#i think maybe i am not the most reasonable

[kaisentine]

݁ ִ  ۫ ⸺ ❝ 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔　.ᐟ　❞

⌗ ⸺ ❝ 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 . . ! ❞ the one thing you dread the most is your friends overanalyzing and hyping you up all because of a simple interaction with your crush—so annoying! ft. michael kaiser, itoshi sae, shidou ryusei, nagi seishiro, & oliver aiku general cw. just idiots in love, reader is so deep into denial it’s infuriating, highschool au, shidou, fem reader . . . ( MY BAD ) sticky-note i think i just yapped my brains out with this one ( what’s new! ). bomb idea, explosive writing! NAWT PROOFREAD

sticky note. BAEE 😁 thought of this cuz i was also doing snapstreaks

𐔌 . 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐋 𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐑 is apparently so into you because . . . ❝ he snaps you in the morning ! ❞

your friend seems way more excited than you are. it’s way too early for her to already be geeked out at you opening kaiser’s snap for streaks. “i don’t get it,” you say as you open the image—he’s still at home even though most students are already in their respective classes, it’s the side of his face and really nothing special ( if you didn’t like him ). “he’s the epitome of ‘i don’t snap til i’m done with training.” she explains further yet you still don’t understand why she’s pointing it out. “does that quote even exist?” you ask, she’s off with your phone to observe the very thought out ( not really ) photo and shoves your phone into your face with her manicured finger pointing something out. “never mind that! look!” she has effectively made your brain’s circuit cut short because you don’t understand. you grab her wrist to control the distance so you can actually see. why is she pointing at his hair? “what am i looking at?” you voice your exact thoughts. “not tryna be mean to your crush or whatever, but it’s clear he has bed head!” she exclaims, attempting to remove your hand from her wrist, “there’s a reason he only snaps after training . . .” she ends in a murmur. “ha-ha, very funny. i still don’t get it.” you fake laugh at her sly comment and finally surrender her arm—letting it drop. “he hates people seeing him in the morning because of that,” she contemplates saying what she is just about to say—when has she ever done that? “maybe he wants to be the first man you see in the morning, that’s why!” she giggles, and your jaw drops; that is the biggest stretch she has ever came up with! “are you a lunatic?!? the last thing i’d want to do is show him me in the morning . . . he probably hates me!” this reaction of yours wasn’t what you friend wanted to get out from you. she was expecting to see a gleam of hope in your eyes but instead she’s met with a gloss of panic.

actually, your friend was spot on—he snaps you in the morning because he wants to be the first man you see in the morning. the strategy isn’t as effective as he would like it to be because despite the fact he has a pretty reasonable schedule like how he sleeps 7 hours every night, he only knocks out at about 2 am. he’s probably more effective at being late for school if anything. however, he’d rather you see him as at least one of the first males you see at such an ungodly time with ungodly bed head than you seeing him rush into the classroom because he’s late for the first time you glance at his ( glorious ) face that day. the man also decides he’s way too good for the stupidly cute filters you can find on the app so those are out of question—random wall photos are too. gets ness to hype him up and then chastises him if you don’t even look his way.

sticky note. i feel like this is a stupid reason but it’s such a funny concept

𐔌 . 𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐄 is apparently so interested in you because . . . ❝ he ate a fry . ❞

your friend is dead serious but you’re just looking at her like ‘oh you actually serious?’. “sorry, what?” you bring your ear closer to her mouth in hopes you probably just misheard what she said. “he. ate. a. fry.” she repeats—nope she is definitely not joking with you. “i don’t see how sae eating a fry relates to him liking me,” you start deadpanning at her attempt at convincing you itoshi sae likes you—she sucks at this! she cocks a brow and gives you a dirty look, “i have a theory you might not actually like him . . . God that man hates fries.” she shudders at the thought. “they were the fries you brought!” she adds on, quickly regaining her composure from pure terror. “okay . . . yeah but it was one singular—not plural—fry, are you okay?” yes, you have a point, it was one fry, and now you’re concerned for you friend. she raises her hands up in surrender while sighing like she was just defeated—have you finally tamed the hostile creature? nope. there’s a sudden stupid smirk on her face that looks straight-up devious, “and plural—not singular—reasons why he is sooo interested!” she elongates and dramatizes the ‘so’, and you mentally slap yourself to make up for the stupidness you can feel radiating off her words. “i can never win with you, can i?” you ask but the answer is already clear—you cannot.

yup, sae hates fries, dearly—that isn’t some kind of secret because he is pretty open about it. once even telling you friend to . . . “fuck off,” when she thought it was a good idea to offer him the stick of pure deliciousness ( hence why she gets shivers thinking about it ). he doesn’t care about a lot of things like how he doesn’t bother himself with keeping most things private or public because he simply just does not give a flying shit. neither does he really care if he makes his feelings clear or not—mixed signals king! sure, he likes you but that doesn’t stop him from being nonchalant. the only time he’ll make openings are in soccer and anything other than that—he just lets it happen. that means if he is given a chance to ‘make a move’ and it’s served on a silver platter without him needing to excerpt any more effort? he’ll take it. if he isn’t, he waits for the next time. but that man doesn’t know anything about feelings so he thinks eating something you brought is making a move.

sticky note. this man is a FREAK but he’s a simple guy promise

𐔌 . 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐎𝐔 𝐑𝐘𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐈 is apparently so downbad for you because . . . ❝ he said ‘if i was a velociraptor, i’d eat y/n first’ ? ! ❞

your friend reads off her phone and accidentally pushes her desk towards your chair. “HUH?” you’re just as surprised as your friend is—shidou ryusei actually said that? “you have to look at this,” she states and smacks you in the face with her phone ( deja vu WHO ), it’s the school’s blog and the post is exactly what she just said. “that’s just . . . i mean—what?” you find it quite hard to comprehend what you were reading because what do you mean the weird guy you like posted that? “is that edited?” you ask for confirmation—you literally can’t believe it. she clicks the profile and it is him, you feel your face flush when you’re bombarded with images of him. “i get it! i get it!” you bark and swat her hand away, “whydoievenlikehim—“ you mutter before covering your eyes like you just saw something so distasteful. “girl, i don’t know . . . but he totally likes you,” she shrieks, turning off her phone so such madness is no longer seen. you aren’t entirely buying it, “i doubt it, if i was some kind of carnivorous animal, i wouldn’t eat the guy i like—at all!” you say with a frown on your face. she looks at you, looking even more horrified at what you just said to her. “his thinking process is probably out the window, y’know? he probably just means he wants you to be with him forever!” “in his stomach? no thanks.”

what makes you think shidou ryusei is okay in the head in the slightest? if he likes someone—he makes it so obvious! he doesn’t second guess his words, much less his online posts so as soon aas he was done typing out the words, he clicked post almost immediately. doesn’t regret it one bit. his eyes land anywhere but sae? that is truly a feat . . .

sticky note. does this even happen. also nagi really likes sleeping

𐔌 . 𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐈 𝐒𝐄𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐎 is apparently so desperate for you because . . . ❝ he sleeps on your shoulder . ❞

your friend is referring to the multiple times your crush has decided to accidentally fall asleep on your shoulder. “so . . .” you urge her to elaborate her point further than she already has. “and he only does it when he’s next to you,” she discerned, whipping out photo evidence in the form of a printed piece of paper. it’s really nothing too special—just the two of you sitting next to each other on the waiting lounge’s couch, waiting for your guys’ turn for the school’s mandatory medical check-up. he looks quite comfortable, arms crossed and manspreading ( 😭 ) but his head is rested on your shoulder—sleeping. “. . .why’d you print it,” you gasp at such an absurd action to prove a point and you quickly rip the paper out of her hands, “you’re insufferable.” you shake your head in disappointment. “a girl gotta do what she gotta do, y’know! how much more obvious does he need to be???” ugh, she’s being so dramatic—he’s just sleeping on your shoulder. “he probably realized i . . .didn’t mind so he doesn’t care,” you reject the idea. “you might be the insufferable one—why do you think he keeps doing it?” she says and you so want to side eye her but you aren’t going to turn sideways to do that because that is mad embarrassing. “i don’t know! he’s just some sleepy guy like,” you give her a pout before continuing, “. . .and people said that they feel sleepy around me.” you admit. “nah, they’re just saying you’re boring!” she giggles—did you not put that together? you playfully push her shoulder in annoyance. “but i’ll give you the answer—he wants to close to you, or in other words; he likes you!”

nagi is the type of lazy where he thinks it’s too much of a hassle to confess first but thinks making physical advancements don’t count. he can easily sleep anywhere, honestly. he likes his sleep but he loves good sleep and you just feel like a good person to sleep on so he decides to try it—and he’s right. he did do it accidentally the first time, it was on his mind but he really didn’t mean to! sleep just drenched his eyes and he was out cold—on your shoulder. there, he decides he likes you more than just a comfy pillow to doze off on.

sticky note. i feel like reader is very justified LMFAO. yk i have a friend who has more than a mu or a situationship but aren’t dating and she said he longest more than friends but not not dating was like 4 years

𐔌 . 𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐈𝐊𝐔 aiku is apparently so smitten for you because . . . ❝ girl, he confessed . . . ❞

your friend resists the overwhelming urge to bitch-slap you because you long-pressed your dms with him. the message wasn’t some kind of special confession just a simple ‘hey i know we just started talking but i think i’m inlove with you’ God reading that made you cringe. “yeah nope, not buying it.” you know he probably knows you saw it because of that stupid green dot on your profile but his message is still left on delivered. “why not?” she asks, “he knows you’ve read it, why edge him?” she pulls out her phone from her bag and faces her back towards you. “what are you doing . . ?” you’re honestly scared what she’s planning because even though you could also just stand up and look over her shoulder—she’d run out of the classroom and disappear. “texting someone,” she says while she’s rapidly typing out something, her shoulders shaking. “i don’t like the sound of that,” you refer to the hidden underlining of her tone, “you’re scaring me—ugh—whatever. i just started texting him, he barely knows me, he’s probably had 4 girlfriends in the span of 5 months—what makes me any different?” like—not trying to degrade yourself but you’re worried that he’s just going to play you too. “if he does, i’ll break his heart!” she says in resolve, doing the cliche moment of lifting up a fist and you giggle at her. there’s a quick buzz from your phone and it’s from the girl in-front of you, “what’s this?” you raise an eyebrow, clicking the notification pop-up. “just read it,” okay . . . if she insists. dot. dot. dot. there’s invisible crickets going off in your head. “is this from sendou?” “uh-huh.”

unbeknownst to you, your friend was actually texting her situationship ( of like 8 months LMFAO )—sendou shuto to ask him about oliver’s confession since they’re friends and all. ‘aiku n y/n? oh yeah he’s totally smitten man, i ain’t never seen aiku talk about a girl like he does w her’ is the message she forwarded to you that let the crickets rip! no but seriously, he normally has cycles like when he’s with one girl but then breaks up with her because he got eyes for another but now he promises that he only wants you!

bonus on why reo likes you because i might not be writing as much as i did this week because of school :p

mikage reo ⸺ ❝ he bought your entire christmas wishlist . . . ❞

[seewetter]

"ofc we’re stupid and illiterate our schools suck!!!"

The whole framing is wrong.

Why are people talking about "stupid" Americans? Because they're discussing why America so often is plagued by decisions with foresee-ably terrible outcomes.

But America is an oligarchy, it's participatory elements are minimal and often pure aesthetic. How much control do people exercise in a first-past-the-post electoral system with massive corporate bribes (Superpacs) that also influence media reporting, which is also a surveillance and police state?

Rhetorical question, right? So if Americans barely exercise control, what are we criticizing? Are we criticizing the >70% of Americans who don't even own a firearm? Or the majority of Texans that vote Democrat...even though it's a "red state" due to how their laws work? Are we criticizing the American majority that shows sympathies for Bernie Sanders, support abortion, queer rights, trans rights, realizes climate change is real and is the reason why "woke" (diverse) Hollywood movies make such money?

Why criticize Americans for watching Marvel, when Marvel viewership numbers have collapsed over the years?

Why criticize Americans for not knowing who James Baldwin is, when James Baldwin is in many ways not someone who affected the course of history or someone who Americans -- who I am CERTAIN use the public library all the time -- would necessarily stumble upon when reading in a public library. What, did you learn about Baldwin from watching Nosferatu? Or maybe a Cronenberg movie? Would Americans borrowing books on history naturally stumble on Baldwin? If they borrow the collected speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. or the Autobiography of Malcolm X, will these reference James Baldwin?

People know who James Baldwin is because he is an excellent writer and certain white Jewish intellectuals in the 1970s stumbled across his prose and made him famous and later Baldwin would burn those ties and became famous within progressive activist circles. This does not mean that a visit to a public library will make people aware that he exists. You have to know what to look for.

Also progressives often know who he is but not what he said. How many progressives do you know who don't care that James Baldwin talked about the "myth of race", that James Baldwin considered post-racial thinking to be more progressive than identity politics? Most progessives who know Baldwin quote him second-hand or third-hand, why are you not mad at them? Why some nebulous idea of "Americans"?

"because you assholes have had FREE ACCESS to THOUSANDS of books and audiobooks and classic films this ENTIRE TIME you’ve been blaming your schools for your elected ignorance!!!"

In 19th century anarchist literature, a distinction was often made between the freedom to do something and the capacity to do something. The freedom and legal right to buy a yacht is nice...but if you can't actually buy a yacht, you have the freedom but not the capacity.

Like how many holidays and free weekends does the average American have? There has to be a better way to educate people with a busy schedule than shaming them about their ignorance, especially when ignorance is tied to class. DON'T misread me. I'm not saying working class people are ignorant. I'm saying some people can afford a very nice education for their kids and other people can't. "Oh, it's on the internet, which is free" is not how people spontaneously become enlightened.

Like: just have a chat with a Joe Rogan listener. They're mostly Trump supporters, but all of the ones I've met are achingly sincere. They really do have the wool over their eyes, they're usually not malicious. And they're really really ...like they don't have a good research strategy. They don't even know what that looks like. They think they're "studying" when they listen to podcasts. That's a thing they think. Do you think free access to libraries and internet has given these people all they need to free themselves from their shackles and the risks they pose to others? Do you think people just spontaneously sit down and every week for a year devote all available time to researching academic literature on a hot button topic? Many of these people don't even know where to find appropriate academic literature ("It's too expensive" thought one Rogan listener I know) and many of them associate these resources with academic agendas.

Look up "hermeneutics of suspicion". It's when people approach a topic looking for ways to confirm their suspicious feelings. That's what's going on there. People read some academic article and they suspect it's all BS. If they don't understand a concept, they assume someone is trying to manipulate them. And why shouldn't they, the media is blatantly dishonest, academia has a number of crises and universities have certain conflicts of interest. Why shouldn't these people spontaneously start from such a place? It's not your job to shame them, because if you do, they assume you are doing so from a place of ideological fanaticism, rather than from a place of informed frustration. You know the meme where trans people talking about gender is represented as Plato and Aristotle in the agora, having a debate, while trans people talking to cis people about gender is represented as a mom helping her toddler assemble building blocks? That analogy applies to any topic. There are a lot of adult "toddlers" out there and if you call them toddlers to their face, they will rightfully be ashamed and upset. They put a lot of work into forming their beliefs, they just don't have a good starting point. Or decent tools. Or non-judgmental 24/7 help. And they exist in a quagmire of bullshit claims. And they relate to misinformation in a vibes-based way if the information otherwise seems to be applicable and more useful in their life.

If someone lives in a media environment that reassures them that they are currently studying the (alternate) facts and informing themselves, or that they are currently getting the gist of the facts from experts, then people won't necessarily use the library or grasp its value. Also you have to use the library correctly.

"and if you expect me to you’re classist and 18 year old Americans are too stupid to know bombing foreign countries kills people so it’s okay if they choose to do that rather than work at McDonald’s and of course I have no idea what stocks are or what colonialism is and MCU is the height of cinema and it’s feminist to wear makeup like."

I find teens accusing every intellectual impulse of being classist and ableist unbearable too, but not so long ago, this website popularized the idea that the only valid criticism of feminism was an anti-racist, anti-classist, anti-ableist, anti-transmisogynist, anti-perisexist etc. criticism.

In other words "I refuse to course correct unless you show me how my current course hurts a minority."

So yes, people will defend American complacency using ridiculous "anti-classist" rhetoric. Because it's the only defense they've seen modelled and maybe even the only defense that's socially permitted in their circle of friends.

Defenses of war crimes are horrible. Period. If people think Americans don't have a partial responsibility just because they were ignorant, they're wrong. But partial responsibility isn't full blame and more importantly: are real Tumblr users actually saying that exact thing in good faith? Are people out there defending ignorant Americans who never talked to a soldiers about what a bomb is and does or who never watched a bomb dropped in a movie?

I agree Disney adults can be irritating, but I think that most Americans aren't Disney adults and those that are... are from all walks of life and varying degrees of ignorance. Are Disney adults, Marvel fans, the ones who don't grasp that bombs kill people? Or is this a weird mishmash of stereotypes that don't capture why America, as a state institution, is such a horror? To me it's also sad that Americans get overly emotional about Mickey Mouse and that Marvel movies got so successful, but I think this is not really connected to America. Marvel movies and Disney parks aren't uniquely American, America is just -- at gunpoint -- the largest economy in the world, so a lot of junk that people worldwide consume comes from there. Disney Parks in Japan or France do quite well and also involve Disney Adults, we just don't hear about them so much and the money is ultimately made by America, a country with military bases in almost every other country. Is this the fault of Disney Adults in Orlando, Florida? I don't think so.

Also makeup is an "unfeminist choice", but feminists should, in fact, fight for people's freedom to make unfeminist choices. Kate Harding had an entire essay on that.

As for the reply:

When trying to convince someone that their reasons for believing something are faulty, always make sure to point out what they may have missed and try not to miss anything yourself.

Let me provide a few examples:

"Did you know that to get to a library here, you have to travel?"

The person you are responding to wrote (and you acknowledged it with "I'm glad you found a way to access our libraries") that to read the contents of a library, all that is needed is digital access.

So then "did you know you have to travel" doesn't make sense as the next sentence. It's on its face unconvincing.

"Since you know so much about us, you must know that our public transportation system is all but non-functional, and a lot of people can't even afford bus fare, let alone their own vehicle, and most of our cities are not walkable. The closest library in the town where my half-siblings grew up was a 30-minute drive away. But there are digital libraries, of course!"

Of course! And their existence invalidates all the detailed descriptions you just provided for the inaccessibility of American libraries. Americans that don't use the libraries don't use them because (A) they forget these exist (B) they don't want to use them (sometimes out of shame, sometimes out of misguided conviction).

"Did you know that not every single one of us stupid Americans has access to a home computer and internet?"

The OP you are responding to was concrete about being frustrated by kids (18 19 20 year olds) on Tumblr. If they're on Tumblr, they must have internet and must be able to access an internet library.

"Did you know that exceptionally strict conservative parents monitor their childrens' internet usage and restrict what they can see?"

Yes and.

Yes, and this influences blindspots that some Americans have.

See, on its own "do you know some parents monitor internet" creates a strawman example, where the people OP was attacking (people who freely use tumblr.com, "the queerest site on the internet") are somehow being treated as if they have parents that monitor their internet usage and censor all content that might burst their conservative bubble. I hope we can agree that these are two different groups of Americans.

"Did you know that school library media centers (computer labs) restrict access to a lot of websites and information that do not pertain to curriculum? Of course you did."

But if the people are goofing around on Tumblr calling others "classist" for expecting them to know stuff, how is the computer lab not restricting their Tumblr access? How does Tumblr pertain to their curriculum?

It's possible that this is a censorship oversight or something, but again, the real counterargument against OPs nonsense isn't "Americans aren't free to know new information" and rather "Americans often lack the capacity to even know what they're looking for". I don't think OP name-dropping James Baldwin and stocks will have given people any real idea of what they need to look for, especially if they need comprehensive education on everything from ecology to statecraft and civics to economics, to history, geography, moral philosophy, epistemology, foreign policy, marginalized perspectives and activism, statistics, organizing, protesting safety, IT security and data protection, narrative structure, narrative experimentation, artistic craft, avant-garde sensibilities (I'm being entirely unironic about that.), reading comprehension, project management, culinary skill, survival skills, networking skills, the list goes on.

This also isn't merely an "American" problem. I know plenty of Australians, Kiwis, Canadians, Europeans who use gmail accounts, don't understand imperialism and need a crash course in epistemology every time a hot button issue comes into discussion because they just keep shouting at each other without treating the other party as a human being with their own heuristic for gathering, evaluating and processing information.

"Did you know that lobbyists are trying very hard to defund and even actively shut down our libraries. Partially because they don't want us to have access to free recources, but also because ignorance works in their favor? Did you know book bans are being placed in libraries across the country, based on what conservatives deem inappropriate?"

Most of those points seem a little off topic (lobbyists trying to defund libraries may affect future ignorance but doesn't account for ignorance today), but I grant that the book bans really might have some kind of impact that prevents people from having heard of James Baldwin. It's a decent reply to the OP, who seems to think all libraries serve up the same information to all Americans. But you should be fair enough to recognize that it still is a bit weird when the people who show up ignorant are ...Tumblr users smart enough to be making accusations of classism.

"Since you know all about how we are educated, you must know that American curriculum is designed to discourage curiosity and create the illusion that we are far and above all other nations and that everything we are taught in our classes about others is simply all there is to know."

What I've heard is that many public school teachers in America are extremely dedicated well-meaning people. I've met a few American teachers and their German counterparts, for example, earn about 20 times what they earn. So American teachers often really are in it to help kids learn.

I'm not sure that the American curriculum really exists to "discourage curiosity", that sounds a bit weird to me. I do know the Texas board of education tried to ban critical thinking and I know American schools have some weird national anthem singing and I bet they teach American exceptionalism. But I would say perhaps the only reason any of that sticks is because Americans often can't afford to visit other countries.

I have not heard that Americans learn that school teaches them all there is to know, but when I think of ignorant Americans, they often give me the opposite impression: that of a "do your own research type" who doesn't think "I know everything from school" and instead just never bothered to buy a book about Atmospheric Phenomena (or grab a illegal free .pdf copy) and therefore thinks some glittering orb in the sky is a alien spacecraft. Genuinely, ignorant people are often really nice people who try to learn about the world, have a real desire to learn new things... and then they watch Graham Hancock or some other well-designed nonsense and they mis-educate themselves and get very defensive if anyone tries to correct them, however gently, in part because they lack even the basic skills to know whether the correction is plausible.

"So, with all of this information that you clearly already had at your disposal, do you genuinely believe these children are cognizant or at all concerned with how much they know about other countries and cultures?"

I think the better question to ask is "Do you really think only Americans would fail at "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?""

Because let's face it, I've seen European versions of that premise, where they go out into the street, ask a basic question ("What's the equator?") and get embarrassing answers ("A line that floats in the sky above the center of our planet").

OPs gripe with "Americans" is that they know other countries exist but just don't care. But hey, are Europeans that much better? In Europe, people know European countries...because countries are small and these are almost like American "states" in a way, especially since the EU is in many ways a country in all but name (and lack of military). How many Europeans know how many African countries there are, what their names are, what their capitals are, what their history is, what colonial powers kept which country under control when and for how long? How many Europeans know anything about Laos or Cambodia? Do Europeans even know which continent Cambodia is on?

And I've talked to Japanese people and found incredible ignorance. And do we imagine that the education system in, say, Burkina Faso or Brazil produces much more worldly individuals?

If you want to criticize specifically American ignorance you need to things: you need lots of real-life examples AND you need to prove these examples are unique to America.

Like India recently managed to get a lot of kids into school long enough to learn how to read, which is awesome! But if someone from India (like OP) is attacking American ignorance, OP is likely doing so from a certain degree of "wealth in the family". That's not a criticism, just a (hopefully humbling) observation. Countries around the world can blame their widespread ignorance on colonialism...and then get upset at ignorant colonizers. But maybe no place on Earth really produces a completely sufficiently informed citizenship.

"Adults who are groomed through adulthood to believe that "bombing foreign countries" and selling their body to their government is one of the only accessible options to receive further education."

Isn't the American military facing historically low recruitment numbers and worried about morphing into a "warrior caste" (their words, not mine) because their recruits mostly come from old military families where everyone's in the military? Not to say the poor person going to the army doesn't exist, but aren't most Americans pretty anti-military, especially these days?

"You believe these people are simply bumbling idiots too self-absorbed to want to learn about the history and inner workings of every other nation around them?"

Why emphasize that public schools brainwash the kids with American exceptionalism and then turn around to argue that the people leaving public school AREN'T self-absorbed about their own country? That comes off as overly defensive, not as a reflective response. I doubt OP found that argument very convincing.

"Like, you understand that not knowing what you don't know is a thing, yes?"

But OP must at least be partially correct. Like -- I would blame maybe feelings of overwhelm at all the information, and maybe mistrust of information sources -- but it does often come across, at least at first glance, that a lot of Americans can't be bothered to understand basic geography. Like they know countries outside of America exist, but aren't bothered enough to find out what they are.

Again, this is probably not a purely American problem, but one does sometimes get the impression that many Americans approach conversations without making sure they have a bit of an overview of the topic. They often just seem to research the talking points of their side in a debate (i.e. they know the history of colonialism better than they know which countries have Spanish as an official language, so it's easy to make them look stupid or they have to ask what tariffs are but they already think tariffs are great since Trump is doing them...like why aren't they reading the "tariffs" page on Wikipedia or whatever, to get at least a general idea? What's going on?)

"I would go as far as to point out the hypocrisy of all of your shaming when the beginning of your post clearly states that you were ignorant of a resource available to you before it was pointed out to you."

Now that's a sick burn. But don't get cozy.

"Your time spent belligerently accusing a whole society of people which you deem unintelligent of being willfully uneducated and unwilling to reach beyond their own privilege would be better spent sharing resources you've found and encouraging others to broaden their own horizons. But hatred of the American public as a whole is a lot easier when you can paint us all as intentionally dumb and heels-dug-in fascists."

It is hard for people to grasp how little control Americans have over their society. When America always advertises itself as "land of the free" it seems like they freely choose to be giant assholes on the world stage.

And it's only with a lot of reflection and/or research that people realize just how much the game is rigged. But still...the people who just flat out support tariffs, for example, without wasting a single braincell on experimenting on how they can find information on it that doesn't come from a possibly biased pro-Trump source...like it feels like willful ignorance. Part of me can't believe it isn't.

ever since i got access to american library cards thanks to tumblr user anneemay (pbuh) 2 weeks ago ive lost even the 3% sympathy i had for americans crying ofc we’re stupid and illiterate our schools suck!!! because you assholes have had FREE ACCESS to THOUSANDS of books and audiobooks and classic films this ENTIRE TIME you’ve been blaming your schools for your elected ignorance!!! from my home in India I’ve listened to eight audiobooks and watched half of cronenberg’s oevre and I’m watching nosferatu (1922) today and I can’t even go to a library in person and you people have had these things your entire life yet you come on tumblr at 18 19 20 and say you don’t know who james baldwin is and if you expect me to you’re classist and 18 year old Americans are too stupid to know bombing foreign countries kills people so it’s okay if they choose to do that rather than work at McDonald’s and of course I have no idea what stocks are or what colonialism is and MCU is the height of cinema and it’s feminist to wear makeup like. my god. you people are going to go through the rest of your life being incoherently stupid and it’s not because you’re poor and it’s not because your schools suck but its because you’re so ensconced in your American privilege that you will never be forced to confront the realities of life and you can go on living your Disney adult fantasies because you’ve destroyed your innate human curiosity and potential at the altar of hyper consumption.

[chlerc]

hidden recordings ; charles leclerc

— summary; you never realised how sentimental and adorable charles could be until you come across the black box tucked away in a corner of a drawer.

pairing — highschool-best-friend-charles leclerc x f. reader ( third person story )

word count — 1172.

content — 5 short recordings he recorded just to remember you, and how he secretly wishes you’d stumble upon it one day. he loves you a lot, like a loooottttttt. you’re it for him.

NAVIGATION + author’s note: i love this vcr love confession concept so much, it’s so cute recording things and people that means the most to you. happy chinese new year :o

THE LATE AFTERNOON SUNLIGHT FILTERED softly through the window, casting a warm, amber glow across the apartment as she worked her way through the cluttered shelves. It was supposed to be a simple day of tidying up — a routine chore that had grown overdue — but as always, the small, nostalgic things had a way of slowing her down. Dust motes danced in the air as she opened an old, wooden box tucked away in the corner of a drawer, a box she had almost forgotten. Its contents were a time capsule of sorts, filled with small mementos and keepsakes that had survived the years — photographs, letters, concert tickets, and little trinkets that had woven themselves into the fabric of her relationship with Charles.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she sifted through the items, fingers brushing over the worn edges of a photograph of them as children, their innocent grins forever preserved in time. It was a testament to how far they’d come, from childhood friends to something far deeper, a bond that had grown over years of shared experiences and memories. As she dug further into the box, her hand paused as it closed around something unfamiliar — a small, black thumb drive, half-buried beneath a stack of old letters.

Her brow furrowed in curiosity as she pulled it out, turning it over in her fingers. It wasn’t labelled, and for a moment, she wondered what it could contain. Charles was never one to leave things lying around without a reason, and this had clearly been tucked away for some time. Her curiosity piqued, she reached for her laptop, a quiet hum of intrigue settling over her as she plugged the thumb drive into the port.

The screen flickered to life, revealing a folder containing five short video files. No titles, just numbered sequences — each one simple and unassuming, yet they called to her like fragments of a forgotten story. With a small click, she opened the first file, and her heart skipped a beat as the screen filled with the familiar face of Charles, much younger, his boyish charm evident even then.

He must have been in his early teens in this first video. His hair was a little unruly, the way it always used to be when he wasn’t bothered by appearances, and there was a hint of nervousness in the way he looked directly into the camera. He cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other before speaking. “Uh, hi,” he began, his voice cracking slightly with the uncertainty of youth. “So, I’m not really sure why I’m doing this… but I guess it’s just something I wanted to keep. A reminder, maybe. For her.” There was a pause, and he ran a hand through his hair, glancing off-camera as if gathering his thoughts. “She’s always been there, you know? My best friend… even though I’m older, I still think she’s way braver than I am.”

A soft chuckle escaped her as she watched him stumble through his words, that endearing awkwardness still as familiar as ever. The screen flickered as the video ended, and without hesitation, she opened the next one. This time, Charles appeared a little older, his features more defined, his smile a little more confident.

“It’s funny,” he said, the camera slightly shaky as if he were holding it himself, “I never realised how much she means to me until recently. We’ve always been together, and it’s like… it’s always been her. I don’t know how else to explain it.” His gaze softened, and there was a vulnerability in his eyes that made her heart ache in the sweetest way. “She’s the one person who can make everything feel right, even when things are a mess. I think, no — I know, I’m in love with her. I’ve been in love with her for longer than I knew.”

The words hung in the air, settling deep within her as she paused the video, feeling the weight of his confession even though it had been made years ago. It was a piece of him, captured in time, before they had ever taken that leap from friends to something more. She pressed play again, her heart caught in her throat.

The third video was taken during what looked like a school trip. The background was noisy, filled with the laughter of classmates and the hum of distant chatter. Charles was standing by a river, looking a little winded as if he had just finished some outdoor activity. “She’s going to laugh at this,” he grinned, breathless but radiant. “She always teases me about being uncoordinated, but she’s the one who nearly fell into the river earlier. I had to catch her — again.” His smile softened. “I wouldn’t change a thing, though. She’s… she’s my favourite person in the world.”

By the fourth video, she found herself holding back tears. In this one, he was visibly older, perhaps just before he left for university. His expression was more serious, the playful boyishness replaced with something more resolute. “I’m leaving soon,” he began, his voice quieter, as though he were speaking directly to her even though she wasn’t there. “And it terrifies me. I don’t know what it’s going to be like, being apart for the first time in… ever. But I know one thing for sure: no matter where I go, or how long we’re apart, I’ll always come back to her. I have to. She’s… she’s home.”

Her hands trembled slightly as she clicked on the final video, her breath catching in her chest. In this one, Charles was as she knew him now — his familiar face filling the screen with that smile that always seemed to disarm her. “If you’re watching this,” he said softly, “then you’ve found it. I wasn’t sure if you ever would, but I hoped you might.” His eyes glimmered with affection, his smile gentle. “You’ve always been the best part of my life. From the very beginning. I made these videos because I wanted to remember — wanted you to remember — how much you’ve always meant to me. I’ve loved you for a long time, and I’m going to keep loving you for the rest of my life.”

Her vision blurred as the final video ended, the stillness of the room punctuated by the steady hum of the laptop. She sat there for a long moment, overwhelmed by the depth of what she had just witnessed — memories of Charles, preserved like fragments of a love story that spanned years. Each video was a testament to the quiet, unwavering devotion that had always existed between them, even before they had given it a name.

As she closed the laptop, her heart swelled with an indescribable warmth. This was their story — one that began in childhood and grew into something more, something profound. And as she held the thumb drive in her hand, she knew that whatever lay ahead, they would always have these memories to hold onto.

[corseque]

I honestly just wanted one single plot step that I could not predict given the 10 year wait. More behind the cut, I talk about Emet too, and I'm comparing his writing favorably to Solas' writing and why it worked better for me personally, but I am just talking about the writing skill that went into the games and not the dudes themselves, I love them both dearly of course. idk this is a mess and I am not going to edit it for clarity

For me, the game was a series of me saying

"ok I knew that. cool."

"oh yeah, I knew that. I guess it's good that the larger fandom knows about that now."

"nice, but yeah I already knew that too"

"that was something we've been talking about a lot for years"

"this thing they are acting like is a huge enormous reveal that the characters could not possibly have deduced through simply thinking about it in depth over the 10 years... the fans easily figured out by thinking about it in depth 10 years ago. So you would think his girlfriend would be able to figure it out more easily than we did. Like, why couldn't the game have been like 'oh lavellan already figured that out a while ago' it would have cost them nothing"

"this is something I've been thinking about for years, and now that it's being revealed, the companions' reactions to it are very irritating and jarring and unnecessary and I really dislike the experience I'm having right now, in this, the hour of my greatest triumph"

"this thing that is happening on my screen right now is something that I wrote an essay about 2 years ago describing how it would be a letdown if it happened without the correct setup"

"this way that they're characterizing Solas makes him less likable and less interesting than I have been finding him for all these years, and I have had people tell me 'no, he's simpler than you think' for years but I guess I was wrong, he really is simpler than I thought, so that fucking sucks. I wish I could take that information out of my brain."

"this thing is a retcon of information I have been thinking about for 10 years, and so I don't know how to follow along with this new direction, and I'm not sure if I even want to because it's not particularly interesting anyway"

"aw that was sweet"

"why is it like, so very impossible to have an honest back-and-forth with my favorite character about the dilemma that was most interesting to me about the previous game"

and then, as soon as, like, the other fans had caught up to the Solas lore that was really obvious from the other games, the game was.... over without anything surprising happening, or introducing a new element or plot point or perspective, or a real true twist (or two, or three) for those of us who have thought about it too hard for too long. It was very simple and easy, much, much, much, much easier than I was imagining. It all felt sort of like that Nicholson quote:

The thing was, the whole story was so interesting to think about because in 10 years, I couldn't figure out a good solution to it!!!!! It's why I was never able to write post-game fanfic about it. So I was stoked to find out some reveal we never knew about, some new information, in maybe a SERIES of steps of new information, that made the situation more complicated but also something that could be navigated by everyone involved. I know it was asking for a lot, but they had TEN YEARS, and they seemingly had set up the things they did in DAI on purpose, so surely they had some idea of a complex and satisfying narrative that would reconcile everyone.

The reason why I was expecting this is because FFXIV did a very similar story arc, which was started AND concluded WITHIN those 10 years (so it took the FFXIV team far less time to deliver as well). And the conclusion to the story in FFXIV did what I was expecting Dragon Age to do. So I thought, "holy shit, if this is the FFXIV version of this plot, how much more complicated is DA4 going to be!?!?" The DA devs also PLAYED FFXIV so they were completely aware, several years ago, of a satisfying story ending that was pretty darn similar.

People are probably going to think "oh, well Chelsea was disappointed because she spent too much time building it up in her head" but that's exactly it - I actually speculated and thought about FFXIV's story IN DEPTH NONSTOP for a year+ before its ending came out, and the ending absolutely blew me away. FFXIV Endwalker managed to introduce information and new story elements that I was not able to figure out in the YEAR I spent speculating on the ending of FFXIV's story. It took a complicated situation and revealed several several more facets to it that I was not able to predict, but were very interesting and thematically compelling, and took us all to surprising and climactic places that we could not have predicted.

Endwalker ("end" is in the title on purpose) too, was written to be THE ULTIMATE SATISFYING ENDING for a very long-running story in the exactly way that Veilguard SHOULD HAVE for Dragon Age, so while this complexity is being explored, FFXIV also gave catharsis to many different plot threads that have been built up through the previous expansions, until finally it ends with a bang. The story is desperately good to me, I loved it, it gave me closure for Dragon Age long before Veilguard was even revealed, and going back and looking at its story has made this whole thing far less painful for me.

So, I actually did not have a picture in my mind for how things SHOULD go. I just had the thought "I hope it's complicated and there are points of view or facts that we haven't before been exposed to, and the situation is resolved respectfully for Solas, not making him look like a fucking idiot (lol, the only thing I asked for). I don't even care what happens to Solas and Lavellan, I just need the story to be complicated and interesting to think about. Please, god, don't let it be "solas is wrong and he just needs to be convinced" because that's like the simplest story you could tell with this setup"

(btw they managed to tell Emet-Selch's story without making him seem like he's being an idiot on purpose or can never get anything right, and in fact the more the story goes on, the more you think of him as smart and capable and cool, so it is possible to write.... I wasn't asking for the entire moon)

And I played it and... yeah. Most of the story beats were more simple than I wanted them to be, a lot of them didn't make sense in my heart given the writing from Inquisition. (This is another essay, but if Solas' thematic story arc was always about him needing to let go of regrets, why was his personal quest the way it was? After that quest, doesn't he end up regretting not doing more....? Why did he never really talk about regret during Inquisition? If he was so trapped by regret, why was he able to do so many actions? It doesn't mesh well to me. The whole regret thing was very quarter-baked to me, I don't even like thinking about it.) His story never seemed like one that was as simple as being about one man's regrets, but then, I guess, it was always just about one man's regrets.

Emet-Selch's personal storyline (and the way it interacts with and affects the larger story) is very similar but much more cohesive and satisfying to me. It would be difficult to explain why without the aforementioned 5-hour essay. Emet-Selch's story IS about grief and anguish on a world-shaping scale in a similar way that Solas' was apparently always about letting go of regret, but Emet's story was also very pointedly and beautifully about that one theme for the entirety of his story from every tiny detail, from beginning to end - meanwhile, it seemed to me that they tried to introduce 'regret' as the main thrust of Solas' story only in the short story with the Regret demon onward.

From Inquisition just by itself, the closest I personally could get to a story theme for Solas was his inability to trust others hurting him and the world, but his trusting others in DA4 wasn't really addressed to my satisfaction. He is never required to trust anyone before the ending, he never opens up or makes himself vulnerable at all. People find out information about him, he never really dynamically opens himself. So the personal story I thought he had was never addressed at all, while a new one about regret was introduced that never made a ton of sense to me. And I don't think this is just because of my expectations - my reaction to FFXIV proves that I am able to meet good writing where it goes in surprising directions, as long as it's interesting and thoughtful and clear.

And I think this might be part of what people felt was off about the ending - Solas is sort of uninvolved in the revelations that are about him, and doesn't do much to be part of his own ending. Part of what I loved about Solas in Inquisition is that he is not controlled by you in any way, and so he feels like his own person with a very strong sense of character.

Anyway, Emet-Selch, in a very comparable and arguably more extreme plot position, is very involved in the revelations about himself, he always feels like a very strong character who cannot be affected by the player, and the whole situation is handled with deft emotion and care and delicacy. The story is comparatively very uninterested in litigating Emet-Selch or putting him on trial - the story allows you to simply feel the way that you feel in an organic way, and Emet's story spends that energy instead actually exploring his thematic material about grief and legacy, and the larger story theme of existentialism instead, in a way that is very refreshing and interesting. I've seen a lot of western stories tie themselves in knots over "redemption" and frankly it's almost never been interesting at all. Who cares about any of that. lol

(Now, I guess this is a matter of preference, because some people really like being able to shape a character's story, but idk I rewatched the ending of FFXIV and even though there wasn't a choice with Emet, because it isn't a branching story, his story felt more satisfying to me, maybe because there isn't a patronizing choice to be made for him. He is who he is, and he fulfills a very beautiful narrative role and purpose that no other character could in the story.)

I don't know how this could have been improved to me and still allowed players to choose Solas' ending for him, but I can actually think of a few different methods, none of which involve Rook condescendingly and patronizingly lecturing Solas as if Solas had never thought about a single aspect of this horrible situation he's in before that very moment that Rook lectures him lmfao.

All this to say... idk I'm writing this and I am not going back to edit it so it's stream-of-consciousness. But yeah

I just wanted the story to be complicated on a few more levels than I could have predicted. I genuinely don't care what happened, but I thought of a few twists like the Veil coming down and yeah, I was expecting A Single Twist or reveal to happen. In a Dragon Age game.

I wanted Solas to seem cool and capable and noble and smart, and actually feel like he was as old and experienced as he is.

I wanted a clear theme I could sink my teeth into

Like notice I didn't even say anything about Solavellan. Like I never in 100 years thought they were getting a happy ending where they were both alive in bodies, and I like that we got that, but I would honestly trade it for a more complicated story. To me, if a story is sad you can always write fanfic, but if a story isn't COMPLICATED, that's a much more urgent issue.

These 3 things DA4 didn't give me in a way that satisfied me but FFXIV did. anyway idk the way my hyperfixations work, I completely switch to a new subject so talking about Dragon Age is actually hard for me right now.

[noharaaa]

Pillow Talk, Litteraly!

(𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙨 𝙭 !fem! 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧)

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:

When your annoying ex boyfriend sneaks into your bunk during curfew, after a whole day of avoiding him, things are bound to get messy. What could possibly go wrong? (Hint: everything)

Part 1 >>>> Part 2

Author’s Note: 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘶𝘱! 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘴’ 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 “bold purple letters”

Enjoy Reading!

@loveesiren╰᭡⿴༘͜─𖧷̷۪۪᪇ ༘᪇𖧷̷۪۪⃟ꦽ⃟:: ᰰ۪۪꧇⿴༘⃕▦᰷᰷ᰰ

The facility was too damn cold!

You curled onto your side, yanking the thin blanket up to your nose.

It barely helped.

The bunks here weren’t so comfortable. thin mattress, stiff pillow, the tiny scent of bleach.

But after the hell of your first day in this place, you should’ve been exhausted enough to pass out immediately.

But you weren't tired.

Your mind kept running into thoughts you didn’t want to think about.

As if summoned by your thoughts, your bed dipped.

You didn’t turn. You didn’t have to.

A low obnoxious whisper tickled your ear.

“Wassup, my baby princess?”

Oh, for God’s sake!

You clenched your jaw, eyes squeezing shut.

Maybe if you ignored him, he might disappear.

But the weight only shifted closer beside you.

The audacity!

You felt his body heat press into your back as he shamelessly slid under your blanket. The faint scent of cologne and something kind of… fruity filled your nose.

His vape?

Your stomach twisted. Half from irritation, half from something way more annoying.

You turned your head just enough to hiss, “Get off my bed, Su-bong.”

He did the exact opposite and made himself comfortable instead.

“Wahh, so cold~” he whined dramatically, pulling at the edge of your blanket. “Let me in!”

He was whispering way too loud!

“I’d rather freeze to death.”

Su-bong grinned. Even in the dim lighting, you could see his ridiculous purple hair and that smug look you wanted to slap off his face. “Then we die together, Romeo and Juliet style.”

You scoffed. “Yeah, except I’d be the one poisoning your drink.”

“Oooh, kinky.”

You groaned, burying your face in the pillow. “Go away. I swear, if the guards see you—”

“Pfft. Who cares? They respect me.”

“No one respects you.”

“You’re just mad ‘cause you still want me.”

Oh. This bastard.

“In your dreams, asshole.” You smacked his arm. He cackled, stifling the sound into the pillow.

The worst part? You caught yourself grinning.

You were still not over this man.

A beat of silence.

Then his voice dropped, quieter now. “You okay?”

You blinked.

Su-bong didn’t do serious. Not often. But there was something about the way he said it. Like he actually wanted to know.

You looked at the bunk above you.

“It’s cold,” you muttered.

There was another silent pause.

Until he replied with, “Damn. That’s crazy.”

You elbowed him. Hard.

He almost flinched, biting his lip to keep from laughing out loud.

Then he shifted closer, wrapping an arm around you like it was the most natural thing in the world.

You went stiff.

“W-what are you–?”

“Shhh.” He nuzzled into your hair, his body warm against yours. “Baby cold. I am heater. Shhh.”

Your face went hot…

But you didn’t move or shove him off.

Not because you wanted him there. Obviously.

It was because of the guards.

They were unpredictable as hell and the last thing you needed was some pink robotic-looking psycho deciding that an argument at curfew was a punishable offense.

That was the only reason you let Su-bong stay.

Still, that didn’t change the fact that there was no space on this tiny ass bed!

And of course, you're annoying, oversized ex boyfriend was hogging most of it.

Your leg was literally slipping off the edge. “Can you move?”

“Ah, baby. I wish… but my body? Too powerful.”

“Uhm…What?”

He patted his chest dramatically. “Too much muscle. No room.”

“Of course there's no room. ‘Cause you’re a big back.”

“I’m a… what?”

“Dude! You’re the one crushing me!”

“Tsk.” He clicked his tongue, wiggling into the mattress even more. “You should be grateful. You have the great honor of sharing a bed with…. South Korea’s sexiest man alive~”

“Oh my God. Please shut up.”

He didn’t shut up. He just laughed and… oh no. No.

His breath tickled your ear.

You flinched, heat prickling down your spine.

Su-bong noticed.

And because he was the worst person alive, he did it again.

This time, you jerked away slightly “Stop rubbing on me!”

“Baby… that sounds so dirty.”

You kicked him.

“OW! Yah!” He whisper-shouted. “That hurt! You abuser! You need– how you say…” His voice switched back to English, “anger issue~”

Your fists were now balled up. “Su-bong, I swear—”

“Shh, shh.” He patted your head gently. “S’okay. Thanos still luv you.”

“I’m going to kill you in your sleep.”

“Kinky~”

You were this close to elbowing him again, but then…

He nuzzled into the back of her head, his nose grazing your neck.

You froze.

You felt the warmth of his breath again. The way his stupid, soft hair brushed against your skin. The lazy way he—

Nope. Nope.

You turned your body around, face-to-face with him now.

He blinked at you.

You glared at him.

It was quiet again.

Then… his mouth curled into that annoying, stupid smirk.

You immediately regretted turning.

You’re eyes narrowed even more.

He didn’t stop staring.

It was annoying. And weird. And making you way too aware of how close you both were.

“…What?”

The words barely left your lips before his smug grin got bigger.

“Ahhh,” he breathed, dramatic as ever. “I knew it.”

“Knew what?”

“You like looking at me.”

You stared. Then snorted. “You look like a failed SoundCloud rapper.”

He gasped with a fake pain written all over his face. “How can you say this after all our beautiful memories?”

You rolled her eyes. “Memories?. Like on the day you cheated on me, right?”

His smirk faded.

You saw it.

The way his eyes darted away for half a second before snapping back to you.

“Still bringing up old news?”

The way he said those words were unsurprisingly apathetic and mocking. It wasn’t hard to notice how he was trying not to grin.

Your jaw tightened. “Oh, my bad. I forgot it doesn’t count when it was ‘just a kiss,’ right?”

His face hardened.

You kept going. Why stop now?

“Tell me, Su-bong. was it still ‘just a kiss’ when you let her sit on your lap?”

Silence.

Then he clicked his tongue.

“So dramatic,” he muttered, flopping onto his back. His arm folded behind his head, like this wasn’t a big deal. “You always overthink things.”

Ah, yes. There it was.

That calculated indifference. The bull crap he used to pull when he knew he was in the wrong but too stubborn to admit it.

Your brows furrowed. “You’re unbelievable.”

“No, you are.” His voice sharpened. “Always nagging. Always twisting things into some big betrayal. Seriously, bro! do you ever get tired of being like this?”

‘Bro?’ Who does this man think he is?

Your nails dug into your palms. “Being like what?”

“A pain in the ass.”

A rush of heat shot through your chest.

He did NOT just gaslight you!

Your body tensed. The anger in you bubbled so fast you nearly saw red.

Before you could snap, a groggy voice groaned from a few bunks away.

“Can you two shut the hell up?”

Shit.

You exhaled sharply, forcing your muscles to relax.

This wasn’t the time. The last thing you needed was to cause a scene.

“Go back to your bunk.”

Su-bong chuckled under his breath. “Wow, Look at you. Finally learning to control that temper.”

You almost went stiff again. He was obviously trying to start shit on purpose.

“Wouldn’t want the guards dragging you away, would you?”

“Screw you, Su-bong.”

“Haha. You wish, baby.”

Your eye twitched.

He still didn’t leave.

He just kept staring until your patience snapped

.

So you did what any mature, rational person would do. You whispered the meanest insult you could think of.

“Choding.” (Elementary school brat.)

Su-bong snorted. “Ohhh, scary~”

“Dumbass.”

“Stupid.”

“Egomaniac.”

“Goblin.”

“Failed rapper.”

Oops!

His grin faded almost instantly. “Yah. Watch your mouth.”

“Cry about it.”

“You first, loser.”

“Truth hurts.”

He rolled his eyes. “Okay… crypto hater.”

“That’s not even an insult.”

“Yes, it is. ‘Cause you didn’t believe in me.”

“I didn’t believe in your dumb crypto.”

He grinned again. “Same thing.”

That grin was too contagious.

You bit the inside of your cheek.

No, you were NOT about to laugh.

You heard a stiff breath leave his nose like he was trying to hold something in.

Then a quiet snicker slipped out.

That was it.

You almost lost it before you buried your face into your pillow, laughter bubbling out uncontrollably.

It only lasted a few seconds before you caught herself.

Dammit!

You cleared your throat, forcing your lips back to normal.

You were supposed to be upset!

“Yah,” he whispered between chuckles, “you’re so childish, you know that?.”

“Whatever.”

He nudged your side, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “It’s cute. The way you’re playing hard to get.”

“Am not!”

“Mmm.”

You knew he didn’t believe you.

He inched closer. Too close.

His voice was lower now, the teasing edge still there, but softer.

“You sure about that?”

You didn’t move. “Positive.”

Su-bong let out a quiet, amused breath.

“Liar.”

And with that, he closed the gap.

Just a brush of lips. Soft. Quick.

You blinked.

He did it again. You didn’t pull away.

And he knew he’d win.

╰᭡⿴༘͜─𖧷̷۪۪᪇ ༘᪇𖧷̷۪۪⃟ꦽ⃟:: ᰰ۪۪꧇⿴༘⃕▦᰷᰷ᰰ

𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵!

Part 1 >>>> Part 2 (coming soon)

[thefearofcod]

a few years ago, my girlfriend at the time had the most beautiful, attentive, enormous German Shepard called Gemma. Now Gemma the dog had never had any kind of herding or guarding experience in her entire life because she was a precious pet princess puppy who cried if you got off the couch.

I was visiting my partner for a while, which meant I was visiting Gemma, who was a really big fan of mine. She (the dog) would fuss and cry at my partner if I did something mean like go in the bathroom and close the door because for some reason I did not want an escort to the can. The only thing she ever wanted more than ham and car rides was for all of us to be in one place together.

The place my girlfriend was living was pretty small, and Gem was what we might call a messy drinker, so her water bowl was in the bathroom. Also the bathroom door didn’t really latch properly, which is a detail we will come back to. So in the bathroom was the water bowl, a trash can, and a glass shower stall. If there’s one thing about me, it is that I am a Long Shower Bitch. I’m in there boiling myself like a beautiful gay lobster for as long as I can get away with, and because I’m pretty short, I often sit and stretch my back while I’m in.

So Gemma, who needs to know where everyone is all the time and that they’re safe (working dog! It���s Her Job) pops in to drink her water and check up on me. And she turns and looks in the shower, where I’m sitting on the floor. “Hi Gemmybean,” I said.

Now she did NOT sign off on this. She came right up to the glass of the shower, and huffed. I didn’t stand up. She whined. She sat down and did the German Shepard Head Tilt with her huge soft ears. She did a little bark.

I’ve never seen a more perturbed animal in my life. That dog frowned disapprovingly at me. She stood up and assessed the situation from another angle. She turned in a circle. She whined more. Then she left the room and tattled to Mom.

“What’s wrong, sweet girl?” my partner said to this dog, who had a track record of showing people things she didn’t approve of, or wanted to eat.

Gemma, presumably communicating with Lassie-like specificity, brought my girlfriend into the bathroom, and sat down in front of the shower, and whined pointedly.

“I don’t think she likes you sitting down,” my girlfriend said. “Maybe if you try standing up?”

Chastised by a dog, I stood up. Gemma looked at my girlfriend, then at me, then at my girlfriend. She huffed, drank some water, and left.

and that’s how my showers at my partner’s place got way shorter.

I think it's so funny how we bred JOBS into dogs. I have two shih tzus and they were bred to be lap dogs. All they care about is looking cute and cuddling with people. Meanwhile my grandma has a border collie and that dog needs to feel so useful all the time, he acts like he will pass away if he doesn't have a job to do constantly

[int-smnt]

40k SANGUINUS PERMANENTLY SCARRED FROM HIS FIGHT WITH HORUS YESSSSSSSS!!! I am frankly obsessed with this concept, been thinking about it for months. May I please ask for some elaboration on how you'd see this go? also maybe perhaps some more 40k Sang doodle requests, being a tattered angel suits him incredibly well. I love him so much and I love the way you draw him 🥺🥺🥺🥺

ARGHHH im glad at least one person seems to be as obsessed with it as I.

As for the elaboration:

SANGUINIUS REBIRTH AU!

To preface this i am not well versed in the books, i dont have the money to afford them, and the entire concept hinges on the rule of cool (which is par for the course i imagine!)

Takes place during the events of "The devastation of Baal"

A canon divergence, in which the hive fleet is capable of breaching the Blood angels' main chapel and reaching Sanguinius' tomb.

It's engulfed in a case of molten gold but I don't think that ever stopped tyranids from having a good snack.

And a good snack they have!

From what I've read about online, tyranids cannot replicate the powers of warp-based entities, so I humored the idea that the consumption of warp tainted flesh might have some jarring side effects on them.

The change is not sudden, only noticable upon the second wave, the tyranids are a formidable foe, for sure have gained some power up from the angel's body, wings and other boosts.

They also begun to cannibalise eachother, courtesy of the red thirst. A flaw in the gene that was impossible to seperate from the useful parts.

Present hive tyrants become compromised too, in spite of their resistance to Daemons, they are seized by a force that runs through the Angel's very DNA.

It compromises the swarm, leading to a swift dispatch. Not before they caused some significant damage.

The reason for Sanguinius' return would be spurred on by the death of a major character: Dante. Another canon divergence, when sanguinius talks to dante as he's dying, he doesnt revive him.

Seeing that the Hive has killed his most prized son using his genes as a template, he takes matters into his own hands, and allows the man to finaly, FINALY rest. However, as much as it pained him, he had to consume his soul to gain the power necessary to influence the materium.

Which is how he managed to manipulate the mutated tyranids into being more vulnerable! Bypassing their immunity to the warp by manipulating the very genetic material they stole from him (and which he could still exert his influence onto).

However, due to some inexplicable reason, perhaps the primarch in him desiring to live once more.

Like a virus, posessing a wayward cell to produce more of its kind, the largest of the 'nids is forced to reconstruct the body of the Angel using its own biomass and the dna template its got. (It was NOT part of his plan, he blames his subconscious.)

Congratulations! Its a sanguinius! I muse to myself, im glad the tyranids dont have the capacity to feel body horror.

What follows suit im not sure, but 3 possibilities:

1) In the aftermath, while surveying the carnage, Guilliman senses the unmistakable aura of his brother, and cuts him out of the bowels of the beast.

2) he is discovered by a team if blood angels sent to recover the body of the fallen, they become highly protective of him and might keep his discovery under wraps in fear misunderstanding (which is understandable, a primarch pops out of a tyranid is highly suspicious)

3) Crawled out on his own. Discovered by a group of nomads while he was aimlessly the Baal desert.

And yea, thats all!

[littjara-mirrorlake]

Nonexhaustive list of creatures I don't think should be able to get compleated

Because it's been 2 years since MOM but I'm still critiquing the biology in it anyway

Spirits and other immaterial beings I firmly believe, and this was fairly consistent in canon until MOM, that Phyrexian oil works on two fronts: physical and mnemonic. That's it. The oil can convert tissues or metal that it physically touches, and it is a vehicle of information transfer that can bend minds toward whatever ideology is contained in it--i.e. the will of Yawgmoth or Elesh Norn. Canon used to be very specific that Phyrexian oil can convert metal to flesh and vice versa. Nothing in there about spiritual creatures--or the fabric of funeral shrouds, for that matter.

Elementals Similar reasoning. Elementals are made of neither metal nor flesh, and should not be able to get converted.

Aetherborn, Kaldheim changelings Listed together because I believe they are extremely similar subtypes of the same creature. Aetherborn are made of aether, and changelings are thought to be made of the stuff of the Cosmos--Kaldheim's local equivalent of the Blind Eternities. Just as Phyrexian oil is largely incompatible with the retention of the aether soul in a creature that is compleated, I can't imagine that it plays well with the physiology of a mostly-or-completely aether creature. There's a chance this was actually confirmed or hinted at in Consuming Aetherborn, though it's likely they weren't literally drinking Phyrexian oil. There are no Kaldheim changelings in MOM so at least I don't have that to pick on.

Cosmos monsters, eldrazi Like aetherborn and changelings, I am listing these together because I believe they are analogous, just on different scales (the planar/interrealm scale vs. the Multiversal scale). They are eldritch plane-eaters that exist in the space between realms/planes, which is commonly known as the Blind Eternities. Like aetherborn and changelings they are not truly physical beings but projections of the Eternities. They should not be able to get affected by Phyrexian oil.

Most gods Similar logic to those above, but with a significant exception. Gods that I think can get compleated are those 1) heavily influenced by mortal belief (Theros) or 2) those who are basically mortals but with magical augmentation (Kaldheim). These are affected by the mnemonic and physical axes of action of the Phyrexian oil, respectively. This is one thing that I actually think MOM did right in portraying Phyrexia's approach to Theros, though it would've also been wild and surprisingly plausible to see a Yawgmoth Resurrected.

I'm withholding judgement on Capenna angels, because I don't know (and haven't speculated) enough about the actual biology of how their bodies produce and retain Halo, but this also does strike me as odd. I had always thought that Halo was some kind of angelic essence that could be extracted from the bodies of angels, and it "running out" doesn't make the most sense to me.

And then there are random, seemingly completely regular creatures that can resist--and enjoy consuming--Phyrexian oil. I have no explanation for this, but they seem to be having a pretty good time. Maybe Yargle is immaterial-spirit enough to resist it?

[kpopscruggles]

My baby

Mingi x Chubby reader

warnings- obv smut, mature language, unprotected sex, FWB into small confession.

word count- 2k

more about the smut here, I got a request that someone liked my other old mingi fic and a lot of ppl liked my yunho so why not make more. I am a chubby reader enthusiast so don't be shy..

I've never seen you around here before, is there a reason for that?" such a simple question yet such a response you could not produce. The male in front of you, holding a smirk on his face as he then took down half his drink. Never were you the type to go home with someone after the clubs or in this case a house party but this time was different. The way he came up to you, immediately praising you was almost sickening, but you liked it. Little did you know it led you to a whole other situation. You two would become friends with benefits. 

Now you were sitting on your bed watching Mingi get dressed after what was supposed to be good sex, but if failed. Was he good? Yes, he was, so it wasn't him, it was the situation. For the fourth time he willingly kissed you but for the first time, he willingly bred you as soon as you asked. Normally it wouldn’t happen, in fact it wouldn’t ever happen. Mingi was a simple friend with benefits, these were his rules he asked you never to break but what was strange is he broke them first.  

Again, seeing him put his clothes on in stress made you raise a brow, this led him also quite simple waving and leaving your apartment. It bothered you; it bothered you extremely. There was something that just seemed off. Again, it was all strange that he started it but what was even worse was that you wanted it again. It haunted you. Never were you supposed to kiss, never was he supposed to cum inside. There were strict rules he had, and he was breaking them. 

Surely it wasn’t going to be easy, but you had to bring it up to him eventually, right? Especially after the left with the most stressful body language you've ever seen anyone have. The next time he comes by you'd bring it up. You had too at this point. When Friday had hit and you walked past his car you could feel his eyes on you, giving him a sweet smile you watched him blink out of reality. It was cute... 

I'll be at yours around 7? Be ready.  

That message sent a spark through you. Getting home you did your usual routine before getting into a decent set like usual. Looking in the mirror you admired how the set hugged you differently than others, something about you and the chubby frame felt way more sexual than usual. Meanwhile Mingi was already parked outside your apartment, his heart racing as he realized how deeply he wanted you, craved you. How he craved to watch that juicy cunt takes his cock so effortlessly, your tummy giving small jiggles as he railed you senseless, your pretty stomach, being covered in his cum... Or your pretty cunt leaking of him. No, he couldn't think like that.  

Getting inside he had the condoms in his pocket but that brain telling him you both wanted that creampie, his brain telling him how he wanted you to moan against his lips as buried his cock in that sloppy pussy, Jesus Christ! He was a goner if he kept letting his brain fuel him. He couldn't help it, he never wanted to love something so bad, to cherish yet ruin something that was growing so special to him. Taking a deep breath, he then knocked on your door like usual. 

Sometimes he wished you had a dorm with a roommate then maybe he wouldn’t be so comfortable with ruining you...Who was he kidding, if anything a roommate could watch how much he adored that plump body of yours. He jumped slightly seeing you open the door in your comfy clothing, usually you had a set on, so this was new, wait, there's the lingerie print through the clothes. Fuck. 

The usual simple introduction went by, but you watched as mingi relaxed on your sofa and not straight to the bedroom, this was the time to bring up the situation you had been wondering about, but then what if it gets awkward and he leaves? Your kind of, no you really want that dick first. Walking over you watched his stare at your thighs, knowing he watched them jiggle as you walked. “Is this what you've been doing all day is waiting for me to get here?” 

Smirking at his cock yet genuine question I sat on his lap, leaving space to pull his cock out without delay if you wanted. A sigh leaving him as your weight got comfortable on him, got he was gonna cum like this even he didn't speak to make a distraction for himself “I'm just curious princess~” He coos playfully, his large hands gripping your thigh, the flesh against his fingers sending a jolt up his spine.  

Looking up at you through his lashes he then leaned his head back onto the sofa, your gorgeous smile, pretty face, this stunning body. His hands running up before slipping under your shirt “I missed you today, you know that?” He watched you nod but he also seen the confusion of him saying such affectionate things. “I thought about you so much, how I was ready to come over and see that pretty body you have.” He felt you shiver making him smile. Your shirt slipped off before you realized and he tossed it “You want it?’ he whispered against your lips, his hot breath lingering slightly till he gave you a kiss “I know I do; I love coming over, I’ll be doing it more often too...” 

You just nod before feeling him pool you into a kiss, you could tell by the kiss he was already salivating at the thought of you, which he was. He had been mind fogged all day and all he wanted was to come to you, a comfort and pleasure he had to have forever. He had to have it. He needed you; he needed his baby...HIS baby. Tonight, he was going to have you the way he had been craving too.  

Pulling from the kiss, he watched your lips glisten with saliva before he licked it slightly. Taking a breath laid you down on the sofa, reaching your bottoms and pulling them off revealing the lingerie, the lace hugging your curves, high waisted just enough to peak out a bit more of your chubby flesh. Your pretty breasts and hardening nipples peeking through the lace, or the pretty fat cunt waiting to be filled. God he was begging for anything even though it was right in from of him. 

Gripping your thighs you watched him take a deep breath before slowly resting his small his between you, his cock noticeable as he slowly begun to grind his hips. his mouth leaving open warm kisses on your neck “mm~ gonna fuck you're so sweet baby I swear” he coos before giving you another kiss. His hips grinding deeper “G-gonna make sure you feel every bit of my cock, every drop of my cum.” You couldn’t respond, just sinful moans leaving you before nodding, you agree with anything Mingi said. You watched him smile proudly, the tension in the room filthy, but it felt different. Watching him strip his top a small moan leaving him as you sat up leaving kisses on his chest.  

His hands reaching to comb your hair back “Thank you baby...” was all he whispered. His hands moving to run his hands over your bralette straps, running the lace between his fingers. ‘Pretty girl. Pretty girl...” he whispers again before pulling you into another kiss. Your whimpers loud enough for him to hear no matter how muffled you both were. You felt the bra unclasp and he gently pulled it off your body before laying you back down. 

A sweet smile on his lips as he lays on you, his mouth grazing against your nipple as he looks up at you, your eyes begging for him to put your nipple in his mouth and he did. His warm saliva making your nipple harden even more, if possible, his eyes on you as he moans softly, his large hand gripping both your tits admiring them slightly. One in his mouth, one between his fingers.  

Pulling away he made his way to the other nipple; you watched his thumb flick at the saliva-soaked bud. “M-Mingi please...” He knew those pleas; you couldn’t wait any longer. Removing his nipple his hand reached down, making sure to rub your tummy before slipping into your panties. Your slit ached as his fingers slowly teased by them. His mouth coming up to give you another kiss, his tongue swirling with yours. 

His hand hugged between the lace and your warm pussy sending his head in spins. His forehead against yours before pinching your cushiony hood playfully, your small gasp making him smile. Smiling even wider as he watched your eyes roll back, two fingers grazing against your cozy walls as he pushed them inside. “Gotta makes sure princess is comfy before she takes my cock. My sweet thing~” he coos before giving you another kiss. You looked so precious. 

Looking down he watched your chub tremble as he pushes his fingers deeper “I love that pussy so much~ I can't wait to be buried inside, watch that pretty, fat, warm pussy hug my dick!” he groaned biting at your neck. Hearing your reappeared gasps and pleas he knew you were close, but fuck he was greedy. You were so achingly close, your cunt pulsing around him, the small moans coming from you. 

He couldn’t he wanted all your cum on his cock, slipping his fingers away he watched your whine uncontrollably, so sensitive he knew if he put his fingers back in you'd cum. Lifting he slipped his fingers into his mouth before his free hand reached down to take off his jeans, the buttons giving a faint click as he undid them. Soon using both his hands he gently removed his jeans and boxers at once. His veiny cock reddened at the slit, pale pink at the head, it was pretty to be honest, you knew that. Tossing the clothes on the floor he soon reached for your panties peeling them off as well watching your wetness glisten on your hood, your swollen clit peeking out slightly between your chubby folds. 

Taking a deep breath, he hooked your legs with his arms, pulling you against him, your gooey cunt pressed against his straining cock. Your feet hooked to his neck as he placed soft kisses on your ankles. His hands growing a tight grip on your hips before lifting you slightly, his enough to use his thumb, pushing slightly, hearing your creamy folds separate as he slowly slipped in. 

That perfect view of your fat cunt hugging his cock so tenderly, a small whimper even left him at the sight. A pant growing in the room as you felt his cock slowly inch inside, bottoming out your whimper made a groan from him follow behind. Leaning forward slightly he watch your chub squish together making his cock twitch already. Taking one last final breath, he started his thrust, a decent pace, enough to hear the small yet rushed skin contact. 

His eyes looking down at you, his hair slightly swaying before he combed it back. “Fuck I missed this pussy baby~ did you miss me? Hmm?” he smirked deeper, his language rough but tone so soft. Shakey sounds leaving him as he watched you nod, eyes screwed shut as you pulsed around him. There wasn’t much that had to be said, you both knew the pleasure was immaculate, you both knew it would only take a small minute before he’d paint your walls with his creamy cum.  

Your moans growing louder by the second, your body bouncing slightly to his thrusts, you were so fucking gorgeous. He felt himself at a loss for breath, this edge taking him over, you had the deepest hold on him. His tip begging to spill the cum, his base twitching, his balls growing heavy. You were gonna make him cum so fucking fast it was almost making his sick. 

Gripping your hair, he made you look at him, your eyes glossed by pleasure as you left the creamy precum on his cock. “So fucking pretty~ My sweet baby~ mine.” he could feel himself growing close, His body shivering against your as he laid on top of you going harder. The passionate glint in his eyes as he rested his forehead against yours. Sticky sweat connecting you both close, your legs wrapping around him, the thick thighs giving him a comfy cushion, your breasts pressed against his chest. 

“I-I'm gonna cum baby~, I'm gonna cum for you!” he coos, a smile forming on your face. The small response of “For me...,” the tone of assurance made him lose it as he let out a moan of submission.  

“For you baby! Just for you! Oh shit!”  

That sounds sending a ringing through your ears, his eyes squeezing shut before burring his head in your neck “Gonna cum for my baby~” he coos one last time, his breath hitched. Your body trembling as you felt your stomach coil, your cunt pulsating extremely at this point. The pit in your stomach deepening harshly as you felt a wave of release, painting his cock with your cum only made him let one last thrust before feeling you to the brim. A loud cry leaving him as his fingertips dig into your hips, reaching just enough to grip a love handle to steady himself.  

Both of you, panting, sweating, a small chuckle leaving his lips. “Fuck this...” he added before looking at you “Your mine, I hope you know that” he whispers, it was confident, yet it had a question like tone making you giggle. A small smile forming as he seen your pretty smile and a nod. That was all he needed; he was content and ready for another round.  

[n1ghteeea]

UNIVERSITY RGB HCS BC THE TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO SHARE THEM ‼️‼️

Disclaimer: this only contains Egon, Ray and Peter as they are the ones who were in uni together (sorry Winston and Janine). Also this is long and self indulgent as hell.

I am NOT taking up the responsibility to say at what exact ages they got into uni, but let’s say that during their first year Peter is 18, Ray is 17 and Egon is 19.

Now, Ray is doing electrical engineering, Peter is doing engineering in hopes that it relates to trains (spoilers: it doesn’t, but he doesn’t find out until after his second year), Egon.. well Egon actually isn’t a student, but rather an instructor. I got this idea from an uncited wiki trivia point, and just ran with it. Maybe he was in uni instead of school bc he’s just that smart, maybe something else, idc really. He’s a physics instructor who is the same age as most of his students.

Ray and Peter are roommates and while it takes some time, eventually they bond and become best friends. And when I say best friends, I mean it to an almost unhealthy extent. In my head, Peter was always alone. Absent family, constantly moving around the country, unconventional interests, autism - I don’t think he ever really had friends. In the show we see him TRYING to be a charmer, but most of the time people do not buy his act, and I think the same thing happened in uni. He wanted friends, desperately wanted to fit in, but never really managed to. So when suddenly his roommate turned out to be a great guy who genuinely liked his company he immediately grew almost unhealthily attached. We won’t blame him.

Ray, on the other hand is liked by many due to his kind and charming personality, but doesn’t have many close friends, again, due to his unconventional interests and hyper behaviour towards them (ADHD). He isn’t that bothered by it, though. Good for him.

Now Egon is taking his unique position very seriously. He is no doubt popular at the uni - people have to be curious about this super young, clearly genius and handsome (canon in the show, not my words!) guy who works as an instructor. However, he does not engage in personal conversations, doesn’t seek out human connection or fun activities. He is focused on studying, working, getting experience and progressing in the field. He has many older mentors, but no friends of his age and is perfectly fine with that.

——————————————————————

So, first semester, first year. Both Ray and Peter take Egon’s physics class (though in different sections). Ray and Egon do not interact in class whatsoever, Ray is simply a good student: he studies well and does all his assignments on time (or mostly on time). They have no reason to talk and so do not know each other personally.

Peter, on the other hand, hates physics, finds it extremely boring and useless and makes a loud statement of not studying for it. It upsets Egon, who doesn’t want such morale to spread around his class, so he invites Peter to after-class talks.

This attitude pisses Peter off immensely because the audacity of this guy to tell him what to do and what to study for?? And from that point on Peter makes it his life’s mission to piss Egon off at any chance possible. He doesn’t bully him or set him up in front of people, he just acts like a dick and shows his disrespect in any way he can. Egon doesn’t like him back. This goes on for a while.

Now, aside from classes and physics, Egon also does parapsychological research on the side, as at the end of the day, that is his main area of interest. One day, as he goes into a lab to work on some experiments, he meets Ray who, very expectedly so, is also doing parapsychological research since that is his biggest interest, too. They bond over it and become lab partners and eventually friends.

I also want to specify that a moment when their relationship transforms from formal to friendly is one silly heist of sneaking into the patron section of the uni’s library at night to borrow a book necessary for their work. Adrenaline and oxcytocin do their job well and they go from “Mr. Spengler” and “Mr. Stantz” to “Egon” and “Ray” 🫶

⏩️ Fastforward to the second semester. Neither of the guys are taking Egon’s class anymore, but Ray and him are still working together and progressively becoming better pals by widening their conversation topics as well as hangout occasions. Peter still hates Egon’s guts, luckily they don’t have to meet too often. At least until one day.

That day electricity malfunctions in Egon’s room right when he needs to mark his students’ assignments. As usual, he does it late at night when the library is already closed. Ray, as a good friend, offers him a spot in his and Peter’s room to work which Egon accepts, becoming a horrible surprise to the latter. After spending about fifteen minutes trying to get a reaction out of Spengler with no visible result Peter notices just how exhausted the guy is and for the first time it really hits him that surprise!! Egon is human too. He even grows slightly worried, after all, he doesn’t want the dude to pass out in their living room. They don’t begin interacting more after that, but Peter as if slightly cuts back on the teasing. But he still calls him “Spengs” out of disrespect.

⏩️ Fastforward to the second year. Egon and Ray hang out more, forcing Peter and Egon to interact, and good news! They now tolerate each other. And yes, they do go to “Egon” and “Peter” though “Spengs” and “Mr. Venkman” are still present, mostly to show annoyance and displeasure.

At some point in the semester Ray makes a new close friend named Max and that fact makes Peter crash the fuck out. Ray is super excited about this new guy who also studies engineering, loves comic books and horror movies, is super smart and funny. They hang out a lot and study together and whenever Ray comes back to the room he just cannot shut up about how good of a time he had. And Peter (need I remind you, lonely and self-conscious Peter who was always left behind by everyone in his life, including his father) watches, listens, gritting his teeth, until he just can’t anymore. Did I mention he has an unhealthy obsession with Ray?

He goes through a full mental breakdown, and they talk about it and partially resolve the situation (though the one-sided Max beef in Peter’s head continues, it’s hilarious).

⏩️ Christmas break comes and Ray announces that he is going to be leaving to spend it with his family in Bronx, and only here do we see just to what degree both of these people really are dependent on him.

Peter crashes out, yes, again. He’s lonely, he’s bored, his plans are ruined and he has no idea how he is going to survive three weeks alone in the dorm.

Egon takes it more calmly, he’s Egon, after all. He doesn’t complain or act upset, but two things happen. First, his work slows down significantly, and second, with his support system being gone he falls back into the unhealthy habit of overworking himself to a point of total exhaustion (speaking from experience here, it’s really hard to stay consistent with your healthy habits and routines when the person who is usually there to help you with them isn’t around).

To not die of boredom and exhaustion, Peter and Egon organise hangouts, sometimes sitting in the library and trying to get work done, sometimes watching TV or getting lunch together. Their relationship improves significantly during that time, and Ray is very happy to see that upon arrival.

Not much to say from that point on. All three of them become best friends, Peter switches his concentration to psychology, they rent an apartment together and go on with their academic lives. If I had to somehow describe their relationship I’d say they are a qpr. Not in love whatsoever, but still very emotionally intimate, physically affectionate and are the most important people to each other.

Also they don’t know it yet, but the moment they met each other they met the rest of their lives 🫶

[tiramisuucakeee]

presenting ˙ . ꒷ 🍰 STRAWBERRY GIRL ᝰ.ᐟ fem reader. yjw.

@ ! CHAPTER ONE ( looked my way ). narrated fic.

cherry blossom petals twirled in the light morning wind, as students scrambled inside the high school, talking to their peers and meeting friends at the entrance.

jungwon stood on the street alone, a paper in his hand, with the directions towards his new high school. he was starting this last year in another city since his father had to move for work. of course it was going to be difficult not being with his old friends, but they had promised to meet in university later on in life.

though for that to happen, he would have to graduate high school first, and that will only happen if he was able to find it.

“ah, i think it was the other street,” he stopped in his tracks, looking back, and then around, confused about his whereabouts. he had taken a small shortcut, and now he was lost.

it was then when you appeared, walking down from the other street, recognizing his uniform, but not his face. he must be new and looking for the school. that was something that always happened since it was quite hidden in the block by trees.

“you’re a student right?” you spoke, as he turned to you, stunned. his eyes were wide, clearly not expecting to be surprised in this moment, as his face slightly flushed a pink tint.

you laughed light-heartedly at his reaction, as he nodded. “yes, i am yang jungwon,” he bowed quickly, nervous.

“l/n y/n, you definitely look new,” you commented, reciprocating his actions. he looked up, finally being able to meet her face.

it was as if pure sunshine had come down from the blue sky to greet him, you seemed so warm and inviting he was afraid to say or do something wrong in your presence. “yeah,” he breathed out, looking at you with admiration.

“yeah… you look new? or you are new?” you grinned.

“oh, uh- both?” he blinked.

“follow me. make sure you remember the way,” you murmured, slipping past him down the narrow street, your footsteps light against the worn pavement.

jungwon didn’t hesitate, before going after you, trying to make his mind picture the road, so he would get caught in a perchance like this. maybe, if it were you who found him, he wouldn’t mind.

the quiet between you two felt strange, but comforting, like something that was always meant to happen. when you reached the school, the bell’s chime echoed faintly in the distance, signaling the end of your small journey. but before you could steal another glance at him, your friend group appeared from nowhere, pulling you away as if they had been waiting for this exact moment.

“you’re almost late, what happened?” chaery asked, twirling her bag strap around her finger, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.

“i found a new student,” you explained, brushing a stray lock of hair behind your ear as you adjusted the strap of your own bag. “he looked lost, so i just showed him the way.”

your friends rolled their eyes, an expression of playful exasperation on their faces. they knew you too well, how you couldn’t help but talk to anyone who seemed lost or lonely. it wasn’t unusual for you to help a new student find their way or sit with someone who needed a friend. some people thought you did it out of pity, or because you had an excess of kindness to give. but in reality, it was just because you could. you didn’t need a reason beyond that.

and maybe because you read in a magazine that most people regret not doing things rather than doing things.

“hello y/n,” your seatmate greeted you as you sat down with a smile, making you do the same.

you noticed a small transparent bag with some treats inside in your table, and you turned skeptically to him. “kento did you leave this here?”

“me?” kento’s voice was light, casual, as he leaned back in his chair, hands tucked behind his head. “oh no, there was this... gloomy depressed-looking guy who came by earlier. started asking me about where you were, like i had any idea. then he dropped that on your table and just... left."

you frowned, looking at the bag again, your curiosity piqued.

“he might not even know it’s not february anymore,” kento chuckled, a knowing glint in his eyes. “maybe he's a bit... late.”

"hey, don't be mean," you laughed, taking the small bag in your hands and carefully inspecting the assortment of chocolates inside. "they look handmade."

"look," kento said, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in his eyes, pointing to the bottom of one of the treats. "there's a brand."

"oh," you blinked, a little surprised, "maybe they thought i'd like this brand, or maybe he has no cooking skills."

"you're way too good," kento rolled his eyes, flopping back in his chair, his voice a little too loud. "i can see why everyone loves you." he sighed dramatically. you frowned at him, shooting him a glance that clearly said, don't embarrass me. but he only grinned, clearly entertained by your reaction.

just then, the bell rang, and the classroom fell into a quick hush as the homeroom teacher stepped in, flanked by someone unfamiliar. both of them stood at the front of the class, drawing everyone's attention.

he started explaining how he was happy to spend another year with the class, how he was looking forward to teaching again, his voice light and warm as he spoke. then, he shifted, gesturing to the person behind him. "this is our new student," he said.

as you were about to glance up to get a better look at the new arrival, a soft sound caught your attention. a small folded piece of paper appeared on your desk, almost as if it had materialized out of nowhere. you glanced down at it, your curiosity piqued.

it read: ‘want to go to the mall later today? - kento’

you couldn’t help but chuckle softly to yourself, throwing him a quick, teasing look. he was acting completely normal, staring straight ahead at the teacher as if nothing had happened. ‘sure, let’s! - y/n’ and placed the note on his desk, hearing him open it and let out a hum of agreement.

just as you were about to refocus on the homeroom teacher, the bell rang again, signaling the end of the moment. the classroom erupted into movement as everyone stood up, eager to catch up with their friends before the next class began. the noise and bustle of students blocked your view of the front.

"hey, kento," you called, nudging your blond friend with a playful grin. "we should go to the pork bun shop after. i woke up with this strange craving..."

“are you pregnant?”

"i am going to pretend you didn't ask me that," you blinked, turning away to rummage through your bag for your math book, trying to hide the warmth creeping up your neck. “the words seem so weird coming from you.”

“it was just a joke, i know you always get weird cravings, if anything, your cravings are more like those of a toddler,” kento took your pencil case, rummaging through the interior to find a mechanical pencil for himself, already making your belongings a shared property.

he was one of your closest friends, someone you couldn’t imagine life without. you’d known him since kindergarten, when, with all the certainty of a five-year-old, he swore he would never leave your side. and while people often misunderstood the closeness of your friendship for a relationship, you didn't care about those rumors. you would never be afraid to admit that you’d cry your heart out if he ever left. and it wasn’t like you both haven’t sincerely tried to feel something for the other that wasn’t friendship love. but it was practically impossible for you both to feel that for the other.

the rest of the day went by in a breeze, and although the climate was still hot from summer vacations, you were glad to be back at school. it was strange, while many loathed going to school, you loved it. you loved seeing your friends, talking to everyone, having a routine, and the apple juice from the vending machine. if anything, you thought, you'd probably loathe the day when you’d have to leave all of this behind after graduation. but that was a future problem for another time. for now, you were content.

the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, and you made your way to the bathroom, sending kento a quick message to let him know you’d meet him at the school’s entrance.

when you stepped inside the bathroom, a group of girls from the summer classes greeted you with bright smiles. they were quick to gush about how, despite the heat, your skin seemed to glow in a way that made them envious. you smiled, a little embarrassed, but grateful for the compliment. “thank you,” you said, your voice light. “we should hang out outside of school sometime, maybe go eat something sweet?”

they all agreed excitedly, chatting amongst themselves as they gathered their things to leave for the day, each girl heading off to her own plans. once the door closed behind them, the bathroom felt a little quieter, the buzz of conversation fading.

you let out a small breathy sigh, standing in front of the mirror to fix your appearance, checking it your hair wasn’t down, or else you will start feeling hot. taking a paper towel, you gently patted your face, making sure it wasn’t too shiny, giving yourself one last look in the mirror. satisfied with the little fix-up, you felt a bit more comfortable. you were ready to meet kento and head out to the mall and then the famous pork bun shop, your craving still lingering in the back of your mind.

you were a simple person, even to dumb things like cravings, someone who always vowed to stay true to what you wanted. it wasn’t complicated, and it didn’t require much thought. you were content with who you were and wanted, and that was enough for you. that was why sometimes you didn’t bother to clear up meaningless rumors about you, because even if you did talk with many, it was a small group of people who actually knew you.

you sent kento a message, letting him know you’d be there in three minutes. the school was pretty big for a high school, but after all, it was the only school in the area, and there were many families with kids who wanted to enroll them here. it wasn’t easy to pass the entrance exam, at least you’ve heard from newer students. speaking of new students... as you were walking down the hall on the second floor, you heard some voices through an open window, people talking.

“y/n?!”

“huh?” you stopped on your tracks, looking around, and then figured the voice came from below. “was that kento-“

“absolutely every girl i know is like obsessed with her, everyone wants to be her friend, even my younger sister, she’s crazy,” someone said. you blinked, feeling a blush creep up your neck at the comment. obsessed? you hadn’t thought of it that way. sure, some girls did approach you now and then, asking where you bought your clothes or what face products you used, but it wasn’t like they were obsessed. you were just one student in millions more. you couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at how the situation was being framed. it was all so... exaggerated. so much for trying to have many friends.

you didn’t quite know why they seemed so interested, but it was never something that bothered you. still, hearing this, made you feel slightly self-conscious. was that really how people saw you?

“kai don’t say that, it sounds like she’s a celebrity,” someone replied.

“but it’s true, jun,” kai replied, “my sister is always listening to the music she recommends, shopping at the same shops she does, it’s like y/n completely replaced bahiyyih!”

"okay, i don't think that's y/n’s fault, that's your sister's fault," yeonjun chimed in, rolling his eyes as he glanced at the group. he was standing next to jungwon, who looked like a sheep surrounded by wolves. kai was bombarding him with endless questions, soobin was trying to play the role of the class president by wanting to meet the new kid, beomgyu was laughing at everything kai said, and taehyun was lounging under a nearby tree, questioning how his friends managed to handle the heat.

"anyway," kai continued, his grin widening, "what do you think about her?"

“about who?” jungwon blinked.

"about y/n," kai clarified. "is she as awesome as all the girls say she is or what?”. beomgyu smacked kai’s arm at the remark, which definitely sounded a bit more sarcastic than it should’ve.

jungwon thought for a moment, his mind tracing back to the meeting before school, to which you came to save and guide him to school, then, he remembered the way you’d laugh in class, light and effortless, even if you didn’t seem to notice him there. but he noticed you. he noticed how you answered every question the teacher asked, how you weren’t afraid to speak up for those too shy to ask their own questions. jungwon was extremely observant, perhaps more than he wanted to be. but there was something about you, something that made him want to know you better. not just by watching, but by talking to you.

"she is bright," he said, finally breaking the silence.

“bright? smart?”

"okay, stop asking him dumb questions, i wanna go home and you take forever," yeonjun sighed, shaking his head. "it’s starting to look like you’re the one obsessed with y/n, not your sister."

they kept joking for a few moments, before deciding to all walk to the entrance, not leaving a single second for jungwon to say the contrary. they started heading out, not before making fun of taehyun, who was still lazily sitting under the tree, as if the heat had already defeated him. you observed them quietly, leaning against the window, your eyes following the group as they moved further away. what was that all about?

bright. bright. it was the first time someone had described you like that, and it lingered in your mind. did he mean you were smart? or was it your smile, your eyes, your face? maybe it wasn’t even about your appearance at all. was it a compliment, or was it sarcastic? you found yourself wondering about it, trying to figure out which part of you he had seen. what did he mean by that?

as the group walked farther away, it was almost as if jungwon felt something shift in the air. his gaze flicked back in your direction, and for a split second, time seemed to slow. your eyes met from across the wide patio, even from that distance, and something passed between you in that instant. a strange, silent connection. he didn’t mind, not even for a second, that you had overheard their conversation. in fact, it almost seemed like he didn’t care at all.

for jungwon, it was as if he had just been seen for the first time, by someone whose gaze felt different, like bright eyes had captured him in a way no one else had. something about it made him want to say more, to give you a compliment, to let you know exactly what he thought of your small encounter, but for now, he stayed silent. deep down, he felt it. the undeniable feeling that this wasn’t just another passerby in his life. this was different.

and you felt it too. his words had made sense of everything you do, everything you are. in some seconds, he got to know you to perfection without even actually knowing you.

@ masterlist

# TAGLIST OPEN ! @sol3chu @tasnemluvs @enhypen-myworld @firstclassjaylee …

[ayamari-no-goshi]

I found a way to restore what I wrote!! ❤️

Here’s what I started:

~~~~~~

Tim, what exactly am I looking at?” Dick questioned as he stared at the stills on the Batcomputer. In them stood a young man who looked so unsettling like an older version of his deceased brother that it made his heart break.

“I’m… I’m not sure,” the teen stated as he pulled up the cowl footage and played it.

In it, Tim was being held and threatened by the unknown man as he stood over Jason’s grave, one in a different location from what he remembered (had Bruce moved it?). After Selina managed to get Tim out of his grasp, something that seemed just a little too easy, the unknown and Bruce fought. His words and movements, both familiar and foreign, suggested he was a resurrected Jason, but as the footage came to an end, the man was revealed to be Clayface. Normally, he’d say it the unknown man had been the rogue the entire time, but something wasn’t quite right.

Replaying the footage a few times, he tried to pinpoint exactly what bothered him. There were a few brief seconds Bruce lost sight of the unknown as the fight moved from the graveyard to the nearby church. After that, there were slight changes in the man’s movements. It wasn’t dramatic, but it was enough. Then there was the blood. The unknown had bled before running towards the church. Was it possible Clayface switched places with the person who started the fight? The more he reviewed the footage, the more certain of it he became.

“There was someone else there,” he murmured as he brought up stills of the unknown before disappearing from sight and afterward reemerging.

“I thought so too!” There was satisfaction in Tim’s voice. “And he knew Jason’s grave was empty when even the Riddler didn’t, and it was him and Hush who set up most of what happened.”

That had been a surprise when he found out since he’d only been around for part of it. The Riddler, using a temporary boost in intelligence from being exposed to a Lazarus Pit to help heal a terminal illness, somehow made a partnership with Thomas Elliot, a man who was once Bruce’s childhood friend but now went by Hush. Between Riddler’s desire to show he was a threat and Hush’s need for revenge, the two created an elaborate game that caused Bruce to run himself ragged due to the shear amount of hints and red herrings. In Bruce’s briefing, it was suggested everything was orchestrated by the two men, but if the Riddler had no idea Jason’s grave had been touched…

“You think there was a third person involved?” Before Tim had a chance to answer, Dick finally registered a detail the teen mentioned. Spinning around, he stared at him. “What do you mean Jason’s grave is empty?”

“It’s empty. The body is missing. Bruce thought the Riddler was just trying to make it seem like Jason somehow came back to mess with him, but, like I said, the Riddler didn’t know. And I’m pretty sure he was telling the truth since Bruce broke two of his fingers during the questioning,” Tim quickly explained as he pulled up that specific footage so Dick could see for himself.

“So, our third party happens to use this mess to steal Jason and impersonating him for some unfathomable reason or… were they trying to let us know he’s been gone? Or…” he glanced at the footage of the man who looked like his brother. The man was older than Jason had been when he died and was much taller and broader than they ever thought was possible for someone who had dealt with severe malnutrition. Yet, other people they knew had returned from the dead, and depending on how it happened, maybe it affected him in more ways than one. “Is it possible that’s really him?”

“The only thing I know for sure is that his movements really rattled Bruce,” Tim admitted. “But he convinced himself it was just Clayface the entire time. I don’t think he can bring himself to believe that Jason, if that really was him, could question his love for him.”

“Or maybe he doesn’t want to believe another person he loved could possibly turn against him.” He glanced at Jason’s memorial case and sighed. Bruce shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss the idea. If it really was him, there was no telling what could have altered or manipulated him in the resurrection process. Besides, he knew things hadn’t been great between him and Jason in those last months. Happy kids don’t run away.

“But, as we know, that’s probably the least likely option. But for now, our focus should probably be on finding out who this third person is and what he knows about the grave. I’m going to need to talk to Bruce about this eventually. It’s not okay that he hid something like this from me.” Flashing a smile that he hoped made him look more confident than rattled, Dick gestured towards the images. “Anyways, let’s go talk to the Riddler and see if he can tell us anything.” The way Tim’s expression lit up in excitement as he scrambled to get his stuff softened his fake smile into something more genuine.

Plot bunny that I wish to write but don’t currently have the motivation to work on:

After the who thing with Hush, Tim asks Dick to review cowl footage from the fight in the graveyard when Clayface took on the appearance of an adult Jason Todd.

After watching the footage a few times, he comes to suspect Clayface was only there at the end of the fight. There was someone else at the beginning. Tim admitted he felt the same way and let slip the fact that it was due to that fight that Bruce found out Jason’s grave was empty.

Upset he wasn’t informed of that and suspicious of the mysterious Jason lookalike, Dick ends up doing some research of his own and finds evidence of this familiar looking stranger slowly gathering information and power within the shadows of the city.

Going undercover as someone presumed to be associated with one of the Families, he eventually finds a guy who initially mistakes him for the stranger.

“What’d I do this time? Wasn’t the info I gave you enough..? Wait, you ain’t the guy. What is he? Your brother or somethin’? You two look almost identical.”

That gave Dick momentary pause, but he quickly decided to roll with it. “That’s right, but he unfortunately decided to strike out on his own in a way our family doesn’t approve of. It’s my task to find him. You know how it goes. Care to point me in his direction?”

This leads Dick on a merry chase trying to find Jason while trying to keep up the act

Edit: I was gonna post the little bit I got done a few months ago… and somehow Word deleted it? But I can see the file that was called ‘Resurrected Hope’ and the page/page and a half is gone :(

[alpaca-clouds]

Why did Raphael take little Enver?

Okay. I wanted to talk about this, given that I do write a lot about the grimy gremlin - Gortash that is. Because I have thought a lot about it and the game does not give a clear answer. According to the game Raphael at some point showed up at the Flymm household, in his human appearance, claimed he was a warlock and he saw potential in the boy, offering to buy him for money.

And then he dragged little Enver to hell, where he kept him for an unspecified time, which eventually basically caused most of the plot to happen. Because chances are, that without Enver being in the hell, he would not have learned about the Crown of Karsus, and hence nobody would come up with the rather convoluted plan of putting the Crown onto a fucking elderbrain.

And I think I am pretty sure what Raphael wanted. I think that Raphael for the most part wanted his own personal pet warlock, and he thought he could have it this way.

Notably the game treats Enver as a warlock in regards to his class. Sure, had the game had the arteficer class, maybe he would have been that, but so far I consider Gorts being treated as a warlock as a good indicator. Plus, the Flymm parents were off the opinion that Enver would learn warlockery or something.

See, pretty much all warlock patrons have this one nasty problem: Sure, they can make rules for their little warlock, but they tend to still have their own ideas about stuff. They can usually find ways to lie or trick themselves out of their contracts and what not. I mean, we see it with Mizora and Wyll, and how usually Wyll will try to get out of the contract.

Sure, some people get along splendid with their patrons, but especially when you are a devil, this is not a given. Especially given the fact that part of the entire contract will always be the warlock ending up in hell to fight in the Blood War. So, yeah, there tends to be a lot of trickery going on.

So, come in Raphael: "If I fetch myself a child with a bit of magic potential and raise that child and beat it into submission, before making the child my warlock, I would have my personal pet warlock, who I can then use as a political pawn on the physical plane." I assume he thought it would be pretty easy to raise a human child. Which he undoubtedly found out it was not.

But we know Raphael loves to have his fingers in many pies at once, and I assume his plan was, that he would use Enver as a pawn to throw around as his eyes and ears on the physical plane, so that he could have a spy. Which is also why I assume, he would have beaten a lot of upper class behavior into him.

Now of course, the question is: How far did he get with this plan before he got bored and just left little Enver to his own devices? That is really not clear. Just as we do not know for how long Enver was in the House of Hope as a prisoner. It might have been three or four years or more than ten. We have no clear idea from all I can see.

But yeah, that is what I think was the reason for Raphael to drag that kid to hell.

[sundrop-writes]

jason todd with joker's daughter reader? like she only knows that she's his daughter but otherwise has nothing to do with him, but still feels guilty about what the joker did to him. they knew each other before he died, but get romantically involved after he comes back from the dead, and she's conflicted about being with him cause of what her father did, but he doesn't know that the joker is her father and cue explosive reveal. idk i've been toying with this concept for a while can you tell...

cleaning out my inbox again - this is not a fic I am actively working on, but because this is requested by someone not on anon, when I come back to work on it, I want to be able to give credit to the person for your idea

also, I don't necessarily imagine 'she knows that she's his daughter but has nothing else to do with him' - because that doesn't always make the most compelling story. I imagine a situation where maybe she was kidnapped and held hostage by the Joker at the same time that Jason was, and she was forced to hurt Jason (while he was blindfolded and didn't know who was doing it? or he feels intensely betrayed because he hears her voice and the Joker is forcing her to insult Jason with a gun to her head but because Jason can't see, he doesn't know that these things aren't genuinely coming from her)

so when the reveal comes, Jason thinks that she did it willingly and was loyal to her father, queue a huge fight like the one he had with Rose, (but unlike Rose, she does actually love Jason and has no loyalty to her father) and his heart aches when he realizes that she is just a victim like him and he screamed at her and called her horrible names for no reason

anyway - these are brain worms that I will come back to later

[stinkybrowndogs]

gsps really are the most Dog of all dog breeds

I’m honestly surprised there are not more shorthairs on dogblr. What’s the hold up people. They are basically just a Malinois minus the teeth and brains and there are like 50 of those bopping around on this site! That and gsps are truly a dime a dozen. I could go on Craigslist right now and find a few byb litters. (I won’t. But I could.)

In all seriousness I think it has to do with the fact that the people who enjoy them unfortunately tend to lean conservative 😓 especially once you get into the hunting community. Being obviously gay or trans in hunting spaces is not super comfortable or safe feeling and I can only imagine being non-white in these spaces as well. That and the popular training methods used for gun dogs are… interesting. To say the least.

Some snippets of the books I was given when I was trying to get into hunting :

That isn’t to say that these are completely void of any useful information, there are lot of simple training steps that make perfect sense for the task the dogs are doing. But I think you have to take some of this with a grain of salt; when I was trying to get into hunting I found that I was able to achieve the same results with less adverse methods, plus my mentor was much more versed in modern dog training and conditioning. Brandy’s training is more of a blend of the two- the most adverse tools we used was a woah- harness (phased out pretty quickly) and an e-collar for long distance recall (again, there is a bit of a trade off of comfort for safety- the dogs job in the field necessitates being off leash and pushing out far ahead of the handler, and they can quickly get out of sight or earshot. Having a Vibrate-based recall cue simply makes sense. This should be paired with a gps collar just in case… I was told many a horror story of dogs falling into mine shafts and only being found because of the gps Tag).

Force fetching was never on the table. I saw one handler with a rubber bumper covered in toothpicks so his dog would not bite down too hard on it… never had to do that either. I’ve never had to strap an e-collar to my dogs belly. I don’t have to force my dog into a down to teach her. I don’t step on her toes (on purpose).

Her WOAH command maybe took longer than I would have liked, but it’s solid with lots of practice. Her recall is great and regularly practiced, and I don’t need an e-collar to reinforce it. She has a wonderful natural fetch, though we never formalized it. She’s beautiful when she’s on point, and it’s amazing to just see her do exactly what she was meant to do with little input from me. Truly no greater feeling than watching her cross back and forth across a field in front of me and freeze into a perfect point. It’s like she wants to chase the bird/rabbit/whatever SO BAD she’s shaking but her genetics won’t let her.

If I had the money to get back into hunting and falconry I would do it in a heartbeat. It’s a hobby that’s been sidelined since losing my job for obvious reasons, and it’s the first thing I want to pick up when I have a more stable income. If and when that will happen, I am unsure

What the fuck were we talking about. Oh yeah.

Dogs of all time for sure. But very much a dog that is good at the one thing they are good at, and if you DON’T do that thing, they can be…. A bit much. Being so environmentally focused can be difficult for people I think. It’s just not what many people are looking for (even though they give world class cuddles). That and the energy level; I don’t think it’s too bad, especially now that they are older (we go out for runs like 2-3 times a week) but also I simply would not leave the house if there were no consequences, so having a creature that will dismantle my furniture if I do not go get some vitamin D is a great motivator. The dichotomy of being a Velcro dog and being nearly oblivious to their handler when they are off leash is interesting, and probably why you don’t really see them in many sporting dog circles, or working outside of hunting. You gotta cement that recall before you let them off leash, ESPECIALLY being able to recall off of wildlife, and you gotta work really hard to reinforce handler engagement. I joke that Brandy is an idiot, but everything she needs to be able to do seems to be hardwired into her, and the things I had to teach her (recall, leave it, drop it, WOAH ect) she picked up quickly and hardly ever has issues with. (Dont talk to me about loose leash walking though)

Regardless, I love their personalities, their niche behaviors, their energy level, their ability to be the goofiest silliest idiots, their soft soft floppy ears, I love how they talk back to me when I talk to them, I love their big booming barks and club feet. I love that we are ultimately exploring the world together, and the joy we share when running through the woods or on the beach. I love watching them leap into the river with reckless abandon. And then at the end of the day, all they want to do is get under the covers with me and fall asleep. They are perfect monsters and I can’t see myself without them.

[samuraionyourmom]

Been thinking about my Android Dazai AU lately. I've been asking myself a couple of questions about it since no one else seems to 😒 /lh (if you have any questions, please send them in, I beg. I yearn to yap). I've been mostly asking myself these questions to help me flesh out this AU better, and I thought I'd share my process.

If you haven't heard about it, you can check out my other posts about it here as well as the fic I made for it!

So, anyway, onto my ramblings. Prepare for an info dump and a half.

I'm sticking with the main question I've been asking myself for this post, and that is:

Why did Mori create Dazai? Why not just stick with Elise? What are his motivations?

This has been one of the toughest questions I've been faced with when I imagine this AU. It stumped me for a long while, so I just ignored it for the time being. But after a deep analysis of Mori's character, I've come to a conclusion.

Right off the bat, I'd like to make it clear that Mori has no creepy or pedophilic reasons for creating Dazai in this AU, so throw that thought away. I don't want to hear about it.

For starters, I'd like to lay out who Mori is as a person. Or how I view him, anyway. Deep down, Mori longs to take care of someone. We see this in Beast when he's free from his duties as Boss and is able to open up an orphanage. He states that he wishes he could have saved Dazai instead of manipulating him like he did.

But as it currently stands in the main timeline, Mori is unable to indulge in this desire. He is a slave to the organization, as he puts it, and he has a duty to go with the most logical solution as its leader. Facts over feelings and all that. Whether that means pushing Yosano to her limit despite his own hatred for using fear as a way to control people or sacrificing Oda, someone who he knows is very dear to Dazai, for the sake of obtaining the permit.

All this to say that Mori is very repressed. Personally, I say that these secret desires manifest themselves in Elise. She has some of Yosano and Dazai’s characteristics, both people Mori wish he could've cared for properly, and he spoils her openly, almost as if he's trying to make up for lost time.

Now, back to the AU. Elise's existence allows Mori to indulge in his fantasies, yes, but he wants something tangible. Elise is a manifestation of his own wants, but she's not real. So Mori decides to make an android. Maybe it's in a moment of weakness, so desperate for something, anything, to care for to make up for the pain he's caused.

Why not just adopt a child? Well, as much as he would like to, having a child in the Port Mafia isn't a wise decision, morally or logically. So he settles for an artificial one. It's different enough from Elise because it's something that can just vanish into thin air like she does. Something physical.

He works tirelessly to design, engineer, and produce an android that can give him as close to what he wants as possible. Not a baby, though. He couldn't bear that. He settles on a young teen for the design (again, not for creepy reasons, you weirdos). Something that he could care for, but isn't entirely helpless.

I imagine the first thing Mori did was create the AI for this thing before working on the body, and suddenly, this AI just starts yapping at him from his computer. The android takes on a life of their own. Starts calling themselves "Osamu Dazai." Orginally, Mori was set on creating a feminine-leaning android (his failures with Yosano are still haunting him at this point), but Dazai's like: uh, hell no. I am Osamu Dazai. I am a boy. Fix my body, u stupid doctor. (I love transzai)

Anyway, Dazai helps Mori design the body he wants. It's more androgynous than before, which Dazai enjoys. He's implemented into it shortly after it's finished, and voila, our favorite little bandage boy, is born.

Sure, Dazai isn't exactly what Mori had envisioned when he first started the project. He had imagined something more docile, easier to project his desires onto. But Dazai is what he is, and he won't be changed now. He's here now, and he's here to stay. Very human, despite how he came into this world or how much he denies it.

I may or may not have been influenced by the recent release of the Stormbringer Manga with that last bit. Anyway, Dad Mori is real. He's just not very good at it.