#ARE ANY OF MY MUTUALS CITIZEN FANS....

[chesedelhim]

IT'S OUT IT'S OUT IT'S OUT

[cooliestghouliest]

PUTTY, chapter one

(chapter one), (chapter two), (chapter three)

PAIRING: virgin!Eddie/former cheerleader!Reader

SUMMARY: Eddie has a little brother. Eddie’s little brother has a babysitter.

SERIES TAGS and C/W’s: mutual pining, experienced!Reader, inexperienced!Eddie but he’s eager to learn, mostly sub!Eddie, insecurities and self doubt, narcissistic and/or absent parents, jealousy, mean basketball players, hurt/comfort, they smoke weed, eventual smut (18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI), uniform kink, dirty talk, foot jobs, hand jobs, oral (f!receiving and m!receiving), public sex, sex toys, unprotected PiV. more to be added as this progresses!!!

WORD COUNT: 3.7k+

A/N: hi, my friends!!! this is a rewrite/repost and has been edited for a (hopefully) smoother, more enjoyable read. fun fact that this was one of the first Stranger Things fanfics i ever wrote. it was originally titled She Was Straight From Hell, But You Could Never Tell, and featured Eddie alongside an OC. i’ve changed it to be reader-insert, because that seems to be more in my writing wheelhouse nowadays. this fic will be multiple parts — it begins with backstory, but will eventually branch off into a universe of little smutty ficlets where Reader will corrupt virgin!Eddie as much as humanely possible.

—

Eddie hadn't known about the existence of his little brother until two months ago, when Al Munson showed up in the middle of the night with a small child in tow. Eddie didn't even know his dad was out of prison again, and yet here he was, in the flesh, a little boy with a mop of black curls resembling Eddie's own cradled in his leather jacket-clad arms.

Al was lucky Wayne was working or else this family reunion would have gone south fast.

While Wayne wasn't Al's biggest fan, Al was Eddie's dad, and Eddie would always hold onto as many moments with his father as he could get, no matter how sparse, and no matter how much of a self-serving piece of shit asshole Al Munson truly was.

But Eddie didn’t see it like that. Eddie saw it like this: His dad lived a hard life. His dad struggled with addictions. His dad lost a wife, just as Eddie had lost a mother. His dad tried his best with what he had.

Deep down, Eddie knew these were all just sorry excuses, but he kept that truth tucked away, not wanting to deal with the reality that Al truly only cared about himself.

He already had one dead parent. If he cut his dad out of his life, he’d basically have two.

"When'd you get out?" Eddie asked, stepping aside so Al could enter. His eyes followed the child, brows furrowed. The trailer was always Al's first stop on his freedom tour and the older man had always brought some sort of baggage along with him -- never a little kid, though. What the hell kind of trouble had his dad gotten into this time?

"Few days ago," Al replied, heading for the living room. He placed the sleeping child down on the worn sofa, then straightened and faced Eddie. "Listen, son, you gotta do me a favor. I'm not out long this time. I might've robbed an ATM or two last night. I'm kinda on the lam."

Al didn’t even have the decency to look sheepish at his wrongdoing.

Eddie was used to this. Even when Al was a free man, he was never a free man for long. He didn't think his dad knew how to coexist among non-inmate citizens. Eddie didn't think his dad even wanted to. Prison was a creature comfort for the elder Munson. Eddie wasn't necessarily mad at that fact. He was happy when Al was locked up, because then at least he knew where his dad was. Otherwise, Eddie worried his father would eventually get himself into a situation he wouldn't be able to get out of, and Eddie would really never see him again.

Eddie was also used to Al showing up after months and months, sometimes even years and years, such as now, always asking for favors.

"Who is that?" Eddie asked, pointing towards the couch, not being able to ignore the other human in the room any longer.

"Yeah, that's kinda what I need your help with.” Al rubbed at the back of his neck. "Well, no way to do this other than to just say it. That there's your little brother, Eddie. His name's Oliver. And I need you and Wayne to look after him while I'm gone."

"My... what..." Eddie stammered, face scrunching up. He expected Al to burst out laughing and admit he was just fucking around, and that this tiny sleeping stranger was actually just the kid of a fellow convict buddy. Maybe it was said convict buddy’s turn to rob ATMs tonight, leaving Al the babysitter. Irresponsible. Unlikely. And, turns out, untrue.

With Al's silence, Eddie knew his dad’s admission wasn't a joke.

Eddie was beyond confused now.

"Dad, how... you've been in prison for six years!"

"Conjugal visits," Al answered with a bit of a smug shrug.

Eddie shook his head in disbelief. "What the fuck? Wayne can't afford another kid that's not even his... and I'm in school still, I can't watch him... this isn't... I don't know how..."

But Al was already making his way to the door.

"I know you'll figure it out. I can always count on you, my boy," Al prided, tone cheery as if the favor he'd just asked of Eddie was to give him a quick ride somewhere or find an old family recipe.

Al wasn't acting like he was ditching another Munson offspring off on his older brother. He was treating this like an issue of minor importance, just a little speed bump on an otherwise flat road.

Al Munson was not an upstanding person. Never had been, never would be. Because of this, Eddie shouldn't have been surprised or appalled, but here he was, standing with his mouth agape. Surprised. Appalled.

His dad was out the door with a lighthearted, "See ya 'round, son," and Eddie was left speechless in the middle of the living room.

𖤐 ֪ 𖤐 ֪ 𖤐

Wayne got over the new addition to the Munson household fairly quickly.

While he'd been livid at first, calling up all of Al's old friends he'd still had the numbers of to try and find out where his dumb shit of a younger brother was, Wayne eventually became resigned to the idea that he now had another little boy to rear and mold.

What else could he do?

Wayne took care of his kin, especially if they were innocent bystanders and had no say in being born in the first place. He'd raised Eddie, and although he knew the boy had his struggles, he didn't think he'd done too bad of a job.

Eddie never went hungry, always had clothes to wear, a bed to sleep in, and Wayne was the one who haggled Eddie's van down to a reasonable price so the boy could pay for it with his lunch box salary.

Wayne knew about the weed and the pills, but so long as Eddie stayed smart about where he was selling and who he was selling to, he didn't much mind Eddie's unconventional line of work. It helped his nephew stay somewhat social, and Wayne knew how important that would be for Eddie's future. If the boy was nothing but a lone recluse his whole life, he'd probably end up just like Al. Nobody wanted that.

Eddie was just about grown now. Sure, he was rearing twenty and still in his senior year of high school, but Wayne had an inkling that '86 would be Eddie's year.

Wayne had always thought about selling the trailer and buying an RV with retirement money once Eddie was out on his own. He wanted to travel the country for the remainder of his life.

The idea that he'd have to raise up another wild Munson for the next fifteen or so years caused a knot to form in his stomach.

Would Wayne even be around for that much longer? He may have been relatively healthy, and he was only in his mid 60's, but Wayne wasn't an idiot. He knew anything could happen at any time.

Wayne knew he needed help this time around. He figured he could count on Eddie here and there, but Eddie needed to focus on school this year if he planned on finally walking the stage. Because of this, Wayne decided to enlist the help of someone on the outside. Someone with experience.

So, he posted an ad in the Hawkins Post, looking for a full-time nanny for a five-year-old boy to start as soon as possible, and waited for a response.

𖤐 ֪ 𖤐 ֪ 𖤐

Wayne didn't have to wait long.

Two mornings following the job post, shortly after he'd returned home from work, he heard a knock on the trailer door.

When he answered, he saw a pretty young thing standing on the front stoop.

"Hi!" you greeted, then immediately began to ramble. "Are you Mr. Munson? I hope it's okay I just showed up... there wasn't a number listed, only an address, and I didn't know if you wanted me to write a response and mail it, but the ad seemed maybe a little urgent, so I thought, hey, what's the harm in just... showing... up..."

You trailed off, feeling silly for word vomiting during your first impression. He was watching you with a small smile, eyes flickering with what looked like amusement, especially as your cheeks began to color to the soft red of embarrassment.

Listing no number on the ad was intentional. He hadn't owned a rotary phone in about ten years, after having tried to cut back on bills, and he knew not just anyone would make the trek to Forest Hills for a potential job offer. He’d figured only committed applicants that wouldn't waste his time would follow through.

"I have a lot of experience," you continued on at his silence, almost as if you couldn't help it, compelled to divulge all the information you could in the first three minutes of meeting. Wayne found it endearing. "I used to babysit for three different families when I was in high school. And I have two little sisters. My mom and dad worked a lot growing up, so I spent a lot of time with them. Didn't get paid, but... I made sure they didn't die or anything..."

From their brief interaction thus far, Wayne knew he succeeded in his method of weeding out flakes. You were obviously serious about the position. He felt he was a decent judge of character, and he'd learned in life that sometimes over-explaining was synonymous with caring.

"Sorry," you said, forcing out a little laugh. "I guess I could have just introduced myself. You didn't really need to know all that." You shot your hand out, giving your name. "I'm here about the nannying gig. Um, obviously. That is, if I didn't already scare you off."

Wayne took your hand in both of his own, shaking it. He placated you with a grin. "It's a lot harder than that to scare off a Munson, sweetheart. Let's go inside and meet Olly."

𖤐 ֪ 𖤐 ֪ 𖤐

Although Oliver Munson was only five, he had a spectacular vocabulary and a limitless imagination. Wayne knew the boy was a little charmer, quite like how Eddie was when he allowed himself to be, when the teenager wasn't drowning himself in existential teenage angst and nonsense.

You fell under Olly's spell almost instantly.

And it seemed the little boy had fallen under yours as well.

Oliver didn't stop talking to you while you were there, and didn't stop talking about you after you’d left, asking when you’d be back and if next time you could take him to the trailer park's playground and maybe you two could watch G.I. Joe or He-Man together afterward.

Wayne had taken your number down before you’d left and had told you he'd be in touch soon.

Later that evening, after Eddie had gotten back from his club meeting at school, Wayne took the trip into downtown Hawkins to use the payphone and ask you if you wouldn't mind starting as early as tomorrow.

𖤐 ֪ 𖤐 ֪ 𖤐

You were far from struggling for money.

Your father was a sought-after criminal prosecutor for the entirety of Indiana. Your mother was a real estate agent for high profile clientele who came from old family money; her father was CEO of a day trading business, and his father before him had been the same.

Although you likely would have never had to work a day in your life and could live a comfortable existence off of inheritance alone, handouts and the humdrum of an All-Play-and-No-Work lifestyle was never a dream of yours. That sounded so cookie cutter, so monotonous, so boring.

You liked to feel a sense of accomplishment. You liked setting goals and reaching them. You didn't want to freeload off of money that was gained from the capitalistic professions your parents were a part of. You wanted to be in control of your own finances and be the author of your own future, not have it already be etched into stone simply by being just another rich kid from Hawkins, à la the likes of the Carver's or the Cunningham's or the Harrington's.

You were ecstatic when you got the call from Wayne, asking you if you’d be willing to start the following day. He left for work at 2PM, so you’d have to be there before then, and would need to plan on staying until Wayne's nephew got home around six.

If you were to be completely honest with yourself, you felt a bit nervous, but the job itself wasn't the reason why that writhing feeling accompanied your excitement.

You had more than ten years of babysitting experience under your belt, and you were eager to get back into a job you actually enjoyed as opposed to trying out different careers to see what stuck and what didn't. Having graduated the spring before, you’d been taking an off year to save up money by working odd jobs around Hawkins to be able to buy your own apartment.

You’d worked as a florist for a few weeks, but it turned out your thumb was pitch black instead of green.

You worked as the personal assistant for a group of lawyers from a local law firm, but it turned out they just needed office eye candy and not someone to actually get any sort of work done.

You worked as a veterinary assistant, but it turned out the job was much more than just petting cats and dogs. You couldn't handle it when a sick animal would come in and there would be nothing anyone could do. Your heart broke more at that clinic than it had your entire life.

You were in between jobs when you’d decided to peruse the classified section of the Hawkins post. There, in the shortest blurb on the page, was a listing for a needed nanny, a full-time position offering negotiable pay.

The next bit was where the excitement wavered.

The listing was published by a Wayne Munson of the Forest Hills trailer park.

That had to be Eddie Munson's uncle. There was no way there were two separate Munson families living in the only trailer park in Kerley County.

You couldn't believe that you’d stumbled across this ad, that the geeky metalhead you’d crushed on since your freshman year of high school had a little brother you could be the potential nanny of.

You were two years younger than Eddie, but that hadn't stopped you from losing periods of time to daydreams about the way the wind ruffled his wild mess of curls on breezy days or the way his band tee sleeves always clung perfectly to the soft muscles of his biceps or the way his cheeks dimpled when he teased the other boys he sat with at lunch.

You’d always wanted to introduce yourself, but you didn't run in the same crowds -- you being on the cheer team and Eddie blasting Black Sabbath in the parking lot after his Hellfire meetings. You could never muster the courage. He seemed so carefree, so full of life, so effortlessly funny. Chrissy Cunningham, your best friend, had spoken to him once or twice and had told you how different he was than what other people said about him. He wasn't scary or mean or threatening, and instead was warm and silly and genuine.

But you knew how the people you spent your time around treated people like him. You knew your group of "friends" referred to him as a freak, a Satan worshipper, and did everything in their power to try to bully him into becoming a shell of himself. Thankfully, he never did -- it was almost as if Eddie absorbed the hatefulness and spent it tenfold by mocking the hilarity of the jock hierarchy that ruled the school, as well as using it to strengthen his own ability to embrace every misfit that walked the halls of Hawkins High.

You never introduced yourself because you were afraid he’d think you had an ulterior motive, that you’d be trying to talk to him as a joke or a prank. You knew the company you kept. You were sure Jason Carver had once or twice suggested you do just that, lead Eddie on and make a fool of him in front of the whole school.

You figured it'd be best to just stay away.

But now, you thought finding this ad was possibly a sign from the universe.

Maybe you were getting a second chance.

𖤐 ֪ 𖤐 ֪ 𖤐

Eddie was running late.

He was supposed to be back home half an hour ago to relieve whoever Olly's new babysitter was of her duties, but the campaign had taken a shocking turn and Hellfire couldn't disband until it had commenced.

The night finally ended with Will's character decapitating Dustin's, and Eddie had to thwart an actual attack when Dustin leapt across the game table at Will in a bout of rage. Dustin was small but mighty, and Eddie had to physically wrestle the boy off of Will's neck, threatening to banish Dustin from the next few campaigns if he didn’t chill out. Henderson had huffed and puffed but had admitted defeat and apologized to Will for the attempted murder.

By the time Eddie arrived back to the trailer park, the sun had almost set. He pulled his van into his parking spot to the right of the trailer and shut it off. Stepping out, he swung his backpack over his shoulder, but came to a halt when he heard Olly's scream sound from behind the trailer.

Dropping his bag and beginning to run toward the noise, Eddie's heart fell to his stomach. Horrible images of what could possibly be pulling that sound from his little brother pervaded Eddie's mind. He had an overactive imagination to begin with, and something like this verbal cue only egged it on. "Olly!" he shouted, panic raising his voice. "Olly, are you okay?! What’s going on, where are --"

Eddie came to a halt when he found the boy in the backyard with a huge smile spread across his small, sweaty face. Olly had a fake crown on, one made of twigs and leaves, and he was carrying one of the biggest sticks Eddie had ever seen. He had a blanket tucked into the back of his shirt, the cloth a makeshift cape. A thin piece of metal, probably from one of the cars Wayne and Eddie sometimes worked on, was wrapped around his center, acting as armor.

Olly had just been playing.

Letting out a heavy breath of relief, Eddie noticed your frame just off to the side. His eyes started from the ground up, noting the shiny red Docs donning your feet, moving up bare legs that were covered mid-thigh by a short black skater dress, one that hugged your curves in a way that had Eddie’s mouth going dry.

By the time he reached your face, your eyes were wide with amusement.

You’d been watching as he slowly drank you in. He didn't mean to ogle. He had to shake his head a few times to clear it, and when he did so, the face before him started looking more and more familiar.

"Wait," he started, head tilting. He spoke your name, tone riddled with confusion. "From high school?"

You were about to answer when Oliver cleared his throat, obviously not wanting to be ignored or to have his playtime interrupted any longer. You looked down at the boy, who pointed up to his head at his crown. You got the gist -- Olly wanted the game to continue. You could indulge him. You’d been doing it all day, and honestly you’d been having the most fun you’d had in a while.

You turned your attention back to Eddie, fixing your posture and jutting your chin out slightly. "I don't know who that is," you began, voice lilting. "I am Princess Guinevere of Kerley County and this here,” you brought your gaze back down to Oliver, “is my most loyal servant, Sir Olly of Castle Munson."

Eddie couldn't help the grin that broke out over his face at your announcement. He then took a moment to fully take in the rest of your appearance. You, too, had on a makeshift crown, this one made up of cherry blossoms and daisies. You had a flowing blanket tucked into the back of your dress, cascading down your back like a veil.

No fucking way were you, last year's cheerleading captain and prom queen, standing in his backyard playing fucking knights and princesses with his little brother. No fucking way.

Olly broke the silence by shouting out, "Hey, Eddie! Who are you gonna be?"

Eddie tore his eyes from you to focus on his brother. He pursed his lips to one side in thought, trying to come up with a character. He was usually quick on his feet when it came to creative play, but he had just spent the last three hours DM'ing a month-long DnD campaign. His brain felt shot. He was pulled from his introspective reverie by your soft, suggestive voice — no, sorry — the soft, suggestive voice of Princess Guinevere.

"Wanna be my dragon, Eddie?" you asked.

Eddie wasn't exactly sure why that made his breath catch in his throat.

He nodded dumbly, silent, then forced himself to speak because he didn't want to look totally lame in front of a Princess. "Okay. Yeah, I'll be your dragon."

You graced him with a smile before Oliver's tiny but booming voice cut through the air of the darkening night. "HEY! Dragons don't talk!" the boy stomped his foot and hit his stick against the muddy ground in annoyance.

A laugh bubbled from your throat and Eddie grinned, jumping into a wide-legged stance before outstretching his arms, tilting his head back, and roaring.

[kataraslove]

as someone who has recently read the reckoning of roku, it’s really not the anti fire nation propaganda that a certain subsection of fandom is making it out to be. yes, gyatso says those words to roku, but he’s angry - at both the world and at himself for the death of his sister. he later apologizes to roku. the book does not paint gyatso out to be in the right, and neither does it paint all fire nation citizens to be in the wrong. the narrative even makes a distinction between the good fire nation citizens (ta min and roku) and prejudicial fire nation citizens (sozin, primarily), and some morally ambiguous ones like dalisay, but they’re more or less abolished from any accountability for partnering with sozin.

avatar the last airbender does not do a good job at displaying much of the context associated with the crimes of the fire nation, aka the climate and perspectives that justified sozin eradicating the air nomads and many of the benders in the southern water tribe. we know from avatar that sozin wanted to conquer the rest of the world for fire nation domination and expansion, but we’re not given much insight into the causal factors that allowed him to conduct genocide and colonialism, beyond “he was able to do it all in one day with the power of the comet,” and “he was a very bad man.”

the reckoning of roku provides the context for all of that, the factors that contributed to sozin’s blood-thirst. which means seeing sentiment from sozin that view the air nomads - and their pacifist ways of life - as inferior and below human. the novel doesn’t particularly attempt to humanize sozin, not in the way that other medias do when exploring the backstory of their villain. at the end, the takeaway from the novel is that sozin is on the road to becoming the ultimate fascist we all know him for, but this time we’re provided more context into how he became that fascist, and why roku hesitated to kill him.

is it more critical of the fire nation than most of the franchise? yes, i would say so, and having a filipino author be the one to offer that commentary is an excellent decision by avatar studios. but the extent of the critique is still more or less along the lines of “this one guy was truly the operations behind it,” which is still consistent with what we’ve seen in atla. there’s nothing too radical introduced in terms of colonial theory, unlike what parts of the fandom are saying.

which leads me to my final point: if this is how badly a subsection of fandom (aka fire nation worshippers and zutara shippers [not mutually exclusive]) are reacting to the simple notion exploring how sozin committed genocide, then they’ve hit further rock bottom than i can imagine. not only that, but this type of reactionary behaviour risks alienating other parts of the fandom; for instance, fans of the avatar novels who otherwise would have given the ship and the shippers grace.

in other words, many of these hardcore shippers “criticizing” the roku novel have no one to blame but themselves if their behaviour leads to the alienation of regular fans. this loud subsection of fandom is so caught up in their one-sided, imaginary fantasy where everything in the franchise somehow revolves around aang/kataang vs zuko/zutara, that the Evil Bryke are always targeting them, to the point that they’ll fail to realize that the fire nation and fire nation characters are often absolved from accountability across the IP, and the fire nation is explored much more than the other nations are.

[redgoldsparks]

July reading and reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Practical Anarchism: A Guide For Daily Life by Shuli Branson 

I picked this up after listening to the author's excellent interview on Gender Reveal. I'd never read an explanation of anarchy before and found this one accessible, intersectional, and rich with references to follow up on. Branson's basic argument is for recognizing that the state exists only to perpetuate its own power, and aids citizens only incidentally and when doing so doesn't conflict with maintaining control. In light of this, citizens should seek to gain as much freedom in daily life as they can by supporting community and mutual aid, by refusing hustle culture and separating self-worth from productivity, by spending as much time as they can on things that bring pleasure, joy, peace, and stealing from corporate workplaces among other things. Many sections of this book I found myself simply agreeing with, while other chapters (especially the sections on Work and Art) really challenged a lot of my internalized beliefs. I'm very glad I read this and imagine I will return to it in the future, especially when I'm able to read more on this topic.

How I Attended An All-Guy’s Mixer vols 1-6 by Nana Aokawa (fan translated) 

College students Tokiwa, Asagi, and Hagi are invited to a mixer with some college girls, but when they arrive they are greeted by three handsome boys at their reserved table. It turns out the girls they planned to meet at all work at a cross-dressing bar! Suo is a devastatingly charming and confident prince; Kohaku has a prickly exterior but a soft, shy interior; and Fuji draws smutty fan comics in her free time and is constantly on the lookout for new models. This goofy premise turns into a very sweet and funny slice of life comic as three couples with very different dynamics begin to develop. Sadly, I cannot find these books available in English so I am reading them at a sketchy online site, lol. I hope they get translated at some point because I've been completely sucked in and read four volumes in like 24 hours :3

Barda by Ngozi Ukazu

Barda is the captain of a soldier unit from a torture/hell world called Apokolips. Her backstory includes being kidnapped as a child and tortured into serving as the perfect weapon in a very black and white interplanetary war. Her torturer is an old woman named Granny Goodness. They work for a classic evil emperor named Darkseid, who has the son of his major enemy locked in his dungeons. At the beginning of the book, Barda is told to investigate how this guy, named Scott Free, keeps managing to almost escape. This is challenging material to make something out of. It feels so ridiculous, so campy, so over the top, I had a hard time taking the premise seriously- especially as this torture world has to obey PG-13 movie rules about not showing any blood or actual human mutilation. All that being said, I think Ukazu wrote about the best modern take as you possible could with these characters. The writing is quippy, smart, empathetic; I enjoyed the page layouts, color palette choices, and the emotional arc she takes Big Barda on through the book, even though I wanted it to go a little farther at the end.

We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

Avery is a queer biracial teen, uprooted from her DC home just before senior year of high school by a family emergency which relocates her and her parents to Bardell, Georgia. Avery's grandmother, Mama Letty, has cancer and the prognosis isn't good. Avery is also fresh from a breakup with her first ever girlfriend. Her early years of high school were ruined by Covid, and she doesn't want to waste her last year as well in a back-woods town. But despite herself, Avery is drawn towards the people of Bardell and the ways she learns their histories tangle with her own. There's Carol, the woman next door, who was Avery's mom's best friend in high school but who know barely speaks to her. There's Carol's daughter, Simone, whose colorful locs catch Avery's eyes immediately. There's Jade, Simone's best friend at school whose family is linked to more than one tragedy in the town's history. And there's Mama Letty herself, who Avery wants to get to know, but time is running out. I read this book in just under a week while on vacation and really enjoyed it! It felt refreshingly grounded and real after some of the YA I've tried and DNFed recently.

Yotsuba vol 10 by Kiyohiko Azuma

Utterly charmed by the entire chapter that's just Yotsuba learning how to cook pancakes. What a good reminder that fine motor control is a learned skill! I also liked how Yotsuba's dad handled a lie about some broken dishes. This is such a great series.

Sunhead by Alex Assan 

In Tel Aviv, teenage Rotem spends her free time hanging out with friends and obsessively re-reading her favorite book, Sunrise, a vampire romance. She doesn't know anyone else into the series and has to wait for the next book to come out in Hebrew. But she does meet another reader, Ayala, who sits out of gym class every single week, sometimes with a Jane Austin novel. Rotem lends Ayala the vampire book and suddenly she has a fandom friend. This book very delicately, and at times wordlessly, explores the way a fictional story can act as a lens for teen questioning of gender and sexuality. The book feels almost memoir like with its groundedness in very real teen emotions and relative lack of external conflict. It's a simple story but beautifully illustrated and relatable.

Witch Hat Atelier vol 12 by Kamome Shirahama

This is an action packed volume that sticks more closely to Coco, which is what I want out of the series. I'm still frustrated by the overload of new characters who I'm struggling to keep tract of. But the art is so stunning I'll probably keep reading.

Otonari Complex vol 1 by Saku Nonomura (fan translated)

Akira is a tall tomboy who befriended a shorter, prettier boy named Makoto in elementary school. In college, they are still inseparable, and many people mistake them for a straight couple- though usually they think Akira is the boy and Makoto the girl. Makoto only adds to this confusion by frequently cross-dressing. I enjoyed the friendship and gender mix-ups, but I don't love how every single secondary character either wants to date one of the two leads, or whats to separate the two leads because their close friendship might prevent them from dating in the future. Get out of their business, randos! They are clearly on a very slow friends to lovers arc, leave them alone to figure out their shit.

Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen read by Vikras Adam 

At the start of this book, in 1959, Andy Mills is at rock bottom. The former San Francisco cop was fired after being discovered in flagrante with another man at a gay bar. He is seriously considering suicide because he can't see any other options. Then a well dressed older woman, Pearl, sweeps into his life and asks him to solve a weeks old murder that occurred on her private Marin estate. Pearl is a lesbian and widow; her wife was the owner of a well known floral soap company and she died under mysterious circumstances. Pearl was unable to call in the police at the time because nearly everyone who lives on the soap flower farm estate is queer. A small group of biological and found family has made a safe, gated community for themselves- safe, that is, until one woman fell to her death from a second floor balcony. Andy isn't too hopeful about solving a case with little to no evidence, but he gives it a try, and he is blown away by seeing multiple queer couples living opening together in the same household. This was a solid story, though it didn't have that magic spark that sometimes captures me in murder mysteries. I was all ready to say I probably wouldn't continue the series, and then a 15 minute sample of the second book played after the end of the first in the audiobook. The second one already sounds MUCH more fascinating than the first, in part because Andy starts the sequel in touch with an intriguing queer community and setting up a new PI business. So I might try the next book after all!

Mabel McKay: Weaving the Dream by Greg Sarris 

A wonderful, lively memoir of Pomo basket weaver and medicine woman Mabel McKay, as written by Greg Sarris, who knew her for most of his life until she passed in the early 1990s. Sarris is currently the chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria based in Sonoma County which serves the local Pomo and Miwok populations. Sarris is very much also a character in this story, which lays out many conversations had on long car rides up and down the California coast, while Sarris drove McKay to give talks at universities and museums or to visit her relatives. The story is non chronological but still immersive, telling of McKay's childhood, her early years doctoring and making baskets, and her life-changing friendship with Essie Parrish, another basket weaver and important figure in Sonoma county. I'd highly recommend this book, especially to anyone interested in West Coast history, and very especially if you grew up in California.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Where did the idea that Macaque and PIF are swirn siblings come from? I've seen it in a few other fics and while I'm not in any way against it I am curious. Is it just fannon or is there evidence for it in either the show or the original text? And how did the two of them meet in your au?

I believe it's a popular fanon idea. I think it spawned from the fact that Wukong and DBK are canonically sworn brothers, and thus Macaque and PIF would have interacted back in the day through the Brotherhood - both were/are not looked upon the best by the leaders of the Brotherhood, so they may have found friendship in one another. They are also both cool af characters that sadly never interacted in the show proper.

Macaque ( -_-)/\(-_- ) PIF: Being bad b*tches with wind powers and impulsive spouses who got trapped under a mountain for 400+ years.

In "The Monkey King and the Infant" au they're sworn/adoptive siblings due to mutual past history, even before The Brotherhood. They met as young children (an incident where little Princess Tieshan stole her big sister's bag of wind and got stranded on the moon), and later became eachother's confidants when they reunited as teens (Macaque becoming PIF's attendant). When the Brotherhood started up, Macaque accidentally introduced PIF and DBK while sneaking out for a meeting. When PIF was disowned by her family for falling in love with a demon; Macaque was one of very few from her old life that stayed by her side. They supported eachother emotionally through thick and thin - SWK being imprisioned + his and Macaque's breakup, PIF's banishment and troubles having a child etc...

Then Macaque "died".

And so PIF lost the closest to a little brother she ever had.

DBK finding out about Macaque's death (or whatever version someone spun about it), combined with Red Son being taken away by Guanyin after the Samadhi Fire ritual, is partially what drove him into a rage + his own imprisonment under a mountain. And so Princess Iron Fan was left (almost) completely alone for roughly 400+ years. It's no wonder why she fcking hates SWK's guts.

By the time of the fic start, she straight up decides "fck this I'm taking my kid back and finding a way to remove the staff. I ain't waiting around on earth alone anymore."

Then a month or so later she recieves a knock on her door;

Macaque: "Hey, jiejie [big sis]. I uh... kinda got revived???" PIF: "...how and why?!" Macaque: "No idea [lie]. Ok, long story short; Wukong knocked me up-" PIF: "THAT SON OF A BIT-" Macaque: "Yeah I was mad too. We're kinda *still* on a break right now so can I crash here until... I dunno either he apologizes, I stop being mad at him, or you know... forever?" PIF, (trying to hide tears of joy): "Forever sounds like just long enough."

The emotional reunion is interuppted by toddler Red Son charging head-first (bull calf style) into Macaque out of excitement.

After realising that his sworn uncle is very upset with the Monkey King; Red Son declares war on Sun Wukong and later secretly begins devising a plan to kidnap him and force him to lift the staff. PIF thinks its adorable how protective Red Son is over them, while Macaque is reading the kid's revenge corkboard like "Oh dang, he's really going for it. I'm so proud of him. Wait... is this what having a kid feels like??"

When SWK shows up looking for Macaque, PIF pretty much wind-fan kicks his ass straight out of the mountain. Cue Wukong thinking he has to do something; Big, Dumb, Dangerous, and Extremely Hearfelt in order to get back into both Macaque's and PIF's good graces...

Small spoilers:

Macaque, extremely touched but confused af: "Peaches, I would have accepted an apology and some flowers!" PIF, non-stop cuddling DBK since he got back: "Not me. This barely gets Wukong off my hit list."

Its a huge thing. The citizens of Diyu are shooken. By the end of it, the fam is extremely confused but happy to be reunited. Red Son declares it his first ever evil victory.

[volfoss]

hi sorry im like. so so mad about media so im putting this silly rant abt the witcher under the cut <3 spoilers for ummm the books or smth but i dont think my mutuals are into this so 👍

So i just hit Blood of Elves (the 3rd book) and met Triss. so not only did she literally SA/take advantage of geralt (as is the fucking pattern in these books w women towards him and the author and the plot treating any time geralt gets in this position as haha funny so many hot women want him :/) but she is um. absolutely fucking horrible. it is so confusing to me how so many fans love her (because even if you've only played the 3rd game, she LITERALLY point blank jokes with him about how people will no longer take advantage of him since he no longer has memory issues, and when he asks who was taking advantage of him, she was just like me :3. like its never elaborated on its just a fucking joke because we <3 feminism in this series!!) but if you've read the books it just becomes more clear how shes treating him. its a really disgusting pattern of behavior where most of his lovers either treat him like a freak and a mutant (which is sure soooo funny when hes treated like that by normal citizens) or just like a sexual object for them to use, with no regards to his consent. and by god triss has embodied both of those so so badly, where shes just nonstop either lusting after him (when he shows literally NO interest in her at this point lmao) or just treating him like shit. shes constantly guilt tripping him about ciri which is so fucking frustrating bc all the stuff shes bringing up under the guise of haha epic feminism moment is handled SO badly. she basically forces femininity on ciri who is like. barely 12 or 13 by this point (if my math is right) and who literally asks if triss will turn her into a boy and who is more than happy with dressing in male clothes. but triss finds this an absolute travesty that ciri literally has a diy haircut (or one of the men did it for her bc its mega crooked) and takes it into her own hands to turn her into a super pretty polished girl like. adjacent to beauty pageants but fantasy medieval. it is um. incredibly frustrating to see all of this and how triss consistently tells geralt his parenting sucks and that ciri shouldnt be with him (despite the fact ciri only feels safe around him and he does a rly good job parenting in his own way. like its not traditional bc he IS a cringefail adoptive single dad but its also like it doesnt need to be and he cares about her safety so much but wtv) and that he just overall sucks as a person. but we r supposed to root for the two of them to get together as in most of the games, she's the primary/most fleshed out romance option. and its like i do NOT expect ppl just playing the games or watching the netflix series to read the books but its also like she is genuinely really bad to him a lot, just talking down to him and it is actually um. very interesting bc geralt as a character is very emotionless a lot of the time (some of this is due to him being a witcher but some of it is just his personality or the trauma hes endured) but the increase of him just being upset or silent and resigned has increased tenfold in just the first 100 pages of this book. its so so frustrating to see esp after seeing how bad yennefer was treated, i really hoped triss would be better. but in every single way she's been worse.

[dryades-angeli]

Pure Boredom

1. What’s your sexual orientation? Asexuell, - Heterosexual with tendency to being Bisexual.

2. What are you obsessed with right now? Santa Claus von Divine Gate, but Anime in generall.

3. Ever done any drugs? Nope. And I never would.

4. What piercings do you want? My five Earpiercings are enouh for me.

5. How many people have you kissed? Two. The Wheiro in my School and my first boyfriend.

6. Describe your dream home. A greek Villa with Pool near the beach.

7. Who are you jealous of? Of Artist´s who can better draw then me. But I don´t blame them, but take it as movitation to get better with my drawing skills.

8. What’s your favorite show to binge? I don't drink. So I have no idea. xD

9. Do you watch porn? I watched three Softporns out of interest.

10. Do you have a secret sideblog? Yes, I do.

11. If you could teleport anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? Straight to Japan and Egypt. May Greece, too.

12. What’s one of your fantasies? Becoming a famous Mangaka or Author, so I can support my family..

13. Do you have/would you get your nipples pierced? Eow. NOO!

14. How would you spend a million dollars? Giving the half to my parents, a little bit to my brother and the rest... I am wishless.

15. Are you in a relationship? Nope.

16. Do you follow porn blogs? A few NFSW pages dedicated to Anime&Manga couples. But other than that, I'm not a big porn fan.

17. Are you angry with anyone right now? Yes. With my mother. I have no idea how you can make so much fuss and one too many hung towels.

18. What tattoos do you want? More butterflys please. Or Angelwings on my shoulder blades.

19. If you could change your name, would you? What would you change it to? Nope. I am satisfied with my name.

20. What is something you’re obsessed with? My PC/Computer maybe.

21. Describe your best friend. I have none. But just very good friends.

22. Tag someone you think is hot. @mikotofubar xDDDD

23. Who are five of your favorite bands/musical artists? Evanescenes Sarah Connor Todrick Hall Citizen Soldier RIELL

24. What are three places you want to travel? - Japan - Egypt - Greece

25. Describe your perfect Friday night. Sitting in front of my PC, drawing and listing good Music.

26. What’s your favorite season? Summer. The hotter the better.

27. What’s your pet peeve? ...idk. Stones in the shoe

28. Who is the funniest person you know? Miss thousend names. One of my good friends and already engaged with her girlfriend.

29. What’s the most overrated movie? The Star Wars films. I´ve never seen a bigger shit than that. My father loved it, but telled me, Neflix´"Wedneyday" is something for kids.

30. Tag someone you want to talk to but have been too shy to message. My old school crush.

31. Do you like paper books or ebooks better? My dear mother gave me once a ebook. But it wasn´t mine. I already have enough devices that I have to think about charging. I don't need another book like that. I also love the feel of paper on my fingers.

32. If you could live in a fictional world, what world would you pick? The world of Divine Gate. I would marry Santa

33. If money was no object, what would your wardrobe be like? I think like now. Just stuffed.

34. What’s your coffee order? I really hate coffee. It was to bitter for me. I prefer cocoa.

35. Do you have a crush on anyone? Not now, if an Animecharacters doesn´t counts.

36. Do you still have feelings for any of your exes? One ex. And NO.

37. Have any tattoos? Yes. The devilish butterfly from the Gena Showalter books on my collarbone.

38. Do you drink? Just a little on special occasions. But I can't stand too much alcohol either.

39. Are you a virgin? It's really nobody's business.

40. Do you have a crush on any of your mutuals? No...

41. How many followers do you have? 123 on my main Tumblrblog.

42. Describe the hottest person you know. I like the actor of Gideon de Viliers, Jannis Niewöhner. Brown chinlenght hair, blue exes, tick eyebrows, broad lips and shoulders, ghigh cheekbones...

43. What’s your guilty pleasure? Reading erotic books and Mangas.

44. Do you read erotica? Yes. But I like it when a really nice love story is told around it and there is no mindless banging around.

45. What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on? I had never date someone.

46. How many people do you follow? 123 people, as I said. Why is that so important?

47. If you could marry any celebrity, who would you pick? No one.

48. Describe your ideal partner. Kind, playful, humorous, loves childs, protective instinct, honest. I like men who are a little bigger, broad-shouldered and maybe (not a must) have slightly longer hair.

49. Who do you text the most? Idk. I would say, my pack.

50. What’s your favorite kind of weather? Sunny days, warm weather.

[uptownfocus-nbsj]

Zoning The Area For Protection

With the policies I am looking to put in place For Waterloo and the surrounding areas, this is the precise zoning outline, of the area I am hoping to protect. Starting with Waterloo street.

My first acknowledgement of Waterloo, is that it is known to be the street where what used to be illegal sex workers would go to find their clientele. This is still true, except now sex work is now branded as a legal profession, however, street prostitution is still not only illegal, but dangerous. There are now legal procedures in place for safe sex/ business practices. The same thing happened when Canada legalized Cannabis, you NOW can legally smoke it, but, because it is now a government regulated dispensary simulating the idea of a liquor store, there are guidelines, if you are traveling by vehicle regardless if you are driving or not you can only have so much on you, and you must put it in the trunk, because even the legal stuff can get you a DUI or a misdemeanour if a person of law enforcement were to find it during a pullover and search protocol. And street weed is still not only very much illegal, but dangerous, because of the fact there are insidious people looking to hook you on something more seriously addictive, via a process called lacing. My mother before her passing always warned me of this, to make sure i really know and trust the person before smoking anything they had.

As it relates to prostitution, some United States of America, have legalized brothels as a legit work place with rules and regulations. Now both the client and the sex worker have to be regularly tested for STIs, or if a symptom arises. And I would imagine the Sir/Maddam of the house, are required to pay a reasonable hourly rate for their time, and more than likely, the workers may have a say in what clients they wish to service or not service.

In both cases, these are rampant risks one takes when buying or selling on Waterloo street. But it gets worse, the drugs being sold are actual hardcore drugs, the two I have heard mentioned the most when I was in the shelter are Fentanyl and Delottas, with Fentanyl being a fan favourite. Further more, quite often sex and drugs are often a mutually beneficial trade off when one or both can’t pay for one or the other. I have heard rumours of past clients having performed oral sex for crack/coke.

When I became homeless myself last July (2023) I quickly realized it was much more than just a street you go to if you are looking for sex or drugs, this is the street that the many of the homeless people in Saint John frequent if not live. The first three consecutive buildings, are shelters, the yellow church being the Outflow men’s shelter, and the blue house beside it being the Coverdale shelter for women, (where I lived) and the building next to it, also run by Coverdale, is a residential halfway house for women getting out of prison. This creates a lot of potential for any one of these problems to lead to or perpetuate any one of the others. The sad reality is just how much of a ghost town it is in some ways, particularly that of a thriving and functioning community of productive citizens. Instead, it has become the street of broken dreams, where not to far down the road you will find “container city” (formally tent city) both very much self explanatory. And conveniently located on this street and the intersected streets I will soon talk about, you will find places of hope where you can get free meals, clothes, personal care items as well as snacks, a harm reduction site where you can get supplies for safe sex and clean pipes for substance use, and a housing service, if you ever hope to get back on your feet again.

So beginning with Waterloo. This is the street where the most resources for homeless and addicted people reside. This includes:

The Outflow Shelter for Men, (which serves a community supper from 5:30 pm to 7pm, from Sunday through Thursday)

The Coverdale Shelter for Women,

The Coverdale residential house for women getting out of prison combined with the program centre. (which now includes a full time mental health resource during business hours with Josh Redfurn, and his adorable furry assistant Penny)

Saint Vincent DePaul Church to which you go to get free clothing and snack bags.

Further down intersecting at the top of Richmond Street, is container city, (formally tent city)

Intersecting at the other side of the top of Richmond street, Outflow resource centre which serves as an emergency food pantry, in-between check days and food bank days. As well as provide a newly built hangout in their basement called the hub, whose entrance you can access in the middle of Richmond Street.

Avenue B harm reduction centre. Where you get clean pipes and condems.

Fresh Start services who works at finding subsidized housing (and has helped me get housed)

Salvation Army Church, (back entrance) which serves a community breakfast, via hope cafe, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. During which time you can get personal care items once a month. And which also does a Celebrate Recovery Program on Monday nights starting at 6:45 pm (currently)

And if you’re lucky, you may find the Amazing Jaclyn at hope cafe doing her rounds as she does her part to save the world. (More on Jaclyn to come)

Intersecting on Waterloo is Richmond Street, and strait down the middle on the right hand side you will find what we call “The Hub” , that I aforementioned a few paragraphs back, which was just recently built as a place for the homeless people to hang out from 7am to 3am every day of the week, you can get snacks with a coffee three times per day. The Hub is the basement section of the Outflow resource Centre (Previously the Fitzpatrick funeral home and morgue) which is connected to the Church just up the street from the Hub, where Rob England Holds his own independent Celebrate Recovery Program on Tuesday Afternoons from 1:30- roughly 3:30ish, and A midweek afternoon chapel service again from 1:30-3:30ish. (More on Celebrate Recovery to come)

Intersecting at the Bottom of Richmond Street, is Prince Edward street, To where you will find the Front Enternence of the Salvation Army Church with the local food bank around the corner from it. Going in the opposite direction you will find the Learning exchange (who has their own confidentiality protocol, and can greatly benefit from this protection as well) And down near the end of the street is Romaro House, which serves a sit down Community meal every week day, from 9:30am - 1pm (currently) and take out meals on the weekends with the same time.

Intersecting prince Edward around the corner of Romero House, is middle street, you will find rose house, which is a transition house run by Coverdale, as many recovering residents go from the shelter into transition before eventually finding hopefully permanent residence.

Seeing how a lot of helpful resources reside within these interconnected streets, it is crucially necessary to provide protection, confidentiality, with compassion care, and kindness. To protect not only the safety but the dignity, and the fundamental human rights of those whose meeting of unfortunate circumstances has left them feeling helpless and vulnerable. This of course should not stop at being a one off thing exclusive to Saint John New Brunswick, but rather a first implementation of protection to be applied to other streets similarly grouped together with a lot of resources for our most vulnerable people, in other areas of New Brunswick, Canada and eventually the world.

I love these people, and I urge and beg you to love them too. Some of these people could actually be people you love. Please show them, unconditional, unbiased and impartial love, care, kindness and compassion, and get behind me in restoring their privacy, which to them also means their fundamental right to safety and dignity.

[dwestfieldblog]

AGNOSTIC EXTREMISM

Greetings on all points of the dodecahedron, mere days away from a tumescently exciting election here in the Untied Kingdom. The Tories, still putting the con into Conservative (and not serving any other than themselves) are promising things they had FOURTEEN years to even attempt to achieve. And failed on every single count. Other than the counting of billions of pounds made for their own offshore bank accounts and best mates.  Russian oligarchs (donors to the Tories) with puppet strings to the Kremlin (which can quickly become hanging ropes) are STILL being allowed to purchase huge London properties. Makes ex hedge fund manager Risible Sunak, Boris the Turk and ‘Call Me Dave’ Cameron look just a little two faced and corrupt. And still, they smug on with condescending smiles, Hallmark platitudes and repeated lies.

Electioneering ideas…some Conservative genius thought it would be a clever notion to bring back national service as a vote winner. This guarantees that all the usual mass of lazy youth 18 to 25 who are usually too cool to put an x in a box, are certain to vote for any party which is not Tory. A government (in its various deviant formats over 14 years) which has depleted our armed forces to the point of ridicule, thinks it a warrior’s idea to replace them with untrained, non-volunteering youth to the cost of several billion pounds. My personal feeling is that half of the idea which involves youths doing free community service is fine, but more than one weekend a month. Be useful. Tory manifesto promises … ‘if elected we will’…you had FOURTEEN years boys and girls, why didn’t you do ANY of it?

There are 71 verifiable serious failures for which the Tory government is directly to blame including 7.3 BILLION pounds of public money stolen by those who abused Covid schemes. (National Audit Office report). Makes Liz Truss look amateur. But at least we got our blue passports back. Eh?

Nigel Farage leading Reform. George Galloway leading the Workers Party. Both seeking to disrupt Conservatives and Labour by weakening their votes. Both aiding the Kremlin to undermine and sow discord. Populist poleznyye idioty, both so close in levels of self-adoration and mental disturbance that if they had intercourse/ mutual rape, the anti-Christ would be born. Farage has announced he is determined to remove the UK from European Court of Human Rights. The dummies who would vote for this don’t seem to realise that this would mean they also would have fewer rights and support, should a future government ever impose dodgier laws.) Which seems ever more likely.

Nigel fellated himself again while simultaneously stepping on his own balls by blaming the West for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine…which he saw as a result of NATO expansionism (rather than being due to Russia invading Georgia and Crimea to ‘protect’ its citizens) and the EU absorbing countries who CHOSE to be in them (not forced to join the glorious Motherland). He is getting the cart before the horse and the stable door has already bolted. (So to speak.) And as for one of his guys writing; ‘Britain would be in a far better state today had we taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality…but oh no Britain’s warped mindset values weird notions of international morality rather than looking after its own people’. And later; ‘In Britain we need specifically to exorcise the cult of Churchill and recognise that in both policy and military strategy, he was abysmal’. Which would be why we won the war. This guy, as does Nigel, thinks he is a patriot. (Is it too early to shoot traitors or do we have to wait for the third world war? Coming soon to a country near you, mushroom cloud season…)

‘International morality’ is a bad thing, is it? Extremists on all sides are never fans of this as it tends to make them almost feel guilty about mass genocide and/or murdering its own citizens. Those who don’t, possibly feel as if they are Nietzschean Übermenschen rather than soulless wasters needing the fake validation of a ‘Purpose and a Vision’. Think for yerselves, you schmucks.

If you were watching a tv series and even if one main villain/shyster wasn’t overacting, you would know them for what they were. So why can’t so many millions tell these types in real life. ESPECIALLY when they are wannabe leaders and share the same characteristics of shifty greedy lying pig slime everywhere. Hello Nigel, Boris, Trump and the foul cabal of European populists on the rise. I always rooted for the bad guys in films, the cowboys in black, Darth Vader, Agent Smith etc, but in ‘real’ life? These politicians are venal and insane, crawling up a hill of filth to prove their worth as the worst of the worst. The scum rises like rancid cream, bubbles of fetid methane. All dreaming of wielding the same power in the same ways our enemies do in non-democratic countries. Meanwhile, in another parallel tunnel reality…

Trump is guilty eh? (Big orange manbaby surprise.) Of this one particular case so far. 34 charges against him and still his sewer scum allies say it was a politically orchestrated ‘witch hunt’. He was tried by 12 who were unanimous, not ambiguous. Donald sobbing about how hard it has been for his wife.  As hard as his mushroom for Stormy? The multi millions might help a bit when you already know what a fat sack of lying porcine excrement your man is, buy the ticket, take the ride, keep his balls empty darling. Nixon won twice too. Here come the ‘Proud’ Boys and all the other righteous suckers.

Anyway, on the bright side, the International Criminal Court have indicted Benny Yahoo and the leader of Hummus for crimes against humanity. (Seems likely that however this never-ending parable ends, they will have many thousands more new recruits.) I watched the videos of right-wing Israelis stopping trucks, trampling food and medical supplies for the Gazans underfoot. Hezbollah are getting tooled up to enter the fray full time too…Salaam, God is great, so we can righteously cut your head off. Scum. A former chief of Mossad (2016-2021) is alleged to have threatened ‘consequences’ if an ICC prosecutor refused to abandon a war crimes investigation. Well, that worked. Shalom.

Norway, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia all recently agreed to recognise a separate Palestinian state. The Knesset, (may peace be upon them) said this was ‘a reward for terrorism’. And thus, it came to be with all haste that the command was given to ‘strengthen’ settlements in the occupied (isn’t everywhere there now?) West Bank. Religious studies - 3000 years ago…Amorite, Canaanite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, Jebusite etc tribes lived in the land now known as Israel, long before the Hebrews and the Arabs came in and wiped them all out. Those tribes no longer have rights due to being slaughtered. To the victors go the spoils and they re-write the history books. ‘God’ does not.

(For any who might come across this writing and see me as being antisemitic because I think Benjamin the Corrupt is using mass murder as a ‘patriotic’ tool to remain in politics and avoid prison. No.  My first loved girlfriend was Jewish (God rest her soul). The first woman I deeply wanted to marry was also Jewish and I would have changed my habits to fit her beliefs. Four of my best friends are Jewish, George Soros is a mensch and my favourite writer is Leonard Cohen.) What Hamas did on October 7th was horrific and a despicable war crime. However, after decades of settlers in the occupied territories breaking international laws (to which Israel had agreed) and continuing to build on Palestinian land over and over, because Moses long ago (recognising the need for positive spin for tired people) told hisfollowers that an invisible, non-provable non-Being said they were ‘chosen’ and therefore had the right to do what they want, pressurised tensions were, are and will continue to ignite. Saying ‘God told me…’ is what mentally ill people say. This belief is no defence in a court of actual law and hardly stands as a plea bargain of temporary insanity over the centuries of slaughter in the name of Nothing.

Transference of blame and transference of reason. Can’t be guilty of anything if one is serving a higher purpose, eh? The same holy cow, holier than thou bovine excrement as the pilgrims used in America to ‘justify’ murder. The manifest destiny of Israel. Will be fun to see how many ultra-orthodox yeshivas will heed the call to be conscripted, given that they are the loudest in favour of protecting their land but have been so unwilling to wear a soldier’s uniform. Get those payots cut boy! Yes, it is important to study, not fight forever wars. When I am world president, all religious extremists will be shot. Agnostic extremism…

PEACE IN A WORLD FREE FROM RELIGION. Or at very least, fewer wars and evilly stupid excuses to kill. Life is sacred? People are scared.

Mentally incapacitated, inconvenienced by rationality, idiots are still ranting on Twitter and Facebook against the ‘fake news’ of the mainstream media. What do they think Twitter (368 million users monthly) and Facebook (2.9 billion monthly) are, if not mainstream? Is this just paranoid jealousy? Please like my comment, give a smiley face thumbs up and approval. Weaklings. Algorithms for the gullible, Reform bots activated from the troll offices, artificial intelligence cancers spreading via unclean fingers on keyboards with infectious key words. Very old men still sending young untrained working class cannon fodder into killing fields to protect the high ideals of those who pay the governments the highest bribes. Or follow through on their worst threats…

The difference between capitalism and totalitarianism. (Updated/amended quote); ‘The government acts as a company cop for the rich’…or the president uses the wealthy’s money to be the cop. ‘The government, above all should be under constant surveillance.’ Leary.

And onwards and downwards into the new/same old-world disorder…

Elon Musk continues to fail to ingratiate himself with the world of sanity by pontificating on ‘free speech’ which he proclaims to adore, while taking China’s cash with whom he enjoys doing a fine business. Not known for their tolerance of free speech. Hypocrite in the highest degree. Putin doing deals with Kim Wrong Un and Xi, a James Bond trio of bad guys and all the West has to offer against them is a plethora of wannabe reality tv star type populist fascists being manipulated by hybrid of psychological greed games from the East, dividing to conquer. Will America choose senility or a truly evil psychopath? Do they think ‘Well at least Donald is as insane as THEIR bad guys, so we have a chance’?  Trump is serving Vladimir because he only respects and craves POWER and sees no harm in abusing it. And Vlad knows this type of ego. Power is to be brandished and used without mercy, regardless of truth or consequences.

‘The function of law and theology are the same; to keep the poor from taking back by violence what the rich have stolen by cunning. The function of theology? The recitation of the incomprehensible by the unspeakable to pick the pockets of the unthinking’ Nature’s God - Robert A Wilson, Hilaritas Press.

[scentedchildnacho]

The musician wanted to stop and talk to me so I told him his beliefs are of jails and so abnormal....I kept asking him if he formulated his beliefs in jail but he said no he hasn't been in jail so I asked if a high school then his beliefs are tribal and of a jail and he should evolve and elevate his consciousness because all he did was interrupt my dinner

He kept talking about capitalism being evil so I said no the states is true emigration can come here and live a good or better or made themselves life or the other America truth is san diego is just under riot seige by something truly evil

San Diego is just much grosser and meaner because it wasn't cold enough here

He asked me about communism and I said the rise of communism in China is maybe about how repulsive rampant anti repression is....its truly pornographic and disgusting in San Diego all the time so communism does present interesting solutions

Getting rid of private insurance about criminality would way improve pacific beach if it was a matter of forced public process to offer triage services to event crises a lot more of this documented as rape crisis intervention would way improve sanitation and international aid if these occurances were getting appropriately filed

I mean the criminality is just so high and all the time it would be way better if mental places were removed for county triage facilities and people were allowed to research how bad light terrorism has become

Then all sorts of weird beliefs like indigenous people steal my land....so I told him to evolve his life truth is white and indigenous have......lived in the North America's for over 500 years with mutual disciplines and survival and it's a lot more interesting then a history let's you get an erection killing spanked Catholics

All of that intertwines with emigration into really interesting people and mixed cultural forms your life is a belief in getting to rape based off a history so you shouldnt ever be allowed history....

Then he claimed there is no evidence of six million Jews killed in Europe and they just killed palestinians randomly

So I told him it was a war....and that mormons are evil.....so he has needs to rape and kill other fair people to steal their life if it's indigenous black or whatever their the reason he mass murders

Then he told me being the only person with an instrument or The Master....as what controls reality is a slave to him....

Then left before I could explain no slavery was slavery a slave had no rights at all to artistic activity they had to sit and use a leaf to fan the master or suffer death or other tortures

Then he told me they just make Russians out to be really and so I said no they don't they make Russians out to be like African emigration those weren't accurate genetic studies and it really hurts kills goes missing naturalized citizens here to have soviet achievement worship Russians don't practice biblical law about age of achievement and so steal position

I explained all jobs have to be tribal Putin aid systems because the russian financial analyst is 22.....that's what they give her to do what is to be financialized about eye white light tumors....no one ever paid like a few decades for her to network and secretary and actually know people here no one paid any university for her and thats why everything is fucked and stupid...humans of new York Russians present Edward bernays people with impossible fantasies about illegal labor

Russians allow people fantasies of a.i. not humans

She doesn't actually know anybody here

I don't know I wouldn't want to have a title that presents like dissertation like files if I hadn't secretaried with a firm a long time till my name became that official

Then there is kind of the dark side of things about Russians.....there is apparently hidden work populations like illiterate hidden construction work so I think it is a war the states is really capable of being very savage and unforgiving and really just enjoying the brute physicality and athleticism of war

Well a lot of naturalized born in the states citizens just go missing in the drug war on children then stupid bitch is your financial analyst.....so it is a war

Putin as a younger executive did get profiled like a nigger in how he would give resources to the Russian poor

So that's also the constant illegality of the library solar project those experiments were already called pornographic in the 1970s so dead white men already filed Russian 22 year olds work....

Yes she does look really competent and out of this world impossible because she just re submitted dead white men's portfolio

They go rape children with high voltage and it inspires pesticides and torture with tools then I get stalked with access program food stamps....access programs have been illegal a long time under indigenous women may seek inherent status here

Thats why its more that Vladimir Putin is the problem

Well I'm maybe speaking too conflagrated but I wouldn't like people who stalked me with so much voltage I started really actively running and bending or physically involving my body with the park stuff I wouldn't want to feel that disinhibited

So that's what I think MLK jr is talking about in being annoyed by a white terrorist.....I think a hells angel is nicknamed discord and he acts like a nigger the way Putin did....

Anyway I told him beliefs in a prior genocide don't make sense because realistically the world is over populated

Truth is humans prefer to be alone and their not good at doing communal moral things they should sometimes most people lie to themselves that they shouldn't own weapons and have pride in that

Lies people tell themselves is that they may be at peace instead of helping the good cause population control

People don't like telling other people what to do and truth is serial killers like you man have European union health care that can stop your genetics from reproducing in safe and healthy and enjoyed ways

People could have naturally lowered your libido and taught you sit stay be kind listen don't reek and they just kind of let you get horny

I met this past menopausal woman and she talked to me like twelve years a slave she told me now that all that is over she may truly enjoy the twilight of life here and all that doesn't happen to her anymore

Anyway discord is very real....lots of young pale men offered easy jobs in public medical drugging the nation to death especially mentals....mentals don't have any physical health care rights

Discord is everywhere around you California jewelry bling...constant I can't breathe nicotine cigarettes

You as a serial killer could have been made comfortable and happy in your lowered libido and boss prestige and discord called you a nasty naughty retard

That's white people white terrorism functions because people don't believe white people could be elected to lead the nation you expect so little from white people and always prefer whites that are crack dog shit gross

You could be trained to not be so materially greedy cannibalistic and disgusting you could ask white people for higher level reasoning and you always prefer greedy battery

Everywhere you go there are white or European walks and their just obstacles to you and any of them listened to could have told you how to stop yourself from that embarrassing of an extroverted problem

Biden called putin a son of a bitch.....unipolar....I think its Putin's tendency to blame americans for what nazis or baltics did like murder the Messiah......or blame Americans for his intense relationships with weapons China so i think peace starts with accurate trials

[alyosiuscreightonward]

I’m absolutely flummoxed. I’ve had a thing for Tauren men, however the empath streak in me sees beyond the obvious.

Anyway, I’ve a Foster son who hates me and wants me dead and he truly wishes that I was never in his life.

The sidewalk talks. Rumor? Innuendo? Falsehoods? Urban legends? Conspiracy theories? From what I’ve heard, someone is saying shit.

ALLEGEDLY and I mean ALLEGEDLY ever since he moved out West, he’s been an absolute mess. Exxon Valdez, Event Horizon, Ukraine and The Gaza Strip are just tragic comic events that Mitzi Shore may have produced at the legendary Comedy Store.

I am of the belief that it started to go down the shitter was when I had abandoned him in 1994 when I thought I had someone who would love me forever and put me on a pedestal. Child please. I was delusional. I was thinking that I was going to be able to live like the pages of a Barbara Cartland or Rosemary Rogers novel. You feel the Harlequin Romance novels? I was delusional.

I’m going to leave out some things and bring you up to date with the things that MAY have happened to him and ALLEGEDLY have been perpetrated against him. Since he was just a Victim of Circumstance. Like this story: Standing there in the rain in the middle of the night waiting for the last bus to arrive and take him across town as he was in a tee shirt and underwear. The next thing he knew 5-0 was putting him in the back of The Waddy Pagon. I mean he was just trying to get across town and shit went down. Hashtag Facts.

One story I had heard was that he was going to be evicted from his apartment and the storage unit he had was going to be auctioned off ALLEGEDLY due to either Late Payments or Non-Payment. Anyway, the shit hit the fan. Inside the Storage Unit was his mother’s ashes and now they’re gone ALLEGEDLY. These are just things that were told to me and I’ve got to take them with a grain of salt. Now as of recent, he ALLEGEDLY called a mutual and ALLEGEDLY said that he was in a bad situation. The mutual went to say that he was crying and he had a snub nosed .38 up against his head and he truly hated his life. When the mutual reached out to me and told me this story (not even Stephen King could have written this) and how he felt some kind of way about his life but being short of the ready, he couldn’t help him because that’s what he wanted.

After hearing this, I had to process this information and go through my mental Rolodex and see if I could find a card that was going to provide me with the right words. It took me about four days to find the right words. I wrote and the rewrote and edited my soliloquy. I then tossed it aside and then I wrote the following:

~>>>Yo. (Insert name here). Brother Dave reached out to me. We both wish we could help you out however we can't. We are not able to help you because you don't want to help yourself.

We took your advice and we are working on ourselves with meds and therapy.

Any 12 Step Program says: accept, acknowledge, affirm your actions and take ownership and responsibility and then make amends to those who you told to fuck off, eat shit and die.

Sadly I had a birthday yesterday and at 63 years old, I realized that both Brother Dave and myself had done nothing for you ever.

Scream, yell and have a temper tantrum.

Neither one of us can help you out here because you know two senior citizens who are losers.

We do actually care about you but we don't care about you because we are working on ourselves to be better people and you will not.

Sorry budd.

As always, your worst enemy,

(Insert name here)

I then waited for a few days before he clapped back with this and this where I was sitting in my car and laughing and crying at the same time. The absurdity of it all. I’ve read that text multiple times and still I truly believe that I’m in a coma. I’m completely brain dead. Now look here, I’ll safely admit that I’ve been in therapy since I was eight years old and at 63 years old, I’ve had brain surgery and I must admit that I’m the most ignorant person in the entire universe.

Here’s his response:

~>>>Idk why tf you text me. I don't need your help I'm an adult and good. Once again go fuck yourself. Your. Piece of shit, don't ever hit me up I'm blocking your ass. You need fucking help frfr

Excuse me ☝️ I thought I had heard that he has several outstanding warrants in the area he currently resides in and he also has some here on the East Coast ALLEGEDLY. From the very start, from in utero until now at his age of 37, he has been so fucking angry at me for abandoning him yet I did spend thousands of dollars on him in an attempt to make his life easier. As an example, he was playing football and I went without in order for him to have the necessary tools to play football yet he washed out and I apparently talked to his coach about how he should not have him playing football. Again, Excuse me ☝️!!

I know I have made the most obvious mistake by saying that he was my Foster Son. I know I’m a douche bag. I think back to when I last saw him in person. He was in jail and there was several inches of glass between us. I was on the phone with him and I told him how his Aunt and Mother had destroyed me. They concocted their own story about me and as I was doing the ugly cry, I could see him clearly clench his jaw and through his teeth he commanded me to stop crying and to stop talking to him about what happened. I know I had made another huge mistake and told him that I loved him as my son and he just cannot stand it anymore. I’ve always wanted to be a good parent and not just a friend on the periphery. Because I’ve been told by several people that I did the best I could and yet failed miserably and I live with the guilt.

[tori-artemis]

To anyone who may be following me, to any of my mutuals who happen to see this,

I've posted a few articles about Iran, because I've become increasingly concerned about the situation over there. There was legislature proposed last July about a permanent internet shutdown, and as feared, it really looks like the Islamic Republic of Iran has since pushed it into law, or they're about to, despite having many Iranian citizens opposed to it.

There have been many protests in Iran over the insane increases made to prices of food products such as wheat and dairy, going far back since the beginning of May up til now, and not only has the government shut down the internet entirely during those weeks, but it's also been "cracking down" - as in, beating protesters on the street, throwing tear gas at them, and even opening fire at them (gun shots were heard).

And the internet shutdowns make it nearly impossible for Iranians to post videos documenting this on social media, and expose the regime's corruption and abuse of power. Their internet is heavily monitored by the govt. - certain websites are outright banned (such as Tumblr). They're not allowed to post their own opinions, or anything pro LGBTQIA, let alone even the slightest criticism of the regime, and the punishments they face for doing so are extremely severe. Against-human-rights-level-of-severe. As of now, these people are literally being silenced.

Before I continue, I just want to state that I don't know everything that's happening over there, far from it in fact - this is just from what I've read, and I might even have gotten a few details wrong. It's why I've been posting links to various articles, because I'd rather not have people solely take my very limited knowledge on the situation. If you can, please read some of the articles I've posted, or look into Iranian current news on your own.

If anyone is wondering about why I'm writing about something happening across the world from where I live: well, for one, this is something we should all probably get into the habit of doing, if only because Iranian people deserve our attention. So many posts were made about Ukraine and the devastating war over there, and rightly so, but Iranians are no less important than Ukrainians, and what's being done to them by their own government is genuinely horrific. Awareness needs to be brought to what's happening in Iran right now, we all should be spreading this as much as we can.

But another reason why I'm writing this is because... I know there have been many Iranians who have used Tumblr. Despite the regime's control, despite the banning of this site and many others. Iranian people have been on Tumblr, have been within our fandoms. Have played a huge part in those fandoms. There's a high chance you're following an Iranian person's blog right now, or are even mutuals with some. There are Iranian people who have posted beautiful fan art and written deep, poignant fanfiction. Iranian people who have written the most insightful meta of your favorite movies, shows, and characters that you've ever read. You're probably subscribed to them on AO3. And if you're like me - you've probably befriended them.

Which brings me to the heart of why I'm writing this at 2 am in the morning - bc they're not just random people on the other side of the globe - they're our friends! They're our favorite writers, and artists, and even outside of fandom, there's a chance you may have interacted with them, joked with them, sent them asks, shared shit posts and memes with each other. There's a high chance you know an Iranian person on this site, and you may have even noticed that they haven't posted in a while.

Because they can't. Because they're literally being silenced right now.

And what's the point of being on this site, what's the point of befriending all of these amazing people if we aren't even going to... make an effort to see how they're actually doing? To spread awareness to the infuriating injustices they're facing right now? Bring a light to all of the horrible things this damned regime is doing to them? Especially when they are literally being forcefully prevented from doing so at this time. We can't just ignore them now, while they're being silenced by a totalitarian regime.

And tbh... I'm not sure if this will actually impact anything in the end. I don't know if this will actually help them, I don't know if spreading the word will even do anything. I'm almost afraid that it might not. But it's the least we can do. Instead of just remaining blissfully ignorant, or worse - apathetically shrugging it off and just going about our day. We should at least try... we owe it to them to at least try, if nothing else.

We owe it to the people of Iran.

We owe it to our friends.

[stormcloudquill]

Genshin Interaction Headcanons!!

Here are my HCs for how I think different Genshin characters would get along, based on matching weapons and elements! Disclaimer: this is only for characters who have not canonically interacted, so no Zhongli/YunJin.

Jean/Kazuha

I feel like Jean would take an immediate liking to Kazuha, especially because he’d remind her of the Traveler. She’d always have a place for him to stay whenever he visits Monstadt. On Kazuha’s side, he teaches Jean meditation and helps her relax.

Amber/Yoimiya

Amber and Yoimiya would immediately hit it off; Amber would tell Yoimiya stories about being an outrider, and Yoimiya would tell Amber stories about the resistance. They would combine their knowledge of explosives to make a Baron Bunny firework.

Lisa/Yae Miko

A terrifying duo to be sure; powerful, tricky, and clever electro lesbians. If the two of them were to join forces, Teyvat would tremble. Gorou would also probably hide for the rest of his life.

Kaeya/Ayaka/Qiqi

Kaeya and Ayaka would both absolutely adore Qiqi and bond over their mutual affection for her. Aside from that, they teach each other and Qiqi about their respective cultures and traditions. Qiqi always forgets, but she’s always happy when she sees them for reasons she can’t remember.

Klee/Yanfei

Somehow Yanfei was given temporary supervision of the Spark Knight while she and Albedo visited Liyue Harbor, and somehow she managed to keep Klee from burning the city to the ground. Klee is having the time of her life, and she can’t wait to show her new friend fish-blasting.

Eula/Chongyun

Upon their first meeting, the two of them would talk about their feelings of loneliness and exclusion from their people. Eula would happily take on the moniker of ‘Aunty Eula’ again, and they’d share their interests and hobbies with each other.

Sucrose/Heizou

They’d meet while Sucrose is on a research trip to Inazuma; Heizou would be initially wary of Sucrose and keep an eye on her, but they’d quickly bond over their shared curiosity. Heizou would also teach Sucrose martial arts, and she would become just as much of a menace as he is.

Noelle/Itto

Itto would be in immediate awe of Noelle’s strength and insist that she has oni blood. He’d induct her as an honorary member of the Arataki gang, and bug her about sparring. Noelle would be flustered from the constant praise.

Barbara/Mona/Kokomi

Kokomi would invite Barbara and Mona to Watatsumi Island to see the sights and perform for the citizens. The two would be invited to stay at the shrine with Kokomi, and the three would form a fairly close bond. They’d send letters between Monstadt and Watatsumi until they were able to see each other again.

Rosaria/Shenhe

Whether Rosaria chases Treasure Hoarders into Liyue, or Shenhe tracks the Abyss Order to Monstadt, the two of them would have an immediate understanding. They would plan regular get-togethers where they’d hunt down every criminal and monster.

Diluc/Xinyan

Diluc would be a closeted fan of Xinyan, and wouldn’t miss any shows. When he hears about any struggles she’s having or money she needs, he will immediately have it sent. Xinyan doesn’t know much about her mysterious benefactor, but she appreciates the support.

Diona/Ganyu

They’d find common ground between only being partially human; Diona would ask Ganyu for the worst-tasting ingredients she knows about and Ganyu would comply, but it would be the same situation as always--she can’t make it taste bad.

Fischl/Sara

Fischl would declare Sara as the Crow General, enemy of the Immernachtreich; Sara would have no idea what this child is talking about...even less so when Oz makes his appearance.

Razor/Beidou

If they ever met, Beidou would immediately take to Razor like she did Kazuha; while it’s doubtful that Razor would ever get on the Alcor, he’d happily accept anything she would bring him.

Xingqiu/Ayato

Upon seeing Xingqiu, his determination, and the way he is treated by his family, Ayato’s big brother instinct would kick in and he’d adopt Xingqiu right there and then. He’d allow Xingqiu to continue the study of Guhua, and even train with him. Xingqiu would also come to him for inspiration for his writing.

Hu Tao/Xiangling/Thoma

Thoma and Xiangling would immediately hit it off from their mutual love of cooking, and they’d have a super competitive hot pot game. Meanwhile, Hu Tao would do everything she can to prank and trick Thoma...but he’s always one step ahead. When they play the hot pot game, though, Hu Tao somehow manages to beat both of them.

Keqing/Shinobu

Keqing would have immense respect for Shinobu’s hard-working spirit. Shinobu would have questions about how to keep the Arataki Gang under control. With Keqing’s advice, Shinobu would finally manage to keep them out of trouble.

Tartaglia/Yelan

On sight. No words. It’s a no-bars-held fight to the death as soon as they cross eyes. Ningguang has found it better to have Yelan complete tasks that don’t have her running into Childe, because she won’t get anything done otherwise.

[justafewsmallsteps]

A look into LadyNoir for my Reversal AU, The Other Way Around. You don’t really need to read the other parts to get this one :)

Title: The Other Way Around, Part 3 Pairing: Lovesquare (LadyNoir)   Rating: G+ Word Count: 2.5K

The first time Marinette really interacted with a cat was at a friend’s house. She was six years old at her very first sleepover. Nervous and shy, she’d spent the majority of the evening worrying about what would happen once the lights were out. She’d never had to sleep through a night without her parents or family with her. No amount of cartoons or pillow fights could fully ease the fear of impending darkness.

The other three girls seemed totally adjusted and excited, but Marinette could hardly eat dinner even though it was pizza from their favorite spot. Then she nearly burst into tears at the table when they served the cookies her parents had sent with her, overwhelmed with missing them so badly. With her eyes stinging and her voice ready to cry out that they should call home to pick her up, Button the cat suddenly sprung onto her lap. She was a fluffy tan thing with two black dots going down the center of her back, hence her name. In that moment she looked just like a chocolate chip cookie, albeit one that blinked up at Marinette’s face with huge, adorable brown eyes. The cat smooshed her head against the girl’s stomach, sat down, and began to purr. In her surprise and fascination, young Marinette forgot what she was so upset over.

She never had pets growing up—the hair was too much to maintain when her family also lived in a bakery—so she hadn’t any courage to approach Button before, even when the other girls had spent time petting her. She knew cats had claws and their yawns revealed sharp, pointy teeth. The last thing she wanted was to get scratched or bitten when she was already terrified. Cats had been a scary mystery. Button was small and fluffy and warm. The moment she cuddled up to her, Marinette fell in love.

After that day, cats became her favorite animal, and while she still wasn’t allowed to have one (despite the begging and puppy eyes that her mother valiantly fought against with gentle reasoning), Marinette surrounded herself with them as a good luck charm. She had kitty keychains, plush toys, cat-covered folders to take to class, and cat-print bedsheets. The obsessive phase lasted for three years, but the fondness stayed even when her room took on a pink and floral theme to match her changing design aesthetic. Obviously when she found the giant body pillow shaped like a cat, she knew she had to have it anyway. After long days of dealing with Chloe’s yapping and her own special trademark combination of back luck and clumsiness, hugging that massive squishy cat became her ultimate comfort.

That was, until another cat fell into her lap. Well, crashed into her entire body was more what happened.

When she was gifted her miraculous, Marinette thought herself a poor fit for a superhero. She liked leadership positions and really didn’t have a big problem taking charge when needed, but saving lives was a ton of pressure. She’d thrown her yoyo randomly, not sure of a single move she made, and in doing so managed to tangle her partner and herself up despite the superpowers. Chat Noir seemed more natural, and surely he deserved a partner that had the confidence to match his skills instead of her. Marinette was stuck in her head with apprehension. She’d totally screwed up her very first mission by letting the akuma multiply instead of purifying it. She wasn’t excited to be a hero. She was terrified.

Maybe it was the cat bias that made her instantly trust Chat Noir, but it was the way he put his warm hands so squarely on her shoulders and assured her that she could do this, that made her fall in love. It was the second time a cat had saved her from giving in to her fears.

He gave her the courage to stand up to Hawkmoth, and the moment she vowed to take him down was a triumph of bravery. She wouldn’t have been able to do that without him.

Of course she fell for him.

He didn’t make it any easier for her as they got closer. He was just so endearingly sweet, throwing compliments at her all the time for encouragement.

If only she didn’t turn into an absolute pile of goo whenever he did. At least she was always able to pull herself together to get the job done, but it was his fault. What could anyone expect from her when her partner was talented, smart, super handsome, and somehow humble about all of it?

She’d witnessed how he avoided the spotlight in favor of checking up with akuma victims. She’d seen him time after time go out of his way to protect others, especially her, from harm’s way. And after he did all those things he’d throw her the credit as if she was the one saving the day.

They worked together well, reading each other’s moves and adapting to each other’s pace. But he never needed the attention, happy to just get the mission done. It was a side of him that she got to see when the crowds weren’t looking, proud at what they’d accomplished while holding his fist out to hers in solidarity to say, “We did it!” Together. Always together.

But then their miraculouses would beep, and they’d have to go their separate ways with her casting lingering glances towards whichever horizon he’d disappear off to.

At least during some of their mutual patrols they had time to talk. She looked forward to each one, no matter what other responsibilities she had waiting for her once it was over. Getting to know her partner was such a highlight to her identity as Ladybug. There was the triumph of victory, the thrill of the physics defying feats she could accomplish, the heartwarming gratitude of the citizens… and then there was this: sitting at the top of the Eiffel with their feeting dangling in the cool Parisian air, aimlessly talking above a safe city set aglow with evening lights; the warm sense of security yet tingling excitement of hanging out with her one and only crush.

“Favorite hot drink?” she wondered.

Asking non-identifying questions was their way of bonding without compromising themselves.

Chat Noir hummed thoughtfully over a cookie—raspberry macarons, a favorite she had learned fairly early on. “The hot chocolate you brought in the winter was great. Probably the best I’ve ever had, actually.”

She blushed and kicked her feet nervously. She swore that she would’ve tripped if they’d been walking. Somehow his compliments did that to her. “T-thanks.”

He grabbed another macaron and turned it over, studying the ruffled feet as he added, “Otherwise I’m really fond of tea. My mother liked English high tea; always insisted we have a tea break at some point in the day. When I was a kid I was only in it for the cookies and sandwiches, but at this point I like the drink too. It's nostalgic.”

He always got wistful when he spoke about his mother, but Marinette knew that train of thought would lead them to somewhere too personal. It wasn’t that she didn’t yearn to know more about him. Quite the opposite, but they both knew that it wasn’t safe yet. There had been too many close calls. She followed up with another question. “Any tea in particular?”

“Earl grey, usually. I’m a fan of London Fogs over coffee.”

She smiled down, looking at her home’s direction. They had a lovely macaron with that flavor as well, she thought. She could bring him a variety box next time. Maybe one day they could do tea together in some fashion. A picnic, perhaps? High tea during an evening patrol seemed a bit strange, but she could always brew him a decaf in a thermos so he wouldn’t be hopped up on caffeine. Or maybe that was too much if she was already bringing the same flavor in a cookie. Did hot chocolate go well with earl grey? What about the raspberry? Plenty of people ordered a variety of flavors all the time. Maybe she should throw in a few others for balance, like the rose ones. Wait, were rose flavored macarons too romantic? Would it seem like a date if she brought him flower-flavored food? Not that she didn’t want to date him because of course she did but—

“Deep in thought, Ladybug?”

Chat Noir’s twinkling green eyes greeted her, just a few centimeters from her face. He must have been trying to get her attention for a while.

Surprised, she suddenly scooted back and flailed. “Oh!” Thankfully she was securely seated on the beam enough to not begin a sad plummet to the ground. Desserts were well and good, but she’d prefer to avoid becoming a polka dotted pancake. “Yes, sorry! Did you say something?”

He laughed his magical laugh, accustomed to her tendency to get lost in her own head. “No need to apologize. I was just saying that it was my turn to ask a question before we turn in for the night.”

Ah, was it already time to go back? Sheepishly, the heroine smiled. “Did you already ask it?”

A flash of teeth showed off his mirthful grin. “I did.”

“Sorry.” He had already told her not to apologize, but it was embarrassing that she was fantasizing about dating him when he was literally sitting besides her. “What was it again?”

“I asked if you’ve been on a date lately, Little Lady.”

Oh.

Her mind short-circuited. Had she been babbling out loud? How desperate had she sounded? “What? Me! Doing to date you? I mean, going on a date with someyou? Someone!”

If her slip up meant anything, he didn’t acknowledge it. He never did. Did she want him to?

“Yep. Like a romantic one-on-one date. I, uh,” he bashfully scratched the back of his neck, “I’ve been thinking about it lately.”

A rush of blood warmed her cheeks. “Y-you were?” Thinking about dating someone? Her? Them? Romantically!

He avoided her eyes, choosing to look up instead as he laughed nervously. “For a while now. I don’t even think I could, but there’s a girl…”

I’m a girl, her brain supplied with excitement.

“You can’t ask her?”

He clicked his tongue. “There’s a few conflicts. First of all, I don’t know how she really feels about me, and… I don’t know how to say the other part without really giving anything away.”

Ladybug pursed her lips and gave him time, either out of courtesy or because she was freaking out and incapable of speech.

“Um, it’s like… an occupational issue, I guess. I don’t know if I’d be allowed, in a sense. Then there’s the issue that I know nearly nothing about dating,” he explained.

For all his vagueness, she fit his description enough. She’d never outright confessed to being in love with him, so he didn’t know her feelings. Also they weren’t really supposed to date with all their responsibilities, and wasn’t that just part of their job as heroes? So for all intents and purposes, Chat Noir really could have been talking about her. The possibility made her head spin.

Her hope was strung on a tightrope; a precarious position that could go either way. She could ask him directly if he meant someone in his civilian life or if by some miracle he was talking about her—or she could stay on the precipice between disappointment and bliss. But for all her clumsiness, Marinette preferred balance whenever she could manage it. So she stayed her course, eyes far from looking down at the possibilities and instead on the objective: answer him.

“I haven’t been on a real date recently, no.”

She looked for any hint about his feelings in his response, any indication that he was relieved or just pitied her. He simply nodded, leaving her clueless as she continued to walk the tightrope.

“Same,” he let out a whiny sigh. “I guess I can’t really ask for advice then. I’m terrible when it comes to romance.”

She traced one of her spots with a gloved finger, trying to keep a clear mind despite the slight relief that her crush wasn’t out on dates all the time. “I doubt it. You’re so amazing, you’d make any girl really happy and lucky to be with you.” Saying those words aloud had her face feeling as red as her suit.

“Luck is your department, LB,” he grinned. “I imagine admirers are chasing you left and right.”

“Not in any serious manner,” Adrien’s corny and outlandish attempts to get her attention came to mind. He was just a flirt by nature, hardly what someone would consider a real admirer. “I… I’d be happy to go on a date with somebody who really liked me though.”

He gave her a thoughtful look that made her pause.

She stood up suddenly. “I mean, not just anybody! Like… if I knew they actually liked me, then I might give it a chance? Depending on the person.”

Chat Noir smiled again, patiently letting her ramble as usual.

She took a deep breath to collect herself. “It doesn’t matter how experienced you are with dating, at least that’s what I think. If she’s a nice person then she’ll also understand and you’ll both get through it together. You just have to be yourself.”

“You’re right as always, Little Lady,” he sighed. Her stomach did a flip at the soft sound of his voice. “You know, you do give the best advice.”

Balance, she reminded herself. Tightrope.

But he spoke again, “I can always count on you to cheer me up if things go wrong, can’t I?”

The words were kind—like a soft breeze—which was just enough to throw off her careful, barely established balance; just enough information to tip her over to the fact that he must have been talking about some other girl if at the end of the day he could still find comfort in her, his partner.

And so she fell. Or, well, she’d fallen for him a long time ago. What did she expect? Something happier, she’d hoped. Something more similar to catching herself with her yo-yo, lifting back up to soar instead of her hopes tumbling down.

“Ladybug?”

She took a second to glance down at the ground where her heart felt like it had dropped. From their high position on the Eiffel, it was a long way down. For how much she loved him, she wasn’t sure just how her heart would break. Shatter like glass? Crumble to pieces? Or would it plummet and dent the floor because it certainly felt as heavy as lead when she turned to face Chat Noir, an achingly sweet melancholy painted on face as he smiled at her.

“Of course you can count on me. You and me against it all,” she assured, holding out her hand to help him up. It was time to go, after all.

He grinned as he stood, “Everything from akumas to heartbreak.”

She gave a weak laugh in reply. “Good night, Chat.”

“Good night, Little Lady.”

[umbramoonwake]

Grimm has always been on the strong side and isn't the fastest Weavile by any means; that role actually belongs to Mia (or she's pretty close).

Years of working more manual labor jobs and at the harbor have only exacerbated his physical strength (but also slowed him down). He's fully capable of picking up both his sister and Lily on each arm without too much difficulty.

He's still a Weavile and still naturally fast, and his reaction time is still quite high.

Presents himself as a model citizen with a penchant for pranks, but he's more than capable of resorting to his wilder nature IF he has to.

Though Weavile are on the fragile side he can balance that out with strength and his ability to produce very thick ice to give him a bit more defense. This means he can, for a short time, act like a wall or sledgehammer his way through opponents.

He has very big ears, for a Weavile, and as a kit he was teased about it. However, Lily adores them and loves to touch them, which is an easy way to fluster him.

He does not want to go back to living in the wild, or at least not fully; he is spoiled by the safety and security of the city and loves being able to let his guard down behind locked doors.

Relies heavily on pranks and general humor to keep his mood up, and really just wants others to feel at ease around him.

Despite his very social nature flirting makes him uncomfortable and awkward when done by strangers. He himself is not a flirt at all and will quickly brush that off or make it clear he's not a fan of it.

His only real exception to this is Lily because he's aware of the effect he has on her and it boosts his ego to make her blush and squirm - which still works even years after they've officially begun dating.

Prone to showing extreme caution and likes to take his time with things. This often results in him lingering too long and missing opportunities.

As a juvenile and teenager, he possessed all the potential for leadership but his extreme laziness and desire for relaxation put a damper on that. Instead, he left that to his brother.

He harbors immense guilt and self-loathing over the loss of his entire tribe and has vowed to never forgive himself for it.

As an adult, he's become an exceptionally hard worker, though tends to sit inside his own head more than he ought to.

His self-loathing has often made him deliberately ignore or otherwise avoid things that may seem like a reward; he put off approaching Lily for a long time despite their mutual feelings. At some point, however, he gives in.

He loves very deeply and cares about his sister, Lily, and later his children more than anything else - and it is this love that motivates him to finally step up and take the leadership role he avoided for so long.

As a demiromantic, he doesn't really feel any sort of physical attraction towards anyone until he finds the right person; in this case, it was Lily's general silliness and supportive friendship that won him over.

MY FEATHERY FLOOFY BABY BOY

SKRUMBLY WUMBLY

[carmenblogs]

Has any fandoms you’re involved in been part of any protest or acts of social activism?

To be honest, no. But here are my findings for the Kpop Community.

Disclaimer: I'm not a Kpop fan nor am I part of the fandom, but here are my findings concerning this week's topic regarding activism :) Introduction: Public Sphere as a form of Activism

Since the emergence of social media, activism has evolved and developed through access to the public sphere. The public sphere is essential in society and is the root of public opinion to discuss or solve public affairs. The public sphere is a space “where free and equal citizens come together to share information, to debate, to discuss, or to deliberate on common concerns” (Odugbemi, 2008: 17). The public sphere is known to be normative and it is crucial to ensure democracy in a society. It is accessible to the public where participants are able to gather and discuss mutual interest with no restrictions.

Today, the Internet has become a platform for people to debate or raise public concerns. Many activists have used social media to raise political or social concerns, such as the Black Lives Matter protest and the Stop Asian Hate movement. In today's digital era, the Internet is the ideal public sphere to exchange ideas as it is accessible and utilized by the majority of people today. The Internet has become a public sphere for netizens to debate which results in the formation of the public opinion. “Public opinion is a product of the public sphere, and a crucial concept in governance and political decision making” (The Public Sphere, 2021 pg 3). 

BTS and their advocate for the Black Lives Matter Protest

BTS fans are known for smashing records. The fandom or as known as 'ARMY', has driven the Korean pop septet to extraordinary album sales, blockbuster video debuts, and lightning-fast concert sellouts. However, this time the fandom massively contributed to a social and good cause. According to Madden (2020), The Black Lives Matter campaign in the United States has received its highest contribution from a celebrity to date: $1 million from the seven-member K-pop group BTS. The following morning, the BTS Army (BTS fans) began to organise and fundraise, led by the fan-formed One in an Army charity campaign. The hashtag #MatchAMillion was so popular on Twitter that hundreds of thousands of fans contributed to the fundraiser. By Monday morning, BTS's followers had outbid the celebrities by more than $200,000. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement which is one of the biggest social movements, returned to a peak in 2020 when George Floyd, an innocent African-American man was killed by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer in the United States. With the massive support from the Kpop community, K-pop celebrities and fans are able to further spread awareness and contribute to ending racism and hate towards the Black community who are oppressed in America. This clearly demonstrates that the power of fandom is able to contribute towards social activism, which is closely linked to the public sphere where people come and gather to debate mutual concerns.

Apart from that, the Kpop fandom (Army) ambush racist hashtags such as #WhiteLivesMatter and #AllLivesMatter, by posting a seemingly endless stream of K-pop fancams (fan-made cut-and-stitch videos of their idols). According to Rolli (2020), they similarly swamped the Dallas Police Department's iWatch Dallas app, which encouraged citizens to upload footage of demonstrators engaging in illegal actions.

To summarize, the astonishing Black Lives Matter donation from the BTS ARMY highlights the potential and power of K-Pop fandoms or any fandom to make a huge difference on a worldwide scale. Being an ally of BLM myself, I'm extremely impressed by what the BTS fans (Army) have done! From my knowledge and from what my ARMY friends have told me (lol), BTS has always sung about equality, mental health, and self-love, and it's clear that their fans have definitely grasped those values, by helping to end racial injustice and contributing to a social and political cause :)

References:

Madden E, 2020, 'The BTS Army and the Transformative Power of Fandom As Activism', The Ringer, viewed 15 October 2022, <https://www.theringer.com/music/2020/6/11/21287283/bts-army-black-lives-matter-fandom-activism>

Rolli B, 2020, 'BTS ARMY Matched The Group’s $1 Million Black Lives Matter Donation, Proving The Positive Power Of Fandoms', Forbes, viewed 15 October 2022, <https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrolli/2020/06/08/bts-army-black-lives-matter-1-million-donation/?sh=770c80c164

‘The public sphere’ 2021, Media Development, vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 11–15, viewed 15 October 2022, <https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=ufh&AN=151714161&site=eds-live>.