#pretty people being pretty

[oh-nostalgiaa]

hi, @flyfreeskylark, it's me, your secret santa! you asked for an undercover mission after scarif where everybody lives and nobody dies (with a handful of smut sprinkled in for flavor). sadly, i was sick during both november AND December (and the less we talk about how much i hate my job, the better), but i managed to pull myself together long enough to get this written for you. i do hope it's to your liking! merry christmas and happy belated new year! please enjoy.

(you can also find this fic on ao3.)

in this world (it's just us)

The event is not exactly to Jyn’s tastes. 

The crowd is the easiest for her to navigate - she’s undeniably skilled at moving through them stealthily. Unfortunately, that is the opposite of what she’s meant to do here, so she makes a concentrated effort to take her time, to blend in so that she doesn’t bring any undue attention to herself.

She doesn’t miss a single detail as she lets her eyes drift over the room and its inhabitants, only silently reminding herself to keep an interested expression rather than her normal impassive default. 

She knows that she’s meant to be titillated by the sights and sounds surrounding her. She’s gone through the debriefs, been informed of exactly what will be expected of her - and Cassian has even - nonchalantly - tried to give her an out if she had even the slightest inkling that she could not do what’s expected of her. 

Luckily, he’s got the hardest task. She is, for all intents and purposes, just an observer.

(Besides that, she’s no quitter. He should know that just about better than anyone.)

Behind the scenes, she’s got a more detailed job to do. Monitoring communications, for one. Helping Cassian prepare, for another. 

Obviously, he’s showered by himself - he doesn’t require her help with everything, no matter how many times she may or may not have caught herself daydreaming about such things. He’d dried off, dressed in flimsy, flowy trousers that leave just about nothing to the imagination … 

Not that she’d peeked. 

Jyn hopes that her nervousness isn’t easily discernible, but she also knows that Cassian is probably the most observant person she’s ever met, and while he might not ever bring it up, the obviousness of the pause she takes while slowly exhaling and inhaling, steeling her nerves, the gentle brush of fingers against skin as she placed and smoothed out bacta patches designed to cover scars and other identifying marks is more than enough clue that she’s feeling … something.

Maybe it shouldn’t take as much concentration as she gives in order to ensure the edges of the patches aren’t easily visible through his semi-sheer tunic, but this is an important recon mission - they can’t return to base without information in hand. With another Death Star lurking somewhere out there, it’s not an exaggeration to say that this may be a matter of life and death. 

It’s always a matter of life and death. 

And it’s not fair for her to burden Cassian with her feelings, especially when she’s not sure that he feels the same - if he could ever feel the same. It’s selfish of her to think about love when the fate of the entire galaxy is at stake. So they inhabit this nebulous space where they’re not quite just colleagues and not quite just friends and oh, how she aches to pull him aside and let go of all her wants and fears in a torrent of words she hasn’t found enough courage to set free into the universe and it’s - 

It hurts.

But Jyn tucks that pain away and hides it where she keeps all of her others - in a dark place deep inside that’s carefully locked down, never to see the light of day again. 

It’s better that way. 

Through the mass of writhing bodies, she catches sight of Cassian and his contact, disappearing into one of the few tents set up to offer some semblance of privacy, hand in hand. Jealousy stokes the fire in her belly and momentarily, at least, her expression reflects exactly how she feels inside, darkly desperate, devastated that it’s not her that gets to touch him or see him so unguarded and free - even if it is just a facade, another skill Cassian’s perfected in his years gathering information for the Rebellion. 

Even if it was fake … at least she could pretend for a little while that he actually wants her like she wants him. And that’s got to be better than nothing. 

She breathes a quick sigh of relief when Cassian pokes his head from the tent and quickly slips back into the crowd, not looking any worse for wear than when he’d entered. Seamlessly and sinuously, he weaves his way toward her, and she doesn’t have to be a lipreader to know what he’s promising some of the partygoers he passes on the way. 

That sly little smile and those teasing winks are more than enough clue to know that he’s being propositioned and far from agreeing to take a detour from his current trajectory, he’s non-comittally suggesting that maybe they’ll find time to steal away later for a little fun. 

Because that’s what this whole thing is all about, isn’t it? The decadence and debauchery of a free use ball, where the male guests especially are little more than party favors. And while Cassian isn’t hers to keep all to herself, the thought of all of those eager hands trying to get a piece of him makes her stomach roil.

He dodges the minefield that is interested partygoers and finally reaches Jyn’s side, leaning in for what looks like a peck on the cheek in greeting, but what really is the whispered assurance that he’s got what they’re here for. She knows, though. He hadn’t entered the tent with the same chain around his neck that he’d left with. And tucked safely underneath what passes for a shirt is a pendant with a data stick hidden within for safekeeping. 

Jyn’s lips part as she gears up to ask if they’ve made enough of an appearance yet, if they can slip away without being noticed, but the words die on the tip of her tongue as, out of seemingly nowhere, they are joined by the party’s hostess, tall and handsomely severe, her keen eyes drifting over the pair as though to study them, to determine what they’ve been up to while the other guests are all wrapped up in each other. 

“My dear Imri, you’ve not partaken in the feast. Is there nothing to your liking - ?”, she purrs, her sultry tone enough to set Jyn’s nerves on edge. “Or are you too wrapped up in your lovely pet to pay attention to anyone else?”

Cassian ducks his head demurely then, exactly the behavior of a man that is more toy than anything else, a man that’s been taught exclusively that his only use in life is to please another. 

And Jyn is grateful for the chance to gather her words.

“My superiors would be quite disappointed if I were so rude”, she replies, her voice a teasing lilt. “On the contrary, I like what I see, Lady Eline. It’s choosing what I want to sample that is proving difficult.”

The tall older woman suddenly erupts into laughter and Jyn’s smile slowly widens (as though she’s actually pleased to have amused the monster standing next to her, like it doesn’t make her physically ill to see firsthand how easy it is for her - and for people like her - to use people for their own pleasure). 

“Please, darling, take your fill of what you want. And come back for more later”, Lady Eline offers, her gaze flitting to settle on Cassian, her eyes grazing him from head to foot and back again. “You absolutely can’t leave until I’ve had a taste of your lovely Amel.”

Jyn curls her hand into a fist, her fingernails biting into her own palm as she fights to maintain composure. So disgusting, the way Lady Eline can look at Cassian as though he isn’t a person with his own agency. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Their host takes that as her cue to dramatically turn and focus her attention elsewhere, allowing Jyn to catch Cassian’s eye and wordlessly gesturing toward the double doors of the grand ballroom, their only way out. 

He doesn’t have to say anything, the very slight furrowing of his brow speaks volumes. Now that they know they’ve got eyes on them, they can’t just walk right out. The already delicate operation has just become all the more fragile. 

This isn’t something that they’ve practiced - although the possibility has been discussed. If they don’t want to raise suspicion … they’ll need to act. So Cassian rocks back on his heel and Jyn pushes forward, directly into his personal space, crowding him against the wall, like he’s a prey animal and she’s the predator, finally cornering him right where she wants him. 

There is no room for hesitation here. 

They must keep cover by any means necessary.

Imri is supposed to be offering Amel to any and all interested parties. Jyn wants to do anything but. 

Outside of these walls, Cassian isn’t hers. But right here, right now, she has every intention of staking her claim, for however long it will last. 

‘Mine’, she thinks, tipping her chin up to catch Cassian’s lips in a haphazard kiss, surprised by the startled noise he makes in response, a gift for her ears only. And if it’s not the sweetest sound in the entire universe, Jyn doesn’t know what would be. 

It’s a little instinct, a little like a dance, and a little planning on the fly, which is obviously what they’re best at. It’s the clash of teeth and tongues and the thrill of hands slipping inside clothes to touch each other’s skin and - 

Oh. 

Oh.

Jyn takes a moment to press her face in the space between Cassian’s shoulder and neck, savoring the feel of his pulse hammering against his skin, beating out the same staccato rhythm as hers, pounding against her ribs, filling her ears. 

It’s not real, but it feels like the culmination of months spent pining after the man she’s got pinned to the wall, craving a glance, a touch, accidental or not, anything that hints that he might feel the same. 

And now his fingers are teasing her nipples and she’s barely gotten her fingers around his cock but she’s absolutely feeling him come to life and it’s everything she’s ever wanted and more, but stars, does her heart ache at the underlying knowledge that it’s all she’ll ever get. 

As if he hears her thoughts - and maybe he does, how is Jyn to know if he’s got some sort of latent telepathy - he breathlessly speaks, just low enough for her to hear through all the ambient noise. 

“Don’t think, just do.”

And she does. 

She feeds off of the groans and whimpers he gifts her with and she lets the stuttering rocking of his hips guide her hand, faster, tighter, not yet, oh, wait, wait, wait and she ignores everything around them - including their voyeuristic audience and just works to slowly move them closer to the exit. 

From the wall to a nearby couch, where she pushes Cassian down and relishes his flushed cheeks and dark eyes as she straddles his lap and relentlessly grinds against his shameless erection, his hands clutching her hips and helping her move, until the world seems to explode in a shower of blinding light, and if this is how they’re going to die, at least it’s together in a blaze of glory. 

There’s not much time to rest, though, and none at all to feel embarrassed about making such a mess of themselves, and once their shaky legs can hold their weight, Jyn takes Cassian’s hand and forcefully drags him the rest of the way through the doors and toward (relative) freedom.

There’s no reason to return to their suite now that Cassian’s got the precious datastick in hand and it’s easy enough to scramble the cameras monitoring their movements as they enter the lift that will bring them closer to the hangar and their nondescript ship. The chunky bracelet Jyn’s wearing hides the technology that will take care of that. All she needs to do is press a button and trust that it’ll take care of the rest. 

There is a bit of a prolonged, awkward silence between them as the lift descends, but suddenly Jyn finds the air being knocked from her lungs as Cassian’s fingers tighten around hers and pull her flush to his chest, all the more caught off guard when he leans down to nip sharply at her bottom lip before pulling away, his lips twisting up into a smile. 

“We’ll finish this later.”

To say it’s odd to feel so exhilarated in so many different ways is an understatement, but for Jyn, it’s not unpleasant, and for once, the thought doesn’t terrify her.

It just is.

But for the first time, she doesn’t feel like anything will be coming to an end anytime soon. 

Rather, it feels like a brand new beginning.

[barrowsteeth]

Omar Rudberg and Kit Connor are photographed by Jet Swan for Loewe @ Paris Fashion Week, January 2023.

[ink-the-artist]

Love the contrast between the Americans’ “Apollo” and the Soviets’ “Sputnik.” You got the Americans naming their rocket after a Greek god trying to communicate the grandness and importance of this rocket. And you got the Soviets naming their rocket “fellow traveler.” Like a friend you go on an  adventure with together. This rocket is our little friend lol 

[bixels]

I watched Starship Troopers tonight.

[inkskinned]

hey btw if you're in the USA at  2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4, they're testing the emergency broadcast system. your phone is probably going to make a really loud noise, even if it's on silent. there's a backup date on the 11th if they need to postpone it.

if you're not in a safe situation and have an extra phone, you should turn that phone completely off beforehand.

additionally, if you're like me, and are easily startled; i recommend treating it like a party. have a countdown or something. be surrounded by your loved ones. take the actions you personally need to take to make yourself safe.

i have already seen mockery towards any person who feels nervous about this. for the record, it completely, completely valid to have "emergency broadcast sounds" be an anxiety trigger. do not let other people make fun of you for that. emergency sounds are legitimately engineered to make us take action; those of us with high levels of anxiety and/or neurodivergence are already pre-disposed to have a Bad Time. sometimes it is best to acknowledge that the situation will be triggering for some, and to prepare for that; rather than just saying "well that's stupid, it's just a test."

"loud scary sound time" isn't like, my favorite thing, but we can at least try to prevent some additional anxiety by preparing for it. maybe get yourself a cake? noise cancelling headphones? the new hozier album? whatever helps. love u, hope you're okay. we are gonna ride it out together.

[glorious-spoon]

the thing about steve that i feel like fic consistently gets wrong is that he is really not easily embarrassed at all. this is a man who did that goofy-ass handshake with dustin in the middle of the mall with nary a second thought and sang 'total eclipse of the heart' in a muppet voice to make robin laugh and cheerfully flirted with cute girls (a) while wearing a sailor outfit and (b) after striking out so many times that it turned into a running joke.

he is simply not that attached to his dignity, and i think that's beautiful

[tam--lin]

The thing is, you don’t have to have a diagnoses to make simple “unmasking” changes that make your life easier. You don’t even have to self-diagnose! You are not appropriating anyone’s culture or struggles or hijacking anyone’s movement by allowing yourself to sway in line at the grocery store or buying a weighted blanket or using study or household hacks intended for people with ADHD. If you start favoring the needs that make your brain and body unique over the arbitrary norms of society, you’ll be better off, and you’ll be expanding the norms. It’s a win/win.

[qcomicsy]

Alfred comes home and there's a whole noise from the kitchen.

Alfred: Is everything okay?

Damian: Dumbass is coming out.

Alfred: Oh.

Alfred (to Dick): ...I figured this day would come sooner or later...

Dick:

Alfred: Don't think I didn't saw it my boy, and pardon me if I should said something before...

Dick: No, no, no it's not

Alfred:... I mean It was obvious from the start but I figured I shouldn't press-

Dick: Alfie It's not

Jason: No, no let him finish.

----

Batman: Yes, my kid also came out to me recently.

Superman (to Dick): Oh wow, that's great! I'm proud of you buddy.

Dick:

Dick: What

Tim: It's me.

Superman: Oh

Superman: Oh wow, thats great! I'm proud of you buddy.

Dick: No, wait you can't just-

----

Jon: I'm just glad in not being alone in this, you know.

Titans:

Dick: It's not me.

Titans: "Oh, right. Sure." " Yeah we knew it" "Totally"

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

putting my prediction on record now that the coming decade is going to see the rise of viral-marketed fancy at-home water filtration systems, driving and driven by a drastic reduction in the quality of U.S. tap water (given that we are in a 'replacement era' where our current infrastructure is reaching the end of its lifespan--but isn't being replaced). also guessing that by the 2030s access to drinkable tap water will be a mainstream class issue, with low-income & unstably housed people increasingly forced to rely on expensive bottled water when they can't afford the up-front cost of at-home filtration--and with this being portrayed in media as a "moral failing" and short-sighted "choice," rather than a basic failure of our political & economic systems. really hope i'm just being alarmist, but plenty of this already happens in other countries, and the U.S. is in a state of decline, so. here's praying this post ages into irrelevance. timestamped April 2023

[redactedcrowart]

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[oh-nostalgiaa]

if you like the manips created by the talented and very missed runakvaed, please check out manips made by the also talented @thereigning-lorelai! i don't know that i have them all, but here' s a list of what i do have.

wedding

everything's meant to be broken

i'll find you in the morning sun

rebelcaptain + the original trio on a mission

narcos au kinda

a whole life waiting

getting ready for bed closeness

kiss kiss

period au

a little spicy if you know what i mean

coffeeshop au

the best dancer you could possibly be

(what it means) a fortunate accident

canon kinda kiss

(what it means) a fortunate accident kiss

oh my god they were roommates

amsterdam instagram - food travel show au

date au kind thing

after date kiss

kissy kissy

so much closer

sleepy cuddles

happy beach time

figure skating au

cuddles under the sheets

idk this one's kinda sad

wedding

sharing a bed

to boldly go where no man has gone before

penelope au

undercover spies au

travel au?

dirty dancing

some more spice

it's a surprise

[barrowsteeth]

Kit Connor, Sophia Brown, Daryl McCormack, and Honor Swinton Bryne for British Vogue and Cartier (Venice Film Festival)

[taxinealkaloids]

i love the tower princes. i love that there’s absolutely no way in hell that this friendship is even remotely good for either of them. love that they assuredly are making each other SO much worse with every second they spend together. 

[bixels]

(guy who sent in the original i thought you were a lesbian ask) i just wanted to say i still find you just as attractive with the knowledge that you are a man, apologies if i made you feel uncomfortable or like you're less handsome for not being a hot butch. you're still plenty hot regardless and i'm sorry for inflicting tony hawk's sapphic nightmare on you

Tony Hawk’s Sapphic Nightmare is very funny, I would photoshop something if I could right now. Thank you.

[esmiara]

Fashion Chuuya

[dreamsy990]

you know i used to think it was weird how sora and roxas have such different personalities for supposedly being 'the same person' but after playing a few games i sort of realized that they do have similar personalities, because roxas acts how sora does when he's under extreme stress.

compare roxas to sora in, say, kh1. that's where a lot of peoples idea of sora's personality comes from. sora is generally very upbeat and optimistic in that game. not very similar to roxas, right?

but let's switch the game and talk about a game where sora is ABSOLUTELY GOING THROUGH IT. chain of memories.

sora's resting state is melancholy in com. he only ever cheers up in short bursts, usually when he's joking around with friends. just like roxas.

he's quick to anger, and tends to lash out at the organization members. best example of this is when larxene makes him 'remember' namine, and he swings at her repeatedly, even after she's gone. he only stops when jiminy is able to snap him out of it.

you know what scene that resembles?

sora, while a bit more on the angry side and less sad, continues to act like this in kh2 when he's in stressful situations. (he also has a tendancy to insult people which, while it's not very related to the point, is very funny and sora saying 'gonna cry?' to xigbar is great.) i cant comment any further than that about kh2 off the top of my head.

so, roxas acts like sora does when he's stressed, right? but why is roxas always acting like that? to which i say, he isnt!

he only ever acts like that when he's also in fucked up and stressful situations, which happens to be a CONSTANT in his life. but when he's hanging out with axel and xion, a decidedly NOT stressful situation, he's a lot more like sora. he's teasing his friends and insulting his coworkers and joking around and acting like a normal kid. not really important, but unless i misremembered some sora lines which is VERY possible, both roxas and sora respond to friendly insults with "oh thanks!" a lot. just a funny little detail that felt relevant.

the biggest differences between roxas and sora boil down to environment and... i dont know how to put it besides volume? roxas is very quiet and tends to keep most of his thoughts to himself, while sora is very loud and expressive in comparison.

there is one other huge difference i noticed, which is less character based and more story. sora wanted to get off destiny islands and explore with his friends, but roxas just wanted routine. sora wants adventure, and roxas wants things to stay the same, for days where he gets off work and eats ice cream with his friends to last forever, to keep having conversations about nothing and watching the sunset. roxas wants normalcy, sora wants excitement. it's just interesting seeing their contrast.

not sure if this is very well said or anything i just wanted to talk about my boys