#hence the list. something to do that isn't stressful

[thereareeyesinsidethetrees]

hyperfixation is compiling a long list of individual animal species for identification purposes and this is being done because you're bored and not because you're required to

anyway the tags turned into something weird so maybe ignore those. i'm keeping them there so i don't personally forget

[mrs-monaghan]

Hello, I have finally managed to catch up on the posts. It's always lovely to see people being so obsessed with Jimin. I am unsure why that anon is so stressed about JM getting so much love if she is truly JM's fan. Lol, it's voluntary participation and people can easily opt out. In saying that, I would like to respond to her. I think the reason people are that invested in JM is because he is a likeable person to whom many people can relate. He has something that the rest of the members don't. Why do you think he stands out the most? He has got the oompf that I don't think anyone else has other than possibly Prince and Beyonce. JM is like a genre, a league of his own. I might sound rude saying this but he is in a league of his own outside of BTS. I know that online it seems like he is the most hated member but when you see them live no matter which country, he is literally the most loved member, especially in Europe and America. He gets the loudest cheers and everyone freaking knows him. Part of it is because he is a good-looking man who can possibly get anyone and everyone. But part of it is also because he is charismatic as fuck. Watch any BTS interviews whether it's in Korean or English, he literally stands out just sitting down. He doesn't even have to speak but the camera always goes after him. It's because he commands attention. Just look at their American journey in the beginning. They were having interviews where JM didn't say a single word and yet he was the one that everyone was going gaga over. That's just it, he has something and this something is always going to keep him in the public eye. It's really funny to me that he is shy because you never notice it. He is intimidating as fuck. He has so much to be arrogant about and rightfully so but he chooses to just be him whether it is by showing his vulnerability or showing his strength. He knows exactly who he is as a person and isn't afraid to call things out. He is who he is and everyone falls for that. On top of that, he has everything going for him. If he is not noticed for his performance, he is noticed for his voice, if it's not his voice, it's his looks, if it's not his looks, it's his charisma, if it's not charisma, it's dancing. Like the list is endless.

I can honestly go on forever but I will leave it at that.

By the way, all the haters pretend to hate him on the internet but deep down are scared of what he can achieve. That's always been the case hence all the other members akages go after him.

[littlemissmanga]

CT-2460 "Corkscrew" Intro & SFW Alphabet

Hey all! It's been a hot minute :) I'm trying to get back into my writing grove to get into my WIP list, but it's been hard. Brain isn't braining but stress is stressing.

So rather than fight the brain fog and get frustrated over lack of writing progress, I'm shifting gears to introduce (finally) my latest OC, Corkscrew.

Called "Cor" by his close brothers, Corkscrew is a pilot in Shadow Squadron. He's an adrenaline junkie, and definitely follows the Anakin Skywalker school of flying. But at the heart of all his daring do's is his love for his brothers and his commitment to keeping them safe.

That's evident by the fact that his recklessness doesn't carry over off the battlefield. In fact, Cor is pretty chill. He's not easily provoked and he's really open minded. He's competitive and playful in a soft way. He'll tease his brothers but he's not a shitstirrer.

And fun fact, he is dyslexic but can visualize a battlefield in 3D, which helps with his flying. Hence why the Kaminoans didn't mind the the "irregularity."

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

On average, I'd say Cor is pretty affectionate, and his main way of showing that is through physical touch. He knows he can lose his brothers (or they can lose him) at any time. So a hand on a shoulder or a nudge isn't out of the ordinary for him.

Every so often, if you catch him in a serious moment where he's deep in thought, he'll verbalize that affection. But that is much less common. Corkscrew knows how to speak louder with his actions.

But receiving? Words of affirmation. Despite speaking louder with his actions, Corkscrew is still unprepared and overwhelmed in the best way when someone shows affection to him verbally or praises him. It's so new and yet it's something he feels to his core (pun intended).

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Corkscrew is your ride or die. Need someone at 3am? No questions? Corkscrew. No platitudes, no nothing. He'll just be there, for you, any time, any place.

He won't give his opinion on things unless you ask OR you're genuinely going to hurt yourself. Otherwise, it's your life, you gotta live it. He just wants to be along for the ride.

A friendship with him is easy to start, as he's pretty affable - chatting at a bar or getting introduced through one of his brothers. And he'd go out of his way to help even a new friend. If Cor sees you as someone genuine, as an equal friend who meets him where he's at as he does you, then he'll feel comfortable deepening the relationship to close friends.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

FUCK YES. So naturally, as he expresses love most easily through physical touch, cuddles are very high on his "yes please I love it" list. He would cuddle his batchmates growing up and once he got comfortable with Shadow Squadron, he grew the habit of resting his head on Matchstick's shoulder and cuddle into his big brother's side or back. It really grounds him in a good way and gives him a sense of peace. (He does it to most of his squad mates but Matchstick is who he is closest to).

He read on a contraband holonovel that nat-born couples cuddle like this to fall asleep every night and that's when that little seed was planted in his heart. He wants that. The idea of feeling someone he loves around him every night? The thought that holding someone and showing his love in such a natural way for him is desired in the wider galaxy (esp when not all his brothers love his cuddles) just floors him.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He wants it. He wants it so bad, but he doesn't let himself. First because he knows that, as long as he's in the GAR, it's unlikely to happen so he shouldn't get his hopes up. Second because Cor acknowledges that what he wants is that unique special connection most of all and he tries so hard to redirect that to his brothers. It doesn't always work, but it's enough.

As for actual domestic work, Cor keeps things pretty clean, but a messy partner would through him for a loop. I can see him getting overwhelmed because "I didn't make this mess, where does any of this go!?"

He cannot cook to save his life besides making a sandwich. Please get that man away from your oven.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Mostly by not starting it. He's really aware of how much it could hurt if it all goes wrong, and the risk to his brothers pushes him into the "not now" category.

But if he did start a secret fling and had to end it, he would be up front and honest in person. No lies about how he doesn't care. He knows it'll hurt and those lies protect no one. So blunt honestly about how much he loves you, and how angry he is that this is reality. But he will not keep hurting you or himself.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

In an AU where the war ends and clones get rights, then he really lets himself think it through for the first time. He'll be fine with the commitment aspect, but he would also wait a while before popping the question. He's patient and will want to be absolutely sure before committing.

But following canon, he's really not likely to propose. He'll be hesitant to enter a relationship knowing he can't really commit as his first obligation is to the GAR and his brothers. And while the right person could convince him to date in secret, he would never ask for their commitment to him when he can't return the same.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

To himself? Cor is a bit rough. He knows what he can handle and tolerate and will often push that limit for what he considers the greater good. That's physically, emotionally and mentally. Like the time he jumped from a fighter in order to kick some spider droids off Broadside's wing mid battle and ended up with a torn ligament that needed a soak in bacta. Or the time when he immediately reported for duty despite working overnight to help another squad without telling anyone. Or when, after the Battle of Kamino, he took a rotation giving some of the more battle-worn bothers a compassionate ear, despite being pretty beaten down himself.

But when it comes to others, Cor is the most gentle. He is aware of the double standard but doesn't care. It's because he's reckless and harsh with himself that he is hyper aware of being gentle, kind, and welcoming to others. He keeps his harshest comments to himself (unless they need to be said for help or defense) and is always mindful and aware of himself physically to avoid being rough with others.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

For his brothers and friends, hugs can range from side hugs in greeting, to barely there embraces in passing - a brief "hey, still here; still love you" - to full on cuddles. Cor will hug often but usually not for super long.

It really is his way of saying "I love you." And because actually saying that on Kamino would have been .... not ideal, he's conditioned himself to just do it naturally.

With a partner, though, things would go to the next level. Are you home? With no plans? Perfect, you're in Corkscrew's lap. Or buried into his side on the couch. Or curled on top of him in bed. And, if he's really comfortable with you, you'll be big spooning him. (OMG being little spoon is SUCH a revelation to him). Like, unless there is a reason not to be hugging, ya'll are hugging.

His hugs are warm and restorative. Not possessive, per se, but they make you feel like you're right where you belong.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Very rarely. Almost never to his brothers since to him, I love you sounds like goodbye. It's what brothers say when they fall.

He'll feel love long before he verbalizes it. He's only ever said it to a few of his closest vod. To his partner? He'll say it after they do, but even then, it'll be a big moment. Like, an anniversary or something important like that. After that, it'll still be used sparingly so the right partner needs to be aware that he may not say it in words, but he says it in so many other ways.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Yes he does get jealous. He never thought of himself as a particularly jealous person, but trainers or older vod he really admired giving more attention to others always kinda rubbed him wrong. But the first time he meets someone he connects with romantically???? MASSIVE JEALOUSY.

But Cor is coolheaded and will think things through. He's patient. He's not one to fly off the handle or start a fight. He'll watch to see how his partner reacts to the person. He'll still step in after a while (admittedly a short while) because he really doesn't like not being the center of your attention. But he'll only address his partner directly and never be outright rude or aggressive about it unless the other person escalates things. (Though he may be cocky and snarky by actively not addressing the other person at all. Like it's obvious they're being annoyed. It's almost like he'd be ok with it turning into a fight, even if that's not his intention.) It's less about the other person and more about the fact that he wants to be as central to your world as you are to his.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

He doesn't really do platonic kisses, so that's out entirely.

For a partner, he goes with what he knows which at first is just on the lips. And he likes it. He really likes it. The intimacy of the act just does it for him. And if his partner lets out little hums and moans? He's in heaven. He loves the actual sensation of lips pressed to his and just the thought of knowing what you taste like. It's not until a partner kisses him first on his neck that he realizes how fun kisses can be elsewhere.

But to keep it PG, he'll usually default to a kiss on the lips for his partner any time he greets them or says goodbye. Every so often, he'll steal a kiss on your cheek in the middle of the day or in passing. And of course, he'll pepper small kisses on any skin he can reach when you're cuddling. If he's really in his feels about you, he'll pick up your hand and give that a kiss.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He's pretty good with kids. He never really spent much time with the cadets on Kamino after he was one, but his even temper and gentleness - and his cool kickass stories - make him very popular with kids. There are a few awkward moments the first time he really spends time with a little one, but he recovers quickly.

From the little experience he has, he does think about fatherhood in a positive light. It's not an end goal for him, but the idea of starting a family and raising a child with someone, having that bright energy in his life, is something that makes him warm and fuzzy.

What he can't handle is the chaos of a group of undisciplined children. He saw a bunch just being absolute menaces to their chaperones around Monument Plaza once and it was enough to make him question everything. His upbringing on Kamino may have been overly restrictive by nat-born standards, but he knows there is a happy medium that doesn't involve succumbing to the little terror's demands and screeches.

That's when he decides if he ever did marry and have a family, that the number of potential children gets capped at 2. No way will he willingly be outnumbered by his own creations.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Corkscrew is the kind of morning person who is so annoying. Not because he's chipper, but because it's like the morning doesn't phase him. There's no blinking sleep out of his eyes and slowly coming into consciousness for him. Nope, Cor is fully awake the moment his eyes open and he just goes about his day. Doesn't even need caf.

Mornings in the GAR will depend where his squad is at any time. But in an AU, he takes the slow quiet of the morning to get some personal tasks done before truly starting his day. A light breakfast (cereal because he knows his limits in the kitchen) and then he's getting through his core list to some music.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

In the GAR and on his own, Cor likes to use nights to decompress and be alone with his thoughts. He genuinely needs to wind down at the end of the day to be able to fall asleep. And growing up as he did, he appreciates a small bit of solitude to just focus on himself. It's the main time he can examine his own wants and needs without distraction.

But that doesn't mean he's a stick in the mud. He'll always be up for a night out at 79s or slightly illegal speeder racing (he just knows he'll likely be exhausted the next day) or even just hanging out with his brothers when the opportunity presents itself.

With a partner, it would pretty much be the same. Though if his partner were an introvert, then say goodbye lol. He'd go out with bros like once a month if that. If his partner wants to cuddle on the couch again, then he is 100% on board.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Cor is both open and closed off. Lemme explain.

There is virtually no difference in the way he'll treat close friends and new friends. He is open with his time, support, and energy right from the get go. And he'll reveal a lot about himself in this time - his preferences, his humor, his competitive side (which do not engage, he WILL win any challenge or die trying) all come through easily and naturally.

But there are two things about Corkscrew that only his closest loved ones know and he never even really opened up about them. More like these loved ones were close enough that Corkscrew didn't feel the need to push them down when they came up naturally. And they are...

How angry he can get when he feels like he's failed someone or someone he loves is going through something and he feels useless. All his gentleness and patience is gone. You're now looking at a born and bred soldier who only has one target.

Just how much he really does yearn for a normal, nat-born life.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

It takes A LOT to get this guy really fired up. Easiest is to threaten someone he cares about, insult his brothers, or question his commitment to the GAR and the Republic.

Even then, he won't lose control. He's three steps ahead and has thought through the most likely fight progressions and outcomes. His training kicks into high gear and he keeps an even head throughout.

He's also not very stubborn or hard headed, which makes it much easier for him to remain calm in new situations or when challenged by new information.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He'll remember the important things. Like, he is not going to off the top of his head remember everything you say in passing. But he'll write down when you mention what your favorite flower is and he'll take note if you tend to order the same thing at restaurants. He'll watch how you take care of yourself so he'll know how to do it when you can't. And he'll study that list of important things until they are second nature to him.

But like, you'll have to remind him of important events coming up in your life that wouldn't be on his radar usually and you'll have to remind him a few times (he's really not used to how nat-borns have to manage their own lives rather than having everything sorted by the GAR).

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

Corkscrew is not in a relationship and has never been, so he has no favorite moment as of yet. But he is really just looking forward to connecting with someone in that true and deep way, so any moment when he feels that would qualify.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Oh so very protective but not in a prohibitive way. The man is an adrenaline junkie. He understands recklessness. But he's also reasonable and responsible and will channel any reckless urges partners and brothers have into safe versions.

Basically, Cor will let his loved ones spread their wings wide however they want ... he'll just be their shadow making sure they stay safe.

Sometimes he's too hands off or not concerned enough - because he's confident that he can protect everyone himself. If anything goes wrong in those cases, he really beats himself up for it afterward.

As for him being protected, he doesn't like it. It makes him feel uncomfortable. Not because it means he's weak. But because he views his entire purpose as being a protector, so the idea that someone else would do the same for him doesn't sit right as it takes away his purpose. Obviously his brothers watch his back in battle all the time, but that's a little different. If any of them took a hit for him, he'd not handle it well.

Similar for a partner. He's the protector. You're the protected. End of story. It is really the only position he will not budge on. There is no situation where he will be ok with you taking on risk to prevent the same of him.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

Man tries SO HARD. Gives his all to everything all the time. How he has energy for it no one knows. It's a mystery and he just laughs at it.

He'll pick up extra duties on board if there's no action just to help out, and does his part at home, too.

(His closest brothers have ways to trick him into stopping for food or sleep because just telling him doesn't work unless you have the authority to stop him yourself. These tricks are because he has hurt himself before by pushing himself too far.)

And he's helped enough brothers plan special if not surreptitious dates for bothers before. So when it comes to planning dates with you, he's very proactive and on top of it. He'll try really hard with gifts but he's just not great at them to start with. He's insecure about his tastes and what you like and will second-guess his understanding of what you like. Give him a list or general ideas though and he's off to the races.

No matter what he gets you or what he plans for big days, he'll always put you at the center of it and make sure that you'll appreciate what he is bringing to the table,

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Corkscrew's altruism gets to unhealthy places if no one checks him and that leads to dangerous behavior. He also has the habit of pushing down his own wants and needs, but that's overflowed into pushing down any negative reaction or emotion if he feels overwhelmed. That means it's really hard for Cor to recognize he's reaching a breaking point either mentally or physically.

He also doesn't realize, but by deprioritizing himself and acting on his own when he thinks its best, he is pushing away and hurting those who love him.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

More than average level of vanity but not concieted. When all you see is the same face every day, you come to understand that dang, that is a handsome face. He takes good care of his hair (which is slightly longer than regulations but not enough to garner attention) and does enjoy the physical results of his conditioning and exercise.

Corkscrew is hot and he knows it and that's about as self-indulgent as he gets.

He got dared by his squad mates to cut a bit of his eyebrow off once (because they were aware he liked to be a "pretty boy"). But jokes on them, he liked the edginess it gave him and now it's a permanent feature.

He was legitimately concerned about the large scar that bisects his right thigh (transparisteel from his fighter shattered mid-battle and cut deep. He crashed into the docking bay of the Venator before passing out). It wasn't just that it was rough looking, but it was in a spot that only medics and bed partners would see, and the latter wouldn't think about scars the same way some brothers do, as badges of honor. He is still very self-conscious about it.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He already doesn't. Cor really feels like something is missing. But his identity is so bound to the GAR that he convinces himself that the feeling is just longing and not a void in his very soul.

Once he finds a partner that he loves, Corkscrew would prefer spending every night together. He understands that may not always be possible, but damn he's gone so long without you that he can't go back to feeling incomplete.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

Man is competitive as SHIT. Like, you wanna see him lose control without putting yourself in danger? Challenge him to anything. Literally anything. And like the small child he really is at heart, he can't let it go. But be warned, he's really adept at finding ways to win. And he'll keep rechallenging you until he's got you beat.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Selfishness and inconsideration. Being mindful is so part of who he is that someone who objectively doesn't operate at least a little in the same way would be incompatible. He'd grow resentful of them.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He has a pretty regular sleep pattern when on leave and non-active engagement, as is standard for the GAR. But he doesn't need to be. Corkscrew can nap for 30 minutes and be good to go. It's not fair and other brothers hate him for it (affectionately).

He does snore a bit, but lightly and he doesn't tend to move too much. Maybe that's why it's so restful?

He also likes both a shirt and sleep pants for bed. Much more than just boxers or even just pants.

That's all for Corkscrew for now. Keep an eye out for his NSFW Alphabet and maybe a ficlet or two in the near future!

Taglist*: @dreamie411, @wings-and-beskar @starrylothcat @sev-on-kamino @wolffegirlsunite @secondaryrealm @idontgetanysleep @freesia-writes @multi-fan-dom-madness @dystopicjumpsuit @sinfulsalutations @sunshinesdaydream @clonemedickix @wizardofrozz @anxiouspineapple99 @mythical-illustrator @dhawerdaverd

*Note about my taglist: I am still sorting out my Google storage so if you have signed up and don't see yourself here, the lack of storage means it's not updating my Google docs :/ I'm so sorry if that happened. You can message me and I'll add you manually. Or if you don't mind waiting, I hope to have this fixed soon and will put out a call for a new sign up :)

Check out my Masterlist for more Clone Wars and Bad Batch fics and hcs!

[mister-eames]

sitting here thinking what made eames snap at arthur “your condensation AS ALWAYS is much appreciated arthur thank you” what’s the back story what’s the hidden angst I’m dying here

This, reeks to me of at least one significant incident in the past of one of them shooting down the others idea shall we say 'gently, with a chainsaw.'

Maybe their last job together, before the Fischer job. Arthur was having a bad day, you know, like a rare and real Bad Day. His brain was too loud, his back was in pain, he had a burgeoning migraine, their extractor had fucked off so now Arthur was trying to fill two roles, his mom is very sick, and he has calculations of her medical bills interfering with actual calculations for the job. You know when you're at peak stress? Like you have 18 things to cross off your list before you can even think about a food break, and you just don't have the time to consider taking a breath, or delegating the tasks, you just have tunnel vision, your blood sugar is low, you just need to get through this and you need a radius of silence around you? I think Eames got in the way of that. He was probably trying to help Arthur out and volunteered an idea for the job and was shot down gently, with a (metaphorical) chainsaw. Arthur probably felt bad for it by the time the job was done and paid Eames some pithy compliment like, 'you did good' and Eames, who has been subjected to a terse and surly Arthur for a week thinks the compliment isn't genuine, is forced, hence the 'condescension' remark. Eames shrugs it all off. He doesn't need Arthur to stroke his ego, he knows his worth. It'd just be nice, is all.

Also, this may sound weird, but I also think it's also a very cute kind of thing that they do. They pick something to attribute to one another and it almost becomes a game. "Your sarcasm, Arthur, as always, is much appreciated." "Your inane ramblings, Eames, is much appreciated, thank you." "Your lack of enthusiasm, is much appreciated." "Your tardiness--" 'Your stubornness" -- and perhaps it slowly, slowly it starts to get kinder. There's a few "Your resourcefulness is---" and "Your creativity is---" until, until.....

[freeuselandonorris]

omg please director’s commentary on oscar’s thoughts/feelings/vibes/happy valley rewatch for is it cold in the water? please? 🙏

EXCELLENT QUESTION omg. is it cold in the water? is my fetid little kidnap kink fic and probably the most 'personal' kink fic i've ever written but i don't often think about CNC from the other side!

okay, under the cut for length and also cw for discussion of CNC and kidnap kink.

so i think the only way oscar would be able to easily conceptualise being the 'aggressor' in a CNC scene is to essentially create a sort of character for himself, not in the sense that he's acting exactly (i think he'd be far too self-conscious to do any sort of dramatic roleplay) but more that he'd sort of have to externalise it and figure out the motivations and behaviours of this other, fictional Bad Oscar because he wouldn't quite be able to picture himself doing it.

i think i've mentioned before that i imagine lando figures out what kinks he wants to try out by going absolutely kamikaze in the pornhub tags, whereas oscar reads the wikipedia page list of paraphilias in his spare time. he likes to research!

but with CNC, because he kind of feels like he needs that external character self, just reading about it isn't really helping him. and maybe lando mentioned something vague like "yeah it's hot in films and that innit, getting tied to a chair and your mouth taped up and that" and that triggers oscar to think about the kidnap scene in the first episode of happy valley.

(side note: the happy valley thing is maybe the most egregious bit of personal fanservice i've ever put into one of my own fics because the kidnap and torture/threat scenes at the beginning of the first series make me FERAL. so glad other people enjoyed it lmao)

anyway so oscar would basically have watched those episodes back and studied up, both to get ideas of what he could do and how he could translate that into safer stuff to do to lando (hence the pillowcase over the head instead of just duct taping his actual skin/hair) but also to get ideas of how tommy lee royce acts and why it's threatening but also kind of attractive. which is why the persona he adopts is very cold and cruel and almost mocking (that bit in HV where TLR asks "are you a virgin?" in that sly way was VERY influential on oscar's dialogue).

i think when it's actually happening in the moment, he surprises himself with how much he gets into it, in a similar way to how lando is shocked by how difficult it is to remember that the threat isn't real. he's always in control of himself and there's a bit of him that's constantly watching lando to make sure he's safe and isn't getting genuinely hurt, but he likes seeing lando so helpless and scared, and it means that by the end of it he's acting more on instinct (i don't think coming on the pillowcase across his face would have been planned in advance, for instance). that's partly why he gets a bit of top drop himself afterwards, because he'd sort of imagined that he'd have more emotional distance from it all than he has in reality.

final tidbit: the most stressful part of the entire thing for him is stealing the zipties from the garage. it's done on the spur of the moment, but he's petrified someone's going to see him and ask what he's doing because he can't think of any plausible excuse why he might need a handful of big zip ties and also they're really hard to hide about his person and he's sure everyone can see them tucked inside his hoodie.

FANX i love thinking about this 'verse so very much. need to go and rewatch the first two episodes of happy valley now for personal reasons.

[blossom-hwa]

hi ! for your event, could you maybe do a fashion designer!reader and like, model (or another fashion designer, maybe rivals to lovers idk) soobin from txt? (hopefully this isn't too specific lol but thank you :D no worries if you can't)

hi anon! thanks for the request, I hope you enjoy it :) don't worry, it wasn't too specific at all, and I hope the resulting drabble wasn't too cheesy AHHH

soobin is a boba addict here just like me <3

summertime drabble fest: send me an idol from the list (Stray Kids, Ateez, TXT, Seventeen) + a prompt (check out the post for ideas) and I’ll write a drabble for you!

REQUESTS OPEN!!

~

Title: Photoshoots and Dates

Pairing: Soobin x gender neutral!reader

Word count: 1.3k

Genre: fluff, university!au

Warnings: cursing

~

By the time Soobin finally collapses onto his chair, eyes falling shut almost immediately, he can't remember how much there is left of this. He's been through what, four outfits? Five? Maybe even six? Which is on one hand a blessing, because you said there were six outfits and if he's counting right then you're nearing the end, but on the other hand, six fucking outfits, each with their own hair and makeup and shoes and accessories…

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me now." 

Soobin blinks his eyes open to see you hovering over him, makeup wipe in one hand and a brush held almost threateningly in the other. You brandish the thin stick through the air and yeah, that's probably a weapon. 

He almost groans. 

"We're done," you promise, leaning in closer. Soobin obediently offers up his face out of relief that all six outfits are over, letting you swipe the cool cloth across his skin. "Sorry, I know it's stressful. But let me get the makeup off you now, so you don't have to do it later."

He's about to complain, but then he remembers you're the one who coordinated each of these outfits and their looks, the one who sketched and sewed and slaved countless hours over the pieces of clothing that he just has to wear in front of a camera. "It's infinitely worse for you though," he says as you finish dabbing something off his right eyelid. "I just have to stand there."

"Yeah. Stand there in front of a camera, which you said you weren't used to, then get makeup rubbed on and off with all these crazy accessories with every single outfit to boot." You raise an eyebrow, lips half turned up in the beginnings of a smile. It's really pretty in all these contradicting ways, Soobin thinks, praying he doesn't turn red, just like you always are—haphazard in all outward appearances but inwardly focused dead on everything you plan to do. No wonder you and Yeonjun get along so well. 

The passing thought of Yeonjun makes Soobin's stomach turn slightly. First jealousy, then guilt. Because you and Yeonjun are so close—in fact, he was supposed to be the model for this shoot and Soobin only took his place because he had to bow out so suddenly—and in the face of the growing crush Soobin has on you it's hard for him not to compare himself to brash, bold, exciting Yeonjun, when he's so…quiet and shy and nothing at all like his best friend. 

Hence the guilt. Because he never wanted to feel this way, not about his best friend in the world. 

"Soobin?"

He blinks. You look down at him, eyes furrowed in worry. The wipe has disappeared from your hand but the brush is still there. "You good?"

He almost blushes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Ah. Yeah, I figured." You extend a hand and he takes it, pulling himself off the chair, but this time it's his turn to wonder as you bite down on the inside of your lip. "You're definitely tired, right?"

Soobin frowns. "Yeah." I just said that.

You stare at him for a moment. Your unwavering gaze turns him self-conscious, all too aware of the fact that he hasn't changed out of the last outfit you put him in, that you're still holding the makeup brush that you'd swept over his face so softly, so sweetly that his heart had nearly stopped the first time said brush touched his skin. He's all too attuned to his halfway unbuttoned shirt, the thin necklace still draped around his throat, the gel slicking back his hair…

You curse suddenly. Soobin nearly jumps. "Ah, fuck—sorry," you apologize, dropping the brush back on the table behind you. You're really chewing on your lip now and Soobin's actually getting nervous—you've never looked this anxious in the weeks he's known you, never been anything other than cool and confident with that half-smile-smirk and those laughing eyes—

"Y/N?" He steps forward, almost closing the distance between you two before he realizes just what he's doing. God, his ears must be bright red with the way he feels them burning, but as he peers into your eyes that's honestly the least of his worries. "Are you okay?"

For all your anxiety, you look back at him steadily. Which makes him heavily regret the step he just took. Because you have a full view of his outfit now, especially of the red silk shirt slipping down his chest, and Soobin knows you were obviously looking at him when he was modeling in front of your camera but it feels different now. Less staged. 

More intimate. 

Your eyes flutter down to where the shirt still lies unbuttoned against his chest and damn it, he's really blushing now. Only you look slightly flustered too when you meet his gaze again, far more uncertain than he's ever seen you before. 

"Damn, I'm really not good at this." You laugh a little while Soobin frowns. What are you talking about? "Listen, I…I know you didn't really want to do this in the first place and Yeonjun probably owes you so much boba for taking his place, but…I need to be honest."' You swallow hard and when your gaze skitters away from his, Soobin finds himself following it instinctively. "I'm really glad you said yes to this, not just because without a model I would've definitely failed this project, but because I…I really like you."

I really like you. 

Soobin's heart thumps loudly in his chest. A choked sort of noise comes out of his throat before he can stop it but it looks like you didn't hear because you keep going. "So I was going to ask you out to get boba after this but I know you must be exhausted so it's totally okay if you say no, but I just, uh, wanted to sort of put it out there and it—it could be a date, if you wanted but it doesn't have to be—"

"Y/N."

You stop immediately. And this—it's so wonderful to see this side of you, Soobin thinks, because for all your usual confidence and spirit, you're really cute when you're like this, rambling and nervous with still enough strength to look him in the eye. It's the knowledge of this strength, in the end, that gives him enough courage to reply. 

"I—I'd really like it to be a date."

It comes out whispery, soft, almost choked like he hasn't said anything in a very long time. But he says it. 

And honestly, with the way your eyes brighten at his words, he's pretty hopeful you didn't notice anyway. 

"Oh." The word leaves you in a shaky breath that makes Soobin feel a lot better about the blush that's definitely coloring his cheeks right now. "Oh, I—great." You cringe and so does he but then you both laugh a little. "Are you—are you sure, though? I'm sure you're tired."

"It's just boba," Soobin says, smiling way too hard and way too bright to look normal but he can't help it, he's liked you so much for all this time and to know that you like him back—"I think I'll survive."

A little bit of your usual confidence glints in your eye as you laugh. "Well, good. I'd rather you not die on our first date." He nearly swoons at that—our first date—but then your gaze dips down. "But you might want to take that off first."

Soobin follows your eyes to the red silk shirt that's still artfully unbuttoned partway, displaying a lot more skin than he's used to. The blush comes back in full force. "Oh. Yeah." He cringes, but it's worth it for the way you laugh. "I'll be back."

You smile widely, and it’s lovely. Beautiful. "Sure,” you say, still grinning. “I'll just be waiting right here."

[crackinglamb]

AO3 Year End Roundup, 2023

Normally, I'd do this in a couple days, but we're close enough for government work (and I'm on a deliberate break anyhow, so nothing new is being posted). Normally this would also be a tag game, but I haven't seen it floating around yet, so...

Hey, you wanna do your own roundup? Go for it. Yes, I mean you (looking at you, DAFF crew). Consider this an open invite. Tag me back so I can see what y'all have been up to.

Words posted: 241,283 . This total has had subtracted from it the amount that already existed for the fic that carried over from last year (which was WG, of course). So this is actually what I posted this year.

Additional Words Written: ~166K. I have several WIP's going on in the background. One of which is finished and will begin posting after New Year's. Another of which is about halfway done. The rest are...procrastination projects/getting the wiggles out. They may never see the light of day. But they count as writing, so they are included.

Grand total of words: 407, 283 (goodness gracious)

Fandoms: 2

Works: 12, 11 of which were new.

Highest Kudos: Into the Current, at 271 (just like last year, I'm not counting WG since it wasn't new). The Iron Bull/OFC, rated E, 79K words, complete.

Highest Hit Oneshot: The Mighty Fall, at 706. Sookie Stackhouse/Eric Northman. Rated T, 2900 words.

New Things I Tried: I wrote a trio of fics for True Blood/Southern Vampire Mysteries this year. The WIP that's finished and waiting for the new year is a continuation of this series.

I also posted a ficlet I'd originally posted here on tumblr for archiving purposes. Some Years Into the Future...

Fic I Spent the Most Time On: Driftwood, my Bullmance series. Writing ItC itself wasn't particularly long, about two months, but T3, the next fic, is still being written. At first it was all going to be one long fic, but then I decided I've had enough of epics (meaning any work significantly over 100K words), and split it into parts.

Fic I Spent the Least Time On: The Mighty Fall. I have finally gotten to use the tag 'I wrote this instead of sleeping'. 🤣

Favorite Thing I Wrote: Usually, I have trouble with this category. I'm poly, you know. But this year, I actually DO have a fave. Okay...I have two.

How Deep the Bullet Lies - a gift for @rosella-writes, for the Solas Lovers Exchange. Solas/Cassandra Pentaghast with a whumpy open ending. Rated M, 4200 words.

More Than Mere Stone - a gift for my beloved @ir0n-angel in the same exchange. Solas/F!Trevelyan, pure fluff. Rated G, 1500 words.

Favorite Thing I Read: In Twain, by CatC. It's everything I wanted in a 'background character gets caught up in events' fic. With a sizzlingly hot Bullmance and So Much Cole. I think I've read it three or four times already. At least. If you need something comforting and wonderful, I cannot recommend it enough. It's simply delightful, and so is the author. Rated E, 172K words, WIP.

Something I Finished: I did it, at long last. I finished What a Wicked Game to Play. It was the focus of NaNo (and took literally three days once I put my mind to it, hence much of the other writing I did that hasn't been published). It feels really good to have my beloved Behemoth marked with a green checkmark. The story itself isn't finished, and I'll eventually write more for Imogen and Co., but for now, it is Done.

Writing Goals for 2024 – Keep on keeping on. I want to finish T3, so I can start posting it. I want to finish a couple other things from the WIP list. There will of course be a new Fluffuary prompt list. Biggest goal, however, is simply not to burn myself out. I've started waiting to publish until a fic is finished, which has done wonders for my stress levels. No more posting gaps on an in-progress fic.

Allow me to Gush about some things I wrote this year.

(Otherwise known as: honorable mentions)

Out of the Dark - Lark Cadash was once going to have an epic fic to her name. But I'm Tired, and frankly, I'm bored with rewriting the events of DA:I over and over again. So I've turned her into a series, where I can just put up oneshots and short chaptered things in no particular order that add up to one big story. This is one of them. Post-canon, Lark goes into the Deep Roads to find the answer to a riddle that's bugged her for her entire life. She gets more than she asked for, with a side serving of sad Solas. I've had many of the headcannons included in it for a long time, with no home. Now, they're out there in the world. Rated G, 4800 words.

What Lies Beneath - my actual giftfic for the Solas Lovers Exchange. I had such fun writing this, and had ideas for it as soon as I received the assignment. I got to set something in the Hissing Waste, which is one of my favorite places in the game, as well as write a polyship for my two favorite romances. F!Cadash/Solas/Iron Bull, rated T, 3400 words.

Maker Damned Fools - back in 2020, I wrote a Varric/Hawke short little thing for the first Fluffuary. I always wanted to go back and expand it into a fuller story. Add it to the pile of Things I Finished This Year. From their meeting to post-canon. Rated E, 32K words.

What a Wicked Game to Play - *deep satisfied sigh* It took two years and ten months to complete, with near constant weekly updates. It's 412K words by itself (not counting the rest of the series). It contains about 350 embedded images of either screenshots or fanart. It is both the highest hit (over 90K) and highest kudo'd (1535) work on my archive. Affectionately known as 'the Behemoth', extensively written with my signature yeeting of canon. Imogen McLean, MGIT, Inquisitor, beloved of Fen'Harel. I am stupendously proud of this work, but I am also incredibly happy it's done. I set out to write an epic, and I damn well succeeded. Rated E.

See y'all on the flipside! 💕

[vickyvicarious]

I kind of want to hear about those other stories. Is this a historical reference or just Stoker throwing out spooky terms?

the way the Correspondent says "bloofer lady"... the verbal equivalent of picking something dirty up between thumb and forefinger and raising an eyebrow at it

ooof, imagine some of our characters coming across some kids happily playing this game. that would be so painful

I love the newspaper turning noise!

love how we go from "hampstead mystery" to "hampstead horror!" with audible exclamation point

I know that this was more common practice but calling kids "it" annoys me

oooh, Mina's voice sounds cool with telegram noises.

the way she sighs "That is the reason of his cominggg" almost, she's trying to talk herself down

the sigh before "how silly I am" is the same!

and the roughness in her voice on "so that he may understand."

GOD, listening to her starting to cry as she worries about him blaming her (wonders if she should blame herself). the pauses where she can't speak easily, the struggling tearful breaths, MINAAA

and when she says "I suppose a cry does us all good at times—clears the air as other rain does." she's trying so hard to pull herself together

"then Jonathan went away this morning to stay away from me a whole day and night, the first time we have been parted since our marriage." after his last trip away from her, I totally get why she's feeling deeply distressed.

"I feel like one in a dream. Can it be all possible, or even a part of it?" I love the way she says this line.

absolutely adore the warmth in her voice as she says "if he is Arthur's friend" and a bit also for Seward. But especially for Arthur, because "as she loves Lucy and Lucy loves Arthur, Mina must love him too," to paraphrase.

"here was a rare interview" Mina I love you

oh Mina does the impersonal description when talking about van Helsing, never noticed that. I think it reflects her trying to be very thorough and professional here, and also falling into what she's learned of physiognomy

love to hear "Madam Mina"

auuuugh, Mina hearing that Lucy kept a diary to imitate herrrr

the way he pauses in the middle of "it is. not always so. with young ladies" almost sounds kinda hesitant. I do think this was meant to draw her out to offer to let him see her diary. He knows she kept it, and he thinks he knows that she wouldn't recognize the most relevant parts to relay later (say, the bat) so he wants to see the original impression. But he's trying to be friendly and humorous and lightheartedly compliment her while still leading the conversation in that direction. I feel like maybe Mina's face did something to show she didn't love the insinuation though, hence his hesitation

and then she pranks him! absolute gold. I love the mischief in her voice when she offers to show it to him, and then talks about it

"as demurely as I could" HEEHEEHEE

""You are so good," he said." damn right she is

HIS DELIGHT is so lovely!!! and yet I love when it sinks down into melancholy as he says, almost to himself, that "yet clouds roll in behind the light every time. But that you do not, cannot, comprehend." he isn't (trying to) call her incapable here. he just thinks she lacks the context to understand - and he doesn't want to tell her, still doesn't want to burden her. the 'cannot' can be read almost as a reminder to himself that he mustn't weigh her down with this knowledge by hinting too broadly

friendship declaration so sweeeet

Mina: you don't know me. van helsing: how DARE you, I am so wise and old and also you are INCREDIBLE take the compliment right now

heheheh, van Helsing trying to bring the conversation around to Jonathan thinking he is being sneaky, only for Mina to be trying to do the exact same thing

the way Mina's voice shakes, I love how you can hear how absolutely overwhelmed she is as she lists off all her fears and stresses. And how it still trembles at his kindness to her

van Helsing really pushing his "I am grandpa" agenda with all these references with his advancing years

the way her voice goes on "and Jonathan a madman" she herself doubted whether it was real or insanity but she's so protective over the idea of someone else judging him

MINA GIVING HIM THE JOURNAL

"you will read for yourself and - judge" the hesitancy here is so good. "when I see you, perhaps, you will be very - kind" almost pleading. she's taking such a huge leap of faith trusting him with this, she feels so vulnerable but she is choosing to believe in him

I love how Mina's voice gets more and more confident the further into her invitation/speech about trains <3

I love hearing van Helsing singing Jonathan's praises as much as I love hearing him praising Mina's

"again I am dazzle—dazzle more than ever," that's just the Mina effect

the immediate warmth in "my dear Dr. van Helsing"

cutting off at "I fear to think-" is so good, spooky, especially with the music

speaking of, it's really cool at the end there!

once again, Mina's confidence on the topic of trains <3

[mr-laveau]

What is castle audios? Is it any good? I’ve gotten used to the long storylines in redacted’s stuff, so would it be similar to that? Your designs are super pretty

H E L L O anon!

To answer you off the bat, it's REALLY GOOD. Like, if you enjoy redacted, I honestly think you can take a spin with Castle if you're into F4A audios because she absolutely does work within the same realm of content while adding her own twist to the setup of the world and keeping her characters fresh + unique!

The channel is a lil younger than Redacted hence why it doesn't have longer playlists of videos that his channel does but that doesn't mean it's not going for the long-haul because with the setup of the series thus far, things have moved out of character introductions and more into plot interactions while promising bigger things for the future with the incoming Endax chronicles!

Personally, I don't typically recommend stuff I don't like unless the person is insistent about getting into it and seeing it themselves so trust when I tell you that this is great!

If I had to list some strong suits that the channel has, overall it is that Castle knows her strengths as a writer and plays into that with the way she isn't afraid to connect characters outside of a name drop and set up a whole story that makes everyone feel closer in the small town of Glenwood*, whether that be through joint audios or other characters getting voiced within another audio which adds to the intrigue towards character relationships.

*I also have to say that she boasts more initiative in actually voicing other characters in an one audio and isn't afraid to show how far the river runs in the connections everyone has with each other AND she's very community oriented in the way that she includes other VAs to add to her story while encouraging fans to come up with ideas,theories and just making content in general!

She's also very good at dropping hints and leaving trails so if you're like me, a SH kinnie, then you'll have a blast digging through videos not just in the Glenwood series but stuff like QnAs or CW reacts videos for any lore drops that could piece together the puzzle as you go along!

I also cannot stress how wonderfully she plays into the idea of setting up good characters, creating interesting listeners, intriguing plot hooks and amazing mysteries about what is to come with the next audio. She's got wonderful ideas and great execution and I am always excited when she updates to hear what's new!

If you're looking for somewhere to start and especially if you're basing your picks of Redacted characters, here's my recommendations!

If you like Milo, try Beth

If you like David or Aaron then I do recommend Claire

If you're into peeps like Ivan or Blake, try Rachelle

If Elliot is your cuppa, I'd say to go for Chloe (similar vibes)

If you love Lasko then I can't recommend Rose enough

Guy/Milo/Asher peeps could love Abby, that's for sure

If you wish you had more William, go for Celine

Want something that feels like Darlin/Lovely then I say try Genevieve because it's amazing and Gen is such a doll!

The others I will leave you to explore on your own!

[terramythos]

System Collapse by Martha Wells Reading Notes

Full Review Here!

-ohhh fuck new murderbot explodes

Chapter 1

-I am glad to continue the "slightly out of order even in microcosm" style

-ok WHAT is it redacting. It sounds embarrassing.

-"I could have said a one liner but the ag bot scientifically couldn't understand me if I did so why bother" omg

-Another Sec Unit with somewhat heavy focus, which potentially tried to kill Murderbot, I'm sure this will be irrelevant and have no implications

-multiple uses of 'it/us'.

-God I love ART

-well I think one fun idea we could explore is there being rogue Sec Units completely separate from Murderbot (/Three, who Murderbot freed). It is theoretically possible others could have figured out what Murderbot did, or even other methods it didn't.

Chapter 2

-"fuck proprietary software" rant. So real bestie

-the slavery theme continues. Like obviously it's major to Murderbot as a character, but here the surviving colonists are framed as "salvage" to a corporation. So. Yeah looking forward to more of that.

-YEAH MAYBE ART'S PROTECTIVENESS BECOMING HAIR TRIGGER VIOLENT RESPONSES lS A BIT CONCERNING.

-it's giving Rimworld vibes

-yaaaay more neopronouns wooooo

Chapter 3

-ARGUCUSSION. Might steal that

-murderbot I'm beginning to seriously consider that the threat assessment module is just anxiety

-WHAT DO YOU MEAN REDACTED. HELLO?

-murderbot adding increasingly catastrophic hypothetical contingencies to worry about is far too relatable

-ART quantum as fuck

-what does redacted meeeeaaaan why does it keep happening what is going on that murderbot doesn't want the reader to knowwww

-ok there being such a heavy focus on ART and how unusual it is and how much it is capable of doing and being at once… in conjunction with the title… is a little. Hm!

-Ratthi my friend Ratthi

-"HUMANS CAN ALSO HAVE AUTISM ITS NOT JUST ME" ok go off mb

-was redacted a nervous breakdown or something?

-Ratthi getting defensive about Murderbot 💖

-"at least nobody had noticed" lists 3 of the 4 people as probably having noticed

Chapter 4

-"I don't know how to respond when humans say [be safe]. It was always my job to get hurt". :(

-ok why would a pre-CR ruin be actively powered. That's a little. Odd.

-i know this is just a reminder expository dump but I do still enjoy the concept of alien material just causing weird shit to happen to human biology and technology sometimes.

-MB precisely citing a historical reference is. Something. Did it suddenly gain an interest in this

redacted

-Tarik going from "random extra red shirt coded character" to "oh wait you have a backstory and thematic character foil shit going huh". 👌 the good shit

Chapter 5

-its been spelled "hanger" not "hangar" a couple times which feels like an error

-'murderbot, why are you like this' I mean

-oddly specific media similarity queries is oddly relatable

-murderbot low self confidence is :(

-framing its friends helping it in a difficult time as covering for its mistakes sure is a way to look at things

-ok so I guess murderbot is having like. Ptsd related stress nightmares? Hence the redacted ("inaccurate") memory? Murderbot doesn't dream like a human as far as we know so it wouldn't be a shock that everyone is confused about it.

-I guess there could be another explanation but

-yeah the story describes it as a "flashback" which is a ptsd thing. But I guess then I'm surprised murderbot hasn't had something similar happen before considering some of the things that have happened in the series. I guess it isn't nearly predictable in humans irl either, but still.

-poor murderbot

-ok so when it said "I froze" it meant that literally in like a computer sense

-"I guess machine intelligences of that era were too polite to say 'that sounds fake but okay'" LMAO

-the pre CR system seems interesting and I like the framing of their convo in an extremely basic programming language (if that's the right term for it)

-telling that it doesn't have a word for 'client'

-and how did BE get there so fast…

Chapter 6

-not Tarik sitting like me

-GOD why did "explaining the existential horror of the governor module in LanguageBasic" make me laugh so hard

-so I'm pretty sure the implication is one of the main humans sold them out to BE, which is how they knew where to look for the separatists. Though since ART speculates they got there early, I guess the main colonists could have as well, but that doesn't explain the BE SecUnit trying to (presumably) hurt Murderbot.

-on that subject, that SecUnit might have (1) immediately identified Murderbot as an altered SecUnit and (2) that's the reason it attacked the ag-bot how it did, either to test the theory or because it knew MB would be okay. But that also doesn't explain how it would have avoided the automated report to its governor module.

-AdaCol2 being horrified about a governor module even existing:(

-OMG AdaCol2 having its own extensive media storage. That's so cute omg.

-so to this point in the series MB hasn't been characterized as "part human" despite being partially made of human material. It's always considered itself more of a bot with mostly inconvenient human neural tissue. And now that human neural tissue is causing worse problems than it has before (PTSD/flashbacks).

-SO when ART here says "the part of you that is human" that's significant. It makes me wonder if MB is going to be reframed as "part human" in a way the series has avoided so far… or if ART is genuinely just wrong about that.

-but MB's resistance to even being treated as a human indicates SOMETHING there… compared to its acceptance of being repaired and healed while framed as a bot-- and its fixation with being 'broken' like a machine when that's not really the problem.

-just. Very interesting to think about.

-MB did mention just before this scene that human neural tissue is essential to understanding visual media like TV shows. And we know how important that is to MB. So I also wonder if that is a factor in characterizing MB as "part human" (maybe even retroactively).

-OK the little cut in with Mensah saying "you just don't want to talk about [whats wrong with you]" supports the entirety of the above. So.

-& leaning heavily into the theming outside that… and Considering the title…

-oh Ratthi & Tarik having Something Going On recontextualizes some earlier scenes

Chapter 7

-ok this is the second hint that someone is leaking info to BE. And like the OBVIOUS candidate would be Tarik. But I kind of hope it isn't, if thats where we're going.

-'would it have been kinder to kill you, before you disabled your governor module?' 'yes.' What a fucking gut punch. Jesus. The whole exchange.

-Murderbot is not okay :(((

-inspiring change through the power of media! Yaaaaay

-I like the implication that MB used Sanctuary Moon to kinda.. rewire its brain after the governor module. To heal, I guess. Like that's pretty obvious if you think about it, but I like seeing it acknowledged directly.

-what a cool way to potentially solve the main conflict. It's so character appropriate. I really like this

Chapter 8

-"die trying. It's not the worst thing that could happen." AAAAAAAAA

-ratthi my friend ratthi

-i like the bit about media analysis and applying that to your own craft. Relatable

-last minute group project energy

Chapter 9

-'the documentary explained the reality of the situation. I think that's the opposite of a sales pitch.' LMAO

-he shot at Leonide? So… inner BE politics?

-there is something grimly funny to me about the shortening to "BE" for Barish Estranza for purely personal reasons 1 person maybe reading this will also understand.

-i think it's interesting that we mostly use terms like "forcible indenture" in place of just "slavery". It gets called slave labor, yes, but the corporate-whitewashing term being juxtaposed with the horrible reality of it is quite striking.

-more about ART being quantum. For lack of a better word as the narration hasn't used that term yet. But idk how else one would describe that

-i have a dreadful feeling Iris might get killed off but that would be one hell of a thing to drop this close to the end. She just gets a lot of characterization this book and there's a heavy emphasis on her importance to ART. and we already saw what ART was capable of just thinking MB got hurt or killed last book.

-sees 'Hostile!SecUnit' explicitly written in the text looks at Martha Wells I Know What You Are

-i know they're friends and that's like a predictable thing but I like how MB and ART have gradually changed to be more like each other

-i think AdaCol2 is just out of commission despite MB assuming it betrayed them. But ART had that comment about it being more sophisticated than it let on… but I don't think it would betray them based on the characterization so far, like its horror at the mere concept of a governor module and uploading the documentary for them.

-did we know SecUnit hands are metal

-Tarik being badass as a background detail

- YAY AdaCol2 back

-the idea of a human augmented to be the HubSystem is a little horrifying. And introduced in media res so like "don't think about it"

-ok a reasonable justification for not freeing the two SecUnits. Like it can't happen all the time. But it's still upsetting knowing what it's like to be one.

-BUT giving them the means to do so later like MB did with Three in Network Effect is nice. If ill advised as it realizes later lmao

Chapter 10

-if Leonide doesn't piece together that MB is rogue ill be shocked

-THE FREED SECUNIT HELPING THEM SCREAM CRYING

-ART drone is like. Drunk

-i kinda like the framing of the humans taking over to help SecUnit and ART

Chapter 11

-MB was worried about Ratthi :(

-'booped by the pathfinder' god why is that funny

Chapter 12 -oh no is Holism like. Another ART

-yeah, confirmed. Huh. So there's more than one semi omniscient space ship hanging around. It's not just Peri. I didn't even suspect that.

-yeah honey you DO need therapy.

The end!

Ok so. Thoughts. We kind of end in a similar place as Network Effect, with Murderbot deciding to leave the Preservation team to go with ART. This story feels like a character

development add on and I'm not sure if it was originally planned when Network Effect was written.

That's not really a criticism because we do learn interesting things. There's a heavier lean into ART and its functional existence. MB has a realistic response to the traumatic events of Network Effect and we have to deal with the fallout of it. Which I think is important instead of jumping to the next arc right away. We also get heavy characterization of 2 newer characters, Iris and Tarik. Tarik especially gets a lot of development. I legit can't remember if he was in Network Effect. But he's a human character foil to MB which I think is a good addition to the story. We have had multiple bot foils for MB so having a human one is good (Gurathin doesn't really count imo) Since as this book emphasizes, MB is kind of both.

My speculation on what we go to next? This book had a heavier emphasis on MB being partially human. That's always been true but not something MB likes to think about or identify with. And the trauma response to Network Effect is framed as a human part of MB. So how do we explore that in the future? I think back to how MB talking to Bharadwaj was integrated into Network Effect and how that explored its trauma and past. Now we have trauma and the present, and the implication that MB will get actual therapy, so will it be similar?

We can obviously examine a lot about the University. We got a taste that there's more to it right at the end with Holism's existence reveal. That's pretty major and there may be way more to it. All we know about the University really is ART and its humans. We could conceivably have non ART/Peri ship characters that are similar to it.

The big elephant in the room mentioned in this book is the ComfortUnit MB freed early in the series. What happened to it? And this book adds another SecUnit to that (2 technically but we only see one do something with its freedom). Will they come back into the story? And since they know how to free themselves will they spread that to other constructs? Will MB helping others on its journey have a knockdown effect throughout the Rim? That seems like the most likely solution to construct slavery, which is like the MAIN CONFLICT/problem of the series.

One thing MB has mentioned a few times is that some rogue Units do respond to sudden freedom with violence-- which is an understandable response, honestly. But that isn't something we have seen. MB just… kept doing its job for 4 years before the Preservation team discovered its secret in

the first book… and it's implied the one it freed in this book plans to do the same thing. Three wasn't violent either and is characterized as more… childlike, I guess? The ComfortUnit just fucking booked it the second it could. So we haven't seen violence happen with Three and the other Units MB directly freed but it's something that could be a conflict later on if suddenly a bunch start going rogue in that kind of ripple effect. There's the CombatUnit from book 4 that I vaguely recall had no interest in being freed and was incredibly violent. So who knows.

[funkylittledemon]

autism and emotions is so.... well it fucking sucks is what it is. i need my mind to slow down for a second to get all these thoughts down bc i will explode if i dont get them out there (hence why this post - only bee is gonna see this & knows me enough to be worried for more than an hour or so and if i put this where nobody can see it aint actually out there) (wassup bee dw i am okay)

anyway

i say that life is just getting to me rn and it is but thats too vague a statement. current affairs (an impartial term but a useful one here) are getting to me - I'm trying to navigate adulthood while it feels like the life i was promised is being taken away by whatever event you want to pick; global warming, late-stage capitalism, multiple genocides, the list goes on. and I'm one of the lucky ones!! how fucked up is that! so there's that constant stress hanging above my head.

then there's more abstract life: navigating uni and living alone and looking after myself while forming relationships and starting to try carve a path for myself. this one isn't as bad but still can't be ignored and the fact that interpersonal relationships have become so scrutinised through social media doesn't help. no matter the insecurity you have or your own specific factors there will be someone online telling you your worst fears are right - i cant say how many times ive scrolled past a reel saying that i havent had a message back because "he" doesn't care. does the person saying this even know I've seen it, let alone who i am or who "he" is? No!! but the sentiment sticks with you despite only seeing it for 3 seconds before scrolling on, despite logically knowing it can't apply to me because its a catch-all statement to everyone who feels insecure pushed onto us by an algorithm that thinks we want to hear that. social media is feeding into our fears and insecurities and we can't stop it. as an autistic person whos insecure as fuck and who knows they dont understand a lot of societal cues being told by some random person that im right to be insecure really doesn't help - i get the idea of something stuck in my head and bc i know its bs i try get it out which cements it further into my mind and lends it credence.

then there's uni itself - i am now faced with the realisation that everything leading me up to uni and my course has been about me helping other people, often to my own detriment. i chose a counselling course because i was always the therapist friend, the one who everyone else went to for help. and wouldn't you know it I've been burnt out for years and literally don't have it in me to help strangers, or give a shit about their lives. i cared so much and made my entire life about helping other people that i had no idea what i wanted to do. im switching to just psychology now, because it is interesting and i do enjoy it but im kind of lost now i dont have that purpose. it also scares me just how much of my life hadn't been about me at all and im still not sure who i am if im not helping someone. obviously thats the dramatic version but you get the gist. uni's been a wakeup call i wasn't prepared for and theres the work and exams on top of that

christ this is long. okay. what else was there. emotions. god i hate emotions. this is the hard bit. all my emotions are so so big and i am so so small and it feels like they would devour me whole if they could. anxiety is a big one. recently pretty much all ive been feeling is anxiety - a deep anxiety that makes me nauseous pretty much 24/7. last week on friday i had what i call a breakdown. i still dont understand it (which is scary enough - every other breakdown i can disect and point to the cause). i just sarted screaming in the middle of the street and couldn't stop and its making me anxious just typing this up. then there was a day of panic attack after panic attack (lost count after the 4th i think) and then a few days later and some bad decisions (booze. ik i shouldn't have drank but i thought i was ok to drink) i had another breakdown. i dont remember much of this one but it ended in me being locked out and sobbing - security had to let me in and it must've been bad bc the guy gave me a card with hotlines on it. (again, i am okay). i lost my leather jacket that night which both sucks bc i loved that jacket and also the fact that it's gone is a constant reminder of something im ashamed of. after that it was just this constant nauseating anxiety, occasionally spiralling into something more but not significant enough to include. the thing about me and emotions is that my strategy for dealing with them is to ignore and repress them until they're not my problem anymore. which is bad. but idk how to cope with them healthily and when i feel okay i never know if its because i repressed them again or because i genuinely feel okay. being around other people helps but thats probably not a great thing - i hide my emotions from other people to avoid being a burden. not that its always a bad thing that my friends make me feel better its just not a sustainable approach to constantly avoid being alone. i have this constant struggle of feeling emotions so intensely then feeling shame because of how intensely i felt those emotions or how they made me act.

going on from emotions fucking me over and moving on from Life being an issue anxiety is a fucking bitch. all my life I've felt like an outsider and so constantly nervous about everything. it was hell and then in 6th form i made friends who were so so confident and i finally started to relax a little bit more and not feel bad about taking up space. uni was even better! i had flatmates i loved and i was going out doing things I'd never dreamed of and i was making friends!! i barely recognised myself and i loved it!! then the breakdown happened and i was plunged headfirst back into the old cycle of anxiety and going back to that after feeling what life could be like? that was worse than the breakdown. it feels like ive never felt worse and the knowledge that theres no reason for it, that nothing had actually changed other than me and i could still be out there with confidence but i wasn't was such a crushing feeling it felt like i was never gonna feel okay again. dramatic i know but the truth.

im home for easter break now and typing this out has helped and going back to my old stomping grounds has shown me i have still changed and i do still have the confidence even if i couldn't access it for a hot min. I'm still anxious but thats okay. my emotions don't have an all poweful spell over me and anxiety can suck my dick. there's still the fear that I'll go back to uni and it'll all come rushing back however im just gonna see how this break goes. im gonna be alone whether i like it or not while im down here and if i can manage to be okay with that then I'll be fine. and i do have a support system both here and up at university.

[successandethicswithsmita]

WHY PATIENCE?

Hiya! I wanna ask you a few questions? And I

want you to not only ask yourself, these questions, but also ask your near and dear ones? Especially to the current generation, yes, I will repeat that, especially to the current generation.

1) Do you want quick results for anything, and everything you do?

2) Do you hunt for shortcuts to acquire fame and money also success quickly?

3) Do you become restless, angry, irritated, stressed, violent when you don't get whatever you desire quickly or at the time expected?

4) Do you think all these behavioural pattern of yours is actually getting you somewhere, giving you true peace and happiness?

No need to answer me, or maybe tell me anything, answer yourself honestly, and if your heart desires a true solution to these problems, then read my Tumblr post below.

One more thing, entertainment, latest trending music, jokes, dance is all good, and essential to relax, but, it doesn't let you acquire your dream life, so gaining practical knowledge, that would be of aid to you in your day to day life is important, hence do listen, and share my posts as much as possible, because knowledge is true power.

PATIENCE

The definition of patience, for a lot of people, means waiting, but waiting, is only a part of patience, most importantly, people take wrong, or hasty decisions a lot of time, because, they feel that they need to wait, and they don't know the skills needed to wait, and just can't wait, as we all know empty mind and unease is devil's workshop, isn't it?.

Thus patience is the ability to be calm, and control the inner restlessness, that includes negative chattering, and also not to get influenced, by the pessimistic environment around. So first and foremost, let's see what happens when you lack it?

Today's world is definitely a modern, digital and fast world, yes, but yet, patience is a must, as a lot of things, do need time, for instance; people taking decisions, complicated problems being solved, constructions, and many more, isn't it? (181)

Thus if we are impatient, then we will be stressed out over situations beyond our control, and especially the ones where in results obtaining, takes time, and also might be unpredictable.

Not just that, we might rush into something that is not called for, and become an embarrassment for ourselves, prove ourselves unworthy and incapable, speak in frustration, and prove ourselves arrogant, scary, thereby losing our self respect, and letting our nay sayers win over and control the situation, pulling away great opportunities from us, loosing competitions not called for, making a mess of our lives, and also acquire regretful, ashamed and upsetting feeling.

Thus, we are going to get into, or create unhealthy relationships and decisions. We all know very clearly, that patience is undoubtedly a virtue, but, obviously that's not enough, it's most important and more important to know how to do it right? let's see, how to cultivate it.

CULTIVATING PATIENCE:

Firstly, we should and must know how to distract ourselves, while waiting, so; do things that don't make you restless while waiting, it could be listening to music, dancing, singing, playing, reading etc, also one thing won't work, it's not sufficient; we need to definitely have a bucket list.

This bucket list, is like the key to unlock your patience, again, however; just this isn't enough, we also need to have the right mindset. You have to instruct, and control your mind, to actually get yourself involved in these distraction activities, so that you don't loose your calm.

Tell yourself; " I have my list, I am mentally prepared, and I am going to follow and obey the plan, no matter what". Keep repeating this unto yourself, especially, whenever you feel that you are getting off track.

Check your triggers, one of the crucial loophole, is that you want things quickly, however; if you acknowledge the fact that, you might land in a pothole, or in a pit, if you move in a haste, and then imagine the consequences, then you will surely be in control.

Another important triggers are anxiety, anger, and frustration, and also worry. Every problem, has a solution, some problems can be solved quickly, but some especially the bigger ones and the complicated ones need time, and hence patience.

Patience helps you to be resilient and graceful, hence please practice it.

[ephrom]

Everything I Don't Like Is Kiwi Farms Fault: The Lily Orchard Story

Before we begin, I just want to say I have no love for Kiwi Farm and view them being taken down as nothing but a good thing. They've gone after people I care about--albeit many of terrible things you hear about are hyperbolized or the result of a handful of bad actors--and their lack of dedication to civil decorum really shows. However, once again, Lily has to collective her enemies into one massive blob out to attack her--even when they have nothing to do with each other. Hence a thread she posted to Twitter just today to talk about how Kiwi Farms has harmed her.

For those who don't know, Kiwi Farm threads of people always started with an introduction post that described everything that was known about the person up until that point. I mention this because the introduction post for her thread on Kiwi Farms mentioned both the catfishing (which is a reference to Tara Callie) and the "pedo fic" (which is a reference to Stockholm). Therefore, it could not be Kiwi Farms who began these claims--because otherwise they wouldn't have been in their introduction post.

I believe the Kiwi Farms thread on her began in 2015 at the earliest (at least, the active one--somebody created one before that was deleted years ago and only had three pages worth of content and not anything particularly interesting), and the claims of her catfishing had been going on for long before that point. Tara Callie was so suspicious that even @britts-galaxy-brain began to believe that Tara wasn't real when she was friends with Lily. Meanwhile, again, the claims about Stockholm began when Stockholm was first published in 2014.

This is just a repeat of the claims she made in her stalking video I talked about yesterday. If you want more information on that, here's a link to that post.

With that said, this is not to say that the story has remained fully the same. For example, now instead of being worthless shut ins who haven't caused anything other than stress, Lily's stalkers are the reason she was raped in 2018.

Also, these people are awful, vindictive, and abusive--but they're also just mad that Lily had an opinion on a cartoon or something.

Never mind the fact that Lily says here that Kiwi Farms is a website dedicated to stalking and harassing LGBT people.

Meanwhile, back when she made a video on her stalkers six months ago, two of the people she listed were transgender (Jess and Zena, who she turned into one person for some reason, and Patchwork Heart), one is non-binary (Segasister), and another is a lesbian (Brittany). Although this is a person who she calls the ex of a transgender woman who she was engaged to a transphobe, so I'm not sure what to expect at this point. Not only that, but so Brittany, despite Brittany being accepting of her when she first came out as transgender that she encouraged Lily to pursue the identity if it would make her happy despite Lily's fears.

In fact, I think I need to go back to this video real quick because it's incredibly telling.

First off, I would like to both apologize to @segasister for missing this flaw and thank her for pointing it out.

Now the incident I believe she's talking about regarding the brony fanbase tolerating pedophiles is the ToonKriticY2K one (even though I don't think he met the definition of pedophile, but that's a different topic). Never mind the fact that Segasister was also manipulated and fucked over by ToonKritic--that's just not supposed to matter. Just like it doesn't matter that somebody who's not white would be friends with two white supremacists who Lily has combined into one person for no fucking reason.

I'm never good at knowing when to end posts when it comes to Lily. Here's a funny tweet from Doodletones.

[scatterpatter]

"Where's the essay OP" Said no one, and yet here I am

Lampy isn't stupid, he's neruodivergent: a rushed-together masterpost

Disclaimer: I'm not a liscened medical professional but I'm neurodivergent who's close to many neurodivergent people so I know when certain traits strike me as very familiar... Also tblt is my comfort movie I've seen it probably over 100 times, not exaggerating, so if anyone here's an expert on it, it's me.

I'm only going by the first movie because while To The Rescue and Goes To Mars probably have evidence to back me up, I don't feel like sitting down to watch them as I don't have them as memorized as the original

Point #1: Lampy is arguably the most intelligent appliance in the movie

Honestly it apalls me that so many are convinced that Lampy is an idiot when he displays some of the most intelligent traits in the movie. I'll just list off some of the most important scenes that show this

1: When discussing a way to get to the city, Lampy comes up with plans that end up failing, true. But we should also consider that not only did Radio and Toaster come up with bad plans before deciding on the swivel chair, but 2/3 of Lampy's ideas involved the same mechanic: on something with wheels(yes the mattress had wheels for some reason) being powered by Kirby

2: "From here you can see the really big lamp!" This scene is simply due to the appliances being sheltered from the outside world. Lampy displays the same level of naive-ness as everyone else: Radio seems earnest in calling the sun a "really big lamp", and Kirby calls the grass "shag carpet". Lampy is not at a lower intelligence in this scene, he's exactly at the same level as everyone else

3: The scene with the storm really sells his intelligence. The appliances have a rudimentary understanding of electricity, most likely from being appliances, but Lampy displays an excelled level of understanding by sacrificing himself for the battery. He understands that batteries are powered by electricity, lightning is electricity, and by using himself as a lightning rod, he acts as the conductive metal to easily transfer this energy from the bolt to the battery. Technically this should have overcharged and fried the battery but we'll suspend disbelief for the sake of this movie.

4: He knew that stacking the appliances to roughly human height, creating a dark environment with ominous sounds, and putting Toaster at eye-level to scare the human with his own reflection... Again, this is an intelligent understanding of how to scare a human

5: It's unclear on whose idea it was to look up Rob in a phone book, however this shows that not only can Lampy read(most likely picked up from being Rob's reading light), ESPECIALLY when Toaster struggles to read, but also has an understanding of phone books, addresses, and finding humans based on family names. I cannot stress how intelligent this is for a sentient desk lamp

There's a few more minor examples, but these are the biggest cases. Lampy is intelligent.

Point #2: Lampy struggles with social cues and doesn't empathize as easily as others

My biggest point here is when people think neruodivergents are "dumb" for having trouble picking up on things like sarcasm when that just... isn't the case. A few notable examples include:

1: When Air Conditioner says "You're a real bright little lamp", Lampy doesn't pick up the sarcasm and thinks he's being complimented. Though he definitely shows a level of emotional intelligence because he looks to Toaster to confirm "hey I was complimented", sees they're still looking angry, and gets the hint that he was insulted without someone needing to explicitly tell him that, to which he then responds with "Heyyy >:("

2: Sometimes he's able to read the room and pick up on tones, but other times he shows a level of emotional density. Legitimately not knowing if Rob had returned even when seeing Blanky disappointed to the point of near tears... But then knowing "brains wouldnt hurt either" was a jab at their intelligence and reacting with appropriate annoyance... But also when Radio says "Things could be worse!", doesn't realize he's just saying that to make Toaster feel better and asks "How could they be worse?"

3: He bullies Blanky alongside Radio and the others, unclear if he's actually being a jerk or just "oh this is what everyone else is doing so this is the normal way to act", but he's legitimately confused when Toaster tries to explain why they're suddenly being nice to him. He doesn't get the "now I feel better" argument because his argument was "Well you were never this nice to him before". Even when Toaster tries to explain why it feels nice, it just doesn't click... until Toaster finds a way to explain that connects personally to Lampy's own emotional state. He has trouble empathizing until realizing "oh this is like this thing that I feel sometimes"

4: Something I've noticed when gathering evidence is that more than once, Lampy goes "Wow..." After someone gloats about themself(Twice with Radio, once with the Computer). It's clear by the third time, when Radio goes "What does that mean?" And Lampy responds "I don't know. [To Computer] What does that mean?" That he doesn't even know what's being gloated about, let alone why he should be impressed. He has the emotional intelligence to recognize when someone's gloating and the "appropriate" response of amazement, but it seems like it never comes from a place of earnest. (While Neurotypicals can and do engage in "performative" behavior, I tend to notice this way more commonly with neurodivergents)

Also the "wow..." Performative thing is VERY reminiscent of Peridot from Steven Universe(a characters who many autistic fans see themselves in and the creator herself saying she doesn't consider Peridot or any of the gems to be neurotypical) going "wow thanks" as her default "this is how I've been taught to show gratitude" response

Point #3: Miscellaneous traits that could be neurodivergent

These traits COULD be interpreted as neurodivergent, but I will admit they could also be interpreted as something else so like take these with a grain of salt

1: Lampy appears to have sensory needs. When sleeping, he needs to tap a rock a few times(presumably to make sure it's "right") before clonking his head on it. It's interesting because rocks aren't a very "lamp" thing whatsoever, and none of the other appliances look for pillow-ish objects to rest on, so this could be a sensory thing.

2: Lampy has an interesting vocal quirk: repetition of phrases at the beginning and end of a sentence. Instances include "How exactly do you propose we do that, exactly?" "All of a sudden you're being so darn nice to him all of a sudden" "The fact is there's just not enough facts" The third one is a bit of a stretch but the first two seem to indicate a possible pattern of speech. Part of me wants to say this could be a verbal tic or some type of verbal stimming, but I've never met anyone who has a tic or stim like this so I can't say it's a neurodivergent thing with confidence, but I wanted to mention this quirk regardless.

3: Physically saying how he feels. Two instances where multiple characters are laughing, Lampy speaks while laughing "That's funny - I'm dying!" "I'm aching with joy!". It's just interesting that no one else speaks while laughing and for whatever reason, Lampy needs to verbalize "Yes I find this very funny" as if simply laughing along isn't enough. I've seen somewhat similar stuff in neurodivergents who have issues expressing emotions implicitly so they state them explicitly instead.

4: I've noticed Lampy isn't touchy... except with Radio. Some neurodivergent people can have issues with physical contact, which could explain that. But I've also noticed that Radio also gives me huge neurodivergent vibes... But more importantly Radio is extremely touchy with everyone, Lampy included, hence them often getting into physical fights but also just- tapping them or wrapping a cord around the other and pulling him close(they're so in love but that's a post on its own). A possible explanation is Lampy having issues with touching others, but either feels comfortable being touchy with Radio(due to emotional bonds and trust) or simply recognizes "Radio likes being touchy so I should be touchy back". A stretch of an argument, I'll admit, but I think the interpretation is there and valid.

In conclusion

I mean idk if Lampy was written to be neurodivergent or if the writers just wanted him to be "quirky" and accidentally gave him a lot of neurodivergent traits, but he reads as very neurodivergent to me(probably autistic or adhd but I'm not a professional and can't diagnose him). But while I can chalk up neruodivergency being one of many possible interpretations of his character, I WILL argue that he's not "stupid" given the evidence we see throughout the movie

Tl;Dr: Lampy is evidently intelligent, but sometimes struggles with social cues, empathy, and overall shows numerous traits of neurodivergency

[spicebiter]

Ooooookay! I got my new DS set up completely with all the hacking and lil extras done and done. Some things of note to dust off my brain:

It's now clear just why this system was priced so cheap. It arrived without the system being formatted and with the SD card still loaded with the original owner's pictures and videos dating all the way back from 2016- so for a console that old it's in very good condition all in all, especially since from the photographic evidence it had shared ownership between a teenager and a younger child. Likely the person listing it was the older of these two and was listed more for the purposes of making some quick cash, hence the oddly low price despite no major defects.

The thumbstick cover is gone and it didn't come with a stylus- both things that were noted in the listing and not surprises, I can replace both easily. It has the typical scuffs on the outer casing and hinge areas but no areas with cracks or stress marks indicating weakness in the casing and no scratches on either screen though there is one strange spot that appears to be a tiny cluster of dead pixels which isn't uncommon for a console this old and owned by the demographic it was.

Because there are no major issues with the casing I don't think I'll replace it- at least not right away- since I've already been looking in to matte metal covers because I hate the glossy feeling of the New 3DS's outer casing (I MUCH preferred the feeling of the 3DS XL's casing. Because any replacement casing would have that same glossy feeling and it can really only be solved with a cover, and there are no extreme issues with the cases as is, I can't justify replacing it right away. I know of places that sell just the outer shell pieces so if I wanted to make it pretty I could just get those.

Anyway, this is my first time interacting with the New model 3DS and honestly design-wise I think it blows compared to the original model. The SD card slot being locked away behind the casing and only accessible by removing screws is a hassle and is more of a feature I would expect from the 2DS as it was designed to be more geared toward young children and the ones you'd have to worry about getting at something delicate like that. The gloss is Gross and the placement of the stylus and cartridge slots is icky and off kilter for anyone who's ever used another model of DS. I do enjoy the placement of the power, select, start, and home buttons compared to the old models though the way the 3DS XL had their home, select and start row as proper buttons rather than a panel like the standard 3DS was still just fine and didn't necessarily need changing. Functionally, though, I can't argue with results. It's quite a bit faster than my 3DS XL was and it's capable of handling games that are a bit more beefy so I can even play PS1 games on it and that's Pretty Cool. All in all it's not an awful console by any means I just don't much care for the design changes to the console's exterior, and even then I'm sure I'll adapt and get used to everything that's a little funky.

[iwritethat]

Dick Grayson: Fine Cuisine

Summary: Fluff

• Dick is unprepared for a family meal but your offer your fine expertise and have the whole family asking questions about you.

Warnings: Mature language

A/N: Hello lovlies! I’ve missed you all so much, I hope this helps a bit and there’s so much more I could add onto this so please enjoy and lemme know how you all are~

>>>>—————————>

It started with a family dinner.

As many curious situations do in retrospect, but with a family of vigilantes whose relationship ties have frayed, intermingled and been resewn makes for more interesting get-togethers compared to most.

One thing they could all agree on though? Dick Grayson cannot cook.

"I can't believe that, they just assume it's going to end in a takeout?" Came your amused voice as you placed a coffee on your kitchen island that Dick was currently seated - or rather slumped at.

"It's because the last two times I've hosted something like this, takeout has saved my ass." The ravenette embarrassingly clarifies, voice trailing off toward the end and did his best to avoid looking at you.

Dick Grayson was technically a neighbour, albeit living a few floors below your more lavish (and expensive) apartment suite. After moving into the complex on the same day, you quickly excavated the common ground to build a solid foundation for friendship - as such, meet-ups like these became a regular thing, switching apartments each time.

"Then, I'll help you out." You proudly confirmed, gesturing to your grand kitchen which was the sole reason you’d brought the place - one of the many things Dick envied about your luxurious living area compared to the standardised version of his own, though on an Officers salary he couldn’t afford something like this.

"Ah (Y/n) no, I can't let you do that!” Came his instant reply, hands waving defensively as he adamantaly brainstormed another excuse. “Plus you'll be working that night."

"True, but that doesn't mean I can't set you up beforehand. We'll start tomorrow, I'll teach you a recipe."

———

As previously planned, Dick turned up at your door rather nervously even though he’d been around you many times - not once had he demonstrated a serious negative flaw to his character in order to impress you, but cooking was one of them and you were about to witness chaos that’d likely dispel any romantic inclination he hoped you held for him.

“Ready?”

“No.”

With a playful laugh, you rolled your eyes and pulled the male into your kitchen noting how he was likely tired from his shift at Blüdhavens Police Department earlier that afternoon so a good meal should do wonders. Maybe it’d give him a better nights sleep too? The acrobat never seemed to obtain many of those for some unknown reason, apparently it’s ‘too noisy’ in the city.

“Oh and you can host in my apartment, it’s bigger and I’ll have all the equipment you need. You already have a spare key anyway.”

“You’re really amazing, I don’t deserve you - y’know that?” There were deeper feelings involved in that seemily offhanded thank you, ones relating to his role as Nightwing and his past mistakes which all remained a hated secret from you.

It started well, Dick following along with ease and you concluded that he picked things up fast with how observant he was which sped up the process. The main course he’d nailed with your guidance and so, you decided to move onto dessert.

“Now we add cocoa powder to th-“ You’d froze, mouth open out of surprise with the substances dusting your lips, cheek and part of your left collar bone - the offender in question mirroring your expression, albeit holding back his laughter due to his colossal misjudgement.

“I - I didn’t think it’d go everywhere when I ripped the packet open...”

“You don’t ever rip the packet, you tear it gently!” Came your dangerously mischievous correction, licking the sweet substance from your lips before flicking the currently non-chocolate brownie covered spoon at him with flecks landing on the side of his face.

“Oh, it’s on!”

This ensued an all out war, the two of you ducking and dodging oncoming attacks as you danced around the kitchen island with varying results of accuracy until Dick decided to slide over the marble surface and capture you in his arms.

His embrace faltered slightly as your back hit the island during your feeble attempt to get away, finding yourself trapped between him and the cool surface too enthralled in the carefree antics to notice the proximity. A beat of silence passed once the atmosphere had settled, Dick releasing a breathy chuckle with his grip around your waist loosening slightly as you looked up with a victorious smirk - he took the opportunity to lean forward slightly as if testing the waters and careful to note any kind of reaction you replied with.

However, there was a lack of trust as all is fair in love and war, hence your devious reasoning to close the gap some more and with the softness of his warm breath dancing on your lips you swiftly leaned past his whilst dragging your tongue across his cheek. Dick pulled back instantly, a mix of disgust and offence in his eyes as you spoke.

“Needs more sugar.”

“I’m sweet enough as it is thank you, you’d know that if you’d have just kissed me instead of betraying me like that!” Dick wittily snapped back, admiring the melodious laughter that escaped you at his response.

“I’m sure you do, speaking of - these brownies should last until the dinner so you won’t have to make them again on the day alright? I’ll get everything ready so you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“I guess you’d taste pretty sweet too.” Though referencing your kind nature, you couldn’t help but lightly punch him in the shoulder.

———

Regardless of Dicks wistful prayers, the deadline had finally arrived and his family would be sporadically arriving in a matter of hours - so help him.

"All the ingredients are on the counter - do not use anything else - and I've detailed the instructions on the whiteboard in case you forget anything." You pointed to each item as you spoke, donning a jacket before barely making it past the kitchen doorframe due to your neighbours dramatically desperate pleas.

"Can't you just stay? And do it with me?"

"I have to go to work." You laughed at his antics, the man looking like a lost puppy amidst your vast collection of kitchen utensils.

"Work will survive without you, c'mon you wouldn't lose out on much - I'll even pay for the trouble."

That, truly caused you to hesitate with a look of sheer bemusement, a mischievous glint dancing in your irises that mocked his claim almost as much as your sardonic tone.

"If you truly knew my job and paycheck then you'd take that back.” With that, you were quick to flip to a more cheerful voice as you waved goodbye to a pouting Grayson. “Anyway, you'll be fine and tell me how it went once I get back~"

"Wait (Y/n) h-"

The slam of the front door echoed your departure leaving a Dick feeling more lost than ever, the kitchen seemingly quadrupling in size now.

Bruce arrived first along with Damian, Cass, Duke and Alfred. Then there was Tim who’d apparently travelled from Titans tower and finally Jason who’d sauntered in fashionably late as predicted but only by 5 minutes. Each baffled by the sudden change of location which only intensified when the host brought out plates of home cooked dinner.

"..."

"This... this isn't take out..."

"No, it's actual food.” Dick confirmed almost offended and words laced with a hint of underlying sarcasm. “That I made myself."

"Okay, so uh - is it edible then?" Jason quipped back, smirking at his elder brother in a smug manner that only he could achieve.

"Would you just eat it? I went through a lot of stress and effort for this."

Dick encouraging everyone as he sat down, the action only bemusing the members of his family more as they complied to his wishes with varying degrees of hesitance from each of them. Damian trusted Dick the most, but he patiently waited for his father to finish his mouthful before even touching his own dish.

"Wow, this is incredible, the flavour and everything - Dick what happened to you?!" Duke enthusiastically mocked and continued to devour the meal with a sense of radiance which contrasted to Cassandras pure silence as she savoured every tasteful mouthful.

"Grayson, there is no way you are solely responsible for this cuisine." Damian suspiciously raised a brow at the older hero, tentatively laying his cutlery elegantly on the now clear plate.

"Thank you, and maybe I had some assistance from my neighbour."

“Thank you for dinner Dick, it was surprisingly delicious and please give our thanks to your mysterious friend too.” Bruce knowingly added, proud of his protégés accomplishments - though minor in comparison to Alfreds glowing exterior.

“I told you there was hope Master Bruce.”

"Bro, they left a whole list of instructions so you wouldn't mess up and hey, call if you need anything. Sounds like a plan -" Jason, who had waited until everyone was finished explored your kitchen in hopes of finding some evidence as to who their saviour was.

"Jason no! They're working!"

"It‘s an emergency, you’ve been replaced by a clone with adequate cooking skills!” Tim wittily added once leaning against the kitchen doorframe to observe the scene with Damian inspecting the whiteboard before questioning it’s purpose.

“Why leave this if they couldn't answer then?"

"That's the point, she will answer and I don't want to disturb her right now. They've done enough for me already." Dick painfully sighed, strategically slapping Jason’s phone into the air and catching it with his other hand in one swift motion much to the irritation of the latter.

"Hold up - she?" Duke cut in now, holding his hands out for emphasis and subtlety fishing for elaboration.

"Are you dating...?” Jason hummed, taking a moment to analyse Dicks reaction prior to cementing his assumption. “No, but you want to, right?"

“We are not -“

“You want to date someone?” Cass innocently inquired now walking in with a pile of plates, Bruce and Alfred following in afterwards with clean up of their own.

“I mean I -“

“I’ve seen enough of your crushes to know you have one, you’re already flustered by thinking about them romantically.” Bruce effortlessly deducted, Alfred nodding in agreement whilst commencing the washing up.

“You can’t just call me out like that Bats, after everything with been through too.” Dick feigned betrayal, a hand on his heart whilst Bruce shook his head.

“Oh yeah, how long did he wait for Starfire and Barbara though?” Tim jokingly nudged Jason who chuckled at the small dig, though charismatic and charming - when real feelings were involved, Dick Grayson wasn’t one to straightforwardly act on them.

“Real mature guys.”

“I think you should tell her.” Was the sincere voice of reason, Cassandras kind smile enough to silence the devilish remarks of his brothers who now shrugged in defeat.

“We could help...”

———

Miraculously, you'd attained reservations at the most eloquent restaurant in Gotham, located in the more luxurious district of the wealthy. As a result, it served only the finest gourmet cuisine and had waiting lists longer than any other, so much so that even Bruce Wayne had yet to successfully book a place at the establishment.

You had given him the news when he’d recounted the events of his family dinner (skipping over certain discussions) and how they were grateful for your generosity.

Now, you'd asked Dick for how many he'd like seated at the table so you could finalise the arrangements - he knew you worked there, meaning staff privileges were likely applied in this situation but he was still left speechless.

Gawking at the skyrocketing prices, Dick now understood how much missing one day of work would seriously cost you - he definitely couldn't have afforded your time that night after all.

"So, you say you're paying for this?"

With a painstaking hum of agreement, the eldest nodded with a hint of concern detected on his features, fortunately Bruce had come prepared with his own credit card (just in case). Although his family could be provoking and frivolous toward one another, they were also respectful in situations like these and wouldn't run the bill up too high like certain members would if Bruce had been footing the bill. Dick had a charismatic bond with all of them in that sense.

Meanwhile, you handled everything in your kitchen of organised chaos as the orders came pouring in, including that of Dicks table who you had yet to formerly greet.

"This is cereal..." The head waiter meant it more of a question than a statement, looking to you with upmost uncertainty due to the simplicity of the dish compared to those on your signature menu.

Did they even stock Lucky Charms with the ingredients? The answer was no, you’d intentionally bought them purely for this very day and scenario.

"I know, I know - please serve it to my neighbour on Table 12, he'll get it." You humourously assured the man who seemed to have more to say but didn’t wish to argue with higher authority.

"Ah, Chef..." Your sous chef called moments later, overlooking the scene with mild skeptism before realising the nature of your scheme.

"Hm?"

"You do realise he is currently seated with Mr Bruce Wayne, don't you?" Upon processing that unprecedented information you immediately bolted - hot on the trail of the waiter with a weak promise in your wake.

"What?! I thought he'd bring his friends along not his- oh god, I just sent them cereal- shit, I'll be right back!"

With strategy and precision, you carefully intercepted the tray only seconds before it’d be placed in front of the empty seat of Dick Grayson - the man in question probably taking a bathroom break.

"Aha, pardon me, this was an incorrect order on my part, please forgive the interruption." You bowed with an apology, disappearing in hopes the remainder of the party hadn’t the time to fully decipher the mistake.

Of course, unbeknownst to you, this was a table full of detectives who constantly observed even the most trivial of details.

"Was that... cereal?"

The night followed on as planned, yourself wrapped up in cooking and supervising throughout the night with the only interruption coming from the waiting staff informing you that Table 12 would like to meet the Chef. Such a gesture was commonplace for you, customers regarded as strangers being much less intimidating than your neighbours family - you couldn’t comprehend why, it’s not like you were dating him or anything but their auras just radiated strength.

"Good evening, I'm glad to hear you -" Arriving at the table, you weren’t given the chance to finish before Dick had stood to greet you with a warm smile gently brushing your upper arm once deciding against hugging you out of habit.

"Hey, (Y/n). You didn’t come over this morning, everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine Dick I just had to readjust a menu." You waved his worries off with a grateful nod, hands on your hips in accomplishment as you expected to resume natural conversation with him.

"Okay okay, compliments to you, the food was immaculate - but how do you know our brother?" A youthful male bearing a white streak through his hair cut in, genuine sincerity in his tone when offering his praise before incredulously gesturing to Dick.

"He's my neighbour."

"I - he's a what now?" Duke shook his head in disbelief, looking between you both rather unconvinced.

"Are you kidding me Grayson?!" Tim was next, the most exasperated out of the whole table as he pinched the bridge of his nose whilst Dick quizzically scanned each of his company for insight.

"What...?"

"You got cooking lessons from one of the top Chefs in the whole damn country, you're friends with her, and you didn't even know who she was?!" The slimly built youth exclaimed, apparently knowledgeable in regards to the culinary world and had read of your famous reputation.

“(Y/n) (L/n) owns this restaurant Dick. Also, thank for the other week, the recipe was lovely.” Bruce politely added, nodding to you with a smile.

“You didn’t say that, you only said you worked here.” Dick turned to you now, in a feeble attempt to justify his lack of acknowledgment to your renowned status.

“Well, I do. In my defence you never asked, I mean my apartment and kitchen are rather fancy - that didn’t come on minimum wage.” You replied a matter-of-factly with an air of confidence to your voice.

"Are we forgetting that this is also the chef who was going to serve Richard cereal?" At the remark from Duke, a heated flush adorned your skin due to the embarrassment of being caught - the whole table breaking into collective chuckles.

"You were? - Wow that's such a dick move!" Dick was openly laughing at your failed attempt at humour, lightly nudging your side as you pushed him away in playful defence.

"Shut up! I didn't realise you were with your family, or else I wouldn't have done it."

Jason immediately waved that claim off, cheekily smirking at you as he spoke. “Oh no, I'm so glad you did, honestly it's the main reason I like you right now."

“That and you spared us the horror of Graysons cooking.” Damian conviently inputted, conniving grin sent to his favourite brother.

“You’re welcome, ah I apologise but I should get back to work so please excuse me. It was a pleasure meeting you all.” Taking a calculating glance over the expanse of exquisite tables and order exchanges you thought it best to return to your duties with a gracious smile and started toward the kitchen.

“Can I drop by tonight, I won’t be able to afford any thank you gifts after this but I’ll bring you a coffee?” Dick cheerily inquired, causing you to spin on your heel with a shy laugh and confirmation of his proposal.

“Don’t worry, this is my treat. You guys don’t have to pay for anything so enjoy the rest of your evening.” With that you were once again swept up into the busy atmosphere beyond the kitchen doors.

The table remained quiet for a few moments, Dick sitting down and looking to them almost as if searching for their impressions of you only to be met with bemused, impressed and mischievous gazes.

Not for you, oh no - these were shamelessly directed at a now enamoured Dick Grayson.

“Please marry her.”