#so I'll probably attack it from a different angle

[delucadarlingwriting]

WIP Wednesday!

I'm still trying like hell to remember how to write, especially something long form that I have intentions of completing one day. This is a scene from chapter 7 of In Search Of, which I am still wrangling because the first 3 chapters need some nudging.

Anyway, I've been having fun losing the plot to write Barbie and Mason bantering! I do want to go back and replay Wayhaven though. I feel like I've lost Mason's voice a bit after so long on the dragon age train, so I want to get it back.

[ckret2]

So a while ago some friends were talking about fans who claim the Same Coin theory is canon. And I made the mistake of saying:

Do you know who also has tons in common with Bill? Mabel. Yet nobody claims Bill reincarnated as Mabel. …wait now I want a "same coin but it's Mabel" AU. Funniest Bill reincarnation option. The all-seeing arsonist is making macaroni glitter art. The omnipotent tyrant is crying because a unicorn called her a bad person.

And then I overthought it for two months.

So—AU where after death, Bill's soul shoots 13 years into the past and reincarnates as Mabel. I'll call it ✨ Sparkly Coin AU ✨

Don't leave yet. Lemme show you why it works. Behold the eerie amount of parallels in their personalities, dialogue, behavior, mannerisms, tastes...

I could have kept going but my attention span ran out. All right, we all on board now? Convinced we could segue from one personality into the other? Great. Now here's why you should be interested: the juicy post-Weirdmageddon angst potential.

As long as a small fringe of the fandom still thinks Weirdmageddon is Mabel's fault, why not amp that up x100 and have some fun with it?

Is everyone sold now? Great. Let's get into the details. I've got 8 more pieces of art under the read more.

So the AU starts the instant Bill dies. Thanks to invoking his deal with the Axolotl—one way to absolve his crime, a different form, a different time—the Axolotl gives him a new shape and shoots him thirteen years into the past. Apparently, the Axolotl thought it would be very funny to stick Bill in the family that defeated him.

Which probably made for a jarring transition.

(It's fine, she's like 10 minutes old, she probably can't even tell who she's looking at. Not being able to tell who she was looking at is what got her into this situation ayyyy)

When Dipper & Mabel come back from Gravity Falls complaining about this triangular jerk Bill, their parents mention that Dipper's name was nearly Bill. See, after they knew they were going to have a boy, one night their mom dreamed about a visitor—some kind of magic pink salamander??—calling her child "BILL." Then at the next sonogram they found out they were having twins, the girl must've been hidden at a weird angle the first time, and they wanted matching names, so they thought, Bill and Bell. But they didn't really like Bell; but eventually they stumbled on Mabel, so to keep the names matching they switched from Bill to Mason. Isn't that the darnedest thing?

(Of course, Mabel and Dipper assume Bill harassed their parents to try to trick them into naming a kid after him. To be a jerk.)

When Bill meets Mabel, he's unaware that she's his future self—Bill's notably bad at doing things like, say, double-checking to see whether he's going to die anytime soon—but like... he can tell something's up.

Naturally, before visiting Gravity Falls, there were echoes of who Mabel used to be—but nothing anyone would be able to identify without context. All her Bill-ish quirks either smoothed out with time (see: how between second grade and fourth grade Mabel went from being the "freak" to the popular girl in class), or else they were accepted by her family as Mabel-ish quirks.

After they meet (and kill) Bill, they have the context to understand some of Mabel's behaviors... and unfortunately, some of Mabel's latent Bill-ness starts surfacing after she's been directly exposed to her prior incarnation.

The part of the Pines family familiar with Bill thinks the worst case scenario is that maybe Bill's survived and is slowly possessing Mabel; but far more likely, they think this is just some weird way of trying to subconsciously process last summer. Mabel doesn't think she's being weird, you guys are being weird, stop giving her weird looks. They get attacked by one triangle and now she can't wear yellow or pick up macrame as a hobby??

(It's not all red flags and uncomfortable triangle imagery, though. When Stan asks her what she'd like as a gift for some important event, she shyly admits that she thinks she's starting to outgrow her plastic gem jewelry and maybe she's old enough to get her first piece of real gold jewelry, if that's not too expensive? And Stan's never been so proud of her. Thirteen years old and already thinking about buying gold!)

But of course, the real fun starts when Mabel finds out.

That's the face of a girl who's just discovered that she tortured her great uncle. Now imagine running into the brother she possessed.

But I've already spent a million words and thirteen images on this post. If enough folks are interested in the AU maybe I'll expand on it later. Let me know what y'all think.

[psychronia]

I've been rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender because why not and I'm losing my mind at Zuko's proper introduction. I don't know if it's hindsight, shifting characterizations, or just me not watching this in a long time, but this was amazing.

We start off showing he's an impatient and very angry kid. Reasonable, and the sort of flaw we might expect to see in a villain. Kinda funny that he expects to go up against an adult and fully 4-Element realized Avatar, but the kid is desperate and Iroh clearly expects his nephew to get the banishment-denial kicked out of him.

What's important here, though, is Zuko's introduction to the Southern Water Tribe.

Here, we have a very intimidating entrance where his entire ship just sails through the ice right up to the village's front door. It's quite ominous and this is our first proper introduction to how the Fire Nation interacts with a foreign people.

Sokka charges, I'm assuming fully prepared to die, and Zuko casually knocks him out of the way. Okay, so clearly the Water Tribe are entirely outgunned.

He asks "Where are you hiding him?" and the people of the Water Tribe go silent. I assume they're either just too scared to talk or actually protecting Aang.

Whatever the case, it's important to note that the Southern Water Tribe know the terror the Fire Nation can inflict. We have a whole episode dedicated to tracking down a division of raiders. Sokka was able to not only identify the ash-mixed snow as signs of an incoming attack, but estimate how many ships the amount of ash measures to. These are a people who have experience being terrorized and are probably expecting something terrible to happen.

And then, after they don't answer, Zuko grabs Gran-Gran. There was a horror sting to it, and everything the tribe knows about the Fire Nation suggests that Zuko is about to threaten or straight up hurt her to get answers. Classic "terrorize the elderly" bad guy stuff.

And then...

He goes "He's (the Avatar) be about this age and is a master of all four elements!?" and lets her go.

And all of a sudden, the tension that was built up is shattered as Zuko went "I know, I'll give them a reference for the person I'm looking for because clearly they're confused and I wasn't specific enough."

This went from a show of villainy to a show of Zuko being totally socially awkward and misreading the situation entirely. Not helping is that when he does try to menace them a moment later, his fire is slow and angled quite safely.

It still worked on the Water Tribe because they're understandably scared, but all I could think of is that this was the equivalent of a playground bully trying to make someone flinch with that fake-out lunge thing.

Because the fact-and something we'll come to learn-is that Zuko is TERRIBLE at being a Fire Nation oppressor. He's capable of doing morally dubious things and is a competent fighter. But he's lousy at terrorizing people and cruelty-that's kind of the point of his banishment.

And while we can see the story paint this picture of Zuko's true character as the story goes on with hints of good and conflicting loyalties, here we get to see just how bad he is at being "the bad guys". He's still unambiguously being the villain of this scene, and it makes no real difference to the oppressed themselves, but there is a comical gap between where Zuko thinks he is, where he actually is, and somehow it still puts him on the same page as his victims just because of how terrible the Fire Nation's influence is on everyone involved.

[kumkaniudaku]

Me and Your Mama

Summary: Terry and Patrice learn more about their love through life changing news on New Year’s Eve.

Pairing: Terry Richmond x Black!OC

Word Count: 4,436

Warnings: Mentions of Pregnancy

Recommended Reading: Spoiled, Caught

Author's Note: We're at the end of Ficmas! Thanks for all the requests sprinkled in the middle. This has been a fun little ride and hope you feel fulfilled at the end of this one. Stay safe this New Year's Eve. See you in 2025.

Several mornings passed between Christmas, New Year's Eve, and their five-hour drive up north with no attempt to confirm Patrice's suspicion. She'd purposely avoided all conversation about it, preferring to push the thought to the back of her mind until she and Terry could no longer tiptoe around the growing elephant in the room. 

Moments after luggage was rolled into their downtown D.C. hotel room, the pair braced themselves for punishing winds and bitter cold in search of the nearest convenience store to pick up comfort snacks and three different pregnancy tests. Terry did the honors of selecting what he thought were the best options based on his research, while Patrice forced herself to take an interest in potato chips and snack cakes a few aisles over. 

She couldn't bring herself to engage. Talking about it, whatever it was, would make the dreams more real. And if what she dreamed wasn't true, she didn't know how she could pretend that all was well while her heart chipped and shattered inside her chest. So, she stayed away and let Terry put on his brave face for the both of them.

In the bright convenience store nearly empty as people prepared for a night out to celebrate the incoming new year, they felt like children caught doing something wrong instead of an adult couple on the precipice of discovering what the rest of their lives could look like. 

Terry mumbled through passive small talk with the smiling cashier, staying just vague enough in his answers to avoid the glaring topic of the day before ushering Patrice out of the automated sliding doors and back toward their home for the next few nights. 

Once they returned, neither of them spoke. Patrice slowly unpacked plastic bags filled with items, leaving the slender white boxes for last. 

She drug a fingernail across the box on top, then looked at Terry, who couldn't take his eyes off her. "I think I'm gonna pee by myself if that's okay." 

"That's cool," he answered, offering support with a weak smile. "I'll be out here if you need me."

Most of Patrice's time in the bathroom was spent staring at her reflection in the mirror. She slowly lifted the hem of her thick, cashmere sweater to examine her stomach, twisting side to side for the best angle. Nothing of note. The small bump that did exist was no different than any other day. At least, that's what she told herself as she ran her fingers along the slight curve. 

Unfolded instructions littered the bathroom counter, each saying a variation of the same thing: Pee, wait, have a minor panic attack, then check the results. Or something like that. Patrice's eyes were starting to cross from information overload. 

On the other side of the door, Terry stared out of the large bedroom window at nothing in particular as thoughts quickly ran in and out of his brain. He'd never considered being anybody's dad unless Patrice was on the other side of the fantasy. Maybe once or twice when other partners brought it up, but nothing concrete. Nothing this real, nothing that felt this right. 

Sure, it was quick. And sure, it was probably not a great idea to introduce a child into a relationship that was only recently recognized by the state as a legal union. Any boy, girl, or otherwise would be dropped into a marriage not much older than them and cared for by two humans still trying to understand life. But they'd be loved. They'd be showered in affection from sun up to sun down. He had no doubt about it. What greater joy than to hold a child that was half him and half the woman he loved with every fiber of his being? 

But he was only one part of the equation. Ultimately, Patrice was the deciding factor. Patrice and a collection of three pregnancy tests two minutes away from unveiling their fate.

The toilet flushing made Terry blink back into reality from daydreams of diaper changes and kindergarten graduations. He caught a glimpse of himself in the window's faultless glass before turning in enough time to see Patrice poke her head out of the bathroom for his attention. 

She fiddled with her fingers and rocked on her heels. "You can come in if you want." 

He nodded, careful not to appear too eager or unconcerned, and moved to join her for the wait. 

The soft click of the door closing sealed them into the room together. Terry silently shuffled into the room past Patrice to sit on the closed toilet lid and nervously ran his palm down the back of his head. He took a deep breath before looking over at Patrice, who'd gone back to obsessing over how her stomach looked beneath her clothes. 

"Hey," he spoke in a sweet, low tenor to avoid startling her. She looked over, eyes shining from suppressed tears, and found him looking at her with round doe eyes. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. "Come here, sweetheart." 

Sweetheart. To Patrice's soul, the word felt like warm chicken soup on a winter evening. She could never question how Terry felt about her. He'd been there to offer comfort through a tumultuous, frightening week. Feeling his large hands grip her waist to pull her between his legs grounded her in the right there and then. Regardless of the results, he'd still be around to kiss away the bad times and laugh with her through the good. 

Patrice lightly placed her cold hands on his face while he looked up at her, waiting for anything she decided to say. 

She closed her eyes and sighed. "What if it's negative?" 

"Well. We'll go out and drink champagne all night like we planned. I hate the taste on its own but know I'll love it on your lips when we kiss at midnight. Then we move on. Maybe have a conversation that we should've had a long time ago on the drive home." 

"And if it's positive?" 

Terry took a deep breath, allowing the words to come out in a mind-clearing huff. "We skip the champagne and keep the kiss. But we have to celebrate either way, baby. Time's gonna pass no matter what." 

For all his mixed bag of positive and negative traits, Terry's sneaky optimism was Patrice's favorite. A short, airy laugh came through Patrice's nostrils as she tossed her head back and groaned. 

"You're always so sure of things and I'm sitting here about to throw up my lunch." 

Terry rubbed his hands up and down the back of her legs with a smile. "I'm not sure of shit, really," he laughed. "I just know that we'll be alright in the end. This Gunny I was close with told me everything goes back to baseline. Don't sweat the bullshit in between. So, that's what I'm doing. Waiting it out."

"That doesn't scare you? The waiting?" 

"Sometimes." A quick glance down convinced him to slowly lift Patrice's sweater with one hand and hold it in place while he pressed feather-soft kisses across her abdomen. Kisses for her? Kisses for who he hoped lived inside? He didn't know. But he spoke against the area to communicate with whoever would listen. "But waiting always brought me something better than what I had. How could I not trust the process when I have the result standing right in front of me?" 

A rush of emotions broke the levees holding Patrice's tears back, sending a wet stream sliding down her hot cheeks. Terry wiped her face with the back of his hand in silence, the gentleness in his care working double time to soothe whatever thoughts and feelings were coming forward for her. 

When the short bout of crying had ceased, and she was left with nothing but her husband, a timer ticking down to mere seconds and a looming result hanging over their heads, Patrice ran her thumb along Terry's cheek and smiled down at him. 

"I love you more than I ever thought I could, but we gotta slow down, Terrence. I'm worn out." 

Terry answered her joke with a low chuckle that bounced his shoulders and spread his smile wide. "I'm with you, baby. That should be our New Year's resolution." 

"Either that or finally getting around to that budget we've been talking about. Might have to add a baby fund line item." 

"We got it. Don't worry." Terry assured before kissing the inside of her wrist. "Whatever happens, we're okay. Gimme a kiss."

Sweet affection in the face of potentially life-altering change offered some sense of normalcy as they allowed the world to turn into abstract concepts with shared, tender smooches. 

They'd almost forgotten what brought them into the bathroom until the harsh trill of Patrice's phone timer ripped through space and time, again placing them smack dab in the middle of the present. 

When Terry reached to grab one of the tests after silencing the noise, Patrice jolted forward to grab his wrist. "Okay, wait!" she panted. "I-I'll grab one, and you'll grab one. Then we'll do the third one together. Does that make sense?"

"Alright. Which one do you want?" 

"I don't fuckin' know! Choose for me! I can't do this, TJ!" 

Terry wore a crooked smile as he calmly plucked two tests from their containers and placed the digital option into Patrice's palm face down. He took the analog test and covered the result with his thumb before swallowing the lump in his throat. 

A deep breath rushed through parted lips. "Turn it over on three. One, two…" 

Three never came for Patrice. Even after Terry had uttered the number and turned his test over slowly, Patrice kept her eyes closed, waiting for him to spill the beans. She couldn't bring herself to verify on her own accord. He'd have to be her eyes and ears. 

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds, making the wait agonizing until Terry broke the seal. 

"Treecey," he called out. "Please look with me. I need you to see." 

A deep breath helped her blink her way back into clear eyesight. She didn't look at Terry or try to peek at the pink test in his hand. Instead, she flipped her test over with trembling fingers and stared at the small digital screen displaying a single word. 

"Oh –" was all she managed to choke out before looking up at Terry's beaming smile and tear-soaked face. "Does yours say –?" 

"Two lines, baby. Two!"

Disbelief gave way to unadulterated shock. "Oh. My. God. Look at the other one!" 

"You have to do it with me!"

Another countdown as they held on to the final test together preceded an excited flip and harmonizing reactions that could only be described as happy sobs. 

Patrice rocked Terry in a tight embrace while he clung to her, crying into her sweater's soft fabric more than he'd cried in years. An avalanche of emotions wrapped in disbelief that he'd been immeasurably blessed after his year started with so much strife. His losses came with gains ten times above what he could ask or think. 

His wife brushed tears from her already stained face before kissing the crown of his head and repeating, "You're gonna be a daddy, Pooh. You're gonna be a daddy!"

Emotions distorted his deep voice. "Swear?"

"Swear, baby. You're gonna be a daddy."

He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, not caring who he disturbed. Then, he'd run down the hallways, through the lobby's doors, out into the cold D.C. air, and holler to anyone who would listen that his wife, the girl he fell in love with before he could legally drink, was carrying a child that might look just like him someday. 

But he couldn't get past sharing the excitement seemingly gushing out of his pores with the only other person who could understand his joy. He chose to lift Patrice up in the air as he stood tall, spinning her in a slow circle before gingerly placing her back on her feet and pressing his forehead against hers. 

"What the fuck," he laughed as he tickled her sides, causing her to giggle back. "I'm having a baby. With my baby!"

"I guess I couldn't beat teen pregnancy. My parents are going to be so disappointed in me." 

"Stop it." The thought of his parents sitting in their living room without a clue that their firstborn was miles away receiving such big news flipped on a light bulb in Terry's head. "Our parents! Should we call? We should call them now. Do you wanna do a group FaceTime or like a conference call or what?" 

Patrice watched Terry fumble around his pockets for his phone until he came up empty-handed and reached for hers. She pushed the device further away and shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Can we just…enjoy the news by ourselves tonight. I want it to be our secret a little longer. Is that okay?" 

"Of course, Piggy. Whatever you want. I'm sorry, I just - shit. This is insane. You have a baby in there. Should we tell them we're a party of three tonight at dinner?" 

"No," Patrice laughed, finding his unbridled excitement adorable. "If they cancel this reservation because you playin', me and you might have a problem, Daddy." 

Terry bit his lip and lowered his head to kiss at her neck. "Damn, I love hearing you say that. Say it again."

By the time they were approaching a swanky steakhouse on Patrice's long list of places to visit, she'd called him Daddy so much in jest that she almost told the hostess that that was the name on their reservation. 

Pockets of quiet conversation held over candlelight and crisp white tablecloths greeted them as they were led through the dimly lit restaurant to the table for the evening. Terry moved to pull out a chair for Patrice, but she stopped him with a kind smile. 

"I'm gonna run to the restroom. Mommy bladder is starting early. Order something cute for me?"

Her joke made Terry smile like a little boy until she was out of his sight and safely inside the ladies' room. 

Romantic jazz music oozing out of speakers concealed inside the walls like smooth red wine gave Patrice time to replay the day in her head, unable to contain the elation on her face as she washed her hands at the sink. 

Another woman, tall like a model and beautifully sepia-toned, applied lipstick in the mirror and noticed how she tried but failed to stop grinning. She smiled at Patrice before speaking. "You're glowing," she complimented. "I need whatever you've got going on tonight." 

Patrice chewed the inside of her cheek after a bashful thank you. She wanted to keep the words in and pleaded with herself to walk out of the restroom and return to Terry without uttering another word. 

"I'm pregnant," she blurted, unable to fight the urge. "My husband and I – he's the tall one out there waiting on me – we just found out that I'm pregnant. We were best friends over a decade ago, and I still can't believe we're married. Now, there's a baby inside me with half his DNA. I'm having a baby with Terry Richmond. Oh my God." The realization of her social blunder hit her like an 18-wheeler. "And I just told a stranger all my business. I am so sorry!" 

"No, no! That's incredible, girl! Can I hug you?"

Patrice didn't know why she obliged, but she did, allowing herself to sink into this woman's arms like she was an old friend and not someone whose name she didn't know. The woman rubbed her back and squeezed tight before pulling away. 

"Congratulations, sis. Happy Holidays." 

While Patrice received well wishes on the other side of the establishment, Terry gave his full attention to the cocktail menu as a server attempted to provide recommendations. 

"That one is a crowd favorite," the young man pointed out. "Is she a rum lover? It comes with top shelf Appleton Estate if so." 

Terry chuckled to himself. "She is, but she can't have any right now. We just found out she's pregnant before we got here." Further explanation caught in his throat. He didn't mean to offer up their secret. Excited Terry had done the talking, not calm and reserved Terry. 

He watched with wide eyes and an internal scolding rattling around the container of his mind as the server smiled and jotted a note on his pad. "First, congratulations! I'll note that to the staff and see if we can't do something special for you and your beautiful date. Second, no worries at all. We can turn that one into a mocktail and not lose too many of the flavor notes." 

"Thanks," Terry breathed out. "Hey, can you make sure you don't tell her I said that? It was supposed to be a secret." 

"Our lips are sealed, Mr. Richmond. Consider it a little something extra to celebrate the new year." 

Terry made a mental note to leave a handsome tip behind as Patrice reappeared from her time away. Her smile hypnotized him until she was close enough to remind him about her chair. He scrambled to his feet to take care of his duty, nervously pushing her to the table as if this were their first date. 

When he was back in his seat, he watched her survey the room and menu, taking in each of her features. 

High cheekbones passed down from a long line of majestic women. Soft, mahogany skin that mesmerized him in golden hour light every evening. Dark, expressive eyes that told the story of her inner thoughts, even when she tried to hide. Full lips he couldn't resist. The total package. Everything he hoped for was wrapped in one person. 

Terry sat across from her, smitten. His grin showcased all of his teeth and then some while she scanned the appetizers for something to satiate her peckishness. 

Prolonged silence made Patrice glance up and then double-take when she noticed Terry's one-sided staring contest. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" 

"Just trying to remember how you looked on the second most important night of our lives." 

Sudden bashfulness sent heat rushing to her face. "The third," Patrice corrected with a smile. "Don't leave out New Orleans." 

Terry chuckled at the memory. "Baby, the sun was barely in the sky when you decided to disturb the whole third floor."

"It was time to wake up anyway. That's what's wrong with the world now." 

Jokes and discussions about the possibility of dessert before dinner dominated the conversation until their server returned with two drinks meant to loosen their lips and hips for the evening. A subtle wink between Terry and the server communicated all he needed to know without tipping off Patrice as she excitedly watched beautifully decorated glasses hit the table. 

"To our first night out as Mom and Dad," Terry toasted, prompting Patrice to raise her glass. 

Mom and Dad—parents to be—two bodies forming one in a few months—a culmination of thousands of experiences leading them to a fate written before they were born. The concept sounded so foreign yet so familiar. 

Patrice dabbed at misty eyes, sniffling out a breathy, "To Mommy and Daddy." 

Glasses softly clinked before she joined Terry in a long sip and starry-eyed gazes across the table to officially kick off a night of celebration. 

Or so they'd hoped. Full bellies caught up with exhausted minds and bodies once silver forks hit clean porcelain plates well before their planned 10 p.m. exit. They tried to negotiate the next move with each other: a little walk for digestion, maybe a minute to listen to street performers play go-go renditions of oldies their parents would enjoy, perhaps another dessert to keep the mood high. 

All of their suggestions paled in comparison to hearing the mechanical whir of the hotel's lock precede the door swinging open to a warm room. There were no crowds trying to cram their bodies onto a rooftop brimming with eager folks anticipating good fortune as the clock flipped forward on a new year. There was only each other and the comfort of familiarity. 

Bottles of Sprite from the downstairs market acted like expensive bottles of bubbly poured into scavenged plastic cups next to a collection of fatty snacks, and cell phones switched to silent mode to avoid distractions. 

Terry and Patrice two-stepped hand in hand to jams playing from the television broadcast, dressed down in comfortable clothes and sporting ever-growing smiles. 

Under warm lamplight, Terry held Patrice's hand over her head to help her spin like a wind-up ballerina before pulling her close. "What were you doing last year around this time?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," she groaned, a sour look making her frown momentarily. "I was in a bathroom stall breaking up with my ex. Then Phee got us so drunk that we ended up blacked out before the countdown. I still don't know how we got back to her house or why we were cuddled up in her bed like that."

"Sounds like the kind of chaos you three get into when you're unsupervised."

"Whatever." Patrice laughed before making her fingers dance across Terry's broad shoulders. "What about you? What were you doing?"

Terry let a wry smile creep across his face. "Alone and sleeping. I didn't think there was much to look forward to, and I had to work in the morning anyway. Don't even think I turned the TV on."

The thought of Terry sleeping in on the night handpicked for blind optimism drew a sympathetic look from Patrice. "We both had a rough go at it, huh?"

"I don't know, mine was pretty chill. You were the one missing chunks of time." Patrice took faux offense at his joke, slapping across his chest before they let off laughs that slowly dissipated into a comfortable silence. 

Terry rested his head atop Patrice's, his mind taking a winding road back to the beginning while she hummed a made-up tune to herself. 

"Fifth-period Forensics with Mr. Turner. Junior year. You were wearing little strawberries crocheted on a pink sweater and your hair in a high ponytail. Kind of like tonight."

Patrice looked up and tilted her head in confusion. "What?"

"That's the moment I fell in love with you. I'd always liked you, but that's the moment I realized that I loved you," he clarified. "I spent so much time denying it, tiptoeing around how I felt and trying to find you in other women long after we were done, but I kept coming back to you acing that pop quiz in a pink strawberry sweater."

Patrice chuckled and smiled, recalling the time when her feelings blossomed beyond butterflies in her tummy at the mention of his name into a full-bodied, ever-present yearning for his heart. 

Terry waited expectantly, longing to know if there was a moment for Patrice – if her love had a spark that rocked her world the way she did so long ago for him. 

Flashes of bright light and distant cheering cut in just as Patrice seemed ready to confess, stealing her attention for a second too long. 

She gasped like a child on Christmas morning. "Look, baby! We can see the fireworks from here." Patrice tugged Terry along, all two hundred plus pounds of him yielding to her will slowly but surely. 

He had to admit, the sight was beautiful. Bright flashes of light turning into whimsical bursts kept him captivated as the clock ticked down the final minutes of the year. He slowly embraced her from behind, needing to feel her warmth combined with his for comfort. Patrice watched in content silence, smiling to herself while Terry watched the show unfold from the reflection in her glasses. 

Two minutes left. Two minutes to cap off a whirlwind 365 days and march triumphantly into a new slate. Two minutes to release long-forgotten truths buried in the recesses of Patrice's mind. She leaned back against Terry and craned her neck to admire him from her vantage point. 

A jawline fit for a man meant to be showcased to the world. Piercing eyes that shifted and changed with his emotions. Skin marked with blemishes telling countless stories – some he'd share and others that would follow him to the other side. Full pink lips that talked her through good, bad, and intimate times. All the features that might grace a child not yet named and growing in her womb.

"Senior prom night. You told me you loved me, and I said it back because I always said it back. But, that time, it felt different. It wasn't like sayin' it to my parents or my friends or the stray cat Mama let us feed. A different part of my heart meant it. That was the first moment."

Terry looked down at her, smirking and silently encouraging her to continue. She turned in his arms and then took hold of his ears to rub gentle circles against them. 

One minute left. Seconds dwindling. She continued. "The second time was today. And I hope there's a third, a fourth, and one hundred more to come. I never want to stop falling in love with you, TJ." 

Terry squeezed her a little tighter as if she might vaporize and blow away if he didn't hold on for dear life. "Yeah, me too," He whispered, drawing closer to her lips. "Never." 

Faint voices shouting a countdown in unison floated through empty streets and up to the 10th floor to surround a couple preparing to embark on a new journey. 

“Ten…nine…eight…seven…”

An excited buzzing, nearly perceptible by touch, sparked across the city. Heartfelt 'I love you's' shared as one breath passed between Terry and Patrice just before they connected lips and tongues. 

“Six…five…four…”

Colors painted their bodies from the window, bathing them in light one last time from January to December. A final salute from the Most High. 

"Three…two…one! Happy New Year!" 

Endless possibilities coated in an extra dose of magic felt real for the first time in forever. A lover's embrace carried hope and a promise. They'd start anew in lockstep the way the stars intended, with an extra set of fingers and toes to usher through life at some point in the future. 

But, for a moment, Terry and Patrice stood suspended in time, drunk off the taste of each other, ushering in the new year the only way they knew how. 

Together.

———————————

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[hyperions-light]

hey I was planning another post today but instead let’s talk about how much I love that there’s not really a ‘good’ ending to the companion plotlines in Veilguard. It reminds me of Leliana and Alistair’s plotlines in DAO in that what you choose says more about the player/protagonist than anything

I just finished Isana Negat a second time, and I did the other ending and I thought it was just as good. Like, yeah, Harding does deserve to be angry! They did fucking get everything taken away from them! It’s so painful and horrific; yes you can, and should, be mad! But also Harding prioritizing her very real love for and compassion towards other people is not wrong. It’s just different! It’s just Rook’s friend/lover asking them for advice, and Rook giving it! You know, like in real life except with huge magical rock giants

And okay I’m never going to kill Illario because I think it would make Luca really sad and he has enough problems, Whoops I misremembered this, I don’t think you can kill Illario actually. I love that for Luca <3 But yk, I’m probably still not going to imprison him. but I can see it! Because the cycle has to end, right? The violence and infighting of the Crows endlessly attacking each other over power is part of what allowed the Antaam to get a foothold in Antiva, because there was like a double agent or something (if I’m remembering right from Tev Nights). Some kind of ending needs to be made to this endless violence. And I suppose it depends on how retributive Rook is, which is a great question to ask of the player (one that is asked repeatedly throughout the game). It’s not like Illario didn’t do anything, you know! He probably deserves punishment. But Rook, as they always can at various points, can be merciful, can choose absolution. Wow no, I’m glad I was wrong I love it more like this.

And oh boy, I LOVED the ending of Emmrich’s quest, don’t even get me started! Like!! I thought it was going to be ‘well obviously we HAVE to save Manfred’, but how Emmrich talks about accepting his death and his sacrifice convinced me! I was like alright man, this is a real choice! I actually did make him a lich last time (made a lot of sense from a Watcher perspective, imo) and not only was the cutscene sick as hell, but the follow-up was so funny and I got some really sad Spite dialogue which fucking wrecked me. It was great— seriously, his plotline is one of my favorites in the whole game.

And Davrin’s! I’ve already expounded at length about how much I like his quest line and how it ties into the Grey Wardens, but I really think both of his options for the griffons are so workable, because you know the Grey Wardens, especially under Antione and Evka, aren’t going to hurt those little guys again! But also the scenes with Eldrin are so endearing, and Davrin’s hope for a brighter future for them is so sweet and genuine. It’s hard to pick! It’s about Rook's perspective!

Neve's I'll admit I don't vibe with as much just because of the like 'trust the authorities' angle, but i haven't tried saving Minrathous yet and I think it would be sooooo involving as a Shadow Dragon especially. Because that's what they're fighting for, right? That better Minrathous where they CAN be sure that if they send the insane cultist lady to prison she’s going to stay there? But there’s always the practical consideration of people’s lives being at stake NOW, of Neve needing her friends safe NOW. And just killing Aelia ensures she will never be an issue again. So I can see both angles for sure

And Taash ;-; oh, Taash. I haven’t posted about them that much yet because they make me very emotional and it’s hard to organize thoughts like that. But I really love their quest, and their struggle to define themselves. And look, I know people wanted the option to tell them they could be both, but like as a person who has lived a similar experience, it really feels sometimes like the world is making you choose. It can feel like you’re not enough of either thing for anyone. And there are parts of your identity that you will have to make a choice on, and I think it’s trying to speak to that. I did the Rivaini one, and it’s like… well, they’re embracing the culture of Rivain, but it’s not like anyone is ever going to look at them and NOT see a Qunari. You can’t get away from that. What you choose to do in response is a real dilemma and I think that if you engage with the text genuinely you can see what Trick was doing. Also, there is a really great dialogue from Rook that I think gives more context to the discussion; they can say that they have been many things, and it’s important to take what works from each experience and make it part of yourself. So I don’t think Taash’s plot is trying to make them throw away any of themselves, just defining priorities. (Sorry, that got long. Feelings, opinions about that one)

And I don’t think Bellara’s is obvious, either, especially with how they involve the Nadas Dirthalen in her personal plot. This is a thing that is really emotionally and culturally significant to her, but at the same time it is part of what hurt her brother and ultimately took him away from her. She’s really preoccupied with not causing harm by her actions; she spends the whole game worried about it! And even though Rook doesn’t see the dangerous elements of the repository, that doesn’t mean they’re not there. The puzzle quest you can find in Arlathan proves that other people besides Cyrian were taken in by Anaris. And also, there’s the plot thread they briefly touched on in the last game which is that the culture the Dalish have built, that they have RIGHT NOW, is not wrong. But it’s also important to remember history, even if it’s unpleasant or could be dangerous, which is another thing you can discuss with Bellara during the game. So there’s no wrong choice! It’s just about Rook and Bellara and what’s important from their perspectives.

Anyway it was super refreshing to have these kinds of choices! It reminds me of the best character choices in DAI and DAO, especially, and I’m so happy they carried those things forward and improved on them.

[stealingyourbones]

Question! I have been getting into DC comics cuz of dpxdc, and I saw your tags on frank Miller on a recent post. One of my irl friends told me to read the dark knight returns and while it was occasionally hard to follow I assumed that was a result of when it was written rather than who wrote it? But I did overall enjoy it.

I guess what I'm asking is why you say frank Miller is a bad writer when it seems like the dark knight returns was so acclaimed?

(I saw the nazi thing too but that's something I can google so while it's news to me it's not my main question)

ok so. A lot of this is my personal opinion and I'm not too equipped to say shit about this because I'm not very political but I'm going to give it my best shot. Put under a cut so folks who don't want to hear about comic ranting can simply scroll past

I’m just gonna write a quick thing for the Nazi stuff, He isn't exactly a Nazi but boy oh boY does he set off many warning flags. Frank Miller is also the writer of the comic 300, if that sounds familiar that's because the movie you're probably thinking of is indeed based off these comics. The Spartan's ideology helped create the baselines of Fascism. Fascism is a pretty leading cause of commentary in Frank Millers work. In Batman: The Dark Knight he is a fascist. In Hard Boiled there's swastikas in the background every so often. (I even went back to reread it just to make sure and yep. they definitely were there) In 300 there's a shitton of Fascism... I could go on but still. His comics are incredibly gorey, have a discussion about a world gone wrong that can only be changed using force and weaponry (the whole Dark Knight "I am a surgeon" monologue for example), and the fact that he has Fascism as the main point of nearly all of the comics he's written... it doesn't sit right with me and it's a consistent pattern.

Now, onto the bad writing. I must firstly preface that these are my own opinions and that I didn't grow up reading Frank Miller's work. I think he was a good writer but isn't one anymore. His writing did incredible things for DC and you can see his influence in Batman even today. Works I've read and enjoyed of his are: Daredevil, Batman Year One, and Dark Knight. Nowadays you'll see many folks like myself talk about how Frank Miller has fallen off the deep end. A vast majority of Frank Miller's comics have reoccurring themes: politics, fascism, extreme violence, and so so much weaponry. Politics is in every comic book. There is no unpolitical comic, there ARE comics that are batshit wild with their politics and that's what I'm talking about. I'll get back to this later. He wrote many good comics, ones that first come to mind are Daredevil , Wolverine, Batman: Dark Knight, Batman: Year One, Sin City, Ronin, and 300. All of these comics are still credited by folks as amazing comics and hell, I recommend folks to read them go and check them out. Then 9/11 happened. That along with rampant alcoholism. Those reoccurring themes I mentioned? They become exponentially more blatant in his works. Especially on the political angle. You can see the difference between his works from pre and post 9/11. If you read Dark Knight and Dark Knight 2 back to back. It's night and day. He even made a comic during the post 9/11 panic called Holy Terror. The comic's title was originally pitched as Holy Terror, Batman! with the Gotham hero himself as the main character but it swiftly denied by DC, denied being published by DC, and changed to what it is now. The basic plot of this comic: A Vigilante named The Fixer fights Al-Qaeda after attacking Empire City. He doesn't even mention the word Al-Qaeda until 80 pages into a 150 page comic. The comic is some INCREDIBLY blatant post 9/11 propaganda that's ridiculously Islamophobic and anti-muslim. That isn't even my opinion, Frank Miller has said that's what this comic was. It is scattered with a ridiculous amount of hate speech written by a hate fueled man in 2007. Now onto comics that you'd more likely read. All Star Batman and Robin (2005). Oh boy. Let's compare shall we? Batman Dark Knight Returns (1986)

All Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder #1 (2005)

mind you this is as Dick is being driven to GCPD for questioning RIGHT AFTER HIS PARENTS DIED. He gets kidnapped by Bruce out of the police car. Not calmed in his arms after the murder and brought to the manor. Kidnapped. All Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder #2 (2005)

( a brief intermission of this sickass pose of a shirtless Alfred Pennyworth comforting Vicky Vale)

now back to the kidnapping:

[Skipping Bruce getting chased by the GCPD, Jumping the Batmobile ONTOP of a GCPD car, and laughing and talking to his car all the while Dick is absolutely terrified. They then use boosters that propel the Batmobile into the sky.]

Smashcut to #4 where they actually enter the Batcave.

I don't even think I need to explain myself. This is Spider-Man: One More Day levels of mischaracterization. Like seriously. Bruce kidnapping Dick after his parents were killed? Calling him a retard and hitting him during the aftermath (we can go on about how in 2005, the r slur was used commonly but this was just out of pocket), Leaving him in the cold batcave and told to eat rats? Frank Miller used to write some incredible works. Nowadays his writing is as decent as Rob Liefeld's art.

[ravenbloodshot]

I really wanted to talk about Lee Dong Wook because that last anon made me want to check out your readings on him again and your readings always make me see things from different angles and be able to pick things up that I missed last time, since they're also full of info and super long (you can never really understand the nuance of an entire tarot reading in one sitting imo). Anyway, it ended being long because idk lol I just love talking about peoples expressions and psychology! You're such a brilliant reader, I'm absolutely in love with you, please marry me and forget the Welsh dude LMAO. Also I'm British, welsh people can be very modest. Welsh people in general have been quite warm people (as much as I'm aware). The Welsh tend to contrast the rather curt attitudes the general English public like to exhibit. English people are like icy climes (energy not climate) and the Welsh more sunnier climes. In the UK we also aren't as conceited (about looks at least) despite what people think, we're sarcastic and really fucking elitist but it's generally not a good look to walk around being entitled, despite our condescending nature (contradictory I know!). The brits are snobs, so you guessed it... they don't like snobs 😂 You will also not get special treatment and I think brits tend to spare their compliments, I don't hear many compliments around me but when I get online or I go to other countries it's laid on thick. It's generally not seen as an achievement (I say this lightly, probably because most brits are average or something idk I could be wrong) to be good-looking. We have a very "I'll humble you mate" quality and people generally don't like dicks, p's and q's are of the utmost importance. People will think you're snooty and they will stop at nothing to let you know! I've seen (it's not an attack just an observation) that Americans can be cocky if they're good looking lol almost like it's a prerequisite, as if your looks don't speak for themselves your attitude has to show it? It's almost like living to tell the tale of seeing a humble attractive Korean... like where are they? 💀 That's why Eun Woo's energy throws me off sometimes he knows he's good looking (he's no1 in Korea) but he's somehow retained some sort of incorrupt self-esteem, I'm shocked because Korean celebs and the general public (because of excess lookism in Korea, good looking individuals can be incredibly conceited as fuck, my friend gets humbled a lot, though she's pretty to me, apparently she tells me she's average, the beauty standards however are insurmountable and they recommended plastic surgery for her over the summer and guess what? She works in biometry... INSANE, not even a model)? I heard he's genuinely a pleasant person and quite warm. Have you been able to read on him again or is he still "blocking"? The dudes just entered his Saturn return and he has a stellium in Aries which means a lot of shit will come to the surface. He might be better to pick up now. I hope he makes it because the thing damn near took me out. 😭 I'll put my assumption about LDW in another ask because I got carried away explaining the Welsh thing lol 😂❤️

Thanks so much, I put a lot of effort into my readings so I really appreciate that you enjoy them 🙏

I remember hearing that the English were more standoffish and a little snobby. My Welsh guy seems to be the complete opposite of that( friendly, shy, and just a hot cutie). I do think we Americans value beauty and confidence (even better if you mix that in with some charisma). Can't speak for all of us, but growing up, we're taught to be more outspoken, confident, and get ahead with what you have (chase the American dream or whatnot). I guess we view beauty as one of those things that gives you an advantage, and if you have it, best to be proud of it.

I do understand the English way as well, to be humble and have more of a silent esteem.

Now, with Cha Eunwoo, I mentioned before how he said he grew up with a stricter mom who didn't compliment him growing up so he wouldn't become conceited. And I think that plays apart in how he responds to ppl being charmed/wowed by his looks. It doesn't seem like compliments about his appearance phase him very much (could be that he's just used to it). I've heard other tarot readers say that he finds ppl that aren't affected by his looks attractive. Likely, his aries placements play a part in this, but I also see his childhood being a reason why he might desire for the attention of those that don't readily fall for him or like him. Overall, I think he's an interesting dude, not a bad guy but interesting. I'll try again some time to do a red and green flags reading on him

[copperbadge]

Immediate Writer's Block

Had a comment on another post where I thought I'd probably need more space than the notes in which to respond, so:

constant-state-of-self-discovery Oh I get the envy I feel it right now how the fuck do you manage to write without impassable writers block after 5-9 sentences because I haven't fucking figured it out lol

I do have some advice on this!

I think most writers get blocked from time to time, it's normal and my general strategy is just to wait it out, but if you're frequently blocked after only writing a very little bit, I think the problem is one of two things: either you don't know what you want to achieve with the scene you're writing, or you don't know what should happen next within the scene to achieve that goal. If you frame "I'm blocked" as "I don't have an answer I need" then often you move from just sitting there, sweating and staring at a blank page, to thinking productively about how you're going to get where you're going. It's the difference between not knowing an answer and not knowing an answer but knowing where to look for it.

An invaluable piece of advice for this, which I think I picked up from someone who got it off a National Novel Writing Month messageboard, is "When in doubt, ninjas attack." It's not meant to be literal, you don't need to have ninjas or fight scenes just because you don't know what to do, but it helps to get the creativity flowing again. If you don't know what should happen next, or you know but you're having trouble actually writing the scene, it can be very helpful to induce a moment of uncertainty or surprise -- to have a metaphorical ninja attack. One time I did this literally -- the POV character was just on the road somewhere and I didn't know how to get them from a pastoral country road to their actual destination in an interesting way, so I had them get attacked by highway bandits and have to fight them off, which also allowed me to demonstrate that the character had significant unarmed combat skills. But it can also just be like, two characters who are having a boring conversation can be interrupted by a third person, even just a stranger asking for directions, or there can be, IDK, an explosion, or something goes missing, or etc.

Sometimes it also helps to leave it alone but keep it in your mind and go do something else -- listen to a podcast, take a walk, read a book, not because those things are distracting but because all our inputs eventually feed into our brain and come out as reactions. If you're thinking about your book while you're wandering around a park, something you see in the park might have an impact on it. If you've got YOUR story in mind while reading someone else's, you might be more inclined to look at what they're saying and see what you think of it, how it might play into your work.

And honestly, sometimes you just gotta go past it. I'm working on the next Shivadh novel right now and it opens basically with Simon the chef getting into a spat with his love-interest-to-be over some cheese. He want the cheese, she won't sell him the cheese, so they get off to a very contentious start. But I suck at writing conflict especially when it's basically "A character I like is being pompous and another character I want people to find likable is being stubborn and somewhat unpleasant". I've been stalled on it for a while. But I know where the scene ends up, like I do know what the goal is, so I just...skipped it and went on to writing a scene I like better, where they meet a second time and actually discover each others' identity and that they're about to be forced into the grownup equivalent of a school project. Once I've gotten dug deeper into the story I'll come back and write it, and by then I'll have the benefit of knowing the love interest a bit better.

So yeah -- I think a lot of breaking a writer's block, especially when you don't need rest but are just stumped about what to do, is to twist and look at it from another angle. It's not that you don't know what to write, or don't want to write what you know you have to -- it's that you don't have the correct answer to a question, or you need to leave that part alone to ferment and come back to it later. At least, for me.

[theartofeggs]

🪶🐴⛅️?

I love u anon. Great Hawk and Alex in one request?? I must be in heaven. you've blessed me i love them both sm they're my favorites

Thanks for participating in my ask event! I don't think I'll get the last two done before next week (busy weekend) but I'll try to at least get one! :) Anyways I love writing abt bad things happening to characters I don't particularly enjoy (Remy) <3

The event's ended by now, but I'll finish the current requests I've gotten!

Synopsis; attack bird

Prompt: Great Hawk & Alex (Wholesome) / CW: GH got an ouchie :(, Remy getting what she fuckin deserves - Alex = GN, GH = female, and GH is a beastperson + bonus F! Remy (only mentioned)

A Phoenix Downed

Alex didn't get visitors at their farm often, and when they did, it usually wasn't a good thing. The only people they liked to see were their business partners and the very rare kind stranger just stopping by for directions. So, when a giant harpy crash landed in the middle of one of their fields, they were hesitant. She was massive, even for a beastperson, and one of her wings was bent at an odd angle that Alex couldn't possibly imagine was natural. They were a bit scared of getting close to her, but their concern won out when they heard her painful cried echo through the air.

"You alright, miss harpy lady?" They frowned as they carefully approached, a hand on their sunhat and a hand on the phone in their pocket. They'd call animal control if they didn't already know what the bastards would do to her, but they wouldn't be capable of fighting off such a huge bird, even if she was already wounded. She looked up at him from where she was splayed on the ground, clearly getting ready to growl or swat at them. "It's okay! I ain't here to hurt ya. Or touch ya at all, really." They kept their distance from her and she seemed to calm down, at least to a manageable degree. She moved to sit up and subsequently winced, though she kept her eyes trained on Alex. She must not be very trusting of other people. Or, at least not humans.

"You gotta be in a lot of pain, right? I know you don't trust me, but I can help ya." Alex gently coaxed, crouching down near her feet. They were terrified of her lashing those talons out at them, but she didn't seem eager to do so either. She didn't move when they rummaged through their pockets and pulled out a bottle, shaking out some pills from inside. They were pain meds that were safe for both them and the various beastpeople on their farm to have, so they just kept some on them at all times for emergencies. And, well, it was probably safe for the harpy to have some too. Wild harpies couldn't be too different from their centaurs or cowgirls, right? "This is will help with the pain. It's stuff ya gotta swallow whole, since it don't taste good." They explained, holding out a couple pills to her and frowning when she glowered at them. With a sigh, they pulled another pill out the bottle and swallowed it in front of her. It was only then that she reached and took the pills from them, swallowing them just like Alex did.

The next few weeks were... interesting, if nothing else. They had let her room in the upper attic of the barn, though the cows weren't all too pleased with the new dangerous roommate that was constantly over their heads. At the very least, she knew how to pay a person back for their kindness. She would hunt down the lurkers hiding in the fields and eat them, letting Alex clear the weed-filled ones many times easier than they could before. She also let them tend to her wounds, and, after a while, began to hang around them more. She would perch on the fence they freshly rebuilt that morning and watch as they tugged at weeds or watered the various plants in their field.

"Great Hawk." She said out of the blue one day, and they paused, confused for a moment. Then it clicked and they smiled at her, tipping their hat. "Alex." They felt accomplished when they witnessed her first smile, and they felt equally bittersweet when she was fully healed and ready to head off to her home again. While they wouldn't call her a friend, per se, she had definitely endeared herself to Alex somehow. She was intelligent and oddly kind, and they thought they finally managed to get past her reserved nature. "Will be back to help." She promised softly, before taking off into the moor.

They didn't see her again until a week later, though they'd heard, and seen, a surprising amount of destruction had gone on at Remy's estate. Barns burnt down, cows and centaurs fleeing in all directions whilst terrified, and fields decimated. Alex was curious how they managed to escape being directly affected by whatever was going on just down the street, but their confusion died when they saw Great Hawk perching on the fence again. "Working on revenge. Dislike the cruel human that tried to kill me." She'd explained when Alex asked if she had any role in it, and they chuckled at her. At least they had a common enemy, right?

Over the next month, Alex watched, and vaguely helped, Great Hawk as she tore the Remy estate apart and brought it to its metaphorical knees. Surely the first hit they'd gotten on her, the one that started this, must have been a fluke, because no matter how many times they shot at her now, they never so much as grazed her flight feathers. Each unrelenting siege left them with half the land and possessions that they did the day prior, and considering Great Hawk attacked them every single night, they were running out of supplies much faster than they could get new ones in. Alex knew they had no right to feel such a way, but they were very proud of her regardless.

When Remy finally admitted defeat and abandoned her once-thriving farmlands, Great Hawk visited Alex again. She moved closer to them than she ever had before, at least without being injured and needing her wounds checked up on, and hugged them tightly. They hugged her back with a light laugh, glad to have such a weight off their shoulders, and even more glad to have made such a companion.

the end '^' words : 977

[sinning-23]

My First Kiss

OKAY so this is indeed a multi fandom page and I have recently been rewatching Attack on Titan so I hope you guys are ready to endure this brainrot with me :D I'll probably make a pt. 2 with the higher ups and shit-

Never fear tho i have some OPLA stuff in the works too I just haven't really finished it up...

ps. im sorry for any spelling errors I wrote this on impulse

ANYWHO enjoy!

Eren

Your first kiss was completely by accident. Didn't make it any less rendering or embarrassing. The conversation between you and the main three was getting heated, Armin making a valid point that Eren simply wasn't listening to (he was listening he's just hardheaded) and Mikasa gave her occasional input only fueling the fire.

Somehow the debate took a turn and before you knew it everyone was becoming more and more animated in their movements. You had simply turned your head a bit too quickly in the direction Eren was sitting nd coincidentally he had moved forward just enough for your lips to meet in a quick pec.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry!" You yip, immediately pressing your fingertips to the spot on your lips.

You'd never seen Eren turn so red so fast. He tried to play it off, averting his eyes as the conversation died down a bit at the awkward occurrence. He'd never admit that he was hoping for something like that to happen.

Armin

You were a bit taller than Armin, well at least when you were younger. The blond just HAD to have a growth spurt. Anyway, you had a bit of making your height different more painfully obvious. When he reached for books you often got them off the higher shelf and teased him a little before giving and handing him the hardcover he desired.

As previously stated, he just HAD to have a growth spurt. Now if was your turn to be teased. You had been reaching as best you could, the presence behind you making you stop.

The blond had grabbed the item so easily, hell you'd forgotten what you needed at this point. he looked...good from this angle, his eyes somehow darker as he looked down at you with a smile.

"I won't tease." He hums, pressing his lips to your wrist, your hand still stretched upwards before he places the item in it.

If your major crush on the blond wasn't solidified before it sure as hell was now

Connie

You and Connie were already in a relationship, more secret so as to not draw attention but god damn it was easy to see you two were a lot closer than before...and neither of you was really good at keeping a secret like this especially when the two of you always had your hands off one another.

At this point, everyone had seen you two hold hands, sneak off during training to just be in each other's presence, little stuff. The one thing that had yet to be seen was more intimate contact. And it was only because it hadn't even happened yet. You and Constance hadn't kissed yet...so when you had snuck into the boy's dorm to lay with your glorified cuddle buddy, you weren't expecting anything but that. Until he started talking to you. In whispers of course.

"Hey y/n," He began, your fingers intertwined as you faced each other, your limbs tangled with one another.

"Yeah, Connie?" You answer, throat suddenly dry when his hand rests against your hip. It wasn't like you didn't think about being more romantic with Connie, you were really just nervous, you'd never kissed anyone before and neither had he.

"Do you think we should...kiss more. I mean, you are my girlfriend, I should kiss you, right?" He asks, his eyes looking down at yours, easy to see even in the darkened room.

"Do you want to kiss me Constance?" You ask, placing you hand behind his neck, your thumb rubbing over the fuzz at the base of his neck from hs buzzcut.

There was a little hesitation but your question was answered when his lips are pressed firm against your own.

Jean

This smug bastard, he knows you like to pick fights just as much as he does. and when you pick fights with him, it's honestly his favorite thing. He loves how your eyebrows angle so far down that you have a little crease between them. He loves how you get in his face and point that well-manicured finger into his chest. He loves it when you get loud. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, but sometimes he pisses you off on purpose for just a crumb of your attention.

This particular argument was over who was supposed to clean the stables. You insist he help you but of course, he wants to fight, so he declines.

"I wasn't asking I was telling dumbasss now get up and help me." You huff, walking to him, your head angled upwards and the height difference. He only smirks and takes the opportunity to claim your lisp. The action surprised him a little bit. Since when did he get the balls to do something as bold as that. What surprised him more was when you tugged at his collard to push him away...but only doubled down and snatched him back to meet your lips again.

Yeah, if this was when he was gonna get when he pissed you off, he was gonna make it a point to do it more often.

Reiner

Honestly, you couldn't remember when you and Reiner first kissed, you two just sort of...did it and didn't stop doing it. Reiner always had some sort of scary guard dog position when he was with you and made it a point to let everyone know who was treating you like the goddess you were. So, any chance he got to show you off and show that he was totally hitting that, he did. According to him, your first kiss was right after you teo had been training all day.

You coudlt get the move down and you had been expressing your frustrationt o him. So, he offered to help you practice.

"I'll be great practive, you never know the size of your opponent so use this as a reference. Dont hold back." He insited, taking a stance as you breathe deeply.

You sprinted towards him, sliding between the bap he left between his legs. You were quick to put him in a chokehold, leaning back so that he would lose balance, and sure enough he did. You had managed to crawl from under him, positioning yourself atop him, your legs at either side of his waist as pride fills your face.

"I did it!" You celebrate, huffing in satisfaction before commigntot he realization of your current position.

"I-Wow okay sorry Reiner-" You apologize, hearing him chuckle a bit before sitting up on his forearms.

"Nah it's fine, i think i like this position though, nice work."

And before you could process the fact that your training crush had made a bit of a suggestive comment, his lips were already pressed quickly to your own.

------

Authors Note; UHHHH lemme know what all wanna see next my ask box is always open my luvs <3

[peoplesrazor]

So, the complaints aren't about you having surface level takes, Lily. It's that you only have surface level takes. Even those takes are often wrong or misleading. Your supposed to be a media critic. It's hard to take you seriously in that capacity if you never go into any depth.

Worse, that's you addressing plot, rather than writing; preferring episodic over serialization without providing a convincing argument why it's better; complaining about style, while ignoring the substance. This comes off as an attack against the showrunners and writers and as hating a genre, rather than critical analysis. That's why people get defensive.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to enjoy something on a surface level. Some of the best action movies only exist at that level. It's all fight sequences with cool camera angles, exciting chase scenes, and cool dialogue wrapped up in something loosely resembling a plot. And that's fine.

In fact, a common complaint you see about "bad" action movies is that the plot got overly complicated and killed the momentum. I'm here to see a jewel heist. Why the heck is the safe-cracker explaining economy under capitalism to me? Most of us just showed up to watch the overly-badass good guy beatdown the overly-badass bad guy. We don't need the lecture.

However, watching something at only a surface level and wanting all things to be at that level, are two different things. I'm seeing a lot of that in Arcane discourse right now. The natural response to "why'd that happen? It came out of nowhere." is "Did you not see her eyes widen? Not notice how that character was lit? No understand how important it is that it happened in this setting?" To which the first guy will counter: "I shouldn't have to catch micro-expressions and figure out metaphors and camera angles and whatever to get that stuff."

My first, unfiltered response on seeing this argument is always, "then this was probably not the show for you." Again, that's fine. Also, you can enjoy a great deal about Arcane without paying attention to that stuff. It's pretty, it's got moments of humor, great fight scenes, a mostly decent soundtrack, there's a giant battle involving all the characters at the end.

You're just not going to be in on the more subtle stuff.

Which, again, that's cool. I just don't feel that's on the writers or the show. It can be with shows that makes their references too obscure. I just don't personally think it's on the show this time. That's just me, though.

Actually, Lily, I'll give you some credit here. You did pick two shows that are perfect for explaining this. They are also perfect to drive home my point.

You can absolutely watch Avatar and enjoy it only a surface level understanding of it's themes. Kids do/did. Kids always understand more than people give them credit for; so, I won't say they are only getting that the Fire Nation is bad. They likely get that war and genocide are bad, as well.

Might take them a minute to get to "the media's refusal to call it the genocide in Gaza is very there is no war in Ba Sing Se isn't it?"

This, as has been pointed out, is why media literacy is important. So, you can make those connections. Even your surface reaction should be more along the lines of "Oh, the raven represents grief" and not "Ha, that bird won't leave that dude alone." Eventually, you should get to a point where you start comparing Poe's themes of loss, and the inability to move on to real life situations.

Now with Utena if you are really only getting tournaments=bad out of it, you are missing a lot. There is so much metaphor and symbolism going on there. There is so much that's surreal. There is meaning and nuance to be pulled from so so many places there.

I confess, it's been years, probably decades since I watched Utena all the way through...

but I still remember the frigging cars.

Addendum: Guess I felt like writing an essay this morning.

[loudn-mcyt]

SBK Superhero AU: End Kingdom

The last poll tied, so you get End kingdom now as well. The masterpost has the links to all of the kingdoms so far, as usual. I'll also link the final poll here.

For Leon, the colors come specifically from the skin he used in his chorus fruit corruption arc. The name comes from googling types of penguins and picking the one that felt the most like a superhero.

I took this build in a slightly different direction. The easiest way to build it would be to lean all the way into the chorus fruit and give Leon enderman-based powers, with one small problem - I already have a teleporter, and I don't want to overlap these too much. So, from there, where should I go?

I decided to build a Leon that is primed to be a bodyguard (for who, you might ask? That's probably not important). I did this partially because "Rockhopper" sounds like that kind of character, and partially because imagining a 7-foot tall penguin punching someone through a wall was very funny to me. As a result, there are three main aspects of Leon's powers: the 'big guy' part (Built Like endstone), the 'enderman' part (Chorus Corruption), and the 'penguin' part (Penguin).

Built Like Endstone is pretty straightforward - it's just a boost to his strength and stamina. Chorus corruption makes him fast and surprisingly hard to hit - he can't be confined in one place, and he automatically teleports away from ranged attacks, though he doesn't get to pick where he goes. Penguin basically just enhances the traits of penguins, making him even faster underwater than on land and giving him some small immunities.

Leon's advantages and skills are focused on gearing him towards a lightning bruiser archetype. Some allow him to hit harder (All-out attack, power attack), some allow him to move faster (Improved initiative, move-by action), and the last one, interpose, is the key to the bodyguard aspect. It allows Leon to respond to an ally taking damage within his movement range by taking the hit for them, completely negating any harm to them and taking it himself. His defenses are correspondingly shifted towards being better at taking hits rather than avoiding them, to facilitate this kind of protection.

There is that pesky reliance on chorus fruit. It's unfortunate, really, that someone who could control his access to chorus fruit could control him. I'm sure that's fine.

Josh Codeneon was the last build I did, simply because I could not for the life of me figure out where to fit him. He only has 2 episodes to go off of without a lot of lore (at least not that I personally know), I was having trouble with just working with the End dimension since Leon had already covered endermen, and I didn't want to reach back to dominion since Artemis already has the mushroom angle cornered on sbk.

And then I looked at his skin again, and it all clicked.

This guy's a robot.

His powers center around this. He's remarkably robust defensively, with some very strong immunities (most notably anything targeting his fortitude defense), balanced defenses (other than a slight weakness in will), and the ability to completely ignore any damage effect with a rank of 5 or below. His regrowth mechanisms give him a way to recover from damage (his lack of stamina also means he can't recover naturally over time). This makes him a huge threat to a lot of characters; characters who focus on fortitude effects or who prioritize accuracy over power may have a very tough time keeping him out of the fight. Arc Current, his final power, gives him a good ranged option to complement his close combat abilities.

All those immunities are pretty expensive, though, meaning that there weren't a lot of points to go around for advantages or skills. The ones I did choose are pretty utilitarian: combat flexibility, a flawless memory, and some assorted utility skills.

Finally, his complication. A robot has to come from somewhere. But who built him? Why? Where are they now?

And is he the only one?

[ink-flavored]

I'm not 100% sure which of your wips these would apply to but I am curious nonetheless:

🤔What kind of technology is still being developed in your WIP? What’s something they’re still trying to figure out?

🏈Have any new sports or games been invented with the advancement of technology? What are they?

😟Do people have mixed feelings about colonizing space? Are there movements to stop humanity’s expansion?

💡Has humanity invented faster-than-light travel? If not, are they working on it?

🧬How different are the aliens, biologically, from humans in your WIP? Are they bonding over shared mammalian traits or unable to comprehend each other?

~ @void-botanist

thank you!!

i only have a couple sci-fi WIPs, one of them is Out of the Park, and the other is my very new Space Cruise WIP. I think i'll be able to include both of them in this!

🤔What kind of technology is still being developed in your WIP? What’s something they’re still trying to figure out?

Answered this one for Space Cruise already, so I'll go with OOTP!

There's still no widespread space travel in this WIP! Once sapient robots got accidentally created, it kinda went on the back-burner of "things that are important to deal with right now." It's been a little while, though, so figuring out how to travel through space is back on! And now that robots exist, they can probably help achieve that goal!

🏈Have any new sports or games been invented with the advancement of technology? What are they?

Perhaps it's not a "new" sport, but in the case of OOTP, the existence of robots that are smarter, faster, and stronger than humans has led to adapting existing sports to make accommodate robot players without it being super easy and boring. At least casually, the professional world still has to catch up.

Co-ed robot/human sports clubs tend to have a no-contact rule for obvious reasons, and while this might seem like it makes things way more boring, it actually produces some creative solutions. How do you get the other team to drop the Sport Ball without touching them? How do you, as the person with the Sport Ball, get through the wall of defense without barreling through it?

Additionally, since robots can perfectly calculate angles, wind resistance, strength to throw a certain distance/speed, etc, the psychological warfare game is off the charts. You can't stop them from throwing the ball perfectly, but can you convince to throw it in the wrong direction?

Making sports more like a puzzle isn't necessarily what a lot of people are into, but it's better than purposefully inhibiting your own functioning and damaging your CPU in the process. Not naming names.

😟Do people have mixed feelings about colonizing space? Are there movements to stop humanity’s expansion?

This one is Space Cruise Related!

There are absolutely groups that want humanity to stop claiming planets and territories, on both ends of the spectrum. One side is on the Colonization Bad end, because colonization is bad. They cite the resource gobbling that happens on nearly every human settlement and then point back to Earth—the cycle of destroying a planet in the name of short-term profit is repeating itself over and over, and now we also have to contend with the fact that extraterrestrial life exists. Are we killing alien animals? Species that will never get to evolve to become our neighbors? What would have happened to these planets if they were left alone? They already had life on them and it's not humanity's place to stick a flag in everything that "isn't technically inhabited."

On the other end, there groups that want humanity to stop expanding because humanity is making too many friends with aliens, and we should instead be blowing them up. We need to lock down our borders that we already have—we can't possibly defend so many planets if The Scary Bad Aliens attack!!!!! We need to make sure all humans are segregated from aliens to reinforce our True Nature and take over the galaxy.

Both of these groups are relatively fringe.

💡Has humanity invented faster-than-light travel? If not, are they working on it?

This one is Space Cruise Related!

They have! I'm gonna be honest, this sci-fi is soft as fuck, and I am not even going to bother thinking about how FTL travel exists. The important thing is that they have spaceships that can go real fast and that's all you need to know <3

🧬How different are the aliens, biologically, from humans in your WIP? Are they bonding over shared mammalian traits or unable to comprehend each other?

This one is Space Cruise Related!

The one sapient alien race I currently have are my crocodile aliens that I spoke about in another ask (you can find their description here). They are reptiles! They are quite different from humans, being a whole different class and order of animals most obviously.

Before the two groups got their respective top linguists up there and learned each other's languages, the only way they knew the other group was at least somewhat advanced was they they both had spaceships. And translating that language was hard, too, since the croc aliens don't have the same vocal chords as humans do, or lips, and their tongues can't move much, so their frills supplements a lot of their speech when it comes to tone and intention. Humans, on the other hand, make so many crazy fuckin' noises and scrunch our faces up when we have feelings instead of having the manners to turn a completely different color, it's hard for them to differentiate our tones and expressions. Because there's so goddamn many of them.

Humans are initially (and probably still) weirded out that these aliens don't wear a whole lot, meanwhile the aliens are wondering why we aren't basking. Aren't we cold? And once they figure out we can regulate our own body temperature they go WHAT??? WE DIDN'T KNOW MAMMALS COULD BE SAPIENT and then humans go WE DIDN'T KNOW REPTILES COULD BE EITHER!!!

There's a lot of learning going on! We are different, but also much the same <3

[try out my sci-fi worldbuilding ask game]

[jazzy-art-time]

What's Jeden's "skin"(fur?)care routine like?

WHEN IT COMES TO FURRY CREATURES.... I tend to blend hair/skin care together at times? Such as... Yes Jeden moisturizes! But technically he rubs it on his FUR.... but it prolly sinks down to his SKIN as well! SO when I say a character (who has fur) "moisturizes"... I generally go with the logic that it applies to both the fur and the skin. ALTHOUGH: There ARE skin specific products that one probably has to rub really deeply into their fur to get to their skin. But again, sometimes they overlap a bit so just a disclaimer on that. Furries are fun and silly but sometimes the technical stuff can be a eyebrow raise. ANYWAYS JEDEN Jeden takes EXTREME care of his skin/fur! He IS that person with 50 million products that he uses. But it actually pays off, his skin and hair/fur are in great condition. He takes a bit to get ready in the morning and at night... but over time he has gotten much faster at it. How fast can a man apply 70 different creams.,.,..,

He takes it very seriously and takes great pride in how he takes care of himself! It isn't a bother to him and he enjoys it greatly. He even makes "GRWM" livestreams and videos a lot because he just.. genuinely enjoys taking care of himself in that way. It's also one of the few things that he is nice about, by that I mean he does like.. he recommends products or shows his process on how he does things/how it works and answers questions about it Which doesn't... seem like that much but a lot of people tend to be "gatekeepy" with their beauty/skin/fur routines. So he is one of the few who is very open and actually nice about it if someone in chat asks him about things. He also gets his fur trimmed regularly! In my furry headcanon, body fur trimming and hair cutting are two different beasts, but I'll spare that ramble!!

BUT, Body Fur trimming is... a process. Even so, Jeden gets it done regularly to keep his body shape and whatnot clean n sleek! He even has his own set of tools for small trimmings for general upkeep! Although he does make bi-weekly trips to a special salon that does body fur trimmings I WILL SPARE THE RANT ON THAT AS WELL

BUT! Here is a little shitty doodle of half of Jeden's bathroom counter set up!

His counter top has special adjustable mirrors! The main counter mirror is for his face/general mirror stuff BUT the special mirrors that are on adjustable arms, are so he can view the rest of his body from various angles! This is generally seen as a "standard" for most bathrooms, as proper body care is needed. I imagine that Jeden has a much more expensive set of these mirrors because he is a rich model baby. (BUT I don't have the art/concepts for the differences between what is fancy and what isnt but listen lsiten LISTEN I am shit at object design give me tiME GIVE ME TIME)

BUT ANYWAYS Jeden takes EXTREMELY good care of himself! He has a million special hair/fur/skin care products and things that he uses, he often makes/streams GRWM things. It may take him a long bit to get ready for the day or get ready for bed... But my god. That fur shines and is smooth and ultra soft.

( Alaxia doesnt take nearly as good of care of himself, for various reasonings. Most of his "self care" stuff is done FOR him at his Model Shoots.. so he doesn't see that much of a reason to be that way at home. Although he holds up a bottle of like 65 n 1 to Etoile (Who is a Salon Owner) and she probably has a heart attack)

[lensman-arms-race]

Episode 73 thoughts

Holy crap, I just noticed it's episode 73 part 1. I thought it was an entire episode!

Camera Matriarch POV! Kind of heartbreaking how Speaker Matriarch pushes her away. Everyone grieves in their own ways.

I remember making a post saying that since no-one else saw Plunk's interaction with the Secret Agent, from everyone else's POV Plunk must have kinda spontaneously combusted. Turns out yes, that's how it happened.

It's funny as hell that I made a post earlier wondering how hard it would be for DFB to re-render earlier episodes with a different POV, and that's more-or-less what happened (though I think DFB must have remade those flashback bits from scratch, given the increase in quality).

Interesting that we see the episode 57 flashback (TV Matriarch rescues a near-death Plunk) from the original POV cam's view. Camera Matriarch was present, so the flashback should have been from a bit higher up and a different angle. Maybe it would have been too fiddly for DFB to set up, I don't know.

Nice to see high-res old TCam! DFB, please give him his earsies back!

In one of the flashback scenes, we see a large cam loading some dead toilets into a van. What are they going to do with those?

Then... There's humance?? I think the one on the far right side is Secret Agent. He appears to be called Dave. (Maybe his full name is David Phoque-Boum, ehehehe.)

"Proceed with phase one, opening the gate." Are they doing a Half-Life?! Did they just open a portal to the toilet dimension?? Is this going to turn out like Portal? Did some humans get their brains digitised and loaded into robots like Caroline into GlaDOS?

Camera Matriarch's tablet says "Cameraman 69", hehe. I don't know if it's just for Funy Number or if we need to go back and check episode 69 for something.

The buzzsaw quadruped toilet's screams are harrowing, Jesus Christ!

I like that we see Camera Matriarch flick the double middle fingers, and that she took Plunk's plungers with her. Love how she helps up the medic cam too.

We get to see Camera Matriarch's VATS mode in first person, neato!

Well, that's messed up - we see a big mutant toilet, which I thought were made from the harvested bodies of large hardware units, but this one has skin. Have the skibidis started cultivating their own flesh bodies in vats or something?

Super funny detail: the Scientist Toilet rig laughs evilly. TV Matriarch is piloting it, but that's not her voice. There must be a button on dashboard for 'laugh evilly'. >:D

We hear TV Matriarch make a squeaky sound - is that her voice? I'll have to try reversing it (maybe pitch-shifting it down) to check if it's words.

There are at least four of those weird shipping containers! What's in those?

G-Toilet looks genuinely shocked. It's probably a huge demoraliser to see the face of your loyalest subordinate attacking you while laughing mockingly. Is this also the first time G-Toilet realised Scientist Toilet was dead? Did he momentarily think Scientist Toilet had betrayed him? He looks haunted.

Did TV Matriarch manage to teleport away the entire Scientist rig or just herself?

I like how TSpeaker spins their cannons like a gunslinger!

Cliffhanger! Will Humungus Astro return to fuck shit up??

[dr-futbol-blog]

Sanctuary, Pt. 7

Sheppard and Chaya are left alone as the others leave. Sheppard starts gaming her for real (identify > isolate > target > manipulate). He puts "the moves" on her. But even as he's doing this, he still feels the need to defend Rodney's good name. To apologize on his behalf. They say that it's not possible to apologize in place of someone else with one notable exception — when someone you love acts completely out of character due to extenuating circumstances.

And what ever Sheppard feels for McKay, it is noticeable that the one genuine smile we get from him in this episode is when he's talking about McKay to someone else. Which seems to be one of his favourite pastimes. You can tell his smile reaches his eyes even though we only get to see it from the side angle.

Sheppard: I apologize. Chaya: He acts only in accordance to his beliefs, as do we. Sheppard: But Rodney is right about one thing. This really is about lives—human lives. Sooner or later the Wraith are going to show up at Atlantis, and when they do—

I mean, try right about everything. But go on.

Whether she can or does read his mind or not, it is also interesting that Chaya seems also to have noticed that McKay is important to him. She makes sure that he understands she holds no animosity toward him. And, as mentioned before, Sheppard and Chaya are much alike. If he's gaming her, she is also gaming him. Men are simple creatures:

Chaya: You're a warrior. Sheppard: Well, I don't know about "warrior." Chaya: It is your vocation, Major. You will fight.

Of course, Sheppard doesn't know what he's up against. If this was just some savage priestess of some forgotten backwater planet, what he's trying to do probably would have worked just fine. He's trying to appeal to her good-nature, garner her sympathy, indicates his respect for her beliefs and willingness to entertain them for her. He emphasizes their similarity, their likeness, tries to convince her of a connection between them. Establishing rapport and an effective personal relationship is crucial for the success of his mission. And most of all, he's trying to make her like him because people tend to want to do things for the people they are attracted to.

Sheppard: I'll try, but knowing what we're up against, and the odds… Look, I'd appreciate it if you would ask Athar to consider that we are her people. Even though we come from very far away, we're the same. We're human, which means we're not strangers. We're family.

He is calculated when he is telling her these things. We have seen previously that Sheppard is very good at finding the lever that works with whom ever he has to get on his side. Colonel Sumner is a notable example because he had a pre-existing suspicion of the Major Sheppard had to work to overcome. And Sheppard eventually managed to charm him. We have also seen him use his charm on Weir several times, not because he is romantically interested in her but to get her to go his way. There's nothing going on here that we haven't seen him do before.

With McKay, they both naturally slipped into using 'we' language as they grew closer over time. This is the difference. He didn't intend for it to happen with McKay and in fact very much tried to keep it from happening to protect both himself and the other man. But their shared experiences, their mutual admiration and respect, their back-and-forth, enjoying the other's company, saving each others lives, all of it had pulled them so close together that talking about 'us' came naturally. That's not what is happening here. He's trying to sell her on the idea that they are similar, that they are one and the same, in order to get her to give him what he wants not unlike someone vending snake oil. If she was who she pretends to be, this would be pretty unethical, dark even.

Sheppard is worryingly effective in waging psychological warfare. We have seen him engage in such tactics previously and it makes sense, as according to Sun Tzu, attacking the mind of the enemy is one of the most essential keys to victory. The human mind is the most vulnerable target of the enemy. Yes, Sheppard may even have had some training in this. It is possible that as an officer he has some actual education in managing human resources, being skillful in the use of nebulous insights into the mental processes of both soldiers and enemies. But it also seems to come naturally to him, and this may have more than a little to do with his childhood environment and having had to develop strategies to survive it. Few people ever get to see who John Sheppard really is.

There's a breeze, and he uses even that as an opportunity to manipulate her:

Sheppard: Whoa. Chaya: Evening breeze. Sheppard: I was kind of hoping it was a sign from Athar.

See, even your deity wants you to do this! Your most strongly held beliefs agree with me on this, you want to help us out.

It's disingenuous. It's obvious. But then she appears to fall for it. He's actually surprised that she does because he seems almost embarrassed to be doing this. She admits that his words are compelling.

Chaya: Your words are most compelling, Major Sheppard. Sheppard: Thank you. I was going for compelling. Chaya: Do you truly believe we are family? Sheppard: We are. I can prove it to you.* Chaya: How? Sheppard: Come back to Atlantis. See who we really are. Once Athar learns more about us— Chaya: This is acceptable. Sheppard: It is?

He can't believe this is actually working.

The invitation to Atlantis is also an attempt at manipulation. Getting a person outside of their comfort zone to get the advantage by unbalancing them. He really is trying every trick in the book, feeding her the hook, line, and the sinker. This place, this sanctuary, really is that important to him.

She agrees to accompany them to Atlantis. He should be ecstatic. Compare his smile here to the one he had when he was just thinking about McKay earlier, talking about him to someone else:

This smile does not reach his eyes. John Sheppard is indeed in love. But it is not with the beautiful alien priestess before him.

Continued in Pt. 8

.* I keep coming back to Harmony (S04E14) probably because it's such a meta commentary. But in it, they have this exchange:

McKay: I've said that, I can prove it. I'm not just saying that. Sheppard: You don't need to prove it.

Only liars feel the need to prove the veracity of their words.