#I accept that there are only so many stories to tell

[magical-awesome-kid]

I’m gonna date myself.

Not a universal experience, but one that too many students know: Your civics/history/ethics/whatever teacher assigns you to a Socratic seminar session where you debate the two sides of a current event. Something like “here is something trying to be passed in congress. Should we vote for or against it and why.” You often times got assigned a side, so, even if you disagreed, you had to find reason to defend it.

Ladies, gents, and nonbinary tenants, we were debating if Gay Marriage should be a thing. Gay marriage was only legal across all 50 states once I was in the later years of high school, and I still remember ever so vividly stories of gay couples getting denied equal treatment because of their orientation.

I recently fell at work and got injured. I was terrified of losing my job because I was hurt, and it took a coworker telling me that it was my right to get better, we have legal protections, for me to finally get a second opinion and take time off to seek medical care. Back when my parents were my age, this wouldn’t have flown at all.

There are still many ways we need to improve, and, in some areas, we do threaten to backslide every day. I know it’s exhausting to keep fighting. We all want to lay down and accept defeat if only to rest.

Take your breaks, protect yourself, and ask for help. We can only do this together.

Has anything actually gotten better, for all the work you talk about doing? Or is it just treading water in misery forever?

Anon, ten years ago gay people couldn't get married in large parts of the US. AIDS was an almost certain death sentence when I was in high school. I was looking at job boards the other day and found a part time gas station job that had health insurance as a benefit, which NEVER would have happened 15 years ago. When I was a kid, hitting your child was extremely normalized in the US and my parents were the weird ones for not doing it. There is a vaccine for chicken pox. I didn't meet anyone who had transitioned until my 20s because it was so uncommon to transition in the aughts, and now there are some states that protect your right to have gender affirming care provided by your health insurance. It's not all states, but it's better than the number of states that had it in 2010, which was zero. THERE ARE TENANTS UNIONS NOW. WE HAVE A VACCINE AGAINST CERVICAL CANCER.

And all of that has been the work of a lot of individuals and organizations and research teams and activists.

[vicariousresearcher]

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

the intro is boring as shit i know just power through

---------

Johnny who's just gotten released from the hospital with a half-ton bag of medications and months' worth of pre-scheduled appointments. Physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, he didn’t even realize there were so many damn therapies that didn’t have to do with talking about feelings. 

He has one of those too, much to his discomfort. Even asking Price couldn’t get him out of that. 

Now he’s been freshly moved into his new flat. A nice place that his Ma picked out. A garage, basement, and even a fenced-in backyard.

  "Your discharge is paying for all of this, can you believe it?" His ma coos as they sit out on the back porch.

Johnny hummed in acknowledgment, peppermint wafting up out of his cup to almost tempt him to try and take a sip. It tasted like shit but there was no other tea in the house. 

“When's the nurse c-c…arriving?” Johnny asked, trying his best not to seem too eager. About as subtle as a bull in a china shop but his mother was never one to notice things like that. Mind already bouncing off to the next thing.

“Wednesday the text said I tink? Oh did you see the ramp that your friend Simon put into the garage, such a nice boy. Say do you reckon���.."

…….. Maybe you were being impulsive but you accepted the position. You left your job at the hospital and moved towns over to be flatmates with a patient. But it was awfully hard to regret your decision when the pay was so good and you didn’t have to pay for boarding. And maybe there was some conniving part of you that wanted to spite your now ex after he cut things off claiming that you were cheating on him. 

So here you were with half your apartment in a storage unit and the other in the back of your car. Unpacking your clothes just after you finished a lengthy conversation with Johnny and Mrs. MacTavish. Or well, more so the latter. It’s kind of impressive how far that woman can go with a single question.

The whole time Johnny is just sitting there watching you. At first, it was weird because ‘dude youre the one who wanted me here can you not act like i’m an alien’ then you stop to consider that maybe he doesn’t even want you here. That this might be just another case of the family being overly attached with no regard for the patient's feelings. Part of you feels bad now at the idea of him being the one truly forced into this situation. 

Maybe this won’t be too bad of a job, you try to reason with yourself as your stomach twists in discomfort at the idea of living alone with a stranger. You can’t be too different from Johnny since your favourite scent is in the candle on the coffee table. The niche reality TV show you're obsessed with is playing in the evening. And he must like peppermint tea too since it’s one of the few things in the pantry. 

…….

Johnny is doing everything possible to seem normal about his nurse. Who has to stay quiet as he watches you interact so perfectly with his mother because if he opens his mouth he will ask you to marry him.

He is sweating at the idea of having you within reach at all times, your attention only ever on him. No other call bells or charting or lunch breaks to keep you occupied.

Johnny who has picked up journaling at the recommendation of his therapist to try and organize his feelings and memories from the coma. It’s not even like he's trying to focus on you but when he tries to think back to the coma all he can remember is you. Your hands, your voice, your warmth.

Lists of everything you’ve ever told him to fill the pages. Your favourite shop that has such a good deal on hair conditioner, the spinning candle on your fifth birthday cake that made you scream, the butter chicken recipe you can never get right even with your friend hanging over your shoulder. 

Johnny who has to try his hardest to stay quiet when you tell him about your first time skiing because he knows the end of the story. He knows how you cried and your mother fell off the lift coming off because you told him. So many little snippets of yourself you’ve already exposed during the two years he was under your care thinking he wasn’t listening. 

But he was and oh he will use it in every way possible to lure you in. He sees how uncomfortable you are even just sitting on the same couch as him but that's okay! You just need some time. 

In the meantime, he will just keep lying. Saying that your favourite flower seeds were just on sale when you spotted them on the table. Shrugging when you ask if he is sure about you taking the room at the back of the house because you mentioned hating the sound of the road. Asking his mum to help him make some roasted garlic butter because suddenly he actually cares about that. (You mentioned it at least a dozen times after your neighbour gave you some.)

[twopercentboy]

no, y'know what? as much as Josh's conversation with Buck in e6 was important, and he made some good points, I take strong issue with the qualifiers of "pre-Glee" and "post-Glee" world. that is the most insane thing to use as an indicator of queer acceptance, and at it's core, it's Ryan Murphy giving himself way too much credit.

and even if we look at it from outside the meta and from a character perspective, it's stupid! like, sure, I can understand that Josh was probably going for a more light hearted thing to use as an indicator, but Glee is so irrelevant in this scenario, especially when you consider that we're talking about Tommy in this specific context.

we know that right before season 1 takes place Tommy was only just starting to accept himself. we know right before season 1 he just ended his years long relationship with Abby. we also know that the seasons take place roughly at the time of premiere, so season 1 is set in 2018. that is already 3 years "post Glee"—even more if we go from initial release date—so this qualifier is already incredibly irrelevant to Tommy's story and the point Josh was trying to make. Not only that, but we know Tommy is around Abby's age! Meaning he was never part of the target audience for Glee and neither were his peers. Glee did absolutely jack shit for his journey to self or peer acceptance.

you know what is relevant to Tommy's journey? The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Y'know what probably actually helped kick him into self acceptance? The nationwide legalization of gay marriage that happened less than 3 years before season 1.

the issue I have is we know, we know, that Tommy is around Abby's age, meaning he was born in the mid to late 70s and he grew up watching the AIDS epidemic happen. he grew up during that time in our history, when we were ostracized and dying by the hundreds. to boil down the lives and experiences of queer elders, which is what Tommy would be were he real, into "pre-Glee" and "post-Glee" is just so,,, disgusting to me. there's a dozen other notable events and indicators of our acceptance, and to choose Glee of all things is not only a slap in the face, but so fucking egotistical of Ryan Murphy.

I understand that Glee was a phenomenon and that it did help queer acceptance to a certain degree, but using it in this context, where it's so wholly irrelevant to the characters involved and feels like it was only used to stroke the ego of Ryan Murphy? I don't know! I just think they should've used something else, something more relevant, like, oh I don't know, the Obama administration legalizing gay marriage! they could've easily used "pre-obama" and "post-obama" and it would've suited the situation better, and actually been relevant to all characters involved!

I just really have a bone to pick with so many things in that episode in regards to 911's queer characters, but I think this is the one that really pisses me off.

[zablife]

Joel Takes You on a Road Trip

Joel Miller x gf reader

A/N: Fall road trip, requested by @huntingingoodwill. Part of my Corrupt a Wish challenge. Patsy Cline Song is "Leavin' on Your Mind."

Warnings: mention of the infected, sedation Corrupt a wish reminder: If you think this story has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention. Proceed with caution!

"Ain't falling asleep on me, are ya?" Joel asked, brushing your cheek lightly.

You glanced over at him with a lazy smile as you denied the gentle rocking was indeed lulling you into a comfortable slumber. "Course not," you mumbled over the quiet static of the car radio.

"And here I thought we were gonna have a nice chat," he chuckled, rubbing his thumb over the steering wheel.

You might have noticed the nervous gesture if you hadn't been thoroughly exhausted, a yawn rippling through you as you tried to respond. "Wh-what do you want to...talk about?" you finally managed to ask.

The lines near his temples crinkled slightly in amusement at the sight of your drooping eyelids, prompting him to gently urge, "Go on and close your eyes, darlin'." After the months you'd spent together, he was well aware you couldn't keep them open more than five minutes during long drives. However, the certainty of it gave him pause, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut thinking of the trust you'd placed in him.

Failing to notice his sullen expression, you snuggled down into the passenger's seat with Joel's jacket. Fingers clutching the worn edges of the soft fabric, you gently pulled the weighted material over yourself for warmth, careful to cover the unsightly bite mark on your shoulder. It was a gruesome reminder of the ordeal you'd faced just before meeting the man you now considered your guardian angel.

While others were unwilling to believe your fantastic claim of being bitten without infection, Joel had accepted you into his circle of protection instantly. He offered gentle words of comfort to get you through the early nights when you couldn't sleep out of fear and worry. With steadfast devotion, he promised you'd survive.

When you asked how he could be certain, he swore he'd seen a similar case once before in a young girl named Ellie. Though he was reluctant to speak of her, you learned she'd been like a daughter to him. The heartache in his voice kept you from asking questions about her fate, but the nagging curiosity rarely ceased. Only one thing could distract you from it and that was the sound of Joel's soft, Texas twang.

"Tell me again," you begged, head resting on the rattling window frame and he knew exactly what you meant.

As your eyelids fluttered, the passing shades of orange and red lightly dusted your vision and you began to imagine the kaleidoscope of color around Joel's lakeside cabin this time of year. He'd described it to you many times to satiate your curiosity, yet you still begged for more. You loved the way he spoke about this idyllic place, reciting the details from his memory like a bedtime story.

With a bit of reluctance, his husky voice rumbled to life beside you. "We're gonna follow the main road until it forks. Then 'bout three miles south there's a dirt path that twists and turns so far into the woods you'd think you were goin' back in time."

You exhaled deeply in satisfaction at his familiar tale, relishing the way he embellished the narrative like all good storytellers do.

"After you pass a rickety, old barn, you know you're gettin' close," his voice faded out momentarily as a radio station came into range. Patsy Cline's crisp, clear voice ringing out.

If you got leavin' on your mind Tell me now, get it over

His breathing hitched, eyes staring at the road intently as though deep in thought and you took the opportunity to remind him of the rest.

"The one with the peeling red paint that your uncle helped build," you added, so softy he almost didn't hear you.

"That's right," he agreed with a small nod of his chin. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he continued in the low, deep voice that soothed your soul. "You pass that barn and Grandaddy's cabin sits back there on the far side of the lake. On a calm day the water looks just like glass."

He ventured a wistful glance in your direction, eyes squinting against the sunshine as he tried and failed to picture the two of you standing on the dock. He'd wanted to take you fishing many times and introduce you to the splendid wonder of the surroundings. If not for recent circumstances, you might have lived happily on that forgotten parcel of land as man and wife. Shaking his head to dislodge the notion, he tried to bite back his own anxiety with honeyed promises so sweet he nearly succumbed to them himself.

"We'll fish and skip rocks across the lake," he hummed quietly, caught up in his own daydream. "If you get cold, I'll start a fire in the old wood stove to keep us warm..."

The serene thought made you curl your limbs in tighter, imagining his strong arms cradling you beneath a large quilt. You soon felt your body grow heavy with sleep, the soft rumbling of the engine melding with the strain of a piano and a forlorn voice.

Hurt me now, get it over I may learn to love again

A sudden jerk jolted you from slumber as the golden sunshine glistening before you sharpened into a ray of bright, white. You moaned, but when it escaped your lips there was a distinct note of pain present.

"Try not to move," a strange voice persisted as the pressure on your shoulder intensified.

"Joel?" you cried out, as you felt yourself being rolled down a long, sterile corridor. Arms and legs flailing in a frenzied panic, you began to reach out for him without success.

"We're going to need more sedation," a second voice announced behind you.

The radio was still playing in the distant recesses of your mind even as you blinked against the harsh light overhead and you struggled to comprehend where you were.

Don't leave me here, in a world Filled with dreams that might have been

"We'll take it from here," the voice near you soothed someone in the distance confidently, but it only worsened the spike of panic coursing through you.

Using all your willpower, you fought to sit up and crane your neck to see around the gurney. You found Joel's grief stricken face staring back at you from the doorway, a young brunette gathered in his arms. As a firm hand pressed you back into the bed, your strangled cry burst forth. "Don't leave me! Joel, please!"

His big brown eyes widened at your plea, helplessly looking between you and her. Just then the girl buried her head to his chest, groaning in agony. "Stay with me, Ellie," he urged as he strode away from you without looking back.

Your brain raced to piece everything together as you felt the sharp sting of a needle going into your arm.

"Shouldn't we alert security?" the nurse by your side hissed at her colleague.

"A life for a life. That was the agreement," you thought the other woman replied as your head grew fuzzy.

The rest of their conversation became a gentle buzzing at your ear as you sunk back against the pillows, the sedatives plunging you into a shadowy world of fantasy.

The tiny cabin stood before you, just as Joel had described, a path of bright orange leaves beckoning you to follow. The only sound was the distinct crunching beneath your boots, keeping count of every step. But when you came to rest, you found yourself alone, abandoned at the edge of a still, dark lake.

Tag List:

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[lurkingshan]

Earlier this week I read a couple smart posts by @impala124 about Yeong's self-destructive tendencies and by @solitaryandwandering about why Yeong pursued this relationship and how he may not have ever fully committed to letting Gyu-ho in, and something about their characterizations of Yeong in this relationship was scratching at my brain. It wasn't that I disagreed with them, because they're not wrong about some of his behaviors, but that it didn't feel like the full truth of this relationship. So I will attempt to tease that nuance out now.

I think a lot about how Yeong is the narrator of this story, and so everything we see is filtered through his perspective. This is much more evident in the book, where he is literally telling us what happened with his patented combination of distancing wit and biting self-loathing, whereas in the show they have intentionally gone a bit beyond his perspective to show us the characters existing outside of his head. We've all reflected over the last couple weeks on how that has changed the tone of the previous sections and relationships. But this part of the show is the most similar to the book, and that makes sense because Gyu-ho is the only character in the book besides Young who feels fully fleshed out and real on the page. He is deeply important to Young, and that comes across in how Young writes about him. And I think that comes through in the show, as well, both in the way Yeong behaves with him, and in the way this story is framed and shot to essentially make Gyu-ho feel like the light in his darkness. Young/Yeong/Sang Young Park deeply loves this man, and regrets losing him, and blames himself for most of what went wrong, and that colors everything about the way the story is told.

When we were discussing this part of the book, many of us noted that Young is something of an unreliable narrator, because you have to read between the lines to find his true feelings buried under constant obfuscations and emotionally distancing rhetoric. I think that same feeling came across in the show, but without the benefit of being able to see into him a bit deeper like in the book, it may be hard to see how much of himself he put into this relationship, and how sincerely he tried, and how external forces constantly worked to reinforce that he did not deserve and couldn't have it. I think it helps to look at his actions rather than his words, because this man does not like to speak about his sincere feelings very often:

Yeong was the one to pursue the relationship, going out of his way to find Gyu-ho again and ask him out after their initial encounters, and going back for him after initially parting at the train. I read that moment where the loud girls passed him as Yeong getting shaken out of his stasis and realizing he was missing a chance to have something real with Gyu-ho, and he didn’t want to lose his shot.

He put it out there first that he wanted their relationship to work out, a stunning moment of accidental honesty for someone who normally pretends an indifference he doesn't feel.

He took Gyu-ho seriously enough to disclose his biggest shame. I do not think he did this to try to push him away; he did it because he sincerely liked and cared about this man and he wanted to protect himself if this was something Gyu-ho could not accept.

Despite the fact that their sex life is stymied by their conflicting challenges and role preferences, Yeong was content. In the book we hear him reflect directly on how surprised he is to be this happy with someone without an amazing sex life, and that happiness shines through in the show before he sinks into depression.

Gyu-ho was not the first of Yeong’s boyfriends to meet the T-aras, but he was the only one Yeong was confident they would approve of, and he seemed so happy as he walked home with Gyu-ho after their meeting. He knows this man is special.

Yeong invited Gyu-ho into his home to live together--the home he previously shared with Mi Ae and seems to consider his safe haven. He wanted him there, and he trusted him to be there.

Despite their petty arguments about chores and how to manage their shared space, he sincerely makes room for Gyu-ho and wanted him to feel like it's theirs (though he doesn't always recognize how his own behavior makes that harder), down to matching couple mugs and the development of shared habits.

At several points in their relationship he encouraged Gyu-ho to get what he needs, even if it means going outside their relationship for sex (we only see this hinted at in the show), while he himself stays content with what he gets from Gyu-ho even as their sex life really falls off. Both his depression and his Kylie are at work, but Yeong never wants to leave Gyu-ho even in his darkest moments, or even as he claims things have become dull. Even when they were fighting in the midst of Yeong’s worst depressive episode, he said he was thinking about their future together.

When things started to get really dire, Yeong did not give up as he would have in previous relationships. Instead he suggested and booked them a trip to reconnect and spend quality time together, despite his financial stress and time limitations. And when removed from those huge stressors, they did reconnect and reaffirm their feelings, and we saw Yeong's happiness rise to the surface again.

The way Yeong began emotionally distancing once he realized he could not go to Shanghai was telling; he retreated back to his more indifferent persona once he believed the relationship could not work out as a way to protect himself--because he was devastated.

All this to say: Yeong cared about this relationship so much, and he really tried. He tried harder than we've seen him do with anyone else. He did not hold himself back or intentionally push Gyu-ho away until the end; this is simply who he is and what he can give to a partner.

Which brings me to the real main source of this relationships' downfall: disease, stigma, and homophobia. The thing I want to be really clear about here is that while Yeong did not make perfect choices, and there may have been a way for he and Gyu-ho to work out if he'd believed more in the strength of their partnership to overcome further hardship, he is not wrong to believe that Gyu-ho was negatively affected by his disease or to decide that he did not want to be a source of hardship for Gyu-ho. It is a factual statement that Yeong's Kylie resulted in Gyu-ho not getting everything he wanted and needed, and would have continued to deny him opportunities if they stayed together. Yeong is not merely imagining that his partner could be affected by the limitations Kylie puts on his life; that's very real and actively happening and constantly reinforced for him. And he loves Gyu-ho, so much. He doesn't want to be the reason Gyu-ho doesn't get everything he wants, and he's ashamed to hold him back. I wish for his sake that he could have made different choices, that he could have tried working something out that they would both be happy with, but lord do I understand why he didn't.

[specific-dreamer]

“because you’re our little brother and we love you… did you hear what i just said? i said i love you”

whatever you do don’t think about how before everything ponyboy would have been ecstatic to hear that.

don’t think about how ponyboy tried to convince himself that since darry didn’t love him, he in turn didn’t care about him but he failed everytime.

don’t think about how ponyboy stayed up some nights asking soda how come darry changed and why he didn’t like pony no more. and soda doing his best to convince pony that darry does still love he’s just tired all the time and he’s still having trouble adjusting to their new dynamic too but pony just doesn’t get it.

don’t think about how if darry just said i love you a little more often they wouldn’t have been in this mess. if he said it a little more than maybe he and ponyboy wouldn’t have gotten in so many arguments and soda wouldn’t have to have been caught playing middle man

definitely don’t think about how upsetting it must’ve been for darry to finally bare his soul and tell pony he loves him only to be met with silence in return.

dont think about how he darry might’ve thought that a simple i love you is what would’ve brought them back to normal, because he didn’t realise just how bad their relationship got to the point of him needing that olive branch later.

except (and definitely don’t think about this part) ponyboy knows atp that his brothers love him. but he still thinks they love him but don’t really accept all of him. because up til this point his friends hated darry for nearly going soc, so to a kid his age the message he got was “we don’t want all of you; we just want the part of you that’s a greaser”. so when darry asks to read his story, when darry extends that branch, he asking to understand/get to know all of ponyboy. something nobody else did except for johnny (and maybe cherry for that one night).

sure soda asked to, but when pony said he wasn’t too sure about reading it too them, soda was seemed as if he was going to let the conversation drop. he was going to let pony keep hiding so to speak. but darry wasn’t. well he might’ve if only to keep the peace, but darry asking to read the story himself shows that he’s willing to think things through rather than instantly being worried/shouting at ponyboy in the future. it shoes that he’s trying to put himself in ponyboy’s shoes to he can figure out where his head is at (something that darry previously made fun of)

[lets-try-some-writing]

for the salty ask:

1, 3, 5, 7, 11

What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

Bee and Charlie, or honestly, any human x bot pairing. I just can't see it. Well, I see why people see it. Who doesn't want to be with their special little creature? But I work on a logical and story telling basis more often than not, and I simply cannot comprehend why a million year old metal alien from a war torn world would want to spend the equivalent of like, a month, hanging around with a squishy human. Now if the story is adjusted to make it make sense, then I can get behind it. Like if the squishy is made not squishy, or there is some sort of plot device to make the bot's emotional investment worthwhile and logical. But without all that, it feels a lot like a human falling head over heels for an actual ant. I can't get into it because that mental image takes me right out.

Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

I don't think so? I only unfollow people if they A. Begin doing nothing but throwing around real life politics (I am here to have fun not lament life) or B. start reblogging a ton of spam and stuff I have no interest in seeing on my dash. I am pretty picky with who I follow, and half the time the people I follow are either mutuals or folks I am trying to learn from through observation (thank you TF artists). It's nothing personal when it comes to fandom. In fact, I follow quite a few people who I do NOT agree with fandom opinions wise, but I enjoy seeing their different views.

Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?

Nope. I came in here not wanting to ship and left with a basket of ships I find appealing even if they aren't my OTP. It helps that the transformers fandom, at least those who I have interacted with, are really nice and accepting.

Is there anything you used to like but can't stand now?

Pure evil Megatron. I was on board with it for my first year or so in fandom because that's all I knew about him. I grew up on G1, hopped straight to TFP, and then jumped over to the Bay films before sliding my way into a few of the comics (I have no idea what I read, they were too dense). I liked Megatron being the worst with no redeeming qualities because that was the Megatron I knew. I didn't think he had many facets. But after being here longer, I've learned to adore Megatron and his very complex character. Now I can't read a fic where Megatron is just the worst without internally cringing. Although I will note there are times and places where him being nothing but evil is delightful and tastefully done.

Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn't? Why?

This is the transformers fandom. There is not a single character who doesn't have a small fanbase of diehard fans. I doubt I could like a character that doesn't already have at least ten folks bowing at their feet. So no, there is not an unpopular character I adore because there is no such thing as unpopular in this fandom. Everyone is adored by someone, and honestly, I'm glad.

[paulyenvol6]

Called to the Devil (Chapter 3)

Contains: mentions of masturbating

Wordcount: ~2.10k

Masterlist of this story

The next morning Elayne and Daemon met again in the corridor. The rogue prince had a smug look on his face which only upset her further but she remained cool and gave him a sweet smile.

"Good morrow, my prince.", she purred though she was almost certain that he could see behind her facade.

He lifted his eyebrows when he saw her and by now it was a familiar view for Elayne.

"I hope you had a good sleep, my lady.", Daemon said cloyingly and nodded at her while walking past her.

Elayne tensed her jaw but kept walking until she was around the corner. What was she to do? Her pride had been injured and she couldn't just accept things the way they were right now. And most importantly, she wanted him. She wanted to feel him, touch him. Daemon had triggered a fuel inside of her which wasn't yet satisfied.

That was why Elayne decided to make him want her. At least she tried to. All day long she played the innocent while giving him seductive glances. The prince seemingly didn't notice them but the girl asumed that he did judging by the way he would sometimes scoff or the corner of his mouth would twitch. Elayne playfully threw her head back when laughing, bit her lip when she saw Daemon's gaze on her profile and made her eyes glisten when hers met his'.

And yet she wasn't certain if her attempts had any effects on the king's brother. At least he didn't stop her, didn't ask her for a private conversation and seemed to ignore her apart from some smug glances at her. That's why she remained unsatisfied though she was confident and determined in her attempt to see him struggle.

On that very same evening Elayne seeked Daemon's presence again and managed to find him as she walked past the door to the thrones room. He stood in front of the iron throne and seemingly admired the swords and the girl decided to sneak up on him.

"Imagining yourself on it?", she asked and the prince spinned around.

"I'm not made to wear a crown.", Daemon said cooly and Elayne crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Who is?"

Then she walked back and forth while looking up to the magnificant seat.

"I think you would look rather impressive up there. 'Daemon Targaryen, first of his name. Protector of the realm....' It has a ring to it."

She lifted her right eyebrow and the rogue prince chuckled darkly.

"Would that be if I were born first."

"So you do have ambitions.", she whispered mischievously.

Daemon wrinkled his nose. "Ambitions don't make a man act treacherous. They rather make them…. dreamers."

"How very disappointing.", Elayne sighed and Daemon turned to look at her squeezing his eyes.

"The king could have your tongue for this."

She smiled. "Yes. He could."

Daemon kept his gaze on her for a little longer until the Baratheon girl took another step towards him to close the gap between them. She leaned up to him until her mouth was close to his ear.

"But it would be a waste. Where my tongue could be used for so many better things." She heard him inhale sharply and triumphed in silent.

"I know that you're fighting it, my prince. I'm telling you, don't. Don't fight it."

Elayne shrieked silently because Daemon had suddenly grabbed her upper arm and held her a bit away from him.

"If only my dear brother knew what a little devil he has brought into his home."

She bit her lip and her eyes flashed at him. She was consumed by desire and lust and wanted to touch him.

"This is nothing, my prince. I can be so much worse. Let me show you."

Daemon chuckled loudly and his fingers dug into her arm. "You think you can show me something that I haven't seen a hundred times? A 16 year old?"

But Elayne didn't give in and had her chin high. "Please. I want you."

"Quite pathetic, isn't it?", he whispered, emphasizing every word. "What you're doing is called begging, little one. Don't you have any dignitiy left inside of you? You're begging for a married man to break his vows."

His words were truthful and yet she didn't care. She never was someone to give a lot about tradition, customs and honor. She wanted to get what she wanted and didn't see anything wrong in it.

"I don't fucking care about my dignity. And you can do whatever you want to. I'm sure you already do or do are you telling me you live in abstinence while you lady wife resides in Runestone?"

Elayne hesitated for a moment and then leaned forwards to press her lips on Daemon's. They just looked too seducing and for a moment she tasted them and enjoyed being so close to him until the prince pulled away and left her dissatisfied.

"Why?", she hissed.

Daemon smirked widely and lifted her chin with his finger to to adjust her head to his liking.

"I think you're a spoiled brat. You think everyone wants you? I think you just took whatever it is you want all your life and it's a good lesson for you to see that you can't always get what you want. Perhaps you were able to seduce you're little stable boy but you should learn that not everyone is willing to bend themselves to your will."

Elayne's eyes were spitting fire and Daemon could really sense her Targaryen parentage for a moment.

"Fuck you.", she pressed and tried to squirm from his grip around her chin but Daemon held her tightly.

"Ugh uh.", he made. "Be calm, little girl. You need to learn to control you're anger if you want to become a noble woman worthy of her name."

"I don't want to be a noble woman.", Elayne spitted and his face came closer to hers.

"For once in your life, it doesn't matter what you want."

And then he kissed her on her forehead and let go of her. Without turning around again Daemon strut away and left a both angry and desperate girl behind.

~~~~~~~~~~

That night Elayne decided to fight the heat between her legs again just by herself but though she managed to reach her high she felt unsatisfied afterwards. She would give everything for it to be Daemon's hand between her legs and pouted in the darkness.

Why didn't he give in? She had seen what her words had done to her. He had even slipped his hand between her legs the other night and Elayne was certain that he wouldn't have done it if he didn't feel drawn to her. All she wanted was for him to bed her, it wasn't like she had asked him to marry her. But once again he had rejected her and not even her own skilled finger could satisfy her needs at this point.

Her want for Daemon had at least one good aspect. She didn't miss her home this much right now because thinking about the rogue prince drew her attention away from thinking about her family and Storm's End all the time. Of course she missed them but Daemon gave her a purpose in some way and so she wasn't that bored and didn't swim in memories at all times.

The next few days went rather uneventful. Elayne was invited to spend the afternoon tea with the king's wife Laena Velaryon and didn't have a choice but to agree. It wasn't unpleasant though it didn't take long for her to feel bored. The topics simply weren't interesting to her but even Elayne, who didn't care about other people's opinions found herself respecting the queen who had a majestic aura about her. So she didn't run her mouth the way she usually did but answered Laena politely when she asked her about her home and youth.

Apart from that the girl went on strolls through the gardens, sat through the lessons with her septa Ysa, hunted after insects when no one was looking, rotted away in the lady chambers while gossiping and knitting scarfs with the other noble women and walked through the city.

At first she had been told that she wasn't allowed to do so because it was too dangerous and her father wouldn't approve of it. But Elayne's face had turned red with anger and the knight who had forbade it had just widened his eyes in fear and acted as if he didn't see her leaving the walls of the keep. She genuinely enjoyed it and besides Daemon the city was the only thing she knew she knew she would miss if she was to return to Storm's End. Elayne liked to listen to the traders on the markets and just enjoyed the hectic and excitement that seemed to buzz over the city like a summer heat.

The next day she had decided to spend the evening there because she imagined King's Landing to be even more thrilling when there were musicians and artists showing their talent and when everyone was drinking and laughing under the night sky. And it turned out to be true as Elayne learned.

There were people dancing in the midst of the streets, men and women, women and women and men and men fucking against the walls only hidden by the shadows cast by the houses. She was stunned, fascinated and soon her nightly strolls became her favourite activity.

On her 7th day after her arrival she couldn't sneak out though because the king was hosting a celebration in the throne room. It was his 31st name day and even lords and ladies from the Vale and the Westerlands had come to the feast. She was told that her own family wouldn't be able to make it but she honestly didn't care a lot as she was angry with most of them anyway.

But Viserys' name day was reason to celebrate for the court so Elayne dressed up in a red gown that went beautifully with her brown hair. Judging by the look on her septa's face she was surprised that the girl had obeyed this far and attended the celebration in the piece of clothing she was supposed to wear and Ysa quickly led her down into the hall as though she feared that Elayne would change her mind. She watched over the scene, spotted some familiar faces and then decided to speak with the lady Arika.

She was the youngest daughter of Lord Warrek, the king's hand and Arika was a girl her age and to be truthful, she was easy to impress. Most of the times she watched everything with big eyes, frightened and in awe of her surroundings and yet it would be wrong to assume that she was stupid. Elayne just suspected that Arika had always been in the shadows of her elder siblings and was used to people ignoring her.

That was why she had started to act as if she was invisible and didn't open her mouth unless it was necessary. Still, there was something Elayne liked about her so she had recently started to speak to her more regulary and though at first she had been frightened of the resolute Baratheon girl, Arika had started to open up a little.

"Good evening.", she now said quietly with a shy smile on her face and the lights of the many candles and chandeliers made her red hair shimmer.

"Good to see you, Arika.", Elayne answered and took her arm to guide her through the hall.

"How boring is it, my friend?", she rolled her eyes and the other girl giggled against the hand over her mouth.

"Not too unpleasant actually."

It was easy to make Arika laugh and at first Elayne had thought it to be a little strange but now it made her happy to see her friend smile.

"My father told me there will be an acrobat tonight who is rumoured to be able to do a flip on horseback. Though I don't think they will bring a horse in here."

Now it was Elayne who smirked as her eyes searched the crowd. Only when she spotted Daemon a little to the side of the action did she realize it was him she had been looking for. She wrinkled her nose at the memory of their recent encounters and pulled at her arm.

"Arika?", she asked, her eyes not leaving the prince.

"Mhm?"

"Let's have a good time tonight."

[feltpool]

Further to previous conversation with @proadhog

.

I love the Alien quadrilogy of films. I don’t remember how old I would have been but I was definitely younger than the recommended age rating when I watched the original one and it scared the crap out of me – so job well done there! I might have been old enough to watch Aliens by the time it became available for home rental, but I probably wasn’t. Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection I got to see in the cinema

But the more recent films, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, didn’t really work for me

They had all of the things needed to fit into the Alien franchise

An isolated group of humans to encounter the Alien

The Xenomorph itself. Shown in all of the established developmental stages, however adapted to fit the setting

A Humanoid Synthetic whose name follows the previously established alphabetical naming convention

The involvement of the Weyland Corporation

But despite all of the effort put into coming at things from a different direction both films rely hard on repeating what came before while pretending they’re not doing that

Cut for plot spoilers

Prometheus brought us not one Strong Female Lead, but two of them. One to wield the flamethrower, have an antagonistic relationship with the onboard Synthetic, to get up close and personal with a male crew member, and ultimately die. And one to do battle with the Alien using loading equipment (or was that Covenant?), emote over the loss of varying crew members, to have an Alien growing inside of her, and to survive long enough to set up the next movie

Neither of them are like Ellen Ripley in character but they still enact their own versions of her prior actions, only without a cat or a small child in tow

We get the ‘literal talking head’ scene, David is 'David 8' even though the number is rarely mentioned, a deliberate introduction of Alien and human, and the ‘just when you thought it was all over…’ and ‘no way to turn back now’ horror film moments, and so much more

Covenant recycles the parts Prometheus passed over, again with minor alterations. The crew in hypersleep are unexpectedly awakened, they once more pick up a signal of unknown origin and follow it, there are a few thousand colonists available to get parasitized, the ship that landed on planet gets destroyed and they're cut off from radio contact so have to find another way to arrange for a pick up while time is running out, there’s another ‘Human Synthetic who’s actually a Good Guy’ (and who manages to buck the silly naming trend), another mad scientist type, the Xenomorph being called a ‘perfect organism’, an alt take on the laboratory scene from Alien: Resurrection, and a Xenomorph gets pushed out the door dramatically

The quality of the plot of the first 4 films was variable but they each had a different take on the same basic premise of ‘humans will find the Alien and then die horribly’. We knew where the story was going to go but they didn’t feel like they were repeating themselves beyond the standard constraints of being a part of a franchise and needing to fit into that framework. But while Prometheus puts effort into establishing a new setting and a new way to get the story going, once we reach the point of alien contact that all kind of seems like a waste of time since it no longer feels like they’re doing anything new with what they have available

[yansurnummu]

TES fest day 6: abandoned

In the grief of supposedly losing her brother, Lilanwe certainly made some choices. She joined the Worm Cult, becoming a much more cold and cynical person. Granted, it wasn't entirely Auredil's fault for what happened to him, but I don't know that she'll ever really forgive him for leaving her behind.

[the-busy-ghost]

There are many reasons my interests are more geared towards mediaeval Scotland than mediaeval England, but at least one of them has to be the fact that I am completely incapable of Being Normal about the Lion in Winter and Shakespeare's second tetralogy.

[star-mum]

Okay OP nation I have some (maybe controversial) statements about the Straw Hats and I need y’all to listEN FIRST OKAY- HEAR ME OUT

Boyfriend: Zoro and Franky

Husband: Usopp and Sanji

Girlfriend: Nami

Wife: Robin

Luffy: Aroace king

[nostalgia-tblr]

loki/william rufus fic, where bill explains that as the second son he has inherited england while big brother bob only got the duchy of normandy, ha ha ha.

[buttercupshands]

I guess the moral of this story is... idk roll whatever the character will be there... eventually

it's not the "season 6 recruit" it's literally the anniversary one

I think getting fun stuff under the cut is better, I'm still figuring it out and with only 30 tags there's only so much that I can tell without running out of them

and getting another Tomura is like a celebration, after a very struggling day of painnnnn

Presents are one of the best way of farming crystals so I didn't really touch them for characters I already levelled trust with

but it's a special occasion.

"the kindergarden"

I need to level Kurogiri up one day, but Tomura now takes full priority (ignore the event one I was burnout of the game when it came out and I didn't get the new UR Izuku back then if I remember correctly so he's weak)

I'm a bit pissed off that AFO is a bit more levelled up for now but that's because levels from 4 to 6 are pain and it's not the main/hard quest bonus time yet

but! at least I already have full LoV trio levelled up as much as I could so it'll be easier than before

decided to revive this team set up just for fun, I don't use them usually this one is basically "PLF war + season 6 stuff" because I don't have anyone else like any s5-s6 Izuku, for example. Also I don't have some cool memories which is sad because they look so cool

it's so funny to be a f2p in this game because it's literally pointless but I have so much fun

Also I think we never got the white hair Dabi memory??? the memory that has somewhat good stuff for him is him with black hair

anyway this was really weird

[silverwhittlingknife]

very important announcement: new @birdchildsnest fic!!!

[rottengurlz]

I finished my book