#what do you mean its Arkansas!?

[kingratclown]

Cologne bologna

[thewordswewrite]

Be My Guest

Pairing | Kate Carter x Tyler Owens

Summary | One time Tyler stays in Kate’s guest room and one time she stays in his

Warnings | discussions of trauma/injury associated with storm chasing, SMUT 18+

W/C | 6.6k

A/N | We wanted to hop into the Twisters fandom before it took ao3 by storm and this is *so far* what we've come up with. So...if you feel it... -smoe <33

AO3 | Link

Donations | Link 

Hers

She came home for safety, familiarity, to find her way forward but instead, she found herself more lost than when she’d arrived. 

It was only supposed to be a week. Sure, Kate thought it would be difficult to be back in the field but she hadn’t anticipated this. She hadn’t anticipated him. It shouldn’t matter. She had a job in New York, a life, a stable, safe job, her own apartment–everything she needed. But was it everything she wanted? 

What Tyler had said crossed a line but that didn’t mean it wasn’t the truth. It was just something she probably already knew, deep down, and hadn’t wanted to accept. She was running away from the storm but she should know better than most that it would always catch up.

With an aggravated sweep of her arm, all of her past research was on the floor, pages floating around her before finding a place to land. She almost immediately regretted the mess but it had felt good. For the last five years, she’s avoided risk but now it almost feels hypocritical to say that she misses it.

Kate bent to gather the papers but only grabbed a few before stopping at her Cloud Physics notebook which had fallen open to a familiar page. She sat down in front of it and traced the impressions of her writing on the pages. It was too much to retrace her steps, to consider what had gone wrong. She needed to get out of her head and she couldn’t do that without getting out of this damn barn.

She knocked lightly on the kitchen door so as not to startle her mom. Being an adult, Kate felt an aversion to putting these things on her mom. Her mother had always been supportive, even when knowing her daughter’s passion was actively putting her in danger. Maybe she just didn’t want her mom to repeat the same sentiments as Tyler but she also knew she wasn’t about to come to any decision without some guidance. Just like seeing her middle school science project again, she felt like a child standing in the kitchen.

“Kate?”

“Yeah, it’s just me.” She sighed and pulled out the chair at the dining table that had always belonged to her. The smell of whatever her mother was stirring made her stomach grumble. “Where’s Tyler?”

“Oh, he drove pretty far so he’s getting cleaned up.” Kate could tell her mom was trying to sound uninterested, maybe for her sake but still she asked, “What’s his story anyway?”

“He’s just some internet star from Arkansas,” She explained, picking at a stain on the table. For a moment she thought about leaving it at that but the fire he had lit in the barn was still burning inside her. Sardonically, she added, “He’s made a living as a so-called ‘Tornado Wrangler’ but so far he’s only shot some fireworks into a cyclone and nearly killed the reporter signed on to cover him and his team.”

Her mom chuckled and replied, “Sounds like a man looking for a thrill to me.”

Again, she felt like a child relaying the latest gossip from the schoolyard but she couldn’t help but continue.

“And his whole team is this ragtag group of people who’ve never been to school for this either!”

“I see.”

“I mean sure he’s studied meteorology but they could get seriously hurt.” Kate had busied herself by fiddling with a napkin she’d pulled from the homemade holder. The shreds of it were getting smaller and smaller.  “They’re no professionals.”

Her mom hummed, acknowledging her annoyance but countered with, “Well he doesn’t seem too bad to me, he did drive all the way here.” Although her mother graciously spared her the ‘for you’ that they both knew completed that thought, she felt its weight. It was easier to make him seem unlikeable than tell her mom that it was her that was in the wrong.

“You’d believe me if you saw the shirts he sells, his face all sprawled across them.” Kate laughed, thinking of the cheesy slogans. It wasn’t lost on her that she had assumed the worst of him. She thought back to what Lily had said and felt ashamed. “Though,” She conceded, “the money does pay for food for the aftermath survivors. They were handing it  out at the last town we were in after the tornado hit.”

“Not all bad then?” Her mother turned fully to face her and Kate knew her teasing expression said all she needed to know.

“I guess not.”

_ _ _

Dinner had been passable, if not enjoyable. Kate had figured it would be awkward, that the dynamic between her and her mom would be offset by Tyler’s presence but it had flowed easily. The only gripe she had was that her mother had gone over her head to invite him to stay the night. In her ideal world, she would’ve ushered him out right after dinner saying a quick thanks for his concern but sending him on his way knowing that she’d never have an obligation to speak to him again. 

Tyler had, of course, helped her mom with the dishes, leaving her to watch awkwardly so as not to take up unnecessary space in the small kitchen. She’d shot him a tight smile as he’d excused himself to his room for the night. 

“Well,” Her mom said from the doorway, “I’m off to bed. Shut the lights, will you?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she made her way past the living room to her bedroom. 

Kate tapped her fingers sporadically against the table, the sound echoing in the quiet house. She hadn’t been fully present for dinner. Every time she looked at Tyler she could only think about what she was doing wrong, what she was missing. As much as she resented the fact, there was no way she could make peace with the past couple of days if she didn’t get in another word with him.

She flipped the last of the switches off and made her way up the stairs, avoiding the ones she knew were extra creaky. At the landing, Kate considered just going to her bedroom but her feet kept their integrity and trudged her towards the guest room.

Her hand was poised to knock when the door opened.

“Kate?” The sound of his voice combined with the unexpected image made her jump. Whatever she had been prepared to say had left with her surprise but Tyler was already speaking again.  “Listen, what I said in the barn was out of line I shouldn’t have–”

“No you shouldn’t have…but you weren’t wrong either.”

Stepping back, he opened the door a bit more and though it wasn’t quite an invitation. It was a line she wasn’t sure she wanted to cross with his apology and her admittance the gist of what she’d hoped for. She promised herself that if he didn’t try to say anything else, she’d just turn around and walk away. He bit his lip, seeming to wrestle with something the same way she was.

“What’s the story behind you and Javi?” The question surprised her and she felt a vague excitement about his interest or rather the fact that he was interested at all. But the story itself was not something she was sure she could share.

“We met in college, he was friends with my…my boyfriend at the time.”

Tyler’s eyebrow raised in a silent question before he said, “And your boyfriend he was…”

She couldn’t stand in the hallway any longer where she was fully open to his scrutiny whether the story inspired pity or something else. Kate stepped past him into the room and started to explain,

“He was in the accident, along with two of my best friends.” She folded her arms across her chest, in a way trying to shield herself from the memories. “We were testing the polymer on what we thought was an EF1 but–”

“It was an EF5.” She nodded and his lips shifted into a sympathetic frown. Kate sat on the edge of the bed so that she didn’t have to face him head on.

She continued with, “So, I quit school and packed up to New York. Javi went back to Miami but because of the outbreak he thought he could use a second pair of eyes and invited me on.” From her peripheral, she could see the way he nodded along as she spoke, the genuine compassion still written in his features. She shrugged, unwilling to allow herself to feel the extent of the situation and the memories in front of him, “None of it matters though, I’ll be back in the city by the end of the week anyway.”

“You mean you’re giving up?” Tyler asked like it was somehow a personal affront to him or some greater injustice. Kate wasn’t sure what he cared. They’d only just met and he didn’t know her, not really. 

“I’m not giving up. I can’t live like this again, risking my life every day.”

“Because of the accident?” The way he said it, like it was only a passing moment and not something that monumentally changed not only her life but her, made her response sharp. 

“Yes, because of the accident.” 

He was unshaken by her hostility and placed a hand lightly on top of hers where it sat between them on the bed.

“Kate, I’ve seen people get hurt too, I’ve–” She couldn’t listen to this, couldn’t have him reduce her experience by comparison. If he thought this was the way to change her mind, he was sorely mistaken.

“Yeah, Tyler, well I got hurt. I watched people die, and I’ll bear those scars for the rest of my life.” Her body filled with tension of the memory as her breath began to quicken. She let the anger take over, the simplicity of it easier than the complicated truth. “I don't know why I even–”

 “Hold on–Kate!”

Kate could feel the air his failed reach created as he tried to grab her wrist to stop her. She was fast though, spurred on by the singular goal of getting the hell away from him. When she made it to the threshold of her room, she moved to shut the door. It almost slammed fully closed but groaned as the wood crashed into the foot he’d managed to snake in.

“Go to bed,” She demanded.

“So what, you’re going to help Javi line the pockets of Riggs for the rest of the week? The real estate shark that's directly profiting off the suffering of these people?” It seemed he couldn’t help, was adept at, pushing her buttons. If she were any bolder, she’d have already struck the self-righteous expression off his face.

“I didn’t know about that, I would have never–these are my people but this isn’t the way, the polymer didn’t work and people died because of it.”

“More will too, but only if you don’t do anything.” He tried to reach for her again but she shrugged away, “It could work. Together we could do this.” Tyler’s expression was pleading, his eyes urging her to make the right decision.

“Goodnight, Tyler.”

His

The flight was thankfully uneventful and much easier than her last flight to Oklahoma when she’d been dreading the very idea of her return. There were still memories that haunted the place she called home but now she could rest assured that they weren’t losses for nothing and that she may very well be able to save someone, hopefully many someones, from the same suffering she had endured for years.

Kate dragged her suitcases through the airport and the bustle of people coming and going made her feel oddly comforted. New York was easy to get lost in and for the time, it was exactly what she needed. But it had only ever been a place she ran away to and after a while she was running too fast to ever see it for what it was. Here, in Oklahoma, she was home.

She made her way out to the pickup lanes and was met with a calm blue sky, one that she knew–or maybe even hoped–wouldn’t last. At the five-minute mark, Kate was unbothered. By ten, she considered concern. By twenty, she was on the phone. It took three calls getting sent to voicemail before her mother picked up on the fourth.

“Hey, are you alright?” She tried not to sound too concerned but it wasn’t like her mother to forget an obligation or to not pick up the phone. 

“Oh, sunshine, I’m fine. It’s my truck that’s acting up,” Her mom replied. “I was on the road already when it decided to quit on me. I’m not sure how long repairs are going to take. You want me to call someone for you?” Kate sighed, more relieved by her mother’s well-being than bothered by the situation.

“No, don’t worry about it,” She answered, “As much as you don’t like it, I am a big girl. I can take care of it.”

“I know you can, baby. Don’t worry about making it here tonight, just take care of yourself.”

They exchanged ‘I love you’s before it sunk in that actually did have to take care of it. She found herself a spot on a nearby bench and tucked her luggage in beside her. Scrolling through her contacts, her thumb hovered over Javi before something urged her to keep going. Kate wasn’t sure if this was a bad idea but lately, she could handle a little risk.

“Hello?” She bit her lip, knowing this was her last chance to turn back. Still, he might not even be around or available to get her.

“Hey, Tyler?”

“Uh, yeah?” His voice was in performance mode, his uncertainty no match to his inherent charisma. Kate found herself filled with an urgent hope.

“It's Kate, Kate Carter.”

“Kate!” She could hear the smile in his voice. It was the first time she’d called him since he gave her his number and she was just beginning to regret not using it sooner. “What uh…what's going on?”

Her stomach flipped at the realization that she had to explain herself, that she wasn’t just calling him. Oh god, was this a mistake? Kate had thought there was something there when they were saying goodbye but maybe this was pushing it.  

“Are you in Oklahoma by any chance?”

“I am actually,” Tyler replied before he, with a hopeful tone, asked, “Are you here?”

“Do you think you could pick me up from the airport?” She fought the urge to cross her fingers like a little girl. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if she had to call Javi but she couldn’t help but want to see where this path led.

“Of course!” Her chest tightened, a mix between excitement and worry. “Is everything alright with your mom?” Kate’s cheeks flushed, touched by his concern. 

“Yeah–truck just wasn’t starting, don’t worry,” She said, hoping she sounded nonchalant.

“Alright then, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” In the background, Kate could hear his keys jingling already and she smiled to herself.

“Thanks so much. Bye.”

_ _ _

Kate had been inside, sitting at a cafe when her phone buzzed in her pocket, Tyler letting her know that he’d made it. She tossed out her empty coffee cup before regathering her things and taking a deep breath. If she was being honest with herself, she was excited to see him but she didn’t want to endure the inevitable teasing she’d be subject to should she seem too eager to be in his presence.

The sliding doors opened and it took her a minute to spot the familiar red truck. Her eyes followed the path to where Tyler was busy basking in the attention of an adoring fan. What more could she expect?

“And did you want this signed cause I could definitely sign this for you.”

He didn’t notice as she siddled up, even with the rumble of her suitcases on the concrete. She shook her head at the display of his ‘Tornado Wrangler’ persona and thought better than to let him off the hook.

With the exaggerated voice of a dedicated fan, she implored, “Oh my goodness! Is that Tyler Owens? I am your biggest fan!”

“That’s me darlin’, what can I do for–Kate.” He cleared his throat and straightened out his posture, putting on the real Tyler at the sight of her. Kate bit her lip, sparing him the laugh that threatened to escape her.

“Tyler,” She said, “You look good.”

“Well, I feel good.” Tyler stood with his hands on his hips, the two of them alone now and it seemed neither of them knew just what to say. She laughed at his remark and began to heave her luggage into the bed. Before she could lift the larger of the two bags, Tyler was stopping her with a hand on her wrist. Kate looked up at him, confused. 

“Don’t make me make you get in the truck.” She glared at him, gauging whether or not he was serious. He only matched her expression. “Get in the truck,” Tyler repeated.

Kate rolled her eyes and climbed into the passenger seat. She couldn’t help but lean over toward the shift, running her fingers across the buttons. Her pointer finger landed on the tape labeled, ‘Kate’s Barrels’ and traced over his writing. When the driver's door opened, she jumped at the movement and tore her hand away. 

“Headed to your mom’s?” Tyler asked, fingers tapping a rhythm onto the wheel.

“Uh, no actually just any motel close would be good. Home’s a bit far and the flight was long. I just want to go to bed.” She reminded herself that that was the only reason.

“I’m close,” He told her. Since when was he close? “I mean you could stay in my guest room and I could take you back to Sapulpa in the morning?” The idea sounded as equally dangerous as it was appealing. With a motel, she was in control of the situation but his place? There was no knowing.

Clearing her throat she answered, “That…sounds fine.”

Tyler tipped his hat toward her and then he was making his way out of the parking spot. For a little while, they sat in comfortable silence, the radio filling the empty space between them. Once they were outside the city, it was comforting to watch as farmland made up her view. The word rattled in her head again. Home.

“So, how did it end up going with the investors?” He asked. “Good, I assume since you’re back in Oklahoma.” Kate couldn’t help but smile knowing well enough already how happy he’d be to hear. Not to mention how happy she was to achieve something she’d been chasing since the possibility entered her mind.

“Yeah, it went very well actually. We uh–we got a lot of people interested and the offers were so good…I quit my job and sold the apartment. I’m back, back.”

Tyler’s smile grew to a million watts as he exclaimed, “Kate! That’s amazing!”

“Thank you, we’re really excited.” She thought she saw his grin falter a bit but she couldn’t pin down why. Still, after a moment he let out a whoop, honking the horn at the expense of the car in front of them. Kate laughed, placing her hand over his to keep him from doing it again.

“So, where you planning on living? With Javi?”

“Actually I’m not sure yet. Javi has this new girlfriend from back in Miami and they’re pretty wrapped up in each other.” His eyebrows raised and she continued, “My mom's kind of out of the way too. Plus, she’s thinking of selling since seed prices just keep going up. Says she’s sick of the weather.”

Tyler’s jaw went slack, exaggerating his shock. “Sick of the–Sick of the weather?”

“What can I say, she doesn’t appreciate the beauty of the storm.” Kate sighed theatrically. Her hand went to her forehead in a ‘woe is me’ gesture. He chuckled, punching her playfully in the arm.

“On the topic of prices though, she is right.” Tyler sighed as he turned onto a new street.  “That’s why I bought land and started from the ground up.”

“Land?” She repeated. It hadn’t been that long that she’d been gone. When and more so why had he decided to put down roots and outside of Arkansas for that matter.

“Yes, ma’am.” His mouth quirked up in a prideful smirk.

“And here I thought I’d be sharing some shitty motel room.”

They pulled into a long dirt driveway, the grass surrounding it still young. While the house was clearly new, the style had a nostalgic feel to it. It was painted a fresh shade of cream and the white wrap-around porch just screamed summer nights. If she didn’t know better she’d think she was going to visit some sweet old lady.

“Here we are, home sweet home.”

Tyler opened her door for her like a proper gentleman and she stepped out into pleasant fresh air. The whole thing was picturesque. Kate supposed she shouldn’t really be surprised considering she didn’t really know his tastes but the whole thing surprised her nonetheless. 

She followed Tyler through the front door as he carried her bags inside. The interior was just as sweet as the exterior had been but Kate could see the signs that were uniquely him. There were various piles and pieces of gear strewn about that she recognized from having filled her mother’s house with. Even with the classic style, the appliances and layout were tastefully modern. She was impressed.

Kate stepped into the kitchen which seemed to be the most lived-in room. There were pictures of the Wranglers and what she assumed was his family stuck to the fridge. Her eyes drifted to a bulletin board hung up next to it and tacked up in the center of it was a page ripped out of their article from Ben, one with a picture of her. She could feel her cheeks flush even with him still in the other room. Though she wanted to, Kate knew she wouldn’t mention it.

“You hungry?” She jumped at the sound of Tyler’s voice.

“No, I couldn’t–” The same look that urged her to ‘get in the truck’ painted his face and she reconsidered her answer. “Starved.”

Tyler seemed satisfied. He pulled out a seat at the kitchen island where she could have a clear view of him whipping something together. The whole thing felt unnervingly domestic but she enjoyed it all the same.

“This place is really nice, Tyler,” Kate said. Gesturing toward his tricked-out home office–that was maybe a little too nice for a YouTube star–she pointed out, “Got a nice setup too.”

“Yeah, the team has pretty much paired off and they live here and there but we come back for a warm meal more often than not.”

“Not you though?” It had crossed her mind that maybe the sudden home ownership had been a response to some sort of serious relationship. She tried to sound casual since it wasn’t really any of her business.

Tyler smiled and shrugged. “Nah, a fearless leader has to hold down the fort.” Kate rolled her eyes and laughed at his cockiness. It was better knowing that it didn’t run deep. She thought better than to push it but still, she wanted to know what this whole thing was for.

“No, but seriously, why a house?”

“Oklahoma is the past, present and future of tornadoes. That’s no secret,” He replied like it was some well-known slogan. Yeah, the outbreak they experienced had put Oklahoma back on the map but Tornado Alley spanned a wide area, including Arkansas. 

“How do you figure?”

“Well you’re here, aren’t you?” Her stomach sank, trying to decipher the meaning behind what he said. His focus was trained on the pot in front of him like what he’d said was no big deal. What was she supposed to say to that?

Without an answer, Tyler clarified, “You’ve got better instinct than anyone I’ve ever met, better than any Doppler too.”

He’d turned to her and winked in her continued silence. Kate nodded with a smile like it was casual to her too. She shifted under his intense gaze and thought it was an apt time to break the tension with something she’d been tossing around in her mind. He laid a plate of spaghetti in front of her before sitting down himself. She cleared her throat.

“I was going to wait to bring this up but…I was wondering if you would consider being partners.”

“Really?” The excitement on his face was genuine and Kate could see the surprise too. It made her feel secure in her decision. 

“Javi and I both have stakes in it but he’s avoiding the field as much as he can right now. He’s got the business side under control but, like I said, he’s got someone at home who’d prefer he didn’t get blown away.”

Tyler stayed practically frozen in place. Maybe she’d overstepped her bounds after all. She could tell herself all she wanted that she wouldn’t be hurt if he didn’t want to partner with her but that didn’t make it the truth. 

“What do you say, me and you?” Kate asked, bracing for his answer.

“You and me,” Tyler replied genuinely and with what she hoped was a hint of awe.

They ate silently, half from hunger and half in consideration of their future. As much as Kate didn’t want to admit it, there were other questions lingering between them. When her plate was cleared, he insisted on taking care of the simple cleanup himself leaving Kate to sit idly at the kitchen table, unable to get anywhere else without his direction anyway.

With the dishes washed, Tyler turned his attention back to her but it seemed he had just as much of an idea of how to proceed as she did.

“So, uh…” She began, uncertain where she was going.

“I bet you probably want to get cleaned up. There’s an en suite in the guest room.”

“Yeah, great.” As much as she wanted to bolt, Kate got up from the table slowly as if she were as calm as could be. Still, she didn’t wait for any instructions as to where to go. She didn’t turn back to look at him as she climbed the stairs, internally cursing herself for adding to the awkward atmosphere.

“First door on the right!” Tyler called after her because, of course, she hadn’t asked.

_ _ _

The warm water had been just what she needed, especially paired with the time away from Tyler to think. As much as there had been a sense of tension between them, her feelings had settled on contentment and maybe even excitement. They were partners now and they had plenty of time to figure everything and anything else out. They’d been through hell already and he would help her through it again.

She stepped out of the shower, her feet hitting the plush bath mat, and reached for a towel. Her hand grabbed only air. Upon further inspection, the towel rack was completely unoccupied. Shit.

“Um, Tyler?” Kate called. She waited a few minutes for his response and when it didn’t come she yelled louder. “Tyler!” She let out a breath when she heard his footsteps on the stairs.

“Yeah?” 

“There are no towels in here!”

“Shit. My bad, no one has used that bedroom yet,” Tyler explained. His feet were already causing the wood floor to creak when he assured, “I’ll grab you one, be right back.”

Kate couldn’t believe this was happening. There was a good chance that she’d expose herself in the exchange. She’d even left her clothes on the bed, choosing to strip before going to the bathroom.

A few minutes later there was a hesitant knock on the door.

“Here, I brought you a few. I don’t know what you prefer,” Tyler said.

She had to assume that he was smart enough not to look. He’d been nothing but polite after all. When she opened the door, his eyes were covered by the palm of his hand, and his other arm was extended out to her. Kate tried not to laugh at the look of him.

“Thanks.” 

Kate wrapped the largest towel around herself and used another to dry the excess moisture from her hair. She pulled the door back open, assuming he was gone but she was met with his figure, eyes still shielded. Nearly bumping right into him, she let out an involuntary sound something between a squeak and a groan. Tyler echoed the sound and quickly flipped his hand so he could see her. She had to assume that his subsequent turning around was motivated by her state of undress.

She didn’t know what else to do besides starting to dress. It seemed he wasn’t done talking to her just yet. After a moment, he spoke.

“Uh, Kate…I, uh, realized I didn’t say thank you just then for considering me.”

“Who else could I possibly consider?” She winced at her own words. By no means did Kate want to sound like she was unhappy, she just didn’t want to make it a big deal between them.

“Well, right, I guess there’s not many storm chasers to begin with and especially not ones who’ve studied meteorology.” Kate could hear the slight hurt in his voice even as he tried to tease and she couldn’t blame him. She’d said the wrong thing. She quickly finished pulling on her pajama pants so she could focus on the conversation before she said something else she regretted.

“Tyler,” She said softly. He still had his back considerately turned to her. Like a kid trying to pass notes in class, Kate tapped his shoulder to get his attention. Tyler smiled as he faced her and it gave her the boost she needed to say what she wanted.  “You’re the reason I’m doing this in the first place. You believed in me even when I didn’t. We’re going to be helping people and that’s because of you.”

He was shaking his head before she’d even finished.

“You can’t believe that, it's your polymer, your idea–”

She took a confident step forward, the action effectively shutting him up. The closer Kate got the more she angled up at him, his height towering over her. Her hand found its way to his jaw, cupping it gently, her thumb brushing over the stubble of his skin. Before she had the chance to close the distance, Tyler took his chance to capture her lips with his own.

It started slow, hesitant to the possibility of too much too fast but quickly gained momentum as they threw caution to the wind. It had been years since Kate had done this, never quite feeling able to move on from Jeb and the accident but now with a sense of closure and Tyler’s guiding hand she felt ready.

His mouth was eager as their kiss deepened, Tyler’s tongue painting the inside of her mouth, almost as if he was committing it to memory. Their heavy breaths filled the air and neither of them seemed willing to break the kiss as the minutes went on. It wasn’t until her fingers played at the hem of his shirt that he broke off, looking down at her through hooded eyes, his mouth swollen and flushed.

“Kate…”

The sight was too much and she couldn’t help but bring her lips back to his skin. They found purchase at his pulse point, kisses littering his neck as she made her intentions known to him with every touch.

Taking a step back, Tyler’s hands cradled her face and he searched her eyes, looking for what she wasn’t sure but when he seemed to find it a smile broke across his face. It was the same smile he sported every time the wind picked up and the radar lit up red: a man ready to face a challenge.

“You still wanna stay in my guest room?” He asked, though his joking town was limited by his heavy breathing. Kate knew he was teasing but he was just as eager as she was.

“If you keep up with that attitude I just might,” She replied, smiling ruefully.

“Honey,” Tyler beamed, “all I’ve got is attitude.”

A chuckle escaped her lips and his face turned from cocky to sincere before he leaned in to steal a kiss once more. His hands moved from her face to grasping her own as he led her to what she assumed was his room.

Kate struggled to keep up as he held his hands behind him for her to grasp. She held them awkwardly as the unusual position did not grant her a good grip. The playful air gave her butterflies but also made her feel a sense of safety, knowing that things didn’t have to be heavy between them.

Tyler turned, pulling their hands over his head so that Kate twirled around with him. He used the momentum to guide her backward into his room with his hands on her hips, attempting a cheesily seductive smolder. She used her heel to kick the door shut behind them.

Kate walked ahead of him to go sit on the edge of his bed. She could tell he was watching her closely to consider his next move but she enjoyed the idea of playing coy with him. Ignoring him, she took in the space which was surprisingly sparse especially compared to the ground floor.

“Wow, real homey in here,” Kate joked, feigning awe at the blank walls

“Oh, hush,” Tyler chided, “It hasn’t been that long since we finished construction.”

She put up her hands in surrender and replied, “Sure, sure.” He rolled his eyes at her and then his expression became soft again. Tyler walked forward, kneeing her legs open and standing between them. With just a tilt of her head they were kissing again and this time when she grabbed his shirt, he let her take it off of him. Kate paused a moment to take him in, the image one she intended to commit to memory before pulling her own shirt over her head.

The rest of their clothes came quickly but when it was time for her to remove her jeans she hesitated.

“We don’t have to do this.” Tyler reassured her, misreading her reluctance. Kate shook her head.

“It's not that it’s–” She huffed in frustration and rather than continue to overthink, pulled her pants down in one swift motion, hoping he’d move past the interruption rather than linger on the issue.

Instead, his eyes moved immediately to her lower half and zeroed in on her leg…her scar. Kate’s stomach began to churn. She knew that he knew the story but she hated that it had to be part of this moment between them. He had been part of making it possible for her to redeem herself, to make sure the losses were not worth nothing. Still, the memories and the physical signs would never leave her. It made her insecure but if he had a problem with it, this wasn’t worth continuing.

“Is this from…”

“Yes,” Kate replied flatly. She didn’t have anything to prove and she wanted more than anything to move on from this as soon as possible. Tyler looked up from the marred skin on her leg and cupped her face with one of his hands. His eyes were filled with pure admiration.

“You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

Tyler’s lips were on hers again as he leaned her back into the bed, his body sculpting to hers. She felt a hand trail down her body, over her ass, before he hoisted her leg over his shoulder, his face turning towards her thigh and kissing over her scar as he lined himself up with her entrance. He looked at her until she realized he was waiting for her cue. She grabbed onto his upper arms and nodded, making it clear she was ready.

He was slow with her, caressing in all the right spots and making sure she was comfortable until he was finally fully inside her and they moaned in unison at the feeling. She hadn’t felt like this in a long time and when he took a moment to brush the hair from her face it made it all that much sweeter so much so that she laughed. Tyler looked at her, concerned but when she kissed him, he smiled into it catching her drift.

As he began to grind into her, he coaxed mewls from her lips, her hips meeting his instinctually at the pleasure. The way he watched her carefully for her reactions made her heart soar. He made it evident that they were in this together, that he cared about making her feel good. One of Tyler's hands still held her leg while the other found her clit, circling it while keeping pace and she couldn’t help the words spilling from her mouth.

“Tyler,” Kate pleaded, “Don’t stop.” He listened to her demand but she could see how it made him falter. His expression was that of awe as if he couldn’t believe that he was here with her, that she was enjoying what he was doing for them. She curled an arm around his neck and played with the hair there in a way that caused him to flush.

“I gotcha,” Tyler promised, somehow pressing them closer together, “I gotcha.”

She could’ve been embarrassed at how fast she came but Tyler didn’t give her a chance, instead riding her out through her climax and continuing to thrust even after. It was almost too much as tears of pleasure pricked her eyes and her moans filled the room. Her hands gripped the sheets, his arms, his hair, anything that she could reach to keep hold of her senses as they were overwhelmed. All she could think or comprehend was Tyler.

“I–I’m close,” He stammered, the tremble in his voice radiating throughout his body, “Kate, I–”

Her vision went white when she came again, though she could hear Tyler moan her name like a mantra, his head buried in her neck. One hand reached into his hair while the other traced absent circles on his back. It took him a minute but eventually, he came back to her.

“Hey,” He said, letting out a breathy laugh. 

“Hi.”

Tyler pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, clearly savoring the moment. Kate didn’t want it to end either but she was confident that it was only beginning. They both let out their own versions of a disappointed noise as he pulled out.

When he disappeared into the ensuite, she pulled his comforter up around her, the scent of him enveloping her as well. He came back with a damp towel and once helped her clean up, he flopped into bed beside her, pulling her into his side.

Kate placed a hand on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat under her palm. Tyler pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She wanted to bask in the moment a bit longer but before she knew it she was beginning to yawn. 

The last thing she remembered before she fell into a peaceful sleep was the sweet kiss they shared and the soft rumble of his voice.

“Goodnight, Kate.”

[rootedinrevisions]

One of them Girls: Part 16 (Finale)

PART 1 I PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4 I PART 5 I PART 6

PART 7 I PART 8 I PART 9 I PART 10 I PART 11 I PART 12

PART 13 I PART 14 I PART 15

Four Years Later...

The evening sun bathed the rolling hills of Northwest Arkansas in a warm, golden light. You leaned back against the tailgate of Tyler's truck, the worn flannel blanket beneath you feeling comforting and familiar. The picnic basket beside you was nearly empty, save for a few crumbs and an empty bottle of wine, remnants of a simple, perfect meal. Tyler sat next to you, his arm casually draped around your shoulders as you both looked out over the landscape.

Tomorrow was a big day—your graduation from the University of Arkansas. You'd worked so hard to get here, and now that it was finally happening, a mix of excitement and uncertainty swirled within you. The future stretched out ahead of you, full of possibilities, but also questions. What would come next?

You glanced over at Tyler, who seemed lost in thought, a soft smile playing on his lips. He was quiet tonight, more than usual, but the look in his eyes when he glanced at you told you everything you needed to know—he was happy, content, just being here with you.

"You okay?" you asked, nudging him gently.

He chuckled, turning his gaze to you. "Yeah...Just thinking."

"About what?" you pressed, curious.

"About us. About the future," he said, his tone thoughtful. "About you. I'm just really proud of you."

Your heart swelled with emotion, and you leaned into him, resting your head against his shoulder. "I couldn't have done it without you, Tyler. You've been my rock through all of this."

He was quiet for a moment, then he took a deep breath, his arm tightening around you slightly. "So... what do you think is next for you? After graduation, I mean."

You sighed, the question you'd been avoiding finally brought to the surface. "Honestly? I'm not sure. There are so many options, and it's hard to know what the right path is."

Tyler nodded, his expression serious. Then, a playful glint sparked in his eyes. "Well, I was kind of hoping you'd include me in whatever comes next."

You looked up at him, a teasing smile tugging at your lips. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

He grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he slid off the tailgate and stood in front of you. "Can you stand up for a second?"

A little confused but curious, you pushed yourself up from the tailgate and stood before him. Tyler reached out and took both of your hands in his, his thumbs brushing gently over your knuckles.

"I've been thinking about this for a while now," he began, his voice soft but steady. "About how these last few years have been the best of my life. And it's because of you. I've never been happier than when I'm with you. You let me be myself, and you make me feel like I'm enough just as I am."

Your heart started to race, and you could feel your breath hitch in your throat as Tyler suddenly dropped to one knee in front of you. The world seemed to slow down, the only sound was the steady beating of your heart.

He looked up at you, his eyes full of love and sincerity. "I can't imagine my life without you. I don't want to. So... I was wondering if you'd do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, simple ring, its gold band catching the last rays of the setting sun.

Tears welled up in your eyes, spilling over as you nodded furiously, your voice caught in your throat. "Yes," you finally managed to whisper, your heart bursting with happiness. "Yes, Tyler, I'll marry you."

His smile was the brightest thing you'd ever seen, and he slid the ring onto your finger with hands that were surprisingly steady. Then, he stood, pulling you into his arms and lifting you off the ground. He spun you around, both of you smiling and laughing..

When he finally set you down, he cupped your face in his hands, his thumbs wiping away your tears. He looked at you with such love and devotion that you felt like you might melt. "I love you," he whispered before leaning in to kiss you, the kind of kiss that makes everything else fade away.

A Year Later...

The backyard of Tyler's house was transformed into a beautiful, rustic wedding venue. Twinkling lights were strung up across the trees, and wildflowers in mason jars decorated the tables. Friends and family gathered around, watching as you and Tyler shared your first dance as husband and wife. The soft melody of a country love song played in the background, but all you could focus on was the man holding you close.

As you swayed together under the night sky, you looked up at Tyler, your heart full. "Can you believe we're here? That we're actually married?"

Tyler smiled down at you, his arms wrapped securely around your waist. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. This is exactly where I'm supposed to be. With you."

You rested your head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "I'm so excited for our future, for all the adventures we're going to have. You and me forever."

Tyler's smile widened, and he leaned in, his lips brushing against yours. "You and me forever, Mrs. Owens," he whispered before kissing you, sealing the promise of your future together.

As you danced beneath the stars, surrounded by the people you loved, you knew that no matter what life threw your way, you and Tyler would face it together. This was just the beginning of your forever.

[xtruss]

At Long Last, Mathematicians Have Found a Shape With a Pattern That Never Repeats

Experts have Searched for Decades for a Polygon that only makes Non-Repeating Patterns. But No One Knew It was Possible Until Now

— Will Sullivan | March 29, 2023 | Smithsonian

Infinitely many copies of a 13-sided shape can be arranged with no overlaps or gaps in a pattern that never repeats. David Smith, Joseph Samuel Myers, Craig S. Kaplan and Chaim Goodman-Strauss (CC BY 4.0)

From bathroom floors to honeycombs or even groups of cells, tilings surround us. These patterns cover a space without overlapping or leaving any gaps. Like a rug filled with diamond shapes, where each section looks the same as the one next to it, every tiling ever recorded has eventually repeated itself—until now.

After decades of searching for what mathematicians call an “einstein tile”—an elusive shape that would never repeat—researchers say they have finally identified one. The 13-sided figure is the first that can fill an infinite surface with a pattern that is always original.

Repeating patterns have translational symmetry, meaning you can shift one part of the pattern and it will overlap perfectly with another part, without being rotated or reflected. The shape described in a new paper does not have translational symmetry—each section of its tiling looks different from every part that comes before it.

The designs on these rugs have translational symmetry—the patterns on the rugs repeat themselves. Juli Kosolapova via Unsplash

Sarah Hart, a mathematician at Birkbeck, University of London, who didn’t contribute to the finding, tells New Scientist’s Matthew Sparkes that she had thought finding an “einstein” (named for the German words for “one stone,” or one tile) could not be done. “There are infinitely many possible candidate tiles, and even the existence of a solution feels quite counterintuitive,” she says to the publication.

“Everybody is astonished and is delighted, both,” Marjorie Senechal, a mathematician at Smith College who did not participate in the research, tells Science News’ Emily Conover. “It wasn’t even clear that such a thing could exist.”

David Smith, a retired printing technician and nonprofessional mathematician, was the first to come up with the shape that could be a solution to the long-standing “einstein problem.” He shared his ideas with scientists who took on the challenge of trying to mathematically prove his conjecture, per the New York Times’ Siobhan Roberts.

The team published a preprint paper detailing the findings on the site arXiv last week, and it has not been peer-reviewed yet. But experts say the work is expected to be supported with further investigation, per Science News.

“This appears to be a remarkable discovery,” Joshua Socolar, a physicist at Duke University who did not contribute to the finding, tells the Times. “The most significant aspect for me is that the tiling does not clearly fall into any of the familiar classes of structures that we understand.”

Each "einstein" tile has eight kite shapes inside of it. David Smith, Joseph Samuel Myers, Craig S. Kaplan and Chaim Goodman-Strauss (CC BY 4.0)

The “Einstein” tile is made up of eight kites, or four-sided polygons with two pairs of adjacent, equal-length sides. Researchers call it “the hat” because of its resemblance to a fedora.

The shape is simpler than some experts expected it to be. Chaim Goodman-Strauss, a mathematician at the University of Arkansas and one of the authors of the paper, tells Science News that if he’d been asked to guess what the shape might look like before the finding, “I would’ve drawn some crazy, squiggly, nasty thing.”

In the 1970s, mathematician Roger Penrose discovered that two shapes could form a non-repeating tiling pattern together, prompting hopes that a single shape may be found to do this one day. Researchers have been able to make other non-repeating patterns in the past, but the challenge has been finding a shape that can only make a non-repeating pattern, Goodman-Strauss tells the Times.

The shape of “the hat” can also be morphed to form additional tile shapes that make non-repeating patterns, as shown in the video above.

This new finding could lead to materials science investigations—for example, shapes that form non-repeating tilings could help design stronger materials, Hart tells New Scientist. The elusive shape might also spark creative inspiration for new decorative designs or art.

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s2 episode 24 thoughts

this episode was quite spooky. because cannibalism is real. but something about scully about to get her head chopped off and boiled seemed more outlandish than all the aliens and the guy that kills people with his shadow or even lizard man eugene tooms!

which is strange. because those things are pretty outlandish! maybe its because it was so much scarier than even evil lizard men.

let’s jump in:

so this is an episode involving more meat. did we need more meat, after the earlier meat processing content in s2 episode 10? many are saying no. but not chris carter!

we begin at a dirt road at night. in the state of arkansas. we have an older man and a younger woman named paula in a car, which is not suspicious at all! /s

oh and now the old man choking? is this natural or did she induce it with some poison. i mean maybe he deserved it, if she did. he takes some pills, so I’m guessing it is due to natural causes. now she beckons him out to the woods. 

into the woods. she says he has to catch her. is she luring him into a Bigfoot trap? we have yet to really see Bigfoot, and maybe he’s hungry. although Bigfoot is more Pacific Northwest than Arkansas, i think.

author's note: we tested negative for bigfoot in this episode :(

oh! this man tripped and is now surrounded by people with flashlights and very cool masks. get axe murdered, fucker.

back in DC! aforementioned fucker has been gone for 10 weeks and scully thinks the higher ups are sending them on a wild goose chase. “i’m not questioning the legitimacy of the case, just their motives in assigning it to us” <- damn, very well spoken by a rightfully suspicious woman

oh, but at the scene, someone saw a fire. and mulder says the fire is “supposed to be the spirits of massacred Indians” OH...

(mentally i was like, please do not be another scary Indigenous story episode. and we did in fact get that. sighs deeply. we can make things scary without making Indigenous people the scary ones! or using the trauma of genocide as a setting for spooky time! well, i'm sure you, dear reader, know that, so i shall not preach to the choir, but i will point out that these thoughts were going through my mind)

“these are only legends, mulder”, says a dismissive scully. and why is her hair looking excellent today. I mean not that it isn’t usually but damn. shoutout to the hair and makeup team.

the place on the side of the road where he went missing had a big fire! could be a bonfire, both parties thought. until mulder remembered a documentary he saw in college...

(hehehehe mulder spent college watching documentaries <3)

! MULDER LORE REVEAL ! wow it's been a while since i've gotten to format some text like that. he watched a documentary about an insane asylum in college and it gave him nightmares.

(and this may not be super relevant to his character, but to ME, it is, so i shall note it <3)

he's got the VHS from the doc all loaded up, and presses play on a guy rambling about a fire demon!! who was found in the same spot as the fire mark!!! dun dun dunnn 

(love the implication that he either purchased his own copy of the documentary that gave him nightmares in college, or had to go rent it from the video store. both are wonderful possibilities)

cut to arkansas. mulder is on the scene holding a plastic fork from the ground. wearing his silly sunglasses. lmaooo idk why they make me laugh. what a serious gentleman.

sheriff arrives at the scene. he says the witch’s peg to ward off spirits is normal there and also that the fire mark comes from illegal trash burning. and, as an American i am aware of how Americans love an illegal trash burn. but still. suspicious.

sheriff says the missing man george was chasing women out of town. lovely sounding fellow /s

wife questioning time!! he left her years ago. oh, but tea: the day before he went missing he was going to cite major health violations in the chicken plant! hmm... a cause for murder?

mulder gives the wife his phone number. also mulder is also looking very good today. but that is an evil voice in my head that ought to be silenced.

noooo, it's chicken plant time. no thank you ma’am, i would be out in the car <3

paula from the woods at work in the plant!!! taking mystery pills. seemingly in pain??

chicken cutting cam. oh, this is not for me! 

the agents chat with the manager, who says george was trying to shut them down. and while clocked in, paula is sweating. she just gasped in front of a whole bunch of chickens and some guy with very blue eyes. she sees a human head on the chicken stand and picks it up and throws it off. shoutout to this fake decapitated head and my best friends in the prop department for making such a funny creation.

(but of course, it was a hallucination, and she really just threw a poor chicken on the floor!!! his sacrifice was in vain... gone but not forgotten)

mulder is inspecting the chicken gutting operation and i've said it before and i'll say it again: he is braver than me. 

ohh, more chicken drama: george was filing a lawsuit about “line hypnosis” and it was dismissed before he vanished! he deserved to win. is there a meat processing union? there ought to be. but he was the only one citing bad health practices, the other 3 workers said it was fine... sooo what’s the truth…

“what’s that” asks mulder, who then gets shown the feed processor, and asks “chickens feed on chickens?” <- heartbreaking realization. many of us remember where we were when learning this information. i'm sure it will stick with him forever. and i'm frankly surprised he didn't know already.

NAURRR THE SLUDGE AND BLOOD nasty nasty evil

OH plot twist: paula is holding the manager with a knife to his throat… scully telling everyone to calm down. personally i would be not calm. she said “don’t get excited” but me? experiencing an active hostage situation at my place of work? i would be excited

NOOO the sheriff shot her and she fell into the feed conveyor belt processing… thing. sheriff i KNOW you are covering something up. you will not hide from me.

SHE GETS GULPED INTO THE FEED BELT THINGY GAGGG it’s giving the jungle by upton sinclair that caused many american 8th graders to confront the corruption of the meat industry

paula had gone to the doctor about headaches… like george!!! doctor had assumed the condition was stress induced. and they did have similar symptoms. 

treated them both with codine… ain’t that a bit strong?? this man doesn't seem to be a very good doctor, tbh. i mean i don't think the guy that works at the chicken plant to sew back on fingers needs to be an expert in everything but like. codine for headaches? umm girl.

mr. chaco of chaco’s chicken was paula’s grandfather… if i was a grandfather rich off of chicken money, my grandkids would not be working the processing line, let me tell u that much!

back to the agents: these two should not be looking as good as they do in a chicken processing plant. they had to really step it up today to compensate for the horrors of the set.

chicken man lives in a mansion. further evidence of corruption. paula, i would not have had you working in such conditions if i was your grandfather. there has been a deep wrong here, i can see already.

and he’s got a big hat and is feeding his chicken corn. not other chickens, like the feed he makes in his plant... seems he is aware of the ethical issues implied in his business. also, mulder with those weird ass glasses. 

cacho is going on about the subject of chickens. and how he built this town. he sure is taking an awful lot of credit for creating a town, pretty sure that's a team effort mr. chaco. he's also going on about how he thought george was trying to tear him down. 

AUTOPSY TIME!! rare degenerative disorder in da brain of paula. and scully has only seen it one other time back in med school because you can only really find it in an autopsy. nice work, doctor! <- i just typed “nice worm 🪱” so we'll let that stay for the added sense of whimsy it provides

but despite looking like a young girl fresh out of high school, paula was born in '48?! she was 47 years old. allegedly. this is not adding up. so they go on a quest to find her birth certificate and see what the truth is.

debrief in the car. so: odds are not great that she and george had the same very rare disease

during this discussion, our duo are run off the road by a chicken truck!!!! no! oh... he drove them into a river. mulder has shifted into rescue mode as the river is red with chicken gore. i feel someone might be distracting them and trying to get the body… (this was actually not the case i was just overly suspicious)

but more chicken drama: the driver had the same symptoms as george and paula! how can this be?!

“i just came up with a sick theory, mulder” (grabs her shoulder) “ooh, I’m listening” LMAOOOO this is sososo funny to me. yeah tell me ur sick theories scully you have my full attention.

GAG!! because it is both gross and shocking. her theory: what if someone put george’s body in the feed grinder, and then since it’s a prion disease, a chicken ate it, and someone ate a chicken, and it spread to the humans!!!! AHHHH! well that would be an epidemic, because they ship chickens out across the country… she glances knowingly, implying things could be very bad 

the river is filled with bird gore from the plant BLECH... who allows this??!! please say there are some modern regulations in place to prevent this being done irl.

mulder says he wants it dragged, thinking that maybe george is in there. and the sheriff is hesitant to do this. once again, i’m onto you, sheriff. i mean, a river full of chicken gore: it would be a good place to put a dead body.

and bam! a body is found. or rather. many many many bones. many bodies. and they are still going. damn.

so, we have a ton of bones. scully can put them into 9 distinct skeletons, one of which is in fact george. i love that she can do that, put the bones into distinct skeletons. she knows it's geroge from a pin in his femur!

“all of them share one, strange detail though” “well, they seem to have lost their heads” “… well, besides that” <- LMAOOOO idk why this was so funny to me... he really thought he picked up on something but he did Not.

here's the linking detail: all the bones are smooth and buffed like they have been polished. ??? who is polishing bones? it sure isn't me, i'll tell you that much. 

george’s wife is at the scene, learning her husband's body has been found, and she is sobbing. and the sheriff says “we’ll take care of you” now what does THAT mean? because it's not really sounding like the welcoming words of a man who is going to guide his neighbor through tragedy, and instead like there is something bigger at play here...

back at the plant, the doctor is mentioning another guy coming down “with the symptoms”…. omg. so this IS a known thing from the inside. mr. chaco knows but he isn’t doing anything about it!!!!! chicken dramaaaa goes crazy 

scully at the scene of all the bones, carrying a bucket of chicken. lmao. she is braver than me, for i would have gone vegan the first moment i set foot in chicken processing land.

mulder does some digging: 87 people have disappeared in the area in 50 years! that seems... a lot? and he thinks the same person or persons were responsible. he thinks they were EATEN!! boiled in a pot.

“they used similar evidence to prove cannibalism among on the Anasazi tribe of New Mexico” okay: 1. why do you know that 2. need to look into these allegations for myself and 3. Anasazi… that is the title of the next episode!!! what could this mean!! another cannibalism episode?!

scully is very sad to say that paula could have gotten sick from eating george :( girl I’m not convinced the chicken is clean put it down NOW 

cannibalism = eternal life? follow for more crazy mulder theories!

she puts aside the chicken……. good!

mr. chaco says “he’ll handle it” and george's wife doris arrives, saying she “can’t keep lying”… she says “she did it” (!!)

OH????? she... killed her husband? that is a bold thing to admit to.

“we’re gonna take good care of you”, says mr. chaco, which raises the question: are they a cannibal cult???? is that what he means when he mentions that he “built this town”???

now what the hell is going on. <- an interjection i stand by

mulder and scully are going to the courthouse to look at the papers and all the birth records are burnt!! doris calls mulder and says he’s afraid mr. chaco will kill her… they split up…. nooooo i hate splitting up!!! i watched so much scooby doo as a kid!

GASP! a guy in a mask like we saw at the very beginning of the episode is in doris' home!!! drumbeat playing while she screams…. overall, this is very not good, i wrote, referring to the use of Indigenous imagery for this murder, and also doris being murdered in the first place

scully at the scene of the murder ft. big ass flashlight. she gets in through the side door. gun: out. trench coat: open. looks: served. diagnosis: baby girl that could kill me, and i am respectful of the fact that she has this power yet refrains from using it on me.

mulder at mr. chaco’s house. mr. chaco has some… stuff in his home. including photos with Indigenous people and also bones. having human bones in your house, and especially on display, is not a good sign of ethics in play. and a skull. Oh! it says the skull is from a tribe in New Guinea... why tf does he have that. put it back???

at the back of chaco's parlor, we see a mysterious door. mulder is busting it open.

LORD ALMIGHTY, I DID NOT THINK THERE WOULD BE HEADS INSIDE??? HELLO???

so that must be where all of the heads that mulder noticed were missing have gone. they're sewn up sort of like shrunken heads. very spooky. once again, pour one out for the props department for such a creation.

noooo chaco is in the house with scully, who was investigating the call of doris. NOOOO HE KNOCKED HER OUT!!! this seriously needs to stop happening like i'm worried about the brain damage she is experiencing.

back to mulder cam. goodness. all of these heads. 

in a field now. doctor is serving some soup. to a bunch of people. who are eating around a big bonfire. do NOT tell me scully is in that meal....

she is not. YET! but he is bringing her over to be roasted. and they ate doris! chaco is yelling about turning on each other and how they were only supposed to eat outsiders. girl you shouldn't be eating anybody last time i checked. 

man in the mask shows up with an axe. and chaco is decapitated in front of scully. who is put into the decapitation thingy next. GIRL THIS IS FUCKED UP!!!

mulder on the scene, just in time. he shoots the dude in the mask.

“you alright?” he asks, brushing her hair back after lifting her out of the decapitation machine. my good friend, i would venture to guess that she is not quite alright at the moment!!! this will take an awful lot of unpacking!!!

sigh. but the tenderness of the near death experience. coming back to life in someone's arms. yeah i'll romanticize that.

TEA!!! the sheriff was the one under the mask!!!!!! i knew he was up to no good.

wrap up: chicken place shut down. unclear how many citizens of the town ate people. 27 have become ill with prion disease. chaco’s plane was shot down in 1947, and he spent 7 months with a cannibalistic tribe, and also he was born in 1902, so he was 93 at his death- so the cannibalism really WAS extending life. and we see some more feed being scooped to the chickens as scully says his remains have yet to be found. end scene.

HUH???? what in da hell. so what are we thinking kids…?

well, i'll tell you something: turns out i am afraid of cannibal cults, no matter how outlandish they seem! i guess when you get a villain or evil situation of the week show like this, you WILL learn exactly what kind of fear pushes your buttons. i can imagine almost nothing scarier than being led to the slaughter like scully was. seems a purposeful commentary on the meat industry, especially when taken in with the other meat episode this season.

so, if i were scully, i do think i would need to take a week or so off. but she is just built different than i am.

some things bugged me here. first of all, like i mentioned, you don't need to throw in Indigenous people to make a scary story. like is the thought of a bunch of arkansas cannibals not horrific enough? the scary was there!

second, i have not been doing a kidnapping count, but i feel that scully is getting the rough of the deal here. i believe in gender equality when it comes to characters being kidnapped. like, an even 1:1 ratio. why are we denying mulder his damsel in distress arc? does anyone think about how he would feel? how nice it would be to see scully burst in with a gun and shoot the fellow that was about to cannibalize him?

still, it is rare an episode actually spooks me, so i must give credit where it is due. even if it felt a little outlandish, your girl was frightened! scully needs a vacation now. i also thoroughly laughed at the sick theories line and his funny sunglasses.

it's funny to note, but i like the episodes that are either very silly and light hearted, or incredibly angsty the best. and that may seem contradictory, but you cannot tell me that one breath and humbug may be on opposite ends of the tone spectrum, but they are both objectively Perfect. i'll have to think more on why they are the best in my opinion, but i think honestly i would watch these two read the dictionary.

[mobblespsycho100]

👍 kabru, heh

thank you so much mwahaha

1. Bottom Line by Dom Fera

I think this song is very Kabru in a this has big "customer service" vibes, lmao.

"Drive me somewhere you've been liking" -> hes a people pleaser, letting someone take the reins while he supports them and hangs back is kind of his thing. Even though he plans stuff out and chooses his words deliberately, sometimes he goes along with ppl's wants and expectations for him a bit too much...

"Order something I don't want, I'll drink it anyway" -> basically Kabru when he had to eat the harpy eggs Laios offered lmao. 'Right, i hate this so much this is Monster. okay. wow i need to kill you' hes literally triggered (in the ptsd term sense and not the. warped internet meaning of it) and he's still like okay ! i will dig in ! to prove a point ! so laios likes and trusts me! (... what point kabru . cmon man. )

"Take a little time, it's funny how you're fine when I'm away -> he needs to be needed. He needs to help others, save them even, to protect them from the tragedy he has experienced. He's used to being dismissed and he does swallow it and take it but ik he was so 🤨😧😠 abt laios ignoring him and all the attempts to get to know him... so its like take a lil tine its funny how ur fine when im away ... Kabru knows Laios is the closest to conquering the dungeon. and hes like. I rlly wanna help u do this but . ik ur probably fine without me (... man he makes me . so 😭)

"It's natural to see a bottom line with me / A bottom line I'll be" -> A bottom line in business is like the final total right. The sum of everything thats written at the bottom. The ultimate outcome... the core. The fate of the dungeon is something he wants to decide and get a say in as well. Even though he knows he isn't the one thats going to conquer it, he chooses to stop Mithrun from beating up Thistle and grabs him and they free fall into that pit. Because he decided, yeah, the fate of this dungeon the one to conquer it has to be us short-lived races/humans. He is such an action oriented character . He makes such decisions. He is so determined to make sure that Utaya doesn't repeat itself. Man.

Anyway that's song 1. moving on to song 2.

2. Smoke and Mirrors by Gotye

This entire song is So Kabru coded its insane to me . but I grabbed these lyrics from Verse 3 Because the last line specifically makes. me go crazy.

"You're a fraud, and you know it" -> the freaking masker . he is such a liar and he knows it... theres not much else to say here. Playing the hero, the saviour, while knowing he doesn't actually have the skills to defeat the dungeon but hes just so desperate . man

"And every night and day you take the stage" -> he should get an acting award fr... always adjusting his personality and carefully planning his steps with each person he interacts with man... also inchtresting to me that he gets to be more #real with Mithrun. thats a whole nother analysis can of worms I won't get into but like they rlly drove each other's character development...

"And it always entertains, you're giving pleasure" -> To quote Holm, Kabru is the typa guy who would do anything to get someone to like him akdjskhf hes so real for that...

"And that's admirable, you tell yourself" -> (kabru voice) im so cool for this ahaha everyone loves me (guy who genuinely fucking loathes himself) /ref

"And so you'd gladly sell yourself to others" -> smile of pain. I just think hes a real business man sometimes . Goodness Kabru stop being a charismatic salesman of your own personality im going to explode .

Right. we're on to the last one I guess...

3. Dear Arkansas Daughter by Lady Lamb

GENUINELY cannot really do this analysis lyric by lyric or I will go ... well. I'll go into the deep end but . like . right. anyway. this set of lyrics above aka the most popular line is very Kabru appearance. (Goodness i need to make an AMV of this. I will one day once the executive dysfunction stops fighting my autistic hyperfixation ass)

THIS WHOLE . SET OF LYRICS IS JUST BIG KABRU VIBES (SOURCE: JUST TRUST ME BRO)... His heart is full of swords... the sword fighter (he is proficient in many weapons)... im not big into tarot (or well i havent researched it much) but the annotations for these lyrics said that its referencing the Three of Swords tarot card, which represents painful sorrow. and like.. man like a fundamental sorrow in Kabru is so oughh its just so . real. and again i need a whole nother analysis post for this since this is already So long

Tie my hands & knock my knees. he is so stressed he is so . nervous all the time and these r like. the freeze . trauma response. to me. he goes freeze and fawn a lot (fawn not specifically with abusers per say but like people pleasing tendencies again) and like kind of visibly looking nervous and stressed out up before saying smth next is smth he does a lot I feel.

And like the vibe of like sinking to the sea with a heavy heart but also being someone who brings hope in a way to others (ex: Rin and Mithrun, he ends up being their anchor and helping them start like living with their lives after the burden of their traumas and hellish experiences) but Kabrus own traumas are so immense and then the person who rises . who foils him and who brings him hope is Laios. like a ripe red apple like. something bright and tempting and also dangerous (smth smth the forbidden fruit symbolism. theres so much . like Kabru that I can dissect with like Biblical symbolism themes but like anyway he sees Laios as both the key to humanity's victory against the dungeon and as sin / a distraction from his goal because Laios makes him do selfish things and its just AAAAHGHH rahhhh. man. im normal)

ANYWAY YEAH ... that wraps this up. Thank you for sending this ask ❣️💌 I am very normal abt Kabru of Utaya dungeon meshi

[novamilano1]

"It takes a fool to remain sane !" The fool, the jester and the journey towards truthfulness and acceptance of difference ! Open your eyes baby ! Let’s be brave together ! Young Royal analysis.

So it all started with a question that arose in the Kingdom (long live the Kingdom !), a group of fans discussing all things related to YR, playing detectives and throwing spaghettis all around to see what sticks (Kingdom TM). What does the drawing Sara makes mean, what to do with this strange Nordic Nisse ( a playful winter Gnome who loves to play tricks) under this blazing sun ? A winter gnome around Christmas makes sense. But what about the sun ?

The image reminded me of a court jester and of the tarot card where the fool is represented by the sun.

So we dived together, we found many interesting conclusions and today, I would like to go further, first to link it to the main song “it takes a fool to remain sane” and to link this carnival theme to the Valborg’s theme present in the S3 trailer. Let’s dive.

The song first chosen to represent the love story, the one that could be sung, the one destined to mesmerize the Handsome prince was “Symphony” by Zara Larrson. Then they switched it to “It takes a fool to remain sane” by the Ark. It’s the first song we hear in YR, in the church, with a Solo by Simon. It’s an important song.

And the song continues a little bit in the next scene where Wille and Eric rediscover their inner child, play the fool by running up the stairs trying to escape the PR circus and the scrutiny. The song invites Wille and all of us to be the jester, to play it like a harlequin, to “take it to the stage in a multicoloured jacket /Take it jackpot, crackpot, strutting like a peacock/Nailvarnish Arkansas, shimmy-shammy featherboah /Crackpot, haircut, dye your hair in glowing red and blue”, Yeah Go  Simon ! Go Wille ! Go Wilmon ! (It's strange to see Wille in pink or in studded jackets etc. but I kinda like seeing him experimenting his true self, be brave etc. Embrace the madness baby ! )

So the song invites us to be different, to “be brave, to break down the walls of attitude” just for the sake of it. It invites us to not be afraid “to feel strange, to feel ashamed, to seem strange, to seem insane, to gain weight, to seem gay”. The song tells us that it’s “your right to laugh at me”, that it will not prevent me to “feel brave, because ridicule is no shame”.

Simon the gay, Wille the rebel to rules and Sara the autist embody the outsiders, the free thinkers who dare to be different, to not care about the look, to speak freely, to find one’s voice even if this is a painful journey. The struggles to be the fool in order to stay sane, the journey to be able to speak one’s truth is hard, leads to a steep hill.

To speak freely, to question the conventions, the traditions is exactly the role of the court jester. He has to open everyone’s eyes to the madness of society. Sara does it quite naturally. Wille endlessly attempts to do so with his parents (to no avail so far) thanks to Boris. He questions their reality. He opens his eyes and try to take them to also open theirs and question appearances. In a carnivalesque society where the jester has its own place, the roles can be reversed. The  fool can be a king, the gender boundaries have no meaning, the class divides are pointless.

So what’s the link to Valborg  ? Valborg is quite different. It has another meaning. But there is also a fire that ends the obscure times to lead to the light. And the carnival where the jester reigns normally ends with a bonfire where you burn all the old meaningless symbols. The fool and everyone are invited to dance and chant around a fire to start a revolution, i.e a reversal of roles, a new life, a new beginning.

So thanks to YR and  the Ark, we all know what we have to do:

Do, do, do what you wanna do Don't think twice, do what you have to do Do, do, do, do, let your heart decide What you have to do That's all there is to find 'Cos it takes a fool to remain sane Oh, in this world all covered up in shame

[percheduphere]

Hey! At first, I want to say that really adore your essays. I found your blog shortly after I joined tumblr and it was a great beginning.

My question is not only about Loki. Few times you mentioned that queer subtext always existed in cinema. So I wanted to know more about it. Are there any common tricks which artists use? How can we know that it isn't just our imagination?

And if you could give some literature recommendations on this topic I'd be thrilled :)

Hi Anon! 

This is a really important question. I’m so glad you asked it, so I’ve bumped you to the front of my inbox queue.  

Superhell (Destiel). Superheaven (Aziracrow). Supertime (Lokius). It’s not an accident these types of tragic queer endings are a pattern in our TV media. Though of the three, Good Omens is the most likely to deliver a happy ending eventually, the resources I provide below contextualize why queer subtext and queer tragedy persists. I believe the paper on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a particularly important read as it sheds light on tragic queer tropes and utilization of queer subtext from the 1950s that persist to this day. 

I do need to clarify a few things: 

1.) I’m not a formal scholar. I don’t have a Master’s, let alone a PhD. I would love to continue my education, but I only just finished paying off my student loans. This is to say, most of what I’ve learned is from self-guided reading, watching documentaries, and talking to literary and cinematic professionals and members of the LGBTQAI+ community. 

2.) Subtext exists in all forms of art: literature, music, painting, sculptures, film, and so on. There is no 1-to-1 definition of what subtext could be because subtext, by its very definition, is the communicating of information and/or a feeling without communicating it directly. It’s also important to remember that we use subtext in everyday life without realizing it.  

3.) It’s necessary to share foundational resources in order to provide a greater contextual understanding in response to your question. The resources I'll be sharing, which will go from broad foundational to specifically queer subtext in cinema, are as follows: A.) Using JSTOR, B.) Linguistics & Subtext, C.) Film History, D.) Queer Subtext in Literature, Theater, and Film. 

USING JSTOR 

JSTOR is an incredible academic journal article resource. You can sign-up as a user and have access to up to 100 articles per month online for free! If you don’t feel comfortable creating an account, you can also visit your local library, who more likely than not have a JSTOR membership. 

When searching for articles, I recommend using these keywords: queer, homosexuality, subtext, literature, film, history. 

LINGUISTICS & SUBTEXT 

Pragmatics 

-- Jerome Bruner’s “Pragmatics of Language and Language of Pragmatics” (Available on JSTOR; Published by The Johns Hopkins University Press) 

-- Kristin Borjesson’s “The Semantics-Pragmatics Interface: The Role of Speak Intentions and Nature of Implicit Meaning Aspects” (Available on JSTOR; Published by Armand Colin) 

Iceberg Theory and Theory of Omission 

-- Silvia Ammary’s “Poe’s ‘Theory of Omission” and Hemingway’s ‘Unity Effect’” (Available on JSTOR; Published in the Edgar Allan Poe Review) 

-- Charles J. Nolan, Jr’s “‘Out of Season’: The Importance of Close Reading’” (Available on JSTOR; Published in the Rocky Mountain Review of Language and Literature) 

-- Paul Smith’s “Hemingway’s Early Manuscripts: The Theory and Practice of Omission” (Available on JSTOR; Published by Journal of Modern Literature) 

Implicature 

-- Catherine Abell’s “Pictorial Implicature” (An important read as it provides academic context on interpretation of the visual medium, which is connected to interpretation of film; Available on JSTOR; Published by The American Society for Aesthetics) 

-- Eric Swanson’s “Omissive Implicature” (Linguistic study on implied communication through omission) Available on JSTOR; Published by University of Arkansas Press) 

-- Jacques Moeshcler’s “On the Pragmatics of Logical Connectives” (Published in the book: “Aspects of Linguistic Variation) 

Exformation 

-- David Foster Wallace’s “Laughing with Kafka” (Yes, the same writer of the book, Infinite Jest! A quick 4-page read that explains exformation in literature using Kafka as an example; Available on JSTOR; Published in Log by Anyone Corporation) 

-- Stephen J. Burn’s “Reading the Multiple Drafts Novel” (23 pages; can be a slog to read, but it addresses the issues of “canon”; Available on JSTOR; Published by The Johns Hopkins University Press) 

FILM HISTORY 

Generally, I recommend looking up Hollywood History pre-code (Hays Code aka the Motion Picture Production Code from 1930-1967). Notice that the code’s abandonment was gradual in the 60s, which was when the U.S.’s sexual revolution occured. The MPAA Film Rating System went into effect in 1968.  

Sin if Soft Focus: Pre-Code Hollywood by Mark A. Vieira 

Available in hard cover on Amazon (looks like there’s only 1 copy left); no digital version that I can find. You may be able to find this at your library. 

Forbidden Hollywood: The Pre-Code Era (1930-1934): When Sin Rules the Movies by Mark A. Vieira 

Available on Kindle. Similar to Vieira’s first book but considered inferior.  

The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies by Vito Russo 

Published in the 1980s, a groundbreaking work and the first of its kind. It’s dated but still considered critical reading. 

Screening the Sexes: Homosexuality in the Movies by Parker Tyler 

Available in hardcover and paperback. This is also considered critical reading to be paired with Celluloid Closet. 

Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video by Raymond Murray 

Available in paperback on Amazon (1 copy left); likely to be in the library as well. 

QUEER SUBTEXT IN LITERATURE, THEATER, AND FILM 

Queerbaiting and Fandom: Teasing Fans through Homoerotic Possibilities 

The first book of its kind, published in 2019. A must-read as contributing articles include analysis on Supernatural, Sherlock, and Merlin, among many others. I highly recommend reading the entire book, but it is expensive. You may be able to find this at your library.  

My recommended articles from this book: 

-- Joseph Brenann’s “Introduction: A History of Queerbaiting” is critical to understanding the Loki series specific place in queer fandom and media history. 

-- Monique Franklin’s “Queerbaiting, Queer Readings, and Heteronormative Viewing Practices” 

-- Guillaume Sirois’s “Hollywood Queerbaiting and the (In)Visibility of Same-Sex Desire

-- Christoferr Bagger’s “Multiversal Queerbaiting: Alan Scott, Alternate Universes, and Gay Characters in Superhero Comics” 

Fandom: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World 

About half the price of Queerbaiting and Fandom but significantly more broad in scope. 

My recommended articles from this book: 

-- Cornel Sandvoss’s The Death of the Reader? Literary Theory and the Study of Texts in Popular Culture 

-- Derek Johnson’s “Fantagonism: Factions, Institutions, Constitutive Hegemonies of Fandom” 

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Reading of epic poem recommended) 

-- David L. Boyd’s “Sodomy, Misogyny, and Displacement: Occluding Queer Desire in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" (available on JSTOR; from Arthuriana published by Scriptorium Press) 

Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (Reading the novel recommended) 

-- Jeff Nunokawa’s “Homosexual Desire and the Effacement of the Self in ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’” (available on JSTOR; Published by The Johns Hopkins University) 

-- Ed Cohen’s “Writing Gone Wilde: Homoerotic Desire in the Closet of Representation” (available on JSTOR; Published by Cambridge University Press) 

-- Sandra Mayer’s “‘A Complex Multiform Creature’: Ambiguity and Limitation Foreshadowed in the Early Critical Reception of Oscar Wilde” (available on JSTOR; Published in AAA: Arbeiten aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik) 

Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Reading the short story [“Three Players of a Summer Game” and stage play and watching the film adaptation highly recommended) 

-- Dean Shackelford’s “The Truth That Must Be Told: Gay Subjectivity, Homophobia, and Social History in “‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’”. (A must-read, in my opinion. You see a lot of patterns that continue in our subtextual queer stories to this day, concerning since Williams’s play was written in the early 1950s. Available on JSTOR; published in The Tennessee Williams Annual Review) 

I hope these resources are helpful and interesting to you! Happy reading! 

[logan-w]

so I am confusion. why is this one Kansas but this one is not Arkansas. AMERICA EXPLAIN. EXPLAIN WHAT DO YOU MEAN ARKANSAS

ITS ARKANSAS AND KANSAS BECAUSE ONE WAS FRENCH AND THE OTHER WASNT BUT THEY KIND OF MEAN THE SAME THING

if my 10th grade project serves me right, yeah that's why... I don't remember lmao

[mallowmaenad]

Yeah man so this rich guy heard about my cloning operation on Instagram so he sent me a sample of some DNA found on the Shroud of Turin and wanted me to make a clone of Jesus Christ, so like I show him the preview and he's like, disappointed that he's not white, says he doesn't want it to be "too political", I know you can't tell this over the phone but I just did quotation marks with my free hand. Anyway so like he gives me a bonus to modify the genetics and uh... he came out... kinda feral? Like yeah he looks like the white Jesus from all the paintings and shiz, but he like, awkwardly gallops on his hands and feet like a Half Life 2 fast zombie sometimes and only speaks in re-arranged bible verses. Yeah. Like a YouTube Poop. Anyway aah... he got out, he bit me... or, it bit me if I'm being honest I looked into its eyes and eye-dee-kay if it even has a soul. So to hunt it down cause im like not gonna turn a profit if I don't get this bad boy down to Arkansas by July, I pulled some strings and got some DNA allegedly belonging to Lucifer and Judas and I like, synthesized an anti-Jesus to hunt 'em down but like I only had enough juice in the machine to make her 15 years old- wuh- yeah, she. Look trust me I'm transgender, that and when I was trying to comfort her 'cause all she does is cry, and scream to the heavens for forgiveness, and she straight up asked me "Why didn't you make me a girl?" that's more than just "egg behavior" if you ask me. Yup I did the quotation marks with my fingies again. Anyway if you've seen the shit they're showing on Fox, I'm pretty sure people are doing like, Bigfoot sightings of ol' JC and I'm pretty sure he's living exclusively off the flesh-meats of evangelical hikers. So aah. I got my new daughter on the 'mones right now, dunno what to name her yet. I was thinking "Judy" or "Lucy" but that feels kinda wrong I mean I picked my own name when I transitioned but like, that's besides the point. Does your uncle still do karate lessons? I have to like, train her to subdue the Jeezy Beast but also I think it'd be a huge boost to her confidence!

[fourtccn]

rating every state’s motto

alabama: “audemus jura nostra defendere”, trans. “we dare to defend our rights.” 4/10, not the worst but i don’t think it needs to be said. bit pretentious

alaska: “north to the future.” 7/10, i think it’s cool but i have no clue what it really means. higher points for not being religious (i think)

arizona: “ditat deus”, trans. “God enriches.” 0/10, keep that guy out of it

arkansas: “regnat populus,” trans. “the people rule.” 8/10, simple, love the idea, think it’s a great standing

california: “eureka”, trans. “I have found it.” 1/10, found WHAT???

colorado: “nil sine numine”, trans. “nothing without providence.” 0/10, i had to look up what this means and it is religious again

connecticut: “qui transtulit sustinet”, trans. “he who transplanted sustains.” -1/10, not only is this religious but it’s also not openly religious. pure evil

delaware: “liberty and independence.” 7/10, it’s boring, but it’s something

florida: “in God we trust.” 0/10, come on man

georgia: “wisdom, justice, moderation.” 6/10, sure

hawaii: “ua ma uke ea o ka ‘āina I ka pono,” trans. “the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” 10/10, yes!!! has something to do with their history!! it’s badass! makes me feel cool as hell to say!!

idaho: “esto perpetua”, trans. “let it be perpetual.” 1/10, it’s not religious and it is historical but i don’t like that it’s connected with the confederacy :/ (quoted from the president of the confederacy btw)

illinois: “state sovereignty, national union.” 0/10, directly associated with states’ rights to choose during the civil war

indiana: “the crossroads of america.” 7/10, i like that it’s more descriptive of the state than the government and it’s really funny to me that they identify like this. it’s like your friend doing something amazing and you going “you couldn’t have gotten there without me driving you to 7/11 that one time”

iowa: “our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.” 6/10, i want to dislike this one because it’s so middle-of-the-road, but it does have some state history behind it (has to do with their fight to become a state) so it gets some points for that

kansas: “ad astra per aspera”, trans. “to the stars through difficulties.” 9/10, cool, connected to what they said about the state in its history, seemingly unreligious. point docked for it going to kansas and therefore being a bit pretentious more than anything

kentucky: “deo graham habeamus”, trans. “let us be grateful to God” AND “united we stand, divided we fall.” 0/10, why do they get TWO??? first one is religious, and the second one is unoriginal. if it were just the second one i would give it the benefit of the doubt but come on

louisiana: “union, justice, and confidence.” 4/10, i don’t think louisiana should be confident about anything but i do appreciate self-love

maine: “dirigo”, trans. “i direct.” 5/10, more than california because it’s slightly less confusing but i really don’t know what they mean by this

maryland: “fatti maschi, parole femmine”, trans. “strong deeds, gentle words.” 9/10, i fucking love this. i know very little of maryland so i’ll let them have this

massachusetts: “ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem”, trans. “by the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.” 8/10, it’s sick as fuck but massachusetts is a bit pretentious just taking this shit from someone else with no reason

michigan: “si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice”, trans. “if you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.” 9/10, this fucks. i love a motto dedicated just to the land. point docked because i do not feel the way this way when in michigan

minnesota: “l’étoile du nord”, trans. “the star of the north.” 7/10, cool that it acknowledges minnesota being the “northstar state” since it’s the northernmost state, but i don’t like that it’s in french. also kind of pretentious of us tbh

mississippi: “virtute et armis”, trans. “by valor and arms.” 2/10, cool if you’re a 7-year-old boy. if it’s based off the motto of lord gray de wilton they should’ve kept it “i trust in virtue not arms”

missouri: there are way too many states. anyway. “salus populi suprema lex esto”, trans. “the welfare of the people is the highest law.” 10/10, period!! i don’t think missouri stands by this tho

montana: “oro y plata”, trans. “gold and silver.” 6/10, i have to give it points for being a physical description of the state and also being historical (big mining state), but they really put all their coins in one bag with this one

nebraska: “equality before the law.” 10/10, apparently reflects nebraska’s “willingness to extend suffrage to black Americans” so it’s good state history and i love what it stands for. keep it up nebraska (i know you won’t)

nevada: “all for our country.” 5/10, really have any historical importance, and it’s a bit vague. what is it that you’re doing for “our country?” what does “all” imply? really think they just threw something together last minute

new hampshire: “live free or die.” 9/10, sick as fuck and grounded in history. iconic is an overused word, but i gotta say this is iconic. metal as hell. point docked because it’s too associated with some weird political standings now

new jersey: “liberty and prosperity.” 6/10, boring as hell but sure. whatever

new mexico: “crescit eundo”, trans. “it grows as it goes.” 9/10, quote taken from a poem which is cool and i love that it makes me think of dick :)

new york: “excelsior!”, trans. “ever upward!” AND “e pluribus unum”, trans. “out of many, one” (as of 2020). 6/10, i was with kinda with them on the first one even though it seems like something they added last minute because i liked the excitement in it but the second one is kind of dumb… yeah, i guess you are one of many. feels like an obvious statement they didn’t need to add on in 2020

north carolina: “esse quam videri”, trans. “to be, rather than to seem.” 4/10, i think it’s okay but i don’t know what it has to do with north carolina

north dakota: “liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable.” 6/10, cool reference to U.S. history but it’s kind of a mouthful and i don’t think i would be able to memorize it

ohio: “with God, all things are possible.” 1/10, one point given because it makes me think of the iasip quote

oklahoma: “labor omnia vincit”, trans. “hard work conquers all things.” 4/10, once again i like that it’s a reference, but i have no clue what oklahoma has to do with this motto

oregon: “alis volat propriis”, trans. “she flies with her own wings.” 7/10, “she” being oregon’s “independent spirit.” i think it’s a sick ass motto but oregon is thinkin of themselves too highly here

pennsylvania: “virtue, liberty, and independence.” 4/10, the lack of originality is getting tiring but i guess it shows some values or something

rhode island: “hope.” 2/10, are you even trying? come on

south carolina: “dum spiro spero”, trans. “while i breathe, i hope.” 6/10, it’s inspiring i guess but i seriously do not understand why this would be associated with south carolina. i swear i’m not an advertising major or anything

south dakota: “under God the people rule.” 0/10, we are OBSESSED with this guy here. WHY do we need states to be associated with religion

tennesse: “agriculture and commerce.” we’re coming to the very simple mottos now. 4/10, i feel it’s redundant but i guess it meant something to them when they made it

texas: “friendship.” 10/10, it’s basic and unoriginal but it’s so fucking funny that i have to give this one to them. i do NOT think of friendship when i think of texas

utah: “industry.” 1/10, what the hell is this? one point for not being religious but what the fuck

vermont: “stella quarta decima fulgeat”, trans. “may the 14th star shine bright” AND “freedom and unity.” 7/10, i like the first one because it directly references vermont but the second one is just unoriginal and sad. why have a motto if it’s gonna be like that

virginia: “sic semper tyrannis”, trans. “thus always to tyrants.” 7/10, sick as hell. three points deducted because it once again has nothing to do with virginia, but it really is a sick ass motto

washington: (unofficial) “al-ki”, trans. “bye and bye.” 10/10, very specifically refers to the history of washington, which was first called “new york alki”

west virginia: “montani semper liberi”, trans. “mountaineers are always free.” 9/10, i want to dislike this because it feels so unrelated, but i love it. i love what you have going on here, west virginia

wisconsin: “forward.” 1/10, seriously?

wyoming: “equal rights.” 9/10, similar to nebraska, this motto came about because wyoming was the first state to grant women the right to vote. apparently this was because granting women the right to vote would make them have enough voting citizens to be granted statehood though, so point deducted for that

[alaskashigh]

Arkansas headcanons bc I love him

When Arkansas gets really mad, big sharp diamond spikes form on his neck, back and a little on his elbows (neck ones are small, back ones are big, elbow ones are teeny). they have a red tint and are a mix of see-through clear and black. His bottom canines get a bit bigger and protrude more. Ears are pointy (elf ears) and he loves putting earrings on them. His ears are always decked out in earrings he's made (jewelry maker Arkansas the beloved) and he keeps the first ever earrings he's ever made in his ears 24/7 and refuses to take them out (unless he's cleaning his ears or his jewelry.) Hairs a spiky fluffy mullet that barely touches his shoulders. The shaved part next to his ears a bit outgrown. Hair is a mix of reds, browns, and blacks that fade into each other Occasionally has a small black and red tufted tail that curls, though he doesn't like it much since the other states make fun of him for it and call him "Piggy." (tail, spikes, teeth, etc are based off of the Razorbacks logo and are used in my Cryptid State forms. he is not walking around all day everyday looking like that ((unless he idk wants to)). ears don't count, they're always pointy.) Scars, cuts, bruises, scratches, etc everywhere. Has a huge scar down his left leg (starts near his knee, ends at his foot. on the back of his leg). Hands are always rough and calloused from how much he always uses his hands. Slept on his legs wrong and now he has a bit of a limp, one leg a bit more noticeable then the other and hurts occasionally. (I'm not projecting) Has a bunch of scratches around his pelvis area and on his hips

Always looks mad (even tho he kinda is mad a good portion of the day). Dude has a resting bitch face (same). He could be having the time of his life and people would think he's pissed (sometimes it's a little upsetting having to explain that no, he ain't mad, he just looks it.) Though he ain't upset about it. Don't think about him, talk to him, or even look at him and he'll be good. This man lives outside he actually would rather sleep in the leaves in the forest then go back to the statehouse. When he's at his own home in the woods he'll sleep outside a lot as well, but he also likes going back to the quietness of his cabin, cooking a nice meal on his stove (instead of the makeshift campfires he makes when he's too busy in the middle of one of his many 1000 projects and is deciding to sleep outside), and sleeping on his couch or in his bed. he eats, sleeps, and breathes nature, okay? (me) he ain't the Natural State for nothin I have dyscalculia so now he has dyscalculia. I mean it's only fair Will bury your body in the woods if you mispronounce his name. I swear to god he will oh my god he actually goes insane its like nails on a chalkboard its so fucking annoying its Ar-Kan-Saw not fucking "Ar-Kansas" or "Ar-kan-SAS-" like it actually drives him nuts you will never be seen again OH MY GOD- (sorry, might've gotten a bit caught up there in my own feelings.)

Wyoming/Montana/Arkansas headcanons

Got sat next to each other once in a meeting and ended up going to a bar after a rough time, now are inseparable. Didn't really talk to each other much, especially Arkansas with his "leave me tf alone" glare and aura, but secretly admired each other because they could relate to one another. Love to just sit in a room or outside, not talking to each other, and doing their own thing. They are very much introverts/have introvert characteristics and prefer the quiet. Montana kinda found out he had feelings for both of them, but didn't realize it was romantic feelings for a while. (Dude hasn't dated in a long time) Wyoming and Montana "got together" first (moreso them realizing they were in love with each other but not sure how to go about it, also not sure about what to do about their feelings Arkansas) Arkansas was not sure how to feel about the whole crush thing since one, he'd never been in a poly relationship before, and two, he hadn't dated many (if any) men in the past. (not even women really. he had his dog, cat, and woods to keep him company. not saying he wasn't lonely but he doesn't date much.) Took him a long time to even confess he liked them back. (He knew he liked them but figuring out if it was romantic or not was a struggle.) Took them months to get into a qpr as a way to test the waters before it later turned into a romantic relationship. Relationships are hard. (all of these fuckers are on the aromantic spectrum idgaf. projecting onto Arkansas like a bitch lol) Still considering on moving in with each other (they like their quiet space but also enjoy having each other around. While moving in together sounds nice, they still aren't sure yet since they don't know if their ready for that type of change. Besides, figuring out whos state they want to live in and all of that is a lotta work.) so they switch between each other's houses a lot. Some days they're staying the night at Montana's, other times they're riding horses in Wyoming's or relaxing in Arkansas. Bond a lot over shared interests such as farming, cowboys, sports, outdoor activities, etc and can ramble about it for hours.

We can just ignore how late this is (totally wasn't supposed to do this weeks ago. life gets in the way too much sometimes.) Anyways, I love them and don't think about them enough. Though I do need to do more research on Wyoming and Montana since i'm not from those states, nor do I know much about them besides knowing Wyoming's the cowboy state and where he is on a map. (proud being able to point at all states on a map, though that's what this fandom does to you lmao.) Sorry if I got anything wrong on Wyoming and Montana (can you tell by the lack of stuff on them that I don't know those two well?)

[gardenoftransexuals]

i've finished s1 of midnight burger and man, i have some thoughts (so long i had to put a readmore on them).

what is caspar's whole deal with the diner? everyone has a story on how they found it (leif while spacehopping, gloria discovering on Craigslist [which is interesting but i'll get to that later] ava discovering it, presumably, while sciencing). going back, i don't think caspar ever really talks about how he found it, or even why he decided to stay (although i believe effie warns him that he might be running from something, which might be why he stayed). when ava goes through the time warp, she only hears a few moments of caspar's first day before it skips to leif's first day at the diner. at that point, caspar still doesn't know much about the diner but he seems far more comfortable in interacting in it (he slips into being a waiter immediately). and of course, from what we've heard, effie and zebulon don't seem to quite know how the diner works either. this makes me wonder if the diner is newer than originally thought, and perhaps caspar is actually the first employee. of course that couldn't exactly fit because iirc, effie and zebulon cannot see outside the diner so how would they know they were travelling through time and space? i guess that would mean that the diner is old enough to have had employees, who somehow disappeared before caspar arrived who might have been able to pass their knowledge onto effie and zebulon? but that would mean effie and zebulon would probably know more than they do, so maybe the radio is possibly a new installment to the diner (left by previous employees?)

are the radio and the diner even the same thing? the radio and the diner are somehow linked together, obviously, but effie and zebulon seem to have no control over where or when the diner goes, only that without them things would start falling apart (see: blackhole incident). it makes me wonder if despite being linked the diner has more sway in things. it's also always consistent that the diner shows up in a place where people need it (sometimes as a source of food, sometimes just to help problems). additionally, the diner seems to be able to seek out potential employees and draw them towards the diner (gloria). everyone was surprised when gloria showed up claiming that she saw their advert for a job interview, even though it was quite clear that none of them (including, iirc, zebulon & effie) ever put it up in the first place. i don't think it's a coincidence that leif showed up when he was looking for someplace new with Earth-people, or ava found the diner after she quit because she was trying to prove her scientific theories. i wonder if the diner is looking for a common quality in them and that's how it chooses its employees.

lastly: what's the deal with the radio? the vibes i'm getting are the effie & zebulon are just completely normal religious arkansas people, and that it's just the radio in the diner that's completely off-the-walls weird. originally i was thinking that effie & zebulon were like. preserved memories of people trapped inside a radio (maybe they were preserved before effie & zebulon ever had children, if the timewarp tunnel that ava had with the other arkansas people wasn't a completely different universe). but that's off the record now because i'm pretty sure memories can't get sick like effie did. which makes me wonder if effie & zebulon are in a pocket dimension of sorts? their time is like 1920s arkansas or whatever, which is moving at a much much slower pace than midnight burger. it'd explain how effie got sick (because their time is not static), plus how they don't have children, even though, in regular-world-time they definitely do have descendants (daniel & willow). and it'd explain why they think all science is witchcraft. if you were living in the 1920s, then the medical technology we have now would definitely seem to be witchcraft. the only thing i can't quite work out is the weird interference they had throughout season one, as well as how effie was able to locate leif. the first could be that whenever the diner radio lost connection with the pocket dimension effie & zebulon were in tried to fill their words with what the diner knew (which is why they would start quoting the book of the dead). i guess the diner being an entity of sorts could also explain how effie & zebulon managed to get into contact with leif when he was abducted, although what throws me off there is that if they're just normal people and the diner radio is actually controlling everything, then how would they have known about leif's radio? maybe the diner is capable of influencing them somewhat, or even maybe directing them a bit, but cannot outright control/tell anything to them. which makes me realize i am once again circling right back to religion: you know that one meme where it's like a guy who's being given divine information but because it's not in a language that they understand/can comprehend they circle right back around to being normal again? maybe that's the relationship that the diner, effie & zebulon have.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jess Piper at The View From Rural Missouri:

When I first moved to Missouri, I taught at a school in Kansas City. I introduced myself for the first time to a co-worker, and she asked where I was from; I told her Arkansas. I didn’t specify a town because no one has heard of Altus, AR. She said, “What’s it like moving to a big city?” She assumed I was from a small town because I was from Arkansas. I laughed and asked her if she’d ever heard of Little Rock or any town in Northwest Arkansas? They are pretty big cities and all are in Arkansas.

To be clear, I was not offended. I am rural, but I have noticed over the years that folks confuse GOP-dominated states with rural spaces. They aren’t the same. Even the reddest states have blue cities. Even the most regressive of states will have progressive voters. And, rural communities always have Democratic voters. Ask me how I know. I know there has been much written on the vote-against-our-their-self-interest, redneck voter. Something about red hats and diners. Something about guns and racism. A lot of it isn’t nice or even true. I have some thoughts…

Reaching rural voters.

Rural folks aren’t props. You don’t have to pander to us with pickups or jeans or boots, although if you showed up in a pair of Mucks, I’d know you were the real deal. You don’t have to wear a plaid shirt, or drive a flat bed— looking at you, Josh Hawley. You don’t have to use the word “y’all” unless it’s natural. You don’t have to talk down to us like we aren’t educated. You don’t have to ask about crop prices unless you know enough to not embarrass yourself. You don’t have to act any differently with rural people than you would with any other bloc of voters.

[...]

It’s not that difficult to understand rural people. Many of us have been rural all of our lives and we want the same things every other American wants. We are like you in most respects, but we might value physical privacy and a hands-off approach to government a little more — and we don’t mind a long drive to town. Here are a few misconceptions about rural Americans:

We all live on farms. In fact, most of us don’t. Many of us work in ag, but we don’t own big farms. You need generational wealth to buy a farm that you can make a living off of. There is a listing just down the highway from me for 220 acres of tillable ground. No house, no out buildings, no barns. It’s listed at 1.5 million. That’s just the land. Now, go price a combine. You’ll need generational wealth.

We all vote against our self-interest. We often vote for progressive ballot initiatives (hello, legalized weed) so you know that’s not true. However, I will not be able to vote for a State Representative in November. My current Rep has no Democratic opposition. Last cycle, it was me running against him, but I couldn’t afford to run again this cycle. When tallying up Dem voters, it will be easy to write my district off, but we will have no one to vote for. I couldn’t vote in my self-interest if I wanted to.

We are all gun nuts. I mean, a lot of us own guns, but we also use them. They are tools in my house, not accessories to wear to town and never used to intimidate. My kids hunt (we eat what we harvest) and we also use them to protect livestock. It’s also handy if you’re in FFA and enjoy competing in shooting events. P.S. Not all of our kids are in FFA or 4H, but those programs are awesome…especially for young women.

We are all racists. I’m absolutely positive rural America has its share of racists, but guess what? So do the cities. There are Black folks who have lived in rural spaces for generations (shocking!) There are people of all backgrounds who call rural America home, just like every other corner of the US. We have racists, but racism isn’t just contained in rural spaces. It’s an American epidemic, not a rural one.

We are all angry. I recently read a book title about the “angry white rural voter” written by a couple of progressives and my first though was, well, this will help the cause. Yes, there is anger, and if you visit places like my town, you’d see why. We aren’t building, we are razing. We aren’t growing, we are diminishing. The anger isn’t from some pissed off redneck. It’s local folks seeing their way of life dying. Their children moving away and never coming back. It’s not anger…it’s sadness. Yes, many of us could vote better, but back to not having a Democratic nominee…

Here’s what I truly think; the way back to sanity is through rural America and red states. Wyoming has the same amount of Senators as California — why not send money and resources to Wyoming? Or Montana. Or Arkansas. Or Iowa. Or Missouri. Contest every seat on every ballot — even in rural spaces. Especially in rural spaces.

Jess Piper writes yet another home-run piece on rural voters and Democrats: they are in rural areas, even if they are outnumbered and oftentimes don't have a candidate running for such offices.

Hopefully the trend reverses.

[r0tt3n-gvtz]

thoughts at night time are scary

like wdym i randomly started thinking about the somg with the states of america and remembered them all with the exception of accidentally replacing Montana with Mike wazowski and only realized it when i relistened to the song and thought of the mike wa-housekey thingy when it said montana

and as well wtf do you mean "hmo on the name 'Arkansas.'"

and why are you thinking about shipping your loved ones off to idaho.

IM NOT AMERICAN WHY AM I THINKING AMERICA

its two in the morning. im terrified of the creatures in the corner

me after thinking about a brainrot version of against the kitchen floor by will wood (iiiiiiii sweeearrrr im really edginnggggg my gyatts just as big if i let out my alpha while edging and mewing with pictures of drakes drake) i am so fucking tired i want to kms i hate this kill me kill me kill me fuck everything what if i dont wake up

teehee i just threw my gitd tamari plush and watched the glowing blob fly

[freetheshit-outofyou]

I lived all over the South when I was in the Army, did Basic and Advanced School in Fort McClellan Alabama, went to Fort Bragg North Carolina, worked a Customs Detail at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point North Carolina for 2 months, went Fort Jackson South Carolina, Joint Maneuver Training Center (FCJMTC) Fort Chaffee Arkansas, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk Louisianan, and just a couple months at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida for Hurricane Andrew. I leaned a great many things about the South that no book could teach me, one of those things was just how FUCKING CRAZY folks in the south get when a storm is coming in. I mean every time a storm comes in it's like half the population forgot one just came in 2 months earlier. This was brought up yesterday seeing folks at the Walmart here in Upstate Nevada buying up shit like the apocalypse was coming. We are 697.39 miles (1,120.73 km) from Baja California and folks up here are acting like they are in Mobile Alabama or Gulfport Louisianan. They are doing the same dumb shit I saw folks at the H.E.B. in Texas doing, carts full up with milk, bread, and beer. I mean what the fuck are you going to do with 12 gallons of milk when the power goes out? I'm not knockings on the South, I loved living there, for the most part. No, I'm knockings on those folks who "storm horde" every time a breeze blew in off the water. I'd like to say all those folks were "transplants" from some other state but they fact is most of them were just doing what their Ma' and Pa' did and how their Grandma and Grandpa did. The dumpsters and trash cans would wreak of spoiled milk for months after a big storm knocked out the power for a week. This ones for folks who have never experienced a true Southern Hurricane party, GO! Help your neighbors board up their windows, sandbag their foundations, move livestock and cook off all that stuff that will spoil when the lights go out. You will never see a group of people working together for the same ends and flipping the bird to the storm at the same time any place else. The South loves a good storm party.

Side Note: I will never call US military bases and forts by any of the new names, guess its the old guy in me coming through.