#or in case they might just be useful to anyone!

[rosiewitchescottage]

I get the thing about Holmes in the books is that he thinks differently to other people. He just can't fathom why they don't operate in the same as him. So he gets impatient with them.

I doubt that it makes him the best of company to most people Then Watson joins him, and they click!

He tells Watson specifically that he doesn't bother himself with finding out things that aren't connected with what he's working on.

He's got himself able to identify the exact tobacco smoked by anyone, just by the ash left behind.

Here's a man who likes to dive deep into chemistry, and the solving of crimes. He doesn't accept anything that might distract from his studies.

He has his moods that Watson has to learn to cope with, not to mention his drug addiction.

I don't doubt for a moment that Holmes is not an easy man to get close to.

But Watson is showing us that having got to know the man well, he thinks he's amazing.

Holmes, being Holmes, just doesn't get why Watson wastes so much time writing about him as a man!

He genuinely expected completely focused accounts of the details of each case.

Just started reading Sherlock Holmes and all the adaptations are wrong. This man is a delight. He gets excited about hemoglobin and is ecstatic at the thought of Watson as a roommate. He purposefully forgets how the solar system works so he has more room in his brain for crime. He shows Watson the dirt stains on his trousers and he can tell what part of London they come from based on color and consistency. (As far as i can tell Watson didn't ask, Sherlock just gets back from walks and tells Watson about the stains unprompted.) The text specifically says "Holmes was certainly not a difficult man to live with." Why does every adaptation make him unpleasant and rude, he's literally just eccentric. He's such a goober, I love him.

[darlingdaisyfarm]

What do u think dad!Ford would be like? 🥹

☆彡 Ford Pines as a dad :)

★ his past haunts him. Ford is hyper-aware of his own mistakes and he’s terrified of repeating them. if he gets snappy or distant, he always circles back to apologise to his kid. “i didn’t mean to upset you. im still learning how to be better at this.”

★ academic expectations aren’t a thing for him. Ford understands the pressure of being “the smart one” better than anyone, so he refuses to let his kid feel the same weight. they could be an artist, a gardener, or a professional bubble blower, he’ll support them 100%

★ awkward, deeply earnest. he’s the dad who gives his kid a PowerPoint presentation on how much he loves them or offers comfort by saying things like: “i believe your emotional pain is valid and deserves acknowledgment.” but he’ll also stay up all night building a model of the andromeda galaxy for their science fair because he wants them to feel supported

★ he loves teaching them. not in a pushy way, but because it brings him joy to share what he knows

★ he's willing to explain the same thing 20 times if they don’t understand it or sit through the same annoying kids’ movie on repeat because it makes them happy

★ paranoid protector. if you think Stan is overprotective, Ford is worse. he teaches his kid how to build a Faraday cage just in case someone tries to control their brainwaves

★ PROUD NERD DAD. he’s that parent. the one who builds overly complicated science projects for the school fair or accidentally intimidates the teacher by asking if the curriculum includes quantum mechanics

★ Ford has seen things. he’s fought interdimensional monsters and battled with Bill Cipher, so yeah, he’s terrified of his kid getting hurt.

“you can’t go to that sleepover. what if it’s a trap set by extradimensional entities?!”

“dad, it’s just Timmy’s house.”

“just Timmy’s house, you say? that’s exactly what Bill would want me to think!”

★ he gives his kid tracking devices disguised as bracelets and builds a mini forcefield generator for their room. It’s a lot, but it all boils down to one thing: he’s terrified of losing them, like he almost lost Stan

★ notes on the fridge with text “out of milk. also, don’t touch the glowing rock in the lab, it might be sentient.”

★ Ford doesn’t always know how to express affection, but he’s so proud of his kid. hes the guy clapping too loud at the school play, or awkwardly trying to high-six after a good report card

★ i have a feeling he'll insist on preparing the kid for every possible situation, from wilderness survival to escaping an alternate dimension. he turns a simple camping trip into an intense survivalist training session.

“so you see this? this is how you create a makeshift compass using only a magnet and some swamp water. now, repeat it back to me.”

“Dad, can we just roast marshmallows?”

★ Ford knows he’s made some very questionable choices in life. and he’s determined to steer his kid away from making the same mistakes. but he also knows that life isn’t meant to be lived in fear. so he tries to let his kid explore and make their own mistakes, even if it kills him to watch

★ he does these impressions of weird creatures he’s studied to make the kid laugh or making up ridiculous bedtime stories about interdimensional adventures

★ being genuinely interested in whatever the kid loves. they mention liking stars? he’s pulling out telescopes and teaching them how to navigate by constellations. they doodle in a notebook? he’s buying them every art supply and researching the history of visual storytelling

★ if the kid needs help with a project, he’ll spend hours (or days) going overboard. you’ll find him at 2 AM in his study, hunched over a model volcano, muttering about optimizing the lava flow

★ casually mentions his interdimensional adventures at dinner and the kid eats it up because, let’s face it, having a dad who’s basically Indiana Jones with extra trauma is awesome

★ he’s terrified of being a bad father, of not being enough, and that fear can make him distant at times. he overthinks every decision, convinced he’s going to mess it all up. what if he's too much like his father? what if he pushes his kid too hard? but the thing is, he cares, so much. and his kid knows it, even if Ford’s love is sometimes wrapped up in layers of self-doubt and fear

★ if anyone messes with his kid oh, they’re done. Ford may be a nerd, but he’s also a six-fingered genius who’s survived the multiverse. he’ll calmly dismantle anyone who threatens his family

★ Ford's bedtime stories start off like normal fairy tales, but somehow they end as “and so, the starfish rebuilt its missing limb, but it always remembered the one it lost. and it knew that even though it was whole again, some things leave scars you never see.” you’re sobbing. the kid’s sobbing. Ford’s eyes are suspiciously glassy as he kisses them on the forehead and mutters something about needing to adjust the humidity in the room.

★ bonus point if he’s reading his kid a bedtime story, he gets way too into it, doing all the voices and even sketching out illustrations

★ Ford may not be that emotional as his brother, except when it comes to his kid. their first stick-figure drawing? framed in his study. their macaroni art project? encased in glass because he’s convinced it’s a modern masterpiece

★ i think Ford is usually the patient parent. but one day, after hours of hearing “why can’t I do this? why am I not good enough?” from his kid, he loses it.

“you think you’re not good enough? do you know what I see when I look at you? i see someone braver than I ever was, smarter than I’ll ever be and kinder than this world deserves. you are my child, my greatest achievement and if I hear you doubt yourself again, so help me, I’ll—” and then he has to stop because both of them are crying and hugging

★ he insists on teaching the kid “important life skills,” but half the time it’s just him geeking out while the kid watches in awe/confusion “okay now, if you ever find yourself trapped in an alternate dimension, here’s how you build a rudimentary portal using only a toaster and three rubber bands.”

“. . . can you teach me how to ride a bike instead?”

“right. yes. of course. bikes.”

★ and he never stops learning. about his kid, about himself, about what it means to be a father. it’s not always easy, but Ford is nothing if not resilient

★ Ford’s idea of a trip is hiking through the woods with a map and an emergency beacon, dragging his kid along while pointing out flora and fauna. “see this plant? highly toxic. don’t touch it.”

★ his passion for research often pulls him away, but he doesn’t want to miss a thing. over time, he learns to put boundaries in place, to walk away from the lab when it’s time for dinner or to prioritize their soccer game over his latest discovery

[mellowwillowy]

Yan! Detective x GN Reader Overall just a fluff, outgoing yandere and it kinds of end with angst? Just a liiiiiiittle bit of angst, I promise.

Yan! Detective who was never not flirty with you, he either threw a harmless flirt in an attempt to woo you or cracked some joke to make you smile or giggle. You thought he was just an annoying perverted bastard but he begged to differ!

Yan! Detective who liked to frequent the donut shop you are working on, giving you the classic impression that anyone whose work that was related to the police department would always have a donut in their hand.

Yan! Detective who liked to tell you countless stories about how he solved countless cases, showing off to you just how smart he was and impressing you with countless magic tricks. He was a good, funny man at heart after spending months bonding with him.

Yan! Detective who started to see you longer, no longer just meeting you in the donut shop to order his usual but also waited for your shift to end. Thanks to him keeping an eye on you, your walk home felt safer from other creeps. You no longer had to worry about being pickpocketed.

Yan! Detective who started to familiarize himself with your home, started with an excuse of being thirsty, wanting to use the bathroom, and soon just... too tired to walk back to his flat, wanting to rest on your couch and stay for dinner. At least he helped with morning groceries and paid for his share.

Yan! Detective who sometimes could go missing for weeks or longer without news. As much as the two of you didn't have any established relationship, you couldn't help but feel unease when he was gone for a long period of time.

Yan! Detective who would then just appear out of nowhere as usual, ordering his usual and chatting with you as usual that it sometimes unnerved you. He wouldn't answer you directly and only gave you a vague answer that he was busy working as a detective.

Yan! Detective who was then caught off guard by your love confession. He did try to pursue you romantically but he had never expected his feelings to be returned anymore. He was content with just watching over you and driving off potential suitors just because he didn't want any distance between you two.

Stephen knew this wouldn't last long in a bad way but you really caught him off guard, demanding him to finally up his game and commit himself to you. Truth be told, he was a coward as much as he was a bastard, trying to manipulate your attention and time. How could someone so endearing like you not notice it? Maybe that's what drove him to fall for you.

Yan! Detective who reciprocated your feelings, reassuring you that he wasn't just playing around with you. He had always been dead serious with his feelings for you even if it looked like he was just treating you as a fling most times. No. He would never just lay down on your couch and feel right at home. He would never just cook and eat dinner with you. He could never just sleep without nightmares creeping up on him if not for the fact that he was in your home. Home. You were his home.

Yan! Detective who for the first time shed a tear after years of living in hollowness. Maybe he did tear up years ago when he was betrayed by his lover. Maybe he did tear up when he realized he could never solve the case he entrusted himself with. Did he even cry when he was dishonorably discharged years ago? Maybe he did only cry once back then but he wasn't sure what was the reason.

Yan! Detective who was grateful those scandals never reached your ears. He was grateful that you would still look at him with the same warmth years ago. He didn't want to see your face scrunched in fear, disgust, or anything unpleasant. He was scared that you might see him in a lesser light.

Stephen moved in with you with a suitcase of lies and uncertainty, in the end, he never told you about his past. Not even a bit. The most he could tell you was perhaps only the fact that he was dishonorably discharged but never would it be his past. He was a man of many secrets and he hoped you would accept him even when he was lacking.

He was scared that he might one day hurt you if you rejected him. Maybe the most he would just lock you up but what if his past crept into him and ruined you? He'd rather ruin others and himself than you. Please do not ever try to dig what's underneath his smile, even if it mostly never reaches his eyes.

His eyes were on you and he could guarantee that.

Yan! Detective who would live forever with you. Beyond and so on. He hoped nothing bad would happen to you.

And he forgot to hope nothing bad would happen to him. In December 1981, Stephen left you with a smile that reached his eyes. He promised you that he would marry you, either legally or illegally if the court refused to acknowledge the two of you, if he returned.

You didn't send him off, he didn't let you. He was a man of many secrets until the very end. But even so, until the very end, the ring on your ring finger drove suitors off. You were his, both in life and death and he was satisfied that he didn't ruin you in the end. Just perhaps ruined your romance life.

Read the original story on webtoon!

[goldenhickeysandramen]

Jimin & Jungkook in 2023 – What Makes Them Special?

We've seen a lot of threads about Jimin and Jungkook lately, talking about their lives, sexualities, personalities, relationships, and everything else.

But let’s be real: no matter your stance, their bond is undeniably special—way deeper than just "friends."

It’s always been unique, but 2023 put them under a microscope (of anties, especially). But even then, they did things that screamed "DIFFERENT", pointing to a much deeper emotional connection—one that stands apart.

Let's see...

Jungkook’s ALL-IN Support for Jimin’s Album

Let’s talk about how Jungkook went out of his way to hype Jimin’s first personal album.

This is different cause … he DIDN’T DO THE SAME for anyone else

NOT visiting anyone else’s rehearsals while being recorded,

NOT reacting to their content in VLives,

NOT jumping onto his live streams, and

NOT publicly congratulating anyone else on Weverse, or commenting his related posts

Not saying he wasn’t supportive of the other members (he totally was), but the energy was different. This wasn’t OT7 vibes; this was “Jimin-first” energy.

The member who has supported Jimin the most in Ch2 is Jungkook…….as well as Jungkook is the member that Jimin has always needed to praise the most…

2. Jungkook openly saying he missed Jimin and wanted to spend time with him. FINALLY!

It’s funny how some antis claim the car conversation proves they weren’t seeing each other, even though we literally saw them together at Yoongi’s concert just two weeks earlier.

Plus, AYS was planned way back in April (or even earlier)!

If anything, that convo actually shows how much Jungkook wanted to spend more time with Jimin doing something different (remember the whole thing started because Jimin mentioned they hadn’t travelled together in ages).

And Jimin knew about it and that’s why maybe he always took some time to drop sweet, loving messages for Jungkook during his VLives.

Jungkook not only expressed this longing with his actions but also directly said it on Weverse, making sure both Jimin and fans understood just how much he missed him. No beating around the bush, no subtle hints—he wanted to spend time with him.

Even if we take the car convo literally and assume they didn’t see each other much early in 2023, here’s what haters ignore: they FIXED it.

Jimin suggested a trip, Jungkook was all in, and they didn’t just go once—they went three times. Jungkook’s “FINALLY” wasn’t random; it was relief.

They made it work, spent the rest of the year together, and BEYOND

3. Choosing to do a travel show together and including a visit to Tokyo

This says a lot about their intentions. At first glance, these trips might seem not relevant compared to “others,” as many would dismiss them as purely work-related. But we all saw that wasn’t the case.

With their solo projects already winning hearts, these trips weren’t needed for promotion. Plus, they could have used that time to record more things on their own, as other members did.

But nah, despite their busy schedules, they took three trips, the best on of their lifes, and planned activities the other would love, and simply made time to be together (FINALLY!☺️) and shared that joy with us.

They even spent private moments in the US, Jeju Island (if we count the night before 😉) and in Tokyo, a meaningful place for them, and spent their last days together before enlisting.

Jungkook did also travel to Busan & Jeju with friends, to Japan with Eunwoo or to skiing with Tae & his friends, especially at the beginning of the year, when he had more free time.

The fact that most of these trips revolved around fun physical activities or enjoying food doesn’t seem like a coincidence—after all, this is Jungkook we’re talking about! 😊

These outings were casual, open, and far from secretive or overly intimate. Jungkook shared bits about them openly.

4. Prioritizing Time Together

Whether it was traveling, working, or just chilling, Jimin and Jungkook made each other a priority in 2023. They could’ve easily done other things, but nah—they chose each other. And they told us.

5. Spending the night together

Okay, this might not sound like a big deal... until you think about when it happened. Like the night before Jeju.

Jungkook was fresh off a third US trip that month and must’ve been EXHAUSTED. There was no reason for them to spend that night together since they were going to be glued the next three days—except for wanting to share a private moment before the trip began, since Tae became a last-minute special guest.

6. Shared Domestic Vibes

Jungkook cooking for Jimin, making sure he eats well, and knowing all the little things about each other? That was COUPLE energy!

Inside jokes, fave meals, random daily updates—they know it all. Considering the members haven’t lived together since like 2020, it says a lot.

7. Not being bothered when fans drop hints that clearly suggest a romantic connection.

They’ve never shied away

8. Flirting online

Because YES, THIS HAPPENED. If you know, you know. 👀

9. Enlisting together

What more can be said about their choice of the buddy system? They chose to go through this big, life-changing moment TOGETHER.

10. Being Each Other’s Daily Constant

And making it clear, in both big and small ways, that they are an integral part of each other’s daily lives, challenging the narrative pushed by their most toxic fans.

Like Jungkook casually sharing in his last Vlive that he's with Jimin (every day)—they see e/o after his cooking duties or even in the shower (!)—and Jimin constantly showing how important Jungkook is to him.

What some call “name-dropping” is just them being honest about how much they mean to each other.

Stuff like plushies, bathroom selfies, or confirmation because of an fan's artwork pushed by a restaurant’s owner trying to make a buck are just silly theories— Let’s be real… Claims about their sexuality or relationships in 2023, blurry videos, or IG posts by random people are just baseless speculation.

And EVEN if some of the rumors out there did hold some truth, they wouldn’t change, NEVER, Jimin and Jungkook’s obvious REAL LOVE and emotional dependece we can all see —clear and undeniable.

[abbyfmc]

Yandere Story idea #34:

I said it before and i will said it again.

I love the yandere emperor figure, so here's my new idea.

A yandere emperor whose empress (you) has died. A yandere is rarely explored in the middle of a duel, and this one even less so. A yandere emperor would be pretty devastated by your departure, to the point of not being able to bear the sight of your cold body in said coffin himself.

Emperors are always seen as frivolous, strong or imposing figures who do not openly show their feelings; however, I believe that this would not be the case.

The yandere emperor will cry heartbroken in private.

Or probably the yandere emperor will cry his eyes out in public too, which would surprise many.

If by chance you died in front of him or in his arms, he will not want to let you go until someone can persuade him or get him off of you.

Of course, he will make funeral arrangements for you. The most beautiful ones you could ever imagine and during this event, he will not leave your coffin for a single moment.

The Yandere Emperor would force everyone to mourn you. From other royal members of the court, to common servants and subjects.

Even your grave would be the most beautiful.

The yandere emperor would be able to cremate you and have your ashes in a vase in his chambers.

No, no one but him and a few servants could enter your chambers. Not even your family of origin.

He would make your chambers a shrine in your name. There he would worship you and perform ancestral rites depending on his religion.

He will surely execute the doctors for not treating you well.

He will treasure every letter, piece of clothing, gift or whatever you left behind. From the coat you gave him to the last painting you made.

The Yandere Emperor may take refuge in alcohol as an escape from his reality. For him, there is no point in staying in this one if you are no longer there.

The Yandere Emperor wouldn't accept ANYONE in the court speaking ill of you after your death.

Every time the Yandere Emperor talks about you to someone else, he will rave about you. You could say that he will also mention how beautiful his relationship with you was (beautiful from his point of view).

Even if he marries another empress or consort, the yandere emperor knows that she will never come close to matching you.

If the Yandere Emperor finds out that your death was not a coincidence, but a murder, then he will search for the culprit and make him pay in blood for what he did to you.

Many empresses and queens throughout history have died during, just after or days after labour. If this were the case, there could be two scenarios: * The Yandere Emperor may feel hatred towards the baby, in case he thinks that you died because of the prince/princess. * The yandere emperor may want that baby and perhaps love it or want it, since it is the only thing that reminds him of you and of course, the last thing of yours that you left him before passing away.

The Yandere Emperor, not accepting this harsh reality, might be capable of using witchcraft in order to be reunited with you.

It may be with the aim of reuniting with you in the afterlife, or it may be so that your spirit remains on the earthly plane where he is. This would not let you rest in peace.

So, here's my idea:

Yandere Emperor can´t accept your death and he resorts to witchcraft to keep your soul so that you can feel close to him again. This would be tragic if you wanted to die to escape from him.

[catboybiologist]

Do you see a future where we can give a trans person a shot and have their body start making the correct sex hormones (eg testes change to make E, or ovaries change to make T)? How far off? What things need to be accomplished to achieve it, and what tools do we already have?

Disclaimer that none of this is gonna be all that scientifically robust, the terms used are gonna be descriptive rather than technical, and that I'm just woke up and these are the ravings of a woman gone mad.

A single shot is ambitious, but I could see a course of several months or a couple years that, after those several months, lasts a lifetime.

How far off? I mean, wildly dependent on funding and focus. Unfortunately, nothing related to trans healthcare is gonna see a serious push I would think. With an actual, serious push, I would give it a few decades of research (if that)(this is blisteringly fast btw) until it's punted over to the FDA. At that point it's outside of my knowledge to know how far things would move forward.

But honestly, it's part politics, part luck of the draw on what people research and push forward. Might happen in our lifetime, but don't hold your breath. Research is grindingly slow.

This is mostly based around the possibility of inducing transdifferentiation. Tldr:

-stem cells are exciting bc they can become any cell type. They haven't "locked in" their cell fate yet.

-most research on cellular differentiation centers around deprogrammed differentiated cells, reverting them to stem cells, and then reprogramming them into something else. The deprogramming is actually well studied (shoutout Yamanaka factors) but I don't see something like this reaching a medicinal, in vivo use soon.

-in extremely rare and induced cases, however, you can force a fully differentiated cell type to become another fully differentiated cell type *without* that intermediate. This is likely way easier to pull off in vivo, even though the initial molecular triggers are much, much rarer and more difficult to study.

Which brings us to the two theoretical dots that we can use here: prostatic metioplasias as a result of testosterone (for transmascs) and the role of DMRT1 for transfemmes.

Broad tldr of each of these points:

-there was a study that studied vaginal lining of transmascs who had been on T for several years and gotten hysterectomies. They found some prostate tissue intercalating the vagina.

-removal of a particular gene (DMRT1) allowed testes to slowly become ovarian tissue and produce estrogens. This gene is responsible for maintaining testes cell fate- keeping the lock, locked.

Neither of these provides a direct basis for actual medication. They show avenues for what will work, however. What's necessary here is to understand the upstream signals that control the expression of genes like DMRT1, which can then be exploited to force expression or stop expression in vivo, in a human.

Basically, the way transdifferentiation would work here is blasting the appropriate cells with enough of these signals, over enough time to ensure that everything actually undergoes TD, to reprogram everything you want to reprogram.

(yes, I know about the crispr transfemme who targeted DMRT1. No, I don't think that's real. I've posted about that before.)

You don't have to bother reading these, but here's the primary sources I'm talking about for anyone interested:

[sillylittlerock]

ty for the tag!!!

Last song -> drunk walk home by mitski! the screams at the end 😩

Favourite colour -> purple <3333

Last book -> last one i finished was dark places by gillian flynn (3.5 stars) and i'm currently reading powerless by lauren roberts, i'm 200 pages in and its currently on 3 stars, it's fun but kinda cringe sometimes lmao

Last tv show -> jentry chau vs the underworld, i only watched one episode but its so fun so far! the last show i finished (?) is bbc's the traitors. idk if it counts as finished because its still ongoing but i'm up to date and LOVING IT

Last movie -> hairspray!!! one of my favourite films, its so much fun and the songs go soooo hard

Sweet / spicy / savoury -> savoury for sure

Last thing i searched for online -> the zodiac killer... i watched a documentary on the case on youtube and i always google the cases i watch afterwards to see if there are any updates

Current obsession -> bbc's the traitors! my favourite way to start the year, it's soo good and addictive, and even though i've gotten veryy emotional over it this year i still adore it and think about it constantlyy. i might rewatch s2 when s3 is over lmaoo. if you haven't watched it WATCH IT i promise you won't regret it (uk version pleaseee the us one just doesn't hit the same)

Looking forward to -> the rest of traitors s3 and getting the teaser for stranger things s5

tagging @bigcityboooks @pansexualdisasterrr and anyone else who wants to joinnn

thank you @cowboycart3r for the tag <3

Ten people I'd like to know better

Last song: talk too much by reneé rapp

Favorite color: i've been saying blue my whole life but honestly i love pink and purple a lot as well. i am truly bisexual

Last book: oh boy an actual book....uh...probably the last heartstopper lol. but i read most days! it's just not books ksdfjndsf

Last movie: i watched carry on last night

Last TV show: currently on the 5th season of the handmaid's tale. it's a visually stunning show but goddamn it's scary how not that dystopian it feels

Sweet/spicy/savory: all of them lol but i do have a raging sweet tooth

Last thing I searched for online: sterling pound to canadian dollar conversion dsfkjbdsf

Current obsession: i don't think i really have an obsession right now to be honest. unless 911/buddie still counts even tho it's been 2.5 years since the brainrot started lol

Looking forward to: seeing where things go with this guy i'm dating dslkjndfdfs

tagging <3 @lightasthesun @bellamyblakru @exhuastedpigeon @bradleysass @maygrantgf and anyone who wants to do this

[venomwrites]

Caitlyn wakes alone.

The nightmares are completely understandable. Vi is an almost militaristic sleeper. She focuses her breathing and sinks away in intervals that seem horribly short. Every so often exhaustion wins though. Usually when they are tangled together, when she has Vi tucked into her arms and Vi feel safe. Everything should be alright then. Sometimes it is. A lot of time it isn’t. Caitlyn knew that would be the case, but in the quiet moments when she wakes up like this she does have to fight the bitterness of failure. Vi’s embrace makes her feel impossibly safe. Caitlyn sleeps like a rock when she is wrapped in it. Nothing can get her there, not even in her own head. She hates the fact that her own embrace cannot do the same for Vi. Vi who deserves comfort more than anyone. 

Caitlyn rises and knots her robe. She finds Vi’s robe and her slippers. Just in case she slips the skeleton key into her pocket and makes her way out of their bedroom. The house is silent at this time of night. Or morning. Caitlyn isn’t certain which. Only that the moon is bright in the sky and it’s just a few people around for the night shift. They perk up when they see her but Caitlyn waves them back into casualty. There are no secrets here. Not anymore. Certainly not right now. The one at his post has already summoned the elevator for her. Caitlyn can see the key ring is still on his belt which is an improvement. She nods at him and steps inside, letting the box take her down to the bowels of the manor. She went years without ever setting foot in this place. For years she was terrified of it, convinced it was haunted. Now it’s scarcely a week in between her visits. And that is an improvement from when it was a near daily thing. 

The elevator drops her off and she steps out, acknowledging her younger self might have been right after all. 

It is haunted. 

The ghost prefers the most haunted cell. As any respectable ghost would. One glance tells her valuable information. Information she needs, but information that guts her none the less. She’s wedged in the corner, arms and legs drawn up. Her arms are tucked against her chest in a survival tactic. Preserve heat the vital organs. She’s got her arms crossed though and her fingers are digging into the material on her thighs. There’s no blood on the walls, but Caitlyn’s fingers ache in sympathy for the death grip she has on her pajama pants. Even though everything in Caitlyn shouts to open the door and run in, she knows that is not what the ghost needs right now. That’s not how she banishes this ghost. When she takes the key out, it’s only to tap it firmly against the bars. The ghost stiffens and Caitlyn forces her voice to be steady. 

“Inmate 516, it’s time,” she says. 

It’s sick that it’s automatic. 

Caitlyn thinks that helplessly every time they do this. She has screamed Vi’s name. Vi, Violet, love, darling—none of them get through the panic. Not when it’s true panic. Not when it’s like this. Her desperation does not register over Vi’s own. Her calm does. Vi’s prisoner number registers before her own name. Caitlyn has to remind herself this is normal. This was her life for ten years. It’s been ingrained and beaten into her to the point of second nature. Inmate 516 means she is with someone who is neutral. Pink means she’s with someone who might hurt her. Vi is somewhere else. Caitlyn hopes it’s somewhere protected. Just as much as she hopes one day this will be nothing more than a joke that passes between them. But right now it’s painfully real. Right now she watches Vi unfold herself and position herself in the same corner. So she can use it as leverage if she’s misjudged the situation. If Inmate becomes Pink. She can fight back more ways in the corner because she can get her feet under her. Because that sick Warden used to love dragging her up the wall. 

Caitlyn slips the key in and sighs when she realizes the door isn’t even fully closed. She watches as Vi’s shoulders soften. Her fist curls against the wall as her face turns red with embarrassment. Caitlyn barely remembers to prop the door open as she crosses the space as Vi crumbles. Inmate 516 falls away to the embarrassed woman Caitlyn loves and aches for with every fibre of her being. Vi resists for a moment before she falls into Caitlyn’s embrace. She’s flushed and sweaty and somehow also clammy. All the contradictions, all Vi. Caitlyn drags her close and wraps her robe around her shoulders, blanketing the bundle of Vi in her arms. She steers them over to the bed against the wall and drags Vi onto it. Vi only goes because she pulls her to it. Caitlyn has learned trying to get them to the main house is also not what is needed here. So she makes sure the bed has a proper mattress and sheets. And even then Vi will only go there if she pulls her. 

“Sorry,” Vi whispers. 

“Don’t be,” Caitlyn says.

“I made you get out of bed,” Vi mumbles.

“We’re still in bed,” Caitlyn counters, “I’m not even out of my pajamas.”

That at least gets something like a smile from Vi. She tucks her feet under Caitlyn’s thigh and that feels even more like a victory. Any indication the Vi she knows and loves is thinking about herself is a victory. Even something as minor as trying to get her feet warm. It’s another indication they will both be able to walk out of this cell. Even though Caitlyn knows they will, there’s some part of her that fears they won’t. Not when she finds Vi here tucked against the wall and only responding to the number. In the worst nights Caitlyn has to start a standard search just to get close to Vi. She’s never made it completely through the process before Vi relaxes, but it’s come close. Caitlyn clings to the fact that Vi always comes back. Each time she wills herself back. Most of the time it gets a bit easier but not always. Tonight is not a good night overall, Vi is already tucking in her toes. The blush is easing from her cheeks. They are sitting on the bed. Caitlyn does not have to coax her in the same way she sometimes does.  

Promise me you won’t change. 

Each time the plea echoes in Caitlyn’s mind. At the time she thought it was because of Vi’s fears with how much had changed. Sometimes she thought it was because of how she was changing. But now when she looks back, she thinks her instinct was right. Change is at the root of Vi’s trauma. Which makes Caitlyn sick when she thinks about it. It’s a textbook torture tactic. You don’t let the prisoner predict what is going to happen, you don’t let them develop a routine. It’s hard to reconcile how much torture Vi has been subject to with the woman curling her toes under her thigh. The fact that Vi chooses to participate in the world at all is the most humbling thing Caitlyn has ever seen. And Caitlyn has witnessed magic reshaping the world. Vi sighs and peers up at her through her lashes and Caitlyn tries to smile back at her, but she can feel tears stinging at her eyes. 

“I’m glad it wasn’t too bad tonight,” Caitlyn whispers, afraid to break the silence between them, “shall we sleep here?”

Vi nods slightly, just enough for Caitlyn to see the request. It’s so strange to think this is better, but she’s learning better is a relative term. Vi is letting her stay, which is the biggest thing. And she’s crawling under the covers with her, another monumental win. Caitlyn gently wraps her arms around Vi, pulling her close. It hasn’t been that long. Vi shrugs out of the shoulder of her robe, pushing closer to the sleeve of Caitlyn’s. Caitlyn picks up on the silent request and pushes Vi's robe down. Vi favors the bulky, fluffy garment while Caitlyn has always found robes like that too heavy. But she lingers in the hot water and Vi has not yet learned to trust it is not going to run out. She kicks the robe to the far side of the bed so she can embrace Vi fully. This is for Vi but Caitlyn finds she needs to feel her relax as she comes back from the nightmares and panic that drive her to this place. She can feel it like a spring uncoiling as Vi’s shoulders soften and and her head shifts against Caitlyn’s arm. 

“I dreamed about the early days,” she says finally, “when they put me in with everyone,” she swallows tightly, “it was so bright and loud—“ she trails off, “I thought I wasn’t fast enough again. Thought it worked this time.”

Caitlyn feels her muscles tense against her hand and strokes her thumb over the ribbed tank Vi wears to bed. When she gave her the Shimmer she healed the wound Sevika dealt. But at the time she hadn’t realized there was an even more devastating scar there. One from a sharpened bit of metal, plunged into the belly of a child because they looked like an easy target. The knot of scar is gone, skin knitted back together by Shimmer. But Caitlyn knows the memory is still there. The report in her file detailed it vaguely but Vi had confessed how terrifying it was. How alone she felt. How confused. Even though she had thought she was strong, within a week she learned she wasn’t. Not really. Not compared to the monsters in Stillwater Hold. All Caitlyn can do is hold and soothe and try to make it safe for Vi to confess these things. Like this early, terrifying brush with death. Caitlyn was scraping her knees when she was fourteen and Vi was getting stabbed. 

Often their lives feel so impossibly different, but somehow they have found each other. They fit together like puzzle pieces in a way she cannot quite wrap her head around. Vi needs a cell to learn how to leave, Caitlyn has a cell. Caitlyn needs to relearn to trust, Vi is impossibly steady.

“It didn’t,” Caitlyn says, rubbing over the skin, “we’re here.”

“Yeah,” Vi whispers, shifting her head against her arm, “sorry about this.”

Caitlyn shakes her head, not wanting to open the apology into a discussion. There are some days when Vi can debate anything about it being her fault. Even though Caitlyn wants to say that she shouldn’t apologize, she knows that will open a debate they shouldn’t get into. None of this is Vi’s fault. Instead she just tightens her arms around her and presses a kiss to where her neck and shoulder meet. Vi sighs softly and her eyes start to flutter closed. Caitlyn tries to exaggerate her breathing so Vi follows the rhythm. Slowly her eyes close completely and her breathing evens out. Caitlyn watches her features soften in sleep. It’s taken a while for Vi to remove her makeup before bed, to accept she will not be woken by anything but her own head. Without the makeup she looks impossibly younger. Too young for prison, even though Caitlyn knows that’s not logical. Caitlyn nuzzles into the short hairs on Vi’s head and closes her eyes. Just for a moment. Then she’ll go back to making sure Vi is alright. 

She wakes to Vi’s hand on her shoulder.

Caitlyn jerks awake, looking up to see Vi perching on the edge of the bed. She’s got two mugs in her hands. She looks well rested. Caitlyn realizes she feels well rested too. Instead of smiling she frowns and pushes herself up, looking around for any indication of the time. Of course there isn’t one. They are well below the earth’s surface. Vi smiles at her confusion and pushes the mug at her. Caitlyn sits up and takes the mug from her. Vi makes the perfect cup of tea. Right down to it always being the perfect temperature. She takes a sip and leans against the wall. Vi climbs onto the bed to join her. 

“Do I want to know what time it is?” Caitlyn ventures. 

“Nah,” Vi says with a shake of her head, “we needed the rest.”

Caitlyn smiles into the tea. Vi bumps their shoulders together as she sits next to her against the wall. She fits their sides together as they sit on the bed and look at the cell. Caitlyn is used to considering her nightmares in the morning, but she has no notion if it is even still morning. She doubts it, considering how well rested she feels and how well rested Vi looks. She feels relieved that Vi slipped out of the cell to get tea, even if it means she was in the cell alone without even realizing it. She looks out at the other corners of the cell before focusing back on Vi. 

“You came back quickly,” she says. 

“It’s getting easier,” Vi agrees quickly. Caitlyn looks at her and she wilts a little, “sometimes.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Caitlyn says, settling her hand on Vi’s knee, “I told you, we’re still at home. In our pajamas,” she squeezes her knee, “we can sleep wherever you need.”

“Thanks,” Vi says, though something shadows her eyes, “but you had to get up,” she finally meets Caitlyn’s gaze, “you need to rest.”

“We both do,” Caitlyn says.

Vi smiles at her and leans back against the wall. Caitlyn takes another sip of tea. She tries to focus on the moment but her head spins with everything she has to do. Everything she’s probably fallen behind on. She has more that she needs to do. She glances over at the bars and sighs when she sees that the door is closed. Vi’s slippers are on her feet. She looks from the door to Vi who is drinking from her mug. There’s no panic on her face, which is a good sign. But from this angle Caitlyn can see there is no skeleton key in the lock. She quirks her eyebrow at Vi who takes another drink of tea and quirks her own eyebrow back. 

“You know this is a horrible excuse, right?” Caitlyn asks. Vi nods, “do you at least have the key?”

Vi smiles though they both know the answer to that question. Of course she has the key. But Caitlyn knows she’s not going to get it from her easily. Not when Vi has deemed her needing rest. It’s aggravating and endearing in equal measure. Even though she knows that she has a point. Caitlyn rests the mug on her leg and lets her head fall to Vi’s shoulder. Her robe is still bunched under the sheets but Caitlyn loves the feel of her bare skin. Vi props up her knee and raises her shoulder to ease their height difference. 

“You know I used to be convinced this place was haunted,” Caitlyn offers.

“Really?” Vi says, “why?”

“No windows, one exit,” she shrugs, “my mother also forbid me from coming down here.”

“Was that before you had your forbidden girlfriend down here?” Vi teases lightly. 

“Nothing’s forbidden anymore,” Caitlyn replies, “it’s my house.”

Vi makes a noise in the back of her throat. Caitlyn looks up at the underside of her chin as Vi catches her eye. Even without her usual makeup, Vi is devastatingly lovely. She always has been. But there’s something about the new softness in her cheeks and the lack of shadows under her eyes that makes her even more beautiful to Caitlyn. Especially when there’s something mischievous building in Vi’s eyes. Caitlyn shoots her a questioning look and feels a shiver of delight when Vi hears her without a word. 

“It’s your house,” she says, “but I have the key.”

Caitlyn feels something warm in her belly that has nothing to do with the tea. Rather it has everything to do with the fact that Vi fucked her senseless against the wall a few feet from them. Vi’s smart enough not to tuck Caitlyn on the same side as the key, but that doesn’t stop Caitlyn from shift closer, turning her head towards Vi’s neck and sighing with her tea-warmed breath. She watches as Vi shivers in a way that has nothing to do with the cold as Caitlyn’s breath skirts down her shirt. Caitlyn shifts her cheek so her lips just lightly touch the skin by the strap of Vi’s tank. 

“I’m not just giving it to you,” she whispers roughly. 

“Never,” Caitlyn agrees, pressing her lips to the smooth expanse of Vi’s skin as she hitches her leg over and seats herself in Vi’s lap. She takes another sip of tea as the muscles in Vi’s neck go taut, “I wouldn’t waste this perfect cup of tea—“

Both of the mugs clatter to the ground as Vi cradles her head and lays her on the bed. Because of course Vi has chosen two of the metal mugs she’s brought back from Zaun. The ones she always favors no matter where they wake up in the house. They keep the tea warmer than any of the fine china Caitlyn has been drinking from her entire life. Caitlyn kisses her deeply. 

Vi tastes like tea and hope and the last echoes of Caitlyn’s teasing laugh. 

It’s Caitlyn’s favorite taste. 

[profoundbondfanfic]

One Night in Paradise

One Night in Paradise by Alicethrutheburrows Rating: Explicit Word count: 16k

Twenty dead men. Twenty and counting. Whatever it is, it’s not going to stop until Castiel sinks a blade, blessed dagger, wooden stake dipped in thousand-year-old-witch’s blood, or whatever the fuck it takes to kill the damn thing into it. Running out of options, Castiel shoots his shot in the dark and takes a chance on finding the monster slaughtering unsuspecting men. Following his hunter instincts, he meets a beautiful, freckled face, green-eyed heart stopper named Dean. Only despite setting off all his hunter warning bells, Dean appears to be nothing Castiel had assumed. Hunger. Dean’s unfortunate life companion; always there simmering just beneath the surface. He only eats when necessary and follows strict rules in order to keep him safe. At least he did until he threw them out the window for a pair of striking blue eyes and thick thighs. When Dean wises up and discovers Cas is a hunter, he all but knows his ticket is punched. Yet, nothing is as it seems and they end up sharing a bed rather than blows; a night in paradise. Is it truly goodbye after one perfect night or are their fates destined to be intertwined?

There’s just something about “reverse verse” that is so appealing. And this fic does the trope justice in every single way.

You have Cas, a lonely hunter who ends up following a case that has been impossible to solve until now. As soon as he meets Dean, his hunter instincts tell him Dean is no ordinary man and that Castiel should be careful with him. Castiel, however, seems helpless to resist Dean.

Then there’s Dean, used to drifting from one town to another, never letting anyone get too close in fear that they will find out what he truly is. He’s used to giving, but actually getting affection doesn’t happen at all, so when he first sees Cas, alluring, gentle, handsome Cas, Dean doesn’t want to listen all the warning bells that tell him that he might be walking right into his own death.

And as they share for the first time small but intimate things like taking a shower together, they end up having a night that will change their lives completely.

[destielaureversebb]

Coming soon for the @destielaureversebb: “Classified Unexplained Phenomena (Type B)” 

Author: allthismusic @folkbloodbaths Artist: @bucketofli

Rating: Mature Archive warnings: None Length: 13,000 words Tags:  Ranger!Dean/Researcher!Cas, Sort-of Case Fic, I'm Not Saying It Was Aliens But It Was Aliens Relationships: Dean/Castiel

Summary:  Dean doesn’t expect anyone to believe that he saw a UFO. Hell, he wouldn’t believe it either if he hadn’t seen one when he was just a kid. On the other hand, one not-so-close encounter with the third kind doesn’t mean he isn’t fit to do his job, so he’s not thrilled about being slapped with desk duty for it. But when it turns out there’s more to his new officemate, Castiel, than an inability to organize his filing cabinets, Dean thinks that this might be his chance to finally get some answers. 

Excerpt: 

“X-files,” Dean says. 

“Well, we don’t call them X-files,” Cas says, “This isn’t a TV show. They’re officially categorized as ‘Classified Unexplained Phenomena, type B, documents” but—” 

“Oh, well,” Dean says. Then he shakes his head. “You’re screwing with me,” he says. He kicks himself mentally for not realizing it sooner. Someone at the department’s idea of a joke. But Cas just stares at him, not like he’s been caught abetting a prank, but like he’s waiting for something to click. 

Dean looks at the pile of folders on his own desk, which he could’ve just as easily spent hours sifting through in his usual office, if Bobby hadn’t insisted he do so here. He looks back at the file on Cas’s desk. Something clicks. 

“Classified Unexplained…” he begins slowly. 

“Phenomena, type B, documents.” Cas completes it for him. “Type A documents are connected to a crime. I don’t have access to those.” 

“And type B documents are—” Dean prompts.

“Sightings, encounters,” Cas says, and waves a hand as if to demonstrate the broad range of things the designation could encompass. 

“And you do, what, investigate them?” 

“Evaluate them,” Cas explains. “I used to teach journalism at the college.” 

“Were you interviewing aliens?” Dean asks. He shoves some papers out of the way and leans against the edge of Cas’s desk. 

“My research focus was on the reliability of sources,” Cas says, looking up at Dean. “Especially sources who were making claims that were particularly out of the ordinary.” 

“So, the weirdos telling the National Enquirer that they saw a lizard person in the Albertson’s dairy aisle.” 

“Sometimes,” Cas agrees. “Usually they were more mundane, if still uncommon. Political conspiracy theories, things like that. But sometimes, religious devotees who claimed to have witnessed miracles. And, yes, those who thought they saw signs of the extraterrestrial. So, you see—” he picks up the file that Dean had first noticed and passes it over to him, “transferable skills.”

Posting date: February 26, 2025  

[slaaverin]

I came across an old post the other day, about the nature of Jikooks relationship, this post was circa April 2018. The op said they thought Jikook had a special relationship (baring in mind this is after GCFT), but that they did not know if it was 'romantic' in nature. The post I was reading though, was about JM himself, and how he is a flirt. To summarise the view of the op - he is just that, a flirt, flirts with anyone, but this is not necessarily romantic either, just his nature, and the way he communicates/puts people at ease. To be fair, it kinda made sense what op was saying - ba I think we all know, JM loves to be loved, and loves to give love. Op then added on the end that bs of JM's endless 'flirting with everyone and anyone he encounters, it is hard to know when he might have a different interest in someone (I think they were truly referring to the members here, and ships).

However, what struck me reading it, is that, if that is the case, if that is how op/and others see JM, how is he ever meant to show romantic interest in someone? If he is only seen as an endless flirt, and reduced to that, how could someone differentiate between platonic/harmless" flirting and ‘romantic flirting'. It made me feel quite indignant about how JM himself might perceive that.

I say this also because if op decided that in their eyes jikook have a special relationship, but one which might not be romantic in nature. Because their own personal relationship is like that… typical lmao. But using jikooks bond as an example - how would one then decide whether it was indeed 'romantic?

So, if we think about jikook up until mid-2018 - and all the things they actually did up to, and during that time, that make their bond stand out - what more could anyone want? We're talking about, as I said above, post GCFT, post BV3 (filming at least, b I can't remember the dates), etc, etc.

And this got me to thinking what it would be like to actually date one of these boys. especially Jikook.

How in the world is one meant to think that JM is into you, if all he does is flirt with others? How would you feel special? How would you navigate a relationship with JM/JK, when they seem hell bent on dedicating time solely to each other. Would said person not feel left out, upset/angry? If I was with JM or JK in 2023 for example, and said bf decided to hop on a plane and fly 15 hours to go see his bft whom he had drifted from apparently, and film a show where they ended up in bed cosy and slapping ass, and then travelled again, and again, lastly to romantic and snowy Sapporo. I mean my bags would be packed sooner than you can say boo to a goose.

Or, hypothetically, even as a prospective future partner, even googling content like that would probably spike jealously in even the sanest person - because logically how would one ever feel comfortable letting them be around the other? What kind of sane person would put up with that? Where is the self respect! I mean that seriously.

Because to me, all these boys have ever done (esp in recent years) is single themselves out as something, and I would eat my own arm if that something is not 'romantic' in nature, because otherwise what is the point, truly. BTS are the biggest band in the wsrld, they do not need to do FS, they do not need to make up elaborate lies to sell themselves. Nothing about likeeks relationship actually sells with the fandom at large anyway, lets be honest, so there is no need for them to do what they do. Unless that is, they want to, and they cannot help it.

Objectively then, since ops post was mid 2018, 7 years has all but passed. We have had many, many ‘moments' that stand out, we all know them, I won't list them. Then we come to 2023, and we have the show, and the enlistment. I did wonder for a brief second what op might think about that, since they stopped posting in 2019, but then I thought, who cares, because honestly, to me, that sort of narrative is tired, and then some.

Jikook have singled themselves out as a duo to be reckoned with, in the charts and in life, and contrary to what those with views like op think, they have done that with purpose. Again, they didn't have to, they chose to, and to me that means something. I am not talking about how Hebi and JM have a really close relationship that the fandom acknowledges, or that vain are 'soul mates', or JK and Jin are close, or JK fell in love with Joon's thighs and has a man crush on him. This is different, markedly so.

But going back to JM and his 'flirty' personality, is it me or does JM do less of this in recent years? He was an extraordinary performer in LYS/SY era, he really did have an outgoing flirty persona on and off stage, but the JM of 2023 at least, did not ts me. He seemed shy, reserved, giggly sometimes, but also not always, by the latter half of 2023, more assure of himself. For example, he treated Sophia with upmost respect, he didn't flirt imo. His female dancers too, although solos go gah gal over their ‘interactions' (be they are hetro losers) he was literally just being professional. I call this maturity, and him coming into his own. Him letting some of that overriding need to be loved, or to be loud go, almost. If that makes sense?

This brings me to another thing the op said in a different post, but linked to the original, in that JM the flirt king' was simply that with JK at the start, just flirty and not in a romantic interest kind of way, and that JK (a baby gay), confronted JM about this eventually, said he likes him, and that JM replied with '1 don't like boys like that'. So not only did OP in their 'wisdom' confine JM to a flirt, but also a queer baiter of sorts? And that JK is happy with that because at least he gets JMs attention...I mean what the heck is that?!! The OP said it would not surprise them at all because JM flirts with anyone, that he is indeed straight. Well, I guess we do not know, but since said post, the portfolio was released, and I will leave that up to others interpretation. But I will say, to me JM has shown us part of who he is, and he is not a queer baiter like op suggests.

All this to say, that my overriding thoughts when reading opinions like that of op, or even recent ones of some of his solos, is that everyone pigeonholes JM into what they want him to be, maybe that is because he is an Idol, it's the job description, but he is so much more than that, much more human and much more nuanced. I mean what would such as op think a 'romantic' relationship looks like - the sheer love that excludes from these two, the way they look at so, the way JK sucked JMs ear in front of thousands, a romantic travel video with a love song bought for exclusive use, the sheer devotion you see from them, the domesticity, the companionship, they are the best of friends, the support they give, the laughter, the quiet moments, the commitment they showed when enlisting together, travelling together? What more could they do honestly?

As I said above, I wouldn't want to be in a relationship with either one of them, given how they are with each other... that would be a hell no from me.

Anon, this is a lot to unpack.

(I want to preface and for reference for future posts, that I am an INFJ, so I can be somewhat analytical but I function and communicate primarly with emotions and intuition, so I can only convey my feelings to you, and it is very unlikely I will bombard you with any type of facts, dates ect. Due to my spiritual journey many memories from the past are also erased as soon as they enter my mind, due to focusing mainly on the present moment. So I usually can't tell you "yes but this happened at that moment!", the only thing I can truly say is my feelings about a situation, and the perceptions I had/have of it because from the memories that's the only thing that truly stays with me. Just so you know this is a particular way of answering asks and it is not my intention to stay vague but this is how I usually communicate. I'm ok at conveying feelings but that's about it lol so bear with me)

Look, I kinda hate this "Jimin is a flirt" narrative going on, even back then.

You know why? Because people take a statement such as this, and you know what they do with it? They make a generalization out of it, they reduce Jimin to it, they try to label him, and put him in a tiny box, which IS NOT how real people function. Jimin is a real complex human.

Did Jimin flirt? Yes. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Did he always do it? No. But the most important thing is HOW he flirted with everyone in contrast to Jungkook.

Because this OP reducing him to an endless flirt who couldn't tell when he had romantic feelings, it is just a load of crap to me.

There always has been A HUGE difference in how he flirts with other people vs Jungkook, and you have to be a fool not to notice.

With other people it's playful, it's cute, it's harmless, it's just for fun, IT HAS NO WEIGHT.

But with Jungkook? Cheesh it's a different story entirely.

I will put it simply: with Jungkook, Jimin cares. It is not for fun. It can be playful, but there is a tension, there is a weight, their is a different level of emotion that comes out from Jimin. It's in the body language, it's in the voice, I don't even know how to explain this, you just see it on his face, and feel it. It shows. And I know it is stupidly vague and subjective.

But even back in the beginning, when Jimin had a crush on Jungkook and was bodly showing it. Your OP might say it was all for fun, he was teasing, which he was. But behind the laughters there were repeated actions and words, their was a fucking intent behind all of this, and you can't tell me this intent this OP could not feel it.

The intent, the crush, the desire, the love, however how innocent it was presented, was real. It was real. It was Jimin's true feelings.

The difference is that when Jimin flirts with Jungkook vs other members or anyone, there are always a depth of feelings behind that flirting. Which he doesn't show with anyone else. How can people not pick up on this?

With Jungkook there is more. It's not all fun&games, in truth it looks quite serious at times, like this has an affect&effect on a private level we know nothing about.

With other people Jimin doesn't care and he does what he does because he wants to. I've never seen this side of him being immature in any way, but more of him being his loving self. It was harmless after all.

(Except with Jungkook)

Because I need to remind that he has never done the things he did with Jungkook with ANY OTHER MEMBER or anyone for that matter! Once again this is not the same levels of flirtations!

Jimin has never been a queerbaiter, he hates fanservice, so the only logical explanation is that his feelings have been true from the start. Even if on stage he has a persona, he often shakes his head when other members do fanservice, he disapproves. Why? Because the moments he has with Jungkook, they are real, the other stuff are not.

The moments with Jungkook have nothing to do with his persona, it's specifically for jungkook & their relationship, it's playing in front of millions but it's not about us at all, it's their own private moment that we just happen to witness, because their relationship is an alive ongoing thing that doesn't stop and continues with every one of their interactions, whether on stage, backstage, in interviews, in reality shows. They are constantly living it and it is ever enfolding. They are not gonna suddenly stop just because we happen to see it.

That's why they also have been so open about it, in a way they don't have much of a choice.

Unfortunately I think over time, circumstances of fame hardened Jimin in a way, he is more private now, more closed-off.

In recent years I have very few memories of him flirting with anyone but Jungkook. He has been nothing but polite and professional and caring with everyone he meets.

So the "Jimin is an endless flirt" doesn't sit right with me at all. He CAN flirt he HAS flirted but not all the time and he did it especially with Jungkook more than everyone else since debut.

Isn't that good indication whom he has romantic feelings for? If that's not enough idk what people want.

I wish people would stop reducing the members to cartoon cliché unidimensional characters they made up in their heads because that's not how humans work. They are not "just this" or "just that", they are layered and changeable and ever evolving. Do you know how complex we are as beings? Anyway.

So no, even when Jimin flirted, I never ever saw him as "nothing but a flirt" in my mind. That's not true, and it doesn't feel right to think it. Because I don't know him intimately enough to pass any kind of judgement like this. One of my favorite saying is "To define is to limit" so I tend to not do this with other people. Because once you made a definitive statement like this it opens the door to any kind of shortcuts, easy and lazy pathways to try to comprehend someone. But people are not easy to understand, and most people don't even understand themselves that well. So please, can we not do that? It's not that simple.

I agree with you. I couldn't date any of them with the other in the picture (I mean I couldn't date any of them period lmao). But yeah how can any other bond compare to jikook's bond, anything else would pale in comparison, they have more than 10 years behind them, bonding life experiences they won't be able to find with anybody else, a connexion so deep and fluid and easy and loving, how can you compete with this?

Since they met I don't believe there has been anyone else serious.

Idk, am I crazy? Does this post makes any sense to you? Am I the only one understanding it this way?

Anyway anon thank you for sharing this reading of yours which was like?? Weird but ok

Feel free to send me your thoughts anytime I will gladly read them 💜 and answer when I can

Take care 🥰

[read-write-thrive]

Charles Rowland Week Day Five — Earring/AU

Yes this is late but shhhh this ficlet was not working with me!! Still not happy with it but here we are. TW: slurs for South Asian and queer people mentioned (aka paki and fag) as Charles recounts what some of the awful other guys were saying to him. Take care of yourself as always :) hope you enjoy!!

Charles knew it wasn’t fair of him to slam the door open. He came back practically right after class, for once, and he knew that Edwin would be doing homework at his desk. Sudden sounds were worse for Charles than Edwin, for the most part, but it was still a dick move on his part to just bang the door open, storm in, dump his stuff, and then immediately set about taking a shower. In his defence it had been a truly awful day and he figured it was better to take his anger out on inanimate objects than snap (or worse) at Edwin himself.

But, again, this was completely unknown to Edwin, who jumped and twisted in his seat to see what the noise was. He calmed a bit at seeing it was Charles, but still tore his headphones from his ears to start up, “Charles! What the devil has gotten into you?” When Charles dropped his stuff off without responding, Edwin continued, “Is everything alright? Are you alright?”

Charles whipped off his top, threw it in the vague direction of his hamper, and started pacing and taking his socks off at the same time (which doesn’t work very well, but he was too angry to think that through), “It’s those dicks in my woodwork class again! I swear to fuck I am going to drive one of those hammers through their fucking heads, nail their empty skulls together so they might have some fucking use!”

Edwin somehow audibly blinked, “Well. That’s a picture. What have they done this time?”

Charles managed to still himself to unbutton his jeans, “More homophobic, racist shit. ‘Charlie! Charlie! Is the earring because you’re a gross fag or a fucking paki?’ Absolute arseholes. Like it’s any of their fucking business—they wouldn’t know culture if it shagged their mums.”

Another blink, “They really got to you today, it seems. You should take solace in the fact that they’re uneducated as you can be and still stay at this school. Not only are they on the tutoring list—none of which I will ever touch, of course—but anyone with any knowledge of South Asian or gay cultures would know that you would need to have the right, not the left ear pierced.”

Somehow, this logic broke through Charles’s temper (which had to be a special skill of Edwin’s—most people manage to rile him up more). Charles paused in this process of emptying his jeans pockets and stared at his roommate/best friend, “Wait, what? Did you research that?”

Edwin didn’t blush often, but when he did it was always paired with the sternest of expressions and fiddling of his hands. Charles thought it was cute, not that he’d ever say that to another boy. But Edwin assumed that face and Charles thought about it anyway, slightly distracted as Edwin explained, “It was a long time ago, if you must know. Right when you came back with your left ear pierced, in fact. I was… concerned, that I may say something wrong or misinterpret any of it. I had no wish to offend you, which included not asking you outright. … So yes, I ‘researched’ it.”

Charles felt warm to his core in a good way for once, not how anger had been burning through him minutes before. Edwin had really taken the time to look it up, just for Charles? And—, “Wait, researched it how? The Indian ear piercing thing—which isn’t what this is, ‘n case that wasn’t clear—is usually for babies and they get both ears done. The gay thing— that’s not exactly in the library, innit?”

Edwin continued fidgeting, eventually pulling out his little personal notebook for reference of some sort, “In my research I found that which ear was pierced first was a gendered tradition—right ear first for boys, left ear first for girls. Following that was an awfully confusing description of some sort of thread used in place of an earring, which didn’t apply to your piercing so I chose not to pursue it further. As for the— the other, well. Do you remember the boy I tutor for mathematics?”

Charles wasn’t exactly following yet but couldn’t resist in of their usual jokes, “Monty or something, yeah? The one who’s gaga over you.”

As expected, Edwin rolled his eyes (and remained pink in the cheeks) and continued, “Monty, yes. One of his friends was in the area when our session wrapped up and came by to chat. Thomas, I think his name was. He had only one ear pierced as well, though his was on the right. I was pondering if I could naturally bring it up in conversation without being rude—“

“Aw, but you love being rude.”

Edwin’s flat stare caused giggles to flurry through Charles, who tried to quell them to better listen to the story, “—I had no interest in coming across as rude to a new acquaintance. He noticed me staring at the earring, unfortunately. He had already made some … interesting comments—“

Charles bristled, “Oi, what kind of interesting?”

Edwin somehow got redder and redder in the face by the second, “It’s unimportant to the story, Charles, now let me finish!” He waisted for Charles to nod before continuing, “Quite right. Now, Thomas had already complimented me and must have seen me as… I believe he thought that he and I were cut from similar cloth. He was all too glad to point out my staring at his jewellery, in front of Monty and all!, and tell me about its meaning. I was— mortified, to say the least. The proximity—“

“He made you uncomfortable? That wanker. What did you say his name was?” Charles couldn’t help himself—if someone was freaking Edwin out it was Charles who was going to bat, literally.

Edwin huffed, “He leaned in closer than I anticipated and whispered it to me. It caught me off guard. And considering he is a near stranger—yes, I was uncomfortable, but it is perfectly fine without any need for violence, Charles.”

Charles relaxed his grip on the cricket bat he kept at his nightstand, taking a deep breath to try and return to semi-peaceful. It was just him and Edwin, there was no present danger. If Edwin said it’s okay, he should trust him. Charles took another breath before responding, “Right. Well. If he ever does it again and you want to do something about it.”

Edwin’s soft smile returned, “Thank you, Charles. Though I do not believe it will come to that. But yes, that was my research at the time. I believe it was sometime during the infection that you admitted it was all for aesthetic purposes.”

Charles would usually get playfully riled up at that, but he was still keeping that anger bolted down in the basement of his mind so he decided against it. Naturally, he decided to return to jokes instead, “I can’t believe you were researching earrings just in case I was, what, a very late to the party traditional Indian baby? Or decided to pierce my eat instead of telling you I liked blokes? C’mon mate, have more faith in me than that!”

Charles must have said something wrong—Edwin’s fidgeting was back. The soft smile was all but gone, too, “Of course I do, I just— this was a while ago, and I—“ He sighed, running his hands through his usually perfectly gelled hair, looking directly at Charles for only a second, “Charles, I refuse to continue this conversation while you stand there in your boxers.”

Although tempted to poke fun at Edwin for being prudish, that was one of the issues he’d learned not to push—between his fucked up family and his general Edwin-ness, Charles had learned nudity, sex, and the like weren’t well-received. Maybe one of these days they could discuss all of that, but not today. They’d both had quite a lot of Feelings for today.

Charles resumed his usual grin, grabbing what he needed for a shower, “Well I’m showering before we continue, then. Am I all set to use the bathroom?”

Edwin waved him on, replacing his headphones and returning to his homework. Charles took the dismissal without issue and went to take his shower as intended—only stopping to stare at (the earring) himself in the mirror for a tad longer than normal. He’d never regret it based on how cool it looked, obviously, but still. Being kicked around for so long sometimes makes you wonder if it’s be easier to join the team.

Nah, fuck that. Those poor sods can’t even spell aesthetic, let alone understand it. The earring was part of him, and he still cuddled the warm feeling of Edwin’s care to his chest. Going through all that effort—well, not really effort to get flirted with by some bloke called Thomas—to make sure he wasn’t going to hurt Charles’s feelings? For not the first and definitely not the last time, Charles took a second to appreciate it��he really was lucky to have Edwin around.

[theocddiaries]

[Eggman and Shadow arrive at Sonic's house, clearly uncomfortable. Eggman fidgets with the keys] Robotnik: Well, uh… It's been… an interesting afternoon. Shadow: Yes. That sounds like the right adjective. Robotnik: Maybe we should do this again sometime? If you want. Shadow: …Uh, yes. Sure. I'll call you or something… Robotnik: Alright. Goodnight… cousin. Shadow: …Right. Goodnight. [leaves] [Inside Sonic's house, Tails and Knuckles are peeking through the peephole. They run to the couch when Eggman opens the door] Robotnik: Hey! Were you spying on me? Knuckles: It's not like we're interested in your life, Eggman. We were just curious to see how many bruises you came back with. Robotnik: None, you faithless brutes! [throws himself onto the couch]: What a miserable afternoon… Two hours sitting on a bench watching people go by. That guy's such a bore! And on top of that, I had to eat an ice cream, when I have sensitive teeth… Tails: Then why do you hang out with him? Robotnik: Because now he says he wants to connect with me, something about family and who knows what nonsense… I think he's got a screw loose or something. And with how weird he is, it might literally be the case… Knuckles: Well, I think it's laudable that Shadow's making the effort to get to know you now that you've decided to abandon your misdeeds. Tails: Maybe that's why? If anyone understands a redeemed soul, it's Shadow. Maybe he sees himself in you and wants to extend an olive branch to you. Robotnik: Well, now that you put it that way… Eh, I’ve got nothing better to do. [In Team Dark's apartment] Rouge: How did it even occur to you to send Eggman and Shadow together? They can't stand each other! Sonic: He almost caught us back at my place. My brain still refuses to accept that he lives there with me now… Shadow [returns, sees Sonic, narrows his eyes]: I've had a miserable afternoon I had because of you. Two hours sitting on a bench watching people go by. What a boring man. And on top of that, I had to eat an ice cream, when I don't even like them because I have sensitive teeth. Sonic: Well, that's over now. You won't have to go through that again-- Robotnik [enters]: Hello! Rouge: Didn't I take your keys away? Robotnik: I have lots of copies. [sees Sonic]: …What are you doing here?? Sonic: …Uh… well… I needed zucchini, and since I was passing by… Robotnik: What do you think this is? A market?? Go do your shopping, you cheapskate hedgehog! Sonic: You're calling me cheap? You live in my house for free and don't even pay for water! Robotnik: Why should I pay for it? I'm bald. The one who uses the most is the kid, with his two tails and his vanity… Rouge: Eggman, Sonic can come here whenever he wants. The question is, why are you here? Robotnik: I came to invite you to the movies. Rouge: Me?? Robotnik: No, Shadow. Why would I invite you? I can't stand you. Shadow: And you can stand me? Robotnik: Not really. But you've extended an olive branch, and it's worth accepting it. Shadow: …I mean… It's a very flimsy little branch, the kind that would blow away with a gust of wind-- Robotnik: Don't worry, the gesture lasts. Shadow: Oh, nice… [glares at Sonic]: That's very nice to know. Sonic [mouths]: I'm sorry.

Part 2

[the-kingshound]

I'm really enjoying TKH and while I went in worrying I wouldn't find a RO that would make me stay or that I might not enjoy playing the Hound, I couldn't have been more wrong. I spotted my first target pretty quickly and I really appreciate the freedom you've given in creating and playing the Hound. I feel like I can play them just as I want to and start the relationship in these early stages as feels fitting. Very eagerly awaiting the next update! My only minor nitpick are the occasional Americanisms and modernisms. While it's fantasy and I like a few that have more modern dialogues, the 'mom and dad' and 'I figure that' was a bit of a whiplash in a tale where the characters are fantasy Irish, Welsh, etc. I do also wish there was a little more world building about trans identities and same sex marriage being legalised rather than just it being readily available without further note (but I get that's more to allow us to play gay/trans characters with ease so that's more a personal bit of jealousy that it's that easy in that world lol). Also more of a question, would making the siblings look more like your Hound be an option in future as a particular relative showed up with a diff skin tone which surprised me! (Unless that's plot relevant in which case cough cough sorry) Really loving it so far and can't wait for ch3!

Hi, I am very glad you are liking the story so much, especially the options available to shape your Hound.

Unfortunately, as I am italian and started writing in English only a few years ago, it is difficult for me to polish the modern bits of phrasing out of the writing - just because a more formal, more dated kind of writing takes time to learn. If you, or anyone else, has suggestions on the specific bits to change and how to substitute them, I'll be very grateful for the help!

About the trans identities/gay marriage, it was only talked about briefly in the game so I don't blame you for not catching that, but MC says it was Uther to first legalise female and commoner knights, then Arthur legalised gay marriage (I think it was stated when MC remembers Saraah being the very first noble to marry a man). I haven't yet talked about trans people, or presentation and gender identity, but I have plans to do so (I also want to cut out the scene with Morien talking about binding/hormones with MC so soon after their arrival and move it later when MC is more comfortable with Morien and can open up). Again, if anyone has feedback/suggestions on making things more organic, feel free to send them in.

I can totally tweak the code to make sure there is more physical resemblance with the siblings, it would indeed be cute to see!

[mr-entj]

Hello Mr. ENTJ. I'm an ENTJ sp/so 3 woman in her early twenties with a similar story to yours (Asian immigrant with a chip on her shoulder, used going to university as a way to break generational cycles). I graduated last month and have managed to break into strategy consulting with a firm that specialises in AI. Given your insider view into AI and your experience also starting out as a consultant, I would love to hear about any insights you might have or advice you may have for someone in my position. I would also be happy to take this discussion to somewhere like Discord if you'd prefer not to share in public/would like more context on my situation. Thank you!

Insights for your career or insights on AI in general?

On management consulting as a career, check the #management consulting tag.

On being a consultant working in AI:

Develop a solid understanding of the technical foundation behind LLMs. You don’t need a computer science degree, but you should know how they’re built and what they can do. Without this knowledge, you won’t be able to apply them effectively to solve any real-world problems. A great starting point is deeplearning.ai by Andrew Ng: Fundamentals, Prompt Engineering, Fine Tuning

Know all the terminology and definitions. What's fine tuning? What's prompt engineering? What's a hallucination? Why do they happen? Here's a good starter guide.

Understand the difference between various models, not just in capabilities but also training, pricing, and usage trends. Great sources include Artificial Analysis and Hugging Face.

Keep up to date on the newest and hottest AI startups. Some are hype trash milking the AI gravy train but others have actual use cases. This will reveal unique and interesting use cases in addition to emerging capabilities. Example: Forbes List.

On the industry of AI:

It's here to stay. You can't put the genie back in the bottle (for anyone reading this who's still a skeptic).

AI will eliminate certain jobs that are easily automated (ex: quality assurance engineers) but also create new ones or make existing ones more important and in-demand (ex: prompt engineers, machine learning engineers, etc.)

The most valuable career paths will be the ones that deal with human interaction, connection, and communication. Soft skills are more important than ever because technical tasks can be offloaded to AI. As Sam Altman once told me in a meeting: "English is the new coding language."

Open source models will win (Llama, Mistral, Deep Seek) because closed source models don't have a moat. Pick the cheapest model because they're all similarly capable.

The money is in the compute, not the models -- AI chips, AI infrastructure, etc. are a scarce resource and the new oil. This is why OpenAI ($150 billion valuation) is only 5% the value of NVIDIA (a $3 trillion dollar behemoth). Follow the compute because this is where the growth will happen.

America and China will lead in the rapid development and deployment of AI technology; the EU will lead in regulation. Keep your eye on these 3 regions depending on what you're looking to better understand.

[every-kabru]

i know that i said that i wasn't sure if i wanted to finish work on the twitter bot (for those who caught that post before i deleted it) BUUUT i've literally just Now actually finished work on the twitter bot and now the code has like a thousand more images in there to post now 👍🏽 everyone say thank you imgur's generate image links feature, thank you excel, thank you gimmickbots and tracery And obviously ryoko kui for her gorgeous gorgeous art.. please go take a look at the twitter bot or wait until i finish work on the bluesky bot tomorrow to look at that too!!!