#because one second you're an ordinary citizen

[misskriemhilds]

i have since finished the metamorphosis but the take i'm the most interested in and feel like i want to find more discussion about is how it's an inherently jewish story

[eiralunaire]

AU soulmates: with the same theme because if

Since time immemorial, mankind has known an inexplicable phenomenon: soulmates. Those destined to meet each other have the first words they will share with their other half inscribed on their bodies. The phrase varies from person to person, often leaving more questions than answers, and many spend a lifetime waiting to hear those exact words spoken by their soulmate.

For Damian Wayne, heir to the Wayne dynasty and apprentice under the shadowy mantle of Batman, the words inscribed on his right arm were both a mystery and a source of constant irritation:

*"I don't give a shit that you're Robin and that you came out of the sewer, but this is a public road and therefore, get out of here. You're in the way!"*

For as long as he could remember, those words were there, etched in elegant black cursive. He often wondered how anyone could say something so disrespectful to him. He, Damian Wayne, grandson of the infamous Ra's al Ghul, a prodigy trained in combat and strategy since childhood, getting in the way? The mere concept filled him with an indignation that his mother, Talia al Ghul, often found amusing.

Damian had tried to ignore the inscription. During his years of training with the League of Shadows, soulmate tattoos were considered a distraction, something irrelevant to a warrior. But ever since he joined his father, Bruce Wayne, in Gotham, he couldn't help but notice how other people around him spoke excitedly of finding their soulmates. Dick Grayson, his adopted brother and former Robin, had even told him with a goofy grin the story of how he'd recognized his mate thanks to a phrase inscribed on his collarbone.

Damian didn't see the romance in his situation, though. How could someone who insults him be his soulmate? If one thing was clear, it was that his soulmate would be just as irritating as the words implied.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

It was a night like any other in Gotham. Damian, now 15, was patrolling as Robin. He had perfected his combat style and had earned the respect of his father and Batman's allies. However, patrolling always came with its drawbacks, especially when nosy citizens interrupted his mission.

Reader, a young high school student with a character as strong as her will, was heading home after a long day at the library. She carried her backpack on her shoulder and a coffee in her hand, trying not to think about the exams that awaited her. She had no time for distractions and no patience for trouble. As she turned the corner of a lonely street, she came upon a peculiar scene: a boy dressed in a strange suit, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking the way.

Unaware that she was about to change the course of their lives, Reader blurted out the words that had been inscribed on Damian's arm for her entire life.

“I don’t give a shit that you’re Robin and that you came out of the sewer, but this is a public road, so get out of here. You’re in the way!” he snapped, with a mix of exasperation and frustration.

Damian turned around with a withering look. His green eyes locked on the young woman who was staring at him with her arms crossed, completely oblivious to the importance of what he had just said. For a few seconds, the world seemed to stop. Damian, who rarely showed any emotion other than indifference or anger, was speechless.

“What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you hear?” Reader continued, taking a step towards him with all the confidence of someone who has no idea who he’s talking to.

It was then that Damian remembered the words on his arm. Everything fell into place suddenly, like pieces of a puzzle that had refused to come together for years. His heart, for the first time in a long time, raced.

“It can’t be…” he murmured, almost in a whisper, staring at Reader.

“What can’t be?” she asked, confused but still defiant.

Damian didn’t answer right away. His mind was racing. How could this ordinary girl, with her messy hair and irreverent attitude, be his soulmate? Everything he knew, everything he had planned, suddenly felt irrelevant.

Although the first meeting wasn't exactly romantic, something changed in Damian from that moment on. Reader, for her part, didn't understand why Robin, Batman's famous sidekick, seemed so intent on finding out more about her. What had started as a casual street meeting soon turned into something more. Damian found himself looking for excuses to see her again, intrigued by her brutal honesty and the way she treated him like a normal person and not the prodigy he was.

Reader, in turn, found herself drawn into the chaotic world of Gotham and its vigilantes. At first, she found him irritating, but over time she began to see beyond Damian's serious facade. She discovered a boy who, despite his arrogance, was surprisingly vulnerable and who, like her, was just looking for his place in the world.

[gaoau]

would rather kms than make my only winbre post be about Suo's stupid ass, so it's time to talk about Nirei cause i love him. i read a post and my blood started boiling i dont fuck around so now i gotta defend him with my life. also cause im sick and tired of him not being deemed marketable enough to be included in merch and collab illusts when he's a whole—if not the most important—third of the main trio. (theres something to be said about Tsugeura too, considering they don't use him but love using Kiryuu, but that's a different conversation.)

anyway, on Nirei and the exceptionality of being ordinary.

manga spoilers btw also disclaimer im not eloquent at all i just say things.

there's something about Nirei that just simply isn't special and i think that's wonderful. not in a mean-spirited sense; Nirei is the most regular out of anyone in Furin, so much so that he had to buy an ugly shirt he didn't even like to stand out. he's just a kid with a notebook and a simple backstory trying to follow a hero's example. he's nothing extraordinary, especially seeing the people he's surrounded by. physically, he's very limited, which he knows and doesn't ignore at all, so he can't do much in fights. no one is more acutely aware of his own limits than Nirei. i was reading the first couple chapters again and it breaks my heart to hear his efforts be dismissed as "playing hero," because Nirei is the biggest hero in this whole manga.

it's true, yeah, he can't fight. he's more like another average citizen of Makochi than he is a Bofurin member sometimes. he lacks fighting abilities, his diplomacy isn't particularly the best, and he's two seconds away from going into cardiac arrest at almost all times. but it's not like he gives a shit. every single time he gets beaten into the ground, he picks himself back up immediately. he takes hit after hit, time and time again, because no matter how battered or defenseless he is, his drive to stay and protect the town is ridiculously strong. he does go down when he can't take any more (keel), but it's with improvement and training that he manages to throw his first—albeit useless—punch (noroshi or whatever this arc is called idk). improvement that, mind you, comes from recognizing his own limitations.

some have called him reckless (Suo), but i disagree, because Nirei is right. i know the kids would rather look out for him and have him uninjured by the end of a scuffle, but he doesn't need to be coddled. everybody else jumps into a brawl and gets a broken nose regardless of their fighting skills. Nirei isn't any different. he knows he's limited, he knows he can't fight, he knows he's nothing special. he risks it all anyway, because even though he wasn't built for fighting, he's more than prepared to try over and over again until his efforts are enough to make a difference. he's looked at Sakura's back and thought he couldn't match him, that Sakura gets back up even when he's almost fully tapped out, that he's not needed because Sakura's stronger and will be okay without him.

maybe he's right about this, too. i'm inclined to disagree, but i understand where he's coming from. Nirei chases, Nirei can't stop running because he'll fall behind all these phenomenal beasts that can hold their own. i'm so glad the conclusion he reached was "okay, i gotta step up my game," but i'm not really surprised. this is Nirei Akihiko we're talking about and, i think Suo put it best, he wants to become stronger more than anybody.

he's been at a disadvantage this whole time, "playing hero" rather than being an "actual" hero, but he has a goal. if he has to tear himself apart to stand next to Sakura, he will. he doesn't have to, of course, he's already more than useful the way he is, but when you're so ordinary that you get lost in the crowd, standing beside someone so exemplary makes you want more.

honestly, Nirei's fucking wild. lil bro's actually crazy. we've seen characters go apeshit, but no one in this entire manga is nearly as insane as he is. i appreciate Suo telling him to slow down and chill out, cause he was fully intending to kill himself learning how to fight with zero foundation. my guy was more than ready to actually fight Endo. he meant that. it's a good thing he's properly learning how to defend himself, considering he probably lacks the muscle to go on the offense. those are his limits and he knows that. it frustrates him, but it definitely does little to stop him, because look how big his back is. i hope somebody tells him, after all of this is over, that he's doing more than enough, more than great.

to be fair, fighting isn't even where he shines, and that's okay. he's not strong enough to beat anyone's ass and he doesn't need to be, either. he doesn't need to be a leader like Sakura or a devotee like Sugishita or mimic whatever the fuck Suo's got going on. in the words of my favorite pink curse, the real heroes are the ones who support from the back, and that's exactly what Nirei does. he's said it himself, he wants to guide Sakura all the way to the top and he can, because he thrives in being another citizen of Makochi. he's a regular person and i think that's what makes him so compelling and important.

there's something so fascinating about his simplicity. he really is nothing more than just an ordinary kid. put him in a normal high-school classroom and he'll pass his midterms with a 75. he recognizes what he's good at, of course, he knows the town inside out and it's very useful, especially to Sakura. he's amazing support. it really doesn't seem like it and people love to completely dismiss him, but i wanna be outrageous and call him the backbone of these kids. he was Sakura's first friend and he continues to be the one pushing and prodding to make sure he stands back up every single time. he's more necessary than anyone gives him credit for. i have no doubt in my mind that, if it weren't for him, Sakura wouldn't be able to do half the things he's managing. even Suo, who's out here acting like he knows the secrets of the universe, has to stop and reorganize his ideas when Nirei talks.

if Suo is the heart (debatable, but okay, whatever bro says) and brain, i'd like to think Nirei is the spirit and the soul. there's no chance the kids would work so smoothly without Nirei around—which, yes, arguably the same could be said of all of them, but i've seen Nirei be dismissed as a Zenitsu looking ass gag character and i've never had to hold back a kys so hard. idk for sure what the general consensus on him is cause i've only ever seen him used in the context of ships and never on his own, which honestly makes me a little sad. especially after seeing the popularity poll cause he didn't even make it into the top 5 with not even 1k points personal offense tbh i need a word with the voters. what i've gathered is that aint nobody gaf about his ass im devastated Suo has to fuck off (13k votes is crazy gang come on). which i don't understand. take him out of the equation and everything falls apart. Sakura's the sword, Suo's the strategy, and Nirei is the ambition, the desire, the force, the feelings.

there's much to be said about how he's treated, not only in-universe, but also by the people consuming the media and the pr team. i don't fuck with shipping, but when i'm scrolling through my timeline, Nirei only exists in the context of somebody's favorite ship. and don't fucking get me started on the mischaracterization. look me in the eye and tell me Nirei doesn't have more conviction than any of these dumbass kids. yes, he gets scared and he's fucking horrified most of the time, but motherfucker he's fighting. he's out there in the frontlines, making himself useful, biting more than he can chew and then some. i dare you to treat him like wittle baby that needs protection.

if not for his uniqueness, look at him for his regularity, because i find it endearingly wonderful. i think there's something so special about the ordinary. he deserves a lot more than what he's getting so these mfs better put him in all collab illusts cause if i have to see Kaji in his place one more time i will personally book a flight. okay thank you thats all i promise ill never come back here have day.

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

My Yakuza Man

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies.

One night, after missing the last train due to overtime, I chose a different route home and found myself frozen on a pedestrian bridge.

Nobunaga: "To think I'd run into the likes of you in a place like this."

Ahead, a group of men dressed in black stood at the top of the stairs, glaring at each other.

Shingen: "Pretty weird coincidence, isn’t it? Though, I would’ve preferred meeting a lovely lady rather than a bunch of scruffy men."

Kenshin: "Stop talking nonsense."

Kenshin: "It's not just the executives; even the leaders of the clans are here. This is a perfect chance for a fight."

Masamune: "The same goes for us in the Azuchi clan."

Mitsuhide: "Yeah. Shingen and Kenshin of the Kasugayama Clan. And Kennyo, who's rising as a third power."

Mitsuhide: "Plus, we have the arms dealer Kicho and Motonari. Quite a gathering, I must say."

Kennyo: "The location isn't ideal, but it looks like there's no avoiding a fight."

Motonari: "Ha! If we're going to do this, let's do it with a bang."

Kicho: "Seems there's no escaping a clash."

(Are those swords they're holding? Are they filming a scene?)

(There's no one around right now, but…)

Mai: "Ah!"

I backed away and lost my footing on the stairs.

???: "Whoa!"

A strong arm reached out and caught me from behind.

Keiji: "You alright, miss?"

Mai: "Y-Yes."

Keiji: "If you stay on the edge like that, you might fall again. Come here."

The man who helped me smiled brightly and guided my confused self to the center of the pedestrian bridge.

Keiji: "You're lucky I'm here, huh?"

Hideyoshi: "You’re late."

Kanetsugu: "If anything, this woman is unlucky for ending up in a situation like this."

Keiji: "Hey, don't be like that! We'd all feel bad if an innocent woman got hurt because of us, right?"

Sasuke: "You have a point."

Ranmaru: "True!"

Mai: "Um, excuse me."

Mai: "Are you guys civilians?"

They looked at me with blank expressions.

Mitsuhide: "Oh? Do we look like ordinary citizens to you?"

(Ugh, now that I look closer, they're all pretty handsome but have an intimidating vibe.)

Ieyasu: "If you think we're just regular, law-abiding citizens, then you're seriously off the mark and not paying attention to the danger around you."

Mai: "So, in other words, you're not ordinary, law-abiding citizens?"

Mitsunari: "Yes. That's how it is."

(He's the kindest-looking one, and he confirmed it!)

Kenshin: "Ridiculous. Woman, get back. You're in the way."

Hideyoshi: "Lord Nobunaga, please step back!"

Nobunaga: "I'll leave it to you, Hideyoshi."

The man called Nobunaga was about to strike, but Hideyoshi unsheathed his sword and blocked the blow.

Yukimura: "Hey, you! You're gonna get hurt!"

(What am I supposed to do with that warning!?)

Keiji: "Don't panic, princess."

Keiji: "We need you to stay here until we're done, okay? We need a witness."

With a sharp breath, he thrust a spear from behind me.

I was startled, but the tip of the spear was stopped by a man standing in its path.

Yoshimoto: "Good grief."

The spear's sharp trajectory was expertly deflected by an iron fan.

Yoshimoto: "Keiji, you're a scary man."

Keiji: "I’ll probably lose to you, for sure."

Despite their gentle, almost otherworldly voice and bright smiles, the two men kept fighting.

(These two are really scary!)

Motonari: "An opening!"

At that moment, a crack suddenly appeared in the concrete beneath my feet.

I cautiously peeked down and saw a bullet lodged in it, making my blood run cold.

(There's no sound, though. A silencer?)

(But the power behind that shot—wait, this isn't fake!)

Ranmaru: "Geez, that was close."

The young man who avoided the gunshot jumped up onto the railing.

However, his slender body seemed to wobble for a second.

(Watch out!)

Instinctively, I forgot my fear and jumped toward him.

Ranmaru: "Whoa!?"

I pulled him with all my strength, and we both rolled to the ground.

Mai: "Are you okay!?"

Ranmaru: "Y-Yeah."

Mai: "Thank goodness."

Kenshin: "What are you doing?"

Mai: "I should be the one asking you that! What the hell are you all doing!?"

Mai: "You have to value your lives!"

A wave of relief hit me, followed by intense anger.

Seeing them stop their fight in shock, I came back to my senses.

(I yelled without thinking.)

(But I don't think I said anything wrong.)

Kennyo: "This young lady has a point."

Mai: "-----!"

Kennyo: "If we continue fighting in a place like this, we might end up involving others."

With those words, the others started nodding in agreement.

Kicho: "I agree. We've gotten a bit too carried away; perhaps we should save this for another time."

Motonari: "Tch, guess the moment's ruined."

Mitsuhide: "Value your lives, huh?"

Mitsuhide: "To bring up such a normal principle in this situation is interesting."

Yukimura: "It's so normal that it actually makes her stand out."

(Wait, am I being teased? Or are they just exasperated?)

Nobunaga: "You're an amusing woman. I like you."

Nobunaga: "How about becoming the woman of the Azuchi Clan?"

Mai: "What?!"

Everyone: "----!"

Mai: "N-No, thank you!"

Masamune: "Now, now, hold on."

(Ah!)

The man with an eye patch casually lifted something from my chest.

(My employee ID! I forgot I still had it on!)

Masamune: "Mai, huh? Cute name."

Mai: "G-Give it back!"

Masamune: "Nah, don't feel like it."

Mitsuhide: "Not only are you a witness to tonight's events, but you've caught Lord Nobunaga's interest."

Mitsuhide: "We can't just let you go."

Hideyoshi: "You guys, take it easy on her. Hey, are you hurt anywhere?"

Hideyoshi: "We owe you for helping Ranmaru. We'll have to thank you properly later."

Ieyasu: "You're way too reckless. Are you an idiot? I've never seen anyone like you."

Mitsunari: "Indeed. Your brave actions really moved me. I want to know more about you."

Ranmaru: "Thanks for saving me earlier, miss! I was so surprised."

Mai: "U-Um."

Keiji: "Haha, you've become quite popular! I'm feeling a little jealous."

Shingen: "You're a brave and kind-hearted young lady. It must have been fate that we met tonight."

Kenshin: "Hey, woman. Mai, was it? I'll remember you."

Sasuke: "Lord Kenshin, you're scaring her. Sorry about my boss. Maybe I could apologize on his behalf sometime?"

Yukimura: "You're like a wild boar, huh? No offense."

Yoshimoto: "Indeed. The look on your face as you ran to protect him was beautiful—captivating, even."

Kanetsugu: "You're a reckless woman. You should've just ditched everything and run for your life. Are you a little pup who acts without thinking?"

Kennyo: "But that honest spirit of yours shines brightly to people like us."

Motonari: "Agreed. You're so pure and sweet that I almost feel like crushing you underfoot."

Kicho: "You poor thing. You're getting all the attention from these troublemakers. You've even got me curious now."

(This can't be happening.)

They spoke to me one after another, leaving me in shock.

Nobunaga: "Don't think you can escape, Mai."

Mai: "…..…"

I finally realized that these men, clearly part of the underworld, now knew my face, name, and workplace.

(What's going to happen to me now!?)

[roryculkinsgf]

million dollar man // coriolanus snow

Description: Christmast Eve with breadwinner Coriolanus Snow, taking care of his future wife

TW: smut, dom!coryo, housewife!reader, controlling over the reader, praise kink

Word count: 1.5k

(English isn't my first language, and I do not own the characters)

One for the money,

two for the show, 

I love you, honey,

I'm ready to go...

Round Christmas time everything seems  a bit too busy, crowded streets and malls. People on every corner, not single free space to live. The world just turns that way as soon as November comes around. There's no exception for the chaos, not even in Capitol. City created and ruled by the cruel men who swore to be good, failing audibly after their proud hearts wished for power over ordinary human beings. Many rebels wished to tear this fucked up system down, district citizens buried themselves in fear and your boyfriend wasnt making it any better. A boy who once promised to destroy the bad, turned himself right into the dead void. Heart beating, blood pumping, but oh kindness faded by those who dared to doubt. He became a living corpse, only one who bring warmth into his existence was you. Each time you wanted to leave for better, you came running back. Something very wrong seemed like a drug in him, but before you could realize, your addiction became deadly. Merry Christmas, I guess?

"Morning, sweetheart," he splashed a kiss into your cheek. His hands grabbed you by your waist in a dominant manner. He kinda liked to show off his control, except not just kinda and mostly over you. "Morning, Coriolanus." Soft moan spilled into his mouth when he squeezed your little butt. You could hear as he kissed your neck, muffled words of "all mine". Normally you'd probably let him go on and bend you over the kitchen desk, but it was Christmas Eve today, and he simply has to wait. 

"Not now, Coryo..s-stop..." you whimpered at the feeling of him taking the best of you. His hand was moving lower by the slowest pace posssible. His fingers slipped into your underwer, you closed your eyes. One single slick by your soft spot and suddenly he wasn't touching you at all. 

When you opened your eyes, he was holding a cup and sipping the bitter-sweet liquid from it. Nothing about his expression mentioned the fact that you two almost did it. "What are you staring at, m'lady? It's you who told me to stop, remember? And you've got work to do anyway. Get into it, for me." He ordered with a smug grin not long before he walked to his office, ready to let you prepare for this whole day all by yourself. You were the housemaker afterall, not him. And you have to make sure your man is  pleased, it's your job.

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

"God Lord, Y/n...I've never eaten such a food in my life. That ham, and the mashed potatoes. Don't even get me started on the casserole, somehow you made me love green beans, princess. You're one hell of a cook, know I'm keeping you forever." There was simply no way to stop his praises. Damn well you knew you deserved them, you worked you ass off. The dishes you prepared were strange to you, yet familiar after each smile he gave you when he took the first bite. Seeing him fulfilled was all you needed.

"Thank you so much, Coryo. I made sure to prepare the best dinner I could manage, and as I see it payed off quite well, didn't it?" A warm smile filled your cheeks. He coudln't resist to reach his hand to your face, fingers delicately stroking your flushed skin. "Are you so red just for me, princess? You're such a pretty little sweet thing." 

Kisses splanded all over your lips, washing you over with passion. His brain got foggy just from the pureness of you, the redness of your skin each second. Because as they passed, he kept pulling you closer and closer, until no forces could ever possibly seperate you. His arms held you, shield from blood and flesh, the good feeling of being protected and elogiezed by a man. You gave in. No one could ever have you as much as he did, you sure know that.

Rough lips bruised your neck, leaving tumescent spots for you to admire tomorrow. Long way along your collarbone, shoulders. You were becoming his each moment, the world belonged to you two and he rulled every way that Earth dared to orbit for you. 

Part of the sky crashed when he rougly pushed you against the kitchen table. Your chin met a set of ceramic bowls fillled with food. Few glasses, wine and regular ones slipped when you pulled at the fancy cloth, what was shiny got poured over with all sorts of things. The great scent of food turned into a gross mess when a pot ringed as it hit the floor. Soup was flooding all over the dining room and you wanted to cry. No, you wanted to grab your shit-ass boyfriend by his shirt and choke him to death for daring to ruin hours of your hard work.

The sound of him rolling his eyes filled the room. "You're gonna clean that later, now be pretty and good for me. You know you can, darling." He massaged your ass under that mini skirt he made you wear. Big manly hand squeezed you until you felt incredibly helpless and small. He enjoyed he could boss you around, do anything to your tired body, play with you however he wanted to. And so he did. 

"Let me get you dolled up." From his pocket he pulled a thin fabric, wasting no time he began twisting it around your thighs, legs, butt even. It was a red ribbon, you didn't even process when he layed it over your wet pussy. 

"W-what's that for?" You couldn't understand. "Just...preparing a gift for myself, so fucking soft and all mine." He dropped right to his knees, as he pushed his face in between your butt cheeks. digging deep in he made a way across your pussy with his tongue. Somehow he was on you, in you. Digging into you, and you could feel heat all over yourself. His nails kept you in your place as he ate you out. Seeming like a starved man, he couldn't just get enough of his future wife. You were even more pressed against the table than before, nothing to muffle your moans against. Whispers echoed throughout the whole room, his pride and ego expanding with each sound.

"C-coryo..." You whimpered audibly. Closing your eyes so hard, shutting them in pleasure thinking they might not even ever open again. You couldn't stop grasping at the cloth, not until his face switched to two long fingers. He stood up and with one arm pinned you against himself, with other he got lost inside of you deep. "Shhh... princess, my pretty girl. You better get that pussy stretched out good, before I fuck you hm? Be good and let me  prepare you for me, mkay?" Despite your body shaking you nodded to his words. You could hear him purr. "That's my girl."

More minutes passed, you felt already fucked out. Brain soggy and legs trembling, all wet from how much he overstimulated you. When he pulled out, he braught his hand to your face. "Taste yourself, love. Go on." With your tongue you licked all the silky substance off. Each lick drawn made his pants tighten even more. His dick was begging to be touched, to be taken care of. 

Even if it embarassed you all too well, his will to be in charge and the bigger one just took over you. "Master, please... I... need you. S-so bad..." you whispered. Hot breath brushed around your neck. "Oh, I know you do, my princess." He unziped his pants. "You're always such a fuck-doll for me, sweetie." His dick slid out is boxers, standing in pride and arousal. "Want your master to fuck you pretty now?" He already teased your clit by fucking into the space between your thighs and pussy. "Mhm.." You whimpered. "Oh, but honey you know I need words. Tell me what you want and consider it done. Hm?" You sighed and breathed out all your self-respect into the heavy air with the  words: "Yes, please fuck me, master. Deep and hard, I can take it all for you."

"Such a good girl," He whispered as his cock slipped right into you. Precum softened the first thrust, but the ones following braught your face to red. He couldn't help but smack at your bare flesh, like fucking you wide opened wasn't enough. Like he needed to feel you all around, in his hands, in his whole power. And fuck it, let's be honest, you liked that. Each firm thrust that just felt like a crack into your body, every hit, every moan that vocalized from his mouth, his thumb massaging your tiny clit. Surrounded by torturing pleasure, you let him make this the most unforgettable Christmas of all your lives.

[rjzimmerman]

U.S. moves to add monarch butterfly to the endangered species list. (Washington Post)

Finally, the feds are doing something we all know should have been done years ago. But the Obama administration didn't understand the environment until later in its second term, the trump administration ignored the environment and in fact was trying to make everything dead and dirty, and the Biden administration just did everything way too slowly, as it turns out we learn later.

The proposed rule would put the monarch into the "threatened" category rather than the "endangered" category. That's still good, and probably politically at this stage the best course of action. No critical habitats are identified, other than one potentially in California. Participation by ordinary citizens, by states and local governments in the efforts is encouraged.

I've been waiting for a more comprehensive media story about the proposed protections for the monarch butterfly, but I've yet to see it. My problem is that most of the proposals by the US Fish & Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act are long and technical, and include a lot of nuances and sometimes surprises. I'm interested in those nuances and surprises. For example: if you're driving along the highway at 65 mph and a monarch flies into your windshield and gets smashed, do you have any liability for "taking" (technical term) an endangered species? Will the rule tell me and other gardeners that we can't harm the monarch that flies into my yard? Will it tell me that I can't cut down a milkweed plant that I'm growing in my yard because the plant is dying? Will the rule tell biology teachers that their kids can no longer display a monarch butterfly in their butterfly collections? Will the rule tell farmers they can't cut down wildflower fields that include milkweed? (Imagine the MAGA noise on that.) Those sorts of questions.

The proposed rule consumes 54 pages of small print in the Federal Register, which is a lot of room for nuances. I read through most of it, and found a balanced approach, encouraging ordinary citizen participation in the protection efforts, avoiding the creation of critical habitat (except in California, where a critical habitat is manageable), telling the driver of the car that smacking and killing a monarch isn't a "taking," allowing me to manage my own wildflower garden, encouraging farmers to partner with local, state and federal governments, and giving a threshold of 250 monarchs (you can capture up to 250, or buy an online monarch incubation kit for kids so long as the number of monarchs is less than 250, etc.)

If you're interested in reading the actual rule, here's the link. (Good luck!) The US Fish & Wildlife Service has a Q&A page on its website, which is really comprehensive and easy to navigate and read. Here's the link to that. And here's another link to the US Fish & Wildlife Service press release, with an embedded video.

Here's a little bit from the Washington Post story:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to designate the tiny migratingbutterfly as threatened with extinction could have enormous consequences for landowners across itshuge range, which extends across much of the Lower 48 as the monarch makes its epic annual flight from the mountains of Mexico through the United States and into Canada.

If the proposed rule is finalized, the monarch would become one of the most widespread species ever protected under the 1973law. But federal scientists say the move is necessary because several factors — including climate change, logging in the butterfly’s overwintering habitat in Mexico, destruction of grasslands in the United States and chemicals applied to plants and insects — are decimating its population.

The monarch is just one of the most visible species at risk of disappearing as an estimated 1 million plants and animals are threatened with extinction due to rising temperatures, shrinking habitat and other human-driven threats. The loss of pollinators such as butterflies could have profound effects on ecosystems and people who depend on them.

[the-priestess-of-dawn]

thinking abt ur validar post because i actually thought about that a little in my stupid werewolf fic. I had to really sit down and be like "what the fuck would people even FIND attractive about this guy enough to have a baby" and I didnt wanna just use the occult angle and it hit me that Validar isn't self-caring because he hates he's not the vessel he wanted and yeah he definitely IS the equivalent of That Parent. You know the one. What I'm saying is maybe there's a commentary to be made here abt how the Plegian people and him in turn felt so dehumanized in general after a point even the extremist sects of Grimleal were better bc well, if you become food for Grima/BECOME Grima's body then you're useful and good and righteous. What gets me is Plegia isn't poor, either, but its poor in sustainability outside the ocean... idk, a lot of food for thought with Validar here. I didn't expect to think abt him in FEH so deeply but here we are.

Honestly it's kind of embarrassing how much I HAVE deeply thought about Validar. I've been wanting him to get into FEH for a long time now. A lot of his lines in Awakening are so poorly written that it's hard to make sense of him as a person. But even though you can't really argue that he's in any way sympathetic in the text... For me at least, there's no such thing as a completely unsympathetic villain, and I can't help feeling sorry for both him and the other members of the Grimleal...

I mean, yeah, when Aversa explains that Plegia suffering under Gangrel was useful because it drove the people to worship, I think we ARE supposed to feel bad for the common people. But I think it's easy to fall into a trap of trying to distinguish those ordinary citizens from the evil, manipulative leaders like Validar just a little bit too much. Aren't they all trapped in the same vicious cycle, in the end?

Over the course of the game, we occasionally fight some Grimleal enemies who are... really just nasty, and not supposed to be given a second thought at all. But I can't help but be moved that they call out to Grima with their dying words... "Master Grima... my life force... is yours..." (Chalard, Chapter 8). "Lord Grima... Rain down... retribution..." (Jamil, Paralogue 6).

The Grimleal... love Grima. Even Validar loves Grima. Aversa says he's everything she knows of love, but she also doesn't presume he loves HER, so of course it's his devotion to Grima that she sees. Notably, it's this form of love that makes her content to die for him.

So I end up feeling deeply moved, even though (or more accurately, BECAUSE) the entire philosophy behind the Grimleal is so horrific. The deep despair these people must feel in order to see salvation in the form of humanity's destruction... It's NOT just "hee hee powerful dragon will make me powerful" because these people, including Validar, do not presume that they are special and going to survive. Even the leader of the Grimleal is nothing. Grima alone is everything.

And... okay I talk a lot about the symbolism of Grima's name meaning mask, which I love so much, but lately I've also been thinking about the meaning of their Japanese name, Gimurei—from Norse, Gimlé, referring to the place where the righteous will dwell in happiness after Ragnarok, which will stand "even when both heaven and earth have passed away." So... yes, I do think that for the Grimleal, giving their souls to Grima is a way of becoming righteous. The world is cruel and ugly but Grima will make it right :::)

(Of course, because they believe Grima is the only answer, no one does anything to make the world they have any better. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. One that Grima is drawn into as well. When this is what they wake up to, what are they supposed to do? If they don't destroy the world, they will be letting a LOT of people down.)

[smolljester]

hey, want some more of my personal Splatoon lore that you didn't ask for? no? too bad, you're getting it anyway!

ever wonder how the Kraken Special came to be? every Inkling and Octoling child knows at least one story of the many-limbed Kraken that inspired the Special Weapon, but what if i were to tell you that they really exist?

despite their incredible rarity, Kraken variations of your average Inklings and Octolings do exist! about 1/10,000 Inklings and Octolings are Krakens. when they're young, it's difficult to tell a Kraken apart from the rest of the crowd. it's only when they get older do they become more identifiable.

before we get into that, however, it should be known that the mother of a Kraken has a high chance of dying before, during, or shortly after having them. but should the mother also be a Kraken, the probability of their death is decreased drastically.

unlike your average Inkling or Octoling which have ten and eight limbs respectively, Kraken variations have a far greater amount of limbs than both. while they still have two arms and two legs like everyone else, records show that Krakens can develop up to fifty, sometimes even one hundred, tentacles on their mantle! of course, unlike Octolings, Inkling Krakens have 'clubs' just like their regular counterparts. but unlike regular Inklings, their Kraken variations have four 'clubs' on their mantle.

Krakens are also vastly bigger and deadlier than their counterparts. the average height of a Kraken is double, sometimes even triple, the height of ordinary Inklings and Octolings. along with their height, they're armed with claws, fangs, and hooks on their suckers. and just like the Special, Krakens are immune to all forms of ink damage. because of this, special rules and equipment have been made in recent years for Krakens to participate in Turf War.

a 'timeout' buzzer is pinned onto their back and chest before the start of the match. the buzzer is activated when an opponent's ink makes contact with the buzzer. the buzzer is NOT activated by friendly-fire.

after the buzzer is activated, the user must Super Jump back to their appropriate Spawn and wait five seconds before re-entering the battle.

hyper-resiliant gloves, mouth guards, and mantle caps are to be worn to protect not only teammates, but the opposing team and Kraken as well.

inability to follow these rules will result in temporary or permanent suspension from Turf War.

back in the old days of Inkling and Octoling society, a Kraken would traditionally be the leader/protector of their Shoal. in modern society, with rapid advancements in technology, the reliance on a Kraken's protection has declined. nowadays, they are seen as elder siblings to the younger members of their neighborhoods and even maternal figures to any orphaned members. though there still some communities that exist who rely on the protection of a Kraken.

however, on rare occurrences, a Kraken will enter what is known as a 'feral' state. the circumstances in which this occurs varies, though some common causes include: the harming of something or someone of importance, high blood pressure, rapid increase of adrenaline, etc. while in this state, their sclera changes colour and they become only a harbinger of destruction. there are three known ways to bring a Kraken out of this state: a good whack across the face with a blunt weapon, direct contact with low-tide ink, or to have a close friend/community member/partner console them. once out of their feral state, the Kraken will suffer from a gap in memory with no recollection of having gone feral.

but, and while it is incredibly rare, a Kraken can enter a permanent feral state. when this happens, they lose all sense of self and rational, acting out only on their primal instincts. Krakens that have turned primal become incredibly dangerous, as there are no known ways to revert them back. by default, for the safety of all citizens everywhere, primal Krakens are wanted for the death. extreme as it is, until a way is found to bring their minds back, it is the only way to keep everyone safe.

now you're probably thinking, "How do you kill a Kraken if they cannot be harmed by ink?" well, there are strict laws that exist in regards to the use of real weapons. one such law permits the use of such weapons in times of emergency or in the execution of dangerous criminals.

despite all this, Krakens are revered as being pillars of strength and regality in both Inkling and Octoling communities.

[alienturnip]

just played through the Drake's Tail arc and I needed to scream about Terence and Dion under cut-

what do you even do when your lover is a dragon plummeting down from dizzying heights above.......................... WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE JUST AN ORDINARY MAN AND YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH A DRAGON AND YOUR DRAGON BOYFRIEND IS DYING AND IT'S TOTALLY OUT OF YOUR HANDS, you're just a man with a sword he's shooting zettaflare out of his armpits!!! you can't stab your love's ailments to death but you wish you could've!

And that in your heart of hearts you know the destruction he wrought goes completely against his ideals!!! What are even the possibilities that you're contemplating here! What would you even try to do...

In general tho i wish desperately for both Jill and Terence to have more of a presence during this arc, Jill's absence is just too jarring compared to how involved Joshua was (I love my boy but, I love BOTH of them) and the thought of her just standing watching the fight unfurls when she can still help in any way is... preposterous, Miss Jill Jilly Bean I love you you deserve better than this

Terence... I was okay with watching the cutscenes where he appeared for a total of 3 minutes (exaggerated), but in play it's very frustratingly noticeable especially when he's supposedly the Dragoons' second-in-command and he was just completely nowhere to be seen even as we were killing Dragoons left and right... If he was meant to be insignificant beyond his role of Dion's lover, then he should've been written as a personal squire/attendant instead of the actual second-in-command! Give me some lore about Dragoon ranks & structure please..... a Terence boss fight even... to replace the weird dragon mid-boss fight that happened (that is out of nowhere because we saw NO DRAGON during any of the previous Sanbrecquois military campaigns, just dragonets & wyverns, but now suddenly there's a big ass dragon in the capital? Dion never used a dragon in large scale battles but he somehow needs one to plan a coup INSIDE the capital, where he's meant to not injure any citizen at all?? that doesn't track for me........) REPLACE THAT WITH SIR TERENCE BOSS FIGHT PLEASE THAT'D BE MY PETITION

[barbaracleboy]

Bugtober 2024 Day 14: Bounties

This was a fun one to do, even if it doesn't have much to do with Bounties specifically.

...I dunno, the False Monarch's neat. Have fun!

Out in the Forsaken Lands, far away from both the Ant and Termite Kingdoms, lay a city of perfectly normal insects that don't go around luring in randos that they then proceed to kill and maybe eat. The people of this society live entirely average lives, doing nothing dangerous or out of the ordinary, living just as anyone else would. Their faces are often sideways or upside down and some of them have more eyes than they maybe should and in general the kind of Insect that they are is ambiguous but they're still your usual, average, every day folks.

So, like, the king of this place was sitting on his throne one day, minding his own business, when one of his subjects came up to his throne with a funny-looking paper.

False Citizen: Greeting, my king [singular]. I will now bow to you because this is what followers of a monarchy are supposed to do lest they be thrown into a dungeon or something to that effect.

False Monarch: Wah, indeed! What's that you're holding? Is it paper? Or skin? What is skin, anyway?

False Citizen: It matters not, my lord [again, just the one]. It has writing on it, as well as your...visage? Visage, is that a word?

False Monarch: Wah dunno.

False Citizen:...Anywho, Take a look:

BOUNTY

FALSE MONARCH

REWARD: A LAST STAND MEDAL

LOCATION: THE FORSAKEN LANDS

False Monarch: Weh, it is me! And what are those scribbly bits above and below myself?

False Citizen: I dunno, looks like garbage.

False Monarch: Waha, I love garbage! Give it here!

The False Citizen gives their (as in singular "they", obviously) king the paper, which he proceeds to stick into his cloak and chew up.

False Monarch: Wehhhhh...6/10, I've had better trash.

It's at that point that a loud burst of murmuring breaks out amongst the other members of the certainly-not-false society. The False Monarch and the False Citizen he was speaking to exit the throne tent room and find a bizarre trio of Bugs staring at them, with a tiny Chomper following along.

Horned Green Bug: Dibbydibbydubdub, dooby dug!

Little Yellow Bug: Buzz booz, buzz booz?

Lanky Blue Bug: Fffsseh fseh, ffffsoffso.

Tiny Chomper: Fuck.

False Monarch: Weh, hello visitors! Welcome to our humble home! "Our" referring to my entire kingdom, of course, and not me individually, for I am indeed an individual.

False Citizen: I think you specifically are allowed to just say "our", actually, even solo.

False Monarch: Wah, really? Oh cool! (To the weird Bugs) Doesn't that sound cool, guys?

LYB: BUZZABUZZABOOZABOOZA!

The Little Yellow Bug throws a weird, crescent-shaped thing at the False Monarch, and not only does it smack him upside the head it flies back to do it a second time.

False Citizens: GASPING SOUNDS!!!

False Monarch: Waaaaooowww, wah'd you do that for???

LBB: Fsssfsssfss...

LYB: Booz, bozz.

After that they group start doing a bizarre series of things: the Green Bug shoves a rotten meal down the Yellow Bug's maw, the Blue Bug starts yelling at the Yellow Bug, the Chomper just kinda dances in place, and the Yellow Bug starts eating these funny-shaped brown beans.

False Citizen:...Yo boss, I think these guys are kinda stoopid.

False Monarch: Wehhhh, are you okay-

The False Monarch gets obliterated by the Yellow Bug, and by the time it's done all that's left is a small purple robe and his busted up face. The False Citizens all run off in terror, meanwhile the terrifying Yellow Bug grabs the Monarch's crown off of his remains.

LYB: Booz buzz booz!

HGB: Doba doba doba!

TC: Fuck!

The weirdo Bugs yuk it up and head off, taking the stolen crown with them. Once it's confirmed that they're gone the False Citizens step out in varying levels of fear. They look to the purple robe...and watch as several pained, frustrated Mothflies come out of it. One gets up and is particularly angry-looking.

Mothfly A: Damn it! How long have we been sitting around, trying to be a society, only to get interrupted by douchebags coming out of nowhere and just attacking us!?!?

Mothfly E: My buttocks hurt.

Mothfly A: We're trying to be civilized! We got buildings!

One of the buildings collapses.

Mothfly: We got culture!

A False Citizen: Your mom.

Another False Citizen: Is that a joke?

A False Citizen: Yes.

Another False Citizen: I hate you.

Mothfly A: We've even got commerce!

False Citizen Next to a Food Stand: And soon we'll even have soul-crushing capitalism! :D

Mothfly A:...Y'know what? Let society rot ! Let """""civilization""""" rot! Let all those fancy shmancy creations of so-called cultured insects eat my round-ass ass!

The False Citizens all cheer and begin flying out of their costumes, revealing all of them to be Mothflies, proud and true.

Mothfly A: We're Mothflies, and that's that! If they don't like it?

Mothflies: They can SUCK! OUR! NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mothfly A: (While doing a crotch chop motion) We! Are! Moth! Flies! Yeah, yeah, yeah!!!!!!!

In a large, terrifying swarm, the Mothflies rise into the air and laugh collectively.

Mothfly A: We'll show all those other Bugs who's really at the top! And I know just where to start...

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Patton the Acorn Weevil was sitting in his lab, napping in his arms again whilst at his work station. Eventually he woke up to a weird smell.

Patton: Ehhhh bubbabubba, bleh, ech...*sniff* *sniff*...

There is frass all over his floor.

Patton: Gods damn it! You can't even go into torpor without someone poo'ing on your property!

[theoldtherebeforehq]

A NATION AS TRIBUTE - THE FIRST QUARTER QUELL

A certain air of restlessness stirs the nation in the late afternoon of June 4th. Everywhere in the Capitol and districts alike, broadcast satellites crackle to life, as is mandated by order straight from the Presidential Palace. Crowds gather where they are facilitated to do so, where booming speakers and massive screens are stationed in town squares and workplaces specifically for this purpose. Those who tune in are met by the sight of a familiar face; President Ravinstill, standing at a podium. A little to the side behind him stands a fair-haired man. His is not a face as recognisable as the president, but nobody could deny that Coriolanus Snow has made a name for himself, especially when he has just been publicly announced as the new Head Gamemaker not two weeks ago. The president addresses the nation with an impassive greeting, which includes a brief speech on the tribulations Panem has faced, the triumph they have all fought for and earnt, and the sanctity of the annual Hunger Games. This in itself is nothing unusual. What is out of the ordinary is that the president then steps back, relinquishing the podium. Head Gamemaker Snow steps forward in turn, holding something wooden and ornate in his hands. “Every twenty-five years since our shared victory, we, together as a nation, celebrate the Quarter Quell,” Snow begins. “Since the founding of the Hunger Games, the founders themselves have prepared noble guidance on how we should observe the Quells for many centuries to come. Their guidance comes in the form of instructions, stored in boxes just like this one.” He holds up the item in his hands, the box which almost resembles a small vault. “Today, we are all honoured to open our first.” The box clicks open, from which a piece of paper is drawn. A moment of silence passes before Snow reads the instructions aloud. “On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children are dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district will be made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who will represent it. This year, no District citizen is exempt from the Reaping. The age limitation is waived until further notice.” Just a few more critical details are laid out; that everyone over the age of 12 is obligated to vote, that the voting will be held within the next couple of weeks throughout the districts, and that further arrangements and announcements will be made by the mayors. Head Gamemaker Snow concludes by bidding the nation good day. There is no mention of odds for this reaping, the tribute selection now fully in the Districts' hands. Not a second later, the seal of Panem flashes across screens, marking the end of the broadcast. The districts erupt in explosions of gasps and whispers—and even some stronger voices—but peacekeepers manage to keep everyone in line.

Interactions are now open!

For this cycle, tributes are voted in by the people of the Districts instead of randomly reaped. Furthermore, no age limit is imposed this time (though we still require playable characters to be at least 18 years old), as a signal from the Capitol that no one is safe, not even if aged out of the reaping bowl. Please keep this in mind when applying for tribute characters. This is the Districts' chance to put forth their very best - or their very worst.

Applications for tribute characters are now open as well. If you're unsure of a faceclaim, you can check out our wanted faceclaim list for a little source of inspiration. We look forward to having you here with us!

OOC Date for Reaping Announcement: April 12th IC Date for Reaping Announcement: June 4th

OOC Date for Reaping & Arrival time in the Capitol: April 19th IC Date for Reaping & Arrival: July 4th

[aggimaginary]

The Bad Guys Season 1: Our Own Story (chapter 33) - Piranha's Adventure In Babysitting

First Previous Next

Intro

Mr. Wolf: Yeah! I'm bad!

Mr. Snake: You're bad!

Ms. Tarantula: He's bad!

Mr. Hornet: She's bad!

Mr. Piranha: We're bad!

Mr. Shark: Who's bad?

The Bad Guys: Yeah! We're the Bad Guys!

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The Bad Guys were having dinner in their hideout. They were exercising, like lifting dumbbells and using treadmills. Feeling alerted, the Bad Guys jumped in alert, exercise equipment behind.

Tarantula got into her computer to see who found the secret tunnel of their hideout as it was connected to their TV.

The other Bad Guys jumped to their couch, and waited for Tarantula to view the security camera that led to the elevator in their tunnel.

The TV was now cleared to see the footage from the security camera outside. There was none other than their friend Mira. The Bad Guys sighed in relief as they thought there were intruders finding their hideout.

Since it was just Mira, they were going to let her in anyway.

When the elevator opened, Mira stepped out while holding her 5-year-old daughter's hand, guiding her in.

"Mira!" Shark opened his arms, and rushed to Mira, hugging her.

"Hi, Mira!" Hornet greeted

"Watcha' doin here, girl?" Tarantula winked, who was on Shark's shoulder.

"Oh, thank you for letting me in. I don't know where else to go to ask a little favor," the journalist said.

"A favor?" Snake asked.

"Well, you see guys," Mira released Mariposa's hand as she ran to the couch to watch TV with Piranha. Mira took a deep breath, and squealed in excitement, "My boss assigned me for another field trip, and I accept it!"

"Wait, what?" Wolf, Snake, Shark, Tarantula, and Hornet exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, and I really need more of your advice," Mira said happily.

But the five Bad guys glanced at each other in concern before facing Mira again.

"Look, we wanted to, Mira, but I'm not sure it's a good idea," Wolf declared.

Mira's smile dropped, "Why?"

"Because you almost got killed last time, and we don't want that to happen to you again," Shark answered.

"Are you kidding? I've never felt so alive on my first field! Let's go again!" Mira squealed in excitement before jumping up and down

"Mira, I know the crime world is exciting for you to write about, but the first time was just luck. You won't know what would happen on your second time on the field," Tarantula.

"Oh, so the Bad Guys are slowly becoming like real Good Guys?" Mira smirked, wanting to point out the Bad Guys didn't have a sense of badness anymore.

"First of all, don't call us that," Hornet warned with a sharp glare, "Second of all, you're just an ordinary citizen, Mira, You're still not a professional former criminal like us. And besides, you had a daughter. I don't think you're completely ready to go into the field again yet."

But the journalist didn't seem to worry at all, "Guys, come on. I may not be professional, but at least I have to take advice from the experts. Do you remember how you convinced me to be brave while I took my first field journaling assignment?".

"Yeah. you were an ordinary journalist afraid of danger, and almost got herself in the middle of illegal negotiations and missions for criminals," Snake replied deadpan.

"Called it!" Piranha called out loud, making Mariposa stare at him confusingly.

"You helped me. I can be around danger now. You know, I mean, I still hate it, but I can do it without being afraid," Mira explained as he took a framed photo of the Bad Guys with Mira together from one of the drawers nearby, "The Bad Guys were the only criminals who ever got through to me. So, that's why I trusted you to help me with my second field assignment."

The Bad Guys then turned to each other, wanting to know what they were thinking. As much as they were concerned for their journalist friend, they'd been helping her a lot with her job, and they had been fond of having her around. And now, Mira herself needed their help… again. Why could they turn this opportunity down from helping their friend?

"Ugh! Why do we have to be the Good Guys?!" Snake groaned, hating to be called "good", "Fine! We'll help you."

"Yeah! Woo-hoo!" Mira cheered excitingly with her pupils each forming a white star.

"So, this is what we're gonna do…" Wolf wanted to start discussing, but Mira put a finger on his lips to keep him front talking.

"Oh, no. Not here, I still have my child here," she pointed her daughter at the couch with Piranha.

Snake didn't seem to worry, "It's fine, She won't understand."

"Trust me. She's smart. She knows what we're saying," Mira said, not wanting her daughter to know everything.

Knowing that a 5-year-old child could be smart, Wolf sighed before turning to Mira, "Alright, maybe we can talk somewhere private?"

"What about in my house?" Mira suggested.

"Your house?" Shark asked.

"My house is more private," the journalist pointed.

Wolf nodded, "Alright. Let's go then."

"Wait, what about the kid?" Snake pointed his tail at Mariposa.

"Maybe one of you could stay and look out for my daughter?" Mira suggested.

Piranha hopped off the couch, and approached his friends, leaving Mariposa to watch TV, "Where's Callum? Why wouldn't he look out for this little fella?"

"Oh, Callum was in San Diego, meeting up with his new girlfriend, and it's not his schedule of custody," the journalist explained, "Plus, the babysitter wasn't available, so that's why I came to you guys so one of you can babysit her."

"I'll do it! I'll babysit the little kid!" Piranha raised his hand, volunteering to accept the job.

Tarantula scoffed, "Pfft! You?! No offense, Piranha, but you're not a babysitting type."

Piranha chuckled sarcastically while staring sharply at Tarantula, "Oh yeah? What, you think you would want to babysit this?"

Seeing Piranha staring at her like that, Tarantula realized if it wouldn't be him, then she would babysit Mira's kid instead. Tarantula groaned, and rolled her eyes, "Fine. I can't watch over the kid. I have to style my hair tonight."

Hornet then added, "And I don't want to go. I just need to finish my journals that I need to fill up," he wrote something in his notebook before sensing his friends wanted to say something to him, "And no, you can't read them."

They saw that coming anyway. Hornet never shared his journals.

Victoriously, Piranha clapped his finds and rubbed them together, "Well, looks like I have to babysit three tonight. Don't worry, I'm a responsible mature piranha now. I can handle this babysitting thing."

Watching Piranha feeling confident about handling the babysitting job, Wolf and Mira weren't feeling worried about Mariposa anymore as they need to get going.

"Well, looks like they're going to stay here," Wolf said.

"Yeah, I'm going with you," Snake raised a tail, "As you know, I'm the baddest of the Bad Guys, so you need my advice too, Mira."

"Yeah, I think I know why, Mr. Grump-o," Mira snickered.

"I usually called him Mr. Grumpypants," Tarantula recalled while holding boxes of shampoo for her hair.

"I'm coming too. I just want to see my good friend in action," Shark added, feeling excited.

"Aaaww, thanks, Shark. Alright, we'll get going," Mira smiled before calling to her daughter, "And, sweetie, be good to your friend, Mr. Piranha."

"Yes, Mommy," Mariposa answered while playing with blocks on a stool with Piranha.

"Piranha, you have to put Mariposa to sleep at 7. And here's her baby bag. Her stuff is in there," Mira instructed the babysitter while leaving the baby bag on the floor.

"You got it!" Piranha held a thumb up while playing with Mariposa.

Trusting Piranha would handle taking care of her daughter, Mira smiled, wearing her purse on her shoulder, and headed for the elevator. Wolf, Snake, and Shark followed her, and the doors closed.

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Later, when it was almost 7pm, it was time for Piranha to put Mariposa to sleep. Since the hideout didn't have a small bed for 5-year-olds, Piranha decided to have Mariposa sleep on his bed instead. Glad that he had enough strength to carry Mariposa like a baby, despite having the same height.

"Come on, come on, Mariposa Rose. I need you to go to sleep. Please," Piranha put Mariposa down, "Will you go to sleep?"

"No," Mariposa shook her arms sideways, gesturing no.

Piranha sighed, then took out a teddy bear from Mariposa's baby bag, "All right. Here's your teddy," Then, he took out a pink soft towel, "Here's your bibby," Lastly, he took out Mariposa's favorite blankie, "And here's your woobie! Great!" He then took out a baby mobile, and hang it above Mariposa with just his arm, "Come on. I need you to get serious. Watch the little purple hornet. Watch it. Watch the hornet go round, and round, and round…" then, Piranha fell asleep when he pointed Mariposa the purple butterfly on her baby mobile. He still holding the mobile above Mariposa.

Seeing that her babysitter was sleeping, Mariposa watched him silently for a moment before screaming loudly, "AAH!"

This caused Piranha to yank awake, shrieking, and Mariposa laughed loudly.

Fortunately, Piranha wasn't angry, but he saw the laugh on Mariposa's face, having fun scaring her babysitter. Piranha startled and tickle the little girl, "You woke me! You little loco!" This made Mariposa laughed even more, "It's not funny. It's not funny."

As Piranha cooed at Mariposa, Tarantula entered his room while carrying bottles of hair ointment. "Piranha. I need your help. Pretend you're a cute guy."

Piranha stared at Tarantula offensively for his looks, making him think he was not cute, "Ouch."

"You know what I mean. Pretend you're a young guy," Tarantula corrected herself.

Now that was more offensive for Piranha, "Ouch!"

"Anyway, remember a few days ago that I got an implant surgery," Tarantula recalled the previous episode.

"Yeah, you're booty was really big," Piranha insulted. That was for payback.

Tarantula rolled her eyes, and explained, "So, I decided to have a new look by my hair. Should I go blonde or curly?"

"Oh. Do not go blonde. Maintaining blonde roots is a nightmare!" Piranha said, "But I can help you with a perm."

"You've done it for someone?" The arachnid asked.

"No, for myself. One of my many hairstyles over the years," Piranha took out his phone, and showed Tarantula pictures of himself with different hairstyles, "Before I joined the team, I did so many hairstyles before going back to my old signature look. Here you go. You got your classic mohawk Piranha," he swiped for the next picture, "Your perm Piranha. Farrah Fawcett Piranha. And your Rachel-from-Friends Piranha."

"Mr. Piranha? Mr. Piranha?" Mariposa called.

"Ay caramba. That kid won't go to sleep," Piranha clicked his tongue, feeling irritated, "Here's a very good lesson in parenting, hermana. Let them cry. Show them who's boss."

"Mr. Piranha!" Mariposa called loudly.

"Coming, little niña!" Piranha said as he approached Mariposa, and carried her.

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Meanwhile, Hornet was writing in his journal notebook as few other notebooks were still open right behind him, and they were all stacked in towers.

"'So Pirahha was babysitting us for the night…'" As Hornet wrote that down, he dropped his pencil, and stared up in the ceiling dreamingly with his knuckle under his chin, "He's so dreamy as a responsible parent."

Just then, Piranha burst into the room while carrying Mariposa, "Hornet!"

Hornet quickly closed his journal, and panicked, "I didn't say anything!"

But Piranha didn't hear anything that Hornet said before he came in as he had other problems to deal with. He then turned Mariposa as he put her on Hornet's bed. Glad that Hornet's bed was a little bigger, "If you don't want to sleep by yourself, sleep with your friend, Hornet."

"What?" Hornet was confused about what was happening.

"Sorry, Hornet, the kid won't go to sleep," Piranha said, "Okay, Donny and Marie? Sleep together in perfect harmony," But Mariposa just stared at Piranha, not knowing what to do.

"I have a better idea what Donny and Marie would do together in perfect harmony," Hornet put his pencil and notebook down, and jumped up and down on his giant bed.

Seeing Hornet jumping up and down beside her, Mariposa was also jumping along with him

"No, don't jump. Go to sleep," Piranha whined, "Don't you jump!"

"This is really fun!" Hornet chuckled as he and Mariposa continued to jump together.

Tarantula marched into the room, wearing a black cloak and curlers on her hair while holding the hair solution bottle, "Hello?"

"What?" Piranha asked,

"You forgot my perm solution?" Tarantula reminded.

"Oh, right. Okay, all right. The two of you, get to sleep right now," Piranha demanded MAriposa and Hornet before assisting Tarantula.

"Piranha, wait, what about dinner?" Hornet inquired.

"Gosh, you guys are so high-maintenance." Piranha exhaled irritatingly, "I'll make you dinner," then he turned to Tarantula while snatching the perm solution bottle from her, "You, come with me. We'll walk and squeeze. Come on," He squeezed the bottle on Tarantula's hair as they walked out, Walk and squeeze. Walk, squeeze. And walk…"

When Piranha and Tarantula were gone, Hornet turned to Mariposa and asked, "Are we gonna have any fun?"

"No," the little girl shook her head.

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An hour later, Piranha walked out of the elevator, holding a leash as he called, "Come on, girl. Come on, girl. Come on, girl. There we go," At the end of the leash was Mariposa as she followed him back into the hideout, "Come on, girl. Come on. Come on, little doggy. Come on, come on. Come on, over here. Come on," They made it towards the dinner table as Piranha instructed Mariposa, "Here we go. Here we go. Sit. Sit," as Piranha told her to sit, Mariposa sat down next to the dinner table, "All right. Sit. Sit. Stay," Piranha then cooed at the little girl, "Who gets a treat?"

"Me!" Mariposa squeaked.

"Okay, good. Here," Piranha took a cookie from the cookie jar, and handed it to Mariposa, "While you eat these treats, here you go, I'm just gonna tie you up very quickly, so you don't escape," he tied the other end of the leash around the other leg of the table, "There we go. Good? Now… Oh, I know," he walked towards another drawer, and took out a box of crayons and papers, "Here. You wanna draw? Let's draw something cool. Let's draw… me."

Tarantula then crawled out of her room, still having her curlers on and wearing a black cloak, "You forgot about my hair?" She asked Piranha before noticing Mariposa in a lease, "And why is that kid tied up like a dog?"

"'Cause she wouldn't sleep, so I took her outside to walk. She chased a cat, did her business, I brought her back," Piranha responded as something lit behind him

"Piranha, behind you," Tarantula pointed to the stove as the pan was on fire.

"My Asaditos!" Piranha exclaimed as he ran towards the stove, "Ay Caramba!" He waved his fins and blew from his mouth as he thought the wind could turn the fire off.

"Looks like they're done," Tarantula shrugged.

Piranha turned around, and asked sarcastically, "You think?"

He took out a small fire extinguisher and squeezed the handle with his head facing away, but no retardant came out. Thinking the fire extinguisher didn't work, Piranha put it down, and tried to find another solution. When he turned around, he accidentally knocked the fire extinguisher next to him, thus the fire retardant was sprayed all over. Piranha tried to prevent the fire extinguisher from spraying more retardant as he was wrestling with it. He even tried fighting it with a soup spoon, but the fire extinguisher fired more retardant, and Piranha was covered with it all over. The retardant affected his eyes, leading him to temporary eye irritation. Piranha tried to find his way out of it as he stumbled over a small drawer with a lamp, knocking the latter object down, and bumped into the window blinds, causing him to pull it off from one of the windows, and got tangled through it. Piranha tried to fight off the window blinds, making Mariposa watch the scene, and Tarantula moved backward to avoid Piranha's rampage with the blinds.

When Piranha got out of the blinds, he threw them down, and his eyes were a little better. Then, the smoke alarm started to beep.

"Smoke alarm is going off," Tarantula pointed.

"You think?" Piranha sighed, causing Tarantula to shrug.

Piranha tried to find the tallest furniture as he jumped from the floor, to the dinner table, swung over Shark's disguise rack, and few himself onto the tallest shelf. He reached for the smoke detector with the spatula, but he fell back down to the ground in the process. The smoke detector was detached from the ceiling, and hit his head.

"Ouch!" Piranha exclaimed sarcastically. It was painful, but he went through a lot before that.

Tarantula then felt something on her scalp, "My scalp is tingling. When do I rinse this out?"

"Rinse what out? Oh, that!" Piranha almost forgot about Tarantula's perm, "Right now. Go to your room, take the curlers out, I'll be right there."

"I better end up looking like the girl on the box," Tarantula hoped.

"She was Swedish and six-foot-two. But I'll do what I can," Piranha said as Tarantula entered her room, and closed the door.

When Piranha turned around, he saw Mariposa coloring the dinner table legs and the floor. He screamed, and rushed to the young girl, "No! Why did you draw on there? I gave you paper," he pointed to the paper next to him, "You're supposed to draw on the paper. Not the wall."

Suddenly, the elevator doors opened, and the muddy kitty ran towards Piranha, nuzzling on his shirt, "Not the– come on," he struggled to make the kitty stop nuzzling him, "Stay away from the kid," he told the cat as he groaned in disgust, "Oh, he's covered in mud. Get off me, kitty. Get off. Off, off. Off."

The kitty finally ran off, leaving Piranha all muddy. Because of having a white shirt, he was really messy.

Hornet came in from the elevator with a leash, and put it down on the dinner table, "The kitty played in a mud puddle."

"You think?" Piranha asked sarcastically.

"Hey, is dinner done?"

"No, dinner burnt, because I told you to watch them and tell me when they were done."

Hornet flew towards the stove with Piranha following him, and the bug explained, "I watched them for a little while, but it got boring, so I took the kitty out," he looked at the still-burning pan, "Anyway, looks like they're done."

"Get out!" Piranha demanded as Hornet moved out of the way. The fish then took the head of a ceramic chicken to put off the fire, "There! Now you're having chicken for dinner."

"I'm a vegetarian!" Hornet reminded

"I don't care!" Piranha yelled.

Just then, Mariposa reached for the ketchup on the table, and she opened the cover, pointing the opening of the ketchup at Hornet

Hornet knew what Mariposa would do with a squeezable ketchup "Hey, hey!" Hornet zoomed towards Maripoa, but she squeezed the ketchup, firing some amount of it on him. Hornet was now covered in ketchup. But instead of being mad at the kid, Hornet wanted to play fire with fire as he took another bottle of ketchup, and squeeze it, firing some on Mariposa, "You're dead, kid!"

Now Mariposa was covered with ketchup. That didn't make her cry or upset. Instead, Mariposa fired more on Hornet. The two continued to squirt ketchup at each other as they enjoyed it.

Piranha saw the ketchup war between Hornet and Mariposa as he rushed to stop them, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" But then, both Hornet and Mariposa squirt ketchup at Piranha, "Hey!" Now Piranha reached his "breaking point" after everything he went through tonight. He took Hornet and Mariposa's ketchup bottles, and squirted ketchup all over them. "I've had just about enough of you guys!" he then started chasing Hornet all over the place when the latter flew away from the former.

Just then, the elevator doors opened, entering Wolf, Snake, Shark, and Mira into the hideout, seeing Piranha chasing Hornet with a ketchup bottle

"Hi, guys. How are things?" Piranha asked the four while still chasing Hornet.

"What? What's happening?" Mira's jaws dropped.

"Oh, my golly," Shark watched Piranha chasing Hornet, feeling that he was missing something.

"You're gonna do my dry cleaning, Hornet!" Piranha yelled while still chasing Hornet. He then turned to Wolf, Snake, Shark, and Mira when he ran past them, "It's not as bad as it looks."

But then, Tarantula came out of her room, and her hair was all big, messy, and really ugly. Her perm turned into a disaster. Even Tarantula was shocked about the result of her hair that Piranha tried to help her with. This had Wolf, Snake, Shark, and Mira's jaws dropped in shock to see Tarantula's hair looking like that.

"Look what Piranha did to me," Tarantula whined.

"Okay, that's as bad as it looks," Piranha admitted.

Tarantula crawled up on the dinner table, and stammed while explaining, "I look… like a troll… from the movie Trolls…My life is over," she kept stammering, and whimpered "And I can't… get my voice… to stop… doing… this!"

She jumped off the table, and ran back to her room.

When the arachnid was gone, Wolf, Snake, Shark, and Mira noticed something was off as they scanned around

Mira noticed Mariposa was wearing a leash, and got tied to table leg, "Why is my daughter tied to a table leg?"

"What?" Wolf then noticed the coloring marks all over the table leg and the floor, "And why is she coloring all over the table legs and the floor? And on her face?"

"And what happened to the blinds?" Snake asked.

"And why does it smell of smoke?" Shark asked, sniffing the air.

And why are you covered in fire retardant?" Wolf asked Piranha

"And why are you cooking a ceramic chicken?" Mira pointed to a ceramic chicken on the pan at the stove.

"Well…" Piranha tried to remember every question his four friends asked him as he answered them all together, "Because your daughter is a wild animal!" he yelled before pointing to the crayon marks on the floor and table legs, "This is how she expresses creativity," he then walked towards the window without blinds, "I've always hated those blinds. Where there's smoke, there's fire. Which I tried to put out with this clearly faulty extinguisher," he then walked towards the stove, pointing the ceramic chicken, "And that chicken needed to die! Any more questions?"

Suddenly, there was the beeping sound that was heard before.

"Yeah. What is that beeping?" Shark asked.

Piranha growled angrily as he took the broken smoke alarm from the floor, and smashed on down, wanting to destroy it to stop the beeping. Wolf quickly took the smoke detector from Piranha, and took the battery out.

Piranha should've known the answer was taking the battery instead of destroying it, "Yeah, anyone could take the battery out," he took the smoke alarm from Wolf, and put it down, "I'm going to my room to clean up," he marched to his room, and slammed the door close. His growl could be heard from outside when Wolf, Snake, Shark, Hornet, and Mira were startled by that sound.

"Well, that babysitter is not getting paid," Mira said, making the four Bad Guys roll their eyes.

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Later on, the four Bad Guys and Mira cleaned up the messes around the hideout. After that, they went straight to Piranha's room to check on him.

"Well, everything is cleaned up and back to normal," Wolf declared.

"Well, except for Webs' hair. She still looks like a giant Chia Pet," Shark pointed.

When Wolf opened Piranha's door, they entered his room to see no Piranha in sight.

"Piranha, are you okay?" Shark asked.

"No, I'm not," Piranha was hiding under the blanket of his bed as he came out of hiding, and jumped off his bed, marching towards the door, "I can't do this anymore

"Wait, wait," Mira called him out as Piranha stopped, and turned around. Mira then asked concerningly, "Piranha, what happened to you tonight?"

"I don't know," Piranha shrugged while shaking his head and walking back into the room, and sitting down on his bed, "I guess taking care of this family was harder than I thought."

"What made you think it's simple?" Snake asked

"I…" Piranha never realized why he thought it was too simple to take care of a family on his own, but maybe it was just personal as he confessed to his friends, "I lived with 900 543 siblings and cousins, and we always took care of each other. I'm the youngest of them all, and they were the ones taking care of me," He paused for a moment, "Well, not everyone, some of them were jerks," His friend chuckled as Piranha continued his explanation, "I just thought I wanna try taking care of kids, you know, since I'm old enough to be responsible. I didn't think it would be too hard. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a responsible one in the family."

"Are you kidding? Piranha, you might be the toughest yet most childish member of this team, but you are cut out to be responsible and caring for this family," Wolf said.

"Yeah, even though you're not the smartest, wisest, and industrious person I know, no matter how hard the problem was, you always found a solution," Snake added.

"You were always so kind and sweet with us," Shark commented.

"No matter how bad it was, you always found a way to make it better," Mira reminded.

Piranha smiled, knowing his friends were right, but he wasn't sure if those words described him, "Where did that guy go?"

"He's right here," Hornet put his small palm on Piranha's left chess where his heart is, "You just need to dig down through that craziness and crankiness, and find that guy who also has the biggest heart we've ever seen."

"You really think I am like that?" Piranha inquired, and his friends nodded smilingly. He sighed when Piranha realized he easily gave up tonight. But this time, he won't let it happen, "All right, I'm gonna go take another try at this falling asleep thing one more time with Mariposa," But when he was about to leave his room, Mariposa was already standing by his door. Seeing that cute little girl he watched over tonight, Piranha carried her up, and placed her on his bed, "Okay, nińa, we'll try this sleeping thing one more time, please?"

"Okay," Mariposa answered

"Okay, I'm gonna sing a song. Ready?"

When Mariposa nodded in excitement, Piranha started to sing at a fast and upbeat tempo.

Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down?

"No!" Mariposa shouted.

"No, no, no, no," Mira halted him, "From the heart."

"Ah!" Piranha nodded understandably as he sang the song again, but in a calm, slow, and gentle tempo.

You oughta know Tonight is the night to let it go Put on a show I wanna see how you lose control

So leave it behind 'Cause we have a night to get away So come on and fly with me As we make our great escape

So baby, don't worry You are my only You won't be lonely Even if the sky is falling down You'll be my only No need to worry Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down? (down, down) Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down? (down, down) Even if the sky is falling down

Just let it be Come on and bring your body next to me I'll take you away-ay Turn this place into our private getaway

So leave it behind 'Cause we have a night to get away So come on and fly with me As we make our great escape So why don't we run away?

Baby, don't worry You are my only You won't be lonely Even if the sky is falling down You'll be my only No need to worry Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down? (down, down) Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down? (down, down) Even if the sky is falling down

Mariposa felt her eyelids getting heavy and she yawned a little. Looked like it was working. Piranha had to keep singing.

Down like she supposed to be, she gets down low for me Down like her temperature, 'cause to me she zero degree She cold, over-freeze, I got that girl from overseas Now she my Miss America, now can I be her soldier, please? I'm fightin' for this girl on the battlefield of love Don't it look like baby cupid sending arrows from above? Don't you ever leave the side of me, indefinitely, not probably And honestly, I'm down like the economy

Baby, don't worry You are my only You won't be lonely Even if the sky is falling down You'll be my only No need to worry Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down? (down, down) Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down? (down, down) Even if the sky is falling down

When the sky is falling down

At that last part of the lyrics, Mariposa was now falling asleep on his bed. He did it! Piranha actually did it.

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Credits:

Sam Rockwell - Mr. Wolf

Marc Maron - Mr. Snake

Craig Robinson - Mr. Shark

Anthony Ramos - Mr. Piranha

Awkwafina - Ms. Tarantula

Rhenzy Feliz - Mr. Hornet

Stephanie Beatriz - Mira Rose

Kaycie Chase - Mariposa

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Author aggimaginary

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So you're a tough guy Like it really rough guy Just can't get enough guy Chest always so puffed guy

I'm that bad type Make your mama sad type Make your girlfriend mad tight Might seduce your dad type I'm the bad guy

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The entire chapter referenced Fuller House: Uncle Jesse's Adventures in Babysitting. Piranha mentioned that he has 900 543 was a reference to The Bad Guys book 1. It is also mentioned in his Rap sheet.

Mira's speech about how helpful the Bad Guys were to her was referenced to Poison Ivy in the first episode of the Harley Quinn series.

The song doesn't belong to me. Piranha sang "Down" (another version) by Albin Loán and KALUMA.

First Previous Next

[thebadtimewolf]

ehehe

just so you all know, i love rose tyler every day. my love stops literally at the christmas invasion because then after cassandra the flanderization begins. if tenth doctor and tentoo has to perish so be it.

jack. girl find rex matheson already i dunno what you waiting on. *plays the star spangled banner jill scott edition* mekhi phifer come back and get ur fellow immortal man. he's starting to look like a wet cat again.

i love donna noble every full week, my love dont stop and now it wont. if tentoo has to die via aneurysm (because his mind refuse to let him speed up the tardis growth because once he does he'll do what the dr did and leave his kid and wife behind until the one time he does return, they too are left for dead buried in a rubble of his own negligence) for her to live, sorrows prayers. sorrows. prayers.

i love dr. martha jones every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year. if tenth doctor has to be beaten so bad by 8 9 12 13 14 15 and master!doctor? let it be so.

i love amy but girl get a therapist. rory get a therapist.

i love river song aka melody williams as much as donna. like girl you got an adoptive granddaughter that looks like jodie foster cosplaying you, if thats not memorable and romantic idk why the dr be fumbling that bag so badly. u can do better.

i love clara oswald but girl c'mon. you got too comfy as the goddess kali - even though you were nowhere near being her in any form to begin with - one time and suddenly you're the ghost you predicted. if the time council has to be humbled again? court is adjourned babes.

the moment aka the interface. baby girl thats actually a planetary bomb turned literal god, im sorry you keep being mistaken for rose tyler by everybody else but the doctor. you deserve better, something 13 and i agrees on according to the novelisation of your appearence. you are better. without you, 9 wouldnt have fell for rose in the first place.

bill potts i love until the stars stay in the universe. if she has to make fun of the dr even as part space sentient oil known as the pilot, fly on space cowboy.

nardole. you do good. odd you wearing gallifreyan citizen wear from the great time war in twice upon a time and no one said anything about it but... you do good.

yasmin khan i love just as much as martha and donna combined. bbc studios might not but i do.

empress rose. i love you more than rose tyler and rose tyler knows it thats why she was a cameo. i hope you get a spin off with 8 9 12 13 master doctor 14 15 and the moment because you deserve it more. i love you. i hope you never stop roasting and almost killing ten everytime he keeps trying to compare the ordinary shop girl fashioned into a soldier turned into a married housewife slash companion to the incomparable and incompatible freedom fighter turned general then empress that is you. im so sorry they trying to downgrade you because you're better than the alternate self he gave away twice. it heavily implied empress rose is more jenny's mum than rose tentoo tyler is and i feel like that should be addressed.... by beating tens arse..... and jenny hugs.

i love rose temple noble so much and i just got her. if bbc studio has to crumble under the strike i really want them to experience so it shall be.

ruby sunday. you are the first companion to have actually have their actress grow up, watch, and know of doctor who with a doctor whose actor also watches doctor who. you are a rare gem inbetween the sands of obliviousness and the sea of hyperawareness. if 14 has to die via tripping and bumping his head on a brick, rip to that tight fit he got on. what a truly mournful loss

i hate the writers that write you for it is their faults of inconsistency that makes me want better for you than the so call fans of your existence. you were set up with a belief system of your own making and then is written to betray that for a eldrich being that contradicts its own existence that could never say i love you and mean those words unless your blades are six inch deep into their hearts for a bullet is too kind and also too slow.

thry all reside and co exist.

anyway. i hope yasmin finney is traveling with them because they never said she was just an anniversary companion and we get to see ruby sunday and rose temple noble date each other.

yes its to make up tens mistake in separating the poc companions: cult survivor cleopatra hunsicker, clone descendant and bi cindy wu, and mexican-american time sensitive transhuman gabby gonzalez aka the best team tardis is when none of them are attracted to the doctor and vice versa. at least gabby met the moment.

and yes its to share this monstrosity i made due to lack of sleep from being awake 27 hours and 30 minutes:

i passed out right after this. and now im sharing this monstrosity to yall.

[joylinda-hawks]

Back to chaos. Further considerations. Concluding the thread from the previous considerations, I want to add a few words regarding the definition of a person as a tra1tor. In conclusion, any person in any society who is identified as a traitor is viewed negatively in their own country and sometimes even abroad. I believe ZZH in CN is still referred to as tra1tor, and I think many people believe that to be true. Some people know that such a term of ZZH is a slander. ZZH is a public person, everything that happens around him and that concerns him, whether privately or professionally, is the subject of discussion. Choosing a career as an actor, ZZH agreed that he would not have such protection as an ordinary person. Therefore, the only solution to his situation is to win the court case and clear his name. In December 2021, ZZH started this process by filing a case with the Beijing Police. His case is certainly pending. ZZH has full civil rights, so he does not have to use a fictitious name, ZZH is proud of his name and if he could not use it in soc-med, he would not open an account under a different name. ZZH's life and career center focuses on CN, he never showed any interest in a career abroad, he built his career in CN. The rule of thumb is that if you're not making a career in your own country, you're not making a career abroad. An ordinary CN citizen, having partial knowledge of the ZZH case and seeing what is happening, could come to the conclusion that ZZH is not interested in his own country, citizens and indeed the tra1tor label suits him. Unfortunately, that's what it looks like. Lack of interest in explaining the case and showing the ZZH person in the worst possible light. All this is aimed at destroying his image during the trial. CA/PA showing in court that the decision to ban him was the right one, that maybe he was wrong about the photo in Japan on some points, but ultimately he was right because in the end he turned out to be a person who only cared about his own interests. I will now come to the second point which I have already touched on. There is not only one person in CN named Zhang Zhe Han. There are over 2,000 of them in CN. These people share the penalty with ZZH - the actor. Due to the ban, they have limited access to online shopping, they are also perceived through the prism of ZZH - an actor, because they have the same surname. In today's world, where most purchases are made via the Internet, such a ban for people who formally should not be affected by it is a significant impediment. Put yourself in the position of a completely innocent person who has lost the ability to shop online overnight and can't do anything. It is impossible to explain to a computer system based on algorithms that you are not this particular ZZH. Imagine the frustration of such people, another year goes by and they can't do anything about it. How do they perceive the person of ZZH - an actor? It is for these people that ZZH fights to clear his name so that they can function unhindered in society. ZZH would never let others suffer because of this. This is another reason to believe that he has not given up fighting for justice. Anyone who says they have given up the fight or have no chance of winning does not care about the cause of ZZH as a person. They create a false image of ZZH, based on the fact that some people do not know the rules in force in the CN and are able to believe what they convey. The solution is simple: get to know the history and culture of the CN, understand the philosophy and rules of conduct of the CN society, accept the fact that the CN society is very hermetic and does not quite fit the image of other societies. Only then can you analyze and draw the right conclusions. That's it for now. Further considerations will come later.

[coochiequeens]

Men who marry 13 year old girls and try to impregnate them are assuring us that women’s rights will be respected

Eleven days ago, Dr. Akbari was at her clinic in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif when she got a call that made her drop everything. It was a member of the Taliban who had been threatening her from afar for months because she had given a birth control shot to his 13-year-old bride.

"This time, his voice was actually really soft," recalls Akbari. "He said, 'We're entering the city. Soon we'll come and get you.' "

What led to this moment — and what happened next — offer a window into what the Taliban's takeover may hold for Afghanistan's women. Taliban leaders have promised to moderate the harsh restrictions that the group imposed the last time they ruled Afghanistan. This time, they say, they'll allow women to be involved in government and work in sectors such as health care. But women on the ground say the reality is more complicated.

For Akbari — who asked NPR to protect her identity by using only her last name, which is a very common one in her city — the troubles began there about eight months ago.

That's when the 13-year-old arrived at her clinic. While examining her, Akbari learned that the girl had been married to an older man as his second wife. "She told me her husband wanted to get her pregnant."

Akbari says the medical guidance in this situation was clear: "She is a child. It's risky for any child to get pregnant. And this girl was also physically very weak."

What's more, the girl did not want to get pregnant. "She begged me for help," says Akbari.

So Akbari decided to give the girl the contraceptive injection, which would last for three months.

The angry husband began calling — and threatening her

Soon after, she got the first furious phone call from the girl's husband.

"He said, 'Why did you do such a thing? Now I can't have babies!' "

From then on, the man would call to rage at her almost every day.

Akbari soon learned he was no ordinary citizen. He was a leader of a Taliban contingent that was active in the area outside the city, even though the contingent did not then control the city itself. But as the Taliban started to make military gains, Akbari noticed a shift in the tone of the man's phone calls.

"The stronger the Taliban got, the stronger the threats got," she says.

He'd point out that Akbari belongs to the ethnic Hazara group — which generally follows the Shiite sect of Islam — and which the Taliban, which is predominantly Sunni, has a history of targeting.

"He would say, 'You're an infidel. You're against Islam. You're killing generations. We know what to do with you.' " Soon, other Taliban members were also sending messages.

Ruchi Kumar, a journalist from India who was staying with Akbari for part of this time, saw some of the texts.

"They would send her these really horrible photos of dead bodies, telling her that this is how she's going to end up," says Kumar.

Other times, the Taliban members would try to extort Akbari.

Says Kumar: "They wanted her to pay money or buy them motorbikes or guns in exchange for her life."

And they'd claim she owed it as zakat — the traditional Islamic tithe.

Akbari says the fear was constant. Every time a patient arrived escorted by a man in traditional Taliban-type garb, she'd worry he was an infiltrator coming to kill her.

But Akbari was also determined to stick it out. When she was 20 years old, her parents had gotten permission to immigrate to Canada — and she could have joined them. But at the time, the Taliban had just been pushed out of power, and Akbari decided to get her medical degree in Afghanistan.

"I wanted to serve my people and establish myself in my own country," says Akbari.

The Taliban's advance made her feel she had no choice

But on Aug. 8, when she got the call from the husband saying he and his men were at the point of conquering the city, says Akbari, "I decided that this is it."

She headed straight to the airport — not even stopping at home for a change of clothes. She managed to buy a ticket on the spot for one of the last flights out. Boarding the plane, she was shocked to see it almost entirely filled with other women traveling alone, a rare sight in Afghanistan.

"That's when I knew for sure the Taliban had taken the city," she says.

Now she's in a neighboring country. But racked with uncertainty. She has just $400 on her and is staying with a friend who is the only person she knows there.

And she's mourning the loss of everything she has left behind. Her family. And the medical practice she spent more than a decade building.

"I haven't been able to sleep since the day I arrived. I can only sleep two hours in a day," she says, her voice choking up. "Overnight, everything I had has vanished."

But she says returning is not an option. She has heard from relatives in Afghanistan that the girl's husband is still calling, demanding to know Akbari's whereabouts.

And even if Akbari could relocate to a different part of Afghanistan, she says, it would be impossible to practice medicine.

"If I see a woman in trouble, I will want to help her," she says. "And the Taliban will say it's un-Islamic."

NPR researcher Ayda Pourasad contributed to the reporting of this story.

[justpeaxchy]

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧.

Summary: you start to recall all the memories you and izuku made. All seemed well, but why did things have to change?

Warnings: angst, reader is implied as a female, recalled memories, mentions of death, reader doesn't eat for several days, some descriptions of depression.

!Note! The symbol "♪" has a link to a song for each part of the story if you wanna read it with that just to fit the mood <3

(h/n = hero name)

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♪

"Izuku Midoriya!"

Your shout echoed across the hallway, signaling izuku - no, more like warning him of your presence. He knew this was a bad idea.

Your footsteps could be heard all the way from the doorstep and he couldn't help but laugh at how loud you could be sometimes. With one quick slide across the floor, you were already standing in the hallway, sweater and pants on.

"Did you think you could leave all by yourself to the store?" You held up your chin as if you had all the authority in the world, ignoring the fact that your husband was the number one hero.

He held up his hands in defense, a slight smirk on his lips. "Alright, you got me. I'm sorry I should've consulted with you first." His hands slowly opened the door as he pretended to bow like you were royalty. "Right this way, ma'am!"

You huffed, smiling like a child who just got their favorite toy. "Mhm."

--------------------------------------------.

"H/n just recently started to sky rocket in the hero charts! Let's see if she can make it up there with her husband, Deku!"

"Just in, H/n saved some fellow citizens from a train crash with her quirk at the right time! You saw it here, folks, looks like a new hero is starting to gain popularity!"

You turned off your phone, amused but shook your head with exhaustion nonetheless. Only a few weeks have passed and you're barely starting to get recognized by the public for being a hero. It was true that you were climbing the ranks and making your way up there but that didn't matter too much. Honestly, it was better when you weren't that popular.

Without warning your phone suddenly started to ring, alerting you to snap out of your thoughts. You groaned in irritation, that thing had been going off all day.

Without looking at the caller you answered. "Hello?"

"Well, good afternoon to you too, y/n." Izuku's soft laughter filled your ears and you immediately perked up at his voice.

"Izuku! Why are you calling me?"

You heard him exhale as if he had just been punched, a little sass in his voice as he answered "Aren't I allowed to call my wife if I want to?" He chuckled once again and you found yourself treasuring every second of it.

"Yea yea. You hardly ever call because you're so busy. What's up?" You walked alongside a park and glanced at the children playing. Your patrol this afternoon wasn't that bad.

"Oh...you see.." There was a bit of what sounded like shuffling in the background, making you wonder what was happening. "I wanted to see you but I also knew that you probably didn't get lunch yet.."

Where was he going with this?

"Yea..? And?" You took a few more glances as you walked. This wasn't just a lovely stroll, sadly, so you did your part and took note of the area for anything suspicious. "Y'know that could've downplayed you really hard if I did get lunch."

"Aha...very funny." His sentence didn't sound joyous at all but the shuffling became louder.

"Hey, what are you doing? It sounds like you're burying someone." You snorted when he choked at the sudden remark. He often did that when something shocked him or you said something out of the ordinary.

"Y/n! Why would I do that? And here I was taking you some lunch."

"Mhm - wait. Lunch? What do you m-"

Today was full of surprises it seems. Before you could finish your sentence something, or rather someone, came charging down in front of you. The force of the air was enough to knock you off your own feet, which it did - almost.

You yelped and began to trip to your death but a strong arm wrapped around your waist to prevent any harm that was about to happen. Everything was so fast you didn't know what to think anymore. It felt like the life got sucked out of you for a second. And you were a hero.

" 'M sorry did I scare you too much?"

You opened your eyes quicker than you ever had before. Did he really just do that?

As you turned your head you saw the one and only, izuku. He looked down at you as he held you in one arm and in his other hand he held a bag of what you assumed was food. A delicate smile found its way onto his lips and he brought you back on your feet - at least more properly.

"You hungry?"

You couldn't stop the unexpected feeling of butterflies in your stomach as you stared at him longer than you should have. He went that far just to bring you food. It almost made you laugh.

Shaking your head, you sighed. "Mhm..!"

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♪

"Izuku I don't know about this one."

You desperately grabbed onto the ends of his jacket. Your eyes were threatening to form tears but you stopped yourself as much as possible from letting that happen. He was set out for an undercover mission along with a few other heroes. One of them including Iida. Underneath his jacket was his hero suit and he got ready to wear a hat and shades with it. Cliche, yes, but it somehow always worked in his department.

"Love, I already told you the plan. We're gonna be fine, okay?" He turned around to face you, his eyes held the most sincerity as he reached for your hand, gently caressing small circles on it. "I promise it'll be alright. We've got this under control." His signature smile sprang to life and you couldn't find the right words to speak.

Why couldn't you just speak up?

When he didn't hear you reply he gently kissed the top of your head, frowning slightly when you looked down.

"Y/n, love. Look at me..please?" His voice grew softer, almost weaker, and his eyes desperately searched for yours. All he wanted in that moment was for you to know that he was going to be okay.

You didn't know why it was so difficult to just look at him. You tried, you really did. Instead, the same tears that you tried to hold back this entire time came flooding out. It was unexpected but at the same time it didn't surprise you.

"Why...why do you have to go on this one? Can't you just stay here this time? For me..?" You choked back a sob and caved into Izuku's opened arms, tightly grabbing onto his jacket again.

This specific mission wasn't just an ordinary one. The villain they were after was a dangerous one. Not just an everyday "dangerous villain" but a serious threat to the people of Japan. They recently started to get recognized at Musutafu but when their crimes became too much for people in that city and even outside of it, they became a lead target for a lot of heroes.

Their quirk, ability to drain the life from someone with just a simple touch. Multiple reports had been spread around the city and outside of it for a warning but it did no good. People, innocent people, were getting killed left and right because of one person that was born with such a devastating quirk. You didn't even want to find out how that person came to know about their quirk in the first place. All that mattered was izuku at that moment. It felt selfish to think of only him but fear overtook you and your emotions so much that you didn't know what to do with yourself.

Being a hero everyday was already hard when everyone assumes you were going to be there to save them. Save their lives. Sure, daily patrols weren't always as life threatening, but going in action and defending those around you felt as if you were on a timer. A timer that was set for everyone that was put in danger because of a villain. You only had a certain amount of time to catch them and save the day. If not, then you automatically put the lives of everyone else in danger, including yours.

You never liked to put yourself in a high stool. It wasn't your style. You just found yourself lucky to have a quirk like yours. The ability to touch someone and have them freeze completely. Not with real ice, just simply making them stay in place. When you did so, their quirk also stopped working. That also applied to objects. The one thing you learned in this world, was if you had a catchy or strong quirk, you'll be recognized by the public. But that wasn't what you wanted. You didn't want izuku to be so popular like he was because you knew the bad sides to it.

You knew that since he was the number one hero that his life would most likely always be on the line. His schedule was always jam-packed and your plans with each other were almost always changed because of something important.

"Y/n...you know I can't cancel the plan. Everyone is putting their efforts into this and so should I. They're counting on me too." Izuku's hand rested on top of your head and he thought about what might happen. This wasn't a simple task. He knew that. His heart knew it was the right thing to do.

He just felt a small tug in the back of his head to stay with you. But he knew that was probably always there whenever he wasn't around you.

"Hey, it'll be alright. You can trust me. Okay?" He lifted your face to look at him. Your eyes had become red from the crying you did but that didn't change his perspective on how beautiful you were.

You knew that he was stubborn. Especially when it came to hero work. He would always do anything to save the people around him. So you did what you could only do in that moment. Agree with him.

"Mhm. Just..come back."

--------------------------------------------.

♪

The sound of rain was getting louder. Each drop on the windows was getting faster and faster. It annoyed you to no end. You used to love the rain. It was your favorite weather.

What happened?

What happened to the y/n that was so carefree?

That's the question you ask yourself every now and then. It just became a small fly buzzing around in your head as time progressed. No one will truly know what happened to her.

You groggily opened your eyes to your dark room once more. The only light was from the moon, and even that wasn't as bright. "Stupid.."

You begrudgingly got out of bed and stared at the ground for some long minutes. When was the last time you ate again? You blinked, trying to remember exactly how long it had been. It quickly became an exhaustion so you tossed that thought away. It didn't matter that much.

The days were dragging you along with them and you were tired of it. Why was everyday so hard? Your mouth felt dry as you thought about yourself and how long it's been like this. Only one month but it felt like a year.

With all of your strength you grabbed the remote on your nightstand, turning on the TV with no interest in actually watching it. You sometimes kept it on in the background for noise. It took you a moment to realize what channel was on and what the people on there were saying.

'We are still grieving the loss of the number one hero-'

You quickly changed it. Your breathing rapidly started to quicken, coming in short breaths.

'As we remember our number one hero and what he did-'

'Izuku midoriya? Well, he was a great man. He sure did save a lot of lives..'

'He'll always be in our hearts for what he did. Izuku Midoriya.'

With one click of the remote you turned off the tv completely, tears were streaming down your cheeks and you hadn't even realized it.

"Ah.. that's why I don't watch tv anymore." You glanced at the picture on your nightstand. It was facing downwards so you couldn't actually see it but your body moved on its own and you saw the one person you hadn't seen in a month.

You and izuku were taking a picture. You remembered that day, ironically. It was that same day where he brought you lunch. His smile looked genuine and so innocent. He looked happy. So did you.

A sob shook your whole body as you clutched onto your chest in hopes to calm your breathing. "I told you to stay home, dummy."

No one truly knows what happened to the real y/n. The one where izuku was alive and by her side.

Another piece of her died with him, she assumed.