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#easier to confirm judges
jomiddlemarch · 1 year
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Thank you, Georgia!
(I wish some of the 700+ voters I sent postcards to could somehow know I am clapping for them right now!)
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maryrouille · 1 month
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Toxic romanticization of studying
In a word of introduction, my profile partly shows that studying and exploring is wonderful. But as a person involved in science*, I would like to show healthy and true patterns of this beautiful adventure in acquiring knowledge.
The inspiration for writing this post this time was not the phenomenon from Tumblr (although you can also observe it here), but from Pinterest. There you can come across cycles composed of quotes and photos whose aim is to motivate young girls to learn, succeed and get good grades. These images often also show examples of characters from movies, TV series or real life that you can aspire to be like. Overall, I have to agree that it really works! But I would like to draw attention to certain elements that need to be verified.
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1. You shouldn't get up at 5am
First of all, the correct amount of sleep is one of the most important factors affecting the proper and effective functioning of our brain. During sleep, nerve cells regenerate, organize information acquired during the day and consolidate memory traces, which is directly related to learning. Lack of sleep increases impulsivity, deepens negative thinking and slows down the body's reaction time!
2. You can be a genius without good grades
Of course, good grades are a pleasant confirmation of our knowledge and praise for hard work. However, sometimes it is worth considering whether the structure of exams themselves, especially those with closed questions, affects the results. We often study for one specific exam, the knowledge of which may be very… limited and sometimes not useful, so it is worth prioritizing the topics that we study hard.
3. It's not cool to think you're better than others
We are different and have different priorities in life. It is also worth considering how many people escape from the rat race and start a slow, stress-free life. So we have to agree that judging people based on grades or responses under stress (sic!) is not cool.
The good thing about romanticizing studying
As I have already said, these types of collages are really motivating. So let's talk about what's great about them and what's worth highlighting and saving for later.
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1. Knowledge is beautiful, but your outfit and surroundings can also be
We know that we should never judge a book by its cover, but… the issue of social perception painfully confirms that we do and will continue to do so because this is how our brains work. And isn't it nice when someone looks at us and thinks this girl is so classy?
Moreover, a nice outfit that makes us feel good gives us a lot of self-confidence. There are also many studies confirming the positive impact on motivation and concentration of a neat and aesthetic workplace.
2. Not just cramming, but also discovering
Broadening your horizons is easier with passion and real commitment. And to achieve this, the topics must really interest us. Not everyone has yet found something that they are extremely passionate about in science, so that is why you have to dig deeper and discover different areas.
3. Don't be afraid to use your knowledge in practice
Schools and universities, unfortunately, have their own rules and they do not always allow you to show your 100% potential. Thus, share your knowledge with others externally, write essays, blog and social media. This form of activity also makes you learn things faster and easier. In addition, contacts with others will expand your knowledge.
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Therefore, I must say that it is worth choosing your inspirations carefully. Nothing helps you enjoy studying better than a clear head and lack of prejudices.
*This post was inspired by my own experience with studying. If anyone is interested, I think I can share my mistakes that did not help me in an academic adventure :)
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cenorii · 2 months
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Sudden theory about re9!
This time I didn't expect to write this theory, because I saw this thing unexpectedly. And I'm still in a stupor.
Another theory about Wesker, but this time with a screenshot I haven't seen anywhere else... (wow wtf??)
Spread this photo around so more people know about it.
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I found this image when I was replaying re8. There's a red line leading from him to Chris.
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Initially I always thought it was Karl Heisenberg but then I got to thinking… why would he want his own pictures on his own information board? And they have completely different facial features.
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I used free camera to examine this photo and was horrified to find that it was an exact replica of Wesker, only older and with long hair. I also noticed that his glasses are on a string or something. If you doubt that this is Wesker's face, just look closely at the shape of the nose, the distance between the nose and mouth, and then look at the shape of the face and chin. They're identical.
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So, what are my conclusions? Let's run a logical chain to make it easier for us: Karl collected information on all the people who were in any way connected to Miranda. Chris is connected to her because he's been investigating a case involving Mold and Miranda since as early as 2017. And Wesker is connected because he worked for The Connections in the HCF division. It was The Connections that developed Eveline, and Miranda worked for them. It's unlikely that Wesker has anything directly to do with that. He's also connected to Chris, which is why their photos are connected by a red line.
Now let's discuss his face. This is obviously an aged version of Wesker's new appearance from re4r. In 2021, at the time of the re8 storyline, he is 61 years old. The photo is probably recent, judging by Chris' photo. Wesker has long hair here, which is interesting. Of the boring stuff, the glasses are a different shape. There are official hints in the Umbrella Corps game that Wesker is alive, it says so almost directly there. Read my theories if you're interested. Here. And here.
Given all the hints that Wesker is alive, can this photo be considered official confirmation? We'll see.
I really haven't seen anyone else write about it.
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andypantsx3 · 5 months
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HOME, SAFE, YOURS : TODOROKI SHOUTO x READER
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CONTENT & WARNINGS: pro hero au, gender neutral reader, established relationship, care-taking, aged-up characters, smut (reader gives shouto a shower handjob), 18+ minors please dni!
WORD COUNT: 2k
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Shouto looks worn as he toes off his boots in the genkan.
It's not the first time your boyfriend has come home looking tired, and it's thankfully nothing like the bone-deep exhaustion that always pulls at him after a truly harrowing shift. But it's very clear Shouto has stretched himself today, judging by the slightly slower, more ginger way he's carrying himself.
Drawing closer, you can see dirt and ash scraped over his high cheekbones, and that much confirms your suspicions. Definitely a tough take down today, if he's looking this beat up.
"Hi Sho," you say, hurrying over to throw your arms around him, relieved to have him back in your hands. It's a little easier with the height the genkan step gives you, putting his broad shoulders in easier reach. "Tough day today?"
Shouto's arms come around you as he presses his face into your shoulder, breathing in deeply. He's cold, the chill from outside still lingering on his clothes, on his skin. He smells like ash and sweat.
"Hello, love," he says, his voice a low rumble you can feel against you. "It was... difficult."
You grip him tighter, holding him to you. "I'm glad you're safe."
His mouth is warm on the skin of your neck. "I am glad to come home to you."
A smile pulls at your mouth as you pet through his hair. It's soft and silky, but a little piecey—the after effect of having used phosphor, you know. You spend a couple moments absently running your fingers through the strands, clinging to as much of his shoulder as you can reach, reveling in the feeling of him back in your embrace, home safe where you like him best.
Shouto lets you hold him, face still pressed into the crook of your neck, the line of tension in his shoulders unwinding. His breath tickles your skin, slow and even. You cling just a little bit more tightly.
"Let's get some soup in you and get you in the shower, huh?" you say after you've stood like that for some minutes, your voice a little startling in the quiet of your apartment. You lightly tug on a hunk of his hair, inquiring.
Shouto doesn't move, just huffs softly into your shoulder.
You can't help but grin again, charmed by him as always, shifting so you can clutch his face in your hands and pull him up for a kiss instead. This time Shouto goes easily, his mouth following yours, his kiss soft and sweet and slow.
Shouto takes his time with you, so you do too, pouring your relief and your happiness to see him again into the kiss. His hands tighten on your back like he understands, hitching you up against him a bit more firmly.
"Soup time," you tell him when he finally lets your mouth go. Those heterochromatic eyes flutter open, and he frowns a little bit, leaning back in.
You smile into another kiss, laughing when his hands creep down your sides, charting a path to your thighs where you know he intends to pick you up once he's got you. Any other day and you'd let him take you against the wall right there in the genkan. But he's moving so slow you know it will be a struggle for him today, and you don't want him to strain himself any more than he already has.
There are other ways you can show your affection, today.
You quickly worm out of his embrace, dodging when he reaches out a long-fingered hand for you, frowning again. Fuck, he's so cute.
"Soup first," you order him, marching him into the kitchen.
A tiny pout purses his mouth but you're not to be deterred—you set him up at the table with a hot bowl of soup and several of last night's leftover sides; blanched spinach ohitashi and simmered squash. You plop an extra bowl of chicken and cucumber marinade directly in front of his soup as well—knowing full well he'll need the extra protein after a day like today.
As you hoped, the food quickly overtakes your boyfriend's focus. In your experience pro heroes need to intake an insane amount of calories, and even more on days they've utilized their quirks to the extreme. Shouto is no exception, his temperature quirk one of the most voracious energy burners of all, and very quickly the bowls in front of him begin to empty.
He looks even more exhausted when he finishes, and you wolf down your own bowl of soup, cutting him off as he attempts to clear the table.
"Go shower," you tell him, leaning down for a kiss even as you yank a bowl out of his long, elegant fingers.
Shouto looks up at you again, a microscopic downturn to his mouth that would be unreadable on anyone else, but on him counts as a pout. "You said after soup—"
"I'll join you when I'm done," you promise, your heart swelling with affection. It always pleases you that time with you seem to be his priority, even when he's clearly tired like this.
You laugh when this works like a charm, Shouto leaning in for another kiss before obeying. You hear the shower gutter and hiss on as you scrub the bowls in the sink, laying everything out to dry on the counter.
The bathroom is already hot and thick with steam when you let yourself in, and the mirror fogging. Shouto's left the curtain askew and your mouth dries out a little at the peeks of his body you can see—all that lean, sleek muscle glinting wetly in the light.
You step out of your clothes and slide in behind him, throwing an arm around his waist. His shoulders look especially broad in the small stall of your shower, taking up nearly the entire width, and you lean up to kiss in between them, letting your mouth linger.
"Hello, love," Shouto says, trying to turn to look at you. You hold him in place with your grip on his trim waist, reaching up to run a hand through the wet strands of his hair.
"Let me take care of you tonight," you say, pouring your insistence into your tone.
There's not much you can do to help Shouto with a job like pro heroics, particularly without a quirk of your own. But what you can do, what you like to do, is be there for him in the little ways—feeding him soup, washing his hair, taking the reigns when he's tired like this.
The contraction of Shouto's abdomen under your fingers as he sucks in a breath tells you he's understood your meaning. He shifts in your arms to face you, ducking in for a hard, wet kiss. Hot water spatters over your shoulder as he does so, pooling in the places where his skin meets yours.
You let him kiss you, slow and careful. Then you reach past him to uncap his shampoo, and rake it carefully through the strands of his hair, as Shouto obligingly keeps his head bent for you. You admire the way his long eyelashes flutter against his high cheekbones, the way his lovely mouth looks so soft and relaxed like this.
You take your time, moving slowly and carefully, before reaching for his conditioner. You slowly massage that in too, blinking against the water on your face when Shouto pulls you closer to him, pressing his face into your shoulder and huffing out another relaxed breath.
He could be asleep standing up by the time you move onto his his body wash, but he shivers as you run your hands over him. You love the feeling of him in your hands, all that slick, tight, dense muscle under your fingers.
He's so beautiful, so divinely-crafted. Sometimes you cannot believe Todoroki Shouto is yours to love and to care for.
His breath comes a little faster when your hands slide down his trim waist, as you work the suds into the V of his hips. "Love," he says, his voice low, rumbling.
"Turn around," you tell him, gently reaching up to move him as you do so.
You let your hands slide back in place, and then let them slip lower, taking Shouto into your hand. He's velvet soft in your fingers, but obligingly hard, thick and full—and even though you can't see him, you know just how pretty he looks in your palm. You press a kiss to his shoulder blade as he shudders, a powerful arm coming up to prop himself up against the shower wall.
You work him slowly at first, just as carefully as you'd pulled the shampoo through his hair. The flex of his abs against the palm of your other hand is transfixing, the shine and glint of the light over his muscles as he shifts in your fingers hypnotizing. Both of you linger in the moment, letting it stretch out long and hot and sweet, thick and slow like honey.
Shouto lets out a low groan when you thumb over the head of his cock, the arm he has pressed to the wall tensing. You do it again, reveling in the flex of his bicep, the roll of a powerful shoulder.
Shouto is the only person on earth as beautiful on the outside as he is on the inside, and you drink it all in, the sight of him, the beautiful sound of him as he utters your name, low and smooth and thick with feeling.
You keep pumping him like that, exactly how you know he likes, until he strains in your hands, that trim waist flexing as he can't help but rut into your grip.
One of your arms clutches him tighter against you as work him faster, and he lets out a soft moan, his fingers curling into a fist on the shower wall. It's only a minute or so more before he's arching into your hand, his hips bucking.
You tighten your fingers, thumbing over his head again, and that's all it takes. Shouto groans your name into the hiss of the shower spray, and comes all over your palm, every muscle in his body straining forwards.
He's so beautiful as he comes apart in your hands. His chest is heaving when you finally stop, and he shifts in your arms again, ducking his head to press an exhausted, satisfied kiss to your mouth.
"Thank you, love," he intones, those heterochromatic eyes settling on you, dark with pleasure. Pink stains his high cheekbones and the bridge of his nose, and he looks flush with effort, exactly the way he does after he takes you apart in bed most nights.
You grin up at him, leaning up on your toes to press another kiss to his mouth. "I love you, Sho."
He murmurs his reply into your mouth, and you run your hands over him again, pulling through his wet locks.
"Now let's get you into bed," you tell him bossily, reaching past him to turn off the shower spray.
"What about you, love?" he asks, a little frown marring his perfect mouth. You kiss it off of him, then tug him out of the shower and wrap him in a fluffy towel, scrubbing it over his hair.
You'll get back in to take your own shower properly in the morning, you know, and once Shouto has slept things off, he will be eager to return the favor. For now though, you tell him you are satisfied just to be with him, to be near him, to take care of him.
You tell him you love him again, and pull him into bed, still damp and sweet and pliant with his release. You're satisfied as he melts into sleep, his exhaustion winning out.
Truthfully, there is nothing more you want in this life, you think, as you follow after him, slipping into slumber too. You want him like this always, relaxed in your embrace—home, safe, yours.
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Happy New Year from me!! I wanted to give you one more Shouto before the year was out. Thank you guys so much for everything this year. I am continually grateful to be a part of this community, and I will work hard to learn more and give you my best in 2024!!
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luckybyler · 3 months
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My observations on the VR game re: Byler, including a couple of things I haven’t seen mentioned yet
I just saw part of a game walk through on YouTube (I can’t afford VR), and hoo boy!
1. The Mike that says El is so amazing and Will wouldn’t get it isn’t the real Mike, it’s the Mike that Vecna shows Will to terrorize him: In Chapter 3, Vecna possesses Will. Will resorts to a happy memory (Mike and him in Castle Byers), where Mike gives him a a ViewMaster. Will starts playing it, but Vecna makes every memory awful, full of spiders and particles. He distorts scenes, showing things like everyone ditching Will after calling him weird and other things that blatantly didn’t happen. Then he tells him he’ll show him suffering and shows that scene where Mike talks about El while particles fall down.
2. Will is confirmed to be a human being with wants and needs of his own: During that scene, Vecna goads him to tell Mike how he feels, and that he doesn’t want to meet El at all. At this point Will and El hadn’t met in the real world, and Will didn’t wish harm on her or anything, he just didn’t want her to be there, which is a normal and natural thing to feel about your crush’s hypothetical crush.
3. Vecna’s full of shit: In chapter four, Vecna tries to possess the four boys from the Party, and fails. He tells Dustin he puts double the effort into the friendship than the other three boys do, but Dustin turns him off with the TV remote (is Dustin’s happy memory watching tv?). Then he basically tells Lucas “you’re black and people judge you for it��, but he’s in a memory of a movie date with Max (at a drive-in theatre somehow) watching happy memories of the Party. Lucas does see the monster (so it somewhat hits?), but Max says it can’t do anything and they easily shut Vecna down. He also taunts Mike by telling him he’ll never see the most awesome person he’s ever met (El) and it’s his fault because he didn’t try hard enough, but he’s in the middle of a DnD battle with the boys and doesn’t even pay attention. A couple of dice bring Vecna down no problem.
4. Mike lovingly tends to Will’s nosebleed: Vecna does almost succeed in possessing Will, but he’s with the boys playing DnD, and Mike soon realizes Will’s nose is bleeding. He takes Nancy’s shirt and uses it to clean the blood/attempt to stop the bleeding, and admonishes Lucas and Dustin for not going to get a towel. Notice that in season 1 the boys saw El have nosebleeds and Mike was never as precious about it, unless she passed out of something and then they all helped. Lucas and Dustin are even heard in the background pointing out that nobody dies from a nosebleed. There’s a funny moment when Vecna tells Will he will always be alone right as Mike sweetly asks him if he’s ok while holding his face.
5. Brenner is training Vecna (???) and points out that he’s full of shit: I don’t know if this means anything for the show’s canon, but it’s interesting. Before Vecna tries to possess the boys, Brenner points out that they’re too young and untroubled, and afterwards he makes fun of Vecna for losing against children, again.
6. Will isn’t the weakest link, he’s the link Vecna knows best: Brenner points out to Vecna that the reason he could possess Will easier is because he already knew him (from the Upside Down) and knows the nature of his fear. When Vecna tries to possess Will, he does tell him to help him find out about Lucas’, Dustin’s and Mike’s fears, and actually asks him “what is Mike afraid of?”, indicating that he knows jack shit about them. Which leads us to:
WHERE THE LEDE IS BURIED:
7. LOSING EL ISN’T MIKE’S BIGGEST FEAR. OR SOURCE OF GUILT.
It might be a fear or regret of Mike, but it’s not THE fear.
Turns out Vecna was attacking Lucas, Dustin and Mike based on superficial knowledge, suppositions and stereotypes (Dustin’s the newest of the group, Lucas is black, Mike met El), not an actual, deep knowledge of their minds. Yes, good memories helped them keep Vecna at bay. Yes, those things Vecna told them might bother them. No, those aren’t the things that are at the core of their fear and guilt, or the right angle to drive them to either the dark side or suicide if pushed about them enough.
P.S.: At some point (that I haven’t seen yet, Max tells El that she doesn’t need to be a superhero all the time, that she’s more than fine as Jane, her friend. I think this might be literal, as in, superpowers are not the key to defeating Vecna. This is a psychological thriller disguised as supernatural horror, therefore the weapons to defeat him might be more psychological.
TL; DR: Vecna will be defeated with the power of Cognitive Behavioral TherapyLove and Friendship.
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anexperimentallife · 4 months
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The US far right has been working on their plan since AT LEAST the 1960s, when I was a kid listening to evangelicals talking about their plan to take over the US, and eventually the world. It's called "Christian Dominionism," and it's a fascist ideology which goes hand in glove with the GOP's plans.
Although it was not expressed so much to the world at large, this plan was OPENLY and FREQUENTLY discussed in far right circles. We kids, if we asked about it, were told that it was "God's Will." Ask any exvangelical about it, and they'll confirm. (Part of why I know so much about these dangerous and deluded folks is I WAS ONE OF THEM in my youth.)
And where has that plan gotten them? Well, the GOP recently released a hundreds of pages long document filled with their intentions if they win--including a nationwide abortion ban and a repeal of anti-discrimination laws, among other things.
Trump has already signaled his intent to create a military dictatorship if elected, by repealing laws against using the military against US citizens on US soil sp he can deploy them against dissenters, etc., and if the GOP pick up a few more congressional seats, he can do it. The GOP has already pushed to repeal presidential term limits, and Trump has indicated he'd like to be president for life.
So I'm amazed at all the people who think withholding their vote and letting the GOP win is going to somehow fix things and "push the Dems left."
You wanna know how to push US politics leftward? You're not gonna like it, because it takes actual work beyond stomping your foot and pouting and performatively showing everyone how "pure" you are by refusing to vote.
You have to start the same way the far right did (and again, they've been OPENLY talking about and pursuing this plan since I was a kid in the 1960s, AT LEAST)--they started by getting the most extreme right wingers they possibly could into any position they could. Positions like school board member, police chief, sherrif, city prosecuter, city council member, municipal judge, mayor, governor, hell, fucking dog catcher.
They encouraged far right extremists to become police officers and military personnel and work their way up the ranks to the point at which even the famously-racist FBI reported that major city police departments across the nation were pretty much taken over by members of white supremacist organizations.
In formerly reasonable churches, right wingers pushed for the hiring and training of more and more right wing pastors and mire right-wing theology.
More affluent right-wingers bought local papers and broadcasters, and as their political power grew, they changed laws to make it easier for a single entity to control the news--until now a mere handful of entities own nearly every major media outlet in the US.
And then they used every victory as leverage for the next one, and worked their way up. I mean, there's more, like the capitalization on economic and social anxiety and their inentional exacerbation of same so they could take advantage of it, but that's intertwined with the rest.
Essentially, they got this far because they put the work in.
If the US left is going to turn things around (and if it's not already too late), we've got to do the same, but it takes RESEARCHING and PROMOTING your local and state candidates, attending city council and school board meetings, and shit like that. It's actual fucking work to fix a country.
And then, after you've done all that--and after you've shown up to primaries to try to get any non-authoritarian leftist candidate you can nominated--then you vote for the leftest folks you're able to in the general. If there are no remotely leftist candidates, you vote for the centrist or right winger who will do the least damage.
Again, that's what the US far right has been doing for decades. Taking action. Wherever possible, taking new ground, but when they couldn't do that, ceding as little ground as possible. If they couldn't win, they made damn sure to do everything in their power to try to keep actual decent human beings from winning.
Actually doing the work doesn't have the emotional satisfaction of a grand gesture, but it definitely shows who is serious about making a difference and who would rather let everything burn than sully their imagined purity by voting for anything less than perfection.
Listen, Trump is not going to end the genocide in Gaza--in fact he increased tensions between the Israeli occupation and Palestine. And the GOP will never be persuaded. Hell, they want to let Russia take Ukraine and declare open season on asylum seekers.
The Dems suck. But the GOP is far, far worse, and will do MORE damage, and kill FAR MORE innocents. And if allowed to do so, will make it even harder to change the system than it is now. They've already PUBLICLY ADMITTED that their only chance of victory is keeping people from voting. Don't play into their hands.
Under current circumstances, you know what the Dems are going to do if Biden and a bunch of other Dems lose for not being pure enough? You think they'll be all like, "Oh, no! The left sure taught us a lesson by handing the country to the GOP! We'd better shift to the left!"
No. They're going to sip champagne in their multi-million dollar mansions and have meetings about how they need to move FURTHER RIGHT to win elections, because the left doesn't vote.
And if the US becomes a military dictatorship, most of the high ranking ones will simply take their fortunes and leave.
Yup, it'd sure teach ol' Joe a lesson to force him to spend the rest of his days sipping cocktails on the Riviera.
Look beyond the single battle and think strategically. That's how the GOP keeps gaining power. And refusing to act strategically is why the left is losing. We cannot take the hill we want right now. But if we lose the hills we've already taken, we risk losing the entire goddamn war.
So fucking vote. Work to get every leftist you can in any office you can. And if you can't do that, support the one who will do the least harm.
And if it takes voting for that shitbag Biden to keep Trump and the GOP out, hold your fucking nose and pull the goddamn lever.
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sebsrainbowbicycle · 3 months
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Whats your opinion on the whole Christian Horner thing?
Let me preface this by saying, I have intentionally stayed away from this subject for many reasons, but given there was an outcome of the investigation today, and some of the information I’ve seen here throughout the past weeks, now is as good a time as any to respond to this ask I got weeks ago. This is not, nor will I be offering in the future, my opinion on whether Horner is guilty of the accusations or not. I just want to maybe provide context, and information from my experience and career thus far, that might help people understand, and also my opinion on the reaction from people. Caveat - I am not a lawyer, nor will I go into specifics of my current or previous job, however I worked in the legal profession where I worked on legal cases, reviewed evidence, and made submissions and recommendations that went in front of Judges.
Okay my thoughts. My thoughts are that an internal investigation that should have remained private for all parties involved, especially the alleged victim(s), was leaked and used as clickbait and gossip by the media and people on here and other social media sites. I think people decided guilt without having any genuine information, without seeing the evidence and without any credible sources. I think were the person being accused a different member of the paddock that the reaction would have been different. I think people used this to virtue signal and cry out about what good people they are. I think people that constantly say that the media and journalists shouldn’t be trusted, fed into a feeding frenzy that led to the name of the alleged victim(s) being published, which will undoubtedly impact them for the rest of their lives.
Onto specific things I have seen that I’d like to offer my take on:
Christian allegedly offering the victim a sum of money - First of all, for anyone who has a certain amount of wealth, especially those in the public eye, this is a usual occurrence. You try to avoid an investigation by any means possible, whether you’re innocent or guilty, because a) it’s easier and usually cheaper in the long run, b) pr and public image are damaged by even unfounded accusations and these things can run on for an extremely long time, and c) trial by media is a thing, and innocent people get tarnished for the rest of their lives because of something they were accused of. Now, I’m not saying any of those are why the offer was allegedly made, but those are some of the reasons. Companies do the same thing, when someone has an accident at work and hurts themselves, even if the company do not believe themselves to be at fault they will make a settlement offer, to avoid any legal back and forth. Settlements are not an admission of guilt, but a way to make something go away quickly.
Said money being why the investigation “went away” - I saw a quote that said “the grievance has been dismissed”, that means there was a finding, not that it was withdrawn. even so, this was a red bull investigation carried out by an external barrister. Once the company were made aware of the allegations, their investigation is independent of either party involved, so even if the alleged victim(s) withdrew their grievance, the company would still have a duty of care to ensure that any inappropriate behaviour or actions were identified, investigated and addressed. Most importantly, red bull want to protect themselves legally, and following the procedures and carrying out a thorough investigation, which would identify if they were potentially exposed to risk, is how they do that.
How can they ignore 100’s of pieces of evidence - We don’t know that they did. It was reported, but never confirmed that there was over 100 pieces of evidence submitted, so this is absolute hearsay. Further, I would be extremely surprised if the investigation ignored any piece of evidence, given the ramifications of an incorrect or improper investigation. Also I think it’s really important to say that evidence does not equal guilt or that one party to the proceedings is correct. Allow me to provide you with a personal example. I worked on a case where there was over 5000 pages of evidence submitted into a legal bundle. Approximately 4000 of those were from the appellant who argued that the other party had acted incorrectly. (forgive my vagueness here I’m not about to doxx myself). 4000 pages of evidence, which I reviewed and made a decision that I did not support their argument. The judge agreed with me also. Evidence can be subjective, and sometimes it can be completely irrelevant. The presence, and submission of evidence is to support one sides view of things, the other side will have their own, and both are examined and balanced and decisions made on that and sometimes also on other independent investigation.
The investigation is private and cannot be shared - This is law. GDPR in fact because this is occurring within Europe. I’m literally spending this entire week on a GDPR course, and have an exam on Friday, so I really don’t want to go on about legal basis and restrictions for sharing personal data, but let me tell you it’s for good reason, especially with investigations like this. All parties involved in this have a legal right to privacy, covered by the human rights act, and unless there is a compelling legal reason why their data should be shared, then it can’t be without their explicit consent. Simple as. And that’s disregarding that there will be confidential company information within the investigation that also cannot be shared.
Horner committed a crime - given that we do not know the specifics of what occurred we simply don’t have enough information to know this, HOWEVER, from the information I have read, and by the fact that I have not seen an indication that the police have been involved with this, nor are they carrying out their own investigation, I am working under the assumption that no law has been broken.
tl;dr - These are real people’s lives, we are not involved and we have no right to know anything. This isn’t salacious gossip, and it’s not a fun thing to band around and use as a stick to beat people with to prove how good we are. Processes and investigations like this should be private, and basing things on hearsay and unscrupulous reporters does more damage to any alleged victims than good. Having seen how fans and social media have treated this investigation, do you think that makes any other alleged victims want to come forwards? I think not. But that’s just me.
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queeranarchism · 9 months
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I never really understood the call for non-toxic masculinity. Shouldn't the goal be to build a world in which people are just not judged along the axis of masculinity at all? And to help men navigate such a world by constructing a sense of self which rests on things other than masculinity? How is a new and different masculinity gonna help with that?
Also, when people list traits of non-toxic masculinity, they're usually just traits of like ... a good person. Why even keep calling it masculinity when it's so far removed from traditional masculinity that you would advice women to adopt 100% the same traits? Teenagers aren't stupid, they'll see right through it. Might as well be honest.
Emulating traditional masculinity as Tate does is ridiculous and pathetic, and that's about all teenage boys need to understand about it.
On the one hand I think 'masculinity doesn't need to be defined around misogyny and you are not less of a man if you're less misogynistic and violent' is often a first stepping stone towards 'masculinity doesn't need to be defined at all' and an easier step to take for people still figuring out who they are and how that relates to their gender and the social expectations around their gender.
On the other hand, I think neither idea is going to be remotely appealing to most teenage boys because they exist within a group context that violently polices adherence to hegemonic masculinity and most of them would rather die than face social rejection.
Unless you can change the social context teenage boys exist in, you're going to be fighting an uphill struggle against guys like Tate who confirm hegemonic masculinity.
So, changing society as a whole is mostly where it's at.
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ashwhowrites · 1 year
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can i please request something with eddie and cheerleader reader? i just love it so much and i basically can’t find any i haven’t already read. maybe something where the reader is judged and hurt by all his friends for being popular at first (cause i love a little angst) but obviously they come around, but really anything you want bc i’m obsessed with your writing and will be happy with anything THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
I LOVE CHEERLEADER READER
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"wait...Y/N asked you out? The cheerleader? Miss popular? Rich daddy? That Y/N?" Gareth asked, Eddie stood across from him, cheeks red, apparently just got back from being asked out on a date.
"yes! I can't believe it" Eddie exclaimed excitedly, he's had a thing for Y/N for years, and he never once thought she'd look in his direction. But she was, and she was staying put.
"Eddie, are you sure that's a good idea? We know how those popular kids can be" Mike warned, eyes looking back to Y/N, her giggling with her friends. He was worried for Eddie, he didn't want him to get hurt.
"look I know she's popular and I went on countless rants about how they are here to ruin the world, but come on! It's Y/N! I've been praying for a moment like this" Eddie explained, he definitely wasn't going to say no just because his friends didn't seem convinced.
~~
Before hellfire knew it, Eddie and her were together. And always together. She was holding his hand, kissing him against the lockers, wearing his jacket, and sitting with them at lunch. She was everywhere and hellfire couldn't stand it.
Dustin liked her though. She was funny and had a nerdy side. It was easy to tell Eddie adored her. He looked at her like she held the stars personally to shine for him.
"I'm thinking I'm going to ask her to be my girlfriend, officially" Eddie delivered the news, seconds before hellfire exited the school
"really? You sure?" Lucas questioned, a worried look in his eyes
"yes. I have no doubt she'll say yes. We have so much fun together. She seems to really like me. It's been a month of dates and kissing. Why would she say no?" Eddie argued. He had his mind set on her. There wasn't any reason why she'd say no.
"it's just are you sure it's genuine? Not a dare?" Gareth brought up, all boys agreeing
"I don't think she's like that. She's going to say yes, good luck" Dustin defended. Eddie sending him a grateful smile
~~
On his way out Gareth found Y/N walking to Eddie's van, just leaving practice as she stood in his jacket.
"Gareth hi!" She cheered as he walked up
"hey, look we need to talk" he wasn't going to let Eddie get hurt, not by someone who could move on way easier than Eddie ever could
"yeah what's up?" She asked worried, swallowing herself in Eddie's jacket as she shivered against the cold
"Eddie is going to ask you to be his girlfriend," her face lit up at the news. Excitement rushed through her as she felt herself ready to break out into her own personal cheer, "but you need to say no"
"wait what?"
"it's just that Eddie doesn't belong in that popular crowd. He thinks he can handle it but he can't. He'll be insecure, uncomfortable, and he won't be himself. Do you want that? Do you want him to have to pretend to be someone else for your little crowd to accept him? " Gareth was digging up anything he could to make her second guess this relationship. He was learning fast that she wasn't quite easy to just push over
"that's not true. My friends already love him. He hangs out with us all the time at parties and sometimes he comes with to my team dinners. Even guys on the basketball team like to talk to him. He gets to be himself " she defended, she wouldn't allow her friends to disrespect Eddie or make him insecure.
"and what about what his friends think of you?" Gareth snapped, he was running out of arguments. Maybe he needed to make her insecure
"what do you mean?" Her hard face cracked slightly. She always feared hellfire didn't like her and she had a feeling it was going to be confirmed.
"we don't like you, none of us. We don't like you hanging around and being attached to Eddie's hip. Soon we'll refuse to be in the same room with you. Making Eddie split his time between his friends and new girlfriend. And that's always a problem down the road, And when it comes down to Eddie picking between us and you, who do you think he's going to pick?" With that he walked away. Smirking to himself as he watched her face fall
~~
"hey gorgeous. How was practice?" She smiled sadly as Eddie walked up to his van. A big smile on his face as he reached to grab her in a hug
She hugged him hard, allowing herself to feel his hard chest against her cheek.
"it was fine. How was the campaign?" Pulling away to look at him. He excitedly talked about it as he got in the car, and the whole way to her house. She listened closely, she loved listening to Eddie talk. He put so much time and creativity into it
Once he pulled up to her house, he grabbed her hands. She had a feeling it was coming, the way he took a deep breath and shyly looked at her
"so I've been thinking about how much I love spending time with you and I really like you. And I want to be with you, like officially. Do you want to be my girlfriend?" She hated how excited he looked. How nervous his hand was holding hers. And how his eyes were so soft. And she knew this was going to be just as hard for her to stay as it will be for him to hear.
"no Eddie. I'm sorry" she choked out, flinging herself out of the car as fast as she could. Slamming the front door behind her and racing to her bedroom.
Eddie stared at the empty passenger seat for a good few minutes before his brain understood what happened. She said no? She actually said no. He swallowed down the bitter taste and reversed out of her driveway. Guess him and Dustin were wrong.
~~
"how did it go?" Dustin asked excitedly as Eddie walked into the lunchroom, finally seeing him
But as he took a closer look, Eddie seemed sad. He didn't have the energetic aura or the childish smile
"she said no"
The table went silent, everyone looking at him and sneaking a look to where she generally sat before she met Eddie
Eddie looked to her table, watching as she played with her plate, looking down
"I'm sorry man" Gareth comforted, laying a hand on Eddie's shoulder
"I just don't know why. I mean we've been together every day for a month. If she didn't like me why would she be around me for so long?" It didn't make sense to Eddie. She looked sad when she said no, and she ran out of the car like it was on fire.
"cheerleaders man" Gareth scoffed
~~
It probably was smart to always be looking at him but she couldn't help it. It's only been two days and she missed him terribly. She hated that she couldn't walk up to him and ask him about his day. Or kiss his lips. Or sit in his van and listen to his music.
He always stared back. Questioning her for saying no but spending her time staring at him.
But she did it for him, she wouldn't make him pick and put his friends in that position. They knew him first, and that's just how it was
~~
Gareth's intentions didn't work out well for him. Eddie was sad and snapping at everyone. He grew even more insecure, his confidence was taking hits and he just shut down.
"I mean I know she's way out of my league but I just thought maybe you know? God I'm an idiot. I'm a freak and live in a trailer, of course she didn't want to be official. Probably embarrassed to call me her boyfriend. Meet her family"
Gareth felt guilt eating at him the more Eddie talked. He just made Eddie doubt himself even more about everything.
He needed to fix what could have been amazing.
~~
Y/N was walking out of the gym when she spotted Gareth, a small smile on her lips as she began to walk passed him
"wait! Can we talk?" She tensed at his voice, turning around
"about what?" She asked quietly. She needed to go home before she saw Eddie. It's been getting too hard
"I wanted to apologize. I made all that shit up. Eddie is my best friend and I just wanted to protect him. But all I did was hurt him and hurt a girl that seems to really care about him" Gareth apologized
"thank you for your apology" she said with a nod, going to turn back around
"wait! Please talk to him. He really likes you and he's hurting"
She kept her back to him but nodded her head, walking away
Gareth felt himself smile when she turned to left, not the direction of the parking lot
~~
Eddie cleaned up the remainder pieces of the campaign when someone knocked on the door
"open"
He didn't bother to look up, zipping up his backpack when a hand touched his arm
He snapped his eyes up and was across from Y/N
"hey Eddie" she said quietly
"um hey" he whispered, his body was on fire from the smallest touch. He didn't know why she was here but he didn't want to ask her to leave
"I have a small confession about why I said no"
Her eyes were soft but he felt like her words were a punch to his gut. He was once again reminded she said no. She didn't want to be his girlfriend
"do tell" he smirked, trying to lighten the atmosphere, make it less serious and tense
"Gareth kinda pressured me into saying no. He admitted that none of your friends like me, which I get being popular and all, and he said it would divide your time. At the end of the road you'd have to pick so I just thought it would be easier to beat you to the punch. I'm sorry, you don't know how bad I wanted to say yes. And how bad I still do. But hellfire is your main source of happiness, I couldn't ruin that" her hand made its way to his hand, holding it loosely giving him the chance to let it go. But he gripped it harder.
"I never knew he did that. I'm sorry. You are nothing like what they think you are, that's why I like you. At the end of the day I want to be with people who want me to be happy. If they can't accept you or be happy for me then they aren't as good of friends as I thought they were. Gareth and I are best friends, we'll make it work. But I'm not going to let another person decide for us" he cupped her jaw softly, smiling down at her
She smiled at his words, finally feeling something other than sadness from the last few days
"should we do this thing Munson?"
"oh definitely" he laughed, kissing her softly, moving his lips gently against hers
He pulled away with a quick peck
Speaking against her lips, "I'll deal with Gareth later, right now I need to scream in the parking lot that you are my girlfriend"
Tags!
@bmunson86 @mxcheese @ladymunson @michaelfuckinglangdon @z0mbie-blah @biittersweet @mirrorsstuff @slightlyvicked @micheledawn1975 @ago-godance @magnificantmermaid @tlclick73 @hargrovesswifee @cityofidek @manyfandomsfanvergent @silky-luxe @lokiofasgard616 @loving-and-dreaming
@eddiemunsonsbitch69 @thegemaqua @ashlynnkennedy @strangerthingsstories5255
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phantomyre · 6 months
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It is time... to obsessively hyper analyze Vincent. Come on. You knew it was coming.
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So first off, while there isn't a lot to glean per se, there are a few interesting design choices that I'd like to go over. One thing that I was surprised about is the complete lack of round shapes/edges. Vincent looks overall a lot more 'sharp', 'edgy', whatever you want to term it. Take his buckles for example. The round edges have been replaced by sharp edges. Artistically speaking, these design choices are meant to depict the character's personality. For example, if you have a soft character, you use soft colors, soft edges, round shapes, etc. If you want a more harsh character, you give them dark or vivid colors, lots of squares, triangles, etc. In Vincent's case, they've virtually removed all of the round/soft edges he always used to have. We will delve further into this as we scan down his body *cough*. Edit: Forgot to point out that he has double the spokes on his buckles, so instead of 4 prominent spokes, he now has 8, which is the symbol of Chaos.
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Anyways.... speaking of Chaos.
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Continuing to analyze his upper body, the most obvious are his eyes (or single eye). It's hard to tell, but judging by the few clips we've seen along with the still images, it looks as though only his left eye is glowing. Nevertheless, he does have the Chaos inner-glow. While he's always had a touch of yellow/orange in his eyes, it looked more like natural eye reflection rather than an actual glow. This is likely the change the dev team hinted at during an earlier interview. His pupils are also notably very small compared to all of the other characters with the exception of Sephiroth's cat-eye slits. Overall, they've made it a point to give Vincent predatory eye(s) this time around, leaning more heavily into the fact that he is no longer fully human. The material that makes up Vincent's cape and headband seem to be of slightly different material, and the colors are even slightly different. His headband looks to be made of a very thin cloth of fine thread. His cloak, though also seemingly thin and light, is only slightly thicker. His cloak looks to be made of either felt or very fine linen which looks to be heavily worn out (of course). Also, Vincent seems to have snake-skin on his gun-wielding arm which I've only seen the Turks and Sephiroth wear. In general, this luxury material seems to only be worn by those connected to Shinra. Thus, it is likely this is meant to coincide with Vincent's past as a Turk. But in terms of his role as Turk, I will get to that a little later.
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I think we can all agree that the weapon he is currently wielding is Quicksilver. It would make sense that he would start off with the same weapon he has in OG, though I and many others were surprised he wasn't wielding his most iconic weapon, Cerberus. While it isn't confirmed, and with the inclusion of many DoC elements, this makes me think that we could get an origins story for how Vincent obtained Cerberus in the first place. We are getting an origins story for Sephiroth's Masamune in Ever Crisis, and we already know the Bustersword's origins, so it's not out of the question. (And there are a lot of parallels to be drawn between Cloud, Sephiroth, and Vincent). Side note: I didn't write this in the graph but you can also see Vincent's left eye glowing through his bangs yet again even from such a distance. Natural white room bounce-light wouldn't have this affect on normal eyes. Rebirth Vincent seems to be sporting his OG button-top which is a design that we haven't seen since OG. It too has a little bit of snake-skin accents. A few other not so important changes are the alterations of his buckles, and the fact that it looks to be more obvious that he is wearing a two-piece set instead of a single piece jumper. Makes it much easier to remove, am I right?
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Going down to those luscious DoC hips, some belts are shifted around or missing, but then we have the thigh guard which was responsible for giving Vincent that unusually thick hip appearance. However, he is still sporting that gorgeous slutty tiny waist we all love from DoC. Thank you, Squeenix. The armor on his side is an odd choice, though more than likely it is meant to protect those birthing hips from that extra dangerous looking set of claws--- which I would like to remind is also lacking in round edges. Yet again, all of the round shapes/edges have been replaced by sharp ones. Take the knuckles for example. I will miss his AC/DoC claw. It was less of a bitch to draw. The gauntlet looks to serve not only for offense but for defense as well. It is heavily armored for impact, and as we will see going down the rest of his body, heavy protection and sharp edges continue to be a theme for his new Rebirth look.
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Once again, we can see how thin and light the material is on his cloak. It is in contrast to his very elaborate and possibly expensive gear/suit. His cloak and headband seem to be the only things that clashes with the rest of his gear in terms of quality and practicality. While there are signs of use on his armor, it pales in comparison to the possible age and wear of his cloak. As a matter of fact, it almost looks like it is about to fall apart... like it was hand-made years ago. Very different from the heavy material we see in AC and DoC. And then of course there are the sabatons/greaves. While I cannot pin-point it, his armor design seems reminiscent of the Ancients/Minerva for some reason. That aside, the heavily layered armor makes it seem like he will be doing a lot more damage with his claw and legs going forward, on top of being heavily protected. The design on his shin reminded me of an army symbol, but that's neither here nor there. ....And I'm so happy they kept his tiny ankles. In general, Vincent's Rebirth design seems to lean into a Vincent that is much more guarded, 'edgy', and ultimately a lot more reserved, albeit self-reliant. We've seen as much in his room where it doesn't appear that he has only been moping in a coffin all these years. What's more---
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--He points a gun at Cloud and threatens the group. This did not happen in OG. Vincent appears to be even more distrusting and hostile this time around. This yet again is depicted in how he is dressed in the heavy armor and ample sharp edges.
And what's with a vending machine and protorelic(?) dispenser in his mancave? Vincent boss fight, maybe? Please? Sure seems like Vincent hasn't been lacking anything... But back to Vincent being a lot more distrusting this time.
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Unless this is merely for the audience and new FF7 fans who know nothing of his character, this implies that Vincent doesn't divulge his connection to the Turks and instead calls himself "Security" guard. And not only that, it's spoken as if it's current tense. Not past tense. So yet again, if Vincent is indeed avoiding the term Turk and doesn't even tell Cloud and Co that he used to work for Shinra, this adds to the idea that his level of distrust is much higher than before. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if joins the party much later, even after learning who Cloud's foe is. And since his connection to Sephiroth aka Lucrecia/Hojo is the mystery factor, he may not even divulge this to Cloud and Co when they first meet until much later. Either way, Vincent might actually prove to be a much tougher egg to crack this time around, along with more layers to uncover. (take that last phrase however you'd like)
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atlafan · 3 months
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“You’re acting like that meme of Jamie Lee Curtis where she’s aggressively drinking that water and telling someone off at the same time.” Layna groaned at her boyfriend who finally stopped glaring at his phone to look up at her.
“I have absolutely no idea what that is.”
“Yes you do, I’ve sent it to you before!” Layna takes her own phone out and shows him after searching it quickly on Google.
“Ohhhhh.” He smirks. “Right, now I remember. It’s usually you who looks like that when you’re about to brawl with someone.”
“Now that you’ve calmed down, can we think about what just happened rationally?”
“No, and I will try to call customer service again.” He holds his phone up to his ear.
“Your ass is not on the phone!”
“I’m listening to a voicemail!”
“Okay, Mr. Corporate.” She rolls her eyes.
“Just because I was promoted at the gym, does not make me a corporate meow meow asshole. I think it’s perfectly reasonable for to be upset about this.”
“I’m just going to go in and see if we can book a new reservation with my credit card. The room is technically available..”
“Not until I get to the bottom of this.”
“There’s nothing to get to the bottom of.” She groaned.
“The bottom is gaping. This is a job for the FBI.”
“Who are you, Kris Jenner?”
“Ew, no.” He grimaces. “She’s insane, why would you say that?”
“Because you just said…ugh! Why can’t you know the same references that I do?”
“I’m so sorry that I haven’t spent hours upon hours watching E! I’ll try to rectify that at some point. Now, let me do what I need to do.” He taps a few things on his phone and then presses it to his ear. “This is why I hate credit cards, cash is so much easier.”
Layna pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She reached into his pocket for the paper confirmation Harry had brought with them so they could check into their hotel with ease. He has wanted to plan a long weekend for them, so he booked everything with his name and his credit cards. When you check into a hotel, you need to show the card you used to reserve the room. The woman said the cards didn’t match. When Harry tried again, the app for his card put a lock on his account. So now they’re out on the curb trying to figure it out.
As Layna scans the paper she furrows her brows, then reaches into Harry’s pocket again for his wallet. He pays her no mind while he speaks with another representative from the card’s customer service line. She takes out the credit card he used to reserve the booking and realizes that Harry inverted the expiration date, and wrote Harry Edwerd Styles, instead of Harry Edward Styles. Two simple mistakes that the woman behind the counter could have been nicer about helping with instead of just turning them away.
“Harry…hang up the phone, baby. I figured out what happened.”
“Yeah?” He hangs up the phone. He was on hold so who cares?
“Um…I don’t want you to feel embarrassed because I’ve made mistakes like this before too, but it appears that you inverted the expiration date on your card…and spelled your middle name wrong…”
“I did?!” He snatches the card and the paper and scans them both. “I’m not seeing it.”
“Can I point to them?” She asks gently and he nods. She shows him the expiration on the card and then points to what’s on the paper. “See, the expiration is 06/29, you put 09/26…and you spelled Edward with two E’s…”
“Oh.” His cheeks redden, obviously very embarrassed by his blunder. “I should have had you look at it before I submitted…”
“It happens! I’ve done with my security code and my exportation date before. I think if we go back in, we could explain it better. And then see if that snotty lady will be cooler about the mistake.”
“This is so embarrassing.” He groans.
“I know it feels that way right now, but I promise, I’m not judging. I know your dyslexia flares up more when you’re stressed and reading all the fine print for a hotel reservation can be really daunting.” She wraps her arms around his neck and pecks his nose. “The sooner we go inside and fix the reservation, the sooner we can go to our room and I can help you forget alllll about this.”
“Might have times where I think of it randomly and I feel embarrassed all over again.” He grips her hips, squeezing them.
“Then I guess wherever we are you’ll just need to pull me aside and use me until you forget again.”
No Complaints Blurb
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in-my-feels-probably · 10 months
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Sirius x pureblood!reader inspired by ivy by Taylor swift where reader’s parents r extremely against sirius because of his reputation
Ivy
Request: Sirius x pureblood!reader inspired by ivy by Taylor swift where reader’s parents r extremely against sirius because of his reputation
and: sirius black x pureblood!slytherin!reader where they have known each other since they were younger but drifted for obvious reasons. the drift causes resentment in each side which leads to snarky comments and lots of sexual tension in their later hogwarts years lol. eventually they get into an argument or something and the reader insists she is the same person she was when they were younger where as sirius is like no ur an uptight b. anyway this leads to sirius almost challenging her to prove herself to him and so even tho she is freaked out when he shows up outside the slytherin common room one night and says they are sneaking out to see a muggle concert she has no choice but to oblige. it ends up being an amazing night for both of them and they realized the love they had for each other as children truly never died.
Hi! I’m so sorry it took me so long to get to these requests, and I hope it’s alright I combined them. They worked really well together. Ivy is one of my favorites by Taylor, and it was so fun writing this based on that song.
Also, the reader isn’t actually a pureblood, just raised by a pureblood family. It just worked out easier for me to write this that way, hope that’s alright, too. Anyways, thank you again for being patient! I hope you enjoy!
(Warnings: swearing, smoking, mentions of Sirius’s home life, insults, guilt, let me know if i missed anything)
How's one to know?
I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones
In a faith-forgotten land
You should have known what you had with Sirius was never going to last. 
Growing up as the daughter of two prominent pureblood wizards in high society, there was certain expectations of you to follow in their footsteps. Except, you weren’t exactly pureblood yourself. You were just a baby when you were orphaned by the beginning of the war, and your parents just so happen to not be able to have children themselves. And—although you were the child of two halfbloods—they thought if they took you in young enough, it wouldn’t really matter. They’d raise you as your own, and you’d be no different than the rest of the pureblood children.
But there were whispers.
They were never confirmed by anyone, but your family could still hear them. Whispers of your true birth—which meant that all your life, you had to be on your best behavior. And that was quite hard to be on when Sirius Black was your best friend. At least, he was your best friend.
You weren’t sure what he was to you now. 
You were very close in your first few years at Hogwarts. Even when you were sorted into Slytherin, he overlooked it. Although he had his opinions, he didn’t look at you any differently—just like you didn’t look at him any differently when he was sorted into Gryffindor. You were always by his side, even when your parents hated it, so what did he have to judge you for? If you could overlook all his flaws and caveats, he would welcome yours.
It was no secret that your parents hated Sirius. While they had a certain respect for Walburga and Orion—who seemed to like you—they just couldn’t stomach Sirius. Regulus, they liked. He was a good boy, and he never got into trouble or brought shame upon his family. 
Sirius was another story. 
But you never cared. You didn’t buy into the blood purity prejudice parade that your parents and their friends tried to sell you. 
But, unlike Sirius, you weren’t so loud about your distaste for it. Despite wanting to stand up to your parents about it, you couldn’t. There was already a lot depending on you, and you were too afraid to disrupt the small sense of normalcy you had in your life. Letting it go was too much change, and you didn’t much like change.
There was a time in Sirius’s life where he found your reserved manner charming. It was one of your cute little traits that made you who you were. 
There was one evening when you received mail from your parents at dinner, and he came over and snatched it out of your hands before you could stop him. He was joking of course, but as he read over it, his face fell.
“This is the third letter in a month your Mother has sent telling you to stay away from me,” he mused, a sad smile on his face. “They really hate me.”
This wasn’t the first time you’d had a conversation like this, and there wasn’t much you could do to ease his pain. All you could do was take his hands in yours, squeezing them tight. 
“I’m sorry, Sirius. They’re set in their ways, there’s nothing I can do to change that. But you know I don’t hate you. I never will. And I’ll never let them stop me from seeing you. You’re my best friend, and I’ll never let them change that. One of these days, I’ll muster up the courage to tell them that to their faces.”
He just shook his head, slinging an arm around your shoulder as he changed the subject. “It’s alright, darling. We’ve got plenty of time to piss off your Mother and mine until we actually need to do something about it.”
But as the war came closer, and it was time to start making bold choices, he grew tired of always waiting for you to speak up. There wasn’t much you could do about it, either. You loved him more than pretty much anyone else in your life, but even that love couldn’t squander the fear you felt when being with him meant breaking too many rules.
Slowly but surely, you started losing your best friend.
Your relationship came to a standstill the first evening back to term after Sirius had spent his second entire summer locked up in his house. He couldn’t see anyone, most definitely not you. Neither of your parents would have allowed it—punishment for Sirius, and a regulation for you.
“You could have owled,” he teased when you found each other after dinner, but you could see the hint of sincerity in his eyes.
“You know my Mother never would have allowed it, and your Mother never would have let you read it even if she did, Sirius.”
He sighed in frustration. “For once, I just wish you’d stand up to her.”
“Is that so?” You asked, pulling him into a corner away from prying eyes. “You know as well as I do why I can’t do that. I told you, one day I’ll figure it out. But you can’t ask me to do it now. I’m not brave like you—”
“You are brave like me. It’s a wonder you weren’t sorted into Gryffindor,” he laughed, but you could see the sadness in his eyes. 
You moved to wrap your arms around his waist, settling your cheek against his chest. You could feel him heave a breath, but he wrapped his arms around your shoulders anyway. You stood in silence together for a moment longer, gently swaying back and forth before you spoke. 
“I’m sick of arguing with you over this,” you murmured into his chest. “I really fucking am.”
Sirius gripped you tighter. He felt like letting you go meant he was doing far more than just physically letting you go. It was more than that—it was letting you leave him. And he wasn’t sure he could stomach that just yet. But he knew…you both did. He’d released his grip a long time ago. Anything now was futile, like grasping for straws. 
Still, he held you tight against him. He would allow himself this. He didn’t have to let you go just yet.
“Me too, love. Me too.”
In from the snow
Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow
Tarnished but so grand
How unfortunate that the time you were most cross with each other was the time you found each other the most attractive.
It was ridiculous, really—how pretty he was.
He grew into himself over the years, confidence quite literally radiating off him. He had some attractive friends too—who were generally friendly with you—but none of them in your opinion held a candle to Sirius. There was just something about him. And while Sirius showed interest in other girls, he just couldn’t seem to shake you. 
By Fifth Year, you were in a quarreling stage of your relationship. 
You’d had many nights like the one you had after dinner, and they hadn’t all been so cordial. There wasn’t two people in the whole of Hogwarts more stubborn than the two of you. And you found many reasons to butt heads like rams. 
It was just who you were to each other now.
No longer best friends, but people who knew too much about each other. People who knew all the right ways to piss the other one off. You know all of each other's likes and dislikes—anything that made the other tick. 
In his absence, you grew more sure of yourself. Less afraid to speak out about things that bothered you, and less afraid to stand up to those who had something to say about you. Recently, Sirius had been trying his luck with you. He couldn’t help himself. Pissing you off and seeing your reaction was like a drug to him, and he was hooked.
“Look at you…practically fuming,” he smirked when he messed with your cauldron in Potions. “It’s kinda hot.”
“So mature, aren’t you?” You snapped, shooing him away from the table. 
He snickered as he walked back to his own work station, and he left you alone for the rest of class. You spent the remaining time trying to fix what he had ruined. By the time the period was over, you were seeing red. Sirius casually strolled out the door behind his friends, and you marched after him in a fury. You grabbed him by the back of his cloak, spinning him around.
“What the fuck is your problem, Black? What did I ever do to you?”
“What did you ever do to me?” He asked sharply, before taking a breath and forcing himself to relax. “When did you get so uptight, love?”
He tried to turn to walk away, but you grabbed his forearm, yanking him back toward you. You held him tight, your fingers making indentations on his skin. He looked down slowly, carefully watching where your body was meeting his. You took a breath, easing your grip once you realized just how close to him you had gotten. His friends carefully watched a few feet away, silent as they waited for Sirius to speak. 
You cleared your throat, running your thumb along his reddened skin before dropping his arm. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to grab you that hard.”
He could barely hear you from how quiet you were speaking. He just shook his head, looking at you with curious eyes. He knew he had overstepped, but was too proud to say anything. So he just shrugged you off, rubbing at his arm.
“You’ve got claws…shame you didn’t use them when I needed them.”
He turned around and left before you could get out another word.
But I don't, I just sit here and wait
Grieving for the living
You weren’t speaking by the time you found out Sirius had run away from home. 
It broke your heart when you found out. You may have been one of the only people in the world who understood what he was going through, down to the exact same rhetoric your parents would use to try and convince you to be good children—and the punishments they’d dole out when you didn’t listen. You felt nothing but guilt, knowing he needed someone to save him…and you weren’t there. 
Instead, he had to save himself. 
But more than anything, you grieved for him. Not for his life, but for the one you could have had with him. When you were kids, you thought you’d be best friends forever. Side by side, always there when the other needed them. 
But now? 
Now he was having to make a new life for himself. He had new best friends by his side, who took better care of him than you ever could have. And you grieved that missed opportunity.
You missed him.
You figured it wouldn’t take much—to take him back into your life. All he had to do was ask, if he even still wanted that. You’d had your share of fighting, and would much rather go back to being strangers. That was much easier than passing him in the halls every day and wishing he was someone else to you.
Clover blooms in the fields
Spring breaks loose, the time is near
What would he do if he found us out?
Crescent moon, coast is clear
Spring breaks loose, but so does fear
He's gonna burn this house to the ground
You had one night separating all those days of fighting.
You weren’t even sure how it happened. You’d had a particularly bad day, and you weren’t in the mood for your regularly scheduled spat with Sirius. You’d skipped all of your classes you had with him, and he of course had taken notice.
He found you down by the Black Lake, where you’d go to get some peace and quiet. You could hear the leaves crunching under his boots, turning around to see him coming down the hill. You sighed, putting your head in your hands. 
“Not in the mood today, Sirius,” you said over your shoulder. “Go home…please.”
He shook his head, coming to sit down next to you. “No—no, I don’t think I will.”
You didn’t have it in you to fight with him. Clearly, he had noticed your absence. That was something, wasn’t it? It was quiet for a moment as you watched the water from the lake lap onto the shore, before you felt a warm hand on your knee. You looked over to see Sirius gazing down at you, a mild look of concern on his face. 
“Not gonna fight me for sitting down? Not gonna shove my hand off your knee?”
You shrugged, shaking your head. “You can do whatever you want with your hands. I don’t care.”
Sirius smiled to himself, knocking his shoulder with yours. He didn’t move his hand, instead tracing his thumb absentmindedly back and forth along the curve of your knee as he spoke.
“You weren’t in class. It’s not like you to break the rules—”
“I break plenty of rules,” you snapped, feeling your skin heat underneath his palm. “But how would you know? You barely talk to me anymore.”
He let out a laugh, a giddy feeling spreading in his chest. “I know you well enough, Y/N. And I know you don’t break the rules. Too uptight, maybe.”
“Or too scared,” you retorted, slapping his hand. “But you’d know all about that, wouldn’t you?”
He let out a laugh, slinging an arm around your shoulder. “Merlin, you really are a bitch.”
“Takes one to know one,” you said without hesitation.
Sirius seemed surprise for a moment, not expecting your retort. But after a moment—in his usual fashion—he grinned at your snark, turning to face the shoreline. You turned as well, watching the light glisten on the water as the sun began to set behind the trees. With Sirius so close to you, you couldn’t help but ponder the life you had once had with him. It wasn’t that long ago that you’d find yourself shoulder to shoulder with him, trying to choke down the butterflies in your throat as his skin brushed yours.
“Do you remember when we were kids?” You finally managed to say, letting out a breath. “When we were little, and you owled me after your Mother had punished you? It was the first summer she wouldn’t let you leave Grimmauld Place.”
Sirius stiffened next to you, clenching his jaw. But after a moment, he gave you a slight nod of acknowledgement.
“I had barely learned how to use the Floo on my own, but I knew it was my only way to get to you. I managed to sneak out before my parents found out, and I came to you as quickly as I could. I found you out in the gardens behind the house. Do you remember what you said to me?”
It took him a long while to speak. He didn’t dare look at you, keeping his eyes on the lake as you waited for him to speak.
“The ivy grows thick here,” he finally said, the slightest waver in his voice. “Mother can’t find us.”
You nodded, brushing your knee against his. “That’s right. I sat with you in that garden all night. And, Merlin, I was scared out of my mind. I knew I was in for a world of trouble when I got back home to my parents, but I didn’t care. That didn’t matter to me. All that mattered was you. I came for you…I always came for you.”
You suddenly felt a burning anger brewing in your chest, and you pushed Sirius away. You quickly stood up, leaving him bewildered in the grass next to you. He followed you up, managing to catch your wrist before you could march back up the hill.
“Calm down!” He shouted, his grip unrelenting. “What’s happening? What’s wrong?”
You scoffed, a dark chuckle pulled from your chest. “You wanna know why I wasn’t in class? Because I didn’t want to see you.” 
Sirius stuttered, unable to form a response. He watched as angry tears clouded your eyes, but you quickly wiped them with the heels of your palms before they could fall. You took a grounding breath, watching him stare helplessly back at you.
“There it is…that’s the look. I didn’t want to see those eyes staring back at me, looking at me like I’m the one who changed. Like I’m the one who suddenly decided to abandon you and choose the wrong side. I never did that, Sirius. Why do you treat me like I did? I’ve always tried so hard to be a good friend to you, even when it would get me nowhere good. You’re the one who changed, not me. And you can’t handle the fact that I’m not like you—that I can’t bring myself to be as bold as you.”
He shook his head as he stepped closer, his voice assertive and stern. “I never said that—”
“You didn’t have to!” You spat, ripping your arm out of his hold. “That look in your eye is enough.”
You turned away, running your hand down your face. Grief and anguish bubbled in your throat, burning your esophagus as you choked down a sob. You wouldn’t cry in front of him. He didn’t deserve your tears. It was quiet for a moment, the only sound coming from the lapping of the Black Lake and the ragged breaths coming from you both. You turned back to him, ignoring the ache in your chest when you saw his pained expression. He was standing so still—like if either of you moved, you’d both crumble, and there’d be no one left to pick up the pieces to put you back together. 
“I’m still me, Sirius,” you managed to say, your voice sincere. “Why can’t you see that?”
Sirius looked at you for a long while. You shifted under his gaze, debating bolting up the hill before he could catch you. But then, he stepped closer. He gently reached up, running his thumb along your cheek. You sharply inhaled, waiting for him to speak. His voice was soft—forgiving.
“I’ll believe it when I see it…all you have to do is show me.”
He pressed a chaste kiss to the top of your head, quickly walking back up the hill before you could even get your feet to move.
Oh, I can't
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
My house of stone, your ivy grows
You didn’t see Sirius the entire weekend. 
Granted, you mostly stuck to your dorm, but you didn’t even see him at meals. He was either sneaking food, or waiting for you to leave until he sat down for his dinner. You almost could have thanked him for it. 
It was an indescribable feeling—thinking about Sirius.
Your night at the lake had certainly given you a lot to think about, and it often overwhelmed you. You tried your best to distract yourself, never letting your thoughts of him creep in for too long. Sirius—in usual Sirius fashion—eventually forced you to confront him, at least once he finally forced himself to confront you first.
You were by the window in one of your secret hideouts when an owl came to the window with a note in its grip. You raised a brow in confusion, plucking it from the bird and watching as he flew back into the night sky. How did anyone know where you were, or how to find you? You immediately recognized the handwriting as you unraveled the small piece of parchment, almost in disbelief as you read the words. 
It read,
Y/N,
I’m starting to believe you…but it’s time you showed me. Prove me wrong, darling. I very much want to be wrong. Meet me in the corridor in front of your Common Room in ten minutes, and don’t let anyone else see you. You say you always come to me—so come. Please.
Yours,
Sirius
You chuckled to yourself in disbelief. He was so formal, even doing something as simple as sending a note. That was just part of his upbringing, you supposed. He never did anything without a little style. You shook your head, crumpling the note and shoving it into your pocket as you stood up. The Slytherin Common Room was at least a ten minute walk from your hideout, and you figured Sirius had already started walking to meet you there. 
You wasted an entire minute with your feet planted on the floor before you finally forced yourself to move—and then you were really moving. What am I doing? What am I doing, what am I doing, what am I doing, you thought to yourself. You couldn’t shake the question, thinking it the rest of the way to the corridor when you turned the corner, running straight into Sirius’s chest.
“Shit,” you mumbled, steadying yourself by holding onto the wall.
Sirius grinned, reaching a hand out to steady you. “What took you so long? I was beginning to think you’d stood me up.”
“I don’t see why we had to meet out here,” you said, motioning around to the dungeons. “You knew where I was—and I won’t ask you how you knew that, although it’s a bit concerning. But you knew where I was, so why not just come to me? Or ask me to come to you?”
He shrugged, looking around. “Maybe I wanted to see what your life is like down here. Maybe I wanted to see what mine could have been.”
You nearly laughed. Sirius had come from all the way up in the mighty Gryffindor Tower to the depths of the castle to see you, all the way down in the dungeons where the Slytherin Common Room resided. The very air was colder, the Black Lake seeming to loom over the windows. 
You watched as he looked around, leaning against the wall yourself. “Is that important to you—me being down here? Why I’m down here, and why you’re not?”
Sirius tore his gaze from the castle walls to look at you, his face contemplative. He spoke after a short while, his voice soft. 
“No,” he finally decided, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I thought it was, but now it seems…minuscule.”
You smiled to yourself. “Big word, Sirius. Did your fancy education teach you that one? You know—the same one I had?”
He chuckled, watching you with curious eyes. Finally, he pulled his hand out of his pocket, along with two pieces of paper. He held them out for you to take. 
“My cousin Andromeda got these for me,” he grinned as you read over them. “She can’t use them anymore, and she figured I would want to. David Bowie is coming to London tonight. He’s a muggle musician—”
You snickered, nodding. “I know who he is, Sirius. You forget which one of us isn’t actually a pureblood. I know my parents don’t let me do much, but I do know some things. Like how Bowie is actually a wizard, but chooses not to practice.”
Sirius’s eyes widened. “What? How do you know that?”
“Remus told me,” you shrugged, laughing when his eyes opened even wider. “I have Charms with him. He’s smart, he knows things. I figured I’d have the best chance making it through the class with him close by. I do actually talk to people in your House other than you, you know. Is that so surprising?”
“He’s never mentioned you,” he murmured, looking a little bewildered.
“So? Are you jealous?” You joked, but by the way the corner of his mouth quirked, you were beginning to think he actually was. “Enough small talk, then. Why are you here, Sirius? What do you want?”
Sirius seemed to snap back into himself, his grin returning as you passed him back the tickets. He slid them in his pocket, turning his attention back to you. 
“You’re coming with me.”
It was your turn to look bewildered. You stuttered, shaking your head frantically as his grin widened. He was enjoying watching you squirm, that much was clear.
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on, darling—live a little,” he mused, throwing an arm around your shoulders. “You have nothing to worry about, I’ve got it all taken care of. You just have to come with me.”
“And why would I do that?” You asked, shrugging his arm off your shoulders.
Sirius’s grin widened. “Because—you have to. You can’t say no.”
You shook your head, scoffing. “Why not?”
Sirius sighed, stepping closer and placing both his hands on your shoulders. He held you steady, looking you in the eye as he spoke. 
“I want to be wrong about you, I really do. I won’t lie and say I haven’t missed you, because I have. I really have. We used to get in so much trouble together. And, lucky for you, I’ve pretty much perfected the art of evading trouble. Really, I’ve got quite the knack for it.”
“I’m waiting for the point, Sirius,” you said, looking towards the Common Room door. “I’m tired, and you’re making me stand out here in the cold.”
“It’s not my fault it’s dark and dingy down here,” he mused, jumping back and laughing when you tried and failed to swat at his arm. 
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a modified map of the Hogwarts grounds. He turned away from you as he murmured something you couldn’t quite catch, turning back around to show you the now open map. Your eyes widened as you watched pieces of the map move on the page, unable to stifle your shock when you found both your names printed just in front of the Slytherin Common Room door.
“What—what is this?”
“I’m putting a lot of trust in you here, so don’t tell Remus or James that I showed you this,” he said, taking the map from your hands. “But this is our map. It’s enchanted, clearly. We’ve been working on it for years. It shows us every secret passageway we’ve found to get in and out of Hogwarts, and it tells us where everyone is so we never get caught if someone is coming. It’s how I found you tonight.”
“Invasion of privacy, don’t you think?” You asked, but you were too enamored by the map to really care.
You heard him chuckle, looking up to see him grinning at you. “Don’t flatter yourself, darling. This is the first time I’ve looked for you on it. You’re not that interesting.”
You glared up at him, placing your hands on your hips. “You’ve got twenty seconds and I’m going inside. And I’ll let you know in the morning whether or not I’m going to hex you for this.”
Sirius smiled, looking at you with a glint in his eye you hadn’t seen in a long while—at least directed at you. There was a feeling so distant but familiar brewing in his chest, and he pushed you one last time to listen to him. He had to try.
“There’s that fire in you. It’s time to use it. You say you haven’t changed? You say you’re still the same girl I’ve always known? Prove it. You say you always come for me? Then come. I’ve got the map, and I can get us out of the castle to the concert and back without anyone even noticing we were gone. All you have to do is come with me. Trust me, just this once. And I’ll get on my hands and knees and beg for your forgiveness if you show me the girl I knew isn’t truly gone. Come with me, and I promise I’ll make it up to you—for however long it takes. I’ll change.”
He reached for your hands, taking them in his. You let out a sharp breath, but you didn’t pull away as he looked at you with soft eyes.
“Or…you can go through that door and up to your room, and I’ll leave you alone. No more teasing, no more snarky remarks, no more late night talks—nothing. This’ll be it. I won’t come find you…I’ll let you go.”
You could feel your chest tighten as he spoke. It sounded so final, and it was making your head spin. The thought of Sirius truly leaving you alone and never talking to you again made you want to crawl into a pit and never come out. 
You couldn’t quite tell why.
You’d done nothing the last few months but argue and bicker, always bitter over the choices the other was making. It was clear to anyone on the outside watching you both that you hadn’t been the same for a long time. In a way, Sirius was right—you had changed. For the better? That was up for you to decide. But he had changed, too. And you were starting to think you had been wrong about him. Maybe he had changed for the better, and he was trying to show you.
“But know that I don’t want that,” he murmured as he squeezed your hands, pulling you from your thoughts. “Not at all. I want you back. I want you to come with me. Just say you will. Please.”
It was now or never. He watched with a look of hope on his face as you opened and closed your mouth a few times, struggling to find the right words to say.
Finally, you let out a breath, squeezing his hands. “Okay…okay, I’m in. Let’s go.”
Sirius couldn’t have grinned wider. It actually looked like it hurt, how hard he was smiling. The little laugh he let out was infectious, and you couldn’t help but smile, too. 
He squeezed your hand in his, and whisked you off down the corridor before you had the chance to protest.
So yeah, it's a fire
It's a goddamn blaze in the dark
And you started it
You started it
So yeah, it's a war
It's the goddamn fight of my life
And you started it
You started it
After a very confusing path of twists and turns, a couple Floo’s, and a very sketchy bus you had to sneak your way onto, you found yourself standing shoulder to shoulder with Sirius in a large crowd of people, waiting for the concert to start. It was loud and chaotic, a cloud of smoke hanging in the air. Sirius—of course—was adding to it, a cigarette in his hand. 
You looked around, a feeling of unease settling in your stomach. There was so many people. So many strangers, and it was all a bit overwhelming. 
Not only that, you couldn’t shake the feeling that at any second, someone was going to find you and bust you. Someone was going to tell your parents that you had snuck out of school—with Sirius of all people—and you were going to face the punishment of a lifetime. Someone was going to spread the word that you were out with the most popular blood traitor in the country, and you were going to put both him and you at risk, all because you couldn’t let him let you go. 
Sirius must have noticed your look of concern, because he nudged you in the side, bending down to you ear so you could hear him. “What is it, love? Nervous?”
“No,” you shook your head, though you knew you weren’t convincing anyone with that look on your face. “It’s just—really crowded in here. And loud.”
Sirius nodded, giving you a warm smile. You were being so brave. It made his chest flutter, and he didn’t quite know what to do with that feeling. He pulled you toward him and placed you in front of him, letting his arms wrap around your shoulders. Your back was to his chest, a comforting warmth coming off him.
“This alright?” He asked, running his thumb along your arm.
You nodded, smiling to yourself. You didn’t have much time to sit in the feeling, because the house lights went down, and the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. You could feel Sirius shaking with excitement behind you, letting out whoops and shouts as the stage lit up. You looked over your shoulder up at him, smiling at the look of pure joy on his face. 
The whole concert went by in a blur. 
You sang along to the songs you knew, swaying along to the music as you watched. It was an entrancing performance, but it didn’t hold a candle to the concert Sirius was putting on behind you. 
He knew every single word, buzzing with excitement. He couldn’t keep still, jostling you around as he kept you close and away from the ruckus of the crowd. It was adorable, you had to admit. He bent down every once in a while, checking in on you and making sure you were alright. During the slow songs, he swayed with you back and forth, laughing when you stumbled over his feet. 
As you slowly filed out of the building amongst the crowd after the show ended, Sirius kept a tight grip on your hand to make sure you didn’t get seperated. You couldn’t deny the buzz that went through you every time he squeezed your hand, having to take a breath every once in a while to calm yourself. When you finally made it back on the street, Sirius was quick to bring you along the winding path that brought you back to the castle. 
You barely had time for small talk, having to rush to get back to the dungeons. You had hardly spoken at all until you found yourself back in front of your Common Room door, a silence throughout the castle—except for the portraits on the wall, who Sirius threatened to hex if they didn’t keep quiet.
You turned to Sirius, a small smile on your face. “Happy now?”
He chuckled, nodding. “You have no idea.”
“I think you had more fun than anyone else in that crowd,” you mused, taking a seat on the step that led up to the door. “But maybe that’s because you were all I could really hear. Singing isn’t one of your talents, Black.”
Sirius placed a dramatic hand on his chest, feigning offense. “Hey! I’ll have you know it is one of my many talents. You were lucky enough to witness it.”
You chuckled, a comfortable silence falling over you both. This was good. This felt familiar. Bickering in the way lifelong friends do, not friends who are teetering over the edge of never speaking again. You were afraid of what going with him tonight was going to do to you both, but this was good—it was worth it.
In a very unusual turn of events, Sirius was—for once—having trouble finding the right words to say.
There was so much he wanted to say—so much he needed to say—and yet, he couldn’t bring himself to. There was peace between the two of you. A calm that was rare, and he was too afraid to disturb it. 
You were smiling at him. 
A genuine smile, and he would have rather been caught a thousand times than see it fall. So he didn’t speak. He just offered you a hand, helping you up from the step.
“You should get some sleep,” he said quietly, stepping back once you were settled. “If we stay out here any longer we might actually get caught by a Prefect, and I know you’ll punish me far more than they would.”
You chuckled, nodding. You didn’t want him to go. You found yourself wanting to come up with random topics, just so he could stay and keep talking to you. But instead, you walked up to the top of the steps, stopping just in front of the door. You looked over your shoulder, smiling once more down at him.
“Goodnight, Sirius.”
He smiled back, turning to leave. “Goodnight, Y/N.”
And now I'm covered
In you
In you
One thing you had forgotten about Sirius was how much he likes to sleep in. 
You found yourself looking for him at breakfast in the morning, before you remembered how late you had gotten back to the castle. Sirius was absolutely not a morning person, and he certainly would have been in bed all morning into the early afternoon.
You had to swallow your nerves, taking calming breaths as you ate your food. He’d come to you when he was ready. He certainly had the means to with the map. 
All you had to do was wait.
And sure enough, he found you once again down by the Black Lake. You could hear him coming, snickering at the obnoxious tune he was whistling as he came to sit next to you. You looked over at him, raising a brow as he gave you a grin.
“It’s two in the afternoon, Sirius.”
“I’ve been busy,” he shrugged, letting his knee rest against yours. “I’ve been thinking.”
“That’s never good—” You joked, but he was quick to interrupt you before you could turn the conversation.
“I’ve been thinking about you.”
You could feel your heartbeat quicken, swallowing hard. You forced yourself to remain calm, swallowing your nerves. Of course you had been thinking about him, too. But you waited for him to speak, letting him go first.
“I’ve decided that you were right,” he admitted, locking eyes with you. “I am different. But so are you—and I think that’s a good thing. I’m sorry I didn’t see that sooner.”
“And what prompted this decision—last night?” You asked, your voice soft.
He shook his head. “Last night was just the trigger, I guess. I think I had been noticing signs for a long time, and I just didn’t know what to do about it. Lucky for me, you’re too stubborn to let me be wrong.”
You couldn’t help but smile. With a breath of courage, you took his hand, fiddling with one of his rings.
“I’ve decided something, too.” 
He grinned, watching as you twisted the ring around his finger. “Oh, you have?” 
“Yes, yes I have.” 
“And what is that?” He asked, leaning closer ever so slightly. 
“I’ve decided that the next time my Mother sends me another semi-threatening letter full of veiled threats that she tries to cover up with hints of love, I’ll at least consider telling her to piss off. And—assuming you're ever mentioned in that letter—I’ve decided I’ll tell her to piss off about that, too.”
Sirius stilled, grabbing onto the hand you were using to twist his ring. “Are you serious?”
He deserved a little teasing, after all the things he had said to you over the years. He was just as stubborn as you were, but you weren’t going to let him get away with it all without a little taunting—even if the sight of his smile directed at you made you want to forget about everything and forgive him completely. You chuckled, nodding.
“What’s she gonna do? Disown me? She’s spent her whole life keeping my birth a secret, I highly doubt she’d risk all that effort just to get me to stop talking to you. Which—and I’m just assuming, here—you’ve decided you want to do, right? Keep talking to me?”
And then Sirius did something you hadn’t seen him do more than once or twice in all the years you had known him. 
He blushed.
Flushed cheeks and all, turning his face away so that you couldn’t see him. He chuckled to himself, turning back to you after a heavy sigh. He hooked an arm around your shoulders, resting his chin on top of your head.
“Yes, you dickhead. Of course I do,” he said, his voice muffled into your hair.
You smiled to yourself. Despite your best efforts, you couldn’t help but turn around in his hold and wrap your arms around his waist. You really couldn’t help it.
Sirius was all consuming.
Once you got stuck on him, it was practically impossible to shake him off. He was like the ivy that grew along the patch of walls in the far corner of his backyard. You could hide in him forever. He could keep you completely safe and away—at least that’s what it used to feel like.
And, Merlin, you wanted it to feel like that again.
“Good,” you smiled into his chest, pulling away to look up at him. “So, when can I expect you on your hands and knees begging for my forgiveness?”
“Piss off.”
A/N - Hi! I’m so sorry this took so long, once I started writing I just kept going and it got a little out of hand. This is kinda long, so hopefully that makes up for the obscene amount of time it took me to post this. I hope this is what you were looking for! I really enjoyed writing this, so thank you for sending the request in :)
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cherrypeaking · 1 year
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turn on your camera! (taehyun x fem!reader smut)
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part 2 riiiiight here!
wc: 1.6k words
summary: it’s your first day working from home because of the pandemic. you’re supposed to have a call with your coworkers to confirm your attendance for today. little did you know taehyun was going to completely change the course of this video call with your coworkers…
warnings: some swearing, lots of teasing (i think), exhibitionism/voyeurism, squirting (?), pussy eating, sort of bratty sub!tyun
a/n: this is my first fic so i hope it’s fine… it’s heavily hinting at a part 2 which i’d love to write too… when i have time/energy tho haha hope you enjoyyyy <3
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“Hello? Y/N? Oh, you’re on.” Beomgyu’s voice startled you a little, when you joined the video call.
“Yeah. Was that all I needed to do?” you asked, making him tsk in disbelief.
“Y/N you’re actually supposed to wait for the other guys to join the call.” He replied, already sounding done with you. “Plus, what did the boss tell us about having our cameras on? I can’t be the only one showing my face.” he added, frowning.
Today was your first day working from home, as the world was on lockdown because of the pandemic. Your coworkers and you were ordered by your superiors to have a video meeting to confirm one another’s attendance to work for the day.
Your boyfriend, Taehyun, had been a bit luckier — or not — considering he would only resume working within two more weeks. Therefore the two of you were home, today.
However, the boy had gotten so used to having your full attention everyday, that it was pure torture for him to let go of that — even just for a minute.
As Soobin, Yeonjun and Hueningkai logged into the room, Taehyun could hear their voices from afar, making him pout.
He had seen those guys before, there were times he had suspected maybe one or two of them liked you more than they should.
Perhaps today’s call was the perfect opportunity to show them that you were taken.
A falsely innocent smile crept upon Taehyun’s face as he turnt his head towards your direction, stepping up to you.
“Y/N, we’re all here now and we all have our cameras on!” Yeonjun cooed teasingly.
“Yeah Y/N! It’s fine if you’re still in your PJs, we won’t judge.” Hueningkai reassured you, between a fit of giggles.
That boy knew you so well; you were indeed still in your nightgown.
Sighing, you got rid of the paper hiding your laptop camera, before letting out a little gasp.
Taehyun.
“Y/N? Everything alright?” Soobin seemed confused.
“Uhm… yeah yeah… sorry give me a second.” You asserted, still feeling your boyfriend planting kisses on your left thigh.
You weren’t sure when exactly he got himself so comfortably on his knees, right in front of you, but there he was, being needy.
Despite you trying to pull him away, he continued.
His kisses were making you shiver, more so than usual, because you were supposed to work today.
Taehyun clearly had other plans for the both of you though.
“Get off.” You whispered to him, trying to shake off your left leg to convince him to get away.
Hopefully the guys did not hear you.
Instead of obeying, like he normally would, Taehyun lifted your nightgown, granting him easier access to your panties.
You softly slapped his hand away, but the cheeky smile he gave you as he looked up, showed all you needed to know.
“Nah.” he whispered as well.
Unbelievable.
A moan inevitably escaped your lips when your boyfriend dove in head first, wanting to feel your cunt, even if it were through the fabric of your underwear.
“Y/N?! Are you okay?!” Hueningkai’s voice brought you back to reality.
Oh shit.
“Beomgyu, since you’re the admin, could you turn on Y/N’s camera instead? Starting to get worried…” Yeonjun asked, getting a hum of approval from said boy.
Oh no no no no.
You panicked inside, and Taehyun’s touches — licks — through your panties were making it harder to think properly anymore.
When the camera was on, you officially lost it. It was as if your soul had left your body. It wasn’t you anymore, you refused to face such humiliation.
“There you g— uh.” Beomgyu froze. So did the others.
The silence was killing you, it seemed not to bother Taehyun one bit though, because he was still kissing your panties.
Out of panic, you stupidly waved to your coworkers.
“Hiii.~ You’ve met Taehyun right? My boyfriend? Haha…” You stammered, in extreme embarrassment.
Taehyun’s fingers pulling on your panties to uncover your pussy made you hiss, while he chuckled.
Soobin panicked as well.
“Beomgyu it’s better if you end the c—“
“What if I wanna watch?” Beomgyu’s answer surprised you.
But it got you even wetter.
You gulped, focusing your attention on Taehyun again. Your boyfriend was looking up at you, with pleading eyes.
He dragged the tip of his tongue up to your clit.
“S-stop teasing.” you groaned, leading him to immediately start lapping at your core like crazy.
It seemed all he needed was your final permission, to go on and do what he desired the most.
You tried taking a look at your laptop, only to see that, whereas your coworkers had not left the room, they had turnt off both their cameras and mics.
While you thought that was very weird, it made it easier for you to completely concentrate on what your boyfriend was doing.
Not having pairs of eyes peering at you made you regain your composure.
You gripped on Taehyun’s hair to push him closer to your pussy, earning an enthusiastic moan of his against your skin.
“Pretty boy, show them how good you make me feel.” You sweetly told him, petting his hair.
Taehyun was shivering just from your words.
Having his face so close to your cunt made it harder for him to look directly at you, but he didn’t mind — he could smell and taste you all he needed.
“Woah… Oh— shit.” Hueningkai’s voice caught you off guard, as he quickly cut off his mic again.
Your attention drifted back to Taehyun who was devouring you, as if he had not been able to eat you out for months.
“My baby enjoys being watched too hm?” you softly asked, before letting out a long moan of pleasure, because of his nose bumping into your clit.
All he did was nod and get back to licking your inner lips, then outer lips again; nibbling on your inner thighs here and there.
Your legs were starting to tremble because of all his attentions, you were panting more heavily, taking a look at your screen again to see that the guys were, yet still, in the call.
Perverts.
“Baby I’m getting close…” you warned your boyfriend, but he was unshakeable.
He kept going, giving a bit more attention to your clit.
With one hand he was keeping your panties away from your cunt, to keep it uncovered. With the other, he was rubbing circles right above your clit, to tease you a little more, just as you liked.
“J-just like that…” you whimpered, feeling a familiar warmth in your stomach.
You bit your lower lip, wanting to last a bit longer, but knowing you were being watched, let alone by your coworkers, was driving you wild.
“My love… please come on my… f-face…” you almost didn’t hear your boyfriend mumble against your folds.
He was asking you that, as if his cheeks, chin, lips and nose weren’t already getting sticky from being so close to your pussy.
“Y-you really want your face all wet huh?” you whimpered out, letting your head rest a little lower on the couch, finally letting go of Taehyun’s hair.
The latter pulled away a little just to answer you, as he rubbed your clit with his fingers instead for a few moments.
“Yes… and I want everyone to see.” You gasped, biting your lower lip harder.
It finally hit you. Taehyun had done all of that because he was jealous.
A knowing grin formed onto your face as you nodded.
“Okay.” And you quickly pushed his face onto your cunt again. “Less words, more actions baby.”
“Y-yes.” he moaned against you, unconsciously bucking his hips up into air with excitement.
“Damn your boyfriend is down bad for you, Y/N…” Yeonjun commented, maybe he didn’t care if you could hear him anymore.
If it were not for Taehyun’s perfect oral skills you would’ve giggled, instead you just replied, looking at your boyfriend, then at the camera.
“He is, isn’t he?” Taehyun nodded vigorously, catching your clit in his lips to completely give his all to you and finally make you reach your climax.
You moaned a little louder that time, gripping less on Taehyun’s hair; petting it more.
“W-Would never do anything without my permission, right?” you asked him, implying to Taehyun he was going to be in big trouble for all of his shenanigans later.
Taehyun nodded again, but kept going, thrusting his hips into nothing over and over, messily suckling on your clit then licking your folds all over again.
Both of you were panting, heavily.
In the end, you came in a breathy squeal, turning your head to face the couch and hide yourself.
Taehyun’s eyes lit up as your juices landed mostly on his awaiting tongue, the rest hitting his cheeks and chin.
He sighed in relief, not caring much about his own arousal at the moment.
When you finally came back down from your little high, you heard Soobin’s voice.
“Thanks for the show I guess!” You rolled your eyes at his words.
“Your exhibitionism kink is safe with me!” Yeonjun assured you before leaving the call.
“I won’t tell anyone!” Kai followed the eldest and left as well.
Only Beomgyu was remaining, which worried you for a little.
“You. One word to our boss and I’m—“
“Don’t worry, it was a nice show. Have fun you two.~ Today has just started after all… right?” He cut you off, ending the call altogether.
Taehyun and you were all alone then. You were finally realizing everything that occurred right then and there. When looking back at Taehyun, the vision was very much delectable.
The poor boy was still panting, his hard-on was painful and looking at your spent body was not helping him.
But the cold tone in your voice snapped him out of his reverie. Taehyun’s eyes widened in anticipation.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you’ve done. You’re in big trouble baby.”
a/n: help me idk how this app works >< hope that was ok hahahahaha! bye bye!!
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Claudia Cardinale in "LIFE" magazine:
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Italian beauty takes a desert bath on location in Nevada. /In this photo Claudia was filming "The Professionals" on July 8, 1966/
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Claudia Cardinale, a wary beauty is afraid Hollywood will ruin her. Claudia Cardinale has a problem. At 26 she has become the most admitted international film star since Sophia Loren. Lusciously built along Italian lines, like Sophia, Claudia also has a special tender beauty in her face. Easy to work with, she is a director's pet. Unmarried, she has no close family worries. So what's her problem? Her problem is, now that she has finally agreed to work in Hollywood, she is afraid she will be over-glamorized and exploited-as Sophia was. Her first Hollywood movie, the recent 'Blindfold', confirms Claudia's worst fears of her. And she has two more coming up soon. Between Hollywood chores, she rushes away to make films in Italy, Spain, Brazil, anywhere but Hollywood. She gets paid less in Europe. "If I have to give up the money, I give it up," she insists, "I don't want to become a cliché."
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She'd rather lose money than be a cliché In high spirits at being out of Hollywood and back in Italy, Claudia stopped her car to join villagers who had shouted "Claudia, Claudia", Then they all joined their favorite star for a picture.
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Claudia likes the sun of Italy more than of Hollywood. Always rushing from one picture into another, she grabs five minutes to back on her Hotel Excelsior Lido balcony in Venice.
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Anthony Quinn, who has acted with both Claudia and Sophia says: "I adore them equally But if I had to say, well, I relate easier to Claudia; Sophia creates an impression of something unobtainable but Claudia-She's not easy, still she's within reach".
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Helping pick Miss Italy, Claudia lunches with each judges at Salsomaggiore. She got her own movie start by winning a rather specialized contest as "Most beautiful Italian in Tunisia". In Las Vegas, working on her next Hollywood picture, 'The Professionals'.
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In Brazil a waiter proposed to her by mail, posted a marriage notice in his church, and changed his name to "Mr. Cardinale".
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Claudia gobbles up a pile of magazines. She reads them to improve her English and keep up on fashions.
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Claudia hangs on the words of Luchino Visconti, who directed her in 'Sandra', which won a Venice Festival prize.
Claudia says: "He sees me as cat that someday will turn into a tiger."
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Credits:
📷 Photographs by Howell Conant. 📰 Text taken from the magazine "Life" in 1966. 🎥 My Gifs are behind the scenes of "The Professionals" memories.
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chubs-deuce · 4 months
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You're not going to keep shipping Charlastor after the new episodes will you :(? I mean it is now confirmed by Rosie that Charlie is too young for him /nm /gen
How would Rosie know how old Charlie is exactly?
I think she was guessing based on appearance more than anything here.
Multiple sources in the past, including people who've worked on the pilot and Viv herself, have all said that Charlie is over 200 years old (though it has been noted that biologically she's more equatable to being in her 20s).
I don't think they'd change that out of the blue and have a secondary character that had only just met Charlie confirm her age, and especially not with so much vagueness to the statement.
If you want to interpret it that way, be my guest! But I personally wouldn't count it as reliable evidence in the slightest. This sounds more like the kind of thing people fish for when they want to discredit their notp at all costs.
So, as I see it, there's currently nothing genuinely problematic about their dynamic.
Alas: Unless there's actual, hard evidence for it, I'm not gonna stop.
If you disagree with that you're more than welcome to unfollow me (if you ever did)! It'd be absolutely in your right to and I would be the last person to judge you for it! /gen /nm
I've simply been in fandoms for far too many years to let some fans' interpretation of something this unsubstantiated rule over what I can and can't ship on the off chance that it turns out to be true after all.
I'm not forcing anyone to look at my shipping posts, I do try to tag everything as accurately as possible so it's easy to block and filter - allowing you do have all the tools at your disposal to stop seeing those posts from me ^^.
EDIT: in hindsight I realized that trying to consider age gaps in hazbin hotel's setting is kind of pointless anyways actually, something I've detailed my thoughts on in this post. To summarize: sinner demons don't age and it makes everything weird and kind of impossible to track and/or judge in this way. It's easier to just look at unbalanced power dynamics and uninformed/coerced consent to judge this kinda stuff for this show.
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blacklegsanjiii · 11 days
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Laying something new out for ya here... This is just a silly AU
But AU with a girl sanji who is very androgynous because 1. Those suits hide her curves very well and she isnt that big chested 2. She has short hair because she likes it better then that but also one time when she was like 10 Zeff accidentally fucked her hair up and she had to go short- and the style just kinda stuck. 3. She has a deeper voice that can pass as a higher guys voice because of the smokes And 4. Canon sanjis behavior is already a fine mix between masculine and feminine so its not that suprising
So when she joines the strawhats none of them fucking know she's not actually a guy and she also just... Doesnt bother mentioning it to them (i kinda love the idea that SANJI also doesnt realise that they dont know, theyre all idiots)
So when they give her a tour of the ship and point to a bed in the mens bunks saying thats her bed she doesnt even blink an eye, she's spend like 10 years around guys at the baratie and sleeping around them is something she's familiar with
And bathing, we all know besides nami robin and sanji the rest barely shower and when they do they just miss each other
Idk just seemed like a funny idea and wanted to hear your thoughts!! When do you think they would realise and how would if play out 🤔 also how longer it plays out how funnier 😭
That's...that would be her luck. That's so funny.
She let Zeff cut her hair once when she was younger and cried afterwards because he cut way too high and had to deal with the emotional fall out of that because it reminded Sanji of her mom's. It's easier to maintain so she just keeps it short. Zeff is surprised she still lets him cut it but he guesses it's already short so he can't fuck it up much more. She wears suits and as she grows up as one of the guys and while she has her own room it's not much and she still has to get used to waking up shitty men in their bunk room because they're running late to prep and shit.
Between, the hair, the suits, the smoker's voice, and the barely A cups she has she's so androgynous. The regulars know, Mihawk who's had her cook his food and serve his wine and Garp who is passing through. After Sanji joins the crew and they defeat Arlong and Sanji is being shown around she doesn't care and just flops in a bunk to sleep. Maybe Sanji doesn't notice at first because she's mostly called Black Leg but she's being referred to as a boy, is being sent to the boy's quarters, is being called mister. She just shrugs it off as it keeps happen.
When they get the Thousand Sunny Sanji still doesn't move into the women's room, there's just more room in the mens room so she's in there, doesn't question it still. When she's in Kamabakka and going through bridal training Ivankov calls her candy boy she is straight up frowning at them and asking what they mean. She's a girl. She gets like B cups after the TS and Ivankov has tried to convince her to stuff her bra or something. She grows her hair out to shoulder length. I think it'd still be hilarious if after the TS no one still knows until Zou/WCI/Wano.
Like on Zou Sanji doesn't confirm or deny anything just promises she'll come back. Everyone is confused about the Princess thing and so when they go get her. She's in dresses through out all of WCI and during the escape as Judge is shit talking her and Luffy is confused about Judge saying all the best things about her and calling her a girl? Sanji says she is a girl, has been since she was born. Chopper knew but didn't disclose it because he thought Sanji was trying to keep it a secret. In Wano it's Luffy running around to all his crew calling Sanji a princess and a girl and has been the whole time they've been sailing.
They're all staring at Sanji, dressed like the men in her yukata as she stares back and tries to get them to answer why none of them except for Chopper knew. She thought she was in the men's room because of her smoking, did she actually have to be in there? Nami and Robin assure her she can move to the women's room. Nami is very excited to play dress up.
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