#people will be looking back at this point in history

[icearts]

Not even joking, this is the shit that our grandkids will see in our history books. This is actually world history, this is two opposing nations where the people of the country have a cultural exchange that is so unfiltered and sincere that it's never actually happened historically. This kind of shit will have a name on it, a milestone of Cold War II or something like that. We are living history and even though it looks bad now, this is the starting point of when the people are either given back their power, or rise up and fight for it, but either way, our generation will be one of the first to fully and unconditionally view the people of an enemy nation as people just like our own (in a historic lens, of course there are still many who don't share the same sentiment and that's a normal part of society).

Biases being broken down on both sides

[rcmclachlan]

Reading the comments on this post and you know what? Tommy does have a podcast!

It's called Getting Rom-Commy with Tommy and he breaks down the history, plots, tropes, and cliches made famous by romantic comedies. He recorded the first episode—Tillie's Punctured Romance, the first feature film in the genre—in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic, and has since gained a small but loyal following who love his deep dives, quirky sense of humor, and the random breadcrumbs about his own life that he drops occasionally.

For three and a half years, he's posted an episode every other Thursday without fail, so it's the talk of r/romcommytommy when the promised episode about A New Leaf doesn't materialize. They worry about Tommy being sick or dead—or worse: growing bored with the subject matter—and flood his podcast inbox with well wishes and pleas to continue the series.

Finally, the episode goes up the following Thursday, and he prefaces it by apologizing for the delay. He had gotten tangled up in a work thing and had spent the previous week dealing with the fallout (i.e.: paperwork), but he's in high spirits because he isn't in federal prison and has reconnected with old friends. And made some new ones! Which has nothing to do with Walter Matthau's performance, which in Tommy's opinion is one of his best, and he jumps right into the movie and says no more about what kept him away.

After that, for months, the series takes on a different tone—more buoyant, almost bewilderingly cheerful—and it elevates what was already a great program to something that truly has a happy ending every time. More people start listening. The subreddit hits 10k members, and speculation about what's causing Tommy's audible joy runs rampant, with most agreeing it's because he has someone special in his life.

Then, the 103rd episode goes live. It's an unflinching look at the movie Blue Valentine, which is very much not a romantic comedy, and for the entire episode Tommy vacillates between sounding dead inside and on the verge of tears. "It's just another example of how even the most passionate relationship will erode over time," he murmurs. The episode ends without its usual jaunty outro.

It becomes clear over the next several weeks that something devastating has happened, because Tommy has ditched his beloved rom-coms for the most depressing movies ever made. The subject of the top trending post on the subreddit for a month is 'If I ever listen to the Closer episode again I will need the following: a gun.'

His listeners debate whether or not to jump ship, but the film analyses are still really good. Plus, it feels like abandoning a friend in their time of need.

I don't know if you will ever see this, Tommy, but I think I speak for everyone when I say: we love you, we're here for you, we're not going anywhere, but for the love of GOD please go to therapy, u/marshedmellowout comments on the post for the In The Mood For Love episode.

No one's quite sure if u/marshedmellowout got through to him, but it feels like a turning point when the subject of the next episode is Desert Hearts. Tommy spends almost half the episode runtime analyzing the film's hopeful ending, and even cracks a couple of jokes. While his voice doesn't have that incandescent happiness from before, it's much lighter.

The next few episodes continue that slow, upward trend, and the movies Tommy deconstructs go from having hopeful endings to happy ones. He's back to making terrible puns and laughing at his own jokes, and everyone on the subreddit breathes a collective sigh of relief. He's going to be okay.

None of his listeners are prepared for how he starts the 118th episode.

"You're all in for a treat today, because I'm joined by a very special guest. He's not a big fan of movies, usually, but he's got a mind made for analysis, so making him watch Groundhog Day was kind of a no-brainer. I've been dying to hear him pick this one apart. Evan, say hi."

The joy from all those months ago is clear and present in Tommy's voice, but it's tempered with something new: certainty.

"H-Hi, everyone," Evan says, bashful and a little giggly. "Sorry, I've never done something like this before."

"You literally had a walk-on role in the country's most watched TV show. 22 million people tuned in that night, and that's not including the streaming numbers."

"That was different! I had one line. Plus, I didn't care about making Brad look dumb."

"Brad didn't need your help with that," Tommy says, audibly besotted. "Evan, you can't possibly make me look dumb. They can't see me."

Groaning through laughter, Evan gasps, "Oh my god, I said you get five stupid jokes and you just wasted one. Better make the next four count."

"I'll do my best," Tommy says. "So, overall, what did you think of the movie?"

It's the most listened to episode of the entire podcast, and u/cadburybunnyeggs's post 'Evan needs to be a permanent host and here's why' makes the front page of Reddit.

(A year later, the Four Weddings and a Funeral episode, which goes live two days before Tommy and Evan get married, is nominated for a Webby Award. What happens afterwards in the subreddit breaks containment and winds up in the New York Times.)

[gf2bellamy]

drunk — spencer reid

pairing: spencer reid x reader ( no use of y/n ) summary: spencer is drunk and is spilling things about your relationship content warnings: established relationship, drunk spencer, the team mocking them a/n: i've never had a sip of alcohol so if i made any mistake i'm very sorry honestly i just went of what i've seen in tv shows, movies and books

The neon glow of the bar cast a warm haze over the room as you sat nestled in the corner booth, sipping your soda.

The ice clinked softly against the glass as you absentmindedly swirled the straw, half-listening to Garcia and Emily’s gossip.

Their conversation faded into the background, however, as your attention drifted elsewhere—specifically, to the two men across the room. 

Spencer Reid, cheeks flushed and eyes bright, was talking at a rapid pace, gesturing wildly with his hands as Derek Morgan grinned at him, clearly entertained. Your brows furrowed as Derek slid another drink into Spencer’s hands. 

You sighed, not bothering to hide your disapproval. 

“What’s up with you?” Emily asked, her head tilting slightly as she sipped from her drink. 

“That.” You nodded toward the scene unfolding across the room. 

Emily followed your gaze just in time to see Spencer take another eager gulp of whatever Derek had handed him. A second later, Derek’s mouth dropped open before he burst into laughter, clapping Spencer on the back like a proud older brother. 

“Yeah… Morgan’s having way too much fun with drunk Spencer,” you muttered, narrowing your eyes at them. 

Spencer, completely unaware of your scrutiny, continued rambling, his hands moving faster than his words. Meanwhile, Derek's smile just grew bigger and bigger.

Garcia snorted. “Oh, come on, it’s adorable.” 

You weren’t sure if you’d call it adorable. More like mildly concerning. Because if history had taught you anything, drunk Spencer Reid was unpredictable—and God help anyone who had to deal with him when the alcohol finally hit its peak. 

And from the looks of it, the moment was about to happen or based on Derek's grin , has happened already.

“What is he doing?” you mumbled, eyes narrowing as you watched the two of them. You had a bad feeling about this. 

Garcia glanced at you with a smirk. “Sweetheart, we are at a bar. That’s what people do. You know… drink?” She gestured pointedly at your own glass. 

You scoffed, lifting your soda in mock acknowledgment. “Yeah, well, some of us have to drive,” you muttered before taking another sip. 

Before Garcia could quip back, you caught movement out of the corner of your eye. Derek had turned toward you, a slow, knowing grin spreading across his face.

Oh no. 

Your stomach dropped. “Oh god,” you muttered. 

Oblivious to what was happening around him, Spencer continued rambling, hands flailing dramatically.

You watched, unamused, as Derek made his way over to you, his smirk growing wider with every step.

Trailing beside him, Spencer was entirely oblivious. He barely paid attention to where he was walking, nearly stumbling into Derek at one point, but that didn’t stop him. 

When they finally reached your booth, Derek didn’t even bother with pleasantries. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on you, his grin downright devious. 

“You don’t say?” he mused, clearly continuing whatever conversation Spencer had been having—though it was obvious his real focus was on you. 

Spencer finally seemed to register where he was, his hazy eyes flickering to you. He blinked, as if surprised to see you there. 

“Hi,” he said, his voice slightly softer than before. 

Before you could respond, he slid into the booth beside you—well, more like half on top of you. He scooted in so close that his thigh was practically draped over yours. 

You stared at him. “Hi.” 

He grinned, leaning in ever so slightly, the scent of alcohol and something distinctly Spencer clinging to him. His eyes, glassy but bright, studied your face with open admiration, like he was seeing you for the first time all over again. 

His curls were a mess, strands falling over his face, making him look even more disheveled than usual. You reached up instinctively, tucking a stray lock behind his ear, but he barely seemed to notice. 

“Seems like you’re having fun,” you murmured, shifting your gaze to Derek, who was watching the interaction with barely contained amusement. 

Derek simply shrugged. “Guess so.” 

You turned back to Spencer, who was still staring at you—completely dazed, his hazel eyes glassy and unfocused, like you were the most fascinating thing in the room. 

With a chuckle, Derek turned his attention to Garcia and Emily, leaving you to deal with your very drunk boyfriend. 

“You okay?” you asked softly, tilting your head as you brushed more of his hair out of his face. 

Spencer hummed in response, his eyes fluttering shut for a second before he blinked them open again. “Mhm.” 

You let your fingers linger in his curls, absentmindedly threading through them, and Spencer melted under your touch. 

“What were you telling Derek back there?” you asked, keeping your voice gentle, watching as his eyelids drooped slightly. 

He mumbled something incoherent before finally managing, “M’don’t remember.” 

Before you could press further, he sighed contently and let his head drop onto your shoulder, his body going slack against yours. 

Your hand was still tangled in his hair and you felt his breath fan against your neck as he let out another sleepy hum. 

Now Garcia and Emily were both staring at you, matching grins on their faces. You frowned. 

“What?” you asked warily. 

Emily’s smile widened. “Oh, nothing. It’s just… Spencer had a lot to say about you.” 

On cue, Spencer lifted his head from your shoulder at the sound of his name, his movements slow and a little clumsy. You turned to him, raising an eyebrow. 

His brows furrowed in concentration, as if trying to grasp onto a fleeting thought. “I remember now,” he said, dragging out the words, squeezing his eyes shut like that might help jog his memory. “I think.” 

You waited, not sure if you wanted to hear whatever was about to come out of his mouth. 

“I told them… about how much you like touching my hair,” he finally said, his voice a little too loud, like he was completely unaware of the fact that everyone was now hanging onto his every word. 

Your mouth fell open. “What?” 

You whipped your head toward Emily, Garcia, and Derek—who were all watching you with knowing smirks, looking way too amused for your liking. 

“Oh, and I told them about how you—” he paused, blinking a few times, “—always trace patterns on my back when you think I’m asleep.” 

Your face burned. 

Spencer, oblivious to your horror, continued, his voice dreamy and soft. “And how you always steal my cardigans, even though you claim they drown you and make you look ridiculous. But I know you secretly love wearing them.”

Derek let out a full laugh, shaking his head. “Oh, this is gold.” 

Garcia sighed dramatically, clutching her chest. “That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.” 

You groaned, covering your face with your hands. “Spencer, why—” 

He leaned in even closer, his lips nearly brushing your ear as he whispered—though it wasn’t much of a whisper at all, given his current state—“And I told them that you—” 

You slapped a hand over his mouth before he could say anything else. 

Spencer blinked at you, wide-eyed, and you felt his lips curl into a grin against your palm. 

“Okay, Spence, I need you to stop talking now,” you said firmly, your hand still covering his mouth. 

Spencer blinked at you, his hazel eyes glassy with amusement. Slowly , hesitantly , you removed your hand, watching him like he was a ticking time bomb. 

Then you turned to your friends. 

“Don’t,” you warned, narrowing your eyes as Derek parted his lips, no doubt ready to deliver some smart remark. 

Derek smirked. “But—” 

“Don’t say anything,” you groaned, already exhausted, cutting him off with a pointed look. 

Emily took a slow, deliberate sip of her drink, her expression entirely unreadable as she observed the chaos unfolding in front of her. 

Penelope, however, was a different story. 

“Oh, sweetheart,” she cooed, placing a hand over her heart as she looked between you and Spencer like you were her new favorite romance novel come to life. “This is adorable. I mean, we knew you were soft for our resident genius, but this?” She gestured at Spencer, who was still pressed against you, his head once again finding its way to your shoulder. “This is next-level domesticity.” 

You sighed, “I am never letting him drink around you guys again.” 

Spencer hummed sleepily against your shoulder. “M’not even that drunk.” 

Derek let out a loud laugh. “Oh, you so are.” 

Spencer attempted to lift his head in protest but gave up halfway and settled deeper into your side. “M’just happy,” he mumbled, and if your heart didn’t squeeze at that, you’d be lying. 

Emily set down her drink, eyes glinting with mischief. “So, what else does our drunk genius have to say about you?” 

You shot her a glare. “Emily.” 

Spencer, on the other hand, perked up slightly, as if the question had unlocked another memory. 

“Oh!” he said suddenly, lifting his head, a dreamy smile spreading across his face. “I also told Derek about how you always fall asleep on my chest when we watch movies, even though you swear you never fall asleep during movies.” 

Derek actually clapped at that one. “Man, you are so whipped.” 

You buried your face in your hands as Garcia gasped dramatically, reaching for Emily’s arm like she might faint. “They’re so disgustingly cute! .” 

Spencer, now clearly on a roll, turned his dopey, love-struck gaze back to you. “And I told them—” 

You groaned. “Spencer!” 

He grinned, resting his forehead against your shoulder. “Love you,” he mumbled sleepily. 

You patted Spencer’s thigh three times—a silent I love you, too, acting as if you weren't melting completely on the inside. You weren’t about to give your friends any more teasing material. 

“We’re going home,” you announced, realizing how sleepy Spencer was getting. 

Derek groaned dramatically. “Oh, come on. We wanna hear more.” His grin was absolutely wicked. 

At that, Spencer lifted his head slightly, as if he was about to continue his drunken confessions. 

You shot him a look—a playful but very clear don’t even think about it kind of look. “Spence.” 

His lips parted like he was going to argue, but instead, he let out a soft hum and dropped his head back onto your shoulder, completely surrendering. 

Derek laughed. "Man, he's totally wrapped around your finger."

You ignored him, instead rubbing soothing circles into Spencer’s back. His eyes fluttered closed, and he was half-asleep, his weight pressing into you completely. 

“One word about this at work,” you warned, shifting your gaze between the three of them, “and I’m never talking to you guys again.” 

Emily smirked over the rim of her glass. “Oh, sure. No words at work. Can’t promise about the PowerPoint presentation Garcia is definitely going to make, though.” 

Garcia gasped, scandalized. “Emily, you know me so well.” 

You groaned. “I hate all of you.” Derek chuckled, waving you off. “Nah, you love us.” 

Spencer hummed sleepily. “Mhm. Love them.” 

You sighed, adjusting him slightly. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get you home, Dr. Love-Confessions.” 

“Okay, come on,” you sighed, scooting Spencer out of the booth. He stood—well, wobbled—barely managing to keep himself upright. 

You steadied him with a hand on his arm as he instinctively laced his fingers through yours, clearly unwilling to let go. His drunken state had made him extra clingy, but you weren’t exactly complaining. 

Turning back to your friends, you gave them a pointed look. “I’ll see you all at work,” you said, voice laced with warning. “Where we’re only going to have professional conversations. Got it?” 

Emily smirked, raising her glass in mock agreement. “Oh, sure. Definitely professional.” 

Garcia let out a dramatic sigh. “No gossip whatsoever,” she said, not even trying to sound convincing. 

Derek just grinned, shaking his head. “Yeah, good luck with that.” 

Meanwhile, Spencer was barely paying attention to any of this. His eyes had glazed over, staring blankly into the distance as if lost in thought—or maybe just lost in general. 

You exhaled, already exhausted and thinking of calling in sick. 

“You,” you said, pointing a finger at Derek, “you get to pay for both our drinks.” 

Derek’s eyebrows shot up, realization dawning on him. “Whoa, hold up—” 

“Nope,” you cut him off immediately, shaking your head. “Not happening. You let him get like this, you pay for it.” 

Derek let out a laugh, looking at Spencer, who was still in his own little world. “Man, I didn’t force him to drink.” 

You shrugged. “Don’t care. Enjoy the bill.” You tugged Spencer’s hand, leading him toward the exit. 

“Bye,” he mumbled sleepily, barely loud enough to be heard. His steps were slow, and his body felt heavier against yours.

You pushed open the door with your free hand, the cool night air rushing past you. Spencer let out a quiet sigh at the change in temperature, his grip on your hand tightening just a little.

Without thinking, you started tracing slow, comforting circles with your thumb over his skin. 

Spencer hummed softly, leaning into you as you walked toward the car. “Feels nice,” he mumbled. 

You glanced at him, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Yeah?” 

“Mhm,” he nodded lazily, his curls falling into his face again. “You always do that.” 

“I guess I do,” you smiled softly at your boyfriend, your heart warm as he squeezed your hand tighter. 

Spencer didn’t seem to notice how tightly he was holding onto you as you arrived next to your car. But when you tried to pull your hand out of his grasp, he made a small noise of protest, a soft whimper that almost made you stop in your tracks. 

“Spence,” you said gently, “I need to look for my keys.” 

His hand reluctantly loosened, but his gaze never left you. You opened your bag, rummaging through the contents, your eyes scanning for the keys. 

“You usually keep them in your front pocket,” Spencer mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. 

You froze, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Oh, right.” 

Without missing a beat, you reached into your front pocket, feeling the familiar jingle of your keys. “Thanks, Spence,” you murmured, more to yourself than him, as you unlocked the car. 

You quickly moved to open the passenger door, holding it wide. “Okay, come on. Sit down.” 

Spencer gave you a sleepy, lazy look but you gently tugged him towards the car, your touch soft yet insistent. His steps were slow, and as he started to get into the car, you reached up to guide his head down so he wouldn’t hit it on the top of the doorframe. 

“Head down,” you instructed, your voice a little more authoritative than usual, though the affection in your tone made it clear you were only looking out for him. 

Spencer let out a soft, obedient hum as he finally slumped into the passenger seat. His body collapsed back into the seat like a ragdoll, eyes heavy. 

“Good,” you said, closing the door behind him, watching as he settled into the seat, already half-asleep. 

As you slid into the driver's seat and closed the door behind you, you glanced over at Spencer. His head was resting against the seat, eyes shut, his expression soft and peaceful. You couldn’t help but feel a little bad for disturbing his rest. 

“Do you want to go to your apartment?” you asked quietly, glancing at him as you started the car. 

Spencer’s voice was barely above a whisper when he replied, “I wanna stay with you.” 

You paused, looking at him—his face relaxed, eyes still closed as if he were half in a dream. Your fingers itched to reach out, and you gently brushed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. He hummed contentedly at the contact, leaning into your touch without even realizing it. 

You smiled softly, your heart melting at how utterly endearing he was. “Okay. We’ll go to my apartment, then.” 

You drove in silence for a few minutes, just listening to the soft hum of the engine and Spencer’s breathing. It wasn’t long before you arrived, and as you parked in your spot, you glanced over at him.

He hadn’t moved, still in the same sleepy position, his head leaning against the seat. 

“Spence,” you said gently, turning off the car. “We’re here.” 

All he did was hum in response, barely acknowledging you. 

You sighed softly, knowing this was going to take a little effort. Stepping out of the car, you closed your door quietly before making your way to the passenger side. 

When you opened the door, Spencer was practically asleep, his head resting against the seat, lips slightly parted. He looked so peaceful, you almost felt bad for waking him. 

“Spence,” you muttered, reaching out to touch his shoulder lightly. He didn’t budge. 

You frowned, leaning in slightly—careful not to hit your head on the car frame—as you gave his shoulder a firmer shake. Still nothing. 

“Spencer,” you said a little louder, this time with a touch of amusement in your voice. 

Finally, he stirred, cracking one eye open lazily. 

“Hi,” you greeted with a soft smile, watching as he blinked sluggishly. 

He let out a slow breath, rubbing his face with one hand. “We’re here?” he mumbled, voice thick with exhaustion. 

“Yeah,” you chuckled. “Come on, let’s get you inside.” 

Spencer groaned lightly, shifting in his seat as if even the thought of moving was too much effort. 

You reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. “I’ll help you, but you have to stand up, Spence.” 

With a deep sigh, he finally nodded and let you pull him to his feet. He swayed slightly, and you immediately steadied him, wrapping an arm around his waist. 

“Whoa there, genius,” you murmured, adjusting your grip. “Let’s not face-plant in the parking lot.” 

Spencer huffed out a sleepy chuckle, leaning into you more than he probably realized. “You’re warm,” he muttered. 

You rolled your eyes, but your smile never faded. “Yeah, well, let’s get you inside where it’s actually warm, okay?” 

“Okay,” he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper as you guided him inside the building. He leaned into you slightly, his steps slow and heavy. 

As you waited in front of the elevator, the only sound was the distant hum of fluorescent lights and the occasional ding from the floors above. You tapped your foot lightly against the tile, watching the numbers slowly descend. 

Then, out of nowhere, Spencer spoke again, his voice soft but certain. 

“I like you a lot, you know that?” 

You turned to look at him, surprised by the sudden confession, but the sincerity in his hazel eyes made your heart melt. His gaze was a little unfocused, heavy with sleep and alcohol, but the emotion behind his words was crystal clear. 

“I know, Spence,” you said, smiling warmly as you reached up and brushed his curls away from his face again. It was something so simple, yet something you always found yourself doing.

He leaned into your touch instinctively, his body seeking out your warmth. 

The elevator doors finally slid open with a ding, and you gently tugged his hand to lead him inside. As soon as the doors shut, Spencer sighed and rested his head on your shoulder, his body completely relaxed against yours. 

“You smell nice,” he murmured, his voice muffled against your jacket. 

You let out a soft laugh, wrapping an arm around him for support. “Thanks, Spence. You smell like alcohol and bad decisions.” 

He chuckled sleepily, barely lifting his head. “Bad decisions? No, no. Liking you is the best decision.” 

Your heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, you just stared at him, warmth spreading through your chest. Even drunk and barely coherent, Spencer Reid somehow managed to be the sweetest person alive. 

The elevator doors opened, and you shook your head fondly, guiding him toward your apartment. “Come on, Casanova. Let’s get you to bed before you pass out in the hallway.” 

Spencer let out a hum of agreement, still clinging onto your hand like he never wanted to let go. 

You let go of him just long enough to unlock the door, pushing it open before guiding him inside. As soon as you shut it behind you, Spencer immediately reached for you again, clinging onto you like he had no intention of letting go. 

You sighed fondly, helping him shrug off his jacket while he clumsily toed off his shoes.

“Okay, Spencer, just a couple more steps,” you encouraged, wrapping an arm around his waist as you led him toward your bedroom. 

When you reached the bed, he sat down heavily, sighing as his body sunk into the mattress. His eyes scanned the room, though they were hazy with sleep. “I like your room,” he mumbled, as if just realizing where he was. 

You smiled softly, watching as he flopped back against the pillows, his head sinking into the plush fabric. 

“Me too,” you murmured, standing by the edge of the bed as you watched him. 

Spencer’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment, but then, with a small, sleepy smile, he peeked up at you again. 

“You know… I think my favorite thing about your room is that you live in it,” he said, his voice thick with exhaustion but filled with sincerity. 

Your heart swelled at the unexpected sweetness of his words. 

You shook your head with a soft laugh, brushing his curls out of his face once more. “You’re such a sap when you’re drunk, Spence.” 

His smile grew just a little. “M’not drunk,” he mumbled, already halfway to sleep. “Just in love.” 

You felt warmth spread through your chest as you pulled the blanket over him, watching as he relaxed further into the bed. 

“Go to sleep, Spencer,” you whispered, but the smile on your lips never faded. 

[chirrups]

I feel like I have nothing to ask, I simply would love to hear more about them fucked up mermaid and murderer

And I would absolutely love to tell you about them, Tin.

This AU takes place somewhere vaguely in the Pacific Northwest (circa. 1970s-80s) in an isolated fishing town along a storm-wracked coast.

Fisheries in and around the bay have collapsed due to extreme winter weather patterns + overfishing + an oil spill from a tanker run aground down the coast, leaving most of the bay's inhabitants to live pretty much hand-to-mouth off contaminated fish in recent years.

get ready for LORE (and more drawings but mostly the LORE)

general warning: this is pretty long

The "story" as it were, kicks off when Gem finally gets fed up with another fisherman in the area, Grian, over continued conflict about ownership of fishing grounds in the mouth of the bay.

She orchestrates his death (with the eager assistance of Scott and Impulse) out at sea and passes off his death as a tragic accident in the winter swells with her being the unfortunate finder of his remains.

And it works.

See the thing is: Gem has a history of causing disappearances. It started with some accidents with out-of-town poachers. She would chase these people off and one or two would just slip overboard and happen to drown. It wasn’t her fault and besides they deserve it. But things start to escalate from there. Poachers become outsiders become fellow townspeople. Grian is someone Gem’s known for years, whose friends are tangentially her friends or acquaintances. His death is a cold-blooded murder driven by hatred and frustration. This time something is different about what she's done and Gem knows it.

But Gem is a reputable and well-known person. Her prices are fair, she drives poachers out of the bay and maintains order around the pragmatic fishing ground policy that undoubtedly helps everyone to survive.

She is the type of person to look to for guidance when things get hard because she can make those hard choices. So how on earth could it be her fault?

No one is wiser until Grian's funeral brings an old friend into town who is more than a little suspicious about the circumstances of his death.

Scar was one of Grian's crewmates when they did trawling much further south. They split when Scar took up (illegal) whaling and Grian moved into the bay.

As an outsider, Scar isn't so swayed by the goodwill the town has around Gem's name. He's no detective but for the sake of an old friend, he might as well try.

In this AU, mermaids are social mammals part of the Hominidae family that went back into the ocean similar to Cetaceans. They live in matrilineal family groups or in any other female-led organization of pods and have a very "survival-oriented" global culture (with regional variation).

Pearl is a lone mermaid whose pod lived in the bay until they were starved out by the collapsing fisheries. PNW mermaids are more territorial than other ecotypes and value strength over anything else. Pearl's inability (read: unwillingness) to oust other pods for better fishing grounds and the loss of one of her pod members summarily lead the other two to abandon her.

Without a pod to help her, hunting enough in her dwindling territory has been difficult and lonely, leading her to slowly starve just as the humans in the bay have begun to.

She took to trailing fishing boats to steal from their catch, which is how she met Gem who was mid-throwing some unfortunate soul overboard.

They have an interesting relationship.

Gem is enamored with Pearl at the halfway point between a person and a large apex predator. She loves the way Pearl needs her to live and the way Pearl, as a social creature with no pod, craves her attention. It's thrilling to have a predator at her beck and call like this and, in turn, to be so desperately needed. She also loves the way Pearl doesn't look at her like she's dangerous (the way Scott and Impulse have begun to when they think she doesn't see them). Her interest in Pearl seems to be leaching into something more than just wildlife admiration. She's begun to learn the mermaid language just to talk to her. For what? Who really knows. Meanwhile, Pearl is hungry enough to eat just about anything Gem throws her (including human bodies) and desperate enough that she lets Gem get much closer than many humans in this area have ever been to a mermaid. (They even touch, scandalous for mermaids.)

It's skewed for sure. From Gem's perspective, they've got something special going on. From Pearl's... not so much.

This being Secret-Life based, you can imagine how this story ends...

Bonus piece: Pearl and her old pod.

IN GENERAL, Biological females are generally larger with a set of rotated tusks protruding from their lower jaw for dominance displays. Biological males are commonly smaller and more agile, with more dexterous hands due to decreased adipose tissue distribution over their bodies. (They actually have 3 biological sexes and tons of social gender variation but that's a talk for another time). Pre-cultural awakening, these pods would form around a biological female and their harem for reproductive purposes. That female would then protect the harem from other females looking to "steal them" or their territories (like horses but reverse-style). In modern times, these pods are often composed of groups of friends/related family members as sort of "platonic life partners" and stealing other pod members is seen as a very archaic sort of thing. Territory stealing, however, is still up for grabs.

[fromchaostocosmos]

the "henry ford so racist he took black inventions and blamed it on the Jews" is a big thing with antisemitism and white supremacy in general.

To the White Supremacist their enemy are Jews and anything that view as undermining Whitness and White Society is a plot by the Jews.

So Jazz and Blue Grass and R&B and Soul and Rap and the subcategories of these genres of music also well as the many other music genres the Black people created are "bad" and "corrupting".

It is also why Rock and Roll was seen as corrupting for a good while, but over time as more white people got into to it and that concept of the corrupting influence of rock left the mainstream and instead you get the downplay and out right denial of Black people's role in the creation of Rock.

It is why high fashion that was influenced from Black communities does not get its fair dues and is not looked at in the same way and is often treated as being "unprofessional" and other dog-whistle and coded terms.

When a lot Street Wear Style fashion has different looks and ways of styling. You can make a 3 piece suit look unprofessional.

The same goes with a lot of makeup techniques/looks and just so on.

So you have these creative things coming from Black communities primarily in the Americas and from African Diaspora.

And what happens is the White Supremacists be they openly so or not will got this is bad because it Black, it has African roots, and that just by existing is bad because they are lesser.

And it is being pushed onto us White People by the Jews as a way to corrupt the youth and undermine our White Society.

And with that they make the Jews the ultimate evil who even just by breathing are being nefarious and they also stripping away agency from the Black community and the Black creators and inventors.

To White Supremacists Black people clearly must tools for Jewish people it can't possibly that we are two communities that exist.

That Henry Ford was so worried about Jazz because to him it was the most obvious thing ever that Jazz was plot by the Jews to destroy the White Race and that the Jews were using Black people as the tool with Jazz and that had to be stopped.

It couldn't be that people liked Jazz and it was popular. Not there has to be a secret evil Jewish plot.

And that is how is goes take White Genocide or the coded name The Great Replacement or Replacement Theory (which was created by a French neo-Nazi) and it that Jews are using various non-white immigrant groups to replace the native white populace. So when this first was being spoken of online 20-30 ish years ago it was in the context of Muslim immigrants and refugees and Europe.

Once Trump starting running for President first time around it was now offline and in the mainstream and more America focused.

Now online in the various places that neo-nazis would talk they would say White Genocide and they would talk about in terms of the places like Australia, the USA, Canada, etc you know places where the native populace was never white.

But back when Daily Stormer was still being hosted it was mostly focused on Europe and it started to trickle from there. But again White Genocide was they used and they used The Great Replacement outside of their circles.

You started hearing Replacement Theory primarily on Fox with Tucker Carlson, which was for me like a major deal and I knew was monumental.

I knew that it was one of the moments that like will noted way down in history books a pivotal and key moment, it basically shifted things and opened a door that should not have opened. It was a portent of what was to come and I was right.

It normalized and mainstreamed a Neo-Nazi talking point.

This is stuff that I study, that I do my best to document and educate on my blog.

And I could not get people to listen to me at the time both online or irl about what was happening and what the words that being said mean and where they came from. It was scary. Still is.

There is something really terrifying about knowing and understanding the horrors that you are seeing unfold in front of you and being unable to get people to listen to when try to warn them about the horrors that are going to come.

As a Jew it is a position that I think many Jewish are familiar with and have been in before.

But at the time it didn't really matter because I couldn't get anyone to really listen Jewish or not. The only people who were on the same page as me were those who study antisemitism and knew what these terms meant.

So it is not the Ford was so racists he was confused about who did Jazz it was that that was the point of said racism and that was how that racism worked and how it still works.

Because it can not be that Black people are humans who are capable of great works, creative endeavors, making beauty, and more like anyone else no it has to be that anything made by a Black person and/or the Black community is for the use of those who have a better understanding of how to use to these things. And who are the ones who are understand how to use these things well it is White People and The Jews and White People would never because it is bad and corrupting and defiled, but The Jews will because they are sneaky and malicious and they will use it to undermine White People, White Society, and Whiteness overall. And that the logic that Ford was working off of and that is the logic of Neo-Nazis and other White Supremacists.

To be clear I do not believe in this nor do I agree with it. I am just laying out what they and how they think and what the logic of White Supremacists are. It is a hateful logic because it comes from a hateful ideology. It is about cruelty and superiority rather than compassion, equality, and understanding. It is about creating separation and division instead of finding commonalities, meeting in the middle, and working together.

There is beauty in the variety of humans and the many cultures we have. There is beauty in what we share with each other and what mixes together to create something new and beauty in what stays a part. There is place for blending and a place for not such as in respecting closed practices and cultures.

It is about that balance and finding it. White Supremacy wishes to remove the balance and eradicate all that beauty and variety. All the uniqueness and flavor and history and stories and color and texture that we all bring.

I don't want to live in a world like that.

Remember when we all had to learn to square dance for some reason...?

The fuck was that about.

[timmydraker]

Tim Drake who has a half-Chinese mother named Dai Lu Feng who travelled to study history in various countries and eventually met Jack Drake, an American archeologist who instantly fell in love with the assertive and intelligent woman.

When she eventually agrees to move to America, she had an argument with her parents that makes her cut them off, one she says is due to money when ever asked but is actually because of Drake.

Obviously they don’t have a problem with him being a white man, it’s more that he’s a white white man. He’s entitled, rude, and disrespectful to anyone he deems below him. He’s not obvious about it, but it’s clear he doesn’t really approve of Dai Lu’s family due to their middle class status but she can’t seem to see that, too enchanted by the fact that he listens to her talk about ancient history.

He seems to think class is all that matters, but most odd is how he treats his partners heritage.

When Jack tells her she will need an English name, she isn’t upset or surprised as that’s very normal and her father had already given her one, that being his own mother, Janet.

When Jack tells her to be cautious with who she speaks to incase they pick up her rather well hidden accent, she assumes it’s because Americans can often be cruel to Chinese due to all the propaganda and stereotypes.

When he tells her that she doesn’t need to keep her traditional clothes with her all the time, that they can stay safe in China, she isn’t as sure but at that point thought she would be returning frequently.

When she gets pregnant and excitedly tells him, she hears him over the phone with his ‘Gentleman’ friends saying, ‘Yeah, but she’s only half Chinese, so it’s not really interracial, is it?’ And then ‘Nah, the kid will look more like me, male genes are stronger and anyway, he won’t be learning Chinese so who cares!’

Dai Lu has the until thought to correct him ironically, the thought of defending her language which is Mandarin, thank you, stronger than it’s been in a long while. She’s so used to him not wanting her to talk her home tongue she’s stopped questioning it, stopped feeling that slight guilt of absorbing her culture and home.

Maybe it’s because she used to be bullied for it, that she always thought she would one day have to choose between being a Chinese woman like her mother or a professor in England like her father had been.

And Dai Lu is a smart woman, but she’s also just a human being. She gets scared, especially when it comes to the few people whose opinion she cares about.

What if she tries to go home to her family, to her parents and her sister, only to be shamed for running away from her husband just as she gets pregnant! What if they are mad at her for leaving? What if they judged her? What if she went back to China and everyone knew she abandoned her husband?

She didn’t need his money but damn it if she didn’t want his love.

Timothy Jackson Drake is born with his father choosing his names, his mother looking at him with a smile and heavy sadness is her eyes.

She knows he will be questioned on his heritage, that he will be called vile things, and she will teach him how to handle and respond to such things.

Janet will need to, because Tim looks so much like her and his father will blame him for it.

When Tim receives his mother’s inheritance and everything else she left him in her will, he finds a book he used to read with her as a kid.

Within The Velveteen Rabbit is a letter that reads as follows,

“My dear sweet boy,

I know I wasn’t the best mother to you, I know I should have done more. Been braver.

Alas, all I have to offer you to show my remorse and my love is the name I wished for you to be called, that you would have been given if I had been brave enough to return to my mother.

I love you, Shoi-Ming Feng, now and forever.”

Tim smiles for the first time after loosing her.

They weren’t as close as they could have been, but they lived each other.

He would always remember her teaching him of his culture in whispered voices while Jack was out of the house, of the small jade ring she kept hidden in her make up bag, and of the way she taught him the language she was to never speak in front of her husband as best she could.

Tim calls Bruce and asks him if he could be brought into the man’s care permanently, on the condition is last name be Feng-Wayne.

Bruce agrees without a second of hesitation.

[nqathan1]

Humans are Space Orcs is still rotating

Humans live in the past (excluding those of us who do the Anxiety, in which case we have explicitly said that that's Not Good).

But picture:

Aliens who live in the speculative future. Imagine how weird it must be for them to find humans, who base our actions off of things that have happened - so much so, in fact, that attachment theory is a thing. The past can fuck us up like no one's business, or it can make us into awesome people. We celebrate the memories of good things that happen, and we grieve and mourn things that make us sad or scared or nostalgic.

An alien species without nostalgia.

Constantly looking forward to the future - still experiencing the present, but focusing on how to make it better instead of reliving the good that it was.

A species without graveyards or obituaries or days of mourning.

A species without birthdays or holidays or anniversaries, without commemorations or in memoriums or stories passed down without a specific point.

Humans are a storytelling race - we talk about things that happened, things that didn't happen, things that might or might not have happened. We write our stories in the past tense, because they are about things that can't be changed. Things that were. Things that are no longer.

What about the species who focus on What Has Not Been Yet?

That one Internet Thing in this genre about the last members of a dying alien species being found and cared for by humans in its last days marveling at how they remember.

Imagine that's the oddity.

Imagine that setting store in the past is not how it usually happens. Other species would find it strange how we get sad at certain times of the year because a person we once knew is no longer in our life. They would see no point in talking about history, except for the tangible value of the lesson it provides - military tactics, or some wisdom or knowledge. They would be confused why we find it necessary to bring things that Are No More into Now.

In a way, what if the galaxy is devoid of Holding On?

What if humans are the ones who preserve it?

What if the What Ifs govern the actions of all other species, and they tell stories of What Could Be?

What if they can't grasp the value we put on keeping old things close because they used to mean something?

Extrapolating a bit, because I like the "The Thing That Makes Us Human Is Love" thing, what if we're just attached to things more? A human on an alien crew getting funny looks because they keep a picture of their dead mother with them to remember her by. Other species just not understanding why we would sacrifice the things we need before the things we love.

The evolutionary order of preservation is self, progeny, connected others, then unconnected others. But humans, depending on which of those categories they have, shunt themselves to the last slot. Aliens who don't understand why humans run toward the crashed, unstable ship to help the survivors even though they know they won't come back.

More to the point, aliens who don't understand humans going to be with others in their final moments, especially if their own death is assured - or even going down with the ship, as it were. I'm attached to the idea of a human running into an actively melting down reactor to save an alien friend, being told to save themselves upon finding rescue impossible, and the alien who urged them to go being told to fuck off and accept the company.

Just something to think about.

[hillbillyoracle]

Just want to explain these additions a little more to help people understand.

Per pinkchaosart's additions - I mean, kind of. Stating it this way really misses the underlying theological and experiential side of these beliefs.

Most fundamentalist churches are not out here saying "If we make things bad enough, Jesus will come save us." I know they exist, I've been to a few, but they're usually considered fringe even with fundamentalism. They're saying the quiet part out loud and that's gauche.

I really wish I had the time to do this part justice because it's history I really think more people need to know but as succinctly as I know how to put it, most present day Christian fundamentalism is heavily influenced by speakers and writers who were in turn influenced by a movement in the early 1900's (with roots further back) that was espoused conspiracy theories about Freemasons, other lodge orders, immigrants, and communists.

One of those conspiracy theories was that these groups were covertly working to bring about the New World Order (present day you'll hear One World Order more often) that would be an atheistic super government (over individual nations) that would persecute Christians. This became a common worldview in populist conservative groups in the mid 1900's and given those groups strategic alliances with people who would become the originators of our current day Christian fundamentalism - think Billy Graham and others who would rise to fame in the televangelist era - that view then became baked into interpretations of Revelations in the churches that they spawned so it was taken as biblical truth in these circles.

This is why most fundamentalists generally oppose the United Nations and similar efforts. I would say most don't actively wish for world war or climate destruction, they're smart enough to know it would suck for them too, but they oppose the organizations that would make it possible to prevent them because they look to them like the One World Order. And while it's considered an inescapable prophecy at some point, the opposition to it is seen as a way to demonstrate their faith (since they took Revelations seriously) and ultimately would be a sign of their true belief on the appointed Judgement Day.

Per anotherdayforchaosfay's addition:

Some helpful context.

There is a concept in fundamentalism called "the age of accountability." This is the age at which a child becomes accountable for their sins.

Since fundamentalist churches generally think that baptisms of babies do not count because they don't have the ability to choose and it is the choice to turn toward God that matters, there's an age, usually in early childhood at which fundamentalists think a child is capable of choosing God and thus after which they become accountable for their sins.

Some fundie churches are specific about the age and say it's 7 though I've seen some churches say up to 13. Other churches say it's different for individuals and it's something you have to sus out between you and God. This is the kind of church I went to and it's just as anxiety inducing as it sounds.

So the killing of young children is seen with much sadness but a relief as well because children killed before the age of accountability go directly to heaven and are spared the crueler parts of the impending apocalypse. From their view, terrifying last moments are much shorter than an eternity in heaven.

I am finding out that a lot of things I thought were common knowledge about Christian Fundamentalism are not in fact common knowledge.

Like with the aid freeze, people were like why would they do this? And I was like cause they want churches to be the only option for aid.

And people were shocked. And I was also shocked that this wasn't like...more well known. I grew up with people who were anti-aid because they felt that belonged to the church and made people behave more worldly if they could get it elsewhere. It was so well known it was a debate topic in my Philosophy of Religion course in high school.

I'm just...I'm concerned at how little some groups seem to know about Christian Fundamentalism. I wish I could help translate more.

[useless-catalanfacts]

A group of weeders standing in a rice field in Amposta (Terres de l'Ebre, Catalonia). I couldn't find the date but it's most likely from the 1920s-1940s. Photo from Museu de les Terres de l'Ebre.

This photo is interesting because it shows the traditional clothes that women from the Ebro Delta wore until the 20th century. It's very different from the image most people think of when we imagine "traditional women's clothes". The truth is that many countries (including ours when it comes to the pubilla and hereu outfit) fixed their "national costume" in the early 1900s, taking the upper class formal clothes as "the traditional clothes". However, that is not representative of the country in general, particularly of the working classes, nor of the many local variations that are always found around a country.

These weeders are wearing saragüells, which are a kind of tight-fitting trousers made of a light material that can dry easily. On top of this trousers, they wore a skirt that they rolled up to their waist. The reason behind this being the usual work clothes for women in the Ebro Delta area is because it's an area where, since 1860, most people worked in the agriculture of rice. Rice is grown in water, so they worked with their feet and lower part of legs in the water. (Ah, and by the way, yes, of course most women historically worked outside of the home, too.)

Now, here's why I find this interesting: the various dictatorships of Spain who called themselves "traditionalist" (Primo de Rivera's and Franco's) and their followers for many years forbid women from wearing trousers in many ambits or raged against women in trousers for being immoral. How is it possible that "traditionalists" said that, when there are traditional/historical clothes for women that include trousers? Don't "traditionalists" stand for keeping traditions? Well, let's hear the words of one of the movement's founders:

“For the authentic revolutionary conservative, what really counts is to be faithful not to past forms and institutions, but rather to principles of which such forms and institutions have been particular expressions, adequate for a specific period of time and in a specific geographical area.” Julius Evola, Men Among the Ruins: Post-War Reflections of a Radical Traditionalist.

This was said by Julius Evola (1898-1974), one of the ideologues of traditionalism. What he's saying here is that the point of traditionalism is not to be faithful to what the past or the tradition really was like; the point of traditionalism is to have some a priori beliefs and then look back in history and cherry-pick some places where that was the case. History is long and includes millennia of different cultures, you're bound to find pretty much everything at some point, and easily those ideas that have been the status quo in the immediate previous years (which is what they defend). This is why traditionalists defend that European powers are the heirs of Imperial Rome and have claims on other countries as such, but consider things that were completely normal in Ancient Roman culture (homosexuality, multi-racial cities, racial mixing) are not part of what they defend. It was never about following a real tradition or history, that was just an excuse.

These so-called "traditionalist" governments also pick one singular culture from the whole area instead of allowing each area to continue their traditional way of life. In the case of the Spanish dictatorships, exterminating the traditional customs, languages and cultural elements of the nations whose land Spain occupies (Catalans, Basques, Galicians, Aranese...) was a priority. They banned the languages, holidays, songs, and more. At the same time, they imposed one singular language (Spanish), religion (Catholicism), and the holidays, traditions (like bull-fighting), music, etc. of the Spanish with an emphasis on folklore from Andalusia (Southern Spain).

As a historian, it saddens me when people believe that what traditionalists say is really what the past was like, and nowhere do I see more lies than in what the "tradwife" movement have been led to believe. The real past was so much more interesting.

And speaking of trousers... Did you know that France had an 18th-century law that forbid women from wearing trousers which wasn't repealed until 2013? In 1972, the French politician Michèle Alliot-Marie was banned from entering the French Parliament because she was committing the crime of wearing trousers!

[thezombieprostitute]

Your Fixer: Breaking Point

Summary: A string of bad luck has you considering going back to your ex-husband.

Warnings: Manipulation, Mild violence. Please let me know if I missed any!

Part of the Yours AU

Fired. Again. You don't know what happened. Everything was going so well! You even had a wonderful performance review! But then one mistake, one upset high profile client, and it's all gone.

Maybe August was right. You'll never be anything without him.

You'd been so certain when you handed him the divorce papers. Certain he was holding you back, keeping you beneath him in every sense. And you had done well for the first several years after!

Then, after one party your luck seemed to turn south. The morning after your boss had complained about your behavior. You had no idea what he was talking about. Neither did your co-workers. But it didn't matter, you were fired.

Your coworkers were willing to be a reference and you were quick to find another job. Soon after, though, you were blindsided yet again. It felt like the universe was out to get you.

The library computers provided a good place to start looking into new jobs. You weren't sure you could find anything cheaper than the closet you call an apartment but at least you can find ways to cut spending while you applied to fast food jobs all day. Plus, if you stay put, you're less likely to have the urge to buy anything, right?

On the far end of the computer terminals, Jack O'Malley is discreetly keeping an eye on you. He'd been hired by your ex-husband to drive you back to him. "Preferably crawling, but I'll take what I get," Walker had sneered. He'd seen you at a work party and hated that you were doing so well without him.

Of course Jack took the job. So long as he prioritized Nick's work, he was allowed to take side jobs. Though only if they didn't break Nick's rules. This job was close to breaking a few of them but it straddled the line just enough Jack felt okay about it.

Well at least he used to feel okay about it. He'd heard those stories about abusers wanting to break strong people to make themselves feel better. He thought it was pop psych stuff. The abusers he'd seen went after weak people who wouldn't fight back. He had forgotten to account for kind people.

Jack looked into your history, and Walker's, in between bouts of getting you fired. You were a good person who'd had a bright future until Walker stepped in. The more Jack looked into Walker, the more he hated himself for taking the guy's money.

And now you're here at the library. He's remotely connected to your terminal, seeing everything you're doing. Even after all you've been through, even with tears in your eyes, you're still looking for ways to survive on your own. Jack can't help but be in awe of your strength.

He knows he should probably tell you what's been going on. Give you the evidence to take to the police or something. But the police aren't always reliable in these matters and Jack's never been good at the direct route.

The idea comes to him in a flash. He quickly writes up an email to Nick, attaching some of the worst evidence against August, leaving out some of his own influence on your current situation. He asks permission to help you out, keep you from going back to your loser ex.

After he sends the email he doesn't wait for permission. He posts an impromptu job opening that he'll make sure you find. Might get a few other unwanted applicants but that'll just make the interview feel more legitimate. He doesn't actually need an assistant, but that'll just make your job that much easier. And who doesn't love easy money?

He gets a reply from Nick:

Send Rogers to punch the mustache off him. If he wanted his wife to stay he should've treated her better.

Relieved Jack gets back to work making sure you find and apply for the fake job.

Jack returns to his apartment feeling good. You'd applied for the job and he was going to make sure to call you tomorrow about it. Maybe look up a few tasks you could do for him to make things feel legitimate.

He stops in his tracks when he sees Nick in his living room. With a knife.

"That request you sent me earlier, Jack? I know that wasn't the whole truth."

Jack's mouth is dry, his blood turned to ice.

"You shouldn't have taken this job. We're supposed to be making our people feel safe. Word gets out we forced a woman to go crawling back to her asshole ex, people lose faith in us. Maybe stop being so willing to pay us. Then it becomes a whole mess."

Jack nods, not trusting himself to speak.

"But, you're making amends in your own way," Nick cheerfully says, putting away his knife. "You're going to take very good care of this girl, right? Gonna fix all her problems?"

Jack nods, "yes, Sir."

"Good." Nick goes to walk by him but, faster than Jack can react, Nick kicks his leg, dropping him to his knees. He pulls Jack's hair, exposing his neck, and brings the knife back out, pressing it just enough to draw blood.

"You do something stupid like this again and I'll make sure you get made an example of," he growls. "Understood?"

"Yes, Sir," Jack whimpers.

Nick removes the knife and pushes Jack's torso onto the ground before walking out of the apartment.

Jack takes in a deep breath. Yeah, lesson learned.

Tagging:

@alicedopey; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @irishhappiness; @kmc1989;

@lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly; @thiquefunlover63

[dramaticallytotal]

If you want, can you expand protective Chris & Chef with alenoah (any au). Hope you have a good one 👍

Definitely! I'll do it for I'm Back in the Game, Except Not Really.

__________

Protective Chris & Chef: IBITGENR Edition

I'm gonna throw some general headcanons in along with the alenoah ones.

• As soon as Noah was eliminated, Chris showed him the room he and Chef put together for the teen on the staff level of the plane since they didn't trust any of the former contestants to not try and get clues or something from Noah now that he's no longer in the game. (Especially Alejandro, Heather, Courtney, and Duncan)

• They make sure he is fed and taking his medication and warm! They can't have their ki- assistant not in peak condition!

• Chef makes him carry a taser, pepper spray, a pocket knife, a cat eye defense keychain, a key that is really a knife, a whistle, a panic button, and a flare gun on him at all times. Noah may have gained muscle and such from his time as Chris's assistant, and his weight is finally getting to a healthy limit but that don't mean he's leaving his boy with nothing to defend himself. (Chef has acknowledged that he sees Noah as a son and is trying to get him husband to realize he also sees the snarky boy as his son).

• Chris is in constant contact with Noah's mom, Abbi. The two got close once Noah became an intern in season one. It was them getting close that made Noah's time as an intern short, and he was quickly promoted to assistant. Not because of favoritism or anything but because, look as much as people like to say Chris doesn't have a heart, he does, and their family situation got to him.

• Noah's mom and dad were in the process of getting a divorce during Island. Noah didn't know until after the show was over since they aren't allowed to contact anyone outside of the competition but Chris had gotten in contact with Abbi to ask her permission to hire her son as an intern. Abbi agreed, and it was during one of their talks where they were hashing out all the details that he heard a fight break out between Abbi and who he learned was Noah's dad Mason.

It was about Noah.

Specifically his conduct on the show. Mason had been ranting how it was Abbi's fault Noah didn't turn out like a "correct" man, and him losing was because she coddled him. Chris unwillingly heard everything and how it came out that Mason was the reason Noah wasn't as close to his sisters as he had once been. Mason had apparently gotten in his head and continuously compared Noah to his sisters in an effort to "motivate" him.

It got to the point that Noah stopped interacting with his sisters. They found this out at the same time Chris and Abbi did as apparently Mason couldn't keep his thoughts to himself and said anything and everything that came to mind. It ended with Abbi calmly saying she wanted a divorce.

The next time they were in talks with each other, Abbi broke down and confessed to Chris that Mason agreed to the divorce, but on the condition, he gets custody of Noah. During this time, Chris had already grown fond of Noah, so he was worried how all of this would affect the boy. So he helped Abbi find a good lawyer.

Mason's lawyer was going to use Noah's medical history and Abbi's work hours as a way to get custody and basically say Noah needed a parent who could take care of him whenever possible and not a parent with one of the busiest schedules as Abbi had always had a big workload. Mason was trying to make it seem like Noah needed care and was unable to do things on his own.

Chris's brilliant plan was to then hire Noah as an assistant instead so Abbi could show the courts he's more than able to work and provide for himself if needed. (Mason isn't the smartest person despite having a PHD. and being a professor.)

• Then Noah found out about the divorce after Island wrapped up, and Action was underway, and Chris got worried as the kid just threw himself into his work.

It took a lot of talks and more heart-to-hearts than Chris liked to get the kid to talk about how he was feeling and go get him to contact his mom and sister. Thankfully, Chef was there, and he was definitely a better listener than his husband.

• Unfortunately, the custody case ended up requiring they go to court, and Noah gave a statement. Chris and Chef were there the entire time, and through it, they found themselves close to the Mudaliar family. Therefore, they feel very protective of Noah after everything. [I might expand on this in a separate post, but this is canon in all my aus. Mason isn't the best nor the worst dad, just a really misguided one and in some aus he does genuinely try to be apart of his kids lives after the divorce but in others he just stops being there. This is one of them.]

_____ (moving on!)

• The first time Chris and Chef see Alejandro try and talk to Noah, they always end up having something for him to do. How weird.

• They are also not a fan of the intern who has been flirting with their boy either! But there's not much they can do there because they are low on interns and aren't allowed to fire anymore.

• Though they definitely distract him with meals (family dinners as Chef would say).

• They make sure Noah wears thermals under his normal clothes and jacket, and hat, and scarf, and gloves, when he was out during the Sweden challenge.

• They also noticed that despite their efforts, Alejandro managed to talk to Noah and even got him to smirk! And chuckle! How dare he after he so ruthlessly voted off their boy! (Nevermind the part where they planned it.)

• When Noah is in charge and directing people in view of the cast, Chris makes sure Alejandro somehow gets water dumped on him or tripped or something because he does not like the look in that boy's eyes as he ogled at Noah.

• Alejandro and Noah were getting closer, and once it was the wedding challenge and Alejandro asked Chris if he could switch Heather for Noah, Chef and Chris nearly threw him off the cliff. Noah had blushed

• Thus, the China challenge happened. It was supposed to be something different, but Chef had recalled how Alejandro had gagged when he ate his Candy Fishtails, so he convinced his husband to do a food competition. Chris was all for it! (No Chef helping Blainley cheat in this au)

The two watched how grossed out Alejandro was for the entire challenge back in their room and laughed maniacally.

• Chris and Chef ban Noah from appearing anywhere near the Rapa Nui challenge, given he's a freaking Disney princess, and the condors would probably mistake him as their chick and kidnap him.

• They somewhat accept Alejandro after the boy protected Noah from the plane explosion since Chris and Chef weren't close enough to do so themselves.

[welcometololaland]

i'm sure i'm gonna make something super emosh (sylvanian drama anyone??) after the final ep but this was such a cute game idea by @thisbuildinghasfeelings so i wanted to jump on board!

ty also for the tags @strandnreyes and @everlastingday 💜

1. THE DAY SOMEONE SENT A VIDEO OF THE PROPOSAL™️ TO THE POPCORN SQUAD AND MADE ME USELESS FOR TARLOS

i think i'm gonna blame @three-drink-amy. lives were changed (my life was changed). i played that damn video 9384209348 times. i immediately had fic thoughts. i basically didn't leave my couch for an entire day. i made my partner watch it (confusion). i cried internally. i wanted to KNOW THESE CHARACTERS!!! and even after years, i feel like i'm still untangling all the threads of tk strand and carlos reyes, and i love that <3

2. THE SEVEN CONSECUTIVE WEEKS OF WRITING 10-15K OF PURE CHAOS

looking back. we were insane for the choice to write the ring-in (@dustratcentral and @rmd-writes) on a week-by-week basis, but i'd probably do it again. it remains my third most popular fic of all time and although i don't super understand it, i feel like the people felt the chaos vibes and were drawn in. i think the mess of writing, beta reading and vibing made for some magic.

3. CO-WRITES. ALL OF THEM.

i love co-writing. i love creating magic with someone else. i love sharing in the thrill of posting, and i'm very fortunate to have had many people in this fandom trust me enough to take the wheel (partially).

4. LEARNING ABOUT TARLOS, THE FANDOM AND ALSO ME

sounds stupid but literally just getting in the HEADS of the characters. watching the eps over and over, reading through the discourse, talking and talking and talking and talking about ideas and head-canons and specific character traits with anyone who would lend me an ear. learning from people who had been in the fandom way longer than me, learning from (dare i say it) anons, learning from my own mistakes. this fandom has taught me a lot about myself, writing, tarlos, fandom and a bunch of other stuff. i know this is a cop out because it's not a single memory or a time point but!!!!!! i never said i would play by the rules!!!!

5. PEOPLE

whether we spoke for five months or five minutes, you told me a random story about your pet or we just chatted about the show, you read my fics or I read yours or whether we just co-existed, whether you consider us friends or not, honestly, thank you. the way i look at it, my life is enriched by every interaction on here, because without lone star, without fandom, without tumblr, i never would have known you at all.

(BONUS: 4 x 16. WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS MY FAVOURITE TARLOS SCENE! SOULMATES BABY!)

open tag <3

@guardian-angle22 @reyesstrand @lutavero @heartstringsduet @carlos-in-glasses

@ramblingdisaster73 @danieljradcliffe @fitzherbertssmolder @she-walked-away @liminalmemories21

@reasonandfaithinharmony @alrightbuckaroo @firstprince-history-huh @ironheartwriter @emsprovisions

@ladyknight1512 @carlos-tk @bonheur-cafe @queen-saltyfries @lemonlyman-dotcom

@actual-sleeping-beauty @herefortarlos @rangersoup @tellmegoodbye @marjansmarwani

@nancys-braids @captain-gillian @saguaroblossom @eclectic-sassycoweyes @lightningboltreader

@chicgeekgirl89 @theghostofashton @whatsintheboxmh @freneticfloetry @detective-giggles

[genderqueerdykes]

I was talking to my gf's roommate abt the history of girlfag and started off with "there are so many terms for lesbians lol- lesboy, boydyke, fagdyke, guydyke, those are all mainly for lesbians" as she went "men have enough" 😐 at the end, when I'm saying how it has never been a term used by 100% cis people, but rather genderqueer and non transitioning (a lot believing they're too old or hrt wouldn't work enough) transmascs she says something about how we don't need a term for everything (even tho I know she uses it for herself) n I just. Hnnnn

thanks for taking the time to stop by, i appreciate it! i enjoy your blog as well so it was cool to see you pop up in my askbox :D

"men have enough" ??? what the hell. that is such a selfish, entitled way of looking at this. does this person seriously think that a man using the same label as a woman is taking something away from them. are men who have traditionally "feminine/womens'" hobbies and interests taking things away from women? are men who also identify as human taking things away from women? are men breathing taking away oxygen from women?

she says something about how we don't need a term for everything

ah, the ole shifting the goalposts. i know it well. people who think this way get backed into corners easily and have to figure out a way to make themselves sound right without actually having anything else to add, so they default to some tired old frustrated crap like this. oh if we don't need a term for everything then, you'd be okay if the "lesbian" label went away? you'd be okay with people deciding "yeah we don't need a label for this anymore" and saying that people need to stop calling themselves lesbians because we "don't need a label for everything?"

it's very clear all of that was about shutting you up and absolutely none of it was about queer rights, feminism or being progressive. that's so sad. people see diversity and get SO scared. people see diversity in their own community and jump to saying it's a "threat". like sure by all means, if you think we don't need to have labels for "everything," feel free to stop calling yourself a lesbian at any point! it sounds pretty superfluous by your logic! you know, "Stone Butch" and "High Femme" seem pretty superfluous too, better get rid of those while we're at it, since we don't need a term for "everything," and we might as well throw "femme" and "butch" by themselves right in the trash too! we "don't need a term for everything" after all! (all of this is referring to them, not you)

anyways, take care, i'm sorry you had to deal with this. people love to just shift the goalposts whenever it suits them. it's really obvious once you start spotting the behavior. if you need any help or anything else feel free to reach out! stay safe out there. queer men deserve better than this. fagdykes, lesboys, boydykes, guydykes, transmasc, ftm and trans man lesbians deserve so much better than this.

[tellmegoodbye]

Thank you @thisbuildinghasfeelings for this lovely idea!

I'm someone who hates goodbyes, and this isn't one, but I have been struggling with the fact that this show is ending. However, if we're going to get sentimental today, I might as well go all in.

I've had a bit of a rocky two years with the fandom, starting off as a lurker in season 4 and then slowly coming out of my shell before abruptly leaving for several months with no plans of ever returning to social media. I also had zero plans of ever finishing the fic that I had spent months writing at that point. I'm not here to hash out all of the personal details of what was going on in my life at the time, but needless to say, I was done with fandom.

Coming back was an accident, but when I did I saw that people here in the lone star fandom were still so friendly and welcoming, and at some point I felt comfortable enough to give this thing another shot. I admit that sometimes I wish my experience had been a little different, that I found the show sooner or that it didn't get canceled right when I finally started feeling comfortable in fandom spaces again, but I am still incredibly grateful for the time I have had here, as well as the time I hope to continue to have!

So many wonderful things have happened since I returned to this place, and it's so hard to just pick a few, but here are a few of my favorite fandom memories!

1. The Elusive Push Coda

I finally finished my first Tarlos fic, which is still something I am incredibly proud of. Thank you so much to everyone who has shown me love and support for that fic. 🩵

2. Music Monday

As a music lover, I could not resist starting this tag. I love seeing everyone's tastes in music coming together in our playlists. I also have a few updates coming to that, as well as another thing I am very super secretly working on. 👀

3. Writing, Writing, Writing

I have continued to write more fic than I have in a very long time, thanks to the wip games where we share our snippets, and thanks to @literateowl and @herefortarlos for being wonderful betas! I could not have gotten back into this thing that I love so much without the support of all of you, so thank you so much!

4. Tarlos Haven

Me and @ironheartwriter started the Tarlos discord, and we've had some amazing times in there whether it be a watch party or a sprint session. I have been terrified of connecting with new people and I still am to some extent, but I really appreciate how kind everyone is to each other. It really eases so much of my anxiety.

5. Exchange Events

I loved hosting the countdown exchange over on @911lonestarevents with @ironheartwriter and I also loved participating in the @tarlos-santa secret santa event! I'm also very excited to be participating in the @tarlos-secret-cupid event as well!

Honorable Mention: Liveblogging

Experiencing episodes live, theorizing and analyzing, losing our mind over stills and writing codas and spec fics, and just having this beautiful thing to look forward to every week for months on end. There's nothing quite like it. Since I am fairly confident that this is my last fandom, I am sad to be losing this. But if I never get to do this again, I'm glad that my last time was with you guys.

Tagging everyone who has (to my knowledge) already posted one of these

@annoyingcloudearthquake @everlastingday @strandnreyes @thisbuildinghasfeelings @welcometololaland @rmd-writes @she-walked-away @reyesstrand @nisbanisba @nancys-braids @carlossreaders @ladyknight1512

Tagging people to participate if you haven't already! No pressure of course.

@lemonlyman-dotcom @heartstringsduet @carlos-in-glasses @paperstorm @bonheur-cafe @emsprovisions @eclectic-sassycoweyes @herefortarlos @reasonandfaithinharmony @rosedavid @ironheartwriter @alrightbuckaroo @theghostofashton @sweettkstrand @strandedbuckley @dear-viv @freneticfloetry @firstprince-history-huh @goodways @henrygrass @literateowl @carlos-tk @certifiedflower @butchreyes @whatsintheboxmh @captain-gillian @reeeallygood @sapphic--kiwi @morganaspendragonss @lightningboltreader

[the-lost-archivist]

Given the fact that most major social media platforms are in trumps back pocket I feel like it’s important that people question everything they see more than they have before, particularly in the us. there’s this very useful technique I was taught a couple of years ago back when i studied history since we had to look at sources of information (particularly in pre Nazi germany to see the techniques he used to gain power and reasons why people supported him) and we had to analyse whether or not it was a good historical source, to help us do this we used PANDA:

purpose- why has this been created/ shared what’s the point of it?

author- who created/ shared this? What views do they have? Are those views visible in the content

nature- what is this thing? (Is it a painting? Photo? Video? News article? Internet post?) what is it telling me?

date- when was this thing created? What stuff was happening at the time of creating this?

audience- who is this meant to reach? Is it supposed to be solely seen within one group of people or is it supposed to be widespread

While it isn’t exactly the same because in history you have the benefit of hindsight I think that it would be useful to use this whenever they see a post, regardless of whether it opposes with your views, because sometimes stuff will act as though it agrees with you but include one or two small things to shift your perspective until suddenly you are against your original beliefs (eg ‘I’m fine with gay people I wish they wouldn’t shove it in our faces though’ could be P- to see how much homophobia they can get away with, A- someone who is against being gay N- a statement often used to perpetuate homophobia while being able to hide behind being fine with gay people, D- it’s a reasonably recent statement made by people coming from a time where being queer is more acceptable but only recently, A- often said to people who are queer people or ally’s as a way to say ‘I’m fine if people are gay as long as I don’t have to know they are gay’. And if you were to accept that statement and go “yeah it’s a bit annoying that people are so obviously gay” then you are more likely to allow it when someone else goes “being gay is a sin so I hate that they are gay but I like them as a person” and then they may cut out the “I like them as a person” and replace it with “I don’t want them to suffer in hell” and it will continue until before you know it you are protesting against queer rights and standing by as they are being attacked)

[the-hyperthermic-writer]

Harry Potter and Tom Riddle are two sides of the same coin, equals in every sense of the word.

I often see Harry depicted as a stuttering mess, a bad lier, an open book, timid, but that is not Harry James Potter.

Harry Potter brought the second Wizarding war to an end almost single handedly, he is a child soldier, a fighter. Harry lead the resistance against Voldemort, not Dumbledore, Harry.

This boy, since his first year was observant enough to figure out every mystery thrown at him, successfully surviving each danger he met. His gut was almost right every single time, and he had impeccable instincts.

Harry Potter is not dumb, he is not clueless and he is not oblivious. Sure, Harry was not the top of his classes, but he passed almost all of his OWLs, only failing in the subject that I’m sure almost everyone did (History of Magic). He was the one who caught Draco was up to something immediately in HBP, already guessing he was a Death Eater. He was the one who filed away every small, minuscule observation, which helped him solve so many things thrown at him. He was the one who figured out the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, who repeatedly took note of the random black dog wandering Hogwarts, who knew something was wrong when Dumbledore wouldn’t look at him, knew Draco was doing something under Voldemorts orders and who was able to figure out the whereabouts of the Diadem and thought to ask Ravenclaws ghost.

Yes, he had his moments of stupidity, but he was under tremendous stress and often was sleep deprived. He may have chased after Sirius like a brash Gryffindor, but he was extremely sleep deprived, nobody would tell him shit, and Sirius was his only family left.

No, Harry Potter was not an open book or a horrible lier. He survived an abusive household for ten years straight, that boy knew how to lie to survive. In the Philosophers Stone I know Quirrell wouldn’t have known Harry was lying about what he saw in the mirror had he not had the Dark Lord on the back of his head who can literally read minds. It was said in the books that Harry was seen as cold, unapproachable, it wasn’t known what he was thinking till he blew up. He was hard to get a read on because he knew how to hide his emotions after years of abuse.

Yes, Harry had his moments where he lost control over his emotions, like with Umbridge, Dumbledore, his friends, but only while he was under pressure and hit his breaking point. His whole life he had been called a lier, and suddenly a woman he doesn’t know accuses him of lying about how a student he watched die died. Dumbledore had been keeping secrets from Harry all year in OotP, fled the school and it ultimately led to Harry losing his last piece of family. His friends were constantly bickering while Harry was suffering, truthfully, I would’ve lost it on them too.

Harry Potter was not a stuttering, awkward mess. He was a leader, he was the one who called the shots, who took down Voldemort. When there needed to be someone in charge, Harry took the mantle even though he hated the attention because he knew he could handle it. He taught the DA with such ease because he could command a room, put on a confident front so others could rely on him. Never during the GoF did he stutter with fear when faced with challenges, he faced them head on. He wasn’t awkward when he met Ron or anyone else, truthfully, he just seemed to want most people to stay away.

There’s not even a single time I can remember him being awkward except with Cho crying and suddenly kissing him. Anyone would feel awkward as hell if that happened, but imagine being an abused orphan who wasn’t allowed to be upset? Exactly, Harry doesn’t understand emotions as well as others because he had to push them down. Also, she literally kissed him while crying about her dead boyfriend he witnessed die.

Harry Potter was not weak mentally or physically. He played Quidditch religiously, was forced to run from his cousin if he didn’t want to get hurt and fought tooth and nail in every fight to survive. There is no way in hell he didn’t have some muscle, and I will admit he may have lost it often during the summer or the year he was on the run, but for the majority of his school years he was athletic. Not burly, but definitely had lean muscle. Harry also survived through all that shit and never forget what he was fighting for, not once wavering on his path. He knew what he wanted, and was willing to do anything to achieve a means to an end, even if it meant dying by the hand of the one man he swore to defeat.

As stated above, I know he was often starved/malnourished, so there definitely were times he was physically weak. However, for the majority of the time he was not just thin. Also, it’s said he was the same height as his dad, who was described as being tall. Prolonged malnourishment can definitely stunt growth though, so I don’t really care for this point as much.

Harry James Potter and Tom Marvolo Riddle were prophesied enemies for a reason. Harry may have been a bit of a brash and reckless Gryffindor, but in the end he was a force to be reckoned with.

Both Tom and Harry were orphans who grew up in harsh environments, learning how to manipulate people to survive. (And don’t say Harry didn’t manipulate, he was able to get Vernon off his back for a summer by using Sirius)

They both were war survivors, Tom surviving a Muggle war and Harry surviving a Wizarding war.

Harry and Tom were both antisocial to an extent, the difference being Harry was able to gain a close knit group of friends.

They were magically powerful, but Tom was more controlled magic and Harry was wild magic that he willed to do as he said.

They were distrustful of adults, almost never turning to an adult unless they had to.

There’s so many more, but I can’t name them all.

Overall, it is an insult to Harry’s character (in my opinion) to water him down to someone so far away from who he truly is. He is Tom Riddles equal, he is not just a lucky boy who somehow survived. This boy was never dumb, awkward, loud or timid, and anyone who says he was has forgotten who canon Harry truly is.

I will not lie and say I do not love some of these traits when paired with his true personality, but I will never like a timid, awkward, stupid Harry. That is not the person Voldemort marked as an equal.