#like the past three years around this same time i have lost people important to me and lost core support systems over and over and over

[indigopoptart]

man i love the people im surrounded with. how did this happen. youre all so lovely😭

[foxy-eva]

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Summary: Spencer was the right person at the wrong time, no doubt about it. When you’re finally back in town, you’re ready for a fresh start. 

Request: Exes with Feelings, Having an Argument, Finding Comfort in Each Other's Arms

Pairing: Spencer Reid x GN!Reader

Category: Fluff, Comfort 

Content Warnings: mentions past break-up and fighting, a little misunderstanding, heavy kissing

Word count: 2.1k

Author’s Note: I wrote this for @imagining-in-the-margins New Beginnings Writing Challenge

Masterlist

Endless hours of late-night phone calls. More time spent on planes than inside each other’s arms. Weekends that were never quite long enough.  

“Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” Spencer said. 

He was nothing but supportive of your decision to take an internship on the other side of the country. There was no doubt that the two of you could make this work, you were soulmates after all. 

“So fond it sometimes starts hurting,” you added. 

Neither of you expected that what should have been a temporary arrangement could turn into something more permanent. But when you got offered a full-time position for your dream job, you had to make the most difficult decision of your life. 

“You could come with me, you know,” you told him after letting him in on your decision to take the job offer. He only shook his head. 

“Why is your job more important than mine?” You hissed, angry that he wasn’t even considering that option. When he didn’t answer, you added, “Why is your job more important than me?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Neither of you wanted to end this relationship but after that argument you knew it was inevitable. Spencer’s stubbornness stood in the way of him begging you to stay, even though you wished for nothing more than one of those cheesy airport scenes from the romcom movies you liked to watch together. 

He never showed up, though. 

It was hard to believe that all of that happened almost a year ago. The heartache never fully went away and it got worse now that you were back, walking the streets of a city you once called home. Your job made you happy for a while but after months of trying and failing to make new friends, you had to admit to yourself that you missed your old life. 

And more than anything, you missed Spencer. 

The city still felt familiar as you stepped closer to the apartment building you spent so many days and nights in. It was almost like no time had passed when you walked up the stairs to Spencer’s apartment. The hallway still carried the same scent of old wood and the steps still creaked underneath your feet. Before you had reached his door another memory flooded your mind. 

Turning your head, you looked down the hallway and remembered how Spencer spun you around right there in a little impromptu dance when you came home from one of Rossi’s infamous dinner parties. You were happy then - some might even call you naive - and so convinced that you’d spend the rest of your life with the man of your dreams. 

The more you got lost in reminiscing about times long gone, the more you could almost feel the warmth Spencer always radiated. Your skin started tingling where he used to press his palms against you, holding your close as if nothing could ever come between the two of you. 

You sighed as you let those memories go. There were so many uncertainties as you stepped closer to his door. You weren’t sure if he still lived here and you didn’t know if he had found someone else to keep close since you left. The rational part of your brain knew that you should have called him before showing up, that he might not even want to see you. 

But those past months you recognized that you were nothing but a fool when it came to love and romance. He didn’t show up at the airport for you but a part of you still believed he would take you back just like the people in those romcoms always did. 

Relief washed over you when you found his name still written on the door of apartment 23. 

Three knocks. No answer. 

You lingered for a few moments to listen for any movement behind his door but there was none. Spencer wasn’t home and your life really wasn’t some corny movie. 

As you walked away from his door you contemplated your options. Maybe you should send him a text or even write him a letter to let him know you’re back in town. 

Or maybe you should just let it go. 

Just when you reached the last step, a tall curly-haired man entered the building. You recognized him instantly, many moments before he even realized that you were there. He greeted the doorman before turning his head towards the staircase and spotting you. 

Spencer’s face was impossible to read and looked nothing like you imagined whenever you dreamed about running into him again. Where you hoped to find a bright smile, only a thin line was visible. He looked as if he wasn’t sure you were real, as if he couldn’t trust his own eyes. 

“Hi Spencer,” you broke the silence. 

“H..Hi,” he stammered as he stepped closer. “What are you doing here?” 

I’m trying to win you back. I came to tell you how much I miss you. I want to start over. I’m still in love with you. 

There were many things you could have answered but none of the obvious explanations made it past your lips. Instead you said, “I have a job interview.” 

Spencer was confused and raised his eyebrows. “In my building?”

“No, not here of course,” you awkwardly laughed. “I have a job interview here in DC tomorrow. And I thought I’d come by to say hi.” 

Spencer just stood there like a doe caught in the headlights. It still seemed like he had a hard time processing what was happening. 

Right when he wanted to open his mouth, a raven-haired woman entered the building behind him. She was almost as tall as him and absolutely gorgeous. 

“Hey, are you ready to leave?” She asked when Spencer turned around to look at her. 

“I’ll be there in a second,” he answered before finding your eyes again. “I’m sorry but now is not a good time. Can I call you later?” 

Of course he had found someone else. 

You were too late. 

“Don't worry about it!” You said and quickly walked away from the most awkward situation you had ever been in. 

When you were almost around the corner, you heard Spencer call out your name, followed by, “Please wait!” 

Turning around, you found him running towards you. He slowed down the closer he got, coming to a halt about an arm-length away from you. He looked back and you followed his sight, spotting the woman getting into a car. She didn't drive away, instead it seemed like she was waiting for him. 

It was as if you were struck by lightning when you suddenly felt Spencer's arms wrapping around you. A hug was the last thing you had expected in that moment. It took you a moment to reciprocate the gesture, your arms closing around his body as if no time had passed since you last got a chance to do that. 

Never before had an embrace felt so healing. Like two lost puzzle pieces finally finding their way back to each other. You instantly felt the warmth he radiated entering your body and flooding through you.  

For a few seconds it was nice to pretend that no time had passed but once you remembered her, reality came crashing down on you. You wanted him to be happy more than anything but you couldn't deny that you still wished it could be you who he’d find happiness with. 

You were the first to let go, slowly stepping back to find his eyes. “I’m glad you found someone. She seems lovely,” you said while attempting to smile. 

“What..? Oh you mean Tara?” He turned his head to look back at her car for a second. “She’s my new coworker. I’m actually on the job right now, it’s a local case. I was just stopping by the apartment to grab some books I needed.”

Oh. 

“I really gotta get back to Quantico now. Where are you staying?” 

You mentioned the name of the friend you were staying with and told him, “I’m sorry I came by unannounced. You usually have Sundays off so I thought I’d give it a try.”

Spencer smiled at you and said, “No, I’m glad you did. It might be late when I get back tonight but I would really like to talk more.”

“I’m still a night owl,” you snickered. “Just call me when you're on your way home.” 

Several hours passed until your phone finally rang. The call was short, just a simple agreement you’d meet him at his place in about thirty minutes. 

When you stood in front of his door this time, you almost didn't have the courage to knock. After taking a deep breath, you did it anyway. 

As if he had been waiting right at the other side of the door, he opened immediately and let you step inside. 

“I like the way you wear your hair now. It looks great,” he complimented you. 

You noticed that he looked different, too. His hair was longer but his curls still seemed unruly. Just like they used to when you still had the chance to let your fingers brush through them. 

You smiled at him. “You look good, too.” 

It seemed like time had stood still inside his apartment. A few more books were scattered around and it looked a little more messy than what you were used to, but all in all it was still very familiar. Muscle memory led you to the same spot on his couch you always liked to sit in. 

Spencer followed you, taking his seat beside you. It was hard to find the right words when you looked into his eyes. The color of his irises reminded you of wild honey, so warm and alluring you couldn't get enough of looking at them. 

Before you got too lost, Spencer decided to start the conversation. 

“So, you have a job interview tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, I do,” you confirmed. “I want to move back here. I miss DC.” 

I miss you, was what you really wanted to say. 

“What about your job in Seattle?” 

You just shrugged and mumbled, “I’m ready for something new, I guess. Seattle never felt like home.” After a moment of uncomfortable silence you added, “I never should have left.”

Spencer shook his head. “Eventually, you would have regretted not taking that chance. And you probably would have resented me for that.”

“I never thought I would be someone who chose career over love,” you confessed. 

“It’s not that simple,” he disagreed. “I was just too stubborn and hurt to see it back then. It took several months until I could understand that I was trying to hold you back from starting a promising career. That wasn’t fair. I could have easily transferred to the Seattle field office or maybe start teaching at a university there. At the time you didn't have the same opportunities here in DC.” 

His words surprised you. It was an admission you never thought you’d hear from him.

“You wanted to choose love and career by asking me to come with you,” he continued, his tone laced with pain. “I was the one who chose his career over love. And I really regret that.”

“Spencer,” you whispered as you moved closer to him. “I missed you so much.” 

He reached out his hand to touch yours. “I missed you, too.”

His touch let something snap inside you, suddenly you were not able to hold back any longer. Without a warning your lips found his, feverishly kissing him as if you could somehow make up for lost time. 

He didn't seem surprised about your display of affection. Instead he reciprocated the kiss with a similar amount of enthusiasm. It was not enough though, there was still too much space between you. 

It was obvious that Spencer felt the same way, his hands pressing against your body until you had found your way into his lap. Between heavy breaths and lips brushing against one another, you started to forget your surroundings. 

Your chest was pushed flush against his, your racing heart sensing its counterpart inside his ribcage and skipping several beats. 

“Please, Spencer,” you whimpered against his lips, unable to let everything in your mind spill from your mouth. 

I’m sorry for leaving you. Please give me another chance. I love you. 

There was no need for those words to be spoken. Spencer understood anyway. 

“I’m yours,” he cooed between more kisses. “I have always been yours.”

Please like, reblog and leave a comment! I need your lovely words to stay motivated to write more stories.

Taglist: @nomajdetective @reidsbookclub @gspenc @samuel-de-champagne-problems @matthew-gray-gubler-lover @malindacath @reidselle @alexxavicry @frickin-bats @spencersprettyslut @sebs-oxygen @happymangospot @cynbx @hotchandspencearedilfs @emiliaserpe @thenerdthatwrites @velvetthunder93 @saturnstringz @missabsey @guacam011y @hugyourlungs @reiderwriter @enamoradax @hales-17 @cham9ions @loaksulluyswife @ecneremili @xserenax-13 @grumpyy-bearr @luredwithpretzels @castiels-majestic-wings @super-nerd22 @pleasantwitchgarden @yeonalie @r-3dlips @evvy96 @torigorie @meyaareads

[clockwayswrites]

A Broken Sort of Normal Part 9

WC: 1431, Masterpost CW: blood, cannon typical violence, off screen civilian and first responder deaths, mentions of death

Danny and his Flash were both very busy people, there was no denying that. The good thing was that the worst of their busyness were the same events. Sure, they both had obligations outside of that. Danny had all of the other work with the outreach and now overseeing and even training other team members. Flash… well, Flash had whatever he did with the rest of his life. Danny assumed he worked, even if it was for the Justice League.

It was a little odd not knowing Flash past the mask. Danny understood, of course he did. A secret identity was important and, despite having been on several dates now, they still were getting to know each other. It wasn’t as if Danny didn’t know anything about his Flash. He knew Flash always comforted the kids first, was fiercely loyal, and couldn’t resist petting a dog. He knew Flash loved trying new foods, played video games with friends that Flash wished he saw more, and really did enjoy spoiling him. He knew a lot.

He just didn’t know Flash’s name or what family Flash had or if those freckles ran all the way across Flash’s nose.

Danny would be patient though, because he understood. It helped that he at least had Flash’s number. He didn’t know if it was a burner phone or an app or routed through a number of proxies; he hadn’t asked. The first thing Danny had done, in fact, was to send a Flash meme. It had gotten him shoved, but that had turned into a make out session on the couch, so Danny certainly wasn’t complaining.

And if Danny now kept a collection of gifs, memes, and other silly Flash things on hand to send? Well, who could blame him.

He rolled over to grab his phone from the coffee table and sent off another picture of a cat dressed up in Flash’s outfit. The amount of people dressing pets up as superheros was honestly shocking. He didn’t expect an answer right then, looking at the time, but he found it was… nice to be able to find things to send to Flash for him to find and respond to later. It made him feel connected to someone in a way that he hadn’t had in years.

Danny recognized, now, that he had been really hurting himself trying to stay so separate from everyone. One way or another, this is how things would be for the rest of his life. He couldn’t keep morning what had happened, what he had lost. Besides, he was just a civilian now, he wasn’t a danger to his friends and family anymore. So, along with Flash, Danny had started actually accepting the occasional invitation from some of his coworkers. He had even found a game store to go to and play at on the weekends.

It was harder than he thought, putting himself out there again, but his life was brighter for being around people outside of work every week or so. He had Flash to thank for that.

He also had Flash to thank for getting him addicted to the Percy Jackson books. He could personally do with less lightning, but the story had a real way of resonating with the halfa. Danny was three books in at this point and needed to know how it all finished up.

A few chapters further in a notification interrupted him.

Quick Boy: It’s not fair that a cat wears my uniform better than me!!

Danny laughed and tapped the message.

Danny: The cat is pretty cute. But I still think you wear it best. You have a better butt. 😏

The little dots wiggled as Flash typed. It was endlessly amusing to Danny that despite being, literally, super fast, Flash was slowed down by the physics of the world around him, like how fast a phone could accept input.

Quick Boy: 😳🫣🥵 Danny! Have you been checking out my butt?

Despite himself, Danny felt a blush heating up his cheeks. They hadn’t gotten any further than kissing, it didn’t feel right to go further when Danny didn’t know who Flash was, but that didn't mean Danny couldn't tease.

Danny: You run around in spandex, I can’t NOT check out your butt. Have to say, it’s a pretty good one. 10/10, would ogle again.

Quick Boy: How do you feel about ogling it in my most flattering sweatpants? Got a hold of that Japanese giant bug movie you were ranting about. I can grab food and be over to your place in about an hour?

Danny: Stop calling it that!!!You know the title! 😤

Quick Boy: I’m not typing out that title.

Danny grinned as he rolled off of the couch. If Flash was coming over, he should at least pick up a little. Danny knew Flash didn’t really care, but the pile of laundry that Danny had been avoiding folding was a bit much.

Danny: Thought you were supposed to be fast.

Quick Boy: 😒

Danny: Come on, quick boy, take the nanosecond and type it.

Quick Boy: I hate you.

Danny: No you don't~

(Danny sung along as he typed.)

Quick Boy: “Help I’ve Been Made a Holy Knight in a World of Giant Bugs and Need to Save the Prince”

Danny: Knew you could do it! Proud of you. 😘 See you in an hour! Bring Thai and ice cream!

Danny was just putting away the folded stack of laundry when an alarm on his phone screamed at him.

It was work.

Emergency alert.

All hands on deck.

Danny dashed for his door, shoving his feet in his work boots and grabbing the backup vest he kept at home. Someone would drive the trucks full of kits there, but Danny still took his little kit with him, just in case he ran into any wounded on the way.

So much for dinner and cuddling his boyfriend.

As soon as he stepped out onto the street, Danny could hear the sound of sirens and the acrid smell of smoke stung his eyes. Danny’s heart sank.

Whatever this was, it was big.

-

“Danny.”

Danny flexed his hands. Flakes of dried blood broke off and scattered in the wind.

“Danny, babe.”

He would need more gloves for his kit. Was he out? He had to be out. He changed gloves so many times. There were so many people. He had to be out of gloves. He would need more for his kit.

Other hands entered his vision, covered in bright red. Not blood red, bright red. Blood red was mostly darker than people thought. Bright blood was worse. He watched as the hands gently rolled down the gloves.

He needed more gloves.

“Not for today, babe. You’re done for today.”

He needed more gloves, there were so many people.

“Everyone is accounted for. You and the others got everyone.”

Not everyone.

How many people died under his hands today?

Were already dead when he found them?

Wouldn’t last the night?

How many people did he fail?

Too many.

“Danny.” The voice was worried now. “Come on babe, look at me, please?”

Blood had gotten under his gloves, staining his wrists.

“Babe, please.”

Warm, fabric covered hands rested on Danny’s cheeks, tilting his gaze up and away from his hands.

Oh. “Flash?”

“Hey there, babe, you with me?”

Why did he look so worried?

“Because you’re scaring me a little. I think you’re in shock.”

Oh.

“Do you have a shock blanket in your kit still?”

“No… used them all. Had to cover…”

How many people did he fail?

“Okay, that’s okay. I’m going to take you home, okay babe? Well, not my home, but where I used to live— right, that doesn’t matter now. We’re going to go and I’ll keep you safe.”

Danny motioned to a cluster of officials. “I have to—”

“I’ve already checked you out.”

“My team?”

Flash glanced down and away.

“Flash, my team?”

“They’re…. all accounted for. Larson…. He got caught in part of the building coming down. He didn’t make it. Patel was paired with him. She’s at the hospital, they think she’ll pull through.”

Danny tried to say something, but the words caught in his throat. He wanted to scream, to rage, to wail— it all caught up in his throat because he couldn’t. He let out a soundless sob.

Flash pulled Danny into his arms, holding him close. “I know. I know. I’m taking you home. You’ll be okay Danny. It will be okay.”

The colors of the world blurred together as Flash ran, but Danny hardly noticed.

-----

AN: So this has been 95% written since before I got sick, but just now was the first time I could get my brain to deal with it. A darker part of the story, I know, but it felt needed. Danny's doing a very, very hard job and one made all the worse because Danny used to be able to do more and now he can't. (Though I have no doubt he pushed use of his powers further than was really safe in this.)

Stay safe and delightful, my darlings!

I no longer tag people for several reasons, you can subscribe to the masterpost instead to be notified! (May notify this part slightly later, I am queuing it.)

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for being condescending towards an asexual kid in GSA?

🙃🏳️‍🌈 to find later

Long post so buckle up.

I (17, they/it/he) am one of three co-leaders of my school’s GSA, along with R (18, she/her) and N (17, he/him). All three of us are openly bi, and I’m also openly trans and (most importantly) very loudly aromantic. We’re all in 12th grade now but we were leaders last year (in 11th grade) too. The school/GSA is small enough that all four grades (9–12, so around 13–18 years old) are in the same GSA, there’s no separate upper grade and lower grade groups. We also have two advisors, both cis queer teachers; and some younger queer faculty members also join sometimes for formal events. We take turns running events during club time, such as fun crafts or watching music videos. Sometimes we also do educational stuff or documentaries, including having teachers come in to facilitate discussions.

I’ve been planning (since early December) to run a two part series of discussions about asexuality and aromanticism (separate discussions of each). I really just wanted to do one day about aromanticism, but R said that if I did that, people would derail it and just talk about asexuality anyways, which both N and our advisors also agreed made sense. So, it’s two days, and the asexuality one is first so that the aromanticism one can be closer to Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week (ASAW).

There’s a girl in GSA, let’s call her A (16, she/her), who’s in 11th grade. She’s very socially awkward and if someone points out that she’s accidentally said something rude or offensive she’ll make a big deal out of not knowing and generally derail the conversation. Also, two years ago A made a ton of “jokes” about me and my little sibling (16MtF) being “secretly dating.” When I asked her (politely at first) to stop, she said she was just joking around, and kept doing it. I asked her again and also asked the theatre teacher and school counselor for help, and eventually she did stop. But A kept following me around and trying to be friends with me, and I was super uncomfortable to the point that I asked the school counselor to facilitate a conversation between A and I so that I could ask her to fucking stop. It somewhat worked. Now she still keeps trying to start conversations with me in the hallways and such, but I just brush her off or ignore her.

The one place I can’t do that is during GSA. Since I’m a leader, I have to be civil to everyone and actually talk to people (R, N, and I set norms at the start of the year during our planning meetings). A is asexual but not aromantic, and today she showed up like 5 minutes into lunch (cafeteria lines are annoying) and loudly asked if she was late. We weren’t doing anything in GSA today, just chilling. At some point during the meeting I announced casually that next week we’d be discussing asexuality, and then the week after that we’d talk about aromanticism, which leads nicely into ASAW during February break. When I said this, A immediately said that she would be extra ace that week [during ASAW]. I was like, “during aromantic spectrum awareness week?!?!” in the same tone of that “during pride month?!?!” meme. She looked like someone had just given her an F on the most important test of the year and said she hadn’t known.

I also made a comment about how there’s way more openly aspec people at our school than at most schools, and N said that maybe the presence of role models is part of that (clear subtext: he was referring to me). I said pretty loudly (more people could hear) that it was kinda funny that I’m the “ace role model” when I’m literally not asexual. A looked super lost and confused at this, and I think she might’ve thought I was ace, even though I’m super open about not being ace, and have told her directly more than once.

Here’s where the potential assholery comes into play. There’s an ad for PrEP that was fairly common on the back covers of theatre playbills in the past year. The ad shows a Black man dressed in ripped leggings with fishnets, shiny knee-length heeled leather boots, and some sort of white leather harness, doing a bridge pose with one leg extended upwards so that the “r” in PrEP is resting on the sole of the boot. The ad has a bright red background and text that says “you cast of PrEP options is changing” along with a small QR code and website link. The pose is somewhat provocative, but not out of place on a playbill for an all-ages show.

During GSA, A was saying that she thought the ad was bad, because of the leather being “fetish gear” and “weird” (basically the same arguments people use to say that gay people shouldn’t be allowed in public). I told A that there’s nothing wrong with someone wearing leather, and she said that “it’s fetish gear and that’s disgusting and degenerate and just bad advertising!”

I explained calmly, like I would to a child (although I probably wouldn’t talk about this topic with a child), that PrEP is a medicine that people take if they anticipate having sex with someone who’s HIV-positive, so it’s okay that the ad is somewhat suggestive. She seemed to accept that, but still said that the leather was weird, and the ad should’ve shown “a diverse group of people getting pills at a pharmacy” instead, because “fetish gear” was too much.

I asked if she thought that all leather clothing was inherently fetishistic, to which A said yes, and then I asked, “do you know that people can’t just choose fetishes?”

She hadn’t known that, but she still said the ad was too sexual. I pointed out that it was a fairly well-targeted advertisement, using theatre references, but maybe A was not part of the target demographic. I also said that sometimes outfits are just hot without there needing to be any fetishes involved, which she didn’t refute, and that even if it was a fetish, that wouldn’t make it inherently “bad” or “degenerate” at all.

A said that she still didn’t like it, and I told her that she was entitled to have whatever feelings she wanted to have, but that doesn’t mean the advertisement itself is a problem.

Another person (17, he/him) called out “[OP], what do you think about kink at pride?” in a sort of nonchalant way, so I walked over while saying “i’m pro–kink at pride.” The conversation eventually moved in other directions, and then club ended and we had to go to our next classes.

TL;DR: given my position of power and responsibility as a GSA leader, AITA for being kinda condescending towards an ace person who’s 2 years younger than me because she was being very sex-negative about an ad for PrEP?

What are these acronyms?

[outsideratheart]

I’ll be in the stands (Stina Blackstenius x reader)

A/N: This is set in the same universe as Very Important Person. Based off this request. I’m not sure how I feel about this one but I hope you all like it.

Wimbledon. It was the most iconic two weeks of the year. After Australia you had been playing the best tennis of your career so it made sense that you were one of the favourites going into the tournament. 

“Stina, I’m leaving” you shout up to your girlfriend. 

After supporting you in Paris, Stina invited you to join her on a friends trip then she travelled to London to support you before going to New Zealand for the World Cup. She had attended Roland Garros with your parents who unfortunately couldn’t make it to London which left two spare tickets. You gave them to your girlfriend who chose to bring Frido and Magda. 

“Good luck. I’ll see you on centre court” she shouted back down, no doubt still picking out what to wear. 

The Swedish Women had really enjoyed embracing the fashion at Wimbledon and spent most mornings working out who is going to wear what. Today would be their last game before leaving for camp in New Zealand. You had your fourth round game to play and then if you win you would be playing your quarter game whilst they were in the air. 

Dressed in white you walked onto the legendary centre court ready to fight for a spot in the next round. You had done your research on your opponent and knew how she would play and more importantly how to beat her. It’s why it comes as no surprise that you win the first set 6-2 and the second set 6-3.

As you thank the crowd your look lingers on the row that hold the three blondes with one of them capturing your attention more than the other two. You bring the S pendant on your necklace to your lips. After she gave you it for Valentine’s Day you never took it off and would kiss it after every match you played.

“Do you think she will win?” Frido asks.

“I do”

Stina had more faith in you that you did in yourself and whilst you loved her for it, it also added to the pressure because you didn’t want to let her down. The mental strength needed to be a tennis player was hard to explain to people outside the sport. Stina had watched you lose matches, not because your opponent out played you, because you lost your head a gave point after point away. 

The next morning the atmosphere in the house was full of sorrow. The girls were leaving and you wouldn’t see Stina for almost a month. It wasn’t the first time you’d be spending weeks apart but you had gotten used to her company over the past couple of weeks and hated the thought of being away from her.

“Don’t go” you whisper.

You and Stina stood on the doorstep, your arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

“Hjärtat I have to go”

Truth is you weren’t asking her to stay but you do wish her flight could be delayed a day or two.

“I love you, I have faith in you and I love you”

“You already said that” 

“Because I meant it. Good luck for your match, I’ll be watching on the plane”

You found little solace in knowing that Stina would still be supporting you from thousands of miles in the air. As her car drove away you felt emptier than you did just ten minutes ago but you knew that it was time for her to go, she too had a tournament to win.

Stina was a nervous wreck watching your match on the plane. You had won the first set on tie-break and she could tell that you wasn’t happy with your performance. The way you looked over to your box with a lost look on your face told everyone that you didn’t understand why the set went on this long. The second set was long but also ended in tie-break but this time you had lost. You sat in your area with a towel over your head as you tried desperately to gather your emotions. The fans at Wimbledon were known for cheering on the underdog and with you currently being number 2 and your opponent unseeded the entire arena was cheering her on instead of you.

You lost the final set 6-4. 

“She’s going to be ok right?” Frido wound down the window dividing her and Stina’s booth.

“I don’t know” Stina was already sending you a reassuring text “I hope so”

You felt like you let everyone down. Stina’s message brought a momentary smile to your face but then you remember the reason why she sent it and the smile was replaced with a frown.

The Swedish national team had landed in New Zealand 26 hours after your match ended and Stina’s phone remained glued in her hand but she still hadn’t heard anything from you. She tried calling for the 5th time but like every time before that she was met with your voicemail.

“Is she still not picking up?” Magda asked. 

“She does this sometimes. After a big loss she goes dark but she always texts me before doing so to let me know she’s alright”

At first she wasn’t worried but then her phone went off. She rushed to answer it not bothering to look at the caller ID. She assumed it would be you so imagine her surprise when you manager’s voice comes through the phone. She told Stina that you asked her to cancel all media for the next week and since then she couldn’t get a hold of you and she didn’t know where you were.

The team were given the next two days off in hopes that they could get over their jet lag before training starts. Most of the girls had organised to meet up and explore the city but Stina declined their invite.

She was watching Notting Hill on her iPad remembering how you took her there your first day in London before the tournament started. Her favourite scene had just started when heard a knock at the door.

There you stood with some flowers and half a smile on your face. She was just about to talk when you heard the movie playing in the background.

“The fame thing isn’t really real, you know?” And don’t forget i’m also just a girl standing in front of a girl asking her to love me”

You knew the entire movie word for word. It was your comfort film and since meeting you, it had become Stina’s too. Once your finished she flung her arms around you.

“Careful Älskling, someone might think you’ve missed me” 

She was happy to see you joking around but you had her worried sick since the end of the match and now here you are in New Zealand acting as if nothing had happened.

“Where have you been? We have all been really worried about you”

“I’m sorry I didn’t text. I knew I had let you down and I wasn’t ready to face you yet” 

Your joking expression vanished and the look of guilt took its place. 

Stina walked back into her room and laid on the bed.

“Come here” she held her arms open wide.

You laid between her legs with your head resting on her chest. She began tracing patterns on your back and for the first time in days your thoughts became quiet and your mind was calm.

“You could never let me down Y/N. I have learnt that Tennis can be a cruel sport and this week it chose you as one of its victims”

“Hmmm”

“Shall I put this back to the beginning?” She asks referring to the film even though she knew you wouldn’t see much of it. You were bound to be both physically and mentally exhausted. 

The blonde felt your heart beat even out just as Hugh Grant spills coffee over Julia Roberts. When she looks down your eyes are closed. She couldn’t believe you were here with her in New Zealand. She wasn’t sure how long you would be staying for so she chose to savour the moment playing out in front of her. 

A couple of hours pass and whilst Stina’s whole body was starting to go numb, you looked too peaceful to wake so she put on another film secretly hoping that you would wake up soon because she was starting to get hungry. Just as she was strolling through nearby restaurants the door swings open.

“Stina, Y/N’s here” Frido tells her but stops talking when she sees you fast asleep in her team mates arms or so that what she thought.

“We were at this coffee shop down the road and two girls were talking about how they had just met her” Zecira says not noticing you as she goes into the bathroom.

“Shhhh. She’s asleep” Stina scolds her team mates.

“No she’s not” you slowly sat up but not before placing a gentle kiss to your girlfriends lips.

You saw 4 Swedish woman looking at you and the awkward tension could be cut with a knife. All of them had watched the game and then saw the way Stina had been worried about you.

“Sorry you lost” Fillipa says earning a slap from Magda.

“Thanks but at least now I get to watch you girls play for the next month”

“You’re staying for the whole thing? You’re not going to play?” She was both happy that you were staying but also worried about you taking such a long break away from Tennis.

“I am. As for tennis, I think I need to take some time off but I can practice here when I’m ready because the courts are similar to New York”

Stina couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The two of you just looked at each other, waiting for the other to speak. 

“So you Y/N Y/L/N are going to be a WAG?” 

“Yes, Stina Blackstenius I am going to be a WAG. I will wear my highlighter shirt to every game and cheer you on”

[the-wip-project]

SloMo WriNo: The Writing Habit

You’re going to get tired of hearing me say this, but when it comes to finishing your writing (or getting pretty much any long term project accomplished) habit is everything.

A solid writing habit will get you through those days when writing feels boring, when you’re tired, uninspired, lost. Habit is the magic that makes the writing train go— more often than most people want to admit.

That said, establishing a new habit can be fiendishly difficult— especially if you have a neurodivergent brain. (This is coming from personal experience, as someone who took literal years to establish the habit of brushing my teeth before bed. (I still frequently have agonies about washing my face at the same time.))

So. How to establish a solid writing habit?

Step one is finding the time.

Your writing does not require large blocks of time. You can write productively in as little as fifteen minutes a day (yes, really!) but the only way that gets accomplished is by making it fast and simple to get into your writing headspace.

How though?

By making it a routine at a similar time and place each day, by creating rituals that cue you that it’s writing time, or by attaching your writing to another established habit. Ideally your writing habit will combine all three.

Yes, flexibility is important, because every routine has variations in it, so being able to write even when you don’t have everything just right is important. But if in the past you’ve struggled to keep writing as a consistent part of your life, then creating a routine is the best first step to creating a habit.

Connecting your writing to another, enjoyable habit is good first step. Writing while you take your morning coffee break, or during your headphones on commute time, or along side your lunchtime treat might be all you need to create a positive association. You want writing time to be something you look forward to, not dread.

By keeping the session short (Somehow setting a timer for a number less than thirty makes even the most scary tasks feel approachable for me.) and adding something pleasant and relaxing to the mix you can start to build that positivity. I think this is why so many writers like to write with a cup of tea, or in coffee shops. Adding a delicious beverage habit cues your mind that this is writing time, and what’s more, that writing is a pleasant time taken just for one’s self.

It also makes a huge difference to write at a time when your brain feels good.

I have tried writing later in the evening, and every moment feels like work. My brain is tired, and all I want to do is relax, not think. It feels like I’ve already used up all my energy and motivation.

Instead I like to wake early to write. This might sound like torture for all you night owls, but for me, (and plenty of other people) writing has become a keystone to healthy morning habits. Knowing that I’m going to wake by 5am in order to write is an incentive for me to be in bed by 9:30, (instead of staying up late to doom scroll, eat junk food and make other poor decisions) which helps me wake up with the right level of brain activity to write, which then makes me energetic enough to head out on my morning run directly after writing. Which means all the ideas from my writing session float around in my head in a pleasant soup, distracting me from the monotony of feet hitting ground. It’s a string of positive associations that keeps me happy and healthy.

For you the opposite might be true. Perhaps you find yourself in a peaceful writerly head space after the rest of your household is asleep, or while taking a break at work or school. The key is to find a time and/or place that’s low friction, when the obstacles to writing are less, when getting to your keyboard (or notebook if you’re old-school) feels less like work and maybe even like a reward, and then build out other positive associations around it.

If you’re used to viewing writing as something painful and difficult this might seem alien to you. So let me just add this: your words are not worth more because you were miserable when writing them. It’s not only okay to enjoy your writing time, it’s preferable. Sure you’ll connect a bit less to the writing is misery memes, but it’s worth it, I promise!

So, here is your assignment for the week: Take a look at your schedule and figure out what times might be convenient for regularly scheduled writing. And then try them out and see if you can find a time and place where writing feels good. You might have to move some other activities around to find that sweet spot, (like me, moving my bed time to allow morning writing time) and expect some stalls, some fails and lack of consistency. It’s not going to feel good all the time immediately, and you will need to will power your way through at times. But overall, once you can start forming that positive habit, the writing will become far easier to get to. And much more enjoyable when you do.

—Maree

Subscribe to my substack to make sure you don't miss a post, chat with me on the WIP Project discord, and tag any posts you make about the challenge with #slomowrino if you want me to see them!

[vicsbasement]

From what we’ve seen so far it almost looks like Carlos has been trying to make it easier for Charles? Take the chili plushie clip, Carlos is clearly teary eyed but he still tries to make Charles laugh. He is the one who’s hurting but he puts his own hurt aside because he notices that Charles is sad too and he has to make him laugh, because if there’s something else I’ve noticed in the past years is that Carlos loves seeing Charles happy

Anon! Firstly, are you the same anon from the other day? Let me kiss your brain, because I love talking about these boys so so so much and for some reason people really enjoyed the conversation we had. Anyway!!!! Let's talk about this for a second. Carlos is definitely having a hard time. If we're going blindly on the timeline, we have to assume Carlos knows about his exit from Ferrari ever since before the Dakar finale, (this is just especulation, though, because we don't know for certain) and he sort of, kind of, blew off Ferrari and the Maranello trials to go celebrate with his dad. Pretty sure he wouldn't have done this if he didn't have enough leverage on Ferrari because the trials at Maranello are SUPER important, but first, his dad just won Dakar at his age, and then he's like: well, I mean, I'm getting kicked out of the team anyway and I won't be active during the development of the next car, so, whatever, let's just do this,-- and he went and did it. That's my idea. He needed to be with his father because they all knew. I'm pretty sure they even knew during the training camp at Madrid / Portugal because he's surrounded by friends and already doing the absolute most to get in an amazing shape because he needs to be his best version this year. But-- then when he meets up with Charles again, Charles even feels blindsided. Because like I said previously, Lewis is Lewis. And he comes with sponsors and 7 world titles and his experience and all of a sudden Charles isn't really Ferrari's most important figure inside the team. So they're both trying to soothe each other. Because for the first time ever, Charles doesn't feel like the golden boy, he probably even feels like Ferrari did him dirty (that's what I would've thought, anyway) because who pays two or three times your salary to your second driver? Not any team, that's for certain. Carlos was stability for Charles and it's like his world was thrown off its axis. They were equals, similar in status, genuinely a good team. Charles feels bad and Carlos sees it, because he's lost his teammate, they were supposed to beat Ferrari's record of the teammates that lasted longer and now, well.

And Carlos knows this, and sees Charles handling it just as bad as himself and goes: well. If I don't have to think about this, and make him laugh, then neither of us need to focus on this, right? And the first challenge rolls around and he's tired but Charles is doing his best so why not sing until Charles' annoyed so he doesn't have to see how bone-tired Carlos is? He's sort of protecting Charles' heart by protecting his own. And then there's the little chili and I can simply see Carlos' thought process: this is the last first race of the year with Ferrari, and someone gifted him a chili. And he's chili and he's smooth operator and he's supposed to be fine, but his throat closes up and his eyes fill with tears and he doesn't want Charles to see him like this but it's so much. So he tries to laugh it off. And when he sees that Charles is also thinking the same thing he says, well. At least we're in this together. So he makes Charles laugh by saying he was a chili, too. We don't know what he means, but Charles is so fond and so filled with nostalgia that he laughs, anyway, even though his throat is dry and his eyes are filled with tears. And he gets to keep the chili plushie after Carlos reminded him they're supposed to part ways.

Remember Monza 2022? When Carlos completely ignored the woman who was guiding him to the back of the track so he could follow protocol? And he broke protocol to ask Charles if he was okay? Yeah, that's Carlos, to me. And I no longer feel like he's the only one capable of doing that for Charles, I really have seen Charles fight british and italian press and tell them to respect Carlos' last year in Ferrari, and I see Charles perfectly capable to soothe Carlos as much as Carlos has tried to soothe him. Because he's mourning in front of all of us, basically. And Carlos did go to Jeddah not only to help Ollie, but for Charles' sake, too. Did you see the smile Charles had on his face when they asked him about Carlos and he said that he'd called Senior and he'd told him that it was all okay and that he might've been going to the track later that day? He's doing that in front of all of us, showing us how much Carlos means to him. This is the best and worst time for Charlos fans right now and we have to deal with these two behaving like that for the rest of the year. I don't know how we're going to cope. Again, thank you for sending me these, because I just love to type until I don't make any sense.

[animusxy]

Aemond Targaryen x Blind! Reader Pt.4.5

Summary: You and Aemond getting protective of one another when others in the Red Keep make snide remarks about the other.

Requested: I thought this was a great idea that was brought to my attention by @ateliefloresdaprimavera. I love this idea so much so thank you for coming up with it!

Warnings: None

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 3.5 / Part 4 / Part 4.5 / Part 5

So, this is how the reader reacts to someone insulting Aemond (and Helaena) behind his back while your around.

Throughout your stay in King's Landing, you were known to be an extremely pleasant person to be around.

Despite the cruel things people whispered about you, this was mostly gossip from the Ladies of the court who were jealous of your relationship with the second son of the king.

Your friendships with Helaena and Aemond were the highlights of your life at this point.

So naturally anyone who insults them, insults you by association.

It was no secret that people, mostly servants, whispered insults about the two of them.

It made no sense to you as Helaena was always polite and thankful to them for their service.

For Aemond it was more understandable, he'd built himself quite the reputation over the years, but he was still polite to workers, and women.

Often preferring to doing things by himself, he meant this so that the servants did not need to spend time on him so that they could focus on more important things. Like spending time with their families. You knew just how much Aemond despised absent parents.

However, the servants always took this as him not trusting them enough to handle his tasks. Well, you could see why in hindsight. Aemon was always very blunt when talking to people and it could often come across and uncaring and rude but it did depend on who he was talking about.

Typically, if one couldn't tell how he thought of you. Then it was neutral, he held no like or dislike to you.

If he didn't like you, you would know just from the way he looked at you.

Still, the callous words that people often sprouted towards them infuriated you to no end.

Apparently, Helaena's prophetic mumblings and Aemond's lost eye was too much of a challenge to look past.

So, you too, made a name for yourself.

A gentle, kind and caring person but if someone disrespected one of your friends one would very quickly find them repenting.

Even Aegon was not spared from your words when he spoke of his siblings disparagingly.

The first instance was about Helaena.

Some of her hand maidens, three you'd guess, were just leaving her room and while you couldn't see them you could hear their headache inducing laughter.

According to the loudest, they had just killed one of her most exotic creatures to see how she'd react to the news.

She didn't even get to finish her sentence before you were hounding them.

'Excuse me?!' The hour was early so you did not wish to wake anyone in the vicinity.

Thankfully Helaena had been requested by her mother earlier than usual so you could at least teach some insolent brats a lesson before having to break the news to the princess.

Oh, poor Helaena would be so heartbroken.

With that thought in mind you proceeded to quietly argue with each of them.

Now, a bad thing about being fully blind is that when you were in an argument with someone. There were times where they'd just quietly walk away from you because, well, it's not like you could see them.

But you were raised with parents and siblings who did exactly that, you could just tell when someone was about to try.

So, when the closest maid attempted to quietly step past you to escape your aggressive words you gave them a firm hit on the shin with your staff that Aemond had gifted you.

You were rewarded with a sharp gasp of pain, and they didn't dare try it again.

That staff was dangerous Aemond made sure of that.

Gods you laughed when Aemond told you to use it as a weapon if you wanted to but now you thanked him for it.

When you were done you gave them all a light tap on the head with that same staff as they watched in silent awe as they were patronised by a blind person.

(As many had often said your gentle nature came from the fact you were 'unable to defend yourself').

Then you had stormed off to the Queens Quarters where Queen Alicent and Helaena were conversing.

Queen Alicent had thought of Helaena's obsession with bugs as being unsightly or random when she was younger, often trying to ween her off of them.

As Helaena grew, her dreams grew with her and Alicent came to realise that it was not an obsession at all but rather something to release the strain of the horrible things she had seen.

She also came to realise that you too, played a similar role.

By talking about her dreams with you, something she only did with Aemond and sometimes Alicent herself.

She was able to further release the strain on her mind and relax more in her own skin as she knew that you would always take what she said in consideration and would try to figure out what she meant by certain sayings.

To hear that someone, or people, had harmed one of the few things that allowed Helaena to help live a regular life was enraging.

Alicent had pulled you aside to get the full story and the names of the handmaidens before the two of you approached Helaena to break the news to her.

The princess was reduced to tears and clung to her mother and her best friend as she mourned.

Helaena had a bond with those little critters that you couldn't fathom.

You weren't a big fan of them yourself, well only really the ones with many, many legs but you were willing to put that aside as you offered if she would like you to attend as she picked out new creatures to add to her collections.

Aemond also joined the two of you after you informed him of what had happened.

Adding in his own ideas of which ones Helaena should invest in, even offering to fly on Vhagar to get some exotic ones from Essos.

Helaena had brought the two of you into one large hug to thank you for your consideration.

Despite her innocence, she knew that not everyone would tolerate going on a trip for the day to bring back to the Red Keep.

The second instance was about Aemond.

And as always, his eye.

You were aware that people often talked about it, but it wasn't usually in a purely derogatory way like this time.

The lords had been speaking about how while Aemond may be good at sword-fighting, he would never be able to wed a woman.

That he was much too hideous for that.

Now, usually when it came to Aemond you would back away and do nothing.

Aemond would often tell you that you shouldn't put yourself in a situation where you could be put in danger.

He specifically meant men.

He would say that it doesn't bother him so you shouldn't worry about it but he was your best friend.

You knew when he was lying to you.

You knew that it sometimes kept him awake at night or bothered him when he was walking around King's Landing.

After all, why would he wear an eyepatch if it did not bother him in the slightest?

So, against his wishes you spoke up to the lords.

Stating that their children would be incredibly lucky to be wed to such a wonderful person like Aemond.

At first, you tried to be respectful but as they disregarded your words and tried to convince you that no one would wed him now you only got angrier.

And it showed.

The words you spat were unladylike and venomous, but you did not regret them in the slightest.

Later Alicent would give you her gratitude for defending her son so vehemently

Aemond would ask once again that you do not put yourself in a place where others may find reason to harm you.

However, he would be grateful nevertheless and gift you with something the very next day.

A new dress that he would describe to you with emotions or jewellery which he would explain the importance of the gemstone.

Let's be honest though. The jewellery and clothes probably matched his own somehow and he would have no shame in admitting that.

Tag List:

@daddysfavoritesexkitten @ateliefloresdaprimaveraera @tachibubuu @discowizard88 @claudiajacobs @ephemeralninon @microwaved-timmies @sagittariuswritings @are-y0u-sirius @icarusignite @grippleback-galaxy @random-human02 @liathelioness @mingiholic @poohkie90 @tea-effect @bb-swift @psychomanias @farmerpinkpie @mikariell95 @schniiipsel @the-fire-lady @sarah-l-whiteman @vainillasmil157 @landlockedmermaid77 @betterdaysobsessing @alexayoonlee @meilikki @elizabeth-or-lily @peaches-and-sunshine @kittykylax @thegreat-annamaria

Okay a kind of a smaller one in comparison but I'm writing part 5 write after this. Not sure if it will be done tonight though. If you have any scenarios you'd like to see. Just comment them, message me or send me an ask. I really don't mind how I receive them.

[respectthepetty]

Projecting much, Zo?

*I got limited time, so this will be chaotic!*

TLWR: In episode four of Hidden Agenda, Zo continues to assume everyone else is uncomfortable about, well, everything, and it's because he is projecting his unease outward instead of reflecting on why he is rattled, while Joke continues to subtly apologize for causing Zo's tension.

In the previous episode, Joke and his perfectly manicured hand crossed a line with Zo.

And Joke knows that Zo is unsettled by Zo's touches because he shows up outside of Zo's apartment at night and asks Zo if he is okay.

Zo tells Joke he is fine, but Joke continues to check-in with Zo throughout their trip

And apologizes for even the slightest inconveniences.

Yet just like before, Zo continues to state everything is fine and dandy with him.

Because Zo is projecting. Nothing is wrong with him because according to him, everyone else is the one with the problem.

However, Joke knows what Zo is doing and throws the question back to Zo but 1) it's interesting that we do not see Zo in the shot since he is hiding he feelings, and 2) Zo immediately volleys the problem back onto Joke by stating that the room is small, has no air conditioning, and Joke will not sleep well.

Later, even though Joke stated he is fine with the accommodations, Zo tries again to tell Joke that this trip is not up to Joke's standards.

And just like before, Joke directly makes this about Zo.

So when Jeng shows up, Zo attempts again to make Joke see how much more comfortable Joke would be if he weren't with Zo.

The entire episode is the boys talking around the issue, but unlike Joke who tries to approach the actual issue in various ways, Zo is making the issue about him without acknowledging it. To him, the room isn't good enough for Joke to be comfortable. To him, the trip is too taxing for Joke to handle. To him, staying in a room together would be awkward for Joke. But what this is really about is Zo. He doesn't feel good enough for Joke, while simultaneously not wanting to believe that people can be okay with something different.

Because everyone is willing to try something different, but Zo.

Joke has been gently pushing Zo to try different food, different drinks, different experiences, different clothing, and most importantly, different ways of thinking. Zo has had the same crush for three years. Zo has had the same profile picture for the past three years. Zo comes to the same place each year and stays in the same home. Zo doesn't like change.

This may stem from his parents, who he briefly mentioned being the reason he returns each year to this place, but change makes Zo feel uncomfortable; therefore, he believes if he diverts from the (hetero) norm, he will make others uncomfortable.

Joke casually mentions that people in his department gossip about him (about what, sir?), but he ignores them. Zo tells Joke that Joke needs to care about what people are saying.

I've written that Zo and Joke will balance each other out and that each will learn an important aspect from the other, but since this entire episode is about Zo projecting, Zo is really telling Joke he needs to care about . . . his queerness? He needs to be more reserved about his attraction? He needs to think about how others may be uncomfortable with his gayness? Zo, on some level, knows about Joke, mostly if people are gossiping.

Joke tried a different style of clothing to bond with Zo. Joke walked onto the class flooring to be with Zo even though he is afraid of heights. Joke is fine on this trip because he is with Zo. Joke is willing to try new things because of Zo, but Zo wants to maintain the status quo, no matter what.

Zo and Joke were shown against Pok and Jeng. Pok wants his relationship to be public, but Jeng doesn't feel safe to be out. The lost wallet is about their relationship because Pok is ready to give up, while Jeng needs Pok to have faith and keep trying.

And this is the same for Zo and Joke. Because Zo is projecting, he thinks everyone is just as uncomfortable as him. Because Zo is in his own head, he thinks everyone feels like him. All the boys are in the same boat. Pok and Zo can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, even though they are dressed in lighter colors, while Jeng and Joke, dressed in dark colors, see the light, and the light is their love, standing next to them dressed in lighter colors.

Joke and Zo have a conversation about finding the warmth inside of you instead of looking for it in others, and even though Jeng and Joke see the light radiating from their loves, the hope it gives them comes from within them. Pok is losing hope, but Jeng has faith that they can get through this. Joke warns Jeng that he needs to communicate with Pok, so they can both trust their love and relationship.

And because of Joke, Zo starts to see that he is projecting. No one is at fault for him missing the sunset. No one is to blame for Pok not telling Zo about his relationship with Jeng. No one is uncomfortable with Zo.

Instead of trying to find reasons like he did before why everyone else has a problem, Zo looks inward and realizes what the real problem is. Zo is changing, and saying he is okay with that change all the time is causing him more issues. Zo is uncomfortable with himself, but refuses to acknowledge why.

Change is difficult for Zo, especially when that change is making him question everything about himself. Zo has big plans, and now they are all dissolving right in front of him.

And it's all because of this guy, according to Zo.

So even though Zo puts on black and tries to follow Joke's guidance of just going with flow. He can't.

Joke knows this is difficult, which is why he shows up next week with Zo's drink of choice.

But the reason it is hard is because Zo has to stop projecting. This isn't about the feelings Joke stirs up in Zo. This isn't about the the way Joke makes Zo feel. This is about the way Zo feels about Joke. This is about the way Zo feels about himself. This is about Zo being gay and not wanting to confess that, even to himself.

Jokecito can help Zo embrace his queerness. (See @absolutebl's write up on "Nu")

But it's up to Zo to evaluate what his own hidden agenda is.

[signed-sapphire]

The Fallen Star ✨

A Wish rewrite

Asha redesign 💜

Hehe hi Anny sorry I’m basically stealing your reimagining format… let me know if you want me to change it

Anyways hi! Inspired by so many amazing Wish reimaginers (yes that’s a word shut up), mainly @gracebethartacc/@gracebeth3604 and the aforementioned @annymation, I decided to post my own rewrite! This being the character details.

Now, unlike the prior AU Ashas, my Asha acts less like a Cinderella and more of a… Kusco. If you catch my drift.

But don’t worry! Our girl is going to go through some major character development!

But first… let’s get to meet her!

(Ignore the shit quality this is the only art I have of her atm since I don’t have my ipad with me… will update with better photos later)

Princess Asha Arabella Arman is the heir to the throne of Rosas, the kingdom of wishes

It was founded by none other than her adopted father, Magnus Arman

She was raised by Magnus and Amaya for the past 8 years, and has been coddled quite a bit

All three of the Armans lost their homes to to the evil Stars, so Asha is against everything to do with Star magic

Just like the movie, Asha is 17 years old, and can’t wait until she turns 18 and can wish to become a great magician like her papa

No matter how hard she tries, wish magic doesn’t work for Asha, something she finds extremely frustrating

When this happens, she has a tendency to lash out and snap at people

Many servants have been fired for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but they understand

At least, the older generation does

Stars destroyed their homelands with their greedy magic, and Asha just wants to be as great as her parents

Though… they do think she could be nicer about it

Asha’s parents are always quick to come to her rescue and smooth things out after her temper blows up, rehiring staff and gently reprimanding Asha

They’re not the best parents but like they adopted her when she was 9, they don’t know how to deal with kids

Still, they love Asha as their own

Gonna get more into the king and queen of Rosas in part ii, back to Asha!

Becaude her parents are such great heroes, Asha feels very strongly that the citizens of Rosas should be treating them as if they are the most grand royalty ever

And as their daughter, she should be awarded some of the same privileges

Except none of the teenagers her age seem to like hanging around her, always calling her snobby and self-centered

Excuse me? She was not self centered! Asha just believed her kingdom deserved the best, and their rulers even better! Obviously!

Personality traits

Stubborn

Loyal (to those she deems worthy)

Spoiled

A bit naïve

Insecure but covers it up with WAY too much confidence

Bad liar. Will be important later on.

^But SUPER good at pulling out her “I’m your princess I’m better than the air you breathe” face when needed

Never seems to take her duties seriously… think Rise!Leo if you can

Backstory

So my rewrite’s epilogue is posted already, but imma put her angst here too anyways~

Stars used to help people fulfill their own wishes, until one day they got lazy and started simply granting them instead

This method messed with the system and drove the Stars crazy, mad with power, and they started destroying kingdoms to get more magic

Little Asha’s village was unfortunately one of the victims

Sakina and Tomás barely had time to react before the glowing streaks of light crashed through their roof

Screams echoed through the chaos, and giant hands made of twilight ink scooped up villagers

Tomás and Sakina grabbed their little girl and huddled over her protectively as another blast of scorching light exploded through their roof

When the dust settled, and the harsh glow had faded away, there was only one sound left in the village

The sobbing of a 9-year-old girl, crying and begging for her parents to wake up

That’s when Magnus came across Asha, and took her under his wing

He could fight away Stars, so Asha stuck with him

It took a WHILE for her to learn that Magnus wasn’t going to harm her, but hey, Magnus had her back through it all

After he and Amaya founded Rosas, Asha was reassured that she would never have to see a Star destroy everything she loved ever. Again.

Oh, Asha, if only you weren’t the protagonist of your story

Design

BEFORE I DO ANYTHING I WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUTOUT TO @mythartist21 BECAUSE THEY DESIGNED BASICALLY THE WHOLE LOOK FOR ASHA AND CIELO GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND GO CHECK THEM OUT

*Ahem* So I did a bit of a deep dive into Asha’s design in the “pilot” over here BUT for her fully updated design today, notes below (a lot of it copy-pasted from here)

Asha’s concept art was inspired by Moroccan and Amazigh fashion, so @mythartist21 added a bunch of inspiration from that in her design

Our girl has her hair accessories back!

I gave her fuller lips and a longer nose bc we only had Jasmine for the nose rep in Disney Princesses, and she’s Afro-Hispanic! Show off her black features!

I also darkened her skin bc… I get that people from North Africa can have lighter skin, heck, Pepa from Encanto showed good rep for the lighter skinned Colombians! But like… we only have one other black princess. Let’s show off that skin color diversity

She also has wider shoulders, a bigger chest, neck, and waist, bc she’s not white but also WOMEN WITH MUSCLES>>>

Asha isn’t super jacked but she does have muscle defining and I want to write in a scene where she has no sleeves on so we can appreciate her arms

RatLD had Namaari’s back and my bisexual ass needs some more women to simp for

Eyeshadow as a reference to Elsa but also I felt she needed some color on her face. Miiiight change it later on when I add in her hair beads but for now she has eyeshadow

Gonna keep the many Rosas symbols bc she’s the princess of the kingdom, what do you expect?

Also she just looks older in general (even though she’s still seventeen like canon!Asha) which I think lends itself to her royal status idk

+ technically more realistic proportions which ig can be a callback to the times when animators did rotoscoping?

Dimples. Bc they’re fantastic

I TRIED to draw Asha with her fine braids, but people were complaining that canon!Asha looked too much like Isabella Madrigal, and with TFS!Asha having darker skin + longer nose structure + more haughty personality? Yeah, I gave Asha back some body in her hair

Idk I tried to make them look like the braids from this concept art ⬆️ (imagine they’re like this… I did the art at like 3am okay)

I HC that Asha’s canon outfit is her younger self’s outfit, down to the detailed braids done lovingly by Sakina

But after the incident with the stars…

Let’s just say Amaya tries her best, and Asha appreciates it

I also finally modeled our girl a crown! Based off of Amaya’s weird ass canon one, and the tiara look of the early Disney Princesses

Gotta make one for Maggie too…

[lesbiansgoal]

Broke up with my girlfriend last night and I wanted to see if y'all think I'm being unreasonable here

Okay so we had been officially dating for 10 months but had been together for almost a year. Things started off really great, we quickly fell for each other, she met my family and we had made plans for me to meet hers. She talked all the time about how important her family was to her and how much she values being home (she lives with them,) she would occasionally say "they aren't the most supportive but they are getting better" but wouldn't expand much past giving the example of her mom saying "I don't know why you can't just marry a man." We never spent time at her house because she claimed that her apartment was too small to really spend time there.

We started trying to make plans in November for me to meet her family and the plans kept falling through, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt that it was just bad timing. Our relationship started feeling so much more distant and the spark definitely didn't feel nearly as bright as the months went on. The plans never ended up happening and I chalked it up to her having a super hectic year.

Fast forward to 3 weeks ago, she told me "I need to delay you meeting my mom, I can't handle having a breakdown right now if she treats you poorly." I was pretty bummed but I wanted to respect her, so I told her that it was okay to delay it a bit till she felt better.

I brought the situation up last week and this time she told me that she wanted to wait till her family was more accepting to bring me into her life. I really didn't feel comfortable with the goalpost shifting so quickly, so I told her how I felt. Feeling hidden from her family was really painful for me and we agreed that we needed to have a serious talk about things.

Welp, yesterday was serious talk day and she finally told me the whole truth. She's been out for three years and her family has been calling her a unholy freak and telling her that she's disgusting and that her relationships are an abomination for that entire time. She thought they were getting better because they had been saying it less often (I'd imagine because she had been single,) so she made the plans for me to meet her mom, but as the plans approached and her mom started making comments again, she quickly decided she didn't want to mix those two worlds and started delaying the plans. She lost her relationship with her brother entirely when she came out and it destroyed her, and she said that she can't have that happen again. This was also apparently the reason that I couldn't visit her house, the size iasue was just an excuse. She tried to tell me that they are getting better and that the parts of her life don't have to stay separate forever, but it's been 3 years and they are still saying all the terrible things to her. She thinks that showing them pictures of us and telling them about our dates will someday make them come around, but they are conservative Catholics, and honestly that sounds wildly unlikely. She gave me the option to stay with her and wait for them to be better, or to end it. And I decided to end it.

I genuinely feel for her, I can't imagine what she's going through. At the same time, I think that constantly talking about how important these people are to you and simultaneously asking your partner to be okay with not meeting them or even coming over to your house is absurd. I hate that our community has to face this kind of bigotry, but sadly that's part of the package. I fought so hard to accept myself, and I feel like asking me to willingly go back to being tucked away until I'm more palatable isn't a fair ask. It would be different if she had cut them out of her life, honestly if that was the case I'd be happy to never meet them, but she wants to live in both worlds and that doesn't feel fair to ask of me, and it especially doesn't feel fair to keep that request from me for 7 months.

I just want to have a partner thats proud to be with me, I want to be a part of my partners life, I want to spend time with them at their home, and she really painted the whole situation like I was asking way too much of her.

Sorry this got so long and rambly, what do y'all think?

[daughterofthereaper02]

Southern Boy Charm

A/N: I know they may not be from the south but I want Cowboy! Hangman and Cowboy! Bob.

Warning: Cursing, mentions of sex, grinding on thigh 18 + only. MINORS DNI

Pairings: Hangman x Bob x Rooster x F! Reader

Word Count: 2.8K

You always knew your soulmates were going to be wild, it was a gut feeling that you always had. Like most of your gut feelings, you were right. You had three very protective soulmates who you loved more then the world. You had never understood when people said they would burn the world down if their soulmate asked, now you did.

As soon as you met the three aviators, your world had changed rapidly and for the better. There was a pull to each other as you met them in The Hard Deck, the feeling had almost been magnetic. When you introduced yourself by your name then callsign, your name burned itself into them, theirs doing the same for you as they stared at you in awe, their final soulmate.

It was a few days into the official relationship that you learned a very important fact about two of your soulmates, they were both cowboy's, both raised on a ranch. You learned Jake was from a small town in Texas and Robert was from a small town in Alabama. They had no accent at all when talking to anyone but as soon as they lost their tempers with someone, you could hear it come out. It would start out slow before it increased gradually. Bob had the thickest accent when he was extremely angry, the only time that happened was when one or more of his soulmates were threatened. After that it took Jake translating it to you both in a soft voice before calming Bob down. You two could calm him down but it was something about Jake talking in the similar accent to calm him down.

Now you were all in the middle of no where Texas a year later, staying on Jake's familys ranch and you loved it. You were in the guest house and the first night you ran outside to look at the stars. You leaned on the porch railing, in only a small pair of sleep shorts and a tank top, looking up at the sky in awe. Bradley was next to you doing the same, neither of you had ever seen so many stars in a warm area like this, or at least had the opportunity to admire it like this. It was different to be in an area like this and be able to see the stars.

Jake and Robert stood by the door, admiring you both as you tugged Bradley outside and onto the grass. You pointed out the few constellations you could see from your home town "There are so many stars here" you said in awe "The air smells so clean here." You continued as Jake and Robert both came down to you both.

They both stayed silent, letting you both take in an opportunity that you never had before. "I always wanted to live someplace like this" you sighed happily and grinned as Bob wrapped his arms around you from behind and Jake went to hold Bradley. You all stood there for a bit, silently yawning without really noticing "C'mon you two. We have two weeks of looking at these stars and then another two weeks in Alabama. I know you're both exhausted because we are" Jake said as he started to yawn. You had been struggling to keep your eyes open and realized it after Jake pointed it out. You took one last look and smiled as you saw a shooting star, making a silent wish for you all to always be this happy before following your boyfriends inside.

A few mornings later, you and Bradley watched as Jake and Robert picked out clothes for you both because it was a surprise what you four were doing today. The past few days you all had been spending time with Jake's family and today was the first day you all were free to do whatever you wanted to do. The two had made an agreement to show you both what it was like to live in such small towns and to live on a ranch.

It was supposed to be a cooler day and Jake laid out a pair of skinny jeans, tank top, and one of his work flannels for you to wear. You grinned as he pulled out your cowboy boots and stood up "Very country Mr. Seresin" you said with a laugh. He rolled his eyes and swatted you on the butt lightly "Get a move on Darlin, we have a fun day ahead of us" he told you. You groaned softly as his accent came out thick and heavy, you couldn't help but pull him into a very deep kiss. He and Robert had been speaking with their accents more and it was driving you and Bradley absolutely insane. He broke away and kissed your nose "Go. Get. Dressed." He said, each word was a kiss somewhere else. You sighed and got changed, smiling at the feeling of flannel on your skin, it was just so soft and this one was just a light grey and black, not the weird flannels people claim 'hicks' wear. You would probably be wearing this a lot more. When you came out, Bob kissed you gently "You look beautiful sweetheart" he murmured. He had contacts in and he was wearing a black cowboy hat, you swore your heart stopped in that moment when you saw him in a flannel, work jeans, and work boots "Jesus you're hot" you whispered like you have so many times before. Bob blushed and accepted your kiss before you both turned to see Bradley and Jake in similar clothes, Bradley looking a little more awkward in the clothing. You grinned and happily took the baseball cap Jake offered you as he put on his tan cowboy hat. "My collection I left here will be getting shipped home" he warned you all earlier. Robert leaned down to whisper in your ear "We thought his hair care collection was bad... He has like twenty hats. I haven't seen the same one yet" he murmured causing you to burst into a fit of giggles.

As soon as you were outside, your eyes were covered and you were carefully being guided to the stables. When you got there, Jake and Bob instructed you both to keep your eyes closed and they brought out the horses. "Open them!" Bob said happily, and a giant smile broke out on your face when you saw the horses. "I cleared it with my parents, we can go horseback riding. Bob and I will be your instructors for today" Jake winked. Bob went through to teach you both the basics and then proceeded to show you both how to get onto the horse. Jake and Bob both helped Bradley who was a little awkward about it because he wanted to get it right but it was weird to him. “I can get in an F-18 no problem, I can help Mav with an F-14 with no knowledge but I struggle with a horse” he groaned. It made you laugh because of his tone, he gave you a look and teasingly said, “Well Ms. Clumsy, if you find it so funny I want you to try and get up on the horse, without help” he joked, not expecting you to actually agree. “Okay, I will try but only if Jake and Bob stay near” you warned. They stood near you and you took a deep breath, ‘I’m a fighter pilot, I can handle a horse’ you thought to yourself. You went and managed to get up on the horse with no difficulty, all three of your soulmates cheered for you, “You’re a natural baby girl!” Jake told you, climbing up right behind you. He helped you hold the reigns, Bradley let Bob do that part, deciding he wanted to be able to watch you all instead. Jake whispered in your ear on what to do, his chest flush against your back "You're doing so good pretty girl" he whispered, "Almost as good as me and Bobby, hm?" He said, his breath tickling your ear and making you shiver. You all rode the horses around the ranch before going back to the house to grab the lunches you prepared before.

Jake told you how to get to his favorite spot before he left and it was a beautiful meadow with a small stream. "Jake... This is incredible" You, Bob, and Bradley all said. He grinned, getting off the horse then helped you down "It was my favorite spot as a kid. I don't know how many times I would run here after getting in trouble" he laughed. Gone was the cocky man from the skies and in his place was your soulmate who loved you all dearly.

You helped set up the picnic and you all settled in to eat. You started throwing grapes to Bradley as he tried to catch them in his mouth only for Robert or Jake to intercept them. When you and Bradley got a successful one, you both stood up and cheered for your win.

You started to take your boots off and socks before rolling up your pant legs. "Whatcha doing Y/n?" Robert asked and you took the flannel off as it started getting hotter. "Putting my feet in the water, Jake said how nice it was before so..." You shrugged and walked over. The water wasn't too cool but it was refreshing, the others soon came over, Robert and Bradley on either side of you. You had your head on Bradley's shoulder while Robert had his on Jake's.

The next couple of days were spent doing those types of activities, some Bradley excelled at and others you did. The one common factor was the exhaustion you all always felt after, you could fly for hours but horseback riding tired you out.

One night there was a bad thunderstorm and you snuck out of bed, avoiding waking the guys up. You couldn't sleep after a nightmare but you didn't want to wake the guys since they were exhausted. You went downstairs and silently made a cup of your favorite tea before going out onto the big wrap around porch, sitting on the rocking chair and watching the lightening strike as you listened to the thunder. There was no wind or rain currently and you sipped your tea, you could smell the storm in the air, reminding you of home.

Jake knocked on the siding of the house and you looked over, smiling. He made one motion with his hand that told you to stand and you did. He then sat down in the rocking chair and let you sit in his lap. "You okay?" He asked sleepily, rubbing your arm lightly. You could see him slowly waking up as his eyes grew more focused, you weren't worried though, he could fall asleep anytime and in any way. "Mhmm. Just couldn't sleep" you murmured, turning in what a lot of people thought to be an awkward position but you found it comfortable. You placed the cup of tea on the little table near the chair and snuggled into him. "I can smell the storm, it reminds me of home" you admitted and his eyes widened, "You can smell the storm? I thought you didn't have fresh air like here?" He asked you curiously, making you laugh. "Honey, I didn't. The area I lived in had kinda polluted air like most places now but I also lived by the water. I had the ocean near me and I also had the bay. I grew up smelling snow and storms like you but I guess it smelt... Different? I'm not sure how to describe it. There definitely wasn't as many stars because of the lights" you said, yawning as he helped you tuck your head under his chin. "Can't wait to show you" you mumbled tiredly. "It's so different than here but we've been stationed in places along the coast with similar towns so it won't be a big shocker like this" you continued, bunching your hands into his shirt. "I'm sure it's wonderful sweetheart" he whispered softly, kissing the top of your head, slowly starting to rock the chair. He knew you woke up from a nightmare but wanted you to go back to sleep, he didn't mind carrying you back to bed. He loved when any of you fell asleep on him and snuggled with him, he was the biggest cuddler our of you all. You came in second place though, both of you seed the least likely but you were big softies for your soulmates.

You finished off your two weeks at the Seresin home before traveling to Alabama to see the Floyd family. Somehow this town was even smaller and it was obvious the only way out for Robert had been the military. He had told you all how difficult it was to get out of a town as small as his. His family also had a small guest house on the ranch and they allowed you all to stay there.

It was a week in when Robert brought you all to the little bar that everyone would always hang out at. You smiled as Bob interacted with people he hadn't seen in years and soon you four were left to the table yourselves. You felt Bob running a hand up your bare thigh, you were wearing a pair of shorts that drove them all crazy. You knew what he was doing, he was trying to rile you up and you looked in Bradley's eyes, today was the day. You took a long swing of your beer, long neck down before standing up and reaching over to grab Bob's cowboy hat. At the same time Bradley did the same to Jake. You both put the hats on your heads, you wore a black one and Bradley wore a white one. "Darlin', you know what that means, right?" Jake and Robert asked at the same time and you could feel your arousal pool as their accents came out thick as you could see the lust in Roberts eyes. "Save a horse, ride a cowboy" you grinned and finished off your beer. "Come dance with us cowboys before you take us home" you told them both and Bradley took you both to the dance floor.

You danced with Bradley immediately and glanced over at Jake and Robert, they finished their beers and we're coming over. What neither of you knew was the possessive streak you two just activated in them. Jake came over and grabbed you by your hips immediately. You all were being passed around to each other and the guys were purposely turning you on until you were getting desperate.They had been touching you in all the right ways and you couldn’t keep up the cocky, flirty attitude anymore, you became putty for the guys.

Before you knew it you were being slammed into the truck door, Jake leaving hot kisses down your neck as he slotted his thigh between your leg so you could grind yourself against him, letting out desperate whines. You heard similar sounds from Robert and Bradley, "We can't do this out here" you whispered breathlessly.Despite this you kept going, Jake encouraging you by whispering in your ear, his accent thick anf heavy as he pulled you into a deep kiss. It wasn’t long before he pulled away, leaving you a whimpering mess “Guys, let’s take this back to somewhere private” He said to your soulmates.

Robert drove you all back and broke many, many laws as you four got back to the house. You went to take the hat off as you all rushed inside and you were pressed to the wall. Jake gave you a shark like grin as he put it right back onto your head "No baby, that stays on. We're going to fuck you both with nothing but those hats on" he drawled before Robert moved to kiss you deeply. You knew you were in for one hell of a ride.

That night was filled with sweat, tears, screaming, and moaning. All of you were covered in new marks all over your bodies and you walked with a limp worse the the rest of them. You could remember bits and pieces as you looked at the bruises on your hips from when Robert pounded into you or when you rode Jake.

When you and Bradley were alone, you both agreed to do that again because it was the best night you both ever had. Your soulmates made sure to take full use of being in a small town like this, you were happy you had brought your own truck from home. One night they took you out to ‘look at the stars’ but you only got to see them as you were being fucked in the truck bed on blankets and pillows, or when you were being fucked in the meadow.

From this you were a firm believer in the southern boy charm and saving a horse just to ride a cowboy.

Tag List:

@peaches-and-sunshine

@natasharomanoffisbaebby

@sweetheartlizzie07

@lollypop90907

@the-hottest-lieutenants

@blackcat2907

@jamiedontbeacracko

@18crazybutcutealsopsycho

[lavander-gooms]

Fellas, I think I finally got (noir) Peter Parker's age.

Alright, I know what you may be thinking, that you've read posts like this before that basically end with "erm they say he's a kid so I uhh guess he's 19" (we've all thought this ngl).

Let us begin, shall we?

This mostly began because I hated Felicia and Peter together.

I love Peter's noir comics so much, everything Peter goes through is such awesome writing and symbolism (Peter swearing to take power away from people who abuse it and then ends up abusing his own power ahgdgsgdgag) but Felicia' and Peter's "love story" weirdo lust pedo sub plot gave me the major ick.

Tbh I got tired of people defending this ship because they "didn't know Peter's age". I really wanted to prove them wrong. So I am.

And I just want to know.

Let's boogy.

Peter is referred to as a kid numerous times.

Above are most of the times Peter is called/referred to as a kid in the first comic run (which was only three issues).

I couldn't fit all of them, gosh darn Tumblr.

Anyways, it's clear that Peter appears as a child to all of the character, due to all of them referring to his as a kid. Every character he interacts with as Peter Parker calls him "kid" or "son" or "boy" (etc.). He obviously appears as/is a kid, or they wouldn't have made it a point to keep saying this.

Okay, so this means Peter's a kid. We can eliminate all ages over 21 and under 12. You were considered an adult at age 21 (age of consent was 18- https://worldhistorycommons.org/age-consent-laws -). And I think we can all agree that Peter isn't 12.

My next idea was to turn to the original age of when most Peter Parkers were bit. The problem is, it's all at scattered ages. The most common one I found was he was bit at 15.

But is noir Peter Parker really 15? No. Bear with me.

I came to this conclusion and sank to the ground and cried out in agony. Truly noir Peter Parker's age was a mystery, I thought. So I gave up.

But I was rereading the comic, and noticed a tiny tiny detail I overlooked upon my past rereads.

Here is the comic panel where the Goblin dies via spidery-Kraven, and Peter just watches. While Peter is watching, he thinks back to the time Uncle Ben snuck him in to see Frankenstein.

Okay, there are two versions of Frankenstein Peter could be talking about here.

The first Frankenstein that ever came out was the 16 minute long version on March 18th, 1910. Now, that's way further back than I think Ben would've taken Peter to go see it, as AT MOST (if he's 21) Peter was born in 1912. It is possible Ben took Peter to see a rerun of the 1910 version, but reruns were incredibly rare and the 1910 version of Frankenstein was deemed to be lost until the 1950s (I don't know WHEN it was lost). If Peter was taken to see the 1910s version as a child it could have given him nightmares. But I really doubt this is the Frankenstein movie Peter was referencing.

The second movie is the one I believe to be the movie Peter saw with Ben. This Frankenstein came out on November 21st, 1931. It fits much more with the time line, and fits the whole "couple years back" things (a couple means two to you guys too, right??).

Okay, so we know the date of the movie that Ben snuck Peter into. But, there is one very important word in that sentence. Snuck.

Either, a- Peter wasn't old enough to see the movie,

Or b- Aunt May didn't want him to see the movie.

The 1931 Frankenstein revolutionized the horror movie genre, and brought with it an outrage from the church and adults. It was censored mercilessly, and brought around the "H" rating that deemed anyone under the age of 16 was too young to see. But this came as a result of Frankenstein, in 1932ish in Britian and 1934ish in America. So when did Peter see the movie?

This is where my argument gets flimsy.

We can assume he saw the uncensored version as it gave him nightmares, so I speculatate he saw it around the same time as it's release date.

Peter was under 16 when he saw the Frankenstein movie, due to Ben having to sneak him into the movie.

OR

Peter was freshly 16 and begged Uncle Ben to let him see the movie, he's old enough isn't he? And Ben can't say no to his nephew so they sneak around Aunt May to go and see it together.

Either of these two are plausible, but I'm going to go with the second.

Mostly all the Peter Parkers were born around August/October, so we'll keep that.

On November 21st, 1931 (or whenever he saw the movie) Peter Parker is 16 years old.

Which, one year later, makes him 17. And as the comics take place January 1933, we can make the safe assumption that Peter is 17. Which means in September, he's 18/about to turn 18.

Whew. I think I got it. If you have any other stuff please give it to me 🙏

Felicia and Peter relationship study coming soon.

[ystrike1]

Thousands of Dreamless Years - 五十弦 (6/10)

I didn't exactly like this, but I can appreciate it. The art will most definitely draw some people in. This is a really average isekai at first. A regular gamer dude gets transferred into the body of a demon slave, and all of the demon princelings are interested in him. The plot twist is a decent hook, but I got bored quickly.

The translations available also aren't that great. Fair warning.

When our protagonist wakes up after a satisfying gaming session he's in bondage gear. He's also surrounded by a sea of colorful and beautiful men. They are all war prizes. Apparently the victorious demon princelings prefer men. Tragically, our protagonist is not a special beauty. He is average by beautiful slave standards. He gets ignored at first.

The thing that stands out about him is his strength. He accidentally "defeats" a demon prince. How? Well, one prince chooses him for bedtime duties and he's not interested. He accidentally rips off one of the princeling's horns. This is nuts. A dragon's horns contain their spiritual power. Losing just one can kill a dragon. Our confused protagonist is immediately attacked.

Then things get stranger. The crowd screams, because a powerful assassin has descended. That powerful assassin is on his ass, in the pool, confused as hell. He just wants to wake up from his dream. No one kills the assassin, because...ugh...now it's time for plot convenience! Our protagonist is inside the body of a Special Guy named Ya Que. Ya Que is friends with one of the royal dragons, Bi Wu. Despite that, he's living as a slave? Even though Bi Wu insists they are so close that Ya Que cannot be executed for assassinating a prince????

Here is a list of the important princelings. The plot twist is...these dragons are all going to belong to Ya Que (Protagonist). He is eventually going to have a harem of dragons. Di Jiang is the main squeeze in the group...and he's literally randomly obsessed with Ya Que. He starts acting like a clingy baby around Ya Que. Ya Que is conveniently someone who knew all the dragons at some point in the past. Di Jiang is particularly attached to the Ya Que from the past....even though Ya Que is just Protagonist From Korea now...

Look. I get it. Di Jiang is handsome. The beginning is super funny, but this flops!!! It flops because it's a stupid as isekai soul jump story!!! It would be top tier yandere harem material if it WAS NOT a reincarnation story.

There are interesting harem dynamics at play here. Bu Wu and Di Jiang kind of seem to be attracted to each other, but they both have strong emotional feelings for Ya Que. This creates a good scenario where...you know...Ya Que can easily convince both of them to be his lover. That COULD have been interesting, but Protagonist is inside Ya Que cracking jokes and moping 24/7.

It's not cute.

I like Ya Que. From what I hear he is totally the kind of guy that can seduce and subdue a possessive dragon...and maybe three more princelings on top of that. Protagonist has the personality of a wet blanket though. Everybody CONSTANTLY references Ya Que's past accomplishments. Basically, he's a bad boy that always gets his way because he's cool and favored by the dragons. Epic! Protagonist does nothing to deserve...being in his body. It just feels...ew?

Protagonist gets a free eternally loyal servant too by the way.

Siiiigghhhh....

I know we're all bored of the same type of yandere. Broody has been done 10000000 times, but Di Jiang is too damn childish. His intimidation factor poofs out of existence after ten chapters. He becomes wildly insecure. He begs for Ya Que's attention constantly, because he seems to believe Ya Que (Protagonist) is his lost love from thousands of years ago. It's just kind of sad???? And jarring??? Sure, we get the classic scenes. Ya Que gains favor in the harem and Di Jiang is obviously very clingy and possessive....but at what cost???

[charles-leclerc-official]

Recency bias is always going to be a part of F1 whether we like it or not.

Whenever Charles has won in the past, he's been lauded as an incredible driver and the next WDC. When he is beaten by his teammate, people question his talent.

When Daniel was at McLaren, everyone said he was terrible, then when we were told about his Silverstone test, everyone turned around and went "He's always had it in him, the McLaren car is just weird!" and were hoping he'd replace Checo at RBR. And now he's struggling in the RB and everyone says he's washed again.

And with Checo. Last year he started strong, got progressively worse, and people were calling for him to be replaced before the end of the year. This year, he's started strong again, and everyone is saying he's driving well and is the best driver to keep in that Red Bull seat.

Lately Lewis has been on a run of poor races, and everyone is saying he's lost his touch. He's going to have a good race at some point, and I bet then people are going to say he's still got the fire in him.

It's a part of the sport. It sucks right now as a Charles fan, but he'll have a really good race soon and everyone will love him again.

Yeah, people will hear and see certain things and have war flashbacks (myself included, sometimes you just see something and go "I think I've seen this film before and I didn't like the ending") But every race is different, cars are vastly different year to year. Hell the way the starting grid is set is different.

With Charles it's especially bad because he is very fast and he is extremely skilled. So when he does literally anything less than P1 people will say he's lost his touch. It's an impossible standard to hold anyone to. Teammates having good or bad races against each other is very normal in the sport and doesn't mean a new trend is set (but also this was a good race for both of them)

With Lewis it's also egregious. He is LEWIS HAMILTON I'm sorry but if you can't tell that the W15 is shit then I cannot save you. After these first three races it is abundantly clear why he is leaving for Ferrari. Mercedes has been unable to dial into these ground effect regulations, it is far from his fault. The straight line speed on that car is not competitive at this stage, like what is he supposed to do? A driver can only do the best with the car they are given and sometimes that car lets them down. I will be very interested to see what he can do in a Ferrari. Lewis is a 7 time WDC, everyone remember and respect that.

Checo is interesting. I think we need to see him more in the RB-20. I agree that so far he is doing a solid job as the RB number 2 and if he keeps it up I'd say there is no reason to replace him. Remains to be seen. I think he is valuable in his levelheadedness and the fact he gets along well with Max is also important. I'll wait and see for him but he isn't as bad as everyone says, he can have bad luck too.

With Dani I do have to disagree. His performance in RB is really not measuring up so far. He's been way off Yuki in a lot of metrics and to be so far off a teammate in performance like that is cause for concern. I'd give him a few more races before saying he's not competitive, but his performances thus far aren't looking great. For that it is really helpful to measure against the teammate who is in the same car and getting much better results overall.

Also important to remember everyone makes mistakes, sometimes when it counts, and that's always hard but it happens.

[proxyedgy]

So, a few months ago I remembered Houseki no Kuni was a cool thing I watched once upon a time and decided to look up the manga. And then I read it. Past where the anime adapted. Up to chapter 75, then I stopped because I am not in the state of mind to periodically wait for unfinished stories like I did in high school, so I'd rather stop at a pleasant point and wait a good while to pick it back up.

And, all's well and good. I had a good time and am still extremely invested in whatever new way this author decides to break my heart with. Catharsis and stuff. Yep.

But then comes November, I go to an anime event. With the intention of buying myself something. With my own money. Which I am stingy about because I mostly use to buy food since I hate cooking-- Bottom line, I am walking around. There is hardly any merch I would like to have. Still, I am having a good time being on my own and going at my own pace. There is a manga stand.

There is Houseki no Kuni. First two volumes. Translated in Portuguese. They have holographic covers. I buy before even asking the price. This is a historical event. I can count on one hand the number of manga I adore that get translated, and that number is now three.

I come home. I look up the publishing house website. There are more. I buy then in the beginning of december like a happy joyful idiot and they take far too long to get to my hands because of a silly little detail called xmas. Never heard of it, to be honest.

And now, now, finally, after all hope was lost, I received my package. Brought it home in quite the mood. Forgot to have dinner and am now suffering a headache because it was just oh so important to read the same story I read before, only with far higher quality than the scans I found online. And in portuguese. Have I mentioned that?

There is, a certain quirk, let's say, with portuguese. A detail that almost clashes with this particular story. Because this is, after all, a story about gorgeous gemstone people who are very much agender lesbians. And portuguese, a very unromantic language, absolutely loathes the idea of not gendering every word and concept. Therefore, when translated, all of the gemstones use he/him pronouns. I can't explain how that makes me feel, but it is a happy feeling, or at least so I'm inclined to believe. Male pronouns, female androgyny. Interesting choice.

Quite a lot of choices are make when adapting this kind of material and they were a joy to notice, I'll say. The way the word "sensei" has been translated, but his name remained as "Kongou", unlike every other gemstone. A peculiar detail, a good hint, shows the care put into this. The gems themselves, many pleasant words to see in my own tongue, some of which I had never read before and made me wish I had a class on gemstone geology. The more delicate moments, like turning the original "fu-an" syllables of the lunarian speak into something else while retaining the wind sound.

My, the work of an adaptation, it's such a creative endeavour. Translators have it hard, but to see something go a step beyond to be accessible in another language, in my language, like this, I have nothing but respect for every choice made.

And not to mention, how different it is, to have the book in your hands. Manga does not retain the scent I find familiar and comforting from my childhood and teenage years, but their rough pages offer quite a nice experience too. And, most of all, I find myself scanning them for details more easily, being far more absorbed into the lines when I can hold them close to my face like this.

This manga is quite a beauty. The lines are so simple, and that makes it so much easier to follow. The best part, however, is the sheer number of wide panels. Blacked out panels, with white lines. I've never seen a story that plays with panels like that. I love every single one. There is such a sense of shock, and scale, and emptiness, and feelings which I can't name. It's great, really.

Now, pacing, that is the despicable evil that makes me ramble so much. Because it's one of those stories, that ends every chapter with a cliffhanger, and it's such a tall cliff, I am indeed holding the thread from which these characters hang over this tremendous fall. I know the story, I know what happens, I read it recently, it's fresh in memory. Yet, yet, I am shaking right now, because the last volume translated ends, like every other before, in a scene so utterly tense that I cannot reach catharsis through any means other than complaining.

Yes, this was all a huge complaint, yet still I cannot bring myself to dislike even a single thing. The first time I saw this story, it felt mean-spirited, in some way I couldn't articulate at the time. It is, truly, stained in hopelessness, however that is not the same as despair. As I read it now, perhaps I understand it better, even if the sting still hurts the same every time. It brings up frustrations, and annoyance, and impatience. It's a story that begs for what-ifs, but couldn't proceed any other way. I find that true for all my favorite tales, so I suppose it's just fair that this one gets my number three spot.

I love, love, love you, Houseki no Kuni, Land of the Lustrous, Terra das Gemas.