#sorry the quality is trash on mobile. sorry

[endverse]

[shadowsayshi]

Let me in!! Let me in!!!!

[medicinemane]

Semi related, but I saw Lewis Rossman do a video where he was talking with this disabled guy that... I think he actually built his wheelchair himself or at least had customized a lot of it

Cause... like the foam pad he had on his seat would have been something like $3000 cause it was "custom", but... getting the foam, cutting it to size, and having someone sew an outside protector for it was more like $20

...mhh... hold on, I will find the video and post a link to the guy's website... here it is, The Mobility Independence Foundation

Anyway... my point is that if I get my shit together enough in other ways, I'd very much like to reach out to a group like that and be like "you tell me how to do it and do it right, and I'm happy to help assemble wheelchairs for people"

And of course when I say assemble, I mean like... custom, cause the more I pay attention the more obvious it is to me that any kind of mobility aid needs to be customized to the user

Like you get where I'm coming from, if I'm sat here thinking that maybe I should learn to make my own tv, then I sure as hell want to see people having their own wheelchair that's customized. Whole reason I'm thinking about "what if I just bought the screen and shoved my current tv's electronics in a custom frame" is so I have control and get just what I need... and people who need mobility aids need that a hell of a lot more than I need a tv, you know?

...maybe once I get the back porch in, which I want to put an ADA compliant ramp on... maybe once that's done and this old house is more accessible at least on the first floor... maybe that'll be the time I'm both more capable and also more... in the right mental space for it

But that is something I'd like to do... love it if I could help people out making custom mobility aids, both giving people something that's custom tailored to their needs, and also be able to like... send em home with spare parts and the knowledge how to fix it if something goes wrong... not have em stuck waiting for insurance to cover things

[chouxtranslations]

Shizun 016 - Sect rules

With the new addition to the house, the household budget was a little less tight. 

Lu Yunzhen decided to celebrate and brought home a reusable bag full of good quality meat dishes. He also stopped by the temple to buy some nice incense for Jin Yunu. 

As he got home with his bags he saw Mo Changkong and Jin Yunu staring at a phone in the yard saying something he couldn’t hear. The two heard him approach and turned simultaneously, “Shizun (master), you’re home?” 

His home was getting more and more rowdy. 

Lu Yunzhen loved this kind of warm atmosphere. He put on his apron and made two veggie side dishes in the kitchen. He then remembered to light the incense for Jin Yunu so he could worship himself but as he approached he found Mo Changkong playing a mobile game……. 

It was the newest smartphone costing nearly ten thousand bucks. 

The game that he was playing was a new one that’s still in beta named Hero. His martial arts skills didn’t translate to gaming at all. He didn’t know the moves and would pick a wild hero wanting to solo the enemy team. Then he would immediately get killed off immediately and get yelled at by teammates while waiting to respawn. 

Demonaziu: “You noob kid! How are your teachers teaching you?! Go back to class and stop trying to play games like the adults!” 

Mo Changkong was incensed and asked darkly, “Yunu, where is this guy?” 

His fist hardened and he wanted to beat him up, but he didn’t know how to drag the man out of the phone. 

“Worry not, master, leave this to this one.” Jin Yunu reassured him, opened voice chat, pinched his throat, and let out a soft and sweet female voice. “Sorry, it’s my first time. Please lead me, gege.” 

It was too pretty. Too deceptive. 

A man killer…. 

Lu Yunzhen knew the truth and even then he almost knelt listening. 

The other player had immediately softened up and started chatting up Jin Yunu, soon sending a friend request. 

Jin Yunu clicked confirm and responded to Mo Changkong fawningly. “Fret not, master. This one guarantees an in person meeting within three days. Where do you want to make the move?” 

Mo Changkong thought for a moment, “Find somewhere remote.” 

Jin Yunu agreed. “This one will invite him to a hotel in the suburbs. After he enters you can dash in and deal with this blind fool and make him pay punitive damages.” 

Mo Changkong replied, “Good. Lots.” 

The two continued to discuss it happily. 

Lu Yunzhen’s eyes had turned dark from listening. He dashed out with the spatula to immediately put a stop to the illegal acts. “You can’t do bad things!” 

Mo Changkong was shocked. “This counts as a bad thing?” 

Back in his era, there wasn’t much of a sense of the rule of law. The powerful ruled and things like murder and robberies were commonplace. Shizun had only taught him to not kill the innocent and not start fights. He was never taught to not fight back when he got bullied. 

A gentleman can be killed but not be humiliated. 

Mo Changkong held the phone and argued confidently. “This man had insulted Wujian peak! He’s detestable and deserves to be taught a lesson.” 

Lu Yunzhen was at a loss. 

If every piece of trash talk online escalated to an irl brawl they’d be in the middle of a world war by now. 

Looks like the two needed remedial lessons in both a sense of justice and online common sense. 

After listening to a long lecture from Shizun, Mo Changkong finally understood that the only response to being yelled at online is to yell back, not to move his fists. He had no talent whatsoever for arguing and felt immensely pent up; in the end he decided that he was going to get a demon who’s good at arguing to cuss people out for him. 

If one demon wasn’t enough he’d just get two. If they couldn’t win the argument then he’ll just get Jin Yunu to honey trap them of their location and get the demon to go argue in person. It’s not over til those bastards admit defeat! We’ll see who’s a noob kid then! 

Mo Changkong promised, “I won’t fight.” 

Jin Yunu answered obediently, “This one wouldn’t dare to fight.” 

Lu Yunzhen breathed a sigh of relief seeing that everyone understood. He decided to set some sect rules for Wujian peak. Hanging up a small chalkboard on the wall, he sternly wrote: 

Rule one: Running off to fight after losing an argument online is forbidden. 

Rule two: Honey trapping is forbidden. 

Rule three: Breaking the law is forbidden.

Rule four: To be decided. 

Mo Changkong immediately launched into applause and praise for Shizun. 

Lu Yunzhen appreciated the response but then noticed a burning smell. Realizing the veggies had burned, he dashed back hoping to save the duck. But as he was salvaging it he realized something was wrong. 

Where did Mo Changkong get a new phone from? 

Jin Yunu laughed, “It’s from Long Gongzi.” 

He was flirting with Long Jingtian at the bar when the latter asked him for his contact info. When he said he didn’t have a phone Long Jingtian immediately bought him the newest model, and then wanted to follow up with clothes and jewelry to boot. 

“Worry not, master, Long Gongzi is known for being a sucker.” explained Jin Yunu. “He spends money like water and casually gifts designer bags worth 5 figures. This one doesn’t like items made from skin and didn’t want them.” 

Lu Yunzhen was stunned…

He finally realized that his fee might have been too low…

Jin Yunu also felt wronged when he heard that he was only worth 3000 yuan, complaining, “This one could seduce some random man off the street and get more than that…. Sect leader, Long Gongzi will give you as much money as you ask for…” 

Lu Yunzhen was a little regretful, but it’s too late now. 

Jin Yunu suggested, “If master is lacking in money, this one can go attend at a bar. Those men all have a lot of money, this one simply have to lift a finger.” 

He had spent a lot of time as an actor before and was faced with many a young man who wanted to buy a smile. He was good at it and felt no shame at his talents. 

Lu Yunzhen took a breath and turned down the lure of lucre, and chalked up the fourth sect rule: attending at bars is forbidden. 

It’s too hard being the leader of Wujian peak… 

…

Mo Changkong finally figured out the game mechanics. He ignored the fool who kept on trying to talk to Jin Yunu by muting the chat and had fun hanging out in bronze games. Soon after, the game server died. 

He asked Shizun for help. 

Lu Yunzhen responded that his powers were limited and he couldn’t save the server. 

Hurry up and eat! 

Lu Yunzhen had filled the table with dishes, with the majority of it being Mo Changkong’s beloved meat. Jin Yunu had also gained a temporary seat at the table by being obedient, vegetarian, and not eating much. 

Mo Changkong handed the phone back to Jin Yunu and sat obediently. 

Lu Yunzhen went out to the yard to grab some home brewed wine. 

He had been interested in brewing since he was young and was talented at that. It was easily for him to make something tasty without much interest. Grandpa had always loved his wine, and when he passed…. He was still under age then and couldn’t drink. So the majority of the wine was placed as an offering in front of the grave. The only tub he kept was the one that Grandpa had disliked for being too bitter. 

After he came of age, he tried it and realized it really was bitter. But after the bitterness passed there was a faintly sweet aftertaste which was quite unique. Most people wouldn’t like it, but… he always felt in his heart that this wine was patiently waiting for someone important. 

Every time he had a friend or classmate over, he would have them try the wine. 

But, no one liked it… 

He wasn’t discouraged. He stubbornly waited, sure that the wine will finally find the person who would appreciate it. 

Mo Changkong came. 

Lu Yunzhen once again brought out his precious wine, filled three cups, and eagerly served it. “Please try it.” 

Jin Yunu took half a sip and almost spat it out from the bitterness. He immediately put it down and focused on eating the dishes. 

Mo Changkong took the cup hesitantly and had a taste, but he was stunned. There weren’t any magical herbs or flowers in it, but it was that same familiar flavour… 

He’s not human and had some unique taste, so he never liked wine. But he always wanted to drink, so Shizun had spent many years to figure out this recipe. It was strong, bitter, with a sweet after taste. Everyone hated it, but he loved it…

Why didn’t he realize it before? 

Food, drinks, clothes, flowers, scenery… 

Shizun would secretly change most of the dishes at the peak to suit his tastes. Many things will slowly be the way that he liked, but he never noticed. He treated it as a matter of course and only threw a fuss wanting more and more, until Shizun had nowhere left to go. 

He never expected that after so many reincarnations that Shizun would remember what he liked, that he would keep around the wine that no one else would drink, just waiting for him to return. 

Mo Changkong was filled with regret. 

Lu Yunzhen saw that his expression was saddened and said with some embarrassment, “The wine tastes pretty bitter at first. If you don’t like it then don’t force yourself, it’s fine.” 

“I love it.” Mo Changkong held his hand that reached out to retrieve the wind. He gently continued, “I really love it…Everyone said, this wine was like me, that no one would like it, that it tastes terrible.” 

He was born a bad seed, with a bad personality, he was looked down on everywhere he went. 

Only Shizun believed that he was good… 

And only Shizun would drink the bitter wine with him. 

Lu Yunzhen smiled, “This wine doesn’t taste terrible. You just have to drink a few more cups to taste the sweetness. And once you taste it you won’t be able to put it down.” 

But, the wine was too bitter and too strong, it was hard for some to get to that point. 

Lu Yunzhen smiled, “I also gave it a name.” 

Mo Changkong replied gently, “En, it’s named Yixing.” 

Shizun had said that you could only experience its true flavour if you treated it single heartedly. (Tn: Yixing means one heart) 

Lu Yunzhen was shocked, “How did you know?” 

He thought the name was a little childish and had never told anyone. 

“I guessed.” Mo Changkong smiled and held out his cup, “Shizun, could you drink with me?” 

Lu Yunzhen was overjoyed. “Yes.” 

The cups had crossed. What a night, to drink wine with one heart. 

What place isn’t Wujian Peak? 

… 

The night deepened. Jin Yunu had went back to the doghouse to cultivate long ago. 

Lu Yunzhen was still a student and wasn’t practiced at drinking. He hit his limit at 5 cups and was carried back to his bed in a daze. His bear was placed in his hands. He touched the little bear’s fluffy ears and immediately fell asleep. 

Shizun had always loved drinking but wasn’t good at holding his liquor. He would often get drunk and fall asleep. No matter what was done to him he would never remember when he woke and was easy to bully. 

Mo Changkong was also feeling the effect the liquor. He leaned at the side of the bed and couldn’t help but to touch the short scuff of Lu Yunzhen’s hair, then his faintly red cheeks. He then touched gently at soft lips with his fingertips, and touched once more…

He wants it so badly. 

Every time Shizun was drunk he would steal many kisses. 

It was so sweet.  

At first, he would warn himself to only steal a little. But he never felt full no matter how much he ate, never satiated. His urges only grew and grew, his heart demons became deeper and deeper, and the acts he committed became more and more out of line. 

Shizun was always afraid of those things, and even more afraid of him losing control in bed. It was painful every time they finished. 

He knew he was a bastard, but he couldn’t control his ugly desires. The more Shizun asked him to stop, the more he could not. Desire, twisted, paranoid, violence, his methods became more and more crazed. 

Until finally, things spun out of control… 

Lu Yunzhen felt like there was something by his mouth in his dreams. It was cool and seemed tasty, so he gave a little lick. 

Mo Changkong shot back his hand as if he was electricuted. His mind cleared and he realized that he was still thinking of foul things. He was overcome with a strong sense of built. He bent down in despair and groaned in pain while holding his head. 

He can’t ask for it anymore. 

[baiken]

Hey! I’ve been trying to get into gif making and I think I have the process down but my problem is that the gif quality very drastically changes from desktop to mobile. Your gifs don’t seem to have that issue, do you have any tips? I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing wrong.

as far as i know it’s not you! it’s the app! it sucks!

for some reason new gifs look trash on mobile for a while, but most of the time look better after a few days, im not really sure why. i actually made a post (that’s deleted now) about how my new ada gifs look extremely pixelated on mobile, but i think it’s kinda fixed itself now? sorry i don’t have a definite answer for you but i can assure you from my experience that it’s not your gifs it’s the app!

[avarkriss]

Me watching the new episode of The Mandalorian wondering when Kevin Bacon is gonna roll up:

[amispnrewatch]

SPN 1x06 “Skin”

Okay, I’m gonna try to type while I watch this time instead of forgetting this blog exists until the episode is almost over.

You can tell the footage for the previously on segment was saved on a VHS copy instead of the original film that the show was shot with because even in the HD iTunes version I have it looks low quality as fuck. And jumpy in the way that brings me back to my teens watching the WB all the damn time.

I love this song. WTF is this song. Shazam says “Good Deal” by Mommy and Daddy. I… have no comment, except that it sounds like everything I was listening to in college at the time this shit was airing.

Aaaaand not!Dean turns around to face the SWAT team after obviously torturing some woman. THAT is a cold open.

I wanna know what that car is in the background. It’s pretty. Maybe a convertible Impala? They have similar grills. This is not at all important.

Also, I love that with these higher definition versions of the episodes you can see that Sam’s email is lawboy and whatever dot com and that people in the fandom have started calling him Law Boy. It’s hilarious.

DEAN: Well, what exactly do you tell ‘em? You know, about where you’ve been, what you’ve been doin’?

SAM: I tell ‘em I’m on a road trip with my big brother. I tell ‘em I needed some time off after Jess.

DEAN: Oh, so you lie to ‘em.

SAM: No. I just don’t tell ‘em….everything.

DEAN: Yeah, that’s called lying. I mean, hey, man, I get it, tellin’ the truth is far worse.

SAM: So, what am I supposed to do, just cut everybody out of my life? (DEAN shrugs.) You’re serious?

DEAN: Look, it sucks, but in a job like this, you can’t get close to people, period.

Aaaaand now I have Dean and Cassie feelings again and we haven’t even gotten to her episode yet.

SAM: No, man, I know Zack. He’s no killer.

DEAN: Well, maybe you know Zack as well as he knows you.

Aaaaaand now I have Dean and Lee feelings and we’re nowhere near Lee’s episode in season 15.

YOU JUST BLEW THROUGH A STOP SIGN DEAN WTF.

Little Becky. Oi with the reusing of names.

Of course Sam made friends with a bunch of rich kids while he was at college in a desperate attempt to try to be normal.

SAM: You know, maybe we could see the crime scene. Zack’s house.

DEAN: We could.

REBECCA: Why? I mean, what could you do?

SAM: Well, me, not much. But Dean’s a cop. (DEAN laughs.)

DEAN: Detective, actually.

I love that Dean was like “how dare you call me that.”

Okay, after a bit of research, I totally want to take a day trip to Bisbee, Arizona, but it’s already in the 90s here in the desert and it’s not even May so that trip is going to have to wait until… winter or something. There is no way in hell I’m going deeper into the desert when the weather gets hotter.

It’s a historic mining town tourist trap looking place now which is exactly the kind of shit I love.

SAM: Bec, look, I know Zack didn’t do this. Now, we have to find a way to prove that he’s innocent.

I mean, not technically, technically you would 1) NOT FUCK WITH A MURDER INVESTIGATION YOU’RE NOT LEGALLY INVOLVED IN BECAUSE ANYTHING YOU FIND WOULD BE INADMISSABLE IN COURT 2) find evidence to provide a reasonable doubt for the jury that he did commit the crime. You know, like a lawyer would need to do, Law Boy.

DEAN: I just don’t think this is our kind of problem.

When I made my husband watch this show with me (he’s seen it all at least once now over the years) this is the recurring thing that drove him crazy.

You guys can’t even go in through the back door? Or shut the front door behind you? Really?

REBECCA: (tearfully) Well, there’s no sign of a break-in. They say that Emily let her attacker in.

Yeah, that doesn’t even really mean that she knew her attacker. Just that it was someone she let her guard down around or got in some other way. See: The Son of Sam and Nightstalker, etc.

Love the pinup magnet on the fridge. I’d throw shade at that, but I have a pinup magnet on my fridge too so… pot kettle and all that.

Okay, both people in the next couple are gorgeous.

And oh wow those special effects changing eyes… wow.

This poor couple. I feel so bad for them in this episode.

How… how are the police gonna explain the way he was able to beat himself over the head with a bat??? I…

I love that 5:30 in the morning on TV is clearly like… 10 AM.

Okay, this is a really unrelated point, but the graffiti on the dumpster here reminds me of the Teen Wolf fandoms use of the name Void!Stiles when Stiles Stilinski was possessed by a Nogitsune… I just spent way too long digging through YouTube and my Tumblr tags from back when those episodes were airing looking for a few specific videos and couldn’t find them. The TL;DR reason I bring it up here is goofball, bi-coded main character guy getting possessed by an entity set on destroying the people he loves. SOUNDS LIKE THIS EPISODE AND A WHOLE LOT OF SPN RIGHT. I love that all these monster hunting shows call out to each other.

This scene haunts me years later and I don’t even WATCH Teen Wolf. I just watched the fandom on Tumblr collectively lose it’s shit then tripped down a Hale Pack fanfiction rabbit hole.

ANYWAY

Back to Supernatural, a show that also treated its fan base, cast, and characters like garbage! Huzzah!

DEAN: Well, there’s another way to go—down. (They look down and notice a manhole.)

I’m gonna be mature and ignore the double entendre there…

But I love that Dean thinks of the world in 3D. Which sounds like a dumb statement to make, but this is honestly a good example of that in action.

SAM: I bet this runs right by Zack’s house, too.

Really Sam, sewers run by houses? SO WEIRD. I WOULD HAVE NEVER GUESSED.

DEAN: You know, I just had a sick thought. When the shapeshifter changes shape—maybe it sheds.

SAM: That is sick. (DEAN puts the bloody pile back on the ground.)

Guys, there is a WHOLE ASS EAR in that pile of yuck you’re looking at. I think it’s pretty safe to assume the shapeshifter indeed sheds its skin like a snake. A much… gooier snake.

Sam’s friend is rightfully pissed at him for fucking with the crime scene.

This is before the pearl gripped guns?! Wow. I never noticed that before.

Also, this whole episode gives me feelings.

++++

Cool. Tumblr mobile ate a whole section of my notes on this when it crashed for NO APPARENT REASON. Love that.

It always boggles my mind that actors can trust the people they’re working with enough to let people “tie” ropes around their neck or put them in actually dangerous positions in a scene.

SHAPESHIFTER: He’s sure got issues with you. You got to go to college. He had to stay home. I mean, I had to stay home. With Dad. You don’t think I had dreams of my own? But Dad needed me. Where the hell were you?

SAM: Where is my brother? (The shapeshifter leans in close to SAM.)

SHAPESHIFTER: I am your brother. See, deep down, I’m just jealous. You got friends. You could have a life. Me? I know I’m a freak. And sooner or later, everybody’s gonna leave me. (He backs away.)

SAM: What are you talkin’ about?

SHAPESHIFTER: You left. Hell, I did everything Dad asked me to, and he ditched me, too. No explanation, nothin’, just poof. Left me with your sorry ass. But, still, this life? It’s not without its perks. (He laughs.) I meet the nicest people. Like little Becky. You know, Dean would bang her if he had the chance. Let’s see what happens. (He smiles and covers SAM with a sheet.)

This exchange is just… so much. So many feelings. And I will forever (unless we magically get a fix-it fic mini season someday…) be SO MAD that none of this got resolved in that pointless, trash heap of a finale.

REBECCA: Okay, so, this thing—it can make itself look like anybody?

SHAPESHIFTER: That’s right. (She chuckles.)

REBECCA: Well, what is it, like a genetic freak? (The shapeshifter laughs.)

SHAPESHIFTER: Maybe. Evolution is about mutation, right? So, maybe this thing was born human but was different. Hideous and hated. Until he learned to become someone else. (REBECCA looks around, uncomfortable. The shapeshifter’s eyes glint silver, and he smiles.)

It always amazes me how much of this show is a pile of accidental queer allegories parading around in an ill-fitting toxic masculinity suit.

Vulcan mind meld! I love nerd!Dean. Also, I’m rewatching Star Trek: TOS with my husband, because that is what my life amounts to these days, rewatching comfort TV and flailing over the bits I love.

This post does a better job than I can do of pairing up screen caps with the dialogue of this next scene. SIX EPISODES IN. They’re dumping all of this character depth SIX EPISODES IN. FUCK THIS SHOW FOR NOT EMBRACING ITSELF.

Okay, I love that he screams back in her face after he threw the phone. It’s not something to laugh at because the situation is horrifying, but I can’t help laughing at it every time.

AND THE WAY THEY CUT THESE SCENES. Going from him winding his hand back to backslap her directly to him dropping the chains on the table to show how hard he must have hit her without actually making the actors hit each other. Good job editing department!

I… don’t understand the shifter’s motivation for killing people. If he can take over people’s identities without killing them, why kill them? Is it just because he’s a homicidal, rapist piece of shit? Cause that’s all it seems like.

How did the SWAT team even know she was being attacked? Why can the snipers aim no better than Storm Troopers?

Ugh, these kind of transformation body horror scenes are exactly why werewolf stories have never really appealed to me much. Like, I could do without watching your ribs move and teeth fall out, dude.

BUT.

THIS FUCKING SCENE.

I looked up the song that’s playing over shapeshifter!Dean being caught by the SWAT team and then going through the grotesque transformation. (And as far as I know, the iTunes version has the original music from the episodes.)

It’s a song called “Mary” by The Death Riders

Who's your mother, who's your mother here boy // Who's your mother, whos your mommy dear // Who's your father, who's your father here boy // Who's your father, who's your daddy dear

Silently screaming // Where everyone knows // Daddy's always watchin' // Where everywhere - everywhere I go

I don't wanna be a freak show pretty boy anymore // I don't wanna be a full time slave // I don't wanna be your midnight cowboy anymore // I just want to be Mary

This is… a fascinating choice. Here are the rest of the lyrics. The song as a whole has a weird incesty kinda vibe to it? Kinda like when SPN tries to straight-wash itself and misses the mark wildly. (Like Dean’s male siren episode.)

The midnight cowboy line reminded me of 12x11 and the bull riding scene with “Broomstick Cowboy” by Bobby Goldsboro playing over it

Dream on, little Broomstick Cowboy, // Dream while you can; // Of big green frogs, // And puppy dogs, // And castles in the sand.

For, all too soon you'll awaken; // Your toys will all be gone. // Your broomstick horse will ride away, // To find another home. // And you'll have grown into a man, // With cowboys of your own. // And then you'll have to go to war, // To try and save your home.

And then you'll have to learn to hate; // You'll have to learn to kill. // It's always been that way, my son; // I guess it always will.

Because, you know, why not add tons of feelings into the lyrics, right?

Props to the people who can embrace their rewatches and reclamations of the show with ease. Because every episode seems to remind me of how hollow and tragic Dean’s ending was and I just… struggle all over again.

Anyway, back to the episode so I can move on with my day.

REPORTER: An anonymous tip led police to a home in the Central West End, where a S.W.A.T team discovered a local woman bound and gagged. Her attacker, a white male, approximately twenty-four to thirty years of age, was discovered hiding in her home. (A sketch of DEAN appears on the screen.)

DEAN: Man! That’s not even a good picture. (SAM looks around cautiously.)

SAM: It’s good enough. (He walks away.)

DEAN: Man! (He follows SAM.)

(CUT TO: Alley. DEAN and SAM are walking. DEAN steps into a puddle.)

DEAN: Ugh, come on.

I love that we get two tiny little back-to-back vanity moments for Dean here. One commenting on the sketch artist rendition of him being broadcasted on the news and the other tripping in the puddle. There is literally someone running around the city trying to kill people while wearing Dean’s face, but Dean is still concerned with how he looks appears to others. He’s still concerned with keeping up his own performance. The shifter left him with just a t-shirt, so he doesn’t even have his usual comfort layers on and at any moment someone could spot him and call the police or try to kill him for assaulting Sam’s friend. His life is wildly out of control in that moment and the only thing he can try to focus on is his appearance (something semi-controllable) and finding the shifter before any of that other shit can happen.

One day I want to put together a like top 10 episodes focusing on / explaining each TFW character from the series. Like the kind of list you could show someone who’s never seen the show, but has OPINIONS about the characters (or who hasn’t seen the whole show and seen the growth they went through… you know, like the people responsible for the travesty of 15x20). This episode would be on that list. I’m not sure how I could manage to make a list of only 10 episodes to understand Dean Winchester by, but eh.

SAM: What are you gonna do to me?

SHAPESHIFTER: Oh, I’m not gonna do anything. Dean will, though.

SAM: They’ll never catch him.

SHAPESHIFTER: Oh, doesn’t matter. Murder in the first of his own brother? He’ll be hunted the rest of his life. (He picks up a sharp knife and examines it.)

Speaking of season 15 in general, this right here. This was Chuck’s villain story arc thesis statement. AND THEY DROPPED THE GODDAMN BALL WITH IT. I think that’s the thing that honestly pisses me off the most these days (about 5 1/2 months from when the finale aired) is that they tried making the whole thing a tragedy but did such an awful job with it that it just ended up like a deflating condom balloon at a dive bar concert. Disappointing and gross. The finale for season 14 set them up SO FUCKING WELL and it just… didn’t get there.

Becky’s parents are gonna be pissed at how torn up their house is after all this shit…

And you’re not shooting him when you first see him strangling Sam because…?????

I like that he took the necklace back. Also, is this kinda Dean death number .5 of the show? Like it wasn’t him but it was also kinda him. Eh.

At least they left the windshield on Baby this time. Reflections are better than tearing her apart.

[weird-dere-fics]

Omegaverse Life at Totsuki Academy Headcanons

I was kinda curious about what it might be like to have to deal with all the stuff that comes from secondary sexes at such a rigorous and hectic place, so I came up with some headcanons just because.

I’ll make another if I can think of something to add. Eventually some more omegaverse headcanons specifically for Souma will be posted.

Formatting may look a bit strange for mobile users. Sorry!

Without further ado, the headcanons below ↓↓↓

As I kinda hinted at in the note before, I would imagine stipulations of the omegaverse make things even harder in an already rigorous cooking academy like Totsuki.

Despite their rather intense approach, I think the leaders at Totsuki would believe in a totally fair environment that welcomes alphas, betas, and omegas alike that possess the correct skills and aspirations.

People’s sense of smell in this AU is even more pronounced and nuanced than before, as you can imagine. Students, teachers, judges and guests alike will need to be able to differentiate between scents coming from people and scents coming from dishes. (imagine how much more potentially powerful Hayama’s nose is HHHHHHHHHHHHHH)

During large meetings of normal circumstances (Let’s say like the welcoming of the middle school students into high school) there is no need to inhibit the scents of students or anything. 

However, when it comes to a shokugeki, the autumn elections, or something similar, it is required that all students and spectators in the audience wear scent blockers of some sort. This is to keep from overwhelming the young chefs and judges involved. Creams are allowed, but neck bands, bracelets, thigh straps or other things you can physically wear are preferred. 

That isn’t to say wearing someone else’s clothing will do. Staff at Totsuki make it a point to make sure students understand that scent blocking doesn’t mean covering your scent with another scent, but to cancel your own scent out. 

Judges and adjudicators at such occasions are not required to (and most of the time just don’t) mask their scents. As you can imagine, that can make things for the contenders a lot more tense and can heighten suspense.

The students competing in these events (unless they are currently in heat or rut) are not allowed to inhibit their scents. It is to test their mettle in being able to overcome their instincts and put their fullest into their cooking. After all, when they all have their own restaurants they’ll need to be able to continue to work at top capacity despite whatever scents might stress them out or vex them in the kitchen, dining area or otherwise. 

These events are also meant to be totally fair and based on skill, originality, personality, etc. This means the judges cannot be partial to certain students because of their reputation (though they can talk all the trash they like about students they don’t have high hopes for). They cannot make verdicts based on the competitors’ secondary sexes. All deliberations must be made based on the qualities of the dish served to them.

Being totally fair on the competing students’ end means that they cannot use their scents to intentionally try and mess with their rivals. Intimidation tactics or attempts at seduction will not be tolerated during these events. 

Orders from alphas are strictly prohibited from any arena, examination, or class assignment due to their ability to put any omega under duress and keep them from completing what they need to. Leveraging that is not tolerated. Students who break this rule (even if by mistake) will be expulsed. Instructors who break this rule will be fired. Judges who break this rule will not be allowed to judge at Totsuki events for 2 to 3 years. 

There is a host of students within the three secondary sexes that attend the academy. For the most part the populations of each are pretty equal. Of the three though, betas are the minority and have the highest rate of expulsions. 

Since they’re at a disadvantage as far as aroma goes when it comes to their dishes, most of them make their way through by heavily focusing on the molecular gastronomy within their techniques.

Of course heats and ruts are going to happen in this AU, and the academy cannot simply ignore them. They cannot allow students to fail on account of their biology. They still have a reputation to uphold after all. Anyone should be able to join and climb the ranks if they have the skill. 

I headcannon that heats and ruts last the length of a typical period for girls irl (like 2 to 8 days). Sometimes long cycles happen, which last like 10 days.

When ruts come around alphas get more aggressive. This usually means they get into LOTS of really fierce shokugeki around that time. When in rut, alphas getting into shokugeki cannot wager their expulsion. Their hormones will cause them to be more extreme, and their minds may not be clear. This could also mean prep won’t be as meticulous as it should be. Totsuki wants for their alphas to be able to succeed by working at their peak potential. 

That’s clouded during a rut, so these shokugeki are under a special classification that denotes that one or more contenders is in this condition. Shokugeki under this classification are more for blowing off steam than anything. 

Aside from that, alpha’s are encouraged to take 2 or 3 days off if their cycle is on the longer side to take care of themselves how they will.

Omegas are more sensitive to the taste of food and its scent when dealing with their heats. It’s been studied, and it typically causes their grades to go up for the days that they can still attend class during one.

Omegas are recommended to always have a bottle of heat suppressants on them (like in their knife cases and stuff) in the event that one might start in the middle of something like a shokugeki or one of the examinations that results in expulsion upon failure.

There is a stipulation that omegas may skip up to three cycles using suppressants before they are required to let one heat pass naturally. They are excused from whatever events may be happening during that time, and may have an assignment (of the same stakes) to make it up at a later time. Then they can skip the next three again if they’d like (if they aren’t expelled).

They are not required to skip the three if they don’t want to though. They are free to go through each cycle. They just end up going through school slower if they aren’t well prepared.

Polar Star has special rooms designed specifically for when an omega’s heat or an alpha’s rut becomes too strong or bothersome. There are special suits other dorm students have to wear when visiting them so the scent of the bothered party doesn’t stick to them when they return to the regular dorms and vice versa. Only members of the same sex are allowed to bring the bothered party food, water, or company for a short time.

[mirkysconcubinefiction]

You Know

Pairing: Steve Rogers/Reader (****), Bucky

Summary: What Steve walked into was a catacomb of missed chances, squandered love, utter betrayal, and regret plastered on the walls. Poster sized prints weren't taped to the walls, oh no, **** glued reprints of him fucking another woman on whatever space she could manage.

Tags: Angst, Cheating, Broken Engagement, Drunk Texting/Video, attempt at Humor

AO3: Mirkys_Concubine

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

You didn't need or want a boyfriend... Or girlfriend for that matter.

One minute you were fine and dandy wiping down a table and the next your tray whizzed through the air and smacked a perv in the head.

And again.

And again.

And again.

If someone gropes your ass the logical reaction would be murder. At least that's what your mama had taught you.

Kill them like the roach they were.

Maybe that's when he saw you more than a random part time human he interacted with? He had swooped in, plucked the tray out of your hand, and broke it in half over the guys head.

Of course you politely said thank you before landing a solid kick into the perv. Not the face. If there weren't cameras you'd have stomped on his head.

Twice.

The way your mama had taught you.

That was then.

Before routine.

When he had to stalk you for a date in his goofy bashful self. When his best friend would get a kick of the 'old Steve' that was a mess around girls. When he had... no... there was no sense in getting nalstagic.

While you didn't want a boyfriend you never expected to get married. Steve's friends had been more excited than you, magazines and samples had taken over the small breakfast nook in the corner of the kitchen. You lit them on fire on the roof in one of the communal pits and lounged with takeout and wine. It's where you sat and made the decision to leave.

You couldn't stay.

God what would your mother say if she had been alive? She'd be disappointed in you.

The ring was rose gold, shaped like an octagon, and while pretty you had been afraid you'd lose it. Tempting as it was to flush it down the toilet you left it in the freezer atop a bag of sweet corn.

You packed your clothes - the ones you had purchased - into one luggage, another luggage was your shoes and intimates, and your carry on bag was large enough for your toiletries and kindle.

The car you purchased - with cash and registered under an alias - had enough space in the trunk for the luggage. The lovely security guard had helped you - bless him - and then you drove off. You refused to look back and you refused to shed another tear.

Well planned and as thought out as one could get considering their ex was an avenger with questionable access to the interwebs. You waited until the Avengers were on a mission.

A friend of a friend helped with your makeup and prosthetics to make you look like an elderly man, and you had enough cash on you to fund a bank. No paper trails, no cell phones beyond a simple Nokia that had no internet access, and once you made it outside state lines and to a safe house you'll disappear.

Again.

No more chances at romance.

All men were the same.

Even all american test tube super hero's weren't immune to cheating and lying.

✖

Home.

It used to be warm, smelled of dessert, savory meals, music played in the background, **** off tune voice singing along, there was a garden scattered throughout the condo, fruit always filled a basket, and more importantly **** was there to make him feel human.

Less lonely.

Alive.

Loved.

Cherished.

That was home. One he worked hard to obtain.

What Steve walked into was a catacomb of missed chances, squandered love, utter betrayal, and regret plastered on the walls. Poster sized prints weren't taped to the walls, oh no, **** glued reprints of him fucking another woman on whatever space she could manage.

The glossy original prints hung from the ceiling right over their bed like a weird still mobile. With that thought Steve remembered the birth control pills and hoped she would never catch on as to how insane he really was over her.

The doorbell rang.

Had it been anyone else, Steve wouldn't have opened the door but instinct fueled his hand and trust didn't make him flinch as a fist hit him in the face and he was down. Dropped on his ass in his own home with an incensed soldier grabbing him by his shirt and tossing him like a rag doll before shutting the door and locking it.

✖

The island held an empty fruit basket and a ring. A frozen mockery of a promise he remembered in great detail from months ago. Bucky had found it as he had been gracious enough to offer a bag of frozen peas only to find a bag of sweet corn and a ring.

Steve wanted to cry.

He wanted to get angry.

He wanted to call Tony for a favor but he could do nothing but sit on a stool his fiancee, future wife, future mother to his children, now 'ex', had picked out.

Only Bucky would probably kill him if he so much as sniffled.

The bag of sweet corn smacked him across the face none too gently and Steve winced. The other stool creaked as the crack and hiss of a Fanta soda being opened. Yet another check against him, **** made a point to stock the fridge with his and Bucky's favorites.

"Hope she was worth it."

"Buck..."

"Blond, green eyes, fake tits, didn't know desperate was your type."

Steve shut both eyes and slouched, "It was a mistake."

Bucky's brows lifted, soda can midway to his lips. "Fucking her for two months is now a mistake?"

"Look... I tried to stop it. Every time we met it just... Happened." It was stupid and in a way so true. He had tried stopping but some how they always end up fucking and every time he promised himself it was the last.

"Bullshit!" The can bent as it was slammed onto the counter. "You don't commit to marriage and then run off to fuck some floozie from legal!"

"I'm sorry!" Steve snapped, "I know I fucked up! It's on all the fucking walls!" Which was true. Even the fridge door had a blown picture of his face between slender legs and the freezer door a blown up shot of his cock being sucked. "I need to find her, apologise, and fix this." Bucky snorted, "I can fix this."

"**** has more respect for herself than you do of her."

"I love her." He did. Steve loved **** more than he'd love Peggy.

"You don't love a woman like **** and then fuck a bitch behind her back."

"It was a mistake." Steve grit out, irritated.

"Two months isn't a mistake. That's a fucking affair. Litteraly. You fucked like rabbits."

Steve stared, a frown tugging at his lips. "How do you know?"

Bucky stood and went for another soda only to stare at the woman splayed out for the world to see, "She is hot. Better looking than ****. It would've hurt more if you'd downgraded."

"**** is perfect!" Steve spat, throwing the bag of mushy corn where it burst as it hit a well.

"Look at her though." Bucky tapped on the breasts, "Nipples are spaced perfectly, more than a handfull, kudos to her surgeon."

"Kudos? When do you say kudos?"

"Must be on a low carb keto diet or those green smoothies, and even her belly button is worth cumming over."

Steve stared. Horrified. What was going on?

"And look at her skill!" A metal knuckle tapped at where the womana nose pressed against Steve's pubes. "Porn quality. The type of girl you want to teach you some shit."

"You know where she is." It wasn't a question. Bucky didn't talk like that. The man was a storm of swears, stares, and threats. Not... this. "Where is she?"

"Wish I knew so I could tell you to fuck off."

"She couldn't have gone far if she met with you, I might have time..."

"I haven't spoken to **** and i don't expect to hear from her again actually." Bucky ignored his friend's glare as he rummaged through the fridge for another soda and snagged a bag of cookies because only **** would hoard cookies in a refrigerator. "She left her phone in my apartment and instructions to watch her video."

"What?"

Bucky pulled out **** phone tucked on the inside of his jacket and tossed it to the other man. He returned to his seat, opened his soda, and munched on his cookies.

The phone wasn't password activated and a quick search proved most of the personal stuff like pictures and apps were deleted except for a single video.

Hey Tiny.

**** personal nickname for Bucky who had lost a bet but secretly was amused by it. The phone shook as **** had nearly dropped it with a swear. She looked as if she had been crying and she was chugging from a bottle of plum wine. Her favorite wine.

Just wanted to say i will miss you and i love you. Like, really, really love you. I'd give you my kidney sorta love.

She giggled and sipped at her bottle, eye's roaming the room. Tears slipped from her eyes and Steve felt his own burn. **** was a mess. She used a sleeve to wipe at her nose and her smile was shaky.

I redecorated, Steve will love it.

The camera flipped and **** showed off the wallpaper of porn. The condo looked trashed and luggage was open on the living room floor half packed and takeout piled on the coffee table.

I figure since he loved to fuck random pussy he'd like this theme. I call it *Whore of Narcissism*

The camera swivels and zooms into a familiar picture of the woman laid out and the hand holding the bottle points at the woman.

Not her. She not a whore Tiny. Ok!

The camera swivels to another portrait of Steve's face.

He's a cunt faced whore.

The camera switches and **** is giggling again.

Shhh. Look what I did. Put it it on the fridge door, that's where I keep the fish sticks.

Bucky snorts and Steve barely refrains from giving the man the finger.

See. Cunt whore faced.

**** giggles

Don't tell him but he can't eat pussy. He can't, he misses the clit. Like how do you miss this?

The phone tilts and Steve swears as she's wearing practically nothing. It wasn't her sexy underwear but the shear laced thong left little to be hidden.

It's right there, see it pokes out a bit too.

**** bumps her pussy with the bottom of edge of the wine bottle.

How can he miss it?

"It gets better." Bucky happily munches on a cookie.

"Fuck you."

Look. Just look.

There's a thunk as the bottle was set down and **** shoves aside her underwear and it was a crooked close up of her manicured pussy.

How is this not buffet worthy? My pussy tastes like sin yet he treats it like a McD's drive through. My pussy is not a Big Mac! It's MSG!

The phone jerks up back to her face and she's angry.

Chinese buffet MSG quality. My pussy is it's own zodiac sign ok!

Bucky's shoulders are shaking and Steve is mortified.

Maybe he likes her sauce though?

The camera points to his head between the girls legs.

He never spends forever with me but with her... I got so many pictures of her and he is just there. I have a buffet he can eat from and he chooses this...

Her hand smacks on a breast.

She's hot Bucky. Look at her. She's fucking perfect and her tits are fucking perfect. You see them? Nipples spaced perfectly, bigger than his hands, kuddos to whoever worked on her, she's a fucking art piece, I wanna know her surgeon, I want tits like hers.

The camera shifts and **** holds the camera up at an angle downward as she unhooks her bra with one hand and slips one arm out while it dangles from the other and she's touching herself.

See one's smaller.

"Did you..." Steve couldn't get it out as he watched his fiance complain about her breasts on camera to his best friend. Brother.

"Fuck her?" Bucky crushes his empty soda can, "I'm not you. If I had that in my bed I wouldn't get complaints about my mouth."

... at least she's hot you know. If he's going to fuck another bitch at least she's beautiful. I'd die if he downgraded you know. He fucked her in the office you know. Her office. She's beautiful and educated and I'm a mess.

The wine bottle was back in her hands and she took a long swallow uncaring that she was half naked.

I'm sorry Tiny. Bucky. I'm... This... I should delete this one but my battery is gonna die so fuck it. I'm leaving. When you see Steve punch him. I can't be there when he gets back. I'll kill him.

She sipped her wine and her brows furrow.

She has to be on some low carb keto diet... I don't think I can drink those green smoothies but I would have. I could look like a porn star! I can look plastic too!

Her eyes go wide before she blinks and frowns.

I can get wigs and wear those waist thingy's and change names... We could have role played. I would have called him daddy or - or - dirty stuff. I could have been his whore you know. I'm not a basic bitch Tiny. If she were my friend she'd teach me to not choke!

**** shakes her head and takes another swig.

I want to hate her but she... Bucky she was crying. He lied to her, for two months he lied to her, and she brought me ice cream Bucky. I couldn't hit her. She got me chocolate.

Her eyes narrowed and the sadness was swept away.

I want to hurt him. Rip his heart out through his ass and shove it down his throat! I planned it too, killing him. Got explosives... was gonna put a trigger thing on it and boom. Take out the whole floor.

**** makes a boom noise before flopping on the couch atop folded clothes, her wine bottle gone from her hands.

Neighbors got a kid downstairs and... Kids... No kids.

She rubs her face, tears leaving tracks and her breadth hitches and she's doing her best to not break down.

I was right. I told you there's no such thing as happily ever after. I told you they're all the same. I'm...

Her breath hitches and she's staring into the lens. Broken.

I'm not perfect Bucky, I'm not her but I loved him. I believed him. You said... Said he was good and I be-believed you cuz I trusted you and I want... Wanted... I deserve to be loved. I am good enough... I'm good... Right? Bucky... Why... Why am I not good enough? what did I do wrong? I... I... I'm sorry.

The phone tumbles and the screen goes dark but Steve can't hold back his own tears as he hears her sob before it cuts off completely.

What had he done?

How did he fix this?

Can he fix this?

End...

Part 2 of 1/2

[plumrabbit]

Character study: Pre-Inquisition - Eli Lavellan

Tagged by @charlatron​ thank you! These are always so fun :)

(Sorry this image is crap, I just think this pose suits her very well 😆)

Layer 01: The Outside 

Eye Colour: Orange/yellow

Hair Style / Colour: Long, somewhat unruly, braided and in a ponytail/white.

Height: 170cm 

Clothing Style: Simple, practical, and comfortable, but aesthetically pleasing. She wears sleeveless, form-fitting tunics so that her mobility isn’t impeded. She layers loose-fitting cloaks on top in colder weather.

Best Physical Feature: Powerful thighs 😆

Layer 02: The Inside

Fears: Failing those who depend on her.

Guilty Pleasure: Eating way too many berries.

Biggest Pet Peeve: Willful ignorance.

Ambitions For The Future: Traveling throughout Thedas, and beyond.

Layer 03: Thoughts

First Thoughts Waking Up: If there are any noticeable scents about, and what they could possibly be.

What They Think About Most: The motivation behind people’s behaviours.

What They Think About Before Bed: Nothing specific, she just lets her mind drift until she falls asleep.

What They Think Their Best Quality Is: Independence.

Layer 04: Either Or…

Single Or Group Dates: Group dates, a.k.a. just hanging out with friends.

To Be Loved Or Respected: Loved.

Beauty Or Brains: Brains. She finds someone beautiful if they are interesting. 

Dogs Or Cats: Dogs.

Layer 05: Do They…

Lie: Only by omission.

Believe In Themselves: It’s not so much a question of whether she has confidence in her abilities as it is that she believes she can persevere through anything, even if she has to fumble her way through.

Believe In Love: Yes, but she knows it’s not always exactly as one would want. 

Want Someone: Only if they want her in return, and only if they are genuine and serious. 

Layer 06: Have They…

Been On Stage: Yes. She doesn’t mind entertaining and doesn’t have too much anxiety around speaking in front of crowds, so long as they leave her alone afterwards.

Done Drugs: Define “drugs”, you can find all sorts of plants in the Thedian wilderness...

Changed Who They Were To Fit In: More like she changed who she was so that she wouldn’t stick out. 

Layer 07: What’s Their…

Favourite Colours: Shades of dusty blues and sage greens. 

Favourite Animal: Snowy owl, and birds of prey in general.

Favourite Book: Her grandfather’s journal detailing the pharmaceutical use of regional plants.

Favourite Game: Tag, Hide-and-go-Seek, anything to do with running/agility/stealth.

Layer 08: Age

Day Their Next Birthday Will Be: 22nd Wintermarch (born under the sign of Tenebrium - The Shadow).

How Old Will They Be: 28

Layer 09: I…

I Love: “The mysteries of the world.”

I Feel: “What others feel.”

I Hide: “In my mind.”

I Miss: “Innocence.”

I Wish: “I had all the answers.”

Tagging: @sopml​ @celiacelie​ @dalish-gloves​ @charlatron​ @paisleybees​ @scharoux​ @mayahabee​ @an-egg-broke-my-heart​ @its-dragonage-trash​ @noire-pandora​

[gloynporslen]

4, 17, 25, 49, 72 for the twc asks! 💞

First of all, thank you so much for asking 😭 💕💕

Second of all, I'm so sorry none of the following answers are under a cut - I don't know how to do that on mobile 😅

4.

My first detective changes depending on the actual question...

My first detective was Lori, my sunshine N-mancer child with hidden trauma and rage. My first playthrough however was a shameless self insert because I was just enjoying the story 😅

(They still exist; their name is Harper, they're unofficially a detective, and they're officially on the LT route because I'm a trash chaos baby)

17.

(I don't have Pinterests for them 🤔 I should really fix that someday) But because I have 4 detectives and no easy links to share I'll just use Sera's choices 😊

Aria: Waistcoat and jeans

Lori: Bright cardigan and summer dress

Adrien: Professional suit and tie

Layton: Casual T-shirt and jeans

25.

Yes. Aria chose Adam over Sanja, and Adrien chose Sanja over Felix. And they both still hurt 😭

(But that comfort and that spooning for romantic development tho👌🏻... I'm sorry Sanja and Felix.)

49.

Fanmix as in like playlists? I don't have a favourite because I actually have 8 of my own I enjoy! One for each pairing and detective 😊

Plus I also really enjoyed darksprawn's playlists too! 💕

Fun and terrifying fact to admit: I'm actually the anon in this ask because I'm a hoe for fan creators' playlists.

72.

Oh boy, have I?!

I'm not "dating sim queen" for nothing. VNs, KNs, and IF of all kinds are my wheelhouse.

Sticking to choicescript, in terms of WIPs (aside from twc) I'm currently obsessed with Smoke and Velvet, Mindblind and Bastard of Camelot.

But in general I love a good IF. I keep up to date on the COG website (hosted ones too) and aside from the ones that truly don't interest me (cause of topic or quality) I own them all 😊

[anothergoneflan]

DABi my personal favorite villain He dabs and I lov e him

[deniigi]

Hey idk how many asks ur getting but I hope ur not being bombarded or anything. If u could, would u write a scene where jack loses little!matt cuz oops Matt just ran off during errands. He runs into various NYC heroes/vigilantes and in the end Matt has them all trailing him as they try to find jack together. Meanwhile jack panics and anxiety.

This got long and definitely wasn’t quite what you were thinking of, but I think it’s still pretty okay.

I’m putting the 2nd half under the cut since it’s so long (sorry mobile folks)

—

There was a huge fanfare in the streets; some guy with money was apparently strolling through the Kitchen and folks had come out to stare back at him when he started eyeing up their buildings, as was their way. Santiago’s was helping this by leaving a couple of folding tables outside the restaurant doors with ‘Make Peace Not Weapons’ fliers on it next to a couple of flats of eggs.

What was to be done with said eggs was not stated. People around here just knew.

None of that had ever been Jack’s bag, honestly. He was busy. Politics had always been background noise to his daily scrounging and scraping and really, this crowd was going to be the death of him.

He caught Rudy and the others crowded around the doorway of the gym and scream-asked over the noise of the crowd gathering around the edges of the streets if they’d seen Matt.

No, they hadn’t. He wasn’t out playing with Rudy’s kids; they were at their grandmother’s.

Rudy told him to try the church’s playground. A lot of the local kids had climbed up on the fence over there to watch the protest.

Aigh.

Matty knew better than to go that far without asking, but Jack went anyways.

Normally, he’d be panicking, but these were the streets that Matt grew up in; that he himself had grown up in. Th folks lining the pavement here knew him and his kid. They’d keep an eye out and make sure Matt didn’t get kidnapped or anything like that.

He got to the church and saw that Grace was standing outside, shaking her head at all the kids lining the top of the fence. He made wide gestures to catch her attention. She met him at the front of the church with a frown.

“No, he’s not here,” she said. “I saw him go past, though, with the McKenzies’ girl. They’re alright. They went and found a football, the two of them.”

Ahhhhh.

That was 100% Mrs. Green’s doing. She’d had a yard sale for her kids’ shit the other day. Jack had seen a couple of basketballs and footballs in among the stuff. She must not have gotten rid of all of it.

Grace waved him in the direction of the green lot the next street up. It was where most of the neighborhood children spent their time—in the daytime, playing and in the nighttime, for the older ones, experimenting.

Jack struggled through the crowd that way but got caught up in a mass of jeering and jostling when Mr. Moneybags, Whoever finally got out of his car.

Are you serious, y’all?

He called over folks to move, that he was after his fuckin’ kid, and they tried as best as they could to let him back.

Finally, blessedly, he stumbled back out on to the pavement and blew out a breath. Then headed off towards the park.

Sure enough, Matt was there, holding a football that was way too big for him with Perry, the MacKenzies’ girl. They’d evidently been playing the first-grade equivalent of tackle football, if Jack was reading the color in their faces and the dried grass all over them right.

He started that way and was so preoccupied with planning out the conversation he and Matt were about to have that he didn’t hear the folks shouting behind him. Matt saw him and perked up. He handed off the football and met Jack at the water fountain in the middle of their paths. He knew he was in trouble.

Jack put his hands on his hips to emphasize it and was validated at the guilty dropped eyes he got in return.

“Uh-huh,” he said. “That’s what I thought. Come on, then. You know what comes next.”

Matt scowled and dropped his face, mumbling out excuses.

“Sorry, I can’t hear you,” Jack said.

Matt pouted.

“Hey, you’re in the way,” a new voice said. Jack stood up straight and glared over his shoulder.

“You got the whole pavement, asshole. Go around,” he snapped.

And the next thing he knew, there was a man in a suit manhandling him off the concrete onto the grass.

“You need to move,” the guy growled.

Oh hell no. Not in this neighborhood, pal.

Jack shoved him back; the guy wasn’t prepared for that, it would seem. He fell back right on his ass and stared up, stunned.

“Who do you think you are?” the man babbled, struggling up. He had some kind of thing in his ear, like a secret service man.

Jack huffed at him and went back to collect Matt. They evidently couldn’t have this discussion here.

“HEY. I’m talking to you.”

The second the hand hit his shoulder, time fast-forwarded and Jack came back to himself with the dude with a bloody hand slapped over his face and a fucking roaring crowd of neighbors all around him.

Oh, shit.

“Shit,” he said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” the asshole snarled, ripping his hand away from his mouth to reveal a split lip. “You come out here to assault one of Tony Stark’s bodyguards, huh? You one of these fuckin’ low lives who think they own this city? Hit me again, pal. We’ll see who’s the real winner in the court of law, huh?”

Woah.

Hey, now. Jack had just been trying to apologize.

“FUCK ‘IM UP, JACKIE,” Someone shrieked from the middle of the crowd in the street.

“Jackie? Your name’s Jackie? Jackie what? Full name and address, asshole, give it to me,” the suit demanded.

This.

Was not excellent.

“Listen man,” Jack said as calmly as the roiling, bubbling heat in his chest would allow. “I’m just trying to pick up my kid, alright? So why don’t you fuck off and we both pretend like none of this ever happened?”

The suit scoffed.

“Sure,” he jeered, “Yeah, you pick up your little bitch and clear out. Why don’t we do just that?”

Um.

Oof.

Mm.

“Daddy?”

MMF.

Jack could not break this man in half in front of his son.

He could not make this man beg for mercy in front of his son.

No. That wasn’t true. He could. But he wouldn’t. He had an example to set.

“Yo, what’s going on here? Will, is everything alright?”

The suit suddenly broke eye contact with Jack and turned to a short dude dressed in an obnoxious hoodie and flip flops.

“Everything is just fine, Mr. Stark,” he said, all prim and proper. “This guy’s just impeding the walkway.”

Mr. Stark—fuck, that explained a lot—had to be around Jack’s age. He had dark eyelashes and was probably pretty in other parts of the city. But here? Nah, a pretty man was a working man and this guy, for all his unshaven jaw and tousled hair, was not it.

“Alright, so move, man,” Stark said towards Jack. “It’s public property. You don’t own it.”

“You don’t either,” Jack pointed out to another uproar in the crowd.

Stark chewed on his tongue and chuckled.

He held his hands up.

“That’s fair,” he said. “Leave it, Will. He’s not bothering anyone.”

Will the Suit blustered all over.

“He’s assaulted me, sir,” he said, pointing at his lip. “Not to mention, he’s obviously out here to rile up the crowd.”

“I’m just out here to pick up my son,” Jack snapped.

“So pick him up and get out of the fuckin’ way already,” Will growled.

Ho, ho, motherfucker.

Jack did not move. He held the guy’s eye.

“Daddy.” Matt’s little hands found their way to his wrist.

He was scared. And the thought sent another ripple of heat through Jack’s body.

This was their neighborhood. This was Matt’s home. Jack’s home. And he wouldn’t be treated like shit in it. He wouldn’t teach Matt to bow his head to people with more money.

“You heard your kid,” Will the suit said, “Good to know the next generation here’s got some kinda brains in their heads. Lay off.”

“You ain’t better than us,” Jack spat. He stood up tall and breathed slow. “None of you. This is our city, not yours. So get the fuck out. We don’t need your fuckin’ money, Stark.” He twisted his head to make direct eye contact with this man and his tousled hair and eyelashes.

This wasn’t about some shithead in a suit anymore.

Stark tipped his own face slowly to the side.

“You got guts,” he said. “But honestly, man, you all actually could use my money. You got holes in your shirt, friend. You think—”

“We’d rather have a park than a store we can’t afford to buy from,” Jack said.

“So shop somewhere else,” Stark replied with wide hands. “But this isn’t about a store, you know. This is about an office; a whole five floors of new jobs—”

“Yeah, as janitors,” A gal with a sign on her shoulder said, squirming out of the crowd. “As service people to the rich lapdogs you drag in here to do your business for you.”

“You’d have new patrons for your fine establishments,” Stark said calmly to her.

“Oh sure, I bet they’d flock here, yeah,” the gal drawled. “Them and their pretty white families, with all their pretty, GAP clothes. And you know what they’d do, Stark? They’d start complaining about the quality of our ‘fine establishments.’ They’d start demanding shit we can’t afford, to the point where we’d have to find ways to afford ‘em, just so that we could make an honest living—and by then, our own moms and neighbors wouldn’t be able afford to pay for our so-called fine services.”

“So they would go somewhere else, and you would still be making a profit,” Stark reasoned.

“I should be able to do laundry at the laundromat closest to my house,” the gal pointed out to a chorus of support. “It’s not about money. It’s about community.”

Stark huffed.

“And what a community it is,” he said sarcastically. “You got this guy out here, punching people on the streets ‘cause he can’t keep his kid under control, you got used needles on every corner, trash piling up in the gutters—you call that ‘community?’”

“I call it poverty,” the woman said.

“Business and investment will help alleviate—”

“Mr. Stark,” the woman interrupted, “For all them brains in your head, you sure aren’t good at thinking. Or listening. So why don’t you just take a moment for the next minute and practice. Just listen. Look at me—really look, sir.”

Stark did, but he made it real clear that he was doing it out of the kindness of his heart.

“If you really cared about poverty,” the gal said slowly, “You and all your war money and all your millionaire and billionaire friends would fund community programs. Hell’s Kitchen doesn’t need new businesses, Mr. Stark. We have plenty of our own. What we need are services. Better services. More services. We need people who want to help us as people. Not clients. Not customers. As a community of human beings. And until you really, truly understand what that means, you and your friends aren’t welcome here in Hell’s Kitchen. So, sir, what do you say?”

The crowd fell silent. Jack lifted his chin and stared down at Stark around it just in case he or his security detail got any ideas.

Stark glanced up at him, then back at the woman and then, for the briefest second, at Matt barely peeking out from behind Jack’s hip.

He cleared his throat.

“Well, I see that we’re not welcome here,” he said. “Perhaps we can table this discussion for now due to community concerns, which I’m sure we can overcome in the future. What do you say, Miss?”

“Mrs,” the woman corrected. “I say you’re welcome to try as many times as you want.”

Stark looked her over and scoffed.

“Oh, I will,” he said, “I got this little thing called ‘spite’ in me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the woman said peacefully.

Stark didn’t know what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything. He puffed himself up and told his guards that he was ready to go. This visit was not worth extending.

The crowd parted to let him and his suits through and was more or less quiet as they all watched him get in his fancy car and drive away.

Jack felt the tension in his shoulders settled down. He stroked a hand over Matt’s hair.

“Thanks for the rescue, Bess,” he said.

Bess beamed up at him.

“Anytime, Jackie,” she said. “Anytime.”

—

AHEM.

Bess Mahoney was Hell’s Kitchen’s main superhero before DD. Thank you and good night.

[thouroghly-inconsequential]

The missing light side: a theory

So I used to think Virgil was Roman’s dark counterpart, but he’s not, Remus is as confirmed by the new video. I am personally of the opinion that Deciet is Patton’s counterpart because of a variety of evidence most notable being the selfishness vs selflessness. So could we theorise that Virgil is in fact Logan’s dark counterpart?

Well it would make sense, would it not? Anxiety often goes against whatever logic has to say. But simultaneously share their ‘left brain’ qualities further connecting them. It’s an interesting theory and the first one my mind jumped to.

However, under further consideration I do not think this is the case. Logan and Virgil have a much better relationship than any of the others with their counterparts, further more anxiety and intrusive thoughts often go hand in hand (at least in my experience) so logically the light counterparts would also probably go hand in hand. Although they’ve had their moments and are getting closer, they do not naturally go together in the same way.

I cannot present you with what Logan’s counterpart will be (though his colour will undoubtedly be orange) as it could swing one of two ways. Ignorance or manipulation although that is a convincing argument for why deciet is Logan’s counterpart but this is not the point of my theory. No. I raise you, who is Virgil’s counterpart?

The answer: Curiousity. A new light side. Now this would work. Think about it. Remus and Virgil presumably worked closely together at one point. As do creativity and curiosity. And anxiety vs curiosity is a balance we must all come to terms with.

Now, why haven’t we met curiosity before? Well the same reason we hadn’t met Deciet or Remus until recently. It all depends on who’s in control. Thomas is a moral, logical, creative person at least that’s what he wants to be but he’s also anxious. He is not decietful, destructive (Remus is creativity in the same way building a tnt palace in minecraft and blowing it up when it’s full of villagers is creative) or ignorant*. But he’s also not exactly curious. Virgil is in control of that section of his mind.

Think of it like you have four game controllers but eight players. For the longest time it’s been the og 3 playing with a spare controller. When life was simpler and Thomas was younger, none of the dark sides even knew what they were playing. And curiosity did play! For a bit, when he was a child. When Thomas became a teenager, Virgil began to play. It “was about the time [he] upgraded from small nuisance to giant thorn in [their] side”. He took curiosity’s controller. And it stayed that way. Until they came across a level that they thought they couldn’t beat. The time Thomas missed Joan’s show. Deciet took Patton’s controller. He played the level. He lost, but in doing so he found that he liked playing the game. And he told others. He told them why Virgil wasn’t hanging out with them anymore. Because of the game, that is Thomas’s life. And now the others want to play. It’s their turn.

But what about curiosity? Well, it’s possible that Virgil won’t give curiosity a go, it’s possible that Curiosity doesn’t want to play, it’s possible that Curiosity has been physically hurt by the dark sides and is now bed bound.

*yes I said ignorant despite being uncertain of the last dark side, but it would make sense for any of the theories. There’ll be a more in-depth analysis later because I’m trash.

Tl;dr - Virgil’s light side counterpart is curiosity and we haven’t met him yet because he is too weak.

Sorry for any spelling mistakes, I’m on mobile!

[sharpened-fantastic]

what are the reasons to vote for Biden? because you're out here talking about how we shouldn't vote green/abstain from the presidential, but can you please tell me what exactly would be different about a Biden presidency vs a Trump one? besides that a second Trump turn would keep liberals engaged and give us more chances to radicalize them. Joe Biden is just as bad as Trump on nearly every level and if he miraculously wins the gen, the DNC will be left unchecked. I'm curious on who that helps!

Hey! A genuine thank you for sending a full, non-anonymous ask. 

However, the biggest thing to remember is that having a democrat in the office will lead to policy changes and will change how our country is shaped for literal decades to come. 

Yes--Biden is a shit head, he would probably continue a lot of the racist and outright idiotic policies that Trump either put in place or continued from previous presidencies. I wish it weren’t true but that’s a simple fact. I agree that this sucks dick and makes me not want to vote at all.

One BIG thing is having a leader, regardless of political views, that has literally any political experience other than “accidentally got elected for four years as president”. Even compared to other presidents, even other republicans, his approach is overly militaristic, explicitly fueled by monetary gain, and he refuses to bend to even feign concern or duty towards American citizens. His open xenophobia (that has literally been UNPRECIDENTED, even to other politicians sharing his beliefs) has allowed greater mobility and reach for hate groups, and has let other politicians feel more comfortable in presenting non-coded, upfront, racist policy. It’d be one thing if it just showed the American public “oh wow, all of these places were racist the whole time”, but elevating literal concentration camps (yes, those did exist during the Obama era) to “let’s use abandoned warehouses to strip kids from their families, live in conditions we legally don’t let a lot of animals live in, and give them marked psychological scarring!”, among other things (I’m gonna put references at the end of this I’d hate to be talking purely out of my ass).

Trump is also horrifically undiplomatic--severing or straining our ties to other developed nations--, overemotional and unprofessional constantly on social media, and speaks positively on radically bigoted and backwards groups.

I think you’re giving Trump a lot of credit by saying he and Biden are equally bad. Both racist? yes. Both made bad policy decisions? oh yeah. However, Biden is still left enough that the democratic party accept him, the republican party has been squabbling since 2016 that Trump is too right-wing for republicans. Let’s have a president that even pretends to condemn Charlottesville or the dozens of other explicit hate crimes across the country. Let’s have a president that has better tax policies, or maybe even pays their taxes at all! Sure, they’re both bad! It’s a shit situation we’re in! But would you rather be trapped in a room with a child throwing trash, or a child setting the room on fire? 

Oh and one other big thing, I don’t want Trump choosing the supreme court for an entire generation, thanks.

Who knows, that’s up to you I guess, and if you don’t wanna vote I can’t stop you, I mean, it’s punishment enough that you’re gonna have to live with your decision. 

Here’s the biggest thing to remember: voting isn’t fair. It’s a broken system that supports those who abuse it, and those who abuse it are shitty people that don’t deserve that power. HOWEVER, refusing to vote only allows those who support people who abuse power to become more brazen in their racism, disregard for the American public, and signals to republicans “we give up! we swear we’re gonna have a revolution one of these days, but until then, you choose who’s in office!”

Biden is the wrong choice for presidency, but he’s our only choice. I don’t support Biden, I support voting, and I refuse to support letting Trump have another minute in office just to “radicalize leftists”. Not to be rude, but I think anyone who’s gonna get radicalized in this direction has been radicalized, but there are plenty of centrists that were taught “racism is bad” in grade school, but are getting a ton of support from the “racism can benefit you” crowd.

Ok, I’ve held off from the caps lock and stupid italics and bold for long enough, but “a second Trump turn would keep liberals engaged and give us more chances to radicalize them.”?! 

Are you fucking kidding me???

I don’t think anyone should have to think on having their political ideologies shifted while hundreds of Americans die due to lack of access to basic necessities, having their families torn apart, and while the future of the country burns in the background. Trust me, regular republicans do enough heinous shit to radicalize me and the majority of my group, you just normally need to dig ever-so-slightly deeper than surface level to see it, and providing that information to people is something I’m willing to do to get Trump out of office.

I really hope that I’m misreading what you said there, because holy hot fuck is that the most disgusting thing I’ve heard all fuckin month.

But here’s the biggest thing! VOTING IS SO EASY TO DO. PLEASE JUST DO IT. DON’T ACTIVELY ALLOW TRUMP TO WIN. I KNOW IT’S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT IN SOME STATES COMPARED TO OTHERS, BUT IF YOU DO HAVE THAT PRIVILEGE I WILL BURN YOU TO THE GROUND IF YOU THROW IT AWAY. 

Sorry, this was way longer and more of a rant than I intended. TL;DR--

Both are bad, but saying that Biden is “just as bad” as Trump is flat-out irresponsibly ignorant

One has political experience. That’s it that’s the bullet point.

As far as bad presidents go, Trump has been fuckin record breaking

Trump goes on overemotional, uneducated rants on social media, refuses to speak against extremely open, literal hate speech groups, and is straining America’s relationships with all other developed nations

There are some differences in their policies, again, both are bad, but this is not the time for black and white thinking please 

A radical president radicalizes people in both directions

I can’t even properly express my distaste for the comment “a second Trump turn would keep liberals engaged and give us more chances to radicalize them” I am literally praying that I’m misinterpreting what you’re saying right now, holy fuck

IF YOU CAN VOTE AND YOU CHOOSE NOT TO, I’M MORE ENRAGED AT YOU THAN PEOPLE WHO STILL THINK THIRD-PARTIES CAN STILL WIN, BECAUSE AT LEAST THEY GIVE ENOUGH OF A SHIT TO ENGAGE WITH DEMOCRACY. 

Ok references (sorry they’re all in the wrong order and of varying quality): x x x x x x x x x x x

[near-seth-experience]

This is a long, personal, 3 in the morning kind of ramble. Writing as if I'm explaining things to others tends to help me get my feelings out. Don't feel obligated to read this, but you're welcome to. I'm mostly just thinking out loud here. I'm on mobile, so sorry if this gets long. I don't know if Keep Reading cuts are possible on the app, and if they are I havent learned how to insert them. I'll probably delete this later so whatevs.

I think this topic could apply to a lot of selfless people out there, so I think putting some things into words might be helpful to others.

Anyways, I've thought about this before, and I'm not sure if I've ever talked about it, but I'm pretty sure I've pinpointed a pretty massive reason why I feel lonely and incredibly dissatisfied all the time:

I've always felt that I was considerate to a fault. I'd never put my needs ahead of the needs of others. To this day, I still have lots of difficulty when it comes to looking after numero uno. I learned early on that I needed to keep others appeased in order to feel safe. My siblings frequently butted heads growing up, and one of them often had these big fights with my dad. Lots of tears, yelling, a rare hole in the wall, that kinda thing. It fell on me to keep tempers from flaring. Ultimately, I became the kid my dad always called when he needed help with yardwork. I became the kid who would hand my mom a soda after a heated phone call with a high-maintenance sibling, and I'd sit and let her vent to me. I became the kid who would unload the dishwasher or take out the trash without being asked to do so. Whenever things got heated, I would shift into the role of family de-escalator. Point is, I've always lived for others, and no, this isnt one of those posts talking about living for yourself, yadda yadda yadda. I'm thinking in a different direction, but it'll wrap back around.

Recently I've been trying to think of this in a positive light. As shitty as things might have been, I've grown up to be incredibly considerate. It's one of my better qualities, the beginning and end of my list of good things I can confidently say about myself as a person. It was always out of necessity or fear. It was always pretty damn unappreciated. It always kind of felt like I was everyone's bitch. But it was good of me all the same.

Now that I'm my own person, I've realized two things. Firstly, I love helping out. I love knowing that someone is better off for having me by their side. It's kind of why I loved proofreading in my college English courses. I loved being thanked and feeling valued and wanted for my efforts. I loved the gratification of knowing that someone's story or essay received better marks thanks in very small part to my help. I love knowing I made a mark in someone's life for the better in some way. My personal golden rule is essentially to ask yourself at every turn if there's some little thing you can do to ease another person's burden. If the answer is yes, and the means are within reason and your comfort zone, do it.

The second thing I realized was something that is said a lot: relationships flow both ways. Nobody in my life— not my 2 or 3 superficial friends, not my family, literally nobody— has deserved the amount of effort I have spent for their sakes. I'm burnt out. I'm dissatisfied with my life because everything I do for the sake of another person feels like a chore. I am constantly taken for granted, and the only reason I still bother is because it's even tougher to go against my nature and do nothing. It's not like I'm asking for recognition, but just once I'd like to hear sincerity when someone thanks me. Even better, I'd like someone to legitimately care enough to look into my eyes for a change, see how not-okay I am, and ask themselves if theres anything they could do.

I can only think of one time that has ever happened, and the circumstances are still a trigger of mine so I'm gonna keep the story brief.

(TW Death & Animal Death. Skip this next paragraph if you need to)

My senior year of high school, a freshman was found dead in the school swimming pool. No foul play suspected, people just didn't see him go under during or between gym class. Real tragic. So the school goes on lockdown while they look into things, and then they cancel the rest of the day. I go home, and I find my dog dead. She was old and losing vision, and she fell into our backyard swimming pool. It was partially drained for the winter, so she didnt drown, we think falling down four or five feet onto the concrete of the shallow end while blind may have just been a massive shock. Heart attack, or she hit her head or something. Who knows. Anyways, my mind connected the two events. Two pool-related deaths on the same day. For the first class on the following day, my teacher arranged the desks in a big circle and it was honestly a really good hour-long discussion about loss and grief, but it hit me so hard that people thought I knew the freshman student. The teacher, and a friend of mine both came up to me after class, I told them what happened, got a hug from the friend, and sent home for the day by the teacher.

(/End TW)

That was the only time in memory where someone has ever looked at me and knew I wasn't alright, and I imagine it must have been very obviously written on my face. Now, back to the point. The amount of times I've seen the troubled faces and heard the troubled voices of those I care about and did any little thing to help is severely disproportionate to the amount of reciprocation. It's like I actively look to see if people need me, but they never even care enough to consider looking if I need them.

So, here are my takeaways:

I'm dissatisfied with life because I'm tired of bending over backwards for people who don't even deserve to have me, and that's basically all I'm doing with my life.

I'm lonely because that covers literally everyone I know personally.

So fuck 'em.

I feel like I have some kind of void inside me, and don't think I'll ever have true fulfillment in this regard unless life throws me a cheesy series of events that results in me finding my soulmate or at least something mutual. (Lmao, yeah right. Press X to doubt).

People often say "live for yourself" or "you dont need others to be whole" in regards to this kind of thing. While that's generally sound advice, people do have different natures. Living for others is how I live. There's no way around that, it's who I am, so my interpretation of "living for myself" is choosing for myself who to live for.