#and while similar to his taking the money and running earlier you feel that there's something more. something new.

[spockvarietyhour]

Don't know that I will but until I can find me A girl who'll stay and won't play games behind me I'll be what I am A solitary man Solitary man

[the-kr8tor]

IMAGINE COWBOY HOBIE WITH A SINGER READER WHO SINGS TO MAKE MONEY SO ONE DAY HOBIE COMES TO THE CITY BECAUSE HE HAS TO LIKE HUNT SOMEONE DOWN OR SMT AND GOES TO THE TAVERN AND SEES READER SING AND HES ABSOLUTELY MESMERISED

SORRY AN IMAGE IS MY HEAD RN

Another cowboy! Hobie request! Thank you, lovely, I hope you like it 🫶

Pairing: Hobie Brown x gn! Reader

Tags: no use of Y/N, minimal dialogue, No specific physical description of the reader, Cowboy! Hobie, Western AU, Cowboy AU, TW violence, CW injury, CW drinking. Fluff.

ʕ⁠·⁠ᴥ⁠·⁠ʔ

Hobie enters the tavern, all bloodied knuckles, leather and broken skin. His horse, Harley, whinnies outside, glad of the rest from all the running she'd done earlier. The patrons quiet down, roaming their eyes on the stranger. Some glare at him, looking for a fight while the alcohol is still fresh in their veins. A few look away after seeing his twin pistols strapped on his waist. His lasso swing next to his pistol, the rope shredded and well used.

His hat hides the cut on his eyebrow, lips dry, he saunters over to the bar, spurs clinking, hands tucked in his belt buckle.

Sitting down on the creaking stool, he flicks the brim of his hat, emerald eyes wordlessly stares at the bartender who slides a glass of whiskey over to his waiting hand.

The amber liquid warms his insides, numbing the pain from his recent injuries. He swirls the alcohol in the glass like a swirling whirlpool of ambrosia, threatening to drown him in its warmth.

A soft guitar strums on his right, his aching neck turns to the sound, his eyes find you sitting on a similar stool, a worn guitar sitting on your lap, a smile on your lips. A sight for sore eyes in the dim smoky tavern.

You press your lips close to the mic, hands shaking, eyes fluttering shut as you start singing.

The noisy bar suddenly silences, numerous eyes watch you on the little stage covered in sticky alcohol. Ears perk up at your rhythmic strumming. There's goosebumps rising under Hobie's leather clad arms.

Your voice drops on him like a bucket of ice water, waking him up from his stupor. He can't seem to remove his eyes from you, for the first time in a while, Hobie smiles genuinely.

The alcohol lay forgotten in his hand as you sing your third song of the night. Apparently the patrons don't like him staying for two songs more.

Two men sidle up next to him, one blocks you from his view, the other right behind him, so close that he can feel the man's foul breath on his nape.

“You're far from home, stranger” one drawls, whiskey breath fanning Hobie's face.

“This town ain't big enough for ya.” The other man says, fingers reaching for Hobie's collar.

Before they get their hands on Hobie, he grips his glass, flinging it towards the man behind him, nailing him right on his temple.

A fight ensues, you jump away from your seat, eyes wide, using your guitar to shield yourself from flying bottles. Backing away, you dodge a glass.

Hobie fights his way towards you, kicking a man right on his groin, earning a high pitched scream from the man. Another patron, too drunk to see straight, hobbles over to you with a sick grin. Hobie sees this, already sprinting and dodging flying stools to get to you.

He unclips his lasso to hogtie the man down, but you beat him to it by smashing the man's head with your guitar. The broken wood splinters, the sound pinging in his ears.

The drunkard fall on his back like a hay bale, the broken guitar around his neck, head poking out of it.

Hobie looks at you dumbfounded, a growing smile on his lips. He stands there with his hands holding on to the lasso while chaos surrounds him. The second you look at him with your pretty eyes, everything seems to stop just for you.

You smile back at him, all saccharine, eyes crinkling in the corners. Your reach for him, flexing your fingers. Without a word, he takes your hand. And you run away with him, through the backdoor, away from the mayhem, and onto the dry plains.

He knows he's met his match. And you can't wait to get to know the mysterious cowboy who gladly took your hand without question.

[russellsppttemplates]

Hii🫶🏻 So for the blurb night I was thinking about a wedding planning with Lance. He wants to take part in everything even if it means staying up late after a race night just to decide the flowers and cakes and sets absolutely no budget as he wants the teader to have absolutely the best day🥺 like imagine going to cake tasting eith them and choosing the menu. Uhh, to be a wag😩

"Please, Lance. We have to pick a cake! We have already been to so many bakeries and we are running out of time and offers - not to mention the money I'm sure this is costing despite you telling me it doesn't matter", you sighed.

"I just want to make sure you have the best day ever and you have all you've dreamed of", Lance said as he sat at the table with you after he alerted the bakeshop owner you had arrived for the tasting.

"Lance, I love you, and you know I'm not lying when I say this - my dream is spending the rest of my life with you, and yes, I want us to have our perfect day and for that we need to make decisions!", you hissed slightly.

"I have a feeling you'll like these a lot", Lance winked as the owner started bringing out the different cakes, explaining what was in each one of them before letting you take a bite.

"Vanilla is always a safe option, I feel like that's something everyone likes", you reasoned as you tasted the sponge, "but red velvet has been my favourite", you tapped the plate.

"Did you like this", he checked the label, "fresh lemon one? I think it tastes nice and with the wine and champagne we picked out it would be a nice contrast", Lance offered.

"I did - I'm torn between these two", you pouted.

"Is there something I can help you with?", the older man said as he approached the table, noticing you were already discussing options.

"Actually, yes - would you be able to make a cake with two flavours? We really like these two and perhaps there's a way to make it happen", your soon to be husband said.

"Yes, we can do different layers, but that would have a different price point than the ones we discussed earlier, let me just get the price table for you", he said.

"No need for that - we've settled on it then", Lance stated.

The owner went back to the counter to gather the forms so you could make the order while Lance took another bite of the cake, "before you go at me, it's what we both wanted and now we'll have a great cake - that's all I care about", Lance smiled, knowing the thoughts going on your mind.

"You're lucky you're charming like that", you teased, kicking his chin playfully and smiling at him.

.

"I'm home, I'm home!", Lance said as he walked through the door, leaving his backpack on the floor along with his shoes before he met you in the dining room table, "hey love", he kissed the top of your head and sat down after he greeted your mother, his mother and his sister.

"You didn't have to rush home like that - wasn't there traffic?", you wondered.

"I took a short cut - I didn't want to you to this alone", Lance said as he looked at the different arrangements.

"Hey, little brother, Hi! You've greeted me so I'm sure you noticed your fiancée wasn't alone", Chloe lightly swatted the nape of his neck as everyone laughed.

"So these are the ones we decided on after the Monaco GP", you pointed to the five options you and Lance picked out in your hotel bed over some room service after the race, "and they also sent those two - I think they're new and they thought we should consider them".

"I really like the idea of the dry flowers for your bouquet and the bracelet things for the girls and for the guys to have one in the pocket as well", Lance noted as he looked at the arrangements up close.

"It's called a corsage and a boutonniere", Chloe teased.

"As I was saying", he sent her a side eye, "maybe we could match them to the tables so it doesn't look to different", he checked, "what was your idea?".

"I like your idea, Lance, perhaps this one here?", you mother held the arrangement she recalled would be the most similar to the dried flowers you had already picked out. Lance had been on FaceTime for that meeting since the team needed him for Testing, so he knew some details but not all of them.

"Yes, I think so, maybe with those because they also have the purple and brick red tones", you agreed.

"I also like the idea of having some of the little flowers on my suit if that's okay", Lance mused as he picked a few of the loose ones on the table, fiddling with an elastic as he made a quick accessory for him, "does this boutonniere look nice?", he pointed it at his sister as he made fun of the word.

(Thank you for sending this in ✨️)

[imagines--galore]

||The Thread of Fate|| Part Three

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure. A little mention of blood and fighting.

Previous Chapters - Part One, Part Two,

A/N: So I’m just working on building Orora up before everything. You know her personality, her appearance and stuff. I just think that developing an OC helps to connect them with the overall story. And yes, there will be romance along the way fear not! I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! Lemme know your thoughts!

I am now taking requests so go ahead and send me stuff. You can find my rules here. Please send me stuff to write!

She had parted ways with her tribe.

Not for good, Orora figured she would return someday, or at least run into someone who was from the Northern Water Tribe, still it was sad to see the last of her home sail away without her.

While the Aang and his friends had departed a day earlier to meet up with some General Fong, the small ship had made port to a nearby harbor, wanting to restock supplies. It was here, while wandering the village that Orora had decided that perhaps she should explore the world a little. Being on sea for days or even weeks sounded tedious and boring. And she had had enough of that to last a lifetime.

She wanted adventure and excitement and maybe get into a little trouble. Hopefully not too much though. She had no desired to be robbed or captured by the Fire Nation. She had enough trinkets she could pawn to get money along the way, and she was fairly decent when it came to her fighting skills. They were still mostly centered around using ice as a weapon, and despite the training Master Pakku and Katara had given her during their few short weeks on the boat, Orora had decided that she needed to test her skills in the real world.

Master Pakku had not been happy with her detour, saying she had a duty to their sister tribe to help, she had countered that how could she help them when she didn’t know the full potential of her water bending capabilities. He had tried to argue, but he knew it would be of no use. He had learned his lesson that when it came to stubborn teenage girls, they were hard to break.

He had given her his blessing, which had meant a lot more to Orora then she cared to admit. As a parting gift he had given her a smile white tile with a lotus, telling her that should she ever need help she should find someone with the similar emblem. It didn’t even have to be on a tile. Doorway, tattoo, carving, anything would do. So long as she showed them the tile, she would have help.

Orora had never before bowed so low to another elder as she had done the old yet wise Master.

Before she had parted he had told her a little story. Of how there had been a girl and a boy, both from the Northern Water Tribe. Engaged to be married despite not being soulmates, the boy had loved the girl, and he had thought the girl loved him too. And yet, she had wanted to find her soulmate and live her days with him. She did love the boy, but not enough.

The girl had left, leaving the boy heartbroken to pick up the pieces and rebuild his life without her. She had found her soulmate and had lived a happy life, but now? The boy, now an old man, was going to find the woman he had loved, and perhaps they could be together now?

“So, you loved her, despite her not being your soulmate?” Orora questioned as she stood in front of him. The rest of her tribe were loading everything back onto the boat while she spoke to Master Pakku.

The old man gave a sage nod. “Being a soulmate does not mean you will end up together. Just as Avatar Aang said, people do fall in love with someone else.” He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It is up to you who you want to love. The thread is just in place to help you find that someone if you do not have anyone else. We are all beings of free will Orora, and no one can force us to fall in love.” The girl tightened her hand on her strap before giving a small nod.

“Thank you for your words of wisdom Master Pakku.” She bowed in the fashion of her people. “I hope to become a Master waterbender just as you are.” He gave a small chuckle before patting her on the head. “My dear girl, no one can be as good as I.” He stated with a grin of faint arrogance that had her matching his posture. “Then I shall have to become better then you.” His loud laugh of fond amusement had echoed in her ears as she stood at the dock, waving farewell until the small boat disappeared from view.

                                              ————————–

Orora was absolutely amazed with what lay before her.

Land. Brown land. And trees. So so many trees. All green and bursting with life. The very air was alive. She had never once ventured outside of the Northern Water Tribe, and seeing the unfamiliar landscape around her was a little nerve-wracking sure, but it was also exhilarating.

And the scents! Every single thing had it’s own scent. The dirt. The leaves. The flowers. Oh she loved the flowers the best! Then there were the streams and ponds she would find. Small natural bodies of water. Everything at the Pole had been created by the Benders, and yet here was a little stream, carving its way across the land and traveling beyond her line of sight.

One thing was for sure. She definitely preferred the Earth Kingdom over the North Pole.

                                              ————————–

Her first run in with trouble came in the form of slavers.

In her excitement of going out to see the world, Orora had forgotten several significant details. One of which was that she was a girl. A young teenage girl who men would consider easy pickings. When she had been made aware of just how much attention she attracted, the girl had bought herself a nice long hooded cloak. For one it would keep her features hidden, and for another it kept her warm at night. She didn’t dare make a fire for fear of being noticed, and only ate her food cold. If she happened to pass through a village she would manage to grab a hot meal but that was it.

It didn’t seem to be enough since she had to evade her would-be-captors while passing through a small fishing village. It was ridiculous just how persistent they were. If she had been a boy, she mused angrily to herself afterwards, they wouldn’t have bothered her much.

Orora had managed to leave the village quickly, forgoing a hot meal and finding refuge by a small stream. The flowing water calmed her she had found earlier during her initial travel days, and she had stuck to it for as long as she could. Where there was water, it would always have people living nearby.

Reaching down she cupped some water in her palms and washed her face. She’d thrown her hood back, her hair was tied back with the comb she loved. It looked much too fine to belong to a simple traveling girl. Maybe she should take it out. But what would she tie her hair back with? Orora sighed, lifting a lock of hair where it had escaped from her bun. An idea flitted across her mind. 

Why couldn’t she? Cut her hair! It was brilliant! People would dismiss her being a young boy. Her still developing figure was hidden under a cloak, under which she wore loose baggy water tribe clothes.

Pulling out the small dagger she had stolen from her brother’s room before leaving, Orora removed the comb, allowing her waist length hair to tumble down her back. With one last look at her thick gleaming locks, she lifted a huge chunk and began to cut.

A few minutes later she rose, dusting off the hair as she examined her reflection in the water. Well, her hair was sheared as close to her scalp as she could without cutting her skin. It stuck out at odd angles, giving her an even more rough look. Her tanned skin was tanner then ever from walking under the sun the past two weeks or so. The short hair and tanned skin allowed her ice blue eyes to stand out even more, but she didn’t mind. Easy to intimidate people with just a glance.

Orora smiled in satisfaction. She could easily pass as a boy.

                                              ————————–

Along the way she began to use her healing abilities to heal people. If she happened to come across anyone in need, she would try and help them however she could.

Orora had been aware of the devastation caused by the Fire Nation, yet seeing innocent people suffer first hand just made her hate them more.

“There, that should heal.” She muttered, keeping her voice a little deep so as to keep up her persona of being a smooth skinned young boy. Did boys even possess the ability to heal? The people weren’t complaining though. The merchant gave a small nod in thanks.

“My gratitude boy, blast these bandits. They seem to be everywhere today.” The old man groaned as he rummaged in his purse to take out a few coins and give it to her. “You’d do best to avoid the roads at night, boy. There is a Spirit lurking around, stealing from whoever it comes across.” The man warned her, already standing up and shuffling off after giving his warning.

Orora stared after him, biting her lower lip. She had been sleeping in the darkest and the remotest places she could find. Sometimes in a cave, if she were lucky. Humans she could avoid easily. But Spirits!

She hoped she never run into one.

                                              ————————–

It seemed luck wasn’t on her side. Or in a twist of fate, maybe it was?

She had been sound asleep underneath and old tree, huddled against the roots and nearly invisible. But the Spirit that approached her could see her perfectly. Another target. Someone it could steal from.

The Spirit crept forward, eyes on the prize, ignoring all other feeling.

Orora, however, was woken by a sudden yank. Her eyes snapped open, instantly falling on the her hand where the string was so tightly taut she was afraid her finger would be cut off.

A twig cracked, and the sound echoed in the clearing where she slept and chaos broke loose.

The Spirit attacked her by leaping into the air. She retaliated by throwing her arm out, water whipping out of her canteen and forming several icicles that flew towards her would-be attacker. Several of her ammunition managed to snag the black clad figure, cutting through fabric and skin in several place. The assaulter had not been expecting her to attack back and fumbled. As the figure fell to the ground, Orora wasted no time in creating a wall of water and threw her arms out. The figure flew through the air, slamming against a tree, a solid wall of ice forming all around, leaving only the head able to move.

Just then the moon came out from behind the crowd and Orora was able to see her attacker. A blue mask stared back at her, blank and looking even more horrifying in the shadows cast by the branches of the tree. She didn’t bother masking her voice as she pulled out her dagger, ready to attack the figure if need be. “Who are you!?” She demanded.

Suddenly the figure stilled, the mask covered face facing Orora, allowing her to to assess it quickly. It didn’t....look like a spirit as the merchant had claimed. She frowned a question forming on her lips when she suddenly felt that yanking feeling in her finger again.

“What?” She glanced down, just in time to see a string appear out of thin air, taut as it stretched across the distance between her and the.......Spirit. Her eyes widened, and her heart leaped in her throat and her gaze became fixed on her prisoner.

Her feet seemed to move on their own as she slowly walked to stand in front of the figure. They were almost eye to eye, given that she had pinned her attacker a little lower against the tree. The string shortened with each step she took, her heart picking up speed as she finally stood before the would be Spirit.

Fingers trembling, eyes still wide, she reached up, grasping the mask from around the edges and lifting it away from the skin. She paused, as if allowing them both a moment to gather prepare themselves before she slowly lowered the blue mask to reveal the face that lay underneath.

Bright gold, a color she had never seen in eyes before, stared back at her. They were intense and seemed to hold a fire within. There was something.....powerful behind the gaze. Though that power was subtle, almost as if it was hiding. It didn’t take long for her to break the intense stare and slowly begin to take in the rest of his face. He was just a boy. Perhaps a year or so older then her, but still. There was nothing much to see since half his face was marred by a scar. Her lips parted in silent horror.

Her Healer mind kicked in, informing her that this was a scar left after a severe burn of some kind. But who would do something so cruel?

Involuntarily, her hand lifted, fingers only barely brushing along the edge of the rough skin of the scar. Her gaze flitted to his eyes once more which had a sudden sheen in them that had her pulling her hand back, and tripping over her feet as she backpedaled. A sudden burst of light didn’t help her startled situation as the boy melted away her ice with a blast of fire and dropped to the ground.

Unfortunately, the fire blast was just powerful enough that she couldn’t manage to catch herself. Her ankle twisted and she fell.

A sharp pain bloomed at the back of her head.

And everything went dark.

                                              ————————–

He had his eyes on the prize. The figure was alone and would be easy to rob. Zuko had barely been able to see them given how cleverly they hid in the shadows, but the moon had decided to come out from behind a cloud just at that moment, allowing him to see the figure.

What had didn’t understand was, how had the figure been able to sense his presence. He had been careful with his every move and silent. His entire concentration had been focused, perhaps this was why he didn’t feel the insistent tugging at his finger.

But when he was pinned to the tree and was struggling against the ice that suddenly encapsulated him, he was able to see the error of his ways. For one his hand felt like his finger was being pulled off. For another he recognized the figure as she stood in front of him. His eyes widened behind his mask and he stopped struggling.

It was her!

The watertribe girl he had saved during the Seige. Sure she looked very different from their previous meeting, her long hair was completely gone and there was no blood on her. Yet he remembered her eyes. He had never forgotten them. They haunted him in his waking hours, and lurked in his dreams when he would sleep. And seeing her, standing in front of him, his body forgot to fight. Forgot to struggle and forgot to escape.

All he could focus on was her eyes.

She asked him a question, he barely heard her.

Zuko watched as her eyes trained at the thread that connected the two of them. Her entire demeanor changed as she came to the realization. He had no idea when she began to walk, but suddenly she stood in front of her, lifting his mask away from his face.

She stared at him, and he stared back.

He allowed himself to assess her as he hadn’t done so when he encountered her in the past. Her skin was brown, a stark contrast against his pale complexion. Her features were soft and her short hair seemed to make them stand out even more. Her eyes were a blue he had only ever encountered when he dealt with ice. They were blue yet they held a certain coldness in them. It wasn’t like Azula’s, no this was different. Calculated, suspicious yet...... understanding and kind.

But then he felt her fingers against his scar and whatever spell had been cast was broken. He grunted as he escaped her trap, dropping to the ground expertly and shaking out his hands and feet. It only took him a few seconds, but by the time he looked up, the girl was falling to the ground, followed by a dull thud before she fainted.

He strode over to her, wincing as he caught sight of the rock she had hit her head against. She wasn’t bleeding, a quick brush of his hand against the back of her head proved as much, which was a good sign. He should leave. Leave and not look back. He had managed to dodge her during the Seige, perhaps he could do the same now?

Nodding to himself he quickly retrieved the swords he had stashed near a tree and began to walk off. He had only taken a few steps when he paused. He glanced back. She laid there in the clearing, helpless and defenseless. His mind flashed back to just a month or so ago, when he had saved her from that Fire Nation soldier from......finishing her off. The more stubborn part of his mind urged her to leave and just go.

But the part that thought with his heart, that always seemed to speak to him in his Mother’s voice, gently reprimanded him for leaving her like this when it was his fault she was hurt. The thread had disappeared, yet he could still feel the tightness of it around his finger. Zuko didn’t know how long he stood there, raging inwardly.

Finally, he let out a small growl.

Quickly picking up her fallen dagger and pack, he pulled her up, securing her arms around his shoulders and with his arms under her legs, he managed to hoist her behind his back and began the trek back to where his Uncle was.

The small puffs of breath that fell from her lips was the only indication to him that she was alive.

[deusvervewrites]

If you could write an MHA rewrite, what arcs would you redo and how would you develop certain characters like Katsuki and Izuku?

I've discussed some of this elsewhere but I don't feel like tracking it down again.

For the plot rewrite, I'd leave everything mostly the same up until Kamino. I'd introduce Stain earlier, via a news broadcast or Izuku's fanboy hobby having him see articles about him. I'd also plant seeds about the HPSC sooner, like having Stain explicitly sentenced to Tartarus without trial. I'd also find a way to namedrop Lady Nagant sooner as someone in Tartarus who used to be a Pro Hero. I'd also have Detnerat appear a few times, in advertisements or at the shopping mall, etc. Maybe Hatsume can mention them and call them hacks or something.

As for the more substantial changes, we start at Kamino Ward, where All For One would launch some kind of desperation move against All Might that results in his own death, or otherwise be similarly fatally hoist by his own petard.

Then I'd start getting a bit crazy.

With All For One dead, there's suddenly a massive criminal power vacuum. Overhaul's arc can stay mostly the same, but other criminals and groups should be plotting and acting as well--such as the Meta Liberation Army, who we would be indirectly introduced to early as a shadowy criminal conspiracy with serious money and ties.

There would be no Quirk transfer; Shigaraki would take over the League, find his own motivation and go from a screaming manchild to a Well-Intentioned Extremist shifting his focus away from All Might and UA to Hero Society as a whole, targeting the HPSC or Top Heroes, or other similar symbols of society.

The final battle between Midoriya and Shigaraki would happen during a showdown between multiple Villain factions vying for the power and influence left behind by AFO and the Heroes attempts to stop them. This would end the first year.

With AFO dead and the League defeated, the Second Year starts out much calmer, we get some more worldbuilding, the Work Studies are back, everyone's happily talking about what they've learned--and we smash cut to Re-Destro murdering a Pro Hero. Ideally one we've been introduced to before but not a major character. Someone like Native or Manual, that we've only really seen in passing.

The audience is finally introduced properly to the Meta Liberation Army, who up until now have been supply Support Gear to the previous Villain Groups but staying out of the fighting. With pretty much all of their opposition gone, they move to seize the criminal underground and massive political clout in the public. Trumpet campaigns for the Diet. MHA becomes a conspiracy thriller as the MLA's enemies are targeted for assassination and multiple 'unconnected' groups move with their gear and backing.

This arc has a major theme about Quirklessness and Quirkless discrimination, and the effects its had on Midoriya and Bakugou.

Eventually, the Heroes are able to track the conspiracy back to the MLA--thanks to Hawks spying for the HPSC--and raid Deika City for the final battle, and Re-Destro gets wrecked by a joint effort of Heroes he dismissed as weaklings with pathetic Quirks or something. End Year Two.

Year Three, their final year at UA, and the HPSC is sweating bullets, and all the planted seeds about their shady shit pays off in full. The HPSC goes full authoritarian, cracking down on personal freedoms in the name of their definition of Safety. Shit goes to hell in a handbasket. Hawks is suddenly a major antagonist. 1-A (now 3-A) is forced to go on the run to avoid arrest.

This arc focuses a lot on the nature of Justice and is far more blatant about its societal commentary.

In the end, Midoriya becomes the Greatest Hero by defeating Hawks and apprehending the HPSC President for her various crimes against humanity.

Smash cut to seven years later for the epilogue showing some about the new society and how it's better, while seeing where all the characters ended up. Namely, they're all getting together to throw a big party to celebrate that Eri (now 15) has been accepted into UA.

As for the character arcs, there's only a few things I'd tweak. I'd have Bakugou acknowledge his similarities to Endeavor at his worst and his not-exactly Heroic tendencies about murdering Midoriya, and rework his apology to take more responsibility and not do it in front of a crowd. Bakugou would also lose in the Ground Beta fight or whatever rematch replaces it.

Midoriya's fine, though I'd add more about how his past has fucked him up and makes him assume things about people based on those experiences, such as 'teachers always hate me' and 'no one could possibly like me.'

[marabarl-and-marlbara]

i think i saw you talk about picayune a bit on your twitter! i was wondering about it if you’re willing to give your thoughts. i heard it was similar to that one game that’s called the void rains upon her heart, at least from a friend of mine.

hi anonymous; although i say i could gush about it: i mostly said everything i:d want to on the twitter already, but yeah: i love it, it:s a sneaky "top game of the year" for me, i think, and is one of those passion-projects (?) that just feels as though it carries with it a-lot of love for game design and just the act of creating games; i:d put it like this: i really enjoy survivors-type games because they:re dopamine-traps that just give me skinners-box gratification when i:m struggling to get through a day, but as a genre the games are very formulaic and usually seem like they:re 1) cynically made because the formula is hot + can make some easy cash for little effort since the game-design aspect is just laid out like clean providence 2) made a little more earnestly but usually for a developer as an exercise which happens to also be probably decently lucrative -- and both of these prior points lead to pretty stale experiences, but dopamine-trap experiences that i like all-the-same, as-well: due to me just not having a lot of money outside of my weekly grocery budget, i don:t really let myself spend money on non-grocery things, so: looking @ picayune dreams i was hit with this mix of "this looks awesome" and "i know this formula and the gloss is just going to be another stale 100% achievement grind that:ll eat up my time but leave me mad at myself for wasting $5 when i need groceries" -- but it had a demo, and (happily) the demo betrayed my cynicism and just oozed with sincerity on behalf of the developers, so: i bought it.

it:s a very good blend of shmup/bullet-hell type gameplay and the standard survivors-genre, and although i don:t think it:s the best gameplay in either genre, the experience as one whole is executed perfectly for what it is: it unfolds and never seems lazy in its effort or gameplay; the obtuse mechanics are fun to figure out; the story segments (while super iterative of yume nikki type rpgmaker stuff) have this razor-sharp conciseness for the vibe it wants you to feel that i really enjoy (it reminds me of scientology, archangel:nemesis in a weird way: because the breadth of the plot centers around being selected to save a humanity that is trapped down here on earth, sort-of indifferent to your mission -- and i think it creates this plot really beautifully despite using very little words or demanding a lot of your time (<- this point here is key for me, cause i have northernlion syndrome of nearly no-longer having patience for games that want me to stare at some story for a long time, or hit you with tutorials before gameplay, or whatever: picayune dreams just goes and trusts you to figure it out)).

i haven:t played it much lately, cause (if it had one fault, which is more just my user-experience than the devs) the runs can get to be longer than i have patience for (you can loop and at this point you:re getting close to an hour run), so i end up self-destructing when i get bored;

i:d encourage anyone to give the demo a try, or just look at the steam-page and take in the art direction -- it:s a game that probably won:t let you down if it even /slightly/ looks interesting to you, & i still feel a rush of goosebumps when the final song comes in during the last boss; it:s just solid (void rains upon her heart is another one of these great games for me but i 100%'d it earlier in the year and have just been waiting for the dev to add more content; that:s another game that i think more people should give love to because it blends shmup+roguelite formula better than any other attempt i:ve played and also never really let my expectations as a player down as i trusted it to unfold with content and excitement -- because that:s what i like about this trend of roguelite/meta-progression in games: games that use these are like constantly wanting to award you with more because it:s like they are just so eager to spend time with you and don:t want to let you down (at the least cynical)).

at the moment though i:m just playing DCSS cause i:m back in a "everything feels pretty dull and colorless at the moment" spell -- but again: that:s why i love stuff like picayune dreams and sci-fi harry; occasionally stuff surprises you with its love, its passion, and you can:t help but let yourself be affected, and i like being affected.

take care.

[triplesilverstar]

Bar lights don't help

Rating: 18+ Minors DNI

Pairing: Vash X F!Reader

CW: Canon Typical Violence, mentions of injury, blood and injury, pining, drinking, you’re both idiots

Word count: 2.1K 

A/N: Chapter One of Thoughts lost in the sand. A series of one shots set between "An idiot walking in the desert" & "The Idiot is still walking in the desert " Where we see Snipes ignoring her feelings and Vash coming to realize his are a little more than just being friends.

You smiled from your seat at the bar back against the wall watching the revelry as it unfolded, a foot resting on the high chair next to you. The town had a good reason to celebrate an attempted robbery of their bank that afternoon stopped without a single injury.

Well no injuries to the townsfolk, the bandits had a few pretty bruises in shades of blue and purple painting their faces and more than a few of those bruises were very much rifle butt plate shaped. Yet the town itself hadn’t been too worried about the condition of those who had tried to rob them of everything they had. 

The attempted hold-up halted all because the bus you had been planning to take was late, which also meant Vash was around. Your tall red clad shadow that you just couldn’t seem to shake, still following you from place to place. While neither one of you had yet to say it, you had made the transition from sort of traveling companions to friends some time ago. The days of finding him an annoying shadow you couldn’t shake were long gone, even if you still had slightly different views on how to make money. 

So when the bandits rolled into town shooting at random from their car you and Vash just looked at one another, shrugged your shoulders, and split apart. Clearly, these morons knew the place as in no time the bank door was open and they were walking out laded with stolen goods. So Vash played the fool and popped the car tire as they tried to load the money bags in the vehicle making small talk and trying to seem unassuming, while you started from the other side and in their confusion over the burst rubber started slamming them with your rifle as a club. 

It had been over in minutes. 

And the town had been dead set on not letting the two of you leave that afternoon after that little showdown was dealt with, intent on having a party which resulted in both you and Vash being given free rooms for the night at the hotel and dragged to what the locals called the best bar in town. 

It was the only bar and stuffed with more food than you’d be able to finish and the townsfolk were dead set on stuffing you and Vash till you were ready to burst. Or at least they were trying with you, ignoring all the comments about how you couldn’t eat anymore at least until the old woman running the bar stepped in to be your defense. 

Vash had been happy stuffing his face and then the taps at the bar were opened, and Vash went from those shy little grins to a laughing fool. Cheering with the townsfolk and raising his mug of beer in the air before being dragged to the dance floor. Time and time again, pretty girl to pretty girl. 

The first chance you had, you bolted for the wall well aware if you tried to leave you’d just be dragged back into the party. Your earlier attempt halted in a similar manner and there was an itch building at the back of your skull because of it. 

A few short months ago you wouldn’t have cared and slipped out anyway, hiding on a rooftop somewhere to watch the stars. Now though? Now even if you had tried to run a part of you stuck around because Vash himself had made you see something. “I don’t stick around for me, I stick around for them. They aren’t like you and me Snipes, so if they feel they need to celebrate, who am I to refuse them.” 

You’d groused back that it was just an excuse for him to get a few cheap beers which made him rub the back of his head in that stupid sheepish manner. And yet his words had made you change your tune, the ring of truth you wanted to ignore kept whispering in your ears. Sure you still weren’t drinking anything more than a single beer if you even had that, and still scowled to an extent at those that tried a little too hard to pull you into activities you didn’t want to participate in. Yet at the end of it all and putting your own discomfort for solitude aside you were sticking around, and while Vash still sent you looks of exasperation while you hid at the edge of the party you were still there. Because it wasn’t about you. It was about them. 

“Hey, there little lady” pulled from your musings as one of the men, probably no older than twenty leaned on the bar beside you. “How about you come join me for a dance?” A soft chuckle leaves you, as you sip from your water flicking your eyes at the man standing beside you. Another reaction that would have been rather different a few months back when you would have sent him a scowl to send the devil himself running. 

“Sorry friend. Just have two left feet.” A gentle refusal and the boy with his flaxen hair just shrugs and heads back towards the center of the bar back into the fray of the party. 

Rolling your shoulders and looking back at the bar you take a longer drink, sighing and running a hand down your face. You’d never understand your own appeal, you were covered in sweat and grime from the heat of the day and the brief interlude of fighting. “Aw Snipes, there is a heart under all that cool disinterest.” 

“Funny, real funny Vash.” You snort, rolling your eyes as his long lean body drapes across the bar beside you spreading one of his arms along the smooth surface. “I thought you figured out I had a heart a while ago, especially when you held my hand for those two stupid days.” 

“Not gonna let that one go are ya?” Turning your attention fully to Vash you roll your eyes again, watching him swallow the last of his mug. He’s somehow found a tie and has it wrapped around his head, keeping the scruff of his longer hair out of his eyes, a knot at the temple, and the length of the tie hanging along his face. Seeming casting a shadow along his facial features as the light from the bar reflects above him, making him seem a little more ominous than usual.  

“You had your chance to cut Stamp, it’s your own fault for sticking around. I’m gonna keep that ammo in my pocket till I have to use it.” Laughing as you signal for the bartender, watching the gray-haired matron nod her gaze flicking to Vash’s empty mug as well. A tap of your finger and another nod as she pours your partner another beer and brings the jug of water with her for you. 

“But then who would I have such fun adventures with?” Smirking with a blush painting his cheeks as his head is thrown back that image from seconds earlier gone, a clear indication he’s starting to feel the amount of booze he’s no doubt had. Oh well, his hangover tomorrow won’t be your problem. “Besides, maybe I like you having some dirt on me.” 

Something about the way his voice rings in the air makes you look at him a little harder, and your heart shudders in your chest. He isn’t just leaning against the bar, he’s perched so part of his body is on the chair your foot is pressed against. His long legs crossed over one another and the fabric tight showing the muscle of those strong thighs. The baggy crimson of his coat hangs with gravity to highlight just how much of his figure is hidden from sight within the bulk of it, the turtleneck taut across the expanse of his chest. 

The pink tinge on his cheekbones and the way his sunglasses have slipped lower on his nose allow you to see more of his face normally hidden behind the orange lens, making his blue eyes seem even brighter. Like two ocean pools, and it makes you yearn for something that you can’t find in this desert world. Your mouth suddenly feels as dry as the dunes just past the edge of town, something is swimming in those blue depths as the corner of his mouth lifts, parting his lips. Your shoulders begin to tense and your heart starts to race faster the longer he has you caught in those brilliant eyes. 

Only to close it as someone calls out to him, breaking the moment. A light sheen of sweat breaks out between your shoulder blades which you’ll swear to the universe is because of the beaming overhead lantern light cast across you. You’ll blame the thundering in your head on the sound of those dancing around you, and not the muscle in your chest beating a far faster tempo than it should have from that single gaze. 

No. 

None of what you feel as your body goes numb is because you’ve realized you're sexually attracted to one Humanoid Typhoon.

One Humanoid Typhoon that you just happen to be traveling with, that you had been actively hunting to cash in his bounty. 

No. 

It’s all because of the liveliness of the town around you because you can’t, won’t, refuse to believe you could feel anything more than companionship for someone as wholesome as Vash. Swallowing the last of your water and making an excuse to slip outside, hoping the cold dry air will make your body calm down and there must be something showing on your face as those still sober at the door make no attempt this time to stop your attempt to leave. 

Not that they could have now that you wanted out back into the open space. 

The moment the chill air hits you, you hold off from fastening your jacket, taking a few steps farther out before stopping and lifting your head to the sky. A long breath and counting to four as you inhale letting the crispness seep into your ribs, another count of four before you let it out just as slowly. Watching the small cloud form and rise from your lips before disappearing into the air around you. 

Dragging a hand down your face, feeling the heat rising from under your palm before digging your fingers along your hair and shaking it like mad. You are not growing attracted to Vash. 

You can’t. 

It’s just a recipe for disaster. You might look like you’re in the prime of your life, but you’re old. Old enough to be at least his grandmother and it’s not right to let whatever affection you might feel for him start to grow. No. You need to shove it down and just continue to think of him as your friend. It’s all you can feel for him, the same amount of affection as if he’s a friend. 

You only have so much time before he figures out you aren’t exactly human, just like so many other people you’ve met over the years. While the physical scars are long gone, healed by your unique biology, the mental and emotional ones not so much. 

Time has never been your friend. 

Just like how you only manage to keep friends for a short amount of time. No one wants to be friends with a monster hidden behind a moniker you hate because your real one is never said, because it hurts less to be called a monster when no one knows your name. A facade to trick your mind. 

Dragging your fingers from your hair and dropping your chin to your chest, watching the smallest dance of sand upon the wind as it blows across the top of your boots. You just need to enjoy the companionship while you can before you have to go your separate ways. 

Again. 

The burning in your chest finally starts to ease and you roll your shoulders feeling the crack of a few vertebrates in your spine before turning towards the bar, glad the hotel was next to it as you took measured steps back. All while trying to shove thoughts of Vash out of your head. 

And the look you had seen in his eyes. A look you’ll have a long time trying to push out of your thoughts because you could have gotten used to someone looking at you like you mattered. 

Kicking the sand as you walk, unaware of those same blue eyes watching you from the window of the bar trying to come to terms with his own growing feelings towards you.

Back to Masterlist for the series

[wayfayrr]

I can picture wind being a pain in the butt to the school staff while gather kids to cause chaos because of getting bored from sitting in a chair for hours listening to the teacher rant about something and him of course not liking being talked down because of his age and so when he is taken detention he gets in a fight with the teacher which he wins of course and so reader is called to deal with him. Well yeah wind gets to see reader earlier now but reader is looking at him disappointed and tired. Reader gives him a trade offer that if he does good he gets more cuddles and attention from reader everyday and so wind quiets down and behaves more better altho does sleep in some classes because he is bored and so he is dreaming of him and reader having fun in his world with his grandma and sister like a family. In parent conferences I feel like there is a mini fight over who gets to go there help wind with pranks to get wind's side. When it comes to saving money legend sews up the clothes that owns that get ripped tho says it's for saving money but it's really to get close to reader and take some clothes that reader doesn't notice gone but it gets him butting heads with sage as the chain sees his lies but the chains knows he has dirt on them and that they are close. Wars gets thirsty comments from time to time but he always says their is already someone special to him as he talks about them in his videos at times which causes his fans to get the idea he's dating and so they call them lucky but he calls himself lucky. Twilight gets some of the old people from the farmers market to like him as he seems like those good old fellas and which when they see how he has a hand around reader's waist and seem so cuddly towards reader and so they think reader is his partner and when they notice there not married because of the lack of wedding rings, they ask when wedding is coming closing reader's chance to get away altho this does happen with the other open affectionate and possessive links (I'm talking about courage) they don't get as much praise and help to get their point as across other than sky and sage altho sage gets because he is the first and sky is sky. Reader notices how a lot of her stuff that has her scent goes missing but gives the ides its just them trying to find something familiar in this new world but later on reader fully realizes that they have a bunch of yanderes in their house and they want them but maybe they don't fight back because they aren't as strong as the chain even when they don't have magic altho they do have the high ground when running since this world is still new to them but that's the thing they can run but they can't hide and especially when they realize dink is after them too as running is just going to get more people hurt and hiding won't be good for long as the chain was able to get to them from another world, how is another county going to challenge them too harder pluse things are too personal and deep between reader and the links and we aren't going to get started with fierce.

Known as 👾 anon or numberonehere2008

It's great to see you 👾!!! and now I know why you're so good at coming up with ideas, I've seen some of the other blogs you've popped up on and everything is just sooooo good!!!! also the amount of stuff in this ask that's kinda similar to stuff irl is insane

fun fact the way you've described wind going to school is almost a match with my actual younger brother 🙃 (arguably he's even worse than you've described wind) so I am very used to dealing with someone who would rather rip a door off of its hinges than go to school ANSBXKSK but I'd like to think he at least tries for reader as to not upset them or exhaust them. also just promising wind a trip to the sea if it's possible if he gets a decent grade at school you know he'd be at the top of the class in an instant. The chain would most likely all take turns with reader to go for parents evening, but there's also the chance reader simply goes alone making things much more simple.

legend would be stitching up everyone's old clothes, and possibly even taking up embroidery. I can see him getting very upset if he saw that reader already had clothes they'd stitched up themselves however, and there'd be some mixed feelings there for him. what with wanting reader to have better things for themselves and loving the chance to show them how good he is at it. And definitely not getting the chance to mess up sage's clothes. Wars if he ended up live streaming would be pressured to bring reader in front of the camera by his fans but ultimately I think he'd be too selfish to want anyone who doesn't need to see them see them; making his fans ship them even more with how much he "respects their privacy".

also bold of you to assume Sage hasn't already gotten them rings!!! if he got the chance reader wouldn't be able to walk with the amount of jewelry he gives them, and that's not the only way he'd mark his territory, but if reader hadn't gotten a ring it would be a full blown arms race for the chain to get them one. Reader would also be very reluctant to push sage away since I reckon they've already been together for about a year before the chain show up, and are in a very good relationship at that!! so it'd be more likely that the chain push themselves away before driving a wedge in-between reader and sage. If the cursed links were there they'd be the worst for this!!! and they'd be pushing readers limits real quick, not that anything reader sees as bad happens but to them it's like their worlds are ending.

AKSNDN Sky is very much one of my favourites as well, he and sage could have my whole heart within an instant if they asked 💖💖

as for going abroad? the chain could get to reader with magic. if they didn't have that it'd be a lot harder to get them, what with passports and airport security on top of border controls so unless they didn't lose all of their magic then they've got as much of a chance as anyone else. But unless the chain did something very concerning as a yandere or got caught at least I think reader could excuse it as stress or a different culture, I mean they're already writing off a lot of sage's attraction due to that. although it's not impossible for them to realise how deep it goes, it might just take a while for them to see how bad it is.

[minttealoverrrr]

The Barbie Movie and Chris McCandless

The Barbie Movie and Chris McCandless

*Note: In reference to Into The Wild, I reference the story and Chris McCanless with the reverence of a fictional character, simply living in the story and that is all. Chris, the character in a book. I have nothing but deep respect for Chris, the real man, and his loved ones. 

      I don’t know anyone who didn’t love the Barbie movie. Every woman in my life (not including my mother) raved about it. Teachers, friends, vague acquaintances I follow on instagram. How much it made them cry, how accurate, how personal, how totally and utterly perfect the movie was. I had high hopes going in, fully dressed in all the pink I could scrounge out of my closet. Expecting to watch a movie that would make me cry, sob, feel seen and feel understood- I left the theater feeling… none of those things. If anything, I was a little discontented and I needed to pee. On the way back home, me and my mother tried to decipher why exactly we both failed to experience the same world-altering-life-changing-film experience we heard our peers sing praises for. 

      The book Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer was a part of my AP Lang classes required reading this year.  A nonfiction recollection of the life and death of Chris McCandless. McCandless grew up in Annandale, Virginia where his father worked as an antenna specialist for NASA. After graduating from Emory University he donated all his money and decided to become a traveler/hermit/hitchhiker of sorts- rejecting worldly things like money, objects, deep connections with others, and any contact with his family. On one of his stints, McCandless travels through Rural Alaska for months and dies after running out of food and consuming a poisonous plant. This is an arguably reductive summary, you can find the full wikipedia pages for the book and Chris’s story here and here. Throughout reading this book, my class had several discussions about McCandless and the book Into The Wild. What could have driven McCandless to do what he did? Did he have a death wish, going into the Alaskan wilderness with no survival training and knowledge, frighteningly low amounts of food, and no gear? Were his actions justified? Do we relate to his decisions, his actions? Some people argue McCandless was simply a free spirit, that his rejections of the material in favor for the individual and intangible were ones we should strive for. Others are confused with his choice to totally desert his family, to the point where McCandless’s mother sent a private investigator to look for her son upon his supposed disappearance. Some felt he was sort of naive or unintelligent, going into the woods in the dead of winter utterly unprepared. While my peers gingerly gave their takes on their sympathies and gripes with McCandlesses story and McCandless himself I found myself feeling a similar feeling from earlier that summer. A sort of wall, a barrier. I found myself fully unable to sympathize with McCandless, totally and utterly. 

    Why? What is it about McCandlesses story that makes it so difficult for me to resonate with? The answer here is, at its core, the same reason I found myself discontented with the Barbie movie. With regards to McCandless, a few notes are vital. Chris McCandless was white, very upper-middle class, immensely privileged and fourtenate, wealthy, and educated. Still, he rejected all his fortune and privilege for a life in the woods. Rejecting his family, loved ones, friends, and anyone who cared for him. As someone who has very different values (developed through my identity in a Pakistani and Muslim home/ as a Pakistani Muslim person) , herein lies my hangup. I find it nearly impossible to understand or sympathize with someone so steeped in privilege, only to pretend it doesn’t exist. His rejection of family, immense wealth, and deep privilege in nearly all aspects of life. Now, that is by no means Chris’s fault- failing to acknowledge or understand his privilege and its complexities. He was 20 something in the 90’s and read Tolstoy in the woods! I don’t expect him to know the first thing about race or privilege. But there are some things that irrevocably make it difficult for me to truly, really truly, sympathize with his story. Someone a few prongs up on the privilege ladder might take more of his story to heart, understand it more, be able to see his story for just and only that, his story. I am in a position to see the bigger picture, this story I’m the context of larger things. I am unable to sympathize with his story due to factors outside of both of our control. This doesn’t mean either of us are at fault, and it doesn't mean I should be expected to change how I feel to suit his story. I have no inclination to change how I feel about McCandlesses story or his choices.  Some might argue I should get a heart and try to understand what he went through. And I’m not saying I feel gleeful or joyous at his demise, not in the slightest. It is just that I, as someone a few prongs lower on the privilege ladder, shouldn’t be expected to be more sympathetic to someone who’s values and choices are both a) only able to of happened as a result of his privilege and b) miles away from what I value as important in this life. 

Back to Barbie. Barbie is not the story of womanhood. It does not encapsulate what it means to be a woman. It may encapsulate what it means to be a white woman, but not a woman. Barbie treats whiteness as the default. A white woman is a woman and that is all, a brown woman is a woman and she is brown- a woman and then some. It's not anyone’s fault that I failed to understand Barbie.  But Barbie tells the story of a white woman, which is different from a brown woman- not a basis for all womanhood. White womanhood is not the default, despite it being treated as such within the film. This innate feature, (unintentionally) driven to the core of the story, keeps me from understanding. And I should not be expected to look past my brownness, remove it from myself (or all the other things that make my girl-ness different from Barbie) to placate some sort of understanding- because all the things that make me myself are inseparable from each other, you cannot separate me from myself like a heterogenous mixture of traits, concepts, identities, and ideas. In the case of Barbie and McCanless, I find myself unable to truly understand their stories thanks to innate and unchanging factors on both sides- at the fault of neither.

[jmdbjk]

Run BTS show content ideas that we might see in the future.

...and not necessarily as a Run BTS episode!

This Photo Folio idea was Jungkook’s because during Run BTS ep. 124 aired Jan. 12, 2021, he came up with this idea. Here is how that episode unfolded and all the ideas that poured forth and a long analysis of how many have been used so far:

In the first part of episode 124, they brainstormed and presented ideas. They were given about 20 minutes to jot down some ideas. They did a lot of talking while sitting. Hobi said roller skating. JK and RM approved, then Hobi backtracked thinking it too dangerous, then Jin said in that case bicycles are too dangerous too. Yoongi said tennis and RM approved of that too. A few months after they filmed this, they probably shot the Dynamite MV’s and all that went with Dynamite including the roller skating rink that ended up in a couple of Bangtan Bombs. As we saw, Tae and Hobi were newbies at roller skating.

They all jokingly talked about a drivers license challenge for RM.

Hobi said hair designer. Yoongi brought up team sports and JK said e-sports, Yoongi said basketball. 

Hobi said raw fish/slicing fish which was a very unique idea. A sushi show. We’ve seen various Run BTS episodes that involved cooking and food prep.

Jimin said keyword location hunt meet up using memory or telepathy to find it and all meet there. Yoongi said it could be emotional, Hobi said it would be funny if all but one made it to the meeting spot...they all laughed about the possible outcomes of that idea.

After writing down their ideas they each stood on the platform and made presentations. 

They all said standing up there speaking made them nervous. (kekekeke)

Yoongi's presentation:

Sports challenge but wasn’t clear whether to play as one team against another unknown team or what. They did table tennis in episodes 138 and 139.

Psychological counseling or mental analysis which Jimin thought it was a great idea. This was the MBTI Lab videos they posted on BangtanTV back in May of this year.

Tae’s presentation:

Learn a music instrument and then perform a song as a band. Um is this why JK has been really taking his drum lessons seriously? We’ve seen him carrying the drum stick case everywhere and not yet once seen him playing drums recently.

Bangtan in disguise...travel on public transportation etc. and if you arrive at the final point without being recognized, you win. As soon as you are recognized, you are out of the game. Everyone agreed that was a brilliant idea. But good luck with that. Security guys will need to be in disguise as well.

Hobi’s presentation:

Hair designer. Jimin was ok with it as long as it was just styling and not cutting. I am really, really serious now. All of the long hair on the members is for this episode. We will be getting Hair Designer Bangtan in an Run BTS episode. Mark my words.

Healing time doing what each member likes to do for self care but separately. Jimin did not like it because he feels they should be together doing something.

BTS song festival, divide into teams and make songs to upload to Soundcloud for Army.

Jimin’s presentation:

The telepathy meet-up. This is obviously the theme of the upcoming Run BTS reboot – the Run BTS Telepathy Special teaser with them being led out of the studio blindfolded and we’ve seen photos of them out on the streets and in front of that stadium. All of which was filmed earlier this year.

Robotics. I would love to see them try this but so far, not any evidence that it might come to pass.

Crafts, accessories, friendship accessory (jewelry), silver. Of course, this was Jimin’s Vlog. 

Hide and seek police and thief game on a large scale. This would be interesting. 

Jin’s presentation:

Maze, large scale or 7 identical rooms and each has as much time as they need to escape it. Escape room type thing. I am thinking they did something like this in the past.

Scavenger hunt on a mountain (rent a mountain hahahahaha, money is no object for Jin) similar to the one they did on ATVs but this time walking/hiking. I would love to see this. 

Classic childhood games, throwing at a target, hopscotch, rubberband, spin tops, etc.

Tae's additional idea:

Mafia village role play game where each member plays a character they need to really get into while the game is ongoing. They did this in Ep. 120 Dec. 15, 2020 when they role-played and searched for clues in real buildings, and in Ep. 121 when they continued their missions but at the end of the episode they got transported back in time to Joseon Dynasty and those episodes were 145, episode 146 and 147 which aired August 2021. 

Namjoon’s presentation:

Create Run BTS theme song (ost) using simple objects. They did create a Run BTS song but it was far from simple. It’s a banger and apparently going to be used as the ost for the Run BTS reboot! 

Lucky 7 with simple things (the childhood games idea), flipping bottle competition, bottle caps, etc. Run BTS episodes 126 and 127 were titled 777 Lucky Seven 1 and 2.

Fan merchandise. Of course this is the Artist Made Merch we fought the Hunger Games for at the beginning of this year. These items were already in the works by the time this brainstorming episode aired in January 2021 as the planning stages began in late 2020.

Jungkook’s presentation:

Photoshoot for editorial pictures. THIS is where Vampkook originated. This is the Photo Folio idea.

He brought up team sports again and everyone discussed different sports. 

Jimin brings up shooting a music video for a b-side song and JK says he had that idea as well.

In the second part of the episode they reconvened at some point within the following month and a half and they narrowed down the short term and long term ideas:

The results:

Short term show themes: Role play Mafia game and Lucky 7 games. These were episodes 120-121 and 145-147 and Lucky 7 games were episodes 126-127 as mentioned above.

Long term project: Learn a team sport and all kinds of sports were listed: basketball, tennis, volleyball, dodgeball, baseball. As it turned out, tennis was the chosen sport and it played out in episodes 129 and 130. We know Jin ended up taking on tennis as a hobby because we’ve seen a Bangtan Bomb as well as Jin posting on his IG his late night tennis practices and we’ve seen Jimin and Jungkook going to their tennis lessons together for which I cannot find the video but here someone posted a clip of it on twitter.

So...that leads us to why I started this post in the first place: Photo Folio which was Jungkook’s photoshoot idea. We are getting photos and maybe behinds I think.

And the other ideas they brainstormed...I wonder if we will see they have learned music instruments since we know Jungkook carried his drumsticks everywhere. Playing music instruments as a band, a b-side song music video shoot, large scale maze, robotics, hair designer, Bangtan in disguise...all ideas we are waiting to see realized. They did so good coming up with ideas.

NOTE: I believe the brainstorming episode 124 was filmed in 2020 because they spoke about social distancing. The first part of the episode with blonde Jimin was filmed probably March 2020 and the second part with black hair Jimin was filmed probably late April or early May before the 28th because by then Yoongi had black hair.  

[that-one-anon]

Let’s take a peak at what he’s writing pretty please

+alright!+

+"I want to say that it's the middle of December. Maybe a bit earlier. Maybe a bit later. Hard to say. Though, it's snowing heavily. That's all that matters here.

He wanted to get some money for Hell knows what, so he went outside--in winter gear, don't worry-with a shovel. Outside looked like a white waste land. Makes it more eerie that it's a trailer park. He started going to house to house. Though, he either got a 'no, thank you anyways!', simply no response, or the realization that another kid already did. This went on for maybe an hour or so. His fingertips had started to crisp and get cold, so he got his mittens out and put those on.

With another few minutes of not finding a house to shovel a driveway for, he went to the highway. There aren't many houses by the highway, but there is a small town. He goes over knocking at those doors, getting the same results. One house had yelling, though a snowy driveway. He decides not to check that house out.

His fingers are blue.

He goes to one more house before he goes home. It's been at least four hours now. He knocks. A kind face welcomes him at the door.

"Hello!"

they say.

"Hello. I was wondering if I could shovel your driveway?"

he asks.

"Please do!"

And so, he does. This driveway was pretty huge. Took him two hours to finish. About half way through, he notices them watching him, writing down thins in an odd looking book. He shrugs it off, and continues. Once he is done, he goes back up to the person.

"I finished. Can I have some money, please? That took a while, and I'm saving up for #####."

The person nods, and offers him to come inside. He follows. Inside the house, it feels like a cult. A living room, decorated with goat-ish things, statues of cat-like angels, wreathes, and many books. A stairwell with pictures of what he could swear is a ritual. They lead him along to a room labeled "BANK". Once inside, they ask him not to follow them inside.

"Alright. But, first, if I may ask-"

He's cut off by the person shutting the door gently behind themself to get the money. He looks around. Many faces look at him. Some mutter. They all wear similar clothing, maybe with a different pattern in the shirt. After a few minutes, they come back out with the money. A good $100 dollars!

"Here. You did something good, kid."

they say. He jumps in joy, thanks them, and starts to head off. Though, maybe three fourths of the way home, he breaks down. It's cold. He didn't realize how cold his fingertips were. As if they are gonna break off. Though, after a few minutes, it feels like his tears fade into snow. They ARE snow. Fluffy, like snow. Snow. He runs back home. What's that voice he's hearing? That isn't snow! It's just cold out. Yeah.

Once home, he quickly get into some warm pajamas and curl up in bed. He stares at the $100 dollar bill that the person had given to him. So much! He can buy a lot with this."+

[theodorevg923]

Your werecreature au has been on my mind, so I figured I’d let you know that these guys have been fully developed! They were only really speculated about by me, but after that, I didn’t want to miss the chance of making some established characters in this universe. Enjoy!

⭐️The Rockstars⭐️

General Information

They were originally meant to serve as backups to more popular predecessors. Over time, as the other bands split off or dwindled, they finally became relevant.

Could they even call themselves a band? They were just a group of young weres in a desperate situation. They’d all claim they bonded against their wills, but they lie.

When each of them realized they were getting more than they signed up for, they all tried to run. Unfortunately, most didn’t find any hope of escape…

Some of their species may not line up with the famous characters they were meant to resemble. However, they are just similar enough to work.

Rockstar Freddy

Age: 19

Bitten at: 18

Species: Spectacled Bear

He was an ambitious young entrepreneur who was left broke and desperate when his ideas got rejected. Then he received an undeniable offer…

It looked like volunteering for a study on the surface, which was easy money in his book. Next thing he knew, he was a were, and had to adjust to his new life.

Despite being the youngest and least experienced, he is the self proclaimed leader of the band. The others really only let him have that title to make him feel better.

Rockstar Chica

Age: 30

Bitten at: 24

Species: Buff Brahma

When she was human, she was a ring girl in an underground fighting ring, but also served as the referee. She had taken down weres twice her size with ease for years.

Being bitten always had an appeal to her, as a way to take her MMA skills to the next level. The transformation only made her bigger, stronger, and deadlier.

She’s a kind soul, but that comes out as fierce protectiveness. If you mess with those she cares about, there’s very little besides death that can save you.

Rockstar Bonnie

Age: 27

Bitten at: 22

Species: Blacktailed Jackrabbit

He used to be the young underboss of a coveted criminal organization, until they convinced him to undergo a test to prove himself worthy, which left him like this.

While he loves his vintage music, the cheap guitars are also good for bashing in skulls. He is careless with these guitars, knowing his real gem is safely tucked in its case.

This is one of those people who believes he was born in the wrong decade. He’s a total Greaser style wise, and has the New Yorker accent to fit.

Rockstar Foxy

Age: 28

Bitten at: 25

Species: Maned Wolf

As a man, he was a drug dealer in the black market, known for his lax attitude and lack of affiliation. When he got roped into a bad deal, he met the same fate as the others.

He’s taught his green macaw named First Mate all sorts of tricks to steal, spy, and infiltrate. The two have never gotten caught, and are thick as thieves…literally.

Determined to keep following his own moral compass, he secretly goes against orders if they don’t align with his values. Nobody can tell him what to do.

Lefty

Age: 22

Bitten at: ???

Species: Sun Bear

They were bitten young, and tried to escape whenever they could. They ended up losing their right eye while transforming due to lack of access to medical care.

The moment they finally managed to get out after so many attempts, they didn’t look back…until they heard more people were falling victim to this scheme…

All they are to the rest of the band is a mysterious whispering voice on the other end of a phone. Shrouded in secrecy, they try to help from the outside.

I'll edit this later with my own HCs later-

Posting earlier for ya @my-makeshift-masquerade

[lulubui]

Scarabee and Kitty Claw Au [movie special]

The au belongs to @a-chlolix-blog with the idea just randomly popped out of my mind.

I just gonna give it a try about my Shanghai sketch based on their SB and KC au, if you reading this @a-chlolix-blog , I love your au and hope this can be the first au base special.

So let's begin.

Take place earlier into season 2, around post Befana after Marinette got the Dragon miraculous.

Alot of things change in the Shanghai special with some detailed that the next mlb au tales will be needed.

-Like the beginning of the movie, Gabriel researched about the prodigious and the Chinese legends, he then send both Adrien and Chloe to their with him (With audrey permission too).

-Hearing that, Chloe tranform into Kitty Claw and inform Scarabee that she will have to move away from Paris. Similar with Stallion star.

-On the other hand, Alix's family also have an invitation to Shanghai for a ancient sculptures which is also related to Hawkmoth/ Gabriel plans. The villain requesting for Alim to go into the old kung-fu school and find the secret prodigious.

-Alix who knew something wouldn't gone well so she give Kitty Claw an alarms cat with four buttons, one for each heroes (Scarabee, Kitty Claw, Stallion and Draconia). They also have the similar type of doll but all represent their heroes indentity.

-After Befana, Gina question if Marinette want to visited her uncle, who now famous with his signature soup (Kung-food) and pay a visit to her mother home country.

-The girl worried about the money as her parents and Gina told they will take care of that. She agree.

-4 of them all went to Shanghai with 2 side not no the other appearance.

[Alix inform Marinette and they were in one group.]

[Chloe and Adrien go as a group]

[They forgot to tell each other. Mostly Chloe being rage at her mother for sending her to Shanghai, Alix did told them but didn't told about her destination. Similar to Marinette who begin to late.]

~

All of them arrive at Shanghai.

Marinette noticed Adrien and Chloe

Alix spotted a strange girl.

Fei who secretly steal people stuff

(Fei past still be the same in this Au's)

Feeling unusual, Longg and Tikki warn each other through their owner pigtails, as the crowded become big, splitting them up. Fei take her opportunity to appoarch the rich kid group, as she immediately pause and take a turn due to Adrien's bodyguard.

Due to Alix height she been cut off from Marinette (being pulled away by those bullied), her father and Gabriel were having a meeting (carefully since Gabriel will spoiled his identity without caution).

-Hey little girl? Lost from your parents?

-Shut the fuck up or I will spit out Arabic you fucking perverted.

Before they get to shove her, Jalil having a siblings radar and sense a dangerous things so he bolted to her place and punch the heck out of the guy. (1 out of 5 being eliminated)

-Luckily those boxing lesson with Nora seems useful for this type of situation.

Marinette from no where appear, crushing the other two. (3 out of 5 being eliminated)

A girl sudden appear (Fei) beaten the other one, with Alix totally smacking the last one hard in his nuts. (all of them being eliminted. Victory)

-Alix! Are you okay? Did they SA you?! Do you need me to push them down the river behind you?

Jalil worried, Marinette about to crushed them, while that happends, Fei sneakingly stole Marinette choker, which Longg felt a bad feelling before freezed when they knew something wrong was happended, they been suck into the choker, later on being put into the pink purse.

Chloe and Adrien sees the scene, run to, the blondie who watched Alix flipping off the male that two times her side having butterflies inside her stomache. Adrien also recognized Marinette martial talented which she leared from her mother.

Fei assited Alix up since the girl just fell to knock out the guy, while helping dust off, she slyly take the earring, but only got one as Chloe called out Alix name.

-Hey SHORTIE!!!!

Fei tense up and get away with one earring and a choker with some stuff from Marinette pocket. She later on give to Cash who bargain her a small price. Since Alix left out only an earring, Tikki being reannounced into it as well as Longg. Chloe happily reunited with Alix.

The group united and splitted out again, Alix with her family at the exhibition, Adrien and Chloe at the fashion (to which Chloe didn't have any pleased to be here), Marinette got lost into the main street.

Marinette and Fei scenario recreated, but with Longg be able to exit the necklace and witness the scene between Fei and Cash, they then pick up the earing the moment Fei switched between the choker.

Marinette lost her believe in Fei and run away, Longg stopped explained the problems. They then encounter a ruin school.

Back at the Kubdel family, Alix was in the school with her dad and brother, without knowing they accidently open the secret door. Hawkmoth show up as they all ran away. Alim and Jalil being protective as Alix find it hard to transform both for her lost earring and the family supervise.

The pink hair girl have no choice as pressed and call out the other hereos, whom both transform and arrive at the school, Marinette already there with Longg so she asked Longg to return the earing quickly, they did as Alix be able to transform.

Fei catched up on Marinette so she been delayed her transform, they heard a noise so go in and investigate.

The prodigious and Hawkmoth scene still remain as canon but with Draconia and Stallion, Fei able to use the amulet yet unable to become the dragon. Cash attack in his akumatized form, later on the statue, which wiped off both Hawkmoth and 1/50 the population of Shanghai.

Draconia encouraged Fei; Stallion, Scarabee and Kitty Claw fight agaisnt the statue, which also wiped off both Stallion and Kitty Claw, Scarabee have a panic attack, Draconia become stress as de-trasform (already use all her elements) in the corner of the building.

The statue blast off the corner, Marinette fell, Fei turn into a dragon and save her.

Understanding her power, she team-up with Scarabee and Draconia and defeated the statue, also become the true prodigious. Stallion return with Kitty Claw, Scarabee pulled the cat into a hug which make her blushed hardly and hug back (with a kiss).

Fei being ask to worked in Marinette uncle restaurant, Alix and Chloe hang out a bit, and everything sovles.

~~~~~

Cut off from the canon, this is the au post ending for the next Scarabee and Kitty Claw movie that I think off - relted to Vietnam so I could write about Kim and more Chloix romance. ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

At the end, while everyone packing up to returned, Fei receive an mysterious letter, in which the owner of it would recover fully her kung0fu with a special sponsor. The renlings then told her to get back at the place where she met Mei Shi, only to found a water pouring fountain with weird symbol crossing over it.

Later on, after left and went out, Fei meet an old man who resemble almost identical her adoptive father and an old woman.

"Who are you?"

"You wouldn't want to knew me yet LadyDragon, or I may say the new holder of the Chinese prodigious."

"We're here to tell you about the power that you're holding as it also related to your country"

Fei baffle look at the couple before been warn by the renlings, however Mei Shi didn't seem to bother as it come out, to most of Fei shocked, the couple look normal over the spirit like creature.

"Fei, from what I sense, these two are the last vigilante prodigious master. They have a protection aura that only myself can sense it"

The girl worried as willing to be in defence stance, but on what the spirit said, she soften and greeted. They acquaint about her future destination as well as the water fountain symbol.

"If Scarabee and Kitty Claw call out, don't hesitate and fly to their place. We won't be here for long afterward, let's hope all great things happen to you"

yeah, so the next au special gonna take place 1 year after in Vietnam since Miraculous have a few hints in that country, such as Kim's origins and one of the Ladybug holder from there too. I do not knowing when the series will told about it so I wanna make my own headcanon and fic about that with Chlolix shipped

Love yall and have a great day :3

[maya-matlin]

How would you compare Sean and Zig?! I feel like they’re similar in someways and yet have a few major differences too :-)

Oh yeah, definitely! The thing about Zig vs Sean is that Zig kind of inherited the role of the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks thing from Sean while also taking up the clueless himbo role that was passed from Spinner to Drew and then finally to Zig. So there are definitely differences there.

The first thing that jumps out to me is their personalities. Sean is extremely serious and introverted. He's not a goofy guy. He has a sense of humor, but it's not seen all that often and sometimes can be more sarcastic than anything. Zig is different. While he has sarcastic moments, he's more expressive? Zig can be very silly and feels comfortable making a fool of himself or just breaking out into a dance move if the mood strikes him. Zig's much more the type to lighten the mood than Sean is. That being said, a lot of what they do stems from a similar place. Both Sean and Zig had rocky relationships with their parents. Based on what Sean says, his parents were alcoholics for a good part of his childhood if not his entire life. He grew up very quickly and become somewhat stoic to protect himself from getting hurt or feeling rejection. Zig's childhood is assumed to be pretty "normal" other than the fact his family has very little money. Whereas Sean grew up earlier in life and matured sooner, Zig was kind of unexpectedly forced to grow up quickly after having a fairly typical (we assume) upbringing after joining a gang and then losing the support of his family. As a result, Zig is independent in some ways while also extremely reliant on the validation he gets from other people. He's never entirely comfortable with the loss of his parents and seems to take them never 100% accepting him back into their lives extremely hard. It's not that Sean doesn't care, but in his eyes it's his parents/family who let him down and so his walls mostly stay up. Even though Sean eventually moves back in with his family for a year and a half, practically nothing is ever said about how things went or how Sean felt about it. Sadly, Sean was taken over by fan fic Sean at the beginning of season 6. His entire existence revolved around Emma, robbing Sean of sharing much of anything related to his personal life or past trauma. The Matlins took Zig in while Snake and Spike took Sean in. The difference is that Semma were casually allowed to date and live together while Zig basically lost his most stable home the second he and Maya hooked up. Once again, we didn't hear a lot about what these living situations meant to the guys. Sean and Snake had a history of bonding with Snake kind of being Sean's mentor during early seasons while we were told rather than shown that Zig had been "like family" to the Matlins during season 12. There's a semblance of Zig and Mrs. Matlin having a bond with him clearly having deep respect for her. Once the truth is out about Zaya, Zig refuses to sneak around while acknowledging that Mrs. Matlin had been so good to him. At the end of Sean's and Zig's runs on Degrassi, it's implied that their former girlfriends' families have essentially become their family as well.

Other similarities between the two include persistent anger problems and the need to step in to protect those they care about.

These aren't perfect parallels and Rick and Tiny are not similar characters, but I honestly feel like this was a deliberate callback to Sean and Emma.

Zig and Sean frequently make it clear how lowly they think of themselves, struggling to convince themselves they're worthy of having good things or will find any success. It's not really something that ends or gets properly resolved? Sean joins the army in the hopes that he'll get his life together and make something of himself. Zig isn't accepted into college and has no real plans, but does end up following Maya to California. But, the ways they deal with their low self esteem differentiate. While both are prone to self destruction and occasionally lashing out, Sean has a tendency to run away when he encounters a problem. Zig is more likely to stick around and attempt to figure things out, even if he does end up making things worse. Both underwent pretty drastic makeovers during their third seasons with their characters essentially being rebranded. Sean went from being the somewhat reluctant, gentle, misunderstood bad boy to kind of embracing his reputation and finding solidarity with people like Jay. He initially seemed to take pleasure in stealing and running with a "bad" crowd until he got in over his head and recognized the qualities within himself that made him different from Jay. Seasons 11 and 12 Zig wasn't even that. He came from a poor neighborhood and grew up with people like Damon, but was mostly perceived as being one of the good kids and relatively harmless. Once again, we don't get very many details regarding Zig's transformation or the specifics of how he became involved with the gang, but we know he did it for protection and it altered his persona. Zig was in much deeper than Sean, being forced to sell drugs and do whatever other shady things the writers never bothered to clarify. So while Sean seemed to make a deliberate choice to change without any force, Zig made his out of desperation. That's honestly all I have because the way his arc plays out, he appears to be one character at the end of season 12 and another when he see him again in season 13. The gap ends up being bridged as season 13 continues, but we still missed out on seeing a very crucial part of Zig's journey. Still, like Sean, Zig finds his core group of friends when he meets and befriends Tiny and Grace. It sure would have been nice to see how that all happened, but it was much more paramount to show us half of the younger cast competing over Miles in Paris. Interestingly, while Sean's transformation played a role in tearing him away from Emma, Zig's change brought him closer to Maya. To Emma's credit, it's Sean's choice to end the relationship. Regardless, some of Sean's most significant development happens without Emma in spite of their relationship being presented as one where Emma "saves" Sean, something Sean himself believes more often than not. That's another thing that Sean and Zig have in common. Both have complex relationships with their main love interests and more than once insist that their girlfriends are too good for them. I almost hate to bring up season 6 Sean because it's such a poorly written season for him, but his backwards, black and white view of Emma is pretty terrible and shows how poor of a grasp he has on Emma (at least at that point in his life) and how much of her life he's missed. Even though Zig thinks much more highly of Maya than he does himself, I feel like he's more aware of her flaws and comfortable with the idea of her making mistakes.

Other miscellaneous differences/similarities: Sean is consistently faithful to his girlfriends, always choosing to break up with them before another girl enters the picture. Zig cheats twice on two different girlfriends, albeit in different contexts and for a different reason each time. Thankfully, Zig pulling away from Maya and choosing to stay loyal to Esme implies he won't make the same mistake again. That being said, both have no qualms about homewrecking other people's relationships. Sean was just more successful at it.

That's about it? I tried LOL

[globaltalentexchange]

A R2I STORY: KHYATI THAKUR

Mrs. Khyati Thakur is currently working as a Senior Software Engineer at Inspirit.

She had moved to Los Angeles, USA, to pursue her Master’s in Computer Science, and had worked there for 9 years before moving back to India.

She has had a remarkable journey- personally and professionally. Khyati currently has over 10 years of experience working in the tech industry as a software engineer, engineering manager, and product manager and 7+ years of experience working as a K-12 curriculum creator. She has also worked as an educator in a non-profit in India.

The team at Global Talent Exchange got in touch with her recently, and she was gracious enough to tell us her story.

Khyati’s story is inspirational and conveys just how strong is the call of one’s motherland. 

Read on!

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m Khyati Thakur and I am currently living in Pune. I got my master’s degree from the University of Southern California (USC) and went on to work in the U.S. for a good 9 years as a software engineer. Over time, my husband and I realized we wanted to move back to India, and we’re here now!

A lot of your LinkedIn content revolves around your Return to India journey- could you elaborate on it?

When I first shifted to the US, I was sure that I wanted to come back and not settle there forever, as being close to my family is important to me. I met my husband at USC itself, and we both agreed that we would gain some experience in the US and then move to India. 2020 brought along the Covid pandemic, which delayed things for us. Finally, at the end of 2021, we decided to take the leap and relocate. I write about my journey to help others in a similar position take better decisions and understand how to go about the process.

What were the reasons that made you choose the US for higher education? How was life there- personally and professionally?

I think it was just because I was young and I wanted to explore how life would be in different countries. I was already working in India, and when I asked people how to accelerate my career to the next step, several recommended getting my masters from the US for exposure as well. The course content was great, I was working in a startup, and the work experience was good.

Though I was enjoying the way my life was shaping up, I always wanted to give back. When you’ve lived somewhere for so long, you are very connected to your roots, and family and you’re aware of the problems that exist. I even started working with non-profits in India while still in the US. I wanted to use my experience to build cool stuff for my people in India!

Apart from this, did you ever feel anything lacking in life while in the US?

Definitely. Of course, you can make some great friends in the US, and the colleagues are great, but nothing can even come close to the family and friends you have back home in India. It gets lonely very soon. It’s worse during festival time when you want to fly home with all your heart, but you can’t.

Covid was an extremely hard phase as well. Our parents got ill but we could not come back and take care of them due to the restrictions. It put things into perspective, and all the money that we were getting didn’t seem worth it any longer. The personal aspect overweighs the professional.

What was the “final trigger”? Why did you decide that this was the correct time to move back to India?

In my mind, I was ready to move way earlier than we actually did. Since at the time I was running my own startup, it was definitely easier for me to relocate. However, my husband was hesitant and wanted to explore more career opportunities before moving. 

He did, in fact, land his dream job, but soon after, the work pressure increased massively. The question arose: What are we even doing this for, what is the purpose? We wanted to be close to our family and use our skills to help our country. This was the final trigger. 

Would you say it can get difficult to find jobs across countries, and this search is what discourages NRIs from trying in the first place? What could make this process easier? 

Certainly. It was difficult for me, for sure. After Covid, my startup started losing traction, and I was in the search of a job in India. When I was conducting a job search, I was certain about the fact that I needed to be compensated fairly. 

India is booming right now, there are so many new startups that are solving real problems for the world. A majority of these companies are well funded and they are ready to pay handsome salaries because they want and need good talent. So, while it can be a little difficult to look for good jobs, it’s not impossible- you need to be patient and do your research. India is a silicon valley in the making- this is the place to be in right now.

What are some of the myths that would be debunked once NRIs return home? Do you think they still are envisioning an India that existed, perhaps, 10 years ago?

Most definitely- even I was holding on to such myths; the reality is very different. The job opportunities for sure to start with. I didn’t think it was possible to get such good salaries that are now possible. When we left India, the work culture was very different.

On a personal note, even the family scenario has changed. People are so much more liberal and there has been a major mindset shift and they are ready to accept new ideas- creativity is cherished! I thought I’m returning to the same old India, but that wasn’t the case. It’s not only our generation that has changed, even the older generation is more accepting and open-minded. 

What message would you convey to other immigrants who might be considering a move back? 

I would tell them about the career opportunities- there’s absolutely no shortage/limitation of them here. I would want to tell them that they can get paid just as much as they are in the US, but the interesting part is that they don’t need to. With just half of what they were getting paid in the US, they can lead an absolutely luxurious lifestyle in India. This is why even Silicon Valley VCs are looking for opportunities here and investing in the businesses.

On the personal front, I want to tell them that they will never be able to develop the kind of connections and relationships as they have in India. I understand it’s difficult to take the plunge, but it is so worth it.

Immigrants gain a lot of good exposure while working in the US. In what ways do you think they can leverage their experience to secure leading positions in India, and use their savings to lead a comfortable life?

NRIs can manage to save a lot of money. From my own experience, my husband and I were earning for just about 7 years, but when we moved back to India, we didn’t have to worry about finding work immediately. The amount that we saved was more than enough to sustain us for about 6-10 years even. We could sit back a bit and discover what we wanted to do further- such downtime is practically impossible in the US. Then again, the exposure you’ve gained can be utilized within the country as several companies would be willing to offer a lucrative salary for your expertise.

  Once you finally moved back, how easy or difficult was it to settle down? Is that a major point of concern? I would say it takes time to settle down. The weather could take you aback at first- India is a relatively hot country, but there are places with a cool environment as well. Also, the air quality and pollution could pose an issue, but this is where you came from and it doesn’t take extremely long for your body to adjust.

I think there are pros and cons to living in each country- you just have to prioritize. If you’re moving back to be close to your family and reconnect with your homeland, such problems hardly matter. Moreover, the food in India is so very fresh- be it vegetables, fruits, or milk. For example, in the US, we would get a massive 4-gallon jar of milk that would stay in our refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks, which is extremely unhealthy. Here in India, we get fresh milk at our doorstep daily.

Global Talent Exchange is a new-gen recruitment platform that specializes in helping NRI talent access top-notch career opportunities back in India that are in alignment with their experience and current pay. Do you think if you’d been in contact with GTX during your own move, it would have eased the process and made the job search easier?

Definitely, it would have helped me massively. What GTX is doing is the need of the hour. Since I started writing my story on LinkedIn I’ve noticed several immigrants reaching out to me because they want to know what my experience was like and because they want to move back as well. Thus, I think this initiative is right on time. 

If I had gone through GTX, it would have saved me a good 3-4 months and I wouldn’t have scrambled with finding the right opportunities.

[glowingbadger]

Can I get some SFW and nsfw modern day Kaeya and Diluc stuff? Ty ty!

Damn I hadn't even thought about ModernAU Genshin before lol should be interesting- lesgoooo~

Side note- Genshin refuses to make actual sense of any of the ages of its characters, so I'm going with, like... mid-20's, semi-recently out of college for these two.

Kaeya, Diluc x GN Reader - ModernAU! headcanons

SFW (nsfw below the cut)

Kaeya:

- He's in law school, and has a real knack for discovering hilarious and exploitable legal loopholes. It's also a field that suits him for a number of reasons- it makes use of his infectious natural charm, and keeps him entertained with the 'stories' you happen upon working with people's legal and personal problems. He's also the best dressed in any of his classes, and in any given courtroom. Those who know luxury clothing when they see it can't help incredulously wondering how he affords his wardrobe while still technically a student.

- Kaeya is such a shitposter. He habitually 'likes' any and everything you post on any and all social media platforms- but he'll also comment "mmm who's that sexy thing" beneath the most innocuous images of you. He sends you dumb memes at concerning hours of the night- frequently while intoxicated, and especially when you've had a stressful day.

- As a partner, Kaeya is surprisingly loyal. His friends (and yours) will joke about him being a total slut, how you must have to keep him on such a short leash. He doesn't take offense to this though, and in a way, he gets a kick out of being perceived this way. But in truth, since he's been with you, he's never once considered anyone else. When you're alone together, there's a warmth in his gaze and a gentleness to his touch that no one else has ever seen.

- Everywhere Kaeya goes, he seems to "know a guy." He's always got an in- and an elaborate story of how he met this person and why they're, frankly, worryingly open to doing him favors. It's rare that a date with Kaeya goes by without you being offered free drinks, free desserts, a better seat at a restaurant or theatre, etc. Generally, when pressed, he'll wave a hand and say, "Babe come on, you know me- I just love making friends." Though you've heard whispers that some of his "friends" are just people who can't afford to be on his bad side.

Diluc:

- Was on track to become a police officer for some time, but it took barely a month from completing his training for him to become entirely disillusioned with the entire system. He quit (bluntly and forcefully, I might add) and now works as a P.I. His quietly thoughtful and serious nature puts clients at ease while allowing him to examine each case efficiently and effectively. I also figure we'd still carry over the "bartending at night" angle from the games- it's a great way to network and gain intel while undercover.

- His phone is basically a device for work, the news, and sometimes for contacting you, and absolutely nothing else. He hates the constant noise of social media, and refuses to jump on trends when things move too fast to get meaningfully invested in anything. Still, while he tries to angle his screen so you won't see it, he has set a picture of you as his wallpaper.

- Diluc loves the quiet, domestic side of your relationship. He treasures things like cooking together, cuddling on the couch with a movie, or even working on chores and projects together. He comes from money (though he doesn't talk about it much), so the more down to earth life that he's made with you is precious to him, and he appreciates all of the little moments that reaffirm your bond. That said, he does have an excellent memory for things like birthdays, anniversaries and such, and he is not shy about spending some cash on such occasions.

- Your friends all think he's super hot (and they're right), but are also a bit intimidated by him. Once, you tried showing them a sweet message he sent you drowning in heart emojis and they insisted that couldn't be him. Now there's a running joke in your friend group about your secret side-guy who leaves you nice voicemails when you've had a bad day and has flowers sent to your work- since they're convinced someone as serious and put-together as Diluc couldn't be your incredibly affectionate boyfriend.

NSFW 18+ v

Kaeya:

- Kaeya loves showing you off, especially in an outfit he bought just for you. It seriously turns him on to watch you over a nice dinner out wearing something a bit risque that he selected for you, noting the appreciative glances in your direction from others nearby, and knowing that you're his. The way his line of sight wanders your body all night makes it exceedingly clear that he can't wait to tear that lovely outfit off of you when he has you alone.

- Definitely the adventurous and experimental sort when it comes to kink, and he especially enjoys a bit of exhibitionism or semi-public fooling around. During a similar date night, with you looking so positively delicious across the table, he'll watch with a wolfish smirk as you squirm from the vibrations of a toy he pushed inside of you earlier that evening. He reclines in his seat and levels his gaze on you, saying, "My, darling, are you feeling alright? You look a bit flushed..." as his hand fiddles with the toy's remote. Then, once he gets you home or- even better -to a hotel, he'll press you against the window as he fucks you into panting, mindless bliss. Sometimes he doesn't even want to wait that long, and he'll find somewhere to park his car and fuck you in his back seat

- Kaeya has sending dick pics and lewd selfies down to an art. Seriously, his pictures are beautiful- of course helped by the fact that his body is gorgeous as well. Naturally, he loves to receive erotic images of you as well, and will save each and every one of them for "later use." If you're into it, he'll gladly send you a video of himself stroking his cock just for you, while describing every filthy thing he imagines doing to you in explicit detail.

Diluc:

- Generally speaking, Diluc wants to wine and dine you before the spicy business. He's a romantic at heart, and he wants you to know that he adores every part of you- and your body just happens to be one item on that list. He's not as obvious with his desires as some, but lingering gazes across the dinner table, or a hand at the small of your back trailing around your waist, all make his intentions clear. There's no doubt your lovely evening together will end with his strong body pressing you against his matress, his lips at your throat and your thighs clinging around his hips.

- He's generally fairly private about his sex life- not shy, per say, but insistent that your mutual pleasure is something for only the two of you. He's also not likely to sext or send lewd photos unless you really, really want them (and he's kind of adorably awkward about it at first even if he does try for you)- but if you tease him by sending him something naughty, his mind short circuits. His face burns crimson and he stops whatever he was doing and just stares at your beautiful body on the screen, as though he can already feel you in his hands.

- Diluc is a busy man, so there's likely to be stretches when the time and energy for sex simply isn't there. But once he's wrapped up a case and he finally has some time to breathe, you can bet he'll lift you into his arms and carry you to the bedroom the first chance he gets. You might even start to suspect that it's a way for him to vent his work stress when his thick cock pounds into you so nice and steady and deep- but you're certainly not about to complain, especially when you've been without him for so long.