#like they exist in the setting the setting isn't 'for' them

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The Wizard Cowboy War (Wizboys VS Cowards) continues on.

[prettycottonmouthlamia]

Oh boy there is so much here and I'd absolutely love a crack at explaining it. "What is weird about cats in Arknights?" a lot actually, and honestly, it's what is weird about every animal in Arknights.

So, yes, first of all, you have the "Feline" race, which broadly includes every cat person in the game, with the exception of lion people, who are categorized under Aslan instead. These aren't actually super important to our discussion immediately, so I'm going to gloss over them for right now. Point is, lots of people are cat people in this world, and this isn't given much pause.

That, at minimum, though, is a little weird. People on Terra don't seem to know that "cats" exist for the most part. There are a few people in particular that are important to our discussions here: first is Mousse, who has a bunch of friends she calls "kitties" but whom don't seem to be creatures known to the wide world; second is Haze, who has a major interest in "kitties", but these being BOTH the normal cat looking varieties AND Felines; and Phantom, who is a feline that is followed around by a two-tailed cat named Ms. Christine.

Ms. Christine gives us our first clue into all of this. Haze has a lot of respect for her, and Ms. Christine seems to just randomly appear in places following Phantom. What's more, the implication is that Ms. Christine won't show herself without her consent. If she doesn't want you to find her, you won't. While this might just seem like your average cat behavior, this is actually a common trait about the various Beast Lords in the game. Dolly, the Beast Lord for Sheep, can also make it so he is not visible to people if he so wishes, with one exception (Kal'tsit).

Ms. Christine hasn't talked at all, so we don't specifically need to know what her deal is. We do know that she is trying to keep Phantom away from the Crimson Troupe, the wandering assassination theater group who raised and groomed him from when he was a young orphan, and given that she can freely walk amongst the troop's castle in Calais, it's at least clear she's not ordinary.

What about Mousse's kitties? We don't know! They do seem to have some degree of deliberate intelligence to them, but they might simply be normal cats. The point here is that the others don't know what they are, so it's possible they could be Beast Lords too.

What IS interesting is that, according to Dolly, Beast Lords and their modern races originate from the same source. Beast Lords are _probably_ manifestations of animals that resulted after the first Catastrophes brought Originium to the surface worldwide, and from that point, the Beast Lords were born and the other animals began their evolutionary divergence (because remember: this is not a people becoming animals story, it's an animals becoming people story!).

There are also cloudbeasts, or at least at minimum, cloudbeasts are similar enough in shape to cat and dogs that the people of Terra don't find Mio or Woof to be particularly strange (Mio and Woof being Beast Lords themselves). Terra does seem to have its own unique versions of many animals we would know: fowlbeasts for birds, burdenbeasts for large herbivores etc. But on Terra, by and large (depending on what is happening with Mousse), it lacks the animals that we would expect in our world, as they either became Beast Lords or turned into animal people.

(For example, there is a Hound type enemy in the game, but they're actually some kind of fragment of a dog-like Beast Lord in Bolivar. This is only explained in the CN only lorebook because Hypergryph hates me in particular.)

This covers almost everything there is to say about cats in Arknights, with one exception: Kal'tsit. The like immortal green cat girl of the setting. Her conversation with Nezzsalem, the almost as immortal leader of the Nachzehrer, indicates that she seemingly was not always a cat girl, and we know that she is actually an artificial creation from the Precursor Civilization to Terra that brought both the original animals and Originium to the moon. So what is Kal'tsit, if she were not always a cat girl?

We don't know! My theory is that Mont3r, her companion, is in some way a "larval" form of Kal'tsit, given that it is sentient and that Kal'tsit seems to trust it to do the right thing when she passes. Curious!

Anyways yeah. Cats are weird in Arknights.

Arknights could pull off an event about a young witch searching for her lost cat in the alps. In fact it’d actually be super hype considering how weird cats are in lore

[jikooklove9795]

The MMA 2018 seating arrangement switch is one of those moments that perfectly encapsulates why so many people (including those who are reluctant to see them in a romantic light) find Jungkook and Jimin's dynamic fascinating. Its not just about the visual contrast in Jungkook's expressions but what it suggests about his comfort level and emotional state when Jimin is near.

We also got to see this on this same night:

The way he glares at them 🤭

Let's get back to the topic.

Before Jimin sits next to Jungkook, he looks composed but somewhat serious or detached. Almost like he's passively existing in the moment. He's physically present but not necessaring expressive.

After Jimin sits next to Jungkook his whole demeanor changes instantly. His posture becomes more relaxed, his facial expressions become livelier and there's an unmissable light in his eyes. Its like a silent but obvious Oh, you're here! moment.

This is more fascinating and interesting because it is a natural, unconscious reaction. The fact that his expression changes so naturally and effortlessly suggests that Jimin genuinely affects his mood.

We all have people who make us feel instantly at ease. The way Jungkook responds to Jimin's presence is so automatic that it feels deeply ingrained. It suggests that Jimin is a personal source of comfort for him. Jimin brings out a side of Jungkook that is warm, free and full of joy.

Sometimes the strongest bonds don't need words. The way his body language adjusts and how his face softens says a lot. Its in the subtle details that you see the real connection.

This isn't an isolated incident. There have been multiple instances where Jungkook's mood or energy seems to brighten around Jimin.

Here's a few instances which shows how Jimin's presence and absence affects Jungkook:

1) Jungkook's "Jimin is here" and "You're here. Finally" when finally they got the opportunity to spend extended time together (I'm sure they spent time together before AYS but that time was too short due to their demanding schedules)

His bright face and excited smile. He was so happy to spend time with Jimin after all those stunts he pulled on his lives to get Jimin to come to him

2) Jungkook not knowing what to do when Jimin goes to bath in AYS Jeju

3) Jungkook not even wanting to talk about ms when it was uncertain if their request for companion program be will be approved and then there's the same Jungkook talking about their ms in AYS Jeju once their application was approved:

4) Jungkook's words here:

Why would he say this?

Surely he's been on many trips. Even in 2023 apart from those trips for AYS with Jimin he went on other trips with his friends. So why would he say the trips for AYS were the best?

Because it was with Jimin. That's what made it the best experience for him. Traveling and exploring with his bf.

Its for this same reason we get to see a shift in Jungkook's demeanor after the seat switch in MMA 2018.

Jungkook is naturally close with all the BTS members and he has many other friendships outside of BTS but there's no denying there's something unique and deep about the way he interacts with Jimin.

We have seen how even in group settings Jungkook often ends up near Jimin. Whether its at award shows, interviews or casual moments he naturally gravitates to Jimin.

Jungkook is affectionate with all the members but his level of touchiness and physical comfort with Jimin is distinct. He often leans on Jimin, seeks out hugs or casual touches. He is protective around Jimin, loves to cook for him and doesn't hesitate to show his emotions openly when they're together.

If it weren't for Jimin I don't think we would have gotten to see Jungkook's naturally uninhibited, warm, affectionate and romantic side.

Credits to the owner of the video

[akq96618]

DON'T STOP THE BOONBOOM!!!💥🌈💥

this is just my rambles pls scroll if u don't want to read sdkdjjf

I didn't expect i'd got attached to boonboomger just like kingoh, it was such a fun ride, i loved mira from the start, seeing how she deals with her problem, and took her own handle just like what taiya told her

i was neutral about taiya and chashiro but their character grow on me, for taiya it's after the guitar guruma episode and for chashiro after the toilet guruma and chashiro spy ex-friend episode. I love how both of them have a little childish part in their heart despite being seen as the coolest and matured member.

AND JOU

OH PLS HE'S JUST THE CUTEST????😭😭😭

I got encouraged from his words, "if you learn from your past mistake, it won't be a mistake anymore" :")

for genba, i know somethings wrong with this guy from the start, (didn't expect him to be a catboy alien tho). I love how genba visibly set distances between everyone at first, but when he realized he's loved by his friends and knows they'd never leave him behind, he finally break his walls and stand side by side with everyone again :")

i got into ultramans in the middle of watching bbg and actually one of the reason i continue watching bbg is sakito. I have too much to say about him so i'll just attach twt from my priv i wrote last night while ugly crying

this is not even the exact thing i want to say, but in the end, i'm glad sakito exist.

Boonboomger is such a refreshing series after king ohger, maybe not the best, but i'll never regret watching their growth this entire year!

(english isn't my first language, my apologize if i wrote something weird)

[okkotsuus]

mirror opposites. (michael k.) !

features: michael kaiser.

contents: kaiser backstory spoilers. mentions of child abuse. mentions of unhealthy mindsets. mentions of blood. reader is a rich girl and actress, also just a decent person. toxic-ish relationship dynamics. suggestive at times. angst. hurt no comfort. one-sided enemies to lovers. 2.2k words.

notes: i wouldn't consider this dark content, but it certainly isn't happy content. also i am NOT enabling anything that mihya's father did, god no. this is questionably written i spent like a week in multiple sessions on this hoe...

michael kaiser has never loved anyone other than himself.

this is something he knew to be true.

knew.

because the second he set his sights on you: such a pretty and sweet little thing. he was hooked.

you were everything that he was never blessed with the privilege to be.

a being that exists to uplift others, to build them up by giving. born to two loving parents who thoroughly wanted you. never having to truly work for a thing a day in your life.

yet, at the same time, so contrarian: you were everything he has ever hated about himself and his upbringing.

an actress that soars so far on the top of the charts that people believe she is a god-given talent. someone who follows so easily, a sheep ever to be drawn to her shepard. and a director in your spare time.

it stirred his very being, in a way that shook his stolen identity. a king high atop his throne feeling an earthquake rumbling below his palace.

his lips instinctively curl into a sneer as the thrum of his pulse deafens his ears. michael kaiser knew all about you, because it was simply knowing himself.

why you were here, at a bastard munchen publicity event: was something he did not know.

the little voice in the back of his head told him that it would be best to leave it a mystery. to let sleeping dogs lie.

but to listen to that voice was to degrade back to his old way, to allow the old man to crash his nearly empty bottle of jäegermeister against the back of his skull. there were always just enough droplets of that putrid filth inside to seep into his fresh cut: and sear at the tender flesh below golden blond hair.

he doesn't get the choice, though.

another thing he hates.

"excuse me, may i get through, sir?" a voice rings out from behind him. god, you sound like the sweetest honey, rich and full bodied like fine wine.

michael's head snaps in your direction, eyes sharp like a bird of prey. something burns in the back of his throat, a biting remark teetering on the tip of his tongue: just waiting to lash out and see crystalline tears roll down your pretty cheeks.

but it never comes.

his words die before they are ever born into this world.

just like his father wished of him.

an iron taste fills his senses as his teeth clamp down, skimming a few tastebuds clean off his tongue. with a clenched jaw, his teeth creaking and echoing in his head, kaiser steps to the side to allow you to pass him. "of course, my bad."

the words are a hurried mumble as his fleet footsteps direct his lithe frame towards the men's room.

everything feels hot as michael takes deep, hurried breaths. his hands prop against the sides of the sink as he hunches over the porcelain. the fabic of his button-down feels like a snake, like hands holding him down-

no.

with a cough, spit splats into the wall of the sink, a bright red marbling with the fluid.

it's flushed away with the turn of a knob.

if only he could flush this feeling away just as easily.

an all consuming paranoia, chills running up and down his spine in unity with flashes of heat. his palms feel like every single pore is being pricked with needles. his lungs ache as he takes gasping breaths.

yet, he is devastatingly silent.

when his head raises to see himself in the mirror, just for a moment: he sees a grimly little boy.

CRACK!!

now, in the shards of bloodied glass, he sees himself once more.

he needed to remind himself of his identity in the most base way he knew: pain.

michael doesn't feel the sting of his knuckles as he runs them under the water till it goes clear. he wraps toilet tissue over the wound and keeps his hand tucked into his pocket as he returns to the floor.

no one would ever know.

not until after the event.

and kaiser's trail of debris was not something that bastard munchen was unfamiliar with. on his very first day after being freed from his cell, he practically incapacitated three players in one breath.

it was an unspoken part of the team.

the price for his talent.

was blood.

as cerulean eyes survey the area, mapping every single money-grubbing exec to avoid, he is forced out of his thoughts once again. by that aggravatingly melodic voice that was beginning to etch its way into his mind. carving to make a mark.

"pardon, sorry to bother, but i completely didn't recognize you earlier: michael kaiser, right?"

his blood ran ice cold in his veins.

you knew him.

like a slap in the face, his calm was shattered to thousands of bits and pieces: like that damned mirror he had just slashed his hand on.

rashly, he reaches a hand to push his bangs from his eyes. the feeling of the strands against his forehead suddenly becoming far too stimulating. he doesn't even realize his mistake.

not until he sees those e/c eyes of yours widen like saucers.

fuck.

michael forgot that was his cut up hand.

like a deer in headlights, he stands there, arms limp by his sides.

but when your gentle hands reach for his, every muscle in his body tenses up. like a coil ready to snap.

no one touches him.

no one.

not fans, not teammates, not even ness.

in the corner of his eye, he can see his loyal guard dog's face paint in horror.

that instinctual disgust never hits him as soft skin meets with his own, so delicately as you bring his bloodied knuckles closer. that sends him further into his silent spiral.

why?

why does it have to be you?

out of the 8.2 billion people on this earth, it just had to be you.

god hated him, he was sure of this before; but now, he was certain.

"don't touch me." michael's words are poorly masked with indifference, which means nothing with the way he refuses to pull himself from your ensnaring gentleness.

you don't even acknowledge his quip, staring down at blood-stained porcelain skin with enigmatic eyes. "you're hurt... let's wash this out and get it properly wrapped."

kaiser can't find the strength in himself to fight you, not when you cradle him so gently in cupped palms: as if he were the last drop of salvation on this cursed and rotten planet.

it winds him up leant back on a random bench, while you pick some shards of glass carefully from his wounds with the tweezers of the emergency first aid kit your manager keeps. dutiful, you stay hunched over his knuckles, not even moving when drawing in slow breaths.

he'd dare to say you could have been a surgeon in another life.

ZING!!

okay, maybe he won't go that far. a searing shot of pain races up his arm as your hand shakes for just a second.

before he can pull away, you pull out a small, but jagged piece of glass. "i'm sorry, could tell that one hurt you..."

normally, michael wouldn't give an apology the time of the day. if they make the mistake once, they can and will do it again: that was his outlook.

but, seeing that forlorn look in pools of e/c, he finds his heart growing a little more forgiving.

even if just slightly.

"it's fine, didn't hurt that bad, schätzchen*. i've faced worse." the words leave a bitter taste on his tongue. even if he had not experienced it in so long, the memories of the wretched pain his drunk father would leave is something he can never shake.

"that doesn't matter, i hurt you: which means i should apologize." you speak, tone firm as you sprays an antibacterial spray on his knuckles before placing gauze and wrapping them taut. "that's common decency, michael."

he knows that.

but he was never taught that, it was something he had to learn over time. something he still hasn't fully grasped yet, even at nineteen years old.

another thing he can blame dear old dad for.

you tie off his bandage and hum, leaning down to press your lips against the fabric. "my mother says this makes anything heal faster..." it comes out in a whispered confession, as if you didn't intend for him to fully hear the words.

against his better judgement, heat begins to nip at the high points of kaiser's face.

"we'll see if that really works out, ja**?"

and just for a second, he can see that public face of yours crack just a bit when heat begins to pool in the middle of your palms, eyes averting his ocean gaze.

not quite sure why, but he found himself liking that reaction; though he had claimed to hate you. it sent a trill up his spine, bouncing up each vertebrae like a xylophone, leaving a melodic ringing in his ears.

wow.

so this is what love is like?

immediately a sense of horror begins to eat at the corners of his mind. falling in love at first sight with an actress? just like his dad did all those years ago.

he had no way to know you would stay.

and that truly scared michael kaiser.

possibly more than fearing for his life, as he did for so many years.

"it may not seem it, but i'm actually a football fan..." you murmur, tone creeping into the territory of shy as your eyes dart up to meet his once more. "originally, i had come to this event for a promotion that my manager arranged: some commercial that would be shot in a few months. i figured, while i was here, i would try to get an autograph..."

that perked kaiser's interest: you, a fan? with the millions of people who watched your movies, here you were in front of him acting like someone who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

it was... cute.

"so, you're a fan of mine, then?" he hums, a smug look beginning to curl at the corners of his lips. his hand, the one you had so carefully bandaged, reaches to brush a stray h/c strand from your eyes.

yet, against his nature: michael's hand lingers, fingertips brushing over the supple skin of your cheek before slowly retreating. "i could give you a lot more than some autograph, schatz***..."

just like he thought, he can feel the heat that begins to radiate from your skin at his words. strangely, michael finds this sensation as fulfilling as breaking down other strikers. the sight of your pretty lips being drawn behind pearly teeth as he watches your head spin.

"oh, gosh- i don't even know what to say..." the words tumble from your lips like water from a broken dam.

kaiser grins, he had you: hook, line, and sinker.

"you don't need to say anything, just yes." his blood thrums under his skin, michael can practically feel it rushing through his veins, as it beings to pool.

god, the sight that you give him the privilege of seeing next sends a wave of heat running under his collar. those pretty e/c eyes swallowed up by dilated pupils he can practically see himself in, pink lips shiny and bitten.

"yes, please, michael."

it's like you've opened pandora's box.

.

.

.

every muscle in kaiser's body aches, raised red scratches spanning his broad back. but when cerulean eyes open, from briefly dozing off, he can't find the sight of you in his hotel suite.

the bitter taste of bile rises to the back of his mouth before he thickly swallows. in an instant, he's sat up, eyes desperately searching. his robe thrown on haphazardly.

in his fervor, he doesn't notice the envelope that he knocks off the bed, neat penmanship scrawling his name across the back.

michael's phone rings with a buzz, he picks it up with hope it's you; even though numbers weren't exchanged. no, it's jinpachi ego.

and in that moment, michael kaiser thinks he can understand his father's anger. even if just a little bit.

*Schätzchen: Sweetie (feminine petname)

**Ja: Yes (affirmative)

***Schatz: Darling (feminine petname)

okkotsuus 25

[utilitycaster]

Imo (as someone who didn't watch the finale, so I'm happy to be wrong), one of the bigger problems with the ending that isn't being discussed is that religions don't work like that. I'm not talking about cosmology or divinity, which people have already spoken on plenty, but the people who actually believe the beliefs.

There are people who believe their god was in some way mortal (Buddhists, some Christians), but they still practice the belief. I'm Jewish, and if it was definitively proven that God isn't real, I would still be a practicing Jew. The gods of Exandria becoming mortal would definitely cause schisms and theological debates, but the gods as concepts would continue to hold power regardless of their mortality or continued existence. Vasselheim would change, but it wouldn't be rocked to its knees.

Obviously, the cast has their own biases and thoughts on religion. That's understandable, but in a campaign and world that is increasingly about How Religion Amd Gods Shape Things, why is religion treated only as a plot point and not a dynamic of understanding the world, yaknow?

This is a hard question to answer since I think to truly give a good answer I'd need a thesis statement and several weeks of writing, but in short, as myself a practicing Jew and philosophically somewhere between weak and apathetic agnosticism I agree that Exandria as a setting did a good job of exploring individual faith/devotion to divinity, and a very bad job of exploring the concept of religion on an anthropological level.

I do think the fact that most of the people with whom I can have a conversation about this are either fellow non-Christians existing in a Christian dominated society; left-leaning Catholics from a rigorous intellectual tradition in the Protestant-dominated US; or people who left a more conservative Christian sect for a more progressive one and in doing so interrogated the nature of religion and faith is telling. I think if you were raised strictly Christian and either swore off religion entirely (the ex-Evangelicals who never unlearned lack of empathy/self-centeredness and simply applied it in a different direction) or were raised Christian but not particularly religious and live in a culturally Christian society in which that is the norm and thus you never had to see yourself as a person with an identity and a practice outside said norm, you are far more likely fail to adequately notice this as a problem with Exandrian worldbuilding.

Something that struck me as I thought about this (on my solo walks to and from synagogue today, no less) is that I am someone who for various reasons, academic, religious, and otherwise, has spent a lot of time thinking about the role of ritual in daily life. And the thing is, "ritual" has in many cases been coopted into a thing you do very much for yourself, often with a capitalist slant - self-care as consumption as ritual. (If you look up companies named Ritual, it's zero proof spirits and vitamins/supplements and takeout). It is individualist and is intended to soothe one's self.

Ritual is far more than that. Ritual is a sign of community. It is a means of remembrance. It is a reminder to look outside of yourself. We light candles on Friday night not for ourselves - indeed, we are prohibited from using them as a light source - but to welcome someone of something else. We blow the shofar to wake ourselves and our community up to what we can can change and do better.

Jester and Caduceus are in my opinion the strongest practitioners of ritual across campaigns, but both are from very small groups of practitioners. We meet many clerics and adherents, but their stories or their experiences with religion as part of daily life are largely untold.

And this is just about ritual, which is in many cases neutral or even positive, but as discussed there is no real hegemony - Vasselheim holds respect and serves as a vault for divine secrets, but outside of that has little political sway. Caduceus and Fjord do not answer to Hierophant Ophera. We also see very little of those theological questions or debates - one must imagine they occur, but it, like the world of ritual or religious service, feels oddly empty. There are temples, and there are keepers of those temples, but the temples always feel like they pop into existence for the PCs and vanish when they're not present. I remember during Campaign 2 there was a great discussion of how D&D offers a concept of religion without the need for faith in the unseen - the gods exist definitively - and it just feels like that's never been reflected meaningfully in the world of Exandria, and that wasn't really a problem with Campaigns 1 or 2 and it very much was with the concepts C3 attempted to tackle.

[witherby]

First of all I LOVE your works i love how much effort you put into them!! You’re keeping this community aliveeee. Second, what would the batfam do if punchline cried? Like I’m talking out of no where just straight up cried. I know it must be hard to show emotions such as sadness because of her past and it would be hard to show such vulnerability to anyone. Thanking for listening to my Ted talk 😎

First of all thank you so much! I wish I could write full, one-shot-length replies to every single question I get asked, but sometimes I simply don't have the energy or skill to execute the idea that might manifest from that question!

Second of all, that's a great question! I think it would take an absurdly long time for anybody to catch her crying. I think it would take an absurdly long time for her to cry at all!

Punchline has Congenital Analgesia, so pain wouldn't make any tears well up. She also doesn't feel or notice any appropriate hunger cues, so exhaustion or starvation wouldn't do it either, especially because she's almost perpetually existing in that state anyway.

We also have to consider who her father is, and how she was raised. A lot of her childhood is left to speculation because she's not exactly opening up to people about the Joker's treatment of her. And why would she? In her eyes, he can do no wrong. Anything he has ever said or done to her was completely justified. What's the sense in crying over spilled blood? She just needs to do more. Try harder. Be greater. But not better. She can't be better than her Popsy. Nobody is better than Popsy!

It's difficult to find out what her triggers are when she isn't giving the bat family much to work with. That's not her job, it's theirs to find out and learn from, but the entire situation is layers upon layers of complicated.

When they first take in Punchline, she's roughly 8 years old and some change. I think they'll see her cry for the first time when she's 10.

Punchline doesn't know her birthday. The Joker didn't celebrate it. The bats don't know it, either, so they choose to celebrate her with the day they brought her to the Manor. They make a cake and set up a small surprise party, with things they know she likes such as more face paint, colorful clothes, books, and maybe some new accessories like bows and ribbons. She wouldn't know how to handle that. A party for her? What did she do? How did she earn this?

I think Punchline would cry over being celebrated just for being alive. She's never felt that way before.

[masterj]

Watching SLOTLT:

....Okay... we need to talk about Sodor's Legend Of The Lost Treasure. Many TTTE fans love it and call it "the best special" and "the peak of CGI Thomas." But we need to face facts. It's far from everyone's favorite and actually the Most Controversial of CGI Thomas.

My stance? I say people who don't like SLOTLT are right- just for not for the valid reasons. Prepare to be roasted.

The movie heavily flanderizes Thomas and ruins his character development throughout the series. It practically takes everything that made him unlikable in the Miller era and turned him back into a complete, 100% irresponsible idiot. Take The Great Discovery, a special VERY similar in plot for example. After his trick on Stanley that demolishes the tower, he actually shows full remorse and tries to make up for his mistake.

In Lost Treasure, that is not the case. Here at the start of the movie he's just like, "I'm number one so I can do what I want!"

And it's not until THE DAY AFTER the Dynamite Incident that it finally sinks in and he's like "Aw it was my fault..."

Plus, he would've been mature enough by now not to let Gordon's teasing get to him. In Season 5, he literally tells Percy to just ignore George's insults and simply does just that.

Why are insults such a big deal to him NOW that he has to run of with Gordon's coaches and derail them??? This doesn't make sense! Yes, he is meant to be cheeky, but how the hell do we go from how he's written in Tale Of The Brave to this?!

So much dumb shit happens that could've and should have been easily avoided. The accidents Thomas cause would've have been stopped in a heartbeat if they ACTUALLY REMEMBERED drivers and firemen exist. When Thomas falls into the cavern? HOW THE HELL are they so unaware of the workmen shouting trying to stop them?! How do they not once look where he is going and see the signs?!

They're not even trying! Look at them in the cab! Up until the accident happens they're practically just chillin'! You're not fooling anybody! Are they high on crack in there??? Are they paying rent in there??? Do they just spontaneously go blind and deaf??? Hello?!?! Wake up and control your fucking train!!!

Let's cut back to the coaches. WHY is Thomas shunting Gordon's coaches when that is NOT his job anymore now that he has his branchline?! That's the whole reason the big engines went on strike and Percy was brought to the railway! Topham has HOW many shunters now? And you're SERIOUSLY gonna tell me not a single one could've done it instead? Look how empty Knapford is!

What about the Diesel Boxcab introduced this season? Why isn't he in this movie to do that instead? Did he die?

Overall, SLOTLT is just a pointless Great Discovery rehash sprinkled with stale RWS references, (which help set up this movie's god awful plot in the first place) returned characters, and cinematic visuals and music pretending it's actually a good movie with a likeable plot. Not only does it take the three-strike formula and fail miserably at making it good, (The three accidents Thomas causes) it can't even remember the show's continuity properly for God's sake! For a what's supposed to be a tribute to the RWS, this is not a good look at all, Andrew Brenner. You did not cook.

What's even worse is that for all these years everyone in this fandom just blindly glazes over everything this movie does wrong and then act like it's illegal for someone not to like it and it's disgusting. This movie single-handedly damaged the entire TTTE fandom for 10 years. 10. FUCKING. YEARS.

We already had a special that did this kind of plot so much better in every way. WHY are we doing it AGAIN??? Why wasn't The Adventure Begins enough for this year???

We did not need this. We did not need any of this shit. Just skip to Season 20 and you are not missing too much, I promise you. Peak CGI Thomas my ass. HALF the CGI specials are the least bit more deserving than this shitshow.

This movie sucks. We do not speak of it, I'm done talking about it, it's not canon, it doesn't deserve to be, it never existed. It's dead to me.

All it's got going for it are the visuals, voice acting and music, Donald, Douglas, Alfie and Oliver returning, and the Miniature Engines introduced. That's it.

Just because a movie looks 'cinematic' does not automatically make it good.

[gangstalkerbarbie]

Yes, you don't owe anyone your time and intimacy. These things are freely given to people whose company you enjoy. They're not a reward for performing the mechanical actions of courtship correctly, they're a logical consequence of two people mutually liking one another on a profound human level. Courtship is a game between two people who already like each other, and the thing is that there is no reward, the reward is getting to spend socially sanctioned time together that could lead into nesting and raising children. The win condition of dating is a pair bond capable of weathering life and maybe sustaining childrearing, which for most people involves sex because it's fun, bonding and is what leads to children. The win condition of dating is not mechanical sex for mechanical sex's own sake.

The thing that progresses dating into greater seriousness is therefore also not a kiss, not a handy, nothing — you can do all of that with whoever you're dating, I don't care, but call me a boomer idk, the period of time that you're in love is supposed to be safe and fun for both parties. The progression of a relationship is about trust, which dies instantly the second dating is no longer both fun and safe.

If feeling safe and having fun does not, in your heart of hearts, include being alone together or handies or head for you (and let's be honest with ourselves, it often doesn't, no one really thinks these kinds of risks to her reputation and human value are fun and safe; when girls engage in these behaviours it's because they live in a bizarro world where for some reason horny boys are allowed to set the rules of mate choice and girls are taught to value being wanted above anything else), that should be respected. If it isn't, stop dating this person.

Lack of willingness to respect women's nonconsent (and telling you not to be a prude is, in fact, disrespect) leads to rape, which used to often lead to children out of wedlock whose lives were doomed to be miserable, which is why so many patriarchal cultures wrote not being in private with unwed women into ritual or customary law and usually tied in metaphysics.

Even back then, people knew that rape can be a profound sociological trauma with very far-reaching consequences and wanted to keep their children from experiencing it, and their grandchildren from living whatever life these circumstances gave them. Not everyone alive in a prevailing social climate agrees with it, but they do all know what the consequences are for acting like it doesn't exist.

And after marriage too, you may not always have the right to say no, but on principle you deserve it just by existing as a human being. No still means no even with a ring on it.

I would (and I have) stop talking to a guy even at the implication of any entitlement to sex; in my culture it's normal to be a virgin until 24 or older nowadays, because marriage is a very long commitment, and sex is always a risk for the woman, and no shit she has the right to discretion. If he wants to gently try to wheedle or pressure you into sex while you're still reasonably in the public eye as a distinct person now, imagine what he'll do when you're married, you're in private together with no witnesses all the time, and his grandma thinks he's entitled to it!

He's not entitled to fuck or damn, but marital rape is much harder to get any recourse for than rape, comma, vanilla (which itself is the farthest thing from a picnic), and not everyone who blogs on the internet has a right to no-fault divorce. Universally applicable advice: either the man you're with is capable of understanding that no means no, or you just don't get into that position with him to begin with. If he has bad vibes, don't give him a chance, leave. If he says or does some weird shit, don't give him the benefit of the doubt, leave. You are always morally in the right for leaving and telling everyone about why.

There may be very little you can do once you're too far in — I'm not saying you shouldn't have the right to leave a bad marriage, I'm saying a lot of people wake up one day to find they don't — so if at all you can choose whether you end up in that position, do everything in your power not to.

There should, also, in principle be standards you should be able to hold men to. Leave if they refuse to be held to standards; they do believe in standards even if they claim not to, just standards only for you. You want the guys that believe sincerely in standards for everyone that you also believe in.

They will be hard to find because their path is thankless and often also considered to be cringe or even juvenile (because very young boys don't know they're supposed to want to hurt women yet, not wanting to hurt women is widely perceived as naive, feminine or infantile among men), but it's the only way to safely be heterosexual. If you need a man (I'm a lesbian but I have brothers I love who feel they need women, and I know full well that it is possible to feel you need a man), pick a good one.

You may be waiting until you're 30, even 40, but the good news is that gives you time to make nesting money and learn who you are, so, you know, different time periods, different priorities.

Secrets of the mothers of Israel or whatever, special for Tumblr: make good choices about your box and hold the men in your life to standards. Otherwise they will make up bad one-sided standards to hold you to and make your stupid box choices for you.

The social coercion women face to date people they’re not attracted to is fucking insane. I remember distinctly thinking “well, I can just force myself to be attracted to him…”

Films, books, etc, all show the trope of beautiful woman and unattractive man. There is still the myth that an unattractive man will treat you better than an attractive one (more women are waking up to this, but still). Even now the left thinks that activism happens between the legs of women.

Don’t date people you’re not attracted to. Don’t feel guilty for not giving them the time of day. No means no.

[lexa-griffins]

Clarke spends all night making Lexa's favorite cake for her birthday

Lexa isn't big on celebrating her birthday. Clarkr has come to learn the perfect low key way to do it: dinner at the chinese restaurant she loves in a cute outfit, a little walk afterward followed by cuddles on the couch and a small cake from Lexa's favorite bakery.

Simple and easy.

Although Lexa is turning 30 this year. And she has expressed the desire to go a little more out this year and Clarke is completely for it and having Lexa be celebrated by more people.

Three people plus them isn't too long of a guest list but Lexa is pretty excited about it and so is Clarke. They book a reservation at this fancy chinese restaurant and Clarke makes sure to get Lexa's favorite cake from the m bakery she adores. Everything is set for a nice birthday party and Clarke is giddy with how excited Lexa looks about celebrating her birthday!

The day before Luna calls. Sudden work trip so she cannot make it. Lexa assures her its okay and as she slightly disappointingly hangs up Clarke is there to rub her arm and tell her that they'll still have a great time with just Anya and Raven.

Clarke is just leaving work when she gets a phone call from the bakery. A mistake in the schedule made it so Lexa's cake was forgotten, and they don't have the time to fit it in for tomorrow. The owner is clearly apologetic as she has known Lexa and Clarke for a while now, but there isn't anything she can do except return the money and promise a free bento cake next time they come in. Making a b-line to the grocery store, Clarke looks at the pre-made cakes before quickly deciding Lexa deserves more for her 30th than a grocery store pre-made cake. Lexa loves the chocolate cake Abby bakes for them every time they visit. It's been a recipe in Clarke's family for as long as she can remember. So Clarke is quick to call her mom and ask her for it, knowing Abby doesn't need to look at the falling apart piece of paper it's written on to remember every single ingredient.

She manages to make it home before Lexa, carefully keeping the bag of ingredients in the back of the pantry just in time for the door to open and a teary-eyed Lexa to enter the house.

Clarke immediately jumps in to help to help her with her coat and kiss her, "What's wrong, love?"

"Raven got a bad flu and Anya caught it. They can't make it tomorrow." Lexa's voice trembles slightly but Clarke sees her trying to keep herself collected.

Lexa always said she doesn't care about her birthday. But Clarke knows she was excited with the prospect of celebrating entering her 30's with friends and a nice dinner - one Clarke is sure she'll have to call and cancel.

"I'm sorry, honey." Clarke doesn't fully know what else to say. She's a little mad at the three women, but it's not like they could have predicted a work trip or sickness. Still, her heart breaks, seeing her fiancee clearly upset after two weeks of excitment for her birthday.

"I'm going to have a shower and then lay down, I think." Lexa says in lieu of a response, the disappointment clear in her voice. Clarke manages little more than a kiss and an I love you before Lexa replies in a whisper and moves to their room, closing the door gently behind her.

Clarke would follow, but she knows Lexa will avoid letting herself fully cry over something she deems minimal while she is there, so Clarke lets her go.

When 1 hour later, Lexa has not made her way out of the bedroom. Clarke decides to take a peak, her heart breaking further when a sleeping Lexa's breathing shakes with the last of her quiet tears. A kiss to her forehead that seems to even out Lexa's breathing is the only thing Clarke seems capable of doing before she exists the bedroom, set on baking Lexa's cake and giving her the birthday she deserves.

A quick call to the restaurant as she tries to wrap Lexa's frilly smaller apron around herself changes the dinner reservation from 5 to 2 people and with all the ingredients and the messy recipe from Abby she wrote down on a post it note, she gets to work.

Turns out, baking is not Clarke's calling. Her google history shows a collection "how to know when the egg whites are stiff" and "how to melt chocolate without burning it" searches but she finally ends up with a batter that her mother aproves of.

It is close to midnight, almost 7 hours after Lexa's been in bed, that Clarke finally finishes the decorations on the cake. It's by no means professional, but what she lacks in backing skills she'd like to think she makes up for in buttercream painting, the pretty flowers all around the cake making it look less like a 5th grade art project.

With the cake in the fridge and the kitchen cleaned out of any evidence, Clarke hops in for a quick shower before getting into bed, her movements waking up Lexa momentarily who instinctively turns to cuddle into Clarke's arms.

"Why were you up so late?" It's slurred, and Lexa doesn't even open her eyes to ask the question.

Clarke, realizing just how tired she herself is too, answers is a barely there fashion, "Got distracted. You'll see tomorrow."

Lexa replies only with a hummed agreement, burying herself in Clarke's chest. Although Clarke is positive, she heard the happy birthday, Lexa does not reply.

The next day is a blur until dinner time comes around. As always, Lexa is out the door before Clarke makes it out of the shower, making the happy birthday wishes quick and underwhelming in Clarke's opinion and although Lexa is not beaming with the excitement Clarke wishes she had when she tells her dinner is still on, the sweet smile Lexa gives her when she tells her, its worth it.

She feared dinner would feel empty when it was first supposed to be bigger, but they are placed by the window with a wonderful view and Lexa arrives wearing the dress she excitedly bought for today and refused to let Clarke see until now, the pearl dress making Clarke take a deep breath and reminding herself tonight is all about Lexa.

Lexa's excitement grows over dinner. They sang her happy birthday at work, something she would have hated before but her entire team got her the prettiest flower bouquet (that she gladly dropped at home, and that gladly does not fight Clarke's smaller but very meaningful arrangement) as well as a little necklace with a pearl, making it clear to her just how appriacted she is. Abby called to wish her a happy birthday, giving her a sweet talk about how happy she was that Clarke had found her. Luna sent her a thoughtful message accompanied by a picture of them at only 12, a memory Lexa had forgotten about. Anya and Raven video called her on her lunch break and sang her the stuffiest birthday song in the world, but it was nice to see their faces as they wished her a great start to her 30s. And of course, Clarke herself has made today so much better than she was expecting, with all the cute messages throughout and reminders of everything she loved about her.

As they arrive home Lexa is slightly tipsy and seemingly very ready to celebrate her birthday in her birthday suit. But first, Clarke worked too hard on that cake to let it not be seen.

Lexa already has her hand on her belt when Clarke manages to stop her.

"Wait wait wait, I got something else for you!"

Lexa looks at her confused and ever so slightly annoyed at not getting what she wants. As much as she loves the cake they ordered, it is massive, and Lexa dislikes to think it'll mostly go to waste with just the two of them.

But as Clarke turns around, the uneven coating on the cake looks nothing like the one she knows the bakery makes. Clarke approaches Lexa carefully the smaller cake placed on the coffee table, the pearly 30 candle matching Lexa's dress.

"There was a set back ans the bakery couldn't get your cake out so, hum, I called mom and got the recipe for thst cake you love."

Lexa feels the tears burning in her eyes. She doesn't really care that the bakery couldn't make her cake. She would have canceled it if she had remembered it yesterday. Instead, Clarke took it upon herself not to let Lexa be disappointed over one more thing. She stayed up late to make sure she baked a cake Lexa loved, decorating it in the style Lexa sends her over instagram dms over and over again because she just finds those cakes so pretty. Clarke was the one who wanted so badly for Lexa to feel celebrated and happy today. There's no one else she'd rather spend her birthday with than her future wife.

"Haopy birthday, beautiful." Clarke smiles at her, and Lexa could burst into tears with just how grateful she feels. Instead, she kisses Clarke, nearly bringing the cake down with her. Clarke kisses her back with just as much passion, burting at the seems with happiness that Lexa is this happy about it after she feared today would be all disappointment.

"I love you." Lexa tells her, now sitting on Clarke's lap as she lights the candles on the cake.

Clarke smiles and tells her to blow her candles and make a wish. Cheekly, Lexa tells her she's got everything she wishes for right here.

"Well, you can always ask for a little more." Clarke nudges her with her nose, urging her to do it, smiling as she watches Lexa close her eyes, and finally blowing out the candle when her wish is made.

A year later, Lexa lays in a hospital bed when there's a gentle knock on the door. There are ballons all around her, more than dozen flowers bouquets, congratulations written all around. Clarke enters the room slowly, a small cake - the one the bakery promised for free - in her hands.

"Happy birthday momma!" Her wife whispers as she makes her way to the bed.

A small noise distracts Lexa momentarily, the small noises of last year's wish as he stirs in his little hospital crib before settling back down to sleep, born exactly one day before Lexa's birthday.

"They wouldn't let me bring a candle up, so I fear you dont get to make a birthday wish until we bring you and our little boy home." Clarke is radiant, so clearly tired but looking even happier than she did last year.

Lexa shrughs, tired but so incredibly happy for it all, "I think this time I really am all out of wishes. What more could I ask for?"

[skyheld]

i think i figured out what it is about veilguard thedas that makes it feel so dead and not thedas to me and it's just. everyone excepts members of the factions or the veilguard are just passive onlookers to everything that goes on?

in inquisition we had all the members joining the inquisition for various reasons, then we had the weird cult in the hinterlands and the one on the storm coast, we had two groups of freemen and fairbank's refugees, we had all the orlesian nobles, and all of them had different ways of coping with/benefiting from/trying to actually stop whatever conflict they were concerned with. in origins we have several major conflicts plus the main one, and almost every single one of those had more than just the two main opposing sides. there wasn't just harrowmont supporters and bhelen supporters, there was the carta and the legion of the dead and the people who didn't care about the conflict at all. some of them you could just talk to, but you could talk to them in-depth, and then there were quests tied to a lot of others because they were actively doing things. in dragon age II it's pretty much in the structure of the game itself, in that sidequests introduces you to all the different ways people are acting on/reacting to a certain conflict, and then there's some cataclysmic event tying it all together.

in veilguard we have ambient dialogue and maybe some codex entries and that's kind of it? no one but the crows are fighting the antaam, or working with the antaam, or doing anything that isn't about the antaam. there are only veiljumpers in arlathan forest. we barely have any named npcs who aren't tied to a faction, enemy or ally. there's rana, there's the tal-vashoth on the rivaini coast. and i think there's one named dwarf in kal-sharok? who's mostly there for exposition. and there's nothing about any other place except the inqusitor's messages about the south. nothing about magisters from other tevinter cities swooping in to "help" but really to cease more power in minrathous. no rich antivan merchants hiring private armies because the crows can't deal with the antaam. the only places that exist are the ones we get to visit and even there, the npcs aren't people, they're barely plot devices. they're set-dressing.

i think it's very telling that i've seen people talk about how their rooks would handle fame after the final battle, and others talking about how no one even knows who rook is after, because we don't get any indication either way. so little time is given to the larger context of where this all takes place, the main conflict is pretty much entirely removed from the rest of the world except when it's destroying a city. it just feels like you're operating in a vaccum tbh.

[jack-of-heartstrings]

OKAY SO... The actual theory I'm leaning toward is kind of a mix of the first two, that Marinette has taken measures to ensure he only has half his ring (or a full fake), most likely with Felix's help.

I think it'd make sense as a compromise with what they both ideally want and how deeply they both want to keep him safe for Felix to be keeping half somewhere safe and them to let Adrien have the other half so he is still carrying his own force of will just as much as if he had both. And I think that us not seeing an Amok wasn't just coincidence. And I don't think she would have taken any risk if she wasn't confident it would work; the hesitation seemed more like irrational fear she was wrong and needing to remind herself she knew it would be fine.

That said, to add a few other thoughts that friends and I were throwing around last night just for the speculation party.

As much as I think Felix would hate to do it, for Adrien's sake, I could see him begrudgingly helping Ladybug practice dealing with Amoks. That could involve double checking that a (different) amok put into two (different) rings wouldn't be released by breaking one + an empty copy of the other, I guess there's technically a case for "The Holder Sets The Limit" where she could have learned to break an object in such a way that it only releases what she wants it to? Doesn't feel likely, but not entirely outside the realm of possibility...

More fun theory: He was still Cat Noir when that happened, and the Black Cat specifically messes with the rules of the Peacock. We know when Sentis are Cataclysm'd, they "go out of control", and Kagami's line in Risk about "cut your strings" still feels like it could come into play someday. But he's been Cataclysm'd before, in Miraculer, and possibilities for that are basically: (1) Plagg is extra resistant to his own power, fully possible; (2) he was severed from his ties and free for 5 minutes but Ladybug "fixed" it, horribly hilarious but possible; or (3) Plagg just breaks the rules of how Peacock stuff should work entirely, or some mix of this and 1.

Alternative to the above: Being transformed AT ALL is temporary protection. Cat Noir is not Adrien. Marinette isn't Ladybug. Felix trying to bring Marinette back from the Red Moon power didn't work because Marinette didn't exist while Ladybug did.

Of course the main problem with the latter two theories is LADYBUG wouldn't know about that, and I still don't think she'd do it without being absolutely sure, but there's no reason there can't be multiple layers of stuff going on, and theorizing is fun, ehehe.

[crosshairs-dumb-pimp-gf]

Crosshair X Tahny -

Introduction I : An Analysis

The Disgrace AU takes place in a post fall of Kamino galaxy. No one really knows what their place is in the grand scheme of things and that goes double for these two. Crosshair meets Tahny on an ill fated transport headed back to her home world of Ga'hah. The story follows them as they try to safely navigate from point A to point B through explosions, smugglers, gangsters and jealous suitors all while trying to to gauge which one of them is worse and has the rougher lot in life. Turns out they may be two sides of the same coin.

Cross X Tahny come from the World of Disgrace!

Disgrace is a whirlwind romance novel masquerading as a high octane action adventure on some whole new worlds. Blaster fights, Speeder chases, Pod races, Hidden Temples and Daring rescues ahead! Welcome to the sex, drugs and rock and roll universe.

Read their story here!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

More Cross X Tahny Content:

A Summary

Clone Cash

Cuddle Puddle Part 1 - Part 2

True Forms

Mall Day

Crossovers-

Greek Demigods

Ferngully

The Spider and The Fly

Tahny vs Hunter-

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

(Note: Comics are Disgrace canon adjacent but exist more in the hypothetical. Their story isn't wrapped yet! We call these The Pabu Interludes and can be considered more like a back stage everything is fine type of universe.)

Tahny's Home World - (open for use in other fanworks)

Ga'hah Guidebook - Part I - Part II

-+Ship Vibe Playlist+-

Some of these tracks appear in the official Disgrace playlist but these are mostly vibes for the duo. This playlist is fun on shuffle but there is thought behind the set arrangement to keep from complete genre whiplash.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

@clonexocweek @feral-ferrule @vimse @kaytunez @substantial-exposure

[judesmoonbeauty]

Man or Monster?

Okie, so I've thinking about Vogel recently, and I've been curios as to how far Darius' ideoligies have affected the twins. If they have at all. This isn't really a theory, but more like thoughts I've been having, and I want to write them down so I can see things shape over time.

I do discuss event spoilers and mention Ellis route spoilers below, just FYI.

We still don't really know anything about them, but I've been curios as to whether the twins view themselves as humans or not.

Darius doesn't really seem to consider himself human due to being cursed, and what kind of got me started on this was thinking back to Nica's Wrapped event. Although I don't want to say too much because I'm no expert on Vogel, especially Darius, but.....

There is this scene in the premium end where Nica says "humans are foolish," so that just reminds me of Darius. And, if Nica doesn't consider himself to be a human, that would make sense to me because it's theorized that Darius may have been the twin savior, and I'm sure that they'd be inclined to listen to the thoughts and ideas of the one who saved them from their living hell as human experiments (if that's the case).

Which leads me to my next thought. If a curse can't exist in two people at the same time, then it could be said that one twin was cursed, and the other wasn't. Bring in the fact that genetic study was discovered in the 19th century and two little boys who may have be orphaned or sold are now in the hands of curious and greedy doctors and/or scientists.....Then we've got the perfect set up of one of the twins being made into a cursed host. Again, just a thought.

Another thought that I feel supports the fact that at least Nica doesn't consider himself to be human, is in one of his bond levels (to be translated), Nica is surprised that the MC takes his hand of her own accord and even mentions that to her. To me, that kind of just further proves the fact that he may view himself as a monster rather than a human, or at the very least someone worthless or undesirable.

Additionally, it's interesting to note (although I feel that it is trulyjust a coincidence), that in Ellis' MLE, there is a scene where the antagonist calls the Crown members monsters. This pisses Jude off a little bit and after he denounces the antagonist for their sins, Jude asks them "Who's the monster here?"

Of course, that's based loosely upon my summary of his route and not a thorough translation, so EN may use a different term. However, if they do use monster, then I think it's nice that we may now be delving further into the realm of what truly makes a monster a monster, and a man a man.

I mean, aren't we kind of exploring that very faint, underlying theme in each of the routes anyway? To me, none of the guys are monsters, but I feel like this would be a fun concept to explore in-game even more.

[princesseddiediazz]

Idea for a post-canon Destiel set up. It's long so bear with me but I'm never gonna write this but if someone else wants to or takes some inspiration from this-- feel free to do so. Castiel is saved from the Empty. One day, maybe a month after trying to get him back-- Jack just plops him into the Bunker. One little hiccup tho: Cas is human. Temporarily at least. Jack couldn't get Cas out of the Empty as is bc the entity had its hooks in him deep. And Jack thought the simplest thing to do was to cut Cas' grace out of him. You can't keep Castiel if he's a human. Jack plans to replace Cas' grace once he has a better grasp of his God Powers. Promises Cas will be extra-charged up eventually but for now, he'll have to remain human for the time being and has to chill with Sam and Dean in the bunker. And Dean's cool with that. He's been wanting Cas back for ages since the black goo swallowed him up. Only there's one problem that's screaming in Dean's head. He doesn't love Cas back.

Look, Dean cares about Cas so much. Cas is one of the most important people in the world to Dean and he wasn't gonna be able to live without Cas and function normally. That being said, that's just normal friendship stuff right? Or at least for their friendship it's normal to know that, had Cas been stuck in the Empty for eternity, Dean would have killed himself and eventually found a way to dismantle his soul. Because the thought of existence, even in death, without Cas in unbearable. BUT THAT'S NORMAL FOR FRIENDS TO FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT JUST FRIENDS! So Dean doesn't love Cas back and he's trying to be cool about it. Trying too hard to be casual about it. But it's fine enough. He cooks Cas food, they watch t.v, get updates on Jack about re-making Cas' grace, and Dean even makes Cas laugh and smile sometimes. So yeah, maybe Dean doesn't love Cas back but this might be enough. Right?

There's a hunt. Dean's hesitant on Cas going as a human but Cas says he was a soldier for a millennia, he'll be more than capable of handling his own in a fight. People are going missing and then being found weeks later, their bodies showing signs that before they died they were in deep distress. It's a monster Sam finds out tortures the victims mentally because it feeds off emotions. This one seems to feed off their victims feeling despair. Utter fucking despair. Great, Dean thinks. This will go fucking great. Cas gets caught so of course Dean goes after him. He's always gonna go after Cas. It's a shit show. They're tied up together and the monster can read human Cas' mind, no longer able to protect all his wants and desires with the shield that was his angel grace. The monster starts doing the cliche bad guy monologue and talks about it's seeing into Cas' mind and sees how badly he wants Dean.

Dean rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I already know pal. You're not gonna win this." Because it can't. It won't. Cas already confessed his unrequited love to Dean and yeah, it must hurt Cas to be reminded of it. But this isn't a secret. Dean knows and the monster can't use this against them right? (wrong. So very fucking wrong)

The monster keeps pushing, keeps revealing Cas' wants. His desires. "I'm surprised an angel's thoughts could be this sinful. Or is that why you're not an angel anymore?" it mocks. And look-- Dean's not shocked by Cas wanting sex with him. Because yeah, the guy's in love with him so Dean figured there was a good chance that Cas wanted to fuck him. And who could blame him? Dean knows he's a good looking guy and well-- he can't fault Cas for that. That's easy to understand. What's not easy to understand is what the monster continues to say. Says that's not even what Cas wants most from Dean. What could Cas want from Dean more than sex? Intimacy. Not just sexual intimacy but intimacy at its purest form. The monster says it's pathetic, Cas' thoughts. How Cas secretly cherishes every moment they touch. How he's felt selfish for liking when they hug after a dangerous fight and how he's reprimanded himself for even allowing himself to like those hugs. How when he heals Dean, it was something he hated himself for liking. How now he longs for those casual moments. A touch on the shoulder, feeling Dean brush by him in the doorway, a pat on the back, etc. How Cas has only been able to fall asleep some nights since becoming human when he pretends it's Dean he's holding in his arms and not a pillow. How he pretends he's watching over and protecting him because the highest honor he'd ever be given would be to watch over and hold Dean. How Cas thinks that if he had a heaven, it would be that.

The monster reveals all of this to Dean.

Cas' eyes are shining with tears. He's not looking at Dean. He's trying so hard to hold his emotions in, to keep them from spilling out but Dean's terrified. He's only seen Cas cry twice. Once from the confession and now. This is worse. Cas is humiliated. Heartbroken. Shattered. The monster's gotten what its wanted. Cas is broken and feeling nothing but pain. It starts feeding off him and Dean has no choice but to watch, still tied up. Sam saves the day just in the nick of time. The monster gets away. Sam unties them. Dean goes to check on Cas and Cas flinches away from him. He doesn't want Dean to touch him. Not now after Dean knows how much Cas craves the touch. It's too humiliating, too revealing. Dean tries to make things okay but it's not working. He thinks maybe Cas will get over it, that they'll go back to normal in a day or two. Weeks pass and Dean is going crazy. Cas and him have had no physical contact in ages. Not since before that monster humiliated Cas and then got away. Dean puts all his anger and hurt and every emotion he's feeling into hunting that son of a bitch down. he blames the monster for Cas ignoring him. It's not just that they've not had their usual causal touches, it's that Cas is completely different around him. No more movie nights. Tries to eat at different times than Dean-- going so far as to try and learn cooking for himself. Tells Dean he's busy when he wants to hang out. It's awful. Sam tells Dean he just needs to talk to Cas but god fucking dammit he's TRIED and Cas won't give him the time of day. It's like he's lost Cas all over again. Cas won't even look at him most days. Dean wants to cry over it but doesn't let himself think it. Dean wants to find that fucker who ruined his friendship bc none of this would be happening if that emotional bloodsucking dick hadn't revealed Cas' wants to feed off his despair. Dean spends days doing nothing but tracking that monster down and he does. He goes on a hunt alone. It goes poorly. Cas kills the monster and saves the day. Dean is injured. Not enough to warrant a hospital but he's in rough shape. Cas gets him to the motel. He's trying so hard to patch him up but without his powers he can't heal Dean the way he used to. He hates not being able to help Dean more. Hates seeing his face bruised and hearing Dean wince when he shifts in the motel bed he's laying down in. All he's been able to do is put on bandages and give him water. He asks Dean what he can do to help. What can he do that will have Dean feel better because Cas hates feeling useless. Dean looks at him from the bed and asks for one simple thing.

"Hold me"

Cas is hesitant. He doesn't know what to say, if he should even do it. Because is this a pity thing. But all his reluctance goes out the window when Dean says, "please". Weak and tired. And truly just wanting to be held. How could Cas say no? He's never been a strong angel man when it comes to Dean Winchester. So he gets into the bed and holds Dean. Dean cries. It all comes out now. The emotions he's been holding in since Cas got taken. Losing Cas the first time, the second time, third, forth, fifth--- and this distance that's come between them which has felt like losing Cas in another way. It all spills over and Dean just wants Cas closer to him. Impossibly closer but it doesn't stop him from holding him tighter. He tells Cas he wants this too. That he wants to be held. To hold Cas as well. To be with him. To be together. They're better together aren't they? He doesn't even know if Cas is in love with Dean anymore, it hasn't felt like it. Dean just wants his best friend back because he's missed him desperately. But if Cas wants him-- he's got him. He's got all of him forever and always. Eternity. Death won't separate them again. Dean doesn't want 'til death do us part'. Dean wants eternity with Cas, if Cas will have him.

[youcantcarryitwithyou]

The bar at Station 31 was constructed 30 years ago, well before Willa ever set foot on a base or thought about signing up for the academy. The Story goes that the maintenance crew at the time got tired of hoofing it into the nearest settlement to get a drink and then became extra tired of living in a dry camp when that settlement folded, swayed by the offers of government subsidies and bribery. By that point it was hard for anyone to turn down an all expense paid relocation to the stars when there was next to no money or means on the ground. Some of the Innu held out longer than others, used to self-reliance and the land. But sled dogs die and skidoos break down and coyote had eaten all the caribou ages ago. Why check empty traplines in snow squalls when some boy king billionaire would give your elected officials - and you - 1/4 of that wealth to start somewhere new?

So away they went and their trading post with them, and the bottles of alcohol they would order in special for the degenerate mole people working at Station 31. ("Mole People", Willa assumes, almost definitely began as an insult, either from the locals or - more likely- the higher ups, aeroengineers who wanted a condescending-but-funny way to refer to the grunts on the ground. By the time Willa was done her work term, it was as ubiquitous and inoffensive as the actual job description. They put in pamphlets.) Willa has been out to what's left of the settlement. When the sun isn't too hot and the drone of the black flies isn't too bad, it's tradition for summer rotation to hike out that way, spend a day walking in the shadow of empty husks, the windows and doors still mostly intact because there's no one around to break them, and the houses around here were built for the elements. People, they knew what it took to live here.

According to older mechanics like Barrow, the company caved on the dry camp order so as to avoid a full on mutiny. The station crew might have been small but they were still necessary, for a few decades longer, anyway. So an agreement was reached: the workers were allowed to build themselves a shanty bar, all plywood and bar board, more of a fancy shed, really, and stock it with what they saw fit, provided that the company took no responsibility in running it.

Was it up to code? Probably not. Did it follow regulation? Unlikely. But no health and safety inspector was making a trip all the way out to the tundra, and so long as they didn't have to pay anyone on paper to be an actual bartender, the company could pretend it didn't exist - because it didn't, on paper - and throw money around when that didn't work.

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