#and isolating the grandkid)

[siberian-khatru]

Redditors stop being ableist for five seconds challenge! If you fail then I will set The Bees upon you

[just-sp-in-inginthevoid]

"Takeomi is Sanzu&Senju's half-brother" headcanon, sure

But is the Akashi grandmother biologically related to him or not... Hm....

[yuridovewing]

Ohhh another point to Ivypool and Dovewing both being Hollyleaf's bio kits though is that maybe after Hollyleaf revealed who they were, they were both ostracized and that pushed them really close together in kithood, but then as apprentices, Lionblaze takes Dovepaw to destroy the damn and her reputation improves while Ivypaw's remains where it is, and then they're isolated from each other...

[ocean-again]

so, I'm trying out mastodon, because twitter is a shit show, and if you want niche online drama perpetuated by people who are absolutely foaming at the mouth at all times, HOO BOYE, because, since it's decentralized, if you get in a fight with somebody there's no management to run crying to outside of your own server mods, and all they can do is "defederate" (basically cutting all communication between servers) which means there's constant war between groups of people that, by rights, should have no ability to even see their foes posts.

I have seen more queers calling eachother: transphobes, racists, homophobes, fascists, in the last month on there than anywhere else on the internet, over who gets to decide how and when to implement moderation decisions, that, by structural design, are always gonna be highly localized, because there is no central authority and there never will be.

anyways, point is, you don't need corporate social media to wage Nerd War, and even a decentralized, open source, self-hosted, barely a platform at all, even Mastodon, is full of callouts that run in circles and ultimately lead to nothing but petty personal disagreements that, because the platform is mostly self-hosted, lead to admins just nuking their instances, and over time, will likely cause the whole experiment to self-destruct.

One implication of the fact that social media companies go out of their way to stoke hate and conflict is that everyone should probably get in the habit of thinking twice before diving into online controversies, because there’s a very good chance that they’re being deliberately taken out of context, exaggerated, or otherwise framed in an intellectually dishonest fashion

[empire-of-the-words]

AU where Bruce and Talia get married and Ra'd just... hangs around

He finds Wayne Manor’s version of the mother-in-law suite and refuses to leave

He had LoA meetings there for a while, but Bruce kept spying on them ("It’s my house!") so confidential information isn't discussed there, but everything else is fair game

Alfred's cookies means the League book club is suddenly very popular

None of the kids can bring friends home without having to explain "Yeah that's my (step)grandpa wearing the dramatic robes cursing my dad for stopping him from killing the mayor. Yeah the ninjas are his too. Same with the endangered animals wandering around the house. No it's actually pretty calm today"

Alfred starts cooking larger amounts of food because there’s always a ninja or two (or ten) hanging around, and he’s determined to be a good host ("Why is there a cake tonight?" "It’s Bob's birthday, Master Bruce " "Ninja Bob? Damn I forgot to get him a gift.")

Ra's always spoils his grandkids rotten, of course, but in the weirdest ways possible. Mainly pets. Bruce does not appreciate this.

When Cass shows up, she and Ra's have a staring contest for an hour straight. No one's quite sure what happened, and no one really wants to know

And his shenanigans aren't confined to private either! If there's a gala, he's there, and he does not care about social etiquette. That man makes headlines way more often than not ("'Wayne FIL Has Bodyguards Attack Socialite For Wearing Fur'." "That fur comes from an endangered fox; how else was I supposed to react?")

Ra's likes to match gala outfits with Talia, Talia likes to match with Bruce and Damian (and whatever kids consider her their mom), and the other kids like to join in on the joke, meaning the entire family is matching except for Dick, who refuses out of spite (a picture of them all together quickly becomes a meme format)

The Halloween gala is filled with people in ninja "costumes"

The Court of Owls tries to assassinate Ra's once, not because of the League of Assassins thing, just because he got on the nerves of one too many members. Taking them down is one of the few times Ra's and Dick get along, and it freaks everyone out so much they're determined to never let it happen again

The family is divided on whether they find him and his shenanigans amusing or not. Talia, Jason and Duke do. Bruce and Dick don't. No one's quite sure about Cass, and Damian won't say either way. Tim starts a mini war with Ra's, with the casualties ending up as 2 chandeliers, 5 computers, 4 antique vases, at least 7 League plots, the microwave and Tim’s spleen

He does manage to find the Lazarus Pit infecting Gotham’s water supply and isolate it. So. That's nice.

[comicaurora]

Listening to the latest OSPod and your discussion about being ace and wanting to be prioritized, it resonated a lot with me. I also go through those sorts of yearning periods and it was nice to hear that verbalized.

It's a tough feeling! Loneliness is a universal consideration, but for anyone who doesn't want a single life partner it takes on a new, difficult shape. Finding "the one" won't fix it, because you don't want "one", and you also don't want to give all of yourself to just "one." So everything we learn from the social and cultural zeitgeist tells us that this life will make us, forever, a third wheel - deprioritized, unnecessary, nobody's first choice.

I think some of the fear is rooted in a fallacy, though. Broken down, it's basically just "will people like me if I can't offer them something?"

Relationships aren't really transactional. I do things for the people I love because I like it when they're happy, and I can only assume the inverse is also true. But if you're a person for whom the supposed "highest tier of relationship closeness" is inaccessible, if your friends have Most Important People in their lives who aren't you, this insidious feeling can creep in. "Those people are closer because they could offer something you couldn't. They get to be cared about because they have something you lack."

It's not true, obviously. Relationships aren't a linear hierarchy; every relationship is completely unique. Everyone I'm friends with, I'm friends with in a completely different way. I don't have a ranking or tier list defining how close we are, and I can only assume my friends don't either.

And the logic breaks down further the more you look at it. There's this idea that friendships are more fragile and disposable than romantic relationships, leaving people whose only relationships are friendships in a more supposedly unstable position. But romances and life-partnerships break down all the time. Not to go morbid to prove a point, but I've lost several elderly relatives at this point, and the one whose passing was mourned the most, the longest, and the most impactfully was the maiden aunt who never married, never had any kids, but was still so deeply loved by her nieces and nephews and their spouses and children. I've seen it proved that marriage, kids and grandkids doesn't save someone from isolation, and that a single life doesn't doom them to isolation either. None of us are automatically destined for loneliness.

A fear of abandonment is a powerful thing, and while my perspective on it is intrinsically tied to my ace identity, it's definitely not just us feeling it. For a social species like us, there's really nothing more unifying than a fear of being alone.

[whispers-into-the-void]

ok but sometimes the aroace experience really is isolating. it's part of the deal. you keep seeing friends enter relationships and act weird about it around you because you don't fit into that system. you keep seeing everyone around you participating in something that you don't even want to participate in, but somehow you still feel left out and alienated from the people around you.

your mom keeps joking about "when you'll have grandkids..." but you're not sure if you'll even have kids.

and your pride stops you from telling your friends who are in relationships that you feel lonely. because pity is the last thing i want. and also, i don't think they'll understand, really.

[auressea]

Where and How do we get new testkits? public health stopped supplying them-all the old ones have expired.

Some recent COVID-19 news

Growing Concern for back to school as data shows rising COVID cases in B.C.

A grassroots group of health professionals are calling for British Columbia to reinstate mask mandates in schools and hospitals to prevent a repeat “tripledemic” of COVID-19, RSV and influenza infections that pushed the province’s hospitals to the brink last fall.

And with data showing rising COVID-19 cases in B.C. and two new viral subvariants on the horizon, Protect Our Province B.C. says the province should act sooner rather than later.

The group is composed of more than a dozen doctors, nurses, researchers, teachers and professionals who advocate for evidence-based pandemic policies.

“We know from last year kids and schools were hit hard and if the goal is to keep kids learning in school we need to do what we can to prevent virus spread this fall,” said Dr. Lyne Filiatrault, a retired emergency room physician in Vancouver and a member of the group.

COVID response confounds SARS expert

As COVID-19 surges globally, a leading infectious disease specialist is confounded by the lack of pandemic mitigation measures in Ontario.

Q: What is your advice for people who want to stay safe this fall?

Dr. Dick Zoutman: “One is to be informed. I do recommend Dr. Tara Moriarty’s website — COVID19resources.ca,” Zoutman said. “We owe her a large debt.”

Second, when the latest COVID-19 vaccine is available, “get it,” he recommended.

Third, “buy N95 respirators and make sure you have plenty and have one with you all the time. And when you go into an indoor public space — be it a hospital, a bank, a grocery store, school — put it on. The best ones are the ones that go around your head, because they’re tighter.”

Fourth, antigen rapid tests must be made widely available. “If you have any symptoms, you need to test and isolate yourself.”

Finally, avoid indoor public places this fall, he said. “I haven’t eaten in a restaurant in almost four years, and I don’t intend to.”

[katiekatdragon27]

Transcript:

A.Tesseract: *Thunk*

A.Sphere: What the- Who are you???

Sometimes I like to think of an alternate reality to "A Heightlander's Escape" where, like in Sphereland, A. Sphere survived the war but was super shunned by everyone as a result and more so after learning about the reality of the 4th dimension.

In this reality, A. Tesseract meeting A. Sphere was a complete accident. She just intended to pass though, but miscalculated the area she was phasing through, and as a result getting caught by A. Sphere.

Since she never shows him the "real" 4th dimension, she looks like a floating growing and shrinking cube more than a 4D being. A.Sphere got flash-banged by the explosion and damaged on his right side, so he has glasses and a brace. (The glasses are only for reading tho)

Below are some "spoilers" kinda sorta for Sphereland. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it, especially if you liked Flatland but thought the obsessive amount of misogyny was kinda wack (it's still sexist but it's like better-ish... Plz don't clip that-):

In the book, the Sphere visits Hexagon like 70 years after basically kidnapping and traumatizing his grandpa. So I guess taking people from their original plane of existence and spreading the gospel is only done every 1000 years because of ... principle?? Idk, it didn't make sense, but it makes me think.

Also the idea that the Sphere is so lonely and isolated that he decides to track down the grandkid of the dude he kidnapped jst so he had someone to vent to basically is both really funny and super-duper sweet. I love that for all of them honestly.

So that but A. Sphere and Hex's fam lol.

Mind you, Hex is a grandpa here and A. Sphere is like middle-aged (40s). Doen't halt hospitality tho, what a chad.

Also, these things are the greatest things ever. Everyone needs to like these things.

Have a good day chat and read Sphereland on the Internet Archive or smth.

[ifitwerentforthatmeddlingkid]

One world and character building aspect of Dungeon Meshi that I really like is the way it explores different race life spans. Like, we see elves in media as being the quintessential long-lived race, the race that has a tendency to outlive everyone else and therefore has a habit of infantalizing other races. Dungeon Meshi certainly explores this.

But the other less talked about aspect of this long life is the fact that elves take longer to mature, and as a result, an elf child seemingly stays stagnant compared to their shorter-lived peers. We see this explored especially with Thistle. He was raised in a tallman court, and outlives his enslaver/ father figure. He would have outlived his brother figure too, if not for the power of the dungeon. He was a child who was perpetually exploited for generations worth of time. We also see it with Marcille, though hers is a special case of growing erratically on top of growing slowly. In both cases, they struggle with relating to their peers because their peers surpass them far too quickly.

The elves are isolated and typically only associate with other elves, but how can you expect them to fully relate to and integrate into a social system that constantly passes them by? It's hard enough to keep in touch with childhood friends when everyone grows up, goes out into the world and builds their own family and life. Imagine all of your friends getting jobs, getting married, having kids and grandkids, retiring, and dying all before you hit puberty. How profoundly lonely would that be?

[chaoticgoblindev]

The Hat Rule

Pairing: Cowboy!Ghost x Fem!Reader

Pronouns used: She/Her

Warnings: NSFW, MDNI, 18+, smut, cowboy hat rule, acquaintances to lovers, p in v, cussing, unprotected!sex, cowboy au, very self-indulgent heheh.

Summary: Visiting your Grandparent's farm leads to an honest mistake with the hot cowboy that worked there. 

Oftentimes you would visit your grandparents on their farm out in the country. Not out of the kindness of your heart, not because you missed them truly and loved them, but because of a certain cowboy who took care of the ranch. 

His name was ‘Ghost’, at least around the ranch it was, his real name was Simon. And oh boy was he intoxicating, plain and simple. Something about his brooding and seriousness had a certain weight on you that seeped straight to your core. He was the one thing exciting about the valley your Grandfather’s ranch resided in, kept things lively, and kept you coming back. Though these feelings festered not much was exchanged between the two of you. It was a crush, even when you desired more.

Upon a late afternoon, you found yourself on the porch of the ranch house, enjoying the sunset and breeze and taking in the beauty of the land. The mountains surrounding the valley gave a feeling of peaceful isolation like you were separated from the stress of the world. You closed your eyes to enjoy the moment when you heard a familiar voice call out to you. “Enjoying some fresh air, city girl?” Ghost chuckled, not that he needed to, you could just hear his smirk in the baritone levels of his voice.

Gazing up at Ghost, you saw him leaning against one of the beams that supported the porch with his arms crossed. His dark blue button-up was rolled to his elbows which exposed muscled forearms and a sleeve tattoo on his left arm. God. Was he TRYING to give you a heart attack? “Oh 'cause we don’t get enough in the suburbs right?” You smirked, enjoying the start of some usual casual banner. “I’ll have you know the 'fresh air’ here smells like cow shit.” 

Ghost’s eyes crinkled and chuckled slowly, “You got me there. Yet you keep coming back, must love it then?” His eyes flickered with a curious emotion you hadn’t seen before.

When your eyes widened at being put on the spot, you felt like you made a mistake, like you accidentally revealed all your secrets. Quickly your face reverted into an appeasing smile, “Got me there. I just love it here.”

Ghost hummed as he pushed off the beam and kicked at the dirt with the heel of his boot. He looked out the horizon like he was scanning the land before he spoke once more. 

“Got to get back to work, you’d best head inside when it gets dark. Coyotes like to linger ‘ere.” He huffed while glancing back down to you. You couldn’t help but get the feeling he was disappointed with something you said, which was unbearable alone in itself but the fact he gave you a curfew felt like he saw you as just his boss’s grandkid. “Wow, you’re giving me a curfew now, are you? Should I start calling you Daddy too?” The minute the words left your mouth you widened your eyes and dutifully slapped your mouth before staring up at him. Sometimes your intrusive thoughts won, and sometimes you wanted to jump the nearest bridge. “I- I didn't mean to say that.”

Ghost cut you off with a deep laugh, it sounded like heaven to you, “Fucking hell, kid. Yeah yeah sure, call me what you want, now go get your pretty ass inside and eat all your greens too.” He gave you a once over as you rushed inside with a reddened face, his eyes lingering on your ass and the jeans that clung to your curves in every right way. The front door shut and you disappeared from his sight. “Fucking hell doll..” He groaned.

_____

That night you lay in your bed with your face in the pillow, groaning with embarrassment. Ghost called you kid! How patronizing was that? Not only that but your loose lips ran you into the third most embarrassing event in your life.

Yet another thought lingered. He called you pretty, didn't he? He also didn’t seem put off by the comment so maybe…

Your thoughts led your mind into the dark depths of your imagination, your name on his lips, teeth nibbling at your skin, him and his body pressing down on you. Into you. Your hand trailed down your abdomen and past the hem of your panties as your mind wandered. Rubbing the already slick folds between your thighs you imagined his tongue trailing over your curves. How his hand would grab onto your ass, maybe even slap it. Would he be rough like you dreamed? Gentle? You let out a sigh as your fingers slide into your pussy and slowly pump in and out. It wasn’t enough anymore, the need and desire building more as you kept your whimpers silenced, aware of the way the old walls could echo in weird ways. The last thing you needed was your Grandparents hearing you getting off by imagining their ranch hand. Biting back an annoyed sigh, you glide your hands out of your core. It just wasn’t enough. You wanted him.

Finally, enough was enough, tomorrow you decided to make a move on him.

_______

By the grace of the universe, your Grandpa asked you to deliver a saddle that was shipped to the house and not the bunkhouse. It was a perfect opportunity. Now if your anxiety could just go along with the plan then it’d be great.

Luckily you didn't have to carry the hefty saddle down to the bunkhouse and were given the keys to the golf cart. The drive did little to ease your mind, the wind rolling along the tall grass and livestock chittering in the distance added noise to that busy mind of yours. The bunkhouse itself was built like a nice cabin, sizable enough to host a large group of people and close enough to the pastures for convenience. The neighs of horses nickering in the nearby stables covered the footsteps of someone approaching you.

“That the saddle your folks ordered?” Ghost asked, making you gasp and nearly drop the leather item from your hands but he reached around and grabbed it to keep it from falling. 

“Fuck you scared the shit outta me!” You grumbled while casting him a glare over your shoulder. He smirked and tipped his hat to you which somehow just annoyed you more. Your hand reached up and yanked the cowboy hat from his head with a huff, as you put it on you took another look at the saddle. “Yeah that’s it, it’s pretty hefty, glad I got the golf cart, otherwise carrying it down would’ve been a pain.” You sighed and turned your body to Ghost.

The intensity of his gaze startled you, had you done something wrong? Did you say something offensive? “What’s wrong?” Your voice came out in a hushed tone, nervous as to what he would say.

He smirked, shaking his head and taking a step closer to you which made you take an initial step back into the golf cart. His grip on the saddle loosened until it flopped onto the seat again.

“The hat,” Ghost started with a purr, placing his hands on the top of the golf cart and looking into your eyes, “you’re a clever minx aren’t you…”

Was this all about the hat? Maybe it was special to him, otherwise what the fuck was he talking about?

“Oh I am sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.” You began to lift the hat from your head when his hand caught your wrist.

“Do you know the rule about those there hats? About taking one from a cowboy and wearing it?” The husky accented drawl of his voice set your skin on fire and your eyes drifted to his lips then to his eyes.

“No… I don’t. what did I do wrong?” You couldn’t help but frown, assuming you might’ve broken some sacred cowboy superstition.

“Take the hat… means you gotta ride,” Ghost held your chin and pulled you close,  “And it doesn’t require a saddle or reins… just me.” He tilted his head and watched your expression carefully for any resistance or disgust.

“WHAT!? I didn’t know that though!” A blush captured your cheeks as you covered your face. You did know yet happened to forget, you heard rumors about it when your friends were joking about a cute country guy on a night out. 

Ghost seemed pleased with your response and pulled you away from the cart. “Well, it’s too late now, little lady.” He mused, his smile turning sly as he tossed you over his shoulder. “You gotta play by the rules like a good girl.” He laughed while taking you in the direction of the barn.

“Ghost- wait! Hey, put me down!” You thumped your fist into his back, you could feel your face flushed with embarrassment and hoped that no one could see y’all. Ghost continued to carry you, smirking when you lightly punched his back and delivered a slap to your ass in return.

“You have on the hat and now you must pay the price.” He taunted, walking towards the inside of the barn and kicking the door shut behind him. 

The cowboy placed you down in the middle of the barn, the two of you alone. “You get a free ride... literally.” Ghost added, leaning against a wooden beam and crossing his arms. His gaze never strayed from your lips as they parted to form a sentence. The embarrassment took away your voice and as you tried to form words, you took the time to scan the surroundings of the cruddy barn filled with grain and hay bales. It wasn’t much of a secret around the ranch that you had a crush on Ghost, no matter how good you thought you hid it. 

Rolling his shoulders back, he studied your form, a smirk tugging on his lips as he took a few steps towards you. He placed a gentle hand on your hip, his fingers squeezing your flesh as he looked down at you. “I know you have a big crush on me, sugar…” He whispered, his tone sending chills up your spine. “So, here’s your free ride…” Ghost cooed, his eyes glimmering as his other hand wrapped around the nape of your neck.

This was your chance, everything you wanted and more. Hell would freeze over before giving up an opportunity like this. So you leaned close, just to get a taste of him finally. Then he smiled and brought his hand away from your neck to cup your cheek and pulled you close until your lips came crashing together.

The yearning that was simmering in his soul was infecting, reaching to your heart and seeping into your core. He burned, in every way passion could burn, he searched your body like a temple of god, your lips his salvation. Ghost devoted his tongue to yours as he deepened the kiss, when he pulled away slightly his breath was labored. 

“You're the only thing on my mind recently...” He whispered.

The corners of your mouth skewed into a smile. “You’re the reason I keep coming back out here.” You admitted, licking your lips to taste the remnants of him.

Something about that answer made Ghost snap, he pulled you flush against him by your wrists as he kissed you once more. He licked your bottom lip before fully exploring your tongue with his. His hands squeezed your hips a final time before he lifted you and placed you on a sturdy barrel. Ghost stepped between your legs and parted them, one hand massaging your thigh softly while the other worked on unlatching his belt buckle.

“You want this? Wanted me so bad didn’t ya, sweet thing?” Ghost purred as he slowly began to inch his jeans down to reveal the hardened outline of his cock. It made you suck in a breath which caused him to chuckle. “You can take it, you're my sweet tough girl aren’t you?” He pecked your cheek with a soft kiss and finally let his jeans fall to his ankle.

“Ghost… please..” You breathed, peering up at him through your haze. Your core was weeping in want, just begging to be ravaged and filled. You pulled him tight against your body with your legs around his waist, the imprint of his dick grinding against the jeans you wore.

Ghost let out a groan and kissed you again, his body pressed against you some more while he fiddled with the buttons of your pants and tugged them down. He flashed his canines in his smile while gazing at you with a burning lust.  “I’ve been so damn eager for this, and I know you have too… the way you’ve been watching me, stalking me. Sweet girl… you think I didn’t notice?” He whispered and placed his hands on either side of your hips, his eyes baring down at you had an effect that made him feel imposing and larger than life. 

“Well, I certainly can tell you’re eager.” You teased him and rolled your hips against his just to feel the firm imprint of his dick begging to be freed. Ghost chuckled as he grabbed your hips, pulling you to the edge of the barrel.

"I'm glad you can feel that..." He whispered as his fingers hooked the belt loop of your jeans. "It's... been itching to get out." With one swift motion, he pushed your jeans down your legs before tossing them onto the barn floor. Ghost admired your body from where he stood, his hands rubbing the soft flesh of your thighs. He loved how they smushed against the barrel and parted for him. His eyes looked over your body like a present as he slowly began to unbutton your blouse and fondle your curves. The shirt fell and bunched at your wrists and he couldn’t help but kiss you again. “God… you’re perfect.”

“Ghost…” You breathed and looked up at him through your eyelashes, giving him a slight head tilt and smile. His eyes darkened and in a swift maneuver, he had sat on the barrel with you in his lap. You yelped and gripped the hat on your head with one hand, the other on his shoulder as you stared at him with wide eyes.

“I want you screaming my name. So call me Simon, baby… Now Ride,” Simon demanded.

“Say please.” You chided.

The man huffed but wrapped his arms around your waist and set his chin on your chest. “Please, babydoll?” He muttered gruffly.

Something about turning such a burly man into a stubborn pleading mess made you grin. “Lemme help you then…” you whispered into his ear, easing your hips and sliding your underwear to the side. From your vantage point, you could see the way his eyes fixed on your wet cunt and the way he licked his lips.

“Already so wet for me, aren’t ya?” Simon chuckled and rolled his boxers down until his cock sprung free.

“Already so hard for me, aren’t you?” You mimicked but were busy with gawking at his size. 

Fuck.

Simon’s smoky tone captured your attention once more. “It’ll be alright love, we can make it fit..” he coaxed, rubbing circles into your hips. “Just take it inch by inch, yeah?”

You gave him a slow nod and glanced down to align yourself to him, gliding him between your folds. With a sharp inhale you slowly began to sink into him. Biting your lip, you make eye contact with Simon who looks at you gently, letting you take your time. 

Just as a little more than the tip pushed in, a hushed moan came from Simon. Giving it a few more adjustments you soon hit the base of his cock and shivered at the feeling, a soft whine sounded from your throat as you winced at the stretch.

“Just give it a second, you’re doing so well.” He groaned, placing his hands on your waist to massage the skin gently. Simon slowly began to move his hips, pulling back small amounts before sliding fully in again. He waited as your expression began to shift into one with pleasure, your soft moans and the slick of your cunt being the only noise in the barn. “Yeah, there you go. Such a good girl.” He coaxed, slowly adding to the pace he set.

You moaned out his name and he gave a kiss to your cheek as he worked you open. While you got used to the feeling your hips slowly matched his. Simon let out a moan as your body began to grind against him, his fingers gripping onto your ass as you rode him. "Oh, god..."

His body tensed under yours as he held back strained moans, his fingertips dug into your thighs as he looked at you with complete lust and desire. placed a hand onto your chest and leaned up to your ear as he spoke.

"You're a natural, guess our lessons paid off… or maybe, you’re just a dirty girl.” His hand wrapped around your neck in a gentle yet firm caress, he pressed his thumb down along your throat just enough to get a depraved noise. “Which one is it, sweetheart?” 

“Fuck ‘round n find out,” You smirked and clamped down on him with a strangled moan, adding, “You taught me well. It’s about time I put my skill to something worthy.” 

Simon leaned his head back and closed his eyes as you began to grind your hips down onto him. You switched between fucking yourself on his cock and drawing circles with your movements. He thrusted into you now and then, as if reminding you that he was still in charge. 

“Shit baby… That’s it, just like that.” He groaned, jutting his hips up harshly which caused you to yelp and clench around him. With the way he started to get desperate, you could tell he was getting close. You threw your head back and whimpered as you rode his cock. The feeling was unlike anything felt before and it was like the deepest parts of your soul were being reached. Simon’s breathing grew heavy and his mouth hung open as he panted for air. His fingertips dug deeper into your thighs as his head leaned backward once more. He grunted as his body tensed up, and his other hand came to your cheek as his eyes closed. "Come on, baby..." He muttered to you, his breaths hitting against your neck.

Feeling your climax slowly build, you moved your hips at a faster pace. Simon held onto your waist, aiding you with his thrusts. You both closed your eyes as you kissed, syncing together to chase the other’s highs with passionate instinct. “Fuck. I am so close, Si.” You gasped, your eyes rolling back at the way he reached your cervix.

Simon let out a muffled moan as he felt you twitching around him, your cunt clenching tighter around him as the two of you kissed, his hand left your hip and he slowly let his it drift to your thigh, his fingertips digging into your soft skin with every thrust. He groaned and slammed his hips into you before cumming with you.

"I should have thought about the cowboy rule with you a long time ago..." He chuckled softly, still feeling the pleasure of you surrounding him. 

“I should’ve taken your damn hat a long time ago..” You mirrored with a soft laugh, hissing as a full-body spasm shot up your spine and clenched around him, overstimulated from the recent orgasm that made your brain go hazy. “Mmm... Did you cum inside?”

Ghost looked up at you with a smirk, his teeth slightly bared as he spoke to you. "I might have..." He chuckled softly. He trailed his hand up and down your waist leaning close so the two of you were close together, he whispered in your ear, "I might have..." He repeated himself once more, his voice a murmur which made his breath hot against your ear.

You nodded and leaned against him in a limp-like fashion, exhausted from the work done. Simon let out a small hum of pleasure as you leaned into him. He placed a hand on your cheek and pulled you toward him, your mouths meeting in another kiss. "I needed you.” He mumbled, his lips meeting yours once more in a deep kiss.

Between the sweet and deep kisses, you replied, “Mmm- we should do this often.”

"I like the sound of that..." Simon mumbled against your lips, his breaths hitting against your skin as he kissed you along your jaw. "Whenever you want it," He said to you softly, his fingers beginning to trail down your cheeks, "Just come find me anytime on the ranch.... I'll give you the best ride of your life..." He smirked, still holding onto you but slowly beginning to pull you off him.

You helped him with getting up, raising your hips, and blushing when you felt his cum drip out and down your thighs. Simon’s breath hitched as he saw the essence seep out of you, his gaze slowly drifting down to your body and taking in every inch of it. He smirked, his fingers trailing down your stomach to your thighs. He chuckled, "You're a mess, doll." He pulled up his cowboy jeans and took a deep breath.  "You need anything from me right now, Sweetheart?... Some water? A towel for your body?" He spoke to you softly as he looked at you.

You pressed your thighs together to stop the juices from seeping out of your cunt, bending forward to pick up your underwear and shimmy it on. “No I don’t need anything, I am fine thank you.” 

Ghost nodded, and with a deep breath, he put on his cowboy hat as he watched you bend down to pick your clothes up off the barn floor.  "I'll uh.... just wait outside and give you some time to yourself to clean up" He chuckled softly, looking away as he did so. He stepped outside the barn and leaned up against the side of the building, looking at a few horses as he sighed and closed his eyes.

After a few minutes, you joined him approaching him with a slight limp, and stood next to him, glancing at the scenery. Your appearance was fixed up though any mascara you had on previously was slightly smudged on the corners of the eyes. “That was nice.” you began.

Ghost looked over at you as you stood next to him. He smiled and looked back up at the horses as you spoke. "It was, yeah." He chuckled and turned around to look at you for a moment. "I'm glad you came to see me." He said to you, his tone a bit quieter and more serious than usual. Ghost looked down at the floor for a moment, his expression a bit more pensive than normal. "So... you want to... do that again... sometime?" He sighed and looked down at his boots, his face hidden by the cowboy hat. "No pressure, though. I won’t press for more if you don’t want that.”

You cut him off with a laugh shaking your head. “No, I want more!” You coughed and spoke a bit more calmly and casually. “I mean- I like you and uh.. it would be nice to stay close...”

Ghost met your eyes and smiled, pulling you into a hug. “Sure thing, baby.”

[golvio]

Some spoilers for Hades 2 early access regarding Chronos below the cut.

He did not look or sound at all like what I expected, but I now immediately understand why all of his adult children are Like That, as well as why they’d quickly drop their previous squabbles and band together to try to get rid of him when he tried to force himself back into their lives. I instantly recognized every single trick he tried to pull on Mel when he first met her to try to manipulate her or put her down to “put her in her place” from other people’s descriptions of their own shitty, appearance-obsessed control freak parents with untreated personality disorders. I think the more understated delivery really works for him, particularly with that underlying paternalistic edge of absolute certainty and treating his enemies like misbehaving children who need to be reminded who’s in charge, even if they’re grown-ass adults. I also feel absolutely terrible for Hades, given that dear ol’ dad is trying to reassert control over him by “taking away his toys” and trashing everything he’d worked so hard to build in order to force him back into his original position of childlike dependency. It’s been almost 20 years and he *really* hasn’t finished “renovations” and fixed up the throne room? He doesn’t give a shit about actually maintaining the realm, just punishing Hades for trying to emancipate himself and be an independent adult by asserting ownership over all of Hades’ stuff and forcing him to watch as Daddy Dearest destroys everything he loved. He pretends to be absolutely rational and objective, but he’s actually a pathetic, emotionally immature piece of shit who throws manipulative tantrums and breaks things to bully his own children into compliance, and I can’t believe Mel has to waste her life fighting this loser who’s got nothing better to do than bully his barely-adult granddaughter. Kudos to Supergiant for making one of the most skincrawling depictions of an abusive dad ever.

But, also, now it makes a bit more sense for Hecate to have raised Mel in isolation—it’s easier to blow off an abusive relative’s appeals to authority when they’re a complete stranger to you. However, it’s also interesting that her early meetings with Chronos are the first time polite, deferential Melinoë has just straight-up told an adult trying to pull rank to fuck off. But that might be because she’s got no memories of him or fondness for him, so there’s no sense of filial piety or family obligation that would otherwise make her blame or second-guess herself. She has a slightly harder time with her, uh, more assertive Olympian relatives who she has more of a personal connection to and are slightly more subtle and “nice” about trying to goad her in specific directions. However, I also think Mel meeting Artemis and Hermes first and them warning her in advance about how overbearing the rest of the family can be might’ve inoculated her somewhat, even if she’s more like her dad in that she lacks the more intuitive way with people Zagreus has and isn’t as certain how to use her own charisma as leverage.

Anyways, I hope Melinoë kicks her Peepaw’s ass, but, given the type of real-life personality he has, I’m not sure if that’s actually going to make him stop or change short of a White Diamond-level epiphany where he realizes what a piece of shit he’s been to his own children and willingly fucks off out of his grandkid’s life forever.

[ithilien-writes]

idc if i'm projecting, no matter what the show does in s8 they will never convince me that the diaz parents aren't the villains in all of this. they hated shannon and yet they pushed for eddie to marry her anyway. it's heavily implied they criticized (teenage !!) shannon's parenting to the point where she felt incredibly isolated while eddie was overseas, rather than supported by them in his absence. then after they drove her off they proceeded to watch their war traumatized (barely old enough to drink !!) kid who's wife just left him manage to keep it together enough to work three (3 !!) jobs and responded by trying to take his kid from him instead of actually, idk... helping him ??

then- then !! when he finally got away from them and actually got the support he needed to flourish for once, they couldn't/wouldn't acknowledge all the progress he'd made, or the fact that he's a grown man now. so when their grandson reached out to them because he and his dad were both clearly struggling with grief and they could have shown up for both of them, they instead prioritized their grandkid over their own kid again to absolutely no one's benefit (except theirs)

[quitealotofsodapop]

Tangzi, when he and Pigsy adopt MK, know exactly what he's doing in the tiger au. He knows this is someone just like his uncle/big brother Wukong and he looks forward to the day Wukong returns to claim him as a student and also because Wukong been isolating himself for way too long ever since sealing uncle DBK in a depressive episode. It's why he tells MK so many Monkey King stories (also be ause he legit thinks his uncle is the coolest ever)

Prev.

Tangzi (or just "Tang" to his friends) recognises what the "weird muddy kid" in Pigsy's restaurant actually is the moment he sees the little guy.

Him and Pigsy (one of Bajie's many many grandkids), have been dear friends for as long as they could remember. Although Pigsy is farther removed from the lore of Journey to the West than Tang is, he accepts that "weird nonsense" will happen to him at some point or other in his life.

He calmly (as much as he can without shaking with excitement) explains to his dear Piggy that the "human toddler" is in fact; a very rare baby stone monkey demon with a glamour spell on it. Pigsy is confused, but rolls with it since it's an already odd situation - he just wants to make sure that the little guy is safe.

Over the course of the chaotic reports to CPS and checking police records for any missing kids, a pair of childhood friends slowly begin to realise not only feelings for one another, but also that little MK (short for "mystery kid" as Pigsy called him at first)/Xiaotian needs a home that will understand his unique situation...

A call is made to Tang's mother to inform him of the situation...

Tang, astral projecting: "Hi mom!" Tripitaka, meditating with Guanyin: "Oh! Tangzi! It's been some time since you've made contact. How is the outside world?" Tang, obviously nervous: "FINE! Uh... I mean... something happened at Pigsy's place. Nothing bad. Just uh... let me just get him. It's easier to explain." (*pops out of focus to get something*) Tripitaka, tired sigh: "Merciful Buddha. I've told you, that boy gets himself into all sorts of trouble. He's nearly as bad as his-" Tang: (*holds up a baby monkey demon so they appear in the projection*) Tang, awkward smile: "TA-DA!" (*Nearly a full minute of silence ensues as both Tripitaka and Guanyin watch the baby monkey demon clinging to Tang's fur*) Tripitaka, stunned: "...what?" Tang, getting pawed at by the baby: "So uh-! This little guy was found wandering outside the restaurant - in a human glamour by the way - and he is definitely a... special case I would say!" Tripitaka. trying to regain composure: "Although uncommon in this day and age, street children still tragically do occur. This child should be turned over to the authorities, and if luck provided; a next of kin. I trust that you've made the appropriate calls." Tang, nervously tugs at scarf: "Yeaaaah, about that... me and Pigsy have decided to keep him." Tripitaka: "What!? You're but a young man yourself! To take on the responsibility of a child is no light commitment!" Tang: "Trust me. He made it an easy decision." Baby Monkey: (*reaches out towards the two Bodhisattvas*) Guanyin, realising: "He can see us." Tripitaka, waves to the baby: "Hmm? Well, that is nice. Hello dear. but it doesn't explain why my youngest child has- wait." (*Tang slowly lifts a tuff of hair on the baby monkeys' forehead, revealing glowing golden eyes amidst a familiar-shaped face marking*) Tang: "He's... like eldest brother Wukong." Tripitaka, squeaks: "What?" Wukong: (*phases in with his own projection. A delighted cheeky grin on his face.*) Wukong: "Yup! He's a genuine Stone-Egg-born Monkey! I checked on him and around the island, and it looks like the little guy popped right out of a fragment of my old rock! How he got to the city, I'll never know. Probably sneezed so hard that he launched himself across the sea and into a different form!" Tang: "And now he's going to be part of the family! Me and Pigsy have been sorting out the legal stuff. Say hi Xiaotian!" Baby Monkey: (*happy burbling baby sounds!*) Tripitaka: "...OOOoooooohh!" (*dramatically faints*) Tang: "Oops... is he ok auntie?" Guanyin, catching Tripitaka as he fell: "All is calm, Tangzi. Your mother is merely overwhelmed by the prospect of being a grandparent to a Celestial Stone Monkey." Wukong, laughing: "I'm more shocked that it's his first grandchild!"

Sun Wukong had been the first person Tang contacted, obviously. Wukong had panicked and flipped - turning the island upside down to try and figure out how the baby monkey happened.

But the cheeky monkey didn't want to pass up on seeing his master's/adoptive father's reaction to learning about the new baby in the family. >:3

He can't wait to see the look on the Brotherhood's faces when they learn. It'd be a good reason to finally reunite the old gang after the fallout of DBK's imprisonment.

[ss-aquarium]

SDV Bachelors + Fatherhood >--)))°< (PT.2)

●☆○°☆ How the Bachelors are as Fathers ☆°○☆●

|| Paring : {Elliott, Sam, Sebastian x reader}

|| Wordcount : [852]

|| Tags : (Fluff, slight Angst, Headcannons, Established Relationship)

|| Warnings : *Spoilers for Sam’s 14-heart event*

Elliott

Develops an entire children’s library in the nursery, might try to name your kid after a character from a novel he likes

Starts drafting children’s books with your kid as the main character; incredibly proud if your kid wants his stories read at bedtime

Teaches them to read at the speed of light, that kid’s AR levels are through the roof, might self-assign summer reading once they’re in school

That kid has incredible English and writing grades, Elliot probably gets tricked into editing papers when he gets frustrated with revision and might cause a call home about potential plagiarism (why is this 2nd grader using words like “robust” and “forlorn?”)

#1 hair braider, would love a little girl to doll up and practice different hairstyles, very willing to be dolled up for tea parties

Extremely sentimental and marks every single milestone, has too many photo albums, celebrates every graduation, cried uncontrollably when your kid took their first steps

Is definitely the type of parent to leave handwritten notes in you kid’s lunchbox

Wants a large family because he spent so much time isolated and pretty lonely before you moved to the valley, doesn’t pressure you but drops a lot of hints that he wants more than 1 kid

Takes your kids to the beach, will play mermaids, will ask you to play mermaids with them 

Beach day ends in campfire stories around the pit outside his old cabin, maybe “camping” in the cabin 

Likes to play piano for your kids, very proud if they developed musical interests

Literally over the moon if your kid is a bookworm/writer, will not stop recommending authors and series or asking to read their latest works- very supportive

Sam

Resident “cool dad” 

Super lax but strict when is counts, big brother-ing heavily influences his parenting style in a “don’t tell ‘mom’” way, meaning he’ll let them get away with a lot as long as they don’t go telling on him

You’ll have to parent for 2 in the beginning cause Sam’s not used to so much responsibility but he’ll catch on pretty quickly, proud of himself when he starts taking the “dad” role seriously

Vincent was super excited and was one of the first people who got to hold the baby, brags to Jas that he’s got lots of responsibilities as a new uncle

Sam probably likes showing off on the half-pipe and teaches your kid how to skate, very proud if he you guys raise a sk8ter like him

Styles you kid’s hair if they ask, then you’ll have 2 super saiyans around the farm with hair full of rock-hard hair gel

When he got his kid's show gig he ran a lot of drafts through Vincent and your kid, both were super excited seeing him on TV, both bragged about it for weeks and acted like superstars

Loves taking your kid to concerts, both of them decorated headphones for your kid to wear, definitely headbangs to the mildest children's songs to make your kid laugh

Very proud band parent if your kid decides to do band (would prefer band to orchestra cause he can't yell in concert halls)

Jodi is a very proud Grandma and enjoys seeing Sam so mature and responsible; her baby has a baby now

Kent is a little slow on the uptake but is still loving towards his grandkid, will attend veteran's day at your kid's school

Sebastian

Least likely to want children but really loves your kid, finds parenting as a way of healing his childhood trauma (reparents himself)

Very supportive dad and never belittles your kid's achievements or decisions, doesn't want to stifle them like he'd been

Buys motorcycle helmets for the kid even if you say no to him taking them on rides, it's the thought that counts to him

Creates family campaigns for you and your friends to try and get you kid into ttrpgs, will buy/use your kid's toys as minifigs

Would love a lil computer nerd he talk shop with, probably teaches your kid to code once they're older

Obsesses over frog-themed baby clothes and toys, likes to play leapfrog with your kid but will stop after like 2 hops cause he has a bad back from poor posture at his computer (probably makes dad noises even though he's in his early 20s)

Would rock the baby by bouncing it on his leg while he has the coffee shakes coding late at night

Aunty Maru pt.2 cause she will love this kid so much, she'll make little science experiments to teach them about chemistry and robotics

Robin LOVES the kid because Sebastian's finally out of the basement and has a family to care for; basically all she's ever wanted

Demetrius cares for the kid, might chastise Sebastian's parenting but tries to be respectful about it, also makes science experiments about ecology and takes your kid on field study trips

This kid is definitely going to be valedictorian like this is the prime environment for a little nerd

Sebastian would probably let them get a tattoo as a graduation present, might even get a matching one

[orangepeelshortbreadcookies]

Madeline Usher - Setting herself up for failure

Because the thing is, Madeline was never close to successfully develop an AI human consciousness. Not even by a long shot. Roderick convinced she was, because either he knew jackshit about tech and algorithms, idolised his sister, was delusional about her progress, or Madeline was lying to him the same way Vic did, or a combination of all of these. Or Madeline was deceiving herself.

Because, based on the themes of the show, how could she create a fully realised human mind from scratch, when she doesn't understand what it is?

She loved Roderick's kids and his grandkid, but only as extensions of her brother. Not as people. She failed to understand Tamerlane's cry for help, dismissing her desperate (and valid) need for love and companionship, her immense guilt, and ended up giving her niece the most batshit worst advice that only further exacerbated her paranoia and isolation. She didn't bother caring about what the children were up to, if what they did did not pertain immediately to the superficial benefits of the family. She thought Napoleon made "debutante balls". Napoleon, whose occupation was in video games, provided he had had better creative encouragement and guidance, potentially could have been the best person in the family to connect with Madeline on a professional level. As an equal.

It was not a huge surprise that Madeline's digital recreation of Lenore was that soulless, horrifying text chain Roderick received at the end. Even as Madeline was permitted to a diary full of the girl's thoughts and dreams, she did not understand her, and at that point was incapable of trying. She did not know Lenore as a person, the kindness that drove the girl, in the same manner that she did not understand how people like Annabel Lee and Dupin operate. The one time she was given a chance at instrospection, when Annabel Lee told her "You are so small.", she squandered that chance by burying it with Griswald and never thought of it again.

Madeline was brilliant. She had an incredible, ruthless drive for success. She foresaw the necessity of her field. She understands how the world works. When it concerned her. She understood the worst parts about a person. When it concerned her. It was her intelligence, arrogance and hubris that Verna respected. Madeline also did not understand the good parts about a person. What makes them whole. Her humanity was amputated, half of it by her own doing, and she lacked the self-awareness to realise that her amputated worldview was not the whole picture.

So of course she failed at her lifelong dream of creating a living digital consciousness.