#you don't have to like what they're doing but you don't really have grounds to make them feel shitty over it

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

hi, i wanted to ask what you think about those japanese zoo's training exercises were someone dresses up as an animal and pretends to have escaped and all that, are they effective? what do U.S zoo's do to train for things like that?

They look silly, but they're a real emergency drill! They force people to think through how they'd problem-solve in real time and in the physical space, which is a very different experience than just thinking about it.

There's no consistent requirement for emergency drills in the US federal regulations for zoos, but there is a contingency planning one. Facilities licensed by the USDA have to identify and create plans for addressing likely emergencies they may have to deal with, which is everything from like natural disasters to animal escapes. That's all done as paperwork and provided to the government to prove they've done it.

BUT. That doesn't mean that zoos and other animal facilities don't do more planning on their own. Some of the third-party accreditations (it might be all of them but I don't have the docs in front of me to confirm) require regular drills for all types of emergency scenarios.

Now there's a slight problem there - a real escape drill, run fully on grounds with real people and stand-in animal, interferes with the daily operations of the zoo. You might not have to physically shut all the guests into buildings during a practice leopard escape, but you do need them to not get in the way, and you don't want to scare people who think a drill is real, etc. So there's an alternate option.

US zoos frequently run emergency management drills as TTRGPs!

Like, they use a printed scale map of the zoo and roll dice to randomize the situation. This is absolutely recommended as a strategy by the Zoo and Aquariums All Hazard Partnership: there's a whole webpage about it, including instructions for the Drill Master.

There are in-person drills, of course, because you have to practice dealing with these problems in meatspace. But a lot of them are done tabletop! I cannot express the extent of my mirth when I first encountered this in the wild at a conference about a decade ago, when the idea was really taking off. It was Very Serious Zoo People on a Very Serious Topic about preventing Really Bad Things from happening... and then suddenly there was a d20 on the screen.

[shaisuki]

Hii. Could I please request Geto (or gojo) who bullies insecure chubby reader but then gets stunned and almost offended when she starts to get close to another guy. And it's even worse that she's recently been trying to give the silent treatment since she's wants to be all strong and stand her ground and stuff. (maybe goes as far as smacking his hand away and all if ykwim)

❝ BITE BACK! ❞

FEATURING. GOJO SATORU AND GETO SUGURU

CONTENT WARNINGS. implied bullying + jealousy + hints of sabotaging.

SYNOPSIS. it takes a new guy for you to fight your bullies.

recently, you've been smiling a lot.

the kind of smile that reaches your eyes. the corners crinkling and there's the unmistakable twinkle in those round eyes of yours. a dimple showing in your cherubic cheeks. you think they wouldn't notice but they did. not with their prying eyes following your every movement and quirk of your face.

suguru noticed it first. there's the whispers and chatters of every student body passing by in the courtyard. he sees you in the midst of the crowd, alternating between running and walking like you were in a rush before disappearing in the next building. he paid it no mind, you may be running late and all the other reasons except meeting with someone.

it happened one afternoon, suguru and satoru was walking towards your class and then a familiar figure casually walks towards someone. a man. they didn't pay it no mind believing that you're off to talk to that guy about things relating to your classes and then a scene unfolds in front of them. one they thought wouldn't expect seeing.

they watched — transfixed. the cold hard stare being sent to both of you and then without a beat, the man raises his arm to pat your head and you — clearly taken aback — bloomed a shy smile. your head lowering to avert his gaze and from the looks of it, you were feeling bashful.

it didn't stop there, the hand that was patting your head descended down to cup your round cheek before pinching it. the action made their irritation trigger over something so simple. you didn't act that way when they do the same to you. (it always brought you to tears. gojo's pinches leaves bruises and geto squishing your round cheeks made you cry.) they didn't thought of it and that made them seething in anger.

fear not, they didn't confront you about it. waiting for you to crack under their scrutinizing gazes while you continue forced to be with them. thriving on the way you squirmed but nothing happened not the way they expected it to be that you'll go vulnerable at them for the pressure they're putting you on.

why does it bother to see you with that lowlife so much? they were much better than that trash. looks and popularity wise and they give you the same affection that guy does to you. (although the guy was much gentler to you, not the same way they've been treating you.) it gotten worst that your undivided attention is being stolen in broad daylight from them and they don't like to share.

you have gotten clever to. the excuses were so convincing and real. avoiding them was like the easiest task for you to do so and it left them no choice but to confront you about your behavior towards them. they can't have you hanging out with that guy.

the expressions on their face was something you were prepared for. their jaws clench, face hardening on what just occured.

did you just slapped gojo's hand away from you? with your big girl talks about not taking a shit for them and won't tolerate anything of the their stupid actions towards you. it cut deep to their unwavering assertion of their pride towards you. their little mouse is being hostile and brace towards them. that son of a bitch was really putting an influence with you. they ought to be taught a lesson and they just have the perfect thing on their mind but first they have to deal with their little mouse in front of them. staring daggers at them and aren't you just the cutest thing ever.

they will let it slide — just this time after they took care of that scum taking their little mousey from them and after that — there would be no more rambunctious attitude and you will be only left with your pliant attitude towards them. you will only be their mouse for them to play.

[lyricwritesprose]

"It's absolutely offensive stereotyping," the tome says, in its whispery paper voice. "Do you know who wrote a full third of the incantations within me?"

"No . . ." You are still not sure about this.

"Morthana the Annoyed. Do you know why Morthana became known as The Annoyed?"

There, you're on firmer ground. Your Illusion class touched on this. "Didn't she give a student a rooster head for six months because he knocked on her door too early in the morning and she had a headache?"

"And that he didn't bring her concentrated cacao, which she had ordered from the university kitchens the night before." The tome makes it sound very significant.

"Oh, yeah, that too. I mean, all in all, she doesn't sound like a very nice person—"

"Put together the puzzle pieces! They're supposed to teach you logic in those classes, not just reciting other people's spells! Morthana wasn't suffering from a headache, Morthana was suffering from a migraine. They're different."

Light dawns. Metaphorically speaking. "Ohhh. So she started to specialize in darkness magic—"

"For medicinal purposes. Correct. Yes, it's arguable that she wasn't as nice as she could have been, but chronic pain does take its toll, you know, and they didn't have Evrastar's Invocation or any of the common pressure point cantrips in those days. She went about fixing it herself, as best she could, and she expected her work to be available to later generations of sufferers, and frankly I find it insulting on a personal level that I was filed in Restricted where fewer people were likely to check me out. Do you know what ableism is?"

"I mean, yes, but—"

"Ableism isn't just straightforward discrimination, it's also putting barriers between a person and the treatment they need. I'd call needing two librarian's signatures and a Fourth Mysteries level library card to be a barrier. Don't you think?"

It's right, really. "I'll talk to the librarian," you promise, tucking the grimoire under your arm. "How do you know all this stuff about healing, anyway?"

"I dated a Healing Tome of Sulavisi once. You pick up a few things."

You’ve just realized that a magical tome in the library had been misidentified. It is not, in fact, a tome of dark magic but a tome of darkness magic. And it’s rather hurt to have been so cruelly judged.

[cjlouwho]

Twelve Christmases

No specific chapter tags

Read below or on ao3. You can also start from the beginning here.

Day 12: 2031

“What are you doing?”

“Shh!” Tommy waved his hand dramatically as he took a very slow, very precise step. “You're going to wake her up, Evan.”

“She's been out like a light for an hour,” Buck reminded him with a smile, “and I've got music playing in her room. So, what are you doing?”

Tommy lifted a foot, showing Buck the bottom of a black, rubber boot. “A little water and flour,” he explained. “I'm making Santa's footprints.”

Buck crossed his arms, leaning against the living room entryway. “It's sixty degrees outside. Where is this snow coming from?”

Tommy sighed. “It's magic."

“You know that's gonna be a nightmare to clean up tomorrow once it dries.”

“It'll be fine.”

“I'll remind you of that when you're scrubbing.”

“I need more,” Tommy said, ignoring Buck's comments as he stood still as a statue in the middle of the living room. “I have a spray bottle in the kitchen, and a plate with flour on it. Bring it to me, please?”

Buck shook his head, but went and got what Tommy needed. “Please tell me you're not stepping your feet into our good dishes,” he whined on his way back, setting the plate on the ground.

“They're new boots. We'll throw it in the dishwasher. Stay down there, spray my shoes.”

“Is this some new type of fetish for you? I know we're not supposed to judge, but...”

“Evan.”

“Okay, okay, I'm spraying.”

After each foot was sprayed and floured again, Tommy resumed his walk until he reached the front door.

“Seems wrong to not have Santa going up a chimney,” Buck said as Tommy carefully took off his boots.

“We don't have a chimney.”

“I could get a photo of Chimney and tape it to the door.”

“I know you're joking,” Tommy said, stepping closer to Buck, “but if you do that I might start committing violent crimes.”

Buck reached out and felt over Tommy's shirt. “You'd look hot in orange,” he decided as he leaned in for a kiss.

“Wait.” Tommy stopped him right before their lips met. He looked down between them, pointing at Buck's foot. “You're dangerously close to stepping on Santa's footprint.”

The moment ruined, Buck patted Tommy's chest. “I'm gonna bring out her presents.”

“I'm going to put these boots in three garbage bags, wash them when she goes to Maddie's on Friday, and give them to George at work on Saturday.”

“Why are you giving George your boots?”

“What do I need giant, black, rubber boots for?”

“Well, why does George need giant, black, rubber boots?”

“Are we really doing this right now, Evan?”

Buck rolled his eyes, raising his hands in surrender. “Getting the presents now.”

“Watch out for the footprints!” Tommy whisper-yelled as Buck headed down the hall.

Buck's only response was a low groan.

*****

The third time Tommy checked the time it was 4:45. He turned from one side to the other, wrapping his arm around Buck's waist.

“You're supposed to be sleeping,” Buck grumbled.

“Sorry.” Tommy pressed a kiss between Buck's shoulder blades. “I'm excited.”

“Really? Couldn't tell.”

Buck stretched out his legs, then turned over to face Tommy. “You know she's gonna be going nonstop once she wakes up. This is your last chance for rest.”

“She's been wanting that bike for months, Evan. And she already knows how to ride without training wheels. Can you believe that?”

“I can.” Buck brought a hand to Tommy's face, gently stroking his cheek. “You taught her well.”

“You ate the cookies, right?” Tommy asked, and Buck couldn't help but grin at him. He looked like such a child, wide eyed and ready to take on the day.

“I ate the cookies.”

“And the milk?”

“I drank the milk.”

“You think the note was okay?” Tommy asked. “It wasn't too wordy, was it?”

“Tommy,” Buck inched forward, pressing his lips against Tommy's. “Her Christmas will be perfect. You've made sure of that.”

“We've made sure of that,” Tommy corrected, giving him another kiss.

Buck ran his hand down Tommy's arm until he intertwined their hands, squeezing tight. “You okay?” he asked. “I know you're excited, but I- I also know Christmas has a lot of not-so-great memories for you.”

That was an understatement if there ever was one. Christmas of 2025 was one of the best for Tommy. Spent with Evan, his family, and the rest of the 118, the entire day was something out of a storybook. It was overwhelming and, once they got home, Tommy found himself sobbing in the bathroom. When Buck found him, Tommy ended up spilling his guts on every past Christmas.

By the time they were done, Buck promised that if he never wanted to celebrate the holiday again, he wouldn't have to.

But Tommy did. It's all he ever wanted, and he had it now, and it was good and terrifying and a lot to wrap his head around.

Then, they got their daughter, and Christmas had been taken up a notch every year since then. Buck always figured he'd be the one to dive head first into holidays, but Tommy quickly took the reigns, and Buck loved every second of it.

“I'm okay,” Tommy assured him.

“You'll come to me later if you get not okay?”

Tommy nodded. “Promise,” he said, wrapping his and Buck's pinkies together.

Buck scooted in as close as he could, closing his eyes as he entangled their bodies.

Just as Tommy thought he might be able to fall back to sleep, he heard the familiar patter of little feet heading toward their door.

“Get ready,” Buck mumbled against his chest.

The door flung open. “Daddy! Papa! Christmas!” She came running to the bed, jumping right on top of her dads.

“Whoa!” Tommy exclaimed, the both of them scooting back to give her space between them. “It's Christmas?!” he questioned.

“Mhm!”

“Are you sure about that?” Buck asked, cocking his eyebrow.

“I'm sure! Presents, please!” She grabbed both of their hands and began tugging. “Please, please, please!”

*****

Tommy got tears in his eyes as he watched his babygirl squeal when she saw Santa's footprints. He became even more misty when Buck helped her read the letter Santa left her. By the time she was tearing open her presents and screaming at the sight of her new bike, Buck had to put a hand on his back and gently rub up and down, soothing him so he wouldn't break down into full sobs right in front of their daughter.

He never tried to hide his emotions from her, but he also knew she wouldn't really understand her dad hyperventilating with happiness because he loved her so much.

“Can I go ride it?!” she asked, already snapping her helmet on her head.

“The sun's not even up yet,” Buck joked, but he knew he wouldn't win this fight. Tommy was already standing, quickly throwing the wrapping paper into a giant trash bag so they could go.

“Please, Daddy!” she begged, her bottom lip poking out.

He laughed. “I bet Papa is willing to take the first bike shift while I get breakfast ready, aren't you?” he asked, looking up at Tommy with a grin.

“Oh, absolutely!” he answered. “Go put on your shoes and grab a jacket, then we'll go.”

As she ran out of the room, Buck stood, wrapping his arms around Tommy. “Breakfast will take about an hour,” he said as Tommy pressed a kiss to his temple. “That enough time?”

Tommy rested his hands at Buck's lower back. “Yup. I'll take her back out after.”

Buck leaned back enough to look into Tommy's eyes. “You still good?”

Tommy nodded. “I'm great, Evan.”

*****

“Alright." Tommy clapped his hands together after making the final adjustments on her helmet. “You got this?”

“I got this!” she yelled, smiling brightly.

She got ready to take off, but stopped suddenly, leaning over and squeezing her arms around Tommy's waist the best she could.

“Oh!” he breathed out in surprise. He squatted down so he could give her a better hug. “What's this for?” he asked.

“For being the bestest papa ever and ever!”

She gave him a smack of a kiss on the cheek and let go, pushing herself forward and taking off on the bike.

Tommy wiped the tears from his face and started to jog behind her, his heart feeling more full than he ever thought possible.

One day, this would all be a distant memory to her. She may only remember bits and pieces, but she would hold in her heart the way her parents made Christmas as perfect as possible.

And whether she chooses to have a family of her own, or spend the holiday with friends that become family, she will pass the traditions on and Christmas will continue to hold a special place in her heart. Filled with good memories of endless laughter and unconditional love.

Juniper Buckley-Kinard was five years old when her Papa unwittingly taught her that sometimes good things last forever.

[wilhelminyard]

part 3 of the foxes being brutally honest and insulting people to their faces because they are SAVAGES

NEIL :

"I figured he was an egocentric maniac who was so desperate for his own glory he refused to see the potential in anyone else"

"tell me you're not that stupid"

"I might have been a little more considerate if I'd known how stupid you are"

"you being an asshole at heart means I was right about your chances. you do understand by now that your cowardice is what's keeping you and andrew apart, right?"

"you're a spineless asshole. you let the world happen to you and don't bother to fight back. you let other people dictate how you can live your life and who you can spend your time with. remind me why you put up with your mother's abuse for so long. did you actually love her despite her madness, or were you just too afraid to walk away?"

"what do you think?" "I think fuck you"

"your false bravado helps no one" "neither does your cowardice"

"you already walked away from him once knwoing what riko would do to him in your absence. don't do it again. if you don't protect him now, his death is on you"

"die free or die a failure. the choice is yours."

"I'd ask you how it feels but I guess you've always known what it's like to be second, you worthless piece of shit"

ANDREW :

"is your learning curve a horizontal line?"

"a privileged child like you has never seen the real world"

"I've had enough of your stupidity to last me a week"

"I'm volunteering my opinion" "don't. children should be seen and not heard"

"you're stupider than even I gave you credit for"

"you have a problem wherein you only invest your time and energy into worthless pursuits"

"you're a different kind of suicidal. didn't you figure that out in december? you're bait. you're the martyr no one asked for or wanted"

"I hope you two are miserable together"

WYMACK :

"anyone have ideas on how to make neil look a bit less like a battered wife?"

"I can't tell if you're being obtuse to fuck with me or if you're really that dumb."

"I need you to derail that one-track fucking mind of yours for two seconds"

"great. kevin's turning into another you. that's just what I needed."

"get washed up before your stench kills me"

KEVIN :

"we need you on the court but not if you're going to drag us down with you. in the shape you're in right now you'd be a complete waste of our time."

"even if you'd stepped it up when I told you to a year ago, you would have no chance of beating them. there is nothing at all you can do this late in the year. they are better than we are and they always will be"

"stop acting like a spoiled child"

"you've got a thing for controversial teams, I think, but I like this one much better than the last one" "they're mediocre at best but they're easier to get along with"

NICKY :

"do you get off on being such a debbie downer?"

AARON :

"it wasn't the drugs that made him crazy"

"I'm walking away and pretending I don't know you"

"I want to drink and pretend I don't know any of you"

MATT :

"good to see you're still fuck-all crazy"

"one of these days you have to let me hit kevin."

ALLISON :

"you are on messed-up child. you come by that naturally or did your parents do that to you?"

"seriously you guys? it's like you don't know us" "we try not to"

RENEE :

"I tried taking you off his hands at one point. andrew refused on the grounds he wouldn't wish you on anyone except a mortician"

[thekaratcake-blog]

Not intentionally being harmful and not being harmful aren't the same thing, it's really important to remember that some people may not see the harm in what they do, and it's incredible important that we're careful about doing stuff that may be harmful in the long run, it's nice and all to want to accept absolutely everyone but there are limits to it Like yeah a level of exclusion is important, we exclude MAPs for a reason, we exclude trans race for a reason, it's not a good thing to not exclude people, it's a good thing to not exclude people who don't deserve to be excluded And "it isn't hurting anyone" is absolutely enough of a reason to include someone, but we gotta protect that bar at least And to be super clear, it is harmful for things to masquerade as other things, for example, go nuts with your xenogenders kids, but it would be harmful to try and paint xenogenders as if they're on the same level of legitimacy as someone who is just trans or nonbinary, being trans is scientifically supported, being nonbinary is scientifically supported, autismgender is actively against the scientific consensus, suicidefluid is also absolutely against the scientific consensus, we should not conflate these things Wanna use funny labels? Go nuts, but don't try to put them on equal footing with well established and scientifically supported labels And contradictory labels just in general I think are an issue honestly, it's ironically excluding anyone in the queer community who feels some need to understand something, who lives based on, y'know, logic or evidence or, good reason to understand or accept something, it also makes everyone on the outside looking in, or even others within the community, question the validity overall and question the validity of themselves and their identities To see someone identify as something explicitly contradcitary, especially if it includes a label that you are actually part of in it, makes it feel like that those labels hold no real value as they're just being used and thrown around and smashed together for fun, labels do have meaning And finally, I often find people using these contradictary labels are using them to describe experiences there are already terms for, and in turn, invalidating people who've had those experiences and use the actual labels, or they're people who avoid actual science and reality because they think stuff like being trans is just an internal thing To be extremely clear, being trans or nonbinary is not a feelings thing, it's not an emotional thing, it's not a psychological thing, it's a physical, detectable, unchangeable neurological thing, it's part of your physical brain, science can and has detected and measured it, we're not playing games with terms here, trans people weren't accepted because people are just taking us on our word about it, and identities aren't being accepted just because The acceptence we see is because it is scientifically backed, and treating gender and labels as if it's something you can do whatever you want with honestly feels like an insult to that, gender cannot be influenced by autism, it cannot be influenced by suicide, infact it cannot be influenced by anything as it is an inherent part of your neurology, btw this isn't saying genderfluid people don't exist, even though we currently have no evidence for them, there is good reason to believe they do, but their fluctuations are likely caused by slight hormonal changes or alterations in their brain chemistry There's science here people, please stop ignoring it to call yourself whatever the fuck you want, it's an insult to people fighting to get acceptance on the grounds that this is a real tangible thing

are you truly a queer ally if you exclude or don't support the following?

queer people of color

queer women / feminine queers

queer men / masculine queers

amab queers

afab queers

intersex individuals

transgender individuals

non-binary indidviduals

any kind of non-conformity (pronoun, gender, label, etc.)

queer alterhumans

neopronominal / varipronominal / multipronominal / apapronominal / alterpronominal / nullpronominal / crosspronoun individuals

xenogenders

aro- / ace- / aroace-spec individuals

disabled queers

queer people who don't confirm with certain stereotypes of their identities or of queer people in general

the answer is, no, you really aren't. you're an exclusionist.

[moonchild701]

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

A Thawing Heart

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Summary: A snowstorm hits and you meet someone unexpected

Pairing: Dabi/Gen Reader

Content Warning: Pre Relationship, SickFic (kinda), Hurt/Comfort, Injuries, Mentions of blood, Implied Murder (off screen, not reader), SFW

Word Count: 1.6k

Disclaimer: Character belongs to Kohei Horikoshi

A/N: This is the 9th part of 12 fics for a 12 Days of Christmas event. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Prompt: Stuck in a snowstorm

My Masterlist

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Harsh winds whip through the trees of the forest, the falling snow and rain thick enough to blot out your surroundings.

Multiple layers of warm clothing are rendered useless as the wet mix is mercilessly soaked into gaps in the fabric, leaching away whatever heat you had.

You just wanted to go on a nice stroll in the scenic wintry woods, but then the weather took a turn, so you're on your way back to your cabin.

Just wanting a holiday getaway from everything and everyone, you decided a little trip to your dad's old cabin in the snowy mountains of Hokkaido was the perfect place to do so.

You'd gotten there the day before, and all packed and settled in, you wanted to go exploring a bit. It was beautiful and peaceful, and the weather seemed nice enough at the time, only very lightly snowing.

That was a while ago. You'd stuck to the path precisely, and when the winds picked up, the air getting colder than it had any right being, you spun right around to head back to the cabin.

On the way back, it started snowing heavier, and then came the rain.

Eventually, you manage to break through the treeline, with the cabin in sight.

And between you and said cabin, is a dark lump on the snowy ground, slowly but surely being covered in snow.

Creeping closer, you notice it's a person,and they're bleeding, and you speed up your steps.

As you reach them, you see familiar eyes the most gorgeous shade of blue you've ever seen peering up at you, before they roll back in his head.

*****

Dabi.

You're dragging Dabi, one of the most wanted villains in the country, back to your cabin.

But really, what else are you supposed to do? He's injured right in front of you, and it's not like you can call for help.

You don't listen to the annoying voice in your head inquiring if it's just because of the faulty reception and not because you don't want him to get caught.

Because to you, he's your hero.

You doubt he'd remember you, roasting your would-be attacker to a crisp in an alley all those months ago after happening upon it. You don't like to dwell too much on what might've happened if he never stepped in, but the fact that he did, means the world to you.

So if you can help him in return, you will.

Not to mention that you've seen the video. The video of his past, of how he came to be, and you can't help but sympathize.

So you bring him into the warmth of your temporary little home to patch him up and help him however you can.

*****

Somehow, you manage to get him inside, taking off his jacket before settling him on the couch and lighting the fireplace. You quickly strip off your icy, wet clothes and change into something warmer.

Now behind closed doors, the difference is stark. Where it was once freezing, it's now just a bit chilly, with the air slowly warming up; where the air was previously occupied with howling, icy winds, it's now filled with the sound of the crackling of fire.

The room is dimly lit from the flames, casting deep shadows and patches of dancing orange light around the room, the few lightbulbs dull, not really adding any more light, but you get to work with what you have.

With the room slowly warming, you strip him out of his wet clothes, starting with his boots and pants, taking care to not jostle his wounds, and you throw a blanket over his legs. He's bleeding from his shoulder, so you have no choice but to cut him out of his shirt.

As more of his chest is exposed to the air, goosebumps appear along his skin. The fibers stick and pull at the wound, and you try to be gentle, but from the pinched expression on his face, he's beginning to wake up.

You're proven right when, just as you get the last of the fabric off, cerulean eyes just as icy as the outside world snap open, glaring at you as a heated hand grabs your wrist tightly. Or as tightly as he can in this state. He's rather pale.

"Who the fuck are you?" Dabi's voice is rough, guarded.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you know you should technically be afraid, but all you could focus on is that his eyes are on you.

But also, his grip is starting to get uncomfortable from the heat.

"The owner of the cabin you were bleeding out in front of." you say calmly, tugging your wrist free. "I'm trying to help you."

That gives him pause.

"Why? I could burn you to a crisp," he says, rightfully suspicious in his position, to be honest.

"Well, yeah," you admit. "But then I can't patch you up, hm?"

He looks at you skeptically, "You didn't answer me. Why are you helping me? I'm sure you know who I am."

You sigh, telegraphing your movements as you reach for the first aid kit at your side. "You helped me once. Saved me really. I'm returning the favour to my hero."

He's taken aback at your words, at your soft smile and the gentle look in your eyes as you look at him.

A myriad of emotions flash over his features, before settling on a scowl. "I'm no hero."

You can't help the snort of laughter that escapes you. "I know very well that you're not a hero, Dabi. It was a hero, a sidekick, that you saved me from." Then, gentler, "You're not a hero, you're my hero, and that's all to it."

He seems at a loss for what to say, so you move along. "I'm gonna clean you up, okay?", you say, gesturing toward the wound on his shoulder. After all of the fabric was removed, pulling away whatever scabs that were forming, it started bleeding again, albeit sluggishly, and it needs patching up.

He's snaps out of it at that, nodding stiffly as he looks away.

Smiling softly, you grab the roll of gauze and get to work.

You work in a comfortable silence for a while, before your curiosity gets the better of you.

"Can I ask what happened?" You ask softly, not wanting to disturb the fragile peacefulness, but feeling the need to ask anyway.

He doesn't say anything for a while, to the point that you think he's not going to answer, before you hear him sigh heavily and mutter, "Recruitment went wrong. Guy had an ice quirk and managed to stab me with an icicle before I torched him."

He's watching you closely, watching your reaction, but you just hum, continuing to gently wrap and tape down the wound.

"You got nothin' to say about the guy I killed?" His voice is mostly taunting, but you can hear the underlying curiosity and disbelief lacing it.

"I'm sure you had your reasons, and again, I know you're a villain. Stop trying to scare me." You roll your eyes, putting away the leftover supplies.

He looks at you incredulously, but you ignore it, standing up. "Stay here, try not to jostle your shoulder. I'll be right back.", you say, not waiting to hear a reply before leaving.

He's left staring at your retreating form, perplexed and slightly concerned if he's being honest. Because that can't be it, right? That's it? He thinks he vaguely remembers you; you do seem kind of familiar, but really? Him, your hero? He knows the system is fucked, but this is a whole new level, where someone has to consider a villain their hero.

Shaking his head lightly, he's pulled out of his musings when you return, a glass of water in hand. "Here, take this. Pain meds." You hold them out to him.

He eyes it skeptically, slowly taking them from your hands and you have to sigh. "Seriously? I just used most of my supplies to patch you up and you think I'd try to poison you now?"

You understand his paranoia and caution, what with how he lives and what he does, but come on.

He rolls his eyes and shrugs, muttering, "You never know.",  and downs the pills.

Satisfied he's complying, you finish cleaning up.

And then he says something stupid.

"Well thanks, but I gotta go." He mutters, grunting as he tries to prop himself up to stand.

You hurriedly but gently push him back to lie down.

"Absolutely not, you need to rest. Besides, go where? How?" You scold, exasperated. "The storm is still going strong, so there's shitty reception, and even if that weren't the case, your phone's busted."

He scowls, grumbling but complying, lying back and letting you pull the warm blanket back over him.

"I'm gonna make some hot cocoa for us, okay? Just rest for now. Please?" He goes to retort, complain really, but the words get stuck in his throat. You're looking at him so earnestly, so concerned and tender.

He doesn't remember anyone ever really looking at him like that, not for a long time.

And it's possibly the worst time to realize that you're fucking pretty. Beautiful really, in a way that makes his scars itch with the flare of heat beneath them.

He swallows thickly, turning his head away to look at anything other than your pretty, pretty eyes staring at him.

You sigh, standing back up to go make some hot cocoa.

Something tells you that Dabi could really use it right now.

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

[lovelizards]

"No! No, please!"

Whynne screamed, and thrashed against the ropes that bound her, but all she could do was watch as her entire party was slaughtered right in front of her.

She'd tried so hard to warn them. The rope knot gag had done its job, they hadn't heard her, hadn't understood the dangers. It didn't matter what happened to her, but how could she let them die like this?

"Whynne! We're coming, hold on!" Thats what Malcolm had shouted across the throne room to her, his sword already drawn.

"Let her go, you sick cunt!" Else had roared, her grip white-knuckled around her holy symbol.

"Your friends have arrived," the man, the villain she had come to know as 'Mael', whispered too-close into her ear, "don't you want to talk to them one last time?"

He'd ripped the gag away, burning the corners of her mouth against the rope.

"It's a trap!" She'd cried, "You have to get out! It's a -!"

The rest was drowned out by a deep earthy rumbling, the crashing of stones grinding against each other, and wild, elated laugher from Mael - as shadowy spears shot up from the floor, and tore through her friends faster than she could blink.

The hall echoed with cries of pain and surprise, blood splattered the walls and nauseous horror threatened to overcome her. Her breathing was jagged, strained, as she pulled against the ropes.

"No! No, please!"

Mael held her fast, stronger than he seemed - something she'd become familiar with after a week of being thrown around by him. She thought she could endure it, as long as her friends were safe, she could endure anything...but not this...please, not this!

"How beautifully you led them to their deaths," Mael snickered, "adventurers are truly fools! Ah, I love it - oh my, it seems some of them survived the first wave, what shall I do?"

Tears streamed from her eyes as she watched the two stronger party members tremble, and hold fast against the pressure and pain of the spikes. Blood soaked through their clothes, and dripped into puddles on the tiles.

"Please, please - you can - you can do whatever you want to me, just let them go! I'm begging you, please, just - just let them go!"

"What a tantalizing offer, you must really care for your friends..."

"I - I do - I - they're all that matters to me! So - so please -"

Mael waved a hand, and the shadowy spikes disappeared into puffs of dark smoke. Everyone fell to the ground, groaning, and Whynne allowed herself - stupidly, naïvely - a moment of relief.

"Pfft - but don't you already know?" Mael laughed, jerking her ropes back hard, "I can already do whatever I want to you! Nothing you or your pathetic mortal friends do could ever stop me! Haha~!"

"No, please - aghh!" She was silenced by the gag again, despite shaking her head, trying to fight it.

The shadow spikes shot up from the floor a second time.

Whynne's heart felt like it stopped. She couldn't breathe.

Then the spikes disappeared again, dropping the bodies back to the floor. They struck again, and then disappeared again. Over and over, until the hall was finally quiet.

No more groans of pain from her friends. No more movement.

She managed one or two weak gasps of breath, blinded by tears that burned in the back of her throat, and she screamed. She screamed, and thrashed, and fought to break free.

Until, eventually, she was so overcome with grief that she fell slack; all she could do was sob over the gruesome, bloody mess that used to be her friends.

[estebanbicon]

nat...i mean i CAN believe it because it's fucking briatore and alpine...but truly what the fuck...

first of all this alleged gap to pierre. like obviously ALPINE would be complete dumbasses to openly discuss the qualifying gap that very conveniently overlapped with esteban joining haas/briatore officially being brought on board, the one that esteban couldn't even talk openly about according to canal+, the one that alpine refused to even try to fix...

but it begs the question...what gap ARE they talking about??? i swear they're actually trying to get people to think the points gap between the two at the end of the season started well before it actually did. like literally before brazil the points gap was 9-5 in favor of pierre and then from brazil to qatar the points difference was 26-23 in favor of pierre (and considering what happened in canada it should actually be a touch closer). that's literally...not a giant gap AT ALL? it's in fact a very normal gap??? this so-called gap they keep alluding to only enlarged in the last two races - qatar (where esteban was knocked out in the first corner) and abu dhabi (where esteban was forced to give up his seat). like what the actual fuck???

also if they want to give pierre exclusive credit for p6 in the constructor's, why don't they just take out esteban's points from the total tally and see where that leaves them in the constructor's battle...

like it's literally basic math that these fuckers seem to refuse to do time and time again when they accuse esteban of SaBoTaGiNg them in the p6 battle...how the fuck do you think you got into this battle for p6 in the first place???

also knowing that esteban was literally a part of lotus/renault/alpine for HALF HIS LIFE flavio's "he's really OUR pilot" comment about pierre really rubs me the wrong way...

as SO MANY people have realized lately, esteban is alpine. he has been their most successful driver for the past decade. so to put that comment in about a red bull academy driver was just yet another targeted barb at esteban...it's just such nasty behavior to say the least.

not to mention that coupled with flavio's fuckass and completely unnecessary comments about nationality...i can't help but agree with you about they're feeding into the racist narrative of esteban not really being french because of his algerian heritage...and that "OUR driver" is absolutely part of that imo

couldn't have said it any better! he gave alpine the best result every single year, three podiums and a win, he helped with a program for aspiring engineers, interacted with racing pride and alpine's collaboration, had a helmet with names of alpine employees, and of course the other thank you helmet for the last race, expressing grief that he cannot say goodbye to people at the factory, alpine workers actively seeking him out to take a pic together,,,,,

este was never the problem. the team is rotten, has been from the start and it just has gotten deeper over the years.

making gasly the face of alpine - along with commentators even at the beginning of 2023 claiming that gasly would lead a team este has been in for three years - just screams racism to me. they were matched in so many ways, yet everyone seeemed to pick gasly over este, which always seemed odd to me, but now it is just even more insidous since they damaged his reputation yet again.

i wanna burn the alpine hq to the ground and put briatore's head on a stake.

[young-botanical-genius]

You don't have to be sorry... Seymour felt a pang of guilt for making Audrey feel the need to apologize, but knew that it was probably for the best that they didn't touch too much on the topic of his past. Perhaps someday, if he was lucky, he would feel secure enough to reveal to her all about his life under the sea, about the time he had rescued her from the shipwreck, and about how he had gained the means to come up onto the shore with her. But for now, it seemed a much too complicated subject to try and discuss.

He shook his head once more at her rambling attempts to resolve the potential misunderstanding of her question, although this time, the gesture was accompanied by a soft, reassuring squeeze of her hand. They're not silly! He hated when she would talk about herself like that-- like even the most mundane things she did or said were boring or foolish or meaningless. She did it quite often, and it never failed to puzzle him. How could she possibly think that way?

They're perfectly good questions. He wanted to say, instead opting to give her a small, sad smile in a further attempt at comfort. You deserve to know the answers, and I really, really wish I could tell you everything... but I can't. His free hand rose to brush absentmindedly over his own throat, and he felt himself longing more than ever to have his voice returned to him... even if only for a minute, even if only just to have been able to tell her how wonderful she was and how much he loved her.

His mind drifted to the subject of how much time he had left to spend with her, and his heart sunk at the realization that, provided that he didn't get the kiss needed to keep his human form forever, he only had a few more days left with his legs. After that, it was likely that the two of them would never see each other again, as they would once more be divided by the boundaries of land and sea, and potentially even those of life and death, depending on what sort of horrible fate awaited Seymour if he failed to fulfill the terms of the deal.

The thought alone was nearly enough to make him burst into tears right then and there, but he knew that it would do neither of them any good for him to start crying now. Their interaction had already become awkward enough-- it was clear that they both needed some sort of distraction from the heaviness of their feelings.

A pop of color in his peripheral vision suddenly caught his eye, and he turned his head to see a single, beautiful white lily growing near the banks of the lagoon. Finding that their boat was near enough to the shore and floating slowly enough that he could reach out and pluck it straight from the ground, he leaned over and did just that, proceeding to offer the delicate bloom out to Audrey with a grin of newfound enthusiasm on his face. This is for you.

@young-botanical-genius

Audrey focused on the even back and forth of the paddles through the water as she steered her and her new friend toward the little spot in the lagoon she liked to escape to. She stole glances at the curly haired man across from her, trying not to blush. She knew she had no place taking a liking to this fellow who had seemingly washed up ashore a few nights ago…but his smile was so sweet and his eyes so deep and brown, she couldn’t help herself. But still, she kept it reserved, knowing in a few days time she’d be married off to some prince she had never met. She frowned, scolding herself for being so negative about it. Any prince would be better than the last one she was arranged to marry — but he had drowned in a mysterious shipwreck, one she had nearly met the same fate in, sending the kingdom into a scramble to find her a husband.

The pair turned around a corner into a little pool, surrounded by trees and vines. Moss grew over large boulders and fireflies twinkled in the air. The whole place put Audrey’s troubled mind at ease. “It’s so peaceful, isn’t it?” She smiled warmly, already knowing not to expect a verbal answer. He hadn’t said a word since he’d appeared on the beach, but Audrey didn’t mind. She found that there were other ways you could communicate with someone, and it was a nice change from the men who found every excuse to shut her up and talk over her. She stole another glance at the man across from her, hoping to find that he found her hideaway just as wondrous as she did. “I love comin’ here when I wanna get away for a bit…nobody else in the palace knows about it”.

[sysig]

So much experimenting to be done, where to even start (Patreon)

[virune]

genuinely never understood the preoccupation with bullying people for being harmlessly weird. like if seeing someone wearing eccentric clothing or having an unusual hobby elicits some kind of unfounded aggression in you then i don't know what to tell you. get a grip maybe

[skunkes]

if life is categorized by Before Loss and After Loss then I exist in the before but with a countdown to the after. and the countdown is always always present and debilitating. the loss will be debilitating too but i cant help myself. i will always suffer twice.

[kyouka-supremacy]

Well.

[19871997]

.

[x-adoringvoid-x]

Apparently that's called the 'irresistible force paradox'