#so i dunno what it would have been in 2016

[stickers-on-a-laptop]

that coffee is like. yeah expensive but normal expensive? it's not $20 is what i'm saying

[spacelazarwolf]

i woke up in the morning in 2016 after a night of crying to find that there had already been several incidents of sexual assault on my campus. men grabbing women “by the pussy” to celebrate trump’s win. people, including my bf at the time, told me and my friends we were hysterical for being so upset at a trump win. i dunno. i was gonna say something profound or whatever but i have nothing profound to say. all i can say is that last night i did not cry and this morning i knew exactly what i would be waking up to. i’m going to go to my synagogue and hug people and try to cry because that’s really all i can do right now.

[wosoimagines]

Peaches

part 7 of rivals

Jo leads an interview while at the 2016 Olympics Qualifiers.

2,911 words

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“Hi, everyone,” Kelley said to the camera. “I’m Kelley O’Hara, defender for the United States Women’s National Team and Sky Blue FC.” 

“I’m Emily Sonnett,” Sonny introduced herself to the camera, “A newer defender for the United States Women’s National Team and more recently the Portland Thorns.” 

“And I’m Jo Knox, forward for the United States Women’s National Team and since I'm still in high school, I’m not telling you guys where I play,” I said with a grin toward the camera. “And this is an episode of Get To Know Your Georgia Peaches.” 

“No one calls us that.” 

“No one outside of the University of Virginia knows who you are, Sonny,” I said, causing the girl to gasp. “Which is why we are here today. To get to know both you and Kelley.” 

“Why are you here?” 

I sighed at Sonny’s question. I had been dragged to do this media with the two because I was one of the only ones who was from the South. But at this rate we would never get to actually start the questions. 

“I’m meant to be your Southern translator,” I said. Sonny opened her mouth to question that. “It’s because I’m from Texas. Houston to be exact.” 

It didn’t surprise me that Sonny didn’t remember where I was from. We must’ve had the same conversation at least three times while on the U-20 team. 

“Oh.” 

I nodded before turning to the camera to explain just what we would be doing today. 

“I have another question.” 

I groaned as my head dropped. I glanced back at Kelley who was trying to hold in her laughter at my obvious annoyance. 

“We’re never going to finish this, are we?” 

Kelley shook her head. 

“Is your name short for anything cause Jo is usually short for Jolene? Or Josephine?” 

“Sonny, we’ve known each other from the youth teams, and you’ve been in senior camps since last year. You just now thought to ask me if Jo is short for anything?” 

“Yeah,” the blonde defender nodded, “So is it?” 

“Yes, it’s short for Jolene.” 

I tried to turn back to the camera. 

“You know what would be cool?” 

“I don’t know why I try,” I muttered, knowing that the mic would pick it up. 

“If you were named after this older song,” Sonny started. I sighed because Sonny really had no idea. “It’s called ‘Jolene’ and it’s by Dolly Parton. I dunno if you know it or not, but it would be cool if you were named after it. Do you know it?” 

“No,” I deadpanned just so we could move past the topic. 

Kelley snickered behind me. She was quite aware that I did in fact know the song since it had been a topic of discussion during the World Cup. 

Sonny, however, pulled out her phone causing me to groan. I just wanted to get through this interview so I could go to the pool. 

“You gotta listen to it.” 

I didn’t even give Sonny the chance to see me listen to it because I immediately started singing along with the song before I reached over to hit pause on her phone. 

“You lied!” 

“I’m from Texas! Of course I’ve heard the song! It’s one of the most representative country songs ever,” I defended. It was kind of offensive that Sonny thought I wouldn’t have known the song. “Dolly Parton is a legend!” 

“You lied?” 

I sighed at how upset Sonny sounded this time. 

“Sonny, I want to go to the pool. I can only do that if we finish this interview because Becky is gonna make me do my homework at 3 and it’s already 1.” 

“So, you lied to me?” 

“And I would do it again.” 

The three of us stood in silence for a moment and I turned back to the camera hoping that we could finally get this interview started. 

“What about this?” 

“You have to give me something harder than ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads.’” 

The song changed and I groaned. 

“Apparently this is just going to be me showing off that I do in fact know country songs. It’s ‘Rhinestone Cowboy.’” 

The little game that Sonny had going on continued until we were headed to the pool. I would only have an hour of free time today to swim before I would be forced out and up to my room to work on homework before dinner. But Sonny followed behind me, still playing different country songs as we reached the pool. 

“What’s going on?” Becky asked as I threw my shirt at Sonny as the song was changed again. 

“The interview just became a stupid game because Sonny found out that I’m named after Dolly Parton’s song.” 

“Did you guys all know that?” 

“Did you not?” Tobin asked Sonny. 

“A whole hour of having to tell Sonny the name of country songs to prove that I know my music. I just want to swim.” 

“Well, you better get in now because you have about fifty-three minutes left,” Becky said. 

I groaned at that before jumping into the pool. Much of my fifty-three minutes spent in the pool was trying to dunk Sonny under the water once she got in the water as well. I had been hoping that I could get away with keeping her underwater, but Becky had quickly gotten onto me for that. 

All too soon, my time in the pool was over. 

“Jo, out.” 

“Come on,” I pouted at Becky who had moved to stand. 

“Jo, now.” 

“Ten more minutes.” 

“Jo.” 

“Please.” 

“No.” 

I huffed at that. 

“It’s just ten more minutes.” 

“No, it isn’t. Then you’ll beg for ten more, and after that another ten. So, get out.” 

I huffed again but pulled myself out of the pool. 

“Can’t believe Sonny can get away with taking away an hour of my pool time,” I grumbled as Becky dropped the towel on my shoulders. 

I didn’t miss the way that Sonny was laughing in the pool at my expense. 

“You too, Sonnett.” 

I grinned at that as it was Sonny’s turn to complain. 

“Jo’s got a point. You delayed her getting to the pool, so you can suffer too.” 

Sonny’s eyes met my own as I smirked at her misfortune. Sonny grumbled even as she also got out of the pool. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“What are you doing?” 

I glanced up at Alyssa as she and Becky sat on my sides. I turned my attention back to the video that was playing on my laptop. 

“Film.” 

“Obviously, but of who?” 

I sighed but paused the game. 

“Who will likely be our first match up at State.” 

“Doesn’t State start in April?” Alyssa finally spoke up. 

“It doesn’t hurt to get a start on forming a game plan.” 

I didn’t miss the look that Alyssa and Becky shared between each other. I knew that they both still shared concerns that I was going to run myself ragged with how much time I spent training for the national team and my school team, but I knew that if play suffered on either team, then there was a good chance that I wouldn’t be getting call-ups anymore. 

“Jo, it’s February. Like, the beginning of February,” Becky pointed out. I softly sighed as I paused the video I had been trying to focus on. “You’ve got plenty of time and there’s a good chance that you won’t even have your first matchup against this team.” 

“They have a history of upsetting teams.” 

“You have time.” 

“You don’t get it.” 

“Jo—” 

“No, you don’t get it. She embarrassed me.” 

“It’s okay if another player embarrasses you on the field.” 

“Jennifer didn’t embarrass me on the field,” I said as I shook my head. I had to get them to understand. It wasn’t about proving I was the better player. I already knew that I was. “We went out on a few dates. I thought that it meant something. Then to go to a party that my teammates dragged me to just to find her getting real cozy with someone else.” 

The two older players stayed quiet at the revelation. I hadn’t even told the team that I was into girls, much less that I had been seeing someone. 

“She thinks she’s some big shot cause she’s got a scholarship to A&M,” I said. I knew that Jennifer was good. “It isn’t like it’s Houston or Texas. Who would wanna be an Aggie?” 

Becky rested a hand on my shoulder as Alyssa took my laptop and closed it. 

“How about we take a break. You can focus on how you’re gonna get your revenge later,” Becky said. My shoulders slouched forward as I could tell from the stern tone that there was no room for debate. “You just focus on being a kid right now, Jo. That’s all you need to worry about.” 

“I think the rest of the kids were looking for you anyways,” Alyssa added on. 

I didn’t fight them as I was softly pushed away from the seat that I had been in. Maybe spending time with the others that were closer to my age would be good for me. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I groaned as I hit the ground again. We hadn’t even made it to halftime yet and I couldn’t keep up with the number of times I had already hit the ground. I wasn’t too surprised by the whistle being blown as I rolled over onto my back. I took a second to collect my breath as I sat up. I waved the ref off as I knew that I just had the wind knocked out of me. But it didn’t stop Tobin from stepping up to argue with the ref that it should be a card against Canada for the sheer number of fouls against me already. 

I sighed as Becky knelt down in front of me. My eyes met hers before she was pulling some of the grass out of my hair. I scrunched my nose at the sight. 

“You sure you’re okay?” 

I nodded. I could still play. I might be sore tomorrow, but I could still play. I didn’t want to make it easy on Canada and it was obvious that they were pretty worried about what I could do if the ball landed at my feet. 

“You don’t need to be checked out?” 

“I’m fine, Becky. I promise,” I assured her. Becky sighed as she checked over me once more. “I promise I’ll tell you if anything changes.” 

Becky slowly nodded before she helped pull me up. She patted the back of my head as we lined up for the free kick. I pushed back against the defender behind me. I wasn’t even entirely sure who it was anymore that was being put on me considering I had pretty much been drawing the ire of all of Canada’s defenders tonight. 

I was the first one to move as the ball crossed into the box toward me. I hadn’t been too surprised by the shove to my back as I had gotten the shot off. But what had surprised me was the sudden, sharp pain that was radiating through my right knee as I tried to catch myself on the leg that I hadn’t shot the ball with. 

I went tumbling down once more. 

All I could hear was the blood rushing to my ears. Not my teammates cheering. Not the crowd erupting into cheers either.  

There was still another half to play. I had to get up. 

I had to. 

But I couldn’t do anything but cry out in pain as I clutched at my knee. I curled in on myself as I tried to reign in my emotions. If I could play it down, then I wouldn’t have to go off. 

I had to finish this game. I had been chosen to get the job done against Canada. More importantly I had been chosen to get the job done on Becky’s 100th cap. I had to make sure that we won. 

But I wasn’t given the chance. 

“Stay still.” 

I closed my eyes tighter as I tried to push the pain away. 

“Jo, I’m serious. Stay still until the medics get here.” 

I shook my head as I forced myself to my feet. 

“I gotta win,” I said as I looked at Becky who had scrambled to her feet and kept me steady. “We gotta get the win. For you.” 

“Jo, stop.” 

Becky held me in place so that I couldn’t move as the medics were rushing to us. I tried to keep as much weight as I could off my right leg as they asked me about what had happened when I went down.  

When I asked if I could keep playing, they assured me that they would check me out on the sidelines first before they made their call. I nodded before I went to walk off the field with them. I only made it a couple of steps before my knee couldn’t hold the weight anymore. 

I didn’t completely crumble to the ground though. 

A pair of strong hands had caught me before I could collapse. I didn’t fight it as I was lifted up into the air by the woman. 

“Why are you helping me?” 

“Come on, Pip. We’re still teammates.” 

“Hope, you hate me.” 

The goalie rolled her eyes at that. 

“I don’t hate you, Pipsqueak. You’re just annoying. There’s a difference.” 

Hope had never done anything nice for me before. But I wasn’t complaining as she made it to the sideline with me still in her arms. I was given over to Alyssa who immediately headed back to the locker room with me. I wasn’t surprised with the detour she took to head to the physio’s room. Nor was I surprised by Ali following behind. 

With the two of them coming with me, I knew I was done for the night. 

Both of the older women stayed with me as the medics poked and prodded at my knee before they decided to have me loaded onto a stretcher and heading to the hospital. I wasn’t even surprised that the two joined me for the ambulance ride. 

I did, however, huff and throw a slight fit when the nurses told Ali that she would have to go to the waiting room since she wasn’t family until they moved me from the ER to a room. I mostly just tuned out the nurses and doctor that came into to talk to me before they were wheeling me off to get an MRI. 

I knew that it wasn’t that bad. There really was no need for all of this for my knee. It would be fine. I’d go home and rest it and ice it for a week or two and then I’d be as good as new. I really didn’t get the big deal. 

But I had plenty of time to reflect on what my recovery would look like considering the MRI was going to take forty-five minutes. 

The longest forty-five minutes of my life. 

I furrowed my brow in confusion as I was wheeled into a room. Alyssa was on the phone as Ali was pacing back and forth. 

“They just brought her back. She’s in room 420.” 

I let out a little giggle at the room number but quickly quieted it when Alyssa turned to glare at me. I shrunk back into the bed 

“We’ll be here. They told us we could expect the results from her MRI tonight.” 

I perked up at that. At least I would be able to prove to everyone that I was fine. Ali sat down next to the bed once the nurse left as Alyssa finished up her call. I wasn’t entirely sure if she had been talking with Dawn or someone else. 

“How’d the game go?” 

I couldn’t help but ask the question after there had been many minutes of silence once Alyssa ended the call. 

Alyssa scoffed as she shook her head while Ali actually started to laugh at the question. I glanced between the two before I completely moved my gaze to Alyssa. 

“I can’t believe you’re asking about the game when you’ve torn your ACL.” 

I furrowed my brow at what Ali had just said. No one had even mentioned an ACL injury to me. 

“It isn’t my ACL,” I shook my head. It couldn’t be. “You’ll see. I’ll win State right at the beginning of May and then we’ll be on our way to Rio for the Olympics. This is just a sprain.” 

“Jo, you told them you heard and felt a pop,” Alyssa softly said as she took a seat at the end of the bed. “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you need to prepare yourself. This has ACL injury all over it.” 

I shook my head at that. It couldn’t be. It was fine. It would be fine. They’d see. All I would need was a little ice and rest and I’d be good to go. 

I wasn’t left to my thoughts for long as Becky made her way into the room. I perked up at the sight of her. 

“Did we win?” 

Becky’s eyes narrowed in on me. 

“Has the doctor came in with the results yet?” 

None of us got to answer her as the doctor came into the room right behind Becky. 

“I have the MRI results.” 

[justsomeantifas]

I dunno, still can't believe it's considered election interference on tumblr to be USAmerican and voice your opinion about USAmerican politics. Isn't that the fucking point of blogging? To talk about your genuine thoughts and opinions?

You can say something literally true, like Joe Biden actively aids the genocide in Gaza ... and get reported for election interference. At that point what does election interference mean? Interference for who?

It was literally never a rule, and if we go back and actually look at all the independent voters when this rule was instated and magically make them pivot to their closest respective parties, which overwhelmingly has a racism edge to it, ... Trump would have won the popular vote not Hillary Clinton given she received about 2.9 million individual votes more votes than Trump.

The two biggest third-party vote-getters were Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson (almost 4.5 million votes) and the Green Party’s Jill Stein (1.5 million voters). But others received almost another 1.9 million votes as well.

We can very well assume Gary Johnson voters would have swung for Trump had they been forced into a two party decision, and Jill Stein voters would have swung Clinton had they been forced to pick a two party side.

So if we added all Jill Stein voters to Hillary's lead, she would have about 67344954 votes, while Trump would have about 67479879 with Gary Johnson's added voters. Given Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, and Jill Stein voters were predominantly from already blue states that went to Hillary in the Electoral College, this would have solidified Trump's win over her with a popular vote defeat.

There's an argument that Gary Johnson voters were equally pulled from Hillary and Trump, however given the states these voters were pulled from, it's safe to say the split wouldn't have made a difference, because Gary Johnson voters were predominantly already in states made red by Republican voters, and the Gary Johnson votes wouldn't have changed this, if anything it would have furthered Republican strongholds in states that turned red.

If we look at the three pivotal states Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, we would find the race extremely close between Hillary and Trump in raw democrat and republican votes, if Hillary was to receive all of Jill Stein's votes and a generous half of Gary Johnson's voters—who absolutely would not give democrats a 50% swing, Trump would still take these three states.

There was even an end poll in these states asking the third party voters if they had to vote between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, we can rest assured Gary Johnson's voters did not pick Hillary in a meaningful way. This means, giving Hillary even 50% of Gary Johnson's libertarian votes is a farce, and the projections of her getting all third party votes were even worse fantasy than given credit for.

Gary Johnson got an incredibly large number of votes that year, which was a real story. To claim Libertarians wanted Hillary was laughable. You all know this today. We all knew it yesterday. And still the myth is pervasive that third party voters lost Hillary the election as if she was Al Gore. She was not.

What this means is, had third parties not existed, Trump likely would have taken the popular vote and the electoral college, so in this you can thank third party voters for giving Trump less votes in 2016.

What actually happened was voters left-of-the-democrats were blamed for Trump's win, which did not make sense as far as interference was concerned, Trump lost out on the largest pool of potential right-wing voters. And Democrats skirted an excuse to become more enticing to voters who did not cast for them.

Given this particular election the voter interference rule on tumblr was instated in 2016 and many accounts were deleted amongst the black lives matters protests and I'm left extremely confused.

Left-of-Democrat bloggers caused election interference for who?

As far as the data is concerned it was right-of-republican voters that have been giving republicans trouble in states they need to win against democrats.

Which implies these tactics of reporting for election interference are designed in favor of Republicans, not in favor of Democrats.

[katatty]

Working on this website has been interesting, as I realise back in 2015-2016, when I was just playing the one neighbourhood (Pleasantview Plus), I would get through rotations sooooo quickly! I remember how inspired I was back then.

At some point though I started picking up new projects left and right, my standards for my gameplay and posts got so much higher, and idk! Now it takes me years to get through a single rotation, haha. I will often be playing the game, feeling very excited about the story, but by the time I get around to posting it I am no longer as interested or inspired! I have Pleasantview Plus & Hollyhead pictures that were taken back in 2023 and it's hard to get inspired to post them because I don't really remember what I was thinking when playing it? hahaha.

Maybe I need to get back to posting as I play? (I found doing that while playing Driftwood really helped.) Maybe I need to bite the bullet and permanantly retire some neighbourhoods? (Ultimately, 6 active neighbourhoods is probably too many). Maybe I need to lower my standards? (I'm kinda averse to posting pictures without captions or dialog...) I dunno, but I would really like to work on getting that spark back.

This is just a little ramble, I am not really looking for advice, but if anyone has dealt with similar problems I'm open to sugestions :')

[asteroiidx]

> made in mspaint

HEYYYYY!! \(>0<)/

it's been a hot while since i've posted about sans again wahah.. BUT I'M NOT OUT OF THE FANDOM! that's not what's goin on here no siree!! (⁠ㆁ⁠ω⁠ㆁ⁠) but i dunno, i kinda just wanna drop something here.. maybe some people would end up relating to it, but who knows!

when i started posting about sans here, i was in a seriously bad place. i'm not gonna disclose on it, but that's kind of how i got back into falling for the goofy skeleton man!!

this was probably my lowest point in life, and it severely affected the way i performed in school and just my overall health. it started off with a love for rottmnt (you'd see it if you scroll long enough), then i went through old fanfics that i used to read in the past- and gosh did i get the biggest wave of euphoria in my life.

i started reading through whatever fics i could find- and i've come across new ones... and cringe ones.. and i just kept reading and reading (up until really concerning hours at night). i ended up scrolling through the fanart, the self shipping, and all of that 2016 throwback jazz. i guess it all made me feel like i'm a cringey 10 year old again.

and that's how i ended up just drawing- well, selfship. it was comforting and i would draw aster and sans together whenever i felt like shit. it made me feel like i could just live a little longer to feel this happy about drawing some fictional characters. it was my coping mechanism

the longer i posted, the more i realized that there were people like me too! and it made me feel happy that you guys interacted with me and enjoyed my art <3 so i appreciate you all for sticking around (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

but i have to say that, i was stuck in a daydream bubble that was really pulling me back from accepting my reality. i wanted to get better, to feel better without having to sacrifice so much of my life outside of undertale. so.. that's what i did! that's what the lack of posts kind of was- and i'm really sorry for popping up and disappearing like that!

i'm glad to say that i'm doing much better than i was before! so yay, happy times! 🎉 i'm currently in university, something I didn't think i'd be able to make it to.. but i'm here now!

i do miss drawing sans, and i do miss interacting with all of you :')

i loved and still love aster and sans- in fact, i still draw them!but i also have other interests too! (ahem.. cod and my ocs..)

i think that's all i wanted to say for now... if you guys even read this- thank you! :3

and if you've been feeling similar to how i felt in the past, i want you to know that it gets better and it will get better <3

[meowmeowriley]

Anybody else see that art on Twitter of Soap as an Animal Crossing villager, and then the other art of that Soap sitting on Doom Guy Ghost's shoulder? Anybody else feeling so incredibly normal about it? Anyway. Have this.

***

"C'mon uncle John, would it kill you to smile? Pretend you wanna be here?" Soap was doing his best, he really was. He loved his nephew, and when his sister Isla said he couldn't go to the convention because it was too far away and he didn't have an adult, well what are uncles for?! But he hadn't taken into account that 1) he's never been to a cosplay convention and 2) he's seriously out of his depth when it comes to the colorful characters around them. If anyone asked he'd be mortified to admit that he'd spent the better part of his leave following his nephew around, taking pictures of him with characters from various video games and anime. No, he'd be keeping this experience to himself.

"I'm not not enjoying myself." Andrew rolled his eyes. "I just don't know any of the characters. I haven't played a video game in ages, and I've never watched anime." Plenty of other soldiers did watch anime, and there was nothing wrong with that, he'd just never joined in.

Andy snorted. "What was the last game you played, old man?" Soap resented that. He wasn't even thirty yet.

"I dunno, Halo maybe?"

"The original?!"

"Think so." Soap said with a shrug.

"So the year I was born. Got it." Yikes.

Suddenly Andy was excitedly pointing at a large man in green and gray armor, in the middle of a crown. "Oh you have to recognize that guy!" And did he ever. How could anyone not recognize Doom Guy? And he was holding the BFG.

"Ohhhohohoho yeah. I know Doom Guy." John had nearly forgotten how much he'd loved the Doom games as a kid. "And before you say it, those games are old, even for me."

"They redid the games in 2016 and 2020. It's relevant again." Oh. And with that Soap was once again being dragged toward some random person in a costume.

Something this guy was getting right was that he wasn't speaking. He'd nod, wave, aim his gun, but he didn't utter a word. Soap couldn't see a thing through the helmet visor. I wonder if he can even see outta that?

The guy caught sight of them, evidently he could see, and tilted his head while looking down at Soap. "That things pure dead brilliant." He found himself marveling at the BFG in the man's armored hands.

It looked like it was actually made of metal. And it actually glowed! How the man had gotten the green lights to work, he was dying to know. Trying to configure it in his head, he nearly missed when the man held it out slightly for him. "Can I?" He asked, just making sure. Oh he'd kill for something like this in the field. Pure devastation. Doom Guy nodded and John took the gun. Holding it, it was a hell of a lot lighter than he'd imagined. The fuck is this thing made of?

Andy popped up beside him. "Can we get a picture with you mate?" To that, Doom Guy nodded. Maybe Soap would tell people he'd been here, he wanted a picture of him holding this gun hung up at his desk.

Andy backed up, people kindly stayed out of the way as the picture was taken. Doom Guy posed, crossing his arms over his massive chest. Soap held the gun as best he could like he would a rifle. Not aimed at anyone, but ready. "We're good." Andy called. Doom Guy  held up his hand to stop him, then stuck out one finger and swirled his hand around. "Huh?" Andy thought for a moment. "Another?" Doom Guy nodded and gave a thumbs up. Really taking his character seriously. Who were they to deny him, this was cool as fuck. Soap readied himself to take the next picture, giving the camera a feral grin, just like the first, when Doom Guy placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned down.

"Enjoying the convention Johnny?" Startled at the use of his name that he knew he hadn't given the man, he whipped around, instinctively pointing the gun in his hands at the chest of the other man.

Then it dawned on him. "Ghost?!" He asked incredulously. There's no fucking way.

The man in question began laughing. He reached up and removed his helmet. Shaking his head, Ghost's messy, dark blonde hair flew in every direction.

Unlike Las Almas, he wasn't drenched in sweat, there was no grease paint, and light brown hair was longer and curled slightly. Shit he had freckles. Shit he was cute. Dangerous thoughts, John.

"I didn't think this was your kinda thing, Johnny." Ghost said with a crooked grin that perfectly framed his crooked teeth.

John was no saint. He'd been flirting with Ghost since they met. Secretly really wanted to have sex with him, but he'd only seen the man's face that one time, and now his mind was going a million kilometers an hour trying to take in every inch on display. Thoughts both pure and impure ran through his head, and the only thing that managed to make its way to his mouth was "Where'd you get this thing?" Normally he was a better flirt, but normally he was flirting with the visage of death. Not a pretty man with freckles. Well he was, but not really.

"I made it." Ghost shrugged, armor clacking as his shoulders rose and fell. "Same as the suit. It's all EVA foam and 3D printing."

"You made this?!"

"Yeah? I made my masks too. What, you think I bought those?" Ghost smirked.

Andy had jogged back over. "I took a video, so we could take screenshots." He handed the phone over to Ghost.

"I'm absolutely keeping this, Johnny." He said as he typed in his number and sent the video to himself. Damn, Andy got Ghost's number before he did.

"Johnny?"

"Shut it, Andy." He warned. "We work together. Never in a million years thought I'd see him out here though."

"I go to any convention I can make. It's fun. I have other suits. Isaac Clark from Deadspace, Master Chief from Halo. I like to wear them and make people smile. I don't get to do that often." He seemed lost in thought for a second, face darkening. Just as quickly as it had happened, the expression was gone. "You go to conventions often?"

"First one. But I could be persuaded to go to more." John smiled his best flirty smile. Andy snickered, and earned himself an elbow to the ribs.

***

Now I desperately wanna see Soap at a con dressed like Isabelle while holding the super shotgun.

[lune-redd]

Hi! I discovered (or I guess more accurately rediscovered because I've seen a bit of it before but not much) this blog yesterday and I'm going to be real with you, I cannot articulate the amount of pure, unfiltered joy your art and PPG AU bring me. Every time I so much as think of it I get a big dumb smile on my face, and NO OTHER ART that I've seen has EVER DONE THAT! Everything about it, from the style, to the writing, LITERALLY EVERYTHING ABOUT IT is just made for me and I cannot thank you enough. When given the time, I promise I'll draw stuff for this, it's too good not to.

Now, as an actual question (and this may have been answered elsewhere but I haven't read too much here), how exactly did Blossom determine what to use to make what would become Beam? From everything I have read, the ingredients appear to vary at least somewhat from the original recipe for "the perfect little boy/girl" (even beyond Chemical X or Chemical-X-infused blood (which is one of my favorite details)). I got that impression from the mention of "his ingredient" under one of your older posts with Beam, which kind of implies there's some other thing mixed into them? I was just really curious as to how that ingredient (and possibly others) were determined. Was there research? Trial and error?

Ayyy thanks so much for the kind words!!

I think I have gotten this question before about how Blossom figured out what to use for Beam. I dunno know how the Professor would've known the ingredients he chose would 100% work, but then again that's from a pre-existing nursey rhyme so I figured he would have known from there. I think Blossom would've carefully chosen the ingredients for Beam, making sure they're something sweet and cohesive like she and her sisters' were, and unlike the Rowdyruff Boys' gross ingredients and Bunny's randomly picked ones (I guess that sort of answers the research question?)

I was originally thinking of Beam being made out of only one ingredient (one ingredient for each girl/boy), but then again Bunny was one girl who was born out of multiple ingredients, same with Bliss in the 2016 show (as much as I like to ignore that one). We tried coming up with a set of ingredients for him in STATION but I dunno if I'm satisfied with them

[wickjump]

GRAHHHH HOLY FUCK

THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABOUT THIS???????? IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ON MY MIND BUT I NEVER KNEW I WAS ALLOWED TO LIKE

ACTUALLY NOT LIKE IT

AAAAAAAAAA

gnawing on the bones of the passage of time rn brb

NO CAUSE LIKE, 2016 UT FANDOM COME BACKKK, I CAN ACTUALLY MAKE SHIT NOW?? I CAN ACTUALLY APPRECIATE YOU PROPERLY NOW GRAHHH

lowkey i miss all the amino ads/spondorships now lmao, at some point it just felt like amino sponsered every single undertale content creator jshsjs/positive

it had it's issues no doubt but fuckkkk, it feels like the atmospheres then and now are so different it doesn't even feel like the same fandom anymore if that makes sense? 

ngl i kinda miss the sans fangirls? they were such a staple part of the community back then grahhhh (help i still remember when almost everyone was laughing at the fangirls that, just in general, new/young artists got dragged in too? ugh i dunno, i never really watched those 'cring comps' but i wasn't a fan lmao /lighthearted)

it felt like such a community, it *was* a community

when did everything get so divided

can we all just rp 2016 ut fandom for the rest of our lives

ugh now that i see another person talk about it, my brain just opened the floodgates and im speedrunning the grieving process JHSHSJHS 

"it'll never be the same anymore" okay and sure i could be graceful about it but also what if someone has to drag me kicking and screaming

GRAHHHHHHHHH (love you sm for this op, KEEP SPEAKING YER TRUTHHH!! RAHHHHHHHH)

THANK YOU!!!! i will forever speak my truth thank you anon

things got divided and genuinely it doesn’t feel like the same fandom at all. the fandom on twitter feels nothing like the fandom on tiktok or on tumblr. and because so many people don’t have tumblr now, despite how tumblr is the utmv fandom’s medium, it’s difficult to get the people together like they used to. someone could be famous on tumblr, everyone knows their name and their ocs, but on twitter nobody knows who they are. tiktok has plenty of tumblr reposts but theyre also in the dark a lot of the time. it’s disconnected.

the community would be a lot better if we just. migrated back to tumblr again and stopped the callout posts, because honestly i don’t care what someone said that was mildly rude to someone else or anything of that silly nature. it’s not that serious!!!! it’s driving us apart!!!!!!!! we can’t be together if we don’t make an effort!!!!!

i want people to start being communal again. i want rp sessions. i want a new loveball. i want roleplay blogs and silly cringe and especially edgy ask blogs. i want the same level of cringe 2016 had. i want it so goddamn bad. but in order for that to happen, people need to put in an effort, and to do it, and enough people need to do that. which feels like it just won’t happen, im not that influential to make that happen, and as previously mentioned, so many communities don’t know i exist either, nor so many tumblr figures!!!!!! the real ones are the people that have accounts on all platforms and post the same things on each 🙏 thank you for being a rare link

honestly we’re hated enough as is. I mean i literally just scrolled past a yt video called “undertale and it’s FOUL community”. people outside it ain’t doin us any favors, trying to say “we’re good now” ain’t doin shit!!!!!! let’s just have fun and go back to enjoying ourselves instead of trying to be “better”. because im not having as much fun as i know i wouldve years ago as a content creator and i want to have that fun!!!!! and my goal at this point is to let people know they can have that fun. im going to spread this like the gospel mark my words

[netscapenavigator-official]

So I have a Linux problem, and I'm just gonna post it here. I dunno if I have the reach for this, but if you know a potential fix, I will gladly accept it:

Basically, I run Zorin OS 17.2 Core on my Mid-2017 MacBook Pro (Two Thunderbolt Ports). This computer has been hell to make work, but after years of fiddling and finding drivers and terminal commands, it works almost like OEM.

My last problem with this machine, and the only thing that does not function like it's OEM, is the Sleep/Wake function. This is a known issue with 2016 and newer MacBooks on Linux; However, there are workarounds.

Namely, I found a kernel parameter that prevents Deep sleep and only allows the computer to go into s2idle when the lid is shut. This isn't great because it means the dies quickly and gets hot when the lid is shut, but I can't really do anything about it. This did, however, fix an issue I was having where the audio would just stop working if I ever shut the lid.

The final issue was getting the computer to wake up on its own. Every time I start the computer up (not waking it up; only powering it up from a complete shutdown) I have go into terminal and run this:

sudo bash -c 'echo "0" > /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000\:01\:00.0/d3cold_allowed'

I don't know what this command does, but without it, the machine will just never wake up. If you close the lid without running this at initial startup, it cannot be woken back up until it is rebooted.

That's not really a problem, since it's only once per reboot, and I don't reboot my laptop very frequently.

You know what would really make this even more seamless, though? If I could run this command using Ubuntu's startup applications menu. That way, I wouldn't have to manually open terminal every boot just to run this command. It would just run automatically, and I'd never have to worry about it. It would work like OEM! (Minus the less efficient sleep state.)

However, I can't do that. I've tried that. In fact, I have that exact command in my Startup Applications app, as we speak.

Any time I start the computer up and DON'T manually run the command, if I shut the lid, the computer sleeps. It will, however, wakeup (unlike if the command had never been input). HOWEVER. Unlike running the command in terminal, when it finally wakes up, the cursor photo changes into a gray square, my Night Light settings are reset, my wallpaper changes to black, my system accent color is changed to default, and any time I click inside the password box to login, the field immediately becomes inactive again. It doesn't stay active long enough for me to even get two letters typed. All this happens while "Authentication Error" rapidly and randomly flashes below the password box.

Eventually, if I don't force shut down the machine, it'll crash. It'll throw me into terminal mode, and it'll infinitely repeat an error claiming it could not write to some 'systemd jounral' thing because the operating system is in read-only mode. After that it'll either repeat that error over and over, creating endless lines in terminal mode, or it'll just freeze, and I have to restart the laptop either way. So, my question is:

WHY.

Why does running this command in terminal and running it via Startup Application have different results, and is there any way to fix it??

[kamari3]

This is a vent post.

I saw this post about wanting to bring back the energy and vibes and community that was in the 2016 era of the UTMV community. And at first I was elated. I joined the fandom in 2017 and I look back fondly on the community I found myself in. Lots of fanfic comments. Lots of RP Roleplays. Lots of Askblog activity and in-character answers and all these wonderful things.

Yes, there were toxic and mean things too. There always are. But I never really found myself in any of it. I only remember the fun and the joy.

And I initially reblogged that post excitedly responding to it. And I went to the blog to see if they posted anything else good.

And I saw their DNI. "Proship DNI".

Their pinned post literally said to me "hey disclaimer just so you know 'i dont support harassment', but if you (also) dont support harassment, if you enjoy shipping, if you think censorship is bad, then don't talk to me because I think youre a terrible person and deserve being harassed."

And they wonder why the 2016 era of UTMV died.

I would have loved to interact. I would have loved to gush about AUs and fanworks and art. But that person left a big sign saying they think I deserve hate for enjoying fiction and that they dont want to talk to me.

Like. Bro. That is kinda the reason youre not getting 2016 UTMV back. You dont wanna associate with "nasty proship" people. Who uh. sorta made UTMV. UTMV (and lets face it, fandom in general) was built on the backs of Proshippers. (although that is sort of an anachronistic statement -- the idea of "proshipping" is new because it was the default, expected political stance. it wasnt "proship vs anti", it was "everyone (aka proship) vs trolls and haters (aka anti)") Then a bunch of haters started being nasty to frans and papyra and fontcest shippers, and puritanical rhetoric ripped apart what was left of the fandom after art theft and the tumblr purge drove the artists away.

The fandom isnt going to knit itself back together unless we foster a community mindset, which we can only do if we all agree to ship-and-let-ship. Block and mute tags you dont like, learn to recognize when an AU isnt for you, and dont play in tags you dont actually like.

But like, just because I like the color Green doesnt mean I cant appreciate Blue or Red. You can hate Green all you want but alienating Green likers is just going to make it harder to live in a society where nobody is making you like Green.

I dunno I just feel like its not fair to ask for a community effort and simultaneously condemn the very people who would have been part of your community for not being good enough for you. It's mean spirited. It's rude. It's cruel.

I want 2017 UTMV back. I would be more than happy to get to see 2016 UTMV with my own eyes. But it isnt coming back, because it takes people to make a community and nobody wants to make a community welcoming and safe.

[loverlylight]

Well. I knew that regardless of the outcome, things were gonna be bad, because either Harris would win and Trump and his supporters would throw a hissy fit like they did last time they lost, or this would happen. Even so, this is super fucking disheartening. And like... I'm not gonna lie, I'm really scared right now. I'm scared for the Palestinians who have been suffering under Israeli oppression for decades now that someone who unequivocally supports their murderers will be in power again over here. I'm scared for all of my trans friends and family, including my own fucking sister who I love more than life itself. I'm worried about what damage this will cause to the country, for rights and healthcare and the economy and the continuation of democracy itself, and more importantly the people that damage will impact. I don't know what the next four years will hold. I really fucking don't. I don't think he'll be able to accomplish everything he said he would do, but even a fraction of it will be bad enough.

And like, honestly? I feel scared for myself as well. Trump winning in 2016 was awful, but I was able to chalk it up to a lot of mitigating factors. But in the years since then, the man has very clearly shown what type of person he is, and still so many fucking people in this country voted for him. I know there are good people in this country as well, but... I dunno. Wasn't able to get much sleep and I feel this is getting away from me. Anyway, hang in there? I love you all? Things look pretty dark right now, but I truly believe there's good simply in trying to make things better even if it's all for nothing in the end. And things definitely won't get better if we don't try. So try to hold on as best you can.

[pixelblue2016]

"So, I dunno how I'm gonna start this out. I dunno if it's even important for me to introduce n' stuff but──

I'm Justine. I've owned a 3DS since 2016, and it contains a copy of Pokémon Blue.

Now, you're probably thinking,"But that's for the Gameboy." It's a virtual console, so I guess it's emulated to fit the 3DS. Not like it's that important, but anyway, this game contains people. Like, living, breathing, sentient people. I don't really talk to them, but one of them do talk to me. His names Blue.

You know, the other kid who battles Pokémon with the original main protagonist, Red?

Yeah, him.

The little buddy has been like this ever since I've opened the game.

Ever since I've come back to revisit him, he's been opening up more. Blue is shy, that's gonna be the nicest way to put it.

They don't really like to talk to anyone but me, but recently, they decided it would be easier if I took in your guy's questions and asked them to him, and theeeeeennn he answers, and I show you all what he says!"

"Now all I gotta do right now is just── oh here. Okay! I have the game set up now. "

"... He's taking a bit, sorry. I swear he'll come out. He's chickened out a couple times when I visited before. Between you and me, they still feel bad for some of the things they've done in the past. I already told Blue that I forgive him, but you know...

Oh! Here he is! Say hi buddy!"

"I knew you'd come back! Alright. Now that he's here...

What do you guys wanna ask him?"

[flowerwiththemachinegun]

Misconduct Chapter 3

I really don't have a description for this chapter one. We finally get to see some of reader though.

For Tumblr Description Only: Turns out I didn’t add this last upload to tumblr but had it on ao3.

So notes for certain visuals, feel free to of course adjust to your liking:

*Y/N vehicle list *for now*: 1980’s Buick Grand National. All black, of course. Also dark tints, for sure (pls yes, perfect condition)

*Genesis’ vehicle *yanno he’s got some rich shit*: 2016 Rolls Royce, maroon and with seats to match. (I’ll get to the custom specifics later)

I have something special for Tseng but we don't see him around too much for a bit so I won't be adding here.

I guess POV’s will be changing. Makes it easier to write, dunno how to swap them smoothly. I’ll state when and who POV it changes to. Please lol, I don’t know how to address pov’s decently so work with me.

Reader pov: 

“We're short a package.” You state groggily, yawning as you read over the inventory list again. Moving the clipboard impossibly close to your face as you follow each line with your pen. It was 2am by now and your desire to go to bed was becoming greater than your need to nitpick through each shipment. Then again, it was your job to make sure everything was accounted for. Even being a single item off would raise a lot of questions, making your job far harder for yourself than it needed to be. The tasks were easy in your eyes and didn't require you to do much besides risk your livelihood on occasion. This was the third time the new shipment has been counted. Pulling the clipboard away from your face, glancing in the direction of the newcomer you were stuck with for the day. A frown taking over your features as you think back on your distaste when it comes to working with anyone. Everything goes so smooth when you’re alone, usually never having a complication.

You were certain it wasn’t your fault the numbers were off. Inwardly groaning as you walked over to him, “Hey, Paul. You can head out for the night. I’ll wrap this up, we’ve got most of the count complete anyways.” 

Paul, an average height, darker toned male with glasses, couldn’t have been any older than 18 you presumed. A patchy, scruffy beard lining his chin with a connecting mustache turns and gives you a worried look. His voice adds on to your overwhelming desire to get him out of this building. It was like the man wouldn’t even open his mouth when speaking, mumbling each word so low you could hardly hear him. Really you wanted to ask ‘what the fuck did you just say’, but you were doing your damndest to be nice. It wasn’t like you’d have to deal with the kid very often. “I won’t get paid if I leave now?” 

‘I’ll pay you myself if it gets you the hell away from me’ sighing as he goes back to rifling through each herbal bag. Your voice stops him from his actions.”Who’s going to know you left early? I truly don’t care, you’ve done enough today anyways and it’s late.” Adding a point in to further sway things to your liking, “It’s free money, why say no?” 

Considering your offer for a quick moment before asking with a hint of hope in his voice, “Are you sure?” 

Poor boy, he looked exhausted anyway. No doubt this sort of lifestyle is having an effect on him, wearing him down quickly. Too bad he’ll find out the hard way that once you’re a part of this scene, leaving without going in a body bag wasn’t very much guaranteed. 

“Don’t worry, if you’re working with me I’ll try to accommodate as much as possible.” Your words echoing in your mind were far more harsh, ready to restart the count so you can carry on with the inventory process and get back to the comfort of your bed. Truly it wasn’t entirely his fault you were in a sour mood, over the course of the week you’ve hardly had a moment to rest. Having the next day off should prove as a nice reward for being stuck with such a large shipment. 

Finally accepting your offer after a bit of persuading, Paul hands you the sheet of the count that he’s ‘completed’ up to this point. Glancing over the form as he retreats to grab his bag, watching him in the corner of your eye to make sure he doesn’t take anything on his way out. After he leaves you immediately disregard the form he gave to you, tucking it behind the sheet of paper you were filling out on your clipboard. That wouldn’t be of any use to you. 

Sighing as you look at the mess of little white pouches on the floor, each one with a unique four digit item number on the front in a large, bold Times New Roman font. The name of each herb underneath the item number along with a small description of its intended purpose, from sleep, focus, energy, etc. Sorting through Paul’s side of the inventory count would be troublesome. Leaving the items in an unorganized state, like items that were supposed to be placed together stuffed in random bins.  

After hours of reorganizing the packages by item number and weight you finally get the inventory count to match the shipment log, each herbal product being properly counted for. Not a single package is missing. Good, you can finally get out of here with what little sanity you have left. Storing them in the small warehouse, a series of tall silver wire shelves lining the walls, three lined up to create a few aisles. You neatly store each item in their labeled location. A look of relief crossing your face as you toss the last item in its designated place. 

God, you couldn’t be more excited to leave. Heading in the direction of the small office tucked in the far back corner of the warehouse, making sure to deposit the papers containing your count in the filing cabinet behind the small oak desk. You begin grabbing your belongings, stuffing your laptop into your backpack in a hurry before placing it on your back. Digging into the pockets of your black cargo pants for your keys as you make your way to the rear exit, locking the door behind you and giving it an extra tug to be sure the door was secure. 

Rolling your eyes as you get to your car, throwing your bag over the driver's side, landing into the passenger seat with a thud. ‘Fuck,’ you forgot to enter in the results on the spreadsheet. Knowing you have a bit of leeway in your place of work you decide you’ll worry about it later, it was something you could do from home anyway. Besides, it’s five in the morning and you haven’t achieved an ounce of shut eye in what felt like the last twenty-four hours. Plopping into your seat you start the car, the motor roaring to life. The sound of your straight piped exhaust making your car twice as loud as it should be. Something your neighbors often complained about in the past. After a few choice words caused them to quickly quiet themselves down. 

Pulling out of the parking lot and speeding your way through sector three. Lucky for you the streets weren’t too busy, a Saturday morning coupled with it being so early, working out in your favor so you could barrel your way through the streets to your home in sector two. Only slowing down through areas you knew were patrolled by Shinra squad cars and yielding for an innocent driver you nearly sideswiped in your half asleep stupor. Probably not the most ideal condition to drive around in. How else would you get home though?  

Finally making it to your subdivision. A large, wealthy area on the border of sector one and two. One of the few areas in Midgar where the houses were a decent distance apart, the houses having yards with perfectly cared for grass. Each house follows a similar structure, two and three story style homes, tan and gray brick homes. A few of them here and there are decorated with vinyl siding, matching the colors of the brick homes. Driving into the long, inclined driveway leading to the big detached garage of your own two story home. It wasn’t the biggest house in the neighborhood, but it was an upgrade from your upbringing in the slums. Fitted with massive picture windows on the bottom floor and a small portion of the top floor and arched windows on the top floor. Like the other homes the yard was well kept, bushes that were along the front of the house evenly trimmed. 

Parking outside of the garage proceeding to climb out of the car. Hardly remembering to grab your bag on the way out, you slam the door shut before following the walkway to the front door. The lack of sleep fully catches up to you causing you to drag your feet along the way, your fingers fumbling the keys as you unlock the door. There was only one thought in your head. ‘Sleep.’ Slowly making your way to the living room you can’t help but drop your bag on the floor besides the large white sectional. Your arms feel as though they aren't capable of performing any miniscule task. Not even bothering to take your boots off you sprawl out on the couch, dangling your feet off of the edge in an attempt to keep your shoes off of the fine fabric. Having no intentions on leaving for the duration of the day,you drift off to sleep in no time.

**Genesis+Tseng pov**

5am wasn’t early in Genesis’ world, not by any means. It still didn’t mean he was in a pleasant state of mind at this time. His mood quickly soured as another driver almost slams into him during his commute to safety training, the original source of his frustrations. 

Narrowing his eyes at the rogue driver as they attempt to give Genesis the right of way, coming close to already blowing his cover as he realizes he was conveniently coming face to face with you. ‘Speak of the devil and they shall appear right?’ Though he was driving ahead of you Genesis made sure to keep you within view, watching your car through the mirrors of his own. Fishing the PHS out of his pocket, Genesis calls the number saved for Tseng silently urging him to answer as he watches you in his rearview mirror. turn into a suburban area. 

Inwardly cursing as he watches you turn into a suburban area. He got lucky coming across you so quickly, by any means Genesis was going to trail you. He needed to get this mission over with as soon as possible. Genesis wasn’t a great driver, but he was a legal one. There was no wonder the wild u-turn he executed almost caused two other drivers to crash. That really wasn’t his problem, focused wholly on following you as requested of him three days prior. 

Ending the call and immediately dialing Tseng’s number again. Once more being met with voicemail, ‘What did he give me this for if he wasn’t going to answer it?!’ Genesis couldn’t help but think about how unprofessional it was of Tseng to not pick up. Keeping in mind that the lead Turk is a busy person. Yet, Genesis was not caring if he was or not. This is urgent. Though, wasn’t everything else Tseng dealt with? 

Tossing the PHS into the center console, Genesis tails your vehicle. Maybe he could’ve done this with far more tact, only being about two car lengths away from you while tracking you to your next location. Trailing closely behind as you take him through the winding roads of this subdivision. 

“Could’ve sworn Tseng said they were more attentive than this.” Genesis muttered under his breath as he parked in front of your neighbor's home. Scrutinizing you as he watched you walk to the door of your home and pull out a set of keys. ‘There’s no way they live here.’ Thinking back on your poor track record overall in life and lack of work history. Genesis can’t seem to think that someone like you would be living within a twenty minute radius of himself. Whatever you were doing was clearly paying off.

The sound of the PHS ringing, jarring Genesis out of his thoughts. Swiftly grabbing the device, answering and pressing the mobile device against his face. Genesis’ voice takes on the tone of a scolding father, similar to Angeal scolding Sephiroth and Genesis for their childish behavior. “Where were you when I called the first time? What am I to do when my assistant doesn’t answer his phone?” 

At first Tseng didn’t think much of Genesis’ words, expecting the sassy attitude out of the red haired man. Something about Genesis' words caught him off guard. Leaving an almost bitter taste in Tseng’s mouth at being referred to as his assistant. The realization of the little statement caused Tseng to stop his explanation. “I was in a meet- I don’t recall a time I’ve ever ranked low enough to be your assistant.” 

“Low enough?!” Genesis almost couldn’t believe his ears at Tseng’s insult. In reality he had no choice but to swallow his pride and accept the jab at his rank. It was no secret Tseng outranked many in Shinra due to his cushy little place at Rufus’ feet. Begrudgingly returning to the reason he called, “I found (y/n) on my way to training. Think I’ve found out where they live now. This isn’t the same place you have in your files, assuming they’ve moved recently.” 

In an attempt to make himself less obvious, Genesis sheds his coat before stepping out of his car. Only so much could be done while approaching a stranger's home this early in the morning. The bare minimum he could accommodate was not approaching your property while practically waving a flag that screams ‘look at me’. Be discreet right? He’s prepared for this, he thinks. Having acquired a few tools to help along the way from Scarlet the day after his meeting with Tseng. The door shut with a thud which didn’t go unnoticed by the darker haired male. 

“What are you doing?” Tseng’s voice had a skeptical tinge to it. He could practically hear Tseng rubbing his face in a stressed manner as he’s able to tell Genesis left his hidden spot to do who knows what. “Do not approach them at their home, we don’t know what you’re getting into yet.” 

“Already on it.” Genesis announced almost proudly, ignoring Tseng’s direct command as he marches up the driveway of your home. Having been waiting outside for the past fifteen minutes, he was almost sure you wouldn’t be coming out any time soon. Examining his surroundings as he approaches your car, finally noticing the cameras posted around the outside of your home. He made his way up here now. No point in tucking tail and running. Advancing towards your car while surveying the area, being mindful to be sure nobody was in near to spot him. 

“I asked what you’re doing. You can not make decisions on your own in this case. Is this not why you’re here now?” 

The reminder from Tseng did nothing to persuade Genesis from pulling the small stick on tracker out of his pocket. Situating himself on the ground, sliding under the side of your car just enough to secure it in place on the inner portion of your frame behind the driver’s side wheel. “I’m making a way to find them more efficiently.” Quickly rising to his feet, Genesis heads back to his own vehicle, sparing a few glances around on his way. Without hesitation Genesis settles himself back into his car and drives away.

“Tseng, what you should be doing is thanking me. There’s now a tracker attached to their car and it’s already synced to this PHS.” The help from Scarlet comes into play. The tracker was a tiny device, hidden well enough that it shouldn’t be noticed for quite some time, if at all. One thing Genesis wasn’t interested in was patrolling the city in a vain attempt to find a single person. As it stands it wasn’t unusual for Genesis to see you in the area, your way of driving and choice of such a loud set up would make you stand out and be memorable for anyone. He knew it was only a matter of time before you crossed paths again. The occurrence happening sooner than later was a complete stroke of luck on his part as his investigation to your last known address proved to be listed for sale.

Tseng had low faith that Genesis went completely undetected in his actions. However, he could admit that this was an advantage in two ways. One, having your location whenever you made a move. Two, knowing where you live. It was a slight surprise to Tseng that you may have moved once more, knowing you weren’t even at your last place of residence for a year. “Get back to HQ, I need the tracking information shared with me as well as their address. What time was your training?” 

Scoffing as Genesis navigated back to the Shinra building, his hope to miss safety training almost straining his very soul. “Six a.m, mind you, it’s a quarter to six now.” His silent prayer may be answered by the goddess above. With the amount of time it would take for him to arrive combined with exchanging information with Tseng there’s no way he would have to suffer through that for the day. 

“We can work around it, I can have it rescheduled for this afternoon's class.” 

Genesis was sure Tseng was getting a kick out of this. There was no mistaking the mirth in his voice as he made it known there were numerous time slots for these classes. ‘Since when did Shinra take safety seriously?’ This wouldn’t consist of anything but a couple of slideshows and materia introductions, so why was it so imperative that Genesis took these classes? 

“Yeah, sure whatever. I’m on my way.” Ending the call without bothering to see if Tseng had anything left to say. 

[polkadotsocks1993]

What Good Neighbors Do, Pt. 3.

Finals week for you means a celebration with your friends. However, once trouble occurs, the line of friendship with Osferth becomes blurred.

Warnings: violence, attempted assault, light smut

Notes: this story is brought to you by too much homemade wine and a winter storm 💀

thank you so much for your response to the first two, if you haven't read them, they're on my page!

Also, I write about the experiences of graduate school because I have experienced graduate school. I am trying to write Osferth and the Gang as OC as I can within modern parameters. Thank you guys for being understanding and supportive, I haven't written fic since 2016 so you guys are amazing.

It was the end of your first semester abroad.

Truthfully, it had been a rough school year for you. You had papers to grade as a teaching assistant, on top of final papers and your own work you needed to turn in. You'd elected to take a full load, thinking it would be no different than your undergraduate work. How wrong you had been.

The last two weeks had been nothing but grading, studying, more grading, and occasionally, sleep. Osferth had come over several times to find you slumped over a pile of term papers about Medieval England, none of which you'd graded yet. You were exhausted, to put it lightly, and you'd barely managed to look out for yourself.

"When does your term end?" Osferth asked, practically shoving a cup of coffee your way.

"In two days." You said, trying to remember what finals you had left. You only had three classes, but the history department had been understaffed and so you'd wound up teaching three classes. To say you were overwhelmed was an understatement.

"Then we're going out this weekend, after you get some sleep." Osferth said, "You need to have some fun."

"I won't say no." You replied, eyes already droopy from fatigue.

"Good. Finan already organized your first proper pub crawl." Osferth said, "I hope you're ready."

"No, I hope you're ready." You laughed, "I'm not a heavy drinker, so you'd better be prepared."

Osferth laughed tussling your hair like he always did before leaning down to whisper in your ear. "I'm looking forward to it, love."

As the term had progressed, you and Osferth's relationship had gotten even more tricky. You'd gone as his plus one to his half brother Edward's wedding; you'd met his sister and niece (who were actually nice and adored him), but also met his awful stepmother and after one too many shots of whiskey (thank goodness for open bars), you'd told her exactly what you'd thought. Then, you'd promptly gotten sick in the parking lot on the way to Osferth's car. You'd spent the rest of the night profusely apologizing in the chip shop Osferth had taken you to, only for Osferth to shrug and tell you, "I dunno, no one has ever stood up to Aelswith on my behalf, I might like to see it again."

The next two days were a blur for you; you had to be present for two finals (since you were the instructor) and you had to take two finals. You'd extended every last ounce of energy you had into trying to get decent grades, and barely made it on to the bus home. After tossing your keys on the table and taking a drink of water, you heard a knock on your door. Rubbing your eyes, you opened the door to see Osferth, holding a small bouquet of flowers and waving innocently.

"Your first semester done! How does it feel?" He asked. You blinked hard, trying to ignore the pounding in your head. You kicked off your shoes and took off your jacket.

"I'm tired. Get in here. I can't be held responsible for anything I do in the next few hours." You said, trying to get comfortable.

Osferth looked at you, raising an eyebrow, while you took off your socks and hoodie, tossing them on the sofa. Osferth made his way to your kitchen for a jar to put the flowers in.

"By the way," You said, theatrically rolling your wrist, "the flowers are appreciated. Thank you."

No matter how comfortable Osferth was with you, he was still painfully shy at times. He was confident, when he needed to be, but you could tell that his confidence faltered when dealing with you.

You took a step closer to him, observing his features. He was still in his paramedic uniform. For the last month, he had worked nights, and you could tell he hadn't slept yet, either.

"You haven't gone to bed yet, Osferth." You observed.

"I wanted to wait till you were home." He replied.

You squinted; you knew he was likely just as tired as you, and that he often put others' comfort before his own. You yanked him by the wrist, and drug him to your room.

"Where are we going?" Osferth asked.

"You're going to sleep with me." You answered.

"In your room?"

"Yes. In my room." You said, turning on the light and pulling back your covers.

"Um, I can just go back to my place, it's no bother." Osferth said.

"Absolutely not. You waited till I got home, you should have been asleep two hours ago." You scolded.

"I know, but I really wanted you to have something to look forward to today." Osferth explained. You hated his expression; he looked like a sad puppy and it was as endearing as it was frustrating.

"I am looking forward to something. I'm looking forward to a nice, long nap. And you're going to get one, too." You said. Osferth shifted around nervously, but didn't put up too much of an argument, his eyes giving away his exhaustion.

You took off your jeans and folded them on the end of your bed. Osferth's eyes widened, but he did the same. He had already changed his shirt before coming over, so he left everything on the floor next to your jeans. You snuggled in, under the covers, patting your hand on the mattress for him to join you. He climbed in and you scooted close to him, laying your head on his shoulder.

"Goodnight, Osferth." You whispered.

"Goodnight, Y/N." He replied.

Within minutes, both of you were asleep, and slept for hours. Neither one of you even moved much, until you finally awoke much later in the afternoon. Osferth didn't have to be at work that night, so the two of you enjoyed a little bit of freedom and swapped stories while you ate takeaway, the show Parks and Recreation coming from the TV.

"Wait, so Uhtred was the first person you had to do a field IV on?" You asked, trying hard not to spill your wine.

Osferth laughed, taking another bite of food. "Yes. He was so sick, I could barely find a vein, and here I am, some kid they'd thrown in there, and I had no idea what I was doing. Somehow managed to get the needle in, but that doesn't mean it was easy."

"I still can't believe Finan tries to ask you for IVs whenever he drinks too much." You said.

"Finan will ask for one this weekend. Sihtric will, too. Uhtred might, but honestly he handles alcohol better than all of us." Osferth replied.

"So, what's so special about this pub crawl Finan planned?" You asked.

"Finan plans pub crawls the way a bride plans a wedding." Osferth answered, "They're spectacular, honestly."

"I'm blaming you for the hangover I'll incur, then." You said, scooting closer ever so slightly.

Osferth's breath hitched, his smile faltering ever so slightly, before he leaned in close. Your spine straightened as you felt Osferth's lips near your ear.

"I quite like seeing you drunk."

You blinked, turning to him in surprise. "And why is that?" You asked.

"Because you're fiery, and I happen to like that in you." Osferth whispered. Your hair stood on your neck, and you leaned forward slightly, getting close enough to feel his body heat. You ran a hand up his thigh, feeling his gaze burn as your eyes met his.

"Well, then, I guess Friday is going to be fun."

Osferth grinned, pushing your hair behind your ear. "I look forward to it."

--------

That night, after he left, you laid on your bed, venting to your dog, Brownie, out of frustration.

"He didn't even kiss me, Brownie!" You huffed.

"Does he like me? Really? I am so confused."

Brownie just blinked; you wished you could talk to someone, since Osferth was the most confusing man you knew. He flirted with you, he did nice things for you, but he didn't seem to care to do anything more than that.

You grumbled. Your feelings were only getting more confusing, and you knew that it was bound to get worse. He was your best friend, but you wanted more. The question was: did he?

--------

As it turned out, Osferth's description of Finan's pub crawl plans was, in fact, pretty spot on. What the the boys were not prepared for, however, was how well you could keep up with them, despite never having done a pub crawl before.

"In honor of passing my finals, here is a round of shots, on me."

You handed the four men a shot of whiskey, and threw it back, the burn hitting your throat and you cheered.

"Look at you go!" Uhtred said, "You can keep up after all."

"Sometimes I can." You laughed. Finan had organized an "American Pub Crawl", in which the rules were that the only drinks that could be ordered were American. So far, you were on your third bar of the evening, and you'd taken the opportunity to buy a round of Jack Daniel's for everyone.

"Hey, Y/N, that man in the corner has been eyeing you all evening." Sihtric said, "He was at the last pub, too."

You'd noticed the man too, and you didn't necessarily like the idea. His eyes had been locked on you all evening, and it had made you stay close to Osferth.

"I hope he doesn't think he can follow me all night." You muttered, taking a sip of the beer you'd ordered.

"I've picked him up before, on shift. He likes to throw punches after one too many." Osferth said, taking a sip of his own beer. His arm had found a place around your shoulder and you gladly accepted it. You didn't like the way that man looked at you.

"Maybe he'll take the hint." You replied.

"If he doesn't, I'm sure we can persuade him." Uhtred said, "If he likes to fight, we can do that too."

"Wouldn't be a proper pub crawl without it!" Finan exclaimed.

Finishing your drinks, you went to the next pub, this time ordering whiskey and bringing out pickle juice to take pickle back shots.

Unfortunately, the man had followed and he was eyeing you still.

You tried to shake the uncomfortable feeling in your gut; you didn't want this man to ruin your night with your friends. Besides, you were resting your head on Osferth's shoulder, and he was flirting with you, and you didn't want to ruin that.

By the next bar, however, you'd shoved the nervous feeling down as you all drank Old Fashioneds, feeling a bit woozy as you stood up.

You placed a hand on Osferth's shoulder and leaned down. "I'm gonna go to the restroom. Watch my purse until I get back?"

"Sure, we'll be right here." Osferth said, giving you a smile. You walked back to the restroom and went in, trying to get out before anyone else noticed you were gone. You fixed you hair and adjusted your skirt, and walked out the door, only to bump into someone.

Your stomach dropped; it was the man who had been following you.

"I've been waiting to get you alone all night." He said. You could smell the liquor on him, he was incredibly drunk.

"Well, I'm going back to my friends." You said curtly, walking back toward the direction of your table. The man stopped you, and walked you backwards, your back hitting the wall.

"Where ya from, miss? I like that accent of yours." He said caging you in.

You looked around, suddenly feeling completely sober as the man entered your bubble.

"A place where we don't take kindly to unwanted attention." You replied.

The man growled, getting closer.

"Leave me alone, please." You pleaded.

"I don't think I'm going to do that. I've been watching you for hours now." The man replied. He stuck a hand on your torso, and began trying to move it up your shirt.

"Get OFF of me!" You yelled. You slapped the man in the face, and he in turn slapped you back so hard your head hit the wall, and you saw stars. You tasted blood on your lip, and it only made rage bubble in your chest.

"Get the HELL AWAY FROM ME!" You screamed. The man lurched forward, grabbing you by the hair, and slammed your head back into the wall, pressing his body to yours. You kicked and began screaming, until you heard someone yelling from behind the man.

"GET OFF!" Screamed Osferth, grabbing the man by the shoulders and throwing him into the floor. The man stood up, taking a swing, and connecting with Osferth's face. That's when Sihtric and Uhtred grabbed the man, while Finan got Osferth to his feet.

The look on Osferth's face was one you'd only seen a handful of times before, from other people. He was seething.

Osferth swung again, knocking the man to the floor, and he began swinging. Blood was pouring from his nose, but he seemed completely oblivious to the pain.

"YOU. DO. NOT. TOUCH. HER." Every word was punctuated with a punch, until Uhtred finally pulled him off.

"Osferth, your nose is broken." Uhtred said. Osferth was still in a trance, and you were shaking and crying. Finan had moved over to check on you, tears spilling from your eyes as he grabbed your face.

"Hey, hey, look at me, Y/N. Look at me." He whispered. "You're okay now. Osferth took care of him, he isn't getting back up for a while."

Osferth stopped wriggling in Uhtred's grasp and turned to you, assessing the damage like he would any accident at work.

"What did he do? Where did he touch you?" He asked.

You were sobbing. Coughing and choking while the other three men stood behind Osferth, blocking anyone else from coming near.

"He--I was coming out and he pushed me back." You cried, "he tried to stick his hand under my shirt and I told him to leave me alone. Then he hit me and he slammed my head into the wall."

This time, Sihtric walked over and kicked the man in the stomach. Osferth took a pen light from his pocket and looked at your eyes.

"You have a concussion." He said, "But not a bad one."

"Osferth, your nose." You said.

"I don't care. This isn't the worst I've had. Come here." He said, pulling you into his chest. You sobbed into him, your whole body shaking.

"Osferth, you get her out of here. We'll deal with him. You two need to go to A & E and get checked out. Especially you." Finan said.

"He'll learn his lesson. We promise you that." Uhtred said, "Take her home. We'll go check on you later."

Osferth took your hand and guided you out near the main entrance, taking your purse from behind the bar. Your hands shook ferociously, your lip was already swollen. Outside of the bar, you waited for a cab, but you couldn't keep your knees from knocking together.

"I'm so, so sorry, Y/N. That shouldn't have happened." Osferth said, rubbing your back. You had to sit down; your vision was starting to go black and you felt like the walls were closing in.

"I want to go home." You cried.

"We're going home, love." Osferth replied.

"No, Osferth," Your voice was breaking now, "I want my mom."

Osferth picked you up, pulling you close to him and holding you as tightly as he could. "I'll call your mum, Y/N. It's going to be okay. Take a deep breath, he can't hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

As the cab pulled up, Osferth put you gently inside. The cab driver obviously had questions, but all Osferth did was give him your address. You were thankful; you didn't want to go to A & E, you just wanted to go home.

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

You had a first aid kit in your bathroom, it was the one thing you'd always done since you grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere. You sat Osferth down on the edge of the bathtub and began to clean him up, taking off his shirt and wiping the blood off of his chest, his neck, and his face.

"You said that wasn't the worst you had, huh?" You asked. He chuckled lightly, pointing to a spot just below his ribs.

"Almost died from this one." He said, "took a knife to the lung. If I hadn't already been in a medic tent, I would have died."

"When was that?" You asked, tracing your fingers along the scar.

"My last deployment. I was assessing a civilian they brought in, and he stabbed me." Osferth said, "I got out after that."

"And what about this one, here?" You asked, pointing to the scar on his shoulder.

"This was another bar fight, believe it or not." Osferth laughed. His eyes were already bruising and a little swollen, so you'd brought a pack of frozen vegetables to put on his face.

"He should have never touched you." Osferth said.

"I'm just glad you were there." You replied.

Osferth put his hands on your hips, placing his forehead in your stomach. You felt your heart thump so loudly that you were afraid it'd burst.

"I'll always be there." Osferth said. You felt his fingers tighten around your hip bones and you couldn't take it any more.

"Osferth." You said, he looked up at you.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I--I don't want to be your friend." You replied. His entire face fell, and you stumbled to correct yourself.

"I'm sorry, that came out wrong. What I meant was, I can't just be your friend." You said, "I thought I could, but I think I've loved you since the day you unlocked my door, and seeing you like this, I can't... I can't just be your friend--"

You were cut off by Osferth's lips hitting yours. His hands tangled in your hair, his touch soft but wanting. You put your arms around his neck and pulled him closer, a moan escaping as he moved to kiss your neck.

"I can't do this anymore either." Osferth said, "I thought I could. I thought I could just be your friend, but I can't. I love you. I've loved you for a long time."

You took his face in your hands, placing a gentle kiss, then moved to loop your fingers in his jeans and pull him out of the bedroom. His hands roamed your back, your neck, your hips, taking care not to do anything too suddenly or without permission. You pulled him to your room, kicking off your shoes and taking off your tights, pulling him on to the bed with you.

He climbed in, laying next to you, cradling your head in his hand, his other hand trailing your waist. You sighed, smiling, and ran your fingers through his hair.

"Stay the night." You said. It was a plea, a wish.

"I'll do whatever you ask." He whispered.

He took off his jeans, and your eyes grew wide.

"I'm not expecting anything, they've just got blood on them." He said. You nodded, and then a rush of thoughts came flooding to your mind.

"Osferth?" You asked.

"Yes, love?" He said.

"I've... I've never done this before." You admitted. He furrowed his brows.

"Done what?" He asked.

"What we're doing. Or what we're about to do. I don't know how to explain it." You huffed. He stopped, understanding what you were trying to say, and then nodded.

"You know that's not what I'm after, right?" Osferth asked.

You kissed him, moaning as he moved a hand up your side.

"I know, but I need you to know. I spilled my guts, I needed to tell you in case you wanted an out." You said.

"No." Osferth said, taking your hand in his. Yours was comically small compared to his, and he kissed your forehead.

"I don't want an out. I've been thinking about you since you knocked on my door. I knew I loved you for sure at Edward's wedding. I love how your face lights up when you talk about what you're passionate about. I love how kind you are. I hated history, but when you tell it, I could listen for hours. I don't want a quick lay. If I wanted that I could go into town and get it. I want you, Y/N. Only you."

Your breath hitched, and you looked at Osferth. You were nervous, and you didn't exactly know the right words to say.

"What does this make us?" You asked.

"Whatever you want us to be, but I know I'd like for us to be together." Osferth answered.

You smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I want that, too."

Osferth laughed, pressing a kiss to your forehead. He laid his head back down on the pillow, sighing.

"I'm actually glad you said something, because my nose does hurt a bit now." He admitted. You couldn't help but laugh as you pressed kisses to his temple.

"Then maybe we should sleep? After you've taken something for the pain." You suggested.

"That actually sounds nice." Osferth said, "We have plenty of time. I intend on sticking around, if that's alright with you."

"I'd like that, very much." You said.

That night you fell asleep with your head on his chest, his arm around you. Though both of you wound up with bruises for days, neither of you would have changed the events of that evening. And though your relationship had now evolved into something more, you were elated and excited.

With Osferth, you looked forward to many things. And you couldn't wait to explore.

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

I will obviously be writing more parts, I'm obsessed with this story and I cannot put it down.

Also, the reason there wasn't full on smut is because I have NEVER written it before, so please bare with me as the next chapter will probably be lots of filth 🤣 thank you all for the feedback!

[westmeath]

lol since i was asking before about social media alternatives and what people like to use i went to look up two old ones i had likeee probably in 2015/2016 but never used which was ello and peach and it turns out ello died last year and the peach app is like... apparently people still use it but it's "not available for [my] device" on the play store, their twitter hasn't updated since 2019 and when i go to their website it redirects to this. interesting

anyway for my own resource i'm putting a list of other ones i'm aware of here. if any of you use these and have any thoughts on them feel free to let me know i'm interested in this :]

mastodon - having countless different "instances" that all require a different login is confusing. i made accounts in 2018 on mastodon.social (the main one) and one on mastodon.cloud and i don't even know what the second one is or how it's different. also can't change your username so i have a danganronpa one forever

bluesky - another twitter clone. just fine idk

cohost - i Like This One because it's cute and does something different (i.e. isn't just twitter again like the others LOL) more blog-like i find which i enjoy. and fun personalisation where i think you can do almost basically whatever you want with html/css? it seems to have a much nicer atmosphere among the userbase than mastodon and bluesky do too

the only thing i really don't like atm is how the likes/shares on posts are completely invisible even on your OWN posts... like whatever about other peoples posts that's fine but i'd like to see on my Own Post if it's being shared around with someone else's comment on it or something? i dunno... it'd be nice if it was an opt in/out thing but idk if they'd ever even do that since having that stuff be invisible is their Whole Thing

telegram - ?? i have no idea about this one. i thought it was just an instant messaging app like whatsapp but i've seen people talk about it like it has some kind of feed so....? dunno!

plurk - been around much longer than the others (2008) yet i've never seen anyone talk about it before. based in taiwan so a rare non-american social media site which is always a plus. i made an account last night out of curiosity but i find it a little hard to navigate and it has an.. interesting layout

^ using this guy as a way to break up the post a bit. heart emoji

then there's the art-based social media apps.. i think there's probably quite a few of these but the ones i Personally know are cara.app, sheezy.art (cheers janssi JDNJDF), artfol.co

i don't know if artstation counts but i didn't like how professional that one felt LOL bit too scary for me. cara kindaaaa gives off that vibe too but i haven't had more than a cursory glance at it so! i have an artfol account but i would always forget to update it so it's not been used for 2 years.. i WILL make a sheezy so soon just been busy/lazy

anywaysssss idgaf about the others i mentioned honestly but I REALLY LIKE COHOSTTTTT MAKE AN ACCOUNT AND FOLLOW ME ON COHOST