#also how is this a pattern you have noticed if you do not also have a weird sleep schedule

[clairical-error]

The conservative tendencies that something is static because they've already "learned" it. It's not really about the thing being unable to change, it's about it being inconvenient with their world view so they must be right.

Language - those aren't real words they didn't exist when I was a kid.

Science - that's not real because I didn't learn about that in school

History - that's not how I was taught so it must be wrong.

Art - that's not like the art I saw when I was a kid so it must be bad.

On and on forever and for everything. It's a refusal to grow and change. I see it all the time in my family. Hell it's something I have to be conscious of in myself. These thought patterns are taught to us. Conservative patterns in education and just our society at large will expose you to them. The ambient conservative background radiation can affect you.

So yes mock these dip shits, but also be conscious of yourself. When do you shut down to new ideas? What do you refuse to update your knowledge on? Everyone has something. Notice when you refuse to listen to something and why. Are your personal biases getting in the way?

For just one quick example of how this thought pattern bleeds into people we wouldn't consider conservatives.

How do you feel about Pluto not being a planet anymore?

Why?

transphobes are on a different plane of existence than the rest of us how do you manage to come to these conclusions

[philcon-programming]

Philcon 2024!

Do you love Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror? Are you a Writer, a Gamer, a Costumer, or a Filker? Are you looking for a weekend of distraction in your life? If you’re in the vicinity of Philadelphia- or more specifically, Cherry Hill, New Jersey- there’s an event coming up on November 22 – 24, 2024 that we’d love for you to come check out. If you aren’t already familiar with PHILCON, here’s what you should know: * We started out as a literary-centric SF convention in 1936, but have grown to embrace all mediums of storytelling (movies, television, comics, podcasts, etc) as well as expanding to cover the Fantasy and Horror genres. Most of our participants are authors, and there will be Readings by them and Autograph sessions all throughout the weekend, in addition to their participation on discussion panels. * While many of our Literary panels are about SF, Fantasy, or Horror topics in general, we also have an emphasis on panels discussing the craft side and business sides of writing, for those looking to develop as authors. * One of our content tracks for the weekend is dedicated to Science & Technology itself, not just how it is used in fiction. * We will be screening several movies over the weekend, and Anime will also be shown in our Anime & Animation room at certain times. * There will be Workshops and Demos for Costuming (including "Fabric Manipulation", "How to Make Foam Armor", "Make-up for The Stage", and "A Pox on Patterns!") and Art (including "Using Alcohol Inks", "Block Printing With Your Own Designs", "How to Make A Controlled Color Palette", and "Making Wire-Wrapped Jewelry"), and if you’ve got an outfit you made that you’d like to show off on stage, we’ve got a yearly Costume Contest. * If you are a Filker- or just enjoy listening to other people sing and play music- Philcon has a room dedicated Filk room, and this year’s Musical Guest of Honor is Cecilia Eng. As Cecilia is not often on the east coast, if you’d like to see her play in person, now is an excellent change to do so without flying to the other side of the country. Lynn Gold, another west-coast Filker, will also be joining us this year. There are also Concerts scheduled for Sirens & Liars, Half a Slime Devil, Brenda and Chuck Shaffer-Shiring, and Sara Henya. * Since the Gaming track moved from an upstairs suite to the “Gallery” room on the first floor, it’s had the literal room to expand the number of games it can run, and we’ve got a bevy of them on the schedule for 2024, as well as a bank of games for you to choose from during Open Gaming hours. There's also a LARP Workshop Series being run by Spectacle INK. * Our Artist Guests of Honor for 2024 are Gina Matarazzo and Matthew Stewart. Each will be giving a presentation on our Main Stage on Saturday afternoon, as well as having their art displayed in our Art Show. * Our Principal Speaker for 2024 is MAX GLADSTONE, and we also have Nghi Vo as our Special Guest. Both will be doing Readings, Autograph Sessions, panels, and a main stage Q&A session. An interactive version of our schedule can be found HERE. While a simplified, static overview, organized by track, can be found HERE. Our LinkTree can be found HERE. We would especially value your support this year, as Philcon’s Covid-19 policy in previous years (which required both mandatory masking and proof of vaccination in an attempt to avoid becoming a super-spreader event as several other conventions had) has led to a slow but noticeable decline in attendance. While masking in public spaces is still heavily encouraged, neither proof of vaccination nor masking are required to attend the convention in 2024. We’d love your help in making this year a success, so that we’re in a good position to bring you all something really fantastic for our upcoming 90th anniversary. We’d also love to give you a great weekend right now, for reasons I doubt we need to explain. Here’s to surviving the next few years! ~ Lynati Head of Programming, Philcon 2024

[creatingblackcharacters]

Do you have any techniques/tips for drawing graying coily hair? I have a lot reference photos saved but when it comes to copying the look, afros in my art style end up looking like a block of color with a hard gradient of gray to deep brown/black or deep brown/black with noticable squiggly gray/white lines. I don't have a realistic style and have not seen many older/aging Black characters from the artists I follow, and I'm not skilled enough in a realistic style to copy a reference 1 to 1. If you have any recommendations of artists who draw graying coiled hair or any tips on how to incorporate lighter colors into a coily texture (this would go for dyed hair too), I would appreciate it so much. I have also struggled to find comprehensive photo references of how graying locs would look, how the lighter strands pattern with the darker ones when locked. Also, is there anything specific you would want ppl to know or include about aging Black and textured hair? Balding patterns, hair care specifically geared to older ppl, any general knowledge off the top of your head that could direct on what to watch for and include? Thank you in advance and have a good day

Ombre effects and/or blending! You can find this in dyed hair as well. Greying is not always even, anyway, if you're worried about symmetry.

But yeah for grey hair I'll usually do a base color of the original hair color, then spray paint the grey towards the roots out to wherever I want it to reach in the hair. Then I go back and use the hair brush textures to add the greying hairs and highlights where necessary. This works for locs and afros for me.

There's also a Black artist, @prinnay , that I think does an excellent job of using color to show different highlights in the hair. Here's a small example of a bit of grey and white in one of her pieces. Just because it's a bunch of different colors not blending when you look close doesn't mean that the effect won't be there when you step back overall. I would suggest studying their work as well, they're a far better artist than I!

As for aging hair care, nothing that I wouldn't say about our hair in general. Maybe that the texture might soften as the hair greys and to be more careful because aging hair might not be as strong. Balding isn't a unique experience to Blackness. And as always, I suggest following more Black artists and studying their work 👍🏾

[atopvisenyashill]

WHERE HAVE ALL THE STARK WIVES GONE AND WHERE ARE ALL THE COZ'S

aka i made the stark family tree from torrhen, the king who knelt all the way to the starklings & filled in some gaps too just for funsies. behold my magnum opus because i am a visual learner. some notes on the tree:

at the start of the tree, you’ll notice some lines are purple. those are not technically canon relations - we know those people existed but we aren’t told how they’re related or who their wives were. similar to my dornish timeline, i filled in a few gaps here based on the information we have to go off, some leaps in logic when it comes to the politics of the time, and some math.

similarly, you’ll notice some names in {brackets}. those are characters that we know exist but we don’t know their name (ie, we know alaric had two sons, we don’t know their names). i picked their names from other stark names.

the kids aren’t always in age order. i couldn’t get the graphic to line up in places bc of the cousin marriages and still keep everyone in age order, so i just gave up aksjd.

all the ones with the book sigil were Lords of Winterfell. all the ones with the show sigil were just born into the stark house.

alright now we got some explaining & rambling below the cut

george give the wives names. george at least give them a house. george pls you don't have to give her a personality just give her a freaking name george.

anyways!!! first things first, let's go into the names and houses i invented for everyone, starting from Torrhen's wife on the left and moving to the right:

Lady Manderly, the last Queen in the North - i think given the Manderlys are the #2 house, it was thematically fitting that the last Queen in the North was a Manderly! I also think it would make sense, given how common Iron Islander raiding was in this time, that Torrhen would want to strengthen his alliance with the house that owns his fleet. We also know the North’s fleet was pretty damn impressive at this time - Aegon uses them to fight several times after Visenya destroys the Vale’s fleet during the conquest.

Lady Dustin, wife to Brandon the Boisterous - Torrhen’s sons hate the Iron Throne and they’re all really pissed at the Stark Maiden-Ronnel Arryn marriage, so I figured Torrhen’s sons would want very fierce, very Northern wives (no offense to the Manderlys). Given Barrowton is one of the only true cities in the North, I thought marrying a family familiar with travelers, maybe a richer house even, might be seen as a benefit to staying strong against the Iron Throne.

Lady Flint, wife to Brandon the Boastful - Similar to Lady Dustin, I thought a strong Northern match would be what the sons of Torrhen would continue to go for. The Flints of Widow's Watch are considered the most powerful of the Flint houses so I thought that made a good match.

Lady Norrey, wife to Edwyn Stark - this one was fun & required some math and analysis. Basically, we know none of Alaric’s sons are married when Alysanne comes to visit, and Alaric is succeeded by his grandson, because both of his sons die before him. It means his grandson could be at the oldest 14 when he inherits. We also have Gyldayn say that some “Stark brothers” looked into seeing if Alysanne giving the New Goft was legal. I thought if Alaric & his sons were so annoyed by this, wouldn’t it make sense to marry into a house near the New Gift, who perhaps will be impacted by the decision and have the knowledge of the area and its history? Since the Norreys are right on the border, I thought that would be a good fit. I also thought it would be a good fit because Cregan married Arra Norrey just a bit later - and one pattern I noticed is that when a family marries into the Stark line once, they tend to remarry each other within a few generations again. They do this with the Blackwoods, the Lockes, AND the Royces - it’s likely the mothers & grandmothers influencing the matches, and I thought it was a fun pattern to repeat.

Lady Reed, wife to Artos Stark - So one thing we know is that Lynara Stark, Cregan's third wife, is not descended from the uncle who attempted to usurp Cregan but from a younger son of Brandon the Boisterous. I also noticed Lynara's son, Brandon, has an affair with a Fenn. The Fenns are sworn to House Reed, so I thought it made sense that this branch of the Starks has perhaps lived in the Neck, and brought a small household with her that included a Fenn or two that her son later has an affair with.

Lady Glover, wife to Ellard Stark - this is another “marry & remarry” match up but there I chose the Glovers also because I noticed the Starks tend to marry into the same few houses over and over again. These are likely their richest vassals and closest allies, so I thought again it would make sense that Ellard would pick a woman from a wealthy or important background as the succession crisis under Jaehaerys starts to kick off (in preparation for a fight, even if it's just a war of words). Since you have Gilliane Glover just a bit down, and I thought that would match up nicely with the "marry and remarry" trend as well.

NOW SOME ANALYSIS

Obviously there's been a lot said about the Sansa-Jonnel and Serena-Edric marriages that I don't really need to repeat at length but - I think the choice to have a Sansa and a Jonnel One-Eye marry is kind of sus, I think the "One-Eye" thing is sus, I think the niece-uncle connection here is kind of sus, and I think the fact that their mother was a Manderly is also sus.

There's also the fact that Serena has several sons and we have no idea what happened to them. That one stands out to me because of the Cregan-Lynara match; as stated above, Lynara is not, as some people assume, the daughter or granddaughter of Arnolf, the uncle that attempted to overthrow Cregan. Her Stark name comes all the way from a younger brother of Brandon the Boisterous. That's quite a few generations back that a Stark line has survived to remarry into the main line and we don't even know if she was an only child or had brothers and sisters. So Brandon's brothers' weren't just mysteriously offed/died out, but just two generations after Lynara, all of Serena's descendants just mysteriously die off? Nah, there's a story here that's hiding. The obvious suspect here is The She-Wolves of Winterfell story with Dunk & Egg. COMMA BUT. It's crazy that there are no Stark cousins in the modern day, no cadet House the way we have the Arryns of Gulltown, the Green Apple Fossoways, the Lannisters of Lannisport, etc., and also equally weird that Lynara's Stark line isn't a named cadet branch.

But let's get into the cadet/cousin branches in the modern day as well - one thing I noticed about the lack of Stark cousins in recent history (ie first and second cousins rather than like, seventh and eighth) is that a lot of them are female line cousins. Catelyn and Robb point this out in the book when Catelyn brings up the Vale Starks in the Templetons, the Royces, and the Waynwoods. I think the fact that Sansa is in direct contact with a host of those same families will come into play; perhaps when she unmasks herself as Sansa, someone will comment on her resemblance to Jocelyn, or maybe that familial connection will prompt a bit more loyalty out of one of Jocelyn's descendants if she has to make a mad dash out of the Vale.

And this is the same with Lyarra; she had a sister, Branda, who married a Rogers, which is a very minor Stormlands house. That stuck out in my head because I think this all really sets up the North to be ruled by Sansa; there are no male cousins or even female line male cousins (shout out Targaryen cousin Robert Baratheon) to step in and say "Well wouldn't you prefer a man as the Stark in Winterfell?" It's just Bran, Rickon, and Jon Snow that could possibly threaten her rule. It seems like she's very set up to echo her predecessor here but instead of Jonnel marrying her to steal her claim, Jon is likely to back up her claim, same as Bran.

And since I'm talking about namesakes here, let's dig into Arya Flint. There's two big associations here for Arya - Brave Danny Flint and the Wandering Wolf, Rodrik Stark. I think it's interesting that he served with the Second Sons, given that Arya is a Second Daughter, rather than the Stormbreakers, which was started by Oscar Tully. The moniker itself, Wandering Wolf, also makes me a bit excited for Arya's future; I've said before but I want Arya to do everything she wants to do and being so closely associated with a "Wandering Wolf" makes me think she will. The Danny Flint connection is also interesting here - there's the fact that Jon Snow, the sibling she's closest to, joins the Night's Watch (and even makes reference to Danny Flint), the fact that Danny dressed as a man and fought with a sword. Similar to the "Wandering" epithet potentially spelling out a happy ending for Arya, I am hopeful she'll have a happier ending than Danny Flint. But I do wonder if perhaps Arya will have some involvement with the Night's Watch, however it exists in the endgame.

Lastly - I'm so curious about Harrold Rogers. Did he help facilitate the friendship between Ned and Robert? Are the Rogers' still kicking around looking Starkish as hell? George where are all the cousins!!

[fantasiac]

I had an idea to make a comic about what Shadow was doing while sonic was "dead" (it was planned to be test in writing sonadow while staying in-character), and it would focus on Tails a bit, I wrote a scene where shadow encounters Tails, it's unpolished, but here it is (this is about 3 months into Sonic's dissappearance):

T "you. what do *you* want?"

S "I'm looking for sonic-"

T "Sonic is gone!" (at this point Tails knows it's the real Shadow because he spoke, and phantoms didn't speak this early in yet)

S "Tails..."

T "you stood there and watched it happen!"

S "that-"

T "I DONT CARE! Shadow... I could have DONE SOMETHING! ...but I didn't, I watched as infinite killed him in seconds..."

S "Tails... *sigh* I know what you're going through-"

T "DON'T GIVE ME THAT! (Tails shoves Shadow) I could have jumped in with him to fight, like I always do... it wasn't like Maria! Sonic didn't stop me, I had all the chance to- ...I- I could've-" Tails starts to break down

Shadow sits next to him, closer than he usually gets with people

S "I know how much he meant to you... to everybody... I'm in no place to tell you how you should deal with this... I'm sure I'm just in denial, but I believe that Sonic is alive *somewhere*, he's too stubborn, I don't care how futile it is... I know that I'm probably just chasing a dead end... but I know Sonic, we both do..."

T "...that's how I know he's gone, he would have shown up by now, boasting about how 'it'll take more than that to knock me down, egghead!' ...but he didn't... (Tails looks at the surrounding machines with Eggman branding on it) Eggman won... he took over, and nobody could stop him... we lost, Shadow... it's over."

shadow gets up

S "we'll get through this, I promise to you" Shadow skates off, Tails suddenly notices how similar Shadow is to Sonic

(end)

that's all I got so far, but I also wrote the scene where shadow actually does find sonic, adding on to that scene we see in the real game, I wanted to share that too (4 months into sonics death):

Sonic was fighting Shadow (phantom) for "being on Eggman's side!" had his arms up for a block, but Shadow never hit him, he looks and sees the real Shadow beating the living daylights out of the Shadow Phantom (I wanted to go all out and make this fight longer to make the phantoms seem more threatening), the real Shadow turns to sonic, standing there in the shadows of the destroyed city

Sh "hmph, finally ...I found you, faker" he has a smile on his face

S "Faker? *I'm* the fake?"

Sh "of course, you're not even good enough to stand up to MY fakes"

S "*Ha! I'll make you eat those words" sonic seems weirdly angry, there's a lot of emphasis on 'eat', it has a disdainful bite to it

Sh "you really want to fight now?-"

Sonic lands a hook to Shadow's face

Sh "what? what are you- (blocks another strike) We have 2 clear enemies, and you're fighting me?"

Sonic continues to attack

S "you think I'm not GOOD ENOUGH to stand up to the ultimate lifeform!? Ha!"

Shadow continues to block attacks, this isn't sonic's fighting pattern at all, it's like he's fighting to kill

S "I'll show you just how WORTHLESS you are, Shadow" he barely whispers Shadow's name while he nearly yells 'worthless'

Sh "(worthless? ...Infinite!)"

(the comic continues, but I don't have more)

this is the point where the phantoms start speaking, also, OF COURSE infinite would have tricked people with Phantom Sonics, why DIDNT they do that? I want to add that the Phantom Sonics would've acted alot more like he actually does in the real Forces: out of character and one dimensional because the people making sonic don't understand his character (lol), and the real sonic in this would act like he does in Frontiers and IDW, he's just specifically out to mess with Shadow and freak him out here, also, he still can't control his rage for shadow calling him worthless

anyway, sorry for going on longer than i meant to lol

Tails was robbed in Forces. Which, I know. Understatement of the century and everyone’s talked about it. This is the same Tails who had beaten Chaos and gone toe to toe with Eggman by himself. And yeah, his cowardliness was so out of character.

But that’s not what I’m talking about here.

What I’m talking about is how they could’ve gone so hard into Tails watching Sonic die in front of him. And, more importantly, they could’ve done some amazing character parallels.

Because we have a character who watched their older siblings who was mainly associated with the color blue die in front of them. Shadow.

Imagine how much better Forces would be if we found a Tails who wanted to completely, utterly, annihilate Eggman. A Tails who has turned to anger just like Shadow did. Imagine that being the reason Tails had left. He wanted to kill Eggman and the others didn’t want to do so immediately.

Tails. The only person who can go toe to toe with Eggman intellectually. Imagine him deciding that maybe violence is the answer in this case. We’ve seen how he as a person is entirely capable of pretty extreme violence in Nine. Imagine that happening in Forced.

The parallels between Tails and Shadow are already there and I know people have mentioned it, but no where are they more prevalent than in Forces. They could’ve done so much with it.

Imagine a scene between Shadow and Tails where Shadow acknowledges how similar their situations are? Shadow comforting Tails? Ugh. They could’ve done so much!

[wisecura]

Yuuuuutttaaaa

Yuta had been your best friend for roughly around four years. He remembers how he couldn’t approach you at first due to his shy nature and your very very pretty appearance.

It didn’t help that you also seemed to be very shy too. You’d barely been friendly with the first years, seeming to have the same issue he had.

It took around three weeks til you finally had a proper conversation with him.

Til he finally warmed up to his group of friends and finally gained some confidence. Til he was finally ok to face you.

And when he finally was able to converse properly within your small group he couldn’t help but notice all of the little things about you.

Your sparkling eyes, your soft smile, your nervous laughter.

Your cursed energy, your technique, your hidden personality.

The way you seemed to genuinely care about the people around you.

And of course, did he mention how pretty you were?

He couldn’t stop staring at you. And at that time he really couldn’t explain why.

He obviously knew what love was. He’d loved his childhood friend, Rika. Enough to accept her promise ring and keep her by his side. And he loved his friends, he’d do anything for them.

But he couldn’t help the warmth that blossomed in his chest when he first saw you smile at him.

Or how his stomach would go into knots when you’d remember to grab his favorite drink from the vending machines.

Or how his face would flush when you complimented him on his training or physique.

Now that was something he’d never forget.

Just you. Etched into his brain. Something he’d keep with him til his deathbed.

He can’t remember when he started listening in on your conversations. Maybe it’s when he overheard you telling Maki that you liked tall and handsome guys. The confident type. Or maybe when Inumaki was trying to play 21 questions with you to establish your ideal husband. But each answer you gave only served to scratch a small primal urge that itched a portion of his brain. It was instinctual.

Almost as instinctual as following you back to your dorms or watching your interactions with the upperclassmen.

He felt less than friendly when he saw how you showered a few of them in compliments, practically gushing over how cool you thought their fighting style was or how strong their technique seemed. He couldn’t explain away the jealousy that flared up, deep in his veins. 

He used some of his collected data to pry his way into your personal circle. Familiarizing himself with all of your friends. About your life. Your patterns.

Not that it was hard to do considering how sweet you were. And when you started telling him more about your home life, your goals and aspirations, and—a few years deep in your friendship— your more personal secrets, he started adapting his goals to yours.

Structuring himself to fit into your ideals. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it either til it became an every day occurrence where he’d stop himself from doing something you wouldn’t like. Or pushing himself that much more in his training.

And after he noticed his habits, he came to the idea that he really wanted your attention. He wanted you to look at him with those stars in your eyes, and tell him how much you admired him. How much you loved him too. And not so much to the upperclassmen. 

Once he realized this, his actions became less subtle. He’d find himself interjecting your conversations. He’d brush against you and linger just a little too long. He’d start training without a shirt on, and managed to show off to you whenever he could. He’d admit his hours of training had paid off, especially when he’d catch you gazing at him a few moments longer than necessary.

Suffice to say, but his friends caught onto his little crush not long after, teasing him relentlessly. They were supportive, egging him on when he nervously flirted with you. They’d make comments often about how cute you’d look together or speak highly of Yuta to you. He wasn’t necessarily good at hiding his emotions from anyone, well… except you. But even then he hadn’t truly hid anything. 

It’d been a blessing and a curse how dense you seemed to be. Especially when his friends began matchmaking you two together. His obvious advances were just frustratingly misconstrued, leaving him wondering just how you saw him.

Even when he was being his most forward, you still barely even flustered. You had even been inviting him over for movie nights since last year. He’d show up and you would be wearing those shorts that rode up your long, plush thighs. Your shirt—one that he loaned you a few months back, blanketing you to where your shorts barely showed.

And the next thing he knew you’d be wrapping a large blanket to cover the two of you, slotting yourself right under Yuta’s muscular arm. Curled up flush against his side, as your eyes remained locked on your laptop screen. He could feel your warmth seep through his clothes and his nerves would be alight, til he finally left your side. 

Yuta had never met someone as dense as you. You were such a tease and you didn’t even know it. It drove him crazy every time he found himself in your room. Your scent was everywhere, and it clung to him whenever he made his way back to his own bed. He’d sometimes keep his shirt unwashed for days after wearing it in your room. 

He can’t count how many times he’d cum from your scent alone. How on edge you had him when you looked up at him with those wide eyes and soft looking lips. If he were being completely honest It was a miracle he hadn’t jumped you during your movie nights. That fact you hadn’t noticed the obvious tent in his shorts was nothing short of pure negligence. 

Training with you became more difficult too. A predicament he hadn’t thought he’d find himself in. You started wearing more skin tight clothes to train in—well minus your school skirt. Your shirts were tight. Your long socks—tight. Your ass—tight. 

And he occasionally couldn’t focus on his defense long enough to provide a real challenge for you. Allowing you several wins against him. Despite his hours of training. Despite his countless battles against curses and cursed users. He’d still lose to you. Or maybe it was to your thighs.

With everything said, he started something new. Something he wasn’t proud of. Which led to another thing. Which again led to something even worse.

He’d began sneaking into your room when you weren’t there. At first he’d just wanted to grab a jacket he forgot from the night before—he swears that’s the only reason. Yet he can’t help the curiosity that bled into him when he saw a notebook on your desk. One he hadn’t seen before. He peeked—and yes it’s exactly what you’d thought.

Your diary lying right at his mercy. He studied your words—your handwriting, even snapped a photo of it, adding it to your photo album in his phone.

Your words were typical: him, discussing your classes, him, what you bought from the mall, him, describing the zoo you’d went to recently, oh and him again. Every few sentences you’d mention Yuta. You’d say how he’d brought your favorite snacks on a particular day, or how you trained with him and beat his ass another day. Yuta wasn’t as dense as you were, it seemed. He could feel the affection in every swipe of your pen.

He looked around the room hoping to find more secrets, when he stumbled across your laundry basket. He scolded himself for the thought that immediately crossed his mind. That was…Before seeing your pink lacy panties lying at the top of the pile. He nearly groaned at the sight, hands rubbing against his face attempting to wipe his thoughts clean with the force of his palm. 

But he was tempted.

Rationalizing the pros and cons of stealing your underwear, yet it only took a few seconds to steel himself in his decision, making his way quickly, back to his room.

He prayed you wouldn’t notice. You wouldn’t miss one pair of panties.

And he takes full advantage of your stolen underwear, ensuring no one was near his room, that his door was locked tight. He flops onto his bed before pulling the stolen garment from his pocket.

Without waiting, he immediately brings it up to his face, inhaling your scent hoping to engrave it into his memory. He feels his hips buck involuntarily, into nothing.

He needs more—more friction.

Pulling himself out from his pants, he strokes long and even jerks. He’s barely able to hold back his moans and groans as he pumps himself, inhaling more and more rapidly, your pink panties draped across his face. 

He’d imagined you sitting on his face, grinding yourself into his nose chasing your own orgasm. Using him to get yourself off, thigh on either side of his head.  He can’t think of a time he’d ever been more turned on as he feels himself coming close at a breakneck speed. His tongue darts out deciding, against his will, to taste you.

He moans, the remnants of your cunt still on the pink underwear. He’s thrusting into his fist, his precum leaking out in globs. He can’t help himself, and he sucks on the already damp piece of fabric. A final image of your legs squeezing his head as you came on his tongue finished him. Hot ropes of cum cover his stomach, his expression fucked out and desperate. And even that wasn’t enough. He still felt very needy.

Not very satisfied.

This led to him sneaking into your room when you were there. When you were asleep. And at first he’d watch your calm face as you dozed. Careful not to wake you up. He knew it was creepy when he did it, but he would chalk it up to affectionately watching his lover nap.

He reminded himself of this several times as he sat next to your bed. Grimacing. He was so creeped out by his own actions, yet he couldn’t bring himself to stop.

He’d become so accustomed to your sleep patterns. And just how hard it was to fully rouse you when you’d had a long training session that day. Of course he’d be sure to go harder on you for the nights he’d planned to sneak in.

And how you didn’t wake up—even after he called your name so lovingly. So softly. Even when his fingers brushed your forehead, leaning in close to give you a soft kiss.

You never woke up. Not fully. And when he did noticed you stir, he’d pull himself back long enough for you to drop right back to sleep.

And this is where he isn’t proud to say he jerked off right next to your bed.

Easily surpassing the boundaries he set for himself. He’d watch the even rise and fall of your chest, the way your thighs would occasionally rub together. The fact that you wore so little to bed didn’t help this situation. He was confident you wouldn’t wake up from this much, but he felt a shot of adrenaline at the thought of you opening your eyes and finding him like this. Panting and so needy, stoking himself raw, fucking into his fist with quick and even thrusts—moaning your name as softly as he could manage.

How would you react? Would you yell at him? Ask him what he was doing? Stare at his thick cock as he came all over your floor? 

It was so embarrassing just how much he got off on your sleeping form.

After the first few dozen times of him doing this, he was hooked. He wouldn’t be able to stop this. Not even if you caught him. And he desperately wanted to push his luck with touching you more.

His relationship with you outside of his nightly escapades remained charged, yet platonic. Your dumb little brain couldn’t grasp your own feelings towards him, yet he knew. He knew you had feelings for him. He knew you felt the energy when your conversations carried on for hours. He could practically see the little hearts in your eyes when you gazed at him so sweetly. The way you hung onto him when you wanted him to follow you. It seemed so obvious so why weren’t you saying anything? At least confirm it in your diary.

His frustration built up the longer you ignored your feelings. You’d know each other for years now. You’d told Yuta things you hadn’t even told your other friends. Yuta was your best friend. And it irritated him that you’d allow so many other men into your life. How you’d easily converse with just about anyone now. Your confidence was admirable, but so irritating now. If your shyness was going away then why weren’t you admitting your love to him?

Yuta considers himself a patient man. But he can only wait for so long til he’s had enough. And that comes in the form of you training with one of your instructors. One that’s pretty popular with the other girls on campus. He could barely remember his face, yet he definitely remembers the way you blushed at a particular comment he made during your training.

You seemed flustered at whatever it was and no amount of probing on Yuta’s part had you spilling what he’d said.

He was seeing red, his thoughts so muddled as he felt that overwhelming urge to go slaughter him. He could feel his heart racing, thrumming in his ears, nearly panting as you refused to tell him what he’d said to make you fluster so cutely.

The only thing bringing him back to his rational mind was the fact that you seemed less responsive to that instructor. You didn’t have stars in your eyes, and you didn’t have any traces of affection in your expression. Of course your love was reserved for Yuta. He only needed to remind himself of that.

But what he wouldn’t tolerate was him touching you. Even if it was to train. He scolded you, practically whining that you only needed to train with him. That instructor had been too handsy, he was sure of that. He would train you better, and he made sure to remind you. Yuta was second to only Gojo in terms of strength. What could that pathetic instructor teach you that he possibly couldn’t? You, of course, laughed like he was joking.

That night proved different in Yuta’s mind. You’d passed his line—his boundary and severed his patience in a way that made it impossible for him to feel sorry.

He’d come into your room, like any other night. Only this time he’d already made up his mind. He’d swore to himself before that he’d never use his cursed technique on you—on any of his friends. But this was his exception. He called forward Inumaki’s technique, commanding you to sleep.

Ensuring you stayed asleep. This “punishment” really was only for his peace of mind.

You’re too dim to take his hints. And he’d leave no room for questioning as he’d show you who you belonged to. 

He called out your name, growing more confident, he shook you. You stay stock still, the only hint of you being alive is your deep, even breaths. You’d chosen to wear only your bra and underwear tonight.

He laughed at this, seeing how you seemed to dress up for him even when you hadn’t meant to.

He reached his hands out tentatively, landing a hair below either side of your breasts. He glanced back up to you, almost as if he were expecting you to be staring back up at him.

He repositioned himself now, inhibitions finally lifting, as he finally slot himself between your thighs, placing your legs on either side of him.

He almost can’t take the euphoric feeling of you beneath him, allowing his hands to roam. And roam he does, as he eagerly pulls your bra down. His mouth is on you in seconds, taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking greedily, his hand roughly groping you as he damn near claws at your perfect tits. He switches between the two, leaving deep hickies adorning your chest. He couldn’t help how he began rutting his growing erection against your clothed pussy. Couldn’t help the groans that slipped out. Or how he began desperately talking to you as if you could hear him. The filthy words fell from his mouth, not even reaching his own ears. “So good,” he’d whimper, rutting against you. “But such a slut.” He couldn’t stop the words that fell out of his mouth. “Letting just anyone touch you.” He moaned, hissing out the words “So fuckin stupid.”

His hand reach around your neck. “Love you, love you, I love you,” his chant continued, as he nibbled, but, sucked, and groaned against you. He kept promising he loved you. Praising how beautiful you were. Scolding you for allowing another man to set his hands on you. Demeaning you for your inability to admit to your own feelings. And promising he’d make up for all this lost time.

That he wouldn’t be letting you go. Not now. Not ever. He went through every emotion in his arsenal, taking each fleeting feeling out on you.

He meant every word of it. He absolutely needed to keep you. Even if that meant fucking you into submission. He promised.  He’d fuck a baby into you himself if it meant you wouldn’t leave him. “Breed that sloppy pussy. You’re never leaving me. Never.” 

He’s not sure where he got those ideas from. Not sure when he began thinking that way. But it’s all he knows now. And he won’t be turning back. Not when he had you exactly where he wanted you. He feels how wet you grow against him, leaving a big damp spot on his shorts.

You’re so filthy.

Your body will know him and he’ll make sure of it. Your glistening pussy draws his eyes, peeking through your panties. Unable to resist himself he slides your them down, moving away just long enough to take them off completely. He was right about how wet you’d gotten. You were practically dripping onto the bed. He dips his head down and collects your slick before it could do any real damage to your sheets.

He was always looking out for you.

His eye roll back involuntarily as he savors your taste on his tongue. He practically devours you. Your used panties only a fraction of how good you could be. His tongues slips inside you, easing you open, his hands gripping each side of your thigh, holding you snug against his mouth. Eating you like a man starved. Each time his tongue dipped into you, his nose nudged your sensitive clit, earning a sleepy whimper from those puffy lips of yours. 

So sensitive .

Even in sleep you still seemed to gush and whimper around him. He could feel you squirm as he almost dared you to wake up and find him doing this. He slid one finger into your dripping hole, feeling you clench tightly around him. He groaned at the sensation. If only you were awake, you’d hear how he teased you relentlessly over how your body begged for his touch. How your “needy pussy” couldn’t seem to even handle his finger. How would you ever fit his fat cock inside? Who would want to take such a greedy thing? Who else but him?

But he’d prove to you how generous he could be.

He worked his tongue and fingers tirelessly, adding a second, then a third finger. Stretching and filling you. The stretch driving him crazy. He loved feeling how tightly you wrapped around him. He could hear your pitiful whining beneath his touch, only edging him on. Your breathing going ragged. He couldn’t believe how cute you were. How perfect—

Til he felt it. You tightened up around his digits, slick, coating his entire hand, trailing down his arm and covering him mouth. He felt you spasming, your panting, louder as you came. He practically derived his pleasure from feeling you come undone for him, as he humped your comforter seeking anything to alleviate his stiff erection.

He let out his own stream of whimpers feeling you rock into him before settling back down. The taste of your cum heavy on his tongue. He was on cloud nine, his eyes fully rolled back. 

But his erection was still so painful. And he knew you weren’t such a greedy person to say no to him when he was in need. You wouldn’t be so selfish. Not like him. So you’d forgive him if your first time together was when you weren’t awake.

He freed himself from his shorts, lining up directly between your puffy slit. You were still so wet. Practically drenched. He couldn’t stop himself as he buried himself in one quick move. His eyes clenched as his face found its way to your neck. He didn’t stop the animalistic growl—groan he let out as he felt your pussy still spasming around his cock—still recovering from you previous orgasm. He nearly came right there.  It was too hot and too tight. And too good. He groaned again. Nipping at your neck, he pulled himself completely out before thrusting back in. Your panting came back full force as you furrowed your brows. He rubbed the lines between, soothing you just like he’d always done, not relentlessly the brutal pace he’d set. If you were awake, he was sure you’d be begging now. 

The words began rumbling out of his mouth as he pounded into you with a ferocity that rivaled a predator pouncing its prey. “Such a good girl,” he all but purred.  ”so fuckin’ good for me.” His words slurred into the next, shameless and muddled. “take it. fuckin’ take it.”

He’d slam his cock into you relentlessly, chasing your orgasm. He wanted to feel you cum around him. Wanted to see the white rim and covering his cock. And he wanted to see his thick cum pour from your abused hole. 

He’d never felt so alive.

Never felt this much love. This intense, burning, suffocating love. Your orgasm crashing against you once again. Your moans and whimpers ringing through his head. That white rim spurring him on as he continued to fuck you senseless. 

His hands gripped your sides, railing into you, sure to leave deep welts in the morning. He felt himself close, as he asked your still sleeping form if you wanted his cum. If you wanted his babies. If you wanted him to fill you so full you wouldn’t need to think straight. “You want me to breed you? Knock you up? Pump you so full you, you’ll be leaking my cum for days? Fuck.” His own words were enough to drive him crazy, voicing out every fantasy he could come up with. 

Your silence was taken as a yes, as he thrust once more into you, spilling his hot seed deep in your aching cunt. His hips stuttered to a halt, pressing into your clenching cunt, deeply. He’d given you so much that it came out from around the edges of his still buried cock. The sight so entrancing, he felt the need to thrust back into you. His eyes never leaving the connection. 

Staring down at you with a near stoic expression, he didn’t need long to decide his next move. He didn’t mean to take it as far, but was he regretting it? He seemed to understand well what he’d done.  He rolled you onto him, his dick never leaving your hole as he settled into your bed, with you lying on top of him. He draped the comforter over your bodies, before taking a long deep inhale of your hair, planting a kiss on your head.  He was sure you’d be forgiving tomorrow.

Be sure to check out my ao3 too

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Because you mentioned Heidi Klum and Nina Dobrev and how their home countries might be clue to next Earthshot destinations, how do you think Earthshot chooses their host and presenters? And what do you think it says about Earthshot’s goal or branding?

I'm pretty sure Earthshot's goal is to show that climate change and these conservation efforts are a global effort, which requires global participation, global support, and global action. So the team wants a diverse group of participants to represent that global focus and looking at who's been involved over the last 4 years, I think the "checklist" looks something lke this:

People with broad international appeal (e.g., Heidi Klum, David Beckham, Coldplay)

People who work in conservation or Earthshot-adjacent fields (e.g., Robert Irwin, Jane Goodall, David Attenborough) or who champion sustainability causes themselves.

People with ties to the host country/host city (e.g., Bonang Matheba)

People that KP knows, including those who serve on Earthshot or have been involved in Earthshot-adjacent events (e.g., Cate Blanchett, Hannah Waddingham)

Miscellaneous pop culture figures to help get viewers' attention, which tend to be pretty random in a "what are you doing here" kind of way - like Billy Porter and Nina Dobrev were this year - who don't fit neatly into any of the above four categories.

For the most part, I think the Earthshot ceremony demonstrates their global presence and global inclusion well. They could be better at having a more representative slate of presenters and participants - for instance, have more people from Categories 2 and 3 than Categories 4 and 5 and no more Category 1 celebs since the Waleses do that themselves - but the ceremony improves with every year.

My other wish for Earthshot is that I wish they'd choose host cities that are actually impacted by climate change - rising tides, extreme heat, changes in weather patterns, endangered species, etc. - or who have done great work protecting natural resources so that Earthshot Week and the Waleses could include local impact and local advocacy in their work. (Plus it would also be good for 20-30 years in the future when King William has returned to those places to see what improvements have been made - a little thread of continuity.)

Aside from London (where Wlliam lives) and Boston (the Kennedy association that partially inspired Earthshot) I have no idea how Earthshot chooses specific cities or countries. My guess is that they cast a wide net for cities or countries that have invested in conservation, sustainability, or other Earthshot-related fields so that when the Waleses travel, they can visit local charities or promote local sustainable activities (like the sustainable fishing that was highlighted in South Africa).

But a trend I have noticed in Earthshot host cities/countries is that they all border water. It makes a lot of sense to me - Earthshot's mission includes the ocean and it's pretty easy to find a lot of conservation work on coasts/near shorelines for William to visit. So I suspect the remaining host cities/countries will be coastal (or near a major waterway). Your guesses are as good as mine.

[gumnut-logic]

Lego Volcano (Part 7 and The End)

Alexander Sweetapple series | Lego Volcano - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

At this point, it should be remembered that this fic, whcih is now complete at over 11,000 words, originated in a post that devolved into bathing in Lego and how much whumping that would involve :D

This is why fault belongs to @idontknowreallywhy, @sofasurf @womble1 and @sailing-on-a-puddle and other wonderful Thunderfam peeps. it would not exist without them.

@onereyofstarlight has also kindly kept me on the straight and narrow and all improvements belong to her :D

So thank you to all of the above and to all who have encouraged this little fic, that didn't stay little, along the way ::hugs you all::

this bit is very much M/M because Virgil is feeling so much better :D If that isn't your jam, this isn't your bread. There is also buckets of fluff :D

I hope you enjoy :D

-o-o-o-

“Do you think he likes me?”

Virgil frowned down at the man lying in his arms. They had thrown some pillows and a blanket onto a fold up daybed and were whiling away a few hours as the sun was setting across the sea.

The Island was quiet. Grandma and Dad were still on Aotearoa, Gordon and Alan were torturing Scott in the infirmary, and, as always, John was watching over them from far above.

His star would become visible once the sky was dark enough.

“Who?”

“Mr Tracy.”

He had the urge to ask which Mr Tracy, but where Alex was concerned, there was only one Mr Tracy. “Scott likes you fine. Always did.”

Alex fidgeted in his arms. “I feel like a klutz around him.” He looked up at Virgil - something that only happened when they were lying down and Virgil was quite happy about that. “I just know how important he is to you and, well, I don’t want him to feel I’m intruding.”

“You’re not intruding.”

Alex looked away. “I’ve seen you on rescues. All of you are special, but there has always been something extra between you and the Commander. There are rumours.”

Virgil frowned. “About what?”

“That you’re telepathic, that you can read each other’s minds and move as one.”

“You’ve been talking to Gordon.” The Fish had been ribbing them about that for years.

“No…well, yes, but not about that. It’s in the fandom. It’s common knowledge.”

“You’re in the fandom?”

Now Alex was definitely looking away. “Well, yeah, been a fan forever, and there are like-minded people out there.” He looked back up at Virgil and grinned. “You are very nice to watch.”

The arm Virgil had draped around his boyfriend, quite conveniently reached his ribs, which were apparently very ticklish.

The two of them tussled and giggled a moment, Alex finding a few ticklish spots in return. But it was broken up when Virgil’s laugh turned to a cough. Alex caught him and pulled him close.

Virgil cleared his throat and smiled. “So you’re a card carrying fan?”

“You knew that.”

“I did.” He kissed Alex’s messy blond hair. “But then, I’m a fan of you, so we’re even.”

Alex snorted, but sobered. “Seriously, it’s important that I’m not…messing things up with your brother…with any of your brothers.”

Virgil sighed. “Alex, you’re fine. Scott approves, and even if he didn’t, you’re my boyfriend, not his.”

“I know. It’s just I don’t want to mess with the magic.”

Oh, god. “You’re not messing up anything. All my brothers are happy for us. It’s fine.” He pulled Alex in close, kissing his hair again. “Especially for me.”

But even as he said it, he knew his man and this was probably one of those bones his brain would chew on if it wasn’t taken away. “So you like math?”

“I’ve always liked maths, I’m an engineer.”

“Well, yes, of course, but that wasn’t engineering math.”

Alex shrugged. “It’s just fun stuff. I play with patterns sometimes.”

Virgil stared down at him a moment. “Scott enjoys math.”

A snort. “I noticed. He can run rings around me. He makes some beautiful stuff.”

“He does?”

“Yeah? Didn’t you see that last result - it was like a field of origami flowers.”

Virgil blinked. “Flowers?”

That earned him a frown. “You couldn’t see it?”

“I could see elegant math. Scott writes a good solution.”

“He does, but it is how he does it.”

“Should I be worried?”

“About what?”

Virgil’s lips curled into a smile. “If my brother has caught your eye.”

“Oh, ho, ho, yeah, right. Mr Tracy is straighter than an Australian railway line.” It was Alex’s turn to smile. “Besides, he’s not you.” Alex reached up and caught Virgil’s lips with his own.

Conversation stopped for a while as Alex made it very clear which was his favourite Tracy brother.

The sun finally reached the horizon and lit up the ocean, coating everything in that beautiful gold only Sol could provide. A gentle breeze wafted off the caldera and wrapped around them, clapping palm leaves and pōhutukawa branches alike.

“Thank you for looking after me. It has been a relief having you here.”

“Next time let me know. I don’t want you suffering in silence. People pair up for a reason.” He cleared his throat.

Virgil brushed a strand of hair behind Alex’s ear. “Okay, I’ll make sure to send the Fish earlier next time.”

“So Gordon is your gopher?”

“Uh-huh.” Alex’s skin was a little flushed in the light of the sunset and very distracting.

“Does he know this?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You are feeling better, aren’t you.”

“Uh-huh.”

Alex smiled and his dark eyes glittered in the golden air. “C’mere.”

His lips were soft.

Virgil lost more time.

So very, very distracted.

It was getting dark by the time they bothered to check their surroundings again. The breeze was cooler, and Alex shivered as it drifted over them.

Virgil’s stomach was rumbling - a good thing since eating hadn’t been his favourite activity recently.

Since there was no sign of Gordon or Alan, or anyone else for that matter - probably giving him and Alex space - it looked like Virgil was cook tonight. So as they finally climbed off the bed and began packing up, he mentally recalled what was in the fridge, the freezer, and what could be quickest to prepare.

“Where should I put these?” Alex had the pillows in his hands.

“Chuck them on the sunken lounge. If you feel like a movie we can use them later.”

“Sure.” But Alex hesitated, frowning a moment before, turning to walk inside.

“Alex? You okay?” Virgil had his hands full of blanket and folded day bed, but something wasn’t right.

“Um…I don’t…” Alex was stumbling sideways, pillows falling to the floor.

Everything slowed and Virgil was moving, but not fast enough.

Alex struggled to keep his feet, but one bare foot caught in that damned Lego sculpture and then it was all slow motion deja vu.

Lego scattered everywhere, tinkling on the hardwood floor as Virgil slid in to catch Alex. The Lego volcano exploded in all directions as his body collided with it, arms full of lanky, falling engineer.

Time and speed caught up.

“Alex!”

Shocked dark eyes looked up at Virgil. “I don’t feel very good.” His eyelids fluttered closed. “Dizzy.”

“Alex!”

“Uh…” He screwed up his face. “Dizzy.”

Virgil’s heart climbed into his ears thudding away all sound as he lowered Alex gently to the floor, brushing away stray bricks and cushioning his head with one of the dropped pillows.

Scrabbling to his feet, Virgil dashed across the comms room and grabbed the first aid kit, yanking out the medscanner and flashing yellow light across Alex’s prone body.

The machine beeped, and delivered its prognosis.

Oh, hell.

His shoulders dropped.

Alex groaned and tried to roll over.

“Hey, stay put. You’re sick.”

“Wha-?”

“Thunderbird Five?”

John popped into being in the middle of the room. “Tracy Island, what can I- ? Alex? Virgil, report.”

“Please let Māhia know that Alex won’t be returning for at least another week. He has the flu.” Virgil brushed hair out of Alex’s eyes.

“FAB.”

“What? I have- I can’t, I had all my shots.”

“You know it doesn’t work like that.”

“But-“

“Your turn to rest, love.”

“But I have to…goddamnit!”

Virgil couldn’t help but smile through his concern. “You can play math with Scotty in the infirmary.”

Was that a challenged cant to a grumpy eyebrow?

“But I have to-“

“Rest.”

“Viiirgil.” He coughed.

Virgil continued to stroke his hair as both Gordon and Alan came running with a hoverstretcher in tow.

“Not the Lego again?” Alan looked both worried and exasperated at the same time.

As Virgil’s bare foot came down on a very sharp and hard brick while crouching to lift a wriggling Alex onto the hoverstretcher, he only had one solution to that problem. “Yeah, please pack it away this time. I think we’ve had enough Lego this month.” Ouch, he stumbled over another one. “Possibly for decades.”

Alex was muttering something about Erica laughing her ass off and excuses to lengthen his stay on Tracy Island.

Gordon was grinning and agreeing.

Heart still beating just that little too fast, Virgil limped after the hoverstretcher.

New bruises keeping him company.

Damn Lego.

-o-o-o-

FIN

[bacchuschucklefuck]

this has been a roller coaster of a design journey but finally I can present you: class swap artificer!adaine and rogue!fabian

[slavhew]

fun fact the word "dirk" sounds exactly like the root of the croatian verb "drkati" which means to jack off

get the dirk brush here

[bitchthefuck1]

It's always so funny to me when people call Kaz a serial killer or a murderer bc like. boy do I have news for you about the other crows.

[skitskatdacat63]

More matador!Fernando! Ferrari this time :D (I can't help myself.....)

- facial hair

+ closeups

I really wanted the vibe of this Nando pic, I think I did pretty well??

[sonknuxadow]

^ guy who has to draw funny hedgehogs or else they will die

[unproduciblesmackdown]

(genderly) chill as hell if i was only ever glimpsed / detected like this

[pupkou]

trans people who have had the luxury of transitioning that don’t celebrate other trans people being able to start ..

[thermodynamic-comedian]

i guess my point is that i want to explore the human aspects of inhumanity but most of you guys are only interested in the moral aspects of both. as if being more human is the same as being more morally correct. as if morality can be fairly applied to something distinctly non-human.