#'then she changes career paths and is no longer a woman'

[absolxguardian]

My new interpretation for "what about female space marines" is that we actually have the cause and effect backwards. Becoming a space marine makes you a man in the Imperium. Same for the Adeptus Sororitas. For the Astartes, this is actually kind of literal, as the process is masculinizing (if something says steroids they mean testerone). While there are some Sororitas who have to shave every morning to meet appearance standards, the breast plates on their armor are even more purely aesthetic, and they sing baritone in choirs praising the empire with their sisters. It's the result of a distant cultural memory of trans people combined with the Imperium's lack of personal freedom. One's actual gender identity is completely irrelevant, so this gender reassignment could be liberating or oppressive.

[leoascendente]

PAC/ Intuitive messages IV 🔮

Hi my loves and welcome to this new PAC! This time we have the fourth edition of intuitive messages. As always, take a moment to check what pile calls you the most, you could have messages in more than one too. Take only what resonates and leave the rest 🩷

* Don't make life decitions based on a general reading online, use your discernment. Minors dni 🔞

For private readings click here

My blog in spanish here

All pics are from pinterest, credits to their owners

Pile 1/pile 2/pile 3

Pile 1:

🫧 You need to focus on your career and long term goals, things are changing and you need to be ready

🫧 There's a blonde woman around your age you must be careful of, she could be in your same work enviroment or friend group

🫧 An unexpected amount of money is going to land in your lap as a work of magic, buy yourself something you enjoy as a sing of gratitude

🫧 You have a lot of sexual energy, keep it healthy and for singles, use it wisely to manifest your true love

🫧 There's a secret admirer that is planning to approach you with a nice surprise, be open to receive

🫧 Don't worry about those who don't wish you well, you are protected and they are being watched by karma

🫧 A commitment is about to happen, it could be in love or in career, so take it as resonates but I feel it's more related to love and romance

🫧 You'll be more in tune with your spiritual nature, you'll understand better the signs from your guides in your daily life

🫧 Some complications could appear, keep grounded and trust that you are being guided, you'll overcome every obstacle with grace and divine protection

🫧 Your guides will communicate through numbers 1222 or 1212 to tell you that everything is going in your favor, foxes and the scent of flowers will be signs too. Angelic beings are very present in your life, you'll see references to them very often, especially cherubims

Pile 2

🎀 Mercury retrograde will be an amazing time for you, it will bring you unexpected good luck. Check your Mercury's natal placement to know what areas will be impacted positively

🎀 I see a trip or vacations of some kind, maybe it's just having more free time to relax and invest in yourself. It could also mean that something special will happen during the holidays

🎀 Money will be entering your life, if you were scared of not being able to pay debts just know that you'll receive the money you need

🎀 You'll get invited to a night out with friends or a celebration, accept that offer because you'll have an amazing time

🎀 A massive change is about to happen in your life, I think you can sense it too. Rest as much as you can and do things that keep you grounded

🎀 Good things will be happening as a Dharma for something good you did in the past, it's a reward from Universe

🎀 You could loose an important object but it will be a sign that you have overcome a major challenge and the worst is left behind

🎀 You'll receive a major piece of advice from an older woman, for some I see a passed loved one communicating through dreams

🎀 Change your daily routines, there's something about it that no longer works for you and needs to be reorganized. Also, rest more often, your health needs it

🎀 Your guides are showing me grapes, it could be a sign to eat them more often or a sign of material abundance. Dolphins will be signs of upcoming luck and sharks a sign of divine protection. For some I'm hearing to develop your connection with the sea or the water element

Pile 3:

💖 Love is in the air for you my dear! Get ready because you are about to enter into the relationship of your dreams

💖 All your problems are going to get solved, don't stress that much. Your guides announce a triumph over troubles so there's no need to worry

💖 You are on the right path, stop doubting yourself honey, you really need to work on self sabotage or negative thinking

💖 You are about to get invited to a very romantic date, someone is really in love with you and wants to show it 🤭

💖 You'll be getting extra money, your guides are telling you to don't hold too tight to it and simply use it with gratitude. You could have some messages in pile 1 too

💖 There's an spiritual lesson you'll be learning that will feel like a hug to your soul, something you've experienced is going to make sense after receiving this info

💖 Someone with prominent Sagittarius placement will be a benevolent force in your life. I'm also hearing something about the house sagitarius is in your natal chart too, it could be an area of luck

💖 Don't resist change, simply embrace it and remember that it is happening for you to achieve your greatest outcome

💖 Do things your own way, don't force yourself to fit into a label you don't resonate with. Also, doing things different doesnt mean being making them wrong, you are on your own path

💖 Your guides really want you to focus on your confidence and inner power because you have more than you what to acknowledge. Lions and elephants are your animals, 777 your sign that your manifestations are becoming real and you'll see rainbows as a sign of joy and love

[they-breasted-boobily]

Ways the plot of tua s4 could have been improved while including a lot of the same storyline:

It goes without saying that a 6 episode season was too rushed for even the shitty plot we got given, but I'll mention that these ideas would have worked better for an 8-10 episode season. Or maybe you could use them for fics or comics- I'd love to see them!

1. The careers and new lives of non-powered umbrellas: While Lila, Klaus, and Viktor had decent set-ups, the others seemed out of place. Diego's personality and desire to be a hero would have been better suited to a mall cop or traffic cop, where he feels undervalued and underutilised, rather than just beaten down as a delivery driver for jokes about peeing in a bottle. Luther only mentioned Sloane a couple of times in the entire series- with more than 6 episodes, it could have been possible to give flashbacks of him trying to get back to her, but her not recognising him and not being romantically interested. Not sure what changes could be made to his job or housing though. Allison's setup was mostly fine, but we really should have been given an explanation for why Raymond left- maybe lean into the horror of being taken from your time and timeline raising a daughter you suddenly have? Five would not work for the CIA except as a double-agent, either that or he would be retired as a fishing supplies store owner. Ben is his own whole point later in this post.

2. The marigold sake shots: I feel like this plot point added to Ben just being an asshole and scapegoat for the entire season, which could benefit from major changes. If left relatively unchanged, the fact that Klaus threw it over his shoulder could have led to greater implications if it landed on an unknown person behind them and gave them powers. This person could have been the subject of an episode or two as they were tracked down when it was necessary.

3. Ben's character: While s3 Sparrow Ben was a dick, he was not as edgy, conceited, or self-absorbed as he was in s4. I think it's fine to start his arc with him leaving prison, but making the crime as major as crypto fraud (just because you think it's funny) makes it much more difficult for him to seem likeable and relateable to Jessica or anyone else. If the crime was something more minor, or he was framed/unfairly jailed it could set up a revenge/redemption arc from the get-go. With his relationship with Jessica, it would have benefited from being more of a slow burn, or if the gradual unnatural obsession had more than 6 episodes to build up.

4. The subway romance: While I can almost understand why it was Five and Lila due to their history working together and especially using time travel together, I think if Five needed a romance (which I don't but show writers can't stand having one member of the main cast never being in a relationship), it should have been someone he met while on that 7 year subway adventure (probably an older woman) and settled with in Strawberry Tradwife timeline while Lila keeps looking for a way out for the sake of her children. Lila would find the journal a few months later and using both it and the subway map, get back to Five because she still needs his powers to get entirely out of the subway system. Could you imagine a scene with Lila trying to convince Five to leave the peaceful Strawberry Tradwife life he's always wanted after dealing with the trauma of being stuck in time twice?

5. Klaus's return to addiction: I think Klaus's arc could have definitely benefited from the season being longer. If there was a slower burn towards his addiction returning and his confrontation with Claire and if she stressed more that he didn't need to go down this path again, it could have really been impactful. The ghost sex trafficking thing was gross but if that was the only way to get him buried alive then so be it, because having him in a situation where he would have to directly face his trauma from the mausoleum and become stronger would be so good for the sendoff of his character. Maybe that could have been the point where he learned how to levitate?

6. Reginald and false memories: Why was the fact that he's literally not human and crafted this timeline so he could have as much power as possible (including a militia town) not explored at all? The plot should have revolved a lot more around at least verifying what he was saying about marigold and durango, if not about handing him a final defeat for this final season. Everything around him killing Ben led to huge plot holes (why wouldn't Klaus know the truth from Ben's ghost? Ben easily could have been spared and only Jessica shot. Why was Jessica being in a squid never explained?). While it's interesting to see the Umbrellas all give a brainwashed explanation for Ben's death, it couldn't be something as blatant as that, because Klaus would have to know even if everyone else was brainwashed. The brainwashing is an idea with promise, but it should have been something like Ben and Jessica being consumed by the giant squid together because Ben went against orders.

What other things could have been changed? I personally liked the CIA subplot, especially as it taught Diego to appreciate his family more. I also found Jean and Gene and the Cleanse conspiracy theorists to be fun new mini-villains.

[mrs-prentiss]

Secret Crush

Summary : Melissa has a secret crush on a new teacher at Abbott…without telling them she subtly invites them to a wine and dine dinner

Warnings : This is my first ever fanfiction, positive feedback is welcome pleaseee give me some! I tried to use all inclusive pronouns but i mightve slipped up doing she/her as i usually roleplay she/her so forgive me

Melissa Schemmenti had been a dedicated educator for many years, and she loved her job more than anything in the world. She was passionate and a fiery woman, no pun intended to her hair. Every day, she would arrive at Abboy Elementary with the same plan to bond with little to no one except Barbara herself…seemingly the only woman she tolerated in the school. It was changed strangely enough when One day, a new teacher arrived at Abboy Elementary, and Melissa was immediately smitten. Their name was y/n y/ln, and they where just stunning truly eye grabbing to. Melissa couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach every time she saw them in the hallway. At first, Melissa tried to ignore her feelings after all she hated new people they never lasted, and especially one as unbelievably perky and out going as y/n. Not to mention, she was a professional, and she didn't want to risk her career or her reputation by getting involved with a colleague.

But as the weeks went by, Melissa found herself thinking about Teacher y/ln more and more. The days flew by quickly and before Melissa and y/n knew it they barely forward paths exchanging simple words or none at all, the words they did exchange where short ones like Hello, and how are you. As Melissa was grading papers in the teachers' lounge, y/n came in and asked if they could borrow a pen. It was awkward as y/n had no clue what to say besides stand their weirdly fidgeting with their hands “Um.. Melissa sorry to bother you. One of the kids took the last of my pens and i need one to grade papers. Can i borrow one?”they leaned over the table with a hopeful smile, Melissa's heart skipped a beat hearing the familiar voice she’d grown to spot in a crowd. She looked up at you, and your eyes met for a moment.

Suddenly, Melissa knew that she couldn't ignore her feelings any longer.. she pushed a seat out and nodded for you to sit beside her. “Come on take a seat hun” sliding a pen and a container of branzino over to you she smiled slightly. She had to tell you how she felt but she never knew if you’d feel the same. She took a deep breath and said, "You free tonight? Come over i’ll cook we can uh- grade papers. Do a whole proper new kid welcoming thing?” she had every intention of doing things other then grading papers. She also was sure you’d decline the offer but yo Melissa's surprise you smiled and said, "I thought you’d never ask schemmenti, i’ll bring wine"

[ilikesaladforks]

i just saw on yt, pokémon masters’ story between Grusha and Malva and now I got an image of Rika going into protective girlfriend mode and possibly decking her across the face.

i think rika would fume because malva stepped on the exact thing that rika herself had been so careful all along to tiptoe around that grusha was clearly sore about

ok ok so assuming the anime didn't exist at this so we only had scarvio and mastersex lore to go off of:

we don't know exactly when grusha went pro, how long he'd spent on snowboarding (presumably he spent a long time on it), when he oopsy daisied his way into retirement, how long of a break he took between the injury and his subsequent parlay into battling or how long he'd been a gym leader by the time of the story, except for the fact that he's definitely an adult by the story's events/by the time he started being a gym leader

as geeta's assistant rika most probably has high enough clearance with regards to who geeta intended to scout for the gym challenge and who is applying for jobs and whatnot. even if she's not the hr person, she at least keeps tabs on goings ons at bare minimum. probably.

i like to think that rika was careful about the way she approached grusha. light prods here and there, but never touching on anything too personal, but they both know that she knew enough about his past and why he's here and a lot of it goes unsaid. she keeps a respectful distance because she could tell that he still hasn't fully come to terms with his new path. he wants to snowboard, but he no longer can. he's a gym leader as a means to an end. he wanted to get strong so that geeta doesn't have a reason to kick him out

and then some pesky little kid wiped the floor with him twice and he was fuming and got his act together. instead of thinking about whether geeta will make him jobless for not beating a kid, he's sore because he wanted to win just for himself. now he's motivated to get better because there's a goalpost up ahead that he wants to reach for himself. i think it's also interesting to think about how this was probably the same flame that he had burning as a snowboarder - he was 2nd best in the world, he was so high, but he wasn't high enough, he had a goal to reach and he was young and full of himself and rash and oops there goes his leggy

so even as he decides to make the most out of his new career that he is gonna dedicate himself to, there's still an inkling of yearning for the slopes on the inside that continues to burn - and this rando from god knows where saw it and call him out on it. is he here because he didn't want to? what exactly does he really want now? even in blueberry, he finally got on a snowboard again and did hit the slopes for the first time in almost forever since his incident. it never completely died out, and that's why it was a smouldering flame. grusha has tried to extinguish it by changing career paths, retiring from the sport and swearing (until blueberry) to never snowboard again. it's quite a hard turn and a determined one at that for him, yet he couldn't help himself when he saw the cetoddles having fun in the polar biome. he loves it and he still does!

rika probably can see that too, but chooses to respect his decision not to reawaken that passion. yet this woman from kalos who barely knew any of them just walks right up to him and says it to his face!!!! after she'd spent years shutting herself up to not rip open any raw wounds!!!!! rika's not just furious, she's salty and jealous!!!!

and after the encounter she's sulking for way longer than usual

but also this got me thinking about that story and about grusha's attitude towards uh. things. because it's just so interesting!!!!

now that we found out from the anime that grusha actually is still able to snowboard but chose not to post injury, there must be more than 1 person like the snowboard dude who thinks it's a shame that grusha no longer boards the snow. with a fixation on results, i think grusha has a view that he cannot do something if he cannot perform it to the highest possible level. so like snowboarding, post injury he retired because he could no longer board like he used to. whatever the doctor told him, whether he will never board the same like he used to, whether he will be back as fit as ever with some rehab, whatever it was, it wasn't enough to convince grusha to pick it up again. he went on to battle and was able to get good at it, so maybe that's why it became a viable career path in his eyes. i'm not even trying to paint grusha as some egotistical maniac who only wants to be the very best that no one ever was, but it seems to me that he puts a lot of value in the ability to perform, so much so that if he ever loses that potential and is unable to perform to the same standard he held himself to, he feels that he has to give it up even though he loves it

perhaps when malva said that she could see his smouldering flame for snowboarding, she was echoing the opinions of the masses (i don't even know this character so i won't say whether it fits her or not, this is just my thoughts on what her actions mean) who lament the fact that grusha, in his prime, retired after an injury. now i'm not gonna be the judge of how traumatising or debilitating an injury is to an athlete. i'm just a crazy fandom person who writes crazy fanfics from time to time and i absolutely am not sporty myself. but what malva was seeing is grusha struggling with the decision he consciously made (with his rational mind i guess?) to retire from the sport he enjoyed because he could no longer perform as well as he could. what was the point if he was no longer able to reach the peaks he was once able to?

with his conversation with malva, grusha was forced to confront this flame that he could never douse entirely and face the question of what he truly wanted to do moving forward. there isn't a right answer for her, what she sought was an answer from him. grusha in mastersex (essentially post scarvio, maybe pre dlc) is determined to dedicate himself to battling, but that encounter with the scarvio protagonist isn't about to undo months or even years of internal turmoil about his career change that he still has yet to come to a conclusion about. in sum, his cool mind tells him that it's cringe to pick up snowboarding again if he's not gonna be that good at it, but his uncool mind still exists no matter how cool he tries to be. to malva, he is only being a gym leader as a 2nd best option in life and he still has enough lingering feelings for snowboarding that he ended up giving in to in blueberry.

because of her prodding, he was able to finally settle on an answer for himself. and with the anime in context the fact that he went on about the uncertainties of the new path he's taking

"It might lead me to a bright future or a steep fall... I don't know."

"I'll still make it all the way to the end, no matter what twists and turns the snow-capped mountains throw at me."

"I'll ride this course of life with everyone—including my Pokémon."

does he seek certainty in life and that's why he was always so strict about producing results and why he gave up on snowboarding? by getting so good at snowboarding/battling, there was/is a certainty or stability that he could feel. but when he lost that certainty with snowboarding it became too much for him to handle and that's why he felt the need to switch careers?

idk tbh

i remember reading this story some time back maybe a few months ago and thinking that malva was literally just a mastersex npc lololololol and i certainly did feel the same kind of indignance and anger towards her words since it felt like she was trying to taunt him, but now that i'm reading it again especially with the anime knowledge that he's still able to snowboard i just can't help but think about how the mind of the wild grusha works. i hope this ramble made sense!

[renegade-skywalker]

A snippet from my massive kotor 2 epic, Out of the Abyss, where Atton and Eden share a moment aboard the Ebon Hawk but are interrupted by floating space debris on the approach to Dantooine courtesy of Malak from the first game, haunting the narrative almost as much as Revan is because even in death the man hates to be upstaged

~~~

Atton couldn’t tell which was stranger - the knowing or the not knowing. 

He watched Eden as she examined the nav computer from the corner of his eye, tracing the outline of her as if to match her present self to the stolen one still buried in his memory, wrenched from the mental depths of the mark he’d beaten and turned on Revan’s orders. It fit but also didn’t, lining up in places he did not expect and differing in ways that surprised him further still. But it was the coincidence of it all that unnerved him most, the pieces of his past fitting uncomfortably into place the longer he was in the woman’s presence.

“So,” Eden began, her glance skewing sideward as if detecting his gaze. “What’s our ETA?”

“Uh,” Atton sputtered, turning his attention towards the controls in a way he hoped conveyed that it had always been there. “Less than an hour, looks like.”

Dantooine was a place Atton had never ventured, nor had he ever wanted to. People generally didn’t. From what he knew, it was a fringe world on the cusp of the Outer Rim, known mostly for its farming and for its Jedi. Two things Atton had made a career of avoiding at all costs. 

“An hour,” Eden turned the phrase over, considering it. “Alright.”

Atton afforded her a genuine glance now, unafraid if she noticed this time, and furrowed his brow. She was tracing the trade routes again, and from what he could spy from the pilot’s chair, she was currently examining the backwater Myto's Arrow with a careful hand. Atton knew that route by heart, mentally reiterating its coordinate path in his mind as he watched Eden do so with her index finger. 

“A lot’s changed in the last ten years,” Atton said, taking a stab at what mired Eden’s mind. She’d been standing behind him for the better part of the last hour, entranced by the map as if she’d never seen one before. “Must be strange.”

“Hmm,” Eden hummed in somber affirmation, her posture wilting slightly. She cocked her head the other way, as if the map might betray something else from that angle. Judging by the way she then shook her head, Atton figured it didn’t. “I never thought about it ‘til now, but to see it all laid out in little informational blurbs and data, it’s just-”

Eden sighed.

“I forgot the rest of the galaxy kept moving.”

Atton had no follow-up to this. Instead, he internally cataloged what planets had since joined the Republic and which routes had changed in the last ten years as if it were a new mental exercise to add to his ongoing repertoire of meticulous distractions. Even the last five years alone were eventful in that regard, and with the Peragus depot now having been exploded out of existence…

“So it goes,” Atton sighed himself, pushing away from the pilot’s console and standing up. His lower back popped with a satisfying crack followed in quick succession by his shoulders snapping out of their shared stasis upon stretching. 

“I feel like I need to do that to my brain,” Eden commented with an air of jealousy.

Atton laughed breathily before turning back to the white-blue expanse of hyperspace, his face feeling hot. 

“Don’t we all?”

He counted the planets again in his mind, surprised with just how much he remembered. Even when his mind was elsewhere, Atton was always paying attention. It came in handy when your main reaction to the going getting tough was running away to the place no one would ever find you. He’d done it to escape his mother, then the Republic, followed by the Sith, and now anyone looking to cash in on the debt Atton hoped was wiped out with the destruction of Peragus, so long as Luxa was good on her word. If he wanted to keep running, it helped to have a running tab of where he might disappear to next.

“It’ll be weird, being back,” Eden said, turning from the computer and instead standing near the co-pilot’s chair. “I haven’t been to Dantooine since before I joined the war, and even then, the place changed so much before my exile.”

Eden stared out the window, no doubt imagining both a remembered version of the planet as well as a predicted version of what they were about to discover. After a beat, she smiled, and her gaze met Atton’s. He shivered just as she said, “You’ll hate it there.”

“Oh?” If Atton’s face was already hot, it was searing now. “Know me so well already, do you?”

He not only repeated Myto's Arrow in his mind, but simulated a version of Eden tracing its trade route alongside it. Examining Eden was easier inside his own head, not to mention there was less of a chance he’d get caught staring again. 

Eden shrugged. 

“I’d like to think so,” she said with a slight smile. “You seem to have a pretty solid grasp on me.”

Do I?

Atton only furrowed his brow further at her and walked over to the navicomputer himself, unsure of how he felt to be in such close proximity to Eden even if a baser part of him yearned for it. The longer he traveled with her, the more it became an unavoidable certainty. Maybe delaying the inevitable would help him build up a tolerance, like to the juma he so desperately craved.

“What makes you say that?”

He was genuinely curious. Atton had always prided himself on reading people. It was the main reason Malak had selected him for Revan’s Sith task force, and the reason his father harbored any relationship with him as a child if only for his knack at counting cards and scrutinizing his gambling opponents. It was the reason Atton was of any use to anybody, and if he could be that for Eden too, well…

“You have a knack for anticipating what I might do next,” she said, sounding both bashfully awed yet undeniably somber, almost suspicious. “And even when you don’t, you-”

Eden paused as she turned to face him. Her brow knotted as her eyes narrowed, glowing silver in the light of the navicomputer as she tilted her head ever so slightly. Atton had every opportunity to avert his gaze but instead he held his ground, pleasantly surprised when Eden’s eyes met his. He allowed himself to be observed, to be read, even if in the confines of his mind he was still relaying coordinates and trade routes. But it remained only a vibration beneath it all, a soundtrack to the way he was reading Eden’s expression in turn, taking in the sight of the endearingly messy waves of her hair, the curve of her face, the cut of her jaw, and the way her eyes shone through the thick of her lashes over the crest of her freckled cheekbones while she examined him and thought of what to say next. 

“I what?” Atton implored, trying not to sound so interested, trying not to imagine what it might be like to trace Eden’s features with his hands instead of his eyes, skin to skin, and how her body might feel against his. 

A feeling washed over Atton, like a question and a comfort both, borne outside himself and instead from the orbit he shared with Eden now.

“You always have my back,” Eden finished, uttering the statement as if a question mark should have accentuated its end, her query only half-realized when she spoke it aloud. Atton tried to imagine the woman before him leading armies, slaughtering thousands with the saber she’d described. This version of her now, wide-eyed and vulnerable? No, never. But the version he’d seen at Lopak Slusk’s throat, face covered in blood, heat radiating off her in a way that was both cold and calculated yet raw and rending? Without a doubt. 

There are those who wage war, Kreia had said back in the cell, an image of a younger Eden superseding the version that Atton saw now, a version of her that was both imagined and true, seen through the eyes of her brother. And those who follow them.

He thought of Eden back at the military base, alternating between retching at the sight of death and conversely being the perpetrator of it. Two sides of a coin that did not match yet completed the coin nonetheless.

“Why’s that?” Eden asked, her voice whispersoft. Her eyes fluttered, surprised by her question just as Atton was, a storm brewing in his chest at the sight of her. Eden’s gaze flickered across Atton’s features, only stoic because he was now internally playing his favorite Pazaak game from start to finish, his brain humming with satisfied calm in the wake of his habitual dopamine loop. “It’s not like you owe me anything.”

She asked it as if it weren’t deserved. As if she hadn’t saved his life. As if she’d done something wrong. 

She had, of course, at Malachor. But Atton wasn’t about to say that. 

And perhaps he never would. At least not yet.

“The only reason I’m not rotting in some forgotten force cage is because of you,” he muttered. 

He imagined Corr Desyk’s horror-struck face moments before utter obliteration, his entire squadron turned to dust as Malachor’s surface decayed a thousand years’ worth of rot in an instant, and the smile of the Jedi he killed later, blood curdling on her lips as she bestowed Jaq with what she thought was a gift but was instead a curse he’d carried for years after, her words weighing heavier now than ever before -  You are a survivor, through and through. Your allegiances tell as much. 

“I owe you my life, but don’t worry. I won’t be dramatic about it.” Atton feigned a lilted, charming smile. “Promise.”

He’d always had a knack of latching onto people who would ensure his survival, even if a part of him yearned for death. It was never out of any desire for it, but out of obligation, those he left behind often paying the debt in his stead. His mother. His squadron. Corr Desyk. Even Revan and Malak perished not long after he escaped their elite forces.

Atton wondered if Eden could sense all of this, feel it in the ether between them despite the coordinates and the power couplings and the Pazaak hands running amok in his brain otherwise, not quite drowning his thoughts out but distorting the feed like a faulty radio signal. But all he felt in her presence was instead an undeniable tranquility, almost like being drugged or lulled to sleep, just as he had been by that HK back on Peragus…

Only in Eden’s presence, submission felt… nice.

Atton swallowed. Hard.

But it is your connection to the Force you must thank, for it is the reason you yet live.

“Your decision to stay is saving me more than you know,” Eden offered with a half-laugh, a blush overcoming her features in a way that endeared Atton to her more than he wanted to admit. Atton mirrored her unwittingly, unable to stop himself. It was as if he’d lost control of his body even if his mind remained his own, unlike when Kreia entered it uninvited. It wasn’t entirely different, but it also wasn’t entirely unpleasant either. 

Different versions of Eden swam in his vision, both in the real and within the confines of Atton’s mind - memory that both did and did not belong to him mingling until they merged into one. Whatever pieces felt wrong clicked into place now as goosebumps rose along Atton’s arms. She was both the villain of his past as well as his present savior - neither ruling out the other but coexisting seamlessly as if the universe suddenly made sense, as if his accidental birth, his mistake of a life and his every escape from death in the mess of its aftermath were all given sudden purpose.

“I don’t know what it is but you look… different ,” he said, the thought occurring to him as he spoke. This, too, was unbidden, speaking as if possessed. She did look different, but also very much the same. Eden only made more sense to him now, and Atton wasn’t yet sure what that meant for him. “It’s almost as if - ah, nevermind.”

This he had control over. This he could stop in its tracks. Though why Atton had no clue, and no time to question it. His mind was moving faster than he could translate, quicker than any string of coordinates he’d memorized to drown it all out. Eden - not only every facet of her being but every bit of him and where he fit in the kaleidoscope that was her - here and now, but also where their pasts lined up, parallel but never perpendicular, crossing only now, but why? And where would that lead?

“C’mon,” Eden pleaded, playfully punching Atton in the arm, her hand lingering over his elbow before pulling away. “Let me be the judge.”

Atton mulled it over, his eyes roaming Eden’s features again as if there were some detail he’d missed. 

“It’s like…” he began, the air between them both solidifying as if in amber but also dissipating as if they were dissolving into nothing but space dust, “It's like you've got this glow, but only when I see you out of the corner of my eye.”

Atton shook his head.

“It’s hard to explain, but it’s, uh,” his mind reeled, sensation and sentiment folding into one, intermingling to the point that he could not tell between the two of them, his mind brimming with numbers otherwise. “It’s good to see.”

Eden bit her lip, blushing further before betraying the smallest yet most self-indulgent smile Atton had seen yet.

“You can thank Chodo Habat for that,” Eden said. “I… I think I feel more in touch with the Force than I’ve maybe ever been.”

Eden shook her head, disbelief coloring her every gesture as her gaze receded to the middle distance and no doubt into memory. But the air between them still felt warm, comforting. Atton wanted to question it, to distrust it. Though much like Eden, he could not recall a time in which he’d felt more at ease.

“You do seem pretty calm,” Atton admitted softly, moving ever so much closer to her, yearning to feel Eden’s skin against his. Eden’s gaze only met his again, her eyes wide, moving none as Atton neared, as if wanting it, too. “A lot calmer than you were on Peragus when I first met you, at least.”

“Really?” Eden asked. She scrunched up her face slightly, her incredulity genuine. 

Atton nodded, again feeling like a willing puppet, unable to control his every impulse when this close in Eden’s proximity.

“It’s practically streaming off of you,” Atton admitted with a breathy laugh. And it was true - everything Atton had learned about the Force told him to be cautious, forever wary and always on edge. His mind a vault with no way to worm oneself in. And despite Kreia’s ability to breach his otherwise steadfast defenses, he felt himself melt in Eden’s presence, soothed by her smile and the pacific sensation radiating off her, reassuring and warm like the sun. 

“I-” Eden faltered, choking on her own words. She searched inward, unassuming, before resurfacing with the explanation, “I don’t think I’ve felt this good in a long time, actually.”

It felt like a secret, and Atton liked that.

“Well, it shows,” he said. “You’re a nice counterbalance to that old witch back there.”

He hadn’t meant to say it, but he warmed at the sight of Eden smiling in response, overcome with a bashful laugh that lit up her face, but especially her eyes. Her eyes - her painfully familiar eyes.

“Don’t tell Kreia I said this either,” Eden murmured, her smile fading thankfully little, cementing the secret between them as she leaned towards him and half-whispered, “There’s a lesson in this somewhere, but for now I’m just glad I don’t feel like I’m drowning. At least not as much as before.”

Eden shook her head.

“You probably have no idea what I’m talking about,” Eden sighed, “I’m sorry, I-”

“Don’t be sorry,” Atton breathed, the words tumbling out despite being a lie as he reigned in his growing desire to reach out and touch her. But beneath the warmth of his desire was something colder, something that struck a chord of fear within him just as the ship lurched, jolting out of hyperspace ahead of schedule.

Before Atton could read into the feeling, the Ebon Hawk careened into a field of debris, a few pieces precariously striking its hull and sending them sideward. Without thinking, Atton reached out for Eden, steadying her with his hands as he eased them into the corner beside the pilot’s chair, anchoring them there and preventing them from falling by hooking each of the heels of his boots behind the console and around the base of the seat. 

Eden had not only fallen into his arms but against Atton entirely, her torso pressed to his as the ship slanted sideways before eventually righting itself. Only Eden did not relieve herself of Atton’s questing grasp right away. Instead, she lingered. And Atton was in no rush to push her away. 

“You okay?” he asked.

She was surprisingly soft despite how solid she was, the sinew of her muscle evident even beneath the layers of her clothing and his. But there was an ease to their closeness that surprised Atton more than anything, an equilibrium he did not expect. His eyes met Eden’s and her gaze softened beneath his heavy-lidded stare. Eden eventually nodded.

“Fine,” she breathed. “You?”

Atton held Eden’s gaze a moment longer before blinking and nodding in turn, regrettably tearing his eyes away from her to cast about the cockpit, squinting against the duraglass in search of the ship’s unusual disruption.

“What was that?” he asked.

He was still holding Eden in his arms, but the woman made no motion to leave, her eyes following his out the window.

“No idea, but-” Eden paused, a startled choke erupting from her throat a moment after.

Atton turned to her once more, again unnerved by how comfortable he felt being this close to her, at how natural it felt, and how unquestioningly Eden remained there as she searched for words. Her eyes remained fixed on the duraglass this time, honing in on a hovering object now floating into view of the cockpit.

“Debris,” Eden said, her voice hoarse. “From… Malak. ”

The name sounded alien on her tongue, wrong. As if she’d never once uttered it before. Atton didn’t question it as his mind put the pieces together. Scorched matter slowly circuited the ship as it now hung in the planet’s orbit, no doubt the remaining aftermath of Darth Malak’s attack on Dantooine some years ago. Were it not for the planet now crowding the view, the vision was not that far off from the ruins of Peragus.

“Do you have any landing codes for us?” Atton asked, easing his grip on Eden though moving away from her none, regretting its inevitability whilst simultaneously recoiling from the contact as if he might soil her. Not that her soul was any cleaner than his. “Did your friends share anything useful?”

Eden nodded, eventually shaking her head as she looked down. She paused, as if examining their proximity and deciphering its meaning before backing slowly away. Eden only moved an inch out of Atton’s grasp, the resulting emptiness all the heavier for her closeness despite it. 

“They did, yeah,” she said. 

Eden shook her head again, all calm dissolving for a moment before the stillness returned to her; another look for the books. Atton mentally clocked her expression again, as if studying her like an animal, yearning to feel her weight against his again while also fearing it, unsure what might transpire should it happen again. 

Atton remained at the ready, prepared to catch Eden again if need-be while also awaiting her answer. 

You will not find blind obedience a difficult master. 

The need didn’t come, but there was satisfaction in the act of it. 

You chose it once. 

“You ready for the input?” Eden asked as if the last few moments hadn’t happened. 

“Ready whenever you are,” Atton nodded as he leaned over the controls, roused with absolute assurance.

You will learn to embrace it again. 

[bishamonochrome]

Kanghan is confused about who he likes — and he's trying to figure it out on his own.

At the beginning of the series, Kanghan clearly likes Pimfah, even though she doesn't seem to like him back. As the story progresses and we see Sailom and Kang's relationship develop, we viewers might think he has a change of heart and starts crushing on Sailom (and Sailom on Kang, too). But then episode 5 drops and, hold on, Kang still likes Pimfah as much as he did at the start? doubtfully so.

In episode 4, when Kang's grandma tells him he has to pass all his exams or Sailom will stop tutoring him, we can see the worry grow on him. Of course, the main reason is he's worried sick Sailom might get beaten up again if he doesn't have money to pay his debts. But then, when he learns that Sailom already expected this and asks him why he didn't put more pressure on him, he's taken aback with the following question:

to which Kang replies with a glance that hides a lot of meaning:

you have no idea.

Upon that question, he knows (at least, unconsciously) Sailom does very much have that influence. He can't even sleep thinking why.

All the longing stares we get of them every time they cross paths at school after they don't meet up for tutoring anymore, and even thinking about their moments together, only helps Kang to realize how down deep this is.

Now for episode 5. It's almost shocking how right after a couple of moments of them staring at each other for longer than they should, we get hit with the reminder that Kang likes Pimfah. Even if he developed a crush on Sailom he can't yet fully understand, this doesn't erase the fact that he still likes her too. At this point, we're prone to believe Kanghan is convinced he likes Pimfah and is not aware at all of his feelings for Sailom, given the moments in the episode where he didn't spare a glance at Sailom, or even threw him off the boat to be alone with her.

Some time far from Sailom might help him clear his head (it must be difficult given the fact that now they live together), while also spending time with his long-term crush might help him come back to his senses. Clearly, in a position where he's pressured to please everyone around him, he must still believe it's better to get with someone like Pimfah, who is a woman, from a family as wealthy as his, and have known each other for that long. But not much time passes until he's irremediably swayed back to Sailom's side and spends the rest of the evening with him. He practically forgot he was trying to do the exact opposite.

I think it's worth mentioning the fact that during the whole episode, Kang was still thinking about Sailom all the time, in the most gentle way possible, even when he was trying to focus on Pimfah. He remembered Sailom's career choice, but also the fact that he liked to sing. And helped him to experience those things while they were there.

Back to Kang's dilemma, what reinforces the main point is what happens in the last part of the episode. He got locks for both, Sailom and Pimfah:

As we see most of the episode, since it's more from a Sailom's pov, his (also recently developed) crush on Kang has led him to believe the locks were for them both because the tradition was to attach locks with someone you like. If that was the case for Kang, he would have gotten those for Pimfah and himself. Instead, as indecisive and confused as he is, he opts to give them to Sailom and Pimfah, knowing both want to get into that college and he wishes and cares for both of them.

Lastly, with the final plot twist of Pimfah actually crushing on Sailom, one would expect Kang to be mad at Sailom for 'stealing' his crush from him.

But Kang is rather confused. Does he feel heartbroken for Sailom or Pimfah? If it was the latter, probably angst would ensue, and we would see Kang being mean to Sailom. But what is shown in the preview for the next episode is quite the opposite: Everything in Kang's life seems to revolve around Sailom's existence and his growing concern only helps him realize the answer to that initial question.

[mcktub]

𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 : viviènne anaëlle maizière . 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 : september 8th , 1990 . 𝐚𝐠𝐞 : 34 . 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 / 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 : nice, france . 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : gaspard & giselle maizière . 𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : oscar maizière . 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 : cis woman . 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬 : she + her . 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 : blue . 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 : blonde . 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 : 168cm / 5'6" ft . 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 : white . 𝐦𝐛𝐭𝐢 : estp ( the entrepreneur ) . 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : heterosexual + heteromantic . 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 : single . 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 : none . 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 : french, english, italian, danish . 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : executive chef at pearl's seafood bistro , owner of restaurant mirazur menton and mirazur florida . 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 : diploma in culinary arts from le cordon bleu paris .

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘

every child when playing with their friends has that moment where they say they want to be this or that when they grow up. most of those ideas come from watching a show on tv or an adult they admire who does it for a living. and then they grow up to become anything but that. viviènne's younger self had claimed she'd become everything in the book, with each discovery of a possible new career path she'd change her mind. but the one constant about her was her love for food and making it. as a child she didn't consider it as a life path, just something she loved doing, but the more she grew up, the more she realised none of the other thousands of options she'd added to her list made as much sense as this one.

she'd had a fairly easy upbringing: the south of france is known as a luxurious destination but that's not all it is or has. her family doesn't come from money but they do not come from poverty either. in fact, if you google middle class, their picture might pop up. a stay-at-home mother, a car dealership owner for a father and a little brother she'd do anything for wasn't anything out of the ordinary. they had a simple life. until her mother died when viviènne was merely seven and things started changing. her father couldn't handle the grief and all the memories of living in the same house he could no longer share with his wife, so he decided it would be better for them all to start fresh somewhere else. and that's when they moved to palmview grove and an eleven-year-old viviènne had to restart her entire life.

unfortunately, the girl had a hard time adapting. she'd never really felt at home in the new life her father imposed upon her. everything was too different, too foreign, she didn't even speak english. she understood her father was running away from the constant memories of her mother but it also felt like he was taking them from her. it didn't help that he failed to be much of a father to her little brother and the responsibility fell on her. but the main issue viviènne always had was her most characteristic personality trait: she's a giver. the kind of person who'll take her own shoes off and walk miles barefoot for someone who complained theirs weren't comfortable enough. a trait she'd gotten from her mother. so even though she'd felt out of place for the majority of her life, there wasn't a person in this world who'd ever hear about it. she grew up in town, learning to feel comfortable and content with what she had, growing into the dream of becoming a chef, building her own character. the beginning of the shift didn't happen until her third year of high school, when vivi met who she thought would be her forever.

most teenagers believe their high school sweetheart stories will be the ones to break the cycle and actually last, this girl was no different. and she wasn't very wrong either. they'd dated for the last two years of high school and three more after that until a proposal came and she said yes. the dreams of going back home and becoming a famous chef were shoved into a box in the corner of her mind. her fiancé would never want to leave palmview and she believed he was it for her. she could still do what she loved there, it was no issue. a few culinary courses here and there had landed her a good enough job to make her content with the life she was building for herself. until the soul-crushing day she found out she was being cheated on.

nothing could've prepared the woman for the discovery or the absolute turn her life was about to take because of it. it was the first time she'd ever been reckless and acted like she was thinking solely about herself. viviènne decided to leave. at twenty-two she left her fiancé with nothing more than an engagement ring placed over the kitchen table, all of her belongings disappearing from the house while he was away, no clear breakup or explanation whatsoever of where or why she'd left and clear instructions for the only two people that knew where she'd gone ( her father and brother ) to not say a word to anyone in town about her whereabouts. she gave up her entire life in palmview; job, friends, family and relationship to go back to france and do what she'd always wanted to.

le cordon bleu had been a dream her entire life, not that anyone knew, but enrolling in it was the first step towards her so-called freedom. she got her degree, interned in it and became a mentor for new students for the length of the programme. then decided paris was also not the place she'd call her forever home either. so she moved to london, started at a two-star restaurant as a commis chef, an apprentice. the title didn't quite matter, her real goal there was doing what she loved and getting all the experience she'd need in the future. still, vivi worked her way up to becoming a hors d'oeuvres chef, but london also proved itself not to be the place for her so she moved again. this time, she tried plenty of other locations: rome, barcelona, bern, vienna and finally settled in copenhagen. vivi always told anyone with two listening ears that her goal was to one day travel there just to dine at noma and that had been her goal when setting foot there. nothing else. but the opportunity was too good to pass on and she took it to offer her services there while at it. and it just turned out that there was an opening for a sous chef at her dream place. but, after a couple years, the feeling came back: the one that told her this still wasn't the place for her so she finally decided it was time to do the obvious and return to the only place that ever felt like home to her.

she'd been correct that entire time: just being in her home town again brought a sense of peace to the woman that she had not felt in too long. maybe even since she was a child. her search for a job there wasn't lengthy, her resume wasn't one anybody in her line of work could ever overlook, but none of it was what she was looking for. at least not until she saw that the, in her humble opinion, best restaurant in the entire province was about to close as the owner had decided to focus on the other countless restaurants he owned so vivi did the unthinkable: decided to buy it. so, at twenty-eight years of age viviènne was the owner of a two michelin star restaurant and living in her hometown just like she'd always dreamed. within the year the place, which had already appeared on the list twice before just in lower rankings, was named the best restaurant in the world and received its third and ultimate star, accompanied by the extra green star. it felt like a sign from above that this was the life she was meant to be living all along.

going back to palmview was an idea that never truly crossed her mind. any time she wanted to see her family, she'd fly them out or suggest they'd all visit their hometown. it could be the fear of facing what she'd left behind that kept viviènne from even considering visiting the city but she'd never in those twelve years done so. yet, for some reason, when the idea of expanding the restaurant to new locations first crossed her mind, it was palmview grove that she envisioned it in. perhaps because enough time had passed there was a chance nobody would even remember her any more. or care about her if they did. she'd missed her family and could go between nice and florida, it wasn't so bad of an idea. the original plan wasn't even to move back in, just open the restaurant and have something to do when she eventually decided to start visiting. but complications in the construction started happening and she realised she couldn't oversee it from afar forever. even so, she didn't want to be here just making sure no more construction issues happened, vivi is the always on-the-go type. which resulted in her finding a temporary job to keep her busy while mirazur wasn't ready to open, it was just her luck that a bistro in town was in dire need of an executive chef. so she returned, in hopes that her past won't catch up to her any time soon.

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐄

LE CORDON BLEU | PARIS : culinary programme / internship / professor [ 2013 - 2014 ]

KITCHEN TABLE | LONDON : commis chef [ 2014 - 2015 ] hors d'oeuvre chef [ 2015 - 2016 ]

NOMA | COPENHAGEN : sous chef de cuisine [ 2016 - 2018 ]

MIRAZUR | MENTON : owner [ 2019 - current ] chef de cuisine [ 2018 - 2024 ]

PEARL'S SEAFOOD BISTRO : chef executif [ current ]

MIRAZUR FLORIDA | PALMVIEW { under construction } : owner [ current ]

[canichangemyblogname]

*grabs popcorn* why did you tag 'the writing did her so dirty' re: taylor kelly?

I finally found the words for this answer. For me, it has everything to do with the way she was written in 5A as if they were domesticating her, partially at the expense of what really made her an interesting character. I’d like to have seen her as that girl everyone loves to hate, but for the right reasons. “She’s a bitch.” Yes, and? “She hurt all these people.” Yes, and? Also… and this is just fan-canon, not something that I think the show would’ve (or could’ve) done, but pansexual Taylor in an established relationship with a woman is my absolute favorite 🫶.

Like… I hate to give buddie fans any points because most of them are committed to misrepresenting the point and a scene, but the whole “if Eddie were a girl, they’d have kissed already” held a bit of water during the Buck x Taylor era, but not because Buck and Eddie are queercoded, but because Buck x Taylor had the same vibe as “two people who met through work and only really have work in common, but dated anyway.” The two of them talked about their work lives more than any couple on the show. I feared that if either of them had a change of job, they’d cease to have anything to talk about, which *would* be the case for two people who are co-worker adjacent, but shouldn’t be the case for a couple. IMHO, Buck x Taylor wasn’t a result of Buck’s comp het, but societal comp het. They also—as I mentioned previously—seemed to stifle a bit of Taylor’s passionate, ambitious, career-above-everything characterization for a little bit there in 5A, and she kinda simply became Buck’s GF. There was a degree of domestication for her character there, and I hated that for her. 

Also… 911 honest opinion? I think Buck and Ali should have had a longer arc. 🫣 More on that below:

It really seemed like they had been narratively setting something up between Buck and Ali, given how the show paralleled Buck + Ali and Maddie + Chim with that one outro monologue about how sometimes the best things start with second chances. Because that monologue that introduced us to Buck x Ali had been all about “second chances,” I genuinely had assumed that she was coming back and that they’d work out their issues. Their relationship also felt narratively weighty because of *why* Buck chose to date her. He had a choice between old habits (re: Taylor Kelly) or making his happiness (re: the Buck Actually theme). They also chose an apartment together. Plus, their “break up” did not feel very final. Something about it felt unresolved.

Cast contracts permitting, if *I* had been on this project, I would have written Buck & Ali as tentatively working on their differences post-injury. When their relationship does end, I’d explore the concept that sometimes, genuinely liking one another—or love—is not enough (which I think would have been great to explore after the Daniel reveal, as love was not enough for a happy Buckley household). Ali & Buck may have progressed past health scares and job fears, but find themselves on two different paths in life (with her job and dreams taking her one way and his keeping him at the 118). Here we could also incorporate Buck’s Big Mistake™️ that we saw in his relationship with Taylor: keeping/hiding things from his partner and overcompensating for that out of guilt to keep the relationship. Maybe that something is family related (re: Daniel) or maybe job related (revisit old wounds that weren’t actually healed during the sniper arc, an emergency he expressly doesn’t tell Ali about for fear of her reaction). Hell, it could be Taylor-related (with Taylor, someone he has a previous dynamic with, “being Lucy” in this situation), if you really want, although I’m personally disinclined to taking this hypothetical story in that direction (mostly because I hate cheating arcs, but also because I think Buck and Taylor work better as friends).

I also think Buck could have still grown into the person he is now through this hypothetical of events instead of through shorter-term relationships.  Reasons I think this turn of events could have also worked for Buck’s growth:

We would still get Buck 3.0 seeking out therapy after being crushed, being dumped, and being assigned desk duty. Maddie points out that he’s not handling it well, and he takes it upon himself to do something about that, just like in canon. Maybe later in that season or early next, we find out that Ali had reached out, and Buck reaches back out to her following his conversation with Abby and some therapy, not wanting to leave things unsaid and knowing he hides his true feelings from people. Maybe he tells Ali about him wanting to work on himself and start again. This means that, yes, he’d spend season 3 single before getting back together in early season 4 to “try again” and “see where it goes.”

However, Buck will still be lonely at this time, now essentially having bought into the comp-het idea that part of the reason for our loneliness is not being partnered (just like in canon, but he’d be partnered instead of single during this). If work or a difference in life pulls Buck and Ali apart, we’d still get Buck dealing with this gaping loneliness. It’d be less of a “He hasn’t put himself out there since Abby” and more a “He’s in a relationship and still feels alone.” Maddie and Chim invite Josh to poker night not because of Buck’s “tragic singleness,” but because Ali couldn’t come (which means we still get everyone’s favorite Buck x Josh joke). The scene will lay the ground for the relationship issues he’ll run into in late 4B. Something like, “Buck never gets out of the house” or “He has a girlfriend, but no one would know,” while Josh tells him to be glad he’s got someone because it’s “rough out there” (all while still foreshadowing Josh’s later gay bashing that episode). And this hints at an element of compulsory heterosexuality to this scenario: Buck doesn’t just feel the need to make the relationship work because he wants to be there for people, but because he feels a need to be partnered. His parents are visiting and they’re always disappointed in him, but they’ve met Ali and they’re happy Buck’s partnered. So, he stays. He reads the love languages book (absolutely quackery of a theory, imho) for some ideas on relationship growth and making it work and he stays. He expresses that he really wants this relationship to be successful and meaningful (and that’s why he’s trying the self-help book), and he stays. But maybe we get the Buck equivalent of “my relationship feels like a performance.” Maybe Buck expresses some discomfort with what are essentially traditional aspects/dynamics of het relationships (something the 5 love languages is centered around). Things like, “I want to provide, but I also want to be taken care of.” We’ll also get a few scenes that suggest he and Ali don’t know each other well (like not knowing what to get each other for special occasions, and some conversations between Buck and Bobby). But, otherwise, Buck & Ali’s interactions with one another are sweet and romantic. He goes on a successful date with Ali instead of Monica. He also goes on a successful double-date with Monica x Albert, with Ali as his gf. Ali’s genuine affection for Buck really shines when Buck runs into his season 4 family issues, and she gets along with everyone in Buck’s life, including Maddie, Chim and Albert, and even his parents. Their personal lives will seem to go strong because it’s the way their work lives interfere with their personal lives that will drive the wedge between them. Red’s warning about being too consumed by the job and how hard this is to compete with swirl around in Buck’s head the whole relationship. Buck fears that much like Red, he’ll never be able to make it work.

Eventually, however, we would get Buck figuring out that he doesn’t have to stay with someone just to stay with someone. (“I’m not happy. And if this isn’t a healthy relationship, then maybe the best thing for me to do is be the one who leaves.”) So, in early 4B when issues he thought they’d worked through rise again and maybe Ali discovers that Buck’s keeping something from her (I’m leaning toward him purposefully keeping aspects of his job from her, like not telling her about the sniper [among other things], once more revealing how Buck puts other’s comfort above his personal life and happiness and again reinforcing the idea that Buck’s career is too “consuming” and too “dangerous” for some partners, but also revealing that he doesn’t trust Ali not to run again -> but this leads Ali to not trust that Buck won’t keep important things from her and also leads her to realize that he will ice her out of important parts of his life), Buck decides, “I do like you, but I don’t think this is going to work out.” He then spends all of season 5 single, and it would be cool to see a “I’m working on myself, I want to be single” storyline, which would factor well into his further self-improvement arc during the interim-Captain storyline. He will then still meet Natalia in season 6 and they’ll be drawn together and apart for many of the same reasons as in canon.

But crucially, this means that I’d have kept Buck and Taylor friends in seasons 4 & 5 because 1.) I think the men of 911 do not have enough women in their life platonically outside blood relations, 2.) I found their dynamic *before* they started dating much more compelling, and 3.) them making Taylor Buck’s GF seemed to stifle her character a little, so she was less the ambitious, passionate reporter and more just… a sweet girl. In my hypothetical, she’s still there in seasons 4-5, and ever the go-getting reporter. Maybe she has less screen time, but she’s still there. Many of the work-related scenes between her and Buck would and could (and should) remain. Anything related to investigations and her reporting would absolutely stay. I think that Taylor could neatly fit into a similar role that Josh does with Maddie. She’s blunt, no holds barred. He tells her about his family, roommate, and relationship issues in S4, and she always gives him the tough answer. She confides in him when the pandemic becomes too much. They team up for the hit-n-run investigation and the treasure hunt (Ali also joins them). She is his friend—and maybe one of the only ones outside the 118 family— who is there when his best friend, Eddie, gets shot (but clearly—and crucially—not in the same way Maddie is there for Chim or Karen is there for Hen because she’s *not* Buck’s GF or a potential LI, and also not in the same way that Ali is *not* there for Buck, given Buck goes to lengths to hide this development from Ali, like putting on his vest in secret). She is still hard on him for his “neediness” and “impulsivity.”

IMHO—not too much changes between them. There’d be fewer scenes between them, sure. They wouldn’t kiss. Some of their more emotional conversations would be less couple-y, like the coffee date where he talks about his family. (And I personally love the idea that this whole time they’re friends, Taylor is dating a woman and Buck has met this woman or heard about her, but that is, again, just fan-canon.) Also, we’d miss that scene of Taylor in her black lingerie (sorry lesbians) and Buck in that grey A-line Tee (sorry to me), but not much is otherwise changing. Hell, even the way things eventually break down doesn’t need to change (minus the issue with Buck asking Taylor to move in after he and Lucy kissed). Buck will still learn that he can’t fix everything because Taylor will still prioritize her career over her friendship. Plus, a friendship crashing and burning is its own beast, and one that would teach Buck that it’s not just in his romantic relationships that he gives too much of himself. (Cough, cough, a lesson he could learn with Eddie.)

Also, with this breakdown coming so soon after breaking things off with his gf, his best friend damn near dying, and his sister running away, Buck will go to lengths to try and fix the issues in his friendship, lengths like going to Oklahoma to support her (a trip where he meets her GF in my fan-canon). He wasn’t enough to inspire Abby to stay. He couldn’t make it work with Ali. Eddie fucking got shot. Maddie’s run away. And now a difference in world views has put him and a friend at odds with each other (something that *seems* fixable). So, he’ll try his damndest to fix things, desperately wanting this to work out as everything else goes haywire. “I can’t lose a friend, too.” “You were there for me after Eddie got shot, I want to be here for you now.” “Everything else is a mess; I want to help where I’m needed.” No more losing people. Except, it doesn’t work. Meaning, Buck would still come to understand himself and his localized view of himself relative to others vs. Taylor’s more universal view of herself as their friendship falls apart.

This also all still leaves Tommy to be different compared to Buck’s past romantic relationships, most of which happened on his partner’s terms rather than his own. It also still leaves Taylor in the series and her impact on Buck remains without half-nuking her character. Buck also maintains much of his character growth, as I will always maintain that Taylor was very important to Buck’s character growth.

[team5ds]

warmed me to my core

it had been a normal day before yusei fudo crossed paths with aki izayoi.

Rating: M

Ships: Yusei Fudo/Aki Izayoi

Author’s note: written for the prompt of "vampire" for @sapphic-september. nearly accidentally tagged strange aeons. i don't think strange needs to see my weirdly horny sapphic faithshipping vampire au. there was supposed to be a sex scene in this but i had to cut it short because i ran out of time. the energy is still there though.

read on ao3 / support me on kofi (battle city & up supporters get early access) / join my discord (18+)

For the most part, Aki tried her best to not leave the old chateau. She disliked the reminders that she was no longer part of the world of the living. It'd been hard to keep track of the years by this point - she'd stopped counting after twenty years and she'd lost track somewhere fifty years ago. They just flew by, and she decided it wasn't worth focusing on the time that would march unending. It'd never show on her face. Her face that she couldn't see in any mirror. She'd thrown covers over all of them in the old chateau. Her parents were buried in the backyard, and she'd never be laid to rest next to them. That wasn't worth dwelling on. She needed desperately to feed, and she had a friendly working relationship with the butcher just down the street. The street that had changed so much. When she'd first been turned, there had been no cars. Suddenly electric street lights had gone up, replacing the old gas ones of her youth. Shops closed and changed hands while she stayed the same. Women had rights that she'd not had when she'd turned. The people stopped asking when she'd get married and started asking about her career.

As far as anyone knew, Aki Izayoi was the granddaughter of the Aki Izayoi that had mysteriously disappeared so many years ago. She claimed she'd moved back, that her mother had left with her. That she'd heard that her grandmother had passed, leaving her the old chateau. No one questioned the story, but she wondered how long until it was obvious to the humans that she wasn't aging. She didn't want to let go of the old chateau, but people would eventually notice that she wasn't aging. The clothing she wore now would have given her father a heart attack from how scantily clad it was. Well, everything was still covered just... her calves were on display now. If she could still blush, might've over the dresses that were considered fashionable these days.

Before she could get to the butcher's, she was pushed against the alley wall with a knife pressed to her throat. Aki gasped in shock - normally she could easily overpower a human but this was not the case here. A young woman with a shabby jet black hair cut and eyes so blue they were almost violet was staring her down with malice. "Don't you dare move," she hissed. "I know what you are, and I'm not going to let you hurt anyone."

"Hurt," Aki questioned, and her breathing ceased. Breathing had always been more of a reflex, but when needed... she could still herself including any chest expansion that came with breathing. "Now what could you be talking about?"

"Don't play innocent, vampire," the woman spat, the knife digging into Aki's flesh. It burned as if it'd been drenched in holy water... and it occurred to her just then that was probably the case. Vampire hunters weren't common, but they were certainly something to watch out for. Granted, the position she was in was unfavorable to her escape, and that was largely her own fault. She'd starved herself the brink of desperation. If she didn't desperately need blood, she wouldn't have even left the old chateau. "I've seen how you don't age. You claim that you're the granddaughter of Aki Izayoi. I suspect you are the original Aki Izayoi."

Aki laughed, and the blade slashed down her. She hissed in agony as the blade left a wound that healed over instantly - the quick healing betraying the lack of humanity. "What would you have done if I was human," she asked. Before Aki could move, the knife was back at her throat again. "If you had slashed open a human with your knife?"

The woman blinked in confusion. The thought that Aki could have been human had honestly never occurred to her. Everything about her seemed so obviously nonhuman that she had naturally assumed that the move was a surefire way of proving her point. "You look exactly like all the portraits of the first Aki Izayoi," she said, now uncertain what to do here. She expected the vampire to lash out and try to drain her. She had no road map for when a vampire acts this human. "That's how I knew you wouldn't bleed out on the street when I used this knife on you."

"And it is doused in holy water. Or perhaps you had it blessed by a priest. Either way, it is a useful weapon against a vampire." Aki smirked. "Now... don't you think it is unfair that you know my name, but I don't know your name? Surely a dying woman deserves to know the name of her executioner."

"Yusei," she said automatically, not pulling away the knife. This had to be some kind of trick on Aki's side, but she couldn't figure it out. It intrigued her enough to want to keep her alive just long enough to know what con she was pulling. Curiosity always did get the better of Yusei. "You rarely leave the chateau. I figured you had to be on the hunt for blood."

"I was," Aki admitted. "I was going to the butcher. I have a standing order of pig's blood from him. Granted... he knows my grandmother used to buy it from his grandfather. He assumed I inherited the same strange taste." Her lips twisted into a snarl, revealing the sharp canines. Yusei was surprised by the effect this had over her. "Unless you'd like to volunteer to be my blood bag for the night?"

Despite the exposed fangs, it didn't quite feel like a threat. No, it felt more like a flirtation, which Yusei was shocked by. What's more... she actively considered it. She evaluated the woman in her for the first time beyond a prey: soft pink lips with a cupid's bow, wide hazel eyes, porcelain pale skin, and wine red hair. And then Yusei was overcame with need. She leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to the vampire's lips - she was cold, but she warmed to the touched with ease. Aki's lips molded to hers, and there was a surprising amount of gentleness that she allowed. When Yusei finally pulled away, she raised a brow. "I've never had a vampire drink from me before," she said breathlessly. "What does it feel like?"

"The last time I had it happened to me... I was frozen at this age," Aki whispered, glancing around. "Perhaps this is a conversation best had after I pick up my standing order. Why don't you meet me at the old chateau? Unless you'd like to invite me into your home."

She winked, and Yusei shook her head. If she allowed the vampire access to her home for one night, she could enter whenever she'd like. As much as she was willing to let this vampire live due to the fact she seemed relatively harmless, it would be foolish to give a vampire unfettered access to one's personal domain. No matter how beautiful she was. "I'm not nearly that foolish. I'll meet you at the old chateau."

It was starting to sink in as she stared up at the old chateau that she might be a little foolish. The old chateau had stood in the city for centuries - a testament to the length of the city's life in itself. The facade had been updated in recent years at the request of Miss Izayoi, with a gardener who regularly maintained the lawns. Until now, Yusei had been under the impression that she'd used supernatural powers to obtain these services. It only just sunk in that a woman alive for at least a hundred years might acquire more money than one could in a singular lifetime of working. She was certain that in the next hundred years, Aki Izayoi might be more powerful than the richest man alive. That didn't matter right now, however. What mattered was that she was now heading into a vampire's den, and she'd followed the request of the vampire to arrive disarmed. The lack of weapons on her person left her feeling more naked than it really should.

She reached up to knock on the door, but the door opened before she even connected her fist to the wood. A well dressed man stood before her with a charming grin. "The lady of the house was expecting you," he said, bowing deeply to her. That felt weird, and she wanted to tell him to knock it off but all words left her mouth. "Please, come on in and make yourself at home. Miss Izayoi will be with you shortly. Tea?"

Yusei stared as she was led to the sitting room - a massive oversized room that she couldn't have imagined existing in her wildest dreams. She shook her head. "Er, no thanks," she said quietly. "And please, don't bow to me again."

With that, she was left alone in the living room. It looked like it hadn't been updated since 1859 - dark browns and rich vibrant reds everywhere. The only hint that things had changed was the chandelier overhead was electric instead of with candles. Yusei hadn't anticipated that there would be staff in this house, but it made sense as she thought about it. This house was too large to be maintained by a singular person. If there was other staff, she hadn't seen them. This was the kind of place that she could never imagine feeling comfortable in. Aki entered the room, and she'd changed out of the dress she'd met her in. Instead, she was wearing a dated dress that covered every inch of her skin in a deep blood red. Her hair was now twisted up. She looked more comfortable than she had walking the streets outside. "Why don't we take this to my room," she suggested. "I doubt either of us want to be overheard."

She was led through the chateau to Aki's room. The portraits on the walls felt like they were staring at her. It was obvious that none of these had changed since Aki had been turned into a vampire. Should she ask for more details about that? Was it possible that she could wind up accidentally turned tonight? She didn't know, and the fear ran down her spine. The room Aki led Yusei to had plum colored walls, with a white canopy covering a four poster bed. Once again, this room was in bad need of a renovation. Aki had turned around to stare her down, and yet... something had shifted. Yusei smirked. "Where shall we begin?"

[crossroadsofchaos]

[Retired Leaders AU]

It's been a long time since I've talked about this AU's Terra, so here's that and some other relevant information.

Terra came from one of the wealthier families on the Boiling Isles, and in her youth, her career trajectory was similar to canon. She became Head Witch and held that position around 30 years ago, when the events of 'Them's the Breaks, Kid' were happening.

However, not long after that, her story begins to diverge.

Although Belos had appointed her to the position, he only did so due to not realizing how bad she was and hoping she would improve, which did not happen - she only got worse and more brazen once she was given power. He tried to be nice at first and simply asked her to change, but after a while his patience was running out. Eventually, he removed her from the position - though it was publicly announced that she had chosen to step down. She was replaced by Laura Tran.

She was infuriated by the loss of such a powerful position and was envious of Laura, and she developed a deep hatred and desire for revenge on both her and Belos, though she was at least somewhat scared of the latter and wouldn't try to fight him directly. She tried to assassinate Laura in broad daylight, and the two had a battle, from which Laura emerged victorious, while Terra fled the scene.

The assassination attempt made her a wanted criminal, and she had to start hiding from authorities. She continued to be involved in crime, partially due to ruining her own ability to live a normal life, but also out of spite for Belos and Laura - she wanted to create problems for them. She also saw becoming a notable figure in organized crime as another way to attain power. Her family publicly distanced themselves from her, but quietly gave her some financial assistance.

During the following years, she met Alyssa, with whom she entered a romantic relationship and eventually got married. Alyssa was an ordinary woman and wasn't thrilled by Terra's activities, but cared about her and wanted to support her - and if possible, perhaps set her on the right path. The relationship was mediocre, possibly a bit toxic on Terra's end, but Alyssa was committed and stayed by her side. Her hope for Terra choosing a better path gradually faded the longer it wasn't happening. The longer Terra remained on her harmful path, the more set in her ways she became.

Her story came to an end once she had attacked and stabbed (and briefly killed) Hunter and severely injured Flapjack (who then gave up his life to save Hunter) in order to deliver a truly painful blow to Belos. Lashing out in pain, Belos petrified her, and she disintegrated into dust.

Following Terra's death, Alyssa grieved her, but she doesn't hate Belos for it - Terra killed his child, it was understandable that he lashed out. They just agreed to leave each other alone. She spends a lot of her time caring for her and Terra's garden.

[faeridos]

In the small town of Silent Pines, nestled deep within the dense pine forests, a notorious drug gang operated from the shadows. The gang, known simply as "The Silent Pines Gang"

a new story by faeridos / made in the world "silent pines" by @silentpinessave

TW // mentions of abusive households, drugs, alcohol, substance abuse, transphobia, gang activities/ violence, sickness, death & miscarriage

meet the gang

Bria Winter always felt out of place, like a puzzle piece from a different set. Growing up in a conservative household, she knew she was different, but it wasn't until she hit her teenage years that she found the words to define it - she was a trans woman. When she mustered up the courage to come out to her parents at the age of 15, she was met with rejection and intolerance. Kicked out of her family home, Bria found herself wandering the unforgiving streets, a lost soul searching for acceptance. It was during these bleak times that she crossed paths with Joslyn Eichman, a former rising star whose life took a drastic turn after a drug scandal ruined her career. The two bonded over their shared feelings of abandonment and loss, finding solace in each other's company. They lived for the nights of partying, drowning their sorrows in alcohol and substances, clinging to each other like lifelines in a stormy sea. Their lives took an unexpected turn when they encountered Mikel Lawrence, a troubled yet inherently kind man who offered them shelter and a sense of belonging. What started as a simple act of kindness soon spiraled into something darker as Bria found herself entangled in the web of Mikel's illicit activities. Before she knew it, she was running errands, making deliveries, and doing things she never thought herself capable of. As the days blurred into nights and reality melted into a haze of smoke and neon lights, Bria realized that she was in too deep. She was no longer just a lost girl looking for acceptance; she was a player in a dangerous game with stakes higher than she could have ever imagined. Selling more than just drugs, Bria was selling fragments of her soul, trading pieces of herself for a fleeting sense of belonging in a world that had never felt like home. In the midst of this chaos, amidst the flickering shadows of her former self, Bria found a beacon of hope in Joslyn. Their love, forged in the crucible of adversity, shone brightly against the darkness that threatened to consume them. Together, they navigated the treacherous waters of their new reality, holding onto each other fiercely, refusing to let go.

Kyla Rowell's life had always been shadowed by the dangerous world of gangs and violence. Growing up amidst the chaos, she never thought she deserved better. However, everything changed when her mother made a daring escape from Kyla's father, seeking solace in the quiet town of Silent Pines. As Kyla embraced her new life in Silent Pines, tragedy struck when her mother lost her battle against cancer when Kyla turned sixteen. Left orphaned, she found herself navigating the complexities of the foster care system. Her new foster family resided next door to Mikel Lawrence, a young man whose kindness and humor slowly brought light back into her world. Despite knowing Mikel's involvement in illicit activities, Kyla couldn't help but fall deeply in love with him. Their bond grew stronger, and soon Kyla found herself expecting their child. However, their joy turned to despair when she tragically miscarried, plunging her into a deep depression. Struggling to cope with her loss, Kyla found solace in alcohol and drugs, numbing her pain with each passing day. Amidst the darkness, Mikel vowed to care for her and promised a better life. Determined to keep his word, he delved into the dangerous world of drug trafficking, believing it was the only way to provide for Kyla. Together, they moved into an abandoned building, their sanctuary amidst a world filled with turmoil. Mikel poured his heart into renovating the place, dreaming of a brighter future for them both. As they rebuilt their lives amidst the ruins, Kyla clung onto the hope that love would be their guiding light through the darkest of times.

Mikel grew up in a turbulent household, witnessing chaos and neglect all too often. With his party-loving mother barely present and his alcoholic father a constant source of instability, Mikel found solace in the dark corners of his troubled world. By the tender age of 12, he was already dabbling in cigarettes and other illicit activities, seeking escape from the harsh reality that awaited him at home. To avoid the tumultuous environment, Mikel strayed further from conventional childhood experiences. Soon, he was spending his nights in abandoned buildings, finding refuge in the silence that enveloped him. Amongst the ruins, he discovered a familiarity that brought him an odd sense of peace. One particular spot became his sanctuary, a place where he could retreat from the chaos of his upbringing. When Kyla moved in next door, Mikel's world shifted once again. Initially wary of forming attachments due to his deep-rooted trust issues, he couldn't help but be drawn to Kyla's quiet demeanor and gentle presence. As their friendship blossomed, Mikel found himself opening up in ways he never thought possible. He began to see a glimmer of hope in the darkness that had consumed him for so long. However, their fragile bond faced a harsh test when Kyla revealed she was pregnant. Mikel's initial reaction was one of fear and apprehension, unsure of how to navigate this new chapter in their already complicated lives. But tragedy struck when Kyla miscarried, leaving both of them reeling from the loss of a future they had dared to dream of. In the wake of this heartbreaking event, Mikel's perspective shifted. He realized the depth of Kyla's struggles and the weight of responsibility that now rested on his shoulders. Determined to make amends for his past choices, Mikel took matters into his own hands. In a bid to provide for Kyla and himself, he turned to the dangerous world of drug dealing, navigating a perilous path in the name of survival. As Mikel delved deeper into this illicit underworld, the lines between right and wrong blurred, and the consequences of his actions grew more severe. Yet, in the midst of the darkness that threatened to consume him, Mikel held onto a flicker of hope — a belief that redemption was still within reach, even in the shadows of his troubled past.

Silas Greenburg grew up in the hood of Silent Pines, a small town where the whispers of dreams often faded into the shadows of reality. Despite having a pretty normal childhood with both parents being supportive, he found himself drawn to the allure of rebellion in his teenage years. High school brought along a newfound sense of freedom, but he fell in with the wrong crowd, where parties and underage drinking became the norm. It was at the age of 18 that Silas crossed paths with Mikel. Their meeting was hardly conventional – a friend of Silas was in the market for a bit of contraband, and through this exchange, Silas found a kindred spirit in Mikel. As they got to know each other, Silas confided in Mikel about his long-held dream of becoming a writer. However, the harsh truth of his family's financial struggles loomed over him, dimming the light of his aspirations. Mikel saw something in Silas that he himself had - hope. He revealed to Silas a different path, one paved with uncertainty and danger, but also the promise of quick wealth. Silas was hesitant at first, knowing the risks that lay ahead, but the whisper of opportunity was too strong to resist. Leaving behind the comfort of his parents' home, Silas moved in with Mikel and joined the gang. Days melted into nights as they navigated the underworld of Silent Pines, their pockets filled with cash stained with secrets.

Nadia Smallwood's childhood was a whirlwind tainted by wealth that quickly turned into destitution. Raised in opulence, life took a drastic turn when her father cruelly kicked her and her mother out to make room for his younger girlfriend. Forced onto the unforgiving streets of Silent Pines, Nadia's mother did her best to shield her from the harsh realities of their new life. However, their struggles reached a breaking point when Nadia, at the age of eight, was taken away and placed in the care of her grandparents. The trauma of abandonment and betrayal left scars on Nadia's young heart, manifesting in deep-seated trust issues that haunted her every interaction. Despite her grandparents' unwavering love and attempts to provide her with stability and support, Nadia found solace in the temporary oblivion offered by substance abuse. She became a regular at parties, seeking temporary relief in the haze of drugs and alcohol, much to her guardians' dismay. It was during one of her reckless escapades to procure drugs that Nadia crossed paths with Silas and Mikel, two enigmatic individuals who exuded a different kind of energy that intrigued her. There was an undeniable spark, especially with Silas, that drew her in, awakening emotions she thought long buried beneath her wall of mistrust. As Nadia's dependency issues worsened, her relationship with her grandparents strained to the breaking point. At the age of eighteen, they made the agonizing decision to ask her to leave, recognizing that her path to healing needed to start with tough love. It was then that Silas and Mikel, seeing more than the troubled girl that Nadia presented to the world, offered her a place among their unconventional chosen family.

Joslyn Eichman was destined for the limelight from the moment she was born. Her parents were determined to see her succeed, enrolling her in acting and modeling gigs as a child. By the age of 18, Joslyn had achieved her dream of becoming a news anchor, captivating audiences with her charisma and charm. However, her fairy tale came crashing down when a drug scandal tarnished her reputation, leading to her dismissal from the show. Joslyn was devastated, feeling like her entire world had crumbled around her. With her dreams shattered and her future uncertain, she found herself spiraling into a dark hole of despair. Unable to afford college and abandoned by her judgmental parents, who deemed her actions as "ungodly sins," Joslyn made the difficult decision to start anew in Silent Pines. Hoping to carve out a path for herself in the quiet town, she soon found solace in the bustling nightlife of clubs and substance abuse. One fateful night, Joslyn encountered 18-year-old Bria Winter, who was in distress and struggling to walk. Without hesitation, Joslyn took Bria under her wing, bringing her to her modest trailer to ensure her safety. Grateful for Joslyn's kindness, Bria offered her friendship and support, a gesture that would change Joslyn's life forever. As Joslyn and Bria grew closer, they crossed paths with Mikel Lawrence, a charismatic figure familiar with the struggles they faced. Mikel, who had been a source of Joslyn's escapism through partying and substances, saw the potential in both women. Recognizing their shared hardships and Joslyn's imminent eviction from her trailer, he extended an unexpected offer. Mikel proposed that Joslyn and Bria join his group, offering them a sense of belonging and security within his gang. Despite the risks and uncertainties that came with such an alliance, Joslyn saw a glimmer of hope for redemption and a chance to reclaim her lost dreams.

[ryqoshay]

Putting on Hairs: Post Production - Tower Lovers Star

Primary Pairing: N/A Starring: Nico, Nozomi Implied Pairing: NicoMaki, NozoEli Rating: G Words: 686 AU: Werewolves Prompt: Tower

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Summary: Nico discusses her concerns over the full moon with her roommate

Author's Note: Primary entry for the 5th

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A knock came at the bedroom door.

“Come in.” Nico called.

The door opened and Nozomi stepped in.

“What do you want?” Nico grumbled.

“Is that how you greet your marvelous agent who landed you your dream career as a star at the best theater in Japan?”

“We don’t have an appointment today.”

“We live together, Nicocchi. Can’t I just stop by to visit my roommate?”

“Not with that tone.” Nico turned and placed a hand on her hip. “What are you scheming?”

“I came to deliver news most dire.” Nozomi’s voice became ominous.

“And here we go…” Nico rolled her eyes.

“I consulted the cards just now.”

Nico sighed.

“On your behalf, Nicocchi.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“As your agent, I need to know what lies ahead and how best to guide you down the path of success.”

“I think I’ve been doing pretty well as of late. And yes, I do attribute some of that to you.”

“However, I do not believe the cards wished to tell me about your next production.”

“So?”

“Nicocchi, do you not understand the gravity of the situation?”

“No. Nor do I want to.”

Nozomi produced a card.

Like the rest of the deck, the card was well worn. And while Nozomi liked to claim it was because it had been passed down through the generations, Nico had personally been with her when she purchased it at a vintage shop near their apartment. This particular card depicted a tall stone structure had been capped with a crown. But now a thunderbolt was striking it, ripping off the crown and setting the structure ablaze. Two panicked figures flung themselves from the windows, choosing to chance the plunge rather than daring to face the flames.

“The Tower.” Nico stated.

“Exactly.”

“What of it?”

“Nicocchi.”

“Nozomi.”

“Sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation… awakening.” Nozomi wiggled her fingers and dropped her tone with the last word.

“Yes, I know the full moon is coming up.”

“And I, my dear Nicocchi, have a date with Elicchi that day.”

“And? Are you planning a wolf-friendly date or something?”

“Elicchi and I will be going on wolf-free date.”

“But foxes are alright.” Nico pointed out Eli’s kitsune nature.

“Elicchi is indeed foxy.”

“Nozomi…”

“My point is I will be unavailable to watch Nicocchi this full moon.”

“But… who…” Nico’s mind spun. “Mama’s gonna have her paws full with the kids. I can’t…”

“There is someone else, Nicocchi.”

“Who?”

Nozomi produced a pair of cards this time. One depicted an angel with outstretched arms seeming to be blessing a man and woman below. The other had a woman pouring out a pair of containers while a sizable star shown in the sky above.

“The Lovers and the Star…” Nico observed. “Do you mean Maki-chan?”

“Who else?”

Nico’s shoulders fell. And with them, her defenses. No longer was she resisting her roommate’s shenanigans. Far greater fears began to settle in. And her gaze found the floor.

“What if she…” Nico’s voice failed her as she couldn’t decide on which concern to say first.

Of course Maki knew full well that Nico was a werewolf, she’s seen her wolf form minutes after they first met. And she still agreed to start dating Nico, after a few hiccups… just a few… She even seemed nearly as good as Nozomi at teasing Nico to trigger a change.

But a full moon transformation was different. Nico would have no control. And no memory of her actions during the duration. She needed someone she could trust implicitly to keep herself, and others, from harm.

“That’s where the Star comes in, Nicocchi.” Nozomi stepped forward and placed a hand on Nico’s shoulder. “Hope and faith. It’s time to trust Maki-chan with more. And trust me when I say she is ready for it.”

“How do you…” Nico looked up to a warm smile. Nozomi wasn’t teasing anymore. Still… “Never mind, I know how…”

Nozomi laughed lightly and pulled Nico into an embrace. “You’ll be in good hands, Nicocchi. I promise.”

Nico took a deep breath and held it for a moment before releasing. “Alright.”

---------

Author's Note Continued: A while back, I wrote about Maki's first time keeping watch over full-moon-forced-werewolf Nico, so a prologue of sorts came to mind when I thought about something Nozomi might predict with a Tower card draw. Also, I enjoy writing Nico and Nozomi interactions, especially when it involves Nozomi's signature teasing style of playing wingman to NicoMaki.

Prior Prompts Used: Thunderbolt Vintage Dream Time Memory Roommates Moon

[rockislandadultreads]

Read-Alike Friday: Bitch by Lucy Cooke

Bitch by Lucy Cooke

Studying zoology made Lucy Cooke feel like a sad freak. Not because she loved spiders or would root around in animal feces: all her friends shared the same curious kinks. The problem was her sex. Being female meant she was, by nature, a loser.

Since Charles Darwin, evolutionary biologists have been convinced that the males of the animal kingdom are the interesting ones - dominating and promiscuous, while females are dull, passive, and devoted.

In Bitch, Cooke tells a new story. Whether investigating same-sex female albatross couples that raise chicks, murderous mother meerkats, or the titanic battle of the sexes waged by ducks, Cooke shows us a new evolutionary biology, one where females can be as dynamic as any male. This isn‘t your grandfather’s evolutionary biology. It’s more inclusive, truer to life, and, simply, more fun.

Eve by Cat Bohannon

How did the female body drive 200 million years of human evolution

Why do women live longer than men?

Why are women more likely to get Alzheimer’s?

Why do girls score better at every academic subject than boys until puberty, when suddenly their scores plummet?

Is sexism useful for evolution?

And why, seriously why, do women have to sweat through our sheets every night when we hit menopause?

These questions are producing some truly exciting science – and in Eve, with boundless curiosity and sharp wit, Cat Bohannon covers the past 200 million years to explain the specific science behind the development of the female sex: “We need a kind of user's manual for the female mammal. A no-nonsense, hard-hitting, seriously researched (but readable) account of what we are. How female bodies evolved, how they work, what it really means to biologically be a woman. Something that would rewrite the story of womanhood. This book is that story. We have to put the female body in the picture. If we don't, it's not just feminism that's compromised. Modern medicine, neurobiology, paleoanthropology, even evolutionary biology all take a hit when we ignore the fact that half of us have breasts. So it's time we talk about breasts. Breasts, and blood, and fat, and vaginas, and wombs—all of it. How they came to be and how we live with them now, no matter how weird or hilarious the truth is.”

Eve is not only a sweeping revision of human history, it’s an urgent and necessary corrective for a world that has focused primarily on the male body for far too long. Picking up where Sapiens left off, Eve will completely change what you think you know about evolution and why Homo sapiens has become such a successful and dominant species.

The Exceptions by Kate Zernike

In 1963, a female student was attending a lecture given by Nobel Prize winner James Watson, then tenured at Harvard. At nineteen, she was struggling to define her future. She had given herself just ten years to fulfill her professional ambitions before starting the family she was expected to have. For women at that time, a future on the usual path of academic science was unimaginable—but during that lecture, young Nancy Hopkins fell in love with the promise of genetics. Confidently believing science to be a pure meritocracy, she embarked on a career.

In 1999, Hopkins, now a noted molecular geneticist and cancer researcher at MIT, divorced and childless, found herself underpaid and denied the credit and resources given to men of lesser rank. Galvanized by the flagrant favoritism, Hopkins led a group of sixteen women on the faculty in a campaign that prompted MIT to make the historic admission that it had long discriminated against its female scientists. The sixteen women were a formidable group: their work has advanced our understanding of everything from cancer to geology, from fossil fuels to the inner workings of the human brain. And their work to highlight what they called “21st-century discrimination”—a subtle, stubborn, often unconscious bias—set off a national reckoning with the pervasive sexism in science.

Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny

In the summer of 1938, botanists Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter set off down the Colorado River, accompanied by an ambitious expedition leader and three amateur boatmen. With its churning rapids, sheer cliffs, and boat-shattering boulders, the Colorado was famed as the most dangerous river in the world. But for Clover and Jotter, it held a tantalizing appeal: no one had surveyed the Grand Canyon’s plants, and they were determined to be the first.

Through the vibrant letters and diaries of the two women, science journalist Melissa L. Sevigny traces their forty-three-day journey, during which they ran rapids, chased a runaway boat, and turned their harshest critic into an ally. Their story is a spellbinding adventure of two women who risked their lives to make an unprecedented botanical survey of a little-known corner of the American West at a time when human influences had begun to change it forever.

[whoisinterestedbythis]

France Gall Part 2 :

We are in the 70s, France Gall is no longer a little girl but a woman struggling in her career !

Her destiny will make her meet a pianist-singer-composer who will change her life : Michel Berger !!

Love at first sight will be intimate and professional, Berger writes a Tv musical for her (in which she will play the main role) then marries her a month later. From this union two children were born, Pauline and Raphaël .

From 1977 to 1988 the duo became iconic and released hit after hit :

In 1979 without knowing it France Gall and Michel Berger will revolutionize the world of French musicals , by creating "Starmania" a rock opera whose songs will become timeless, even internationally ! For example "sos d'un terrien en detresse " covered by Dimash / Gregory Lemarchal comes from here ! Just like" Only The Very Best " by Peter Kingsbery " The world is stone " by Cindy Lauper and " Ziggy " by Celine Dion ...

(Curious about this show ? follow the link below )

In 1992, Michel Berger died of a heart attack, the following year she was diagnosed with breast cancer , but it was the death of her daughter (of cystic fibrosis ) in 1997 that made her stop her career.

Her last musical project will be in the shadow of the creation of a show in tribute to her deceased husband

She died on 2018, at the age of 70, from a recurrence of her cancer

Path to my Masterlist :

[someotherdog]

character: gideon open: f/nb plot: gideon is a new novelist that has gotten a lot of praise for his debut book and now is lacking inspiration for a follow up; growing up, he was a bit (and still is) self-involved and didn’t treat your muse, who had a very obvious crush on him, very well in high school until their senior year when he apologized and they became a bit closer, only to drift apart during college. now he’s come back to their hometown for a visit, just when your muse is about to get married, and gideon is feeling a bit nostalgic. the only requirement is no victoria pedretti fcs, as that’s his sister’s canonical fc, and nothing t*boo. this post was made using beta editor, please do not reblog it in legacy as i no longer have access to it!

you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. it’s that stupid counting crows song in his head, repeating over and over as he looked at her. that phrase is entirely applicable to gideon, always had been, but he never really had been aware of it until he saw that ring on her finger. they had lived on the same street for most of his life, and really he barely noticed her. (actually, he thought she was annoying, always following him around like a little puppy and wanting to talk to him.) gideon and his friends weren’t nice to her, not exactly bullying but definitely not respecting, until he grew up a little and felt bad for all the times he called her desperate behind her back. only a few months left in their high school careers, gideon apologized for his bad behavior, and she surprisingly accepted. in fact, they actually became friends.

their paths diverged after high school, as they both expected, but nearly a decade later and gideon now has an actual published novel under his belt. her life had changed, too. he knew from facebook and a call from his mother that his former neighbor was getting married. he didn’t feel what he was feeling now after that call, after seeing that facebook status, but now at her engagement party, there was a little jolt in his heart. the sort of feeling that he might describe as fomo, or something. perhaps it could even be called jealousy. with the neck of his beer bottle gripped between his fingers, sitting on the concrete front steps, he didn’t notice the woman on his mind was lowering down next to him until her ring-clad hand landed on his shoulder. giving her a quick sidelong glance, he smiled wistfully. before he can think better of it, his eyes find her betrothed and he blithely questioned: “do you ever wish that it was me?”