#gonna have to do a lot of research about what countries are most friendly to disabled people

[yandereberu]

just a couple more months and i can leave The South™️ behind forever

and hopefully in a few more years, this entire hell continent

[hwabang]

SKZ Reaction to S/O Celebrating Ramadan

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: fem!reader in some parts, muslim!reader, mentions of food, if i missed anything let me know!

Author’s Note 1: Yes I am well aware Muslims aren’t supposed to date, and I’m also well aware that Muslim people who do date refrain from it during the month of Ramadan. However this is a reaction, an imagine, and that’s exactly what it is– imagining! So don’t come for me for this, thankssss

Author’s Note 2: I haven’t posted in over a year so idk how this is gonna do, but it’s Ramadan so I did want to post these for the Muslim STAY! Ramadan Kareem to those celebrating❤️☪️

Author’s Note 3: Do you guys wants an ‘SKZ Celebrating Eid’ towards the end of the month? If so, let me know!

Bang Chan:

Chan is literally the most respectful person in the world and also the most helpful

For your first Ramadan as a couple, he’d do SO much research to know what he should and should not do

He’d also ask you only like 10,000 questions (that’s not a lot right)

Chan would definitely make sure he keeps his distance (physically) during the month, even though you didn’t mention anything about it. He’s a very touchy and cuddly person but he respects your religion so he’ll refrain during the month

He’s also sit with you while you eat suhoor/sehri (or whatever y’all call it)! Sometimes he’ll make it for you and makes sure you eat enough to last you the whole day

He also eats Iftar with you :’)

I’m convinced the man will go to the mosque with you too

Chan fasts with you sometimes too! Although he knows that fasting is not the only aspect of Ramadan, so he takes care of other things as well

For example, if he’s listening to/making music while you’re around, he ALWAYS has his headphones plugged in

He also tells the boys to respect your personal space during the month (since most of them are huggers) and asks them to try their best not to curse or make dirty jokes around you (Chan also refrains from it too)

He’ll often surprise you throughout the month with iftari staples he can find from halal restaurants

Depending on what Muslim country you’re from, Chan googles some popular iftar foods from there and attempts to make it!

Overall Chan is very respectful and eager to learn, and also really really supportive so he’ll do whatever he can to make sure the month of Ramadan is easy for you.

“Babe, I love you but stay 6 ft away! You’re too pretty and I wanna kiss you but you’re celebrating Ramadan!”

LeeKnow:

Your personal chef for Ramadan

I mean, your personal chef 24/7 for eternity, but especially for Ramadan

He will make whatever you ask him to make, and like Chan, will make you Suhoor/Iftari staple foods from your country

Minho also sets an alarm an hour before Fajr, just so you don’t have to be up and eating alone

LeeKnow also does his research, so refrains from stuff like cursing/listening to music out loud, bringing alcohol around you, etc

LeeKnow’s also really curious, so he’ll be asking you tons of genuine questions

He also yells at the boys if they hug you during Ramadan or curse in front of you

Doesn’t plan any outings with the boys during prayer times; he knows you would never wanna miss a prayer

He does a lot of taking care of you from behind the scene, stuff you don’t notice at first but when you do, you MELT

For example, he carries a travel-friendly prayer mat along with a scarf for you in his bag.

And if you’re not wearing long sleeves he gives you his hoodie to wear so you can be properly dressed to pray

Guards the room you’re praying in so none of the boys can come in and bother you

Overall, a perfect boyfriend who respects your interfaith relationship a lot

“So you make up the fasts you can’t do during your period?? Wow~”

Changbin:

Please he’s trying so hard to be respectful and not bother you as much during the month

I don’t think Changbin would fast with you especially since he works out so much he needs to eat and drink well

But he’s definitely eating suhoor and iftari with you every day of Ramadan (unless he has a schedule ofc)

Asks you so many questions omg

I think Changbin would go to Jisung and Chan to brush up on his knowledge for Ramadan

He understands fasting is not the only part of Ramadan, so everything else he refrains from too

For example, drinking, cursing, pork, and although he loves physical connection with you, he’s gonna refrain from it completely (even though it’s really hard for him)

But he does apologize to you once because he cannot stay away from music (it’s so cute)

Even when you’re not fasting during your period, Changbin refrains from all those things! 

Not only is he willing to try Iftari staples from your country, but he will order foods from other Muslim countries for you guys too!

Changbin really bonds with you during Ramadan since he’s getting to try so many foods he never has before

“Huh? No I’m not tired. See, I’m perfectly fine! I can sleep after you’re done praying, not a big deal.”

Hyunjin:

Fight me on this one; Hyunjin will decorate for Ramadan all for you

He’s gonna mainly decorate his bedroom since you’re in there the most, but he’ll put up string lights in the dining room 

He’s also gonna paint a ‘Ramadan Kareem’ sign with a beautiful mosque in the background 🥺

Also pls Hyunjin is so enamored by you

The boy loves to sleep in but he’s so in love with you he will willingly get up when you get up for suhoor and won’t go back to sleep until you’re done with Fajr (even though you told him he doesn’t need to)

Your personal photographer all year round, we agree right?

But this guy LOVES taking candid photos of you during Ramadan the most! 

He believes you look beautiful no matter what time of day and no matter what’s going on, and to prove it

He takes so many pictures of you while you’re eating suhoor/iftar, while you’re getting ready to pray, while you’re focused on reading/listening to the Quran, while you’re making Iftari food (oh just wait till Eid he’s literally tailing you all day w his camera)

Also wants you to teach him the first week of Ramadan how to make the Iftari foods you love

So the rest of the month, he starts making those for you

[Hyunjin]: “Yeah I’ve been waking up at 5am with her everyday, and I hate it.”

[Member]: “So why don’t you just not wake up?”

[Offended Hyunjin]: “HOW COULD YOU EVEN SUGGEST THAT?!”

Han Jisung:

Tbh I think Jisung is the most familiar with Ramadan because he lived in Malaysia for a while, and the majority of Malaysians are Muslim

Even though he’s got the most knowledge about Ramadan out of the group, he’s still nervous he’ll somehow mess up so he does a LOT of research and even takes notes

His studio times during the month have become 10pm - 5am, just so he can make sure he’s home with you during Iftar AND Suhoor

Jisung is probably the only member who will keep most (if not all) fasts with you

He also strikes me as someone who will willingly go to the mosque

Also he’s gonna pick up a Korean translation of the Quran so he can read beside you while you’re reading

After reading he’ll discuss with you what he learned, and you’ll sit there for a while on the prayer mats discussing Islamic stories (literally me dream shut up)

Jisung’s strongest suite is not cooking so he will help you make suhoor and iftari instead

Jisung bursts out singing randomly ALL the frickin time but he definitely keeps himself in check during Ramadan which is something you appreciate so much

Part of him wants to stay in the dorm during the whole month so he doesn’t jump your bones and cuddle you kiss you to his heart’s content

The other part of him doesn’t wanna leave you alone during the month and wants to observe it with you

He ends up staying with you, just controlling himself :)

“Baby, is it time for Iftar yet? 5 more minutes? Okay then...”

Felix:

I know I keep saying they all do their research BUT IT’S TRUE

AND FELIX IS ONE OF THEM

He keeps telling you facts he learned, and you know them, but he’s so cute, so you just act like you’ve never heard them

The only thing on his mind the entire month is, “Make life easier for Y/N”

So like Minho, he will make sure he has a prayer mat, scarf, and one of his sweatshirts in his bag at all times so you can pray when you need to

He also makes sure to take care of your sehri and iftari every single day, even if he has to wake up at 4am to make it

Will keep some of the fasts with you

Also suggests taking night trips to the mosque with you, since he read that the Taraweeh prayer is a big deal and usually done at the mosque

Might I add he will even perform the prayer! He won’t know what he’s saying but he’ll stand by the men and follow them and it’s the effort that counts okay

He might even chat up some of the men at the prayer and talk about his will to learn the religion for you

I’m 100% sure Felix will pickup an English translation of the Quran so he can sit next to you while you read. 

If you’re on page 30, he’s on page 30. And he’s really trying to understand it!

Overall just so freaking supportive, and he wants you to know you’re not alone in celebrating such a holy month for you

“So today in the car, I was listening to one of the Islamic scholars you showed me, and I learned that....”

Seungmin:

Did I portray each member to be very respectful? Yes

Will I do the same for the remaining members ESPECIALLY Seungmin? Also yes

Definition of sweet

Like all the gestures he does during Ramadan really make you fall in love all over again

Because he’s doing, like, jaw dropping things you didn’t think he would!

For example, he searches all day for a good online abaya store a couple weeks before Ramadan. So right before Ramadan starts, you get a huge package filled with different colored abayas and some scarves!

If he sees you’re really stressed with work/school on a particular day, he’ll asl you if you remembered to pray, and you think it’s so sweet because prayer is such an important thing in Islam

Does his research especially on the foods eaten during suhoor and iftari!

So like Felix he will prepare your Iftari for you every single night

Also gets up to be there as moral support while you eat sehri and pray Fajr

You CANNOT get Seungmin to wake up at 5am for a month straight without any good reason

But you’re Y/N. You are the BEST reason for him to do ANYTHING

You two will sit there during suhoor and he will ask you questions about the religion, whatever he’s curious about

Does everything in his willpower to make the month easy for you

“It’s 5 in the morning let me sleep crazy woman... I’m kidding, I’m getting up.”

I.N: 

Jeongin understands how hard it is being around so many non-Muslims, especially because Korea doesn’t have a large population of Muslims

And he’s so empathetic, so he will feel that his main job during Ramadan is to make sure you’re not feeling alone

It’s hard for him, but he keeps most of the fasts with you

He would’ve kept all 30 but you made him promise he wouldn’t fast on days he has full day schedules since he needs to stay hydrated

Jeongin will also go to the mosque with you

He’s also one of the members who will pick up a Korean translation of the Quran and sit by you while you read it

Usually doesn’t cook often but during Ramadan he’s cooking every single night with you

LOVES trying the food from your country; although it’s stuff he’s not used to, he enjoys trying the foods and is so interested in all the different spices used

Jeongin also refrains from things during the month of Ramadan– he gives up drinking, pork, cursing, and listening to music outside of his work

I think Jeongin would even go as far as to not eat haram meat the whole month! So everything you guys are eating is 100% halal

And you think it is such a heartwarming gesture since Ramadan is not a part of Jeongin’s culture

Basically everything he can to make sure you don’t feel lonely during Ramadan, you bet he’s on it

“Baby the food is so good! But the spices are tickling my nose– I’M GONNA SNEEZE–”

[netscapenavigator-official]

I actually wanna chime in here and give my two cents since I’ve done a lot of anxious research for similar fears of mine. So here goes. Summary/TLDR at the bottom:

The more browser extensions you have installed, the more fingerprintable your web browser is!

That’s why on the TOR Foundation’s website they recommend that you install ZERO extensions on the Tor Browser. Of course, in reality most people want or need some, so here's what I've come to learn on a few vital and mentioned ones. The goal is to minimize your extensions as much as possible.

You don’t need two ad blockers. uBlock Origin is the best of the best, and has an element zapper if it ever misses anything automatically, which it rarely, if ever, does.

Privacy Badger is (allegedly) an outdated extension that doesn’t do very much other than make your browser more fingerprintable.

minerBlocker (while I haven’t don’t much research) doesn’t sound very useful. Because Firefox, if you change the Cookie Block settings, can block CrytoMiners on its own. uBlock Origin can also do this with a special script, but that's beyond me, so you'll have to turn to Reddit if you wanna use it for CryptoMiner blocking.

If you're worried about viruses, the app Malwarebytes is cross-platform and open-source. It's widely trusted by r/privacy and r/piracy. The free tier won't run automatically after your free trial is up, so just run it every time you install a piece of pirated software, and then every once in a while after.

Also, you forgot the golden rule of torrenting. A good browser and extensions only prevent fingerprinting from a website, itself. This isn't what's gonna get you in trouble with the law. So: GET A VPN!! The ONLY way to prevent your internet service provider (ISP) from seeing what you're doing is to encrypt your network usage with a VPN. Mozilla (the makers of Firefox) have a paid VPN which I personally use and is very beginner friendly and cross-platform. Most free VPNs cannot be trusted and usually collect, sell, and report illegal data, which defeats the purpose. Without a VPN, however, your ISP will be able to see that you’re downloading peer-to-peer content. Now, that isn’t always a bad thing. Some ISPs don’t care, and won’t do shit. For example, Mozilla VPN has failed a few times for me when I left my client running overnight, and nothing’s ever happened. If you live in Germany or another country with stricter piracy laws, or you have a stricter American ISP, you could get fined and/or have your service turned off. In Germany people have even gotten jail time. The #1 thing to do if you have anxiety about piracy is get a well-trusted VPN like Mozilla’s. In fact, if you only do one thing from this thread, THIS is the one to do. I highly recommend that you NEVER download to upload peer-to-peer pirated content without one, as it is a serious risk.

And finally, use r/piracy as a means to find reliable websites. Do not download torrents or files off random websites before looking it up on r/piracy. Stick to popular and active torrents, and I would suggest primarily using 1337x.to as a trusty website. Also, look for trusted crackers and repackers. For example, if you're torrenting Mac Apps, a well known cracking group is TNT. If you want games and Windows software, FitGirl and DODI are popular repackers for them. DODI’s repacks are also among the only ones I’ve found that word with Translation Layers like Wine, WineSkin, and CrossOver on macOS and Linux.

Also, no amount of extensions on Firefox will make you anonymous. If want anonymity, you need to download the Tor Browser, add ZERO extensions, and NEVER change the default window size or settings. This level of security usually isn't necessary for your average torrent downloader, though. I'd much rather use Firefox + a VPN than Tor. Tor is extremely slow because of it's Onion Anonymizing Network, and is really only needed for people who have a reason to hide from the government, ie: political whistleblowers, protest organizers, etc.

There is also an extension called NoScript. It's the only extension that comes with Tor, and it can be downloaded on Firefox as well. This extension is your gateway to preventing websites from collecting and sharing your data. HOWEVER, this extension will break websites, and it can be very frustrating to use if you aren't privacy-minded, tech savvy, and patient. So, if you're a beginner, I'd recommend trying this one at another time.

And finally, you need a way to download the torrented data (duh). The only two clients (apps) most people trust are qBittorent and Transmission. uTorrent is no longer trusted due to privacy issues. DO NOT USE IT. If you’re a beginner and want something with a pleasant UI, I highly recommend Transmission. I’ve been using it, and personally I love the simplicity over qBittorent; however, I know a lot of more advanced users really love qBittorent.

So, if you wanna get into the basics of piracy, here’s what you need:

Firefox

uBlock Origin

ClearURLs

"Strict" or "Custom" Cookie Setting on Firefox

Mozilla VPN!!!

Transmission

If you wanna go more in depth, add NoScript and swap Transmission for qBittorent.

And if you wanna go really advanced, replace Firefox with Tor Browser and download ZERO extensions. If you need me to tell you how to use Tor and what it's for, though, then you probably don't need it.

Streaming companies are the landlords of media. You will rent in perpetuity, and never actually own anything.

[feli2003]

WOAH

Woah or Wonderlust, Offbeat Adventures, Amazing Horizons.

The word "WOAH" grabs the attention and conveys a vence of excitement and wonder, which is aligned with travel and exploration in the tourism industry. Represents the desire to travel and explore focuses on unique and unconventional experiences white chowcasing breathtaking rights and destinations anywhere in the world.

Hi, it's Feli. Come and join me in many different adventures highlighting different scenarios, foods, and even culture in this blog. This blog is your gateway to the world of offbeat adventures and amazing horizons in the tourism industry. Here, we embark on a journey to explore the hidden gems, untrodden paths, and awe- inspiring destinations that will ignite your wanderlust and leave you craving for more. My mission is to inspire each and everyone of you to step outside your comfort zones and experience amazing adventures in life. WOAH is not just a blog; it's a community of passionate travellers, explorers, and dreamers.

In this article, I bring you to my personal favorite country. A country that has captured the world's attention with its remarkable achievements in various fields. The one and only, Singapore! In this blog, I will be talking about how Singapore truly is unique and a destination worthy when it comes to first time foreigners who are planning to travel outside their country. As a tourism student, I was looking for a country that focuses on its surroundings. Luckily, Singapore is one of those countries that is Clean and Green Environment. From my experience of staying in Singapore for a few days, I watched how people are well mannered and how they looked after it's environment to the point where you wouldn't even see trash anywhere. No wonder Singapore is renowed for it's cleanliness and green spaces. You can really see how they take care of their green environment from the pictures I have provided above. If you are into greenery and just nature itself, I can recommend you to go and explore Singapore's Cloud Forest and Flower Dome. Just keep in mind that they do change their theme every year and for the Flower Dome, they change the flower depending on the flower that is in season. Another reason why Singapore is destination worthy, is because of it's cultural diversity. No matter what you do, you maybe taking a scroll, buying snacks from a convenience store, or even dining in a restaurant, you will be seeing a lot of Arabs and Indians who are working. While visiting Singapore, I experienced and seen foreigners of different ethnicity like Chinese, Malay, Indian, and especially Western nationals who are businessmen in the country. They are so diverse where most of it's restaurants offer different cuisines from all over the world. A lot The last one is the safety and security. As a tourist, our top priority is out safety not just for ourselves but also those people we are with. I'm not gonna lie setting foot in an unknown country really is nerve wracking especially when it's your first time. However, upon researching, I found out that Singapore is a low crime rate country and this made me less worried. As far as my experience, I can truly say that you won't feel any danger whether you're taking a walk at night, or alone in the streets, the good thing about this is that sunset in Singapore is around 7pm- 8pm and the sunrise is around 8am. And even though it is beyond 8pm, you will never feel unsafe because the streets are filled with lights. My mom and I experienced getting lost around Singapore, we didn't have data since our sim card wasn't registered as an international sim card, and it was a bit of an hassle to wait for a taxi since Singapore is a rich country and people there has their own car. We had no choice but to ask the people and they were friendly. We ended up walking from Bugis Street to Clarke Quay for almost an hour.

So yeah, that is my experience as a first time traveller outside of my country. I can say that even though I haven't been to other countries before, each country has their own Pros and Cons, it's really up to the tourist on how they make the most out of it. A few tips for travelling in a country you're not familiar with is...

Number 1- Always do your research before making decisions

Number 2- If you are travelling alone, make sure your family/friends knows where you will be travelling and staying. And the most important tip is

Number 3- Make sure to always have fun

I encourage you to share your own adventures, tips, and recommendations. And if ever you want a part 2 of my Singapore experience, don't hesitate to reach out for any questions and feel free to share this with your friends and leave a comment or feedbacks.

Til' next time!

Xoxo, Feli❤️

[transmalewife]

HUGE fan of your tick garden post. As a country mfer seeing ignorant city slicker suburb livers (key word ignorant) talk about this shit is so infuriating. My family keeps a low cut lawn because even with our low cut, well maintained grass lawn, we frequently get ticks. Within the past 2 years I've probably pulled 30+ from my body, countless more thoughout my life and as someone who's already disabled I have to get tested for Lyme disease frequently to ensure my symptoms are still from my other issues. Ticks ain't something to dismiss so easily. They are a huge issue. They can be deadly. Are they extremely important to the ecosystem ? Yeah, and that's why we keep em around and why we use bug sprays n shit when we venture into their home. Talking about biodiversity lawns without touching the topic of ticks irks me so bad. Thank you for taking time to make that post !

The funny thing is I am absolutely an ignorant city slicker, maybe even worse than suburbs since I've spent all my life in flats in the strict city center. never even had a lawn. I did however have a tick once and it, without any exagerration, ruined my life. like almost every big setback I've faced in my life, the reason I've been in first year of uni 4 times, soon to be 5, barely graduated highschool despite having mostly good grades, because I was barely above the 50% attendance minimum, all directly traceable back to lyme.

I expected that post to get like 15 notes at most, not 10k in one day, and although i'm glad bc this is important info, I might have written it differently. for example mentioned why and how to safely remove ticks (without killing or squishing or suffocating them, so you don't push the lyme into ur bloodstream, by levering or pinching them up from underneath) and mostly that the overall point is that just letting things grow wild is not biodiversity.

Restoring biodiversity takes more work than keeping up a manicured lawn, not less, at least at first, even though some people try to offer an easy way out. letting things just grow as they please will actually atract more invasive plants. You need to do your research and carefully plan out which places you'll dedicate to food, to pollinator friendly wildflowers, and which you're actually planning to hang out on, and thus will need to keep short. people in the notes have been suggesting great alternatives like clover, moss or woodchips, and other ground cover plants that stay short and require less upkeep than grass, but you still need to do research to lear what's good for your area, and since I'm polish, I can't do that for americans.

someone tagged that post saying smth like 'people want laws to go back to how they were before humans adapted them that is unihabitable' and they were right. there are places (vacant lots, golf courses, fenced off decorative patches of grass, that can and should go back to wildflowers and native grasses as tall as you wish, but for hanging out it, you need sufaces or short, walkable, high visibility for snakes etc, plants. or at the very least paths of those.

my family has what is essentially two vacant lots near the woods, attached to falling apart, rotting, half-built cabins in the countryside, so I know very well how the 'low effort' approach to lawn restoration goes. One used to be a well maintained grass lawn up until like 2005, now it gets mowed once every year or two. it's knee high grass so thick it tangles around your legs and trips you if you try to walk normally. people get several ticks each every time they visit. the other hasn't been touched in at least 20 years, and it's all stinging nettle taller than me (and I'm not especially short) so obviously not exactly hospitable to human life either. if you have a bit of land you never use, let it go wild if you want. But in order to make a lawn usable and biodiverse, you're gonna need a lot more work that just giving up

[purlturtle]

⭐️😃

Thank you for asking, and sorry it took me a while to get back to this! So today I wanna talk about Strata, my road trip story! And just like with the other asks/replies, I'm gonna put it under a readmore so that the post doesn't get super big!

How did Strata get started?

Believe it or not, by watching Going The Distance! It made me want to write a Road Trip Story myself - first I wondered if I wanted to rewrite Going The Distance somehow, have it be a fluffy little comedy where it's Myka driving the RV across Canada - but that idea didn't have the staying power somehow. Then I thought back to one of my old "fallbacks" - find a way to prevent Helena from turning on Myka (and the others) in Egypt. And I figured that the forced proximity of a road trip might give their relationship a strong enough boost that Helena would stop herself - so the story would be a vessel both for road trip fluff, and for Bering and Wells angst, and also for my favorite thing: emooootions! All the feels!

How did I develop the story?

So, speaking of feels - now I'm not great on story analysis, but even I know that road trips are vehicles (haha) and metaphor in one. You start out in one place, and you end in quite another. Along the way you find out stuff about yourself, gain some clarity on things, have a whole entire journey of your own.

And so when I set out to write Strata, I had a pretty clear idea of the kind of journey I wanted to take the both of them on. I also was pretty sure pretty early on that I wanted this story to be from Myka's POV only, to keep the ambiguity about what is going on within Helena as long as possible. (Mostly because, to be honest, that is one of the most difficult things for me to write from Helena's POV! I can get into her head in a lot of ways, but that one? Is really hard.) But also because not knowing what exactly was going on in Helena's mind is really good for tension!

The next question then was, from where to where? What's the reason for the trip, and the destination? I think the idea of going after caches of low-stakes artifacts wasn't my original one, but I can't think right now of where I read it. And I wanted the trip to be low-stakes to, so to speak. No glitzy destinations, no showing off of tourist spots - or at least not the big names. Biggest ball of twine? Yeah, let's do that kind of thing. Also, I like the Midwest. My wife is from there, too! And that also meant friends that I could plug for interesting spots along the way.

Figuring out destinations and routes was a mix of browsing Roadside America and those friendly suggestions. I love spending time on Google Maps - loved to spend time with actual paper maps too, when Maps wasn't a thing yet. Love finding towns with interesting or funny names, love imagining driving down that road that goes straight for 40miles straight (you better believe I also looked at dashcam videos and Streetview! For research!) And because I like that stuff so much, I figured readers would also be interested in things like routes and maps and whatnot.

And because I bitch so much about how Warehouse agents seem to be able to cross the entire country within half an hour (like driving from South Dakota to a high school reunion gone wrong in Colorado in a very, very short time when that kind of drive takes the better part of a day!), I also put the distances and Google's time estimates in my spreadsheet, and padded them more or less liberally with break times and whatnot. I still took some liberties, putting Bering and Wells in places rather sooner than they should have been even with the emptiest of streets, but, you know. If the actual show can do that (and to a much more blatant degree), then I can do it too!

So the mapmaking was fun, but what was the biggest challenge?

Pacing, I'd say. What to reveal when, how to balance talky talk and thinky thoughts with travel descriptions and actual destinations and Stuff Happening. I think I got it pretty tight, but as per usual, I'll always be a bit self-conscious about if I really did well.

Also, speaking of not having Helena's POV: I hope that I managed to portrait her journey well too, even though we don't get her internal monologue. That was a challenge too, not gonna lie, and with this one as well I can only hope that I did a good job.

So what's with the title then - Latin? Nerd.

Yeah, so, I'm a smartass who took nine years of Latin in school? And I knew that strata means "layers" (as in, the layers of truth and trust (and deceit) Bering and Wells discover about each other and themselves as they go on) and also is the root of both the German word "Straße" and the English word street. What better title for a road trip story, huh? I just had to add a little author's note for those readers who didn't know this, because I wanted everyone to enjoy this little nugget of a perfect fit.

Why Myka's internalized homophobia?

It is another layer, and one I've wanted to explore for a while. She is from a conservative state and city, and has had a rought upbringing in terms of high expectations and pressure from her dad. Conformity, including heteronormativity, is part of that. You could even argue that internalized homophobia is more realistic than her being a-okay with not being straight - it's just a matter of where we meet Myka Bering in her particular journey. Also, when you remember how uncomfortable she was about identifying an attacker as a woman because she "touched her" - "it's totally fine to be gay, just, I'm not; why would you ever think that?!" fits with that.

Also, narrative drama! Ramp it up by adding another axis of conflict!

And... what's with part two?!

Working on it! It will be told from Helena's POV, and won't be a re-hashing of Strata's story, but a true continuation. It's not a road trip as such, but a journey nevertheless, both in terms of character development and in terms of actual physical travel. Paris! England! Prague! Hong Kong! Here, have a snippet:

Helena found the key card where Myka’s note had indicated. Her phone, next to it, informed her that it was twenty-three past seven in the morning, on September twenty-first. The date made her huff a brief laugh; she was a hundred and forty-four today. Truly, she had outlived her days twice over. And yet here she was, somehow still alive, after all that had- Her thoughts stopped cold. Her birthday?! That couldn’t be right? The last thing she knew- A wave of nausea washed over her, and she barely kept herself from vomiting right there and then. She hastened through the room’s other door, presuming correctly that it led to the bathroom, and stood in front of the sink for a while, propped up on her arms and breathing very carefully to calm her stomach and keep its contents contained. Her eyes flickered here and there, and in doing so eventually fell upon her reflection in the mirror that spanned the length of the wall. There was a white streak in her hair, high above her right temple, easily one inch wide. She slowly raised her hand to touch it, and saw the action clearly reflected in the mirror. What on Earth had happened? Weeks gone, her hair with a white streak - and she herself with no recollection? Had she come under the influence of an artifact? Her fingers found her locket and grasped it tightly; at least it was still there- but it felt different. Enough was enough.

I hope you liked this! If you wanna know more, about Strata or in general, please go right ahead and ask! :) I'm always happy to talk about my writing - thanks for giving me the chance to do so!

[whoaffle]

Today a person of my family was complimenting and admiring Bozos' stupid-ass fucking penis-shaped rocket...

They kept talking about how it's "amazing" and "genius" and whatever... They were really impressed by the whole "show" and by the technology used and I GET that on one hand, because it IS something different and new and it is impressive (which doesn't mean it is good, I'll develop later), and this person is much older than me and they kept insisting on how, for them, in the past, this would have sounded impossible and how it's amazing that it's happening! That one person would manage to fund that by himself and not a whole country! (which again, impressive, NOT good. The fact that ONE person has the same amount of money as a large country, while others are poorer and poorer every day... The slow erasure of a middle class as social inequality becomes more and more severe every day... The fact that all this money was conquered by exploiting several poorly paid workers in shitty jobs with bad conditions... All those are symptoms of a DEATHLY ill economic system that not only has gone WRONG already but still insists on pretending to be functional while dragging down everyone along with it to the absolute limit before it collapses entirely on itself, leaving a painful scar on the people it took advantage of AND on the planet it has exploited for so long).

Going back to the point, I get it that "space travel" is a magical sci-fi dream for many people, both young and old, and that older people who think differently from most of us young adult Tumblr users would be super impressed by it, BUT... This is still so... So bad! Most of it - if not everything about it - is such an absurd scenario!

Well, knowing by previous experience that criticizing Bezos' amount of money and how he acquired it would be useless and that he'd end up defended anyways, I tried criticizing the ecological aspect of the whole thing first! But the answer I got was "Hah! A lot of stuff pollutes the world much more and no one talks about it", which, like... 1- Your point being?? That's no excuse to ignore absolutely useless shit like this polluting the earth even more just so billionaires can feel special because they can go to space while millions of people starve, die and suffer. Besides the fact that insisting on investing in this kind of technology instead of trying to prioritize Eco-friendly technologies and research is PRECISELY why a lot of other things pollute so much more - because every time someone comes up with something new they insist on not giving a fuck about the environmental aspect of their tech... So both the issues are correlated, this is not a "different thing that is less important" this is ONE of the symptoms. And 2 - Yes we DO talk about it, very often, all the time, and we hate it, and criticize it, and wish it would change. How many younger people are legit extremely worried about the environment and about the several ways governments, industries and other large-scale processes like that damage the environment? Damn, we DO complain about those!

But OK. Didn't wanna argue, so I started just using my phone instead... Then another person joins the conversation. The two of them are now like "This technology may not be put to good use now, the Space Tourism is a bad idea and it's stupid... BUT they could use the same device for other kinds of travel! Something from the technology used here could be used later for useful projects! Imagine, we could use the same rocket type tech to make commercial international flights, for example!" and I was silently thinking "Yeah right and emit even MORE useless pollution just because people wanna get to other places EVEN faster! And just because some idiots who have the money would pay THAT MUCH to be able to go faster to Paris or whatever!"

That is NOT NECESSARY and it is not SUSTAINABLE, it is not viable in long-term! Why would we use this kind of shit that is MORE expensive and MORE pollution-emitting?? Because it's faster?? Well let me tell you something then! Being faster is not only unnecessary but in this context we are living right now, it's A BAD IDEA, because our society is ALREADY deeply sick about the need to speed up literally everything and everyone has anxiety and is unable to wait a single second for anything, and so they expect faster and faster results every time, and companies - who LOVE not giving a shit about workers' mental health and well-being - expect more and more and more in less time! And this adds up pressure and stress on people's lives - which, by the way, is one of the things THIS very person from my family always complains about 'modern days'... The fact is that if traveling between continents FASTER became an actual accessible thing, that would probably just become another stupid insane standard for our already impossible-to-keep-up-with lives! Because if you travel abroad so quickly, then you are expected to get back to work on the same day and fuck jet-lag... Or anything similar! I don't know!

Anyway, I did go on a tangent here because I'm so angry and I started ranting over my rant. Let me go back to the POINT.

I was silent all the time as they kept talking about it, because honestly, no matter what I replied, they'd be like "You're too radical!", "don't exaggerate", "there are much worse things" and SPECIALLY "but the scientific advancement!"

And my WHOLE POINT HERE is that this is NOT "advancement"! It is scientific creation, development even if you will, but not "advancement"! Because it emits ridiculous amounts of carbon and other kinds of pollution in a planet that is already suffering so much environmentally and literally CANNOT HANDLE that anymore!

It is not advancement if its so expensive that only the 1% people (who hold most the money in the world) can pay for it, while billions of others just watch and starve and die in floods and fires CAUSED by that sort of shit!

That’s not "advancement"! That is fucking technological masturbation coming from egocentric morons who only want to get more money and show off!

Advancement would be coming up with actual, real solutions that help people in their daily lives! Advancement would be coming up with technologies and solutions that would work BETTER for everyone and not just to fill billionaire's asses with MORE money! It would be to find new ways to do what we do today without destroying the environment, or finding new cheaper ways to produce products and services so that more people can have access to them! And this is the absolute OPPOSITE of that! It is insisting on a way of doing things that is outdated, unsustainable and destructive, and that doesn't FIT our reality anymore and should be left BEHIND while we still have time to change!

BESIDES scientific advancement has been happening ALL OVER the world for CENTURIES and all we need is that the RIGHT technologies get attention and investment. Eco-friendly technology EXISTS we could clean the seas, we could generate free electricity for all, we could invest on lab grown meat, we could do SO much that would be actually useful and nice and helpful, but instead those sons of BITCHES only want to play in space and maybe some day run away when the planet is too sick to be fixed, leaving us - the poor ones - behind to die.

The fact is that we don't need cocky, bastard, exploitative billionaires to have scientific advancement! It would exist anyway, perhaps in better ways! And people should STOP considering technologies that are more harmful to the world than helpful as "advancements"! Because they are not, they are a problem, they are like if a man invented a flamethrower inside a house that is literally on fire and everyone found it amazing because "now we can set fire on stuff more easily and faster" yeah like, AWESOME but can we solve the PROBLEMS caused by that instead??

And honestly, I hate the excuse that "space represents hope for many people in a world that is bound to destruction" like, there would be NO need to go to space to begin with if we focused on fixing what's wrong instead of that ridiculous bullshit disguised as research or whatever when it's obviously just two things: showing off their horrible amounts of money and making MARKETING of an unnecessary service that will only benefit those who already have the easiest lives of all of us while causing issues to all others! JUST so that these billionaires can make MORE money. It's DISGUSTING.

There is NOTHING wrong about space travel as a concept, nothing wrong with researching and developing technologies that may allow us to explore space! Space exploration would be AWESOME! BUT if we're gonna work on something like that, we have to develop it in a way that doesn't harm the world EVEN MORE. We have to have priorities! We have to focus on NOT destroying this planet, for FUCK'S sake! And if the only way we have to explore space right now is by damaging our already fucked up environment even more, then NEWSFLASH, BABY - this is not the TIME to do space travel yet! AND SPECIALLY NOT FOR BILLIONAIRE SPACE TOURISM.

[maxwell-grant]

Sherlock Holmes for the Listing meme?

favorite thing about them

I have some pretty mixed feelings on Holmes where I never quite got into the character as much as I could or may have liked to, but at the same time, he's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember (I grew up legitimately thinking he was a real person and only discovered otherwise in my early teens, and Conan Doyle may have been the first big-name author I remember reading).

I guess if I had to narrow down something more personal, the idea of Holmes as this really smart, incredibly knowledged person, who nevertheless could be insensitive, awkward, lonely, disinterested in relationships or social occasions, and still be a well-respected hero with strong friendships and a noble purpose, might have been more important for me to read about back then than I gave it credit for at the time.

A lot of people are very attached to the idea that Holmes is autistic or "coded" as autistic, and I have some misgivings towards that idea (mainly because often times it seems to me like "coded" is just a replacement word for stereotype), but in retrospect, it kinda was important for me to read about a character who was a little more like, well, like me basically, than the usual adventure hero. I guess it's kinda why I distinctly remember being sad upon learning that Holmes wasn't a real person, even though by that point I really should have known better.

And to an extent I think that's also part of why Sherlock managed to effectively sustain the kind of popularity he had, that he felt "real" to begin with. That he appealed to audiences worldwide in ways even they didn't quite understand at the time. He was not the most published character worldwide, possibly not even the most popular one in his time, but he was modern and vivid to an extent that's allowed him to outlast the Nick Carters and Sexton Blakes and Nat Pinkertons of his time, and become not just THE touchstone of 19th century detective fiction, but also a popular and modern character today. Holmes appeals a lot to people who can't quite see themselves as an outgoing action hero, but who can use their intelligence and reasoning to improve conditions for others, and I definitely think he owes at least some of his iconic popularity to that thoughtfulness.

least favorite thing about them

Definitely when adaptations have him be rude or belittling or dismissive to Watson, that's easily the fastest way to get me to dislike a Sherlock adaptation, and sadly that's been a trend even in the earliest days of Sherlock adaptations or fanfic (which, back in the day, were basically the same thing). I'm also really not a fan of the more asshole takes on Sherlock that comically exaggerate how rude and insensitive he is, or takes that just make him a crimefighting Sheldon Cooper, and-

Actually I'm just gonna say BBC's Sherlock and call it a day.

favorite line

My dear fellow," said Sherlock Holmes as we sat on either side of the fire in his lodgings at Baker Street, "life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generation, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.

brOTP

Well, duh. I'm also fond of the idea of him and Arsene Lupin having a more-friendly sort of rivalry, even if they can't quite be on the same side and I still ultimately prefer that Lupin takes the win (or at least the spiritual victory). And of course I have my pet headcanons about him and The Shadow being acquaintances.

OTP

None in particular. I like the popular headcanon that Holmes is asexual, and this doesn't exactly mean he can't have an amorous or sexual relationship with anyone, but generally I don't think of Holmes in those terms.

nOTP

Irene Adler. I think it kinda goes without saying too.

random headcanon

I'd like to play around with the idea of Sherlock often trying to find healthier outlets for his boredom and attention span, that aren't crime-solving or cocaine (largely thanks to Watson bugging him), that he spends an adventure trying to get the hang of while doing his thing, and may or may not turn out to be revelant

Like he's discussing crime scene details with Lestrade while balancing a broom on his foot El Chavo-style, and he remarks that, yes, of course this is research, the robber may have disguised himself as a janitor in order to sneak past police headquarters, and without fingerprints, he needs to try and measure the size and weight of the man by gauging the available brooms at the police station they could have used.

Lestrade doesn't question anything Sherlock does anymore, and Watson is trying very hard to keep a straight face because he knows it's not true, Holmes has been at this for over a week now at home, but it's been a slow week and he'll encourage anything if it keeps Holmes off the cocaine (can't make promises on nicotine though, but, baby steps).

unpopular opinion

I guess the closest I'd have to one would be that I actually prefer Holmes as more of a side character rather than an active protagonist and that I don't think the premise of "Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century" is the most idiotic thing ever and I am very willing to give the show a chance when I watch it.

I think maybe my real unpopular opinion as a Sherlock fan is that I don't think Arthur Conan Doyle was unjustified in his hatred of Sherlock's popularity, considering that he was dealing with an aggressive fandom long before people had an idea on how to deal with that sort of thing, and he could not have possibly predicted the sheer influence his character was going to have on fiction as a whole.

Also, he was right about some of the things he believed in. Yes, that includes the fairies. No, it doesn't make him any less gullible for having fallen for that trick.

song i associate with them

None in particular so instead I'm going to present the theme from The Great Mouse Detective, which I'm sure goes without saying is the best adaptation of Sherlock Holmes alongside those starred by Jeremy Brett, and DEFINITELY has the best version of Moriarty by a country mile.

favorite picture of them

For the moment I'm going to say this illustration by Jess Miriam. I love it's usage of shadow, it's background, the light coming off the pipe and the smoke encircling Holmes, and I love the scene it depicts from "The Man With The Twisted Lip", where Holmes at once seems to perform an act of utmost kindness but is, in reality, solving the mystery through a most unorthodox and yet ingenious method, all with the smallest of gestures. Definitely speaks a lot to what I most like about Sherlock Holmes

[pixieminutes]

Back For Her | HJS

genre: angst, slight fluff, dad!jisung

members: han jisung x reader, brother!yang jeongin, bang chan, seo changbin, hwang hyunjin, lee felix, kim seungmin, lee minho

warnings: mafia!skz, gun use, swearing, pregnant!reader

15th March [19:32]

“jisung, i’m serious,” you sighed.

“and so am i,” jisung said, “look, i’m sorry.”

“you told me you’d be home!”

“y/n, this is big. you have to understand where i’m coming from, huh? the government. our government, is actually a bunch of crooks,” jisung spat, disgusted at the memory of jungle city mafia running the government, “you can’t even imagine how much danger the entire country– no, the entire world will be in if we don’t do this.”

“but, what about jiwoong?” you said, tears filling your eyes.

“he’ll be in danger, y/n, we all will if i don’t go and do this,” jisung whispered, crouching in front of you, taking your hands in his.

“why do you have to go?” you asked, letting the tears fall from your eyes.

“i’m front line assassin, you know that,” jisung sighed, “why is this so different to anything else i’ve done?! jiwoong’s almost four now! he knows i go away on business for a while!”

“jisung,” you said, taking a shaky breath as you took jisung’s hand and laid it on your stomach, “i’m pregnant. your second child is inside of me and i don’t know what to do if you and my brother both go to destroy the government!”

jisung let out a breath he didn’t even realise he was holding, “serious?”

you sighed, reaching into your bedside table and pulling out the pregnancy tests you’d taken only two days prior, “serious.”

jisung’s eyes filled with tears as he pulled you into a hug, “i’ll be safe.”

“you’re still going?!”

“i have to!” jisung yelled, before sighing into your shoulder, “how far along are you?”

“2 and a half months. 10 weeks,” you sighed, sitting back on the bed, placing your head in your hands, your elbows resting on your knees, “i went to the doctor a couple days ago.”

“no, daddy!” jiwoong yelled, running in the room, “mummy’s sad now!”

“i’m sorry, woong,” jisung pouted, taking his son into his arms, “i’m sorry. everything’s fine, okay? me and mummy are just thinking about something.”

“are you going away?” jiwoong asked, pulling away so he could look at his dad.

jisung sighed, looking up at you.

“yeah,” you nodded, wiping your tears away and joining them on the floor, “daddy’s going to be going away for a while. he has something very important to do.”

jisung nodded, “so you’ve got to take care of mummy, and your new baby sibling, okay?”

“baby sibling?!” jiwoong exclaimed.

jiwoong nodded excitedly, “i want a brother!”

“hmm, we’ll have to see,” you chuckled, “come on. why are you out of bed, huh? let’s put you back where you belong.”

jiwoong laughed as you carried him out the room, his body flailing around in your arms.

jisung stood up and followed the two of you to his nursery, standing in the doorway and watching as you read your son a bedtime story.

he was gonna go. that was for sure. he had to. for you, jiwoong and baby junior.

28th March [15:02]

“just please promise me you’ll be safe,” you said, holding jisung close, one hand on the back of his head, one of the small of his back.

he took a deep breath, his arms wrapped around your waist, “i promise. i’ll come home and i’ll be the best father for these two, okay?”

you nodded, finally pulling away and holding jisung’s face for a second, giving him another kiss before finally letting go.

“he’ll be fine, y/n,” jeongin said, “we’ll all be.”

“i know you will,” you sighed, pulling him into a hug, “i just get slightly worried knowing my twin brother, my husband and all their friends are a mafia group.”

jeongin laughed, “you make it sound like we’re a regular mafia group.”

you rolled your eyes, pushing him away with a laugh just in time to see jiwoong handing his dad a small toy frog he owned, and quite frankly, treasured.

jisung swallowed a lump in his throat, looking at the plastic frog, “are you sure, bud? i might be gone for a while.”

jiwoong nodded, “uncle chan told me that it’s magic! and you need luck. magic luck.”

jisung smiled, pulling his son into one last hug, “thank you, woong. i’ll return him safely, okay?”

jiwoong nodded, watching his dad stand up and smile at you one last time.

“we ready?” chan asked, “bye jiwoong!”

jiwoong ran over to you, clinging onto your leg as he waved goodbye to his dad and seven uncles.

“you alright, jiwoong-ah?” you asked, crouching down to look your son in the eye as he nodded, “you were very grown up for giving daddy your frog.”

“he needs it,” jiwoong nodded wisely, “can we play outside now?”

you chuckled, “of course, come on.”

30th March [18:22]

“isn’t this a bit obvious, chan?” changbin inquired, looking down at the city out the window that took up the entire wall of the bedroom.

“nope, cause they have no idea who we are,” chan sighed, laying out various styles of clothes on the bed, as well as hair dye and scissors.

“oh god,” jisung said, shaking his head.

“desperate times, desperate measures,” chan shrugged.

“yes! now it feels like i’m an undercover spy!” felix exclaimed.

“you’re in the mafia,” minho said, an undoubtably judging tone in his voice.

“i bagsy red,” jeongin said, grabbing the dye before anyone could stop him.

“is brown different enough?” jisung asked, grabbing the ends of his black hair.

“it doesn’t matter, as long as we all slightly change, it’ll throw them off,” chan said, grabbing the bleach, “they’re not very smart.”

“you have a razor?” changbin asked, shrugging, “always wanted an undercut.”

chan chuckled, “crazy bastard. in there.”

“oh god, please don’t do it yourself,” hyunjin sighed, following after changbin into the room where chan just pointed.

jisung sighed, sitting down on the bed nearest the window as the rest of the boys dispersed out, apart from jeongin and chan.

“how do you think red’ll look?” jeongin asked, looking at his brother-in-law.

jisung chuckled, “it’ll be fine. it’s only temporary anyway.”

jeongin squinted his eyes to the box, “hmm, don’t know about that.”

jisung laughed half-heartedly, shoving his hands in his pockets and smiling as he felt jiwoong’s frog.

“you alright?” jeongin asked, looking at jisung with innocent eyes.

“he has a family! he’s soft now!” hyunjin exclaimed.

“fuck off, hwang!” jisung exclaimed, “truthfully...”

“what?” chan asked, peering up at jisung, “if y/n didn’t want you to come, don’t feel guilty.”

“but i do!” jisung exclaimed, “fuck it. she’s pregnant. again. but i just– shit! i’m just so fucking worried that something’s gonna go wrong and i– i’m never gonna even see my second child.”

jeongin’s eyes widened, “she’s pregnant?!”

jisung nodded, “she told me a couple days before we left. jiwoong knows as well, so i told him to take care of them, but... shit.”

“it’s okay, sung,” chan said, “we’ll destroy these bastards and we’ll be home in time for some of y/n’s pregnancy and for sure, the birth of your second child. i promise.”

jisung nodded, “thank you, chan.”

7th April [08:33]

“we go in, we get buddy-buddy. do not try and get any information, just try and get friends,” chan said, “we don’t want anyone suspecting us.”

the boys all nodded, chan giving them one final nod as they all entered the breakfast hall.

“mr. park? oh how great it is to finally be in your presence! nice to meet you, i’m jihoon,” jisung said, “kang jihoon?”

“of course! mr. kang, how are you doing?” park yidam greeted jisung, inviting him to pull up a chair next to him, “i’d say we have a lot of introducing to do.”

“too right we do,” jisung said with a friendly laugh, one hand on mr. park’s back, one holding jiwoong’s frog as tightly as he could.

“uncle chan told me that it’s magic! and you need luck. magic luck.”

jiwoong’s voice rang in his head.

god, please, please be magic luck. please.

28th April [16:38]

“we’ve been successful so far, but we need a moment, we need a time that we can really pounce on them, alright?” chan explained, “from talking to mr. moon, i’ve discovered that they’re having a grand press conference august 5th. that will be our time.”

the boys all nodded as jisung furrowed his eyebrows. august?

“10 weeks. i went to the doctor a couple days ago.”

“august?!” jisung exclaimed.

chan nodded, “august 5th. we’ll take them down and we’ll go back. home by august 7th.”

“chan, do you understand? by august 7th my wife’s gonna be eight months pregnant, taking care of a fucking four-year-old,” jisung spat, “i’m gonna miss my son’s fourth birthday, i’m gonna miss most of my wife’s pregnancy. this baby isn’t even gonna know who their dad is! do you know how much i’m missing right now?! i can’t stay here till august!”

“jisung, that’s the choice you made.”

jisung felt anger pierce his veins. chan was lovely, he really was. he was good at talking, he was nice to people, he was good with kids, but the one thing he wasn’t good at was making long lasting connections with people. not unless he’d seen you at your worst and raised you up to your best.

“i can’t be here right now,” jisung sighed, leaving the long meeting table and storming out the room.

“what do you want me to say, jisung?” chan asked, storming to the door.

“god, i don’t want you!” jisung yelled, “i just want my fucking family! that’s all i want! i want to kiss my wife and sing my son to sleep! i want to watch my baby grow! and i don’t care if all of you lonely dickwads think i’ve become soft! maybe i have! maybe you should try it!”

“jisung, just go,” chan sighed, “i’ll call when dinner’s ready.”

jisung turned away, feeling tears prick at his eyes as he stormed up the stairs. how he longed to hold you in his arms.

he wanted you.

he wanted jiwoong.

he wanted to sleep with you on one arm, jiwoong nestled in between the two of you, peacefully.

1st May [19:13]

“i’ve decided we can’t do this alone,” chan sighed, “seungmin, you keep researching and make sure the city jungle mafia have absolutely nothing to do with nct.”

“nct?” jisung asked, “are you sure?”

“this is what we need,” chan sighed, “we need as many men as possible and who else when you need numbers?”

changbin nodded thoughtfully, “i could call wooyoung if you wanted atz in on it too?”

chan smiled, “i like your thinking. guys, rest time now, sleep well so we can keep making connections tomorrow.”

“hey, chan?” jisung called, catching his leader’s arm as he went to walk out the room, “i– i made up my mind. i’ll stay till august. i mean, i know you think that was my only option but truthfull—”

“don’t be stupid, ji,” chan sighed, “i know that wasn’t your only option. i literally cannot even begin to imagine how hard it is on you right now. but, when we get back in august, you’ll have a baby that is basically here and your family will be safe. i can promise you that.”

jisung smiled, “thanks, hyung.”

“now go and rest, kang jihoon-ah,” chan chuckled.

21st May [09:12]

“daddy! daddy! dad—”

jiwoong stopped in his tracks, looking at the half empty bed in his parents’ room and sighing. he walked over, his bunny hanging from his hand as he pulled himself onto the bed.

“jiwoong, ah,” you smiled, waking up as you felt his cold hands and feet touch your back.

you rolled over, pulling him into your chest, “our jiwoong-ie is four! you’re so grown up! i remember when you were in my tummy like junior!”

jiwoong giggled slightly, but it ended in a sigh and you frowned.

“what’s wrong, baby? you can’t be sad on your birthday!” you exclaimed.

“i made a birthday wish,” jiwoong pouted, “b-but it didn’t come true.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, “what was it woong? maybe we could make it come true.”

“i wished for daddy.”

you took a shaky breath, watching as jiwoong started to cry for his dad’s absence. you sighed, sitting up and pulling him into your lap.

“it’s okay, i know,” you cooed, “i know, jiwoong-ah. if i could wish for anything, i’d wish for daddy as well.”

jiwoong screamed and cried and cried, wrapping his thin arms around your neck and burying his head in your neck.

“daddy’s doing something really important, okay?” you sighed, “he’ll be home soon. i promise, he really will.”

19th June [23:00]

“mr. park! what a delight to see you here!” jisung exclaimed, already one glass of wine deep, but he knew that park yidam was a lot further.

“kang jihoon!” yidam exclaimed, “my friend, oh, it is great to see a familiar face.”

jisung chuckled, watching the filthy rich man as he filled his glass with whiskey.

“you’re having a glass?” mr. park offered.

“why not?” jisung laughed, the way posh men do when they’ve said something entirely not funny.

“let me tell you, i really mean it when i say i’m glad to see you,” mr. park said, lowering his voice, “i have a confession to make, but it’s also a proposal.”

“oh?” jisung said, raising his voice in interest as he brought the glass of whiskey to his lips, pretending to take a sip.

“the government, us,” mr. park said, laughing incredulously, “we’re no real politicians. we’re a mafia group.”

jisung’s acting skills were leading up to this moment, he dropped his mouth open, looking to mr. park with wide eyes and quickly chucking his drink under the table while mr. park threw his head back laughing.

“mr. park! i– i don’t– how can i say anything?”

“don’t worry, we have... morals. of sorts,” mr. park laughed, “we’re called jungle city, and we want you, and your friends, to join us. join us in the revolution.”

jisung sighed, trying desperately not to flinch as mr. park got closer and closer to his face with every word, his breath smelling like a mixture of various types of alcohol and cigars.

“what do you say, jihoon?” mr. park asked, sticking his hand out, “join us?”

jisung smiled, shaking mr. park’s hand, before turning to chan and winking.

26th July [12:36]

“jiwoong! lunch is ready!” you exclaimed.

“coming, mummy!” jiwoong exclaimed, skipping into the kitchen.

“ooh, very pretty choice of clothing,” you complemented, looking at his pale blue shirt and black jeans, “you eat, okay? i’ll go and clean your room.”

jiwoong giggled, “can i watch cartoons, mummy?”

you scrunched up your nose, sighing, “how can i ignore that beautiful face, hmm? go on then, use my phone.”

you heaved yourself off the chair, as jiwoong climbed onto one, walking into your son’s nursery where, just as you feared, clothes covered every square inch of the floor.

you sighed, placing a hand on your six-month-pregnant stomach. he really didn’t make it easy for you, did he?

you began to bend down, finding that it was not the best option as you could barely even reach your toes. lifting yourself back up, you went with simply sitting on the floor and picking up each item one-by-one, folding them up and placing them back in the drawers.

you could feel junior moving around inside of you, their little legs working hard to hit the outside world. as you leaned forward and picked up one of jisung’s old t-shirts, you sighed.

“fucking hell, han jisung,” you murmered, “i really didn’t think it was gonna be this long.”

as you blinked, a thought flashed through your head.

what if he wasn’t back in time for junior’s birth?

5th August [14:42]

“they’re coming,” jeongin said through his walkie-talkie, the voice ringing in the ear of each member of skz, atz and nct, “on a massive float, can’t miss them.”

“thanks for that, dickwad,” changbin said, rolling his eyes.

“seungmin, now,” chan instructed, seungmin walking just beside the float, hyunjin and jisung joining him.

as the seven boys followed after the float, chan nodded at them.

“felix, go to nct,” chan instructed, “when i say now, you get them to go, okay?”

jisung nudged changbin, “stay safe, okay? remember your ear plugs.”

changbin chuckled, shoving jisung, “softie.”

jisung smiled, handing changbin one of the bags in his hand, all three containing rifles, as he handed the other one to chan, nodding subtly.

chan smiled as the three boys got into place in the outskirts of the plaza.

“jisung, get mr. park. changbin, get mr. jang,” chan said, aiming his rifle exactly in the middle, “i’ve got mr. moon.”

“you’re dead on,” jeongin said, looking at the cctv screens, “ready?”

“as i’ll ever be,” jisung sighed.

“now!” chan exclaimed, the three boys shooting their desired men as the 29 boys ran at them from behind, some were carrying weapons, some had insane skills.

“chan, i– i don’t think it’s just the government,” jeongin said, a panicked voice, “the crowd. they’re not here for this.”

“felix, attack the crowd,” chan instructed, “we have to stop them.”

“do they have weapons?” changbin asked, “...jeongin! do they have weapons?!”

jeongin sighed, “i can’t see that well.”

“i’m going up,” changbin groaned, climbing onto the podium were the men of the government were just standing.

“attention!” he yelled, the seven other skz boys looking on with bated breath as nct and atz began attacking the threatening members of the crowd, “this was not our government. this was not any government. they weren’t politicians, they had no morals, no values. they were members of a mafia group who were going to take this country into ruin.”

the cameras were all pointed directly at changbin as he took a deep breath.

“you don’t need to know who we are, but you need to know that you were saved from something big,” changbin said, “today will go down in history. now bring mr. kim back to the office. fuck them! thank you!”

“dude, i have a four-year-old who could be watching right now,” jisung sighed.

“oop, sorry jiwoong,” changbin said, “and any other kids watching. don’t join the mafia!”

5th August [18:00]

“jiwoong! jiwoong!” you exclaimed, “daddy’s done! daddy’s coming home!”

jiwoong looked at you with his head tilted to the side as tears poured down your face.

“look! look! it’s uncle changbin!” you said, pointing to the tv as the news re-ran the press conference, “daddy’s safe! he’s coming home!”

jiwoong smiled, bursting out in giggled as he jumped up and down, both of you dancing in glee.

you stopped, laughing at your son as you placed a hand on your eight-month-pregnant stomach, grimacing slightly as you felt a surge of pain through your lower back and abdomen.

“oh god,” you breathed, “oh no.”

“mummy?” jiwoong asked.

“mummy’s alright, everything’s okay,” you smiled, “okay? let’s put you to bed, alright?”

jiwoong giggled, “but i’m too excited! i don’t want to go to bed!”

you felt a proper contraction kick in, gasping slightly at the pain, as jiwoong kept dancing.

“come on, please,” you said, your breathing heavy, “let’s go to bed, hmm? otherwise i’ll tell daddy that you were misbehaving for me.”

“i’m going!” he laughed, running up the stairs, leaving you to wallow in a pain for a moment, before the contraction passed.

“i’ll come and tuck you in,” you said, following slowly behind.

“mummy, are you in pain?” jiwoong asked.

“it’s very hard to have junior,” you nodded, “and junior’s causing me a bit of pain right now. just go to bed, yeah?”

you kissed your son’s head as he smiled, thinking of his dad finally coming home, happily snug in his blanket.

you sighed, walking back out and pulling his door to, jumping at the sound of your phone ringing.

“finally,” jisung panted down the phone, “it’s finally over, i can call you and i’m coming home baby.”

your eyes filled with tears at jisung’s voice, “but sungie. junior’s coming as well.”

“wh-what?!”

“i just– i just got a contraction,” you sighed, “i mean it didn’t last long and i’ll try to hold out but, shit, ji, what do i do?”

“i’ll be home. i promise. i will,” jisung sighed, “i love you. if your water breaks, go straight, okay?”

you nodded, taking a breath, “well done, ji. i’m proud of you.”

jisung smiled, “i love you.”

“i love you too.”

you sighed as jisung hung up the phone, both of you at either end of the country having a flashing thought.

“you’re staying in there whether you like it or not,” you said, rubbing your stomach.

what if he wasn’t back in time for junior’s birth?

“chan, is there any way of going quicker?” jisung asked.

chan rolled his eyes, “i know you miss them, ji, but i’m not putting us in danger after every—”

“bang chan, my wife is in labour and i would appreciate it if i could get home quickly.”

“oh my god,” jeongin gasped.

chan nodded, “ah. let’s go.”

8th August [20:10]

“jiwoong, come here please,” changbin said sternly, grabbing jiwoong’s arm and lifting him onto his lap, “just stay here, mister.”

“but i’m bored!” jiwoong whined.

“want me to tell you some stories?” minho asked.

jiwoong nodded excitedly as minho smiled.

“okay, so once, when we were all on a business trip, we had all our guns taken off us and were left with knives only. loads and loads of different types of knives—”

“guys!” jisung exclaimed, bursting out the hospital room, “she’s here.”

“she?” jiwoong said, “i have a sister?!”

jisung laughed, nodding as he crouched down, beconing for jiwoong to come closer, “you want to meet her?”

jiwoong nodded slowly, happily being lifted up by his dad.

“jeongin?” jisung called, “you wanna come?”

“r-really?” jeongin stuttered.

jisung smiled, “you’re family, you know.”

jeongin smiled, following his brother-in-law and nephew into the hospital room where you were laying half-asleep in the bed, an incubator laying beside you.

“why’s she in there?” jeongin asked, looking at the medical equipment.

“she’s a few weeks early,” you whispered, “it’s just to make her stronger.”

jisung lifted the lid, bringing her out and rocking her gently.

“she’s tiny,” jeongin gasped.

“junior!” jiwoong exclaimed.

“want to know her real name?” you asked.

“it’s not junior?” he pouted.

you laughed, shaking your head, “jaeun.”

“jaeun?” jiwoong repeated, “alright.”

“han jaeun,” jisung said, “our little magic star.”

there was silence for a moment before jisung looked to jiwoong and gasped, “oh! that reminds me.”

he handed your daughter to you, reaching in his pocket and keeping something clasped in his hands as he beckoned jiwoong over.

“here,” jisung whispered, unclasping his hands to reveal two plastic frogs, “this one joined me one day when i was out doing business. he said he made the magic luck even bigger!”

jiwoong’s eyes sparkled with wonder as he inspected the frogs.

“have them,” jisung smiled, “they’re yours.”

“both of them?” jiwoong asked.

jisung nodded, “go on. they helped me, and now they’ll help you.”

“thank you, daddy!” jiwoong exclaimed, hugging his dad.

jisung smiled, hanging on just a bit tighter, “god, i missed you.”

[janeykath318]

Darcy and the Prince (Shieldshock)

“I’m going to be so happy when this is over and we can all get on with our lives,” grumbled Darcy, as she helped her friend into her very beautiful white wedding dress, fit for the princess Jane was about to become. Jane had met the Asgardian Prince Thor while visiting the country on a science quest (as Darcy referred to her research trips) and the two had, against all odds, fallen head over heels in love and became engaged a year later. Despite the meddlings, of Thor’s troublemaking brother Loki, they’d made it to the wedding day and Darcy was playing bridesmaid and generally trying to keep Jane from going full bridezilla. 

“Hmm, maybe you’ll be singing a different tune once you’ve met some of Thor’s friends,” Jane suggested, as she was buttoned up. “He knows a lot of attractive, single, people.”

Darcy rolled her eyes and grimaced as she worked on the last few buttons. 

“Ugh. NO, JANE. I do not need that drama in my life right now. I’m gonna finish my masters, then go globe-trotting and enjoy being single and free. Men are more trouble than they’re worth.”

“Sometimes I want to wring Ian’s neck for what he did to you,” Jane said vehemently. Darcy’s last boyfriend had turned out to be an utter cheating scum and she’d ended up with a broken heart, hence her general annoyance with men. 

“Thor and I got our revenge,” Darcy said, smiling at the memory. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to trust again. Don’t be sad, Janie. I’m super happy to have you and Thor and Eric as buddies. Now, let’s get finished so we can get you down that aisle!”

Before she knew it, Darcy was preceding Jane down the aisle and trying not to start bawling. She was a shameless wedding weeper and knew it would be even worse this time since it was her best friend getting married. 

As she blinked rapidly, she took a glance up front where a beaming Thor was standing, along with several other very striking, very well dressed men. She caught the eye of a gorgeous blonde decked out in full prince uniform and he smiled at her, which did funny things to her insides and it took all her self control to not stare at him through the whole ceremony. 

Of course, by the time the happy couple kissed and was announced as husband and wife, Darcy could barely see through her tears and just hoped she’d grabbed the right man’s arm to walk her back down the aisle. 

“I’m sorry,” she sniffled to her unknown escort. “I always weep an embarrassing amount at weddings and these dresses NEVER have pockets to stash tissues in.” 

“Nothing to be sorry for,” a very pleasant voice answered. “I admit, I shed some tears as well. Luckily, I always carry a back up handkerchief. Here.”

A soft cloth was pressed into her hand, and Darcy gratefully accepted it, finally managing to wipe the tears away. Vision cleared, she was able to see her helpful person and let out a gasp as she saw it was the gorgeous blonde princey dude. Up close, it was clear she’d grabbed the arm of Prince Steven, one of the most swooned over royalties to ever grace the papers. 

“Wow, thanks, your highness,” she said breathlessly. “I’m afraid this thing is ruined. It looks like my waterproof mascara is not actually waterproof.”

She held up the handkerchief, which was now smeared with black streaks. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Prince Steven said, pretty blue eyes crinkling in a smile. “Like I said, I’ve got extra.”

“You’re the best,” Darcy blurted, then turned red. “Ohmm….. I’m gonna go repair the damages before they start the pictures. Will you let Jane and Thor know where I’ve gone? It should only take a few minutes.”

“Sure,” the Prince said kindly. “And please, call me Steve.”

Darcy ventured to look back at him, and saw nothing but genuine friendliness in his kind eyes. She fell a bit in love right there.

“Nice to meet you…...Steve,” she managed, a tad shyly. “I’m Darcy, by the way.”

“Lewis?” he asked, recognition appearing in his expression.

“The very same,” she confirmed. “I take it Thor’s mentioned me?” 

“He sure has,” Steve answered. “He calls you his lightning sister and is frequently expounding on your wit, brains, and beauty. I’d have to agree with him. You are stunning.”

Darcy felt herself blush like a tomato. 

“You’re one to talk, Prince GQ,” she sassed, to cover up her internal freak out over his compliment. “Be right back!” 

With that she picked up her skirts and swished off to the restroom, leaving Steve looking after her with great amusement and interest. Darcy Lewis was a very strikingly lovely woman and the blue dress she was wearing greatly flattered her figure and emphasized her bright blue eyes. Thor had tried to set him up with her before, but Steve had stubbornly refused. Now that he’d met her, He thought he’d been an idiot. 

“Are you well, Darcy?” Thor inquired, when she had rejoined the others.

“Yeah. My mascara betrayed me and made me start looking like one of those goth rock stars,” she told him. “That’s the Last time I use THAT brand. Congratulations, by the way.”

She offered up hugs to the happy couple, before they were whisked away for pictures with the official royal photographer. 

Spotting Steve, she casually strolled over and watched a bit as he talked to a group of individuals, who must have been his friends, because he looked so much more relaxed and was laughing and smiling in a very jovial manner. He kept his public persona very buttoned up and stiff, so seeing him like this was utterly fascinating and Darcy was becoming more and more attracted every minute. She chatted with Bruce Banner for a little bit, then helped Jane manage her train in between shots. 

They were so cute together, it was almost sickening. Thor looked at Jane like she was his whole universe and Jane looked at Thor like he was the only man in existence. 

“I want to look at someone the way she looks at him,” Darcy murmured, half to herself, half to the blue and gold clad figure who had joined her. 

“Me too,” Steve agreed, sounding very wistful. 

“Shouldn’t be that hard for you, dude,” she pointed out. 

He chuckled ruefully, blushing a bit.

“I’ve discovered there’s a big difference between starstruck lust, and real love and I haven’t seemed to find the latter yet. Most of them aren’t interested in getting to know the real me at all.”

“That’s sad,” Darcy told him. “You seem like you’d be very interesting, once you get past the whole princely trappings and regal persona. Tell me, Steve, what makes you tick?”

Steve turned to look at her, and she felt like the blue eyes were piercing through her, searching for something. Whatever he saw, it must have eased his mind, because he took a deep breath and started talking.

“For one thing, I’m very passionate about using my position to do as much good as I can, not be just some stuffed shirt figurehead,” he told her. “I’m also very fond of the arts and am in the process of starting an art school for underprivileged kids. I’m hoping they’ll let me teach, because I love to draw and paint.”

“That’s awesome,” Darcy said warmly, giving him an approving nod.

“I also love dogs and help out at the shelters whenever I can.” He continued. “They’re so much more pleasant than dealing with parliament.” 

Darcy laughed at the distaste in his voice, but never got a chance to say anything else, because duty called. They shared a few looks across the room, and Steve shamelessly winked at her once when she pretended to strike a diva pose. 

They didn’t get close enough to actually talk again until the reception, when he sauntered up to Darcy as she was giggling at a ridiculous archery joke Clint had made. 

“Excuse me. Darcy, would you care for a dance?” He asked, holding out a white-gloved hand.

“Y-you’re asking me?” Darcy squeaked. 

“I don’t see any other Darcys around here, unless one of you has something to tell me,” Steve said dryly, squinting at Clint, Natasha, and Bruce, all of whom knew him. 

“Nope, not it,” Clint said, shaking his head.

“She’d love to,” Nastasha answered, giving Darcy a nudge forward.

“Yeah, I would, “ Darcy managed, taking the offered hand nervously.  Steve’s hand closed around hers and she felt a tingle up her spine.

She was in a dreamy daze as the prince expertly guided her around the floor. It was clear his princely education had included good dance technique and he was absolutely courtly about it. 

“Now, Darcy, it’s your turn to tell me what makes YOU tick,” he said after a few minutes of silently gazing at her. 

“Well, I live fueled by coffee and sarcasm, I majored in political science, and I’m not afraid to use my taser on creeps and jerks,” she told him proudly. “Also, I may have a thing for tall blonde princes.”

“Is that so?” He asked, a dangerously flirty tone in his voice.

“Yup,” she admitted. “Which is a little inconvenient seeing as how I’ve sworn off men.”

“That is too bad,” Steve agreed. “Any chance of possibly changing your mind?” 

“I’ll certainly let you try,” she told him, struggling to keep her mind from its fantasies about his magnificent broad shoulders and muscular arms. 

“Good,” Steve said, with another one of his stunning smiles. (If he kept doing that, there was no way she would be able to hold out long.)

“You look like you’re already planning your persuasive tactics,” she told him.

“Well, they don’t call me The Prince With A Plan for nothing,” Steve said, twirling Darcy around dramatically. Yeah, she was in SO much trouble. 

[willow-salix]

Fluffember Prompt: Time

Day 22 of Isolation on Tracy Island 2.0. 

There is weirdness going on in this villa, weirdness I tell you. They all seem to be getting on really well and I knew they were planning something, I just didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. 

"OK, what's going on?" I asked Alan, picking on the smallest of the bunch. He was often the weak link in the group, he couldn't stand to be accused of things he hadn't done. 

"Nothing!" he squawked but he had that shifty look in his eyes that I recognised far too well. 

"Nope, not buying it," I coughed, folding my arms. I was starting to feel better but I was still feeling delicate and needing to rest a lot or I was getting light headed and grumpy (although Gordon said I was always grumpy). 

"OK," he sighed, knowing he was beaten. 

I waved a hand in a 'continue' gesture. 

"It's thanksgiving tomorrow."

I gave him a blank look, because I'm English and even though I'd heard of thanksgiving it wasn't something that I knew anything about and I definitely didn't celebrate it. 

"We've never celebrated before," I said. 

"We'll we've never had the time before," he shrugged, not taking his eyes off his game. 

Scott came in to sit down beside me with a cup of Gordon's tea which he handed me. I swear if I drink much more of this tea I'd start to slosh and look like a lemon. 

"What he means is that International Rescue has taken up so much of our time for so long that we've never wanted to do a big celebration because it would always get interrupted. We tried the first few years but every time a rescue call would come in and we'd end up leaving, it stopped being worth the effort."

"We still try to do Christmas," John added, nudging me until I sipped my tea. Honestly, I hate tea, I only drink it when I'm not well because coffee tastes weird when I have a cold, but it was making me feel a bit better so I was sucking it up. 

"But thanksgiving ended up being forgotten," Alan finished. "So Dad said we should make the most of this year and the fact that it's unlikely we'll get a call."

"We know the world is in a bad place right now but people need to be grateful for the fact that, while they can't see their family and friends as much as they would like to, they are doing their bit to keep their loved ones safe. And that's what thanksgiving is about, spending time with family and being thankful for everything you have," Scott said. 

"I can understand that part," I nodded. "I just don't get the whole thanksgiving thing, it's not something we do where I'm from, so I know nothing about it. What's the story?" 

All three of them looked at each other, exchanging one of those silent looks that family does where they are communicating nonverbally.

" I too would like to understand more about this human custom," EOS said, her holographic symbol floating peacefully above the table. "It sounds most interesting."

"We could tell you, but Grandma would be better, she used to tell us the story when we were kids," Scott said. 

"Does this mean you guys have forgotten most of the story?" I guessed. 

"No, of course not!" Alan protested. 

I can't say I believed them. 

Grandma was duly summoned to the lounge and we all settled in various chairs and couches like kids in anticipation of storytime. 

"It all began around five hundred years ago," Grandma began, holding court like the Queen she is. "And a great many people in England were unhappy because their King wouldn't allow them to worship as they liked."

"Always the way," I muttered under my breath. "Always some king or other telling people how to pray. Couldn't even be a witch without being killed for it, but I know the Protestants had the same kind of trouble."

"The king told them they must worship his way or risk imprisonment or even death," Grandma said. "They were of course unhappy with this and a great many took it upon themselves to flee the country to settle elsewhere."

"So basically they yeet skeeted out of there?" I said. 

"That's one way of putting it," Scott laughed. 

"First they tried Holland, and called themselves Pilgrims, a word meaning someone who is always travelling to find something they love or a land where they could be happier. They said 'from place to place, toward heaven, their dearest country'."

I sipped my tea and listened, it was easy enough to follow so far, I knew about religious persecution, although I'd never left my home for it. 

"The pilgrims were happy there for a while, they were quiet, peaceful people, but they were very poor. And, when their children began to grow up, they didn't have the same upbringing as their parents had, they weren't like English children, they spoke Dutch, like the children of Holland and some grew very disobedient and refused to go to church anymore."

"Sounds legit."

"The parents weren't impressed with this and, after much deliberation they decided to move again, wishing to go somewhere they could live their own way and make their own rules. They hired two ships, the Mayflower-" 

"Oh, I've heard of that one! That's one thing I do know," I said, quite proud of my rather limited knowledge but you know, you gotta take what you can get. 

"They hired the Mayflower and the Speedwell to take them across the sea to another land where they could make their home."

"So the pilgrim Mamas and Papas were like forget this, we're gonna ship off somewhere we get to make the rules?" I asked. 

"Essentially, yes," John admitted. 

"Honestly, I'm not too sure what to think of this right now, but I'm reserving judgment."

Grandma gave me a squinty eyed look of warning and I mimed zipping my lips. 

"Unfortunately," she who must be obeyed continued, "the Speedwell was not a strong ship, and the captain had to take her home again before she had gone very far. The mayflower returned too to take some of the Speedwell's passengers. They travelled for more than two months-" 

"Two months!" Alan yelped, "we can go from here to England in less than an hour in Thunderbird One."

"Yeah, that's crazy," Virgil agreed, shaking his head like he couldn’t quite believe it. 

"They landed and started building the first homes on Christmas day, but the journey hadn't been kind to them, many were sick and still suffered months later so were little help in the house raisings. They had barely any food, they had landed in winter when the land was barren and frozen, with great snow falls the likes of which they had never seen before."

"That sucks," Gordon said. "They should have been better prepared."

"By the time spring arrived their number had reduced by half from illness, starvation and cold," Grandma said, continuing with her far from pleasant tale. "The indigenous tribes of the area came to help, being friendly people and offered grain, seeds and tools with which to farm as well as the knowledge of when and how to plant to make the most of the land."

"That was nice of them," EOS said. "I have observed that it is uncommon for  humans to help each other without payment or gain, but it seems that it was not always the case."

"No, it wasn't," John agreed. "No matter what you read of humans, EOS, remember that where there is bad there is also good. Unfortunately it's often the bad we hear about while the good remain unnoticed, but that doesn't lessen their value or importance."

I squeezed his knee affectionately, just because I could and it's funny to watch him jump sometimes. His hand landed on top of mine to prevent me doing it again but I knew he didn't mind really. 

"The pilgrims farmed well all summer and when the autumn cape and they had harvested their crops they decided that a feast was in order to celebrate their first year, their first harvest and their new life. They invited all their native friends to attend and they happily agreed, bringing with them deer and other foods to share. They must have enjoyed themselves because the party lasted for three days. And now we celebrate being thankful for what we have every year at thanksgiving," Grandma finished, looking pleased with herself. She obviously loved the story and had told it with a kind of familiar comfort which told me that it was once she'd heard many times before, probably from her own grandparents.

 I loved those kinds of stories, the ones that bring back memories or a time past, one's that make you smile when you think of them. 

"Wow, they really knew how to throw down and have a good time," Alan grinned. " Do we get a three day party?" 

"I wish we did, but no, " Scott chuckled, "nice try though, squirt."

"Right, now that you've all kept me busy telling you stories, I'm going to go and see if you're father is ready to go, he's taking me to the mainland for supplies for tomorrows meal." Grandma jumped up from couch with a lot more energy than I had (she was obviously invigorated by the thought of shopping) and toddled off to hunt down Jeff. 

"John?" EOS asked quietly. 

"Yes, EOS?" 

"I don't understand Grandma's story."

"What didn't you understand, baby girl?" I asked her, butting in because I was bored quite honestly. 

"I have checked the facts of the story and found that it is not historically accurate." 

"What isn't?" Alan asked. 

"It appears that, while the meal did indeed happen, it was not called the first thanksgiving until later and that it was actually an American president, Abraham Lincoln, who heard about the meal from a diary of the time and used it as a moral booster during the Civil War."

"Oh, well that's not as nice," Gordon admitted. 

"My research also tells me that the pilgrims and the native Americans did not stay friends for long, indeed there were many nasty things done to them culminating in the decimation of their culture. Therefore I do not understand why such a thing is celebrated."

"Unfortunately, that's the English for you," I sighed. "For a small country we've done a lot of harm, we've invaded a lot of countries and taken over thinking that our ways were better, when really the best way was that of the native people. It's one of the things about being English I'm not proud of."

"It's not always that simple," John started, adopting that patiently explaining tone of his. It wasn't that 'I'm talking to an idiot' one that some men end up doing, but one that showed he was willing to listen and engage in an actual conversation. And people wonder why I love him so much. 

"Why not? History cannot be ignored," EOS insisted. 

"In this instance, it's not about history being ignored, but the spirit of the holiday changing over time. In the case of Thanksgiving its more about taking time out of your lives to stop and think about why you are thankful, to think about what you have and what your are grateful to have. You spend time with your family and friends and share stories and time. As with many things in life its a nasty part of history that something positive has come out of."

"Like how a lot of people don't celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus, because they aren't religious in that way, but treat it more as a time of family and a time to enjoy company, food and thoughtful gifts. So many traditions have developed over the years that can't be explained by history but are important just the same," Virgil told her. If John was the closest thing to a father to her, Virgil was definitely her ever patient uncle, he was always happy to talk to her. 

"So it is not a celebration of the harvest, the meal or the actions after?" 

"No, its about the spirit of the meal, the sharing of food with those for might not have any, of reflecting on the things you are thankful for and enjoying time with your loved ones," John explained. 

"I do not understand the spirit, I do not recall any ghosts in the story, but I find humans to be confusing, so I shall simply observe the remainder of your rituals and see for myself," she decided, her hologram blinking out. 

"Well," I sighed. "I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be interesting."

[comeonthinkers]

The Constant Struggle of Cuteness

I feel like, this morning, I need to talk about body image. Body image, and the constant barrage of conflicting messages around body image that I, as a midsize woman, receive and dissect every day.

First of all: midsize. Was this even a term five years ago? As “plus size” has become more ubiquitous and more accepted in the past decade, “fat” has been reclaimed, and “curvy” is suddenly more of a feeling than a descriptor, the terms I used to identify with as a teenager now, somehow, no longer apply to me anymore. I’m not sure what happened in the past decade; in high school I distinctly remember almost always being the largest woman in the room. Since then, whether it’s due to perception, self-confidence, age, awareness, or just... overall changes in the population, I now find myself distinctly in the middle. 

Note: I’ve been a size 12-16 my entire post-adolescent life. For one brief stint after college I could fit into a size 10. But before and since, 14 has been the mainstay numeral in my wardrobe. My steady friend and most accurate guesstimate across brands as to what my body may fit.

14, despite being the most (so I’m told) “common” size amongst women, was for many years infamous for being the most left-out, in-between size in clothing stores. In juniors’ stores (marketed toward teens: your Charlotte Russe’s and Forever 21′s), 14 would translate to the non-existent XXL: with “XL” usually falling in the “12″ range. In Plus Size or Women’s stores, 14 is a 0X; 1X is most commonly measured around a “16″ size.

About 5 years ago I found a fashion youtuber who made a video decrying the variation of a size 12 across different brands. And I’ll agree: sizes vary a lot from brand to brand, despite there being a base similarity in most big brand stores. She, like me, found herself living in this dreaded size 12-14 fashion purgatory, this no-womans-land of sizes. And even here! The numbers can’t be trusted!

She called herself “midsize”. She looked a lot like me. And at last, I had a label I could consistently search and see body types that I could identify with. From what I can tell, midsize is the chosen moniker for fashion influencers sizes 8-16, with of course, varying body shapes and compositions. For example, many of the folks I follow on instagram that claim “midsize” wear a VERY different bra size from me- so to find “fashion inspiration” I can actually act upon from midsize influencers, I also have to bring in a few accounts that allow for more top-heavy-friendly designs.

Despite all of the overwhelming positivity and diversity now available to me as a midsize woman (for example, almost all plus-size brands now start at a size 10-12 (00X-0X), and most “regular” retail brands now extend to a XXL), I can’t help but go back to my first observation: I’m no longer the largest woman in the room. While I don’t consider myself particularly unhealthy, I also know I’m not passing any presidential fitness tests any time soon. I find it difficult to run for extended periods of time. My joint strength isn’t nearly what it should be to support my weight. While muscular, I have a lot of extraneous body fat that adds strain to my daily life, and all my body’s systems: skeletal, endocrine, muscular, cardiovascular. This isn’t good. I’ve worked for years to try to find ways to get stronger, lose weight, and improve my overall health- in fact, the difficulty I faced when trying to lose weight was what led me to discover that I have PCOS and a few hormonal hurdles to maintaining a healthy body weight.

But when I try to research how best to approach health and weight loss with PCOS, the studies are few and far between- and when available are fairly inconclusive and far from thorough. I’m left to follow MORE accounts of personal success stories, all of which are biased toward one product or another, one lifestyle brand or book tour, all of which are antithetical to every other product, book, or brand I’ve seen before.

On the one hand, I’m grateful to see more body types represented in the media.  It IS helpful to my self-esteem to normalize the bodies of women both my size and larger than me (even if there’s still a prevalence of too-smooth skin and too-round belly buttons). But I also worry about how we tend to conflate feeling good about ourselves to being healthy. They aren’t the same. And we’re letting commercial forces tell us that it’s okay to be unhealthy even when attempting to BE healthy: mentally or physically.

Time to come clean here: for the past year, I’ve been experimenting on and off with a carnivore lifestyle, which, OBVIOUSLY, many people assume is super unhealthy, much like the stigma around Atkins in the early 2000′s. Honestly, it feels a lot like Atkins did back in the day: lots of bacon, burgers, steak, and eggs. Quite literally “zero-carb”, as opposed to just “low-carb”. While low-carb isn’t really new anymore, and many people can see carnivore as a logical step past the surprisingly universally accepted ketogenic diet, I was amazed to discover just how much the “science” of the trendier diets of the past decade (paleo, keto, whole-30) don’t match up to the scientific, accepted nutritional advice of the actual medical community.

Last year I started going to a weight-loss clinic at the behest of my OB-GYN in an attempt to get my PCOS and weight “under control”. I’m gonna spoil most of the rest of this rant by saying this was a pretty dumb idea for someone like me. This clinic was created around those with extreme weight issues, for whom psychological care and bariatric surgery are the most “effective” forms of treatment (again, according to the health care system that seems determined to sell it, but I’ll talk more about THAT another time). The nutritionist I met with gave me the same spiel I’d read time and time again from every weight-loss specialist book I’d bought, despite me relaying to her my decades-long struggle with traditional diets and fat-loss strategies. A ketogenic diet was never recommended to me, nor any kind of actual dietary changes to help with hormone balance/control: I was prescribed metformin (a drug for insulin resistance most commonly prescribed to type 2 diabetics) and told to eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet.

I didn’t lose any weight. My periods didn’t regulate. I just stopped gaining weight as fast... although I did eventually gain back the 12 pounds I’d lost from my first 2 months on carnivore. 

The truth is, that treatment plan, that clinic... it doesn’t exist for someone who is trying to change their body chemistry. It might work for folks that are so obese that literally ANY form of mindful eating will help them lose 200 pounds. But let’s be real: if I lost 200 pounds, I’d weigh 6 pounds. I’m a tall, muscular woman with some fat that has tried all the recommended diets for fat loss. Through them all, I fight cravings and energy loss, mood swings, and all the symptoms that come with PCOS. The ONLY thing I’ve found in the past 10 years that actually helps with my PCOS? 

Regular exercise, stress management, and a carnivore diet. 

I’ll also point out that when I DID lose a considerable amount of weight after college (due to what I think was a combination of 1. getting enough sleep for once, 2. intermittent fasting, and 3. regular hiking), it was also easier for me to maintain my weight and many of my PCOS symptoms went away. It wasn’t until I switched to a HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL method that I then gained back all of the weight I lost (and then some) and once again began fighting uncontrolled PCOS symptoms. They compounded on each other, and made it harder and harder to get back to any kind of “normal”. 

So, I’m back on carnivore. In addition to more stable energy, noticeable reduction of PCOS symptoms, and slight weight loss, I also just... hurt a lot less on carnivore. Along this journey I’ve finally realized that I do in fact have a chronic pain problem. Whether it’s due to chronic inflammation, past injuries, or food sensitivities, I’m not really sure: but I know when I eat carnivore, my chronic pain all but goes away. Recently, I’ve been recovering from a back injury, so there was of course some pain associated with that (as well as a break from regular exercise, which I plan to get back to once I’m cleared by my chiropractor), but the daily body aches, numbness, and discomfort?

Gone. 

I’ve got regular periods when I eat this way- like, ACTUALLY one a month like I’m supposed to have. My facial hair growth slows down, even thins out. My focus improves. I sleep better, and actually follow a normal circadian rhythm. What’s total bananas is that I’m not the only one who experiences this: MANY folks who’ve tried this way of eating report daily quality of life improvements.

I’m not going to say everyone should eat this way; I’m not even going to suggest that everyone with PCOS should eat this way. But I WOULD love to see some actual RESEARCH done on this way of eating- or even better research on a ketogenic diet! I’m so frustrated by the lack of medical research on nutrition, and in particular the lack of action to curb the universally-accepted-to-be-unhealthy nutrition standards in America. While I won’t say it’s hard to eat carnivore (cause like, all diets are hard), I have noticed over the years that NO ONE IN OUR COUNTRY IS HEALTHY anymore- except for those whose JOB it is to be healthy. And this isn’t a coincidence!! Almost all cultures that have adopted American corporatized food structures are chronically unhealthy, and much, much more fat than they used to be.

I agree that being fat isn’t always a personal failing, and I’m so, SO glad that more and more figures in our media diets are representing the diverse catalogue of body shapes and sizes reflected in our world. I’m happy that my future daughter won’t be fat-shamed the same way I was as a little girl, and that she likely won’t be told (like I was) that she’s too fat to be what she wants to be when she grows up, despite not actually being all that fat. 

BUT. Fat representation is not the hill I want to literally die on. I’m not willing to throw my health, my comfort, my ability to be active, away for my “right” to eat ice cream every day. I’m sick of being marketed to constantly as a garbage disposal. I’m not just here to eat and diet and wear clothes.

I’m here to LIVE. I’m here to plant gardens and make art and take walks and enjoy the seasons. And I can’t do a lot of those things if I’m constantly sick and in pain. And it’s way harder to enjoy not being sick and not being in pain when all we know to do as a society when spending time together is... eat food. 

What frustrates me is, I think so much of this really comes down to marketing, corporate profit-mongering, and the way our political system is set up to make laws for companies instead of people. I think capitalism is making us fat and unhealthy, to sell us sugar and diets and medicine and surgeries in an endless cycle of crap. I don’t really have much more to say on that, I don’t have sources, except like... well, look around you. Look at the system we have. Look at what we’re told to do to escape it. And look at how many forces are there to take us right back to the beginning of the roller coaster when we have a little success. 

Side note/conspiracy theory time: I actually think liposuction might be a more safe and effective (literally EFFECTIVE not just safe) form of “weight loss surgery” in helping folks with actual, permanent weight loss. Hear me out: while I will fully admit I can’t remember where I read any of this (as I’ve read so many scores of information regarding health and weight loss over my lifetime), I seem to remember body fat working something like this: it’s really easy for your body to make new fat cells, but very difficult for your body to destroy them. So, when you gain fat, it first occurs by your body filling your fat cells with fat, until they can’t hold anymore, and then your body makes new fat cells, which makes it easier for your body to hold onto said fat. The best way to “reset” your body’s fat threshold is to literally destroy or remove the fat cells. And, I assume, if you adopt more healthy habits AFTER having liposuction, your body would be less likely to create more fat cells than it was when you lived an unhealthy lifestyle.

Bariatric surgery is incredibly invasive and dangerous, and almost always ends up reversed by bad habits and your body’s natural ability to STORE FAT AND STRETCH YOUR STOMACH. It’s a temporary solution, and often proves to be ineffective in the long term, and leads to many unfortunate complications over time, not to mention the recovery from that surgery is LONG and TOUGH.

But liposuction (the most COMMON FORM OF PLASTIC SURGERY, I’ll add), is the only “weight loss” procedure (despite not being labeled as such- it’s “cosmetic surgery” even though it most definitely WOULD result in weight loss, right?) that actually removes fat from your body. Literally takes the fat cells away so your body can’t fill them up again, without once again needing to create more.

But bariatric surgery is covered by insurance, and liposuction isn’t... despite the fact that removing weight and fat from the body would be a more instant and potentially effective cure for obesity and its underlying symptoms, and being a simpler procedure overall, as well as extremely common. 

So like... why is being fat something poor people are forced to endure dangerous surgery and super long recoveries and lifetime habit changes to overcome, but rich people just get to have their fat vacuumed away? Sounds sus to me. 

[serialreblogger]

You want to talk more about the bigotry in Harry Potter? Go ahead! I've actually heard stuff like that before, but have yet to do much research on it personally and it's been a while since I read it, so I'm interested.

WELL

Before we begin I should start with a disclaimer: this analysis will be dedicated to examining as many bigoted aspects of Harry Potter’s writing as I can think of, so--while I personally am more or less comfortable balancing critical evaluation with enjoyment of a piece, and strongly advocate developing your own abilities to do the same--I know not everyone is comfortable reading/enjoying a story once they realize its flaws, and again, while I think it’s very important to acknowledge the flaws in culturally impactful stories like Harry Potter, I also know for some people the series is really really important for personal reasons and whatnot. 

So! If you’re one of those people, and you have trouble balancing critical engagement with enjoyment, please feel free to skip this analysis (at least for the time being). Self-care is important, and it’s okay to find your own balance between educating yourself and protecting yourself.

On another note, this is gonna be limited strictly to morally squicky things to do with Rowling’s writing and the narrative itself. Bad stuff characters do won’t be talked about unless it’s affirmed by the narrative (held up as morally justified), and plot holes, unrealistic social structures, etc. will not be addressed (it is, after all, a kid’s series, especially in the first few books. Quidditch doesn’t have to make sense). This is strictly about how Rowling’s personal biases and bigotry impacted the story and writing of Harry Potter.

Sketch Thing #1: Quirrell! I don’t see a lot of people talking about Quirrell and racism, but I feel like it’s a definite thing? Quirinus Quirrell is a white man who wears a turban, gifted to him by an “African prince” (what country? where? I couldn’t find a plausible specific when I was researching it for a fic. If there’s a country which has current/recent royalty that might benevolently interact with someone, and also a current/recent culture where turbans of the appropriate style are common, I couldn’t find it). Of course, it wasn’t actually given to him by an African prince in canon, but it’s still an unfortunate explanation.

More importantly, ALL the latent Islamophobia/xenophobia in the significance of the turban. Like, look at it.

“Man wears turban, smells like weird spices, turns out to be concealing an evil second face under the turban” really sounds like something A Bit Not Good, you know? If you wanted to stoke the flames of fear about foreignness, it would be hard to do it better than to tell children about a strange man who’s hiding something horrible underneath a turban.

Also, Quirrell’s stutter being faked to make you think he was trustworthy is a very ableist trope, and an unfortunately common one. “Disability isn’t actually real, just a trick to make you accommodate and trust them” is not a great message, and it’s delivered way too often by mass media. (Check out season 1 of the Flash for another popular example.)

Sketch Thing #2: The goblins. Much more commonly talked about, in my experience, which is good! The more awareness we have about the messages we’re getting from our popular media, the better, in my view. 

For those who haven’t encountered this bit of analysis before: the goblins in Harry Potter reek of antisemitic stereotypes. Large ears, small eyes, crooked noses, green/gray skin, lust for money, control of the banks, and a resentful desire to overthrow the Good British Government? Very reminiscent of wwii propaganda posters, and in general the hateful rhetoric directed towards Jewish people by other European groups from time immemorial. 

I’m also extremely uncomfortable with how goblin culture is handled by Rowling in general. Like, the goblins were a people that were capable of using magic, but prohibited by the British government from owning wands. That was never addressed. They also had a different culture around ownership, which is why Griphook claimed that the sword of Gryffindor belonged rightfully to the goblins--a gift isn’t passed down to descendants upon death, but instead reverts to the maker. This cultural miscommunication is glossed over, despite the fact that it sounds like Griphook’s voicing a very real, legitimate grievance.

To be honest, apart from the antisemitism, the way Goblin culture is treated by the narrative in Harry Potter is very uncomfortably reminiscent to me of how First Nations were treated by English settlers in North America, before the genocide really got started. The Goblins even have a history of “rebellions,” which both raises the question of why another species is ruling them to begin with, and more significantly, is eerily reminiscent of the Red River Rebellion in Canada (which, for the record, wasn’t actually a rebellion--it was Metis people fighting against the Canadian government when it tried to claim the land that legally, rightfully belonged to the Metis. But that’s another story)

In sum: I Don’t Like the implications of how Rowling treats the goblins.

Sketch Thing #3: Muggles. Ok because we’re all “muggles” (presumably) and because I’m white, talking about this might rapidly degenerate into thinly-veiled “reverse racism” discourse, so please y’all correct me if I stray into that kind of colossal stupidity. However, I am not comfortable with the way non-magical humans are treated by Rowling’s narrative.

The whole premise of Harry Potter is that Evil Wizards Want To Hurt The Muggles, right? Except that it’s not. Voldemort’s goal is to subjugate the inferior humans, rule over non-magical people as the rightful overlords, but that’s hardly mentioned by the narrative. Instead, it focuses on the (also egregious and uncomfortably metaphorical) “blood purism” of wizarding culture, and how wizards would be persecuted for their heritage.

But muggles, actual muggles, are arguably the ones who stand to lose the most to Voldemort, and they’re never notified of their danger. We, the muggles reading it, don’t even really register that we’re the collateral damage in this narrative. Because throughout the series, muggles are set up as laughingstocks. Even the kindest, most muggle-friendly wizards are more obsessed with non-magical people as a curiosity than actually able to relate to them as people. 

I dunno, friends, I’m just uncomfortable with the level of dehumanization that’s assigned to non-magical humans. (Like, there’s not even a non-offensive term for them in canon. There’s “muggle,” which is humorously indulgent at best and actively insulting at worst, and there’s “squib,” which is literally the word for a firework that fails to spark.) It’s not like “muggles” are actually a real people group that can be oppressed, and like I said this kind of analysis sounds a bit like the whining of “reverse racism” advocates where the powerful majority complains about being insulted, but... it kind of also reeks of ableism. People that are not able to do a certain cool, useful thing (use magic) are inherently inferior, funny at best and disposable at worst. They suffer and die every day from things that can easily be cured with magic, but magic-users don’t bother to help them, and even when they’re actively attacked the tragedy of hundreds dying is barely mourned by the narrative. 

It gives me bad vibes. I don’t Love It. It sounds uncomfortably like Rowling’s saying “people that are unable to access this common skill are inherently inferior,” and that really does sound like ableism to me. 

Either way, there’s something icky about consigning an entire group of people to the role of “funny clumsy stupid,” regardless of any real-world connections there may or may not be to that people group. Don’t teach children that a single genetic characteristic can impact someone’s personhood, or make them inherently less worthy of being taken seriously. Just, like... don’t do that.

Sketch Thing #4: The house elves. Everyone knows about the house elves, I think. The implications of “they’re slaves but they like it” and the only person who sees it as an issue having her campaign turned into a joke by the narrative (“S.P.E.W.”? Really? It might as well stand for “Stupidly Pleading for Expendable Workers”) are pretty clear.

Sketch Thing #5: Azkaban. Are we gonna talk about how wizarding prison involves literal psychological torture, to the point where prisoners (who are at least sometimes there wrongly, hence the plot of book 3) almost universally go “insane”? This is sort of touched on by the narrative--“dementors are bad and we shouldn’t be using them” was a strongly delivered message, but it was less “because torturing people, even bad people, is not a great policy” and more “because dementors are by their natures monstrous and impossible to fully control.” 

“This humanoid species is monstrous and impossible to control” is, once again, a very concerning message to deliver, and it doesn’t actually address the real issue of “prison torture is bad, actually.” Please, let’s not normalize the idea that prison is inherently horrific. Of course, prison as it exists in North America and Britain is, indeed, inherently horrific and often involves torture (solitary confinement, anyone?), but like--that’s a bad thing, y’all, it’s deeply dysfunctional and fundamentally unjust. Don’t normalize it.

Sketch Thing #6: Werewolves. Because Rowling explicitly stated that lycanthropy in her series is a metaphor for “blood-borne diseases like HIV/AIDS”. The linked article says it better than I could:

Rowling lumps HIV and AIDS in with other blood-borne illnesses, which ignores their uniquely devastating history. And Lupin’s story is by no stretch a thorough or helpful examination of the illness. Nor is its translation as an allegory easily understood, beyond the serious stigma that Rowling mentioned.

That Lupin is a danger to others could not more clearly support an attitude of justifiable fear toward him, one that is an abject disservice to those actually struggling with a disease that does not make them feral with rage.

This definitely ties into homophobia, given how deeply the queer community has been affected by HIV/AIDS. Saying a character with a condition that makes him an active threat to those around him is “a metaphor for AIDS” is deeply, deeply distressing, both for its implications about queer people and their safety for the general population, and for the way it specifically perpetuates the false belief that having HIV/AIDS makes a person dangerous.

Sketch Thing #7: Blood Ties. This isn’t, like, inherently sketch, but (especially for those of us with complicated relationships to our birth families) it can rub a lot of people the wrong way. Rowling talks a big talk about the folly of “blood purism,” but she also upholds the idea that blood and blood relations are magically significant. 

Personally, I’m very uncomfortable with the fact that Harry was left with an abusive family for his entire childhood, and it was justified because they were his “blood relatives.” I’ve had this argument with ultra-conservative family friends who genuinely believe it’s a parent’s right to abuse their child, and while I don’t think that’s what Rowling is saying, I do feel uncomfortable with the degree of importance she places on blood family. I’m uncomfortable with the narrative’s confirmation that it is acceptable (even necessary) to compromise on boundaries and allow the continuation of abuse because “it’s better for a child to be raised by their Real Family” than it is to risk them to the care of an unrelated parent.

Genetic relations aren’t half as important as Rowling tells us. For people with a bad birth family, this can be a damaging message to internalize, so I’ll reiterate: it’s a pretty thought, the love in blood, but it’s ultimately false. The family you build is more real, more powerful and more valid than any family you were assigned to by an accident of genes.

I can think of one or two more things, but they’re all a lot more debatable than what I have here--as it is, you might not agree with everything I’ve said. That’s cool! I’m certainly not trying to start a fight. We all have the right to read and interpret things for ourselves, and to disagree with each other. And again, I’m not trying to ruin Harry Potter. It’s honestly, as a series, not worse in terms of latent bigotry than most other books of its time, and better than many. It’s just more popular, with a much bigger impact and many more people analyzing it. I do think it’s important to critically evaluate the media that shapes one’s culture, and to acknowledge its shortcomings (and the ways it can be genuinely harmful to people, especially when it’s as culturally powerful as Harry Potter). But that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t enjoy it for what it was meant to be: a fun, creative, engaging story, with amazing characters, complex plots, heroism and inspiration for more than one generation of people. 

Enjoy Harry Potter. It is, in my opinion, a good series, worth reading and re-reading for enjoyment, even for nourishment. It’s also flawed. These things can both be true.

[dontbesoweirdkira]

Ok, I was gonna ask you about something else, but after reading the part 2 of the Mic and the exchanged student, I'm in DIRE need to see the part 3 where she has to start her hero career and she, obviously, need his help(not because she is not capable of starting it by herself but because she just needs him to continue to be by her side like it always has been)! Pretty please! Thank you! 💗

A/N: SKSKSK hOw cOUlD i sAy nO to tHat prEtTy PwEasE uwu. Haha yeah totally i’ll do this. Sorry if this comes out a bit late i’m working on some things. Thanks for requesting <333 Any requests let me know!

-So you know that bonus thingy i did in the last one? Where the parents were mean and all that? Well let's continue with that story line, I feel like that’s a bit more interesting for this!

-So i feel like after everything went down, realistically your parents would have forced you to come home and not contact Hizashi. Which sucks because he was the only one that really believed in you, And Japan became like a second home, even though your japanese isn’t the best and you may not look like everyone, you grew to love it and appreciate it. The thought of going back home to your parents stormed in your stomach

-Hizashi hated the idea too, he felt like your parents were mentally abusive and he really hated the idea of you going back. He talked to you and wanted to know if you wanted to get others involved and what not so you didn’t have to go back and leave the school. But you didn’t want to go through that whole process

-Besides you were “almost an adult” and soon able to start your hero career. You somehow convinced him to let it go and have faith you’ll be okay.

-”Alright Y/N, If you ever want it, you can always have a job under me and my agency. Even if you don’t wanna be a hero, you can work on my radio show.”

-Damn leaving Present was like the hardest thing. He was like a positive father figure that you always wanted and finally got, then when everything was good it got ripped away. It hurt so badly.

-Plus present took it so hard because he felt it was his fault, ‘Why did i have to say something?’ ‘It’s all my fault’

-Going back to your home country was like heck? Your parents forced you to stop with all this “hero mess” and made you go on a “more stable” path. They took away all your devices and stuff so you can “focus” but in reality they wanted to make sure you weren’t contacting Present or looking into hero stuff.

-Damn You’re really wishing you took Present up on that offer and let him help you stay

-You couldn’t work on your quirk or train so while everyone was asleep you’d do exercises and warmups Present taught you

-In those few years you were so miserable, and all you wanted to do was go back to japan and go on the path you always wanted to. You missed Hizashi and the friends you had made, Here you were lonely and tired, but there you had so much life and happiness.

-So secretly you were saving money so as soon as you get a chance, you can get away. So occasionally you’s ask for 20 or so dollars to get “books” or “go to the mall” when in reality you were just storing the money away in your secret trust fund lol.

-By the time of graduation you had enough money saved up to go travel, thanks to the extra help of graduation money from family members of course.

-As soon as you got home you brought a ticket, reserved a hotel and packed all you bags and left to the airport by the early morning. Whew you felt as if you were running from the Feds and for some reason that gave you a rush of excitement you hadn’t felt in a long time.

-finally you get to see Hizashi after all this time

-When you got to Japan, you went to the first place you could think of. Present’s agency. You couldn’t quite think of where else to get to him, so this was your first resort.

-Upon arriving you were so nervous. What if Hizashi didn’t even work there anymore?? What if he didn’t want to help? After all you kinda of cut him off even though you promised to keep him posted every once in a while. Although that wasn’t your fault but maybe he hated you for it?

-Either way it was too late now and you were already at the front desk, standing awkwardly standing

-“Hello dear, is there anything I can help you with?”

-“u-Ugh wEll uHhh???”

-“....“

-“....”

-“Do you have an appointment...or….”

-“nO...yeS? Haha i'm sorry, I'm looking for Hizashi Yamada. I’m an old friend and he told me to come here if I ever needed him..?”

-“...right...Your name?”

-“Y/L L/N.”

-“I don’t see you name under any notes or messages for him. By safety protocol I cannot let you up past this floor without a proper appointment or verification.”

-“Well is there anyway that I can leave him a note..with my contact and such? Or a way to set an appointment?”

-“Yes I can leave a note but I cannot guarantee he will see it and you can only make an appointment if you’re an endorser.”

-“Ah I see, Well I guess I’ll just leave a note then? Here is my name and number and can you just tell him I’m back in Japan. I need to talk to him.”

-“of course.” The lady at the front desk smiled as she finished writing the small note and moving it aside with the others

-You began to make your was towards the exit only to be stopped dead in your tracks when you heard an all too familiar voice boom through out the lobby

-“YEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH WHATS UP OFFICE LAAAAADDYYYYY! ANY NEW MAIL FOR ME??? HMM HMM????”

-Turning around, your eyes met the sunflower blonde male that leaned against the counter with a Gigantic smile across his face.

-suddenly a similar smile he wore, slapped across your face as you unconsciously shouted

-“H-hizashi?!”

-instantly his eyes landed upon you, yet his award winning smile vanished and turned into a tired expression

-ugh another crazed fan waiting at the front desk for him.

-except you weren’t, you were his most favorite person on the planet. However you looked so different. And he could hardly recognize you.

-For a moment he just stared at you with the utter most bleak face, until it hit him.

-“America?”

-“Mr. Hizashi!”

-HE IS SOOOO HAPPY SKSKSKSKSKS LIKE BRO HE THOUGHT HE WOULD NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN.

-HE SMILES SO WIDE AND LITERALLY JUMP HUGS YOU

-“MRSSSS. AMERIIICAAAA.”

-he has a moment where he pulls apart and just gazes at you

-i-is that tears in his eyes??

-awww so soft

-sMotheRs yOu In kIssEs (friendly forehead ones lmao)

-He’s just so happy to see you looking healthy and safe. He loves you so much, even if it’s been years.

-“I thought something bad happened to you, I tried emailing and contacting you but no response. Oh I’m so happy I get to see you again! Are you okay? Are you hungry?? Wait let’s go talk at a restaurant.”

-So you guys go to a restaurant and talk and reconcile about the past. Apologized for not responding and talking so long to come back.

-“No worries I’m just glad your here now! How has hero work been? Signed with any major companies.”

-“Haha um actually no not yet.”

-“WHAAAAT?! What are you waiting for?? I’m sure by now your quirk skills and everything has gotten waaay better now with all the training you’ve probably had there. I’m sure you’ll get signed just like that.”

-“Actually Hizashi. The last time I actually trained or really used my quirk was the last time we trained together.”

-He literally thought you were joking. No that’s not possible that was years ago.

-“No I’m serious, my parents wouldn’t let me do hero work after all that went down and they limited the use of my quirk. These past years I’ve been studying to be a pharmacist because my parents says it’s a more realistic job for someone like me and hero work is nonsense.”

-What no? They couldn’t of held a grudge that long? No you were on such a good path to become a hero. He was sure of it. The world really needed someone to step up, with the rise of crime and he knew you could do it. So for your parents to say “nonsense” was so unbelievably stupid.

-“What?” that was all he could muster hearing your news

-“yep! And I couldn’t respond to you because my parents took away all my devices, and gave me ones that were restricted and only for school research purposes. Everything about heroes or quirks that wasn’t related to Pharmaceutical Purposes wasn’t allowed. I actually saved up cash for years and gathered up the money I got from graduation to buy a ticket and a small apartment here. Although I’m sure my parents will be hot when they noticed I left the country, but at least I’ll be thousands of miles away and safe from their antics right? Haha.”

-He was so shocked. He didn’t think him telling off your parents and protecting your from them while you were in Japan, would cause them to go to such extremes. What kind of people?

-“Y-yeah. But don’t worry I’m alive aren’t I!” You laughed out

-He smiles at your attempt of optimism and nodded in agreement

- “Do you still want to become a hero?” He asked twirling his spoon around in the soup he earlier ordered

-“W-Well yes. Actually I do a lot, this world is becoming more cruel and I really hate sitting back and seeing these innocent people who can’t fight back get hurt everyday. But I know it’s hard but It’s something I really still want to do.”

-“Okay then, Y/N I’ll train you and help you become a hero. In the moring I’ll start paper works and a letter to get you into my company under me. I’ll make sure you become the hero you always wanted to be...that I always knew you could be.”

-“Wait are you serious.”

-“Only if you are. We’ll train in the early mournings and I’ll take you with me on patrol at night so you can get a feel of what it’s like. I’ll guide you Y/N and do better than I did before. I owe it to you.”

-And after that, that’s exactly what happened

-you guys were out on a morning run by 5 and working out at the gym around noon. Around 11 at night you guys were on patrol until 3 am. And this went on for months

-He pushes you harder than you possibly knew your body could be pushed

-You your quirk became much stronger and stable.

-teaches you different techniques and gives you pointers on where to go out on patrol and how to look for suspicious behaviors

-you’re under his company and training for about a year or so before you break off and go on your own. He makes sure you’re fully confident and he knows that you’re at a good spot beforehand though.

-You actually get signed under a big company and recruited for a few others all over.

-Before you left his wing, you made sure you thanked him for everything and that he was totally fine with it

-which he was

-He’s still always beside you though. You knew in your heart you still needed his guidance and his friendship in your life, and same for him. He really adores you and doesn’t want to just say goodbye. It hurt so bad the first time, he couldn’t imagine how it would feel departing again.

- He checks up on you everyday and make sure to go out to lunch every one in awhile.

-When you’re kind of lost or stuck or need a shoulder to cry on, he’s always right there.

-“Hizashi...I don’t know. Maybe my parents were right and I’m really not cut out for this. It’s so hard and I’m so tired. I just really want to cry.”

-“Hey shh, don’t worry you’re doing great. It just gets hard sometimes but trust me it’ll get better. I’m right here for you.”

-If you parents did come back to Japan and came to harass you or what not, Hizashi is instantly there protecting you and makes sure they won’t ever do that again. You are not going back to the U.S. with them, even if he has to get the legals involved he would.

-Send little gifts to him every so often as a thank you.

-You stay in Japan for the first couple years of your hero career but then branch out a bit to different countries

-collecting Souvenirs and postcards to send back to hIzAsHI

-When you become super successful he’s like “See Y/N, what did I tell you? You’re going to be fucking great.”

[letterstothemidnightsociety]

It may be 2020 and the world is slowly crumbling around us but if global pandemics, a U.S. civil war election, and murder hornets and now rumors of Putin’s resignation(???) aren’t sensational enough, it’s time for Sweeps! And I’m still watching Supernatural to avoid all my problems because, well. That should be obvious. 

Cas is all of us.

OH! and there will be no discussion of the events of November 5 because guys, I’m still in season 1 right now, I’m not there yet. But yes, I KNOW. 

Ok, so before we talk about Sweeps, let’s take a moment to appreciate that at this point in my Supernatural journey, we’re in the back half of season one, and that’s a real miracle for any tv show to get this far. Or at least, it was at the time, when a show could be ordered for the first 13 episodes and then be on the hook for the rest, or Back 9. Supernatural was lucky in that it had been picked up for the full season after episode 4, so there was probably more time to prep that Back 9 than a Front 13/Back 9 show would have been. 

BUT that doesn’t mean the pressure isn’t on! Cuz we’ve hit the mid season, we’ve come back from Christmas break, and now it’s Sweeps!

Friendly reminder that TV’s here to make money folks, and Sweeps Week/Sweeps Month are (were??) vital to a season’s success or failure.

It’s Sweeps!

Alright, we’ll back track even further: TV networks and TV stations - the local centers that actually broadcast the shows in a given market - make money by selling ad time. They set the prices for that time by how many viewers are hypothetically watching at any given hour of the day. That’s where ratings come in, specifically Nielsen ratings. Nielsen Media Research, historically one of the most important media research firms out there, has been collecting audience data since the 30’s. They used to cold call households and to ask what each member of the household were listening to on the radio. When television came onto the scene, Nielsen started also collecting data on who was watching what. Ultimately, they dropped the cold calling in favor of diary keeping. Yes, they would actually send out diaries to a certain number of households in a given market, ask the residents to report every show they watched in a given week, and then four times a year, they’d “sweep” the country, collecting those diaries. These diaries would then impact the rate for ad time in each of those markets. Sweeps weeks happened four times a year - November, February, May, and July. And in fact, Sweeps Week is really more like Sweeps Month since it would take a month to deliver diaries to the households and then collect them again. Now, we can gather that data electronically (that is, faster), but Nielsen still tracks viewers for the whole month.

Actual Nielsen Diary which actually lists that someone actually watched a rerun of Seinfeld on TBS. Actually. 

So what does Sweeps mean to the people actually producing television? Basically, it means you have to have some real hot sh*t in November, February, May and July. You’ll know you’re in Sweeps when the news stories suddenly get...wild. You know the ones - Killer Hornets in Your Area! When Hugs Kill! Is Your Government Killing You?? Oh wait, that may just be 2020. 

For non-news outlets, Sweeps means saving your big episodes for strategic times of the year. You may notice, dear reader, that Sweeps lines up with some key tentpoles in a traditional television broadcast season. The end of November is usually midseason/winter finale time. Midseason finales are a big deal for many reasons, namely making sure you leave your viewers with a desperate desire to come back after the holiday break, but it’s also a good time for getting those big Sweeps numbers. You may also notice that sweeps # 3 is in May - that’s usually season finale time. February, Sweeps # 2, is right in between and July is just before the doldrums of summer. Honestly, July feels like a weird time to look at ratings, but that’s cuz I was raised on TV and it’s just an unwritten rule that there’s nothing good on in Summer.

Ok, I lied - I’m gonna talk about “Despair”, for just a second, I promise, minor spoilers ahead. This episode aired November 5 2020. That’s the final Sweeps period for 2020. And Sweeps may not mean anything to a show in its final season, specifically in this season, but it pulled out some big stops. Declarations of Love and Major Deaths? Yeah, those are two key staples for Sweeps, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence they weren’t pulling any punches in this episode. I know COVID delayed production, but even if they hadn’t restarted airing the season in October, this episode would have aired during May Sweeps. It’s also a series finale, so Sweeps isn’t the only consideration but it’s gotta be some consideration. 

So let’s look at episodes 13 - 16, our February Sweeps Month episodes for season 1. What do we have? 

Route 666 - Aired January 31, the beginning of February Sweeps

Here’s an episode that felt incredibly dated, but also incredibly relevant to today. The fact that Cassie has to fight with the mayor to prove that Black people are being specifically targeted felt a little Too Real Roy. They mayor even gets defensive that Cassie implies he might be racist because how can he be racist if he has Black friends? Does he say those words exactly? No. But that’s kind of the vibe you get off that conversation. I mean, I think I spent most of this episode making fun of a Racist Monster Truck that’s out there killing people, but honestly, slap a Confederate flag on that bitch and you’ve got any given rally or protest in America right now. I would almost consider this a Very Special Episode of Supernatural, where our brothers (and by extension us as the audience) learn about racism and the toll it takes on people of color, specifically Black Americans in the South. So there’s that.

But more importantly, for Sweeps week in 2006 anyway, was THE SEX. Not only does this episode comment on race in America, but Dean has a girlfriend and they totally bone. I mean, we’ve spent 12 episodes with just two dudes being dudes. Has there been flirting with random extras? Yes. Has there been any satisfying follow through? No. Because you save that for Sweeps. And it works. According to Wikipedia, “Route 666” had 5.82 million viewers the night it aired in America. The episode the week before, “Faith”, only had 3.86. That is almost 2 million more viewers who turned in to watch Jensen Ackles get tossed onto a bed with his shirt off.

Apparently this scene was a big deal because the network expressly told the producers not to have a lady on top and Supernatural just...did it anyway. Way to go, Supernatural, being progressive in all the right ways. Also, because I HAVE to say it, her name is CAS(sie).

Nightmare - Aired February 7

Next up is The One Where Sam’s ESP Comes Back! And boy was this rough. I mean, it’s nice and dark and also brings the show’s Mythology to the forefront, but it ends hella ambiguous. How Sweeps is it? Well, I imagine that the priests getup was included in the trailer as another Sweeps gimmick. 

And I can’t decide if including Beth Broderick, OG Aunt Zelda from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, is a big enough guest star to be a draw? 

I can’t not see Aunt Zelda

This episode feels like the show is really digging in to its Horror roots again. There’s some gorey special effects. There’s also a lot of small moments in this episode that I really liked, good acting moments and good character moments. It builds in some conflict between the brothers that never really gets resolved, just sort of deflected and kicked down the road for later. Is this Sweeps material? Maybe? The numbers on this are lower than on the previous episode - only 4.27 million viewers, but it’s also not as eye catching as Dean getting tossed on a bed with his shirt off. 

The Benders - Aired February 14

I actually really like this episode, even though I forget this is even in season one. This one’s got a nice reversal of the formula for the show - for the first time we see that the monsters killing people are just...people. Or, as I said in my notes for this one - “they’re hicks! They’re just hicks, guys!” They’re not Supernatural at all. And I LOVE the Cop Buddy that Dean picks up. Jessica Steen as Officer Kathleen is SO A+, I would definitely watch a spinoff show of her life.

Dean, what IS this? What is this conversation?

But there’s not a whole lot of gimmick here, not a whole lot of flash. This is just a solid episode, but not a lot of audience grab. The key to that, I think, is in the air date - February 14. It’s possible they stuck this here because they did not expect a lot of viewers, and in fact, they only had 3.96 million viewers tune in that week. Still a good episode though.

Shadow - Aired February 28

And here’s our final episode for February Sweeps. We’re finally getting back to the main story arc. Not only do we see the return of Meg, our most prominent antagonist so far, but we also get the first reunion with John Winchester! I’d say this is a Sweeps episode that’s geared more towards season-long-fans than first time viewers. There’s a lot that happens - 1) Meg returns and reveals her cards as a Big Bad (Medium Bad?). 

Oof. That’s...that’s SOME dialogue, guys.

2) John shows up and tells the boys that he knows what killed their mother (and also Jessica). 

Ugh. Can we talk about this scene and how John just like, tosses out a whole bunch of information in the douchiest expo dump I’ve seen in a while?

3) John shows up. 

These are moments that viewers who have been following along have been waiting for. There’s weight to the scene where Sam and John talk to each other for the first time in years - you feel the tension, you feel the fight that broke them apart, but you also feel the regret, the fact that both of them wish they could take back that fight even though they meant every word of it. It’s good pay off for the hours we’ve spent watching up til now. Of course, Dean deciding the team needs to split up again at the end feels like a real slap in the face. I’m pretty sure I felt it the first time, but definitely this time - John showing up feels more like a tease to keep us interested than any actual development to the show and it makes me feel like I’ve been tricked as an audience member. It feels like they only had Jeffrey Dean Morgan for, like, one day on set. I didn’t think his turn on Grey’s Anatomy was THAT big of a deal, but maybe it was? Maybe he was super busy? Or maybe the show just be like that. But the numbers are good - 4.22 million, a little up from the previous week. Not Dean Bones numbers, but not bad either. 

Here’s the thing about sweeps guys - 15 years later and they’re kind of...irrelevant. TV still makes money on ads, sure, and there are probably more lucrative times of the year than others - Summer is still kind of the doldrums of programming - but even broadcast networks don’t run the same way that they used to. As early as 2014, the networks were doing their best to compete with streaming services and on-demand viewing by offering new content all year round, not just during key months. Broadcast networks might still program around Sweeps but that’s not needed now. And Nielsen ratings have been under scrutiny for years, thanks to TiVo. TiVo, guys, not even online streaming. When an audience is not tied to specific time frames, how do you really measure the true number of viewers? Nielsen’s methods of counting viewers hasn’t exactly kept up with the way we binge and watch when we feel like it. As late as 2018, Nielsen was still relying on paper diaries, despite the fact that they’d been using more accurate and up to date electronic methods since 2005. And again, with year-round programming, it isn’t necessary to focus on a specific times of the year. 

In terms of business models, I think it’s also important to remember that when we’re not watching broadcast TV, we don’t mind paying directly for our new means of viewing. That’s how cable works, that’s how streaming works. I’ve been paying for Netflix through multiple price hikes and haven’t blinked an eye. I joined Disney+ early enough that I paid for a three year subscription. My parents are cable TV cord-cutters and they’re perfectly happy with a combination of Hulu+ and Roku. 

But a lot of TV still does rely on ad time to make a profit. And for those shows, it’s even more important to use measurement methods that encompass accurate viewership numbers. I don’t see a future where Networks use a cable station model (based on subscription fees) rather than on ad dollars. However, I can see a future where Networks do away with Sweeps.  Instead, they’ll just offer up that batsh*t sensational content all year round. 

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 8 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Guess what? We’re posting this today instead of tomorrow because we just love you guys so much, and your comments made us very productive today! Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: A wild night in the club led to a miserable, hangover-fueled day for Violet--and then a frustrating week, as Fame rejected all of the assistant candidates.

This Chapter: In a last-ditch effort to find a new assistant for Fame, Violet gives Courtney a shot.

***

Never in Courtney’s life had she seen a room as white, spotless and intimidating as Galactica’s reception area. She sat on the pristine sofa, hands folded in her lap, anxiety gnawing at her stomach. She’d been sending out resumes for almost 2 months, ever since she’d gotten to New York, in a desperate attempt to find a job--any job--that would allow her to stay in the United States.

This was only her second interview so far, the first one being a disaster - she’d missed her train connection and arrived late and sweaty from running ten blocks, and then the hiring manager had spent the entire time talking straight to her chest, patting her on the ass as she left while telling her that she was unqualified.

Of course she was unqualified.

Courtney was a 21-year-old who’d just graduated a few months earlier with a philosophy degree and zero office experience. Her current under-the-table job, waitressing at an Aussie-themed steakhouse in Times Square, was not going to keep her in the country. (Although she was grateful to her friend Morgan for hooking her up with it, since she’d be flat broke otherwise.)

Courtney had to stay in the country if there was any hope of her real dream coming true, which was to become a professional singer and songwriter, and maybe even a Broadway actress, if she was lucky. If she could ever get so much as an audition, which had also not happened yet. The best she’d done so far was sometimes singing with Adore’s band, but punk rock wasn’t really her style, and though she was grateful to her bestie for giving her a shot, it always felt awkward and wrong.

While she waited to be called for her interview, she prayed with all her heart; she wasn’t sure she believed in god, but it couldn’t hurt, right?

She prayed that her connection to Adore would mean something here. That Violet would remember her. That Miss Fame would like her. That the hours she’d spent carefully putting together her current outfit, getting her roots touched up and press-on nails to cover her real ones (bitten down to the quick) wouldn’t all be a waste.

Courtney heard the sound of heels coming down the hall, and then Violet appeared from around the corner. Courtney felt relief washing over her, happy to see the beautiful girl she had instantly bonded with the other night.

It was actually amazing that Violet had come through for her, making sure that her application had made it to Fame herself. Courtney smiled brightly.

“Good morning, babes!”

Violet gave her a cursory smile back, quickly checking her watch. “It’s almost noon.”

“Oh, yeah,” Courtney swallowed, feeling like an idiot as Violet looked her up and down like a zoo animal. “I was just making conversa-”

“This isn’t a place for small talk,” Violet said, then pointed at her purse. “Leave that with Roxy.”

“What?” Courtney clutched the bag to her chest. “No!” It was one of her favorite accessories, a star-shaped silver handbag with pink iridescent piping. Not to mention, it contained her phone, wallet, keys, and pretty much everything important.

“Courtney.” Violet made a small, aggravated noise. “If you want any hope of getting this job, you will leave that thing here at the front desk where Miss Fame can’t ever see it.”

Whoever this Violet was, she was very very different from the fun, friendly girl she’d met at the club.

“Okay,” Courtney agreed reluctantly, handing the bag over to the receptionist, who pinched it between her thumb and forefinger as if it was covered in dog shit.

Courtney rolled her eyes.

It wasn’t an expensive designer handbag. So what? Surely she wasn’t the first girl to own a fun, cute, novelty purse.

“Come with me,” Violet then said, taking off back down the hall.

Courtney hurried after her, following her into an immaculate conference room with a huge table. Violet gestured to one of the chairs.

“Sit down please.”

Courtney sat, nerves still on edge.

“So…” Violet sat down across from her, notebook open, looking at Courtney’s resume. She clicked her pen. “How much do you know about Galactica? Miss Fame? What research have you done on the company?”

“Oh, um…” Courtney paused, deflating a bit. She’d been prepared to talk about herself, not realizing that there was going to be a quiz. “Well, I know that it’s a very...uh, influential fashion house. And that Miss Fame is the CEO. And…”

Violet waited for another second, before she sighed deeply.

“Let me explain. Miss Fame is one of the busiest and most sought-after people in town. She started this company with Raja Gemini when she was only 26 years old. They got accepted and won the Fashion Fund on their first try. They’re visionaries. Why do you want to work here?”

“Well, I’ve always loved fashion-”

“Have you now?” Violet said, giving her a stern once-over.

Courtney felt like those judgmental eyes would melt her very soul, and suddenly became extremely self-conscious about her choice of outfit. Was her skirt too short? Did her jacket not fit right? Was she wearing anything as offensive as that purse she couldn’t even take into the office? She gulped.

“Y-yes.” It was the truth, even if Violet didn’t believe her. Ever since she could remember, Courtney had loved putting together fabulous outfits. Usually with her brother, both of them getting glammed up and prancing around the house, pretending that they were posh ladies with all the money in the world. And when they were older, he was the one who dressed her up and escorted her to talent agents and auditions--her own little stage mom. “And I did some modeling as a kid in Brisbane.”

Violet rolled her eyes. “Please don’t say that, it won’t impress her at all.”

“Alright. Well, it seems like it would be a really exciting job. And Adore always talks about how wonderful Fame is-”

“Miss Fame,” Violet corrected her. “You aren’t her friend, call her Miss. And don’t mention Adore.”

“No? But she said-”

“She’ll think it’s tacky. She would never hire someone because of a personal connection. If you get the job, it’ll be on your own merits, not because you know Adore. And not because we danced in a club the other night. Don’t mention that either.”

“Okay. Got it.” Courtney bit her lip. This whole situation seemed less and less likely to work out, the few advantages Courtney thought she might have coming in slipping through her fingers like sand.

“Look, Courtney. Working as Miss Fame’s assistant is not some frivolous job full of exciting parties and fancy clothes, okay? It requires you to be organized, and smart, and always stay ten steps ahead of everyone. You’ll need to anticipate Miss Fame’s every need, before she even knows she has them. Is that something you think you can do?”

Anticipate needs before Miss Fame knows she has them? What in the fuck was Violet talking about? She wasn’t a psychic. But this was a job interview, and Courtney supposed that she should nod and smile.

“Yes. Yes, of course,” Courtney said. “I’m...very intuitive.”

“Mmhmm. And how are you with Microsoft office?”

“Pretty good, I think. And I learn very fast,” Courtney said.

“What about communication? Written, verbal...are you a good communicator?”

“Very!” Courtney exclaimed, gaining a little bit of confidence. Finally, something she knew she could handle.

“I’m gonna be honest with you. You don’t have a lot of experience and she has been very, very picky. So your best bet, when you go in with her, is to keep your mouth shut and just listen. This job isn’t about you, it’s about what you can do for her. You don’t matter. Does that make sense?”

Courtney nodded slowly.

“I hope you don’t think I’m being harsh. I’m just trying to prepare you so that you have half a chance.”

“Oh, I know! And thank you, honestly. I really need this job. My visa is-”

“For god’s sake, don’t mention your visa. If you get the job, HR will deal with that.”

“Right, of course.” Don’t mention the visa. Don’t mention Adore. Don’t mention the club. Don’t mention modeling. Courtney’s head spun, praying she’d remember anything she was allowed to say when Fame asked her questions.

“Look. Everyone in New York wants something from Miss Fame. If you’re her assistant, your most important job is to be the gatekeeper. You need to say no to people without them realizing it’s happening. You protect her from all the madness, support her so that her brilliant creative mind can thrive. Do you understand?”

“Yes. Definitely.” Courtney nodded emphatically, and she saw the first thing that almost looked like a smile on Violet’s face since she had arrived.

“Good.” Violet glanced at her watch. “I need to get back. You can stay here until she’s ready for you. But remember...don’t say anything unless you’re answering a direct question. Okay?”

“Okay,” Courtney said.

“Good luck Courtney, and don’t fuck it up.”

With that, Violet picked up her things and sailed out of the room, leaving Courtney alone. She held her breath for a full 10 seconds before letting out a huge sigh, head dropping onto her arms.

Soon, the sound of heels approaching again caused her to jump, spine ramrod straight as Violet threw open the door and snapped her fingers.

“She’s ready. Let’s go.”

***

Fame leaned back in her chair, assessing the girl in front of her with a discerning eye.

She was certainly a pretty little thing, bright-eyed and well-groomed, definitely the right look. Of course, her shoes were cheap and a bit scuffed, the chunky heels absolutely horrifying, but that could be fixed.

She was trembling like a leaf--although Fame didn’t particularly mind that part.  

Courtney had said very little (another mark in her favor), but from what she had offered, Fame appreciated the accent right away. Something about an Australian accent tended to both impress and intimidate Americans, which could easily work in her favor.

After watching her suffer in silence for a few moments, Fame leaned forward, asking, “So...Courtney, was it?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think you’ll bring to this job that no one else can?”

“Well...I work very hard, and I’m very organized, and, uh...I’m really good at playing dumb.”

Fame tilted her head. Well, this was certainly an interesting answer.

“Go on.”

“Violet, she said that most of the job is protecting your privacy and being a...gatekeeper for people who want your attention. That you have to do it in a nice way.” Courtney cleared her throat, continuing nervously. “I think I would be good at pretending I don’t know things, like where you are when you’re in the middle of something that they’re not allowed to know about. Like, um, acting innocent or like...”

Fame continued to listen, eyes narrowed slightly, watching with amusement as Courtney cringed a bit.

“I’m sorry, that was very long-winded. I think I’d be good at making people feel good even when I’m saying no to them.”  

“Hm.” Fame lifted her resume, looking it over one more time. She was inexperienced. Very inexperienced. But there was something about her that Fame found charming, even shrewd.

Besides, if she took longer to train, well, then Violet would just have to stay longer. Which was no skin off Fame’s back.

“Thank you, Courtney.”

“Oh.” Courtney seemed to realize that this was her cue to leave, standing awkwardly. “Thank you so much for the opportunity. It was an honor to meet you,” she said, looking like she wanted to say more, but deciding against it. Another plus.

“That’s all.”

***

Violet had never been happier to see the end of the workweek than when the clock struck 7 on Friday.

Fame would leave soon and then Violet would finally have time to tie up the loose ends of the day, which had gone by like a whirlwind.

Violet kicked off her shoes to rest for just a moment. She was feeling utterly exhausted but victorious.

Courtney had been hired, the girl shrieking so loudly when Violet had called to tell her the news that she almost burst Violet’s eardrum.

Violet leaned back, looking up at the ceiling, her eyes slipped closed. It was just a moment, just for one single moment.

“Ahem.”

Violet heard the cleared throat, but she was so tired she could barely open her eyes. The front doors were closed, the alarm set up on most floors, so it had to be someone from their own company.

“What can I help you with?”

“Is Fame still here?” Violet didn’t recognize the voice, the tone of it clearly male, but it didn’t matter who it was. They weren’t going to be allowed in.

“She is, but Miss Fame is not taking anymore meetings for today,” Violet sat up straight, and opened her eyes, “so if you could plea-”

Violet froze in place, the man in front of her someone she knew very, very well.

“Mr. Bertschy!”

“Hello.” Patrick smiled.

“Oh god, I am so sorry.” Violet stood up straight, quickly smoothing down her dress. Of course it was Fame’s husband. Of course. He often worked just as late as Fame, and since his offices were also in the building, he had keys and codes for everything. “I’ll call her right away for you sir, I’m so sorr-”

“There will be no need for that, Violet.”

Violet stopped immediately as she heard Fame’s soft voice coming from her office, the woman herself walking through her door seconds later.

“Hello darling.” Fame smiled, a tenderness in her eyes as she walked over that Violet very rarely saw. Fame leaned forward, gently kissing her husband.

Violet looked away quickly, Fame always preferring to keep her privacy around employees, from what Violet knew.

She felt like an absolute idiot that she hadn’t made the connection that the visitor would be Fame’s husband, Violet herself making the very dinner reservation they were on their way to now.

“Are you ready to go, darling?”

Patrick nodded and Violet hurried over to get Fame’s coat and purse from the closet. She walked over, holding it up so Fame could slip into it, the scent of her perfume filling Violet’s nose as she did just that.

“I expect everything to be ready Monday for our new employee.” Fame took her purse. “It will be your responsibility to train her, so be prepared to work overtime.”

Violet nodded. “Yes Miss.”

“Good.” Fame took her husband's arm, the two of them walking to the door where Fame stopped.  “Oh, and Violet.” Fame looked over her shoulder. “Put on some shoes.”

Violet looked down, horror rushing over her when she realized that she had forgotten to put her shoes on.

“Yes Miss, it will happen Miss, right away.”

***

Katya would be hard-pressed to name a place in the world she loved more than their building’s rooftop. What had begun as a little community herb garden and grilling station had expanded over the years into a sanctuary. The rows of trees and potted plants lining the sides provided shade, their own little oasis in the urban jungle. They were chosen specifically to attract birds and butterflies as a tribute to Max, her very favorite birder and someone whom Katya relied on as a source of calm in a hectic world.

With permission from Fame, Katya had blown through the last of her own personal trust fund with a complete renovation to the barbecue area, turning it into a fully functional outdoor kitchen and lounge area, perfect for their weekend brunches.

Trixie had gently questioned her at the time; as someone who grew up with so little, he needed money in the bank or he’d get anxious. But what he might never understand was how much joy Katya had gotten creating a place to share with their friends and neighbors, how the time they spent together was more valuable to her than money had ever been.

Katya’s father was an ambassador, and after their family moved to Washington D.C. from Russia when she was just 3 years old, her life was full of stiff formal dinners, itchy fabrics that made it impossible to sit still, and so many rules that it made her head spin.

What followed were years of stuffy New England boarding schools and regimented summer camps. Every second of every day was planned for her: Latin and classical piano, cotillion and horseback riding lessons. Katya tried, she really did, to live up to all of the overwhelming expectations, but at some point along the line, the pressure was too much and she’d just caved in.

Katya shook her head, not wanting to think about the dark years, how hard it had been to get to this point. Instead, she inhaled deeply, looking across the patio at her wonderful boyfriend, doing his very best to squeeze oranges into juice for their brunch.

“Looking good, sugarbutt!” she called out. “Work those muscles.”

Trixie flexed for her, making her giggle delightedly before returning to the table, arranging the baskets of warm breads and pastries that she had been baking since 6 am. She unwrapped the fruit and veggie platter, artfully carved into elaborate rosettes and whimsical little animals, admiring a particularly cute little kiwi turtle, giving him a secret kiss just before the door swung open to reveal their first guest.

“Kimberly!” Katya skipped over to Kim, greeting her excitedly. Helping her with the mountain of French toast and platter of bacon that she’d brought to share.

As usual, her generosity was overwhelming to Katya, part of the reason that she was one of her favorite neighbors. The other part being her absolute artistry. Katya had been in awe of her makeup skills since the first time she’d seen her work, that Galactica show she’d attended with Trixie so many years ago, nervous to return to a place which had been the scene of one of her most dramatic failures in life.

She and Kim were soon chattering away as they set the table, discussing the latest collection at the Brooklyn museum, an anime-inspired artist who they both adored.

Max showed up next, with a beautiful garden veggie frittata and a carafe of hot tea.

“Thank you, Maxi, this looks delicious,” Katya said, giving him a tight squeeze.

Shangela arrived soon after, with a tray of Southern-style mac and cheese that caused both Kim and Trixie to burst into spontaneous applause, and a large bouquet of colorful flowers, presented to Katya with a wink. Shangela was someone that Katya thought she’d never win over - she’d created a major headache for her during her brief time at Galactica, and would certainly not have blamed her if she’d kept a distance.

But Shangela was a forgiving sort of person—after all, she worked daily with her ex-girlfriend—and had no problem at all giving Katya a chance on her own terms when she moved in. Soon, they’d established a mischievous sort of friendship, a playful flirtation and little inside jokes that Katya wouldn’t trade for anything.

Shangela was just explaining the intricacies of her mac recipe to Kim’s wide-eyed appreciation when the door opened again, revealing Violet in a characteristically chic set of work-out clothes—only instead of brunch offerings, she held a yoga mat in her hands, a surprised look on her face as she backed away.  

“Oh, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to interrupt…”

“Don’t be silly!” Katya called, beckoning her over. “So glad you’re here!”

“I’m, uh…” Violet glanced at the yoga mat in her hands, tugging at the bottom of her matte black tank top.

“Trixie…” Katya put her hands on her hips. “I told you to invite Violet to brunch. You didn’t forget, did you?”

Trixie set the pitcher of orange juice on the table, a sheepish look on his face.

“Oops.”

“Ha! Busted,” Shangela teased, punching Trixie on the arm.

“Hey, come on. It’s been a rough week,” Trixie defended himself.

“I know,” Katya said, putting her arms around him from behind. “Violet, please stay. I promise next time, you’ll get a formal invite, but trust me, we’re thrilled that you’re here.”

“Oh, I...don’t know if-”

“Hey hey hey, it’s my favorite people…” Pearl said, strolling up to the table. The last to show up, as usual, holding a partially empty bottle of vodka and container of strawberries.

“Aren’t those the strawberries that Katya bought?” Trixie asked, one eyebrow raised. He gestured to the platter, where a handful of said strawberries had been transformed into jaunty little penguins.

“Are they?” Pearl asked.

“And thank you for bringing them up to share with our friends!” Katya enthused, hugging her roommate tightly. “You’re so thoughtful.”

Pearl cast a glance over at Violet, lips turning up in a smirk as she assessed her skimpy attire.

“Nice shorts, pumpkin.”

“I-I didn’t know, I’m sorry, I-”

Katya watched as Violet attempted to stammer out a reply, immediately noticing how pink her cheeks got under Pearl’s bold gaze. Well, that would either be the cutest match in history, or end in total disaster. For Violet’s sake, Katya hoped for the former.  

“Don’t be sorry. You look cute.” Pearl gave her a sexy wink and sat down, pouring some vodka into her glass.

“So, are we brunching or what?”

The rest of the group slid into their seats, helping themselves to the bountiful spread.

Max raised a judgmental eye at Pearl as he asked, “I assume you’re the one responsible for the racket at 3 am?”

“She said she’d be quiet,” Pearl shrugged, barely containing a sly grin. “Not my fault she lied.”

“No it ain’t, baby,” Shangela laughed, giving the blonde a fist bump.

“Can we please say grace? I’d like to give thanks that I don’t share a wall with Pearl,” Kim chimed in.

“Awww, Kimmy. Don’t be jealous,” Pearl licked her lips, “I’ve always got time for you.”

Kim threw back her head in laughter, a piece of Katya’s blueberry muffins in her mouth as she said, “Never change, Pearl. The women of New York would really be losing out.”

Katya seemed to be the only one noticing Violet’s face getting redder and redder at all the talk of Pearl’s sex life, as tame as the discussion was. Her fingers were twisted into the hem of her top, and seemed to be pulling at a loose thread.

All too familiar with the telltale signs of anxiety, Katya put a reassuring hand on her back and began to fill her plate. Something told her that Violet wasn’t big on rich, indulgent foods, so she began with a slice of fresh whole-grain bread and then some of her favorite little fruit creatures: a few of the penguin strawberries, of course, a kiwi turtle, and a little tangerine bear. She lined them up on Violet’s plate like she was arranging toys for a child, feeling unusually protective of this strange and beautiful new friend.

It took Violet a few moments to tear her eyes away from the very conversation making her so uncomfortable. She saw Katya’s handiwork and then glanced up at her, the two of them sharing a secret smile of camaraderie before Katya placed one last offering on her plate: an elaborate carrot rose.

Violet giggled, mouthing ‘Thanks,’ and Katya winked, leaning back happily to bask in the warm sunshine. Yes, she’d fit in just fine.