#I really need to make a list of all the names for these nations because I hate using their modern name’s

[genesisclub]

I was going to post my writing of usuk relationship but i decided that instead of doing that I would post my headcannons about Arthur’s family and his parents but don’t worry I’ll post my writings within a reasonable amount of time!

Also before I start let me say, If this doesn’t make much sense please spare me :(( trying to find something clear cut on ancient European history is not easy especially when it comes to pre-Roman Britain so I really had to take my own liberties with this—anyways! Onto the topic at hand

England was the only one to be born from Rome. The rest of his siblings were born from the tribal representatives; Pictis, Briton, and Gaels. His mother was Albion but when Rome arrived she was forced to change her name to Britannia. However, Albion was not a Celtic tribe. She only represented the land where of these tribes went to and lived on.

While Albion never represented anything specific, once she married and had a child with the representative, Briton she fully embraced the Brittonic culture and language. And it was his culture and language that she taught to her two youngest children, Wales and England. She taught them both Common Brittonic which was the language of Briton and it’s a language that only Wales and England can still speak fluently. Though England was not a son of Briton, that was Wales, she still wanted to make sure her child of Rome knew that he was just as much of a Briton as he was a Roman; she didn’t want Rome to indoctrinate their son with the same hatred towards Briton that he has.

Onto Scotland and Ireland, Scotland is the oldest child of Albion and his father was The Picts. Ireland is the second oldest, the only girl, and her father was The Gaels. Should also mention that Ireland was not raised by Albion; she lived with her father away from the main isle. I have no specific reason for this, The Gaels simply wanted their daughter to come with him and Albion wasn’t complaining.

Sadly, I don’t have much to say about these two as they weren’t involved much with Rome nor the empires conquest of Britain. While Scotland had gotten invaded, it was not fully as the Roman’s were unsuccessful and left the majority of Scotland unconquered. Though in the world of personifications, once Rome had invaded the lower British isles where Scotland was living with his mother and brother, he left them to go in the northern areas where his father was for his own safety. And for Ireland, they were never invaded by the Roman’s. Though I have this idea that Albion kept the Ireland being her daughter a secret from Rome in an effort to protect her which in turn made Ireland being the sister of England, Wales, and Scotland something England only discovered centuries later.

Now onto the invasion—I don’t actually have that much to say about the invasion but more so about the ending results. The invasion ended with Briton death (I’ll talk more about my HCs on nations deaths later but just know Briton died after losing a fight and got his heart eaten), Albion being forced to change her name to Britannia and marry Rome, and the birth of Albus who is the child of Rome and Britannia.

England only got a governmental title after the death of his mother. He did not have a province to represent until the split of Roman Britain and the creation of Britannia Superior and Inferior which he took the mantle of Superior, effectively replacing his mother. And after Rome fell he was called Englaland. So during his Rome-Britain years but before his mother’s death he was just called by his human name at the time, Albus.

Now the reason I made England the Superior was because the capital was of Britannia Superior was called Londinium which would later on become London. And for Wales, he represented the province of Britannia Inferior even though he should’ve been Britannia Superior. This was done because Rome did not like Wales, and he did not like Wales because Wales was the child of Briton. Before the death of Britannia, Rome would just ignore the child’s existence but once she was gone all Rome had left to represent and eventually replace her was their own son and the son she had with another whom he hates.

Ending this on a note: I know Birton was the umbrella term for the tribes in the isles but Celtic Britons were also known as The Britons so that’s why I’m using Briton but just know Briton is supposed to represent the Celtic Briton tribe.

[theofficialpresidentofmars]

zuko and katara have genuinely SUCH an interesting dynamic and relationship to explore when you don’t have a bitch in your ear trying to tell you they should kiss.

like there’s nothing objectively wrong with shipping zut4ra but i CANNOT find any proper duo content of them that isn’t romantic or romantically implied and it annoys me. no i don’t think they would work. no i don’t think Katara would give up her man for that guy of all people. no I don’t think Zuko would be romantically interested in Katara. yes i do think that reducing all of their feelings towards each other into ‘romance’ oversimplifies and undermines the depth of the platonic relationship that they actually do have in established canon. yes whatever I’m sure there’s something sweet about a boy trying to get a girl to forgive him by helping her get revenge on the guy that killed her mom but don’t you think that it’s actually much more profound if there are no romantic ulterior motives whatsoever and it’s actually just a demonstration of the lengths Zuko will go to because he cares deeply about his friends and their feelings and what they think about him and he wants Katara to like him and he’s genuinely sorry that he broke her trust by warming up to her slightly before betraying them and to make sure she knows that he was being sincere and he actually was touched by what she said he tries to find a way for her to heal a wound that he knows tears her apart and it’s a wound he wishes he could heal in himself. and he does it because he’s trying to earn her forgiveness, not her love. he’s trying to earn himself the right to look her in the eye, not to hold her hand. he’s trying to amend for the mistakes of his people for nothing but the better of others.

and when Katara offers to heal him in the cave, it’s not because she’s fallen head over heels at all, or even in the slightest. she’s the first to see the light in him, and she sees a boy who’s been hurt by the fire nation in a similar way to her. she recognises that if she can convince him to come with her now, the gaang is up by a firebending teacher and a friend at best, and down an enemy at least at worst. for a moment she sees him for who he is and what he’s been through and it’s not because she likes him. the thought doesn’t even cross her mind, it’s just in her nature as a person to be caring and understanding and she has the help she can tell he needs, so she extends a hand.

and when they face Azula together? Katara was the first to reach out when it was almost the right time, and she’s the one who’ll be there to help him see it through. When he takes a bolt for her, isn’t it more profound that he jumps in front of the bolt not out of romantic love, but because Zuko is the kind of person who would put himself in mortal danger for anyone he cared about? Because his heart’s too big and because he’s seen those he love get hurt too many times to stand there and let them take it?

anyway I’ve spent too much of this post refuting romance but not actually expressing what it is i do like about their platonic dynamic but it’s late and i don’t have the words. so i’ll just say it’s such in that it would be really funny if Zuko instead dated Katara’s brother. and they yap together and she gives him a list of interests and he tells her embarrassing date stories. they also yap a lot about Aang because like. Zuko’s bff and Katara’s bf he’d probably come up a lot. also Maiko’s platonic shit-talking exes/close friends dynamic solos their romantic dynamic but that’s a discussion for another day ^-^

ship name censored because I don’t intend for any negativity to actually intrude upon certain shipping spaces lmao. i’m rarely opinionated but i don’t really care tbh i just wish there was more platonic stuff out there or i saw less romantic stuff el oh el

[anathemaspeaks]

can i please get fluff number 13, "delete that! i look disgusting." and 14, "your flirting is so bad it's adorable." with gojo 😁

here you go 🫶

requests are open! (please request stuff)

check out my prompt list.

you stood in front of satoru, arms flailing around comically, trying to jump up and reach the phone in his hand. you never stood a chance. he just stayed in the same position, an arm lazily outstretched above his head, eyes filled with glee and laughs escaping his throat at your futile attempts at capturing his phone from him.

"delete that! i look disgusting" you demanded, thoroughly annoyed by his antics, hair messy, with both of you standing on top of your bed.

"disgusting? i happen to think this is your best picture yet!" he said, eyes filled with mirth, mocking your current helpless state, the wide grin on his face ever-present.

"gojo satoru-"

"not the full government name" he gasped, seemingly offended. drama queen.

the picture of you was downright horrendous. you were napping, mouth wide open, a little bit of drool on the side, head on your pillow with your hair as wild as a bird's nest. and click! he took a picture, being the spectacular friend he is.

but ever the dumbass, the shutter sound woke you up, which brought you to your current predicament.

you tried to reach up again, only this time, you lost your balance and landed right into his toned chest, causing you both to topple down onto your plush bed, with you falling on top of him. red from both the intimacy and frustration, you were still trying your hardest to retrieve his phone.

"that picture is a national threat" you reasoned, trying to convince him, looking into his eyes.

"national treasure, you mean?" he asked with a small smirk, eyes boring into yours. oh. they're really blue. now mere inches away from him, with you straddling his body with your own, you realized he was blushing, light pink dusting his cheeks.

"oh, so you want it because you want me, huh?" you teased. what you weren't expecting was for him to blush even more, now completely flustered.

"n-no!" he started, eyes shifting away from yours, the cocky demeanor from a minute ago now gone. "it's just for blackmail, because-"

"aw, your flirting is so bad it's adorable" you interrupted, catching your tongue when you realized what you just said. he paused.

"adorable, huh?" he looked into your eyes again, cocky smirk reappearing. shit. now you were the one blushing and avoiding his ardent stare.

the air had changed all too quickly, the witty comeback dying on your tongue at the sheer intensity of his gaze. you let out a meek "maybe," and that was all the confirmation he needed.

he tiled his chin, fingers lightly grazing your jaw and pulling you closer, noses almost touching. you could feel his teasing smile, the glint in his eyes shifting from playfulness to fondness and uncertainty, searching yours for permission.

you leaned down, and his mouth captured yours in a soft, hesitant kiss. warmth flooded through your body, eyes fluttering shut at the feeling of his lips on yours. you moved your hands into his hair, only breaking apart when you both were breathless, matching soft smiles on both of your flushed faces.

he tucked a strand your hair behind your ear gently, before letting his hand rest on your cheek with an unfamiliar shyness in his eyes.

"i should blackmail you more often" he quipped, breaking the silence, the stupidly handsome smirk back on his face.

"shut up" you mumbled, rolling your eyes. a smile tugged at your lips nevertheless.

"make me" he replied, voice deep and smooth, already leaning up to capture your lips in another kiss.

sorry this is bad 😭

likes, reblogs, and follows are appreciated <3

[lovely-p-issues]

I have this fanfiction idea for times when my English will become acceptable: (it was in my drafts for months and tbh if I didn't post it today like this, with mistakes and stupid parts, I wouldn't have posted it at all, so, sorry ig)

Book 1: The war

How it all started

Let's make Azulon not madly-evil, but just regular-size-evil: he didn't plan to kill Zuko, because it's a stupid idea to get rid of your possible heir, he just wanted to take a son from Ozai - so he decided to make Zuko Iroh's heir, de facto making him Iroh's son (let's not focus on formality, just assume that you can switch your fathers if you are highborn enough)

(Zuko's life isn't in danger, so Ursa doesn't kill Azulon and he'll be ruling at least to the end of that book)

It may seem a great idea (especially in comparison with killing Zuko) but we can't forget that Iroh just lost a son and is still in grief, absolutely not ready to take care of another kid. He still needs to learn how to find a new path and calm his spirit and now he needs to do it with Zuko around him.

Iroh decides to take Zuko with him for his journey - Azulon approves this, seeing his son (and heir) needs to learn how to live after losing Lu Ten and thinking that Iroh may finally teach Zuko some actual fire bending

"I do not want to want to leave, Azula. I'm sorry, little sister."

"Whatever, Zuzu. At least you won't be distracting me from my lessons. Finally, something good comes from this whole fuss around you."

(In fact, she's not happy. Not at all)

______

At this point, Iroh is not yet the nice old man you know from ATLA. He's a broken man, trying to find a purpose in his life, triggered by Zuko's alikeness to Lu Ten and tired of being imposed on things like taking care of a teenager.

He's not Ozai, he's not cruel or even just bad, he just can't force himself to care.

They don't really talk, only sometimes to establish a plan for their further journey. The worst moments are when Iroh calls Zuko Lu Ten's name and then suddenly stops, looking at him in shock. After that kind of incidents, they stay silent for days.

Zuko starts to blame himself for being, well, alive, when his much better cousin is dead. He convinces himself it would be better if he died and Lu Ten lived.

Zuko spends most of his time alone. He hates making Iroh sad and upset so he chooses to stay away. He doesn't know what this all thing with White Lotus, he just likes the idea of his uncle/formal-dad having friends.

Yet, they travel all around the world and for the first time in his life Zuko sees what sharing progress and civilization by Fire Nation looks like. And he doesn't like that.

He's still loyal to his family, so he doesn't believe that his grandfather knows what is happening.

He decides that he needs to make a proper report (soul of writer, ya know).

He makes notes and talks with people, even if he hates how awkward it is. He believes that it's necessary to help them.

I think it's a wonderful idea to see Zuko interviewing - I mean, investigating-

Zuko's raport list - random traders complaining about the difficulty of staying afloat, - migrants who are fleeing war or have lost their homes to fighting, prisoners of war (this doesn't go down too well, thank goodness Zuko is still a kid and his passion seems adorable so no one kills him), - strange ladies in nice outfits who are paid by horrible men for no one knows what, - malnourished scarred soldiers of the Fire Nation, - children of the Earth Kingdom who teach him their stupid game (once he understood the rules, it wasn't THAT stupid, but still), - crazy old ladies, who won't stop pinching his cheeks, - a young girl with a scar on her face who didn't want to tell him much, but Zuko knew what accidental burns looked like and this wasn't one of them, - a group of artists whose theatre burned down after they refused to perform plays approved by the Fire Nation authorities, - a mother who asks him if he knows what happened to her son who was an earth bender and one day. .. just didn't come home

But we all know that Zuko always prefered to act than think. Pretty often Sometimes he disappears for a night. With him disappears an old, theatre mask.

Son came home and left with his mom. Someone left some gold for the soldiers to buy food. Someone bought the most useless things from traders. Someone left burn ointment made by someone who must have grown up surrounded by fire, on the doorstep of the poor girl. And many other, strange things happened.

Of course no one suspects anything or anyone. Trust me. Not a single soul.

______

Zuko is still training but can't even be angry enough to make a big fire. He's just frustrated and that makes him choke with smoke more than anything.

But with every other day, he feels worse. He gets letters from Azula who started to receive more attention from their mother since Zuko was away. When Ozai's influence is limited, she becomes a little more normal. She's still sharp as a knife and dangerous, but feeling loved by both her parents (even if Oazi is more focused on trying to control her and transform her into a weapon) decreases her psychopathic behaviour.

"Mom asked me to take care of your stupid turtle ducks, dum dum"

She thinks he will be happy hearing that she spends time with their mom, and Zuko, honestly, is happy. It's just-

"Am I even still her son since I'm Uncle Iroh's heir?"

-where is his place now?

For the first time in days, he feels an actual rage. And just like this, his fire bending becomes hundreds of times better, even unhinged and dangerous.

Iroh sees this while coming back from meditation (or whatever) and in a second feels that something is wrong.

He reaches out to Zuko, offering him some advice and lessons, but Zuko, a 13-year-old, harmfully lonely and practically neglected at this point prince, can't hold back anymore:

"YOU WANT TO TEACH ME AFTER MONTHS OF IGNORING ME? YOU'RE JUST LIKE FATHER, HE LOOKS AT US ONLY WHEN WE ARE ABOVE EVERYONE ELSE! WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP ME WHEN I COULD NOT HOLD A LITTLE FLAME IN MY HANDS? I DON'T NEED YOUR STUPID ADVICE NOW! YOU WEREN'T THAT WISE WHEN YOU LOST BA SING SE AND GOT LU TEN KILLED"

Iroh sters at him calmly for a few seconds.

"You are right. I wasn't. I'm trying to do better. If you change your mind about training, you know where to find me."

Zuko comes to his Uncle by night.

They don't really train. They drink tea instead.

And it becomes a habit.

After a few days, they start to actually train.

They need to breathe a lot. It's too much for Zuko, but Iroh is rather stubborn about this one.

After a few weeks, for the first time in his life, Zuko feels that fire bending is soothing and just pleasant. It feels like home.

It can't last forever. Of course.

______

They stayed for a long time in the Earth Kingdom. One day Zuko sees Ba Sing Se and vast fields of previous battles, trampled, dry land and piles of burnt bodies.

It's not the work of some mad general or bunch of scared soldiers fighting for their lives. It's his chubby nice tea-loving uncle's work. This is not an accident, an accidental casualty of war. They are the pride of the Fire Nation. This is their honour. This is their civilisation and progress.

That's what his family is doing to the world. Purposely.

Something is breaking inside him. Thoughts of mourning for Lu Ten. No one has ever mentioned all those bodies, the people who died here too. His uncle, his good uncle, his father, the pride of his Nation, only cried over his son. He never even hesitated to burn to a crisp anyone who defended his home. Against them.

Zuko isn't very smart, as we know. He screams a lot at Iroh. And then he leaves.

He thinks to himself, that Lu Ten, who actually fought in those battles would understand that it was wrong. But Lu Ten would also know what to do about it.

He wanders for days, trying to avoid people, untill

He crushes into something.

"Why are you running, flame-boy? Your pants are on fire?" *wild laugh*

And this is how Prince Zuko met Lady Toph Beifong.

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

Self-Aware! BSD x SAGAU Imposter AU Crossover ideas. ADA Edition

Previous posts: [I] [II ] [IV] [V] [VI] [VII] [VIII] [IX]

🐯 Turns out, Nakajima Atsushi's ability had an interesting quirk. It makes tigers see Atsushi as one of them. Moreover, Atsushi is viewed as the dominant tiger. So, Atsushi can command tigers. He will order Rishboland Tigers to attack people, that hunt you down during Imposter Hunt. Will also bring you Rishboland Tigers cubs to play and cuddle.

📒 Kunikida Doppo will always stay near you. He will take care of you and insists on following the schedule. It actually helps you, because, you didn't have a peaceful routine when you were in Teyvat.

🩺 Yosano using her ability, so captured people of Teyvat can be punished again and again. She helps others during questioning.

Always near you, checking your health. Will buy you pretty clothes.

🌨️ Junchirou Tanizaki will use his ability to slowly drew people, who hunted you insane. Will create special illusions for you (favorite place, person). Will cook anything you want.

👩🏻 Naomi Tanizaki will be a spy. Will gather intel on 'Creator', on Teyvat people. Will keep you company, bringing gossip.

🍵 Kirako Haruno will be another spy. Will make you green tea.

🛏️ Turns out, Tayama Katai's ability works on Ruin machines of Khaenri'ah and King Deshret's mechanisms. Katai will make them attack capitals. It actually makes Teyvat people question the power of 'Creator'. If they can be overpowered by 'Imposter's' follower, are they really all-powerful?

🐄 Kenji Miyazawa is kept away from Teyvat. There is a possibility, that he will go on a rampage the moment he got there. Instead, he stays near you. He Will offer to do some gardening together.

🐰 Kyouka Izumi is also staying close to you. She is waiting for the right time to strike. She will ask Kouyou and Verlaine for more combat lessons. 

🕵🏻 Ranpo Edogawa makes a name for himself in Teyvat. After he became famous as a detective, he will start framing people. He will frame Ninguang for tax invasion, Kamisato siblings for slavery and Childe for murder.

Watch mystery TV series with you. Will share his candies with you. Will try to make you smile.

👘🗡️ Fukuzawa Yukichi became full-time bodyguard for you. Will drink tea with you and play with tiger cubs Atsushi brought. If needed, Fukuzawa will become an assassin again.

🪢🦀 Dazai Osamu is using all his intelligence to destroy Teyvat nations. He is planning to choke 'Creator' with his own hands. 

He will stay close to you. Dazai will tell you jokes, will cuddle with you and do anything he can, to make you smile.

______

Tag list: @withered-blossoms

[alexanderwales]

I've heard some people lauding the NATO phonetic alphabet, and am just sort of scratching my head about that.

Like, here were the criteria for words in the alphabet:

Be a live word in each of the three working languages.

Be easily pronounced and recognized by airmen of all languages.

Have good radio transmission and readability characteristics.

Have a similar spelling in at least English, French, and Spanish, and the initial letter must be the letter the word identifies.

Be free from any association with objectionable meanings.

But then you look at what they actually picked and it's like ... okay, you picked a bunch of names? You picked "Whiskey"? On the assumption that what, this is a drink that's common everywhere in the world? That everyone is fine having an alcoholic drink as one of the words? Nowadays I can pull up a global map of whiskey consumption, but that's not something they could do in the 50s, and I would guess that they were not considering e.g. Muslim pilots. (Some places do actually change out "Whiskey" for this reason, along with other regional variants, which are exactly the sort of thing you want in a standard everyone is supposed to be on the same page about.)

And alright, whatever, I think the list is kind of confusingly culturally bound given what the criteria were, but it served its purpose well enough ...

Except that as standards do, it began to be used in other places, including by civilians, and including by civilians when both parties have not agreed on the NATO phonetic alphabet. It would be great if we all had an agreed upon phonetic alphabet that everyone knew, but the fact that some people don't know it makes it a lot worse, particularly if you're on a customer service call, and particularly if you're on a customer service call with someone who is not a native English speaker and who was not raised in the same cultural context that the NATO phonetic alphabet assumes.

If you, like me, love terrible quality PDFs, then some helpful soul made a FOIA request for "The Evolution and Rationale of ICAO Spelling Alphabet", and you can read it. This is a fun read for me, because it's not just concerned with the phonetic alphabet, but the history of it, and in one case they're just like "welp, we have been completely unsuccessful in locating this file". And I'm sitting here in 2024 reading a ratty PDF of a file from 1959, thinking "yup, that's how it is sometimes, they do all that work making a report and then no one fucking preserves it".

(Most of the document is about whether they would use the US-UK version or the ICAO version, and then some modifications and why they were made, and this is all interesting, but I'm kind of still scratching my head about some of these, especially given what they say the criteria were. "An international alphabet designed to fit the multilingual requirements of all nations"? Maybe they really thought that's what they were doing in the 1950s.)

Anyway, this isn't to say that I think we need a new, better phonetic alphabet, just that I think the current one is not actually the pinnacle of standards that some people seem to think it is, and in fact, it contains a lot of baggage from the time and place it was made. Further, it's being used in places well outside the environment it was made for, and unless everyone is trained in it (and maybe even if they are) some of the deficiencies get magnified.

[proximasc0rner]

Hatchetverse theory/headcanon: the lords in black are monsters of our own creation.

So. In a previous post, I mentioned that the LiB might have ages in that they're born of some kind of evil, with Wiggly being the oldest "sin" for lack of a better word. And I think I like that idea the more I think about it! So, just for fun, I'm making a list of them from oldest to youngest:

Wiggly - Wrath. I- I think this one is kinda self explanatory I mean his name is LITERALLY Wiggog Y'Wrath what else do you want from me here- but in all seriousness, I think it fits. The oldest evils humans have known have existed because of wrath. The desire to hurt others due to a sense of justice or entitlement, or even just because one was having a bad day and needed to take it out on someone. Tale as old as time.

Nibbly - Nibbly. Where to start with you. I don't want to go with the basic-ass "gluttony" thing, sooooo... I think with Nibbly, it's more abstract than that. Humans don't just hunger for food-- they hunger for power. Power over themselves, power over some others, or, god forbid, power over entire groups and nations. Hunger for the prize. Hunger for fulfillment. I think we see this demonstrated really nicely in Honey Queen! But yeah, I think this abstract "hunger" is also something primal, like wrath. I wouldn't be surprised if Nibbly and Wiggly came into existence at the same time, but Wiggly just kinda took over.

Tinky - Sadism. YES I AM ONCE AGAIN GOING FOR THE EASY CHOICE SUE ME. Anyhoo, I personally think that Tinky came into existence with the first real atrocity. Not murder over an argument. Not an act of desperation. Just an act of cruelty for cruelty's sake. Sometimes I wonder why I like him so much. WHATEVER I BELIEVE IN BASTARD OF TIME AND SPACE SUPREMACY.

Blinky - This one was tough, but I think I got a semi-satisfying answer (for me anyway): I think Blinky represents the evil that is being a bystander. Like, someone commits a great evil and destroys someone's life in front of a crowd, and all the people just... watch it happen. They don't step in or intervene. They simply allow this evil individual to keep being evil, thereby becoming accomplices in that way. Again, wouldn't be surprised if Tinky and Blinky were twins, because I think atrocities and bystanders unfortunately go hand in hand.

Pokey - Exhibitionism! No wonder he's the youngest-- while vanity and desperately trying to gain the approval of others has been a thing for a very long time, I think that once better forms of communication and presenting yourself to the world (cough cough the internet cough cough) is when things really would've taken off. Everyone wants their voice to be the loudest. Everyone wants to be a star. So everyone puts on a show for everyone else as they desperately try to claw their way to the top.

But yeah. That's my idea of it. The lords in black are a threat, and we've got nobody but ourselves to blame.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Reptile Awareness Day

Every October 21 is National Reptile Awareness Day. Godzilla. Reptar. Yoshi. The Geico Gecko. Those two lizards that always hang out around your back porch. These are just a few of the famous reptiles we love. But on October 21, we celebrate all of our cold-blooded friends. This day is observed to educate and raise awareness of  threats to the natural habitats that our reptilian companions rely on to survive.

History of National Reptile Awareness Day

While the history of reptiles may go hundreds of millions of years back, National Reptile Awareness Day has an unfortunately short history in comparison. Additionally, it wasn’t really until 1966 when the first Endangered Species Act was passed that awareness of the needs and threats facing reptiles (or any animal, for that matter) started to make its way into our cultural mainstream. 

With the passing of that act, a mid-century push toward conservation started taking the forefront. Updates were passed in 1967 and 1969. Additionally, in 1967, the Environmental Defense Fund created their historical efforts to ban DDT from usage in the United States. Much of this was movement was sparked by Rachel Carson’s seminal book, Silent Spring, which documented the adverse effects pesticides and other chemicals have on the environment. 

National Reptile Awareness Day wouldn’t exist without the efforts of that movement. In fact, many reptiles wouldn’t be around today without the help of the Endangered Species Act. While National Reptile Awareness Day may have a small history compared to its subjects, its still part of a historically important movement to help protect and conserve all species of animals.

National Reptile Awareness Day timeline

315 million years ago

Prehistoric Reptiles Evolve

Reptiles are considered to have evolved from amphibians around this time. While many have perished along the way due to mass extinction, many (such as crocodiles and sea turtles) still remain

66 million years ago

The End of the Reptilian Era

The end of "The Age of Reptiles," a period of time where dinosaurs and other massive reptiles roamed around as if it were Jurassic Park. This began "The Age of Mammals," while, despite the name, reptilian species continued to diversify and thrive but at a much, much, much smaller size. 

1978

The Loggerhead is Listed

The loggerhead sea turtle, one of the more famous reptiles, is listed as endangered, mostly due to bycatch in fishing gear but also because of loss of nesting habitats. 

1987

See Ya Later, Alligator

The American alligator is officially removed from the protected species list, making a remarkable comeback from near extinction after spending twenty years on the list.

National Reptile Awareness Day FAQs

When is National Reptile Awareness Day?

National Reptile Awareness Day is every year on October 21. 

How do I celebrate National Reptile Awareness Day?

There are many ways to celebrate National Reptile Awareness Day, such as donating to a reptile conservation, visiting a national park, or learning to identify reptiles. 

Is a turtle a reptile?

The placement of turtles within the reptile kingdom has historically been up for debate, but so far they are still considered to be reptiles.  

National Reptile Awareness Day Activities

Donate to a reptile conservation programThere are a lot of different organizations that want to continue educating the public about our reptilian friends. One way they do this is by also advocating for us to have the ability to keep reptiles as pets. Donate to your favorite organization to help them continue being the voice for reptiles.

Visit a National ParkRegardless of what part of the country you live in, reptiles play a major part in your ecosystem. By visiting your nearest national park, you're helping promote a place that is dedicated to preserving the natural habitats for all animals that live in that area - including, of course, the reptiles. Some notably reptilian parks are Joshua Tree, Big Bend, and the Everglades.

Identify a reptile (or two, or three)Consumer science is an important part of helping researchers understand where our cold-blooded friends live and their population densities. Many identification apps are created by institutions to help draw in that data. If you see a lizard or other reptile, use an app to ID it. This helps scientists understand where certain populations live and how well they're adapting among us. The Audubon Reptiles & Amphibians app is a great place to start.

Why We Love National Reptile Awareness Day

Their body armor: Reptiles are known for having thick skin, literally. Their armored body is made up of scales or boney plates (yes, some have their bones on the outside) to protect them from the daily wear and tear. How cool is that?!

Lizards, turtles, and snakes, oh my!: Because some of the most awesome characters/creatures on TV, or in the films we watch, are reptiles. They are sometimes dramatized to be huge and scary, like Godzilla, and other times are hilarious, like the Geico Gecko.

They make the best pets: No backyard to have a dog? No problem! Most reptiles can be kept indoors in naturally adorned tanks. They are easily maintained and make for an educational experience for kids learning about the environment.

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National Reptile Day

Not every person can look at a boa constrictor named Barbara or a toad named Frank and think lovable thoughts. However, National Reptile Day is the perfect day for the squeamish and admirers alike to appreciate the role these creatures play in our ecosystem. We celebrate these reptiles on October 21 — where fans take the time to educate others about habitat loss, conservation programs, and the importance of keeping reptiles off the endangered list. Below we share what you can do to celebrate this holiday — even from a distance.

National Reptile Day timeline

​400 BC

The beginning of recording reptiles

​The methodological study of reptiles dates back to the time of philosophers Aristotle and Pliny.

​1852

A prehistoric discovery was made ​

​Traces of the oldest known reptile, called the Hylonomus lyelli, were discovered in a fossilized tree stump in Nova Scotia.

​1998

​Saving the Galapagos

Ecuador enacted the Galapagos Special law, to create the Galapagos Marine Reserve and protect the island wildlife (including the Galapagos Tortoise), manage fisheries, and inspect quarantine measures.

National Reptile Day Activities

Reacquaint yourself with reptiles: Spend some time holding and interacting with reptiles — perhaps at a pet shop — where snakes, frogs, or lizards are just a short car ride away.

Donate to a conservation program: Contribute to programs designated to protecting endangered species. Many reptiles are still hunted for their use in leather or to meet consumer demands. In several regions, this type of hunting is a big problem due to the role most reptiles play in their specific ecosystems.

Read about reptiles: Spend a day at the library researching and learning new things about reptiles. You may even find your future pet in the process.

​5 Quirks Only Reptiles Could Have

​The Fantastic Four​: There are four orders of species: the Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators, etc.), the Tuatara (lizard-like), the Squamata, (includes lizards and snakes), and the Testudines (turtles, tortoises, and terrapins).

​Baby it's cold inside​: The majority of all reptiles are considered ectothermic, meaning they rely on their environments to regulate their internal body temperature, reproductive health, immune system functioning, and daily stamina.

​Larger than Life: One of the largest reptiles on record is the salt water crocodile, which can measure over twelve feet long and weigh more than a thousand pounds.

​Circle of life: ​All reptiles play an important function in their ecosystem; for example, lizards control insects and pests in homes and gardens, while snakes keep rodents under control in urban life and in the countryside.

Survival! The way reptiles adapt to their environments allows them to create defensive behaviors in fights, to reproduce, hunt for their food, or anticipate a dangerous situation.

Why We Love National Reptile Day

A time to love our pets: Reptile owners get a special day to appreciate their best friends every year with this holiday. This day allows us to treat our buddies and give some never-ending love and care!

A day to relax with some reps: For those of us who don’t own a reptile, but are curious, this holiday allows us to take time to observe them in their natural element. For those who are very nervous or scared of anything slithery, this is the perfect day to face those fears.

We expand our knowledge: Taking the time to learn about these different species allows us to appreciate the environment we both share. This day is perfect to teach children about animals and nature.

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[indigostreak-inthesky]

Dripping Honey

Pairings: Danny x reader

Warnings: smut, oral (f receiving) use of hands, like one line about masturbation, 18+ only minors dni!!! , talk of stress/ anxiety

Author’s Note: hello! I have never ever posted or even written anything of this caliber before, but Jooty Nation saw it first & encouraged me to post! Please enjoy :)

(Also yes I did add a Taylor Swift reference in here iykyk)

There are several things you love about being a teacher. Really, there are- you get to be the only smiling face some of your students see all day; you get to share in their excitement when they finally master the concept of long division; you get invited to dance recitals, baseball games, cheer competitions, and theater performances; and above all, you get to build a little family every school year with the children who walk through your door. Because of these things, most of the time, you absolutely love your job. There are just some things that occasionally make it hard to remember why you’re there.

For example, today. It’s the first day back for teachers before students enter the building next week to start a brand new school year, and you walked into your classroom expecting to see your furniture piled neatly where it had been left in May, meticulously labeled with your name and room number. Instead, you walked into a relative shit show- your furniture is spread around the room; desks don’t match; you’re missing a lamp, a bookshelf, and a stepstool; and all of your bulletin boards have been sprayed with wax from the floors sometime during the summer months, meaning you were going to have to take all four of them down and start from scratch. And to top it all off, a dead rat had been waxed to your floor.

With a sigh, you had set your things down and gone to the faculty meeting, spending the better part of the morning in your school’s cafeteria listening to your admin go over staffing and schedule changes, making a list of all the things you needed to do before you left for the day and made it back home, wishing your boyfriend would be there but knowing he was out of town. When you finally made it back to your room, it had taken the rest of your contracted time to hunt down the missing items from your room and return the things that didn’t belong to you to their rightful owners; you weren’t sure what the floor crews had been thinking when they put things away after waxing the floors, but it definitely wasn’t about putting things back where they actually belonged.

Which is why, when you walked through your door after a long first day back, you dropped your gym shoes by the door and immediately face planted into your couch, groaning your frustrations into a pillow and fighting the tears welling up in your eyes. You didn’t notice the bag sitting by your kitchen island, or the pair of lowtop Nike Blazers sitting next to your Birkenstocks by the door. You only realized something was off when you heard the soft sound of footsteps coming from your bedroom, and peeked up to catch a glance of your favorite set of curls before scrambling up off the couch and launching yourself at your boyfriend.

Danny laughed, your favorite sound in the world, and picked you up by the backs of your thighs as you wrapped your legs around his waist. He spun you around gently in a circle before setting you back safely on the ground, leaning down to hold your face between his palms and giving you a soft kiss before you bury your head in his chest once again. “Hi, honey,” came his muffled voice from where he had his head atop yours, placing a kiss on the crown of your head. “Is it safe to say you’re surprised?”

“Daniel Wagner, you weren’t supposed to be home for another week!” you say, looking up into his pretty hazel eyes. “What are you doing here?”

Danny guides you to sit down on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table and moving your legs to where they’re laid over his lap, his arm around your shoulders and left hand playing with the cartilage piercings on your left ear; an endearing habit you’ve come to learn he doesn’t realize he’s doing most of the time.

Though your drummer has his own ears pierced, he’s been taken with your piercings since you met in Nashville a year ago. It shocked Danny that an elementary school teacher could have 12 visible piercings in your ears and nose, and now he enjoys helping you pick out new jewelry for your constellation piercings and will pick up fun earrings for your first holes while he’s out on tour, sending pictures of planet earrings that “will be so perfect for your space unit,” or mushroom earrings “because your students need to see what a fungi you are. Get it?” (You got it, you just didn’t want to encourage his terrible joke. You did love the earrings, though.)

Danny gently runs his hand up and down your shin, rousing you from your thoughts and bringing your attention back to the question at hand- what was he doing here?

“We have a couple days off between shows, and I know I said I was going to just hang out with the guys instead of flying back here, but I know how stressful this week is for you every year, plus they all wanted to spend a few days in their own beds, too. We caught an early flight this morning and packed weekender bags, so I’m all yours for the next 3 days, honey!” His small smile broke into a full grin, and Danny spread his arms wide, taking a sarcastic little half bow while sitting next to you.

You feel your eyes well up with tears anew, taken aback by your boyfriend’s selflessness and the magnitude of your love for him. He frowns slightly, pulling you in to nuzzle into his side and rubbing your arms up and down comfortingly. “What’s wrong, honey? Don’t cry, what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry,” you sniffle, “I’m just really thankful for you and I love you a lot. You have no idea how stressed I was today, and I don’t know how I’m going to get my classroom ready in time for Back to School Night on Wednesday, and I missed you so much, and I had to spend all day in meetings and moving furniture by myself and I’m only 5’5” and-” you hiccupped, feeling yourself getting stressed once again as Danny wiped the tears from your cheeks with the pads of his thumbs and pulled you into his chest.

“Don’t be sorry, honey,” he said softly, rocking you both back and forth as you had moved to sit on his lap, legs crossed behind his waist and head on his shoulder. He traced soft circles into your back before pushing you away slightly to brush the hair out of your face and look you in the eyes. “Tomorrow, after your meetings, I’ll come to school and help you move and set up whatever you need to set up. We’ll work until midnight, if we have to, and I’ll order pizza and we can put Star Wars or true crime or the Great British Baking Show onto your SmartBoard, and we’ll get everything done before Wednesday, I promise. But tonight, let’s take a bath, and eat the pasta I made for dinner, and lay down so you can relax before you go back tomorrow, okay? How does that sound?”

You nod your head, leaning in to kiss him softly on the lips and running your hand over the back of his curls. When you part, you rest your forehead against his, placing a peck on his beautiful nose and closing your eyes to just breathe him in, this closeness that you’ve been missing since the start of the tour and unexpectedly get to bask in. “Thank you,” you whisper into the space between your mouths, each breath mingling together. “I love you.”

Danny places another kiss to your lips, lifting you off his lap and leading you to the kitchen by your hand. “I love you, more,” he says.

As you finish dinner and put the dishes into the dishwasher, you hear the faucet turn on from the direction Danny had wandered off in. You place the last dish into the rack and start the wash cycle, padding into the bathroom to find your boyfriend on his knees, testing the temperature of the water with his hand and pouring your favorite lavender epsom salt beneath the surface of the running water. Leaning against the counter behind him, you take the opportunity to study his bare frame; his hair is unruly and has been tucked into a bun on the top of his head, curls springing out from the bottom due to his recent hair cut. His shoulders are broad, muscles rippling with every movement and his arms are bigger than they were when you first met. You feel yourself grow damp just admiring his profile, love and lust swirling in your chest and tummy and creating an almost delirious yearning within you.

Danny turns, a lopsided smile on that mouth that you love so much, and shuts the water off before moving to stand in front of you. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the view, honey, but I think you’re going to enjoy this bath much more.”

You roll your eyes, skimming your hands along his sides and feeling him shiver slightly beneath the scratch of your nails. “I don’t know,” you purr, looking up at him through your lashes. “There isn’t a whole lot I enjoy more than getting to see you naked.”

Danny flicks your nose gently, pulling at the hem of your top to remove it before moving onto your jeans, pulling them off one leg at a time. You don’t miss the way his eyes flare as he struggles a bit to get them past your ass. You place your hands on his shoulders as you step out of your pants, underwear gone with them, and he tosses the jeans to the laundry basket in the corner before softly pushing you to step into the tub. Closing your eyes, you sink beneath the surface of the water, and let out a deep breath you were unaware you had been holding. The temperature was perfect; “boiling alive degrees,” as Danny liked to say, but nevertheless you feel him sink into the tub behind you, hissing a bit as the water hits his skin and pulling you into him so that your back is flush with his chest.

You sit that way for a bit, Danny humming softly and speaking about everything and nothing. It had been almost three weeks since you had seen each other, and your drummer had endless tales from the road of the Kiszka brothers’ shenanigans and fan encounters. He washed your hair for you as you told him about your half of the time apart, how you had gone to see your family a few states away and finished two more books towards your reading goal for the year.

“And then, before one show, they brought a bunch of puppies for us to play with! Did you see that video? They were so cute, even though Jake acted like he had never pet a dog before in his life.” Danny laughed.

You giggled along with him, settling back into his chest once again and sighing. Your need for him had not been satiated, and now, after hearing his voice and his laugh, you felt like you would crawl out of your skin if you couldn’t touch him in some way. Thankfully, Danny’s thoughts seemed to align with your own, and within seconds you felt his hand inch down from your hair to your neck, moving the soaked strands away so that he could place an open-mouthed kiss to the skin between your neck and shoulder blade. Your eyes flutter shut and you let out a small whimper, going to trail your hand up his thigh when his own halts you. Frowning, you turn your head towards him with a question in your eyes.

“Let me take care of you tonight, honey,” Danny says, trailing his hands lower to cup your breasts in his palms. “You worked so hard today, and I know you’re stressed. My sweet, hardworking girl, my good girl; you gonna let me make you feel good?”

“Yes, Danny, please,” you whimper, arching your back so that your chest meets his hands. His fingers, rough from years of gripping his drumsticks and beating on his drums like his life depended on it, find the bars of your nipple piercings and tug. You bite your lip, writhing beneath his touch as he leans down to whisper in your ear.

“I am still in awe of these,” he says in a voice an octave lower than normal, his own arousal evident in the timbre of his words and the hardness you feel against your back. “Can’t believe such a sweet girl has such a dirty, sexy little secret she hides from the world.” He gives another flick to the little sword shaped bars through your nipples, pausing his words to run his nose along the column of your neck and tug the lobe of your ear between his teeth. “You’re only a dirty girl for me, though, right honey?”

You nod feverishly, earning yourself a pinch to the inside of your thigh.

“Words, honey, you know that by now. Who are you a filthy girl for, hm? Who’s the only one that gets to see these little secrets-” he pulls gently again at your pierced tits for emphasis- “and all your soft, pink places?”

You aren’t sure if you’re shivering from the rapidly cooling water temperature or the feelings Danny is evoking in you, but you answer anyways, teeth chattering, “You, Danny, baby, only you.”

Abruptly Danny stands behind you, tugging your body up with his and pulling the plug so that the water drains from the tub. He grabs a towel from the hook on the wall, first drying off your body and then his own. He wastes no time in picking you up by the waist and setting you on the bathroom counter, standing between your legs and stealing your breath away with a kiss.

“What do you want, honey?” he asks in between kisses. “My hands, my mouth, my cock?”

He’s teasing and you both know it, know that he’s stolen your voice with the way his mouth is sucking bruises onto the tops of your breasts and his fingers drumming a beat against the inside of your thigh. If you didn’t know your boyfriend, you might say the tapping of his fingers so close to where you needed him most was absentminded; and if your boyfriend didn’t know you, he might think you were squirming because of the deep purple mark being left right above one of your nipples. You both knew the other like the backs of your hands, though, which means he knew he was working you up with the way both his mouth and hands moved in tandem, and you knew he was drumming into you with purpose.

A whine escapes your throat, every one of your senses flooded with Danny, Danny, Danny. His name was the only thought in your head, just the way he liked it. “Sweet girl, are you already thoughtless?” he teased. “Just give me one word, honey, and it’s yours. Tell me what you want, and I’ll hang the fuckin’ moon for you if that’s what leaves those perfect lips of yours.”

“Y-your mouth, baby,” you almost cry. “I want your mouth.”

Danny’s eyes grow impossibly dark, and his hands grip bruisingly hard onto your hips, scooting you so that half your ass is hanging off the bathroom counter. One massive hand creeps up to circle your throat, tilting your chin up with his thumb and applying just enough pressure to have you open your eyes, unaware that they had even closed in the first place.

“I told you I’d hang the fuckin’ moon for you, and I will, honey; but only if you ask the right way. Be my sweet honey girl and beg for it.”

You knew what he wanted; you’re a few months older than your drummer, enough to have put a year between you in school (which you learned shortly after meeting him) and you have both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Educational fields. Danny graduated high school and immediately dedicated his time to the band, practicing, performing, traveling, and living that dream. He loves the fact that, despite you being older (even if it’s by less than 10 months) and ‘more educated’, you follow his directions when it comes to intimacy. He wants to be in control and guide you, make you beg and grovel for the feeling that only he can give you; and beg you will for even just a taste of the drug that is Daniel Wagner.

“Please, sir. Put your mouth on me, fuck me with your tongue, make my pussy cry from the feeling. Please, only you can make me feel so fucking good I forget my own name, Daddy.” To add to the effect, you bat your eyelashes sweetly and reach out to skim your thumbnail over his nipple. You needn’t have bothered; Danny’s eyes flashed and he crushed your mouth to his in an instant, immediately dominating the kiss by forcing his tongue into your mouth and twisting his fingers into your wet hair. He gave your strands a tug, exposing the bare skin of your jugular to his little fangs and scraping his teeth over the vein before biting down gently.

“My honey girl wants my mouth? She wants me to make that sweet little cunt cry? Oh baby, don’t you worry; I’ll eat you so good. My favorite fuckin’ dessert.”

No sooner had the filthy words left his mouth than did he sink to his knees, spreading your legs even wider and throwing your calves over his shoulders. He pressed the tip of his nose into your center, inhaling deeply as your hands come to rest atop his head and take a light hold into his curls. Danny looks up at you, grinning like a devil from between your legs and sending you a wink before diving in.

Your head hits the mirror when he licks a long strip straight up the center of your pussy, gathering every drop of arousal that had gathered between your legs. “God damn, honey, all this for me?” he asks, nudging your clit with the tip of his nose. God, that nose. You could write an epic poem about that nose and the things it does between your thighs.

You feel a sharp sting on the inside of your left thigh and yelp, glancing down to see Daniel licking over the skin to soothe his bite. “I asked you a question, y/n. Is. This. For. Me?”

“Yes! Yes, Daddy, it’s all for you, only for you. Nobody else, God, please just touch me!” You whine, chest heaving with the intensity of your need for him. Danny takes pity on you, shushing your cries with a kiss and making you jump when you feel the pad of his thumb circling your puffy clit once, twice, three times. You keen, moaning into his mouth and grasping onto his shoulders as you grind yourself onto his hand. Every time Danny touches you is like a fever; you feel fire spreading through your body and reach a peak wherever his touch meets your skin. Even if you knew it meant being burned alive, you wanted to bask in that fire, that heat, for the rest of your life.

“Okay, honey girl, okay,” Danny shushes, once again trailing his lips down your neck, your sternum, your belly, and settling onto his knees in front of you. “You’ve been so good, baby. So good. Daddy’s gonna give his honey girl what she deserves.”

You could cry with relief when you feel the tip of his tongue meet your swollen clit, burying your hands into his hair not so gently this time and grinding yourself onto his face. He gives you the softest kitten licks before traveling down to push his tongue towards your entrance, effectively fucking you with the heavenly muscle before travelling back up to your clit. Danny resurfaces only to talk to you in the way that he knows you adore, the way that only he can, pushing one thick finger into you as he does. “That’s it, y/n, use my mouth. Daddy told you he would give you what you want, but my dirty girl is so determined to take it herself. Jesus, fuck, honey, you’re so fuckin’ tight. You ready for another?”

You nod your head rapidly, still bucking your hips to ride his hand. “Shit, Danny, baby, I’m so close, can I come? Please, daddy, I’ve been your good girl, please make me come-” you cut yourself off as you feel a tear slip down your cheek. Your body feels like it’s on fire and that knot inside your belly is dangerously close to snapping. You do your best to hold yourself together, especially as Danny slips another finger into you and curls them just right to hit that spot within your body that nobody, no previous partners nor even yourself, could seem to find. Danny found it within minutes of your first time together, and has never failed to make you see stars by hitting it each time since.

“Give it to me, honey girl,” your drummer says, adding that sinful tongue of his to the wildfire that is between your thighs. “Come on my tongue.”

You didn’t need to be told twice. With a strangled cry of “oh, fuuuuck, Daniel.” your high came crashing over you in a tidal wave, the current of it pulling you under again and again as Danny licked you through it.

When you finally pulled yourself out of your orgasmic haze, Danny was stroking his own cock furiously. You had no energy to protest and watched, chest heaving, as he came by his own hand, his head thrown back and a soft “fuck,” leaving his lips.

Standing, your drummer cleans first himself off with the used towel, then walks to the linen closet and picks out a clean washcloth, running it under warm water and cleaning between your legs as well. You stick your bottom lip out when he pecks you on the nose, pouting.

“What’s wrong, honey girl?” Danny asks with his eyebrows furrowed.

You kiss the palm of his hand as it cups your cheek. “Why didn’t you let me help you come, too? I wanted to make you feel good, baby.” You chew on the inside of your cheek, the guilt at being so wrapped up in your own pleasure you failed to make your sweet boyfriend feel the same way eating at you.

Danny placed a soft kiss on your forehead, scooping you into his arms and carrying you into your shared bedroom. He placed you on your feet, making sure your legs were steady, before padding to the dresser to get pajamas out for the both of you. “Tonight was supposed to be about you, y/n,” he assures you, slipping his Church of Rock and Roll t-shirt over your head and navigating your arms through the sleeves. “You always work so hard during the first week to make sure your classroom is perfect for your students, and I wanted to take care of you tonight. You deserve to see stars after all you do.”

He moves to put on his own pjs after aiding you into stepping into your underwear and sleep shorts, sliding on a pair of threadbare plaid pants and his well-loved Howling Wolf cutoff shirt. Snuggling yourselves into bed, you lay your head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat for several minutes, matching your breaths to his own.

“Thank you, honey boy,” you whisper into the dark. “I love you.”

“I love you too, honey girl,” comes his reply. “You’re worth hanging the fuckin’ moon for.”

Giggling, you almost drift off into slumber when you hear Danny’s voice once again. “By the way, I convinced the guys to help with your room tomorrow. I’m not sure whether to say you’re welcome or I’m sorry yet.”

Suddenly, you can’t wait for tomorrow.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Y'know, if Lila was just a one-off character for Volpina and we never saw her again, a few tweaks in that episodes writing could have made it a good lesson about not letting your temper get the best of you, even in a situation where your anger is justified

This is in reference to the post where I discussed how terrible Volpina's lesson is and I agree with the proposed change. If Marinette has to be in the wrong here, that's the only way to make it kind of work. In fact, this is what I thought the episode was trying to do on my first watch. When the next season started with Lila gone, I thought, "Okay, so that episode was supposed to be about being the better person and having a more measured response when you've been wronged. I don't think it did that lesson super well, but I can see what they were going for and we'll give them some grace. Definitely one that I wouldn't just give to a kid, though. Way too high a risk of them internalizing a very wrong message."

I only gave the writers that grace because I assumed that Ladybug had truly humiliated Lila out of Paris off screen (remember, we only see Ladybug out Lila to Adrien even though Lila was lying to everyone) and that is a pretty extreme punishment for a teenager making a dumb choice. Even then, saying that Ladybug was in the wrong feels a little too victim blame-y for my tastes. Lila was the one telling the lies and using Ladybug's name for clout on a city-wide scale or possibly even a national/international scale depending on the Ladyblog's viewership. By telling those lies, Lila was harming Alya's credibility and presenting herself as a sort of authority on Ladybug, a position that she was going to use to her advantage as we saw with her manipulating Adrien. She was also putting herself at risk if Gabriel or other villains believed the lies and saw her as a way to get to Ladybug.

That means that the lies Lila told aren't exactly minor, victimless crimes like the lies Marinette and Adrien tell to hide their identities. Lilia's lies needed to be outed on the same scale that they were broadcast and there's no kind way to do that. It's going to have a brutal edge no matter how pretty the words are.

There are times when it's right to be "the better person" and let a thing go, but it's hard to view this as one of them because this was not a nuanced situation. There was no reasonable option other than issuing a public retraction and Ladybug didn't even go that far! She had a single, private confrontation with Lila and then let the matter rest. A better version of this episode might see Alya and Marinette giving a really mean retraction on the Ladyblog that they then feel bad about because they should have been more professional, but that's about it as far as possible improvements go.

If we look at what the episode actually gave us, it feels like another Gamer situation. An episode that blames Marinette for impure motivations while ignoring anyone else's faults, creating a nonsense moral that just makes me mad. Ladybug-is-wrong-for-confronting-the-liar-for-impure-reasons is certainly a take. It's just not one that I'm ever going to agree with. To give a recent, real-world example, do people really feel that James Somerton was the wronged party because his many, many lies and instances of plagiarism were outed in a brutal public takedown? (Context part 1 & part 2, though part 2 is the one to watch if you only want to see why letting lies from respected sources go unchecked can be so messy.)

To be clear, I don't think that Lila's lies were Somerton bad in Volpina, but they were starting to go down that road and they arguably reached Somerton levels by season five. Fakes identities, almost getting Marinette expelled, using her lies to get social power from Gabriel, the list goes on, which is yet another reason to hate Volpina. Its nonsense moral is a big part of why Lila could do all of that. Ladybug should have outed Lila! Society suffered and will continue to suffer because she didn't. That's why you have to stop misinformation as soon as you possibly can, but that wasn't actually the moral of Volpina. The moral was that Ladybug was in the wrong for being mean to the liar. Maybe if she'd been nicer, then Lila wouldn't be so evil now which is a very gross moral! Volpina really does feel even more victim blame-y now that Lila is the new big bad.

That's a good segue to circle back and finish off my original topic: I gave the writers grace for Volpina until Lila returned and established that she'd never been publicly outed. At that point, Volpina lost any chance at me giving it charity. The lesson was worse than I thought and I was fully justified in hating it. It's one of the ones I use when I explain why I wouldn't want a child getting into Miraculous because the problem with Volpina's moral is pretty straightforward.

[ultrainfinitepit]

When you first started making pins, how did you advertise them? And vs now? I really want to get into making some of my own :]

That's a great question! There's lots of ways to advertise and I'll share what worked for me. But your mileage may vary or you might find ways that work better for you than they did for me.

Here are my first angel pins, by the way, it's been four years since I first started if you can believe it.

Here's what I did at the beginning that I still do now:

Build your following on social media and post about your pins. This is probably the most important thing to do, but also the hardest. Focus on a small number of social media profiles that you can manage comfortably, don't stretch yourself too thin as it is important to engage with your audience to build it. Each site has their own quirks as well. I can go into detail on my favorites and what I've observed for each if anyone is curious, just send a follow-up ask.

Run crowdfunding campaigns to fund your pins and then advertise to backers. Specifically start on Kickstarter if you are a beginner. While I am loving Backerkit it is a lesser-known site and it's harder to get discovered on it. I have gotten comments from artists who worry that they need to be popular before doing crowdfunding. However in my case it was my first campaign that built my audience the most. And in my opinion, it is never a waste of time to try out a campaign. If it fails you still have the artwork ready, you can gauge interest and see which designs are popular, and you will have a starter pool of people interested in your art that you can build off of.

Create a merch newsletter and share monthly updates. Since it is independent of social media it is a lower barrier to entry for customers interested in your art; and doesn't require them to check social media and happen to catch your posts. It takes some time to build a list but you can be assured everyone who signs up is invested in your merch.

There's quite a few things I did at the beginning to get started pin making and then advertise, that I don't do now. Mainly it is an issue of time. I used to spend hours and hours running around on all these sites, as well as reading over posts for research. Nowadays, social media and shop following are enough for me. But I would recommend the following for anyone looking to start out in pin making.

Things I used to do that I would recommend, but don't do much of now:

Join PMR on Facebook and post in their weekly share thread. "Pin Maker Resource" is the best place for beginner pin makers. It is a huge group of dedicated pin makers, all eager to answer questions and provide valuable insights into pin making. Most of all, it has those manufacturer reviews and names that everyone is always asking for! I have personally posted many reviews to this group. It is open for applications once a month. You have to apply because they specifically prohibit pin manufacturers from joining so people can post their reviews freely.

Post in Facebook groups. These communities can be large so your post may get lost in the crowd, but it will be seen by people specifically looking for pins. I like "Pin & Art Collector Marketplace" and "Pin Nation." "Enamel Pin Collectors, Artists, Trades and Kickstarters!" is decent but smaller.

Join a pin Discord server and share your designs in promotion channels. Many pin collectors such as myself join these servers to look for pins to buy. We are also in multiple servers and will crosspost if we like something. I have found these servers mainly by joining pin creators' Patreon clubs.

Post on Reddit. The communities are small but a guaranteed place to find people interested in pins. I like r/EnamelPins and r/pinprojects. If your pins are for a specific audience, you can post to relevant subreddits. For example, I have shared my work on angel art subreddits.

That's just about everything I can recall. I hope this is helpful, good luck on your pin journey!

[hotpinkstars]

Okay, you asked for a request, and here I am. Because I myself also need requests and ideas for writing Genshin stories and receive exactly ZERO requests *upset sigh* And now the request itself

Reader, who is Childe's sibling or just one of the Harbingers? I love these guys and sometimes I jokingly think that the whole of Taivat hates them, not because they are the military power of Snow, but because they look too stylish and beautiful *cheerful laughter*

Therefore, why not try to write something about the Reader, who, knowing all the activities of Fatui, still loves and supports his sibilings

🍞 anon

-> one of the 11

synopsis -> you're a fatui harbinger, and particularly close to childe. you're like family to the harbinger.

warnings -> mentions of injuries, you're close to la signora in this as well lol

a/n -> hii! this was so cute and aaaaa new anon !!!!! i'm probs going to make an anon list if more people do this but yayyyy my first name anon 😊😊

w/c -> 649

you had a really… odd bond with childe.

he was just your fellow colleague, and the other harbingers + the tsaritsa herself has requested it to stay that way. but yet, the two of you always get sent out to missions together. the one time you two went to fontaine, you goofed off a little too hard. not only did childe want to duel the champion duelist herself, but you broke a few of the many rules furina has set in place and went to meropide. and then later escaped through the pipes together. hm. 

but whenever those moments occur, you treat him like your best friend! you’re close with his whole family, his siblings treat you like you’re part of their family, and his parents always welcome you in with open arms.

whenever childe has to go alone on a mission, you help support his family. with being a harbinger, you never know when your dying breath will be. especially with childe, who loves to play with his life. that stupid delusion, as you’d scold him.

his family doesn’t like your job too much, which is why you both hide it from his siblings. considering the toymaker act he puts on to preserve teucers innocence, you simply just tell him and sometimes tonia that he’s just out to sell his new stock in liyue, or whatever nation he went to for his actual line of work. 

not to mention how supportive the both of you were to each other while grieving over signora. you were also rather close with that woman, and it was a shame that she’d passed on so soon. as heartless as the other harbingers seemed during her funeral, you understood that they all chose to grieve in their own way.

you had to keep a straight face the time you were there, paying your respects to the late la signora. you listened to the others talk about their future plans for the fatui and where work will bring you next, and you said your own fair share of things. 

but as soon you were in the clear, you started crying. you knew fully well you weren’t supposed to care too hard about a woman like her. you didn’t know if any of your other colleagues felt enough emotion to her passing to even think about it. you put your resentment to the shogun in the back of your mind, running up to childe. 

“hey-” he started, cutting himself off when he saw your face. your eyes were puffy and tear-filled, lips bit chapped. “whats wrong?”

“i hated every second of her funeral. everyone seemed so unbothered,” you sniffled, letting the cold air hit your face as you check your surroundings once again. “especially the knave and the jester.”

he nodded, scrunching his eyes closed at the sudden gust of chilled wind. “considering even i feel a little tinge of grief, i doubt they’re not thinking about it. they’re harbingers, but it’s not like they don’t feel emotions.”

you nod as the tears come back. he wraps his arm around your shoulders and lets you cry into his side. you both walk back to his place, where you straighten yourself up before you walk through the door, greeting his parents with a smile and a hug.

if the time comes for combat and one of you gets hurt, the only goal is to finish the fight and get the other to the nearest infirmary. if its a near fatal injury, then other choices are to be made.

it pisses you off that even though you were asked to keep your business front around all the others or on the job, he still likes to tease and try to make you break your front. you always end up slapping him, drawing attention from the other harbingers (and it always makes them laugh. put him in his place!!!)

[imabeautifulbutterfly]

Congratulations on the milestone! You more than deserve it, such a talented writer!

I'd like to request a fic for your event. It's been a song stuck in my head for days, "The Alcott" by The National, and the character being Hunter. It's such a beautiful song and I can't wait to see how you interpret it with his character!

Thank you in advance, keep being awesome!

~🥀

Awwww @royalthunderbird that's so sweet of you!

I really hope you enjoy how I interpreted this song. It almost caught me off guard, but I was quite happy with how it turned out. Love The National and I've never heard this song before, so thank you for introducing it to me.

Love oo.

The Alcott

Warnings: Yo-yo relationship, food, declaration of feelings, angst, fluffish. I think that's it. If I miss anything please let me know.

Main Master List   | Star Wars Jukebox Roulette |   AO3 Link

You hadn’t planned on meeting Hunter, well… at least not this time. 

Both of you had been on again, off again so many times it was starting to give you whiplash. Yet, you couldn’t help it. He called and despite how many times you tried to argue, tried to justify not going, you still showed up. 

So there you were in the back of Dex’s Diner, waiting for him while you worked on your next article for HNE. You wrote in your golden notebook, writing out relevant dates and information that you’d need to look into later. 

“You want something honey?” 

You looked up to the waitress droid smiling, “Thanks Flo, could I get a Jamba Juice?”

“You got it, sweetheart.”

You watched her roll away as you focused back on the task at hand. 

Hunter stood outside the diner, just out of your line of sight. He leaned against the concrete building beside him, just watching you. The way you fiddled with the pen in your hand, the way it tapped against your lip, even the way you chewed on the end. A habit you’d been trying to break ever since the first time he met you. 

He let out a light sigh, Maker, you were still so beautiful. You had that smile on your lips, the one that you always wore. 

There was a time when you two first started going out, he asked why you always wore a smile on your face, you simply shrugged and said, “Why not? A lot of people are either having bad days or just haven’t had any sort of kindness in their life. If I can give them a little peace with a smile, then why not?”

He didn’t have a response to that; he just knew he fell in love with you at that moment. 

All he wanted to do was walk up to you, kiss you with all the passion his heart contained for you. To make you his once again, yet … he let out a breath shaking his head. He’d done this to you once too often, starting something only for either his job or yours to get in the way. 

The first time you two broke up, it was a misunderstanding between the two of you, both failing to recognize how you each felt about the other. 

The second time you broke up, it was because Crosshair implied you were only using Hunter to get classified information on the GAR.

The third time was because he misunderstood your relationship with an informant when he saw you holding their hand, simply because you were trying to console them.

Hopefully, this time … this time he could just be honest and tell you without regrets what he wanted. What he’s always wanted. 

He took a deep breath and righted himself, wiping off any visible dust, before he headed inside. 

You jotted down a few more names, as you were now on a roll with your research, questions that popped up that didn’t make sense, answers that were needed.

“H-hi cyare.”

You slowly lifted your head with a smile on your face as soon as you heard his voice, “Hey handsome. You’re late.”

He nodded as he sat, taking off his helmet and placing it on the table beside him, “Yeah, we ran into a little bit of trouble.”

“Oh! Anything good?” You teased as you smiled at him. 

“Hmm, yes and no. More of the fact that our aggressive negotiations took longer than expected.”

“Ahh, did they have better weaponry than you?” You wiggled your eyebrows, putting away your notebook and datapad, back into your satchel. 

“Sweetheart, you should know, no one has better weaponry than me.” He smirked as he looked at you.

You giggled as you nodded, “True. So…” you stopped fidgeting and focused solely on him, “how have you been? It’s been a minute since we actually spoke or even really saw each other.”

“Yeah,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Sorry, about that. Things have gotten hectic the last few months.”

“Anything I should be concerned about?”

“Not that I can think of, but you still have your go-bag ready just in case, right?”

“Always.” You smiled as your head propped on your fist, “You look good.”

“So do you,” Hunter leaned forward, smiling. He was about to ask about your life and how you were doing when Flo came over and asked if they were ready to order. 

Once she was gone, Hunter just let out a contented sigh, as he looked at you. “I think I’m falling back in love with you.”

You looked startled for a moment, pulling back to sit up a little, you didn’t know what to say really. You had never stopped loving him, but … if he was falling back in love with you, then did that mean there were still trust issues between the two of you. What if you got back together and broke up for a fourth time? Could you handle that? What if you get back together and you realize this time you’re the one who’s moved on? What if there’s another misunderstanding, or if one of his other brothers says something that causes doubt in your relationship?

Hunter watched as you fidgeted with your finger against the table. 

Flo came back with your food, leaving it on the table. Even she noticed there was something odd with the intense silence that lingered between the two of you. 

He wanted to speak, but he decided against it. He didn’t want to distract you. He sat there silently, allowing you the time you needed to figure out what to do with what he said … maybe he made a mistake saying he was falling back in love, truth was he’d never fallen out of love with you. This would’ve been his fourth attempt to get back together with you, was he stupid for trying this? Maybe you wouldn’t believe him, when he said he was in love with you. Not that he blamed you.

Was he ruining this again before anything even started?

Was it over before he even got a chance to show you he changed?

He just needed you to look up at him, to smile at him. He just needed your smile. Why did he have to open his mouth?

You took a deep breath, and slowly lifted your eyes to look at him, “You’re falling back in love with me? So… you moved on and now … you’re … what, realizing you’re back in love?”

“No. Rather, I’m realizing, I’ve never stopped loving you. I …” he swallowed the nervousness that was bubbling forth from deep within. He clenched his hands. “I was an idiot. Every one of those times we broke up, it was my fault. I … I didn’t understand what it took to actually be in a relationship, and I know I’m asking a lot from you, by telling you all this, but I don’t want to run away, anymore. I don’t want to be scared. I don’t want to think I’m not good enough… I want to give us a real try.”

You looked at him and Gods, as hard as you tried, you just couldn’t stop that smile from appearing on your lips as you looked into his eyes. What do they say, fourth times a charm?

Main Master List   | Star Wars Jukebox Roulette |   AO3 Link

Tag list:

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[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Does the public really care about Harry's visa though? On a practical level, it's not like he took from someone else or took someone else's opportunity and entered US. Most people just assume that since Harry is -

a royal

a very very rich man

a celebrity

friends with some very influential people

entitled

married to a US national

has visited US several times before 2020

has children that are US nationals

has business interests in the US

(the list could go on ..)

- he would and could very easily come and stay in the US.

But the government does have a problem on their hands with his visa. Mainly because no govt wants to be seen as granting one individual bspecial favours because of connections. His drug use is an issue, but then again, he hasn't commited a drug related crime or a crime while under the influence. Technically, it should be a problem, but lots of recreational users do get it.

What would be a problem though is of it is some sort of royal status related or LOS related A1 visa, then it reflects very badly on the UK government. And it exposes a diplomatic loophole that governments of either countries, or any country that has a recognised royal family and LoS, would not want to be made public knowledge.

One could argue however, that it is the fear of public outcry, that would deter the govts from exposing his stutus. It is also public outrage that would make the govt show accountability. Would it actually have any consequences on Harry himself? Sadly, no I don't think so. We know by now he is far beyond shame of any kind.

I'm going to break your post down point by point.

Does the public really care about Harry's visa though? The general at-large public does not care. There are other, more important things for most people to worry about.

But there are some people who do care, and care deeply enough, and have been loud enough that it's become an issue. It's a bit of a niche issue, but it's an issue for them and one that has gone all the way to the courthouse.

On a practical level, it's not like he took from someone else or took someone else's opportunity and entered US. Most people just assume that since Harry is a royal, a very very rich man, a celebrity, friends with some very influential people, entitled, married to a US national, has visited US several times before 2020, has children that are US nationals, has business interests in the US, etc., he would and could very easily come and stay in the US.

A couple of corrections first:

Harry is not a very very rich man. His father and grandmother are. We have plenty of nepo babies here. No one cares about that.

US national vs US citizen. It's a nitpicky semantics thing (and makes me think you're not American - that's okay! Welcome, hi, glad you're here.) It's better to call Meghan, Archie, and Lili US citizens because they do actually have American citizenship, because you can be a US national but not a US citizen. The semantics boil down to someone who has citizenship (citizen) vs someone who has allegiance to the country (national).

Yes, you're correct. Harry didn't take someone else's place in the immigration queue. No one cares about that.

Yes, Harry has a lot of qualifying factors - and don't forget the ultimate one: he's a white man - that helps his case with immigration and allowed him to jump parts of the queue. No one cares about that either; we're all for jumping the queue when we can. Legally and appropriately.

But the government does have a problem on their hands with his visa. Mainly because no govt wants to be seen as granting one individual special favours because of connections.

There's two governments here that we're complaining about. The US and the UK. For the US to accept Harry on a A-1 visa means Harry needed the cooperation of the UK government and the monarchy too. He needed to present to the US credentials from the UK - which are issued in the sovereign's name - to be allowed in.

No one cares that Harry has connections or that the governments give each other special favors. Everyone knows governments do this all the time.

The issue is that someone lied. Because in January 2020, we were told that Harry was stepping down as working royal and would be "just" a family member. Family members don't get diplomatic protection. Family members aren't sent on diplomatic missions. Family members don't represent the head of state in any capacity.

So for Harry to be allowed in means someone in a government somewhere lied. That's not a special favor because of connections.

His drug use is an issue, but then again, he hasn't commited a drug related crime or a crime while under the influence. Technically, it should be a problem, but lots of recreational users do get it.

Whether he has committed a drug-related crime or a crime while under the influence isn't the issue either.

The issue is that he is a known, habitual, and current drug user, which he admitted to being in Spare, and that the law, 8 USC 1182, clearly and specifically states anyone who is a drug abuser or addict is ineligible to receive a visa and ineligible to be admitted into the US.

So we have someone who was admitted to the US and received a visa and who later confessed to drug abuse in his memoir before, during, and after coming to the US. That admission led to the following questions:

Did he lie on his visa and immigration papers that he did not abuse drugs?

Did he declare his drug abuse and history on his paperwork and some official let him in anyway?

And why, for the love of god, did the lawyers let Harry keep those sections about his current drug use in the book? A good lawyer worth his paycheck would've told Harry to take all of that out knowing the problems it would cause with his visa.

The other thing to know about the US is our history with drugs. Specifically, our legal history with drugs. Thanks to a very effective 'war on drugs' campaign beginning in the 1970s, which was more or less government-sanctioned racial and socioeconomic discrimination (that's another rant for another day), tons of people have been impacted by it. People have lost jobs, careers, families, education prospects, lives, homes, rights, freedom, and yes - even citizenship because of it.

So when certain populations saw someone like Harry - someone embodying everything they hate about society - admitting he broke the law and got away with it, of course they're going to complain about it. Of course they're going to ask questions about how it happened.

So that's the issue. It's not that Harry is a drug user and doesn't have a criminal history related to it. It's that his history was ignored because he meets other criteria, other criteria that's designed to keep other kinds of people out.

What would be a problem though is of it is some sort of royal status related or LOS related A1 visa, then it reflects very badly on the UK government. And it exposes a diplomatic loophole that governments of either countries, or any country that has a recognised royal family and LoS, would not want to be made public knowledge.

Yes, the royal-related or LOS-related A1 visa reflects poorly on the UK if Harry still qualified for it despite giving that up. But that's not the issue that Americans such as myself and Empress and plenty of others are angry about.

We are aware that by being born into a royal family with a hereditary line of succession gives those family members certain privileges and abilities that the rest of the world can only dream of. We get that. We know that. (That's why we kicked them out 250 years ago.) We also know that even though our government doesn't do royalty, our culture and our society does. That's why members of all royal families are treated like wealthy celebrities, vs politicians or heads of state. So inherent to that, we know that members of royal families will be using their status to gain certain favors and access. Because that's what our wealthy famous people do, so why should someone else's wealthy famous people do something different?

What we are angry about is 1) our government conspiring (allegedly, because that's a strong word to use here) with a foreign government to permit or admit someone to the US that our laws prohibit from being here in the first place, 2) obscuring or covering up the partnership that allowed that to happen in the first place, and 3) lying about or falsifying the justification to allow it.

We know the government lies to us. They lie to us all the time. Some lies we accept. Others we don't. It's when the government covers it up that people get pissed off. It's when the government reminds us of socioeconomic inequality ("rules for thee but not for me") that pisses us off. It's when the government appears to be aiding foreign governments' manipulation of our laws and systems that pisses us off.

And that's what this is. It's a cover-up. If Harry's here on a special A-1 visa connected to his status in the Line of Succession, just come out and say that. But the fact that they've gone to such great lengths to obscure that that visa exists? There's more to it.

One could argue however, that it is the fear of public outcry, that would deter the govts from exposing his stutus. It is also public outrage that would make the govt show accountability.

Nope. They're not scared of us complaining about it. Not here in the US. It's our First Amendment. We're allowed to speak about their decisions, petition them about it, and assemble for it.

Likewise, the US government doesn't fear us holding them accountable. In the grand scheme of accountability, this isn't going to end anyone's career. No one's going to say "I didn't vote for XXXXX because they let Prince Harry in." No one's getting fired over this. The US goverment is not worried about accountability from the American public. We can demand accountability all we want but we're not a loud enough group of people to force action. The Heritage Foundation (who is suing the government on this) might be able to get something, but it's not likely. Worst case scenario, there's a congressional hearing about the "don't let drug users into the country" law that grills the USCIS staff. It's a slap on the wrist.

What the government fears is two-fold:

First, establishing a precedent. The lawsuit over Harry's visa paperwork is essentially about freedom of information. The public has a right to stay informed of the government's activities, which means they have a freedom to government information. But it doesn't mean "all" information; the government can redact and restrict the kind of information it gives in response to these information requests based on certain requirements for privacy, need to know, and authority. Essentially, if the court finds in favor of the Heritage Foundation in the lawsuit, then the court is saying that the government can no longer use certain restrictions and requirements to control certain information about private citizens...which then opens the floodgates for people to request information on other citizens - information they don't have the authority to access and information for which they don't have a need to know - on the basis that they're famous and may have used that privilege to obtain government services. You can see the privacy implications, right?

Second, what other countries will do. The US government is scared of other countries finding out about what privileges Harry and the UK government received that no one else can get. They're worried about other countries holding them accountable for this. They're worried about how other countries - especially our adversaries like Russia, China, and North Korea - will exploit these loopholes. And that is an incredibly dangerous prospect.

Would it actually have any consequences on Harry himself? Sadly, no I don't think so. We know by now he is far beyond shame of any kind.

Of course Harry won't see any consequences. He's not going to get raided by ICE. He won't be frogmarched out of a hotel speech. He won't see any consequences except for maybe Meghan divorcing him and taking custody of the kids because she's not moving back to the UK or to Africa.

Everyone else will see consequences though, and that's what this is about: protecting themselves from consequences.

The US government is protecting itself from what other countries, especially our adversaries, will do. They're also protecting themselves from an American public that will 100% exploit their loopholes and laws to demand equal and equitable treatment.

The UK government is protecting itself, and a weak King, from their people. Charles is on pretty thin ice for wanting Harry back while the British public doesn't. If they were to find out that the King, and the government on the King's behalf, lied about Harry being his representative? Man, that's a crisis. Is it an abdication crisis? I don't know. I'm not British. I couldn't tell you. But it is a crisis of faith and what happens to the monarch in a crisis of faith? Protests, calls for abolishing the monarchy, and an even more public shift in loyalty to the heir.

*** *** *** ***

I know this is long and I know I come pretty hard for anon in some places, but I hope this makes it clear: this is about more than Harry's visa. It's about systemic oppression and discrimination by a legal system and government that favors wealthy white people. It's about a potential government conspiracy to obscure someone's diplomatic status. It's about international relations. It's about a fickle fragile monarch who doesn't like criticism and can't afford any more negative coverage.

[swiftsaltsweet]

Two Knives Chapter 5: Kyoshi- Escalation

Characters: Rangi and Kyoshi (RoK characters tbh)

Pairing: Rangshi

Rating: M

Summary:

Things have been stressful for Kyoshi. First, she sang a poem and now the whole kitchen staff thinks it’s about Rangi, and is sure that there will be gossip. Then, Yun asks her to join him for the Fifth Nation treaty signing. Now Rangi’s acting strange. It’s becoming a bit much for Kyoshi’s small corner of the world.

(Canon Divergent AU- Kelsang wasn’t the one who heard the poem?….aka What if it took longer for them to realize Kyoshi was the Avatar?)

Other Sites: AO3 

A/N: The spray bottle isn’t enough, I need the horny stick and a jail for them. u_u *posts chapter and runs away embarrassed* TT0TT

_____

About two weeks passed before Kyoshi was able to talk to Yun. 

It had become extremely hectic around the mansion. Hei-Ran was really on Yun when it came to his firebending training. And when she wasn’t taking up his time, Jianzhu was. They were arranging several political meetings for the upcoming months. Treaties and laws needed signing and other such important things.  

Auntie Mui also had an enormous amount of tasks that Kyoshi needed to do. The list was so long every day, she almost didn’t have time to finish them all by the end of the day. 

There must’ve been a lot to do, because even Rangi had to chip in. Unfortunately for Kyoshi, a lot of the tasks seemed to take Rangi to the complete opposite side of the peninsula, let alone the mansion. 

But somehow, every night, Rangi would find a way to make her way back to Kyoshi. It would usually be after everyone had gone to sleep that she would show up at Kyoshi’s door.

Seeing Rangi had become the highlight of Kyoshi’s day-well…night. The only downside was they couldn’t progress their relationship as far as they wanted, due to being so dead tired every night. A combination of the overwork, and the time they spent sacrificing sleep so they could steal what tired kisses they could, would do that to you.

Today, Rangi was in another village delivering a “secret package.” She wouldn’t be back until that night, again. Kyoshi couldn’t help but sigh. 

On the brightside, Yun finally had time to talk about whatever it was that was so important. 

She and Yun were alone in the garden while she fed the koi. In the end, she lied about a frog squirrel eating the lost feed.

“What was it you needed to talk about, Yun?” Kyoshi asked as she scattered the feed into the pond.  

“First off, Kyoshi, I would like to sincerely apologize about what happened with the Fifth Nation,” Yun looked down at his palm. It had been stained by the ink when he earthbent the container to defend himself. “I shouldn’t have put you in danger like that. You even put your life on the line to save me, and it gave me the opportunity to break free of my ice prison.”

Kyoshi put a hand on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly. “Yun, it’s really ok. Don’t beat yourself up, I’m just happy you’re alright.”

Yun grimaced. “But still…..”

“I’m just happy you’re safe. You’re important and people care about you, Yun. And not just because you’re the Avatar! You’re important,” she laughed. “Don’t worry about me.”

Yun smiled at her. “Thanks, Kyoshi. You always seem to know what to say.”

Kyoshi scratched the back of her head. “I don’t know about that.” Her mind wandered to the multiple goofs she’d made in the past month. “Is that what you needed to talk about?”

Yun’s eyes widened and looked away. He stood there silently for a moment, then he nodded to himself. He turned back to Kyoshi, drawing up his full height. He had a serious look in his eye. “Kyoshi, I-” he stopped. His eyes widened and face fell in surprise. “R-Rangi?!”

Kyoshi’s heart fluttered upon hearing Rangi’s name, and quickly followed his gaze that led behind her. When she turned around, she dropped the bag of feed to the ground in surprise as she saw Rangi running towards them. She was a mess, covered in dirt and other foliage. There was even a tiny branch sticking out of her topknot!

Rangi stopped right next to her friends, and stood at attention like she wasn’t covered in grime and sweat. 

“Hey… Guys…. What’d I…. Miss?” she paused between deep gasps of air. 

“Y-you’re…..back,” Yun looked at Rangi, completely surprised.

Kyoshi’s hands hovered over Rangi, the intense urge to clean threatening to overcome her. “W-what happened to you? What happened to your delivery? I thought you wouldn’t be back here until tonight!”

Rangi smiled at her, “Funny story. Turns out, the carriage that was supposed to take me back broke down. So I most likely wasn’t going to be able to come back until tomorrow night at the earliest.”

Kyoshi would’ve hated that, especially if she didn’t get word from Rangi that she'd be late. She would’ve stayed up all night worrying….. But that didn’t mean she wanted Rangi to run headfirst into…..whatever happened to her!

“So, uh, how’d you get back?” Yun let out an exasperated noise. 

“I took a shortcut through, or I guess it was over, the mountain,” Rangi said matter-of-factly. As if it was the most normal thing in the world. Just a typical stroll for the firebender. 

Kyoshi stopped her hovering, only because she needed her full attention to not grab the firebender by the shoulders and shake her. “You took a shortcut through the mountain?!”

Rangi gave Kyoshi a dazzling smile so bright, it’d make the sun jealous. “Of course, it was easy. I think I might make it my go-to shortcut in all honesty.”

Kyoshi was at a loss for words. Rangi sure was….something at times like this. So Kyoshui decided to just…… let the urge to clean overcome her. She started by brushing off the foliage on Rangi’s armor. 

“Well you should be careful, I don’t want my bodyguard getting hurt,” Yun laughed. 

“Thank you for your concern, Avatar. But you needn't worry, I’m very capable,” Rangi laughed back.

“So what was it you wanted to say again, Yun?” Kyoshi asked as she brushed off Rangi’s pant leg.

Rangi flashed her dazzling smile towards Yun. “Oh, were you two talking about something? I’m so sorry for interrupting.” 

“Uh…..” Yun paused, trying to collect his thoughts, then he grinned. “I got a new pai sho board.”

Kyoshi stopped what she was doing and grimaced. “That’s the forty-fifth one! Get rid of it!”

Yun laughed. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I plan to.”

“I seriously have no idea why people keep sending you those! You have more than enough.”

“No idea either, I guess people are just persistent.”

Kyoshi sighed, and turned her attention to Rangi’s hair. She needed to get the leaves and sticks out of it. “Was that all?”

Yun laughed. “No, I do have some-” He stopped.

Kyoshi picked a leaf off of the crown of Rangi’s head, then looked at him. Wondering why he went quiet. “Something else?”

Yun stared at Kyoshi with a wide-eyed, aghast expression. Kyoshi returned it, puzzled. Then she followed his eye’s path, and it led to where her hands were, on Rangi’s hair.

Is something wrong? I know her hair is a mess but I’m trying to fix-

Kyoshi’s heart sank and her hands stiffened, then she slowly pulled her hands away from Rangi’s head.

The hair! She thought, terrified. The hair is the most sacred part of a firebender! And….and I….. I-

She's gotten so used to touching and caressing Rangi’s hair for the past two weeks, she’d forgotten about how sacrilegious it was to touch in general, especially in public! And Kyoshi did just that, she had dishonored Rangi!

No wonder Yun was looking at her horrified, she basically just stabbed and cursed their friend all at once! No, worse!

Kyoshi was starting to spiral, but found herself being grounded by a soft hand holding her’s. 

“Why’d you stop?” Rangi asked her, completely unfazed, if not a little disappointed.

“I-I-” Kyoshi stuttered.

“Rangi, it’s your hair!” Yun said exasperated.

“That it is, I’m aware.” She closed her eyes with a small smile gracing her lips. Then she bowed her head forward, offering it to Kyoshi. “I really don’t mind, Kyoshi. If anything, you're helping me.”

If…if she says she doesn’t mind then…. Kyoshi’s heart began to pound as she resumed picking the foliage out of Rangi’s hair, gently. She went on in silence for what felt like eternity. It wasn’t until she removed the final stick from Rangi’s topknot, that she felt like she could breathe again.

“There,” Rangi smoothed her hair out as she stood up. “Much better.”

Kyoshi could feel her face blazing as she turned to Yun. He still looked shocked. Rangi may have said it was fine, but judging from Yun’s reaction, Kyoshi knew they did something that would’ve been considered taboo in the Fire Nation.

Then, as if coming out of his stupor, put his hands on his hips and laughed. “Well aren’t you two close!”

Kyoshi flinched. She and Rangi had agreed on keeping quiet about their relationship, mostly to not cause unnecessary trouble for them. Though, Kyoshi couldn’t help but feel like they weren’t exactly the best at hiding it. 

“Of course, we’re friends,” Rangi said with a smile, but she grabbed Kyoshi’s hand as she said it. Kyoshi’s face grew hotter at the contact, she was getting a lot of mixed messages at the moment. It was better if she just kept quiet. Let Rangi lead.

Yun laughed. “Well, we’re friends too. Does that mean I can touch your hair?”

Rangi returned the laugh, then said with a slight melody, “If you do, I’ll burn more than just your eyebrows off~!”

Kyoshi watched as her two friends talked and couldn't help but feel….that something was up. Perhaps….she should speak up.

“A-anyway, Yun, you said you had one more thing you needed to talk about?” Kyoshi interrupted.

Yun tapped his chin, in thought. “Well, I still need to work out the kinks. But I wanted to offer you something Kyoshi.”

“What is it?”

Yun grinned widely at her. “I want you to become my Official Avatar Companion!”

There was a long, stunned silence. After hearing the eighth croak of a frog squirrel nearby, Rangi was the first one to speak.

“What?” Rangi said in a dead tone.

Uh oh. Kyoshi thought. She was already envisioning a sequel to Rangi’s mood after she found out Kyoshi was going with them to the Fifth Nation.

“Of course, we’ll make sure Kyoshi is trained,” Yun put his hands up in a surrendering fashion to the firebender's oncoming wrath. “You have a real talent Kyoshi, a lot of raw power. I saw it on the iceberg. And I think learning to fight would be the best thing for you.”

Rangi was taking very audible deep breaths as she squeezed Kyoshi’s hand. Kyoshi could feel her shaking with anger. “No.”

“I think Kyoshi is the one who has to decide for herself, Rangi.” 

Rangi didn’t turn to Kyoshi, she just kept glaring at Yun. Kyoshi….didn’t know what to say. Becoming an Avatar’s companion was what so many people dreamed of, but seeing Rangi’s reaction….. Right now, Kyoshi’s primary dream was just having a happy girlfriend. 

“Yun, I-” Kyoshi started.

Yun put his hand up. “You don’t need to decide yet. Mull it over a bit. I really think this is the best, for all of us!” His grin grew wider. “We’ll be able to spend all our time together! You’ll be able to explore the world! And, most importantly, you’ll know how to defend yourself.” 

Kyoshi felt Rangi grow stock-still. 

Yun clapped his hands as he looked up at the sky. “Well, would you look at the time? I better get back to training. Kyoshi, Rangi, you should take the rest of the day off. You’ve both been working so hard.”

Kyoshi watched as Yun left them, rounded the corner, and walked out of sight. As soon as he left, she felt Rangi’s hand go limp, and Kyoshi quickly caught her as the rest of her body began to fall. 

“A-are you ok?”

Rangi groaned and then grimaced. “Yes, just…. a little tired.” 

Of course you ran up and down a mountain! “Let’s get you to your room,” Kyoshi said, as she held Rangi close to her, arms slung around each other’s waist. Kyoshi half carried the firebender as they walked. 

___________________

Rangi sighed, “Kyoshi, I’m fine.”

Kyoshi ran the damp towel down Rangi’s cheek, trying to get what grime she could off. “Then why did you almost collapse?” 

Kyoshi had decided to put off discussing Yun’s proposition for now. Taking care of Rangi was more important at the moment. 

Rangi grimaced. The firebender didn’t like showing weakness. “My legs were sore from all the running,” she finally admitted. “And exhaustion just….. caught up to me.”

Kyoshi stopped the towel and looked down at Rangi. Rangi was out of her armor, dressed down to her sleeveless white tunic and shorts she wore underneath. She’d also taken her hair out of her topknot. Rangi needed a bath, but Kyoshi wanted to make sure the firebender had the  energy to make it to the bath first. 

Her eyes flitted down to the bandage on Rangi’s leg. It looked worse for wear, not because mountain grime had gotten to it, but because of sweat. Kyoshi grabbed the medkit from Rangi’s nightstand and knelt down by the firebender. 

“Kyoshi! Really, you don’t need-” Rangi started to protest as Kyoshi unwrapped the bandage.

Kyoshi pouted and glared up at Rangi, “Just let me help you.”

After a brief battle ran through her eyes, she sighed and looked away. Kyoshi didn’t know why she was putting up such a fight, she didn’t act this difficult when she first cleaned the wound.

Kyoshi inspected the wound, it didn’t look too bad. Which was good, it meant Rangi was taking care of it when Kyoshi wasn’t looking. Maybe in another week or two it’ll be healed…..

She got to work, cleaning the wound with soapy water, and then applying the salve onto it. She wouldn’t bandage the leg for now, because it’d just get wet when Rangi went to take her bath. But at least the wound would be cleaned until then.

As she worked the ointment in, she lightly blew on it to help it dry a little faster. As she did, she heard a strange noise. Kyoshi looked up, and saw Rangi gripping her armrests tightly, her face red as she looked away.

Kyoshi blinked, fascinate. She blew on Rangi’s leg again. Rangi’s upper body flinched as she suppressed another noise. Her face turned even more red. Then she looked down and gasped.

“Y-you’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?” she accused.

Kyoshi didn’t really know what she was doing, but she liked the reaction. She felt her eyes sparkle as she gazed up at her glowing girl, and then she smirked.

Kyoshi blew air once more.

Rangi’s hands flew to Kyoshi’s mouth. The girl lost her balance and fell forward onto Kyoshi, who caught her and held her in a tight embrace as she laughed.

“S-stop that! Don’t laugh!” Rangi shouted, nuzzling her face into Kyoshi’s shoulder as she lightly smacked Kyoshi’s collarbone. It just made Kyoshi laugh harder. “Ugh? Are you secretly an airbender or something?”

“No? Why?” Kyoshi said between giggles.

“Because you were blowing so hard the air went up my-” Rangi cut off with a grumble.

“Your shorts?” Kyoshi reached down and lightly tapped the back of Rangi’s exposed thigh. Rangi squirmed at the touch.

“Stop! I-I’m sensitive right now!” Rangi cried.

Kyoshi felt a fire ignite in her, emboldened by the firebender on top of her, as well as Rangi’s scent permeating all around Rangi’s room. Kyoshi’s grin grew wicked. 

“Sensitive?” Her lips dove for the firebender’s neck, peppering it with a bunch of light kisses, and let her hands wander freely over Rangi’s body.

Rangi didn’t stand a chance. She was puddy in Kyoshi's hands. She cried and laughed and kicked her feet. She was both trying to wiggle away from Kyoshi and hold on tighter.  

After a minute, Kyoshi decided to stop her assault, to let Rangi recover. Rangi collapsed completely onto Kyoshi again, exhausted, remnants of giggle still escaping her lips.

Kyoshi kissed Rangi’s forehead a few times. Then she sniffed.

“You really need a bath,” she chuckled.

“Screw you,” Rangi smiled, breathless.

“Is that a threat or a promise?” Kyoshi joked back, then the two of them grew stiff as the words started to sink in. Kyoshi’s heart began to beat strong and steady like an o-daiko drum, each beat felt like it vibrated the two of them.

Maybe Kyoshi propositioned too soon? Even if it was just a joke…. Well, in this case it was only half a joke. 

Rangi, shifted her body. Her face was now facing Kyoshi. Her legs straddled one of Kyoshi’s thighs. “It can be,” she mumbled, hot breath hitting Kyoshi’s neck as she flexed her thighs.

Kyoshi looked down as the beats got louder and more steady. She saw the same steady look in Rangi’s eyes. They leaned in, both of their eyes looking at the other’s lips with heavy intent.

And then Kyoshi felt a new drumming sound encroaching on them.

Footsteps! 

“S-someone’s coming!” Kyoshi whispered hurriedly. 

Rangi shot up out of Kyoshi’s arms. Kyoshi went to follow, but Rangi shook her head and rolled her girlfriend under her bed instead. Both were thankful that Rangi’s raised bed was a lot bigger than Kyoshi’s. 

Rangi quickly started picking up the medical supplies, and hopped around on one foot, trying to play up her injury.

The footsteps stopped, there was a knock, and before Rangi could answer, the door opened.

Kyoshi watched as familiar looking red boots and robes walked into Rangi’s room. It was Hei-Ran, her mother. 

Kyoshi said a prayer, thanking all the spirits in existence that she and Rangi had stopped just in time. That she didn’t have to deal with Rangi’s mother witnessing Kyoshi ravaging her daughter on her bedroom floor.

“Mother, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Rangi asked, a little breathless. She hobbled on her foot, trying to hint at it as the reason, rather than Kyoshi having been the one to steal her breath away. 

It took a moment for Hei-Ran to respond, she was possibly analyzing her daughter. “You came back…..early.”

Rangi let out a sigh of air. “Yes, I took a shortcut through the mountains.”

“The mount-” Hei-Ran began, surprised. Then she recomposed herself. “I….I see. I assume there were no issues?”

“Other than the carriage breaking down, and that I desperately need a bath? No.”

“Erm, right, I can see that. Wait, just a moment, it broke down?” 

“Yes, it should be back sometime tomorrow from what they told me,” Rangi sighed. “Is there anything else you need, mother?”

Hei-Ran let out a harsh sigh herself. “Is it so wrong for a mother to check up on her daughter?”

Rangi didn’t respond, and another long silence followed. 

Hei-Ran was the one who broke the silence. “Get your rest, you’ll need to return to Hongcun Village tomorrow to retrieve a few packages.”

Rangi was silent again.

“Be sure to bring Kyoshi with you, it should make the trip a little easier.” Kyoshi flinched on instinct when she heard her name, but made sure not to move any muscle further.

“H-huh?!” was all Rangi could force out. 

“You heard me. She’s strong and can help carry them,” Hei-Ran said as she turned to leave. “Oh, and do you know where she is? I believe I heard Auntie Mui was looking for her. I know Yun said you two should take the rest of the day off, so I don’t believe it involves work. Just send her over when you see her next.” Then she left the room.

Kyoshi couldn’t help but feel like the older firebender knew she was hiding under the bed, despite being completely concealed. However, she chose to live on the path of ignorance, until new information was otherwise revealed. Ignorance was truly bliss as they say.

Kyoshi watched as Rangi got on her hands and knees and poked her head down so she could see Kyoshi. It was adorable. 

“The coast is clear,” she said with a warm smile. She held out her hand to help pull Kyoshi out.

“I think we should probably play it safe for the rest of the night,” Kyoshi said after she got out from under the bed. “It just seems luck isn’t on our side tonight.”

It was Rangi’s turn for a mischievous grin. “Suuuure. So what should we do now?” She approached Kyoshi with that hypnotic sway she loved to do, and grabbed her by the lapel, and gave her a swift kiss. Seeming more interested in pushing their luck farther rather than playing it safe.

Kyoshi let herself melt until Rangi pulled away. “I think you should take a bath,” Kyoshi said with a smile. Rangi responded with a pout. “I need to go see Auntie Mui.”

Rangi straightened up Kyoshi’s clothes. “I think you should take a bath first, then go see Auntie Mui. I’ll take mine later.”

Kyoshi looked at her confused. Rangi smirked, placing her hands on Kyoshi’s shoulders and stood on her tiptoes as she whispered in Kyoshi’s ear. “You smell like me.”

Kyoshi’s face blazed as she looked at Rangi. 

“Plus, your clothes got dirty, sorry,” Rangi didn’t sound sorry in the slightest, and Kyoshi didn’t mind surprisingly. Rangi started guiding Kyoshi’s dazed body to the door. “Now hurry up, the sooner you get washed, the sooner I can too.” And promptly pushed Kyoshi out of her bedroom door.

__________________________

“Rangi, I have a question,” Kyoshi asked, bandaging Rangi’s leg. The firebender had just finished her bath, and she snuck into Kyoshi’s room a lot earlier than she usually was able to.

“Fire away,” she said.

“Was that a firebender joke?”

“Is that the question?” 

“No,” Kyoshi mumbled. 

“The pun wasn’t intended. Now, what did you really want to ask me?”

Kyoshi finished tying the bandage, and drummed her fingers on the exposed flesh of Rangi’s knee, wanting to avoid the shin that was cut. Kyoshi wasn’t able to keep the blush from rising in her cheeks, suddenly embarrassed. “How do….how do you keep your legs so smooth?” 

She saw Rangi tilt her head out of the corner of her eye.

“It’s just, I’ve heard people talk about Fire Nationals growing up. They mentioned how, despite your hair and topknot being super sacred, you never have hair anywhere else….. Like, uh, how men don’t have chest hair…..” She drummed her fingers on Rangi’s knee one more time. “And I noticed how smooth your legs were and…. Um….”

Kyoshi finally gathered the courage to look Rangi in the eye. Rangi looked down at Kyoshi with a small flush, and laughed.

“D-don’t laugh….”

“What? It’s funny!” 

“It’s a serious question! Is there some special volcanic razor you use or….”

Rangi inhaled a few times to catch her breath. “Ok, ok. Serious answer. Firebenders don’t shave, we just firebend it off.”

Oh, well that was simple. “Is that why you felt so confident about burning Aoma’s eyebrows off that day?” Kyoshi remembered the threat like it was yesterday. She’d also made the same threat to Yun earlier that day, but Kyoshi didn’t think it was a good idea to bring his name up. 

Rangi laughed again. “Yes. But not every firebender does that. It’s a preference. Though, I guess most of us do. You know, less pieces of us to catch on fire.”

Kyoshi laughed and leaned a cheek on Rangi’s knee. “So you guys like to be hairless except for your head?”

Rangi choked on her laughter, the back of her hand flew to her mouth, attempting to poorly cover up a rising blush. “Um, the head? Yes, but there’s….one other area that we don’t usually touch…..”

Kyoshi’s eyes raised in interest, this was new information to her. Something about as sacred as a Fire National’s hair? She better pay attention so she could be careful.

“I’m guessing it’s off limits to touch in public too?” Kyoshi asked innocently.

“K-Kyoshi, it’s, um, I’m pretty sure it’s off limits in public…. regardless of which Nation you’re from….” Rangi trailed off as her blush deepened. Heat felt like it was rolling off the girl which each shade she turned. 

A place that had hair, but no one could easily see on a Fire National, otherwise the hairless rumor wouldn’t have been spread. But it’s also a place no one usually saw in public in the Four Nations. Did such a place like that exist?

Rangi moved one of her hands and rested it on the inside of her thigh. Kyoshi stared, wondering if it was a hint.

Kyoshi was slow to connect the dots at times, but, by the spirits, when she connected them. She connected them. 

“Oh….oh!” Kyoshi exclaimed, her eyes widening in realization. “Oh it’s- Oh!”

Rangi cleared her throat, “Yes.”

“So….it’s also not-”

“I-it depends on the….. preference. Either the person’s own preference…..or their partner’s.” Rangi kept her head facing away, poorly trying to hide her blush, but she looked down to Kyoshi out of the corner of her eye. Kyoshi could see that Rangi really wanted to know her opinion.

Kyoshi stared up at her. Kyoshi didn’t really have a preference, she never even thought about having a preference before. The only thing she knew was that she wanted Rangi. All of her. 

The deep heart pounding started to radiate throughout Kyoshi again, as the fire inside ignited and started to burn bright. 

“I-I don’t really have a preference. I’ve never thought about it…..” Kyoshi could feel a flush spreading throughout her body like a wildfire. 

“I see, well do keep me in the loop, I’d love to know,” Rangi barely made her voice audible. 

The thrumming felt like it was getting stronger. Kyoshi attempted to swallow, but found she was unable to. Rangi was drying the room out with her heat. It was maddening, and it was igniting Kyoshi even more.

No, no we need to rest tonight. We need to play it safe. We already had a close call, luck’s not really on our side tonight. She tried to advise herself. 

Kyoshi stood up, and looked at Rangi sitting on her bed. Rangi looked up at her with half lidded eyes, bearing the same hunger Kyoshi felt inside. 

 Kyoshi promptly ignored her own advice.

Kyoshi shifted her body so it was in between Rangi’s legs, then she pushed the firebender all the way down onto the bed in a fierce kiss. The temperature in the room started to rise rapidly as they both clung and clawed at each other with abandon.

Kyoshi broke the kiss and tried to form words. “Can…can I touch-” Her eyes flickered downward.

“Yes!” Rangi hissed, then slammed her lips into Kyoshi’s. 

Kyoshi's hands found their way to Rangi's waist. Then her hips. Then she found Rangi's waistband and-

A knock at the door. Kyoshi stilled. No idea who it was, because the only person that it could be was underneath her at this very moment.

“Maybe if we ignore them they'll leave-ngh!” Kyoshi whispered, then muffled her cry as Rangi bit into her neck. Apparently Rangi wasn't as deterred by the new surprised guest as Kyoshi was.

Another wrap at her door. “Kyoshi? Are you awake?” Hei-Ran asked through the door.

That stopped Rangi. Kyoshi and Rangi looked at each other through panicked eyes. Then Kyoshi picked the firebender up, and threw her into the closet and shut the door.

She grabbed her night robe and ran to the door to greet Hei-Ran. 

“Yes, Mistress He-Ran?” Kyoshi all but squeaked out when she flung the door open. Despite her closeness with Rangi, she was more than a stranger to Hei-Ran herself. 

“Kyoshi, do you know where my daughter is?”Hei-Ran raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment on the heat that was surely billowing out of Kyoshi’s room. 

“No, Mistress, I-I've been asleep! And it's the middle of the night, why do you think she'd be here?”

“I see,” Hei-Ran folded her hands in front of her. “My daughter seems to have gotten into the habit of….exploring at night lately.”  

Kyoshi felt clammy beads of of sweat go down her neck. “Oh, well, no. I didn’t know that…. I haven't seen her.”

“I see, well, I’ll keep looking then. If you do happen to see her, tell her I’m looking for her.”

She turned on her heel, and slowly walked down the hall. As soon as Kyoshi saw her turn. She counted to ten, and then shut the door and ran to the closet.

“Coast is clear, you can come out,” Kyoshi said, feeling deja vu.

Rangi was curled up into a ball. She laughed nervously as she took Kyoshi's hand.

“What's so funny?”

“This isn't my first time coming out of the closet.”

Kyoshi laughed and then sighed. “I guess this means you have to leave early?”

Rangi sighed. “I suppose.”

Kyoshi pulled Rangi into a tight hug.

“Hey now, you'll see me tomorrow, you'll have the whole day with me!”

“I know.” But I want you with me now.

Eventually they let each other go, and Rangi left, and Kyoshi returned to bed. She laid awake, too wound up from the events of the day, and contemplated what was next to come.

______________

A/N: Hongcun Villageis made up for the story, I needed a place that was close but not Chin’s village (I know it’s not called Chin during Kyoshi’s timeline, it’s just easier to remember/spell TT0TT). Hongcun (宏村) DOES exist tho irl. It just means “Hong village”? I just chose it at random from a list (didn’t feel like trying to be creative like I did for Hunt jfklajf), but ironically enough, apparently it was a filming location Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon….. I say ironically because I believe CTHD is a big inspo for a lot of Rise of Kyoshi (such as the dust/mist/jet stepping techniques). So it all works out! :D

Also, gdi Rangi you lunatic! Sprinting over a mountain? I wonder how tall those mountains are? Let’s pretend they are taller than a 14er and aren’t the most foot friendly, to really sell the point home. (because you can climb Mount Quandary in like 4-7 hours, though it feels like eternity >_> -1000000/10 do not recommend climbing mountains against your will)

“We’re just gonna ignore how horny these two are getting so you can geek out over a movie, and to bitch about mountains?” Yes. Yes we are.

[ffcrazy15]

Hi there everyone. Listen. I know we're all tired out by politics. But I think we need to do a little check-in.

In the two weeks since the election, a lot of crazy shit has gone down that you might have missed. Here's an incomplete list (color-coded to make it less of a wall of text):

Trump has nominated an alleged pedophile and sex trafficker to be Attorney General and run the justice department.

The House Ethics Committee, which had been investigating this new AG nominee for sexual misconduct, has just been blocked by Republicans from releasing their report on him.

He's nominated an anti-vaxxer, who once beheaded a dead whale and drove home with it, to be the new head of the Food and Drug Administration.

He's nominated a Fox News weekend host, who never advanced past the rank of major during his time in the national guard, to head up the freaking Pentagon.

He's nominated a senator who's made statements in favor of Russia w/regards to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and who had secret meetings with Syria's president (an ally of Iran and Russia), to be in charge of our intelligence agencies.

He's named white supremacist Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff.

He's confirmed his plan to send the military into our cities to do mass deportations, which will involve building massive camps along the southern border.

Neo-Nazis have marched through the streets of Columubs Ohio, shouting slurs and carrying swastikas.

Look. If you voted for the guy and thought, all that stuff he talked about doing wouldn't really happen — I get it. I really do. It's hard to imagine stuff like this happening here, in the country we all love.

And even if you still think he was the lesser of two evils and you made a hard call and stand by it, I'm not going to interrogate you on that. We all had to make our own calls in the voting booth and for many of us it was a hard choice. I get it.

But that was two weeks ago. This is where things stand today.

And I think that we all need to start preparing for a future where this guy and his cabinet of white supremacists, alleged rapists, unpatriotic sneaks, and grossly inept TV personalities are running this country, and Nazis are boldly marching with swastikas through the streets.

Because whether we like it or not, that's the world we're living in right now.

(Also if you haven't heard of any of the above before this post, which were major stories in the news over the last two weeks, maybe consider whether you're living in a media bubble that's stopping you from receiving essential information about your government.)