#we'll say it was

[fdrsamericanflagduckfloaty]

Observing John Adams.

yoyo this is for my amrev/1776 followers bc i've fallen off the tracks and i felt like writing tumblr fanfic at 4:30am on a school night

getting less than 3 hours of sleep >>>

Ben observes more than people think. Of course, being an innovator, a scientist, you need to observe. And he does. He just observes more than graphs and scientifical combinations. He observes people. Not just women, but also people like John Adams.

Grim, and dark, and black-haired, the man is like a raven. And that's what he is. Ben finds it funny. A squawking raven in Congress, loud and clear. Always on the move. Flapping its wings everywhere and never letting up because why would it? Why would it stop when there's so much to do?

At least, that's what Ben thinks as he watches John. They had to share a bed, and he was going to make the most of it by telling John all about his scientific notes about air and weather and hot and cold. Besides, opening the window was a better idea. But at some point during, John fell asleep. John always fell asleep during his nighttime rants. Ben didn't blame him, really: as much as he wanted to he knows he would've too. He knows. And he knows that John should stop, should take a break, should sleep. Should just stop moving.

But that's not in the Adams blood. To stop. No. John is a non-stop, moving force, always full of adrenaline and shouting and making motions. He can't stop, because he won't. Because there's so much more to do than what a day can offer, or a night for that matter. Because he has to move. If he stops, then what is he doing? He's never still. Always kinetic energy bounding across the room and zipping and flapping his lips as if everyone is paying attention. And almost nobody is half the time--but Ben, but Dickinson, but occasionally Tom. So he continues. He continues because he wants to. Has to. Needs to.

Ben looks up at the ceiling.

He's the same, actually. He'll admit.

Ben isn't always constant. He isn't. He takes his naps and he takes his breaks, but he can be a moving force when he wants. And that is the difference between them; Ben is a mover when he wants, John moves because he has to. It's not productive to stop for too long, it's not productive to take long naps, so in John's mind he needs to do something to be useful.

Ben would rather sleep like an old cat in Congress. But he has his moments too, when his brain is electric with thoughts and wonders and observations. Would it be too hot to make this? Or would it be too stale in the air for this to work? Or this? Or this? He has those moments. But it's expected from him--he does science, and John doesn't. He makes things, and John doesn't. Well, John does, but in a different way.

He looks at John again.

He also knows the man's lack of war experience eats at him like a spider to a bug.

Benjamin knows that John will always wonder why he wasn't asked. Why he wasn't asked to volunteer for the war. He'll wonder that all the way until he's Ben's age and older, with (admittedly) half as many diseases, with glasses and white stringy hair. A cane, maybe. It'd be a funny picture. The always-on-the-move John Adams, limping on a cane. Ben knows that's one of the things John can't live with. Not being useful in all ways. He'll always wonder: was he unavailable? Did he not fit the bill? Was he too short? Too tall? Too weak? John isn't weak, but he's not a unit either.

But personally, Ben doesn't think it's as important, really. All men around John's age and younger believe war experience and military service is the most important thing, above all else. Above education, above wealth, above family and other achievements. And maybe it is. To them, at least. In their age. Ben can't be bothered. He has gout as well. He'd be shot in an instant, maybe eaten if the Redcoats ran out of food.

He can tell John will always think of it, and he can tell John will not stop thinking of it. So he turns, slightly, to the man.

"John." he lightly pokes him. "John."

John Adams rolls over, squinting. It's dark. Truthfully Ben can barely see him; he doesn't have his glasses on. "What, Franklin?"

"Do you ever wonder where you'd be if you had war experience?"

John rolls his eyes. Or Ben thinks he does. Again, he can't really see him. "No. Now let me go back to sleep, and you, sleep in the first place, Franklin," then he rolls back over and is likely asleep the second he's facing the wall again.

Ben looks up at the ceiling. He can tell a lie when he hears one. He knows exactly what a lie is like from the man's mouth, and he'd just heard one. John isn't as fooling as he thinks. But he won't bring it up again, because he knows John wants to sleep. And maybe he should too. He can bring it up later, when they're energized and John is moving like lightning around the Congress room. Or maybe when there's a dull in conversation. Maybe then. And he thinks for a minute, because it's still hot, even with the window open.

Could he construct something that cools the air down, by rotation? Like the wheel, but better. Not wood. Steel perhaps? Could he construct something that rotates the air and in turn cycles it, cooling someone down with the air repeatedly hitting them, like a version of the wheel but for air? Like a windmill. But smaller. More compact, made for everyday use, or special occasions.

He spares one last look at John. Still. Dark. Grim. A sleeping raven. This is rare, to see him so... still. Less motion. And Ben is glad, because his friend needs it.

Until the morning, where John is insistently poking him awake.

"Franklin, Franklin, get up Franklin, I'm not letting you oversleep."

And then maybe he wishes John could fly out the window for an hour longer.

[spirk-trek]

I ALMOST SPIT OUT MY DRINK HE REALLY WENT "aww... anyway bye!"

[egophiliac]

low-poly Floyd is my new favorite thing

non-animated:

[tennant-davids]

9-1-1 Evan 'Buck' Buckley | Bisexual Visibility Month

Yeah, okay, I was on a date with a guy - again, not really the point. It could be very much the point.

[batfamhastwitter]

Part 13! Happy birthday to Jay and Alf!

Prev ~ Beginning ~ Next

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

I know those eyes.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[trueloveistreacherous]

@pscentral event 30: friendship Jacob and I came in together last year with twenty other teachers. We're two of the three left. So...trauma bonding, I guess? (in/sp)

[zeezu-ix]

teehee

[koipalm]

It's been difficult meeting Akechi’s eye lately. It's been more so meeting his own in the mirror every morning.

fanart for L'appel du vide by Xov

[disgracefulthings]

Hungover Lan Wangji: ughhh, what happened...?

Wei Wuxian: Wow, drunk Lan Zhan is an entirely different person

Lan Wangji: ...what did I do?

Wei Wuxian: Well, after having a sip of alcohol and passing out, you woke up and tried to steal some chickens

Lan Wangji: Oh god

Wei Wuxian: Then you confessed your undying love for me and told me I am not allowed to kiss anyone but you

Lan Wangji covering his face: Oh no

Wei Wuxian: Then you got us married and adopted an orphan

Lan Wangji: That explains the child

Wei Wuxian: His name is A-Yuan. Then you brought us back to the Jinshi and passed out again

Lan Wangji: Why did you let me do those things?

Wei Wuxian: I was also very drunk

[theusernameiwantisntavailable]

Slightly late to the party, but happy Timberniversery and also Tim-bi day!!!

[seochangbingifs]

ATE (2024) 13/∞: Changbin and Jisung in SKZ-TALKER Ep.65

[guardian-angle22]

This or That: Tarlos Edition -> Babe or Baby

[egophiliac]

:) hello! :D hope you have a nice day and absolutely do not think of the possibility of one of the last story cards being of silver! and that his groovy will very probably be crying!!! THERE'S SO MANY CRYING PEOPLE IN STORY CARDS LATELY!!! SPECIALLY LIGHT USERS!! I AM!!! SCARED!!!! bc so far we got Lilia and Sebek in the beginning book 7.... so at the end.... so we're missing story Silver... and Malleus is the one with less cards, so they might add one for him... but... the tears... ego.... THE TEARS!!!! EGOOOO!! (LOVE YOUR ART BTW EVERYTIME I GET A NOTIF FROM YOUR BLOG I RUN HERE TO SEE!)

(thank you! 💚💜💚)

YES I am ALSO like...90-95% convinced that we're going to be getting a story card for Silver once we wrap around back to diasomnia. 👀 especially because the way things are going, Silver will be the only character whose dream we haven't seen -- yet???? -- and that just. y'know. makes me wonder!

although I do think it would be VERY funny if he got a story card and the groovy was just "regular Silver except with one beautiful single crystal tear". this is actually a lot coming from him.

(he used up all his emotion yelling at a baby that one time, there's none left for a proper groovy-level cry.)

[toqiuh]

“We were in love.”

[verstappentime]

my coworker, who is turning 50, said the best thing to me today..... he was talking about how he remembers when lewis was the first driver to really be a "celebrity" and get in on the fashion trends, celeb girlfriends, met gala, etc etc. and i'm thinking he's gonna say something uncool abt the young drivers or something but then he goes "and i'm just so glad that this new generation of drivers are all..... really weird." and he is so right. they are so weird and it rocks