#influencer outreach program

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[roseamongroses]

ur heart beat next to mine

Pairing: Shuri/ Riri Williams Tags: Alternate Universe - Social Media, Established Relationship, Influencer Shuri, Long-distance Relationship, Suggestive Content. V much fade to black, Shuri being Clingy, Insecure Riri Williams, Corniness, fandom typical comments, Slice of Life, Talking about Intimacy Summary: Riri Williams loves her girlfriend a lot. She isn't the only one. OR Shuri takes a break from her duties to spend time with Riri. Riri admits some difficult truths. - words: 4,975 ao3

Riri sees her a lot.

A fluttering dress on T.V, a measured gaze over sunglasses in the papers, a cheeky smile in interviews. The Princess of Wakanda was one of the most prolific figures of her generation--developing mainstream appeal due to her internationally acclaimed diplomacy, S.T.E.M outreach programs, and an incredibly active social media presence.

There were a lot of reasons to be drawn to Shuri. It was hard to look away. Which is why moments like these made Riri a little light-headed with disbelief. When there were no lights, cameras, press, or prying eyes--she had Shuri all to herself.

Shuri quietly stepped into the dimly lit dorm room, attention falling onto Riri without fail.

Riri didn’t immediately look up, silencing her group chat notifications before continuing to read the request a client had sent.

Shuri waited, not minding, but she wasn’t shy about what she wanted. Her stare held a weary sort of intelligence that had no urgency or shame. She carefully slipped off her shoes and set aside her bags, fingers deftly unbuttoning her dress and throwing on the oversized shirt she had worn the night before.

So quiet.

A softly shifting shadow that slipped under the covers beside her like a sigh. Dangerously close, Shuri pressed closer, arms settling around Riri. Her hands smoothing the curve of her hip, tracing light, scant circles into the skin, causing her too-big briefs to slip down ever so slightly.

Shallow breaths warmed the nape of Riri’s neck. Nerves building, making her stupid quiet with anticipation.

“...Riri?”

“Mm?” Riri swallowed, eyes fixated on her phone, but she couldn’t read a damn thing now.

The bed creaked, “You’re so cruel,” Shuri said, tickling the crook of her neck, “How long are you going to ignore me?”

“Psh-am I ignoring you?” Riri asked. She set down her phone, reaching back to cup their face, “Maybe you should fix tha-”

Riri made an embarrassing sound, low and needy.

Shuri’s mouth pressed into hers, warm, drinking her indulgently as she rolled Riri onto her back, crowding her face—her body—her everything. All thoughts of work slipped away, pressure dizzying. Riri gripped their shirt, other hand wandering to the shaved sides of their head and sweeping the dip of her cheek.

Then all at once, Shuri pulled away.

At a loss, Riri’s legs hooked around Shuri’s waist, keeping her in place “Princess,” she grumbled, with a narrowed look, “Where are you going?”

Shuri laughed breathlessly, “I wanted to see your face,” she admits, pressing their foreheads together until she could count their eyelashes. Her weight on top of Riri comforting, “I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.

Riri eyed her disbelieving.

There wouldn’t be a time Shuri would be unneeded. She was one of a kind.

“Until they call you again,” Riri added bitterly, legs tightening around them, warily glancing around, “How did you even get back so soon? Should I expect visitors?”

“They wouldn’t dare,” Shuri said, thumb brushing the underside of their swollen lips, “I cleared my schedule.”

Riri blinked, pleasantly surprised, “A weekend off will be good-”

“For the month,” Shuri corrected.

“...What?”

“I planned to take more time off, but M’Baku needs assistance with upcoming negotiations and…You’re making a face,”

“I’m not making a face,” Riri lies, looking off, “It's…are you injured?”

“No, I wanted to spend time with you- You think I’d only take a break if I’m injured? ” Shuri asked, mildly offended. She sat up, taking her along. A clinging Riri settled in her lap as she spoke, “Am I that neglectful?”

Anything but.

“You’re the People’s Princess,” Riri murmured into their shoulder, not meeting their gaze, “I’m used to sharing.”

Shuri rocked her gently in her arms, “You could stand to be more greedy,” she said, nipping her ear, “The people can wait, I miss my girlfriend.”

Riri couldn’t help the bubbling laugh that escaped her, preening at the attention as they peppered her face with kisses.

“Meetings all day, everyday,” Shuri mouthed their complaints hot into her skin, “Nonsense speaking politicians and nosy poachers. Every time they say something stupid, I turn around and expect to see you there,”

Riri’s laughs quieted, breathy gasps filling the room instead.

“I missed you—your laugh, your face, your—“

Riri distantly wondered as she was being taken apart--a sickening fondness settling between her ribs and heating her core-- if her heart could survive a month of undivided attention.

. . .

/…100+ Unread Messages…/

shuris_right_ear_lobe: @biblicallyaccuratedoris WHAT NO

XxprettyprincessxX: She really said that???And left????Wtf????

bubbleassbish: chill. she def sent it before she finished typing

bubbleassbish: prolly being disgusting with her gf rn smh

shuris_left _ear_lobe: @shuris_right_ear_lobe Speaking of being disgusting ;)

shuris_right_ear_lobe: OMG BABE <333

shuris_right_ear_lobe: <333

XxprettyprincessxX:Nasssttty

bubbleassbish: ugh couples

shuris_right_ear_lobe: someeoneeessss jelly

bubbleassbish: damn right I am

biblicallyaccuratedoris: y’all loud as fuck

shuris_right_ear_lobe: YOU’RE LEAVING THE GC???

biblicallyaccuratedoris: when did I say that?

bubbleassbish: [Zoomed in Screenshot of Group Chat]

biblicallyaccuratedoris: ohhhhh yeah I meant I’m not going to be as active

bubbleassbish: why did u type it in the most omninous way possible

biblicallyaccuratedoris: idk I g

bubbleassbish: damn the gf got her again

XxprettyprincessxX: When Will It Be My Turn

. . .

Seeing the barrage of messages, Riri silenced her phone again. She slurped on her slushie obnoxiously, hand reaching out to link pinkies with Shuri once they returned with the tickets.

Shuri adjusted their face-mask as they approached the booth. They handed over their tickets, accepting the stubs and following the directions down the hall to find the screening.

“Do you think she recognized me?” Shuri asked as soon as they turned the corner, glancing back with mild concern, “Maybe I should’ve rented us a theater?”

Riri non-too discretely peeked back around the corner before returning to her girlfriends side. She caught how, the woman nervously looked around as typed on her phone, bright red, ”Shit if I know,” she said, lips quirking, “She might ask for your number though.”

“She can’t even see my face?” Shuri’s face scrunched, baffled.

“People are into that, “ Riri snickered, mouth running, “Adds to the thrill and all. I know I—" she clamped her mouth shut, mind screeching to a halt.

“You what?” Shuri asked as she propped open the door for them, head tilted ever so slightly in question—a far more determined glint in their eye.

She was curious— which was dangerous for Riri’s heart because she knew how much Shuri liked to play with her food.

Riri chewed on her straw, pointedly ignoring the question as she ducked into the darkening theater. She was thankful that their chronic lateness allowed her to escape further questioning for now—the title screen playing just as they settled into their seats.

However, she wasn’t stupid enough to believe Shuri would drop it. She was thinking hella loud. Everytime Riri turned her head, she could see them staring at her—turning her words over in their mind, picking it apart, and putting it back together.

Riri tried to keep her eyes on the movie, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of watching her squirm. By the time the movie had wrapped up, she had completely forgotten that earlier conversation.

Knuckles deep into her third bag of overpriced candy, she lived in a glorious reality where her girlfriend wasn’t a menace.

It was too good to be true.

Riri shivered as they stepped outside, grateful as Shuri wrapped an arm around her, tucking her close as they walked to her car.

“I can’t believe it ended like that,” Riri said, yawning as she unhooked her keys from her pants, “That’s like the fiftieth series ending plot-twist they’ve pulled and they’re already filming the next one—“

Shuri peered down at her, a strange look on her face that Riri couldn’t pinpoint, “Can I ask you a question?”

“You just did,” Riri snorted, unlocking her car.

“Do you fantasize about me fucking you while wearing the Black Panther mask?” Shuri asked, casually. As if remarking on the weather or the traffic.

Riri choked on her candy, “-the fuck?” she sputtered, “Where did you even—No—no, I—“

She did not fantasize. She thought about it. Once. Or twice. And most of the time it wasn't even about the mask, it was about the claws. Nothing too wild, goddamn it.

“The other way around then?”

Riri removed their arm, swinging open the door to the driver's seat as she flipped them off.

Shuri slid into the passengers seat, shit-eating grin taking up far too much space, “You’re embarrassed,” she commented, only becoming more smug at Riri’s stone-faced silence, “I was right then,” she continued, pulling her seat belt on, “Then again, I’m always right-“

This—ugh.

“—You,” Riri’s jaw was screwed up tight as she started the car, throwing an arm around the back of their seat as she pulled out of the parking spot, “Are insufferable,” she said through gritted teeth.

Shuri threw their head back and laughed. . . .

XxprettyprincessxX: [Screenshot of a Tweet. ID: An blurry picture of Shuri from the back, carefully cropped.Above the attached image, the poster commented a series of purple and gold hearts. END ID.]

XxprettyprincessxX: Is anybody gonna say it?

. . .

Riri did a double take, turning her brightness down immediately as she scanned the messages and then went to investigate the thread.

Sne opened that god-forsaken, ugly-ass app, annoyance only rising as she read the replies.

At the noise, Shuri lifted their head up, still crouched on the floor fussing over their piles of carefully sorted legos. She listened idly to her girlfriend's string of curses before shrugging it off.

. . .

shuris_right_ear_lobe: wait Wait WAIT wifey spotting???

shuris_left _ear_lobe: Okay, ouch.

shuris_right_ear_lobe: Are you not drawing Shuri rn babe???

shuris_left _ear_lobe: Fair

bubbleassbish: wha

bubbleassbish: oh wow not the stalker pics

bubbleassbish: still fine tho

XxprettyprincessxX: Apparently OP works at a theatre and spotted her

bubbleassbish: me when i wanna lose my job

Shuris_right_ear_lobe: OP could've just asked for a picture tbh. but i doubt she'd be allowed to post since wakanda never lets us see her nowadays

shuris_left _ear_lobe: Wakanda needs be more worried about protecting whoever she’s dating.

bubbleassbish: tf u mean dating?????

shuris_left _ear_lobe: Y’all ain’t read the thread?

shuris_right_ear_lobe: “she got a fresh braids AND is wearing ugly ass sweats?? that is a taken woman y’all” tf kind of sleuthing is this

bubbleassbish: bitches can’t be comfortable nowadays?

XxprettyprincessxX: idk they do have a point...Shuri stays in her lil matching athleisure sets. We've never seen her in sweats fr until now.

bubbleassbish: damn they figured out she was wearing an MIT sweatshirt from that blurry ass pic???

bubbleassbish: they’re harassing op to confirm if she was with someone

. . .

Riri let out a long, drawn out groan rolling over to grab her laptop and sitting up, blankets pooling around her hips.

Only then did Shuri’s head pop back u. She cranned her neck to see the screen, “What’s wrong?”

Riri absentmindedly pushed them away by their nose, “Client’s bitching about his paper,” which— not entirely a lie. A notification from one of her repeat offenders popped up the second she signed in.

Shuri’s nose curled at that, “You work so hard to struggle in this lifetime,” she muttered, propping up her arms as she rested her chin on the bed, watching them type away, “Surely there are richer, quieter white boys to entertain,”

“Ugh, don’t say it like that,” Riri gagged at the thought.

“You could let me talk to them, I’ll be nice,” Shuri offered, a twinkle in her eyes, “Or better yet, let me pay off a bill or two. “

“What? No—“ Riri refused to endure any more sugar-baby jokes from her sister.

“It can be a small bill?” Shuri teased, forehead pressing into her thigh.

“Not until we’re married—“ Riri said, offhandedly, then immediately realized, “Wait-”

“Spring or Summer?”

“I-“ Riri’s brain was a kind of fried, split between the shit storm on her lap-top, her girlfriend's big brown eyes, and the realization that Shuri would want that level of commitment.

It made sense. They weren’t exactly casual in any way. But, hearing confirmation of it was—

At the prolonged silence, those previously mentioned big brown eyes genuinely asked, “Do you not want to get married?”

Riri swallowed the intense swelling of disgusting feelings, hand reaching out and cupping the back of their head, “After I get my Doctorates,” she promised.

Shuri’s eyes closed, content as Riri scratched the shaved sides of her scalp lightly. The sounds of typing resumed, albeit a bit slower than before.

. . .

bubbleassbish:shit the post got nuked

XxprettyprincessxX: OP’s entire account? It's gone???

shuris_right_ear_lobe: anyone else's app bugging??? I can’t even log in no more???

biblicallyaccuratedoris:oh wow that’s wild

. . .

Warm light caught the soft curve of Shuri’s shoulders as she against the kitchen counter, sending the camera a smile.

“Good morning everyone!” Shuri greeted, watching the live chat fly by, “Contrary to popular belief, I have not transitioned—“

LIVE CHAT ^

babbyBuns02: God give me one chance

funnylookinsteve: wdym u just woke up???skin tut plz

jessmarie22: <333

Puffitpolly: BABE WEVE MISSED YOU

. . .

shuris_right_ear_lobe: OMG SHEES BACCCK

XxprettyprincessxX:Holy Shit She's Glowing

bubbleassbish: making bread at the top of the morning is so random lol

. . .

Shuri kneaded the dough, squinting as she read and answered the comments, politely skipping over the more…questionable ones.

beetleez: Do you have a favorite recipe to make?

“To be honest, I haven’t baked before today, so I don’t have a favorite yet. I was feeling motivated and wanted to give it a try while I had time,” she accidentally smeared flour on her cheek as she puzzled over the recipe scribbled on a post-it note, “It’s not any different from chemistry so it cannot be too difficult...”

raggedy_kam:are u ever going to release your skin care routine???

“Routine? I was born perfect, I don’t need any of that,” Shuri snickered to herself quite amused, before honestly listing off her routine.

GracieLynn03: Did you really get that account taken down for posting those pictures of you at the theater ?

Shuri’s eyebrows furrowed as she wiped off her hands, squinting at the phone, “What pictures…?” she trailed off, eyes drifting from the camera and intensely following something off-screen.

Dishes clinked in the kitchen, a coffee machine starting up in the background.

“Uh- I’m unaware of any pictures that were posted, but all media concerning my image is strictly monitored—“ Shuri explained with great difficulty, “But I…”, her head tilted a bit before caught herself. She blinked hard, clearing her throat.

. . .

LIVE CHAT ^

shuris_left_earlobe: Oh?

ohOhOhriley: she can’t even hide it

lovelyamy: It feels like we’re intruding lmao

udakus_secretlovechild: shuri: im not seeing anyone, also shuri:

biancabites: I CAN BE A THIRD PLZZZ

. . .

Shuri continued to answer questions, skipping over the ones asking for more details about her partner. Every-so-often her eyes would flicker past the camera, making it clear to anyone someone else was still in the room.

Shuri held the covered bowl up, victorious, “Now to let this rise. I’ll be back in a minute,” she said, stepping out of frame.

The fridge opened then closed.

Water was running.

Dishware clinked.

Shuri stepped back into frame, now wearing glasses and most notably—lip gloss. The shine smeared across her lips and glittered on her cheeks.

The chat lost its mind.

. . .

shuris_left_earlobe: Damn she really talked us through a bread recipe

shuris_right_earlobe: https//: www. UTube.com/watch? vfhb// Nerdy stud hot n heavy bread baking asmr 5hr loop. /fakeasslink

bubbleassbish: fuck it imma redownload jamb

bibblically accuratedoris: what girl no

xXprettyprincessxX: Put The Dating Apps Awaayyyyy

. . .

Riri’s mouth was hot, slanting against hers tasting sweet of ice cream, the lingering smell of alcohol following close behind.

Feet sinking into burning sand, Shuri’s hips pressed closer, chair creaking in protest. Riri loosely held Shuri in her lap, thumbs hooked into her waistband.

Shuri was eager to make much more pleasant memories on a beach.

Hearing a faint crash, Riri reluctantly pulled away. Breathing hard, eyes fixated on Shuri’s lips, she managed to ask, “What was that—?”

Shuri didn’t let her get far, answering half-heartedly between drawn out kisses, “A bird--", she held their chin, firm, air tasting of sweat and salt, “A plane,” noses pressed close, a sweet mouth making even sweeter noises, “Who cares—“

Riri lost interest in the noise soon after.

If a bird was 30lbs a vibranium infused staff impaling a drone, Shuri wasn’t far off. She had noticed the drone’s approach 10 minutes ago. She’s surprised that they even let it get that close.

Shuri was borrowing a beach house from a friend of a friend, stealing Riri away once she was on spring-break. The house had easy access to the public beach, but was sheltered by a sturdy fence and local fauna. Combined with the added surveillance of the perimeter, it was private enough for them to fool around outside in peace.

Shuri’s hands fiddled with the ties of Riri’s bikini-top.

Riri had lost her other swim-tops, so she had settled for something her sister bought her a while ago as a joke. She’d been fidgeting with the tiny thing the minute she put it on.

Personally, Shuri didn’t bother— opting to be topless. Though she could see the charm of coaxing a bikini off her girlfriend.

The bikini-ties went slack. Shuri easily pulled it away and tossed it onto another chair.

“Satisfied?” Riri asked, glancing around. She couldn’t help, but feel a bit self-conscious.

Shuri’s eyes raked over the sight, memorizing the the already forming tan lines and new freckles dotting her skin, “Yes…” she said, “Now we match,”

Riri shivered as Shuri's hands absentmindedly wandered, brushing the underside of her boobs, following a trail of sweat up her sternum as they were lost in thought.

“Did you want the rest off too?” Riri asked. She had no idea what they had planned at this point.

Shuri hummed, glancing down at Riri’s obnoxiously colored, transformer print swim-trunks—those weren’t a joke, “No, I think they’re cute,” she said, reaching down to rummage through the beach bag, pulling out sunscreen, “You pull this look off well.”

Riri’s eyebrow, skeptical, “Topless and wearing transformer trunks?”

Shuri’s taste never failed to confuse them.

“Topless, wearing transformer shorts, and underneath me,” Shuri corrected, squirting sunscreen into her hand and snapping the bottle close.

“Ah,” Riri closed her eyes briefly as they applied the sun-screen, “The possessive streak strikes again.”

Shuri flicked their nipple, “I’m not possessive,”

Riri shooed the offending hand away, “What about the guy at the slushie stand?”

“What about him?” Shuri replied quickly with a neutral expression, dropping the sunscreen back into the bag and slinging her arms across Riri’s shoulders.

Riri wasn’t fooled.

“It looked like you broke his arm,” Riri said. She caught the slight twitch of their mouth fighting a smile.

“I didn’t,” Shuri admitted easily, “But if I did, it was deserved.”

Riri…couldn’t exactly dispute that.

The image of her girlfriend so easily ‘escorting’ a man three times her size away was impressive. She often forgot how strong Shuri actually was now since she was always so gentle. Would it fee-

She must’ve missed whatever Shuri said next because they narrowed their eyes. Shuri's arms tightened as she settled her full weight against Riri's chest, hot skin on skin, “You’re getting stuck in your head again,” she complained, “I’m right here.”

“I can see that—”

“Can you?” Shuri questioned, lowly, ”I know you are shy, but if you want something you should try asking for it,”

Riri frowned a bit, “…I’m not shy,”

“What are you thinking about then?” Shuri immediately challenged, at their silence she sighed, “I’m not going to judge you.”

Riri looked at them, unimpressed, “But you’ll laugh.”

“I might laugh,” Shuri admitted softly, “It's hard not to. You are very attractive and witty, so I get nervous, but I’m not judging you,” she repeated.

“I...make you feel nervous?”

It was hard to wrap her head around that. Even though Riri asked her out first, Shuri never hesitated at any other stage of their relationship.

Another thought occurred to her, a realization that was relatively obvious, but slipped past her so easily before. Maybe Shuri’s nerves didn’t make her hesitate at all? Maybe it—

Shuri somehow, someway pressed closer, “All the time,” she said, “Sometimes It’s embarrassing how needy I get, but I can’t help it,”, she says quietly, “If I didn’t take this break, I’d be losing my mind trying to focus.”

And that was the root of it wasn’t it? Embarrassment. An overwhelming need for so much. Those little wants building and building under the surface, hidden away. You don't ask lest you get confirmation that you’re too much, that you’ve miscalculated their love and yours and now you’re left with a heart too big for your chest.

They were a strange pair. A strangely similar pair. Working alone more often than not, but are they truly solitary in nature at this point? The longer they knew each other, the more natural it was to drift closer into each other's orbits. It left Riri with the stark awareness that she could look out into that big, scary world and its endless possibilities and know for certain that Shuri would be able to look right back at her.

That she could be seen, discovered, and picked apart.

“I…” Riri's eyebrows knitted, “I don’t know why it’s so hard to talk about sometines. I— It doesn’t make any-- ”

It was almost comically. Here she was, half naked on a beach, still tounge-tied about admitting what got her horny. And to be honest, it'd be so much easier if it was only about sex, but it wasn't. This feeling--this shame wasn't about what she was feeling, but rather who the feelings were towards. As if she was asking for far too much, like her grubby hands were ruining someone perfe-

“Ri, talk to me,” Shuri's voice dragged her back to reality, “Not whatever cooler, hotter version you’ve concocted in your head. I’m your girlfriend and I don’t want to share,” she grumbled, annoyance seeping through. Of course she’d find a way to be jealous of herself.

“…Sometimes it feels like I love you too much,” Riri managed to admit, surprising even herself, “Like I love you…more,” she winced as she continued to speak—words barely keeping up with the vomit of thoughts rushing to be heard.

It was so silly. Shuri had been wrapped around her every chance she got—this month was more then enough proof of that.

But that wasn’t everyday.

A lot of the time it was long messages, missed calls, and seeing her girlfriend everywhere—the news, social media, videos, but never at her side. Shuri was always needed, always wanted—it was hard for Riri to imagine the same being said about herself. Maybe the distance was harder then she thought. Maybe she was too greedy for her own good.

But that wasn’t fair to Shuri at all.

The world had so many opinions about her—so much love and hate, but only Riri got to see this version of her. This dork was her cooler and hotter version and it’s clear that Riri was so stuck in her head that she’d forgotten what was right in front of her. That someone was right there, waiting and wanting to understand.

They had long since migrated back inside, showering and bundling up in the cool dark of the guest room.

Shuri listened to her carefully, breath soft, a constant reminder keeping Riri firmly on the ground.

“Is it because you’ve liked me longer?” Shuri asked, rubbing circles into Riri's spine. She had been spit balling ideas for the past few minutes, trying to narrow down where this might've started.

“What..?” Riri asked, blinking back sleep as she processed the question. She was tucked under Shuri’s chin, hand wandering somewhere up their shirt.

“Y’know, the fan groups you're in?” Shuri explained, “You’ve followed me for awhile, that’s bound to influence our relationship.”

“You know about those…?” Riri looked up, mortified.

“I know about everything,” Shuri automatically replied, before truthfully adding, “You fell asleep while studying and your phone kept going off. I went to silence it and saw the notifications and... kind of put it together. You've never changed your socials so I recognized the account name from my notifications. ”

“…Did you read any of the messages?”

Shuri chuckled, pulling her closer by her hips, “Can I?”

“-No.”

Contrary to popular belief, they didn’t talk about Shuri all the time. At least nowadays they didn’t since Shuri was technically on a media break.

Regardless, Riri had to protect the integrity of the group chat.

Shuri sighed wistfully, “It’s not fair you get all the fun,” she complained, “The elders refuses to listen to me talk about how great you are—”

“And how often is that-?”

“Only when it’s relevant to the conversation,” Shuri promised.

Riri highly doubted that, but she knows Shuri would derail any meeting that could’ve been a written memo.

“Then again, there has been growing interest in Iron heart from Wakandans,” Shuri said, thinking out loud, “I’m sure a similar group already exists for you.”

It took a minute for Riri to process what Shuri had said—

“Wait what…?”

-

“Are you even watching the game?” Riri questioned. She hobbled to the couch swaddled in blankets as she sipped a nightmarish concoction of red mt. dew, red-bull, and coffee from that morning.

Shuri tossed another piece of popcorn in the air, opening her mouth only for it to hit her cheek and bounce onto the couch.

Riri snorted, sitting on the other side of the couch as she watched them try and fail again.

Officially at their limit, Shuri pushed the bowl of popcorn towards her, head falling back on the armrest.

“Don’t be a baby,” Riri scolded, tossing a piece of popcorn in the air and catching it easily in her mouth, “See, easy,” she said, word’s muffled as she shoved more popcorn in her face.

Shuri waved her off, “I’ve seen you shoot a villain's hat off from the top of Stark Tower without A.I assistance-“

“What? Like it’s hard?”

Two dark eyes squinted at her, “Must you torment me.”

“It’s kind of my job, yeah” Riri said, kicking her feet up into Shuri’s lap. She pulled a deck of cards out of her sports bra, with a twinkle in her eyes, “Wanna play a few rounds?”

Shuri sat up with faint interest as she watched them absent-mindedly shuffle the cards. Knowing her girlfriend well, she raised an eyebrow, “For?”

Riri smiled.

Shuri didn’t stand a chance.

A few hours later, Riri had crawled across the couch, kissing Shuri’s temple, “A deals a deal, babe,” she said.

“I’ve been swindled,” Shuri grumbled, accepting another kiss on her cheek, “Robbed even," she sent them a side-long glance, patiently waiting for another kiss.

Riri fought back a laugh, wrapping her arms around them, breath tickling their ear, lips skimming down the curve of their neck before blowing a raspberry against their skin.

Shuri yelped, tightening her grip around Riri’s waist and pulling her under in retaliation. Cackling, Riri scrambled to escape but she only sunk further into the couch instead, hands held at either side of her head firmly against the arm-rest.

Shuri leaned over her, relaxed, knee easing between her legs, “You think you’re so funny...”

“I know I am,” Riri said, trying to catch her breath. Curious, she attempted to lift her arms again, but couldn’t budge them at all.

It wasn’t Shuri's full strength but she could work with this.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Shuri asked, watching them attentively, not quite loosening her grip yet.

Riri exhaled, a shiver of anxiety trailing behind as she spoke.

. . .

biblicallyaccuratedorris: https://nstar/shuri_udakuoffical. com/?js/userstory

shuris_right_earlobe: OH?? MY???

shuri’s_left_earlobe: “I lost a bet to my gf, you’re welcome” THANK YOU SHURI’S GF

XxprettyprincessxX: Whew I gotta go lay down

bubbleassbish:this was in fact on my bingo card for this year

. . .

Riri flipped through the photocards appreciatively.

Shuri picked up the physical copies earlier so Riri had spread them out across her bed to admire while they finished packing. It distracted her from her usual moodiness about Shuri's departures, which she suspected was deliberate on their part.

Riri traced the glossy surface of the pictures, trying to decide on a favorite. Smudged lipstick looks good on Shuri no matter where she wore. But, she was fond of the office attire…Then again, there were the ones she had taken for her private collection, so it was difficult to choose a favorite.

Shuri watched them seriously deliberate over their winnings as she continued to fold clothes. She didn’t bother to hide the fact that she was stealing Riri’s hoodie again, sliding it into the bag as she asked, “Are you satisfied?”

“Very,” Riri looked up with a small grin, “You should lose more often,” she said, tucking the photocard of Shuri in cat ears into the back of her clear phone case.

Best part about posting the pictures-- She could carry them around without too many questions. Most of the people in the engineering department had a crush on Shuri professionally or otherwise, so it wouldn’t be odd. Shuri was more than willing to go public with her, but Riri didn’t need all of that attention right now. She had a semi-legal business to run in peace.

“When you visit you’ll have to play our games, so don’t count on it,” Shuri shot back, nose in the air, “I’m thinking…bunny ears.”

A pillow hit Shuri’s face unceremoniously.

Riri raised another pillow, aiming true, “Well, think harder cause you’re on-”

[amethystfairy1]

Cub and the Wardens lore mayhaps? 👀 The Deep Dark... what's going on there?

WARDEN LORE

Ok lets see...

The Deep Dark is a series of tunnels beneath the Depths *I know, creative*

The Depths are the 'floor' of the main cavern, these tunnels run beneath it and are full of skulky fauna and stuff that has tumbled down their over the years from up above. It's an area of the under-city that is very much disconnected from the rest of under-city society. Even more so than the blaze-born Pyres, who are pretty anti-social in their own right. It's dark down there. Like...nearly pitch black. Sometimes inhabitants of the Deep Dark can go months without seeing any sort of light. That suits them though. It's an area populated by under-city folk who can't handle the noise of the main cavern, you can find some of the Bat Hybrid covens and some Phantom Mutants though they don't all live down there.

Of course, the most (in)famous group living down there are the Warden Mutants. They're solitary by nature, they typically live in small nuclear families if they even bother to have families at all, and they don't have particularly strong inter-personal ties as a subspecies like, say, the Cat and Dog clans. They're still people of course, with all the benefits and flaws, but they also take their peace and quiet very seriously. It gets violent quickly in the Deep Dark. Since it's an area beyond labs influence even more so than the Depths, which are now more or less managed by Ethos gang, a lot of organized crime has moved down there.

Warden Mutants are incredibly strong, and their subspecies glamor traits, the sonic shrieks paired with their ability to expand their sensory range through skulky fauna, mean that they rule the Deep Dark. They're dangerous, and they know it. So a lot of them get involved in organized crime to protect their territory and keep things quiet and dark as they like it.

This is where Cub grew up.

He was another gutter rat, never knew his parents or any sort of family, scrounged around to survive. When the Anarchy happened he was eleven, and a lot of broken tech and stuff from the labs was cast into the Depths and some of it ended up in the Deep Dark. He started tinkering with it. After the Anarchy began to settle and the labs were reestablished as a force for good in the under-city, he heard through the skulk about a school being opened in the Depths. Cub was nearly fourteen and he'd never had any sort of formal education, but he still decided to go. It was the first time he'd ever left the Deep Dark.

Loud, loud, loud, loud, LOUD. And bright, stars, why was it so bright!?

But he realized through attending the new school in the Depths that was an outreach channel for gutter rats like him that he was actually pretty smart. From there, he went on to earn himself a scholarship through the acclimation program to go topside to go to college, he was one of the first kids who was sent up after the Anarchy in an attempt to reestablish these channels the labs ran that were kind of abandoned while everything was fixed up.

Once he got up there, even if it was way to loud and way to bright, Cub realized he never wanted to go back down into the dark again.

Of course, I plan to expand on all of this in fics later down the line, especially because Cub has become something of a favorite in this AU which was not on my bingo card, but hey, I love writing him in this context so I'd love to do more for him! 💖

[drdemonprince]

Im sure some of them have been way over a line but if you’re feeling petulant at vulnerable disabled people saying fuck yall to society imagine how we feel to see someone “reticent” to talk about covid issues because “people take it too far”. Sorry that’s probably not entirely fair I’m just so fuucking sick of it. Like of course their exceptions to masking. But don’t tell me how to speak after what I’ve been through. The paternalism makes me want to throw up

Yeah, I think a lot of people think this is about tone policing disabled people who are rightly outraged and despairing, and that's really not what it's about.

This is about the Joe Bidens and Lori Lightfoots of the world blaming covid spread on individuals behaving badly, while systematically dismantling the very social programs that would have made it possible for anyone to behave "well."

There are two conversations happening here that keep getting flattened because of context collapse on the internet. There is the conversation about which feelings disabled and high risk people are allowed to voice. there is no virtue in tone policing that. Disabled people need to express their hurt, hopelessness, and outrage, and no one can stop them from doing that. no one should stop them from doing that. It is not an act of shaming for them to say how they feel. it's important.

There is a separate, more tactical conversation to be had about which kinds of messaging are effective in altering behavior. This is the question for the public health researchers and the activists and the people planning outreach. We have to be able to talk about what works and what doesn't and why.

Just as disabled people who are despairing about COVID have the right to express their pain, disabled people also have a right to discuss how to best movement build and influence public behavior.

I am gonna talk about what the research shows about persuasion and why a lot of organizations are utterly fumbling in influencing people's COVID mitigation behaviors, and I do that because I care about those things changing. I have no interest in silencing my comrades who are experiencing deep grief and terror and outrage and wish to express that, and certainly no one will be silencing me. Even if listening to people who do find masking and social distancing hard and trying to meet them where they are at so that we can practice harm reduction does make you want to barf.

It's understandable you feel that way, and you don't have to do that kinda work. it's work I have the bandwidth for though as someone who also finds doing the "right" things hard here. no amount of people being mad about that is gonna change the fact that strict COVID mitigation adherence is difficult for me. if that fact becomes unspeakable, my behavior wont become perfect, it will just become more secretive.

a person can be angry at me for not being perfect and that's their right but it won't "fix" my behavior. it will just make me feel like a murderer for having pressing, life or death needs of my own. conversely, someone listening to me and caring about me and helping me meet my needs while also reducing my risks helps a whole ton. and so I try to extend that to others as best I can.

[sehtoast]

Tender Threads CH6 (Homelander x OC)

chapter six: mentorship

chapter directory | slow burn, hurt/comfort, fluff, spidersona as original character, original trans male character, smut, sublander

summary: time to learn the ropes, bug boy. hope you're ready. it's just one week with homelander, how bad can it be?

She hates me.  She fuckin’ hates me and there’s no two ways about it.

Why else would Stillwell do this to him?  A mentorship?  Mandatory training? Benjamin had half a mind to be irritated with Starlight for being the reason this was even a thing.  That mugging she stopped the other day– same one she got in trouble for?

Yeah…

Now Benjamin had to suffer for it.  Learn the ropes, Stillwell had said.  Learn to be a Vought hero.  One week with each member, sans Noir due to the more sensitive nature of his missions.

At least it goes reasonably fast. Most of it, anyway.

From Starlight, he learns to use his position and influence to uplift outreach programs and charities, along with applying his image for promotion to a wider audience.  Despite his annoyance with the whole ordeal, Benjamin finds that he doesn’t mind Starlight one bit.  In fact, the two of them got along splendidly, sharing their life stories from their silly small town upbringings and how different their lives had become.  By the end of the week, Ben freely keeps his mask off around her and hardly minds her knowing about his secret identity.  

A-Train was a bit of a jackass if Ben was being entirely honest, and he spent most of the week watching the speedster practicing his fraction-of-a-second laps or signing his image away to endorse yet another sports company.  With him, Benjamin began to connect the dots of which supe represented what facet of life as a Vought hero.  Starlight was charity; A-Train was product licensing.  By the end, though, A-Train had begun to grow on the bug.

The Deep managed to be the worst week by far.  Benjamin spent his time listening to the aquatic supe drone on and on about sea creatures.  Their feelings, what they said to him, what they said about Benjamin, which fish at the aquarium found the bug attractive– Jesus fucking Christ please save me– how beautiful the sea is, and just about any other mindless drivel that disphit could ramble on about.  With him, Ben learned about scripted saves.

Few, if any, rescues performed by The Seven were authentic.  Some, but certainly not all.  Real ones seemed to only occur on a right-place-right-time basis.

And absolutely none of The Deep’s saves were legitimate.  Together, they tackled a staged smuggling bust at the harbor, much to Ben’s embarrassment.

His week with Maeve was spent sparring and bonding over cocktails and martinis.  Wasn’t hard to find the connection between the note of alcoholism in her file and the way she drank.  Had Benjamin been trying to keep up, he’d have probably needed his stomach pumped.

To each their own.

Four weeks turned to five, which was the one Ben had been most petrified to reach.

A week with Homelander.

He’d been so anxious the night before that he barely slept at all.  Must have been when the sun was rising that he finally dozed off in the warmth of his fuzzy blankets and silky sheets, bare legs rubbing between the textures like some kind of snuggly cricket until sleep overtook him with a force.

He doesn’t even wake for his alarms.  The trickling of light through the curtains fails to rouse him.  Life is… fine.  His dreams are nothing, but sometimes that’s all they need to be.  Just simple, comfy nothingness, that’s all–

“Mmm, cozy little setup you’ve got here.”

Benjamin barely registers the words as his eyes blink open, vision bleary, just to shut them again.  The cool air wafting about with every rotation of the ceiling fan tickles his shoulders.  The bug gives a weak groan and stretches his legs, poking one out from beneath his knitted blanket to splay across the bed.  Instead of its usual plush resting place, it lands on something firm.

Did I leave something...?

Ben slides his leg over the intrusion, trying to get a feel for whatever it is.

“You could buy me dinner first, you know.”

Huh?

Ben sucks in a deep breath and lifts his head, blinking slowly until–

“The fuck!?”  He yelps, scrambling toward the edge and clutching a cover to his bare chest.

“About time, sleepyhead.”  Homelander says, grinning from ear to ear as he lays beside the bug as if there were nothing wrong with any of it.  “Please, what’s with that face?  I can’t be the worst thing you’ve ever woken up beside.”

“Wh– why– what–”  Ben sputters, brain too foggy to coherently tell him to fuck off, too startled to give him shit for such a brazen violation of his boundaries.

“You overslept.”  

“So you got in my bed?”  The bug asks exasperatedly, eyes wide in disbelief.  “D’you know what boundaries are or–”

“Do you know what an alarm clock is?”  Homelander quips, all too happy with himself.  “Just go get ready.  The more time you waste, the longer we both have to be out tonight and I don’t particularly don’t wanna drag this one into tomorrow and overlap the days.  I also like to sleep, you know.”

“I–”  Ben shuffles to move out of bed, but stops.  “Can you like… look the other way or something?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I’m like… very naked under here.”  Ben blurts.

Homelander looks at him, hums, then covers his eyes with his bare palm.  “Fine,” he says.  “Won’t look.  Scout’s honor.  Just go get ready.”

Benjamin will never know that Homelander cheated his way out of that little promise.  Didn’t count as peeking if he didn’t peek– which he didn’t. He did, however, peer through his hand to see the bug scurry away with a little knitted blanket wrapped around his body.  Not that the blanket could stop him from seeing anything anyway.

There isn’t much that he hasn’t seen at this rate.  He’s watched Benjamin shower, seen him get ready or undress after a long day, seen him peel the spandex suit from his body and slump into bed as naked as the day he came into the world.  Hell, he’s seen even more than that.  Not like there was much awareness on Benjamin’s part back when Homelander had caught sight of such performances, but all the same… 

The first sight of Benjamin’s bare body caught him off guard.  Along the lower ridge of his pectorals sat two long scars, each running from his sternum to just below the pits of his arms, light pink in color and not terribly jagged.  Seeing them up close before the bug woke had been exhilarating in its own right.  Even more so to peer through those covers and catch that special sight that always left him unwittingly licking and suckling at his lips.

Ever the curiosity, it seemed. 

Homelander chooses to remain in Benjamin’s bed while the bug hurtles through his morning routine.  While Ben showers, Homelander rolls and buries his nose in the ruffled sheets.  The warmth of them is… different.  He’s done this before, tons of times actually.  He’d plopped himself into Ben’s bed back at the bug’s old apartment and relaxed before heading back to the hustle and bustle of the tower, but basking in it?   Inhaling Ben’s fresh scent, committing it to memory, the lingering heat making it seem like the bug was right there–

He almost hates himself for feeding this fixation.

Almost.

Their first stop for the day is the set of Homelander’s current movie: Homelander Origins.   Just an ordinary introduction to the entertainment industry, right?

“Oh Jesus– oh fuck!!” 

Homelander has him by the arms, dangling him thousands of feet in the air, flying at a mach whatever-the-fuck.  Ben’s body streamlines horizontally, almost perfectly parallel to Homelander’s as they zip through the clouds.  The bug’s stomach is practically in his throat and he’d long since threatened to barf in his mask only to be told that such an occurrence was a personal problem.  Turns out, Benjamin hadn’t totally conquered his fear of heights.  Diving off the Empire State Building was one thing, but this? This was a whole ‘nother ball game– practically a form of fucking torture.

Only after he stops wailing like a big baby on his first roller coaster ride does Benjamin wonder how big the shit-eating grin on Homelander’s face must be.  He must be thrilled to be instilling such terror in the bug after being held up due to Ben’s inability to wake up on time.

Benjamin spends the bulk of the flight staring up at Homelander, finding, as predicted, a satisfied smile splitting his features from ear to ear.  Every so often he looks down and winks, blue eyes twinkling with excited mischief.

“Well, you know what they say.”  Homelander chirps as they begin their descent– slower, thankfully.  “First time flying is always the hardest.”

The bug all but kisses the ground.  “Concrete!  Oh, beautiful, beautiful concrete!”  

He can practically hear Homelander’s eyes roll.

Once the theatrics are wrapped up and Benjamin’s stomach ceases its acrobatics, the two make their way inside of the studio hangar. In truth, Ben never thought he’d be setting foot in a Vought set– ever, actually.  It’s intimidating.

Which, of course, turns him into a bit of a lost puppy.  He stays practically glued to Homelander’s heels, even when it’s time for the makeup chair.

The bug watches with fascination as Homelander gets his on-screen face applied and his windswept hair fixed up.  The makeup artist doesn’t look overly thrilled to be working on him, but his captain barely seems to care.  In fact, he keeps his eyes shut, almost as if he refuses to look in the mirror at himself.  It was only when he would gaze in Ben’s direction to say anything that he bothered opening them at all.

The next half hour is spent rehearsing his lines, and Ben is far from a stellar actor.  Homelander complains more than half of the time that the bug’s line delivery is subpar, that there was no way for him to get his head in the right space because of his pathetically unconvincing delivery, that there was a snowball’s chance in hell that the bug could ever actually swing his own movies– any number of jabs.

Ben simply laughs it off.  “You plucked me off the streets, y’know.”

“And?  What, you can’t read lines like a normal person?”

“Apparently not, Mister Shakespeare.” Ben giggles.  He’s got his mask off while they’re alone in the dressing room, which somehow feels less vulnerable than usual.  Perhaps knowing that Homelander’s been looking through it the whole time has desensitized the bug to the idea of it, or maybe it was the fact that he’s been literally face to face with him so many times now whether by having it yanked off his head or just simply not having it on to begin with.

Homelander just shakes his head, drops his script on the table, and motions for Ben to follow.

Watching him perform his scenes is a whole different kind of beast.  All that talk about being in the right headspace seemed like just a load of hot air.

Homelander is flawless.  Line delivery perfect, body language spot on, expressions perfectly emotive… truly the whole package of an incredibly talented actor.  Ben watches, almost totally mystified until the director’s insistence to have multiple takes of the same scenes gets boring enough to warrant fiddling with his phone instead.

Beyond his own antics, the only other thing left to entertain him was Homelander’s half-hearted little tour guides around the set between breaks.  So you know what to expect when it’s your turn, bug boy, he’d said.  Homelander’s oddly patient throughout, showing little if any irritation when Ben asks objectively stupid questions or wants to swing by the snack table.  Though he does give some commentary.

“Careful,” he chides.  “You do wear a spandex suit.”

“Mhm,” Ben hums in return, chewing on sliced bell pepper.  “It’s vegetables, dude.”  But that’s exactly the kind of shallow commentary the bug had figured he’d be walking into after joining.  Hell, Vought tried to stick him with a meal plan for exactly the same thing Homelander just said.  High protein, low sugar, low carbs…

Yeah fuckin’ right.

They kick back again for a while in the dressing room to chat.  

“So how’d you even end up joining The Seven anyway?”  He asks, red webbed feet kicked up on the table in front of the couch.  This was overdue.  If Homelander was going to be metaphorically up his ass, breaking into his home, monitoring his performance, showing him the ropes, and whatever else ol' stars and stripes may cook up, then Ben was going to at least try to bond with him.  If he was stuck with the guy for the rest of however-the-fuck-long that contract was, then it only made sense to make the process less painful.

A flicker of… something flashes across Homelander’s face. “Oh, you know… Knew a guy who knew a guy.  Saw me in my little league games, threw me an offer right out of school.”

“Huh,” Ben purses his lips.  “Sounds like a blast.”

“Doesn’t sound like you mean that,” Homelander says.

“Well… You’re not wrong.”

Homelander’s lip twitches and that same little break in composure sweeps his features once more, disappearing just as fast as it came.

“Sorry,” Ben says with a tight lipped smile.  “I just… I dunno, actually.”  He huffs a small laugh.  “Y'did better than me, at least.  I was waiting tables right out of school.  Hey, what was school like for you, anyway?”

A tense moment passes, though Homelander’s irate energy seems to dim.

“Why do you care?”  Not a question terribly like him, being Mister Center-of-The-Universe and all.  He’s never asked anything like that before when Ben has inquired about him– granted that’s only been a small handful of times, but... "I'm not here to play fucking Twenty Questions with you."

Ah, yeah... Hit a nerve. 

Which means there's far more than what meets the eye to that picture-perfect story Vought's flung around on every screen and print medium that'd run it.

“I just–” think, Ben.  Think.  He worries his lower lip between his teeth for a second, anxiety bubbling.  If he lies, Homelander will know.  He’d already seen that super power earlier with an assistant who lied about why they were late.  Honesty was the best policy… “It’s– I just–”

Homelander arches a brow.

Ben lets loose a heavy sigh, letting as much tension free as possible.

“Everything I can find about you online is like, too pristine.”  Perhaps not the best way to say it, but at least it was mostly the truth.  Online really meant in Vought’s files, but Homelander didn’t need to know that.  At least not yet.  “Everyone else– ‘cept Noir, I guess– has like any number of rough spots in their life, and Vought fuckin’ loves to milk ‘em for sob stories.  I mean, just look at A-Train’s struggle movies.  Half that shit is blown out of proportion.  And I know 'cuz I asked him during my week with him.”  Benjamin leans back against the couch.  "I just... I don't believe the bits they put out about you guys, y'know?  S'just money to them.  So... yeah.  I wanna ask.  Maybe get to know you now that you're my boss and all."

“Is it so bad that I’ve had a perfect life?”  Homelander counters, almost too nonchalantly. That flicker returns, betraying him.

“No, just–”

“Does it make you jealous?”

He’s getting defensive…

“Look, man.  I’m sorry.”  Ben raises his hands, sitting forward.  Best to end it before Homelander gets pissed off. “M’just curious about you is all.”

Homelander stares him down for a moment, blue eyes boring into browns that couldn’t quite hold his gaze for more than a flash.  An all too forced smile cuts into Homelander’s face, though the intensity of his gaze fails to falter.

“No worries, bug boy.”

And, just like that, he’s standing to head out for his next scene.

Huh..?

The flight home was much less horrifying than the first time around.  Perhaps Homelander just lacked the energy to torture Benjamin more, as evidenced by his nearly child-like ‘fucking finally,’ groaned once the director announced the day was over.  

This time around, Homelander lets Ben hang on with his arms wrapped around his neck and one of his own around the bug’s waist. The proximity was a little awkward at first, but Benjamin eventually got used to it.  It’s all still pretty terrifying despite the fact Homelander even flies slower.

Benjamin embeds the setae of his fingerpads into Homelander’s suit just to be safe.

He didn’t bother to wear his mask, either.  Once they were in the air, there was no point.  Who would see them?  What phone camera could possibly catch them at such a height?  Besides, the cool air helps too.  Ben’s exhausted in his own right, and the battering of wind against his head helps keep him from dozing off, though he does eventually find it in himself to nuzzle his face against Homelander’s neck to spare his face from the whipping wind, although he does so quite timidly.

It’s odd all around.  Trusting the man who threatened to murk his parents to not drop him.  Burying his face in the neck of the man who stalked him for weeks on end.  Finding it… not totally awful?

Yeah, maybe that was the worst part.  If that somehow meant Homelander was growing on him, well...

Ben always was bad at keeping his nose out of trouble.  And right now, it is very much buried in trouble- literally and figuratively.

Homelander has to shuffle him away from the creeping tendrils of sleep threatening to overtake him.

“Huh…?  Oh.”

Home.

At least, as much of a home as it can be.  They’re hovering outside the exterior access panel to Ben’s tower apartment.  Homelander even brought him close to the wall…

“Thanks, I…” Ben turns his head to yawn, giving a few slow blinks.  “Mm…”

“Get in there before you fall asleep on the wall,” Homelander orders.  The smile is all too obvious in his tone even if Benjamin doesn't quite catch it in time.

The bug gives a weak laugh huffed through his nose.  “Right, right.  G’night, Homie…”  He doesn’t turn around to see if that half-cocked nickname won him a look of confusion, a smile, or potentially even ire.

Benjamin doesn't even bother trying to snack on something before bed.  He simply shuffles to his room, peeling the suit away with every step and kicking it to the floor before flopping into bed and burrowing under his blankets.  He stares at the other side for a while, finding sleep elusive despite how beat he is.

“Can’t believe he got in my bed,” Ben thinks aloud.  He runs a hand over the top of the covers where Homelander would’ve laid.  

Wonder what shenanigans he has planned for tomorrow…

[reyaint]

social dynamics of HAIQIN

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date: november 11, 2024

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The Social Dynamics of Haiqin

Class System

Haiqin’s class system is complex, allowing for social mobility but still deeply influenced by wealth, education, and historical family status.

Hierarchy and Social Mobility:

The system is influenced by meritocracy, meaning individuals have the potential to move up in social standing through personal achievement, education, and contributions to society. The wealthy elite, including aristocratic families and affluent merchants, maintain their positions primarily through inherited wealth and long standing societal roles. However, individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds can ascend by excelling in areas like entrepreneurship, education, or through significant societal contributions, such as breakthroughs in science, technology, or social welfare.

Class Treatment:

The wealthier class has better access to resources such as advanced healthcare, elite educational institutions, and luxury goods, which further consolidate their wealth and social status. This creates an often rigid division between them and the poorer segments of society. In contrast, poorer citizens, especially those in rural or underdeveloped areas, face greater barriers in terms of access to basic services and opportunities. However, the government’s policies on universal education, healthcare, and anti-poverty measures attempt to level the playing field and provide avenues for upward mobility.

Urban vs. Rural:

While Haiqin's larger urban centers provide ample opportunity, rural areas remain underdeveloped, with limited access to technology and education. The government’s attempts to bridge this gap by promoting rural education, infrastructure development, and encouraging migration to cities for better opportunities have led to more equal opportunities for some. However, these measures often fall short due to regional disparities in governance, leading to challenges in truly achieving equality.

Obviously, I scripted out poverty. but this is more so for lore I guess lol. I also scripted out homophobia, racism, etc. I feel like that's a given anyway.

Race & Ethnicity

Haiqin is known for its rich ethnic diversity, the result of centuries of migration, cultural exchange, and intermarriage. This diversity is embraced and celebrated, with public events and national holidays acknowledging the various cultures within the country.

Ethnic Composition and Integration:

The primary ethnic group in Haiqin is the Haiqinese, but the country also boasts a variety of ethnic minorities that have contributed to the fabric of society. The government fosters a multicultural identity, celebrating diversity through cultural festivals, language preservation programs, and community outreach. Intermarriage between different ethnic groups is common, contributing to a blending of cultures. While tensions between some ethnic groups can arise in specific areas, these are often mitigated through government policies aimed at promoting inclusivity.

Government Initiatives:

The government plays an active role in combating ethnic discrimination, ensuring that policies are inclusive and that minority groups are represented in key societal positions. Policies are also designed to provide equal access to resources like healthcare and education, attempting to reduce the historical inequalities faced by minority groups.

Ethnic Celebrations and Cultural Events:

Cultural and religious diversity is celebrated through national holidays, parades, and exhibitions, fostering a sense of shared identity. Different communities, from the Haiqinese to minority groups, have their own festivals and holidays that are recognized and celebrated throughout the year, contributing to a vibrant, inclusive society.

Gender Roles

Haiqin is progressive when it comes to gender roles, promoting equality and inclusivity across all sectors of society. Gender equality is seen as an integral part of the nation’s modern identity.

Gender Equality in Work and Politics:

Men and women have the same opportunities to pursue careers in traditionally male-dominated fields such as the military, government, and business. While certain jobs may historically have had gender-specific roles (e.g., women in caregiving roles and men in physical labor), these lines are increasingly blurred as social norms evolve. Non-binary individuals are recognized and often hold visible positions in public life, especially in artistic, political, and social spheres.

Cultural Gender Norms:

Despite official equality, cultural and familial expectations still influence gender roles in specific areas. For instance, women may face pressure to marry and start families at certain ages, though this is becoming less prominent with the rise of women’s autonomy in the workplace and education. Similarly, while men are encouraged to pursue leadership roles, the expectations placed on them can sometimes limit their ability to express vulnerability or emotional needs.

Rituals and Celebrations:

Gender-specific rituals are still practiced, particularly in rural or traditional communities. These often celebrate the milestones of different genders (e.g., coming-of-age ceremonies), but with an increasing focus on inclusivity, many rituals now honor multiple gender identities. Cultural festivals, such as the Day of Freedom, often highlight the contributions of different genders to society, reflecting a growing recognition of gender diversity in all public spheres.

Sexuality

The approach to sexuality in Haiqin is becoming increasingly open, progressive, and inclusive, with the government and society at large supporting LGBTQ+ rights and visibility.

General Attitudes:

Attitudes toward sexuality have evolved significantly over the last few decades. The majority of the population now supports LGBTQ+ rights, with public awareness campaigns, education programs, and legal reforms advocating for equality. There is widespread acceptance of LGBTQ+ relationships, especially in urban areas where young people are more likely to be open-minded. This shift is partly driven by the younger generations, who are more willing to challenge traditional norms and fight for social justice.

LGBTQ+ Representation and Rights:

In recent years, the visibility of LGBTQ+ individuals in media, politics, and the arts has increased. Pride parades and other LGBTQ+ celebrations are becoming a regular part of the cultural calendar. Laws have been passed to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination in the workplace, in education, and in healthcare. Adoption rights for same-sex couples have also been extended in several parts of the country, further advancing the acceptance of diverse sexual orientations.

Cultural Representation:

LGBTQ+ relationships are increasingly depicted in the nation’s literature, film, and art. Cultural productions reflect the evolving social attitudes towards sexuality, and LGBTQ+ artists and writers are more likely to be celebrated for their work. This representation has helped further normalize diverse sexual identities, contributing to broader societal acceptance.

Societal Issues and Advocacy

While Haiqin is progressive, societal challenges remain. Advocacy groups for various causes—such as gender equality, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ rights—continue to push for reforms to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their identity, have equal opportunities and rights. These organizations are vital in shaping public discourse and raising awareness of ongoing issues, such as:

Economic Disparities:

Despite efforts to provide equitable access to resources, the gap between the rich and poor remains significant. Advocacy for economic justice continues to address issues like poverty, access to education, and healthcare.

Again, scripted out poverty. But then again, there will still be a difference between middle class and the wealthy, just everyone won't have to worry about money, or the risk of being poor, etc

Environmental Justice:

With Haiqin’s commitment to sustainability, environmental groups advocate for more stringent laws to combat pollution, protect wildlife, and ensure responsible resource management. As the nation modernizes, there is a constant balancing act between industrial development and environmental preservation.

Mental Health Awareness:

Mental health is gaining traction in Haiqin, with more public discussions about the importance of mental well-being and the need for accessible mental health services. Traditional stigma is being challenged, but advocacy for mental health care is still developing.

[yikes-kachowski]

Hey Yikes! I hope you're doing well!

What's the world like by the time Sakari ascends to the throne?

Hello friend! This is long and detailed so, settle in, get some water, maybe a snack. I consulted my esteemed colleague and co-writer/lore master to make the most comprehensive post possible since I've got a lot of ideas. If you have any further questions you can ask either of us :)

Here goes:

They are primarily working through economic and parliamentary reform. While they’ve been slowly liberalizing and democratizing, officially getting a parliament eight years after the war, the Fire Nation under Fire Lord Zuko is still fundamentally an autocracy (Zuko will later be known as an ‘enlightened despot’ by future historians, as will King Kuei), a Parliament works to delegate certain tasks to, and field research. All laws and reforms are still ultimately up to the Fire Lord, though Zuko has been putting in place laws that have been slowly decreasing monarchic power and influence in the Fire Nation.

The Parliament (and other official positions) are appointed through an examination process, which is completely free, and open to anyone in the country who chooses to try it. The examinees are numbered, so there can be no bias when grading, or when they are brought to officials to be appointed into whatever roles they may qualify for. Local officials—like mayors—are elected, but there is rigorous oversight in the election process, because elections are still pretty new to the Fire Nation, and a lot of people don’t see the point in voting. The oversight is to try and mitigate local lords/landowners from pitting elections to be in their favor. Elections will expand under Sakari, though democratization is a decidedly slow process in the Fire Nation.

The Fire Nation has traditionally been a command economy, since the times of Fire Lord Yozor. Currently, they are trying to find a balance between privatization and socialization. Either way, the Fire Nation invests most of its resources into infrastructural development and social services. A big recent push has been outreaches to the Outer Islands, that have been traditionally overlooked by the monarchy, and tended to get far less funding than they needed, even under Zuko. Sakari is looking into simplifying they’re bureaucratic and bloated social service programs, and simplifying (some of them) into a universal basic income.

They’re also working on reforming their tax system into a far more simple land value tax. The dividends made with this system will be used for a universal basic income.

They are converting to a decimal monetary system, since they’re current system is incredibly complicated, and much harder to do international trade with.

Sakari will probably be remembered as having strong environmental protections, which will be somewhat of a roadblock to economic development in the industrial sphere, and for Cultural Demilitarization. Meaning, kids aren’t expected to go to military schools from the ages of 11 through 16.

True democratization won’t be implemented until the next Fire Lord.

And coronation sketches that I probably won't finish but never say never

[jtl-fics]

HAPPY WEDS!!! NEW KINGS PLS

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | New Kings AU

It was hard to be a fan of Exy and not know about the Miracle Team of the Foxes. The team had produced legends in the world of Exy and also in different realms of influence.

First and foremost were the Exy players though. It was hard to talk about the realm of professional Exy without talking about Kevin Day, Neil Josten, Andrew Minyard, or Matthew Boyd. All four had changed the landscape of Exy through revolutionizing training methods, raw talent, and out reach.

Kevin Day and Neil Josten had been on the Olympic team. Had created a wide variety of training drills together that were an industry standard. Andrew Minyard and Matthew Boyd were known for their outreach programs to younger Exy hopefuls.

[galaxysharks]

Office Au.

Wildcat Youth Employment program. High school students intern as a collective at a local office to gain real world experience for credit.

Directors/Coaches

Miss Jenn - in charge of Sales and Marketing Teams

Mr. Mazzara - in charge of Tech and Building Events Teams

Dewey - Building Facilities Manager

Teams

Sales

EJ Caswell - being the CFOs son has it's perks, as evidenced by EJs immediate inclusion to the program. Make no mistake though, EJ has more than earned his keep, quickly proving to be the best young salesman in the programs history and leading the team to record breaking profits. EJ has since joined the company full time, following his graduation. When not in the field, EJ likes to hang out with his former unit, giving out tips and tricks of the trade.

Gina Porter - with the leave of EJ, Gina has finally claimed the top spot in Sales. Unfortunately now she has to acclimate the new blood while being short-staffed after Nini's transfer to the California office. And if that weren't hard enough, the student leader of Building Events is proving a persistent distraction.

Mack Alana - Mack has recently been offered a position in the program. His simulation numbers were fantastic, but he's a little out of touch with what really makes a salesman. He'll have to buckle down if he's to survive Gina's intense training, and his natural charm won't work on every sucker on the street.

Former

Nini Salazar Roberts - While not as competitive as Gina, Nini maintained a respectable lead in sales for several months. Nini has since transferred to a sister office in California, coinciding with her move to pursue music in her spare time.

Marketing

Valerie Donnelly - Like EJ, Val has moved up the ranks to the company proper. While not as involved as EJ, Val takes pride in her mentoring role and is always just a text away. Which might be necessary if Miss Jenn can't cut through the drama and whip these kids into shape.

Kourtney Greene - Having been in the program for a few years, Kourt is logically the next in line for Student Leader. Bold and Beautiful, Kourtney knows what works and how to make it work for you. There's just one problem, Kourtney is graduating in a few months and she's not sure if the company offer is where she's meant to go. This on top of wrangling the large personalities on her team have made this season more stressful than anticipated.

Carlos Rodriguez - Out and Proud, Carlos tends to fill every room he's in. High class, high maintenance, the office Instagram Page looks good and Carlos would kill before letting someone else touch his baby. Carlos operates as the Student officer of Diversity, and previously spent two seasons as Miss Jenn's shadow. In a loving relationship with Seb from Building Events.

Ashlyn Caswell - as the name implies, Ash is also a legacy member, but while her cousin shines flexing his skills and seeing the sights in the field, Ashlyn much prefers the view from her desk. Surrounded by her chosen family, Ashlyn is a stable and reliable member of the team, even if she did get a rough start with Val. Now if only she didn't get stuck with the computer most prone to breakdown.

Dani Cantrall - Like Mack, Dani is a new select from the class runner ups. She has good instincts, and brings a respectable following right out the gate. But it's her abrasive personality and short temper that's going to put her to the test.

Former

Lily Keegan - Lily was once a promising addition to the marketing team, but quickly proved a toxic influence. Miss Jenn asked her to leave after her snapshot 'Autism in the Workplace' nearly got the team, and the company itself, in hot water with the press.

Building Events

Ricky Bowen - How Richard Bowen qualified for the student outreach program is still a mystery. Constantly late, and shamelessly careless, many outside observers have wondered how he's maintained his offer, let alone achieved Student Leader. But his work speaks for itself, dozens and dozens of successful events on the books. Ricky has a unique ability to get the many divisions to work together in harmony. Now if only he could manage to organize his life enough to ask out the superstar Saleswoman Gina.

Sebastian Matthews Smith - Strong and reliable, Seb's slowlife mentality makes him an asset in the whirlwind of the office. While not always the most intuitive, Seb is highly skilled at the routines of event set up and breakdown. Seb spends most breaks in the Marketing office with his partner Carlos.

Jet Curda-Lyles - Jet is new to the Building Events team. Low energy and snarky, Jet doesn't speak often, but makes sure he's heard when he does. Hired on with his sister, he can sometimes feel like he's living in the shadow of her savant gifts with technology. Some unknown drama with the siblings can make meeting tense, but both are first to defend each other. Spends breaks dozing in the lounge or sitting with his sister's service dog, JJ.

Tech Support

Maddox Curda-Lyles - Maddox has a gift, and can make any technology sing. Now if only she was so talented at communicating with people. JJ is Maddie's constant companion, providing support and protection from the outside world. Maddox has quickly risen up ranks and become the Student Leader. Rumor has it, the company is looking to scout her early into their ranks. Not that Maddie's noticed, she's got her eye on a certain Marketing Student, with unfortunate luck with computers.

Big Red Redonovich - While Maddox has a natural agility with tech, Biggie earned his way over several seasons. Sweet and gentle, Big Red is everyone's friend, though he does clash with the foreign exchange employee Antoine. Big Red and Ricky were scouted together, with some saying that Ricky only made it in due to Red refusing to leave him behind.

[a-very-tired-jew]

Manipulation of Westerners by Hamas - A conspiracy that's not so much a conspiracy

Since the inception of the current war I have seen a number of people try to identify why Leftists are so quickly to defend Hamas's action and embrace/justify varying degrees of antisemitism. Often I see right wing authors point to DEI programs, safe spaces, and other such things. To me this is just another attempt at discrediting academia and they're using the guise of "fighting antisemitism" to push their narrative. I have found several neutral Jewish writers on the subject, such as Feldman from Harvard, who have addressed the long standing antisemitism within academia, politics, and culture. However, I have not seen anyone address the manipulation of Leftists by extremists as long standing tactic. What do I mean? Shortly after this began, Dr. Lorenzo Vidino of the George Washington University put together a small document titled The Hamas Network in America: A Short History. Dr. Vidino is considered an expert in these type of terrorist groups and has advised governments around the world for years. As such there is some contention regarding him and things he has said. However, this document is fairly clean of bias and lays out this network based upon evidence that the FBI collected through wiretaps and presented in a court case in the 00's. While it is a short document, I will not go over everything and just discuss the highlight. In 1993 a meeting was held in Philadelphia, PA, USA by senior Hamas members. The members of this meeting discussed how they could garner support from the West and protect themselves from scrutiny. One quote that stands out and highlights their intent comes from Shukri Abu Baker "I swear by Allah that war is deception, we are fighting our enemy with a kind heart. . . . Deceive, camouflage, pretend that you’re leaving while you’re walking that way. Deceive your enemy.” This statement of deception underscores the rest of the meeting and their subsequent plans. How do we know what was said? Well, the FBI had wiretapped the room the meeting was held in, so we have transcripts of their intent straight from their mouths. The strategy that the members come up with and discuss in the document has three approaches. 1) Charity & Fundraising.

In the meeting the Hamas members discuss how to raise money for their cause. They would fundraise inside and outside their respective communities, and that for every 5,000 that they raised for others they would send 100k to their allies. This type of behavior culminated in the USA's case against the Holy Land Foundation and associated groups. Many other charities have followed suit and have conducted similar behavior, hence why many charities focused on the I/P conflict are viewed suspiciously. There is not a good tract record of these groups actually getting the aid to the Palestinian civilian and instead funding terrorist groups.

2) Politics.

The members of the meeting stressed the need to influence Congress, the general American public, and to garner political support. They emphasized that they needed a neutral organization that would not publicly state it supported Hamas or other terrorist organizations and could deceive the general public into thinking they didn't. They would use neutral language and simply try to sway politics. Members of this meeting then went on to help found CAIR (specifically Omar Ahmed and Nihad Awad).

3) Research and Outreach.

Within the meeting they repeatedly emphasize that their violent rhetoric would upset the Westerners that would likely support them. As such, they needed to change the way they spoke to outsiders, change the perceptions of them, and influence progressives through coopting their language. They state that you need to use the language that the American progressive sympathizes with and couch things in terminology such as "oppressor", "colonist", and so on. One method that was suggested, and employed, was to infiltrate academia and produce research that was biased towards their ideals.

“This can be achieved by infiltrating the American media outlets, universities and research centers." - Omar Ahmed For example, The United Association for Studies and Research was created by members of this group and is a think tank outside of Chicago. The organization is considered defunct now, but its members went on to other positions in politics, academia, think tanks, and research. Think about that. Members of Hamas's network have become professors at colleges and universities. These are institutions where many young adults go to round out the beliefs they began developing in their early teens. This means that they're extremely passionate, but also easily manipulated. I personally remember the anti-GMO craze of the 00's and 10's and how every college campus was full of anti-GMO student activists claiming wild conspiracies about the danger of them. Now? That movement mostly gone and relegated to the corners where anti-science and pseudoscience believers dwell. But more importantly, a lot of that activism was manufactured by outside agitators with malicious intent disguised as benign activists.

In regards to the current group of young adult activists in the West (the majority are Zoomers and Millenials), they have been consuming material from academics with questionable intent that has been wrapped in language they resonate with. That makes the 3rd tactic of the Philadelphia Meeting the most dangerous one to me. For all the concern about academia "brainwashing our youth" there is a very real element of manipulation by academics who have allegiances and/or sympathy to terrorist groups and ideals. But they hide it in academic speak to make the general public think that they're not endorsing violent and hateful rhetoric. All of this feels like a conspiracy theory that has me linking red string to photos like Charlie from Always Sunny... but this is real. The FBI wiretapped a meeting and presented their transcripts back in the 00s. So some part of the USA knew that this was happening, knew that this manipulation was going on...and just allowed it. Bringing awareness is just a small step into addressing something that, to me, is quite scary to consider.

[fiftysevenacademics]

I figured I’d have a lot of Thoughts and Opinions on that scicomm discourse and want to run off at the mouth with them. But I'm putting it under the cut.

I skimmed the original post and reblog by the original author, which is a vitriolic, uninformed rant about museums. I am not a museum professional but I know enough to know that person doesn’t know what they’re talking about. The reblog by Tumblr Famous blogger adds a rant about what they perceive as the superior way scientists communicate their research to the public compared to humanities people that is less uninformed but is also little more than a bigoted, poorly researched rant.

First, humanities folks DO communicate their research to the public, and quite a bit. Who do you think have been the go-to experts for journalists writing about Gaza, Trump’s conviction, the rise of fascism in the US and Europe, and countless other matters of critical social importance? Historians, religious studies scholars, political scientists, and sociologists. Definitely not ecologists or chemists. Some of these scholars, like Joanne B. Freeman and Heather Cox Richardson, host popular podcasts that put current events in historical context.

Second, try to think back in your mind to the last time you read an article in the New York Times or another prominent media outlet about about, say, a new interpretation of an archival document that sheds light on how the gender identity of a major figure in a event influenced their actions. You can’t right? It’s not because they’re too snotty to try. It’s because the media simply doesn’t report on that sort of research.

There is almost no media market for the vast majority of scholarship in the social sciences and humanities. Any analysis that excludes capitalism of why science appears to be more effectively communicated than humanities and social sciences is incomplete at best, wildly misleading at worst. This isn’t because history and such aren’t inherently interesting or relevant, but because they usually can’t be spun into a story that can be told using tropes such as the Inevitable March of Progress, Triumph of Reason, Technology Saves the World, and various other ways of repackaging Manifest Destiny under other names. Most research in humanities and social sciences shows the weaknesses and holes in our social systems, hierarchies, and ways of thinking about ourselves—you’re not going to find much work on US history that can be repackaged at “Manifest Destiny=Good,” for example. That’s why these are the experts called upon to explain crises, wars, and social upheaval.

But when it’s business as normal, there’s literally no platform for their expertise because media does not want to sell a “all your institutions are broken” narrative, even if that’s not what these scholars are saying. That’s all they can imagine them saying.” Science, on the other hand, is all about solving the problem, finding the cure, inventing the thing, speeding innovations that someone build an industry around. Obscure discoveries that “could eventually” lead to some imagined better way of life for all of us can get wide coverage in media, even if the research itself is the science equivalent of the above-mentioned historical research.

As for scientists going to schools and such and being thrilled to talk about their work to schoolkids, for every one that blogger finds, I can find two more who want to do no such thing. Not all scientists love to do this stuff. Lots of people in the humanities would love to be invited to schools and do outreach and such, but again, who is asking them? Where is the funding for that sort of thing? Our society has decided funneling schoolkids into STEM (because our most lucrative industries need a STEM-educated workforce) is the most important thing in the world so there’s tons of money out there for program after program to bring science to kids. Nothing like this exists for humanities and social sciences.

Finally, most educational and corporate institutions with well-funded research divisions have people whose sole job it is to get research produced by that institution into the news and social media. They do this for the historians as much as for the astronomers or ecologists. The majority of what you see in the media about new research started off as a press release from the researcher’s institution, or after a reporter contacted that institution looking for an expert to interview on some topic.

This is an intensely competitive field where thousands of institutions vie for just a handful of media slots devoted to this sort of thing. Only a tiny fraction of what institutions pitch actually gets picked up. Aside from the relatively small set of topics that seem always to be of interest, work coming out of well-known or prestigious institutions almost always gets more coverage, and the work of scientists that have received coverage in the past will continue to get even more coverage. This is very much NOT a level playing field where all you have to do is try hard enough or write about it the proper way and everyone will get to hear your take on your history blorbo.

[fiinovation1]

The Impact of Fiinovation Volunteers: Changing Lives One Project at a Time

At Fiinovation, we believe that meaningful change starts at the grassroots level. Our volunteers play a crucial role in driving positive impact within communities, leveraging their skills and passion to create sustainable solutions. Through various projects and initiatives, Fiinovation volunteers are not just contributing their time; they are changing lives—one project at a time.

Empowering Communities

Fiinovation volunteer engage with communities to address pressing social and environmental challenges. From educational programs that equip young minds with essential skills to initiatives aimed at promoting environmental sustainability, volunteers work tirelessly to empower individuals and groups. For instance, our recent project focused on enhancing digital literacy among underprivileged youth, enabling them to access educational resources and job opportunities in an increasingly digital world. Volunteers organized workshops, provided mentorship, and facilitated access to technology, significantly impacting the lives of participants and their families.

Skill Development and Knowledge Sharing

Volunteering with Fiinovation also serves as a platform for personal and professional growth. Volunteers come from diverse backgrounds, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience. Through collaboration, they share insights, develop new skills, and learn from one another. This exchange of ideas fosters a culture of innovation and creativity, enabling volunteers to tackle challenges with fresh perspectives. For instance, volunteers working on a community health project were able to apply their expertise in various fields—such as healthcare, marketing, and project management—to create a comprehensive health awareness campaign that reached hundreds of community members.

Building Lasting Relationships

One of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering with Fiinovation is the opportunity to build lasting relationships. Volunteers often work alongside community members, local organizations, and fellow volunteers, fostering connections that extend beyond individual projects. These relationships create a network of support, encouraging collaboration and resource sharing. For example, after completing a project focused on sustainable farming practices, volunteers continued to work with local farmers, providing ongoing support and training to ensure the long-term success of their initiatives.

Amplifying Voices

Fiinovation volunteer are also advocates for social change. They use their voices to raise awareness about critical issues facing communities, from climate change to education inequality. By participating in outreach campaigns, workshops, and community forums, volunteers help amplify the voices of those who may otherwise go unheard. This advocacy work not only influences public perception but also encourages local policymakers to take action, ultimately leading to systemic change.

Measuring Impact

To ensure that our volunteer initiatives are effective, Fiinovation emphasizes the importance of measuring impact. We collect feedback from volunteers and community members, analyze project outcomes, and adjust our strategies accordingly. This commitment to continuous improvement ensures that our efforts are not only impactful but also sustainable. For example, after evaluating the outcomes of a previous project, we identified areas for enhancement and were able to replicate and scale successful initiatives in other communities.

Conclusion

The impact of Fiinovation volunteers is profound and far-reaching. By dedicating their time and skills to meaningful projects, volunteers are helping to create a better future for communities in need. Each project represents an opportunity to learn, grow, and make a difference—transforming lives one initiative at a time. We invite individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact to join our volunteer network. Together, we can continue to drive change and build a more sustainable world.

To know more visit: https://fiinovation.co.in/fiinovation-volunteer-opportunities-with-partner-ngos/

[careermantradotorg]

Tata Institute of Social Sciences: A Hub for Social Change and Academic Excellence

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) is one of India's most renowned institutions dedicated to higher education and research in social sciences. Established in 1936, TISS has evolved into a premier academic institution offering programs in a wide array of disciplines like social work, public policy, health, and education. Its legacy of contributing to social development and policy-making has earned it a reputation as a critical player in shaping India's social landscape.

Historical Background

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences was founded as the Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work. It was Asia's first school of social work, highlighting the foresight of its founders, who envisioned the need for well-trained social workers to address the pressing social issues of that time. Over the years, it grew into a multidisciplinary university, officially recognized as a Deemed University in 1964.

Mission and Vision

TISS’s mission is to create a humane and just society through education, research, and outreach. It aims to develop professionals who can address complex social, political, and economic issues with innovative solutions. The institute’s programs are designed to focus on human rights, social justice, and sustainable development.

Academic Programs and Courses

TISS offers a wide range of programs at undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. Some of the key areas of study include:

Social Work: TISS is well-known for its Master’s program in Social Work (MSW), which prepares students to engage in community-based development work, social welfare, and advocacy.

Public Health: The institute offers programs that focus on health policy, health systems, and public health administration.

Human Resource Management: TISS is a sought-after institute for its postgraduate program in Human Resource Management and Labor Relations, recognized as one of the best in India.

Development Studies: This program addresses issues related to development policy, rural development, and urban studies, offering critical perspectives on national and global socio-economic challenges.

Education: The institute also has a strong presence in the education sector, providing degrees in education and teacher training programs aimed at transforming India's educational landscape.

Research and Impact

Research is one of the cornerstones of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. The institute conducts cutting-edge research in areas like gender studies, poverty alleviation, mental health, disaster management, and governance. Its findings often influence national policies and contribute to positive social change.

TISS collaborates with government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and international institutions to implement its research on the ground. The research centers at TISS include:

Centre for Social and Organizational Leadership (C SOL)

Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies (CSSEIP)

Centre for Human Rights

Each center focuses on a specialized area of social research, enabling TISS to contribute to a wide range of social and developmental issues.

Campuses and Facilities

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences has several campuses across India, with the main campus located in Mumbai. Other campuses are in Tuljapur (Maharashtra), Hyderabad (Telangana), and Guwahati (Assam). Each campus offers unique academic programs tailored to the socio-economic context of the region. The Mumbai campus, in particular, is known for its vibrant student life, state-of-the-art research facilities, and commitment to community engagement.

Admissions and Eligibility

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences conducts its own entrance exam known as TISS-NET for admission into various postgraduate programs. The eligibility criteria vary based on the program, but a bachelor's degree from a recognized institution is a minimum requirement. TISS-NET tests candidates on general awareness, English proficiency, and logical reasoning.

Notable Alumni and Contributions

TISS alumni have made significant contributions to various sectors, including public policy, social work, academia, and the corporate world. Many TISS graduates are working in leadership roles in NGOs, government bodies, international organizations, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Conclusion

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences stands at the forefront of social science education and research in India. Its commitment to social justice, equity, and sustainable development makes it a unique institution. Through its academic programs, research initiatives, and community outreach, TISS continues to play a crucial role in addressing the most pressing social challenges of our time.

[spacenutspod]

The NASA Science Activation (SciAct) Program has been selected to receive the American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2024 Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award. This prestigious, annual award, established in 1995, honors a mid-career or senior scientist team, individual, or group that has demonstrated a sustained commitment to broad, positive impact on Earth and space science education at any education level from kindergarten through postgraduate studies. SciAct engages learners of all ages in all 50 states and 4 US territories with Earth and space science. Through an extensive network of nearly 600 partners, SciAct develops, co-creates, validates, and disseminates effective learning resources and activities to support the needs of learners in their pursuit of knowledge, including specific underrepresented groups such as: Black, blind and low vision, community college, differently abled, Hispanic, immigrant, Indigenous, multilingual, neurodiverse, rural, and other underserved communities. Furthermore, SciAct project teams share lessons-learned and best practices across the SciAct community to facilitate ongoing learning and growth for the entire SciAct community, ensuring the implementation of ever-more effective approaches for reaching all learners.  Since SciAct began in January 2016, its network has grown in strength and capacity. When reach data were collected for the first time in 2019, SciAct reported 15 million learner interactions. Four years later, in 2023, SciAct reported nearly 76 million learner interactions, a 506% increase. With many SciAct resources freely available online, 10 million of those interactions occurred across 170 other countries. In April 2024 alone, as part of a larger NASA-led eclipse mobilization, SciAct reported more than 62 million learner interactions, intentionally bringing the excitement of that celestial event to people in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada, to include learners far beyond the path of totality. The SciAct model is built on a foundation of NASA science. NASA Earth and space science research content areas, missions, scientists and other technical experts, and data are the building blocks of all SciAct learning resources and activities. Nearly 1,000 subject matter experts support the SciAct program to ensure science content is accurate, up-to-date, and – working with education/learning experts – accessible to diverse learner communities. Through these interactions, SciAct also influences scientists, showing them effective ways to contribute towards learning goals and reach new audiences. An increasing number of activities are specifically focused on giving scientists – especially early career scientists – the skills and knowledge to connect with learners outside the research community.  SciAct began as an experiment for conducting NASA Science education and outreach in a new, more coordinated way. Eight years later, that experiment has given rise to a powerful and effective approach for sharing the wonder of NASA science, content, and experts with the world. It is an honor for the NASA Science Activation program to be recognized by AGU, the world’s largest Earth and space science association, for its role in advancing science, transforming our understanding of the world, impacting our everyday lives, improving our communities, and contributing to solutions for a sustainable future. Share Details Last Updated Sep 23, 2024 Related Terms Science Activation Explore More 2 min read NASA Summer Camp Inspires Future Climate Leaders Article 2 weeks ago 2 min read Leveraging Teacher Leaders to Share the Joy of NASA Heliophysics Article 3 weeks ago 2 min read NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative Member Co-Authors Award-Winning Paper in Insects Article 3 weeks ago

[delphinesaintmleux]

FOUNDATIONS MADE OF STONE CAN TURN TO DUST

Name: Delphine Saint Mleux

Nickname: Del

Gender & Pronouns: Cis woman & she/her

Age: 47

Occupation: CEO of Serres Communications, Inc

Origins: Woodside, California

Neighborhood: Oak Gardens

Relationship status: Married

Important note: serres communications, inc is the rp version of hearst communications, inc

SUMMARY: Born to be an heir Delphine was raised and groomed to be the best and brightest. Young life was routined and disciplined from private schools to every hour plotted out for music lessons, art lessons, extra education, etc. When she came out at as a teenager her mother distanced herself from Delphine and her father pushed her even harder and forced her to hide that part of herself. She went onto Yale where she earned top honors with an MBA as well as a PhD in comparative literature. By then she was working her way through the corporate ladder within her own family's company, obviously with a bit of a leg up, but her ideas and savvy business put her in charge. It wasn't until her father passed away 10 years ago that she took over as CEO of Serres Communications, Inc but it has been a role made for her. Living In Chicago and part of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra board Delphine eventually found herself as the Director of Operations. She was dating Valentine Finch, a fabulous cellist within the orchestra, and they eventually married. Things crumbled two years in when Delphine was accused and arrested on embezzlement charges from the orchestra. Her lawyers worked tirelessly to clear her and her spouse's name but it was already too late and Valentine had filed for divorce and fled from the damage and their ruined reputation.

BIOGRAPHY

trigger warnings: homophobia, death, embezzlement

Some generations ago the Serres family emigrated from France to the United States where the opportunity for entrepreneurship was so fresh that a motivated businessman was able to create the beginnings of an empire. What started off as a venture into the newspaper business expanded into a multinational mass media and business information conglomerate over decades (over a century in total) and generations within a family.

Before Delphine had been born the empire had already encompassed newspapers across the country, television and film productions and channels, radio stations, publishing in books and magazines, and several business-information companies. From the start of her life Delphine was groomed into eventually being a part of the family enterprise. She was enrolled into the best private schools and institutions that money could buy, enrolled and involved in music programs with private instructors, a young equestrian, and societies that would only further her social standing and outreach.

Music had a stronger hold and influence on Delphine. Attending symphonies, concerts, and operas impacted her in a way that her other interests and things she was pushed into hadn't. Even with piano and violin lessons she didn't quite have the talent to really pursue music in a way that she quietly dreamed, she was much more like the business minded leads of generations past, she followed music throughout her life. It was her love of literature and language that sent her off to Yale when the time for university came around, in which, during her attendance there, Delphine earned an MBA and a PhD in comparative literature.

For most of her young life Delphine moved through it robotically. There was always a routine and an expectation. While she had time as a child to be just that the older she got the more it came about in means of acting out. Rebelling against the strict structure of her life. When she was just a teenager she lashed out at her mother during a fight, choosing that moment to hurt the woman with an imperfection: Delphine was gay and had no desire to get married and have children within the same societal norms and demands of what a proper life looked like. They, her parents, had invested too much time and money into their daughter to completely write her off despite the lifestyle they couldn't and wouldn't agree with so her father continued to push Delphine for success. Her mother, on the other hand, nearly ignored her existence after the spontaneous coming out.

Fear of rejection and being ostracized within her own family Delphine buried her sexuality. Plus, the social climate for such an outing was vastly different at the time and that only further instilled a fear and solidified her decision to keep that part of herself hidden. Throughout university she remained publicly single and kept her short lived affairs with women deeply secretive. By then she was already working within what was then Serres Corporation and post graduation and with freshly printed higher education degrees Delphine began her ascent up the corporation ladder. It didn't hurt that she had fresh ideas on pushing the company ahead in future business ventures.

Eventually residing in Chicago, Delphine branched out personally into her interests as she became further involved within the city she'd decided to call home. One of those interests was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and what had started merely as a donation based pledge (along with season tickets) eventually morphed into being on the board and then somehow the Director of Operations. It was fitting in the sense that Delphine was accustomed to involvement in various businesses. The only exception was that this was personal and not under the then Serres Communications, Inc brand.

In that investment into the symphony she'd met the fabulous cellist, Valentine Finch, and had fallen in love with the extraordinarily talented and intriguing musician. Thankfully she'd come out a decade earlier due to being caught on a date with a woman by the media, the relationship, like all the others in her past, had been short lived but the best outcome had come of it. Delphine no longer had to hide that part of herself. Her family be damned. Already CEO and the head of the family empire post her father's death there was no way anyone could keep her from living the life she'd wanted anymore. When she and Valentine began seeing each other it turned into the longest relationship she'd had. They'd gotten married and seemed to enjoy a charmed life with their spouse. But then accusations and an eventual arrest burned that happiness to the ground.

Charged with embezzling funds the media went wild. A billionaire and head of a mass media conglomerate siphoning funds from the orchestra, the very symphony her spouse was a part of, was violently juicy to the tabloids. Every part of her life seemed to be raked over the coals and that included her marriage. It took time but Delphine's team of lawyers were able to clear her of the charges and both her and her wife's names in the process. However, by then, the damage was already done. Marriage in shambles and unable to overcome the shame, Valentine left Delphine and she now sits with an impending divorce.

[boinin]

So… who’s King Barou™️ getting shipped with in the CO universe?

You: *asks a really straightforward question*

Me: lemme concoct backstories for fifteen other characters, then I'll get back to you

I wish I was joking 💀 but also I love getting these kind of questions, it lets me be indulgent about my AU! So thank you 💗

For context: I am writing a Kunigiri longfic set in 2033-34. This has involved making up fifteen years worth of post-canon life events for the principal cast. Barou doesn't feature prominently, but Kunigami recently revealed that he had a crush on the King back in their Blue Lock days.

Kunigami has moved on by now (like... reeeallly moved on), but Barou's still around, being his good ol' tsundy self. Does he have a partner? Well...

To figure this out, I had to remind myself who's actually on the national team with Barou and work through their dynamics. So...

Sixteen character backstories under the cut, eventually getting to your question.

The following characters have been named in Cassis Orange as being on the Japanese national team, in order of position/role:

Isagi (FW)

Rin (FW)

Shidou (FW)

Barou (FW)

Bachira (Wing)

Otoya (Wing)

Nagi (CAM)

Hiori (CAM)

Sae (CAM)

Karasu (CDF)

Sendou (CDF)

Aryu (FB)

Niko (CB)

Aiku (CB)

Gagamaru (GK)

Fukaku (GK)

This means that 2018 Blue Lock alumni occupy sixteen places in the squad (which should have 23-25 places). Probably two or three too many—ah well. I've alleged that some of the other squad members participated in the second Blue Lock program (which took place in... 2023, right around now lol). There's likely a few other older players from before Blue Lock's time, but it's really Isagi and friends' team.

Everybody knows team squads are synonymous with dating pools in Blue Lock. So, in considering who Barou might be shipped with, I had to think through where everyone was at in life, come January 2034, in my particular AU. Here's the lowdown:

Aiku (34) is currently working through his second divorce. He has a couple of kids. He remains good friends with his teammate Sendou (33), who plays for a Japanese club normally and does a lot of promotional work with sportwear companies.

Karasu (33), Otoya (32) and Shidou (33) represent something of a clique within the squad. The three play for French clubs, alongside Rin (31), who resents being mentioned in the same paragraph as them. Everyone but Otoya is outwardly single, as far as the media knows. Otoya dates influencers and idols.

Because Rin's home club is in France, he doesn't care to rent or purchase a place in Japan. Hiori (32), a long-time friend and Tokyo resident, agreed to let him stay at his apartment for the duration of the tournament. Hiori is single, and streams part-time. Players enjoy the juxtaposition between his gentle personality and the violent games he plays. He plays for the Kawasaki Breakers.

Sae (33) is based in the UK. He has won the Ballon D'Or twice. Although there's been speculation about the nature of his long-term friendship with Shidou, he refuses to speak about his personal life to the press.

Isagi (32) has lead his home club (Bastard Munchen) to victory in the Champions League twice, and he is widely regarded as one of the finest players of his generation. This World Cup will be the third he's contested, and his first as captain. He has stated publicly that third time's the charm. He is openly single, based in Munich. He started a charity to promote football in developing countries in 2027.

Bachira (32) has played for mostly Spanish clubs over the years. He's an advocate for youth football and does outreach work in schools both in Japan and Spain. He has auctioned his own artworks for charity. Not much is know about his personal life, despite his outgoing personality.

Nagi (32) was the face of Japanese football for the 2030 World Cup, in association with Reo (32). The two of them were inseparable following their days in Blue Lock, choosing to play at the same or neighbouring clubs throughout their careers. However, due to his father's untimely death, Reo stepped down from football two years previously. Since then, Nagi has been media shy. Despite his relative youth, there are rumours circulating that he intends to retire soon.

Niko (31) is a formidable centre-back who (with Aiku) forms the iron defence of the Japanese team. He's open about his neurodivergence and advocates for the inclusion of kids like himself in sports. It's understood he has a partner living in England, where he's based.

Fukaku (34) plays for a Japanese team, and has indicated his intention to retire after the 2034 World Cup tournament. As for Gagamaru (33), the man known as the world's best goalkeeper is notoriously reclusive. He is picky about what clubs he plays for, prioritising proximity to nature and the mountains over salary offers. As a result, he's mostly played for German clubs. Nothing is known about his relationship status.

FInally...

That leaves Barou (33) and Aryu (34). The duo play for Fiorentina. It's reported that the two share a villa together in the city's outskirts. Aryu has dabbled in modelling and fashion for many years, and his self-titled brand is steadily growing in renown.

Aryu speaks of Barou as his glamorous partner... but he calls next to everything glamorous, leaving the media stumped.

Barou, meanwhile, refuses to entertain fluff piece journalists and has neglected to comment on his relationship with the towering wingback. There is no record of any public affection between them both. However, the two are certainly very close. Last year, they both began sporting matching black rings.