#but precocious crushes are fine

[susagnon]

Katsuki’s precocious crush

Wdym, yellingly demanding someone's recipe isn't romantic?

If I were to ship Bakugou with anyone, it would probably be Fuyumi. To be more precisely, if Bakugou were to develop a crush on anyone, I’d like to headcanon it to be Fuyumi. The comedic opportunities are simply too great to ignore:

1. In Fuyumi’s eyes, Bakugou is her little brother’s friend. Or rather, a feral kid, who her brother insists, is his friend. Who has kinda complimented her cooking (?). And insulted family's hosting skills almost in the same breath.

A kid who knows some things about cooking - but also very likely, has the rabies.

= Fuyumi wouldn’t notice Bakugou's big fat crush on her for years.

[I can see Bakugou (the guy who probably decided that he would surpass All Might while he was still a toddler; and then never wavered) being someone who can harbor an unrequited crush for years.

Which is fine, because Bakugou (the guy who needed years until he understood, that he didn't look down on Deku, but was afraid of the latter) would probably need a good chunk of that time to come to terms with something as mundane as a crush.]

Processing: "crush". Update necessary. Loading... Can't process. Reboot necessary.

2. Fuyumi is Icy-hot’s sister.

Who’s even more clueless. Until Deku accidently points it out to him, that their mutual friend like-likes his sister. Afterwards Icy-hot tries himself at the “protective-brother”-thing. But instead of confronting Bakugou, he does petty stuff to test the latter’s temper endurance, e.g., intentionally repeating sentences over and over again, when Fuyumi’s with them. This theatre lasts for half a day, until Icy-hot decides that he’s ok with Bakugou crushing on his sister. Because deep, deep, deep² down inside, "Baku-bro" ("Stop imitating shitty hair!!") is a kind-hearted person.

3. She’s Endeavor’s daughter.

Who is Bakugou's mentor-boss. Whom Bakugou finds to be kind of a dick. Which he has told Endeavor to his face. On his very first day of work-study. At what has been their very first face to face meeting.

Do I need to say more?

...

Generally, I can see Bakugou developing attraction to either: Someone nurturing and sweet like Fuyumi, or someone who doesn’t take his crap and sasses him for it, e.g. Burnin, Mirko.

Look at this gremlin, grinning like a little dipshit smiling at a lady for the first time.

Personally, I’m more inclined towards nurturing-sweet. Bakugou's indignancy regarding Todoroki's knife skills (Sub: "Your nee-chan would cry if she saw this!"/ Dub: "You shamed your sister!"), are some of the funniest - and some of the strangely sweetest - things he's said over the entire series. At the very least, Bakugou seems to hold some respect for Fuyumi.

...

Anyway, apparently my brain pictures him going for someone slightly older? He wouldn’t even be on their radar for years. Like, until he’s been well out of school for a while.

My translation: "Senpai, pay attention to ME! ME!! MEEE!!!"

... I just like to imagine him suffering like that for some time.

Or idk, if I would want him to suffer a bit less… maybe Utsushimi might work with Bakugou too?

[usergreenpixel]

JACOBIN FICTION CONVENTION MEETING 31: DANGEROUS EXILE (1957)

1. The Introduction

Hello, Citizens! Here I am, ready to commence our brand new meeting with a brand new review for everyone to (hopefully) enjoy!

So, “Dangerous Exile” is a swashbuckling Frev movie that is based on the alternative history premise: What if Louis 16th’s son (Louis 17th) survived Frev instead of meeting an untimely end in prison?

To be honest, I discovered the movie while scrolling through IMDb and got hooked on the premise since I have a soft spot for adventure stories. However, I ran into two problems.

Firstly, the movie was hard as fuck to find so I had to settle for a rather shitty Russian dub. Apparently the original English version does pop up on YouTube from time to time, but it’s mostly available on DVDs that have to be purchased. So yeah, not readily available at all and I couldn’t find the English version even on Russian sites…

Secondly, I know that the real Louis 17th was treated horribly in prison and, just to avoid royal family fans and anti Frev neighbors coming for my Montagnard ass, let me make something clear: While I’m not a fan of Louis 16th or Marie Antoinette as monarchs, I don’t think their children deserved to suffer and my admiration for Frev in general doesn’t automatically mean that I condone everything that was done by revolutionaries. Hopefully that’s out of the way now.

Anyway, this review is dedicated to @pobodleru , @lanterne , @anarchist-mariner and @revolutionfairies . Okay, now that I explained myself, we can officially proceed.

2. The Summary

Louis 17th gets rescued by a group of royalists and accidentally lands on an English island on a hot air balloon. There, in England, the boy is taken in by a woman called Virginia and her family.

However, royalists and jacobins alike are still looking for the boy to further their own agendas and will stop at nothing to find him.

To me this sounds like a cool premise, but let’s see if the execution is good.

3. The Story

It’s a pretty classic and formulaic swashbuckling movie and I happen to like those so I liked the story and was completely hooked. However, it’s definitely not for everyone and I wouldn’t recommend to look for something very original in the storyline.

While the premise spoils the twist on who the boy from the hot air balloon is, I did enjoy the way that mystery unfolded in the movie itself. It also has hints of my beloved “found family” trope as Virginia and Louis bond and he develops a precocious crush on her (innocent childlike crush) and they become close friends.

As usual, I didn’t care for the romantic subplot and I personally would prefer to cut out flashbacks and the nightmare sequences - “show, don’t tell” is a good thing, but it just doesn’t work this time and a bit of dialogue would replace it just fine. Who knows though, maybe the director needed to stretch out screen time. Maybe romance was there to stretch out screen time too…

Here’s something that surprised me though. The movie has nuanced characters on BOTH sides so we have sympathetic jacobins and asshole royalists AND vice versa. We even have an asshole IN THE ROYAL FAMILY itself! And FINALLY Robespierre isn’t the villain! Yay!

(Think what you want about the man, but having him as a villain is just fucking boring at this point.)

As a matter of fact, historical figures (except for the boy) don’t actually appear in the movie and the cast aside from the dauphin consists out of original characters only. A welcome break from the usual stuff we see, if you ask me!

4. The Characters

Louis is a sweetheart here. He’s understandably traumatized by his ordeal but he bonds with his found family (especially Virginia and her aunt) and, in spite of the wishes of the royalists, doesn’t want to be a king and take revenge. Honestly, I can’t blame him for not wanting to return to France.

Virginia is, surprisingly, not a flat character. She’s one of the few people who actually cares about what LOUIS wants and needs but she’s also in a difficult situation because the royalists and the jacobins are searching for the dauphin. Still, Virginia does her best to protect the boy from harm and stands up for him when royalists try to pressure him into becoming the next king of France.

Duke de Beauvais is… not an asshole, but I didn’t like him at all.

He will stop at nothing to help Louis become king and sacrifices HIS OWN SON for that cause (placing his son into the dauphin’s cell). He also seems to be really fanatical at times and doesn’t seem to actually consider what LOUIS wants.

I do understand that de Beauvais himself is in a difficult situation and he IS concerned about his kid, but I still have a feeling that sometimes he just goes a bit too far.

As for secondary characters, unfortunately most are flat but I liked Virginia’s aunt. She’s that one cool caring aunt who makes jokes and loves her family fiercely.

5. The Setting

It seems to me that the settings are more or less accurate, but accuracy isn’t the strongest point here. Not just because the movie is an AU, but also because of this:

Please, for the love of the Supreme Being, get your damn dates right! The monarchy got overthrown BEFORE the time you show!

(Editing Citizen Green Pixel (ECGP) here: Apparently this movie is an adaptation of a novel but I’ve no idea if this mistake is in the novel too or just in movie. The novel is called “A King Reluctant”.)

Other than that, though, the settings and the costumes are done quite well!

6. The Acting

Unfortunately, the absolutely atrocious dub prevented me from fully enjoying the acting but I think it was quite good.

7. The Music

Pretty good, but nothing outstanding, if I’m being honest.

8. The Conclusion

Honestly, this movie was packing quite a few pleasant surprises for me and I actually enjoyed it. Not my favorite and still doesn’t beat “The Black Tulip” when it comes to swashbuckling Frev movies, but still pretty good.

Please check out this movie if you like swashbuckling stories. It’s cheesy, somewhat predictable and cliché at times but it does have nuanced main characters, decent twists and an interesting premise.

On that note, I declare today’s meeting of Jacobin Fiction Convention to be over. Stay tuned for more updates, everyone!

Love,

- Citizen Green Pixel

[ddwcaph-game]

sending this on anon because i'm shy! but ! my mc aru (he/they) is a precocious star twin without a mum photo who is INSANELY competitive with their little sister who is his number one best friend!! even if they may or may not have a twidge of jealousy over her - given she's taller than him by three cm (they are both midgets). In love with their pet puss Schrödinger who they get along with better than other people and is best friends with lily, even at the occasional manipulator stat increase. rules were #made to broken unless it's inside class, then they're an angel occasionally staring out of the window. play the guitar and is curious to a fault accepting B's quest simply because it would be funny and were impressed by the fact they deadass threatened him and then proceeded to ask. the definition of a magpie with the amount of trinket scavenging they do even though their fav genre is mystery (their sister's is horror). HORRIBLE sweet tooth and they love to doodle!! knowledge and grace stats are boosting up up up and away while the charm and vigour are well. let's not talk about it. as much as they may dislike roselyna's hugs occasionally, he will not hesistate to run out into the ran after her (or anyone) even at their own headache's detriment. has a slight preference for boys (though some women do make their heart go tugtug tug) and even though they don't think about love a lot mainly because their mother disillusioned them about it a teensy bit but would actually die for their friends especially if one of them did something sweet for them (acts of service ftw) and remembered something they offhandedly mentioned (even though they secretly do the same)

(also fun fact! he was originally named mayari / a similar variation but then temporarily renamed after discovering JM's dog's name </3 )

Hello, thank you for consulting Roselyna's Matchmaking Service! Rosie had to finish her homework first, so sorry for the late response!

Anyway, here are our Top 3 picks!

Doodling, playing the guitar, collecting trinkets, having a sweet tooth (all the pastries!), and being close to animals (hopefully he likes birds), and being troublemakers outside of class, it seems like Aru would be a perfect fit for Wayne! Wayne would prefer someone taller than him of course, but short MCs don't actually get a chemistry penalty with Wayne. It's also very likely for Wayne to remember something they offhandedly mention, so 😉

Lily takes second place, and given that they're bestfriends with a lot of common interests, I think they'd have quite a bit of chemistry. Aru might have a slight pereference for boys, but their disillusionment might be just fine for Lily who's totally not interested in crushes at the moment. And if Aru is willing to risk their life for their friends… that's something that Lily would truly admire. (Plus Rosie thinks their height difference would be cute, hehe)

Surprisingly enough, Brandon takes third place. Accepting B's quest is of course the first step, but with Aru's competitiveness, having high Knowledge, their disillusionment with romance and their mother… there'd be a good foundation for them to at least relate with each other.

And whoops! Yeah, I imagine it'd be pretty awkward, especially because you might actually meet Mayari (the goddess) later in the story, hehe.

[trashpidgeon48]

groan ups summary: the show starts with a school assembly from yellow group (5 young children) about their weekend, where they act out things that happened. Moon, who is clearly from a rich family, sees her horses. Her parents come to visit which is uncommon as she spends most of her time with her nanny. Archie wants to be a singer/actor, and dresses up in his mothers clothes which his father finds disturbing. His father also often takes him to football games which he finds boring. Spencer comes from a troubled family who dont take care of him well - he's not properly toilet trained and his parents are actively annoyed by his presence. He's quite clumsy and has to be reminded to be gentle with small animals. Simon is awkward and asthmatic. He's much quieter than the other four and we learn the least about him in his section (he announces he had nits then gets back in line) and the other children shout over him a lot. Katie is academically intelligent and precocious. Throughout the other childrens segments she interjects with things she'd heard her father say about the other mothers and in her section we learn he is having an affair with the maid.

After this the assembly is over and the children go back to their class. The teacher makes them stay indoors during break as punishment for all the inappropriate things they added in the assembly. She then leaves them unattended. Archie is new to the class as he recently got moved up and the other children try to include him in their games. [This section was going to be longer but this thing is long enough already so all you need to know is that Spencer kills the hamster, the kids blame Simon who becomes so upset he has to leave the room, and Archie ends up taking the blame to save Spencer because the teacher threatened to move him down. Spencer and Archie swear to be best friends forever.]

The curtain goes down and two teachers hand out end of year awards. When it goes up again the classroom behind is smaller - the kids have grown up a little and are now about 13-14. Moon is dating Archie, but he doesn't seem that into it. Katie arrives, stressing about exams. Simon shows up to faun over Moon, who hides from him. He's been obsessing over Moon to an unhealthy degree. He's also being bullied by other students who he is desperate to be friends with. Spencer arrives, and reveals to Simon that the four of them are having a party he wasn't invited to. Spencer and Katie have a mutual crush type thing going on, and Moon tries and fails to give Katie good dating advice. They mention that if Spencer failed the exams he'll be held back a year while everyone else moves up. Simon refuses to leave and they play a truth or dare, where Simon ends up doing something embarrassing. In revenge Simon dares Spencer to kiss Archie, which Spencer is fine with but Archie is very resistant to. They play a few more rounds of truth or dare, then find the tests in a teachers officer. Spencer decides not to replace his test with a new copy even though the others encourage him to in case he failed his first go. As their packing up to leave Archie puts Spencer's test back in the office.

Act 2: They're adults returning for a school reunion. Archie is married to Katie. Spencer works in a pet shop. Some guy called Paul turns up, who neither of them remember but pretend to so it doesn't get awkward. Simon arrives, pretending to be successful. He's hired someone to pretend to be his girlfriend. Moon is almost exactly the same as she was when she was 13. Each person has their own kind of subplot, and all of these are happening at the same time:

Spencer and Katie kiss, and inadvertently lose the class hamster. Spencer spends most of act 2 running back and forth to the pet shop with replacement pets (a similarly colored hamster, a completely different colored hamster, a snake, etc). Katie, in an attempt to find the original hamster, finds Spencer's test paper hidden behind a grate

Moon breaks up with her boyfriend, so Simon tries to stage increasingly dramatic break ups with his fake girlfriend for Moon to overhear, however he keeps doing it in front of the wrong people.

Paul reappears a few times to the confusion of everyone.

Katie and Archie chat, and its clear that Archie isn't that interested in spending time with her.

Eventually everyone reconvenes in the classroom at the same time. Simon and "Chamise" break up in front of Moon this time, which Moon seems to believe despite Katie deducing that Simon just hired an actress. (side note - the bootleg i've got has real shit audio but i'm 99% sure Moon's response to being told Chamise is an actress is "oh yeah she was a cage fighter in holby city" which iirc was a part the og actress did play).

Paul runs in, angry that no one remembers him until its pointed out that he's at the wrong school.

Simon insists he is a success but Spencer mocks him, which makes him so angry he threatens to throw himself out of a (ground floor) window. He reveals he is still angry about the bullying he experienced and blames his current attitude on the four of them making his school-life hell. Moon laughs at him, Katie says Moon is shallow and insecure. Moon retaliates by telling everyone that Katie and Spencer kissed. Spencer and Archie start bickering, Katie tries to mediate. Spencer is angry because Katie dumped him because he failed his test and got held back, but Katie remembers the test paper she found in the grate and shows him, saying he might not have failed. Archie looks very nervous and awkwardly forgives Spencer.

Spencer works out that Archie has something to do with this and Archie reveals that he didn't put Spencer's test back, he instead hid it and filled out a worse one so Spencer would fail. Archie snatches the paper out of Spencers hand so he can't read it, the two of them start fighting and Katie leaves to get a teacher. The two of them fight some more, with Spencer angrily demanding to know why Archie did it. Eventually Archie reveals that he was in love with Spencer, and made sure he was held back so he couldn't date Katie. Katie arrives just to hear this and asks Archie why he ever married her if he felt that way. Archie says he grew up ashamed of being gay and he truly does love her, or he at least tried to. Eventually the two of them get ready to leave because baby sitter is sick. Archie leaves first, the others start to leave as well - Moon gives Simon a lift iirc since he gave his fake girlfriend his fake bentley during the fake break ups and Spencer chats to Katie for a while. Katie leaves, then Archie returns just as Spencer finds a hamster. They chat briefly, then leave, and thats the end of the play.

Its been a little while since I last saw it so certain details may be wrong but thats pretty much it.

Thank you!! Solid summary!

[wallofweird]

It’s totally fine to headcanon Mike as gay, but some of you have such wrong takes that feel entitled and offensive, and I just wish you would think about the words you use more. Unless you really have these narrow-minded views and want to force them down everyone’s throats, which I refuse to believe, because I like giving people the benefit of the doubt and seeing the best in them.

Mike maybe not be in love with El now, but he could’ve been during part of these TWO seasons they were a couple and fallen out of love now. Or maybe it was a puppy love kind of thing, crush, infatuation that has run its course... Maybe he wasn’t attracted to her like that at all and just confused it with friendship. But there are tons of other females out there and we don’t how he reacts to all of them all the time?

The reaction at the lingerie store just shows a teenage guy that is uncomfortable. He wasn’t even a full teenager back then, GOD FORBID IF HE ISN’T THINKING ABOUT SEX?! Coming from a person that took 12ish years to have her first crush and 18ish years to be interested in sex, this kind of sick logic made me think there was something wrong with me for the longest time.

The posters in his bedroom could mean attraction to buff body types (nevermind people forget one of the posters has a woman too lol), admiration and body image issues, like he wishes he looked like that (because yes, guys can have BDD and coming from a guy bullied for most of his life and not athletic... it could happen) or just his FUCKING TASTE?

I mean, we haven’t seen Mike’s interaction with every person and gender in the world to know exactly how he feels, so each and EVERY headcanon is valid, but in order for him to be gay the show, Finn or the producers would have to DIRECTLY show/say that. So far, within canon, they’re insinuating he’s been romantically interested in only two people, a girl and a boy. So unless it’s explicitly confirmed that he confused his feelings for Eleven, it’s leaning to a multisexual Mike. He could also be into multiple genders (please, be careful with your heavily binary rhetoric, I BEG) and be MORE INCLINED TO A CERTAIN(S) GENDER(S). For example, there are bisexual people that feel a stronger attraction for the same-gender. Not everything is equal. Not everything is black and white. Not everyone has the same experiences.

Just because Mike doesn’t have a room full of posters of women in bikinis, hides Playboy magazines in his drawers or becomes interested in sex at a precocious age, like 14, it doesn’t necessarily mean he is gay? Because I also doubt he would suddenly be so lustful with Will and he also isn’t out there looking at other boys. So the same flat argument applies to idea, too.

Not to mention how Lucas had a similar reaction at the store and all we see from Dustin’s relationship with Suzie are phonecalls and I don’t see people jumping to say they’re gay. Also, there are a few people here that just seem to fetishize mlm and show misoginy behavior trying to act like Mike doesn’t care about El at all, making them sound like the Budd1e and L4rry fandoms that have a problem with how they view male (platonic) relationships and treat women around them.

It’s totally cool if you read Mike as gay, if you’re gay and think it would be nice if he is too, if you relate to his story, there’s really no wrong option here. What is actually wrong is trying to force your OPINION on others, because so far that’s all they are, OPINIONS. The only things that are 100% set in stone are Will being gay, Robin being a lesbian and Vickie being bisexual.

[dream-beyond-the-fantasy]

Hello, this is @auradon-bore-a-don, sorry this is late but you are on my OC Creator Bingo Card!

1. What's your favorite thing about writing for your OCs?

2. Do you have a favorite OC?

3. What tropes do your OCs fit into?

4. What was the hardest scene to write for your OCs?

5. Which OC is the easiest to write for?

Hi! It's completely fine. We've all got things that push back some of the fun fandom stuff. Plus, there are so many OCs and creators to get to know.

I like exploring different worlds and ideas. And since Julie, Alyssa, and even Violet (my main HP OC, who I've barely started writing) have pieces of me in them, I like to explore different parts of myself or handle something that may have happened to me in a different way.

Probably Julie, but Alyssa is a close second.

My Cobra Kai OCs are the Main Characters/Protagonists in their fics, or at least share that role with Jimmy. Tropes that apply to Julie: love interest, tagalong kid, little sister heroine, teen mom, shrinking violet, annoying younger sibling/bratty half-pint (to Johnny and the Cobras, but I try to tone it down), precocious crush, and little miss badass. Tropes that apply to Alyssa: bratty teenage daughter (only some of the time), little miss snarker, middle child syndrome (played with), troubled child, and stoic woobie. Although, YMMV on whether the reader can see the characters as I do.

Honestly, some of the hardest things to write for my OCs are the tragic events in their lives. Sure, I haven't written some of them yet, but I know it will be difficult. Also, trying to write my first ever sex scene for Julie is proving to be fun but difficult.

Um, that might be Jenny. Jenny technically exists as a named and never seen character mentioned once on Cobra Kai. She is Jimmy's wife, but I basically created her character in Never Knew. She is a supportive wife and mom who isn't afraid to speak her mind. She is more mom than stepmom to Alyssa. Also, the sweet fluffy and romantic moments with Jimmy just write themselves. Also, Julie can be easy to write for when the prompt or story is filled with fluff.

[hadeschan]

item # K22D56

VERY RARE Pra Sivali Maha Laap, Luang Phor Guay, Nua Din, Pit Thong, Kà-nàat Bucha. A 5.50 inches high baked clay tablet with a bas-relief of Pra Sivali Arahant on his pilgrimage, patched with gold foils, and attached with a piece of wood with suspension ring. Made from many type of sacred earth, holy powder, and flakes and powder crushed from mystical/magic minerals. Made for putting on a shrine, made by Luang Phor Guay of Wat Khositram (Wat Ban Khae), Chai Nat Province after BE 2512 (CE 1969).

…………………………………………………………..

“Pra Sivali on Pilgrimage is a wish of “Wherever you go, success, wealth & prosperity, good luck, happiness will be waiting for you there!”

- A walking stick means having many high profile people to support and assist you.

- A Klot, a long-handles umbrella with mosquito net means having happy and peaceful life. Thais also believe that Klot provides protection of all perils, disaster, danger, misfortune, and bad spirits beyond existing limits.

- An alms bowl means having endless food with wealth and prosperity.

- A cloth bag means having plenty of 4 basic necessities of life.

- A talipot fan is a Fan of Rank means having a salary raise and career promotion.

- A Kettle means having happiness and unity in your family, and an improvement in your career without shortcomings and problems.

- A string of rosary means having silver and gold beads (wealth fetching).

…………………………………………………………..

Pra Sīvalī

Pra Sīvalī is a Buddhist arahant or arhat widely venerated among Theravada Buddhists. He is the guardian saint of travel and is believed to ward off misfortune at home, such as fire or theft. His veneration predates the introduction of Theravada Buddhism into present-day Myanmar (Burma). Shin Thiwali is typically depicted standing upright and carrying a walking staff, an alms bowl and prayer beads.Born to Queen Suppavasa, Shin Thiwali is believed to have remained in his mother’s womb for seven years because of past karma.After a week in labor, Sīvalī’s mother gave birth to a precocious boy who could immediately speak. Thereafter, Buddha’s chief disciple Sariputra admitted Sīvalī into the Sangha. The Burmese believe that he is still living, that he can be invoked to come by a special incantation and that his mere invisible presence will bring them prosperity and good fortune

…………………………………………………………..

BEST FOR: Wherever you go, and whatever you do, success, wealth & prosperity, good luck, happiness will be waiting for you there. Pra Sivali helps bring success, wealth & prosperity, good luck, happiness, and an improvement in your career without shortcomings and problems. Klawklad Plodpai (it brings safety, and pushes you away from all danger), Metta Maha Niyom (it helps bring loving, caring, and kindness, and compassion from people all around you to you), Maha Larp (it brings Lucky Wealth / wealth fetching), and Kaa Kaai Dee (it helps tempt your customers to buy whatever you are selling, and it helps attract new customers and then keep them coming back. And Ponggan Poot-pee pee-saat Kunsai Mondam Sat Meepit (it helps ward off evil spirit, demon, bad ghost, bad omen, bad spell, curse and black magic, and poisonous animals). This amulet helps protect you from manipulators, backstabbers, and toxic people. And the force of the bad intentions / activities / behaviors from your enemies hitting you, the Khata Sà-tón Klap in this amulet puts an equal force back onto them, meaning those bad intentions / activities / behaviors bounce back up to your enemies.

………………………………………………………………

The Content of the amulet

1)Din Nuan Jai Klang Na, clay taken from the heart of the rice paddies, the deepest of earth level that the earth becomes clay, fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals. Thais believe that this fine-grained natural soil contains power of the Mother Earth, with auspicious omen, fertility & prosperity.

2)Din Jet Phong Jet Pa, earth taken from 7 forests where deposit of salts and other minerals are. A mineral lick (also known as a salt lick) is a place where animals can go to lick essential mineral nutrients from a deposit of salts and other minerals. Din Jet Phong is believed to have the force of temptation and distraction.

3)Din Kui Puu, earth balls piling up in front of male crabs’ holes to tempt female crabs to mate, believed having power of temptation and seduction.

4)Din Jet Ta Nam, earth taken from 7 boat destination terminals of both sides of the river banks. Thais believe that these areas filled with lovers’ mind power while waiting for one their love one to come homes.

5)Din Gon-gru, earth accumulated inside the chambers where ancient amulets were stored, and fragments of ancient amulets.

6)earth dust crushed from MOST powerful ancient baked clay amulets or “Pra Gru Gao” in Thai, like; Pra Sawan Chai Nat, Pra Nang Phraya of Wat Nang Pharaya, Pra Pong Suphan, Pra Rod & Pra Kong of Wat Mahawan Lumphoon, and etc…

………………………………………………………………

The amulet made from soil or earth

The soil or earth is the oldest minerals on Earth, it accumulates all power of good deeds of all Arhats (or Luohan), Bodhisattva and Buddha as long as you and your enemies are standing/living on the earth, the Pra Mae Thoranee (the Earth Goddess) will witness good deeds and bad deeds, if you have made good deeds, then your good deeds have already witnessed by Pra Mae Thoranee, Pra Mae Thoranee will help you, and your enemies could not do any harm to you. And the difficulties of your life, Pra Mae Thoranee also witnesses, and Pra Mae Thoranee will ease all of your difficulties.

………………………………………………………………

“ขอศิษย์ทั้งหลายอย่าอดอย่าอยากอย่ายากอย่าจนอย่าต่ำกว่าคนอย่าจนกว่าเขา”

“All of my Looksit (disciples / followers /adherents/ worshippers / devotees) will be away from destitution, failure, hardship & difficulty in living, poverty, inferiority, and deterioration in quality of life.”

………………………………………………………………

Luang Phor Guay was highly respected by Luang Phor Pare of Wat Pikulthong, Singburi Province. Many Batches of Luang Phor Pare’s amulets were blessed by Luang Phor Guay first, Luang Phor Pare would bring them to Luang Phor Guay and ask Luang Phor Guay to bless them for him before the Grand Blessing Ceremonies…

………………………………………………………………

*All of the amulet made by Luang Phor Guay, the last mantra that Luang Phor Guay blessed on amulets was “The Khata Sà-tón Klap (The Bouncing Back Mantra)”. The force of the bad intentions / activities / behaviors from your enemies hitting you, the Khata Sà-tón Klap puts an equal force back onto them, meaning those bad intentions / activities / behaviors bounce back up to your enemies.

………………………………………………………………

*According to Luang Phu Thong of Wat Samphao Choei, Luang Phor Guay implanted his mind power (telepathy) in the amulets he made or blessed on. The telepathy, the transmission of information from one person’s mind to another’s without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction, it would happen while the amulet owners pray or talk to Luang Phor Guay’s amulets (saying any khata (sermon) is not needed), and those messages will pass to Luang Phor Guay automatically.

………………………………………………………………

LUANG PHOR GUAY

Luang Phor Guay was an abbot of Wat Khositaram (Wat Ban Khae), Chainat Province living between (BE 2448 to BE 2522)

Luang Phor Guay was a disciple of many Legendary Guru Monks, for instance;

- The Holy Luang Phu Tao of Wat Kaang Kaao, a senior brotherhood of Luang Phu Suk of Wat Pak Klong Makham-tao

- The Holy Luang Phu Sri of Wat Pra Prang

- The Holy Luang Phor Derm of Wat Nong Pho

The supernatural power of Luang Phor Guay experienced by his Looksit (disciples / followers /adherents/ worshippers / devotees).

1)An ability to know the future.

2)An ability to shoot clay ball bullets from a sling bow with cursive path (line of fire) to any targets Luang Phor Guay wanted, no matter how far they were.

3)An ability to make a ring to be put on anybody’s fingers no matter where they were by blowing rings from Luang Phor Guay’s palms.

4)Photo shootings without Luang Phor Guay’s permission, those photos would be blurry or camera malfunctions.

5)An ability to make people who just visited Luang Phor Guay not to recognize Luang Phor Guay after leaving Luang Phor Guay.

6)An ability to stop gun from firing at him or anyone

7)An ability to make gun malfunction by squeezing out a piece of cloth in his hands.

8)An ability to make ants to return to their nest hole.

9)An ability to bless chicken food, and made chickens eat it if the chickens or the chicken eggs were stolen, and later eaten by the thieves, the thieves would got Dermatophytosis or Ringworm on their skins.

10)An ability to use a rock tying up with a robe, and beat up his looksit, and looksit felt no pain.

11)An ability to stop the gun from firing by saying “the gun jammed”.

12)An ability to treat people with headache by pinching their own thumbs.

13)An ability to heal people with broken bones.

14)An ability to replace the pain during child labor from wives to their husbands.

15)An ability to turn a man to both a crocodile, and then a tiger or vice versa.

16)An ability to turn midrib of a banana leaf to a green snake, and a loincloth belt to a cobra.

17)An ability to turn leaves of Maerua siamensis (Kurz) Pax tree to wasps.

18)An ability to turn a joss stick wrapped with red paper to a Siamese fighting fish.

19)An ability to hold burning charcoal in his hands

20)An ability to pick anything that his hand could hold from anyplace, no matter how far they were.

21) Luang Phor Guay’s message to his looksit would come true.

22)An ability to make his amulets floating in the water or flying in the air.

23)An ability to command wasps to sting any people he wanted. And command turtles to search for anybody he wanted.

24)An ability to toss his amulets into the air, and those amulets were flying to people whom he wanted to give amulets to, no matter where they lived.

25)An ability to know if his Looksit were assaulted or in danger, no matter where they were at.

………………………………………………………………

THE AMULETS OF LUANG PHOR GUAY

Luang Phor Guay made and blessed all of his amulets by himself. Mon Pra Gaan, the Lord Kala in Sanskrit, the Pra Gaan Mantra, the one who is beyond time (death) and universe and all life within, and the god of death. Those who have good intentions of using Luang Phor Guay’s amulets would be blessed, those who are not will be doomed. And all amulets made by Luang Phor Guay, at the final of blessing ritual, Luang Phor Guay would end with Khata Sa-ton-klap. Such Khata has a power that helps protect amulet wears from manipulators, backstabbers, and toxic people. Not only protection from those kind of people, but also people who are thinking a “bad” thought about the amulet wearers will also be doomed.

*REMARK: According to Looksit (disciples / followers / adherents / worshippers / devotees) of Luang Phor Guay, Luang Phor Guay made amulets every day to release his mind power (Grasin Fire) that generated heat in his body, and Luang Phor Guay NEVER made amulets for sale. Luang Phor Guay just gave amulets to anybody he wanted.

THE BLESSING PROCESS OF AMULETS OF LUANG PHOR GUAY

Luang Phor Guay blessed his amulets at the 7 times of the day firstly in the early morning, in the late morning, in the afternoon, in the late afternoon, in the evening, in the late evening, and at midnight. These 7 times of blessing was said to be the blessing process of Black Magic, and to prolong/extent the lives of people who wear his amulets in case that people’s lifespan on earth are shorten by their bad karma. And only best guru monks or Best white robe masters could perform such rituals. Luang Phor Guay would pick the day on auspicious constellations (Rerk Mongkon), master of devil constellations (Rerk Boon Phraya Maan), and criminal constellations (Jora Rerk). Luang Phor Guay said that the Rerk Boon Phraya Maan, and Jora Rerk are constellations that help criminals, and evil people to successfully commit their crimes, and amulets of Luang Phor Guay would perform miracles to persuade those bad people to believe in good and bad karma, then they will return to support Buddhism, and finally, they will be decent citizens.

………………………………………………………………

DIMENSION: 5.50 inches high / 2.50 inches wide

………………………………………………………………

item # K22D56

Price: price upon request, pls PM and/or email us hadesamulet@outlook.com

100% GENUINE WITH 365 DAYS FULL REFUND WARRANTY

Item location: Hong Kong, SAR

Ships to: Worldwide

Delivery: Estimated 7 days handling time after receipt of cleared payment. Please allow additional time if international delivery is subject to customs processing.

Shipping: FREE Thailandpost International registered mail. International items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.

Payments: PayPal / Western Union / MoneyGram /maybank2u.com / DBS iBanking / Wechat Pay / Alipay / INSTAREM / PromptPay International / Remitly / PAYNOW

*************************************************

[littlealeta]

The Magician's Elephant Review

Story

The story is perfectly watchable, but nothing groundbreaking. The tasks our main character goes through usually are solved with a cop-out and aren’t really that creative. For a movie centered around magic, I think it would’ve been more interesting to see how our average joe main character tackles more magical tasks than realistic tasks. There’s also a huge thing about an elephant being the connection between a brother and a sister and them using it to try and find each other. But how the elephant serves that connection never gets elaborated on. It’s just kid asks for the elephant to help find his sister, villain makes impossible tasks for the kid to overcome. It makes me unsure if I’m even supposed to like the villain. And all we get on the sister’s side is that she wants to see the elephant because of a dream she had. And then for plot reasons, somehow figures out that the elephant is important to her and is in the city so she goes off to meet it.

Characters

Characters have some nice bonding moments, but personality-wise, they’re nothing really that special. The kids are your average precocious child types. The black guy is like your magic negro type. And the elephant is cool, but doesn’t seem to show much of a connection between the brother and sister, despite being an important element to their connection. We get some scenes of the magician and the old lady who got crushed by the elephant having conflict, but it gets pretty repetitive and nothing is done with it. I would say I liked the fortune teller as the narrator. She was in the movie for a brief moment in the beginning, and then disappears. She is a mysterious and quite a witty character with some witty dialogue, like in the beginning for example. I do also like the king’s energetic personality, but he also isn’t that well-developed for a villain. The dialogue can be on the nose at times, especially when the characters state the theme at the end. It’s not a particularly funny film, but it does have some humorous moments. I do remember laughing at a couple of jokes, but none of them stick out. One towards the end (I won’t spoil) was just so unfunny I cringed.

Animation

The animation is a mixed bag. The backgrounds look pretty and magical, but the character designs look a bit off to me for some reason. Like the hair on some of the characters and Peter’s face look a bit uncanny. I guess Peter’s design is fitting for the Victorian setting, but he also looks a bit like a Laika character, who has a movie about the Victorian era with much better designs, or is it just me? On the other hand, some of the designs like the little sister look cute. 

Overall

It’s a perfectly fine and wholesome movie to pass the time. But the storytelling and characterization in general might leave you feeling a bit empty. There is some clear effort put into the story, but there was still something missing.

The Magician’s Elephant gets 5.7 bells out of 10.

Rating not available due to me being on vacation

I initially gave it 6 bells because it is a completely fine film and a lot less frustrating than another film I watched beforehand, but looking at the whole picture, it’s really not that good.

[c1tyhaunts]

𝐅𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒   @bornfornothin ;;🍇&🍊 for elvira and/or terrah

🍇 : how would my muse describe their childhood? how much has it impacted the person they are now, or will become as an adult? around what age did they or will they start to mature, and why? do they wish to go back to their days as a child, or have they embraced adulthood?

TERRAH WOULD DESCRIBE HER CHILDHOOD AS "FINE," while disregarding how much her youth impacted her early adulthood. With her mother passing away when she was young, Terrah ultimately took up the "motherly/mentorship role" in raising her younger sister, Taliah. Terrah frequently sacrificed her own goals, emotions, and identity for Taliah's safety & security. Because of that, Terrah matured fast, being described as a "precocious child" by age 10. Terrah didn't allow herself to have fun, as she was focused on her little sister's future, which was often encouraged by her father Anthony. Honestly, she held a bit of resentment towards her family because of it, but Terrah was quick to swallow those emotions and lock them in tight. Instead of acting on said resentment, she focused on her ambitions, specifically on her studies and interest in Engineering. At least she could control that.

Terrah falls into old, bad habits when she gets involved with Vincent. I believe she starts to truly mature when she recognizes that pattern of overtly sacrificing her own autonomy affecting her marriage. And when Terrah started to acknowledge that, she started to embrace her adulthood, and feelings, a lot more strongly.

🍊  :    does my muse desire romance?  is it something they would actively seek out,  or prefer to happen more  ‘  naturally?  ’  what is their love life like?  do they have any exes or past flings,  or crushes?  

TERRAH DOESN'T SEEK ROMANCE, she lets it migrate to her. Now, she does desire to feel a deep, intimate connection. For the most part, many people often migrate to Terrah due to the "beautiful, quiet, and mysterious" vibe she gives off, but very few do impress her, and they're often welcomed by her typical cold, deadpan demeanor. If she does have a genuine interest back, the flirting follows, albeit subtle and covert. Then, things can start blooming from there.

Excluding Vincent (and his dead ass), the only other canonical fling Terrah has was her childhood friend, Max. She'll admit to him being her first love, and often, she mentions regretting not doing anything further. But, she wanted to respect his decision to be a man of the cloth, and unfortunately for her, Max was stubborn. And she doesn't want to stand between a man and his, so-called, "dreams." Terrah knew Max would do the same.

[transgenderteensurvivalguide]

“Elliot Page doesn’t remember exactly how long he had been asking.

But he does remember the acute feeling of triumph when, around age 9, he was finally allowed to cut his hair short. “I felt like a boy,” Page says. “I wanted to be a boy. I would ask my mom if I could be someday.” Growing up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Page visualized himself as a boy in imaginary games, freed from the discomfort of how other people saw him: as a girl. After the haircut, strangers finally started perceiving him the way he saw himself, and it felt both right and exciting.

The joy was short-lived. Months later, Page got his first break, landing a part as a daughter in a Canadian mining family in the TV movie Pit Pony. He wore a wig for the film, and when Pit Pony became a TV show, he grew his hair out again. “I became a professional actor at the age of 10,” Page says. And pursuing that passion came with a difficult compromise. “Of course I had to look a certain way.”

We are speaking in late February. It is the first interview Page, 34, has given since disclosing in December that he is transgender, in a heartfelt letter posted to Instagram, and he is crying before I have even uttered a question. “Sorry, I’m going to be emotional, but that’s cool, right?” he says, smiling through his tears.

It’s hard for him to talk about the days that led up to that disclosure. When I ask how he was feeling, he looks away, his neck exposed by a new short haircut. After a pause, he presses his hand to his heart and closes his eyes. “This feeling of true excitement and deep gratitude to have made it to this point in my life,” he says, “mixed with a lot of fear and anxiety.”

It’s not hard to understand why a trans person would be dealing with conflicting feelings in this moment. Increased social acceptance has led to more young people describing themselves as trans—1.8% of Gen Z compared with 0.2% of boomers, according to a recent Gallup poll—yet this has fueled conservatives who are stoking fears about a “transgender craze.” President Joe Biden has restored the right of transgender military members to serve openly, and in Hollywood, trans people have never had more meaningful time onscreen. Meanwhile, J.K. Rowling is leveraging her cultural capital to oppose transgender equality in the name of feminism, and lawmakers are arguing in the halls of Congress over the validity of gender identities. “Sex has become a political football in the culture wars,” says Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLU.

(Full article with photos continued under the “read more”)

And so Page—who charmed America as a precocious pregnant teenager in Juno, constructed dreamscapes in Inception and now stars in Netflix’s hit superhero show The Umbrella Academy, the third season of which he’s filming in Toronto—expected that his news would be met with both applause and vitriol. “What I was anticipating was a lot of support and love and a massive amount of hatred and transphobia,” says Page. “That’s essentially what happened.” What he did not anticipate was just how big this story would be. Page’s announcement, which made him one of the most famous out trans people in the world, started trending on Twitter in more than 20 countries. He gained more than 400,000 new followers on Instagram on that day alone. Thousands of articles were published. Likes and shares reached the millions. Right-wing podcasters readied their rhetoric about “women in men’s locker rooms.” Casting directors reached out to Page’s manager saying it would be an honor to cast Page in their next big movie.

So, it was a lot. Over the course of two conversations, Page will say that understanding himself in all the specifics remains a work in progress. Fathoming one’s gender, an identity innate and performed, personal and social, fixed and evolving, is complicated enough without being under a spotlight that never seems to turn off. But having arrived at a critical juncture, Page feels a deep sense of responsibility to share his truth. “Extremely influential people are spreading these myths and damaging rhetoric—every day you’re seeing our existence debated,” Page says. “Transgender people are so very real.”

That role in Pit Pony led to other productions and eventually, when Page was 16, to a film called Mouth to Mouth. Playing a young anarchist, Page had a chance to cut his hair again. This time, he shaved it off completely. The kids at his high school teased him, but in photos he has posted from that time on social media he looks at ease. Page’s head was still shaved when he mailed in an audition tape for the 2005 thriller Hard Candy. The people in charge of casting asked him to audition again in a wig. Soon, the hair was back.

Page’s tour de force performance in Hard Candy led, two years later, to Juno, a low-budget indie film that brought Page Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations and sudden megafame. The actor, then 21, struggled with the stresses of that ascension. The endless primping, red carpets and magazine spreads were all agonizing reminders of the disconnect between how the world saw Page and who he knew himself to be. “I just never recognized myself,” Page says. “For a long time I could not even look at a photo of myself.” It was difficult to watch the movies too, especially ones in which he played more feminine roles.

Page loved making movies, but he also felt alienated by Hollywood and its standards. Alia Shawkat, a close friend and co-star in 2009’s Whip It,describes all the attention from Juno as scarring. “He had a really hard time with the press and expectations,” Shawkat says. “‘Put this on! And look this way! And this is sexy!’”

By the time he appeared in blockbusters like X-Men: The Last Stand and Inception, Page was suffering from depression, anxiety and panic attacks. He didn’t know, he says, “how to explain to people that even though [I was] an actor, just putting on a T-shirt cut for a woman would make me so unwell.” Shawkat recalls Page’s struggles with clothes. “I’d be like, ‘Hey, look at all these nice outfits you’re getting,’ and he would say, ‘It’s not me. It feels like a costume,’” she says. Page tried to convince himself that he was fine, that someone who was fortunate enough to have made it shouldn’t have complaints. But he felt exhausted by the work required to “just exist,” and thought more than once about quitting acting.

In 2014, Page came out as gay, despite feeling for years that “being out was impossible” given his career. (Gender identity and sexual orientation are, of course, distinct, but one queer identity can coexist with another.) In an emotional speech at a Human Rights Campaign conference, Page talked about being part of an industry “that places crushing standards” on actors and viewers alike. “There are pervasive stereotypes about masculinity and femininity that define how we’re all supposed to act, dress and speak,” Page went on. “And they serve no one.”

The actor started wearing suits on the red carpet. He found love, marrying choreographer Emma Portner in 2018. He asserted more agency in his career, producing his own films with LGBTQ leads like Freeheld and My Days of Mercy. And he made a masculine wardrobe a condition of taking roles. Yet the daily discord was becoming unbearable. “The difference in how I felt before coming out as gay to after was massive,” says Page. “But did the discomfort in my body ever go away? No, no, no, no.”

In part, it was the isolation forced by the pandemic that brought to a head Page’s wrestling with gender. (Page and Portner separated last summer, and the two divorced in early 2021. “We’ve remained close friends,” Page says.) “I had a lot of time on my own to really focus on things that I think, in so many ways, unconsciously, I was avoiding,” he says. He was inspired by trailblazing trans icons like Janet Mock and Laverne Cox, who found success in Hollywood while living authentically. Trans writers helped him understand his feelings; Page saw himself reflected in P. Carl’s memoir Becoming a Man. Eventually “shame and discomfort” gave way to revelation. “I was finally able to embrace being transgender,” Page says, “and letting myself fully become who I am.”

This led to a series of decisions. One was asking the world to call him by a different name, Elliot, which he says he’s always liked. Page has a tattoo that says E.P. PHONE HOME, a reference to a movie about a young boy with that name. “I loved E.T. when I was a kid and always wanted to look like the boys in the movies, right?” he says. The other decision was to use different pronouns—for the record, both he/him and they/them are fine. (When I ask if he has a preference on pronouns for the purposes of this story, Page says, “He/him is great.”)

A day before we first speak, Page will talk to his mom about this interview and she will tell him, “I’m just so proud of my son.” He grows emotional relating this and tries to explain that his mom, the daughter of a minister, who was born in the 1950s, was always trying to do what she thought was best for her child, even if that meant encouraging young Page to act like a girl. “She wants me to be who I am and supports me fully,” Page says. “It is a testament to how people really change.”

Another decision was to get top surgery. Page volunteers this information early in our conversation; at the time he posted his disclosure on Instagram, he was recovering in Toronto. Like many trans people, Page emphasizes being trans isn’t all about surgery. For some people, it’s unnecessary. For others, it’s unaffordable. For the wider world, the media’s focus on it has sensationalized transgender bodies, inviting invasive and inappropriate questions. But Page describes surgery as something that, for him, has made it possible to finally recognize himself when he looks in the mirror, providing catharsis he’s been waiting for since the “total hell” of puberty. “It has completely transformed my life,” he says. So much of his energy was spent on being uncomfortable in his body, he says. Now he has that energy back.

For the transgender community at large, visibility does not automatically lead to acceptance. Around the globe, transgender people deal disproportionately with violence and discrimination. Anti-trans hate crimes are on the rise in the U.K. along with increasingly transphobic rhetoric in newspapers and tabloids. In the U.S., in addition to the perennial challenges trans people face with issues like poverty and homelessness, a flurry of bills in state legislatures would make it a crime to provide transition-related medical care to trans youth. And crass old jokes are still in circulation. When Biden lifted the ban on open service for transgender troops, Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che did a bit on Weekend Update about the policy being called “don’t ask, don’t tuck.”

Page says coming out as trans was “selfish” on one level: “It’s for me. I want to live and be who I am.” But he also felt a moral imperative to do so, given the times. Human identity is complicated and mysterious, but politics insists on fitting everything into boxes. In today’s culture wars, simplistic beliefs about gender—e.g., chromosomes = destiny—are so widespread and so deep-seated that many people who hold those beliefs don’t feel compelled to consider whether they might be incomplete or prejudiced. On Feb. 24, after a passionate debate on legislation that would ban discrimination against LGBTQ people, Representative Marie Newman, an Illinois Democrat, proudly displayed the pride flag in support of her daughter, who is trans. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, responded by hanging a poster outside her office that read: There are TWO genders: MALE & FEMALE.

The next day Dr. Rachel Levine, who stands to become the first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the Senate, endured a tirade from Senator Rand Paul about “genital mutilation” during her confirmation hearing. My second conversation with Page happens shortly after this. He brings it up almost immediately, and seems both heartbroken and determined. He wants to emphasize that top surgery, for him, was “not only life-changing but lifesaving.” He implores people to educate themselves about trans lives, to learn how crucial medical care can be, to understand that lack of access to it is one of the many reasons that an estimated 41% of transgender people have attempted suicide, according to one survey.

Page has been in the political trenches for a while, having leaned into progressive activism after coming out as queer in 2014. For two seasons, he and best friend Ian Daniel filmed Gaycation, a Viceland series that explored LGBTQ culture around the world and, at one point, showed Page grilling Senator Ted Cruz at the Iowa State Fair about discrimination against queer people. In 2019, Page made a documentary called There’s Something in the Water, which explores environmental hardships experienced by communities of color in Nova Scotia, with $350,000 of his own money. That activism extends to his own industry: in 2017, he published a Facebook post that, among other things, accused director Brett Ratner of forcibly outing him as gay on the set of an X-Men movie. (A representative for Ratner did not respond to a request for comment.)

As a trans person who is white, wealthy and famous, Page has a unique kind of privilege, and with it an opportunity to advocate for those with less. According to the U.S. Trans Survey, a large-scale report from 2015, transgender people of color are more likely to experience unemployment, harassment by police and refusals of medical care. Nearly half of all Black respondents reported being denied equal treatment, verbally harassed and/or physically attacked in the past year. Trans people as a group fare much worse on such stats than the general population. “My privilege has allowed me to have resources to get through and to be where I am today,” Page says, “and of course I want to use that privilege and platform to help in the ways I can.”

Since his disclosure, Page has been mostly quiet on social media. One exception has been to tweet on behalf of the ACLU, which is in the midst of fighting anti-trans bills and laws around the country, including those that ban transgender girls and women from participating in sports. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves says he will sign such a bill in the name of “protect[ing] young girls.” Page played competitive soccer and vividly recalls the agony of being told he would have to play on the girls’ team once he aged out of mixed-gender squads. After an appeal, Page was allowed to play with the boys for an additional year. Today, several bills list genitalia as a requirement for deciding who plays on which team. “I would have been in that position as a kid,” Page says. “It’s horrific.”

All this advocacy is unlikely to make life easier. “You can’t enter into certain spaces as a public trans person,” says the ACLU’s Strangio, “without being prepared to spend some percentage of your life being threatened and harassed.” Yet, while he seems overwhelmed at times, Page is also eager. Many of the political attacks on trans people—whether it is a mandate that bathroom use be determined by birth sex, a blanket ban on medical interventions for trans kids or the suggestion that trans men are simply wayward women beguiled by male privilege—carry the same subtext: that trans people are mistaken about who they are. “We know who we are,” Page says. “People cling to these firm ideas [about gender] because it makes people feel safe. But if we could just celebrate all the wonderful complexities of people, the world would be such a better place.”

Even if Page weren’t vocal, his public presence would communicate something powerful. That is in part because of what Paisley Currah, a professor of political science at Brooklyn College, calls “visibility gaps.” Historically, trans women have been more visible, in culture and in Hollywood, than trans men. There are many explanations: Our culture is obsessed with femininity. Men’s bodies are less policed and scrutinized. Patriarchal people tend to get more emotional about who is considered to be in the same category as their daughters. “And a lot of trans men don’t stand out as trans,” says Currah, who is a trans man himself. “I think we’ve taken up less of the public’s attention because masculinity is sort of the norm.”

During our interviews, Page will repeatedly refer to himself as a “transgender guy.” He also calls himself nonbinary and queer, but for him, transmasculinity is at the center of the conversation right now. “It’s a complicated journey,” he says, “and an ongoing process.”

While the visibility gap means that trans men have been spared some of the hate endured by trans women, it has also meant that people like Page have had fewer models. “There were no examples,” Page says of growing up in Halifax in the 1990s. There are many queer people who have felt “that how they feel deep inside isn’t a real thing because they never saw it reflected back to them,” says Tiq Milan, an activist, author and transgender man. Page offers a reflection: “They can see that and say, ‘You know what, that’s who I am too,’” Milan says. When there aren’t examples, he says, “people make monsters of us.”

For decades, that was something Hollywood did. As detailed in the 2020 Netflix documentary Disclosure, transgender people have been portrayed onscreen as villainous and deceitful, tragic subplots or the butt of jokes. In a sign of just how far the industry has come—spurred on by productions like Pose and trailblazers like Mock—Netflix offered to change the credits on The Umbrella Academy the same day that its star posted his statement on social media. Now when an episode ends, the first words viewers see are “Elliot Page.”

Today, there are many out trans and nonbinary actors, directors and producers. Storylines involving trans people are more common, more respectful. Sometimes that aspect of identity is even incidental, rather than the crux of a morality tale. And yet Hollywood can still seem a frightening place for LGBTQ people to come out. “It’s an industry that says, ‘Don’t do that,’” says director Silas Howard, who got his break on Amazon’s show Transparent, which made efforts to hire transgender crew members. “I wouldn’t have been hired if they didn’t have a trans initiative,” Howard says. “I’m always aware of that.”

So what will it mean for Page’s career? While Page has appeared in many projects, he also faced challenges landing female leads because he didn’t fit Hollywood’s narrow mold. Since Page’s Instagram post, his team is seeing more activity than they have in years. Many of the offers coming in—to direct, to produce, to act—are trans-related, but there are also some “dude roles.”

Downtime in quarantine helped Page accept his gender identity. “I was finally able to embrace being transgender,” he says.

Page was attracted to the role of Vanya in The Umbrella Academy because—in the first season, released in 2019—Vanya is crushed by self-loathing, believing herself to be the only ordinary sibling in an extraordinary family. The character can barely summon the courage to move through the world. “I related to how much Vanya was closed off,” Page says. Now on set filming the third season, co-workers have seen a change in the actor. “It seems like there’s a tremendous weight off his shoulders, a feeling of comfort,” says showrunner Steve Blackman. “There’s a lightness, a lot more smiling.” For Page, returning to set has been validating, if awkward at times. Yes, people accidentally use the wrong pronouns—“It’s going to be an adjustment,” Page says—but co-workers also see and acknowledge him.

The debate over whether cisgender people, who have repeatedly collected awards for playing trans characters, should continue to do so has largely been settled. However, trans actors have rarely been considered for cisgender parts. Whatever challenges might lie ahead, Page seems exuberant about playing a new spectrum of roles. “I’m really excited to act, now that I’m fully who I am, in this body,” Page says. “No matter the challenges and difficult moments of this, nothing amounts to getting to feel how I feel now.”

This includes having short hair again. During our interview, Page keeps rearranging strands on his forehead. It took a long time for him to return to the barber’s chair and ask to cut it short, but he got there. And how did that haircut feel?

Page tears up again, then smiles. “I just could not have enjoyed it more,” he says.”

[emilycollins00]

Heya hey hey honey💖 can I have some Taichi×reader with them spending time with Taichi's little siblings? It can be just something really short, I just want some big bro Taichi content, having the ×reader aspect is just a plus. If you can't write it that's fine. Love you🥺💖

Love you too Vivvv!! Please Nanao siblings my beloved.

Please enjoy! 💕💕

Reader + Taichi and siblings!

You always thought blue was a great color. Your favorite even.

It represented tranquillity and peace, but also curiosity and wisdom, somehow. When one thought of its different shades they always ended up being related to the sky, the sea, sometimes the space. Baby blue was delightful and innocent in your opinion. Navy was profound and mature, and aquamarine, for example, felt clear. Piercing. Striking. It was perfect.

Although you were reconsidering your preferences right now.

“Are you gonna marry Mi-chan’s brother?”

The water you were drinking to make up for the intense stare went the other way as an involuntary reaction, eyes wide open when you feel your lungs asking for the liquid to get out, making you to start coughing like there was no tomorrow.

“MI-CHAN!!”

You are too busy to take notice of the sound of feet running from the kitchen, a panicked Taichi arriving to the living under the confused stare of the little girl’s aquamarine eyes.

“Mi-chan, y-you promised not to ask those types of questions!”

Her ponytails move slightly as she tilts her head. “Why?” She immediately turns her head back to you. You are making a lot of noise.

“What do you mean why…!?” Taichi groans in distress before also turning to you to clumsily pat you on the back. “I’m so sorry Y/N, I swear this is not- are, are you okay?”

You nod, raising your hand to calm him down as the last bits of the cough leave your throat, not allowing you to form sentences yet. In the meanwhile, Mirai leans on the table, visibly unaffected by the mess, studying you both thoughtfully.

“Well, Mi-chan is gonna marry A-chan soon. Just so you know.”

The bomb that makes you stare in awe at the precocious little girl doesn’t have the same effect on his older brother. His eyebrows definitely frown defeatedly, letting you subtly now it wasn’t the first mention of that bold statement in the household.

“Come on, I already told you! You are still in kindergarden! And A-chan is-!”

“Oni-chan, oni-chan...” she shakes her head sighing tiredly making him stop his ranting, as if she was the one talking to a child, not the opposite. “Don’t you know age doesn’t matter when it comes to love?”

Ah, that’s Taichi’s sister all right.

“But that doesn’t- whoah!” the redhead stops mid-sentence, looking down confused. “M-Ma-kun?”

Opposite to the high level of energy his other sibling's project, wrapped around the autumn member’s waist a young boy with black hair and deep blue eyes tries to hide himself from being the center of attention, so much that he almost makes the red-head stumble a second time. “You left me alone in the kitchen…”

“Ah, sorry buddy!” Taichi doesn’t seem to notice -or mind at least- as he pats his head. “Let’s go bring them together ‘kay?”

“Want me to help set anything?”

“It’s fine! You both wait here. Ma-kun and I got this.”

Masato evades making any eye contact with you, merely nodding as he sticks closer to Taichi, and you can’t help but chuckle. It was sweet.

As they disappear you turn to Mirai, now humming while playing with her straw. “So… A-chan, uh.” You don’t know what else to say. The Nanao household really was something else when it came to their first crushes, you decided.

Unsurprisingly, the solely mention of his name makes her eyes sparkle. “Yup! He came to our class once and was super dreamy and cool!” she sighs content, leaving the straw aside and cupping her cheeks. “A-chan is shy like Ma-kun, so whenever Mi-chan asks him to get married he blushes a lot!”

You can’t shake the image forming in your head of the bashful teen trying to stop the advances of an overly-excited four-year old without success. “I see.” You pass your thumb over the rim of the glass mindlessly smiling. Her enthusiasm was kind of cute. “Then-”

“Here we come! Omi-san’s special cookies delivery service!”

Like any kid, the sudden smell makes Mirai quickly forget the former conversation, focusing all her attention on the warm plates being set on the table. You watch entertained how she contains a scream, making tiny jumps in her seat. “Mi-chan loves Omi-san’s sweets!” she states, enjoying the current view filled with sweets. “Ah, he really remembered to make Mi-chan’s favorites! Look, Ma-kun!”

The young boy nods distractedly, busy himself looking at all the possible cookies to choose from -a difficult decision indeed. He finally takes up a square-looking one with some kind of chocolate filling, only taking a second for his eyes to practically shine after the first bite.

“So good…!”

You can’t help but chuckle at the tone he uses. Ah, the joy of reaching pure glee with a few cookies.

“I’m sure Omi-san will be extra happy when we tell him about your reviews,” you mention amused while leaning in and taking one for yourself, enjoying the sweet flavor. “He did say a few of these were from a new recipe before we left.”

Taichi bites one as well, enjoying watching their siblings talk to each other enthusiastically. It had been a while since he had visited home. He ruffles Masato and Mirai's head before sitting next to you.

“Thank you for tagging along, Y/N. I know babysitting isn’t… what you were expecting to do today.” The redhead lifts his hand to scratch the back of his head, giving out a short chuckle.

“Mhm? Oh, come on.” You playfully push him with your arms. “I already told you it’s fine! Stop worrying about hold on is that baby you in those photographs?”

“Uh?” There’s a small pit on Taichi’s stomach as he watches you forget the snacks and excitedly leave the table, heading to the little stand. “A-ah, yeah!”

"You were so cute!"

The autumn actor tries to be nonchalant about it while feeling his ears burn. Because suddenly, as much as he thought he wouldn’t mind, he doesn’t know what to think about you seeing his old self -which probably adds to the one-side awkwardness-. He was generally neutral about them given that most of his childhood memories consisted on being left to the hands of pushing and pulling children, their thoughtless words and well, lost time he couldn’t really get back.

“Ma-kun and Mi-chan are there too!” Mirai exclaims from her seat, seeing his older brother hadn’t said anything else. You chuckle nodding, taking with care one of the frames. The three siblings are sitting together, each of them eating ice cream. “I see you three are wearing the same shirt... A dolphin?”

“W-we went to the aquarium!” Masato answers quickly, blushing seconds later at his own eagerness without making much more addition to that. Not the case for Mirai, who almost leaves the table to explain to you the context of each picture -making it known how much she had grown since then.

You listen and smile, leaving the frame back resting on its place and studying the rest. There’s one that manages to catch your attention. It’s a middle school graduation photo. Taichi has his diploma at hand, making a peace sign to the camera, still not red dye on sight.

He’s also smiling, but as your thumb caresses it, you get the feeling is not his usual smile. You glance at his present self, playing with a half-eaten cookie in his hand. The fact that he hadn’t made a sound had not escaped your notice, and your eyes soften.

“Can’t wait for Omi-san to take one of us after we graduate high school, uh.”

The sudden comment stops Taichi’s train of thought. Startled, he locks eyes with you, a lump in his throat gaining force against your smile.

You both know how much weight that sentence has.

Because he had changed. He could now put a hand on that little boy’s shoulder and reassure him that things get better. That he won’t always be alone. That there will be so many people who would come and brighten up his life, and stay no matter what.

“Ni-chan, let’s play after we eat!” Mirai implores, oblivious to your conversation. Masato lifts his head at the proposal, eyes shining brightly with anticipation. You make your way back to the table, one hand curled over your mouth to hide the smile at the sight of the young one’s cheeks full of cookies, almost chipmunk-like.

“I-I wanna play too!”

“Yeah!”

Maybe Taichi shouldn’t have brought all the cookies together. Sugar rush would probably kick soon.

The red head puts aside his current thoughts and lets out a laugh as he gets up from the chair, hands resting on his hips. That had been the point of the visit after all. “All right! Should we become super seitans and fight some villains?”

Masato and Mirai turn to his oldest brother almost in a coordinated motion, shaking their heads with such fervor one would have thought he had said the worst.

“Noooo Ni-chan you need to be the villain!”

“Yeah, you are an actor! So you gotta act evil so that we can defeat you!”

“Oh really? Then…”

Taichi doesn’t waste a minute to lift Mirai from her seat and move towards the living room carrying her on his back. She squeals delighted, and giggles like she is having the time of her life as they run away from Masato -who very much has forgotten his shy nature in front of you and devotes himself to become the current hero of their superhero play.

“No! Yellow!”

“Aha! I’ve already captured your friend, Blue Seitan, it’s all over for you!”

“It can’t be!” Masato stops, looking conflicted. He looks at his bare hands, then opens his palms towards brother “Blue lazer!”

“Too slow! You gotta work harder than that if you wanna defeat me!”

“Y/N, you too!”Mirai chimes in between laughs, trying to get down from Taichi’s back. “We need to take the Ni-chan down!”

And it takes a while, but somehow you manage to keep up with the Nanao siblings. You take Masato’s side and help him free Mirai. You all jump, scream and run away from Taichi, who at the end of the afternoon -and not because he has become extremely tired- is defeated with a dramatic scene worth its own applause.

"That- that was incredible!"

"How did you do that voice before? Do it again!"

"Please!"

As all four of you take a little break sitting in the living room, the autumn member keeps being surrounded by his sibling, still amazed by the made-up play and of course, asking for more. You give out a light chuckle at the view. Moments like these really proved Taichi was a big brother, but more than that -a loved one.

You stare at Taichi occupied with trying to calm them both and survive their excitement, long forgotten the sudden dark shade that took over his eyes before -most likely reminding him of his past, of his choices. Suddenly you notice they land on you.

“Something wrong Y/N?”

You blink, then shake your head smiling. The past was the past and Taichi had always been -stil is- a hard worker. Shining brighter and growing every day, so much that even his siblings could feel it. You sense a warm, tickly feeling on your chest. You are proud of him, of all he has and will accomplish, and can only wish for him to come to understand it soon enough as well.

“Just thinking how much I like blue.”

_________________________________________________________

Have a wonderful day! 💕💕

[renee-writer]

Cousins Chapter 3 Mo Ogha

AO3

Mrs. Gleena Fitzgibbons known to all as Mrs. Fitz, grandmother to both Loaghaire and Claire and, the head over all the servants at Castle Leoch, has a sudden sense something is wrong with her Claire. She wipes her hands on the apron that is a permanent part of her clothing. She tells the lasses working in the kitchen that she would be right back.

Claire will be on the roof if she is truly troubled. It was the place she ran to, at five, when her granny sat her down and told her about her family. It was the place she ran to when she was teased when her curse came unexpectedly in the kitchen. Aye, if her lass was upset, the roof would be where she would be.

She sees her, looking out over the grounds. “Mo ogha?” She turns at the sound of her granny’s voice and runs to her, burying herself in her amble chest.

“Oh granny!” She holds her stroking her curls.

“What ails my love?”

She sniffles against her. “Something silly.” She admits. Mrs. Fitz lifts her head.

“Now that canna be true. Tell granny about it.” They take seats on the stones. Claire looks down a moment.

“It is a lad. A lad both Loaghaire and I fancy. Only,” she quickly adds, “that I ken’d I fancied him until… oh granny, he meet my eyes and everything stopped. It was something like I have ne’ experienced. But Loaghaire has him and I dinna ken what to do with the way my heart feels.”

Her lambs first crush. It is time. At seventeen, she had been expecting it for awhile now. Now Loaghaire, at just fifteen is a bit young but she has always been precocious. “My lamb, who is this blessed lamb that has both my loves attention and how do ye ken your cousin already has him?”

“It is Jamie, the Laird’s nephew and well, when he was talking to her, he looked down at her umm, “ a blush raises from her neck to her face, “bosom. Ye ken granny that God has gifted her there. He seems to like it fine.” She starts to cry again.

“Oh mo ogha, lads will be lads. If I ken yet cousin, she made sure he noticed. But, it takes more then that to steal a lad’s heart. I wouldn’t give up just yet, were I ye.”

“Truly? You think he might still notice me?”

“Aye, now dry yer tears and come on down.”

“Thank ye Granny.” She jumps to her feet and helps the older lady up.

“Yer welcome my child.” They walk back down together.

Mo Ogha: My granddaughter

[grasshopperdoingdogpaddle]

We all know Omi's cute, but how would you rank Evil Omi, Cat Omi, and Omi Omi on a scale of relative cuteness? Similarly, rank Good Chase, Evil Chase, and Lizard/Dragon/Whatever Chase on a scale of cuteness or however you define Chase, I'm curious.

Ah... that's tough. But sure! I'll try!

Cutest Omi I think would be evil Omi?

Coming in at number 1 is Heylin Omi, at a 10/10 on the cuteness scale! I love that hyperactivity and the black clothes! Oddly enough, I think the violent urges make him even cuter! What's it called, gap moe? I'm a sucker for it! Plus, whenever he looks confused or surprised with those little white eyes, it's even cuter in contrast! He's certainly not the real Omi since he's missing the most integral parts that make Omi Omi, but he's in my strike zone for sure! Fun to write! Fun to analyze! Tiny, small, ready to brawl!

Coming in at number 2 is the normal Omi we know and love, at a 10/10 on the cuteness scale! He's tiny, he's sweet, he's chaotic, he's confident, he's precocious, he's strong, he's 20 pounds and can benchpress his entire team! It's truly no wonder Chase took one look at him and decided to spend the rest of the show trying to adopt him. The fact that Omi is so loyal and dedicated to good and to his friends that Chase had to cheat and remove half his soul to make him defect makes him even better, that's how stubbornly good Omi is, even when he was having a mounting emotional crisis of confliction for most of season 2. He does his best and is such a kid. He believes in the good in Jack and Chase! This is the Omi little me had a crush on and Omi big me wants to adopt. (Besides, it's a comedic show first and foremost, and he's the one who most consistently gets the laughs outta me.)

Which sadly puts kitty Omi at number 3, at a 10/10 on the cuteness scale! We didn't get to see a lot of this Omi, but I liked the lowkey tsundere-ness of him saying he didn't approve of Chase's actions, but still coming back because he likes to be scratched behind the ears. He's also fun to write, I want to write some kitty shenanigans!

Chase... yeah, sure, we can go with cute. It's a pretty flexible word I think. Chase himself is attractive rather than cute, so if I'm ranking cuteness, I guess I'll rank their cute bonds with Omi? Looks wise, they're all equally hot/attractive, I'd say, he's easily the best looking adult on the show.

Goes in pretty much the same order as Omi, ultimately.

1. Evil Chase

The classic, the first one we're introduced to. I love his schemes and powerplays, and like I said, I'm a sucker for the gap, so seeing evil Chase have cute interactions like patting Omi's head hit so much harder. The mindgames he and Omi play are a lot of fun, and they're also so in-sync in a fight. 10/10

2. Good Chase

Omi being in total awe of Chase, even more than Guan and Dashi, and the two of them clicking right away right after their fight! It shows that their bond is so genuine it transcends time, despite the messiness and complexities of it. In the present time of the alternate timeline, Chase is a little more serious and actually rarely smiles, but he still smiles big when he saves Omi. Still patting Omi on the head and still calling Omi "little one" shows that maybe Omi awakens parts of good Chase in evil Chase that he thought he'd forgotten. 10/10

3. Dragon Chase

Much more emotional and prone to outbursts than Chase in his human form, I loved that scene where he practically screamed "No, you DON'T understand!" and I liked the evil laugh when Omi was turned into a kitty, it's deliciously evil. The soccer match looked sort of silly, but that's fine in my book, and seeing his confusion when Omi invented new moves on the spot was hilarious. 10/10

[shinobicyrus]

Meeting for the First Time Again

A short little DS9 fic inspired by @c-rowlesdraws more alien redesign of Dax. Here’s a re-imagining Sisko’s reunion with his old friend.

Besides bearing DS9’s new Science and Medical officers, the USS Bhaskara was offloading much-needed support personnel and medical supplies for both the station and Bajor. With the Enterprise being called away earlier than anticipated, the Bhaskara would likely be the last Federation ship any of them would see for weeks.

Major Kira had accompanied Sisko aboard, and had stood straight-backed and on edge during the formalities between him and the Bhaskara’s captain. Charitably, Sisko figured it might not have been comfortable for her to be stuck in the unfamiliar close quarters of a Federation starship, or it maybe being surrounding by over a hundred sapients of a dozen different species all in their matching, pristine uniforms.

He still hadn’t come to a final verdict with her, yet. Certainly she had no love for the Federation. Hadn’t been at all shy to disclose that fact either, which he couldn’t help but privately admire. It was the kind of refreshingly straightforward attitude that Sisko didn’t encounter as often as he liked, anymore.

At least he knew where they stood. There may never be any friendliness there, but there could at least be a mutual respect, if they didn’t give each other brain damage butting heads all day.

Well. That was what their new doctor was for.

He was human and very young. His blue uniform was freshly replicated, and a medical bag hung off of his shoulder as if he expected to start performing first aid the moment he stepped off the ship. Sisko had read his file. Doctor Julian Subatoi Bashir had the highest qualifications of any medical practitioner he’d ever seen, and the academic accolades to have his pick of duty assignments.

Instead of research or a ship’s physician, he chooses a barely-functional Cardassian monstrosity on the furthest fringes of Federation space.

No one makes that choice unless they have something to prove. That never boded well. Sisko could only hope the few weeks tending to a people trying to recover from decades of slavery and genocide will give the good doctor a good dose of sobering reality.

Thankfully, Captain T’Shel was vulcan and took zero offense when Sisko politely declined their offer of a light tea in their stateroom. With the amount of work still needed to get DS9 up and running, it was only Logical he take his officers and return to work as soon as possible.

Their disembarkation went without incident, though Sisko half-expected the airlock to jam again. Next to him, Doctor Bashir took in the grim Cardassian architecture of the promenade with that eagerness unique to academy graduates on their first assignment; his eyes sparkled with adventure and Sisko marveled that he himself had ever been that young. 

DS9’s Science officer was more sedate, flowing over the tall rim of the airlock on many legs with a smooth, liquid grace. Two pairs of stubby but strong limbs pushed her long body upright and brought her flat, vaguely amphibian head at about his chest-level, passably mimicking a biped.

“Commander.” Major Kira looked uncertainly at her charges. “If you’d like me to give these two a tour of the station – ”

“You and Doctor Bashir go ahead, Major.” He turned to the trill and saw her already looking at him. The face of a stranger. Still, he smiled at her. “I’m afraid I have to put Lieutenant Dax to work right away.”

Dax nodded, unperturbed at being put to work so soon after a long starship journey. Not even time to throw her pack into her new quarters.

Major Kira for one just seemed relieved. The sidelong glance she gave Dax made it clear how unused she was to dealing with non-humanoids. Sisko couldn’t bring himself to judge – all of her interactions with off-worlders before now had involved Cardassians.

Before she could herd him away, Doctor Bashir half-ran past Kira to Dax’s side, stopping them from leaving. Sisko was too surprised – and too curious of Dax’s reaction – to chide him.

This time.

“Jadzia!” He adjusted the strap of his bag, completely heedless of the disgruntled glare Major Kira had leveled at him like a charging phaser. “I was thinking. Maybe we could…” He cocked his head, boyish smile shy but still precocious. “Get together later. For dinner?”

Dax did not answer immediately, as if he...she were weighing the question. As one second, then another ticked by without a response, Sisko watched the fear creep into Bashir’s eyes as it slowly dawned on him that he was holding up his commanding officer. Sisko said nothing to add or alleviate his anxiety, and Bashir stammered, looking to him and then back to Dax. “O-o-or a drink?”

Dax blinked slowly. Her mouth curled into a shape a human would find friendly. Her voice was thick, melodious and warm like rain on a muggy day. “I’d be delighted.”

Three words was evidently all it took to leave Doctor Bashir a dumb, grinning blob of hormones stuck in place in front of the airlock. Dax and Sisko left him to be pried off the deck by the Major.

They walked side-by-side down through the promenade. Sisko kept his strides small so the four shorter limbs on Dax’s lower body could keep up without much difficulty.

While trills could stand upright just fine, walking without all eight limbs was another matter; like expecting a human to hop around on one foot all day. Any Federation-raised citizen wouldn’t think twice about trill walking past low to the ground, but Curzon had stubbornly mastered the art.  

‘Gotta look them in the eye, Benjamin. Think I could have gotten anything done at Khitomer crawling around the Klingons’ pointy boots?’

Watching her walk was what did it. The dignified posture, head bobbing and both pairs of upper-arms clasped behind her back. It was all Curzon, but eerily incongruous. Like looking into the mirror and seeing the wrong color uniform.

Sisko leaned down to ask, “He’s a little young for you, isn’t he?”

“Trills mature a little faster than humans, but we’re close in Standard,” Dax said. “He’s twenty-seven and I’m –”

“Three-hundred twenty-seven?”

“You know I stopped counting, Benjamin.”

“How convenient for you.”

Dax chortled a bubbly trill laugh. “What was that human expression you told me once? About youth and old age?”

“Youth is wasted on the young.”

“A pitfall I’m glad to have avoided,” Dax grinned.

“You’re dodging the question.”

She stroked her whiskers like Curzon used to do when he was pretending to be a forgetful old man. When...she was pretending. “And what question would that be?”

“Whether the man knows he’s chasing after someone who’s technically older than his great-grandparents.

“Of course he knows,” Dax’s upper body stood a tad straighter. “He finds it fascinating. He’s never met a joined species before.”

“‘Fascinated’ isn’t the word I’d have chosen to describe it.”

“It’s the spots. And the arms,” She raised two of them to fend off his raised eyebrow. “Don’t worry Benjamin, I’ve been around humans long enough to be able to spot a harmless crush. He’ll sigh and pine at the ‘unattainable older woman’ shield he put around me until he gets over it.”

“I’ll trust your expertise on the matter,” Sisko said wryly. “While we’re on the subject, what’s your opinion of him?”

“My opinion?”

“You've trained your share of clueless ensigns and terrorized enough trill initiates...”

“That’s true,” Dax agreed. “I happen to remember one young cadet who swore he’d be captain of a starship by thirty.”

“And an admiral by forty.”

“How is that going for you?”

“Further along than Cal. And you’re changing the subject.”

Those whiskers, again. “The subject being?”

“Come on now, Dax. You two were stuck on the Bhaskara for three weeks. That’s more than long enough for you to get a good read on him.”

“Is this an official request from my superior officer?”

Superior officer. Curzon. That…was going to take some getting used to. “If it has to be, but I’d rather be talking with an old friend whose opinion I trust.”

Dax looked pensively at patterns on the deck plating as they walked. “He’s...young. Eager. Brilliant and knows it, but even the arrogance feels like an affectation. Almost obligatory. At least, it’s flimsy enough that I doubt it will last long outside of a competitive Academy environment.”

“He specifically asked to be here.”

Dax’s hum was like rippling water. “He told me that as well.”

“That sounds like a man with something to prove.” Sisko didn’t hide the disapproval in his voice. From another officer under his command, maybe. Not from Dax.

“Yes, but it’s to himself first and foremost. I’m not a counselor Benjamin, so I couldn’t tell you why, but  I’m confident his rough edges will be smoothed over with little bit of time, wisdom, and real-world experience. And,” she added with a thin smile. “The guiding hand of a wise mentor.”

“I hope I can live up to your example.”

“Oh, I meant me. You’ll do too, I suppose,” Dax winked. “I taught you everything you know.”

For the first time since he boarded that godforsaken Cardassian station, Ben Sisko laughed. “Not everything, Old Man.”