#this is a pro shark space

[ashensgrotto]

A Merfolk's Melody (Part 4)

Characters: Yan!Floyd x Reader, Yan!Jade x Reader, Yan!Azul x Reader

Word Count: 13.5 k

Intro      Floyd Leech     Jade Leech     Azul Ashengrotto (You Are Here) Epilogue

Synopsis: The sea always calls to those who feel lost and alone, wanting to fill the empty part of their soul until they are loved and full… and as such, it’s only fair that the strange creatures that live beneath its depths would want the same as well…

Author’s Note: Another 4-part fanfiction courtesy of @merakiui ‘s headcanon of the reader being stuck in a room/wall (I’m sorry, but I just enjoy your headcanons and they always give me these ideas) -> https://www.tumblr.com/merakiui/722393818829373440/in-addition-to-being-stuck-in-a-locked-room?source=share & https://www.tumblr.com/merakiui/722677892623056896/about-the-stuck-in-a-wall-trope-in-the-oceani?source=share

Here’s how it’s going to work: each character is going to get their own part following the intro. It is going to focus on the Octrio again (bc it’s my current liking, sorry guys). If you want to read a certain character’s part, feel free to jump around and select the one you’re most interested in. 

Again, as stated before, this is a work of fiction; I disagree with any and all behaviors that are represented in this story.

****

Memories of childhood that often replay in one’s mind had pros and cons; the pros being that of a fond memory, a happy memory filled with joy, wonder, and excitement… the cons being that of a horrible memory, a dark memory filled with anger, hate, and disgust.

One of these memories was often one from when you were approximately six or seven; you had been at the tide pools on the far side of the beaches and away from the cabin by the sea. Your friends had left for the day, promising to come and play with you tomorrow morning - allowing yourself a bit of breathing space as you watched the little creatures that lived in the tide pools. Small crabs scuttled from one small pool to the other while starfish rested along with the barnacles and sea urchins against the multicolored stones and shells that lined within the pools. You would reach out and stroke the creatures - mainly out of curiosity, but also because you didn’t want them to think you were going to hurt them. 

As wonderful as it was - as adorable as it was - a shadow always surrounded it.

Five children - maybe two or three years older than you - would often come to the shoreline, not to play, but to torment the little creatures that lived in the tide pools - the same ones you often played at. They would laugh and tease you, calling you a bilge rat or a strumpet, sometimes throwing small pebbles at you or kicking sand into your eyes. Then, they would snatch the little crabs and starfish out of their pools, dangling the poor creatures around as they slowly dried out - other times flinging the defensive animals out into the open waters, teasing that they were feeding their ‘beloved shark’ that lived in the open waters. You would cry and beg for them to leave them alone - wishing harder and harder each day for them to leave you and the little creatures in the tide pools alone. 

And as the memory fades into the background, you could’ve sworn you saw your tormentor’s faces shift from glee to fright in a matter of seconds… and tentacles black as ebony appeared in the corner of your vision.

The memory, regardless if it was real or an illusion conjured by a dream, often played in the background of your mind following your boyfriend’s betrayal - the unwanted trigger that made it replay over and over again like a bad film you had seen countless times; and it was because of that unwanted trigger that your body floated down into the waters of the sea, pulling you into a much larger version of your little tide pools.

Rocks and sand dusted the bottom of the crashing waves while large patches of seagrass waved at you with the tide, the water murky and hard to distinguish anything beyond the length of your arm. Sand and pebbles floated around you as each push from your legs forced the water to kick up more sand and pebbles along with the occasional crushed or abandoned seashell floating in the murky depths. 

Opaleyes and Clingfish swam among the reeds and seagrasses, darting to and from as your shadow passed over them, while the heads of monkeyface eels peered out from between rocks that scattered here and there on the ocean floor. Crabs and shrimp of different colors and sizes scuttled to and from along those rocks, their eyes shifting about as if waiting and watching for something while the occasional little octopus floated from stone to stone - one coming up to latch to your hand as it's little suckers poked at your skin before swimming away. Starfish lounged on the rocks where barnacles grew and sea urchins rolled slowly across the sandy floors.

It was beautiful in its own way - calm and comforting.

However, there seemed to be a lingering fear that surrounded the area - a sense that something much more dangerous than any sea creature that lurked in the depths of the ocean was around. You would often look over your shoulder before ascending to the surface, intaking a big gulp of air before diving back downward - unknown to you that you were being followed and watched. Had you looked over your shoulder twice before each ascent, you may have seen several large appendages floating in the water as well as a set of sea blue eyes watching you from the tall seagrass beneath you - following close behind you and waiting to make their move.

As you took another plunge, you decided to use this time to look for a seashell as the ocean had lulled you to a state of calmness before returning to the surface - perhaps you could find a nice one to give to your coworker who had been so supportive of you during your time of need over the past month and a half. You drew close to the sea grass, your hands curling into the grass as your fingers traced the sand, searching for a seashell that would be a perfect gift. 

You had often collected them as a child and given them to your friends - they were relatively easy to find, often washing up on the shore as many were remains from a seagull’s supper. Remains of clams, cowries, and scallops often were found and strung on string, creating bracelets that were sold in souvenir shops along with conch shells, lightning whelks, and shells of shark eyes. However, one the most prominent shells that you had harbored in your possession had been a nautilus shell - silver-white in color and was about the size of a half-dollar coin. They were rare to come by - especially on the shorelines where the Nautilidae, the creature who lived within these shells, were out in deeper waters; the shell had been a gift from one of your friends, saying that it was a good luck charm. You always kept the shell close, strung on a braided string that clung to your wrist and went everywhere you went - the shell a reminder that not everyone was as they seemed. However - the bracelet had disappeared many years ago before you left for college, a heavy tide snatching it from your wrist never to be seen again.

Perhaps you would find it again as you explored another part of the sea grass - searching for the perfect shell for your co worker. As you searched in another area, your legs kicked a little too close to the seagrass as a strand wrapped around your ankle.

You kicked your leg again to remove said strand but the strand held on tighter and… became thicker?

You looked toward your leg and saw an obscenely large tentacle wrapped around you and slowly traveling up your leg. It was pitch black in the murky depths with an underbelly lavender-gray in color - multiple suckers nearly the color of lilac kissed your skin, leaving pale red circular marks along your foot, ankle, and calf. You pulled at your leg, but another tentacle appeared, wrapping around your other leg as two more gripped at your waist. You jerked and struggled before a soft voice spoke.

"Stop fighting me, angelfish…"

Your head snapped up, feeling your lips part as your eyes met pale sea blues and horizontal pupils.

Before you, entangled within seagrass and seaweed, was an octomer.

Octomers were typically shy merfolk that preferred the shelter of large caves - or grottos - much like how their octopus counterparts were, hiding in the dark crevices as they watched and waited for prey to come by and avoiding interaction with other sea creatures. The reasoning behind this was rumors and speculation of them being casted out by the merfolk due to their heritage and greediness - possessive to the point of suffocation - and were believed to be vain about their appearances; many of them were rumored to host beautifully colored tentacles in oranges, blues, yellows, reds, and purples. Some were also in shades of pale grays and browns and often used camouflage to help blend into their surroundings. Legends of octomers were also rare and the only one you had been told about was one who granted wishes - living in the darkest part of the sea off the coast of your little oceanic village and would come to the shorelines to make deals on behalf of the sea itself. 

As much as octomers were fascinating as they were an oddity and rarity in legends and among merfolk, they were also quite deadly. It was no secret that many octopi were poisonous - with enough venom to potentially kill a man within minutes if not treated like the blue-ringed octopi that lived in the tide pools and coral reefs. Legend stated that some octomers also hosted this venom - holding the venom in sacks that were hidden within their mouths instead of the beak that hid under their tentacles, though no one knew for sure. They may be solitary creatures, but that did not mean they would back down when placed with a problem before them as they were also intelligent beyond a doubt - having the existence of nine brains at their disposal.

And the one before you seemed to know exactly what it wanted.

The octomer before you was absolutely stunning - silvery skin with a kiss of pale lavender covered his facial features, chest and hands while his neck, sides, arms, and hips were painted black with little scales of deep dove gray littered the parts of his shoulders and tentacles. Eyes of pale sea blue glowed in the murky depths as silvery hair sparkled like starlight under the sun’s rays that cut through the shifting water. Strong cheekbones defined his face, a strong nose and thin jaw made him appear all-knowing; thin lips pressed together, a little black mole perched beneath - a little beauty mark that would be the envy of many. The gills on his sides fluttered in anticipation before his eyes flashed, brow furrowing as two more of his tentacles snapped upward - one wrapping around your waist and the other pressing over your eyes.

“Don’t look at me!” the octomer hissed, his voice softening, “Please… don’t look at me, angelfish… I can’t bare for you to see me like this…”

You were struggling against him now - unsure of what the octomer wanted from you and why he was now so entangled by you. Surely, you had never met before… right?

So, why did that nickname sound so familiar?

You felt the octomer shudder against you as you struggled, his grip tightening onto your form, “Angelfish… why do you keep fighting me? Did you… forget me?”

You wanted to say that you had no idea what he was talking about, nor did you know who he was - maybe he was confused and mistaken you for someone else. However, you really couldn’t at the risk of losing the air in your lungs that you were desperate to hang onto. 

“You couldn’t have… you promised you wouldn’t!” The octomer was now becoming desperate - though you couldn’t see it, you were certain tears had started to form in his eyes as you felt his hands grip your arms, leaving bruises as his grip tightened, bringing you close to his face as he practically screamed, “You promised! You promised you would never leave me behind! And yet… you did.”

His voice became sour then, practically murmuring, “... I suppose I should do something about that, to keep you with me until your last breath…”

You felt something dig into your neck - something sharp and painful as bubbles broke passed your lips in a scream as a fire erupted under your skin - your body suddenly locking up and forcing you to remain still before something was pressed to your lips.

“Be a good friend and test this little concoction out for me,” you heard the octomer whisper against the shell of your ear, “This… will help with that problem of yours.”

As soon as the liquid hit your tongue, you wanted to regurgitate - push it out and back into the bottle that was pressed into your mouth. Lips and fingers pressed against your neck, stroking and kissing as the unknown liquid eventually made its way down your throat, making you gasp as something rattled within your core. A sharp nose ran along your neck, skin suddenly thinning and lifting like fish gills as lips pressed against them - one on each side.

“Ah… how beautiful, angelfish,” the octomer whispered against your ear again as a shiver ran along your spine, “They turned out marvelously - just as I expected… perfect for my wonderful, sweet angelfish…”

You tried struggling against him again, but your body was still trapped by the bite and by his tentacles. You whimpered softly in fear as the octomer continued to kiss your neck, his teeth scraping the edges.

“Don’t be afraid, angelfish… you know I would never hurt you. The venom will wear off and you’ll be a free fish again - but I do intend to keep you close, after all…” you felt his breath tickle the hair on your nape as bubbles caressed your skin, “...I would never hurt the person who accepted my love at first, nor accepted my wedding gift…”

You felt something small and familiar wrap around your wrist - the familiar shape of the nautilus shell bracelet that had once been in your possession now returned to its rightful place on your wrist. A gasp sounded from you as lips pressed against yours before you felt the tickling sensation of seagrass surround you.

The octomer had pulled you close, his arms coming around to hold you close to him as his lips danced across your still eye-covered features, pulling you into the seagrass to keep you hidden from the rest of the aquatic life that existed around you. Tentacles trailed around you, moving and shifting as the little suckers that ranged from the size of small pebbles to large stones kissed your skin, marking you with bruises and as the octomer’s possession. Your body could not fight the venom that was still coursing through you, keeping you still as the mer worked you over, lips trailing from your face to your neck and to the top of you chest as hands and tentacles curled at the offensive clothing that kept the two of you separated.

He tore at the buttoned shirt you had slept in the night before, the fabric floating around you as the buttons sank to the bottom - his face burying itself in your chest and his hands trailed lower, pulling at the ties of your cotton shorts and ripping them apart as well in a desperate longing to have you bare beneath him. Bubbles containing sighs and gasps left your lips, but your new gills provided by the octomer breathed in for you, fluttering with excitement at each touch and kiss that was pressed against your skin.  

There was no preparation as something long and thin slipped into your folds between your legs, nothing prepared you for the heaviness that curled into your belly as multiple suckers kissed your entrance - bringing your body to life and weeping for the creature that had overpowered you. The tentacle that was wrapped around your eyes slowly released you, curling behind you to cushion you against the sandy bottom and the octomer’s hands rested on either side of you - his tentacles pulling and prodding at you, kissing your skin as his eyes glowed brighter as he took in your contorted features with every gasp and cry as his hectocotylus made its home within your body. He pressed his forehead against yours, moaning softly against you as you met each of his thrusts with your hips, gasping aloud.

“Oh… angelfish… look at you,” he moaned softly, a tentacle slipping between you to curl and press against your stomach, making you gasp, “Look at you with my marks… ah ha - I’ll have to do this every day… keep you covered with my markings… signs that you have been taken by me, and no one else…”

You whimper in want, the fire raging in your body pushing you closer and closer.

The octomer leans forward, kissing your ear and nibbling on the lobe softly as he whispers, “You… you remember don’t you? Our little promise… our little secret… Tell me… say my name, angelfish. Tell me my name… the one you gave me… what color are my eyes, angelfish?”

The words echoed in your haze-filled mind.

What color are my eyes?

What color are my eyes…

What color…

“Azul…” you whimper as his tentacles curl within your body, forcing your hips to snap forward and arching your back against the sand - creating a little cloud of debris.

“Yes, (Y/n)...” Azul whispers, lips digging into your skin, “Yes… my angelfish…”

***

Azul watched as he held you close - keeping you embraced in his octopot as he guarded you from the dangers outside, his tentacles still tracing over your body that was now plush with his eggs. You had fainted during the last round and although he still had more to give you, frightening him for a moment but quickly realizing you needed rest before you could take any more. He would hold onto the remaining eggs until you awoke - then he would take you again until every last egg was safe within you. Once that was complete, he would take you back to his cave - keep you hidden within a special room until the time came for the eggs to hatch.

It was hard to believe he had found you again after so long - a nearly forgotten promise reminding him of how much you meant to him.

He remembered the little girl on the shoreline, crying out as a group of boys tormented the little creatures within the tidepools, begging for them to stop. At first, he - the little octo-twerp - did not understand why you were crying, why you were so adamant about protecting creatures that were weaker than you. As he continued to watch you from his hiding spot with each passing day - and how you played with the Leech twins of all people - Azul slowly realized that you were a part of the sea, someone that was born human but had merfolk qualities. He admired your strength and cried at your weakness, wanting nothing to go to you and comfort you - he knew you better than you knew yourself, after all. It took courage on his end, but he approached you - nervous about his appearance. 

At first, you were startled by his approach - most anyone would have been.

But, then, you smiled and asked if he knew Jade and Floyd - and thus the friendship between the four of you began. You all would play near the water, letting the waves crash over you and revealing their true forms to your eyes only - laughing as they splashed you and pulled you into the sounding waves. You would lounge in content by the tidepools, watching the little creatures as they lurked under the water and continued their daily lives. It was years later that Azul presented you the nautilus shell bracelet that would be your promise to him for a life together - just the two of you.

Then, you disappeared.

Jade and Floyd, who now worked with Azul as his eyes and ears in their part of the waters, indicated that your family had moved closer to inland - there was no way for the tides to reach you, nor for you to reach them. Azul had slumped for years, continuing his research and deciding to try to formulate a potion that would allow him to seek you out.

However, that was cut off when his mating urges began. All he could do was swim to shallow warmer waters, his thoughts only of you as he writhed in want and pain, so desperate to feel you beneath him - to hold him and never let him go. 

It was lucky that you had swam out to open waters and had alerted him of your presence, a welcoming sight for the octomer who thought he had lost his whole world six years ago.

His gaze flicked from the entrance of the octopot to your form resting in his arms and tentacles - bubbles appearing as you inhaled and exhaled against him. Azul smiled and nuzzled the crown of your head with his cheek, content to have you by his side again.

“Sweet angelfish… stay with me, my darling… stay and be mine…”

[thecake-isalie]

💛🖋️Serial Designation J headcanons.

⚠️[SPOILERS]⚠️

- J’s ‘visor’ eyes are duller then the rest due to overwork.

- J is also trying to be less reckless (she could handle it before since she’d just get brought back if she died, but she won’t anymore). This results in a few injuries here and there. Might have to carry tape/bandages around.

- Also might be a bit numb to injuries. Her arm will get stabbed or something and she’ll just pause and look down until she actually processed the pain and wtf just happened. (Not immune though!!)

- Tessa gave the drones actual names to be more human, and nicknamed J “Jay”. She has a little name card somewhere with “Jay” on it.

- She has all the merch. Whether it be the plushies—made by Tessa—, any and all JCJenson merch, or just random keychains and figures and such.

- She was programmed to be a marketing pro—maybe even MADE for marketing. Until Tessa gained a connection to her and her parents gave in. Which is partly why she loves the company so much.

- She has her hair in pigtails because it is similar to Tessa’s hair and Tessa always did her hair like that.

- A good cook. Not that she needs to cook, she just can.

- She’d be very happy to get a golden star sticker from her boss. I can imagine a bunch of stickers stuck to the wall of the space ship.

- Would generally be pissed if someone exploded a JcJenson pen.

- Likes Hatsune Miku. That’s it.

- Can draw really well. In anime style. (This is canon)

- Likes sea animals. Specifically, whales (we can see her hugging when I assume is a whale? Maybe a shark? In episode 5.)

- I also headcanon she has a Blahaj shark.

- She’s trans. (I got this from her beta design being male!)

🖋️-That’s all :]

[their-pebble-bear]

Them (BakuSquad X Reader)

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Note: Honestly this was a unofficial request and I'm here to please ;)

Gender Neutral Reader so everyone can enjoy ❤️

I also headcannon Sero being really good at languages. Is this true? I don't know.

I also don't write about Mina.

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Masterlist - Requests: Open

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Summary: The Bakusquad is pining after reader and they start discussing with themselves who deserves reader the most.

Warnings: None tbh. From now on I will not be warning about cussing. It's a given with me.

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Taglist: @antisocial-minnie

I am opening a taglist, just comment on the post of you wanna be added to my MHA taglist :3

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Maybe in some world, the boys would have been civilised about this discussion. But even as pro heroes they were still teenagers at heart.

"No, look I deserve to be with them. I'm a protector, can handle a thousand punches and I have the personality of a Golden Retriever." Kirishima said with a shark toothed grin.

All the boys groaned and looked at him with plain faces.

"Y'all are dumb. Of course I'm the most suitable. I'm strong, hard working, extremely dedicated and feriously loyal." Bakugou said with a smirk, putting his arms on either side of him, taking up most space and leaving them behind Kiri and Sero who sat on either side of him.

The boys all looked at eachother and nodded. He wasn't wrong but they wouldn't dare mention his temperament. They wanted to get home to their shift tomorrow and preferably not burnt.

"Guys, I know they will choose me. Nobody can deny these amazing eyes and incredible humour." Denki winked as he finger gunned.

They all stared dead faced at him and continued. He pouted as he huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Honestly I think I have the best chance, I mean I'm the linguistic here, sì? Le persone cadono tutte ai miei piedi quando comincio a parlare in una lingua diversa." Sero purred as he spoke in Italian, leaning with a hand under his chin and a finger swiping at his lips as he said so.

They couldn't really stop their hearts from beating faster, to stop the small flush of pink from appearing on their faces.

"Or I want all of you and we can all be together?" The person in question rolled their eyes as they shook their head.

They all looked at eachother and shrugged.

Yes it was that easy.

___________________

sì? Le persone cadono tutte ai miei piedi quando comincio a parlare in una lingua diversa."

Sero said; "yes? The people all fall at my feet when I start talking in a different tongue."

____________________

Please note! This is all my original work! I do not give permission to repost, credit yourself or steal my ideas. Reblogs are appreciated! The picture is not to be saved and used! That is originally made by my fiancé!

[coochiequeens]

Rip Curl could just have had three brand ambassadors, one for the men's line, one for the women's line and a trans person for a body inclusive line. But no they did the lazy thing and fired the woman and have a man wearing women's clothes.

By Shay Woulahan January 28, 2024

An Australian brand that specializes in swimwear for surfers has come under fire after bringing on a trans-identified male as one of their “female” brand ambassadors. Rip Curl’s controversial move comes just months after the company dropped Bethany Hamilton, a shark attack victim, for voicing her opposition to trans-identified males competing in female sporting competitions.

Rip Curl cut ties with Hamilton in November 2023, despite her status as one of the most celebrated female surfers in Australia and abroad. The decision came after Hamilton publicly opposed gender ideology policies which permit males to compete against women.

Last February, Hamilton shared two videos to her Instagram account questioning October 2022 guidelines adopted by the World Surf League, in accordance with the International Surfing Association, which granted males who claim a transgender status permission to compete against female athletes.

“Is a hormone level an honest and accurate depiction that someone indeed is a male or female? Is it as simple as this?” she asked. In her follow up video, she questioned the policy again. “Am I just a hormone number? Is it as simple as that?”

In her reaction to the new guidelines, Hamilton had also threatened to boycott the World Surf League, and has been outspoken in support of fairness in women’s sports on social media since.

On January 24, Rip Curl posted a video on their women-focused Instagram page, Rip Curl Women, which featured Sasha Jane Lowerson, a trans-identified male surfer.

In the description of the video, Rip Curl described Lowerson, 44, as “a West Australian waterwoman who loves the freedom found in surfing, disconnecting from the mainstream, and the feeling of dancing on constantly changing waves.”

Seemingly anticipating a flood of negative responses, Rip Curl locked their Instagram comments in an effort to limit discussion on their new ambassador.

Lowerson competed successfully in men’s surfing competitions prior to identifying as a “woman.”

“With a commitment to maintaining a positive space for all, we have disabled our comments. Thank you for your understanding,” the sportswear company added.

Lowerson drew criticism in 2022 after taking first in both the Open Women’s Longboard and Open Women’s Logger events at the West Coast Suspensions state championships. Just three years prior to competing in the women’s category, Lowerson, competing under the name Ryan Egan, had taken a top position in the men’s category.

Lowerson had previously celebrated the updated guidelines by World Surf League in February 2023 which permits men to compete in women’s swimming competitions if they reduce their testosterone below a level known to be much higher than what women naturally produce on average.

In advance of the ruling, Lowerson had already been competing in women’s competitions. In March 2022, Lowerson placed ninth in the Noosa Festival of Surfing, becoming the first “trans woman” to compete in surfing at the professional level. Two months later, he placed first in the Open Women’s and Women’s Logger divisions at the Western Australian State Titles. 

In an interview with THEM, a pro-trans publication, Lowerson said he began surfing many years ago but didn’t begin identifying as a woman until his 40s.

“I’ve been a professional longboard surfer for many years. And in that time, I hid in the closet basically. I tried to transition at 19 and again at 29. And now, in my early 40’s, I’ve been successful.”

Reacting to Lowerson being platformed by Rip Curl, many women online expressed anger that the brand would drop a disabled female surfer, only to then work with a male surfer who competes in female competitions.

Many women called for consumers to boycott the brand.

“Company @ripcurl hired a MAN to advertise their women’s line, rather than an amazing female athlete. Amazing. They hate women don’t they. Don’t buy anything from these people. #BoycottRipCurl,” one critic said on X.

“Imagine dropping an athlete that survived a shark attack and went onto be one of the best surfers in the world for a mentally ill Man competing in women’s surfing? Seriously Ripcurl? #BoycottRipCurl,” wrote another woman.

#BoycottRipCurl has been trending on X for the last two days as women continue to express their outrage.

Lowerson has made his Instagram account private following the backlash. However, Reduxx was able to obtain photos from the page showing Lowerson modeled sexually suggestive outfits with captions that related to his surfing career.

Since news of Lowerson’s partnership with Rip Curl first broke, female athletes have spoken out against the brand and in support of Hamilton.

Swimming Champion and activist for women’s sports Riley Gaines called out Rip Curl on X, encouraging her followers to boycott them.

In a follow-up post, Gaines stated: “Encouraging to see so many people reply that they’re throwing out their Rip Curl apparel and pledging not to buy from them again. I didn’t know people still wore Ripcurl anyways. RIP Rip Curl.”

Gaines has been outspoken against the inclusion of male athletes in female sports after she was forced to compete against Will “Lia” Thomas in the 200 freestyle final at the NCAA Women’s Championships in 2022. Gaines and Hamilton are expected to join forces to host a story hour for children on 2nd February in Springfield, Missouri to celebrate the launch of their new books, “Happy No Snakes Day” by Gaines and “Surfing Past Fear” by Hamilton. Trans activists are expected to protest the family event.

Skateboarder Taylor Silverman also chimed in to condem Rip Curl. Silverman has also been outspoken against males competing in female sports since voicing her own experience being displaced by males participating in women’s skateboarding.

Anyone else thinking that when this guy won his last event in a men's competition he saw a lot of younger competition and knew that his days surfing professionally was coming to an end unless he did something drastic?

"The 25- to 34-year-old age bracket is the largest, with 24 percent of the total surf population.

Surfing is dominated by youth – as 71 percent of the total surfing participants are in the 6- to 34-year-old age range. 

In fact, 87 percent of all surfers are younger than 44 years old. "

A quick Google search confirms that "sasha" is 44.

[tnypawzz]

╰┈➤ do you like metal?

✎ᝰ┆18 y/o flip┆it/he/she┆genderfluid┆0-9

•dni: k!nk, n$fw, anti neos/xenos, basic dni(homophobic, transphobic, racist, etc), sxl accounts, s*xualize ag(d)ere/pet(d)re, endo/nontraumagenic systems, anti self-diagnosis(with proper research), proship, thinspo, pro-ed, pro-sh, map, aam, zoo, pro autism speaks, use real pictures of children for concepts, support shark finning, sh account, Ed account, pro-isreal, -14, trump supporters, pro-life

•byf: please use tone indicators when interacting, i have the right to hard block if you're ruining my safe space, I'm not looking for cgs so don't ask, be respectful to me and I'll be respectful to you

•I have a card statement that needs to be paid off if you could commission me /donate that would be amazing

•I take requests for concepts and headcannons in my ask box, keep it sfw

___________________________________________

Requests

•headcannons and concepts can be from these fandoms, listed below

My little Pony

Bluey

Newsies

Spongebob

Until Dawn

Hello Kitty

Tangled

The Little Mermaid

Frozen

Cinderella

Mulan

Beauty and the Beast

Moana

Snow White

Most popular Disney movies

Blue Bloods

Sally face

Fran Bow

Little misfortune

What remains of Edith Finch

Dark pictures anthology

uncolored version:

tw: blood in gif

╰┈➤ do you like metal?

✎ᝰ┆18 y/o flip┆it/he/she┆genderfluid┆0-9

•dni: k!nk, n$fw, anti neos/xenos, basic dni(homophobic, transphobic, racist, etc), sxl accounts, s*xualize ag(d)ere/pet(d)re, endo/nontraumagenic systems, anti self-diagnosis (with proper research), proship, thinspo, pro-ed, pro-sh, map, aam, zoo, pro autism speaks, use real pictures of children for concepts, support shark finning, sh account, Ed account, pro-isreal, -14, trump supporters, pro-life

•byf: please use tone indicators when interacting, i have the right to hard block if you're ruining my safe space, I'm not looking for cgs so don't ask, be respectful to me and I'll be respectful to you

•I have a card statement that needs to be paid off if you could commission me /donate that would be amazing

•I take requests for concepts and headcanons in my ask box, keep it sfw

___________________________________________

Requests

•headcannons and concepts can be from these fandoms, listed below

My little Pony

Bluey

Newsies

Spongebob

Until Dawn

Hello Kitty

Tangled

The Little Mermaid

Frozen

Cinderella

Mulan

Beauty and the Beast

Moana

Snow White

Most popular Disney movies

Blue Bloods

Sally Face

Fran Bow

Little misfortune

What remains of Edith Finch

Dark pictures anthology

[your-pal-nebula]

You can call me Nebula, Abel, Silver, Cori, Adaluza, Royal Dandy, Chazz, Razzle Dazzle, Glen, Velvette, Jax, Hexadecimal, Guzma, or any nickname that is a spin-off of those (Nebby, Nebs, Luza, Vel, Dan, RD, Hex, ect)

Transmasc + agender + boygirl + pangenderspace

Pansexual + aroaceflux + fagdyke

He/It/Xe/She + any space themed neoprounouns or space themed emojiself pronouns

My main interests right now are WordGirl, ReBoot, Hazbin Hotel, Wings of Fire, The Amazing Digital Circus, Stardew Valley, Minecraft, Pokémon (specifically USUM), and Wildcraft. I post about my OCs a lot too

I'm an alterhuman. Kinlist below. There's a lot. I'm simultaneously therian, fictionkin, otherlink, songkin, objectkin, and otherhearted. I'm autistic and believe this to be the source of my alterhumanity.

I'm the host of a praesigenic plural system. I have three brainmade headmates, and everyone else is a fictive from either WordGirl or ReBoot. Brief introductions for all of us below. If a post isn't signed, assume it was made by me. Collectively, we use vae/vear pronouns (no they/them).

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Alterhuman Kinlist:

Theriotypes: Eldritch Dragon, SilkWing, Wolf, Snow Leopard, Peacock, Frog, HiveWing

Kintypes: Nephilim, Buglike Alien, Cyborg, Piglin, Necrozma

Fictotypes: Silver Boxleitner (WordGirl OC), Cori Worst, (WG OC), Adaluza (Hazbin Hotel OC), Velvette (Hazbin Hotel), Royal Dandy (WordGirl), Glen Furlblam (WordGirl), Jax (TADC), Hexadecimal (Reboot), Andrealphus (Helluva Boss), Guzma (Pokemon USUM)

Linktypes: NightWing (Wings of Fire), Living Doll, Shark, Razzle Dazzle (WordGirl OC), Chazz (WordGirl)

Songkins: Every song by Creature Feature

Hearttypes: Axolotls, dolphins, machines/tech in general

Hearthomes: Fair City (WordGirl), Alola (Pokémon), The Nether (Minecraft), Lost Angles (ReBoot), Hell (Hellaverse), Heaven (Hellaverse)

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System Members:

Necro: Brainmade, they/it/vey/zhe/corpse, vampirekin, ageless, genderless, sex variant, androsexual/toric/nblm

Chaos/Knife/Marisol: Brainmade, gore/fog/shx/shadow/🔪, crowhearted, darkness conceptkin, demonkin/analog horrorkin, greyromantic bisexual, intrusive thoughts holder

Heather: Brainmade, she/hy/zey/bun, rabbit and deer therian, sex variant, pan lesbian, butch dyke

Silver Boxleitner: She/Her, mouse copinglink

Cori Worst: She/Her, fox therian

Sketch: She/Her, originally my sister's OC

Tobey Mccallister: He/Him

Victoria Best: She/Her

Marleen Everwood: She/He

Dr. Twobrains: He/Ey

Beatrice/Lady Redundant Woman: She/Tech/Machine/Cyber/Wire

Ms. Question: She/Her

Invisi-Bill: He/Wolf/Howl/Pup, sparkledog, golden retriever, coyote and wolf therian, protecter, self identified guard dog

Big Left Hand Guy: He/Him/Any (neoprounouns included)

And probably more fictives there is a lot it's hard keeping track of them all

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Fandom OCs:

WordGirl: Silver Boxleitner, Cori Worst, Marleen Everwood, Alynxai, Malakai Jackson, Comet Skyrunner, Apples and Oranges, Cat and Dog, Bella Bloodsucker, Razzle Dazzle

Hazbin Hotel: Adaluza, Plushie Guts, Midnight, Violet Vicicous

Wings of Fire: (A lot but mostly) Artemis, Goldenstar, Bloodseeker, Widow, Borealis, Dreamflower

ReBoot: Keys Matrix (yeah he's the only one)

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DNI: Prosh1ppers, p0rn blogs, pro/neu/comp contact harmful paraphiles, anti-therian, anti-neoprounouns, radfems/TERFs, radqueers, pro cringe culture, transandrophobia deniers, people who believe in the validity of thought crimes, sysmeds (endo neutrals are okay!), queer exclusionists, pro-ana

Please do not involve us in syscourse, queer discourse, discourse around Hellaverse and its creator, or absolutely any sort of discourse against our will. We do hold stances on these, and discoursers are welcome to interact and follow, but please do not involve us in it.

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You see the gun I have in my profile? That's for Justice Cheese shippers.

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My mutuals, who I love and hold very close:

@holdthefuckupwhat @toonycatuwu @emberthearsonist @pennyroks77 @rootbeertime @evaiskindaweird @dreadthedecay @snickerzanddoodlez @thatgayoctopus @jamiesolas @autistic-fuckwad @inkangeliguess @victoriabestdefender @ratlordsarah @persistinghorrors @therianslaypotato @corvidthedragon @shepherdingthepie @v0id-clawz @nabbit-unmasked @moonlightravensblog @gabriella-sec @elzore-da-great @randareal1

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[cult-of-the-eye]

Nightmares don't always completely reflect what happened to you, they can sometimes be nonsensical shards of every day life that leave you woken by the taste of salt in your mouth and the distinct metallic pang of hunger. And Jonathan Sims has always been hungry.

It's not right to sit there in the dark, he thought. He should try to sleep or get some work done. Two choices and he had to pick one. A simple decision really. Option one or two. Which one.

His brain was like a stuck record, half in the previous dimension of old men and sharks. Of grief and mistakes and regret and the blood tinged water, turning a sickly, luminescent green. He thought he woke up crying. He wasn't so sure now. Weighing up the pros and cons of waking Martin took up the rest of the space in his brain, his face slack with effort.

Pros: possible comfort, someone to help sort through the landfill of his brain, Martin.

Cons: Jon would rather die than inconvenience Martin in anyway.

A simple decision really. Just like the old man walking into the shark infested waters with stones in his coat pocket. Jon rolled over, his covers being long abandoned, and stared at Martin. It was a safe thing to look at. Not prey or predator. No sharp teeth or memories here. So much to take advantage of but absolutely no conviction to do so.

Martin was pretty. Jon found the word unusual in his mouth, plosive sounds tap-tapping against his teeth. But it was true and Jon would have to get used to those. Eyelashes that caressed his cheeks and a sharp grin hidden beneath gentle lips. He loved it. He loved him.

If only his nightmares were more solid - predictable in their form of torture. Then maybe he could wake Martin and the words to explain wouldn't feel like burnt sugar on his tongue.

For now, he drank his fill of Martin until he was no longer hungry.

[sergeifyodorov]

who is your favorite player on every team?

omg this is sucha good ask anon... under the cut for my little explanations

bruins: pasta... nails PAINTED front teeth CHIPPED glasses ON. i hate him every time he actually plays the leafs because he's so goddamn good but separated from that i enjoy his silly ass immensely

panthers: society has moved past the need for anyone to enjoy any florida panthers (bobrovsky)

leafs: im an austonhead through and through... generational goalscorer and queeny what can't he do

lightning: stamkos for symbolism reasons. bonus nikita kucherov because he's one of those larionov-type really analytical players and i love that

red wings: moritz

canadiens: juraj slafkovsky because he is just SO giant puppy and he is absolutely hilarious

sabres: dahlin for psychosexual reasons

sens: CLAUDE GIROUX!!! GINGER FRANCO ONTARIEN DILF OF ALL TIME!!!!!! NECK GUARD!!!! BISEXUAL SUBTEXT!!!!!! CLAUD!

rangers: artemi panarin (only child of divorce)

hurricanes: seth jarvis (one of very few nhlers i feel like i could have a normal human dumbass conversation with)

islanders: mat barzal (diva)

flyers: travis konecny (sexy)

devils: nico hischier (sexy)

penguins: evgeni malkin (diva)

capitals: alex ovechkin (sexy)

blue jackets: patrik laine (because there's something SOOOOO compelling about being a draft bust and also the fact that he is just kind of a weirdly blonde freak white walker lookin dude who wears interesting outfits)

jets: nik ehlers. points for being a) danish (nobody's DANISH in this league) and b) that one time sch*fele hurt that hab and ehlers protected him when everyone got into that scrum going for schiefele

avalanche: alex georgiev for punching tda

dallas stars: where do i START with the stars... robo i think

preds: JUUSE SAROS MY LEEDL GUYYYYY

blues: gonna go with brayden schenn... any relative of luke's is a friend of mine

coyotes: either clayton keller or alex kerfoot

wild: idk flower?

blackhawks: connor bedard is legitimately my little guy. i love that freak. im at practice... in chicago... CHICAGO???. went on a pilgrimage to see Him in person and it was great (leafs lost in overtime and he got 0 points)

canucks: as much as i love and appreciate my fellow gays im gonna have to go with quinnifer here. he's literally quinn hughes i don't know what you want from me

golden knights: jeichel

kings: anze kopitar <3

oilers: mcdavid... he's literally everything. cursed by god. pro gay. really good at hockey. ginger

kraken: honestly i have never thought about the kraken a single day of my entire life. who's their goalie? grubauer? i'll go grubauer

flames: naz kadri :))))))))

ducks: i know we're all supposed to have ducks opinions nowadays but im going to carefully say lukas dostal and be done with it

sharks: duclair. free of the panthers and ready to be given space in my heart

[tnysharky]

Intro

_______________________________

hello! I'm Jasper but you can also call me flutters, neptune, lemon, sharky, or moth(y)! I make moodboards on this account but if you want to see my tiny side you can check out my agere blog @tnypawzz

although this account isn't an agere one it's still 100% sfw only and anything nsfw will not be tolerated

I take requests but here are a few things I'd like to ask you do when submitting one

keep it sfw! don't ask me to make a moodboard based off something not sfw. if you want to request something from a typical adult media that's fine as long as the ask isn't about an icky scene in the media

if you want a paci make sure to tell me if you want a deco one or not

be specific if you want it to look a certain way, it helps me a lot

moodboards can be from anything you'd like(colors, aesthetics, ocs, etc)

I'm fine making moodboards for any Fandom but I might struggle with ones I'm not familiar with

__________________________________________

Dni: k!nk, n$fw, anti neos/xenos, basic dni(homophobic, transphobic, racist, etc), sxl accounts, s*xualize ag(d)ere/pet(d)re, endo/nontraumagenic systems, anti self diagnosis(with proper research), proship, thinspo, pro-ed, pro-sh, map, aam, zoo, pro autism speaks, use real pictures of children for concepts, support shark finning, sh account, Ed account, pro-isreal, -14, trump supporters, pro-life

Byf: please use tone indicators when interacting, i have the right to hard block if you're ruining my safe space, be respectful to me and I'll be respectful to you

_________________________________________

I'll add to this as necessary

if you have any questions feel free to dm me!

I hope you all have an amazing day and I love y'all(/p) so much

Uncolored version:

Intro

_______________________________

hello! I'm Jasper but you can also call me flutters, neptune, lemon, sharky, or moth(y)! I make moodboards on this account but if you want to see my tiny side you can check out my agere blog @tnypawzz

although this account isn't an agere one it's still 100% sfw only and anything nsfw will not be tolerated

I take requests but here are a few things I'd like to ask you do when submitting one

keep it sfw! don't ask me to make a moodboard based off something not sfw. if you want to request something from a typical adult media that's fine as long as the ask isn't about an icky scene in the media

if you want a paci make sure to tell me if you want a deco one or not

be specific if you want it to look a certain way, it helps me a lot

moodboards can be from anything you'd like(colors, aesthetics, ocs, etc)

I'm fine making moodboards for any Fandom but I might struggle with ones I'm not familiar with

__________________________________________

Dni: k!nk, n$fw, anti neos/xenos, basic dni(homophobic, transphobic, racist, etc), sxl accounts, s*xualize ag(d)ere/pet(d)re, endo/nontraumagenic systems, anti self diagnosis(with proper research), proship, thinspo, pro-ed, pro-sh, map, aam, zoo, pro autism speaks, use real pictures of children for concepts, support shark finning, sh account, Ed account, pro-isreal, -14, trump supporters, pro-life

Byf: please use tone indicators when interacting, i have the right to hard block if you're ruining my safe space, be respectful to me and I'll be respectful to you

_________________________________________

I'll add to this as necessary

if you have any questions feel free to dm me!

I hope you all have an amazing day and I love y'all(/p) so much

[the-sketched-squad]

heya, intro post time:

☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎

We are the sketched system and are unsure if we are traumagenic, endogenic, or stressgenic [is that what it’s called] due to not remembering that time of our life

[we are bodily a minor, keep this in mind]

yes blah blah blah we’re supportive of all types of systems and try NOT to involve ourself in syscourse

you can call us Charlie [he’s one of our co-hosts and we also like the name so], bill cipher, Nix, shark, or Wisp

here’s the link to our fave pronouns

we’re gender fluid or yk our gender changes between alters so just use those pronouns or they/it/he/any neos/most xenos

pansexual aroaceflux polyamorous bitch

☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎

We don’t have a dni…. Just be good to each other, I block rather freely

byf [yk some bad/controversial stuff about us and such]: we swear a decent amount, have strange/dark/dry humor, we often forget tone tags *shrug* oh and as you just saw sometimes we’re insensitive, we are pro non-traumagenic, not all of our alters are gonna be nice [omg fern calm down - Bee], we are citrusqueer and dollqueer, um I’ll add more in the future

we will post about some alterhuman stuff but mostly system stuff

☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎

this is gonna be our system side blog cuz we haven’t really shared this on my other blogs

speaking of such here is our other blogs:

@tangerinedre3mer (main blog, about a ton of shit)

@blu3b3rrynightmar3 (Art and s a d side blog)

I suppose I should tell you who our alters are [btw it’s Charlie writing this part]

Host:

name: Kay so I’m not gonna tell you the name of our host cuz beings irl call them that so just call them like Tree or one of the names previously stated

pronouns: changes due to genderfluidness so any other than femme is fine

Little tag thingy: we don’t always use these but uh anyway, “- Host”, “- Tree/Nix”, “-💧🌱”

they like nature and stuff, idk they’re awkward and take things like 5 steps to far, oh kinda secretive and lies a lot

Alterhuman in some way, hard to tell who’s alterhuman here

Co-host 1:

[- Tree/Nix] I’m here now so hi, and uh this post is shit

Name: Fred/Fern

pronouns: androgynous neos, space themed xenos, they/it

gender: beyond the concept of gender but yk agender is ok too

tag [as you saw when I came back]: “- Fred/Fern” | “- 💚👽” | “- this other guy” | “- 👁”

likes to observe humans and is very curious about them and other things too, sometimes very formal, generally pretty calm

alienkin, queen of hearts kin [from Alice in wonderland], crowkin, gets bill cipher shifts

oof this is gonna be a long post

co-host 2:

Name: Charlie [the guy from earlier]

pronouns: he/they

Gender: Transmasc

Tags: “- Charlie” | “- 🕷️”

likes uh I’m not honestly sure, rude, swears a lot, anger holder, kind of a persecutor too… speaks fancily sometimes, tries to be caring and nice

bill cipher kin, maybe some other stuff too

protector [I think]:

Name: Bee

pronouns: androgynous and femme neos, they/she

gender: idk something androgynous with a bit of femme

tags: “- Bee” | “- 🌟🌈” | “- ☁️”

Likes pastel goth stuff, girls lmao (she is ace btw but not aro), rainbows, idk that kinda stuff, she’s a furry also.

They’re sensitive to criticism and often bright/bubbly/happy/euphoric but then they switch to sad/numb/depressed/etc. [their personality is closer to like a girls girl now btw]

Age regressor

Name: Jude

Age: 16 [little age 9-12]

Pronouns: she/they

Gender: ??? [genderfae maybe]

Tags: “- 🍭” | “- Jude” | “- sweetly insane” |

Likes candy, controlling the body, running, She-Ra, fun socks

As one of her tags suggests she is sweetly insane, like she just gives me psycho vibes a bit but she’s also really sweet and cutesy [which probably adds to her uncannyness]

Dollkin

[she and JX help take care of the body]

☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎

Oh before I forget, my uh alterhuman master list lmao:

otherkin:

demonkin

bill cipher kin

queen of hearts kin

sharkpup kin

Cryptidkin

Crowkin

Alienkin

Dollkin

therian:

deaths head moth

lynx

snow leopard

otherhearted:

bathearted

Hammerhead shark

whale shark

beehearted

coping/fun/otherlink:

labrador

Mouse

There will be more in the future

but for now goodbye my fellow beings/things/entites/whatever love yall

☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎ ♬ ☁︎︎

Non of these were made by me—credit to creators:

@chaoscouncilcreaturecorner — @therianuserboxes — @spacedreamon — @incoherent-squawking — @cynicaltirade — @transmasculine — @queerpridedits — @xxx-ang3l-w1th-a-sh0tgun-xxx — @oxceen — @plural-this-user-is — @banana-dawg — @12sidedsquare

If you don’t think u should be on here or if you do think you should be on here, just let us know! Also if we are in you dni also let us know and we’ll remove the user box and ur name

[justinssportscorner]

Liza Monroy for Assigned Media:

Sasha Jane Lowerson, the only publicly known trans-woman competing in professional surfing, is the first trans-woman to win a female longboarding competition—which also means she has solely borne the brunt of online hatred from trolls who follow the surf world, as well as anti-trans industry figureheads like Bethany Hamilton.  Hamilton, the devout Christian champion surfer famed for losing her arm in a shark attack age 13, has been making anti-trans comments publicly since the World Surf League adopted  a policy requiring trans-female athletes to maintain a testosterone level of less than five nmol/L for at least 12 months in order to compete in the women’s division. Most recently, Hamilton and swimmer Riley Gaines embarked on a tour to promote their agenda. For a brief moment, a possibility of change flickered: international surf corporation Rip Curl, purveyor of wetsuits, apparel, and swimwear, released a documentary ad featuring Lowerson in the 2024 “Summer Looks Good on You” campaign, a long-running Rip Curl Womens series. 

Rip Curl also sponsored Hamilton, at the time. “I didn’t want anything to do with a company that supported someone like that,” Lowerson says of when they first approached her. In thinking about it further, though, she reconsidered. The fact that they had approached her could mean “they’re distancing themselves from those attitudes and that stigma, from misinformation and the spread of hate. So I said yes.”  Lowerson has spent over thirty-five years in the industry as a longboarder, including as a sponsored surfer. Longboarding uses a board typically longer than 9 feet where the sport is more about style, flow, and grace and allows for more of a platform for the dance than the fast, highly maneuverable shortboards typically seen in pro-surfing. She’s currently an Ambassador for Athlete Ally, an organization working for LGBTQI+ inclusion in sport, and to end transphobia and homophobia. 

In her video, the phenomenal longboarder discusses how surfing has influenced her life and the joy she finds in riding waves. “I believe it’s the only sport where we get to perform on a changing platform, a moving dance floor,” she says. The video, an artful mini-documentary focused on Lowerson’s love of her sport, appeared online on January 24th of this year.  On January 29th, Hamilton tweeted  “Male-bodied athletes should not be competing in female sports,” targeting Lowerson. Then, on January 31st, six days after Lowerson’s ad was posted, Rip Curl pulled the ad, appeasing the anti-trans side. They released this statement soon after their decision:

[...]

The head of the campaign, Lowerson says, “told me, ‘we’re removing the post for your safety, Sasha.’ And I turned around and said to him, ‘that’s bullshit, you’re doing this for brand protection.’ I’m not stupid; my safety’s not a consideration. I’m so disappointed for believing that a major corporation as big as Rip Curl would stick by this sort of campaign with someone of a diverse gender. It was stupid to think they cared. I feel so hurt from that.” Rip Curl made a decision not to support and stand behind the athlete. Lowerson points out other situations that have included trans-women in previously only cis- woman spaces - the modeling industry in particular, she says, “Victoria’s Secret - they were the first to put trans women on the catwalk. Their response to backlash was after having one trans woman on the catwalk, the next time there were three and the time after that, five. There’s trans women on more catwalks than ever in fashion shows these days.” The affair left Lowerson with unanswered questions. Why didn’t the surf industry respond more like the modeling industry? Why didn’t Rip Curl double down, start featuring more trans-surfers?  “I have not had a financial sponsor in so many years,” Lowerson says.

Brennan of Surf Equity is concerned that the trend towards “prohibiting trans athletes from competition has been growing.” She senses “frustration across all these different sports that at some points things were moving in a more positive direction, and now it's just really awful. There's a lot of anger, frustration, and heartbreak, and people coming together on the question of what to do. Activists and lawyers who work in that space are just running into so many roadblocks. I tried to understand the psychology of why we are in this situation. There's a fear of getting involved in the politics of it because that can result in death, frankly. Pretty severe consequences to activists being public. There are just so many considerations.”  In the aftermath of the ad’s removal, Lowerson traveled to California and connected with surfboard shaper Mando, owner of Mando Surf Co in the Monterey Bay area, who is nonbinary. They’re launching two key collaborations: releasing a Sasha Jane signature model surfboard under the Mando label, and working on the soon-to-be nonprofit, GNDR Surf. 

Trans female surfer Sasha Jane Lowerson was all set to do an ad for Rip Curl… only for it to be scuppered, thanks to anti-trans extremists such as Bethany Hamilton and Riley Gaines.

[theaviskullguy]

★☆ for the headcanon game, with uhh aki and/or Kaito :3

let's do both >:3

★ - sad headcanon

Kaito: He started making Orbital 7 when his mom was pregnant with Haruto, to help her out with the task of raising a newborn, this time with Faker not around. However, with the death of his mom, Orbital became Kaito's assistant in raising Hart instead. But Kite was barely a teen himself- he was like 12 when Orbital was finished. Since he had to raise his baby brother, he never really got the chance to live a normal life, having to be a parental figure to Hart, and then number hunting for that asshole of a father.

Aki: Uh. This one deals with some mentions of transphobia so be warned. She's a trans woman. The sadness comes from how she was treated because of it. Divine used it to further control her, saying that no one else would take in a (t-slur) like herself. Part of the reason she was so hesitant to leave the movement was because of it. Divine also helped her fund her transition since she was always too nervous to ask her parents for help with it. After leaving the movement they did start financing her transition which is Good For Her!

☆ - happy headcanon

Kaito: He loves space. In his bedroom he's got multiple star maps and those lil glow-in-the-dark planetarium stickers on his ceiling accurately mapped to what the constellations looked like the night he turned 18. He doesn't like all the pseudoscience around astrology but thinks the coincidences are really neat (he's a sagittarius). He has his ears pierced and all of the earrings he wears are various stars and planets, and his favorite article of clothing is a shirt given to him by Shark that says "i died on the moon and all i got was this stupid t shirt". He has also taken an interest into some of the mythologies about constellations.

Aki: Im retconning the ending of 5ds. she and the other signers live together as found family turned actual family almost, she studies medicine in New Domino- but also gets into pro dueling as a side thing. and The Boys basically become her hype squad and it's the cutest thing ever. im talking showing up to all her duels and cheering the loudest out of everyone in the stadium. she always knows where they're sitting because of just how Loud Crow in particular can get (yusei and jack are also Very Loud but crow's got the most discernible voice in the stadium)

[fishrpg]

Prepare Yourselves For September, Because It's Time For...

I finally decided how I'm going to approach September's Hexplore challenge. Instead of going all-in on a more gonzo approach to a variety of vintage cartoons in the Merry Melodies and Looney Toons eras, I opted to reframe this month's cartoon as something from the early 1990s that was trying to capitalize on the success more established cartoons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This is a show that is a blatant cash-grab that hopes to carve out a foothold in toy store shelves for a season or two before moving on to something else. As such, I felt it fitting to modify only slightly a promotional image for the cartoon Street Sharks.

Through the magic of a bunch of arbitrary dice rolls, here's a little bit about the show:

It's set mostly in Fresno, California, in 1992 and designed to appeal to the 8-12 year-old boy demographic. Like many other shows designed to sell toys, the continuity is nearly non-existent between episodes. I have never been to Fresno, and thus the plot points will likely lean into fabrications and poorly-informed constructions because the "show's writers didn't have time to research during the tight production timelines." However, I'd like the show to have some pro-environmental messages like Captain Planet to offset the cynical marketing of such a show.

Because I don't know anything about Fresno other than reading a few paragraphs of the the city's wikipedia page, I made a series of random tables to tell me where the primary location of the episode will be set. And because it's a cartoon that is not constrained by film crew logistics or real-life geography, a good chunk of episodes will take place in various locales that are decidedly different from Fresno (also described without research to really get into the thrall of unchecked capitalism).

For each episode, I'm going to roll to see if it takes place in/around Fresno, somewhere else in the world, or in an exotic/unusual location like a moon base. Here are the tables I've created to tell me where to set the episode:

Fresno

Construction Site

Mall

Sewer

City Hall

Skyscraper

TV Station

Bank

Factory

Garbage Dump

Sierra Nevada Mountains

Museum

Forest

Subway

Zoo

Stadium

Bad Guy’s Hideout

Theme Park

Army Base

Airport

Restaurant

Elsewhere

Ocean Depths

Pirate Ship

Volcano

Haunted House

Laboratory

Beach Resort

Castle

Japan

The White House

Australia

Mount Everest

France

Racetrack

Tropical Island

Scotland

Graveyard

Antarctica

Hoover Dam

Mount Rushmore

Lake Superior

Exotic

Space Station Mir

Alternate Dimension

Moon Base

Center of the Earth

Atlantis

Alien Planet

Time Warp (Future)

Time Warp (Past)

Inside a Monster

Inside a Computer

Magical Reality

Genre Crossover Episode

North Pole

Mount Olympus

Valhalla

Hologram/Virtual Reality

Secret Superhero/villain Base

Giant Robot

Alien Spacecraft

Bermuda Triangle (of cryptid/conspiracy fame)

[autistic-cry-baby]

every special interest i have rn cuz i'm bored

buckle up, this is gonna be long 😅

tv shows/movies

demon slayer

my hero academia

romantic killer

komi can't communicate

a whisker away

suzume

avatar the last airbender

my happy marriage

toradora

the amazing digital circus

coraline

the owl house

miraculous ladybug

k-12

sonic boom

barbie movies (animated)

bluey

games

minecraft

roblox (specifically royale high and adopt me)

doki doki literature club

fnaf games (specifically sister location and security breach/ruin)

gacha life/club/life 2

sonic the hedgehog

yandere simulator

youtubers

inquisitormaster

glitchplaysroblox

alaska violet

aphmau

beaplayz

moriah elizabeth

bellamena

chikin nuggt

callmehhaley

clawedbeauty101

cringey kid studios

devil bona

dannyphantom.exe

theorionsound

ldshadowlady

music artists

stray kids

melanie martinez

cavetown

newjeans

mitski

odetari

olivia rodrigo

tv girl

lana del rey

jack stauber

billie eilish

marina and the diamonds

alec benjamin

hatsune miku

chloe moriondo

monstercat

blackpink

egg

aurora

girl in red

mxmtoon

anson seabra

conan gray

animals/insects

cats

axolotls

sharks

deer

otters

cow

dinosaurs

butterflies/moths

frogs/toads

cicadas

other

outer space (specifically other planets)

making/watching amv edits

animal/plant fossils

anything romance related (not including pro/dark/comshipping)

stickers

stuffies

furbies

-neo

[endeus]

i feel like i ought to make a pinned. so here is my pinned

>> my gifs are tagged #mine

>> sharks/cuda posts are tagged #san jose sharks, #sharks lb, #san jose barracuda, or #cuda lb

>> my pro wrestling posts are tagged #pro wrestling but i'm not super active in that space right now

>> i also often tag #he;s so beautiful which was a typo once. not a typo anymore

thanks

[writerman]

Are you still taking fic prompts? Because if you are then omg, Barduil first meeting for that 'stuck overnight in an IKEA' post... 'I was just there for a table, he was only there for the meatballs and... well... by the time we were all allowed to go the next morning I had my table, he'd had his meatballs and we both had a boyfriend... It was love at first Ypperlig...'

Hi, anon, did you know you sent me this request in 2021??

If you still follow me or ever followed me to begin with, I am so sorry.

Here is your IKEA Barduil prompt.

Happy NaNo!

--------

Fandom: The Hobbit

Ship: Bard x Thranduil (Barduil)

Word Count: 5,541

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Anyone travelling out there stay safe, the storm is supposed to be coming in thick and fast by this afternoon. Local authorities and the MET office have asked that if you can stay home please do! 

On that note here is a little song for anyone taking on the blizzard today. Snow Bird by Ann- 

Bard smacked the radio as fast as he could, numb fingers fumbling with the off switch while he kept his eyes on the road. The snow hadn’t hit blizzard levels yet but the sky above him hinted that it wouldn’t be long.

The snowfall the night before had blanketed the world in white that was already about a foot deep, but it hadn’t deterred many from leaving their homes. There were a few brave souls battling through the snow-covered sidewalks- no one had come to clear a path but no one appeared to care that much. 

It was fine, it would be fine, he only had to run into IKEA for a replacement coffee table as Bain had body-slammed the other one and left it in two halves in the living room. Of course, it had been an accident and that was what Bard got for letting him watch the pro wrestling stuff on TV unattended. 

Of course. An accident. 

So, a replacement was needed and somehow the exact replica of it existed (imagine that!) within the blue and yellow labyrinth of IKEA, patiently waiting for the myriad of other shoppers to swoop in and collect it only to have their Christmas visitors exclaim that they too had the same table at home! 

Thankfully, parking was easy. The place was practically deserted because everyone else had more sense than to drive out into an impending snowstorm to buy furniture! 

Then again, everyone probably didn’t have a child like Bain to contend with. He was a good kid, just energetic and very impressionable at his age. It wasn’t as though something like this hadn’t happened before. 

Why am I even out buying a table? The kids are with their mum this year. All I need is to rest a cup on it… Shaking the snow off himself at the entrance, Bard tried not to let his entire being sag at the thought of Christmas on his own and then he recalled why he had gotten out of the house in the first place.

It had been too quiet. 

Amid his thoughts, someone brushed past him hurriedly sending him crashing into a metal basket of stuffed sharks. Before he can topple over into the pile of plush toys a strong hand wraps around his wrist and pulls him back to his feet. 

“Sorry, so sorry, I didn’t mean to knock you over like that!” Apologies flew fast from the stranger’s mouth and Bard cleared his throat before smiling awkwardly trying to brush it off. 

“It’s all right, I was in the way.” He mumbled this as he checked himself over, and as he glanced up to his would-be attacker and rescuer he felt his heart do an odd sort of little skip before resuming the staccato rhythm it had taken up in the moment of surprise. 

“No, not at all.” The stranger’s voice seemed to have dropped an octave now his apologies had been done and dusted and he promptly released Bard’s wrist from his grip upon realising that he still held on to him. “I was not paying attention; you know this time of year leaves everyone… harried.” He trailed off as he said the last word and it looked as though he was unsure if he meant what he was saying. 

“Honestly, I'm alright. Don’t worry about it.” Bard urged again, really he wanted some space between himself and the stranger because he was experiencing what could only be described as a sexual awakening but incredibly bisexually. 

“If you’re sure you’re fine.” The stranger continued but when Bard nodded again they merely nodded back and turned neatly on their heel and hurried away with the same speed they had entered the store. 

After that encounter Bard didn’t see them again, in fact, he saw very few people that didn’t work there. Most of them stood huddled around a work computer whispering urgently about the oncoming storm. 

Likely wishing idiots like him would piss off home so they could head home too.

Yes, he felt awful that they had to be there, and he did honestly feel bad for going in but he really wanted to replace his table- he had time and nowhere else to be. Though, the employees didn’t seem to harbour any ill will towards him when he asked for help finding the section he needed. 

Bard had spent a grand total of 20 minutes in the store by the time he reached the checkouts and as he approached one he realised there were no members of staff to be seen. Scratching his head in confusion, he looked about for any sign of the employees who assisted him earlier. 

No one.

Someone at his side groaned. 

“Just wonderful,” They griped shifting from one foot to another jostling whatever it was in their hands. “The snow has blocked the door; the employees are trying to figure out what they should do.” 

Turning to look at the stranger, Bard comes face to face with the very man that had bowled him over in the entrance. 

“Hello, again.” He shared the grim expression held by the stranger as he greeted him. His attention is then focused on the now shut off automatic doors. A few members of the staff were stood looking at the heavily falling snow, one of them jumping backwards as a sudden gust of wind rattled the doors and the lights flickered around them.

“You don’t suppose the restaurant is open, do you?” The stranger spoke again, and Bard glanced down at his flat pack table at his feet for a second before picking it up and turning to look up at the signposts that hung above them both.

“Let’s find out.” He tried for cheerful, it came out quiet and he cursed inwardly at how nervous he was around the man. The same man that had been so very sorry for knocking into a bunch of stuffed sharks not 20 minutes earlier.

“Yes, let’s. I’m Thranduil, by the way. And again, I am so very sorry for knocking you off your feet. Not how I like to introduce myself to people, hopefully you sustained no injury.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice and Bard felt the slightest blush warm his cheeks.

“No injury, fighting off sharks stuffed or otherwise is just days’ work for a dad with 3 rambunctious kids.” They head toward the restaurant and Thranduil offers a knowing nod, they had found some common ground.

“Oh, uh, I’m Bard. Nice to meet you… Thranduil, was it?” It was an unusual name, but honestly, so was Bard. Though, people didn’t tend to comment on it as much as he assumed people might about Thranduil’s.

“So, do you play music?” The question came right out of the left field and left Bard silent for a moment until he caught on and let out a loud laugh.

“Funny, not musically inclined at all, played the odd bit of guitar in university, you know how it goes.” He tried not to think about the cringe-worthy image of him sitting beneath a tree strumming the whole three cords he knew just humming songs uncaring that they didn’t match the chords.

“Yes, yes, we’ve all been there. The mortifying act of trying to reinvent yourself only to discover you don’t know how to begin remodelling your life aside from drastically changing your wardrobe only to never wear any of the ridiculous items ever again.” Thranduil gave a flourish of the hand before grimacing at the memory of it.

“Ah, the hubris of youth.” Bard sighed.

In a surprising turn of events, the restaurant was open and the few customers who still lingered, rather against their will, had made their own way over to buy coffee and pastries to wait out the storm until eventually, like animals, they could be released back into the wild again.

“Coffee?” Thranduil set his unpurchased item on the chair next to him before shrugging off his long coat from his incredibly tall form. He dressed any dad might, jeans, boots and a jumper and yet the clothes seemed to fit him better than they had any person Bard had ever encountered before.

Not that he was staring.

IKEA was certainly not the place to consider his wavering sexuality, no that was better suited to a queer coffee shop or whatever, he wasn’t sure. He had really had to think about this kind of thing before.

Not that he was expecting a full-blown love affair to come from their meeting. After they were set free they likely wouldn’t see one another ever again.

“I’m sorry that I asked such a complex question when I offered to buy you coffee, shall I rephrase it?” Once again, there was a touch of amusement in his voice as he spoke.

It took an embarrassing amount of time for Bard to realise he had just been standing silently looking at Thranduil for at least 2 minutes. No words uttered he had just stood there like an idiot letting his mind wander while Thranduil waited patiently for a response.

“Aha, sorry, yes coffee is fine.” He shoved his hand into his jeans pocket to fish for change, but Thranduil chided him with the click of his tongue and walked off without taking any of the money he had attempted to offer.

Bard took this chance to take off his own coat after sliding his unpaid for table down by the table and the restaurant wall.

How badly he wanted to put his hands over his face and scream into them. This had never happened to him before. He had never found another man attractive before. However, by the look of it, Thranduil was used to it as many of the other occupants actively and openly stared at him as he passed them by before their eyes snapped over to Bard with questions burning on the tips of their tongues.

Mortifying, mortifying, awful, terrible.

When Thranduil returned he placed both cups on the table before digging into his own pocket for the sugar packets and little pots of milk he had acquired on his way back to their table.

“Does that happen everywhere you go?” Bard motioned to the people still watching him though trying to pull it off that they were merely having a good old gander at the restaurant and out of the windows.

“Oh, I suppose. I think it’s my hair.” Thranduil seemed disinterested and concentrated on peeling back the foil from the tiny milk pots.

Yeah sure, not the fact you’re the most beautiful person to grace the earth.

Nope, he wasn’t going there, after all this, he was going to have to sit down with his brain and talk to it about inappropriate thoughts.

Should go well.

“You do have nice hair, I suppose it makes sense people will stare at you, and you’re b- big… uh, tall!” Bard pulled his own coffee cup towards him and tore open two of the sugar packets dumping them into his coffee without looking at Thranduil.

His face felt hot.

“I am very big, you’re correct.” No further context was given and Bard near choked on his first sip of coffee upon hearing the words uttered.

Is he flirting with me? Surely not.

Bard cannot even begin to formulate a response and as if the Gods smiled up on him, the squeal and hiss of the tannoy above interrupted their conversation.

Dear customers of the store, unfortunately, due to the weather conditions we have been required to close the store for the rest of the day. Due to the ongoing storm and its severity, for your safety we have been advised to have anyone in store remain until the worst has passed.

We understand that this is inconvenient and may cause some upset, if you have any questions our staff are on hand to assist.

We strongly suggest that you remain indoors and do not attempt to leave the store. IKEA are offering free food and hot beverages to all customers affected for the duration of your stay.

Again, we apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.

Thank you.

When the announcement ended Bard could hear the throng of people gathered in the restaurant begin to grumble, muttering under their breath that they had places to be. He had no sympathy for them coming out in a storm with the intention of running errands.

Sure, he had done the same and maybe Thranduil had done, too. But he had nowhere to be. When he looked back at Thranduil he noticed the man was simply continuing to drink his coffee with not a single worry plastered across his face.

“Nothing waiting for you back at home either, ay?” Bard gave an empathetic smile when Thranduil nodded and set down his cup, leaning back in his seat he gave a cursory look around the room before he spoke.

“I have two adult children, well, university age, they are with their respective partners this Christmas, and I pretended I had made plans so that they didn’t feel sorry for their dear old dad being alone on Christmas.” As casually as he had tried to make it sound, Thranduil did come across as sad as he explained himself.

“I only ventured out for something to do. I had already promised I wouldn’t work over Christmas so IKEA it is. You know the hub of all social interaction. Joking aside, some good has come of it, well, the snowed in part of my day isn’t the highlight but I do have good company at least.” Thranduil lets the silence linger, and Bard swallowed hard, it was hard to know if this man was in fact flirting with him even if he wasn’t the way he spoke was just so fucking…

Suggestive

“We’re in the same boat, I only came out to replace a coffee table and only because I’m home alone for Christmas too,” It was a stupid thing to do, his brain was already telling him he was going to crash and burn but still his mouth disregarded the warning.

“I know you probably have a ton of friends you could hang out with, but you know my door is open to you if you want to spend the day. I know we are practical strangers- ah, I don’t know why I’m doing this. Sorry.” Bard fumbled at the last moment and decided it was better to rescind the invitation to save his already shaky ego.

“Strangely, I have very few friends. Something about being intimidating and having a- now what did Tauriel call it, ah yes! I have a resting bitch face that seems to put people off from talking to me.” The delivery was dry and still Bard let out a surprised laugh which he quickly smothered by taking a long sip of his drink hyper aware that others were now looking over at him.

“Now that is a nice sound.” Thranduil was resting his chin in his hand, elbow planted firmly on the tabletop looking across at Bard with a gentle and sincere smile. “So, is my invitation still valid or are you going shy on me?” He arches a brow and Bard can’t look away from him, and he knows he’s beet red.

“A-are you really flirting with me?”

“I have been this entire time, thank you for noticing,” The confidence that oozed from Thranduil was almost unbearable in how damn hot it was. No hint of arrogance just sheer and open boldness.

“You left me quite lost for words when I first set eyes on you, or rather… when I full body smashed you into a cart of BLÅHAJ, butchering the pronunciation but you get the idea. Could scarcely even look at you, with your beautiful brown eyes and dark wavy hair. That and you said I had pretty hair and I was big- ah, tall.” The corners of his mouth quirked up in a smirk and Bard felt like sliding out of his seat onto the floor hoping it would open up and swallow him whole.

“W-well, my invitation still stands if you’re interested.” How he had managed to even get words out in a coherent manner was beyond his comprehension seeing as his brain was on fire and there didn’t appear to be any extinguishers wedged into the grey matter.

The lights above them began to flicker before going out, the power had cut out and the wind and snow battered the side of the building brutally the sound of metal creaking faintly around them.

“Fuck- it’s getting worse.” Bard was thankful for the distraction and directed his attention to the windows, the snow was swirling through the wild gales. It came down fast and heavy blotting out the world beyond the glass.

“Let’s move on, I want to sit on something more comfortable.” Thranduil didn’t wait for a response as he stood grabbing his coat and scarf and leaving behind the tiny pack of scented tea lights.

It wouldn’t make any sense for him to carry them around until he could actually purchase them, so Bard followed suit, picking up his coat and leaving the flatpack box still resting between the table and wall.

Like a lost puppy he followed Thranduil until he was at his side struggling to keep up with the long strides the blond made until he came to a stop in the department he had sought out. Bard watched as he wandered through the sofas until he found one that looked comfortable enough, he gently laid his coat over the back of it before flopping down onto the cushions and patting the space next to him.

With as much grace as he could manage, Bard wove between the other sofas and proceeded to sit next to Thranduil, taking care not to have any part of him against the other. However, this didn’t seem to be how things were supposed to go because Thranduil shuffled himself closer so their legs touched from thigh to calf.

“Oh, now this is nice. Do you suppose we will be stuck here all night?” Thranduil had no qualms about being pressed up beside Bard, meanwhile, Bard was trying to as covertly as possible hide his heart attack whilst wondering if he needed to have a conversation with himself about the sudden attraction he had to men.

Because it was sudden like he was smacked with a bisexual stick as soon as he entered the IKEA.

Was it a requirement to be in IKEA?

“I- hope not. I don’t think a big metal building with no power will be a very comfortable place to sleep.” The idea was unappealing, and Bard shuddered though it turned into a shiver as the cold air began to seep in, whatever warmth there had been, it seemed was no longer apparent and he could feel a headache coming on.

“I’ll keep you warm, don’t worry.” The words were whispered into his ear, he could feel Thranduil’s hot breath ghosting over the shell of his ear and the vibrations of his words jostled Bard’s already frayed nerves to near breaking point.

As luck would have it, a store employee was hunting down customers and handing out blankets still in their packaging.

“You two look cosy, but this should help, too.” She was young, early twenties if that. Her cheery demeanour didn’t quite fit the predicament they were in, but it was nice to see that a snowstorm wasn’t dampening her smile.

She didn’t stick around, she had a cart full of blankets she had to distribute, all the while wearing one as a cape as she went.

Bard wasted no time in pulling the soft grey blanket out of its packaging wrapping it around him to ward off the chill, he watched as Thranduil did the same and was genuinely grateful when Thranduil plastered himself against Bard’s side again.

Heat was heat, even if it was the body heat of a particularly amorous man who looked like an angel. When he thought about it, knowing someone harboured obvious affection for him was nice.

New, but nice.

Before he knew it, the girl from earlier was shaking them both awake holding a torch, the bright beam blasting against the floor so as to not blind the both of them in the now pitch-dark sofa department.

“If you’d both rather sleep in a bed I can take you over there now, come on. Everyone else is already over there and the more people in one space the warmer it will be. There’s a small generator nearby too, we have a kettle if you want tea or coffee.” The idea of a bed was delightful and both Thranduil both murmured their sleep thanks as they stood up from the sofa.

“I don’t know about you, but at my age sleeping on a sofa in the cold is not a kind way to treat the body. I ache in the most atrocious way.” Thranduil griped as he collected his coat and scarf, Bard gave him a consolatory pat on the arm hoping it came across as sympathetic in the dark.

“Right there with you,” Bard responded, his hand dropped to his side, fingers accidentally brushing Thranduil’s, who saw the chance to grasp his hand in his. The lack of light other than a torch beam a few steps ahead of them a perfect cover to hide any embarrassment at the gentle touch.

It was such a soft gesture, endearing and sincere. More than Bard had experienced since his divorce, while amicable, it didn’t hurt any less.

But this man was actively pursuing him, in his heart he knew this was moving fast but it didn’t mean he would wish for it to slow down. Of course, he was confused but the excitement was overriding his common sense a little bit, whatever would come of this he couldn’t tell but it was thrilling.

There were several people already bundled up in the show beds, shoes and boots neatly set on the floor beside their coats, some giggling at the absurdity of it all while others looked worried, if not a little scared.

The young girl led Bard and Thranduil to a king-size bed mentioning under her breath that ‘Blondie needed room for his legs’ before smiling at them both and wandering off to assist others with their queries.

Of course, she had assumed they were together. She’d found them bundled up asleep under blankets almost glued at the hip and he really didn’t want the ordeal of having to ask her for his own bed.

It was one night, one night, fully clothed and in a room full of other people, nothing would happen and they couldn’t talk privately with beds set out barely a metre apart. It wasn’t that he felt unsafe or that he thought Thranduil might do something untoward but sharing a bed with him even unromantically… platonically, was fast fast.

Speed of light fast, he didn’t know this man’s last name, where he lived, what kind of car he drove, his favourite food… all he knew was that they were similar in age and were basically alone.

I’m overthinking this. We’re just going to sleep; I was fine sleeping on a sofa right next to him. I was happy to have him hold my hand…

It wasn’t until Thranduil reached out and nudged him that he realised he was being spoken to and wasn’t listening to a word that was said. Sheepishly he looked to Thranduil in the meagre light of one singular lamp that was situated at the edge of the display beds and offered an apologetic smile.

“Would you like me to find somewhere else to sleep?” Serious tone, his face set with determination, but Bard wasn’t sure what it was Thranduil was hoping to achieve. If he was trying to make him feel more comfortable it was working but the idea of sleeping alone when he had the chance not to was what forced him to respond.

“No, you don’t need to do that.” Bard turns away from him to sit on the bed and slip off his boots, placing them under the bed along with his coat. He feels the bed behind him dip as Thranduil moves to do the same.

“Sleeping together and we haven’t even had a first date, how scandalous.” Thranduil teased, though he still had his back to Bard as he spoke. An older lady in the bed next to them let out a chuckle and it managed to put Bard at ease, he locked eyes with her, and she gave him a wink.

Standing up he threw the covers back on his side of the bed and climbed in, but he didn’t lie down, he didn’t want to really commit to sleep until Thranduil was also beside him and comfortable.

It didn’t make any difference if Thranduil slept before him or not and he couldn’t explain to himself mentally why he was waiting for the blond and yet he did.

Thranduil was having a whispered conversation with someone in the bed across from him, but the conversation ended when Bard put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently to get his attention.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, you cannot sleep without me already, hmm?” Another tease from him and even in the limited light Bard could see his triumphant smile.

When they both settled in bed, Bard was surprised to notice that Thranduil had not plastered himself against him but did welcome the space. Still, he wanted to speak to Thranduil before they tried to get some sleep.

Rolling onto his side he came face to face with him and he sighed before actively readying himself for what he was about to ask.

“Thran, can I call you Thran?” Stalling but when Thranduil nodded he continued, as his eyes adjusted to the dark he could see he held the other’s rapt attention. “How long have you been single?” He tried to whisper the question as quietly as he could and he knew Thranduil had heard it because he stiffened before rolling onto his back remaining silent for some time.

Eventually, he rolled back onto his side, his hand sliding over the space between them reaching for Bard’s hand.

“I know you’re worried about my intense interest in you, I understand it. You are right to be cautious, we know virtually nothing about one another.” His voice sounded so inviting even in a whisper, but his voice was so deep Bard had to move in closer just to hear him properly.

“This is a unique situation, I don’t think I’ve ever been snowed in in an IKEA before and I doubt I will again for the rest of my life, but this is advantageous a blessing in disguise. Would we have met if not for the snowstorm?”

We wouldn’t have met if Bain hadn’t decided to People’s Elbow the damn coffee table. But Bard didn’t say that Thranduil didn’t need to know that ancient re-runs of WWE were the cause of their meeting.

“The moment I realised I was interested in you I knew I couldn’t let you slip away. I was already so annoyed when I thought you’d already left. When you showed up at my side at the empty checkout I was beside myself. I wanted to make the time count, I made sure that we had a chance to talk again and when you so easily went along with it… I knew I had to trust my attraction to lead the way.” How earnest he was in admitting all of this, knowing how strange it was to feel as he did with so little provocation.

They both understood there needed to be far more put into whatever it was they were doing, this wasn’t going to be a fated lovers thing, even if that was how it felt right at that moment. In the morning they would part ways and it was up to them to work out how to deal with their strange evening and how far they were willing to go to make things work.

Even if Bard felt somewhat like a defeatist in thinking it would die out as soon as they stepped out of the store, he was willing to try. He was willing if Thranduil was, and it was apparent to him that Thranduil would put the effort in.

At least, he hoped he would. This gave Bard pause because he was just as eager to continue seeing Thranduil in any capacity. Would he regret it if he never spoke to him again?

This time he did not allow his brain to offer up an answer.

“Let’s talk about this in the morning, I don’t think I can keep whispering like this.” Bard gave Thranduil’s hand a squeeze and he smiled when it was returned.

Nothing else was said between them and it wasn’t long before Bard could hear Thranduil’s breathing slow signalling the man was already asleep.

In the morning, Bard woke with a start trying to work out where he was and who was lying in the bed next to him. The memories of the day before came flooding back and he covered his face with both hands sighing heavily.

Yesterday had been a lot.

Today would be more so.

It was then he realised the lights were now on. Power had been restored and people were getting out of their beds cheerily chattering away pulling on shoes and scouting the area for staff.

It wasn’t until they were alone that Thranduil opened his eyes, his hair was tousled from sleep, and when he mumbled a ‘good morning’ it was so deep it came out more like a rumble of thunder leaving Bard to scramble mentally to gather up his senses once again to return the greeting.

“You’re the last one up, sleepyhead.” Bard joked as he grabbed the blanket and threw back exposing Thranduil to the cold. In response to such callous behaviour, Thranduil groaned like he’d been stabbed before grabbing Bard by the front of his t-shirt pulling him down on top of him and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“I consider this repayment for such hideous behaviour after I kept you warm all night.”

“Excuse you, but I was the one that kept you warm all night, not the other way around.” In a bid to keep himself from short circuiting, he had to volley right off Thranduil’s words because if he allowed himself to think of the kiss for a mere second he would probably explode.

I cannot believe I was about to lose my mind over a peck on the cheek. Get yourself together, Bard, mate.

“Let’s not start discourse of who kept who warm, instead let’s get coffee and breakfast and get the fuck out of this place. I’ve had no phone service all this time and I am sure someone is going to report me missing if I do not get in touch with the outside world.

My company are going to assume I’ve died.” Business like but he was smiling, thoroughly pleased with himself for the cheek kiss, probably.

They were not released from the yellow and blue prison until lunchtime and by that time Bard was willing to dig the place out himself. He wanted a shower, clean clothes and his own comfortable sofa and TV.

The time to decompress was a necessity, he needed time to overthink every single interaction he’d had with Thranduil, from the moment they met to the very moment he handed over his contact number before rushing off to his own car while on a conference call with his children and vice president of his company all who sounded as though they were wailing into his ear with relief.

With his replacement table securely in the back seat, and after having the car running with the heat blasting for 15 minutes, Bard made his own way home.

His house was blessedly empty, upon his return home. It was the first time in years he was pleased to have only the sound of silence in every corner. In a matter of minutes, Bard had the thermostat cranked up, his coat off and boots kicked into the hallway.

He had an important meeting with the sofa he couldn’t miss and probably a fair few calls to make to confirm he was not dead, he was ok and ‘You wouldn’t believe what happened last night’.

As he unlocked his phone, the first message to come through was an unsaved number, opening it up he realised who it was from almost immediately.

I wanted so badly to kiss you properly this morning, but we have time for that. See you at Christmas. T x