#so i can imagine what the third one is like!

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Actually, I think this does link in with a wider conversation that I have been thinking for a while Tumblr maybe needs to hear.

There's a common meme on this site now that no one here has any reading comprehension skills. The best one is, of course, the original "No offense but reading comprehension on this site is piss poor/How dare you say we piss on the poor" post, which gave rise to the nickname "pissing-on-the-poor website". There's also the "I like pancakes/How dare you say waffles are terrible" one. Both of these are great, because they're silly jokey ways to show two closely related phenomena that are probably the commonest ways to fail a reading comprehension check.

The first is someone reading certain catchphrases or buzzwords in the post, and based on their own biases or prior experiences or whatever else, their brain simply fills in what it reckons the poster is saying on the topic. Instead of reading the rest of the sentence and digesting it, the reader then just uses their assumption as the interpretation, and reacts to that.

The second is closely related, because it also uses biases and prior experiences to to interpret the post, but rather than ignoring what the OP is actually saying, it instead performs a series of gymnastic leaps to construct a whole new assertion on the OP's behalf that simply isn't there.

There's also a third, of course; that one is people being so eager to feel smug and superior over someone they perceive as Bad that they wilfully assume the OP is stupid or being serious when they're actually joking. And if the reader hadn't been so blinded by their desire to get to look down on someone, they'd have seen the very obvious tells, sometimes even including sentences like "Obviously this is a joke." (I think we have all seen examples of these. Also, in a bid to avoid as many reading comprehension fails here as possible, this does not include misunderstandings borne entirely of neurodiverse struggles to parse intentions; but, neurodiverse people are just as likely as neurotypicals to have ego play a part in their misinterpretation of others, and that is what this point is about.)

And the thing is... actually, we are all capable of any of these. I imagine a sizable chunk of people reading until this point were probably thinking "Lol, yeah, people are so stupid," but na, nage, I'm not having that. Literally everyone does these sometimes. And it becomes a particular risk when the topic under discussion is something that might brush against an issue that is a pressure point for you, like a social justice talking point that you are forever having to argue with internet strangers about, for example. Your brain holds schemas! And sometimes it likes to pattern match things before it deigns to tell you about its findings! And that can hit you right in the emotions, which if they are strong enough, really can shut down all rational thought.

But. This brings me to the real point of the post.

Because the thing is, we have all saddled up and gone to war under these conditions, or at the very least been strongly tempted to. And a vital skill that literally everyone has to learn, sooner or later, is:

Before you hit 'reply', double check the post to make sure you fucking understood it.

And that does not mean "simply re-read, confirm your bias, carry on." It means, "Is it possible to read this post from the point of view of someone who doesn't intend it the way I've taken it? If I put myself in the shoes of an innocent, could they still have written these words? Is there another interpretation for these phrases?"

And you do have to do this step. You simply do have to. Because if your desire is to 'clap back' and call someone a gargling knobskin made of garbage, fuck me sideways but you must see that it is imperative that you check if they actually deserve that kind of treatment first. You cannot spend your time claiming that we must all choose to be kind and then not bother doing your due diligence before screaming a person's various and assorted bigotries at them. If you misread it, and they were innocent - you are the raging aggressive cunt in this situation.

It does not matter that you reacted from an emotional place of normally having to defend yourself either, by the way. Sure, that makes the quality of your human soul better than that of the average Redditor who just enjoys anonymously hurting people, I guess? But it's also irrelevant. If you messaged someone and called them a misogynist because you performed several mental somersaults and landed on your own sore spot when they meant no such thing, you are the attacker. You owe them an apology. And yeah, sure, you can explain your over-reaction as the product of your normal experiences if you like, but that is only an explanation, not an excuse. You are still the asshole here. You still need to apologise and mean it.

And you could have avoided it if you'd done that due diligence, as you should have. If you're going to take a swing, make sure it's the right target. This was once described to me as donkey people - they don't think, they just kick. This is admittedly a little unkind to donkeys, who always do their due diligence, but I feel it's an apt metaphor.

TL;DR: If you feel moved to angrily reply to something, first make sure you've interpreted it right. Don't be a donkey person. And if you ask for clarification, people are innocent until proven guilty. Ask nicely. If they are a bigot, you can then smelt them for parts.

[fallenclan]

wow! it feels weird for this moon (and ravenstar's leadership/arc to finally be over)... i have some Thoughts, particularly about the exiled trio!

patchback -- i like that, of the three, she's the only one who looks genuinely angry. the same is true when ravenstar is killed. levi and sleepydawn look more surprised in that instance as well. given her history, this is the SECOND time patchback has been exiled. i imagine that she enjoys being a part of a clan. possibly, being exiled for the first time was the worst thing that ever happened to her, so when cherrystar gave her a chance, patchback chose to try and "adapt," to be whoever cherrystar would accept. but then ravenstar gave her the room to be herself... surely, with his support, and levi as deputy, then patchback will never have to fear exile again? ha! wrong.

levi -- levi only joined fallenclan after realizing an opportunity to hold power awaited him. i highly doubt levi cares about clan life. i think he's disappointed/annoyed, but not particularly "devestated" in the way that i imagine patchback is. levi will just... move on with his life, and try to find power somewhere else. i think he and patchback will stick together, since they're friends, and there's power in numbers. i believe levi likes power, but doesn't like to be the one making decisions (he likes his second-in-command spot imo). so, with ravenstar gone, patchback becomes his first-in-command. better yet, i imagine levi enjoyed ravenstar, but didn't like him. levi actually likes patchback, so being her second-in-command, backing her up, or better yet, being her partner is especially appealing.

sleepydawn -- he just looks numb. after ravenstar's death, i imagine he quickly resigned himself to what his fate would be. it's also noteworthy that his mate, ashblink, won't be joining him. ashblink could easily have chosen to leave with sleepydawn, but didn't. their relationship felt very shallow from the beginning. while i do think they care about each other, i think sleepydawn's loyalty to ravenstar would always come over his affection for ashblink, and ashblink would ultimately realize that sleepydawn isn't looking for love. within their interactions, ashblink is shown being caring/supportive (as best he can) towards sleepydawn, who looks bored/disinterested or rebuffs him. sleepydawn doesn't know how to be in a relationship. he needs to sort his own shit out before having a boyfriend. i think there's a 50/50 chance that sleepydawn will set out on his own, and try to "find himself" while also seething in bitterness and grief, versus deciding to throw in his lot with patchback and levi.

silly idea: patchback starts her own clan (ravenclan? after the first cat to ever """accept""" her for who she is) with levi as deputy. sleepydawn joins. teeheehee. it would be funny, but in all likelihood, i think the three of them will just have to face reality and Cope rather than getting any sort of resolution they would have hoped for.

anyway, yay wolfstar!!! yay kestrelfeather! yay pondshine and flamefall and cloudtuft!! yippee!! i love how happy wolfstar looks for once, and i was delighted to see broccoli and pepperswipe <3 i know sweetclover is so proud... but also trying to be there for her parents

also finchbeak kits next moon! is the father chumtail or flamefall? or a mysterious, third cat... comment down below! /j

-🐉

MY GOD dragon once again you have hit the nail perfectly on the head... i don't even need to make an explanation post you got it in one. incredible

[minikoko-a]

general relationship headcanons — tim wright x fem!reader pre-mh

starting that Tim finds it difficult to have a bond with someone, if with a platonic one he has his challenges, now imagine with a romantic one!

and it's very probably that he either met you through Brian (extra points if you are his sister... i got an idea) or during the recording of Marble Hornets but since this is pre marble hornets, we'll go for the first one.

if you met through Brian...

if you met through Brian, it was a little easier for him to have a conversation with you, because Brian did his best to make sure that the three of you could talk without leaving anyone uncomfortably silent.

the three of you went out constantly, until little by little, you two began to start a conversation without looking for a topic by searching hard in your little heads.

first were more fluid conversations.

then you hang out more often.

and then one of you caught feelings.

most probably was you first.

"she fell first, but he fell harder" trope.

at this point, you were just thinking about when you had developed romantic feelings for Tim. for your other friends, he was a quiet, reserved and sarcastic guy, according to them, he was absolutely not your type! but hey, he has something that makes you feel your heart beat as crazy and honestly, you don't give a fuck what they say lol.

Brian knew it.

he knew it even before you had developed feelings for him.

get ready for the most teasing ever.

but at the end, he would be more than happy to help you figure out if your feelings are reciprocated.

Brian would be the third wheel but not in an awkward way, he would help you two always be together. in small details like, if the three of you are walking, he will be on the other side so that you are both walking side by side.

until one day, Tim asked Brian if you and he had something, obviously, Brian denied it and in the end he collected an important fact.

TIM ALSO LIKES YOU!

you considered just giving up on your desire to tell Tim that you have feelings for him, for fear that the friendship would fracture and hangouts would become awkward and strained. But you didn't expect to have that day that you once dreamed of, to have him in front of you, his jaw somewhat tense pronouncing those words that had you in heaven: "i like you"

although you confessed to each other, it was after a week that he officially asked you to be his partner.

"can i be your boyfriend?" his voice sounded so intimate, so honest, the intention and the feeling were genuine despite his reserved nature.

congratulations! you and Tim are a cute couple <3!

your dates would be simple but cozy, an outing to a restaurant or being in their respective houses/apartments cooking something delicious for both of you.

i feel like it took Tim a while to give you a kiss, you were the one who showed more physical affection but it wasn't something that bothered you.

but don't worry! his mainly love language is quality time and acts of service.

but when he kisses you, oh god! his kisses are slow but so real, could fall into passionate, emotional? kind of that type.

use honey, dear or a nickname of yours.

your relationship with Tim was going pretty well. the attention Tim gave you, the protection and his genuineness in his feelings towards you made you the happiest person in this whole place! he usually gives you some little things, like flowers, a necklace or things that he knew you liked. you didn't want to pressure him into kissing on the lips, sure there were kisses on the temple and cheek but that was it. you knew Tim, you knew that for him there had to be a certain time for him to be comfortable in doing some actions and it doesn't bother you.

but it was a day that you went up one more step.

you were both waiting for Brian to return, he had a project to give to a professor and he had told both of you to go ahead and wait for him at the exit. Tim was next to you, his cigarette smell made you dizzy, he started to get into the habit of not smoking around you, he recognized that the cigarette smell was strong and he doesn't want to hurt you.

you played with your hair somewhat bored, you raised your gaze meeting his, making your gaze soften. his fingers tangled in your hair sending a tickle down your stomach that wasn't bad, a smile began to curve on your lips

"honey, can i..."

his voice sounded somewhat nervous but didn't tremble, you confidently took his cheeks, feeling his freshly cut beard in your hands, bringing both of your faces closer, cutting the distance and sealing it with a soft kiss.

the kiss escalated into one still slowly but with more contact from the two until a fake cough made your lips break the union, looking where it came from it was Brian with a smile.

there was a day where you were waiting for Brian and Tim. you remember that Brian had said something about a project that a friend of his wanted to do and he needed actors, since you had left your classes a little late Tim accompanied him.

a while had passed and you saw their two figures approaching the exit, Tim's gaze was tired and Brian raised his hand a little when he saw you from afar, corresponding to his sign, you did the same.

as Tim set his gaze on you, he smiled softly, seeing you brought him calm and warmth, he didn't want to lose you, he really didn't.

he was so grateful to have you as his partner, so much that it would hurt him that this so genuine, so... warm would end, but that won't happen and not soon, right?

[noxxuniverse]

i feel so silly for asking for help since i feel like im already really good at manifesting but im struggling with manifesting my desired appearance.. well not really struggle since im making great progress and im getting closer to it but the thing is im struggling really hard with ignoring what i see in the mirror, even though i immediately affirm against whatever i see still that one second where i think "nothings changed" affects me a lot. other than mirrors im great at ignoring the 3D but when i look in a mirror it just makes me feel terrible. i dont really know how to approach them or how to fix this problem pls help

Alright, first things first relax, remember you already look exactly how you want.

So, I have a couple of solutions for this, so pick whatever one you wish to use.

First solution, when you think "nothings changed" go back to your 4D and imagine yourself looking in a mirror and seeing the exact appearance you want, then tell yourself that, that is you. Fulfil yourself in your mind.

Second solution, don't look in mirrors, I know this one can be rather limiting but I know it's helped a lot of people, so just don't look into a mirror unless you need to, if you catch a glimpse just re-assure yourself that you look exactly how you want.

Third solution, tell yourself that the mirror is just lagging and that you actually look exactly how you want to look, basically just say the mirror is being weird.

However, if you don't feel like doing these solutions yet then, keep doing what you're doing and remind yourself that your feelings do not manifest. These tiny thoughts that are bugging you have no power. You simply have what you want, and that's that.

If none of these help you (and I'd suggest trying them for around a week or so but it obviously depends on you) then come back to me and I'll continue to help. Good luck, babes! Remember, you look exactly how you want to look.

[sanfangirl-cynicalromantic]

ooooh thank you for the tag, @ryupioupiou!!! It's been a while since I played one of these games!

Do I play an instrument?

No. I learned a little flute in third grade and I wish I could play the piano, but no I've never really played an instrument.

What's my star sign?

Aquarius, baby!

Favorite color schemes:

Umm, that's really hard. Honestly any colors together are beautiful. I especially like the salmony orange and sky blue when the sun is setting, warm earth tones in general, as well as blood red with silver.

Favorite book characters:

That question makes me want to cry in frustration. Ummm Will Treaty and his dad Halt and surrogate older brother Gilan from Ranger's Apprentice. Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows because how could I not? Peeta Mellark because my man is too good for this world. Elizabeth Bennet because I love her. Ummm there's more but those are the ones off the top of my head.

What languages do you speak?

English. I used to be semi fluent in Arabic, and can read and write. I also can say gracias in Spanish.

What are my dreams/aspirations?

To get my degree and get a stable, well paying job please. Also publish my own original novels and my many other fanfiction ideas

Naps or long sleep?

Just. Sleep is good. Whether it's naps or long sleep I don't care. I would like to fall asleep immediately whenever I want to, though, instead of laying in bed bone tired and unable to actually sleep.

Long hair or short hair?

I have short hair, but I'm growing it out because I like long hair and honestly it's so much easier to care for. Like, short hair has to be styled every day. Long hair can just be brushed and braided.

Tea or coffee?

Tea all the way.

Bring a book character to life or live in a fictional world.

Definitely leaving for a fictional world. Imagine a place where my life was just in danger every day instead of having to go to work. Also: dragons.

tagging @triumphantfury | @therentyoupay | @introvert-dragon | @anakinmousestalker | @whathappenedtomyweekend | @awhoreintheory | @mialicassi and anyone else who wants to participate!

Wanna get to know my tumblr friends better cuz y'all are dope so have a tag game challenge if you want :)

Also, if you don't wanna answer anything you don't need to.

♫Do you play an instrument?

•Favourite book characters?

•What's your star sign?

•Favourite colour schemes?

•Naps or long sleep?

•What languages do you speak?

•Dreams/aspirations?

•Long hair or Short Hair?

•Tea or coffee?

•Bring a book character to life or go into a fictional world?

No pressure tags: @thebestieyoureinlovewith @nikolaistealcoat @grishaverse-chaos @lostinfantasyworldsbi @lilisouless @l3st1b0urn3s-707 @arany-studio @waluigicumjar

[smytherines]

[This was supposed to be a joke post, but it turned into an essay on the Cold War and nuclear brinksmanship in Spies Are Forever. Sorry]

Once again thinking about Tatiana Slozhno-- who for all intents and purposes would be considered a rogue KGB agent working with the Americans-- unilaterally detonating a hydrogen bomb on an island in the Pacific ocean. The geopolitical implications would be off the fucking charts

Hydrogen bombs are hundreds of times more powerful than the standard atomic bomb. For comparison, an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people died when the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima (and hundreds of thousands died from radiation-related illnesses in the years following WWII). It killed everyone within a 1 mile radius of the blast

For a hydrogen bomb, the blast radius is more like 5 to 10 miles, depending on the yield. A 15 megaton yield (they range from 10 to 50) hydrogen bomb test performed by the US (code name Bravo) vaporized two entire islands, part of a third island, and left a 6,000 ft wide, 240ft deep crater in the fucking ocean. It was 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima.

Now clearly, in the show, this is not considered a big deal. Tatiana doesn't seem to be on the run, Cynthia says that relations with Russia are the best they've been in ages. But in the real world it would be absolute global pandemonium with the potential to escalate the Cold War into a full scale nuclear war

Just to give some context here-- one year after the 1961 portion of Spies, the Cuban Missile Crisis happens. Here's a very very condensed version: Cuba has a communist revolution, the USSR finally has a staging area for nukes that could easily hit the US and tries to bring nukes to Cuba on ships, there's a tense 13 day standoff between the US and USSR that very nearly results in WWIII and complete nuclear annihilation. Most historians consider this the height of the Cold War. This is the incident that led to the phrase "Mutually Assured Destruction"

So imagine that a hydrogen bomb explodes in the Pacific ocean. There is no way to hide that after the fact, so both nuclear superpowers would know about it fairly quickly. In October of 1961 the Soviets detonated Tsar Bomba, a 50MT yield hydrogen bomb and the most powerful nuclear weapon ever tested, and US intelligence knew about it well in advance. They had spy planes close enough to the detonation that the protective plating on the plane was damaged.

Assuming they are able to connect it to Tatiana (lots of questions about how she was able to send a rocket shoe from far enough away to not get incinerated but oh well), the US would see it as a hostile act from a Russian agent. The Russians would consider her a traitor working with the Americans. Relations between the two countries would most likely deteriorate, not improve.

And this is more of a tangent, but I also think this era of nuclear brinksmanship (both countries having their hand hovering over the button, so to speak) is potentially a big motivation for Owen. I think he is clearly making irrational, emotional choices post-fall, BUT I also think he is the sort of man who needs to believe his decisions are based in logic and pragmatism.

So what logical justification can Owen find? Well, there's the idea that mass surveillance is already happening, already escalating, that this is the way the world is headed and if Chimera wants to succeed they need to get out ahead of it.

But I think the initial buy-in, how Chimera gets Owen ideologically committed to their organization and plan, is by using this constant looming threat of nuclear annihilation. By saying "these two countries and their little spy games are going to turn the world to ash if we let them. We need one neutral, central power to hold all the cards if we want to survive as a species." I think that would be a very powerful argument to a man who was just left for dead by his own agency and his American partner, who is presumably severely injured in a Soviet prison. A man who has a keen interest in foreign policy.

Because one of many things I find fascinating about Owen Carvour is that his/Chimera's plan is actually pretty rational, especially in comparison to a Bond villain. The Bond universe version of Chimera is called Spectre, and their plans are absolutely batshit stuff like "blow up the moon," and 10 variations of "giant space laser to kill everybody." Shit that doesn't even seem like it would benefit the villains because it's so over the top.

Chimera's plan is vile, but not outlandish. It is essentially just taking an idea that is already in development for the global superpowers, and finishing it first so they have all the power. It's a plan grounded in real world events. A big news story in 2013-2014 was the National Security Agency's PRISM program, which revealed how absolutely massive the US surveillance state had become, how the US was essentially turning everybody into spies (they just weren't aware of it).

I do sometimes wonder if someone in TCB read Glenn Greenwald's book (the reporter who broke the story), because Chimera's plan feels very specific to that late Obama era of the surveillance state

Holy shit this got so long.

Anyways Spies Are Forever 2 should follow Tatiana as she goes on the run to avoid trial at The Hague (I'm joking please don't kill me)

[bad268]

MercDuo Pt. 2 (Andrea Kimi Antonelli x Mercedes Strategist! Reader)

Fandom: RPF/Formula 1

Requested: Yes by @f1fan123 (hehe I love this so much) (SURPRISE!)

Warnings: None (some slander against barbeque food)

POV: Second Person (You/your/They/them)

W.C. 1285

Summary: Kimi's maiden win comes in probably the worst place to celebrate it: Texas.

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

<-Part 1

~~(^Pinterest)

“Radio check, Kimi.”

“Loud and clear. What is my incentive for winning this race?”

“A paycheck.”

“Maybe if I had a real incentive, I would actually win instead of collecting all these podiums.”

“Maybe if you didn’t need an incentive to win a race, you would be in contention for the championship this year, but no. We’re here arguing about this. Focus on the damn race, and we’ll see if you actually get to sleep in the bed tonight.”

“Now that’s a reason to win!”

“Kimi, just focus on the lights.”

“And here I thought my wife and I argued a lot,” Jenson laughed after the Mercedes radio cut out of the broadcast. “These two just like to be at each other, but Y/n keeps Kimi in line. Their teamwork has found Kimi on 15 podiums in the 18 races so far this season, and as we head into qualifying for the American Grand Prix, everyone is interested to see how they shape up on this circuit.”

“Indeed, everyone knows that this track is notorious for overtakes, and it will be interesting to see how the young Mercedes duo shape up against the rest of the field after topping the practice session, qualifying third, and finishing second in the sprint, ” Danica Patrick said monotonously.

“Yeah, they showed great pace this weekend,” Jenson cheered, taking over as he subtly glared at Danica. She disregarded it before taking the mic again.

“The new upgrades on the car seem to suit Kimi’s driving style more, and Kimi himself is becoming more confident in the car,” She praised, which was rare, causing Jenson to look at her wide-eyed. “He’s getting comfortable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this weekend he gets his maiden win. In his rookie year, no less. He has shown that he can run with drivers like Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton. He’s proving that he deserved that seat, and he’s showing that Toto made the right call.”

“It’s a team effort, you know. Y/n is just as much to credit for his performance. They have been putting in the hours to find the best strategy, working out the effects of different tyre compounds on the cars, and ways Kimi could improve his driving style. Y/n is a big part of why he drives that way.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“With that, let's take it to anyone else. Nico?”

The race itself was probably one of the easiest ones, strategy-wise. It was a straightforward race, and you had been letting Kimi take more control of what he wanted with the pitstops, opting to run quick calculations as the race went on. It seemed to be paying off as you and Kimi climbed up the stairs to celebrate his maiden win.

It wasn’t the way you imagined celebrating his maiden win, but you would take it any day. You glanced to the side and smiled at Kimi as he stood on the top step with George and Lewis on either side of him. It was a Mercedes 1-2, and you stood off to the side, representing the team. As the Italian and Austrian anthem played, you couldn’t help the tears in your eyes as you were so proud of your team and how far you had come. This was cause for celebration.

Well, you may have gotten ahead of yourself because if you were in Europe or something, you would be able to go out partying, but no. Kimi had to win in the United States, where the legal drinking age was 21, which neither you nor Kimi met. You still encouraged the rest of the team to go out, saying you and Kimi would find your own way to celebrate. After glaring at a few team members who were going to comment on your verbiage, you left to find Kimi wrapping up his media duties.

“Ah, just in time. We’re almost done,” Kimi said as he looked back at the interviewer before he chuckled nervously. “Eh, what was the question again?”

“Do you think you would have won with a different strategy?” The interviewer repeated with a bite in his tone. “That strategy was sketchy, to put it lightly. Surely put together by your underprepared race engineer, I bet.”

“Woah, wait a minute here,” You started to defend yourself, but Kimi simply put a hand on your shoulder.

“I made the call, they ran the numbers and said if I was comfortable with it, I could try,” Kimi explained condescendingly. “This badmouthing about it being a bad strategy because they made it is completely false. Y/n has worked very hard to get here, and they deserve their spot. They have proven this time and time again. If you are going to come at her because of a risky strategy I suggested, come at me, and we’ll see who comes out on top.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, it’s a promise. Don’t talk bad about someone if you don’t have all of the facts. Isn’t that the first rule of journalism?” Kimi replied lowly as he ended with a chuckle, “Isn’t knowing the facts and not spreading lies part of your code of ethics?”

The interviewer shut up after that point and turned around, leaving the pen quickly. You quickly pulled Kimi aside away from prying eyes before you pushed him against the wall and smashed your lips against his.

“Not that I’m complaining about being kissed, but what was that?” He asked breathlessly after you pulled away.

“You’re so hot,” You sighed, pulling him back in for another kiss.

“When I defend you?” Kimi asked again after you got a moment apart.

“Sempre (Always),” You exhaled as you leaned into his body.

“And you’re so hot when you speak Italian,” Kimi smirked, this time pulling you in.

“Really?” You questioned, feigning innocence.

“Sempre,” Kimi finalized, planting one final kiss to your lips.

“Okay, loverboy,” You said as you reluctantly pulled away, patting his chest before grabbing his hand and turning to start heading to the car park. “Come on. We’re going to be late.”

“Late for what?” Kimi asked as he followed behind you.

“Our celebratory date night. Duh.”

The drive to a nearby barbeque restaurant was filled with music and horrible singing. Barbeque was not your typical choice for celebratory dinner, but when in Texas, you have to partake in the local cuisine.

“I don’t know how I feel about this,” Kimi admitted after he took his first bite. “I don’t know if it’s the sauce or the pork, but I don’t think it should be pulled like that.”

“I’m not feeling it either honestly,” You chuckled as you put your ribs back on the plate. “We could always head back to the hotel and get room service. I’d rather be cuddled up against you with a bowl of pasta or gelato while a movie plays in the background.”

“That sounds so much better than this,” He sighed as he called your server over to get the bill paid. Once it was all settled, you wasted no time in driving back to the hotel. It didn’t take long since the restaurant was nearby, and there was a noticeable lack of traffic. You both walked up to the hotel entrance hand-in-hand just as most of the Mercedes engineers were making their way out.

“What are you guys doing back so early? Wasn’t your reservation for 7?” One of the engineers who recommended the place asked as you stopped to greet them. 

“Yeah, but we don’t like barbeque, so we came back for pasta and a movie,” You explained and Kimi nodded along.

“God, you two are so Italian.”

~~~~~

© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[morningsharksworld]

Funny idea of reader just saying "I'm going to gnaw on you like a BONE if you keep flirting with me, big boy." Like imagine the reaction Hazard would have

Keep Talking

Hazard x Reader [REQUEST]

A/N: The way that i immediately RAN to my computer to write this because I JUST LOVE THIS LMAO?? Big ol thank you to you my dear anon for being my third ask!

You and Hazard were walking side by side through the quiet, dimly lit streets. He was doing his usual thing—flirting and throwing out ridiculous comments—but tonight, his charm wasn’t quite landing the same way.

“So, I’ve been thinkin’…” Hazard said with that smooth Scottish drawl of his. “If ye were a dessert, ye’d be a fine piece o’ cake. I’m talkin’ one o’ those fancy cakes, the kind wi’ gold flakes and everything.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help a little smirk. Typical Hazard—no subtlety, no boundaries.

“Oh really?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’m a cake? You want to devour me or something?”

Hazard’s grin spread across his face. "Aye, sweet pea. Who wouldn’t want to sink their teeth into somethin’ as sweet as ye?”

You shook your head in disbelief but smiled, nonetheless. "Alright, enough of this cake talk. Keep flirting like that, and I swear, I’ll gnaw on you like a BONE.”

Hazard froze for a moment, blinking at you. He tilted his head, the usual confidence faltering for just a second as he processed your words.

“A bone?” He repeated, clearly trying not to burst out laughing. “So, ye want to sink yer teeth into me, aye? What kinda bone are we talkin’ about here? Like… a chicken wing, or…?”

You narrowed your eyes at him, deadpan. "Oh, I dunno, Hazard. Somethin’ big and meaty… maybe somethin’ you wouldn’t be able to get away from.”

Hazard dramatically clutched his chest, clearly in over-the-top mock horror. "Och, nae… please" he said, trying to keep his voice steady but failing miserably. "The thought o’ ye gnawin’ on me is almost too much for me heart to bear." He paused, then leaned in a bit, his face serious but the twinkle in his eyes betraying him. "I’m just so delicious, aren’t I?”

You couldn’t help but laugh, his over-the-top reaction only making you more entertained.

“You’re ridiculous” you said with a grin, trying to hide how much you were enjoying this. “But honestly, you can’t keep flirting like that without consequences.”

Hazard laughed heartily, clearly enjoying the game. “Oh, I’m all for consequences” he said, his voice a little too casual. But then, as if realizing what he’d just said, he cleared his throat, the smile on his face suddenly a bit more nervous. “I mean—ye know—if ye wanna bite me, I’d nae say no…”

You raised an eyebrow, not letting him off the hook. "Oh, you sure about that?" you teased. "Because I’m not sure you can handle it."

Hazard laughed again, a little louder this time, but you could see the blush creeping onto his cheeks. He tried to keep his usual swagger, but his attempt at hiding his flustered state was not very subtle. “Aye, I can handle it… I can handle anythin’ ye throw at me. Easily.”

But there was a slight waver in his voice that told you he was starting to lose the battle. His grin faltered, and he took a step back, pretending to compose himself, but his ears were definitely a shade redder than before.

“Aye, well… if ye do start bitin’, I reckon I’ll enjoy it more than I should” he added, trying to recover. “But don’t get too bite-y on me, eh? I’ve got a reputation to protect, ye ken?”

You smirked, enjoying the fact that you’d finally flustered him. “Reputation, huh? Well, I guess I’ll just have to find out if you’re as tough as you say, won’t I?”

Hazard’s confident swagger returned in full force, though there was still that faint blush coloring his cheeks. “Oh, I’m tough, alright” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “Ye won’t find anyone tougher than me.”

You couldn’t resist. “We’ll see about that” you teased, leaning in slightly, just to see how flustered you could make him.

For a moment, Hazard looked like he was about to burst into another round of laughter, but instead, he shifted uneasily on his feet. “Aye, alright, maybe ye’ve got me there” he said, scratching the back of his neck, his usual confident exterior faltering just a little more. “Ye know, I thought I could handle anythin’, but ye might just be… too much for me, sweet pea”

You laughed at his sudden bashfulness, the way he tried to remain tough but couldn't quite hide the fact that you’d gotten to him.

“Well” you said, taking a step back, “looks like you finally met your match, Haz.”

He paused for a moment, then, with a grin that was a mix of embarrassment and amusement, he held his hands up in mock surrender. “Alright, ye win this round, sweetheart. But don’t think for a second that I’m goin’ down without a fight.”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “I’m sure you won’t. But for now, just know… I’m keepin’ my teeth to myself.”

Hazard let out a small, defeated laugh, scratching his head. “Aye, well, thank God for that. I might have had to run if ye really started…”

Despite his words, he couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at his lips. Hazard might have gotten flustered, but that only made him more endearing, and you both knew it.

[frugalkubal]

my afkJ characters posing in the recently added feature called photobooth 𓁹‿𓁹 ʰᵉʰ

• I used the mask on Kuby bc her blue hair sticks out too much (with that outfit and beside Lumont); and in my head, she really loves that mask (like I do 😂). Also, she's trying to recreate Beauty and the Beast with Lumont; though, in her version, she's the beast. Lumont's kinda timid and actually scared of her for some reason, so he just obliged. XD

• On the other hand, in Gavene's case... Mikola found out he's her fan and he got shy after Mikola confronted him and asked about the mini-Mikola on his head. (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) ~ He can mimic Mikola's moves, mannerisms and even her voice. The hamsters and Mikola are impressed, while Kuby's more teasingly like, "lol what a fanboy." Kuby would often persuade Gavene to do "the Mikola dance" in front of Valen. He's confused why his sister wants him to do that. He also wonders why Valen looks like he's eager to see him do it. DENSE

• The third character, whom I'll just call Red (actual in-game name is different)... well, they just love the colour red (like I do! ♥️😂). Somehow, they're friends with Phraesto — whom they just asked to dramatically pose with. They bribed him with freedom and food. What sort of food, you ask? Uh, I'll leave it to your imagination what a humanoid scorpion eats. ಠ⁠‿⁠ಠ

Gavene is my main afkJ character; and he's the only one whose head I haven't changed or fully obscured. Even when there are quests where Merlin has to disguise themself, I immediately turn Gavene back after that quest. I just want that part of him visually consistent. (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)

[bestworstcase]

listen. it is possible to acknowledge the clear influence of the 2016 US presidential election on the political storyline in rwby v7 AND engage substantively with the the actual text. i'm being snippy because this is a Huge Pet Peeve of mine which isn't something i would expect anyone to just intuit from the body of the post as written so i want to be clear that i am not like

irritated at you

or even in disagreement with the General Point because yeah. i've remarked before on the political utility of grimm to aspiring autocrats and authoritarian regimes and how fear of grimm is a vector for anti-faunus bigotry via scapegoating so like I DO GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING

BUT

while v7 is pretty goddamn plainly a political fantasy informed by its time and place, and of course in the more general sense rwby is a story written by americans for whom american politics will naturally be the habitual point of reference and therefore there are, indeed, any number of ways these fictional polities can be read as commentary,

atlas is not the united states.

in general i find the fannish habit of treating fictional polities as 1:1 fictionalized representations of real polities to be Really Irritating (<- the aforementioned Huge Pet Peeve) for various reasons – i think it's reductive and often just a thought-stopping appeal to stereotype particularly when the real polity is not the USA, and insulting to the writer(s) in the same way that it would be insulting to regularly engage with fictional characters as fictionalized representations of real people. It's Fiction. It's Made Up.

with regard to "atlas is the US" in particular, the problem is that… no it isn't, and i think that the fandom reflex to read atlas as an allegorical united states is a contributing factor in a wide selection of fuckstupid takes about things that happen in v7-9.

because, like – for all its innumerable flaws and failings, the US is a democratic republic. we're governed by our elected representatives in the legislature and our elected president. the GOP has lately completed its collapse into a fascist clown cult (may they spend the next four years eating each other alive without achieving anything substantive amen) and things are very bad, but american democracy has not collapsed and the existential threat to american democracy is that the median american voter is fucking stupid. that was true in 2017-2020 and it's still true now.

before the great war – eighty years ago! this is, as i am always saying, recent history! – mantle was a fascist state. whether its prewar government had any trappings of democracy or not, the regime was certainly not democratic in any real sense. after that war, it's implied the state was obliged by the terms of the vytal accords to institute a democratic system of government, which – if we take the text at face value and do not Imagine that (for example) what is shown is only a small executive body with legislative power being vested in a larger representative assembly that is just never mentioned because it isn't important to the story* – seems to have been done by people with very little interest in this "checks and balances" nonsense.

(*which, to be clear, is an approach i embrace for Fanfic Purposes. but this post is about a textual reading.)

like. five seats. five. of which just three are elected representatives, and the two by appointment can be filled by one person who gets two votes. even if appointments must be confirmed by unanimous vote, it's not hard to get three people to agree on a candidate and it's also not a particularly heavy lift for a single political party to win all three seats.

you win all three seats and install your guy as headmaster-general and then you can lose two seats and still have the majority, and if it takes a unanimous 3-0 vote to oust an appointee then you're locked in until and unless you lose the third seat.

there are three possibilities; either:

this system was deliberately intended to be trivial to capture because it was designed by powers that be of the old regime.

this system was designed by people who were uninterested in or unable to envision what a fair, representative government would look like or how it would function.

there was a much more robust democratic system designed after the war, but it collapsed fairly quickly (a la vacuo) and the present council is a slapdash fig leaf raised by the military leaders who seized the moment.

all with the eventual outcome of mantle/atlas having basically at most dabbled in, flirted with democracy before snuggling back into the warm(?) safe(?) familiar embrace of stratocratic rule with a dash, a garnish if you will, of vestigial democratic-republicanism for civil affairs. in all likelihood this would have occurred through a gradual expansion and concentration of executive power and erosion of checks on that power and in that sense there are comparisons that can be made to democratic decline in the US, but a) these issues are endemic across all modern democracies because we're having a global trend toward right wing authoritarianism right now and b) the historical context and political situation in atlas as presented from v2 onward are really just not comparable to what is happening in the US within the past decade.

and the issue with this sort of square peg round hole allegorical reading of atlas is that it, i think, obfuscates the textual reality that is presented – that atlas is a military dictatorship with a very thin veneer of democracy and this has been the case for decades. ironwood is a deconstruction of the benevolent dictator trope, and of course for that to work at all, you have to pick up the cues in v2-3 that mark him as a dictator.

if that cueing is missed (e.g. because a viewer took Big Military and the Action Hero presentation to mean "atlas is Fantasy USA") then the glimpses of atlesian politics in v4 read very differently and mantle being… a fascist police state once we get there is, from what i've gathered, a lot more jarring than it is if you saw this

and went "ah. police state" about the hitherto open unanswered question of whether ironwood was a loose cannon or an autocrat. this is the autocrat move. (loose cannon would be getting dressed down by the atlesian president or PM or whatever.) lol

atlas was a dictatorship the whole time btw

[arthurhillmastermind]

Anyone but him | Arthur Hill

“Same Building, same friends, zero patience for each other. For now.”

Kirstie stood in front of her mirror, adjusting her hair for the third time. She felt a mix of excitement and anxiety about attending Chris’s dinner party. After moving into the flat below him, she’d only heard stories about his friends— ArthurTV, and Bach. Chris had promised they were fun, but that didn’t ease her nerves. What if they didn’t like her? What if she didn’t like them?

With a final deep breath, Kirstie grabbed her jacket and made her way upstairs. She knocked on Chris’s door, and it swung open almost immediately, revealing a beaming Chris.

“You made it! I was beginning to think I’d have to come and drag you here myself!” he teased, pulling her into a quick hug.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Kirstie replied, rolling her eyes but smiling as she stepped inside.

The flat was warm and inviting, the scent of something delicious wafting from the kitchen. The living room was filled with laughter and casual chatter, and Kirstie felt her heart race as she spotted three guys lounging on the couch.

Chris led her over, gesturing grandly. “This is Kirstie! Although I feel like I didn't need to say this.”

Bach looked up, a cheeky grin on his face. “Yeah you didn't.! Chris won’t stop talking about you. Welcome to the shit show.”

ArthurTV smirked, raising his drink. “If he’s been hyping you up, you must be something special. I’m Arthur.”

Bach, sitting cross-legged with a warm smile, nodded in greeting. “Pleasure to meet you, Kirstie. Don’t mind Chris and ArthurTV; they’re just jealous I’m the best-looking one here.”

Kirstie chuckled, feeling her tension ease slightly. “Oh really? I'm pretty sure that changed when I came in, but I’ll have to make that judgement for myself,” she quipped back, earning a round of laughter.

“You’re going to fit right in,” Chris declared, clapping his hands together. “Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”

As they gathered around the dining table, Kirstie found herself seated between ArthurTV and Bach. Chris had gone all out, with a spread that looked as good as it smelled.

“So, Kirstie,” ArthurTV started, leaning slightly toward her. “What games are you streaming these days?”

Kirstie took a sip of her drink, feeling more at ease. “I just started streaming GTA V. It’s been a wild ride so far. Lots of chaos and swearing and laughing. I Play with Ginge sometimes and I play Fifa every so often too, ill play anything my stream ask me too to be honest, I did a sims challenge during a 24-hour stream, they asked me to make Chris and harry and let them get married, so I did.”

Chris annoyed “yeah and thanks to that I keep getting fan fiction written about it”

Kirstie impressed with herself “yup and thanks to that I bought my new pc”

Bach leaned in, a mischievous glint in his eye. “ I rate that, Are you a total wild card, or do you play it safe?”

“Depends on my mood,” Kirstie replied with a smirk. “But I’d say I enjoy a bit of reckless abandon now and then. I like leaving a game like sims or   on while streaming when I take a stream break and grab a drink or answer a call.”

ArthurTV raised his glass again with a grin. “That’s what we like to hear! Welcome to the shit show. I can imagine that Ginge is an annoying twat sometimes, though.”

Kirstie laughed, raising her glass to clink with his. “Thank you! He’s one of my favourite people to stream with, though. I try to get him on a stream three or four times a month. We balance each other out, I think.”

Chris groaned, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, I know he’d like to ‘balance you out’ too.”

Kirstie shot him an unimpressed look. “Chris, actually shut the fuck up.”

The group burst into laughter, ArthurTV slapping Chris on the back as he tried to maintain his mock-wounded expression. Kirstie felt her nerves melting away, blending seamlessly into the banter.

As dinner was served, Kirstie found herself surrounded by playful jabs and hilarious stories. She exchanged quips with Bach and ArthurTV, who were both delighted to test her sense of humour. Chris chimed in with a few anecdotes about their friend group that had Kirstie nearly in tears from laughing.

At one point, Chris disappeared into the kitchen to check on dessert, leaving Kirstie and the guys to chat. She noticed Arthur’s name come up in conversation, and her heart raced a little.

“What’s Arthur Hill actually like?” Kirstie asked casually, trying to keep her tone light.

“He’s a bit of a mystery,”  ArthurTV replied, a knowing look in his eyes. “Talented musician, but he can be a pain sometimes.”

“Yeah, like a lovable pain,” Bach added, rolling his eyes. “He has his moments.”

“He’s got this knack for thinking he’s cooler than everyone else,” ArthurTV added with a laugh. “But deep down, he’s a softie.”

Kirstie felt a strange flutter at the mention of Arthur. Despite their less-than-friendly encounters, she found herself curious about him.

Just then, Chris returned with a tray of desserts, interrupting her thoughts. “Alright, who’s ready for some sweet treats?”

The laughter and chatter resumed, and Kirstie felt grateful for the warmth of the evening. Maybe fitting in wouldn’t be as difficult as she had feared.

--------------------------------

Part 1 - here!

[bumpintheroad]

What's the current read? How was the last book you finished?

(gotta stay updated on the extended M book-verse!)

i’m currently reading The Cinnamon Bun Book Store! it’s a series, i read the first one called Pumpkin Spice Cafe and now i’m too the second one and i enjoyed the last one :) it had cute, cozy fall vibes 🍂🍁🍂

[epicfirestormer]

(holds all three in my hands) I just think they're neat

[puppyeared]

meow

[iridescentoracle]

i am so obsessed with how like. taken as read the ot3 are at this point. like on the one hand it feels like they've been building up to this for ages but on the other hand it kind of feels like i blinked and we skipped right past some Major Turning Point where everything got spelled out and we're just already in firmly Established Relationship-land. obviously tarvek is too well-protected for anyone to assassinate openly, look how angry his boyfriend and girlfriend are at the idea of anyone threatening him. at this point i'm half-convinced agatha's just going to refer to her boyfriends in passing to someone else and no one's even going to comment on it until van finds out twenty pages later and immediately starts making everyone pay up

[somegrumpynerd]

How absolutely wild must it have been for Nightmare to have like, minimum-to-no contact with mortals for hundreds of years and then the first two he has any regular close interactions with are Killer and Dust.

Like he must have a book in his castle somewhere of all the observations he kept like he was studying a new species