hadn’t cheated. Lastly, he was bitten by a snake, which, contrary to his initial thoughts, wasn’t venomous. Whether it was planted by Lucy Gray or not, we’ll never know. He thinks she did, though. And that’s the thing, he assumes the worst. He thinks she’s a traitor and a manipulator, looking innocent only to attack when he least expects it. Because of this, he swears he’ll never leave his guard down again. He’ll strike first, every time. And for that, he uses venom.

So then, what can we get from this?

Snakes transformed Clemensia, both inside and outside. This affected Coryo too.

Coriolanus was reborn after being bitten by a snake. After all, he did say his old self was dead, lie or not.

Snakes never hurt Lucy Gray, even when they were designed to kill her. In fact, they protected her at times.

And, although venom can be used to heal, Snow chooses to use it as a weapon.

[42bakery]

sorry but wouldn't it be kinda stupid of jorge to use that flag? i mean if the majority of spain recognizes that flag as far right symbol it feels really weird that nobody on his team told him to change flag and use a regular spain one considering that motogp respects the different regions and uses the rights flags for their gps and also considering how the riders try to/have to appear apolitical

like it doesn't make sense for him to choose such a divisive and controversial symbol on tv, especially when he's trying to get picked by ducati, he doesn't need a scandal. could it be that he just doesn't know the meaning or is that impossible?

Hey Isabella 👋👋👋👋👋

The flag and the bull is a bit more complicated than see it and automatically far/extreme right. That bull as @babynflames ( https://www.tumblr.com/babynflames/750298627086417920/the-osborne-bull-first-appeared-next-to-spanish ) pointed out was used to represent Spain as a whole during the dictatorship. Some people, specially in the centre of Spain (mostly both Castilles and Madrid) see it just a Spanish symbol, where as I from the periphery and a region with strong nationalism feelings see it as another imposition.

That flag will mostly be displayed by the right and extreme right, but not all the people with it will be from that party. As I said to the anon before symbols that are so wide associated with Spain are not always seen okay in Catalonia, and therefore, Jorge who is from Madrid can see them a bit differently. Also Madrid has marketed themselves as the perfect spot for holidays for people from outside Spain, but in reality the right is winning.

That flag is the same one his parents have had since before Jorge was born and given to him as a present, a memento, for his first win so no one from his family will say anything. And anon pointed that his new friends and group is from that ideology, hence why they aren't going to discourage it. About the team? How can people from outside of Spain say anything when they don't know the meaning of it? True that he has Fonsi Nieto, but he's a white privilege man from Madrid living from his uncle's (not even his dad! He's actually the son of Ángel's sister) fame.

There also the fact that due to the political differences between the centre of Spain and the periphery of it, some people will actually be happy that they have someone carrying their same values as oposite as Aleix who is vocal about having his own Catalan identity. Jorge doesn't need to make himself marketable for the Catalan public, we already have Rins, The Márquez, the Espargarós, and Maverick. Jorge is catering himself for the Madrid (and centre of Spain) public, so yeah so will be extremely happy to see that flag.

Riders being apoliticals is actually a joke. I remember that a few years back the backlash Aleix and Pol got due to Aleix words (as always) because media interpreted Aleix was pro Catalan independence, when in reality he only said he was pro-choice. Rider are afraid to open their mouth some times, but they are actually allowed to say and do whatever they want. I don't know why DORNA and Carmelo allows that flag, unless they are actually okay with it.

Ducati already chose him using that flag. I started to watch MotoGP in 2020 and I remember him in parc Fermé in Moto2 with the flag and later that same year he was announce. Ducati can't care less. They will sweep it under the rug, but if people in the internet didn't know until I mentioned it yesterday, do you think Ducati have the time to check it?

The photo above is Jorge after winning his Moto3 championship and he's already displaying the flag with the bull's siluete.

It's true that is stupid of his part and he might not really know the meaning, but given that he has been liking VOX post and how how many of this flags are popping in their events is easy to put 2 and 2 together. At this point he is just refusing to learn the meaning of the flag or chooses to ignore it.

Sorry I feel like I went out of the tangent and I'm just dumping political stuff into your laps

[slutshamethesquirrels]

Behind The Cover - Chapter 1

Previous

Suguru's POV

Nothing is supposed to live forever.

This is a principle that Suguru held tight to his chest, tucked somewhere deep where he once had a bounty of morals and goals, wants and wishes. There was a time he could remember being a young man, working the mines for minimum wage with maximum risk, all with the hope that one day he would escape the company town he’d been born to die in. At the time he wanted love, peace, and just enough money to foster a legacy for himself before his time came. He thought he was doing good for the world, breaking himself and desecrating the earth for a precious resource that would allow humanity to spring forward in innovation. With every chunk of coal successfully loaded into a cart and out of a man-made cavern, he was providing a new method of production, which would allow his fellow person a job to secure wages, therefore access to the means of such production.

He had been naive. As the days had passed and the earth had spun, his view on the revolution had soured. There was no escape for the bottom line, the system was designed to keep you firmly planted right where you stood; yards away from daylight where the world could (and frequently did) collapse on top of you, or fight it’s way back by means of festering in your lungs, unable to be treated once it had made it’s silent entrance. Almost as if the hills themselves agreed with the fat cats that ordered it's wounding. Dead men don't blast away at million year old rock. Dead men don't strike. Dead men don’t take what was never theirs to begin with. Dead men don’t ask for raises. Dead men don’t assume that what can't speak must be free for the claiming. Dead men don’t take their stories to news publications-

It was all pointless, in the end. Suguru often pondered if maybe he had died when he awoke as a fledgling vampire, with the recovered ability to breathe, but no need for such an action. What was success if you had no time constraints on becoming so? What was power if there was no end game? What was love if you had to consign your partner to the same fate, or bury them before the next societal rise and collapse?

That's not to say that there were things Suguru didn't appreciate, but simply that the way he perceived them had become different. The members of his clan, his home, his artwork. He wouldn't be foolish enough to say he loved them, but he valued them enough to maintain them. The pages of his sketchbooks would be coated in protective lacquer once finished, the house would remain polished and shined, he would make sure that Satoru kept in line with the rules; that Yuugi ate despite his kind nature; that Megumi did something other than waste away in his room until it was once again time to feed.

Perhaps it was selfish, his desire for longevity, but he already grieved the day that any of his most precious appreciations may come to pass.

“Mornin’ princess,” Satoru’s voice infiltrated the space as he pushed through the hidden entryway between their home and the book shop. Suguru was used to his teasing nature, but today the tone of his voice didn't match his words. He sounded raspy, froggish, starving. Suguru’s suspicions were confirmed as his long time associate rounded the corner of the back row of shelving.

Satoru Gojo typically presented himself as celestial, often wearing clothing that accentuated his body and wealth, not afraid to flash that dangerous smile and ethereal blue gaze at any human that lusted after him. The white of his hair often caught against the moonlight, giving him a sort of unnatural glow. He was eye-catching, the type of danger that presented itself as desirable, like over indulgence in money or sex. He was Suguru's foil, truly.

Tonight, however, his outer armor had begun to crack. His hair was disheveled, pupils blown beyond his irises, dark circles plaguing the soft under eyes of his porcelain skin. He’d put on nothing more than a simple set of joggers and a black crew neck. None of his typical jewelry, none of his carefully curated sense of style. They all got like this around the second week mark of not feeding, and it never got any easier.

“Goodmorning.” The velvet of Suguru’s cadence is in stark contrast to Gojo’s own. After all, he’d just fed the night before.

Satoru stops by the front desk where Getou is lazily reclined in an office chair with his laptop open in front of him, scrolling through the headlines of the day. Most were unimportant. Elections, taxes, new plans for public transportation. That wasn't really what he had been searching for. In the present moment, he was scrolling through an article about the body of a 23 year old college student found outside of her dorm. She’d been bludgeoned, dismembered, several body parts were missing-

“Was that us?” Satoru unashamedly leans his tall frame over the mahogany of the front desk, dipping his head over the computer and scanning the text upside down.

Suguru narrows his eyes and flicks him in the forehead, irritated he’d even ask such a stupid question. Satoru takes the hint and straightens himself out of the way, sighing as Suguru laments:

“Of course not. I’m sure it's Sukuna and his goons. We're gonna have to have a friendly conversation if this doesn't stop.”

Gojo’s lip curls in a mild annoyance, but Suguru isn't phased. He knows he's right, and he also knows Satoru will be much easier to talk to after his hunt.

“Why? Not everyone should be expected to follow your morality clause, Suguru. They eat people, so do we. Get off your high horse-”

“It's not about that,” Suguru lifts amethyst eyes to meet Satoru's gaze “It's about housekeeping. They don't clean up after themselves, and they're not picky with how they choose their next meal. A college age socialite left in pieces for the public to see-”

“-Is different how? ” Satoru interjects, near spitting.

“Is different because it draws eyes. I can't pretend that I love the idea of a young innocent getting executed, but it's not really enough to write home about. What I care about is the general public being in an uproar. They start to catch wind of us and we'll have no choice but to skip town to keep clientele, and I just remodeled the kitchen-”

At this, Satoru snickers and rolls his eyes. He knows Getou does care about the morality, if only just a bit.

“Fine. We’ll discuss when I get back, yeah?”

With Satoru gone, Suguru busies himself with a variety of odd jobs. Sweeping, dusting, replying to E-Mail requests for “orders”. Funnily enough, most of the requests they got these days were on the behalf of the state, or at least, individuals who had access to the state's funding. There seemed to be some sort of selection process, a vast majority of hits being criminals who got off easy, or got off free. Nanami Kento was the name of the prospect they dealt with most frequently. He was quiet, stoic, not willing to give more information than necessary. Satoru found him boring, Suguru liked his brevity.

He's combing over an encrypted file when it happens, all thoughts of the societal reprobate in front of him disappearing almost immediately as a smell floods his senses and triggers something carnal within him.

The door had opened, just briefly, to reveal a girl who looked wildly out of place in the academic setting. If he'd been human, the thing that would’ve drawn his attention would've been the pink silk slip dress that clung to your frame like it wanted to deny you air, the way your breasts seemed to fight for their right to escape said fabric. Maybe he’d notice the on purpose messy way your curls seemed to topple out of your bun, or envy the gold chain that laid along your clavicle, or imagine the feel of the exposed flesh of your thighs between his fingers, since you’d chosen to leave nothing to the imagination.

But Suguru wasn't human, he was a monster. And you…

It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. As if he hadn't tasted blood in a century, you smelled like things he hadn't craved in decades. Melted chocolate, cinnamon, fresh strawberries in the heat of summer all come to mind. Things that would turn his stomach if he consumed them now. But he remembered what it was like to crave them. The same emptiness overtook him now, saliva pooling in his mouth. His breathing went into autopilot. It wasn't a normal thing for his kind to do. You only needed to breathe when you needed a scent. He can feel his fangs slowly pushing from their hidden place in his gums, something that typically didn't happen against his own will. It hurt. He felt like someone had taken a metal sword from the fire and shoved in directly down his throat without letting it cool enough to even stop glowing-

He catches himself on the thick mahogany of the counter, his grip hard enough to form a crack in the wood. When had he stood up?

The sound causes your head to jerk upwards towards him, doe eyes staring down the maw of a mountain lion.

“Hi there, I’m looking for some information on herpetology and entomology.”

Fuck whatever it was you were saying. He was honed in on the rise and fall of your chest, envisioning what it’d be like to put his hands through it. If he was quick enough, your heart would still be beating when he took his first bite.

“Uhm, like insects? Reptiles?”

He could pin you against the door so easily, so quickly. That initial squirt from your jugular would solve all his life's troubles, everything he’d ever experienced would wash away with the taste.

“Snakes and …stuff?”

But then if Satoru returned, if Megumi rose from his room willingly for the first time in an eon- he’d have to kill them. He couldn't share this. You.

“Dude…you good?”

He blinks. Willing all the air from his lungs, missing the flavor already as he slowly meets your gaze. A pout crosses your lips, your eyebrows dipping in concern. That wasn't the face of someone who knew what kind of danger they were in, but one that was considering calling a crisis hotline for the very thing that wanted to murder them. You were stupid, surely.

You take a step forward, your fingertips outstretched in front of you like you were gonna brush against him in an attempt to ground him from whatever was troubling him, like an absolute moron-

Getou gathers the two tiny shards of self control he had left and straightens, backing away from the desk and clenching his hands tight enough to shatter bone at his sides.

“Scientific nonfiction is on row four.” He never breaks eye contact, and you take the hint, your face transitioning from concern to confusion before you turn and trail in the direction he was verbally pointing you, deeper into the lion's den.

He couldn't, not here or now, but he would find you, morality be damned. Perhaps he’d feel sorry about it later, perhaps he’d be chastised by Gojo for his hypocritical nature. Perhaps it would be the straw that broke the camel's back and drove them out of town; you looked like someone who had ample connections with the world around you. But it would all be worth it. He’d take his time with you, savor every puncture, every drop. He’d leave not a trace behind. If you played nice, he might even knock you out first, though it would have to be blunt force. He didn't want any sedatives tainting your taste.

He crosses his arms across his chest, as if to shield himself from his own desires, and leans against the back wall, daring not to move or breathe. His plum shaded gaze remains fixated on the large clock hung on the opposite wall, and he forces himself to count every second, keep himself occupied.

Around the fifteen second mark, your sneakers stop clicking against the hard wood, followed by a shuffling.

At one hundred and thirty three, you sniffle.

Two hundred thirteen, Three hundred sixty eight, and four hundred forty seven each mark three thuds. Suguru assumes you're stacking books for purchase.

Six hundred eighty two comes to pass, and there's a distinct sound. You’d stacked your books on the floor. If Getou wasn't actively trying not to slaughter you he would've appreciated how gentle it sounded, like you’d gently set one side down before the other and not just dropped them from a few inches high.

At right around seven hundred eighty five, you make sounds that signal your return to the front desk. A grunt as you lift your pile of choices from the floor, something Suguru almost regrets he finds less erotic and more appetizing. A slight stumble in your approaching steps. Pretty, ignorant little repast can't even handle the weight of some printed works, poor thing.

You round the corner with a stack of titles that encases a vast majority of your body, from your manicured nails cupped at your waist all the way to the warm underside of your chin that you use for balance. A small baby blue wristlet clutch dangles from your left hand. Some ancient modicum of chivalry and traditional values tells Suguru he should offer his help, but he was no longer aligned with such traditionalism. Plus, watching you struggle was heavenly . The way your knees wobbled and your arms vibrated against the weight, the way you fought to keep your breathing even… it was easy to imagine what you'd look like when he was approaching you in a dark alley, as you grappled with the ego-shattering realization that he was about to take everything from you. He knows he shouldn't feel such a way, but something in your blood has any amount of humanity he had left within him drying up by the second, all that was left was the hunger. The power. The game. He wanted it all, and then some.

You struggle to place the stack on the counter and he lets you, not moving to ring you up until you’d already taken a deep breath and a step back, your face a little flushed from the effort. He tries and fails to not think about the tender flesh just below the surface.

Finally, it seemed that you had picked up on the idea that he was not keen on speaking to you, fiddling awkwardly with your fingers and finding solace in the patterned wood on the floor as Suguru rang you up robotically. He gives you your total through clenched teeth and you pass him your card without making eye contact.

Minutes later he's peeling the blackout curtain away from the window like a certified creep to watch you load your bags into a red Celica, somewhere around a 2002 model year, with an embarrassing amount of dings and dents. Could you be anymore of a stereotype? Hot bimbo who drives a cherry red death machine.

If he's honest, he's looking for a reason you deserve the hell he's about to put you through, and if he's doubly honest, “slut” doesn't justify anything, but he’ll take it if it helps him sleep through the day. He jots down your license plate number on the palm of his hand as he watches you drive away.

Next

[silviakundera]

re: Story of Kunning Palace. If we get into Themes of the Novel...

I can see why Xei Wei is positioned as her ultimate romance.

The story seems to be a character journey for FL. Part of this jouney is coming to terms with herself and not just being "redeemed" but FEELING redeemed. Look at her conversation in jail w Yan Li. I'm bad, she says. It's something she still believes.

JX enters the story thinking of herself as unworthy of ZZ and in her mind, getting to be accepted & loved by him would be a barometer of goodness. But that's not what she NEEDS. She doesn't need a gold star blessing from a paragon of justice. She needs to accept the ugliness of her past and her imperfections and be able to live with it, to no longer be ashamed. As trite as it sounds, she needs to learn to love herself.

Look at this MTL passage from the novel, on the barrier between her & Xei Wei in her 1st life....

No one knew that the reason why she didn't want to learn the qin after entering Beijing was because of Xie Wei.

Four years ago on the way to Beijing, Xie Wei was holding a qin. She thought this man was really a distant relative of the Jiang family, he was dressed in white clothes, he had nothing but a qin, and he looked sick. Although he was in the same vehicle as her, he didn't like to talk to others, and closed his eyes most of the time to rest his mind. Only when he stopped occasionally in the middle of the journey, he would touch the qin.

Jiang Xuening didn't understand, and she didn't like him either.

Only then had she learned her true background, and knew that there was a "sister" who was praised by everyone in the family. She was afraid that she would be looked down upon by the maid who came to pick her up in Beijing along the way. One has to put on the posture of a young lady, for that humble and pitiful "self-esteem".

Young ladies are all condescending and domineering. Therefore, she was also superior to others and bosses them around - and "others" included Xie Wei.

She grew up in the countryside and didn't learn any rules, but this person had rules when walking, sitting and lying down; whether it's the posture of holding chopsticks when eating together, or when leaning in the carriage for a nap, he was always in order. It hurt her to see it. At that time, she felt that this man was shabby but still carried himself well.

It was only after a long time that she was willing to admit that the reason why she felt uncomfortable was because even if she didn't understand, she could still feel the difference between cloud and mud. And this difference is exactly the difference between her who grew up in the countryside at that time and the bustling capital she was about to arrive in.

But people are always reluctant to admit such truths.

Even after she became a queen, she didn't want to see Xie Wei, and Xie Wei's name was always associated with the qin, and she didn't want to see one.

When she was most terrified and miserable in her life, she was seen by this person. As long as she saw this person, she would think of that past.

And this was what she tabooed the most in her previous life.

Who knows what Xie Wei thought of her at that time? Today's empress was just a country girl who wore a dragon robe and didn't have the look of royalty.

As long as she thought about it, she felt embarrassed, so Jiang Xuening always just told herself that this past does not exist.

The insightful Xie Wei probably knew what she was thinking. Even though he had a high status in the ruling and opposition parties, and frequently goes in and out of the court, he rarely appeared in front of her, and never mentioned it.

As for the scar on her wrist, she asked the imperial doctor to prescribe a prescription, and carefully applied the medicine for two years, and it disappeared completely.

// What i can't stop thinking about is Xei Wei telling her in the drama that he liked the miss ning'er that met during that journey. The girl she was so ashamed of in her first life (before she realized there are worst things to be). He thought she was unpolished jade and was upset to see her sink into the habits of a cold hearted noble in the capital.

She misunderstood him but more importantly she misunderstood herself. She repressed the parts of her that didn't fit the lifestyle she was trying to gain. But in her 2nd life she no longer feels the need to fit in with the other capital nobles, to take back from her sister, to climb the imperial harem. Letting all sides of herself free and meeting Xei Wei head-on is thematically important.