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mostlysignssomeportents · 11 months ago

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Lies, damned lies, and Uber

I'm on tour with my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TONIGHT in PHOENIX (Changing Hands, Feb 29) then Tucson (Mar 10-11), San Francisco (Mar 13), and more!

Uber lies about everything, especially money. Oh, and labour. Especially labour. And geometry. Especially geometry! But especially especially money. They constantly lie about money.

Uber are virtuosos of mendacity, but in Toronto, the company has attained a heretofore unseen hat-trick: they told a single lie that is dramatically, materially untruthful about money, labour and geometry! It's an achievement for the ages.

Here's how they did it.

For several decades, Toronto has been clobbered by the misrule of a series of far-right, clownish mayors. This was the result of former Ontario Premier Mike Harris's great gerrymander of 1998, when the city of Toronto was amalgamated with its car-dependent suburbs. This set the tone for the next quarter-century, as these outlying regions – utterly dependent on Toronto for core economic activity and massive subsidies to pay the unsustainable utility and infrastructure bills for sprawling neighborhoods of single-family homes – proceeded to gut the city they relied on.

These "conservative" mayors – the philanderer, the crackhead, the sexual predator – turned the city into a corporate playground, swapping public housing and rent controls for out-of-control real-estate speculation and trading out some of the world's best transit for total car-dependency. As part of that decay, the city rolled out the red carpet for Uber, allowing the company to put as many unlicensed taxis as they wanted on the city's streets.

Now, it's hard to overstate the dire traffic situation in Toronto. Years of neglect and underinvestment in both the roads and the transit system have left both in a state of near collapse and it's not uncommon for multiple, consecutive main arteries to shut down without notice for weeks, months, or, in a few cases, years. The proliferation of Ubers on the road – driven by desperate people trying to survive the city's cost-of-living catastrophe – has only exacerbated this problem.

Uber, of course, would dispute this. The company insists – despite all common sense and peer-reviewed research – that adding more cars to the streets alleviates traffic. This is easily disproved: there just isn't any way to swap buses, streetcars, and subways for cars. The road space needed for all those single-occupancy cars pushes everything further apart, which means we need more cars, which means more roads, which means more distance between things, and so on.

It is an undeniable fact that geometry hates cars. But geometry loathes Uber. Because Ubers have all the problems of single-occupancy vehicles, and then they have the separate problem that they just end up circling idly around the city's streets, waiting for a rider. The more Ubers there are on the road, the longer each car ends up waiting for a passenger:

https://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Uber-Lyft-San-Francisco-pros-cons-ride-hailing-13841277.php

Anything that can't go on forever eventually stops. After years of bumbling-to-sinister municipal rule, Toronto finally reclaimed its political power and voted in a new mayor, Olivia Chow, a progressive of long tenure and great standing (I used to ring doorbells for her when she was campaigning for her city council seat). Mayor Chow announced that she was going to reclaim the city's prerogative to limit the number of Ubers on the road, ending the period of Uber's "self-regulation."

Uber, naturally, lost its shit. The company claims to be more than a (geometrically impossible) provider of convenient transportation for Torontonians, but also a provider of good jobs for working people. And to prove it, the company has promised to pay its drivers "120% of minimum wage." As I write for Ricochet, that's a whopper, even by Uber's standards:

https://ricochet.media/en/4039/uber-is-lying-again-the-company-has-no-intention-of-paying-drivers-a-living-wage

Here's the thing: Uber is only proposing to pay 120% of the minimum wage while drivers have a passenger in the vehicle. And with the number of vehicles Uber wants on the road, most drivers will be earning nothing most of the time. Factor in that unpaid time, as well as expenses for vehicles, and the average Toronto Uber driver stands to make $2.50 per hour (Canadian):

https://ridefair.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Legislated-Poverty.pdf

Now, Uber's told a lot of lies over the years. Right from the start, the company implicitly lied about what it cost to provide an Uber. For its first 12 years, Uber lost $0.41 on every dollar it brought in, lighting tens of billions in investment capital provided by the Saudi royals on fire in an effort to bankrupt rival transportation firms and disinvestment in municipal transit.

Uber then lied to retail investors about the business-case for buying its stock so that the House of Saud and other early investors could unload their stock. Uber claimed that they were on the verge of producing a self-driving car that would allow them to get rid of drivers, zero out their wage bill, and finally turn a profit. The company spent $2.5b on this, making it the most expensive Big Store in the history of cons:

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/infighting-busywork-missed-warnings-how-uber-wasted-2-5-billion-on-self-driving-cars

After years, Uber produced a "self-driving car" that could travel one half of one American mile before experiencing a potentially lethal collision. Uber quietly paid another company $400m to take this disaster off its hands:

https://www.economist.com/business/2020/12/10/why-is-uber-selling-its-autonomous-vehicle-division

The self-driving car lie was tied up in another lie – that somehow, automation could triumph over geometry. Robocabs, we were told, would travel in formations so tight that they would finally end the Red Queen's Race of more cars – more roads – more distance – more cars. That lie wormed its way into the company's IPO prospectus, which promised retail investors that profitability lay in replacing every journey – by car, cab, bike, bus, tram or train – with an Uber ride:

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1RN2SK/

The company has been bleeding out money ever since – though you wouldn't know it by looking at its investor disclosures. Every quarter, Uber trumpets that it has finally become profitable, and every quarter, Hubert Horan dissects its balance sheets to find the accounting trick the company thought of this time. There was one quarter where Uber declared profitability by marking up the value of stock it held in Uber-like companies in other countries.

How did it get this stock? Well, Uber tried to run a business in those countries and it was such a total disaster that they had to flee the country, selling their business to a failing domestic competitor in exchange for stock in its collapsing business. Naturally, there's no market for this stock, which, in Uber-land, means you can assign any value you want to it. So that one quarter, Uber just asserted that the stock had shot up in value and voila, profit!

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/02/hubert-horan-can-uber-ever-deliver-part-twenty-nine-despite-massive-price-increases-uber-losses-top-31-billion.html

But all of those lies are as nothing to the whopper that Uber is trying to sell to Torontonians by blanketing the city in ads: the lie that by paying drivers $2.50/hour to fill the streets with more single-occupancy cars, they will turn a profit, reduce the city's traffic, and provide good jobs. Uber says it can vanquish geometry, economics and working poverty with the awesome power of narrative.

In other words, it's taking Toronto for a bunch of suckers.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/29/geometry-hates-uber/#toronto-the-gullible

Image: Rob Sinclair (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Night_skyline_of_Toronto_May_2009.jpg

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #uber #hubert horan #fraud #toronto #geometry hates cars #urbanism #ontpoli #olivia chow #self-regulation #transport #urban planning #taxis #transit #urban theory #labor #algorithmic wage discrimination #veena dubal

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interstellarchaosss · 5 months ago

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Tried acrylic paint markers for the first time, + experimented with colour. I like how this turned out, honestly.

Please do not use our art without our permission. Feel free to ask to use for icons and similar things, but we have the right to say no.

Medium: Acrylic paint markers. Approx. Time: 50m Original Date: 15.08.24 Commission/Trade/Collab status in bio/pinned! Art Of: Phoenix [Pet] (System Member Artist: Cinnabar)

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sometimesanalice · 2 years ago

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Like I Can (Part 2)

Summary: After yet another bad date and tired of swiping on apps, the Dagger Squad steps in to help you out by setting you up on a series of blind dates. Much to Rooster’s dismay.

Warnings: fuff, language, slight angst. Minors DNI

Length: 5.7K

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw X Female Reader

Part 1 | Part 3

(Here you go, lovely people! The wait is over! Enjoy❣️)

When you had first told Rooster that you were moving to San Diego, it had felt like the first time in a long time in that things in his life were finally going his way. He was excelling in his career, he was mending his relationship with Maverick, and he finally had the opportunity to start putting some roots down.

He knew how lucky he was.

He had been thrilled to know that you would both be living in the same place for the first time since you were teens. Sure he might have gone a little overboard helping you find a place near him and showing you the hard-learned secrets of navigating the SoCal highway system, but he wanted you to be as happy here as he was.

You were the only person left in the world, outside of Maverick, who had known him the longest. You mattered to him.

It was clear that you thought it had been his doing for how quickly his friends had included you as part of the group, but he knew it was all you. They’d all been so surprised when his nice, sweet friend was the one who kept playing the raunchiest hands during Cards Against Humanity. You’d pretty much swept every round that night. He was pretty sure more than a few of them would trade him for you in a heartbeat.

While they liked you, they loved a competition. He should have seen it coming the second Phoenix volunteered to set you up on a date, because what one person does the rest will undoubtedly follow suit.

And that’s how Rooster found himself watching you on your first of the dates from inside the Hard Deck, the chaos of it all drawing more than one set of eyes to where you were on the outdoor patio.

When he’d arrived at the Hard Deck earlier that evening, he was surprised to see you there already seated next to Bob with his other friends chatting away nearby. He didn’t remember you saying you were planning to stop by.

You looked a bit more dressed up than how he usually saw you, wearing a fluttery looking sundress and your hair piled up on the top of your head. After making a quick stop to get a beer, he’d made his way over to you.

“Wasn’t expecting to see you tonight, kid.” Up close now, he could see some of the soft strands that had escaped your top knot and were framing your face.

He was briefly reminded of the time you got bangs in high school. While he’d thought they had look nice on you, you on the other hand had immediately regretted them, pinning them back until they’d grown out.

“Hey you,” you’d greeted him with an easygoing smile on your face, “I got here a little too early, but thankfully Bob was already here. He’s been keeping me company as I wait.”

“Huh? For what?” he’d asked a bit dumbly, his gaze bouncing between you and Bob.

Shit, did he forget someone’s birthday?

“She’s meeting my friend Casey from the animal shelter tonight,” Bob chimed in, speaking around a mouthful of sunflower seeds, “For the bet we all made the other night.”

“Oh,” he’d felt his eyebrows pull together, glancing back to you, “I didn’t know you were actually going to go through with that.”

He had never understood why you had such bad luck when it came to dating. He assumed you probably got a lot of attention in your day-to-day life, so your stories of dates gone wrong always left him baffled. Anyone could see that you were funny, intelligent, and had the best smile. If you’d been a stranger, he probably would have approached you out in a coffee shop somewhere if he’d seen you drinking one of those extra foamy cappuccinos you liked.

But you weren’t a stranger you were his longest time friend, his most important friend.

“Why wouldn’t I?” you’d asked quizzically, tilting your head at him. “Outside of how competitive you all are, your friends were nice enough to go out of their way for me by setting this all up. Plus, it seems like it could be a lot of fun.”

That was the thing though, he didn’t think you should have to be jumping through so many hoops to find a decent guy to date.

He’d met the guy you had dated before moving here a few times over FaceTime. He would usually try to engage him in some small talk always asking him about how many G’s he’d pulled that day before leaving for beers with the guys or some pick-up basketball game. It seemed to him like you guys had led pretty separate lives, but you liked him so the guy was fine in his books. However, when you had told him that you were moving out here alone, he couldn’t say he was too surprised. That guy was probably kicking himself now, because California looked good on you.

“Speaking of,” you’d reached out taking right forearm pulling it closer to you, he had let you turn and adjust it until you could read the time displayed by the dials on his watch. “I should probably head outside to wait for him there. You said we’d probably need to grab a spot on the patio, right Bob?” you’d asked turning away from him to confirm with the WSO.

“He said he was still looking for a dog sitter, but if he couldn’t find one he’d be bringing them with him,” Bob replied as he scanned the text on his phone, “That’s probably a good idea, just in case.”

He’d known this whole thing was going to be a bad idea, grasping the back of your stool he briskly turned you back towards him to give you a pointed look.

You’d just shook your head at him blithely and rolled your eyes, “It’ll be fine.” The expression on your face told him not to press the matter, even though he knew that would take a lot of willpower on his side.

Sighing in resignation, he had helped brace your forearm as you slid off the tall stool. You’d patted his chest a couple of times before making your way outside, the hem of your dress dancing around your thighs.

He had drunk that first beer a bit faster than normal, trying to focus on the conversation Coyote was attempting to have with him. Then he was waylaid at the bar for a while when he had gone up to get a second, spending some time catching up with Mav who had shown up and was sitting at the counter watching his fiancée as she ruled over her bar.

When he got back and looked out the window to check on you, he was expecting to see you out there talking with Bob’s friend and maybe a dog or two sitting at your feet, instead the scene before his eyes had him storming over to Bob who was already watching the madness unfold.

“What did he bring the whole damn shelter with him? There’s like 7 of them out there!”

“I had no clue he had that many,” Bob admits sheepishly.

“He’s your friend, isn’t he? Shouldn’t that have come up in a conversation before this?” He liked Bob, but you were getting assailed by a few too many energetic dogs for his comfort. He can tell the guy is trying to wrangle them under control, and you’re generously laughing along while they vie for your attention, scratching as many ears as possible.

“They seem to really like her. See how they keep licking her? Did you know that’s an instinctive behavior learned from when they’re puppies? It’s how they bond with others.” His attempt to bring some humor falling flat in Rooster’s ears.

“Not helpful, Bob,” he grunts into his beer his eyes glued on you.

Hangman struts up to them no doubt curious about what has the two of them staring so intently out the large window and lets out a low whistle, “Damn, that’s a lot of dogs.”

The sound naturally draws the attention of his other friends, and they are quick to drop everything to come gather around the window and observe the circus that is your first blind date.

The guy is standing trying to unravel the many leashes he is clutching onto, handing you a couple to hold on to as he works to disentangle the knot that’s formed. Your beer a casualty of the chaos when what looks like a Border Collie mix jumps up on the table.

“Oh shit,” he mutters when he sees you sneeze.

“What’s up, Rooster?” Natasha asked, glancing at him briefly before turning her eyes back to the flurry of fur outside.

“She’s allergic.”

This is what he had been worried about when Bob mentioned your date might be bringing his dogs. He knew your pet dander allergy wasn’t usually too bad with a couple of animals, but being around this many couldn’t be good for you.

Now that you were settled in San Diego, you had told him you had been thinking about getting a pet. It was something that you were never able to have as a kid for the same very reason you were out there fighting back another sneeze. You were adamant about adopting one, but finding hypoallergenic pet in a shelter was harder than it was getting a missile to hit its target.

When he sees you bring the back of your hand up to wipe under one of your eyes, he abandons his mostly untouched beer on the windowsill and marches towards the exit in a few long strides. Fingers already raised to his lips before he’s even made it outside. The sharp whistle he lets out the second his shoe hits the wooden planks of the patio surprising the tangle of dogs surrounding you into momentary stillness.

“Time to wrap it up, kid,” he hollers, jerking his head back towards the door.

Even haloed by the golden light from the setting sun, he can see how watery and red-rimmed your eyes have gotten.

He sees you saying something to your date, handing him back the leashes as you step gingerly around the dogs towards him, making sure to avoid stepping on any of the happily wagging tails.

You’ve got your shoulders pulled back tightly as you walk towards him, determination in every step you take. The force of your glare would be intimidating to anyone else, but he’s developed an immunity to it after so many years of having it directed at him.

Although he doubts you can even actually see his face right now with how puffy your eyes have gotten.

“Are you kidding me right now? What the fuck, Rooster?” you fume at him.

Oh, yeah, you’re pissed. He’ll deal with that later. Standing up to his full height and crossing his arms over his chest, steeling himself in anticipation for whatever comes next.

“C’mon, I bet Penny has something for that,” he says gesturing to your face, “And then I’m taking you home.”

He can tell you’re getting ready to give him a piece of your mind. Probably a very loud and vividly descriptive piece of your mind, but can’t be bothered to regret a thing. He knows he is in the right to intervene on your behalf.

He’s looking out for you, like a good friend should.

And you’re just standing there shaking your head at him, instead of listening to him when you know he’s right.

You’ve always been so frustratingly hardhead, so he pulls out the one thing he knows you can’t resist, “I’ll even stop for milkshakes.”

You look up at him skeptically with narrowed eyes before asking, “And I can drink it in the Bronco?”

That makes him chuckle, of course you’re negotiating with him. “Yeah, yeah. Now c’mon, time to call it.”

Rooster sees the moment the fight goes out of you as you turn back to Cashew, or whatever this guy’s name is. He looks a little like the crunchy granola type, if you ask him.

He grabs your hand pulling you with him back inside, not wanting to let you change your mind while the promise of a milkshake is still at the height of its power.

You tug back making him pause at the entry as you call back to Bob’s friend, “Thank you for coming, Casey. It was nice to meet you, but I think I’m going to head out. Good luck with your fundraiser for the shelter, I’ll make sure to spread the word.”

That makes him smile to himself as he tows you with him, here you are clearly suffering with your allergies and still going out of your way for this person you’ve just met. You’ve always been too nice for your own good. Hell, you’ll probably get the whole team to donate to the fundraiser before he can even get you out the door.

Once back inside he pays the tab for both of you, while you swallow down the antihistamines Penny was able to find in the med kit she keeps behind the counter. The team is surrounding you asking questions about the date.

“I’ll tell you, but that information will cost you. You can Venmo the shelter your donation to their fundraiser and I’ll be happy to answer any questions once you send me documented proof of payment,” you say with a smug smile on your face.

He huffs a laugh while signing the receipt that Penny hands him as the cellphones are whipped out of various pockets.

Such a little hustler.

In school, you were usually the one to sell the most candy bars and wrapping paper during fundraisers. And he was always an easy target, you usually got at least $30 out of him every time. He was never one to say no to a good cause, or to you most of the time.

Bob apologizes profusely to you as he hands you a couple napkins when you start sniffling while gathering up your things. He watches as you just wave him off, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek and tell him not to worry about it.

Huh.

Shaking out the thoughts of you with the soft-spoken WSO from his mind, he starts to guide you out the door to his car with a hand on your back. His other hand involuntarily tightening into a fist as Fanboy calls out promising to do better than Bob when you’re both almost out the door.

He can hear your phone already blowing up with the nosy questions from his squad before he’s even buckled got you in.

And on the drive back to your place he lets you drink your chocolate cherry chip shake in the passenger seat of the Bronco, just as he promised he would.

You weren’t too proud to admit that first blind date was a bit of a mess.

While your eyes had been puffy for a couple days afterwards, you had also managed to get $700 in donations for the shelter from the Dagger Squad with all the questions you had answered for them while bleary-eyed.

And it was Rooster who had ended up sending in the largest donation, which had surprised you since he wasn’t even participating in the bet. He had sent you a screenshot of his $200 contribution along with a text that simply said: “For the animals, thanks for not spilling your milkshake in my car like you did when you were 15.”

You’d sent him back a heart promptly followed by the middle finger emoji.

Thankfully the second date the next week was less eventful.

Fanboy had set you up with one of his friends from the escape room group he was in. When you’d admitted that you had never done one before he’d talked you through all his tips and strategies for how to beat it when you eventually tried one out. His enthusiasm could have been charming had it not come across as entirely mansplain-y.

Why yes, you did know what a topographical map was and how to read it, thank you very much.

You’d felt like some kind of oversized bobblehead since all you had been doing that evening was nodding along as an attempt to stay engaged with the conversation.

Rooster had stopped by when your date had left for the restroom. He was glistening a bit from the sweat he had worked up from the performance at the piano he had just given. It was a newer song for him, but he had still swept the rest of the bar up with his infectious energy.

“I can tell you’re bored out of your mind, kid. How about I show you how to do that four-in-one shot? Once you pick it up you might finally be some competition at the pool table,” he’d said grabbing your beer and swallowing down a few large mouthfuls.

From your spot at the high-top table, you could see more than a few hungry gazes in the crowded bar tracking him. Probably trying to figure out the nature of your relationship with him.

When you shooed him away, he’d pulled down his sunglasses to give you a knowing look before taking your beer with him as he strutted away with a casual: “See you soon, kid.”

He knew you too well.

You weren’t bored per se, but you also weren’t having the greatest time.

When your date got back, it didn’t take long for the conversation to fizzle out, the long pauses feeling awkward rather than companionable. You’d both agreed that it probably wasn’t a great fit and left it at that. You’d even had Penny put his beers on your tab as a gesture of goodwill.

Plus, you had been trying to get Rooster to teach you that trick for ages, and you didn’t want to miss your moment now that he was offering.

True to his word, he spent the rest of the evening teaching you his trick. You warred between watching him intently determined to nail the shot, and avoiding looking at him too closely. The tight jeans he was wearing bringing up some less than strictly friendly thoughts as he bent over the table to line up his shots.

You were still terrible, but you also hadn’t had so much fun in a long time as you traded shit-talk back and forth with him. Cackling at the confusion on his face when he went to grab his beer only to find it empty. It was only fair, after all, he had taken yours.

It’s been a few days since then, and you are back at the Hard Deck for date number three.

From your time hanging out with the Dagger Squad, you’d learned that Coyote was a bit of a classic car aficionado. He had set you up with his friend, Will, who he had met at one of the vintage car conventions he had gone to in the area.

Will was already twenty minutes late when Hangman and Phoenix made their way up to the bar. The two keeping you company for a bit while they waited for Jimmy to get their next rounds, letting you know that Jake had already called dibs on setting up your next date.

“Get ready for a good time, Darlin’,” he boasted.

“I keep telling you my guy is perfect. I already know they’re going to have some instant chemistry. I don’t know why you’re even bothering, I have got it on lock,” Natasha had retorted back.

He’d sent you a cocky salute before they’d both made their way back to the rest of the group in the corner of the bar.

When your date eventually arrived, you guys went through the typical small talk motions, trading the same tired questions that feel more like a casual interview than an actual conversation.

Since you already knew he had an interest in classic cars you had casually mentioned Penny’s ’73 Porsche to him as something to talk about other than the weather or what you did for work, and that’s how you found yourself sitting on your own waiting for him to return from where he was outside snapping away pictures of the sleek looking car.

You’re picking at the label on your bottle of Blue Moon to kill time, when you feel Rooster slide up next to you, the smell of his woodsy cologne giving him away before the print of his Hawaiian shirt does out of the corner of your eye.

“Hey kid, you hungry? I could eat. What do you say to hitting up that taco place we like?”

You gesture to the coat draped on the back of the stool next to you, “I’m kind of on a date right now, Rooster.”

“You sure about that? Kinda looks like you’re just sittin’ here alone to me.” Mimicking you he also signals to the empty stool next to you.

His words landing like a sucker punch.

“I mean, he hasn’t been out there for that long. It’s a sexy car, I get it.”

And you did.

However, it has also been like ten minutes now since he left you, and having Rooster point it out like that made you feel more than a bit self-conscious.

Especially when you look over and catch the rest of the team watching you guys with curious stares from across the bar.

You knew having the dates here for their bet would put you directly in the spotlight, everyone wanting to see how things were going and how their friend stacked up against the competition. First dates were awkward enough without that kind of extra pressure and extra eyes.

Now you were on the third one and things weren’t looking as promising as you had hoped when you first started. It would be humiliating if by the end of this they all thought that you were the problem. And it wasn’t like you weren’t trying, but being on display like this makes you feel like you’re wading through waist-deep mud while everyone watches you struggle from solid ground.

When it came to dating, Rooster always had a much easier time of it compared to you. With those sunkissed curls and that toned body, it was rare if he didn’t get passed at least three napkins with phone numbers scribbled on them during nights out.

Even in high school you were always the one fielding questions from all the girls who were interested in him. Is he seeing anyone? Can you give him my number? He was naturally charismatic, of course people were drawn to him.

But you? You were just Bradshaw’s younger, tag-along friend. And then in college, it had always felt like you were the one who had to keep making all the first moves only to be left wondering why you had even bothered in the first place.

You never had a great poker face, and it’s clear you’re wearing your emotions on your face because when you turn back to Rooster his face immediately softens.

“I’m not trying to be an asshole,” he promises gently, as he reaches out to tug lightly on the end of the braid you had woven your hair in for the evening. “I just don’t get why you’re putting up with this guy ditching you like this. Especially when we could be getting tacos instead.”

Shaking your head ‘no’ to both the invitation and the insecurities that were trying to creep in, “I’m sure he’ll be coming back in any minute now.”

You weren’t excusing his behavior, but you did also want to give him the benefit of the doubt. It could still get better, he could still surprise you.

“And guess what? Apparently Will drives a Bronco too. He pointed his out earlier when he brought it up, but I can’t see it from where I’m sitting. I bet you guys could talk about that if we decide to see each other again.”

Rooster stands up to get a better look out the window that faces the parking lot, “Well, that certainly is interesting, kid.”

There’s a weird tone to his comment, but it isn’t one you are able to investigate further as Will returns back inside making his way to you.

You expect Rooster to go back to the rest of the squad, instead he makes himself comfortable on your other side.

“That’s not a bad looking car, the Fuchs wheels are a nice touch, but I’ve seen better,” Will ignorantly gloats as he sits back down, pulling up photos of another car on his phone to show you. “It definitely doesn’t have anything on the 1975 Porsche 930 Turbo, with its single turbo flat-six and the flared rear wings. Now that beauty was made for speed.”

Mortified you glance to Penny hoping she didn’t hear any of that, but the stiffness of her spine tells you everything you need to know.

This obnoxious motherfu-

“Wow, that’s really something. Do you mind if I take a look, man?” Rooster asks pointing to Will’s phone before you can say anything in response.

“Yeah, bro. Go for it,” he says as hands his phone over, “Spotted that one at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance last year.”

You watch as Rooster swipes half-heartedly through a couple of the pictures before catching Penny’s eye.

“Uh-huh, neat. Hey, Penny?” he calls to her, as he sets the phone down on the bartop. “That’s your 911 S out there, right?”

“Sure is, Rooster.” She confirms playing along as she rests an elbow on the polished surface in front of him, a knowing smirk already gracing her features.

“Well then,” a conspiring grin takes over his face as he nods his head towards wood sign strung up between the taps, “I do believe we’ve had not one, but two violations this evening.”

Penny sends a wink his way as she wastes no time ringing the bell loudly and for longer than usual, undoubtedly for the slight at her car’s expense. The action causing the raucous crowd to erupt in cheers.

Disrespect a lady, the Navy, or put your cellphone on my bar you buy a round.

Will is still trying to figure out what’s going on as Rooster leans across you pushing the phone slowly across the counter back to your date with two fingers.

His face suddenly very close to yours. You can see the warm brown starbursts that surround the pupils of his eyes.

“Let’s go get those tacos, kid. Drinks are on him tonight.”

You watch as he slides off of the stool, pulling out his keys from the back pocket of his light wash jeans.

He makes it a few steps towards the door before turning back to you, “I’ll meet you at the Bronco. It’s the only one out there so you can’t miss it.” Giving Will a sharp, pointed look as he passes.

Slipping on his aviators and swinging the fob around his index finger as he struts out of the bar.

Not too long later you’re sitting on the beach with the warm California breeze on your skin, laughing as Rooster tells you about the time during training when half his squad ended up cleaning their gear naked. The Al Pastor tacos you ordered tasting extra delicious for whatever reason.

Try as he might, Rooster could not stop watching you on your date with the guy Hangman had set you up with.

And if he was honest with himself, he wasn’t trying at all. In fact, he was probably outright glaring and he didn’t give a damn.

It was too loud in the bar to hear your laugh from where he sat, but he could certainly see you grinning at something this guy was saying to you.

Did you go shopping for this? The top you were wearing didn’t look familiar to him, he liked the way the straps were tied into pretty bows on your sun-freckled shoulders. Did you mean to look like some kind of a present waiting to be unwrapped?

It was clear to him that you were taking this whole thing more seriously than he ever thought you would.

“Jesus, Rooster. What gives?”

“Huh, what?” he asked distractedly, his eyes remaining on you. He was barely paying attention to what was going on around him let along the game of pool he was supposedly playing with Hangman and Bob.

“Your leg, man. You’re about to set off the San Andres with all that shaking your leg is doing,” Jake says slapping him hard on the side of his thigh as he passes by to line up his next shot at the pool table.

“Actually, San Diego sits on the Rose Canyon fault,” Bob corrects.

“What is this, Jeopardy? That ain’t the point. What I’m trying to figure out is what’s got ol’ Rooster’s feathers in a ruffle over here.” His eyes calculating and his grin sharp.

Rooster hadn’t realized his leg was even bouncing up and down from where it was balanced on the foot rest of the high-top stool he was perched on.

What he did notice is that your date had gotten you a Michelob Ultra.

You hated light beer.

Who did this guy think he was just ordering you something without actually asking you what you wanted? Because there was no way in hell that you ordered that on your own. God, were these the type of men you were forced to put up with here in San Diego? He hadn’t even pulled out your chair for you, for fuck’s sake.

He could tell you were being polite by resting a hand on the base of the bottle, lifting it up like you were about to take a sip before remembering what was in your hand, and setting it back down again.

He might as well have ordered you a water, at least you would have actually enjoyed that.

The guy is massive and covered in questionable looking tattoos, in both quality and taste. Just like his choice of beer.

“Hangman, how do you know this guy again? What’s his name?” he asked, finally pulling his eyes away from you and your date.

“He’s a gym buddy, does those body building competitions,” Jake told him, probably for the second time that night based on the annoyance in his voice. “Really helped me to grow my pecs.”

Why was he flexing instead of answering the goddamned question?

“And his name?” he presses again, pushing his cue into Bob’s other hand officially done with the game. He pulls out his phone and sets to opening up a new tab on his browser getting ready to run a web search on the guy.

“Elijah, why?”

“Elijah what? What’s his last name?” Rooster wasn’t sure what was so hard about this. For how much Hangman bragged about being the fastest pilot, he was really struggling to keep up.

“How am I supposed to know? We’re not that close, man. We share trainin’ tips, not life stories,” he lets slip.

That would not work for him.

Downing the rest of his beer, tuning out the rest of whatever Seresin was saying to him as he stalks off to the bar.

He’s just being a good friend he tells himself, since it was obvious Hangman hadn’t done enough due diligence when it came to you.

Once there he orders another beer from Penny before rounding the bartop to where you sit with your back turned to him. He reaches out and plucks the room temperature Michelob Ultra out from your hand.

“Hey! What the-” he heard you start before turning to see him, “Rooster?” Your eyebrows pulled up in confusion.

“You’re welcome, kid,” he states concisely as he wraps your hand around the fresh, cold Blue Moon he had gotten for you instead.

His fingers brushing the end of the long tail of the bow that danced along your arm as he pulls away, heading back to his vantage point by the pool table.

The pressure in his chest lessening now that you at least had a beverage you actually liked in your hands.

“What the fuck, man? That stunt better not have screwed with my chances of winning, they were clearly hitting it off. Did Phoenix put you up to this?” Jake complained, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

Not bothering to reply, Rooster just waves him off as he watches you lift the bottle to your mouth, taking a sip for the first time that evening. A small smile on your face as you savor the flavor on your tongue.

Good. That’s good.

He’s very pleased when he sees Elijah head out the door less than 10 minutes later. And downright smug when you settle yourself next to him with your Blue Moon in hand.

“Well?” Hangman presses, leaning on the cue stick in his hands, “How’d it go?”

“It was going pretty well until he decided it was more important to lecture me about calorie content and muscle protein synthesis instead of just letting me enjoy my beer,” you said as you rolled your eyes. “So I told him we were probably on two different levels, and we decided to wrap it up for the night. I definitely heard him mutter something about needing a second pump session on his way out though. I hope he meant at the gym.” You scrunch your nose at that.

“Atta girl,” he smiles down at you as he bumps his shoulder against yours, watching as you blushed a little under the praise.

“You all might as well just give me the winnings now, there’s no way any of you idiots are going to beat me. I hope you’re ready to have your feet swept out from under you, my guy is going to be your dream man,” Nat declares, her tone self-congratulatory.

And just like that, he wasn’t feeling so smug anymore.

Read Part 3 here!

I am so blown away by the response Part 1 got! Thank you all so much for reading and all your kind comments! I appreciate every single one of you!

Written as part of @roosterforme’s #Love Is In The Air TGM Fic Challenge! Please go check out the fics on the playlist! There’s some great things already posted!

Song Inspiration Sam Smith’s “Like I Can”.

Thank you Jordan (@gretagerwigsmuse) and Emily (@roosterforme) for your all caps energy and for letting me spam you with ideas!

Taglist:

@sehnsuchts-trunken @top-hhun-main @itscheybaby @prettylittlelauraa @startrekfangirl2233 @marantha @callsign-viper @teacupsandtopgun @itsizzythebell @winterrebel04 @shanimallina87 @angelbabyange @boltgirl426 @oneelleandaneye @mizzzpink @anony1080 @cornishkat @green-intervention @torres-espana @uzumegui @2guysonascooter @dont-talk-me-down @fandomunite2107 @alana4610 @20th-centu-fairy-girl @candid-confetti @pariahsparadise @pono-pura-vida @donttouchmycarrots @ebonyhogan24 @nina-sj @eg-dr3amer3 @whaledots-blog @a-beaverhausen @misty-inferno @angellwingsss @hangmanscoming @mandolin22 @theweekndhistorybook @lilpeekabooze @high-bi-imgonnacry @deeahhmaa @ahintofkiwistrawberry @mrsdaamneron @ruewrote @spiderman-stilinski @jayniebop @melllinaa @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @mandolin22 @imaginecrushes @calsjack

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw fanfiction #bradley rooster bradshaw x female reader #bradley rooster bradley x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x you #rooster x female reader #rooster x you #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick fanfiction #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley rooster bradshaw #like i can tgm #love is in the air tgm

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sophieinwonderland · 11 months ago

Text

The Plurality of... Avatar: The Last Airbender

Major Spoilers For Avatar: The Last Airbender ahead! And minor spoilers of related properties.

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.

Welcome to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. A world where some people are born with the gift of bending, an ancient art that allows them to control one of the four elements. But only one. Even if they came from parents who were different types of benders, each bender only gets a single element.

But there exists a single exception to this rule. The Avatar. The one person in the world who can master all four elements.

But we're not here to talk about the Avatar's cool bending powers. We're here today to talk about…

The Plurality of The Avatar

Plurality: A state of multiple self-conscious agents, or "headmates," sharing a single body.

The Avatar isn't merely a jack of all trades bender. Simply knowing how to use the four elements is only a small part of their toolbelt. And perhaps one of the least important. Despite the series placing a strong focus on the need to master all four elements, perhaps the actual most important thing about the Avatar is that they reincarnate and are connected with their past selves.

This allows each Avatar to speak to and learn from the experiences of past avatars. This is most prominent in what's called the Avatar State, a sort of super form where their eyes (and downvotes) glow as they channel the skills and abilities of all the past avatars through them.

(Art by @joeyscomics)

Aang's avatar state is a sort of blending of the avatars without a distinct identity of its own.

Additionally, there were also a couple instances through the show where Aang, the current avatar, switches into other avatars.

During the season 1 mid-season finale, The Winter Solstice, Aang first contacts Avatar Roku, his firebending predecessor. Trapped in a temple with no way out, a group stands outside the door prepared to strike as soon as the avatar steps through. They expect to see a small child walk through the doors. But what they see instead is Avatar Roku.

Once the enemies have been defeated and fled, Roku turns back into an exhausted Aang, who drops to his knees.

In season 2, this happens again with Aang switching into avatar Kyoshi. Again, sure to spirit magic, Aang physically transforms into Kyoshi.

(Obviously, real plurals don't physically transform, as cool as that would be. But spirits in the avatar universe do have shape-changing capabilities, being able to alter both their own forms and the forms of others. There are many examples in Legend of Korra and the comics, but one big one we see in A:TLA is Koh The Face Stealer, who as you can guess, steals people's faces, physically transforming their bodies. Simply put, we can accept the Avatar Spirit as having the ability to naturally shapeshift.)

So there's the basics of the Avatar's plurality. We have multiple people sharing a body. We have system-like internal communication. We have switching. And we even have a state that could be best described as blendy.

In the plural community, a system that's formed from past lives is sometimes called Fenigenic or Phoenigenic, drawing its name from the phoenix; The mythical bird that dies and is reborn from its ashes.

From Pluralpedia:

Fenigenic is a system origin that describes systems who formed from past lives in some way. They may believe they left their past life and were reborn again as a system, came into the system from a past life into the body (causing plurality), were a system in a past life and were reborn again with the same one, and/or various other scenarios. This is an intentionally broad label that can describe many different experiences.

With these established facts, without a doubt, the avatar would qualify as a Pheonigenic system.

But I want to delve even deeper. Because at its core, Avatar: The Last Airbender isn't just a story about a kid who happens to be plural. It's a story about plurality. It's a story about dissociation. About connecting with and building connections with parts of yourself. And about taking responsibility for those parts, even when you aren't actually them. And all of this is what make the series so fascinating from a plural perspective!

The Avatar State as a "Self-Defense Mechanism"

At the beginning of season 2, Aang enters the avatar state while scared of losing his friends, and talks to Roku again. Roku explains to Aang what the avatar state is.

The Avatar State is a defense mechanism, designed to empower you with the skill and knowledge of all the past Avatars. The glow is the combination of all your past lives focusing their energy through your body. In the Avatar State, you're at your most powerful... but you are also at your most vulnerable.

At this point, Aang learns that if he dies in the Avatar State, the cycle breaks and the avatar will never reincarnate again.

Let's take another look at that wording though. "The Avatar State is a defense mechanism." It's a word choice that you wouldn't expect to find in a fantasy cartoon. "Defense mechanisms" are more a psychological term, having their origins in psychoanalysis.

Why does this matter?

Because the avatar state, at its core, is a dissociative state. And dissociation has often been described as a defense mechanism itself. From Wikipedia:

In mild cases, dissociation can be regarded as a coping mechanism or defense mechanism in seeking to master, minimize or tolerate stress – including boredom or conflict.

And later when talking about traumamatic dissociation, it goes on to explain:

Symptoms of dissociation resulting from trauma may include depersonalization, psychological numbing, disengagement, or amnesia regarding the events of the abuse. It has been hypothesized that dissociation may provide a temporarily effective defense mechanism in cases of severe trauma; however, in the long term, dissociation is associated with decreased psychological functioning and adjustment.

What's interesting about the avatar state is that, while there are some times Aang goes into the Avatar State to protect himself, often he enters it as a response to stress in general.

The first couple times we see Aang go into the Avatar State, it's to physically protect himself. Once to freeze himself. Then again to fight Zuko. But the next time he enters the Avatar State, there's no danger. There's no need to use it.

This is when he's at the Southern Air Temple, and sees his old friend Monk Gyatsu. It's when he really learns and has to process that he's the last airbender and everyone he ever knew is dead.

Aang doesn't use the avatar state as a physical defense mechanism here. Rather, he enters the avatar state as a psychological defense mechanism.

It takes over because he's disengaging. He just learned something traumatic and he can't come to terms with it. He shuts down, and his friends have to reach him through the pain.

This becomes a pretty common theme throughout the series from then on. Sometimes, it's the physical danger that causes him to transform. But other times, he's triggered into this state by his friends being in danger, or from losing Appa.

Time and time again, we see the Avatar State as being triggered by extreme mental stress more often than by any sort of physical stress.

A big part of Aang's journey though the series then becomes learning to master the Avatar State and the dissociation that comes with it. To take control of it instead of letting it control him.

Avatar's Take on System Responsibility

"System responsibility" is the concept in the plural community that if one headmate does something, then the entire system of headmates is responsible for it. Some feel this is unfair, but for practicality, it makes sense. If someone steals something, then obviously you can't send only one headmate to prison. So a big part of being plural ends up having to accept that if someone else you share a body with does something wrong, even if you don't agree with it or don't even remember it, you're responsible for it.

And Avatar has its own form of this, where all Avatars have a single spirit that is reincarnated, and are therefore responsible for the actions of their past lives.

This is most exemplified in the episode Avatar Day.

In this episode, the Gaang wander into a town that's celebrating the titular Avatar Day. They see a parade with massive wooden floats of the past three Avatars. Aang, Roku and Kyoshi.

What appears to be a nice festival that the Gaang is enjoying is quickly turned on its head when a villager sets fires to the figures and the crowd begins chanting "down with the Avatar" while the figures burn.

It turns out, this town believed Avatar Kyoshi murdered their leader, Chin The Great.

In order to prove he wasn't a murderer, Aang volunteers to stand trial. Even though Aang and Kyoshi are separate people in a way... in another, they aren't. And Kyoshi being a murderer is something that would continue to follow Aang around.

So he agrees to go on trial, and refuses encouragement from his friends to escape. And he could escape if wanted to.

When viewed through the lens of a plural system, what we see here is a demonstration of system responsibility, where Aang is showing himself willing to take responsibility for the actions of past Avatars.

Later in the episode, Katara decides that they need to call Kyoshi herself to prove their innocence, and dresses Aang in Kyoshi's clothes to "see if it might trigger something."

And it actually does! This stunt causes Kyoshi to take front! (With a full body transformation because spirit stuff.)

In the end, Kyoshi confesses to killing Chin, who she calls Chin the Conqueror, and Aang is willing to accept the outcome of the trial.

It's not just this one episode though. It's a running theme of the series.

The franchise even.

In season 3, Roku reveals that the whole reason the world was in danger was because of his connection to and weakness in stopping Fire Lord Sozin, who went on to wipe out the Air Nomads. Aang is left with the responsibility of making up for Roku's mistakes.

In the books, it's revealed that Avatar Kyoshi's earliest trials were a direct result of the failings of Kuruk, the avatar before her. And his were a result of Yangchen's mistakes. And in the sequel series, avatar Korra is left to make up for the mistakes of not just Aang, but also Avatar Wan who started the cycle.

The Avatars are people who share a single soul. Each new avatar can be viewed as a new host in the same system. And each one therefore is responsible for making up for the mistakes of those that came before.

This is what the avatar franchise, at its core, is about. A single system making mistakes through life after life, and having to fix those mistakes in the next, hopefully making the world a better place and keeping balance along the way.

A Story of Connection and Balance

With all of this in mind, Aang begins his journey is a system cut off from his headmates.

A central theme of the story is restoring that connection. This story really begins with Aang entering the avatar state in the Southern Air Temple. This is the first time he loses control and nearly hurts the people he cares about.

The avatar state here is something powerful, yes, but also something to be feared, making him a danger to his friends. He doesn't understand at the time what that state is exactly. It's something that leaves him confused and scared.

Through the series, he gradually learns more about the avatar state and his past lives. He begins to learn from avatar Roku. Then from Kyoshi. He learns about their lives, and has to reconcile their past mistakes. He also has to learn to accept himself as the avatar. Something which he struggled with throughout the series, and led to him fleeing his people.

At the end of season 2, Aang nearly dies in the avatar state. In a canon webgame called Escape from the Sprit World, while unconscious, Aang enters the spirit world and goes on a journey where he has to reconnect with the past avatars in order to prevent the avatar cycle from being broken, going back all the way to meet Avatar Yangchen, the airbender before him.

After meeting and learning from all these avatars, he's able to awaken with a new connection to them. (Albeit with no memory of this side quest.) Although he's told he won't be able to enter the Avatar State for the time being.

After this, on the Summer Solstice, he was able to meet with Roku once again to learn about Roku's own past, and his history with Fire Lord Sozin.

All of these events laid the groundwork for a final realization in the series finale. That the past avatars were always with him. He's able to meditate and reach out, and commune with each of them.

Finally, Aang has become a fully-realized avatar, tearing down barriers that kept him separate from the rest of his system!

And in the final battle, Aang is able to access the avatar state with full control over it for the first time.

Some would say that this was because of a conveniently-placed rock. Which, yes, that might have been the literal trigger that unblocked his chi. But narratively, I would argue that it was the connection with the past avatars that truly allowed him to access the avatar state again. That finally connecting with them all was how he truly earned this ability!

Conclusion

So there we have it! The story of Avatar: The Last Airbender is not just an incredible story, but an incredible story of plurality and connection between headmate.

This was really fun to write about, and I enjoyed talking about the plurality of the Avatar.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read!

I think with that, I've covered everythi...

Oh... right...

I guess I didn't cover everything about the plurality of the Avatar, did I?

Guess I need to plan for a Plurality of The Legend of Korra in the future! 😁

(And if you're interested in more of my ramblings about plural representations, you can check out my post about the Plurality of Batman. Or you can read about The Plurality of The Hybrid Chronicles: What's Left of Me, where I analyze a novel about a world where everyone is born with two souls.)

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moonlight-prose · 7 months ago

Note

accidentally staring a bit too long at their lips w/ fritz bestie please i am begging he has kissable lips 😩

EARTH ANGEL

a/n: because manny jacinto is finally showing up my dash constantly, i felt like i had to write something for the one and only fritz. this is courtesy of us just screaming about him. a nonstop convo about how beautiful he is. also cause top gun summer 3.0 is necessary when the weather hits 90 and you want to crawl out of your skin. this is unedited and beta read by you babes.

summary: what does it mean to belong to someone? to be stuck in their gravitational pull, to feel that cosmic connection that makes breathing difficult when they were away.

OR a dance, a song, and the aspect of forever all leads to one conclusion. falling in love with fritz was inevitable.

word count: 3.2k+

pairing: bill ‘fritz’ avalone x f!reader

warnings: so much fluff it’s scary, romance, the hopefulness of two hopeless romantics, fluff, flirty vibes from our man fritz, he's obsessed it's so cute, the good gooey feelings that make people do stupid things for love.

Celebratory cheers bounced off the walls as you did your best not to get knocked on your ass. People crowded the bar, beer in their hands and requests for more flying off their lips. And you did what you could to sink into the corner. Away from those that were already on the road to slurring their words given the demeanor of the setting. People were floating on cloud nine. Over the damn moon as the mission they stressed over suddenly became a success.

The condensation dripped onto your hand, slipping down your wrist when you took a sip. You should have wiped it away on your sundress, but the scene before you distracted every one of your senses. Rooster was three beers in, a shot of something amber beside him, as he sang at the top of his lungs. His fingers danced over the keys.

Surprising given that he was tipping over the piano, his eyes glazed and gleaming. A group of pilots you tried to make sense of practically fell beside him, their voices shouting above the others. The serenity of bliss drawn on their faces. You figured they were the ones who'd accomplished the job.

"Can I buy you a drink honey?" The drunken slur of a pilot tripping his way towards you nearly threw you off, but with a tip of your beer and a lazy smile you watched him accept defeat. His eyes already set to a redhead seated at the bar - her gaze locked on him with a hunger you only felt for one man.

"You shouldn't hide away," Phoenix called, sliding into the corner with you, two beer necks wrapped in each hand. Another round to kill the stress of the day—to remember they weren't just pilots.

You grinned. "Who says I'm hiding?"

A quirk of her eyebrow and a murmured mhm called you out faster than you anticipated. Hiding wasn't the prerogative. If you had another beer in your system, you'd be sitting by Rooster attempting to match his note for one of your own. But celebration wasn't to be had if the one you were waiting for hadn't waltzed through the door yet. His friends trailing behind him, wolf whistles traded for smirks from pretty women at the bar.

"He'll be here soon," she said, nodding towards the door. "Mav kept them longer than usual."

"Who says I'm waiting for someone?"

She laughed, a shrug thrown your way as she meandered through the mess of rowdy pilots. "Who says you're not?"

Any other pilot would have figured you wanted away from the noise, any of them wouldn't have seen how your eyes fell to the door whenever it swung open. But Phoenix...she could see the faint emotion that shone in your eyes. She saw how you laughed a bit harder in his presence, how he actually talked longer, how your hands brushed when you thought no one was looking. You were an open book, and Phoenix was rapidly turning the pages to see how this particular story came to an end.

"Phoenix—"

The call fell on deaf ears as she rejoined her boys. A seat procured for her by the pool table within seconds. They may give her shit left and right, but you caught the way respect bled from their hearts when she entered the scene. A comradery that left even you breathless.

They'd die for each other.

They nearly had.

You nearly wondered what that felt like: being so in tune with someone your whole body lit up when they entered a room. Yet the echo of the door swinging open—a cheer of a voice you recognized - yanked the breath from your lungs. Seconds passed like hours, and the hair on the back of your neck stood to attention, as you turned. Already searching the crowd for that someone—the other half of your cosmic connection.

If you had a favorite color before catching sight of his eyes, you couldn't remember it. The inclination of your favorite song was diminished the second his laughter fell upon your senses. You suddenly couldn't recall a day where you didn't breathe for him, where your life didn't hold meaning unless you shared a smile and said hello. He'd become the sun, and you found you didn't mind being dragged into his gravitational pull. As long as you could orbit around him without end.

"Penny!" Harvard yelled over the noise of Rooster doing encore number three of Great Balls of Fire. "Three beers please and thank you!"

You smiled into your beer, the bitter flavor flooding your taste buds as a third member of the dynamic duo appeared in their midst. His head turning, eyes flicking through the throng of people, as he searched rapidly. He smiled at Yale, nodded his head at a woman who rammed into him, and finally caught your gaze with a deep exhale.

And suddenly...you could breathe properly again.

He mumbled his farewells, snuck the beer off the counter, and slipped quietly towards you.

People believed he remained silent because Harvard and Yale were loud enough for him. You found he had plenty to say. As long as someone was willing to listen. If it were up to you, he'd never stop talking. Simply so you could hear the deep echo of his voice on a constant loop. Your favorite tune, ever since he caught your eye at basic training. The question of an empty chair beside you suddenly turning into so much more.

"You're still in your flight suit," you said, hoping the light airiness of your voice was enough to avoid thinking about how your skin turned hot the second he showed up.

When it came to Fritz...you became aware of yourself in a way that didn't exist. How you moved, how you spoke.

Before him you were in darkness. He simply figured out how to turn on the switch and allow light in.

"Yeah," he let out another breath, sipping at his beer. You tracked the drip of condensation that fell on his neck, your stomach twisting at the sight. "We got the ritual speech of why we didn't go. You know the one."

"Ah. The I'm sorry but you're still a great pilot speech."

He smiled and the ground vanished beneath you. "That exact one actually."

"I'm sure he...added a cherry on top of the bullshit."

Fritz choked, laughter spilling from his lips like a contagion you longed to catch. When he felt joy, you partook. When he laughed, you couldn't help yourself. He was an addiction. The reason why you even came to San Diego in the first place.

Whether he knew that was a different story altogether.

"I'm guessing you made it out early." His eyes fell to your white sundress, red flowers sprinkled along the near sheer fabric. "Nice dress," he mumbled into his drink, eyes a bit darker than before as they trailed upwards, stopping briefly at the way it was pulled into a tie above your breasts.

You'd done it into a mess of a bow, hoping the look didn't resemble too much of a present. His gaze barely came up to your eyes before falling again, transfixed by the sight. And you found you didn't mind if he unwrapped you with the same glee as a kid on his birthday. You wanted him to.

"Thanks," you replied softly, the quick echo of your heart deafening against the noise of the bar.

Rooster's name was being chanted like a prayer, his body shimmying and swaying as he began to start up another round of the same song. People were more than happy to sing along with him. Until the familiar hum of the jukebox prickled in the air, a slow song blaring from the speakers. You leaned up on your toes, eyes catching the sight of Hangman appearing from the back of it with a glare on his face. His middle finger directed towards a half drunk Rooster; who met him with a finger of his own.

"Serves Rooster right," you began, turning back to Fritz with a flutter of your skirt. "That would have been number four."

He snorted. "Only Rooster wouldn't get hit for that."

"Oh I'm pretty sure Hangman was five seconds away from it."

The Penguins crooned softly as people began to calm slightly, dispersing to tables and disappearing out the back towards the firepit. And you stood there silently with Fritz, your beer now tepid and disgusting. If you had the chance, you'd have asked him to head out to the firepit, but he turned back towards the bar. Probably for one more drink.

"Right." You pulled at the skirt of your dress.

You wanted to play it back, say something entirely different. Ask him to join you by the fire pit with another beer in his right hand and your palm in his left. But the words were stuck like molasses in the back of your throat, fighting against release. Phoenix was begrudgingly dancing with Bob, her lips refusing a smile that you knew lingered beneath the surface. And Fanboy sat beside Payback, crooning the lyrics as best they could.

The temptation to join them pulled at your chest, an echo of that yearning for comradery appearing again. Perhaps if you asked Fritz he'd say yes. You could follow their lead, enjoy the night before you went your separate ways once more.

You could pretend to be whole for one night.

And life would feel worth living.

"Hey Avalone—" You were stopped short by the sight of his hand stretched towards yours, his lips in a small smile that screamed hope. That pleaded for an answer to this unspoken question.

Like the rest of them...you replied silently. With the belief that words simply weren't enough in this situation.

Slipping your hand into his, you allowed him to lead you towards the empty spot near Phoenix and Bob. Dazed and slightly worried that the singular beer you drank was affecting you more than it should. Even as the actual reason had your hand clasped tight. You wanted to ask what effect he held over you, what intangible bond he created without your knowledge. It might give you an explanation as to why you felt this way: stuck in a dream filled haze, with only his light to guide you out.

And maybe one day Fritz would tell you he gripped you so tight for fear of him tripping. Maybe he'd finally explain why he told you so much, why his body buzzed the second you walked in a room. Maybe he'd tell you that he suspected he loved you after watching you fly a jet, but knew he loved you when you nearly toppled him over playing volleyball on the beach.

But for now...he expressed what he could without words. Afraid that if he opened his mouth, he'd say the wrong ones.

With a swift turn, he tugged you closer on unsteady feet. A full smile pulling at his lips when you grasped his shoulders for balance.

He wouldn't let you fall. Not here...not in the sky as your wingman, and certainly not out of the love you felt for him. People said this emotion was fleeting. A lost fictitious hope that merely existed with words on a page, but there was no denying how his heart grew warmer when you were near. How he knew he could speak to you for hours at a time, yet never run out of things to say.

You were it.

That indescribable thing no one could give a name to.

"I didn't take you for the dancing type," you joked, swallowing around your nerves that jumped across your skin.

He stepped closer, his arm slipping around your waist. The way your chest hitched didn't go unnoticed by him; although rather than mention it, he put you out of your misery and kept speaking.

"I'm not."

"Let me guess...it's the song?"

He shrugged, swaying you into a gentle step you could follow with ease. "Well...it's not not the song."

A quick glance over told you that the Daggers were eyeing the both of you with great interest. As if you and Fritz were the entertainment they'd been searching for all night. The turning point of a love story they'd been a part of for years. The page sat ready to be turned, the final line of the novel practically burning a hole through the back cover, yet you couldn't read what it said.

"So it's...only the song?"

"No." If it were any other night, you'd be sharing a plate of nachos at a booth somewhere in the back. He'd be three stories deep into a conversation, and you'd be falling a bit harder the longer you listened.

Tonight however, he seemed—nervous.

"No?" You wanted to pry open his thoughts, see what he believed this was—what you were to him.

"If it wasn't the song? If I asked you because of something else, what would you do?" His hand clutched yours a bit tighter, the familiar callous on the base of his wrist helped keep you grounded.

"Depends on what it is." You sucked in a breath. "Will I...I've been thinking—"

"Yes?"

Your eyes met his softened gaze, the echo of an emotion you couldn't place shone in the deep brown. And you wanted to beg him to explain it to you. To tell you everything he'd never said out loud, in the hopes they mimicked what you held near and dear to your heart every day.

"Ever since I've known you...um..." Getting it out felt as if you were attempting to delicately attempt a surgery - prying them free from your chest with a chisel. "Actually since the day we met...fuck...it's not easy to say."

He tugged you a bit closer as he turned. "I know." He smiled, eyes falling to your lips, the curve of their shape, how they formed around his name. "It's not just the song. It's you."

Breathing no longer existed as the beat of your heart went haywire. Could he feel the pulse of it on your wrist? The way it bent and twisted as if leaping from your chest. You wanted to respond, tell him all the things that went unspoken, but once he found his words...they refused to go unheard.

"It's always been you. I should have told you before tonight. Believe me��I wanted to. You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you." He let out a soft breathy laugh and you could practically taste his words on your tongue. "And I think you knew."

"Will..." Your teeth sunk into the flesh of your bottom lip, eyes falling to his as the words you longed to hear finally left them.

"I love you." The sting of tears burned your eyes, your hand clutching his shoulder harder as he kept going. "Since the first day." He laughed nervously and an image of him, you, and a house flashed through your mind. "Well actually. The day you knocked me on my ass playing volleyball is when I knew for sure."

"Yeah?" you murmured, fighting back the stream of tears.

He seemed to catch how the light illuminated them, his hand slipping from yours to cup your cheek. "Yeah. Only my girl could be that competitive."

His girl.

The story was written the day you greeted him with a smile. The ending inscribed into your futures with permanent ink, carved into the rock of your headstones. And you could see it now—the familiar dip in the road that matched his perfectly. Falling in love with Fritz was always in the cards. A play you had no choice but to make.

He was your forever the second you shared the same oxygen.

"Fritz..."

He smiled, thumb running across the apple of your cheek. "Yeah baby?"

Chills ran down your spine as heat spilled into your stomach. The polarity of the two nearly toppled you to the ground, but he held you tight. Unwilling to let you go.

The song was slowly coming to the final chorus—the noise of the bar didn't register to your ears anymore as you hung onto his every word. Desperate for him to say those three words over and over and over. Until he lost all the breath in his lungs.

"I hope you know I love you."

His lips pulled into a smile that held your attention in its grasp. What you wouldn't give to see that every morning and night. To be the sole reason why something so beautiful appeared. He smiled and you felt the gravity beneath your feet give way, your stomach bursting to life with a flurry of butterflies.

"I should have said it before this mission. Or even a year ago. But I was scared you didn't feel the same wa—"

With a soft chuckle, he dipped down slightly, catching your lips with his softly. And every thought, every explanation you could give him, died on your tongue. He was gentle with you, as if this was a new version of the dance you'd shared throughout the years. The steps, familiar yet foreign enough to trip you up. It wasn't until you sucked in a sharp breath through your nose, your hand finding its way to the hair on the base of his neck, did the hesitation fall away.

He itched to haul you to his chest and properly kiss you. But the burn of eyes prickled along his back. There was an audience, witnesses to the first step into your future, and Fritz felt himself tense slightly. If he had a choice, he'd show you how long he wanted this. How he ached for this.

He'd make up for lost time.

The song filtered to an end, a new one he couldn't place starting up. He refused to pull away.

With a sigh, you melted into his hold, a noise echoing in the back of your throat as his tongue slid along yours. The tang of his beer mixing with yours. He kissed you with the promise of more, the knowledge that tonight you'd take his hand and follow him home. You felt his hand bunch the skirt at your back, fingers digging into your waist, and you moaned softly—desperate for his skin to sear yours.

"Get a room, lovebirds!" Hangman shouted, leaning against the jukebox beer in hand. Yet he let the quarter in his hand slide through the slot, another love song clicking to life as he complained with a smile.

Fritz jolted back, his lips swollen and vibrating. He could still taste you on his tongue, still hear the echo of your moan in his head. You looked dazed, almost lovestruck. And suddenly he understood what it really meant to be hungry.

"Remind me to thank Hangman later," he mumbled against your lips, addicted to the way they curved beneath his.

"He'll take credit for this."

He shrugged. "I'm okay with that."

You locked your other arm around his neck, nose brushing his as you eyed his lips. The red stain on his cheeks had your heart skipping as many beats as it could. What you wouldn't give to have a picture of him like this. Stuck in a haze of love that you put him in.

With a stupefied grin, you felt him start to lead you through the next dance. The steps perfectly in tune with his—as it was always meant to be. "So am I."

#YES HIS NAME IS WILLIAM IN THIS FIC #I REFUSE TO CALL HIM BILLY #billy 'fritz' avalone x reader #billy 'fritz' avalone x you #billy 'fritz' avalone x y/n #billy 'fritz' avalone x f!reader #billy avalone x reader #billy avalone x you #fritz x reader #fritz x you #top gun maverick #manny jacinto #my writing

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scarlet--wiccan · 3 months ago

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Hey! Why was Wanda called “the Pretender” during the Krakoa era and how did it even come about? I’m not interested in reading Krakoa era X-Men, but I do like Scarlet Witch. I know it has to do with House of M and all that, but I thought it was put to bed during Uncanny Avengers so I’m a little confused why Wanda and House of M led to her being called the Pretender years later. Plus did Magneto have anything to say about it?

Wanda's treatment regarding the Decimation has never been consistent. Children's Crusade and AvX repaired a lot of the damage that had been done to her character, but she definitely backslid during Remender's run on Uncanny Avengers, and an overall negative perception of her persisted, especially among X-Men fans and writers, for the rest of the decade.

The Decimation became topical again in the early days of Krakoa. With the dawn of mutant resurrection, past genocides and extinction events were a frequent topic of conversation, and living mutants who had been affected by the Decimation were given the option of voluntarily dying so that they could be "restored." At the same time, members of Krakoa's unelected government, such as Exodus and Apocalypse, were focused on shaping culture, and this is where we started to see a more mythologized account of the Decimation, in which Wanda-- a "false mutant"-- is depicted as an insidious "Pretender."

Culty!

So Wanda becomes an enemy of the state, and we see over the next two or so years that everybody on Krakoa hates her and is totally bought into the Pretender narrative. There's a particularly clunky bit of dialogue in Way of X where we see mutants using her name as a slur. It gets so bad that Teddy, as the new leader of Kree-Skrull Alliance, refuses trade negotiations with Krakoa because of the insult to his mother-in-law.

And, fine, it makes sense that a lot of mutants would have very strong feelings about the Decimation. But it's abundantly clear, throughout this period, that Krakoan leadership is using Wanda as a boogieman figure to cultivate Krakoan nationalism and weird, pseudo-religious fervor about resurrection. All of this feels particularly sinister when you remember that Emma Frost took a psychic testimony from Wanda in Children's Crusade. She and Cyclops, who are both on the Krakoan Council, could have used that information to clear Wanda's name years ago and worked with her to provide restorative justice, something Wanda has repeatedly proven herself committed to doing.

So, what'd Magneto do about it? Not much. Rather than speak up on Wanda's behalf, he allowed his colleagues on the Council to continue dragging her name through the mud and exploiting the collective trauma of the Decimation for political ends. After catching major shade from an Alliance diplomat, he arranged a secret meeting with Wanda and the two of them reconciled in private. Magneto told Wanda about Krakoan resurrection, which, at the time, was a state secret, and Wanda hatched a plan to stage her own, very public death on Krakoa in order to gain access to the resurrection system from inside. This allowed her to enhance the resurrection process in such a way that it became much easier to heal Decimation victims and recover mutants who might have otherwise fallen through the system's cracks. These improvements played a vital role in saving mutantkind and resurrecting the Phoenix during the fall of Krakoa-- and Wanda's stunt played out in such a way that the Council had no choice but to clear her name.

This all happens in a miniseries called Trial of Magneto, whcih came out in 2021. For the rest of the Krakoan era, Wanda had a much better relationship with mutants, and so far, it seems like the Decimation has, actually, finally, been put to rest.

#krakoa #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch

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cherrysweather · 1 year ago

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Can i request phoenix wright and Ryunosuke Naruhodo having a s/o who is a famous defense lawyer known for solving nearly impossible cases?

Heeellu Anon!!

T H A N K S for making me write about DGS for the firts timee!

And about my dear Ryuuu

I will c r y

I hope you'll have a great day and have some water!

-------------------------------------------------

Phoenix Wright and Ryunosuke Naruhodo x famous defense lawyer!S/O:

Phoenix Wright:

Mia set the standards of a lawyer really high;

Yes, he did recognize talented lawyers and knew to be humble, but he never found someone as great as her;

He read in the newspapers about a new lawyer who managed to win some cases that many of his coworkers refused to take;

He did some research on her and all the cases she handled, just out of curiosity;

And noticed that each case was notably tangled in its facts;

His curiosity brought him to court to attend one of her trials and see with his eyes if what the papers said was true;

He stayed in the background for some time, but eventually the fact that both of them were lawyers brought them to work together, and ultimately together;

She also started to attend his trials, and often wanted to discuss them with him, getting close;

Whenever a paper talked about her case and her "invincibility", he bought it and just added it to his collection;

They both learned a lot from each other, and even though she "stole" Phoenix's spotlight, he was more than happy and proud to leave her to these praises;

Trucy was kind of sad when another lawyer joined the house, but she easily influenced her, too, with her passion for magic;

They were often apart, since both their services were needed almost everywhere;

She traveled more willingly abroad, while Phoenix preferred to stay in the country, mostly because of Trucy and his old age and body;

So they also learned to deal with the distance.

Ryunosuke Naruhodo:

They met when Ryu was still learning how to be a good defense lawyer;

He got close because he heard about her and her skills from the inspectors, the various papers both Susato and Sholmes bought daily and in the court itself;

Whenever he wasn't defending someone, he was in court anyway to be a witness to others' trials and learn the profession faster;

It eventually became a fair trade, she helped him with law studies, and he taught her some Japanese;

When things started to get more serious, they had to start seeing each other "in secret", since the Japanese were not yet fully accepted in England, and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin in some way her career;

In court he often posed as her assistant, doing his best to understand each case and be somewhat useful for both her and his studies;

(He often loses some documents, so this task is quickly set aside);

He enjoys so much imagining the various cases and performing them, as if in a theatre, and very soon involves her in this "hobby";

She is often called to various countries to represent hers and to study new law systems, and Ryunosuke too has to go back to Japan, although much less frequently;

Each letter they send to each other in those times is jealously and preciously preserved;

And whenever they're finally reunited, travels are suspended for quite some time.

#ace attorney #ace attorney x reader #ace attorney headcanon #ace attorney headcanons #phoenix wright #phoenix wright ace attorney #phoenix wright headcanons #phoenix wright x reader #ryunosuke naruhodo #ryunosuke naruhodo x reader #ryunosuke naruhodo headcanons #the great ace attorney #tgaa #dgs

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boinkingbattlemechs · 14 days ago

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Wolverine

The Wolverine was developed as a fast strike BattleMech, one which could take part in missions requiring speed and firepower but too hazardous for lighter recon 'Mechs. Although meeting all the requirements for just such a machine, the Wolverine has since become known for its versatility and is considered a jack of all trades throughout the Inner Sphere. With the same electronics package as the Phoenix Hawk and mobility that allows it to keep up with most medium 'Mechs, the Wolverine is often used for command purposes when working with medium units, in spite of the terrible visibility and cramped cockpit due to the placement of the head-mounted weaponry.

During the Age of War, the early history of the Wolverine was born as a direct result of the Federated Suns' need for a front-line unit that could keep up with a forward advance and outmaneuver enemy BattleMechs. At the time, while they fielded their own versions of the Mackie and BattleAxe - they were too massive, slow, and lacked maneuverability. When the Terran Hegemony debuted their Shadow Hawk and Griffin - the Davions suddenly had their answer in which they could model a design that fit their requirements for an ideal cavalry 'Mech. Fierce competition followed suit by companies within Richard Varnay's Capellan March with Norse BattleMech Works ultimately winning a contract with the Federated Peacekeeping Forces. The designers, led by Supervising Engineer Russell Bell, while using the aforementioned inspirations opted for maneuverability, followed by a balanced weapons loadout with both offensive reach and close-in firepower without taxing heat exchange systems. Initially this was accomplished with the inclusion of a prototype Autocannon and medium-class laser, but Norse BattleMech Works felt this made the design too lightly armed compared to the competitors it was influenced by. The design team then made arrangements to allow the initial prototype to mount a PPC and additional heat sinks in place of the Autocannon, but the first PPC they were able to secure was completely unsuitable for the test frame, due to significant overheating and EM interference making for a wholly inaccurate weapon.

This initial failure did not go unnoticed by the FPF High Command and they urged the company to stick with the initial proposed design. Instead of rushing to create and test alternative weapon loadouts, the Norse engineers opted instead to stick with the original prototype for the Wolverine while electing for heavier levels of armor protection. Most of the armor was focused on the legs and arms, while extra plating was specially placed around the main joints to protect from shrapnel and debris. The end result was a 'Mech that was more stable, cooler running, and could endure severe punishment while outjumping Shadow Hawks and Griffins. Prince Varnay himself would receive the very first 4 production-grade WVR-1R Wolverines in 2471. It would go on to become the standard AFFS BattleMech for centuries, ironically serving as a template for the Hegemony's upgrades of the 'Mechs it was based on to in turn match the Wolverine. To counter this, Norse BattleMechs introduced yet another more influential variant in 2490 known as the WVR-3R and would not be fully upgraded to modern standards for another 85 years.

Purchasing the primary production rights to the design from Norse, Kallon Industries introduced the definitive WVR-6R Wolverine in 2575 for the newly-formed Star League Defense Force in the lead-up to the Reunification War, where it served with distinction. Afterwards it was approved for use by the Great Houses and became quite common on the battlefields of the Succession Wars after the fall of the Star League. Besides being produced by Kallon's factories on Nanking and Thermopolis, Free Worlds Defense Industries and Victory Industries later acquired the right to build Wolverines from their plants on Gibson and Marduk respectively. The Free Worlds League was thus the largest user of Wolverines followed thereafter by the Federated Sun-turned-Federated Commonwealth. The Fourth Succession War brought about minor changes when the House Davion captured Nanking from the Capellan Confederation but lost Marduk to the Draconis Combine. In the end the exchange was a net gain for Federated Suns thanks to the larger Nanking factory with the Confederation the clear loser. Houses Davion, Marik and Kurita all introduced new variants of the Wolverine which exploited the recent recovery of lostech just prior to the Clan Invasion.

During the Combine-Ghost Bear War House Kurita found itself running short of equipment when they lost Marduk and Al Na'ir to Duke James Sandoval's surprise attack, although DCMS forces managed to recapture Marduk in mid-3064. Inspired by Vicore Industries' "Project Phoenix" initiative Victory Industries went about scouring the entire Combine for any old Wolverine chassis in order to perform a complete strip, disassembling those in the worst shape for their parts and apply a modernizing factory refit to the rest. By 3067 this effort had virtually picked the Draconis Combine clean of older Wolverine machines but the new WVR-8K was so well received it inspired the production of brand-new models. The Federated Suns was similarly inspired by the success of the WVR-8K to perform their own updates on the aging design although the League, themselves still prolific Wolverine users, had yet to institute what turned out in the end to be a long and costly program.

The Wolverine carries a weapons payload that is both versatile and, at the same time, limited by its ammunition dependencies. The primary weapon is a GM Whirlwind Autocannon/5. This weapon, mounted in the right arm along with one ton of ammunition, allows the Wolverine to cause damage to the enemy at respectable ranges. This is backed up for short range work by a Harpoon-6 SRM-6 launcher with one ton of reloads in the left torso and a single Magna Mk II medium laser mounted in the head. The laser is the most unique aspect of the Wolverine as it is mounted in a ball turret originally providing a 360° field of fire on early models of the Wolverine. Following the addition of the Harpoon launcher and Tek BattleCom electronics blister, a fire-interrupt circuit had to be added to prevent pilots from shooting their own 'Mech.

Five Northrup 12000 jump jets, with two in either leg and the fifth in the rear torso, improves upon the Wolverine's relatively fast cruising speed of 54 km/h by allowing it to jump up to 150 meters at a time. Unfortunately the jets are slightly underpowered for this role and must be operated near maximum thrust to achieve their potential, resulting in increased wear and tear on the components. For this reason a number of variants were introduced which simply removed the jump jets.

Nine and a half tons of armor make the Wolverine well protected and emphasize its survivability when undertaking dangerous reconnaissance missions. Twelve heat sinks also provide adequate heat dissipation even in the event of damage to the fusion engine, further emphasizing the durability of the machine. In its role as a command 'Mech the Wolverine is well equipped with the same Tek BattleCom system with multichannel transceiver/receiver as found on the Phoenix Hawk. Well shielded in the head blister this setup allows the Wolverine to provide superior electronic support when leading other 'Mechs or conducting reconnaissance on its own.

#battletech #mechwarrior #battletech smash or pass #tumblr polls #mecha

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falloutboylyricss · 3 months ago

Text

Fall Out Boy and Heart

Evening Out With Your Girlfriend

none

Take This to Your Grave

"Breaking hearts has never looked so cool as when you wrap your car around a tree" - Tell That Mick He Just Made My List of Things to Do Today

"My heart is on my sleeve, wear it like a bruise or black eye" - Chicago Is So Two Years Ago

"My heart ticks in beat with these kids that I grew up with" - Grenade Jumper

From Under The Cork Tree

"I'm two quarters and a heart down, and I don't wanna forget how your voice sounds" - Dance, Dance

"Drop a heart, break a name" - Sugar, We're Goin' Down

"And my back has been breaking from this heavy heart" - I've Got A Dark Alley And A Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)

"We're the chemists who've found the formula to make your heart swell and burst" - Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year

"Ashamed of the way the songs and the words own the beating of our hearts" - Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year

"I'm the first kid to write of hearts, lies, and friends" - I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me

"I'm falling apart to songs about hips and hearts" - Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To Save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows)

"This story's getting old, the homewrecker with the heart of gold" - Snitches And Talkers Get Stitches And Walkers

"Because they've got me in a bad way, I've never seen a heart I couldn't break" - The Music Or The Misery

My Heart Is The Worst Kind Of Weapon (title only)

"'Cause I know that you're in-between arms somewhere next to heartbeats where you shouldn't dare sleep" - My Heart Is The Worst Kind Of Weapon

Infinity On High

"Long live the car crash hearts" - Thriller

"Crowds are won and lost and won again, but our hearts beat for the diehards" - Thriller

"The best way to make it through with hearts and wrists intact is to realize two out of three ain't bad" - I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)

"Can't commit to a thing, be it heart or hospital" - Bang The Doldrums

"To his closing argument, twelve hearts beat in favor" - You're Crashing, But You're No Wave

"Cross my heart and hope to die, splintered from the headboard in my eye" - G.I.N.A.S.F.S.

Folie à Deux

"Pull a breath like another cigarette, pawn shop heart, trading up" - I Don't Care

"Let's hear it for America's suitehearts, but I must confess" - America's Suitehearts

"If home is where the heart is, then we're all just fucked" - 27

"A long walk to a dark house, a Roman candle heart, keep us far apart" - Tiffany Blews

"I can make your heart slow, I can feel the weather in my bones" - Tiffany Blews

"Knowing how heartwarming it is inside your skin" - w.a.m.s.

"The P.A. system keeps my heart, heart beating tonight" - West Coast Smoker

"Got my degree in the gutter, my heart broken in the dorms of the Ivy League" - West Coast Smoker

Save Rock And Roll

"Cross walks and crossed hearts and hope to dies" - The Phoenix

"So we can take the world back from the heart-attacked" - The Phoenix

"You know, time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start, so dance alone to the beat of your heart" - The Phoenix

"My heart is like a stallion, they love it more when it's broke in" - Alone Together

"I'm here to collect your hearts, it's the only reason that I sing" - Where Did The Party Go

"I don't have the right name or the right looks, but I have twice the heart" - Just One Yesterday

"Cue all the love to leave my heart, it's time for me to fall apart" - Miss Missing You

"Making eyes at this husk around my heart" - Miss Missing You

"If my heart is a grenade, you pull the pin and say" - Rat A Tat

"I'm about to make your sweat roll backwards and your heart beat in reverse" - Rat A Tat

"But I'll take your heart served up two ways" - Rat A Tat

PAX AM Days

"Welcome to the demolition derby that is my heart" - Love, Sex, Death

American Beauty/American Psycho

"Heavy metal broke my heart" - Centuries

MANIA

none

So Much (For) Stardust

"We'll cry later or cry now, you know it's heartbreak" - Heartbreak Feels So Good

"We'll cry later or cry now but baby, heartbreak feels so good" - Heartbreak Feels So Good

"And if you put your, put your heart in it, heart in it, then we'll do more than just get by together" - Hold Me Like a Grudge

"I got love in my heart, so let's sneak in from the cheap seats, honey" - So Good Right Now

"It breaks your heart, but four of the Ramones are dead" - The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)

Misc.

none

#fall out boy #fall out boy lyrics #fob #fob lyrics #patrick stump #pete wentz #joe trohman #andy hurley

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valy-gc · 2 days ago

Text

Magical Phone Concept for Scriptoria:

Arcane RelicTab

A sleek, rectangular device crafted with a blend of enchanted wood or more rarely metal and polished glass infused with magic.

Functions include touch-screen navigation and voice commands via a friendly spirit embedded in the device.

Commonly just called "RelicTab" or even just "RT"

Magical Apps:

Instagram → SpellSnap

Share glimpses of enchanted life with spellbound photos and shimmering short clips.

YouTube → ArcanaTube

A magical archive of videos featuring legendary spellcasters, potion tutorials, and dramatic reenactments of ancient tales.

TikTok → FlickRune

Quick, addictive magical reels where users show off their spell choreography or clever charm crafting.

Tumblr → LuminalScroll

A mystical network for curating blogs, discussing esoteric knowledge, and sharing magical aesthetics.

Messenger → Magicial

A direct messaging app

Discord → ConjureCord

Gather with friends, guilds, or study groups in private "conclaves" to chat, share tips, or organize magical quests.

Amazon → ManaMart

A vibrant marketplace for trading everything.

DeviantArt → EnchantInk

A creative haven for art.

WhatsApp → WhisperNet

A seamless messaging app.

Netflix → SpellFlix

A streaming service offering an endless collection of magical dramas, mythical adventures, and spellbinding documentaries about historical events in the magical world.

Outlook → StarQuill

A celestial-themed magical email system. The interface mimics a star map, with important emails glowing brightly like constellations.

Games :

Among Us → Arcane Intrigue

Players are mages (with a knight armor) aboard a flying citadel, tasked with repairing magical anomalies while uncovering who among them is a skinwalker. Features magical disguises and illusionary traps. Multiple other maps are avaiables other than the flying citadel.

Cookie Run: Kingdom → SpellBake: Enchanted Realms

Players manage a realm of animated pastries enchanted by a benevolent mage. Build up your magical bakery empire and defend against sugar-crazed goblins in confectionary battles.

Genshin Impact → Etheria Chronicles

A sprawling open-world RPG where players summon magical heroes tied to elemental realms, each with unique abilities, as they unravel the mysteries of the interconnected planes.

Pokémon Go → Familiar Quest

Catch and bond with magical familiars (e.g., phoenixes, mini-dragons, and sprites) by exploring the real world. Magical portals appear in specific locations, unlocking rare creatures and enchanted items.

Gardenscape/Homescape → MystiScape: Haven Keeper

Players restore a dilapidated magical estate filled with enchanted gardens, hidden spell libraries, and quirky house spirits. Tasks involve brewing potions, clearing cursed vines, and befriending helpful sprites.

Candy Crush → Gem Alchemy

A match-three puzzle game themed around crafting potions by combining magical gemstones. Special combinations unleash spells that clear entire sections or transform the board with elemental effects.

The Flow of Life and Magical Devices

Nature of the Flow of Life: The Flow of Life isn’t just the source of magic—it's a fundamental force of existence in Scriptoria. Everything living and magical is connected to it, making it both a spiritual and practical energy source. When visible as the Northern Lights, it symbolizes the lifeblood of the world, weaving through every land and sea.

The Flow is self-renewing and infinite, meaning devices relying on it never run out of energy.

It has a natural harmony that prevents overuse or "magical pollution."

Arcane RelicTab’s Functionality: The RelicTab is a masterpiece of magical craftsmanship, seamlessly channeling the Flow of Life to function as a universal communication, entertainment, and utility tool.

Connectivity Anywhere: Thanks to its direct connection to the Flow, the RelicTab works flawlessly in caves, oceans, or even isolated magical fields.

Customization: Users can enchant their RelicTab with personal touches—like changing the mana hue of its glow or inscribing a spell that enhances its voice-recognition spirit.

Everyday Magic-Infused Devices: In Scriptoria, all appliances, tools, and games rely on the Flow. Examples include:

Cooking Appliances: Stoves and ovens tap directly into fire magic from the Flow, while fridges and freezers channel frost magic.

Magical Carriages: Personal or public transportation vehicles hover or glide effortlessly by tapping into the Flow, no wheels or rails required.

Arcane Entertainment Systems: TVs and game consoles are essentially enchanted mirrors or crystals projecting light and sound from the Flow’s magical "archives."

Enhanced Magical Apps

Building on the Flow concept, these apps become even more immersive and mystical:

SpellSnap: Posts are imbued with magic! Users can create illusions or animations, letting images come alive in 3D for followers.

ArcanaTube: Viewers can interact with videos using spells—for example, pausing by saying "Halt" or rewinding with a wave.

ManaMart: Buyers can magically preview items in a 3D magical image (like an hologram) before purchasing them.

Flow-Based Mechanics for Worldbuilding

No Dead Zones: Unlike real-world technology, the Flow ensures constant, uninterrupted magical energy. The phrase "you’re out of range" doesn’t exist in Scriptoria.

No Overdependence: While magical tools are everywhere, they are designed not to replace skills but to enhance them. For example:

Chefs still need cooking skills, even with enchanted ovens.

Writers still need to craft their stories, though enchanted quills speed up the process.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Glyphs of the Flow of Life

Every magical device in Scriptoria is marked with an enchanted glyph, a magical rune that identifies its primary function and connects it to the Flow of Life. These glyphs serve as both a seal of authenticity and a functional conduit for the device to draw its energy from the Flow.

Design of Glyphs

Universal Glyph Structure: Each glyph is circular in design, representing the infinite and cyclical nature of the Flow of Life. Within the circle, intricate patterns vary depending on the device’s purpose.

Glyphs glow faintly when active, pulsing with the energy of the Flow.

The glow’s color often reflects the element or essence of the device (e.g., blue for cooling, orange for heating).

Customization: Skilled mages or artisans can slightly modify glyphs to give devices unique designs and features (similare to programming), but the core structure must remain intact for functionality.

Key Glyphs and Their Functions

Communication, Music & Entertainment:

Glyph Name: Audivius

Devices: RelicTab (Phones), Arcane Radios, Portable Sound Relays (similar to earbuds).

Entertainment & Artistry:

Glyph Name: Creativium

Devices: TVs, Arcane Projection Crystals, Computers.

Household Cleaning:

Glyph Name: Purifex

Devices: Dishwashers, Washing Machines, Magic Brooms etc...

Heating & Cooking:

Glyph Name: Ignisculum

Devices: Ovens, Microwaves, Heaters etc...

Cooling & Preservation:

Glyph Name: Frigus

Devices: Fridges, Freezers, Preservation Crystals etc...

Illumination:

Glyph Name: Luxira

Devices: Lamps, Lanterns, Enchanted Chandeliers.

Transportation:

Glyph Name: Vectura

Devices: Flying Carriages, Magical Wagons, Airships etc...

Health & Restoration:

Glyph Name: Sanativum

Devices: Healing Crystals, Magical Med-Kits, Relaxation Pods etc...

Integration of Glyphs in Daily Life

Device Activation: To activate a device, a user simply touches the glyph. The glyph glows brighter, indicating that it’s connected to the Flow.

Glyph Education: In schools, children are taught to recognize common glyphs, as they are an essential part of everyday life. Advanced students may even learn to craft glyphs for custom devices.

Cultural Significance:

Some glyphs, like Luxira (Light), are also carved into jewelry or object for decorative light.

Guilds specializing in device manufacturing are often named after key glyphs, such as the "Guild of Ignisculum" for heating devices.

Personalized Glyph Seals: High-end devices are sometimes enchanted with personalized glyphs, which integrate the owner’s essence or initials into the glyph design. This makes the device uniquely theirs and unusable by others unless the glyph is rewritten.

#art #original story #original character #fairytale #magic phone #lore #oc lore #lore dump #world building #Legends of the Written Realms #LoWR

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princesssmars · 2 years ago

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part of your world

finally created the little mermaid!au fic with prince abby and ariel reader

abby longs to see the world. little does she know that a horrible storm and haunting voice will give her what she's looking for.

wc : 918

contains : readers skin and appearance aren't described besides your hair being long! i also described it as flowing down but i thinkk that can apply to different hair types/textures.

a/n : thinking about doing a mermaid abby version since people were asking! i'm so against disney's remake mania but go watch the little mermaid 2023 if you haven't already halle was a knockout.

abby who has lived most of her life longing for an adventure. often thinks back on how when she was younger she and her mother would take trips on a royal ship to nearby islands and towns, spending time in the markets and having picnics on the beaches.

how when her mother died in a shipwreck she was devastated, her father banning most non-trade sailing only adding to it. after a few years, she manages to convince her father to let her join some of them and she's never felt so at home as she does on the seas with her crew.

but for a night luck wasn't on her side. one moment she's laughing and singing a sea shanty while some of the crew life her up on their shoulders and the next she's fighting to stay above water, watching the sea phoenix go down in flames.

the first thing she hears when she gains a bit of consciousness is a voice. its blurry at first but then it becomes soft, melodic, almost angelic. when she opens her eyes a bit she sees a figure of a woman before its gone in an instant.

for the next day its all she can think about. the faint glimpse she got at her saviors hair, flowing down her shoulders like waves. the little flecks of the sea on your skin, the shape of your lips while you sang to her...

her father and some of the workers in the castle think its a symptom of being at sea after a wreck for so long, but eventually they start a search for the mystery girl who saved the princess's life.

when she gets word that an unknown woman has been found on the coast she rushes faster than she ever has to meet you. when she bursts into the room her heart sputters as you are probably the prettiest person shes ever seen. if you were the one that saved her shed drop to her knees and propose on the spot.

but you cant be because you cant speak. she tries not to let her dissapointment show.

when you get invited to stay at the palace she decides to be courteous and invite you to explore a bit with her, and its better than she could have imagined. you have a wisdom about the world and the ocean she's never encountered with anyone else.

when she shows you the rock she discovered at a nearby island market you simply hold it up and drop it to the ground, giving her the mineral inside like you knew what it was the whole time.

everything becomes more confusing the following day when she takes you to the local markets. the way you smile at her and the way you look so beautiful while dancing throws her for a loop. but you are a bit odd, as when she was admiring you talk to the flower seller you gently took one from her hand and bit it?

later that night she takes you to the river system a little ways away from the markets to see the beautiful waterfalls and the fireflies that only come out during this time of year. while rowing she swears she hears a voice in her ear telling her to kiss you, and just when she think you are close to doing so the boat is nearly tipped over.

when she's lying in her room that night she is the most confused she's ever been. when she thinks of you her heart races and she feels nervous. in a good way. all she wants to do is spend more time with you and explore and show you every inch of her kingdom. but at the same time the thought of her mystery savior remains on her mind.

the last thing she remembers is heading towards your room before the voice that saved her makes everything blurry.

when she comes to she's apparently in the middle of her wedding to a woman named "vanessa" and in the middle of you saving her you've turned into a mermaid. her brain is stalling in shock but her body goes into defensive mode when some of the guests start to crowd in on you calling you a "sea monster".

and she cant believe it took her until this moment to realize it wouldn't had mattered if you saved her or not (although she is slightly giddy that you did) because she really does think she loves you.

she hopes helping you kill the giant tentacle monster woman in the sea will help her prove that to you because if it doesn't she will be a little ticked off.

when the clouds part and the water settles her kingdom, friends, and family are safe. but it's clear you've gone back to your home as well. and she's glad knowing that you're probably safe and happy. she just wishes it was with her.

its another normal sunny day as she sits looking out over the ocean, daydreaming and giving constant pets and cuddles to bear who sits at her feet, when out of the corner of her eye she sees you walking up the stairs and she doesn't think she's ever run faster than when she moves to pick you up and twirl you around in her arms.

when you pull back you look at her like she hung the stars and moon in the sky, and she hopes her face shows the same.

#abby anderson #abby anderson x reader #abby #abby anderson fluff #tlou #tlou 2 #tlou x reader #tlm!au #the little mermaid!au

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mariacallous · 1 year ago

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Countries have spent decades building critical infrastructure that is now buckling under extreme heat, wildfires, and floods, laying bare just how unprepared the world’s energy and transportation systems are to withstand the volatility of climate change.

These vulnerabilities have been on full display in recent weeks as record-breaking temperatures broil the world, straining power grids, threatening water supplies, and warping roads. July was the hottest month ever recorded—according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service—with intense heat searing Europe, North Africa, Antarctica, and South America, where it is currently winter. Even the world’s oceans haven’t been spared, with all-time high surface temperatures in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic decimating coral reef systems and threatening marine life.

If regions aren’t being scorched, there’s a good chance that they are underwater. China was drenched by its heaviest downpours in 140 years, which triggered massive floods that killed dozens of people and destroyed crop fields. In Slovenia and Canada, surging floodwaters have battered communities and submerged villages; glacial flooding in Alaska has carried entire homes away. Cities in Spain have been flooded worse than Noah and his brood, while southern Sweden is grappling with its heaviest rains in more than 160 years.

“It’s just an unbelievable summer,” said Peter Gleick, a climate scientist and senior fellow at the Pacific Institute. “It’s the kind of extreme weather that we climate scientists have been warning about for decades—it just now seems to be happening everywhere, all at once.”

Climate change, driven by human activity, makes extreme heat and precipitation more frequent and intense—fueling the floods, heat waves, and wildfires that have been wreaking havoc around the world. The fallout has spotlighted how the infrastructure systems underpinning global development weren’t constructed to withstand this increasingly extreme climate reality, and what investment has been carried out has been less than helpful.

China’s massive Belt and Road infrastructure plan has built more coal plants across Eurasia, among other things. Germany shuttered its nuclear power stations, not its coal plants. Florida actually banned state officials from investing public money in green endeavors. The Biden administration’s big clean-energy package angered allies and sparked concerns of a trade war. Meanwhile, Ford sold an F-series pickup truck every minute of last year.

“We have entire cities and transportation hubs that were all built for climate that no longer exists,” said Katharine Hayhoe, the Chief Scientist at the Nature Conservancy. “That’s why we’re seeing terrible things happen.”

China’s most recent bout of flooding, for example, exposed key gaps in its drainage infrastructure. Across Europe, where home air-conditioning units aren’t the norm, extreme heat has throttled communities, strained power grids, and sparked government health warnings—particularly after the continent’s heat wave last year killed an estimated 61,000 people. In Phoenix, Arizona, one flight was canceled because the plane’s internal temperature became unbearably hot, prompting three passengers to faint from heat exhaustion.

Yet even as these threats become more pronounced, experts say countries are still struggling to turn away from fossil fuels and build resilience into their infrastructure systems. In March, an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report warned that the world was on track to barrel past a key threshold in the next decade—warming 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels—unless industrial governments rapidly cut greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions. “Changes in climate are coming more rapidly than expected,” Jim Skea, the head of the IPCC, said this month.

“The real challenge is that so far, we’re nowhere near addressing climate change with the seriousness that is required to really move the needle,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA. “If we don’t actually do the hard work of deeply addressing this, then it will continue to get worse. We will see more years like this one, and then eventually years that are significantly worse than this one,” he added.

There are some bright spots: The Netherlands, for example, has spent the last few hundred years building dikes and is now spearheading efforts to build further resilience into its infrastructure amid rising sea levels. More than half of the country’s territory lies below sea level, and the Dutch government has worked to develop a robust water management scheme and implement novel flood control strategies.

“The Netherlands are incredibly vulnerable to sea level rise,” Hayhoe said. “Their water plan is very advanced because they understand the threat, and they’re taking action to ensure that as sea level rises, that they will still have their infrastructure, their homes, places to live, places to grow food.”

Like the Dutch, many governments are increasingly focusing on adapting their infrastructure systems, from incorporating climate modeling into water management to developing heat mitigation strategies. But unless countries take more concerted efforts to both slash carbon emissions and ramp up adaptation measures, experts warn that more suffering lies ahead.

Adaptation “efforts have not been anywhere near to the level to match the threat,” said Alice Hill, a former senior director for resilience policy under the Obama administration currently at the Council on Foreign Relations. “We just haven’t made the kind of necessary investments to protect ourselves and our communities from these extreme events—and with that kind of destruction comes a lot of grief, loss of life, and then economic loss.”

Part of the problem is that retrofitting decades-old infrastructure can come at a steep price. A 2013 study of the world’s 136 largest coastal cities, for instance, found that it would cost $350 million annually in each city to improve defenses against flooding fueled by climate change. While that number pales in comparison to the price of inaction—which by some estimates can run up to hundreds of billions or trillions of dollars—it can be a difficult economic and political tradeoff for many governments.

“We’re talking huge price tags, and we’re also talking something that has not been done systemically before,” Hayhoe said. “We’ve never had to cope with changes this fast in the entire history of human civilization, and so we’re asking people, cities, states, governments, organizations, businesses to do something they’ve never had to do before.”

Physical preparedness is also only one part of the adaptation equation, said Stéphane Hallegatte, a senior climate advisor at the World Bank who was one of the authors of the 2013 study. Beyond infrastructure, a robust response also means developing social systems to help vulnerable communities on the front lines of the climate crisis.

“Adaptation is not only infrastructure,” Hallegatte said. “Adaptation is also insurance, social protection systems—also helping people [have] access to financial tools to borrow when they’re affected.”

Hayhoe likened the urgency of combating climate change to a longtime smoker who needs to quit. Although they may have impaired breathing and spots on their lungs, she said, they are still alive—and every day matters.

“So when’s the best time to stop? As soon as possible. How much? As much as possible,” she said. “Why? Because the sooner we stop, the better off we will be.”

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