#which makes sense because it’s not something you learn unless you’re in the field but it drives me bananas to see a certain type of person

[alatariel-galadriel]

3 Common Misconception: HIPAA Edition

(aka I have HIPAA tattooed under my eyelids and I want to make it everyone else’s problem)

This is pedantic, but the act protecting your health information is HIPAA, not HIPPA. One ‘p’, two ‘a’s. HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, not the oft-quoted (and non-existent) Health Information Privacy & Protection Act. Not a huge deal, since it protects your health information regardless, but it’s a pretty decent metric to mark if someone actually knows what they’re talking about.

HIPAA protects you from employees of healthcare organizations sharing your information without your consent.  HIPAA violations occur when someone who has access to your medical information *as part of their job* either a) purposely accesses information outside of their job requirements b) shares your health information without your consent or c) puts health information in a position where it can be improperly accessed by others, purposefully or not. You can shout your medical information to the hills. People who you've told your medical information to can shout it to the hills, so long as they didn’t get that information through their job. People can demand that you share your information--but your doctor can’t hand it over without your consent.

Exceptions to HIPAA exist. There's quite a few of them, actually, and I’ve made a detailed list below the cut; but to correct the biggest misconception: yes, there are situations where health care employees are required to share your information with the government. This typically falls under mandatory reporting (think child abuse, gunshot wounds, or highly infectious diseases), but your information can also be accessed via warrant or subpoena for criminal proceedings.

Here is the government’s webpage breaking down the HIPAA Privacy Rule if you want to know more! I love love love HIPAA and will gladly talk about it for as long as anyone will let me (hence the cut below).

Detailed breakdown of HIPAA exceptions under the cut:

TPO: This stands for Treatment, Payment and Operations, because if your health info was on complete lockdown, no healthcare entity could function. Employees can access/share your info when that info is necessary for them to...

Provide treatment (ie: your nurse can share your info with your doctor)

 Receive payment (ie: giving your info to your insurance company)

Maintain operations (ie: health data/medical records staff. This is me--as a health systems analyst, I can’t do my job without access to the data within the medical records system)

Public Interest: ie: when required by law/governmental function. This includes:

Mandatory reporting (discussed above. Healthcare professionals are required to report infectious diseases like measles or rabies, as well as incidents like gunshot wounds or domestic violence.)

Health oversight activities. These are the organizations who evaluate and investigate whether a facility meets safety/performance regulations and standards. Trust me, you want your info shared with these folks!! 

 Law Enforcement. I’m going to be really specific here, because there’s been a lot of (justifiable) concern post-Roe v Wade. Your info can be shared if it is is…

Subpoenaed, court ordered, or court-ordered warrant by a court, judge, or administrative tribunal

 Requested by law enforcement to id a suspect, fugitive, witness, or missing person

 Requested by law enforcement for info about a victim/suspected victim of crime

 To alert law enforcement of a person’s death if the organization believes a crime has occurred

If the healthcare organization believes the information is evidence of a crime that occurred on its premises.

In emergency situations, providers can share information about the nature of a crime, the location of crime/victims, and the perpetrator of the crime.

Decedents: Funeral directors, coroners, and medical examiners all need your info to do their jobs, Being deceased, you can’t give your authorization, so an healthcare org sharing your info with them is not a HIPAA violation

Organ/Eye/Tissue donation: pretty self-explanatory. Some of your information as a donor might be shared to ensure a healthy transplant.  

Research (limited data sets): This one tends to freak people out, but if you’re on one of these, anything that can identify you is removed (name, address, etc.). Instead, details of specific conditions/treatments are stored to provide data for researchers. For example, every state has, by law, a cancer registry--used to identify sudden spikes that might be attributable to environmental factors.

Serious threats to health/safety. If a serious, specific threat is made against a person or the public, this can be shared with law enforcement and the person who the threat is made against. There’s a lot of grey area here in what counts as a specific threat, and this can get complicated quickly, but if someone tells a medical professional that they are planning on harming you, you will be notified alongside law enforcement. Likewise for a bomb or other public threat.

Essential government functions. If you are in prison or other correctional facility, you are not protected by HIPAA. Some government benefit programs will require the disclosure of health information. (It also includes national security and military missions).

And last, but not least: worker’s compensation. Healthcare orgs have to share parts of your information for you to receive worker’s comp, as part of the verification process. Fantastic!

[mrs-barnes-rogers-writes]

A Second Chance Is A Better Chance - Part 10

Marvel AU

Pairing: Alpha Steve Rogers x Omega Witch Reader, eventual ? x Omega Witch Reader and Alpha Steve Rogers X Omega Witch Reader

Summary: Rejected by your true mate at 21, you’ve given up on the Fates and the Moon Goddesses giving you a second chance. Being a Roamer for the last 9 years, you’re an Omega hardened by the world. You’re safe on your own because of your witchcraft, but it doesn’t stop Alphas and plenty of others sniffing around, especially when you’re an unmated Omega witch, who’s wolf also happens to be white, the rarest kind. You don’t need anyone, but why do you keep coming back to Brookville and why do you keep walking into trouble and helping people that you don’t know but for some strange reason feel like family. And where is that smell of apple pie coming from?

Series Warnings: A/B/O, eventual smut, violence in parts, witchcraft, shapeshifters

Chapter Summary: Reader and Castle's pack head towards the fight.

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of past violence and torture. Talk of the witch wound.

The witch trials were a lonely time for witches. A time of little trust, of exposure and betrayal. A friend could turn on you in a heartbeat. Mates would deny their connection to their witch partners, to protect themselves, their children and reputations.

The torture, treatment and loss of thousands of witches, continued to ripple into the generations, the witch wound a tear in every witch’s soul.

“The witch wound will always be in every single one of us,” Fiona had told you “it’s a dark mark in our history but it’s also something that we live with, which we fight with, every single day. It binds up together. Think of it as a string, that connects us all.”

You weren’t a fan of Fiona’s history lessons but she was adamant that it was part of your training, to give you a better understanding of powers and what it meant to be a witch. Combining every single thing you knew and your powers, would make you stronger. Agatha knew everything and anything there was to know about witches, the history and everything in-between, so you needed to too.

“You can’t let her or her sidekicks get the upper hand because you’re being a stubborn smartass and she can see a weak spot.”

Now, as you sat in the back of one of Castle’s ex-military trucks, Billy and Elektra across from you, you pulled on the wound. Your back upright and straight, with your palms open and facing upwards, you whispered to yourself, a mix of light language, Latin and English intertwined. Your strength growing from the pulling of the wound and the pull of your ancestors.

You tensed suddenly, sensing Agatha the close you got, and Billy went to learn forward to touch you but was stopped abruptly as Elecktra grabbed his arm. He went to speak but she was quick to mind link to him.

“Don’t.”

“But…”

“She’s preparing for the fight Russo. You’ve seen witches do this plenty of times in the field.”

“They weren’t her.”

You stopped their conversation as your voice broke through the silence.

“Agatha is the only witch there but she has fresh powers.”

“What do you mean Princess?” Billy asked.

“She’s killed another witch recently, very recently and took their powers.”

Frank shook his head. This should never have happened. The authorities, the powers that be will never learn their lesson and when it came to witches, they would never learn unless they listened to the W.A.C.

“Anything else?” Elektra asked. Billy’s head snapped to look at Elektra.

“What are you doing?” he asked, not bothering to mind link.

“She’s stronger than you think Russo.”

“Baby?” Frank asked.

“She’s pissed off. Annoyed. She’s being thrown off by the shield and the locals using the oils and salt.”

You pulled again on the wound and you jolted as you felt a pull back. A wave of familiarity waved through you. Thoughts of Fiona, Cordelia and Maddison filled the back of your subconscious, they were quickly pushed to the side as Jean, Storm and the witches of the X-Pack pushed through. You felt another stronger pull on the wound.

You allowed yourself to open up more and felt a flurry of heat rush up your body. You ears became muffled like you were underwater and then you felt it, like the snapping of an elastic band into your chest and a rush of energy, strength and power and then her. Agatha.

You could see her. She couldn’t see you but you could see her and the Hydra goons that were with her. You could hear the whimpers of the injured security guards in the box, now safe behind your shield, and the yells of the rogues telling Agatha to break it down. You smirked and flickered your fingers to make it jump with static, Agatha’s eyes growing wider.

You heard a faint voice. Luke.

“ETA two minutes.”

You stayed in your trance, watching Agatha and the Hydra agents. The latter pulling what appeared to be hostages from a van. Frank kept his eyes on the road as much as possible, scanning the surrounding area, glancing back at you when the chance arose.

Your voice was strong but quiet.

“I see her.”

Four sets of eyes went wide and you reached out your hands. One towards Billy and Elektra, and the other towards Frank. You connected with them and let them see what you could, as the Hydra morons spread out, Agatha looked around frantically. Nobody, no witch, had ever kept her out of anywhere. Apart from one. The one that had stopped her getting into the town where those coven school witches were hiding.

You felt the pull of your sister witches again and quickly released hands with the others. A rush through you brought messages.

“End this.”

“Never take your eyes of her.”

“Remember everything, everything I taught you, every single part.”

And then a final message from Maddison.

“Snap that bitch.”

A rush through your body caused you to gasp, as the truck came to a halt, Frank’s orders of positions coming through.

“On my mark.”

Elektra and Billy pulled out their guns and knocked off the safetys, their eyes never leaving you.

“Rarity? You good?”

Your eyes snapped open and you smirked. Billy felt like he’d been punched in the chest. You were more beautiful he had ever seen you. Your eyes had turned gold when you started the shield, but now they were brighter, and your skin and hair seemed to be glowing.

The smirk though, the smirk was nearly unnerving. You were beautiful and slightly terrifying all at the same time.

It was then they realised.

You weren’t a six at all. You were a seven. And you were ready to snap Agatha Harkness like she deserved.

[alwaysshallow]

coffee at midnight, part 8

John "Soap" MacTavish x f!reader

You come back to base after two months of being on medical leave. Things doesn't seem to change - at first, at least. Johnny acts weird. (5,8k)

READ ON AO3

A/N: for those who might be confused by a sudden tense change; the chapters "before" are pretty much the events before this one! hope it's not gonna be too much of a trouble for you to read </3

When you wake up, you feel different than usual. Everything feels different, out of place, but you’d lie if you’d say it’s not a good feeling because it’s the best sleep you had for months.

First, you seem more relaxed; usually, your shoulders are all tensed up. A consequence of your job, a physiotherapist once said. Not very likely to get rid of it, unless you’d feel more safe in your own home, or at least go to several massages a week, which was also unlikely given your deployments, so you learned to live with it. Pain meds, hot baths and showers became your friend quickly.

Secondly, it’s so warm. You usually get up after waking up, a habit of yours, something that you’ve developed after joining the military; after all, no need to stay longer than you are supposed to. Newspapers or books can be read on the couch, you watch TV shows in other rooms, too. 

Now, you just want to curl even more, just to consume this feeling. It’s like standing in the sun that is generous enough to shine just at you. To pick you out of all those people that want this warmness on them.

Thirdly, there’s a nice weight on you. The sun or, it would be more proper to say, heatwarmer; Johnny, as you see, when you look behind your shoulder. For a moment though, as he hugs you so tightly, so possessively that you can’t even move a little without the sense like you’re suffocating yourself or waking him up. He’s sometimes a light sleeper, and you don’t want to be the cause of that.

At least, not right now. Not when you think of everything that happened in the past, and you feel your cheeks burning up like crazy, making you even hotter than you actually are. Seventeen months ago, when the crush on Soap started developing slowly, you wouldn’t believe that you’d find yourself in a situation like this. Your head lying on his arm, his other arm around your waist, legs entangled so carefully, like a braid you’re used to doing in the military.

You try to tell yourself it doesn’t mean anything; how close you are, he could probably do this for anyone in need, and you were in need. Nightmares were something that you’ve experienced too many times in the month, and he was just in the right moment. Maybe someone else would do this for you as well, if they’d see the state you were in. 

MIserable, fragile. Simple empathy, right?

But that explanation doesn’t work very well, when he pushes more of his weight at you, murmuring something under his breath, and you automatically smile. It doesn’t work very well, when he nuzzles his nose into your hair, inhaling your scent with a satisfied groan. His hand on your waist clasps, bringing you closer to his hot, bare chest.

The explanation doesn’t work when he says, “Good mornin’,” in his deep, gravelly voice, which makes you shiver in a split second, and you need to take a breath before actually answering him. The aftermath of letting him sleep with you in your bed hits you like a train.

You still don’t regret it.

“Morning. Slept well?” you ask, still not turning back, as his grip is deadly on you. He seems to understand his mistake, as he props himself a little on his elbow, giving you the space you need to breathe. You can see his face, and he can see yours.

You think that if he would want to kiss you, he’d do it without any trouble, but you put that thought deep inside your mind - not a good moment, not with him right there. 

“Like a bairn.” He grins. Then, his smile drops a little, when he analyzes your expression. His face is the exact same as it is on the field, when he tries to cut the wire, and he needs to put two to two together in order to be successful. “You? Had a good sleep, hen?”

“Good. Don’t worry your head about it.” You smile reassuringly, patting his head. “What you need to worry about, though, is our breakfast.”

“Oh, our breakfast?” He raises his eyebrow, laughing. “So you do like my cookin’, after all? Not burned, as you like to complain?”

You know that he’s referring to your constant comments about burnt food, but it’s not like you’re complaining about little things - pointing out that he shouldn’t burn the whole chicken is something that you have to do. Especially if he’s learning, and he’s not a bad cook, if he’s only watching the oven instead of playing Candy Crush.  “I’m not complaining!” you chuckle, shaking your head. “It’s just trying to make you a better cook, you know? So you’re gonna represent yourself somehow.”

“Represent myself?” His tone is hilariously shocked.

“You know, you’re in my apartment, that comes with responsibilities,” you explain, tilting your head to the side, when you look at him meticulously. “And you have to do things, as we are roommates. Everyone has their special skills.”

“Mm. Ye might me onto something,” he hums. “But, I have other skills. For instance, I am the best at making people laugh.”

And, he is more than eager to show it, as you notice. He immediately starts tickling you, knowing how sensitive you are to them. 

Little shit.

Bigger than you, he could manhandle you into any position he’d want to, but a little shit still. 

When you try to get him off you, you can easily compare your movements to movements of people who were possessed; the intensity and using all of your power, your legs, your hands is funny, to say the least. You laugh like a madman, too.

Memories of previous tickling sessions fall at you like a waterfall. He always did it when you two were alone and he needed to get some steam off, or for no reason at all, just to rile you up. No other guy in the unit was brave enough to do that, especially when you threatened to make them regret their life choices, but Johnny? Hell, Johnny seemed to not care at all.

Not the first time, not the last.

“You’re so unserious,” you laugh, still trying to push him away; that doesn’t work, nor dragging him away from his intentions, as he leans over you, licking your cheek with a long swipe of his tongue. “Johnny!”

“Oh, c’mon, lassie. Ye seen worse. Been in my blood, can’t handle the little lickin’?” He raises his eyebrow, visibly amused at your squirms. You even ignore for a moment how his eyes sparkle, when he glances at your cheek.

“Been in your blood because I care about your well-being, dumbass.” You roll your eyes; in your mind, it’s an obvious fact. “Not because I enjoy being covered in your fluids.”

He chuckles, leaning even closer. “Covered in my fluids, eh? Ye makin’ a list, lassie? If ye want to, I have other fluids too, y’know.”

You have a smart remark in your head, but the moment you understand his words a little better, your cheeks are burning again. You could easily take the proposition, you think. It wouldn’t be that bad.

“You’re so gross.” It’s all you say, before it all falls on you. There’s no awkward silence between you two, but there’s a loud silence, where you can just hear all the thoughts; yours and his combined, making it a little harder to breathe.

He plays with your hair, curling them around his fingers, but his eyes are still on you; his sapphire, divine eyes, sparkling like a finest diamond. You think you look the same, or at least half as interested as he is, aware of the effect Johnny has on you. 

It would be easy to kiss him, you think. It would be easy to grab his neck, bring him close and then let your lips do all the talking. You’d let him know, just from a simple kiss, how long you thought of that. How long you try to ignore the rising feeling in your chest every time he gets closer, and he just gets you without even properly trying to. 

You know for certain that he’d have a laugh or two about it, but it would flatter him so much.

Yet, you don’t kiss him. You don’t tell him any of these things; just because you’re scared and anxious about friendship that could fall into pieces if something wouldn’t work. Sure, Soap is a great best friend - can listen to you for hours, has great opinions, more or less accurate, but you always feel heard. 

Not to mention, his humor can bring you out of your biggest dreariness. No matter what happens, he’d do it with ease, just because he cares. He did it multiple times in the past, and you just know for a fact that he will continue to do it in the near future.

That is holding you back - because he is a good friend that you don’t want to lose, and the chance of doing it if you’d start dating him is high. Just because you two are good friends, doesn’t exactly mean that you and him would get along on a whole situationship thingy. Not even dating, but something that would involve something different. You observed for a long time how he acts around girls, you heard multiple times his ramblings about his dates, when he looked directly at you, even if others were around too. 

You always asked, jokingly, if it’s supposed to make you jealous, but he never actually answered that. Now, you wonder if that was maybe because he indeed wanted to make you jealous.

Would make a lot of sense.

“Okay. Enough of that sleep,” you let out a slightly strained laugh, as you get up from the bed, Soap still watching you. “Gonna take a shower, and—”

“—without me?” 

You groan, rubbing your temples. Response like this from him? Absolute classic, you don’t even want to comment on that further. “Soap.” 

Your best friend laughs, as he gets up a little. “What now, lassie?”

“My shower first, then yours if you want, and then breakfast. Fine with you?” you ask, raising your eyebrow. 

He takes his time to answer you, as he drags his eyes up and down your figure, and you feel like you can melt just from that. The feeling of being observed falls hot on your stomach. “Fine. Would be more efficient if—”

Soap’s words are cut the moment you close the bathroom door - a little too hard, but he doesn’t seem startled by it. More than amused, as he laughs again.

-

It’s time to go back.

Well, maybe not like you’d want to come back to your job, but two weeks after that nightmare fiasco and sleeping with Soap in one bed, you can officially go back to base. Not on a mission, though - you can come back to test your skills, to see how everything’s healing, if you need more time and shit like that.

And, maybe even more important is the second thing - you are supposed to bond with the team that, most certainly, misses you. 

It makes you smile, honestly; the thought of seeing them all, including Johnny. His “vacation” ended a day after your nightmare. Price needed him for a big guy's job, and you couldn’t blame the old man for that. Soap already got a big break from work, and wanted at least one day to come to his mom for Christmas, so he left you (with a big sorrow, but still), promising to write to you.

And, he did. Multiple times, even right now, when you are on the road and you can’t quite answer them, if you don’t want to cause a car accident. 

Given that you started driving again a week ago, it is more possible.

yer alr in the road?

need any help? coulda drive to u.

why yer not answerin:(

probably forgot about old lad huh??

gone only for two weeks and thats what im gettin

All of those messages were sent in the span of thirty minutes - if it would be anyone else, you’d be irritated, but it was Johnny. He’s just like this: annoyingly adorable, so when you stop at the red light, you quickly text him back that you’re on the road and should be in the base soon. 

You’re not surprised when seconds later, your phone lights up again. This time, you don’t even read messages, you just laugh under your nose, knowing that your best friend starts his monologue.

Snow covered everything at this point - as you pass by little suburbs on your way to base, you can’t help but smile at this view. Christmas lights are still here, as well as other decorations, even if it’s after the holidays. From the front yards, you can easily guess where the kids are; mostly because there are multiple snowmen, bigger or smaller, but every is unique in their own way. 

Somehow, making snow figures has a special place in your mind. 

You did a lot of them in your childhood with your moms, taking pictures of them on your rusty polaroid, just to save those moments, precious and very well kept, since Kate’s job was… still is, just like yours. Dangerous, not stable at all, and in every moment you could lose her to some madman that decided to hunt her down.

Eileen, Kate’s wife, was an artist herself, painting a lot, sculpting. When she was alive, she was the one who thought of that tradition. She thought that taking pictures is savoring the moment. Something to think of, when life would give you a hard time, and with just one look, you could remember the good times, instead of completely falling apart.

Her philosophy grew into you. You still have a box under your bed with souvenirs, photos and small gifts that have no place in your apartment, but for whatever reason you still want them. They’re simply too precious to throw away, they hold memories, you even have a couple of things that boys from Task Force 141 gave you when you joined the team.

141. Base. Your home.

Home that you know so well, a home that you associate with warm feelings, with people that you just love seeing.

Well, maybe beds could be better, and furniture not from the 90's, but aside from that, it’s the best place for you to be in. You’re pretty sure that you didn’t feel more welcome anywhere else than between your comrades, on training sessions that kicked your ass, but it was family. People that you could, after some time, trust with your whole life, people that wanted the best for you.

To those people you are coming back right now, as you happily park outside the base, in a special place, reserved just for you. Somehow, that action itself makes your heart warmer.

Keys are dingling in your hand, as you play with them, making your way inside the base, while you look around. Nothing seems different than the environment; recruits work with a shovel, keeping snow away from training tracks. Their supervisors yell at them to do it faster, better, and you almost laugh at it, knowing the feeling a bit too well.

Now, you don’t do shit like that. At least not when you’re good to Price and you don’t cause that much trouble. Soap and Gaz, although, had to do the recruit’s job a few times.

They weren’t exactly happy about that, but observing them was a hilarious experience.

Before you can take your phone out of your pocket to ask Soap where they are, someone snatches you between their arms. Their grip is tight, and your first instinct is to punch whoever that is, but you know those arms. 

Not as well as Johnny’s, but you know them. You sparred with him too many times not to.

“Choking me on my first day back? Thought you can do better, Ale.” You grin, as you hear the familiar, deep laugh. 

Vargas is quick to free you from his arms, and you can see that smile is on his lips as well. Wide, warm. “Bird, it’s been too long without you, I have to express my happiness somehow, eh?”

“Too long? What, got tired of the boys?” you raise an eyebrow. 

You’re not able to grin wider, yet, somehow it feels that you do that, especially when you’re meeting such warm feelings from your comrade.

God, how you missed that.

“We all got a little tired of each other, especially when no one bossed us around.” You hear Kyle’s voice, as he approaches you with shit-eating expression. “My favorite teammate, back on track?”

“Johnny might get jealous in a minute, Gaz,” Ghost murmurs. “Better not to take chances to talk like this, if you don’t want him spirallin’ around.”

“Very funny.”

This whole situation feels like a family reunion straight up from a sitcom; everyone gathers around, just to see a member of the family that was absent for a few years. Except, it’s found family and the military. And, you were out for almost two months, trying to fit into that domestic vibe you had in your apartment, but now it’s not the time for domestic anymore.

You can’t be more excited for that. Corners of your lips hurt in an unforgiving manner, when you glance at everyone, happy that they are here. Happy that they have decided to show up. You know how it works, how busy military can be, especially when you have a mission to take care of. People to take care of, world to take care of, not to mention training ungrateful recruits that sometimes you wanted to just kick out and never look back.

A brief kiss to the top of your hand snaps you out of your thoughts; the man is Soap, of course. You wouldn’t expect anyone else to act like that.

“Yer a dummy for drivin’ here alone. I’d take some time off just to pick you up,” he murmurs, before you can even say anything to him. 

It feels like an accusation, but somehow it doesn’t bother you, like it would in the past. More than that, your stomach fills with a million butterflies, and you need to clear your throat before speaking. You don’t want to show him that even the smallest words affect you.

He’s cute, it’s a fact. Too much.

“I’ve got it covered, Soap. I have to train anyway, it’s nothing,” you explain, shrugging a little, to indicate that you do mean what you’ve just said. He doesn’t seem convinced. 

“Still. Yer wrist—”

“—It’s okay,” you say. Your tone is assuring. Warm, just like honey; you can’t stop the smile that grows a little bigger at how protective he is. In some kind of way, it’s embarrassing to have this situation played right in front of your other comrades, but you can’t care less about this.

Not right now, when he breaks that stern barrier, and smiles too. His hand slides on your waist; possessively, like he needs to mark something, and you barely contain silence. “Right. Still, could’a save me a lot of trouble, y’know?”

“You just need to believe me.” You jokingly nudge him. 

It’s the intention of letting the tension go away here too, since the eyes of your captain are on you two. You just smell a conversation between you and Price, when he tilts his head, his eyes darting between you two, and you definitely don’t need it. 

Not now.

His words about “fraternization in the military” lights up a red lamp in your brain enough. He put out a whole monologue about it, when you joined the military, even made a PowerPoint presentation, and you were certain that your mother whispered the idea to him. 

Captain never mentioned it ever since, didn’t have to anyway, but with your growing feelings to Soap, with carefully testing the waters if he could feel the same…

It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Thankfully, Gaz is here to rescue you from it all - shooting range is his proposition to start training with before you’ll go to more complicated stuff; and that’s on training hand to hand with Soap. It makes enough sense for you, so you follow him, starting the chat about this girl who abandoned him back on the market. 

Apparently, he has a lot to say; he’s not upset anymore, and maybe it should be this way. Not meant to be, he tells you, and it wouldn’t be weird for you, if it wouldn’t be for his small smile that appears on his lips. You know for a fact that he has something on his mind that he doesn’t quite want to say, but you don’t pry. 

He’ll tell you the moment a drink hits his drink, as always. Besides, it’s time for training, not for gossip.

And that training is irritating for you. Garrick knows how to do his job, of course, and he expects you to observe him unload and load gun again, just for you to do the same. Swiftly - because it’s basically in your blood at this point, something that you can do with eyes closed. Yet, he wants you to do it slowly, and you do it like this, even if your need to roll your eyes is evident.

Your aim is more questionable, and you need a moment to think because you want to scream.

It’s not that bad. You’re in the military after all, it’s a muscle memory how to position the weapon and pull the trigger, it has to be, especially when you’re out in the field, drained, and the enemy is on your tail the whole way. 

The moment the back of the rifle touches your arm, your arm twitches and you miss. Bullet doesn’t land in the center like you wanted to, but at eight points which is not a bad score. You don’t think it’s satisfying either - a simple rifle shouldn’t give you that much of a trouble, you had to use it every damn day since you got to Task Force 141. It was also somehow a weapon of choice for you.

And something so simple; embarrassing to admit that you feel like you’re learning it again. Not to mention, Soap watched you for some time now, and the want of looking the best in front of him is high. Just out of simple curiosity, he said, as he leaned against the wall near you with a promise he’s gonna be quiet. 

Of course you didn't believe him. It’s Soap for God’s sake.

“A bit lighter. You feel this?” he asks, and you groan automatically. It feels like he’s babying you. You know that he wants the best, but when you know everything and you’re just unable to do basic things, it irritates you.

“I do. It’s just how I hold this,” you murmur, letting Garrick’s fingers slip under your own. He’s delicate enough to help you loosen that grip, just like you need it to be.

Funny enough, he’s mostly the one who teaches recruits how to use a gun properly, what way is most effective when, and when it’s just better to eliminate with something different than a weapon. You can’t quite imagine who could be better at his spot; Kyle is perfect with his patience, but in the past, you both laughed at the recruits.

Now, being in their position, isn’t that funny anymore. It’s humiliating, to say the least.

“I know you do, but it’s a way not to hurt yourself more. We need you out in the field in no time, Bird.”

“Oh, caring Kyle Garrick? That’s something I didn’t see for quite a while,” you tease him, laughing, as he lets out a huff. “What? Telling you what I see!”

“Suppose so. Can’t really live without you, huh?”

“Of course you can’t.”

“Miss those cookies you used to bake, not gonna lie.” He laughs and you shake your head. Your mom’s recipe; you did it with Eileen many times, and when you started living alone, you started doing it yourself. Apparently, boys loved them too, from the moment you brought them to the base. “Can’t have you out for—”

“—Can you just give her fuckin’ instructions?”

You both look back at Soap, shocked by his harsh interruption - to this moment, he was silent as a mouse, now he seems like he finally had enough of silence. Your cheek lightly grazes against Garrick's shoulder, when you try to take a better look at your best friend, and Johnny’s jaw clenches uncomfortably, his shoulders tightened; you don’t get to see him like this often. 

What is more weird though, is the fact it’s obvious that is bothering him, and yet, you can’t quite put together what, since nothing has happened. Nothing involving him, to be precise. It’s just your and Garrick’s banter, like old times. He had no objections to it earlier, why now?

“What are you on, MacTavish?” Kyle asks, his eyebrow arched; he sounds amused. This whole situation seems funny to him, as see; sheer contrast to your best friend that rolls his eyes.

“She’s wastin’ time on yer talks. Useless, she knows it.”

“I know she does. Just helping her out ‘ere, Soap,” he replies with a small smile. Smile that’s definitely too kind for this behemoth and how he’s acting; Garrick’s front touches your back more in that moment.

“Right,” he hums, eyeing you two up and down. “Do yer thing, then. If there’s anything more to do,” he murmurs the last sentence, and you automatically roll your eyes, absolutely done with his attitude.

He acts like a kid that doesn’t even know why he’s so irritated, you think. Previously, he had this behavior too, but to men that he didn’t know and Kyle? 

Kyle is like a brother from another mother, trustee of his secrets that you aren’t really aware of. Bros thing, he said once, when you confronted him about it when Kyle blabbed about a situation that you weren’t supposed to know of. Some things were just not for you, not for “lady’s ears”, and you learned to accept it over the last two years. Maybe it was even for the better because the things you once or twice heard from these two… horrendous.

That’s why this weird tension confused the shit out of you. Anyone but them.

“Ow! What for?” Soap raises his eyebrow, looking at you after you smacked him. You’re in the training room right now, twenty minutes after the end of your gun practice with Garrick, changed up and ready for combat this time.

“Stupidity,” you murmur, earning a laugh from him. “No need to cause scenes right in front of Gaz, you know.”

“Not a scene. Simple facts for him, facts that he needed to know.” He shrugs, as he “Jus’ dinnae hurt yerself on the training, yeah?”

“On it, captain.”

“Not yet, bonnie. But if ye want to call me yer captain, then I’m happy to—”

You hope he’s gonna lose his cockiness, when you hit him right in his knee without warning, swiftly backing off right after that, so he wouldn’t take advantage of your position. It takes only a moment for you to realize it was wishful thinking.

The heat in his eyes is evident after he stumbles and your eyes cross. You see this kind of expression on Johnny’s face only on the battlefield when he’s in trance, when he just fixates on something. It’s always a special sight to watch, especially in the moments you need to have his back, and he just needs to swiftly move from point A to point B. MacTavish devours adrenaline that comes with his job. 

And his devotion for the job… you could fall in love just because of that.

What comes with that devotion is the fact this man doesn’t know the difference between training and real mission; every time you fought against Soap, you knew it was gonna be a hard job. You might be quick and sly, moving like a cat, but he is the one with greater physical strength than you, he is the one who loves to challenge you and make you furious just because he pins you down every time he has the chance to do that. Mocking, maybe sometimes underestimating you. It usually leads to wrapping your legs around your best friend’s head and one of his arms, bending one knee over the other ankle. Then, you usually flip him, or just choke him, until he’ll drop the attitude.

Yet, right now, nothing like this happens. He’s as fierce, unstoppable fighter as he always is, but you can feel that he’s holding back. Doesn’t do anything particularly dangerous like he does on a daily basis, he doesn’t even try to put you in a headlock or anything. He just blocks your hits, worse or better. Nothing too fancy, nothing in his style, even if the fight is tiring and you can see droplets of sweat on his forehead.

So, you try to press him. To hassle him, get a reaction, to snap him back to that warrior he is; to warrior that doesn’t hold back just because you had an injury. You want him to test you, not to pamper you. 

You’re not a porcelain, but Johnny doesn’t think this way. You even corner him - it wouldn’t happen in normal circumstances, he wouldn’t even let you this close without a fight. Irritated by his behavior, you let out a groan.

“Come on, don’t go easy on me!” you shout angrily, shaking your head with disbelief. He never reacted like this, he was never so incoherent with his moves. Not in the battlefield, nor in sparrings. “Just because I’m after injury, it doesn’t mean you can’t fight back!”

He doesn’t react; he just murmurs something under his breath that you don’t understand. The only difference between now and a few minutes ago is the way he moves, a tiny bit more aggressive, but it’s not it. 

So, you try to rile him up for a few minutes. Go with comments about equality and shit, but he’s insensitive to everything, until you bring up others. Until you bring up Kyle and this training that you two had, implying that maybe you should’ve stayed there and practiced your shots better than play in… whatever this fight is.

Sudden power erupts in him, when he finally gives in and fights instead of pretending to do it. Those moves are calculated, precise, Johnny knows what to do to keep him off you - to make you back off and struggle, just like you wanted to from the very beginning. It’s finally fair, you finally feel like you’ve accomplished something.

Those punches are personal, though; your best friend tries to desperately show you something through them, as you block his moves, just to get to his knees again. Weak spot, you know it and you love to use it against him because it works when you’re under the wall, trying to desperately hold onto something.

Surprisingly, your technique doesn’t work this time - he grabs your foot with ease, pushing you away like it was nothing special for him. He does the same with your right hand as you throw a jab.

You want to offer a break after ten minutes, as you feel how sore your muscles are, but it’s not that easy. Not with a man like him, not with a man that wants to settle who wins this battle, and as stubborn as you are, it's a never ending cycle.

At least, feels like never ending until he pins you down to the mat.

“Johnny—” 

“Because yer after an injury it does mean,” he pants out, “tha’ ‘m not gonna go hard on you, bonnie. Understand, will ye?”

You clear your throat, looking at him. A well-known heat blossoms in your stomach, wrapping around it like an ivy, ruthlessly and quick, making it a bit difficult to breathe. He looks at you, on top, like a predator, trying to intimidate. He’s not even a bit embarrassed, there’s a different person in him right now. Person that he reserved for heated arguments, a person that you could find in him when he wanted something, badly.

His hands lock your wrists above your head, perfectly still, even if you try to move them with a hint of desperation. Position is pretty perspicuous; him, straddling your waist—

—you seriously don’t want to think about it. You prefer not to think about it.

And you try not to think how wet you currently are. 

“Understand?” His voice snaps you back to reality. Cruel one, where you can’t fantasize about possible scenarios that could take place here.

A real shame.

“I understand. Doesn’t change a thing,” you reply, your voice throaty, when he scans your face, focused. You’d kill for a scratch of his thoughts. For a mere millimeter of what is going inside his head.

Is there just as messy as it is in yours? Maybe he knows exactly what to do? Maybe he's torn between two ideas? 

Maybe he’s not affected at all?

“It does.”

“Doesn’t. I just want you to treat me like everyone else, is that hard?”

Soap barks a laugh, shaking his head a second later. “I never treated ye like everyone else. Tha’ might be a problem.”

You want to debate on that, so you try to raise yourself; and without even thinking, you move your hips, completely accidentally, as you’re crushed by his weight.

You don’t move anyway, you don’t have the power to do that. Instead, you feel hardness pressing against you. 

When Johnny locks his eyes with you, pupils dilated, you’re pretty sure you’re gonna faint from the intensity of this interaction. Of him being right there, on top of you, with a perfect occasion, when the two of you are aroused enough to initiate something.

For a minute, you’re pretty sure he’s gonna snap and everything will be different from this moment - including your friendship, but nothing really happens. He just gets up without an intention to give you a hand; he just readjusts his sweats and throws you water, leaving you absolutely confused. 

A lot of questions are going inside your head, more than it was a moment before.

“Ye did good,” he murmurs after you grab a bottle, chugging at least half of it at one sitting. You look at his back - he doesn’t seem like he wants you to see his front. 

Maybe for the better.

“Something to work on? After the injury.”

“Yer mouth, most certainly. But we’ll train ye, I guess.” He looks back at you.

And you just know you’re fucked.

[thequietmanno1]

TheLreads, Vigilantes ch 108, Replies Part 2

1) “Well, his body is, as he said himself, fine-tuned to this specific environment, so I fail to see where you’re going with that. Unless he forgot something pretty important and he has a limited time boosting himself like this”- Where he’s going is that Koichi’s current self exists in this hostile environment naturally, and has long since adapted to it, to the point that Nomura’s man-made enhancements can’t match up.

(Vigilantes ch 87) 2)“Interesting to know that, because that means that if we deprive McBee of oxygen, say, with a blast wave or a big fire, we can turn him into a sitting duck”- He’s aware of that weak spot, which is why he’s been biologically designed to minimise it as much as possible whilst maximising his advantages gained from a single ‘dive’ into the oxygen- less environment.

(Vigilantes ch 101)

3) “Yeah don’t worry it’s just McBee doing his McStuff. Just ignore him and he’ll get pissy and leave.”-Not this time I’m afraid. Nomura’s had enough of Koichi, so he’s sticking around to finish this fight to the bitter end one way or another.  

4) “Yeah… I don’t know… Although Koichi was fast we never saw him go that fast before, I wouldn’t say he’s exactly part of this environment, it’s more like he got thrown into it and turned out to thrive into it, becoming a truly invasive species, a super-predator that none in this biological niche can hope to surpass.”- Koichi didn’t ask to get thrown in the deep end, but it turns out there’s no better teaching method for becoming the deadliest son-of-a-bitch on the block possible. If Koichi only had some proper bloodlust in him, he’d have iced Nomura at least 5 times over by now, bio-enhancements or not.

5) “Ah, so he does have a spider-sense, I see. Well, it’s better than being able to see the future at least”- Learning how to take a blow is a combat response most of us have some kind of experience with. Koichi’s just trained that part of himself up past 11 over these long years. 6) ““combat experience” aka “getting his shit kicked in for the last three years””- It’s kinda hilarious how Tulpa O’Clock is praising Koichi for a long streak of utter failures in fighting people. Never throwing an actual attacked worked out for him, because it allowed him to hoard all that exp for this moment, and now he’s unstoppably level-grinding to counter everything Nomura throws at him.

7) “But Koichi is, of course, not a hero nor a cop, and he always let the opponent makes the first move, meaning that fight against him is trying to hit someone that trained how to counteract anything you throw at him”- I’m pretty sure Koich may have subconsciously used his Quirk a few times in a fight to deflect any serious damage coming his way, but in such a manner that neither he nor his opponents realised it at the time. Nomura pushing the edges so far here in order to kill Koichi is just making his real potential abundantly clearer to them both. 8) “He developed an immunity to it, it’s like a vaccine. Even if you do stab him, it won’t do anything, because his immunological system is that strong”- And Nomura is currently stabbing Koichi, only to find it being markedly less effective than he expected.

9) “Koichi zoned-out so hard right now he had to use his quirk to move his head out of the way

Alright, so now we found how Koichi is so powerful: weed.”- The repulsion field doesn’t just move his head slightly fast enough to avoid Nomura’s strike, it also blocks the hit itself from touching Koichi, a focused mini-shield to precisely nullify that hit to the vital area he was aiming for.

10) “I think that now it’s time for Koichi to shift into a higher gear. Way higher I must say.”- Nomura attacking so fast means there’s basically no room to breathe for Koichi which means that these repulsion fields aren’t being generated by him holding his breath to consciously use them- Koichi’s just willing the fields to where he needs them without expending his usual effort, the “other guy” having a more precise and controlled understanding of how Koichi’s ability works than he does, and can thus use it without the limits Koichi imposes on it and himself. 

(Vigilantes  ch 76)

11) “Huh. That`s… not the idea I got from his power. I mean, sure, every time he went up a wall was when he had built some considerable momentum, but… Wait, this doesn`t seem right, especially considering the fight at the Sky Egg.

He was still on a horizontal surface, but he was under the strain of moving from side to side while sticking to the ceiling, that seems like a way more taxing situation than just moving up a wall in a straight line.”- A hint that this stillisn’t his real limits, but rather the self-imposed limitation he puts on himself to remain in control of his powers. Pushing it this far lets him do it more, but it’s implied the repulsion effect could start to reach levels where Koichi struggles to safely handle it if he keeps pushing it more and more. In a bizarre way, him losing focus on his powers actually makes his powers not only stronger, but improves said control as well, as long as he lets his body do what comes naturally. (Vigilantes ch 76)

12) “Huhhhh- Was I mean, the Sky Egg? You saw how long he stayed there, while shooting at a Nomu? When did you suddenly don`t have the lung power to just move up a wall Koichi? Also, when did that even became a established point of your quirk? My memory is pretty bad, so it probably was said somewhere back then, but as far as I remember, we only had some theories that you inhaled to build power for the shots, not even for the slide and stick around.”- My impression of the ‘lung power’ thing is that it’s like Koichi’s version of a Mana bar. A subconscious habit he adopted and now uses as a restraining bolt to enable him to manage his repulsion, forcing it out whilst he holds his breath and stopping it when he runs out of oxygen, In a similar principle to swimming – strenuous exercise that is offset from going too far by running out of a necessary substance, forcing you to take a brief rest. Using this, he’s able to keep his repulsion going when he needs it without it becoming uncontrollable, and uses the breathing thing as a means of ‘hitting the breaks’ on it- all without really realising it, so he assumes the breath-holding is necessary rather than a subconscious reaction. 13) “I’m starting to think Koichi has truly left the building and something else has taken over, because this almost doesn’t look like my boy anymore”- It’s like Bruce Banner and the Hulk, with as much a corresponding power boost between them.

14) “I love that Koichi’s true power is that he doesn’t think

absolutely fitting to him as a character, he’s like an Undead + Unluck character, he negates thinking and that’s what makes him powerful”- You can’t outsmart somebody who doesn’t smart at all.

15) “okay so the weed-fulled Koichi stepped down for a while, we’re back to regular Koichi again. Completely oblivious to what the hell just happened.”- It’s just salt in the wound for Nomura, because now he’s completely aware that when Koichi out-performs him, he’s doing it  without all the effort he himself put in to achieve the same results.

16) “What the fuck are you even saying O'Clock tulpa? Isn’t this phase supposed to be “go apeshit, return to monke”? That’s the vibe I got at least when McBee became a fucking beast and started attacking with not sense of rationality

what the fuck you mean this is the first step of keikaku*?”- I guess Nomura’s body-shifting can still be applied to this new form, so presumably he can try different strategies and tactics at this new “higher gear” stage if one isn’t enough to do the job.“Well, at least for now things are going down a cool road. Especially now that McBee actually feels threatening. My god we had to turn him into the loch ness monster so he finally felt like a villain worth of the final arc. And I’m not complaining, that form looks rad, truly feels like an actual nomu out to kill everyone.”- Nomura’s human self was always a façade, so discarding that egotistic visage to showcase his real self without any such attachments automatically makes him more dangerous and threatening. @thelreads

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

the world of the next few years

I think, now, that what I want is for there to be a lot of people working on making interesting/interesting-seeming/interesting-sounding/interpersonally-convenient topics available in an easy way. Not in the sense that all of them are going to be "useful" (which can be pretty nebulous, anyway), but in the sense that lots of people are going to want to be doing research and publishing papers about interesting stuff, and so it will become a lot harder to not find interesting stuff unless you're actively looking for it.

If there were an equivalent of, say, the open source "let's build this from the ground up, do it a few times and learn how it works before throwing it out there and trying to make something with the same functions but better" attitude for research in computer science, it could be a really big driver of innovation.

On the other side, I'd like things like the open source model and related stuff to be more widespread among industries. I'd like there to be a broader ecosystem around stuff, a lot of it not academic, and I'd like this stuff to be more widely read and cited by people outside the circles of academics interested in specific topics. I'd like to see an end to (academic) "theory" that is entirely dominated by the ideas of (academic) specialists. I'd like it to be easier for people to go "hey, maybe I can apply these results to my own area of interest" instead of just "my area of interest isn't part of any recognized discipline, I'm an intellectual lightweight."

I see lots of examples of this, but nothing ever seems to reach beyond the boundaries of the little bubble I'm in. For instance, I've never seen anything like Open Source/Open Science/Open Data used to try and get outside perspectives on, say, a particular math paper. If I ever end up doing such a thing, and get a paper that's worth writing about, I want to read it and learn more about it from someone who is both informed by the relevant outside perspective and qualified to give it.

And the thing is, if you're in academia, you have a lot of options, because you don't have to pay anyone. You just have to show that other people find your work interesting enough that they're willing to pay you to write things about it. But if you're not in academia, you don't. Most academic work is paywalled in some way or another.

So I guess I just want a lot more openness. I want a lot of fields to be open, and I want to read papers and try to get an outside perspective on interesting work in those fields, because I think it'll be good for the field, and because it'll be good for the world in general if people can find something they can apply their knowledge to and it'll be good to see if other people's problems can be solved by the same tools.

[maacwanowrie]

maac institute

Design career in India is extremely popular these days and with the multiple options available in the market there is no need for an explanation behind the hype. Candidates with an artistic outlook and creative skills can definitely explore the field. A career in design from MAAC institute guarantees success and heights.

 Your skills will advance, and you'll enjoy your work more if you're passionate about design.

 I occasionally return to this subject, and the reason for doing so right now is an article by Erik Spiekerman titled "Being obsessive with detail is being normal." The next quotation is particularly accountable.

 You won't be doing anything well enough unless you are completely engrossed in it. Typography seems to demand a great deal of detail, but so do music, cooking, woodworking, and brain surgery, to name a few. If you want to be an expert at what you're doing, you will only be satisfied with the outcome when you've given it everything you've got. Sometimes, only professionals can tell the difference.

 Dare I add? You're probably not following your passion if you're not obsessive with the intricacies of what you do and don't want to learn everything there is to know about it.

 Today, I want to talk about that. I want to talk about craft and passion. I want to discuss how your enthusiasm for your work will improve you as a designer, developer, or anything else you do.

 Bringing Taste and Skill Together

 Erik's comment ends with the warning that if you don't put your all into anything, the outcomes won't make you happy. I concur.

 We all begin with a disparity between our preferences and our abilities. Our taste initially far outweighs our ability. Because you lack the ability to produce something as good as you

know it can be, you are unable to develop anything that you believe to be good. It’s ok. The trip has only just begun.

 Your finished job won't make you pleased in your early career, but you just have to go through this phase. As you work harder and learn more, you'll start to notice nuances you first missed. As you close the wide gap you started with, you notice these particulars.

 It's challenging to close that initial margin. For study and practise to be effective, you must allot a sizable amount of time. Your interest is what motivates you to put in the essential effort to learn the numerous information that are available and to comprehend how to use them.

 Many of your visitors will sense these details even though they are not consciously aware of them. They will have an impact on them. Even if they can't specifically point to it, they'll still notice something about your design.

 When you are passionate about anything, you will delve farther into the specifics. Deeper interest in learning about a subject indicates greater passion. Having investigated and thought about things that others didn't and don't leads to superior final solutions.

 You learn more about the topic in depth. You get context, which helps you grasp things better. Gaining additional knowledge allows you to make decisions with the greatest degree of objectivity.

 To master the details in any subject or discipline takes time and effort. You become an expert in that way. You do put in the time and try your hardest. Since there is no single, unchanging standard to which you may refer when making decisions in creative work, you must also have faith in your judgement and decision-making abilities.

 Creating New Gaps to Fill

 You start to discover tiny gaps within as you close the initial, large gap. The bigger gap conceals these smaller ones. In a sense, as one gap is filled, another one is revealed, which you should also fill.

 Why fill up gaps repeatedly if doing so creates new ones that must be filled in? because it improves you. Usually, the more recent gaps are smaller. They don't make you feel as bad about your work. Despite being smaller, they are deeper and will probably take longer to close.

 Every gap is something fresh that brings about a fresh understanding. Each is a different aspect to focus on and become fixated on. Every gap you close ought to create another. Every response and resolution ought to prompt additional inquiries and issues in need of solutions. You probably haven't discovered a good solution if it doesn't raise at least 2 further questions.

 You learn everything there is to know about a subject the more time you spend studying it. You become conscious of all the variables you can influence and all the choices you can make to have an impact on the result. You improve.

 You become more aware of a project's shortcomings and discover aspects others would never notice that need to be improved as you spend more time on it and with its details.

 Gaining skill in any profession requires a lot of time and effort. To understand a project so deeply requires a lot of time and concentration. It's far simpler to avoid doing these things and accept satisfactory results. Many people practise it.

 When you are enthusiastic about what you are doing, it is tougher to accept good enough. You can't just ignore it. You work more both out of necessity and desire. You fixate on what others would do. Because you know you can do better, you need to relocate that line a few pixels to the left or look for better colour schemes or typeface combinations.

 You are improving a minor aspect of life that most people don't bother with. Even if they might not be able to explain why, your visitors will appreciate and notice your attention to detail.

 There are just too many potential design solutions to take into account, as I explained in my piece on subjective and objective design decisions, thus you can never be sure if you've found the greatest design option.

 The likelihood that your answer will be the best it can be increases as you spend more time developing it and thinking about the problem. It might not be the best solution overall (if there is such a thing), but it will be your best option. Your design will be getting closer to its perfect state.

 The fun comes from the journey

 Your enjoyment is another factor supporting the importance of passion. I believe that the joy comes more from the process than from the end product.

 There isn't much joy in the road if you're not passionate about what you're doing. You might not even find the journey unpleasant. Your entire attention is on the outcomes. This is acceptable to some. They could only be interested in the outcomes and what they can do to get those outcomes.

 I believe that the travel itself serves as a form of reward for more people than not. You can get so adept at enjoying the process that the outcomes might not even be significant.

 Not that I'm saying outcomes aren't significant. They do. It's more that when you enjoy the process and the effort required to get the results you want, those outcomes may become superfluous. You've already received anything for taking the road down. The icing on the sundae is a satisfying conclusion.

 Admit it. You're going to work at something for the majority of your waking hours. Enjoy the moment while you can because you'll be glad you did when you're more enthusiastic about your career.

 If you're only concerned with the end result and not the process itself, I don't think you can ever perform at your best. Too many things can only be seen by fully committing to the effort. It doesn't mean you can't improve if you're solely concerned with the outcome, but I don't think you'll get as far as you would if you were more engaged in the process and curious about what you discover.

 This entails appreciating both the good and the unpleasant. When your road is level, smooth, and enjoyable to stroll along, it's simple to enjoy it. It's simple when interesting new things show up and tap you on the shoulder to say hello.

 It's more difficult, but it's also important, to take pleasure in your battle to get through challenges in your path. You have to love wandering in circles or not making any progress on sections of the path.

 Even if these are difficult times, you should enjoy them. Enjoy the difficulties of returning home when you get lost. You must cherish these moments just as much as the wonderful ones. The prize for having struggled is greater the harder it was.

 Passion aids in overcoming obstacles. Obsession with what you do keeps you going through trying and tough times. Even in the happy times, it keeps you enquiring and receptive to new experiences.

 I'll sum up by restating what I mentioned at the beginning of this post. You're probably not following your passion if you're not obsessive with the intricacies of what you do and don't want to learn everything there is to know about it.

[keerthanachelladurai]

Asking Better Questions for Problem Solving, Innovation and Effective Leadership with Hal Gregersen

Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/bridging-the-gaps/asking-better-questions-for-problem-solving-innovation-and-effective-leadership-hal-gregersen?si=c7e0efa918d94d839f70558e8cdb66ed&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

The first question in the podcast was about how the guest Hal Gregersen got into research in the field of leadership, the interesting answer for that was his parents as his mother has a keen observation of the surroundings. The discussion starts on asking the right questions which led to the guest getting into grad school and got the Ph.D. in leadership. The interesting statement by Hal that I personally agree was you can lead transformation and change unless you ask right questions. Host led the discussion about evolution of leadership landscape over the years and currently about digital transformation leadership, our guest gave an exemplary example on how Mary Parker operated in men’s working world and how she become the exception women in her field, how she led a group of people on discussing meeting years back to get solutions for the right questions. This happened hundred years ago, today in the digital world with so many things happening with machine learning, deep learning we are in the path of change.

Quoted by the guest “leaders create a psychological space where inquiry leads to insight, insight – we learnt something we didn’t know before, and leads to positive impact”. In a nutshell, questions -> insight -> knowledge.

Discussion went on about catalytic questions, which are the ultimate answers. It reframes the fundamentally off assumption but generated the energy to make it work. The discussion then went on about how to build amental model, if and only if we have the courage to ask more question and the criticism doesn’t affect you. My view in this is, some are embarrassed to ask questions thinking that they may look silly or thinks about what other people will think about them, because of that they lose some great opportunities, when one dare to ask question, he rise above and beyond.

Good questions are recursive, asking series of whys leads to modify and create better systems keeping in mind what we started in the beginning in the sense without deviating from the use case. Discussion then went on about how sustainable creativity is not possible without any vision for industries, we can create a better innovative world by being creative.

Things that I learned:

Asking better questions keeps the system (both humans and machines) without underfitting or overfitting but keeps it neutralized. Going on the right path and recognizing the patterns are more important than changing the course of track which might lead to not having the right answers.

Mind map of questions – knowing the relationship of questions. History of asking questions and maintaining ledger-type notes on questions that you think of, wanting to ask, curious enough to know the answers at the end of the day take a step back and analyze the questions. Our guest calls this question audits. And I think this will help everyone on the path of the betterment of one’s knowledge. Ask gazillions of questions whenever you’re stuck.

About the Guest: Hal Gregersen (https://halgregersen.com/)

Storyteller, researcher, questioner, photographer and explorer. Author of Questions are the answers and other exceptional books is a senior lecturer in leadership and innovation at MIT's Sloan School of Management, a former executive director of the MIT Leadership Center, a fellow at Innosight, and a co-founder of the Innovator’s DNA consulting group. He has been Ranked one of the world’s 20 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50, and the winner of the 2017 Distinguished Achievement Award for leadership. Hal’s publications can be found here (https://mitsloan.mit.edu/faculty/directory/hal-gregersen). He has also authored n number of articles in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/halgregersen/?sh=1ccccde740de) about leadership and innovative growth.  

[lethargical-lily]

hello hello, i am here again to make a request, with the dormleader with a male reader who is the prince of their stories(like malleus with philip!reader and riddle with alice!reader) i just think it would be funny (and also bcs i haven't seen people do this so-)

TWST Dormleaders x Prince!Yuu

Dude this prompt has been stuck in my head I just haven't written it for whatever reason so I thank you for giving me an excuse to do so

🌹Riddle Rosehearts🌹

I love this dynamic omfg

Alice’s immediate response to seeing Riddle is to look up, speak nicely, stop twiddling his fingers, point out his toes, curtsy, opens his mouth a little wider and exclaims “YES YOUR MAJESTY!”

Riddle is spooked at first but then goes “At least SOMEONE knows the rules”

Alice is incredibly reckless due to intense curiosity

But everytime Riddle gets onto you, you look up at him and go “But my queen, it was oh so curious”

Hearing your mid-atlantic accent he can’t stay mad at you you’re just too sweet🥺

You’ve been through Wonderland once before so you at least know how to play their version of croquet and a couple of the rules

I feel like a couple of times Alice would purposely break the rules to get collared because he’s so interested in how it works

Alice is just a tad naive due to his curiosity in EVERYTHING so if Riddle and Alice are having tea time and a white rabbit passes by, Alice will chase it

Riddle only knows the story of the Queen of Hearts not Alice In Wonderland so this makes no sense to him

Imagine a very short person running after a rabbit in the fields with Riddle the Housewarden chasing them in his dorm uniform😭

I can’t stop thinking of Alice with puffy blue dresses with ribbon decor, so cute I love

Alice and Chenya are immediate BFFS

Alice keeps calling him “Cheshire Cat” which he doesn’t get but he’s happy to go along with it

That scene when the Cheshire cat is distracting Alice from the Queen during a game of croquet but with Male! Alice, Chenya, and Riddle

Riddle keeps hearing small giggles behind him but he doesn’t understand why

Alice introduces the Hearslaybul boys to the “Painting the roses red” song

It’s their anthem now

AND ALICE WOULD DEFINITELY SING GOLDEN AFTERNOON TO THE GARDEN FLOWERS YOU CANT CHANGE MY MIND

Alice is overall a very happy boy who drags Adeuce on adventures and gives his queen a heart attack but also kiss attacks

Heartslaybul has been a more joyous place with the arrival of Alice

🦁Leona Kingscholar🦁

Isn’t….. isn’t the prince…. cheka

He is

He is the prince

I don’t know how to write this unless I break some moral codes which I’m not feeling up to

I’m sorry :,)

🐙Azul Ashengrotto🐙

Dude

This is everything

He would fall in love with Azul when he hears his singing voice

But of course in proper Little Mermaid fashion, Eric doesn’t know who said voice belongs to

He goes around the school for days, asking if someone knows someone with “The voice of an angel🥺”

This dude is a hopeless romantic who definitely believes in love at first sight (or song ig)

I think Jade catches on pretty quickly to who he’s talking about

He doesn’t do anything for a while until he decides to tell Floyd, who on the contrary thinks it would be entertaining to very much do something about it

Cue a montage of them elaborately trying to get you to realize that the person you’re looking for is Azul but just narrowly missing

This includes the boat scene

Floyd actually did end up knocking the boat over bc he was bored

When Floyd’s enthusiasm dies he’s just like “Yo the person you were looking for is Azul”

Eric: Finally the love of my life has come to me🥺

Eric is very well versed in the ways of the sea considering he spent a lot of his life on it so he knows plenty about the sea life in Twisted Wonderland or is interested in learning

This means Azul would give him a water breathing potion so he can explore underwater

It takes a lot of convincing to get Azul to come with him since he’s still kind of insecure about his octopus form

But when Eric gives him the puppy dog eyes it’s game over

He’s gushing all over Azul telling him how beautiful and majestic he is

Azul almost inks

He actually does when Eric squeezes the life out of him due to excitement

He just loves his octo bf so much🥹

But he’s still a prince so he’ll spoil Azul with his princely manners

Will always pull out a chair for him, lead him in dancing, sword fight someone in his honor etc.

The tweels think it’s kind of pathetic how head over heels he is for Azul but Azul is just as enamored, just less showy about it

Discounts at the Monstro lounge is a given

There definitely was a time when Eric was knocked into the water and couldn’t get back up so Azul had to dive in to save him

Romance

🥳Kalim Al-Asim🥳

This is super cute but Aladdin has no idea how to deal

He’s dirt poor but he managed to land a partner that’s filthy rich

I mean it wouldn’t be the first time

But because of his upbringing that means that he’s become very perceptive of bad people

He probably warned Kalim before Jamil’s overblot, Kalim refused to believe him though because he was so convinced Jamil would never do anything to hurt him

He understood where he was coming from and wanted to say “Yeah you’re probably right” but he knew it wasn’t true

But he also knew Kalim wouldn’t listen to him so his hands were kind of tied

But blah blah blah Jamil’s overblot happened, Aladdin saved the day fluffy stuff

Kalim loves Abu he just wants to give him a little squeeze

Abu is slippery though so he just feeds him food

Abu likes him a bunch because of this

On days where Kalim wants to take Aladdin for a magic carpet ride he’s like “BRO I GOT ONE TOO””OMG TWINS”

There’s a lot of carpet races because of this

But on a night where Aladdin was feeling particularly romantic he serenaded him with “I can show you the world”

Kalim cried

The way that Kalim best shows affection is through material items since that’s something he knows he’s good at

He throws a lot of expensive jewelry and clothes at Aladdin

It’s not like Aladdin doesn’t appreciate it but he doesn’t need those things to be happy

All he needs is Kalim

When he tells him that, Kalim starts crying Part 2

Because of Aladdin’s tendency to swipe things he probably shouldn’t this kind of gets him into trouble a bunch

That is if anyone could catch him

Just like his pal Abu he’s a slippery fellow

Kalim finds it endearing

🦚Vil Schoenheit🦚

No hate to The Prince but he has the personality of a thumb

He’s only gotten two scenes in the movie and doesn’t even have an official name

So I’ll just call him Prince ig

But Vil and Prince are kind of the perfect couple ngl

Vil thinks of himself as a Queen and who better for a Queen than a soon to be King?

Prince simps for Vil so hard

Like I don’t know how to verbally express how much

He would die for Vil, he would kill for his Queen, every formal interaction he will get on one knee and kiss Vil’s hand, the power dynamic is kinda 🫣🥴

This just gives me “loyal puppy dog Prince x powerful ‘will kill you if you touch him’ Queen”

Of course Vil is like 😏

Prince treats him like the Queen he knows he is and Vil is obsessed with the never ending attention

He reciprocates through giving him his full attention whenever he can

Even something as small as a peck on the cheek means everything to Prince

His Queen😳

With someone as low as a Prince😳

This cannot be possible😳

But oh it is possible and Vil makes sure he knows that

He loves his loyal lover to the stars and back and he makes sure it’s known by always keeping a hand around his waist

It’s less out of protection than it is possessiveness

But it makes Prince SWOON

Any person who dares argue his Queen’s beauty or strength he will fight

He sees this as saving his Queen’s time

If they can’t take him they have no privilege to even try with Vil

this sounds like sebek omfg

Bridal carrying Vil🥹

🎮Idia Shroud🎮

CRUSTY DISCORD MOD X ANCIENT GREEK HIMBO MY BELOVED

There’s just so much potential here my guys

Even more so if I went by real Ancient Greece that shit was crazy

But this is Disney so I won’t

Hercules knows NOTHING about half the crap that goes on in Twisted Wonderland

“We must sacrifice the finest cattle in honor of the gods””Lol cool let’s play minecraft””What craft is yours?”

I don’t think Idia would have a lot of social anxiety around him after a bit

He’s very knew to everything in Twisted Wonderland, he doesn’t know how society or technology works, he doesn’t know how to dress, etc. so for someone like Idia to take him under his wing he looks up to him as if he was almost a god (only in twisted wonderland ofc he don’t disrespect the pantheon like that)

When Idia tells him of the story of Hades Hercules casually drops the “Oh yeah I know, he’s my uncle”

“….Bitch say sike rn”

Tbh the interactions between your two worlds is very interesting in of itself

I mean it’s obvious twisted wonderland doesn’t have “gods”. Worshipped one’s absolutely but not in the way Earth does

And considering Greek Mythology is a very real thing on Earth but the concept of Hades at least exists in twst means that Greek Mythology exists there too

But they didn’t have ancient Greece

This shit confusing I’ll just stop the existentialism right there

If he tells Idia about his world and origins that’s kind of an existential bend for Idia lol

Like he’s learning that most of the things his dorm has/are involved in was specifically named after an assortment of stories in his partner’s world?

Mind. Blown.

But also we can’t forget the fact that lil ol Idia is deadass dating a DEMIGOD

I don’t think that concept exists in twst but when he explains he like “OOOO BOY😳”

A very muscular man who came through his mirror from a different dimension not only is related to one of the Great Seven but is also the son to a being that is essentially the ruler of their universe????

AND HE CHOSE HIM[Idia]?????

Hercules would use him as a weight while exercising and Idia has his switch out playin Animal Crossing or something

Any time Frisbee is played near them he’s actively shielding Idia

He can’t risk anything after what happened to his (technically) brother Apollo

If you know, you know

🐉Malleus Draconia🐉

This one would be so funny

I’m positive Phillip knows who Maleficent is and her role in his “one true love”’s story

But imagine his surprise when he’s like “The princess is sweet but the dragon fae that’s similar to the person who tried to curse her is kinda😳👀”

He’s a hero who lived long enough to be with the villain

Being from the 14th century he knows just as much about modern things as Malleus does

Meaning Phillip is very suited towards his courting style

Phillip practicing fencing with Sebek or Silver is a must

Phillip desperately wants to see Malleus’ dragon form

It’s not anything he hasn’t seen before and he likes the idea of literally flying into battle with his bf

Phillip knows much about history and arts so Lilia and him get on swell

I think he can play many classical instruments, so he likes to serenade Malleus with a violin or piano

He would most definitely create a rendition of “Once Upon A Dream” for him too

Being a 14th century person who was thrusted to a different dimension in the future, I think he’s really into theatre

Phillip brings Malleus to many plays

Phillip hears from friends Adeuce when dorm leader meetings are held which he relays to Malleus to ensure he’s not left out of important manners

Ballroom dancing together🥺

[starseed-twenty]

🌌 Jupiter in the Houses 💫

- Jupiter in 1st 💎

* Jupiter in 1H people are people who most likely have big features on their face/body (e.g, big eyes, big lips, a big forehead, big thighs, etc.)

* When you get to know them you'll probably find that they are the most confident people you've ever met (but they don't necessarily boast too much about it). They may even be too confident and it can manifest as arrogance.

* Fortune is not too scarce for them (throughout their life). They may have gone through rough patches here and there, but they always try and look at the positive side, and thus, positivity (fortune) comes in easily for them too.

- Jupiter in 2nd 💎

* I think this one is pretty obvious. People with 2H Jupiter are fortunate when it comes to finances, possessions, skills and luxury. Jupiter gives these people an abundance of what the 2nd house holds: money, assets, wealth, talents/skills, so they do find luck (if not now then later) when it comes to these things.

* Most likely they enjoy boasting (maybe in a lowkey way) about the things they have. From luxurious items, to their skills and abilities to do something, to their body (2H also rules the body).

* They also most likely hold many values, ethics & priorities and try to keep up to their many values.

- Jupiter in 3rd 💎

* People with this placement may be individuals who like to talk or enjoy thinking and talking or communicating to a bunch of people. People also just seem to be drawn to their way of communicating. They may even be digitally well-known.

* These people may also have a number of siblings, friends or cousins and probably get along with them well. It's not likely that they are lonely or have too few family members or friends [unless their Jupiter is badly aspected].

* They most probably also have a lot of activities or interests. This could range from hobbies they have, to a collection of something (movies, books, magazines, etc.) or social activities they're part of (such as clubs, societies, bands, etc.).

- Jupiter in 4th 💎

* Having Jupiter in the 4th house can make someone rather fortunate when it comes to foundations/groundwork. They've had good, proper and solid foundations throughout most of their life. This can range from forming a plan, to starting a business, to developing a hobby that ends up being something substantial.

* The 'Jupitarian abundance effect' for them might take on mostly the family department. They most likely also have a big home or family whom they really love and feel blessed to have.

* These individuals may also be pretty connected to their background/heritage. They really do try to connect with their roots and see the good in aligning with where (they feel) they come from.

- Jupiter in 5th 💎

* 5H Jupiter people are probably fortunate when it comes to the romance department. They like to meet people who seem very compatible with them and they gel really well. However, Jupiter likes to give things easy and give things a lot. Meaning, these romances don't last too long cause there's another one waiting.

* On the other side, these people may also have an abundance when it comes to children and have a lot of babies.

* They also probably have a ton of hobbies, or go out/have gone out a lot. They enjoy having fun out with the people they love. They also most likely enjoyed their teenage/adolescent phase, doing many things throughout their high school years.

- Jupiter in 6th 💎

* People with 6H Jupiter are often people who constantly have work or jobs to do or that they create for themselves. They enjoy it though, because Jupiter (being a positive planet) makes them see the positive side to it. This can then make them quite busy people.

* They most likely (lowkey) have an obsession with their body, how their body looks, how they should treat/feel about it, and what they eat. This is a stretch, but they may also be people who like to eat weird stuff or exotic stuff. Always trying things out.

* Most 6H Jupiter individuals also like pets/animals or have at least one pet/animal.

- Jupiter in 7th 💎

* People with this placement often meet plenty and various people throughout their life. And from the people they meet, they take or learn something. They almost never meet someone for no reason.

* They probably have this thing of giving people the benefit of the doubt. So they always try and see the positive in people, and have belief in the things they say.

* Similar to 5H Jupiter, they are fortunate in the romance department. They meet amazing people and get all carried away, falling in love in 0.2 seconds. Unfortunately, with Jupiter comes abundance, so these don't last as long as they'd hope for because the romance department is making room for more.

- Jupiter in 8th 💎

* Jupiter in 8th house people relatively receive an abundance of karmic experiences. They may suffer from one thing at some point, but eventually that suffering ends and breeds a new life within them.

* They may also suffer from feeling indebted though. It's like they see something great about giving to someone. Whether it be their family, friends, people from their past, or anyone, they have this sense of constantly giving [and sometimes giving their all to something too].

* This is a bit of a stretch, but these people (when they're emotionally/mentally healthy) can be some of the most iconic individuals. I see a lot of icons with this placement.

- Jupiter in 9th 💎

* Most 9H Jupiter individuals are either the most open-minded or the most closed-minded people you'll ever meet. Their way of thinking and sense of higher-knowledge is unique. You could either find it easy or hard to speak to them because of the beliefs they have.

* In general though, they are thought-seeking people who just love experiencing things. From travelling, to dates, to debates, to talking about dreams, etc.

* Fortunately, they also have their Jupiter where Jupiter enjoys being placed. The 9th house is naturally a good house for Jupiter because Sagittarius rules the 9th house and Jupiter rules Sag, so these lucky-stars live life with a bit of ease, connecting comfortably with the abundance that Jupiter has to offer.

- Jupiter in 10th 💎

* People with Jupiter in 10th are really fortunate. Not only to have this placement because this is pretty much the best one, but to have fortune when it comes to their career and public life.

* They are perfectly fit for the career or jobs they would like, they gain a lot of experience (pleasant experience too) in their field of work, and are seen as admirable/have a prestigious position.

* Their life can be focused too much on their career though if they don't also dig deep into their roots and appreciate their loved ones, so it's best they try to balance it out to live a successful life.

- Jupiter in 11th 💎

* Having Jupiter in 11th house can mean you connect with a group or groups of people in quite a beneficial way. There is an abundance and fortune when it comes to you involving yourself with certain groups, the community, societies, or social media.

* So 11H Jupiter is a pretty favourable placement for people who would like to one day be famous. If you have Jupiter in 11th then connecting with a large mass of people, mainly on social media, should not be too difficult or harmful for you.

* Your goals and aspirations are also ones that don't become too difficult for you as the power of Jupiter makes reaching them pretty easy. So if you're aiming at something, it'd be best for you to push it. Jupiter is with you.

- Jupiter in 12th 💎

* Jupiter in 12th house people, from what I've seen, are pretty spiritual people who typically come across an abundance of karmic experiences or get to see and feel spiritual insights throughout their life a lot.

* They see the positivity and beauty in aligning with spirituality and connecting with the subconscious/retreats from the world and believe that they mainly find their fortune there (which they do).

* These people may, more often than not, find it hard not to dream wild or have a 'grand scale' image of what they want/the things they plan. They keep a lot of hope for the future in that sense. At the same time though, they may get deeply sad (but try to keep it hidden) because they're such hopeful beings; and that sometimes people don't understand them.

Side-note: Having a Jupiter in retrograde can make the advantageous energy that Jupiter gives off a bit wonky or not as efficient/powerful as it normally would, so there are some (not-so-good) side-effects that could come around in your life if you have Jupiter in retrograde.

[thran-duils]

Learn Her Place

Title: Learn Her Place Summary:  Fem!Omega!Reader x Alpha!Tony Stark x Alpha!Steve Rogers x Alpha!Bucky Barnes. The reader works for S.H.I.E.L.D. and is on suppressants. In this universe, we obviously are working with multiple Alphas being able to share an Omega. The reader has had sex before but it has been with Betas. She is very distracting to the Alphas and they’re tired of not being able to focus on their work, so they decide to make sure her suppressants no longer work and she is where they think she belongs. Without the suppressants, the reader succumbs to her hormones very quickly. Words: 4,894 Warnings (for the fic in entirety): Non-con, ABO dynamics, smut, breeding, brief mention of infidelity, multiple partners, angst. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! Author’s Note: Kudos to whoever picks up on the movie line reference

Masterpost

Steve hated it.

Watching her come back from one-night stands with Betas and not feel any remorse about it.

She was an Omega and was granted freedom by the suppressants given to her. She was wasting her fertile cycles away on frivolous orgasms with random strangers. She was able to infiltrate regular society, mainly hide herself away into the crowd. It was not foolproof though.

There was still something there during what her cycle should be. If one did not know she was Omega, they would not attribute the feeling of arousal to her. But he – along with every other high ranking agent – knew she was and it was that much easier to pinpoint it. He could pick up on it and it made him clench his fists every time she was in close proximity, her infiltrating all his senses. He saw the other Alphas in the room tense too at those times, having a difficult time focusing on the mission briefs with her sitting so close. And one of those times was right the hell now. Tony was staring at her abashedly across the table, his fingers at his lips, his jaw clenched. His stare could be excused, he was an intense person. Bucky, next to Steve, chewed on his cheeks while he tried avoiding looking over at her.

It was selfish.

And foolish because the suppressants only did so much, and they acted like it was a solve all. S.H.I.E.L.D was trying so hard to be inclusive and it was only serving to bring down focus and morale when all they wanted to do was mount one of their team members who was acting above her Omega rank.

She had raised her hand and was answering a question. She was smart, there was no doubt about that. She had worked really hard to get up to this level and she continued to go above and beyond.

But…

Steve’s eyes raked down her clavicle to where the top of her breasts were exposed above her shirt. She most certainly had a push up on. His thoughts trailed to what they looked like bare. How they would look at different angles… when she was riding him, below him, from the side… all the different positions he could get her in. His favorite: cradled in his arms, his hand on her round stomach…

He snapped to attention when Wanda literally snapped her fingers in front of his face. He had been spacing out.

“You alright?” she snorted.

“Yeah, fine,” he said rubbing the back of his neck. He gathered up his file and got up from the table without another word, walking towards the door.

He spotted her down the hall, speaking with Thor. Thor was enthralled, looking at whatever she was showing him in her file. He was a huge teddy bear, just like Bruce.

Steve caught sight of Tony and Bucky coming to stand next to him, their eyes fixated on her too down the hallway.

“Anyone else not catch a single thing that was said in that meeting?” Bucky half joked.

“She’s distracting,” Steve snapped in hushed tones. “How do they not notice the affect she has? Has no one said anything?”

“Oh, I’ve already brought it up,” Tony told Steve and Bucky, rolling his eyes. “They’re marking it up to me not being able to ‘control myself’ and shaming me for it.” He added scornfully, “Were you forced to watch that goddamn video—”

“Where they were described as ‘delicate flowers’? Yeah, I did. And was that supposed to make us feel any better about thinking about them being put in harm’s way?” Bucky muttered, shaking his head. “They shouldn’t be putting her out in the field. Here in the office is one thing. But they shouldn’t be putting any position outside. They’re too susceptible to persuasion.”

Tony said, “That’s why it’s supposed to be secret about their Omega status.”

“I don’t like them out there,” Bucky repeated. “Not just for them but for the rest of our safety too.”

Thor was so close to her, laughing at whatever she had said. He was not affected at all. Steve ground his teeth watching that in front of him. She was comfortable around him, her hand coming to rest on his arm. He felt jealously scratching away at his insides, knowing she was in a cycle.

“It’s gonna drive me insane if I don’t leave,” Tony grated, tearing his eyes away from her to focus on the other two. “You going to the party tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Bucky and Steve said in unison, still staring down the hall.

Tony snorted, “Who the hell planned it on a Thursday, anyhow? Don’t get too worked up if she takes a random person home. I for one won’t be there to witness that. That is unless…” He pulled a syringe out of his pocket, holding it up and Bucky swiped it in the blink of an eye, making it disappear again. Tony threw him a wry smile and said, “I think it’s about time. Don’t hesitate too long now since she’s just gone into the cycle. It’ll take a day or two though to work, remember! And don’t let Banner catch you with that.”

He clapped Bucky on the shoulder before turning on his heel, leaving the other two Alphas to stew.

<><><>

Bucky and Steve walked into the loud club, finding everyone in disarray already in the VIP area. They had been on last minute mission and had returned late and the party was already well underway. The upper space of the club was packed of S.H.I.E.L.D agents at all varying stages of intoxication. Some had set up tables to play poker – something normally illegal in clubs but no one was bothering them – as well as varying card games.

Of course both of their attention was drawn in towards Y/N. Clint was laughing at the fact she had walked back from up the stairs with a sandwich shoved halfway in her mouth. “Y/N! The food is on the way! You remember? That we ordered?”

“But I’m hungry now,” she whined, her mouth full. “And Wanda asked for half of it!”

“You’re such a baby,” Clint laughed barely keeping it together.

Wanda was in stitches, her head thrown back against her chair. Vision was laughing in tandem with Wanda, following her movement. She only laughed harder when Y/N held out the untouched part of the sandwich that was supposed to be for her.

“Thank you,” Wanda said, taking deep breaths as she tried to stifle her laughter.

Natasha appeared at Bucky and Steve’s sides, raising her eyebrows. “They are drunk,” Natasha hissed at them over the music.

And she smirked then, an unfamiliar kind of smirk. And Steve cocked his head.

“Are you drunk?”

She shrugged sheepishly which was all the answer they needed.

You grasped onto Steve’s arm, startling him. “Have you guys done shots yet?”

Steve’s eyes flicked down to her hand only for a moment and he could feel every press of her hand into his bicep. He looked back up at her and told her, “I can’t get drunk, Y/N.”

“Oh, right,” she said looking immediately pitying of him. She rubbed his arm excessively in her drunk state and he stiffened, his jaw clicking. “I’m sorry. I forgot!” She laughed, noticing how stiff he was and poked him in the chest. “You need to loosen up, Steve.”

“I’ll try,” he said forcing a smile.

“You too, Bucky,” she commented eyeing his stoic expression. She touched the side of his face and he inhaled sharply. She giggled at the response and said, “Maybe you’ll feel better after a drink? You can get drunk right?”

Before he could respond, her attention was drawn elsewhere by Wanda. As soon as she was gone, Steve let out a frustrated sigh and Bucky mirrored his state.

“She’s not taking care of herself,” Bucky murmured, shaking his head. “Anyone could take her home. Anyone!”

“Yeah, well, we’ll make sure that doesn’t happen,” Steve returned firmly. Bucky frowned and Steve rolled his eyes, “You can have some drinks. I’ll just be the sober eyes.”

“Thanks for that leeway, but this has gone on long enough hasn’t it?” Bucky asked.

“It has,” Steve exhaled heavily. Y/N was holding Clint’s hand as they danced their way down the staircase from the VIP section, away from where him and Bucky were standing.

Steve was close to her all night, especially on the dance floor. At one point, he grabbed a female Alpha who had started grinding on Y/N and yanked her away. The other Alpha had started to get buck until she realized who exactly she was trying to fight. He was not a hard man to mistake, not with all the press conferences and his mere presence on top of that. She gritted her teeth before leaving seeing his icy stare, taking the hint. Y/N was oblivious, dancing to the techno music, hands in the air still with Clint and Wanda.

Y/N fanned herself and her hands came to the hem of her shirt. Steve’s eyes almost bugged out of his head as she began to tear it off. Steve was at her side immediately, grabbing the shirt before she could remove it completely, yanking it back down.

She focused in on him, confused, and he demanded inches from her face, “What are you doing?”

“It’s hot,” she yelled at him over the music, as if that was a reasonable explanation for her behavior. He imagined all the eyes on her now, his blood pumping in his ears.

Steve shook his head and grasped her arm, pulling her through the crowd.

“Steve!” he heard Clint call from behind him, but it went ignored.

Bucky knew when Steve walked by with Y/N it was time. He got up, following Steve’s movement away from the VIP section towards a more isolated part of the club. Y/N was asking Steve where he was taking her before Bucky snuck up and administered the shot before Y/N could even react to his presence.

She began to ask, “What the hell…” but her eyes were already drooping.

Steve caught her before her knees gave out from beneath her. She was conscious but she was far past coherent. She groaned in his arms and he picked her up, hushing her.

“Wish I could have gotten even two drinks in before that,” Bucky said, eyes searching the club. He looked towards the hall and said, “Should try to take her out a back way or…?”

“She was reckless,” Steve grumbled in his ear as she slumped into his side. “Let’s take her home. She shouldn’t remember any of this. But no, let’s take her back by so everyone can see how ‘drunk’ she is.”

“Right, good idea,” Bucky agreed.

<><><>

Tony walked in, seeing Y/N at the break room table already, at 7:00am. But, her head was resting on her forearms, a large cup of coffee next to her. He looked over his shoulder, seeing people were walking by in the hallway. Slowly, he closed the door, the handle clicking into place when it was fully closed. She did not stir, and he cocked his head. She must really be out.

He tapped her shoulder and she grumbled, sitting back uncomfortably. She was squinting at him and recognized him, before rubbing at her eyes.

“You alright?” he asked, feigning concern.

“Yeah, just… not feeling great,” she told him.

Hungover. Every clue of it clear as day to everyone else. But Tony was not everyone else. He knew this was not a withdrawal from alcohol but another drug entirely. Her body was correcting itself from that nasty medication, right at the height of her heat.

“You should be drinking water instead of coffee,” Tony told her, his Alpha peaking in his tone.

It was an easy way to worm himself in. He was not supposed to do this – but they had also not been supposed to administer that drug without her consent –, it was against protocol. But he just had to know. He had to see if she would respond.

Simultaneously to his surprise and not, she made eye contact with him. He saw… doe eyes. She quickly averted her gaze and looked at her cup.

“You’re right,” she told him.

Tony watched her with arousal as she got up and tossed the coffee in the sink. She went towards the fridge, but Tony was already there, opening it up to grab a water bottle for her.

“Let me,” he told her, and she stopped, looking at him patiently as he held it out to her.

She took it from him, taking a drink. “Thanks. I… I really don’t feel great.”

Tony pointed at her and said, “You probably need oxygen. And a lot of water.”

“Oxygen?”

“Clears a hangover pretty quickly.”

“Oh, I’m not—” she began to stammer, and he could not help his lip twitching in amusement at her looking embarrassed.

Tony chuckled, “It’s alright. The party was last night. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Y/N looked unsure if she should relax or not for a few moments before she relented, nodding. “Yeah, what idiot decided tequila shots was the way to start off the night?”

“Probably the same idiot who planned it to be on a Thursday.”

“Thirsty Thursday,” she mumbled, taking another drink.

“Thirsty Thursday,” Tony agreed lightly. “Eat something too. Something healthy. Fruit, maybe.” She grumbled in response but nodded as she sat back down at the table. She swiped an apple from the center of the table and took a large bite. Tony watched her for a few more seconds, anticipation nipping at his heels before he parted with, “Feel better.”

He needed to tell Bucky and Steve she should be ready by tonight if she was already reacting to him like that.

<><><>

Y/N was the last one in her office, the other two had gone home already. She looked up at Tony walking into the office, carrying a bag. Her stomach growled at the smell coming from the bag, her eyes falling to it. Tony only stalled for a moment, the smell of her coming to him. She was tumbling fast, she looked flushed.

Tony approached her desk, a friendly glint in his eye. “Ah, you are still here. Here, we ordered some food. I always go for greasy at some point after drinking and I’m sure it’ll help.” She looked past him to where Bucky and Steve were in the hallway.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Y/N told him timidly.

Tony loved the sight: she was tying to avoid direct eye contact, speaking in soft tones.

“Just thought we’d be nice.”

“Thank you.” She would not grab it from him. “Today has been… I don’t know. I can’t focus. I need to finish this before I leave. I just… I don’t feel great,” she said her voice getting smaller as her eyes were dragged back to her computer screen.

Tony ordered, “Press save and close the laptop. Eat.” He placed the bag on her desk. “It’ll help.”

He turned to leave, and she blurted, “Where are you going?”

Tony came to a stop, his gaze locked with Steve and Bucky, his back to her. To them, he gave them a sly, knowing smile that only lasted a few seconds before he turned back to her.

“I mean, you don’t have to leave and go eat somewhere else if you already have your food too. You don’t want it to get cold. I promise I’m not throwing up or anything. I just feel off. Like a headache… a little hot.”

She wanted them to stay, that was obvious. She needed something from them and even if she could not figure out what it was just yet, her body was telling her they were needed.

“Sure,” Tony chirped. “If it won’t bother you.”

She shook her head and he started walking back towards the desk beside hers. His suit jacket came off, and he swung it around the back of the chair. Steve and Bucky had come into the room as well, purposely leaving the door open. Bucky sat across from Y/N, his eyes following her movements as she opened the bag Tony had placed in front of her. He watched the way her hands shook ever so slightly, her tongue running across her bottom lip as she opened the container of food.

Y/N made a satisfied sound as she tasted it. “God, thank you. This is delicious. I needed it. I feel… shaky.”

The three of them around her was making it difficult for her to focus though. She kept stealing glances at them, being met with blatant stares back as they slowly ate. Steve adjusted, trying to hide his length that was starting to grow at her being so damn close and smelling so damn good.

Tony spilled some on the desk and said, “Shit!”

Before she could offer he was leaning over her, reaching across the grab a kleenex from the other side of her desk. He heard her inhale and he forced himself to not react, sitting back down, dabbing at the food he had spilled. His jaw was clenched; he should not have done that because now he was working himself up quickly.

The three of them noticed her chewing slowed to a stop and her eyes moved between the three of them. Something was starting to click… the tense silence in the room getting under her skin. The off feeling no doubt growing ever stronger.

Swallowing, she cleared her throat. Her voice was higher pitched than normal, “Do you guys want a cookie? To go with it for after, I mean? I… there’s some over here.”

She pushed her chair back quickly and moved away from her desk. Along the wall, she fumbled with the drawers, looking for these mysterious cookies. She was getting squirrelly, nervous, like she wanted some air. They could all sense it and they wanted to get ahead of her stressing out while they could. All three were out of their seats: Bucky strode across the room away from her, closing the door while Tony and Steve came closer towards her.

Y/N turned around startled at them all having moved so quickly, holding a handful of fortune cookies. Bucky leaned against the doorframe, staring directly back at her. She gave a small laugh, “Are people still working out there? Were we being too loud, do you think?”

Tony and Steve said nothing and her smile faltered, a frown growing. “Can…Can I just… get by,” she said trying to skirt around them but each time, one of them blocked her way. She tried to brush it off, holding the cookie out. “Do you just want it now?”

She asked, so innocently. Sweetly. Steve shuddered at it. She could not hide her true nature even in her tone. And the phrasing, the three of them smirked.

Bucky was still by the door, leaning against the frame. He popped a chocolate in his mouth, watching the scene unfold.

“Well, I would really like to get eat—” She said, trying again to break through their rank and being unsuccessful. She frowned visibly now, worry lines showing up on her face. She chuckled nervously, “Did I do something wrong?”

Steve noticed the spiral coming. He could hear the increase in her heartrate. She knew she was surrounded by Alphas and was growing uncomfortable. Especially since she was alone, it was late, and they were encroaching. His hand came up to slap over her mouth and she yelled frightened, the sound muffled. He pulled her away from the counter, dragging her back towards the third desk. Tony was ready, grabbing her arms and twisting them behind her back, slipping the retractable cuffs around her wrists. The cookies tumbled to the floor and he paid them no mind, stepping on them as he passed her to Steve solely. Her arms were bound at the small of her back and she fell face first against the table. All three of them were growing hard at the sight.

As soon as Steve removed his hand she began to scream, and he clamped back down.

“Omega,” Steve purred in her ear and she whimpered behind his hand. He laced his tone, his Alpha rumbling, “You’re going to be quiet aren’t you?” She said nothing, her chest just rapidly moving up and down. “Omega… are you gonna be quiet? Nod for me if you are gonna be good.” She nodded frantically against his hand and he slowly removed it.

Tearfully, she said, “Can you let me go?”

“Oh, no. No, we can’t, beautiful,” Steve said, his finger running down her exposed neck, causing her to squirm. He pulled away, turning his attention to Tony.

“But… I… I didn’t do anything wrong,” she tried to plead, looking at Bucky across the desk to where he was standing at the door. “I followed all the rules. I—” Tony’s hands lifted up underneath her dress and she let out a choked noise, craning her neck to look back at him. “Alpha, please!”

Tony audibly groaned at her slipping up and giving in to calling him by his title. He yanked her leggings and underwear down to her ankles. He freed himself from his slacks and his fingers pressed at her pussy. She buried her face in the desk, trying to squeeze her legs together.

“Oh, come now. None of that,” Tony ordered, and she loosened. His fingers pressed in, stroking her slowly. She was already wet, probably had been for the better part of the day. It is why the three of them had stayed away, they could have lost control before now and ruined it all otherwise.

“You’re not being punished, Omega,” he told her. “Rewarded actually…” She whimpered and he cooed as he continued stroking her gently, “Oh, sweetpea… beautiful Omega. You’re going to be just fine. You’re in the perfect hands. You feel sick for a reason and we are going to help you.”

The more he spoke, the more he watched her body relax against his hand and his tone. The smell of her was driving him insane – he could only imagine Steve and Bucky not being able to touch her at all. He should not stall for long, wouldn’t want to start a fight.

“You’re going to feel so much better,” Tony promised as she tried to push back on his fingers, and he bit his lip at the sight. His fingers were gone, and she let out a disappointed noise. Tony rubbed his cock up and down her ass, slowly. “God, this is gonna feel so fucking good.”

Tony’s head pressed in and she gasped, adjusting to his width. He gave a strangled laugh, relishing in how tight her walls were. She was squirming beneath him and he gave her a rapt smack on the ass.

“I know you haven’t had an Alpha cock before but relax, Omega,” Tony ordered gruffly.

“It’s too much,” she said pitifully.

“You’ll adjust. You’ll adjust,” Tony moaned, pressing in further. “You’ll be able to take all of me. All of us. It’s what you were built for.”

Bucky was becoming shifty, chewing on his thumb nail, his eyes boring into Y/N. He had stepped away from the door, coming closer to where she was. His dick was outlined in his jeans but he had refrained from releasing himself just yet. Steve on the other hand had taken his cock out and was stroking himself, needing some type of contact. Both of their eyes were blown wide.

“Oh. Tony,” Bucky said, aroused. “You would love this sight.”

Y/N’s eyes were glazed over as Tony thrusts grew deeper and quicker. Looking the perfect example of a subservient Omega, impaled on an Alpha’s cock.

“I love the feeling,” Tony choked back, holding tight to her wrists to drive himself deeper.

Soon, they came tumbling down. Tony came with loud grunts, emptying inside of her and he left a claim mark on her shoulder. Tony only took a moment to kiss at her neck, whispering something sweet into her ear before he backed off. His pants were buttoned back up and he collapsed in one of the chairs, his eyes falling on her.

Steve wasted no time coming behind her and entering her with ease. She whimpered at the intrusion, still so sensitive. His thrusts were unbridled, worked up into a frenzy. Y/N’s hips bounced off the desk.

“Alpha,” she whined.

“You’re okay, you’re okay,” Steve panted, his fingers digging into the skin at her hips. “You feel so goddamn good, Omega. You’re doing so well. So, so well. Everything I dreamed.”

The room was filled with skin slapping skin and the aroused moans leaving Y/N.

“Alpha,” she whined again, and Steve groaned, knowing she was getting close. He could feel her clenching around him.

And when she did, shaking and whimpering, Steve thrusted quickly as she tightened. He finished with a shout unable to help himself, coating her walls. He left another distinct claim bite at the base of her neck. His fingers traced it gently before he noticed Bucky standing there.

“You know, for an Alpha. Buck, you sure as hell are patient,” Steve joked.

Bucky gave a curt smirk before shoving Steve out of the way. Steve held his hands up in surrender, turning away and letting Bucky have his way with her. Y/N was doing so well still, behaving and letting Bucky rut her into the desk without pushback. Bucky had been right, Tony thought to himself. He loved that look in her eyes. She was lost to her arousal.

“P-p-please, alpha,” she begged moments before she cried out again.

Bucky grunted loudly, his thrusts becoming more erratic, chasing his high. He shook as he emptied himself and went to the opposite shoulder to leave another claim mark. She was exhausted, breathing heavily having not one but three Alphas imprinting themselves on her and using her.

The door opened and all three of them froze, Bucky still buried in Y/N, his large hands at her hips.

Clint was standing there, his mouth fallen open in disbelief at the scene. There were a few seconds of suspended shock before he asked them disgusted, “You couldn’t even lock it?”

“Didn’t think about it,” Tony admitted.

“You? You didn’t think? That’s rich,” Clint spat back at him. He noticed Y/N was handcuffed and realization dawned on him. He glared daggers at the three of them and snapped, “You’re going to get sidelined for this!”

“No, I don’t think so. More like chewed out… I’ve been chewed out before,” Steve said. Impatiently he added, “Now, will you close the damn door?”

His request went ignored by Clint, who pressed on furiously, “No, seriously. You guys know that right? Compromising an agent like this! Especially one they’re trying to keep up because they’re in such big demand to even out the ranks! She’s only going to respond to your Alpha commands now! That compromises her!”

“And why is anyone complaining about that? She should be answering to her superiors,” Tony remarked, watching her intently. She was so lost, trying to figure out what was going on. She had no purpose without feeling a cock being driven into her when she was this worked up into her heat. Tony almost felt bad for her…

“Barton, are you going to let Barnes pull out so we can untie her or what? She’s got to be getting sore by now. Wouldn’t want to hurt our ‘delicate flower’.” Clint stood his ground and Tony lost his humor, snapping, “Get the fuck out, Barton. It’s already been done. Now. Before I lose my goddamn temper.”

Clint’s jaw was clenched as he turned away from the three Alphas, slamming the door behind him so loudly it shook the wall.

“Speaking of that,” Bucky said, clearing his throat. He leaned in, catching her attention. “Darling… do you want Alpha to finish inside you?” She nodded fervently and Bucky grunted in response, rutting against her backside even as he pulled away from her. He pulled her up and she stood on shaky legs. In her ear, he asked, “Do you want to always be finished inside of?” She nodded again, biting her bottom lip. “Hmm… you want to please us? That’s what I thought. So. How about after you take in that feeling of that warm seed inside you, you go up to the director and tell her you want to resign? Tell her you wanna be a good little housewife for us? How does that sound?”

“Okay,” she agreed.

Steve’s fingers pressed her cheeks in, pressing her lips out and he smiled. “You wanna be an asset to the team in your best way. Such a team player.” He shot Tony a look at the end of the desk, an aroused gleam in his eye. “I’m sure we can get you a proper collar.”

“I’ve already got it built. I’ve been waiting for her to learn her place.” Tony then added, “But she can’t live with me. Pepper will kill me.”

“I’ve got it,” Steve said.

Steve rubbed her stomach and said, “Regardless, she’s gonna be serving her real purpose soon.”

~~~

Forever tags: @coconutqueen21 

[heliads]

The Football Player (Part One)

Based on this request: “Bucky is a football player and you are a fan of the team but you're also really shy. Secretly Bucky also developed a crush on you. He sees you getting mocked by some idiots and he gets in between to stand up for you. Later then he asks you for a walk and he kisses you.”

masterlist / part two

According to every ounce of common sense still left in your body, you should be paying attention. You’re in school, might as well actually learn something, right? You have a test next period, and if you were smart or wanted to pass at all, you should be focusing right now, tracking every single word that your professor is saying. The only problem is that you’re not doing this whatsoever. No, your gaze is instead directed out the window, where a certain football team is just beginning practice.

It’s not like you were intentionally trying to get distracted. You had come to the classroom right on time, pencils lined up and notebook out, ready to start the day. Your gaze just happened to accidentally shift to the window instead, and when you saw number seventeen in red and gold, well, how could you focus on math at a time like this? You’d seen James Barnes around the school many times, but he never ceases to amaze you.

Honestly, even talking about him tends to light a fire behind your cheeks. You’ve seen this movie dozens of times before: shy, studious girl falls for the football player, hijinks ensue. However, this isn’t a Hollywood blockbuster. Bucky is a star member of the team, and you’re just a fan of your school’s football games. Whenever you do icebreakers in class and you’re forced to describe yourself in one word, you always reach for ‘bookish’ or ‘smiling’. Certainly never ‘superbly athletic’ or ‘on Bucky’s radar in any way’. Those aren’t even one word.

However, you never quite seem to let yourself be brought back to reality. Time and time again, you don the red and gold colors of your school- Mid-Capital University, or MCU, ready to go cheer on the team and your favorite player especially so. In fact, there’s a game tonight, you’ll be going with your friend. No matter how many times you laugh at yourself, though, you can’t shake your crush. You doubt it’ll be going away anytime soon.

The night is young, the shouts loud. You cheer with your friend and the rest of the school as the football team runs out onto the field. Their manager, a Mr. Stark, watches from the sidelines, yelling directions or complaining about how much the equipment is going to cost. The team jogs over to their captain, Steve Rogers, to huddle up and discuss final strategy. Steve is a senior, and you’ve heard rumors that he’s chosen Sam Wilson to take his place as captain next year. He’s Bucky’s best friend, so you’ve heard, although they pretend to fight often enough that you’d think they were rivals.

Bucky is here as well now, eyes glinting from underneath his helmet. He’d had long hair for the longest time, but when he’d cut it over the summer there had been more than a few desolate sighs from the cheerleaders. You had to smile at that- at least you weren’t head-over-heels enough to give up your crush based on his hair. You weren’t that bad yet.

As you watch, the team takes their position. They’ll be playing their rivals tonight, the Hydras. Steve heads to the back, Bucky and Sam on either side of him. Further along the team, you can begin to recognize other players- Scott Lang, a kid who’s scrawny off the field but seems to grow twice in size the second he puts on his gear, Peter Parker, the freshman who managed to make it on the team within his first few days, and Natasha Romanoff, the one girl on the team who’s got a death stare promising she’ll tear any objectors to shreds.

The whistle blows, and the teams are off. You watch with bated breath as Bucky darts left, right, catches the ball from Steve and takes off down the field. Apprehension grows across the student body until at last- touchdown, your school! You rise with the others, cheering in unison. Maybe you’re just being silly, but you could swear Bucky looked at you with a smile just as he started off back towards the line.

The rest of the football game is a breeze. Your school wins easily, and Bucky definitely did his part to secure the victory. The next day, everyone is still buzzing over the catches and near misses with their friends, not wanting to miss a single moment. You suppose it’s still on your mind, which is why you’re frozen in your tracks when your new lab partner sits down beside you in biology.

It’s Bucky. Of course it is Bucky. Of course, the one time you have to have a new lab partner in class, your teacher manages to have the terrible luck to place you with the one person who reduces you to a blushing mess every time he steps within ten feet of you. Bucky slings his backpack down beside his chair, offering you an easy smile like a flyer, free of charge.

“I’m Bucky.” He says, and you remember yourself. “I know. I saw the game, you were really good. I’m Y/N, uh, by the way.” Bucky’s smile grows even wider when you mention the game, if that’s possible. “You saw the game? That’s so nice of you.” You feel like you can’t form a coherent thought. “Yeah, I went with my friends. Your team won.” You want to slap yourself in the head- of course he won, he was there. You’re stating the obvious.

But Bucky doesn’t laugh at you, or act like you’ve said anything strange. He just nods, shoulders slumping slightly as he thinks about last night’s game. “It was hard. I guess every time you go against your rival school the pressure’s just ten times worse. It took a lot to just run out on the field.”

He stiffens slightly after he says this, like he wasn’t intending on sharing that secret just yet. However, you’re just grateful that you’re not the only one saying whatever pops into your head. “I can’t blame you. If it’s worth anything, though, I thought you were great.” Bucky’s beaming smile is back, brighter than ever. “It’s worth a lot from you.”

Maybe this sudden seating arrangement won’t be that bad after all.

Your friend catches up to you the second you leave the biology room behind. She looks back and forth between you and Bucky’s retreating form, something in between astonishment and a teasing grin lingering on her face. “Tell me I didn’t just make that up. Tell me you’re actually the lab partner of the one and only Bucky Barnes, the guy you’ve been crushing on for, like, forever.”

You shove her slightly, although you can’t help but smile. “It’s true. I don’t know how, but it’s true. Guess the bio teacher really liked me that period.” Your friend loops an arm around your shoulders. “It’s not just him who really likes you. Did you see the way he was looking at you? All through class, he kept stealing glances. I think Bucky Barnes has a crush on you.”

You stop in your tracks. “That’s impossible. He would never.” Your friend crows in victory. “But he did! You don’t stare at somebody like that unless you’re hopelessly in love with them. It’s the same way you stare at him.” Indignation rises in you like a spring. “I don’t stare at him. I just observe, casually.” Your friend snorts. “Well, you casually observe him a lot. Honestly, I just see this as a success. If you can get the star football player to fall in love with you, then I think I can win the lottery or something.”

Even after your laughter rises and dies away, you can’t help but think about what your friend said. Surely it’s impossible- Bucky would never so much as talk to you outside of class, let alone have a crush on you. But your friend wasn’t exactly lying. You had seen Bucky out of the corner of your eye, the way a smile lingered on his lips when he glanced over at you. That wasn’t just nothing, right? Honestly, this whole lab partners deal might be more pressing than you ever thought possible.

The only way to move on is to go through the next day, and the next. After that, however, you have biology again, and that means finding your place next to Bucky Barnes and pretending like your heart rate isn’t skyrocketing the second he smiles up at you, saying he’s glad to see you again. Your friend keeps stealing glances your way, eyes wide and thumbs raised in an expression of impressed awe.

As it turns out, your friend isn’t the only one to see something between you and Bucky. You make your way out of the bio room, unable to hide a smile, although your happy outlook disappears the second somebody blocks your path across campus. This somebody just happens to be Mandy Fleming, bottle blonde junior who thinks she owns the school, and her entourage of preening followers.

Mandy folds her arms over her chest, considering you. Her lip purses. Evidently she finds something lacking. “You know, I don’t think we’ve had a proper conversation in a while. We need to make a few things clear.” You force a smile, trying to step around her. “Can we do it later? I have places to be.” Mandy curls her lip. “I don’t wait. This can’t wait. See, you’ve developed the unfortunate habit of spending too much time around Bucky Barnes.”

You raise an eyebrow. “We’re lab partners. What, you want me to ignore him?” Mandy’s eyes narrow. “That would be preferable. Next class, you’re going to go up to the professor and tell him you want to switch partners. Make something up about wanting to be closer to the board or something, I’m sure he’ll believe it.” You can barely listen to her. “And why would I do that?” Mandy takes a step closer. “Bucky is mine, not yours. I’m going to need you to back off.”

You stare at her. “You want me to switch lab partners all because a boy you’re not even dating is sitting next to me?” Mandy’s head rears back. You’ve obviously struck a nerve. “Listen here, honey. This isn’t an issue about me, it’s an issue about you. What, did you really think Bucky would ever even give you the time of day? You’re a nobody, a nothing, somebody not even worth a fraction of his time. Honestly, I’m doing him a favor by getting rid of you. He doesn’t want to see you, not for a second.”

With every word, you can feel your confidence plummeting. Mandy notices this, a smirk burning even deeper into her lips. Sometimes, you swear she can smell fear just like an animal. “You’re worried because you know I’m right. You’re pathetic, really, and Bucky Barnes wants nothing to do with you.” Just as you feel like you want to go back to your dorm room and never see the light of day again, a voice rings out from behind you. It’s a voice you recognize instantly, and one that Mandy does too, as she shrinks back the second she hears it.

“You couldn’t be more wrong.” Bucky steps forward, taking a place next to you. Mandy forces a smile. “I, uh, don’t know what you’re talking about. Y/N and I are just having a little chat about homework. We had homework, right, a textbook reading and-” Bucky cuts her off coolly. “I heard every word. If you think I’d want to choose you over her, you’re wrong. She’s a hundred times the girl you’ll ever be.”

Mandy stammers, fishing around for words but coming up with nothing. It’s almost cathartic to watch. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, Y/N and I have somewhere to be. And if I hear you trying to talk to her like that again, believe me when I say that this won’t be the worst I’ll say to you.” Bucky offers you a hand like a proper gentleman, and you take it, letting him steer you away from Mandy and her followers, who are still gaping at your backs.

The second you’re out of earshot, Bucky turns to you, apologies and regret written all over his face. “I’m so sorry about that. It’s all my fault- she’s been trying to flirt with me all semester, and I finally gave up and rejected her, and now she’s taking it out on you. I wish none of this ever happened.” You manage to force a smile. “Trust me, it’s fine.”

Bucky looks at you, concern still lingering in his eyes. “Are you sure? I can talk to them again if you think they’ll bother you.” You laugh at that. “Don’t worry about me. I’m perfectly alright.” Bucky smiles at that. “Well, if you are perfectly alright, I was wondering if you were busy this Saturday. I saw this new park that opened, and it looked really interesting, but if you’re busy or something we can totally do something else, or nothing at all, whatever you-”

You cut him off, unable to hide a smile at his rambling. “I think that sounds excellent. I’ll see you there?” Bucky’s face lights up. “I’ll see you there.” He gathers his courage one last time, then leans forward to kiss you. He flashes you one last perfect smile before disappearing around the corner, leaving you with a smile and the memory of his lips on yours. When you look up, you see scores of jealous girls staring at you, but for once, the attention doesn’t bother you. Why should it? You have Bucky at last, and he doesn’t want anyone but you.

marvel tag list: @mycosmicparadise​

[spanishskulduggery]

Hi! I'm very curious about something regarding the Spanish language. I'm currently studying A2 Spanish but I had this question and my teacher did not seem too willing to discuss it. Here it goes:

I know that Spanish has, something my Spanish teacher says, linguistic gender. I was wondering how do the people who don't align themselves with the gender binary (masculine and feminine) speak/write in it? I have read this article about Spanish speaking people from US adding "x" Or "@" and people from Argentina using "e" to make the words gender neutral.

Thank you so much for responding, whenever you get to it. Also love your blog. ❤

Short answer, in general speaking terms people are tending towards the -e now because the other two are very hard to actually speak, and because Spanish-speakers feel the -e is more authentic

What you're most likely to see in Spanish is masculine plural as the default, or in written things you might see todos y todas or like un/una alumno/a "a student", or like se busca empleado/a "employees wanted" / "looking for an employee"

If it's something official or academic you typically include both [todas y todas] or you go masculine plural [todos] unless it's specifically feminine plural

-

Related, linguistic gender applies to all things, not just people. Why is la mesa "table" feminine, but el libro "book" masculine? Just linguistic gender. I can tell you that most loanwords (that aren't people) in Spanish are masculine, and that there are certain words that come from Greek are masculine, and that -ista words are unisex most of the time... And I can tell you there are some words like testigo or modelo that are unisex and don't change for gender. Aside from that, speaking about nouns and grammatical gender... those particular things are harder to parse for regular people, but if you go into the field of linguistics you can explore that more deeply. Some of it is source language (i.e. "it came from Latin this way") or things like that. And in general when talking about nouns it's unimportant and not considered sexist, that's just how it is.

There is such a thing where it gets a little too far the other way and people will say "history? what about herstory" which is a nice thought but the etymology has nothing to do with gender there

When it comes to people - and when it comes to gendered attitudes - that's where it gets more confusing and more complicated.

I believe there was an experiment where people had French and Spanish speakers [I believe it was Spanish] try to identify how a "fork" would sound. French people gave it a more feminine voice because "fork" is feminine in French, while Spanish speakers gave it a more masculine voice because it's masculine in Spanish.

Whether we like it or not, certain gendered things do influence our thoughts and feelings and reactions. A similar thing in English exists where the old joke was something like "There was a car accident; a boy is rushed to the ER and the surgeon but the father was killed. When they got to the ER the doctor said 'I can't operate on him, he's my son!'" and it's like "well who could the doctor be?" ...and the doctor is his mother. We associate "doctor" as masculine and "nurse" as feminine.

There's a gender bias in our language thought patterns, even though the language changes. And that does exist in Spanish too, to different extents.

There are certain cultural and gendered stereotypes or connotations attached to certain words, many tend to be more despective or pejorative when it's women.

For example - and I know this has changed in many places or it isn't as prevalent - el jinete "horseman/rider", while the female form is la amazona "horsewoman/rider". Because la jinete or la jineta was sometimes "promiscuous woman".

There were also debates about things like la presidente vs. la presidenta or what the female version of juez should be, whether it should be la juez or la jueza

Most languages with gendered language have varying degrees of this, and all languages I'm aware of have gendered stereotypes related to professions or cultural attitudes in some way, and not just for women, and not all in the same way with some of them being very culturally based

-

The longer answer involves a bit of history, and I'll be honest, some of it is contested or considered a little controversial in Spanish-speaking countries particularly in the conservative parts (which honestly should come as no surprise)

The first symbol that I know of that came about was the X

First piece of contested history: As far as I know, it was the trans/queer and drag communities in Latin America who started the trend of X. When there were signs or bulletins that had the gendered endings - specifically masculine plural as the default plural - people would write a big X through the O. This was a way of being inclusive and also a very smash the patriarchy move.

Some people attribute this to women's rights activists which may also be true, but a good portion of the things I read from people say it was the trans/queer/drag communities in Latin America doing this.

I've also read it originated in Brazil with Portuguese; still Latin America, but not a Spanish-speaking country.

Where it's most contested is that some people will say that this trend started in the Hispanic communities of the United States. And - not without reason - people are upset that this is perceived as a very gringo movement.

That's why Latinx is considered a very American-Hispanic experience

-

The arroba (@) is relatively new. I remember seeing it in the 2000s. I don't know if it existed earlier for gender inclusivity.

People used it because it looks like a combination of O and A, so it was meant to be cut down on saying things like todos y todas or niños y niñas in informal written speech

I remember quite a few (informal) emails starting like hola tod@s or muy buenas a tod@s or things like that

I think of it more as convenience especially in the information age where you never knew who you were talking to and it's easier than including both words, especially when masculine plural might be clumsy or insensitive

Still, it's practically impossible to use the @ in spoken Spanish, so it's better for writing casually. You also likely won't be allowed to use the @ in anything academic, but in chatrooms, blogs, or forums it's an option

-

I love the E ending. And the gender neutral form in singular is elle... so it's él "he", ella "she", and elle "they (singular)"

The -e ending is I think became more common within the past 10 years though it might have existed longer than that. These sorts of changes tend to come from the queer or trans communities and tend to be more insular before becoming more of an outside thing that then the general population finds out about

It came about because there are some adjectives in Spanish that end in -e that are unisex. It's not an A, it's not an O, but it's something grammatically neutral for Spanish

It's not as awkward as X, and E exists very firmly in Spanish so it's not perceived as some outside (typically gringo) influence

The good news is, it's pretty widespread on the internet. Not so much in person (yet), but especially in Spain and Argentina at least from what I've seen, particularly in the queer communities and online culture.

The only issues with it are that for non-native speakers, you have to get used to any spelling changes. Like amigo and amiga, but to use the E ending you have to add a U... so it's amigue.

That's because there are certain words where you have to do spelling changes to preserve the sound; gue has a hard G sound like -go does [like guerra]... but ge has the equivalent of an English H sound [gelatina for example]. Another one is cómico/a "funny" which would go to cómique. Again, because co has a hard C/K sound, while ce is a soft sound more like an S or in some contexts TH/Z sound; like centro is a soft sound, while cola is a hard sound

Unless you make it to the preterite forms where you come across like pagué, alcancé, practiqué with those types of endings... or subjunctive forms, pague, alcance, practique ... Basically you'd have to be exposed to those spelling rules or you'd be really confused if you were a total beginner.

It all makes sense when you speak it, but spelling might be harder before you learn those rules

The other drawback is that the E endings are sometimes not applicable. Like in damas y caballeros "ladies and gentlemen" there's not really a gender neutral variation on that, it's all binary there. And while la caballero "female knight" does exist, you'd never see a male variation on dama; the closest I've ever seen is calling a guy a damisela en apuros "damsel in distress" in some contexts where the man needs rescuing, and it's feminine una/la damisela, and it's very tongue-in-cheek

There are also some contexts like jefe vs jefa where I guess you would say jefe for "boss" if you were going the neutral route, but it's a bit weird because it's also the masculine option.

I can't speak for how people might feel about those if they're non-binary or agender because every so often you kind of get forced into the binary whether you like it or not

I totally support the E, I just recognize there are some limitations there and it's quirks of the Spanish language itself

Important Note: Just to reiterate, E endings are the ones most Spanish-speakers prefer because it's easiest to speak and doesn't have the American connotation that X does in some circles

-

Where it gets very "Facebook comment section" is that you'll see many Latin Americans traditionalists and conservatives claim that "this is just the gringos colonizing our language" and "grammatical gender doesn't matter in Spanish". They'll say that the "gender movement" is an American feminist movement and that it's a gringo thing and doesn't reflect actual Latin Americans or Spanish-speakers

Which on the one hand, yes, English does have a lot of undue influence on other languages because of colonization, and American influence and meddling in Latin American politics is a big important issue

But as far as I'm aware of the X (and especially the E) were created by Latin Americans

The other issue I personally have is that any time this conversation comes up, someone will say something like somos latinOs and claim that masculine plural is gender neutral

To that I say, first of all, "masculine plural" is inherently gendered. Additionally, there is a gender neutral in Spanish but it's lo or ello and it's only used with "it" so it sounds very unfriendly to use on an actual person... and in plural it looks like masculine plural and everything applies like masculine plural

Second, the reason masculine plural is default is because of machismo. It's more important that we don't possibly misgender a man, so it has to be masculine plural. It's changed in some places, but growing up when I was learning Spanish, if it was 99 women and 1 man you still had to put masculine plural

I'm not opposed to there being a default, and I understand why it's easier to use masculine plural, but some people get very upset at the idea of inclusive language

...

In general, my biggest issues with these comments come when people act like non-binary/queer/trans people don't exist in Spanish-speaking countries, like English invented them somehow. So it's nice to see linguistic self-determination and seeing native speakers using the E endings.

[pen-observing]

request: baker mc with barbatos. + how you came to know and bicker with the man that looks like love.

MASTERLIST

People find joy in doing the things that they love and, right now, your joy is waking up earlier to see the sun’s rays against the counter of the bakery. They’re so beautiful to bask in and so rewarding once you remember all that it took just to be able to come into such a place. It takes real work.

However, the sun’s rays on this particular morning touch something else. They shine upon a sleek black envelope that was placed right in the middle of your counter.

How did it get here? You’ve always locked your door out of responsibility. Surely nobody managed to break in or something similar? Everything looks in order and nothing is stolen. With this, there is simply no reason for you not to open the little ‘gift’ that was there. Right?

Being a famous baker meant that sometimes you did receive letters but never in such a manner or such a style. They were usually in pastel envelopes; written by little kids with lots of doodles, sprayed with some overwhelming floral scent. And, they were charming indeed but this was allure inside of mystery.

You sit down at the table close to the window and open the envelope carefully. Sometimes you think that anyone who works in your business and actually manages to succeed has to have some childlike innocence. When kids are the only ones writing you such letters it makes sense.

You lay the delicate piece of paper and start to read.

Allow this letter not to alarm you in the slightest. I have come to notice some others on your counter a few days ago and deemed this to be the best way to approach you with an inquiry. Please, read it completely before you make your final judgement.   Do you happen to believe in the afterlife? Do you happen to be religious yourself?   Even if the answer to these two questions is a resounding no (which I have no way of knowing, I assure you) - please consider this offer.   You have been chosen as someone who can help create a bigger order amongst the three realms. We, my young Master in particular, believes in the power that can bring about a more harmonious coexistence. We have already had humans come to our domain but expansions have started because of that previous success. I hope this manages to assuage your initial feelings and any possible fear you might have. We are demons, I must say. I believe there is no use in lying or manipulating you because we are approaching you with a noble idea and goal that you can help come to fruition. We are inviting humans that are experts in their fields to teach us even more and you have been chosen as one of them.   If you hold any interest, please proceed to sign your name at the bottom right of this paper. If, however, you are not interested or are afraid – please place it back inside the envelope and it will automatically become ash.   Discard it carefully. I urge you not to get hurt.

Now you wish that this letter was full of doodles with a cupcake in the middle of the sun. Who was pulling such a prank? Was this a lousy attempt of the baker 2 streets down to intimidate you for the upcoming cake contest? You have to give him credit for his imagination at least.  

Who does he think he is to challenge you? Did he assume you would be afraid? Perhaps, you always were a bit too spiteful for your own good. And with that spite growing – you signed your name at the bottom right.

No need for fire and ash. No need to be scared of anything that this foolish letter stated. Right?  

“I would like to extend my outmost thanks for signing the letter.”

What? What was that voice? Fucking hell, how big is the joke the other baker is playing? You will be sure to leave him a 2 star review because only his cookies were decent but all you can do right now is turn around to the direction of the deep voice.  

10 steps behind you, and next to your entrance door, stands a man that reminds you of the moon. He has perfect posture and an overwhelming presence. He holds a hand over his chest and looks at you with eyes that cause reminiscence – you always wanted to get lost in such a magical sea.  

He is smiling at you but once he notices the shocked expression, he stops and raises one eyebrow. You’re both quiet. Well, this certainly is not that annoying baker. So, maybe, perhaps, possibly, in some way: the letter was not a joke?

“Please don’t tell me you did the same impulsive thing as the human that is a writer. Did you, by any chance, sign this letter thinking it was a joke?”  

Obviously, you fucking did. I mean come on?? Three realms?? Demons?? Who would believe such a thing? Really, your spite got the best of you.

“You are not answering and I suppose that much is an answer in itself. Before you express a desire to cancel it out, I have to let you know; that is a legally binding contract and if you try to break it the punishment will be severe. When I say legally binding, I mean by the laws of hell itself. But, do not be alarmed. Please.”

The personification of the moon asks if sitting at the table would be okay and begins to explain to you all of the things in detail. He does it with clear words and you can’t help but believe that this idea seems promising. And this man, while cold and collected, does not seem like a threat.

Truthfully, you have achieved such a big success already. Baking is art and as an artist it was always the main goal. Learn more. Consider yourself a student as long as you live. Be sure to take any opportunity because it means growth. After all, you’ve gotten this far using those ideals. Wouldn’t it be a shame to throw them away now?  

“And rest assured. You will be completely safe in the Devildom. I have been personally tasked with assuring your safety.”  

You’ve come to learn that his name was Barbatos – meaning philosopher in some old book you’ve read. It is so odd that someone new seems so dependable. Because of this you ask him the question any sane person would.

“Would you like a cupcake?”  

Yes, that indeed is the question any sane person would ask in your field. You already know there is no way to back out of this; not unless you wish to endanger your life. So, why not start an adventure if you already must?

You give Barbatos a cupcake and turn the sign to closed before going back behind the counter. The sign won’t change in the following year until you are free from the damned contract. You get overwhelmed with the realization that the sun’s rays will seep in but have nobody to actually greet once you leave. You realize how much you are going to miss this place. How are you supposed to leave it behind just like that?  

You touch your pocket and take out your phone. If you must leave and abandon this, then so be it – but you will have some tangible memories of your dedication. You need to have some tangible memories of this glowing morning.  

You start to take photos. Of what?   The bowl of small chocolates that people can grab on the way out and bring to others that they love. The door decorated with flowers. The very counter you stand behind and the rays of light that are on it. The seating arrangement, the wall with your achievements, clippings from magazines, newspapers and reviews.   Yes, you even take a photo of the child’s drawings with a cupcake inside of the sun. How ridiculous. And, oh, how much you’re going to miss this.  

The very last photo you take is of Barbatos. He is sitting at the table, looking outside the window. Maybe you shouldn’t but – he looks like he belongs here for whatever reason. And, deep down, you wish to remember him like this. Inside of a peaceful moment. You press the click and he turns around. He doesn’t say anything – he offers a slight smile. In that moment you freeze and realize that in his peaceful moment the smile reminds you of childlike love.  

Perhaps the following year will not be so bad after all.  

-

“They call you the best in all of the three realms?” “Indeed.” “You put lemon-honey- syrup in your baklava. I refuse to believe you deserve it.”

Just because he reminds you of the moon and the deep waters; just because he gives you peace – it does not mean that professionally you will allow yourself to be inferior to him. Finding comfort with slight bickering became your idea of heaven and light in this place of darkness and hell-fire.

[tennessoui]

49!!!!!! Please

finally!!!! baby, finally!!!!

49. Boss/Intern (35yo!Boss!Anakin, 19yo!Intern!Obi-Wan)

(2.4k)

Obi-Wan rubs his hands rapidly down his face. He feels distinctly like he’s about to burst into tears, which would be a very bad thing to do here and now. His supervisor had come in fifteen minutes ago to tell him everyone was going to lunch. She’d invited him along, but he’d said no.

He always says no.

Lunch for the rest of the office means he gets to have a scheduled breakdown at his little cubicle.

He just. He just doesn’t know anything.

He’s only had this internship at Temple Tech for one week and already he’s floundered and fucked up more than anyone else probably has put together in their lifetimes.

He shouldn’t have ever applied, but he had been getting so desperate for summer employment, any sort of employment and, yes, this internship was out of his career field, and yes, he did have to lie at least five times on his resume, but it was an internship and it was paid.

It had felt like a good idea at the time. But then he actually got the job by some stroke of hellish luck, and he’s been learning every day since that it was actually probably a terrible idea. The learning curve is too steep. Obi-Wan is trying, but wow is he bad at it. Tech. Data stuff.

On his open computer, the sound of an email pinging rushes through his ears and he takes his hands off of his face to look. It’s from Anakin Skywalker. The boss.

Obi-Wan thinks he can feel his fingers grow numb. His heart feels like it’s stuttering in his chest, like it’s about to stop once and for all.

Temple Tech is a start-up company, still small but growing quickly. At its head is thirty-five year old Anakin Skywalker, which shouldn’t be any sort of a problem because Obi-Wan’s nineteen now and he can keep it in his pants, even if Anakin is hot as hell, smart as well, and so terribly kind whenever they run into each other.

Which happens a lot. Because it’s a small company, operating out of one renovated warehouse turned office. The floor plan is open enough that Obi-Wan’s able to see Anakin’s space--he gets a proper office, as part of being the boss, but he’s chosen to make the walls glass so it doesn’t feel as if he’s cut off from everyone else--from across the room. And Anakin is big on making everyone who works with him feel like family. A lot of companies say they do that or support that, but Anakin actually does. For one thing, he tells them to call him Anakin, not Mr. Skywalker. For another, he’s open about his personal life, but not so much that it makes anyone feel uncomfortable.

He’s quick with a smile and so understanding, and if he ever gets mad—and from his stories of his younger days, Obi-Wan knows he must have a temper—it’s never been in public.

And Anakin has never commented on how often Obi-Wan blushes around him, or how hard it is for him to focus on his work if Anakin sits on the edge of his desk to talk with him. Or any of the other employees, Obi-Wan has had to remind himself many times. Even though Obi-Wan feels hypersensitive and like a schoolgirl whenever Anakin is in his general vicinity, Anakin is a professional. He’s Obi-Wan’s boss. Nothing could ever happen between them. Not while Obi-Wan works under Anakin.

Even if Anakin is so nice and so kind and has asked to meet him now when everyone else is out of the building. It’s not suspicious and it’s definitely not cause for concern of any kind.

He thinks about shooting back an email, confirming it, but he’s never been good at the whole office environment thing. Instead, he logs off his computer and stands up.

It’s a short walk to Anakin’s office, hardly enough time for his palms to get sweaty.

Anakin’s typing something when Obi-Wan enters the room and he looks up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh,” Obi-Wan says, aghast when he realizes he’s forgotten to knock. “I’m sorry, I--”

“Obi-Wan, come in, please,” Anakin gives him a slight smile and gestures for him to sit on the couch next to his desk. Obi-Wan takes a seat hesitantly. It’s as soft as it’s always looked.

Anakin types for a few more seconds on his computer before pushing away from his desk all together and taking a seat next to Obi-Wan on the couch.

“I’ve noticed you never go out to lunch with your coworkers,” Anakin says, positioning himself so he’s facing Obi-Wan completely. His body language is open, like he’s read one of those business books on how to sit so everyone knows you’re nice but you have an agenda.

It puts Obi-Wan on edge, and he fidgets around on his seat.

“You’re not in trouble, b--Obi-Wan,” his boss murmurs. “I just want to know why. Do you not like them? Have they been mean to you?”

“No!” Obi-Wan denies immediately, looking up at Anakin and biting his lip when he sees that the man’s attention is fixed so squarely on him. “No, of course not. Everyone here has been amazing.” He widens his eyes and raises both eyebrows. “Really, sir.”

Anakin looks distinctly uncomfortable. “I’ve told you to call me Anakin,” he criticizes, and Obi-Wan blushes more.

He’s really messing this up.

“Sorry, sir, I mean. Anakin. Sorry. Anakin,” he coughs. His palms are sweaty. He’s sitting on his attractive boss’s couch when everyone’s gone on lunch, and his palms are sweaty.

He doesn’t even want anything to happen.

Alright, so that’s a lie. He definitely has spent a lot of late nights thinking about something happening between them, just like this, but those are fantasies and Anakin is his boss. More than that, Anakin is a good man. He’d never take advantage of an intern in that way, no matter how frequently Obi-Wan feels as if he’s walking around with a sign around his neck that says, Take Advantage of Me, Mr. Anakin, Sir!

“Why don’t you go to lunch with them, Obi-Wan?” Anakin asks softly, gently.

Obi-Wan’s hands clench down on themselves. It’s really the moment of truth, now. He really can’t keep lying, not when Anakin sounds so concerned. He has no right to be concerned! He shouldn’t care about Obi-Wan at all; hell, he shouldn’t even know him!

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he mumbles, staring down at the stretch of fabric on his knees.

Anakin hums. Obi-Wan wonders if he learned that from his fancy How to Run a Business books as well: don’t say anything, just let the other person talk until you know everything you need to know to crush them.

Damn if the silence doesn’t work to get Obi-Wan speaking again though.

“I...I’m behind on the work,” he admits. “I don’t have time to go to lunch because I need to figure out how to do my work.”

Anakin makes a sympathetic noise deep in his throat. “If...if your workload is too heavy, Obi-Wan, we can look into cutting it. I don’t want to be known as the company that runs its interns into the ground.”

Obi-Wan’s throat tightens too much and he shrugs. He can’t cry. He really shouldn’t cry. He did this to himself. “It wouldn’t help,” he whispers.

“What?” Anakin asks, leaning forward to hear him better.

“It wouldn’t help,” Obi-Wan says again, louder this time. Anakin blinks at him, and Obi-Wan finally tells him the truth. “I don’t know how to do any of this. I...I lied on my resume. I needed a job, for my student visa. I needed the money to keep it while not in school. And...and internships are supposed to look good on your resume, so I...I thought I could figure it out, I’m smart, sir, I’m so smart. I don’t know why I can’t figure it out.”

He drops his gaze to his hands again and breathes out shakily. He’d been carrying the weight of that secret for far longer than he should have been. It should have been a relief of the utmost degree to give it away. But instead he’s waiting for the punishment. Anakin will have to fire him now. Anakin might even get mad at him for lying.

When his boss doesn’t say anything for several long seconds, Obi-Wan chances a glance up at him through his lashes. Instead of anger on his face, there’s only a confused sort of sympathy.

“I’m...not sure I understand, Obi-Wan,” he says slowly. “You lied on your resume to get this internship, but...why couldn’t you have just applied to an internship in a different field? One you actually want to study? I know you like biology, you’ve told me more about biology in the past few weeks than you’ve told me about yourself.”

“None of them wanted me,” Obi-Wan sniffles and hates himself for it. “I tried, I promise. I promise I didn’t want to lie, but I needed the money, and this internship paid so much better than working at a coffeehouse would.”

Anakin puts his hand gently on his shoulder and Obi-Wan can’t stop himself from turning into the pressure of it. “It’s alright,” Anakin murmurs. “Oh no, please don’t--please don’t cry, b--Obi.”

“It’s Obi-Wan,” Obi-Wan wails.

Anakin hushs him. “Alright, Obi-Wan, alright. Let’s see what we can do.”

“You’re going to fire me,” he says with absolute certainty. He doesn’t even much like his job at Temple Tech, but how is he supposed to find another one on such short notice?

Anakin is quiet. He doesn’t say no.

“Look, I’ll try harder, I promise,” Obi-Wan stutters out, turning to look up at Anakin with wet eyes. What a picture he must make. Nothing professional about him at all. Nothing worth keeping around either. “I promise, please, don’t--I’ll--I’ll stay after hours, I’ll work late, come early. I need this job, sir.”

Anakin’s eyebrows furrow and he looks genuinely regretful, which is little comfort. “Obi-Wan, it’s not about...your work ethic. I promise, your work ethic is stronger and better than most of the people on my team.”

Obi-Wan wipes at his eyes hastily. He knows there’s a but coming soon.

“But I can’t...if you’ve lied on your resume, you can’t put Temple Tech there later. That’s not fair for anyone else who applied and was rejected in favor of you. The spot you have...I need someone there who knows what they’re doing with computers. Who wants to be there. Obi, it makes sense that you don’t know anything about tech. You never look like you really want to be here unless you’re talking to someone else.”

Obi-Wan’s bottom lip trembles and he can feel another wave of tears coming. “I understand, sir,” he mumbles, standing up and preparing to leave the office and Anakin Skywalker behind forever. He’s never been fired before. He doesn’t know what the decorum really is in this situation.

Being tugged back and into his boss’ arms doesn’t feel like how it normally goes, though.

But he can’t resist melting into Anakin’s tight hug, rubbing his cheek on the man’s nice shirt. He wants to give him something to remember him by, even if it’s just tear stains on expensive cotton.

“Lemme help you,” Anakin suddenly says, voice very gruff. Obi-Wan freezes in his arms and tilts his head to try and see Anakin’s face. Help him?

“I don’t understand,” he admits, biting his lip.

“I like you, Obi-Wan,” Anakin confesses. “I do. I’ll be sad to see you leave. I was already going to be sad to see you leave when your internship concluded, but this is much sooner. I…”

He trails off as if trying to make up his mind. It doesn’t take him long to nod to himself.

“Be honest,” he warns him, but there’s a joking lilt to his voice. Obi-Wan, personally, thinks that’s a little too soon. “Do you know how to clean house?”

Obi-Wan pulls out of Anakin’s arms to stare at him.

“Or walk dogs,” Anakin adds.

Slowly, Obi-Wan nods. Cleaning up a house and walking dogs feels like something he can figure out how to do. Feels pretty self-explanatory for the most part. The only thing he’s confused by is why Anakin is asking this of him.

“Would you...that is, just for the rest of the summer, until your classes start again--how would you feel about cleaning my house? And walking my dogs?” Anakin seems to hold his breath.

Obi-Wan feels like he’s stepped into the Twilight Zone or something.

“You’re...firing me,” he says slowly. “But...you’re offering me a job? As your….maid?”

“‘We should call it housekeeper,” Anakin says quickly, a pained look flashing across his face. “Too...many connotations with maid.”

“Why?” he has to ask. “I mean. I lied to you, sir. I...you’re firing me.”

“Because I need someone in that position who knows what they’re doing,” Anakin explains slowly.

“Do you want me in another position, sir?” Obi-Wan asks. He blushes furiously as soon as the words are out of his mouth.

Anakin’s eyes darken and he clears his throat. He doesn’t say no, and his silence, the double entendre of his silence, makes the breath catch in Obi-Wan’s throat.

“You said you needed money to keep your visa,” Anakin says. “I’m trying to offer you an honest means of employment. I need someone to keep up my house and walk my dogs. If you can do it, I’d hire you over anyone else in a second.”

“Why?” Obi-Wan whispers, suddenly so very aware of how close they’re still standing to each other, how nice Anakin smells, how handsome he looks with just the beginning of a silver streak at his temple.

Anakin sweeps his gaze over Obi-Wan’s face and chest, and Obi-Wan has to wonder what he sees there. Whatever he does, he must like because he smirks. “Work ethic,” he murmurs.

[slasherhaven]

Mating A Yautja (Male) Would Include

I tried posting this earlier but Tumblr decided that I wasn’t 😂 Anyway here you go under the cut!

Pursing and Courting

Your Yautja love interest is rather shameless when it comes to pursuing you. 

Which is a terrifying experience at first.

Courting customs among Yautjas and humans are...different, to say the least.

Gifts are still a thing but instead of flowers or jewellery, think more along the lines of skulls of various creatures.

Probably starts with skulls of animals on Earth, bears and such, but then moves on to alien skulls. It's how the Yautja tries to show you that he can provide for you. To prove that he is a worthy mate.

Accepting these gifts is like accepting his affection and encourages him to pursue you.

When you accept these gifts, his chest puffs out in pride as he lets out a low purr.

Despite Yautjas being so large and intimidating, you quickly start to feel at ease around him. They're actually really good at making you feel safe and calm around them.

But if the morbid gifts didn't win you over, his near constant presence will. He's around so much that it would be strange without him.

Consent

Your Yautja will never do anything without your permission.

He actually isn't even going to touch you until he knows you are comfortable. And he will know when you are comfortable because he can sense it.

He can literally sense and smell the small changes in you. 

It's how he knows that you're starting to trust him and feel safe around him, and that's when he'll start getting physically closer.

Affection

Love and affection are new to your mate. 

When Yautjas mate it's usually for reproductive purposes, then the female will raise the child alone. That's it. With you (or any human mate really) it is different. They're choosing to mate for life. 

They do not have a word for love and so it is confusing to him. He feels this love but is unsure how to express it.

Well he will express it, just usually without using that word. However, when you start using the word, he begins to understand the general idea of it and begins to use it.

Affection is just so very...human to them. 

Everything in Yautja culture is hard and aggressive but you're not, you're soft and loving. It's...odd but welcomed. 

Your mate quickly becomes used to your affection and is unashamed about how much they enjoy it, cue the purring, and will seek it out and will as give you it back wholeheartedly.

Will nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck or into your hair.

Purring

So. Much. Purring.

He purrs in pride whenever he does something to help you, when you thank him or watch him do something in complete awe.

He purrs quietly when you show him affection...a little bit like a massive cat.

He also purrs when he is comforting you, it has a soothing effect. 

And he tends to purr when you're laying on his chest, feeling the vibrations of the deep sound, and lulls you to sleep.

Protectiveness

Yautja's are extremely protective and loyal. 

Nobody is going to lay a hand on you if your mate has anything to say about it. He will kill anyone who hurt you unless you beg him not too.

The truth is that you have this predator wrapped around your finger, he'll listen to you.

Panics when you get hurt (no matter how little the damage is) even though scars are a sign of strength and something to be proud of in their culture. But he still doesn't want you getting hurt.

He's extra protective of you because you're human. Mating between Yautjas and humans may not be completely unheard of but it's still not common. 

He struggles between knowing that you're strong and capable, and seeing you as a little squishy human.

But the worrying goes both ways. While his worries are more along he lines of "please don't trip or accidentally cut yourself on that blade" yours are more like "please don't get torn apart by those massive alien monsters you just told me you were going to go fight."

At first he is offended by your concern. Do you not think he is a strong, capable, worthy mate?

He accepts your concern more when you explain that it just comes from a place of love, that you don't want anything bad to happen to him because you care about him. But he will always tell you not to worry, he is plenty capable!

He is also so proud to call you his mate! Will show you off every chance he gets but respectfully.

Curiosity

They are a super curious species.

So they want to learn all about humans. Expect some well intended questions. Some may be a little intrusive but as soon as you become uncomfortable, he will stop. 

You don't even need to tell him your uncomfortable, he can sense it.

Yautjas just don't really have the same sense of shame or embarrassment that humans do. Why are you embarrassed? These are just some biology questions?

While your embarrassment or how you get flustered over thing may be a little confusing to your mate, he thinks it's rather adorable.

If another Yautja starts asking invasive questions or making you uncomfortable in even the slightest, your mate is ready to fight.

Advanced Science and Medicine

Just thought I'd add this. 

If you've mated an Yautja, you'll have access to these things.

If you get hurt or get sick you aren't going to a human doctor, your mate is going to make sure you get only the best medical service. 

Even if it's just a common cold, he is making sure you're better as fast as possible.

And if you're interested in science, this is just the best field trip ever for you!

Your mate thinks you're absolutely adorable when your eyes light up and you look so curious and impressed.

[cancerjupiter]

leo moon: observations

ps: this all varies according to your other placements, etc etc.

If you have this Moon placement you are basically kind and generous, with an instinctive need to encourage others. 

Being naturally dignified, honest and trustworthy, you would find it hard to behave in a shady or dishonest manner, and you are far too proud to depend on others. Your need to appear honest even if that isn’t the reality.

You sometimes appear to behave in a distant and superior way; this is your shield for when you’re in unfamiliar situations. When hurt, you retreat into something which you see as a superior silence and that others see as sulking; however, under normal circumstances you are cheerful, friendly and open.

You occasionally have doubts about your own self-worth; also occasional feelings of intense superiority. 

The emotions are always held under control when the Moon is in a fixed sign, and therefore they may break out strongly from time to time. You could become quite aggressive if pushed, or if you are on the receiving end of aggression from others.

You place the objects of your love on a pedestal and feel hurt when you discover that they are only human. You have a longing for excitement, drama, romance and passion; with a bit of luck, you will find this within a steady relationship; if not, then you will look for romance, passion etc. outside it. You may even create tension within a relationship to keep it alive. For the same reason, you need an exciting career; you can put up with an insecure one but not a boring one. 

Your mind is broad, and you are unlikely to follow any fanatical religious or political beliefs. Although you’re not a bigot, you may find it hard to change your mind once it is made up, and you can have rather strong views.

You have a strong sex drive, but couldn't cope for long with a relationship based on sex alone. You need romance and passion, and you need above all to be loved. You don't mind taking the lead sexually, and can encourage a partner who is less experienced than you. Your senses are strong; therefore, everything about sex appeals to you.

Leo being a fixed sign, you resist change, and would find it hard to admit defeat in any situation; therefore, you would find it difficult to cut your losses and start again. You can put up with the wrong job for far too long, and also hang on to a broken relationship long after it should’ve ended. You are a little too good at maintaining the status quo, especially in emotional situations.

There is no need for you to be the centre of attraction in the world, but you do like to be in the centre of things in your own home. If you did find yourself in the spotlight, you can cope with it, but you don't seek it consciously in the way that Sun in Leo would.

You appreciate beauty, creativity and art, and have an instinctive sense of style. You are proud of your loved ones and of your friends. You never forget a hurt, but your strong loyalty means you remember who has helped you too.

Needing space, you hate cramped surroundings. You love to get away into the countryside and to take your holidays in a warm and pleasant place. You need holidays and breaks because you tend to put a lot of effort into your job and into life itself. Your vitality is never drained for long, as you have inner reserves of strength.

You make an excellent parent, often treating your children as young adults and always respecting their dignity. You don't seek to hang on to them when they grow up. You are able to teach and encourage them through playing, but you may not be too patient with them at times. You can be relied on to give them a cuddle whenever they’re sad though.

Both solar and lunar Leo placements learn more easily after leaving school. You may take a quite demanding course when already busy with a career, home and family; this may be in order to get yourself a better job or just to fulfil yourself. You lack confidence in your abilities; therefore, any achievement that you make will help you grow in confidence.

You are career-minded; and with your good concentration and good organizational skills, you can climb the career ladder in a steady manner. You need to gain a reputation in some kind of creative field, and may strive hard to perfect something which will bring you a quiet kind of renown. You are very good at calming people down and dealing with touchy situations; therefore, some kind of social work with troubled people, especially troubled youngsters, might appeal. Being drawn towards children and young people, you could be a teacher (especially if there is Gemini, Aquarius or Sagittarius on your chart). Lunar Leos are far more likely to succeed later in life.

You need parental love, encouragement and appreciation; and if you get this from at least one parent plus brothers and sisters, fine - if not, you could become something of an emotional wreck.

Self-sufficient and self-reliant, you will leave things alone unless you are personally concerned. Once you have decided to act, you are resentful of interference and criticism. You are emotionally attached to anything that belongs to you or reflects on your ego personally.

Self-centred and somewhat pompous, you may lack objectivity and have a blind spot in your emotional perspective. For you to truly enjoy any relationship, your heart must be involved.

You have a need to be admired and applauded. Despite your basic loyalty, if you feel unappreciated you will seek appreciation and satisfaction elsewhere. People with the Moon in Leo are sexually magnetic and charming, but may also be overbearing and arrogant.

The Moon in Leo brings positions of authority and leadership, which you accept seriously and easily. You are ambitious and status-conscious; you want prominence and acclaim. Your straightforward honesty is apparent, and your organizing ability is prominent, but take care that it doesn't become bossiness.