#hazard prediction

[xjackjackx]

AVA 11 Might Have Teased Hazard's Backstory

So. AVA 11 huh.

I could make a LOT of posts about this wham episode. But this is the big one I want to bring up. While discussing AVA 11 with my friends on Discord, we discovered that we might already know Hazard's backstory.

So. Hazard, Ballista and Primal were surprisingly absent from AVA 11. I'm pretty sure this shocked everyone; why would the origin episode not show the origins of 3/5th of the villains? Well, I still think it gave us a little teaser of what we can expect of their backstories in future episodes.

In the scene that shows the Shepherd and Steven's creation, look at this:

LOOK AT THIS

A PICTOGRAM DUDE. ON NEWGROUNDS. That's gotta be Hazard. To clarify, yes this is likely something Alan himself created; me and my friends looked this up on Newgrounds and couldn't find it. It's most likely original for AVA.

So. Hazard was on Newgrounds. He was there for a long time, before Mitsi or Chosen were even born. So why wasn't he in AVA 11 during the destruction of Newgrounds? Well, look at his work's title and description: A tribute to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams". Very specific. So, what are the lyrics to this song?

Now. Now connect this to Hazard, to the Newgrounds Incident. How in AVA canon, once your animation is destroyed you're forced onto the website you came from. This specific song was chosen for a reason. Because, in my opinion, if this truly is Hazard, then the lyrics reflect his origin story.

What am I getting at? Hazard... wasn't forced onto Newgrounds during Chosen and Dark's rampage. They just missed him. He was left untouched. Until years later, when Newgrounds is still a mess no one ever cleaned up, some rubble of destroyed buildings collapses. And then Hazard is forced out of the Outernet into Newgrounds. What does he see? Empty streets. A city that sleeps; empty of all life after everyone was killed or evacuated. He's the only one here. It's his home, and he walks alone.

Hazard sees the remnants of a warzone. Something happened. Someone destroyed his home and murdered thousands of innocents. And he wants to bring justice, to avenge all those innocent people. So when Rocket Corp claims they found the culprit, he jumps at the call.

It works perfectly. It's foreshadowed. It makes sense with the theme of Chosen's actions biting him in the ass. It fits with the theme of Victim and Agent being exposed as good, but misguided people; Hazard is also a good person at heart, who just doesn't see the full picture.

The comic relief has one of the saddest backstories of them all.

[l-in-the-light]

Trafalgar Law and closeness part 5: What is he actually so afraid of and his reasons

This will be a slightly different post from the others, much more speculation, but I will include all hints and foreshadowing I gathered (which means this is a long post yet again). I might be wrong ofc, but I'm like 80-90% sure I read the signs right. Just in case my theory will turn out correct, I reccommend that you think twice before reading any further, especially if you would prefer for Oda's manga to reveal it properly and not get spoilered about the twist thanks to some tumblr post, which is totally understandable. Those who are fearless like a true D and still want to read this theory, a fair warning: this will be sad af. More so than previous posts.

Let's start with a short summary of our previous observations: Law always acts cold, he will draw clear borders and keep people at a distance, because he can't deal with losing people again. That's his major fear. His secondary fear is his fear of touch, the result of his trauma. With both of these we saw him making really decent progress on, thanks to Luffy especially.

I traced Law's progress all the way from Sabaody up to Wano. We saw him completely refusing any bonds in Sabaody, but then he takes the first step towards Luffy. Instead of trying to get closer he proposes for them to be in alliance, hiding behind the impersonal relation (Luffy's not getting any of that btw. And in case you think Luffy did it on accident it's not entirely true: he knows the actual difference between friendship and alliance, he did a normal alliance with Bege in Whole Cake Island no problem, proving to us he's not that stupid). Then we see Law slowly opening up, holding back less of his natural reactions (like getting openly angry), all while fighting his trauma related to touch and helplessness. Let's dive into his psyche.

Law is a doctor, that identity is very important for him not just because of his parents.

When he's a doctor and operates on people, he knows he has to touch them to save their lives. That's probably also the reason why he calls all his attacks and devil fruit abilities per "operations". This way he can create an artificial boundary in his mind, when he's in his "doctor mode" the touch is impersonal and professional so he is able to actually operate on people. And seems this depersonalization/desensitization technique works! The only time we see him comfortable being in contact with people is when he cuts them down into pieces like for an operation. And of course he had to be alright with touch when he operated on Luffy and Jimbei as well.

Here we have to note one more thing about his devil fruit's use. In Sabaody and Punk Hazard he cuts people into pieces and rearranges them, creating "monstrous creatures". This seems to reflect what he thinks of those people, people who usually treat him like a monster because of his devil fruit abilities (that must be a pretty traumatic experience, because doctors also called him monster before just because he was sick). So he pays them back for it, rearranges their bodies, because for him they were the monsters. This way he takes back his own liberty, he shows them that if he's the monster then they are as well. That being said, he does take advantage of his "Surgeon of Death" title, because inciting fear in enemies is helpful when you're a pirate. But after meeting Strawhats who so easily disregard the bad rep Law has and spending enough time with them together, Law stops creating monsters with misaligned human limbs. Last time we saw them was in Punk Hazard. He doesn't need that anymore, because he feels accepted for who he is, regardless of what some random marines talk about him.

His devil fruit is interesting because it creates a space in which he can easily switch items and people's positions without having to touch them. And he can activate most attacks by simply moving his finger a little or making a simple gesture, so that even in case his trauma kicks in and he freezes, then as long as he can move at least one finger, he can shamble himself away to safety. Seems like devil fruit powers rely heavily on the mind of the user, their traumas and wishes deeply influence how the power actually works. I wonder how would it work if Law didn't have his fear of touching.

Summing it up, in Wano Law didn't get touch-triggered even once, so seems things were working out well for him in this regard. He's managing it better, but I doubt that trauma is going anywhere and he will still need time to get more comfortable around people (he might never be truly done with it). But that's okay, that didn't stop him from creating a new friendship. So what's still holding him back? Is it just a regular progress-regress cycle of healing for him?

Is he just not ready yet? After all some decisions take time for him. We see it when he receives his devil fruit. We see it in Dressrosa when it takes him many chapters to admit his own desire to take down Doflamingo by himself. It takes him time to accept things he isn't mentally ready for. We saw that indeed everytime he needs to take an extra moment or two to brace himself to touch someone as well. So is that just it? He needs more time? I don't think so, actually.

Remember this beautiful moment? In my native language this translation of Ace's line is more poetic: I will accept the opened arms reaching towards me as well as the death by the blade.

What was it about accepting opened arms reaching for you? This is Trafalgar Law's first hug on screen. You can't make this shit up. This Ace-Law parallel is there in the story on purpose. And it breaks me every single time.

So I guess Law got over that obstacle as well. He's ready to move on and start new things. And then he creates a beautiful friendship with Kinemon only to retreat to step one at the end of Wano, not even wanting to admit they became friends, even though everyone knows they did (the same with Strawhats). We saw this beautiful progress, his regress for a moment in Dressrosa, him opening up and closing back again. But he improved a lot since Sabaody, he's not the same person anymore. Law in Zou won't retreat anymore before even making a first step.

I think what's holding him back now is his biggest fear. And he has a pretty good freaking reason for it.

Hint number 1: Ope-ope no mi might not be enough.

Hint number 2: lead bullets greatly affected his body.

Hint number 3: "You met Corazon and he managed to prolong your life just a little longer".

Hint number 4: "I don't have much longer to live!", why is Doflamingo reminded of that line in particular now if it's just a thing from the past?

Hint number 5: death is constantly on Law's mind.

I think we need to connect all those dots together. Yes, I know, this theory isn't new. But it makes more and more sense. Ope-ope no mi didn't heal Law from amber lead completely. He only managed to prolong his own life thanks to it. That's why his execution should be done with lead bullets, it's not because it's symbolic, it's because that's literally what will kill Law in the end. Doffy was going to make the process just a tad bit faster is all. Law isn't afraid of death, but he is afraid to die without achieving anything or "dying for nothing", like he says in his flashback. He managed to survive till age 26, but his time is running out again.

Law's supposed "awakening" means he can use rooms remotely, without the need to be inside them. Interesting thing about those attacks is that they all use anaesthesia. But shouldn't you want your enemies to feel the pain when you attack? Let's look more closely to what Law says here. "This influences your body in other ways". Interesting. Perhaps because that's the ability he uses on himself when treating his amber lead syndrome? That would explain the need for anaesthesia, otherwise the sickness would limit his mobility.

In other words: Law can remove/hide the symptoms, but he can't cure the source of the amber lead poisoning apparently. It shouldn't be so strange, he was clearly born with it, it was passed down from his parents, which means it's in his DNA. Using ope-ope no mi inside his own body is pretty clever and let me quote Doffy on that: "it's all about how you use your abilities". Doflamingo did the same with his strings to restore his organs, I think he got inspired by Law. And yes, all the hints come mostly from Doflamingo, so he knows Law is dying.

Let's look at events of Dressrosa again to see if my idea fits. In Dressrosa we learn for the first time that Law's ope-ope no mi requires a lot of stamina. Perhaps because he needs to constantly apply it to monitor his own body and that's why he can't spare as much for fighting enemies as he would want to. Then he gets shot with lead bullets and nearly loses his life as the result. Weird that few bullets could do it to him while he could take much more beating in general. Unless it's because his body is still weak to the lead and it makes the poisoning spread faster, which would make perfect sense. Then Law is put in seastone cuffs and carried by Luffy through half of Dressrosa all the way to the palace. There is no moment in which Law, no matter how tired he is by being manhandled, claims he could just run on his own. He doesn't even sit on the horse or the bull, is just lying down. There is no proper explanation as to why he was lying there lifeless like that, nothing was preventing him from just sitting down instead. Later he claims it was because he was saving up his energy.

But now let's look at this situation logically. He was lying down and compliant to insane degree, because he felt *sick*. Which should remind us of how he was sick before Corazon got him ope-ope no mi. At times he couldn't even move anymore. Putting Law in seastone cuffs means his ope ope no mi is not monitoring his body anymore so it saps out all of his strength. Remember this, this is how bad Law's health is already in Dressrosa.

Even with Doflamingo directly threatening them he can't lift himself up properly. This is emergency, this is not the time to be lying around, and yet he can't do anything and this might a sign of how bad his condition actually is. He's shivering here because he feels helpless and defenseless. His trauma isn't exactly helping either.

At the end of Dressrosa he is weezing, suffocating, but still uses room and shambles to bring Luffy to safety. We can see him there in the background afterwards, looks to me like his heart almost giving up on him. Few moments later he's lying down, most likely passed out. This all is very hard to notice. That room he used to bring Luffy to the ground was also huge, perhaps as huge as the one he used in the palace before to fool Doffy. And he says it cut down on his lifespan. Well, good to know he cut down his lifespan not once, but twice already, and just in Dressrosa alone. Oda didn't nerf Law in Dressrosa, that's not the reason of why he seems weaker than before.

If Law is dying and overdid himself in Dressrosa on top of that, then no wonder he would say this. He might have left his crew in Zou knowing very well that it might be the last time he sees them. Now it makes much more sense. But Dressrosa did tip the scales into making him believe he might literally not make it out and no strategy could help him to survive against the illness.

Now let's jump to Wano. Remember this puzzling moment? He didn't fight anyone, only did some warps, and yet he is already worrying about his stamina? Yes, I take it as a sign that his condition worsened siginificantly. It was ofc also used for the plot to move forward in direction Oda wanted it to as well, but he wouldn't do it *just* for that reason.

Now let's jump to fight against Big Mom. Law doesn't look alright here.

And he can't even get up after the fight for a while, he's panting all the time. Kid, who was also exhausted after the fight, is already back on his legs and moving around. Law meanwhile still can't. Not even when water is rushing their way and he needs to move.

That's some enourmous room he created there. It looks like 10 times size (if not more) of Onigashima. It looks bigger than the whole Flower Capital! So, how much lifespan did he cut down this time?

Now we're finally getting to Winner Island. Blackbeard used his yomi yomi no mi attack that renders the devil user who's hit with it unable to use his powers. We saw that happen with Ace, remember? (yes, this is yet another parallel to Ace. Both of them lost to Blackbeard). And this is how Law looks now without his devil fruit to support him. You have two shots from Winner, one from Dressrosa after he gets shot with lead bullets (lower left) for comparison, anime, and, finally, comparison to sick Law from the flashback. The only difference here are the missing white patches on his skin. Symptomps look exactly the same: heavy breathing, unable to move, shivering, and his forehead is shaded in same way which implies high fever. This is where we are right now: Law's now in as bad of a state (or very close to it) as the end of the flashback. I guess white patches take some time to appear, it's not instant after his devil fruit is unable to be used to repress it anymore.

We didn't yet reach this state, but it's approaching very, very fast.

Very subtle anime hints. The whole sequence with the poneglyph in Onigashima gave us a flashback to Corazon and shows him dying while covered by white snow. Whole flashback has slightly white hinge to it and Law enters the scene from the completely white background.

Just reverse the colors from that oddly coloured bit from fight against Big Mom. Oooff.

Absolutely despicable foreshadowing from One Piece Red. Hearts appear in the credits together with the ONLY line in the song that talks about death. I saw anime doing obscure hints like that countless times before, be it in openings or endings. Apparently some anime producers are aware of what's coming. The first time I noticed this scene with Law hiding his eyes and the lyrics I grew very anxious. I spent most of my life watching animes, I know what game they're playing here. Back then, I just didn't yet know what it foreshadows exactly.

Law accepted his fate and just like the lyrics suggest: "even if I disappear, my song will still ring out". Meaning even after he's gone, people dear to him will carry on and that soothes him. He smiles here, he likes this freaking song exactly because of this line. Those are his real thoughts, that's how he feels inside when he isn't pretending not to care.

This is also why he says things like this. He truly thinks it doesn't matter what happens to him, not just because he's suicidal or he wants to sound cool. No, he says it because he's going to die anyway, so indeed, it does not matter to him.

It's reversed from what we thought this was all about. It's not that he wants to kill Doflamingo so much he doesn't care for his life or chooses to die. It's gonna happen anyway. In fact, if he could, he would prefer not to die:

He wants to live.

There are many asian series dealing with terminal illnesses and protagonists coming to terms with it or embracing some difficult to make choices, like in Searching for Full Moon or Your Lie in April. But please let me tell you a short summary of Shiroi Kage/White Shadow, it's a Japanese live action series from 2001 (god, they don't make such good jdramas anymore, spoilers ahead) about a surgeon who is dying, but decides to keep doing his job till the day he actually dies. He shows a lot of compassion to his patients, because he can easily relate to their situations, especially those about to die soon. His compassionate heart saves a lot of people and helps them accept their own approaching death, even though the doctor is still struggling against it himself. He acts rough and cold towards anyone else than patients, people try to form meaningful connections with him, but he refuses any attempts. Finally he accepts someone in his life that he thinks will carry on happily even without him, because they embrace everything the life offers, no matter if it's love, death or rejection. That person becomes their most important person and shows them that it's okay to fear death. In the end the surgeon chooses how to die himself, without waiting for the illness to take him. White Shadow as a title is symbolic because white in Japanese culture is the color assocciated with death. Does that remind us of a certain disease that shows as white patches on the skin?

The actual reason why Law keeps everyone at distance is probably the same that the main protagonist in Shiroi Kage had. It's for the sake of others, not his own. He doesn't want them to get attached, to feel devastated when he dies, and if they never grow close then they might feel a bit sad but easily move on. This is how he wants to die: so people won't miss him and won't despair the same way he despaired when his parents, sister and Cora-san died. That's his kind heart right there. Kinda the same way Your Lie in April uses the concept. Luffy is still grieving Ace, he doesn't need another heartbreak of someone important like a friend dying, so Law would rather lie that this was never friendship just so Luffy can carry on.

Law doesn't have much time left. And he wants to take down as many bad guys as possible, he might have even set some plans in motion that will succeed even after he dies, Drake and/or other people will carry them out to the end even after Law will be gone.

Remember the cold goodbye in Wano? He stayed at the port after battle, he avoided Luffy and Strawhats (besides Franky) and even tried to make them leave on different day than him. He acted extra cold thinking it will prevent attachments, especially if he thinks he's seeing them for the very last time, with his health in such a bad shape.

This scene should remind you of Punk Hazard, it's a callback to it. Law already then decided that this will be how he will say his goodbye.

Q.E.D., the reason behind his uneccessary coldness is solved, every loose ties got explained, there are no inconscistencies left. That's why I think I read all the signs right, even though it's just a theory based on hints and speculation. But it all fits.

Law thinks Luffy isn't attached to him much yet and that he will move on happily without lingering too much on his death. Oh boy, he's so wrong about that. That's because he didn't see Luffy's reaction in Dressrosa after he passed out.

Luffy cares for him deeply. We saw how unusually happy he was when they reunited on Punk Hazard by chance. How much he bragged about Law being a good guy. How insightful and considerate he tried to be towards him! Sure, he pushed Law's boundaries a bit, because he thought otherwise Law would never be ready to start new friendships (and was he wrong? probably not). Luffy said goodbye to him in Wano with a smile, probably thinking Law just really wants to go for his own adventure, or maybe he needs some time to get ready to admit stuff. And Luffy accepts it and waits for him.

Once Law will realize his mistake he will regret ever starting that alliance in the first place. Because he fucked up, he will leave someone behind very devastated if he dies.

If this post made any of you sad, then I'm sorry. Please remember it's mostly just a theory. Tomorrow I will make a post that will instead make you shed happy tears instead, hopefully.

We all know Luffy or Chopper will somehow cause the miracle and Law will get cured, right? Even if Law's flower is the Queen of The Night that dies before dawn (that's another foreshadowing at work here btw). We need to believe and prepare a whole truck of tissues. Fate always found a way to spare him, we need to believe in it again.

[raayllum]

anyway because I'm seeing people (perhaps understandably!) misinterpret what I mean when it comes to the broyals angst plot line

While Ezran feeling like Callum hasn't been there enough for him as high mage / that Callum is abandoning him is not where they currently are in the text (though I do think there's some subtext), Ezran having these feelings at one point is a natural symptom / almost a temporary inevitability for the disagreement about Runaan in the first place for a few different reasons.

The first is that an argument for the boys about Runaan is the catalyst for Ezran to feel (or realize he feels) that way, not that it's where they currently are in the present at all. Because right now we know, thanks to Deep Below, that Ezran does harbour a lot of anger and resentment at Runaan (in ways he doesn't seemingly towards Zubeia, I might add, which is valid in its own right).

And how is Ezran going to feel when he finds out that Callum wants to free Runaan / has no 'real issues' with him, and Ezran does?

He's probably going to feel like Callum isn't on his side, that they're opposed. He's going to feel like Callum doesn't care that the situation is unfair, that Callum is prioritizing Runaan over their dead father. That Callum is prioritizing Runaan over backing up Ezran, over being there for his brother. Ezran is going to be searching for an answer as to how and why Callum could feel so differently, and maybe think it's because Callum lost 'less' than Ezran did, because Ez was always close to Harrow and more importantly, Ezran is tethered to the Harrow's crown and throne and kingdom more than Callum ever, fundamentally, will be.

Should Ezran not feel abandoned? Should he not feel like Callum isn't doing enough for him then? Can he not feel like his brother is supposed to agree with him and be on 'his side'?

Can Ezran not agree with Soren and feel that it's unfair (textually) that "he has to struggle through this alone?"

Nor is Callum the bad guy in this situation (jc), either - nor is Ezran, because as often times in TDP, there is no 'Bad Guy'. There's just people, and their responses to the cycle, and when and how they choose to break or they don't.

Saying the situation is unfounded or that it makes someone into the bad guy just feels like people don't understand how easily and accidentally sibling bonds can get messy, how protection can feel like a lack of trust, how an age gap sibling relationship can lead to inadvertent infantilization, how you can both be doing your best and still accidentally hurt each other or be driving each other fucking crazy because you're fundamentally different people. Or, y'know, all the foreshadowing

J: I may be queen, but even I don't have the power to stop those two once they've set their mind on something.

The brothers disagreed about whether to find the prison or the Nova Blade. We know in 6x01 they disagree temporarily on what to do with the prison now that they have it. If Viren is alive and goes back to Katolis (as I've written in fanon s6) they'll probably disagree on what to do with him. And they are going to disagree about Runaan, too.

And I like the mess, so sue me.

[lady-quen]

I need to write more on the Mael and Isgarren plot, but will likely play JW for any extra lore beforehand. Still rotating them in my head, a lot, because petty immortals funny. Want to draw some shitposts for sure.

Anyway, Maol told Mael about the hidden Snargle book.

Context: Mael is pissy Garren essentially tortured a version of him in a fractal into becoming a demon (for the good of Tyria, but also something something, don't accidentally create a self-fulfilling prophecy) He then tried to kill Garren in an elaborate murder/suicide scheme, failed, got put in jail, got some theraphy, and now we have two exceedingly powerful magical immortals locked in a petty shitstorm because both of them know the other won't/can't kill them at the time as to not further endanger the future of Tyria.

Trust me, this was the TLDR. XD Also some context abt how I feel about Garren as a character in the tags 👍

[hazard-and-friends]

re our current meme topic of choice, mal-crosses: i care way more about two things. 1, are the parents stable and functional animals in society (whatever that looks like for them), and 2, is the owner prepared for the probable challenges this dog will bring?

this is just as true for mal-whippets as it is for borderpaps and for goldendoodles and for BBMs. healthy, behaviorally normal parents have a higher likelihood of healthy, behaviorally normal offspring, and if the humans know they're signing up for a risk of X, they're going to be more proactive about it.

but that's not particularly catchy so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[clarabowmp3]

I love that I’ve curated my dash so perfectly like yes I am scrolling and feeling so validated post by post THIS is the peak tumblr experience

[sheepdog-and-fakegoldenretriever]

Last time I'll see him tomorrow as I move jobs next week

Also saw my rue girl for the last time Monday broke my heart I'll actually miss these dogs so much. I hope they find their perfect home soon

[softepilogues]

ok but for real what does a good ending look like for zoro? like sure he becomes the world's greatest swordsman but then what? he stays on the sunny forever? surely not, the whole point of one piece was that eras change and things move forward, there has to be a new generation and a new pirate king after luffy. he pulls a mihawk 2.0 and either wanders the seas or parks himself on an island and fights off weaker challengers? mihawk was so bored doing that that he decided to train the guy who would take the title from him. the very thing that got zoro started on this whole journey was his rivalry with the much stronger kuina. what do you do when your whole life is built around a being stronger than others and then you fulfil your dream and there's no one stronger to challenge?

[cryotos-cmms-software]

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[asestimationsconsultants]

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[inbabylontheywept]

The Motherfucking Lizard King

No one at work trusts my boss. 

He's smart. He works hard. He's not trustworthy. He hasn't actually fucked anyone at work over, but he's ruined his last two marriages with affairs, and got dumped by his third fiance when he wouldn't sign a prenup. The fact that we all know this is just a hazard of working in a small town. 

Anyway: The thought process of the people in the lab is that if he screwed over his first wife, and his second wife, and was probably planning on screwing over his third wife, it would be insane for him not to screw us over. After all, what kind of idiot treats their employees better than their spouse? 

I dunno. His kind, I guess? He's had a few chances to fuck us over, and he hasn't taken them. Opposite really. When our parent company was doing furloughs, he stayed in the office almost a hundred hours, talking and talking and talking his way up the corporate ladder. And in the end, no one at our site got furloughed. 

He's pulled strings like that before. And it baffles me, right? Because it really does make zero sense. He'll move the heavens and the earth for us, but his wife and kids are afterthoughts. It feels like any moment, he's going to look into the mirror and realize how stupid that is. It feels like I'm betting on him making the same stupid mistake again, and again, and again - like it would be less cynical to believe he was, eventually, going to stab me in the back. But he hasn't yet, and as far as I can tell he's been making that mistake for close to fifteen years, and it's already cost him everything it can. If he was going to learn, he would have by now. 

So my position on him is that if he wanted to date someone I cared about, I'd warn them off. I don't trust him there. But I tentatively trust him to be my boss. Maybe one day he'll stick the knife in and twist, and everyone will say Ah, Babs, we warned you, but for now, I accept that he's doing a very predictable, very irrational thing, and I've made my peace with it. 

---

My job has glue traps. 

No one likes the glue traps, but we don't have a lot of options. Poison's banned by state law, spring traps are banned by company safety, and several non-lethal options tried in the past failed to work. The mouse problem can get pretty bad if it's ignored, and there's some real health hazards in that. Our site has never had a positive hantavirus test, thank God, but the big base about a half hour away has. That guy's gonna be on oxygen the rest of his life. 

If a mouse gets caught, we just euthanize it. But more than mice get stuck. Lizards can wander into those traps too, and the people working there have different feelings about the lizards. They don't pose nearly the same kind of risk mice do. They're chill little guys, and they keep the moths away, and they're just 

You know. They're friendly. There's something to be said about walking into a room, and hitting the light switch, and seeing two little guys on the wall start to do pushups as soon as they see you. 

People used to just euthanize the lizards too, but I had pet leopard geckos as a kid and I couldn't take that so I wound up googling how to free animals from glue traps. Now, when a lizard gets stuck in a trap - which happens once or twice a week - I get some vegetable oil from the breakroom, and a little plastic fork, and I'll spend fifteen to twenty minutes just kind of gently prying the little guys out. 

I have a team of technicians that help me operate one of the larger machines. They're real blue collar guys, ex-airforce, and they make me look like a little kid. Being an engineer means they'll look to me as a leader sometimes, which is a wild experience. And I started helping the lizards for my own conscience, but one of the crazier consequences of it has been that it seriously boosted my leadership cred. Because those guys see me, and they go: Hey. If he's willing to fight for a lizard, he's gotta be willing to fight for me. 

I cannot overstate how nice that is. Most engineers that want to make a change to a maintenance practice, or try an upgrade, they have to work their asses off to get the techs to buy in. But I can just ask. They already trust me to do good. They know I'm new, and they know I'm not the smartest engineer in the building, but they also know I'm the one who gets lizards out of the glue traps. 

And just because of that, they're willing to follow me. 

---

My boss has a meeting every month or two. It's typically basic house cleaning stuff - reminders about routines we've gotten lazy on, and updates on future projects. Maybe some warnings about problems coming from higher up in the company.

People are, in my opinion, a bit too cynical about the meetings. It stems from people not trusting our boss, which again, I understand, because it would make so much more sense if he wasn't trustworthy. It's a testament to the man's incredibly unhealthy priorities that he is. But as we made it to the end of the meeting, one of bullet points was: 

Do NOT mess with animals in the building. 

So I looked at my techs, and they looked at me, and when he got to the point, he was so scathing I actually just wanted to crawl under a rock and die. He said basically that he'd heard some reports about someone in the building handling animals that found their way in and got stuck, and that he just wanted to emphasize how insanely inappropriate that was, not to mention dangerous, and that if he needed to speak to anyone about it again, there would be severe consequences. 

I was willing to just take the shame and move on. I was. But one of my techs is old. Old enough he could've retired two years ago. And his actual literal goal is to one day get angry, yell at someone, and storm out. That's how he wants to retire. So instead of biting his tongue like everyone else, he stood up and said: I hate the glue traps. You hate the glue traps. We all hate glue traps. But we've all sat here for years, ignoring the little things that get stuck in them, watching them die, and then Bab's comes in, and he is the first person in decades to give enough of a shit to start pulling the lizards out. And I don't want him to stop. 

Get humane traps or shut up but we are not going back to the old way of just letting things starve. 

And my boss actually froze up. He got all wide eyed and stared at Marc, and then the other techs jumped in, and there was a very small but intense rebellion in the meeting and my boss kept trying to interrupt while getting absolutely bowled over by this gang of angry middle aged air force vets, and eventually he just went 

I will speak with Babylon about this afterwards! After! And then he will speak with everyone else, but I have more points to cover. 

So they went silent, and my boss rushed through the last five minutes, and we all adjounred. The techs really didn't like that I was going in alone - they thought our boss was going to try and shout me into compliance. Marc in particular was like, Look, if he tries bullying you, stand your ground, and if he threatens anything, just come get us, and we'll give him hell. 

So armed with that, I went to my boss's office. I sat in the chair across from him, and he kept his composure for maybe five seconds before just flopping back into his chair. 

I had no idea you were saving lizards, he said, but I'm glad you are. I always hated seeing them die in the glue.  

I wasn't expecting that. I was about to ask him what the comment from the meeting was about then, but he answered that before I even got the chance.

A snake got into the building last week, and - someone picked it up and chased a coworker around. Turns out that coworker was severely afraid of snakes, and now it's a shitshow. We're a small site, and now I can't ask those two to work together anymore, to say nothing about how the snake fared after all that. Being upset about that is a reasonable thing, right? 

And he gave me a look like he actually wanted an answer, so I said Yeah, totally, chasing a coworker around with a snake is a dick move. Especially if that coworker is already afraid of snakes. 

And he said Exactly! and then we sat there a few moments longer. He looked so incredibly tired that I did, actually, feel kind of bad for him. And then he somehow managed to sink even further into his chair, and said

Look, I know I'm not a good guy. But I'm not evil. I'm not some sort of crazy asshole that's going to demand that everyone watch lizards starve to death. When you go back downstairs, could you try to pass that on? That I'm not evil? 

I said Sure because it wasn't a hard request, and he looked relieved. I actually made it halfway out before I realized I had a question. 

Who grabbed the snake? I asked. 

Not supposed to talk about it, he said. But whoever comes to mind first is probably right. 

ThatGuy? I asked. And he looked me in the face, nodded his head yes, and said No. 

---

The techs seemed a little disappointed that they didn't get to storm the boss's office, but were otherwise in good spirits. They were actually a little bit embarrassed to hear about the snake story - apparently, it wasn't much of a secret. It'd just slipped their minds because it happened three weeks ago. 

We did maintenance after that, the same basic repairs we did every week. The meeting had been stressful and it was a relief to work with my hands. When the parts were reinstalled, everything cleaned and smooth and ready to go, Marc found me again. 

You know what the lesson of today is? he asked. And there were quite a few answers to that that I could have taken - from don't assume the worst of people to be careful with how you spend your trust - we all need it more than we think. 

But instead I said what? because I wanted to hear what his answer was going to be. 

That I got your back, he said. Then he clapped one very, very large hand on my shoulder, gave it a good squeeze, and walked back to dosimetry lab.

---

The next day, Marc gave me a package and told me to open it in my office. I was suspicious, but I followed the request.

Cardboard gave way to a small baggie, obviously full of fabric, which opened to reveal a t-shirt that read

"I Am the Motherfucking Lizard King."

I looked at it, I loved it, and then I got an idea. I went to my boss's office and knocked on the door. When he opened it, I asked him if he would be willing to allow something very unprofessional to happen for morale building purposes.

How unprofessional? he asked. I held the shirt up in answer. He gave the shirt a short look over and snorted.

You can wear it on weeks without customers, he said. Which just so happened to include that week.

I'll pass on that it came with your blessing, I replied, and he looked oddly relieved.

Thanks, he said. And then I went downstairs.

---

The techs were very, very happy to see the shirt. And while my boss's reputation remains in tatters, and probably will be until he moves (or dies), the next time there was a meeting, there was quite a bit less complaining about how mere presence. Which is, I guess, a start.

We'll see if he squanders it.

[airwavesdotblog]

Bracing for Impact in the Central and Eastern United States: AI’s Role in Mitigating Severe Weather Disasters

The central and eastern regions of the United States are bracing for a significant severe weather event that’s set to unfold at the start of April. The forecast predicts a high risk of damaging hail, strong winds, and tornadoes from Monday into Monday night, affecting areas from the southern Plains through to the mid-Mississippi and lower Ohio valleys. The severe conditions are expected to…

[thereoncewasagirlnamedjane]

PAIRING | Joaquín Torres x f!Reader

TAGS/WARNINGS | just tons of fluff, and doggos!

SUMMARY | Joaquín is fiercely protective of all the VA’s service dogs in training, so when Sam informs him that there’s a new volunteer arriving to help take care of the pups, Joaquín is prepared to use any excuse to veto anyone who comes in through those doors… until you’re the one who walks in, and he knows he’s lost.

WORD COUNT | 2.0k

⋆ ˚｡⋆˚ NAVIGATION | | JOAQUÍN TORRES M.LIST ˚⋆｡˚ ⋆

I do not do taglists. Please follow my sideblog @ficsbyjane for notifications whenever I post.

✧.* In the Golden Hour

Sam sighs. It’s only ten in the morning and he’s already tired.

Joaquín sits on the floor in one of the VA’s designated meeting rooms, arms crossed over his chest, looking uncharacteristically grumpy even surrounded by six happy dogs poking and prodding at him with their noses.

“You know, you could… I don’t know, help?” Sam says, sidestepping a rogue tennis ball as he stacks up a few chairs and moves them to the back of the room. “What’s your problem anyway?”

“I wanna vet ‘em.”

“Too bad. I already told them they could start today.”

“Without consulting me?!” Joaquín sits up a little straighter now, indignant. Bailey, a curious little beagle, whines now that his face is out of reach and she can’t smother him in kisses.

“And since when did I need your approval, kid?”

“But I’m Mav’s handler,” the younger man insists, and a golden retriever who’s been lying sprawled across a sunlit patch just an arm’s reach away lifts his head, as though recognizing the sound of his name. “I should have a say on who comes in to take care of him when I’m not here.”

Mav, or Maverick, lets out a cheerful woof! His mouth then falls open in that silly golden grin that melts the hearts of everyone he meets, his tongue lolling to the side.

“See? He agrees with me,” Joaquín points at his latest pet project, no pun intended. He reaches over to give Mav some much deserved belly scratches. “Don’t you, buddy?”

“Don’t encourage him, Mav,” Sam half-heartedly scolds, and Maverick slumps back onto the floor with a high-pitched whine. “And you’ve already scared away plenty of volunteers. You think they’re easy to come by, or what?”

“I’m protective of the pups, okay? You can’t blame me for that,” Joaquín points out defensively, softening just a little when Daisy, a sweet and predictably excitable Labrador attacks his extended arm, wanting to play. “…And Mav’s special.”

It’s not that Joaquín doesn’t trust Sam’s judgment, and it is true that he’s protective of all the service dogs in training, but Mav is special.

Joaquín found him when he was still just a pup, a few weeks shy of a year old according to the vet, in some war-torn zone while overseas. It was instinct, he didn’t even think as he scooped up the trembling fur ball and brought him back to base.

While the Air Force weren’t strangers to welcoming golden retrievers among their ranks, Joaquín knew immediately that Mav could do the most good as a therapy dog. With Sam’s help, he got the smiley goldie a spot in the PAWS program and the rest was history.

And it was impossible not to get attached.

So while he’s not opposed to handing over Mav’s leash for a few hours a day, especially now that he’s the Falcon to Sam’s Captain America and he doesn’t always have the time to dedicate to the program, the last thing he wants is for some inexperienced volunteer to come in and mess up Mav’s progress.

“Wow, did you guys hear that?” Sam feigns shock, addressing the other dogs in the room. “Your lieutenant has a favourite.”

“Aw, come on. Don’t do that,” Joaquín winces, not daring to look over at the innocent stares of the VA’s latest round of recruits. “Don’t turn them against me.”

“Hey, you incriminated yourself,” Sam points at him before shaking his head, “I wouldn’t look at Jax if I were you. That look of betrayal—oof.”

“Listen, can’t you just—I don’t know, tell me more about this person?” Joaquín asks, hazarding a glance over at Jax the Doberman, who looks back at him with shining, watery eyes. He’s hit with a pang of guilt, one he tries to remedy by pulling Jax in for a cuddle.

“You’re being too protective,” Sam rolls his eyes. “The new volunteer is good with them, alright? She—”

“These guys would love a serial killer if he gave them treats,” Joaquín scoffs, ignoring the way Axel, a German Shepherd, seems to tilt his head with indignity. “Also… she?”

“Is that a problem? Damn, didn’t know you were like that, Torres,” Sam’s eyes widen, but there’s a telltale smirk on his face that says he’s just kidding around.

“You know that’s not what I mean,” the young Falcon rolls his eyes, although he softens a little when Bailey starts pawing at his knee for some attention. He scratches her affectionately under one floppy ear. “I just mean… well, she needs to be able to handle Beau, for one thing.”

Beau the Rottweiler then jumps up at attention when Joaquín points at him, barking once, twice, as though saying, “I’m here!”

He only looks intimidating, honest. In reality, Beau’s just another gentle giant. Still, if he decides to go running off chasing squirrels on his next walk, most people wouldn’t stand a chance against his speed and strength.

“Why do you think we call him ‘Beau’, huh?” Sam just grins even wider, bending over to pat the Rottweiler on the head. Beau laps up the attention, his bum wriggling excitedly with each wag of his tail. “He’s a total sucker for a pretty face. Aren’t ya, boy?”

“Well, duh, that’s why he likes me so much,” Joaquín grins when Beau huffs as if in agreement, tickling him under his chin. And then, he can’t help asking: “Alright, how pretty we talkin’?”

“God, is that important?”

“Wha-? You just said—!”

“Yeah, but you need to keep the flirting to a minimum, alright? This is a professional environment.”

“Oh, come on, when have I ever—”

“Literally all the time, you incorrigible little…” Sam trails off, exasperated, not wanting to call Joaquín something incredibly rude. “I swear, you should come with a warning.”

Joaquín just smirks at that, picking up the tennis ball when Axel brings it to him, tossing it across the room and starting a flurry of movement and a chorus of joyful barks.

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“Eh, depends on how you look at it.”

“Okay,” Sam scoffs, “so you’re done giving me crap about the volunteer?”

“Nah, I’m not letting you, or her, off the hook that easily,” Joaquín then looks over at Maverick, who has moved to join the other dogs in the chase for the ball. He and Daisy are play fighting over it. “Alright, well, if I can’t vet her, then I at least wanna meet her first.”

“You’re only saying that because I said she’s pretty,” Sam grabs the dogs’ leashes that are hanging from a hook on the wall, letting out a sharp whistle that echoes off the walls. All of them obediently fall into line, plodding over when they see their leashes out.

“Please,” Joaquín rolls his eyes, “how pretty can she be?”

“Oh, you’re gonna regret that one,” Sam shakes his head, attaching the leashes to the dogs’ harnesses, camouflage-patterned with the words “ARMY” and their names stitched onto them.

Joaquín laughs now, catching the handles to the leashes that Sam tosses toward him. Daisy is connected to Beau and Maverick, while the others are grouped together, all somewhat evenly distributed.

“What, you gonna snitch or somethin—” he starts to fire back, but then movement in the hallway catches his eye. Joaquín glances out the door and almost chokes.

Because walking in through the doorway is easily the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.

“Hi Sam—oh!”

Your eyes just light up when you see the dogs, like the moment just before a sparkler catches. Joaquín scrambles to his feet just as you fall to your knees to welcome Axel into your arms, who is the first one to run up to you.

The rest follow eagerly to say hello to their new friend, just swarming you. Beau pokes his head under your arm, Jax is so eager for kisses that he knocks you off your feet and onto your backside, and Bailey immediately jumps into your lap. Daisy is attacking your face, making you squeal when she licks a stripe up your cheek.

“Okay guys, okay!” You’re giggling, and Joaquín has to take a second to inhale, like he’s trying to breathe in that laugh. “Pets for everyone, but wait your turn!”

The dogs don’t listen, just continue giving you sloppy kisses and nose boops. Maverick goes bounding over, the only one of the bunch you haven’t met yet, and noses curiously at the soles of one of your shoes.

Joaquín doesn’t stop him. In fact, he barely registers the fact that he’s let go of the leashes.

“Why, hello there,” you coo, letting Mav sniff the back of your hand before you start petting him in earnest. You check his harness, smiling as you read his name out loud. “Well, aren’t you a handsome one, Maverick?”

The golden retriever looks to his handler, as though proud, like he’s saying, “Did you hear that? She said I’m handsome!”

Joaquín’s never been so jealous of a dog in his entire life.

Once the dogs have finished saying hello and have calmed down a little, you stand up, trying not to trip over them as they circle your legs.

“Ahem, sorry about that,” you clear your throat sheepishly. Sam smiles triumphantly, turning to give Joaquín the smuggest of looks, only to roll his eyes at what he finds. The kid’s earlier skepticism and indignation is nowhere to be seen, only the most idiotic smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Along with the most obvious pair of heart eyes mankind has ever seen.

Joaquín grins. Your hair is slightly dishevelled now, and your nice jacket is covered in dog drool and dog hair but you don’t seem to care. Instead, you just catch his eye and smile.

“Oh, you must be Lieutenant Torres,” and then you step closer and hold out a hand. He can smell your perfume or your shampoo, whatever it is, and for a second he can’t seem to form any words. You glance uneasily over at Sam, who just shrugs.

“Um—yeah,” Joaquín blinks and shakes his head a little, taking your hand with maybe a bit too much enthusiasm. Maybe he even holds on a little longer than is necessary. “Please, just Joaquín is fine.”

“Sure, Joaquín,” your smile grows wider and he can’t help but watch, enraptured, as your lips form the sounds of his name.

“So… the dogs, uh, they really like you.”

“Oh, you think so?” You visibly melt, pressing a hand over your heart. “Thank god, it’s the best endorsement I’ve ever gotten.”

“Well, you know what they say: dogs are a good judge of character,” he offers. You laugh and he chuckles along, all breathless and smitten. To the side, Sam lets out a scoff but he can’t bring himself to care.

“I thought you said they’d love serial killers—” But Sam doesn’t get to finish, Joaquín stepping forward hurriedly to pick up the dogs’ leashes off the floor.

“Hey, I’ve got some time…” Joaquín says, not at all subtle or casual. He steps a little closer, offering you the leashes, letting out an almost imperceptible sigh when your fingers brush his. “Maybe I can show you their favourite route.”

You glance over at Sam, who rolls his eyes so hard you think they might get stuck. Still, you smile up at Joaquín.

“Lead the way, Lieutenant,” you gesture to the door, giggling when he dips his head shyly and slowly jogs toward the door.

You turn back to Sam, smirking as you whisper, “I thought you said he’d give me a hard time?”

“Yeah, well, he’s a pain in my ass, that’s for sure.”

“…He’s cute.”

“Ugh, I oughta throw up in your face.”

You can’t help but laugh.

“Ready?” Joaquín then pops his head back into the room to ask. You spin around, nonchalant, and nod, letting the dogs tug you excitedly towards the door.

Sam watches you all go, huffing a laugh when Joaquín bends dramatically at the waist as he opens the door for you. Shaking his head, Sam turns away to finish reorganizing the room and mutters to himself, “Guess Beau’s not the only sucker around here.”

Outside on the sidewalk, Beau sneezes.

FIN.

Notes: I love these two already, so I miiiiight do a part 2 eventually, one day, idk.

© 2025 by thereoncewasagirlnamedjane. Do not repost, translate, or copy to third party sites. No part of this work may be fed into any AI software or websites. Minors are asked not to interact with my blog; you are responsible for your own media consumption. Blank/ageless blogs will be blocked.

[evilminji]

I mean? Pretty likely? You'd be minding your business.. in the field, trying to study something, then *spots a creature you don't recognize* huh.

And? Are you supposed to recognize ON SIGHT? The various regional magical animals? You were taught those done actually exsist. What you DO know is wildly conflicting!

Quick question! How safe is a Unicorn? And to WHOM? Are you SURE?

Which of these foxes has human intelligence? Will take great and leathal offense to you trying to put a tracking band on them? If a kappa is in North Dakota, will you still recognize it, removed from it's Japanese natural environment as context? You would a bear. A polar bear or panda. You KNOW poachers and accidental migration is a thing.

Would you still survive that weird water animal?

How many scientists have disappeared in the field? How many times have OTHER innocent animal been blamed for their very preventable deaths? Mauled by "bears"? Attacked by "wolves"?

Has that gotten even MORE people killed because "fuck you! That's not how those animals ACT! They aren't even IN that area! Too close to too many humans! If YOU won't look into this, I WILL!"?

Osha was built in blood. ALL safety bodies are. Negligence is the CRUELEST way to kill.

How many local superstition are correct! What is or is not going to keep people safe! They don't need to put out a Demon Summoning 101 pamphlet! Just? Yes, hellhounds exsist. They look like this. That is NOT a "puppy". DONT PET IT.

What steps SHOULD I take, if I meet a North American Supernatural Creature(tm)? Should I be calling my local Tribe to try and ID it? They've been here longer and likely have someone who knows if I'm in danger or should just politely nod and back away.

Or has THAT source of apparently VITAL LIFE SAVING KNOWLEDGE, that you KNEW was important, been dwindled down into such a state, that they can't help anyone?

It's like they've tried to hide Dark Matter and Black Holes from scientists for centuries. Because Dangerous etc etc.

Yeah! We're aware! That's inherent to what they ARE! They still effect the natural systems!

And Magic!? IS ABSOLUTELY SCIENTIFIC. Science is the testing and STUDY of the natural world! EVERYTHING IS SCIENCE. Food preferences are Science! Art is Science! Baby's laughter and puppies cuteness is FUCKIN SCIENCE!

No WONDER so many of their numbers were adding up! Things were breaking down! YOU WERE HIDING A FUNDAMENTAL FORCE FROM THEM! It was like hiding the details of "gravity"! *irrate scientific boards*

You know what would be HILARIOUS?

The Flash Family, know sceptics. Men and women of SCIENCE(~✨️!). Just?? Casually rolling up one day to work like "oh BTW, ghosts are a thing. Very cool."

Like? EXCUSE ME?! Shouts furious and outraged magic users. ALL of whom had tried to explain that fact and failed... just... just SO MANY TIMES.

And the Flash are like "What?! Of COURSE Ghosts are real! There is SCIENCE to back this up!"

And? JLA Dark might? Spit blood? They are incoherent with rage. You FUCKERS.

Where are the papers? WHERE ARE THE GOD DAMNED PAPERS!? What was it? What convinced you, that their FIVE HOUR LECTURE failed to do!?!?

And it's some NOBODY named Daniel Fenton. A rebuttal of his parents earlier works.

Mother fuckers. Are these idiots POKING AROUND THE REALMS!? They... they need to sit down. Oh sweet Jesus. They feel faint.

And frankly, Barry doesn't get why ya'll are being so DRAMATIC. Why could you just explain things like THIS? Not all that... hand wavey, smoke and mirrors nonsense. This makes WAY more sense.

See? His friend, Sam, did a study on how judicious use of magic can help the environment! If you just TOLD him the "ghosts" you were talking about were just inter-dimensional extentions of life, he would have understood you! Now the NEVERBORN! Those are cool.

You should really read the paper, guys.

Might learn something.

@hdgnj

[gyorouis]

── ✦ losing inhibitions.

⋆˚ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ synopsis⸝⸝ “you in those jeans? absolutely lethal.” he lets out a low whistle, shaking his head like he’s in trouble. “it’s a public safety hazard at this point.”

꒰ genre⸝⸝ fluff, light smut, suggestive pairing⸝⸝ soobin x afab!reader (establihed relationship) warning⸝⸝ suggestive themes, excessive teasing, dangerously bad pick-up lines, one very distracting boyfriend, soobin being so damn bad for reader wordcount⸝⸝ 3.1k tune in⸝⸝ addison rae — diet pepsi ୨ৎ꒱

you sit on the floor in soobin's messy apartment, your back against the foot of his bed, laptop open, the glow from the screen reflecting in your eyes. the fan whirs softly, blending with the click of your fingers tapping against the keyboard as you try to fix the code your friend somehow managed to completely mess up. again.

soobin, predictably, sprawled across his bed, controller in hand, eyes half-focused on the game playing out in front of him. his legs dangle off the side, but every now and then you catch him glancing at you—the way your fingers fly over the keys, how your hair falls just slightly in front of your face, the way your jeans hug you in all the right places.

it’s become a habit at this point. anytime you’re over, trying to work, soobin would start off pretending he’s deep into his game, but then you’d feel his gaze wandering, getting more and more distracted by you. and you knew today would be no different.

you feel his eyes on you again before he even says anything. and then, the inevitable.

“babe…” his voice has that familiar lazy drawl, as if he’s fighting off a yawn. you know he’s about to hit you with something completely out of pocket.

“soobin,” you reply, not looking up, already rolling your eyes at whatever’s coming. “i’m working.”

“i know, i know…” he trails off, but the smirk in his voice is unmistakable. “but i can’t focus on my game when you’re over there looking like that. it’s distracting, babe.”

you glance up at him, narrowing your eyes. “oh yeah? what about me is so distracting?”

“you in those jeans? absolutely lethal.” he lets out a low whistle, shaking his head like he’s in trouble. “it’s a public safety hazard at this point.”

you scoff, trying not to laugh. “i’m literally just sitting here typing, soobin.”

“yeah, sitting there looking hot as hell.” he sets the controller down and rolls onto his stomach, propping his chin up with his hands like he’s about to watch a movie. “you should give that poor laptop a break. you’ve been typing for like, hours.”

you look at him from the corner of your eye, smirking. “so now you’re timing how long i work?”

“it’s my job as a boyfriend to make sure you don’t overwork yourself,” he says, voice dripping with exaggerated sincerity. “i care about your well-being.”

“uh-huh,” you mutter, focusing back on the code. “you only care when it means you get my attention.”

soobin pushes himself up, crawling to the edge of the bed until he’s right behind you, hovering over your shoulder. “i’m just saying,” he starts, “you’ve been staring at that screen for hours and haven’t once taken a break to admire your incredibly attractive boyfriend sitting right here, patiently waiting.”

you sigh, fingers pausing for a second before resuming. “i’m fixing a disaster here, bub. some of us have actual work to do.”

“babe,” he leans down, whispering directly into your ear, “you’re fixing someone else’s computer. how is that your work?”

“because,” you say, voice clipped, “they’re my friend, and they trust me to help them.”

“you’re too good, you know that?” his hand sneaks around your waist, fingers grazing the hem of your shirt, thumb gently brushing against your skin. “saving everyone one broken laptop at a time.”

you shoot him a look over your shoulder, trying to ignore the warmth spreading through you. “and you are too distracting.”

he grins, leaning back, clearly pleased with himself. “can’t help it if my girl’s a total babe. you look good even when you’re just... coding.”

“soobin,” you warn, trying to focus on your work again, but he’s relentless. you can hear him moving, shifting off the bed to sit beside you, his knee brushing against yours.

“did it hurt?” he asks suddenly.

you raise an eyebrow. “did what hurt?”

“when you fell from the vending machine, 'cause you're a snack.” he winks, making an exaggerated popping sound with his lips.

you groan, shaking your head, trying to suppress the laughter bubbling up. “wow. you’ve officially hit rock bottom.”

“not yet,” he quips, eyes flicking to your waist again, his hand now resting casually on your thigh. “i'm just warming up.”

you shove him lightly, but your pulse quickens at his touch. “i swear, you have the worst pick-up lines.”

“maybe,” he smirks, fingers tracing the seam of your jeans, “but they're still working.”

“i’m trying to work here!” you remind him, but your voice lacks the sternness you were going for.

“then let me help you,” he says, inching closer, his voice dropping to that low, velvety tone that never fails to get under your skin. “i’m really good with my hands.”

you scoff, finally unable to hold back your smile. “yeah? prove it.”

he grins, taking it as a challenge. without missing a beat, he moves his hand from your thigh to your wrist, pulling your fingers off the keyboard. “step one,” he says, intertwining his fingers with yours, “remove all distractions.” he playfully closes the laptop with his free hand.

you roll your eyes, feeling your resolve slipping. “soobin, i have like, two more things to debug.”

“and i have about a hundred more things to say about how amazing you look right now,” he counters, his thumb lightly brushing over your knuckles. “but fine, i’ll make you a deal. i’ll let you finish your nerdy coding stuff if you take a break for five minutes. with me.”

you bite your lip, torn between finishing your work and the growing tension between you two. “fine,” you mutter, leaning back against the bed, letting your head fall against his arm. “but just five minutes.”

soobin’s grin widens, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “that’s all i need.”

you roll your eyes, trying to steel yourself for what’s about to happen. “yeah, right,” you mumble under your breath, knowing full well that five minutes with soobin never stays at five minutes. still, you lean back, letting the pull of him win. just for a little while, you tell yourself.

but as soon as his arms circle around your waist, you know you’re done for. his presence is magnetic, pulling you into his orbit, making it hard to remember why you were even resisting in the first place. you feel the warmth of him against your back, his soft breath ghosting over your neck, sending a shiver down your spine.

“relax,” he murmurs, his voice low, almost a purr, as he pulls you closer. your body responds instinctively, leaning back further into him, your mind hazy as the weight of his arms around you becomes the only thing you can focus on.

you try to keep your focus, really, but with soobin this close—his breath warm against your cheek, the scent of his cologne wrapping around you—it’s impossible. his lips press softly against the side of your neck, and your breath hitches as his hand gently slides under the hem of your shirt, his fingertips grazing the bare skin of your waist.

“soobin,” you murmur, barely above a whisper, but it’s not the warning you intended. it sounds more like a plea.

he hums against your skin, his voice low and teasing. “what? i’m just helping you relax.”

“this isn’t... relaxing,” you breathe out, though you make no move to stop him. instead, you find yourself leaning into his touch, your hands finding their way to the nape of his neck, fingers curling into his soft hair.

he chuckles softly, lips trailing down to your collarbone as his other hand moves up your back, pulling you even closer. “you sure about that? because it seems like you’re pretty into it.”

you roll your eyes, but the smile tugging at your lips gives you away. “you’re... impossible.”

“i know,” he grins against your skin, his hands slipping under your shirt, palms warm against your bare sides. “but you love it.”

your mind is spinning now, your body caught in the rhythm of his touch as his hands glide over your skin with ease, teasing, exploring. his lips brush against your jawline, sending jolts of electricity through your veins. and just like that, the line between work and play blurs until it’s nonexistent.

and you do. you love the way he teases you, how he never takes things too seriously but somehow always manages to make you feel like you’re the only thing that matters. like right now—his full attention is on you, even with the game still running on his tv in the background. it’s always like that with soobin, the playful teasing giving way to something deeper when you least expect it.

he leans back slightly, just enough to catch your gaze, his eyes dark with something you can’t quite name but definitely feel. “c’mere,” he murmurs, pulling you into his lap, your legs straddling his hips as he leans back against the bedframe, hands gripping your waist.

you try to keep your cool, but the way his hands are moving—slow, deliberate, fingers tracing patterns on your skin—makes your heart race. you swallow hard, looking down at him as he looks up at you, his lips parted, breathing a little heavier than before. his hair is a mess, that playful smirk still tugging at his lips, but there’s an intensity in his eyes now that wasn’t there before.

“you’re really not gonna let me finish my work, are you?” you ask, but your voice is breathless, your resolve crumbling with each passing second.

“work can wait,” he murmurs, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down your spine. “i’ve waited long enough.”

your breath catches at his words, your pulse quickening. something in his tone—something in the way his hands are holding you, firm but gentle—makes your skin heat up. he’s not just teasing anymore; this feels different. more serious. more... intense.

his lips crash into yours, hard and urgent, and you kiss him back with just as much hunger, your hands gripping his shoulders, pulling him closer. his hands slide up your back, slipping under your shirt completely now, the warmth of his palms against your bare skin sending sparks of electricity through your body.

you tilt your head, deepening the kiss, and he groans softly into your mouth, his hands gripping your waist tighter, pulling you flush against him. you can feel the heat radiating from him, the steady thrum of his heartbeat through the thin fabric of his shirt, and the tension between you both is thick, almost suffocating in the best way possible.

“soobin,” you breathe against his lips, your voice shaky now, your hands sliding from his shoulders down to his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing beneath your fingers. “we should—”

“shh,” he cuts you off, his lips finding yours again, more insistent this time, his hands moving to the hem of your shirt, slowly tugging it upwards. “just... let me.”

he moves with purpose, his lips finding yours once again, hungrier this time, more demanding. you respond in kind, the world outside his bedroom dissolving as the only thing that matters now is the two of you. his hands are everywhere—at your waist, sliding up your back, pulling you deeper into him as if he can’t get enough.

the tension between you thickens, the air around you charged as his fingers dip lower, teasing at the hem of your jeans. every touch leaves a trail of fire, and you can feel the heat pooling in your core, anticipation buzzing under your skin.

you pull back for a moment, trying to catch your breath, your eyes locking with his. “soobin,” you start, but the words die on your lips as he kisses you again, silencing any lingering protest with the intensity of his touch.

“just five minutes, right?” he murmurs against your lips, and you can’t help but laugh, shaking your head as you tug him closer.

“you’re such a liar,” you whisper, but your voice is filled with amusement, any trace of resistance long gone.

he grins, his eyes darkening with something deeper, more primal, as his hands finally slip lower, fingers tracing the waistband of your jeans. “maybe,” he says, his voice low, gravelly. “but you love me for it.”

and with that, the last thread of control snaps. “god,” he mutters, his voice rough and strained, “i’ve wanted this... for so long.”

you can’t find the words to respond, your mind too fogged up with him—his touch, his breath, the way his body feels pressed against yours. instead, you pull him into another kiss, more desperate, more urgent than before, your fingers tangling in his hair as you lose yourself in the moment, everything else fading away.

he pulls you tighter against him, the heat between you both growing, and suddenly, nothing else matters. your laptop is long forgotten, the game on his tv still running in the background, but neither of you notice. it’s just you and him now, wrapped up in each other, the rest of the world fading into the background as the moment intensifies.

his hands move to the button of your jeans, fingers fumbling slightly as he tries to undo it, and you can feel the tension building, the anticipation hanging thick in the air. your heart races in your chest, and you can’t stop the small gasp that escapes your lips as his fingers brush against your skin, the sensation sending a shiver down your spine.

“soobin,” you whisper, your voice shaky, but he doesn’t respond. his lips are on your neck again, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin, his hands working your jeans lower, and suddenly, the room feels too hot, the air too thick.

you bite your lip, your mind swimming as his hands move lower, your body responding to his touch, and you know that this—whatever this is—has been a long time coming. the tension that’s been building between you both, the teasing, the playful banter—it’s all been leading to this moment.

and then, just as his hands slide further down, your phone buzzes loudly from the floor beside you, the vibration cutting through the thick silence of the room.

you both freeze.

soobin pulls back slightly, his breath ragged, his eyes dark and hooded as he glances down at the phone. “you’ve gotta be kidding me.”

you laugh breathlessly, pressing your forehead against his, trying to catch your breath. “of course,” you mutter, voice tinged with exasperation.

he groans, his hands still resting on your hips as he leans back slightly, eyes flicking between you and the still-buzzing phone. “should we...?”

you glance down at the phone, and then back at him, your heart still racing, your body still humming with anticipation. “no,” you murmur, your lips brushing against his. “let it ring.”

he grins, pulling you back into his arms, his hands gripping your waist tightly as his lips find yours again, more urgent this time, more demanding. and as the phone continues to buzz on the floor, you let yourself get lost in him once again as he pulls you in closer, his kiss deepening, more possessive now as his hands trace up your sides. you’re acutely aware of the warmth of his hands, the way his fingers explore every inch of you as if he can’t get enough.

you melt into him, your body pressing against his with a newfound urgency. your fingers grip the back of his neck, tugging gently at his hair, eliciting a low groan from him that sends a rush of heat through your entire body. his lips leave yours, trailing down your jawline and to your neck, kissing and nibbling at your sensitive skin, making it harder to think, harder to breathe. every touch feels like it’s setting your skin on fire.

“soobin,” you gasp, your voice breathy and barely audible, but it’s enough to make him pause for a second, his breath coming in short, heavy bursts as he looks at you, eyes filled with a hunger you’ve never seen before.

“you okay?” he asks softly, his voice a little rough, but his eyes are searching, waiting for some kind of confirmation.

you nod, unable to form words, and that’s all he needs. his lips crash into yours again, more fervent this time, his hands sliding down to your hips, pulling you tighter against him. your bodies fit together perfectly, and the heat between you is almost unbearable, the tension building with every touch, every kiss.

his fingers make quick work of your jeans, tugging them down just enough before he lifts you, flipping you onto your back with a swift motion that leaves you breathless. he hovers over you, his lips hovering just inches from yours, his breath warm against your skin as he stares down at you, his eyes dark and filled with an unspoken need.

you can feel the weight of him, the heat of his body pressing against yours, and it’s almost too much. your heart is pounding in your chest, your mind swirling with anticipation as his hands roam over you, mapping out every curve, every dip, as if he’s memorizing the feel of you.

his lips find yours again, softer this time, almost reverent, as if he’s savoring the moment. and then, slowly, he starts to move—his lips trailing down your neck, to your collarbone, and lower, kissing a slow, burning path down your body, his touch sending shivers through you.

you arch into him, your hands gripping the sheets as his mouth works its way lower, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. every touch, every kiss feels like it’s pulling you closer to the edge, and you can barely breathe, barely think, with the way he’s making you feel.

“god, you’re so perfect,” he murmurs against your skin, his voice rough with desire, and the sound of it sends a wave of heat rushing through you. his hands grip your hips, steadying you as he kisses lower, his fingers tracing patterns on your skin, making you shudder with every touch.

you can barely process what’s happening, the world narrowing down to just him—his touch, his breath, the way his body moves against yours. the tension is unbearable now, every nerve in your body on edge as he pulls back just enough to look at you, his eyes dark with desire.

“are you sure about this?” he asks again, his voice low and husky, but there’s an undercurrent of softness, of concern, in his tone.

you meet his gaze, your chest rising and falling rapidly as you nod, your voice barely above a whisper. “yes.”

and with that, he kisses you again, hard and deep, his hands gripping you tightly as he presses closer, the last sliver of distance between you evaporating as the intensity builds, the world outside fading away completely.

gyo’s note: here’s my small new year gift for u all! believe me i tried 😞 next week, tuesday, hopefully i will get to post the yeonjun one you guys have been waiting for ☺️ if you made it to this part, you will be loved. xoxo

✮ 2024 gyozies, all rights reserved.

[leashybebes]

♡: Accidentally falling asleep together for BuckTommy?

it's late, i know. but on the plus (?) side, it got away from me a bit so have 1k plus of mostly just...them being cute.

"I wanted to take you before," Buck says, casual, because they're trying to get better at talking about before, at not just pretending that Tommy kissed him and they got together and everything was fine. "But the viewing conditions were bad all last year."

"Yeah? There a reason for that, or just bad luck?"

It means keep talking, and Buck smiles. Tommy really - he makes Buck feel smart. Makes him feel interesting.

"Just luck, I think," Buck says, and frowns. "I don't know if there's some kinda…pattern to it, maybe? I bet Karen could build an algorithm. Did anyone at Harbor lose their minds over that treasure hunt a few years back or were you guys all too busy being cool?"

"I may have been roped into planning a search grid or two," Tommy says with a grin. "Are we taking food with us?"

"Just snacks," Buck says. "I figured we'd swing by a 24 hour diner on our way home."

"Burgers and milkshakes at 3a.m. honestly sounds perfect," Tommy says. He doesn't take his eyes off the road, but he reaches out for Buck, brings his hand up to kiss his knuckles. "We talking gas station snacks or Trader Joe's?"

"I could do some serious damage to an overpriced salad right now."

"Gotcha."

Once they're loaded up with Buck's overpriced salad and Tommy's over seasoned chips they're able to make the drive out towards Malibu a fairly leisurely one. Once they get to the beach, Buck decides it was worth the tradeoff to head out of the city rather than to one of the ticketed events - it's going to be cold, but it's fairly quiet, just a few clusters of other people dotted around. 

Tommy spreads their blanket on the sand and Buck settles against him. The sound of the waves is a lovely background soundscape and Buck lets it wipe the long, long week away for a few moments.

"Hey," he says when Tommy hands him his salad. "Did you know this is one of my favorite beaches?"

"I don't think I did," Tommy says. "How come?"

"The tide pools," Buck says eagerly. "I brought Jee a few times and we saw so many good critters."

"Yeah? We'll have to come back in daylight and you can show me…all the gross water bugs your heart desires."

Buck snorts with laughter and presses his face into Tommy's shoulder. "You are under no obligation to look at fascinating water bugs with me, you big baby."

"Okay, but I would," Tommy says.

"I know you would. It's fine. I'll just carry on bringing the tiny children who won't have to feign interest through gritted teeth."

"I will happily wait in the car," Tommy says, kissing the top of Buck's head. "Fetch ice creams. Make interested sounds from a safe distance."

"Big baby," Buck says again, fonder than he can possibly express.

"Alright, alright. C'mon, tell me about this meteor shower."

"Okay," Buck says, and pulls Tommy down so they're side by side on the blanket. "We're looking…here," he says, tracing a circle in the sky above them. 

"Gotcha," Tommy says, and inches a little closer, looking up along the line of Buck's arm.

"Did - " Buck breaks off to yawn. "DId you know the Geminids are really unusual?"

"How so?"

"So they come from an asteroid, not a comet. There's only one other shower like that, I think, and it's not as regular."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm. It's called 3200 Phaethon, and it gets closer to the sun than any other named asteroid."

"Huh."

"Did you know it's a PHA - potentially hazardous asteroid?"

"I did not know that."

Buck nods and turns his head to look at Tommy, his profile as eye catching as ever, even when it's in darkness.

"Just because of its size though. It actually has a really predictable orbit, so we're not in danger, or anything."

"I'll tell Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck to stand down."

"Huh?"

"Movie," Tommy says. "We'll watch it sometime. I'm sure the science would annoy you, but both Affleck and Liv Tyler are at their prettiest."

Buck laughs and turns onto his side to get closer to Tommy, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Careful," Tommy says. "Don't wanna miss the show." But he cranes his neck to kiss Buck anyway.

"We're not gonna miss it," Buck promises, stealing another kiss. "It was named after the son of the Greek sun god," he says between kisses. "The asteroid."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh. Because it - it gets so close."

"The power of Wikipedia right at my fingertips," Tommy says, dancing his fingers up and down the back of Buck's neck for emphasis.

Buck laughs and shivers, shoves his hand inside Tommy's hoodie for warmth and revenge. Tommy half-swallows a yelp and kisses him again. Buck settles closer, craning his neck a little so he can keep an eye on the sky. It is cold, but he's so comfortable, always so comfortable when they settle together like this. 

"The Greek sun god is called Helios, by the way," Tommy says.

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm."

"How'd you know that?"

"Oh, I've got useless facts of my own, Buckley. Bit of a myths and legends phase as a kid. For a minute, anyway. Needless to say, the old man didn't approve."

"Asshole," Buck mumbles.

"Ancient Greeks were - " Tommy breaks off to yawn. "Were kinda fruity, you know?"

"I'll fight him."

"My hero," Tommy says. "My Heracles."

"Like the movie?"

Buck can feel Tommy's surprise.

"That's the Roman version, but yeah."

"Watched it w' Jee," he says.

"Evan. Don't fall asleep."

"'m not. Tell me - tell me about Hercules. Heracles. Keep me awake."

"Okay," Tommy says softly. "He was…hm. He was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. I can't remember her name. Al-something, I think. He was strong, and brave, and clever…"

Buck can feel his eyes closing, can feel Tommy drifting too, but it's okay. A little power nap and they'll still have plenty of time before the moon rises.

"Baby," he hears, Tommy's voice rough with sleep, and he feels a gentle nudge. "Baby, wake up."

"Wha - " the moon is bright, and Buck is abruptly aware that every part of him that isn't touching Tommy is freezing cold. "Shit, we missed it? Oh my god. I can't believe we fell asleep!"

"I know," Tommy says. "I'm sorry. Long week, huh?"

"Yeah. Goddamnit. We could try again tomorrow? Tonight was the peak though, and I think there's gonna be cloud cover tomorrow. Shit."

"Hey, it's okay."

"No, but I really wanted to do this with you."

Tommy squeezes his hand and Buck manages not to shiver at the cold touch of his fingers. Shit, they really have to get out of here.

"There's always next year," Tommy says, and the casual way he says it makes Buck's disappointment fizzle and die in his stomach, replaced by that swooping feeling of love and want and ever so slightly disbelieving gratitude at how far they've come.

"Yeah," Buck agrees. "There's always next year."